The standard diagnostic approach for prostate cancer (PCa) diagnosis consists of serum prostate-specific antigen (PSA) testing, digital rectal examination (DRE) and image-guided targeted biopsies. Given the invasive nature, potential adverse events and costs associated with these techniques, alternative approaches have been investigated, specifically with serum and urine assays. The work presented here is intended to further validate a novel noninvasive optical technique for PCa detection, targeting the VPAC genomic receptors that are overexpressed on prostate cancer's malignant cells (MC), in non-DRE voided urine.
View Article and Find Full Text PDFMessenger RNA (mRNA) vaccines have emerged as a transformative platform in modern vaccinology. mRNA vaccine is a powerful alternative to traditional vaccines due to their high potency, safety, and efficacy, coupled with the ability for rapid clinical development, scalability and cost-effectiveness in manufacturing. Initially conceptualized in the 1970s, the first study about the effectiveness of a mRNA vaccine against influenza was conducted in 1993.
View Article and Find Full Text PDFIn this study, metabolomics and chemometrics were utilized to comprehensively investigate chemical mechanisms of aroma, taste, and color formation in cold-brewed green tea (4 °C). The results showed that the typical flavor of cold-brewed green tea (tea-to-water ratio: 1:50 g/mL) developed gradually after 1 h. Compared with the hot-brewed (80 °C) condition, volatile alcohols accumulated more under cold-brewing conditions.
View Article and Find Full Text PDFAm J Respir Crit Care Med
March 2025
Rationale: group bacteria (MABS) cause lethal infections in people with chronic lung diseases. Transmission mechanisms remain poorly understood; the detection of dominant circulating clones (DCCs) has suggested potential for person-to-person transmission.
Objectives: This study aimed to determine the role of drinking water in the transmission of MABS.
Background And Aims: Over 10% of patients with Crohn's disease require permanent ileostomy. We aimed to summarize the existing data on diagnosis, definitions of recurrence, and management of Crohn's disease patients with permanent ileostomy.
Methods: MEDLINE, Embase, and CENTRAL databases were searched from inception to February 6, 2024.
Background: In patients with melanoma, in-transit metastasis (ITM) can develop. This study aimed to identify the risk for a first recurrence of ITM and associated predictive clinical factors in a large international cohort of patients with melanoma.
Methods: Patients with primary cutaneous melanoma who underwent wide local excision (WLE) and sentinel lymph node biopsy (SLNB) were identified from the Sentinel Lymph Node Working Group (SLNWG) database between January 1993 and February 2023.
Background: Low socioeconomic groups and racial/ethnic minorities continue to experience pediatric cancer outcome disparities, and remain underrepresented in clinical trials. It is vital to understand why underrepresentation exists and to address it in order to generalize trial findings to all groups. This study examined institutional disparities in clinical trial offerings and enrollment for children and adolescents with hematologic malignancies.
View Article and Find Full Text PDFBackground: Previous studies indicated that the SARS-CoV-2 virus and COVID-19 vaccines may contribute to idiopathic sudden sensorineural hearing loss (ISSNHL). This nationwide study sought to evaluate the correlation between COVID-19 infection and vaccination with ISSNHL.
Methods: This case-control study analysed samples from adults aged 18 years and older who visited the otorhinolaryngology department in 32 government hospitals in Malaysia for pure tone audiometry(PTA) between January 25, 2020 and June 30, 2022.
Determining the best time for aortic valve replacement (AVR) in asymptomatic severe aortic stenosis (AS) with preserved left ventricular function remains controversial, as current guidelines recommend waiting until symptoms appear. Recent evidence suggests that early AVR may improve outcomes for select patients. This meta-analysis of randomized controlled trials evaluated the efficacy of early AVR, including surgical and transcatheter approaches, versus conservative management in asymptomatic severe AS.
View Article and Find Full Text PDFWe report a case of a pathogenic variant c.463+4C>G in the von Hippel-Lindau (VHL) gene identified in a patient presenting with bilateral adrenal tumors, including a histologically confirmed pheochromocytoma with no significant family history of VHL-associated tumors. This same variant was first reported as having pathogenic significance in an unrelated proband with a hemangioblastoma and a family history of pheochromocytoma.
View Article and Find Full Text PDFBackground: In the Malaysian primary healthcare setting, neonatal jaundice (NNJ) screening uses either Kramer's Rule (KR), a visual assessment, or a combination with non-invasive transcutaneous bilirubin (TcB). However, data on the quantification of the need for total serum bilirubin (TSB) sampling between these approaches are limited. This study aimed to compare the frequency of blood draws required between the two cohorts, alongside investigating disparities in phototherapy initiation and severe hyperbilirubinemia occurrences.
View Article and Find Full Text PDFIntroduction: For ventral/incisional hernias between 1 and 4 cm, there is still controversy regarding open or laparoscopic mesh repairs. The study evaluated via a propensity-score adjusted analysis, the differences in outcomes between a laparoscopic and open ventral hernia mesh repair.
Methodology: A single institution retrospective cohort study was performed.
This study aims to assess the impact of recombinant zoster vaccine (RZV) on the risk of major cardiovascular events (MACE) in patients with rheumatoid arthritis (RA), spondyloarthritis (SpA), or psoriatic diseases who are receiving Janus kinase inhibitors (JAKi). We conducted a new user design study utilizing the TriNetX database. We identified patients diagnosed with RA, SpA, or psoriatic diseases receiving JAKi.
View Article and Find Full Text PDFThe intricate topology of vascular networks and the complex functions of vessel-rich tissues are challenging to reconstruct in vitro. Here we report the development of: in vitro pathological models of erectile dysfunction and Peyronie's disease; a model of the penis that includes the glans and the corpus spongiosum with urethral structures; and an implantable model of the corpus cavernosum, whose complex vascular network is critical for erectile function, via the vein-occlusion effect. Specifically, we 3D printed a hydrogel-based corpus cavernosum incorporating a strain-limiting tunica albuginea that can be engorged with blood through vein occlusion.
View Article and Find Full Text PDFThe aim of this whitepaper is to review the current state of the literature on the effects of cardio-oncology rehabilitation and exercise (CORE) programmes and provide a roadmap for improving the evidence-based to support the implementation of CORE. There is an urgent need to reinforce and extend the evidence informing the cardiovascular care of cancer survivors. CORE is an attractive model that is potentially scalable to improve the cardiovascular health of cancer survivors as it leverages many of the existing frameworks developed through decades of delivery of cardiac rehabilitation.
View Article and Find Full Text PDFCancer Epidemiol Biomarkers Prev
March 2025
Background: Recent genome-wide association studies (GWAS) have identified new susceptibility loci for melanoma, but their associations with multiple primary melanoma (MPM) are unclear.
Methods: We investigated the associations of 69 single nucleotide polymorphisms (SNPs) in 39 GWAS-identified loci with odds of MPM relative to single primary melanoma (SPM) in the international, population-based Genes, Environment, and Melanoma (GEM) study. Per-minor allele odds ratios (ORs) and 95% confidence intervals (CIs) for individuals with MPM 'cases' (n=1,205) relative to SPM 'controls' (n=2,458) were estimated using multivariable logistic regression, and polygenic risk scores (PRS) were calculated and weighted based on a 2020 GWAS meta-analysis (57 of the 68 independent GWAS SNPs available).
While, many interventions can prevent cardiovascular disease (CVD), and its resulting morbidity or mortality, these are used sub-optimally in most countries. Therefore, health systems need to develop new approaches to ensure that proven CVD therapies are delivered widely. In this review, we describe five impactful implementation strategies which include: (1) Task shifting, (2) Use of mobile-Health (mHealth) support and virtual access to care, (3) simplified diagnostic and management algorithms for the prevention of CVD, (4) improving the use of combinations of medicines (i.
View Article and Find Full Text PDFThis first article of the Series about Cardiovascular Disease in the Americas summarizes the epidemiology of CVD and its risk factors, and population-level strategies in place aimed at CVD prevention. While age-standardized CVD incidence and CV mortality rates have been decreasing across in the Americas since 1990, the annual number of CVD cases and related deaths have increased due to population growth and ageing. The burden of CVD is also slowly transitioning from high-income countries in North America to middle-income countries in Latin America and the Caribbean.
View Article and Find Full Text PDFBackground: Studies have indicated that X-linked microRNAs (miRNAs) play a role in the pathogenesis of rheumatoid arthritis (RA) and its gender-specific differences. However, research on specific miRNAs remains limited. This study aims to investigate the possible role of X-linked miR-542-5p in RA pathogenesis and gender differences.
View Article and Find Full Text PDFUveal melanoma (UM) is the most prevalent primary ocular malignancy in adults, with high lethality and limited effective treatment options. Despite identified driver mutations in GNAQ, GNA11, and BAP1, therapeutic advancements have been minimal. This study highlights the pivotal role of N6-methyladenosine (mA) modifications in UM pathogenesis and progression, focusing on the demethylase FTO as a therapeutic target.
View Article and Find Full Text PDFPerceptual judgments are often influenced by goals and preferences, resulting in biased judgments that deviate from objective reality. When presented with ambiguous images, observers are biased to report seeing images associated with rewards. However, it remains unclear whether this is driven by a bias toward stimuli that are desirable or stimuli that are motivationally salient.
View Article and Find Full Text PDFIntroduction: Resilience measures generally are not health specific, nor do they account for the multiple dimensions required for individuals to overcome health challenges. To bridge this gap, we developed and validated a multi-dimensional Health Resilience Scale (HRS) for community-dwelling adults in Singapore.
Methods: We followed standard procedures to develop health resilience construct, identify dimensions, and generate potential items.
Recreating the structural and mechanical properties of native tissues presents significant challenges, particularly in mimicking the dense fibrillar network of extracellular matrixes such as skin and tendons. This study develops a reversible collagen film through cycling collagen self-assembly and disassembly, offering an innovative approach to address these challenges. We first generated an engineered collagen scaffold by applying plastic compression to the collagen hydrogel.
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