Psoriatic arthritis risk in psoriasis patients prescribed acitretin versus disease-modifying antirheumatic drugs: a nationwide cohort study.

Objectives: To compare the risk of PsA in psoriasis (PsO) patients treated with acitretin vs DMARDs.

Methods: This retrospective study used Taiwan's National Health Insurance Research Database from 1997 to 2013. Adult PsO patients without PsA prescribed acitretin or DMARDs for ≥30 days within a year were assigned to the acitretin cohort or DMARDs cohort, respectively.

Viral Chemotaxis of Paramecium Bursaria Altered by Algal Endosymbionts.

Chemotaxis is widespread across many taxa and often aids resource acquisition or predator avoidance. Species interactions can modify the degree of movement facilitated by chemotaxis. In this study, we investigated the influence of symbionts on Paramecium bursaria's chemotactic behavior toward chloroviruses.

Composite Hydrogels of Ultrasound-Assisted-Digested Formic Acid-Decellularized Extracellular Matrix and Sacchachitin Nanofibers Incorporated with Platelet-Rich Plasma for Diabetic Wound Treatment.

In this study, an ultrasound-assisted digestion method of a formic acid-decellularized extracellular matrix (dECM) of porcine skin was developed and optimized to form UdECM hydrogels for diabetic wound healing. Results demonstrated that ultrasonication improved the extraction rate of collagen from dECM samples, preserved the collagen content of dECM, reduced residual cells, and extracted greater DNA contents. Scanning electron microscope (SEM) analyses were performed, which demonstrated the optimal porosity on the surface and density of the cross-section in the hydrogel structure, which could control the release of growth factors embedded in UdECM hydrogels at desirable rates to boost wound healing.

Unmasking the Hidden Fetus: Introducing the Circled Delta Sign and Reversed Circled Delta Sign for Accurate Identification on Abdominal Radiography.

BACKGROUND Ionizing radiation poses potential health risk to fetuses, including growth retardation, organ malformations, neurological effects, fetal death, and cancer. Therefore, pregnant women rarely undergo X-ray imaging, unless absolutely necessary. However, they can be inadvertently exposed to X-rays while undergoing an examination without being aware of their pregnancy.

Simultaneous removal of fluoride and phosphate from semiconductor wastewater via chemical precipitation of calcium fluoride and hydroxyapatite using byproduct of recycled aggregate.

Semiconductor wastewater with high concentrations of fluoride and phosphate is an environmental issue that cannot be ignored. Moreover, the byproduct of recycled aggregates, concrete fines, cannot be reused in concrete manufacturing, which is a key issue to address for the sustainable development of the concrete industry. The objective of this study was to tackle the crucial environmental issues of these two industries by developing concrete fines as an alternative material to treat semiconductor wastewater.

Limocitrin increases cytotoxicity of KHYG-1 cells against K562 cells by modulating MAPK pathway.

Natural killer (NK) cells are gaining popularity in the field of cancer immunotherapy. The present study was designed to investigate the effect of a natural flavonol compound limocitrin in increasing cytotoxicity of a permanent NK leukemia cell line KHYG-1 against an aggressive leukemia cell line K562. The findings revealed that limocitrin increased the expressions of cytolytic molecules perforin, granzymes A and B, and granulysin in KHYG-1 cells by inducing phosphorylation of transcription factor CREB, leading to increased lysis of K562 cells.

A Three-Arm, Randomized, Double-Blind, Placebo-Controlled Study to Evaluate the Safety of AP-32 and CP-9 Used Individually in Healthy Infants.

Probiotics are considered safe and beneficial to human health. However, the safety of AP-32 and CP-9 in infants has not been confirmed. This study was to assess the safety of long-term oral administration of AP-32 and CP-9 in healthy infants compared with placebo.

Additive effect of frailty with distinct multimorbidity patterns on mortality amongst middle-aged and older adults in Taiwan: A 16-year population-based study.

Aim: This study aimed to explore the association between multimorbidity patterns with/without frailty and future mortality among Taiwanese middle-aged and older adults through a population-based cohort study design.

Methods: Data were collected from the Taiwan Longitudinal Study on Aging. The data were obtained from Wave 3, with the multimorbidity patterns in the years of 1996 being analyzed through latent class analysis.

New records of a rare gibberfish, (Stephanoberyciformes, Gibberichthyidae), from the South China Sea, with comments on morphological characters.

The gibberfish is recorded for the first time from southwestern Taiwan, northern South China Sea, based on the collection of seven adults and subadults from the Dong-gang fish market, Pingtung. These specimens represent the northernmost extent of the adult range of the species, and they fill a distributional gap in the western Pacific Ocean. Our findings suggest that a population of the species has become recently established in the region.

A fully automated home cage for long-term continuous phenotyping of mouse cognition and behavior.

Automated home-cage monitoring systems present a valuable tool for comprehensive phenotyping of natural behaviors. However, current systems often involve complex training routines, water or food restriction, and probe a limited range of behaviors. Here, we present a fully automated home-cage monitoring system for cognitive and behavioral phenotyping in mice.

Redescription of Lestidiops distans (Ege, 1953) and comments on Lestidiops cadenati (Maul, 1962) from the eastern Atlantic Ocean (Teleostei: Aulopiformes).

The paralepidid species Lestidiops distans (Ege, 1953) is redescribed on the basis of adult specimens collected from the eastern Atlantic Ocean. Observations on the holotype, a detailed description, and full data of the adults are provided. The complete lateral line running to the caudal fin base found in L.

Okamejei picta sp. nov., a new rajid skate from the South China Sea (Rajiformes: Rajidae).

A new species of Okamejei is described based on two adult males collected from deep waters in the South China Sea. The new species, Okamejei picta sp. nov.

Study protocol for type II hybrid implementation-effectiveness trial of strategies for depression care task-sharing in community health stations in Vietnam: DEP Project.

Background: It is not clear what the most effective implementation strategies are for supporting the enactment and sustainment of depression care services in primary care settings. This type-II Hybrid Implementation-Effectiveness study will compare the effectiveness of three system-level strategies for implementing depression care programs at 36 community health stations (CHSs) across 2 provinces in Vietnam.

Methods: In this cluster-randomized controlled trial, CHSs will be randomly assigned to one of three implementation conditions: (1) Usual Implementation (UI), which consists of training workshops and toolkits; (2) Enhanced Supervision (ES), which includes UI combined with bi-weekly/monthly supervision; and (3) Community-Engaged Learning Collaborative (CELC), which includes all components of ES, combined with bi-monthly province-wide learning collaborative meetings, during which cross-site learning and continuous quality improvement (QI) strategies are implemented to achieve better implementation outcomes.

Statins suppress cell-to-cell propagation of α-synuclein by lowering cholesterol.

Cell-to-cell propagation of protein aggregates has been implicated in the progression of neurodegenerative diseases. However, the underlying mechanism and modulators of this process are not fully understood. Here, we screened a small-molecule library in a search for agents that suppress the propagation of α-synuclein and mutant huntingtin (mHtt).

Information needs of informal caregivers in caring and rehabilitation for dioxin victims in Vietnam.

Background: Health outcomes among Agent Orange/dioxin (dioxin) victims are significant due to many individuals requiring daily assistance, informal care, and rehabilitation support. This study aimed to identify the information needs of informal caregivers of dioxin victims in Vietnam.

Methods: A cross-sectional study was conducted in Quynh Phu district, Thai Binh province - an area with a large number of dioxin victims, from June 2019 to June 2020.

Unraveling the complexity of Optical Coherence Tomography image segmentation using machine and deep learning techniques: A review.

Optical Coherence Tomography (OCT) is an emerging technology that provides three-dimensional images of the microanatomy of biological tissue in-vivo and at micrometer-scale resolution. OCT imaging has been widely used to diagnose and manage various medical diseases, such as macular degeneration, glaucoma, and coronary artery disease. Despite its wide range of applications, the segmentation of OCT images remains difficult due to the complexity of tissue structures and the presence of artifacts.

Seasonal peak and the role of local weather in schizophrenia occurrence: A global analysis of epidemiological evidence.

Background: Many studies have shown that the onset of schizophrenia peaked in certain months within a year and the local weather conditions could affect the morbidity risk of schizophrenia. This study aimed to conduct a systematic analysis of schizophrenia seasonality in different countries of the world and to explore the effects of weather factors globally.

Methods: We searched three databases (PubMed, Web of Science, and China National Knowledge Infrastructure) for eligible studies published up to September 2022.

Investigation of performance and mechanism of zinc removal from polluted water by concrete fines derived from aggregate recycling: From problematic byproducts to effective adsorbent.

Concrete fines are byproducts produced from aggregate recycling. Because of their properties, they cannot be directly recycled for use in concrete manufacturing, which is problematic to move the cement and concrete industry toward sustainable development goals and reduce its environmental impact. Taking advantage of concrete fines unique properties was regarded as a possible research direction.

Engineering tumoral vascular leakiness with gold nanoparticles.

Delivering cancer therapeutics to tumors necessitates their escape from the surrounding blood vessels. Tumor vasculatures are not always sufficiently leaky. Herein, we engineer therapeutically competent leakage of therapeutics from tumor vasculature with gold nanoparticles capable of inducing endothelial leakiness (NanoEL).

Quasi-phase extraction-based surface plasmon resonance imaging method for coffee ring effect monitoring and biosensing.

Wavelength interrogation surface plasmon resonance imaging (WSPRi) sensing has unique advantages in high-throughput imaging detection. The refractive index resolution (RIR) of WSPRi is limited to the order of 10 RIU. This paper demonstrates a novel WSPRi sensing system with a wavelength scanning device of an acousto-optic tunable filter (AOTF) and a low-cost speckle-free SPR excitation source of a halogen lamp.

Daily aspirin associated with a reduced risk of hepatocellular carcinoma in patients with non-alcoholic fatty liver disease: a population-based cohort study.

Background: Emerging laboratory and animal studies suggest that aspirin may prevent non-alcoholic fatty liver disease (NAFLD)-related hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC), however clinical evidence remains lacking.

Methods: Using Taiwan's National Health Insurance Research Database, we screened 145,212 NAFLD patients from 1997 through 2011. After excluding any confounding conditions, 33,484 patients who continuously received a daily dose of aspirin for 90 days or more (treated group), along with 55,543 patients who had not received antiplatelet therapy (untreated group), were respectively recruited.

Assessment of bowel movement dysfunction following laparoscopic low anterior resection for rectal cancer: a single-center study from Vietnam.

Objective: Postoperative bowel movement dysfunction is a challenging problem greatly affecting patients' quality of life after low anterior resection. We aimed to evaluate the bowel movement function of patients undergoing laparoscopic low anterior resection for rectal cancer.

Patients And Methods: This retrospective study recruited 82 rectal cancer patients undergoing laparoscopic low anterior resection from July 2018 to July 2020 at 108 Military Central Hospital, Hanoi, Vietnam.

Intensive sampling of the umbra and penumbra improves clinically significant prostate cancer detection and reduces risk of grade group upgrading at radical prostatectomy.

Purpose: Our objective is to evaluate the clinically significant prostate cancer detection rate of overlapping and perilesional systematic biopsy cores and its impact on grade group (GG) concordance at prostatectomy.

Materials And Methods: Biopsy maps of those undergoing MRI-targeted (TB) and systematic biopsy (SB) were reviewed to reclassify systematic cores. Perilesional (PL) cores were defined as adjacent cores within 10 mm of the target lesion ("penumbra") whilst overlap (OL) cores were defined as cores within the ROI itself ("umbra").

FAM13A polymorphisms are associated with a specific susceptibility to clinical progression of oral cancer in alcohol drinkers.

Background: Single nucleotide polymorphism (SNP) is a genetic variation that occurs when a single nucleotide base in the DNA sequence varies between individuals and is present in at least 1% of the population. Genetic variants in FAM13A are associated with different types of chronic respiratory diseases, including chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD), cystic fibrosis (CF), and lung cancer. However, there is little literature on the association of FAM13A genotypes with oral cancer.