Bioactive surface-functionalized MXenes for biomedicine.

MXenes, with their good biocompatibility, excellent photovoltaic properties, excellent physicochemical properties, and desirable bioactivity, have broad application prospects in the field of tissue regeneration. MXenes have been used in a wide range of applications including biosensing, bioimaging, tumour/infection therapy, bone regeneration and wound repair. By applying bioactive materials to modify the surface of MXenes, a series of multifunctional MXene-based nanomaterials can be designed for different biomedical applications to achieve better therapeutic effects or more desirable biological functions.

Frequently arising ESX-1-associated phase variants influence fitness in the presence of host and antibiotic pressures.

Unlabelled: (Mtb) exhibits an impressive ability to adapt to rapidly changing environments, despite its genome's apparent stability. Recently, phase variation through indel formation in homopolymeric tracts (HT) has emerged as a potentially important mechanism promoting adaptation in Mtb. This study examines the impact of common phase variants associated with the ESX-1 type VII secretion system, focusing on a highly variable HT upstream of the ESX-1 regulatory factor, .

Agency in young people's unsafe abortion trajectories in Papua New Guinea.

Unsafe abortion is a preventable contributor to maternal morbidity and mortality, particularly for young unmarried women in low resource settings. In Papua New Guinea, abortion is legally restricted and highly stigmatised, limiting access to safe abortion and post-abortion care, resulting in unsafe abortion. This paper explores young people's lived experiences and agency in relation to unsafe abortion.

Care Recipients' Cognitive Trajectories and Caregivers' Depressive Symptoms: The Mediating Role of Caregiving Burden.

Background And Objectives: The heterogeneity of population-based trajectories of care recipients' (CRs) cognitive functioning and how they are associated with their caregivers' mental health is less studied in the United States. Informed by the stress process model, this study examines the relationship between care recipients' cognitive trajectories and caregivers' depressive symptoms, and the mediating role of caregiving burden.

Research Design And Methods: Data were from the National Health and Aging Trends Study (2011-2020) for 1,086 care recipients and their 1,675 caregivers from the 2021 National Study of Caregiving.

Feasibility and acceptability of engaging care partners of persons living with dementia with electronic outreach for deprescribing.

Background And Objectives: Care partners are critical for making treatment decisions in persons living with dementia. However, identifying them is challenging, hindering the broader use of interventions, such as those using digital technologies. We aimed to (i) assess the feasibility of identifying and contacting care partners using electronic health record (EHR) systems, and (ii) elicit their perspectives on electronic interventions for deprescribing.

Trigeminal nerve microstructure is linked with neuroinflammation and brainstem activity in migraine.

Although the pathophysiology of migraine involves a complex ensemble of peripheral and central nervous system changes that remain incompletely understood, the activation and sensitization of the trigeminovascular system is believed to play a major role. However, non-invasive, in vivo neuroimaging studies investigating the underlying neural mechanisms of trigeminal system abnormalities in human migraine patients are limited. Here, we studied 60 patients with migraine (55 females, mean age ± SD: 36.

A Qualitative Study on Nurses' Caring Experiences With Individuals With Kidney Failure Receiving Haemodialysis.

Background: Kidney failure is a major health issue globally, particularly in Ghana and other low- and middle-income countries. Nurses are centrally involved in the direct care and technical operations of managing individuals with kidney failure, and they have first-hand exposure to the complexities of kidney failure management, including haemodialysis within resource-constrained settings.

Objective: This study explored the experiences of nurses who provide care to individuals with kidney failure receiving haemodialysis in Ghana.

Choice of resuscitation fluids in critically ill adults: key messages from the European Society of Intensive Care Medicine 2024 clinical practice guideline.

The 2024 European Society of Intensive Care Medicine clinical practice guideline provide clinicians with evidence-based recommendations on intravenous fluid in critically ill adults across a range of common conditions. These guidelines aim to improve the practices of fluid therapy by adopting a global perspective that considers both clinical efficacy and resource utilization in diverse healthcare settings. The guidelines address three key questions: (1) albumin versus crystalloids, (2) balanced crystalloids versus isotonic saline, and (3) small-volume hypertonic solutions versus isotonic crystalloids.

Automatic classification of temporomandibular joint disorders by magnetic resonance imaging and convolutional neural networks.

Background/purpose: In this study, we utilized magnetic resonance imaging data of the temporomandibular joint, collected from the Division of Oral and Maxillofacial Surgery at Taipei Veterans General Hospital. Our research focuses on the classification and severity analysis of temporomandibular joint disease using convolutional neural networks.

Materials And Methods: In gray-scale image series, the most critical features often lie within the articular disc cartilage, situated at the junction of the temporal bone and the condyles.

Surgical management and outcomes of pure sacroiliac joint dislocations: A systematic review.

Introduction: Sacroiliac joint (SIJ) dislocations, particularly pure SIJ dislocations without associated fractures, represent a rare and complex subset of pelvic ring injuries. Given the intricate pelvic anatomy and the need to achieve both stability and functional recovery, the optimal surgical management for these injuries remains a topic of debate. This systematic review aims to evaluate the various surgical techniques employed in treating this rare and challenging injury and assess associated clinical outcomes and complications.

Revolutionising oral organoids with artificial intelligence.

The convergence of organoid technology and artificial intelligence (AI) is poised to revolutionise oral healthcare. Organoids - three-dimensional structures derived from human tissues - offer invaluable insights into the complex biology of diseases, allowing researchers to effectively study disease mechanisms and test therapeutic interventions in environments that closely mimic in vivo conditions. In this review, we first present the historical development of organoids and delve into the current types of oral organoids, focusing on their use in disease models, regeneration and microbiome intervention.

Functional Substrate Mapping: A New Frontier in the Treatment of Ventricular Tachycardia in Structural Heart Disease.

Functional substrate mapping has emerged as an essential tool for electrophysiologists, overcoming many limitations of conventional mapping techniques and demonstrating favourable long-term outcomes in clinical studies. However, a consensus on the definition of 'functional substrate' mapping remains elusive, hindering a structured approach to research in the field. In this review, we highlight the differences between 'functional mapping' techniques (which assess tissue response to the 'electrophysiological stress' using short coupled extrastimuli) and those highlighting regions of slow conduction during sinus rhythm.

Successful management of coagulation dysfunction in a patient with fulminant myocarditis: a case report.

Fulminant myocarditis (FM) is an acute, diffuse inflammatory myocardial disease characterized by abrupt onset and extremely rapid progression. Patients typically exhibit haemodynamic abnormalities that may lead to respiratory failure, liver and renal failure, and subsequent coagulopathy. Collectively, these complications significantly increase the risk of early mortality.

Improving Critical Care Teamwork: Simulation-Based Interprofessional Training for Enhanced Communication and Safety.

Background: This study evaluates a simulation-based interprofessional education (IPE) program implemented at the National Cheng Kung University Hospital between 2018 and 2023. The program aimed to improve teamwork, communication, and collaboration among healthcare professionals in high-acuity environments such as emergency departments and intensive care units (ICUs).

Methods: A prospective, mixed-methods approach was used to assess the program's effectiveness.

Intestine-derived fibroblast growth factor 19 alleviates lipopolysaccharide-induced liver injury by regulating bile acid homeostasis and directly improving oxidative stress.

Background: Cholestasis plays a critical role in sepsis-associated liver injury (SALI). Intestine-derived fibroblast growth factor 19 (FGF19) is a key regulator for bile acid homeostasis. However, the roles and underlying mechanisms of FGF19 in SALI are still unclear.

Awake prone positioning and ventilation distribution as assessed by electric impedance tomography in patients with non-COVID-19 acute hypoxemic respiratory failure: A prospective physiology study.

Background: Awake prone positioning (APP) can reportedly reduce the need for intubation and help improve prognosis of patients with acute hypoxemic respiratory failure (AHRF) infected with COVID-19. However, its physiological mechanism remains unclear. In this study, we evaluated the effect of APP on lung ventilation in patients with moderate-to-severe AHRF to better understand the effects on ventilation distribution and to prevent intubation in non-intubated patients.

Influence of hydrocortisone infusion method on the clinical outcome of patients with septic shock: A systematic review and meta-analysis.

Background: The effect of the modality of hydrocortisone administration on clinical outcomes in patients with septic shock remains uncertain. This systematic review and meta-analysis evaluate the impact of intermittent bolus and continuous infusion of hydrocortisone on these outcomes.

Methods: We searched the PubMed, Embase databases, and Cochrane Library for randomized controlled trials (RCTs) and cohort studies published from inception to January 1, 2023.

Overexpression of Parkin promotes the protective effect of mitochondrial autophagy on the lung of rats with exertional heatstroke.

Background: The roles of the Pink1/Parkin pathway and mitophagy in lung injury during heat stroke remain unclear. In this study, we investigated the role of Pink1/Parkin-mediated mitophagy in acute lung injury (ALI) in rats with exertional heat stroke (EHS).

Methods: Sixty Sprague Dawley rats were randomly divided into control (CON), control + Parkin overexpression (CON + Parkin), EHS, and EHS + Parkin overexpression (EHS + Parkin) groups.

A modified screening protocol for ARDS in patients with respiratory support based on SpO and FiO: A single-center prospective, observational study.

Background: The purpose is to formulate a modified screening protocol for acute respiratory distress syndrome (ARDS) in patients with respiratory support based on saturation of pulse oximetry (SpO) and inspired oxygen concentration (FiO).

Methods: This prospective observational study was conducted from August to October 2020 at the Department of Critical Care Medicine of Yijishan Hospital Affiliated with Wannan Medical College. All patients admitted during the study period and required arterial blood gas analysis and electrocardiogram monitoring were included in this study.

Outcomes and risk factors of transported patients with extracorporeal membrane oxygenation: An ECMO center experience.

Background: Extracorporeal membrane oxygenation (ECMO) has been proven to be a support method and technology for patients with cardiopulmonary failure. However, the transport of patients under ECMO support is challenging given the high-risk technical maneuvers and patient-care concerns involved. Herein, we examined the safety of ECMO during the transport of critically ill patients and its impact on mortality rates, to provide more secure and effective transport strategies in clinical practice.

Previous treatment with anthracycline does not affect the course of sepsis in cancer patients: Retrospective cohort study.

Background: Cancer patients who are exposed to sepsis and had previous chemotherapy may have increased severity. Among chemotherapeutic agents, anthracyclines have been associated with cardiac toxicity. Like other chemotherapeutic agents, they may cause endothelial toxicity.

Current advances in neurocritical care.

This review summarizes the current research advances and guideline updates in neurocritical care. For the therapy of ischemic stroke, the extended treatment time window for thrombectomy and the emergence of novel thrombolytic agents and strategies have brought greater hope for patient recovery. Minimally invasive hematoma evacuation and goal-directed bundled management have shown clinical benefits in treating cerebral hemorrhage.

Nebulized aminoglycosides for ventilator-associated pneumonia: Methodological considerations and lessons from experimental studies.

Aminoglycosides are concentration-dependent antibiotics exerting a bactericidal effect when concentrations at the site of infection are equal to or greater than 5 times the minimum inhibitory concentrations (MIC). When administered intravenously, they exhibit poor lung penetration and high systemic renal and ototoxicity, imposing to restrict their administration to 5 days. Experimental studies conducted in anesthetized and mechanically ventilated sheep and pigs provide evidence that high doses of nebulized aminoglycosides induce a rapid and potent bacterial killing in the infected lung parenchyma.