Comparative characterization of bronchial and nasal mucus reveals key determinants of influenza A virus inhibition.

Differentiated primary human respiratory epithelial cells grown at air-liquid interface have become a widely used cell culture model of the human conducting airways. These cultures contain secretory cells such as goblet and club cells, which produce and secrete mucus. Here, we characterize the composition of mucus harvested from airway cultures of nasal and bronchial origin.

Focused ultrasound-triggered escitalopram delivery using microbubble-liposome complexes for rapid and sustained serotonin regulation in depression therapy.

Serotonin plays a pivotal role in the pathophysiology of major depressive disorder, with a deficiency therein being a hallmark of the condition. However, the efficacies of conventional treatments for depression involving the regulation of serotonin are limited by delayed onset, high drug dosing, and requirement for daily administration due to the obstacle of the blood-brain barrier. This study investigated an innovative approach that combines focused ultrasound (FUS) with escitalopram-loaded liposomes (Esc-lip) tethered to microbubbles (Esc-MBs) for targeted drug delivery to the serotonin-transporter-rich hippocampus.

The impact of COVID-19 on psychophysiology and quality of life among children during omicron surge in Taiwan.

Background: Taiwan experienced an outbreak of the COVID-19 omicron variant in March 2022. We investigated the impact of COVID-19 on the psychophysiology and quality of life of children.

Methods: We enrolled children under 18 from June to November 2023, dividing them into three groups based on their COVID-19 history: simple COVID, long COVID, and non-COVID.

Single-cell transcriptomic analysis reveals therapeutic mechanisms of adipose-derived stem cell exosomes in sepsis-induced lung injury.

Background: Sepsis-induced acute lung injury (ALI) remains a leading cause of mortality in critically ill patients, with limited effective treatments beyond supportive care. This study investigates the therapeutic efficacy and underlying mechanisms of adipose-derived stem cell (ADSC) exosomes on sepsis-induced lung injury and characterize underlying cellular and molecular mechanisms.

Methods: We employed a cecal ligation and puncture (CLP) mouse model of sepsis and using male C57BL/6 J mice (Mus musculus, 8-10 weeks old) and administered ADSC-derived exosomes intravenously.

Revisiting bacterial spore germination in the presence of peptidoglycan fragments.

Bacterial spores of species are metabolically inert cell types formed in response to nutrient starvation. Spores must undergo the process of germination to resume vegetative growth. This process is stimulated by the interaction of various nutrient molecules with specialized clusters of membrane-localized germinant receptors (GRs) present within spores.

Ultrasound scatteromics: A multimodal QUS-based solution for detecting ambulatory function deterioration in Duchenne muscular dystrophy.

Quantitative ultrasound (QUS) envelope statistics imaging has been investigated as a non-invasive method for evaluating Duchenne muscular dystrophy (DMD). This study introduces an ultrasound scatteromics approach to differentiate between early and late ambulatory stages of DMD. A total of 47 DMD subjects were divided into early (n = 23) and late (n = 24) ambulatory stages.

Influence of Stance Configuration on Postural Control While Performing Ballet Turns (Pirouette) in Novices and Experienced Dancers.

Objective: Pirouettes are often first taught from the "fourth position," which is a preparatory distance generally close to 100% of the dancer's foot length. However, the optimal preparation distance has not yet been studied. This study investigated the impact of stance configurations (preparatory distances) on postural control in ballet turns (pirouettes) between both experienced and novice dancers.

Radiomics with Ultrasound Radiofrequency Data for Improving Evaluation of Duchenne Muscular Dystrophy.

Duchenne muscular dystrophy (DMD) is a rare and severe genetic neuromuscular disease, characterized by rapid progression and high mortality, highlighting the need for accurate ambulatory function assessment tools. Ultrasound imaging methods have been widely used for quantitative analysis. Radiomics, which converts medical images into data, combined with machine learning (ML), offers a promising solution.

Aeroponic Technology for Accelerated Weathering of Extraterrestrial Regolith to Extract Plant Essential Nutrients and Generate Arable Soils.

Advancements in off-world food and fiber production should seek to utilize regolith as a source of nutrients and prepare it for use as a solid plant growth substrate. Towards this goal, aeroponic biowaste streams containing both inorganic nutrients and root system efflux from plants provide an opportunity for accelerated weathering and enhancement of extraterrestrial soils. To test this hypothesis, an aeroponic system was built that contained Martian simulant (Mars Mojave Simulant-2; MMS-2), inert sand, and a no-filter control to evaluate the in-line filters for simultaneous mineral weathering and recycling of biowastes from wheat.

Comparison of pregnant mare serum gonadotropin products with surprising differences in protein content.

Equine chorionic gonadotropin (eCG) is a widely used hormone that synchronizes the female cycle and induces estrus in livestock. eCG is a heterodimeric glycoprotein composed of non-covalently linked α- and β-chains whose glycosylation profiles determine the in vivo activity of the hormone. The commercially available eCG products are crudely purified from the serum of pregnant mares, hence called pregnant mare serum gonadotropin (PMSG).

Postacute COVID-19 fatigue, dyspnea and reduced activity in children and adolescents.

Background: This study aimed to quantify fatigue, dyspnea, and physical activity and identify associated factors in children and adolescents with postacute COVID-19 syndrome.

Methods: A prospective cohort study included 74 participants aged 6-18 years with postacute COVID-19 symptoms and 120 age- and sex-matched controls without SARS-CoV-2 antibodies. Participants completed questionnaires assessing fatigue, dyspnea, and physical activity and underwent pulmonary function tests.

Intravoxel incoherent motion (IVIM) MRI-derived masseter muscle characteristics: a new diagnostic marker in head and neck cancer?

Background: To use intravoxel incoherent motion (IVIM) magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) to evaluate the masseter muscle and tumors in patients with head and neck cancer (HNC) and to compare them with those of normal controls.

Methods: The study involved 16 normal controls and 54 patients with HNC (29 newly diagnosed and 25 posttreatment cases) examined using a 3.0T MRI with a 20-channel head and neck coil.

Etoposide-loaded lipopolymer nanoparticles promote Smac minetic activity against inhibitor of apoptosis protein for glioblastoma treatment.

Encapsulated BV6 and SM164, two bivalent second mitochondria-derived activator of caspase (Smac) mimetics, in etoposide (ETO)-lipopolymer nanoparticles (NPs) have been developed to deplete inhibitor of apoptosis proteins (IAP), impair DNA, and produce antagonistic effects on glioblastoma multiforme (GBM) in nude mice. The NPs, composed of cocoa butter (CB) and polyvinyl alcohol (PVA), were stabilized by glycerol monostearate and Pluronic F-127, and grafted with transferrin (Tf) and wheat germ agglutinin (WGA) to dock the blood-brain barrier (BBB) and degenerated dopaminergic neurons. The dual-targeting NPs increased the BBB permeability of BV6, SM164 and ETO via recognizing Tf receptor (TfR) and N-acetylglucosamine that are abundantly expressed on brain microvascular endothelial cells.

The West Pacific anemone-shrimp Ancylomenes speciosus (Okuno, 2004) (Crustacea: Decapoda: Palaemonidae)-a species complex or single species?

A series of specimens identifiable as the anemone-associated shrimp Ancylomenes speciosus (Okuno, 2004) are reported here from New Caledonia, NE Australia, and SW Taiwan. Detailed morphological remarks and figures of the specimens are provided. All examined adults are morphologically very similar, males and subadults differ from adult females mainly by their unarmed second cheliped fingers and the more elongated sixth pleomere.

Ultrasound-triggered drug release and cytotoxicity of microbubbles with diverse drug attributes.

Ultrasound (US)-triggered cavitation of drug-loaded microbubbles (MBs) represents a promising approach for targeted drug delivery, with substantial benefits attainable through precise control over drug release dosage and form. This study investigates Camptothecin-loaded MBs (CPT-MBs) and Doxorubicin-loaded MBs (DOX-MBs), focusing on how properties such as hydrophilicity, hydrophobicity, and charged functional groups affect their interaction with the lipid surfaces of MBs, thereby influencing the fundamental characteristics and acoustic properties of the drug-loaded MBs. In comparison to DOX-MBs, CPT-MBs showed larger MB size (2.

Feasibility of a Home-Based Developmental Behavioral Intervention for Children With Autism Spectrum Disorder in Underserved Taiwanese Families.

Purpose: This study aims to investigate the feasibility of the home-based parent- mediated intervention Naturalistic developmental behavioral intervention (HB-NDBI) in underserved Taiwanese families of children with Autism spectrum disorder (ASD) and explore its effects on children's developmental skills and parents' parenting stress.

Method: 24 underserved Taiwanese families of children with ASD (mean age = 46.5 months) received 12-week HB-NDBI programs.

Effect of spectacle correction on hyperopic children.

Hyperopia is a significant refractive error in children, often leading to vision impairment. This study aimed to investigate whether partial or full spectacle correction is benefit for hyperopia in preschool-aged children. A retrospective study was conducted on hyperopic children visited to teaching medical center outpatient clinic between October 2011 and October 2018, and were categorized into three groups: full correction, overcorrection, and undercorrection.

Translational Potential of Baicalein in Mitigating RSL3-Induced Ferroptosis in Fibroblasts: Implications for Therapeutic Interventions.

Ferroptosis is an iron-driven cell-death mechanism that plays a central role in various diseases. Recent studies have suggested that baicalein inhibits ferroptosis, making it a promising therapeutic candidate. Fibroblast cultures were treated with different agents to determine the effects of baicalein on ferroptosis.

Clinical and economic outcomes associated with lymph node examination status in early-stage non-small cell lung cancer: a real-world US study using the SEER-Medicare linked database.

Background: Clinical practice guidelines recommend adjuvant therapy for patients with early non-small cell lung cancer (eNSCLC), especially those with lymph node metastasis. This study evaluated the prevalence of lymph node examination and its association with adjuvant treatment rates, overall survival (OS), and healthcare costs among United States (US) Medicare patients with resected eNSCLC.

Methods: This retrospective observational cohort study used Surveillance, Epidemiology, and End Results cancer registry data linked with Medicare claims data.

The Association between Diabetic Retinopathy and Macular Degeneration: A Nationwide Population-Based Study.

Objective: Age-related macular degeneration (AMD), particularly its exudative form, is a primary cause of vision impairment in older adults. As diabetes becomes increasingly prevalent in aging, it is crucial to explore the potential relationship between diabetic retinopathy (DR) and AMD. This study aimed to assess the risk of developing overall, non-exudative, and exudative AMD in individuals with DR compared to those without retinopathy (non-DR) based on a nationwide population study in Taiwan.

m-nitrobenzyl alcohol supercharging reagent enhances the chromatographic separation and the charging of disulfide bond linked and His-tag peptides.

The linkages of disulfide bond (DSB) play important roles in protein stability and activity. Mass spectrometry-based (MS-based) techniques become accepted tools for DSB analysis in the recent decade. In the bottom-up approach, after enzyme digestion, the neighbouring amino acids of cysteines have great impacts on the physicochemical properties of resulting disulfide bond peptides, determining their retention behaviour on liquid chromatography (LC) and their MS ionization efficiency.