Management of acute variceal bleeding: updated APASL guidelines.

Acute variceal bleeding (AVB) is a common life-threatening complication of portal hypertension (PHT), having a six-week mortality of 10%-20%. Major advances in the hemodynamic management, risk stratification, pharmacotherapy, endoscopy techniques, hemostatic devices and radiological interventions have led to improved management and outcome of AVB patients in the recent past. Therefore, the APASL Portal Hypertension Working Party, chose a panel of experts, primarily from the Asia-Pacific region, to identify important developments and controversial areas in the field of AVB.

Plasma FSTL-1 as a noninvasive diagnostic biomarker for patients with advanced liver fibrosis.

Background And Aims: Reliable novel noninvasive biomarkers for the diagnosis of advanced liver fibrosis are urgently needed in clinical practice. We aimed to investigate the accuracy of plasma Follistatin-like protein 1 (FSTL-1) in the diagnosis of advanced liver fibrosis in chronic liver diseases.

Approach And Results: We collected cross-sectional clinical data for a derivation cohort (n = 86) and a validation cohort (n = 431), totaling 517 subjects with liver biopsy.

Deep learning radiomics of elastography for diagnosing compensated advanced chronic liver disease: an international multicenter study.

Accurate, noninvasive diagnosis of compensated advanced chronic liver disease (cACLD) is essential for effective clinical management but remains challenging. This study aimed to develop a deep learning-based radiomics model using international multicenter data and to evaluate its performance by comparing it to the two-dimensional shear wave elastography (2D-SWE) cut-off method covering multiple countries or regions, etiologies, and ultrasound device manufacturers. This retrospective study included 1937 adult patients with chronic liver disease due to hepatitis B, hepatitis C, or metabolic dysfunction-associated steatotic liver disease.

Comparative morphological and lipidomic profiling of abdominal adipose tissue in Beijing You chickens at different ages and Ross 308 broilers.

This study aimed to compare fat deposition, muscle tissue structure, and abdominal fat lipid metabolism among 150-day-old Beijing You chickens, 450-day-old Beijing You chickens, and 150-day-old Ross 308 broilers. Slaughter performance analysis revealed that Beijing You chickens exhibited significantly higher fat deposition than Ross 308 broilers, with continuous accumulation observed with increasing age. Histological observations showed that the breast muscle fibers of Beijing You chickens were significantly smaller than those of Ross 308 broilers of the same age, while the diameters of abdominal adipocytes were significantly larger and increased further with age.

Retinal parameter analysis and diagnostic potentail exploration in familial exudative vitreoretinopathy using ultra-widefield fundus photography.

Background: Familial Exudative Vitreoretinopathy (FEVR) is a monogenic disorder causing retinal vascular impairment, often underdiagnosed due to its variable presentation and reliance on invasive methods like fundus fluorescein angiography (FFA). Through the utilization of non-invasive ultra-widefield fundus photography (UWFFP), this research explored both the diagnostic potential of integrated retinal parameters for the detection of FEVR, and their characteristic changes during the early stage progression.

Methods: Retinal parameters were systematically extracted and quantified from UWFFP of 114 FEVR patients and 114 matched controls using the EVision AI cloud platform.

Comparative analysis of two newly established Cre rat lines, NeuN-Cre and Thy1-Cre, for neurological research.

Background: The Cre/loxP system is most popular in mice, but its application in rats has largely lagged far behind. The rat is vital laboratory animal, especially in toxicological and neurological studies. Generating genetic tools to manipulate neurons in rats could benefit neurological research.

High dietary astaxanthin supplementation alters egg yolk nutritional composition in hens.

Astaxanthin (ASTA), a potent antioxidant with anti-inflammatory, anti-proliferative, and anti-apoptotic effects, has garnered attention for its potential to enhance the nutritional value of eggs. This study aimed to evaluate the effects of dietary ASTA on egg yolk nutritional composition, sensory attributes, and related molecular mechanisms. We assessed how varying levels of ASTA supplementation (0, 0.

Single-cell chromatin accessibility profiling reveals regulatory mechanisms and evolution in pig brains.

Background: Pig brains serve as a valuable biomedical model for studying brain-related diseases due to their significant structural similarities to the human brain. Furthermore, the long-term domestication and artificial selection of domestic pigs have profoundly shaped their brains, making them an interesting subject for research. However, a comprehensive understanding of the regulatory mechanisms governing pig brain function and their impact on various phenotypes remains elusive due to the high degree of cellular heterogeneity present in the brain.

Astaxanthin supplementation enhances carcass performance, meat quality, and intestinal barrier function by modulating cecal microbiota and metabolomics in overfed Pekin ducks.

Astaxanthin (AST), a potent antioxidant, has shown promise in improving poultry production metrics. This study investigated the effects of dietary AST on carcass traits, breast muscle composition, intestinal barrier function, cecal microbiota, and metabolomics in overfed Pekin ducks. A total of 150 one-day-old male Pekin ducks were assigned to five groups: Control (CON, basal diet), low-dose AST (LDG, 40 mg/kg), medium-dose (MDG, 80 mg/kg), high-dose (HDG, 120 mg/kg), and an ad libitum-fed group (ALG), and the feeding trial lasted for 42 days.

DiabetesLiver score: A non-invasive algorithm for advanced liver fibrosis and liver-related outcomes in type 2 diabetes mellitus population.

Background: This study aimed to develop and validate a non-invasive model for screening advanced liver fibrosis and predicting liver-related outcomes in patients with type 2 diabetes mellitus (T2DM).

Methods: This study included patients with T2DM from five tertiary hospitals for the development and internal validation of a non-invasive model. Advanced liver fibrosis was defined as a liver stiffness measurement ≥12 kPa.

Dual-source powered sea urchin-like nanomotors for intravesical photothermal therapy of bladder cancer.

Bladder cancer (BCa) ranks as the 9th most prevalent malignancy worldwide, featured by its high risk of recurrence. Intravesical therapy constitutes the most important modality to tackle BCa, but its efficiency is often compromised due to the dense physiological barriers in BCa, the instability of the catalytic environment, and the rapid clearance facilitated by periodic urination. Here, we present a dual-source powered sea urchin-like nanomotor, which feature a gold nanocore decorated with ultrasmall platinum nanoparticles and ureases, enable rapid propulsion through the catalytic conversion of abundant urea and hydrogen peroxide present in the bladder cavity and BCa microenvironment, respectively.

Anthropometric Measures and Mortality Risk in Individuals With Metabolic Dysfunction-Associated Steatotic Liver Disease (MASLD): A Population-Based Cohort Study.

Background/aims: As the primary anthropometric measure in metabolic dysfunction-associated steatotic liver disease (MASLD), waist circumference (WC) may more accurately reflect the visceral fat distribution than body mass index (BMI). This study aimed to compare the prognostic value of BMI, WC and WC-related indices including waist-hip ratio (WHR), body shape index (BSI) and weight-adjusted-waist index (WWI) in individuals with MASLD.

Methods: The study population was derived from four large-scale cohorts: the National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey (NHANES 2017-2020 and NHANES III), the Kailuan Cohort and the UK Biobank Cohort.

Meta-analysis of muscle transcriptome data identifies key genes influencing intramuscular fat content in pigs.

Objective: The content of intramuscular fat (IMF) is closely linked to meat quality, and the mechanism of IMF deposition is complex. Despite numerous transcriptomic studies on IMF, variations in sample sizes and data analysis methods have produced inconsistent gene expression patterns and results. To identify the pivotal genes influencing pig IMF content, we performed a meta-analysis on 10 pig muscle transcriptome datasets with a total of eighty samples, forty with high and forty with low IMF samples.

Endoscopic variceal ligation combined with carvedilol versus endoscopic variceal ligation combined with propranolol for the treatment of oesophageal variceal bleeding in cirrhosis: study protocol for a multicentre, randomised controlled trial.

Introduction: Liver cirrhosis and its severe complication, oesophageal variceal bleeding (EVB), pose significant health risks. Standard treatment for EVB combines non-selective beta-blockers (NSBB) with endoscopic variceal ligation (EVL). Carvedilol, an NSBB with additional benefits, is preferred for compensated cirrhosis.

Multi-label pathology editing of chest X-rays with a Controlled Diffusion Model.

Large-scale generative models have garnered significant attention in the field of medical imaging, particularly for image editing utilizing diffusion models. However, current research has predominantly concentrated on pathological editing involving single or a limited number of labels, making it challenging to achieve precise modifications. Inaccurate alterations may lead to substantial discrepancies between the generated and original images, thereby impacting the clinical applicability of these models.

Advances in nanotechnology for the diagnosis and management of metabolic dysfunction-associated steatotic liver disease.

Metabolic dysfunction-associated steatotic liver disease (MASLD) has a high global incidence and associated with increased lipid accumulation in hepatocytes, elevated hepatic enzyme levels, liver fibrosis, and hepatic carcinoma. Despite decades of research and significant advancements, the treatment of MASLD still faces formidable challenges. Nanoprobes for diagnostics and nanomedicine for targeted drug delivery to the liver present promising options for MASLD diagnosis and treatment, enhancing both imaging contrast and bioavailability.

Robot-assisted radical cystectomy with the clinical application of "Y-shaped" end-to-side ureteral anastomosis in elderly and obese patients.

Objective: To investigate the clinical effect and safety of "Y-shaped" end-to-side ureteral anastomosis with robotic endoscopic technique in radical cystectomy (RC) and urinary diversion (UD) in elderly and obese patients with bladder cancer.

Materials And Methods: We retrospectively reviewed the records of 10 patients with bladder cancer who underwent robot-assisted laparoscopic radical cystectomy and "Y-shaped" end-to-side ureteral anastomosis under general anesthesia at Zhejiang Provincial People's Hospital (Affiliated People's Hospital, Hangzhou Medical College, Hangzhou, Zhejiang, China, 310014) from October 2018 to January 2021. Demographic and clinical data are summarized.

Mitochondrial respiratory complex IV deficiency recapitulates amyotrophic lateral sclerosis.

Amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (ALS) is categorized into ~10% familial and ~90% sporadic cases. While familial ALS is caused by mutations in many genes of diverse functions, the underlying pathogenic mechanisms of ALS, especially in sporadic ALS (sALS), are largely unknown. Notably, about half of the cases with sALS showed defects in mitochondrial respiratory complex IV (CIV).

A Protocol for Body MRI/CT and Extraction of Imaging-Derived Phenotypes (IDPs) from the China Phenobank Project.

Currently, standard protocols for body imaging and corresponding image processing pipelines in population-based cohort studies are unavailable, limiting the applications of body imaging. Based on the China Phenobank Project (CHPP), the present study described a body imaging protocol for multiple organs, including cardiac structures, liver, spleen, pancreas, kidneys, lung, prostate, and uterus, and the corresponding image processing pipelines promoted its development. Briefly, the body imaging protocol comprised a 40-min cardiac magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) scan, a 5-min computed tomography (CT) scan, a 20-min abdominal MRI scan, and a 10-min pelvic MRI scan.

Identification of blacklist regions in cattle and pig genomes.

Cattle and pigs are important farm animals and biomedical models for studying human development and diseases. Accurate annotation of their cis-regulatory elements is essential for advancing breeding strategies and biological research. Identifying these elements typically relies on ChIP-seq data, which profiles histone modifications and transcription factors.

Vasomics of the liver.

Chronic liver disease is a cluster of disorders associated with complex haemodynamic alterations, which is characterised by structural and functional disruptions of the intrahepatic and extrahepatic vasculature. 'Vasomics' is an emerging omics discipline that comprehensively analyses and models the vascular system by integrating pathophysiology of disease, biomechanics, medical imaging, computational science and artificial intelligence. Vasomics is further typified by its multidimensional, multiscale and high-throughput nature, which depends on the rapid and robust extraction of well-defined vascular phenotypes with clear clinical and/or biological interpretability.