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Classic bladder exstrophy (CBE) is a malformation of the genitourinary system that occurs due to failure of abdominal wall closure. Unlike other malformations of similar incidence, prenatal diagnosis of CBE relies on suggested, rather than formal, diagnostic criteria. This report describes prenatal diagnosis of CBE in the largest single-institutional cohort to date and delineates key sonographic findings and protocols for specialist referral. A single-institutional database was reviewed for CBE patients born since 2000. Data on screening ultrasound use, gestational age at ultrasound, and abnormal findings were extracted. Where possible, time of prenatal diagnosis (pre- or postnatal and gestational age), ultrasound findings and other imaging data, specialist referral, institution of birth and closure, and outcome of primary closure attempt were compared. Of 557 patients born with CBE between 2000 and 2022, 284 met inclusion criteria and complete data were available for 280 (229 born domestically and 51 born internationally) who were included for analysis. Abnormal sonography suggestive of CBE was present for 48% (n = 134) of patients, for whom absent bladder was the most common abnormal finding (76% [102/134]). Of domestic patients, 46% (n = 106) were diagnosed prenatally at a median gestational age of 22 weeks (inter-quartile range [IQR]: 20–24), and 14% (n = 32) underwent confirmatory fetal magnetic resonance imaging. Of domestic patients with abnormal prenatal findings, 75% (n = 80/106) consulted with maternal-fetal medicine and 58% (n = 62/106) consulted with pediatric urology. On univariate analysis, prenatal diagnosis was positively associated with primary repair at Association for the Bladder Exstrophy Community-recognized centers of excellence (54% vs. 38%, p = 0.02) and negatively associated with osteotomy at primary closure (41% vs 59%, p = 0.003) but not success of primary closure (74% vs. 82%, p = 0.07). Rates of prenatal diagnosis in this cohort were similar to previous reports of smaller cohorts. Diagnosis allows for comprehensive pre- and postnatal follow-up with a pediatric urologist, with implications on birth planning and decisions on termination of pregnancy. Because of the previously-reported association between exstrophy and in vitro fertilization, these pregnancies should undergo detailed sonography. Any nonvisualization of the fetal bladder should prompt a detailed exam, and any finding characteristic of bladder exstrophy warrants referral to pediatric urology. Although CBE is a rare disorder, it is underdiagnosed during pregnancy. Sonographers and obstetricians should be aware of characteristic findings and best practices following diagnosis. Early referral to pediatric urology and maternal-fetal medicine is important for counseling and postnatal planning. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Cloacal exstrophy (CE) is the most severe malformation of the exstrophy-epispadias complex. This study aims to discuss long-term sequela in a single major institution with a high volume of CE patients. A prospectively maintained database of 1490 patients on the exstrophy epispadias spectrum (145 cloacal exstrophy) from 1974 to 2023. The patient database was reviewed for CE patients >10 years of age for genitourinary, gastrointestinal, orthopedic, and psychosocial outcomes. A total of 63 patients (43.4%) with ≥10 years of follow up were included for analysis. Thirty-nine (61.9%) patients were 18 years or older. Twenty-two (34.9%) patients were female and 39 (61.9%) male, 14 of whom were gender converted at birth. Two female patients conceived naturally and delivered via cesarean section. No male born CE patients had biological children. Catheterizable channels were common (45/63, 71.4%) and most (88.9%) were continent. Gastrointestinal diversion was managed mostly by colostomy (37/63, 58.7%). Three out of five (60.0%) patients who underwent PSARP were continent of stool. Twenty-two (34.9%) patients were wheelchair-bound. Psychosocial diagnoses included 52.4% (33/63) patients with anxiety/depression and 27.0% with chronic pain. Out of 56 patients evaluated by physical therapy, 75% were independent in ADL performance. Of patients older than 18, 79.5% (31/39) had attended college and 82.1% (32/39) were gainfully employed. Advances in critical care, nutrition, gastrointestinal, orthopedic, and urologic management have resulted in survival rates approaching 100% among patients with CE. While these children face long-term sequela spanning various organ systems, many lead independent and fully-functional lives. Prognosis Study. Level IV. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Staged pelvic osteotomy has been shown in the past to be an effective tool in the closure of the extreme pubic diastasis of cloacal exstrophy. The authors sought to compare orthopedic complications between non-staged pelvic osteotomies and staged pelvic osteotomies in cloacal exstrophy. A prospectively maintained exstrophy-epispadias complex database of 1510 patients was reviewed for cloacal exstrophy bladder closure events performed with osteotomy at the authors' institution. Bladder closure failure was defined as any fascial dehiscence, bladder prolapse, or vesicocutaneous fistula within one year of closure. There was a total of 172 cloacal exstrophy and cloacal exstrophy variant patients within the database and only closures at the authors' institution were included. 64 closure events fitting the inclusion criteria were identified in 61 unique patients. Staged osteotomy was performed in 42 closure events and non-staged in 22 closures. Complications occurred in 46/64 closure events, with 16 grade III/IV complications. There were no associations between staged osteotomy and overall complication or grade III/IV complications (p = 0.6344 and p = 0.1286, respectively). Of the 46 total complications, 12 were orthopedic complications with 6 complications being grade III/IV. Staged osteotomy closure events experienced 10/42 orthopedic complications while non-staged osteotomy closures experienced 2/22 orthopedic complications, however this did not reach significance (p = 0.1519). Of the 64 closure events, 57 resulted in successful closure with 6 failures and one closure with planned cystectomy. This study confirms, in a larger series, superior outcomes when using staged pelvic osteotomy in cloacal exstrophy bladder closure. Staged osteotomy was shown to be a safe alternative to non-staged osteotomy that can decrease the risk of closure failure in this group. Staged pelvic osteotomy should be considered in all patients undergoing cloacal exstrophy bladder closure. Treatment study. Level III. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Cloacal exstrophy (CE) is rare and challenging to reconstruct. In the majority of CE patients voided continence cannot be achieved and so patients often undergo bladder neck closure (BNC). Prior mucosal violations (MVs), a surgical event when the bladder mucosa was opened or closed, significantly predicted failed BNC in classic bladder exstrophy with an increased likelihood of failure after 3 or more MVs. The aim of this study was to assess predictors for failed BNC in CE. CE patients who underwent BNC were reviewed for risk factors for failure including osteotomy use, successful primary closure, and number of MVs. Chi-squared and Fisher's exact tests were used for comparing baseline characteristics and surgical details. Thirty-five patients underwent BNC. Eleven patients (31.4%) failed BNC including a vesicoperineal fistula in nine, vesicourethral and vesicocutaneous fistula in one each. The fistula rate in patients with 2 or more MVs was 47.4% (p = 0.0252). Two patients subsequently developed a vesicocutaneous fistula after undergoing repeated cystolithotomies. A rectus abdominis or gracilis muscle flap were used to close the fistula in 11 and 2 patients, respectively. MVs have a greater impact in CE with an increased risk of failed BNC after 2 MVs. CE patients are most likely to develop a vesicoperineal fistula while a vesicocutaneous fistula is more likely after repeat cystolithotomy. A prophylactic muscle flap should be considered at time of BNC in patients with 2 or more MVs. Prognosis Study, Level III. [Display omitted] [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

A single institutional study characterizes the rate of prenatal diagnosis of cloacal exstrophy (CE) and examines its role on successful primary closures. An institutional database of 1485 exstrophy-epispadias patients was reviewed retrospectively for CE patients with confirmed presence/absence of prenatal diagnostics, primary exstrophy closure since 2000, institution of closure, and at least 1 year of follow up following closure. The cohort included 56 domestic patients and 9 international patients. Overall, 78.6% (n = 44) of domestic patients were prenatally diagnosed while 21.4% (n = 12) were diagnosed postnatally. A positive trend was observed in the rate of prenatal diagnosis across the study period, 56.3%, 84.2%, 88.9% respectively (p = 0.025). Confirmatory fMRI was obtained in 40.9% (n = 18) of prenatally diagnosed cases. Patients diagnosed prenatally were found to be more likely to undergo treatment at exstrophy centers of excellence (72.1% v 33.3%, p = 0.020). Prenatal diagnosis was not predictive of increased rate of successful primary closure (75.6% vs 75.0%; p = 1.00; OR: 1.03, 95% CI: 0.23–4.58). Primary closures undertaken at exstrophy centers of excellence were significantly more likely to be successful compared to outside hospitals (90.9% v 50.0%, p = 0.002). The rate of prenatal diagnosis of CE in patients referred for management to a high-volume exstrophy center is improving. Despite this improvement, patients continue to be missed in the prenatal period. While prenatal diagnosis offers the ideal opportunity to educate, counsel, and prepare expectant families, patients diagnosed at birth are not disadvantaged in their ability to receive a successful primary closure. Further research should investigate the benefit of patient referral to high-volume exstrophy centers of care to ensure optimal care and outcomes. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Cloacal exstrophy (CE) remains one of the most severe birth defects compatible with life with a constellation of anomalies involving the bladder, genitalia, hindgut, and spinal cord. Pelvic osteotomy and immobilization have been utilized to facilitate bladder closure, yet their role as adjuncts remains a topic of debate. The authors sought to evaluate the outcomes of CE closure without the use of osteotomy or lower extremity (LE)/pelvic immobilization. An institutional database of 173 CE patients was reviewed for patients closed without osteotomy and/or limb immobilization. Patient records were reviewed for continence procedures, reclosure operations, and continence outcomes. A total of 59 closure surgeries that met inclusion criteria were identified in 56 unique patients. Thirty-seven closure procedures developed eventual failure (63%) with secondary closure events also resulting in failure. Most closures did not use an osteotomy, 93.2%. LE immobilization-only was used in most closures (43/59), of which only 37% were successful. Failures were attributed to dehiscence (14/37), bladder prolapse (19/37), or both dehiscence and prolapse (4/37). The median age at closure was 3 days old (1–18.5 IQR) with the majority of closure events (47) closure events taking place in the newborn period. Median diastasis prior to primary closure was 6 cm (4.8–8 cm IQR). The median number of closure attempts needed to close the bladder was 2 (1–2 IQR). Of the 56 patients, 31 have >3 h of daytime continence, with the entirety of these patients catheterizing a stoma or below. These results highlight the critical role of osteotomy and lower limb immobilization in successful closure of the bladder and abdominal wall in CE. Treatment Study. Level III. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Hypertrophic cardiomyopathy (HCM) is a common genetic cardiomyopathy. Characterized by left ventricular hypertrophy (LVH), it can lead to devastating consequences, such as sudden cardiac arrest. Artificial intelligence-assisted (AI) analysis of EKGs offers early detection of HCM, enabling timely diagnosis, intervention, and ultimately, the preservation of lives. A 33-year-old black female was admitted after sudden death and experienced recurrent cardiac arrests during her hospitalization. Multimodality imaging showed severe LVH, and incidentally a pheochromocytoma. Severe hypertension is the setting of pheochromocytoma created a challenge in diagnosing HCM. AI analysis of sequential EKGs suggested HCM in all tracings. Patient was later transferred to a large tertiary care center where a cardiac MRI confirmed hypertrophic cardiomyopathy with reverse curve HCM phenotype (Figure 1). HCM remains a clinical challenge outside of advanced clinical centers. To consistently detect HCM early and potentially prevent such devastating outcomes, employing AI to analyze readily available EKG tracings will lead to early recognition and referral. The challenging differential in this case included a HCM phenocopy due to pheochromocytoma or accelerated HCM phenotype with severe hypertension contributing to progression of underlying cardiomyopathy. An in-depth analysis of multiple EKGs with varying heart rates and clinical conditions will be presented (including post arrest). Harnessing AI for the early diagnosis of HCM through EKG analysis has the potential to save lives and significantly improve patient outcomes. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: Multimodal analgesia has become the standard of care for pain management following total knee arthroplasty (TKA). Cannabidiol (CBD) is increasingly utilized in the postoperative period. The purpose of this study was to analyze the analgesic benefits of topical CBD following primary TKA.Methods: In this randomized double-blinded placebo-controlled trial, 80 patients undergoing primary unilateral TKA applied topical CBD (CBD; n = 19), essential oil (EO; n = 21), CBD and essential oil (CBD + EO; n = 21), or placebo (PLA; n = 19) thrice daily around the knee for two weeks postoperatively. This supplemented a standardized multimodal analgesic protocol. Outcomes included visual analog scale (VAS) pain and numeric rating scale (NRS) sleep scores (collected on postoperative day [POD] 0, 1, 2, 7, 14, 42), and cumulative postoperative opioid use (42 days).Results: Demographic characteristics were similar among the four cohorts. Preoperative VAS and NRS scores were similar among groups. The CBD cohort had a higher mean VAS pain score on POD 2 compared to the EO cohort (CBD: 69.9 ± 19.3 versus. EO: 51.0 ± 18.2; P = .013). No statistically significant differences existed for VAS scores at other times, and no statistically significant differences were observed for postoperative NRS sleep scores or postoperative opioid use at any time point.Conclusion: Utilization of topical CBD in supplement to multimodal analgesia did not reduce pain or opioid consumption, or improve sleep scores following TKA. These results suggest that the local effects of topical CBD are not beneficial for providing additional pain relief after TKA. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

[Display omitted] • The period of global warming has ended and the era of global boiling has begun. • We evaluated impact of hydro energy production on environmental sustainability. • Hydro energy production increases the environmental sustainability. • Inverted-U Shaped Environmental Kuznets Curve hypothesis is validated. • Asian nations should adopt expansionary policies regarding hydro energy production. The impact of hydro energy production, economic complexity, urbanization, technological innovation and financial development on environmental sustainability between 1995 and 2017 is examined for a panel of thirteen Asian economies using two environmental proxies— their ecological footprint and CO 2 emissions. The non-parametric Driscoll-Kraay standard error method and the Dumitrescu-Hurlin panel causality test are applied to the data. Our findings show that hydro energy production and technological innovation have a significant negative impact on the environment, thus promoting environmental sustainability. Economic complexity significantly lowers environmental sustainability while the non-linear effect of economic complexity favors environmental sustainability; this confirms the existence of an economic-complexity-based inverted-U-shaped environmental Kuznets curve hypothesis. Moreover, urbanization and financial development significantly decrease environmental sustainability. The results of our study confirm the feedback causality between hydro energy production and carbon dioxide emissions. We recommend expansionary policies regarding hydro energy production that are beneficial for substituting fossil fuel energy. This paves a path towards environmental sustainability in this era of global boiling. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: Progressive arthritis in the unresurfaced compartments of the knee is one failure mode after partial knee arthroplasty (PKA). While progressive arthritis after PKA is typically treated with revision to TKA (rTKA), staged bicompartmental knee arthroplasty (sBiKA) -the addition of another PKA - is an alternative. This study compared outcomes of sBiKA and rTKA for progressive arthritis after PKA.Methods: A retrospective comparative study of non-consecutive cases at four institutions were performed in patients with an intact PKA, without loosening or wear, who underwent sBiKA (n = 27) or rTKA (n = 30), for progressive osteoarthritis. Outcomes studied were new Knee Society Function and Objective Scores (KSSF, KSSO), KOOS, Jr., ROM, operative times, length of stay, complication rates and the need for reoperations.Results: Mean time to conversion was 7.4 ± 6 years for sBiKA and 9.7 ± 8 for rTKA, P = .178. Patient demographics and pre-operative outcomes were similar among cohorts. At an average of 5.7 ± 3 (sBiKA) and 3.2 ± 2 years (rTKA), KOOS, Jr. significantly improved, P < .001, by an equivalent amount. Post-operative KSSO and KSSF were significantly higher in the sBiKA cohort, respectively, (90.4 ± 10 vs 72.1 ± 20, P < .001) and (80.3 ± 18 vs 67.1 ± 19, P = .011). sBiKA patients had significantly greater improvement in KSSO (30.7 ± 33 vs 5.2 ± 18, P = .003). One sBiKA patient underwent reoperation for continued pain.Conclusion: SBiKA has equivalent survivorship, but greater improvement in functional outcomes as rTKA at short to midterm follow-up. Given the shorter operative times and length of stay, sBiKA is a safe and cost-effective alternative to rTKA for progressive osteoarthritis following PKA. Nevertheless, further follow-up is necessary to determine whether sBiKA is a durable option. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: Poor surgical ergonomics and physiological stress have been shown to impair surgical performance and cause injuries. The prevalence of musculoskeletal pain among arthroplasty surgeons is inordinately high. This study compared surgeon stress and strain during robotic-assisted total knee arthroplasty (rTKA) and conventional TKA (cTKA).Methods: Continuous cardiorespiratory and ergonomic data of a single surgeon were measured during 40 consecutive unilateral TKAs (20 rTKAs, 20 cTKAs) using a smart garment and wearable sensors. Heart rate (HR), HR variability, respiratory rate, minute ventilation, and calorie expenditure were used as surrogate measures for physiological stress. Intraoperative ergonomics were assessed by measuring cervical and lumbar flexion, extension and rotation, and shoulder abduction/adduction.Results: Mean operative time was longer for rTKA (48.2 ± 9 vs 31.8 ± 7 min, P < .001). Calories expended per minute was lower for rTKA (2.53 vs 3.50, P < .001). Total calorie expenditure in rTKA cases 11-20 was significantly lower than the first 10 (107.1 ± 27 vs 137.6 ± 24, P = .015), and lower than cTKA (112.3 ± 37). Mean HR was lower for rTKA (81.5 ± 4 vs 90.1 ± 5, P < .001). Minute ventilation was also lower for rTKA (14.9 ± 1 vs 17.0 ± 1.0 L/min, P < .001). Mean lumbar flexion as well as the percentage of time spent in a demanding flexion position >20° were significantly lower during rTKA (P < .001).Conclusion: rTKA resulted in less surgeon physiologic stress, energy expenditure per minute, and postural strain compared to cTKA. Robotic assistance may help to increase surgical efficiency and reduce physician workload, but further studies are needed to determine whether these benefits will reduce musculoskeletal pain and injury among surgeons. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: Orthopedic surgeons experience significant musculoskeletal pain and work-related injuries while performing total joint arthroplasty (TJA). We sought to investigate the impact of operative extremity and surgeon limb dominance on surgeon physiologic stress and energy expenditure during TJA.Methods: This was a prospective cohort study conducted at a tertiary academic practice. Cardiorespiratory data was recorded continuously in 3 high-volume arthroplasty surgeons using a smart garment that measured heart rate (HR), HR variability, respiratory rate, minute ventilation, and energy expenditure (calories) during conventional total knee (TKA) and total hip arthroplasty (THA).Results: Surgeon 1 and 2 (right-handed) performed 21 right TKAs, 10 left TKAs, 13 right THAs, and 10 left THAs. Surgeon 3 (left-handed) performed 6 right TKAs, 9 left TKAs, 16 right THAs, and 10 left THAs. While performing TKA or THA, limb laterality had no significant impact on operative time and no significant differences existed in HR, HR variability, respiratory rate, minute ventilation, or energy expenditure for any right-handed or left-handed surgeons, regardless of the operative limb laterality. While performing TKA, consistently standing on the side of hand dominance was associated with decreased strain and stress, compared to always standing on the operative side.Conclusion: This study suggests that surgeon hand dominance and operative limb laterality do not impact energy expenditure or physiologic strain during TJA. However, consistently standing on the side of hand dominance in TKA may lead to decreased physiologic strain and stress during surgery. Further study utilizing wearable technology during TJA may provide orthopedic surgeons with information about modifiable factors that contribute to differences in physiological parameters during surgery. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: The cost-effectiveness of robotic-assisted unicompartmental knee arthroplasty (RA-UKA) remains unclear. Time-driven activity-based costing (TDABC) has been shown to accurately reflect true resource utilization. This study aimed to compare true facility costs between RA-UKA and conventional UKA.Methods: We identified 265 consecutive UKAs (133 RA, 132 conventional) performed at a specialty hospital in 2016-2020. Itemized facility costs were calculated using TDABC. Separate analyses including and excluding implant costs were performed. Multiple regression was performed to determine the independent effect of robotic assistance on facility costs.Results: Due to longer operative time, RA-UKA patients had higher personnel costs and total facility costs ($2,270 vs $1,854, P < .001). Controlling for demographics and comorbidities, robotic assistance was associated with an increase in personnel costs of $399.25 (95% confidence interval [CI] $343.75-$454.74, P < .001), reduction in supply costs of $55.03 (95% CI $0.56-$109.50, P = .048), and increase in total facility costs of $344.27 (95% CI $265.24-$423.31, P < .001) per case. However, after factoring in implant costs, robotic assistance was associated with a reduction in total facility costs of $235.87 (95% CI $40.88-$430.85, P < .001) per case.Conclusion: Using TDABC, overall facility costs were lower in RA-UKA despite a longer operative time. To facilitate wider adoption of this technology, implant manufacturers may negotiate lower implant costs based on volume commitments when robotic assistance is used. These supply cost savings appear to offset a portion of the increased costs. Nonetheless, further research is needed to determine if RA-UKA can improve clinical outcomes and create value in arthroplasty. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: Total hip arthroplasty (THA) and total knee arthroplasty (TKA) are physically demanding, with a high prevalence of work-related injuries among arthroplasty surgeons. It is unknown whether there are differences in cardiorespiratory output for surgeons while performing THA and TKA. The objective of this study is to characterize whether differences in surgeon physiological response exist while performing primary THA vs TKA.Methods: This is a prospective cohort study including 3 high-volume, fellowship-trained arthroplasty surgeons who wore a smart garment that recorded cardiorespiratory data on operative days during which they were performing primary conventional TKA and THA. Variables collected included patient body mass index (BMI), operative time (minutes), heart rate, heart rate variability, respiratory rate, minute ventilation, and energy expenditure (calories).Results: Seventy-six consecutive cases (49 THAs and 27 TKAs) were studied. Patient BMI was similar between the 2 cohorts (P > .05), while operative time was significantly longer in TKAs (60.4 ± 12.0 vs 53.6 ± 11.8; P = .029). During THA, surgeons had a significantly higher heart rate (95.7 ± 9.1 vs 90.2 ± 8.9; P = .012), energy expenditure per minute (4.6 ± 1.23 vs 3.8 ± 1.2; P = .007), and minute ventilation (19.0 ± 3.0 vs 15.5 ± 3.3; P < .001) compared to TKA.Conclusion: Surgeons experience significantly higher physiological strain and stress while performing THA. While scheduling THAs and TKAs, surgeons should consider the higher physical demand associated with THAs and ensure adequate personal preparation and sequence of cases. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: Anterior cruciate ligament (ACL) deficiency is commonly considered a contraindication for unicompartmental knee arthroplasty (UKA). The purpose of this study is to compare the outcomes of UKA after prior ACL reconstruction (rACL cohort) to UKA with an intact native ACL (nACL cohort).Methods: Forty-five patients from 3 institutions who underwent medial UKA after prior rACL were matched by age, gender, preoperative function scores, and body mass index to 90 patients who underwent UKA with an intact nACL. Primary outcomes were Knee Injury and Osteoarthritis Outcome Score for Joint Replacement, Oxford Knee Scores, Knee Society Functional Scores, and Kellgren-Lawrence scores in the unresurfaced, lateral tibiofemoral compartment. Secondary outcomes were postoperative complications and the need for revision to TKA.Results: At a mean of 3.6 years, all PROMs improved significantly with no differences identified between groups. The incidence of revision TKA was similar between cohorts (P = 1.00); however, the mean time to revision for progressive osteoarthritis was 4.0 years in the nACL group and 2.2 years in the rACL group. Twenty percent of rACL patients had a postoperative complication compared to 8% in the nACL group. Despite presenting with a similar degree of lateral arthritis, a greater percentage of patients developed Kellgren-Lawrence scores of ≥3 in the rACL cohort (9%) than in the nACL cohort (0%).Conclusion: A previously reconstructed ACL does not appear to compromise the short-term functional outcomes of UKA; however, there is a higher rate of minor complications and progression of lateral compartment arthritis, which should be considered with patients in the shared decision process. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

[Display omitted] • Exploring green alternatives for sustainable development using nuclear energy and greenfield investment. • Europe and Central Asia confront carbon footprints, fuel imports, and energy infrastructure issues. • Nuclear energy and cleaner fuel imports decrease carbon emissions across countries. • Fuel-led carbon emissions, carbon-led chemical use, and renewable energy-led fuel imports hypotheses proposed. • Nuclear energy, greenfield investment, and fuel imports confirmed bidirectional relationships. Green power conversion is the shift away from traditional fuels towards clean energy sources such as nuclear power plants, hydroelectric dams, wind farms, and solar panels. This research examines the impact of clean energy demand and green financing on reducing carbon emissions in 29 economies in Europe and Asia from 2007 to 2020. The study used a two-step differenced GMM estimator for the available data set spanning 2007 to 2020. The study found that rising demand for nuclear power helps to achieve a carbon-neutral agenda, but insufficient funding for renewable energy leads to higher carbon emissions. The research suggests increasing investment in nuclear energy and green financing can improve regional environmental quality. The study found a causal link between fuel imports, nuclear power and regional growth. It also determined that fuel imports, chemical use, green financing and the need for nuclear energy will likely impact regional environmental quality. The research recommends allocating more resources toward innovation to boost energy efficiency and expanding investment in renewable and nuclear energy production industries via green finance. The study also highlights the need to encourage the development of renewable energy sources to cut carbon emissions and establish a sustainable society. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Appropriate perioperative management is crucial in patients undergoing classic bladder exstrophy closure (CBE). Therefore, the authors sought to review their intra and postoperative management of patients with CBE undergoing primary closure and examine the impact of this pathway on patient outcomes. A prospectively maintained institutional approved exstrophy–epispadias complex database was reviewed for patients with CBE who had undergone primary closure between 2016 and 2022 and whose closure was performed within one year of age. Electronic medical records for eligible patients were retrospectively reviewed to examine patient demographics, use of pelvic osteotomy, immobilization status, pediatric intensive care unit (PICU) admission and management, perioperative analgesia and sedation, nutritional support, drainage tubes, blood transfusions, antibiotic coverage, hospital length of stay, postoperative complications, and closure failure. A total of 25 patients were identified, 22 with CBE and 3 with variant CBE. Closure was performed at a median age of 84 days with patients ranging in age from 9 to 351 days. All patients underwent osteotomy and immobilization with modified Buck's traction and external fixation for a median duration of 41 days. A suprapubic tube was placed in all patients for a median duration of 46.5 days. All patients underwent PICU admission following closure for a median duration of 8 days. Ventilator support was required in 68 % of patients for a median of 3 days. Epidural analgesia was used in all patients and catheters were maintained for a median duration of 19 days. All patients received a blood transfusion over the course of their admission. Patient-controlled analgesia was used in most patients as an adjunct for a median duration of 38.5 days. Other commonly used analgesic adjuncts included acetaminophen, diazepam, clonidine, and dexmedetomidine. TPN was used in 80 % of patients for a median of 7 days with a return of oral feeding thereafter. Overall, the closure success rate in this cohort of patients was 100 %. The outcome of primary bladder closure can have inauspicious consequences that can affect a child's continence for years. The incidence of failed bladder closure can be minimized with the implementation of a detailed plan for immobilization, analgesia, and nutrition guided by an experienced multi-disciplinary team. We have identified several guiding principles for perioperative success in exstrophy patients at our center including Buck's traction with external fixation, provision of adequate postoperative analgesia and sedation, aggressive nutritional support, renal and bladder drainage, and robust antibacterial support. Our high success rate in managing this complex pathology demonstrates its validity and use as a pathway to success. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The classification of temporal relations between two entities is a crucial task for the comprehension of natural languages. Several methods have been proposed, but most of them have focused on English and several other languages. Contrarily, Arabic has received less attention for the classification of temporal relations. Recently, methods based on deep learning have obtained more relevant results than traditional methods. These latter have used several features, but they have lacked the modeling of syntactic structures. In this context, we present a first model for classifying temporal relations between pairs of events (E-E) or an event and a temporal expression (E-T) in Arabic intra-sentence. Our idea is to combine two branches of bidirectional LSTM networks to extract syntactic information by modeling the Shortest Dependency Path (SDP) between two target entities as well as the whole sentence sequence. Each word in the sentence is concatenated with its Parts Of Speech (POS). For the SDP branch, each word is concatenated with its POS as well as its generated dependency relations. To evaluate our model, and due to the lack of publicly available Arabic resources, we create an annotated Arabic corpus for temporal relations between E-E or E-T based on TimeML specifications. In addition, we propose a data augmentation method using transitivity and symmetry rules for temporality. The experimental results based on our annotated corpus give 84.6% of F1 for the classification of temporal relations between E-E, and 73.32% of F1 for the same task between E-T. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Anxiety and anxiety disorders are associated with adverse cardiovascular outcomes, and reduced quality of life. Despite this, no comprehensive study on the global prevalence of anxiety symptoms and disorders among adult cardiology outpatients exists. This systematic review and meta-analysis aims to provide cardiologists with a precise estimate of the prevalence of anxiety in their outpatient clinics. PubMed, Embase, Cochrane and PsycINFO databases and Google Scholar were searched from database inception to January 23, 2023. Data characteristics were extracted independently by 2 investigators. Ninety-three studies, n = 36,687 participants across 31 countries, were included. Global prevalence of anxiety symptoms/disorders was 28.9% (95%CI 25.7-32.4; 8927/36, 687; I2 = 97.33; n = 93). The highest rates were found in patients presenting with hypertension, 43.6%. Subgroup analyses revealed higher prevalence estimates when using self-report screening compared to gold-standard diagnostic interview. When using diagnostic interview, the highest rates were reported in outpatients with undifferentiated chest pain/palpitations, 19·0%. Panic disorder was the most frequent diagnosis 15.3%, and rates were significantly higher in patients with undifferentiated chest pain/palpitations compared to ischemic heart disease. Higher rates of anxiety were found in studies of outpatients from developing countries, and female outpatients tended to have higher rates compared to males. Anxiety occurred frequently among cardiology outpatients and at a higher rate than estimated in the general population. Given the impact anxiety has on patient outcomes, it is important that effective identification and management strategies be developed to support cardiologists in identifying and treating these conditions in their clinics. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Bladder capacity (BC) is an important metric in the management of patients with classic bladder exstrophy (CBE). BC is frequently used to determine eligibility for surgical continence procedures, such as bladder neck reconstruction (BNR), and is associated with the likelihood of achieving urinary continence. To use readily available parameters to develop a nomogram that could be used by patients and pediatric urologists to predict BC in patients with CBE. An institutional database of CBE patients was reviewed for those who have undergone annual gravity cystogram 6 months after bladder closure. Candidate clinical predictors were used to model BC. Linear mixed effects models with random intercept and slope were used to construct models predicting log transformed BC and were compared with adjusted R2, Akaike Information Criterion (AIC), and cross-validated mean square error (MSE). Final model evaluated via K-fold cross-validation. Analyses were performed using R version 3.5.3 and the prediction tool was developed with ShinyR. In total, 369 patients (107 female, 262 male) with CBE had at least one BC measurement after bladder closure. Patients had a median of 3 annual measurements (range 1–10). The final nomogram includes outcome of primary closure, sex, log-transformed age at successful closure, time from successful closure, and interaction between outcome of primary closure and log-transformed age at successful closure as the fixed effects with random effect for patient and random slope for time since successful closure (Extended Summary). Using readily accessible patient and disease related information, the bladder capacity nomogram in this study provides a more accurate prediction of bladder capacity ahead of continence procedures when compared to the age-based Koff equation estimates. A multi-center study using this web-based CBE bladder growth nomogram (https://exstrophybladdergrowth.shinyapps.io/be%5fapp/) will be needed for widespread application. Bladder capacity in those with CBE, while known to be influenced by a broad swath of intrinsic and extrinsic factors, may be modeled by the sex, outcome of primary bladder closure, age at successful bladder closure and age at evaluation. [Display omitted] [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Following successful closure of patients with classic bladder exstrophy (CBE), the next major milestone is the establishment of urinary continence. Prior to determining the most appropriate continence surgery, it is imperative to reach an adequate bladder capacity minimum of 100 cc in order to make the decision between bladder neck reconstruction (BNR) or continent stoma, with or without augmentation cystoplasty (AC). To examine the timing of when patients achieve threshold bladder capacity for BNR eligibility. We hypothesize most patients will achieve an adequate bladder capacity (100 cc) by 7 years old when continence surgeries will begin to be considered. An institutional database of 1388 exstrophy patients was retrospectively reviewed for CBE patients after successful primary bladder closure. Bladder capacities were measured via gravity cystography and data presented as descriptive statistics. The cohort was stratified by location, neonatal (≤28 days) or delayed closure period and osteotomy status. The bladder capacities were categorized to either reaching goal or not and a cumulative event analysis was performed. The event being reaching 100 cc capacity or greater and time being the number of years between bladder closure and attainment of goal capacity. [Display omitted] 253 patients met inclusion criteria between 1982 and 2019. The majority were of male gender (72.9%), had their closure performed at the authors' institution (52.5%), within the neonatal period (80.7%), and without an osteotomy (51.7%). 64.9% of patients reached goal bladder capacity. There were no significant differences in those who did or did not achieve goal except for clinical follow up. Cumulative event analysis demonstrated a median time of 5.73 years (95% CI 5.2–6.20) corresponded with a 50% event probability of reaching goal capacity. Cox-proportional hazards showed location of closure was significantly associated with hazards of reaching goal bladder capacity (HR = 0.58, CI 0.40–0.85, p = 0.005). Based on this model, the median time to event would be 5.20 years (95% CI 4.76–5.80) for cases done at the authors' hospital and 6.26 years for those performed at an outside hospital (95% CI 5.77–7.24). These findings help surgeons counsel families appropriately on the odds of attaining goal capacity at various ages. For those who do not reach 100 cc by five years of age, it helps further characterize the odds of requiring a continent stoma with bladder augmentation and the best timing for reconstructive surgery in order to safely gain urinary continence. Families may also be assured that most patients would have the breadth of surgical options when it comes to continence as more than half of patients reached the bladder capacity threshold. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Restoration of genitourinary anatomy with functional urinary continence is the reconstruction aim is the exstrophy-epispadias complex (EEC). In patients who do not achieve urinary continence or those who are not a candidate for bladder neck reconstruction (BNR), bladder neck closure (BNC) is considered. Interposing layers including human acellular dermis (HAD) and pedicled adipose tissue are routinely placed between the transected bladder neck and distal urethral stump to reinforce the BNC and minimize failure due to fistula development from the bladder. The aim of this study was to review classic bladder exstrophy (CBE) patients who underwent BNC to identify predictors of BNC failure. Specifically, we hypothesize that increased operations on the bladder urothelium leads to a higher rate of urinary fistula. CBE patients who underwent BNC were reviewed for predictors of failed BNC which was defined as bladder fistula development. Predictors included prior osteotomy, interposing tissue layer use and number of previous bladder mucosal violations (MV). A MV was defined as a procedure when the bladder mucosa was opened or closed for: exstrophy closure(s), BNR, augmentation cystoplasty or ureteral re-implantation. Predictors were evaluated using multivariate logistic regression. A total of 192 patients underwent BNC of which 23 failed. Patients were more likely to develop a fistula with a wider pubic diastasis at time of primary exstrophy closure (4.4 vs 4.0 cm, p=0.0016), have failed exstrophy closure (p=0.0084), or have 3 or more MVs before BNC (p=0.0002). Kaplan-Meier analysis of fistula-free survival after BNC, demonstrated an increased fistula rate with additional MVs (p=0.0004, Figure 1). MVs remained significant on multivariate logistic regression analysis with a per-violation odds ratio of 5.1 (p<0.0001). Of the 23 failed BNC's, 16 were surgically closed including 9 using a pedicled rectus abdominis muscle flap which was secured to the bladder and pelvic floor. This study conceptualized MVs and their role in bladder viability. Increased MVs confer an increased risk of failed BNC. When considering BNC, CBE patients with 3 or more prior MVs may benefit from a pedicled muscle flap, in addition to HAD and pedicled adipose tissue, to prevent fistula development by providing wellvascularized coverage to further reinforce the BNC. [Display omitted] [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The authors aim to compare single institutional 30-day complication rates between delayed and neonatal closure of classic bladder exstrophy (CBE). An institutional database of 1415 exstrophy-epispadias patients was reviewed retrospectively for CBE patients who underwent primary closures at the authors' institution between 1990 and 2020. Patients were identified as having received either neonatal or delayed (at age >28 days) closures. All 30-day complications were recorded, including wound infection and dehiscence, genitourinary and non-genitourinary infections, bowel obstruction, blood transfusions, and others. Descriptive statistics were performed to summarize patient level data. Categorical variables were reported by count and percentages and were compared using Exact Cochran-Armitage trend analysis by decade, or with Fisher's Exact Test and Chi-square test when directly comparing categories and outcomes. Continuous variables were analyzed via Mann Whitney U and one-way ANOVA as appropriate. The cohort included 145 patients: 50 delayed and 95 neonatal closures. The total complication rate was 58% in delayed closures compared to 48.4% for neonatal closures (p = 0.298), with the majority being Clavien-Dindo grade I or II. Excluding blood transfusion, complication rates fell to 26% and 34.7% in delayed and neonatal closures, respectively (p = 0.349). The most common single complication was unplanned post-operative blood transfusion (38% delayed; 26.3% neonatal; p = 0.34), followed by pyelonephritis (2% delayed; 8.4% neonatal), and urinary fistula (6% delayed; 1.1% neonatal). Grade III Clavien-Dindo complications occurred in 2% delayed and 7.4% neonatal groups (n = 1; n = 7 respectively; p = 0.263). A single delayed patient had grade IV complications compared to three neonatal patients (p = 0.66). Delayed primary closure has become a frequently performed alternative in the modern treatment of bladder exstrophy for patients who do not undergo newborn closure because of prohibitive circumstances or surgeon's discretion. The majority of the complications associated with delayed closure are a low Clavien-Dindo grade and easily managed during the postoperative inpatient hospital stay. Families should be counseled about the possibility of minor, conservatively managed complications and likelihood of a blood transfusion with osteotomy. Summary Table 30-day post-operative complications. Summary Table Variable, n (%) Neonatal Delayed P Any complication 46 (48.4%) 29 (58%) 0.298 Complication w/o Transfusion 33 (34.7%) 13 (26%) 0.349 Clavien I-II complications 40 (42.1%) 27 (54%) 0.292 Wound dehiscence 2 (2.1%) ∼ Wound infection 1 (1%) 1 (2%) Febrile UTI 5 (5.3%) 1 (2%) Pyelonephritis 8 (8.4%) 1 (2%) Urinary fistula 1 (1%) 3 (6%) Non-GU infection 2 (2.1%) 3 (6%) Other 5 (5.3%) 2 (4%) Post-operative Transfusion 25 (26.3%) 19 (38%) 0.34 Clavien III complications 7 (7.4%) 1 (2%) 0.263 Wound dehiscence 3 (3.2%) ∼ Wound infection ∼ ∼ Urinary fistula ∼ ∼ Bowel obstruction ∼ 1 (2%) Non-GU infection 1 (1%) ∼ Other 3 (3.2%) ∼ Clavien IV complications 3 (3.2%) 1 (2%) 1 Non-GU infection 1 (1%) 1 (2%) Other 2 (2%) ∼ [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

A pivotal factor in the success of bladder closure in patients with classic bladder exstrophy (CBE) is the postoperative immobilization of the pelvis and lower extremities after pelvic osteotomy. This study investigates the outcomes of closure among patients with lower limb immobilization using many techniques. The authors hypothesize that the addition of external fixation (pelvic immobilization) in patients with any form of limb immobilization will be associated with improved outcomes. A prospectively maintained institutional exstrophy–epispadias complex database of 1415 patients was reviewed for patients with CBE who had undergone closure with available immobilization and osteotomy data. Association between closure outcomes and immobilization techniques were determined. Univariate analysis was performed using Chi-Square or Fischer–Exact test as appropriate for categorical variables. Multivariate analysis via binomial logistic regression was used to identify factors leading to successful closure. A total of 747 closure events matching the inclusion criteria were identified. Patients included 508 males and 239 females. There were 597 primary closures (79.9%) with 150 reclosure events (20.1%). Limb immobilization was used in 627 (83.9%) of closure events. Successful closures were associated with osteotomy use (p < 0.0001) and limb immobilization (p < 0.0001); specifically, the combined anterior innominate with posterior vertical iliac osteotomy and modified Buck's traction with external fixation (p < 0.0001, p < 0.0001). Among the group of 33 patients who received external fixation alone and no other type of immobilization, the failure rate was 33.3%, comparatively, patients with any form of combined immobilization (external fixation with lower limb immobilization) had a failure rate of 7.1% (Table 1). Among patients immobilized with mummy wrap, spica casting, or knee immobilizers, external fixation was associated with 3.76 increased odds of successful closure (p = 0.0005, 95% CI 1.79–7.90). In a unique group of 67 patients without pelvic osteotomy or any form of pelvic or limb immobilization, the failure rate was 74.6%. This study confirms, in a larger series, previous findings of improved outcomes when patients are immobilized with modified Buck's traction and external fixation. The authors apply this technique in most all closures and recommend this technique be utilized whenever feasible. However, regardless of the manner of lower limb immobilization, external fixation is a critical factor to optimize closures and ensure success. The results of this study clearly suggest the use of external fixation can be protective against bladder closure failure. The use of pelvic immobilization, in addition to post-operative lower limb immobilization should be strongly considered. Summary Table 1 Failure rate among all closures (to be used in the extended summary if possible). Summary Table 1 Total closures Closures with osteotomy Closures without osteotomy Method of Immobilization Total no. (n = 597) No. failed % Failed Total no. (n = 411) No. failed % Failed Total no. (n = 186) No. failed % Failed External fixation with no lower limb immobilization 33 11 33.3 31 10 32.3 2 1 50 External fixation with any form of lower limb immobilization 184 13 7.1 174 11 6.3 10 2 20 External fixation with spica casting/mummy wrapping 42 14 33.3 39 12 30.8 3 2 67 Spica casting with no external fixation 148 81 54.7 74 30 40.5 74 51 68.9 No form of Immobilization 87 60 69.0 20 10 50 67 50 74.6 [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]