The Performance of Artificial Intelligence in Cervical Colposcopy: A Retrospective Data Analysis

Objective. We aimed to evaluate the performance of artificial intelligence (AI) system in detecting high-grade precancerous lesions. Methods. A retrospective and diagnostic study was conducted in Chongqing Cancer Hospital. Anonymized medical records with cytology, HPV testing, colposcopy findings with images, and the histopathological results were selected. The sensitivity, specificity, and areas under the curve (AUC) in detecting CIN2+ and CIN3+ were evaluated for the AI system, the AI-assisted colposcopy, and the human colposcopists, respectively. Results. Anonymized medical records from 346 women were obtained. The images captured under colposcopy of 194 women were found positive by the AI system; 245 women were found positive either by human colposcopists or the AI system. In detecting CIN2+, the AI-assisted colposcopy significantly increased the sensitivity (96.6% vs. 88.8%, p = 0.016 ). The specificity was significantly lower for AI-assisted colposcopy (38.1%), compared with human colposcopists (59.5%, p < 0.001 ) or the AI system (57.6%, p < 0.001 ). The AUCs for the human colposcopists, AI system, and AI-assisted colposcopy were 0.741, 0.765, and 0.674, respectively. In detecting CIN3+, the sensitivities of the AI system and AI-assisted colposcopy were not significantly higher than human colposcopists (97.5% vs. 92.6%, p = 0.13 ). The specificity was significantly lower for AI-assisted colposcopy (37.4%) compared with human colposcopists (59.2%, p < 0.001 ) or compared with the AI system (56.6%, p < 0.001 ). The AUCs for the human colposcopists, AI system, and AI-assisted colposcopy were 0.759, 0.674, and 0.771, respectively. Conclusions. The AI system provided equally matched sensitivity to human colposcopists in detecting CIN2+ and CIN3+. The AI-assisted colposcopy significantly improved the sensitivity in detecting CIN2+.

Arrhythmia Patterns in Patients on Ibrutinib

Introduction: Ibrutinib, a Bruton's tyrosine kinase inhibitor (TKI) used primarily in the treatment of hematologic malignancies, has been associated with increased incidence of atrial fibrillation (AF), with limited data on its association with other tachyarrhythmias. There are limited reports that comprehensively analyze atrial and ventricular arrhythmia (VA) burden in patients on ibrutinib. We hypothesized that long-term event monitors could reveal a high burden of atrial and VAs in patients on ibrutinib.Methods: A retrospective data analysis at a single center using electronic medical records database search tools and individual chart review was conducted to identify consecutive patients who had event monitors while on ibrutinib therapy.Results: Seventy-two patients were included in the analysis with a mean age of 76.9 ± 9.9 years and 13 patients (18%) had a diagnosis of AF prior to the ibrutinib therapy. During ibrutinib therapy, most common arrhythmias documented were non-AF supraventricular tachycardia (n = 32, 44.4%), AF (n = 32, 44%), and non-sustained ventricular tachycardia (n = 31, 43%). Thirteen (18%) patients had &gt;1% premature atrial contraction burden; 16 (22.2%) patients had &gt;1% premature ventricular contraction burden. In 25% of the patients, ibrutinib was held because of arrhythmias. Overall 8.3% of patients were started on antiarrhythmic drugs during ibrutinib therapy to manage these arrhythmias.Conclusions: In this large dataset of ambulatory cardiac monitors on patients treated with ibrutinib, we report a high prevalence of atrial and VAs, with a high incidence of treatment interruption secondary to arrhythmias and related symptoms. Further research is warranted to optimize strategies to diagnose, monitor, and manage ibrutinib-related arrhythmias.

Real-Life Data on Total Vitamin D3 (25-Hydroxyvitamin D) Concentrations in Basrah, Iraq

Background: People from our region need a higher dose of vitamin D to maintain their serum 25(OH)D levels at concentrations greater than 20 ng/mL. This study aimed to obtain real data on vitamin D status in Basrah. Methods: Retrospective data analysis of patients seen over 2 years from May 2017 to the end of May 2019 at the Faiha Specialized Diabetes, Endocrine and Metabolism Centre (FDEMC) in Basrah, a tertiary referring center of southern Iraq. Results: The cohort included 3692 persons. Vitamin D deficiency was evident among 62.5% of the studied persons (66.5% of women and 48.7% of men). Univariate analysis for factors associated with vitamin D deficiency found it was significantly associated with female sex (OR, 2.095; 95% CI, 1.793 to 2.448; P<0.0001), age less than 44 years (OR, 2.6; 95% CI, 2.328 to 3.065; P<0.0001), nonmarried status (including single, widow and divorced) (OR, 0.768; 95% CI, 0.656 to 0.900; P<0.0001), nulliparous or unmarried status (OR, 0.684; 95% CI, 0.583 to 0.803; P<0.0001), housewife status (OR, 0.806; 95% CI, 0.673 to 0.967; P=0.020), and rural status (OR, 1.195; 95% CI, 1.034 to 1.382; P=0.016). No significant association was found between vitamin D deficiency and BMI. In multivariate logistic regression analyses, only female sex (OR, 0.513; 95% CI, 0.437 to 0.603; P<0.0001) and age less than 44 years (OR, 2.662; 95% CI, 2.252 to 3.147; P<0.0001), nulliparous or unmarried (OR, 0.814; 95% CI, 0.680 to 0.973; P=0.024) and rural residency (OR, 0.773; 95% CI, 0.647 to 0.924; P<0.0001) remained significantly associated. Conclusion: Women, a younger age, nulliparous, and a rural residency were associated with vitamin D deficiency.

Financing of the Program of state guarantees of free medical care: how to solve the deficit problem?

Introduction. The critical problem of Russian health care is the deficit of funding for the program of state-guaranteed medical care for citizens of Russia. Purpose of the study. To search for solutions to the problem of financing the deficit of the program of state guarantees of free medical care in the Russian Federation. Material and methods. Retrospective data analysis was carried out to analyse the reasons for the deficit in the financing of the program of state guarantees of free medical care and search for solutions in the experience of other countries. Results. The analysis showed that the reasons for the deficit of the program of state guarantees of free medical care are the shortcomings of the mandatory health insurance (MHI) income system: linking contributions for the working population to the wages fund; the vagueness of the definition of the non-working population and the payment of contributions for its MHI by the constituent entities of the Russian Federation; non-participation of the solvent population in the co-financing of medical care; deficit of economic integration between the payment of MHI treatment and the health care system; the absence of formalized mechanisms for reimbursing the expenses of the MHI system by the federal budget to pay for aid in catastrophic situations. Discussion. The authors see the solution to the problem of the deficit of the program of state guarantees of free medical care in the modernization of the MHI income system: replacement of the MHI contributions paid by employers with an additional “medical” part of the value-added tax; replacement of the MHI contributions paid by the constituent entities of the Russian Federation for the non-working population with a targeted “medical” tax on retail sales; creation of a system of additional income based on the principle “the guilty person pays for causing harm to health”; recognition of the cost of medical care to the population in catastrophic situations as an unconditional obligation of the federal budget. Conclusion. a systemic solution to the problem of the financing deficit of the program of state guarantees of free medical care for the citizens of Russia seems to be the modernization of the MHI income system.

Proteomic Analysis Identifies NDUFS1 and ATP5O as Novel Markers for Survival Outcome in Prostate Cancer

We aimed to identify novel markers for aggressive prostate cancer in a STAT3-low proteomics-derived dataset of mitochondrial proteins by immunohistochemical analysis and correlation with transcriptomic data and biochemical recurrence in a STAT3 independent PCa cohort. Formalin-fixed paraffin-embedded tissue (FFPE) sample selection for proteomic analysis and tissue-microarray (TMA) generation was conducted from a cohort of PCa patients. Retrospective data analysis was performed with the same cohort. 153 proteins differentially expressed between STAT3-low and STAT3-high samples were identified. Out of these, 46 proteins were associated with mitochondrial processes including oxidative phosphorylation (OXPHOS), and 45 proteins were upregulated, including NDUFS1/ATP5O. In a STAT3 independent PCa cohort, high expression of NDUFS1/ATP5O was confirmed by immunocytochemistry (IHC) and was significantly associated with earlier biochemical recurrence (BCR). mRNA expression levels for these two genes were significantly higher in intra-epithelial neoplasia and in PCa compared to benign prostate glands. NDUFS1/ATP5O levels are increased both at the mRNA and protein level in aggressive PCa. Our results provide evidence that NDUFS1/ATP5O could be used to identify high-risk PCa patients.

Perinatal outcomes of intrahepatic cholestasis of pregnancy from two birth cohorts: A population-based study

Background Intrahepatic cholestasis of pregnancy (ICP) is a complex liver disease with varying incidence worldwide. We compared ICP incidence and pregnancy outcomes with outcomes for normal pregnant controls. Methods We conducted a retrospective data analysis of perinatal registry data for the years 2011 and 2017 to compare the following outcome measures: stillbirths, labour induction, gestational diabetes, pre-eclampsia, antepartum haemorrhage, postpartum haemorrhage, preterm births, low Apgar score, acute neonatal respiratory morbidity, meconium aspiration and in-hospital neonatal death. Results The incidence of ICP was 8 per 1000 births from a total 31,493 singleton births with more cases in 2017 than in 2011. Women with ICP were almost six times more likely to have labour induced including significantly more moderate preterm births (defined as between 32 weeks and 36 weeks and 6 days of gestation)) seen more in 2011 than in 2017. Conclusion Women with ICP showed higher incidence of moderate preterm birth and induced labour but favourable maternal and neonatal outcomes.

Real-World Outcomes of Glucose Sensor Use in Type 1 Diabetes—Findings from a Large UK Centre

Flash glucose monitoring (FGM) and real-time continuous glucose monitoring (RT-CGM) are increasingly used in clinical practice, with improvements in HbA1c and time in range (TIR) reported in clinical studies. We aimed to evaluate the impact of FGM and RT-CGM use on glycaemic outcomes in adults with type 1 diabetes (T1DM) under routine clinical care. We performed a retrospective data analysis from electronic outpatient records and proprietary web-based glucose monitoring platforms. We measured HbA1c (pre-sensor vs. on-sensor data) and sensor-based outcomes from the previous three months as per the international consensus on RT-CGM reporting guidelines. Amongst the 789 adults with T1DM, HbA1c level decreased from 61.0 (54.0, 71.0) mmol/mol to 57 (49, 65.8) mmol/mol in 561 people using FGM, and from 60.0 (50.0, 70.0) mmol/mol to 58.8 (50.3, 66.8) mmol/mol in 198 using RT-CGM (p < 0.001 for both). We found that 23% of FGM users and 32% of RT-CGM users achieved a time-in-range (TIR) (3.9 to 10 mmol/L) of >70%. For time-below-range (TBR) < 4 mmol/L, 70% of RT-CGM users and 58% of FGM users met international recommendations of <4%. Our data add to the growing body of evidence supporting the use of FGM and RT-CGM in T1DM.

Chronic Workload, Subjective Arm Health, and Throwing Injury in High School Baseball Players: 3-Year Retrospective Pilot Study

Background: Baseball workloads are monitored by pitch counts, appearances, innings per appearance, ball velocity, and distance, whereas current workload standards neglect throws made during nongame situations. The association between total workloads, subjective measures, and injury in baseball is poorly understood. The question remains whether baseball athletes are at higher risk of injury by throwing more often or if they generate injury resilience when appropriately transitioned into the higher demands of throwing. Hypothesis: Increased chronic load, along with subjective arm health measures, are related to decreased injury risk. Study Design: Clinical research. Level of evidence: Level 3. Methods: A total of 49 male baseball players (age 17.9 ± 0.4 years, height 181.8 ± 6.8 cm, body mass 80.6 ± 9.1 kg) competing at the varsity high school level were included in this 3-year retrospective data analysis from 2016 to 2019. Players wore the motusTHROW sleeve and sensor during all throwing activities. Results: A total of 898,492 throws and 9455 athletic exposures were captured with the motusTHROW sensors. There were 24 injuries recorded throughout the 3-year analysis, with 11 throwing-related and 13 non–throwing related injuries. Results of the 1-way analysis of variance found chronic load was significantly related to throwing-injury occurrence ( P < 0.01). Six of the throwing-related injuries occurred when athletes had a chronic load greater than 11.3, marking 75th percentile across all observations. There was a relationship between arm health and throwing arm–related injury occurrence ( P < 0.01). Higher chronic load was associated with increased throwing-related injuries even when adjusted for arm health ( P = 0.01). Specifically, injuries were more likely to occur in pitchers (either as a combination player or pitcher only) with a chronic load greater than 9.2. Conclusion: This study revealed a significant relationship between chronic load, subjective arm health, and throwing-related injury in varsity high school baseball players. Contrary to our hypothesis, increased chronic load was associated with increased injury risk. However, subjective arm health measures remain a relevant factor in assessing injury risk. Normative data for this population also provide key information around positional demands along with overall demands of the sport during the competitive season and off-season.

Efficacy of the Flow Re-direction Endoluminal Device for cerebral aneurysms and causes of failed deployment

Purpose The Flow Re-direction Endoluminal Device (FRED) has recently become available for flow diversion in Japan. We have encountered cases that failed to deploy the FRED. In this study, we report our initial experience with the FRED for cerebral aneurysms and clarify the causes of failed FRED deployment. Methods A retrospective data analysis was performed to identify patients treated with the FRED between June 2020 and March 2021. Follow-up digital subtraction angiography was performed at 3 and 6 months and assessed using the O’Kelly-Marotta (OKM) grading scale. Results Thirty-nine aneurysms in 36 patients (average age: 54.4 years) were treated with the FRED. The average sizes of the dome and neck were 9.9 mm and 5.2 mm, respectively. In nine patients, additional coiling was performed. In one patient (2.6%), proximal vessel injury caused direct carotid-cavernous fistula during deployment. Ischaemic complications were encountered in one patient (2.6%) with transient symptoms. Angiographic follow-up at 6 months revealed OKM grade C or D in 86.6% of patients. FRED deployment was successful in 35 (92.1%) procedures. In the failure group, the differences between the FRED and the minimum vessel diameter (P = 0.04) and the rate of the parent vessel having an S-shaped curve (P = 0.04) were greater than those in the success group. Conclusions Flow diversion using the FRED is effective and safe for treating cerebral aneurysms. The use of the FRED for patients with an S-shaped curve in the parent vessel and oversizing of more than 2 mm should be considered carefully.