Effect of etomidate added to propofol target-controlled infusion in bidirectional endoscopy: A randomized clinical trial.

Background: Propofol has been widely used in bidirectional gastrointestinal endoscopy sedation; however, it frequently leads to cardiovascular adverse events and respiratory depression. Propofol target-controlled infusion (TCI) can provide safe sedation but may require higher dosages of propofol. On the contrary, etomidate offers hemodynamic stability.

The influence of sleep disorders on perioperative neurocognitive disorders among the elderly: A narrative review.

This review comprehensively assesses the epidemiology, interaction, and impact on patient outcomes of perioperative sleep disorders (SD) and perioperative neurocognitive disorders (PND) in the elderly. The incidence of SD and PND during the perioperative period in older adults is alarmingly high, with SD significantly contributing to the occurrence of postoperative delirium. However, the clinical evidence linking SD to PND remains insufficient, despite substantial preclinical data.

Neurological autoantibody prevalence in chronic epilepsy: Clinical and neuropathologic findings.

Background: We aimed to explore the prevalence of autoimmune antibodies (Abs) in a large consecutive series with "chronic" epilepsy and without symptoms of autoimmune encephalitis; and to compare the immunopathology of brain tissue from drug-resistant epilepsy (DRE) with and without Abs positivity.

Methods: Neuronal and glial antibodies were detected in the serum of patients who were admitted to the wards of West China Hospital from October 2016 to September 2019 and had epilepsy by cell-based assays and tissue-based assays.

Results: Twenty-one (6.

The detection of up-regulated anti-thyroid antibodies and autoimmune thyroid diseases in patients with autoimmune encephalitis: a retrospective study of 221 patients.

Objective: To investigate the potential detection rate of anti-thyroid antibodies' (ATAbs) positivity, thyroid dysfunctions, and autoimmune thyroid diseases (AITDs) in autoimmune encephalitis (AE) and to analyze whether thyroid autoimmunity/dysfunction can affect the clinical course of AE.

Methods: Two hundred twenty-one AE patients and 229 age- and sex-matched controls were included in this study. We measured the levels of ATAbs (anti-thyroglobulin antibodies [TgAb], anti-thyroid peroxidase anti-bodies [TPOAb]) and thyroid hormones in all the individuals.

Pterostilbene prevents AKT-ERK axis-mediated polymerization of surface fibronectin on suspended lung cancer cells independently of apoptosis and suppresses metastasis.

Background: Polymeric fibronectin (polyFN) assembled on suspended breast cancer cells is required for metastasis. Conceivably, drugs that target such polyFN may fight against cancer metastasis. While stilbene analogs trigger pro-apoptotic effect on attached cancer cells, whether they prevent polyFN assembly and metastasis of suspended cancer cells via an apoptosis-independent manner remains unexplored.

Particulate nature of inhaled zinc oxide nanoparticles determines systemic effects and mechanisms of pulmonary inflammation in mice.

Inhalation of zinc oxide nanoparticles (ZnONP) has potential health impact. Because zinc ion may involve in the toxicity of ZnONP, we compared adverse effects of inhaled aerosolized ZnONP and zinc nitrate in mice. Aerosolized ZnONP and zinc nitrate were well-dispersed in the inhalation chamber.

Multiplex reverse transcription-polymerase chain reaction as diagnostic molecular screening of 4 common fusion chimeric genes in Taiwanese children with acute lymphoblastic leukemia.

Background: The classification of B-lineage acute lymphoblastic leukemia (ALL) by specific chromosomal translocations has prognostic implications for risk-directed therapy. Reverse transcription-polymerase chain reaction (RT-PCR) assay is a useful tool for detecting fusion transcripts from common chromosomal translocations of ALL cells.

Methods: Multiplex RT-PCR and nested-PCR assays were used to detect ALL-type BCR-ABL1 transcripts of the t(9;22), TCF-PBX1 transcripts of t(1;19), the MLL-AF4 transcripts of t(4;11), and 2 variants of ETV6-RUNX1 of the cryptic t(12;21) in 148 leukemic samples upon diagnosis.

Expression and prognostic significance of the apoptotic genes BCL2L13, Livin, and CASP8AP2 in childhood acute lymphoblastic leukemia.

Improved treatment of childhood acute lymphoblastic leukemia (ALL) depends on the identification of new molecular markers that are able to predict treatment response and clinical outcome. The development of impaired apoptosis in leukemic cells is one factor that may influence their response to treatment. We investigated the expression of three apoptosis related genes, BCL2L13, CASP8AP2, and Livin, as well as their prognostic significance, in a retrospective study of 90 pediatric ALL patients diagnosed between 1996 and 2007 in Taiwan.

Outer membrane protein STM3031 (Ail/OmpX-like protein) plays a key role in the ceftriaxone resistance of Salmonella enterica serovar Typhimurium.

Previously, the putative outer membrane protein STM3031 has been correlated with ceftriaxone resistance in Salmonella enterica serovar Typhimurium. In this study, this protein was almost undetectable in the ceftriaxone-susceptible strain 01-4, but its levels were increased in 01-4 isogenic strains for which MICs were higher. The stm3031 gene deletion mutant, R200(Deltastm3031), was generated and showed >64-fold lower ceftriaxone resistance than R200, supporting a key role for STM3031 in ceftriaxone resistance.

An OXA-66/OXA-51-like carbapenemase and possibly an efflux pump are associated with resistance to imipenem in Acinetobacter baumannii.

We investigated the mechanisms involved in imipenem resistance in 23 clinical strains of Acinetobacter baumannii. Sodium dodecyl sulfate-polyacrylamide gel electrophoresis (SDS-PAGE) analysis showed the presence of a 30-kDa protein in imipenem-intermediate A. baumannii (IIAB) and imipenem-resistant A.

Phase II study of weekly paclitaxel and 24-hour infusion of high-dose 5-fluorouracil and leucovorin in the treatment of recurrent or metastatic gastric cancer.

To investigate the efficacy and safety of combining weekly paclitaxel with weekly 24-hour infusion of high-dose 5-fluorouracil (5-FU) and leucovorin (LV, folinic acid) in the treatment of patients with advanced gastric cancer. Patients with histologically confirmed recurrent or metastatic gastric cancer were studied. Paclitaxel 80 mg/m2 3-hour intravenous infusion was given on days 1, 8, and 15, and high-dose 5-FU 2,600 mg/m2 plus LV 300 mg/m2 24-hour intravenous infusion (HDFL) was given on days 2, 9, and 16, repeated every 4 weeks.