Analgesia and peripheral c-fiber modulation by selective Nav1.8 inhibition in rhesus.

Voltage-gated sodium (Nav) channels present untapped therapeutic value for better and safer pain medications. The Nav1.8 channel isoform is of particular interest because of its location on peripheral pain fibers and demonstrated role in rodent preclinical pain and neurophysiological assays.

2-Aminopyridines as Potent and Selective Na1.8 Inhibitors Exhibiting Efficacy in a Nonhuman Primate Pain Model.

Herein we describe the discovery of a 2-aminopyridine scaffold as a potent and isoform selective inhibitor of the Na1.8 sodium channel. Parallel library synthesis, guided by predictions, rapidly transformed initial hits into a novel 2-aminopyridine lead class possessing good ADME and pharmacokinetic profiles that were able to display activity in a clinically translatable nonhuman primate capsaicin-sensitized thermode pharmacodynamic assay.

The long-term trend in utilization of traditional Chinese medicine and associated factors among older people in Taiwan.

Background: Both the size of the older population and the use of complementary and alternative medicine are increasing worldwide. This study evaluated the long-term trend in utilization of traditional Chinese medicine (TCM) and associated factors among older people in Taiwan.

Methods: Using the database of population-based interview surveys, we evaluated the one-month prevalence of TCM use among 13,945 older people aged over 65 years from 2001-2017.

Genomic and tumour microenvironmental biomarkers of immune checkpoint inhibitor response in advanced Taiwanese melanoma.

Objective: Genomic biomarkers predicting immune checkpoint inhibitor (ICI) treatment outcomes for Asian metastatic melanoma have been rarely reported. This study presents data on next-generation sequencing (NGS) and tumour microenvironment biomarkers in 33 cases.

Methods: Thirty-three patients with advanced melanoma, who underwent ICI treatment at the Chang Gung Memorial Hospital in Taiwan, were recruited.

A modified surgical technique of fibrin glue-assisted double bipedicle conjunctival flaps for patients with ocular surface diseases.

This study aimed to describe and investigate the surgical outcome and complications of fibrin glue-assisted double bipedicle conjunctival flaps (CFs) (FADCOF), an alternative surgical technique that restores a stable ocular surface in patients with painful blinding ocular surface disease combined with a shortage of bulbar conjunctiva. Six eyes of six patients with painful blinding ocular surface disease were enrolled in this study. All patients had inadequate superior or inferior conjunctiva tissue to cover the whole corneal surface owing to previous surgeries or ocular surface diseases.

Correlation of Visual Acuity and Outer Retinal Thickness in Myopic Atrophic Maculopathy: A Retrospective Review.

Introduction: Myopic atrophic maculopathy is prevalent among patients with pathologic myopia and frequently leads to relentless vision loss. Several grading systems were established to facilitate the understanding of myopic atrophic maculopathy. However, the anatomical details in different stages of myopic maculopathy are so far not clearly elucidated.

Characteristics and response of subretinal hyperreflective material to anti-vascular endothelial growth factor in myopic choroidal neovascularization.

This retrospective study evaluated the characteristics and response of subretinal hyperreflective material (SHRM) to anti-vascular endothelial growth factor (VEGF) treatment in eyes with myopic choroidal neovascularization (CNV). The visual acuity (VA) was assessed at 3, 6, and 12 months after initiating anti-VEGF treatment in 116 patients (119 eyes) with SHRM and myopic CNV. Multimodal imaging, including color fundus photography, fluorescein angiography (FA), and optical coherence tomography angiography (OCT-A), were performed.

Comparison of Refractive Outcomes in Patients with Highly Myopic Versus Non-highly Myopic Eyes Undergoing Phacovitrectomy.

Introduction: Combined phacovitrectomy is gaining popularity due to efficiency and immediate visual improvement. However, concerns regarding erroneous intraocular lens (IOL) calculation in combination surgery are increasing, such as myopic shift owing to a thick macula and consequent underestimation of the axial length. Therefore, this study aimed to compare the refractive outcomes of combined phacovitrectomy in patients with highly myopic and non-highly myopic eyes.

Growth of GaN Thin Films Using Plasma Enhanced Atomic Layer Deposition: Effect of Ammonia-Containing Plasma Power on Residual Oxygen Capture.

In recent years, the application of (In, Al, Ga)N materials in photovoltaic devices has attracted much attention. Like InGaN, it is a direct band gap material with high absorption at the band edge, suitable for high efficiency photovoltaic devices. Nonetheless, it is important to deposit high-quality GaN material as a foundation.

Crystallinity Effect on Electrical Properties of PEALD-HfO Thin Films Prepared by Different Substrate Temperatures.

Hafnium oxide (HfO) thin film has remarkable physical and chemical properties, which makes it useful for a variety of applications. In this work, HfO films were prepared on silicon through plasma enhanced atomic layer deposition (PEALD) at various substrate temperatures. The growth per cycle, structural, morphology and crystalline properties of HfO films were measured by spectroscopic ellipsometer, grazing-incidence X-ray diffraction (GIXRD), X-ray reflectivity (XRR), field-emission scanning electron microscopy, atomic force microscopy and x-ray photoelectron spectroscopy.

Identification of environmental factors that promote intestinal inflammation.

Genome-wide association studies have identified risk loci linked to inflammatory bowel disease (IBD)-a complex chronic inflammatory disorder of the gastrointestinal tract. The increasing prevalence of IBD in industrialized countries and the augmented disease risk observed in migrants who move into areas of higher disease prevalence suggest that environmental factors are also important determinants of IBD susceptibility and severity. However, the identification of environmental factors relevant to IBD and the mechanisms by which they influence disease has been hampered by the lack of platforms for their systematic investigation.

Characteristics and treatment response of polypoidal choroidal vasculopathy in highly myopic eyes.

Background: To compare the characteristics and treatment responses of polypoidal choroidal vasculopathy (PCV) between highly myopic and non-highly myopic eyes.

Methods: This retrospective cohort study included patients diagnosed with PCV at the clinic of National Taiwan University Hospital between 2013 and 2019. The diseased eyes were grouped per refractive error and axial length at diagnosis.

Deposition Mechanism and Characterization of Plasma-Enhanced Atomic Layer-Deposited SnO Films at Different Substrate Temperatures.

The promising functional tin oxide (SnOx) has attracted tremendous attention due to its transparent and conductive properties. The stoichiometric composition of SnOx can be described as common n-type SnO2 and p-type Sn3O4. In this study, the functional SnOx films were prepared successfully by plasma-enhanced atomic layer deposition (PEALD) at different substrate temperatures from 100 to 400 °C.

Predicting Axial Length From Choroidal Thickness on Optical Coherence Tomography Images With Machine Learning Based Algorithms.

Purpose: We formulated and tested ensemble learning models to classify axial length (AXL) from choroidal thickness (CT) as indicated on fovea-centered, 2D single optical coherence tomography (OCT) images.

Design: Retrospective cross-sectional study.

Participants: We analyzed 710 OCT images from 355 eyes of 188 patients.

Role of Ambient Hydrogen in HiPIMS-ITO Film during Annealing Process in a Large Temperature Range.

Indium tin oxide (ITO) thin films were prepared by high power impulse magnetron sputtering (HiPIMS) and annealed in hydrogen-containing forming gas to reduce the film resistivity. The film resistivity reduces by nearly an order of magnitude from 5.6 × 10 Ω·cm for the as-deposited film to the lowest value of 6.

The Serum Hepatitis B Virus Large Surface Protein as High-Risk Recurrence Biomarker for Hepatoma after Curative Surgery.

Chronic hepatitis B (CHB) virus infection is the most important cause of HCC and is also associated with tumor progression. The development of viral biomarkers for HCC prognosis is critical in evaluating relative risks to recurrence in the CHB HCC patients. We report that the large HBV surface protein (LHBS) expression increased in the tumors, implicating that it played a significant role in tumor development.

The Influence of Oxygen Plasma on Methylammonium Lead Iodide (MAPbI) Film Doped with Lead Cesium Triiodide (CsPbI).

In recent years, the study of organic-inorganic halide perovskite as an optoelectronics material has been a significant line of research, and the power conversion efficiency of solar cells based on these materials has reached 25.5%. However, defects on the surface of the film are still a problem to be solved, and oxygen plasma is one of the ways to passivate surface defects.

Effect of Growth Temperature on the Characteristics of CsPbI-Quantum Dots Doped Perovskite Film.

In this study, adding CsPbI quantum dots to organic perovskite methylamine lead triiodide (CHNHPbI) to form a doped perovskite film filmed by different temperatures was found to effectively reduce the formation of unsaturated metal Pb. Doping a small amount of CsPbI quantum dots could enhance thermal stability and improve surface defects. The electron mobility of the doped film was 2.

Identification of Therapeutic Targets for the Selective Killing of HBV-Positive Hepatocytes.

The hepatitis B virus (HBV) infection is a major risk factor for cirrhosis and hepatocellular carcinoma. Most infected individuals become lifelong carriers of HBV as the drugs currently used to treat the patients can only control the disease, thereby achieving functional cure (loss of the hepatitis B surface antigen) but not complete cure (elimination of infected hepatocytes). Therefore, we aimed to identify the target genes for the selective killing of HBV-positive hepatocytes to develop a novel therapy for the treatment of HBV infection.

DNA Damage Repair Gene Set as a Potential Biomarker for Stratifying Patients with High Tumor Mutational Burden.

Tumor mutational burden (TMB) is a promising predictive biomarker for cancer immunotherapy. Patients with a high TMB have better responses to immune checkpoint inhibitors. Currently, the gold standard for determining TMB is whole-exome sequencing (WES).

The Benefit of Enhanced Daycare of Traditional Chinese Medicine for Cancer Treatment Related Adverse Events: A Retrospective Study of Medical Records.

Objective: Cancer patients undergo therapies that might lead to severe adverse events. The enhanced daycare of Traditional Chinese medicine (TCM) we describe was intended to help cancer patients suffering from severe adverse events to obtain relief. We used the Taiwan brief version of the Common Terminology Criteria for Adverse Events Version 4.

Investigation of the Stability of Methylammonium Lead Iodide (MAPbI) Film Doped with Lead Cesium Triiodide (CsPbI) Quantum Dots under an Oxygen Plasma Atmosphere.

In this study, we describe composited perovskite films based on the doping of lead cesium triiodide (CsPbI) quantum dots (QDs) into methylammonium lead iodide (MAPbI). CsPbI QDs and MAPbI were prepared by ligand-assisted re-precipitation and solution mixing, respectively. These films were optimized by oxygen plasma treatment, and the effect of powers from 0 to 80 W on the structural properties of the composited perovskite films is discussed.

Clinical Characteristics of Highly Myopic Patients With Asymmetric Myopic Atrophic Maculopathy-Analysis Using Multimodal Imaging.

Purpose: To evaluate the factors associated with asymmetric myopic atrophic maculopathy (MAM) in highly myopic patients.

Methods: We enrolled highly myopic patients with asymmetric MAM according to the atrophy, traction, and neovascularization (ATN) classification. The results of color fundus photography, optical coherence tomography (OCT), OCT angiography, and corneal visualization Scheimpflug technology (Corvis ST tonometry) were reviewed.

Biomarkers in the pathogenesis of epiretinal membrane and myopic traction maculopathy: Effects of internal limiting membrane incompliance and posterior staphyloma.

Background: This study compared the structural and vascular intraretinal changes between epiretinal membrane and myopic traction maculopathy eyes.

Methods: An observational retrospective study of treatment-naïve epiretinal membrane and myopic traction maculopathy eyes was conducted to identify biomarkers of a 3 × 3 mm macular region centered on the fovea, using optical coherence tomography angiography.

Results: The myopic traction maculopathy and epiretinal membrane groups comprised 27 and 32 eyes, respectively.