Xalnesiran with or without an Immunomodulator in Chronic Hepatitis B.

Background: Xalnesiran, a small interfering RNA molecule that targets a conserved region of the hepatitis B virus (HBV) genome and silences multiple HBV transcripts, may have efficacy, with or without an immunomodulator, in patients with chronic HBV infection.

Methods: We conducted a phase 2, multicenter, randomized, controlled, adaptive, open-label platform trial that included the evaluation of 48 weeks of treatment with xalnesiran at a dose of 100 mg (group 1), xalnesiran at a dose of 200 mg (group 2), xalnesiran at a dose of 200 mg plus 150 mg of ruzotolimod (group 3), xalnesiran at a dose of 200 mg plus 180 μg of pegylated interferon alfa-2a (group 4), or a nucleoside or nucleotide analogue (NA) alone (group 5) in participants with chronic HBV infection who had virologic suppression with NA therapy. The primary efficacy end point was hepatitis B surface antigen (HBsAg) loss (HBsAg level, <0.

Effect of mRNA formulated with lipid nanoparticles on the transcriptomic and epigenetic profiles of F4/80 liver-associated macrophages.

Delivery of an mRNA formulated with lipid nanoparticles (LNPs) induces robust humoral and cell-mediated branches of the immune response. Depending on the LNP formula, mRNA encoding proteins can be detected in the liver upon intramuscular administration of mRNA/LNP in mice. This study investigated the impact of mRNA/LNP administration on liver-associated macrophages at the transcriptomic and epigenetic levels in a mouse model.

Modified multiplex PCR for serotyping and pathotyping of .

is a zoonotic pathogen that causes invasive infections in humans who have been in close contact with infected pigs or contaminated pork-derived products. There is currently no consensus on the universal virulence factors or markers that can differentiate pathogenic from non-pathogenic or commensal isolates. A diagnostic tool for serotyping and pathotyping of is required for active public health surveillance and the One-Health approach.

Managing cognitive impairment in Parkinson's disease: an update of the literature.

Introduction: Cognitive impairment in Parkinson's disease (PD) substantially affects patient outcomes, function, and quality of life. PD-related cognitive dysfunction is often heterogeneous in clinical presentation and rates of progression. As cognitive changes occur in many people with PD, it is essential to evaluate cognition, provide education, and implement management strategies for cognitive symptoms.

Efficacy of delivery of care with Tele-continuous EEG in critically ill patients: a multicenter randomized controlled trial (Tele-cRCT study) study.

Background: Continuous electroencephalography (cEEG) has been recommended in critically ill patients although its efficacy for improving patients' functional status remains unclear. This study aimed to compare the efficacy of Tele-cEEG with Tele-routine EEG (Tele-rEEG), in terms of seizure detection rate, mortality and functional outcomes.

Methods: This study is a 3-year randomized, controlled, parallel, multicenter trial, conducted in eight regional hospitals across Thailand.

Ventilation distribution during spontaneous breathing trials predicts liberation from mechanical ventilation: the VISION study.

Background: Predicting complete liberation from mechanical ventilation (MV) is still challenging. Electrical impedance tomography (EIT) offers a non-invasive measure of regional ventilation distribution and could bring additional information.

Research Question: Whether the display of regional ventilation distribution during a Spontaneous Breathing Trial (SBT) could help at predicting early and successful liberation from MV.

Development of a differentiating of infected from vaccinated animal (DIVA) ELISA to detect antibodies against Senecavirus A in pigs using two expression systems of non-structural proteins.

Senecavirus A (SVA) is the causative agent associated with porcine idiopathic vesicular disease (PIVD), a condition indistinguishable from other foreign vesicular diseases affecting pigs. This complicates differential diagnosis and impacts the global swine industry. A diagnostic ELISA based on a non-structural viral protein has been developed, capable of distinguishing infected from vaccinated animals (DIVA).

Changing Landscape of Head and Neck Squamous Cell Carcinoma and Nasopharyngeal Carcinoma Treatment and Survival Trends in Thailand: A 13-Year Multicenter Retrospective Study of Patients.

Purpose: The incidence and survival rates of head and neck squamous cell carcinoma (HNSCC) and nasopharyngeal carcinoma (NPC) vary globally, influenced by factors such as ethnicity, lifestyle, and health care systems.

Methods: A retrospective analysis was conducted on patients with HNSCC treated between 2008 and 2020 in four major Thai academic cancer centers, using a multidisciplinary multicenter database. The study focused on the evolution of patient characteristics, survival changes, and treatment landscape alterations over time.

Hepatitis C Virus-Core Antigen: Implications in Diagnostic, Treatment Monitoring and Clinical Outcomes.

The hepatitis C virus (HCV) infection, a global health concern, can lead to chronic liver disease. The HCV core antigen (HCVcAg), a viral protein essential for replication, offers a cost-effective alternative to HCV RNA testing, particularly in resource-limited settings. This review explores the significance of HCVcAg, a key protein in the hepatitis C virus, examining its structure, function, and role in the viral life cycle.

The Herpes Zoster Patient Pathway and Gaps in Current Vaccination Guidelines in Southeast Asia: Summary of a Zoster Experts' Network Scientific Workshop.

The burden of herpes zoster (HZ) is recognized worldwide; however, there is seemingly limited information on incidence and vaccination practices in Southeast Asia (SEA). A scientific workshop was held by the Zoster Experts' Network to exchange and consolidate insights on the burden of HZ and the patient pathway in SEA. The workshop included practicing clinical experts and public health specialists/epidemiologists from Indonesia, Malaysia, the Philippines, Thailand, and Vietnam.

Respiratory Syncytial Virus: A WAidid Consensus Document on New Preventive Options.

Respiratory syncytial virus (RSV) is a leading cause of respiratory infections, particularly affecting young infants, older adults, and individuals with comorbidities. : This document, developed as a consensus by an international group of experts affiliated with the World Association of Infectious Diseases and Immunological Disorders (WAidid), focuses on recent advancements in RSV prevention, highlighting the introduction of monoclonal antibodies (mAbs) and vaccines. : Historically, RSV treatment options were limited to supportive care and the monoclonal antibody palivizumab, which required multiple doses.

Antimicrobial Preservatives in Cyclodextrin-Containing Drug Formulations.

In general, antimicrobial preservatives are essential components of multidose pharmaceutical formulations to prevent microbial growth and contamination, many of which contain lipophilic and poorly water-soluble drugs in need of solubilizing excipients, such as cyclodextrins (CDs). However, CDs frequently reduce or even abolish the antimicrobial activities of commonly used pharmaceutical preservatives. The degree of inactivation depends on the CD complexation of the preservatives, which in turn depends on their chemical structure and physiochemical properties.

Fast-Swelling Tamarind Xyloglucan/PVA Hydrogels with Interconnected Macroporous Structures for Biomedical Applications.

This work demonstrates the preparation of fast-swelling hydrogels based on poly(vinyl alcohol) (PVA) and tamarind xyloglucan (XG), utilizing freeze-drying to achieve an interconnected macroporous structure. Although XG is non-toxic and abundant, it has poor mechanical properties. Therefore, XG was mixed with PVA and crosslinked with citric acid (CA).

Neurobehavioral Performance in Preschool Children Exposed Postnatally to Organophosphates in Agricultural Regions, Northern Thailand.

Evidence of the effects of postnatal exposure to organophosphates (OPs) on children's neurodevelopment remains limited but crucial. This cross-sectional study evaluated exposure to OPs and neurobehavioral performance in 172 preschool children. Urinary dialkyl phosphate (DAP) metabolites, biomarkers for exposure to OPs, were measured.

Involvement of Species in Spotty Liver Disease-like Lesions in Broiler Chickens Detected at Meat Inspections in Miyazaki Prefecture, Japan.

Spotty liver disease (SLD) affects free-range laying hens, leading to mortality and reduced egg production. species, including , have been associated with SLD cases worldwide. However, the cause of SLD-like lesions found in broilers in Japan still remains unclear.

Development of Pyramidal Microwells for Enhanced Cell Spheroid Formation in a Cell-on-Chip Microfluidic System for Cardiac Differentiation of Mouse Embryonic Stem Cells.

Three-dimensional (3D) tissue culture models provide in vivo-like conditions for studying cell physiology. This study aimed to examine the efficiency of pyramidal microwell geometries in microfluidic devices on spheroid formation, cell growth, viability, and differentiation in mouse embryonic stem cells (mESCs). The static culture using the hanging drop (HD) method served as a control.

Ambient Air Pollution Exposure and Breast Cancer Risk Worldwide: A Systematic Review of Longitudinal Studies.

Breast cancer is the most prevalent malignancy among women. Certain air pollutants have carcinogenic and estrogenic properties that can contribute to breast cancer development. This systematic review aimed to investigate the association between air pollution and breast cancer based on epidemiological evidence.

Fruit Extract Ameliorates High-Fat Diet-Induced Obesity in Mice and Alleviates Macrophage-Induced Inflammation in Adipocytes In Vitro.

(EL) is a wild fruit known for containing several health-promoting compounds. This study aimed to evaluate the effects of EL fruit extract on high-fat diet (HFD)-induced obesity and lipopolysaccharide (LPS)-activated macrophages. Mice fed an HFD and given EL fruit extract for 10 weeks exhibited significantly lower body weight, reduced lipid accumulation, diminished oxidative stress in adipocytes, and decreased macrophage infiltration compared to those not receiving the EL extract.

Evolving Paradigms in Spinal Surgery: A Systematic Review of the Learning Curves in Minimally Invasive Spine Techniques.

Our research examines the learning curves of various minimally invasive lumbar surgeries to determine the benefits and challenges they pose to both surgeons and patients. The advent of microsurgical techniques since the 1960s, including advances in fluoroscopic navigation and intraoperative computed tomography, has significantly shifted spinal surgery from open to minimally invasive methods. This study critically evaluates surgical duration, intraoperative conversions to open surgery, and complications as primary parameters to gauge these learning curves.

Identification of DNA methylation signatures in follicular-patterned thyroid tumors.

Background And Aims: Follicular-patterned thyroid tumors (FPTTs) are frequently encountered in thyroid pathology, encompassing follicular adenoma (FA), follicular thyroid carcinoma (FTC), noninvasive follicular thyroid neoplasm with papillary-like nuclear features (NIFTP), and follicular variant of papillary thyroid carcinoma (fvPTC). Recently, a distinct entity termed differentiated high-grade thyroid carcinoma has been described by the 5th edition of the WHO classification of the thyroid tumors, categorized as either high-grade fvPTC, high-grade FTC or high-grade oncocytic carcinoma of the thyroid (OCA). Accurate differentiation among these lesions, particular between the benign (FA), borderline (NIFTP) and malignant neoplasms (FTC and fvPTC), remains a challenge in both histopathological and cytological diagnoses.

Apparent diffusion coefficient and magnetic resonance imaging characteristics in predicting response to radiosurgery in patients with vestibular schwannomas.

Objective: Predicting treatment response in patients with vestibular schwannomas (VSs) remains challenging. This study aimed to evaluate the use of pre-treatment normalized apparent diffusion coefficient (nADC) values and magnetic resonance (MR) imaging characteristics in predicting treatment outcomes in patients with VSs undergoing radiosurgery.

Methods: The MR images of 44 patients with VSs who underwent radiosurgery at our institution were retrospectively reviewed, and the patients were categorized into tumor control ( = 28) and progression ( = 16) groups based on treatment response after treatment initiation, with a median follow-up duration of 29.

Cross-Cultural Validity and Reliability of the Thai Version of the Simple Shoulder Test.

Background: The Simple Shoulder Test (SST) is a widely used patient-reported outcome measure for shoulder function. However, there is currently no version of the SST for the Thai population.

Purpose: To cross-culturally adapt and evaluate the reliability and validity of a Thai version of the SST (Thai SST) for patients with shoulder pathologies, using the Thai version of the American Shoulder and Elbow Surgeons (ASES) score as a comparison tool.

Deceptive air: Unravelling pseudo-peritonitis in peritoneal dialysis patients-A diagnostic challenge.

Pneumoperitoneum, or free air in the peritoneal cavity, typically indicates visceral organ perforation requiring urgent surgical intervention. In peritoneal dialysis (PD) patients, however, it can occur without prior surgery or trauma, often due to technical errors, and may mimic peritonitis, risking misdiagnosis and unnecessary treatment. We report a case of a 73-year-old male PD patient presenting with fever, abdominal pain, and bowel ileus, initially raising concerns for organ perforation due to pneumoperitoneum.

An integrative taxonomic approach reveals two putatively novel species of phlebotomine sand fly (Diptera: Psychodidae) in Thailand.

Background: The subfamily Phlebotominae comprises 1028 species of sand fly, of which only 90 are recognized as vectors of pathogenic agents such as Trypanosoma, Leishmania, and Bartonella. In Thailand, leishmaniasis-a sand fly-borne disease-is currently endemic, with 36 documented sand fly species. However, many cryptic species likely remain unidentified.