Improved methodology for tracing a pulse of 13C-labelled tree photosynthate carbon to ectomycorrhizal roots, other soil biota and soil processes in the field.

Isotopic pulse-labelling of photosynthate allows tracing of carbon (C) from tree canopies to belowground biota and calculations of its turnover in roots and recipient soil microorganisms. A high concentration of label is desirable, but is difficult to achieve in field studies of intact ecosystem patches with trees. Moreover, root systems of trees overlap considerably in most forests, which requires a large labelled area to minimize the impact of C allocated belowground by un-labelled trees.

Intratumoural expression of dihydropyrimidine dehydrogenase is an independent prognostic factor in resected pancreatic ductal adenocarcinoma treated with adjuvant gemcitabine.

Pancreatic ductal adenocarcinoma (PDAC) is associated with a poor prognosis, and biomarkers to guide treatment decisions in PDAC are generally lacking. Intratumoural expression of dihydropyrimidine dehydrogenase (DPD) is a potential prognostic parameter in patients with PDAC undergoing surgical resection and postoperative chemotherapy. In the present study, DPD was analysed by immunohistochemistry of a tissue microarray platform including a real-world cohort of 495 patients with PDAC who had undergone resection with curative intent at any of three tertiary centres, including Northern, Western and Southeastern regions of Sweden, between 1993 and 2019.

Portomesenteric Venous Thrombosis after Pancreatic Cancer Surgery with Venous Resection and Reconstruction: Timing, Incidence, and Risk Factors.

Objective: To investigate the incidence and risk factors of portomesenteric venous thrombosis (PVT) after pancreatic cancer surgery with portomesenteric venous resection (PVR).

Summary Background Data: Pancreatic cancer surgery with PVR can be complicated by PVT, but the long-term associations, risk factors, and consequences of PVT have not been clearly elucidated.

Methods: This study included pancreatic cancer patients undergoing any type of pancreatic resection with PVR at the University of Colorado Hospital between January 2012 and June 2023.

Anticoagulation with warfarin for paediatric cardiac indications: a retrospective study.

Warfarin is used as anticoagulation for children for a wide range of cardiac indications but carries the disadvantage of requiring international normalised ratio monitoring and dose adjustment. Management of warfarin therapy is challenging due to its narrow therapeutic window and is further complicated in children by dietary changes, frequent illnesses, and developing systems of metabolism and haemostasis.A retrospective review was performed of patients' medical records to assess the indication for warfarin use, percentage of international normalised ratio values in target range (%ITR), and frequency of phlebotomy.

Plant organic nitrogen nutrition: costs, benefits, and carbon use efficiency.

Differences in soil mobility and assimilation costs between organic and inorganic nitrogen (N) compounds would hypothetically induce plant phenotypic plasticity to optimize acquisition of, and performance on, the different N forms. Here we evaluated this hypothesis experimentally and theoretically. We grew Arabidopsis in split-root setups combined with stable isotope labelling to study uptake and distribution of carbon (C) and N from l-glutamine (l-gln) and NO and assessed the effect of the N source on biomass partitioning and carbon use efficiency (CUE).

Survival Outcomes of Cytoreductive Surgery with HIPEC in Gastric Adenocarcinoma: A National Cancer Database Study.

Background: This study aimed to assess the impact of cytoreductive surgery (CRS) with hyperthermic intraperitoneal chemotherapy (HIPEC) on the survival outcomes for patients with gastric cancer and peritoneal carcinomatosis (PC).

Methods: A retrospective analysis of the National Cancer Database from 2004 to 2020 identified patients with topography and histology codes consistent with gastric adenocarcinoma who underwent CRS/HIPEC. The exclusion criteria ruled out known other distant metastasis and missing key data.

Pathological Features Associated with Lymph Node Disease in Patients with Appendiceal Neuroendocrine Tumors.

This study aimed to evaluate the role of pathological features beyond tumor size in the risk of lymph node metastasis in appendiceal neuroendocrine tumors. Analyzing data from the national cancer database, we found that among 5353 cases, 18.8% had lymph node metastasis.

Multi-omics profiling to identify early plasma biomarkers in pre-diagnostic pancreatic ductal adenocarcinoma: a nested case-control study.

Pancreatic ductal adenocarcinoma (PDAC) is an aggressive disease with poor survival. Novel biomarkers are urgently needed to improve the outcome through early detection. Here, we aimed to discover novel biomarkers for early PDAC detection using multi-omics profiling in pre-diagnostic plasma samples biobanked after routine health examinations.

Adjuvant Chemotherapy With or Without Radiotherapy for Resected Pancreatic Cancer After Multiagent Neoadjuvant Chemotherapy.

Background: Adjuvant therapy is associated with improved pancreatic cancer survival after neoadjuvant chemotherapy and surgery. However, whether adjuvant treatment should include radiotherapy is unclear in this setting.

Methods: This study queried the National Cancer Database for pancreatic adenocarcinoma patients who underwent curative resection after multiagent neoadjuvant chemotherapy between 2010 and 2019 and received adjuvant treatment.

Radiologic Occult Metastases in Pancreatic Cancer: Analysis of Risk Factors and Survival Outcomes in the Age of Contemporary Neoadjuvant Multi-agent Chemotherapy.

Background: Radiologic occult metastatic disease (ROMD) in patients with pancreatic ductal adenocarcinoma (PDAC) who undergo contemporary neoadjuvant chemotherapy (NAC) has not been well studied. This study sought to analyze the incidence, risk factors, and oncologic outcomes for patients who underwent the NAC approach for PDAC.

Methods: A retrospective review analyzed a prospectively maintained database of patients who had potentially resectable PDAC treated with NAC and were offered pancreatectomy at our institution from 2011 to 2022.

Metabolomics for early pancreatic cancer detection in plasma samples from a Swedish prospective population-based biobank.

Background: Pancreatic ductal adenocarcinoma (pancreatic cancer) is often detected at late stages resulting in poor overall survival. To improve survival, more patients need to be diagnosed early when curative surgery is feasible. We aimed to identify circulating metabolites that could be used as early pancreatic cancer biomarkers.

Aspirin Responsiveness in a Cohort of Pediatric Patients with Right Ventricle to Pulmonary Artery Conduits and Transcatheter Valve Replacement Systems.

The aim of this study was to determine the rate of aspirin responsiveness in a cohort of pediatric patients with in situ xenograft valved right ventricle to pulmonary artery (RV-PA) conduits and/or transcatheter valve replacements (TVR). Aspirin is routinely prescribed to these patients. Optimizing anti-platelet therapy could promote valve longevity and reduce the risk of infective endocarditis in this at-risk group.

Cardiac Rhabdomyomas Presenting with Critical Cardiac Obstruction in Neonates and Infants: Treatment Strategies and Outcome, A Single-Center Experience.

Cardiac rhabdomyomas are the most common benign pediatric heart tumor in infancy, which are commonly associated with tuberous sclerosis complex (TSC). Most rhabdomyomas are asymptomatic and spontaneously regress over time. However, some cases especially in neonates or small infants can present with hemodynamic instability.

Critical congenital heart disease: contemporary prenatal screening performance and outcomes in a multi-centre perinatology service.

Background: Prenatal detection of critical congenital heart disease (CCHD) optimises perinatal decision-making and neonatal outcomes. The objective of this study was to determine the prenatal screening performance, care pathways and perinatal outcomes for prenatally and postnatally diagnosed cases of CCHD over a four-year period.

Study Design: This retrospective cohort study in a tertiary centre and its two affiliated secondary sites examined all cases of CCHD, including cases of pregnancy termination and in-utero fetal death, neonatal death and liveborn babies that underwent cardiac catheterization or surgery in the first six weeks of life.

Interactions between the Exocrine and the Endocrine Pancreas.

The pancreas has two main functions: to produce and secrete digestive enzymes (exocrine function) and to produce hormones that regulate blood glucose and splanchnic secretion (endocrine function). The endocrine and exocrine portions of the pancreas are central regulators in digestion and metabolism, with continuous crosstalk between their deeply interconnected components, which plays a role in disease. Pancreatic neoplasms, inflammation, trauma, and surgery can lead to the development of type 3c diabetes when an insult simultaneously damages both acini and islets, leading to exocrine and endocrine dysfunction.

Neonatal sepsis and cardiovascular dysfunction I: mechanisms and pathophysiology.

The highest incidence of sepsis across all age groups occurs in neonates leading to substantial mortality and morbidity. Cardiovascular dysfunction frequently complicates neonatal sepsis including biventricular systolic and/or diastolic dysfunction, vasoregulatory failure, and pulmonary arterial hypertension. The haemodynamic response in neonatal sepsis can be hyperdynamic or hypodynamic and the underlying pathophysiological mechanisms are heterogeneous.

Portomesenteric venous contact ≤180° and overall survival in resectable head and body pancreatic adenocarcinoma treated with upfront surgery.

Introduction: Upfront surgery is the standard of care for resectable pancreatic cancer, defined as the absence of or ≤180° tumour contact with the portal/superior mesenteric vein. We hypothesized that portomesenteric venous tumour contact is prognostically unfavourable and aimed to assess whether it is associated with poorer survival compared with no venous contact in resectable head and body pancreatic cancer.

Methods: This single-centre retrospective study included patients undergoing upfront surgery for resectable head and body pancreatic cancer in 2010-2020 at Umeå University Hospital, Sweden.

Assessment of Myocardial Function in Infants of Mothers with Gestational Diabetes Mellitus Using Deformation Imaging over the First Year of Age.

Objective: To assess serial myocardial performance and pulmonary vascular resistance (PVR) in infants of mothers with gestational diabetes mellitus (GDM) over the first year of life.

Study Design: This was a prospective, observational study. Echocardiography was performed at birth, 6 months, and 1 year of age.