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Abstract Background Cardiac herniation occurs when there is a residual pericardial defect post thoracic surgery and is recognised as a rare but fatal complication. It confers a high mortality and requires immediate surgical correction upon recognition. We present a case of cardiac herniation occurring post thymectomy and left upper lobectomy. Case presentation Initial presentation: A 48-year-old male, hypertensive smoker presented with progressive breathlessness and was found to have a left upper zone mass confirmed on CT biopsy as carcinoid of unclear origin. PET-CT revealed avidity in a left anterior mediastinal area, left upper lobe (LUL) lung mass, mediastinal lymph nodes, and a right thymic satellite nodule. Intraoperatively: Access via left thoracotomy and sternotomy. The LUL tumour involved the left thymic lobe (LTL), left superior pulmonary vein (LSPV), left phrenic nerve and intervening mediastinal fat and pericardium, which were resected en-masse. The satellite nodule in the right thymic lobe (RTL) was adjacent to the junction between the left innominate vein and superior vena cava (SVC). The pericardium was resected from the SVC to the left atrial appendage. Clinical deterioration: Initially the patient was doing well clinically on day 1, however there was sudden bradycardia, hypotension, clamminess, and oligoanuria, with raised central venous pressures and troponins. ECG: no capture in leads V1-2, but positive deflections seen on posterior leads. Echo: no acoustic windows, but good windows seen posteriorly. CXR: left mediastinal shift. Redo operation: After initial resuscitation and stabilisation on the intensive care unit, on day 2 a redo-sternotomy revealed cardiac herniation into the left thoracic cavity with the left ventricular apex pointing towards the spine, and inferior caval kinking. After reduction and repair of the pericardial defect with a fenestrated GoreTex patch, the patient recovered well with complete resolution of the ECG and CXR. Conclusion Cardiac herniation can even occur following sub-pneumonectomy lung resections and should be considered as a differential when faced with a sudden clinical deterioration, warranting early surgical correction.

Teaching is a high-demand profession where teachers encounter work-related and distinct emotional turmoil of differing intensities while instructing and interacting with students. Teachers’ occupational wellness is compromised because of these experiences, which frequently lead to high levels of stress that exacerbate burnout. This empirical study is novel in addressing the positive psychology mediating and moderating effect between perceived stress and occupational well-being among teachers. Adopting a quantitative research design, a sample of 388 teachers was drawn and analyzed using Smart PLS 4. The findings uncovered that teachers experience multifarious challenges and stressors that negatively impact their occupational well-being. Further, psychological capital partially mediated the relationship; however, coping strategy did not mediate between perceived stress and occupational well-being. Coping strategies partially mediated the relationship between psychological capital and occupational well-being. Lastly, psychological capital significantly moderated the relationship between stress and occupational well-being positively. These results aid the organizations in choosing an approach to practice positive psychology, which in turn creates satisfied teachers with exceptional performance.

This study examines the serial mediation effect of perceived behavioral control and entrepreneurial attitude (EA) on the relationship between subjective norms (SBN) and entrepreneurial intentions (EIs) of students in higher education institutes in India. Based on the theory of planned behavior (TPB), data were gathered using a structured questionnaire distributed to 134 students from institutes offering entrepreneurship education, employing a cross-sectional research design. The structural equation modeling method, specifically partial least squares (PLS), was employed for data analysis and path modeling. The findings indicate that perceived behavioral control and EA serially mediate the connection between SBN and EIs. Entrepreneurial education (EE) moderated the serial mediation effect among SBN, EA, perceived behavioral control and EA. This study underscores the significance of EE in the experiential learning process of students, aiding them in cultivating an entrepreneurial mindset. The insights from this research will guide policymakers, higher education institutes and universities in refining the education content and curriculum design. A comprehensive curriculum will be advantageous for prospective entrepreneurs who will participate in future entrepreneurship education. Recognizing the role of knowledge and skills in entrepreneurship education can bolster EIs, subsequently benefiting emerging economies and fostering economic growth through new venture creations.

AbstractEntrepreneurial mindset and motivation are essential for launching a successful business venture. Recognising this, the study investigates how Entrepreneurial Development Programmes (EDPs) offered by RUDSETIs (Rural Development and Self-employment Training Institutes) influence trainees in developing this mindset and motivation. Structured questionnaires were used to collect feedback from 386 unemployed trainees from three different training centres as part of a comprehensive method involving 386 unemployed trainees from three different training centres. The study has used quantitative research techniques such as the Chi-square test, Wilcoxon signed rank test, and Kruskal Wallis test to analyse the data. The findings show that EDPs have a significant positive impact on most trainees’ entrepreneurial mindset, motivation, and subsequent follow-up quality. This, in turn, contributes to business success. However, a subset of trainees are unaffected by these programmes. The study raises an alarm for RUDSETIs, recommending that they increase their efforts for this specific group. Finally, the paper suggests that RUDSETI policymakers rethink and possibly reframe their current strategies. The goal should be to instill an entrepreneurial spirit, boost motivation, and improve the quality of follow-up mechanisms in order to ensure that every trainee, current or potential, benefits optimally.

Background The study investigates the influence of antecedents of the theory of planned behaviour (TPB) and personality traits on entrepreneurial intention and behaviour among engineering students in an emerging economy. It employs the extension of the TPB model by focusing on the intention-behaviour gap, an under-researched area in research. Furthermore, it investigates the moderating effect of entrepreneurial motivation on the relationship between intention and behaviour to improve conceptual model predictability. Methods A structured questionnaire was used to gather data from 1,564 engineering students, and the data were analyzed using structural equation modelling (SEM) with Amos software. Results The results revealed that subjective norms were the strongest predictor of entrepreneurial intention and behaviour, followed by entrepreneurial alertness, perceived behavioural control, attitude towards entrepreneurship, need for achievement, and risk tolerance. Moreover, the moderation analysis showed that entrepreneurial motivation was crucial in moderating the relationship between intention and behaviour. Conclusions The present conceptual model contributes to the existing TPB model by improving predictive power to understand the intention-behaviour relationship. The results of the study will assist policymakers, academicians of higher education institutions, and universities in developing policies, strategies, and curricula to engage more students in entrepreneurial activities.

Abstract Background Impella is an advanced ventricular assist device frequently used as a bridge to heart transplantation. The association of Impella with increased rates of gout flares has not been studied. Our primary aim is to determine the rates of gout flares in patients on Impella support. Methodology A retrospective study was conducted between January 2017 and September 2022 involving all patients who underwent heart transplantation. The cohort was divided into two groups based on Impella support for statistical analysis. In patients receiving Impella support, outcome measures were compared based on the development of gout flares. 1:1 nearest neighbor propensity match, as well as inverse propensity of treatment weighted analyses, were performed to explore the causal relationship between impella use and gout flare in our study population. Results Our analysis included 213 patients, among which 42 (19.71%) patients were supported by Impella. Impella and non-Impella groups had similar age, race, and BMI, but more males were in the Impella group. Gout and chronic kidney disease were more prevalent in Impella-supported patients, while coronary artery disease was less common. The prevalence of gout flare was significantly higher in Impella patients (30.9% vs. 5.3%). 42 Impella-supported patients were matched with 42 patients from the non-impella group upon performing a 1:1 propensity matching. Impella-supported patients were noted to have a significantly higher risk of gout flare (30.9% vs. 7.1%, SMD = 0.636), despite no significant difference in pre-existing gout history and use of anti-gout medications. Impella use was associated with a significantly increased risk of gout flare in unadjusted (OR 8.07), propensity-matched (OR 5.83), and the inverse propensity of treatment-weighted analysis (OR 4.21). Conclusion Our study is the first to identify the potential association between Impella support and increased rates of gout flares in hospitalized patients. Future studies are required to confirm this association and further elucidate the biological pathways. It is imperative to consider introducing appropriate measures to prevent and promptly manage gout flares in Impella-supported patients.

Abstract Management of vitreoretinal disorders (e.g., neovascular age-related macular degeneration [nAMD] and diabetic macular edema [DME]) have assumed the standard therapy of lifelong anti-VEGF injections with drugs like aflibercept, brolucizumab, ranibizumab and bevacizumab. However, the burden imposed on patients is a major deterrent for continual therapy and recovery. Faricimab, a bispecific antibody, blocking both VEGF-A and Ang-2 molecules, produces a comparable functional and anatomical results, with less injections, significantly reducing patient burden. Visual acuity, safety, adverse effects, and anatomical outcomes are discussed in the pivotal clinical trials (YOSEMITE/RHINE and TENAYA/LUCERNE), and early data from real-world studies (TRUCKEE, TAHOE, FARWIDE-DME, FARETINA and others). In YOSEMITE and RHINE, faricimab demonstrated non-inferior vision gains, better anatomical outcomes compared to aflibercept every 8 weeks. Faricimab in the personalized treatment interval (PTI), after week 96, achieved 12-week interval in 78.1% of the patients and 16-week interval in 62.3%. TENAYA and LUCERNE reported comparable best corrected visual acuity (BCVA) improvement and better anatomic outcomes during head-to-head phase, parallel to aflibercept, at its 8-week treatment schedule. Faricimab in the PTI regimen, after week 96 achieved 12-week interval in 77.8% of the patients and 16-week interval in 63.1%. Safety of faricimab has been comparable to aflibercept in these pivotal trials. Real-world data supports the data from the pivotal studies regarding the efficacy and safety profile of faricimab in heterogenous real world patient population. Moreover, in previously treated patients, it also demonstrated a faster fluid resolution, good safety profile. Considering faricimab has demonstrated anatomic and durability benefit in the treatment of nAMD and DME, additional data from ongoing extension clinical trials, AVONELLE-X and RHONE-X will help understand longer term outcomes for patients treated with faricimab as well as patients switching from aflibercept to faricimab after finishing the pivotal trials. Longer term data from the real-world studies will also continue to contribute to our understanding of long-term efficacy, safety and durability in the real world patient population.

Background: The utilization of extracorporeal life support (ECLS) for intraoperative support during lung transplantation has increased over the past decade. Although veno-arterial extracorporeal membrane oxygenation (VA-ECMO) has recently emerged as the preferred modality over cardiopulmonary bypass (CPB), many centers continue to use both forms of ECLS during lung transplantation. Our novel hybrid VA-ECMO/CPB circuit allows for seamless transition from VA-ECMO to CPB at a significant cost savings compared to a standalone VA-ECMO circuit. This study describes our initial experience and outcomes in the first 100 bilateral lung transplantations using this novel hybrid VA-ECMO/CPB circuit. Methods: Medical records from September 2017 to May 2021 of the first 100 consecutive patients undergoing bilateral lung transplantation with intraoperative hybrid VA-ECMO support were examined retrospectively. We excluded patients with single lung transplants, retransplantations, preoperative ECLS bridging, and veno-venous (VV) ECMO and those supported with CPB only. Perioperative recipient, anesthetic, perfusion variables, and outcomes were assessed. Results: Of the 100 patients supported with VA-ECMO, 19 were converted intraoperatively to CPB. Right ventricular dysfunction was seen in 37% of patients, and the median mean pulmonary artery pressure was 28 mm Hg. No oxygenator clotting was observed with a median heparin dose of 13,000 units in the VA-ECMO group. Primary graft dysfunction grade 3 at 72 hours was observed in 10.1% of all patients and observed 1-year mortality was 4%. Conclusions: The use of a hybrid VA-ECMO/CPB circuit in our institution allows for rapid conversion to CPB with acceptable outcomes across a diverse recipient group at a significantly reduced cost compared to standalone VA-ECMO circuits.

Abstract The well understood structure of $$U_{pmns}$$ U pmns matrix mandates a Cabibbo mixing matrix in the first two generations of the charged lepton sector if we assume Tri-bimaximal mixing in the neutrino sector. This ansatz, called Tri-bimaximal-Cabibbo mixing, is ruled out immediately by the experiments searching for charged lepton flavour violating currents. In this article, we aim to show that the resurrection of the theoretically well motivated Tri-bimaximal mixing scenario comes naturally within Minimal Flavour Violation hypothesis in the lepton sector. We analyse the flavour violating currents $$\mu \rightarrow e e e$$ μ → e e e , $$\mu Ti \rightarrow e Ti$$ μ T i → e T i , $$\mu \rightarrow e \gamma $$ μ → e γ , $$\pi ^0\rightarrow e^+ \mu ^{-}$$ π 0 → e + μ - and $$K_L \rightarrow \mu ^+ e^-$$ K L → μ + e - in this scenario and show that the New Physics that generates mixing among the charged lepton could lie within the reach of hadron colliders. In the minimal field content scenario, though the most stringent constrain on New Physics is $$\gtrsim {\mathcal {O}}(10$$ ≳ O ( 10 TeV) for maximal coupling, considering more natural couplings relaxes it to $$\gtrsim {\mathcal {O}}(4$$ ≳ O ( 4 TeV). On the other hand, New Physics with the extended field content is even more strongly constrained to $$\gtrsim {\mathcal {O}}(75$$ ≳ O ( 75 TeV) for maximal coupling, while it gets relaxed to $$\gtrsim {\mathcal {O}}(31$$ ≳ O ( 31 TeV) for natural scenario.

Background Well-being among teachers contributes toward quality work and better student support. Teachers’ well-being persists to be a concern in school settings; there is a lacuna in understanding the concept of well-being among them. This scoping review identifies the stress factors and map their association with the psychological well-being of teachers employed in schools. Additionally, to identify the methodology and the interventions used in reducing teachers’ stress and their relevance on their psychological well-being. Methods First, Pubmed, Web of Science, and Scopus databases were searched for eligible studies with MeSH terms for stress factors, well-being, and teachers from 2010 to 2022. Identified studies were screened thoroughly and excluded or included based on prior established criteria. Data from the included studies were extracted and summarized according to the study protocol. Results Among the 60 studies that met our inclusion criteria, the majority were quantitative, with cross-sectional studies. Several studies focused on emotional exhaustion, depersonalization, and diminished personal accomplishment aspect among teachers. Almost half of the included studies focused on organizational and social pressures such as administration workload, classroom management issues, lack of supervisor and team support, students’ behaviour, and pressure from parents. The most used interventions to overcome stress were coping strategies and mindfulness training intervention tools. Conclusions The findings from the current scoping review will reveal the different stressors which impact psychological well-being. Focus on the most used interventions to overcome stress among schoolteachers. This will also provide recommendations to regulators and management to identify the factors causing stress among teachers and their relevance to their psychological well-being, overcome employee turnover and absenteeism issues. Also, different alternatives available to reduce the stress may benefit the stakeholders and policymakers to confirm a suitable intervention that will benefit the teaching profession.

Abstract Bimodal cochlear implant (CI) listeners have difficulty utilizing spatial cues to segregate competing speech, possibly due to tonotopic mismatch between the acoustic input frequency and electrode place of stimulation. The present study investigated the effects of tonotopic mismatch in the context of residual acoustic hearing in the non-CI ear or residual hearing in both ears. Speech recognition thresholds (SRTs) were measured with two co-located or spatially separated speech maskers in normal-hearing adults listening to acoustic simulations of CIs; low frequency acoustic information was available in the non-CI ear (bimodal listening) or in both ears. Bimodal SRTs were significantly better with tonotopically matched than mismatched electric hearing for both co-located and spatially separated speech maskers. When there was no tonotopic mismatch, residual acoustic hearing in both ears provided a significant benefit when maskers were spatially separated, but not when co-located. The simulation data suggest that hearing preservation in the implanted ear for bimodal CI listeners may significantly benefit utilization of spatial cues to segregate competing speech, especially when the residual acoustic hearing is comparable across two ears. Also, the benefits of bilateral residual acoustic hearing may be best ascertained for spatially separated maskers.

BackgroundThe COVID-19 pandemic intensified the use of scarce resources, including extracorporeal membrane oxygenation (ECMO) and mechanical ventilation (MV). The combinatorial features of the immune system may be considered to estimate such needs and facilitate continuous open-ended knowledge discovery.Materials and methodsComputer-generated distinct data patterns derived from 283 white blood cell counts collected within five days after hospitalization from 97 COVID-19 patients were used to predict patient’s use of hospital resources.ResultsAlone, data on separate cell types—such as neutrophils—did not identify patients that required MV/ECMO. However, when structured as multicellular indicators, distinct data patterns displayed by such markers separated patients later needing or not needing MV/ECMO. Patients that eventually required MV/ECMO also revealed increased percentages of neutrophils and decreased percentages of lymphocytes on admission.Discussion/conclusionFuture use of limited hospital resources may be predicted when combinations of available blood leukocyte-related data are analyzed. New methods could also identify, upon admission, a subset of COVID-19 patients that reveal inflammation. Presented by individuals not previously exposed to MV/ECMO, this inflammation differs from the well-described inflammation induced after exposure to such resources. If shown to be reproducible in other clinical syndromes and populations, it is suggested that the analysis of immunological combinations may inform more and/or uncover novel information even in the absence of pre-established questions.

Purpose: When treating esophageal cancer with radiation therapy, it is critical to limit the dose to surrounding structures, such as the lung and/or heart, as much as possible. Proton radiation therapy allows a reduced radiation dose to both the heart and lungs, potentially reducing the risk of cardiopulmonary toxicity. Here, we report disease control, survival, and toxicity outcomes among patients with esophageal cancer treated with proton radiation therapy and concurrent chemotherapy (chemoradiation therapy; CRT) with or without surgery. Materials and Methods: We enrolled 17 patients with thoracic esophageal carcinoma on a prospective registry between 2010 and 2021. Patients received proton therapy to a median dose of 50.4-GyRBE (range, 50.4–64.8) in 1.8-Gy fractions.Acute and late toxicities were graded per the Common Terminology Criteria for Adverse Events, version 4.0 (US National Cancer Institute, Bethesda, Maryland). In addition, disease control, patterns of failure, and survival outcomes were collected. Results: Nine patients received preoperative CRT, and 8 received definitive CRT. Overall, 88% of patients had adenocarcinoma, and 12% had squamous cell carcinoma. With a median follow-up of 2.1 years (range, 0.5–9.4), the 3-year local progression-free, disease-free, and overall survival rates were 85%, 66%, and 55%, respectively. Two patients (1 with adenocarcinoma and 1 with squamous cell carcinoma) recurred at the primary site after refusing surgery after a complete clinical response to CRT. The most common acute nonhematologic and hematologic toxicities, respectively, were grades 1 to 3 esophagitis and grades 1 to 4 leukopenia, both affecting 82% of patients. No acute cardiopulmonary toxicities were observed in the absence of surgical resection. Reagarding surgical complications, 3 postoperative cardiopulmonary complications occurred as follows: 1 grade 1 pleural effusion, 1 grade 3 pleural effusion, and 1 grade 2 anastomotic leak. Two severe late CRT toxicities occurred: 1 grade 5 tracheoesophageal fistula and 1 grade 3 esophageal stenosis requiring a feeding tube. Conclusion: Proton radiation therapy is a safe, effective treatment for esophageal cancer with increasing evidence supporting its role in reducing cardiopulmonary toxicity.

Abstract Background Hyperactive parathyroid glands (PTGs) are in the mediastinum 4.3% of the time. Historically, localization and resection of these glands can be challenging. Methods We searched all operative notes involving a thoracic surgeon and a preoperative diagnosis of hyperparathyroidism from 2001 to 2019. Results Eighty-five cases were reviewed, of which 63 were included. Only 14 patients (22%) had de novo hyperparathyroid operations. Seventeen patients (27%) had single-photon emission computed tomography with computed tomography fusion (SPECT-CT) as the only preoperative localization test (excluding chest radiography and ultrasound), and all were resected successfully. The initial surgical approach was transcervical for 16 (27%) patients, however only 7 remained transcervical. 4 (6%) patients had an exploration in which the target lesion was resected but it was not parathyroid tissue. Conclusion Most patients presenting with mediastinal PTG have had prior HPT surgery. The trend toward more focused HPT surgery may mean more de novo mediastinal PTG resections. An unambiguous functional and anatomic localization test, such as a spect-ct scan, is the best predictor of a successful resection. Ambiguous or discordant scans should be approached cautiously, and additional confirmatory tests are recommended. For suspected PTG located in the thymus, the thoracic surgeon should choose the most familiar approach to achieve complete thymectomy.

Coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19), a novel etiology of end-stage lung disease, has resulted in major disruptions to the process of health care delivery worldwide. These disruptions have led to team-based innovations globally, resulting in a broad range of new processes in cardiopulmonary perioperative management. A key intersection of multidisciplinary teamwork and COVID-19 is found in lung transplantation, in which diverse teams collaborate throughout the perioperative period to achieve optimal outcomes. In this article, we describe the multidisciplinary approach taken by Mayo clinic in Florida to manage patients with COVID-19 presenting for lung transplantation.

Chronic lymphocytic leukemia (CLL) is the most common leukemia in adults and is characterized by monoclonal proliferation of B-cell lymphocytes which are morphologically mature, but immunologically dysfunctional. The primary sites of disease involvement include peripheral blood, lymph nodes, spleen, and bone marrow. CLL can also present locally and aggressively at extranodal sites. We describe the case of a 74-year-old gentleman with multiple medical comorbidities who was Foley catheter–dependent at baseline for bladder outlet obstruction. He was detected to have Rai stage I CLL following an inguinal lymph node biopsy and was on regular outpatient surveillance. Later, he underwent a prostate biopsy for evaluation of hematuria, results of which were consistent with CLL involvement in the prostate and urinary bladder. The patient was started on single-agent ibrutinib, and demonstrated an excellent clinical response to bladder outlet obstruction. His long-term Foley catheter was discontinued within 5 days of ibrutinib therapy. Unfortunately, 1 year later, he had disease progression, and therapy was changed to a single-agent rituximab, to which he is responding well. Our case is unique as it brings up the first reported case of prostate and bladder wall CLL.

Lung isolation is an essential anesthetic technique utilized in thoracic surgeries. We present a patient undergoing esophagectomy that developed an iatrogenic injury to the left mainstem bronchus that damaged the bronchial cuff of a left-sided double-lumen endotracheal tube (DLETT). A bronchial blocker (BB) was placed in the tracheal lumen of the DLETT as a rescue method to facilitate continued lung isolation. This unusual combination of a DLETT and a BB proved useful once the bronchial cuff was compromised and may serve as a viable solution to maintain lung isolation in similar circumstances.

BackgroundImmune checkpoint inhibitors (ICI) improve survival in patients with late-stage esophageal squamous cell carcinoma (ESCC) but have not been fully evaluated in locally advanced ESCC.MethodWe retrospectively assessed outcomes of consecutive, treatment-naïve locally advanced ESCC (stage III or IVA) adults treated with neoadjuvant ICI plus chemotherapy followed by surgery, who refused or lacked access to radiotherapy, with regards to surgery feasibility, pathological response, and relapse-free survival (RFS).ResultsWe uneventfully treated 34 patients with the combined regimen in 2020. None reported grade III or higher toxic effects. All underwent surgery as planned: 32 received complete (R0) resections and 2 had microscopically positive margins (R1). Tumor downstaging occurred in 33 (97.1%) patients and 11 (32.4%) had pathologically complete response of the primary lesion. Median postoperative length of stay was 12 days (interquartile range: 11 to 17). All patients resumed a semi-liquid diet on discharge. The 90-day postoperative morbidity rate was 20.6% (7/34) with no mortalities. The 1-year RFS was 77.8% [95% CI, 64.2-94.2].ConclusionNeoadjuvant ICI plus chemotherapy was safe and resulted in significant downstaging, rendering inoperable tumors operable, relieving symptoms of dysphagia and prolonging survival for locally advanced ESCC patients who refused or lacked access to radiotherapy.

In the clinical fitting of cochlear implants (CIs), the lowest input acoustic frequency is typically much lower than the characteristic frequency associated with the most apical electrode position, due to the limited electrode insertion depth. For bilateral CI users, electrode positions may differ across ears. However, the same acoustic-to-electrode frequency allocation table (FAT) is typically assigned to both ears. As such, bilateral CI users may experience both intra-aural frequency mismatch within each ear and inter-aural mismatch across ears. This inter-aural mismatch may limit the ability of bilateral CI users to take advantage of spatial cues when attempting to segregate competing speech. Adjusting the FAT to tonotopically match the electrode position in each ear (i.e., increasing the low acoustic input frequency) is theorized to reduce this inter-aural mismatch. Unfortunately, this approach may also introduce the loss of acoustic information below the modified input acoustic frequency. The present study explored the trade-off between reduced inter-aural frequency mismatch and low-frequency information loss for segregation of competing speech. Normal-hearing participants were tested while listening to acoustic simulations of bilateral CIs. Speech reception thresholds (SRTs) were measured for target sentences produced by a male talker in the presence of two different male talkers. Masker speech was either co-located with or spatially separated from the target speech. The bilateral CI simulations were produced by 16-channel sinewave vocoders; the simulated insertion depth was fixed in one ear and varied in the other ear, resulting in an inter-aural mismatch of 0, 2, or 6 mm in terms of cochlear place. Two FAT conditions were compared: 1) clinical (200-8000 Hz in both ears), or 2) matched to the simulated insertion depth in each ear. Results showed that SRTs were significantly lower with the matched than with the clinical FAT, regardless of the insertion depth or spatial configuration of the masker speech. The largest improvement in SRTs with the matched FAT was observed when the inter-aural mismatch was largest (6 mm). These results suggest that minimizing inter-aural mismatch with tonotopically matched FATs may benefit bilateral CI users' ability to segregate competing speech despite substantial low-frequency information loss in ears with shallow insertion depths.

In this paper, we study the constraint on brane tension and compactification scale for models with brane fluctuations using the results from the direct search of W′ at 13 TeV LHC, with an integrated luminosity of 36.1fb−1, in the case for which branon forms the entire cold dark matter. The inclusion of these brane fluctuations suppresses the KK-mode couplings to brane localised matter fields. Unlike the rigid brane scenario, where the compactification scale gets constrained to 1/R>5.2 TeV, here we show that compactification scales as small as ~1 TeV are allowed for brane tensions of similar strength.

BACKGROUND Genetics of estrogen synthesis and breast cancer risk has been elusive. The 1245A→C missense-encoding polymorphism in HSD3B1, which is common in White populations, is functionally adrenal permissive and increases synthesis of the aromatase substrate androstenedione. We hypothesized that homozygous inheritance of the adrenal-permissive HSD3B1(1245C) is associated with postmenopausal estrogen receptor–positive (ER-positive) breast cancer.METHODS A prospective study of postmenopausal ER-driven breast cancer was done for determination of HSD3B1 and circulating steroids. Validation was performed in 2 other cohorts. Adrenal-permissive genotype frequency was compared between postmenopausal ER-positive breast cancer, the general population, and postmenopausal ER-negative breast cancer.RESULTS Prospective and validation studies had 157 and 538 patients, respectively, for the primary analysis of genotype frequency by ER status in White female breast cancer patients who were postmenopausal at diagnosis. The adrenal-permissive genotype frequency in postmenopausal White women with estrogen-driven breast cancer in the prospective cohort was 17.5% (21/120) compared with 5.4% (2/37) for ER-negative breast cancer (P = 0.108) and 9.6% (429/4451) in the general population (P = 0.0077). Adrenal-permissive genotype frequency for estrogen-driven postmenopausal breast cancer was validated using Cambridge and The Cancer Genome Atlas data sets: 14.4% (56/389) compared with 6.0% (9/149) for ER-negative breast cancer (P = 0.007) and the general population (P = 0.005). Circulating androstenedione concentration was higher with the adrenal-permissive genotype (P = 0.03).CONCLUSION Adrenal-permissive genotype is associated with estrogen-driven postmenopausal breast cancer. These findings link genetic inheritance of endogenous estrogen exposure to estrogen-driven breast cancer.FUNDING National Cancer Institute, NIH (R01CA236780, R01CA172382, and P30-CA008748); and Prostate Cancer Foundation Challenge Award.

Abstract Background Majority burn mortality prognostic scores were developed and validated in western populations. The primary objective of this study was to evaluate and identify possible risk factors which may be used to predict burns mortality in a local Malaysian burns intensive care unit. The secondary objective was to validate the five well known burn prognostic scores (Baux score, Abbreviated Burn Severity Index (ABSI) score, Ryan score, Belgium Outcome Burn Injury (BOBI) score and revised Baux score) to predict burn mortality prediction. Methods Patients that were treated at the Hospital Sultan Ismail’s Burns Intensive Care (BICU) unit for acute burn injuries between 1 January 2010 to 31 December 2017 were included. Risk factors to predict in-patient burn mortality were gender, age, mechanism of injury, total body surface area burn (TBSA), inhalational injury, mechanical ventilation, presence of tracheotomy, time from of burn injury to BICU admission and initial centre of first emergency treatment was administered. These variables were analysed using univariate and multivariate analysis for the outcomes of death. All patients were scored retrospectively using the five-burn mortality prognostic scores. Predictive ability for burn mortality was analysed using the area under receiver operating curve (AUROC). Results A total of 525 patients (372 males and 153 females) with mean age of 34.5 ± 14.6 years were included. There were 463 survivors and 62 deaths (11.8% mortality rate). The outcome of the primary objective showed that amongst the burn mortality risk factors that remained after multivariate analysis were older age (p = 0.004), wider TBSA burn (p

Abstract The minimal Universal Extra Dimension scenario is highly constrained owing to opposing constraints from the observed relic density on the one hand, and the non-observation of new states at the LHC on the other. Simple extensions in five-dimensions can only postpone the inevitable. Here, we propose a six-dimensional alternative with the key feature being that the SM quarks and leptons are localized on orthogonal directions whereas gauge bosons traverse the entire bulk. Several different realizations of electroweak symmetry breaking are possible, while maintaining agreement with low energy observables. This model is not only consistent with all the current constraints opposing the minimal Universal Extra Dimension scenario but also allows for a multi-TeV dark matter particle without the need for any fine-tuning. In addition, it promises a plethora of new signatures at the LHC and other future experiments.

Abstract Background Prognostic measures to determine burn mortality are essential in evaluating the severity of individual burn victims. This is an important process of triaging patients with high risk of mortality that may be nursed in the acute care setting. Malaysian burn research is lacking with only one publication identified which describes the epidemiology of burn victims. Therefore, the objective of this study was to go one step further and identify the predictors of burn mortality from a Malaysian burns intensive care unit (BICU) which may be used to triage patients at higher risk of death. Methods This is a retrospective cohort study of all admissions to Hospital Sultan Ismail’s BICU from January 2010 till October 2015. Admission criteria were in accordance with the American Burn Association guidelines, and risk factors of interest were recorded. Data was analyzed using simple logistic regression to determine significant predictors of mortality. Survival analysis with time to death event was performed using the Kaplan-Meier survival curve with log-rank test. Results Through the 6-year period, 393 patients were admitted with a male preponderance of 73.8%. The mean age and length of stay were 35.6 (±15.72) years and 15.3 (±18.91) days. There were 48 mortalities with an overall mortality rate of 12.2%. Significant risk factors identified on simple logistic regression were total body surface area (TBSA) > 20% (p 20%, presence of SIRS, mechanical ventilation and inhalation injury which were associated with poorer survival (p 20%, early SIRS, mechanical ventilation and inhalation injury which were associated with poorer survival outcome. The immunological response differs from individual patients and influenced by the severity of burn injury. Early SIRS on admission is an important predictor of death and may represent the severity of burn injury. Patients who required mechanical ventilation were associated with mortality and it is likely related to the severity of pulmonary insults sustained by individual patients. This data is important for outcome prognostication and mortality risk counselling in severely burned patients.

A 53-year-old male patient was presented to our institution with the clinical picture of biventricular failure. The echocardiogram revealed congenitally corrected transposition of the great arteries, dextrocardia with situs solitus, atrioventricular discordance and ventriculoatrial discordance, severe systemic and mitral valves regurgitation, and severe pulmonary hypertension (mean pulmonary artery pressure: 51 mm Hg). He underwent heart–lung transplant. He was discharged on postoperative day 25 with left ventricular ejection fraction of 60%–65%, and with oxygen independency.

The coexistence of expiratory central airway collapse and diaphragmatic paralysis presents a diagnostic and treatment challenge. Both entities are underrecognized causes of dyspnea, cough, sputum production, and orthopnea. Optimal treatment must be individualized and is best achieved by a multidisciplinary team. We present a case of a patient with profound functional impairment from dyspnea and hypoxemia due to expiratory central airway collapse, complicated by bronchiectasis from recurrent respiratory infections, and diaphragmatic paralysis.

We investigate the governance sensitivity of foreign institutional investors’ (FII) ownership in a large emerging market setting of India, characterized by highly concentrated insider ownership. More specifically, we focus on the moderating role of firm size and price to book value (PB) in determining the relationship between FII ownership and board characteristics, such as board size, outside director ratio, CEO duality, and board meeting attendance. Our methodology emphasizes the importance of contextual analysis in studies relating to institutional investors’ preferences. We find that FIIs prefer bigger boards and greater board independence in larger and growth firms (higher PB). Further, FIIs prefer firms that have separate CEO and Chairman of the board positions in growth firms.

Surgical stabilization of fractured ribs has been shown to improve trauma related outcomes, however the procedure itself can be a source of morbidity. This report details two cases of latissimus dorsi muscle sparing sub-scapular multi-rib fracture plating. We combined several techniques to make this possible. The first technique was use of a vertical skin incision along the anterior border of the latissimus muscle. The second was the use of a mammary retractor to provide adequate and sustained retraction of the latissimus and scapula. The third was utilization of a right angle screwdriver to allow placement of the posterior screws. Sparing the latissimus muscle for sub-scapular fractures is possible but requires planning and extra equipment to perform. Minimizing rib fixation related morbidity makes it a more appealing treatment. Keywords: Rib fractures, Surgical fixation, Latissimus, Muscle sparing, Plating

The absence, so far, of any graviton signatures at the LHC imposes severe constraints on the Randall–Sundrum scenario. Although a generalization to higher dimensions with nested warpings has been shown to avoid these constraints, apart from incorporating several other phenomenologically interesting features, moduli stabilization in such models has been an open question. We demonstrate here how both the moduli involved can be stabilized, employing slightly different mechanisms for the two branches of the theory. This also offers a dynamical mechanism to generate and stabilise the scale for the Universal Extra Dimensions, another long-standing issue.

A 60-year-old male patient presented to an outside hospital with severe cardiogenic shock. A triple bridge of mechanical circulatory support was utilized to transition him to heart transplantation listing. Initially, coronary artery disease was percutaneously treated and Impella 2.5 was used as mechanical circulatory support for 5 days followed by the second Impella 2.5 for 4 days. Veno-arterial extracorporeal membrane oxygenation support was deployed for 16 days. This was exchanged for HeartWare ventricular assist device support as the third stage of mechanical circulatory support to heart transplantation listing. The patient experienced acute renal failure which was managed by continuous renal replacement therapy then intermittent hemodialysis with eventual complete recovery of the renal function. He was discharged home 56 days after HeartWare ventricular assist device implantation with stable hemodynamic, intact neurologic status and fully recovered renal function. Currently, the patient is listed for heart transplantation.

The negative results in the search for Kaluza–Klein graviton modes at the LHC, when confronted with the discovery of the Higgs, have been construed to have severely limited the efficacy of the Randall–Sundrum model as an explanation of the hierarchy problem. We show, though, that the presence of multiple warping offers a natural resolution of this conundrum through modifications in both the graviton spectrum and their couplings to the Standard Model fields.

Introduction: Osteoporosis is a serious condition affecting up to 50% of Indian postmenopausal women. Denosumab reduces bone resorption by targeting the receptor activator of nuclear factor-κB ligand. This study assessed the efficacy and safety of denosumab in Indian postmenopausal women with osteoporosis. Materials and Methods: In this double-blind, multicenter, phase 3 study, 250 Indian postmenopausal women aged 55 to 75 years (T-score -4.0 at the lumbar spine or total hip; serum 25(OH) D levels ≥20 ng/mL) were randomized to receive one subcutaneous dose of denosumab 60 mg or placebo. All subjects received oral calcium ≥1000 mg and vitamin D 3 ≥ 400 IU daily. The primary end point was mean percent change in bone mineral density (BMD) at the lumbar spine from baseline to Month 6. Secondary end points included mean percent change from baseline in BMD at total hip, femoral neck, and trochanter at Month 6 and median percent change from baseline in bone turnover markers at Months 1, 3, and 6. Results: Total 225 subjects (denosumab = 111, placebo = 114) completed the six-month study. Baseline demographics were similar between groups. A 3.1% (95% confidence interval, 1.9%, 4.2%) increase favoring denosumab versus placebo was seen for the primary end point (P < 0.0001). Denosumab demonstrated a significant treatment benefit over placebo for the secondary end points. There were no fractures or withdrawals due to adverse events. Conclusions: Consistent with results from studies conducted in other parts of the world, denosumab was well tolerated and effective in increasing BMD and decreasing bone turnover markers over a six-month period in Indian postmenopausal women.

A pacing system infection may lead to infective endocarditis and systemic sepsis. Tricuspid valve surgery may be required if the valve is severely damaged in the process of endocarditis. Although, cardiopulmonary bypass is the safe choice for performing right-heart procedures, it may carry risk of inducing systemic inflammatory response and multi-organ dysfunction. Some studies have advocated TV surgery without institution of CPB. We report tricuspid valve excision using the off-pump inflow occlusion technique in a 68-year-old man. We also describe role of intra-operative TEE as a monitoring tool at different stages of the surgical procedure. .

Superior type of sinus venosus atrial septal defect (SVASD) is invariably associated with the unroofing of right upper pulmonary vein (RUPV). Warden procedure and pericardial patch repair with rerouting of the RUPV are commonly performed operations for the superior SVASD. Both operations involve the risk of obstruction to the flow of superior vena cava or rerouted pulmonary vein in the postoperative period. The sinus venosus defects are well visualized on the transesophageal echocardiography (TEE) because of the proximity of the TEE probe to these structures. We are reporting two cases operated for the superior SVASD with unroofed RUPV, highlighting the intraoperative echocardiographic features before and after the surgery.

The phenomenon of buttressing bone formation is relatively uncommon in the alveolar bone, more so in the anterior maxilla. In our case, peripheral buttressing bone formation presented as an isolated hard gingival swelling with relation to 21 in a 14-year-old girl. Radiographic presentation was normal with no evidence of bone loss or altered bone density. Therefore explorative surgery was planned. Buttressing bone formation could be appreciated, which also was the cause for swelling clinically. Osteoplasty was done and bone graft placed in the defect. On a subsequent recall visit gingivoplasty was done to reduce gingival thickness to improve esthetics. We report the case for its unusual presentation, its management with follow-up.

Changes in the shape of the lung during breathing determine the movement of airways and alveoli, and thus impact airflow dynamics. Modeling airflow dynamics in health and disease is a key goal for predictive multiscale models of respiration. Past efforts to model changes in lung shape during breathing have measured shape at multiple breath-holds. However, breath-holds do not capture hysteretic differences between inspiration and expiration resulting from the additional energy required for inspiration. Alternatively, imaging dynamically--without breath-holds--allows measurement of hysteretic differences. In this study, we acquire multiple micro-CT images per breath (4DCT) in live rats, and from these images we develop, for the first time, dynamic volume maps. These maps show changes in local volume across the entire lung throughout the breathing cycle and accurately predict the global pressure-volume (PV) hysteresis. Male Sprague-Dawley rats were given either a full- or partial-lung dose of elastase or saline as a control. After three weeks, 4DCT images of the mechanically ventilated rats under anesthesia were acquired dynamically over the breathing cycle (11 time points, ≤100 ms temporal resolution, 8 cmH2O peak pressure). Non-rigid image registration was applied to determine the deformation gradient--a numerical description of changes to lung shape--at each time point. The registration accuracy was evaluated by landmark identification. Of 67 landmarks, one was determined misregistered by all three observers, and 11 were determined misregistered by two observers. Volume change maps were calculated on a voxel-by-voxel basis at all time points using both the Jacobian of the deformation gradient and the inhaled air fraction. The calculated lung PV hysteresis agrees with pressure-volume curves measured by the ventilator. Volume maps in diseased rats show increased compliance and ventilation heterogeneity. Future predictive multiscale models of rodent respiration may leverage such volume maps as boundary conditions.