A preliminary investigation of dissociation between subjective cognitive complaints and objective cognitive impairments in female patients with fibromyalgia: a role of information processing speed.

Objectives: Fibromyalgia (FM) is a chronic condition characterised by widespread pain, and cognitive difficulties represent one of the most common symptoms of FM. However, subjective cognitive complaints (SCC) may not necessarily indicate significant abnormalities in objective cognitive performances, and there is limited research investigating the relationship between these two aspects. This study thus aims to analyse the differences between SCC and objective cognitive performance in FM patients and to explore their associations.

Recovery of cardiac electrophysiological alterations by heart rate complexity based on multiscale entropy following liver transplantation.

Autonomic nervous dysfunction is a known cardiac sequalae in patients with end-stage liver disease and is associated with a poor prognosis. Heart rate analysis using nonlinear models such as multiscale entropy (MSE) or complexity may identify marked changes in these patients where conventional heart rate variability (HRV) measurements do not. To investigate the application of heart rate complexity (HRC) based on MSE in liver transplantation settings.

Discontinuity third harmonic generation microscopy for label-free imaging and quantification of intraepidermal nerve fibers.

Label-free imaging methodologies for nerve fibers rely on spatial signal continuity to identify fibers and fail to image free intraepidermal nerve endings (FINEs). Here, we present an imaging methodology-called discontinuity third harmonic generation (THG) microscopy (dTHGM)-that detects three-dimensional discontinuities in THG signals as the contrast. We describe the mechanism and design of dTHGM and apply it to reveal the bead-string characteristics of unmyelinated FINEs.

Multimodal Analgesia With Extended-Release Dinalbuphine Sebacate for Perioperative Management: Expert Opinion and Consensus.

Background: The insufficient treatment of postoperative pain is considered a major barrier to enhanced patient recovery following surgery. Opioids remain the standard therapy for postoperative pain; however, the epidemic crisis of opioid abuse in the US has resulted in opioid-sparing multimodal analgesia (MMA) strategies in anesthesia practice. Complete perioperative pain management, particularly after discharge, may be undermined, resulting in chronic postsurgical pain.

An observational study of microcirculation among healthy individuals by age and sex.

Objective: This study measured normal ranges of microcirculatory parameters in healthy individuals and investigated differences in parameters by age and sex.

Methods: Participants were enrolled into three groups with equal numbers of male and female: young (20-39 years), middle-aged (40-59 years), and elderly (60-79 years). Sublingual microcirculation images were obtained using the incident dark field (IDF).

Development of the Chronic Pain Cognition Scale: A Culture-Sensitive Pain Measurement in Chinese.

Purpose: People with pain problems are highly vulnerable to cultural disparities, and it is imperative to reduce these inequalities. This cross-sectional study aimed to develop a culturally sensitive Chronic Pain Cognition Scale (CPCS) for Chinese-/Chinese dialect-speaking populations and investigate its psychometric properties.

Patients And Methods: Adult patients with chronic low back pain or chronic neck pain who visited pain clinics at a medical center in northern Taiwan were enrolled.

Does the diagnostic timing of cancer-associated thromboembolism influence the survival outcome in ovarian cancer patients?

Background/purpose: Efforts were made to explore the influence of diagnostic timing for cancer-associated thromboembolic events on survival of ovarian cancer patients.

Methods: We reviewed the medical records of 75 ovarian cancer patients with thromboembolism and evaluated the prognostic factors affecting disease-free survival and overall survival.

Results: These 75 patients were classified into two categories by the diagnostic timing of the thromboembolism, during (33 cases) and after (42 cases) initial diagnosis of ovarian cancer groups.

Dual inhibition of BTLA and PD-1 can enhance therapeutic efficacy of paclitaxel on intraperitoneally disseminated tumors.

Background: Expression of immune checkpoints in the tumor microenvironment is one mechanism underlying paclitaxel (PTX) chemoresistance. This study aimed to investigate whether the addition of checkpoint blockade to PTX can improve the therapeutic efficacy against apparently disseminated intraperitoneal tumors.

Methods: We analyzed the in vivo expression of various immune checkpoints in CD3CD8 cytotoxic T cells from tumor-bearing mice treated with or without PTX and validated the tumor-killing activities of selected checkpoint-expressing T-cell subpopulations ex vivo.

Injection Site Reactions Before and After Intramuscular Injection Technique Revision: A Postmarketing Analysis of NALDEBAIN® From 2017 to 2022.

Background: The NALDEBAIN® has been available since 2017, and high incidence of injection reactions in the phase 3 study has been reported. Since the first year in the market, the injection site reactions were still the majority of adverse drug reactions (ADRs) in pharmacovigilance reports. The new intramuscular (IM) instruction and package was introduced in the middle of 2018.

Ultrasound Imaging, Guidance, and Treatment for Shoulder-related Pain Syndrome: A Bibliometric Analysis.

Background: Ultrasound imaging is shown to be superior to other imaging tools for the evaluation of shoulder disorders in a primary care settings. In addition to its diagnostic utility, ultrasound diathermy is useful as a deep heat modality for the management of shoulder pain.

Objective And Study Design: In this study, we analyzed the bibliometric data of publications that have focused on ultrasound imaging/therapy for shoulder-related pain syndrome.

Prescription Opioid Use among Patients with Chronic Noncancer Pain before and after the COVID-19 Outbreak in Taiwan: A Multicenter Prospective Observational Study.

Background: The COVID-19 outbreak disrupted medical access for patients receiving chronic opioid therapy. This study investigated their prescription opioid dosages before and after the 2020 outbreak in Taiwan.

Methods: A prospective questionnaire survey was conducted among registered outpatients receiving long-term opioids before July 2019 in Taiwan.

Previous SARS-CoV-2 infection or a third dose of vaccine elicited cross-variant neutralising antibodies in vaccinated solid-organ transplant recipients.

Objectives: The SARS-CoV-2 pandemic poses a great threat to global health, particularly in solid organ transplant recipients (SOTRs). A 3-dose mRNA vaccination protocol has been implemented for the majority of SOTRs, yet their immune responses are less effective compared to healthy controls (HCs).

Methods: We analyzed the humoral immune responses against the vaccine strain and variants of concern (VOC), including the highly mutated-omicron variant in 113 SOTRs, of whom 44 had recovered from COVID-19 (recovered-SOTRs) and 69 had not contracted the virus (COVID-naïve).

Stereotactic body radiation combined with oncolytic vaccinia virus induces potent anti-tumor effect by triggering tumor cell necroptosis and DAMPs.

Radiation is an integral part of cancer therapy. With the emergence of oncolytic vaccinia virus immunotherapy, it is important to study the combination of radiation and vaccinia virus in cancer therapy. In this study, we investigated the anti-tumor effect of and immune mechanisms underlying the combination of high-dose hypofractionated stereotactic body radiotherapy (SBRT) and oncolytic vaccinia virus in preclinical murine models.

Impact of expanded strong opioid availability on opioid prescription patterns in patients with cancer: A population-wide cohort study in Taiwan.

One of the major barriers to adequate cancer pain management in Taiwan is the limited prescription options regarding strong opioids. Internationally recommended strong opioids, including oxycodone and hydromorphone, were not introduced in Taiwan until late 2014. We analysed the patterns in opioid prescription for cancer pain management, after the introduction of new opioid options.

Gender Differences in Depression and Sex Hormones among Patients Receiving Long-Term Opioid Treatment for Chronic Noncancer Pain in Taiwan-A Multicenter Cross-Sectional Study.

Background: Long-term use of opioids for chronic noncancer pain is associated with sex hormone disturbances. The interferences with sex hormones, sexual function, and depression were investigated in patients with chronic noncancer pain.

Methods: A cross-sectional multicenter survey was conducted on 170 officially registered outpatients receiving long-term opioid treatment in nine medical centers in Taiwan between October 2018 and July 2019.

COVID-19 ICU and mechanical ventilation patient characteristics and outcomes-A systematic review and meta-analysis.

Background: Insight into COVID-19 intensive care unit (ICU) patient characteristics, rates and risks of invasive mechanical ventilation (IMV) and associated outcomes as well as any regional discrepancies is critical in this pandemic for individual case management and overall resource planning.

Methods And Findings: Electronic searches were performed for reports through May 1 2020 and reports on COVID-19 ICU admissions and outcomes were included using predefined search terms. Relevant data was subsequently extracted and pooled using fixed or random effects meta-analysis depending on heterogeneity.

Effects of dexmedetomidine on renal microcirculation in ischemia/reperfusion-induced acute kidney injury in rats.

Microcirculatory dysfunction plays a crucial role in renal ischemia/reperfusion (IR)-induced injury. Dexmedetomidine was reported to ameliorate IR-induced acute kidney injury. This study investigated the effects of dexmedetomidine on renal microcirculation after IR-induced acute kidney injury in rats.

Comparing effects of intraoperative fluid and vasopressor infusion on intestinal microcirculation.

Several studies have revealed that vasopressor may be more appropriate for treating intraoperative hypotension and preventing hypervolemia. This study compared the effects of vasopressor infusion and fluid supplementation on intestinal microcirculation during treating intraoperative hypotension. Thirty-two rats were randomly divided into the following four groups: Light Anesthesia group (LA, 0.