RNA Origami Nanostructures for Potent and Safe Anticancer Immunotherapy.

Rapid developments in nucleic acid nanotechnology have enabled the rational design and construction of self-assembling DNA and RNA nanostructures that are highly programmable. We recently developed a replicable single-stranded RNA origami (RNA-OG) technology that allows a long RNA molecule to be programmed to self-assemble into nanostructures of various shapes. Here, we show that such RNA-OG is highly stable in serum/plasma, and we thus exploited its immunostimulatory potential.

Sleep, psychopathology and cultural diversity.

Research on ethnic/racial disparities in sleep in the United States finds minorities to have shorter self-reported and actigraphy-recorded sleep duration and poorer sleep quality. Disparities in mental health mirror disparities in sleep with ethnic/racial minorities reporting higher prevalence and more severe struggles. This review focuses on recent research in sleep and mental health disparities and considers ethnic/racial discrimination as an important third variable that may link these two domains of disparities research.

Oncolytic Adenovirus Armed with BiTE, Cytokine, and Checkpoint Inhibitor Enables CAR T Cells to Control the Growth of Heterogeneous Tumors.

No single cancer immunotherapy will likely defeat all evasion mechanisms of solid tumors, including plasticity of tumor antigen expression and active immune suppression by the tumor environment. In this study, we increase the breadth, potency, and duration of anti-tumor activity of chimeric antigen receptor (CAR) T cells using an oncolytic virus (OV) that produces cytokine, checkpoint blockade, and a bispecific tumor-targeted T cell engager (BiTE) molecule. First, we constructed a BiTE molecule specific for CD44 variant 6 (CD44v6), since CD44v6 is widely expressed on tumor but not normal tissue, and a CD44v6 antibody has been safely administered to cancer patients.

Cancer risk and chemoprevention in Chinese inflammatory bowel disease patients: a population-based cohort study.

Role of 5-aminosalicylic acid (5-ASA), statin and aspirin in reducing cancer risks in inflammatory bowel disease (IBD) remains controversial. We aimed to examine chemo-preventive effects of these drugs in all cancers in IBD in population-based setting. IBD patients diagnosed between 2000 and 2016 were identified from the Hong Kong IBD Registry and followed from IBD diagnosis until first cancer occurrence.

Clinical outcomes following ST-elevation myocardial infarction secondary to stent thrombosis treated by percutaneous coronary intervention.

Objectives: To assess the clinical outcomes of patients presenting with ST-elevation myocardial infarction (STEMI) secondary to stent thrombosis (ST) compared to those presenting with STEMI secondary to a de novo culprit lesion and treated by percutaneous coronary intervention (PCI).

Background: ST is an infrequent but serious complication of PCI with substantial associated morbidity and mortality, however with limited data.

Methods: We studied consecutive patients who underwent PCI for STEMI from 2005 to 2013 enrolled prospectively in the Melbourne Interventional Group registry.

Factors associated with improvement in MELD score after antiviral treatment in patients with chronic hepatitis B.

Background And Aims: Improvement in Model for End-Stage Liver Disease (MELD) score during antiviral treatment is associated with reduced hepatic decompensation and death in patients with chronic hepatitis B (CHB)-related cirrhosis. We aimed to identify factors associated with transplant-free survival and on-treatment MELD score improvement.

Methods: We identified patients with CHB-related cirrhosis and MELD score ≥ 15 at the start of entecavir and/or tenofovir disoproxil fumarate treatment between 2005 and 2017.

A Pilot Comprehensive Psychoeducation Program for Fluid Management in Renal Palliative Care Patients: Impact on Health Care Utilization.

Fluid management is a clinical challenge in patients with end-stage renal disease (ESRD), especially among those who opted for conservative treatment. We initiated a comprehensive program of psychosocial interventions. To study the impact of this psychoeducational (Appropriate amount of intake, Self-efficacy, and Adherence [ASA]) program on symptom burden and acute admission rates related to fluid overload (FO) in this group of elderly ESRD patients attending renal palliative care outpatient clinic under our division.

Outcomes of cardiogenic shock complicating acute coronary syndromes.

Objectives: We aimed to assess the outcomes of cardiogenic shock (CS) complicating acute coronary syndromes (ACS).

Background: CS remains the leading cause of mortality in patients presenting with ACS despite advances in care.

Methods: We studied 13,184 patients undergoing percutaneous coronary intervention (PCI) for all subtypes of ACS enrolled prospectively in a large multicentre Australian registry (Melbourne Interventional Group registry) from 2005 to 2013.

Parallel Changes in Ethnic/Racial Discrimination and Identity in High School.

Research has yet to understand how ethnic/racial discrimination and ethnic/racial identity change simultaneously in adolescence. In a multiethnic sample of 211 adolescents (58% female; 41% Asian American, 10% Black, 24% Latinx, 22% White, 4% other), this study used latent change modeling to examine parallel changes in adolescents' discrimination experiences (frequency and distress) and ethnic/racial identity (private regard, centrality) from 9th to 11th grade. The year immediately following the transition into high school, from 9th to 10th grade, emerged as a challenging period with higher levels of discrimination and accompanying declines in adolescents' private regard.

Targeted destruction of cancer stem cells using multifunctional magnetic nanoparticles that enable combined hyperthermia and chemotherapy.

Cancer stem cells (CSCs) have been implicated in cancer recurrence and therapy resistance. Therefore, a CSC-targeted therapy that disrupts the maintenance and survival of CSCs may offer an effective approach in killing tumor cells in primary tumors and preventing the metastasis caused by CSCs. Nanoparticles (NPs)-based thermotherapy and/or chemotherapy are promising therapeutic methods for cancer treatment.

Racial discrimination and telomere shortening among African Americans: The Coronary Artery Risk Development in Young Adults (CARDIA) Study.

Objective: Telomeres are protective sequences of DNA capping the ends of chromosomes that shorten over time. Leukocyte telomere length (LTL) is posited to reflect the replicative history of cells and general systemic aging of the organism. Chronic stress exposure leads to accelerated LTL shortening, which has been linked to increased susceptibility to and faster progression of aging-related diseases.

Reassessing the accuracy of PAGE-B-related scores to predict hepatocellular carcinoma development in patients with chronic hepatitis B.

Background & Aims: PAGE-B and modified PAGE-B (mPAGE-B) scores were developed to predict the risk of hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) in patients on nucleos(t)ide analogue therapy. However, how and when to use these risk scores in clinical practice is uncertain.

Methods: Consecutive adult patients with chronic hepatitis B who had received entecavir or tenofovir for at least 6 months between January 2005 and June 2018 were identified from a territory-wide database in Hong Kong.

The safety of stopping nucleos(t)ide analogue treatment in patients with HBeAg-negative chronic hepatitis B.

Background: The rates of hepatitis B surface antigen (HBsAg) seroclearance after stopping nucleos(t)ide analogues (NA) in European (19% in 2 years) and Asian (13% in 6 years) patients with chronic hepatitis B (CHB) vary dramatically. We evaluated the incidence of hepatitis flare and HBsAg seroclearance in hepatitis B e antigen (HBeAg)-negative Chinese CHB patients who had stopped NA.

Methods: This was a territory-wide retrospective study in Hong Kong.

Moving from the Margins to the Mainstream: Equity and Justice as Key Considerations for Developmental Science.

Worldwide, most children face marginalization and societal inequities to varying degrees. For developmental science to have both scientific and societal value, scientists must account for the impact of societal inequities, regardless of the focus of their research. In this article, we illustrate how equity and justice are relevant for all children.

Liver stiffness measurement predicts long-term survival and complications in non-alcoholic fatty liver disease.

Background And Aims: In non-alcoholic fatty liver disease (NAFLD), fibrosis is the strongest prognostic factor and can be assessed by non-invasive methods. We evaluated the ability of liver stiffness measurement (LSM) to predict overall survival and liver, cardiovascular and oncologic complications.

Methods: We prospectively collected data on 2251 consecutive NAFLD patients (mean age 59 years, male 53%, mean body mass index 28 kg/m ) in two centres.

Development and validation of a model for hepatitis B e antigen seroconversion in entecavir-treated patients with chronic hepatitis B.

Achieving hepatitis B e antigen (HBeAg) seroconversion is a satisfactory endpoint during antiviral treatment for chronic hepatitis B (CHB). This study aimed to develop and validate a novel scoring system to predict HBeAg seroconversion during entecavir (ETV) treatment. A total of 526 patients with HBeAg-positive CHB treated with ETV for at least 1 year were randomly assigned to the training and validation cohorts.

Sleep Facilitates Coping: Moderated Mediation of Daily Sleep, Ethnic/Racial Discrimination, Stress Responses, and Adolescent Well-Being.

Using a daily diary design and actigraphy sleep data across 2 weeks among 256 ethnic/racial minority adolescents (M  = 14.72; 40% Asian, 22% Black, 38% Latinx; 2,607 days), this study investigated how previous-night sleep (duration, quality) moderated the same-day associations between ethnic/racial discrimination and stress responses (rumination, problem solving, family/peer support seeking) to predict daily well-being (mood, somatic symptoms, life satisfaction). On days when adolescents experienced greater discrimination, if they slept longer and better the previous night, adolescents engaged in greater active coping (problem solving, peer support seeking), and subsequently had better well-being.

Stopping anti-tumour necrosis factor therapy in patients with perianal Crohn's disease.

Background: Little is known of the outcome of patients with perianal Crohn's disease after stopping anti-tumour necrosis factor (TNF) therapy.

Aim: To evaluate the rate of relapse in perianal Crohn's disease (CD) after stopping anti-TNF therapy.

Methods: Consecutive perianal CD patients treated with anti-TNF therapy with subsequent discontinuation were retrieved from prospective inflammatory bowel disease database of institutes in Hong Kong, Shanghai, Taiwan, Malaysia, Thailand and Singapore from 1997 to June 2019.

The Diversity Paradox: Opportunities and Challenges of "Contact in Context" across Development.

As the United States continues to diversify, we review research on both the benefits and challenges of diversity in developmental science. Taking a "contact in context" approach, we focus on the ways that structural and interpersonal diversity influence ethnic/racial developmental processes and outcomes from early childhood to adolescence. We also consider the ways in which a child's own ethnicity/race may shape diversity experiences and outcomes over time.

Tenofovir Is Associated With Lower Risk of Hepatocellular Carcinoma Than Entecavir in Patients With Chronic HBV Infection in China.

Background & Aims: There have been conflicting results from studies comparing the risk of hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) in patients with chronic hepatitis B virus (HBV) infection treated with tenofovir disoproxil fumarate (TDF) vs those treated with entecavir. We compared the effects of TDF vs entecavir on HCC risk in a large cohort of patients with chronic HBV infection in China.

Methods: We performed a retrospective study of consecutive adults with chronic HBV infection who initially received treatment with entecavir or TDF, for at least 6 months, from January 2008 through June 2018.

Tenofovir disoproxil fumarate reduces hepatocellular carcinoma, decompensation and death in chronic hepatitis B patients with cirrhosis.

Background: Lamivudine and entecavir reduce hepatic events and death in chronic hepatitis B (CHB) patients with cirrhosis, but the impact of tenofovir disoproxil fumarate (TDF) is less well studied.

Aim: To investigate the effectiveness of TDF therapy in CHB patients with cirrhosis.

Methods: We studied TDF-treated and untreated CHB patients with cirrhosis from three tertiary centres.