Publications by authors named "C-L Ho"

Background And Objectives: Accumulating pediatric efficacy and safety data on drug use is inherently challenging yet essential. This study aimed to analyze the frequency and compute the odds of pediatric drug-associated liver injury across age groups (early childhood, middle childhood, and adolescence) and therapeutic categories using adverse drug reactions (ADRs) reporting data spanning nearly two decades.

Methods: We analyzed the reports of suspected ADRs occurring in children and adolescents in the Taiwan National Adverse Drug Reaction Reporting System during the period from May 1998 until July 2017.

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Context: A diagnosis of ALS can be challenging, and many people find ways to adapt. At the same time, emotional distress can arise early after an ALS diagnosis even when high quality multidisciplinary care is provided. When emotional distress occurs, it can become chronic over time, and can affect both the person living with ALS and their care-partner (together called a dyad).

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  • The study aimed to determine if the structure and biomechanics of neural tissue can predict functional loss in glaucoma and to assess the role of biomechanics in improving prediction accuracy.
  • Researchers gathered data from 238 glaucoma patients over 50 years old, using advanced imaging techniques to analyze the optic nerve head under different pressure conditions.
  • Results showed that incorporating biomechanical data significantly improved prediction performance (F1-score: 0.76) compared to using only structural information (F1-score: 0.71), highlighting the importance of biomechanics in assessing glaucoma severity.*
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  • The study compared changes in macular curvature after a spike in intraocular pressure (IOP) across various types of myopia, using 328 eyes from 184 participants.
  • Researchers utilized optical coherence tomography (OCT) to assess macular changes at baseline and during acute IOP elevation, specifically measuring the curvature of the sclera-choroid interface.
  • Results showed that individuals with pathological myopia and those with glaucoma exhibited significantly more curvature change compared to those with high myopia or emmetropic controls, suggesting increased sensitivity to IOP elevation in these groups.
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Background: Genomic sequencing technology allows for identification of reproductive couples with an increased chance, as compared with that in the general population, of having a child with an autosomal recessive or X-linked genetic condition.

Methods: We investigated the feasibility, acceptability, and outcomes of a nationwide, couple-based genetic carrier screening program in Australia as part of the Mackenzie's Mission project. Health care providers offered screening to persons before pregnancy or early in pregnancy.

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  • An error grid is a tool that helps compare glucose levels measured by devices to see if they are correct and to identify any risks.
  • Experts created a new error grid called the DTS Error Grid that works for both blood glucose monitors (BGMs) and continuous glucose monitors (CGMs), organizing accuracy into five risk zones.
  • The results showed that the DTS Error Grid provides a clearer picture of how accurate these devices are and includes a separate matrix to evaluate how well CGMs track glucose trends over time.
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Immunotherapy targeting immune checkpoints (ICPs), such as programmed death-ligand-1 (PD-L1), is used as a treatment option for advanced or metastatic non-small cell lung cancer (NSCLC). However, overall response rate to anti-PD-L1 treatment is limited due to antigen heterogeneity and the immune-suppressive tumor microenvironment. Human leukocyte antigen-G (HLA-G), an ICP as well as a neoexpressed tumor-associated antigen, is previously demonstrated to be a beneficial target in combination with anti-PD-L1.

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Decades of neuroimaging studies have shown modest differences in brain structure and connectivity in depression, hindering mechanistic insights or the identification of risk factors for disease onset. Furthermore, whereas depression is episodic, few longitudinal neuroimaging studies exist, limiting understanding of mechanisms that drive mood-state transitions. The emerging field of precision functional mapping has used densely sampled longitudinal neuroimaging data to show behaviourally meaningful differences in brain network topography and connectivity between and in healthy individuals, but this approach has not been applied in depression.

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PARP inhibitor (PARPi) therapy has transformed outcomes for patients with homologous recombination DNA repair (HRR) deficient ovarian cancers, for example those with BRCA1 or BRCA2 gene defects. Unfortunately, PARPi resistance is common. Multiple resistance mechanisms have been described, including secondary mutations that restore the HR gene reading frame.

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Background: Early medical attention after concussion may minimize symptom duration and burden; however, many concussions are undiagnosed or have a delay in diagnosis after injury. Many concussion symptoms (eg, headache, dizziness) are not visible, meaning that early identification is often contingent on individuals reporting their injury to medical staff. A fundamental understanding of the types and levels of factors that explain when concussions are reported can help identify promising directions for intervention.

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High-grade serous ovarian cancers (HGSOCs) with homologous recombination deficiency (HRD) are initially responsive to poly (ADP-ribose) polymerase inhibitors (PARPi), but resistance ultimately emerges. HGSOC with amplification ( ) are associated with resistance to PARPi and platinum treatments. High replication stress in HRD and HGSOC leads to increased reliance on checkpoint kinase 1 (CHK1), a key regulator of cell cycle progression and the replication stress response.

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Context: Dyspnea, a prevalent and debilitating symptom in patients with advanced lung cancer, negatively affects symptom burden and prognosis. Physical activity has emerged as a promising non-pharmacological intervention for managing dyspnea.

Objectives: This study compared the effectiveness of two widely-recognized physical activity modalities, namely Tai Chi (TC) and aerobic exercise (AE) for treating dyspnea in patients with advanced lung cancer.

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Chronic lower back pain caused by intervertebral disc degeneration and osteoarthritis (OA) are highly prevalent chronic diseases. Although pain management and surgery can alleviate symptoms, no disease-modifying treatments are available. mRNA delivery could halt inflammation and degeneration and induce regeneration by overexpressing anti-inflammatory cytokines or growth factors involved in cartilage regeneration.

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  • Recent trials on cholesterol-lowering treatments have generally found that statins do not significantly increase the risk of recurrent intracerebral hemorrhage (ICH), but these results may not apply to ICH survivors who face a much higher inherent risk.
  • This study aims to investigate how LDL-C levels and statin use impact ICH risk specifically among ICH survivors and whether these effects differ based on the underlying cause of the hemorrhage.
  • The analysis involved 502 ICH survivors, focusing on their LDL-C levels and medical history to understand the relationship between cholesterol management and the likelihood of recurrent ICH.
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Context: Making decisions regarding end-of-life care is particularly challenging for patients and their family caregivers. Studies have advocated that family involvement in advance care planning is important to provide goal-concordant care and to increase family caregivers' preparation for surrogate decision-making. However, there is a lack of evidence to examine the effectiveness of advance care planning using the patient-caregiver dyadic approach.

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Introduction: Field factors play more important roles in predicting the outcomes of patients compared with tumor factors in early-stage hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC). However, the prognostic ability of noninvasive serum marker scores for hepatic fibrosis and liver functional reserve on very early-stage HCC is still not yet determined. We aimed to investigate the performance of these serum marker scores in predicting the prognoses of patients with very early-stage HCC.

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Oncogene-induced replication stress generates endogenous DNA damage that activates cGAS-STING-mediated signalling and tumour suppression. However, the precise mechanism of cGAS activation by endogenous DNA damage remains enigmatic, particularly given that high-affinity histone acidic patch (AP) binding constitutively inhibits cGAS by sterically hindering its activation by double-stranded DNA (dsDNA). Here we report that the DNA double-strand break sensor MRE11 suppresses mammary tumorigenesis through a pivotal role in regulating cGAS activation.

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Lassa virus (LASV) infection is expanding outside its traditionally endemic areas in West Africa, posing a pandemic biothreat. LASV-neutralizing antibodies, moreover, have proven difficult to elicit. To gain insight into LASV neutralization, here we develop a prefusion-stabilized LASV glycoprotein trimer (GPC), pan it against phage libraries comprising single-domain antibodies (nanobodies) from shark and camel, and identify one, D5, which neutralizes LASV.

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Background: Extracellular vesicles (EVs) contain bioactive cargo including miRNAs and proteins that are released by cells during cell-cell communication. Endothelial cells (ECs) form the innermost lining of all blood vessels, interfacing with cells in the circulation and vascular wall. It is unknown whether ECs release EVs capable of governing recipient cells within these 2 separate compartments.

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Background: Extracorporeal membrane oxygenation (ECMO) is a potential rescue therapy for patients with acute cardiopulmonary dysfunction refractory to conventional treatment. In this study, we described the clinical profiles and outcomes of adult and pediatric living donor liver transplantation (LDLT) patients who received ECMO support during the peri-operative period.

Methods: From June 1994 to December 2020, eleven out of the 1,812 LDLTs performed at Kaohsiung Chang Gung Memorial Hospital required ECMO support: six for respiratory failure, three for cardiogenic shock, and two for refractory septic shock.

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Background: While generally ineffective in relapsed diffuse large B cell lymphoma (DLBCL), immune checkpoint inhibitors (ICIs) may hold greater promise in untreated, immunocompetent patients. We previously reported safety and early efficacy of pembrolizumab plus rituximab, cyclophosphamide, doxorubicin, vincristine, and prednisone (PR-CHOP) in a phase I trial of untreated DLBCL, noting responses in 90% of patients (complete response 77%) and a 2-year progression-free survival (PFS) of 83%. We herein report long-term safety and efficacy at 5-year follow up.

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Security officers in health systems are subject to high levels of stress and current support interventions do not necessarily target their needs. To address this gap, a resilience center at a major urban tertiary care hospital utilized community engagement principles to adapt and implement resilience and mental health awareness workshops, which were informed by initial piloting. The program consisted of twelve short briefings in which officers were provided psychoeducation on psychological first aid and adaptive coping.

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  • Salivary gland cancers (SGCs) are rare and aggressive, often lacking effective treatments when they spread, prompting a phase 2 trial of nivolumab and ipilimumab in 64 metastatic SGC patients.
  • Results showed some success in "other SGCs" cohort (16% response) but limited efficacy in adenoid cystic carcinoma (6% response), with notable adverse events occurring in 38% of patients.
  • Genetic and immune cell analyses indicated that responding tumors had active T cell responses and certain neoantigens, suggesting a potential path for treatment in non-ACC SGCs like salivary duct carcinomas.
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Real-world data regarding the T790M mutation rate after acquiring resistance to first-line combination therapy with epidermal growth factor receptor-tyrosine kinase inhibitors (EGFR-TKIs) and bevacizumab in patients with advanced non-small-cell lung cancer (NSCLC) are limited. The present study was aimed at analyzing predictors of acquired T790M mutations in this patient group. A total of 107 patients who received first-line combination therapy with EGFR-TKIs and bevacizumab at 11 tertiary referral centers in Taiwan were enrolled in this multicenter retrospective study.

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  • A study analyzed early-stage non-small cell lung cancer (NSCLC) patients in Taiwan, comparing the effects of adjuvant oral uracil-tegafur (UFT) with intravenous chemotherapy following surgery between January 2011 and December 2017.* -
  • Results showed that before adjusting for confounding factors, patients using UFT had better overall and relapse-free survival rates than those receiving intravenous chemotherapy, but after matching the groups, their survival rates were similar.* -
  • The findings suggest that both UFT and intravenous chemotherapy are similarly effective in treating early-stage NSCLC post-surgery, while UFT showed some benefits in specific subgroups like non-drinkers and stage IB patients.*
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