The effects of Lactobacillus plantarum PS128 in patients with major depressive disorder: an eight-week double-blind, placebo-controlled study.

Major depressive disorder (MDD) is a complex mental disorder, potentially linked to the gut-microbiota-brain axis. Probiotics like Lactobacillus plantarum PS128 (PS128) may improve depressive symptoms by modulating the gut microbiota based on our previous open trial. We conducted an 8-week double-blind, placebo-controlled trial to investigate the impact of PS128 on depression severity, markers of inflammation and gut permeability, and the gut microbiota composition in 32 patients with MDD with stable antidepressant treatment but moderate symptom severity.

Exploring the human gut microbiota targets in relation to the use of contemporary antidepressants.

Background: Antidepressants, specifically selective serotonin reuptake inhibitors (SSRIs) and serotonin-norepinephrine reuptake inhibitors (SNRIs), are commonly prescribed for depression treatment. Animal studies have shown that antidepressants can influence gut microbiota composition and specific bacterial taxa. We aimed to investigate the association between antidepressant use and human gut microbiota composition and functional pathway.

The Treatment Efficiency and Microbiota Analysis of Seed Oil on the Ligature-Induced Periodontitis Rat Model.

Periodontitis is a common oral disease mainly caused by bacterial infection and inflammation of the gingiva. In the prevention or treatment of periodontitis, anti-bacterial agents are used to inhibit pathogen growth, despite increasing levels of bacterial resistance. (SM) seed oil has proven anti-bacterial and anti-inflammation properties.

Stabilizing resistive random access memory by constructing an oxygen reservoir with analyzed state distribution.

In this paper, the instability mechanism of resistive random access memory (RRAM) was investigated, and a technique was developed to stabilize the distribution of high resistance states (HRS) and better concentrate the set voltage. Due to the accumulation of oxygen, an interface-type switching characteristic was observed on the I-V curves beneath the filament-type switching behavior. In this work, the interface-type switching characteristic is used to fit the natural distribution of HRS as an analysis of the instability mechanism.

Meridian study on the response current affected by electrical pulse and acupuncture.

Acupuncture and its meridians are important components of traditional Chinese medicine, and numerous opinions have been previously expressed regarding these meridians. This study aims to explore the phenomenon of meridians from the perspective of electronic physics by studying these meridians for the response current affected by electrical pulse and acupuncture. In this study, acupuncture which applies an electrical pulse was used to research the physical properties of the meridians.

An Ultra-Low Power Smart Headband for Real-Time Epileptic Seizure Detection.

In this paper, the design of a smart headband for epileptic seizure detection is presented. The proposed headband consists of four key components: 1) an analog front-end circuitry; 2) an epileptic seizure detection tag (ESDT); 3) a Bluetooth low-power chip; and 4) customized electrodes. All the above components are integrated into a fabric headband with only 50.

Utility of Left Atrial Expansion Index and Stroke Volume in Management of Chronic Systolic Heart Failure.

Background: Titration of evidence-based medications, important for treating heart failure (HF), is often underdosed by symptom-guided treatment. The aim of this study was to investigate, using echocardiographic parameters, stroke volume and left ventricular (LV) filling pressure to guide up-titration of medications, increasing prognostic benefits.

Methods: A total of 765 patients with chronic HF and severely reduced LV ejection fractions (<35%), referred from 2008 to 2016, were prospectively studied.

Relationships of Borg's RPE 6-20 scale and heart rate in dynamic and static exercises among a sample of young Taiwanese men.

The objective of this study was to assess the relationship between the scores collected from Borg's rating of perceived exertion (RPE) scale and the heart rates (HR) of young Taiwanese men. Three exercises types (dynamic, partially dynamic, and static) were performed by 12 participants (six were familiar with Borg's scale and 6 were unfamiliar) under nine test conditions of three load levels for each exercise. The effect of familiarity on the relationship between RPE and HR was also examined.

Myocardial Tissue Doppler Imaging Detects Right Ventricular Dysfunction after Percutaneous Angioplasty of Dysfunctional Hemodialysis Access in Uremic Patients.

Background: Right ventricular dysfunction has been observed in uremic patients receiving percutaneous transluminal angioplasty (PTA). This prospective study focuses on the impact of tissue Doppler imaging echocardiographic parameters on assessing right ventricle function in uremic patients post PTA of dysfunctional hemodialysis access.

Methods: Sixty uremic patients were divided into two groups by angiographic findings: an occlusive group (26 patients) and a stenotic group (34 patients).

Left atrial distensibility and E/e' for estimating left ventricular filling pressure in patients with stable angina. -A comparative echocardiography and catheterization study-.

Background: Although E/e' (the ratio of early diastolic mitral inflow velocity to early diastolic mitral annular velocity) is widely used to measure left ventricular filling pressure (LVFP), its accuracy is questionable in coronary artery disease patients.

Methods And Results: Echocardiograms and LVFP were obtained from 174 patients with stable angina (Canadian Cardiovascular Society angina grade I-II) who had received interventions for angiography-confirmed coronary stenosis. Compared with single-vessel groups, the multiple-vessel group exhibited lower mitral annular velocities, higher LVFP, and stronger correlations between E/regional e' and LVFP.

Left atrial parameters in the estimation of left ventricular filling pressure and prognosis in patients with acute coronary syndrome.

Because left atrial (LA) volume plays a critical role in determining cardiovascular outcomes, it was hypothesized that this might be related to the distensibility of the left atrium and how this relates to left ventricular filling pressure (LVFP). Echocardiographic estimates of LVFP were compared to cardiac catheterization measurements in 521 consecutive patients with acute myocardial infarction and correlated with short- and long-term outcomes. Receiver-operating characteristic curve analysis was performed to investigate the sensitivity and specificity of echocardiographic parameters for predicting elevated LVFP (> 15 mm Hg).

Use of a video fiberoptic bronchoscope to assist double-lumen endobronchial tube intubation in a patient with a difficult airway.

In clinical scenarios, the insertion of double-lumen endobronchial tubes (DLTs) is usually employed as a technique of separation of lungs for treatment purposes inclusive of one-lung ventilation for the ease of thoracic surgery. However, in patients with difficult airways, the DLT intubation can be challenging, even with the aid of a fiberoptic bronchoscope (FOB). Insertion of the FOB itself into the trachea may be relatively simple, but the advancement of the DLT with the FOB enclosed in the lumen may be hindered by the abnormal or diseased laryngeal aperture.

Right ventricular infarction and tissue Doppler imaging – insights from acute inferior myocardial infarction after primary coronary intervention –.

Background: Tissue Doppler imaging (TDI) data for acute inferior myocardial infarction (MI) patients who have received primary percutaneous coronary intervention (PCI) are sparse.

Methods And Results: One hundred and sixty-five patients received primary PCI for acute inferior MI were enrolled. Right ventricular infarction (RVI) was defined as a culprit lesion proximal to the right ventricular branch of right coronary artery (RCA).

Left atrial distensibility and left ventricular filling pressure in acute versus chronic severe mitral regurgitation.

Echocardiograms and left ventricular (LV) filling pressure were obtained from 95 patients with chronic severe mitral regurgitation (MR) and 16 patients with acute severe MR. All patients underwent catheterization for preoperative examinations and LV filling pressure measurements. A total of 52 age-, gender- and co-morbidity-matched patients with negative coronary angiographic results served as the controls.

Perforation of the right innominate vein by pulmonary artery catheter introducer sheath: a case report.

A complication following placement of the pulmonary artery catheter (PAC) is presented. Resistance was experienced during insertion of the introducer sheath, and the PAC could not be advanced into the right heart. Finally, the PAC was successfully placed through the left internal jugular vein.

Tricuspid flow propagation velocity predicts exercise tolerance and readmission in patients with systemic lupus erythematosus.

Background: Evaluating right ventricular dysfunction, pulmonary artery systolic pressure (PASP), and exercise tolerance is critical in patients with systemic lupus erythematosus (SLE) because of the high mortality rate in such patients with pulmonary arterial hypertension (PAH). The aim of this study was to use the flow propagation velocity (FPV) of early diastolic tricuspid inflow to evaluate exercise tolerance and PAH severity and to predict readmission in patients with SLE.

Methods: A total of 66 patients with SLE with or without PAH and 30 healthy control subjects were enrolled.

Comparing culprit lesions in ST-segment elevation and non-ST-segment elevation acute coronary syndrome with 64-slice multidetector computed tomography.

Background: Classifying acute coronary syndrome (ACS) as ST elevation ACS (STE-ACS) or non-ST elevation ACS (NSTE-ACS) is critical for clinical prognosis and therapeutic decision-making. Assessing the differences in composition and configuration of culprit lesions between STE-ACS and NSTE-ACS can clarify their pathophysiologic differences.

Objective: This study focused on evaluating the ability of 64-slice multidetector computed tomography (MDCT) to investigate these differences in culprit lesions in patients with STE-ACS and NSTE-ACS.

Assessing culprit lesions and active complex lesions in patients with early acute myocardial infarction by multidetector computed tomography.

Background: Accurate, non-invasive characterization of culprit lesions in patients after acute myocardial infarction (AMI) remains challenging. In this prospective study, multidetector row computed tomography (MDCT) is used to assess culprit and active complex lesions in patients early after AMI.

Methods And Results: We enrolled 103 patients with first non ST-elevation AMI who underwent 64-slices MDCT and conventional coronary angiography (CCAG).

Main pulmonary arterial distensibility: different presentation between chronic pulmonary hypertension and acute pulmonary embolism.

Background: The main pulmonary arterial (PA) distensibility in patients with pulmonary hypertension (PH) and pulmonary embolism (PE) is uncertain.

Methods And Results: We enrolled 45 patients with echocardiographic signs of PH and without imaging evidence of PE, and another 45 who were found by multidetector-row computed tomography to have PE. Fifty normal patients served as a control group.

A modified technique for ultrasound-guided cannulation of radial and brachial arteries in patients with circulation collapse.

We present a modified method for arterial cannulation using ultrasound guidance in patients with collapsed circulation. The method makes use of ultrasonographic landmarks that enable cannulation of both the radial and brachial arteries, even when the pulse is extremely faint.

Myocardial tissue Doppler-based indexes to distinguish right ventricular volume overload from right ventricular pressure overload.

The objective of this study was to develop tissue Doppler parameters that could be used to differentiate right ventricular (RV) volume overload from RV pressure overload. The RV-pressure-overload group consisted of 40 patients with severe pulmonary hypertension, and the RV-volume-overload group consisted of 40 patients who had an atrial septal defect without evidence of right-to-left shunt, significant pulmonary hypertension, or Eisenmenger's complex. Another 40 healthy subjects were enrolled and served as a control group.

Major events in uremic patients: insight from parameters derived by flow propagation velocity.

Background: The parameters derived by flow propagation velocity (FPV) of early-diastolic mitral inflow have been proved to be associated with cardiovascular risk. This study was undertaken to analyze the prognosis of uremic patients by FPV.

Methods: A total of 100 uremic patients were enrolled.

Multidetector row computed tomography can identify and characterize the occlusive culprit lesions in patients early (within 24 hours) after acute myocardial infarction.

Background: The reliable noninvasive assessment of occluded disrupted plaques and thromboses in culprit vessels could constitute an important step forward in risk stratification of patients early after acute myocardial infarction (AMI). However, noninvasive identification of patency of culprit vessels remains a challenging issue. This prospective study was designed to identify the occluded culprit vessels by multidetector row computed tomography (MDCT) and to compare the stenotic and occlusive culprit lesions by MDCT in patients early (within 24 hours) after AMI.

Double-lumen endobronchial tube intubation in patients with difficult airways using Trachlight and a modified technique.

We present a modified method for the insertion of double-lumen endobronchial tubes with Trachlight in patients with difficult airways. We also discuss whether our method is applicable to smaller double-lumen endobronchial tubes.

Evaluation of changes in cardiac output from the electrical impedance waveform in the forearm.

We tested the validity of regional impedance cardiography (RIC) for measuring changes in both cardiac output and stroke volume by comparing the values with a 2D ultrasound technique in response to the breath-hold manipulation. Among 13 subjects, changes in the maximum amplitude of the regional impedance waveform from the forearm conformed to those in stroke volume (r = 0.86, p < 0.