A review of current advancements and limitations of artificial intelligence in genitourinary cancers.

Advances in deep learning and neural networking have allowed clinicians to understand the impact that artificial intelligence (AI) could have on improving clinical outcomes and resources expenditures. In the realm of genitourinary (GU) cancers, AI has had particular success in improving the diagnosis and treatment of prostate, renal, and bladder cancers. Numerous studies have developed methods to utilize neural networks to automate prognosis prediction, treatment plan optimization, and patient education.

Multicenter, Double-Blind, Randomized Trial of Emricasan in Hepatitis C-Treated Liver Transplant Recipients With Residual Fibrosis or Cirrhosis.

Despite achieving sustained virologic response (SVR) to hepatitis C virus (HCV) therapy, there remains a post liver transplantation population with advanced fibrosis/cirrhosis. Emricasan is an orally active, pan-caspase inhibitor that suppresses apoptosis and inflammation, potentially decreasing hepatic inflammation and fibrosis. We aimed to determine the safety and efficacy of emricasan (IDN-6556-07) in a double-blind, randomized, placebo-controlled, multicenter study in reducing or preventing the progression of hepatic fibrosis in HCV liver transplant recipients with residual fibrosis or cirrhosis after achieving SVR.

A recommended "minimum data set" framework for SD-OCT retinal image acquisition and analysis from the Atlas of Retinal Imaging in Alzheimer's Study (ARIAS).

Introduction: We propose a minimum data set framework for the acquisition and analysis of retinal images for the development of retinal Alzheimer's disease (AD) biomarkers. Our goal is to describe methodology that will increase concordance across laboratories, so that the broader research community is able to cross-validate findings in parallel, accumulate large databases with normative data across the cognitive aging spectrum, and progress the application of this technology from the discovery stage to the validation stage in the search for sensitive and specific retinal biomarkers in AD.

Methods: The proposed minimum data set framework is based on the Atlas of Retinal Imaging Study (ARIAS), an ongoing, longitudinal, multi-site observational cohort study.

Controversies in the diagnosis of renal cell carcinoma with tumor thrombus.

Diagnosis and treatment of renal cell carcinoma with venous tumor thrombosis remains a challenge today, requiring multidisciplinary teams, mainly in tumor thrombus levels III-IV. Our objective is to present the various diagnostic techniques used and its controversies. A review of the most relevant related articles between January 2000 and August 2020 has been carried out in PubMed, EMBASE and Scielo.

Clouds and Convective Self-Aggregation in a Multimodel Ensemble of Radiative-Convective Equilibrium Simulations.

The Radiative-Convective Equilibrium Model Intercomparison Project (RCEMIP) is an intercomparison of multiple types of numerical models configured in radiative-convective equilibrium (RCE). RCE is an idealization of the tropical atmosphere that has long been used to study basic questions in climate science. Here, we employ RCE to investigate the role that clouds and convective activity play in determining cloud feedbacks, climate sensitivity, the state of convective aggregation, and the equilibrium climate.

Directions for Research on Climate and Conflict.

The potential links between climate and conflict are well studied, yet disagreement about the specific mechanisms and their significance for societies persists. Here, we build on assessment of the relationship between climate and organized armed conflict to define crosscutting priorities for future directions of research. They include (1) deepening insight into climate-conflict linkages and conditions under which they manifest, (2) ambitiously integrating research designs, (3) systematically exploring future risks and response options, responsive to ongoing decision-making, and (4) evaluating the effectiveness of interventions to manage climate-conflict links.

Fine-scale structure among mesophotic populations of the great star coral revealed by SNP genotyping.

Mesophotic reefs (30-150 m) have been proposed as potential refugia that facilitate the recovery of degraded shallow reefs following acute disturbances such as coral bleaching and disease. However, because of the technical difficulty of collecting samples, the connectivity of adjacent mesophotic reefs is relatively unknown compared with shallower counterparts. We used genotyping by sequencing to assess fine-scale genetic structure of at two sites at Pulley Ridge, a mesophotic coral reef ecosystem in the Gulf of Mexico, and downstream sites along the Florida Reef Tract.

Relationships Among Bone Morphological Parameters and Mechanical Properties of Cadaveric Human Vertebral Cancellous Bone.

Mechanical properties and morphological features of the vertebral cancellous bone are related to resistance to fracture and capability of withstanding surgical treatments. In particular, vertebral strength is related to its elastic properties, whereas the ease of fluid motion, related to the success of incorporation orthopedic materials (eg, bone cement), is regulated by the hydraulic permeability (K). It has been shown that both elastic modulus and permeability of a material are affected by its morphology.

Staged Treatment for an Unusual Case of Median Arcuate Ligament Syndrome Caused by Compression of the Celiac and Superior Mesenteric Arteries.

We report the unusual presentation of a patient with median arcuate ligament syndrome (MALS) and compression of both the celiac artery and the superior mesenteric artery (SMA). He underwent a staged treatment. First, a laparoscopic release of the median arcuate ligament was performed.

Treatment of Hypertrophic Burn and Traumatic Scars With a 2,940-nm Fractional Ablative Erbium-doped Yttrium Aluminium Garnet Laser: A Pilot Study.

Background: In recent years, fractional ablative lasers at low density have proven to be the centerpiece in a multimodality approach to treating hypertrophic burn scars.

Objective: To determine the safety and efficacy of fractional ablative erbium-doped yttrium aluminium garnet (Er:YAG) laser in the treatment of hypertrophic burn scars.

Methods: Eleven patients received 3 fractional ablative Er:YAG laser to hypertrophic burn scars at 400 to 800 μm, density 11%, no coagulation, and single pass at 4-week intervals.

Competition and succession among coral endosymbionts.

Host species often support a genetically diverse guild of symbionts, the identity and performance of which can determine holobiont fitness under particular environmental conditions. These symbiont communities are structured by a complex set of potential interactions, both positive and negative, between the host and symbionts and among symbionts. In reef-building corals, stable associations with specific symbiont species are common, and we hypothesize that this is partly due to ecological mechanisms, such as succession and competition, which drive patterns of symbiont winnowing in the initial colonization of new generations of coral recruits.

Preferential usage of rifaximin for the treatment of hydrogen-positive smallintestinal bacterial overgrowth.

Objectives: Small intestinal bacterial overgrowth (SIBO) is challenging to treat and diagnose and is associated with diagnosis of irritable bowel syndrome (IBS). Although no FDA-approved medications exist for treatment of SIBO, rifaximin has recently received approval to treat diarrhea-predominant IBS and patients with methane-positive SIBO breath tests. The aim of this study is to evaluate patient response to rifaximin for SIBO based on breath test results.

Safety and efficacy of antihyperglycaemic agents in diabetic kidney disease.

Diabetic kidney disease (DKD) is the major contributor to the mortality and the financial burden of diabetes, accounting for approximately 50% of the cases of end-stage renal disease (ESRD) in the developed world. Several studies have already demonstrated that achieving blood pressure targets in DKD with agents blocking the renin-angiotensin system confer superior renoprotection when compared to other agents. However, the effects on renal outcomes of antihyperglycaemic agents in these patients have not been reported or studied broadly until recent years.

The Parkinson's Disease Sleep Scale-2 (PDSS-2): Validation of the Spanish Version and Its Relationship With a Roommate-Based Version.

Background: Because of the prevalence and impact of sleep disorders in Parkinson's disease (PD), valid instruments for their evaluation and monitoring are necessary. However, some nocturnal sleep disorders may go unnoticed by patients themselves.

Objectives: To validate a pan-Spanish version of the Parkinson's Disease Sleep Scale Version 2 (PDSS-2) and to test the relationships between the PDSS-2 and a PDSS-2 roommate version.