The Role of the Tissue Perfusion Index in Predicting Disease Severity and Prognosis in Patients with Severe and Critical COVID-19.

Objectives: The study investigated whether percutaneous partial pressure of oxygen (PtcO), percutaneous partial pressure of carbon dioxide (PtcCO), and the derived tissue perfusion index (TPI) can predict the severity and short-term outcomes of severe and critical COVID-19.

Design: Prospective observational study conducted from January 1, 2023 to February 10, 2023.

Setting: A teaching hospital specializing in tertiary care in Nanjing City, Jiangsu Province, China.

Supergravity-Steered Generic Manufacturing of Nanosheets-Embedded Nanocomposite Hydrogel with Highly Oriented, Heterogeneous Architecture.

Designing nanocomposite hydrogels with oriented nanosheets has emerged as a promising toolkit to achieve preferential performances that go beyond their disordered counterparts. Although current fabrication strategies via electric/magnetic force fields have made remarkable achievements, they necessitate special properties of nanosheets and suffer from an inferior orientation degree of nanosheets. Herein, a facile and universal approach is discovered to elaborate MXene-based nanocomposite hydrogels with highly oriented, heterogeneous architecture by virtue of supergravity to replace conventional force fields.

Laser-light cueing shoes with integrated foot pressure and inertial sensing for investigating the impact of visual cueing on gait characteristics in Parkinson's disease individuals.

Gait disorders are a fundamental challenge in Parkinson's disease (PD). The use of laser-light visual cues emitted from shoes has demonstrated effective in improving freezing of gait within less restrictive environments. However, the effectiveness of shoes-based laser-light cueing may vary among individuals with PD who have different types of impairments.

Foxp2 Is Required for Nucleus Accumbens-mediated Multifaceted Limbic Function.

The forkhead box protein P2 (Foxp2), initially identified for its role in speech and language development, plays an important role in neural development. Previous studies investigated the function of the Foxp2 gene by deleting or mutating Foxp2 from developmental stages. Little is known about its physiological function in adult brains.

Poly(,-diethylacrylamide)-endowed spontaneous emulsification during the breath figure process and the formation of membranes with hierarchical pores.

The spontaneous emulsification for the formation of water-in-oil (W/O) or oil-in-water (O/W) emulsions needs the help of at least one kind of the third component (surfactant or cosolvent) to stabilize the oil-water interface. Herein, with the water/CS-soluble polymer poly(,-diethylacrylamide) (PDEAM) as a surfactant, the spontaneous formation of water-in-PDEAM/CS emulsions is reported for the first time. The strong affinity between PDEAM and water or the increase of PDEAM concentration will accelerate the emulsification process with high dispersed phase content.

Laser-light Visual Cueing Shoes with Foot Pressures and Inertial Sensing for Individuals with Parkinson's Disease.

Gait disorder is a core problem in individuals with Parkinson's disease (PD), including bradykinesia, shuffling steps, festinating gait, and freeze of gait (FOG). Laser-light visual cueing has been demonstrated to be efficient in the mediation of gaits and the reduction in number of FOG episodes. However, previous approaches commonly adopted independent controls of visual cueing on left and right sides which was prone to produce two cues while individual was not in normal walking.

Mitigating the allergenicity of peanut allergen Ara h 1 by cold atmospheric pressure argon plasma jet.

Background: Peanut allergy is recognized as a major food allergy that triggers severe and even fatal symptoms. Avoidance of peanuts in the diet is the main option for current safety management. Processing techniques reducing peanut allergenicity are required to develop other options.

Developmental Characterization of Schizophrenia-Associated Gene Zswim6 in Mouse Forebrain.

Schizophrenia is a devastating neuropsychiatric disease with a globally 1% life-long prevalence. Clinical studies have linked mutations to developmental and neurological diseases, including schizophrenia. 's function remains largely unknown.

Usefulness of multi-labelling artificial intelligence in detecting rhythm disorders and acute ST-elevation myocardial infarction on 12-lead electrocardiogram.

Aims: To develop an artificial intelligence-based approach with multi-labelling capability to identify both ST-elevation myocardial infarction (STEMI) and 12 heart rhythms based on 12-lead electrocardiograms (ECGs).

Methods And Results: We trained, validated, and tested a long short-term memory (LSTM) model for the multi-label diagnosis of 13 ECG patterns (STEMI + 12 rhythm classes) using 60 537 clinical ECGs from 35 981 patients recorded between 15 January 2009 and 31 December 2018. In addition to the internal test above, we conducted a real-world external test, comparing the LSTM model with board-certified physicians of different specialties using a separate dataset of 308 ECGs covering all 13 ECG diagnoses.

Synergistic effects of combined treatment with ultrasound-mediated cisplatin-loaded microbubbles and atorvastatin on head and neck cancer.

Background: Previously, we used ultrasound (US)-mediated cisplatin (CDDP)-loaded microbubbles (CDDP-MBs) to increase intratumoral CDDP level while decreasing systemic cytotoxicity. Statins have shown antitumorigenic properties. Our study investigated the effects of atorvastatin with CDDP-MBs and US on head neck cancer.

Association of pregnancy outcomes in women with type 2 diabetes treated with metformin versus insulin when becoming pregnant.

Background: Metformin use in pregnancy is controversial because metformin crosses the placenta and the safety on the fetus has not been well-established. This retrospective study aimed to compare pregnancy outcomes in women with preexisting type 2 diabetes receiving metformin or standard insulin treatment.

Methods: The cohort of this population-based study includes women of age 20-44 years with preexisting type 2 diabetes and singleton pregnancies in Taiwan between 2003 and 2014.

Association of Family History With Incidence and Outcomes of Aortic Dissection.

Background: Aortic dissection (AD) is a life-threatening emergency. However, the heritability and association of family history with late outcomes are unclear.

Objectives: The purpose of this study was to evaluate the effect of family history of AD on the incidence and prognosis of AD and estimate the heritability and environmental contribution in AD in Taiwan.

Developmental characterization of Zswim5 expression in the progenitor domains and tangential migration pathways of cortical interneurons in the mouse forebrain.

GABAergic interneurons play an essential role in modulating cortical networks. The progenitor domains of cortical interneurons are localized in developing ventral forebrain, including the medial ganglionic eminence (MGE), caudal ganglionic eminence (CGE), preoptic area (POA), and preoptic hypothalamic border domain (POH). Here, we characterized the expression pattern of Zswim5, an MGE-enriched gene in the mouse forebrain.

Comparative Renoprotective Effect of Febuxostat and Allopurinol in Predialysis Stage 5 Chronic Kidney Disease Patients: A Nationwide Database Analysis.

Hyperuricemia has been associated with chronic kidney disease (CKD) progression. The antihyperuricemic febuxostat's potential renoprotective effect has been demonstrated in stage 1-3 CKD. Large-scale studies comparing the renoprotective potential of febuxostat and allopurinol in advanced CKD are lacking.

Gulllain-Barre Syndrome After Trivalent Influenza Vaccination in Adults.

Lines of evidence suggest trivalent influenza vaccination may be associated with Guillain-Barre syndrome (GBS), an immune-mediated acute inflammatory neuropathy. On the other hand, this vaccination protects against influenza infection, which has been demonstrated as a trigger of GBS. To clarify the net effect of trivalent influenza vaccines on GBS, we conducted a retrospective nationwide nested case-control study using the database of the Taiwan National Health Insurance program.

Determining the Residual Characteristics of Alkylphenols, Arsenic, and Lead as well as Assessing the Exposures of 1,4-Dioxane from Household Food Detergents.

Food detergents are commonly used in households. The main components of detergents include surfactants and water. It has been found that certain compounds, which may cause health concerns, appear in food detergents, such as alkylphenols, arsenic, and lead.

From Lead to Drug Candidate: Optimization of 3-(Phenylethynyl)-1H-pyrazolo[3,4-d]pyrimidin-4-amine Derivatives as Agents for the Treatment of Triple Negative Breast Cancer.

Herein we report the sophisticated process of structural optimization toward a previously disclosed Src inhibitor, compound 1, which showed high potency in the treatment of triple negative breast cancer (TNBC) both in vitro and in vivo but had considerable toxicity. A series of 3-(phenylethynyl)-1H-pyrazolo[3,4-d]pyrimidin-4-amine derivatives were synthesized. In vitro cell-based phenotypic screening together with in vivo assays and structure-activity relationship (SAR) studies finally led to the discovery of N-(3-((4-amino-1-(trans-4-hydroxycyclohexyl)-1H-pyrazolo[3,4-d]pyrimidin-3-yl)ethynyl)-4-methylphenyl)-4-methyl-3-(trifluoromethyl)benzamide (13an).

Preclinical Evaluation of a Novel Orally Available SRC/Raf/VEGFR2 Inhibitor, SKLB646, in the Treatment of Triple-Negative Breast Cancer.

Triple-negative breast cancer (TNBC) is the most aggressive and deadly breast cancer subtype. To date, chemotherapy is the only systemic therapy and prognosis remains poor. Herein, we report the preclinical evaluation of SKLB646 in the treatment of TNBC; SKLB646 is a novel multiple kinase inhibitor developed by us recently.

Urinary polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbon metabolites as biomarkers of exposure to traffic-emitted pollutants.

1-Nitro-pyrene has been considered a compound specific to diesel combustion emission, while 1- and 2-nitro-napthalene are mainly produced through photochemical conversion of naphthalene released to the atmosphere. Metabolites of these compounds may serve as biomarkers of exposure to traffic related pollutants. We collected urine samples from 111 healthy and non-smoking subjects within (i.

Structural basis of antizyme-mediated regulation of polyamine homeostasis.

Polyamines are organic polycations essential for cell growth and differentiation; their aberrant accumulation is often associated with diseases, including many types of cancer. To maintain polyamine homeostasis, the catalytic activity and protein abundance of ornithine decarboxylase (ODC), the committed enzyme for polyamine biosynthesis, are reciprocally controlled by the regulatory proteins antizyme isoform 1 (Az1) and antizyme inhibitor (AzIN). Az1 suppresses polyamine production by inhibiting the assembly of the functional ODC homodimer and, most uniquely, by targeting ODC for ubiquitin-independent proteolytic destruction by the 26S proteasome.

Design, Synthesis, and Structure-Activity Relationship Studies of 3-(Phenylethynyl)-1H-pyrazolo[3,4-d]pyrimidin-4-amine Derivatives as a New Class of Src Inhibitors with Potent Activities in Models of Triple Negative Breast Cancer.

A series of 3-(phenylethynyl)-1H-pyrazolo[3,4-d]pyrimidin-4-amine derivatives were designed and synthesized. Structure-activity relationship (SAR) analysis of these compounds led to the discovery of compound 1j, which showed the highest inhibitory potency against the Src kinase and the most potent antiviability activity against the typical TNBC cell line MDA-MB-231 among all the synthesized compounds. Further kinase inhibition assays showed that compound 1j was a multikinase inhibitor and potently inhibited Src (IC50 = 0.

Suboptimal duration of granulocyte colony-stimulating factor use and chemotherapy-induced neutropenia in women diagnosed with breast cancer.

Purpose: Prophylactic use of granulocyte colony-stimulating factor (G-CSF) is recommended for cancer patients who are at high risk of neutropenic events. However, whether the clinical effectiveness of G-CSF from randomized controlled trials translates into "real-world" clinical practice is questionable. The goal of this retrospective cohort study was to examine the impact of G-CSF prophylaxis and other potential risk factors of severe neutropenia in women with breast cancer.

A highly efficient β-glucosidase from the buffalo rumen fungus Neocallimastix patriciarum W5.

Background: Cellulose, which is the most abundant renewable biomass on earth, is a potential bio-resource of alternative energy. The hydrolysis of plant polysaccharides is catalyzed by microbial cellulases, including endo-β-1,4-glucanases, cellobiohydrolases, cellodextrinases, and β-glucosidases. Converting cellobiose by β-glucosidases is the key factor for reducing cellobiose inhibition and enhancing the efficiency of cellulolytic enzymes for cellulosic ethanol production.