[A new fixed Twin-block appliance in the treatment of adolescent patients with skeletal Class Ⅱ malocclusion].

Purpose: To evaluate the clinical effect of a new fixed Twin-block on adolescent patients with skeletal ClassⅡ malocclusion.

Methods: Twenty-one patients aged 10-13 years with skeletal ClassⅡ malocclusion with mandibular retrusion were chosen for functional treatment using a new fixed Twin-block. Before and after treatment, panoramic and cephalometric films were taken, and the observation indexes were measured and recorded.

Genetic architecture of hypertrophic cardiomyopathy in individuals of Chinese and United Kingdom ancestry.

Background: No studies have explored the genetic differences between the Chinese and other ethnic hypertrophic cardiomyopathy (HCM) populations.

Methods: This cross-sectional study included Chinese patients ( = 593) with HCM and controls ( = 491) who underwent whole-exome sequencing. Rare variants in 16 validated HCM genes were assessed and compared with a United Kingdom HCM cohort ( = 1 232) and controls ( = 344 745).

Laser-emitting aqueous bioreactors for ultrasensitive bioactivity analysis.

Water droplets, acting as natural bioreactors and optical whispering-gallery-mode (WGM) resonators, hold the potential for laser-assisted analysis. However, water/aqueous droplet lasers can only survive in air with a limited lifespan (<100 s) due to rapid evaporation, restricting their applications in bioreactions. To address this challenge, we introduce laser-emitting aqueous bioreactors (LEABs) in fluorocarbon oils.

Misclassification of recovery in dilated cardiomyopathy by echocardiography as compared to cardiac MRI.

Accurate assessment of cardiac function is the cornerstone of DCM diagnosis and management. Studies have compared CMR and 2D-TTE but the impact of these measurements on HF classification and assessment of EF improvement has not been explored. We aim to compare left ventricular (LV) ejection fraction (EF) and volumes as measured by cardiovascular magnetic resonance (CMR) and two dimensional (2D) transthoracic echocardiography (TTE) in dilated cardiomyopathy (DCM) patients in the initial EF based classification of heart failure (HF) and subsequent follow-up.

Cardiac structure and function recovery in acromegaly after treatment: insights from cardiac magnetic resonance imaging.

Purpose: Cardiac magnetic resonance imaging (CMRI) provides a detailed method for understanding the specific cardiovascular alterations associated with acromegaly. This study aimed to evaluate the impact of personalized treatment on cardiac structure, function, and myocardial tissue characteristics using CMRI, and to assess the effects of biochemical remission on improving cardiovascular complications in acromegaly patients.

Method: Thirty-nine acromegaly patients were enrolled from July 2020 to February 2023 at West China Hospital of Sichuan University.

Evaluate the impact of PM in different macrophage types under the influence of seasonal changes and anthropogenic activities.

Particulate matter (PM) in air pollution has become a major environmental concern due to its potential health impacts, which vary seasonally and with human activities. While PM is often monitored for concentration, its chemical composition is equally important, especially regarding its effects on the immune system, which remain poorly understood. This study investigates the biological effects of PM2.

Feature-based molecular networking of two Arenga species extracts, appraisal of their anti-inflammatory, analgesic, and antidiarrheal activity.

Objective: Genus Arenga was used in traditional medicine for their analgesia and anti-inflammatory activities. This study is aimed to report the chemical profile and therapeutic potential in management of diarrhea and pain control for the aqueous methanolic extract (AME) of A. engleri and A.

Mechanistic modeling of retention time distribution under high breakthrough conditions for continuous Protein A affinity capture.

Regulatory authorities strongly recommend using residence time distribution (RTD) to achieve material traceability in continuous bioprocesses for non-adsorption units. For adsorption-based units, such as chromatography, retention time distribution (ReTD) is more suitable than RTD for characterizing material flow. Continuous capture chromatography is widely applied for biopharmaceutical continuous manufacturing.

Assessing 3-D variability of ultrafine particle using a Geo-AI modelling approach: A case study in Zhunan-Miaoli, Taiwan.

Previous air pollution modeling studies have predominantly emphasized horizontal distributions, overlooking the critical vertical variability of pollutant concentrations in urban environments. Therefore, the three-dimensional (3-D) behavior of air pollutants, and of ultrafine particulate matter (PM) in particular, is insufficiently characterized. This study examined the 3-D distribution of PM in the Zhunan and Toufen regions in Miaoli, Taiwan.

Removing macromolecular organic matter from biogas slurry prior to its application reduces organic N leaching and soil NO emissions.

Biogas slurry is an organic fertilizer with a low C/N ratio and a high water content. It can promote soil nitrous oxide (NO) emissions and the leaching of small-molecule organic N compounds. In this study, membrane micro- and ultrafiltration were performed to separate organic matter from biogas slurry.

Cardiac Phenotype Characterization at MRI in ALPK3 Associated Hypertrophic Cardiomyopathy.

Background: Alpha-protein kinase 3 (ALPK3) was recently identified as a candidate gene associated with hypertrophic cardiomyopathy (HCM). However, clinical data regarding carriers of ALPK3 variants are limited.

Objectives: To evaluate the prevalence of heterozygous ALPK3 variants in adult patients with HCM through whole-exome sequencing, and to elucidate the phenotypes of individuals harboring these variants.

Targeting Neutrophil-Mediated Inflammation: Identification of Pyrazolidinone Carboxamide Derivatives as Potent Selective Inhibitors of Formyl Peptide Receptor 1 (FPR1)-Activated Neutrophils.

Neutrophils play a critical role in the innate immune response, but their overactivation can lead to chronic inflammation and tissue damage in conditions such as rheumatoid arthritis, chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD), and sepsis. Formyl peptide receptor 1 (FPR1) is a key regulator of neutrophil activation, making it an attractive target for therapeutic intervention. In this study, an in-house screening revealed pyrazolidinone carboxamide derivatives as effective inhibitors of neutrophil activation, exhibiting no cytotoxic effects.

Deep Learning-Assisted Nanocavity Sensor for Amphiphilic Biomarker Analysis.

Fluorescence enhancement using nanocavity structures is a promising approach for rapid detection of amphiphilic biomarkers, which are essential for diagnosing diseases such as cancer and infections. This paper presents the use of a silver nanocube (AgNC)-gold mirror nanocavity integrated with a support lipid bilayer (SLB) for enhanced fluorescence detection. The SLB ensures optimal spacing, minimizing quenching and enhancing the fluorescence signal of amphiphilic biomarkers.

A 54-Year-Old Woman With Recurrent Exertional Dyspnea After Surgical Repair for Atrial Septal Defect.

A 54-year-old woman with a history of recurrent exertional dyspnea for 5 years was admitted for evaluation. Six months prior, she noted a worsening of her symptoms, with progressive physical activity limitation caused by exertional fatigue and dyspnea (climbing 2 to 3 flights of stairs). She also experienced palpitations, with an estimated heart rate that ranged from 120 to 150 beats per minute.

Application of machine learning algorithms to identify risk factors for depression in type 2 diabetes mellitus patients: A Taiwan diabetes registry study.

Background: We analyzed variables reported during routine clinical practice using a registrational database to estimate risk factors for depression in people with type 2 diabetes mellitus.

Methods: A Patient Health Questionnaire (PHQ-9) score of 15 was selected as the cut-off for clinically meaningful depression. Missing data was either filled in with a median value, the k -nearest neighbors' method, or the entire variable was removed.

A novel nurse-led, multidisciplinary, and guideline-directed disease intensive management program improves long-term survival of pulmonary hypertension patients.

Background: Although the overall survival of pulmonary hypertension (PH) patients improved in the current era, better management strategy for PH patients still needs further exploration.

Objectives: Here, we proposed a novel nurse-led, multidisciplinary, and guideline-directed disease intensive management program and hypothesized this strategy would improve the overall survival of PH patients.

Methods: Patients were prospectively enrolled and divided into the intensive management group (IDM) and the conventional disease care (CDC) group voluntarily.

Inhibition of RPA32 and Cytotoxic Effects of the Carnivorous Plant Root Extract in Non-Small-Cell Lung Cancer Cells.

The carnivorous plant has been traditionally used in various ethnobotanical applications, including treatments for type 2 diabetes and tuberculosis-like symptoms. This study investigates the cytotoxic effects of root extract (Sp-R) on human non-small-cell lung cancer (NSCLC) cell lines, including H1975, H838, and A549, focusing on its impact on cell survival, apoptosis, proliferation, and migration. Additionally, its ability to inhibit the single-stranded DNA-binding activity of human RPA32 (huRPA32), a key protein in DNA replication, was evaluated.

Dielectric Nanocavity Enhanced Fluorescence Emission for Ultrasensitive Wavelength-Multiplexed Detection.

This study demonstrates a novel biosensing platform utilizing a dielectric nanocavity to enhance fluorescence emission for the ultrasensitive detection of biomolecules. By coupling a silver (Ag) nanocube with a distributed Bragg reflector (DBR) mirror, we achieved a substantial fluorescence enhancement reaching a maximum enhancement factor of up to 855-fold and having quasi-single molecule sensitivity. The platform was successfully applied for multiplexed detection of four different miRNA biomarkers, showcasing its ability to detect multiple targets simultaneously with high sensitivity.

Hybrid Modeling of the Reversed-Phase Chromatographic Purification of an Oligonucleotide: Few-Shot Learning From Differentiable Physics Solver-in-the-Loop.

Hybrid models integrate mechanistic and data-driven components, effectively addressing the challenges of limited process understanding and data availability typical of biopharmaceutical processes. In this study, we applied a hybrid modeling framework named differentiable physics solver-in-the-loop (DP-SOL) to describe the reversed-phase chromatographic purification of an oligonucleotide, overcoming the mentioned limitations of purely mechanistic and data-driven models. The framework establishes a connection between neural networks (NNs) and mechanistic models through differentiable physical operators and their gradients.