Real-World Data on Clinical Outcomes of Patients with Liver Cancer: A Prospective Validation of the National Cancer Centre Singapore Consensus Guidelines for the Management of Hepatocellular Carcinoma.

Introduction: Real-world management of patients with hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) is crucially challenging in the current rapidly evolving clinical environment which includes the need for respecting patient preferences and autonomy. In this context, regional/national treatment guidelines nuanced to local demographics have increasing importance in guiding disease management. We report here real-world data on clinical outcomes in HCC from a validation of the Consensus Guidelines for HCC at the National Cancer Centre Singapore (NCCS).

Randomized Controlled Trial Comparing Drug-coated Balloon Angioplasty versus Conventional Balloon Angioplasty for Treating Below-the-Knee Arteries in Critical Limb Ischemia: The SINGA-PACLI Trial.

Background There is a paucity of randomized trials demonstrating superior efficacy of drug-coated balloon angioplasty (DCBA) compared with conventional percutaneous transluminal angioplasty (PTA) for below-the-knee arterial disease in patients with -critical limb ischemia. Purpose To compare DCBA versus PTA for below-the-knee lesions in participants with critical limb ischemia through 12 months. Materials and Methods In this prospective, randomized, two-center, double-blind superiority study, participants with critical limb ischemia with rest pain or tissue loss with atherosclerotic disease in the native below-the-knee arteries were randomly assigned (in a one-to-one ratio) to DCBA or PTA after stratification for diabetes and renal failure between November 2013 and October 2017.

Design and operation of magnetophoretic systems at microscale: Device and particle approaches.

Combining both device and particle designs are the essential concepts to be considered in magnetophoretic system development. Researcher efforts are often dedicated to only one of these design aspects and neglecting the interplay between them. Herein, to bring out importance of the idea of integration between device and particle, we reviewed the working principle of magnetophoretic system (includes both device and particle design concepts).

Effects of Hydrothermal Processing Duration on the Texture, Starch and Protein In Vitro Digestibility of Cowpeas, Chickpeas and Kidney Beans.

Legumes are a vital candidate in the fight for food security as a sustainable and nutritious food source. The current study systematically investigated the effects of hydrothermal processing of varying durations (15-120 min) on the texture, starch and protein digestibility of cowpeas (), chickpeas () and kidney beans (). Texture analysis and in vitro oral-gastro-intestinal digestion of each legume was combined with kinetic modelling to explore the rate and extent of their changes observed during hydrothermal processing.

Plasmid-Mediated Antibiotic Resistant in Sarawak Rivers and Aquaculture Farms, Northwest of Borneo.

Background: The emergence of plasmid-mediated antibiotic resistance in in water resources could pose a serious threat to public health. The study aims to investigate the dispersion of plasmid-mediated antibiotic-resistant from six rivers in Sarawak and two aquaculture farms in Borneo.

Methods: A total of 74 water samples were collected for the determination of their bacteria colony count.

Combined Effects of Calcium Addition and Thermal Processing on the Texture and In Vitro Digestibility of Starch and Protein of Black Beans ().

Legumes are typically soaked overnight to reduce antinutrients and then cooked prior to consumption. However, thermal processing can cause over-softening of legumes. This study aimed to determine the effect of calcium addition (0, 100, 300, and 500 ppm in the form of calcium chloride, CaCl), starting from the overnight soaking step, in reducing the loss of firmness of black beans during thermal processing for up to 2 h.

Intra-Arterial Therapy for Unresectable Colorectal Liver Metastases: A Meta-Analysis.

Purpose: To evaluate the efficacy of hepatic arterial infusion (HAI), conventional transarterial chemoembolization, drug-eluting embolic transarterial chemoembolization (DEE-TACE), transarterial radioembolization, and their combinations with systemic chemotherapy (SCT) for unresectable colorectal liver metastases.

Methods: A search was conducted on Embase, Scopus, PubMed, and Web of Science for prospective nonrandomized studies and randomized controlled trials (RCTs) from inception to June 20, 2020. Survival data of patients were recovered from original Kaplan-Meier curves by exploiting a graphical reconstructive algorithm.

Knowledge of palliative care and preference of end of life care: a cross-sectional survey of residents in the Chinese socio-cultural background of Macao.

Background: Since the establishment of a hospice in the year 2000 and the development of a palliative care ward in 2019, there is no study examining public's knowledge of palliative care, nor preference of end of life care in Macao.

Aim: Targeting Chinese residents of Macao, the current study has 3 goals: i) to understand the level of knowledge of palliative care, ii) to explore the preference of end of life treatments, and iii) to identify the associated factors of the preference of end of life treatments.

Methods: A cross-sectional questionnaire survey was conducted using a structured questionnaire.

Outcome of neoadjuvant treatment for pancreatic cancer in elderly patients: comparative, observational cohort study.

Background: Use of neoadjuvant therapy for elderly patients with pancreatic cancer has been debatable. With FOLFIRINOX (folinic acid, 5-fluorouracil, irinotecan, oxaliplatin) or gemcitabine plus nab-paclitaxel (GnP) showing tremendous effects in improving the overall survival of patients with borderline resectable and locally advanced pancreatic cancer, there is no definitive consensus regarding the use of this regimen in the elderly.

Methods: This study evaluated the eligibility of elderly patients with borderline resectable or locally advanced pancreatic cancer for neoadjuvant therapy.

Regression is significantly associated with outcomes for patients with melanoma.

Background: The prognostic significance of regression in melanoma is debated. We present a large multicenter study correlating regression with sentinel lymph node metastasis and melanoma-specific survival.

Methods: The Sentinel Lymph Node Working Group database was reviewed from 1993 to 2018.

Hepatic venous-portal gradient (HVPG) measurement: pearls and pitfalls.

Hepatic venous pressure gradient (HVPG) is the gold-standard for measurement of portal hypertension, a common cause for life-threatening conditions such as variceal bleeding and hepatic encephalopathy. HVPG also plays a crucial role in risk stratification, treatment selection and assessment of treatment response. Thus recognition of common pitfalls and unusual hepatic venous conditions is crucial.

Persistent Newcastle disease virus infection in bladder cancer cells is associated with putative pro-survival and anti-viral transcriptomic changes.

Background: Newcastle disease virus (NDV) is an oncolytic virus with excellent selectivity against cancer cells, both in vitro and in vivo. Unfortunately, prolonged in vitro NDV infection results in the development of persistent infection in the cancer cells which are then able to resist NDV-mediated oncolysis. However, the mechanism of persistency of infection remains poorly understood.

Direct isolation of circulating extracellular vesicles from blood for vascular risk profiling in type 2 diabetes mellitus.

Extracellular vesicles (EVs) are key mediators of communication among cells, and clinical utilities of EVs-based biomarkers remain limited due to difficulties in isolating EVs from whole blood reliably. We report a novel inertial-based microfluidic platform for direct isolation of nanoscale EVs (exosomes, 50 to 200 nm) and medium-sized EVs (microvesicles, 200 nm to 1 μm) from blood with high efficiency (three-fold increase in EV yield compared to ultracentrifugation). In a pilot clinical study of healthy (n = 5) and type 2 diabetes mellitus (T2DM, n = 9) subjects, we detected higher EV levels in T2DM patients (P < 0.

Endoscopic balloon dilatation of the olfactory cleft - a feasibility study of a novel technique in cadavers.

Objective: Smell dysfunctions are common with almost 20% percent of the population affected. There are no interventional solutions for these patients. The aim of this study is to investigate the feasibility and security of the balloon dilatation technique.

Analysis of Droplet Splatter Patterns During Coblation Tonsil Surgery in the Covid-19 Pandemic.

Objectives: To assess droplet splatter around the surgical field and surgeon during simulated Coblation tonsil surgery to better inform on mitigation strategies and evaluate choice of personal protective equipment.

Methods: This was an observational study performed using a life-size head model to simulate tonsil surgery and fluorescein-soaked strawberries to mimic tonsils. The Coblation wand was activated over the strawberries for 5 minutes.

Cephalomannine inhibits hypoxia-induced cellular function via the suppression of APEX1/HIF-1α interaction in lung cancer.

Lung cancer (LC) is one of the leading causes of cancer-related death. As one of the key features of tumor microenvironment, hypoxia conditions are associated with poor prognosis in LC patients. Upregulation of hypoxic-induced factor-1α (HIF-1α) leads to the activation of various factors that contribute to the increased drug resistance, proliferation, and migration of tumor cells.

Cancer microenvironment and genomics: evolution in process.

Cancer heterogeneity is a result of genetic mutations within the cancer cells. Their proliferation is not only driven by autocrine functions but also under the influence of cancer microenvironment, which consists of normal stromal cells such as infiltrating immune cells, cancer-associated fibroblasts, endothelial cells, pericytes, vascular and lymphatic channels. The relationship between cancer cells and cancer microenvironment is a critical one and we are just on the verge to understand it on a molecular level.

Shear Wave Elastography: A Review on the Confounding Factors and Their Potential Mitigation in Detecting Chronic Kidney Disease.

Early detection of chronic kidney disease is important to prevent progression of irreversible kidney damage, reducing the need for renal transplantation. Shear wave elastography is ideal as a quantitative imaging modality to detect chronic kidney disease because of its non-invasive nature, low cost and portability, making it highly accessible. However, the complexity of the kidney architecture and its tissue properties give rise to various confounding factors that affect the reliability of shear wave elastography in detecting chronic kidney disease, thus limiting its application to clinical trials.

Molecular Profiling-Based Assignment of Cancer Therapy (NCI-MPACT): A Randomized Multicenter Phase II Trial.

Unlabelled: This trial assessed the utility of applying tumor DNA sequencing to treatment selection for patients with advanced, refractory cancer and somatic mutations in one of four signaling pathways by comparing the efficacy of four study regimens that were either matched to the patient's aberrant pathway (experimental arm) or not matched to that pathway (control arm).

Materials And Methods: Adult patients with an actionable mutation of interest were randomly assigned 2:1 to receive either (1) a study regimen identified to target the aberrant pathway found in their tumor (veliparib with temozolomide or adavosertib with carboplatin [DNA repair pathway], everolimus [PI3K pathway], or trametinib [RAS/RAF/MEK pathway]), or (2) one of the same four regimens, but chosen from among those not targeting that pathway.

Results: Among 49 patients treated in the experimental arm, the objective response rate was 2% (95% CI, 0% to 10.

Effect of Varenicline on Tardive Dyskinesia: A Pilot Study.

Objective: Although evidence implicates striatal cholinergic impairment as a mechanism underlying tardive dyskinesia, trials of nonspecific cholinergic agents have been inconclusive. As a partial agonist at specific nicotinic receptor subtypes, varenicline reduces drug-induced dyskinesias in animal models suggesting promise as a treatment for tardive dyskinesia.

Methods: Three schizophrenia patients with tardive dyskinesia who were smokers underwent an open trial of varenicline.

Induction Chemotherapy Plus Neoadjuvant Chemoradiation for Esophageal and Gastroesophageal Junction Adenocarcinoma.

Background: Neoadjuvant chemotherapy with concurrent radiotherapy (nCRT) is an accepted treatment regimen for patients with potentially curable esophageal and gastroesophageal junction (GEJ) adenocarcinoma. The purpose of this study is to evaluate whether induction chemotherapy (IC) before nCRT is associated with improved pathologic complete response (pCR) and overall survival (OS) when compared with patients who received nCRT alone for esophageal and GEJ adenocarcinoma.

Methods: Using the National Cancer Database (NCDB), patients who received nCRT and curative-intent esophagectomy for esophageal or GEJ adenocarcinoma from 2006 to 2015 were included.

Impact of Radiation Dose on Postoperative Complications in Esophageal and Gastroesophageal Junction Cancers.

The impact of radiation prescription dose on postoperative complications during standard of care trimodality therapy for operable stage II-III esophageal and gastroesophageal junction cancers has not been established. We retrospectively reviewed 82 patients with esophageal or gastroesophageal junction cancers treated between 2004 and 2016 with neoadjuvant chemoradiation followed by resection at a single institution. Post-operative complications within 30 days were reviewed and scored using the Comprehensive Complication Index (CCI).