Predictors of hepatic flares after nucleos(t)ide analogue cessation - Results of a global cohort study (RETRACT-B study).

Background & Aims: Flares after nucleos(t)ide analogue (NA) cessation are common and potentially harmful. Predictors of flares are required for risk stratification and to guide off-treatment follow-up.

Method: This multicenter cohort study included virally suppressed patients with chronic hepatitis B (CHB) who were hepatitis B e antigen negative at NA cessation.

Cytoskeleton-functionalized synthetic cells with life-like mechanical features and regulated membrane dynamicity.

The cytoskeleton is a crucial determinant of mammalian cell structure and function, providing mechanical resilience, supporting the cell membrane and orchestrating essential processes such as cell division and motility. Because of its fundamental role in living cells, developing a reconstituted or artificial cytoskeleton is of major interest. Here we present an approach to construct an artificial cytoskeleton that imparts mechanical support and regulates membrane dynamics.

Antiplatelet Prophylaxis Reduces the Risk of Early Hepatic Artery Thrombosis Following Liver Transplantation in High-Risk Patients.

The prevention of hepatic artery thrombosis (HAT) is pivotal for graft survival immediately after liver transplantation (LT). This study aimed to identify risk factors (RF) for early HAT (eHAT) and assess the benefit of antiplatelet prophylaxis (AP). This retrospective single-center study included 836 adult patients who underwent LT between 2007 and 2022.

Ortho-functionalized pyridinyl-tetrazines break the inverse correlation between click reactivity and cleavage yields in click-to-release chemistry.

The bioorthogonal tetrazine-triggered cleavage of trans-cyclooctene(TCO)-linked payloads has strong potential for widespread use in drug delivery and in particular in click-cleavable antibody-drug conjugates (ADCs). However, clinical translation is hampered by an inverse correlation between click reactivity and payload release yield, requiring high doses of less reactive tetrazines to drive in vivo TCO reactions and payload release to completion. Herein we report that the cause for the low release when using the highly reactive bis-(2-pyridinyl)-tetrazine is the stability of the initially formed 4,5-dihydropyridazine product, precluding tautomerization to the releasing 1,4-dihydropyridazine tautomer.

Development of a QSAR model to predict protein-flavor binding in protein-rich food systems.

Protein-flavor binding is a common challenge in food formulation. Prediction models provide a time-, resource-, and cost-efficient way to investigate how the structural and physicochemical properties of flavor compounds affect this binding mechanism. This study presents a Quantitative Structure-Activity Relationship model derived from five commercial plant-based proteins and thirty-three flavor compounds.

Differential prevalence and prognostic value of metabolic syndrome components among patients with MASLD.

Background & Aims: Metabolic dysfunction-associated steatotic liver disease (MASLD) is becoming increasingly prevalent in the general population. This study aimed at describing the cardiometabolic burden of the MASLD population and to identify patients at the highest risk of all-cause mortality and liver fibrosis.

Methods: We analysed individuals with MASLD enrolled in the National Health and Nutrition Survey (NHANES) III study (N = 3,628) and in the NHANES 2017-2020 study (n = 2,618).

Early HBcrAg and Anti-HBc Levels Identify Patients at High Risk for Severe Flares After Nucleos(t)ide Analogue Cessation-A Pooled Analysis of Two Clinical Trials.

Background: Severe flares (ALT ≥ 10×ULN) are a well-recognised adverse outcome after nucleos(t)ide analogue (NA) cessation and may lead to liver failure. Thus, identification of patients at risk for these flares is of major importance.

Methods: Data were used from two prospective studies on NA cessation conducted in the Netherlands and Canada.

From natural to synthetic hydrogels: how much biochemical complexity is required for mechanotransduction?

The biochemical complexity of a material determines the biological response of cells triggered by a cell-material interaction. The degree in which this complexity influences basic cell-material interactions such as cell adhesion, spreading, and mechanotransduction is not entirely clear. To this end, we compared three different hydrogel systems, ranging from completely natural to synthetic, in their ability to induce mechanotransduction in kidney epithelial cells (HK-2).

MASLD, At-Risk MASH and Increased Liver Stiffness Are Associated With Young Adulthood Obesity Without Residual Risk After Losing Obesity.

Background: Obesity can result in persistent metabolic changes despite weight loss, which may affect liver health. We aimed to investigate associations between young adulthood obesity and metabolic dysfunction-associated steatotic liver disease (MASLD), at-risk steatohepatitis and increased liver stiffness measurement (LSM) in a general population setting.

Methods: We studied NHANES 2017-2020 community-dwelling participants aged > 40 years with BMI ≥ 18.

The Impact of Revascularization Surgery on Headaches in Association with Cerebrovascular Reactivity in Patients with Moyamoya Angiopathy.

Background/objectives: Headaches in Moyamoya angiopathy are common but poorly understood. We aimed to investigate if headaches in Moyamoya angiopathy improve after revascularization surgery and whether this is associated with improvement in cerebrovascular reactivity on MRI (CVR-MRI).

Methods: We included consecutive adult patients with Moyamoya angiopathy who had chart data on headaches, CVR-MRI, and underwent extracranial-intracranial bypass surgery between January 2010 and September 2022 at a tertiary neurovascular referral center.

Prediction of Hepatocellular Carcinoma and Liver-related Events in Anti-hepatitis D Virus-positive Individuals.

Background & Aims: Chronic hepatitis D (CHD) is the most severe form of chronic viral hepatitis, with a high risk of developing hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) and liver-related mortality. Risk stratification is needed to guide HCC surveillance strategies and to prioritize treatment with antiviral agents.

Methods: We conducted a multicenter retrospective cohort of anti-hepatitis D virus (HDV)-positive individuals managed at sites in the Netherlands and the United Kingdom.

Optimizing wearable single-channel EEG sleep staging in a heterogeneous sleep-disordered population using transfer learning.

Study Objectives: While various wearable EEG devices have been developed, performance evaluation of the devices and their associated automated sleep stage classification models is mostly limited to healthy subjects. A major barrier for applying automated wearable EEG sleep staging in clinical populations is the need for large-scale data for model training. We therefore investigated transfer learning as strategy to overcome limited data availability and optimize automated single-channel EEG sleep staging in people with sleep disorders.

Eight-year efficacy and safety of tenofovir alafenamide for treatment of chronic hepatitis B virus infection: Final results from two randomised phase 3 trials.

Background: In two phase 3 studies, tenofovir alafenamide (TAF) showed non-inferior efficacy versus tenofovir disoproxil fumarate (TDF), with more favourable renal and bone safety in patients with chronic hepatitis B (CHB).

Aims: Here, we report the studies' final 8-year results.

Methods: CHB patients (hepatitis B e antigen [HBeAg]-negative and HBeAg-positive) were randomised (2:1) to double-blind TAF 25 mg/day or TDF 300 mg/day for up to 3 years, followed by open-label (OL) TAF through year 8.

Caring for yourself while you care for someone else: a qualitative study exploring the mental and cardiovascular health behaviours of female carers of stroke survivors.

Purpose: Female carers of stroke survivors may experience increased risk of developing chronic health issues, such as cardiovascular disease. This study aims to understand: (i) how female carers of stroke survivors manage their mental and cardiovascular health and (ii) the characteristics they would find helpful in an intervention to support their ability to manage their health and wellbeing.

Materials And Methods: A qualitative descriptive design was used with data collected semi-structured interviews and analysed using inductive thematic analysis.

Creating "a Safe Place to Go": Yarning With Health Workers About Stroke Recovery Care for Aboriginal Stroke Survivors-A Qualitative Study.

Stroke affects Aboriginal people at disproportionate rates compared to other populations in Australia. Aboriginal peoples are less likely to receive a timely stroke diagnosis, or timely culturally responsive treatment, as there are very few stroke resources and recovery plans that have been developed by Aboriginal peoples for Aboriginal peoples. Understanding how to develop and implement culturally responsive stroke care requires research approaches that are informed by and with Aboriginal people.

Graft Steatosis and Donor Diabetes Mellitus Additively Impact on Recipient Outcomes After Liver Transplantation-A European Registry Study.

Background And Aims: Biopsy-proven severe graft steatosis is associated with adverse outcomes after liver transplantation. The concomitant presence of metabolic risk factors might further increase this risk. We studied the association between graft steatosis and metabolic risk factors in the donor, with recipient outcomes after liver transplantation.

[A comparative study on personality characteristics in individuals with borderline intellectual functioning].

Background: Few studies have been conducted on personality traits and psychopathology in females and males with borderline intellectual functioning.

Aim: Examining gender differences in psychopathology and behavioral characteristics in patients with borderline intellectual functioning, and patients with average intellectual functioning.

Method: The MMPI-2-RF was administered to 116 patients with borderline intellectual functioning and psychopathology.

Incidence and prevalence of primary biliary cholangitis in the Netherlands - A nationwide cohort study.

Background & Aims: Although primary biliary cholangitis (PBC) is considered a rare disorder, accurate determination of its incidence and prevalence remains challenging due to limited comprehensive population-based registries. We aimed to assess the incidence and prevalence of PBC in the Netherlands over time through the nationwide Dutch PBC Cohort Study (DPCS).

Methods: DPCS retrospectively included every identifiable patient with PBC in the Netherlands from 1990 onwards in all 71 Dutch hospitals.

Electrical vagus nerve stimulation is a promising approach to reducing pulmonary complications after an esophagectomy: an experimental rodent model.

After esophagectomy, an imbalanced inflammatory response increases the risk of postoperative morbidity. The vagus nerve modulates local and systemic inflammatory responses, but its pulmonary branches are transected during esophagectomy as part of the oncological resection, which may account for the high incidence of postoperative (pulmonary) complications. This study investigated the effect of electrical vagus nerve stimulation (VNS) on lipopolysaccharide (LPS)-induced lung injury in rats.