Radiographic Reference Intervals for Cardiac Size in Common Mynahs (Acridotheres tristis).

Cardiovascular diseases in the common mynah (Acridotheres tristis) often go undiagnosed due to limitations with the physical examination and common concurrent illnesses. The aim of this study was to establish accurate reference intervals for cardiac size based on radiographs for this species. All birds were considered healthy based on physical examination. High-quality ventrodorsal radiographic images were obtained from 34 healthy common mynah birds. The cardiac width (CW), thoracic width, distance between third and fourth ribs, synsacral width, coracoid width, and distance between clavicular bones were evaluated on the ventrodorsal radiographic images. Additionally, the ratio between the CW and these anatomical indices were measured. In order to evaluate the correlation between CW and the radiographic indices, a linear regression model was used. The mean ± SD for CW in the 34 birds was 16.1 ± 0.9 mm (95% confidence interval: 14.1-18 mm). Significant moderate correlation was found for CW with thoracic width (R2 = 0.37; P < 0.001), coracoid width (R2 = 0.25; P = 0.002), and the distance between the third and fourth ribs (R2 = 0.34; P < 0.001). The radiographic reference intervals calculated in this study can be used to evaluate cardiac size in the common mynah bird.

Influenza Vaccine and COVID-19 Pandemic: Could This Vaccine Help Limit the Potential Adverse Consequences of SARS-CoV-2?

The COVID-19 pandemic has prompted researchers to find treatments and vaccines to control SARS-CoV-2. There are some hypotheses about the benefit of respiratory virus vaccines, like MMR, for COVID-19 pneumonia severity, morbidity, and mortality. The influenza vaccine is one of the most frequently used respiratory virus vaccines covered by one of the Iranian insurance institutes. We have a symmetrical group of participants that have received this vaccine that could be compared with each other. We compared 3,379 persons aged 20 - 75 years for the effect of the influenza vaccine on COVID-19 mortality. We ultimately found that it does not affect mortality caused by COVID-19 pneumonia, but it can decrease the hospitalization cost in people over 65 years with a history of chronic disease.

Haematological malignancy and nosocomial transmission are associated with an increased risk of death from COVID-19: results of a multi-center UK cohort.

The COVID-19 pandemic has been a disruptive event for cancer patients, especially those with haematological malignancies (HM). They may experience a more severe clinical course due to impaired immune responses. This multi-center retrospective UK audit identified cancer patients who had SARS-CoV-2 infection between 1 March and 10 June 2020 and collected data pertaining to cancer history, COVID-19 presentation and outcomes. In total, 179 patients were identified with a median age of 72 (IQR 61, 81) and follow-up of 44 days (IQR 42, 45). Forty-one percent were female and the overall mortality was 37%. Twenty-nine percent had HM and of these, those treated with chemotherapy in the preceding 28 days to COVID-19 diagnosis had worse outcome compared with solid malignancy (SM): 62% versus 19% died [HR 8.33 (95% CI, 2.56-25), p < 0.001]. Definite or probable nosocomial SARS-CoV-2 transmission accounted for 16% of cases and was associated with increased risk of death (HR 2.47, 95% CI 1.43-4.29, p = 0.001). Patients with haematological malignancies and those who acquire nosocomial transmission are at increased risk of death. Therefore, there is an urgent need to reassess shielding advice, reinforce stringent infection control, and ensure regular patient and staff testing to prevent nosocomial transmission.

Safety, effectiveness and economic evaluation of intra-operative radiation therapy: a systematic review.

BACKGROUND: Intra-operative radiation therapy (IORT) is the transfer of a single large radiation dose to the tumor bed during surgery with the final goal of improving regional tumor control. This study aimed to investigate the safety, effectiveness and economic evaluation of intra-operative radiation therapy. METHODS: The scientific literature was searched in the main biomedical databases (Centre for Reviews and Dissemination, Cochrane Library and PubMed) up to March 2014. Two independent reviewers selected the papers based on pre-established inclusion criteria, with any disagreements being resolved by consensus. Data were then extracted and summarized in a structured form. RESULTS from studies were analyzed and discussed within a descriptive synthesis. RESULTS: Sixteen studies met the inclusion criteria. It seems that outcomes from using intraoperative radiation therapy can be considered in various kinds of cancers like breast, pancreatic and colorectal cancers. The application of this method may provide significant survival increase only for colorectal cancer, but this increase was not significant for other types of cancer. This technology had low complications; and it is relatively safe. Using intra-operative radiation therapy could potentially be accounted as a cost-effective strategy for controlling and managing breast cancer. CONCLUSION: According to the existing evidences, that are the highest medical evidences for using intra-operative radiation therapy, one can generally conclude that intra-operative radiation therapy is considered as a relatively safe and cost-effective method for managing early-stage breast cancer and it can significantly increase the survival of patients with colorectal cancer. Also, the results of this study have policy implications with respect to the reimbursement of this technology.