Optogenetically Induced Microtubule Acetylation Unveils the Molecular Dynamics of Actin-Microtubule Crosstalk in Directed Cell Migration.

Microtubule acetylation is implicated in regulating cell motility, yet its physiological role in directional migration and the underlying molecular mechanisms have remained unclear. This knowledge gap has persisted primarily due to a lack of tools capable of rapidly manipulating microtubule acetylation in actively migrating cells. To overcome this limitation and elucidate the causal relationship between microtubule acetylation and cell migration, we developed a novel optogenetic actuator, optoTAT, which enables precise and rapid induction of microtubule acetylation within minutes in live cells.

Artificial Intelligence: A Help or Hindrance to Scientific Writing?

We have assessed the chatbot Generative Pretrained Transformer, a type of artificial intelligence software designed to simulate conversations with human users, in an experiment designed to test its relevance to scientific writing. chatbot Generative Pretrained Transformer could become a promising and powerful tool for tasks such as automated draft generation, which may be useful in academic activities to make writing work faster and easier. However, the use of this tool in scientific writing raises some ethical concerns and therefore there have been calls for it to be regulated.

An international multicenter study of protocols for liver transplantation during a pandemic: A case for quadripartite equipoise.

Background & Aims: The outbreak of COVID-19 has vastly increased the operational burden on healthcare systems worldwide. For patients with end-stage liver failure, liver transplantation is the only option. However, the strain on intensive care facilities caused by the pandemic is a major concern.

Current role of trisectionectomy for hepatopancreatobiliary malignancies.

Background: Trisectionectomy is a treatment option in extensive liver malignancy, including colorectal liver metastases (CRLM). However, the reported experience of this procedure is limited. Therefore, we present our experience with right hepatic trisectionectomy (RHT) for CRLM as an example and discuss the changing role of trisectionectomy in the context of modern treatment alternatives based on a literature review.

Impact of Donor Hepatectomy Time During Organ Procurement in Donation After Circulatory Death Liver Transplantation: The United Kingdom Experience.

Background: No data exist to evaluate how hepatectomy time (HT), in the context of donation after cardiac death (DCD) procurement, impacts short- and long-term outcomes after liver transplantation (LT). In this study, we analyze the impact of the time from aortic perfusion to end of hepatectomy on outcomes after DCD LT in the United Kingdom.

Methods: An analysis of 1112 DCD donor LT across all UK transplant centers between 2001 and 2015 was performed, using data from the UK Transplant Registry.

The evolution of donation after circulatory death renal transplantation: a decade of experience.

Background: This study compared long-term outcomes of renal transplantation from donors following donation after circulatory death (DCD) with those following donation after brain death (DBD) from one of the largest centres in the UK.

Method: Recipients of renal transplants from deceased donors between 2002 and 2014 were identified from a prospectively maintained database. Outcomes were compared between DCD (468) and DBD (905) donors and between standard criteria donors (SCDs) and extended criteria donors (ECDs).

Non-HLA-matched 3rd party vascular allograft in renal transplant may lead to sensitization against donor HLA.

3rd party donor vessels are often used for vascular reconstruction in organ transplantation. While current practice ensures that 3rd party vessels are blood group matched, HLA matching to the non-intended recipient is not performed. This practice potentially sensitizes the recipient and may reduce their future chance of renal transplant from a larger pool of donors.

Inflammatory response related scoring systems in assessing the prognosis of patients with pancreatic ductal adenocarcinoma: a systematic review.

Background: Various scoring systems based on assessment of the systemic inflammatory response help assessing the prognosis of patients with pancreatic ductal adenocarcinoma. In the present systematic review we evaluated the validity of four pre-intervention scoring systems: Glasgow prognostic score (GPS) and its modified version (mGPS), platelet lymphocyte ratio (PLR), neutrophil lymphocyte ratio (NLR), and prognostic nutrition index (PNI).

Data Sources: MOOSE guidelines were followed and EMBASE and MEDLINE databases were searched for all published studies until September 2013 using comprehensive text word and MeSH terms.

Outcomes of surgical resection in the management of colorectal pancreatic metastases.

Context: Colorectal pancreatic metastases (CRPM) are uncommon, thus the role of surgical resection is unclear. We present our experience of management outcomes of patients with CRPM in a regional pancreatic unit.

Methods: Electronic records of all patients with colorectal cancer (n = 8,228) held by the cancer network were searched for evidence of CRPM.

Prognostic value of the lymph node ratio after resection of periampullary carcinomas.

Background: Data have indicated that the lymph node ratio (LNR) may be a better prognostic indicator than lymph node status in pancreatic cancer.

Objectives: To analyse the value of the LNR in patients undergoing resection for periampullary carcinomas.

Methods: A cut off value of 0.

Operative terminology and post-operative management approaches applied to hepatic surgery: Trainee perspectives.

Outcomes in hepatic resectional surgery (HRS) have improved as a result of advances in the understanding of hepatic anatomy, improved surgical techniques, and enhanced peri-operative management. Patients are generally cared for in specialist higher-level ward settings with multidisciplinary input during the initial post-operative period, however, greater acceptance and understanding of HRS has meant that care is transferred, usually after 24-48 h, to a standard ward environment. Surgical trainees will be presented with such patients either electively as part of a hepatobiliary firm or whilst covering the service on-call, and it is therefore important to acknowledge the key points in managing HRS patients.

Evolution of the surgical management of perihilar cholangiocarcinoma in a Western centre demonstrates improved survival with endoscopic biliary drainage and reduced use of blood transfusion.

Background: Perihilar cholangiocarcinoma (PHCCA) remains a surgical challenge for which few large Western series have been reported. The aims of this study were to investigate the results of surgical resection for PHCCA and assess how practice has evolved over the past 15 years.

Methods: A prospectively maintained database was interrogated to identify all resections.

Shotgun proteomics of human bile in hilar cholangiocarcinoma.

The need to find biomarkers for hepatobiliary diseases including cholangiocarcinoma (CCA) has led to an interest in using bile as a proximal fluid in biomarker discovery experiments, although there are inherent challenges both in its acquisition and analysis. The study described here greatly extends previous studies that have started to characterise the bile proteome. Bile from four patients with hilar CCA was depleted of albumin and immunoglobulin G and analysed by GeLC-MS/MS.