Publications by authors named "Mak J"

Peroneus longus ruptures are less common than ruptures of the peroneus brevis muscle and are seldom described in the literature. Ankle inversion injuries causing injury to the distal end of the peroneus longus muscle resulting in lateral compartment syndrome have been documented in the literature. We are presenting an unusual case of peroneal compartment syndrome with no overt ankle injury.

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In brain activity mapping with optogenetics, patterned illumination is crucial for targeted neural stimulation. However, due to optical scattering in brain tissue, light-emitting implants are needed to bring patterned illumination to deep brain regions. A promising solution is silicon neural probes with integrated nanophotonic circuits that form tailored beam patterns without lenses.

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Mucosal-associated invariant T (MAIT) cells are known for their rapid effector functions and antibacterial immune protection. Here, we define the plasticity of interferon-γ (IFN-γ)-producing MAIT1 and interleukin-17A (IL-17A)-producing MAIT17 cell subsets in vivo. Whereas T-bet MAIT1 cells remained stable in all experimental settings, after adoptive transfer or acute or infection, RORγt MAIT17 cells could undergo phenotypic and functional conversion into both RORγtT-bet MAIT1/17 and RORγtT-bet MAIT1 cells.

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Purpose: ATM germline pathogenic variants (GPVs) are associated with a moderately increased risk of female breast cancer, pancreatic cancer, and prostate cancer. Resources for managing ATM heterozygotes in clinical practice are limited.

Methods: An international workgroup developed a clinical practice resource to guide management of ATM heterozygotes using peer-reviewed publications and expert opinion.

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The major histocompatibility complex class I related protein (MR1) presents microbially derived vitamin B2 precursors to mucosal-associated invariant T (MAIT) cells. MR1 can also present other metabolites to activate MR1-restricted T cells expressing more diverse T cell receptors (TCRs), some with anti-tumor reactivity. However, knowledge of the range of the antigen(s) that can activate diverse MR1-reactive T cells remains incomplete.

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Article Synopsis
  • White blood cells (WBCs) are essential for monitoring health and diagnosing diseases, but isolating them from blood is challenging due to their low concentration compared to red blood cells (RBCs).
  • Researchers developed a cascaded inertial microfluidic chip that improves WBC separation purity by using two sinusoidal channels and embedded micro-obstacles to control flow rate during processing.
  • The method significantly enhanced WBC purity, achieving a 307-fold increase in WBC concentration from diluted whole blood and a dramatic reduction in RBC presence, making it promising for clinical diagnostics.
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Unconventional T cells, including mucosal-associated invariant T (MAIT), natural killer T (NKT), and gamma-delta T (γδT) cells, comprise distinct T-bet+, IFN-γ+ and RORγt+, IL-17+ subsets which play differential roles in health and disease. NKT1 cells are susceptible to ARTC2-mediated P2X7 receptor (P2RX7) activation, but the effects on other unconventional T-cell types are unknown. Here, we show that MAIT, γδT, and NKT cells express P2RX7 and are sensitive to P2RX7-mediated cell death.

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Background: While there is evidence that COVID-19 vaccination protects against development of post-COVID conditions (PCC) after severe infection data are limited on whether vaccination reduces the risk after cases of less-severe non-hospitalized COVID-19 disease with more recent SARS-CoV-2 variant viruses. This study assessed whether COVID-19 vaccination was protective against subsequent development of PCC in persons with predominantly mild initial infections during both Delta and Omicron variant predominance.

Methods: This study utilized a case-control design, nested within the HEROES-RECOVER cohort.

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Background: On September 2, 2022, bivalent COVID-19 mRNA vaccines, were recommended to address reduced effectiveness of COVID-19 monovalent vaccines during SARS-CoV-2 Omicron variant predominance.

Methods: Using national pharmacy-based SARS-CoV-2 testing program data from January 15 to September 11, 2023, this test-negative, case-control design study assessed bivalent COVID-19 vaccine effectiveness (VE) against symptomatic infection.

Results: VE against symptomatic infection of a bivalent dose between 2 weeks and 1 month after bivalent vaccination ranged from 46% (95% CI: 38%-52%) for those aged ≥ 65 years to 61% (95% CI 41%-75%) for those aged 12-17 years.

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We aim to assess the severity of spatial neglect (SN) through detailing patients' field of view (FOV) using EEG. Spatial neglect, a prevalent neurological syndrome in stroke patients, typically results from unilateral brain injuries, leading to inattention to the contralesional space. Commonly used Neglect detection methods like the Behavioral Inattention Test-conventional lack the capability to assess the full extent and severity of neglect.

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Article Synopsis
  • The study investigates the effects of combining pioglitazone, GLP1RA, and SGLT2i on metabolic dysfunction-associated steatohepatitis (MASH) in patients with type 2 diabetes.
  • Results from 888 patients showed that using more of these medications correlated with significant improvements in liver health, as measured by changes in the FAST score over a median follow-up of 3.9 years.
  • Specifically, the combination of SGLT2i and pioglitazone was associated with the highest likelihood of achieving better FAST score outcomes, suggesting a promising approach for managing MASH in diabetic patients.
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Background/objectives: There has been limited evidence on the long-term impacts of coffee intake on health. We aimed to investigate the association between coffee intake and the incidence of diseases and mortality risk over 20 years among community-dwelling Chinese adults.

Methods: Participants were from the Hong Kong Osteoporosis Study who attended baseline assessments during 1995-2010.

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Background: Previous estimates of vaccine effectiveness (VE) against asymptomatic influenza virus infection based on seroconversion have varied widely and may be biased. We estimated 2022-2023 influenza VE against illness and asymptomatic infection in a prospective cohort.

Methods: In the HEROES-RECOVER cohort, adults at increased occupational risk of influenza exposure across 7 US sites provided weekly symptom reports and nasal swabs for reverse transcription-polymerase chain reaction (RT-PCR) influenza testing.

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Background: The comparative effectiveness of glucagon-like peptide-1 (GLP-1) agonists, dipeptidyl peptidase-4 (DPP-4) inhibitors, and sulfonylureas on the risk of dementia in older individuals with type 2 diabetes mellitus (T2DM) is unknown.

Methods: We conducted a sequential trial emulation from 1st January 2010 to 30th June 2020 using data from Swedish national registers. Swedish residents who were aged 65 or older, had type 2 diabetes (T2DM), and initiated GLP-1 agonists, DPP-4 inhibitors, or sulfonylureas were followed for up to 10 years to assess the risk of dementia.

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Background: Respiratory syncytial virus vaccines first recommended for use during 2023 were efficacious against lower respiratory tract disease in clinical trials. Limited real-world data regarding respiratory syncytial virus vaccine effectiveness are available. To inform vaccine policy and address gaps in evidence from the clinical trials, we aimed to assess the effectiveness against respiratory syncytial virus-associated hospitalisations and emergency department encounters among adults aged at least 60 years.

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Objectives: This study aimed to investigate the relationships of foot and leg symptoms, structure, and function with functional limitations and osteoarthritis (OA).

Methods: We included 1253 participants (mean age 58.1 years) from the Hong Kong Osteoporosis Study who completed an examination on foot posture, function, pain, and presence of deformities such as hallux valgus and varus knee.

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Objectives: To investigate the effects of a mindfulness-based family psychoeducation (MBFPE) intervention on caregivers and the young adults with first-episode psychosis in mental health care.

Methods: Sixty-five caregivers were randomly assigned to the MBFPE program (n = 33) or an ordinary family psychoeducation (FPE) program (n = 32). Eighteen young adults in recovery (YAIR) also participated in the study.

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Article Synopsis
  • - Unicellular green picophytoplankton, part of the Mamiellales order, are common in marine ecosystems and can be infected by prasinoviruses, large DNA viruses.
  • - Researchers developed a new method to enrich and sequence these viruses, successfully assembling 80 prasinovirus genomes from samples in the South China Sea, and found strong links between genome similarity and host range with 94% accuracy.
  • - The study revealed unexpected host-switching among different algal lineages and instances of horizontal gene transfer, indicating active viral evolution and co-evolutionary dynamics that influence marine virus-host interactions.
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Monitoring wildlife trade dynamics is an important initial step for conservation action and demand reduction campaigns to reduce illegal wildlife trade. Studies often rely on one data source to assess a species' trade, such as seizures or the Convention on International Trade in Endangered Species of Wild Fauna and Flora (CITES) trade data. Each database provides useful information but is often incomplete.

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Mucosal-associated invariant T (MAIT) cells are unconventional T cells that recognize microbial riboflavin pathway metabolites presented by evolutionarily conserved MR1 molecules. We explored the human MAIT cell compartment across organ donor-matched blood, barrier, and lymphoid tissues. MAIT cell population size was donor dependent with distinct tissue compartmentalization patterns and adaptations: Intestinal CD103 resident MAIT cells presented an immunoregulatory CD39CD27 profile, whereas MAIT cells expressing NCAM1/CD56 dominated in the liver and exhibited enhanced effector capacity with elevated response magnitude and polyfunctionality.

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Unlabelled: Hybrid immunity, as a result of infection and vaccination to SARS-CoV-2, has been well studied in adults but limited evidence is available in children. We evaluated the antibody responses to primary SARS-CoV-2 infection among vaccinated and unvaccinated children aged ≥ 5 years.

Methods: A longitudinal cohort study of children aged ≥ 5 was conducted during August 2021-August 2022, at sites in Arizona, Texas, Utah, and Florida.

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Article Synopsis
  • Cancer immunotherapy has transformed oncology, but immune responses are often suppressed in solid tumors, necessitating new strategies for enhancing immune activity.
  • Researchers focused on the co-stimulatory receptor NKG2D, abundant on CD8+ tumor-infiltrating lymphocytes in breast cancer, to develop bispecific antibodies (HER2-CRB) that target both NKG2D and HER2.
  • The HER2-CRB improved NK and T cell function, leading to increased antitumor activity when used with other antibodies, suggesting promising combinatorial potential for clinical trials.
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Mucosal-associated invariant T (MAIT) cells are unconventional T cells that respond to riboflavin biosynthesis and cytokines through TCR-dependent and -independent pathways, respectively. MAIT cell activation plays an immunoprotective role against several pathogens, however the functional capacity of MAIT cells following direct infection or exposure to infectious agents remains poorly defined. We investigated the impact of Varicella Zoster Virus (VZV) on blood-derived MAIT cells and report virus-mediated impairment of activation, cytokine production, and altered transcription factor expression by VZV infected (antigen+) and VZV exposed (antigen-) MAIT cells in response to TCR-dependent and -independent stimulation.

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