Predictors of Remission or Combined Remission and Low Disease Activity in Rheumatoid Arthritis Patients in Taiwan: A Prospective Cohort Study.

: This study aimed to identify predictors of remission or low disease activity (LDA) in patients with rheumatoid arthritis (RA) and low-ultrasound inflammation. : A total of 80 patients with RA who fulfilled the 1987 ACR criteria for RA with a disease activity score of 28 joints (DAS28) > 3.2 were recruited.

The synergy of Lu-FAPI-46 with tyrosine kinase inhibitor in a sarcoma patient-derived xenograft mouse model.

Background: Given the heterogeneity and high mortality associated with metastatic soft tissue sarcoma, this study aims to evaluate the therapeutic efficacy of combining Lu-FAPI-46 with Pazopanib against this malignancy.

Methods: Patient-derived xenograft (PDX)-bearing mice were randomly divided into three groups: the control group, the Lu-FAPI-46 monotherapy group, and the Lu-FAPI-46 combined with Pazopanib therapy group. Therapeutic efficacy was regularly monitored.

Analysis of urinary retention after endoscopic prostate enucleation and its subsequent impact on surgical outcomes.

Purpose: Postoperative urinary retention (PUR) is a common complication after prostate enucleation, which leads to an increased length of hospital stay and decreased postoperative satisfaction. This study determined the predictive factors of postoperative urine retention within 1 month after prostate enucleation and investigated whether PUR influences surgical outcomes at the 2-week, 3-month, and 6-month follow-up time points.

Methods: Data were collected from the electronic medical records of 191 patients with benign prostatic obstruction (BPO) during October 2018 to September 2021.

Prediction and mediation analysis for treatment responses to combined cognitive and physical training for older adults.

Diminished cognitive and physical functions negatively affect the daily functions of individuals. Although combined cognitive and physical training prevents instrumental activities of daily living (IADL) disability in older adults, no predictive model or mediation analysis of IADL after combined training exists. This study aims to employ prediction and mediation analysis to identify the predictors of IADL performance and to elucidate the mediators of the association between baseline global cognition and subsequent IADL performance following combined cognitive and physical training.

Evaluation of next-generation sequencing for measurable residual disease monitoring in three major fusion transcript subtypes of B-precursor acute lymphoblastic leukaemia.

The use of next-generation sequencing (NGS) for monitoring measurable residual disease (MRD) in acute lymphoblastic leukaemia (ALL) has been gaining traction. This study aimed to investigate the utility of NGS in MRD monitoring for the three major fusion transcript (FT) subtypes of B-precursor ALL (B-ALL). The MRD results for 104 bone marrow samples from 56 patients were analysed through NGS and real time quantitative reverse transcription PCR (RT-qPCR) for the three major FTs: BCR::ABL1, TCF3::PBX1, and ETV6::RUNX1.

Hyperpolarized Carbon-13 Magnetic Resonance Imaging: Technical Considerations and Clinical Applications.

Hyperpolarized (HP) carbon-13 (C) MRI represents an innovative approach for noninvasive, real-time assessment of dynamic metabolic flux, with potential integration into routine clinical MRI. The use of [1-C]pyruvate as a probe and its conversion to [1-C]lactate constitute an extensively explored metabolic pathway. This review comprehensively outlines the establishment of HP C-MRI, covering multidisciplinary team collaboration, hardware prerequisites, probe preparation, hyperpolarization techniques, imaging acquisition, and data analysis.

Factors associated with treatment responses to pioglitazone in patients with steatotic liver disease: A 3-year prospective cohort study.

Aim: The response rate to pioglitazone and the predictive factors for its effects on improving liver biochemistry in patients with steatotic liver disease (SLD) remain elusive, so we aimed to investigate these issues.

Methods: A 3-year prospective cohort study of 126 Taiwanese patients with SLD treated with pioglitazone (15-30 mg/day) was conducted. Phospholipase domain-containing protein 3 I148M rs738409, methylenetetrahydrofolate reductase rs1801133, aldehyde dehydrogenase 2 (ALDH2) rs671 and lipoprotein lipase rs10099160 single nucleotide polymorphisms were assessed in the patients.

Dual crosslinking silk fibroin/pectin-based bioink development and the application on neural stem/progenitor cells spheroid laden 3D bioprinting.

The human nervous system is an incredibly intricate physiological network, and neural cells lack the ability to repair and regenerate after a brain injury. 3-dimensional (3D) bioprinting technology offers a promising strategy for constructing biomimetic organ constructs and in vitro brain/disease models. The bioink serves as a pivotal component that emulates the microenvironment of biomimetic construct and exerts a profound influence on cellular behaviors.

Predicting osteoporosis from kidney-ureter-bladder radiographs utilizing deep convolutional neural networks.

Osteoporosis is a common condition that can lead to fractures, mobility issues, and death. Although dual-energy X-ray absorptiometry (DXA) is the gold standard for osteoporosis, it is expensive and not widely available. In contrast, kidney-ureter-bladder (KUB) radiographs are inexpensive and frequently ordered in clinical practice.

Guizhi Fuling Wan ameliorates concanavalin A-induced autoimmune hepatitis in mice.

Background: Autoimmune hepatitis (AIH) is an immune-mediated hepatic disease associated with intense complications. AIH is more common in females and needs effective drugs to treat. Guizhi Fuling Wan (GZFLW) is a traditional Chinese herbal formula for treating various gynecologic diseases.

Gas-Solid Phase Reaction Derived Silver Bismuth Iodide Rudorffite: Structural Insight and Exploring Photocatalytic Potential of CO Reduction.

Photocatalytic reduction of CO is a promising strategy to mitigate the effects of global warming by converting CO into valuable energy-dense products. Silver bismuth iodide (SBI) is an attractive material owing to its tunable bandgap and favorable band-edge positions for efficient CO photoreduction. In this study, SBI materials, including AgBiI, AgBiI, AgBiI, and AgBiI are first synthesized, through gas-solid reaction by controlling the stoichiometric ratio of reactants.

Chemo-photothermal therapy of chitosan/gold nanorod clusters for antibacterial treatment against the infection of planktonic and biofilm MRSA.

Bacterial infections trigger inflammation and impede the closure of skin wounds. The misuse of antibiotics exacerbates skin infections by generating multidrug-resistant bacteria. In this study, we developed chemo-photothermal therapy (chemo-PTT) based on near-infrared (NIR)-irradiated chitosan/gold nanorod (GNR) clusters as anti-methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus (MRSA) agents.

The impact of COVID-19 restrictions on motorcycle crashes in Taiwan.

Taiwan is one of the countries with the highest motorcycle per capita globally, and motorcycle crashes are predominant among traffic crashes. This study examines the impact of coronavirus disease 2019 restrictions on motorcycle crashes. We analyzed the trend of motorcycle crashes in Taipei City from 2019 to 2020 using the dataset provided by the Department of Transportation, Taipei City Government, Taiwan.

Representativeness of the PIONEER-HF and PARAGLIDE-HF in patients hospitalized with acute heart failure.

Aims: The PIONEER-HF and PARAGLIDE-HF trials aimed to determine the efficacy and safety of the in-hospital initiation of sacubitril/valsartan in patients hospitalized for AHF. However, whether the inclusion and exclusion criteria of the trials apply to patients encountered in real-world routine care is unclear. This study aimed to investigate the applicability of the PIONEER-HF and PARAGLIDE-HF trials to real-world AHF patients.

In vivo SPECT imaging of Tc-99m radiolabeled exosomes from human umbilical-cord derived mesenchymal stem cells in small animals.

Extracellular vesicles derived from human umbilical cord-derived mesenchymal stem cells (UCMSC-EVs) have been postulated to have therapeutic potential for various diseases. However, the biodistribution and pharmacokinetics of these vesicles are still unclear. For a better understanding of the in vivo properties of UCMSC-EVs, in the present study, these vesicles were first radiolabeled with Technetium-99m (Tc-UCMSC-EVs) and evaluated using in vivo single photon emission computed tomography (SPECT) imaging and biodistribution experiments.