Planned Abscopal Effect with Concurrent Pembrolizumab and Ablative Radiotherapy to Pulmonary Metastasis: A Case Report and Review of the Literature.

Most abscopal effects are reported as sporadic and unpredictable events following radiotherapy at symptomatic sites. Herein, we report a case in which a planned abscopal effect was induced following deliberate radiotherapy and concurrent systemic immunotherapy. A 53-year-old man with a combined positive score ≥10 developed extensive metastatic bladder cancer after progressing on conventional chemotherapy.

Ventilation or aerosol extraction: comparing the efficacy of directional air purifiers, HEPA evacuators and negative-pressure environments.

Background: This study evaluated aerosol exposure during various respiratory activities (breathing, tachypnea, coughing, and oxygen therapy) in environments with directional air purifiers (DAPs), HEPA evacuators, and standard negative pressure (SNP) rooms to explore potential alternatives for addressing isolation room shortages.

Methods: Aerosol exposure was measured during various breathing conditions (normal, tachypnea, coughing, and recovery) with non-rebreather masks (NRMs) and nasal cannulas. The study analysed aerosol velocity and concentrations at the head, trunk and feet of a mannequin across settings including DAP, HEPA evacuator, SNP room, their combinations, and a reference group without intervention.

Utilizing two-dose difference combined with stable isotope tracing for effective and comprehensive metabolite identification of pioglitazone via ultra-high-performance liquid chromatography-mass spectrometry.

Drug metabolite identification is an essential characterization process spanning multiple phases of drug discovery and development. Various data processing techniques have been employed in metabolite identification using high-resolution mass spectrometry. However, metabolite identification is not consistent among approaches.

Evodiamine exerts anti-cancer activity including growth inhibition, cell cycle arrest, and apoptosis induction in human follicular thyroid cancers.

Thyroid cancer (TC) is one of the most prevalent endocrine malignancy with a steadily increasing incidence globally. Although standard treatments like thyroidectomy and radioiodine therapy effectively manage most cases of differentiated thyroid cancers (DTC), certain recurrent cases or those involving poorly differentiated thyroid cancers (PDTC) demand more specialized interventions. Follicular thyroid cancer (FTC) is the second most common type of DTC, and frequently metastasizes through the bloodstream to distant sites such as bones and lungs which is a leading cause of metastatic and recurrent DTC and significantly affects survival.

Addition of neutrophil-to-lymphocyte ratio to Pre-DAA FIB-4 does not increase prediction value for de novo liver complications in hepatitis C.

Background And Aims: Direct-acting antiviral agents (DAAs) achieve high sustained virologic response (SVR) in chronic hepatitis C patients; yet a proportion of patients still experience de novo liver complications after SVR. Identification of risk factors is clinically important. FIB-4 index is a useful noninvasive tool to assess fibrosis, while neutrophil-to-lymphocyte ratio (NLR) is a biomarker for systemic inflammation.

Effects of tenofovir disoproxil fumarate on intrahepatic viral burden and liver immune microenvironment in patients with chronic hepatitis B.

Background: The impact of nucleos(t)ide analogues on intrahepatic viral burden and immune microenvironment in patients with chronic hepatitis B (CHB) is not clear.

Objective: We aimed to characterise the effects of tenofovir disoproxil fumarate (TDF) on intrahepatic viral burden and the liver immune microenvironment in patients with CHB.

Design: Core liver biopsies were collected at baseline and year 3 from patients with CHB with minimally raised serum alanine aminotransferase in a double-blind placebo-controlled trial (NCT01522625).

Immunological hide-and-seek: epigenetically reprogrammed cancer cells and the dynamics of CD8 T cells.

Cancer remains a global health burden, shaped by both genetic mutations and epigenetic dysregulation. Epigenetic alteration plays a pivotal role in tumorigenesis, immune response modulation, and the emergence of treatment resistance. This review emphasizes the intricate interplay between epigenetically reprogrammed cancer cells and the tumor microenvironment (TME), a relationship central to the immunoediting concept, which encompasses elimination, equilibrium, and escape phases.

Impact of HCV eradication by directly acting antivirals on glycemic indices in chronic hepatitis C patients -a nationwide Taiwan HCV registry.

Background/aims: Hepatitis C virus (HCV) eradication using antiviral agents augments the metabolic profile. Changes in glycated hemoglobin (HbA1c) levels in chronic hepatitis C patients who receive glecaprevir/pibrentasvir (GLE/PIB) remain elusive.

Methods: Data from 2417 patients treated with GLE/PIB from the Taiwan HCV Registry were analyzed, and pretreatment HbA1c levels were compared with 3-months after the-end-of treatment levels.

Species-level characterization of gut microbiota and their metabolic role in kidney stone formation using full-length 16S rRNA sequencing.

The critical role of the human gut microbiota in kidney stone formation remains largely unknown, due to the low taxonomic resolution of previous sequencing technologies. Therefore, this study aimed to explore the gut microbiota using high-throughput sequencing to provide valuable insights and identify potential bacterial species and metabolite roles involved in kidney stone formation. The overall gut bacterial community and its potential functions in healthy participants and patients were examined using PacBio sequencing targeting the full-length 16S rRNA gene, coupled with stone and statistical analyses.

Vitexin Suppresses High-Glucose-upregulated Adhesion Molecule Expression in Endothelial Cells through Inhibiting NF-κB Signaling Pathway.

Vascular damage is one of the significant complications of diabetes mellitus (DM). Central to this damage is endothelial damage, especially under high-glucose conditions, which promotes inflammation via the NF-κB signaling pathway. Inflammatory processes in endothelial cells directly contribute to endothelial dysfunction, such as promoting inflammatory cytokine release and activation of adhesion molecules.

Assessment of joint position sense in active and passive modes with various elbow flexion angles and movement speeds using an isokinetic dynamometer.

Background: Joint position sense is the ability to detect body segment position in space and is commonly used to represent proprioceptive performance. The isokinetic dynamometer is frequently used to evaluate elbow joint position sense during active and passive reproduction tasks with various testing protocols. However, few studies have reported the performance of joint position sense under different testing conditions.

Prospective observational study of infection in patients with pneumonia.

, an oral commensal parasite commonly found in the human mouth, is associated with periodontitis and poor oral hygiene. However, it has also been identified in the bronchoalveolar lavage fluid (BALF) of individuals with lung diseases. Notably, significant quantities of have been isolated following bronchoscopy in cases of empyema and acute respiratory distress syndrome (ARDS).

The Role of AKR1B10 in Lung Cancer Malignancy Induced by Sublethal Doses of Chemotherapeutic Drugs.

Chemotherapy remains a cornerstone in lung cancer treatment, yet emerging evidence suggests that sublethal low doses may inadvertently enhance the malignancy. This study investigates the paradoxical effects of sublethal low-dose chemotherapy on non-small-cell lung cancer (NSCLC) cells, emphasizing the role of Aldo-keto reductase family 1 member B10 (AKR1B10). We found that sublethal doses of chemotherapy unexpectedly increased cancer cell migration approximately 2-fold and invasion approximately threefold, potentially promoting metastasis.

Benefits of Hepatitis C Viral Eradication: A Real-World Nationwide Cohort Study in Taiwan.

Background: Chronic hepatitis C (CHC) increases the risk of liver cirrhosis (LC) and hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC). This nationwide cohort study assessed the effectiveness of viral eradication of CHC.

Methods: The Taiwanese chronic hepatitis C cohort and Taiwan hepatitis C virus (HCV) registry are nationwide HCV registry cohorts incorporating data from 23 and 53 hospitals in Taiwan, respectively.

Real-world safety and effectiveness of radium-223 in patients with metastatic castration-resistant prostate cancer: Interim analyses of the prospective, observational RAPIT study.

Several life-prolonging therapies for metastatic castration-resistant prostate cancer (mCRPC) are available, including radium-223 dichloride (Ra), which was approved based on phase 3 data demonstrating improved overall survival (OS) and a favorable safety profile. To date, real-world evidence for Ra use in Taiwan is from three studies of <50 patients. This observational study (NCT04232761) enrolled male patients with histologically/cytologically confirmed mCRPC with bone metastases from centers across Taiwan.

The escalating threat of human-associated infectious bacteria in surface aquatic resources: Insights into prevalence, antibiotic resistance, survival mechanisms, detection, and prevention strategies.

Anthropogenic activities and climate change profoundly impact water quality, leading to a concerning increase in the prevalence and abundance of bacterial pathogens across diverse aquatic environments. This rise has resulted in a growing challenge concerning the safety of water sources, particularly surface waters and marine environments. This comprehensive review delves into the multifaceted challenges presented by bacterial pathogens, emphasizing threads to human health within ground and surface waters, including marine ecosystems.