Utility of Chatbot Literature Search in Radiation Oncology.

Artificial intelligence and natural language processing tools have shown promise in oncology by assisting with medical literature retrieval and providing patient support. The potential for these technologies to generate inaccurate yet seemingly correct information poses significant challenges. This study evaluates the effectiveness, benefits, and limitations of ChatGPT for clinical use in conducting literature reviews of radiation oncology treatments.

CRISPR Technique Incorporated with Single-Cell RNA Sequencing for Studying Hepatitis B Infection.

Single-cell RNA sequencing (scRNA-seq) provides rich transcriptomic information for studying molecular events and cell heterogeneity at the single-cell level. However, it is challenging to obtain sequence information from rare or low-abundance genes in the presence of other highly abundant genes. We report here a CRISPR-Cas9 technique for the depletion of high-abundance transcripts, resulting in preferential enrichment of rare transcripts.

CRISPR technology incorporating amplification strategies: molecular assays for nucleic acids, proteins, and small molecules.

Clustered Regularly Interspaced Short Palindromic Repeats (CRISPR) and CRISPR-associated (Cas) protein systems have transformed the field of genome editing and transcriptional modulation. Progress in CRISPR-Cas technology has also advanced molecular detection of diverse targets, ranging from nucleic acids to proteins. Incorporating CRISPR-Cas systems with various nucleic acid amplification strategies enables the generation of amplified detection signals, enrichment of low-abundance molecular targets, improvements in analytical specificity and sensitivity, and development of point-of-care (POC) diagnostic techniques.

CRISPR-Cas9 gene editing of hepatitis B virus in chronically infected humanized mice.

Chronic hepatitis B virus (HBV) infection is a major public health problem. New treatment approaches are needed because current treatments do not target covalently closed circular DNA (cccDNA), the template for HBV replication, and rarely clear the virus. We harnessed adeno-associated virus (AAV) vectors and CRISPR- ()Cas9 to edit the HBV genome in liver-humanized FRG mice chronically infected with HBV and receiving entecavir.

In Vitro Infection with Hepatitis B Virus Using Differentiated Human Serum Culture of Huh7.5-NTCP Cells without Requiring Dimethyl Sulfoxide.

An estimated two billion people worldwide have been infected with hepatitis B virus (HBV). Despite the high infectivity of HBV in vivo, a lack of easily infectable in vitro culture systems hinders studies of HBV. Overexpression of the sodium taurocholate co-transporting polypeptide (NTCP) bile acid transporter in hepatoma cells improved infection efficiency.

Molecular Diagnosis of COVID-19: Challenges and Research Needs.

Molecular diagnosis of COVID-19 primarily relies on the detection of RNA of the SARS-CoV-2 virus, the causative infectious agent of the pandemic. Reverse transcription polymerase chain reaction (RT-PCR) enables sensitive detection of specific sequences of genes that encode the RNA dependent RNA polymerase (RdRP), nucleocapsid (N), envelope (E), and spike (S) proteins of the virus. Although RT-PCR tests have been widely used and many alternative assays have been developed, the current testing capacity and availability cannot meet the unprecedented global demands for rapid, reliable, and widely accessible molecular diagnosis.

Aptamer Binding Assay for the E Antigen of Hepatitis B Using Modified Aptamers with G-Quadruplex Structures.

The e antigen of hepatitis B (HBeAg) is positively associated with an increased risk of developing liver cancer and cirrhosis in chronic hepatitis B (CHB) patients. Clinical monitoring of HBeAg provides guidance to the treatment of CHB and the assessment of disease progression. We describe here an affinity binding assay for HBeAg, which takes advantage of G-quadruplex aptamers for enhanced binding and stability.

A Genome-Editing Nanomachine Constructed with a Clustered Regularly Interspaced Short Palindromic Repeats System and Activated by Near-Infrared Illumination.

The RNA-guided CRISPR/Cas9 system is a powerful genome-editing technology with broad applications. Improving delivery efficiency and controllable activity of the CRISPR/Cas9 system is an area of intense research. We report the design, construction, and application of a CRISPR/Cas9 nanomachine (LACM), activated by a near-infrared (NIR) laser, which enables efficient delivery of single-guide RNA (sgRNA) into living cells and achieves controlled release of the sgRNA for the CRISPR/Cas9 activity.

Revealing the acute asthma ignorome: characterization and validation of uninvestigated gene networks.

Systems biology provides opportunities to fully understand the genes and pathways in disease pathogenesis. We used literature knowledge and unbiased multiple data meta-analysis paradigms to analyze microarray datasets across different mouse strains and acute allergic asthma models. Our combined gene-driven and pathway-driven strategies generated a stringent signature list totaling 933 genes with 41% (440) asthma-annotated genes and 59% (493) ignorome genes, not previously associated with asthma.

Targeting the Achilles heel of the hepatitis B virus: a review of current treatments against covalently closed circular DNA.

Chronic infection with hepatitis B virus (HBV) often leads to the development of liver cancer and cirrhosis, creating immense sociological, clinical and economic burdens worldwide. Although current anti-HBV medications manage to control the disease progression and help restore normal liver functions, they often fail to eliminate the virus completely. A major reason for this failure is the presence of a stable viral genome in the hepatocyte nucleus: the covalently closed circular DNA (cccDNA).

A competitive displacement assay with quantum dots as fluorescence resonance energy transfer donors.

The unique optoelectronic properties of semiconductor quantum dots (QDs) make them well-suited as fluorescent bioprobes for use in various biological applications. Modification of CdSe/ZnS QDs with biologically relevant molecules provides for multipotent probes that can be used for cellular labeling, bioassays, and localized optical interrogation by means of fluorescence resonance energy transfer (FRET). Herein, we demonstrate the use of red-emitting streptavidin-coated QDs (QD(605)) as donors in FRET to introduce a competitive displacement-based assay for the detection of oligonucleotides.

Altered mental status in an elderly woman with concurrent takotsubo syndrome and polymyalgia rheumatica: a case of treatable geriatric delirium.

We present a unique case of a patient, aged 80 years, who presented with delirium and takotsubo syndrome. Also known as "broken heart syndrome" because it often originates following an emotional stress, takotsubo syndrome may be difficult to distinguish from myocardial infarction because of similar symptoms and demographics. However, the distinction of these opposing diagnoses is significant because takotsubo syndrome is associated with more favorable prognosis for complete recovery, especially with early diagnosis and expedient supportive therapy.

Gastric antral vascular ectasia (watermelon stomach)-an enigmatic and often-overlooked cause of gastrointestinal bleeding in the elderly.

Gastric antral vascular ectasia (GAVE) syndrome, also known as watermelon stomach is a significant cause of acute or chronic gastrointestinal blood loss in the elderly. is characterized endoscopically by "watermelon stripes." Without cirrhosis, patients are 71% female, average age 73, presenting with occult blood loss leading to transfusion-dependent chronic iron-deficiency anemia, severe acute upper gastrointestinal bleeding, and nondescript abdominal pain.

Cervical myelopathy from spinal sarcoidosis as the unexpected initial presentation for systemic sarcoidosis.

This is a case which highlights unique diagnostic challenges in the evaluation of a previously healthy patient presenting with a myelopathy initially most concerning for malignancy. However, timely recognition and nonoperative therapy of unexpected spinal sarcoidosis with corticosteroidal therapy was crucial in averting the sequelae of undiagnosed or misdiagnosed neurosarcoidosis, which can be devastating and life-threatening. Diagnosis is challenging due to significant similarities in clinical and roentgenographic findings of spinal sarcoidosis with infection, inflammation, and malignancy.

Acute lyme infection presenting with amyopathic dermatomyositis and rapidly fatal interstitial pulmonary fibrosis: a case report.

Introduction: Dermatomyositis has been described in the setting of lyme infection in only nine previous case reports. Although lyme disease is known to induce typical clinical findings that are observed in various collagen vascular diseases, to our knowledge, we believe that our case is the first presentation of acute lyme disease associated with amyopathic dermatomyositis, which was then followed by severe and fatal interstitial pulmonary fibrosis only two months later.

Case Presentation: We present a case of a 64-year-old African-American man with multiple medical problems who was diagnosed with acute lyme infection after presenting with the pathognomonic rash and confirmatory serology.

A case of large pericardial and pleural effusions associated with pulmonary emboli in a user of crack cocaine.

We submit here an unusual case in which a user of crack cocaine presented with progressive dyspnea of subacute duration and was subsequently found to have concurrent pericardial and pleural effusions and pulmonary emboli. To our knowledge, there is only one prior case report that describes a potential causal relationship between crack cocaine and the development of a pleural effusion, via an eosinophilic process. In contrast in our patient, the most probable mechanism is that crack cocaine induced a prothrombotic state that promoted formation of pulmonary emboli, which are known to be directly associated with exudative pleural or pericardial effusions.

An unusual case of a cervical mass due to nontuberculous mycobacterium fortuitum infection.

Mycobacterium fortuitum, of the class of nontuberculous mycobacteria, rarely causes cervical lymphadenopathy and head and neck masses. However, we treated a woman with a neck mass that was indeed caused by a mycobacterial infection. Our case is unique in that prompt recognition of the infection and treatment with antimicrobials averted surgery.

Churg-Strauss syndrome associated with HIV infection.

A 28-year-old woman with a history of asthma and recent deep venous thrombosis presented with fever, chest pain, and peripheral eosinophilia. The patient was subsequently diagnosed with Churg-Strauss syndrome and HIV infection, representing to our knowledge only the second case of this association. Rheumatologic manifestations of HIV may precede clinical signs of infection.