Publications by authors named "Zee B"

The H3K27M oncogenic histone (oncohistone) mutation drives ~80% of incurable childhood brain tumors known as diffuse midline gliomas (DMGs). The major molecular feature of H3K27M mutant DMGs is a global loss of H3K27 trimethylation (H3K27me3), a phenotype conserved in (). Here, we perform unbiased genome-wide suppressor screens in expressing H3K27M and isolate 20 suppressors, all of which at least partially restore H3K27me3.

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Objectives: Train an automatic retinal image analysis (ARIA) method to screen glaucomatous optic neuropathy (GON) on non-mydriatic retinal images labelled with the additional results of optical coherence tomography (OCT) and assess different models for the GON classification.

Methods: All the images were obtained from the hospital for training and 10-fold cross-validation. Two methods were used to improve the classification performance: (1) using images labelled with the additional results of OCT as the reference standard and (2) generating models using retinal features from the entire images, the region of interest (ROI) of the optic disc, and the ROI of the macula, and the combination of all the features.

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  • The study aimed to compare macular thickness measurements using two imaging methods (OCT and OCTA) in diabetic patients.
  • Despite similar macular thickness readings in most areas, the OCTA method provided quicker scans with less fixation deviation compared to OCT.
  • Using OCTA may enhance patient comfort and streamline clinical processes by reducing the need for additional scanning methods.
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  • A study in Hong Kong assessed the impact of taxing sugar-sweetened beverages (SSBs) on obesity and type 2 diabetes (T2DM) prevalence through a survey and simulation analysis.
  • The survey involved 1,000 adults who indicated their willingness to pay under different tax scenarios (5%, 10%, 40%, and 50%), leading to projections about SSB purchases and related health outcomes over a decade.
  • Results showed that higher taxation rates led to significant decreases in SSB purchases, with a notable reduction in obesity and T2DM cases, highlighting the potential of SSB taxes for improving public health in Asian contexts.
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  • Vector-borne diseases like dengue fever are spreading quickly due to changing climates, requiring further study on their transmission in South and Southeast Asia.
  • The study analyzed dengue incidence and climate data from Singapore, Sri Lanka, Malaysia, and Thailand between 2012-2020, assessing the impact of temperature and rainfall on disease transmission.
  • Projections indicated that dengue transmission potential varies by location and is most affected by middle-to-high greenhouse gas emission scenarios, highlighting the need for interventions to mitigate global warming and its impact on dengue outbreaks.
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  • The influenza virus constantly evolves to avoid human immunity, requiring annual updates of vaccine strains for effectiveness against seasonal epidemics.* -
  • A new computational method called beth-1 has been developed to forecast virus evolution and select optimal vaccine strains by analyzing mutation fitness and immune response data.* -
  • In tests, beth-1 outperformed existing methods in predicting viral changes and showed better or comparable results in neutralization experiments in mice, making it a valuable tool for selecting influenza vaccine strains.*
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Introduction: Neurocognitive impairment from inadvertent brain irradiation is common following intensity-modulated radiotherapy (IMRT) for nasopharyngeal carcinoma (NPC). This study aimed to determine the prevalence, pattern, and radiation dose-toxicity relationship of this late complication.

Materials And Methods: We undertook a cross-sectional study of 190 post-IMRT NPC survivors.

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Introduction: The coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) pandemic has caused extensive disruption of public health worldwide. There were reports of COVID-19 patients having multiple complications. This study investigated COVID-19 from a genetic perspective.

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  • A follow-up screening study evaluated the long-term significance of positive Epstein–Barr virus (EBV) DNA results in individuals previously screened for nasopharyngeal cancer (NPC).
  • Out of 17,838 participants rescreened, 423 had persistently detectable EBV DNA, which led to the identification of 24 cases of NPC, with a significantly higher proportion being early-stage cancers compared to historical data.
  • The results indicate that individuals with detectable EBV DNA were considerably more likely to be diagnosed with NPC in subsequent screenings, highlighting the potential of EBV DNA analysis for improvement in early detection and survival rates.
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  • A study was conducted to evaluate a short, contrast-free MRI for detecting nasopharyngeal carcinoma (NPC) in patients screened positive for Epstein-Barr virus (EBV) DNA.
  • Among 354 patients, MRI identified additional NPC cases that were missed by endoscopy, with high sensitivity and specificity for detecting the cancer.
  • The results suggest that MRI can enhance NPC screening programs by finding cases that traditional methods might overlook, improving early detection and reducing the risk of missed diagnoses.
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Purpose: To determine the significance to patients of changes in health-related quality-of-life (HLQ) scores assessed by the European Organization for Research and Treatment of Cancer (EORTC) Quality of Life Questionnaire (QLQ-C30).

Patients And Methods: A subjective significance questionnaire (SSQ), which asks patients about perceived changes in physical, emotional, and social functioning and in global quality of life (global QL) and the QLQ-C30 were completed by patients who received chemotherapy for either breast cancer or small-cell lung cancer (SCLC). In the SSQ, patients rated their perception of change since the last time they completed the QLQ-C30 using a 7-category scale that ranged from "much worse" through "no change" to "much better.

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Recombinant adeno-associated viral vectors (rAAVs) have become an industry-standard technology in the field of gene therapy, but there are still challenges to be addressed in their biomanufacturing. One of the biggest challenges is the removal of capsid species other than that which contains the gene of interest. In this work, we develop a mechanistic model for the removal of empty capsids-those that contain no genetic material-and enrichment of full rAAV using anion-exchange membrane chromatography.

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Highly efficient organic light-emitting diodes (OLEDs) based on thermally activated delayed fluorescence (TADF) emitters are realized in recent years, but the device lifetime needs further improvement for practical display or lighting applications. In this work, a device design principle is presented by tuning the optical cavity of single-layer undoped devices, to realize efficient and long-lived TADF OLEDs. Extending the cavity length to the second-order interference maximum by increasing the emissive layer thickness broadens the recombination zone, while the optical outcoupling efficiency remains close to that of the thinner first-order devices.

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  • The text is a correction notice for an article, which means there was some mistake in the original publication.
  • It specifically references the digital object identifier (DOI) which is a unique code that helps locate the corrected article.
  • The correction aims to ensure that readers have access to the accurate information in the scientific literature.
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  • This study evaluates how climate change affects dengue fever transmission in Singapore, Colombo, Selangor, and Chiang Mai by analyzing data from 2012 to 2020.
  • Projections indicate a significant rise in dengue cases, with the most drastic increases expected under the high-emission SSP585 scenario, especially in Chiang Mai, where the peak incidence could rise over tenfold by the 2090s.
  • Even moderate emissions (SSP126) forecast notable increases in epidemic size and longer outbreak durations across all locations, underscoring the importance of reducing greenhouse gas emissions to mitigate future dengue risks in these regions.
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  • The paper discusses the decision-making process in phase 2 clinical trials, focusing on when to conduct an interim analysis (IA).
  • It highlights the importance of a utility function to determine the optimal timing for this analysis, which has traditionally aimed to reduce sample size or costs.
  • A new utility function is proposed for Bayesian exploratory trials, which improves the predictability and reliability of Go or No-Go decisions during the IA, regardless of treatment effect assumptions.
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Aberrant transcriptional programming and chromatin dysregulation are common to most cancers. Whether by deranged cell signaling or environmental insult, the resulting oncogenic phenotype is typically manifested in transcriptional changes characteristic of undifferentiated cell growth. Here we analyze targeting of an oncogenic fusion protein, BRD4-NUT, composed of two normally independent chromatin regulators.

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Aberrant transcriptional programming and chromatin dysregulation are common to most cancers. Whether by deranged cell signaling or environmental insult, the resulting oncogenic phenotype is typically manifested in transcriptional changes characteristic of undifferentiated cell growth. Here we analyze targeting of an oncogenic fusion protein, BRD4-NUT, composed of 2 normally independent chromatin regulators.

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Bimolecular charge recombination is one of the most important loss processes in organic solar cells. However, the bimolecular recombination rate in solar cells based on novel non-fullerene acceptors is mostly unclear. Moreover, the origin of the reduced-Langevin recombination rate in bulk heterojunction solar cells in general is still poorly understood.

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  • The study investigates how lifestyle changes impact the risk of small vessel disease (SVD), indicated by cerebral white matter hyperintensities (WMH), using retinal analysis in a cohort of 274 individuals.
  • It found that participants' health-promoting lifestyle (measured by the HPLP-II) showed improvements over one year, with a significant difference in WMH changes based on diabetes status.
  • Notably, non-diabetic individuals who improved their health responsibility saw a reduction in WMH risk, suggesting that good lifestyle choices can mitigate SVD.
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  • People living with HIV (PLWH) are at a higher risk for cardiovascular diseases, leading to a need for better assessment tools since current models don't consider their specific risks.
  • A study was conducted involving 115 PLWH with cardiovascular risk factors, using advanced retinal image analysis alongside computerized tomography to evaluate coronary artery disease (CAD).
  • The research found that combined models using both retinal characteristics and traditional risk factors were significantly more effective in determining coronary atherosclerosis compared to traditional risk assessments alone, demonstrating high sensitivity and specificity.
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  • Virus evolution involves changes that help pathogens adapt to their hosts and surroundings, with certain mutations increasing the likelihood of infection.
  • These advantageous mutations can quickly dominate a population, as seen through a logistic growth pattern that is influenced by the rate of mutation and external factors affecting the virus.
  • The proposed model applies to COVID-19 data, specifically the B.1.1.7 variant in England, providing insight into how these mutations evolve and spread over time.
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  • Undiagnosed diabetes is a significant global health issue, with estimates suggesting that up to 75.1% of cases remain undetected, leading to complications and high healthcare costs.
  • A study of 2,221 participants developed a digital classification model using retinal images, achieving high sensitivity (up to 99.5%) and specificity (96.2% for sensitivity in Hong Kong) for detecting diabetes across different populations.
  • The findings indicate that retinal image analysis is a fast and non-invasive method for pre-screening undiagnosed diabetes, making it a promising tool for public health initiatives worldwide.
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  • Multi-population cohorts present a unique chance to study disease risk across diverse samples, but variations in risk factors complicate accurate predictions for complex traits.
  • The proposed Prism Vote (PV) Bayesian framework enables risk predictions by considering genetic data from different subpopulations and allows for personalized risk assessments based on individual ancestry.
  • Simulations and real-world data show that the PV framework significantly boosts prediction accuracy, especially in genetically diverse samples, enhancing the analysis of disease risk and complex traits.
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