BNT162b2 mRNA vaccine elicits robust virus-specific antibodies but poor cross-protective CD8 memory T cell responses in adolescents with type 1 diabetes.

Background: COVID-19 mRNA vaccines have demonstrated 95 % efficacy in the general population. However, their immunogenicity in adolescents with Type 1 Diabetes (T1D), who exhibit weaken immune responses, remains insufficiently explored.

Methods: Longitudinal analysis of innate immune responses following PRR-agonists and BNT162b2 vaccine stimulations, along with S-specific antibody responses, memory T cell recall responses, and RNA-sequencing were assessed in eight T1D adolescents and 16 healthy controls at six different timepoints.

Ultrasonication-assisted lipase-catalyzed esterification of chlorogenic acid: A comparative study using fatty alcohol and acids in solvent and solvent-free conditions.

Chlorogenic acid, a well-known antioxidant, has potential applications in health care, food, and cosmetic sectors. However, its low solubility hinders its application at the industrial scale. The primary goal of the present study was to increase the lipophilic property of chlorogenic acid through esterification using an ultrasonication approach and Novozym® 435 as the catalyst.

Integration of the 5A's Framework in Research on Obesity and Weight Counseling: Systematic Review of Literature.

The 5A's Framework (Assess, Advise, Assist, Agree, and Arrange) has been recommended as a practice guide for obesity counseling. Its integration in research, however, is not well known. This systematic review was to find how the 5A's Framework was integrated in research on obesity and weight counseling.

Application of deep learning reconstruction in abdominal magnetic resonance cholangiopancreatography for image quality improvement and acquisition time reduction.

Purpose: To compare deep learning (DL)-based and conventional reconstruction through subjective and objective analysis and ascertain whether DL-based reconstruction improves the quality and acquisition speed of clinical abdominal magnetic resonance imaging (MRI).

Methods: The 124 patients who underwent abdominal MRI between January and July 2021 were retrospectively studied. For each patient, two-dimensional axial T-weighted single-shot fast spin-echo MRI images with or without fat saturation were reconstructed using DL-based and conventional methods.

Advancements in Understanding and Preventing Obesity-Related Colon Cancer.

Obesity and colorectal cancer are global public health issues, with the prevalence of both conditions increasing over the last 4 decades. In the United States alone, the prevalence of obesity is greater than 40%, and this percentage is projected to increase past 50% by 2030. This review focuses on understanding the association between obesity and the risk of colorectal cancer while also highlighting hypotheses about molecular mechanisms underlying the link between these disease processes.

The nurse's role in a patient-centered approach for reducing COVID-19 vaccine hesitancy during pregnancy: An American Academy of Nursing consensus paper.

The evidence shows that COVID-19 vaccines can reduce the risks of poor pregnancy outcomes. Yet, reluctance to vaccinate remains high in pregnant populations. In this paper, we take a precision health and patient-centered approach to vaccine hesitancy.

Blocking M2-Like Macrophage Polarization Using Decoy Oligodeoxynucleotide-Based Gene Therapy Prevents Immune Evasion for Pancreatic Cancer Treatment.

M2-like macrophages exhibit immunosuppressive activity and promote pancreatic cancer progression. Reactive oxygen species (ROS) affect macrophage polarization; however, the mechanism remains unclear. This study aimed to elucidate the underlying molecular basis and design a gene therapy to inhibit M2-like polarization.

Improving multiple sclerosis lesion segmentation across clinical sites: A federated learning approach with noise-resilient training.

Accurately measuring the evolution of Multiple Sclerosis (MS) with magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) critically informs understanding of disease progression and helps to direct therapeutic strategy. Deep learning models have shown promise for automatically segmenting MS lesions, but the scarcity of accurately annotated data hinders progress in this area. Obtaining sufficient data from a single clinical site is challenging and does not address the heterogeneous need for model robustness.

Monocentric study of IL-5 monoclonal antibody induction therapy for eosinophilic granulomatosis with polyangiitis.

Objective: Although sporadic case reports have demonstrated successful management of eosinophilic granulomatosis with polyangiitis (EGPA) by anti-IL-5 therapy, larger-scale monocentric studies for the efficacy of mepolizumab (MEP), an IL-5 monoclonal antibody, are still lacking in Taiwan.

Methods: Hospitalized EGPA patients aged at least 18 years were enrolled from November 1998 to October 2023, and analyzed for demographic, clinical, laboratory, medication and outcome data, focusing on the efficacy and safety of biologics use, particularly induction therapy with MEP.

Results: Twenty-seven EGPA patients aged 10-70 years (43 ± 15) at disease diagnosis were recruited with 21 under combined corticosteroids/cyclophosphamide induction therapy.

Conservative Management of Penile and Urethral Lichen Sclerosus: A Systematic Review.

Purpose: We evaluate the efficacy and safety profiles of currently available conservative management options for penile and urethral lichen sclerosus.

Materials And Methods: A systematic review of existing literature on lichen sclerosus was conducted utilizing the PubMed, Embase, and Web of Science databases. References were assessed for relevance to nonsurgical management of male genital lichen sclerosus by title and abstract by 3 independent reviewers, then reviewed in full and in duplicate by 5 independent reviewers.

Weight Variability, Weight Gain Goals, and Biopsychosocial Factors Among Pregnant Women.

This study investigated the pattern of weight variability over 8 weeks and its associations with achieving weight gain goals and five biopsychosocial factors among pregnant women. We conducted a secondary analysis of 117 weeks of data from 16 pregnant women with a body mass index (BMI) ≥25. Weight variability was calculated from the difference of ending and beginning and maximum and minimum weights in a week and percent of each difference from baseline weight.

Novel SLC5A6 mutations lead to B lymphocyte maturation defects with metabolic abnormality rescuable by biotin replenishment.

We characterized a family diagnosed with immunodeficiency disease presenting with low immunoglobulin levels and skin dyskeratosis. Exome sequencing revealed compound heterozygous missense variants in SLC5A6, the gene encoding a cellular sodium-dependent multivitamin transporter (SMVT) responsible for transporting vitamins, including biotin (vitamin B7). We showed that the biotin deficiency was caused by the SLC5A6 variants resulting in defective B cell differentiation and antibody deficiency.

High occurrence of autoimmune and lymphoproliferative manifestations in adults with common variable immunodeficiency in southern Taiwan.

There are no reported case series of common variable immunodeficiency (CVID) from southern Taiwan. A 20-year review was performed in adult CVID from a southern Taiwan medical center. Patients with ages of 18 years or older were enrolled from May, 2003 to April, 2023.

Oral Immunization with rVSV Bivalent Vaccine Elicits Protective Immune Responses, Including ADCC, against Both SARS-CoV-2 and Influenza A Viruses.

COVID-19 and influenza both cause enormous disease burdens, and vaccines are the primary measures for their control. Since these viral diseases are transmitted through the mucosal surface of the respiratory tract, developing an effective and convenient mucosal vaccine should be a high priority. We previously reported a recombinant vesicular stomatitis virus (rVSV)-based bivalent vaccine (v-EM2/SPΔC1) that protects animals from both SARS-CoV-2 and influenza viruses via intramuscular and intranasal immunization.

Age and prior vaccination determine the antibody level in children with primary SARS-CoV-2 Omicron infection.

Background: Protection against severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2) reinfection relies on immunity generated after primary infection. However, humoral immunity following primary infection with the Omicron variant is not well understood.

Methods: We prospectively recruited children <19 years with virologically-confirmed SARS-CoV-2 infection at National Cheng Kung University Hospital from February 2022 to September 2022 during the first wave of Omicron BA.

Real world validation of an AI-based CT hemorrhage detection tool.

Introduction: Intracranial hemorrhage (ICH) is a potentially life-threatening medical event that requires expedited diagnosis with computed tomography (CT). Automated medical imaging triaging tools can rapidly bring scans containing critical abnormalities, such as ICH, to the attention of radiologists and clinicians. Here, we retrospectively investigated the real-world performance of VeriScout, an artificial intelligence-based CT hemorrhage detection and triage tool.

The composition of the maternal breastmilk microbiota influences the microbiota network structure during early infancy.

Background/purpose(s): Human breastmilk (BM) is important for microbiome maturation in infants across different body sites. Streptococcus and Staphylococcus are considered universally predominant genera in the BM microbiota. However, whether the differential abundance of Streptococcus and Staphylococcus in BM can differentially affect microbiome maturation in infants remains unclear.

A patient-specific deep learning framework for 3D motion estimation and volumetric imaging during lung cancer radiotherapy.

. Respiration introduces a constant source of irregular motion that poses a significant challenge for the precise irradiation of thoracic and abdominal cancers. Current real-time motion management strategies require dedicated systems that are not available in most radiotherapy centers.

Cigarette smoke increases susceptibility of alveolar macrophages to SARS-CoV-2 infection through inducing reactive oxygen species-upregulated angiotensin-converting enzyme 2 expression.

Alveolar macrophages (AMs) are the drivers of pulmonary cytokine storm in severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2) infection. This study aimed to investigate clinical-regulatory factors for the entrance protein of SARS-CoV-2, angiotensin-converting enzyme 2 (ACE2) in AMs. Human AMs were collected from 56 patients using bronchoalveolar lavage.

Green extraction and purification of chondroitin sulfate from jumbo squid cartilage by a novel procedure combined with enzyme, ultrasound and hollow fiber dialysis.

Unlabelled: Chondroitin sulfate (ChS) from marine sources is gaining attention. The purpose of this study was to extract ChS from jumbo squid cartilage () using ultrasound-assisted enzymatic extraction (UAEE). An ultrasound with protease assistance, including either alcalase, papain or Protin NY100 was used to extract ChS.

Pre-existing humoral immunity and CD4 T cell response correlate with cross-reactivity against SARS-CoV-2 Omicron subvariants after heterologous prime-boost vaccination.

Background: Information regarding the heterologous prime-boost COVID vaccination has been fully elucidated. The study aimed to evaluate both humoral, cellular immunity and cross-reactivity against variants after heterologous vaccination.

Methods: We recruited healthcare workers previously primed with Oxford/AstraZeneca ChAdOx1-S vaccines and boosted with Moderna mRNA-1273 vaccine boost to evaluate the immunological response.

Deletion of NADPH oxidase 2 attenuates cisplatin-induced acute kidney injury through reducing ROS-induced proximal tubular cell injury and inflammation.

Backgrounds: Cisplatin is a commonly used chemotherapeutic agent in cancer treatment. However, its high nephrotoxicity limits its therapeutic application and efficacy. Cisplatin induces nephrotoxicity mainly through oxidative stress and inflammation.

Postnatal corticosteroid treatment as a risk factor for false positivity in severe combined immunodeficiency newborn screening.

From 2011, 37 children were referred to a hospital due to low levels of T cell receptor excision circles (TRECs) from newborn screening. Among them, three children were immunologically characterized and followed up to show that postnatal corticosteroid usage may be among the causes of false positivity in TRECs screening.