Reliability and validity of five balance assessments battery in individuals with schizophrenia.

This study examines the test-retest reliability, concurrent and discriminant validity of Star excursion balance test (SEBT), One-leg stance (OLS), Functional reach test (FRT), Timed up-and-go test (TUG), and Tandem walking test (TW) in individuals with schizophrenia. Thirteen participants with schizophrenia who had a history of falls and 13 age-matched controls with schizophrenia who had no history of falls received the five balance assessments battery to establish test-retest reliability. A force platform was administered to examine concurrent validity, while balance assessment performance between fallers and non-fallers was examined for discriminant validity.

DNA cytosine methyltransferases differentially regulate genome-wide hypermutation and interhomolog recombination in Trichoderma reesei meiosis.

Trichoderma reesei is an economically important enzyme producer with several unique meiotic features. spo11, the initiator of meiotic double-strand breaks (DSBs) in most sexual eukaryotes, is dispensable for T. reesei meiosis.

Effectiveness of Implementing Modified Early Warning System and Rapid Response Team for General Ward Inpatients.

This retrospective study assessed the effectiveness and impact of implementing a Modified Early Warning System (MEWS) and Rapid Response Team (RRT) for inpatients admitted to the general ward (GW) of a medical center. This study included all inpatients who stayed in GWs from Jan. 2017 to Feb.

The impact of intensity-modulated radiotherapy in conjunction with chemotherapy on proximal pT3N0 rectal cancer patients after total mesorectum excision.

Background: This study aimed to ascertain if the incorporation of intensity-modulated radiotherapy (IMRT) with chemotherapy (CTx) offered any advantages for patients diagnosed with stage pT3N0 rectal cancer located in the proximal (upper) region following a complete total mesorectum excision (TME).

Methods: We retrospectively examined medical records of stage II/III rectal cancer patients who had undergone CTx or concurrent chemoradiation (CCRT) with IMRT after a successful TME. We juxtaposed a variety of survival outcomes across two patient cohorts.

Absorption and Metabolism of Urolithin A and Ellagic Acid in Mice and Their Cytotoxicity in Human Colorectal Cancer Cells.

Background: Ellagic acid is a natural polyphenol compound found in pomegranates, walnuts, and many berries. It is not easily absorbed, but it could be metabolized to urolithins by the gut microbiota. Urolithin A, one of the ellagic acid metabolites, has been proved to prolong the lifespan of and increases muscle function of mice.

Triage body temperature and its influence on patients with acute myocardial infarction.

Background: Fever can occur after acute myocardial infarction (MI). The influence of body temperature (BT) after hospital arrival on patients with acute MI has rarely been investigated.

Methods: Patients who were diagnosed with acute MI in the emergency department (ED) of a tertiary teaching hospital between 1 January 2020 and 31 December 2020 were enrolled.

Amelioration of Murine Colitis by Attenuated Encoding Interleukin-19.

The imbalance of mucosal immunity in the lower gastrointestinal tract can lead to chronic inflammatory bowel diseases (IBDs), including Crohn's disease and ulcerative colitis. IBD is a chronic inflammatory disorder that causes small and/or large intestines ulceration. According to previous studies, recombinant interleukin (IL)-10 protein and genetically modified bacteria secreting IL-10 ameliorate dextran sulfate sodium (DSS)-induced colitis in mice.

Characteristic-Preserving Latent Space for Unpaired Cross-Domain Translation of 3D Point Clouds.

This article aims at unpaired shape-to-shape transformation for 3D point clouds, for instance, turning a chair to its table counterpart. Recent work for 3D shape transfer or deformation highly relies on paired inputs or specific correspondences. However, it is usually not feasible to assign precise correspondences or prepare paired data from two domains.

Impact of the Emergency Procedure Zone on Emergency Care.

Emergency department (ED) overcrowding is a public health crisis that affects patient care quality. Space management in the ED can affect patient flow dynamics and clinical practice. We proposed a novel design of the "emergency procedure zone" (EPZ).

Children's perceptions of interactive virtual-reality interventions implemented before and after intravenous cannulation.

Background: Although some studies have reported evidence of the effectiveness of virtual-reality interventions implemented for children undergoing intravenous (IV) cannulation, children's perceptions of virtual-reality interventions implemented during IV cannulation warrant further exploration.

Aims: To explore the school-aged children's perceptions of interactive virtual-reality interventions implemented before and after IV cannulation.

Methods: A qualitative descriptive study was adopted.

Crystal structure of a Burkholderia peptidase and modification of the substrate-binding site for enhanced hydrolytic activity toward gluten-derived pro-immunogenic peptides.

Celiac disease (CD) is a human autoimmune disease triggered by toxic gluten peptides. Recently, oral enzyme therapy has been proposed to ameliorate the health condition of CD patients based on the concept of removing pepsin-insensitive gluten-derived pro-immunogenic peptides. A Burkholderia peptidase, Bga1903, with promising gluten-degrading activity was characterized previously.

A full-face mask for protection against respiratory infections.

Background: Aerosols and droplets are the transmission routes of many respiratory infectious diseases. The COVID-19 management guidance recommends against the use of nebulized inhalation therapy directly in the emergency room or in an ambulance to prevent possible viral transmission. The three-dimensional printing method was used to develop an aerosol inhalation treatment mask that can potentially prevent aerosol dispersion.

Synthesis of cross-linked magnetic chitosan beads immobilised with bacteria for aerobic biodegrading benzophenone-type UV filter.

Bacterial immobilisation is a technique by which bacteria are embedded into or adsorbed onto a carrier material thereby increasing bacterial tolerance to harsh environments. This technique can be used to enhance bacterial activity and to degrade pollutants. Immobilised bacterial beads that contain nanomagnetic particles allow bead recycling and reuse.

Impact of Bariatric Surgery on Outcomes of Patients with Rheumatoid Arthritis: a Propensity Score-Matched Analysis of US Nationwide Inpatient Sample, 2005-2018.

Purpose: Obesity has been considered one of the risk factors with more critical disease progression and poor treatment response in rheumatoid arthritis (RA). We herein utilized an extensive, nationally representative database to examine the impact of bariatric surgery on clinical outcomes in RA patients.

Materials And Methods: This retrospective analysis utilized nationally representative data of the Healthcare Cost and Utilization Project-National Inpatient Sample database (HCUP-NIS) from 2005 to 2018.

Adequacy of care during interfacility transfer in Taiwan: A pilot study.

Background/purpose: Interfacility transfer (IFT) in Asian communities is seldom discussed. We aimed to describe the characteristics of IFT in Taiwan and to explore the adequacy of care during transfer.

Methods: A retrospective, cross-sectional, descriptive study was conducted using standardized, paper-based interfacility ambulance transfer records between 1 January 2018 and 31 January 2018 from Tainan City, Taiwan.

Effectiveness of Virtual Reality Interactive Play for Children During Intravenous Placement: A Randomized Controlled Trial.

Purpose: This study aimed to evaluate the effectiveness of an interactive virtual reality (VR) play intervention including instructional play and emotional catharsis play sessions in reducing children's pain and fear during intravenous placement.

Methods: A randomized controlled trial with parallel groups was conducted. The sample consisted of 134 hospitalized children aged 6-12 years (intervention group: n = 69; comparison group: n = 65).

Challenges of Using Instant Communication Technology in the Emergency Department during the COVID-19 Pandemic: A Focus Group Study.

A record outbreak of community-spread COVID-19 started on 10 May 2021, in Taiwan. In response to the COVID-19 pandemic, care facilities have adopted various protocols using instant communication technology (ICT) to provide remote yet timely healthcare while ensuring staff safety. The challenges of patient evaluation in the emergency department (ED) using ICT are seldom discussed in the literature.

LipidSig: a web-based tool for lipidomic data analysis.

With the continuing rise of lipidomic studies, there is an urgent need for a useful and comprehensive tool to facilitate lipidomic data analysis. The most important features making lipids different from general metabolites are their various characteristics, including their lipid classes, double bonds, chain lengths, etc. Based on these characteristics, lipid species can be classified into different categories and, more interestingly, exert specific biological functions in a group.

Contrasting Age Effects on Complexity of Tracking Force and Force Fluctuations During Monorhythmic Contraction.

This study contrasted the stochastic force component between young and older adults, who performed pursuit tracking/compensatory tracking by exerting in-phase/antiphase forces to match a sinusoidal target. Tracking force was decomposed into the force component containing the target frequency and the nontarget force fluctuations (stochastic component). Older adults with inferior task performance had higher complexity (entropy across time; p = .

18F-FDG PET/CT of Seminal Vesicle Metastasis From Ascending Colon Adenocarcinoma.

The most common metastatic sites of colorectal cancer are the regional lymph nodes, liver, lungs, and peritoneum. Seminal vesicle metastasis from colon adenocarcinoma is not reported yet; the diagnosis could be challenging. We report a case of seminal vesicle metastasis from a primary ascending colon adenocarcinoma in a 49-year-old man, with elevating carcinoembryonic antigen as the only clinical sign.

SI-Cut: Structural Inconsistency Analysis for Image Foreground Extraction.

This paper presents a novel approach for extracting foreground objects from an image. Existing methods involve separating the foreground and background mainly according to their color distributions and neighbor similarities. This paper proposes using a more discriminative strategy, structural inconsistency analysis, in which the localities of color and texture are considered.