Precisely Controlling the Activation of an Iron-Locked Drug Generator in the Liver Sinusoid to Enhance Barrier Penetration and Reduction of Liver Fibrosis.

Complex physical barriers and the nanomaterial's clearance mechanism in the liver greatly hinder the feasibility of using a conventional liver-targeting nanoplatform to deliver antifibrotic drugs to pathological sites for the treatment of liver fibrosis. Here, a novel drug delivery strategy was designed to overcome drug penetration barriers in a fibrotic liver and cooperated with oral nattokinase (NKase)-mediated antifibrosis therapy as a proof of concept, which relies on the coadministration of a nanosized iron-locked drug generator (named Pro-HAase) and orally absorbed iron chelator deferasirox (DFX). Such a strategy starts from the rapid accumulation of intravenously injected Pro-HAase in the microcapillaries of the fibrotic liver followed by disrupting the polyphenol-iron coordination inside Pro-HAase by DFX, liberating antifibrotic components, including procyanidine (PA) and hyaluronidase (HAase).

POU5F1 promotes the proliferation, migration, and invasion of gastric cancer cells by reducing the ubiquitination level of TRAF6.

POU5F1 plays an important role in maintaining the cancer stem cell (CSC) -like properties of gastric cancer (GC) cells. The impact of POU5F1 on the proliferation and metastasis of GC was examined, along with the potential of ATRA as a specific therapeutic agent for GC. The dysregulation of POU5F1 expression in GC tissues was analyzed using public databases and bioinformatics techniques, and the disparity in POU5F1 expression between normal gastric tissues and GC tissues was further assessed through western blot, RT-qPCR, and immunohistochemistry.

Fibroblast growth factor 15, induced by elevated bile acids, mediates the improvement of hepatic glucose metabolism after sleeve gastrectomy.

Background: Fibroblast growth factor (FGF) 15/19, which is expressed in and secreted from the distal ileum, can regulate hepatic glucose metabolism in an endocrine manner. The levels of both bile acids (BAs) and FGF15/19 are elevated after bariatric surgery. However, it is unclear whether the increase in FGF15/19 is induced by BAs.

Microbially induced calcium precipitation driven by denitrification: Performance, metabolites, and molecular mechanisms.

Microbially induced calcium precipitation (MICP) driven by denitrification has attracted extensive attention due to its application potential in nitrate removal from calcium-rich groundwater. However, little research has been conducted on this technique at the molecular level. Here, Pseudomonas WZ39 was used to explore the molecular mechanisms of nitrate-dependent MICP and the effects of Ca on bacterial transcriptional regulation and metabolic response.

Simultaneous removal of phosphate, calcium, and ammonia nitrogen in a hydrogel immobilized reactor with bentonite/lanthanum/PVA based on microbial induced calcium precipitation.

In recent years, it is urgent to solve nitrogen and phosphorus pollution in domestic wastewater. The target strain Pseudomonas sp. Y1 was immobilized using polyvinyl alcohol (PVA) matrix coupled with bentonite and lanthanum (La), respectively, to fabricate four hydrogel materials that used to construct bioreactors.

Simultaneous removal of ammonia nitrogen, recovery of phosphate, and immobilization of nickel in a polyester fiber with shell powder and iron carbon spheres bioreactor: Optimization and pathways mechanism.

Composite pollutants are prevalent in wastewater, whereas, the simultaneous accomplishment of efficient nitrogen removal and resources recovery remains a challenge. In this study, a bioreactor was constructed to contain Pseudomonas sp. Y1 using polyester fiber wrapped with shell powder and iron carbon spheres, achieving ammonia nitrogen (NH-N) removal, phosphate (PO-P) recovery, and nickel (Ni) immobilization.

Microbially induced calcium precipitation coupled with medical stone-coated sponges: A targeted strategy for enhanced nitrate and fluoride removal from groundwater.

The coexistence of nitrate and fluoride in groundwater is of high concern due to its potential environmental impacts and health risks. Medical stone-coated sponges, as a microbial activity promoter and slow-release calcium source, were introduced into an immobilized bioreactor for enhanced removal of nitrate and fluoride. Under the hydraulic retention time of 3 h, nitrate, fluoride, and calcium contents of 16.

Synchronous removal of ammonia nitrogen, phosphate, and calcium by heterotrophic nitrifying strain Pseudomonas sp. Y1 based on microbial induced calcium precipitation.

Pseudomonas sp. Y1, a strain with superior synchronous removal ability of ammonia nitrogen (NH-N), phosphate (PO-P), and calcium (Ca) was isolated, with the removal efficiencies of 92.04, 99.

Simultaneous removal of nitrate and heavy metals in a biofilm reactor filled with modified biochar.

A biofilm reactor filled with chia seeds gum modified biochar was set up for the simultaneous removal of nitrate, cadmium and zinc from calcium-containing wastewater via denitrification and microbially-induced (calcium) carbonate precipitation. The reactor performance was studied under different conditions of pH, Cd concentration, and hydraulic retention time. The optimal removal efficiency of the reactor for NO-N, Ca, Cd, and Zn were 99.

Objective performance of emergency medical technicians in the use of mechanical cardiopulmonary resuscitation compared with subjective self-evaluation: a cross-sectional, simulation-based study.

Objective: To evaluate the subjective and objective resuscitation performance of emergency medical technicians (EMTs) using mechanical cardiopulmonary resuscitation (MCPR) devices.

Design And Setting: This was a cross-sectional simulation-based study where participants installed the MCPR device on a training manikin.

Participants: We assessed EMT-Intermediates (EMT-Is) and EMT-Paramedics (EMT-Ps) of the Emergency Medical Services (Ambulance) Division of the Taipei City Fire Department.

Enhanced removal of fluoride, nitrate, and calcium using self-assembled fungus-flexible fiber composite microspheres combined with microbially induced calcium precipitation.

Self-assembled fungus-flexible fiber composite microspheres (SFFMs) were firstly combined with microbially induced calcium precipitation (MICP) in a continuous-flow bioreactor and achieved the efficient removal of fluoride (F), nitrate (NO), and calcium (Ca). Under the influent F of 3.0 mg L, pH of 7.

Chitosan and carboxymethyl chitosan mimic biomineralization and promote microbially induced calcium precipitation.

This research aimed to evaluate chitosan (CTS) and carboxymethyl chitosan (CMCS) as polysaccharides that could mimic the role of bacterial extracellular polymeric substance (EPS) in the biomineralization process through bionic experiments. The introduction of COOH resulted in higher calcium precipitation efficiency of CMCS (65.07%) than CTS (55.

Influence of advanced life support response time on out-of-hospital cardiac arrest patient outcomes in Taipei.

Background: The association between out-of-hospital cardiac arrest patient survival and advanced life support response time remained controversial. We aimed to test the hypothesis that for adult, non-traumatic, out-of-hospital cardiac arrest patients, a shorter advanced life support response time is associated with a better chance of survival. We analyzed Utstein-based registry data on adult, non-traumatic, out-of-hospital cardiac arrest patients in Taipei from 2011 to 2015.

Effect of Placement of a Supraglottic Airway Device vs Endotracheal Intubation on Return of Spontaneous Circulation in Adults With Out-of-Hospital Cardiac Arrest in Taipei, Taiwan: A Cluster Randomized Clinical Trial.

Importance: Prehospital advanced airway management with either initial endotracheal intubation (ETI) or initial supraglottic airway (SGA) insertion in patients with out-of-hospital cardiac arrest (OHCA) remains controversial.

Objective: To compare the effectiveness of ETI and SGA in patients with nontraumatic OHCA.

Design, Setting, And Participants: The Supraglottic Airway Device vs Endotracheal intubation (SAVE) trial was a multicenter cluster randomized clinical trial conducted in Taipei City, Taiwan.

Microbial induced calcium precipitation based anaerobic immobilized biofilm reactor for fluoride, calcium, and nitrate removal from groundwater.

In this study, the anaerobic quartz sand fixed biofilm reactor containing Cupriavidus sp. W12 was established to simultaneously remove calcium (Ca), fluoride (F) and nitrate (NON) from groundwater. After 84 days of continuous operation, the optimum operating parameters and defluoridation mechanism were explored, and the microbial community structure under different pH environments were compared and analyzed.

Outcomes of out-of-hospital cardiac arrests after a decade of system-wide initiatives optimising community chain of survival in Taipei city.

Objective: A strengthened chain of survival benefits patient outcomes after out-of-hospital cardiac arrest (OHCA). Over the past decade, the Taipei Fire Department (TFD) has continuously implemented system-wide initiatives on this issue.We hypothesised that for adult, non-trauma OHCA patients, the bundle of these system-wide initiatives are associated with better outcomes.

Synergistic removal of fluoride from groundwater by seed crystals and bacteria based on microbially induced calcium precipitation.

A new hypothesis that seed crystals (SC) and bacteria based on microbially induced calcium precipitation (MICP) synergistically remove fluoride (F) from groundwater was proposed, with a focus on evaluating the defluoridation potential of this method and revealing its F removal mechanism. The crucial conditions were optimized to reduce preparation and operation costs. SC furnished more available binding sites due to the existence of bacteria, and the reuse experiments showed that the defluoridation efficiency of SC still remained a high level after 14 cycles (70.

Microbially induced calcium precipitation based simultaneous removal of fluoride, nitrate, and calcium by Pseudomonas sp. WZ39: Mechanisms and nucleation pathways.

A simultaneous denitrifying and mineralizing bacterium, Pseudomonas sp. WZ39 was isolated for fluoride (F), nitrate (NO-N), and calcium (Ca) removal. Strain WZ39 exhibited a remarkable defluoridation efficiency of 87.

Batch fluidized bed reactor based modified biosynthetic crystals: Optimization of adsorptive properties and application in fluoride removal from groundwater.

A batch fluidized bed reactor (BFBR) with modified biosynthetic crystals (MBC), derived from Pseudomonas sp. HXF1, was investigated for the treatment of the groundwater containing fluoride (F). Impacts of different hydraulic retention time (HRT), pH, and initial F concentration on F removal were examined and the maximum defluorination efficiency was recorded as 95.

The effect of the number and level of emergency medical technicians on patient outcomes following out of hospital cardiac arrest in Taipei.

Aim: The effect of the number and level of on-scene emergency medical technicians (EMTs) on the outcomes of patients with out-of-hospital cardiac arrest (OHCA) remains unclear. We aimed to test the association between the number and level of EMTs and the outcomes of patients with OHCA.

Methods: We analysed Utstein-based registry data on OHCA in Taipei from 2011 to 2015.