Comparing Operative Outcomes and Resection Quality in Robotic vs Open Pancreaticoduodenectomy: A Meta-analysis of 54,000 Patients.

Background: High morbidity and mortality make pancreaticoduodenectomy (PD) one of the most complicated surgical procedures. This meta-analysis aimed to compare the outcomes of robotic pancreaticoduodenectomy (RPD) versus open pancreaticoduodenectomy (OPD).

Method: A comprehensive literature search of PubMed, Cochrane Central, and Google Scholar was conducted from inception to November 2024.

Biomarkers associated with anastomotic leakage after esophagectomy: a systematic review.

Purpose: Anastomotic leakage (AL) is one of the most important complications that occurs after upper gastrointestinal surgery, registering rates of 20-30% after esophagectomy. The role of systemic inflammatory biomarkers to predict anastomotic leaks is controversial and needs systematization.

Methods: A systematic review based on the PRISMA guidelines criteria was performed.

fMRI data acquisition and analysis for task-free, anesthetized rats.

Templates for the acquisition of large datasets such as the Human Connectome Project guide the neuroimaging community to reproducible data acquisition and scientific rigor. By contrast, small animal neuroimaging often relies on laboratory-specific protocols, which limit cross-study comparisons. The establishment of broadly validated protocols may facilitate the acquisition of large datasets, which are essential for uncovering potentially small effects often seen in functional MRI (fMRI) studies.

Ginsenoside Rd protects against acute liver injury by regulating the autophagy NLRP3 inflammasome pathway.

Ginsenoside Rd (Rd) is a bioactive compound predominantly found in Panax ginseng C.A. Meyer and Panax notoginseng (Burkill) F.

Lenvatinib versus sorafenib as second-line therapy following progression on atezolizumab-bevacizumab in patients with unresectable hepatocellular carcinoma: a multicenter retrospective study from Korea and Japan.

Purpose: Atezolizumab-bevacizumab (AB) is the established first-line systemic therapy for patients with unresectable hepatocellular carcinoma (uHCC). However, the optimal second-line treatment for patients unresponsive to AB remains undefined.

Patients And Methods: This multicenter, retrospective study included patients with uHCC who underwent second-line treatment with lenvatinib (LEN) or sorafenib (SOR) after AB failure at two academic centers between June 2018 and November 2023.

Semi-mechanistic efficacy model for PARP + ATR inhibitors-application to rucaparib and talazoparib in combination with gartisertib in breast cancer PDXs.

Background: Promising cancer treatments, such as DDR inhibitors, are often challenged by the heterogeneity of responses in clinical trials. The present work aimed to build a computational framework to address those challenges.

Methods: A semi-mechanistic pharmacokinetic-pharmacodynamic model of tumour growth inhibition was developed to investigate the efficacy of PARP and ATR inhibitors as monotherapies, and in combination.

Effect of nutrition education and iron-folic acid supplementation on anemia among pregnant women in Ethiopia: a quasi-experimental study.

The aim of this study was to assess the effect of nutrition education and counseling using health belief health model constructs along with iron-folic acid supplementation on hemoglobin level and adherence to IFAs during pregnancy. The study was a three-month quasi-experimental study design in Butajira town, Ethiopia. Community-based nutrition education and counseling sessions using the Health belief model, and IFAS for six weeks were given to the pregnant women.

Assessment of Opuntia ficus-indica supplementation on enhancing antioxidant levels.

Opuntia ficus-indica (OFi) is a major fruit source prevalent in semiarid and arid regions across various countries worldwide. It is widely recognised for its potential health benefits; however, most studies investigating its effects have been limited to pre-clinical models, highlighting the need for further validation through clinical trials. This study aimed to evaluate the effectiveness of OFi supplementation in enhancing antioxidant levels.

Association between changes in genital immune markers and vaginal microbiome transitions in bacterial vaginosis.

Bacterial vaginosis (BV), characterized by an imbalance in the vaginal microbiota, is a prevalent condition among women of reproductive age and a risk factor for human immunodeficiency virus, sexually transmitted infections, and preterm birth. BV is generally considered to induce mucosal inflammation, but the specific pathways and cell types involved are not well characterized. This prospective study aimed to assess associations between microbial changes and mucosal immune responses in BV patients.

Evaluation of ampicillin plus ceftobiprole combination therapy in treating Enterococcus faecalis infective endocarditis and bloodstream infection.

Enterococcus faecalis is responsible for numerous serious infections, and treatment options often include ampicillin combined with an aminoglycoside or dual beta-lactam therapy with ampicillin and a third-generation cephalosporin. The mechanism of dual beta-lactam therapy relies on the saturation of penicillin-binding proteins (PBPs). Ceftobiprole exhibits high affinity binding to nearly all E.

Intrapericardial injection of hydrogels with ASC and their secretome to treat dilated cardiomyopathies.

Doxorubicin-induced cardiomyopathy (DOX-IC) is a significant and common complication in patients undergoing chemotherapy, leading to cardiac remodeling and reduced heart function. We hypothesized that the intrapericardial injection of hydrogels derived from the cardiac decellularized extracellular matrix (dECM) loaded with adipose tissue-derived stromal cells (ASC) and their secretome dampens or reverses the progression of DOX-IC. DOX-IC was induced in Wistar male rats through ten weekly intra-peritoneal injections of doxorubicin (cumulative dose: 18 mg/kg).

Isolation of PCSK9-specific nanobodies from synthetic libraries using a combined protein selection strategy.

Nanobodies (Nbs) hold great potential to replace conventional antibodies in various biomedical applications. However, conventional methods for their discovery can be time-consuming and expensive. We have developed a reliable protein selection strategy that combines magnetic activated cell sorting (MACS)-based screening of yeast surface display (YSD) libraries and functional ligand-binding identification by Tat-based recognition of associating proteins (FLI-TRAP) to isolate antigen-specific Nbs from synthetic libraries.

Spinal CRH facilitates the micturition reflex via the CRH2 receptor in rats with normal bladder and bladder outlet obstruction.

Lower urinary tract symptoms (LUTS) significantly affect patient quality of life. Treatment options for bladder outlet obstruction (BOO) due to benign prostatic hyperplasia (BPH) (a common cause of LUTS) are insufficient to relieve discomfort. As the incidence of BPH is increasing, new pharmacological targets for LUTS treatment are required.

Association between ethylene oxide exposure and cognitive function in older adults from NHANES data.

Ethylene Oxide (EO), a volatile organic compound, has garnered considerable attention for its potential impact on human health. Yet, the ramifications of EO exposure on the cognitive functionality of the elderly remain unclear. The aim of this study is to determine whether EO exposure in the elderly correlates with cognitive function.

Drug-induced differential culturability in diverse strains of Mycobacterium tuberculosis.

Under stress, bacteria display selective growth propensities on solid and liquid media. For Mycobacterium tuberculosis (Mtb), differentially culturable bacteria have been found in tuberculosis (TB) patient sputa. We hypothesized that antibiotic treatment can induce selective culturability in Mtb.

The effect of sarpogrelate compared to aspirin in high- or very-high-risk diabetes for primary prevention.

The benefit of aspirin in primary prevention for atherosclerotic cardiovascular diseases (ASCVD) is questionable due to bleeding complications. We analyzed the Korean National Health Insurance data to compare the efficacy and overall bleeding of sarpogrelate, an antiplatelet agent with lower bleeding risk, versus aspirin in high-/very-high-risk diabetic populations without prior ASCVD. The primary endpoint was net adverse clinical events (NACE), defined as a composite of efficacy and overall bleeding.

Decreased nitric oxide production is a novel therapeutic target for salt-induced nocturnal polyuria in aging.

Nocturnal polyuria is a major cause of nocturia, which affects quality of life. Aging-related decreases in nitric oxide production have been reported to contribute to salt-induced nocturnal polyuria. We posited that enhanced nitric oxide production from exercise could mitigate salt-induced nocturnal polyuria.

Combined delivery of IL12 and an IL18 mutant without IL18BP-binding activity by an adenoviral vector enhances tumor specific immunity.

Cytokines play pivotal roles in anticancer immune response. We previously reported that adenovirus armed with an IL18 variant (DR18) that overcomes IL18BP neutralizing effect displayed powerful therapeutic effects in local and distant tumors when delivered intratumorally. Here, we tested a combined delivery of IL12 and DR18 in tumor models since IL12 and IL18 are known to act synergistically in potentiating IFNγ production and antitumor immunity.

A mutation in LXRα uncovers a role for cholesterol sensing in limiting metabolic dysfunction-associated steatohepatitis.

Liver x receptor alpha (LXRα) functions as an intracellular cholesterol sensor that regulates lipid metabolism at the transcriptional level in response to the direct binding of cholesterol derivatives. We have generated mice with a mutation in LXRα that reduces activity in response to endogenous cholesterol derived LXR ligands while still allowing transcriptional activation by synthetic agonists. The mutant LXRα functions as a dominant negative that shuts down cholesterol sensing.

Neoadjuvant pyrotinib and trastuzumab in HER2-positive breast cancer with no early response (NeoPaTHer): efficacy, safety and biomarker analysis of a prospective, multicentre, response-adapted study.

The potential benefits of pyrotinib for patients with trastuzumab-insensitive, HER2-positive early-stage breast cancer remain unclear. This prospective, multicentre, response-adapted study evaluated the efficacy and safety of adding pyrotinib to the neoadjuvant treatment of HER2-positive breast cancer patients with a poor response to initial docetaxel plus carboplatin and trastuzumab (TCbH). Early response was assessed using magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) after two cycles of treatment.

PARP inhibition-associated heterochromatin confers increased DNA replication stress and vulnerability to ATR inhibition in SMARCA4-deficient cells.

DNA replication stress (RS), a prevalent feature of various malignancies, arises from both genetic mutations and genotoxic exposure. Elevated RS levels increase the vulnerability of cancer cells to ataxia telangiectasia and Rad3-related kinase inhibitors (ATRis). Here, we screened for DNA damage response inhibitors that enhance ATRi-induced cytotoxicity using SWI/SNF complex-deficient cells and identified a potent synergy between ATRi and poly(ADP-ribose) polymerase inhibitor (PARPi), particularly in SMARCA4-deficient cells.

Structure and function of a near fully-activated intermediate GPCR-Gαβγ complex.

Unraveling the signaling roles of intermediate complexes is pivotal for G protein-coupled receptor (GPCR) drug development. Despite hundreds of GPCR-Gαβγ structures, these snapshots primarily capture the fully activated complex. Consequently, the functions of intermediate GPCR-G protein complexes remain elusive.

Pharmacomicrobiomics: a new field contributing to optimizing drug therapy in Parkinson's disease.

Gut microbiota, which act as a determinant of pharmacokinetics, have long been overlooked. In recent years, a growing body of evidence indicates that the gut microbiota influence drug metabolism and efficacy. Conversely, drugs also exert a substantial influence on the function and composition of the gut microbiota.

CN7:1h Alleviates Inflammation, Apoptosis and Extracellular Matrix Degradation in Osteoarthritis by Modulating the NF-κB and mTOR Pathways.

Osteoarthritis (OA) is a degenerative joint disease with a complex aetiology, which includes inflammation, cellular growth dysregulation and extracellular matrix (ECM) degradation. This study investigated the therapeutic potential of a small-molecule compound, 2-amino-4-(3,4,5-trimethoxyphenyl)-4H-benzo[h]chromene-3-carbonitrile (CN7:1h) in modulating these critical biochemical pathways in OA. Cellular models and rat models of OA were used to explore the impact of CN7:1h on the nuclear factor kappa light chain enhancer of activated B cells (NF-κB) and mechanistic target of rapamycin (mTOR) signalling pathways.

Vancomycin Dosing in Patients on Intermittent Hemodialysis-A Retrospective Study.

Purpose: To determine the incidence of therapeutic target attainment using a three-times per week protocol for vancomycin therapy given during the last hour of intermittent hemodialysis (HD).

Methods: A single-center retrospective cohort study was conducted of patient medical records in a remote dialysis center from January 2017 to July 2023. Adult patients with chronic kidney disease stage 5 on ≥3 months of intermittent HD who had received a course of vancomycin therapy with ≥1 serum vancomycin concentration recorded were included.