Value Framework Based on Multiple-Criteria Decision Analysis for Assessment of New Health Technologies under Universal Healthcare Coverage System in Taiwan.

Objective: Given the lack of a value framework for assessing health technologies in Asian settings, a value framework incorporating multiple-criteria decision analysis (MCDA) for new drugs under universal healthcare coverage in Taiwan was established.

Methods: The development process included: 1) the adoption of five value domains (i.e.

Acute Promyelocytic Leukemia Asian Consortium study of arsenic trioxide in newly-diagnosed patients: impact and outcome.

The Acute Promyelocytic Leukemia Asian Consortium analyzed a contemporaneous cohort of newly-diagnosed APL patients treated with and without frontline arsenic trioxide (ATO) in six centers. The objectives were to define the impact of ATO on early deaths and relapses, and its optimal positioning in the overall treatment strategy. In a 21.

Usenamine A: a potential therapeutic agent for rheumatoid arthritis and ankylosing spondylitis through its anti-inflammatory activity.

Background: Usenamine A (UA) is a natural compound isolated from the lichen , and its therapeutic effects on rheumatic diseases are not well understood. This study aimed to evaluate the potential anti-inflammatory effects of UA and its therapeutic effects on rheumatoid arthritis (RA) and ankylosing spondylitis (AS).

Materials And Methods: Molecular docking was performed between the 3D structure of UA and the TNF-TNFR2 complex.

Preparing water-resistant films using partially debranched potato starch and oleic acid.

Improvement in film-forming properties of starch is critical for the wide application of environmentally friendly starch film. To enhance moisture barrier and mechanical properties of starch films, the formation of starch-lipid inclusion complex was promoted by partial debranching of starch and reaction at various temperature. The partially debranched potato starch was initially prepared with pullulanase, and the starch-lipid inclusion complex was subsequently produced with oleic acid at various reaction temperatures of 30, 50, and 70 °C.

Interspecies transcriptome profiles of human T cell activation and liver inflammation in a xenogeneic graft-versus-host disease model.

Background: Xenogeneic transplantation induces acute graft-versus-host disease (aGvHD) and subsequent vital organ damage. Herein, we aimed to examine hepatic damage associated with aGvHD using histopathology and gene expression profiles.

Methods: A xenografic GvHD model was established by engrafting human peripheral blood mononuclear cells (PBMCs) into immunodeficient NOD-scid IL2Rγnull (NSG) mice after busulfan conditioning.

L. Leaf Extract Ameliorates Metabolic Dysfunction-Associated Steatotic Liver Disease by Modulating the AMPK Pathway in High Fat-Fed C57BL/6 Mice.

Background: Nonalcoholic fatty liver disease (NAFLD) is the most common chronic liver disease. In recent times, the term NAFLD has been modified to metabolic dysfunction-associated steatotic liver disease (MASLD), reflecting its comprehensive scope encompassing a range of metabolic abnormalities. L.

Discovery and engineering of the antibody response to a prominent skin commensal.

The ubiquitous skin colonist Staphylococcus epidermidis elicits a CD8 T cell response pre-emptively, in the absence of an infection. However, the scope and purpose of this anti-commensal immune program are not well defined, limiting our ability to harness it therapeutically. Here, we show that this colonist also induces a potent, durable, and specific antibody response that is conserved in humans and non-human primates.

Photoluminescence lifetime engineering via organic resonant films with molecular aggregates.

Manipulating the spontaneous emission rate of fluorophores is vital in creating bright incoherent illumination for optical sensing and imaging, as well as fast single-photon sources for quantum technology applications. This can be done via increasing the Purcell effect by using non-monolithic optical nanocavities; however, achieving the desired performance is challenging due to difficulties in fabrication, precise positioning, and frequency tuning of cavity-emitter coupling. Here, we demonstrate a simple approach to achieve a wavelength-dependent photoluminescence (PL) lifetime modification using monolithic organic molecular aggregates films.

Engineering pore-enriched and pre-vascularized volumetric constructs for enhanced blood glucose regulation in type 1 diabetes therapy.

Managing type 1 diabetes mellitus (T1DM) presents significant challenges because of the complexity of replicating the microenvironment of pancreatic islets and ensuring the long-term viability and function of transplanted insulin-producing cells (IPCs). This study developed a functional approach that utilizes 3D bioprinting technology to create pore-enriched and pre-vascularized tissue constructs incorporating a pancreatic tissue-derived decellularized extracellular matrix and human-induced pluripotent stem cells (hiPSCs) aimed at enhancing blood glucose regulation in T1DM. We designed a volumetric 3D pancreatic tissue construct that supported the engraftment, survival, and insulin-producing functionality of hiPSC-derived IPCs.

Aspartate aminotransferase-to-platelet ratio index outperforms Fibrosis-4 in 2843 Korean patients with metabolic dysfunction-associated steatotic liver disease.

Aim: The definition of metabolic dysfunction-associated steatotic liver disease (MASLD) has recently been proposed. We aim to investigate the diagnostic efficacy of noninvasive fibrosis markers in predicting liver fibrosis in patients with nonalcoholic fatty liver disease (NAFLD), metabolic dysfunction-associated fatty liver disease (MAFLD), and MASLD.

Methods: This retrospective study involved 2843 patients diagnosed with steatotic liver disease at six tertiary hospitals in South Korea.

onitoring drug fficacy through ulti-mics esearch initiative in lzheimer's isease (MEMORI-AD): A protocol for a multisite exploratory prospective cohort study on the drug response-related clinical, genetic, microbial and metabolomic signatures in Filipino patients with Alzheimer's disease.

Introduction: Dementia is one of the leading causes of disability among older people aged 60 years and above, with majority eventually being diagnosed with Alzheimer's disease (AD). Pharmacological agents approved for dementia include acetylcholinesterase enzyme (AChE) inhibitors like rivastigmine, donepezil and galantamine and the N-methyl-D-aspartate (NMDA) receptor antagonist memantine, prescribed as monotherapy or in combination with each other, depending on the severity of disease. There is currently no available study demonstrating the clinical response to these drugs for AD in the Filipino population.

Diagnostic performance of procalcitonin for bacterial infection in severe alcoholic hepatitis compared with C-reactive protein.

Background: Severe alcoholic hepatitis is a catastrophic disease with a mortality rate of up to 35-50% at 30 days. Bacterial infection is an important prognostic factor in patients with severe alcoholic hepatitis, but it is difficult to detect the presence of infection immediately. Procalcitonin (PCT) is a well-known inflammatory marker that can detect bacterial infections in various diseases early.

Alterations in Adipose Tissue and Adipokines in Heterozygous APE1/Ref-1 Deficient Mice.

Background: The role of apurinic/apyrimidinic endonuclease 1/redox factor-1 (APE1/Ref-1) in adipose tissue remains poorly understood. This study investigates adipose tissue dysfunction in heterozygous APE1/Ref-1 deficiency (APE1/Ref-1+/-) mice, focusing on changes in adipocyte physiology, oxidative stress, adipokine regulation, and adipose tissue distribution.

Methods: APE1/Ref-1 mRNA and protein levels in white adipose tissue (WAT) were measured in APE1/Ref-1+/- mice, compared to their wild-type (APE1/Ref-1+/+) controls.

[BCG-therapy for non-muscle-invasive bladder cancer: overview of the current trends].

Introduction: Recurrence of non-muscle-invasive bladder cancer (NMIBC) occurs in 70% of cases, and the risk of progression to muscle-invasive bladder cancer is 20%. Intravesical BCG therapy is indicated in order to increase relapse-free survival in patients with intermediate and high-risk NMIBC. We carried out a survey of Russian urologists on the use of intravesical BCG therapy in the treatment of NMIBC, and also presented the regulatory framework for the use of BCG for the treatment of bladder cancer.

Protective effects of black ginseng on testicular toxicity induced by Di--butyl phthalate in rats.

Di--butyl phthalate (DBP) is a phthalate-based material used as a plasticizer to soften polyvinyl chloride, and classified as an endocrine disruptor with antiandrogen effects. Exposure to DBP induces oxidative stress in rat testes, resulting in testicular toxicity. Black ginseng (BG) exhibits a higher antioxidant activity than white or red ginseng following repeated heat treatment and processing.

Combination of Milk Polar Lipids and Casein Hydrolysate as a Healthy Emulsifier for Ice Cream.

The demand for healthy ingredients in food products including ice cream, is continuously increasing. The potential of a combination of milk polar lipids (MPL) and casein hydrolysate (CH) to replace synthetic emulsifiers such as diacetyl tartaric acid esters of monoglycerides (DATEM), in ice cream production was investigated. Changes in particle size, emulsion stability, and interfacial tension of model emulsions (milk protein, casein:whey=8:2, w/v) were analyzed after the addition of MPL, CH, and their combination (MPL+CH).

Comprehensive Symptom Prediction in Inpatients With Acute Psychiatric Disorders Using Wearable-Based Deep Learning Models: Development and Validation Study.

Background: Assessing the complex and multifaceted symptoms of patients with acute psychiatric disorders proves to be significantly challenging for clinicians. Moreover, the staff in acute psychiatric wards face high work intensity and risk of burnout, yet research on the introduction of digital technologies in this field remains limited. The combination of continuous and objective wearable sensor data acquired from patients with deep learning techniques holds the potential to overcome the limitations of traditional psychiatric assessments and support clinical decision-making.

Towards maximizing biomass and lipid productivity: high-throughput screening assay for prospecting heterotrophic growth for new microalgal isolates.

Background: Microalgae have emerged as sustainable alternatives to fossil fuels and high-value petrochemicals. Despite the commercial potential of microalgae, their low biomass productivity is a significant limiting factor for large-scale production. In the photoautotrophic cultivation of microalgae, achievable cell density levels depend on the light transmittance of the production system, which can significantly decrease the photosynthetic rate and biomass production.

Biomarkers of PUFA and cardiovascular risk factors and events in healthy Asian populations: a systematic review.

The associations between circulating PUFA and cardiovascular risk factors and events in healthy Asian populations have been less examined robustly compared with Western populations. This systematic review aimed to summarise current evidence on the associations between -3 and -6 PUFA biomarkers and cardiovascular risk factors and events in healthy Asian populations. Four databases were searched for observational studies from 2010 until 2024.

Amplified response of drug-induced liver fibrosis immune cell co-culture in a 3D hepatic fibrosis model.

Liver fibrosis, a critical consequence of chronic liver diseases, is characterized by excessive extracellular matrix (ECM) deposition driven by inflammation. This process involves complex interactions among hepatocytes, hepatic stellate cells (HSCs), and Kupffer cells, the liver's resident macrophages. Kupffer cells are essential in initiating fibrosis through the release of pro-inflammatory cytokines that activate HSCs.

Effect of isoproterenol, a β-adrenergic agonist, on the differentiation of insulin-producing pancreatic β cells derived from human pluripotent stem cells.

Research on islet replacement through the differentiation of functionally matured insulin-producing β-like cells for the treatment of diabetes presents a significant challenge. Neural signals in β cell differentiation significantly impact the pancreatic microenvironment in glucose metabolism, but they are not fully understood. In this study, isoproterenol, a β adrenoreceptor agonist, was introduced into pancreatic progenitor cells, derived from human pluripotent stem cells in vitro, undergoing endocrine differentiation, using 2-dimensional (2D) and 3-dimensional (3D) differentiation protocols.