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Purpose: Numerous studies have produced conflicting findings regarding the efficacy of statins in prostate cancer treatment. Our objective was to examine the correlation between statin usage and clinical outcomes in Taiwanese men with de novo metastatic prostate cancer. Materials and Methods: We identified patients diagnosed with de novo metastatic prostate cancer from the Chang Gung Research Database spanning the years 2007 to 2020. To minimize confounding bias, we employed the inverse probability of treatment weighting (IPTW) method. Clinical outcomes were assessed using IPTW-adjusted Kaplan-Meier curves. Multivariate Cox proportional hazard regression analysis was utilized to evaluate the association between mortality and clinical factors. Results: The study cohort comprised 1,716 statin users and 276 non-users. Patients who used statins exhibited a longer median overall survival (85.4 months compared to 58.2 months; p=0.001) and cancer-specific survival (112.6 months compared to 75.7 months; p

Objective: This study aimed to assess the impact of preoperative chronic kidney disease (CKD) on the oncological outcomes of patients with upper tract urothelial carcinoma (UTUC) who underwent standard radical nephroureterectomy (RNU). Methods: A total of 1172 UTUC patients who received RNU at a single center in Taiwan between February 2005 and August 2019 were included. The patients were categorized into two groups based on their preoperative CKD stage: CKD stage ≤3 (811 patients) and CKD stage >3 (361 patients). The estimated glomerular filtration rate (eGFR) was calculated using the Modification of Diet in Renal Disease (MDRD) formula. The study investigated the oncological outcomes, including intravesical recurrence, non-urothelial recurrence, and cancer-specific mortality, stratified by preoperative CKD status. Results: The main findings indicated that UTUC patients with CKD stage >3 in Taiwan exhibited a higher proportion of females (p 3 and CKD stage ≤3 groups. The study also demonstrated that patients with concurrent bladder cancer and variant histology had higher rates of intravesical recurrence, non-urothelial recurrence, and cancer-specific mortality. The CKD stage >3 group exhibited lower rates of intravesical recurrence (p = 0.0014), higher rates of non-urothelial recurrence (p 3 exhibit distinct characteristics compared to the general population with urothelial carcinoma. They are associated with a non-smoking status, a higher proportion of females, and less aggressive pathological features. Additionally, CKD stage >3 can serve as a clinical indicator for intravesical and non-urothelial recurrence. Further investigation into molecular aspects and treatment modifications for these patients is warranted.

Experimental detection of residues critical for protein–protein interactions (PPI) is a time-consuming, costly, and labor-intensive process. Hence, high-throughput PPI-hot spot prediction methods have been developed, but they have been validated using relatively small datasets, which may compromise their predictive reliability. Here, we introduce PPI-hotspotID, a novel method for identifying PPI-hot spots using the free protein structure, and validated it on the largest collection of experimentally confirmed PPI-hot spots to date. We explored the possibility of detecting PPI-hot spots using (i) FTMap in the PPI mode, which identifies hot spots on protein–protein interfaces from the free protein structure, and (ii) the interface residues predicted by AlphaFold-Multimer. PPI-hotspotID yielded better performance than FTMap and SPOTONE, a webserver for predicting PPI-hot spots given the protein sequence. When combined with the AlphaFold-Multimer-predicted interface residues, PPI-hotspotID yielded better performance than either method alone. Furthermore, we experimentally verified several PPI-hotspotID-predicted PPI-hot spots of eukaryotic elongation factor 2. Notably, PPI-hotspotID can reveal PPI-hot spots not obvious from complex structures, including those in indirect contact with binding partners. PPI-hotspotID serves as a valuable tool for understanding PPI mechanisms and aiding drug design. It is available as a web server (https://ppihotspotid.limlab.dnsalias.org/) and open-source code (https://github.com/wrigjz/ppihotspotid/).

ObjectivesThe management of patent ductus arteriosus (PDA) is a critical concern in premature infants, and different hospitals may have varying treatment policies, fluid management strategies, and incubator humidity. The Asian Neonatal Network Collaboration (AsianNeo) collected data on prematurity care details from hospitals across Asian countries. The aim of this study was to provide a survey of the current practices in the management of PDA in premature infants in Asian countries.MethodsAsianNeo performed a cross-sectional international questionnaire survey in 2022 to assess the human and physical resources of hospitals and clinical management of very preterm infants. The survey covered various aspects of hospitals resources and clinical management, and data were collected from 337 hospitals across Asia. The data collected were used to compare hospitals resources and clinical management of preterm infants between areas and economic status.ResultsThe policy of PDA management for preterm infants varied across Asian countries in AsianNeo. Hospitals in Northeast Asia were more likely to perform PDA ligation (p

Purpose We evaluated the therapeutic effects on overactive bladder (OAB) symptoms and sexual function of behavioral therapy with or without mirabegron in sexually active male patients with OAB. Mirabegron, a selective β3 adrenoceptor agonist for the treatment of OAB, has been shown to induce corpus cavernosum relaxation. Methods In this 4-site, randomized controlled trial, 150 sexually active men with OAB were enrolled between June 2020 and May 2022. Participants were randomly allocated (1:2) into 2 treatment groups: (1) behavioral therapy alone (n = 50) and (2) a combination of mirabegron 50 mg daily and behavioral therapy (n = 100). The evaluation was based on the overactive bladder symptoms score (OABSS), the International Index of Erectile Function, the ejaculatory domain short form, the International Prostate Symptom Score, patient perception of bladder condition, quality of life, and urodynamic parameters. The therapeutic outcomes were assessed at baseline, 4 weeks, and 12 weeks. Results There were 65 patients (65%) in the combination subgroup and 36 patients in the behavioral therapy who completed all 12 weeks of treatment. Both groups had a statistically significant improvement in OABSS after 12 weeks of treatment. The combination therapy group achieved a statistically significant improvement in all 4 subscores of OABSS, however, the urinary frequency (P = 0.120) and urinary incontinence (P = 0.234) subscores in the behavioral therapy only group did not show a significant change. Additionally, the combination group had a significant improvement in functional bladder capacity, which was not seen in the behavioral therapy group. However, both groups did not have a significant change in erectile or ejaculatory function. Conclusions Behavioral therapy combined with mirabegron had more significant impact on the improvement of OAB than behavior therapy alone. However, both groups did not have significant changes in erectile or ejaculatory function.

Interstitial cystitis/bladder pain Syndrome (IC/BPS) remains a mysterious and intricate urological disorder, presenting significant challenges to healthcare providers. Traditional guidelines for IC/BPS follow a hierarchical model based on symptom severity, advocating for conservative interventions as the initial step, followed by oral pharmacotherapy, intravesical treatments, and, in refractory cases, invasive surgical procedures. This approach embraces a multi-tiered strategy. However, the evolving understanding that IC/BPS represents a paroxysmal chronic pain syndrome, often involving extravesical manifestations and different subtypes, calls for a departure from this uniform approach. This review provides insights into recent advancements in experimental strategies in animal models and human studies. The identified therapeutic approaches fall into four categories: (i) anti-inflammation and anti-angiogenesis using monoclonal antibodies or immune modulation, (ii) regenerative medicine, including stem cell therapy, platelet-rich plasma, and low-intensity extracorporeal shock wave therapy, (iii) drug delivery systems leveraging nanotechnology, and (iv) drug delivery systems assisted by energy devices. Future investigations will require a broader range of animal models, studies on human bladder tissues, and well-designed clinical trials to establish the efficacy and safety of these therapeutic interventions.

Barium zirconate (BaZrO3, BZO), which exhibits superior mechanical, thermal, and chemical stability, has been widely used in many applications. In dentistry, BZO is used as a radiopacifier in mineral trioxide aggregates (MTAs) for endodontic filling applications. In the present study, BZO was prepared using the sol–gel process, followed by calcination at 700–1000 °C. The calcined BZO powders were investigated using X-ray diffraction and scanning electron microscopy. Thereafter, MTA-like cements with the addition of calcined BZO powder were evaluated to determine the optimal composition based on radiopacity, diametral tensile strength (DTS), and setting times. The experimental results showed that calcined BZO exhibited a majority BZO phase with minor zirconia crystals. The crystallinity, the percentage, and the average crystalline size of BZO increased with the increasing calcination temperature. The optimal MTA-like cement was obtained by adding 20% of the 700 °C-calcined BZO powder. The initial and final setting times were 25 and 32 min, respectively. They were significantly shorter than those (70 and 56 min, respectively) prepared with commercial BZO powder. It exhibited a radiopacity of 3.60 ± 0.22 mmAl and a DTS of 3.02 ± 0.18 MPa. After 28 days of simulated oral environment storage, the radiopacity and DTS decreased to 3.36 ± 0.53 mmAl and 2.84 ± 0.27 MPa, respectively. This suggests that 700 °C-calcined BZO powder has potential as a novel radiopacifier for MTAs.