Relationship between growth differentiation factor 15 and functional prognosis and severity in traumatic brain injury.

Circulating growth differentiation factor 15 (GDF-15) increases in response to inflammation and tissue damage. Its association with functional prognosis in cerebral infarction and subarachnoid hemorrhage is established; however, its role in traumatic brain injury (TBI) and its relationship with Sequential Organ Failure Assessment (SOFA) score, an indicator of systemic organ damage in TBI, remains unclear. This study aimed to explore the correlation between GDF-15 and functional outcomes at discharge in patients with TBI and stroke, including its association with SOFA scores in TBI.

Fulminant Edwardsiella tarda bacteremia following near-drowning episode in a patient without cirrhosis: A case report.

Edwardsiella tarda is a Gram-negative intracellular pathogen within the Enterobacterales order, recognized as a causative agent of hemorrhagic septicemia in fish but also pathogenic to humans. However, the clinical course and prognostic factors of E. tarda bacteremia are not fully understood.

Growth regulation bringing modularity to morphogenesis of complex three-dimensional exoskeletons.

Diverse three-dimensional morphologies of arthropods' outgrowths, including beetle horns, are formed through the non-uniform growth of epidermis. Prior to moulting, epidermal tissue peels off from the old cuticle and grows non-uniformly to shape protruding structures, which are often branching, curving or twisting, from the planar epidermis. This non-uniform growth is possibly regulated by the distribution of morphogens on the epidermal cell sheet.

Augmented triboelectric properties of graphene-filled poly(vinylidene difluoride--hexafluoropropylene) (PVDF-HFP) nanofibers.

Triboelectric nanogenerators (TENGs) are devices that convert mechanical energy into electrical energy through the triboelectric effect, supplying power to a wide array of advanced sensing and monitoring systems. In this work, we utilized graphene-filled nanofibrous poly(vinylidene difluoride--hexafluoropropylene) (PVDF-HFP) as TENGs, employing electrospinning technology. We examined how the dielectric characteristics and transferred charge of the electrification mat affect the output of TENGs.

Global and Regional Reduction of Myocardial Perfusion in Patients with Transthyretin Type of Cardiac Amyloidosis: A Dual SPECT Study Using Tc Pyrophosphate and Thallium.

: We aimed to clarify the clinical characteristics of global and regional myocardial perfusion in patients with transthyretin type of cardiac amyloidosis (ATTR) using dual single-photon emission computed tomography (SPECT) with Tc pyrophosphate (PYP) and TL (TL). : Consecutive 178 (mean age 78±12, male 79) patients known or suspect of ATTR who underwent PYP-TL dual SPECT were retrospectively enrolled. Patients were categorized according to the visual grading for planar PYP uptake using Perugini grading, and the patients with grade greater than or equal to 2 were analyzed.

A Quantitative Diagnostic Method Using Tc-pyrophosphate Lateral Planar Images to Distinguish Between Transthyretin Amyloid Cardiomyopathy and False-Positive Images Due to Blood Pools.

: This study investigated the feasibility of using a quantitative diagnostic method based on Tc-pyrophosphate scintigraphy (PYP) lateral planar images to differentiate between PYP-positive (myocardial uptake) and false-positive (blood pool uptake) scans. : The study included 93 consecutive patients with suspected transthyretin amyloid cardiomyopathy (ATTR-CM) who underwent PYP between April 2022 and December 2023. Patients were categorized using planar anterior PYP images according to the Perugini visual grading system; patients with grades ≥ 2 were analyzed.

Interposition of the Fracture Fragment of a Vitamin E-Blended, Highly Crosslinked Polyethylene Liner After Total Hip Arthroplasty: A Case Report.

This is the first case report of a vitamin E-blended polyethylene liner fracture after total hip arthroplasty. Our case highlights the importance of considering a vitamin E-blended polyethylene liner fracture, the interposition of fracture fragments between the articulating surfaces after dislocation and blocked successful reduction.

Antibacterial, Transparency, and Mechanical Properties of Cationic Radical Initiator Triggered Polystyrene Sheets Obtained by Thermal Blending.

Polystyrene (PS) is widely used because of its transparency, mechanical strength, and ease of production. With rising health concerns, antibacterial PS is increasingly sought after, but few polymer-based antibacterial agents have been prepared to date. In this study, polystyrene was synthesized using a cationic radical initiator, 2,2'-azobis-[2-(1,3-dimethyl-4,5-dihydro-1-imidazol-3-ium-2-yl)] propane triflate (ADIP), and evaluated as an antibacterial additive.

Impact of uterine displacement on T-weighted image quality in the female pelvic MRI.

Despite the importance of T-weighted image in clinical practice, artifacts can significantly degrade image quality and affect diagnosis. This study quantitatively analyzed uterine displacement and surveyed the relationship between the image quality of fast-spin-echo-T-weighted image of the female pelvis and quantitative value of uterine displacement. Overall, 147 women (mean age, 46.

A case of penetrating neck injury in zone II treated with combined endovascular and surgical management.

Background: We report a case of zone II penetrating neck trauma with active bleeding in which endovascular treatment was performed prior to neck exploration to identify and control the bleeding point.

Case Presentation: A man in his 50s presented to our emergency department in hemorrhagic shock stemming from a penetrating knife wound injury to the right side of his neck. He was bleeding massively from the right neck wound and oral cavity.

A review on targeted temperature management for cardiac arrest and traumatic brain injury.

Therapeutic hypothermia inhibits organ damage by suppressing metabolism, which makes it a therapy of choice for treating various diseases. Specifically, it is often used to treat conditions involving central nervous system disorders where it is expected to positively impact functional prognosis. Although keeping the body temperature at a hypothermic level has been conventionally used, how to manage the body temperature correctly remains a topic of debate.

How can heatstroke damage the brain? A mini review.

Record-breaking heat waves over the past 20 years have led to a global increase in heat-related deaths, including heatstroke. Heat-related illnesses occur when the body cannot adapt to the elevated temperatures in the environment, leading to various symptoms. In severe situations, such as heatstroke, the body temperature can rise above 40°C, leading to significant injury to body systems, with particular susceptibility of the central nervous system (CNS).

Comparative and experimental pathology of passaged Newcastle disease virus isolates in ducks.

Although waterfowl are less susceptible to Newcastle disease (ND) virus (NDV) infection compared with chickens and turkeys, lethal ND in waterfowl has been sporadically reported. Factors underlying the high pathogenicity of certain NDV strains in waterfowl remain unclear. In ducks, the NDV 9a5b isolate shows low pathogenicity while the d5a20b isolate shows high pathogenicity.

Carbon dioxide-dependent, extended-spectrum β-lactamase producing Escherichia coli bacteremia associated with pyelonephritis: A case-report.

Escherichia coli is a facultative anaerobic bacterium that causes urinary tract and bloodstream infections. Generally, E. coli is easily identified in routine clinical microbiology laboratories.

Clinical impact of the use of chronic suppressive antibiotics against recurrent ventricular assist device infections.

Unlabelled: Ventricular assist device (VAD) infections are frequent causes of hospital readmission. The risk factors and optimal preventive strategies for such, including chronic suppressive antibiotics (CSA), remain uncertain. We performed a single-center, retrospective, observational cohort study assessing continuous flow VAD recipients who underwent implantation between 2008 and 2018 in Japan.

Thiamine deficiency as a differential diagnosis for severe fatigue in terminally ill cancer patients.

Objectives: Patients with advanced cancer present various symptoms as their disease progresses. Among these, fatigue is a frequent symptom in patients with advanced cancer and is associated with decreased quality of life (QOL). However, there are few reports regarding its association with thiamine deficiency (TD).

Incidence and risk factors of hypotension-related adverse events among Japanese patients with heart failure receiving sacubitril/valsartan or enalapril: Results from the PARALLEL-HF study.

Background: The PARALLEL-HF trial showed that treatment with sacubitril/valsartan resulted in more symptomatic hypotension versus enalapril in Japanese patients with heart failure (HF) and reduced ejection fraction, similar to PARADIGM-HF. Use of sacubitril/valsartan in these patients may be limited by concerns regarding hypotension.

Methods: This post-hoc analysis characterized hypotension-related adverse events (AEs) and their effects on efficacy using data from PARALLEL-HF, in which patients received sacubitril/valsartan 200 mg twice daily or enalapril 10 mg twice daily.