A critical review of recent clinical practice guidelines for pediatric urinary tract infection.

Introduction: Concerns regarding the quality, credibility, and applicability of recently published pediatric urinary tract infection (UTI) clinical practice guidelines have been raised due to the inconsistencies of recommendations between them. We aimed to determine the quality of the recent clinical practice guidelines on pediatric UTI by using the Appraisal of Guidelines Research and Evaluation (AGREE II) instrument, and summarize the standard of care in diagnosis and management of pediatric UTI from the top three clinical practice guidelines.

Methods: A systematic literature search was performed on medical literature electronic databases and international guideline repository websites.

Characterization of HLA-G and Related Immunosuppressive Effects in Human Umbilical Cord Stroma-Derived Stem Cells.

Mesenchymal stem cells (MSCs) and especially those derived from fetal tissues exert a potent immunosuppressive effect that can be enhanced under inflammatory conditions. This study aimed to explore the immunosuppressive properties of human umbilical cord mesenchymal stem cells (HUCMSCs). We found that HLA-G, the nonclassical HLA allele with strong immune-inhibitory properties, was much more expressed on the HUCMSCs than on MSCs of other origins.

Progress in sensorimotor rehabilitative physical therapy programs for stroke patients.

Impaired motor and functional activity following stroke often has negative impacts on the patient, the family and society. The available rehabilitation programs for stroke patients are reviewed. Conventional rehabilitation strategies (Bobath, Brunnstrom, proprioception neuromuscular facilitation, motor relearning and function-based principles) are the mainstream tactics in clinical practices.

Herpes zoster infection associated with acute coronary syndrome: a population-based retrospective cohort study.

Background: Vasculopathy in varicella zoster virus (VZV) infection and a proposed association between herpes virus infection and atherosclerosis suggest a possible link between VZV infection and vascular thrombosis.

Objectives: To determine the risk of acute coronary syndrome (ACS) associated with herpes zoster infection.

Methods: We used the Taiwan National Health Insurance Research Database to identify 57,958 patients newly diagnosed with herpes zoster between 1999 and 2010; 231,832 patients without herpes zoster were examined as the control group.

Effectiveness of thermal stimulation for the moderately to severely paretic leg after stroke: serial changes at one-year follow-up.

Unlabelled: Liang C-C, Hsieh T-C, Lin C-H, Wei Y-C, Hsiao J, Chen J-C. Effectiveness of thermal stimulation for the moderately to severely paretic leg after stroke: serial changes at one-year follow-up.

Objective: To evaluate the serial changes of long-term effects of thermal stimulation (TS) on acute stroke patients.

Facilitation of motor and balance recovery by thermal intervention for the paretic lower limb of acute stroke: a single-blind randomized clinical trial.

Objective: To evaluate the effectiveness of thermal stimulation accompanied by either active or passive movement added to standard rehabilitation in facilitating motor and balance function of the paretic leg of acute stroke.

Design: Pilot, observer-blinded, randomized clinical trial.

Setting: Department of rehabilitation medicine in a general hospital.

Enhanced differentiation and clonogenicity of human endometrial polyp stem cells.

Endometrial polyps arise from endometrial overgrowth and may cause intermenstrual bleeding, irregular bleeding, and menorrhagia. In this study, endometrial polyps were harvested from hysterectomized specimens from 6 female patients not on hormone therapy. Endometrial polyp mesenchymal stem cells (EPMSCs) were isolated and characterized.

Stem cell therapy in stroke: strategies in basic study and clinical application.

Stem cell therapies are an important strategy for the treatment of stroke. Bone marrow-derived stem cells (BMSCs) may promote structural and functional repair in several organs via stem cell plasticity. The tissue damage could stimulate the stem cells migration, and they track into the site of damage and then undergo differentiation.

Recent progress in physical therapy of the upper-limb rehabilitation after stroke: emphasis on thermal intervention.

Poor recovery of arm function after stroke can often have a negative impact on the patient and his/her family. These patients often need assistance from the society and may need to rely on government resources. Numerous therapeutic treatments are currently available for stroke rehabilitation.

Efficient tracking of non-iron-labeled mesenchymal stem cells with serial MRI in chronic stroke rats.

Background And Purpose: Although stem cell-based treatments for neurodegenerative diseases have advanced rapidly, there is currently no clinically available method to monitor the fate of transplanted cells in the brain.

Methods: To use magnetic resonance imaging for tracking transplanted stem cells in the ischemic rat brain, we used the cellular labeling substance Effectene to transfect a standard contrast agent (Gd-DTPA) into immortalized human bone marrow stromal cells.

Results: The transfection efficiency of this method was up to 90%, which is substantially better than pure spontaneous endocytosis or other transfection agents.

Intracerebral peripheral blood stem cell (CD34+) implantation induces neuroplasticity by enhancing beta1 integrin-mediated angiogenesis in chronic stroke rats.

Although stem cell-based treatments for stroke and other neurodegenerative diseases have advanced rapidly, there are still few clinical treatments available. In this study, rats receiving intracerebral peripheral blood hematopoietic stem cell (CD34+) (PBSC) transplantation showed much more improvement in neurological function after chronic cerebral ischemia in comparison with vehicle-treated control rats. Using laser-scanning confocal microscopy, implanted PBSCs were seen to differentiate into glial cells [GFAP+ (glial fibrillary acidic protein-positive)], neurons [Nestin+, MAP-2+ (microtubule-associated protein 2-positive), Neu-N+ (neuronal nuclear antigen-positive)], and vascular endothelial cells [vWF+ (von Willebrand factor-positive)], thereby enhancing neuroplastic effects in the ischemic brain.

Overexpression of PrPC by adenovirus-mediated gene targeting reduces ischemic injury in a stroke rat model.

Prion diseases are induced by pathologically misfolded prion protein (PrPSc), which recruit normal sialoglycoprotein PrPC by a template-directed process. In this study, we investigated the expression of PrPC in a rat model of cerebral ischemia to more fully understand its physiological role. Immunohistochemical analysis demonstrated that PrPC-immunoreactive cells increased significantly in the penumbra of ischemic rat brain compared with the untreated brain.

Homing genes, cell therapy and stroke.

Stem cell therapies, such as bone marrow transplantation, are a promising strategy for the treatment of stroke. Bone marrow-derived stem cells (BMSCs) including both hematopoietic and mesenchymal stem cells (HSCs and MSCs) can exhibit tremendous cellular differentiation in numerous organs. BMSCs may also promote structural and functional repair in several organs such as the heart, liver, brain, and skeletal muscle via stem cell plasticity.

Sleep-related changes in cardiovascular neural regulation in spontaneously hypertensive rats.

Background: Sleep has significant effects on cardiovascular neural regulation. The aim of this study is to explore the possible change in sympathetic vasomotor activity and baroreflex sensitivity associated with spontaneous hypertension during each stage of the sleep-wake cycle.

Methods And Results: Polysomnographic analysis was performed in freely moving spontaneously hypertensive rats (SHR) and normotensive Wistar-Kyoto rats (WKY) during their normal daytime sleep.

Hypoglycemia enhances the expression of prion protein and heat-shock protein 70 in a mouse neuroblastoma cell line.

Cellular prion protein (PrP(C)) expression can be regulated by heat-shock stress, and we designed the present study to determine whether hypoglycemia could affect PrP(C) expression. RT-PCR and Western blotting were used to measure the expression of PrP(C) and heat-shock protein (Hsp70) in mouse neuroblastoma (N18) cells cultured 3 hr to 3 days in media deprived of 97.5% (L) or 75% (M) of its glucose.

Early-onset Parkinson's disease in a Chinese population: 99mTc-TRODAT-1 SPECT, Parkin gene analysis and clinical study.

Early Onset Parkinson's Disease (EOPD) is characterized by selective degeneration of nigrostriatal dopaminergic neurons and a marked response to levodopa. However, at present, few methods are available as diagnostic tools for EOPD except for 18F-DOPA PET. In addition, little is known about the correlation between clinical severity, neuroimaging grading and genetic susceptibility.

Functional recovery of stroke rats induced by granulocyte colony-stimulating factor-stimulated stem cells.

Background: Stroke is a leading cause of death and disability worldwide; however, no effective treatment currently exists.

Methods And Results: Rats receiving subcutaneous granulocyte colony-stimulating factor (G-CSF) showed less cerebral infarction, as evaluated by MRI, and improved motor performance after right middle cerebral artery ligation than vehicle-treated control rats. Subcutaneous administration of G-CSF enhanced the availability of circulating hematopoietic stem cells to the brain and their capacity for neurogenesis and angiogenesis in rats with cerebral ischemia.

Neuregulin-1 reduces ischemia-induced brain damage in rats.

Neuregulin-1 (NRG-1) is expressed throughout the immature and adult central nervous system and it has been demonstrated to influence the migration of a variety of cell types in developing brain. Elevated levels of NRG-1 transcript are found in the adult brain after injury, leading to the suggestion that NRG-1 is involved in the physiological response to neuronal injury. Here, we report our findings that rats pre-treated with NRG-1 protein, undergoing cerebral ischemia 30 min later, had increased motor performance and less cerebral infarction than untreated rats.

Hyperbaric oxygen enhances the expression of prion protein and heat shock protein 70 in a mouse neuroblastoma cell line.

1. Cellular prion protein, PrP(C), is a ubiquitous glycoprotein strongly expressed in neurons with an as yet unknown biological function. In previous studies, we demonstrated that PrP(C) could be regulated by heat shock stress, implying that it might be a stress-responsive protein.

Effect of esmolol on positive-pressure ventilation-induced variations of arterial pressure in anaesthetized humans.

Positive-pressure ventilation-induced variations in arterial pressure have been related to cardiac sympathetic activity in animals. However, the effect of beta-adrenoceptor blockade on these variations in anaesthetized humans under positive-pressure ventilation has not yet been investigated. In the present study, RAPV (respiratory-related arterial pressure variability) and %SPV (percentile systolic pressure variation) were determined before and after esmolol treatment in ten mechanically ventilated patients.

Cardiac myxoma originating from the anterior mitral leaflet.

Cardiac myxoma arising from the anterior mitral leaflet is extremely rare. A 47-year-old Taiwanese male was found to have a 5 x 4 x 3 cm myxoma originating from the atrial side of the anterior mitral leaflet using transesophageal echocardiography. The tumor was successfully treated by surgical excision.

Quality of vision after laser in situ keratomileusis: influence of dioptric correction and pupil size on visual function.

Purpose: To determine the influence of pupil size and the amount of ablation on visual performance and on the patient's perception of glare or halo after laser in situ keratomileusis (LASIK).

Setting: Department of Ophthalmology, National Taiwan University Hospital, Taipei, Taiwan.

Methods: This study included a random cross-section of 50 eyes of 32 patients with "uniform" topography at least 6 months after LASIK and 51 eyes of 28 patients who had normal corneas.

Strongyloides stercoralis infection with bloody pericardial effusion in a non-immunosuppressed patient.

A 63-year-old Taiwan aboriginal male was admitted with exertional dyspnea, appetite loss and general fatigue. Echocardiography revealed moderate pericardial effusion and histological examination of the pericardiocentesis sample revealed an eosinophil-dominated bloody exudate. The larvae of Strongyloides stercoralis were detected in the pericardial specimen.

Glutamine ameliorates mechanical obstruction-induced intestinal injury.

Background: Glutamine has been shown to be an important dietary component for the maintenance of gut integrity. Although considered a nonessential amino acid in normal circumstances, glutamine may become conditionally essential for the bowel during episodes of severe illness and malnutrition. In this study, we employed an animal model simulating mechanical intestinal obstruction to explore the beneficial effects of glutamine on the intestine in response to obstruction-induced injury.