Objectives: To perform a systematic review on artificial intelligence (AI) performances to detect urinary stones. Methods: A PROSPERO-registered (CRD473152) systematic search of Scopus, Web of Science, Embase, and PubMed databases was performed to identify original research articles pertaining to AI stone detection or measurement, using search terms (\"automatic\" OR \"machine learning\" OR \"convolutional neural network\" OR \"artificial intelligence\" OR \"detection\" AND \"stone volume\"). Risk-of-bias (RoB) assessment was performed according to the Cochrane RoB tool, the Joanna Briggs Institute Checklist for nonrandomized studies, and the Checklist for Artificial Intelligence in Medical Imaging (CLAIM). Results: Twelve studies were selected for the final review, including three multicenter and nine single-center retrospective studies. Eleven studies completed at least 50% of the CLAIM checkpoints and only one presented a high RoB. All included studies aimed to detect kidney (5/12, 42%), ureter (2/12, 16%), or urinary (5/12, 42%) stones on noncontrast computed tomography (NCCT), but 42% intended to automate measurement. Stone distinction from vascular calcification interested two studies. All studies used AI machine learning network training and internal validation, but a single one provided an external validation. Trained networks achieved stone detection, with sensitivity, specificity, and accuracy rates ranging from 58.7% to 100%, 68.5% to 100%, and 63% to 99.95%, respectively. Detection Dice score ranged from 83% to 97%. A high correlation between manual and automated stone volume (r = 0.95) was noted. Differentiate distal ureteral stones and phleboliths seemed feasible. Conclusions: AI processes can achieve automated urinary stone detection from NCCT. Further studies should provide urinary stone detection coupled with phlebolith distinction and an external validation, and include anatomical abnormalities and urologic foreign bodies (ureteral stent and nephrostomy tubes) cases.

Oral squamous cell carcinoma (OSCC) is a complex disease with a high potential for lymph node metastasis and poor survival rates. Accurate nodal staging is crucial for prognostic assessment and treatment planning in OSCC. Recent research has suggested that nodal tumor volume (NTV) may be a more accurate indicator of nodal disease burden than traditional staging methods. However, the prognostic significance of NTV in OSCC remains unclear. This systematic review aims to evaluate the existing evidence on the relationship between NTV and prognosis in OSCC. A comprehensive search of electronic databases was conducted, and studies meeting inclusion criteria were critically appraised and synthesized. Our review identified 23 studies that investigated the prognostic significance of NTV in OSCC. The majority of studies reported that larger NTV was associated with poorer survival outcomes, although the strength of the association varied. The review also identified several areas for future research, including the standardization of NTV measurement and the integration of NTV into the broader landscape of OSCC management. In conclusion, our review suggests that NTV holds promise as a novel prognostic factor in OSCC, but more research is needed to fully elucidate its potential and inform clinical decision-making.

UNASSIGNED: The purpose of this systematic review is to assess the impact of shoulder surgeon volume of common shoulder procedures on hospital/surgeon efficiency, adverse events, and hospital costs.
UNASSIGNED: Four online databases (PubMed, Embase, MEDLINE, and CENTRAL) were searched for literature on the influence of surgeon volume on outcomes for shoulder surgery, from data inception to October 1, 2020. The Methodological Index for Non-Randomized Studies tool was used to assess study quality. Data are presented descriptively.
UNASSIGNED: Twelve studies encompassing 150,898 patients were included in this review. The distribution of surgery type was rotator cuff repair (53.7%; n = 81,066), shoulder arthroplasty (35.7%; n = 53,833), and ORIF (10.6%; n = 15,999). Higher surgeon volume for rotator cuff repairs was associated with lower surgical time, length of stay, costs, and reoperation/readmission rates. For shoulder arthroplasty, higher surgeon volume was associated with lower length of stay, costs, surgical time, non-routine disposition, blood loss, reoperation/readmission, and complications. As for ORIF, higher surgeon volume was associated with lower length of stay, costs, and complications.
UNASSIGNED: A high surgical volume leads to improved results for hospital/surgeon efficiency and reduces adverse events and hospital costs across various orthopaedic procedures. Hospitals and physicians can use this information to develop and adhere to policies and practices that contribute to more efficient and better-quality care for patients.
UNASSIGNED: III.

UNASSIGNED: To perform a systematic review of otolaryngologic presentation rates to emergency department settings before and after lockdown due to the COVID-19 pandemic.
UNASSIGNED: PubMed, Scopus, and CINAHL.
UNASSIGNED: A systematic search was conducted following PRISMA guidelines (Preferred Reporting Items for Systematic Reviews and Meta-analyses) for studies describing otolaryngologic presentations to emergency department and rapid access clinic settings both in the before-lockdown and after-lockdown periods. The start of after-lockdown period varied based on initiation of lockdown, ranging from March 1st to June 1st of 2020 across general emergency department studies.
UNASSIGNED: A total of 14 studies were included in this review. About 10 were general emergency departments, 3 were specifically pediatric emergency departments, and 1 study focused on the geriatric population (>65 years). A total of 13 790 patients were included, with 9446 in the before-lockdown period (68.5%) and 4344 in the after-lockdown period (31.5%). Meta-analysis of proportions for otolaryngologic presentations across general emergency departments was performed. Comparison of weighted proportions found significant differences between before-lockdown and after-lockdown presentation rates for infectious etiologies, tonsillitis specifically, foreign bodies, non-infectious airway issues, and epistaxis among these studies.
UNASSIGNED: The increased proportions of various non-infectious presentations (eg, epistaxis, foreign bodies, and airway issues) following lockdown might be associated with proportional decreases in infectious pathologies, given decreased social contact to prevent SARS-CoV-2 transmission. Overall, it is important for otolaryngologists to recognize what presentations might more commonly be seen and require evaluation and potential intervention in light of a global pandemic.

Recently, AAA volume measurement has been proposed as a potentially valuable surveillance method in situations when diameter measurement might fail.
OBJECTIVE: The aim of this systematic review was to analyze the results of previous studies comparing AAA diameter and volume measurements.
METHODS: A systematic search in PubMed, Cochrane, and EMBASE databases was performed to identify studies investigating the use of diameter and volume measurements in AAA diagnosis and prognosis in English, German, and Russian, published until December 2022. The manuscripts were reviewed by three researchers and scored on the quality of the research using MINORS criteria.
RESULTS: After screening 752 manuscripts, 19 studies (n = 1690) were included. The majority (n = 17) of the manuscripts appeared to favor volume. It is, however, important to highlight the heterogeneity of methodologies and lack of standardized protocol for measuring both volume and diameter in the included studies, which hindered the interpretation of the results.
CONCLUSIONS: The clinical relevance of abdominal aortic aneurysm volume measurement is still unclear, although studies show favorable and promising results for volumetric changes in AAA, especially in follow-up after EVAR.

OBJECTIVE: This paper aims to review the main sludge concentration methods used for SARS-CoV-2 detection in sewage sludge samples, discussing the main methods and sample volume related to increased viral load. In addition, we aim to evaluate the countries associated with increased positivity rates for SARS-CoV-2 in sludge samples.
METHODS: This systematic methodology was registered in PROSPERO and followed the PRISMA guidelines. The search was carried out in the SciELO, PubMed/MEDLINE, Lilacs, and Google Scholar databases in January-March 2022. Quantitative studies with conclusive results were included in this review. Concentration methods (polyethylene glycol (PEG), PEG + NaCl, gravity thickening, skimmed milk flocculation, ultrafiltration, filtration using charged filters, primary sedimentation, and anaerobic digestion), as well as detection methods (RTqPCR and reverse transcription droplet digital PCR assay) were evaluated in this review. The SPSS v23 software program was used for statistical analysis.
RESULTS: PEG (with or without NaCl addition) and gravity thickening were the most used sludge concentration methods to detect SARS-CoV-2. The main method associated with increased viral load (>2,02 × 10^4 copies/mL) was PEG + NaCl (p < 0.05, Mann-Whitney test). The average positivity rate for SARS-CoV-2 in sludge samples was 61 %, and a correlation was found between the sludge volume and the viral load (ro 0.559, p = 0.03, Spearman correlation).
CONCLUSIONS: The sludge volume may influence the SARS-CoV-2 load since the virus can adhere to solid particles in these samples. Other factors may be associated with SARS-CoV-2 load, including the methods used; especially PEG + NaCl may result in a high viral load detected in sludge, and may provide a suitable pH for SARS-CoV-2 recovery.

As robotic-assisted surgery (RAS) expands to smaller centres, platforms are shared between specialities. Healthcare providers must consider case volume and mix required to maintain quality and cost-effectiveness. This can be informed, in-part, by the volume-outcome relationship. We perform a systematic review to describe the volume-outcome relationship in intra-abdominal robotic-assisted surgery to report on suggested minimum volumes standards. A literature search of Medline, NICE Evidence Search, Health Technology Assessment Database and Cochrane Library using the terms: \"robot*\", \"surgery\", \"volume\" and \"outcome\" was performed. The included procedures were gynecological: hysterectomy, urological: partial and radical nephrectomy, cystectomy, prostatectomy, and general surgical: colectomy, esophagectomy. Hospital and surgeon volume measures and all reported outcomes were analysed. 41 studies, including 983,149 procedures, met the inclusion criteria. Study quality was assessed using the Newcastle-Ottawa Quality Assessment Scale and the retrieved data was synthesised in a narrative review. Significant volume-outcome relationships were described in relation to key outcome measures, including operative time, complications, positive margins, lymph node yield and cost. Annual surgeon and hospital volume thresholds were described. We concluded that in centres with an annual volume of fewer than 10 cases of a given procedure, having multiple surgeons performing these procedures led to worse outcomes and, therefore, opportunities should be sought to perform other complimentary robotic procedures or undertake joint cases.

UNASSIGNED: Breast reconstruction in the obese patient is often fraught with poor patient satisfaction due to inadequate volume restoration. The off-label hyperinflation of saline implants is a direct yet controversial solution to this problem, with limited studies in the literature. This study sought to determine the safety and efficacy of this technique for breast reconstruction.
UNASSIGNED: A retrospective chart review was performed to identify all patients with a body mass index (BMI) greater than or equal to 30 kg/m2 who underwent breast reconstruction between the years 2013 to 2020 with saline implants filled beyond the manufacturer\'s maximum recommended volume.
UNASSIGNED: The 21 patients identified had an average age of 49 years. The mean BMI was 39.5 kg/m2. A total of 42 implants were placed; 34 were 800 mL, 4 were 750 mL, and 4 were 700 mL. The average overfill volume was 302 mL (138%). Mean follow-up was 65.0 months. Of these, 1 (4.8%) patient with a history of chest wall radiotherapy underwent reoperation for unilateral implant exposure 27 days after the index procedure, no patient sustained spontaneous leak or rupture, and 1 patient had unilateral deflation following emergent central line and pacemaker placement 2 years after the implant was placed for an unrelated cardiovascular event.
UNASSIGNED: Hyperinflation of saline implants beyond the maximum recommended volume may be considered for volume replacement in obese patients undergoing implant-based breast reconstruction. This practice is well tolerated, has a complication rate comparable to using implants filled to the recommended volume, and has the potential to restore lost breast volume in the obese patient post mastectomy.

Background The limited supply of universal plasma has resulted in transfusion of ABO incompatible plasma to patients. As the need to implement whole blood transfusion in pre-hospitals setting rises, the lowest cut-off for anti-A/anti-B that does not cause haemolysis remains unknown. In this first scoping review, we aimed to determine the lowest ABO titre and volume reported in the literature to cause haemolysis from ABO incompatible plasma transfusions (plasma, platelets, cryoprecipitate, and whole blood). Methods We searched several databases from inception to April 2022, including all study types. Three independent reviewers extracted and reviewed the data. Primary outcome was the anti-A and anti-B titre (measured by IgM or IgG) that resulted in measurable haemolysis following ABO incompatible plasma transfusion. Results We identified 5681 citations, of which 49 studies were eligible, reporting a total of 62 cases (34 adults, 14 children and 14 did not specify age). The methods for antibody measurement and antibody type (IgG or IgM) varied significantly between studies. Component volumes were poorly reported. The most common component responsible for the haemolysis was apheresis platelets followed by pooled platelets and whole blood. Most haemolytic cases reported were due to anti-A. The lowest anti-A titre reported to cause haemolysis (children and adults) was 32 (IgG), while for anti-B it was 512 (IgG and IgM) for adults, 16,384 for paediatrics (IgG and IgM) and 128 (IgM) in cases where the age was not specified. The lowest reported volume associated with haemolysis were 100 ml (adults) and 15 ml (children). Of the 62 15 (24%) died. Conclusion The lowest titre reported to cause haemolysis was an anti-A of 32. ABO mismatch plasma transfusion may be associated with significant mortality. There is a need to agree/standardise methods for ABO titration measurement internationally for plasma components and agree the lowest anti-A/anti-B titre for transfusing ABO mismatched plasma.

The essential premise of living donor liver transplantation is the assurance that the donors will have a complication-free perioperative course and a prompt recovery. Selection of appropriate donors is the first step to support this premise and is based on tests that constitute the donor workup. The exclusion of liver pathologies and assessment of liver anatomy and volume in the donor candidate are the most important elements in the selection of the appropriate candidate.
To determine whether there is evidence to define an optimal donor surgical workup that would improve short-term outcomes of the donor after living liver donation.
Ovid Medline, Embase, Scopus, Google Scholar, and Cochrane Central.
Systematic review following PRISMA guidelines and recommendations using the GRADE approach derived from an international expert panel.
Although a liver biopsy remains the only method to exactly determine the percentage and type of steatosis and to detect other liver pathologies, its routine use is not supported. Both magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) and computed tomography (CT) appear to be adequate for quantifying liver volume; the preference for one or the other is often based on center expertise. MRI is clearly a better technique to assess biliary anatomy, although aberrant biliary anatomy may not be clearly detected. MRI is also more accurate than CT in determining low grades of steatosis. CT angiography is the imaging test of choice to assess the vascular anatomy. There is no evidence of the need for catheter angiography in the modern evaluation of a living liver donor.
A donor liver biopsy is indicated if abnormalities are present in serological or imaging tests. Both MRI and CT imaging appear to be adequate methodologies. The routine use of catheter angiography is not supported in view of the adequacy of CT angiography in delineating liver vascular anatomy. No imaging modality available to quantify liver volume is superior to another. Biliary anatomy is better defined with MRI, although poor definition can be expected, particularly for abnormal ducts.