Funeral support services for socio-economically deprived bereaved people in Hong Kong: An exploratory study of their effectiveness.

This study aimed to explore the effectiveness of funeral support services for socio-economically deprived bereaved people in Hong Kong. Via a questionnaire, service users were asked to report their psychosocial status in different domains before and after the services. A quasi-experimental design was also used to compare service users with non-service users in different psychosocial domains after the funerals had taken place.

CAMKIIδ Reinforces Lipid Metabolism and Promotes the Development of B Cell Lymphoma.

The most prevalent types of lymphomas are B cell lymphomas (BCL). Newer therapies for BCL have improved the prognosis for many patients. However, approximately 30% with aggressive BCL either remain refractory or ultimately relapse.

Nationwide trends and outcomes of percutaneous coronary intervention for stable ischemic heart disease in end-stage kidney disease: a longitudinal study.

Background: Patients with end-stage kidney disease (ESKD) are at high risk for coronary artery disease. We investigate the trends and outcomes of percutaneous coronary intervention (PCI) for stable ischemic heart disease (SIHD) in patients with ESKD.

Methods: We utilized the United States Renal Data System [2010-2018] to include adult patients with ESKD on dialysis for at least 3 months who underwent PCI for SIHD.

Protocol for a mixed-methods randomised controlled trial evaluating the psychosocial effects of an expressive arts-based intervention on adults with age-related macular degeneration.

Introduction: Age-related macular degeneration (AMD) is a prevalent eye disease among middle-aged and older adults. AMD leaves the patient with irreversible deteriorating vision, which profoundly impacts their daily lives and psychosocial well-being. Given the limited studies addressing the psychosocial needs of adults with AMD and, in particular, using an expressive arts-based intervention (EXABI) as an intervention, this study aims to investigate the effectiveness of such an intervention in enhancing the psychosocial well-being of adults with AMD.

Adiposity and risks of gastrointestinal cancers: A 10-year prospective study of 0.5 million Chinese adults.

Associations of adiposity with risks of oesophageal squamous cell carcinoma (ESCC) and non-cardia stomach cancer, both prevalent in China, are still inconclusive. While adiposity is an established risk factor for colorectal cancer, the relevance of fat-free mass and early-adulthood adiposity remains to be explored. The prospective China Kadoorie Biobank study included 0.

3D electron microscopy for analyzing nanoparticles in the tumor endothelium.

Delivering medical agents to diseased tissues has been challenging, leading researchers to study the in vivo transport process in the body for improving delivery. Many imaging techniques exist for mapping the distribution of medical agent-carrying nanoparticles in tissues, but they cannot capture the three-dimensional context of tissues with single nanoparticle resolution. Here, we developed 3DEM-NPD, a three-dimensional electron microscopy (3D EM) machine learning strategy to image and map single nanoparticle distributions (NPD) in tissues.

QBox: An Automated Portable System for Multiplex Quantum Dot Barcode Diagnostics.

The COVID-19 pandemic accelerated the development of automated systems for detecting molecular targets for the point-of-care. However, these systems have limited multiplexing capabilities because of the need to alter their hardware to accommodate additional targets and probes. Quantum dot barcodes address this multiplexing obstacle, but their assays have multiple steps that rely on extensive training and laboratory equipment.

Associations of blood lipids and LDL cholesterol lowering drug-targets with colorectal cancer risk: a Mendelian randomisation study.

Background: Whether blood lipids are causally associated with colorectal cancer (CRC) risk remains unclear.

Methods: Using two-sample Mendelian randomisation (MR), our study examined the associations of genetically-predicted blood concentrations of lipids and lipoproteins (primary: LDL-C, HDL-C, triglycerides, and total cholesterol), and genetically-proxied inhibition of HMGCR, NPC1L1, and PCSK9 (which mimic therapeutic effects of LDL-lowering drugs), with risks of CRC and its subsites. Genetic associations with lipids were obtained from the Global Lipids Genetics Consortium (n = 1,320,016), while genetic associations with CRC were obtained from the largest existing CRC consortium (n = 58,221 cases and 67,694 controls).

Comorbid anxiety, loneliness, and chronic pain as predictors of intervention outcomes for subclinical depressive symptoms in older adults: evidence from a large community-based study in Hong Kong.

Background: Depression is among the leading causes of the global burden of disease and is associated with substantial morbidity in old age. The importance of providing timely intervention, particularly those with subclinical symptoms, has thus increasingly been emphasised. Despite their overall effectiveness, a small but notable subgroup tends to be less responsive to interventions.

Utilization of home-based care and its buffering effects between dementia caregiving intensity and caregiver burden in China.

Background: Home-based care (HBC) services have gained global attention for their potential to reduce caregiver burden among informal caregivers of persons with dementia (PwDs), who experience high caregiving intensity. However, research on HBC and its effects on dementia caregiving in China remains limited.

Methods: Data were collected from primary caregivers of PwDs in Jiangsu Province, China.

Prognostic Value of Hospital Frailty Risk Score and Clinical Outcomes in Critical Limb-Threatening Ischemia and End-Stage Kidney Disease.

Background: End-stage kidney disease (ESKD) is commonly associated with critical limb-threatening ischemia (CLTI) and frailty. Yet there are no specific tools to predict outcomes of CLTI in ESKD, particularly those that incorporate frailty. We aimed to assess the utility of the medical record-based Hospital Frailty Risk (HFR) score in predicting outcomes of CLTI in ESKD.

Refining Diagnostic Subtypes of Peripheral T-Cell Lymphoma Using a Multiparameter Approach.

Peripheral T-cell lymphoma (PTCL) is a heterogeneous group of neoplasms, with many cases remaining unclassifiable and categorized as PTCL-not otherwise specified (PTCL-NOS). Gene expression profiling (GEP) has delineated 2 prognostic subtypes within PTCL-NOS, PTCL-TBX21 and PTCL-GATA3, characterized by distinctive transcriptomes and a different prognosis. To further evaluate the pathologic features of these subgroups, 101 PTCL cases that did not meet specific criteria for well-defined T-cell lymphoma entities underwent detailed pathologic, immunophenotypic (including T follicular helper [T] biomarkers), and GEP analyses, separating them into PTCL-NOS (n = 63) and PTCL-TFH (also known as nodal PTCL-TFH, NOS, and TFH lymphoma, NOS) (n = 38).

Developing enhanced immunotherapy using NKG2A knockout human pluripotent stem cell-derived NK cells.

Cancer immunotherapy is gaining increasing attention. However, immune checkpoints are exploited by cancer cells to evade anti-tumor immunotherapy. Here, we knocked out NKG2A, an immune checkpoint expressed on natural killer (NK) cells, in human pluripotent stem cells (hPSCs) and differentiated these hPSCs into NK (PSC-NK) cells.

Effect of a single-session mindfulness-based intervention for reducing stress in family caregivers of people with dementia: study protocol for a randomized controlled trial.

Background: Caregiver stress can pose serious health and psychological concerns, highlighting the importance of timely interventions for family caregivers of people with dementia. Single-session mindfulness-based interventions could be a promising yet under-researched approach to enhancing their mental well-being within their unpredictable, time-constrained contexts. This trial will evaluate the effectiveness and feasibility of a blended mindfulness-based intervention consisting of a single session and app-based follow-up in reducing caregiver stress.

Enhanced Surveillance of >1100 Pesticides and Natural Toxins in Food: Harnessing the Capabilities of LC-HRMS for Reliable Identification and Quantification.

The consequences of climate change along with diverse food regulations and agricultural practices worldwide are complexifying the occurrence and management of chemical contaminants in food. In this context, we present an ultra-high-performance liquid chromatography high-resolution mass spectrometry (LC-HRMS) approach for the simultaneous identification and quantitation of over 1100 pesticide residues, mycotoxins, and plant toxins in cereals and fruits and vegetables. Analytical conditions were optimized to maximize the scope of the targeted molecules, the reliability of compound identification, and quantification performance within a single method.

Enhanced Cognition and Modulation of Brain Connectivity in Mild Neurocognitive Disorder: The Promise of Transcranial Pulse Stimulation.

Existing pharmacological treatments for mild neurocognitive disorder (NCD) offer limited effectiveness and adverse side effects. Transcranial pulse stimulation (TPS) utilizing ultrashort ultrasound pulses reaches deep brain regions and may circumvent conductivity issues associated with brain stimulation. This study addresses the gap in TPS research for mild NCD during a critical intervention period before irreversible cognitive degradation.

Sialic acid detection and theranostic activity of phenylboronic acid-based fluorescent probe in human colorectal adenocarcinoma HT-29 cells.

A new probe, 4-(((3',6'-bis(diethylamino)-3-oxospiro[isoindoline-1,9'-xanthen]-2-yl)imino)methyl)phenyl)boronic acid (R4B) was prepared by facile condensation of 4-formylphenylboronic acid and rhodamine B hydrazide. R4B was characterized by spectroscopic methods and single crystal X-ray diffraction. The sensor R4B solution turned pink and emitted orange fluorescence only in the presence of sialic acid but remained colorless and non-fluorescent otherwise.

New insights into the biology of T-cell lymphomas.

Peripheral T-cell lymphomas (PTCLs) encompass a heterogeneous group of postthymic T-cell lymphomas with >30 distinct subtypes associated with varied clinicopathological features. Unfortunately, the overall survival of the major PTCL subtypes is dismal and has not improved for decades; thus, there is an urgent unmet clinical need to improve diagnosis, therapies, and clinical outcomes. The diagnosis is often challenging, requiring a combinatorial evaluation of clinical, morphologic, and immunophenotypic features.

The impact of perioperative transfusions on the oncologic outcomes of patients with ovarian cancer: A population-based study.

Unlabelled: Perioperative blood transfusion in ovarian cancer patients was associated with a 28% increase in all-cause mortality. The negative impact of perioperative blood transfusion extends beyond the immediate postoperative period.

Objectives: The effect of perioperative blood transfusions on long-term oncologic outcomes of patients with advanced ovarian cancer undergoing cytoreductive surgery remains uncertain.