Privacy-Preserving Prediction of Postoperative Mortality in Multi-Institutional Data: Development and Usability Study.

Background: To circumvent regulatory barriers that limit medical data exchange due to personal information security concerns, we use homomorphic encryption (HE) technology, enabling computation on encrypted data and enhancing privacy.

Objective: This study explores whether using HE to integrate encrypted multi-institutional data enhances predictive power in research, focusing on the integration feasibility across institutions and determining the optimal size of hospital data sets for improved prediction models.

Methods: We used data from 341,007 individuals aged 18 years and older who underwent noncardiac surgeries across 3 medical institutions.

Multicentre validation of a machine learning model for predicting respiratory failure after noncardiac surgery.

Background: Postoperative respiratory failure is a serious complication that could benefit from early accurate identification of high-risk patients. We developed and validated a machine learning model to predict postoperative respiratory failure, defined as prolonged (>48 h) mechanical ventilation or reintubation after surgery.

Methods: Easily extractable electronic health record (EHR) variables that do not require subjective assessment by clinicians were used.

Predisposal of Interferon Regulatory Factor 1 Deficiency to Accumulate DNA Damage and Promote Osteoarthritis Development in Cartilage.

Objective: Interferon regulatory factor 1 (IRF1) is a transcriptional regulator conventionally associated with immunomodulation. Recent molecular analyses mapping DNA binding sites of IRF1 have suggested its potential function in DNA repair. However, the physiologic significance of this noncanonical function remains unexplored.

Hunting for the vulnerability in chondrosarcoma by tracing metabolic and genetic links.

In this Backstory, we narrate our journey in establishing a multidisciplinary team for sarcoma research and uncovering vulnerabilities in chondrosarcoma cells associated with their NAD dependencies for survival. Our findings hold promise for exploitation, yielding a synergistic cytotoxic effect when combined with systemic therapy.

Decoupling NAD metabolic dependency in chondrosarcoma by targeting the SIRT1-HIF-2α axis.

Chondrosarcomas represent the second most common primary bone malignancy. Despite the vulnerability of chondrosarcoma cells to nicotinamide adenine dinucleotide (NAD) depletion, targeting the NAD synthesis pathway remains challenging due to broad implications in biological processes. Here, we establish SIRT1 as a central mediator reinforcing the dependency of chondrosarcoma cells on NAD metabolism via HIF-2α-mediated transcriptional reprogramming.

Sarcoma Immunotherapy: Confronting Present Hurdles and Unveiling Upcoming Opportunities.

Sarcomas are rare and heterogeneous mesenchymal neoplasms originating from the bone or soft tissues, which pose significant treatment challenges. The current standard treatment for sarcomas consists of surgical resection, often combined with chemo- and radiotherapy; however, local recurrence and metastasis remain significant concerns. Although immunotherapy has demonstrated promise in improving long-term survival rates for certain cancers, sarcomas are generally considered to be relatively less immunogenic than other tumors, presenting substantial challenges for effective immunotherapy.

Causal relationship between particulate matter 2.5 and diabetes: two sample Mendelian randomization.

Backgrounds: Many studies have shown particulate matter has emerged as one of the major environmental risk factors for diabetes; however, studies on the causal relationship between particulate matter 2.5 (PM) and diabetes based on genetic approaches are scarce. The study estimated the causal relationship between diabetes and PM using two sample mendelian randomization (TSMR).

The effect of residential greenness during pregnancy on infant neurodevelopment using propensity score weighting: A prospective mother-infant paired cohort study.

Background: While prior studies have suggested an association between green spaces and infant neurodevelopment, the causal effect of green space exposure during pregnancy has not been fully investigated. This study aimed to identify with causal inference the effect of exposure to residential greenness during pregnancy on infants' mental-psychomotor development and the role of maternal education in modifying this association.

Methods: We prospectively collected data of pregnant women and their infants from Mothers and Children Environmental Health cohort study.

Hospital admission risks and excess costs for neurological symptoms attributable to long-term exposure to fine particulate matter in New York State, USA.

Background: Although emerging evidence suggests that PM is linked to neurological symptoms (NSs) via neuroinflammation, relevant studies are scarce. This study aimed to investigate the risks and excess costs of hospital admission for five NSs-fatigue, headache, dizziness, convulsion, and paralysis-attributable to long-term exposure to PM in New York State, USA.

Methods: We analyzed the New York Statewide Planning and Research Cooperative System (SPARCS) from 2010 to 2016.

Multi-center validation of machine learning model for preoperative prediction of postoperative mortality.

Accurate prediction of postoperative mortality is important for not only successful postoperative patient care but also for information-based shared decision-making with patients and efficient allocation of medical resources. This study aimed to create a machine-learning prediction model for 30-day mortality after a non-cardiac surgery that adapts to the manageable amount of clinical information as input features and is validated against multi-centered rather than single-centered data. Data were collected from 454,404 patients over 18 years of age who underwent non-cardiac surgeries from four independent institutions.

A COVID-19 mortality prediction model for Korean patients using nationwide Korean disease control and prevention agency database.

The experience of the early nationwide COVID-19 pandemic in South Korea led to an early shortage of medical resources. For efficient resource allocation, accurate prediction of the prognosis or mortality of confirmed patients is essential. Therefore, the aim of this study was to develop an accurate model for predicting COVID-19 mortality using epidemiolocal and clinical variables and for identifying a high-risk group of confirmed patients.

ANNO: A General Annotation Tool for Bilingual Clinical Note Information Extraction.

Objective: This study was conducted to develop a generalizable annotation tool for bilingual complex clinical text annotation, which led to the design and development of a clinical text annotation tool, ANNO.

Methods: We designed ANNO to enable human annotators to support the annotation of information in clinical documents efficiently and accurately. First, annotations for different classes (word or phrase types) can be tagged according to the type of word using the dictionary function.

Mortality Risk within 14 Days after Coronavirus Disease 2019 Diagnosis in Dementia Patients: A Nationwide Analysis.

Introduction: The study evaluated the increased mortality risk within 14 days of coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) diagnosis in dementia patients.

Methods: This retrospective study was conducted from February to April 2020 using the COVID-19 patients' database from the Korea Disease Control and Prevention Agency. The risk factors for early death within 14 days were determined using generalized logistic regression performed in a stepwise manner.

CTRP3 exacerbates tendinopathy by dysregulating tendon stem cell differentiation and altering extracellular matrix composition.

Tendinopathy, the most common disorder affecting tendons, is characterized by chronic disorganization of the tendon matrix, which leads to tendon tear and rupture. The goal was to identify a rational molecular target whose blockade can serve as a potential therapeutic intervention for tendinopathy. We identified C1q/TNF-related protein-3 (CTRP3) as a markedly up-regulated cytokine in human and rodent tendinopathy.

Comprehensive DNA repair gene expression analysis and its prognostic significance in acute myeloid leukemia.

Background: Deficiency in DNA damage response (DDR) pathway and accumulation of DNA damage increases mutation rates resulting in genomic instability and eventually increases the risk of cancer. The aim of our study was to investigate expressions of DNA repair genes as new prognostic biomarkers in acute myeloid leukemia (AML).

Methods: We utilized The Cancer Genome Atlas AML project (TCGA-LAML cohort, 15 acute promyelocytic leukemia (APL) and 155 non-APL AML) for the expression data of DNA repair genes.

Time-sequential change in immune-related gene expression after irradiation in glioblastoma: next-generation sequencing analysis.

The time-sequential change in immune-related gene expression of the glioblastoma cell line after irradiation was evaluated to speculate the effect of combined immunotherapy with radiotherapy. The U373 MG glioblastoma cell line was irradiated with 6 Gy single dose. Next-generation sequencing (NGS) transcriptome data was generated before irradiation (control), and at 6, 24, and 48 h post-irradiation.

Identification of synthetic chemosensitivity genes paired with BRAF for BRAF/MAPK inhibitors.

Molecular-targeted approaches are important for personalised cancer treatment, which requires knowledge regarding drug target specificity. Here, we used the synthetic lethality concept to identify candidate gene pairs with synergistic effects on drug responses. A synergistic chemo-sensitivity response was identified if a drug had a significantly lower half-maximal inhibitory concentration (IC) in cell lines with a pair of mutated genes compared with those in other cell lines (wild-type or one mutated gene).

A system-level approach identifies HIF-2α as a critical regulator of chondrosarcoma progression.

Chondrosarcomas, malignant cartilaginous neoplasms, are capable of transitioning to highly aggressive, metastatic, and treatment-refractory states, resulting in significant patient mortality. Here, we aim to uncover the transcriptional program directing such tumor progression in chondrosarcomas. We conduct weighted correlation network analysis to extract a characteristic gene module underlying chondrosarcoma malignancy.

Immune expression signatures as candidate prognostic biomarkers of age and gender survival differences in cutaneous melanoma.

This study aims to investigate the difference of gene expression and its prognostic significance in younger women with melanoma. Significantly upregulated genes in tumors compared to normal skin tissues were extracted. Among these genes, genes that significantly affected survival according to expression level were selected, and pathway annotation was performed.

Increasing incidence and improving survival of oral tongue squamous cell carcinoma.

We evaluated changes in incidence, relative survival (RS), and conditional survival (CS) of head and neck squamous cell carcinoma (HNSCC), focusing on oral tongue squamous cell carcinoma (OTSCC). Data of 74 680 HNSCC patients from 1976 to 2015 were obtained from the Surveillance, Epidemiology, and End Results database. Five anatomical sites and their subsites were analyzed.

Targeted next-generation DNA sequencing identifies Notch signaling pathway mutation as a predictor of radiation response.

Identifying the association between somatic mutations and the radiation response of tumor is essential for understanding the mechanisms and practicing personalized radiotherapy. The present study aimed to discover specific genes or pathways that are associated with radiation response using targeted next-generation DNA sequencing. Fifty-five patients with various solid tumors whose specimen were sequenced using institutional panel which includes 148 cancer-related genes and received radiotherapy for a measurable tumor were analyzed.

HLA Allele Distribution Associated with Adverse Drug Reactions in Organ Transplant Patients.

The results of Human Leukocyte Antigen (HLA) antigen testing in transplant patients are not generally used to predict future adverse events. In this study, free-text HLA screening results of transplant patients were analyzed and stored in a database, and the frequencies of patients with adverse events according to HLA allele were extracted. Approximately 25% of patients had HLA alleles associated with serious drug side effects.

Retrospective study comparing MR-guided radiation therapy (MRgRT) setup strategies for prostate treatment: repositioning vs. replanning.

Background: This study compared adaptive replanning and repositioning corrections based on soft-tissue matching for prostate cancer by using the magnetic resonance-guided radiation therapy (MRgRT) system.

Methods: A total of 19 patients with prostate cancer were selected retrospectively. Weekly magnetic resonance image (MRI) scans were acquired for 5 weeks for each patient to observe the anatomic changes during the treatment course.

Survival benefit of radiotherapy after surgery in de novo stage IV breast cancer: a population-based propensity-score matched analysis.

The survival benefit from radiotherapy in stage IV breast cancer has not been fully evaluated. We investigated the survival benefit of radiotherapy after surgery in de novo stage IV breast cancer. Using a population-based database (the Surveillance, Epidemiology, and End Results database 18, 2010-2013), patients diagnosed with de novo stage IV breast cancer were divided into those undergoing surgery alone (no-radiotherapy group) and those undergoing surgery followed by radiotherapy (radiotherapy group).