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This article discusses a case report of a 69-year-old female patient with a tegmen tympani defect, a rare condition that requires timely surgical intervention. Traditionally, these defects have been treated using different approaches, such as transmastoid or middle cranial fossa approaches. However, these methods have downsides, including prolonged temporal lobe retraction and larger craniotomies. The authors describe a novel keyhole minicraniotomy approach that was used successfully in this case, which they propose integrating into the treatment algorithm for similar patients. The article includes images illustrating the pre-operative and post-operative stages of the procedure. [Extracted from the article]

This article discusses the use of an endoscopic endonasal approach to treat trigeminal meningoencephaloceles in Meckel's cave, a rare defect in the middle cranial fossa. The traditional transcranial approaches to this condition are challenging due to the need for brain retraction. The authors describe a successful technique using an endoscopic endonasal transpterygoid approach to access Meckel's cave and treat the condition. Three patients who underwent this procedure experienced significant relief from their trigeminal neuralgia symptoms. The article provides clinical details, operative techniques, and outcomes of this approach. [Extracted from the article]

This article discusses the use of a unilateral transcondylar approach to treat a chordoma involving bilateral C1 and bilateral occipital condyles. The approach involves a lateral suboccipital craniectomy, C1 hemilaminectomy, partial resection of the occipital condyle, and partial resection of the jugular tubercle. The article provides details on the case of an 18-year-old female who underwent this approach after experiencing symptoms such as neck pain and tongue heaviness. The article concludes by discussing the technical details, operative techniques, and potential complications of the unilateral transcondylar approach. [Extracted from the article]

This article discusses the surgical technique, clinical presentation, and postoperative outcomes of patients undergoing resection of orbital apex cavernous malformations (CMs) using a fronto-orbital approach. The study included five patients, three females and two males, with an average age of 31.5 years. All patients initially presented with blurry vision, and some also experienced retro-orbital pain, headaches, and central scotoma. Gross total resection was successfully achieved in all cases, although four patients developed transient cranial nerve palsies within a few weeks postoperatively. These deficits mostly resolved within 3-4 months. The study concludes that the fronto-orbital approach is generally safe and should be considered for large lesions involving the orbital apex. [Extracted from the article]

This article from the Journal of Neurological Surgery. Part B. Skull Base discusses the use of vertebral artery (VA) bypass via a far lateral approach for the resection of a highly vascular cervical spinal cord tumor. The authors describe a case in which a patient with a VA-supplied and VA-encasing tumor underwent VA bypass followed by tumor embolization and resection. The procedure was successful and resulted in excellent outcomes. The article includes images and details of the patient's case to illustrate the concept of VA bypass for tumor resection. [Extracted from the article]

This article explores the use of machine learning to analyze blink reflex data collected from patients undergoing surgery for suspected vestibular schwannoma. The study aims to determine the prognostic value of blink reflex data in preserving facial nerve function. The researchers collected EMG data from six patients and analyzed tumor volume, House-Brackmann scores, and changes in blink reflex amplitude over time. While the sample size was small, the study demonstrates the feasibility of using machine learning to interpret facial nerve monitoring data and suggests the potential for larger-scale studies in the future. [Extracted from the article]

This article discusses the implementation of machine learning to detect changes in facial nerve electromyography (EMG) during vestibular schwannoma resection surgery. The current method of assessing nerve function during surgery is time-consuming and not continuous. The study aims to use the blink reflex, which stimulates facial nerve function through motor potentials, to predict facial nerve function. The researchers collected EMG data from six patients and analyzed it using a Python environment. The initial visualizations confirm the ability to process large-scale EMG data and highlight the potential of machine learning models to uncover patterns in blink reflex response that could indicate changes to facial nerve function. [Extracted from the article]

This article discusses the use of instrument tracking as a method for assessing the autonomy and progression of surgical skills in endoscopic endonasal surgery. The authors note that there is limited research on the competence and confidence of neurosurgical trainees in this type of surgery. They plan to conduct a pilot program using instrument tracking to determine the involvement of neurosurgical residents in endoscopic endonasal cases and identify transitional moments where control of instruments is given to attending physicians. The results of this study could potentially improve efficiency in surgical education. [Extracted from the article]

This article discusses the need for a cost-effective and comprehensive training model for teaching microsurgical skills to junior neurosurgical residents. The authors developed a model using chicken thigh tissue to simulate various neurosurgical procedures such as dural closure, arachnoid dissection, vessel anastomosis, and nerve coaptation. The model was used to teach microsurgical skills to a group of PGY-3 residents, who reported increased confidence and new technical strategies after the training session. The authors plan to further assess the reliability of the model as an assessment tool for surgical skills. [Extracted from the article]

This article, published in the Journal of Neurological Surgery, explores the use of machine learning and 3D MRI-based analysis to predict the pathologic grade of skull base meningiomas. The study analyzed preoperative MRIs from 38 patients and used a custom machine learning pipeline to predict the grade of the tumor. The results showed that the machine learning model had an area under the receiver operating characteristic curve (AUROC) of 0.75, indicating its potential for predicting the pathologic grade. However, further research with a larger sample size is needed to validate these findings and improve prognostication for patients with skull base meningiomas. [Extracted from the article]

This article discusses the development of a new technology called "TumorID" that uses machine learning and noncontact fluorescence spectroscopy to analyze meningioma tissue in real-time during surgery. The aim of this technology is to differentiate between Grade 1 and Grade 2 meningiomas, which have different prognostic and management implications. The study found that the multi-layer perceptron and logistic regression models performed the best in predicting the grade of meningiomas, with high accuracy. However, further research is needed to validate these findings on larger sample sizes. The authors hope that this technology will eventually improve the efficiency and accuracy of prognostication for patients with meningiomas. [Extracted from the article]

Background: Promoting patients' rights is essential for defining the standards of clinical services within a country. Given their responsibilities, nurses can be the primary target for research to investigate the issue of patients' rights within a healthcare system. As such, assessing the knowledge of nurses about patients' rights is an essential step toward improving the quality of healthcare in limited resource settings like Sudan. Objectives: We aimed to assess the level of knowledge about patients' rights among the nursing staff at Friendship Teaching Hospital in Sudan. Methods: This hospital-based cross-sectional study was carried out at the Friendship Teaching Hospital in Sudan. We surveyed the totality of nurses (95) at the hospital using an amended survey. The data were analyzed in SPSS software using descriptive and inferential statistics. Ethical consideration: The study was approved by the Research Unit of Khartoum Ministry of Health and the Hospital administration. All respondents gave verbal consent prior to participating in the study. Results: Only 48.4% of the participants knew about the existence of the Sudanese Charter of patients' rights. Nonetheless, our analysis found that 65.8% of nurses had acceptable level of knowledge (scored more than 75% of the total knowledge score) of patients' rights, and none of the participant scored less than 50% of the total knowledge score. Finally, we found no statistical association between the knowledge score and demographic data, educational level, whether the participant knows about the existence of the Charter or not and a number of other factors. Conclusion: Nurses' lack of knowledge about the existence of the Sudanese Charter of patients' rights adopted in 2009 rights confirms the need for further efforts by Ministry of Health to promote the document. Furthermore, further research is needed to investigate the disconnect between nurses' lack of knowledge about the existence of the charter and their awareness of the rights within the charter as well as the actual implementation of rights. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]