Image-guided Retrieval of Foreign Body in the Abdomen - A Case Report

The presence of retained surgical blade as a foreign body is uncommon and poses significant patient safety challenge issues. Most common etiologies for the presence of such foreign bodies are accidental, traumatic, or iatrogenic. Here, we report a successful management of the case with a rare foreign body in the abdomen, that is, surgical blade accidentally left during pigtail procedure of the liver abscess. Most of the iatrogenic injuries are preventable. In our case, a misfit of a blade in the handle might have been responsible for the complication. The use of radiological guidance for localization and removal of the foreign bodies embedded in the soft tissues is well established. With imaging guidance retrieval of a foreign body in the abdomen, laparotomy was prevented and facilitated early recovery

Integrative Genomics Identifies the Molecular Basis of Resistance to Azacitidine Therapy in Myelodysplastic Syndromes

Myelodysplastic syndromes and chronic myelomonocytic leukemia are blood disorders characterized by ineffective hematopoiesis and progressive marrow failure that can transform into acute leukemia. The DNA methyltransferase inhibitor 5-azacytidine (AZA) is the most effective pharmacological option, but only ∼50% of patients respond. A response only manifests after many months of treatment and is transient. The reasons underlying AZA resistance are unknown, and few alternatives exist for non-responders. Here, we show that AZA responders have more hematopoietic progenitor cells (HPCs) in the cell cycle. Non-responder HPC quiescence is mediated by integrin α5 (ITGA5) signaling and their hematopoietic potential improved by combining AZA with an ITGA5 inhibitor. AZA response is associated with the induction of an inflammatory response in HPCs in vivo. By molecular bar coding and tracking individual clones, we found that, although AZA alters the sub-clonal contribution to different lineages, founder clones are not eliminated and continue to drive hematopoiesis even in complete responders.The authors acknowledge funding from the National Health and Medical Research Council (NHMRC), Leukaemia Foundation, Anthony Rothe Foundation, Cancer Institute for New South Wales, South Eastern Area Laboratory Services (SEALS), Wellcome Trust, Leukemia and Lymphoma Society, Medical Research Council (UK), Swedish Cancer Society, Cancer Society in Stockholm, Swedish Research Council, Bloodwise UK, and the NIHR Biomedical Research Centre, Oxford

Post Thawing Survival Rate Of Human Embryos In Slow Freezing Versus Vitrification: A Narrative Review

The study compared the outcomes of slow-freeze and vitrification methods for oocyte cryopreservation, analyzing five randomized controlled trials, two cohort studies, and eight systematic reviews and meta-analyses.Slow-freezeis performed at room temperature using a buffered medium supplemented with gentamicin and human serum albumin. It contains 1.5 M 1,2-propanediol and 0.1 M sucrose. On the other hand, vitrification has been the preferred method since 2007. During vitrification, embryos are initially incubated in a solution consisting of 7.5% ethylene glycol and 7.5% dimethyl sulfide, both in Ham's F-10 media. This solution is further supplemented with 20% Albuminal-5. After the initial recovery, the oocytes are aspirated and immersed in a vitrification solution composed of Ham's F-10 medium for a duration of 50 to 60 seconds. The cooling is done via liquid nitrogen, and embryos are stored for months. The survival rate of embryos is the percentage of those that survive after being warmed up. Live birth rates are calculated as the percentage of live births per transferred embryo and warmed embryo. Embryos are selected by biopsy at the zygote or blastocyst stage using non-invasive methods to optimize the success rates of in vitro fertilization. Vitrification has a greater success rate, better survival rates, and transferable embryos, it is chosen for oocyte cryopreservation. Better clinical pregnancy rates and implantation capacity have also been linked to it, notably for blastocysts from In Vitro Maturation programs. To assess effects on neonatal outcomes and congenital abnormalities, additional study is necessary

Integrative Genomics Identifies the Molecular Basis of Resistance to Azacitidine Therapy in Myelodysplastic Syndromes

Myelodysplastic syndromes and chronic myelomonocytic leukemia are blood disorders characterized by ineffective hematopoiesis and progressive marrow failure that can transform into acute leukemia. The DNA methyltransferase inhibitor 5-azacytidine (AZA) is the most effective pharmacological option, but only ∼50% of patients respond. A response only manifests after many months of treatment and is transient. The reasons underlying AZA resistance are unknown, and few alternatives exist for non-responders. Here, we show that AZA responders have more hematopoietic progenitor cells (HPCs) in the cell cycle. Non-responder HPC quiescence is mediated by integrin α5 (ITGA5) signaling and their hematopoietic potential improved by combining AZA with an ITGA5 inhibitor. AZA response is associated with the induction of an inflammatory response in HPCs in vivo. By molecular bar coding and tracking individual clones, we found that, although AZA alters the sub-clonal contribution to different lineages, founder clones are not eliminated and continue to drive hematopoiesis even in complete responders