Robotic MRI/CT Guided Multiregional 'smart' Biopsy for Characterization of Tumor Heterogeneity: A Prospective Development Study.

Rationale And Objectives: Intratumoral heterogeneity means single site tumor biopsy might not be representative. Here we develop and optimize an MRI-informed robotic multiregional 'smart' biopsy technique in retroperitoneal and pelvic sarcomas (RPS). We also explore the relationship between imaging and histological biomarkers.

Accurate Conformation Sampling via Protein Structural Diffusion.

Accurate sampling of protein conformations is pivotal for advances in biology and medicine. Although there has been tremendous progress in protein structure prediction in recent years due to deep learning, models that can predict the different stable conformations of proteins with high accuracy and structural validity are still lacking. Here, we introduce UFConf, a cutting-edge approach designed for robust sampling of diverse protein conformations based solely on amino acid sequences.

Effectiveness and safety of continuous low-molecular-weight heparin versus switching to direct oral anticoagulants in cancer-associated venous thrombosis.

Given the existing uncertainty regarding the effectiveness and safety of switching from low-molecular-weight heparin (LMWH) to direct oral anticoagulants (DOACs) in patients with cancer-associated venous thrombosis (CAT), we conducted a comprehensive population-based cohort study utilizing electronic health database in Hong Kong. A total of 4356 patients with CAT between 2010 and 2022 were included, with 1700 (39.0%) patients switching to DOAC treatment.

Supramolecular polymers form tactoids through liquid-liquid phase separation.

Liquid-liquid phase separation (LLPS) of biopolymers has recently been shown to play a central role in the formation of membraneless organelles with a multitude of biological functions. The interplay between LLPS and macromolecular condensation is part of continuing studies. Synthetic supramolecular polymers are the non-covalent equivalent of macromolecules but they are not reported to undergo LLPS yet.

Incidence of Strabismus Post-Plaque Brachytherapy in Patients With Uveal Melanoma.

Purpose: To determine the incidence and type of strabismus in patients with uveal melanoma treated with plaque brachytherapy.

Design: Multicenter, retrospective incidence estimation study.

Methods: A total of 438 eyes of 438 patients with uveal melanoma treated with plaque brachytherapy between October 2011 and May 2021.

Decompressive craniectomy versus craniotomy for acute subdural hematoma: Updated meta-analysis of real-world clinical outcome after RESCUE-ASDH trial.

Introduction: The Randomized Evaluation of Surgery with Craniectomy for Patients Undergoing Evacuation of Acute Subdural Hematoma trial found that disability and quality-of-life outcomes were similar between craniotomy and decompressive craniectomy for traumatic acute subdural hematoma (ASDH), contrasting previous literature. This meta-analysis aimed to validate the applicability of RESCUE-ASDH results using real-world data in ASDH patients.

Methods: We searched Chocrane, Embase, and MEDLINE for relevant articles reporting clinical outcomes of craniotomy and decompressive craniectomy.

Efficacy and Safety of an mRNA-Based RSV PreF Vaccine in Older Adults.

Background: Respiratory syncytial virus (RSV) can cause substantial morbidity and mortality among older adults. An mRNA-based RSV vaccine, mRNA-1345, encoding the stabilized RSV prefusion F glycoprotein, is under clinical investigation.

Methods: In this ongoing, randomized, double-blind, placebo-controlled, phase 2-3 trial, we randomly assigned, in a 1:1 ratio, adults 60 years of age or older to receive one dose of mRNA-1345 (50 μg) or placebo.

S-acylation of p62 promotes p62 droplet recruitment into autophagosomes in mammalian autophagy.

p62 is a well-characterized autophagy receptor that recognizes and sequesters specific cargoes into autophagosomes for degradation. p62 promotes the assembly and removal of ubiquitinated proteins by forming p62-liquid droplets. However, it remains unclear how autophagosomes efficiently sequester p62 droplets.

Single-cell transcriptomes reveal a molecular link between diabetic kidney and retinal lesions.

The occurrence of diabetic nephropathy (DN) and diabetic retinopathy (DR) are closely associated in patients with diabetes. However, the cellular and molecular linkage of DN and DR has not been elucidated, and further revelations are needed to improve mutual prognostic decisions and management. Here, we generate and integrate single-cell RNA sequencing profiles of kidney and retina to explore the cellular and molecular association of kidney and retina in both physiological and pathological conditions.

"At the End I Have a Say": Engaging the Chinese Community in Advance Care Planning.

Context: Despite the association of advance care planning (ACP) with improved patient and caregiver outcomes, Chinese American elders have low rates of ACP.

Objectives: Assess ACP facilitators/barriers in the San Francisco (SF) Chinese community and codesign, implement, and test community-based ACP-promoting pilot events.

Methods: A Chinese Community Committee (N = 19 community-based organization leaders, health system representatives, community members) conducted focus groups in Cantonese and English with Chinese older adults (age ≥55), caregivers, and community leaders.

DeePMD-kit v2: A software package for deep potential models.

DeePMD-kit is a powerful open-source software package that facilitates molecular dynamics simulations using machine learning potentials known as Deep Potential (DP) models. This package, which was released in 2017, has been widely used in the fields of physics, chemistry, biology, and material science for studying atomistic systems. The current version of DeePMD-kit offers numerous advanced features, such as DeepPot-SE, attention-based and hybrid descriptors, the ability to fit tensile properties, type embedding, model deviation, DP-range correction, DP long range, graphics processing unit support for customized operators, model compression, non-von Neumann molecular dynamics, and improved usability, including documentation, compiled binary packages, graphical user interfaces, and application programming interfaces.

In Vivo Validation of Modulated Acoustic Radiation Force-Based Imaging in Murine Model of Abdominal Aortic Aneurysm Using VEGFR-2-Targeted Microbubbles.

Objectives: The objective of this study is to validate the modulated acoustic radiation force (mARF)-based imaging method in the detection of abdominal aortic aneurysm (AAA) in murine models using vascular endothelial growth factor receptor 2 (VEGFR-2)-targeted microbubbles (MBs).

Materials And Methods: The mouse AAA model was prepared using the subcutaneous angiotensin II (Ang II) infusion combined with the β-aminopropionitrile monofumarate solution dissolved in drinking water. The ultrasound imaging session was performed at 7 days, 14 days, 21 days, and 28 days after the osmotic pump implantation.

Control of Structural Landform Evolution on Karst Groundwater Cycle in a Large-Scale Anticlinorium.

Structural landform evolution and hydrogeochemical analyses are crucial for understanding the characteristics of karst groundwater systems and the development of deep karst formed by complex aquifers in a tectonic collision zone. Detailed structural landform evolution analysis was carried out along the large-scale anticlinorium to investigate the temporal evolution of karst aquifer systems and karstification. Results showed that the tectonic activity included weak horizontal compression and slow vertical uplift during the Triassic to Middle Jurassic, forming a denuded clastic platform.

Use of Real-World Data in Population Science to Improve the Prevention and Care of Diabetes-Related Outcomes.

The past decade of population research for diabetes has seen a dramatic proliferation of the use of real-world data (RWD) and real-world evidence (RWE) generation from non-research settings, including both health and non-health sources, to influence decisions related to optimal diabetes care. A common attribute of these new data is that they were not collected for research purposes yet have the potential to enrich the information around the characteristics of individuals, risk factors, interventions, and health effects. This has expanded the role of subdisciplines like comparative effectiveness research and precision medicine, new quasi-experimental study designs, new research platforms like distributed data networks, and new analytic approaches for clinical prediction of prognosis or treatment response.

Universal Demosaicking for Interpolation-Friendly RGBW Color Filter Arrays.

Interpolation-friendly RGBW color filter arrays (CFAs) and the popular sequential demosaicking contain the idea of computational photography, where the CFA and the demosaicking method are co-designed. Due to the advantages, interpolation-friendly RGBW CFAs have been extensively used in commercial color cameras. However, most associated demosaicking methods rely on strict assumptions or are limited to a few specific CFAs with a given camera.

Live motile sperm sorting device for enhanced sperm-fertilization competency: comparative analysis with density-gradient centrifugation and microfluidic sperm sorting.

Purpose: A live motile sperm sorting device (LensHooke CA0) developed to prevent the deleterious effects of centrifugation was evaluated comparatively with conventional density-gradient centrifugation (DGC) and microfluidic-based device (Zymot) in sperm selection.

Methods: Semen samples from 239 men were collected. CA0 under different incubation intervals (5, 10, 30, and 60 min) and temperatures (20, 25, and 37℃) was conducted.

Intratracheal budesonide mixed with surfactant to increase survival free of bronchopulmonary dysplasia in extremely preterm infants: study protocol for the international, multicenter, randomized PLUSS trial.

Background: Bronchopulmonary dysplasia (BPD), an inflammatory-mediated chronic lung disease, is common in extremely preterm infants born before 28 weeks' gestation and is associated with an increased risk of adverse neurodevelopmental and respiratory outcomes in childhood. Effective and safe prophylactic therapies for BPD are urgently required. Systemic corticosteroids reduce rates of BPD in the short-term but are associated with poorer neurodevelopmental outcomes if given to ventilated infants in the first week after birth.

Effectiveness of BNT162b2 after extending the primary series dosing interval in children and adolescents aged 5-17.

Extended intervals between the first and second doses of mRNA Covid-19 vaccines may reduce the risk of myocarditis in children and adolescents. However, vaccine effectiveness after this extension remains unclear. To examine this potential variable effectiveness, we conducted a population-based nested case-control study of children and adolescents aged 5-17 years who had received two doses of BNT162b2 in Hong Kong.

Tonic-signaling chimeric antigen receptors drive human regulatory T cell exhaustion.

Regulatory T cell (Treg) therapy is a promising approach to improve outcomes in transplantation and autoimmunity. In conventional T cell therapy, chronic stimulation can result in poor in vivo function, a phenomenon termed exhaustion. Whether or not Tregs are also susceptible to exhaustion, and if so, if this would limit their therapeutic effect, was unknown.

Transcriptomic analyses of patient peripheral blood with hemoglobin depletion reveal glioblastoma biomarkers.

Peripheral blood is gaining prominence as a noninvasive alternative to tissue biopsy to develop biomarkers for glioblastoma (GBM); however, widely utilized blood-based biomarkers in clinical settings have not yet been identified due to the lack of a robust detection approach. Here, we describe the application of globin reduction in RNA sequencing of whole blood (i.e.

Identifying biomarkers of differential chemotherapy response in TNBC patient-derived xenografts with a CTD/WGCNA approach.

Although systemic chemotherapy remains the standard of care for TNBC, even combination chemotherapy is often ineffective. The identification of biomarkers for differential chemotherapy response would allow for the selection of responsive patients, thus maximizing efficacy and minimizing toxicities. Here, we leverage TNBC PDXs to identify biomarkers of response.

Safety of BNT162b2 or CoronaVac COVID-19 vaccines in patients with heart failure: A self-controlled case series study.

Background: COVID-19 vaccines are important for patients with heart failure (HF) to prevent severe outcomes but the safety concerns could lead to vaccine hesitancy. This study aimed to investigate the safety of two COVID-19 vaccines, BNT162b2 and CoronaVac, in patients with HF.

Methods: We conducted a self-controlled case series analysis using the data from the Hong Kong Hospital Authority and the Department of Health.

Race, Affordability and Utilization of Supportive Care in Ovarian Cancer Patients.

Objective: Lack of access to supportive care (SC) among cancer patients have been well documented. However, the role of affordability in this disparity among ovarian cancer (OC) patients remain poorly understood.

Methods: Patients with OC between 2008 and 2015 were identified from the SEER-Medicare dataset.