Background: and Purpose In patients with ischemic stroke and isolated cervical internal carotid artery occlusion (c-ICA-O), endovascular therapy (EVT) can improve cerebral perfusion. To maintain vessel patency, EVT is frequently combined with carotid artery stenting (CAS). We assessed the efficacy and safety of emergent CAS during EVT for isolated c-ICA-O. Methods: This retrospective multinational cohort study (42 centers) included consecutive patients who underwent EVT for isolated c-ICA-O within 24 hours from the time last seen well. Patients who underwent emergent CAS were compared with those who did not. Co-primary outcomes were c-ICA vessel patency and symptomatic intracerebral hemorrhage (sICH) 24 hours post-EVT. Secondary outcomes included any intracerebral hemorrhage (ICH) at 24 hours and disability at 3 months (modified Rankin Scale [mRS] shift). Outcomes were adjusted using inverse probability of treatment weighting. Results: Of 317 patients (mean age, 68.6 years [standard deviation, 12.9]; median National Institutes of Health Stroke Scale 11 [interquartile range, 6–17]; 26.8% female), 219 (69.1%) underwent CAS, whereas 98 (30.9%) did not. At 24 hours, vessel patency was more common after CAS (83.5% vs. 40.7%; adjusted odds ratio [aOR], 9.45; 95% confidence interval [CI], 4.91–18.17); sICH rates did not differ (2.3% vs. 3.1%; aOR, 0.92; 95% CI, 0.18–4.73). Any ICH was more common after CAS (19.3% vs. 9.3%; aOR, 2.50; 95% CI, 1.12–5.60). CAS was not associated with mRS at 3 months (adjusted common odds ratio, 0.98; 95% CI, 0.62–1.56). Conclusions In patients undergoing EVT for isolated c-ICA-O, emergent CAS was technically effective and reasonably safe. More frequent vessel patency in patients who underwent CAS did not translate into improved functional outcome at 3 months.

Background: s/Aims: After pancreatoduodenectomy (PD), an early oral diet is recommended; however, the postoperative nutritional management of PD patients is known to be highly variable, with some centers still routinely providing parenteral nutrition (PN). Some patients who receive PN experience clinically significant complications, underscoring its judicious use. Using a large cohort, this study aimed to determine the proportion of PD patients who received postoperative nutritional support (NS), describe the nature of this support, and investigate whether receiving PN correlated with adverse perioperative outcomes. Methods: Data were extracted from the Recurrence After Whipple’s study, a retrospective multicenter study of PD outcomes. Results: In total, 1,323 patients (89%) had data on their postoperative NS status available. Of these, 45% received postoperative NS, which was “enteral only,” “parenteral only,” and “enteral and parenteral” in 44%, 35%, and 21% of cases, respectively. Body mass index < 18.5 kg/m2 (p = 0.03), absence of preoperative biliary stenting (p = 0.009), and serum albumin < 36 g/L (p = 0.009) all correlated with receiving postoperative NS. Among those who did not develop a serious postoperative complication, i.e., those who had a relatively uneventful recovery, 20% received PN. Conclusions A considerable number of patients who had an uneventful recovery received PN. PN is not without risk, and should be reserved for those who are unable to take an oral diet. PD patients should undergo pre- and postoperative assessment by nutrition professionals to ensure they are managed appropriately, and to optimize perioperative outcomes.

BACKGROUND: The discourse over the relative importance of emotional intelligence (EQ) and cognitive intelligence (IQ) in predicting life success has been a contentious debate over the past few decades. OBJECTIVES: This study examines the interplay between IQ and EQ among gifted Filipino medical students in the University of the Philippines' Integrated Liberal Arts and Medicine (INTARMED) program, who are faced with the dual pressures of being intellectually gifted and coping with the demands of medical education at a young age. METHODOLOGY: Using a sequential explanatory mixed-methods design, 76 participants were administered with standardized tests to measure their EQ and IQ levels. This was followed by in-depth interviews to explore their self-perceptions of intellectual giftedness and emotional competence. RESULTS: Results show that participants have high intellectual ability but with an average level of emotional intelligence, suggesting that while these students excel academically, their emotional competencies might not be as developed. Notably, a weak but significant correlation between IQ and EQ scores was identified, indicating that higher cognitive abilities may be associated with slightly elevated emotional skills. Qualitative findings highlighted the internal conflict between self-perception and societal stereotypes of giftedness, alongside challenges in social interaction and low stress tolerance amidst high adaptability. CONCLUSION Findings of this study emphasize the crucial role of emotional intelligence in coping with stress and social expectations, particularly in high-pressure academic environments like medical school. This study contributes to the ongoing discourse on IQ vs. EQ debate by providing empirical evidence on the complex relationship between cognitive and emotional intelligence. It underscores the need for a more nuanced understanding of success, beyond traditional academic achievements, advocating for the integration of emotional competence training within the medical curriculum to better prepare students for the challenges ahead in their medical profession.
Human ; Emotional Intelligence

BACKGROUND: Thyroid dysfunction is associated with negative neonatal and obstetric outcomes. Large differences in thyroid function reference intervals exist across different populations. These differences can be explained by population-specific factors, such as iodine status. Many countries in Latin America report iodine sufficiency, but relatively few countries have published up-to-date data on iodine levels and thyroid function in the overall population, and especially in pregnant women. We evaluated the iodine status of pregnant women in Chile and determined thyroid hormone reference ranges in this population. METHODS: This was a prospective observational study of healthy Chilean women at their first prenatal visit before week 14. Thyroid-stimulating hormone (TSH), total thyroxine (T4), free T4, antithyroid peroxidase antibody (TPOAb), and iodine levels from spot urine samples were measured. Iodine status and the reference ranges for TSH were calculated. RESULTS: A total of 1,022 pregnant women in the first trimester were selected. Urinary iodine levels were measured in 302 randomly-selected women. The median urinary iodine concentration was 173.45 µg/L (interquartile range, 108.11 to 249.35).The reference ranges of TSH were calculated in 670 patients selected according to the National Academy of Clinical Biochemistry guidelines. The median TSH level was 1.88 µIU/mL (2.5th percentile: 0.13 to 97.5th percentile: 5.37). Using the reference range in the 1,022 women, the prevalence of clinical hypothyroidism was 1.76%, and that of subclinical hypothyroidism was 3.92%. TPOAb positivity was more common in women with TSH levels above 3.5 µIU/mL. CONCLUSION: We found adequate iodine intake and a right-shifted distribution of serum TSH levels in pregnant women in Chile. The prevalence of hypothyroidism in our sample of pregnant women was higher than has been described in the literature.
Biochemistry ; Chile ; Female ; Humans ; Hypothyroidism ; Iodine ; Latin America ; Observational Study ; Peroxidase ; Pregnancy ; Pregnancy Trimester, First* ; Pregnancy* ; Pregnant Women ; Prevalence ; Prospective Studies ; Reference Values* ; Thyroid Gland ; Thyrotropin* ; Thyroxine

BACKGROUND: The decidua has been implicated in the “terminal pathway” of human term parturition, which is characterized by the activation of pro-inflammatory pathways in gestational tissues. However, the transcriptomic changes in the decidua leading to terminal pathway activation have not been systematically explored. This study aimed to compare the decidual expression of developmental signaling and inflammation-related genes before and after spontaneous term labor in order to reveal their involvement in this process. METHODS: Chorioamniotic membranes were obtained from normal pregnant women who delivered at term with spontaneous labor (TIL, n = 14) or without labor (TNL, n = 15). Decidual cells were isolated from snap-frozen chorioamniotic membranes with laser microdissection. The expression of 46 genes involved in decidual development, sex steroid and prostaglandin signaling, as well as pro- and anti-inflammatory pathways, was analyzed using high-throughput quantitative real-time polymerase chain reaction (qRT-PCR). Chorioamniotic membrane sections were immunostained and then semi-quantified for five proteins, and immunoassays for three chemokines were performed on maternal plasma samples. RESULTS: The genes with the highest expression in the decidua at term gestation included insulin-like growth factor-binding protein 1 (IGFBP1), galectin-1 (LGALS1), and progestogen-associated endometrial protein (PAEP); the expression of estrogen receptor 1 (ESR1), homeobox A11 (HOXA11), interleukin 1β (IL1B), IL8, progesterone receptor membrane component 2 (PGRMC2), and prostaglandin E synthase (PTGES) was higher in TIL than in TNL cases; the expression of chemokine C-C motif ligand 2 (CCL2), CCL5, LGALS1, LGALS3, and PAEP was lower in TIL than in TNL cases; immunostaining confirmed qRT-PCR data for IL-8, CCL2, galectin-1, galectin-3, and PAEP; and no correlations between the decidual gene expression and the maternal plasma protein concentrations of CCL2, CCL5, and IL-8 were found. CONCLUSIONS: Our data suggests that with the initiation of parturition, the decidual expression of anti-inflammatory mediators decreases, while the expression of pro-inflammatory mediators and steroid receptors increases. This shift may affect downstream signaling pathways that can lead to parturition.
Chemokines ; Cytokines ; Decidua ; Estrogen Receptor alpha ; Estrogens ; Female ; Galectin 1 ; Galectin 3 ; Galectins ; Gene Expression* ; Genes, Homeobox ; Humans ; Immunoassay ; Interleukin-8 ; Interleukins ; Leukocytes ; Membranes ; Microdissection ; Parturition* ; Plasma ; Pregnancy ; Pregnant Women ; Progesterone ; Real-Time Polymerase Chain Reaction ; Receptors, Progesterone ; Receptors, Steroid ; Sexual Development ; Transcriptome*