Long-term prognostic effect of serum albumin concentration in diabetic patients with stable coronary artery disease: A multicenter cohort study.

Background: Diabetes and insulin resistance alter the physiological state of serum albumin (SA), which is a prognostic marker for stable coronary artery disease (CAD). However, whether the SA concentration is associated with long-term cardiovascular (CV) outcomes in diabetic patients with stable CAD remains unclear.

Methods: In total, 1148 patients were retrospectively identified from a nationwide multicenter cohort study on patients with stable CAD.

Comparable efficacy and safety for bicuspid aortic valve stenosis patients undergoing transcatheter aortic valve replacement with balloon-expandable or self-expanding valves using Wei's sizing method.

Background: The present study aimed to investigate whether proper sizing can improve the procedural and clinical outcomes of transcatheter aortic valve replacement (TAVR) with new-generation self-expanding valves (SEVs) and balloon-expandable valves (BEVs) for treating bicuspid aortic stenosis (BAS).

Methods: We retrospectively evaluated consecutive patients who underwent TAVR with Sapien 3 valves (Edwards Lifesciences, Irvine, CA) or Evolut R/PRO valves (Medtronic, Minneapolis, MN) for severe BAS from 2017 to 2022. The primary endpoints were device success rate and major adverse cardiac and cerebral events (MACCEs), including mortality, nonfatal myocardial infarction or disabling stroke, transcatheter heart valve failure, or clinically relevant valve thrombosis during follow-up.

Neutrophils Recruited by NKX2-1 Suppression via Activation of CXCLs/CXCR2 Axis Promote Lung Adenocarcinoma Progression.

NK2 Homeobox 1 (NKX2-1) is a well-characterized pathological marker that delineates lung adenocarcinoma (LUAD) progression. The advancement of LUAD is influenced by the immune tumor microenvironment through paracrine signaling. However, the involvement of NKX2-1 in modeling the tumor immune microenvironment is still unclear.

Diabetes Mellitus and Gynecological and Inflammation Disorders Increased the Risk of Pregnancy Loss in a Population Study.

(1) Background: Diabetes mellitus (DM) induces oxidative stress and inflammation with negative effect on pregnancy outcomes. This study aimed to determine whether DM increases the risk of pregnancy loss and to identify other potential risk factors; (2) Methods: We identified female patients diagnosed with DM from 2000-2015 in the Taiwanese National Health Insurance Research Database according to the , Ninth Edition, Clinical Modification (ICD-9 CM) code 250. The event was pregnancy loss, defined as ICD-9 CM codes 630-639, which was tracked until 31 December 2015.

Feasibility Study on Detecting Breast Cancer Lymph Node Metastasis and Optimizing Nursing Workflow.

This study explores using AI for detecting lymph node metastasis in breast cancer, aiming to analyze extensive medical imaging data. AI assists clinicians in identifying metastases and formulating precise treatment plans. Employing image analysis and machine learning, the research assesses AI's potential to recognize patterns within medical imaging data.

Applying Artificial Intelligence Constructing a Prediction Model Related to Environmental Hormones and Breast Cancer Incidence.

Breast cancer is the second leading cause of death in the world and the age of diagnosis is younger and younger. The research is aimed to make a prediction model related to environmental hormones and breast cancer incidence. First, we analyzed lab data to figure out the risk factor of breast cancer.

Tumor-intrinsic IFNα and CXCL10 are critical for immunotherapeutic efficacy by recruiting and activating T lymphocytes in tumor microenvironment.

Tumor immunotherapies targeting PD-(L)1 exhibit anti-tumor efficacy in only 10-30% of patients with various cancers. Literature has demonstrated that a "hot tumor" which contains high T lymphocytes in the tumor microenvironment exhibits a better response to immunotherapies than a "cold tumor." This study aimed to investigate whether tumor-intrinsic IFNα and CXCL10 determine the recruitment and activation of CD8 T cells to become "hot tumor.

Effects of Subchronic Buspirone Treatment on Depressive Profile in Socially Isolated Rats: Implication of Early Life Experience on 5-HT1A Receptor-Related Depression.

The heterogeneity of etiology may serve as a crucial factor in the challenges of treatment, including the low response rate and the delay in establishing therapeutic effect. In the present study, we examined whether social experience since early life is one of the etiologies, with the involvement of the 5-HT1A receptors, and explored the potentially therapeutic action of the subchronic administration of buspirone, a partial 5-HT1A agonist. Rats were isolation reared (IR) since their weaning, and the depressive profile indexed by the forced-swim test (FST) was examined in adulthood.

Modified stapes surgery for otosclerosis: An evaluation of auditory results and postoperative complications.

Background: The senior author Shiao, had introduced a modified version of the traditional stapes surgery, called minimally traumatic stapes surgery (MTSS), and explored its effectiveness in reducing postoperative vertigo. However, MTSS exhibited no significant breakthrough in terms of audiometric results. Building upon the original MTSS through slight modifications and the use of the Medtronic Big Easy ® Piston as the prosthesis, this study evaluates a refined version of the original MTSS technique.

Factors associated with loneliness in middle-aged and older patients with breast cancer.

Objective: Loneliness is associated with adverse mental and physical health conditions and increased mortality. In this study, we identified significant factors associated with loneliness in middle-aged and older patients with breast cancer (BC).

Methods: For this cross-sectional study, we enrolled 200 patients (aged from 20 to 60 years) with BC from two hospitals in Indonesia through convenience sampling.

Intrauterine adhesion.

Intrauterine adhesions (IUA) occurred in the reproductive-age women are a big economic and health problem, resulting in severe impairment of social, psychological and physical function of the female genital organs. IUA-related symptoms or signs are varied greatly from free of symptoms or ambiguous symptoms (an incidental finding during the intervention) to ceased menstruation and loss of fecundability. The underlying pathophysiology is not completely understood, but intrauterine damage with broken basal layers of the endometrium formatting scar tissues or fibrosis in the endometrium with subsequently causing partial or complete occlusion of the uterine cavity may be a well-accepted hypothesis.

The Influence of Fine Particulate Matter and Cold Weather on Emergency Room Interventions for Childhood Asthma.

(1) Background: Children are the most vulnerable to pollution due to their decreased stature, heightened respiratory rate, and frequent outdoor engagement. PM, nitrogen dioxide (NO), ozone, and cold weather are associated with pediatric asthma. In this study, we investigated the nexus between air pollution, climate factors, and pediatric asthma emergency room visits (ERVs).

A Modified Tip-to-Base LAMPOON to Prevent Left Ventricular Outflow Tract Obstruction in Valve-in-Ring or Valve-in-Valve Transcatheter Mitral Valve Replacement.

Background: The Laceration of the Anterior Mitral leaflet to Prevent Outflow ObtructioN (LAMPOON) procedure may be performed from the leaflet tip to base to prevent left ventricular outflow tract obstruction (LVOTO) in patients with high-risk anatomy undergoing valve-in-valve (VIV) or valve-in-(complete)-ring (VIR) transcatheter mitral valve replacement (TMVR).

Methods And Results: Thirteen consecutive patients (6 females, average age 67.7 years) with a mean left ventricular ejection fraction of 60%, a median STS score of 3.

Bridging the STRONG Gap: Call to Optimize Heart Failure Treatment After Hospitalization in Women and Men in Taiwan.

The benefits of rapidly up-titrating evidence-based treatments following heart failure (HF) hospitalizations were demonstrated in the The Safety, Tolerability and Efficacy of Rapid Optimization, Helped by NT-proBNP Testing, of Heart Failure Therapies (STRONG-HF) trial and emphasized in contemporary HF guidelines. We aimed to assess up-titration patterns of guideline-directed medical treatments in the Taiwanese HF population. Combining data from the Taiwan Society of Cardiology - Heart Failure with reduced Ejection Fraction (TSOC-HFrEF) registry and the Treatment with Angiotensin Receptor neprilysin inhibitor for Taiwan Acute Heart Failure (TAROT-AHF) study cohort, we formed the "Taiwan real-world cohort".

Novel prognostic impact and cell specific role of endocan in patients with coronary artery disease.

Background: Both the clinical and mechanistic impacts of endocan were not well elucidated especially in coronary artery disease (CAD).

Objective: This study aimed to investigate the prognostic and potential pathological role of endocan for cardiovascular (CV) events in stable CAD patients.

Methods: A total of 1,071 stable CAD patients with previous percutaneous coronary intervention (PCI) were enrolled prospectively in a nationwide Biosignature study.

An Occult Cardiac Tamponade: Echocardiographic Diagnosis of Aortic Root Rupture in Infective Endocarditis.

Infective endocarditis (IE) remains a rare yet critically severe condition, representing a considerable diagnostic challenge, especially among patients with pre-existing structural heart anomalies. This report details the clinical journal of a 49-year-old male with a known bicuspid aortic valve who initially exhibited nonspecific symptoms, leading to rapid clinical deterioration and the emergence of uncommon complications. The patient experienced an aortic root rupture and pericardial tamponade, necessitating urgent surgical intervention.

Epidermoid Cyst of the Maxillary Sinus: A Case Report and Literature Review.

Epidermoid cysts are rare benign lesions that can derive from abnormally situated ectodermal tissue during embryological development or from implanted epithelium after trauma or surgery. In the oral and maxillofacial regions, epidermoid cysts usually develop in the floor of the mouth and rarely in other sites. We describe a rare case of an epidermoid cyst arising in the right maxillary sinus.