Efficacy and safety of videolaryngoscopes for transesophageal echocardiography probe insertion: A trial sequential meta-analysis.

Objective: This meta-analysis aimed to compare videolaryngoscope (VL)-assisted transesophageal echocardiography (TEE) probe insertion with conventional methods in terms of efficacy and safety.

Methods: Several major databases such as Medline and Embase were systematically searched to identified relevant studies from inception to June 2024. The primary outcome was complication rate, defined as the proportion of patients experiencing complications related to TEE probe insertion.

Effects of tenofovir disoproxil fumarate on intrahepatic viral burden and liver immune microenvironment in patients with chronic hepatitis B.

Background: The impact of nucleos(t)ide analogues on intrahepatic viral burden and immune microenvironment in patients with chronic hepatitis B (CHB) is not clear.

Objective: We aimed to characterise the effects of tenofovir disoproxil fumarate (TDF) on intrahepatic viral burden and the liver immune microenvironment in patients with CHB.

Design: Core liver biopsies were collected at baseline and year 3 from patients with CHB with minimally raised serum alanine aminotransferase in a double-blind placebo-controlled trial (NCT01522625).

Evaluation of an Innovative Postgraduate Medical Education Model Incorporating Social Determinants of Health.

Purpose: Incorporating social determinants of health (SDH) into medical education is crucial. However, there are limited data on standard education models and comprehensive SDH curricula in Taiwan are insufficient. This study presents a systematic SDH curriculum instructed primarily by social workers for postgraduate doctors and aims to examine the training outcomes of the innovative curriculum.

and Its Treatment Impact on Immune-Mediated Ocular Diseases.

Purpose: (HP), which colonizes exclusively in the gastrointestinal tract, has been reported to dysregulate the immune response and gives rise to several extra-gastrointestinal autoimmune disorders. However, the relationship between HP and immune-mediated ocular diseases remains ambiguous. This study aims to clarify the association between immune-mediated ocular diseases and HP infection, as well as the impact of HP treatment on the incidence of immune-mediated ocular diseases.

Internalized weight stigma and psychological distress mediate the association of perceived weight stigma with food addiction among young adults: A cross-sectional study.

Background: Perceived weight stigma (PWS) and internalized weight stigma (IWS) are both associated with psychological distress and food addiction (FA). Using the previously proposed 'cyclic obesity/weight-based stigma' (COBWEBS) model, the present study extended the framework to investigate the mediating effects of IWS and psychological distress in the association between PWS and FA among young adults. Given that individuals who are overweight/have obesity have different vulnerabilities, this population was separately analyzed alongside the total study population.

Prediction of Vascular Access Stenosis by Lightweight Convolutional Neural Network Using Blood Flow Sound Signals.

This research examines the application of non-invasive acoustic analysis for detecting obstructions in vascular access (fistulas) used by kidney dialysis patients. Obstructions in these fistulas can interrupt essential dialysis treatment. In this study, we utilized a condenser microphone to capture the blood flow sounds before and after angioplasty surgery, analyzing 3819 sound samples from 119 dialysis patients.

Rice Husk Silica Liquid Enhances Autophagy and Reduces Overactive Immune Responses via TLR-7 Signaling in Lupus-Prone Models.

Systemic lupus erythematosus (SLE) is a chronic autoimmune disorder characterized by widespread inflammation and multi-organ damage. Toll-like receptor 7 (TLR-7) and autophagy have been implicated in SLE pathogenesis. Rice husk silica liquid (RHSL) has shown potential for modulating inflammatory responses, but its effects on SLE have not been thoroughly investigated.

Mental Health and Quality of Life of Patients with Differentiated Thyroid Cancer Pre and Post Radioactive Iodine Treatment: A Prospective Study.

: Although patients with differentiated thyroid cancer (DTC) have a good prognosis, their long-term clinical course can influence their mental health and their health-related quality of life (HRQoL). However, few studies have evaluated the psychological factors that influence subsequent HRQoL in this population, particularly during the initial treatment stage. : In this 1-month cohort study, we evaluated depressive and anxiety symptoms and HRQoL of patients with DTC and examined possible predictors of further HRQoL impairment.

Clinical Nomogram Model for Pre-Operative Prediction of Microvascular Invasion of Hepatocellular Carcinoma before Hepatectomy.

: Microvascular invasion (MVI) significantly impacts recurrence and survival rates after liver resection in hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC). Pre-operative prediction of MVI is crucial in determining the treatment strategy. This study aims to develop a nomogram model to predict the probability of MVI based on clinical features in HCC patients.

Revolution of Medical Review: The Application of Meta-Analysis and Convolutional Neural Network-Natural Language Processing in Classifying the Literature for Head and Neck Cancer Radiotherapy.

This study explored the application of meta-analysis and convolutional neural network-natural language processing (CNN-NLP) technologies in classifying literature concerning radiotherapy for head and neck cancer. It aims to enhance both the efficiency and accuracy of literature reviews. By integrating statistical analysis with deep learning, this research successfully identified key studies related to the probability of normal tissue complications (NTCP) from a vast corpus of literature.

The Perceived Weight Stigma Scale and Weight Self-Stigma Questionnaire: Rasch analysis, confirmatory factor analysis, and network analysis among Chinese adolescents.

Objectives: The objectives of the present study were to (i) re-evaluate and expand the psychometric properties of two weight stigma instruments-the Perceived Weight Stigma Scale (PWSS) and the Weight Self-Stigma Questionnaire (WSSQ) among a large sample of adolescents using advanced psychometric methods and (ii) examine how the different types of weight stigma (i.e., PWSS and WSSQ) are associated with psychological distress.

Validity of urinary catheter specimens for diagnosis of urinary tract infection in patients with short-term catheterization.

Current guidelines recommend urine culture after catheter replacement to diagnose catheter-associated urinary tract infections (CA-UTI) in patients with long-term catheters, but it's unclear if this applies to short-term catheterizations. We studied 52 patients with catheters for less than 28 days, showing symptoms of CA-UTI. We collected urine from the catheter port initially and from the new catheter within 2 hours of replacement.

Comparing subjective quality of recovery between remimazolam- and propofol-based total intravenous anesthesia for surgical procedures: a meta-analysis.

Background: Remimazolam is a novel ultra-short-acting benzodiazepine that has been recently introduced as an alternative to propofol for general anesthesia. While both agents have been compared in terms of safety and efficacy, their relative effects on postoperative quality of recovery (QoR) remain unclear. Therefore, this meta-analysis aimed to compare the effects of remimazolam and propofol on subjective QoR in surgical patients who underwent general anesthesia.

Predictive model for contralateral inguinal hernia repair within three years of primary repair: a nationwide population-based cohort study.

Background: Limited reports have discussed the risk factors for contralateral inguinal hernia (CIH) repair. We generated a risk factor scoring system to predict CIH within 3 years after unilateral inguinal hernia repair.

Methods: We extracted the admission data of patients aged ≥ 18 years who underwent primary unilateral inguinal hernia repair without any other operation from the National Health Insurance Research Database.

Decreased plasma gelsolin fosters a fibrotic tumor microenvironment and promotes chemoradiotherapy resistance in esophageal squamous cell carcinoma.

Background: Stromal fibrosis is highly associated with therapeutic resistance and poor survival in esophageal squamous cell carcinoma (ESCC) patients. Low expression of plasma gelsolin (pGSN), a serum abundant protein, has been found to correlate with inflammation and fibrosis. Here, we evaluated pGSN expression in patients with different stages of cancer and therapeutic responses, and delineated the molecular mechanisms involved to gain insight into therapeutic strategies for ESCC.