Social Vulnerability as a Neighborhood-Level Determinant of Pancreatic Cancer Survivorship: A National Analysis of Veterans Affairs Patients.

Background: Veterans Affairs (VA) patients participate within the largest USA equal-access healthcare system, though still experience cancer mortality disparities by social determinants. The Social Vulnerability Index (SVI)-measuring community poverty, minority status, housing, and transportation-has delineated gradients in cancer care utilization and outcomes. We therefore assessed relationships between SVI and mortality in veterans with pancreatic ductal adenocarcinoma (PDAC).

Using citizen science to overcome data gaps in artisanal fisheries: programme overview and spatiotemporal patterns.

Artisanal fisheries contribute substantial animal protein to people in many developing countries, yet government resources for fisheries management are limited and typically allocated to larger commercial operations. This leaves artisanal fisheries vulnerable to overfishing and other anthropogenic threats. A co-management arrangement, whereby government agencies delegate management authority to fishing communities, is a solution.

A platform for multisite immune profiling of premetastatic pancreatic cancer at single-cell resolution.

Background: Pancreatic ductal adenocarcinoma (PDAC) is characterized by exceedingly high rates of metastatic progression, with the liver representing the most common site of distant spread. Here, we established a platform for multisite immune profiling of human PDAC encompassing the tumor, peripheral circulation, and premetastatic liver, to more comprehensively study how various immune subsets might contribute to patient outcomes.

Methods: Tumor, liver, and blood samples were obtained from patients undergoing resection for non-metastatic PDAC.

Circulating Tumor DNA as a Novel Prognostic Biomarker of Therapeutic Efficacy in Patients with Unresectable Colorectal Liver Metastases Treated with Hepatic Arterial Infusion.

Background: Hepatic arterial infusion (HAI) chemotherapy is an expanding treatment for patients with unresectable colorectal liver metastases (uCRLM). This study examined circulating tumor DNA (ctDNA) as a novel biomarker to prognosticate oncologic outcomes after HAI.

Methods: The study examined HAI outcomes for patients with uCRLM at Duke University from February 2022-December 2024.

Advances in the treatment of hepatocellular carcinoma: An overview of the current and evolving therapeutic landscape for clinicians.

Hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) is the sixth most common malignancy and the third leading cause of cancer-related death worldwide. Contemporary advances in systemic and locoregional therapies have led to changes in peer-reviewed guidelines regarding systemic therapy as well as the possibility of downstaging disease that may enable some patients with advanced disease to ultimately undergo partial hepatectomy or transplantation with curative intent. This review focuses on all modalities of therapy for HCC, guided by modern-day practice-changing randomized data where available.

Production of live tiger salamander offspring using cryopreserved sperm.

Amphibian conservation breeding programs often rely on assisted reproductive technologies (ART) to produce offspring due to the difficulty of replicating natural reproductive cues under human care. Reproductive management using in-vitro fertilization (IVF) with cryopreserved sperm has been successfully applied to a variety of anurans, yet the approach has seen limited use for internally-fertilizing caudates. This study aimed to test two cryoprotectants, dimethyl formamide (DMFA) and dimethyl sulfoxide (DMSO), in combination with three different sperm extenders, HAM's F-10, diluted HAM's F-10, and 10% Holtfreter's, for the production of salamander larvae from cryopreserved sperm.

Association Between Unclean Cooking Fuel Use and Hearing Problems Among Adults Aged ≥ 65 Years, a Cross-Sectional Study.

Background And Aims: Literature suggests that outdoor air pollutant exposure is associated with hearing problems, but examination of this link has not extended to any potential association between hearing ability and the use of unclean cooking fuels. The current paper investigates whether such a link exists, utilizing a large sample of older adults from low- and middle-income countries (LMICs) where such fuels are commonly used.

Methods: Data from the Study on global AGEing and adult health (SAGE) were analyzed.

Heterocyclic Group Functionalized Siloxane-Based Polymers for Interruption of pH-Dependent Marine Settlement.

Marine biofouling is the natural accumulation of organisms on substrates that reside in rivers, lakes, and seas. To combat this issue, polymer-based coatings historically utilized tin or copper compounds, which, though effective, are also highly toxic. In this study, a series of functionalized toxicant-free PDMS-type polymers were designed with pH buffer and zwitterionic moieties for fouling inhibition.

Development of Multiservice Machine Learning Models to Predict Postsurgical Length of Stay and Discharge Disposition at the Time of Case Posting.

Objective: Develop machine learning (ML) models to predict postsurgical length of stay (LOS) and discharge disposition (DD) for multiple services with only the data available at the time of case posting.

Background: Surgeries are scheduled largely based on operating room resource availability with little attention to downstream resource availability such as inpatient bed availability and the care needs after hospitalization. Predicting postsurgical LOS and DD at the time of case posting could support resource allocation and earlier discharge planning.

Ambulatory Surgery Ensemble: Predicting Adult and Pediatric Same-Day Surgery Cases Across Specialties.

Objective: To develop an ensemble model using case-posting data to predict which patients could be discharged on the day of surgery.

Background: Few models have predicted which surgeries are appropriate for day cases. Increasing the ratio of ambulatory surgeries can decrease costs and inpatient bed utilization while improving resource utilization.

Music listening for psychological well-being in adults with acquired vision impairment: a feasibility randomised controlled trial.

Purpose: Vision impairment (VI) has a profound impact on mental health and well-being. Music-based interventions, such as active music listening, have potential to induce relaxation, improve mood, and reduce stress. This study investigated the feasibility and acceptability of a supportive self-care music intervention in adults with acquired VI, who ran their listening program independently.

Multiplexed glycan immunofluorescence identification of pancreatic cancer cell subpopulations in both tumor and blood samples.

Pancreatic ductal adenocarcinoma (PDAC) tumor heterogeneity impedes the development of biomarker assays for early disease detection. We hypothesized that PDAC cell subpopulations could be identified by aberrant glycan signatures in both tumor tissue and blood samples. We used multiplexed glycan immunofluorescence to distinguish between PDAC and noncancer cell subpopulations within tumor tissue, and we developed hybrid glycan sandwich assays to determine whether the aberrant glycan signatures could be detected in blood samples.

Who Is Competing at the Elite Level? Exploring Impairment, Gender, and Nationality of International Blind and Partially Sighted Footballers.

Classification in para sports aims to create equitable competition. Footballers with vision impairments are allocated to one of three classes (B1, B2, or B3). This work aimed to understand the effectiveness and inclusivity of the current classification system.

A split decision based on vision: an empirical approach to classify short-distance sprinters with a vision impairment.

Athletes with vision impairment (VI) competing in track athletics typically compete in one of three 'classes' based on the severity of their VI. The creation of these classes, however, was arbitrary and not based on evidence. The aim of this study was to investigate the relationship between monocular visual acuity (VA) and sprinting performance in athletes with a VI to establish the optimal cut-off point(s) between competition classes.

All Iron Battery 3.0.

Battery storage technology can address a key limitation to renewable energy. Renewable electricity generation (solar and wind) is intermittent. An inexpensive energy storage device with excellent rechargeability and safety is critical for grid applications and for the global transition to renewable energy.

Prognostic Implications of Codon-Specific Mutations in Localized and Advanced Stages of Pancreatic Cancer.

Introduction: While mutations represent the primary oncogenic driver in pancreatic ductal adenocarcinoma (PDAC), the association between codon-specific alterations and patient outcomes remains poorly elucidated, largely due to a lack of datasets coupling genomic profiling with rich clinical annotations across disease stages.

Patients And Methods: We utilized AACR's GENIE Biopharma Consortium Pancreas v1.2 dataset to test the associating of codon-specific mutations with clinicogenomic features and patient outcomes in PDAC patients diagnosed with localized (stages I-III) and advanced disease (stage IV).

Spatial Transcriptomics of Intraductal Papillary Mucinous Neoplasms Reveals Divergent Indolent and Malignant States.

Purpose: Intraductal papillary mucinous neoplasms (IPMN) occur in 5% to 10% of the population, but only a small minority progress to pancreatic ductal adenocarcinoma (PDAC). The lack of accurate predictors of high-risk disease leads to both unnecessary operations for indolent neoplasms and missed diagnoses of PDAC. Digital spatial RNA profiling (DSP-RNA) provides an opportunity to define and associate transcriptomic states with cancer risk.

Investigation of Amphiphilic PDMS-Hyperbranched Polyglycerol Copolymers to Tune the Fouling-Release Properties in a Moisture Curable Coating System.

Hyperbranched polyglycerol (HBPG) has been proven to be effective as a hydrophilic material when incorporated into amphiphilic copolymers, enhancing fouling-release properties. These amphiphilic polymers not only increase the effectiveness of coatings across a wide range of organisms but also impart antifouling characteristics without resorting to toxic chemicals. HBPGs exhibit high resistance to proteins and lead to the effective removal of marine organisms under low impact pressures.

Laterality and performance in elite male golfers.

Human beings display laterilised behaviour. In sport, including golf, players adopt a right- or left-handed stance. There may be advantages in going against convention in the position of the dominant hand relative to golf stance.

Robotic Versus Open Placement of Hepatic Artery Infusion Pumps.

Background: A growing number of centers offer hepatic artery infusion pump (HAIP) chemotherapy for advanced liver malignancies. While small series have demonstrated feasibility of robotic HAIP placement, comparison of outcomes with open placement is lacking. We compared outcomes after robotic versus open HAIP placement.

Adjuvant Cytotoxic Chemotherapy may not be Associated with a Survival Advantage for Resected Intrahepatic Cholangiocarcinoma.

Background: Randomized data suggest improved survival with adjuvant chemotherapy for biliary tract cancers; however, subset analyses of intrahepatic cholangiocarcinoma (IHC) show limited survival benefit. This study evaluated the impact of adjuvant chemotherapy on recurrence patterns and overall survival (OS) in patients with resected IHC.

Methods: Patients who underwent curative-intent resection for IHC were identified within a bi-institutional dataset and the National Cancer Database (NCDB).

Perioperative and Oncologic Outcomes of Hepatic Arterial Infusion (HAI) Pump Chemotherapy for Patients with Unresectable Colorectal Liver Metastases at an Expanding HAI Program.

Background: Hepatic arterial infusion (HAI) is an established treatment for patients with unresectable colorectal liver metastases (uCRLM). Until recently, HAI was only performed at a limited number of centers. We previously reported early outcomes suggesting that implementation of a new HAI program is safe and feasible.

Targeting the aminopeptidase ERAP enhances antitumor immunity by disrupting the NKG2A-HLA-E inhibitory checkpoint.

The aminopeptidase, endoplasmic reticulum aminopeptidase 1 (ERAP1), trims peptides for loading into major histocompatibility complex class I (MHC class I), and loss of this activity has broad effects on the MHC class I peptidome. Here, we investigated the impact of targeting ERAP1 in immune checkpoint blockade (ICB), as MHC class I interactions mediate both activating and inhibitory functions in antitumor immunity. Loss of ERAP sensitized mouse tumor models to ICB, and this sensitivity depended on CD8 T cells and natural killer (NK) cells.

Spatial Transcriptomics of IPMN Reveals Divergent Indolent and Malignant Lineages.

Purpose: Intraductal papillary mucinous neoplasms (IPMN) occur in 5-10% of the population, but only a small minority progress to pancreatic ductal adenocarcinoma (PDAC). The lack of accurate predictors of high-risk disease leads both to unnecessary operations for indolent neoplasms as well as missed diagnoses of PDAC. Digital spatial RNA profiling (DSP-RNA) provides an opportunity to define and associate transcriptomic states with cancer risk.