Assessment of the Characteristics of Patent Foramen Ovale Associated with Cryptogenic Stroke.

Objective: This study aims to comprehensively assess the characteristics of patent foramen ovale (PFO) in relation to Cryptogenic Strok (CS) by utilizing transesophageal echocardiography (TEE) and contrast transthoracic echocardiography (c-TTE) and to identify high-risk factors associated with PFO-related CS.

Background: Transcatheter PFO closure has demonstrated its effectiveness in preventing PFO-related CS. Therefore, understanding the specific structural attributes of PFO associated with CS is imperative.

Evaluation of the Current State of Chatbots for Digital Health: Scoping Review.

Background: Chatbots have become ubiquitous in our daily lives, enabling natural language conversations with users through various modes of communication. Chatbots have the potential to play a significant role in promoting health and well-being. As the number of studies and available products related to chatbots continues to rise, there is a critical need to assess product features to enhance the design of chatbots that effectively promote health and behavioral change.

Withdrawal of MTX in rheumatoid arthritis patients on bDMARD/tsDMARD plus methotrexate at target: a systematic review and meta-analysis.

Objectives: To evaluate the effect of MTX withdrawal on disease activity and remission rate in patients at target after treatment with biologic DMARDs (bDMARDs)/targeted synthetic DMARDs (tsDMARDs) plus MTX.

Material And Methods: We searched the PubMed, EMBASE and Cochrane Central Register of Controlled Trials (CENTRAL) databases for all randomized controlled trials (RCTs) on MTX withdrawal in patients with RA at target after combination therapy from inception to 7 March 2022 in order to extract data, including: the change from withdrawal in DAS28 at the endpoint; proportion of low disease activity (LDA) assessed by DAS28, Simplified Disease Activity Index (SDAI) or Clinical Disease Activity Index (CDAI); proportion of remission assessed by DAS28, SDAI CDAI or ACR/EULAR Boolean remission. The Cochrane Q test and I2 test were used to assess heterogeneity, and random-effects models were used for data synthesis.

Pterostilbene Alleviates Cholestasis by Promoting SIRT1 Activity in Hepatocytes and Macrophages.

FXR is a promising target for the treatment of human cholestatic liver disease (CLD). SIRT1 is a deacetylase which promotes FXR activity through deacetylating FXR. Pterostilbene (PTE) is an activator of SIRT1.

Giant Atrial Septal Artery Aneurysm with a Fistula to the Right Atrium.

An atrial septal artery aneurysm is a rare disease, especially accompanied with a fistula. During clinical practice, it is very important to clear the anatomical details of the coronary aneurysm before operation. In the current article, we report a giant atrial septal artery aneurysm originating from a branch of the RCA combined with a coronary right atrial fistula.

Mechanism of Fei-Xian Formula in the Treatment of Pulmonary Fibrosis on the Basis of Network Pharmacology Analysis Combined with Molecular Docking Validation.

Objective: This study aimed to clarify the mechanism of Fei-Xian formula (FXF) in the treatment of pulmonary fibrosis based on network pharmacology analysis combined with molecular docking validation.

Methods: Firstly, ingredients in FXF with pharmacological activities, together with specific targets, were identified based on the BATMA-TCM and TCMSP databases. Then, targets associated with pulmonary fibrosis, which included pathogenic targets as well as those known therapeutic targets, were screened against the CTD, TTD, GeneCards, and DisGeNet databases.

Virtual Reality or Augmented Reality as a Tool for Studying Bystander Behaviors in Interpersonal Violence: Scoping Review.

Background: To provide participants with a more real and immersive intervening experience, virtual reality (VR) and/or augmented reality (AR) technologies have been integrated into some bystander intervention training programs and studies measuring bystander behaviors.

Objective: We focused on whether VR or AR can be used as a tool to enhance training bystanders. We reviewed the evidence from empirical studies that used VR and/or AR as a tool for examining bystander behaviors in the domain of interpersonal violence research.

The prevalence of frailty in patients on hemodialysis: a systematic review and meta-analysis.

Purpose: Coexistence of frailty and hemodialysis is related to higher risk of hospitalization, falls and mortality. Given the potential reversibility of frailty, reaching the epidemiology of frailty in hemodialysis is of great importance. However, estimates of the prevalence of frailty in patients on hemodialysis vary widely.

Understanding the Relationship Between Sports-Relevant Gambling and Being At-Risk for a Gambling Problem Among American Adolescents.

Fantasy sports is a growing industry with a reported 56.8 million individuals participating in the United States and Canada alone in 2015. Whereas this activity has attracted considerable public attention, little research has examined its impact on adolescents in spite of their high rates of gambling.

[Establishment of an animal model of blunt scrotal trauma and evaluation of the lesion by conventional and contrast-enhanced ultrasonography].

Objective: To establish an animal model of acute blunt scrotal trauma (BST) and evaluate the types of lesion by conventional ultrasonography (CUS) and contrast-enhanced ultrasonography (CEUS).

Methods: We made acute BST models in 21 healthy male New Zealand rabbits by striking 3 - 12 times the unilateral testes randomly selected with a 0. 5 kg iron ball falling freely from a 30 cm height.

[Contrast-enhanced ultrasonography for detecting testicular perfusion in acute testis contusion in rabbits].

Objective: To evaluate contrast-enhanced ultrasonography (CEUS) in detecting testicular perfusion in acute testis contusion.

Methods: We established the model of testis contusion in 11 healthy male New Zealand rabbits by randomly hitting one side of the scrotum under general anesthesia. We examined the bilateral scrotums of all the animals before, immediately after and at 2, 4 and 6 hours after modeling by color Doppler flow imaging (CDFI) and CEUS, and analyzed the time-intensity curve (TIC), arriving time (AT), time to peak intensity (TTP), peak intensity (PI), half time of descending peak intensity (HT) and area under the curve (AUC) in the healthy and injured testis, respectively.