Optimizing diffuse optical imaging for breast tissues with a dual-encoder neural network to preserve small structural information and fine features.

Purpose: Various laboratory sources have recently achieved progress in implementing deep learning models on biomedical optical imaging of soft biological tissues. The highly scattered nature of tissues at specific optical wavelengths results in poor spatial resolution. This opens up opportunities for diffuse optical imaging to improve the spatial resolution of obtained optical properties suffering from artifacts.

Src-FAK Signaling Mediates Interleukin 6-Induced HCT116 Colorectal Cancer Epithelial-Mesenchymal Transition.

Colorectal cancer is one of the most prevalent and lethal malignancies, affecting approximately 900,000 individuals each year worldwide. Patients with colorectal cancer are found with elevated serum interleukin-6 (IL-6), which is associated with advanced tumor grades and is related to their poor survival outcomes. Although IL-6 is recognized as a potent inducer of colorectal cancer progression, the detail mechanisms underlying IL-6-induced colorectal cancer epithelial-mesenchymal transition (EMT), one of the major process of tumor metastasis, remain unclear.

The Effects of Automatic Inspiratory Rise Time and Flow Termination on Operation of Closed-Loop Ventilation.

Background: Adaptive ventilation mode (AVM) is a automated mode of mechanical ventilation. AVM is comprable to adaptive support ventilation (ASV). Both recommend a tidal volume (V) and breathing frequency (f) combination based on lung mechanics, but AVM also automatically adjusts rise time and flow termination of pressure support breaths.

Green Tea Epigallocatechin Gallate Inhibits Preadipocyte Growth via the microRNA-let-7a/HMGA2 Signaling Pathway.

Scope: This study investigates the effect of epigallocatechin gallate (EGCG) on white and beige preadipocyte growth and explores the involvement of the miR-let-7a/HMGA2 pathway.

Methods And Results: 3T3-L1 and D12 cells are treated with EGCG. The effect of EGCG on cell proliferation and viability is evaluated, as well as microRNA (miRNA)-related signaling pathways.

Incidence, prescription patterns and risk factors of antipsychotic initiation in elderly stroke survivors.

Objectives: Epidemiological data regarding antipsychotic initiation in elderly patients with stroke are limited. We aimed to investigate the incidence, prescription patterns and determinants of antipsychotic initiation in elderly patients with stroke.

Methods: We conducted a retrospective cohort study to identify patients aged above 65 years who had been admitted for stroke from the National Health Insurance Database (NHID).

Periodic-net: an end-to-end data driven framework for diffuse optical imaging of breast cancer from noisy boundary data.

Significance: The machine learning (ML) approach plays a critical role in assessing biomedical imaging processes especially optical imaging (OI) including segmentation, classification, and reconstruction, intending to achieve higher accuracy efficiently.

Aim: This research aims to develop an end-to-end deep learning framework for diffuse optical imaging (DOI) with multiple datasets to detect breast cancer and reconstruct its optical properties in the early stages.

Approach: The proposed Periodic-net is a nondestructive deep learning (DL) algorithm for the reconstruction and evaluation of inhomogeneities in an inverse model with high accuracy, while boundary measurements are calculated by solving a forward problem with sources/detectors arranged uniformly around a circular domain in various combinations, including , , and boundary measurement setups.

Cell-binding peptides on the material surface guide stem cell fate of adhesion, proliferation and differentiation.

Human cells, especially stem cells, need to communicate and interact with extracellular matrix (ECM) proteins, which not only serve as structural components but also guide and support cell fate and properties such as cell adhesion, proliferation, survival and differentiation. The binding of the cells with ECM proteins or ECM-derived peptides cell adhesion receptors such as integrins activates several signaling pathways that determine the cell fate, morphological change, proliferation and differentiation. The development of synthetic ECM protein-derived peptides that mimic the biological and biochemical functions of natural ECM proteins will benefit academic and clinical application.

Designed peptide-grafted hydrogels for human pluripotent stem cell culture and differentiation.

Human pluripotent stem cells (hPSCs) have the ability to differentiate into cells derived from three germ layers and are an attractive cell source for cell therapy in regenerative medicine. However, hPSCs cannot be cultured on conventional tissue culture flasks but can be cultured on biomaterials with specific hPSC integrin interaction sites. We designed hydrogels conjugated with several designed peptides that had laminin-β4 active sites, optimal elasticities and different zeta potentials.

Green tea epigallocatechin gallate suppresses 3T3-L1 cell growth via microRNA-143/MAPK7 pathways.

Green tea epigallocatechin gallate (EGCG) and microRNA (miRNA) molecules modulate obesity. Nevertheless, it is still unknown whether EGCG modulates fat cell growth via miRNA-related signaling. In this study, white preadipocytes were used to examine whether the antimitogenic effect of EGCG on fat cells is regulated by the miR-143/MAPK7 pathway.

Protein energy wasting-based nutritional assessment predicts outcomes of acute ischemic stroke and solves the epidemiologic paradox.

Objective: Overweight and hyperlipidemia, the two established risk factors for acute ischemic stroke, are paradoxically associated with favorable outcomes. The paradox may be resolved by the concept of protein energy wasting (PEW), in which total cholesterol level and body mass index are used as nutritional indexes for predicting outcomes of chronic kidney disease.

Methods: Among 12 271 people with acute ischemic stroke and chronic kidney disease, 2086 were defined as being at risk of PEW-with a body mass index <22 kg/m plus either a serum albumin level <38 g/L or a total cholesterol level <4.

Venous Thromboembolism and Critical Limb Events in Patients with Atrial Fibrillation: A Nationwide Population-Based Cohort Study.

Little is known about whether venous thromboembolism (VTE) causes worse critical limb events in populations with atrial fibrillation (AF). A retrospective cohort study using claims data from Taiwan's National Health Insurance program between 2001 and 2013 compared AF patients with or without VTE. Outcomes were percutaneous transluminal angioplasty (PTA), amputation, systemic thromboembolism, all-cause mortality, cardiovascular death, ischemic stroke, and acute myocardial infarction.

Investigation of the Molecular Mechanisms by Which Endothelin-3 Stimulates Preadipocyte Growth.

Endothelins induce many biological responses, and they are composed of three peptides: ET-1, ET-2, and ET-3. Reports have indicated that ET-1 regulates cell proliferation, adipogenesis, and other cell responses and that ET-3 stimulates the growth of gastrointestinal epithelial cells and melanocytes. However, the signalling pathways of ET3 that mediate the growth of fat cells are still unclear.

Comparative safety of antipsychotic medications in elderly stroke survivors: A nationwide claim data and stroke registry linkage cohort study.

Background: Antipsychotics remain the first choice of treatment for post-stroke psychosis, despite an increased risk of mortality reported in elderly patients. We aimed to compare the mortality risk among antipsychotics in elderly patients with stroke using the stroke registry for external adjustment.

Methods: We conducted a retrospective cohort study to identify patients aged above 65 years who were admitted for stroke in the National Health Insurance Database (NHID) from 2002 to 2014.

Transient characteristics of universal cells on human-induced pluripotent stem cells and their differentiated cells derived from foetal stem cells with mixed donor sources.

Introduction: It is important to prepare 'hypoimmunogenic' or 'universal' human pluripotent stem cells (hPSCs) with gene-editing technology by knocking out or in immune-related genes, because only a few hypoimmunogenic or universal hPSC lines would be sufficient to store for their off-the-shelf use. However, these hypoimmunogenic or universal hPSCs prepared previously were all genetically edited, which makes laborious processes to check and evaluate no abnormal gene editing of hPSCs.

Methods: Universal human-induced pluripotent stem cells (hiPSCs) were generated without gene editing, which were reprogrammed from foetal stem cells (human amniotic fluid stem cells) with mixing 2-5 allogenic donors but not with single donor.

Betel Nut Arecoline Induces Different Phases of Growth Arrest between Normal and Cancerous Prostate Cells through the Reactive Oxygen Species Pathway.

Prostate cancer (PCa) is a reproductive system cancer in elderly men. We investigated the effects of betel nut arecoline on the growth of normal and cancerous prostate cells. Normal RWPE-1 prostate epithelial cells, androgen-independent PC-3 PCa cells, and androgen-dependent LNCaP PCa cells were used.

Chicken antibodies against venom proteins of in Taiwan.

Background: The venom of bamboo vipers ( - TS), commonly found in Taiwan, contains deadly hemotoxins that cause severe envenomation. Equine-derived antivenom is a specific treatment against snakebites, but its production costs are high and there are some inevitable side effects. The aim of the present work is to help in the development of an affordable and more endurable therapeutic strategy for snakebites.

Enrichment of cancer-initiating cells from colon cancer cells through porous polymeric membranes by a membrane filtration method.

Cancer-initiating cells (CICs) or cancer stem cells (CSCs) are primarily responsible for tumor initiation, growth, and metastasis and represent a few percent of the total tumor cell population. We designed a membrane filtration protocol to enrich CICs (CSCs) from the LoVo colon cancer cell line via nylon mesh filter membranes with 11 and 20 μm pore sizes and poly(lactide-co-glycolic acid)/silk screen (PLGA/silk screen) porous membranes (pore sizes of 20-30 μm). The colon cancer cell solution was filtered through the membranes to obtain a permeate solution.

Urine phthalate metabolites are associated with urothelial cancer in chronic kidney disease patients.

Background: Di(2-ethylhexyl) phthalate (DEHP) is one of the most widely used phthalates and is associated with breast cancer. Ths association between DEHP and other types of cancer is not clear. DEHP may increase matrix metalloproteinase-9 that is critical for the development of urothelial cancer (UC).

4-Aminobiphenyl suppresses homologous recombination repair by a reactive oxygen species-dependent p53/miR-513a-5p/p53 loop.

4-Aminobiphenyl (4-ABP), a well-known human carcinogen, can cause oxidative DNA damage and induce miR-513a-5p. However, the interplay between miR-513a-5p and DNA damage remains unclear. In our result of ChIP assay, we speculated that p53 as transcription factor could regulate miR-513a-5p expression.

Injectable thermosensitive chitosan-based hydrogel containing ferulic acid for treating peripheral arterial disease.

Peripheral arterial disease (PAD) affects more than 200 million people worldwide. Recent studies suggest that oxidative stress-related inflammation can lead to the initiation and progression of PAD. Ferulic acid (FA) is a natural phenolic compound and has been proven to have antioxidant and angiogenesis effects.

Endothelin-1 stimulates preadipocyte growth via the PKC, STAT3, AMPK, c-JUN, ERK, sphingosine kinase, and sphingomyelinase pathways.

Endothelin (ET)-1 regulates adipogenesis and the endocrine activity of fat cells. However, relatively little is known about the ET-1 signaling pathway in preadipocyte growth. We used 3T3-L1 preadipocytes to investigate the signaling pathways involved in ET-1 modulation of preadipocyte proliferation.

Culture and differentiation of purified human adipose-derived stem cells by membrane filtration via nylon mesh filters.

Human adipose-derived stem cells (hASCs) cultured for 5 passages were filtered through nylon (NY) mesh filter membranes coated with and without extracellular matrix proteins to obtain the permeation solution. Subsequently, the culture media were filtered via the membranes to obtain the recovery solution. Then, the membranes were cultured in cell culture medium to obtain the migrated cells from the membranes.