The anti-tumor effect of the IFNγ/Fas chimera expressed on CT26 tumor cells.

Interferon gamma (IFNγ) is well-known for its ability to stimulate immune cells in response to pathogen infections and cancer. To develop an effective cancer therapeutic vaccine, CT26 colon carcinoma cells were genetically modified to express IFNγ either as a secreted form (sIFNγ) or as a membrane-bound form. For the membrane-bound expression, IFNγ was fused with Fas (mbIFNγ/Fas), incorporating the extracellular cysteine-rich domains, transmembrane, and cytoplasmic domains of Fas.

enhancement of CD8+ T cell activity using functionalized hydrogel encapsulating tonsil-derived lymphatic endothelial cells.

This study investigates a method for programming immune cells using a biomaterial-based system, providing an alternative to traditional cell manipulation techniques. It addresses the limitations of engineered adoptive T cell therapies, such as T cell exhaustion, by introducing a gelatin-hyaluronic acid (GH-GMA) hydrogel system. We characterized tonsil mesenchymal stem cells (TMSCs), lymphatic endothelial cells (T-LECs), stimulated T-CD8 T cells (STCs), and GH-GMA biomaterials.

Neither Bone Marrow Aspirate Concentrate nor Platelet-Rich Plasma Improves Patient-Reported Outcomes After Surgical Management of Acetabular Labral Tears; However, Bone Marrow Aspirate Concentrate May Be Effective for Moderate Cartilage Damage: A Systematic Review.

Purpose: To (1) systematically assess which orthobiologic agents are being used in acetabular labral repairs and (2) report all available outcomes for patients undergoing operative management for labral repairs with orthobiologic agents.

Methods: The PubMed, Embase, and Cochrane databases were queried in August 2023. Articles were included if they used an orthobiologic agent during hip arthroscopy for acetabular labral repair and reported functional outcomes.

Biodiversity of the Bacterial and Fungal Microbiome and Associated Inflammatory Cytokine Profile in Chronic Rhinosinusitis.

Background: Dysbiosis of the bacterial and fungal microbiome has been increasingly implicated in the pathogenesis of chronic rhinosinusitis (CRS). This study explores the relationship between microbiome and mycobiome biodiversity and type 2 (T2) versus non-type 2 (NT2) inflammation.

Methods: Mucosal tissues from the ethmoid sinus were collected during endoscopic sinus (CRS) and skull base (controls) surgery between January 2020 and July 2021.

Chronic viral mimicry induction following p53 loss promotes immune evasion.

Epigenetic therapies facilitate transcription of immunogenic repetitive elements that cull cancer cells through 'viral mimicry' responses. Paradoxically, cancer-initiating events also facilitate transcription of repetitive elements. Contributions of repetitive element transcription towards cancer initiation, and the mechanisms by which cancer cells evade lethal viral mimicry responses during tumor initiation remain poorly understood.

Recurrence-free survival after hepatectomy using propofol-based total intravenous anaesthesia and sevoflurane-based inhalational anaesthesia: a randomised controlled study.

Background: While evidence from preclinical and observational cohort studies have suggested potential disparities in tumour behaviour associated with the choice of intra-operative anaesthetics, clinical evidence of tumour recurrence and metastasis remains inconclusive. We aimed to compare the impact of intra-operative anaesthesia on oncologic outcomes following hepatectomy for hepatocellular carcinoma.

Methods: Adult patients scheduled for elective hepatectomy for hepatocellular carcinoma were assigned randomly (1:1) to either propofol-based total intravenous anaesthesia or sevoflurane-based inhalational anaesthesia.

A novel spectroscopy-deep learning approach for aqueous multi-heavy metal detection.

Addressing heavy metal contamination in water bodies is a critical concern for environmental scientists. Traditional detection methods are often complex and costly. Recent advancements in artificial intelligence (AI), particularly machine learning (ML) and deep learning (DL), have shown significant potential in analytical chemistry.

Comparison of early warning scoring systems for predicting stroke occurrence among hospitalized patients: A study using smart clinical data warehouse.

Background: This study aimed to evaluate the predictive ability of two widely used early warning scoring systems, the Modified Early Warning Score (MEWS) and the National Early Warning Score (NEWS), for predicting stroke occurrence in hospitalized patients.

Methods: The study enrolled 5,474 patients admitted to the intensive care unit from the general ward using data from the Smart Clinical Data Warehouse (CDW). MEWS and NEWS were calculated based on vital signs and clinical parameters within four hours of stroke onset.

Generation of deep learning based virtual non-contrast CT using dual-layer dual-energy CT and its application to planning CT for radiotherapy.

This paper presents a novel approach for generating virtual non-contrast planning computed tomography (VNC-pCT) images from contrast-enhanced planning CT (CE-pCT) scans using a deep learning model. Unlike previous studies, which often lacked sufficient data pairs of contrast-enhanced and non-contrast CT images, we trained our model on dual-energy CT (DECT) images, using virtual non-contrast CT (VNC CT) images as outputs instead of true non-contrast CT images. We used a deterministic method to convert CE-pCT images into pseudo DECT images for model application.

Insignificant difference in medication adherence to dyslipidemia drugs between visually impaired and non-disabled people in South Korea: A nationwide cohort study using claims records.

Incidence of visual impairment (VI) and dyslipidemia is increasing with aging. Although good medication adherence (MA) is a crucial factor in achieving therapeutic goals for dyslipidemia, there is a paucity of studies measuring MA in the visually impaired with dyslipidemia. We investigated whether patients with VI had worse MA to dyslipidemia drugs than non-disabled people and determined the factors affecting MA among patients with VI.

Longitudinal monitoring of sewershed resistomes in socioeconomically diverse urban neighborhoods.

Background: Understanding factors associated with antimicrobial resistance (AMR) distribution across populations is a necessary step in planning mitigation measures. While associations between AMR and socioeconomic-status (SES), including employment and education have been increasingly recognized in low- and middle-income settings, connections are less clear in high-income countries where SES remains an important influence on other health outcomes.

Methods: We explored the relationship between SES and AMR in Calgary, Canada using spatially-resolved wastewater-based surveillance of resistomes detected by metagenomics across eight socio-economically diverse urban neighborhoods.

External validation of an artificial intelligence model using clinical variables, including ICD-10 codes, for predicting in-hospital mortality among trauma patients: a multicenter retrospective cohort study.

Artificial intelligence (AI) is being increasingly applied in healthcare to improve patient care and clinical outcomes. We previously developed an AI model using ICD-10 (International Classification of Diseases, Tenth Revision) codes with other clinical variables to predict in-hospital mortality among trauma patients from a nationwide database. This study aimed to externally validate the performance of the AI model.

The role of carotid elongation for intervention time and outcome in mechanical thrombectomy for anterior circulation acute ischemic stroke.

Introduction: This study investigates the influence of carotid artery elongation on neurovascular intervention and outcome in acute stroke treatments proposing an easily assessable imaging marker for carotid elongation.

Methods: 118 patients who underwent mechanical thrombectomy for middle cerebral artery occlusions were included. The carotid elongation ratio (CER), center-line artery length to scan's Z-axis, was measured on the affected side in CT-angiographies.

Clinical predictors and noninvasive imaging in Fontan-associated liver disease: A systematic review and meta-analysis.

Background: Despite the development of several imaging modalities for diagnosing Fontan-associated liver disease (FALD), there is no optimal protocol for the follow-up of FALD. We conducted a systematic review and meta-analysis to identify factors related to liver fibrosis using biopsy reports and to identify alternative noninvasive modalities that could better reflect liver histological changes in FALD.

Methods: A systematic review and meta-analysis were conducted following the PRISMA guidelines Table S2.

Validity of the Actigraph-GT9X accelerometer for measuring steps and energy expenditures in heart failure patients.

Introduction: The ActiGraph (AG) accelerometer is widely used to assess physical activity (PA) in heart failure (HF) patients. However, the validity of the AG in this population remains unexplored.

Objective: Therefore, this study examined the criterion validity of the AG-GT9X for measuring step counts (SC) and energy expenditure (EE) among HF patients.

Effects of Exercise on Pain and Disability after Lumbar Disc Herniation Surgery: A Systematic Review and Meta-Analysis of Randomized Controlled Trials.

Objective: To evaluate the effects of postoperative exercise on pain, disability, and quality of life (QoL) after lumbar disc herniation (LDH) surgery.

Design: We systematically searched the PubMed, EMBASE, Cochrane Library, and PEDro databases up to May 2024. Two reviewers independently selected and assessed relevant randomized controlled trials investigating the effectiveness of postoperative exercise after the surgical treatment of patients diagnosed with LDH on low back pain, disability, and QoL assessed using visual analog scale (VAS), Oswestry Disability Index (ODI), and 36-item short-form health survey (SF-36).

Association between non-invasive liver biomarkers and graft outcomes in kidney transplantation recipients.

Introduction: Although studies have suggested that metabolic risk profiles are prognostic factors in kidney transplantation recipients (KTRs), the prognostic value of fatty liver, a known surrogate of metabolic risk, in KTRs remain to be elucidated. The objective of this study was to investigate the association between non-invasive liver biomarkers used to assess hepatic steatotic and fibrotic burdens and graft outcomes in KTRs.

Methods: A total of 3,092 patients who underwent deceased or living donor kidney transplantation (KT) between January 2000 and December 2022 were enrolled.

A chromosome-level genome assembly of wild silkmoth, Bombyx mandarina.

The wild silk moth, Bombyx mandarina, is the closest relative of the domesticated silk moth, Bombyx mori. National BioResource Project of Japan (NBRP) maintains a B. mandarina strain derived from individuals captured at Sakado (Saitama, Japan) in 1982.

The protein kinase C modulator bryostatin-1 therapeutically targets microglia to attenuate neuroinflammation and promote remyelination.

In multiple sclerosis (MS), microglia and macrophages within the central nervous system (CNS) play an important role in determining the balance among demyelination, neurodegeneration, and myelin repair. Phagocytic and regenerative functions of these CNS innate immune cells support remyelination, whereas chronic and maladaptive inflammatory activation promotes lesion expansion and disability, particularly in the progressive forms of MS. No currently approved drugs convincingly target microglia and macrophages within the CNS, contributing to the lack of therapies aimed at promoting remyelination and slowing disease progression for individuals with MS.

No Bridge between Us: EXAFS and Computations Confirm Two Distant Iron Ions Comprise the Active Site of Alkane Monooxygenase (AlkB).

Alkane monooxygenase (AlkB) is the dominant enzyme that catalyzes the oxidation of liquid alkanes in the environment. Two recent structural models derived from cryo-electron microscopy (cryo-EM) reveal an unusual active site: a histidine-rich center that binds two iron ions without a bridging ligand. To ensure that potential photoreduction and radiation damage are not responsible for the absence of a bridging ligand in the cryo-EM structures, spectroscopic methods are needed.

Bio-Orchestration of Cellular Organization and Human-Preferred Sensory Texture in Cultured Meat.

For cultured meat to effectively replace traditional meat, it is essential to develop scaffolds that replicate key attributes of real meat, such as taste, nutrition, flavor, and texture. However, one of the significant challenges in replicating meat characteristics with scaffolds lies in the considerable gap between the stiffness preferred by cells and the textural properties desired by humans. To address this issue, we focused on the microscale environment conducive to cell growth and the macro-scale properties favored by humans.

Anion-Rich Interface via a Self-Assembled Monolayer toward a Long-Lifespan Li Metal Battery.

Due to the extremely high energy density of Li metal, Li metal batteries are regarded as one of the most promising candidates for next-generation energy storage systems. However, interfacial issues, particularly the unstable solid electrolyte interphase (SEI) and lithium dendritic growth, hinder practical application. Herein, we induce an anion-rich interface near the Li metal by introducing positively charged self-assembled monolayers (SAMs) on ceramic-coated separators to simultaneously stabilize the SEI and homogenize the Li deposition.