EGFR Tyrosine Kinase Inhibitor Efficacy in Older Adult Patients with Advanced EGFR-Mutated Non-Small-Cell Lung Cancer: A Meta-Analysis and Systematic Review.

Background and Objectives: Lung cancer remains the most common malignancy worldwide. As the global population ages, the prevalence of epidermal growth factor receptor (EGFR)-mutation-positive non-small cell lung cancer (NSCLC) is increasing. Materials and Methods: We performed a meta-analysis and a systematic review of randomized, controlled trials to evaluate the efficacy of EGFR TKIs on progression-free survival (PFS) and overall survival (OS) in older adult patients with advanced EGFR-mutated NSCLC.

Carbon Arc Lamp Therapy Enhances the Repair Potential of Chronic Soft Tissue Injury in Rats Compared with the Ability of Photobiomodulation Therapy.

The effects of photobiomodulation therapy (PBMT) and carbon arc lamp therapy (CALT) on the repair of chronic soft tissue injury were compared. PBMT improves soft tissue repair of chronic injury. However, there has been no research on the effect of CALT.

Bronchoscopy-guided bronchial epithelium sampling as a tool for selecting the optimal biologic treatment in a patient with severe asthma: a case report.

Background: There are numerous biologics for treating patients with severe asthma. A cost-effective method for selecting the most appropriate biologic therapy for a patient is thus important. Bronchoscopy-guided bronchial epithelium sampling may provide information for determining the type of inflammation in the airways of severe asthma patients through immunochemical analysis and thus help clinicians select the correct biologics.

Effects of Carbon Arc Lamp Irradiation on Wound Healing in a Rat Cutaneous Full-Thickness Wound Model.

The objective of the present study was to investigate the application of a carbon arc lamp on wound healing in a rat cutaneous full-thickness wound model. In clinical practice, wound healing has been promoted by irradiation with a carbon arc lamp. However, the corresponding mechanism has not been clearly defined.

Bimetallic Fe/Al system: An all-in-one solid-phase Fenton reagent for generation of hydroxyl radicals under oxic conditions.

In the classic Fenton reaction, both HO and ferrous ion (Fe(II)) are required under a narrow low pH range to produce hydroxyl radicals (OH). The modified Fenton processes including heterogeneous Fenton-like reaction, photo-Fenton reaction and electro-Fenton reaction developed to overcome the drawbacks of the homogeneous Fenton reaction have recently received increasing attention. However, all the modifications of the classic Fenton reaction cannot be assembled into one system and require external supply of reagents or energy.

Effects of Carbon Arc Lamp Irradiation on Wound Healing in a Rat Cutaneous Full-Thickness Wound Model.

Objective: The objective of the present study was to investigate the application of a carbon arc lamp on wound healing in a rat cutaneous full-thickness wound model.

Background Data: In clinical practice, wound healing has been promoted by irradiation with a carbon arc lamp. However, the corresponding mechanism has not been clearly defined.

Lymphocytic interstitial pneumonia in a patient with mixed connective tissue disease - A case report.

Lymphocytic interstitial pneumonia (LIP) is an uncommon interstitial lung disease that is characterized by an interstitial infiltrate of lymphoplasmacytic cells. While idiopathic LIP appears to be extremely rare, most reported cases of LIP have been associated with coexisting immune derangements, particularly autoimmune diseases such as Sjögren's syndrome. In this report, we describe the presentation of LIP in a patient with underlying mixed connective tissue disease.

PotteryGo: A Virtual Pottery Making Training System.

This article presents a pottery-making training system with a focus on teaching fundamental knowledge and practical techniques in a virtual-reality environment. Gesture analysis makes it possible to correct the learners actions via visual feedback. Our results demonstrate the efficacy in assisting beginners with learning the gestures used in pottery-making.

Comparison of global initiative for chronic obstructive pulmonary disease 2013 classification and body mass index, airflow obstruction, dyspnea, and exacerbations index in predicting mortality and exacerbations in elderly adults with chronic obstructive pulmonary disease.

Objectives: To examine whether the Global Initiative for Chronic Obstructive Pulmonary Disease (GOLD) 2013 revision offers greater predictive ability than the body mass index, airflow obstruction, dyspnea, and exacerbations (BODEx) index in elderly adults with chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD).

Design: Prospective cohort study.

Setting: University-affiliated medical center.

Estimation of loss of quality-adjusted life expectancy (QALE) for patients with operable versus inoperable lung cancer: adjusting quality-of-life and lead-time bias for utility of surgery.

Objectives: This study attempts to quantify the difference in loss of quality-adjusted life expectancy (QALE) for patients with operable and inoperable non-small-cell lung cancer (NSCLC).

Patients And Methods: A cohort consisting of 1652 pathologically verified NSCLC patients with performance status 0-1 was monitored for 7 years (2005-2011) to obtain the survival function. This was further extrapolated to lifetime, based on the survival ratios between patients and age- and sex-matched referents simulated from the life tables of the National Vital Statistics of Taiwan.

Reduced toll-like receptor 9 expression on peripheral CD14+ monocytes of chronic hepatitis B patients and its restoration by effective therapy.

Background: Chronic hepatitis B (CHB) patients display Toll-like receptor 9 (TLR9)-dependent defective immune responses. We aimed to study TLR9 expression on CHB patients and its alteration during therapy.

Methods: We compared TLR9 expression on fresh peripheral CD14+ monocytes from a cohort of 97 CHB patients and 35 HBsAg-negative, anti-HCV-negative controls, during pegylated interferon or entecavir therapy.

Pulmonary function change in patients with Sauropus androgynus-related obstructive lung disease 15 years later.

Background/purpose: Little is understood about the clinical course and prognosis of patients with Sauropus androgynus-related obstructive lung disease. The aim of this study was to investigate their clinical manifestations and pulmonary function change 15 years after the acute episode.

Methods: A descriptive, observational study of patients with S androgynus-related obstructive lung disease, diagnosed 15 years ago, was conducted.

Increased risk of cirrhosis and its decompensation in chronic hepatitis B patients with newly diagnosed diabetes: a nationwide cohort study.

Background: The impact of diabetes on cirrhosis, its decompensation, and their time relationship in patients with chronic hepatitis B (CHB) remain unclear.

Methods: We conducted a nationwide cohort study by using the Taiwanese National Health Insurance Research Database, which was comprised of data from >99% of the entire population. Among 1 million randomly sampled enrollees, 14 523 adult CHB patients were identified from 1997 to 2009.

Association of Egr-1 and autophagy-related gene polymorphism in men with chronic obstructive pulmonary disease.

Background/purpose: Autophagy is important in cellular homeostasis and control of inflammatory immune response. Increased autophagy has recently been associated with increased cell death and chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD) pathogenesis. Two autophagy regulator genes have been identified: Egr-1 (early growth response), associated with different phenotype expressions in asthma; and, Atg16L1 (autophagy related 16-like 1), a candidate gene responsible for susceptibility to chronic inflammatory diseases.

Reduced Toll-like receptor 3 expression in chronic hepatitis B patients and its restoration by interferon therapy.

Background: Toll-like receptor (TLR)3 gene variants may correlate with clinical significance of chronic viral infections including HBV. We aimed to investigate the expression of TLR3 in peripheral blood mononuclear cells (PBMCs) and liver cells of chronic hepatitis B (CHB) patients and its response to pegylated interferon or nucleoside analogue therapy.

Methods: We consecutively enrolled 127 CHB patients and 64 hepatitis B surface antigen-negative, anti-HCV-negative healthy individuals as controls.

Biphasic pattern of depression and its predictors during pegylated interferon-based therapy in chronic hepatitis B and C patients.

Background: It remains unclear whether depression in chronic hepatitis B (CHB) and chronic hepatitis C (CHC) during pegylated interferon-based therapy is associated with the virus, drug or ethnic background. We aimed to perform a prospective study to evaluate the clinical course of depression and its predictors in consecutive non-cirrhotic CHB and CHC patients of the same ethnicity receiving pegylated interferon-based therapy.

Methods: The occurrence and severity of depression were actively assessed by the Hamilton Depression Rating Scale before therapy and at weeks 2, 4, 6, 8, 10, 12 and every 4 weeks during treatment until the end of therapy.

The role of bactericidal/permeability-increasing protein in men with chronic obstructive pulmonary disease.

Background And Objective: Bactericidal/permeability-increasing protein (BPI) is a member of the pattern recognition receptors of the innate immune system. Recently, an association between genetic polymorphism in the BPI gene and a risk of airflow decline after transplantation was demonstrated, but whether these findings are reproducible in nontransplantation populations, such as those with COPD, is still unknown. The aim of this study is to explore the role of BPI in COPD.

Using post-bronchodilator FEV₁ is better than pre-bronchodilator FEV₁ in evaluation of COPD severity.

Background: The current standards for the diagnosis and treatment of patients with COPD clearly rely on the Global Initiative for Chronic Obstructive Lung Disease (GOLD) criteria based on post-bronchodilator spirometric values. However, clinical evidence for using the post-bronchodilator FEV₁ in the severity classification has not been fully investigated.

Methods: Patients with COPD were enrolled and followed up prospectively between October 2006 and January 2011.

Polymorphism of microsomal epoxide hydrolase is associated with chronic obstructive pulmonary disease and bronchodilator response.

Background/purpose: Microsomal epoxide hydrolase (EPHX) is an important enzyme that metabolizes harmful reactive epoxides from smoking. Genetic variations of this enzyme are thought to increase the risk of developing chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD). The aim of this study was to confirm and advance our knowledge of the role of this genetic variation in COPD.

Involvement of purinergic neurotransmission in ketamine induced bladder dysfunction.

Purpose: Long-term ketamine abuse in humans causes significant lower urinary tract symptoms. However, the etiology of ketamine associated cystitis is still not clear. We created a mouse model of ketamine induced lower urinary tract dysfunction to explore the pathogenesis of this condition.

Small airways obstruction syndrome in clinical practice.

Background And Objective: Small airways obstruction syndrome (SAOS) is a particular pulmonary function test (PFT) pattern showing decreased VC and FEV(1) but a normal FEV(1)/VC ratio and TLC. The significance of this syndrome in clinical practice has not been comprehensively investigated.

Methods: This study retrospectively identified all patients who had performed PFT that showed a SAOS pattern at a university teaching hospital over 1 year.

Clinical features of fatal asthma.

To characterize the clinical features of fatal asthma, we retrospectively analyzed the clinical characteristics of patients who died of an acute asthma attack in our hospital during a 15-year period from 1989 to 2003. Twelve patients had fatal asthma during this period, including eight who were dead on arrival in the emergency room (ER) and three who died within 1 hour of admission to the ER. Patients were categorized into three groups according to the clinical presentations during the fatal attack: (1) rapid (< 3 hours) decompensation in four patients; (2) gradual development of respiratory failure over several days in two patients; and (3) acute deterioration after unstable asthma lasting several days in six patients.

Vasomotion enhanced by normovolemic hemodilution in rat diaphragmatic microcirculation.

Background And Purpose: Since vasomotion--the rhythmic contraction and dilatation of arterioles--is frequently observed during homeostatic challenge, it has been assumed that vasomotion may cause the vulnerable portions of tissue to become intermittently oxygenated rather than permanently anoxic. This study used laser-Doppler flowmetry to investigate the effect of normovolemic hemodilution on the incidence, frequency and relative amplitude of vasomotion in rat diaphragm microcirculation.

Methods: Blood was substituted normovolemically with equal volumes of a 6% solution of dextran 70 (molecular weight 70,000).