Novel application of an imageless robotic system in simultaneous unicompartmental knee arthroplasty and anterior cruciate ligament reconstruction.

This technical note explores the novel use of an imageless robotic surgical system for simultaneous unicompartmental knee arthroplasty (UKA) and anterior cruciate ligament reconstruction (ACLR). Knee osteoarthritis (OA) and anterior cruciate ligament (ACL) insufficiency are common conditions that traditionally require separate management. The integration of robotic assistance offers enhanced precision in surgical procedures, addressing both medial compartment OA and ACL insufficiency in a single operation.

Deep imaging of LepR stromal cells in optically cleared murine bone hemisections.

Tissue clearing combined with high-resolution confocal imaging is a cutting-edge approach for dissecting the three-dimensional (3D) architecture of tissues and deciphering cellular spatial interactions under physiological and pathological conditions. Deciphering the spatial interaction of leptin receptor-expressing (LepR) stromal cells with other compartments in the bone marrow is crucial for a deeper understanding of the stem cell niche and the skeletal tissue. In this study, we introduce an optimized protocol for the 3D analysis of skeletal tissues, enabling the visualization of hematopoietic and stromal cells, especially LepR stromal cells, within optically cleared bone hemisections.

Nomogram for predicting early cancer-related death due to recurrence after liver resection in hepatocellular carcinoma patients with Barcelona Clinic Liver Cancer (BCLC) stage B/C: a multicenter study.

Background: Early identification of the risk of early cancer-related death (within one year, ECRD) due to recurrence after liver resection for hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) patients with Barcelona Clinic Liver Cancer (BCLC) stage B/C is important for surgeons to make clinical decisions. Our study aimed to establish a nomogram to predict the ECRD due to recurrence for HCC patients with BCLC stage B/C.

Methods: A total of 672 HCC patients with BCLC stages B/C from four medical centers between January 2012 and December 2018 were included in our study.

Graphene oxide-based fluorescent biosensors for pathogenic bacteria detection: A review.

Background: Pathogenic bacteria are widespread in nature and can cause infections and various complications, thereby posing a severe risk to public health. Therefore, simple, rapid, sensitive, and cost-effective methods must be developed to detect pathogenic bacteria. Biosensors are prominent platforms for detecting pathogenic bacteria owing to their high sensitivity, specificity, repeatability, and stability.

Prevalence and Patterns of Social Media Use in Early Adolescents.

Objective: To describe patterns of social media use, including underage (under 13 years) use and sex differences, in a diverse, national sample of early adolescents in the U.S.

Methods: We analyzed the social media use data in the Adolescent Brain Cognitive Development Study (2019-2021, Year 3), which includes a national sample of early adolescents in the U.

Efficacy of Traditional, Complementary, and Integrative Medicine in Pain and Psychological Distress Management for Pediatric Palliative Patients: A Systematic Review and Meta-Analysis of Randomized Controlled Trials.

Context: Traditional, complementary, and integrative medicine (TCIM) is being increasingly used to manage symptoms in patients with palliative needs. However, there is a lack of evidence to guide its use in the pediatric palliative care (PPC) setting.

Objectives: This study aimed to synthesize and evaluate the current evidence on the effectiveness of TCIM in reducing pain and psychological distress in PPC.

Interventions to Reduce Loneliness Among Community-dwelling Older Adults: A Network Meta-analysis and Systematic Review.

Objectives: This study aimed to evaluate the effectiveness of interventions in reducing loneliness among community-dwelling older adults.

Design: A network meta-analysis (NMA) and systematic review.

Setting And Participants: Interventional studies were included if they contained original quantitative data on interventions to reduce loneliness among community-dwelling older adults.

Asian Thoracic Oncology Research Group expert consensus statement on the peri-operative management of non-small cell lung cancer.

The peri-operative management of non-small cell lung cancer (NSCLC) in earlier stage disease has seen significant advances in recent years with the incorporation of immune checkpoint inhibitors and targeted therapy. However, many unanswered questions and challenges remain, including the application of clinical trial data to routine clinical practice. Recognising the unique demographic profile of Asian patients with NSCLC and heterogeneous healthcare systems, the Asian Thoracic Oncology Research Group (ATORG) convened a consensus meeting in Singapore on 26 April 2024 to discuss relevant issues spanning diagnostic testing to post-neoadjuvant treatment considerations and future directions.

Interrelationship between chemsex engagement and PrEP (pre-exposure prophylaxis) experience in men who have sex with men: a community-based cross-sectional study.

Background: Chemsex engagement is known to be associated with higher-risk sexual behaviour, HIV and sexually transmitted infection (STI). To reduce HIV infection risk, pre-exposure prophylaxis (PrEP) is increasingly used in the men who have sex with men (MSM) community. This study aims to examine the interrelationship between chemsex engagement and PrEP use in MSM.

Low clinical activity score, 'progressive' thyroid eye disease: presentations of 1439 patients from a tertiary centre in Hong Kong.

Background: To report the presenting clinical, serological and treatment profiles of 1439 patients with thyroid eye disease (TED) from a tertiary centre in Hong Kong.

Study Populations: Consecutive patients with TED presented to the Thyroid Eye Clinic (TEC), the Chinese University of Hong Kong between 2014 and 2023.

Methods: Prospective cohort and masked review of medical records and orbital images.

Resolving heterogeneity of early-onset major depressive disorder through individual differential structural covariance network analysis.

Background: Early-onset major depressive disorder (EO-MDD) is characterized by its significant heterogeneity, hindering progress in research. Traditional case-control studies, like group-level structural covariance network, struggle to capture individual heterogeneity among EO-MDD patients.

Methods: In this study, T1-weighted structural magnetic resonance imaging was obtained from 185 participants, including 103 EO-MDD patients and 82 healthy controls.

Durvalumab with or without bevacizumab with transarterial chemoembolisation in hepatocellular carcinoma (EMERALD-1): a multiregional, randomised, double-blind, placebo-controlled, phase 3 study.

Background: Transarterial chemoembolisation (TACE) is standard of care for patients with unresectable hepatocellular carcinoma that is amenable to embolisation; however, median progression-free survival is still approximately 7 months. We aimed to assess whether adding durvalumab, with or without bevacizumab, might improve progression-free survival.

Methods: In this multiregional, randomised, double-blind, placebo-controlled, phase 3 study (EMERALD-1), adults aged 18 years or older with unresectable hepatocellular carcinoma amenable to embolisation, an Eastern Cooperative Oncology Group performance status of 0 or 1 at enrolment, and at least one measurable intrahepatic lesion per modified Response Evaluation Criteria in Solid Tumours (RECIST) were enrolled at 157 medical sites including research centres and general and specialist hospitals in 18 countries.

Intestinal Akkermansia muciniphila complements the efficacy of PD1 therapy in MAFLD-related hepatocellular carcinoma.

Immune checkpoint inhibitors are not effective for metabolic dysfunction-associated fatty liver disease (MAFLD)-hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) patients, and identifying the key gut microbiota that contributes to immune resistance in these patients is crucial. Analysis using 16S rRNA sequencing reveals a decrease in Akkermansia muciniphila (Akk) during MAFLD-promoted HCC development. Administration of Akk ameliorates liver steatosis and effectively attenuates the tumor growth in orthotopic MAFLD-HCC mouse models.

Effects of Using Prompts During Parent-Child Shared Reading on the Language Development of Mildly Autistic Children.

The use of literal prompts (LPs) and inferential prompts (IPs) in shared book reading (SBR) facilitates children's use of language and promotes their thinking and understanding about the stories discussed and beyond. Furthermore, SBR provides a platform for mildly autistic children to have multiple rounds of communication with educators. This study investigated the contribution of LPs and IPs on the language development and affective factors of language learning in mildly autistic children.

Bronchiectasis Exacerbation Increases the Risk of Adverse Renal Outcomes-Results From a Large Territory-Wide Cohort Study.

Introduction: Bronchiectasis exacerbation (BE) is associated with unfavorable sequelae in other organs such as the cardiovascular system; data regarding its impact on adverse term renal outcomes, however, is lacking.

Methods: A territory-wide retrospective cohort study was conducted in Hong Kong between 1/1/1993 and 31/12/2017. All patients with bronchiectasis followed in the public healthcare system in 2017 were classified as "Exacerbators" or "Non-Exacerbators," and their adverse renal outcomes (renal progression [decrease in eGFR by 30 mL/min lasted for more than 12 months during follow up], acute kidney injury [AKI], and annual rate of eGFR decline) in the ensuing 7 years were compared.

Bioinspired Smart Triboelectric Soft Pneumatic Actuator-Enabled Hand Rehabilitation Robot.

Quantitative assessment for post-stroke spasticity remains a significant challenge due to the encountered variable resistance during passive stretching, which can lead to the widely used modified Ashworth scale (MAS) for spasticity assessment depending heavily on rehabilitation physicians. To address these challenges, a high-force-output triboelectric soft pneumatic actuator (TENG-SPA) inspired by a lobster tail is developed. The bioinspired TENG-SPA can generate approximately 20 N at 0.

Point-Based Prediction Model for Bladder Cancer Risk in Diabetes: A Random Survival Forest-Guided Approach.

Previous epidemiological studies have shown that diabetes is associated with an increased risk of several cancers, including bladder cancer. However, prediction models for bladder cancer among diabetes patients remain scarce. This study aims to develop a scoring system for bladder cancer risk prediction among diabetes patients who receive routine care in general outpatient clinics using a machine learning-guided approach.

Impact of an online mindfulness-based program on wellbeing and trait mindfulness for research postgraduate students: a randomized-controlled trial.

Objectives: Pursuing a research postgraduate (RPg) degree is a major life event and could be stressful. The current study aims to explore the effectiveness of an online eight-week mindfulness-based intervention on improving wellbeing and alleviating illbeing among a group of RPg students using a randomized waitlist-controlled design.

Methods: A total of 88 RPg students, either studying in Hong Kong or Macau, were recruited (43 were randomized into the immediate intervention group; 67 females; mean age = 27.

Temporally dissociable neural representations of pitch height and chroma.

The extraction and analysis of pitch underpin speech and music recognition, sound segregation, and other auditory tasks. Perceptually, pitch can be represented as a helix composed of two factors: height monotonically aligns with frequency, while chroma cyclically repeats at doubled frequencies. Although the early perceptual and neurophysiological mechanisms for extracting pitch from acoustic signals have been extensively investigated, the equally essential subsequent stages that bridge to high-level auditory cognition remain less well understood.

Recombinant collagen microneedles for transdermal delivery of antibacterial copper-DNA nanoparticles to treat skin and soft tissue infections.

Skin and soft tissue infections (SSTI) include bacterial infections of the skin, muscles, and connective tissue such as ligaments and tendons. SSTI in patients with immunocompromising diseases may lead to chronic, hard-to-heal infected wounds, resulting in disability, amputation, or even death. To treat SSTI and rebuild the defensive barrier of the skin, here we utilize recombinant type XVII collagen protein (rCol XVII) to construct biodegradable, regenerative collagen microneedles (rCol-MNs) for transdermal delivery of antibacterial agents.

NURBS curve shape prior-guided multiscale attention network for automatic segmentation of the inferior alveolar nerve.

Accurate segmentation of the inferior alveolar nerve (IAN) within Cone-Beam Computed Tomography (CBCT) images is critical for the precise planning of oral and maxillofacial surgeries, especially to avoid IAN damage. Existing methods often fail due to the low contrast of the IAN and the presence of artifacts, which can cause segmentation discontinuities. To address these challenges, this paper proposes a novel approach that employs Non-Uniform Rational B-Spline (NURBS) curve shape priors into a multiscale attention network for the automatic segmentation of the IAN.

A first-in-human phase 1/2 dose-escalation study of MAK683 (EED inhibitor) in patients with advanced malignancies.

Purpose: MAK683, a first-in-class and highly selective allosteric inhibitor of the embryonic ectoderm development subunit of polycomb repressive complex 2, has shown sustained antitumor activity in tumor xenograft models. This first-in-human phase 1/2 study evaluated the safety, pharmacokinetics (PK), and clinical activity of single-agent MAK683 in advanced malignancies.

Methods: MAK683 was administered fasted once daily or twice daily continuously in 28-day treatment cycles.