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Background Circular staplers are commonly used for reconstruction after radical resection for colorectal cancer. Pathological analysis of the anastomotic rings is common practice, although the benefits are unclear. The purpose of this study was to evaluate the usefulness of routine histopathological analysis of anastomotic rings in an original series and in a systematic review of the literature. Method The retrospective study was performed at two university-associated academic hospitals in Winnipeg, Canada, including patients investigated for colorectal cancers (within 30 cm of the anal verge) who underwent resection between 2007 and 2020. The systematic review involved Ovid MEDLINE, Embase, Scopus, and Web of Science databases, selecting for adult human studies involving analysis of anastomotic rings in elective colorectal cancer resections. The main outcome measure was the proportion of patients with cancer in the anastomotic ring specimens. The frequency of benign pathology findings and changes to patient management were also examined. Results Out of 673 eligible patients, 487 were included in the retrospective analysis. No patients had cancer within the anastomotic ring specimens. Twenty-five patients (5.1 per cent) had benign pathological findings within the anastomotic ring specimens, and patient management was never affected. In the systematic review, 27 articles were included in the final analysis out of 5848 records reviewed. The rate of cancer within anastomotic ring specimens was 0.34 per cent, and the rate of change in patient management was 0.19 per cent. Conclusion The likelihood of finding cancer within anastomotic rings is rare and their histopathological examination seldom changes patient management. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The Earth Observing System Microwave Limb Sounder measures several atmospheric chemical species (OH, H[O.sub.2], [H.sub.2]O, [O.sub.3], HCl, ClO, HOCl, BrO, HN[O.sub.3], [N.sub.2]O, CO, HCN, C[H.sub.3] CN, volcanic S[O.sub.2]), cloud ice, temperature, and geopotential height to improve our understanding of stratospheric ozone chemistry, the interaction of composition and climate, and pollution in the upper troposphere. All measurements are made simultaneously and continuously, during both day and night. The instrument uses heterodyne radiometers that observe thermal emission from the atmospheric limb in broad spectral regions centered near 118, 190, 240, and 640 GHz, and 2.5 THz. It was launched July 15, 2004 on the National Aeronautics and Space Administration's Aura satellite and started full-up science operations on August 13, 2004. An atmospheric limb scan and radiometric calibration for all bands are performed routinely every 25 s. Vertical profiles are retrieved every 165 km along the suborbital track, covering 82[degrees]S to 82[degrees]N latitudes on each orbit. Instrument performance to date has been excellent; data have been made publicly available; and initial science results have been obtained. Index Terms--Microwave, remote sensing, stratosphere, submillimeter wave.

Infants appear to be most at risk for abusive head trauma from male caretakers and babysitters. Abusive head trauma includes shaken baby syndrome and impact trauma, both of which may produce bleeding inside the head. A study of the medical records of 151 infants between three weeks and 24 months of age who experienced abusive head trauma found that male caretakers, including fathers, step-fathers, and male boyfriends of the mother, committed 60% of the crimes. Men were 2.2 times more likely to abuse infants. Mothers of infants were responsible for just 12.6% of the abuses. Female babysitters perpetrated 17.3% of the crimes. Abusers may not report the onset of symptoms resulting from abusive head trauma to parents to avoid being blamed for the abuse., Objective. Abusive head trauma is the most common cause of morbidity and mortality in physically abused infants. Effective prevention requires the identification of potential perpetrators. No study has specifically addressed the relationship of the perpetrators of abusive head trauma ("shaken baby syndrome") to their victims. The objectives of this study were to identify the abusers and their relationship to victims in these cases. Methods. We reviewed the medical charts of 151 infants who suffered abusive head trauma to determine the perpetrator of the abuse. Caretakers were classified by level of certainty: confession to the crime, legal actions taken, or strong suspicion by the staff. The relationship of abusers to victims was analyzed. Results. Male victims accounted for 60.3% of the cases. Twenty-three percent of the children died, although death rates for boys and girls did not vary significantly. Male perpetrators outnumbered females 2.2:1, with fathers, step-fathers, and mothers' boyfriends committing over 60% of the crimes. Fathers accounted for 37% of the abusers, followed by boyfriends at 20.5%. Female baby-sitters, at 17.3%, were a large, previously unrecognized group of perpetrators. Mothers were responsible for only 12.6% of our cases. All but one of the confessed abusers were with the child at the time of onset of symptoms. Conclusions. Our data suggest male caretakers are at greater risk to abuse infants. Baby-sitters are a concerning risk group, because they represent a significant proportion of abusers, and they more easily escape prosecution. In addition, no prevention efforts have been directed at baby-sitters. These statistics could help change the focus of efforts to prevent abusive head trauma. Pediatrics 1995;95:259-262; child abuse, head injury, shaken baby syndrome., Homicide is the second leading cause of traumatic child deaths in Colorado. Half of the child homicide deaths were the result of head trauma.[1] Abusive head trauma in infancy is [...]

Background. Abusive head trauma accounts for significant morbidity and mortality in infants. We compared a Southern population of victims with those in a previous study of a Western population, which found that men, particularly fathers and mothers' boyfriends, are the most common perpetrators. Methods. All cases of child abuse identified in a teaching hospital were prospectively reviewed for cases of abusive head trauma, and the perpetrators were identified. Results. Of the 76 cases of head trauma identified, 27 met the criteria for the study. The demographics of the perpetrators closely match those of the Western group. Men are the predominant perpetrators, with fathers committing 45% and boyfriends 25% of these injuries. Conclusions. Despite the differences in study design and population demographics, men are the most common perpetrators of abusive head trauma in both populations. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Introduction Local recurrence (LR) rates after transanal endoscopic microsurgery (TEM) are unclear, and the utility of early postoperative surveillance for low-risk lesions is unknown. This study aimed to define LR after TEM for benign polyps and invasive adenocarcinoma, describe risk factors for LR, and evaluate the utility of early surveillance endoscopy. Methods This retrospective cohort study was conducted at two hospitals in Winnipeg, Manitoba, Canada. Adult patients who underwent TEM between 2009 and 2020 were evaluated for inclusion. The primary outcome was the rate of LR on surveillance endoscopy. Other outcomes included risk factors for LR and diagnostic yield of surveillance endoscopy. Results Among 357 patients who underwent TEM for benign polyps, LR was 10.5% (95% confidence interval (CI) 5.8-15.2) at three years. Positive margin was correlated with LR on multivariate analysis (hazard ratio (HR) 8.01, 95% CI 2.78-23.08). TEM defect closure was associated with lower LR on multivariate analysis (HR 0.19, 95% CI 0.06-0.59). Among 124 patients who underwent TEM for rectal adenocarcinoma, LR was 15.0% (95% CI 6.0-24.0) at three years. The first surveillance endoscopy had a 1.4% yield for low-risk patients (benign lesion, negative margins, and closed TEM defect) and 6.9% for all others. Conclusions LR at three years after TEM was 10.5% for benign polyps and 15.0% for adenocarcinomas. Early surveillance endoscopy can be considered low yield in some patients after TEM, which can be informative for shared decision-making regarding whether to proceed with early endoscopy in a low-risk subgroup of patients., Competing Interests: The authors have declared that no competing interests exist., (Copyright © 2024, Holden et al.)