Development of noodles prepared by partial supplementation with Taiwan Oolong banana and evaluation of their physicochemical characteristics.

The physicochemical characteristics of noodles prepared using Taiwan Oolong banana were evaluated. To prepare noodles, wheat flour was partially substituted with Oolong banana flour (OBF) in different levels (0, 2.5, 0.

Hyperoxia induces autophagy in pulmonary epithelial cells: Insights from in vivo and in vitro experiments.

Patients with hypoxemia require high-concentration oxygen therapy. However, prolonged exposure to oxygen concentrations 21% higher than physiological concentrations (hyperoxia) may cause oxidative cellular damage. Pulmonary alveolar epithelial cells are major targets for hyperoxia-induced oxidative stress.

Development and Evaluation of a Virtual Reality Program for Immediate Newborn Care Training in Nursing Education: A Feasibility Study.

Introduction: Nursing education equips students with the skills necessary to navigate the clinical environment. Repetitive training in complex skills ensures patient and student safety. Immersive virtual reality (VR) offers a realistic and safe environment for such repetitive learning processes.

Caffeine supplementation improved movement patterns and reactive agility in rugby sevens matches in male collegiate players.

Purpose: Rugby sevens is a high-intensity contact sport often played in two-day tournaments. Caffeine is widely used by rugby players for its performance-enhancing effects. This study aimed to investigate the impact of caffeine supplementation on various performance metrics, including distance covered at different speeds, acceleration, deceleration, collisions, and repeated high-intensity efforts across four matches over two consecutive days in collegiate male rugby sevens players.

Clinical characteristics and genomic changes of recurrent Methicillin-Resistant Staphylococcus aureus bacteremia.

Background: Recurrent or persistent methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus (MRSA) bacteremia presents significant clinical challenges. Comprehensive genomic-scale studies on the genetic changes in MRSA that correspond to refractory bacteremia are lacking.

Method: From 2011 to 2019, MRSA blood isolates were collected from patients with persistent or recurrent bacteremia at a teaching hospital in southern Taiwan.

Environmental, economic, and social impacts of cruise development.

With the development of the cruise industry, the associated pollution and social impact issues are becoming more severe. The objective of this study is, therefore, to identify the significant impact factors in the cruise development process and to analyze their effects on the natural environment, economy and society. To this end, the study first identified the dimensions and criteria through interviews with experts and a literature review, grouping the dimensions of impact cost into 'natural environment', 'economic' and 'social' using the best-worst method (BWM) resulting in four impact factors included under each dimension, totalling 12 criteria.

Aromatic residues in the oligonucleotide binding domain are essential to the function of the single-stranded DNA binding protein of Helicobacter pylori.

Single-stranded DNA-binding protein (SSB) is essential to DNA replication, DNA repair, and homologous genetic recombination. Our previous study on the crystal structure of a C-terminally truncated SSB from Helicobacter pylori, HpSSBc, in complex with single-stranded DNA (ssDNA) suggests that several aromatic residues, including Phe37, Phe50, Phe56, and Trp84, were involved in ssDNA binding. To investigate the importance of these aromatic residues, the binding activity of four site-directed HpSSB mutants, including F37A HpSSB, F50A HpSSB, F56A HpSSB, and W84A HpSSB, was compared to that of wild-type HpSSB and HpSSBc by means of electrophoresis mobility shift assay (EMSA), tryptophan quenching fluorescence titration, and surface plasmon resonance (SPR).

Prognostic Evaluation of Conversion Therapy following Hepatic Arterial Infusion Chemotherapy or Immunotherapy in Patients with Advanced or Transarterial Chemoembolization Unsuitable Intermediate-Stage Hepatocellular Carcinoma: A Retrospective Cohort Study.

Introduction: Patients with advanced-stage or intermediate-stage hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) unsuitable for transarterial chemoembolization (TACE) had poor prognoses. Recent advancements in hepatic arterial infusion chemotherapy (HAIC) and immune checkpoint inhibitors (ICIs) have demonstrated higher tumor response rates, which improved overall survival (OS). HAIC achieves an OS rate of approximately 14.

Exploring Caregiver Burden and Related Factors Among Primary Caregivers of Patients With Cancer in Taiwan.

Objectives: To explore burden and its related factors among primary caregivers of patients with cancer.

Sample & Setting: This study was conducted in an oncology ward at a medical center in southern Taiwan. A total of 137 dyads of patients with cancer and their primary caregivers were recruited.

Challenges and resilience of Taiwan's oral health care system after Covid-19 pandemic.

This paper examines the resilience of Taiwan's oral healthcare system in response to COVID-19, focusing on pre-pandemic conditions, pandemic impacts, and policy recommendations for future resilience. In Taiwan, oral diseases were prevalent, with 80.48% of adults affected by periodontitis in 2016, and 65.

Coping strategies of intensive care units nurses in alarm management: a qualitative research study.

Background: Intensive care units are critical environments where various alarm systems play a pivotal role in patient monitoring and safety. Alarm fatigue can lead to slower response times and missed alarms, compromising patient safety and increasing stress and burnout among intensive care unit nurses. Understanding how intensive care unit nurses respond to and manage these alarms is crucial in evaluating their impact on patient care and nursing well-being.

Ethanol extract of Vanilla planifolia stems reduces PAK6 expression and induces cell death in glioblastoma cells.

Glioblastoma multiforme (GBM) is a malignant tumour with a poor prognosis. Therefore, potential treatment strategies and novel therapeutic targets have gained increased attention. Our data showed that the ethanol extract of Vanilla planifolia stem (VAS) significantly decreased the viability and the colony formation of GBM cells.

The clinicopathological significance and prognostic impact of 14-3-3σ/stratifin expression on patients with surgically resectable intrahepatic cholangiocarcinoma.

Introduction: Intrahepatic cholangiocarcinoma (iCCA) is the second most common primary liver cancer after hepatocellular carcinoma. Through data mining of publicly available iCCA transcriptomic datasets from the Gene Expression Omnibus, we identified SFN as the most significantly up-regulated gene in iCCA compared to normal tissue, focusing on the Gene Ontology term "cell proliferation" (GO:0008283). SFN encodes the 14-3-3σ protein, also known as stratifin, which plays crucial roles in various cellular processes.

Effect of hydrocortisone-fludrocortisone combination on mortality in septic shock: a systematic review and meta-analysis.

Background: This study assessed the effect of hydrocortisone-fludrocortisone combination therapy on the mortality of patients with septic shock.

Methods: A literature search was conducted using Medline, Embase, the Cochrane Library, ClinicalTrials.gov, and other databases for articles published until October 1, 2023.

Complete genome sequence of BST19, a soil isolate with potential anti-microbial properties using PacBio sequencing.

We report the complete genome sequence of BST19, an isolate from the allotment soil in Tainan, Taiwan. The genome was obtained using the PacBio Sequel II platform, yielding a circular chromosome of 4,167,147 bp with a 43.9% GC content.

Analysis of Heart Rate Variability Characteristics of End-of-Life Patients Using Wearable Heart Rate Sensors.

Predicting lifespan much more accurately is important for the palliative care team and the families they accompany. However, the way physicians estimate survival time has a gap between the real conditions. This is the first study to use a senseless wearable sensor to collect electrocardiograms from hospice care patients and explore the final moments of patients' lives by analyzing heart rate variability.

Analyzing the Effects of Rapid and Natural Cooling Techniques on the Quality of Hand-Shaken Green Tea Beverages.

This study compared the quality of hand-shaken green tea prepared through rapid and natural cooling methods. Cooling is crucial in preserving green tea's flavor, aroma, and nutritional components. In the rapid cooling method, green tea is freshly brewed at an initial temperature of 95 °C for 25 min, and then rapidly cooled to 18 °C for 25 min.

Heart rate variability biofeedback enhances cognitive, motor, psychological, and autonomic functions in post-stroke rehabilitation.

Post-stroke patients often experience psychological distress and autonomic nervous system (ANS) dysregulation, impacting their well-being. This study evaluated the effectiveness of heart rate variability (HRV) biofeedback on cognitive, motor, psychological, and ANS functions in sixty-two ischemic stroke patients (43 males, mean age = 60.1) at a Medical Center in southern Taiwan.

Evaluating the Protective Effectiveness of Rubber Glove Materials Against Organic Solvents Upon Repeated Exposure and Decontamination.

Background: Glove reuse poses risks, as chemicals can persist even after cleaning. Decontamination methods like thermal aeration, recommended by US OSHA, vary in effectiveness. Some studies show promising results, while others emphasize the importance of considering both permeation and tensile strength changes.

In vitro and in vivo studies on exogenous polyamines and α-difluoromethylornithine to enhance bone formation and suppress osteoclast differentiation.

Exogenous polyamines, including putrescine (PUT), spermidine (SPD), and spermine (SPM), and the irreversible inhibitor of the rate-limiting enzyme ornithine decarboxylase (ODC) of polyamine biosynthesis, α-difluoromethylornithine (DFMO), are implicated as stimulants for bone formation. We demonstrate in this study the osteogenic potential of exogenous polyamines and DFMO in human osteoblasts (hOBs), murine monocyte cell line RAW 264.7, and an ovariectomized rat model.

A Cross-Stage Partial Network and a Cross-Attention-Based Transformer for an Electrocardiogram-Based Cardiovascular Disease Decision System.

Cardiovascular disease (CVD) is one of the leading causes of death globally. Currently, clinical diagnosis of CVD primarily relies on electrocardiograms (ECG), which are relatively easier to identify compared to other diagnostic methods. However, ensuring the accuracy of ECG readings requires specialized training for healthcare professionals.

Health-related quality of life by veterans RAND 12 and healthcare resource utilization in cancer patients with sleep disorders: insights from the Medical Expenditure Panel Survey.

Purpose: This study aims to investigate the joint effects of cancer and sleep disorders on the health-related quality of life (HRQoL), healthcare resource utilization, and expenditures among US adults.

Methods: Utilizing the 2018-2019 Medical Expenditure Panel Survey (MEPS) database, a sample of 25,274 participants was categorized into four groups based on cancer and sleep disorder status. HRQoL was assessed using the VR-12 questionnaire.