Sexual function, health functionality, and quality of life in females with pulmonary arterial hypertension: a cross-sectional study.

Background: Pulmonary arterial hypertension (PAH) can have several consequences on sexual function, which can lead to worsened quality of life.

Aim: The study sought to assess sexual function and its association with health functionality and quality of life in females with PAH.

Methods: A descriptive cross-sectional study was carried out in pulmonary circulation outpatient clinics from January 2022 to March 2023 in females diagnosed with pulmonary hypertension.

Automated human induced pluripotent stem cell culture and sample preparation for 3D live-cell microscopy.

To produce abundant cell culture samples to generate large, standardized image datasets of human induced pluripotent stem (hiPS) cells, we developed an automated workflow on a Hamilton STAR liquid handler system. This was developed specifically for culturing hiPS cell lines expressing fluorescently tagged proteins, which we have used to study the principles by which cells establish and maintain robust dynamic localization of cellular structures. This protocol includes all details for the maintenance, passage and seeding of cells, as well as Matrigel coating of 6-well plastic plates and 96-well optical-grade, glass plates.

Patterns of Circulating Cytokines and Vascular Markers' Response in the Presence of COVID-19 in Kidney Transplant Recipients Compared with Non-Transplanted Patients.

COVID-19's severity has been associated with a possible imbalance in the cross-regulation of cytokines and vascular mediators. Since the beginning of the pandemic, kidney transplant recipients (KTRs) have been identified as patients of high vulnerability to more severe diseases. Thus, aiming to describe the patterns of cytokines and vascular mediators and to trace patients' differences according to their KTR status, this prospective study enrolled 67 COVID-19 patients (20 KTRs) and 29 non-COVID-19 controls before vaccination.

Predictors of prolonged ventilator weaning and mortality in critically ill patients with COVID-19.

Objective: To identify factors associated with prolonged weaning and mortality in critically ill COVID-19 patients admitted to ICUs and under invasive mechanical ventilation.

Methods: Between March of 2020 and July of 2021, we retrospectively recorded clinical and ventilatory characteristics of critically ill COVID-19 patients from the day of intubation to the outcome. We classified the patients regarding the weaning period in accordance with established criteria.

Neurological symptoms and comorbidity profile of hospitalized patients with COVID-19.

Background: The neurological manifestations in COVID-19 adversely impact acute illness and post-disease quality of life. Limited data exist regarding the association of neurological symptoms and comorbid individuals.

Objective: To assess neurological symptoms in hospitalized patients with acute COVID-19 and multicomorbidities.

[A Case of Sinusoidal Obstruction Syndrome and Nodular Regenerative Hyperplasia after Using Oxaliplatin for Rectal Cancer].

We present a case of a 44-year-old woman with rectal cancer(cT2N3M0, cStage Ⅲb)treated with 4 capecitabine-oxaliplatin( CAPOX)therapy courses, followed by laparoscopic intersphincteric resection. The patient received 7 postoperative, adjuvant CAPOX therapy courses. After 16 months since the final CAPOX administration, computed tomography(CT) revealed multiple liver tumors, showing early enhancement, and a jejunal mesenteric mass suspected to be a gastrointestinal stromal tumor(GIST).

Integrated intracellular organization and its variations in human iPS cells.

Understanding how a subset of expressed genes dictates cellular phenotype is a considerable challenge owing to the large numbers of molecules involved, their combinatorics and the plethora of cellular behaviours that they determine. Here we reduced this complexity by focusing on cellular organization-a key readout and driver of cell behaviour-at the level of major cellular structures that represent distinct organelles and functional machines, and generated the WTC-11 hiPSC Single-Cell Image Dataset v1, which contains more than 200,000 live cells in 3D, spanning 25 key cellular structures. The scale and quality of this dataset permitted the creation of a generalizable analysis framework to convert raw image data of cells and their structures into dimensionally reduced, quantitative measurements that can be interpreted by humans, and to facilitate data exploration.

[A Case of Carcinomatosis of the Bone Marrow Due to Rectal Cancer].

A 33-year-old man was admitted due to dyschezia and melena. Colonoscopy revealed a circulating type 4 rectal tumor. Further examination revealed intestinal obstruction due to rectal cancer, paraaortic lymph node metastasis, and multiple bone metastases, and an ileus tube was transanally inserted for decompression.

A Machine Learning Model for Predicting Hospitalization in Patients with Respiratory Symptoms during the COVID-19 Pandemic.

A machine learning approach is a useful tool for risk-stratifying patients with respiratory symptoms during the COVID-19 pandemic, as it is still evolving. We aimed to verify the predictive capacity of a gradient boosting decision trees (XGboost) algorithm to select the most important predictors including clinical and demographic parameters in patients who sought medical support due to respiratory signs and symptoms (RAPID RISK COVID-19). A total of 7336 patients were enrolled in the study, including 6596 patients that did not require hospitalization and 740 that required hospitalization.

Severe immersion pulmonary edema in a novice elderly scuba diver after heavy alcohol intake.

Background: There are no reports of immersion pulmonary edema induced by excessive alcohol intake. We describe the case of a novice scuba diver who developed apnea due to immersion pulmonary edema during scuba diving after heavy alcohol intake.

Case Presentation: A 71-year-old hypertensive man, without regular antihypertensive therapy, performed diving after excessive alcohol intake (total amount, approximately 253 g) until the night before.

A comprehensive analysis of gene expression changes in a high replicate and open-source dataset of differentiating hiPSC-derived cardiomyocytes.

We performed a comprehensive analysis of the transcriptional changes occurring during human induced pluripotent stem cell (hiPSC) differentiation to cardiomyocytes. Using single cell RNA-seq, we sequenced > 20,000 single cells from 55 independent samples representing two differentiation protocols and multiple hiPSC lines. Samples included experimental replicates ranging from undifferentiated hiPSCs to mixed populations of cells at D90 post-differentiation.

Strengthening exercises using swiss ball improve pain, health status, quality of life and muscle strength in patients with fibromyalgia: a randomized controlled trial.

The aim was to evaluate the effectiveness of strengthening exercises using the Swiss ball in patients with fibromyalgia through a randomized controlled trial with intention to treat analyses. A total of 60 patients with fibromyalgia met the inclusion criteria and were randomly allocated to either the Swiss ball exercise group (n=30) or a stretching group (n=30). All patients participated in 40-minute training sessions 3 times per week for 12 weeks.

[Psychotropic drugs prescription to elderly people in the national institute of social services for retirees and pensioners of argentina (PAMI)].

Objective: To analyze the prescribing pattern of psychotropic drugs to affiliates over 60 years of age at the National Institute of Social Services for Retirees and Pensioners of Argentina (PAMI).

Materials And Methods: We conducted a retrospective study of the at the National Institute of Social Services for Retirees and Pensioners of Argentina (PAMI) database on the population over 60 years of age who received at least one psychotropic drug during 2016.

Results: During the year 2016, 30% of the population over 60 years of age received the prescription of at least one psychotropic drug.

[A Case of Long-Term Survival of a Patient with a Nodal Recurrence of Intrahepatic Cholangiocarcinoma Who Attained Complete Remission with S-1 Monotherapy].

An 82-year-old man was referred to our hospital after a hepatic tumor was identified on ultrasonography.Computed tomography(CT)revealed a hypovascular tumor measuring 3 cm in diameter in the lateral section.He was diagnosed as having intrahepatic cholangiocarcinoma(ICC), and a left hemihepatectomy was performed in November 2012.

Value of Contrast Transesophageal Echocardiography in the Detection of Intrapulmonary Vascular Dilatations in Hepatosplenic Schistosomiasis.

Background: Hepatopulmonary syndrome (HPS), found in cirrhotic patients, has been little studied in hepatosplenic schistosomiasis (HSS) and includes the occurrence of intrapulmonary vascular dilatations (IPVD). Contrast transesophageal echocardiography (cTEE) with microbubbles is more sensitive than contrast transthoracic echocardiography (cTTE) with microbubbles in the detection of IPVD in cirrhosis.

Objective: To assess the performance of the cTEE, compared with that of cTTE, in detecting IPVD for the diagnosis of HPS in patients with HSS.

Changes in the rate of and trends in colectomy for ulcerative colitis during the era of biologics and calcineurin inhibitors based on a Japanese nationwide cohort study.

Purpose: We evaluated the recent incidence of surgery and the changing surgery trends for ulcerative colitis (UC) in Japan due to the increasing use of anti-tumor necrosis factor (TNF) agents.

Methods: A questionnaire survey was performed to assess the number of surgeries, surgical indications, surgical timing, and immunosuppressive treatments before surgery between 2007 and 2017.

Results: A total of 3801 surgical cases were reported over 11 years.

Endogenous Protein Tagging in Human Induced Pluripotent Stem Cells Using CRISPR/Cas9.

A protocol is presented for generating human induced pluripotent stem cells (hiPSCs) that express endogenous proteins fused to in-frame N- or C-terminal fluorescent tags. The prokaryotic CRISPR/Cas9 system (clustered regularly interspaced short palindromic repeats/CRISPR-associated 9) may be used to introduce large exogenous sequences into genomic loci via homology directed repair (HDR). To achieve the desired knock-in, this protocol employs the ribonucleoprotein (RNP)-based approach where wild type Streptococcus pyogenes Cas9 protein, synthetic 2-part guide RNA (gRNA), and a donor template plasmid are delivered to the cells via electroporation.

Systematic gene tagging using CRISPR/Cas9 in human stem cells to illuminate cell organization.

We present a CRISPR/Cas9 genome-editing strategy to systematically tag endogenous proteins with fluorescent tags in human induced pluripotent stem cells (hiPSC). To date, we have generated multiple hiPSC lines with monoallelic green fluorescent protein tags labeling 10 proteins representing major cellular structures. The tagged proteins include alpha tubulin, beta actin, desmoplakin, fibrillarin, nuclear lamin B1, nonmuscle myosin heavy chain IIB, paxillin, Sec61 beta, tight junction protein ZO1, and Tom20.