Characterizing Cerebral Perfusion Changes in Subjective Cognitive Decline Using Single Photon Emission Computed Tomography: A Case-Control Study.

Subjective cognitive decline (SCD) may serve as an early indicator of Alzheimer's disease (AD). This study investigates regional cerebral blood flow (rCBF) alterations in individuals with SCD using single photon emission computed tomography (SPECT). To characterize rCBF patterns in SCD patients compared to healthy controls and examine the relationship between rCBF and cognitive function.

Association between leisure-time physical activity and incident cancer risk: a nationwide population-based cohort study.

Background: The effects of physical activity on the development of different types of cancers have not been comprehensively studied. This nationwide, population-based cohort study investigated the effects of leisure-time physical activity (LTPA) on the development of different types of cancer in Taiwanese adults. A total of 67,890 adult participants (≥ 18 y old) from five rounds (2001, 2005, 2009, 2013, and 2017) of the Taiwan National Health Interview Survey were included.

Effect of targeted temperature management on systemic inflammatory responses after out-of-hospital cardiac arrest: A prospective cohort study.

Background: Interleukin (IL)-6 is a major inflammatory cytokine that predicts mortality after out-of-hospital cardiac arrest (OHCA). Targeted temperature management (TTM) is associated with improved all-cause mortality in patients with OHCA. However, the effect of TTM on IL-6 production remains unclear.

Impact of mechanical circulatory support on out-of-hospital cardiac arrest outcomes stratified by vasoactive-inotropic score: A retrospective cohort study.

Aims: To assess whether mechanical circulatory support (MCS), including intra-aortic balloon pump (IABP) or veno-arterial extracorporeal membrane oxygenation (ECMO), can help improve neurological outcomes in patients with out-of-hospital cardiac arrest (OHCA).

Methods: This is a retrospective observational cohort study performed in China Medical University Hospital, Taichung, Taiwan. Adult patients with OHCA admitted between January 2015 and June 2023.

Emergency room visits (ERVs) among occupational groups associated with ambient conditions in Taiwan.

Objective: This population-based study explored emergency room visits (ERVs) from all-causes, circulatory and respiratory diseases among different occupational groups in Taiwan associated with ambient average temperature.

Method: Daily area-age-sex specific ERVs records were obtained from the Taiwan's Ministry of Health and Welfare from 2009 to 2018. Distributed lag-nonlinear model (DLNM) was used to estimate the exposure-response relationships between daily average temperature and ERVs for all-causes, circulatory and respiratory diseases by occupational groups.

Longitudinal assessment of plasma biomarkers for early detection of cognitive changes in subjective cognitive decline.

Background: Individuals experiencing subjective cognitive decline (SCD) are at an increased risk of developing mild cognitive impairment and dementia. Early identification of SCD and neurodegenerative diseases using biomarkers may help clinical decision-making and improve prognosis. However, few cross-sectional and longitudinal studies have explored plasma biomarkers in individuals with SCD using immunomagnetic reduction.

Coagulating blood into adhesive gel by hybrid powder based on oppositely charged polysaccharide/tannic acid-modified mesoporous bioactive glass.

Hemostatic powder is widely utilized in emergency situations to control bleeding due to its ability to work well on wounds with irregular shapes, ease of application, and long-term stability. However, traditional powder often suffers from limited tissue adhesion and insufficient support for blood clot formation, leaving it susceptible to displacement by the flow of blood. This study introduces a hemostatic powder composed of tannic modified mesoporous bioactive glass (TMBG), cationic quaternized chitosan (QCS), and anionic hyaluronic acid modified with catechol group (HADA).

Clotting Blood into an Adhesive Gel by Hemostatic Powder Based on Cationic/Anionic Polysaccharides and Laponite.

Hemostatic powder is widely employed for emergency bleeding control due to its ability to conform to irregularly shaped wounds, ease of use, and stable storage. However, current powders exhibit limited tissue adhesion and insufficient support for thrombus formation, making them easily washed away by blood. In this study, a hybrid powder (QAL) was produced by mixing quaternized chitosan (QCS) powder, catechol-modified alginate (Cat-SA) powder, and laponite (Lap) powder.

FGF17 protects cerebral ischemia reperfusion-induced blood-brain barrier disruption via FGF receptor 3-mediated PI3K/AKT signaling pathway.

Maintaining blood-brain barrier (BBB) integrity is critical components of therapeutic approach for ischemic stroke. Fibroblast growth factor 17 (FGF17), a member of FGF8 superfamily, exhibits the strongest expression throughout the wall of all major arteries during development. However, its molecular action and potential protective role on brain endothelial cells after stroke remains unclear.

Gluing blood into adhesive gel by oppositely charged polysaccharide dry powder inspired by fibrin fibers coagulation mediator.

Hemostatic powders that adapt to irregularly shaped wounds, allowing for easy application and stable storage, have gained popularity for first-aid hemorrhage control. However, traditional powders often provide weak thrombus support and exhibit limited tissue adhesion, making them susceptible to dislodgment by the bloodstream. Inspired by fibrin fibers coagulation mediator, we have developed a bi-component hemostatic powder composed of positively charged quaternized chitosan (QCS) and negatively charged catechol-modified alginate (Cat-SA).

Interfacial ice sprouting during salty water droplet freezing.

Icing of seawater droplets is capable of causing catastrophic damage to vessels, buildings, and human life, yet it also holds great potential for enhancing applications such as droplet-based freeze desalination and anti-icing of sea sprays. While large-scale sea ice growth has been investigated for decades, the icing features of small salty droplets remain poorly understood. Here, we demonstrate that salty droplet icing is governed by salt rejection-accompanied ice crystal growth, resulting in freezing dynamics different from pure water.

Cohering Plasma into Adhesive Gel by Natural Biopolymer-Nanoparticle Hybrid Powder for Efficient Hemostasis and Wound Healing.

Hemostatic powder is commonly used in emergency bleeding control due to its suitability for irregularly shaped wounds, ease of use, and stable storage. However, traditional powder often has limited tissue adhesion and weak thrombus support, which makes it vulnerable to displacement by blood flow. Herein, we have developed a tricomponent hemostatic powder (MQS) composed of mesoporous bioactive glass nanoparticle (MBG), positively charged quaternized chitosan (QCS), and negatively charged catechol-modified alginate (SADA).

A system for fluid pumping by liquid metal multi-droplets.

The transportation and control of microfluidics have an important influence on the fields of biology, chemistry, and medicine. Pump systems based on the electrocapillary effect and room-temperature liquid metal droplets have attracted extensive attention. Flow rate is an important parameter that reflects the delivery performance of the pump systems.

Non-alcoholic fatty liver disease causally affects the brain cortical structure: a Mendelian randomization study.

Background: Reduced brain volume, impaired cognition, and possibly a range of psychoneurological disorders have been reported in patients with non-alcoholic fatty liver disease (NAFLD); however, no underlying cause has been specified. Here, Mendelian randomization (MR) was employed to determine the causative NAFLD effects on cortical structure.

Methods: We used pooled-level data from FinnGen's published genome-wide association study (GWAS) of NAFLD (1908 cases and 340,591 healthy controls), as well as published GWAS with NAFLD activity score (NAS) and fibrosis stage-associated SNPs as genetic tools, in addition to the Enigma Consortium data from 51,665 patients, were used to assess genetic susceptibility in relation to changes with cortical thickness (TH) and surface area (SA).

PD-L1 and AKT Overexpressing Adipose-Derived Mesenchymal Stem Cells Enhance Myocardial Protection by Upregulating CD25 T Cells in Acute Myocardial Infarction Rat Model.

This study explores the synergistic impact of Programmed Death Ligand 1 (PD-L1) and Protein Kinase B (Akt) overexpression in adipose-derived mesenchymal stem cells (AdMSCs) for ameliorating cardiac dysfunction after myocardial infarction (MI). Post-MI adult Wistar rats were allocated into four groups: sham, MI, ADMSC treatment, and ADMSCs overexpressed with PD-L1 and Akt (AdMSC-PDL1-Akt) treatment. MI was induced via left anterior descending coronary artery ligation, followed by intramyocardial AdMSC injections.

Case report: Hemophagocytic lymphohistiocytosis complicated by multiple organ dysfunction syndrome following aseptic encephalitis.

Hemophagocytic lymphohistiocytosis (HLH) is a rare but potentially life-threatening condition caused by excessive immune activation. Secondary HLH is usually triggered by infection, most often from viral infection or malignancy. Here, we present a case of secondary HLH, complicated by multiple organ dysfunction syndrome triggered by critical aseptic encephalitis.

A carboxymethyl chitosan/oxidized hyaluronic acid composite hydrogel dressing loading with stem cell exosome for chronic inflammation wounds healing.

Stem cell exosomes (Exo) play an important role in the transformation of macrophages, but the rapid clearance of Exo in vivo limits their therapeutic effects for chronic inflammation wounds healing. Here, stem cell Exo was isolated and introduced to a composite hydrogel including carboxymethyl chitosan (CMCS) and oxidized hyaluronic acid (OHA) through chemical cross-linking, which formed an Exo-loaded (CMCS/OHA/Exo) hydrogel. The CMCS/OHA/Exo hydrogel exhibited a function of Exo sustained release and an Exo protection within 6 days.

Antibacterial and hemostatic chitin sponge directly constructed from Pleurotus Eryngii via top-down approach.

Chitin, the second most abundant polysaccharide on earth, possesses unique characteristics, including biosafety, biodegradability, and procoagulant activity, making it an attractive material for hemostasis. However, the conventional bottom-up construction of chitin-based materials is intricate and time-consuming. In this study, we have developed a top-down strategy to prepare a 3D porous chitin-based hemostatic sponge with exceptional hemostatic properties and antibacterial activity, directly from the spongy Pleurotus eryngii.

Construction and functional evaluation of oral long-acting insulin hydrogel microparticles based on physical and chemical double crosslinking.

The objective of this study was to enhance the convenience and effectiveness of diabetes treatment by developing hydrogel microparticles as an oral insulin delivery system, aiming to reduce the necessity for frequent treatments. The hydrogel microparticles were prepared with polysaccharides through a combination of physical and chemical crosslinking method, they achieved good results in insulin loading efficiency (70 %), insulin release efficiency (98 %) and sustained release time (>20 h). The effective transmembrane transport was validated using an intestinal epithelial cell model, which demonstrated a continuous hypoglycemic effect lasting from 6 to 26 h in a type 2 diabetes mouse model.