The objectives of this study were to investigate the biocompatibility and hemostatic efficacy of silk fibroin nanofibrils (SFNFs). Unlike a conventional dialysis/freeze-drying process, SFNFs were prepared using a nove...
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Limited therapeutic options are available to effectively preventing atherosclerosis. Inflammatory endothelial cells, foamy macroph.ges, and high protease levels contribute to atherosclerotic plaque formation. Studies ...
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Limited therapeutic options are available to effectively preventing atherosclerosis. Inflammatory endothelial cells, foamy macroph.ges, and high protease levels contribute to atherosclerotic plaque formation. Studies have shown that catechins effectively scavenge reactive oxygen species (ROS), inhibit monocyte adhesion and reduce cholesterol levels, while nitric oxide (NO) enhances endothelial function. However, due to the poor stability and bioavailability of catechins and the toxicity from the burst release of current synthetic small molecules NO donor, effective delivery of these bioactive compounds to treat atherosclerosis is still a challenge. Herein, a catechin/protein-based NO donor co-delivery nanosystem was designed for combinatorial anti-atherosclerotic therapy. We engineered a (−)-epigallocatechin-3-gallate (EGCG)/NO-releasing protein co-assembled nanocomplex based on specific catechin-protein interactions. Furthermore, the nanocomplex was surface modified with fucoidan (Fu), a sulfated polysaccharide with anti-inflammatory activity. This nanocomplex exhibits sensitivity to ROS, ph. and enzymes. The Fu-functionalized nanoparticles specifically accumulates in atherosclerotic plaques mediated by P-selectin on inflamed endothelial cells and scavenger receptor A (SR-A) on foamy macroph.ges. Under environmental stimuli that simulate the condition of plaque, the nanoparticles are readily activated to release EGCG and NO in response to excess ROS and high protease levels, exerting the multi-synergistic anti-atherosclerosic effects on reducing monocyte adhesion, promoting NO production to proliferate endothelial cells, lowering ROS levels, anddecreasing the foam cell formation in vitro, and reducing lipid accumulation, plaque size, and inflammatory cytokines release in high-fat diet-induced atherosclerosis model in ApoE−/− mice. The integration of plaques targeting ability and multiple therapeutic functions can provide an advanced therapeutic strategy for athero
Absorption anddesorption rates were generally dependent on the concentration gradient from bulk to absorbents. A novel methodology based on a capacitor with an alternating electric field (AEF) is developed to acceler...
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Background: Hemodialysis holds the highest incidence and prevalence rate in Taiwan globally. However, the implementation of advance care planning (ACP), advance directives (Ad), and patient self-determination acts (PS...
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Background: Hemodialysis holds the highest incidence and prevalence rate in Taiwan globally. However, the implementation of advance care planning (ACP), advance directives (Ad), and patient self-determination acts (PSdA) remains limited. Our objective was to examine the current status of ACP, Ad and PSdA and potential opportunities for enhancement. Methods: We developed a novel questionnaire to assess individuals’ knowledge, attitudes, and intentions regarding ACP, Ad, and PSdA. We also collected baseline characteristics and additional inquiries for correlation analysis to identify potential factors. Student’s t-test and Analysis of Variance were employed to assess significance. Results: Initially, a cohort of 241 patients was initially considered for inclusion in this study. Subsequently, 135 patients agreed to participate in the questionnaire study, resulting in 129 valid questionnaires. Among these respondents, 76 were male (59.9%), and 53 were female (41.1%). Only 13.2% had signed Ad. A significant portion (85.3%) indicated that they had not discussed their dialysis prognosis with healthcare providers. Additionally, a mere 14% engaged in conversations about life-threatening decisions. Ninety percent believed that healthcare providers had not furnished information about ACP, and only 30% haddiscussed such choices with their families. The findings revealed that the average standardized score for ACP and Ad goals was 84.97, while the attitude towards PSdA received a standardized score of 69.94. The intention score stood at 69.52 in standardized terms. Potential candidates for ACP initiation included individuals aged 50 to 64, possessing at least a college education, being unmarried, and having no history of diabetes. Conclusion: Patients undergoing hemodialysis exhibited a significant knowledge gap concerning ACP, Ad, and the PSdA. Notably, a substantial number of dialytic patients had not received adequate information on these subjects. Nevertheless, they display
Alzheimer’s disease (Ad) is characterized by the progressive degeneration of neuronal cells. With the increase in aged population, there is a prevalence of irreversible neurodegenerative changes, causing a significan...
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AbstractThis narrative review explores radiomics in the broader context of liver disease research, an interdisciplinary field bridging medical imaging, oncology, anddata science. It begins with an introduction to dat...
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AbstractThis narrative review explores radiomics in the broader context of liver disease research, an interdisciplinary field bridging medical imaging, oncology, anddata science. It begins with an introduction to data analysis techniques, from foundational methods like descriptive statistics, comparative and regression analysis, and survival analysis, to advanced approaches like machine learning (ML), meta-analysis, and bioinformatics. Contextualizing these methodologies within liver disease research enhances our understanding of liver diseases. The focus is on radiomics, an emerging field, which is first placed in historical context before its applications are explained across fatty liver diseases (FLd), fibrosis, cirrhosis, and liver cancers. The role of radiomics in early detection, disease staging, and outcome prediction, particularly as a non-invasive alternative to liver biopsy, is analyzed in-depth. Current imaging modalities for liver cancer diagnosis are also examined, highlighting their advantages and limitations. Alongside radiomics, these imaging tools enable comprehensive liver assessment. Lastly, the integration of radiomics with other data types, especially genomic data, is explored, emph.sizing its role in a holistic approach to liver disease management. The review concludes with a forward-looking perspective on future directions and advancements in radiomics and liver cancer research, addressing the challenges and opportunities in the field. It underscores the transformative impact of these developments on liver cancer research, patient care, personalized medicine, and clinical decision-making.
Background: The efficacy of extracorporeal shockwave therapy (ESWT) for treating shoulder calcific tendinitis can be influenced by various prognostic factors. This study aimed to identify prognostic factors associated...
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Background: The efficacy of extracorporeal shockwave therapy (ESWT) for treating shoulder calcific tendinitis can be influenced by various prognostic factors. This study aimed to identify prognostic factors associated with the failure of ESWT for symptom relief and to evaluate the predictive capability of the eXtreme Gradient Boosting (XGBoost) algorithm of artificial intelligence techniques in this context. Methods: This retrospective study enrolled patients with persistent shoulder pain attributed to calcific tendinitis who underwent ESWT after failed conservative treatment between January 1998 anddecember 2022. Age, sex, duration of symptoms, calcification classification and size, pre-ESWT visual analog scale (VAS), and pre-ESWT Constant-Murley score (CMS) served as potential input attributes. The difference in VAS and CMS were defined as the output attributes. The XGBoost model was used to predict treatment outcomes based on these factors. The dataset was balanced using the synthetic minority oversampling technique, and the model's performance was assessed using 10-fold cross-validation. Spearman's rank correlation coefficient analysis was adopted to explore the relationships between significant continuous input attributes and post-ESWT VAS and CMS scores. Results: A total of 296 patients with calcific tendinitis were enrolled and completed the 1-year follow-up. The findings revealed that a prolonged symptom duration (>10 months), severe pain (pre-ESWT VAS >5), and higher pre-ESWT CMS (>55) were significant prognostic factors for the failure of ESWT for symptom relief. Using these factors as inputs, the XGBoost model demonstrated high accuracy, precision, recall, and F1 score. By reducing the input attributes to age, calcification size, pre-ESWT CMS, and symptom duration, the model maintained a high prediction rate, suggesting that these factors are sufficient for effective prediction. discussion: The present study identified significant prognostic factors asso
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