Publications by authors named "Cw Chang"

Article Synopsis
  • Limited-angle dual-energy cone-beam CT (LA-DECBCT) is a promising method for achieving fast, low-dose imaging, but its clinical use is challenged by difficulties in image reconstruction.
  • A new image reconstruction technique using inter-spectral structural similarity was developed to reduce artifacts, improving the quality of DECBCT images without needing extra data for training.
  • This method shows significant potential for practical clinical applications in LA-DECBCT, enabling accurate imaging without relying on X-ray spectra or paired datasets.
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With current treatments addressing only a fraction of pathogens and new viral threats constantly evolving, there is a critical need to expand our existing therapeutic arsenal. To speed the rate of discovery and better prepare against future threats, we establish a high-throughput platform capable of screening compounds against 40 diverse viral proteases simultaneously. This multiplex approach is enabled by using cellular biosensors of viral protease activity combined with DNA-barcoding technology, as well as several design innovations that increase assay sensitivity and correct for plate-to-plate variation.

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This study aims to develop a digital twin (DT) framework to achieve adaptive proton prostate stereotactic body radiation therapy (SBRT) with fast treatment plan selection and patient-specific clinical target volume (CTV) setup uncertainty. Prostate SBRT has emerged as a leading option for external beam radiotherapy due to its effectiveness and reduced treatment duration. However, interfractional anatomy variations can impact treatment outcomes.

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The development of healable polymers represents a significant advancement in materials science, addressing the need for sustainable solutions that can reduce waste and prolong the lifespan of various products. For the development of healable polymer fabrics, however, there are still unsolved issues because of limited healing cycles and poor mechanical properties. In this work, we present intrinsically healable materials for the creation of stretchable, healable fabrics.

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To evaluate the relative efficacy of various physical therapy interventions for chronic ankle instability (CAI). A network meta-analysis of randomized controlled trials. PubMed, Cochrane Library, Embase, Scopus, and CINAHL bibliographic databases were searched up to December 2023.

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Hospital-acquired infections (HAIs) are serious complication for patients with acute ischemic stroke (AIS), often resulting in poor functional outcomes. However, no existing model can specifically predict HAI in AIS patients. Therefore, we employed the Gradient Boosting matching learning algorithm to establish predictive models for HAI occurrence in AIS patients and poor 30-day functional outcomes (modified Rankin Scale > 2) in AIS patients with HAI by analyzing electronic health records from 6560 AIS patients.

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In recent years, the integration of multifunctional properties into electrospun fabrics has garnered significant attention for applications in wearable devices and smart textiles. A major challenge lies in achieving a balance among intermolecular interactions, structural stability, and responsiveness to external stimuli. In this study, we address this challenge by developing intrinsically healable and photoresponsive electrospun fabrics composed of poly(vinylidene fluoride--hexafluoropropylene) (PVDF-HFP), thermoplastic polyurethane (TPU), and an azobenzene-based ionic liquid ([AzoCMIM][TFSI]).

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A new species of beardfish, genus , is described based on three specimens collected in Taiwanese waters and off the Chesterfield Islands of New Caledonia. It can be distinguished from its congeners by the following characters: dorsal-fin rays IV-V, 35-37; gill rakers on outer face of first gill arch 3+1+6=10; scales row between dorsal-fin origin and lateral line vertically 6-8 (S1) and posteriorly 12-14 (S2); pyloric caeca 40; snout rounded, with its surface rough and gelatinous, its tip evidently protrude anterior margin of premaxilla; ctenii on body scales arranged in a wedge-shape, forming three rows; 4 anal-fin spine long, 1.0%-1.

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Article Synopsis
  • CBCT scans are crucial for patient alignment in radiotherapy, but their image quality is often compromised by artifacts and inaccurate Hounsfield unit values, limiting their quantitative applications.
  • The study introduces an unsupervised learning approach utilizing a patient-specific diffusion model to generate synthetic CT images from CBCT, improving image quality for adaptive radiotherapy.
  • Results demonstrated that this method effectively reduced artifacts in CBCT images from various cancer types, enhancing the potential for better clinical outcomes in radiotherapy.
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Coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) is caused by severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2). The rapid development of highly effective vaccines against SARS-CoV-2 has altered the trajectory of the pandemic, and antiviral therapeutics have further reduced the number of COVID-19 hospitalizations and deaths. Coronaviruses are enveloped, positive-sense, single-stranded RNA viruses that encode various structural and non-structural proteins, including those critical for viral RNA replication and evasion from innate immunity.

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Introduction: We explored the clinical characteristics, treatment, and outcomes of colitis-associated colorectal cancer (CAC) and compared with sporadic colorectal cancer in Taiwan.

Methods: In this retrospective study spanning 1987-2022, CACs diagnosed according to endoscopic and pathological reports from 14 tertiary centers were reported to our cohort. Clinical demographics, endoscopic findings, histological results, treatment modalities, and outcomes were analyzed.

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Article Synopsis
  • The study investigates the clinical features, treatment approaches, and long-term outcomes of patients with reflex epilepsies (RE) in Taiwan, particularly focusing on their responses to specific triggers.
  • A total of 81 patients were analyzed, revealing that those with extrinsic triggers (like photosensitivity) were generally younger and had more spontaneous seizures compared to those with intrinsic triggers (like Mah-Jong).
  • Results showed a high usage of antiseizure medications among patients, with a notable difference in treatment methods and stimulus avoidance behaviors between the two groups, but both achieved similar seizure control outcomes.*
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Glioblastoma (GBM) is the most common and lethal form of primary brain cancer. Microglia infiltration into the tumor microenvironment is associated with immunosuppression and poor prognosis. Improved physicochemical understanding of microglia activation and invasion may provide novel GBM therapeutic strategies essential for improving long-term treatment efficacy.

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Article Synopsis
  • Optical surface imaging offers non-invasive methods for real-time monitoring during radiation therapy, but struggles with accurately tracking tumors due to complex internal motions.
  • A study analyzed 50 lung cancer patients using 4DCT scans and developed a model that uses surface images to synthesize volumetric CT images via advanced generative networks.
  • The new method showed promising results, with minimal differences from actual CT images, indicating its potential to improve tumor tracking during radiation treatment.
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In this work, we present a new imaging system to support real-time tumor tracking for surface-guided radiotherapy (SGRT). SGRT uses optical surface imaging (OSI) to acquire real-time surface topography images of the patient on the treatment couch. This serves as a surrogate for intra-fractional tumor motion tracking to guide radiation delivery.

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Endoscopic ultrasonography (EUS) is pivotal for diagnosing and sampling pancreatic tumor tissues. This study aimed to assess how the histological type and size of tumors influence the adequacy of macroscopic tissue cores acquired using EUS-guided fine needle biopsy (FNB). We conducted a retrospective study involving 180 patients with pathologically confirmed pancreatic malignancies at our hospital, a medical center, between July 2020 and June 2023.

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Article Synopsis
  • The study investigated the effectiveness of lenvatinib in treating unresectable hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) and identified key factors influencing patient survival.
  • This involved analyzing data from 53 patients on lenvatinib monotherapy and 19 patients on a combination therapy of lenvatinib and immune checkpoint inhibitors.
  • The results showed that while the combination therapy had a higher response rate, there were no significant differences in progression-free survival or overall survival between the two groups, although specific patient criteria from the monotherapy group indicated better outcomes.
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Background: Differential counting (DC) of different cell types in bone marrow (BM) aspiration smears is crucial for diagnosing hematological diseases. However, a clinically applicable method for automatic DC has yet to be developed.

Objective: This study developed and validated an artificial intelligence (AI)-based algorithm for identifying and classifying nucleated cells in BM smears.

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Article Synopsis
  • Phthalates, commonly found in plastics, may negatively impact kidney health, particularly through oxidative stress, but their link to kidney stones (urolithiasis) is not well established.
  • A case-control study with 285 patients who have calcium urolithiasis and 594 healthy controls examined urinary levels of phthalate metabolites and biomarkers for oxidative stress and early kidney injury.
  • Results showed that kidney stone patients had higher levels of phthalate metabolites and biomarkers of oxidative stress and injury, indicating a potential increased risk of urolithiasis linked to phthalate exposure.
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Canonically PD-L1 functions as the inhibitory immune checkpoint on cell surface. Recent studies have observed PD-L1 expression in the nucleus of cancer cells. But the biological function of nuclear PD-L1 (nPD-L1) in tumor growth and antitumor immunity is unclear.

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  • This study investigated the links between childhood exposure to bisphenol A (BPA) and parabens (PBs) and their impact on oxidative stress and cochlear function in children with hearing loss (HL) by measuring various urinary biomarkers and distortion product otoacoustic emissions (DPOAEs).
  • A total of 641 children participated, and results indicated that about 14.2% had HL, showing significant negative correlations between BPA/PB exposure and outer hair cell (OHC) activity, particularly at certain frequencies.
  • The findings suggest that exposure to these chemicals particularly affects OHC function at middle frequencies, potentially contributing to hearing loss in children.
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The stereoselective formation of 1,2- glycosidic linkages is challenging. The currently most widely used strategy for their installation uses 4,6--benzylidene-protected building blocks. The stereoselectivity of this reaction is thought to be driven by a covalent intermediate, which reacts via an S2 mechanism.

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Accelerating the alkaline hydrogen evolution reaction (HER), which involves the slow cleavage of HO-H bonds and the adsorption/desorption of hydrogen (H*) and hydroxyl (OH*) intermediates, requires developing catalysts with optimal binding strengths for these intermediates. Here, the unconventional hexagonal close-packed (HCP) high-entropy alloy (HEA) atomic layers are prepared composed of five platinum-group metals to enhance the alkaline HER synergistically. The breakthrough is made by layer-by-layer heteroepitaxial deposition of subnanometer RuRhPdPtIr HEA layers on the HCP Ru seeds, despite the thermodynamic stability of Rh, Pd, Pt, and Ir in a face-centered cubic (FCC) structure except for Ru.

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