Application of a Value Framework to Determine the Value of Prophylaxis Versus On-Demand Treatment in Adults with Hemophilia A in China.

Introduction: This study aimed to establish and apply a multicriteria value framework to determine the value of prophylaxis versus on‑demand treatment in adult patients with hemophilia A in China, which could enhance evidence-based care decisions.

Methods: The framework was developed using key literature to identify dimensions and indicators for assessing the value of hemophilia A. We interviewed 21 stakeholders-including clinical experts, medical insurance experts, health economics and outcomes research (HEOR) experts, charity organization representatives, and patient advocacy organization representatives-to evaluate the relative importance of indicators.

The interval time for the St. Thomas cardioplegia solution in mitral valve surgeries.

Background: There is a lack of consensus on the appropriate St. Thomas cardioplegia solution interval for cardiac surgeries. The objective of this study was to determine a safe cardioplegia interval.

Machine Learning-Driven Prediction of Brain Age for Alzheimer's Risk: APOE4 Genotype and Gender Effects.

Alzheimer's disease (AD) is a leading cause of dementia, and it is significantly influenced by the apolipoprotein E4 (APOE4) gene and gender. This study aimed to use machine learning (ML) algorithms to predict brain age and assess AD risk by considering the effects of the APOE4 genotype and gender. We collected brain volumetric MRI data and medical records from 1100 cognitively unimpaired individuals and 602 patients with AD.

Diagnosis-Related Groups payment reform and hospital cost control.

Background: This study explores the influence of Diagnosis-Related Groups (DRG) payment reform on hospital cost control and offers pertinent cost management strategies for public hospitals. It situates the research by elucidating the significance of the DRG payment method and comparing its advantages and drawbacks with the traditional 'pay per project' model.

Objective: The primary aim is to assess the impact of DRG payment reform on hospital cost control and propose effective cost management strategies for public hospitals.

mTOR inhibition enhances synaptic and mitochondrial function in Alzheimer's disease in an APOE genotype-dependent manner.

Apolipoprotein ε4 (APOE4) carriers develop brain metabolic dysfunctions decades before the onset of Alzheimer's disease (AD). A goal of the study is to identify if rapamycin, an inhibitor for the mammalian target of rapamycin (mTOR) inhibitor, would enhance synaptic and mitochondrial function in asymptomatic mice with human APOE4 gene (E4FAD) before they showed metabolic deficits. A second goal is to determine whether there may be genetic-dependent responses to rapamycin when compared to mice with human APOE3 alleles (E3FAD), a neutral AD genetic risk factor.

Living well with diabetes in Alaska.

Many people with diabetes mellitus experience minimal or no complications. Our objective was to determine the proportion of Alaska Native people who experienced four major complications or mortality and to identify factors that may be associated with these outcomes. We used records in a diabetes registry and clinical and demographic variables in our analyses.

Evidence-based screening, clinical care and health education recommendations for Alaska Native peoples with prediabetes living in southcentral Alaska: findings from the Alaska EARTH follow-up study.

Pre-diabetes (pre-DM) is a strong predictor of diabetes (DM) over time. This study investigated how much of the recent increase in pre-DM identified among Alaska Native (AN) peoples living in urban southcentral Alaska may be due to changes in diagnostic methods. We used clinical and demographic data collected at baseline between 2004 and 2006 and at follow-up collected between 2015 and 2017 from the urban southcentral Alaska Education and Research Towards Health (EARTH) cohort.

Gut microbiome association with brain imaging markers, APOE genotype, calcium and vegetable intakes, and obesity in healthy aging adults.

Introduction: Advanced age is a significant factor in changes to brain physiology and cognitive functions. Recent research has highlighted the critical role of the gut microbiome in modulating brain functions during aging, which can be influenced by various factors such as apolipoprotein E (APOE) genetic variance, body mass index (BMI), diabetes, and dietary intake. However, the associations between the gut microbiome and these factors, as well as brain structural, vascular, and metabolic imaging markers, have not been well explored.

Prebiotic inulin enhances gut microbial metabolism and anti-inflammation in apolipoprotein E4 mice with sex-specific implications.

Gut dysbiosis has been identified as a crucial factor of Alzheimer's disease (AD) development for apolipoprotein E4 (APOE4) carriers. Inulin has shown the potential to mitigate dysbiosis. However, it remains unclear whether the dietary response varies depending on sex.

Self-Supervised Learning Application on COVID-19 Chest X-ray Image Classification Using Masked AutoEncoder.

The COVID-19 pandemic has underscored the urgent need for rapid and accurate diagnosis facilitated by artificial intelligence (AI), particularly in computer-aided diagnosis using medical imaging. However, this context presents two notable challenges: high diagnostic accuracy demand and limited availability of medical data for training AI models. To address these issues, we proposed the implementation of a Masked AutoEncoder (MAE), an innovative self-supervised learning approach, for classifying 2D Chest X-ray images.

Formyl peptide receptor 1 is involved in surgery-induced neuroinflammation and dysfunction of learning and memory in mice.

Postoperative cognitive dysfunction (POCD) is a common complication after surgery. Peripheral immune cells may contribute to the development of POCD. However, molecules that are important for this contribution are not known.

The impact of preloaded intraocular lens implantation system (TECNIS iTec®) in routine cataract surgery in China: a time-motion analysis.

Objective: To evaluate the impact on surgical efficiency and labor time cost of preloaded intraocular lens (IOL) implantation system compared with manual IOL implantation system in age-related cataract surgery in China.

Methods: This study was an observational, multicenter, prospective time-motion analysis. IOL preparation time, operation time, cleaning time, number and cost of cataract surgeries in eight participating hospitals were collected.

Association of Sarcopenia with Cognitive Function and Dementia Risk Score: A National Prospective Cohort Study.

The relationship between skeletal muscle and cognitive disorders has drawn increasing attention. This study aims to examine the associations of sarcopenia with cognitive function and dementia risk score. Data on 1978 participants (aged 65 years and older) from the 2011 wave of the China Health and Retirement Longitudinal Study, with four follow-up waves to 2018, were used.

Gut microbial dysbiosis correlates with stroke severity markers in aged rats.

Background: An imbalanced gut microbial community, or dysbiosis, has been shown to occur following stroke. It is possible that this dysbiosis negatively impacts stroke recovery and rehabilitation. Species level resolution measurements of the gut microbiome following stroke are needed to develop and test precision interventions such as probiotic or fecal microbiota transplant therapies that target the gut microbiome.

Efficient Training on Alzheimer's Disease Diagnosis with Learnable Weighted Pooling for 3D PET Brain Image Classification.

Three-dimensional convolutional neural networks (3D CNNs) have been widely applied to analyze Alzheimer's disease (AD) brain images for a better understanding of the disease progress or predicting the conversion from cognitively impaired (CU) or mild cognitive impairment status. It is well-known that training 3D-CNN is computationally expensive and with the potential of overfitting due to the small sample size available in the medical imaging field. Here we proposed a novel 3D-2D approach by converting a 3D brain image to a 2D fused image using a Learnable Weighted Pooling (LWP) method to improve efficient training and maintain comparable model performance.

Targeting Astrocyte Signaling Alleviates Cerebrovascular and Synaptic Function Deficits in a Diet-Based Mouse Model of Small Cerebral Vessel Disease.

Despite the indispensable role that astrocytes play in the neurovascular unit, few studies have investigated the functional impact of astrocyte signaling in cognitive decline and dementia related to vascular pathology. Diet-mediated induction of hyperhomocysteinemia (HHcy) recapitulates numerous features of vascular contributions to cognitive impairment and dementia (VCID). Here, we used astrocyte targeting approaches to evaluate astrocyte Ca dysregulation and the impact of aberrant astrocyte signaling on cerebrovascular dysfunction and synapse impairment in male and female HHcy diet mice.

Impact of local anesthesia block on pain medication use and length of hospital stay in elderly indigenous patients in Alaska hospitalized for fragility fracture.

Fragility fractures (low-energy, minimal-trauma fractures) are common in the aging population and can lead to decreased function, increased mortality, and long-lasting pain. Although opioids are helpful in reducing acute postoperative pain, they present risks that may lead to increased morbidity and mortality. This was a retrospective review of medical records of all Alaska Native and American Indian people older than 50 years, who received surgery for hip fracture repair between January 2018 and June 2019 (n = 128).

Functional recovery outcomes following acute stroke is associated with abundance of gut microbiota related to inflammation, butyrate and secondary bile acid.

Accumulating evidence suggests that gut microbes modulate brain plasticity the bidirectional gut-brain axis and play a role in stroke rehabilitation. However, the microbial species alterations associated with stroke and their correlation with functional outcome measures following acute stroke remain unknown. Here we measure post-stroke gut dysbiosis and how it correlates with gut permeability and cognitive functions in 12 stroke participants, 18 controls with risk factors for stroke, and 12 controls without risk factors.

Inulin Supplementation Mitigates Gut Dysbiosis and Brain Impairment Induced by Mild Traumatic Brain Injury during Chronic Phase.

Mild traumatic brain injury (mTBI) has been shown to acutely alter the gut microbiome diversity and composition, known as dysbiosis, which can further exacerbate metabolic and vascular changes in the brain in both humans and rodents. However, it remains unknown how mTBI affects the gut microbiome in the chronic phase recovery (past one week post injury). It is also unknown if injury recovery can be improved by mitigating dysbiosis.

Multi-Modal Data Analysis for Alzheimer's Disease Diagnosis: An Ensemble Model Using Imagery and Genetic Features.

Alzheimer's disease (AD) is a devastating neurological disorder primarily affecting the elderly. An estimated 6.2 million Americans age 65 and older are suffering from Alzheimer's dementia today.

Alzheimer's Disease Classification Using 2D Convolutional Neural Networks.

Alzheimer's disease (AD) is a non-treatable and non-reversible disease that affects about 6% of people who are 65 and older. Brain magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) is a pseudo-3D imaging technology that is widely used for AD diagnosis. Convolutional neural networks with 3D kernels (3D CNNs) are often the default choice for deep learning based MRI analysis.

Extended Middle Cerebral Artery Occlusion (MCAO) Model to Mirror Stroke Patients Undergoing Thrombectomy.

Stroke remains a leading global cause of death and disability. In the last decade, the therapeutic window for mechanical thrombectomy has increased from a maximum of 6 to 24 h and beyond. While endovascular advancements have improved rates of recanalization, no post-stroke pharmacotherapeutics have been effective in enhancing neurorepair and recovery.