Advancing treatment strategies: Insights from network meta-analysis of hepatic arterial infusion chemotherapy for advanced hepatocellular carcinoma.

This study examines the pivotal findings of the network meta-analysis of Zhou , which evaluated the efficacy of hepatic arterial infusion chemotherapy and combination therapies for advanced hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC). This meta-analysis suggests that therapeutic combinations have greater efficacy than do standard treatments. The article highlights the key insights that have the potential to shift current clinical practice and enhance outcomes for patients with advanced HCC.

Left Atrial Dimension and CHADS-VASc Score in Predicting Stroke in Patients with Rheumatic Atrial Fibrillation.

Background: Rheumatic atrial fibrillation (AF) patients are at an elevated risk of stroke events, yet the associated risk factors remain unclear.

Objectives: This study aimed to evaluate the effectiveness of the CHADS-VASc score in predicting stroke events in rheumatic AF patients and explore potential enhancements for increased predicting accuracy in the Asian population, comparing it to nonvalvular AF.

Methods: A retrospective cohort study spanning March 2010 to December 2020 included 29,341 AF patients followed up for up to 10 years, with 1,942 identified as having rheumatic AF.

Two-year clinical outcomes of Taiwanese and other Asian ethnicities with atrial fibrillation treated with edoxaban in the ETNA-AF Asia registry.

Background: The non-vitamin K oral anticoagulant (NOAC), edoxaban, is approved for stroke prevention in patients with atrial fibrillation (AF) in many Asian countries. Nonetheless, data on its long-term effectiveness and safety in routine clinical practice are limited in Taiwan.

Methods: The Global ETNA-AF (Edoxaban Treatment in routiNe clinical prActice) registry is an observational study that integrates data of AF patients receiving edoxaban from multiple regional registries.

First in Asia: Ventricular tachycardia ablation in patients with mechanical aortic and mitral valves using right atrium to left ventricle approach.

With the cases of mechanical valves, especially double mitral and aortic valves, ablation at the left ventricle is very challenging. This case report used equipments that are readily available in the Electrophysiology laboratory, which can make the access feasible.

High-density mapping in catheter ablation for atrial fibrillation in Asia Pacific region: An observational study.

Background: Few clinical studies of atrial fibrillation (AF) have focused on Asian patients; data are lacking on current mapping and ablation strategies in the Asia Pacific region (APAC).

Objective: The HD Mapping Observational Study (NCT04022954) was designed to characterize electroanatomic mapping (EAM) with market-released high-density mapping (HDM) catheters in subjects with AF in APAC.

Methods: Subjects undergoing HDM and indicated for radiofrequency ablation (RFA) to treat AF were prospectively enrolled in APAC.

Minimally invasive prone lateral retropleural or retroperitoneal antepsoas approach spinal surgery using the rotatable radiolucent Jackson table.

Background: Prone lateral spinal surgery for simultaneous lateral and posterior approaches has recently been proposed to facilitate surgical room efficiency. The purpose of this study is to evaluate the feasibility and outcomes of minimally invasive prone lateral spinal surgery using a rotatable radiolucent Jackson table.

Methods: From July 2021 to June 2023, a consecutive series of patients who received minimally invasive prone lateral spinal surgery for various etiologies by the same surgical team were reviewed.

Analysis of the Endocrine Responses to Anti-Diabetes Drugs: An Issue of Elevated Plasma Renin Concentration in Sodium-Glucose Co-Transporter 2 Inhibitor.

Purpose: Glucose metabolism is associated with several endocrine disorders. Anti-diabetes drugs are crucial in controlling diabetes and its complications; nevertheless, few studies have been carried out involving endocrine function. This study aimed to investigate the association between anti-diabetes drugs and endocrine parameters.

Exploring the effects of supplementing monoterpenoids in based-diet in Improving the growth performance, feed efficiency, digestibility and body composition.

Monoterpenoids are interesting hydrocarbons typically found in essential oils and have a significant role in medicinal and biological purposes. The goal of this study was to investigate the effects of two monoterpenoids, carvacrol (CAR) and menthol (MEN), supplemented with leaf meal (MOLM) based diets on growth parameters, digestibility and body composition of Nile tilapia (). Alongside the basal diet (control-T1), nine experimental diets supplemented with categorized levels of CAR and MEN at 200, 300 and 400 mg/kg individually and their mixtures (MIX) (1:1) (CAR-T2, 200; T3, 300; T4, 400 mg/kg, MEN-T5, 200; T6, 300; T7, 400 mg/kg and MIX- (1:1) T8, 200; T9, 300; T10, 400 mg/kg) were fed to the fingerlings (6.

Erratum: Non-invasive glucose extraction by a single polarization rotator system in patients with diabetes: erratum.

[This corrects the article on p. 4909 in vol. 15, PMID: 39346983.

Effectiveness of combined physical exercise and cognitive training in older adults with cognitive impairment: A systematic review and meta-analysis.

Falls among cognitively impaired older adults are a global concern. The aim of this study was to assess the efficacy of combining physical exercise and cognitive training to improve balance among older adults. A systematic search of databases, including Embase, Medline-OVID, CINAHL-EBSCOhost, and Central-Cochrane Library, was conducted from March 9 to April 6, 2023.

Finding the new potential research on diabetic kidney disease and hemodialysis in healthcare insurance databases: A bibliometric analysis.

To the best of our knowledge, bibliometric analysis has not been performed for studies related to diabetic kidney disease (DKD) and hemodialysis using healthcare big data. Herein, the aim of this bibliometric analysis was to identify emerging research trends in DKD and hemodialysis within healthcare insurance databases by exploring authors, co-author networks, and countries to discover new potential research areas. A bibliometric study was conducted, utilizing data obtained from the Scopus database.

Sleep quality and cognitive function on self-rated health status among the elderly: Findings from the Indonesian family life survey (IFLS-5).

Cognitive decline poses a significant challenge for the elderly population globally. The aim of this study was to determine the prevalence of cognitive function and its associated factors among the elderly in the Indonesian family life survey's fifth wave (IFLS-5) conducted from 2014 to 2015. The study included elderly individuals aged 60 and above, excluding proxy respondents and those with missing data.

Sucrose and Gibberellic Acid Binding Stabilize the Inward-Open Conformation of AtSWEET13: A Molecular Dynamics Study.

In plants, sugar will eventually be exported transporters (SWEETs) facilitate the translocation of mono- and disaccharides across membranes and play a critical role in modulating responses to gibberellin (GA3), a key growth hormone. However, the dynamic mechanisms underlying sucrose and GA3 binding and transport remain elusive. Here, we employed microsecond-scale molecular dynamics (MD) simulations to investigate the influence of sucrose and GA3 binding on SWEET13 transporter motions.

First-line pembrolizumab-axitinib versus sunitinib in metastatic RCC: subgroup analysis of patients enrolled in the phase 3 KEYNOTE-426 in Eastern Asia.

Background: The phase 3 open-label KEYNOTE-426 study demonstrated that first-line pembrolizumab plus axitinib improved overall survival (OS) and progression-free survival (PFS) versus sunitinib for metastatic renal cell carcinoma (mRCC) in a global population. This subgroup analysis investigated the efficacy and safety of pembrolizumab-axitinib versus sunitinib in patients enrolled in KEYNOTE-426 in East Asia (Japan, South Korea, and Taiwan).

Methods: Adults with clear cell mRCC were randomly assigned 1:1 to receive intravenous pembrolizumab 200 mg every 3 weeks with oral axitinib 5 mg twice daily or oral sunitinib 50 mg once daily (4 weeks on/2 weeks off).

Feasibility and safety of Taipei Veterans General Hospital Heavy Ion Therapy Center: The first carbon-ion irradiation facility in Taiwan.

Background: Unlike conventional photon radiotherapy, particle therapy has the advantage of dose distribution. Carbon-ion radiotherapy is also advantageous in terms of biological effectiveness and other radiobiological aspects. These benefits lead to a higher response probability for previously known radioresistant tumor types.

Potential risk factors for delayed neurological sequelae and myocardial injury following acute carbon monoxide poisoning: A retrospective study.

Background: Acute carbon monoxide poisoning (COP) has been a common cause of emergency hospital visits over the past decade. Besides the immediate symptoms of poisoning, carbon monoxide exposure can cause various long-term complications, especially delayed neurological sequelae (DNS) and myocardial injury (MI).

Methods: This study retrospectively enrolled 502 patients with COP, including complete collection data, from the Taiwan National Poison Control Center between January 1, 2000, and December 31, 2015.

Molecular switch of the dendrite-to-spine transport of TDP-43/FMRP-bound neuronal mRNAs and its impairment in ASD.

Background: Regulation of messenger RNA (mRNA) transport and translation in neurons is essential for dendritic plasticity and learning/memory development. The trafficking of mRNAs along the hippocampal neuron dendrites remains translationally silent until they are selectively transported into the spines upon glutamate-induced receptor activation. However, the molecular mechanism(s) behind the spine entry of dendritic mRNAs under metabotropic glutamate receptor (mGluR)-mediated neuroactivation and long-term depression (LTD) as well as the fate of these mRNAs inside the spines are still elusive.

Bifunctional NiCo-CuO Nanostructures: A Promising Catalyst for Energy Conversion and Storage.

This investigation explores the potential of co-incorporating nickel (Ni) and cobalt (Co) into copper oxide (CuO) nanostructures for bifunctional electrochemical charge storage and oxygen evolution reactions (OER). A facile wet chemical synthesis method is employed to co-incorporate Ni and Co into CuO, yielding diverse nanostructured morphologies, including rods, spheres, and flake. The X-ray diffraction (XRD) and Raman analyses confirmed the formation of NiCo-CuO nanostructure, with minor phases of nickel oxide (NiO) and cobalt tetraoxide (CoO).

Combined robotic/open pancreaticoduodenectomy in the young aged < 50 years.

Impact of age on surgical and survival outcomes after combined robotic/open pancreaticoduodenectomy (CR/OPD) has not been extensively studied. This study aimed to evaluate the surgical and survival outcomes of patients aged < 50 years who underwent CR/OPD. A comparative study was conducted on patients who underwent CR/OPD divided into two groups: the young (age < 50 years) and the old (age ≥ 50 years).

MRI-guided focused ultrasound for treating Parkinson's disease with human mesenchymal stem cells.

Parkinson's disease (PD) is a progressive disorder that affects the nervous system and causes regions of the brain to deteriorate. In this study, we investigated the effects of MR-guided focused ultrasound (MRgFUS) for the delivery of human mesenchymal stem cells (MSCs) on the 6-hydroxydopamine (6-HODA)-induced PD rat model. MRgFUS-induced blood-brain barrier (BBB) permeability modulation was conducted using an acoustic controller with the targets at the striatum (ST) and SN.

Reconfigured single- and double-diode models for improved modelling of solar cells/modules.

Proper modeling of PV cells/modules through parameter identification based on the real current-voltage (I-V) data is important for the efficiency of PV systems. Most related works have concentrated on the classical single-diode model (SDM) and double-diode model (DDM) and their parameter extraction by various metaheuristic algorithms. In order to render more accurate and representative modeling, this paper adds a small resistance in series with the diodes in SDM and DDM.

'Parents Are the First Tutors of Their Child': Parents' Perception of Responsibility on Practicing Speech-Language Home Program During COVID-19 Lockdown.

Background And Objectives: Some families faced difficulties accessing speech therapy in some areas of Malaysia and/or during the COVID-19 lockdown. Therefore, parent-mediated intervention could be one of the ways to solve this issue, as it has been proven to effectively improve communication skills among children with communication disorders. Hence, a Mandarin parental guidebook comprising a series of language stimulation activities was developed to explore the perception of parents of children with communication disorders, ranging from 3 to 6 years old, regarding the feasibility of (1) conducting speech-language home programs and (2) using a home-based parental guidebook as a tool to deliver a speech-language home program.