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Objectives: Whether tinnitus is associated with pre-existing hypertension remains uncertain. This study explored the association between tinnitus and pre-existing hypertension. Methods: We obtained data on a retrospective cohort of 542 884 cases ≥18 years old with a first-time tinnitus diagnosis from Taiwan's National Health Insurance Research Database. We used propensity-score matching to select 542 884 matched controls and performed multiple logistic regression analyses to estimate the adjusted odds of prior hypertension among patients with tinnitus versus controls. Results: Bivariate analysis showed no significant difference in the prevalence of prior hypertension between the tinnitus and no-tinnitus groups (35.58% vs 35.5%, P =.617). Univariable logistic regression analysis confirmed the bivariate analysis finding, unadjusted odds of prior hypertension among the tinnitus group relative to controls, 1.002, 95% CI: 0.994-1.010, P =.617). After adjusting for age, sex, monthly income, geographic location and urbanization level, hyperlipidemia, diabetes, hearing loss, obesity, anemia, rheumatoid arthritis, alcohol abuse, nicotine dependence, anxiety disorder, depressive disorder and idiopathic intracranial hypertension, the odds of prior hypertension were similar among the tinnitus and no-tinnitus groups (OR = 1.006, 95% CI: 0.997-1.016, P =.178). Conclusions: Our population-based study found no evidence for an association between tinnitus and pre-existing hypertension. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

GaN nanorods were synthesized by magnetron sputtering and ammonification system, and the thickness of Tb intermediate layer was changed to study the effect on GaN nanorods. The resultant was tested by scanning electron microscopy (SEM), X-ray diffraction (XRD), transmission electron microscopy (TEM), high-resolution transmission electron microscopy (HRTEM), and photoluminescence (PL) spectra. The results show that the thickness of Tb layer has an evident effect on the modality, quality, and luminescence properties of GaN nanorods. PL spectra at room temperature show a very strong emission peak at 368 nm and a weak emission peak at 387 nm, and the intensities of the peak for the produced samples reach the maximum when Tb layer is 20 nm. Finally, the optimal thickness of 20 nm of Tb intermediate layer for synthesizing GaN nanostructures is achieved. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Objectives: To identify the spectrum and prevalence of anatomical variations in the origin of the celiac axis (CA), the superior mesenteric artery (SMA) and their major branches by using multidetector computed tomographic (MDCT) angiography.Methods: A retrospective evaluation was carried out on 1,500 abdominal MDCT angiography images. The aortic origins of the CA, the SMA and their major branch patterns were investigated.Results: Normal aortic origins of CA and SMA were noted in 1,347 (89.8%) patients. Seven types of CA and SMA origin variants were identified in 153 (10.2%) patients. The three most common variations were hepatomesenteric trunk (67 patients, 4.47%), celiomesenteric trunk (CMT) (51 patients, 3.4%) and splenomesenteric trunk (18 patients, 1.2%). An evaluation of CMT was classified as long (34 patients, 66.7%) or short (17 patients, 33.3%) subtypes, compared with the length of the common trunk. Further CMT classification was based on the origin of the left gastric artery: subtype I, 26 patients (53.1%); subtype II, 5 patients (10.2%); subtype III, 15 patients (30.6%); subtype IV, 3 patients (6.1%).Conclusions: Dislocation interruption, incomplete interruption and persistence of the longitudinal anastomosis could be the embryological mechanisms of the variant origins of the CA, the SMA and their major branches.Key Points: • Aortic origins of CA, SMA and their major branches were investigated. • Celiomesenteric trunk includes several different subtypes and configurations. • Probable embryological mechanisms of origin variants in these observed arteries were discussed. • Origin variants in these observed arteries have wide-ranging health implications. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Abstract: The new non-marine bivalve species Nippononaia (Martinsonella) tamurai sp. nov. is described from the Upper Formation of the Mifune Group in Kumamoto Prefecture, Southwest Japan. The specimens originally were identified as Plicatounio (Plicatounio) B sp. by Tamura (1990). The subgenus Nippononaia (Martinsonella) previously was only reported from China, and this is the first record from Japan. The Upper Formation of the Mifune Group is of Late Cenomanian to Early Turonian age, as indicated by ammonites. “Nippononaia” (?) obsoleta Hase, 1960 from the Shiohama Formation of Yamaguchi, Japan, and Plicatounio (s.l.) A sp. of Tamura (1990) from strata northeast of Geoncheonri, South Korea, are re-assigned to Nippononaia (Martinsonella). These occurrences may be of significance for the inter-regional correlation of non-marine Cretaceous strata. [Copyright &y& Elsevier]

Objectives We investigated the chemo-sensitization of a ligustrazine derivate, ( E)-2-(2, 4-dimethoxystyryl)-3, 5, 6-trimethylpyrazine ( DLJ14) on Adriamycin ( Adr, Wanle, Shenzhen, China)-resistant human breast cancer ( MCF-7/ A) cells both in vivo and in vitro. Methods The antitumour effects of DLJ14 and Adr was observed in MCF-7/ A cells by 3-(4,5-dimethyl-thiazol-2-yl)-2,5-diphenyl tetrazolium bromide ( MTT) assay in vitro and was evaluated by MCF-7/ A xenografts in nude mice. The intracellular Adr accumulation was assessed by mean fluorescence intensity of Adr. The messenger RNA level of glutathione ( GSH) S-transferase ( GST)π in MCF-7/ A cells was determined by real-time reverse transcription PCR assay. The expression of GSTπ, c-jun NH2-terminal kinase ( JNK) and phosphor- JNK (p- JNK) was detected by Western blotting method. Key findings The MTT results showed that DLJ14 exhibited a weak inhibition on proliferation of both MCF-7 and MCF-7/ A cells, in contrast with the strong inhibition of verapamil. When DLJ14 is combined with Adr, the inhibitory effect on MCF-7/ A cells and MCF-7/ A xenografts was enhanced significantly through increasing intracellular accumulation of Adr by inhibition of GSH level and the activity of GSH peroxidase and GST. Moreover, DLJ14 could downregulate the expression of GSTπ and increase the expression of JNK and p- JNK in MCF-7/ A cells or in xenografts. Conclusion DLJ14 is a promising chemo-sensitization candidate for the reversal of multidrug resistance in cancers. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Patients demonstrate notable variations in disease progression following human immunodeficiency virus (HIV) infection. We aimed to identify ZNRD1 and RNF39 genetic variants linked to AIDS progression. We conducted a genetic association study in HIV-1-infected Han Chinese patients residing in Taiwan. The clinical characteristics of 143 HIV-1-infected patients were measured, and patients were split into 2 groups: AIDS progression and AIDS non-progression. Genotyping of ZNRD1 and RNF39 was performed in all participants. We found that patients in the AIDS progression group had higher HIV-1 viral loads and lower CD4 cell counts than did patients in the AIDS non-progression group. The frequency of the AA genotype of ZNRD1 (rs16896970) was lower in the AIDS progression group than in the AIDS non-progression group. Patients with AA genotypes had lower levels of HIV-1 viral loads and higher levels of CD4 cell counts than did patients with AG+GG genotypes. AIDS progression in patients with the AA group is significantly different from that in patients with the AG and GG groups by using Kaplan-Meier survival analysis. The hazard ratio for progression was lower in the AA group than in the AG and GG groups. We identified a SNP that contributes to AIDS progression in HIV-1-infected patients in this population. This SNP had a significant protective influence on AIDS progression, and polymorphisms of the ZNRD1 gene may play a role in the pathogenesis of HIV-1 infection. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

We report a case of pulmonary adenofibroma, a rare benign soft-tissue tumor characterized by a combination of glandular and spindle stromal elements, in a 55-year-old man. This case is interesting because of the unusual X-ray and computed tomography (CT) imaging findings of a well-defined, subpleural soft-tissue nodule in the inferior lobe of the left lung, which showed no enhancement after contrast scan. The tumor was resected completely via video-assisted thoracoscopy. Microscopic and immunohistochemical examinations supported the diagnosis of a benign pulmonary adenofibroma. The patient remains well with no evidence of recurrence 16 months after surgery. Although the imaging findings were nonspecific, adenofibroma may be one of diagnostic inclusions of soft-tissue nodules of the lung in middle-aged patients. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This study aims to evaluate the inclinations of right and left sides the mandibular fossa in Asian population using computed tomography (CT) images and determine its effects according to the parameters of gender, age, and asymmetry. CT images of the heads of 198 Asian subjects [95 females aged 44.2 ± 20.7 years, range 11-88 years; and 103 males aged 44.5 ± 19.7 years, range 15-98 years] were selected. The following eight parameters characterizing the inclinations of the mandibular fossa were measured by medical imaging software: anterior and posterior inclinations on the left and right sides on a sagittal view, and medial and lateral inclinations on the left and right sides on a coronal view. The anterior inclination was significant steeper in males than in females on both the left and right sides. A moderate positive correlation was found between age and anterior inclinations on the left and right sides. None of the other parameters were significantly affected by age or gender. None of the parameters differed significantly between the right and left sides of the mandibular fossa in males, females, or all subjects. The anterior inclination of the mandibular fossa was affected by aging and gender becoming steeper in Asians males than females. Besides, there were no asymmetry in the right and left side inclinations of the mandibular fossa. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Rationale and Objectives: The aim of this review was to evaluate the diagnostic properties of 18F-fluorodeoxyglucose (FDG) positron emission tomography (PET) or PET/computed tomography (CT) and bone scintigraphy in the detection of osseous metastases in patients with lung cancer. Materials and Methods: MEDLINE was searched for relevant original articles published between January 1995 and August 2010. Inclusion criteria were as follows: FDG-PET or PET/CT and bone scintigraphy was carried out to detect bone metastases in patients with lung cancer, sufficient data were presented to construct a 2 × 2 contingency table, and histopathologic analysis and/or close clinical and imaging follow-up and/or radiographic confirmation by multiple imaging modalities was used as the reference standard. Two reviewers independently extracted data related to research design, sample size, imaging techniques, technical characteristics, reference standards, methods of imaging interpretation, and totals of true-positives, false-positives, true-negatives, and false-negatives. Stata was used to obtain per patient and per lesion pooled estimates of sensitivity, specificity, and positive and negative likelihood ratios, and areas under summary receiver-operating characteristic curves (AUCs) were calculated. Results: The pooled patient-based sensitivity of FDG-PET or PET/CT was 0.93 (95% confidence interval [CI], 0.88–0.96), specificity was 0.95 (95% CI, 0.91–0.98), and the AUC was 0.94. The pooled sensitivity of bone scans was 0.87 (95% CI, 0.79–0.93), specificity was 0.82 (95% CI, 0.62–0.92), and the AUC was 0.91. The pooled lesion-based sensitivity of FDG-PET or PET/CT was 0.93 (95% CI, 0.84–0.97), specificity was 0.91 (95% CI, 0.80–0.96), and the AUC was 0.97. The pooled sensitivity of bone scans was 0.92 (95% CI, 0.87–0.95), specificity was 0.57 (95% CI, 0.09–0.95), and the AUC was 0.92. Conclusions: Although FDG-PET or PET/CT has higher sensitivity and specificity than bone scintigraphy, further research with a less biased design is needed to determine the most efficacious imaging modality for the detection of metastatic lung cancer. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: Hemorrhoids are very common in adults. The data regarding the incidence of high 2-fluoro-2-deoxy-D: -glucose (FDG) uptake in hemorrhoids is incomplete. In this study, we evaluated FDG uptake in hemorrhoids and calculated the rate of high FDG uptake in these lesions. Methods: One hundred and seventy six subjects who undertook whole body FDG-PET for health screening examination were investigated retrospectively. All patients had colonoscopy and 156 subjects were found to have hemorrhoids and 20 had no hemorrhoids. Quantitative analysis of FDG uptake in the anal region was performed by calculating the maximum standard uptake value (SUV(max)). Results: The SUV(max) ranged from 1.8 to 4.1 (2.8 ± 0.6) for normal subjects and ranged from 1.4 to 8.3 (2.9 ± 0.8) for patients with hemorrhoids. No statistical difference was noted between these two groups using a Student's t-tests. If the highest SUV(max), which was 4.1 in normal subjects, was used as a cutoff, 5.1% (8/156) hemorrhoid patients had a SUV(max) greater than 4.1. Conclusion: Hemorrhoids can be one possible cause of focal high FDG uptake in the rectum. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

A water-in-oil (W/O) microemulsion composed of Triton X-100, n-hexanol, n-hexane and water solution with hydrochloric acid was prepared. K3Fe(CN)6 was added in as a water-soluble electroactive probe, and its electrochemical behavior was investigated by cyclic voltammetry (CV) and electrochemical impedance spectroscopy (EIS). It is found that the H+ concentration of the water phase has a great effect on the conductivity of the W/O microemulsion, and hence influences the electrochemical behavior of K3Fe(CN)6. When the pH value of water phase is about 7, the electrical conductivity of the W/O microemulsion is only 1.2×10−6 S/cm, and K3Fe(CN)6 almost cannot react at the glassy carbon electrode. But when the H+ concentration is more than 3 mol/L, the W/O microemulsion has a good electrical conductivity and K3Fe(CN)6 shows good electrochemical performance in it. The results of CV and EIS studies indicate that the electrochemical behavior of Fe(CN)6 3−/Fe(CN)6 4− in the W/O microemulsion is different from that in the aqueous solution. This may be due to the unique liquid structure of the W/O microemulsion and the unique mass transfer in the W/O microemulsion. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

We aimed to measure health utilities in patients with diabetes mellitus (DM) in Taiwan and to estimate the impact of common DM-related complications and adverse effects (AEs) on health utilities. The present study was a cross-sectional survey of DM patients at a metropolitan hospital. Respondents' health-related quality of life (HRQoL) was assessed by the EQ-5D-5L, and ordinary least-squares (OLS) regression was used to estimate the impact of self-reported DM-related complications and AEs on health utilities after controlling for age, gender, and duration of DM. A total of 506 eligible adults with type 2 DM (T2DM) were enrolled. The EQ-5D index values in our study sample ranged from −0.13 to 1, with a mean ± standard deviation of 0.88 ± 0.20. As indicated by the negative regression coefficients, the presence of any complication or AE was associated with lower EQ-5D index values, and the greatest impact on the score was made by amputation (−0.276), followed by stroke (−0.211), and blindness (−0.203). In conclusion, the present study elicited health utilities in patients with T2DM in Taiwan using the EQ-5D-5L. These estimated utility decrements provided essential data for future DM cost–utility analyses that are needed as a result of the increasing prevalence and health expenditures of DM. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: Network meta-analysis is developed to compare all available treatments; therefore it enriches evidence for clinical decision-making, offering insights into treatment effectiveness and safety when faced with multiple options. However, the complexity and numerous treatment comparisons in network meta-analysis can challenge healthcare providers and patients. The purpose of this study aimed to introduce a graphic design to present complex rankings of multiple interventions comprehensively. Methods: Our team members developed a "beading plot" to summary probability of achieving the best treatment (P-best) and global metrics including surface under the cumulative ranking curve (SUCRA) and P-score. Implemented via the "rankinma" R package, this tool summarizes rankings across diverse outcomes in network meta-analyses, and the package received an official release on the Comprehensive R Archive Network (CRAN). It includes the 'PlotBead()' function for generating beading plots, which represent treatment rankings among various outcomes. Results: Beading plot has been designed based on number line plot, which effectively displays collective metrics for each treatment across various outcomes. Order on the -axis is derived from ranking metrics like P-best, SUCRA, and P-score. Continuous lines represent outcomes, and color-coded beads signify treatments. Conclusion: The beading plot is a valuable graphic that intuitively displays treatment rankings across diverse outcomes, enhancing reader-friendliness and aiding decision-making in complex network evidence scenarios. While empowering clinicians and patients to identify optimal treatments, it should be used cautiously, alongside an assessment of the overall evidence certainty. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Water electrocatalysis for hydrogen production as a prospect strategy to store renewable energy and reduce carbon emissions has attracted great attention, and exploring water electrolysis catalysts has become a research hotspot for widespread industrial water electrolysis application. Very recently, transition metal borates have been demonstrated great potential for electrocatalytic hydrogen or oxygen evolution in alkaline media. However, a generic method for fabricating transition metal borates as bifunctional oxygen catalysts are still challenging. Herein, through a two-step process including poly-aminophenylboronic acid electrodeposition and subsequent electrostatic self-assembly of transitional metal ions, for the first time, to our best knowledge, a simple and generic approach to fabricate polyaminophenylborate transition metal salt modified nickel foam electrodes (PAB-M/NF, M represents transition metal element) was developed for highly efficient water splitting. As a proof of concept, the obtained PAB-Ru/NF exhibited remarkable bifunctional HER and OER catalytic activities and stability in alkaline medium. To drive the HER and OER with a current density of 10 mA cm−2 in 1 M KOH electrolyte, PAB-Ru/NF only required an overpotential of 14 mV and 301 mV, respectively. Moreover, even at a great current density of 250 mA cm−2, PAB-Ru/NF can exhibit very favorable long-term stability for over 35 h. When assembled into an electrolyzer with PAB-Ru/NF as both the anode and cathode, a current density of 10 mA cm−2 can be achieved at a very low cell voltage of 1.50 V. In addition, the other PAB-M/NF catalysts (M including but not limited to Fe, Co and Ni) prepared by the same way also show excellent bifunctional HER and OER catalytic activities and durability. This study provides a prospective and economically feasible generic approach for developing practical bifunctional catalysts for industrial water electrolysis. For the first time, a simple and generic approach to fabricate polyaminophenylborate transition metal salt modified nickel foam electrodes (PAB-M/NF) was successfully developed through in-situ electropolymerization aminophenylboronic acid on NF electrode and subsequent electrostatic self-assembly between boric acid groups in polymer membranes and transition metal ions, and the as-resultant PAB-M/NF exhibited high-efficiency bifunctional catalytic performances for both the HER and OER, which highlights the promising application in industrial water electrolysis for hydrogen production. [Display omitted] • A generic method to fabricate polyaminophenylborate transition metal salt modified nickel foam electrodes. • A facile two-step process including in-situ electrodeposition and subsequent electrostatic self-assembly. • PAB-M/NF as excellent bifunctional catalysts for both the HER and OER. • Very favorable long-term stability even at a great current density of 250 mA cm−2. • Promising application in industrial water electrolysis for hydrogen production. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The original version of this article, published on 24 May 2014, unfortunately contained a referencing omission. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: Radiotherapy (RT) is an effective and available local treatment for patients with refractory or relapsed (R/R) aggressive B-cell lymphomas. However, the value of hypofractionated RT in this setting has not been confirmed. Methods: We retrospectively analyzed patients with R/R aggressive B-cell lymphoma who received hypofractionated RT between January 2020 and August 2022 at a single institution. The objective response rate (ORR), overall survival (OS), progression-free survival (PFS) and acute side effects were analyzed. Results: A total of 30 patients were included. The median dose for residual disease was 36 Gy, at a dose per fraction of 2.3–5 Gy. After RT, the ORR and complete response (CR) rates were 90% and 80%, respectively. With a median follow-up of 10 months (range, 2–27 months), 10 patients (33.3%) experienced disease progression and three died. The 1-year OS and PFS rates for all patients were 81.8% and 66.3%, respectively. The majority (8/10) of post-RT progressions involved out-of-field relapses. Patients with relapsed diseases, no response to systemic therapy, multiple lesions at the time of RT, and no response to RT were associated with out-of-field relapses. PFS was associated with response to RT (P = 0.001) and numbers of residual sites (P < 0.001). No serious non-hematological adverse effects (≥ grade 3) associated with RT were reported. Conclusion: These data suggest that hypofractionated RT was effective and tolerable for patients with R/R aggressive B-cell lymphoma, especially for those that exhibited localized residual disease. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: Studies indicate that asymptomatic infections do indeed occur frequently for both seasonal and pandemic influenza, accounting for about one-third of influenza infections. Studies carried out during the 2009 pH1N1 pandemic have found significant antibody response against seasonal H1N1 and H3N2 vaccine strains in schoolchildren receiving only pandemic H1N1 monovalent vaccine, yet reported either no symptoms or only mild symptoms.Methods: Serum samples of 255 schoolchildren, who had not received vaccination and had pre-season HI Ab serotiters <40, were collected from urban, rural areas and an isolated island in Taiwan during the 2005-2006 influenza season. Their hemagglutination inhibition antibody (HI Ab) serotiters against the 2005 A/New Caledonia/20/99 (H1N1) vaccine strain at pre-season and post-season were measured to determine the symptoms with the highest correlation with infection, as defined by 4-fold rise in HI titer. We estimate the asymptomatic ratio, or the proportion of asymptomatic infections, for schoolchildren during the 2005-6 influenza season when this vaccine strain was found to be antigenically related to the circulating H1N1 strain.Results: Fever has the highest correlation with the 2005-06 seasonal influenza A(H1N1) infection, followed by headache, cough, vomiting, and sore throat. Asymptomatic ratio for the schoolchildren is found to range between 55.6% (95% CI: 44.7-66.4)-77.9% (68.8-87.0) using different sets of predictive symptoms. Moreover, the asymptomatic ratio was 66.9% (56.6-77.2) when using US-CDC criterion of fever + (cough/sore throat), and 73.0 (63.3-82.8) when under Taiwan CDC definition of Fever + (cough or sore throat or nose) + ( headache or pain or fatigue).Conclusions: Asymptomatic ratio for children is found to be substantially higher than that of the general population in literature. In providing reasonable quantification of the asymptomatic infected children spreading pathogens to others in a seasonal epidemic or a pandemic, our estimates of symptomatic ratio of infected children has important clinical and public health implications. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Kawasaki disease (KD) is pediatric systemic vasculitis with the classic complication of coronary artery aneurysm (CAA). It is the leading cause of acquired cardiovascular diseases in children. Some severe cases present with multi-organ involvement or neurological dysfunction. To identify the role of the glutamate receptor, ionotropic, N-methyl-d-aspartate 3A (GRIN3A) in KD, we investigated genetic variations in GRIN3A in a Taiwanese cohort of 262 KD patients (76 with and 186 without CAA complications). We used univariate and multivariate regression analyses to identify the associations between clinical characteristics and GRIN3A genetic variations in KD. According to univariate regression analysis, CAA formation in KD was significantly associated with fever duration (p < 0.0001), first Intravenous immunoglobulin (IVIG) used (days after day one of fever) (p < 0.0001), and the GRIN3A (rs7849782) genetic variant (p < 0.001). KD patients with GG+GC genotype showed a lower rate of developing CAA (GG+GC genotype: odds ratio = 0.26; 95% CI = 0.14–0.46). Significant associations were identified between KD with CAA complication and the GRIN3A (rs7849782) genetic variant by using multivariate regression analysis. Specifically, significant correlations were observed between KD with CAA complications and the presence of GG+GC genotypes for the GRIN3A rs7849782 single-nucleotide polymorphism (full model: odds ratio = 0.25; 95% CI = 0.14–0.46). Our results suggest that a polymorphism of the GRIN3A gene may play a role in KD pathogenesis. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Simple Summary: The research paper reported on a newly developed screening technique called Microtube Array Membrane Hollow Fiber Assay (MTAM-HFA) used for determining the most effective medication for breast cancer patients. The study found that the MTAM-HFA approach had a high level of accuracy in predicting the patient's response to the medication therapy, and there was a significant correlation between the screening outcome and the clinical outcome. The findings suggest that the MTAM-HFA technique has great potential for developing customized therapy for cancer care. With its ability to identify precise therapies for breast cancer patients, the MTAM-HFA screening method could transform cancer therapy, resulting in better outcomes for patients. The study provides valuable information for healthcare professionals and researchers working on breast cancer therapy research. Breast cancer is a severe public health problem, and early treatment with powerful anticancer drugs is critical for success. The researchers investigated the clinical results of a novel screening tool termed Microtube Array Membrane Hollow Fiber Assay (MTAM-HFA) in breast cancer patients in this clinical investigation. In all trial participants, the MTAM-HFA was utilized to identify active medicines for the treatment of breast cancer. The MTAM-HFA was shown to be extremely useful in predicting patient response to anticancer medication therapy in this study. Furthermore, the substantial association between the MTAM-HFA screening outcome and the clinical outcome of the respective patients emphasizes the promise of this unique screening technology in discovering effective anticancer medication combinations for the treatment of breast cancer. These findings indicate that the MTAM-HFA has clinical significance and might be a valuable tool in the development of tailored therapy for cancer care. This study provides helpful information for physicians and scientists working on breast cancer therapy research. The potential benefits of employing MTAM-HFA to find accurate therapies for breast cancer patients might lead to enhanced personalized medicine approaches to cancer care, resulting in better patient outcomes. Overall, the MTAM-HFA screening approach has the potential to revolutionize customized cancer therapy, providing hope to both patients and physicians. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In a systematic review of a diagnostic performance, summarizing performance metrics is crucial. There are various summary models in the literature, and hence model selection becomes inevitable. However, most existing large-sample-based model selection approaches may not fit in a meta-analysis of diagnostic studies, typically having a rather small sample size. Researchers need to effectively determine the final model for further inference, which motivates this article to investigate existing methods and to suggest a more robust method for this need. We considered models covering several widely-used methods for bivariate summary of sensitivity and specificity. Simulation studies were conducted based on different number of studies and different population sensitivity and specificity. Then final models were selected using several existing criteria, and we compared the summary receiver operating characteristic (sROC) curves to the theoretical ROC curve given the generating model. Even though parametric likelihood-based criteria are often applied in practice for their asymptotic property, they fail to consistently choose appropriate models under the limited number of studies. When the number of studies is as small as 10 or 5, our suggestion is best in different scenarios. An example for summary ROC curves for chemiluminescence immunoassay (CLIA) used in COVID-19 diagnosis is also illustrated. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

These surgeries may alter immune function and microbiota, thereby altering the risks of certain diseases.[2] The altered immune function and dysbiosis after appendectomy or tonsillectomy may also alter the risk of allergic diseases. Patients received dual appendectomy-tonsillectomy was at the highest risk of AR (adjusted hazard ratio [aHR] 3.17, 95% confidence interval [CI] 2.28-4.42), followed by those received tonsillectomy (aHR 3.09, 95% CI 2.99-3.20) and those received appendectomy (aHR 1.11, 95% CI 1.09-1.13). The selected patients had no allergic diseases prior to enrollment; 276 patients received dual appendectomy-tonsillectomy (Group 1), 175,353 patients received appendectomy (Group 2), 20,624 patients received tonsillectomy (Group 3), and 20,930,884 patients received no related surgery (Group 4), as displayed in Table 1. [Extracted from the article]

Background: Limited evidence supports the omission of routine bone marrow (BM) examination (biopsy and aspiration) in patients with nasal‐type extranodal NK/T‐cell lymphoma (ENKTCL). This study was aimed at assessing whether BM examination provides valuable information for positron emission tomography/computed tomography (PET/CT)–based staging in this patient population. Patients and Methods: Patients newly diagnosed with ENKTCL who underwent initial staging with both PET/CT and BM examination between 2013 and 2020 were retrospectively identified in two Chinese institutions. Overall, 742 patients were included; the BM examination was positive in 67 patients. Results: Compared with BM biopsy alone, the combination of BM biopsy and aspiration assessment did not afford any additional diagnostic value. No patient with a positive BM biopsy was found to have early‐stage disease by PET/CT. BM biopsy or PET/CT led to upstaging from stage III to IV as a result of BM involvement in 21 patients. In 135 patients with distant organ involvement, BM involvement was associated with worse overall survival (OS) and progression‐free survival (PFS) compared with the corresponding durations in patients without BM involvement (2‐year OS: 35.9% vs. 60.4%, p <.001; PFS: 26% vs. 40.7%, p =.003). No difference in survival was noted between groups judged positive based on PET/CT and BM biopsy. Conclusion: Compared with aspiration, BM biopsy led to the detection of more BM lesions. Baseline PET/CT can be safely used to exclude BM involvement in early‐stage disease. Overall, routine BM examination affords diagnostic or prognostic value over PET/CT in patients with advanced‐stage nasal‐type ENKTCL. Baseline positron emission tomography/computed tomography (PET/CT) can be safely used to exclude bone marrow (BM) involvement in patients with early‐stage nasal‐type extranodal NK/T‐cell lymphoma (ENKTCL). Compared with PET/CT alone, routine BM examination can afford better diagnostic and prognostic value in advanced‐stage nasal‐type ENKTCL. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

• Increasing levels of serum MDA and MDA-modified protein adducts indicate oxidative stress occurring in pSS. • MDA-modified epitopes elicit specific autoantibodies for pSS. • MDA-modified peptides enhance autoantibody production, indicating their diagnostic value for pSS. Sjogren's syndrome (SS) is a systemic autoimmune disease featured with a dry mouth and dry eyes. Several autoantibodies, including anti-SSA, anti-SSB, antinuclear antibodies can be detected in patients with SS. Oxidation-specific epitopes (OSEs) can be formed from malondialdehyde (MDA)-modified protein adducts and trigger chronic inflammation. In this study, our purposes were used serum levels of anti-MDA-modified peptide adducts autoantibodies to evaluate predictive performance by machine learning algorithms in primary Sjögren's syndrome (pSS) and assess the association between pSS and healthy controls. Three novel MDA-modified peptide adducts, including immunoglobulin (Ig) gamma heavy chain 1 (IGHG1)102–131, complement factor H (CFAH)1045–1062 , and Ig heavy constant alpha 1 (IGHA1)307–327 were identified and validated. Serum levels of protein, MDA-modified protein adducts, MDA, and autoantibodies recognizing unmodified peptides and MDA-modified peptide adducts were measured. Statistically significance in correlations and odds ratios (ORs) were estimated. The random forest classifier utilized autoantibodies combination composed of IgM anti-IGHG1102-131, IgM anti-IGHG1102-131 MDA and IgM anti-IGHA1307-327 achieved predictive performance as an accuracy of 88.0%, a sensitivity of 93.7%, and a specificity of 84.4% which may be as potential diagnostic biomarkers to differentiate patients with pSS from rheumatoid arthritis (RA), and secondary SS in RA and HCs. Our findings imply that low levels of IgA anti-IGHG1102-131 MDA (OR = 2.646), IgA anti-IGHG1102-131 (OR = 2.408), IgA anti-CFAH1045-1062 (OR = 2.571), and IgA anti-IGHA1307-327 (OR = 2.905) may denote developing risks of pSS, respectively. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Objective. The aim of the study is to evaluate the therapeutic effect of hyperbaric oxygen in the treatment of grade III exposed dog bite wounds. Method. Fifty-two patients with grade III dog bite wounds who were seen in the emergency department of our hospital from 2017 to 2021 were selected for this research. The participants were randomly divided into an experimental group and a control group, with 26 patients in each group. The experimental group received hyperbaric oxygen therapy (HBOT), and the control group received routine treatment. The patients were followed up for three months after the treatment concluded. The wound healing rate, infection rate, and healing time were measured and compared. Results. The cure rate of the experimental group (96.2%) was higher than that of the control group (69.2%). The infection rate in the experimental group (3.8%) was lower than that of the control group (30.8%). The average cure time of the experimental group (9 ± 2.7) was lower than that of the control group (11 ± 3.4). The number of dressing changes in the experimental group (4 ± 3.0) was lower than that of the control group (7.5 ± 3.5), and there was a significant difference between the two groups (P < 0.05). Conclusion. According to the results, HBOT of grade III dog bite wounds can promote wound healing, improve the cure, and reduce the wound infection rate. It should have a primary role in the clinical treatment of these wounds. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Oral mucositis significantly compromises the quality of life for patients undergoing cancer therapies. This study aimed to evaluate the effectiveness of natural products in either preventing or alleviating oral mucositis resulting from cancer treatments. A systematic review and network meta-analysis were conducted, sourcing data from the Cochrane Library, PubMed, Embase, Airiti Library, and Wan Fang Data Knowledge Service Platform until August 2023. The study was registered in PROSPERO (CRD42021285433). Confidence in Network Meta-Analysis (CINeMA) and R software 4.1.3 were used for analysis. From 1556 identified articles, 36 randomized controlled trials (RCTs) were analyzed, involving 2083 patients. Honey, notably, was found to significantly reduce the overall incidence of oral mucositis compared to standard care, with a relative risk (RR) of 0.80 (95% CI: 0.67–0.96). It was particularly effective against moderate-to-severe oral mucositis (grade ≥ 2), reducing incidence with RR of 0.48 (95% CI: 0.30–0.75) versus placebo and 0.56 (95% CI: 0.34–0.93) against standard care. Other natural products, including propolis, chamomile, and P. major L., also demonstrated significant efficacy in reducing the incidence of oral mucositis. Regarding pain relief, honey, and P. major L. emerged as effective, significantly reducing pain severity with a mean difference (MD) of −2.96 (95% CI: −3.80 to −1.94) compared to placebo. This network meta-analysis supports the use of honey, propolis, chamomile, and P. major L. as effective natural products in the prevention and treatment of oral mucositis among cancer patients. Specifically, honey is highlighted for its significant impact on reducing both the overall incidence and the severity of moderate-to-severe oral mucositis. By leveraging their anti-inflammatory and antioxidant properties, integrating these natural products into the standard care regimen could markedly improve the well-being of individuals undergoing cancer therapy. [Display omitted] • Reviewed 36 RCTs on natural products for oral mucositis. • Honey reduces oral mucositis incidence notably. • Honey excels against moderate-to-severe oral mucositis. • Honey and Plantago major L. effectively lessen pain. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Objective: To compare Pneumocystis jirovecii pneumonia (PJP) risk between patients with autoimmune rheumatic diseases (ARD) and the general population Methods: We identified patients with ARD recorded in the National Health Insurance Research Database of Taiwan from 2002 to 2015 and randomly selected a comparison cohort from the general population matched for age and sex. We analyzed PJP risk stratified by sex, age, comorbidities, and medications using Cox proportional hazard model. Results: We enrolled 103,117 patients with ARD. PJP risk significantly increased in patients with any ARD and with each individual ARD like rheumatoid arthritis (RA), systemic lupus erythematosus (SLE), Sjogren's syndrome (SjS), polymyositis and dermatomyositis (PM/DM), systemic sclerosis (SSc), and systemic vasculitis. Patients with PM/DM showed prominent risk with incidence rate of 12.47/100,000 patient year (95% confidence interval (CI), 32.16–86.70). In a time-dependent Cox proportional hazard model with comorbidities and medications as covariates, PM/DM, SSc, SLE, and SjS significantly increased adjusted hazard ratios (aHR) of 5.40, 5.12, 4.09, and 3.64, respectively (95% CI of 2.82–10.35, 2.16–12.13, 2.41–6.95, and 2.06–6.42, respectively). AHR after adjusting for male sex, cancer, human immunodeficiency virus infection (HIV), and interstitial lung disease also significantly increased. Use of daily oral steroid dose of >10 mg conferred the highest risk followed by mycophenolate. Use of injected steroids, cyclophosphamide, biological agents, methotrexate, and cyclosporine conferred a significantly higher risk. Conclusion: Underlying ARD significantly predisposes patients to PJP, with PM/DM posing the highest threat. In addition to underlying disease, comorbidities and concomitant immunosuppressants are major risks. The strongest risk is recent daily steroid dose of >10 mg. Mycophenolate seems to be a more prominent risk factor than cyclophosphamide. Key Points • Autoimmune rheumatic diseases (ARD) significantly increased the overall risk of PJP, and so did each individual ARD. • Use of steroids, mycophenolate, cyclophosphamide, biological agents, methotrexate, and cyclosporine all significantly increased risk of PJP. • Male, elderly, malignancy, HIV, and interstitial lung disease are also related to increased risk of PJP. • Underlying ARD, comorbidities, and use of immunosuppressant should all be considered in determining the overall risk of PJP. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Developing cost-effective, efficient and stable air cathodes, involving oxygen reduction/oxygen evolution reactions (ORR/OER), is the crux of the large-scale application of reversible Zinc-air batteries. Herein, 1D/2D hierarchical N doping carbon architecture encapsulating FeCo nanoalloys were successfully constructed by one-step annealing leaf-like ZnFeCo-ZIFs. Benefiting from the unique 1D/2D hierarchical porous feature with high specific surface area, sufficient accessible catalytic sites, not easy entanglements and efficient electron and mass transfer capacity, as well as the advantages of the strong electronic coupling in FeCo alloys, the as-prepared FeCo@ 1D-CNTs/2D-NC catalysts exhibited prominent bifunctional oxygen catalytical performances with a positive half-wave potential (E 1/2 = 0.87 V vs. reversible hydrogen electrode (RHE)) for the oxygen reduction reaction and a low overpotential (η 10 = 396 mV) at a current density of 10 mA cm–2 for the oxygen evolution reaction, manifesting a low reversible potential gap (ΔE = 0.756 V). The zinc-air battery equipped with FeCo@ 1D-CNTs/2D-NC as the cathode catalyst exhibited a higher peak power density (98.2 mW cm–2) and specific capacity (741 mAh g Zn –1) than that assembled with the commercial Pt/C This study provides a convenient strategy to explore non-precious metal based bifunctional electrocatalysts for reversible Zinc-air battery scale applications. [Display omitted] • 1D/2D hierarchical N-C encapsulating FeCo nanoalloys were constructed by one-step annealing leaf-like ZnFeCo-ZIFs. • 1D/2D hierarchical structure avoided the stacking of CNTs and the aggregation of alloy nanoparticles. • Strong electron coupling interaction between Fe and Co atoms facilitates the ORR/OER processes. • FeCo@1D-CNTs/2D-NC exhibited prominent bifunctional oxygen catalytical performances. • Zinc-air battery exhibited high open-circuit voltage (1.476 V) and specific capacity (741 mAh g Zn –1). [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: Rheumatoid arthritis (RA) is an autoimmune disorder with systemic inflammation and may be induced by oxidative stress that affects an inflamed joint. Our objectives were to examine isotypes of autoantibodies against 4-hydroxy-2-nonenal (HNE) modifications in RA and associate them with increased levels of autoantibodies in RA patients.Methods: Serum samples from 155 female patients [60 with RA, 35 with osteoarthritis (OA), and 60 healthy controls (HCs)] were obtained. Four novel differential HNE-modified peptide adducts, complement factor H (CFAH)1211-1230, haptoglobin (HPT)78-108, immunoglobulin (Ig) kappa chain C region (IGKC)2-19, and prothrombin (THRB)328-345, were re-analyzed using tandem mass spectrometric (MS/MS) spectra (ProteomeXchange: PXD004546) from RA patients vs. HCs. Further, we determined serum protein levels of CFAH, HPT, IGKC and THRB, HNE-protein adducts, and autoantibodies against unmodified and HNE-modified peptides. Significant correlations and odds ratios (ORs) were calculated.Results: Levels of HPT in RA patients were greatly higher than the levels in HCs. Levels of HNE-protein adducts and autoantibodies in RA patients were significantly greater than those of HCs. IgM anti-HPT78-108 HNE, IgM anti-IGKC2-19, and IgM anti-IGKC2-19 HNE may be considered as diagnostic biomarkers for RA. Importantly, elevated levels of IgM anti-HPT78-108 HNE, IgM anti-IGKC2-19, and IgG anti-THRB328-345 were positively correlated with the disease activity score in 28 joints for C-reactive protein (DAS28-CRP). Further, the ORs of RA development through IgM anti-HPT78-108 HNE (OR 5.235, p < 0.001), IgM anti-IGKC2-19 (OR 12.655, p < 0.001), and IgG anti-THRB328-345 (OR 5.761, p < 0.001) showed an increased risk. Lastly, we incorporated three machine learning models to differentiate RA from HC and OA, and performed feature selection to determine discriminative features. Experimental results showed that our proposed method achieved an area under the receiver operating characteristic curve of 0.92, which demonstrated that our selected autoantibodies combined with machine learning can efficiently detect RA.Conclusions: This study discovered that some IgG- and IgM-NAAs and anti-HNE M-NAAs may be correlated with inflammation and disease activity in RA. Moreover, our findings suggested that IgM anti-HPT78-108 HNE, IgM anti-IGKC2-19, and IgG anti-THRB328-345 may play heavy roles in RA development. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The risk of bisphosphonate-related osteonecrosis of the jaw (BRONJ) in primary Sjogren syndrome (pSS) has rarely been explored. To explore the association between BRONJ and pSS, we conducted a population-based propensity-score-matched cohort study using Taiwan's National Health Insurance Research Database, including pSS patients receiving antiosteoporotic therapy and patients without pSS receiving antiosteoporotic therapy. A 1:4 matched-pair cohort based on propensity score was created. The stratified Cox proportional hazards model compared the risk of BRONJ in the pSS and non-pSS groups. In the study, 23,280 pSS patients and 28,712,152 controls were enrolled. After matching, 348 patients with pSS receiving antiosteoporotic drugs and 50,145 without pSS receiving antiosteoporotic drugs were included for analysis. The risk of developing BRONJ was 1.96 times higher in pSS patients compared with non-pSS patients after adjustment for age, sex, and comorbidities. No dose–response effect was observed in the bisphosphonate-treated pSS cohorts, documented as the cumulative defined daily doses of either < 224 or ≥ 224 (hazard ratio [HR]: 2.407, 95% confidence interval [CI] 1.412–7.790; HR: 2.143, 95% CI 1.046–4.393, respectively) increased risk of developing osteonecrosis of the jaw. In conclusion, the risk of BRONJ is significantly higher in patients with pSS compared with the general population. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Objective: This study assessed the risk of Parkinson disease (PD) in patients with primary Sjögren's syndrome (pSS) using a nationwide, population-based cohort during a 15-year follow-up period. Method: We identified 17,028 patients with pSS by using the catastrophic illness registry in the Taiwan National Health Insurance Research Database, and 68,094 matched non-pSS controls. Results: The pSS cohort showed a higher incidence of PD development than did the non-pSS cohort (1.60% vs. 1.17%, p = 0.0001). The adjusted hazard ratio (aHR) of developing PD was 1.23 times greater in the pSS group than in the non-pSS group. When stratified by sex, age, and comorbidities, the female patients with pSS and patients aged between 61 and 70 years were associated with a higher PD risk (aHR 1.28 and aHR 1.30, respectively). Patients with pSS with no other comorbidity had a higher risk of PD (aHR: 2.17), compared with the non-pSS patients with no other comorbidity. When comparing non-pSS patients without or with comorbidity with pSS without or with comorbidity, pSS patients with comorbidity had highest risk of PD (aHR: 3.814). Conclusions: All of the above findings suggested that pSS is an independent risk factor for the development of PD. Key Points •The patients with pSS had 1.23 times risk of Parkinson disease than the non-pSS group. •The female patients with pSS and patients aged between 61 and 70 years were associated with a higher PD risk (aHR 1.28 and aHR 1.30, respectively). •The pSS patients with comorbidity had highest risk of PD (aHR: 3.814). [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Prolonged or complicated grief disorder occurs in 9.8% of bereaved adults and can progress into adverse health effects if left unresolved. Evidence on the appropriate and specific diagnostic instrument for the assessment of prolonged or complicated grief disorders is lacking. The purpose of this study was to evaluate the performance of the most widely used instruments to diagnose grief disorders, including The Inventory of Complicated Grief, The Inventory of Complicated Grief - Revised, and the Prolonged Grief Disorder-13. Diagnostic meta-analysis. PubMed, EMBASE, CINAHL, Medline, Scopus, Web of Science, and Cochrane were searched up to July 1, 2020. We included studies evaluating the sensitivity and specificity of grief disorders diagnostic tools against the comparator tests in individuals who experienced the loss of a family member. A diagnostic meta-analysis of pooled sensitivity and specificity, likelihood ratios, and area under curve were performed with a random-effect and hierarchical model. In the current study, 3540 participants were involved. The six studies of the Inventory of Complicated Grief had pooled sensitivity of 0.93 (95% confidence interval: 0.87 to 0.97) and specificity of 0.96 (95% confidence interval: 0.92 to 0.98). The positive likelihood ratio was 23.4 (95% confidence interval: 11.2 to 49.0) and the negative likelihood ratio was 0.07 (95% confidence interval: 0.04 to 0.14) with area under curve value at 0.96 (95% confidence interval: 0.97 to 0.99). For Prolonged Grief Disorder-13, the three included studies' pooled sensitivity was 0.51 (95% confidence interval: 0.42 to 0.60), and the pooled specificity was 0.96 (95% confidence interval: 0.93 to 0.98). The Inventory of Complicated Grief-Revised evaluation could not be performed as only two articles from the same study were identified in this meta-analysis. The Inventory of Complicated Grief is a highly recommend instrument to differentiate the case of grief disorders. Nurses and health care professionals can use the Inventory of Complicated Grief in the diagnosis of prolonged or complicated grief disorders due to its high sensitivity and specificity values. Further evaluations are needed for the use of Prolonged Grief Disorder-13 and Inventory of Complicated Grief-Revised. The study is registered with the Open Science Framework (https://osf.io/bs8n6/?view%5fonly=109e76e59efb4d7699153f62564f57ed). Tweetable abstract: Inventory of Complicated Grief is a highly recommend instrument with high sensitivity and specificity for diagnosing grief disorders. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

• HCV is persistently present below detectable levels in HCV-infected hepatocytes for a long time after DAA treatment. • Shortening therapy duration is associated with an increased risk of virologic relapse. • Virologic relapse or breakthrough may be avoided by treatment with a combination of more highly effective DAAs. • Virologic relapse may not occur even with intermittent treatment with a higher efficient fixed-dose of DAAs. With the development of more effective direct-acting antivirals (DAAs), dual- or triple-therapy regimens represent the major strategy used to cure chronic hepatitis C virus (HCV) infection. Thus, shorter treatment duration regimens with low burden, few adverse effects and good patient adherence are urgently needed. This study theoretically demonstrates a proof-of-concept approach for shortening therapy duration by examining HCV-infected Huh7.5 cells after treatment with a high or low fixed dose of three DAAs (simeprevir + daclatasvir + sofosbuvir) for 6–15 days. The results demonstrated that HCV-infected Huh7.5 cells achieved an ultrarapid virologic response with undetectable HCV RNA and protein and were cured after treatment with the triple-therapy regimen for 15 days. When the treatment duration was shortened, virologic relapse might occur after treatment with a low fixed dose of the three DAAs for 9 days and did occur after treatment with a low fixed dose for 6 days, although HCV was below detectable levels at the end of treatment. However, virologic relapse could be avoided with treatment of a high fixed dose of the three DAAs for 9 or 6 days. Although a virologic breakthrough occurred after an intermittent treatment regimen at the low fixed dose, the high fixed dose cured HCV-positive Huh7.5 cells with intermittent treatment. In conclusion, HCV is persistently present below detectable levels in HCV-infected Huh7.5 cells for a long time after treatment, and a shortened therapy duration is associated with an increased risk of virologic relapse, but virologic relapse or breakthrough might be avoided by treatment with a combination of more highly effective DAAs. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: Bedaquiline, delamanid and fluoroquinolones are associated with increased QTcF. Whether clofazimine is associated with QTcF prolongation is less clear., Methods: All patients with rifampicin-resistant TB enrolled between May 2017 and Dec 2019 were included. ECGs were performed at baseline, month 1, month 3 and month 6 for patients treated with conventional regimens, and at additional timepoint for patients treated with bedaquiline, delamanid and short regimen. We estimated the maximum increase of QTcF and constructed cox proportional hazards models to assess factors associated with QTcF≥501ms., Results: Among 321 patients, 59 (18.4%) patients had QTcF≥501ms during a mean follow-up of 242 days (median 189, range 4-1091). The median maximum increase of QTcF was 43.4 ms (IQR 31.3-65.9) in patients treated with clofazimine. Treatment with clofazimine was significantly associated with QTcF≥501ms as compared to without clofazimine (adjusted hazards ratio (adjHR) 4.35, 95% confidence interval (CI) 2.01-9.44). Among patients not treated with bedaquiline and delamanid, those treated with clofazimine and a fluoroquinolone (adjHR 3.43, 95% CI 1.61-7.34) and those treated with clofazimine and high dose moxifloxacin (adjHR 6.54, 95% CI 2.43-17.60) had a significantly higher risk of QTcF≥501ms as compared to those treated with a fluoroquinolone without other QTcF prolonging agents. Four (1.6%) patients had documented ventricular tachycardia, in which one was Torsade de pointes. One patient was found to have sudden death during hospitalization., Conclusions: Clofazimine was significantly associated with an increased risk of QTcF prolongation. QTcF≥501ms was potentially associated with fatal event and needed to be managed cautiously., Competing Interests: Declaration of competing interest None declared., (Copyright © 2024. Published by Elsevier B.V.)

Isoniazid is an early bactericidal anti-tuberculosis (TB) agent and isoniazid mono-resistance TB is the most prevalent drug-resistant TB worldwide. Concerns exist regarding whether resistance to isoniazid would lead to delayed culture conversion and worst outcomes. From January 2008 to November 2017, adult culture-positive pulmonary TB patients receiving isoniazid, rifampicin, pyrazinamide, and ethambutol were identified through Taiwan Center for Disease Control database and were followed until the end of 2017. Primary outcomes included time to sputum culture conversion (SCC) within two months. Secondary outcomes included death and unfavourable outcomes at the end of 2nd month. A total of 37,193 drug-susceptible and 2,832 isoniazid monoresistant pulmonary TB patients were identified. Compared with no resistance, isoniazid monoresistance was not associated with a delayed SCC (HR: 0.99, 95% CI: 0.94─1.05, p  = 0.8145), a higher risk of 2-month mortality (HR: 1.19, 95% CI: 0.92─1.53, p  = 0.1884), and unfavourable outcomes at 2nd month (OR: 1.05, 95% CI: 0.97─1.14, p  = 0.2427). Isoniazid monoresistance was associated with delayed SCC (HR: 0.90, 95% CI: 0.83─0.98, p  = 0.0099) and a higher risk of unfavourable outcomes (OR:1.18, 95% CI: 1.05─1.32, p  = 0.0053) in patients aged between 20 and 65, and delayed SCC in patients without underlying comorbidities (HR: 0.90, 95% CI: 0.81─0.98, p  = 0.0237). Isoniazid mono-resistant TB had a comparable outcome with drug-susceptible TB at the end of the intensive phase. Healthy, and non-elderly patients were more likely to had culture persistence, raising concerns about disease transmission in these subgroups and warranting early molecular testing for isoniazid resistance.

Background: Iatrogenic blood loss is an important cause of neonatal anemia. In this study, a spreadsheet tool was developed to reduce blood collection, providing a new idea for the prevention of iatrogenic blood loss in newborns., Methods: Based on hematocrit, minimum test volume and dead volume, a new tool was to calculate the minimum blood collection volume and the number of containers required for the test portfolio. We collected data from October 2022 to October 2023 from Xiamen Maternal and Child Health Hospital for analysis and validation., Results: During this year, there were 16,434 patients and 13,696 plasma/serological samples in the neonatology department. Among them, there were 8 test combinations of greater than 1%, and 9490 samples in total. According to the hospital manual, the recommended amount of blood collection is 27,534 ml and 9490 containers. Through the analysis of this tool, total blood collection was 8864.77 ml, marked qnantity of upward containers (closest level to the calculated blood collection volume) was 10301 ml, and the amount of containers was 8835, which decreased by 67.8%, 62.58% and 6.9% respectively. Besides, if the hematocrit information cannot be obtained in advance and the high hematocrit is calculated as 0.8, the recommended amount of blood collection is 14334.3 ml, and the marked amount of the upward container markering is 17340 ml, decreasing by 47.9% and 37.02% respectively., Conclusion: We have developed an auxiliary tool that can manage neonatal blood specimen collection in a fine and personalized way and can be applied among different laboratory instruments by parameters modification., Competing Interests: The authors declare that they have no known competing financial interests or personal relationships that could have appeared to influence the work reported in this paper., (© 2024 The Authors.)

Objective: To compare the fluid resuscitation effect of sodium acetate Ringer's solution and sodium bicarbonate Ringer's solution on patients with traumatic haemorrhagic shock., Method: We conducted a prospective cohort study in our emergency department on a total of 71 patients with traumatic haemorrhagic shock admitted between 1 December 2020 and 28 February 2022. Based on the time of admission, patients were randomly divided into a sodium bicarbonate Ringer's solution group and sodium acetate Ringer's solution group, and a limited rehydration resuscitation strategy was adopted in both groups. General data were collected separately, and the patients' vital signs (body temperature, respiration, blood pressure and mean arterial pressure (MAP)), blood gas indices (pH, calculated bicarbonate (cHCO 3 - ), partial pressure of oxygen (PaO 2 ), partial pressure of carbon dioxide (pCO 2 ) and clearance of lactate (CLac)), shock indices, peripheral platelet counts, prothrombin times and plasma fibrinogen levels were measured and compared before and 1 h after resuscitation., Results: The post-resuscitation heart rate of the sodium bicarbonate Ringer's solution group was significantly lower than that of the sodium acetate Ringer's solution group (p < 0.05), and the MAP was also significantly lower (p < 0.05). The patients in the sodium bicarbonate Ringer's solution group had significantly higher pH, cHCO 3 - and PaO 2 values and lower pCO 2 and CLac values (p < 0.05) than those in the sodium acetate Ringer's solution group, and the post-resuscitation peripheral platelet counts and fibrinogen levels were significantly higher, with shorter plasma prothrombin times and smaller shock indices (p < 0.001)., Conclusion: Sodium bicarbonate Ringer's solution is beneficial for maintaining MAP at a low level after resuscitation. The use of sodium bicarbonate Ringer's solution in limited fluid resuscitation has positive results and is of high clinical value., (© 2024. The Author(s).)