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Preoperative hearing function shows wide variations among patients diagnosed with vestibular schwannoma. Besides the preoperative tumor size there are other factors that influence the preoperative hearing function that are frequently discussed. A comprehensive analysis of a large cohort of vestibular schwannomas has the potential to describe new insights and influence the preoperative management. We analyzed clinical factors, imaging data and the expression of the proliferation marker MIB1 as potential influencing factors on the preoperative hearing function in a retrospective cohort of 523 primary sporadic vestibular schwannomas. The results of the preoperative audiometry were quantified using the Gardner-Robertson Score. Uni- and multivariate analyses were performed. Serviceable hearing (Gardner-Robertson class 1 or 2) was documented in 391 patients (74.8%). Factors associated with non-serviceable hearing (Gardner-Robertson class 3–5) were patients of older age (p < 0.0001), larger preoperative tumor volume (p = 0.0013) and widening of the internal acoustic meatus compared to the healthy side (p = 0.0353). Gender and differences in the expression of the proliferation marker MIB1 had no influence on preoperative hearing. In the multivariate nominal logistic regression older age (OR 27.60 (CI 9.17–87.18), p < 0.0001), larger preoperative tumor volume (OR 20.20 (CI 3.43–128.58), p = 0.0011) and widening of the internal acoustic canal (OR 7.86 (CI 1.77–35.46), p = 0.0079) remained independent factors associated with non-serviceable hearing. Widening of the internal acoustic canal is an independent factor for non-serviceable preoperative hearing in vestibular schwannoma patients together with older age and larger preoperative tumor volume. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Anterior petrosectomy demands localization of the internal auditory canal (IAC) for safe bone drilling and maximum exposure. Various techniques have been described in the literature, each with shortcomings. We propose a new technique to localize the internal acoustic meatus (IAM) using more consistent anatomical landmarks. The study was done in three phases. In phase-I (radiological), computed tomography scan heads of fifty patients (100 sides) were analyzed. Arcuate eminence–Greater Superficial Petrosal Nerve bifurcation angle(Garcia-Ibanez technique), Arcuate eminence–IAC angle(Fisch technique) and a new angle formed between foramen ovale (FO) and foramen spinosum (FS) line, and FS and IAM line (FO–FS-IAM angle) was measured. The mean, standard deviation, and variance were calculated. In phase-II (cadaveric), the FO-FS-IAM angle was measured on five (10 sides) dry skulls. In phase-III (clinical), the IAM was localized using the FO–FS-IAM angle in 13 patients. The mean angle between arcuate eminence and Greater Superficial Petrosal Nerve (Garcia-Ibanez technique) was 126.20 ± 11.63°(range 106–156) with a variance of 135.20. The mean bifurcation angle was 63 ± 5.81°(range 53–78). By the Fisch technique, the mean arcuate-IAM angle was 73.5 ± 11.70°(range 51–105) with a variance of 137.18. By our technique, the mean FO–FS-IAM angle was 94.72 ± 5.89°(range 84–108). The variance was 34.73. The mean FO-FS-IAM angle on dry skulls was identical (95 ± 1.97°) to our radiological measurements. This angle was reproduced reliably in clinical cases for localizing the IAM during anterior petrosectomy. The FO–FS-IAM angle variance was much lower than the analogous angles measured by Garcia-Ibanez and Fisch techniques, making it a more reliable and effective tool for localizing the IAM. [Display omitted] [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The goal of this paper is to explain DevOps automation and, through a practical example, demonstrate the usage and advantages of employing new technologies. The term DevOps has recently become a buzzword and, as such, has become poorly defined, susceptible to misinterpretation, and misunderstood in its true meaning. The following definition focuses more on the objective than the precise meaning. DevOps is a set of practices aimed at reducing the time between a change that occurs in the system and the manifestation of that change in production without compromising on the quality and security of the system. DevOps integrates two worlds, development and operations, using technologies to automate the development, implementation, and monitoring of infrastructure. It represents a significant shift within an organization that brings together two seemingly different worlds into one, working collaboratively to continuously deliver a quality system in the shortest possible timeframe, eliminating communication problems between teams. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The International Academy of Cytology has joined with the International Agency for Research on Cancer to bring together a group of experts in lung cytopathology to develop a WHO Reporting System for Lung Cytopathology (WHO System). This System aims to improve and standardize the reporting of cytopathology, facilitate communication between cytopathologists and clinicians, and improve patient care. The WHO System describes 5 categories for reporting lung cytopathology: 'Insufficient/Inadequate/Nondiagnostic', 'Benign', 'Atypical', 'Suspicious for malignancy', and 'Malignant', each one with a clear descriptive term, a definition, a risk of malignancy, and a suggested management algorithm. The key diagnostic cytopathologic features of each of the lesions within each category have been established by consensus through an Expert Editorial Board, who are also the authors of this review and selected for each reporting system and chosen based on their expertise in the field and/or diversity of geographical representation. Many other co-authors from around the world also contributed. The assignment of writing and editing responsibilities used the same model as that used for the WHO Classification of Tumours (https://whobluebooks.iarc.fr/about/faq/). The WHO System provides the best practice application of ancillary testing, including immunocytochemistry and molecular pathology, and guides in sampling and processing techniques to optimize the handling and preparation of specimens. The WHO System was created by the authors to be applicable globally and is based on cytomorphology with possibilities for additional diagnostic management of the patient. The authors are aware that local medical and pathology resources would differ, especially in low- and middle-income countries. The WHO Tumour Classification for Thoracic Tumors, Fifth Edition, is directly accessible through the online WHO System. • The International Academy of Cytology has joined with the International Agency for Research on Cancer to bring together a group of experts in lung cytopathology to develop a WHO Reporting System for Lung Cytopathology (WHO System). This System aims to improve and standardize the reporting of cytopathology, facilitate communication between cytopathologists and clinicians, and improve patient care. • The WHO System describes 5 categories for reporting lung cytopathology: 'Insufficient/Inadequate/Nondiagnostic', 'Benign', 'Atypical', 'Suspicious for malignancy', and 'Malignant', each one with a clear descriptive term, a definition, a risk of malignancy and a suggested management. • The WHO System provides the best practice application of ancillary testing, including immunocytochemistry and molecular pathology, and guides in sampling and processing techniques to optimize the handling and preparation of specimens. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This paper explores the capabilities of Infrastructure as a Code (IaC), and tackling some of the cloud of the resources it can create. This study assumes that a cloud developer has access to resources regarding IaC, as well as extensive knowledge on how to use them. The goal in this study is to create an enterprise-ready solution through the usage of IaC exclusively. IaC would be used to create a fully functional network infrastructure, including a network, subnets, and gateways; a website capable of handling heavy loads, through the usage of a load balancer, and recover in the case of disasters or failures, through the usage of an autoscaling group; and a database that an enterprise may use; through the usage of the relational database service. Additional features that are offered by AWS's CloudFormation are also investigated. IaC was capable of achieving the goals set, with room for modifications for a more complex solution. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: A five-tiered reporting system for effusion fluid cytology has been published by the Indian Academy of Cytologists (IAC). Only a single study has evaluated the applicability of this system in routine reporting. Aims: We intend to evaluate the practical utility of this system in routine reporting of ascitic fluid cytology. Materials And Methods: Nine hundred and sixty-one cases of ascitic fluid cytology were included in this study. The clinical, radiological, cytomorphological, and follow-up data of these cases were reviewed. All cases were recategorized according to the proposed IAC system, and the risk of malignancy (ROM) for each category was estimated. Results: Age of the patients ranged from 1 to 92 years, and fluid volume ranged from 10 ml to 3 l. The number of cases included in each category and their respective ROM were as follows: category 1: 41, 21.42%; category 2: 805, 14.9%; category 3: 5, 33.3%; category 4: 31, 90%; and category 5:79, 96.4%. Conclusions: The new IAC guidelines for the serous fluid is representative, informative, and could be easily applied at our institutional level. We used the recommended diagnostic categories for reclassifying the ascitic fluid samples based on their cytosmear findings and conclude that the system has enormous utility at each level starting from the collection of fluid samples till the delivery of the report.

Background: A five-tiered reporting system for effusion fluid cytology has been published by the Indian Academy of Cytologists (IAC). Only a single study has evaluated the applicability of this system in routine reporting. Aims: We intend to evaluate the practical utility of this system in routine reporting of ascitic fluid cytology. Materials And Methods: Nine hundred and sixty-one cases of ascitic fluid cytology were included in this study. The clinical, radiological, cytomorphological, and follow-up data of these cases were reviewed. All cases were recategorized according to the proposed IAC system, and the risk of malignancy (ROM) for each category was estimated. Results: Age of the patients ranged from 1 to 92 years, and fluid volume ranged from 10 ml to 3 l. The number of cases included in each category and their respective ROM were as follows: category 1: 41, 21.42%; category 2: 805, 14.9%; category 3: 5, 33.3%; category 4: 31, 90%; and category 5:79, 96.4%. Conclusions: The new IAC guidelines for the serous fluid is representative, informative, and could be easily applied at our institutional level. We used the recommended diagnostic categories for reclassifying the ascitic fluid samples based on their cytosmear findings and conclude that the system has enormous utility at each level starting from the collection of fluid samples till the delivery of the report. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

With a substantial amount of hands-on training required in virtually every IT program and every IT career, instructors face difficulties in providing sufficient training resources. Simulation training has become one possible solution to this issue a while ago. Another possible solution that emerged quite recently is based on cloud-based Infrastructure-as-Code (IaC) training. This paper includes a comparison of the two methods on a test group that consists of the students enrolled in five different courses that used both types of training. Each training type was found to have a substantial impact on the student's perceived knowledge improvement; however, only a few significant differences were found between the students' perception of the effectiveness of simulated and IaC training in that area. While IaC training is found to be significantly more similar to the actual environment, it is relatively new and needs improvement in functionality. The paper concludes with several improvement recommendations to the IaC training, which would make it more satisfactory to the students. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Context: The International Academy of Cytology Yokohama System has developed a standardized system of reporting breast cytology by classifying them into five categories – insufficient, benign, atypical, suspicious, and malignant. Numerous studies conducted at different centers are required to confirm the risk of malignancy of the different categories. Aims: The main objectives of our study were to classify breast fine needle aspirates according to the IAC Yokohama system and assess the risk of malignancy, sensitivity, specificity, positive predictive value, negative predictive value, and accuracy. Settings and Design: It was a retrospective study done over a period of 2 years from January 2018 to December 2020. Materials and Methods: All breast FNAs done in the above period were retrieved and classified into five categories according to the Yokohama system. Histopathological diagnosis was also retrieved wherever available. Statistical Analysis Used: Using a histopathological diagnosis as the gold standard, sensitivity, specificity, PPV, NPV, and diagnostic accuracy were calculated. For each of the five categories, the risk of malignancy was also assessed. Results: Out of the 554 breast fine needle aspirates, 242 had histopathological correlation. The risk of malignancy for insufficient, benign, atypical, suspicious, and malignant categories were 5%, 1.5%, 17.4%, 81.8%, and 100%, respectively. Maximum sensitivity (97.2%) was achieved when atypical, suspicious, and malignant cases were considered as positive test results. The highest specificity (100%) was observed when only malignant cases were considered as positive test results, whereas maximum diagnostic accuracy (96.4%) was noted when the malignant and suspicious category was included in positive test results. Conclusion: The IAC Yokohama system is an excellent system for accurately diagnosing breast fine needle aspirates with greater reproducibility of reports and better communication between the pathologist and clinician.

Resumo As mudanças climáticas são uma resposta da dinâmica do sistema Terra a fatores intrínsecos ou extrínsecos ao planeta. Importantes consequências dessa alteração climática são as ocorrências de secas ou do aumento na intensidade das chuvas em várias regiões do globo terrestre, que pode reduzir ou aumentar a disponibilidade de água no sistema. Para a Amazônia o cenário de severidade de secas pode se agravar, conforme sugerido por modelos climáticos. Neste sentido, o objetivo deste trabalho é analisar a anomalia de chuva e a tendência de precipitação para o período de 1994 a 2017 em sete estações pluviométricas localizadas na Amazônia Central e relacioná-los aos eventos interanuais/ interdecadais. Para tal, utilizou-se o índice de Anomalia de Chuva (IAC) e o teste não paramétrico de Mann-Kendall. Os resultados sugerem que somente El Niños extremos, tais como os de 1997 e 2015, apresentaram redução na precipitação em todas as estações, enquanto o La Niña de 1999 foi o que apresentou os maiores aumentos, a partir dos IACs. Com relação ao teste de tendências de Mann-Kendall, somente na estação C apresentou uma tendência de aumento na precipitação, evidenciando a necessidade de maiores séries temporais de precipitação para análises mais concisas.

In this case report, we present the case of a 14-month-old boy with a history of left facial palsy which developed at a very young age. CT of the temporal bone revealed a cystic lesion of the left petrous apex, and sedated auditory testing revealed a profound hearing loss on the same side. Following his first episode of left facial palsy, his symptoms nearly fully resolved and he was lost to follow-up. However, he was seen 5 months later due to recurrent and sudden left-sided facial paralysis. MRI was performed due to suspicion of an epidermoid cyst. The patient was subsequently taken to the operating room for facial-nerve decompression. Intraoperatively, no obvious cystic lesion was identified. Tissue biopsied from the internal auditory canal demonstrated benign glial tissue and fibrous tissue consistent with a meningocele.

Objetivo: El artículo esboza una comprensión en torno a la elaboración de un currículo intercultural para comunidades educativas donde sus miembros han sido víctimas del conflicto armado colombiano. Método: Generando un diálogo de saberes y conocimientos entre investigadores y participantes, en un ejercicio de formación recíproca que llevó a reivindicar la tradición oral, que ha sido subalternizada por los discursos escolares del orden transnacional. Estrategias: El horizonte teleológico se trazó en la concepción de hacer una intervención cooperativa, en la cual participó una universidad y una escuela pública rural con el fin de empoderar categorías como interculturalidad, paz y justicia territorial en sus miembros. Esta sinergia incentivó a la comunidad para dar un salto adelante en su nivel de conciencia de práctica docente frente al “otro”. Originalidad: Esta comunicación académica sustenta la elaboración de nuevo conocimiento a partir de las voces de los participantes in situ. Conclusión : La rutina investigativa de injerencia se asume como una herramienta crítica para el cambio social, especialmente, cuando dentro de sus marcos generales los maestros aprenden a innovar y mejorar las realidades propias de una cultura o comunidad, en la expectativa de reconstruir experiencias de aprendizaje que pueden ser propuestas a partir del diseño, implementación y evaluación de acciones pedagógicas para la diversidad.

Introduction: The expression of alpha-five beta-three (αVβ3) integrins is upregulated in various malignancies undergoing angiogenesis. The development of integrin antagonists as diagnostic probes makes the αVβ3 integrin a suitable candidate for targeting tumor angiogenesis. The goal of this study was to optimize the radiolabeling and evaluate the potential of conjugated integrin antagonist carbamate (IAC), a peptidomimetic, as a theranostic radiopharmaceutical for targeting tumor angiogenesis. Methodology: Radiolabeling of DOTAGA [2,2',2" -{10-(2,6-dioxotetrahydro-2H-pyran-3-yl)-1,4,7,10-tetraazacyclododecane-1,4,7-triyl} triacetic-acid]-IAC with [ 68 Ga]Ga, [ 177 Lu]Lu, and [ 225 Ac]Ac was optimized. The binding affinity (Kd) of DOTAGA-IAC for the αVβ3 receptor and cancer cell lines was quantified. The biodistribution studies were conducted in healthy Wistar rats. Dosimetry analysis was performed on [ 177 Lu]Lu-DOTAGA-IAC distribution data. A pilot study of [ 68 Ga]Ga-DOTAGA-IAC and [ 18 F]FDG Positron Emission Tomography (PET/CT) imaging was performed in five patients with histopathologically confirmed breast cancer. PET/CT findings were compared between [ 68 Ga]Ga-DOTAGA-IAC and [ 18 F]FDG in these patients. Results: Radiopharmaceuticals were prepared with high radiochemical purity (>99.9%). Kd and Bmax measurements were 15.02 nM and 417 fmol for αVβ3 receptor protein: 115.7 nM and 295.3 fmol for C6 glioma cells. Biodistribution studies in rats suggested the excretion via kidneys and partially through the hepatobiliary route. The effective dose of [ 177 Lu]Lu-DOTAGA-IAC was found to be 0.17 mSv/MBq. The dynamic study in patients revealed the optimal imaging time to be 30-35 mins postadministration. Out of the cohort, [ 68 Ga]Ga-DOTAGA-IAC detected the primary lesions in all five patients with a mean standard uptake value (SUV max ) of 3.94 ± 0.58 compared with [ 18 F]FDG (SUV max 13.8 ± 6.53). Conclusion: The study demonstrates that DOTAGA-IAC exhibits strong binding to αVβ3 integrin, positioning it as a promising PET agent for assessing primary and metastatic cancers. The outcomes from the pilot study suggest the potential of [ 68 Ga]Ga-DOTAGA-IAC PET/CT in breast carcinoma diagnosis. While recognizing the theranostic potential of DOTAGA-IAC for αVβ3 integrin-expressing tumors, further clinical investigations are warranted to comprehensively assess therapeutic efficacy.

Context: The International Academy of Cytology Yokohama System has developed a standardized system of reporting breast cytology by classifying them into five categories – insufficient, benign, atypical, suspicious, and malignant. Numerous studies conducted at different centers are required to confirm the risk of malignancy of the different categories. Aims: The main objectives of our study were to classify breast fine needle aspirates according to the IAC Yokohama system and assess the risk of malignancy, sensitivity, specificity, positive predictive value, negative predictive value, and accuracy. Settings and Design: It was a retrospective study done over a period of 2 years from January 2018 to December 2020. Materials and Methods: All breast FNAs done in the above period were retrieved and classified into five categories according to the Yokohama system. Histopathological diagnosis was also retrieved wherever available. Statistical Analysis Used: Using a histopathological diagnosis as the gold standard, sensitivity, specificity, PPV, NPV, and diagnostic accuracy were calculated. For each of the five categories, the risk of malignancy was also assessed. Results: Out of the 554 breast fine needle aspirates, 242 had histopathological correlation. The risk of malignancy for insufficient, benign, atypical, suspicious, and malignant categories were 5%, 1.5%, 17.4%, 81.8%, and 100%, respectively. Maximum sensitivity (97.2%) was achieved when atypical, suspicious, and malignant cases were considered as positive test results. The highest specificity (100%) was observed when only malignant cases were considered as positive test results, whereas maximum diagnostic accuracy (96.4%) was noted when the malignant and suspicious category was included in positive test results. Conclusion: The IAC Yokohama system is an excellent system for accurately diagnosing breast fine needle aspirates with greater reproducibility of reports and better communication between the pathologist and clinician. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Purpose: Intra-arterial chemotherapy (IAC) has emerged as an effective treatment for retinoblastoma (RB) however, little information exists regarding its use in older patients (>5 years). In the present study, we evaluate the use of IAC (2008–2018) for RB in older patients and compare the outcomes to those in the prechemotherapy ( 0.99) and death (P > 0.99). Conclusion: Older patients with RB managed in the IAC era demonstrated reduced need for EBRT or enucleation compared to those managed in the IVC or prechemotherapy eras, with no instance of metastasis or death.

A realização de atividade física promove diversos benefícios para o organismo. Entretanto, com a pressão social para que se atinja um padrão de beleza ideal, observa-se, na atualidade, uma alta insatisfação com a própria imagem corporal. A fim de avaliar o grau de satisfação com o próprio corpo, o presente estudo teve como objetivo associar a percepção da imagem corporal, o índice de adiposidade corporal (IAC) e a resistência cardíaca. Essas variáveis foram avaliadas por meio do teste de Ruffier-Dickson, do cálculo do IAC e da escala de silhuetas de Kakeshita (2009), fazendo-se uma análise comparativa entre os indivíduos. A amostra foi composta por 30 praticantes de exercícios físicos em academia de Joinville, na faixa etária de 18 a 45 anos, sendo 20 do sexo feminino entre 21 a 45 anos com média de 28,6 (± 6,0) anos e 10 do sexo masculino entre 18 a 45 anos com média 30,1 (±8,1) anos. Após análise observou-se que 60% dos indivíduos avaliados tem resistência cardíaca fraca ou muito fraca, mesmo estes estando ativos na academia. Em relação à percepção da imagem corporal, os resultados sugeriram uma insatisfação com o próprio corpo, em que 51% do sexo feminino e 27% do sexo masculino superestimaram seu tamanho corporal. Percebe-se, portanto, que a amostra avaliada, além de não possuir um bom condicionamento físico, não está satisfeito com o seu próprio corpo, enxergando-se de forma negativa. ABSTRACT Association of perception of body image with the resistance and cardiac index of adiposity in practitioners of physical exercises The performance of physical activities promotes several benefits to the body. However, with the social pressure to reach a pattern of ideal beauty, it is observed, in the present days, a high dissatisfaction with the own image. To assess the degree of satisfaction with own body, the present study aimed to associate body image perception, body adiposity index (BAI) and cardiac resistance. These variables were evaluated through the Ruffier-Dickson test, the BAI calculation and the Kakeshita’s silhouettes scale (2009), making a comparative analysis among the individuals. The sample consisted of 30 physical exercise practitioners in a Joinville gym, of which 20 were women between the ages of 21 and 45 years, and the mean age was 28.6 (± 6.0) and 10 males aged 18 and 45 years, and mean age of 30.1 (± 8.1). After analysis, it was observed that 60% of the evaluated individuals have weak or very weak cardiac resistance, even if they’re active in the gym. Regarding body image perception, the results suggested a dissatisfaction with the body itself, in which 51% of females and 27% of males overestimated their body size. It can be seen, therefore, that the evaluated sample, besides not having a good physical conditioning, is not satisfied with its own body, seeing themselves in a negative way.

The microregion of Vitória de Santo Antão stands out for its agricultural production, being considered the green belt of the Metropolitan Region of Recife (RMR). The present study aims to evaluate the spatialtemporal variability of rainfall in Vitória de Santo Antão microregion by using the Rainfall Anomaly Index (IAC). The mean values of the precipitation of the historical series from 1960 to 2015, measured from 5 meteorological stations, obtained through Pernambuco State of Waters and Climates (APAC) were used. The average air temperature data were obtained by using Estima_T software, which estimates air temperatures through multiple regressions as a function of local coordinates. The RAI created by Rooy (1965) was analyzed, as well as the Rainfall Probability (P) analysis and its Return Period (t). The results indicated that microregion has pluviometric irregularities due to atmospheric events that operate in the region, such as El Niño, showing a marked interannual variability of precipitation with tendencies of rainfall reduction. The techniques probability occurrence of rains and the average period of return were indispensable for the estimation of extreme climatic events.

Sentiment analysis or opinion mining is the area of research in Natural Language Processing (NLP) and text mining which deals with the systematic identification of subjective information from user generated text. At a more fine-grained level, aspect-based sentiment analysis focuses on the targets of users' opinions and determining sentiment orientation of these opinions. Among different tasks of aspect-based sentiment analysis, aspect extraction is the key task which includes extraction of both explicit and implicit aspects. Due to the complexity of implicit aspects, not much effort has been put forward to solve the problem while explicit aspects have been studied extensively in the recent past. Existing approaches for implicit aspect extraction have focused on specific type of aspects and have neglected the actual problem. Therefore, in this paper, we have proposed a multi-level approach which identifies implicit aspects using co-occurrence and similarity-based techniques. This research focuses on the extraction of clues for implicit targets of users' opinions and identification of true targets of users' opinions with the help of implicit aspect clues. The proposed approach is divided into two phases: first, several rules are crafted to identify clues for implicit aspects in a review sentence. Secondly, aspects are assigned on the basis of extracted clues using proposed multi-level approach. The proposed model can extract not only implicit aspect clues associated with opinion words but also allocate clues to opinion words where no association is identified. This helps to identify implicit aspects with or without co-occurrences of opinion words with explicit aspects. Experimental evaluation elaborates the importance of implicit aspect clues in the identification of targets of users' opinions. The proposed approach shows better results as compared with the state-of-the-art approaches for the identification of implicit targets of users' opinions on a dataset of different product reviews. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Purpose of Review: In this narrative review, we discuss key questions about the antifungal treatment of complicated intrabdominal infections (cIAI). Recent Findings: Although less common than bacteria, Candida spp. are not an infrequent cause of cIAI. Considering that invasive abdominal candidiasis (IAC) may be accompanied by septic shock in up to 40% of cases, empirical antifungal treatment should be considered while waiting for rapid tests and cultures results, and it should be guided by the presence of risk factors for invasive candidiasis in patients with consistent signs and symptoms. Early antifungal therapy before availability of culture results can be partly based on the results of rapid diagnostic tests such as antigen/antibody assays or other rapid methods, although it should be noted that most data pertaining to the use of rapid tests refer to candidemia or invasive candidiasis in general, and not specifically to IAC, thus clinical judgment still remains crucial. Although cultures are hampered by a slow turnaround time, they remain of paramount importance, by allowing identification at species level and antifungal susceptibility testing. Summary: Together with source control, adequate antifungal therapy is an essential component of the correct approach to IAC. Future research should focus on enriching our knowledge on the diagnostic performance of rapid tests in cIAI, and on providing a standardized definition for IAC. Advancements in these fields are crucial for improving the correct use of antifungals at the bedside of cIAI patients and also for reducing unnecessary antifungal use in line with antifungal stewardship principles. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

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Purpose: Intra-arterial chemotherapy (IAC) has emerged as an effective treatment for retinoblastoma (RB) however, little information exists regarding its use in older patients (>5 years). In the present study, we evaluate the use of IAC (2008-2018) for RB in older patients and compare the outcomes to those in the prechemotherapy (<1994) and intravenous chemotherapy (IVC) (1994-2007) eras.Methods: A retrospective analysis of all patients older than 5 years treated with IAC for RB from 2008-2018. Comparisons were made to 26 active RB cases in older children treated in the prechemotherapy era and to 12 active RB cases treated in the IVC era.Results: There were 13 eyes with RB in 13 older patients treated in the IAC era. The median patient age was 6.8 years. Tumor response was achieved in all 13 eyes at a median interval of 1.1 months from first IAC. Globe salvage was achieved in eight eyes with five eyes requiring enucleation. At 14 months, median follow-up after IAC, there was no metastasis or death. Compared to the prechemotherapy era, those in the IAC era demonstrated significant reduction in need for enucleation (P < 0.001) and EBRT or enucleation (P < 0.001). Compared to the IVC era, there was significant reduction in need for EBRT (P = 0.02) and EBRT or enucleation (P = 0.03) and similar avoidance of metastasis (P > 0.99) and death (P > 0.99).Conclusion: Older patients with RB managed in the IAC era demonstrated reduced need for EBRT or enucleation compared to those managed in the IVC or prechemotherapy eras, with no instance of metastasis or death. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Differential scanning calorimetry provides unique signatures of blood plasma samples. Plasma samples from diseased individuals yield specific thermograms, which differ from each other and from plasma samples of healthy individuals. Thermograms from individuals suffering from chronic lymphocytic leukemia, multiple myeloma and acute myeloid leukemia were measured with DSC. To obtain additional information about thermal behaviour of plasma proteins immunoaffinity chromatography was introduced. An immunoextraction of HSA using a chromatographic column with immobilized anti-HSA was carried out in order to enrich less abundant plasma proteins, which could provide a further insight into disease development. Efficiency of HSA depletion and protein composition of fractionated plasma was validated by SDS-PAGE.

BACKGROUND: Breast cytology is a significant component of the "Triple approach" for pre-operative diagnosis of breast lumps, the other two being clinical assessment and radiological imaging. The role of Fine needle aspiration cytology (FNAC) as a first line investigation in diagnosing breast lesions is well documented, however histopathology is the gold standard. Cyto-histopathological correlation is of great relevance and also increases precision. AIMS \& OBJECTIVES: The present study was conducted with the aim to categorize breast lesions according to the latest standardized reporting system proposed by International academy of cytologists (IAC) in 2016. Evaluation of diagnostic accuracy, sensitivity and specificity of FNAC in diagnosing breast lesions and cyto-histopathological correlation was planned. MATERIALS AND METHODS: All FNAs of breast lesions over a period of 2 years were included in the study. The cases were grouped into five standardized categories proposed by the International academy of cytology: Category I (Insufficient material), Category II (Benign), Category III (Atypical, probably benign), Category IV (Suspicious, probably in situ or invasive) & Category V (Malignant) respectively. Specificity, sensitivity, diagnostic accuracy, negative and positive predictive value of FNAC were calculated and cyto-histopathological correlation assessed wherever possible. RESULTS: Out of 468 breast lesions reported on FNAC, the category wise distribution was – Category I, II, III, IV & V accounting for 23(4.9%), 342(73.07%), 7(1.5%), 11(2.35%) and 85(18.16%) respectively. Histopathology was performed in 331/468 cases with cyto histological concordance of 98.4% and a type agreement rate of 90.9%. The sensitivity, specificity, positive and negative predictive value and diagnostic accuracy was 98.90%, 99.16%, 97.82%, 99.58% and 99.09% respectively. CONCLUSION: FNAC is a simple, reliable, cost effective, first line diagnostic procedure for all breast lumps. In collaboration with physical examination and imaging studies (triple approach), FNAC is a highly sensitive diagnostic tool. Adopting a universally acceptable standardized reporting system for breast cytology can enhance the diagnostic accuracy of FNAC. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

To improve the calibration efficiency of the structured light stereo vision system, a closed-form single-pose calibration method is proposed. Previous works calibrate the structured light stereo vision system via the planar-based method since the world coordinates of the projected pixels are easy to find. But the disadvantage of these methods is that multiple poses are required, so that the mechanical movement is necessary in these calibration methods. In this paper, the inherent geometry between the spheres and their image is exploited deeply. Thus, a sphere-based calibration method is proposed. The proposed method first calibrates the camera from the image of the absolute conic through an improved algorithm. Then, the three-dimensional coordinates of the projected pixels are found via the inherent geometrical relation. Next, the projector is calibrated using the direct linear method. Finally, the distortion of the projector is found through the nonlinear optimization method with an improved updating direction. Experiments demonstrate that not only the calibration efficiency is improved, but also the calibration accuracy is improved. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Selective ophthalmic artery infusion of chemotherapy (SOAIC) has emerged as the standard of care for retinoblastoma (RB). Intranasal oxymetazoline (INO), Afrin, is often intraoperatively administered adjunctively to optimize flow to the orbit. There has been one report to date that suggests the adjunctive use of INO has led to systemic side effects. To our knowledge, this is the first documented case of INO causing urinary retention in a patient undergoing SOAIC, and the recommended treatment. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]