Validating psychometric properties of generic quality-of-life instruments (WHOQOL-BREF (TW) and EQ-5D) among non-dialysis chronic kidney disease: Rasch and confirmatory factor analyses.

Background: Quality of life (QOL) is important for evaluating medical care outcomes. In chronic kidney disease (CKD) population, generic instruments, such as WHOQOL-BREF and EQ-5D, are commonly used for comparing various medical conditions for policy-making purposes. However, their psychometric properties have not yet been validated in non-dialysis CKD population.

Annual cholangitis more than twice predicts liver transplant in biliary atresia patients who achieve jaundice-free after Kasai portoenterostomy.

Background: Biliary atresia (BA) is a progressive liver disease even after Kasai portoenterostomy (KPE), and the most common cause of liver transplant (LT) in the pediatric population. This study aimed to unveil the risk factors for LT in BA patients post-KPE.

Methods: We conducted a retrospective study of BA patients in a northern Taiwan Children's Medical Center from Jan 2000 to Oct 2020.

Blood pressure targets, medication considerations and special concerns in elderly hypertension III: Focus on stroke and neurodegenerative disorders.

Controlling hypertension has become an important issue in the elderly population in whom neurological comorbidities are highly prevalent. Most of the large-scale trials focusing on hypertension management in older populations have excluded patients with comorbid neurological disorders. However, this population requires special considerations, as the benefits of antihypertensive agents are mostly uncertain and there is a higher risk of adverse events.

Risk of cardiovascular disease following degarelix versus gonadotropin-releasing hormone agonists in patients with prostate cancer: a systematic review and meta-analysis.

Background: Prostate cancer treatment involves hormonal therapies that may carry cardiovascular risks, particularly for long-term use. Gonadotropin-releasing hormone (GnRH) antagonists, such as degarelix, may offer advantages over agonists, but comprehensive comparative cardiovascular outcomes are not well established. This study aimed to systematically review and analyze the cardiovascular safety profiles of degarelix compared to those of traditional GnRH agonists, providing critical insights for optimizing treatment strategies.

Development of TAR-200: A novel targeted releasing system designed to provide sustained delivery of gemcitabine for patients with bladder cancer.

Treatment options for recurrent high-risk non-muscle-invasive bladder cancer (HR NMIBC) and muscle-invasive bladder cancer (MIBC) are limited, highlighting a need for clinically effective, accessible, and better-tolerated alternatives. In this review we examine the clinical development program of TAR-200, a novel targeted releasing system designed to provide sustained intravesical delivery of gemcitabine to address the needs of patients with NMIBC and of those with MIBC. We describe the concept and design of TAR-200 and the clinical development of this gemcitabine intravesical system in the SunRISe portfolio of studies.

Myocardial infarction in second-generation immigrants compared to native-born Swedes in the total population of Sweden.

Background And Aims: Environmental and genetic factors predispose to cardiovascular disease. Some first-generation immigrants have a higher cardiovascular risk in Sweden, while less is known about second-generation immigrants. We aimed to analyze the risk of acute myocardial infarction (AMI) among second-generation immigrants in Sweden.

Mechanisms and rationales of SAM homeostasis.

S-Adenosylmethionine (SAM) is the primary methyl donor for numerous cellular methylation reactions. Its central role in methylation and involvement with many pathways link its availability to the regulation of cellular processes, the dysregulation of which can contribute to disease states, such as cancer or neurodegeneration. Emerging evidence indicates that intracellular SAM levels are maintained within an optimal range by a variety of homeostatic mechanisms.

Pathological diagnosis of central nervous system tumours in adults: what's new?

In the course of the last decade, the pathological diagnosis of many tumours of the central nervous system (CNS) has transitioned from a purely histological to a combined histological and molecular approach, resulting in a more precise 'histomolecular diagnosis'. Unfortunately, translation of this refinement in CNS tumour diagnostics into more effective treatment strategies is lagging behind. There is hope though that incorporating the assessment of predictive markers in the pathological evaluation of CNS tumours will help to improve this situation.

Tyrosine Kinase Inhibitor Treatment Patterns in Patients With Chronic-Phase Chronic Myeloid Leukemia: A Single Center Data From China.

Aim: To describe tyrosine kinase inhibitor (TKI) treatment patterns and analyze co-variates of TKI switch for chronic myeloid leukemia (CML) patients in a center from China.

Methods: A retrospectively study was designed to analyze TKI switching patterns, reasons and associated covariates in patients with CP-CML.

Results: 1766 patients receiving initial imatinib (n = 1374), nilotinib (n = 254), dasatinib (n = 63) and flumatinib (n = 75) therapy were retrospectively interrogated.

Cardiovascular profile of systemic lupus erythematosus patients hospitalized for COVID-19 in Spain: Analysis of the SEMI-COVID-19 Registry.

Background: Despite advancements in understanding the interplay between systemic lupus erythematosus (SLE), cardiovascular disease and COVID-19, challenges and knowledge gaps persist. This study aimed to characterize the cardiovascular profiles of SLE patients hospitalized with COVID-19 and to evaluate the influence of SLE on the development of cardiovascular complications.

Methods: This was a multicentre, nationwide observational study in which data were sourced from the SEMI-COVID-19 Registry between March 1, 2020, and March 31, 2021, involving 150 Spanish hospitals.

Impact of Fli1 deletion on B cell populations: A focus on age-associated B cells and transcriptional dynamics.

Background: Altered Fli1 expression is associated with various autoimmune diseases, yet its impact on B cells remains unexplored.

Objective: This study investigated the direct effects of Fli1 depletion on B cell populations, focusing on age-associated B cells (ABCs).

Methods: Splenocytes of Fli1 BcKO (Cd19-Cre; Fli1) and Cd19-Cre mice were analyzed flow cytometrically.

Unfolded protein response modulates Tyrosinase levels and melanin production during melanogenesis.

Background: Melanocytes protect the body from ultraviolet radiation by synthesizing melanin. Tyrosinase, a key enzyme in melanin production, accumulates in the endoplasmic reticulum (ER) during melanin synthesis, potentially causing ER stress. However, regulating ER function for melanin synthesis has been less studied than controlling Tyrosinase activity.

A neurocomputational account of multi-line electronic gambling machines.

Multi-line electronic gambling machines (EGMs) are strongly associated with problem gambling. Dopamine (DA) plays a central role in substance-use disorders, which share clinical and behavioral features with disordered gambling. The structural design features of multi-line EGMs likely lead to the elicitation of various dopaminergic effects within their nested anticipation-outcome structure.

Application of Diagnostic Imaging in Exotic Animal Gastroenterology.

Imaging of an exotic animal with gastroenteric disease is often essential to make a diagnosis. The selection of a modality and its effective use needs careful consideration in each case. Obtaining a high-quality image and its interpretation are an acquired skill.

Lupus nephritis: Biomarkers.

Lupus nephritis (LN) or renal involvement of systemic lupus erythematosus (SLE), is a common manifestation occurring in at least 50 % of SLE patients. LN remains a significant source of morbidity, often leading to progressive renal dysfunction and is a major cause of death in SLE. Despite these challenges, advances in the understanding of the pathogenesis and genetic underpinnings of LN have led to a commendable expansion in available treatments over the past decade.

Visceral fat distribution: Interracial studies.

Visceral adipose tissue, a type of abdominal adipose tissue, is highly involved in lipolysis. Because increased visceral adiposity is strongly associated with the metabolic complications related with obesity, such as type 2 diabetes and cardiovascular disease, there is a need for precise, targeted, personalized and site-specific measures clinically. Existing studies showed that ectopic fat accumulation may be characterized differently among different populations due to complex genetic architecture and non-genetic or epigenetic components, ie, Asians have more and Africans have less visceral fat vs Europeans.

Multiomics in cancer biomarker discovery and cancer subtyping.

The advent of multiomics has ushered in a new era of cancer research characterized by integrated genomic, transcriptomic and proteomic analysis to unravel the complexities of cancer biology and facilitate the discovery of novel biomarkers. This chapter provides a comprehensive overview of the concept of multiomics, detailing the significant advances in the underlying technologies and their contributions to our understanding of cancer. It delves into the evolution of genomics and transcriptomics, breakthroughs in proteomics, and overarching progress in multiomic methodologies, highlighting their collective impact on cancer biomarker discovery.

Ion mobility spectrometry and ion mobility-mass spectrometry in clinical chemistry.

Advancements in clinical chemistry have major implications in terms of public health, prompting many clinicians to seek out chemical information to aid in diagnoses and treatments. While mass spectrometry (MS) and hyphenated-MS techniques such as LC-MS or tandem MS/MS have long been the analytical methods of choice for many clinical applications, these methods routinely demonstrate difficulty in differentiating between isomeric forms in complex matrices. Consequently, ion mobility spectrometry (IM), which differentiates molecules on the basis of size, shape, and charge, has demonstrated unique advantages in the broad application of stand-alone IM and hyphenated IM instruments towards clinical challenges.