Addressing healthcare disparities and improving osteoporosis management in rural communities: a cluster randomized control trial.

Unlabelled: Rural communities face healthcare challenges. This study assessed a multicomponent intervention to improve hospital visits and anti-osteoporosis medication (AOM) treatment rates. A total of 567 patients were randomized into three groups.

CXCR4 antagonist-loaded nanoparticles reprogram the tumor microenvironment and enhance immunotherapy in hepatocellular carcinoma.

Hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) is a leading cause of cancer death that has limited treatment options for advanced stages. Although PD-1 inhibitors such as nivolumab and pembrolizumab have been approved for advanced HCC treatment, their effectiveness is often hampered by the immunosuppressive tumor microenvironment (TME), which is due to hypoxia-driven CXCL12/CXCR4 axis activation. In this study, we developed 807-NPs, lipid-coated tannic acid (TA) nanoparticles that encapsulate BPRCX807, a potent CXCR4 antagonist to target HCC.

Unveiling the signal valve specifically tuning the TGF-β1 suppression of osteogenesis: mediation through a SMAD1-SMAD2 complex.

Background: TGF-β1 is the most abundant cytokine in bone, in which it serves as a vital factor to interdict adipogenesis and osteogenesis of bone marrow-derived mesenchymal stem cells (BM-MSCs). However, how TGF-β1 concurrently manipulates differentiation into these two distinct lineages remains elusive.

Methods: Treatments with ligands or inhibitors followed by biochemical characterization, reporter assay, quantitative PCR and induced differentiation were applied to MSC line or primary BM-MSCs for signaling dissection.

Advances in nucleic acid-based cancer vaccines.

Nucleic acid vaccines have emerged as crucial advancements in vaccine technology, particularly highlighted by the global response to the COVID-19 pandemic. The widespread administration of mRNA vaccines against COVID-19 to billions globally marks a significant milestone. Furthermore, the approval of an mRNA vaccine for Respiratory Syncytial Virus (RSV) this year underscores the versatility of this technology.

Targeted sputum sequencing for rapid and broad drug resistance of Mycobacterium tuberculosis.

Purpose: Rapid detection of drug resistance in Mycobacterium tuberculosis (Mtb) from clinical samples facilitates the timely provision of optimal treatment regimens for tuberculosis (TB) patients.

Methods: In November, 2023, the WHO released its second catalogue of resistance-conferring mutations in Mtb. Utilizing this information, we developed a single 17-plex PCR assay covering 16 key resistance genes and modified thermo-protection buffer to amplify 30 kbp DNA directly from sputum samples for nanopore sequencing.

Prostate cancer cells elevate glycolysis and G6PD in response to caffeic acid phenethyl ester-induced growth inhibition.

Background: Caffeic acid phenethyl ester (CAPE) is the main bioactive component of poplar type propolis. We previously reported that treatment with caffeic acid phenethyl ester (CAPE) suppressed the cell proliferation, tumor growth, as well as migration and invasion of prostate cancer (PCa) cells via inhibition of signaling pathways of AKT, c-Myc, Wnt and EGFR. We also demonstrated that combined treatment of CAPE and docetaxel altered the genes involved in glycolysis and tricarboxylic acid (TCA) cycle.

Gut microbiota modulation in cardiac cell therapy with immunosuppression in a nonhuman primate ischemia/reperfusion model.

Gut microbiota affect transplantation outcomes; however, the influence of immunosuppression and cell therapy on the gut microbiota in cardiovascular care remains unexplored. We investigated gut microbiota dynamics in a nonhuman primate (NHP) cardiac ischemia/reperfusion model while under immunosuppression and receiving cell therapy with human induced pluripotent stem cell (hiPSC)-derived endothelial cells (EC) and cardiomyocytes (CM). Both immunosuppression and EC/CM co-treatment increased gut microbiota alpha diversity.

Outdoor activity during class recess prevents myopia onset and shift in premyopic children: Subgroup analysis in the recess outside classroom study.

Purpose: To investigate whether premyopia is a risk factor for myopia onset and whether outdoor activities can protect against myopia development in premyopic children in the Recess Outside Classroom (ROC) study.

Methods: Nonmyopic schoolchildren aged 7-11 years were recruited from two schools in Taiwan. One school implemented the ROC program, which encouraged children to go outdoors during recess.

Advancing brain immunotherapy through functional nanomaterials.

Glioblastoma (GBM), a highly aggressive brain tumor, poses significant treatment challenges due to its highly immunosuppressive microenvironment and the brain immune privilege. Immunotherapy activating the immune system and T lymphocyte infiltration holds great promise against GBM. However, the brain's low immunogenicity and the difficulty of crossing the blood-brain barrier (BBB) hinder therapeutic efficacy.

Novel Deposition Technique for Fabricating Films with Customized Thickness Profiles.

This study introduces a novel deposition technique capable of depositing thin films with any arbitrary thickness profile. The apparatus consists of a fixed shadow mask and a rotating sample carrier plate. The shadow mask features a specifically designed opening curve that corresponds to the particular thickness profile of the deposited film.

Construction of in situ modulated controlled growth of MOF-on-mof impedimetric assembly for the practical minimal level assessment of anti-mullerian hormone.

Anti-mullerian hormone (AMH) detection receives much attention since it is used as an ideal biomarker for quantitative assessment of ovarian reserve. The present study proposed a first report on the use of MOF-on-MOF as an electrochemical sensor for recognizing AMH in buffer and serum media. The MOF-on-MOF, MIL-88 B@UiO66NH was synthesized by the internal extended growth method (IEGM) involving MIL-88 B on UiO66NH by in situ method for the first time.

Proximity to petrochemical industry and risk of childhood asthma occurrence.

Adverse effects on the respiratory system were associated with intensive petroleum-related industrial activities. The study aimed to assess the impact of petrochemical exposure on childhood asthma using various surrogate indices. A singleton birth cohort from 2004 to 2017 was conducted, leveraging two linked nationwide databases in Taiwan.

Aptasensor-based point-of-care detection of cardiac troponin biomarkers for diagnosis of acute myocardial infarction.

Acute myocardial infarction (AMI) represents a critical health challenge characterized by a significant reduction in blood flow to the heart, leading to high rates of mortality and morbidity. Cardiac troponins, specifically cardiac troponin I and cardiac troponin T, are essential proteins involved in cardiac muscle contraction and serve as vital biomarkers for the diagnosis of AMI. Aptasensors utilize synthetic aptamers or peptides with high affinity for specific biomarkers and offer a promising approach for integration into portable, user-friendly point-of-care (POC) applications.

Patient-caregiver concordance on death preparedness over Taiwanese cancer patients' last 6 months.

Background: Worldwide patient-caregiver concordance on cognitive prognostic awareness (PA) has been extensively examined, but concordance on sufficient (ie, cognitive and emotional) death preparedness is unexplored. We comprehensively examine the evolution of patient-caregiver concordance on death preparedness over the patient's last 6 months.

Materials/methods: This study re-examined data from 2 cohort studies on 694 dyads of cancer patients and their caregivers recruited from a single medical center in Taiwan.

Hyperbaric Oxygen Therapy Improved Neovascularisation Following Limb Ischaemia-The Role of ROS Mitigation.

Hyperbaric oxygen (HBO) therapy has emerged as a potential treatment, shown to enhance blood flow and angiogenesis. However, specific effects and mechanisms of HBO on limb ischaemia responding to a hypoxic environment remain largely unknown. We aimed to investigate the therapeutic potential of HBO in the treatment of limb ischaemia.

Trimethylamine-N-oxide accelerates osteoporosis by PERK activation of ATF5 unfolding.

Imbalances in gut microbiota and their metabolites have been implicated in osteoporotic disorders. Trimethylamine-n-oxide (TMAO), a metabolite of L-carnitine produced by gut microorganisms and flavin-containing monooxygenase-3, is known to accelerate tissue metabolism and remodeling; however, its role in bone loss remained unexplored. This study investigates the relationship between gut microbiota dysbiosis, TMAO production, and osteoporosis development.

Advancing precision therapy for colorectal cancer: Developing clinical indications for multi-target kinase inhibitor BPR1J481 using patient-derived xenograft models.

The large and rapid increase in the incidence and mortality of colorectal cancer (CRC) demonstrates the urgent need for new drugs with higher efficacy to treat CRC. However, the lack of applicable and reliable preclinical models significantly hinders the progress of drug development. Patient-derived xenograft (PDX) models are currently considered reliable in vivo preclinical models for predicting drug efficacy in cancer patients.

Upper extremity function and disability recovery with vibration therapy after stroke: a systematic review and meta-analysis of RCTs.

Background: This study aimed to investigate the therapeutic effects of vibration therapy for improving upper extremity motor impairment, function, and disability recovery in people with stroke.

Design: We followed the Preferred Reporting Items for Systematic Reviews and Meta-Analysis guidelines. PubMed, EMBASE, the Cochrane Library Database, Physiotherapy Evidence Database (PEDro), China Knowledge Resource Integrated Database, and Google Scholar were searched from inception to May 31, 2024.

Trans-differentiation of Jdp2-depleted Gaba-receptor-positive cerebellar granule cells to Purkinje cells.

The Jun dimerization protein (Jdp2) gene is active in mouse cerebellar granule cells and its protein product plays a crucial role in the formation of the cerebellum lobes through programmed cell death. However, the role of Jdp2 in cellular differentiation and pluripotency in the cerebellum, and the effect of the antioxidation reaction on cell plasticity, remain unknown. N-acetyl-L-cysteine (NAC) induced the early commitment of the differentiation of granule cell precursors (GCPs) to neurons, especially Purkinje cells, via the γ-aminobutyric acid type A receptor α6 subunit (Gabra6) axis; moreover, Jdp2 depletion enhanced this differentiation program of GCPs.

Fluvastatin, an HMG-CoA reductase inhibitor, exerts protective effect against NMDA-induced seizure by increasing the seizure threshold and modulating membrane excitability in embryonic rat cortical neuron.

Background: Epilepsy affects nearly 50 million people worldwide. Previous studies have indicated the neuroprotective effects of statin on several neuropathological conditions. However, it is very much unknown whether fluvastatin was able to alter the seizure types related to neuronal excitability and progression mediated by NMDA receptor activation, and the mechanisms involved in these actions are not completely understood so far.