MCC950 Alleviates Fat Embolism-Induced Acute Respiratory Distress Syndrome Through Dual Modulation of NLRP3 Inflammasome and ERK Pathways.

Fat embolism is a critical medical emergency often resulting from long bone fractures or amputations, leading to acute respiratory distress syndrome (ARDS). The NOD-like receptor pyrin domain-containing 3 (NLRP3) inflammasome, a key regulator of innate immunity, is activated by reactive oxygen species and tissue damage, contributing to inflammatory responses. This study examines the role of NLRP3 in fat embolism-induced ARDS and evaluates the therapeutic potential of MCC950, a selective NLRP3 antagonist.

The Prevalence, Distribution, and Clinicopathological Features of Seven Lung Cancer Actionable Driver Mutations in Taiwan.

Background: Efficient and affordable diagnosis, coupled with a clear understanding of driver gene prevalence, distribution, and clinicopathological features of driver genes, is crucial for lung cancer treatment and prevention. This study developed a cost-effective targeted sequencing assay for actionable driver mutation and investigated EGFR, KRAS, NRAS, BRAF, PIK3CA, MET, and HER2 in a southern Taiwanese lung cancer population.

Materials And Methods: Two hundred and twenty-three lung cancer specimens from Chang Gung Memorial Hospital, Chiayi (2009-2020), were retrospectively analyzed.

Contemporaneous changes in cytokines and cognitive function during chemotherapy in patients with breast cancer: a prospective follow-up study.

Background: This study investigated fluctuations in levels of chosen cytokines among patients with breast cancer before to after chemotherapy. Contemporaneous changes in cognitive function were examined.

Methods: Adult patients with breast cancer stages I-III without brain metastasis were invited to participate in this longitudinal follow-up study.

The blockade of neddylation alleviates ventilator-induced lung injury by reducing stretch-induced damage to pulmonary epithelial cells.

Ventilator-induced lung injury is a serious complication in mechanically ventilated patients. Neddylation, the post-translational modification of neural precursor cell-expressed developmentally down-regulated 8 (NEDD8) conjugation, regulates numerous biological functions. However, its involvement and therapeutic significance in ventilator-induced lung injury remains unknown.

Associations Between Severe Influenza-Complicated Thromboembolism Events, Intensive Care Unit Stays and Mortality, and Associated Risk Factors: A Retrospective Cohort Study.

Unlabelled: The association between influenza infection and thromboembolism (TE) events, including cardiovascular events, cerebrovascular events, pulmonary embolism, and deep vein thrombosis, is supported by compelling evidence. However, there is a disparity in the risk factors that impact the outcomes of severe influenza-complicated TE in intensive care unit (ICU) patients. The objective of this study was to evaluate the outcomes of severe influenza-complicated TE in ICU patients and identify any associated risk factors.

An optimized ligation-mediated PCR method for chromosome walking and fusion gene chromosomal breakpoints identification.

Molecular techniques that recover unknown sequences next to a known sequence region have been widely applied in various molecular studies, such as chromosome walking, identification of the insertion site of transposon mutagenesis, fusion gene partner, and chromosomal breakpoints, as well as targeted sequencing library preparation. Although various techniques have been introduced for efficiency enhancement, searching for relevant single molecular event present in a large-sized genome remains challenging. Here, the optimized ligation-mediated polymerase chain reaction (PCR) method was developed and successfully identified chromosomal breakpoints far away from the exon of the new exon junction without the need for nested PCR.

Invasive pulmonary aspergillosis among patients with severe community-acquired pneumonia and influenza in ICUs: a retrospective cohort study.

Rationale: The prevalence, clinical characteristics, and outcomes of invasive pulmonary aspergillosis in patients with severe community-acquired pneumonia (CAP) in intensive care units remain underestimated because of the lack of a disease-recognition scheme and the inadequacy of diagnostic tests.

Objectives: To identify the prevalence, risk factors, and outcomes of severe CAP complicated with invasive pulmonary aspergillosis (IPA) in intensive care units (ICUs).

Methods: We conducted a retrospective cohort study including recruited 311 ICU-hospitalized patients with severe CAP without influenza or with influenza.

Effects of vitamin D and zinc deficiency in acute and long COVID syndrome.

Objectives: Acute inflammatory or neuropsychiatric symptoms, such as headache, fatigue, anosmia, and hyposmia, sometimes persist for more than 30 days or longer than 12 weeks after infection with the Omicron variant of SARS‑CoV‑2 (hereafter referred to as COVID-19). The aim of this study was to determine whether detection of zinc concentration or vitamin D concentration could provide treatment benefits for patients with COVID-19, thus reducing the risk of them experiencing long COVID.

Methods: The interval between the date of COVID-19 diagnosis and the date of visit to pulmonary department for prolonged symptoms of COVID-19 was recorded for statistical analysis.

Serum vascular endothelial growth factor affects tissue fluid accumulation and is associated with deteriorating tissue perfusion and oxygenation in severe sepsis: a prospective observational study.

Background: Positive fluid balance and tissue fluid accumulation are associated with adverse outcomes in sepsis. Vascular endothelial growth factor (VEGF) increases in sepsis, promotes vascular permeability, and may affect tissue fluid accumulation and oxygenation. We used near-infrared spectroscopy (NIRS) to estimate tissue hemoglobin (Hb) oxygenation and water (HO) levels to investigate their relationship with serum VEGF levels.

Increased tissue water in patients with severe sepsis affects tissue oxygenation measured by near-infrared spectroscopy: a prospective, observational case-control study.

Background: Tissue oedema affects tissue perfusion and interferes with the monitoring of tissue oxygenation in patients with severe sepsis. However, the underlying mechanisms remain unclear. We used a wireless near-infrared spectroscopy (NIRS) device that transmits tri-wavelength light to quantify tissue haemoglobin (Hb) and water (HO) content.

The potential and limitation of targeted chromosomal breakpoint sequencing for the fusion gene identification in lung cancer.

fusion genes are rare but important driver genes in lung cancer. Owing to their rarity, many clinicopathological features and treatment responses for each fusion variant are still largely unknown and require further investigation. RNA is the preferable template for the fusion gene screening, but deterioration of RNA in FFPE often makes the detection challenging.

Respiratory Arousals in Patients with Very Severe Obstructive Sleep Apnea and How They Change after a Non-Framework Surgery.

Respiratory arousal is the change from a state of sleep to a state of wakefulness following an apnea or hypopnea. In patients with obstructive sleep apnea (OSA), it could have a helpful role to activate upper airway muscles and the resumption of airflow and an opposing role to contribute to greater ventilatory instability, continue cycling, and likely exacerbate OSA. Patients with very severe OSA (apnea-hypopnea index (AHI) ≥ 60 events/h) may have specific chemical (e.

Negative impact of the hypopnea index or duration increase after a non-frame work surgery in patients with very severe obstructive sleep apnea.

A non-framework surgery could change the postoperative components of breathing disturbances and increase the frequency or duration of hypopnea in patients with very severe obstructive sleep apnea (OSA). Either an increase of hypopnea index, which increases apnea-hypopnea index (AHI), or an increase of its duration raises the concern of worsening the oxygen desaturation and so morbidity and mortality associated with OSA. It is unclear how the oxygen saturation would change in those having increased frequency or duration of hypopneas after the surgery.

Probable Change of Sleep Parameters after Resection and Reconstruction Surgeries in Patients with Oral Cavity or Oropharyngeal Cancers.

In patients of oral cavity or oropharyngeal cancers, resection of the tumor and reconstruction of the defect may reduce the framework, add a bulky flap, alter the tissue flexibility, and contribute to postoperative obstructive sleep apnea (OSA). Postoperative OSA and the potential consequences may decrease the survival rate and reduce patients' quality of life. It is unclear whether the surgery is associated with postoperative OSA.

A novel wireless optical technique for quantitative evaluation of cerebral perfusion pressure in a fluid percussion animal model of traumatic brain injury.

Background: Cerebral perfusion pressure (CPP) calculated by mean arterial pressure (MAP) minus intracranial pressure (ICP) is related to blood flow into the brain and reflects cerebral ischemia and oxygenation indirectly. Near-infrared spectroscopy (NIRS) can assess cerebral ischemia and hypoxia non-invasively and has been widely used in neuroscience. However, the correlation between CPP and NIRS, and its potential application in traumatic brain injury, has seldom been investigated.

Effects of Cancer, Chemotherapy, and Cytokines on Subjective and Objective Cognitive Functioning Among Patients with Breast Cancer.

Background: We aimed to investigate the associations of breast cancer (BC) and cancer-related chemotherapies with cytokine levels, and cognitive function.

Methods: We evaluated subjective and objective cognitive function in BC patients before chemotherapy and 3~9 months after the completion of chemotherapy. Healthy volunteers without cancer were also compared as control group.

Shifting and reducing breathing disturbance in patients with very severe obstructive sleep apnea by modified Z-palatoplasty with one-layer closure in one-stage multilevel surgery.

Very severe obstructive sleep apnea (OSA) with apnea-hypopnea index (AHI) ≥ 60 events/h differs in several areas from OSA with other severities, including having a low-level daytime partial pressure of oxygen and residual on-CPAP (continuous positive airway pressure) AHIs greater than 20/h. Patients with very severe OSA show narrow retroglossal space and confined framework, which is difficult to be enlarged via conventional Uvulopalatopharyngoplasty (UPPP) surgery, resulting in poor response to non-framework surgeries. Our latest report showed efficacy and efficiency for subjects undergoing modified Z-palatoplasty (ZPP) with one-layer closure in a one-stage multilevel surgery.

Roles of lung-recruited monocytes and pulmonary Vascular Endothelial Growth Factor (VEGF) in resolving Ventilator-Induced Lung Injury (VILI).

Monocytes and vascular endothelial growth factor (VEGF) have profound effects on tissue injury and repair. In ventilator-induced lung injury (VILI), monocytes, the majority of which are Ly6C+high, and VEGF are known to initiate lung injury. However, their roles in post-VILI lung repair remain unclear.

Incidence of nontuberculous mycobacterial disease and coinfection with tuberculosis in a tuberculosis-endemic region: A population-based retrospective cohort study.

Nontuberculous mycobacteria (NTM) infection may interfere in the diagnosis and treatment of tuberculosis (TB) in TB-endemic regions. However, the population-based incidence of NTM disease and NTM-TB coinfection remains unclear.We used Taiwan's National Health Insurance Research Database to identify new diagnoses of NTM disease and TB from 2005 to 2013 and calculated the incidence rate and the proportion of NTM-TB coinfection.

A highly sensitive and specific real-time quantitative PCR for BRAF V600E/K mutation screening.

Mutations that lead to constitutive activation of key regulators in cellular processes are one of the most important drivers behind vigorous growth of cancer cells, and are thus prime targets in cancer treatment. BRAF V600E mutation transduces strong growth and survival signals for cancer cells, and is widely present in various types of cancers including lung cancer. A combination of BRAF inhibitor (dabrafenib) and MEK inhibitor (trametinib) has recently been approved and significantly improved the survival of patients with advanced NSCLC harboring BRAF V600E/K mutation.

VEGF mediates fat embolism-induced acute lung injury via VEGF receptor 2 and the MAPK cascade.

Fat embolism (FE) is a lethal medical emergency often caused by fracture of long bones and amputation of limbs. Vascular endothelial growth factor (VEGF) promotes angiogenesis and increases vascular permeability. We tested the hypothesis that VEGF plays a critical role in FE-induced acute respiratory distress syndrome (ARDS) and acute lung injury (ALI).

Survival benefit associated with metformin use in inoperable non-small cell lung cancer patients with diabetes: A population-based retrospective cohort study.

Objective: To evaluate the effects of metformin use on the survival of inoperable non-small cell lung cancer (NSCLC) patients with diabetes using the Taiwanese National Health Insurance Research Database.

Research Design And Methods: In total, 7,620 patients were eligible in this study, among them, 3,578 patients were metformin users and 4,042 were non-users. Propensity score matching was used to reduce possible confounding factors.