Publications by authors named "Lai E"

Kiwifruit is an economically and nutritionally important horticultural fruit crop worldwide. The genomic data of several kiwifruit species have been released, providing an unprecedented opportunity for pan-genome analysis to comprehensively investigate the inter- and intra-species genetic diversity and facilitate utilization for kiwifruit breeding. Here, we generated a kiwifruit super pan-genome using 15 high-quality assemblies of eight Actinidia species.

View Article and Find Full Text PDF

Background: The present study aimed to investigate the prognostic and predictive roles of Hb/RDW ratio in patients with mRCC treated with first-line immunotherapy combinations (TKI plus ICI or ICI plus ICI).

Materials And Methods: We performed a sub-analysis of a multicenter retrospective observational study (ARON-1 project) involving patients with mRCC treated with first-line immunotherapy combinations.

Results: Three hundred and twenty-nine patients were enrolled, 244 males and 85 females.

View Article and Find Full Text PDF

A compilation of factors over the past decade-including the availability of increasingly large and rich healthcare datasets, advanced technologies to extract unstructured information from health records and digital sources, advancement of principled study design and analytic methods to emulate clinical trials, and frameworks to support transparent study conduct-has ushered in a new era of real-world evidence (RWE). This review article describes the evolution of the RWE era, including pharmacoepidemiologic methods designed to support causal inferences regarding treatment effects, the role of regulators and other health authorities in establishing distributed real-world data networks enabling analytics at scale, and the many global guidance documents on principled methods of producing RWE. This article also highlights the growing opportunity for RWE to support decision making by regulators, health technology assessment groups, clinicians, patients, and other stakeholders and provides examples of influential RWE studies.

View Article and Find Full Text PDF

Horizontal transfer of genetic material in eukaryotes has rarely been documented over short evolutionary timescales. Here, we show that two retrotransposons, Shellder and Spoink, invaded the genomes of multiple species of the melanogaster subgroup within the last 50 years. Through horizontal transfer, Spoink spread in D.

View Article and Find Full Text PDF

Unlabelled: Most subjects in osteoporosis clinical trials were women with postmenopausal osteoporosis and while bridging studies (BMD endpoint) provide an expectation that osteoporosis medications will reduce fracture risk in men. This real-world study shows direct evidence of fracture risk reduction among men with osteoporosis (36% of hip fracture reduction with denosumab).

Purpose: Direct evidence for fracture risk reduction of medications used among men with osteoporosis is very limited.

View Article and Find Full Text PDF

Background: The older population is more vulnerable to the impact of extreme hot weather events (EHWEs), while the impact on the frailer institutionalised older population was seldom assessed. Our objective was to assess the relationship between EHWEs and hospitalisation risks among institutionalised and community-dwelling older people.

Methods: We used territory-wide hospitalisation record of Hong Kong from year 2012 to 2018 to assess the associations between EHWEs and cardiovascular and respiratory disease hospitalisations in the population aged 65 or above.

View Article and Find Full Text PDF

Concerns have been raised that glucagon-like peptide 1 receptor agonists (GLP1-RAs) may increase the risk of thyroid cancer, but evidence remains conflicting. We therefore investigated if GLP1-RA use, compared with use of dipeptidyl peptidase-4 inhibitors (DPP-4is), was associated with thyroid cancer risk in patients with type 2 diabetes. This multisite cohort study with subsequent meta-analysis included six population-based databases from Canada (Ontario), Denmark, Norway, South Korea, Sweden, and Taiwan.

View Article and Find Full Text PDF

Background/objectives: Curcumin is well known for its great anti-inflammatory and antioxidant efficacy, representing a potential strategy for the treatment of respiratory disorders. However, several drawbacks, such as chemical instability, poor water solubility and rapid metabolism, result in low bioavailability, limiting its clinical applications. In this study, curcumin nanocrystals were incorporated into mannitol-based microparticles to obtain an inhalable dry powder.

View Article and Find Full Text PDF

Celery (Apium graveolens L.) is an important vegetable crop in the Apiaceae family. It comprises three botanical varieties: common celery with solid and succulent petioles, celeriac or root celery with enlarged and fleshy hypocotyls and smallage or leaf celery with slender, leafy and usually hollow petioles.

View Article and Find Full Text PDF

The binding affinity of pharmaceutical hydrochlorides onto transition metal oxide nanoparticles (TMONPs) was investigated through a consecutive process of adsorption and desorption. Mexiletine (MEX) was chosen as a model pharmaceutical hydrochloride that bound onto TMONPs' surface through electrostatic interactions and coordination bonding. Response surface methodology was applied for their optimal separation by capillary electrophoresis to achieve accurate quantitation.

View Article and Find Full Text PDF

microRNAs (miRNAs) and small interfering RNAs (siRNAs) are 21- to 22-nucleotide RNAs that guide Argonaute-class effectors to targets for repression. In this work, we uncover 5-aminolevulinic acid synthase 1 (ALAS1), the initiating enzyme for heme biosynthesis, as a general repressor of miRNA accumulation. Although heme is known to be a positive cofactor for the nuclear miRNA processing machinery, ALAS1-but not other heme biosynthesis enzymes-limits the assembly and activity of Argonaute complexes under heme-replete conditions.

View Article and Find Full Text PDF

Importance: In pregnancy, the benefits of lithium treatment for relapse prevention in psychiatric conditions must be weighed against potential teratogenic effects. Currently, there is a paucity of information on how and when lithium is used by pregnant women.

Objective: To examine lithium use in the perinatal period.

View Article and Find Full Text PDF

Background: The rapidly acting opioid fentanyl commonly used in the perioperative setting, has traditionally been packaged in 100 or 250-μg vials. In September 2021, our institution implemented a change from fentanyl 100-μg vials to 50-μg preloaded syringes in our operating rooms. The objective of this study was aimed at assessing the association of the fentanyl product change on reducing medication waste and the amount of fentanyl administered during surgery.

View Article and Find Full Text PDF

Introduction: Over the years, several prognostic models were developed in patients receiving chemotherapy for metastatic castration resistant prostate cancer (mCRPC), while data on androgen-receptor signaling inhibitors (ARSI) in a real-world setting are limited.

Patients And Methods: We compared a consecutive series of 565 mCRPC patients receiving first-line ARSI at 4 high-volume Italian Centers (development set) to an external series of 180 patients receiving the same treatment at another Italian high-volume Center (training set), between 2011 and 2022. Sixteen clinical and baseline laboratory variables were selected to develop a prognostic model.

View Article and Find Full Text PDF

Cannabidiol (CBD), a small nonpsychoactive molecule derived from , exerts a variety of therapeutic actions, such as anti-inflammatory, antioxidant, and antibacterial. Epidiolex is the only FDA-approved medicine containing pure CBD as an oral solution for seizure-controlling therapy. Nevertheless, the oral bioavailability of CBD is challenging due to its physical-chemical properties such as low solubility in water and high first-pass metabolism.

View Article and Find Full Text PDF

Background: Attention deficit hyperactive disorder (ADHD) is a neurodevelopmental disorder occurring in children and adults. Pharmacotherapy remains the cornerstone of ADHD treatment. Stimulants such as methylphenidate are effective and have been one of the best studied and most frequently used treatment for ADHD.

View Article and Find Full Text PDF

MicroRNAs (miRNAs) play a crucial role in regulating gene expression and influence many biological processes. Despite their importance, understanding of how genetic variation affects miRNA expression in the brain and how this relates to brain disorders remains limited. Here we investigated these questions by identifying microRNA expression quantitative trait loci (miR-QTLs), or genetic variants associated with brain miRNA levels, using genome-wide small RNA sequencing profiles from dorsolateral prefrontal cortex samples of 604 older adult donors of European ancestry.

View Article and Find Full Text PDF

Purpose: The present study evaluates the preliminary effectiveness of a parent-implemented support program to enhance language outcomes in Chinese-learning preschoolers with a confirmed diagnosis or at elevated likelihood of autism, a lifelong neurodevelopmental condition. The program is delivered entirely online with the option of a group format. Because of cross-cultural differences in adult learning and parent-child interaction and because parent coaching programs for autism that are delivered online are only emerging, a specific study to evaluate the effectiveness of online support for Chinese families is warranted.

View Article and Find Full Text PDF

Background: Despite a reduction of both incidence and mortality from CRC, recent studies have shown an increase in the incidence of early-onset CRC (EO-CRC). Data on this setting are limited. The aim of our study was to evaluate the clinical and molecular profiles of metastatic EO-CRC patients in order to identify differences compared to a late-onset CRC (LO-CRC) control group.

View Article and Find Full Text PDF
Article Synopsis
  • The research aimed to create a new method for quantifying nanoplastics in water samples, even with the presence of microplastics and other particles, by using fluorescent organic dyes for binding.
  • The study demonstrated effective binding to polystyrene nanoparticles, indicated by changes in zeta potential, and used centrifugation to separate free dyes from bound particles before analyzing them through capillary electrophoresis and fluorescence detection.
  • This novel approach allows for fast screening of water samples, achieving high binding percentages and confirming minimal interference from other substances, making it suitable for rapid testing of various water sources.
View Article and Find Full Text PDF

Our study aimed to assess the prevalence of fall risk-increasing drugs (FRIDs) in a sample of community-residing older patients in Croatia and its association with negative health outcomes. An observational, cross-sectional study was conducted on older patients (65+) visiting community pharmacies in three regionally different study sites in Croatia. Data were collected using a questionnaire developed for that purpose and included components of comprehensive geriatric assessment.

View Article and Find Full Text PDF
Article Synopsis
  • The study researched the optimal dose of lurasidone for treating bipolar depression, focusing on efficacy, acceptability, and metabolic/endocrine effects.
  • It reviewed five clinical trials involving 2,032 patients and found that doses between 40-60 mg significantly improved depression, anxiety, and quality of life while experiencing manageable side effects.
  • Results indicated that while higher doses led to increased side effects and weight gain, a 40-60 mg dose was generally the best choice for treatment without major risks of dropout or manic switch.
View Article and Find Full Text PDF