Metformin ameliorates liver fibrosis induced by congestive hepatopathy via the mTOR/HIF-1α signaling pathway.

Introduction And Objectives: Congestive hepatopathy (CH) is a hepatic vascular disease that results in chronic liver congestion, which can lead to liver fibrosis. New uses of metformin have been discovered over the years. However, the function of metformin in congestive liver fibrosis is not yet fully understood.

GSG2 promotes tumor growth through regulating cell proliferation in hepatocellular carcinoma.

Background: Hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) is one of the most commonly diagnosed malignant tumors in the world. In recent years, more and more inhibitors against gene targets have been found to be beneficial to survival. However, the function of homo-sapiens histone H3 associated protein kinase (GSG2) in HCC has not been completely understood.

Ethyl Acetate Extract Provides Oxidative Stress-Dependent Anti-Leukemia Effects.

Several kinds of solvents have been applied to extractions exhibiting antioxidant and anticancer effects. However, they were rarely investigated for ethyl acetate extract (EANT), especially leukemia cells. The purpose of the present study was to evaluate the antioxidant properties and explore the antiproliferation impact and mechanism of EANT in leukemia cells.

Overexpressed DEPDC1B contributes to the progression of hepatocellular carcinoma by CDK1.

Background: Hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) is the main type of primary liver cancer and shows a heavy burden worldwide. Its recurrence and mortality rate are still uncontrolled by the usage of present treatments. More attention has been focused on exploring specific genes that play important roles in HCC procession, and the function of DEP domain containing 1B (DEPDC1B) in HCC has not been researched.

Clinical characteristics and outcome of primary hepatic neuroendocrine tumors after comprehensive therapy.

Background: Primary hepatic neuroendocrine tumors (PHNETs), a group of neuroendocrine neoplasms, are extremely rare. There are only few case reports about PHNETs in the literature. The lack of large samples and multicenter research results in poor diagnostic and therapeutic approaches.

Taxane-Induced Peripheral Neuropathy: Objective and Subjective Comparison Between Paclitaxel and Docetaxel in Patients With Breast Cancer.

Background: Taxane-induced peripheral neuropathy (TIPN) is caused by the neurotoxicity of paclitaxel and docetaxel, but the differences between paclitaxel- and docetaxel-induced peripheral neuropathy are understudied.

Objectives: The purpose of this study is to compare TIPN between docetaxel and paclitaxel in patients with breast cancer and to examine the consistency of measuring TIPN between researchers and patients.

Methods: Secondary data were analyzed from a cross-sectional study that included 64 patients with breast cancer from two teaching hospitals in Taiwan.

[Understanding a hospitalized, school-aged child's stress in the PICU: the application of picture books in nursing care].

Hospitalization in the pediatric intensive care unit (PICU) can be a very stressful and sometimes traumatic experience for school-aged children due to illness, painful procedures, unfamiliar environment, and separation from family. We incorporated picture books into PICU nursing care to explore the stress response in a school-aged child with compartment syndrome who was hospitalized in the PICU. Observation, interview and communication with the patient were used to assess her psychological reactions and emotional and behavioral responses to stress related to hospitalization and medical treatment.

Solution structure and backbone dynamics of streptopain: insight into diverse substrate specificity.

Streptococcal pyrogenic exotoxin B (SPE B) is a cysteine protease expressed by Streptococcus pyogenes. The D9N, G163S, G163S/A172S, and G239D mutant proteins were expressed to study the effect of the allelic variants on their protease activity. In contrast to other mutants, the G239D mutant was approximately 12-fold less active.

Rickettsia felis in cat fleas in Taiwan.

We describe the first detection of Rickettsia felis in cat fleas (Ctenocephalides felis) in Taiwan. Natural infections of R. felis in cat fleas were isolated and confirmed using polymerase chain reaction (PCR) and an immunofluorescence assay.