Exploring near-infrared autofluorescence properties in parathyroid tissue: an analysis of fresh and paraffin-embedded thyroidectomy specimens.

Significance: Near-infrared autofluorescence (NIRAF) utilizes the natural autofluorescence of parathyroid glands (PGs) to improve their identification during thyroid surgeries, reducing the risk of inadvertent removal and subsequent complications such as hypoparathyroidism. This study evaluates NIRAF's effectiveness in real-world surgical settings, highlighting its potential to enhance surgical outcomes and patient safety. Aim: We evaluate the effectiveness of NIRAF in detecting PGs during thyroidectomy and central neck dissection and investigate autofluorescence characteristics in both fresh and paraffin-embedded tissues. Approach: We included 101 patients diagnosed with papillary thyroid cancer who underwent surgeries in 2022 and 2023. We assessed NIRAF's ability to locate PGs, confirmed via parathyroid hormone assays, and involved both junior and senior surgeons. We measured the accuracy, speed, and agreement levels of each method and analyzed autofluorescence persistence and variation over 10 years, alongside the expression of calcium-sensing receptor (CaSR) and vitamin D. Results: NIRAF demonstrated a sensitivity of 89.5% and a negative predictive value of 89.1%. However, its specificity and positive predictive value (PPV) were 61.2% and 62.3%, respectively, which are considered lower. The kappa statistic indicated moderate to substantial agreement (kappa = 0.478; P < 0.001 ). Senior surgeons achieved high specificity (86.2%) and PPV (85.3%), with substantial agreement (kappa = 0.847; P < 0.001 ). In contrast, junior surgeons displayed the lowest kappa statistic among the groups, indicating minimal agreement (kappa = 0.381; P < 0.001 ). Common errors in NIRAF included interference from brown fat and eschar. In addition, paraffin-embedded samples retained stable autofluorescence over 10 years, showing no significant correlation with CaSR and vitamin D levels. Conclusions: NIRAF is useful for PG identification in thyroid and neck surgeries, enhancing efficiency and reducing inadvertent PG removals. The stability of autofluorescence in paraffin samples suggests its long-term viability, with false positives providing insights for further improvements in NIRAF technology.

Decoding Micro-Electrocorticographic Signals by Using Explainable 3D Convolutional Neural Network to Predict Finger Movements.

BACKGROUND: Electroencephalography (EEG) and electrocorticography (ECoG) recordings have been used to decode finger movements by analyzing brain activity. Traditional methods focused on single bandpass power changes for movement decoding, utilizing machine learning models requiring manual feature extraction. NEW METHOD: This study introduces a 3D convolutional neural network (3D-CNN) model to decode finger movements using ECoG data. The model employs adaptive, explainable AI (xAI) techniques to interpret the physiological relevance of brain signals. ECoG signals from epilepsy patients during awake craniotomy were processed to extract power spectral density across multiple frequency bands. These data formed a 3D matrix used to train the 3D-CNN to predict finger trajectories. RESULTS: The 3D-CNN model showed significant accuracy in predicting finger movements, with root-mean-square error (RMSE) values of 0.26-0.38 for single finger movements and 0.20-0.24 for combined movements. Explainable AI techniques, Grad-CAM and SHAP, identified the high gamma (HG) band as crucial for movement prediction, showing specific cortical regions involved in different finger movements. These findings highlighted the physiological significance of the HG band in motor control. COMPARISON WITH EXISTING METHODS: The 3D-CNN model outperformed traditional machine learning approaches by effectively capturing spatial and temporal patterns in ECoG data. The use of xAI techniques provided clearer insights into the model's decision-making process, unlike the "black box" nature of standard deep learning models. CONCLUSIONS: The proposed 3D-CNN model, combined with xAI methods, enhances the decoding accuracy of finger movements from ECoG data. This approach offers a more efficient and interpretable solution for brain-computer interface (BCI) applications, emphasizing the HG band's role in motor control.

Differential neuropsychiatric associations of plasma biomarkers in older adults with major depression and subjective cognitive decline.

Older adults with major depressive disorder (MDD) or early cognitive decline during the subjective cognitive decline (SCD) stage may exhibit neuropsychiatric symptoms such as anxiety, depression, and subtle cognitive impairment. The clinicopathological features and biological mechanisms of MDD differ from those of SCD among older adults; these conditions thus require different treatment strategies. This study enrolled 82 participants above 50 years old with normal cognitive levels from the communities to examine biomarker-behavior correlations between MDD (n = 23) and SCD (n = 23) relative to a normal control (NC) group (n = 36). Multidomain assessments were performed for all participants, including immunomagnetic reduction tests to detect plasma beta-amyloid (Aß), total tau (Tau), phosphorylated tau-181 (p-Tau181), neurofilament light chain, and glial fibrillary acidic protein (GFAP). This study observed that depressive symptoms in MDD were associated with amyloid pathology (plasma Aß40 vs. HADS-D: R = 0.45, p = 0.031; Aß42/Aß40 vs. HADS-D: R = -0.47, p = 0.024), which was not observed in the NC (group difference p < 0.05). Moreover, cognitive decline in MDD was distinguished by a mixed neurodegenerative process involving amyloid (plasma Aß42 vs. facial memory test: R = 0.48, p = 0.025), tau (Tau/Aß42 vs. digit symbol substitution test (DSST): R = -0.53, p = 0.01), and astrocytic injury (plasma GFAP vs. Montreal cognitive assessment score: R = -0.44, p = 0.038; plasma GFAP vs. DSST: R = -0.52, p = 0.014), findings that did not apply to the NC (group difference p < 0.05). Moreover, this study revealed different biomarker-behavior correlations between individuals with SCD and the NC. Compared with the NC, cognitive decline in the SCD group might be unrelated to amyloid pathology and instead might be early manifestations of tau pathology. This study underscores the difference in clinicopathological features between MDD and SCD among older adults, which differ from those of the NC. These findings enhance our understanding of the mechanisms underlying MDD and SCD in older individuals.

The Ruminant Telomere-to-Telomere (RT2T) Consortium.

Telomere-to-telomere (T2T) assemblies reveal new insights into the structure and function of the previously 'invisible' parts of the genome and allow comparative analyses of complete genomes across entire clades. We present here an open collaborative effort, termed the 'Ruminant T2T Consortium' (RT2T), that aims to generate complete diploid assemblies for numerous species of the Artiodactyla suborder Ruminantia to examine chromosomal evolution in the context of natural selection and domestication of species used as livestock.

Biocontrol of plant parasitic nematodes by bacteria and fungi: a multi-omics approach for the exploration of novel nematicides in sustainable agriculture.

Plant parasitic nematodes (PPNs) pose a significant threat to global crop productivity, causing an estimated annual loss of US $157 billion in the agriculture industry. While synthetic chemical nematicides can effectively control PPNs, their overuse has detrimental effects on human health and the environment. Biocontrol agents (BCAs), such as bacteria and fungi in the rhizosphere, are safe and promising alternatives for PPNs control. These BCAs interact with plant roots and produce extracellular enzymes, secondary metabolites, toxins, and volatile organic compounds (VOCs) to suppress nematodes. Plant root exudates also play a crucial role in attracting beneficial microbes toward infested roots. The complex interaction between plants and microbes in the rhizosphere against PPNs is mostly untapped which opens new avenues for discovering novel nematicides through multi-omics techniques. Advanced omics approaches, including metagenomics, transcriptomics, proteomics, and metabolomics, have led to the discovery of nematicidal compounds. This review summarizes the status of bacterial and fungal biocontrol strategies and their mechanisms for PPNs control. The importance of omics-based approaches for the exploration of novel nematicides and future directions in the biocontrol of PPNs are also addressed. The review highlighted the potential significance of multi-omics techniques in biocontrol of PPNs to ensure sustainable agriculture.

Efficacy of first-line combination therapies versus gemcitabine monotherapy for advanced pancreatic cancer: a systematic review and network meta-analysis.

Various first-line gemcitabine-based or fluorouracil-based combination regimens were approved in patients with advanced pancreatic cancer. Recent randomized clinical trials (RCTs) have investigated chemotherapy backbones in combination with novel investigational drugs, including chemotherapy agents or targeted drugs. However, the comparative efficacy of these different combination therapies remains limited. This systematic review and network meta-analysis aimed to assess the efficacy of first-line combination therapies for advanced pancreatic cancer. The study included 46 RCTs with 10,499 patients and 47 distinct regimens, using data sources from MEDLINE, EMBASE, Cochrane Clinical Trials, and ClinicalTrials.gov from January 1, 2010 to April 23, 2024. The primary outcomes were overall survival (OS) and progression-free survival (PFS), while secondary outcomes included overall response rate (ORR) and disease control rate (DCR). The analysis revealed that gemcitabine+nab-paclitaxel (GA), GA with platinum and fluorouracil (GA+Plat+FU), gemcitabine with fluorouracil (G+FU), G+Plt+FU, and FOLFIRINOX were associated with superior OS and PFS compared to gemcitabine monotherapy. Triplet or quadruplet polychemotherapy combinations, such as GA+Plat+FU, G+Plt+FU, and FOLFIRINOX, demonstrated better OS benefit with hazard ratios of 0.42 (95% CI, 0.26-0.68), 0.41 (95% CI, 0.24-0.71), and 0.58 (95% CI, 0.48-0.71), respectively, compared to doublet regimens like GA and G+FU, which had hazard ratios of 0.70 (95% CI, 0.59-0.82) and 0.82 (95% CI, 0.72-0.95), respectively. Notably, no targeted drugs, monoclonal antibodies, or other medications showed improved survival when added to chemotherapy backbones. These findings support the use of gemcitabine-based or fluorouracil-based triplet or quadruplet regimens for better survival outcomes in patients with advanced pancreatic cancer. Further research is warranted to explore the potential benefits of adding chemotherapy agents, such as fluorouracil, to the GA doublet regimen.

A sarcopenia screening test predicts mortality among hospitalized cancer patients.

This study investigated the ability of a sarcopenia screening test to predict mortality among cancer inpatients. We conducted a prospective study of patients admitted to the oncology ward of a teaching hospital in southern Taiwan. Over a 5-month period, 82 patients were enrolled for evaluation and were followed for 3 years. All participants received a comprehensive assessment at the time of admission, including Eastern Cooperative Oncology Group (ECOG) performance status, cognitive ability, nutrition index, body mass index, and short physical performance battery (SPPB). Age, ECOG performance status, dementia, SPPB score, and albumin level were associated with sarcopenia. Of the enrolled participants, 53 (64.6%) were diagnosed with sarcopenia. Patients with sarcopenia were associated with worse overall survival (OS) than patients without sarcopenia (28.8% vs. 82%, p = 0.01). Metastasis (hazard ratio [HR]: 5.166; 95% confidence interval [CI]: 1.358-19.656) and albumin level (HR: 4.346; 95% CI: 1.493-12.654) were independent and significant predictors of OS for the whole study population. Age was a predictor of 2-year all-cause mortality among patients aged ≥65 years but not among those aged <65 years (OS: 25.6% vs. 100%, p = 0.04). To summarize, the sarcopenia screening results were found to predict OS and all-cause mortality and may be helpful for patient stratification during in-hospital care.

A Study of MgZnO Thin Film for Hydrogen Sensing Application.

This research introduces a hydrogen sensor made from a thin film of magnesium zinc oxide (MgZnO) deposited using a technique called radiofrequency co-sputtering (RF co-sputtering). Separate magnesium oxide (MgO) and zinc oxide (ZnO) targets were used to deposit the MgZnO film, experimenting with different deposition times and power levels. The sensor performed best (reaching a sensing response of 2.46) when exposed to hydrogen at a concentration of 1000 parts per million (ppm). This peak performance occurred with a MgZnO film thickness of 432 nanometers (nm) at a temperature of 300 °C. Initially, the sensor's responsiveness increased as the film thickness grew. This is because thicker films tend to have more oxygen vacancies, which are imperfections that play a role in the sensor's function. However, further increases in film thickness beyond the optimal point harmed performance. This is attributed to the growth of grains within the film, which hindered its effectiveness. X-ray diffraction (XRD) and field-emission scanning electron microscopy (FE-SEM) were employed to thoroughly characterize the quality of the MgZnO thin film. These techniques provided valuable insights into the film's crystal structure and morphology, crucial factors influencing its performance as a hydrogen sensor.

Research status and hotspots of tight junctions and colorectal cancer: A bibliometric and visualization analysis.

BACKGROUND: Colorectal cancer (CRC) is the third most common cancer worldwide and the second leading cause of cancer-related death. Over the past two decades, numerous researchers have provided important evidence regarding the role of tight junction (TJ) proteins in the occurrence and progression of CRC. The causal relationship between the presence of specific TJ proteins and the development of CRC has also been confirmed. Despite the large number of publications in this field, a bibliometric study to review the current state of research and highlight the research trends and hotspots in this field has not yet been performed. AIM: To analyze research on TJs and CRC, summarize the field's history and current status, and predict future research directions. METHODS: We searched the Science Citation Index Expanded database for all literature on CRC and TJs from 2001-2023. We used bibliometrics to analyze the data of these papers, such as the authors, countries, institutions, and references. Co-authorship, co-citation, and co-occurrence analyses were the main methods of analysis. CiteSpace and VOSviewer were used to visualize the results. RESULTS: A total of 205 studies were ultimately identified. The number of publications on this topic has steadily increased since 2007. China and the United States have made the largest contributions to this field. Anticancer Research was the most prolific journal, publishing 8 articles, while the journal Oncogene had the highest average citation rate (68.33). Professor Dhawan P was the most prolific and cited author in this field. Co-occurrence analysis of keywords revealed that "tight junction protein expression", "colorectal cancer", "intestinal microbiota", and "inflammatory bowel disease" had the highest frequency of occurrence, revealing the research hotspots and trends in this field. CONCLUSION: This bibliometric analysis evaluated the scope and trends of TJ proteins in CRC, providing valuable research perspectives and future directions for studying the connection between the two. It is recommended to focus on emerging research hotspots, such as the correlations among intestinal microbiota, inflammatory bowel disease, TJ protein expression, and CRC.

Serum levels of B-cell activating factor are associated with a reduced risk of chronic lymphocytic leukemia.

IMPACT: Immune dysregulation is thought to contribute to chronic lymphocytic leukemia (CLL) risk, but biological mechanisms are unclear. We discovered that increased serum levels of B-cell activating factor (BAFF), an important regulator of B-cell maturation, were associated with a decreased risk of CLL, even >10 years after blood draw. Our findings suggest that BAFF could be a useful biomarker to assess risk among individuals at high risk, such as those with monoclonal b-cell lymphocytosis.

A nitrogen-specific detector for high performance liquid chromatography.

We describe a nitrogen-specific detector (NSD) for aqueous mobile phase-based high performance liquid chromatography (HPLC). It is based by means of total hydrophilic organic nitrogen detection. Separated analytes are photooxidized online and converted to nitrate, followed by an ultravilet absorbance detector. It features response dependant on the product of nitrogen number in the molecule and its molar concentration, no matter what is ultravilet-absorbing or not. The HPLC equipped with NSD can quantify nitrogen-containing analytes via a sole standard of potassium nitrate for calibration. This results in identical calibration curve for all nitrogen-containing analytes, obviating individual calibration. The limit of detection of NSD is 4.3 µM N/L, and its linear range is up to 4 mM N/L.

Fabrication of Single-Ion Conductors Based on Liquid Crystal Polymer Network for Quasi-Solid-State Lithium Ion Batteries.

Single-ion conductive polymer electrolytes can improve the safety of lithium ion batteries (LIBs) by increasing the lithium transference number (tLi+) and avoiding the growth of lithium dendrites. Meanwhile, the self-assembled ordered structure of liquid crystal polymer networks (LCNs) can provide specific channels for the ordered transport of Li ions. Herein, single-ion conductive nematic and cholesteric LCN electrolyte membranes (denoted as NLCN-Li and CLCN-Li) were successfully prepared. NLCN-Li was then coated on commercial Celgard 2325 while CLCN-Li was coated on poly(vinylidene fluoride-hexafluoropropylene) film, coupled with plasticizer, to make NLCN-Li/Cel and CLCN-Li/Pv quasi-solid-state electrolyte membranes, respectively. Their electrochemical properties were evaluated, and it was found that they possessed benign thermal stability and electrolyte/electrode compatibility, high tLi+ up to 0.98 and high electrochemical stability window up to 5.2 V. A small amount (0.5M) of extra Li salt added to the plasticizer could improve the ion conductivity from 1.79 × 10-5 to 5.04 × 10-4 S cm-1, while the tLi+ remained 0.85. The assembled LFP|Li batteries also exhibited excellent cycling and rate performances. The orderliness of the LCN layer played an important role in the distribution and movement of Li ions, thereby affecting the Li deposition and growth of Li dendrites. As the first report of nematic and cholesteric LCN single-ion conductors, this work sheds light on the design and fabrication of ordered quasi-solid-state electrolytes for high-performance and safe LIBs.

Stabilization of polyacrylonitrile-based fiber with a quasi-traveling microwave applicator.

This study introduces a novel microwave applicator and optimized processing conditions to enhance the stability of Polyacrylonitrile (PAN)-based precursor fiber (PF). The innovative microwave applicator facilitates the propagation of the electromagnetic (EM) field akin to a quasi-traveling wave, thus circumventing standing wave nodes. This ensures a uniform thermal distribution and broadens the heating zone. Utilizing this applicator, the PF undergoes thermal stabilization in a streamlined two-step process, completing in just 13 min, a significant improvement over the conventional 90-min process. This not only saves manufacturing time, promoting energy efficient manufacturing but also aligns with the global trend towards green energy and lightweight carbon fiber-reinforced polymer matrix composites, potentially catalyzing rapid economic growth. Fiber characterization through Raman spectroscopy (RS), X-ray diffraction (XRD), differential scanning calorimetry (DSC), and complex permittivity measurements reveals that the microwave-processed fiber meets the standard of commercial stabilization fiber (SF).

The cold temperature associated with new-onset heart failure after incorporating dynamic status of multimorbidity: nationwide cohort, Taiwan 2012-2019.

AIMS: Cold temperatures are known to affect heart failure (HF) hospitalizations, but the dynamic status of multi-morbidity of HF was rarely incorporated. We investigated the relationship between temperature and new-onset HF by risk strata. METHODS AND RESULTS: This nationwide cohort study analysed daily data on ambient temperature, the dynamic status of risk factors (age, diabetes, chronic obstructive pulmonary disease, coronary artery disease, chronic kidney disease, hypertension, myocardial infarction, and atrial fibrillation), and new-onset HF among the Taiwan population from 2012 to 2019. Poisson regression, Austin's algorithm, and classification and regression tree (CART) were used to determine risk strata and obtain the predicted HF rate. 148 708 patients developed new-onset HF over 152.52 million person-years. Three risk strata for HF were identified: Stratum 1 was predominantly those without any comorbidity (89.9%); Stratum 2 was those aged 60-69 with 2-3 comorbidities or aged 70+ with 1-2 comorbidities (9.0%), and Stratum 3 was those aged 70+ and had four or more comorbidity (1.1%). The HF incidence rates for these three strata were 25.54, 555.27, and 2315.52 per 100 000 person-years, respectively. The R2 of the Poisson regression with the three risk strata and the daily minimum temperature on the ln HF incidence rates was 77.99%. The risk of HF increased as temperatures decreased, and the slopes were 1.032, 1.040, and 1.034 for Strata 1-3, respectively. The rate ratios of HF at the winter median temperature of 17°C vs. the summer median temperature of 29°C were 1.45, 1.58, and 1.49 for Strata 1-3, respectively. Cross-validation reveals a good fit and predicted HF rates by ambient temperature for the three strata were provided. CONCLUSION: Cold temperatures are associated with an increased risk of new-onset HF. Stratum 2 (aged 60-69 with 2-3 comorbidities or aged 70+ with 1-2 comorbidities) are particularly susceptible to cold-related new-onset HF.

Cold temperatures are known to affect heart failure (HF) hospitalizations, but the dynamic status of multi-morbidity of HF was rarely incorporated. Three risk strata for HF were determined for the Taiwan population from 2012 to 2019: Stratum 1 was predominantly young or without comorbidities (89.9%); Stratum 2 was those aged 60­69 with 2­3 comorbidities or aged 70+ with 1­2 comorbidities (9.0%), and Stratum 3 was those aged 70+ and had four or more risk factors (1.1%). The HF incidence rates for these three strata were 25.54, 555.27, and 2315.52 per 100 000 person-years, respectively. The rate ratios of HF at the winter median temperature of 17°C vs. the summer median temperature of 29°C were 1.45, 1.58, and 1.49 for Strata 1­3, respectively. Other than cold temperatures are associated with an increased risk of new-onset HF, Stratum 2 (those aged 60­69 with 2­3 comorbidities or aged 70+ with 1­2 comorbidities) are particularly susceptible to cold-related new-onset HF. Predicted HF rates by ambient temperature for the three strata were provided so that individuals can find their predicted HF rate based on the risk score and the current temperature and, therefore, be amenable to primary preventive efforts.

[Behavioral treatment of functional anejaculation and factors influencing the therapeutic effect].

OBJECTIVE: To study the effect of a modified behavioral treatment (MBT) on functional anejaculation and analyze the factors influencing the therapeutic efficacy. METHODS: We enrolled in this study 59 men aged 24－45 years visiting the Andrology Clinic of Shanghai First Maternity and Infant Hospital from August 2019 to May 2021 and complaining of aejaculation in sexual intercourse but normally ejaculating during masturbation. Thirty-nine of the patients underwent conventional behavioral treatment (the CBT group) and the other 20 received MBT, namely, changing the masturbation method combined with audiovisual stimulation during sexual intercourse (the MBT group). We compared the therapeutic effects between the two groups of patients, and analyzed the correlation of the outcomes of MBT with age, abstinence duration, use of audiovisual stimulation, change of the sexual position, mean bilateral testis volume and sex hormone levels. RESULTS: After treatment, 22 (37.29%) of the patients achieved successful ejaculation at least once in sexual intercourse, 11 (55.00%) in the MBT group, and the other 11 (28.21) in the CBT group, with a significantly higher effectiveness rate in the former than in the latter (P<0.05). The effectiveness rate was significantly correlated to the method of standing-position masturbation plus sexual intercourse and reduction in the frequency of masturbation among various strategies of behavioral treatment (P<0.05). CONCLUSION: MBT has a certain effect on functional anejaculation, and targeting the previous events of the patient is the key to the therapeutic efficacy. Further exploration of more effective strategies of behavioral treatment will become the trend of development in the management of functional anejaculation.

Sodium butyrate improves renal injury in diabetic nephropathy through AMPK/SIRT1/PGC-1α signaling pathway.

Diabetic nephropathy (DN) is a prototypical chronic energy metabolism imbalance disease. The AMPK/Sirt1/PGC-1α signaling pathway plays a pivotal role in regulating energy metabolism throughout the body. Gut microbiota ferment indigestible carbohydrates to produce a variety of metabolites, particularly short-chain fatty acids (SCFAs), which exert positive effects on energy metabolism. However, the potential for SCFAs to ameliorate DN-associated renal injury via the AMPK/Sirt1/PGC-1α pathway remains a matter of debate. In this study, we investigated the effects of sodium butyrate (NaB), a SCFA, on energy metabolism in mice with spontaneous DN at two different doses. Body weight, blood glucose and lipid levels, urinary protein excretion, liver and kidney function, interleukin-6 (IL-6) levels, and the expressions of AMPK, phosphorylated AMPK (p-AMPK), mitofusin 2 (MFN2), optic atrophy 1 (OPA1), and glucagon-like peptide-1 receptor (GLP-1R) were monitored in mice. Additionally, butyrate levels, gut microbiota composition, and diversity in colonic stool were also assessed. Our findings demonstrate that exogenous NaB supplementation can improve hyperglycemia and albuminuria, reduce renal tissue inflammation, inhibit extracellular matrix accumulation and glomerular hypertrophy, and could alter the gut microbiota composition in DN. Furthermore, NaB was found to upregulate the expressions of MFN2, OPA1, p-AMPK, and GLP-1R in DN renal tissue. These results suggest that NaB could improve the composition of gut microbiota in DN, activate the AMPK/Sirt1/PGC-1α signaling pathway, and enhance mitochondrial function to regulate energy metabolism throughout the body. Collectively, our findings indicate that NaB may be a novel therapeutic agent for the treatment of DN.

Thai national guideline for nuclear medicine investigation in movement disorders: Nuclear medicine society of Thailand, the neurological society of Thailand, and Thai medical physicist society collaboration.

Movement disorders are chronic neurological syndromes with both treatable and non-treatable causes. The top causes of movement disorders are Parkinson's disease and related disorders. Functional imaging investigations with Single Photon Emission Computed Tomography (SPECT) and Positron Emission Tomography (PET) images play vital roles in diagnosis and differential diagnosis to guide disease management. Since there have been new advanced imaging technologies and radiopharmaceuticals development, there is a need for up-to-date consensus guidelines. Thus, the Nuclear Medicine Society of Thailand, the Neurological Society of Thailand, and the Thai Medical Physicist Society collaborated to establish the guideline for Nuclear Medicine investigations in movement disorder for practical use in patient care. We have extensively reviewed the current practice guidelines from other related societies and good quality papers as well as our own experience in Nuclear Medicine practice in movement disorders. We also adjust for the most suitability for application in Thailand and other developing countries.

Triterpenoid and trichothecenes from a rhizospheric soil-derived Paramyrothecium sp. KMU22107.

A new phthalide derivative named paramlyktone (1) and a new arborinane-type triterpenoid named paramyrpenoid (2), together with ten previously described trichothecenes derivatives (3-12) were isolated and identified from a rhizospheric soil-derived Paramyrothecium sp. KMU22107 associated with Delphinium yunnanense. Their structural elucidation was achieved by the comprehensive analysis of spectroscopic data and comparison with literature values. Notably, paramyrpenoid (2) was the first example of an arborinane-type triterpenoid with a double bond at Δ12(13) and an additional methyl motif at C-8. This was the first report of arborinane-type triterpenoids from a fungus belonging to Paramyrothecium genus. In pharmacological studies, paramyrpenoid (2) demonstrated significant cytotoxic activity against the HL-60, SW480, A-549, MDA-MB-231 and SMMC-7721 cell lines, with IC50 values from 2.0 to 16.1 µM. Compounds 1 and 2 were also evaluated for anti-inflammatory, anti-acetylcholinesterase (AChE), and protein tyrosine phosphatase 1B (PTP1B) inhibitory activities in vitro.

Amelanotic primary cervical malignant melanoma: A case report and review of literature.

BACKGROUND: Primary malignant melanoma of the cervix (PMMC) is an extremely rare disease that originates from primary cervical malignant melanoma and frequently represents a challenge in disease diagnosis due to unclarified clinical and histological presentations, particularly those without melanin. CASE SUMMARY: Here, we report a case of amelanotic PMMC, with a history of breast cancer and thyroid carcinoma. The patient was finally diagnosed by immunohistochemical staining and staged as IB2 based on the International Federation of Gynecology and Obstetrics with reference to National Comprehensive Cancer Network guidelines and was treated with radical hysterectomy, bilateral salpingo-oophorectomy and pelvic lymphadenectomy. She then received combination therapy consisting of immunotherapy with tislelizumab and radiofrequency hyperthermia. She has remained free of disease for more than 1 year. CONCLUSION: The differential diagnosis process reenforced the notion that immunohistochemical staining is the most reliable approach for amelanotic PMMC diagnosis. Due to the lack of established therapeutic guidelines, empirical information from limited available studies does not provide the rationale for treatment-decision making. By integrating 'omics' technologies and patient-derived xenografts or mini-patient-derived xenograft models this will help to identify selective therapeutic window(s) and screen the appropriate therapeutics for targeted therapies, immune checkpoint blockade or combination therapy strategies effectively and precisely that will ultimately improve patient survival.

Sarcopenia and survival in colorectal cancer without distant metastasis: a systematic review and meta-analysis.

BACKGROUND AND AIM: Despite prior attempts to evaluate the effects of sarcopenia on survival among patients with colorectal cancer (CRC), the results of these studies have not been consistent. The present study aimed to evaluate the association between sarcopenia and survival among patients having CRC without distant metastasis by aggregating multiple studies. METHODS: We performed a literature search using computerized databases and identified additional studies from among the bibliographies of retrieved articles. The quality of each study was evaluated using the Newcastle-Ottawa Scale, and meta-analyses were performed to evaluate overall survival (OS) and disease-free survival (DFS). RESULTS: Thirteen studies with up to 6600 participants were included in the meta-analyses, with a mean age of 63.6 years (range: 18-93 years). We found that preoperative sarcopenia was associated with worse OS (hazard ratio [HR]: 1.61; 95% confidence interval [CI]: 1.38-1.88) and worse DFS (HR: 1.57; 95% CI: 1.10-2.24). Compared with patients without sarcopenia after tumor resection, those with postoperative sarcopenia had worse OS (HR: 1.76; 95% CI: 1.47-2.10) and DFS (HR: 1.79; 95% CI: 1.46-2.20). CONCLUSION: These meta-analyses suggest that sarcopenia, no matter observed before or after tumor resection, is associated with worse OS and DFS in patients with CRC who have no distant metastasis.