Bioinspired Sandcastle Worm-Derived Peptide-Based Hybrid Hydrogel for Promoting the Formation of Liver Spheroids.

The generation of hepatic spheroids is beneficial for a variety of potential applications, including drug development, disease modeling, transplantation, and regenerative medicine. Natural hydrogels are obtained from tissues and have been widely used to promote the growth, differentiation, and retention of specific functionalities of hepatocytes. However, relying on natural hydrogels for the generation of hepatic spheroids, which have batch to batch variations, may in turn limit the previously mentioned potential applications.

Targeting optimal time for hyperbaric oxygen therapy following carbon monoxide poisoning for prevention of delayed neuropsychiatric sequelae: A retrospective study.

Objectives: Delayed neuropsychiatric sequelae (DNS) are serious complications of carbon monoxide poisoning; neuropsychiatric disorders can occur within a few days of recovery from acute poisoning. Hyperbaric oxygen therapy (HBOT) has been the main treatment of carbon monoxide (CO) poisoning and was recommended as the treatment choice for CO poisoning by the American Undersea and Hyperbaric Medical Society and the Tenth European Consensus Conference on Hyperbaric Medicine of the European Underwater and Baromedical Society. However, the optimal timing for commencing HBOT in patients with CO poisoning remains unknown.

Factors Affecting Unscheduled Return Visits to the Emergency Department among Minor Head Injury Patients.

Study Objectives: Differences between returning and non-returning minor head injury (MHI) emergency department (ED) patients, between the characteristics of the first visit and revisit, and between admitted and nonadmitted returning patients were investigated.

Methods: This was a retrospective study. All discharged ED patients with ICD-9 codes 850.

Is initial C-reactive protein level associated with corticosteroid use in lupus erythematosus patients during a bacterial infection episode?

Objective: C-reactive protein (CRP), a marker for inflammation, indicates bacterial infection in systemic lupus erythematosus (SLE) when markedly elevated. Our study investigated the association of regular corticosteroid or immunosuppressant use with initial CRP level in febrile SLE patients with bacterial infection.

Methods: This retrospective cohort study included adult SLE patients (18 years of age or older) who presented with fever at the emergency department from January 2008 to December 2012.

Management of acute postoperative pain with continuous intercostal nerve block after single port video-assisted thoracoscopic anatomic resection.

Background: Effective postoperative pain control for thoracic surgery is very important, not only because it reduces pulmonary complications but also because it accelerates the pace of recovery. Moreover, it increases patients' satisfaction with the surgery. In this study, we present a simple approach involving the safe placement of intercostal catheter (ICC) after single port video-assisted thoracoscopic surgery (VATS) anatomic resection and we evaluate postoperative analgesic function with and without it.

Enhancement of topical small interfering RNA delivery and expression by low-fluence erbium:YAG laser pretreatment of skin.

RNA interference (RNAi) is rapidly becoming an important tool that is advancing research with therapeutic aims. It is necessary to develop efficient ways of guiding small interfering RNA (siRNA) to targeted tissues to induce an RNAi effect. Herein, we report on an active method for delivering macromolecular siRNA and its plasmid vector into the skin, using erbium:YAG (Er:YAG) laser pretreatment.

Tricalcium phosphate and glutaraldehyde crosslinked gelatin incorporating bone morphogenetic protein--a viable scaffold for bone tissue engineering.

Bone defects caused by various etiologies must be filled with suitable substances to promote bone repair. Autogenous iliac crest graft is most frequently used, but is often associated with morbidities. Several bone graft substitutes have been developed to provide osteoconductive matrices as well as to enhance osteoinductivity.

Changes in polyamine pattern are involved in floral initiation and development in Polianthes tuberosa.

In the day-neutral plant Polianthes tuberosa (cv. Double) putrescine and spermine in corms at the early floral initiation stage decreased by 26 and 36%, respectively, compared with that in the vegetative stage. In contrast, a sharp increase in spermidine and cadaverine titers in corms was recorded at the early floral initiation stage.