A Multi-institutional Study to Diagnose the Risk of Lymph Node Metastasis Using a CRP Genetic Polymorphism Test Kit in pT1, cN0 Thoracic Esophageal Squamous Cell Carcinoma.

Background/aim: For patients with T1a muscularis mucosae (MM) esophageal squamous cell carcinoma (ESCC) with lymphovascular invasion (LVI) or T1b submucosal (SM) ESCC, endoscopic resection is non-curative, and adjuvant treatment entailing esophagectomy or definitive chemoradiotherapy is necessary. This is because about 30% of these cases have lymph node (LN) metastasis. The purpose of this study was to test the utility of a CRP genetic polymorphism test kit for determining the risk of LN metastasis with the aim of eliminating additional invasive adjuvant therapy.

Association of labor epidural analgesia exposure with long-term risk of autism spectrum disorder in offspring: A meta-analysis of observational studies.

A previous meta-analysis has demonstrated a superior analgesic efficacy of epidural analgesia (e.g. labor epidural analgesia) in comparison with non-epidural approaches.

Mathematical modeling and analysis of mitochondrial retrograde signaling dynamics.

Mitochondria, semi-autonomous eukaryotic organelles, participate in energy production and metabolism, making mitochondrial quality control crucial. As most mitochondrial proteins are encoded by nuclear genes, maintaining mitochondrial function and quality depends on proper mitochondria-nucleus communication and designated mitochondrial retrograde signaling. Early studies focused on retrograde signaling participants and specific gene knockouts.

Evaluation of the marginal adaptation and gingival status of full-crown restorations using an intraoral camera.

Objective: The purpose of this study was to compare the usefulness of intraoral photographs, acquired with a household intraoral camera operating in conventional, calibrated, and polarized modes, with clinical examinations for assessing the marginal adaptation and gingival status of full-crown restorations.

Methods: Clinical examinations were performed by a prosthodontist who classified the marginal adaptation of full-crown restorations according to FDI World Dental Federation criteria, and a periodontal expert who classified gingival status according to the Modified Gingival Index (MGI). The margins and gingival status of the conventional, calibration, and polarization groups of full-crown restorations were independently assessed by three evaluators who obtained photographs using an intraoral camera.

Malignant transformation of oral potentially malignant disorders in Taiwanese indigenous peoples: A nationwide retrospective cohort study.

Malignant transformation of oral potentially malignant disorders (OPMDs) is a potential cause of oral cancer. Currently, there is no research investigating the rate of malignant transformation of OPMDs into oral cancer in indigenous Taiwanese peoples. This study aimed to retrospectively investigate whether ethnicity (indigenous vs non-indigenous people) plays a role in increasing the malignant transformation rate of OPMDs into oral cancer.

Developing Next-Generation Protein-Based Vaccines Using High-Affinity Glycan Ligand-Decorated Glyconanoparticles.

Major diseases, such as cancer and COVID-19, are frightening global health problems, and sustained action is necessary to develop vaccines. Here, for the first time, ethoxy acetalated dextran nanoparticles (Ace-Dex-NPs) are functionalized with 9-N-(4H-thieno[3,2-c]chromene-2-carbamoyl)-Siaα2-3Galβ1-4GlcNAc ( Sia-LacNAc) targeting macrophages as a universal vaccine design platform. First, azide-containing oxidized Ace-Dex-NPs are synthesized.

Effects of High-Frequency Chest Wall Oscillation on Acute Exacerbation of Chronic Obstructive Pulmonary Disease: A Systematic Review and Meta-Analysis of Randomized Controlled Trials.

Purpose: This study aimed to evaluate the efficacy of high-frequency chest wall oscillation for sputum expectoration and hospital length of stay in patients with acute exacerbations of chronic obstructive pulmonary disease. The improvements in pulmonary function and oxygenation were also investigated.

Patients And Methods: This systematic review and meta-analysis followed the Preferred Reporting Items for Systematic Review and Meta-analyses (PRISMA) guidelines.

Preclinical efficacy of azacitidine and venetoclax for infant KMT2A-rearranged acute lymphoblastic leukemia reveals a new therapeutic strategy.

Infants with KMT2A-rearranged B-cell acute lymphoblastic leukemia (ALL) have a dismal prognosis. Survival outcomes have remained static in recent decades despite treatment intensification and novel therapies are urgently required. KMT2A-rearranged infant ALL cells are characterized by an abundance of promoter hypermethylation and exhibit high BCL-2 expression, highlighting potential for therapeutic targeting.

Machine Learning-Based Classification of Subjective Cognitive Decline, Mild Cognitive Impairment, and Alzheimer's Dementia Using Neuroimage and Plasma Biomarkers.

Alzheimer's disease (AD) progresses relentlessly from the preclinical to the dementia stage. The process begins decades before the diagnosis of dementia. Therefore, it is crucial to detect early manifestations to prevent cognitive decline.

Reproducibility of diffusion tensor imaging-derived parameters: implications for the streptozotocin-induced type 1 diabetic rats.

Objective: Diffusion tensor imaging (DTI) is a useful approach for studying neuronal integrity in animals. However, the test-retest reproducibility of DTI techniques in animals has not been discussed. Therefore, the first part of this work was to systematically elucidate the reliability of DTI-derived parameters in an animal study.

Utilization of palliative care resource remains low, consuming potentially avoidable hospital admissions in stage IV non-small cell lung cancer: a community-based retrospective review.

Purpose: Early referral of patients with stage IV non-small cell lung cancer (NSCLC) to outpatient palliative care has been shown to increase survival and reduce unnecessary healthcare resource utilization. We aimed to determine outpatient palliative care referral rate and subsequent resource utilization in patients with stage IV NSCLC in a multistate, community-based hospital network and identify rates and reasons for admissions within a local healthcare system of Washington State.

Methods: A retrospective chart review of a multistate hospital network and a local healthcare system.

The influence on surface characteristic and biocompatibility of nano-SnO-modified titanium implant material using atomic layer deposition technique.

Background/purpose: To investigate the surface characteristics of titanium (Ti) implant materials, which were coated with different thicknesses of nanoscale tin oxide (SnO) using the atomic layer deposition technique, and evaluated its biological performance on human embryonic palatal mesenchyme (HEPM) cells.

Methods: The thickness of the coating layer on Ti was 0 (Ti0), 20 nm (Ti20), 50 nm (Ti50), and 100 nm (Ti100), respectively. The surface morphology was observed with an SEM and AFM.

New Efficient Method for Hysteroscopic Isthmoplasty: Four Simple Steps Lead to a Significant Improvement in Bleeding Status.

We demonstrate an effective reduction in postmenstrual spotting after our novel hysteroscopic isthmoplasty. This study included 66 patients with isthmocele-related postmenstrual spotting confirmed by sonography and diagnostic hysteroscopy between 2000 and 2017. Our new interventions included the following four steps: (1) make a resection gradient of the distal edge of the isthmocele from the ape of the isthmocele down to the cervical outer orifice; (2) resect the distal and proximal niches of the isthmocele; (3) electrocauterize the distal and proximal sides (not only the niche bottom) of the small cave on the scar side of the isthmocele; (4) manage the isthmocele until it is largely connected to the cavity.

Neuroprotective Capability of Narcissoside in 6-OHDA-Exposed Parkinson's Disease Models through Enhancing the MiR200a/Nrf-2/GSH Axis and Mediating MAPK/Akt Associated Signaling Pathway.

We assessed the antioxidant potential of narcissoside from flowers (elderflowers) in Parkinson's disease models in vitro and in vivo. The results showed that narcissoside lessened the 6-hydroxydopamine (6-OHDA)-induced increase in reactive oxygen species (ROS) and apoptosis in SH-SY5Y cells. In the 6-OHDA-exposed model, narcissoside reduced degeneration of dopaminergic neurons and ROS generation, and also improved dopamine-related food-sensitive behavior and shortened lifespan.

Impact of a COPD care bundle on hospital readmission rates.

Background: Chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD) is one of the leading causes of mortality worldwide and contributes considerably to morbidity and health care costs. In October 2014, the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services introduced financial penalties followed by bundled payments for care improvement initiatives in patients hospitalized with COPD.

Objectives: This study seeks to evaluate whether an evidence-based interprofessional COPD care bundle focused on inpatient, transitional, and outpatient care would reduce hospital readmission rates.

Complete abrogation of key osteoclast markers with a membrane-anchored tissue inhibitor of metalloproteinase : a novel approach in the prevention of osteoclastogenesis.

Aims: Tissue inhibitors of metalloproteinases (TIMPs) are the endogenous inhibitors of the zinc-dependent matrix metalloproteinases (MMP) and A disintegrin and metalloproteinases (ADAM) involved in extracellular matrix modulation. The present study aims to develop the TIMPs as biologics for osteoclast-related disorders.

Methods: We examine the inhibitory effect of a high affinity, glycosyl-phosphatidylinositol-anchored TIMP variant named 'T1' on receptor activator of nuclear factor kappa-Β ligand (RANKL)-induced osteoclast differentiation.

Conventional and Kampo Medicine Treatment for Mild-to-moderate COVID-19: A Multicenter, Retrospective, Observational Study by the Integrative Management in Japan for Epidemic Disease (IMJEDI Study-observation).

Objective Patients in whom coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) was suspected or confirmed between January 1, 2020, and October 31, 2021, were enrolled from Japanese hospitals in this multicenter, retrospective, observational study. Methods Data on the treatment administered (including conventional and Kampo medicine) and changes in common cold-like symptoms (such as fever, cough, sputum, dyspnea, fatigue, and diarrhea) were collected from their medical records. The primary outcome was the number of days without a fever (with a body temperature <37°C).

An integrated biometric voice and facial features for early detection of Parkinson's disease.

Hypomimia and voice changes are soft signs preceding classical motor disability in patients with Parkinson's disease (PD). We aim to investigate whether an analysis of acoustic and facial expressions with machine-learning algorithms assist early identification of patients with PD. We recruited 371 participants, including a training cohort (112 PD patients during "on" phase, 111 controls) and a validation cohort (74 PD patients during "off" phase, 74 controls).

The JMJD6/HURP axis promotes cell migration via NF-κB-dependent centrosome repositioning and Cdc42-mediated Golgi repositioning.

Golgi apparatus (GA) and centrosome reposition toward cell leading end during directional cell migration in a coupling way, thereby determining cell polarity by transporting essential factors to the proximal plasma membrane. The study provides mechanistic insights into how GA repositioning (GR) is regulated, and how GR and centrosome repositioning (CR) are coupled. Our previous published works reveals that PRMT5 methylates HURP at R122 and the HURP m122 inhibits GR and cell migration by stabilizing GA-associated acetyl-tubulin and then rigidifying GA.

Brain mechanisms underlying the influence of emotions on spatial decision-making: An EEG study.

It is common for people to make bad decisions because of their emotions in life. When these decisions are important, such as aeronautical decisions and driving decisions, the mistakes of decisions can cause irreversible damage. Therefore, it is important to explore how emotions influence decision-making, so as to avoid the negative influence of emotions on decision-making as much as possible.

Engineered Mesoporous Silica-Based Core-Shell Nanoarchitectures for Synergistic Chemo-Photodynamic Therapies.

Combinatorial therapies have garnered enormous interest from researchers in efficiently devastating malignant tumors through synergistic effects. To explore the combinatorial approach, multiple therapeutic agents are typically loaded in the delivery vehicles, controlling their release profiles and executing subsequent therapeutic purposes. Herein, we report the fabrication of core (silica)-shell (mesoporous silica nanoparticles, MSNs) architectures to deliver methylene blue (MB) and cupric doxorubicin (Dox) as model drugs for synergistic photodynamic therapy (PDT), chemotherapy, and chemodynamic therapy (CDT).

C9-ALS-Associated Proline-Arginine Dipeptide Repeat Protein Induces Activation of NLRP3 Inflammasome of HMC3 Microglia Cells by Binding of Complement Component 1 Q Subcomponent-Binding Protein (C1QBP), and Syringin Prevents This Effect.

Amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (ALS) is a fatal disease in which motor neurons gradually degenerate. The mutation of the gene is the main genetic cause of ALS (C9-ALS). One of its specific pathological features is the production of proline-arginine (PR) dipeptide repeat protein (DPR).

Athermalized carrier multiplication mechanism for detectors using an amorphous silicon gain medium.

In this paper, we investigate the temperature sensitivity of gain and breakdown voltage of detectors based on cycling excitation process (CEP), an internal signal amplification mechanism found in amorphous silicon (a-Si). Changes in gain and breakdown voltage with temperature can result in pixel-to-pixel signal variation in a focal plane array and variations in photon detection efficiency for single photon detectors. We have demonstrated athermalized CEP detectors with their gain and breakdown voltage being nearly temperature independent from 200 K to 350 K, covering the temperature range for practical applications.