The relationship between caloric intake and clinical outcomes in critically ill patients: A retrospective study.

Background & Aims: Despite ongoing research, the optimal nutritional support strategy in the first week of intensive care unit (ICU) stay remains unclear, given the complex interplay of the dynamic metabolic change and evolving nutritional requirements. In this study, we assessed the impact of calorie deficiency during this period on the nutritional care of critically ill patients.

Methods: In this retrospective study, we examined ICU admissions from January 2018 to September 2021, focusing on patients whose ICU stay exceeded 7 days.

Relationship Between Electrical Parameters and Cardiac Synchrony in Patients Underwent Left Bundle Branch Area Pacing.

Purpose: The study aims to assess cardiac synchrony under different left bundle branch area pacing (LBBAP) and evaluate the relationship between different surface or intracardiac electrical parameters and mechanical synchrony.

Methods: Eighty-two patients with successful LBBAP were recruited. The electrical synchrony, evaluated by paced QRS duration (pQRSD) and Stim-LVAT (stimulus to left ventricular activation time), and mechanical synchrony, evaluated by the standard deviation of the time-to-peak contraction velocity in 12 left ventricular segments (Tsd-12-LV), were compared between groups in patients underwent LBBAP.

The utility of the surprise question by nurses to identify hospitalised older patients nearing the end-of-life and promotion of advance care planning: An interventional study.

Aims And Objectives: To assess the prognostic accuracy of the surprise question (SQ) when used by nurses working in hospital wards to determine 1-year mortality in acutely hospitalised older patients.

Background: The predictive accuracy of the SQ, when used by general nurses caring for older hospitalised patients, has not been comprehensively studied.

Design: A prospective cohort study.

Polyamine signaling communications play a key role in regulating the pathogenicity of .

is a newly identified plant bacterial pathogen with a wide host range. A clear understanding of the cell-to-cell communication systems that modulate the bacterial virulence is of key importance for elucidating its pathogenic mechanisms and for disease control. In this study, we present evidence that putrescine molecules from the pathogen and host plants play an essential role in regulating the bacterial virulence.

Prevalence of Non-Polio Enteroviruses in the Sewage of Guangzhou City, China, from 2013 to 2021.

Continuous surveillance of enteroviruses (EVs) in urban domestic sewage can timely reflect the circulation of EVs in the environment and crowds, and play a predictive and early warning role in EV-related diseases. To better understand the long-term epidemiological trends of circulating EVs and EV-related diseases, we conducted a 9-year (2013 to 2021) surveillance study of non-polio EVs (NPEVs) in urban sewage in Guangzhou city, China. After concentrating and isolating the viruses from the sewage samples, NPEVs were detected and molecular typing was performed.

Dynamic changes in polioviruses identified by environmental surveillance in Guangzhou, 2009-2021.

Polio cases can be missed by acute flaccid paralysis (AFP) case surveillance alone, emphasizing the importance of environmental surveillance (ES). In this study, to investigate the serotype distribution and epidemiological trends of poliovirus (PV), we characterized PV isolated from domestic sewage in Guangzhou City, Guangdong Province, China from 2009 to 2021. A total of 624 sewage samples were collected from the Liede Sewage Treatment Plant, and the positive rates of PV and non-polio enteroviruses were 66.

Impact on right ventricular performance in patients undergoing permanent pacemaker implantation: Left bundle branch pacing versus right ventricular septum pacing.

Background: The novel method of left bundle branch pacing (LBBP) has been reported to achieve better electrical and mechanical synchrony in the left ventricle than conventional right ventricular pacing (RVP). However, its effects on right ventricle (RV) performance are still unknown.

Methods: Consecutive patients undergoing dual-chamber pacemaker (PM) implantation for sick sinus syndrome (SSS) with normal cardiac function and a narrow QRS complex were recruited for the study.

Cross-Sectional Analysis of Taiwanese Pharmacy Students' Experiences and Perceptions of Transitioning from In-Hospital Internships to Distance Learning Due to COVID-19.

The introductory pharmacy practice experiences (IPPE) in Taiwan, which are traditionally conducted in physical hospital settings, incorporated up to 30% distance learning from May 2021 due to Coronavirus Disease 2019 (COVID-19). A web-based cross-sectional survey was adopted to investigate pharmacy students' experiences and perceptions of transitioning from in-hospital internships to distance learning due to COVID-19 in the pharmacy department of a university in Southern Taiwan. We analyzed the results to discover factors that significantly affected students' perceptions of transitioning from in-hospital internships to distance learning.

First Report of Bacterial Soft Rot Disease on Taro Caused by in China.

Taro [ (L.) Schott.] is an important root crop in the world with great economic value.

Effectiveness and safety of ear acupuncture for allergic rhinitis: A protocol of randomized controlled trial.

Background: Allergic rhinitis is a global problem. About 10% to 40% of the global population is affected by allergic rhinitis and is on the rise, which has a significant health and economic impact on society. Ear acupuncture is a non-invasive acupuncture therapy, which has been used in the treatment of allergic rhinitis, and some positive results have been reported, but there is not enough evidence to prove its efficacy and safety.

Vitamin D (1,25-(OH)D) Improves Endothelial Progenitor Cells Function via Enhanced NO Secretion in Systemic Lupus Erythematosus.

It has been proven that vitamin D was decreased and function of circulating endothelial progenitor cells (EPCs) was injured in systemic lupus erythematosus (SLE) patients. However, the effect of vitamin D on the function of EPCs and its mechanism need further study. Therefore, we investigated whether vitamin D improved the function of EPCs .

Isoorientin Decreases Cell Migration via Decreasing Functional Activity and Molecular Expression of Proton-Linked Monocarboxylate Transporters in Human Lung Cancer Cells.

Aggressive tumor cells mainly rely on glycolysis, and further release vast amounts of lactate and protons by monocarboxylate transporter (MCT), which causes a higher intracellular pH (pH) and acidic extracellular pH. Isoorientin, a principle flavonoid compound extracted from several plant species, shows various pharmacological activities. However, effects of isoorientin on anticancer and MCT await to explore in human lung cancer cells.

An interprofessional training program for intrahospital transport of critically ill patients: model build-up and assessment.

Intrahospital transport of critically ill patients for diagnostic or therapeutic procedures can be compromised by patient instability, equipment problems or inexperienced teamworking. This quasi-experimental study aimed to assess the effectiveness of an in-situ interprofessional simulation-based training (IIST) model for junior member transport teams. Newly registered postgraduate physicians, nurses and respiratory therapists underwent the IIST.

Rhizobium wuzhouense sp. nov., isolated from roots of Oryza officinalis.

Three bacterial isolates, designated W44, W15 and W11, were isolated from the root of Oryza officinalis grown in Wuzhou, China. These isolates were Gram-negative, aerobic, motile and rod-shaped; demonstrated cellulase and urea activities; and formed cream-coloured colonies. The 16S rRNA gene sequence analysis indicated that the similarities between strain W44 and strains W15 and W11 were 100 %; all of them belonged to the genus Rhizobium and had the highest sequence similarity to Rhizobium rosettiformans W3 (98.

Astragaloside VI and cycloastragenol-6-O-beta-D-glucoside promote wound healing in vitro and in vivo.

Background: Astragalus genus includes most of the common, historical herbal medicines that have various applications in Asian countries. However, clinical data and mechanistic insights into their actions are still lacking.

Purpose: In this study, we aimed to examine the effects of astragalosides on wound healing in vitro and in vivo, as well as the underlying mechanisms of these actions.

Protective effect and mechanism of lycopene on endothelial progenitor cells (EPCs) from type 2 diabetes mellitus rats.

Endothelial progenitor cells (EPCs), widely existing in bone marrow and peripheral blood, are involved in the repair of injured vascular endothelium and angiogenesis which are important to diabetic mellitus (DM) patients with vascular complications. The number and the function of EPCs are related to the advanced glycation end products (AGEs) generated in DM patients. Lycopene (Lyc) is an identified natural antioxidant that protects EPCs under the microenvironment of AGEs from damage.

Sensitivity and specificity of executive function tests for Alzheimer's disease.

Decline in executive function (EF) occurs early in Alzheimer's disease (AD) and can interfere with daily functioning. Unfortunately, little is known about the relative ability of traditional EF tests to detect these cognitive changes. Given that timely diagnosis and intervention are essential to improving functional outcome in this population, our aim was to identify the specific EF measures that best differentiated mild dementia from normal aging.

An Essential Role of cAMP Response Element Binding Protein in Ginsenoside Rg1-Mediated Inhibition of Na+/Glucose Cotransporter 1 Gene Expression.

The Na(+)/glucose cotransporter 1 (SGLT1) is responsible for glucose uptake in intestinal epithelial cells. It has been shown that the intestinal SGLT1 level is significantly increased in diabetic individuals and positively correlated with the pathogenesis of diabetes. The development of targeted therapeutics that can reduce the intestinal SGLT1 expression level is, therefore, important.

An essential role of cAMP response element-binding protein in epidermal growth factor-mediated induction of sodium/glucose cotransporter 1 gene expression and intestinal glucose uptake.

The sodium/glucose cotransporter 1 (SGLT1) is responsible for glucose uptake in intestinal epithelial cells. Its expression is decreased in individuals with intestinal inflammatory disorders and is correlated with the pathogenesis of disease. The aim of this study was to understand the regulatory mechanism of the SGLT1 gene.

A gut microbial metabolite of ginsenosides, compound K, induces intestinal glucose absorption and Na(+) /glucose cotransporter 1 gene expression through activation of cAMP response element binding protein.

Scope: The Na(+) /glucose cotransporter 1 (SGLT1) plays a crucial role in glucose uptake in intestinal epithelial cells (IECs), which has been shown essential in ameliorating intestinal inflammation. Ginseng has historically been used to treat inflammatory disorders. Understanding the regulatory mechanism of ginseng-mediated induction of SGLT1 gene expression in human intestinal cells is therefore important.

Effects of lycopene on number and function of human peripheral blood endothelial progenitor cells cultivated with high glucose.

Background/objectives: The objectives of this study were to investigate the effects of lycopene on the migration, adhesion, tube formation capacity, and p38 mitogen-activated protein kinase (p38 MAPK) activity of endothelial progenitor cells (EPCs) cultivated with high glucose (HG) and as well as explore the mechanism behind the protective effects of lycopene on peripheral blood EPCs.

Materials/methods: Mononuclear cells were isolated from human peripheral blood by Ficoll density gradient centrifugation. EPCs were identified after induction of cellular differentiation.

The cystathionine γ-lyase/hydrogen sulfide system maintains cellular glutathione status.

Hydrogen sulfide (H2S) has been implicated to exhibit antioxidative properties in many models. CSE (cystathionine γ-lyase) is an important enzyme responsible for endogenous H2S production in mammalian systems, but little is known about the modulation of endogenous H2S production and its antioxidative activity. We found that inhibiting CSE activity with PAG (propargylglycine) or silencing CSE expression using an siRNA approach resulted in a greater reduction in cell viability under exposure to the oxidizing agent hydrogen peroxide (H2O2).

[Effect of lycopene on the apoptosis of human peripheral endothelial progenitor cells cultivated in high concentration of glucose].

Objective: To investigate the effect of lycopene treatment on the proliferation and apoptosis of endothelial progenitor cells (EPCs) incubated in a culture medium with high concentration of glucose.

Methods: Mononuclear cells (MNCs) were isolated from human peripheral blood by Ficoll density gradient centrifugation. After being induced to differentiation, the endothelial progenitor cells (EPC) were identified by FITC-labeled Ulex europaeus agglutinin I and Dil labeled acetylated low density lipoprotein dual stain method.

Site-directed mutagenesis on human cystathionine-gamma-lyase reveals insights into the modulation of H2S production.

In recent years, increased interest has been directed towards hydrogen sulfide (H2S) as the third gasotransmitter and its role in various diseases. Cystathionine-gamma-lyase (CSE) is one of the enzymes responsible for the endogenous production of H2S in mammals. With the aid of the crystal structures of human CSE and site-directed mutagenesis studies, we have identified several amino acid residues in CSE that are actively involved in the catalysis of H2S production.