Publications by authors named "Kuan-Ning Chang"

Objective: Persistent postoperative sensory loss significantly limits breast reconstruction following mastectomy. In addition, the absence of sensation profoundly impacts patients' physical well-being and overall quality of life. New surgical techniques involving nerve autograft intercostal nerve elongation have been introduced to neurotize reconstructed breasts.

View Article and Find Full Text PDF

Glioblastoma multiforme (GBM) is the most aggressive type of brain tumor, characterized by its heterogeneity in cellular components, including reactive astrocytes and microglia. Since neuroimmune responses like astrogliosis and microgliosis gain recognition as vital factors in brain tumor progression, there is a growing need for clinically relevant models that assess the interactions between astrocytes, microglia, and GBM. Here, a NEuroimmune-Oncology Microphysiological Analysis Platform (NEO-MAP) is presented as a "new map" to observe astrocytic scar formation and microgliosis in response to GBM.

View Article and Find Full Text PDF

Li-Fraumeni syndrome (LFS) is an autosomal dominant cancer predisposition condition characterized by a high lifetime risk for a wide spectrum of malignancies associated with germline pathogenic/likely pathogenic (P/LP) variants in the TP53 tumor suppressor gene. Secondary malignant neoplasms are particularly common. Early cancer detection through surveillance enables early intervention and leads to improved clinical outcomes with reduced tumor-related mortality and treatment-related morbidity.

View Article and Find Full Text PDF

Purpose: Traditional methods, fine-needle aspiration cytology (FNAC) and washout thyroglobulin (Tg), do not always provide sufficient accuracy for diagnosing lymph node (LN) metastasis in thyroid cancer. This study aimed to validate the diagnostic performance of washout cytokeratin fragment 21-1 (CYFRA 21-1) as a complementary biomarker for diagnosing metastatic LNs in thyroid cancer and to explore its relationship with molecular analysis and distant metastasis.

Patients And Methods: In this retrospective cohort study involving 230 LNs in 224 patients with PTC, FNAC, washout Tg, and CYFRA 21-1 levels were measured in suspicious LNs.

View Article and Find Full Text PDF

The compatibility of low infrared emission and wideband microwave absorption has drawn extensive attention, both theoretically and practically. In this paper, an infrared-radar-compatible stealth metasurface is designed using transparent conductive materials, namely indium tin oxide (ITO) and poly methacrylimide (PMI). The designed structure is a combination of a radar-absorbing layer (RAL) and a low-infrared-emission layer (IRSL), with an overall thickness of about 1.

View Article and Find Full Text PDF

Diabetic nephropathy (DN), one of the most common complications of diabetes mellitus (DM), accounts for a major cause of chronic kidney disease (CKD) worldwide, with a complicated pathogenesis and limited effective strategies nowadays. The mineralocorticoid receptor (MR) is a classical ligand-activated nuclear transcription factor. It is expressed in the renal intrinsic and immune cells, especially macrophages.

View Article and Find Full Text PDF

We report using visible-light-induced generation of tether-tunable distonic radical anions for the general catalytic lactonization/lactamization of aromatic carboxylic acids and benzamides. Its success relies on the specific cyclic diacyl peroxide and catalytic amount of CsI, enabling the generation of electrophilic heteroatom-centered radicals via a philicity regulation strategy. Key features include operational simplicity, excellent functional group tolerance, broad substrate scope, high chemo- and regioselectivity, gram-scale scalability, and application to synthesis of urolithin derivatives and 3--butylphthalide.

View Article and Find Full Text PDF

Purpose: A staged bilateral total knee arthroplasty (BTKA) procedure is considered when a patient is not deemed suitable for simultaneous BTKA due to concerns about the risk of mortality and complications. However, no network meta-analysis has been conducted to compare simultaneous vs staged BTKA procedures with different intervals in terms of postoperative mortality and overall complication rates.

Methods: Four databases - Medline, Embase, Cochrane Library and Web of Science - were searched from inception to December 19, 2023, for studies comparing patients who underwent staged BTKA with different intervals and simultaneous BTKA.

View Article and Find Full Text PDF

Upper extremity injuries in baseball players demand advanced prevention. Our study analyzed clinical features using machine learning techniques to provide precise and individualized injury risk assessment and prediction. We recruited 98 baseball players and collected data on glenohumeral internal/external rotation, posterior capsule thickness, supraspinatus tendon thickness, acromiohumeral distance, and occupation ratio.

View Article and Find Full Text PDF

Background And Aims: We conducted a systematic review and meta-analysis of randomized controlled trials (RCTs) comparing interleukin (IL)-23p19 antagonists with ustekinumab, stratified by prior biologic exposure, in patients with moderate-to-severe Crohn's disease (CD).

Methods: Through a systematic review through August 17, 2024, we identified phase 2 and 3 RCTs comparing IL-23p19 antagonists vs. ustekinumab in adults with moderate-to-severe CD.

View Article and Find Full Text PDF

The palladium-catalyzed dehydrogenative [4+2] annulation of 1-indanones with alkynes has been reported. In this protocol, the palladium-catalyzed desaturation of 1-indanones to indenones occurs, followed by the palladium catalyzed oxidative cyclization of indenones with alkynes, generating diverse benzo[]fluorenone derivatives in satisfactory yields and regioselectivity.

View Article and Find Full Text PDF

This study investigates the impact of deep learning-based contrast boosting (DL-CB) on image quality and measurement reliability in low-contrast media (low-CM) CT for pre-transcatheter aortic valve replacement (TAVR) assessment. This retrospective study included TAVR candidates with renal dysfunction who underwent low-CM (30-mL: 15-mL bolus of contrast followed by 50-mL of 30% iomeprol solution) pre-TAVR CT between April and December 2023, along with matched standard-CM controls (n = 68). Low-CM images were reconstructed as conventional, 50-keV, and DL-CB images.

View Article and Find Full Text PDF

Objectives: This study compared a simplified in situ self-administered hearing screening test, conducted with a neckband-type self-fitting device, with conventional pure-tone audiometry. It evaluated the maximum speech-shaped noise level for screening (MSNLS), crucial for evaluating the feasibility of this in situ screening test in quiet environments.

Methods: This study included 30 adults with normal hearing and 30 adults with mild to moderately severe hearing impairment.

View Article and Find Full Text PDF

Background: Caregivers of children with attention-deficit/hyperactivity disorder (ADHD) experience more parenting stress than do caregivers of children without ADHD. Evidence suggests that ADHD severity is positively associated with parenting stress. In adolescents, ADHD increases the risks of contracting Coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) and having poor outcomes.

View Article and Find Full Text PDF

Correction for 'Achieving 9% EQE in light-emitting electrochemical cells a TADF-sensitized fluorescence strategy' by Zeyang Zhou , , 2024, , 24498-24505, https://doi.org/10.1039/D4CP02801E.

View Article and Find Full Text PDF

Background: The radiology, obstruction, symptoms and exposure (ROSE) criteria provide a standardised approach for identifying the "COPD-bronchiectasis (BE) association." However, the clinical implications and outcomes of the COPD-BE association in East Asian populations remain unclear. Our study applied the ROSE criteria to assess the prevalence, clinical impact and outcomes of the COPD-BE association in an East Asian cohort, and compared that cohort with nonsmoking BE patients with fixed airflow obstruction (FAO) and those without FAO.

View Article and Find Full Text PDF

The influence of different calcium sources on the mineralization behavior of and their roles in microbiologically influenced corrosion inhibition (MICI) of Q235 carbon steel were investigated. Calcium lactate, calcium nitrate, and calcium L-aspartate were selected as alternative calcium sources to assess their effects on bacterial growth, carbonate deposition, and corrosion resistance. exhibited stable growth in all tested media, with the pH exceeding 8 after 14 days, promoting carbonate precipitation.

View Article and Find Full Text PDF

Sterile systemic inflammation may contribute to neuroinflammation and accelerate the progression of neurodegenerative diseases. The double-stranded RNA-dependent protein kinase (PKR) is a key signaling molecule that regulates immune responses by regulating macrophage activation, various inflammatory pathways, and inflammasome formation. This study aims to study the role of PKR in regulating sterile systemic inflammation-triggered neuroinflammation and cognitive dysfunctions.

View Article and Find Full Text PDF

Background: The family of membrane-bound fatty acid desaturase () genes play a vital role in plant growth, development, and stress responses. The seed-borne pathogen causes seed decay disease during pre-harvest and post-harvest stages of soybean, leading to a significant reduction in yield and quality. Therefore, it is very meaningful to characterize the diversity and function of the gene family in soybean and to elucidate their roles in seed resistance to

Results: In this study, 30 full-length genes were identified from the soybean genome.

View Article and Find Full Text PDF

Objective: To investigate the relationship between the Chinese visceral adiposity index (CVAI) and vertebral proton density fat fraction (PDFF).

Methods: The study included 181 postmenopausal females including 53 normal bone mineral density (BMD), 88 osteopenia, and 40 osteoporosis. Vertebral marrow PDFF was measured using Fat Analysis & Calculation Technique imaging, and BMD was assessed via dual-energy X-ray absorptiometry.

View Article and Find Full Text PDF

Introduction: Atopic dermatitis (AD) is a common inflammatory skin disorder that affects both children and adults, characterized by pruritus and scaly, dry eczematous lesions. This study aimed to gather knowledge on the actual use and effectiveness of Pimecrolimus (PIM) in Chinese patients with mild-to-moderate AD affecting sensitive skin areas in routine clinical practice.

Methods: This multicentre and non-interventional study included 130 subjects from China, divided into two age groups (2-12 years and ≥12 years).

View Article and Find Full Text PDF

Purpose: To assess relative glaucoma severity between Haitians and non-Haitians upon presentation to a tertiary referral practice using a retrospective case-control design.

Patients And Methods: All Haitian descent patients were age- and zip code-matched with non-Haitian Hispanic American controls from a tertiary glaucoma service in a 1:1 ratio. Clinical and social vulnerability characteristics were analyzed for differences in functional and structural glaucoma deficits.

View Article and Find Full Text PDF

Photobiomodulation (PBM) has demonstrated potential in promoting peripheral nerve regeneration. However, there is a limited and inconclusive study on the application of light-emitting diode (LED) for nerve injury repair. In this study, we designed an 807-nm LED device with high luminous uniformity to investigate the effects of LED-based PBM on peripheral nerve injury repair.

View Article and Find Full Text PDF

The metazoan lifespan is determined in part by a complex signaling network that regulates energy metabolism and stress responses. Key signaling hubs in this network include insulin/IGF-1, AMPK, mTOR, and sirtuins. The Hippo/Mammalian Ste20-like Kinase1 (MST1) pathway has been reported to maintain lifespan in Caenorhabditis elegans, but its role has not been studied in higher metazoans.

View Article and Find Full Text PDF

A PHP Error was encountered

Severity: Warning

Message: A non-numeric value encountered

Filename: controllers/Author.php

Line Number: 219

Backtrace:

File: /var/www/html/application/controllers/Author.php
Line: 219
Function: _error_handler

File: /var/www/html/index.php
Line: 316
Function: require_once

A PHP Error was encountered

Severity: Warning

Message: A non-numeric value encountered

Filename: libraries/Pagination.php

Line Number: 413

Backtrace:

File: /var/www/html/application/controllers/Author.php
Line: 274
Function: create_links

File: /var/www/html/index.php
Line: 316
Function: require_once