Reverse-engineering the FLT3-PI3K/AKT axis to enhance TILs function and improve prognosis in ovarian and cervical cancers.

Background: Ovarian cancers (OC) and cervical cancers (CC) have poor survival rates. Tumor-infiltrating lymphocytes (TILs) play a pivotal role in prognosis, but shared immune mechanisms remain elusive.

Methods: We integrated single-cell RNA sequencing (scRNA-seq) and spatial transcriptomics (ST) to explore immune regulation in OC and CC, focusing on the PI3K/AKT pathway and FLT3 as key modulators.

Amelioration of premature aging in Werner syndrome stem cells by targeting SHIP/AKT pathway.

Background: Pathogenic or null mutations in WRN helicase is a cause of premature aging disease Werner syndrome (WS). WRN is known to protect somatic cells including adult stem cells from premature senescence. Loss of WRN in mesenchymal stem cells (MSCs) not only drives the cells to premature senescence but also significantly impairs the function of the stem cells in tissue repair or regeneration.

The effects of volunteering on loneliness among lonely older adults: the HEAL-HOA dual randomised controlled trial.

Background: Previous randomised controlled trials have largely relied on self-reported volunteer work to assess the effects of volunteering and have rarely provided structured volunteering activities during the intervention period. The present study aimed to investigate the effects of social volunteering work over 12 months on loneliness among older adults during the COVID-19 pandemic.

Methods: A dual randomised controlled trial was done in Hong Kong to investigate the long-term effects of telephone-delivered psychosocial interventions by older Chinese volunteers who were screened as lonely, for older adult recipients who had low income, lived alone, felt lonely, and were digitally excluded.

Pulchinenoside B4 alleviates DSS-induced colitis by inhibiting CD1d-dependent NLRP3 inflammasome activation in macrophages.

Ulcerative colitis (UC) represents a significant challenge to global health, underscoring the importance of developing novel alternative anti-colitis agents. Inhibition of the NLRP3 inflammasome in macrophages has emerged as a potential therapeutic strategy for UC. Pulchinenoside B4 (PB4) is a major component of traditional medicinal plants that demonstrated to possess promising anti-inflammatory properties.

Needs Assessment to Guide the Development of a Pediatric Survivorship Program to Promote the Physical and Psychological Well-being of Children After Cancer Treatment.

Background: Studies have provided insights into the major challenges and needs of young children who survive cancer. Many such challenges are related to a lack of support during the patient's transition back to normal life. Survivorship programs are designed to help survivors cope with potential late effects of treatment and to provide psychosocial support.

Study on Crack Resistance Mechanism of Helical Carbon Nanotubes in Nanocomposites.

Helical carbon nanotubes (HCNTs) with different geometrical properties were constructed and incorporated into nanocomposites for the investigation of the anti-crack mechanism. The interfacial mechanical properties of the nanocomposites reinforced with straight carbon nanotubes and various types of HCNTs were investigated through the pullout of HCNTs in the crack propagation using molecular dynamics (MD). The results show that the pullout force of HCNTs is much higher than that of CNTs because the physical interlock between HCNTs and matrices is much stronger than the van der Waals (vdW) interactions between CNTs and matrices.

Two-Dimensional Ferroelectric Materials: From Prediction to Applications.

Ferroelectric materials hold immense potential for diverse applications in sensors, actuators, memory storage, and microelectronics. The discovery of two-dimensional (2D) ferroelectrics, particularly ultrathin compounds with stable crystal structure and room-temperature ferroelectricity, has led to significant advancements in the field. However, challenges such as depolarization effects, low Curie temperature, and high energy barriers for polarization reversal remain in the development of 2D ferroelectrics with high performance.

Assessing stroke-induced abnormal muscle coactivation in the upper limb using the surface EMG co-contraction Index: A systematic review.

Electromyography (EMG) is increasingly used in stroke assessment research, with studies showing that EMG co-contraction (EMG-CC) of upper limb muscles can differentiate stroke patients from healthy individuals and correlates with clinical scales assessing motor function. This suggests that EMG-CC has potential for both assessing motor impairments and monitoring recovery in stroke patients. However, systematic reviews on EMG-CC's effectiveness in stroke assessment are lacking.

Enhancing Waterproof Food Packaging with Janus Structure: Lotus Leaf Biomimicry and Polyphenol Particle Technology for Vegetable Preservation.

With the increasing demand for improved food preservation, conventional waterproof food packaging has proven inadequate because of its limited functionality. Although incorporating features such as antibacterial and antioxidant properties into packaging enhances protection, it can compromise the hydrophobicity of the involved material, thereby increasing the risk of contamination from external sources. To address this challenge, a robust and reliable barrier capable of simultaneously integrating multiple protective functions is required.

Outcomes of pediatric patients with suspected allergies to COVID-19 vaccines.

Background: Adverse effects following immunizations (AEFIs) can contribute to vaccine hesitancy.

Objective: We evaluated clinical outcomes of AEFIs subsequent to administration of the coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) vaccine at 2 pediatric allergy centers.

Methods: Data on pediatric patients referred for COVID-19 AEFI concerns between March 2021 and October 2022 were reviewed.

Acute high-intensity interval exercise is superior to moderate-intensity continuous exercise in enhancing endothelial function and its associated biomarkers in sedentary young individuals: the possible involvement of lactate.

Objectives: Our study investigated the effects of acute high-intensity interval exercise (HIIE) and moderate-intensity continuous exercise (MICE) on endothelial function and its associated biomarkers in sedentary young individuals.

Methods: Fifteen subjects (10M / 5F; 22 ± 2 years; BMI: 23.07 ± 4.

sp. nov., isolated from a patient with ruptured appendicitis.

A clinical isolate, R131, was isolated from the peritoneal swab of a patient who suffered from ruptured appendicitis with abscess and gangrene in Hong Kong in 2018. Cells are facultatively anaerobic, non-motile, Gram-positive coccobacilli. Colonies were small, grey, semi-translucent, low convex and alpha-haemolytic.

Observation of Extraordinary Vibration Scatterings Induced by Strong Anharmonicity in Lead-Free Halide Double Perovskites.

Lead-free halide double perovskites provide a promising solution for the long-standing issues of lead-containing halide perovskites, i.e., the toxicity of Pb and the low stability under ambient conditions and high-intensity illumination.

Multi-cohort analysis identifying core ocular surface microbiome and bacterial alterations in eye diseases.

Purpose: Inconsistency exists among reported studies on the composition of human ocular surface microbiome (OSM). The roles of OSM in ocular diseases remain uncertain. In this study, we aimed to determine the composition of OSM and to evaluate its potential roles and functions from multiple cohorts.

Transfer from long-term care to acute care and risk of new permanent cognitive or physical disability among long-term care residents in Canada: protocol for a retrospective cohort study.

Introduction: Long-term care (LTC) residents are frequently transferred to acute care hospitals. Transfer decisions should align with residents' wishes and goals. Decision to transfer to hospital, when not aligned with the resident's wishes, can result in transfers that are harmful to residents, leaving residents in a state of disability that could be considered worse than death.

Association Between Type 2 Diabetes Onset Age and Risk of Cardiovascular Disease and Mortality: Two Cohort Studies from United Kingdom and Hong Kong.

Objective: This study evaluated the association between age of onset of type 2 diabetes mellitus (T2DM) and risk of cardiovascular disease (CVD) and mortality.

Method: Two retrospective cohort studies were conducted using the electronic health record from United Kingdom (UK) and Hong Kong (HK) (2008-2013) on adults without CVD. 128,918 and 185,646 patients with newly diagnosed T2DM were assigned to the T2DM group, and control group included 5,052,770 and 3,159,396 patients without T2DM in UK and HK cohort, respectively.

Towards parameter-free attentional spiking neural networks.

Brain-inspired spiking neural networks (SNNs) are increasingly explored for their potential in spatiotemporal information modeling and energy efficiency on emerging neuromorphic hardware. Recent works incorporate attentional modules into SNNs, greatly enhancing their capabilities in handling sequential data. However, these parameterized attentional modules have placed a huge burden on memory consumption, a factor that is constrained on neuromorphic chips.

Comparative risks and clinical outcomes of midazolam versus other intravenous sedatives in critically ill mechanically ventilated patients: A systematic review and meta-analysis of randomized trials.

Objectives: This systematic review synthesized literature evidence and compared midazolam's risks and clinical outcomes with other sedatives in critically ill mechanically ventilated patients.

Methods: We included randomized controlled trials (RCTs) from databases of PubMed, Embase, Cochrane Library, Web of Science, and CINAHL without language restrictions. We used relative risk (RR) for binary outcomes and standardized mean difference (SMD) for continuous outcomes, with corresponding 95% confidence interval (CI).

Antibiotic resistance genes in anaerobic digestion: Unresolved challenges and potential solutions.

Antimicrobial resistance (AMR) threatens public health, necessitating urgent efforts to mitigate the global impact of antibiotic resistance genes (ARGs). Anaerobic digestion (AD), known for volatile solid reduction and energy generation, also presents a feasible approach for the removal of ARGs. This review encapsulates the existing understanding of ARGs and antibiotic-resistant bacteria (ARB) during the AD process, highlighting unresolved challenges pertaining to their detection and quantification.

Aspirin after completion of standard adjuvant therapy for colorectal cancer (ASCOLT): an international, multicentre, phase 3, randomised, double-blind, placebo-controlled trial.

Background: Aspirin is a simple, globally available medication that has been shown to reduce the incidence of colorectal cancer. We aimed to evaluate the safety and efficacy of aspirin in the secondary prevention of colorectal cancer.

Methods: This phase 3, randomised, double-blind, placebo-controlled trial was conducted at 66 centres across 11 countries and territories (ten in Asia-Pacific; one in the Middle East).

The influence of simulated worn shoe and foot inversion on heel internal biomechanics during running impact: A subject-specific finite element analysis.

This study explored how systematic changes in running shoe degradation and foot inversion alter the distribution and peak value of heel pressure and calcaneus stress, as well as the total stress-concentration exposure (TSCE) within the calcaneal bone. A foot-shoe finite element model was employed and three shoe wear conditions (new shoe (CON), moderate worn shoe (MWSC), excessive worn shoe (EWSC)) coupled with three foot inversion angles (0°, 10°, 20°) were further modulated. Simulations were conducted at the impact peak instant during running.

Altered Sensorimotor Striatal Network Connectivity in Women With Anorexia Nervosa.

Objective: Anorexia nervosa (AN) is associated with disturbances in reward processing, cognitive control, and body image perception, implicating striatal dysfunction. Evidence suggests that underweight may modulate brain function in AN. We aimed to investigate whole-brain resting-state functional connectivity (rsFC) of the striatum in patients with AN while controlling for the acute effects of underweight.