Urban people's preferences for life-sustaining treatment or artificial nutrition and hydration in advance decisions.

Background: The Patient Right to Autonomy Act (PRAA), implemented in Taiwan in 2019, enables the creation of advance decisions (AD) through advance care planning (ACP). This legal framework allows for the withholding and withdrawal of life-sustaining treatment (LST) or artificial nutrition and hydration (ANH) in situations like irreversible coma, vegetative state, severe dementia, or unbearable pain. This study aims to investigate preferences for LST or ANH across various clinical conditions, variations in participant preferences, and factors influencing these preferences among urban residents.

Increased oxidative stress is associated with hyperandrogenemia in polycystic ovary syndrome evidenced by oxidized lipoproteins stimulating rat ovarian androgen synthesis in vitro.

Purpose: To determine the relationship between serum total testosterone (TT) levels and oxidative stress indices in patients with polycystic ovary syndrome (PCOS), and to investigate the effect of oxidative stress on androgen synthesis and its mechanism in rat ovarian theca-interstitial (T-I) cells.

Methods: Clinical, hormonal, metabolic, and oxidative stress parameters were analyzed in a cross-sectional case-control study including 626 patients with PCOS and 296 controls. The effects of oxidized low-density lipoprotein (ox-LDL) and oxidized high-density lipoprotein (ox-HDL) on cell proliferation, TT secretion, and expression of key enzymes involved in testosterone synthesis were evaluated in T-I cells.

Multi-needle blow-spinning technique for fabricating collagen nanofibrous nerve guidance conduit with scalable productivity and high performance.

Nerve guidance conduits (NGCs) have been widely accepted as a promising strategy for peripheral nerve regeneration. Fabricating ideal NGCs with good biocompatibility, biodegradability, permeability, appropriate mechanical properties (space maintenance, suturing performance, etc.), and oriented topographic cues is still current research focus.

Heme oxygenase 2 genetic variants alter hormonal and metabolic traits in polycystic ovary syndrome.

Oxidative stress and metabolic disorders are involved in the pathogenesis of polycystic ovary syndrome (PCOS). Heme oxygenase 2 (HMOX2) plays a critical role in preserving heme metabolism as well as in modulating glycolipid metabolism, oxidative stress, and inflammation. This study examined the correlation between HMOX2 G554A (rs1051308) and A-42G (rs2270363) genetic variants with the risk of PCOS and assessed the effects of these genotypes on clinical, hormonal, metabolic, and oxidative stress indices using a case-control design that included 1014 patients with PCOS and 806 control participants.

External magnetic field non-invasively stimulates spinal cord regeneration in rat via a magnetic-responsive aligned fibrin hydrogel.

Magnetic stimulation is becoming an attractive approach to promote neuroprotection, neurogenesis, axonal regeneration, and functional recovery in both the central nervous system and peripheral nervous system disorders owing to its painless, non-invasive, and deep penetration characteristics. Here, a magnetic-responsive aligned fibrin hydrogel (MAFG) was developed to import and amplify the extrinsic magnetic field (MF) locally to stimulate spinal cord regeneration in combination with the beneficial topographical and biochemical cues of aligned fibrin hydrogel (AFG). Magnetic nanoparticles (MNPs) were embedded uniformly in AFG during electrospinning to endow it magnetic-responsive feature, with saturation magnetization of 21.

Factors Impacting Advance Decision Making and Health Care Agent Appointment among Taiwanese Urban Residents after the Passage of Patient Right to Autonomy Act.

Unlabelled: In recent years, advance care planning (ACP) promotion in Taiwan has expanded beyond clinical practice to the broader population. This study aims to investigate people's attitudes toward ACP and to identify factors influencing their signing of advance directives (ADs) and appointment of health care agents (HCAs).

Methods: We identified 2337 ACP participants from consultation records between 2019 and 2020.

End-of-Life Care, Symptom Burden, and Quality of Life in Couples Facing Stage IV Lung Cancer: The Role of Patient and Spousal Psychospirituality and Discussions Around Fear of Death and Disease Progression.

As patients live longer with stage IV nonsmall cell lung cancer, correlates of end-of-life (EOL) care and experience are increasingly relevant. We, therefore, prospectively examined associations among psychospirituality (Center for Epidemiologic Studies Depression Scale, Functional Assessment of Chronic Illness Therapy-Spiritual Well-Being), discussions around fear of death and disease progression, and hospital-based EOL care in patients and caregivers. Patients additionally reported symptom burden (MD Anderson Symptom Inventory-Lung Cancer total) and quality of life (QOL) (quality-of-life at EOL).

3D bio-printed living nerve-like fibers refine the ecological niche for long-distance spinal cord injury regeneration.

3D bioprinting holds great promise toward fabricating biomimetic living constructs in a bottom-up assembly manner. To date, various emergences of living constructs have been bioprinted for applications, while the conspicuous potential serving for implantable therapies in spinal cord injury (SCI) has been relatively overlooked. Herein, living nerve-like fibers are prepared via extrusion-based 3D bioprinting for SCI therapy.

Myeloperoxidase G-463A and CYBA C242T genetic variants in gestational diabetes mellitus.

Oxidative stress plays an important role in the pathophysiology of gestational diabetes mellitus (GDM). We investigated the relationship between NADPH oxidase p22phox subunit (CYBA) C242T (rs4673) and myeloperoxidase (MPO) G-463A (rs2333227) genetic variants and GDM in 719 patients with GDM and 1205 control women. Clinical, metabolic, and oxidative stress parameters were analyzed.

Active-site cysteine 215 sulfonation targets protein tyrosine phosphatase PTP1B for Cullin1 E3 ligase-mediated degradation.

Reactive oxygen species (ROS), released as byproducts of mitochondrial metabolism or as products of NADPH oxidases and other processes, can directly oxidize the active-site cysteine (Cys) residue of protein tyrosine phosphatases (PTPs) in a mammalian cell. Robust degradation of irreversibly oxidized PTPs is essential for preventing accumulation of these permanently inactive enzymes. However, the mechanism underlying the degradation of these proteins was unknown.

Advance Care Planning Among Adult Patients and Their End-of-Life Care Preferences.

To explore people's intentions to opt for a good death when planning for their end-of-life care, this study examined the type of end-of-life care preferred by patients receiving advance care planning (ACP) consulting services for five specified clinical and disability conditions and possible factors affecting their decision-making. This cross-sectional study analyzed 1303 hospital patients and 1032 nonhospital patients who attended a clinic providing ACP consulting services. This study revealed the following two results.

Demographics, employment, and proximity to covid-19 as predictors of preparedness among Taiwanese health social workers.

COVID-19 struck the world violently and cause negative psychological consequences on health professionals. The preparedness of social workers for the pandemic is critical while facing these challenges and pressures. The study aimed to explore what are the roles of demographic, employment, and proximity to Covid-19 in predicting preparedness for the next wave of COVID among social workers in Taiwan.

Molecular epidemiology and clinical characterization of human rhinoviruses circulating in Shanghai, 2012-2020.

Human rhinoviruses (HRVs) cause acute upper and lower respiratory tract infections and aggravation of asthma and chronic obstructive pulmonary disease. The 5' untranslated region (5' UTR) and the VP4/VP2 region are widely used for genotyping of HRVs. Members of the species Rhinovirus A and Rhinovirus C have been reported to be more frequently associated with severe disease than members of the species Rhinovirus B.

Prompt successful response to a COVID-19 outbreak: Performance of community-based rapid screening station.

An outbreak occurred in Wanhua District of Taipei City. It was traced to a cluster infection originating from a teahouse. To prevent further large-scaled community spread, the Taipei City Government established the first community rapid test screening station.

Blow-Spun Collagen Nanofibrous Spongy Membrane: Preparation and Characterization.

Fibrous biotextiles are very popular structural forms that are widely used in medical products and devices ranging from sutures, bandages, wound dressing, and patches to all kinds of artificial grafts such as ligaments, tendons, blood vessels, heart valves, and tissue engineered scaffolds. Blow-spinning is a recently developed technique that enables the large-scale and efficient production of ultrathin fibers with diameters ranging from micrometer to nanometer. In this study, the blow-spinning process and parameters were optimized to steadily fabricate collagen nanofibers by ejecting a collagen solution with constant airflow with precisely controlled diameter and alignment.

Pilot Randomized Controlled Trial in Women With Non-Small Cell Lung Cancer to Assess the Feasibility of Delivering Group-Based Psychosocial Care via Videoconference.

Background: The goal of this pilot randomized controlled trial was to examine the feasibility and acceptability of delivering group-based psychosocial care via videoconference (ie, Zoom) to women with lung cancer undergoing treatment.

Methods: At baseline, women indicated their typical computer and internet use and were then randomized to a group-based intervention that either focused on mindfulness training or psychoeducation. Participants completed 1 Zoom "practice run" prior to starting the 5 group sessions (1 per week).

Association of Polymorphisms of Glutamate Cysteine Ligase Genes GCLC C-129 T and GCLM C-588 T with Risk of Polycystic Ovary Syndrome in Chinese Women.

Polycystic ovary syndrome (PCOS) is generally considered a multifactorial disease caused by interactions between multiple susceptible genes and environmental factors. Glutamate cysteine ligase (GCL) is the rate-limiting enzyme in glutathione biosynthesis. This study examined the relationship between single nucleotide polymorphisms (SNPs) in the GCL catalytic subunit (GCLC C-129 T) and the modifier subunit (GCLM C-588 T) and PCOS.

Evaluation of Short-Chain Antimicrobial Peptides With Combined Antimicrobial and Anti-inflammatory Bioactivities for the Treatment of Zoonotic Skin Pathogens From Canines.

The incidence of zoonotic and infections is rapidly growing worldwide in the context of an increasing frequency of close contact between animals and humans, presenting challenges in both human and veterinary medicine. Moreover, the development of microbial resistance and emergence of recalcitrant biofilms, accompanied by the insufficiency of new antimicrobial agents, have become major obstacles in treating superficial skin infections caused by various microbes including and . Over recent years, the prospects of antimicrobial peptides as emerging antimicrobials to combat microbial infections have been demonstrated.

Biodegradable aniline-derived electroconductive film for the regulation of neural stem cell fate.

Neural stem cells (NSCs) represent significant potential and promise in the treatment of neurodegenerative diseases and nerve injuries. An efficient methodology or platform that can help in specifically directing the stem cell fate is important and highly desirable for future clinical therapy. In this study, a biodegradable electrical conductive film composed of an oxidative polymerized carboxyl-capped aniline pentamer (CCAP) and ring-opening polymerized tetra poly(d,l-lactide) (4a-PLA) was designed with the addition of the dopant, namely chondroitin sulfate.

Neural tissue engineering: the influence of scaffold surface topography and extracellular matrix microenvironment.

During nervous system development, an extracellular matrix (ECM) plays a pivotal role through surface topography and microenvironment signals in neurons and neurites maturation. Topography and microenvironment signals act as physical and chemical guiding cues, respectively, for neural tissue formation and reconstruction. Imposed surface topography can affect neural stem cells by promoting adhesion, spreading, alignment, morphological changes, and specific gene expression.

[Efficiency of Magnesium Hydroxide Capping and Amendment to Control Phosphorus Release from Sediments].

Eutrophication of freshwater bodies has become a global environmental problem, and phosphorus (P) has been identified as one of the key limiting factors responsible for this eutrophication problem. Reducing internal P release is crucial to the control of the eutrophication of freshwater bodies besides reducing the input of external P. To control sedimentary P release, magnesium hydroxide[Mg(OH)] was applied as a capping and amendment material in this study.

Targeting protein tyrosine phosphatase PTP-PEST (PTPN12) for therapeutic intervention in acute myocardial infarction.

Aims: The myocardial ischaemia/reperfusion (I/R) injury is almost inevitable since reperfusion is the only established treatment for acute myocardial infarction (AMI). To date there is no effective strategy available for reducing the I/R injury. Our aim was to elucidate the mechanisms underlying myocardial I/R injury and to develop a new strategy for attenuating the damage it causes.

Dyadic yoga program for patients undergoing thoracic radiotherapy and their family caregivers: Results of a pilot randomized controlled trial.

Objective: Thoracic radiotherapy (TRT) may result in toxicities that are associated with performance declines and poor quality of life (QOL) for patients and their family caregivers. The purpose of this randomized controlled trial was to establish feasibility and preliminary efficacy of a dyadic yoga (DY) intervention as a supportive care strategy.

Methods: Patients with stage I to III non-small cell lung or esophageal cancer undergoing TRT and their caregivers (N = 26 dyads) were randomized to a 15-session DY or a waitlist control (WLC) group.