Adipose-derived stem cell modulate tolerogenic dendritic cell-induced T cell regulation is correlated with activation of Notch-NFκB signaling.

Background: Adipose-derived stem cells (ASCs) are recognized for their potential immunomodulatory properties. In the immune system, tolerogenic dendritic cells (DCs), characterized by an immature phenotype, play a crucial role in inducing regulatory T cells (Tregs) and promoting immune tolerance. Notch1 signaling has been identified as a key regulator in the development and function of DCs.

Late creation of vascular access increased post-hemodialysis mortality, hospitalization, and health-care expenditure: A population-based cohort study in Taiwan.

Background/purpose: The optimal timing of vascular access (VA) creation for hemodialysis (HD) and whether this timing affects mortality and health-care utilization after HD initiation remain unclear. Thus, we conducted a population-based study to explore their association.

Methods: We used Taiwan's National Health Insurance Research Database to analyze health-care outcomes and utilization in a cohort initiating HD during 2003-2013.

The Synergistic Effect of Full-Spectrum Light Therapy and Transient Immunosuppressants Prolonged Allotransplant Survival.

Background: The lifelong administration of immunosuppressants remains the largest drawback in vascularized composite allotransplantation (VCA). Therefore, developing alternative strategies to minimize the long-term use of immunosuppressive agents is crucial. This study investigated whether full-spectrum bright light therapy (FBLT) combined with short-term immunosuppressant therapy could prolong VCA survival in a rodent hindlimb model.

Acute Kidney Injury from Intravitreal Anti-vascular Endothelial Growth Factor Drugs: A Systematic Review and Meta-analysis of Randomized Controlled Trials.

Background: Several observational studies have reported acute kidney injury from intravitreal anti-vascular endothelial growth factor (anti-VEGF) drugs for retinal diseases. However, systematic reviews and meta-analyses of randomized controlled trials on this critical topic are scant.

Objective: To evaluate acute kidney injury risk associated with intravitreal anti-VEGF drugs in patients with retinal diseases.

Compare the effectiveness of extracorporeal shockwave and hyperbaric oxygen therapy on enhancing wound healing in a streptozotocin-induced diabetic rodent model.

Studies have revealed that both extracorporeal shock-wave therapy (ESWT) and hyperbaric oxygen therapy (HBOT) can accelerate wound healing. This study aimed to compare the effectiveness of ESWT and HBOT in enhancing diabetic wound healing. A dorsal skin defect in a streptozotocin-induced diabetes rodent model was used.

Ant Waist Surgery: Aesthetic Removal of Floating Ribs to Decrease the Waist-hip Ratio.

Decreasing waist circumference has become an essential feature in modern body contouring surgery owing to the attractiveness of hourglass body shapes. Traditionally, this can be achieved through lipomodeling and abdominal musculature strengthening techniques. An adjunctive procedure for ideal shaping of the waistline is resection of the 11th and 12th ribs, referred to as floating ribs.

Evaluation of electrocardiogram: numerical vs. image data for emotion recognition system.

The electrocardiogram (ECG) is a physiological signal used to diagnose and monitor cardiovascular disease, usually using 2- D ECG. Numerous studies have proven that ECG can be used to detect human emotions using 1-D ECG; however, ECG is typically captured as 2-D images rather than as 1-D data. There is still no consensus on the effect of the ECG input format on the accuracy of the emotion recognition system (ERS).

Long-Term Complications and Patient-Reported Outcomes After Alloplastic Breast Reconstruction.

Background: The most widely used method for breast reconstruction in Taiwan is alloplastic breast reconstruction, and traditionally, it can be categorized into immediate or delayed, single-stage or 2-stage procedures. We evaluated clinical outcomes and analyzed patients' self-reported satisfaction and quality of life after alloplastic breast reconstruction based on a previous preliminary study.

Patient And Methods: The patients who underwent primary alloplastic breast reconstruction after mastectomy were recruited in 2006 to 2020 at a single institute in Taiwan.

Vessel Loop Shoelace Technique followed by Keystone Flap to Treat a Large Mid-back Defect.

The keystone design perforator island flap has been gaining popularity for reconstructing large cutaneous defects with sufficient soft tissue laxity. However, for a defect with insufficient local tissue and tense laxity such as upper to mid-back, a single keystone flap may not be so suitable for advancement and mobilization. Instead of an additional flap or double-opposite-designed keystone flaps, we attempted to apply the vessel loop shoelace technique for external expansion before proceeding with only one keystone flap reconstruction for a 15 × 15 cm skin and soft tissue defect on the mid-back.

Healthcare utilization and expenditure among individuals with end-stage kidney disease in Taiwan.

Background/purpose: The prevalence of end-stage kidney disease (ESKD) in Taiwan has been increasing in recent decades. ESKD care and medical expenditures constitute an important part of the entire healthcare system.

Methods: This study analyzed data collected from the National Health Insurance (NHI) Research Database from 2010 to 2018.

Evaluation of air quality in Sunway City, Selangor, Malaysia from a mobile monitoring campaign using air pollution micro-sensors.

Due to the increase of the human population and the rapid industrial growth in the past few decades, air quality monitoring is essential to assess the pollutant levels of an area. However, monitoring air quality in a high-density area like Sunway City, Selangor, Malaysia is challenging due to the limitation of the local monitoring network. To establish a comprehensive data for air pollution in Sunway City, a mobile monitoring campaign was employed around the city area with a duration of approximately 6 months, from September 2018 to March 2019.

A comparison of the risk of congestive heart failure-related hospitalizations in patients receiving hemodialysis and peritoneal dialysis - A retrospective propensity score-matched study.

Introduction: Congestive heart failure (CHF) is associated with high mortality and a heavy financial and healthcare burden in the dialysis population. Determining which dialysis modality is associated with a higher risk of developing CHF might facilitate clinical decision making and surveillance programs in the dialysis population.

Methods: Using the Taiwan National Health Insurance Database, we recruited all incident dialysis patients during the period from January 1, 1998 to December 31, 2010.

Tunable Phospholipid Nanopatterns Mediated by Cholesterol with Sub-3 nm Domain Size.

The interactions between phospholipids and cholesterol have been extensively studied in the aqueous systems because of their vital functionalities in the cell membrane. In this study, instead of the self-assembly in water, we explored the microphase-separated structures of phospholipids in bulk and thin films in the absence of solvents and created a series of ordered nanostructures by incorporation of cholesterol into phospholipids. Three zwitterionic two-tailed phospholipids, that is, phosphatidylcholines (PCs), with different numbers of double bonds on the hydrocarbon tails were investigated, including egg PC, 1,2-dioleoyl- sn-glycero-3-phosphocholine (DOPC), and 1,2-dipalmitoyl- sn-glycero-3-phosphocholine (DPPC).

Atmospheric-pressure-plasma-jet processed carbon nanotube (CNT)-reduced graphene oxide (rGO) nanocomposites for gel-electrolyte supercapacitors.

This study evaluates DC-pulse nitrogen atmospheric-pressure-plasma-jet processed carbon nanotube (CNT)-reduced graphene oxide (rGO) nanocomposites for gel-electrolyte supercapacitor applications. X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy (XPS) indicates decreased oxygen content (mainly, C-O bonding content) after nitrogen APPJ processing owing to the oxidation and vaporization of ethyl cellulose. Nitrogen APPJ processing introduces nitrogen doping and improves the hydrophilicity of the CNT-rGO nanocomposites.