Feasibility Study of Detecting and Segmenting Small Brain Tumors in a Small MRI Dataset with Self-Supervised Learning.

This paper studies the segmentation and detection of small metastatic brain tumors. This study aims to evaluate the feasibility of training a deep neural network for the segmentation and detection of metastatic brain tumors in MRI using a very small dataset of 33 cases, by leveraging large public datasets of primary tumors; This study explores various methods, including supervised learning, two transfer learning approaches, and self-supervised learning, utilizing U-net and Swin UNETR models; The self-supervised learning approach utilizing the Swin UNETR model yielded the best performance. The Dice score for small brain tumors was approximately 0.

A Simple Algorithm Using Ventilator Parameters to Predict Successfully Rapid Weaning Program in Cardiac Intensive Care Unit Patients.

Background: Ventilator weaning is one of the most significant challenges in the intensive care unit (ICU). Approximately 30% of patients fail to wean, resulting in prolonged use of ventilators and increased mortality. There are numerous high-performance prediction models available today, but they require a large number of parameters to predict and are thus impractical in clinical practice.

The Effect of PPARγ rs1801282 Variant on Mortality Risk Among Asians With Chronic Kidney Disease: A Cohort Study and Meta-Analysis.

Chronic kidney disease (CKD) is a public health issue, and an independent risk factor for cardiovascular disease. The peroxisome proliferator-activated receptor gamma (PPARG) plays an important role in the cardiovascular system. Previous studies have examined one important exon polymorphism, Pro12Ala, in PPARG with respect to mortality of CKD patients, but the results were inconsistent and current evidence is insufficient to support a strong conclusion.

The Polymorphism at PLCB4 Promoter (rs6086746) Changes the Binding Affinity of RUNX2 and Affects Osteoporosis Susceptibility: An Analysis of Bioinformatics-Based Case-Control Study and Functional Validation.

Purpose: Genome-wide association studies have identified numerous genetic variants that are associated with osteoporosis risk; however, most of them are present in the non-coding regions of the genome and the functional mechanisms are unknown. In this study, we aimed to investigate the potential variation in runt domain transcription factor 2 (RUNX2), which is an osteoblast-specific transcription factor that normally stimulates bone formation and osteoblast differentiation, regarding variants within RUNX2 binding sites and risk of osteoporosis in postmenopausal osteoporosis (PMOP).

Methods: We performed bioinformatics-based prediction by combining whole genome sequencing and chromatin immunoprecipitation sequencing to screen functional SNPs in the RUNX2 binding site using data from the database of Taiwan Biobank; Case-control studies with 651 postmenopausal women comprising 107 osteoporosis patients, 290 osteopenia patients, and 254 controls at Tri-Service General Hospital between 2015 and 2019 were included.

Concurrent Blockade of Endothelial EGFR and VEGF Signaling on Malignant Associated Pleural Fluid Induced Angiogenesis: From Clinic to Bench.

Malignant-associated pleural fluid (MAPF) represented an unsolved problem in advanced lung cancer. Our previous work characterized increased pleural angiogenesis in lung adenocarcinoma and the propensity of MAPF on endothelial angiogenesis. This study investigated the combined efficacy of the tyrosine kinase inhibitor (gefitinib) and bevacizumab in opposing MAPF-induced angiogenesis.

Polymorphism of rs6426749 at 1p36.12 is associated with the risk of osteoarthritis in Taiwanese female population.

Background: Osteoarthritis (OA) is a multifactorial disease that is associated with several genetic factors. TFAP2A with a motif of C allele at rs6426749 demonstrates a higher binding ability, thereby increasing CDC42 expression, potentially affecting OA occurrence. In this study, we evaluated the role of rs6426749 polymorphisms on knee OA in a female Taiwanese population.

Decisive evidence corroborates a null relationship between MTHFR C677T and chronic kidney disease: A case-control study and a meta-analysis.

Background: Previous meta-analyses have explored the association between the C677T polymorphism of methyltetrahydrofolate reductase (MTHFR) and chronic kidney disease (CKD) but there were no studies with a decisive conclusion. Furthermore, the high heterogeneity among different populations is not yet interpreted.

Objectives: This study used trial sequential analysis (TSA) to evaluate whether the nowadays conclusion supported by current cumulative samples.

PPARG Pro12Ala Polymorphism with CKD in Asians: A Meta-Analysis Combined with a Case-Control Study-A Key for Reaching Null Association.

Background: So far, numerous meta-analyses have been published regarding the correlation between peroxisome proliferator-activated receptor gamma (PPARG) proline 12 alanine (Pro12Ala) gene polymorphism and chronic kidney disease (CKD); however, the results appear to be contradictory. Hence, this study is formulated with the objective of using existing meta-analysis data together with our research population to study the correlation between PPARG Pro12Ala gene polymorphism and CKD and evaluate whether an accurate result can be obtained.

Methods: First, literature related to CKD and PPARG Pro12Ala available on the PubMed and EMBASE databases up to December 2016 was gathered from 20 publications.

Investigation of the variants at the binding site of inflammatory transcription factor NF-κB in patients with end-stage renal disease.

Background: A chronic inflammatory state is a prominent feature in patients with end-stage renal disease (ESRD). Nuclear factor-kappa B (NF-κB) is a transcription factor that regulates the expression of genes involved in inflammation. Some genetic studies have demonstrated that the NF-κB genetic mutation could cause kidney injury and kidney disease progression.

Angiotensin II receptor type 1 A1166C modifies the association between angiotensinogen M235T and chronic kidney disease.

Single nucleotide polymorphisms (SNPs) in renin-angiotensin system (RAS) genes are associated with RAS imbalance and chronic kidney disease (CKD). We performed a case-control study and meta-analysis to investigate the association between angiotensinogen (AGT) M235T polymorphism and CKD. A total of 634 patients with end-stage renal disease and 739 healthy controls were studied.

Angiotensin-Converting Enzyme Insertion/Deletion Polymorphism and Susceptibility to Osteoarthritis of the Knee: A Case-Control Study and Meta-Analysis.

Background: Studies of angiotensin-converting enzyme insertion/deletion (ACE I/D) polymorphisms and the risks of knee osteoarthritis (OA) have yielded conflicting results.

Objective: To determine the association between ACE I/D and knee OA, we conducted a combined case-control study and meta-analysis.

Methods: For the case-control study, 447 knee OA cases and 423 healthy controls were recruited between March 2010 and July 2011.

Oxidative stress and erythropoietin response in altitude exposure.

Purpose: Oxidative stress and erythropoietin (EPO) levels are increased following high altitude exposure. We hypothesized that the altitude-oxidative stress and EPO response would be associated with the presence or absence of acute mountain sickness (AMS) in subjects exposed at high altitude.

Methods: The study enrolled 29 healthy volunteers exposed at altitudes without strenuous physical exercise.

Ventilation-perfusion distribution and shunt fraction during one-lung ventilation: effect of different inhaled oxygen levels.

Ventilation with higher fraction of inspired oxygen (F(I)O2) is one of the commonly-chosen strategies executed for treatment of hypoxemia during one lung ventilation (OLV) for thoracic surgery. In this study, we investigated the effect of F(I)O2 on pulmonary ventilation-perfusion (VA/Q) distribution during OLV. Six pigs, weighing 27 to 34 kg, were selected for this study.

JNK signaling pathway is required for bFGF-mediated surface cadherin downregulation on HUVEC.

Angiogenesis, the process of new blood vessel formation, is important in wound healing, inflammation, tumorigenesis and metastases. During this process, it is a critical step of the loosening of cellular interactions between endothelial cells, which are dependent on the architecture of adherens junction constructed by homophilic interactions of cell surface cadherins. Several studies suggested that the dynamic changes of cadherins are necessary during angiogenesis.

Association of in vitro oxidative stress, serum ferritin concentration and C-reactive protein in febrile emergency room patients.

Background: Both C-reactive protein (CRP) and ferritin have been reported to reflect the extent of oxidative stress and inflammation in individual patients and may be useful markers of disease activity and mortality risk. Exposure to oxidative stress has been reported to increase ferritin synthesis. We investigated the relationship between oxidative stress with CRP and ferritin concentrations in febrile emergency room patients to test the hypothesis whether the intensity of oxidative stress correlated with serum ferritin concentration.

The protective effect of adenosine triphosphate-MgCl2 on ischemia-reperfusion lung injury is leukocyte dependent.

Adenosine triphosphate (ATP)-MgCl(2) attenuates ischemia-reperfusion (I-R)-induced lung injury in rats. A previous study indirectly suggests that Mg(2+)-dependent ecto-ATPases on the surface of leukocytes are responsible for the hydrolysis of ATP-MgCl(2) to adenosine, which then contributes to the protective effect of ATP-MgCl(2). This study investigated the role of leukocytes in I-R injury and the protective effect of ATP-MgCl(2) in our buffer-perfused isolated rat lung model.

Effect of ascorbic acid administration in hemodialysis patients on in vitro oxidative stress parameters: influence of serum ferritin levels.

Background: Ascorbic acid supplementation has been recommended to circumvent resistance to erythropoietin, which sometimes occurs in iron-overloaded uremic patients. In considering the pro-oxidant effect of ascorbic acid, the authors hypothesize that adjuvant therapy with larger doses of ascorbic acid in hemodialysis patients with iron overload may raise the risk of increasing free radical generation. The oxidative stress of intravenous ascorbic acid supplementation in hemodialysis patients was evaluated in this study.