Aptamer-Guided, Hydrolysis-Resistant Deoxyoxanosine Enables Epitope- and Moiety-Selective Conjugation to Nonengineered Proteins Even in Complex Environments.

In protein engineering, researchers have extensively explored the incorporation of nonprotein entities into proteins to extend their functionalities to various applications; however, achieving precise modifications of proteins is still challenging. This study demonstrates epitope- and moiety-selective conjugation of nonengineered proteins by integrating "slow-reactive and hydrolysis-resistant" deoxyoxanosine (dOxa) into a "target- and epitope-selective" aptamer. The amine-reactive dOxa-containing aptamers are dominantly single-lysine-selective at recognition sites, achieving significantly high conjugation yields with remarkably low off-target reactions in complex environments under near-physiological conditions through a catalyst-free, one-pot reaction.

Predicting futile outcomes following deceased donor liver transplantation in non-Hcc patients with MELD-Na score above 30: a retrospective international multicenter cohort study.

Background: In the current "sickest first" allocation policy for limited deceased liver grafts, identifying patients "too sick to transplant" before transplantation is crucial to optimize outcomes. This study aimed to predict futile outcomes following deceased donor liver transplantation (DDLT) in patients with Model for End-Stage Liver Disease-Sodium (MELD-Na) scores ≥30.

Methods: This international multicenter study was conducted as part of the International Society of Liver Surgeons.

Optical detection of bond-dependent and frustrated spin in the two-dimensional cobalt-based honeycomb antiferromagnet CuCoSbO.

Two-dimensional honeycomb antiferromagnets are promising materials class for realizing Kitaev quantum spin liquids. The signature of these materials includes anisotropic bond-dependent magnetic responses and persistent fluctuations in paramagnetic regime. Here, we propose CuCoSbO heterostructures as an intriguing candidate, wherein bond-dependent and frustrated spins interact with optical excitons.

Accuracy and feasibility of continuous glucose monitoring system in pancreatectomy patients.

Purpose: Pancreatectomy patients often experience challenging fluctuations in blood glucose levels; therefore, they require a reliable monitoring system. This study aimed to determine the accuracy and acceptability of a continuous glucose monitoring (CGM) system compared with the intermittent capillary glucose test in patients who have undergone pancreatectomy.

Methods: Thirty non-diabetic pancreatectomy patients participated.

Clinical significance of surgical resection for hepatocellular carcinoma with portal vein invasion: a nationwide cohort study.

Background: Hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) with portal vein invasion (PVI) is considered an advanced stage with a poor prognosis. Although current guidelines recommend systemic treatment for HCC with PVI, surgical resection could produce acceptable outcomes in selected patients. This study aimed to identify the clinical significance of surgical resection for HCC with PVI patients using a large-scale nationwide registry.

Comparison of Clinical Outcomes Using Left and Right Liver Grafts in Adult-to-adult Living-donor Liver Transplantation: A Retrospective Cohort Study Using the Korean Organ Transplantation Registry.

Background: Living-donor liver transplantation has been widely performed as an alternative to the scarce liver grafts from deceased donors. More studies are reporting favorable outcomes of left liver graft (LLG). This study compared the clinical outcomes between living-donor liver transplantation using LLG and right liver graft (RLG) with similar graft-to-recipient body weight ratios.

Impact of Baseline Anti-ABO Antibody Titer on Biliary Complications in ABO-Incompatible Living-Donor Liver Transplantation.

Although advancements in desensitization protocols have led to increased ABO-incompatible (ABOi) living-donor liver transplantation (LDLT), a higher biliary complication rate remains a problem. This study evaluated the effect of baseline anti-ABO antibody titers before desensitization on biliary complications after ABOi LDLT. The study cohort comprised 116 patients in the ABO-compatible group (ABOc), 29 in the ABOi with the low titer (<1:128) group (ABOi-L), and 14 in the high titer (≥1:128) group (ABOi-H).

Surgical outcome and risk scoring to predict survival after hepatic resection for hepatocellular carcinoma with portal vein tumor thrombosis.

Backgrounds/aims: The hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) with portal vein tumor thrombosis (PVTT) is classified as the advanced stage (BCLC stage C) with extremely poor prognosis, and in current guidelines is recommended for systemic therapy. This study aimed to evaluate the surgical outcomes and long-term prognosis after hepatic resection (HR) for patients who have HCC combined with PVTT.

Methods: We retrospectively analyzed 332 patients who underwent HR for HCC with PVTT at ten tertiary referral hospitals in South Korea.

Revealing the three-dimensional arrangement of polar topology in nanoparticles.

In the early 2000s, low dimensional ferroelectric systems were predicted to have topologically nontrivial polar structures, such as vortices or skyrmions, depending on mechanical or electrical boundary conditions. A few variants of these structures have been experimentally observed in thin film model systems, where they are engineered by balancing electrostatic charge and elastic distortion energies. However, the measurement and classification of topological textures for general ferroelectric nanostructures have remained elusive, as it requires mapping the local polarization at the atomic scale in three dimensions.

In vitro selection of a trans aptamer complex for target-responsive fluorescence activation.

Background: Most biological molecular complexes consist of multiple functional domains, yet rationally constructing such multifunctional complexes is challenging. Aptamers, the nucleic acid-based functional molecules, can perform multiple tasks including target recognition, conformational changes, and enzymatic activities, while being chemically synthesizable and tunable, and thus provide a basis for engineering enhanced functionalities through combination of multiple units. However, the conventional approach of simply combining aptamer units in a serial manner is susceptible to undesired crosstalk or interference between the aptamer units and to false interactions with non-target molecules; besides, the approach would require additional mechanisms to separate the units if they are desired to function independently.

Clinical outcome of surgical resection for multifocal T2-T3 hepatocellular carcinoma up to 3 nodules: a comparative analysis with a single nodule.

Background/aims: Although the Barcelona Clinic Liver Cancer staging system seems to underestimate the impact of curative-intent surgical resection for multifocal hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC), recent studies have indicated favorable results for the surgical resection of multiple HCC. This study aimed to assess clinical outcomes and feasibility of surgical resection for multifocal HCC with up to three nodules compared with single tumor cases.

Methods: Patients who underwent surgical resection for HCC with up to three nodules between 2009 and 2020 were included, and those with the American Joint Committee on Cancer (AJCC) 8th edition, T1 and T4 stages were excluded to reduce differences in disease distribution and severity.

A single-center experience of over 300 cases of single-incision robotic cholecystectomy comparing the da Vinci SP with the Si/Xi systems.

Minimally invasive surgery is usually more beneficial than open surgeries in various fields of surgery. With the newly developed Single-Port (SP) robotic surgical system, even single-site surgery has become easier to access. We compared single-incision robotic cholecystectomy between the Si/Xi and SP systems.

Molecular Complementarity of Proteomimetic Materials for Target-Specific Recognition and Recognition-Mediated Complex Functions.

As biomolecules essential for sustaining life, proteins are generated from long chains of 20 different α-amino acids that are folded into unique 3D structures. In particular, many proteins have molecular recognition functions owing to their binding pockets, which have complementary shapes, charges, and polarities for specific targets, making these biopolymers unique and highly valuable for biomedical and biocatalytic applications. Based on the understanding of protein structures and microenvironments, molecular complementarity can be exhibited by synthesizable and modifiable materials.

Selective RNA Labeling by RNA-Compatible Type II Restriction Endonuclease and RNA-Extending DNA Polymerase.

RNAs not only offer valuable information regarding our bodies but also regulate cellular functions, allowing for their specific manipulations to be extensively explored for many different biological and clinical applications. In particular, rather than temporary hybridization, permanent labeling is often required to introduce functional tags to target RNAs; however, direct RNA labeling has been revealed to be challenging, as native RNAs possess unmodifiable chemical moieties or indefinable dummy sequences at the ends of their strands. In this work, we demonstrate the combinatorial use of RNA-compatible restriction endonucleases (REs) and RNA-extending polymerases for sequence-specific RNA cleavage and subsequent RNA functionalization.

Left liver graft in adult-to-adult living donor liver transplantation with an optimal portal flow modulation strategy to overcome the small-for-size syndrome - A retrospective cohort study.

Background: Adult-to-adult living donor liver transplantation (LDLT) is a notable type of liver transplantation. Several centers prefer the right liver graft (RLG) over the left liver graft (LLG) for better recovery of recipients. We compared the outcomes of donors and recipients between LDLT using LLGs and RLGs.

Direct strain correlations at the single-atom level in three-dimensional core-shell interface structures.

Nanomaterials with core-shell architectures are prominent examples of strain-engineered materials. The lattice mismatch between the core and shell materials can cause strong interface strain, which affects the surface structures. Therefore, surface functional properties such as catalytic activities can be designed by fine-tuning the misfit strain at the interface.

Right posterior bile duct stricture after central bisectionectomy or anterior sectionectomy.

Purpose: Before performing anterior sectionectomy (AS) or central bisectionectomy (CBS), the anatomy of the right posterior bile duct (RPBD) must be cautiously assessed owing to the many variations of the RPBD and its variations could be related to bile duct injury.

Methods: Clinical data of patients who underwent AS or CBS from 2009 to 2018 were reviewed. The bile duct anatomy according to Okubo's criteria and the right bile duct (RBD) length were evaluated using MRI, and we performed a risk factor analysis of the RPBD stricture (RPBDS).

Single-port robot plus one port (SP + 1) distal pancreatectomy using the new da Vinci SP system.

Purpose: Single-incision laparoscopic distal pancreatectomy has not been widely applied due to technical challenges and increased operative risks. The newly released da Vinci SP system has been introduced to overcome these limitations and offer improvements for established robotic single-site procedures. We report our experience of robotic single port plus one port distal pancreatectomy using the da Vinci SP system.

Efficacy and Safety of Hepatitis B Virus Vaccination Following Hepatitis B Immunoglobulin Withdrawal After Liver Transplantation.

Background: Hepatitis B immunoglobulin (HBIG) and oral nucleoside/nucleotide analogs have been the mainstay of hepatitis B virus (HBV) prophylaxis after liver transplantation. However, long-term HBIG administration could have disadvantages, such as an increase in medical costs and the development of mutant HBV strains. This study aimed to investigate the safety and efficacy of HBV vaccination after the withdrawal of HBIG after liver transplantation.

Should we be reluctant to perform pancreatectomy in patients with chronic liver disease? A single center 10-year experience.

Purpose: Many studies have shown extra-hepatic surgery in patients with chronic liver disease (CLD) with or without portal hypertension can result in complications. The aim of this study was to analyze the results of major pancreatectomy in patients with CLD including cirrhosis and to evaluate their efficacy and safety.

Methods: We retrospectively reviewed 319 patients undergoing open pancreatoduodenectomy (PD) or distal pancreatectomy (DP) in our center.

Portal modulation effects of terlipressin on liver regeneration and survival in a porcine model subjected to 90% hepatectomy.

Background: Excessive postoperative portal pressure is associated with post-hepatectomy liver failure and small-for-size syndrome after partial liver transplantation. This study aimed to identify the portal modulation effects of terlipressin on liver regeneration and survival in a porcine model subjected to 90% hepatectomy.

Methods: Twenty pigs undergoing 90% hepatectomy were divided into control (n = 10) and terlipressin (n = 10) groups.