Spatiotemporal evolution and transmission dynamics of Alpha and Delta SARS-CoV-2 variants contributing to sequential outbreaks in Cambodia during 2021.

Background: Tracking the emergence, introduction and spread of SARS-CoV-2 variants of concern are essential for informing public health strategies. In 2021, Cambodia faced two major epidemic waves of SARS-CoV-2 triggered by the successive rise of the Alpha and Delta variants.

Methods: Phylodynamic analysis of 1,163 complete SARS-CoV-2 genomes from Cambodia, along with global sequences, were conducted between February and September 2021 to infer viral introductions, molecular epidemiology and population dynamics.

Comparison of MRI head motion indicators in 40,969 subjects informs neuroimaging study design.

Head motion during MRI compromises image quality for clinical assessments and research. Active motion reduction strategies are effective but rarely applied due to uncertainty in their value for a given study. The ability to anticipate motion based on group characteristics would aid effective neuroimaging study design.

Molecular Design of a Diketopyrrolopyrrole Conjugated Oligoelectrolyte Capable of Imaging Intracellular Vesicle Membrane Dynamics.

Conjugated oligoelectrolytes (COEs) are lipid bilayer spanning optical reporters that hold promise for delineating spatiotemporal changes in subcellular compartments. However, their ability to probe a broader range of biological processes remains restricted due to the lack of environmentally-responsive chemical functionalities. Herein, the study reports a novel COE, namely COE-KP, for monitoring spatiotemporal changes in the endolysosomal vesicles.

Analysis of a cell-free DNA-based cancer screening cohort links fragmentomic profiles, nuclease levels, and plasma DNA concentrations.

The concentration of circulating cell-free DNA (cfDNA) in plasma is an important determinant of the robustness of liquid biopsies. However, biological mechanisms that lead to inter-individual differences in cfDNA concentrations remain unexplored. The concentration of plasma cfDNA is governed by an interplay between its release and clearance.

Cardiovascular Benefits and Safety Profile of Macrolide Maintenance Therapy in Patients with Bronchiectasis.

Background: Macrolide maintenance therapy (MMT) has demonstrated notable efficacy in reducing exacerbation in patients with bronchiectasis, which is a major risk factor for cardiovascular events. However, a comprehensive assessment of the cardiovascular benefits and safety profile of MMT in this population is lacking.

Methods: This territory-wide cohort study analyzed patients diagnosed with bronchiectasis in Hong Kong between 2001 and 2018.

Oscillometry in the diagnosis, assessment, and monitoring of asthma in children and adults.

Diagnosing asthma typically relies on clinical history, physical examination, and objective lung function test results. Spirometry, the gold standard for assessing lung function, is universally recommended for the diagnostic, assessment, and monitoring of asthma. It requires maximal respiratory effort that limits cooperation in certain populations and has limitations in detecting small airway dysfunction.

Comparative Safety and Effectiveness of Bevacizumab Biosimilars to Originator for the Treatment of Metastatic Colorectal Cancer.

Background: Ontario has publicly funded biosimilar bevacizumab for first-line metastatic colorectal cancer (mCRC) since 2019. Clinical trials demonstrate comparable efficacy and safety of bevacizumab biosimilars to originator bevacizumab. The objective of this study was to assess real-world safety and effectiveness of the implementation of bevacizumab biosimilars compared with originator bevacizumab in patients with mCRC.

The reliability of medication and death recording in electronic health records among people with schizophrenia in Hong Kong.

Objective: This study aimed to examine the reliability of death and medication records among individuals diagnosed with schizophrenia between two widely-used electronic health record (EHR) databases in Hong Kong: the Clinical Management System (CMS) and the Clinical Data Analysis and Reporting System (CDARS).

Methods: A cohort of patients with schizophrenia-spectrum disorders enrolled in public psychiatric services in Hong Kong between 1998 and 2003 was identified from the CMS. The unique IDs, vital status, and clozapine prescription information of these patients were extracted from both the CMS and CDARS.

Analyzing and predicting short-term substance use behaviors of persons who use drugs in the great plains of the U.S.

Background: Substance use induces large economic and societal costs in the U.S. Understanding the change in substance use behaviors of persons who use drugs (PWUDs) over time, therefore, is important in order to inform healthcare providers, policymakers, and other stakeholders toward more efficient allocation of limited resources to at-risk PWUDs.

Colorectal Cancer Incidence and Mortality After Negative Colonoscopy Screening Results.

Importance: The current recommendation for a 10-year rescreening interval after a negative colonoscopy screening (NCS) result has been questioned, with some studies showing a persistently lower risk of colorectal cancer (CRC) after NCS results.

Objective: To examine long-term CRC incidence and mortality after NCS results (ie, no presence of CRC or polyps) and according to a risk score based on major demographic and lifestyle risk factors.

Design, Setting, And Participants: In this cohort study, 3 prospective US population-based cohorts from the Nurses' Health Study, Nurses' Health Study II, and Health Professionals Follow-up Study were followed up from 1988 and 1991 to 2020.

Spontaneous regression of paediatric pituitary lesions-report of 2 cases and literature review.

Objective: Pituitary lesions are rare in the pediatric population. They consist of a heterogenous group of neoplasms including pituitary adenomas (PA) and Rathke cleft cysts (RCC). Their natural history, management strategies, and long-term outcomes are mostly extrapolated from adult experience.

Integrated Compression Screw Versus Unicortical Locking Screw for Fixing the Dorsal Critical Corner in Distal Radius Fractures: A Biomechanical Study.

Purpose: Although studies have demonstrated that locked screws with a length of 75% of the radius width are sufficient for the treatment of extra-articular fractures of the distal radius, the application of this principle to intra-articular fractures is less well-understood. This study aimed to evaluate the biomechanical properties of different types of volar plate fixation constructs for the treatment of distal radius fractures in the presence of a dorsal critical corner fragment.

Methods: A dorsal critical corner fracture was created in 18 synthetic distal radius models.

Tandem Mass Spectrometry of Perfluorocarboxylate Anions: Fragmentation Induced by Reactive Species Formed From Microwave Excited Hydrogen and Water Plasmas.

Rationale: Polyfluoroalkyl substances (PFAS) like perfluorooctanoic acid have persistent environmental and physiological effects. This study investigates the degradation of CFCO (n = 1-7) with neutral radical fragmentation under oxygen attachment dissociation (OAD). Unique fragments absent from collision-induced dissociation (CID) are observed.

Cancer epigenetic therapy: recent advances, challenges, and emerging opportunities.

Epigenetic dysregulation is an important nexus in the development and maintenance of human cancers. This review provides an overview of how understanding epigenetic dysregulation in cancers has led to insights for novel cancer therapy development. Over the past two decades, significant strides have been made in drug discovery efforts targeting cancer epigenetic mechanisms, leading to successes in clinical development and approval of cancer epigenetic therapeutics.

CT-Based Lung Size Matching in Delayed Chest Closure for Systemic Sclerosis Lung Transplantation.

Purpose: Delayed chest closure (DCC) during lung transplantation (LTx) is a controversial surgical approach that lacks research in systemic sclerosis (SSc) patients. We investigated outcomes, clinical risk factors, and CT-based lung size-matching parameters associated with DCC in SSc recipients.

Methods: This retrospective study included 92 SSc recipients (age 51 years ± 10, 56/92 (61.