Melanin is a natural pigment in the human body that is primarily found in the skin and hair. It protects the skin from damage by ultraviolet radiation. Although this pigment plays a crucial role in protecting the human body, it represents a challenge for pathologists to evaluate highly pigmented tissue samples from melanoma or pigmented skin lesions.
View Article and Find Full Text PDFCancer accounted for 10 million deaths in 2020, nearly one in every six deaths annually. Despite advancements, the contemporary clinical management of human neoplasms faces a number of challenges. Surgical removal of tumor tissues is often not possible technically, while radiation and chemotherapy pose the risk of damaging healthy cells, tissues, and organs, presenting complex clinical challenges.
View Article and Find Full Text PDFThis study aims to prepare co-loaded indocyanine green(ICG) and elemene(ELE) nano-emulsion(NE) in situ gel(ICG-ELE-NE-gel) and evaluate its physicochemical properties and antitumor activity in vitro. ICG-ELE-NE-gel was prepared by aqueous phase titration and cold solution methods, followed by characterization of the morphology, particle size, corrosion, and photothermal conversion characteristics. The human breast cancer MCF-7 cells were taken as the model, combined with 808 nm laser irradia-tion.
View Article and Find Full Text PDFpH-dependent peptide biomaterials hold tremendous potential for cell delivery and tissue engineering. However, identification of responsive self-assembling sequences with specified secondary structure remains a challenge. In this work, An experimental procedure based on the one-bead one-compound (OBOC) combinatorial library is developed to rapidly screen self-assembling β-sheet peptides at neutral aqueous solution (pH 7.
View Article and Find Full Text PDFBackground: Down syndrome, also known as trisomy 21 syndrome, is commonly associated with congenital heart disease, and can often result in early formation of pulmonary hypertension. The development of pulmonary hypertension can result from factors such as intracardiac and macrovascular shunts, and upper airway obstruction or hypoplasia of lung tissue. Individuals with Down syndrome and congenital heart disease have a significantly lower average life expectancy, with surgical intervention being the most viable treatment option to improve longevity.
View Article and Find Full Text PDFObjectives: One aspect of work sustainability pertains to workers' intention to remain in their current job until reaching retirement age. Various adverse working conditions are expected to diminish work sustainability among different social groups. This study aims to examine these associations across gender and age groups.
View Article and Find Full Text PDFCell function-associated biomolecular condensation has great potential in modulation of molecular activities. We develop a microtubule-trapping peptide that first self-assembles into nanoparticles and then transforms into nanofibers ligand-receptor interactions when targeted to tubulin. The nanofibers support the increased exposed targets for further adhering to microtubules and induce the self-assembly of microtubules into networks due to multivalent effects.
View Article and Find Full Text PDFBackground: Taiwan has a substantial number of veterans, but knowledge regarding their emergency department (ED) visits during the coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) pandemic remains limited. This study examined the characteristics of veterans' ED visits during Taiwan's COVID-19 epidemic.
Methods: This was a cross-sectional study conducted at the ED of a large veteran medical center located in Taipei, Taiwan, from May 2018 to October 2021.
The viral spike (S) protein on the surface of the severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2) binds to angiotensin-converting enzyme 2 (ACE2) receptors on the host cells, facilitating its entry and infection. Here, functionalized nanofibers targeting the S protein with peptide sequences of IRQFFKK, WVHFYHK and NSGGSVH, which are screened from a high-throughput one-bead one-compound screening strategy, are designed and prepared. The flexible nanofibers support multiple binding sites and efficiently entangle SARS-CoV-2, forming a nanofibrous network that blocks the interaction between the S protein of SARS-CoV-2 and the ACE2 on host cells, and efficiently reduce the invasiveness of SARS-CoV-2.
View Article and Find Full Text PDFZhongguo Zhen Jiu
April 2023
Objective: To observe the effect of (regulating and relieving depression) acupuncture on the clinical symptoms of treatment-resistant depression (TRD), and to explore the relationship between the acupuncture pain sensitivity and symptom's improvement.
Methods: A total of 78 patients with TRD were randomly divided into an observation group (39 cases, 3 cases dropped off) and a control group (39 cases, 4 cases dropped off). The patients in the control group were treated with medications according to the treatment plan of psychiatrists (at least one medication was 5-hydroxytryptamine reuptake inhibitor).
Evid Based Complement Alternat Med
September 2022
Objective: To evaluate the clinical efficacy and safety of Gegen Qinlian decoction in the treatment of pediatric diarrhea.
Methods: A search for relevant RCTs was performed from which a systematic review and meta-analysis was conducted. This meta-analysis was registered at INPLASY (reference number ID: INPLASY202180105).
Objective: The objective of this study is to evaluate the efficacy and safety of electroacupuncture (EA) treatment for post-stroke depression (PSD).
Methods: This study was a single-center, single-blinded, parallel-arm randomized controlled trial. In total, 65 patients with PSD were randomly allocated into EA and sham EA groups.
Novel polyvinylidene fluoride/TiO/UiO-66-NH (PVDF/TiUN) membranes were produced by the delay phase separation method via introducing the TiO/UiO-66-NH (TiUN) nanocomposite into PVDF casting solution. Interconnection of TiO and UiO-66-NH improved photocatalysis capacity and endowed PVDF/TiUN membranes with self-cleaning capability. Quantitative measurements showed that, firstly, PVDF/TiUN membranes exhibited improved photodegradation kinetics and efficiency (up to 88.
View Article and Find Full Text PDFSelf-assembling peptides have shown tremendous potential in the fields of material sciences, nanoscience, and medicine. Because of the vast combinatorial space of even short peptides, identification of self-assembling sequences remains a challenge. Herein, we develop an experimental method to rapidly screen a huge array of peptide sequences for self-assembling property, using the one-bead one-compound (OBOC) combinatorial library method.
View Article and Find Full Text PDFLife is recognized as a sophisticated self-assembling material system. Cancer involves the overexpression and improper self-assembly of proteins, such as cytoskeleton protein vimentin, an emerging target related to tumor metastasis. Herein, we design a binding-induced fibrillogenesis (BIF) peptide that in situ forms fibrous networks, blocking the improper self-assembly of vimentin against cancer.
View Article and Find Full Text PDFBackground: Ever since coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) emerged in Wuhan, China, in December 2019, it has had a devastating effect on the world through exponential case growth and death tolls in at least 146 countries. Rapid response and timely modifications in the emergency department (ED) for infection control are paramount to maintaining basic medical services and preventing the spread of COVID-19. This study presents the unique measure of combining a fever screening station (FSS) and graded approach to isolation and testing in a Taiwanese medical center.
View Article and Find Full Text PDFBackground And Aims: Hepatic ischemia-reperfusion (IR) injury is a major complication of liver transplantation, resection, and hemorrhagic shock. Hypoxia is a key pathological event associated with IR injury. MicroRNA-210 (miR-210) has been characterized as a micromanager of hypoxia pathway.
View Article and Find Full Text PDFLong non-coding RNA (lncRNA) linc00152 has been recognized as an oncogenic lncRNA in various cancers. This study attempts to investigate the roles of linc00152 in the metastasis-related traits of infantile hemangioma (IH). Linc00152 was overexpressed in the proliferating-phase hemangioma tissues when compared with that in involuting-phase.
View Article and Find Full Text PDFPoststroke depression (PSD) is the most frequent psychological sequela after stroke. Electroacupuncture (EA) treatment is effective for PSD. The study aimed at clarifying the mechanisms of EA's antidepressant effects in a PSD rat model.
View Article and Find Full Text PDFBackground: Post stroke depression is a significant neuropsychiatric manifestation, predicting a range of poor outcomes. There are several studies investigating the association between post stroke depression and stroke recurrence/mortality, but results have been inconsistent.
Objective: A systematic review, meta-analysis and meta regression of observational studies assessing the association between post stroke depression and risk of stroke recurrence and mortality.
Introduction: A number of observational studies have indicated that poststroke depression could increase the risk of stroke outcomes. There is a meta-analysis indicating that poststroke depression is a risk factor of all-cause mortality. This paper reports the protocol for a systematic review and meta-analysis to clarify the associations of poststroke depression with stroke recurrence and mortality in order to determine whether poststroke depression is a predictor of stroke outcomes according to data extracted from relevant observational studies.
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