An assessment of physical properties and the viability of osteoblast-like cells of cefazolin-impregnated calcium sulfate bone-void filler.

Calcium sulfate, an injectable and biodegradable bone-void filler, is widely used in orthopedic surgery. Based on clinical experience, bone-defect substitutes can also serve as vehicles for the delivery of drugs, for example, antibiotics, to prevent or to treat infections such as osteomyelitis. However, antibiotic additions change the characteristics of calcium sulfate cement.

Peri-Implant Marginal Bone Changes around Dental Implants with Platform-Switched and Platform-Matched Abutments: A Retrospective 5-Year Radiographic Evaluation.

Preserving the marginal bone level (MBL) is essential for the long-term success of dental implant therapy, and bone remodeling around dental implants is considered to vary with time. Numerous studies comparing the platform-switching (PS) and platform-matching (PM) dental implants have indicated that PS dental implants showed a lesser reduction for the MBL, and the majority of them had a relatively short period. This study aimed to evaluate vertical and horizontal bone defects by using digital periapical radiographs to examine the changes in MBL around PM and PS dental implants over 5 years after functional loading.

Causes of Hospitalization among End-Stage Kidney Disease Cohort before and after Hemodialysis.

Patients with end-stage kidney disease (ESKD) have a greater risk of comorbidities, including diabetes and anemia, and have higher hospital admission rates than patients with other diseases. The cause of hospital admissions is associated with ESKD prognosis. This retrospective cohort study involved patients with ESKD who received hemodialysis and investigated whether the cause of hospital admission changed before versus after they started hemodialysis.

Tight adherent feature on optical coherence tomography predict postoperative visual outcome in epiretinal membrane eyes.

Background: To identify the predictive parameter among preoperative measurements that best predicts postoperative visual outcome in the epiretinal membrane (ERM).

Methods: Thirty-three consecutive patients with idiopathic unilateral ERM patients between 2015 and 2018 were enrolled. Nineteen healthy normal eyes were selected as an independent age-matched group.

Safety and antibody response of recipients who unexpectedly received undiluted prime dose of BNT162b2 COVID-19 vaccine in Taiwan.

We reported 25 recipients (14 females and 11 males) aged from 18 to 65 years who unexpectedly received a primary dose of undiluted BNT162b2 vaccine (180 μg). The most common adverse reactions included injection site pain (n = 22), followed by fever (9), fatigue (8), chest tightness (6), and dizziness (6). The most common laboratory abnormalities were anemia (n = 4) and elevated liver transaminase level (4), followed by abnormal leukocyte counts (3) and elevated D-dimer level (3).

Paracrine IGF-1 Activates SOD2 Expression and Regulates ROS/p53 Axis in the Treatment of Cardiac Damage in D-Galactose-Induced Aging Rats after Receiving Mesenchymal Stem Cells.

Aging is one of the causative agents associated with heart failure. Cell-based therapies show potential in the treatment of cardiac aging due to the characteristics of stem cells, including differentiation and the paracrine effect. This study aimed to investigate in detail the mechanism related to biomolecules released from mesenchymal stem cells in the treatment of cardiac aging.

Comparison of Deep Learning Algorithms in Predicting Expert Assessments of Pain Scores during Surgical Operations Using Analgesia Nociception Index.

There are many surgical operations performed daily in operation rooms worldwide. Adequate anesthesia is needed during an operation. Besides hypnosis, adequate analgesia is critical to prevent autonomic reactions.

Midterm outcomes of midfoot and hindfoot arthrodesis with strut allograft for Müller-Weiss disease.

Background: Müller-Weiss disease (MWD), a rare dysplastic disorder of the foot, is characterized by deformity, sclerosis, and fragmentation of the lateral part of navicular bone. Arthrodesis is the mainstay treatment for MWD. Generally, arthrodesis can be achieved through internal fixation with metallic implants, and morselized chip bone may be packed into the gap for better bone union.

Development of a Monoclonal scFv against Cytotoxin to Neutralize Cytolytic Activity Induced by Venom on Myoblast C2C12 Cells.

The Taiwanese cobra, , is a clinically significant species of snake observed in the wild in Taiwan. Victims bitten by usually experience severe pain and local tissue necrosis. Although antivenom is available for treatment of cobra envenomation, its neutralization potency against cobra-induced necrosis is weak, with more than 60% of cobra envenoming patients developing tissue necrosis after antivenom administration.

Improved inpatient deterioration detection in general wards by using time-series vital signs.

Although in-hospital cardiac arrest is uncommon, it has a high mortality rate. Risk identification of at-risk patients is critical for post-cardiac arrest survival rates. Early warning scoring systems are generally used to identify hospitalized patients at risk of deterioration.

Ameliorates Non-alcoholic Steatohepatitis in Mice Induced by a Methionine-Choline-Deficient Diet Through Gut-Liver Axis.

Non-alcoholic steatohepatitis (NASH) is affecting people worldwide. Changes in the intestinal microbiome are crucial to NASH. A previous study showed that eradicating intestinal fungi ameliorates NASH; however, the role of intestinal fungi in the development of NASH remains unclear.

Global DNA methylation mediates the association between serum perfluorooctane sulfonate and carotid intima-media thickness in young and middle-aged Taiwanese populations.

Purpose: Perfluoroalkyl and polyfluoroalkyl substances (PFAS) are a group of synthetic chemicals used in the manufacture of many everyday products. Previous reports have shown PFAS exposure may contribute to cardiovascular diseases (CVD). Recent studies have also identified a critical role for DNA methylation, a model of epigenetic regulation, in the pathogenesis of CVD.

Urine Di-(2-ethylhexyl) Phthalate Metabolites Are Independently Related to Body Fluid Status in Adults: Results from a U.S. Nationally Representative Survey.

Purpose: Di-(2-ethylhexyl) phthalate (DEHP) has been utilized in many daily products for decades. Previous studies have reported that DEHP exposure could induce renin-angiotensin-aldosterone system activation and increase epithelial sodium channel (ENaC) activity, which contributes to extracellular fluid (ECF) volume expansion. However, there is also no previous study to evaluate the association between DEHP exposure and body fluid status.

Neuromuscular Electrical Stimulation of Upper Limbs in Patients With Cerebral Palsy: A Systematic Review and Meta-analysis of Randomized Controlled Trials.

Objective: The aim of the study is to assess the effects of neuromuscular electrical stimulation on the upper limbs of patients with cerebral palsy.

Design: We searched PubMed, Cochrane, Embase, and Scopus databases for randomized controlled trials examining the effects of neuromuscular electrical stimulation on the upper limbs of children with cerebral palsy.

Results: Eight randomized controlled trials ( N = 294) were included in the meta-analysis.

Participation of lipopolysaccharide in hyperplasic adipose expansion: Involvement of NADPH oxidase/ROS/p42/p44 MAPK-dependent Cyclooxygenase-2.

Obesity is a world-wide problem, especially the child obesity, with the complication of various metabolic diseases. Child obesity can be developed as early as the age between 2 and 6. The expansion of fat mass in child age includes both hyperplasia and hypertrophy of adipose tissue, suggesting the importance of proliferation and adipogenesis of preadipocytes.

Translational Medicine in Uremic Vascular Calcification: Scavenging ROS Attenuates p-Cresyl Sulfate-Activated Caspase-1, NLRP3 Inflammasome and Eicosanoid Inflammation in Human Arterial Smooth Muscle Cells.

We formerly proved that uremic vascular calcification (UVC) correlates tightly with oxidative elastic lamina (EL) injury and two cell fates (apoptosis and osteocytic conversion) in smooth muscle cells (SMC) of chronic kidney disease (CKD) patients and eliminating p-cresyl sulfate (PCS)-activated intracellular ROS ameliorates the MAPK signaling pathway in a human arterial SMC (HASMC) model. Nonetheless, whether ROS scavenger attenuates PCS-triggered inflammasome activation and eicosanoid inflammation in the UVC process remains unknown. Patients with lower extremity amputation were categorized into CKD and normal control group according to renal function.

Whey protein supplementation improves postprandial glycemia in persons with type 2 diabetes mellitus: A systematic review and meta-analysis of randomized controlled trials.

Whey protein (WP) can increase insulin secretion, produce an incretin effect, delay gastric emptying, and regulate appetite, resulting in improved glycemic control. We hypothesized that WP supplementation is associated with postprandial glycemia regulation in persons with type 2 diabetes mellitus (T2DM) and conducted a quantitative meta-analysis of randomized controlled trials (RCTs) to test this hypothesis. We searched PubMed, Embase, Cochrane Library, Scopus databases, and the ClinicalTrials.

New insight into chronic pruritus' characteristics and association with the demographic characteristics and sleep of community-dwelling older adults in Taiwan.

This study aimed to understand the characteristics of chronic pruritus (CP), its correlations with sleep quality and demographic characteristics, and its impacts on sleep of older adults. This study used convenience sampling to recruit adults aged 65 or older and living at home. The prevalence rate of CP in older adults was 25.

Tissue diagnosis necessary for small endoscopic ultrasound-suspected gastric gastrointestinal stromal tumors 2 cm or less in size: A prospective study focusing on the endoscopic incisional biopsy.

Background And Aim: The small endoscopic ultrasound (EUS)-suspected gastric gastrointestinal stromal tumors (GISTs), gastric subepithelial tumors at the muscularis propria layer on EUS, are detected frequently. Bite-on-bite forceps biopsy and EUS-guided tissue sampling yield variable results. This study aimed to analyze clinicopathologic features of the small EUS-suspected gastric GISTs 2 cm or less in size and to evaluate the efficacy and safety of the endoscopic incisional biopsy (EIB) for these small tumors.

Elevated α-synuclein and NfL levels in tear fluids and decreased retinal microvascular densities in patients with Parkinson's disease.

The pathognomonic hallmark of Parkinson's disease (PD), α-synuclein, has been observed in the retina of PD patients. We investigated whether biomarkers in the tears and retinal microvascular changes associate with PD risk and progression. This prospective study enrolled 49 PD patients and 45 age-matched healthy controls.

A Long-Term Study of Alignment Correction Following Proximal Femoral Varus Osteotomy and Pemberton Osteotomy in Children With Legg-Calvé-Perthes Disease and Developmental Dysplasia of the Hip.

Proximal femoral varus osteotomy (PFVO) is a common procedure performed in children with developmental dysplasia of the hip (DDH) and Legg-Calvé-Perthes disease (LCPD). However, the long-term effect on angular deformities of the knees and ankles following PFVO remains controversial. This study investigated the relationship between PFVO and alignment changes in the knee and ankle after the procedure.

Therapeutic efficacy and cognitive adverse events of overactive bladder medication in patients with central nervous system Disorders-A cohort study.

Purpose: This cohort study evaluates therapeutic efficacy and adverse events (AEs) of various overactive bladder (OAB) medications for patients with central nervous system (CNS) disorders.

Methods: Patients with OAB and CNS disorders were prospectively enrolled. They were randomly allocated to 3 different treatment subgroups: (1) mirabegron 50 mg once daily (2) solifenacin 5 mg per day, and (3) combined solifenacin 5 mg and mirabegron 50 mg once daily.

Antibody Profiling in COVID-19 Patients with Different Severities by Using Spike Variant Protein Microarrays.

The disease progression of COVID-19 varies from mild to severe, even death. However, the link between COVID-19 severities and humoral immune specificities is not clear. Here, we developed a multiplexed spike variant protein microarray (SVPM) and utilized it for quantifying neutralizing activity, drug screening, and profiling humoral immunity.

Ride-on car training using sitting and standing postures for mobility and socialization in young children with motor delays: a randomized controlled trial.

Purpose: To examine the effects of ride-on car (ROC) training using different postures on mobility and social function in children with motor delays in comparison with conventional therapy.

Materials And Methods: Thirty-eight children (22 males, 16 females) with motor delays were recruited and randomly assigned to three groups: ROC training while sitting (ROC-Sit,  = 15; mean age, 20.25 months; standard deviation [], 5.