Immunomodulatory effect of Bifidobacterium breve on experimental allergic rhinitis in BALB/c mice

Bifidobacterium breve (B. breve) may have a beneficial effect on allergic rhinitis (AR). The aim of the present study was to investigate whether microbial induction of regulatory T cells (Tregs) and adjustment of Th1 and Th2 responses by B. breve are associated with protection against allergic inflammation, and to identify a dose-response association in a murine AR model. Ovalbumin (OVA)-sensitized BALB/c mice were orally treated with different doses of B. breve [10(10), 10(9), 10(7) and 10(5) colony forming units (CFU)]. Following nasal challenge with OVA, sneeze frequency, serum OVA-specific immunoglobulin E (IgE) and cytokine concentrations [interleukin (IL)-4, IL-10, IL-13 and interferon-gamma], splenic percentage of cluster of differentiation (CD)4+CD25+ Tregs, and morphology of the nasal mucosa were examined. Oral treatment with live B. breve at doses of 10(7) CFU or higher alleviated nasal mucosal injury and suppressed sneezing upon repeated administration over a 6-week period. Furthermore, treatment with B. breve at these higher doses reduced the concentrations of serum OVA-specific IgE, IL-4 and IL-10, and increased the splenic percentage of CD4+CD25+ Tregs in rhinitic mice compared with those who did not receive probiotics. In contrast, treatment with B. breve at a lower dose did not indicate any effect on sneezing frequency or mucosal morphology in this animal model, even though the splenic percentage of CD4+CD25+ Tregs increased and the concentrations of serum OVA-specific IgE and IL-10 declined. B. breve exerts its anti-allergic effects by inhibiting type 2 helper T cell immune responses and enhancing CD4+CD25+ Treg activity. Sneezing was also reduced at a dose of 10(7) CFU or higher. The current study investigated the role of B. breve and aided in identifying the optimal dose of B. breve administration in the treatment of AR

Perceived Causes of Autism Spectrum Disorders among Taiwanese Parents of Affected Children: A Qualitative Study

Background: Autism Spectrum Disorders (ASDs) represent a complex group of neurodevelopment and mental disorders. Currently, the etiologies for ASDs are unclear. Consequently, it is important to assess the perceptions of ASDs among parents of affected children, as their perceptions can impact parent-child bonding, disease prognosis and treatment, subsequent education and living environment of the affected child, and interactions with health professionals.  The majority of available research regarding parental perceptions of ASDs has been conducted in the Western countries. Given that culture plays an important role in parents’ views regarding the causes of ASDs, this study aims to examine perceptions of the etiology of ASDs among parents in Taiwan – an Asian country strongly influenced by the Chinese culture.Methods: Participants were recruitment through ASDs organizations in Taiwan. In-depth interviews were performed with 31 mothers and 8 fathers who had at least one child diagnosed with ASDs. All interviews were audio-recorded, transcribed, and subsequently analyzed via content analysis.Results: The themes of ASDs etiologies identified by participants from the highest to the lowest frequencies were: genetics (n=30; 76.9%), problems during mother’s pregnancy (n=18; 46.2%), complications/situations during delivery (n=13; 33.3%), vaccination (n=11; 28.2%), environmental pollutions (n=10; 25.6%), children’s non-ASDs related health problems and unintended injuries (n=9; 23.1%), parenting style (n=7; 17.9%), parents’ occupation (n=7; 17.9%), spiritual or religious factors (n=6; 15.4%), children’s diet (n=2; 5.1%), maternal age at the time of pregnancy (n=1; 2.6%), and children’s use of traditional Chinese medicine (n=1; 2.6%).Discussion: Taiwanese parents held diverse views on the causes of ASDs. Overall, parental beliefs were based on culture, scientific evidence/research and uninformed non-scientific views. Our results may help health professionals and researchers identify gaps in parents’ knowledge of ASDs and understand commonly held misperceptions about the causes of ASDs. Further, findings generated from this qualitative research may serve as the foundation for a research instrument to survey beliefs regarding the causes of ASDs among larger samples of Taiwanese parents who have children affected by ASDs

The Efficacy of Acupuncture on Anthropometric Measures and the Biochemical Markers for Metabolic Syndrome: A Randomized Controlled Pilot Study

Background. Many previous studies have shown the potential therapeutic effect of acupuncture for metabolic syndrome (MetS). However, most of these studies were limited by short durations of observation and a lack of sham acupuncture as control. We designed a randomized controlled trial, used sham acupuncture as the control, and evaluated the efficacy over 12 weeks of treatment and 12 weeks of follow-up. Methods/Design. The study was designed as a multicentre, parallel-group, randomized, double-blinded trial. 40 patients were randomly assigned to two groups: treatment group (treated with acupuncture) and control group (treated with sham acupuncture). Outcomes were measured at 4, 8, and 12 weeks and 3 months after treatment. Results. 33 participants (17 in acupuncture group and 16 in control group) completed the treatment and the follow-up. Decreases from baseline in mean waist circumference (WC) and weight at the end of treatment were 4.85 cm (95% CI [2.405,5.595]) and 4.00 kg (95% CI [1.6208,4.4498]) in acupuncture group and 1.62 cm and 1.64 kg in control group (P<0.01). The changes in mean glycosylated haemoglobin (HbA1c), triglycerides (TG), total cholesterol (TC), and blood pressure in acupuncture group were greater than the changes in control group (P<0.05, P<0.01). Conclusion. Acupuncture decreases WC, HC, HbA1c, TG, and TC values and blood pressure in MetS

Mudskipper genomes provide insights into the terrestrial adaptation of amphibious fishes

Mudskippers are amphibious fishes that have developed morphological and physiological adaptations to match their unique lifestyles. Here we perform whole-genome sequencing of four representative mudskippers to elucidate the molecular mechanisms underlying these adaptations. We discover an expansion of innate immune system genes in the mudskippers that may provide defence against terrestrial pathogens. Several genes of the ammonia excretion pathway in the gills have experienced positive selection, suggesting their important roles in mudskippers’ tolerance to environmental ammonia. Some vision-related genes are differentially lost or mutated, illustrating genomic changes associated with aerial vision. Transcriptomic analyses of mudskippers exposed to air highlight regulatory pathways that are up- or down-regulated in response to hypoxia. The present study provides a valuable resource for understanding the molecular mechanisms underlying water-to-land transition of vertebrates

Warm Needling Therapy and Acupuncture at Meridian-Sinew Sites Based on the Meridian-Sinew Theory: Hemiplegic Shoulder Pain

This study was performed to evaluate the effectiveness and safety of warm needling acupuncture at meridian-sinew sites based on the meridian-sinew theory in the treatment of hemiplegic shoulder pain (HSP) after stroke. In total, 124 subjects were randomized into a treatment group and control group. In the treatment group, warm needling therapy and acupuncture at meridian-sinew sites based on the meridian-sinew theory were performed. In the control group, usual care therapy was applied. The visual analog scale (VAS) score, range of motion (ROM), and Barthel index (BI) were used to evaluate treatment effectiveness. At 2 weeks of treatment, the VAS score, ROM, and BI had obviously changed from baseline in the two groups (P < 0.01). The changes in the VAS score and ROM in the treatment group were significantly greater than those in the control group (P < 0.01). At the 3-month follow-up after treatment, the changes in the treatment group were significantly greater than those in the control group (P < 0.01). This study indicates that warm needling therapy with acupuncture at meridian-sinew sites based on the meridian-sinew theory is effective for HSP

Table1_Augmented reality hologram combined with pre-bent distractor enhanced the accuracy of distraction vector transfer in maxillary distraction osteogenesis, a study based on 3D printed phantoms.docx

BackgroundVector control is a significant concern in maxillary distraction osteogenesis (DO). Distraction vector planning on the patient's 3D-printed skull phantom is more intuitive for surgeons and cost-efficient than virtual surgical planning. However, the accuracy of transferring the planned vector to intraoperative (vector transfer) according to the shape of the pre-bent footplate alone is relatively limited. The application of augmented reality (AR) in surgical navigation has been studied for years. However, few studies have focused on its role in maxillary DO vector transfer. This study aimed to evaluate the accuracy of AR surgical navigation combined with the pre-bent distractor in vector transfer by comparing it with the pre-bent distractor alone.MethodsTen patients with maxillary hypoplasia were enrolled with consent, and three identical 3D-printed skull phantoms were manufactured based on per patient's corresponding pre-operative CT data. Among these, one phantom was for pre-operative planning (n = 10), while and the other two were for the AR+Pre-bending group (n = 10) and the Pre-bending group (n = 10) for the experimental surgery, respectively. In the Pre-bending group, the distraction vector was solely determined by matching the shape of footplates and maxillary surface. In the AR+Pre-bending group, the distractors were first confirmed to have no deformation. Then AR surgical navigation was applied to check and adjust the vector in addition to the steps as in the Pre-bending Group.ResultsFor the angular deviation of the distraction vector, the AR+Pre-bending group was significantly smaller than the Pre-bending group in spatial (p ConclusionsIn this study based on 3D printed skull phantoms, the AR surgical navigation combined with the pre-bent distractor enhanced the accuracy of vector transfer in maxillary DO, compared with the pre-bending technique alone.</p

Datasheet1_Augmented reality hologram combined with pre-bent distractor enhanced the accuracy of distraction vector transfer in maxillary distraction osteogenesis, a study based on 3D printed phantoms.docx

BackgroundVector control is a significant concern in maxillary distraction osteogenesis (DO). Distraction vector planning on the patient's 3D-printed skull phantom is more intuitive for surgeons and cost-efficient than virtual surgical planning. However, the accuracy of transferring the planned vector to intraoperative (vector transfer) according to the shape of the pre-bent footplate alone is relatively limited. The application of augmented reality (AR) in surgical navigation has been studied for years. However, few studies have focused on its role in maxillary DO vector transfer. This study aimed to evaluate the accuracy of AR surgical navigation combined with the pre-bent distractor in vector transfer by comparing it with the pre-bent distractor alone.MethodsTen patients with maxillary hypoplasia were enrolled with consent, and three identical 3D-printed skull phantoms were manufactured based on per patient's corresponding pre-operative CT data. Among these, one phantom was for pre-operative planning (n = 10), while and the other two were for the AR+Pre-bending group (n = 10) and the Pre-bending group (n = 10) for the experimental surgery, respectively. In the Pre-bending group, the distraction vector was solely determined by matching the shape of footplates and maxillary surface. In the AR+Pre-bending group, the distractors were first confirmed to have no deformation. Then AR surgical navigation was applied to check and adjust the vector in addition to the steps as in the Pre-bending Group.ResultsFor the angular deviation of the distraction vector, the AR+Pre-bending group was significantly smaller than the Pre-bending group in spatial (p ConclusionsIn this study based on 3D printed skull phantoms, the AR surgical navigation combined with the pre-bent distractor enhanced the accuracy of vector transfer in maxillary DO, compared with the pre-bending technique alone.</p

Video1_Augmented reality hologram combined with pre-bent distractor enhanced the accuracy of distraction vector transfer in maxillary distraction osteogenesis, a study based on 3D printed phantoms.mp4

BackgroundVector control is a significant concern in maxillary distraction osteogenesis (DO). Distraction vector planning on the patient's 3D-printed skull phantom is more intuitive for surgeons and cost-efficient than virtual surgical planning. However, the accuracy of transferring the planned vector to intraoperative (vector transfer) according to the shape of the pre-bent footplate alone is relatively limited. The application of augmented reality (AR) in surgical navigation has been studied for years. However, few studies have focused on its role in maxillary DO vector transfer. This study aimed to evaluate the accuracy of AR surgical navigation combined with the pre-bent distractor in vector transfer by comparing it with the pre-bent distractor alone.MethodsTen patients with maxillary hypoplasia were enrolled with consent, and three identical 3D-printed skull phantoms were manufactured based on per patient's corresponding pre-operative CT data. Among these, one phantom was for pre-operative planning (n = 10), while and the other two were for the AR+Pre-bending group (n = 10) and the Pre-bending group (n = 10) for the experimental surgery, respectively. In the Pre-bending group, the distraction vector was solely determined by matching the shape of footplates and maxillary surface. In the AR+Pre-bending group, the distractors were first confirmed to have no deformation. Then AR surgical navigation was applied to check and adjust the vector in addition to the steps as in the Pre-bending Group.ResultsFor the angular deviation of the distraction vector, the AR+Pre-bending group was significantly smaller than the Pre-bending group in spatial (p ConclusionsIn this study based on 3D printed skull phantoms, the AR surgical navigation combined with the pre-bent distractor enhanced the accuracy of vector transfer in maxillary DO, compared with the pre-bending technique alone.</p