Kidney Injury Following Cardiac Surgery: A Review of Our Current Understanding.

Around one-quarter of all patients undergoing cardiac procedures, particularly those on cardiopulmonary bypass, develop cardiac surgery-associated acute kidney injury (CSA-AKI). This complication increases the risk of several serious morbidities and of mortality, representing a significant burden for both patients and the healthcare system. Patients with diminished kidney function before surgery, such as those with chronic kidney disease, are at heightened risk of developing CSA-AKI and have poorer outcomes than patients without preexisting kidney injury who develop CSA-AKI.

Evaluation of a context-aware chatbot using retrieval-augmented generation for answering clinical questions on medication-related osteonecrosis of the jaw.

The potential of large language models (LLMs) in medical applications is significant, and Retrieval-augmented generation (RAG) can address the weaknesses of these models in terms of data transparency and scientific accuracy by incorporating current scientific knowledge into responses. In this study, RAG and GPT-4 by OpenAI were applied to develop GuideGPT, a context aware chatbot integrated with a knowledge database from 449 scientific publications designed to provide answers on the prevention, diagnosis, and treatment of medication-related osteonecrosis of the jaw (MRONJ). A comparison was made with a generic LLM ("PureGPT") across 30 MRONJ-related questions.

Drug challenge testing: a critical step in the investigation of neuromuscular blocking agent hypersensitivity.

Neuromuscular blocking agents are a common cause of perioperative hypersensitivity. The sensitivity and specificity of skin tests and in vitro tests in this context have not been determined conclusively, which poses a barrier to accurate diagnosis. Use of challenge testing represents a promising development in this field and a key tool in confirming tolerance to an alternate neuromuscular blocking agent for use in future anaesthesia.

C5 complement inhibition versus FcRn modulation in generalised myasthenia gravis.

Background: Myasthenia gravis (MG) is an autoimmune disorder affecting neuromuscular junctions, leading to fluctuating muscle weakness. While many patients respond well to standard immunosuppression, a substantial subgroup faces ongoing disease activity. Emerging treatments such as complement factor C5 inhibition (C5IT) and neonatal Fc receptor (FcRn) antagonism hold promise for these patients.

Efgartigimod efficacy and safety in refractory myasthenia gravis: UK's first real-world experience.

Background: We report our experience of patients with generalised myasthenia gravis (gMG) treated with efgartigimod, an neonatal Fc receptor antagonist, under the Early Access to Medicine Scheme (EAMS) in the UK.

Methods: Data from all UK patients treated with efgartigimod under the EAMS July 2022 to July 2023 were collected retrospectively. Efgartigimod was administered as per the ADAPT protocol (consisting of a treatment cycle of four infusions at weekly intervals with further cycles given according to clinical need).

Association between activity quotient and cause-specific mortality - A prospective cohort study of 0.5 million participants in Asia.

Background: Regular physical activity (PA) is important for reducing the risk of chronic diseases and improving overall health. Activity Quotient (AQ) is a novel metric that translates heart rate during PA into a weekly score, providing an objective measure of an individual's PA. We prospectively examined the association of AQ with cancer and cardiovascular (CVD) mortality outcomes, the two major causes of death, in a Taiwanese population.

DNA-binding affinity and specificity determine the phenotypic diversity in BCL11B-related disorders.

BCL11B is a Cys2-His2 zinc-finger (C2H2-ZnF) domain-containing, DNA-binding, transcription factor with established roles in the development of various organs and tissues, primarily the immune and nervous systems. BCL11B germline variants have been associated with a variety of developmental syndromes. However, genotype-phenotype correlations along with pathophysiologic mechanisms of selected variants mostly remain elusive.

Cemiplimab in recurrent cervical cancer: Final analysis of overall survival in the phase III EMPOWER-Cervical 1/GOG-3016/ENGOT-cx9 trial.

Aim: Cemiplimab has demonstrated significantly longer survival than physician's choice of chemotherapy in patients with recurrent cervical cancer after first-line platinum-containing chemotherapy. We report the final survival analysis from the phase III randomized study (EMPOWER-Cervical 1/GOG-3016/ENGOT-cx9).

Methods: Cemiplimab (n = 304) or chemotherapy (n = 304) were administered every 3 weeks.

Nivolumab combination therapies in patients with advanced gastric and gastroesophageal junction cancer: the phase II FRACTION gastric cancer study.

Background: Nivolumab-based therapies are efficacious with acceptable safety in patients with gastric cancer (GC) and gastroesophageal junction cancer (GEJC). Novel nivolumab-based combination immunotherapies may offer enhanced efficacy in these indications. FRACTION-GC was a signal-seeking, randomized, open-label, phase II adaptive-design trial assessing efficacy and safety of nivolumab in combination with ipilimumab [cytotoxic T lymphocyte antigen-4 (CTLA-4) antibody], relatlimab (lymphocyte-activation gene 3 antibody), or IDO1i (BMS986205, an indoleamine-2,3-dioxygenase-1 inhibitor) in patients with unresectable, advanced/metastatic GC/GEJC.

Complications of intrathecal baclofen therapy for spasticity: A single-centre cohort of 170 individuals.

Background: Intrathecal baclofen (ITB) therapy effectively reduces severe spasticity but is associated with complications that can be serious. The evolution of these complications over time and their predictive factors are not well known.

Objectives: The primary aim was to describe the incidence of ITB complications in adults with neurological disorders and disabling spasticity.

Ovarian cancer staging and follow-up: updated guidelines from the European Society of Urogenital Radiology female pelvic imaging working group.

Objective: To provide up-to-date European Society of Urogenital Radiology (ESUR) guidelines for staging and follow-up of patients with ovarian cancer (OC).

Methods: Twenty-one experts, members of the female pelvis imaging ESUR subcommittee from 19 institutions, replied to 2 rounds of questionnaires regarding imaging techniques and structured reporting used for pre-treatment evaluation of OC patients. The results of the survey were presented to the other authors during the group's annual meeting.

Indications for the addition of a patellofemoral joint arthroplasty following a previous unicondylar knee arthroplasty- a literature review and Delphi consensus.

Introduction: The aim of this study was to establish an international consensus statement on the indications for the addition of a patellofemoral joint arthroplasty (PFJA) in patients with a unicondylar knee arthroplasty (UKA) and symptomatic progression of patellofemoral compartment osteoarthritis.

Materials And Methods: A systematic review of the literature was conducted, and the results used to inform the development of a statement by an expert working group. This was then evaluated and modified, using a Delphi process, by members of the European Knee Society (EKS).

Incidence and Prognosis of Prosthesis-Patient Mismatch After Transcatheter Aortic Valve Replacement for Bicuspid Aortic Stenosis.

Background: Evidence regarding the incidence of prosthesis-patient mismatch (PPM) and long-term mortality after transcatheter aortic valve replacement (TAVR) in patients with bicuspid aortic valve stenosis (AS) is scarce.

Objectives: This study sought to assess the incidence and prognostic impact of PPM after TAVR for bicuspid AS compared with that for tricuspid AS.

Methods: In total, 7,393 patients who underwent TAVR were prospectively enrolled in the OCEAN-TAVI (Optimized Catheter Valvular Intervention Transcatheter Aortic Valve Implantation) registry, an ongoing Japanese, multicenter registry.

Effectiveness for remission maintenance rate and safety of different rituximab regimens for treating anti-neutrophil cytoplasmic antibody-associated vasculitis in Japan: a J-CANVAS study.

Rituximab (RTX) has been reported to effectively maintain remission in anti-neutrophil cytoplasmic antibody-associated vasculitis (AAV). In this multicenter study involving 57 patients who achieved remission after 24 weeks, we evaluated the effectiveness of RTX in maintaining remission in patients with AAV. Patients were divided into three groups based on RTX administration: continuous, induction phase-only, and maintenance phase-only groups.

Optimising fatigue, abdominal pain and faecal incontinence in people with inflammatory bowel disease (IBD-BOOST Optimise): feasibility study of a checklist and algorithm for initial nurse-led management.

Objective: Many people with inflammatory bowel disease (IBD) experience fatigue, pain and faecal incontinence that some feel are inadequately addressed. It is unknown how many have potentially reversible medical issues underlying these symptoms.

Methods: We conducted a study testing the feasibility of a patient-reported symptom checklist and nurse-administered management algorithm ('Optimise') to manage common medical causes of IBD-related fatigue, pain and faecal incontinence.

infection and staple-line leak in patients with class III obesity undergoing laparoscopic sleeve gastrectomy: a retrospective study.

Objective: Globally, over 50% of the population is affected by , yet research on its prevalence and impact in patients with obesity undergoing laparoscopic sleeve gastrectomy (LSG) is inconclusive. This study aimed to assess the prevalence of infection in individuals with obesity undergoing LSG, evaluate the percentage of postoperative staple-line leaks, and explore the potential link between infection and staple-line leaks.

Methods: This retrospective analysis assessed adult patients with class III obesity who underwent LSG between 2015 and 2020 at a tertiary care hospital in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia.

The Clinical Characteristics and Treatment Outcomes of Mesonephric Tumours of the Uterine Cervix: A Systematic Review and Proposal of Embryologically-Oriented Surgical Resection.

: Cervical mesonephric adenocarcinomas (MNACs) are among the rarest neoplasms of the female genital tract. Unlike the majority of cervical cancers, which are predominantly squamous in origin and strongly associated with HPV seropositivity, MNACs are distinct in both histology and pathophysiology. Despite their unique characteristics, MNACs have historically been managed in parallel with squamous cell carcinomas, resulting in a lack of optimised, evidence-based treatment protocols.

From Spectra to Signatures: Detecting Fentanyl in Human Nails with ATR-FTIR and Machine Learning.

Human nails have recently become a sample of interest for toxicological purposes. Multiple studies have proven the ability to detect various analytes within the keratin matrix of the nail. The analyte of interest in this study is fentanyl, a highly dangerous and abused drug in recent decades.

Long-Term Outcomes and Quality of Life of High-Risk Neuroblastoma Patients Treated with a Multimodal Treatment Including Anti-GD2 Immunotherapy: A Retrospective Cohort Study.

Background: The incorporation of anti-GD2 antibodies such as ch14.18/SP2/0 into the multimodal treatment of high-risk neuroblastoma (HR-NB) patients has improved their outcomes. As studies assessing the long-term outcomes, long-term sequelae, and health-related quality of life (HRQoL) of this treatment are limited, this retrospective analysis aimed to explore these.

Primary Mediastinal Ewing's Sarcoma: Post Hoc Analysis from Two International Multicenter Prospective Randomized Trials.

Objective: Ewing sarcoma (EWS) of the mediastinum is extremely rare, with only a few cases reported in the literature. We aimed to gain a better understanding of primary mediastinal EWS, describing patients treated within two international, multicenter, prospective, randomized EWS trials.

Methods: Data from patients with primary mediastinal EWS were retrieved from the database of the EURO-E.

The Efficacy of FOLFIRI Plus Ramucirumab in Recurrent Colorectal Cancer Refractory to Adjuvant Chemotherapy with Oxaliplatin/Fluoropyrimidine-Including Biomarker Analyses.

Background: FOLFIRI (5-FU + leucovorin + irinotecan) plus ramucirumab is one of the standards in second-line metastatic colorectal cancer (CRC) patients progressing after treatment with oxaliplatin/fluoropyrimidine with bevacizumab, but there is no evidence on its efficacy without prior bevacizumab. Moreover, VEGF-D has not been confirmed as a predictive biomarker for ramucirumab's efficacy, either.

Methods: The RAINCLOUD study was a multicenter, single-arm, phase II trial conducted in Japan.

Introducing and Validating the Multiphasic Evidential Decision-Making Matrix (MedMax) for Clinical Management in Patients with Intrahepatic Cholangiocarcinoma.

Despite the significant advancements of liver surgery in the last few decades, the survival rate of patients with liver and pancreatic cancers has improved by only 10% in 30 years. Precision medicine offers a patient-centered approach, which, when combined with machine learning, could enhance decision making and treatment outcomes in surgical management of ihCC. This study aims to develop a decision support model to optimize treatment strategies for patients with ihCC, a prevalent primary liver cancer.

Head-to-Head Comparison of Aptamer- and Antibody-Based Proteomic Platforms in Human Cerebrospinal Fluid Samples from a Real-World Memory Clinic Cohort.

High-throughput proteomic platforms are crucial to identify novel Alzheimer's disease (AD) biomarkers and pathways. In this study, we evaluated the reproducibility and reliability of aptamer-based (SomaScan 7k) and antibody-based (Olink Explore 3k) proteomic platforms in cerebrospinal fluid (CSF) samples from the Ace Alzheimer Center Barcelona real-world cohort. Intra- and inter-platform reproducibility were evaluated through correlations between two independent SomaScan assays analyzing the same samples, and between SomaScan and Olink results.

Biomarkers of Extracellular Matrix Fragments in Patients with Psoriasis.

Blood-based extracellular matrix (ECM) fragments have been identified as potential pharmacologic biomarkers in spondyloarthritis and diagnostic biomarkers in psoriatic arthritis and psoriasis vulgaris. This study aimed to explore whether ECM fragments can differentiate patients with psoriasis from healthy controls (HC) and determine their potential as biomarkers for response to treatment in psoriasis. The study population included 59 patients with moderate to severe psoriasis, not receiving systemic anti-psoriatic treatment at inclusion, and 52 HC matched by age, sex, and BMI.