Early Supportive and Nutritional Care For Adults With Pancreatic Cancer: A Pilot Study.

Context: Individuals diagnosed with advanced pancreatic cancer face a poor prognosis, heightening the importance of interventions aimed at improving quality of life. Quality of life for individuals with pancreatic cancer is highly influenced by symptom burden and nutritional status. Programs are needed that coordinate palliative and nutrition care for this population.

Abemaciclib impairs glioblastoma sphere formation by targeting the GSK3β-mediated transcriptional regulation of CD44 and TCF7L2.

Glioblastoma multiforme (GBM) is an aggressive brain tumor partly driven by cancer stem cells (CSCs). Abemaciclib demonstrates the potential for treating GBM, although its mechanisms beyond RB phosphorylation are not fully understood. This study reveals that Abemaciclib diminishes GBM sphere formation by influencing EMT pathways via GSK3β-mediated regulation of CD44 and TCF7L2.

Trichodermin, an endophytic fungal sesquiterpene, suppresses colorectal cancer cell migration and invasion by targeting the PKC-ERK-Sp1-CTSV axis.

Background: Trichodermin (TCD), a sesquiterpene initially isolated from the fungus Trichoderma viride, has previously shown potent activity against pancreatic tumors and chondrosarcoma. However, its therapeutic potential in colorectal cancer (CRC) remains poorly understood.

Methods: Cell proliferation, cytotoxicity, and cell cycle distribution were assessed using the MTT assay, LDH assay, and Annexin V/PI staining via flow cytometry, respectively.

Are the shapes and sizes of pen barrel the factors to influence handwriting kinetics?

Handwriting plays a vital role in children's learning. Choosing the correct writing tools, particularly in terms of pen shape and size, remains challenging. The influence of pen design on handwriting performance, particularly hand kinetics, is not fully understood.

FGFR inhibitors promote the autophagic degradation of IFN-γ-induced PD-L1 and alleviate the PD-L1-mediated transcriptional suppression of FGFR3-TACC3 in non-muscle-invasive bladder cancer.

Bladder cancer (BC) is the second most prevalent genitourinary malignancy worldwide. Treatment options remain limited for patients with Bacillus Calmette-Guérin (BCG)-unresponsive non-muscle-invasive bladder cancer (NMIBC). Up to 70% of NMIBC cases harbor fibroblast growth factor receptor 3 (FGFR3) alterations, and FGFR inhibition has shown potential to enhance the efficacy of immune checkpoint inhibitor (ICI).

Hinokiflavone is a novel CK2 inhibitor promoting apoptosis and synergizing with chemotherapeutic agents in cisplatin resistant bladder cancer cells.

Bladder cancer (BC) remains a major therapeutic challenge, particularly in patients with acquired resistance to platinum-based chemotherapy. In this study, we investigated the potential of hinokiflavone (HNK), a natural biflavonoid, as a therapeutic agent against cisplatin-resistant BC. Our results demonstrate that HNK differentially inhibited the proliferation of cisplatin-resistant BC cells while sparing normal uroepithelial cells.

Development of Autonomous Electric USV for Water Quality Detection.

With the rise of industry, river pollution has become increasingly severe. Countries worldwide now face the challenge of effectively and promptly detecting river pollution. Traditional river detection methods rely on manual sampling and subsequent data analysis at various sampling sites, requiring significant time and labor costs.

Social-aware trajectory prediction using goal-directed attention networks with egocentric vision.

This study presents a novel social-goal attention networks (SGANet) model that employs a vision-based multi-stacked neural network framework to predict multiple future trajectories for both homogeneous and heterogeneous road users. Unlike existing methods that focus solely on one dataset type and treat social interactions, temporal dynamics, destination point, and uncertainty behaviors independently, SGANet integrates these components into a unified multimodal prediction framework. A graph attention network (GAT) captures socially-aware interaction correlation, a long short-term memory (LSTM) network encodes temporal dependencies, a goal-directed forecaster (GDF) estimates coarse future goals, and a conditional variational autoencoder (CVAE) generates multiple plausible trajectories, with multi-head attention (MHA) and feed-forward networks (FFN) refining the final multimodal trajectory prediction.

Missense and Inframe Pathogenic Variants in PLEC Lead to Minimal or Delayed-Onset Muscular Dystrophy in Autosomal Recessive Epidermolysis Bullosa Simplex: A Genotype-Phenotype Correlation in Nine Cases.

Plectin (PLEC) is a versatile linker protein expressed in nearly all mammalian tissues, interlinking various components of the cytoskeleton and anchoring the hemidesmosome to the intermediate filament network of basal keratinocytes. Variants in PLEC disrupt its function as a linker protein, resulting in epidermolysis bullosa simplex (EBS), a hereditary skin disorder characterized by blister formation and mechanical fragility. Additionally, EBS patients with PLEC variants often exhibit varying degrees of muscular dystrophy.

iDNS3IP: Identification and Characterization of HCV NS3 Protease Inhibitory Peptides.

Hepatitis C virus (HCV) infection remains a significant global health burden, driven by the emergence of drug-resistant strains and the limited efficacy of current antiviral therapies. A promising strategy for therapeutic intervention involves targeting the NS3 protease, a viral enzyme essential for replication. In this study, we present the first computational model specifically designed to identify NS3 protease inhibitory peptides (NS3IPs).

Inequities by race and ethnicity in cancer treatment receipt among people living with HIV and cancer in the U.S. (2004-2020).

Objective: People with HIV (PWH) are less likely to receive cancer treatment compared to those without HIV. Social factors, such as cancer treatment facility type, which may impact cancer treatment receipt among PWH have not been quantitatively explored. Our objective was to characterize racial differences in social determinants of health (SDoH) that impact cancer treatment receipt among PWH and cancer in the US.

Comparative genomic analysis of a novel heat-tolerant and euryhaline strain of unicellular marine cyanobacterium Cyanobacterium sp. DS4 from a high-temperature lagoon.

Background: Cyanobacteria have diversified through their long evolutionary history and occupy a wide range of environments on Earth. To advance our understanding of their adaptation mechanisms in extreme environments, we performed stress tolerance characterizations, whole genome sequencing, and comparative genomic analyses of a novel heat-tolerant and euryhaline strain of the unicellular cyanobacterium Cyanobacterium sp. Dongsha4 (DS4).

Investigating structural inequities in area-level socioeconomic and health care access measures among people with HIV and cancer (2004-2020).

Background: People with HIV (PWH) are less likely to receive cancer treatment compared to those without HIV. The objective of this study was to evaluate the role of area-level social determinants of health (SDoH) in cancer treatment receipt among PWH and cancer in the United States.

Methods: The authors used the National Cancer Database (NCDB; 2004-2020) and included adult patients (18-89 years) with HIV, identified via International Classification of Diseases (ICD)-9 and ICD-10 codes.

Digital Health Intervention to Reduce Malnutrition Among Individuals With Gastrointestinal Cancer Receiving Cytoreductive Surgery Combined With Hyperthermic Intraperitoneal Chemotherapy: Feasibility, Acceptability, and Usability Trial.

Background: Cytoreductive surgery combined with hyperthermic intraperitoneal chemotherapy (CRS-HIPEC) can improve survival outcomes for individuals with gastrointestinal (GI) cancer and peritoneal disease (PD). Individuals with GI cancer and PD receiving CRS-HIPEC are at increased risk for malnutrition. Despite the increased risk for malnutrition, there has been limited study of nutritional interventions for individuals receiving CRS-HIPEC.

Association Between Muscle Activity of Upper Limbs and Respiratory Parameters During Functional Performance in People With Chronic Obstructive Pulmonary Disease.

Few studies have examined the activity of the accessory inspiratory muscles as well as respiratory function simultaneously in individuals with chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD) while performing activities of daily living (ADLs). This cross-sectional study is aimed at understanding the differences in the demands for respiratory expenditure and activity of the upper limbs and accessory inspiratory muscles during functional performance in individuals with and without COPD. Thirteen patients with mild to moderate COPD and 10 healthy adults were enrolled.

Transcranial ultrasound stimulation ameliorates dextran sulphate sodium-induced colitis and behavioural disorders by suppressing the inflammatory response in the brain.

Inflammatory bowel disease (IBD) is associated with neuroinflammation, which may contribute to an increased risk of neurodegenerative disorders. This research investigated the potential of transcranial low-intensity pulsed ultrasound (LIPUS) to mitigate colonic inflammation induced by dextran sulphate sodium (DSS), focusing on its effects via the brain-gut axis. Colitis and neuroinflammation were induced in mice by administering 3% (wt/vol) DSS for 7 days.

Sustainable Synthesis of Polyfluoro-Pyrimido [1,2-] Benzimidazole Derivatives Using a Tandem Strategy─Ultrasound and an Integrated Continuous Flow System.

We have developed a novel ultrasound technique that generates significant amounts of CF-substituted benzo[4,5] imidazo [1,2-]pyrimidine analogues from easily accessible starting materials in an ecologically friendly and efficient approach. This method is notably helpful for producing physiologically relevant compounds containing the imidazopyrimidine unit, which serves as a versatile building block for the synthesis of -fused heterocycles and is devoid of metals, solvents, additives, and catalysts. Additionally, utilizing ultrasound in an open-air environment, a range of polyfluoro-ynones were successfully reacted with 2-aminobenzimidazole, generating a diverse array of polyfluoroimidazo[1,2-]pyrimidine derivatives.

A Novel Virtual Navigation Route Generation Scheme for Augmented Reality Car Navigation System.

This paper develops a novel virtual navigation route generation scheme for an augmented reality (AR) car navigation system based on the generative adversarial network-long short-term memory network (GAN-LSTM) framework with an integrated camera and GPS module. Unlike the present AR car navigation systems, the virtual navigation route is "autonomously" generated in captured images rather than superimposed on the image utilizing the pre-rendered 3D content, such as an arrow or trajectory, which not only provide a more authentic and correct AR effect to the user but also correctly guide the driver earlier when driving in complex road traffic environments. First, an evolved fully convolutional network architecture which uses a top-view image through an inverse perspective mapping scheme as input is utilized to obtain a more accurate semantic segmentation result for the lane markings in the traffic scene.

Urban and Rural Differences in Cancer Treatment Disruption Among Patients With COVID-19: An Analysis of the US ASCO COVID-19 in Oncology Registry.

Introduction: Cancer patients in rural areas experience greater barriers to treatment access compared with patients in urban areas. There is limited research on how the COVID-19 pandemic affected cancer treatment delivery for rural patients who were also diagnosed with COVID-19. This study has two objectives: to assess (1) the urban-rural differences in cancer care and (2) the predictors of cancer treatment delay or discontinuation (TDD) among patients diagnosed with COVID-19.

Feasibility trial of STRONG: A digital intervention to improve nutritional management for individuals with esophageal and gastroesophageal junction cancer.

Introduction: Individuals with esophageal and gastroesophageal junction (GEJ) cancers are at especially high risk of malnutrition. However, most patients with malnutrition do not receive adequate nutritional support. We conducted a single-arm trial to test the implementation of Support Through Remote Observation and Nutrition Guidance (STRONG), a multilevel digital intervention to improve nutritional outcomes for patients with locally advanced esophageal and gastroesophageal junction cancer.

Diagnostic accuracy of reduced electroencephalography montages for seizure detection: A frequentist and Bayesian meta-analysis.

Aim: To evaluate the diagnostic accuracy of reduced montage electroencephalography (EEG) for seizure detection and provide evidence-based recommendations.

Methods: Following the Preferred Reporting Items for Systematic Reviews and Meta-Analyses (PRISMA) guidelines, we conducted a diagnostic meta-analysis to assess the sensitivity and specificity of reduced EEG montages in detecting seizure activity. A hierarchical summary receiver operating characteristic curve (HSROC) model was used to estimate the area under the curve (AUC).

Effect of induced extrinsic and intrinsic hand and forearm muscular fatigue on the control of finger force during piano playing.

This study aimed to investigate the effect of hand muscle fatigue on finger control and force efficiency during piano performance, which is crucial for skilled piano playing among professional pianists engaged in prolonged periods of high-intensity practice or concert preparation. Thirty-one professional pianists were recruited as participants. This study was divided into three sequential experimental parts: pre-fatigue test, fatigue protocol, and post-fatigue test.

Prevalence and the associated factors of burnout among the critical healthcare professionals during the post-pandemic era: a multi-institutional survey in Taiwan with a systematic review of the Asian literatures.

Background & Aims: Burnout is a global concern, and critical healthcare professionals have been identified as a high-risk population of burnout. Early identification is crucial, but the prevalence of burnout and its risk factors demonstrate significant geographical variations. This study aims to investigate the prevalence of burnout among critical healthcare professionals and explore potential risk factors during the post-pandemic era in Taiwan.

Targeting PPARγ via SIAH1/2-mediated ubiquitin-proteasomal degradation as a new therapeutic approach in luminal-type bladder cancer.

Bladder cancer (BC) is the second most prevalent genitourinary malignancy worldwide. Despite recent approvals of immune checkpoint inhibitors and targeted therapy for muscle invasive or recurrent BC, options remain limited for patients with non-muscle invasive BC (NMIBC) refractory to Bacillus Calmette-Guérin (BCG) and chemotherapy. NMIBC is more frequently classified as a luminal subtype, in which increased PPARγ activity is a key feature in promoting tumor growth and evasion of immunosurveillance.