Application of Machine Learning Techniques to Assess Alpha-Fetoprotein at Diagnosis of Hepatocellular Carcinoma.

Hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) is the most common primary liver tumor and is associated with high mortality rates. Approximately 80% of cases occur in cirrhotic livers, posing a significant challenge for appropriate therapeutic management. Adequate screening programs in high-risk groups are essential for early-stage detection. The extent of extrahepatic tumor spread and hepatic functional reserve are recognized as two of the most influential prognostic factors. In this retrospective multicenter study, we utilized machine learning (ML) methods to analyze predictors of mortality at the time of diagnosis in a total of 208 patients. The eXtreme gradient boosting (XGB) method achieved the highest values in identifying key prognostic factors for HCC at diagnosis. The etiology of HCC was found to be the variable most strongly associated with a poorer prognosis. The widely used Barcelona Clinic Liver Cancer (BCLC) classification in our setting demonstrated superiority over the TNM classification. Although alpha-fetoprotein (AFP) remains the most commonly used biological marker, elevated levels did not correlate with reduced survival. Our findings suggest the need to explore new prognostic biomarkers for individualized management of these patients.

Spontaneous intramural small-bowel hematoma: a cause of acute abdomen in anticoagulated patients.

Spontaneous intramural small-bowel hematoma (SISBH) is an uncommon cause of acute abdominal pain in anticoagulated patients.

A rare complication of jejunal extension of a percutaneous endoscopic gastrostomy tube for levodopa-carbidopa intestinal gel administration.

Direct intestinal administration of levodopa-carbidopa gel has shown good results in selected patients with Parkinson's disease (1, 2). We want to present a complication related to the device necessary for the administration of this drug. A 58-year-old man, diagnosed with Parkinson's disease, treated for six months with levodopa-carbidopa intestinal gel, administered through a percutaneous endoscopic gastrostomy (PEG) tube with jejunal extension, presented at the emergency department for abdominal pain. The patient complained abdominal discomfort that lasted two months. It was described as pain around the umbilical area that radiated to the left lumbar region, worsened after ingestion, and did not subside with conventional analgesia.

Brunneroma: an infrequent duodenal neoplasm.

An 83-year-old male presented to the Emergency Department with long lasting epigastric discomfort, weight loss and diarrhea. Physical exam and basic laboratory tests showed no remarkable findings. Upper endoscopy revealed a sessile lesion (Paris 0-IIa) in the anterior wall of the duodenal bulb, with smooth surface and slightly ulcerated at the top.

Five-year outcomes after intravitreal bevacizumab of treatment-naive eyes with macular edema secondary to CRVO in routine clinical practice: Results of the Pan-American Collaborative Retina Study (PACORES) group.

PURPOSE: The purpose of this study was to report the 5-year outcomes of treatment-naive eyes with cystoid macular edema secondary to central retinal vein occlusion treated with intravitreal bevacizumab in routine clinical practice. METHODS: We conducted multicenter retrospective non-comparative case series of 102 eyes. The main outcome measured was the change in best-corrected visual acuity (BCVA) at 5 years. Secondary outcomes included the number of injections and the change in CMT at 5 years. RESULTS: At 5 years, the mean BCVA improved from 1.22 ± 0.58 (Snellen 20/428) at baseline to 1.00 ± 0.68 logMAR (Snellen 20/200; p < 0.0001). At 5 years, 48 (47%) eyes had a gain of ≥ 3 lines, 41 (40.2%) eyes remained within 3 lines and 13 (12.7%) eyes had a loss of ≥ 3 lines of BCVA. The CMT improved from 740 ± 243 to 322 ± 179 µm (p < 0.0001). At 5 years, 59 (57.8%) eyes had a completely dry SD-OCT. Patients received a total of 10.6 ± 6.1 (range 6-27) injections. Baseline BCVA (p < 0.0001) and the duration of symptoms prior to initial anti-VEGF injection (p = 0.0274) were the only predictive factors for BCVA at 5 years. CONCLUSIONS: After 5 years with an average of 10.6 injections, there was a mean gain of 0.22 logMAR. In addition, more eyes achieved a BCVA of ≥ 20/40, gained ≥ 3 lines and less patients had a BCVA ≤ 20/200. Eyes with a better baseline BCVA and a shorter duration of symptoms were more likely to achieve better BCVA at 5 years.

Autologous Retinal Transplantation for Primary and Refractory Macular Holes and Macular Hole Retinal Detachments: The Global Consortium.

PURPOSE: To report the anatomic and functional outcomes of autologous retinal transplantation (ART). DESIGN: Multicenter, retrospective, interventional, consecutive case series. PARTICIPANTS: One hundred thirty eyes of 130 patients undergoing ART for the repair of primary and refractory macular holes (MHs), as well as combined MH-rhegmatogenous retinal detachment (MH-RRD), between January 2017 and December 2019. METHODS: All patients underwent pars plana vitrectomy and ART, with surgeon modification of intraoperative variables. A large array of preoperative, intraoperative, and postoperative data was collected. Two masked reviewers graded OCT images. Multivariate statistical analysis and subgroup analysis were performed. MAIN OUTCOME MEASURES: Macular hole closure rate, visual acuity (VA), external limiting membrane and ellipsoid zone (EZ) band integrity, and alignment of neurosensory layers (ANL) on OCT. RESULTS: One hundred thirty ART surgeries were performed by 33 vitreoretinal surgeons worldwide. Patient demographics were: mean age of 63 ± 6.3 years, 58% female, 41% White, 23% Black, 19% Asian, and 17% Latino. Preoperative VA was 1.37 ± 0.12 logarithm of the minimum angle of resolution (logMAR; Snellen equivalent, approximately 20/500), which improved significantly to 1.05 ± 0.09 logMAR (Snellen equivalent, approximately 20/225; P < 0.001) after surgery (mean follow-up, 8.6 ± 0.8 months). Autologous retinal transplantation was performed for primary MH repair in 27% of patients (n = 35), for refractory MH in 58% of patients (n = 76; mean number of previous surgeries, 1.6 ± 0.2), and for MH-RRD in 15% of patients (n = 19). Mean maximum MH diameter was 1470 ± 160 µm, mean minimum diameter was 840 ± 94 µm, and mean axial length was 24.6 ± 3.2 mm. Overall, 89% of MHs closed (78.5% complete; 10% small eccentric defect), with a 95% closure rate in MH-RRD (68.4% complete; 26.3% small eccentric defect). Visual acuity improved by at least 3 lines in 43% of eyes and by at least 5 lines in 29% of eyes. Reconstitution of the EZ (P = 0.02) and ANL (P = 0.01) on OCT were associated with better final VA. Five cases of ART graft dislocation (3.8%), 5 cases of postoperative retinal detachment (3.8%), and 1 case of endophthalmitis (0.77%) occurred. CONCLUSIONS: In this global experience, patients undergoing ART for large primary and refractory MHs and MH-RRDs achieved good anatomic and functional outcomes, with low complication rates despite complex surgical pathologic features.

Soluble urokinase plasminogen activator receptor as a long-term prognostic biomarker in acute coronary syndromes.

Purpose: The aim of our study was to analyse the long-term prognostic value of soluble urokinase plasminogen activator receptor (suPAR) in the setting of an acute coronary syndrome (ACS).Methods: We included 340 patients with an ACS who underwent coronary angiography and plasma suPAR concentration was measured. Patients were classified into low suPAR concentrations (<2.6 ng/mL) and high suPAR concentrations (≥2.6 ng/mL) and long-term events were evaluated. suPAR prognostic value was assessed beyond a clinical model that included age, GRACE score, estimated glomerular filtration rate, cardiac troponin-I peak and left ventricular ejection fraction <40%.Results: Higher suPAR concentrations were associated with an increased prevalence of cardiovascular risk factors. After multivariate adjustment, suPAR ≥2.6 ng/mL were independently associated with an increased risk of all-cause death (HR 2.3; 95%CI 1.2-4.4; p = .017), major adverse cardiovascular events (MACE) (HR 1.7; 95%CI 1.1-2.5; p = .020) and heart failure (HR 4.1; 95%CI 1.3-12.6; p = .015), but not with myocardial infarction. For long-term all-cause death significant improvement of reclassification and discrimination were seen after addition of suPAR to a clinical model.Conclusions: In the setting of an ACS, suPAR is associated with long-term all-cause death, heart failure and MACE, and provides incremental prognostic value beyond traditional risks factors.

[Impact on the quality of life of adolescents with diabetes mellitus type 1]. / Impacto en la calidad de vida de los adolescentes con diabetes mellitus tipo 1.

INTRODUCTION: Type 1 diabetes mellitus (DM1) is a chronic disease. OBJECTIVE: To identify scientific evidence on the impact of DM1 on the quality of life of adolescents with this disease. METHOD: Sys tematic review in the bibliographic databases MEDLINE, LILACS, CINAHL, and ScIELO, using the following descriptors: "Adolescent *", "Teen *", "Diabetes Mellitus, Type1", "Diabetes, type 1", "Type 1 diabetes", "Quality of life", "Health related quality of life", "Life quality", "Health impact assessment", "Health impact", "Impact assessment, health", "Diabetes Impact Measurement Scales", "PedsQL", "Glycated Hemoglobin A1c", "Glycosylated Hemoglobin A1c", and "HbA1c". Out of 679 articles identified, 25 were included in the analysis. Some studies were national and international multicenter. The most widely used instruments related to quality of life measurements were the Pediatric Quality of Life Questionnaire (PedsQL) in its generic version and the diabetes module. RESULTS: The quality of life assessed by the adolescent with DM1 using Quality of Life Scales is significantly and inversely associated with HbA1c values. This association includes a significant correlation between the total generic quality of life scores and HbA1c but does not have the same impact on specific sco res. CONCLUSIONS: Metabolic control appears to be the cornerstone that influences the impact on the bidirectional relationship between DM1 and quality of life, however, there is no absolute consensus on the types of factors and degrees that would influence metabolic control.

Enhanced biosorption of Cr(VI) using cotton fibers coated with chitosan - role of ester bonds.

We report on the role of ester bonds in the enhanced removal of hexavalent chromium from water using cotton fibers coated with chitosan. Adsorption capacities up to five times higher than those of the unmodified fibers were observed when the cotton fibers were exposed to an NaOH, followed by citric acid (0.97 M), and a chitosan solution (2%). We found that the use of NaOH favors the formation of ester bonds over amide bonds on the surface of the cotton fibers. This increase in the surface density of ester bonds generates an increase in the amount of exposed amino groups from the chitosan, hence increasing the removal capacity of the modified fibers. Experimental results also reveal that the adsorption is induced by the electrostatic attraction between the protonated amino groups on the surface and the negatively charged chromium ions in the water. Adsorption isotherms and kinetic studies indicated that the adsorption process fits the Langmuir and the Freundlich isotherm models as well as the pseudo-first and pseudo-second order kinetic models. These results can open a new avenue for the manufacturing of fibers with enhanced removal capacities for hexavalent chromium.

Evaluation of the Relationship Between Pharmacokinetics and the Safety of Aripiprazole and Its Cardiovascular Effects in Healthy Volunteers.

AIMS: The aim of this study was the evaluation of the possible relationship between pharmacokinetics and the safety of aripiprazole as well as its influence on blood pressure (BP), heart rate (HR), and corrected QT (QTc) interval. METHODS: The study population comprised 157 healthy volunteers from 6 bioequivalence clinical trials. Subjects were administered a single 10-mg oral dose of each formulation separated by a 28-day washout period. Plasma concentrations were measured using high-performance liquid chromatography coupled to mass spectrometry. Blood pressure was measured at the following times: predose and 0.5, 2, 4, 6, and 8 hours postdose. An electrocardiogram was recorded at predose, 4, and 8 hours postdose. RESULTS: Area under the curve (AUC), maximum plasma concentration, half-life, and distribution volume corrected for weight were higher in women. Aripiprazole treatment produced a decrease of BP (9.3 mm Hg on systolic and 6.2 mm Hg on diastolic pressure) and an increase in HR (12.1 beats per minute) and QTc interval (9.1 milliseconds). There were sex differences in BP, HR, and QTc interval. Women and subjects with higher AUC and maximum plasma concentration values were more prone to experience adverse drug reactions and gastrointestinal adverse reactions. The AUC was related with systolic BP and diastolic BP decrease and HR increase but there was no relationship between aripiprazole concentrations and QTc increase. CONCLUSIONS: Aripiprazole decreases BP and increases HR and QTc interval. Pharmacokinetics, pharmacodynamics, and safety of aripiprazole are affected by sex. There is a directly proportional relationship between pharmacokinetic parameters and adverse drug reactions and effect on BP and HR.

INTRAVITREAL BEVACIZUMAB FOR CHOROIDAL NEOVASCULARIZATION IN AGE-RELATED MACULAR DEGENERATION: 5-Year Results of The Pan-American Collaborative Retina Study Group.

PURPOSE: To report the long-term anatomical and functional outcomes of patients with choroidal neovascularization secondary to age-related macular degeneration treated with intravitreal bevacizumab (IVB). METHODS: Retrospective case series. Patients diagnosed with subfoveal choroidal neovascularization secondary to age-related macular degeneration that were treated with at least 1 intravitreal injection of 1.25 mg of IVB and had a minimum follow-up of 60 months. Patients underwent best-corrected Snellen visual acuity testing, optical coherence tomography, and ophthalmoscopic examination at baseline and follow-up visits. RESULTS: Two hundred and forty-seven consecutive patients (292 eyes) were included. The mean number of IVB injections per eye was 10.9 ± 6.4. At 5 years, the BCVA decreased from 20/150 (logMAR 0.9 ± 0.6) at baseline to 20/250 (logMAR 1.1 ± 0.7) (P = <0.0001). The mean CMT decreased from 343.1+ 122.3 µm at baseline to 314.7 ± 128.8 µm at 60 months of follow-up (P = 0.009). Geographic atrophy (GA) was observed at baseline in 47 (16%) of 292 eyes. By 5 years, GA developed or progressed in 124 (42.5%) of 292 eyes (P < 0.0001). CONCLUSION: The early visual gains obtained from IVB were not maintained at 5 years of follow-up. In addition, IVB may play a role in the development or progression of GA.

Prognostic Factors for Mortality in Hepatocellular Carcinoma at Diagnosis: Development of a Predictive Model Using Artificial Intelligence.

BACKGROUND: Hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) accounts for 75% of primary liver tumors. Controlling risk factors associated with its development and implementing screenings in risk populations does not seem sufficient to improve the prognosis of these patients at diagnosis. The development of a predictive prognostic model for mortality at the diagnosis of HCC is proposed. METHODS: In this retrospective multicenter study, the analysis of data from 191 HCC patients was conducted using machine learning (ML) techniques to analyze the prognostic factors of mortality that are significant at the time of diagnosis. Clinical and analytical data of interest in patients with HCC were gathered. RESULTS: Meeting Milan criteria, Barcelona Clinic Liver Cancer (BCLC) classification and albumin levels were the variables with the greatest impact on the prognosis of HCC patients. The ML algorithm that achieved the best results was random forest (RF). CONCLUSIONS: The development of a predictive prognostic model at the diagnosis is a valuable tool for patients with HCC and for application in clinical practice. RF is useful and reliable in the analysis of prognostic factors in the diagnosis of HCC. The search for new prognostic factors is still necessary in patients with HCC.

Prognostic Impact of Metabolic Syndrome and Steatotic Liver Disease in Hepatocellular Carcinoma Using Machine Learning Techniques.

Metabolic dysfunction-associated steatotic liver disease (MASLD) currently represents the predominant cause of chronic liver disease and is closely linked to a significant increase in the risk of hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC), even in the absence of liver cirrhosis. In this retrospective multicenter study, machine learning (ML) methods were employed to investigate the relationship between metabolic profile and prognosis at diagnosis in a total of 219 HCC patients. The eXtreme Gradient Boosting (XGB) method demonstrated superiority in identifying mortality predictors in our patients. Etiology was the most determining prognostic factor followed by Barcelona Clinic Liver Cancer (BCLC) and Eastern Cooperative Oncology Group (ECOG) classifications. Variables related to the development of hepatic steatosis and metabolic syndrome, such as elevated levels of alkaline phosphatase (ALP), uric acid, obesity, alcohol consumption, and high blood pressure (HBP), had a significant impact on mortality prediction. This study underscores the importance of metabolic syndrome as a determining factor in the progression of HCC secondary to MASLD. The use of ML techniques provides an effective tool to improve risk stratification and individualized therapeutic management in these patients.

Machine Learning-Based Assessment of Survival and Risk Factors in Non-Alcoholic Fatty Liver Disease-Related Hepatocellular Carcinoma for Optimized Patient Management.

Non-alcoholic fatty liver disease (NAFLD) is the most common chronic liver disease worldwide, with an incidence that is exponentially increasing. Hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) is the most frequent primary tumor. There is an increasing relationship between these entities due to the potential risk of developing NAFLD-related HCC and the prevalence of NAFLD. There is limited evidence regarding prognostic factors at the diagnosis of HCC. This study compares the prognosis of HCC in patients with NAFLD against other etiologies. It also evaluates the prognostic factors at the diagnosis of these patients. For this purpose, a multicenter retrospective study was conducted involving a total of 191 patients. Out of the total, 29 presented NAFLD-related HCC. The extreme gradient boosting (XGB) method was employed to develop the reference predictive model. Patients with NAFLD-related HCC showed a worse prognosis compared to other potential etiologies of HCC. Among the variables with the worst prognosis, alcohol consumption in NAFLD patients had the greatest weight within the developed predictive model. In comparison with other studied methods, XGB obtained the highest values for the analyzed metrics. In conclusion, patients with NAFLD-related HCC and alcohol consumption, obesity, cirrhosis, and clinically significant portal hypertension (CSPH) exhibited a worse prognosis than other patients. XGB developed a highly efficient predictive model for the assessment of these patients.

Long-term survival after cardiac arrest in patients undergoing emergent coronary angiography.

AIM: To determine long-term survival of patients after cardiac arrest undergoing emergent coronary angiography and therapeutic hypothermia. METHODS: We analysed data from patients treated within the regional STEMI Network from January 2015 to December 2020. The primary endpoint was all-cause mortality at median follow-up. Secondary endpoints were periprocedural complications (arrhythmias, pulmonary edema, cardiogenic shock, mechanical complication, stent thrombosis, reinfarction, bleeding) and 6-month all-cause death. A landmark analysis was performed, studying two time periods; 0-6 months and beyond 6 months. RESULTS: From a total of 24,125 patients in the regional STEMI network, 494 patients who suffered from cardiac arrest were included and divided into two groups: treated with (n = 119) and without therapeutic hypothermia (n = 375). At median follow-up (16.0 [0.2-33.3] months), there was no difference in the adjusted mortality rate between groups (51.3 % with hypothermia vs 48.0 % without hypothermia; HRadj1.08 95%CI [0.77-1.53]; p = 0.659). There was a higher frequency of bleeding in the hypothermia group (6.7 % vs 1.1 %; ORadj 7.99 95%CI [2.05-31.2]; p = 0.002), without difference for the rest of periprocedural complications. At 6-month follow-up, adjusted all-cause mortality rate was similar between groups (46.2 % with hypothermia vs 44.5 % without hypothermia; HRadj1.02 95%CI [0.71-1.47]; p = 0.900). Also, no differences were observed in the adjusted mortality rate between 6 months and median follow-up (9.4 % with hypothermia vs 6.3 % without hypothermia; HRadj2.02 95%CI [0.69-5.92]; p = 0.200). CONCLUSIONS: In a large cohort of patients with cardiac arrest within a regional STEMI network, those treated with therapeutic hypothermia did not improve long-term survival compared to those without hypothermia.

Unraveling the Most Relevant Features for the Design of Iridium Mixed Oxides with High Activity and Durability for the Oxygen Evolution Reaction in Acidic Media.

Proton exchange membrane water electrolysis (PEMWE) is the technology of choice for the large-scale production of green hydrogen from renewable energy. Current PEMWEs utilize large amounts of critical raw materials such as iridium and platinum in the anode and cathode electrodes, respectively. In addition to its high cost, the use of Ir-based catalysts may represent a critical bottleneck for the large-scale production of PEM electrolyzers since iridium is a very expensive, scarce, and ill-distributed element. Replacing iridium from PEM anodes is a challenging matter since Ir-oxides are the only materials with sufficient stability under the highly oxidant environment of the anode reaction. One of the current strategies aiming to reduce Ir content is the design of advanced Ir-mixed oxides, in which the introduction of cations in different crystallographic sites can help to engineer the Ir active sites with certain characteristics, that is, environment, coordination, distances, oxidation state, etc. This strategy comes with its own problems, since most mixed oxides lack stability during the OER in acidic electrolyte, suffering severe structural reconstruction, which may lead to surfaces with catalytic activity and durability different from that of the original mixed oxide. Only after understanding such a reconstruction process would it be possible to design durable and stable Ir-based catalysts for the OER. In this Perspective, we highlight the most successful strategies to design Ir mixed oxides for the OER in acidic electrolyte and discuss the most promising lines of evolution in the field.

Fluoroscopy-free semirigid ureteroscopy for ureteral stone treatment: A prospective single-arm study of feasibility, efficacy, and safety.

Objectives: Patients with urolithiasis receive a significant amount of radiation during diagnosis, treatment, and follow-up of their pathology, with nearly 20% receiving more than the annual recommended, creating a growing concern regarding radiation exposure faced by patients and health personnel. The objectives of the study were to describe a standardized fluoroscopy-free (FF) semirigid (SR) ureteroscopy (URS) technique for ureteral stone treatment and to determine the feasibility, efficacy, and safety of this technique for the treatment of ureteral stones comparing it to a historical cohort of fluoroscopy-guided (FG) SR-URS. Materials and Methods: A prospective single-arm study of patients submitted to FF SR-URS was conducted. Visual and tactile cues were employed to avoid the use of ionizing radiation. The success (feasibility), stone-free (efficacy), and complication (safety) rates of each procedure were registered. The results were compared to a historical cohort of patients that underwent FG SR-URS at our center. Results: One hundred and five patients subjected to FF SR-URS were included in the study and compared to a historical cohort of 87 patients subjected to FG SR-URS. The main characteristics were comparable among groups. Ninety-seven patients (92.38%) were completed without any use of ionizing radiation. The stone-free rate was 92.45%, similar to the historical cohort. Only Clavien I and II complications were found without statistical difference between the study groups. The average dose of radiation exposure for the historical cohort was approximately 0.5 mSv. Conclusions: FF SR-URS is a feasible, efficacious, and safe technique for treating the ureteral stones for urologists with good practice of the traditional technique. Implementing this procedure allows a decrease in radiation exposure to both patients and health personnel.

J-chronic total occlusion score predictive capacity for percutaneous coronary intervention success of chronic total occlusion: Results from a European single center cohort with progressive experience over time.

BACKGROUND: Several scoring systems have been described to assess the level of difficulty and to predict the probability of success of percutaneous coronary intervention (PCI) of chronic total occlusion (CTO). The J-CTO score was initially developed to correlate CTO complexity with guidewire time crossing through the lesion within 30 min. Moreover, almost all scoring systems represent procedures performed by seasoned operators. Herein, this study sought to evaluate the predictive capacity of J-CTO for PCI success in a European single-center cohort with growing experience in the approach of CTO. METHODS: Five hundred twenty-six procedures were performed between 2007 and 2020 mainly by a single operator. The predictive power of J-CTO score was assessed by area under the receiver-operator characteristic curve (ROC) in the entire cohort and additionally in two separate periods. The goodnessof- fit of the model was evaluated by the Hosmer and Lemeshow statistic. RESULTS: Successful procedure in first-attempt PCI was 79.5% and the overall success including 47 repeated procedures was achieved in 85.8%. The retrograde approach was attempted in 14.4%. The score was inversely associated with procedural success with lower success rate in more difficult CTOs (p < 0.001). ROC curve for the entire cohort, and first block (case 1-200) and second block (case 201-526) was 0.696, 0.661 and 0.748, respectively. The model showed good calibration for the entire cohort (X2 = 1.7; p = 0.43). CONCLUSIONS: J-CTO score showed an acceptable predictive power for procedural success in this cohort although its discriminatory power is better as the level of experience is improved.

New scoring system for predicting percutaneous coronary intervention of chronic total occlusion success: Impact of operator's experience.

BACKGROUND: Several scoring systems have been developed in order to predict percutaneous coronary intervention (PCI) result of chronic total occlusion (CTO). The scores principally include anatomic and clinical variables. Operator experience is a decisive factor for achieving successful result. We sought to assess the real impact of operator growing experience on CTO-PCI success. METHODS: The angiographic and clinical variables of CTO-PCIs performed in our center between May 2007 and April 2021 were collected, and variables with potential association with procedural result were thoroughly reviewed. The influence of operator experience based on the number of previous CTO-PCIs was statistically assessed. A scoring system with combination of anatomic variables and operator experience was devised. RESULTS: A total of 540 PCIs in 457 patients were performed in our institution. The scoring model was developed from the derivation set (2/3 of the cohort). The final variables in logistic regression model were CTO length ≥ 20 mm, blunt stump, vessel tortuosity > 45o and operator experience < 100 PCIs. The model showed good performance in the derivation set (area under curve [AUC]: 0.768; confidence interval [CI]: 0706-0.830; p < 0.001) with no significant shrinkage in the validation set (AUC: 0.704; CI: 0.613-0.796; p < 0.001). CONCLUSIONS: This new score (E-CTO score) adequately predict the probability of CTO-PCI failure. The model includes a variable representing operator experience along with other anatomic variables.

Active and durable R2MnRuO7 pyrochlores with low Ru content for acidic oxygen evolution.

The production of green hydrogen in water electrolyzers is limited by the oxygen evolution reaction (OER). State-of-the-art electrocatalysts are based on Ir. Ru electrocatalysts are a suitable alternative provided their performance is improved. Here we show that low-Ru-content pyrochlores (R2MnRuO7, R = Y, Tb and Dy) display high activity and durability for the OER in acidic media. Y2MnRuO7 is the most stable catalyst, displaying 1.5 V at 10 mA cm-2 for 40 h, or 5000 cycles up to 1.7 V. Computational and experimental results show that the high performance is owed to Ru sites embedded in RuMnOx surface layers. A water electrolyser with Y2MnRuO7 (with only 0.2 mgRu cm-2) reaches 1 A cm-2 at 1.75 V, remaining stable at 200 mA cm-2 for more than 24 h. These results encourage further investigation on Ru catalysts in which a partial replacement of Ru by inexpensive cations can enhance the OER performance.