Association of vitamin D deficiency with post-exercise hypotension and arterial stiffness following prolonged endurance exercise in healthy young men.

Background: Vitamin D is associated with vascular function; however, the impact of different vitamin D levels on vascular elasticity following prolonged exercise remains uncertain. The primary objective of this study was to investigate the association of vitamin D levels with changes in peripheral pulse wave velocity (pPWV) and the magnitude of acute post-exercise hypotension (PEH) following prolonged endurance exercise in healthy young men.

Methods: All the participants were divided into two groups: the 25-hydroxyvitamin D (25(OH)D) sufficiency group (25(OH)D ≧50 nmol/L) and the deficiency group (25(OH)D < 50 nmol/L).

Physicochemical, Antioxidant, Starch Digestibility, and Sensory Properties of Wheat Bread Fortified with Taiwanese Cocoa Bean Shells.

The effects of replacing 5-25% of wheat flour (WF) with Taiwanese cocoa bean shells (CBSs) on the physicochemical, antioxidant, starch digestion, and sensory properties of the bread were studied. The lead (0.18) and cadmium (0.

Treatment Outcomes of Patients with Ependymoma Receiving Radiotherapy: A Single Institution Experience.

Introduction: This study explored the failure pattern and clinical outcomes in patients with ependymoma undergoing radiotherapy.

Methods: Between January 2004 and June 2022, we included 32 patients with ependymoma who underwent radiotherapy as part of the multimodality treatment at our institution. Of these, 27 (84.

Functional Fitness Norms of Community-Dwelling Older Adults in Southern Rural Taiwan: A Cross-Sectional Study.

Background: Physical activity (PA) and functional fitness (FF) are crucial for promoting independent living and healthy aging in older adults. However, there is a lack of normative values for the Senior Fitness Test (SFT) among older adults (aged 55-90) living in southern rural Taiwan, particularly in the Chiayi region, which has been relatively underserved in terms of health-related resources compared to northern Taiwan.

Purpose: This study aimed to determine the age- and gender-specific normative fitness scores for a large representative population of community-dwelling older adults in southern rural Taiwan.

Improved outcomes of localized diffuse large B-cell lymphoma at the Waldeyer ring in comparison to the sinonasal area in the rituximab era.

Background: Diffuse large B-cell lymphoma (DLBCL) of the head-and-neck area primarily involves the Waldeyer ring (WR) and sinonasal area (SN). However, the differential clinical outcomes between patients with WR-DLBCL and those with SN-DLBCL in the rituximab era remain unclear.

Methods: To avoid confounding factors contributed by advanced DLBCL with WR and SN involvement, we assessed the clinical outcomes of patients with stage I/II WR-DLBCL and SN-DLBCL and compared them with those having corresponding stages of DLBCL in the lymph nodes but without other extranodal involvement (LN-DLBCL) in the same period.

Association between modifiable vascular risk factors and rapid progression of postradiation carotid artery stenosis.

Background: Postradiotherapy carotid vasculopathy is a clinically relevant complication in patients with head and neck cancer receiving radiotherapy. In this study, we investigated the factors associated with the development and progression of carotid artery stenosis (CAS) in such patients.

Methods: Patients who received radiotherapy for head and neck cancers between October 2011 and May 2019 at a medical center in Taiwan were eligible for inclusion in this study.

Effect of extended field-of-view approaches on the accuracy of stopping power ratio estimation for single-energy computed tomography simulators.

Background: Extended field-of-view (eFOV) methods have been proposed to generate larger demonstration FOVs for computed tomography (CT) simulators with a limited scanning FOV (sFOV) size in order to ensure accurate dose calculation and patient collision avoidance. Although the efficacy of these strategies has been evaluated for photon applications, the effect of stopping power ratio (SPR) estimation on proton therapy has not been studied. This study investigated the effect of an eFOV approach on the accuracy of SPR to water estimation in homogeneous and heterogeneous phantoms.

Post-irradiation sarcoma after definitive radiation therapy for nasopharyngeal carcinoma.

Background And Purpose: Postirradiation sarcoma (PIS) is a rare radiation-induced malignancy after nasopharyngeal carcinoma (NPC) treatment.

Materials And Methods: We retrospectively screened 9,185 NPC patients between 2000 and 2020 and identified 41 patients with PIS according to the modified Cahan's criteria: (1) the PIS must have arisen within a previous radiation field; (2) a latent period must have existed; (3) histologically proved sarcoma; (4) the tissue in which the PIS arose must have been healthy prior to the radiation. The initial radiation therapy techniques used were 2D (25; 61.

Atorvastatin Attenuates Radiotherapy-Induced Intestinal Damage through Activation of Autophagy and Antioxidant Effects.

Abdominal or pelvic radiotherapy (RT) often results in small intestinal injury, such as apoptosis of epithelial cells and shortening of the villi. Atorvastatin, a 3-hydroxy-3-methylglutaryl coenzyme A reductase inhibitor, has many biological effects including cholesterol reduction, protection from cell damage, and autophagy activation. To reduce the extent of radiotherapy- (RT-) induced enteritis, we investigated the protective effects of atorvastatin against RT-induced damage of the intestinal tract.

Biomaterials-based nanoparticles conjugated to regulatory T cells provide a modular system for localized delivery of pharmacotherapeutic agents.

Type 1 diabetes (T1D) presents with two therapeutic challenges: the need to correct underlying autoimmunity and restore β-cell mass. We harnessed the unique capacity of regulatory T cells (Tregs) and the T cell receptor (TCR) to direct tolerance induction along with tissue-localized delivery of therapeutic agents to restore endogenous β-cell function. Specifically, we designed a combinatorial therapy involving biomaterials-based poly(lactic-co-glycolic acid) nanoparticles co-loaded with the Treg growth factor, IL-2, and the β-cell regenerative agent, harmine (a tyrosine-regulated kinase 1A [DYRK1A] inhibitor), conjugated to the surface of Tregs.

Phytochemical-rich vegetable and fruit juice alleviates oral mucositis during concurrent chemoradiotherapy in patients with locally advanced head and neck cancer.

Background: Concurrent chemoradiotherapy (CCRT)-induced oral mucositis (OM) causes oral pain, malnutrition, and impaired quality of life in patients with head and neck cancer (HNC). Phytochemicals play a potential role in eliminating cancer therapy toxicity.

Objective: To evaluate the effect of phytochemical-rich vegetable and fruit juice (VFJ) consumption in preventing CCRT-induced OM among patients with locally advanced HNC.

Low Vitamin D Status Relates to the Poor Response of Peripheral Pulse Wave Velocity Following Acute Maximal Exercise in Healthy Young Men.

The primary objective of this study was to determine the effects of vitamin D levels on peripheral pulse wave velocity (pPWV) following acute maximal exercise in healthy young adults. Fifty male healthy adults from National Chung Cheng University participated in the study. Participants were divided into the 25-hydroxyvitamin D (25(OH)D) sufficiency group (n = 28, 25(OH)D ≥ 50 nmol/L) and deficiency group (n = 22, 25(OH)D < 50 nmol/L).

Efficient method for whole-breast irradiation therapy using Halcyon linear accelerators.

Background: The Halcyon is a linear accelerator-based treatment machine designed for a high-throughput simplified workflow. The machine features a compact jawless design, dual-layer multileaf collimators, and a single 6-MV flattening filter-free (FFF) beam. However, the machine's 6-MV FFF beam may restrict its applicability to conventional techniques, such as field-in-field (FiF) radiotherapy, for breast cancer treatment.

Nobiletin Alleviates Ferroptosis-Associated Renal Injury, Inflammation, and Fibrosis in a Unilateral Ureteral Obstruction Mouse Model.

Nobiletin (Nob), a critical active flavonoid of citrus fruits, has received attention for its superior physical functions, which have shown to improve the progression of diseases. Chronic kidney disease (CKD) is recognized as a global health problem, and its mortality and morbidity rates are worsened with an increased risk of accompanying disorders. In this study, we aimed to elucidate whether Nob treatment ameliorates kidney fibrosis and also to identify the potential signaling networks in a unilateral ureteral obstructive (UUO) mouse model, which was used to mimic the progression of CKD.

Competing Risk Analysis of Outcomes of Unresectable Pancreatic Cancer Patients Undergoing Definitive Radiotherapy.

Purpose: We investigated potential factors, including clinicopathological features, treatment modalities, neutrophil-to-lymphocyte ratio (NLR), carbohydrate antigen (CA) 19-9 level, tumor responses correlating with overall survival (OS), local progression (LP), and distant metastases (DMs), in patients with locally advanced pancreatic cancer (LAPC) who received definitive radiotherapy (RT).

Methods: We retrospectively analyzed demographic characteristics; biologically effective doses (BED, calculated with an α/β of 10) of RT; and clinical outcomes of 57 unresectable LAPC (all pancreatic adenocarcinoma) patients receiving definitive RT using modern techniques with and without systemic therapy between January 2009 and March 2019 at our institution. We used Response Evaluation Criteria in Solid Tumors (RECIST) version 1.

Immunotherapy in anaplastic thyroid cancer: Case series.

Unresectable anaplastic thyroid cancer (ATC) has a poor prognosis. Chemotherapy and radiotherapy have limited effects on it. Here, we present four cases who underwent immunotherapy for ATC.

Incidence and prognostic significance of extranodal extension in isolated nodal recurrence of oral squamous cell carcinoma.

Background: Extranodal extension (ENE) is a crucial prognostic factor of oral squamous cell carcinoma (OSCC). However, the role of ENE in regional recurrence (rENE) remains unclear. The purpose of our study is to assess the salvage outcome according to the presence of rENE in oral cancer patients with isolated nodal recurrence.

Outcomes of salvage treatment in patients with recurrent oral squamous cell carcinoma.

Background: The survival outcomes of different salvage treatments for patients with recurrent oral cancer remain unclear.

Methods: A total of 556 patients with recurrent oral cancer between 2010 and 2015 were reviewed. Clinical/pathological risk factors and different salvage treatments were analyzed.

Stable Ethosome-like Catanionic Vesicles for Transdermal Hydrophilic Drug Delivery with Predictable Encapsulation Efficiency.

Lipid-like pseudo-double-chained catanionic surfactants have emerged as the attractive materials to prepare potential vesicular carriers in drug and gene delivery applications. In particular, the semi-spontaneous process has been developed to fabricate ethosome-like catanionic vesicles for the transdermal drug delivery. In this work, Arbutin (a water-soluble drug) encapsulation efficiency of ethosome-like catanionic vesicles fabricated from decyltrimethylammonium-tetradecylsulfate (DeTMA-TS, CH(CH) N(CH)-CH(CH)SO) and decyltrimethylammonium-dodecylsulfate (DeTMA-DS, CH(CH)N(CH)-CH(CH)SO) with various amounts of ethanol and cholesterol in tris buffer solution was experimentally determined.

Prevention and early management of carotid blowout syndrome for patients receiving head and neck salvage boron neutron capture therapy (BNCT).

Background/purpose: The incidence rate of oral and pharyngeal cancers in Taiwan has increased gradually over the past few decades. The standard treatment strategy for oral and pharyngeal cancers includes surgery or radiotherapy, with concurrent chemotherapy in certain types of tumors. Unfortunately, in-field recurrence is sometimes inexorable.

Hierarchical and Self-Attended Sequence Autoencoder.

It is important and challenging to infer stochastic latent semantics for natural language applications. The difficulty in stochastic sequential learning is caused by the posterior collapse in variational inference. The input sequence is disregarded in the estimated latent variables.