Novel multiple Z-score models for detection of coronary artery dilation: application in Kawasaki disease.

Background: This study aims to develop Z-Score models to normalize measurements of three coronary arteries and enhance the diagnosis of Kawasaki disease (KD) in children from newborns to 10 years old. Developing a reliable Z-Score model is challenging, as some existing models fail the normality test. Overcoming these challenges is crucial for improving KD diagnosis.

Pembrolizumab Retreatment in Patients with Advanced or Metastatic Urothelial Carcinoma Who Responded to First-course Pembrolizumab-based Therapy.

Patients with metastatic solid tumors who previously had stable disease or a response with immunotherapy may derive benefit from immunotherapy retreatment. This post hoc analysis evaluated pembrolizumab retreatment in patients with advanced/metastatic urothelial carcinoma who received pembrolizumab in KEYNOTE-045, KEYNOTE-052, or KEYNOTE-361, and either stopped pembrolizumab after a complete response (CR) or completed pembrolizumab (35 cycles [∼2 yr]) with an objective response or stable disease. Upon disease progression, protocol-specified pembrolizumab retreatment (200 mg intravenously every 3 wk) was administered for ≤17 cycles.

Tracking adipose-derived stem cell exosomes applied in a mouse crush injury model: insights from fluorescent labeling and spatial transcriptomics - an experimental study.

Adipose-derived stem cell exosomes (ADSC-exos) are promising for nerve regeneration; however, their precise mechanisms remain unclear. This study employed fluorescent labeling and spatial transcriptomics to track the effects of ADSC-exos on crushed sciatic nerves in mice. Labeled exosomes were detected in spinal neurons and proximal nerve segments after application.

Chinese Medicines Treatment for Sleep Disturbance in Breast Cancer Survivors: A Network Meta-Analysis.

Background: Sleep disturbance and insomnia are common adverse events in patients with breast cancer (BC). Traditional Chinese Medicine (TCM) treatment for sleep disturbance includes acupuncture, acupressure, auricular acupressure/auricular acupuncture, and Qigong. However, the specific efficacy of these TCM treatment remains unclear.

Prognostic value of neutrophil-to-lymphocyte ratios pre- and post-surgery in stage III CRC: a study of 2,742 patients.

Purpose: Stage III colorectal cancer (CRC) is typically treated with surgery; however, it has a high recurrence rate and inconsistent benefits from postoperative chemotherapy. Inflammatory markers like the neutrophil-to-lymphocyte ratio (NLR) have shown prognostic value in various cancers. However, the prognostic significance of NLR measured before and after CRC surgery is not clear.

Association between IV and topical tranexamic acid use and periprosthetic joint infections in hip and knee arthroplasty: a retrospective study.

Background: Anemia and blood transfusions are recognized as risk factors for periprosthetic joint infections (PJI). Tranexamic acid (TXA) is established in reducing perioperative blood loss and transfusion requirements. Our study investigates the impact of perioperative TXA administration on the incidence of PJI in patients undergoing total joint arthroplasty (TJA) and evaluates the association of intravenous (IV) and topical applications with PJI occurrence.

Characterization and evaluation of the adsorption of uremic toxins through the pyrolysis of pineapple leaves and peels and by forming a bio-complex with sodium alginate.

This study was performed to develop an optimal process for manufacturing activated carbon (AC) from pineapples' off-cuts (leaves and peels; PL and PP) by pyrolysis and for forming a bio-complex with sodium alginate (CA). In addition, the physicochemical properties were also explored under different preparation conditions, and the effects of adsorbed uremic toxins in three simulated gastrointestinal conditions (in vitro) were evaluated. This study showed that pyrolysis at 800 °C and activation by CO (30 min) resulted in satisfactory porous profiles with high specific surface areas of 388.

Exploring the relaxation effects of Coptis chinensis and berberine on the lower esophageal sphincter: potential strategies for LES motility disorders.

Background: Esophageal achalasia, a primary disorder impacting the lower esophageal sphincter (LES), presents symptoms such as dysphagia, regurgitation, chest pain, and weight loss. Traditional treatments, including calcium channel blockers and nitrates, offer limited relief, prompting exploration into alternative therapies. This study examines the efficacy of Traditional Chinese Medicine (TCM), focusing on Coptis chinensis (C.

The Response to "Global Landscape of Nasolabial Folds Research: Hotspots, Gaps, and Future Directions".

Level of Evidence V This journal requires that authors assign a level of evidence to each article. For a full description of these Evidence-Based Medicine ratings, please refer to the Table of Contents or the online Instructions to Authors www.springer.

A comparative analysis of platelet-rich plasma alone versus combined with extracorporeal shockwave therapy in athletes with patellar tendinopathy and knee pain: a randomized controlled trial.

Background: Patellar tendinopathy, also known as jumper's knee, can significantly impact the quality of daily life for patients due to the associated pain. A randomized controlled trial was investigated the clinical, sonographic, and serum cytokine markers in patellar tendinopathy of athletes following platelet-rich plasma (PRP) or PRP with extracorporeal shockwave therapy (ESWT) treatments. Our aims to investigate and compare therapeutic effects of PRP versus a combination of PRP with ESWT for treating patellar tendinopathy.

Combining serum inflammatory markers and clinical factors to predict survival in metastatic urothelial carcinoma patients treated with immune checkpoint inhibitors.

Background: Despite the revolutionary impact of immune checkpoint inhibitors (ICIs) on the treatment of metastatic urothelial carcinoma (mUC), the clinical utility of reliable prognostic biomarkers to foresee survival outcomes remains underexplored.

Objectives: The purpose of this study was to ascertain the prognostic significance of serum inflammatory markers in mUC patients undergoing ICI therapy.

Design: This is a retrospective, multicenter study.

Brain Amyloid-β Peptide Is Associated with Pain Intensity and Cognitive Dysfunction in Osteoarthritic Patients.

Considerable studies have demonstrated that osteoarthritis (OA) is a risk factor for dementia. The precise mechanisms underlying the association between OA and increased risk for cognitive dysfunction, however, remain unclear. This study aimed at exploring the associations between pro-inflammatory cytokines/chemokines, biomarkers of Alzheimer's disease (AD), pain intensity, and cognitive decline in knee joint OA patients.

Resveratrol Butyrate Esters Reduce Hypertension in a Juvenile Rat Model of Chronic Kidney Disease Exacerbated by Microplastics.

Background: Resveratrol is recognized as a promising nutraceutical with antihypertensive and prebiotic properties; however, its bioavailability in vivo is limited. To enhance its bioactivity, we developed resveratrol butyrate esters (RBEs). This study investigates whether RBEs can mitigate hypertension induced by chronic kidney disease (CKD) and exacerbated by microplastics (MPs) exposure in juvenile rats.

Comparison of Modified Labor Induction Strategies for Pregnant Women at a Single Tertiary Center Before and During the COVID-19 Pandemic.

Background: The COVID-19 pandemic has substantially impacted healthcare systems and obstetric practices worldwide. Labor induction is a common procedure for preventing obstetric complications in high-risk populations. This study evaluated perinatal outcomes of labor induction using a modified management protocol in a tertiary care center during the COVID-19 pandemic.

Efficacy of the Geriatric Trauma Outcome Score (GTOS) in Predicting Mortality in Trauma Patients: A Retrospective Cross-Sectional Study.

Background: Trauma has a profound impact on mortality as well as short- and long-term health outcomes. For trauma patients to receive medical care in a timely manner, early identification and risk assessment are essential. The Geriatric Trauma Outcome Score (GTOS), which was created by combining age, the Injury Severity Score (ISS), and the requirement for packed red blood cell transfusion, has proven to be a valuable prognostic tool for elderly trauma patients, though its applicability to general trauma patients is still understudied.

Parafoveal Microperimetric Retinal Sensitivity as a Key Parameter Associated with Vision Loss in Retinitis Pigmentosa.

Although optical coherence tomography (OCT) is useful in determining outer retinal architecture, it may be suboptimal when monitoring subtle changes in retinitis pigmentosa (RP) patients. The aim of this study is to investigate precise microperimetric parameters for disease severity identification in RP patients. A cross-sectional and retrospective study.

Hepatitis and Hepatitis B Virus Reactivation in Everolimus-Treated Solid Tumor Patients: A Focus on HBV-Endemic Areas.

Background: Everolimus is approved for treating breast, renal, and pancreatic neuroendocrine cancers but carries the risk of hepatitis B virus (HBV) reactivation (HBVr) and hepatitis. However, data on HBVr in everolimus-treated patients are limited. This study evaluates the risk of hepatitis and HBVr in cancer patients with current or past HBV infection.

Dissecting the Circadian Clock and Toll-like Receptor Gene Alterations in Meniere's Disease and Vestibular Migraine.

Objective: To investigate alterations in the expression of circadian clock and Toll-like receptor (TLR) genes in peripheral blood (PB) leukocytes of patients with Meniere's disease (MD) and vestibular migraine (VM), and determine whether these gene expressions can differentiate MD from VM.

Study Design: Observational prospective study.

Setting: Tertiary academic medical center.

Single-port robotic laparoscopic ureterocalicostomy: surgical technique and clinical outcomes.

Introduction: We describe a method of robotic ureterocalicostomy (RALUC) with the Da Vinci Single Port (SP) platform and present clinical outcomes in our cohort of patients.

Materials And Methods: We retrospectively reviewed all patients undergoing RALUC with the SP platform in a single-institution, IRB-approved database between 2020-2023. Demographics, preoperative, intraoperative, and postoperative outcomes were collated.

Comparison of clinical and laboratory data between hantavirus infection and leptospirosis: a retrospective case series study in southern Taiwan.

Background: Leptospirosis (LS) and hantavirus (HV) are rodent-borne diseases and share similar clinical manifestations, posing diagnostic challenges.

Methods: This retrospective study compared clinical characteristics, laboratory data, complications and outcomes of 33 LS and nine HV cases in Kaohsiung, Taiwan, from 2006 to 2021.

Results: Both LS and HV diseases had high rates of acute kidney injury (84.

Care process for breast cancer patients with sleep disturbances: a best practice implementation project.

Introduction: Patients with breast cancer are 50% more likely to experience sleep disturbances during treatment. Sleep disturbances may affect physiological and psychological functions and even induce cancer recurrence. Screening, assessment, and management of sleep disturbances improves sleep quality in breast cancer patients.

Probiotic-facilitated cytokine-induced killer cells suppress peritoneal carcinomatosis and liver metastasis in colorectal cancer cells.

This study tested the hypothesis that combined therapy with probiotics and cytokine-induced killer (CIK) cells was superior to merely one on suppressing the peritoneal carcinomatosis and liver metastasis of colorectal cancer (CRC) cells in nude mice. The study revealed that in HCT 116/SW620 CRC cell lines, cell viability, proliferation, colony formation, migratory ability, wound healing, and protein expression of PD-L1 and FAK were significantly and comparably suppressed and that apoptosis was significantly and comparably increased by probiotics and CIK cells, and these effects were further significantly enhanced by combined probiotics + CIK cell therapy (all p<0.001).

Recurrence risk of erythropoiesis-stimulating agents on early-stage urothelial carcinoma in patients with end stage renal disease.

Urothelial carcinoma (UC) predominantly arises in the bladder, but upper tract urothelial carcinomas (UTUCs) comprise 5-10% of cases. Patients with end-stage renal disease (ESRD) are at increased risk for UC, and erythropoiesis-stimulating agents (ESAs) are frequently used to manage anemia in ESRD. However, ESA use in cancer patients raises concerns about tumor progression and survival outcomes.

Impact of Obstructive Sleep Apnea and Continuous Positive Airway Pressure Treatment on Dry Eye Disease: A Systematic Review and Meta-Analysis.

Obstructive sleep apnea (OSA) has been reported to influence the ocular surface and may lead to dry eye disease (DED). Continuous positive airway pressure (CPAP) is the first-line conservative treatment for OSA. However, CPAP might also have mask-related side effects that could deteriorate DED simultaneously.