Recent advances in systemic therapy for advanced biliary tract cancer: A systematic review and meta-analysis using reconstructed RCT survival data.

Background & Aims: Gemcitabine/cisplatin (GemCis) was the long-standing first-line treatment for advanced biliary tract cancers (BTCs). Following positive results from the TOPAZ-01 and KEYNOTE-966 trials, immune checkpoint inhibitors (ICIs) combined with chemotherapy are now the standard of care. We aim to compare the efficacy of first-line therapies for advanced BTCs.

Comparative analysis of treatment modalities for solitary, small (≤3 cm) hepatocellular carcinoma: A systematic review and network meta-analysis of oncologic outcomes.

Background: Solitary hepatocellular carcinoma measuring ≤3 cm represents approximately 30% of hepatocellular carcinoma cases, yet treatment guidelines lack robust evidence. This study compares oncologic outcomes after ablation, liver resection, and liver transplantation for solitary, small hepatocellular carcinoma.

Methods: We systematically searched databases up to 7 February 2022, for studies including adults with solitary hepatocellular carcinoma ≤3 cm treated by any ablation, liver resection, or liver transplantation.

The Impact of Healthcare Pressures on the COVID-19 Hospitalisation Fatality Risk in England.

Background: As the impact of the SARS-CoV-2 pandemic extends into 2023 and beyond, the treatment and outcomes of infected patients continues to evolve. Unlike earlier in the pandemic there are now further infectious disease pressures placed on hospitals, which influence patient care and triage decisions.

Methods: The manuscript uses individual patient records linked with associated hospital management information of system pressure characteristics to attribute COVID-19 hospitalisation fatality risks (HFR) to patients and hospitals, using generalised additive mixed effects models.

Statistical analysis plan for the SOLUTIONS randomised controlled trial with internal pilot: Solution Focused Brief Therapy (SFBT) in 10-17-year-olds presenting at policy custody.

Background: Within England, children and young people entering police custody are referred to Liaison and Diversion (L&D) teams. These teams liaise with healthcare and other support services aiming to divert children and young people away from the criminal justice system. Although targeted psychological interventions are not typically offered to children and young people by L&D teams, evidence suggests that Solution Focused Brief Therapy (SFBT) leads to a reduction in internalising and externalising behaviour problems.

A scoping review of nonmedical barriers to living donor liver transplant.

This study aims to identify and categorize nonmedical barriers encountered by recipients, donors, and health care providers in the context of living donor liver transplantation (LDLT). Liver transplantation is vital for individuals with liver failure, yet high mortality rates on the transplant waitlist persist. LDLT was introduced to address deceased donor organ shortages; however, its adoption varies widely across regions, prompting the need to explore barriers hindering its implementation.

Living Donor Availability Improves Patient Survival in a North American Center: An Intention-to-treat Analysis.

Objective: Assess the impact of having a living donor on waitlist outcomes and overall survival through an intention-to-treat analysis.

Background: Living-donor liver transplantation (LDLT) offers an alternative to deceased donation in the face of organ shortage. An as-treated analysis revealed that undergoing LDLT, compared to staying on the waiting list, is associated with improved survival, even at Model for End-stage Liver Disease-sodium (MELD-Na) score of 11.

CNTN4 modulates neural elongation through interplay with APP.

The neuronal cell adhesion molecule contactin-4 () is genetically associated with autism spectrum disorder (ASD) and other psychiatric disorders. -deficient mouse models have previously shown that CNTN4 plays important roles in axon guidance and synaptic plasticity in the hippocampus. However, the pathogenesis and functional role of CNTN4 in the cortex has not yet been investigated.

A simple and fast method for estimating bat roost locations.

Bats play a pivotal role in pest control, pollination and seed dispersal. Despite their ecological significance, locating bat roosts remains a challenging task for ecologists. Traditional field surveys are time-consuming, expensive and may disturb sensitive bat populations.

Pursuing living donor liver transplantation improves outcomes of patients with autoimmune liver diseases: An intention-to-treat analysis.

Living donor liver transplantation (LDLT) offers the opportunity to decrease waitlist time and mortality for patients with autoimmune liver disease (AILD), autoimmune hepatitis, primary biliary cholangitis, and primary sclerosing cholangitis. We compared the survival of patients with a potential living donor (pLDLT) on the waitlist versus no potential living donor (pDDLT) on an intention-to-treat basis. Our retrospective cohort study investigated adults with AILD listed for a liver transplant in our program between 2000 and 2021.

Impact of donor NKG2D and MICA gene polymorphism on clinical outcomes of adult and paediatric allogeneic cord blood transplantation for malignant diseases.

Objectives: NKG2D is an activating receptor expressed by natural killer (NK) and CD8+ T cells and activation intensity varies by NKG2D expression level or nature of its ligand. An NKG2D gene polymorphism determines high (HNK1) or low (LNK1) expression. MICA is the most polymorphic NKG2D ligand and stronger effector cell activation associates with methionine rather than valine at residue 129.

Fabrication of Whey Protein Isolate-Pectin Nanoparticles by Thermal Treatment: Effect of Dynamic High-Pressure Treatment.

This study investigated the impact of dynamic high-pressure (DHP) treatment on the ability of whey protein isolate (WPI) to form associative complexes with pectin and to form aggregate particles after their subsequent heat treatment. Light scattering showed that DHP treatments disrupted preexisting WPI aggregates and assembled pectin chains. Complexes formed from WPI/pectin mixtures at pH 4.

Bat Motion can be Described by Leap Frogging.

We present models of bat motion derived from radio-tracking data collected over 14 nights. The data presents an initial dispersal period and a return to roost period. Although a simple diffusion model fits the initial dispersal motion we show that simple convection cannot provide a description of the bats returning to their roost.

Identifying employee, workplace and population characteristics associated with COVID-19 outbreaks in the workplace: a population-based study.

Objectives: To identify risk factors that contribute to outbreaks of COVID-19 in the workplace and quantify their effect on outbreak risk.

Methods: We identified outbreaks of COVID-19 cases in the workplace and investigated the characteristics of the individuals, the workplaces, the areas they work and the mode of commute to work, through data linkages based on Middle Layer Super Output Areas in England between 20 June 2021 and 20 February 2022. We estimated population-level associations between potential risk factors and workplace outbreaks, adjusting for plausible confounders identified using a directed acyclic graph.

Addressing the challenges of combined sewer overflows.

Europe's ageing wastewater system often combines domestic sewage with surface runoff and industrial wastewaters. To reduce the associated risk of overloading wastewater treatment works during storms, and to prevent wastewater backing-up into properties, Combined Sewer Overflows (CSOs) are designed into wastewater networks to release excess discharge into rivers or coastal waters without treatment. In view of growing regulatory scrutiny and increasing public concern about their excessive discharge frequencies and potential impacts on environments and people, there is a need to better understand these impacts to allow prioritisation of cost-effective solutions.

High-resolution data are necessary to understand the effects of climate on plant population dynamics of a forest herb.

Climate is assumed to strongly influence species distribution and abundance. Although the performance of many organisms is influenced by the climate in their immediate proximity, the climate data used to model their distributions often have a coarse spatial resolution. This is problematic because the local climate experienced by individuals might deviate substantially from the regional average.

Performance evaluation of a North American center using the established global benchmark for laparoscopic liver resections: A retrospective study.

Background: The global benchmark cut-offs were set for laparoscopic liver resection procedures: left lateral sectionectomy, left hepatectomy, and right hepatectomy. We aimed to compare the performance of our North American center with the established global benchmarks.

Methods: This is a single-center study of adults who underwent laparoscopic liver resection between 2010 to 2022 at the Toronto General Hospital.

Call to Improve the Quality of Prediction Tools for Intrahepatic Cholangiocarcinoma Resection: A Critical Appraisal, Systematic Review, and External Validation Study.

Objective: To conduct a systematic review, critical appraisal, and external validation of survival prediction tools for patients undergoing intrahepatic cholangiocarcinoma (iCCA) resection.

Summary Background Data: Despite the development of several survival prediction tools in recent years for patients undergoing iCCA resections, there is a lack of critical appraisal and external validation of these models.

Methods: We conducted a systematic review and critical appraisal of survival and recurrence prediction models for patients undergoing curative-intent iCCA resections.

Nowcasting the 2022 mpox outbreak in England.

In May 2022, a cluster of mpox cases were detected in the UK that could not be traced to recent travel history from an endemic region. Over the coming months, the outbreak grew, with over 3000 total cases reported in the UK, and similar outbreaks occurring worldwide. These outbreaks appeared linked to sexual contact networks between gay, bisexual and other men who have sex with men.

Gut microbiology of UK care home residents: a cross-sectional analysis from a randomised controlled trial.

Objective: To describe the prevalence of potentially clinically relevant gut pathogens and associations with the carriage of resistant organisms in UK care home residents.

Methods: Stool samples were collected pre-randomisation from care home residents participating in a randomised placebo-controlled trial. Cultivable clinically relevant bacteria were analysed.

Microbubbles in Food Technology.

Microbubbles are largely unused in the food industry yet have promising capabilities as environmentally friendly cleaning and supporting agents within products and production lines due to their unique physical behaviors. Their small diameters increase their dispersion throughout liquid materials, promote reactivity because of their high specific surface area, enhance dissolution of gases into the surrounding liquid phase, and promote the generation of reactive chemical species. This article reviews techniques to generate microbubbles, their modes of action to enhance cleaning and disinfection, their contributions to functional and mechanical properties of food materials, and their use in supporting the growth of living organisms in hydroponics or bioreactors.