Publications by authors named "Monga S"

Background: This study aimed to compare outcomes following antral preserving (AP) and antral resecting (AR) laparoscopic sleeve gastrectomy (LSG) in terms of weight loss, gastric emptying time, gastroesophageal reflux disease (GERD), resolution of associated medical problems, and complications.

Methods: Patients were prospectively randomized into two groups: the AR group (resection starting 2 cm from the pylorus) and the AP group (resection at 5 cm from the pylorus). Follow-up evaluations included assessments of weight loss using percentage of excess weight loss (%EWL) and percentage of total weight loss (%TWL), gastric emptying, GERD symptoms, associated medical problem resolution, residual gastric volume, and complications.

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First-line immune checkpoint inhibitor (ICI) combinations show responses in subsets of hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) patients. Nearly half of HCCs are Wnt-active with mutations in (encoding for β-catenin), , or , and demonstrate limited benefit to ICI due to an immune excluded tumor microenvironment. We show significant tumor responses in multiple β-catenin-mutated immunocompetent HCC models to a novel siRNA encapsulated in lipid nanoparticle targeting (LNP-CTNNB1).

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Communication between intracellular organelles including lysosomes and mitochondria has recently been shown to regulate cellular proliferation and fitness. The way lysosomes and mitochondria communicate with each other (lysosomal/mitochondrial interaction, LMI) is, emerging as a major determinant of tumor proliferation and growth. About 30% of squamous carcinomas (including squamous cell carcinoma of the head and neck, SCCHN) overexpress TMEM16A, a calcium-activated chloride channel, which promotes cellular growth and negatively correlates with patient survival.

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Hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) represents a global health challenge, and ranks among one of the most prevalent and deadliest cancers worldwide. Therapeutic advances have expanded the treatment armamentarium for patients with advanced HCC, but obstacles remain. Precision oncology, which aims to match specific therapies to patients who have tumours with particular features, holds great promise.

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Background & Aims: Patients with β-catenin (encoded by )-mutated hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) demonstrate heterogenous responses to first-line immune checkpoint inhibitors (ICIs). Precision-medicine based treatments for this subclass are currently in clinical development. Here, we report derivation of the Mutated β-catenin Gene Signature (MBGS) to predict -mutational status in patients with HCC for future application in personalized medicine treatment regimens.

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We assessed the anti-inflammatory activity of the TSPO ligand 2-Cl-MGV-1. Lipopolysaccharide (LPS) was used to induce inflammatory response in a murine RAW264.7 macrophage model (LPS: 100 ng/mL) and a mouse model (C57BL/6) of lung inflammation (LPS: 5 mg/kg).

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Imputation methods for missing data may not always be applicable, namely, when the data were completely missing for the whole sample. To estimate the missing data, we compared three missing item substitution methods: (1) mean substitution; (2) last observation carried forward (LOCF); and (3) regression-predicted values. A total of 384 parents reported their 8- to 18-year-old children's anxiety level using the 9-item Screen for Child Anxiety Related Disorders at baseline (Time 1) and two later time points, drawing from a larger longitudinal study (Ontario COVID-19 and Kids' Mental Health Study).

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Liver cancer, primarily hepatocellular carcinoma, represents a major global health issue with significant clinical, economic, and psychological impacts. Its incidence continues to rise, driven by risk factors such as hepatitis B and C infections, nonalcoholic steatohepatitis, and various environmental influences. The Wnt/β-Catenin signaling pathway, frequently dysregulated in HCC, emerges as a promising therapeutic target.

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Beyond achievement, educational settings offer informal supports that may be critical for child and youth mental health. However, children's educational environments have experienced significant disruption with the coronavirus pandemic. School settings offer unique opportunities to support children's mental health, but research must identify powerful points of intervention.

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Background: The common femoral artery is a chief source of blood supply to the lower limb. Variations in its anatomy, like its absence, high level commencement of the deep femoral artery (DFA) with a superficial course, are unusual. The knowledge of such variations may have substantial clinical applications, specifically in vascular surgical procedures, catheterizations, and diagnostic or interventional radiology.

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Combined hepatocellular carcinoma-cholangiocarcinoma (cHCC-CCA) is a challenging primary liver cancer subtype with limited treatment options and a devastating prognosis. Recent studies have underscored the context-dependent roles of SOX9 in liver cancer formation in a preventive manner. Here, we revealed that liver-specific developmental elimination using (LKO) and -based tumor-specific acute elimination (CKO) in SB-HDTVI-based (AY) and (AN) cHCC-CCA models showed contrasting responses.

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Background: Contemporary imaging methods and quickly advancing technologies have increased the number of diagnostic tools available in medicine and orthodontics. The current study aimed to determine three-dimensional (3D) space changes that occurred after the extraction of either the maxillary or mandibular primary molars during the mixed dentition period.

Materials And Methods: The present study was a longitudinal split-mouth study with a study group and a control group.

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Forest fires are the source of countless fatalities and extreme economic repercussions. The safe evacuation of residents of an area affected by forest fires is the highest priority of local authorities, and finding the most optimal course of action has been a primary research focus for years. Previous studies over several decades have attempted to find an optimal solution using the applications of bug navigation systems, road network reconfiguration, graph traversals, swarm optimization, etc.

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Article Synopsis
  • - The study aimed to evaluate the effectiveness of 12 patient-reported outcome measures (PROMs) for assessing depression severity in adolescents, given the importance of accurately measuring depression in clinical settings.
  • - Researchers conducted a comprehensive review using multiple databases and followed specific guidelines to assess various measurement properties of the PROMs, ultimately narrowing down to 31 studies for appraisal.
  • - The review concluded that while some PROMs show promise in measuring depression in adolescents, none can currently be recommended for consistent use due to a lack of robust evidence and methodological issues, advising caution for clinicians and researchers.
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Longitudinal research examining children's mental health (MH) over the course of the COVID-19 pandemic is scarce. We examined trajectories of depression and anxiety over two pandemic years among children with and without MH disorders. Parents and children 2-18 years completed surveys at seven timepoints (April 2020 to June 2022).

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Introduction: Laparoscopic sleeve gastrectomy (SG) is the most common bariatric surgical procedure worldwide. Approximately 20%-30% of patients present with weight loss failure or reflux following SG, which might require reoperative surgery. We present the surgical outcomes and complications following reoperative bariatric surgery at a tertiary care centre.

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Background: Using the Mood and Feelings Questionnaire (MFQ) to differentiate between depression severity levels remains unexplored. We explored the discriminative validity of the MFQ to identify an optimal cut-off MFQ score to distinguish between subthreshold-to-mild and moderate-to-severe depression severity levels.

Methods: An observational cross-sectional design was used in a sample (N = 67) of help-seeking youth (ages 13 to 18, inclusive) experiencing depressive symptoms.

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Background: Cholestasis is an intractable liver disorder that results from impaired bile flow. We have previously shown that the Wnt/β-catenin signaling pathway regulates the progression of cholestatic liver disease through multiple mechanisms, including bile acid metabolism and hepatocyte proliferation. To further explore the impact of these functions during intrahepatic cholestasis, we exposed mice to a xenobiotic that causes selective biliary injury.

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Article Synopsis
  • Immune checkpoint inhibition (ICI) therapy is often effective against various tumors but faces resistance in immune suppressive microenvironments, particularly in hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC).
  • Research on an oncolytic virus (VSV-IFNß) indicates that it can hinder the effectiveness of anti-PD-L1 therapy by expanding antiviral T cells, which then outcompete and reduce anti-tumor T cell populations.
  • However, incorporating HCC tumor antigens into the virus can restore the effectiveness of combined oncolytic virotherapy and anti-PD-L1 treatment by promoting the activation of anti-tumor T cells.
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  • Pancreatic cancer is challenging to diagnose early and has a low survival rate, with current treatments providing limited benefits.
  • Inhibiting Glycogen Synthase Kinase-3beta (GSK3β) is a promising therapeutic approach, as it's linked to cancer progression and drug resistance.
  • MJ34 is identified as an effective GSK3β inhibitor that reduces tumor growth and promotes cell death in pancreatic cancer cells, showing potential as a drug candidate without significant toxicity.
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Combined hepatocellular carcinoma-cholangiocarcinoma (cHCC-CCA) represents a challenging subtype of primary liver cancer with limited treatment options and a poor prognosis. Recently, we and others have highlighted the context-dependent roles of the biliary-specific transcription factor SOX9 in the pathogenesis of liver cancers using various applications in strains, to achieve elimination for exon 2 and 3 of the gene locus as a preventive manner. Here, we reveal the contrasting responses of developmental elimination using ( LKO) versus -based tumor specific acute CKO in SB-HDTVI-based and cHCC-CCA formation.

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Article Synopsis
  • Gain-of-function mutations in the CTNNB1 gene, responsible for β-catenin production, are present in 25-30% of hepatocellular carcinomas (HCC), significantly influencing treatment resistance and drug sensitivity.
  • A study involving 134 HCC patients aimed to create a non-invasive imaging model to assess β-catenin activation, as liver biopsies pose risks.
  • The developed model demonstrated improved predictive accuracy for β-catenin activation when combining qualitative LI-RADS descriptors and quantitative radiomics features, suggesting strong potential for precision medicine strategies in treating HCC.
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Integrin αβ+ T cells perpetuate tissue injury in chronic inflammatory diseases, yet their role in hepatic fibrosis progression remains poorly understood. Here, we report increased accumulation of αβ+ T cells in the liver of people with cirrhosis relative to disease controls. Similarly, hepatic fibrosis in the established mouse model of CCl-induced liver fibrosis was associated with enrichment of intrahepatic αβ+ CD4 and CD8 T cells.

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Background: Liver cancer is one of the most lethal malignancies for humans. The treatment options for advanced-stage liver cancer remain limited. A new treatment is urgently needed to reduce the mortality of the disease.

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