A Review of Circulating Tumor DNA (ctDNA) in Pancreatic Cancer: Ready for the Clinic?

Pancreatic ductal adenocarcinoma is a devastating disease which is associated with an increase in cancer-related death in the USA. The minority of patients are cured by surgery alone and typically require adjuvant chemotherapy in order to improve clinical outcomes. Circulating tumor DNA (ctDNA) is an emerging technology whereby microscopic levels of minimal residual disease (MRD) can be detected in the bloodstream.

Impact of lesion preparation-induced calcified plaque defects in vascular intervention for atherosclerotic disease: in silico assessment.

Percutaneous coronary interventions in highly calcified atherosclerotic lesions are challenging due to the high mechanical stiffness that significantly restricts stent expansion. Intravascular lithotripsy (IVL) is a novel vessel preparation technique with the potential to improve interventional outcomes by inducing microscopic and macroscopic cracks to enhance stent expansion. However, the exact mechanism of action for IVL is poorly understood, and it remains unclear whether the improvement in-stent expansion is caused by either the macro-cracks allowing the vessel to open or the micro-cracks altering the bulk material properties.

Polarized vision in the eyes of the most effective predators: dragonflies and damselflies (Odonata).

Polarization is a property of light that describes the oscillation of the electric field vector. Polarized light can be detected by many invertebrate animals, and this visual channel is widely used in nature. Insects rely on light polarization for various purposes, such as water detection, improving contrast, breaking camouflage, navigation, and signaling during mating.

Correlation analysis of transcriptome and metabolomics and functional study of Galactinol synthase gene (VcGolS3) of blueberry under salt stress.

Soil salinity poses a significant environmental challenge for the growth and development of blueberries. However, the specific mechanisms by which blueberries respond to salt stress are still not fully understood. Here, we employed a comprehensive approach integrating physiological, metabolomic, and transcriptomic analyses to identify key metabolic pathways in blueberries under salt stress.

Molecular Regulation of Cardiomyocyte Maturation.

Purpose Of The Review: This review aims to discuss the process of cardiomyocyte maturation, with a focus on the underlying molecular mechanisms required to form a fully functional heart. We examine both long-standing concepts associated with cardiac maturation and recent developments, and the overall complexity of molecularly integrating all the processes that lead to a mature heart.

Recent Findings: Cardiac maturation, defined here as the sequential changes that occurring before the heart reaches full maturity, has been a subject of investigation for decades.

Lateral hypothalamic area high-frequency deep brain stimulation rescues memory decline in aged rat: behavioral, molecular, and electrophysiological study.

To examine the effect of DBS of the lateral hypothalamic area (LHA) on age-related memory changes, neuronal firing from CA1, oxidative stress, and the expression of Hsp70, BDNF, and synaptophysin. 72 male rats were randomly allocated into 6 equal groups: a) normal young group (8 W), b) sham young group, c) DBS young group, d) normal old group (24 months), e) sham old group and f) DBS old group. Memory tests (passive avoidance and Y maze), oxidative stress markers (MDA, catalase, and GSH) and expression of Nrf2, HO-1, Hsp70, BDNF, and synaptophysin were measured by the end of the experiment.

Double-stranded RNA orbivirus disrupts the DNA-sensing cGAS-sting axis to prevent type I IFN induction.

Cyclic GMP-AMP synthase (cGAS) is a DNA sensing cellular receptor that induces IFN-I transcription in response to pathogen and host derived cytosolic DNA and can limit the replication of some RNA viruses. Some viruses have nonetheless evolved mechanisms to antagonize cGAS sensing. In this study, we evaluated the interaction between Bluetongue virus (BTV), the prototypical dsRNA virus of the Orbivirus genus and the Sedoreoviridae family, and cGAS.

iForensic, multicentric validation of digital whole slide images (WSI) in forensic histopathology setting according to the College of American Pathologists guidelines.

Pathology has benefited from the rapid progress of image-digitizing technology during the last decade. However, the application of digital whole slide images (WSI) in forensic pathology still needs to be improved. WSI validation is crucial to ensure diagnostic performance, at least equivalent to glass slides and light microscopy.

The pregnant moms' empowerment program - Mexico enhances mental health for women exposed to intimate partner violence: a pilot randomized controlled trial.

Purpose: Given the lack of available and effective interventions to address the detrimental consequences of perinatal exposure to intimate partner violence (IPV) on maternal mental health, and reported very low access to IPV-related mental health services in Mexico, we examined the feasibility and efficacy of a culturally adapted, virtual, brief group psychosocial intervention designed to improve maternal mental and physical health and reduce IPV revictimization for pregnant women exposed to IPV. In this pilot randomized controlled trial, we evaluated maternal outcomes after participation in the Pregnant Moms' Empowerment Program (PMEP) in Mexico.

Methods: Women were recruited from social service agencies and health centers in the community, as well as social media advertisements that targeted pregnant women living in Mexico.

"Update on pediatric primary liver tumors".

Liver masses are common in children, however primary malignant neoplasms are rare, representing only 1% of all pediatric cancers. Hepatocellular neoplasms are the most common primary liver malignancies and hepatoblastoma (HB) is the most frequently diagnosed. The incidence of HB, which is increasing, is approximately of 2 cases per million in the United States, followed by hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC).

Cardiovascular imaging in children with cardiac implantable electronic devices.

The number of children with cardiac implantable electronic devices (CIEDs) is increasing at a time of rapid growth in cardiac magnetic resonance (MR) and cardiac computed tomography (CT) utilization. The presence of CIEDs poses challenges with respect to imaging safety and quality. A thoughtful approach to cardiovascular imaging in patients with CIEDs begins with an awareness of the clinical indications to determine the most appropriate imaging modality.

When High-Risk Ductal Stenting Goes Wrong: Use of Percutaneous VV ECMO Support and Acute Left Pulmonary Artery Loss.

Patent ductus arteriosus (PDA) stenting is a vital intervention for neonates with ductal-dependent blood flow, offering an attractive alternative to surgical shunt placement. Despite its benefits, the procedure poses risks such as ductal spasm, branch pulmonary artery compromise, and pseudoaneurysm formation. This report presents two complex neonatal cases with distinct outcomes.

Onabotulinum Toxin A-Led Urinary Tract Infections-Should we Safeguard? A Randomized Controlled Trial.

Introduction And Hypothesis: The objective of our study was to evaluate the need for antibiotic prophylaxis for urinary tract infection (UTI) prevention before Onabotulinum toxin A injection for overactive bladder (OAB). We hypothesize that the lack of antibiotic prophylaxis might not be inferior to administering prophylaxis.

Methods: This was a multi-centered, nonblinded, randomized controlled trial conducted between August 2022 and September 2024.

Bell's Palsy-Unclear Terminology and Definitions Impede Progress.

Bell's palsy (BP) is reported as the most common cause of facial paralysis, yet literature lacks a standardized definition of BP. To identify and categorize how the term "Bell's palsy" is defined and applied in published medical literature. Randomized controlled trials, clinical trials, systematic reviews, meta-analyses, and reviews containing "Bell's palsy" were identified in MEDLINE, Embase, and CENTRAL databases from inception until April 2, 2024.

The effect of selective surface interaction on polymer phase separation with explicit polydispersity during polymerization.

In polymerization-induced phase separation, the impact of polymer-substrate interaction on the dynamics of phase separation for polymer blends is important in determining the final morphology and properties of polymer materials as the surface can act as another driving force for phase separation other than polymerization. We modify the previously-developed polymerizing Cahn-Hilliard (pCH) method by adding a surface potential to model the phase separation behavior of a mixture of two species independently undergoing linear step-growth polymerization in the presence of a surface. In our approach, we explicitly model polydispersity by separately considering different molecular-weight components with their own respective diffusion constants, and with the surface potential preferentially acting on only one species.

Review of honeycomb-based Kitaev materials with zigzag magnetic ordering.

The search for a Kitaev quantum spin liquid in crystalline magnetic materials has fueled intense interest in the two-dimensional honeycomb systems. Many promising candidate Kitaev systems are characterized by a long-range-ordered magnetic structure with an antiferromagnetic zigzag-type order, where the static moments form alternating ferromagnetic chains. Recent experiments on high-quality single crystals uncovered the existence of intriguing multi-k magnetic structures, which evolved from zigzag structures.

Preparation of bovine serum albumin nanospheres desolvation: a study of synthesis, characterization, and aging.

Serum albumin has myriad uses in biotechnology, but its value as a nanocarrier or nanoplatform for therapeutics is becoming increasingly important, notably with albumin-bound chemotherapeutics. Another emerging field is the fabrication of biopolymeric nanoparticles using albumin as a building block to achieve highly-tunable nonimmunogenic capsules or scaffolds that may be cheaply and reliably produced. The aim of this study was to characterize and optimize the desolvation process used for fabrication of albumin nanoparticles under ambient conditions, studying both glutaraldehyde (GT) and glucose (GLU) as crosslinking agents and the effect of various synthesis conditions including pH, electrolyte concentration, and rate of desolvation on particle size and stability.

Effectiveness of Isotretinoin Administration in Rhinoplasty: A Systematic Review.

To investigate the effectiveness of isotretinoin use in patients with thick nasal skin to improve rhinoplasty outcomes. The Population Intervention Comparison Outcome framework was utilized for selecting relevant studies for review. The databases of Medline, Embase, Cinahl, Central, Scopus, and Web of Science were searched in June 2024.

Detection of carob flour in cocoa powder by direct analysis in real time-mass spectrometry (DART-MS).

Cocoa is a high value product and therefore a potential target for economic adulteration with less expensive ingredients. Carob flour is less expensive than cocoa powder and is frequently cited as a potential cocoa substitute. While carob has legitimate uses as a cocoa replacement, these characteristics also make it a potential adulterant of cocoa powder.