Selectively cross-linked hydrogel-based cocktail drug delivery micro-chip for colon cancer combinatorial drug screening using AI-CSR platform for precision medicine.

Cancer, ranked as the second leading cause of global mortality with a prevalence of 1 in 6 deaths, necessitates innovative approaches for effective treatment. Combinatorial drug therapy for cancer treatment targets several key pathways simultaneously and potentially enhances anti-cancer efficacy without intolerable side effects. However, it demands precise and accurate control of drug-dose combinations and their release.

Serum sclerostin level is positively associated with endothelial dysfunction measured by digital thermal monitoring in patients with type 2 diabetes: A prospective cross-sectional study.

Sclerostin and dickkopf-1 (DKK1), extracellular inhibitors of the canonical Wnt/β-catenin signaling pathway, have been associated with vascular aging and atherosclerosis. This study aimed to assess the correlation of sclerostin and DKK1 concentrations with endothelial function measured using vascular reactivity index (VRI) in patients with type 2 diabetes mellitus (T2DM). Fasting blood samples were collected from 100 patients with T2DM.

Ophthalmic characteristics and retinal vasculature changes in Williams syndrome, and its association with systemic diseases.

Background: We aim to characterise the ophthalmic findings and retinal vasculature changes in patients with WS, and to analyse the correlation between ophthalmic manifestations and the associated systemic diseases.

Methods: This retrospective case-control study included 27 WS patients and 28 age-matched healthy participants. Stellate pattern of iris, central macular thickness (CMT), foveal width, retinal vessel diameter, superficial vascular density (SVD) of macula and foveal avascular zone (FAZ) were compared between WS patients and healthy participants.

Bleb-related infection after primary trabeculectomy: medical chart reviews from 1993 to 2021.

Background: To investigate the incidence of and risk factors for bleb-related infection (BRI) in patients who underwent mitomycin C-augmented primary trabeculectomy.

Methods: We reviewed the medical charts of consecutive patients who had received primary trabeculectomy in Taipei Veterans General Hospital. We recorded the demographic and clinical characteristics of patients before, during and after surgery.

Pseudophakic pupillary block after phacoemulsification and posterior chamber intraocular lens implantation: Cause identification and treatment refinement.

Background: Pseudophakic pupillary block (PPB) was rare in patients who undergo phacoemulsification and posterior chamber intraocular lens (PCIOL) implantation. Laser peripheral iridotomy was the most reported but ineffective treatment in the literature.

Methods: Retrospective, interventional case series of patients who developed PPB in Taipei Veterans General Hospital from 2017 to 2021.

Physical, Chemical, and Biological Properties of Chitosan-Coated Alginate Microparticles Loaded with Porcine Interleukin-1β: A Potential Protein Adjuvant Delivery System.

We previously developed chicken interleukin-1β (IL-1β) mutants as single-dose adjuvants that induce protective immunity when co-administered with an avian vaccine. However, livestock such as pigs may require a vaccine adjuvant delivery system that provides long-lasting protection to reduce the need for successive booster doses. Therefore, we developed chitosan-coated alginate microparticles as a carrier for bovine serum albumin (BSA) or porcine IL-1β (pIL-1β) and assessed their physical, chemical, and biological properties.

Refractive status, biometric components, and functional outcomes of patients with threshold retinopathy of prematurity: systemic review and a 17-year longitudinal study.

Objective: To assess the long-term refractive status, visual outcome, astigmatism, and the change in biometric optic components in older adolescents up to age 17 years with threshold retinopathy of prematurity (ROP) treated with diode laser.

Methods: A retrospective, longitudinal study in which cycloplegic refraction, keratometry, and the biometric measurement of optic components were performed on 28 consecutive preterm eyes with laser-treated threshold ROP at age 17 years. The study results were statistically analysed and compared with age-matched full-term control.

Late capsular blockage syndrome: Clinical and anterior segment optical coherence tomography characteristics.

Background: Late capsular blockage syndrome (CBS) is a rare phenomenon which is found after cataract surgery. The mechanism, anterior segment optical coherence tomography (OCT) presentation, and clinical characteristics are not well studied.

Methods: We studied patients who developed late CBS in Taipei Veterans General Hospital from 2012 to 2019.

Management of Delayed Complications of Hydrogel Scleral Buckles.

(1) Background: hydrogel scleral buckles (HSB)-related complications can happen decades after implantation, although this material has been retrieved for a long time. Due to its fragile texture, ensuring the complete removal of this material and avoiding complications are challenging. Incomplete removal, iatrogenic complication, recurrent retinal detachment, and infection could occur.

Traumatic aniridia with extensive episcleral pigmentation: a case report.

Background: Traumatic aniridia has been documented in eyes with a history of cataract extraction through a clear corneal wound. The proposed hypothesis is that the iris tissue was squeezed out from the corneal wound as it is a relative weak point. However, traumatic aniridia with extensive pigmentation of the episclera has never been reported.

Structural Insight into the Contributions of the N-Terminus and Key Active-Site Residues to the Catalytic Efficiency of Glutamine Synthetase 2.

Glutamine synthetase (GS) catalyzes the condensation of ammonia and glutamate, along with ATP, to form glutamine. Despite extensive studies on GSs from eukaryotes and prokaryotes, the roles of the N-terminus and other structural features in catalysis remain unclear. Here we report the decameric structure of GS 2 (DmGS2).

Optical coherence tomography-based diabetic macula edema screening with artificial intelligence.

Background: Optical coherence tomography (OCT) is considered as a sensitive and noninvasive tool to evaluate the macular lesions. In patients with diabetes mellitus (DM), the existence of diabetic macular edema (DME) can cause significant vision impairment and further intravitreal injection (IVI) of anti-vascular endothelial growth factor (VEGF) is needed. However, the increasing number of DM patients makes it a big burden for clinicians to manually determine whether DME exists in the OCT images.

Carboxylated nanodiamond-mediated CRISPR-Cas9 delivery of human retinoschisis mutation into human iPSCs and mouse retina.

Nanodiamonds (NDs) are considered to be relatively safe carbon nanomaterials used for the transmission of DNA, proteins and drugs. The feasibility of utilizing the NDs to deliver CRISPR-Cas9 system for gene editing has not been clearly studied. Therefore, in this study, we aimed to use NDs as the carriers of CRISPR-Cas9 components designed to introduce the mutation in RS1 gene associated with X-linked retinoschisis (XLRS).

Dietary Supplementation with Hazelnut Oil Reduces Serum Hyperlipidemia and Ameliorates the Progression of Nonalcoholic Fatty Liver Disease in Hamsters Fed a High-Cholesterol Diet.

: Hazelnut oil (HO) is rich in monounsaturated fatty acids and polyunsaturated fatty acids. This study intended to analyze the effects of hazelnut oil supplementation on the serum lipid profile and nonalcoholic fatty liver disease in hamsters fed a high-cholesterol (HC) diet. : Hamsters were fed a basic diet (control group) and an HC diet (HC group) for 16 weeks ( = 10 in each group).

Diagnostic ability of macular ganglion cell asymmetry in Preperimetric Glaucoma.

Background: To evaluate the diagnostic ability of macular ganglion cell asymmetry to diagnose preperimetric glaucoma (PPG), using Cirrus spectral domain optical coherence tomography (OCT).

Methods: This prospective study included 67 eyes of 67 patients with PPG and 67 eyes of 67 age- and refractive error-matched controls. We measured circumpapillary RNFL (cpRNFL) thickness, macular ganglion cell-inner plexiform layer (GCIPL) thickness and optic nerve head (ONH) parameters using OCT.

Correlation between sclerostin and Dickkopf-1 with aortic arterial stiffness in patients with type 2 diabetes: A prospective, cross-sectional study.

Background: Sclerostin and Dickkopf-1 are extracellular inhibitors of the canonical Wnt/β-catenin signalling pathway, which is implicated in the development of arterial stiffness. However, the correlation between aortic stiffness and sclerostin or Dickkopf-1 levels in patients with type 2 diabetes mellitus is unknown.

Methods: Fasting blood samples were collected from 125 patients with type 2 diabetes mellitus.

Macular ganglion cell asymmetry for detecting paracentral scotoma in early glaucoma.

Purpose: We evaluated macular ganglion cell asymmetry as a tool for diagnosing paracentral scotoma (PCS) in early glaucoma.

Patients And Methods: This prospective study compared 58 patients with early glaucoma and PCS to 58 age-matched control individuals. All glaucomatous eyes had scotoma within the central 12 degrees of fixation and confined to one hemifield.

Development of a full thickness macular hole after vitrectomy for rhegmatogenous retinal detachment: a sequential study via optical coherence tomography.

Background: To demonstrate a full thickness macular hole (MH) development after vitrectomy (VT) for rhegmatogenous retinal detachment (RRD) and to investigate the possible disease mechanism with optical coherence tomography (OCT).

Case Presentation: A 47-year-old female underwent 23G vitrectomy surgery to repair the macula-detached RRD successfully. However, intraretinal cysts initially developed two months after surgery.

Primary ductal adenocarcinoma of lacrimal gland: Two case reports and review of the literature.

A 64-year-old male presented with progressive proptosis of the left eye for 3 months. Orbital computed tomography (CT) demonstrated a 3.9 cm infiltrative mass over the superotemporal quadrant of the left orbit.

Conjunctival papilloma: Clinical features, outcome, and factors related to recurrence.

Purpose: The purpose of the study was to evaluate the clinical features, treatment, and outcome of patients with conjunctival papilloma.

Materials And Methods: Twenty-two patients (22 eyes) with biopsy-proven conjunctival papilloma between January 2005 and January 2015 in a tertiary medical center were retrospectively reviewed. Clinical profiles, treatment, outcome, and factors related to recurrence were evaluated.

Antipsychotic formulation and one-year rehospitalization of schizophrenia patients: a population-based cohort study.

OBJECTIVE The authors compared the efficacy of long-acting injectable antipsychotics and oral antipsychotics on rehospitalization rate of community-dwelling patients with schizophrenia who had frequent admissions. METHODS The cohort study of 14,610 patients was conducted by analyzing the Taiwan National Health Research Institutes data. The patients were divided into groups that received oral antipsychotics (risperidone, a different second-generation antipsychotic, or a first-generation antipsychotic) or long-acting injectable antipsychotics (risperidone, haloperidol, or flupenthixol).

Low-dose venlafaxine-induced severe rhabdomyolysis: a case report.

Venlafaxine is a relatively new antidepressant with selective effects. Compared with traditional antidepressants, this agent has fewer adverse side effects. However, venlafaxine overdose has been reported with severe complications such as seizure, ventricular tachycardia, serotonin syndrome, neuroleptic malignant syndrome and rhabdomyolysis.