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Simple Summary: This review paper deals with incidentally found focal liver lesions (IFLLs) in otherwise healthy subjects, which is a frequent occurrence in daily practice. The clinical presentation and the imaging aspects play an important role in deciding whether and what further evaluation is required. In low-risk patients (i.e., those without a history of malignant or chronic liver disease or related symptoms, younger than 40 years old), more than 95% of IFLLs are benign. Shear Wave liver Elastography of the surrounding liver parenchyma should be considered to exclude liver cirrhosis and for further risk stratification. If an IFLL in a low-risk patient has a typical appearance on a B-mode ultrasound of a benign lesion, no further imaging is needed. Contrast-Enhanced Ultrasound (CEUS) should be considered as the first-line contrast imaging modality to differentiate benign from malignant IFLLs. In high-risk patients (i.e., with chronic liver disease or an oncological history), each IFLL should initially be considered as potentially malignant, and every effort should be made to confirm or exclude malignancy. An incidental focal liver lesion (IFLL) is defined as a hepatic lesion identified in a patient imaged for an unrelated reason. They are frequently encountered in daily practice, sometimes leading to unnecessary, invasive and potentially harmful follow-up investigations. The clinical presentation and the imaging aspects play an important role in deciding if, and what further evaluation, is needed. In low-risk patients (i.e., without a history of malignant or chronic liver disease or related symptoms), especially in those younger than 40 years old, more than 95% of IFLLs are likely benign. Shear Wave liver Elastography (SWE) of the surrounding liver parenchyma should be considered to exclude liver cirrhosis and for further risk stratification. If an IFLL in a low-risk patient has a typical appearance on B-mode ultrasound of a benign lesion (e.g., simple cyst, calcification, focal fatty change, typical hemangioma), no further imaging is needed. Contrast-Enhanced Ultrasound (CEUS) should be considered as the first-line contrast imaging modality to differentiate benign from malignant IFLLs, since it has a similar accuracy to contrast-enhanced (CE)-MRI. On CEUS, hypoenhancement of a lesion in the late vascular phase is characteristic for malignancy. CE-CT should be avoided for characterizing probable benign FLL and reserved for staging once a lesion is proven malignant. In high-risk patients (i.e., with chronic liver disease or an oncological history), each IFLL should initially be considered as potentially malignant, and every effort should be made to confirm or exclude malignancy. US-guided biopsy should be considered in those with unresectable malignant lesions, particularly if the diagnosis remains unclear, or when a specific tissue diagnosis is needed. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Despite numerous studies on microplastics, the biological impacts of polypropylene microplastics (PP-MPs) and its toxicity on freshwater fish have yet to be fully revealed. The purpose of this research was to look at the potentially harmful effects of PP-MPs in freshwater African catfish Clarias gariepinus and bioremediation using Spirulina. After acclimatization to laboratory conditions, 108 fish (125 ± 3 gm and 27 ± 2 cm) were assigned into triplicate six experimental groups (12 fish/group), a control group, Spirulina group (SP), PP-MP-treated groups (0.14 and 0.28 mg/l PP-MPs), and PP-MP + Spirulina-treated groups (0.14 mg/l PP-MPs + 200 mg/L SP and 0.28 mg/l PP-MPs +200 mg/L SP) for 15-day exposure and 45-day recovery after that. The hematological parameters exhibiting significance (RBCs, Hct, Hb, and MCV) or non-significance (MCH and MCHC) either decreased with the increase in PP-MP doses from 0.0 in the control to 0.28 mg/L red blood cells (RBCs), hematocrit (Hct), mean corpuscular hemoglobin (MCH), mean corpuscular hemoglobin concentration (MCHC), hemoglobin (Hb) and platelets or increased with such an increase in doses (mean corpuscular volume (MCV)). The liver enzyme activity, aspartate aminotransferase (AST), alkaline phosphatase (ALP), and alanine aminotransferase (ALT) exhibited non-significant (p ≥ 0.05) or significant (p < 0.05) increases in (0.14 and 0.28 mg/L) PP-MP-exposed groups, respectively, except ALP. Furthermore, there was a significant (p < 0.05) or non-significant (p ≥ 0.05) increase in 0.14 and 0.28 mg/l PP-MP +200 mg/L-exposure groups, respectively, compared to the control group and the same exposure group without Spirulina. In comparison to the control group, PP-MPs (0.14 and 0.28 mg/L) induced a significant (p < 0.05) increase in the percentage of poikilocytosis and nuclear abnormalities of RBCs. The liver tissue from fish exposed to PP-MPs exhibited varying degrees of pathological changes. These results indicated that these pathological changes increased with PP-MP concentration, suggesting that the effect of PP-MPs was dose-dependent. After 45 days of recovery under normal conditions, it was obvious that there was a significant improvement in the percentage of poikilocytosis and nuclear abnormalities of RBCs, as well as a non-significant improvement in hematobiochemical parameters and liver tissue. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Simple Summary: Radiation therapy is becoming increasingly important in the treatment of liver and pancreatic tumors, particularly in situations where high doses of radiation can be delivered safely. However, there are several challenges to treating tumors in the abdomen, including poor visibility of the tumor and movements due to breathing and digestion. The typical imaging available at the time of treatment makes it difficult to see both the tumor and nearby portions of the digestive tract, which is particularly sensitive to radiation damage. This paper describes the workflow involved when using high-quality computed tomography imaging at the time of treatment, to ensure that the tumor is accurately targeted and normal tissues are avoided. This study shows that by using these images and the planned dose distribution, the dose to normal structures can be maintained below specified targets. With this technology and workflow, more patients can benefit from high-dose radiation treatment to the liver and pancreas. Background/Objectives: Stereotactic body radiation therapy (SBRT) for abdominal targets faces a variety of challenges, including motion caused by the respiration and digestion and a relatively poor level of contrast between the tumor and the surrounding tissues. Breath-hold treatments with computed tomography-on-rails (CTOR) image guidance is one way of addressing these challenges, allowing for both the tumor and normal tissues to be well-visualized. Using isodose lines (IDLs) from CT simulations as a guide, the anatomical information can be used to shift the alignment or trigger a replan, such that normal tissues receive acceptable doses of radiation. Methods: This study aims to describe the workflow involved when using CTOR for pancreas and liver SBRT and demonstrates its effectiveness through several case studies. Results: In these case studies, using the anatomical information gained through diagnostic-quality CT guidance to make slight adjustments to the alignment, resulted in reductions in the maximum dose to the stomach. Conclusions: High-quality imaging, such as CTOR, and the use of IDLs to estimate the doses to OARs, enable the safe delivery of SBRT, without the added complexity and resource commitment required by daily online adaptive planning. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Simple Summary: In liver surgery, the complex and individualized nature of liver vascular anatomy makes planning and execution challenging. Traditional 2D intraoperative ultrasonography (IOUS) often suffers from interpretability issues due to noise and artifacts. This paper introduces an AI-based model, the "2D-weighted U-Net model," designed to enhance real-time IOUS navigation by accurately segmenting key blood vessels, including the inferior vena cava, hepatic veins, portal vein, and its major branches. Our deep learning model demonstrated high performance, with Dice scores ranging from 0.84 to 0.96 across different vessels. This advancement promises improved precision in liver resection procedures and sets the stage for future development of real-time multi-label segmentation for broader liver vasculature. Background/Objectives: In the field of surgical medicine, the planning and execution of liver resection procedures present formidable challenges, primarily attributable to the intricate and highly individualized nature of liver vascular anatomy. In the current surgical milieu, intraoperative ultrasonography (IOUS) has become indispensable; however, traditional 2D ultrasound imaging's interpretability is hindered by noise and speckle artifacts. Accurate identification of critical structures for preservation during hepatectomy requires advanced surgical skills. Methods: An AI-based model that can help detect and recognize vessels including the inferior vena cava (IVC); the right (RHV), middle (MHV), and left (LVH) hepatic veins; the portal vein (PV) and its major first and second order branches the left portal vein (LPV), right portal vein (RPV), and right anterior (RAPV) and posterior (RPPV) portal veins, for real-time IOUS navigation can be of immense value in liver surgery. This research aims to advance the capabilities of IOUS-guided interventions by applying an innovative AI-based approach named the "2D-weigthed U-Net model" for the segmentation of multiple blood vessels in real-time IOUS video frames. Results: Our proposed deep learning (DL) model achieved a mean Dice score of 0.92 for IVC, 0.90 for RHV, 0.89 for MHV, 0.86 for LHV, 0.95 for PV, 0.93 for LPV, 0.84 for RPV, 0.85 for RAPV, and 0.96 for RPPV. Conclusion: In the future, this research will be extended for real-time multi-label segmentation of extended vasculature in the liver, followed by the translation of our model into the surgical suite. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The COVID-19 pandemic brought into prominence several emergent medical and surgical entities, but, also, it served as trigger and contributor for numerous apparently unrelated ailments such as arterial and venous thromboembolic complications. Additional risk factors for these thrombotic traits may be concurrent (known or unknown) malignancies, including at hepatic level. Among these, cholangiocarcinoma (CCA), a rare cancer of intra- and extra-hepatic biliary ducts, represents a very aggressive condition that typically associates local and distant advanced stages on first presentation requiring a prompt diagnosis and a stratified management. This neoplasia has been reported to present a large spectrum of paraneoplastic syndromes in terms of dermatologic, renal, systemic, neurologic, endocrine, and cardiovascular settings, that, overall, are exceptional in their epidemiologic impact when compared to other cancers. Our aim was to introduce a most unusual case of CCA-associated distant thrombosis in a male adult who initially was considered to experience COVID-19-related thrombotic features while having a history of obesity and bariatric surgery. This is a hybrid type of paper: this clinical vignette is accompanied by two distinct sample-focused analyses as a basis for discussion; they each had different methods depending on their current level of statistical evidence. We only included English-published articles in PubMed, as follows: Firstly, we conducted a search of reports similar to the present case, regarding distant vein thrombosis in CCA, from inception until the present time. We performed a literature search using the keywords "cholangiocarcinoma", "thrombosis", and "Trousseau's syndrome" and identified 20 cases across 19 original papers; hence, the current level of evidence remains very low Secondly, we searched for the highest level of statistical evidence concerning the diagnosis of venous thrombosis/thromboembolism in patients who underwent COVID-19 infection (key search terms were "COVID-19", alternatively, "coronavirus", and "SARS-CoV-2", and "thrombosis", alternatively, "thromboembolism") and included the most recent systematic reviews and meta-analyses that were published in 2024 (from 1 January 2024 until 8 July 2024). After excluding data on vaccination against coronavirus or long COVID-19 syndrome, we identified six such articles. To conclude, we presented a probably unique case of malignancy with an initial manifestation consisting of recurrent superficial vein thrombosis under anticoagulation therapy, with no gastrointestinal manifestations, in a patient with a notable history for multiple episodes of SARS-CoV-2 infection and a prior endocrine (gastric) surgery. To our knowledge, this is the first identification of a CCA under these specific circumstances. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The prevalence of nonalcoholic fatty liver disease (NAFLD) is likely to be approaching 38% of the world's population. It is predicted to become worse and is the main cause of morbidity and mortality due to hepatic pathologies. It is particularly worrying that NAFLD is increasingly diagnosed in children and is closely related, among other conditions, to insulin resistance and metabolic syndrome. Against this background is the concern that the awareness of patients with NAFLD is low; in one study, almost 96% of adult patients with NAFLD in the USA were not aware of their disease. Thus, studies on the therapeutic tools used to treat NAFLD are extremely important. One promising treatment is a well-formulated ketogenic diet (KD). The aim of this paper is to present a review of the available publications and the current state of knowledge of the effect of the KD on NAFLD. This paper includes characteristics of the key factors (from the point of view of NAFLD regression), on which ketogenic diet exerts its effects, i.e., reduction in insulin resistance and body weight, elimination of fructose and monosaccharides, limitation of the total carbohydrate intake, anti-inflammatory ketosis state, or modulation of gut microbiome and metabolome. In the context of the evidence for the effectiveness of the KD in the regression of NAFLD, this paper also suggests the important role of taking responsibility for one's own health through increasing self-monitoring and self-education. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: Reference intervals, which define an interval in which a specific proportion of measurements from a healthy population are expected to fall, are commonly used in medical practice. Synthesizing information from multiple studies through meta-analysis can provide a more precise and representative reference interval than one derived from a single study. However, the current approaches for estimating the reference interval from a meta-analysis mainly rely on aggregate data and require parametric distributional assumptions that cannot always be checked. Methods: With the availability of individual participant data (IPD), non-parametric methods can be used to estimate reference intervals without any distributional assumptions. Furthermore, patient-level covariates can be introduced to estimate personalized reference intervals that may be more applicable to specific patients. This paper introduces quantile regression as a method to estimate the reference interval from an IPD meta-analysis under the fixed effects model. Results: We compared several non-parametric bootstrap methods through simulation studies to account for within-study correlation. Under fixed effects model, we recommend keeping the studies fixed and only randomly sampling subjects with replacement within each study. Conclusion: We proposed to use the quantile regression in the IPD meta-analysis to estimate the reference interval. Based on the simulation results, we identify an optimal bootstrap strategy for estimating the uncertainty of the estimated reference interval. An example of liver stiffness measurements, a clinically important diagnostic test without explicitly established reference range in children, is provided to demonstrate the use of quantile regression in estimating both overall and subject-specific reference intervals. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Advances in various imaging modalities for breast lesions have improved diagnostic capabilities not only for tumors but also for non-tumorous lesions. Contrast-enhanced ultrasound (CEUS) plays a crucial role not only in the differential diagnosis of breast lesions, identification of sentinel lymph nodes, and diagnosis of lymph node metastasis but also in assessing the therapeutic effects of neoadjuvant chemotherapy (NAC). In CEUS, two image interpretation approaches, i.e., qualitative analysis and quantitative analysis, are employed and applied in various clinical settings. In this paper, we review CEUS for breast lesions, including its various applications. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Liver ultrasound is widely used in clinical practice due to its advantages of non-invasiveness, non-radiation, and real-time imaging. Accurate segmentation of the liver region in ultrasound images is essential for accelerating the auxiliary diagnosis of liver-related diseases. This paper proposes BACANet, a deep learning algorithm designed for real-time liver ultrasound segmentation. Our approach utilizes a lightweight network backbone for liver feature extraction and incorporates a convolutional attention mechanism to enhance the network's ability to capture global contextual information. To improve early localization of liver boundaries, we developed a selective large kernel convolution module for boundary feature extraction and introduced explicit liver boundary supervision. Additionally, we designed an enhanced attention gate to efficiently convey liver body and boundary features to the decoder to enhance the feature representation capability. Experimental results across multiple datasets demonstrate that BACANet effectively completes the task of liver ultrasound segmentation, achieving a balance between inference speed and segmentation accuracy. On a public dataset, BACANet achieved a DSC of 0.921 and an IOU of 0.854. On a private test dataset, BACANet achieved a DSC of 0.950 and an IOU of 0.907, with an inference time of approximately 0.32 s per image on a CPU processor. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Biophysical models can predict the behavior of cell cultures including 3D cell aggregates (3DCAs), thereby reducing the need for costly and time-consuming experiments. Specifically, mass transfer models enable studying the transport of nutrients, oxygen, signaling molecules, and drugs in 3DCA. These models require the defining of boundary conditions (BC) between the 3DCA and surrounding medium. However, accurately modeling the BC that relates the inner and outer boundary concentrations at the border between the 3DCA and the medium remains a challenge that this paper addresses using both theoretical and experimental methods. The provided biophysical analysis indicates that the concentration of molecules inside boundary is higher than that at the outer boundary, revealing an amplification factor that is confirmed by a particle-based simulator (PBS). Due to the amplification factor, the PBS confirms that when a 3DCA with a low concentration of target molecules is introduced to a culture medium with a higher concentration, the molecule concentration in the medium rapidly decreases. The theoretical model and PBS simulations were used to design a pilot experiment with liver spheroids as the 3DCA and glucose as the target molecule. Experimental results agree with the proposed theory and derived properties. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The modeling of fibrotic effects on fluid flow and metabolism in the liver can be computationally challenging. This paper combines innovative concepts based on fundamental physics to address such issues at the level of the liver functional unit, the lobule, and upscales and extends this to a multi-lobule tissue scale analysis. Fibrosis effects on fluid flow and metabolism are introduced using percolation theory and its consequences are explored for single lobule and multi-lobule patterns, without and with distortion. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: A few months after the COVID-19 pandemic onset, knowledge of SARS-CoV-2 infection and outcomes and treatments blew up. This paper aimed to evaluate the features of a Tuscany COVID-19 hospitalized cohort and to identify risk factors for COVID-19 severity. Methods: This retrospective observational COVID-19 cohort study (1 March 2020–1 March 2021) was conducted on patients ≥ 18 years old, admitted to Tuscany Hospital, and subjected to follow-up within 12 months after discharge. Patients were enrolled at Pisana, Senese and Careggi University Hospitals, and South East, North West, and Center Local Hospitals. Results: 2888 patients (M = 58.5%, mean age = 66.2 years) were enrolled, of whom 14.3% (N = 413) were admitted to an intensive care unit. Smokers were 25%, and overweight and obese 65%. The most used drugs were corticosteroids, antacids, antibiotics, and antithrombotics, all antiviral drugs, with slight differences between 2020 and 2021. A strong association was found between outcomes of evolution towards critical COVID-19 (non-invasive mechanical ventilation (NIV) and/or admission to intensive care) and smoking (RR = 4.91), ex-smoking (RR = 3.48), overweight (RR = 1.30), obese subjects (RR = 1.62), comorbidities (aRR = 1.38). The alteration of liver enzymes (aspartate aminotransferase, alanine aminotransferase, or gamma-glutamyl transpeptidase) was associated with NIV (aOR = 2.28). Conclusions: Our cohort, characterized by patients with a mean age of 66.2 years, showed 65% of patients were overweight and obese. Smoking/ex-smoking, overweight/obesity, and other comorbidities were associated with COVID-19 adverse outcomes. The findings also demonstrated that alterations in liver enzymes were associated with worse outcomes. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Simple Summary: This manuscript systematically reviewed the literature on the use of vascular shunts during advanced pancreatic surgery, analyzing intraoperative and postoperative outcomes, and enlightening excellent long-term patency, negligible additional operative time, and acceptable postoperative morbidity. The importance of the study was to underline feasibility of this technical artifice, which may help expert surgeons to achieve clear margins in borderline or locally advanced PDAC. Background: The rising diffusion of vascular resections during complex pancreatectomy for malignancy, for both oncological and technical matters, brought with it the use of vascular shunts, either temporary or definitive, to prevent bowel congestion and liver ischemia. This study aimed to systematically review the literature on the technical feasibility of vascular shunts during advanced pancreatic surgery, analyzing intraoperative and postoperative outcomes. Methods: A systematic literature search was performed on PubMed, Scopus, Web of Science, and the Cochrane Library Central, according to PRISMA guidelines. Studies published before 2006 were excluded, considering the lack of a standardized definition of locally advanced pancreatic cancer. The main outcomes evaluated were the overall complication rate and shunt patency. Results: Among 789 papers retrieved from the database search, only five fulfilled the inclusion criteria and were included in the review, amounting to a total of 145 patients undergoing a shunt creation at the time of pancreatectomy. Pancreatic adenocarcinoma (PDAC) was found to be the most common diagnosis and pancreaticoduodenectomy was the main surgical procedure, accounting for 88% and 83% of the overall cohort, respectively. The distal splenorenal shunt was the most performed. Overall, 44 out of 145 patients (30%) experienced postoperative complications; the long-term patency of definitive shunts was 83% (110 out of 120 patients). Conclusions: An increasing number of patients with borderline resectable or locally advanced PDAC are becoming amenable to resection and shunt creation may facilitate vascular resection with clear margins, becoming a valid tool of modern pancreatic surgery. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: No effective drugs currently exist to cure Alzheimer's disease (AD) due to its complexity and the lack of understanding of the involved molecular signaling and pathways. The relationship between liver health and AD is now widely recognized. Still, molecular links and shared pathways between the liver and brain remain unclear, making the liver-brain axis in AD therapies a new area for exploration. However, bibliometric studies on this topic are lacking. Objective: This study aims to review the liver-brain axis in AD and identify future research hotspots and trends through bibliometric analysis. Methods: Articles and reviews related to AD and liver and its related diseases were searched in the Web of Science Core Collection (WoSCC) database up to 2024. Data were processed and visually analyzed using VOSviewer, CiteSpace, and Pajek. Results: We collected 1,777 articles on AD and liver and its related diseases from 2,517 institutions across 80 countries. Keyword cluster analysis identified 11 clusters, with 'insulin resistance,' 'amyloid-beta,' 'apolipoprotein-E,' 'oxidative stress,' and 'inflammation' appearing most frequently, and exhibiting strong total link strength. These results indicate that these topics have been the primary focus of research on the liver-brain axis in AD. Conclusions: This study is the first to comprehensively analyze the liver-brain axis in AD using bibliometric methods. The research results identify recent research frontiers and hotspots, aiding scholars in gaining a deeper understanding of the correlation between AD and the liver. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Cell junctions, including anchoring, occluding and communicating junctions, play an indispensable role in the structural and functional organization of multicellular tissues, including in liver. Specifically, hepatic cell junctions mediate intercellular adhesion and communication between liver cells. The establishment of the hepatic cell junction network is a prerequisite for normal liver functioning. Hepatic cell junctions indeed support liver‐specific features and control essential aspects of the hepatic life cycle. This review paper summarizes the role of cell junctions and their components in relation to liver physiology, thereby also discussing their involvement in hepatic dysfunctionality, including liver disease and toxicity. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Rhubarb, the Rhei radix et rhizoma (Da huang) is a member of the Polygonaceae family, included in the 2020 edition of the Chinese Pharmacopoeia, and is mainly distributed in Gansu, Sichuan, Qinghai, northwestern Yunnan, and eastern Tibet. Rhei radix et rhizoma is one of the most commonly used traditional Chinese medicines, processed into drinkable tablets in different concoctions for clinical use. Phytochemical studies showed that more than 170 compounds were isolated and identified from Rhei radix et rhizoma, including anthraquinones/anthrones (major constituents), stilbenes, chromones, flavonoids, tannins, and other compounds, etc. Rhei radix et rhizoma is an herb with a long history of traditional use and many potential therapeutic benefits. It can play the role of diarrhea, clearing heat in response to different combinations and concoctions. It is mainly used for the treatment of constipation, gastrointestinal function impairment, and other diseases. In addition, Rhei radix et rhizoma has significant antitumor, anti-inflammatory, antibacterial, hepato-renal protective, neuroprotective, hypolipidemic, and immunomodulatory activities. Its active constituents have anti-tumor, anti-inflammatory, anti-inflammatory and hepato-kidney protective properties. Although it is primarily used for gastrointestinal disorders, it may also have wider applications in various inflammatory and liver disorders. Therefore, further studies are needed to explore its full potential and mechanism of action. This paper reviews the research progress of Rhei radix et rhizoma in terms of botany, traditional use, chemistry, pharmacology, and clinical studies. It aims to provide a scientific basis for in-depth research and development of Rhei radix et rhizome resources. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The histopathological changes in the liver and kidney of Rasbora daniconius have been investigated after exposed to sublethal concentration of paper mill effluent. The result of acute toxicity shows that the paper mill effluent was highly toxic. The fish, Rasbora daniconius were exposed two sub-lethal concentrations of paper mill effluent [1.9% (1/5) and 0.95 % (1/10) LC50 of 96hr] for 30 days to study the impacts on the histology of liver and kidney. Histopathological examination reveled, swollen hepatocytes, nuclear hypertrophy, rupture sinusoids, hemorrhages, vacuolation in hepatic cells and broken central vein in liver. Kidney showed hypertrophy of hematopoietic tissues, cell necrosis, blocked glomerules with full of blood stain, dilated renal tubules with pyknotic nuclei and tubular necrosis. Histopathological changes were dose dependent. The results of histopathological changes in liver and kidney of Rasbora daniconius shows that, fish were under high stress during exposure to sublethal concentration of paper mill effluent. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Acute-on-chronic liver failure (ACLF) is a group of clinical syndromes related to severe acute liver function damage and multiple organ failure caused by various acute inducing factors on the basis of chronic liver disease. Due to its serious condition, rapid progression and high mortality, it has attracted more and more attention. Recent studies have shown that the pathogenesis of ACLF mainly includes direct injury and immune injury. As the main immune cells in the liver, the immunoregulatory role of liver macrophages in ACLF has been increasingly recognized. Liver macrophages have excellent phenotype conversion function and plasticity characteristics under the influence of epigenetic reprogramming or local microenvironment. This adaptive expression ability can use key mediators to promote the early conversion of anti-inflammatory phenotype to alleviate liver injury. A large number of studies have shown that liver macrophages have a certain potential in reversing the process of ACLF. Therefore, from the perspective of the plasticity characteristics of liver macrophages, this paper expounds the role of liver macrophages in ACLF and the research on the intervention of ACLF disease process, and summarizes its potential significance in the treatment of ACLF. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Purpose: Hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) is one of the most common types of liver cancer that could potentially be surrounded by healthy arteries or veins that a surgeon would have to avoid during treatment. A realistic 3D liver model is an unmet need for HCC preoperative planning. Methods: This paper presents a method to create a soft phantom model of the human liver with the help of a 3D-printed mold, silicone, ballistic gel, and a blender. Results: For silicone, the elastic modulus of seven different ratios of base silicone and silicone hardener are tested; while for ballistic gel, a model using 20% gelatin and 10% gelatin is created for the tumor and the rest of the liver, respectively. It is found that the silicone modulus of elasticity matches with the real liver modulus of elasticity. It is also found that the 10% gelatin part of the ballistic gel model is an excellent emulation of a healthy human liver. Conclusion: The 3D flexible liver phantom made from a 10% gelatin-to-water mixture demonstrates decent fidelity to real liver tissue in terms of texture and elasticity. It holds significant potential for improving medical training, preoperative planning, and surgical research. We believe that continued development and validation of such models could further enhance their utility and impact in the field of hepatobiliary treatment planning and education. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

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Background: Patrinia villosa (Thunb.) Juss is one of the plant resources of the famous traditional Chinese medicine "Bai jiang cao (herba patriniae)," and it is considered to function at the liver meridian, thereby treating diseases of the liver as demonstrated by the traditional theory of TCM. Unfortunately, the therapeutic mechanism of the whole plant of PV is so far unknown. Method: UPLC QTOF-MS/MS was used to analyze the profile of PV. Male Sprague-Dawley rats were categorized into five groups, and PV groups (125 and 375mg/kg) were administered by oral gavage for seven consecutive days. The model of liver injury was induced by intraperitoneal injection of 40% CCl4 oil solution. H&E staining was performed for histological evaluation. The ELISA method was used to assess the serumlevel of ALT, AST, and T-BIL. Serum and liver bile acid (BA) profiling was analyzed by LC-MS/MS. TUNEL-stained liver sections were used to monitor apoptosis caused by CCl4. HepG2 cells were used to detect autophagy caused by CCl4. Results: A total of 16 compounds were identified from the 70% methanol extract of PV. PV (125 and 375 mg/kg) could reverse the ectopic overexpression of AST, ALT, and T-BIL caused by CCl4 administration. H&E staining indicated that PV (125 and 375 mg/kg) could reduce the infiltration of inflammatory cells and restore liver tissue and hepatocyte structures. Six bile acids, including DCA, HDCA, GCA, TCA, TCDCA, and TUDCA, were significantly altered both in the serum and liver tissue after CCl4 administration, and the level of all these six bile acids was restored by PV treatment. Moreover, PV inhibited apoptosis caused by CCl4 stimulation in liver tissue and suppressed autophagy in HepG2 cells treated with CCl4. Conclusion: The results in this paper for the first time reveal the alteration of the bile acid profile in CCl4-induced liver injury and demonstrate that inhibiting apoptosis and autophagy was involved in P. villosa-elicited liver protection, providing a scientific basis for the clinical utilization of P. villosa as a natural hepatic protective agent. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This review highlights noteworthy literature published in 2023 and pertinent to anesthesiologists and critical care physicians caring for patients undergoing abdominal organ transplantation. We feature 9 studies from 593 peer-reviewed papers on pancreatic transplantation, 3 from 194 on intestinal transplantation, and 28 from over 4513 on kidney transplantation. The liver transplantation section includes a special focus on 20 studies from 5666 clinical trial publications. We explore a broad range of topics, including donor management, perioperative recipient management, and innovative pharmacologic and mechanical interventions tested for the improvement of patient and graft outcomes and survival. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Drug-induced liver injury (DILI) is a common clinical pharmacogenic disease. In the United States and Europe, DILI is the most common cause of acute liver failure. Drugs can cause hepatic damage either directly through inherent hepatotoxic properties or indirectly by inducing oxidative stress, immune responses, and inflammatory processes. These pathways can culminate in hepatocyte necrosis. The role of the gut microecology in human health and diseases is well recognized. Recent studies have revealed that the imbalance in the gut microecology is closely related to the occurrence and development of DILI. The gut microecology plays an important role in liver injury caused by different drugs. Recent research has revealed significant changes in the composition, relative abundance, and distribution of gut microbiota in both patients and animal models with DILI. Imbalance in the gut microecology causes intestinal barrier destruction and microorganism translocation; the alteration in microbial metabolites may initiate or aggravate DILI, and regulation and control of intestinal microbiota can effectively mitigate drug-induced liver injury. In this paper, we provide an overview on the present knowledge of the mechanisms by which DILI occurs, the common drugs that cause DILI, the gut microbiota and gut barrier composition, and the effects of the gut microbiota and gut barrier on DILI, emphasizing the contribution of the gut microecology to DILI. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Introduction: Liver cancer presents a growing global health concern, necessitating advanced approaches for intervention. This review investigates the use and effectiveness of software navigation in interventional radiology for liver tumour procedures. Methods: In accordance with Preferred Reporting Items for Systematic reviews and Meta‐Analyses extension for Scoping Reviews (PRISMA‐ScR) guidelines, a scoping review was conducted of the literature published between 2013 and 2023 sourcing articles through MEDLINE, Scopus, CINAHL and Embase. Eligible studies focused on liver cancer, utilised cone‐beam computed tomography (CBCT), and employed software for intervention. Twenty‐one articles were deemed eligible for data extraction and analysis. Results: Categorised by type, software applications yielded diverse benefits. Feeder detection software significantly enhanced vessel identification, reducing non‐target embolisation by up to 43%. Motion correction software demonstrated a 20% enhancement in image quality, effectively mitigating breathing‐induced motion artefacts. Liver perfusion software facilitated efficient tumour targeting while simultaneously reducing the occurrence of side effects. Needle guide software enabled precise radiofrequency ablation needle placement. Additionally, these software applications provided detailed anatomical simulations. Overall, software integration resulted in shorter procedures, reduced radiation exposure and decreased contrast media usage. Conclusion: This scoping review highlights the innovative yet relatively underexplored role of software navigation for liver tumour procedures. The integration of software applications not only enhances procedural efficiency but also bolsters operator confidence, and contributes to improved patient outcomes. Despite the current lack of uniformity and standardisation, these software‐driven advancements hold significant promise for transforming liver tumour interventions. To realise these benefits, further research is needed to explore the clinical impact and optimal utilisation of software navigation tools in interventional radiology. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Currently, staging the degree of liver fibrosis predominantly relies on liver biopsy, a method fraught with potential risks, such as bleeding and infection. With the rapid development of medical imaging devices, quantification of liver fibrosis through image processing technology has become feasible. Stacking technology is one of the effective ensemble techniques for potential usage, but precise tuning to find the optimal configuration manually is challenging. Therefore, this paper proposes a novel EVO-MS model—a multiple stacking ensemble learning model optimized by the energy valley optimization (EVO) algorithm to select most informatic features for fibrosis quantification. Liver contours are profiled from 415 biopsied proven CT cases, from which 10 shape features are calculated and inputted into a Support Vector Machine (SVM) classifier to generate the accurate predictions, then the EVO algorithm is applied to find the optimal parameter combination to fuse six base models: K-Nearest Neighbors (KNNs), Decision Tree (DT), Naive Bayes (NB), Extreme Gradient Boosting (XGB), Gradient Boosting Decision Tree (GBDT), and Random Forest (RF), to create a well-performing ensemble model. Experimental results indicate that selecting 3–5 feature parameters yields satisfactory results in classification, with features such as the contour roundness non-uniformity (Rmax), maximum peak height of contour (Rp), and maximum valley depth of contour (Rm) significantly influencing classification accuracy. The improved EVO algorithm, combined with a multiple stacking model, achieves an accuracy of 0.864, a precision of 0.813, a sensitivity of 0.912, a specificity of 0.824, and an F1-score of 0.860, which demonstrates the effectiveness of our EVO-MS model in staging the degree of liver fibrosis. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

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Purpose: Tissue radiotracer activity measured from positron emission tomography (PET) images is an important biomarker that is clinically utilized for diagnosis, staging, prognostication, and treatment response assessment in patients with cancer and other clinical disorders. Using PET image values to define a normal range of metabolic activity for quantification purposes is challenging due to variations in patient-related factors and technical factors. Although the formulation of standardized uptake value (SUV) has compensated for some of these variabilities, significant non-standardness still persists. We propose an image processing method to substantially mitigate these variabilities. Methods: The standardization method is similar for activity concentration (AC) PET and SUV PET images, with some differences, and consists of two steps. The calibration step is performed only once for both AC PET or SUV PET, employs a set of images of normal subjects, and requires a reference object, while the transformation step is executed for each patient image to be standardized. In the calibration step, a standardized scale is determined along with 3 key image intensity landmarks defined on it: the minimum percentile intensity smin, median intensity sm, and high percentile intensity smax. smin and sm are estimated based on image intensities within the body region in the normal calibration image set. The optimal value of the maximum percentile β corresponding to the intensity smax is estimated via an optimization process by using the reference object to optimally separate the highly variable high uptake values from the normal uptake intensities. In the transformation step, the first two landmarks--the minimum percentile intensity pα(I), and the median intensity pm(I)--are found for the given image I for the body region, and the high percentile intensity pβ(I) is determined corresponding to the optimally estimated high percentile value β. Subsequently, intensities of I are mapped to the standard scale piecewise linearly for different segments. We employ three strategies for evaluation and comparison with other standardization methods: (i) comparing coefficient of variation (CVO) of mean intensity within test objects O across different normal test subjects before and after standardization, (ii) comparing mean absolute difference (MDO) of mean intensity within test objects O across different subjects in repeat scans before and after standardization, and (iii) comparing CVO of mean intensity across different normal subjects before and after standardization where the scans came from different brands of scanners. Results: Our data set consisted of 84 FDG-PET/CT scans of the body torso including 38 normal subjects and two repeat-scans of 23 patients. We utilized one of two objects--liver and spleen--as a reference object and the other for testing. The proposed standardization method reduced CVO and MDO by a factor of 3-8 in comparison to other standardization methods and no standardization. Upon standardization by our method, the image intensities (both for AC and SUV) from two different brands of scanners become statistically indistinguishable, while without standardization, they differ significantly and by a factor of 3-9. Conclusions: The proposed method is automatic, outperforms current standardization methods, and effectively overcomes the residual variation left over in SUV and interscanner variations. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: No effective drugs currently exist to cure Alzheimer's disease (AD) due to its complexity and the lack of understanding of the involved molecular signaling and pathways. The relationship between liver health and AD is now widely recognized. Still, molecular links and shared pathways between the liver and brain remain unclear, making the liver-brain axis in AD therapies a new area for exploration. However, bibliometric studies on this topic are lacking. Objective: This study aims to review the liver-brain axis in AD and identify future research hotspots and trends through bibliometric analysis. Methods: Articles and reviews related to AD and liver and its related diseases were searched in the Web of Science Core Collection (WoSCC) database up to 2024. Data were processed and visually analyzed using VOSviewer, CiteSpace, and Pajek. Results: We collected 1,777 articles on AD and liver and its related diseases from 2,517 institutions across 80 countries. Keyword cluster analysis identified 11 clusters, with 'insulin resistance,' 'amyloid-beta,' 'apolipoprotein-E,' 'oxidative stress,' and 'inflammation' appearing most frequently, and exhibiting strong total link strength. These results indicate that these topics have been the primary focus of research on the liver-brain axis in AD. Conclusions: This study is the first to comprehensively analyze the liver-brain axis in AD using bibliometric methods. The research results identify recent research frontiers and hotspots, aiding scholars in gaining a deeper understanding of the correlation between AD and the liver. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Cadmium is one of the most important environmental contaminants. Animals grazing on natural pastures are particularly exposed to cadmium. Sheep are mostly reared in extensive and grazing systems. Therefore, sheep may accumulate larger amounts of cadmium compared to other ruminant species and are a good indicator of exposure to cadmium contamination in a given area. The determination of cadmium concentrations in the muscles, livers and kidneys of lambs and sheep was carried out in the Czech Republic during the period 2001--2022. The average cadmium content in the livers and kidneys of all the lambs was 0.037 ± 0.006 and 0.061 ± 0.013 mg.kg-1, respectively. The average cadmium content in the livers and kidneys of all the sheep was 0.319 ± 0.047 and 1.255 ± 0.204 mg.kg-1, respectively. The maximum limit for human consumption was not exceeded in any of the 24 samples in the lambs but was exceeded in 5 of 33 liver samples and 12 of 33 kidney samples in the adult sheep. The average value of cadmium in the muscles of the lambs and sheep was 0.004 ± 0.001 mg.kg-1. The maximum limit for human consumption was not exceeded in any muscle sample. The cadmium content in both the liver and in the kidney differs significantly between the lambs and sheep, being higher in the sheep (P < 0.001 for both comparisons). No statistically significant trend of a decrease in the cadmium content in the lamb and sheep tissues was found during the observed time (P > 0.05). We can sum up that there is an evident need for further monitoring of the cadmium concentration in lamb and sheep tissues in the Czech Republic. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Salvianolic acid B (SalB), among the most abundant bioactive polyphenolic compounds found in Salvia miltiorrhiza Bge., exerts therapeutic and protective effects against various diseases. Although some summaries of the activities of SalB exist, there is lack of a scientometric and in-depth review regarding disease therapy. In this review, scientometrics was employed to analyze the number of articles, publication trends, countries, institutions, keywords, and highly cited papers pertaining to SalB research. The scientometric findings showed that SalB exerts excellent protective effects on the heart, lungs, liver, bones, and brain, along with significant therapeutic effects against atherosclerosis (AS), Alzheimer's disease (AD), liver fibrosis, diabetes, heart/brain ischemia, and osteoporosis, by regulating signaling pathways and acting on specific molecular targets. Moreover, this review delves into in-depth insights and perspectives, such as the utilization of SalB in combination with other drugs, the validation of molecular mechanisms and targets, and the research and development of novel drug carriers and dosage forms. In conclusion, this review aimed to offer a comprehensive scientometric analysis and in-depth appraisal of SalB research, encompassing both present achievements and future prospects, thereby providing a valuable resource for the clinical application and therapeutic exploitation of SalB. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Liver, an important regulator of metabolic homeostasis, is critical for healthy brain function. In particular, age‐related neurodegenerative diseases seriously reduce the quality of life for the elderly. As population aging progresses rapidly, unraveling the mechanisms that effectively delay aging has become critical. Appropriate exercise is reported to improve aging‐related cognitive impairment. Whereas current studies focused on exploring the effect of exercise on the aging brain itself, ignoring the persistent effects of peripheral organs on the brain through the blood circulation. The aim of this paper is to summarize the communication and aging processes of the liver and brain and to emphasize the metabolic mechanisms of the liver–brain axis about exercise ameliorating aging‐related neurodegenerative diseases. A comprehensive understanding of the potential mechanisms about exercise ameliorating aging is critical for improving adaptation to age‐related brain changes and formulating effective interventions against age‐related cognitive decline. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Through their personal experience of having intrahepatic cholestasis of pregnancy (ICP), this paper covers the development of current understanding of ICP. It summarises how research and clinical practice was developed through clinicians and followed by the inception of an ICP research group in the 1990s. This group's work has led to a better understanding of the mechanisms behind ICP, the risk threshold for stillbirth, and a genomic understanding of the condition. It focuses on how collaborative work between the author and researchers led to the formation of a charity for ICP. Despite this, some obstetric healthcare professionals continue to provide misinformation about ICP to women and birthing people. Furthermore, the views of those affected by ICP, together with the research they present to clinicians, are being ignored. It highlights a need for those managing ICP to listen to their patients and to pay closer attention to the research being published. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The document is a correction notice for an article titled "Near-infrared molecular sensor for visualizing and tracking ONOO- during the process of anti-tuberculosis drug-induced liver damage" published in Analytical & Bioanalytical Chemistry. The correction addresses an error in Fig. 3A due to personal negligence, providing a new corrected version of the figure. The authors assure that this correction does not affect the discussion and conclusions of the original paper, and apologize for any inconvenience caused. The correction was reported by multiple authors. [Extracted from the article]

Heart failure—either with reduced or preserved ejection fraction (HFrEF/HFpEF)—is a clinical syndrome of multifactorial and gender-dependent aetiology, indicating the insufficiency of the heart to pump blood adequately to maintain blood flow to meet the body's needs. Typical symptoms commonly include shortness of breath, excessive fatigue with impaired exercise capacity, and peripheral oedema, thereby alluding to the fact that heart failure is a syndrome that affects multiple organ systems. Patients suffering from progressed heart failure have a very limited life expectancy, lower than that of numerous cancer types. In this position paper, we provide an overview regarding interactions between the heart and other organ systems, the clinical evidence, underlying mechanisms, potential available or yet-to-establish animal models to study such interactions and finally discuss potential new drug interventions to be developed in the future. Our working group suggests that more experimental research is required to understand the individual molecular mechanisms underlying heart failure and reinforces the urgency for tailored therapeutic interventions that target not only the heart but also other related affected organ systems to effectively treat heart failure as a clinical syndrome that affects and involves multiple organs. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Because the liver is an important metabolic center in the human body, the reliability and timeliness of chronic liver disease diagnosis are particularly important. Alanine aminotransferase and aspartate transaminase are the two most important liver function indicators, and their test results are crucial in the diagnosis of liver diseases. However, the simultaneous detection of these two indicators is currently restricted by the need for expensive equipment and complicated detection processes. This study proposes a portable dual-channel blood enzyme analyzer (BEA) for point-of-care-testing. The device uses photometric reflectance to quantify the enzyme concentration by evaluating the reflected light intensity. The BEA also precisely controls and maintains the temperature at 37 °C ± 0.1 °C in the dual-channel assay. We assessed the responses of this system within a clinically relevant range by testing blood samples from a local hospital. The test verified that BEA for ALT and AST achieved a detection limit of 3.5 U L−1 and 4 U L−1, detection range of 4–350 U L−1 and 4–250 U L−1, coefficients of variation (CV) that were both less than 10%, and a linear correlation coefficient of 0.9827 and 0.9714 compared with a high-precision clinical biochemistry analyzer (Roche Cobas C702), respectively. We realized remote data analysis and storage through connection with smartphones, which can be applied to remote diagnostics and preventative personal disease management. Therefore, BEA has broad application prospects in the future internet of medical things. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Automatic segmentation of the liver in abdominal CT images is critical for guiding liver cancer biopsies and treatment planning. Yet, automatic segmentation of CT liver images remains challenging due to the poor contrast between the liver and surrounding organs in abdominal CT images. In this paper, we propose a novel network for liver segmentation, and the network is essentially a U-shaped network with an encoder–decoder structure. Firstly, the complementary feature enhancement unit is designed in the network to mitigate the semantic gap between encoder and decoder. The complementary feature enhancement unit is based on subtraction, which enhances the complementary features between encoder and decoder. Secondly, this paper proposes a new cross attention model that no longer generates value by convolution, which reduces redundant information and enhances the contextual information of single sparse attention by encoding contextual information by 3 × 3 convolution. The dice score, accuracy, and precision of our network on the LiTS dataset were 95.85 % , 97.19 % , and 97.11 % , and the dice score, accuracy, and precision on the dataset consisted of 3Dircadb and CHAOS were 93.65 % , 94.38 % , and 97.53 % . [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In past times, the analysis of endocrine disrupting properties of chemicals has mainly been focused on (anti-)estrogenic or (anti-)androgenic properties, as well as on aspects of steroidogenesis and the modulation of thyroid signaling. More recently, disruption of energy metabolism and related signaling pathways by exogenous substances, so-called metabolism-disrupting chemicals (MDCs) have come into focus. While general effects such as body and organ weight changes are routinely monitored in animal studies, there is a clear lack of mechanistic test systems to determine and characterize the metabolismdisrupting potential of chemicals. In order to contribute to filling this gap, one of the project within EU-funded Partnership for the Assessment of Risks of Chemicals (PARC) aims at developing novel in vitro methods for the detection of endocrine metabolic disruptors. Efforts will comprise projects related to specific signaling pathways, for example, involving mTOR or xenobioticsensing nuclear receptors, studies on hepatocytes, adipocytes and pancreatic beta cells covering metabolic and morphological endpoints, as well as metabolism-related zebrafish-based tests as an alternative to classic rodent bioassays. This paper provides an overview of the approaches and methods of these PARC projects and how this will contribute to the improvement of the toxicological toolbox to identify substances with endocrine disrupting properties and to decipher their mechanisms of action. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

MR is a powerful diagnostic tool in the diagnosis and management of most hepatic and pancreatic diseases. Thanks to its multiple sequences, the use of dedicated contrast media and special techniques, it allows a multiparametric approach able to provide both morphological and functional information for many pathological conditions. The knowledge of correct technique is fundamental in order to obtain a correct diagnosis. In this paper, different MR sequences will be illustrated in the evaluation of liver and pancreatic diseases, especially those sequences which provide information not otherwise obtainable with other imaging techniques. Practical MR protocols with the most common indications of MR in the study of the liver and pancreas are provided. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The liver is the second most common solid organ injured in blunt and penetrating abdominal trauma. Non-operative management (NOM) has become the standard of care for liver injuries in stable patients, where transarterial embolization (TAE) represents the main treatment, increasing success rates and avoiding invasive surgical procedures. In hemodynamically (HD) unstable patients, operative management (OM) is the standard of care. To date, there are no consensus guidelines about the endovascular treatment of patients with HD instability or in ones that responded to initial infusion therapy. A review of the literature was performed for published papers addressing the outcome of using TAE as the primary treatment for HD unstable/transient responder trauma liver patients with hemorrhagic vascular lesions, both as a single treatment and in combination with surgical treatment, focusing additionally on the different definitions used in the literature of unstable and transient responder patients. Our review demonstrated a good outcome in HD unstable/transient responder liver trauma patients treated with TAE but there still remains much debate about the definition of unstable and transient responder patients. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Histologically cirrhosis is characterised by vascularised fibrosis septa that link portal tract with each other and with central veins leading to hepatocyte islands that are surrounded by fibrotic septa which are devoid of a central vein. The major clinical manifestations of cirrhosis are impaired hepatocyte function and increased intrahepatic resistance and development of portal hypertension and hepatocellular carcinoma. Liver has multiple functions including key role in metabolism, control of infection, elimination of toxins and byproducts of metabolism. This was a prospective study from 1st January 2023-31st December 2023 with a total of 100 deaths with presence of cirrhosis of liver detected during autopsy conducted in mortuary, Department of FMT, PMCH was analysed. Complete demographic, clinical details were obtained from accompanying relatives of the diseased, information sourced from police IO, inquest paper and medical records of the treatment furnished at the time of autopsy. Higher incidence of liver cirrhosis was found in age group 31-50 years, 74 percent of them were males, 30 percent were diabetic, alcohol was the etiological factor in 65 percent cases, NASH was etiological factor in 19%, hepatitis B and C was etiological factor in 12 % of the cases. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Using liver phantoms for mimicking human tissue in clinical training, disease diagnosis, and treatment planning is a common practice. The fabrication material of the liver phantom should exhibit mechanical properties similar to those of the real liver organ in the human body. This tissue-equivalent material is essential for qualitative and quantitative investigation of the liver mechanisms in producing nutrients, excretion of waste metabolites, and tissue deformity at mechanical stimulus. This paper reviews the mechanical properties of human hepatic tissues to develop liver-mimicking phantoms. These properties include viscosity, elasticity, acoustic impedance, sound speed, and attenuation. The advantages and disadvantages of the most common fabrication materials for developing liver tissue-mimicking phantoms are also highlighted. Such phantoms will give a better insight into the real tissue damage during the disease progression and preservation for transplantation. The liver tissue-mimicking phantom will raise the quality assurance of patient diagnostic and treatment precision and offer a definitive clinical trial data collection. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Simple Summary: Yaks are a major economic source for people in the Tibetan Plateau region. Yaks are rich in nutrients, but their low fat content is not conducive to the large-scale promotion of yak meat, so the study of the mechanism of yak lipid deposition is beneficial to the marketing of yak meat. In this paper, the results of transcriptome sequencing analysis of yak liver showed that it could be determined that the expression levels of genes associated with partial lipid deposition were significantly up-regulated during yak fattening. In addition, this study found that the tenderness of yak meat improved during this process. Fattening significantly affects fat deposition in yaks, which may be realized through its effects on lipid metabolic pathways. Therefore, studying the mechanism of lipid deposition in yaks and fattening yaks will improve the quality of yak meat. Yak meat is nutritionally superior to beef cattle but has a low fat content and is slow-growing. The liver plays a crucial role in lipid metabolism, and in order to determine whether different feeding modes affect lipid metabolism in yaks and how it is regulated, we employed RNA sequencing (RNA-seq) technology to analyze the genome-wide differential gene expression in the liver of yaks maintained under different raising systems. A total of 1663 differentially expressed genes (DEGs) were identified (|log2FC| ≥ 0 and p-value ≤ 0.05), including 698 down-regulated and 965 up-regulated genes. According to gene ontology (GO) and KEGG enrichment analyses, these DEGs were significantly enriched in 13 GO terms and 26 pathways (p < 0.05). Some DEGs were enriched in fatty acid degradation, PPAR, PI3K-Akt, and ECM receptor pathways, which are associated with lipid metabolism. A total of 16 genes are well known to be related to lipid metabolism (e.g., APOA1, FABP1, EHHADH, FADS2, SLC27A5, ACADM, CPT1B, ACOX2, HMGCS2, PLIN5, ACAA1, IGF1, FGFR4, ALDH9A1, ECHS1, LAMA2). A total of 11 of the above genes were significantly enriched in the PPAR signaling pathway. The reliability of the transcriptomic data was verified using qRT-PCR. Our findings provide new insights into the mechanisms regulating yak meat quality. It shows that fattening improves the expression of genes that regulate lipid deposition in yaks and enhances meat quality. This finding will contribute to a better understanding of the various factors that determine yak meat quality and help develop strategies to improve yield and quality. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: Liver diseases are constantly increasing throughout the world and are often associated with other diseases, but above all they are caused by improper diet. Adherence to a diet with abundant vegetables has now been widely demonstrated to be important in combating this pathological condition. The aim of this study was to explore the protective role of lycopene (LYC) extracts from cooked and fresh tomato. Methods: The study cohort included 969 participants assessed in the NUTRIHEP cohort (2005–2006) and the associated follow-up (2014–2016), divided into two groups, based on liver condition: NAFLD, or AFLD and FLD. Results: The results indicated a statistical significance of LYC consumption, showing a protective role against liver disease, the best concentration being 9.50 mg/die, with an RR value of 0.59, p = 0.01, 0.39 to 0.90 at 95% C.I., and RRR = 0.40, p = 0.002, 0.22 to 0.71 at 95% C.I. Conclusions: The protective role of LYC extracts from tomato has not been amply demonstrated in humans. We conclude that this is one of the few papers in the literature to evaluate the protective effect of LYC against liver disease, as well as how this molecule could be used in future possible treatments. Utilizing lycopene as a supplement alone or in combination with other foods could be useful for developing treatments with reduced contraindications. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Transplantation is currently the only effective treatment for patients with end-stage liver failure. In recent years, many advanced studies have been conducted to improve the efficiency of organ preservation techniques. Modifying the composition of the preservation fluids currently used may improve graft function and increase the likelihood of transplantation success. The modified fluid is expected to extend the period of safe liver storage in the peri-transplantation period and to increase the pool of organs for transplantation with livers from marginal donors. This paper provides a literature review of the effects of antioxidants on the efficacy of liver preservation fluids. Medline (PubMed), Scopus, and Cochrane Library databases were searched using a combination of MeSH terms: "liver preservation", "transplantation", "preservation solution", "antioxidant", "cold storage", "mechanical perfusion", "oxidative stress", "ischemia-reperfusion injury". Studies published up to December 2023 were included in the analysis, with a focus on publications from the last 30 years. A total of 45 studies met the inclusion criteria. The chemical compounds analyzed showed mostly bioprotective effects on hepatocytes, including but not limited to multifactorial antioxidant and free radical protective effects. It should be noted that most of the information cited is from reports of studies conducted in animal models, most of them in rodents. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Folic acid, also known as vitamin B9, is a water-soluble vitamin from the B group that plays a pivotal role (as the carrier of one-carbon units) in the regulation of early development and nutrient metabolism in animals. Traditional animal nutrition posits that rumen microorganisms can synthesize folate, thereby meeting the growth, development, and production needs of ruminants. However, the quantity of synthesized folate is subject to variations in dietary composition, genetic enhancements, increased production performance, and changes in feeding systems. These factors may result in the folate synthesized by rumen microorganisms not reaching the optimal production potential of the animals. Despite a significant proportion of dietary folic acid/folate being degraded in the rumen, studies have shown that supplementing folic acid (or combined with vitamin B12, methionine, etc.) in the diet can enhance rumen fermentation, increase the folate level in ruminant tissues (such as the liver and blood), regulate nutrient metabolism, and improve milk yield and quality to a certain extent. Further research is required to assess the impact of dietary folic acid levels on rumen microbial metabolism, folate distribution among different tissues and organs, and the demand for folate at various developmental stages, as well as the interaction between folic acid and other nutrients which are involved in one-carbon metabolism process. This will help to optimize the nutritional supply for ruminants and fully exploit their production performance potential. Ruminants are animals like cattle, sheep and goats with a specialized stomach for fermenting food. Although microorganisms in this stomach can synthesize folate, there is a risk of insufficient supply when these animals are farmed as livestock. Addingfolic acid to feed can help regulate ruminants' metabolism and production performance, especially during pregnancy and lactation. More attention needs to be paid to folic acid requirements and metabolic characteristics of ruminants to help healthy and efficient production management. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Liver cancer, characterized as a kind of malignant tumor within the digestive system, poses great health harm, and immune escape stands out as an important reason for its occurrence and development. Chemokines, pivotal in guiding immune cells' migration, is necessary to initiate and deliver an effective anti-tumor immune response. Therefore, understanding the chemotactic environment and identifying chemokines that regulate recruitment of immune cells to the tumor microenvironment (TME) are critical to improve current immunotherapy interventions. Herein, we report a well-defined inverse opal scaffold generated with a microfluidic emulsion template for the construction of a vascularized liver tumor model, offering insights into immune cells' recruitment. Due to the excellent 3D porous morphology of the inverse opal scaffold, human hepatocellular carcinoma cells can aggregate in the pores of the scaffold to form uniform multicellular tumor spheroids. More attractively, the vascularized liver tumor model can be achieved by constructing a 3D co-culture system involving endothelial cells and hepatocellular carcinoma cells. The results demonstrate that the 3D co-cultured tumor cells increase the neutrophil chemokines remarkably and recruit neutrophils to tumor tissues, then promote tumor progression. This approach opens a feasible avenue for realizing a vascularized liver tumor model with a reliable immune microenvironment close to that of a solid tumor of liver cancer. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Primary hepatic angiosarcoma (PHA) is a rare liver malignancy with few studies describing its radiological characteristics. This article aims to assess the imaging features of each of the multiple delayed contrast-enhanced magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) scans, in addition to the conventional MRI protocol, in a patient with PHA. Standard MRI sequences and a liver protocol were used in the examination of a 71 year-old male with pathologically proven PHA after current imaging evaluation. In addition, the patient underwent transversal and coronal MRI T1-weighted scans at 10 min, 20 min and 90 min after intravenous (IV) administration of gadobenatedimeglumine (Gd-BOPTA). The PHA revealed a variable appearance on MRI, with classic imaging being insufficient in making a reliable diagnosis. Lesions have increased vascularity, which translates into increased IV contrast uptake in the MRI arterial phase, showing progressive and globular enhancement in the portal and parenchymatous phases. On delayed scans, at 10 min after IV administration, the lesions maintained no washout, but slightly began to washout at 20 min post-contrast. However, in the hepatobiliary phase (90 min post-contrast injection), on an MRI T1-weighted sequence, PHA lesions were hypointense, suggesting the absence of hepatocytes, thus indicating high-grade malignancy. This approach proved the conclusion that in a patient with PHA, an extra MRI T1-weighted scan at 90 min post-gadobenatedimeglumine injection can provide helpful information in differential diagnosis. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The liver is a major metabolic organ of the human body and has a high incidence of diseases. In recent years, the annual incidence of liver disease has increased, seriously endangering human life and health. The study of the occurrence and development mechanism of liver diseases, discovery of new therapeutic targets, and establishment of new methods of medical treatment are major issues related to the national economy and people's livelihood. The development of stable and effective research models is expected to provide new insights into the pathogenesis of liver diseases and the search for more effective treatment options. Organoid technology is a new in vitro culture system, and organoids constructed by human cells can simulate the morphological structure, gene expression, and glucose and lipid metabolism of organs in vivo, providing a new model for related research on liver diseases. This paper reviews the latest research progress on liver organoids from the establishment of cell sources and application of liver organoids and discusses their application potential in the field of liver disease research. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The study investigates the efficacy of a bioinspired Particle Swarm Optimization (PSO) approach for PID controller tuning in Radiofrequency Ablation (RFA) for liver tumors. Ex-vivo experiments were conducted, yielding a 9th order continuous-time transfer function. PSO was applied to optimize PID parameters, achieving outstanding simulation results: 0.605% overshoot, 0.314 seconds rise time, and 2.87 seconds settling time for a unit step input. Statistical analysis of 19 simulations revealed PID gains: Kp (mean: 5.86, variance: 4.22, standard deviation: 2.05), Ki (mean: 9.89, variance: 0.048, standard deviation: 0.22), Kd (mean: 0.57, variance: 0.021, standard deviation: 0.14) and ANOVA analysis for the 19 experiments yielded a p-value ≪ 0.05. The bioinspired PSO-based PID controller demonstrated remarkable potential in mitigating roll-off effects during RFA, reducing the risk of incomplete tumor ablation. These findings have significant implications for improving clinical outcomes in hepatocellular carcinoma management, including reduced recurrence rates and minimized collateral damage. The PSO-based PID tuning strategy offers a practical solution to enhance RFA effectiveness, contributing to the advancement of radiofrequency ablation techniques. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]