Use of Real-World Evidence in Health Technology Reassessments Across Six Health Technology Assessment Agencies.

Objectives: To review health technology assessment reassessments (HTARs) and characterize the use of real-world evidence (RWE) in HTARs.

Methods: Six agencies were chosen for inclusion in this targeted review: CADTH, NICE, HAS, G-BA/IQWiG, ZIN, and PBAC. Each agency's assessments were screened to identify their eight most recent HTARs, which were evaluated to determine if they used RWE.

Pancreatic cancer: Future challenges and new perspectives for an early diagnosis.

This editorial is a commentary on the case report by Furuya focusing on the challenging diagnosis of early pancreatic adenocarcinoma and new tools for an earlier diagnosis. Currently, pancreatic cancer still has a poor prognosis, mainly due to late diagnosis in an advanced stage. Two main precancerous routes have been identified as pathways to pancreatic adenocarcinoma: The first encompasses a large group of mucinous cystic lesions: intraductal papillary mucinous neoplasm and mucinous cystic neoplasm, and the second is pancreatic intraepithelial neoplasia.

High-quality genome assembly and annotation of Thalassiosira rotula (synonym of Thalassiosira gravida).

Diatoms are unicellular eukaryotic microorganisms thriving in most aquatic environments thanks to the expression of biosynthetic pathways for secondary metabolites involved in defence and adaptation to environmental changes. The sequencing of the transcriptome of the cosmopolitan diatom Thalassiosira rotula Meunier 1910 (synonym of Thalassiosira gravida Cleve 1896) and of the metagenome of its associated microbiome revealed the presence of biosynthetic pathways synthesising molecules and compounds useful for the algae survival and with potential biotechnological applications. Here we present the genome of a Neapolitan T.

Lack of response to conspecific juvenile vocalizations in two avian brood parasites.

Juveniles of interspecific avian brood parasites need to locate and recognize conspecifics to continue their life cycle after being reared by individuals of another species. However, little is known about the recognition mechanisms and cues involved in this critical stage of their lives. It has been proposed that adult parasites could show some kind of parental behavior by actively searching and interacting with conspecific young, which in turn could serve the juveniles to learn and/or reinforce the learning of conspecific characteristics.

Safety of endoscopist-directed nurse-administered sedation in an Italian referral hospital: An audit of 2 years and 19,407 procedures.

Background And Study Aims: Balanced propofol sedation (BPS) administered by adequately trained non-anaesthesiologist personnel has gained popularity in GI endoscopy because of its shorter procedure and recovery time, high patient satisfaction, and low rate of adverse events (AEs), despite being considered controversial. We report data from an audit of endoscopist-directed (ED) nurse-administered sedation in an Italian referral hospital.

Patients And Methods: Consecutive endoscopic procedures performed between 2020 and 2022 were considered.

Graphene nanoplatelets on recycled rubber: an experimental study of material properties and mechanical improvements.

This study presents an experimental investigation of the mechanical behaviour of recycled rubber pads coated with graphene nanoplatelets. The investigation is part of an effort to develop a novel rubber-based composite that aims to reroute rubber from end-of-life tyres from illegal landfills and incineration back into the market in the form of a novel composite for vibration isolation. Graphene nanoplatelets were deposited on rubber pads via ultrasonic spray coating.

Intercalary Resection of the Tibia for Primary Bone Tumors: Are Vascularized Fibula Autografts With or Without Allografts a Durable Reconstruction?

Background: Reconstruction with vascularized fibula grafts (VFG) after intercalary resection of sarcoma may offer longevity by providing early graft-host union and fracture healing. The ability of the fibula to hypertrophy under mechanical stress, as well as vascularized bone in the area, may also be advantageous, given that soft tissues may be compromised because of resection, chemotherapy, or radiation therapy. VFG with a massive allograft combines the primary mechanical stability of the graft with the biological potential of the vascularized fibula; however, complications and the durability of this combined reconstruction are not well described.

Characterization of the Nero Siciliano Pig Fecal Microbiota after a Liquid Whey-Supplemented Diet.

The utilization of dairy by-products as animal feed, especially in swine production, is a strategy to provide functional ingredients to improve gut health. This study explored the potential effect of a liquid whey-supplemented diet on the fecal microbiota of eleven pigs belonging to the Nero Siciliano breed. Five pigs were assigned to the control group and fed with a standard formulation feed, whereas six pigs were assigned to the experimental group and fed with the same feed supplemented with liquid whey.

A Natural Human-Drone Embodied Interface: Empirical Comparison With a Traditional Interface.

Despite the importance of usability in human-machine interaction (HMI), most commonly used devices are not usable by all potential users. In particular, users with low or null technological experience, or with special needs, require carefully designed systems and easy-to-use interfaces supporting recognition over recall. To this purpose, Natural User Interfaces (NUIs) represent an effective strategy as the user's learning is facilitated by features of the interface that mimic the human "natural" sensorimotor embodied interactions with the environment.

Impact of low versus negative estrogen/progesterone receptor status on clinico-pathologic characteristics and survival outcomes in HER2-negative breast cancer.

Triple-negative breast cancer (TNBC) is classically defined by estrogen receptor (ER) and progesterone receptor (PR) immunohistochemistry expression <1% and absence of HER2 amplification/overexpression. HER2-negative breast cancer with low ER/PR expression (1-10%) has a gene expression profile similar to TNBC; however, real-world treatment patterns, chemotherapy response, endocrine therapy benefit, and survival outcomes for the Low-ER group are not well known. 516 patients with stage I-III HER2-negative breast cancer and ER/PR expression ≤10% who were enrolled in a multisite prospective registry between 2011 and 2019 were categorized on the basis of ER/PR expression.

Mitochondria-Mediated Apoptosis of HCC Cells Triggered by Knockdown of Glutamate Dehydrogenase 1: Perspective for Its Inhibition through Quercetin and Permethylated Anigopreissin A.

Metabolic reprogramming is a hallmark of cancer cells required to ensure high energy needs and the maintenance of redox balance. A relevant metabolic change of cancer cell bioenergetics is the increase in glutamine metabolism. Hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC), one of the most lethal cancer and which requires the continuous development of new therapeutic strategies, shows an up-regulation of human glutamate dehydrogenase 1 (hGDH1).

GreeNC 2.0: a comprehensive database of plant long non-coding RNAs.

The Green Non-Coding Database (GreeNC) is one of the reference databases for the study of plant long non-coding RNAs (lncRNAs). Here we present our most recent update where 16 species have been updated, while 78 species have been added, resulting in the annotation of more than 495 000 lncRNAs. Moreover, sequence clustering was applied providing information about sequence conservation and gene families.

Prevalence, treatment patterns, and prognosis of low estrogen receptor-positive (1% to 10%) breast cancer: a single institution's experience in Korea.

Purpose: To determine prevalence, clinicopathological characteristics, initial treatments, and outcomes associated with low estrogen receptor (ER)-expressing invasive breast cancer.

Methods: This retrospective, non-interventional database study included patients undergoing surgery with curative intent for invasive ductal or lobular breast cancer. Patients were treated between January 2003-December 2012.

Synthesis of new methoxy derivatives of trans 2,3-diaryl-2,3-dihydrobenzofurans and evaluation of their anti-inflammatory activity.

In the present study we synthesized new methoxy derivatives of trans 2,3-diaryl-2,3-dihydrobenzofurans, starting from suitable trans 2,3-diaryloxiranes, using regio- and stereoselective nucleophilic oxiranyl ring-opening reactions. The compounds were tested as anti-inflammatories in U937 cells. All compounds showed a significant role in inhibiting the NF-κB pathway and were able to restore normal ROS and NO level upon LPS activation.

Differential Methylation Patterns in Apomictic vs. Sexual Genotypes of the Diplosporous Grass .

DNA methylation is an epigenetic mechanism by which a methyl group is added to a cytosine or an adenine. When located in a gene/regulatory sequence it may repress or de-repress genes, depending on the context and species. is an apomictic grass in which facultative genotypes increases the frequency of sexual pistils triggered by epigenetic mechanisms.

Differential Epigenetic Marks Are Associated with Apospory Expressivity in Diploid Hybrids of .

Apomixis seems to emerge from the deregulation of preexisting genes involved in sexuality by genetic and/or epigenetic mechanisms. The trait is associated with polyploidy, but diploid individuals of can form aposporous embryo sacs and develop clonal seeds. Moreover, diploid hybrid families presented a wide apospory expressivity variation.

Hydrosol: Untargeted Metabolomic Analysis and Anti-Inflammatory Activity Mediated by NF-B and the Citrate Pathway.

shows a long range of biological activities, and it has been used in traditional medicine for treatment of various kinds of diseases. Moreover, related essential oil keeps important health-promoting properties. However, less is known about hydrosol, a main by-product of essential oil production, usually used for steam distillation itself or discarded.

MCSeEd (Methylation Context Sensitive Enzyme ddRAD): A New Method to Analyze DNA Methylation.

Methylation context sensitive enzyme ddRAD (MCSeEd) is a NGS-based method for genome-wide investigations of DNA methylation at different contexts requiring only low to moderate sequencing depth. It is particularly useful for identifying methylation changes in experimental systems challenged by biotic or abiotic stresses or at different developmental stages.

Evaluation of Surgical Site Infection in Mini-invasive Urological Surgery.

Surgical Site Infection (SSI) is the most frequent source of infection in surgical patients and the second most frequent cause of hospital-acquired infection. The primary aim of this prospective study was to compare SSI occurrences between minimally invasive surgery (MIS) and open urological surgery. Secondly, perioperative outcomes were evaluated in two different approaches.

Role of Reflux in the Pathogenesis of Eosinophilic Esophagitis: Comprehensive Appraisal With Off- and On PPI Impedance-pH Monitoring.

Objectives: Role of reflux and mechanisms of response to proton pump inhibitor (PPI) therapy in eosinophilic esophagitis (EoE) have not yet been fully elucidated. Comprehensive assessment by impedance-pH monitoring could clarify these issues.

Methods: Prospective multicenter study comparing EoE patients with healthy controls and gastroesophageal reflux disease cases.

Computed tomography or contrast-enhanced ultrasonography for follow-up of liver metastases after Cyberknife therapy?: A prospective pilot study.

Objectives: Contrast-enhanced ultrasonography (CEUS) allows the study of vascularization of secondary liver lesions. The Cyberknife (Accuray, Inc, Sunnyvale, CA) is a therapeutic method that allows a tumor target to be subjected to a high radiant dose gradient. This prospective pilot study aimed to demonstrate the concordance of CEUS versus contrast-enhanced computed tomography (CECT) in determining the stability or disease progression of secondary liver lesions after treatment with the Cyberknife.

Liver Angiopoietin-2 Is a Key Predictor of De Novo or Recurrent Hepatocellular Cancer After Hepatitis C Virus Direct-Acting Antivirals.

Unlabelled: Recent reports suggested that direct acting antivirals (DAAs) might favor hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC). In study 1, we studied the proangiogenic liver microenvironment in 242 DAA-treated chronic hepatitis C patients with advanced fibrosis. Angiopoietin-2 (ANGPT2) expression was studied in tissue (cirrhotic and/or neoplastic) from recurrent, de novo, nonrecurrent HCC, or patients never developing HCC.

Metabolomic analysis with H-NMR for non-invasive diagnosis of hepatic fibrosis degree in patients with chronic hepatitis C.

Background: The assessment of fibrosis degree in liver diseases is based on several non-invasive techniques, but none has been accurate.

Aim: This study employed proton nuclear magnetic resonance spectroscopy to identify metabolic profiles in serum and urine, specific for different fibrosis degree in chronic hepatitis C patients.

Method: 71 plasma, 73 serum, and 578 urine samples were collected.