The effects of a facilitator-enabled online multicomponent iSupport for dementia programme: A multicentre randomised controlled trial.

BACKGROUND: Multicomponent interventions with carers of people with dementia demonstrate positive effects on the health and quality of life for carers and care recipients. The World Health Organization's iSupport for Dementia is an evidence-based online psychoeducation programme for carers. However, the programme was mainly implemented as a self-learning tool which might have limited its positive effects on carers and care recipients. Evidence for online multicomponent interventions with carers that incorporates the iSupport programme remains unknown. OBJECTIVES: This study aimed to partner with health and social care organisations to evaluate the effects of a facilitator-enabled online multicomponent Chinese iSupport programme, which included psychoeducation using the iSupport programme, facilitator-enabled carer support groups and access to care services. DESIGN: A multicentre randomised controlled trial. SETTINGS AND PARTICIPANTS: Participants were family carers in Australia and greater China. We recruited participants to the study from 1st November 2021 to 30th June 2022. METHODS: The intervention group received the Chinese iSupport programme delivered online. The intervention lasted for 6 months. Our primary outcome was carers' quality of life. Our secondary outcomes were carers' self-efficacy, social support, distress reactions to changed behaviours, care recipients' frequency of changed behaviours, quality of life, unplanned hospital admissions, emergency department presentations and permanent admissions to nursing homes. The outcomes were measured at baseline (T0), 6 months (T1) and 9 months (T2). We applied a multivariate mixed effect linear regression model to capture the group effect, time effect and their interaction. RESULTS: In total, 266 eligible family carers agreed to participate and were randomly assigned to an intervention group (n = 131) or a usual care group (n = 135). Most carers were women with a mean age of 53 years. The intervention group showed a statistically significant higher score of mental-health-related quality of life (mean difference = 4.1, 95 % CI: 1.5, 6.8, p = 0.002), self-efficacy in controlling upsetting thoughts (mean difference = 7.1, 95 % CI: 2.2, 12.0, p = 0.005) and lower score of distress reactions to changed behaviours (mean difference = -0.1, 95 % CI: -0.3, -0.03, p = 0.012) than the usual care group at T1. CONCLUSION: The facilitator-enabled online multicomponent Chinese iSupport programme demonstrated positive effects for carers on mental health-related quality of life, controlling upsetting thoughts and distress reactions to changed behaviours of people with dementia. TRIAL REGISTRATION: This study is registered in the Australia New Zealand Clinical Trials Registry on 12th March 2021 (ACTRN12621000276853). TWEETABLE ABSTRACT: The facilitator-enabled online multicomponent Chinese iSupport programme improved family carers' mental health-related quality of life, control of upsetting thoughts and distress reactions to changed behaviours of people with dementia.

Intratumoral microbiome of adenoid cystic carcinomas and comparison with other head and neck cancers.

Adenoid cystic carcinoma (ACC) is a rare, usually slow-growing yet aggressive head and neck malignancy. Despite its clinical significance, our understanding of the cellular evolution and microenvironment in ACC remains limited. We investigated the intratumoral microbiomes of 50 ACC tumor tissues and 33 adjacent normal tissues using 16S rRNA gene sequencing. This allowed us to characterize the bacterial communities within the ACC and explore potential associations between the bacterial community structure, patient clinical characteristics, and tumor molecular features obtained through RNA sequencing. The bacterial composition in the ACC was significantly different from that in adjacent normal salivary tissue, and the ACC exhibited diverse levels of species richness. We identified two main microbial subtypes within the ACC: oral-like and gut-like. Oral-like microbiomes, characterized by increased diversity and abundance of Neisseria, Leptotrichia, Actinomyces, Streptococcus, Rothia, and Veillonella (commonly found in healthy oral cavities), were associated with a less aggressive ACC-II molecular subtype and improved patient outcomes. Notably, we identified the same oral genera in oral cancer and head and neck squamous cell carcinomas. In both cancers, they were part of shared oral communities associated with a more diverse microbiome, less aggressive tumor phenotype, and better survival that reveal the genera as potential pancancer biomarkers for favorable microbiomes in ACC and other head and neck cancers. Conversely, gut-like intratumoral microbiomes, which feature low diversity and colonization by gut mucus layer-degrading species, such as Bacteroides, Akkermansia, Blautia, Bifidobacterium, and Enterococcus, were associated with poorer outcomes. Elevated levels of Bacteroides thetaiotaomicron were independently associated with significantly worse survival and positively correlated with tumor cell biosynthesis of glycan-based cell membrane components.

Excess glucose alone depress young mesenchymal stromal/stem cell osteogenesis and mitochondria activity within hours/days via NAD+/SIRT1 axis.

BACKGROUND: The impact of global overconsumption of simple sugars on bone health, which peaks in adolescence/early adulthood and correlates with osteoporosis (OP) and fracture risk decades, is unclear. Mesenchymal stromal/stem cells (MSCs) are the progenitors of osteoblasts/bone-forming cells, and known to decrease their osteogenic differentiation capacity with age. Alarmingly, while there is correlative evidence that adolescents consuming greatest amounts of simple sugars have the lowest bone mass, there is no mechanistic understanding on the causality of this correlation. METHODS: Bioinformatics analyses for energetics pathways involved during MSC differentiation using human cell information was performed. In vitro dissection of normal versus high glucose (HG) conditions on osteo-/adipo-lineage commitment and mitochondrial function was assessed using multi-sources of non-senescent human and murine MSCs; for in vivo validation, young mice was fed normal or HG-added water with subsequent analyses of bone marrow CD45- MSCs. RESULTS: Bioinformatics analyses revealed mitochondrial and glucose-related metabolic pathways as integral to MSC osteo-/adipo-lineage commitment. Functionally, in vitro HG alone without differentiation induction decreased both MSC mitochondrial activity and osteogenesis while enhancing adipogenesis by 8 h' time due to depletion of nicotinamide adenine dinucleotide (NAD+), a vital mitochondrial co-enzyme and co-factor to Sirtuin (SIRT) 1, a longevity gene also involved in osteogenesis. In vivo, HG intake in young mice depleted MSC NAD+, with oral NAD+ precursor supplementation rapidly reversing both mitochondrial decline and osteo-/adipo-commitment in a SIRT1-dependent fashion within 1 ~ 5 days. CONCLUSIONS: We found a surprisingly rapid impact of excessive glucose, a single dietary factor, on MSC SIRT1 function and osteogenesis in youthful settings, and the crucial role of NAD+-a single molecule-on both MSC mitochondrial function and lineage commitment. These findings have strong implications on future global OP and disability risks in light of current worldwide overconsumption of simple sugars.

Third-party fecal microbiota transplantation for high-risk treatment-naïve acute GVHD of the lower GI tract.

ABSTRACT: Disruption of the intestinal microbiome is observed with acute graft-versus-host disease (GVHD) of the lower gastrointestinal (LGI) tract, and fecal microbiota transplantation (FMT) has successfully cured steroid-refractory cases. In this open-label, single-arm, pilot study, third-party, single-donor FMT was administered in combination with systemic corticosteroids to participants with high-risk acute LGI GVHD, with a focus on treatment-naïve cases. Participants were scheduled to receive 1 induction dose (15 capsules per day for 2 consecutive days), followed by 3 weekly maintenance doses, consisting of 15 capsules per dose. The primary end point of the study was feasibility, which would be achieved if ≥80% of participants able to swallow ≥40 of the 75 scheduled capsules. Ten participants (9 treatment-naïve; 1 steroid-refractory) were enrolled and treated. The study met the primary end point, with 9 of 10 participants completing all eligible doses. Organ-specific LGI complete response rate at day 28 was 70%. Initial clinical response was observed within 1 week for all responders, and clinical responses were durable without recurrent LGI GVHD in complete responders. Exploratory analyses suggest that alpha diversity increased after FMT. Although recipient microbiome composition never achieved a high degree of donor similarity, expansion of donor-derived species and increases in tryptophan metabolites and short-chain fatty acids were observed within the first 7 days after FMT. Investigation into the use of microbiome-targeted interventions earlier in the treatment paradigm for acute LGI GVHD is warranted. This trial was registered at www.ClinicalTrials.gov as #NCT04139577.

Tsyn-Seq: a T-cell Synapse-Based Antigen Identification Platform.

Tools for genome-wide rapid identification of peptide-major histocompatibility complex targets of T-cell receptors (TCR) are not yet universally available. We present a new antigen screening method, the T-synapse (Tsyn) reporter system, which includes antigen-presenting cells (APC) with a Fas-inducible NF-κB reporter and T cells with a nuclear factor of activated T cells (NFAT) reporter. To functionally screen for target antigens from a cDNA library, productively interacting T cell-APC aggregates were detected by dual-reporter activity and enriched by flow sorting followed by antigen identification quantified by deep sequencing (Tsyn-seq). When applied to a previously characterized TCR specific for the E7 antigen derived from human papillomavirus type 16 (HPV16), Tsyn-seq successfully enriched the correct cognate antigen from a cDNA library derived from an HPV16-positive cervical cancer cell line. Tsyn-seq provides a method for rapidly identifying antigens recognized by TCRs of interest from a tumor cDNA library. See related Spotlight by Makani and Joglekar, p. 515.

High-density lipoprotein protects vascular endothelial cells from indoxyl sulfate insults through its antioxidant ability.

Chronic kidney disease (CKD) patients have a high risk of cardiovascular disease. Indoxyl sulfate (IS) is a uremic toxin that has been shown to inhibit nitric oxide production and cause cell senescence by inducing oxidative stress. High-density lipoprotein (HDL) has a protective effect on the cardiovascular system; however, its impacts on IS-damaged endothelial cells are still unknown. This study aimed to explore the effects of exogenous supplement of HDL on vascular endothelial cells in a uremia-mimic environment. Tube formation, migration, adhesion, and senescence assays were used to evaluate the cell function of human aortic endothelial cells (HAECs). Reactive oxygen species generation was measured by using Amplex red assay. L-NAME and MCI186 were used as a nitric oxide synthase inhibitor and a free radical scavenger, respectively. HDL exerted anti-inflammatory and antioxidant effects via HIF-1α/HO-1 activation and IL-1ß/TNF-α/IL-6 inhibition in IS-stimulated HAECs. HDL improved angiogenesis ability through upregulating Akt/eNOS/VEGF/SDF-1 in IS-stimulated HAECs. HDL decreased endothelial adhesiveness via downregulating VCAM-1 and ICAM-1 in IS-stimulated HAECs. Furthermore, HDL reduced cellular senescence via upregulating SIRT1 and downregulating p53 in IS-stimulated HAECs. Importantly, the above beneficial effects of HDL were mainly due to its antioxidant ability. In conclusion, HDL exerted a comprehensive protective effect on vascular endothelial cells against damage from IS through its antioxidant ability. The results of this study might provide a theoretical basis for potential HDL supplementation in CKD patients with endothelial damage.

Protocol for efficient human MSC chondrogenesis via Wnt antagonism instead of TGF-ß.

To better implement mesenchymal stem cell (MSC)-based therapy toward cartilage diseases, a more efficient and less off-target chondrogenesis protocol is needed. Here, we present a protocol to induce human MSC chondrogenesis via Wnt antagonism. We describe steps for pellet formation, Wnt antagonism-based chondrogenic induction, and refreshing the differentiation medium. We detail procedures for characterizing MSC chondrogenesis. By using Wnt antagonism instead of conventional transforming growth factor ß-based induction, this protocol avoids the potential for induction of chondrocyte hypertrophy/osteogenesis or other lineages. For complete details on the use and execution of this protocol, please refer to Hsieh et al. (2023).1.

Exploring the Effectiveness of Group Cognitive Stimulation Training in People With Schizophrenia: A Randomized Controlled Trial.

BACKGROUND: Schizophrenia is a chronic degenerative brain disease. Cognitive impairment, the core symptom of this disease, affects the mood and social functioning of patients severely. Nonpharmacological therapies that both improve cognitive function and are suitable for patients with schizophrenia remain underdeveloped. PURPOSE: This article was designed to explore the effects of group cognitive stimulation training (GCST) on cognitive function and social function in people with schizophrenia. METHODS: A randomized controlled trial was conducted. The 76 participants were allocated into either the experimental or control group using blocked randomization. The participants were all patients with chronic schizophrenia recruited from seven rehabilitation units in northern Taiwan who were 20-65 years old and scored 10-25 on the Montreal Cognitive Assessment Taiwan Version. The experimental group received the 60-minute GCST twice a week for 7 weeks, whereas the control group received standard treatment. All outcome indicators were analyzed at baseline and after intervention using generalized estimating equations. The primary outcome indicators included cognitive function assessed using the Taiwan version of the Montreal Cognitive Assessment, working memory assessed using the Wechsler Memory Scale-Third Edition, and executive function assessed using the Taiwanese version of the Frontal Assessment Battery. The secondary outcome indicator was social function assessed using the Social Function Scale-Taiwan short version. RESULTS: Generalized estimating equation modeling revealed the experimental group exhibited significant improvement in Montreal Cognitive Assessment total score ( B = 1.33, SE = 0.65, p = .040) and Social Function Scale-Taiwan short version ( B = 9.55, SE = 2.38, p < .001) after adjusting for nine covariates. No significant differences between the two groups in terms of working memory ( B = 4.79, SE = 2.66, p = .071) or executive function ( B = 0.53, SE = 0.63, p = .399) were found. CONCLUSIONS/IMPLICATIONS FOR PRACTICE: The results indicate that GCST positively impacts overall cognitive and social functions but not higher-order cognitive function (working memory and executive function). In clinical settings, GCST may be applied to improve cognitive function in people with schizophrenia. The findings of this study may inform the practice of mental health nurses to improve cognitive function in patients in clinical care.

Targeting Conserved Pathways in 3D Spheroid Formation of Diverse Cell Types for Translational Application: Enhanced Functional and Antioxidant Capacity.

Three-dimensional (3D) in vitro spheroid/organoid culture increasingly appears to better mimic physiological states than standard 2D systems. The biological consequence of 3D spheroids, however, differs for different cell types: for pluripotent embryonic stem cells (ESCs), differentiation and loss of stemness occur, while the converse is true for somatic and cancer cells. Despite such diverse consequences, there are likely conserved mechanisms governing 3D spheroid formation across cell types that are unknown but could be efficiently targeted for translational application. To elucidate such processes, we performed transcriptome analysis with functional validation on 2D- and 3D-cultured mouse ESCs, mesenchymal stromal/stem cells (MSCs), and cancer cells. At both the transcriptomic and functional levels, 3D spheroid formation resulted in commitment towards known cell-specific functional outcomes. Surprisingly in all cell types, downregulation of the cholesterol synthesis pathway was found during 3D spheroid formation, with modulation concomitantly affecting 3D spheroid formation and cell-specific consequences; similar results were seen with human cell types. Furthermore, improved antioxidant capacity after 3D spheroid formation across cell types was further enhanced with modulation of the pathway. These findings demonstrate the profound cell-specific consequences and the translational value of understanding conserved mechanisms across diverse cell types after 3D spheroid formation.

Microbiome alteration via fecal microbiota transplantation is effective for refractory immune checkpoint inhibitor-induced colitis.

Immune checkpoint inhibitors (ICIs) target advanced malignancies with high efficacy but also predispose patients to immune-related adverse events like immune-mediated colitis (IMC). Given the association between gut bacteria with response to ICI therapy and subsequent IMC, fecal microbiota transplantation (FMT) represents a feasible way to manipulate microbial composition in patients, with a potential benefit for IMC. Here, we present a large case series of 12 patients with refractory IMC who underwent FMT from healthy donors as salvage therapy. All 12 patients had grade 3 or 4 ICI-related diarrhea or colitis that failed to respond to standard first-line (corticosteroids) and second-line immunosuppression (infliximab or vedolizumab). Ten patients (83%) achieved symptom improvement after FMT, and three patients (25%) required repeat FMT, two of whom had no subsequent response. At the end of the study, 92% achieved IMC clinical remission. 16S rRNA sequencing of patient stool samples revealed that compositional differences between FMT donors and patients with IMC before FMT were associated with a complete response after FMT. Comparison of pre- and post-FMT stool samples in patients with complete responses showed significant increases in alpha diversity and increases in the abundances of Collinsella and Bifidobacterium, which were depleted in FMT responders before FMT. Histologically evaluable complete response patients also had decreases in select immune cells , including CD8+ T cells, in the colon after FMT when compared with non-complete response patients (n = 4). This study validates FMT as an effective treatment strategy for IMC and gives insights into the microbial signatures that may play a critical role in FMT response.

Three-Dimensional Spheroid Culture of Human Mesenchymal Stem Cells: Offering Therapeutic Advantages and In Vitro Glimpses of the In Vivo State.

As invaluable as the standard 2-dimensional (2D) monolayer in vitro cell culture system has been, there is increasing evidence that 3-dimensional (3D) non-adherent conditions are more relevant to the in vivo condition. While one of the criteria for human mesenchymal stem cells (MSCs) has been in vitro plastic adherence, such 2D culture conditions are not representative of in vivo cell-cell and cell-extracellular matrix (ECM) interactions, which may be especially important for this progenitor/stem cell of skeletal and connective tissues. The 3D spheroid, a multicellular aggregate formed under non-adherent 3D in vitro conditions, may be particularly suited as an in vitro method to better understand MSC physiological processes, since expression of ECM and other adhesion proteins are upregulated in such a cell culture system. First used in embryonic stem cell in vitro culture to recapitulate in vivo developmental processes, 3D spheroid culture has grown in popularity as an in vitro method to mimic the 3-dimensionality of the native niche for MSCs within tissues/organs. In this review, we discuss the relevance of the 3D spheroid culture for understanding MSC biology, summarize the biological outcomes reported in the literature based on such this culture condition, as well as contemplate limitations and future considerations in this rapidly evolving and exciting area.

Characterization of the oral microbiota among middle-aged men with and without human papillomavirus infection.

OBJECTIVES: To characterize the oral microbiota among middle-aged men and identify differences between men with a prevalent oral high-risk (oncogenic) HPV infection and those without. MATERIALS AND METHODS: This was a case-control study nested within a prospective screening study for HPV-related cancers among middle-aged men. 16S rRNA sequencing was used to characterize the oral microbiota and the cobas HPV Test was used to detect presence of oral high-risk HPV types. We determined the overall composition of the oral microbiota and assessed differences in relative abundance of bacterial taxa as well as alpha and beta diversity among men with a prevalent oral high-risk HPV infection compared to men who were HPV-negative. RESULTS: Among 13 high-risk HPV-positive and 30 HPV-negative men, we found significant differences in beta diversity but not alpha diversity. Fretibacterium, F0058, Kingella, Treponema, and Prevotella were more abundant among the high-risk HPV-positive men while Neisseria and Lactobacillus were more abundant among the HPV-negative men. CONCLUSION: This study adds to the evidence that the oral microbiota varies according to oral HPV infection status and may be associated with the natural history of oral HPV infection.

Contribution of the Oral and Gastrointestinal Microbiomes to Bloodstream Infections in Leukemia Patients.

Bloodstream infections (BSIs) pose a significant mortality risk for acute myeloid leukemia (AML) patients. It has been previously reported that intestinal domination (>30% relative abundance [RA] attributed to a single taxon) with the infecting taxa often precedes BSI in stem cell transplant patients. Using 16S rRNA amplicon sequencing, we analyzed oral and stool samples from 63 AML patients with BSIs to determine the correlation between the infectious agent and microbiome composition. Whole-genome sequencing and antimicrobial susceptibilities were performed on all BSI isolates. Species-level detection of the infectious agent and presence of antibiotic resistance determinants in the stool (blaCTX-M-15, blaCTX-M-14, cfrA, and vanA) were confirmed via digital droplet PCR (ddPCR). Individuals with Escherichia coli (stool P < 0.001), Pseudomonas aeruginosa (oral P = 0.004, stool P < 0.001), and viridans group streptococci (VGS) (oral P = 0.001) bacteremia had a significantly higher relative abundance of those respective genera than other BSI patients, which appeared to be site specific. Although 78% of patients showed presence of the infectious genera in the stool and/or saliva, only 7 exhibited microbiome domination. ddPCR confirmed species specificity of the 16S data and detected the antibiotic resistance determinants found in the BSI isolates within concurrent stools. Although gastrointestinal (GI) domination by an infecting organism was not present at the time of most BSIs in AML, the pathogens, along with AMR elements, were detectable in the majority of patients. Thus, rapid genetic assessment of oral and stool samples for the presence of potential pathogens and AMR determinants might inform personalized therapeutic approaches in immunocompromised patients with suspected infection. IMPORTANCE A major cause of mortality in hematologic malignancy patients is BSI. Previous studies have demonstrated that bacterial translocation from the GI microbiome is a major source of BSIs and is often preceded by increased levels of the infectious taxa in the GI (>30% abundance by 16S rRNA sequencing). In this study, we sought to better understand how domination and abundance levels of the oral and gut microbiome relate to bacteremia occurrence in acute myeloid leukemia patients. We conclude that analyses of both oral and stool samples can help identify BSI and antimicrobial resistance determinants, thus potentially improving the timing and tailoring of antibiotic treatment strategies for high-risk patients.

A non-antibiotic-disrupted gut microbiome is associated with clinical responses to CD19-CAR-T cell cancer immunotherapy.

Increasing evidence suggests that the gut microbiome may modulate the efficacy of cancer immunotherapy. In a B cell lymphoma patient cohort from five centers in Germany and the United States (Germany, n = 66; United States, n = 106; total, n = 172), we demonstrate that wide-spectrum antibiotics treatment ('high-risk antibiotics') prior to CD19-targeted chimeric antigen receptor (CAR)-T cell therapy is associated with adverse outcomes, but this effect is likely to be confounded by an increased pretreatment tumor burden and systemic inflammation in patients pretreated with high-risk antibiotics. To resolve this confounding effect and gain insights into antibiotics-masked microbiome signals impacting CAR-T efficacy, we focused on the high-risk antibiotics non-exposed patient population. Indeed, in these patients, significant correlations were noted between pre-CAR-T infusion Bifidobacterium longum and microbiome-encoded peptidoglycan biosynthesis, and CAR-T treatment-associated 6-month survival or lymphoma progression. Furthermore, predictive pre-CAR-T treatment microbiome-based machine learning algorithms trained on the high-risk antibiotics non-exposed German cohort and validated by the respective US cohort robustly segregated long-term responders from non-responders. Bacteroides, Ruminococcus, Eubacterium and Akkermansia were most important in determining CAR-T responsiveness, with Akkermansia also being associated with pre-infusion peripheral T cell levels in these patients. Collectively, we identify conserved microbiome features across clinical and geographical variations, which may enable cross-cohort microbiome-based predictions of outcomes in CAR-T cell immunotherapy.

A novel smart photoelectric lock system: Speech transmitted by laser and speech to text.

We propose a circuit that modulates a speech signal to a laser, using which the speech signal can be transmitted using the laser. Also, it shows the use of a platform based on embedded ARM (Advanced RISC Machine), running a small deep learning model based on TDNN (Time delay neural network) and LSTM (Long short-term memory), and converting speech to text, and use the text cipher for unlocking. This research implements a smart lock system that can set a pre-record speech cipher and verify the similarity through a laser transmission speech cipher to unlock it. In our experiment result, the English speech of laser transmission can reach a WER (Word error rate) of 14.06% through the deep learning model to recognize the content of the speech cipher. We also design a similarity comparison algorithm based on LCS (Longest common subsequence) to compare the character set of the laser transmission speech compare and the prerecord speech cipher to calculate the similarity rate. Through the similarity comparison algorithm, when the WER is 27.27%, the male speech samples used in this study still have a 95% unlocking success rate, while the female speech samples have a 100% unlocking success rate. Compared with only using automatic speech recognition (ASR) to unlock, the method we propose is to compare the similarity of the content of speech cipher. The method significantly improves the unlocking fault tolerance of using lasers to transmit audio. Therefore, by using the laser to transmit the speech cipher, the usability of the photoelectric smart lock system has been significantly improved. At the same time, the characteristics of the laser are not easy to eavesdrop on the cipher, which can also improve security.

Effectiveness of interventions on feeding difficulties among people with dementia: A systematic review and meta-analysis.

OBJECTIVES: This systematic review and meta-analysis aimed to examine non-pharmacological interventions for helping people with dementia who experience feeding difficulties in order to improve their nutritional status. METHODS: The articles were searched using PsycINFO, Medline, PubMed, CINAHL and Cochrane. Two independent investigators critically appraised eligible studies. The PRISMA guidelines and checklist were used. The possibility of risk of bias was assessed using a tool to assess the quality of randomised control trials (RCT) and non-RCT studies. A narrative synthesis was conducted as a method of synthesis. The Cochrane Review Manager (RevMan 5.4) was used for meta-analysis. RESULTS: The systematic review and meta-analysis included seven publications. Six interventions were identified and categorised as: eating ability training for people with dementia, staff training and feeding assistance and support. The meta-analysis found evidence of the effect of eating ability training on feeding difficulty, quantified by the Edinburgh Feeding Evaluation in Dementia scale (EdFED) with a weighted mean difference of -1.36 (95% confidence interval: -1.84 to -0.89, p < 0.001) and on self-feeding time. A spaced retrieval intervention showed a positive effect on EdFED. The systematic review discovered that while feeding assistance had a positive effect on feeding difficulty, staff training had no effect. According to the meta-analysis, these interventions had no effect on improving the nutritional status of people with dementia. CONCLUSIONS: None of the included RCTs met the Cochrane risk-of-bias criteria for randomised trials. This review found that direct training for people with dementia and indirect feeding support from care staff resulted in fewer mealtime difficulties. More RCT studies are needed to determine the efficacy of such interventions.

Bacteroides ovatus alleviates dysbiotic microbiota-induced intestinal graft-versus-host disease.

Acute gastrointestinal intestinal GVHD (aGI-GVHD) is a serious complication of allogeneic hematopoietic stem cell transplantation, and the intestinal microbiota is known to impact on its severity. However, an association between treatment response of aGI-GVHD and the intestinal microbiota has not been well-studied. In a cohort of patients with aGI-GVHD (n=37), we found that non-response to standard therapy with corticosteroids was associated with prior treatment with carbapenem antibiotics and loss of Bacteroides ovatus from the microbiome. In a mouse model of carbapenem-aggravated GVHD, introducing Bacteroides ovatus reduced severity of GVHD and improved survival. Bacteroides ovatus reduced degradation of colonic mucus by another intestinal commensal, Bacteroides thetaiotaomicron, via its ability to metabolize dietary polysaccharides into monosaccharides, which then inhibit mucus degradation by Bacteroides thetaiotaomicron and reduce GVHD-related mortality.

Wnt antagonism without TGFß induces rapid MSC chondrogenesis via increasing AJ interactions and restricting lineage commitment.

Human mesenchymal stem cells (MSCs) remain one of the best cell sources for cartilage, a tissue without regenerative capacity. However, MSC chondrogenesis is commonly induced through TGFß, a pleomorphic growth factor without specificity for this lineage. Using tissue- and induced pluripotent stem cell-derived MSCs, we demonstrate an efficient and precise approach to induce chondrogenesis through Wnt/ß-catenin antagonism alone without TGFß. Compared to TGFß, Wnt/ß-catenin antagonism more rapidly induced MSC chondrogenesis without eliciting off-target lineage specification toward smooth muscle or hypertrophy; this was mediated through increasing N-cadherin levels and ß-catenin interactions-key components of the adherens junctions (AJ)-and increasing cytoskeleton-mediated condensation. Validation with transcriptomic analysis of human chondrocytes compared to MSCs and osteoblasts showed significant downregulation of Wnt/ß-catenin and TGFß signaling along with upregulation of α-catenin as an upstream regulator. Our findings underscore the importance of understanding developmental pathways and structural modifications in achieving efficient MSC chondrogenesis for translational application.

Assessment of a Calibration-Free Method of Cuffless Blood Pressure Measurement: A Pilot Study.

This study proposes a low-cost, high-sensitivity sensor of beat-to-beat local pulse wave velocity (PWV), to be used in a cuffless blood pressure monitor (BPM). OBJECTIVE: We design an adaptive algorithm to detect the feature of the pulse wave, making it possible for two sensors to measure the local PWV in the radial artery at a short distance. Unlike the cuffless BPM that needs to use a regression model for calibration. METHOD: We encapsulate the piezoelectric sensor material in a cavity and design an analog front-end circuit. This study used color ultrasound imaging equipment to measure radial arterial parameters, including the diameter and wall thickness, to aid the estimation of blood pressure (BP) using the Moens-Korteweg (MK) equation of hemodynamics. RESULTS: We compared the blood pressure estimated by the MK equation with the reference BP measured using an aneroid sphygmomanometer in a test group of 32 people, resulting in a mean difference of systolic BP of -0.63 mmHg, and a standard deviation of ±5.14 mmHg, a mean difference of mean arterial pressure (MAP) of 0.97 mmHg, with a standard deviation of ±3.54 mmHg, and a mean difference of diastolic BP of -1.14 mmHg, with a standard deviation of ±4.08 mmHg. This study has verified its compliance with ISO 81060-2. CONCLUSIONS: A new type of wearable continuous calibration-free BPM can replace the situation that requires the use of traditional ambulatory BPM and reduce patient discomfort. CLINICAL IMPACT: In this study can provide long-term continuous blood pressure monitoring in the hospital.