Prevalence and Patterns of Polysubstance Use (Tobacco and Other Substances) and Associated Factors: A Cross-Sectional Analysis in a High-Risk Cohort for Oral Cancer in Varanasi, India, with a Special Focus on Young Emerging Adults.

Introduction: The dearth of population-based data on polysubstance use, especially in young emerging adults, presents a critical gap in understanding public health challenges, particularly in rural India, where tobacco and oral cancer are prevalent. This study addresses this gap by investigating the prevalence and patterns of substance use, with a focus on young emerging adults (18-29 years) within a high-risk cohort for oral cancer in Varanasi, India.

Methods: The study involved a cross-sectional analysis of baseline data from 10,101 participants within a high-risk cohort in rural settings of the Varanasi district between December 2020-June 2023.

Adjuvant Gemcitabine Plus Cisplatin and Chemoradiation in Patients With Gallbladder Cancer: A Randomized Clinical Trial.

Importance: There is limited evidence with regard to the benefit of adjuvant chemotherapy chemoradiotherapy in resected gallbladder cancers (GBCs).

Objective: To establish a baseline survival rate for operated GBCs in patients receiving either gemcitabine plus cisplatin (GC) or capecitabine and capecitabine concurrent with chemoradiation (CCRT).

Design, Setting, And Participants: The GECCOR-GB study was a multicenter, open-label, randomized phase 2 noncomparator "pick the winner" design trial of adjuvant GC and CCRT in patients with resected histologically confirmed adenocarcinoma or adenosquamous carcinoma of the gallbladder, (stage II/III) with no local residual tumor (R0) or microscopic residual tumor (R1).

Implications of chronic moderate protein-deficiency malnutrition on doxorubicin pharmacokinetics and cardiotoxicity in early post-weaning stage.

Background: Malnutrition is a common problem in developing countries, and the impact of severe malnutrition on optimal treatment outcomes of chemotherapy in pediatric cancer patients is well documented. However, despite being a more prevalent and distinct entity, moderate malnutrition is until now unexplored for its effects on treatment outcomes.

Aims: In this study we aimed to investigate the molecular basis of altered pharmacokinetics and cardiotoxicity of doxorubicin observed in early-life chronic moderate protein deficiency malnutrition.

Mahamana Technique of Pancreaticogastrostomy: A Safe and Reliable Technique for a Difficult Pancreatic Stump.

Pancreatoduodenectomy is a complex surgical procedure involving three anastomoses. Anastomosis of the pancreatic stump with the gastrointestinal tract is associated with most complications described in the postoperative period. So, there have been multiple attempts to discover safe and sound steps for this particular anastomosis.

Evaluation of a simple method for testing aztreonam and ceftazidime-avibactam synergy in New Delhi metallo-beta-lactamase producing Enterobacterales.

NDM-producing carbapenem-resistant bacterial infections became a challenge for clinicians. Combination therapy of aztreonam and ceftazidime-avibactam is a prudent choice for these infections. However, there is still no recommendation of a practically feasible method for testing aztreonam and ceftazidime-avibactam synergy.

Effectiveness of Telemedicine Interventions in Chronic Obstructive Pulmonary Disease (COPD) Management: A Randomized Controlled Trial Comparing Yoga Therapy and Pulmonary Rehabilitation Over Three Months.

Background Pulmonary rehabilitation (PR) is an integral part of non-pharmacological therapy in chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD). Yoga therapy (YT) has been shown to be beneficial in COPD, but the lack of large well-designed trials and standardized modules restricts its acceptability. This randomized control trial compares these two modalities in COPD patients via supervised tele-intervention.

Evaluation of three protocols for direct susceptibility testing for Gram-negative rods from flagged positive blood culture bottles.

Unlabelled: Bloodstream infections are associated with high mortality, which can be reduced by targeted antibiotic therapy in the early stages of infection. Direct antibiotic susceptibility testing (AST) from flagged positive blood cultures may facilitate the administration of early effective antimicrobials much before the routine AST. This study aimed to evaluate three different direct AST protocols for Gram-negative rods from flagged positive blood culture broths.

Weekly assessment of volumetric and dosimetric changes during volumetric modulated arc therapy of locally advanced head and neck carcinoma: Implications for adaptive radiation therapy-A prospective study.

Background: Chemoradiation in head and neck carcinoma (HNC) shows significant anatomical resulting in erroneous dose deposition in the target or the organ at risk (OAR). Adaptive radiotherapy (ART) can overcome this. Timing of significant target and OAR changes with dosimetric impact; thus, most suitable time and frequency of ART is unclear.

Assessment of Antimicrobial Activity of Novel Fluoroquinolone, Levonadifloxacin (WCK 771) Against Multi-Drug-Resistant Clinical Isolates from Cancer Patients in India.

Rapid increase in antimicrobial-resistance is leading to urgent need for newer broad-spectrum antimicrobials. Therefore, we have evaluated the antimicrobial résistance spectrum of India-discovered novel antibiotics (levonadifloxacin) against clinical isolates recovered from cancer patients. The study was conducted in the microbiology department, over a period of 1 year between May 2021 and June 2022 and 374 consecutive and nonduplicate Gram-positive (GPC) and MDR Gram Negative Bacteria (GNB) isolate were analyzed from 3,880 cancer patients in study.

Pattern of Care and Outcomes of Gallbladder Cancer Patients: Retrospective Study from a High Incidence Region in India.

Lakhan Kasyap  Gallbladder cancer (GBC) is the 20th most common cancer in India with a crude incidence rate of 2.3 per 100,000 persons. Of note, it is relatively common in states which fall in the Gangetic plains.

Evolution of Diagnostic and Forensic Microbiology in the Era of Artificial Intelligence.

Diagnostic microbiology plays a vital role in managing infectious diseases, combating antimicrobial resistance, and containment of outbreaks. During the fourth industrial revolution, when artificial intelligence (AI) became an essential part of our day-to-day lives, its integration into healthcare would further revolutionize our knowledge and potential. Although in the budding stage, AI with machine learning is being increasingly utilized in various aspects of diagnostic microbiology.

EWSR1 rearranged primary renal myoepithelial carcinoma: a diagnostic conundrum.

Primary renal myoepithelial carcinoma is an exceedingly rare neoplasm with an aggressive phenotype and Ewing sarcoma breakpoint region 1 (EWSR1) rearrangement in a small fraction of cases. In addition to its rarity, the diagnosis can be challenging for the pathologist due to morphologic heterogeneity, particularly on the biopsy specimen. At times, immunohistochemistry may be indecisive; therefore, molecular studies should be undertaken for clinching the diagnosis.

Effect of Moderate Malnutrition on the Pharmacokinetics of Etoposide and Vincristine in Freshly Weaned Rats.

Background: Moderate malnutrition is a common problem in young children. It is observed that severe malnutrition affects the pharmacokinetics of chemotherapy drugs in pediatric cancer patients, but moderate malnutrition is not well studied in this context.

Objectives: In this study, we aimed to understand how moderate malnutrition affects the pharmacokinetics of two chemotherapy drugs, etoposide and vincristine, using a murine model of early age moderate malnutrition.

Towards elimination of cervical cancer - human papillomavirus (HPV) vaccination and cervical cancer screening in Asian National Cancer Centers Alliance (ANCCA) member countries.

About 95% of cervical cancers worldwide are caused by human papillomavirus (HPV). Cervical cancer is preventable and curable if it is detected and treated early. We reviewed the latest national cervical cancer indicators, and barriers to HPV vaccination and cervical cancer screening in 21 Asian National Cancer Centers Alliance (ANCCA) member countries.

Large Solitary Fibrous Tumor (SFT) of the penis- a case report and review of literature.

Background: Solitary fibrous tumors (SFTs) are very rare spindle cell neoplasms of mesenchymal origin with largely benign course of disease. Genital SFT's can be managed providing excellent functional and psychological outcomes by timely intervention.

Case Presentation: We report the largest and possibly the second only reported case of penile SFT in a 34 year male presenting with a gradually increasing perineal mass with clinically normal appearing phallus.

Pre-COVID and COVID experience of objective structured clinical examination as a learning tool for post-graduate residents in Obstetrics & Gynecology-a quality improvement study.

Objective: Due to its comprehensive, reliable, and valid format, the objective structured clinical examination (OSCE) is the gold standard for assessing the clinical competency of medical students. In the present study, we evaluated the importance of the OSCE as a learning tool for postgraduate (PG) residents assessing their junior undergraduate students. We further aimed to analyze quality improvement during the pre-coronavirus disease (COVID) and COVID periods.

Designing New Magic Bullets to Penetrate the Mycobacterial Shield: An Arduous Quest for Promising Therapeutic Candidates.

spp. intimidated mankind since time immemorial. The triumph over this organism was anticipated with the introduction of potent antimicrobials in the mid-20th century.

In-Situ 'Divide' and 'Deliver': A Simple Technique to Preserve Nerves in Chimeric Anterolateral Thigh Flap Harvest.

Anterolateral thigh (ALT) flap is the workhorse for reconstruction in head and neck post cancer excision. Chimeric multi-paddle flaps are useful for composite defects involving skin, mucosa, and soft tissue. The nerve to vastus lateralis (VL) runs along the pedicle, frequently interdigitating with it or the perforators.

Neoadjuvant chemotherapy in technically unresectable head and neck cancers: a retrospective audit.

Background: The data regarding the use of neoadjuvant chemotherapy in technically unresectable head and neck cancer (HNC) is limited and real-world studies are needed to look for the efficacy and toxicities of this approach.

Patients And Methods: This is a retrospective study conducted in the Medical Oncology department of our hospital. All technically unresectable HNC patients who underwent neoadjuvant chemotherapy between May 2018 and May 2020 were included in this analysis.

Association of Immune-Related Adverse Effects and Survival in Solid Tumor Patients Treated with PD1 Inhibitors.

Kumar Prabhash  The development of immune-related adverse effects (irAEs) can corroborate with the response to immune checkpoint inhibitors (ICIs), including programmed cell death 1 (PD1) inhibitors. However, there is extremely limited data on the association of irAEs with survival in patients who have shown a response to ICIs.  This study is a retrospective audit of the prospectively collected database of patients who received PD1 inhibitors for advanced solid tumors.