The Effectiveness of Botulinum Toxin Injection for Cricopharyngeal Dysfunction-Related Dysphagia in Nasopharyngeal Carcinoma Patients.

To evaluate the effectiveness of botulinum toxin injection in improving swallowing function in patients with cricopharyngeal muscle dysfunction (CPMD) following radiotherapy for nasopharyngeal carcinoma (NPC). Cohort study. Outpatients with NPC-related CPMD receiving endoscopy-guided botulinum toxin injection at National Cheng Kung University Hospital between 2017-2024.

Assessment of Age and Sex Difference in Cardiopulmonary Function of Children and Adolescents with Ventricular Septal Defect.

In the past, an isolated ventricular septal defect (VSD) was categorized as a simple lesion with assumed negligible long-term risks when treated correctly in childhood; however, evidence has suggested that patients with isolated congenital VSDs carry a substantial burden of cardiovascular morbidity throughout life. This study aimed to investigate the cardiopulmonary function (CPF) in isolated VSD patients of a young age and the relationship of CPF with age, sex and body mass index (BMI). This retrospective cohort study was conducted at a tertiary medical center in southern Taiwan.

Calcitriol deficiency reduces myocardial ATP production with disturbed mitochondrial dynamics and increased uncoupling protein 2 expression.

Vitamin D deficiency and myocardial ATP depletion are associated with heart failure. Although vitamin D may regulate mitochondrial function, its effect on cardiac ATP synthesis remains unclear. This study investigated whether calcitriol deficiency directly modulates ATP production in cardiomyocytes and explored the underlying mechanisms.

Nicotine Exacerbates Arrhythmogenesis in Rabbit Right Ventricular Outflow Tract Triggered by Chronic Obstructive Pulmonary Disease.

Cigarette smoke includes nicotine that increases ventricular tachycardia (VT) risk. Chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD) and right ventricular outflow tract (RVOT) constitute the primary risk factor and origin of VT, respectively. To investigate the arrhythmogenesis of nicotine in COPD, we employed tachypacing with or without H89, KN93 and KB-R7943 treatment, along with patch clamp experiments and Masson's trichrome staining in control rabbits and rabbits with human leukocyte elastase (0.

Neuregulin 1β enhances pulmonary vein arrhythmogenesis by modulating electrophysiological characteristics, calcium and sodium homeostasis via the AKT/CaMKII pathway.

Background: Atrial fibrillation (AF) is the most common arrhythmia encountered in clinical practice and the pulmonary vein (PV) is the most important AF trigger. Neuregulin 1β (NRG1β), which is elevated in patients with paroxysmal AF, may activate signalling pathways that mediate cellular adaptations and subsequent stress in the myocardium. The objectives of this study were to study the effects of NRG1β on the PVs and explore the underlying mechanisms.

The effectiveness of pulsed electromagnetic field therapy in patients with shoulder impingement syndrome: A systematic review and meta-analysis of randomized controlled trials.

We performed a systematic review and meta-analysis to assess the efficacy of pulsed electromagnetic field (PEMF) therapy in treating patients with shoulder impingement syndrome. We sourced data from PubMed, the Cochrane Library, and Embase databases up until June 19, 2024. Our analysis included randomized controlled trials (RCTs) that evaluated the impact of PEMF therapy on pain levels and functional capacity in these patients.

PCSK9 Enhances Cardiac Fibrogenesis via the Activation of Toll-like Receptor and NLRP3 Inflammasome Signaling.

Proprotein convertase subtilisin/kexin type 9 (PCSK9) has emerged as a novel target for reducing low-density lipoprotein cholesterol. PCSK9 activates the atherosclerosis process through pro-inflammation signaling. Furthermore, the serum level of PCSK9 is positively correlated with mortality in patients with heart failure (HF).

A digital application increases the accuracy and reduces the time required to determine the stage of endometrial cancer according to the 2023 FIGO staging system.

Objective: The 2023 International Federation of Gynecology and Obstetrics (FIGO) staging system for endometrial cancer has significantly increased the complexity of stage determination. We developed a digital application, the Endometrial Cancer Staging (ECAS) application, to assist in determining the endometrial cancer stage. This study aimed to assess whether ECAS can increase the accuracy and reduce the time required for staging endometrial cancer compared to conventional lookup methods.

Indoxyl Sulfate Induces Ventricular Arrhythmias Attenuated by Secretoneurin in Right Ventricular Outflow Tract Cardiomyocytes.

Ventricular arrhythmias (VAs) are major causes of sudden cardiac death in chronic kidney disease (CKD) patients. Indoxyl sulfate (IS) is one common uremic toxin found in CKD patients. This study investigated whether IS could induce VAs via increasing right ventricular outflow tract (RVOT) arrhythmogenesis.

Identification of vascular hotspots and analysis of micro-vessel flow velocity waveforms in high-grade squamous intraepithelial lesions of the cervix.

Objectives: To assess hotspot micro-vessel flow velocity waveforms in human papillomavirus (HPV) cervical infections using transvaginal power Doppler ultrasound (TV-PDU) and explore associations with high-grade squamous intraepithelial lesions (HSIL, cervical intraepithelial neoplasia [CIN] II and III).

Methods: In all, 62 patients with confirmed HPV-HSIL (14 CIN II, 48 CIN III) and 65 age- and parity-matched women with neither HPV infection nor CIN were compared. Seven parameters by TV-PDU were used to assess vascular classification and micro-vessel flow velocity, including vascular grading (class I, II, III), lowest pulsatility index (PI), resistance index (RI), peak systolic velocity (PS), end-diastolic velocity (ED), time average maximum velocity (TAMV), and the vascular index (VI = PS/ED).

FIGO 2023 staging system predicts not only survival outcome but also recurrence pattern in corpus-confined endometrial cancer patients.

Objective: Approximately 10-15 % of endometrial cancer patients with tumors confined to the uterus (FIGO 2009 stage I) demonstrate recurrence and the oncologic outcomes are highly related to recurrence patterns. This study aimed to verify whether the FIGO 2023 staging system could discriminate outcomes.

Materials And Methods: Between January 2010 and March 2019, 536 FIGO 2009 stage I patients were eligible for this retrospective cohort study.

Protocol for adeno-associated virus-mediated miRNA delivery in a rat heart failure model.

Delivering microRNA (miRNA) to treat cardiac disease is a significant challenge, and selecting an efficient delivery method to target the affected organ is critical for therapeutic success. Here, we present a protocol for delivering miRNA to the heart of rats with heart failure using adeno-associated virus (AAV9) coupled with a hydrodynamic transfusion strategy. We describe steps for inducing heart failure, echocardiography, and AAV9 application.

Correction: Huynh et al. Spike Protein Impairs Mitochondrial Function in Human Cardiomyocytes: Mechanisms Underlying Cardiac Injury in COVID-19. 2023, , 877.

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2023 TSOC-TACVPR-TACPAH Consensus Statement of the Rehabilitation on Patients with Pulmonary Hypertension.

In the past, patients with pulmonary hypertension (PH) were advised to avoid exercise due to concerns that it might strain cardiac function and exacerbate symptoms. However, recent evidence indicates that structured exercise programs can enhance outcomes and improve health-related quality of life for these patients. Consequently, exercise rehabilitation is now recommended in international guidelines as a key component of PH management.

Clinical outcomes of round spermatid injection vs intracytoplasmic sperm injection: The role of hormonal pretreatment for nonobstructive azoospermia.

Background: Round spermatid injection (ROSI) into oocytes offers men with nonobstructive azoospermia (NOA) the opportunity to have biological offspring in cases where mature spermatozoa are not detected. However, the clinical outcomes of ROSI remain poor. This study compared the outcomes of ROSI with intracytoplasmic sperm injection (ICSI) and investigated the effect of hormonal pretreatment.

Survival and Treatment Patterns in Stage II to III Esophageal Cancer.

Importance: Existing clinical trials favor neoadjuvant chemoradiation therapy (NCRT) followed by surgery alone for locally advanced esophageal cancer (EC) and perioperative chemotherapy as the preferred modality for esophageal adenocarcinoma (EAC). However, it is unclear whether these trial findings are reflected in the patterns of care and survival outcomes among patients in the clinical setting.

Objective: To investigate survival outcomes in the clinical setting among patients with EC after various treatment modalities.

Predicting the T790M mutation in non-small cell lung cancer (NSCLC) using brain metastasis MR radiomics: a study with an imbalanced dataset.

Background: Early detection of T790M mutation in exon 20 of epidermal growth factor receptor (EGFR) in non-small cell lung cancer (NSCLC) patients with brain metastasis is crucial for optimizing treatment strategies. In this study, we developed radiomics models to distinguish NSCLC patients with T790M-positive mutations from those with T790M-negative mutations using multisequence MR images of brain metastasis despite an imbalanced dataset. Various resampling techniques and classifiers were employed to identify the most effective strategy.

Spike Protein of SARS-CoV-2 Activates Cardiac Fibrogenesis through NLRP3 Inflammasomes and NF-κB Signaling.

Background: The spike protein of severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2) is crucial to viral entry and can cause cardiac injuries. Toll-like receptor 4 (TLR4) and NOD-, LPR-, and pyrin-domain-containing 3 (NLRP3) inflammasome are critical immune system components implicated in cardiac fibrosis. The spike protein activates NLRP3 inflammasome through TLR4 or angiotensin-converting enzyme 2 (ACE2) receptors, damaging various organs.

Efficacy and safety of oxaliplatin-based hyperthermic intraperitoneal chemotherapy with secondary cytoreduction for platinum resistant recurrent ovarian cancer: A single-center retrospective cohort study.

Background/purpose: This retrospective study evaluated the efficacy and adverse effects of oxaliplatin-based hyperthermic intraperitoneal chemotherapy (HIPEC) with secondary cytoreductive surgery (CRS) in patients with recurrent ovarian cancer.

Methods: Patients diagnosed with recurrent epithelial ovarian cancer, including fallopian tube and peritoneal origin, who underwent oxaliplatin-based HIPEC with secondary CRS, were enrolled. The primary outcome was progression-free survival (PFS), and the secondary outcomes were overall survival (OS) and adverse events.

Chronic Partial Sleep Deprivation Increased the Incidence of Atrial Fibrillation by Promoting Pulmonary Vein and Atrial Arrhythmogenesis in a Rodent Model.

Sleep deprivation (SD) is a recognized risk factor for atrial fibrillation (AF), yet the precise molecular and electrophysiological mechanisms behind SD-induced AF are unclear. This study explores the electrical and structural changes that contribute to AF in chronic partial SD. We induced chronic partial SD in Wistar rats using a modified multiple-platform method.

Prospective observational study of infection in patients with pneumonia.

, an oral commensal parasite commonly found in the human mouth, is associated with periodontitis and poor oral hygiene. However, it has also been identified in the bronchoalveolar lavage fluid (BALF) of individuals with lung diseases. Notably, significant quantities of have been isolated following bronchoscopy in cases of empyema and acute respiratory distress syndrome (ARDS).