Articles

Neck exploration for primary HPT is the standard operation in which 4 parathyroid glands are identified and one abnormal parathyroid gland is removed. This is recommended for all patients with primary HPT. We hypothesized that most patients with primary HPT have a single abnormal parathyroid gland (adenoma) and parathyroid imaging studies will identify it and support a focused minimally invasive parathyroidectomy (MIP). This can be combined with ioPTH monitoring making bilateral exploration unnecessary. This paper reports a 93.4% success rate in 249 consecutive prospective patients with primary HPT over a 15-year period with a short operating time and few complications. The findings suggest that this alternate surgical MIP approach should be the procedure of choice for HPT patients.

The appropriateness of opioid therapy for patients with Chronic Non-Malignant Pain (CNCP) has been questioned by a variety of researchers and policy makers [1-3]. One comprehensive review concluded that the benefits of such therapy for pain relief and functional improvement are modest at best and that opioid therapy is associated with significant harms including various symptoms (e.g., headache, nausea, sedation), development of opioid use disorder, fractures and death from overdose [3].

Background: It is unknown what effect the menstrual cycle can have on the susceptibility to trauma following sexual assault. Objectives: To compare the incidence of genital injuries following sexual assault in women with relationship to the three phases of the menstrual cycleMethods: The design was a retrospective, cohort analysis set in a community-based nurse examiner program over a five-year study period. Sexual assault victims were between the ages of 13 - 40 years and agreed to a forensic examination. The menstrual cycle was divided into three phases: follicular, luteal and menses phase. The primary outcomes were the frequency and type of genital injuries documented in relation to the different phases of the menstrual cycle.Results: Case files of 1376 cases of sexual assault were reviewed; 682 (49.6%) met the inclusion criteria. A total of 220 victims (32.3%) were in the follicular phase, 361 (52.9%) were in the luteal phase and 101 (14.8%) were in the menses phase. The three groups were comparable in terms of demographics, assault characteristics, and overall frequency of non-genital injuries. Assault victims in the follicular phase of the menstrual cycle had significantly more documented genital injuries (72.3%; 95% CI 66.4 - 78.2) compared to the luteal phase (64.0%; 95% CI 59.0 - 68.9) and the menses phase (58.4%; 95% CI 48.8 - 68.0). Conclusion: Forensic examiners documented more genital injuries in the follicular phase of the menstrual cycle. Sex hormones may have confounding effects through influences on vaginal epithelial and mucosal integrity.

Cancer prognosis reflects a complex biological process measured by multiple types of omics data. Deep learning frameworks have been proposed to integrate multi-omics data and predict patient outcomes in different cancer types, potentially revolutionizing cancer prognosis with superior performance. This minireview summarizes the advances in the strategies for multi-omics data integration and the performance of different deep learning models in prognosis prediction of diverse cancer types using multi-omics data published in the past 18 months. The challenges and limitations of deep learning models for predicting cancer outcomes based on multi-omics data are discussed.

Oxidative stress has been implicated in Alzheimer’s and many other diseases and more recently, it has been linked to various COVID-19-related symptoms. Many diseases do not develop immediately as a result of the accumulated causes or injury, but rather, as a result of prolonged exposure to elevated oxidative stress, which disrupts the body’s natural homeostatic functions.

In addition to conventional cyclones, direct-flow cyclones are often used in industry to separate dust and gas systems, despite the fact that in some cases they are inferior to other types of cyclones in their characteristics. 

Introduction: This paper presents the first application of forensic entomology in a murder investigation in Nigeria involving the remains of a 54-years victim, on January 9th, 2019 in a shaded wooded area in advanced decomposition, with no clear indication of the time of death. Objectives: To estimate the minimum post-mortem interval of a 54-year-old corpse recovered in the advanced decomposition stage using the blowfly Chrysomya megacephala and the Advance-Degree-day (ADD) method.Results: An autopsy report revealed multiple wounds to the forehead including a bullet hole. Dead embalmed dead maggots recovered from the body were identified as C. megacephala, and an accumulated degree-day model was used to estimate the minimum post-mortem interval. The findings revealed that the recovered larvae were still within the third-instar stage and had accumulated thermal energy between 58 hours (= 1.6 days, equivalent to 38.7 ADD) and 102 hours (= 2.8 days, equivalent to 68.0 ADD), suggesting that the body may have been exposed to insect activity between January 1st and 9th January 2019 after expanding the range to cater for some uncertainties. Conclusion: In this Nigerian murder case, forensic entomology used the calliphorid species C. megacephala to estimate the minPMI to be between 2 and 9 days before the body was discovered, which translates to 1st - 9th January 2019 after consideration of some uncertainties and limitations. This confirmed the crucial role that insects play in providing valuable evidence to complement forensic pathological findings in homicides when conventional methods failed. Notwithstanding difficulties with employing insect evidence in forensic investigations in Nigeria, the application of this modern forensic technique has the potential to aid in the resolution of many unsolved murder cases and expedite the delivery of justice. The ability of law enforcement agencies in Nigeria to use the potential of insects in criminal investigations can be improved through collaborations and training with professionals from diverse professions.

Infections are common complications among patients on chronic hemodialysis. Hemodialysis patients with a catheter have a 2- to 3-fold increased risk of hospitalization for infection and death compared with patients with an arteriovenous fistula or graft [1]. 

Tanzania is allocated in the Eastern part of Africa and it is one among the seven countries that form East African Community (EAC). According to the recent 2022 National Census, Tanzania has a population of 61,741,120 of which 30,053,130 are men and 31,687,990 are women. Currently, the country is implementing Development Vision 2025 which identifies enabling environment essential for the nation to flourish economically, politically and socially. 

The theoretical concept of photonic quantum nonlocality cannot be implemented physically because of the quantum Rayleigh scattering of single photons. Physical scrutiny of landmark experiments (December 2015, M. Giustina, et al. Phys. Rev. Lett. 115, 250401, and L. K. Shalm, et al., Phys. Rev. Lett. 115, 250402) is undertaken. These articles reported that measured outcomes were fitted with quantum states possessing a dominant component of non-entangled photons, thereby contradicting their own claim of quantum nonlocality. With probabilities of photon detections lower than 0.1%, the alleged quantum nonlocality cannot be classified as a resource for developing quantum computing devices, despite recent publicity. Experimental evidence of a feasible process for quantum-strong correlations has been identified (M. Iannuzzi, et al., Phys. Lett. A, 384 (9), 126200, 2020) in terms of correlations between independent and multi-photon states evaluated as Stokes vectors on the Poincaré sphere. As single-photon sources are not needed, the design and implementation of quantum computing operations and other devices will be significantly streamlined.