Histamine N-methyltransferase (HNMT) as a potential auxiliary biomarker for predicting adaptability to anti-HER2 drug treatment in breast cancer patients.

Background: Up to 23% of breast cancer patients recurred within a decade after trastuzumab treatment. Conversely, one trial found that patients with low HER2 expression and metastatic breast cancer had a positive response to trastuzumab-deruxtecan (T-Dxd). This indicates that relying solely on HER2 as a single diagnostic marker to predict the efficacy of anti-HER2 drugs is insufficient.

Effects of COVID-19 on short-term outcomes of hip arthroplasty: a multicenter, retrospective, propensity score matched study.

Purpose: The Coronavirus Disease 2019 (COVID-19) pandemic delayed elective procedures such as total joint arthroplasty. As surgical volumes return to prepandemic levels, understanding the implications of COVID-19 becomes imperative. This study explored the effects of COVID-19 on the short-term outcomes of hip arthroplasty.

Decreasing hepatitis B seroprevalence in pregnant women in Taiwan between 2016 and 2021: a claim-based cohort study.

Background: Hepatitis B virus (HBV) surface antigen (HBsAg) seroprevalence was high before the national vaccine policy was introduced in Taiwan, indicating significant HBV infection rates. The success of the HBV immunization program and other preventive measures likely led to decreased HBsAg prevalence among pregnant women. This study reports on the HBV seroprevalence among pregnant women in Taiwan from 2016 to 2021, including those potentially affected by the universal hepatitis B vaccination at birth.

The added value of anosmic subtype on motor subtype in Parkinson's disease: a pilot study.

This study investigates whether incorporating olfactory dysfunction into motor subtypes of Parkinson's disease (PD) improves associations with clinical outcomes. PD is commonly divided into motor subtypes, such as postural instability and gait disturbance (PIGD) and tremor-dominant PD (TDPD), but non-motor symptoms like olfactory dysfunction remain underexplored. We assessed 157 participants with PD using the University of Pennsylvania Smell Identification Test (UPSIT), Movement Disorder Society-Sponsored Revision of the Unified Parkinson's Disease Rating Scale (M-UPDRS), Montreal Cognitive Assessment (MoCA), 39-item Parkinson's Disease Questionnaire Summary Index (PDQ-39 SI), and 99mTc-TRODAT-1 imaging.

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.

Feasibility of substituting soda pulping with high consistency kneaded chemi mechanical pulping for discarded oyster farming bamboo scaffolding.

In the previous study, discarded oyster farming bamboo scaffolding (BS) demonstrated the potential for application in pulping and papermaking through the soda pulping process. However, soda pulping involves high temperatures and chemical dosages. Therefore, this study develops an alternative pulping process to lower temperature and chemical demands by utilizing a high-consistency kneader (HCK), simultaneously promoting the utilization of BS in pulping and papermaking.

4D-printed programmable sample-/eluent-actuated solid-phase extraction device for trace metal analysis.

Background: To integrate valves, manifolds, and solid-phase extraction (SPE) columns into a compact device is technically difficult. Four-dimensional printing (4DP) technologies, employing stimuli-responsive materials in three-dimensional printing (3DP), are revolutionizing the fabrication, functionality, and applicability of stimuli-responsive analytical devices that can show time-dependent shape programming to enable more complex geometric designs and functions. However, 4D-printed stimuli-responsive actuators and valves utilized to control flowing streams in SPE applications remain rare.

A portable optical detection system for rapid quantification of two rheumatoid arthritis biomarkers.

Background: Rheumatoid arthritis (RA) is a chronic autoimmune disease that causes joint damage and progressive destruction of adjacent cartilage and bones. Quick and accurate detection of rheumatoid factors (RF) and anti-cyclic citrullinated peptide antibodies (anti-CCP) in serum is effective in diagnosing RA and preventing its progression. However, current methods for detecting these two biomarkers are costly, time-consuming, labor-intensive, and require specialized equipment.

Revisiting human language and speech production network: a meta-analytic connectivity modeling study.

In recent decades, converging evidence has reached a consensus that human speech production is carried out by large-scale hierarchical network comprising both language-selective and domain-general systems. However, it remains unclear how these systems interact during speech production and the specific contributions of their component regions. By utilizing a series of meta-analytic approaches based on various language tasks, we dissociated four major systems in this study: domain-general, high-level language, motor-perception, and speech-control systems in this study.

Biodegradable composite films of barley fibers for food packaging applications: A review.

Conventional food packaging is creating a significant cause of environmental hazards, posing challenges in disposal and recycling. Lignocellulose fibers possess remarkable biodegradable properties and can be modified or blended with other polymers. Thus, using lignocellulose biocomposite films derived from barley, a renewable source can mitigate and potentially transform into sustainable, innovative packaging material in the food sectors.

Preparation and characterization of the octenyl succinic anhydride (OSA) modified sphingan WL gum as novel biopolymeric surfactants.

Combining polymer and surfactant in one agent namely polymeric surfactants with both high viscosity and surface activity has become a viable alternative for the traditional enhanced oil recovery (EOR) processes. With the purpose of developing new polymeric surfactants, the biopolymer flooding agent sphingan WL gum was modified by octenyl succinic anhydride (OSA) through the esterification reaction. The effects of molecular weight (MW) of WL and the OSA: WL ratio on the properties of the products were investigated.

Growth inhibition and toxicity assessments of cis-3,4-diaryl-α-methylene-γ-butyrolactams in cultured human renal cancer cells and zebrafish embryos.

This study aimed to compare and evaluate the growth inhibition effects of eight previously synthesized compounds, cis-3,4-diaryl-α-methylene-γ-butyrolactams (compounds 1-8), on two human renal carcinoma cell (RCC) lines: CRL-1932 (rapid growth) and HTB-44 (slow growth). MTT assays and flow cytometry were conducted, revealing that compounds 5 and 6 had the potential to induce cell death in the slow-growing RCC cells (HTB-44), while compound 8 demonstrated effectiveness in both RCC lines (HTB-44 and CRL-1932). Additionally, a non-transformed HEK293 cell line and a transgenic zebrafish with a green fluorescent kidney Tg(wt1b:egfp) were used to assess the toxicities of compounds 5, 6, and 8.

Chlorophyllides repress gain-of-function p53 mutated HNSCC cell proliferation via activation of p73 and repression of p53 aggregation in vitro and in vivo.

Head and neck squamous cell carcinoma (HNSCC) cells have a high p53 mutation rate, but there were rare reported about the p53 gain of function through the prion-like aggregated form in p53 mutated HNSCC cells. Thioflavin T (ThT) is used to stain prion-like proteins in cells. Previously, we found that ThT and p53 staining were co-localized in HNSCC cells (Detroit 562 cells) with homozygous p53 R175H mutation.

Physicochemical characteristics and metabolite composition of fish sauce made from large yellow croaker roe enzymatic hydrolysates based on three fermentation temperatures.

Large yellow croaker roes were used to make fish sauce using enzymolysis method, and the impact of different fermentation temperatures (25, 32 and 40 °C) on the physicochemical characteristics and metabolite composition was revealed. Results indicated that compared with 25 and 32 °C, the higher contents of total acidity, amino nitrogen, total soluble nitrogen, and the deepening of the nonenzymatic browning degree of fish sauce fermented at 40 °C were obtained. The total volatile basic nitrogen content at 40 °C was lower than 32 °C.

Effects of DELIMA education programme on nurses' knowledge, confidence, attitude, and screening accuracy for delirium in paediatric intensive care units.

Objective: To evaluate the effects of a 4-week Delirium Introduction and Maintenance programme based on the knowledge-to-action framework on nurses' knowledge, self-confidence, attitudes, and screening accuracy for delirium in the paediatric intensive care unit (PICU).

Research Methodology/design: A quasi-experimental study with a pretest-posttest design.

Setting: This study was conducted between January and February 2024 with nurses in two Indonesian PICUs.

High-entropy NASICON-Type LiAlTiZrSnTa(PO) with high electrochemical stability for lithium-ion batteries.

LiAlTi (PO) (LATP) is a promising NASICON-type solid electrolyte for all-solid-state lithium-ion batteries (ASSLIBs) owing to its high ionic conductivity, low cost, and stability in ambient atmosphere. However, the electrochemical stability of LATP suffers upon contact with lithium metals, resulting in a reduction of Ti to Ti in its structure. This limitation necessitates interface modification processes, hindering its use in lithium-ion batteries.

Assessing the Effectiveness of Interactive Robot-Assisted Virtual Health Coaching for Health Literacy and Disease Knowledge of Patients with Chronic Kidney Disease: Quasiexperimental Study.

Background: Chronic kidney disease (CKD) imposes a significant global health and economic burden, impacting millions globally. Despite its high prevalence, public awareness and understanding of CKD remain limited, leading to delayed diagnosis and suboptimal management. Traditional patient education methods, such as 1-on-1 verbal instruction or printed brochures, are often insufficient, especially considering the shortage of nursing staff.

Long-Term Moderating Effect of Resilience Capacity on the Impact of Stressful Life Events on Depressive Symptoms After 6 Years in Outpatients With Depression and/or Anxiety.

Previous cross-sectional studies have utilized scales to explore potential indications of the moderating effect of resilience on the relationship between stressful life events (SLEs) and mental health. However, there remains a notable dearth of psychometrically driven models in longitudinal resilience research, especially concerning the prognosis of individuals with affective disorders and/or anxiety. This study aimed to investigate whether baseline resilience capacity, measured by the Connor-Davidson Resilience Scale, could mitigate the impact of SLEs on depressive symptoms assessed using the Beck Depression Inventory-II among 66 outpatients with depression and/or anxiety disorders during a follow-up period ranging from 4-8 years.

Effect of Occupational Noise on Employee Health: A Longitudinal Study.

Objective: This study investigated the long-term health risks associated with occupational noise exposure. By using 9 years of health examination data from a major manufacturing company in Taiwan, this study compared the health indices of employees in noise-intensive and non-noise-intensive work environments.

Methods: A retrospective analysis of 6278 health examination reports spanning 9 years was conducted to compare 20 health indices among 166 employees evenly distributed between noise-intensive and non-noise-intensive workgroups.

Effectiveness and safety of talimogene laherparepvec and granulocyte-macrophage colony-stimulating factor for metastatic melanoma: a systematic review and network meta-analysis of randomized controlled trials.

Melanoma is an aggressive tumor that is challenging to treat. Talimogene laherparepvec (T-VEC), the first oncolytic virus treatment approved by the US Food and Drug Administration to treat unresectable melanoma, was recently used in recurrent tumors after initial surgery. Our network meta-analysis aimed to compare T-VEC treatment of metastatic melanoma with treatment of granulocyte-macrophage colony-stimulating factor (GM-CSF) and control group.

Selection of the apposite vacuum extractor during operative delivery: A biomechanical study.

Background: Operative delivery is a technique used during vaginal or cesarean birth to facilitate the patient's labor course through the assistance of a vacuum extractor. This method is increasingly used compared with forceps. This study aimed to investigate the forced effects of vacuum extractors comprising vacuum cups with different thicknesses on the fetal head and the vacuum extractor during vacuum-assisted delivery and to determine the optimal thickness for reducing the failure rate and minimizing neonatal and maternal morbidity.

Incidence and influential factors of postoperative pruritus in morphine-based intravenous patient-controlled analgesia.

Background: Pruritus is a distressing symptom of systemic opioid analgesia that responds poorly to conventional antipruritus treatments. This study aimed to determine the incidence and risk factors for postoperative pruritus using intravenous patient-controlled analgesia (IV-PCA).

Methods: Opioid-naïve patients who underwent morphine-based IV-PCA for postoperative pain at a tertiary center between January 1, 2020, and June 30, 2023, were included retrospectively.

Germline and Somatic Genomic Testing for Metastatic Prostate Cancer: ASCO Guideline.

Purpose: To evaluate evidence on germline and somatic genomic testing for patients with metastatic prostate cancer and provide recommendations.

Methods: A systematic review by a multidisciplinary panel with patient representation was conducted. The PubMed database was searched from January 2018 to May 2024.