Publications by authors named "Lau V"

Loss of IFNγ-sensitivity by tumours is thought to be a mechanism enabling evasion, but recent studies suggest that IFNγ-resistant tumours can be sensitised for immunotherapy, yet the underlying mechanism remains unclear. Here, we show that IFNγ receptor-deficient B16-F10 mouse melanoma tumours are controlled as efficiently as WT tumours despite their lower MHC class I expression. Mechanistically, IFNγ receptor deletion in B16-F10 tumours increases IFNγ availability, triggering a remodelling of the immune landscape characterised by inflammatory monocyte infiltration and the generation of 'mono-macs'.

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Background: Pathological Q waves at presentation in ST segment elevation myocardial infarction (STEMI) have been associated with poorer clinical outcomes including heart failure. This observational study highlights the prognostic value of pathological Q waves at presentation in the Southeast Asian population.

Methods: Multiethnic Asian patients presenting with STEMI and treated with primary coronary intervention were recruited from 2015 to 2019.

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  • Intravenous vasopressors are commonly used for unstable patients in critical care, but the potential of oral vasopressors like midodrine is still being explored.
  • A study was conducted at the University of Alberta Hospital to assess the feasibility of using midodrine in ICU patients who were reliant on IV vasopressors, involving random assignment to midodrine or placebo.
  • Results showed that midodrine had a slightly shorter ICU stay and lower hospital mortality compared to the placebo, indicating a need for further research on oral vasopressors in critically ill patients.
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Objectives: To summarize the efficacy of midodrine as an adjunctive therapy in critically ill patients. Safety of midodrine was assessed as a secondary outcome.

Data Sources: We performed a systematic review and meta-analysis using a peer-reviewed search strategy combining the themes of vasopressor-dependent shock, critical care, and midodrine and including MEDLINE, Ovid Embase, CINAHL, and Cochrane library databases until September 14, 2023.

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  • The study investigates the unknown risk of noise-induced hearing loss (NIHL) for orthopedic surgeons during manual and robotic arthroplasty procedures, aiming to assess if these surgical techniques contribute to this risk.* -
  • Researchers collected sound recordings during total knee and hip arthroplasties to measure decibel levels, finding much higher noise levels (106.0 to 108.0 dB) during surgeries compared to baseline controls.* -
  • Results indicated that orthopedic surgeons performing robotic-assisted total knee arthroplasties had the highest noise exposure, with doses exceeding safe limits, suggesting a need for protective measures against NIHL.*
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Objective: We evaluated the cost-effectiveness of a bundled intervention including an antimicrobial stewardship program (ASP), procalcitonin (PCT) testing, and rapid blood culture identification (BCID), compared with pre-implementation standard care in critically ill adult patients with sepsis.

Methods: We conducted a decision tree model-based cost-effectiveness analysis alongside a previously published pre- and post-implementation quality improvement study. We adopted a public Canadian healthcare payer's perspective.

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Human melanoma is linked with aging-related disorders, prompting interest in the development of functional foods derived from natural ingredients to mitigate its incidence. Molecules in green seaweeds such as Caulerpa racemosa can serve this purpose due to their anti-tumor and anti-inflammatory properties. A previous work study compounds profiling has been carried out, and in this research the molecular docking studies targeting receptors associated with melanoma (GRP78, IRE1, BRAF) and aging (mTOR, AMPK, SIRT1) identified four promising compound in an extract of C.

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The data presented corresponds to the paper "The transfer of fibres between garments in a choreographed assault scenario" [1]. The dataset describes the features (generic fibre type, colour, length, recovered location) of 26101 fibres transferred and recovered following choreographed assault simulations performed by participants wearing a cotton T-shirt and polyester/cotton hoody. This data has been made available so others may employ different statistical methods and modelling approaches to further investigate relationships amongst variables, including continuous length of transferred target and extraneous fibres.

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  • Known genetic risk factors account for about one-third of familial endometrial cancer cases, but the link between rare germline copy number variants (CNVs) and cancer risk is not well understood.
  • A study analyzed DNA from over 4,000 endometrial cancer patients and nearly 18,000 controls, finding that the cancer group had a significantly higher number of CNVs.
  • The research identified 141 gene loci potentially related to endometrial cancer risk, highlighting a specific area (16p11.2) with recurrent deletions that could help further investigations into genetic susceptibility.
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  • * The researchers found that dark microglia interact with blood vessels and synapses and engage in trogocytosis, meaning they take pieces of pre-synaptic axon terminals.
  • * They discovered that dark microglia express specific proteins like CLEC7a, LPL, and TREM2, and that TREM2 is crucial for their function, indicating their important role in synaptic pruning and brain development.
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The Bio-Analytic Resource for Plant Biology ('the BAR', at https://bar.utoronto.ca) is celebrating its 20th year in operation in 2025.

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Chemical warfare agents that are liquids with low vapor pressure pose a contact hazard to anyone who encounters them. Personal protective equipment (PPE) is utilized to ensure safe interaction with these agents. A commonly used method to characterize the permeability of PPE towards chemical weapons is to apply droplets of the liquid agent to the surface of the material and measure for chemical breakthrough.

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  • The study aimed to assess how using point-of-care ultrasound (POCUS) during resuscitation affects outcomes for adult patients in shock.
  • Researchers analyzed data from various sources and included randomized controlled trials focusing on POCUS in these patients.
  • The results indicate that POCUS can moderately influence treatment decisions and may lead to reduced mortality and medication duration, but its effects on other outcomes like ICU admissions remain uncertain.
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Purpose: The COVID-19 pandemic has resulted in increased job vacancies in Canadian intensive care units (ICUs). We aimed to identify, explore, and describe factors contributing to the decisions of health care workers to leave, or strongly consider leaving their ICU positions during the peri-COVID-19 pandemic era.

Methods: We undertook a qualitative descriptive study between June and August 2022.

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Purpose: To demonstrate magnetization transfer (MT) effects with low specific absorption rate (SAR) on ultra-low-field (ULF) MRI.

Methods: MT imaging was implemented by using sinc-modulated RF pulse train (SPT) modules to provide bilateral off-resonance irradiation. They were incorporated into 3D gradient echo (GRE) and fast spin echo (FSE) protocols on a shielding-free 0.

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Purpose: Opioids remain the mainstay of analgesia for critically ill patients, but its exposure is associated with negative effects including persistent use after discharge. Nonsteroidal anti-inflammatory drugs (NSAIDs) may be an effective alternative to opioids with fewer adverse effects. We aimed to describe beliefs and attitudes towards the use of NSAIDs in adult intensive care units (ICUs).

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We aim to explore the feasibility of head and neck time-of-flight (TOF) magnetic resonance angiography (MRA) at ultra-low-field (ULF). TOF MRA was conducted on a highly simplified 0.05 T MRI scanner with no radiofrequency (RF) and magnetic shielding.

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  • Alzheimer's disease (AD) is the leading cause of dementia, yet its underlying mechanisms, such as amyloid plaques and neurofibrillary tangles, are not fully understood.
  • Recent research highlights the role of inflammation in AD, particularly focusing on the dysregulation of a protein called Reelin, which is linked to inflammatory processes.
  • The study proposes that inflammation can disrupt Reelin signaling, potentially increasing the risk of developing AD, and discusses various disorders that involve both Reelin dysregulation and inflammation as factors for heightened AD risk.
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  • In Indonesia, early-onset colorectal cancer (EOCRC) occurs more frequently in those under 50, potentially linked to a higher incidence of Lynch syndrome (LS) among CRC patients.
  • A study at Dr. Sardjito General Hospital examined 244 samples for mutations in KRAS and PIK3CA, finding significant associations between these mutations, microsatellite instability (MSI) status, and Lynch syndrome.
  • Results indicated that KRAS mutations correlate with right-sided colorectal cancer and higher histology grades, while PIK3CA mutations link to female patients and lower tumor-infiltrating lymphocyte levels; however, neither mutation significantly impacted overall survival.
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The marine environment provides a rich source of distinct creatures containing potentially revolutionary bioactive chemicals. One of these organisms is , a type of green algae known as green seaweed, seagrapes, or green caviar. This organism stands out because it has great promise for use in medicine, especially in the study of cancer.

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  • A study was conducted to evaluate the effects of the proton-pump inhibitor pantoprazole on critically ill patients undergoing invasive ventilation, comparing it to a placebo.
  • The trial included 4,821 patients and found that pantoprazole significantly reduced the incidence of clinically important upper gastrointestinal bleeding compared to placebo (1.0% vs. 3.5%).
  • However, there was no significant difference in overall mortality rates at 90 days between the pantoprazole group (29.1%) and the placebo group (30.9%).
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  • The study compares the effectiveness and safety of combining stereotactic body radiotherapy (SBRT) with immunotherapy versus SBRT alone in patients with unresectable hepatocellular carcinoma.
  • Results show that the combination therapy (SBRT-IO) led to significantly improved overall survival rates and response compared to SBRT alone, with higher rates of complete and partial responses among patients.
  • Despite some cases of severe side effects from immunotherapy, the combination treatment demonstrated better outcomes, suggesting that further research through randomized trials is needed.
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In this study, we present a simple, highly sensitive, and selective colorimetric method for detecting sulfur mustard (SM) and its simulants. This method relies on a nucleophilic substitution reaction between derivatives of 4-(-nitrobenzyl)pyridine (NBP) and SM and subsequent treatment with an external base, resulting in a visible response. This reaction exhibits an impressively low detection threshold by the naked eye, as low as 10 ppm at room temperature.

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Despite a half-century of advancements, global magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) accessibility remains limited and uneven, hindering its full potential in health care. Initially, MRI development focused on low fields around 0.05 Tesla, but progress halted after the introduction of the 1.

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