Publications by authors named "MC Shih"

Advances in multiplex mass spectrometry-based technologies have enabled high-throughput, quantitative proteome profiling of large cohort. However, certain experimental design configurations can amplify sample variability and introduce systematic biases. To address these challenges, we incorporated two novel features in a recent proteogenomic investigation: (1) the inclusion of two reference samples within each mass spectrometry run to serve as internal standards, and (2) the analysis of each specimen as technical replicates across two distinct mass spectrometry runs.

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Hot electrons (HEs) represent out-of-equilibrium carriers that are capable of facilitating reactions which are inaccessible under conventional conditions. Despite the similarity of the HE process to catalysis, optimization strategies such as orbital alignment and adsorption kinetics have not received significant attention in enhancing the HE-driven reaction yield. Here, we investigate catalytic effects in HE-driven reactions using a compositional catalyst modification (CCM) approach.

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Incretin-based therapies are widely used to improve glycemic control and β cell dysfunction in the treatment of type 2 diabetes. (Gac fruit), a nutritious melon cultivated in many regions, has underexplored health benefits, particular its edible aril. This study comprehensively investigates the stimulatory effect of Gac aril on glucagon-like peptide 1 (GLP-1) secretion, identifies the responsible active constituents, and explores the underlying mechanisms related to its anti-diabetic effects.

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RIG-I-like receptors (RLRs) are cytosolic RNA sensors critical for antiviral immunity. RLR activation is regulated by polyubiquitination and oligomerization following RNA binding. Yet, little is known about how RLRs exploit subcellular organelles to facilitate their posttranslational modifications and activation.

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Purpose: The aim of this was to evaluate the prognostic significance of the nodal-to-primary tumor SUV max ratio (NTR) in patients with node-positive hypopharyngeal squamous cell carcinoma (HPSCC) treated with radiotherapy with or without concurrent chemotherapy. The study aims to enhance prognostic accuracy by incorporating NTR into the American Joint Committee on Cancer (AJCC) staging system.

Patients And Methods: This retrospective study included 191 patients with biopsy-proven node-positive HPSCC treated from 2005 to 2013.

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Objective: To determine if librarian collaboration was associated with improved database search quality, search reproducibility, and systematic review reporting in otolaryngology systematic reviews and meta-analyses.

Methods: In this retrospective cross-sectional study, PubMed was queried for systematic reviews and meta-analyses published in otolaryngology journals in 2010, 2015, and 2021. Two researchers independently extracted data.

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Background: Delayed graft function after kidney transplantation is linked to poor graft survival and increased chronic allograft injury. Recent guidelines suggest using balanced crystalloids over 0.9% saline owing to better metabolic profiles, but their impact on DGF remains unclear.

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Background: Uncomplicated urinary tract infection (UTI) is a common indication for outpatient antimicrobial therapy. National guidelines for the management of uncomplicated UTI were published by the Infectious Diseases Society of America in 2011, however it is not fully known the extent to which they align with current practices, patient diversity, and pathogen biology, all of which have evolved significantly in the time since their publication.

Objective: We aimed to re-evaluate efficacy and adverse events for first-line antibiotics (nitrofurantoin, and trimethoprim-sulfamethoxazole), versus second-line antibiotics (fluoroquinolones) and versus alternative agents (oral β-lactams) for uncomplicated UTI in contemporary clinical practice by applying machine learning algorithms to a large claims database formatted into the Observational Medical Outcomes Partnership (OMOP) common data model.

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Objectives: In schizophrenia, nonspecific lighting likely causes sleep timing disturbances, leading to distress and poorer clinical status. However, the effect of exposure to circadian lighting on psychopathology outcome in schizophrenia remains unknown. Hence, this study aimed to develop such an intervention and investigate its impact on schizophrenia.

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Article Synopsis
  • Continuous glucose monitoring (CGM) can enhance diabetes management for patients on insulin, but our study found disparities in CGM prescriptions among different racial and ethnic groups among U.S. Veterans.
  • Out of 368,794 patients, only 11.2% received a CGM prescription, with notably lower rates for Black or African American (9.2%) and Hispanic or Latino patients (8.3%) compared to White patients (11.8%).
  • After adjusting for various factors, Black or African American patients had 38% lower odds and Hispanic patients had 21% lower odds of being prescribed CGM than their non-Hispanic White counterparts, highlighting ongoing racial disparities in healthcare access.
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Preventing ion migration in perovskite photovoltaics is key to achieving stable and efficient devices. The activation energy for ion migration is affected by the chemical environment surrounding the ions. Thus, the migration of organic cations in lead halide perovskites can be mitigated by engineering their local interactions, for example through hydrogen bonding.

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The Omicron SARS-CoV-2 variant continues to strain healthcare systems. Developing tools that facilitate the identification of patients at highest risk of adverse outcomes is a priority. The study objectives are to develop population-scale predictive models that: 1) identify predictors of adverse outcomes with Omicron surge SARS-CoV-2 infections, and 2) predict the impact of prioritized vaccination of high-risk groups for said outcome.

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  • Trigeminal-specific stimulants activate different receptors, leading to variations in how sensory perception is experienced, but it's unclear if this sensitivity is uniform across various TRP receptors.
  • A study was conducted with 50 participants to test trigeminal sensitivity using three stimulants (eucalyptol, isothiocyanate, acetic acid) and olfaction assessments, revealing mixed results in sensitivity and correlations.
  • The findings indicate that there is no significant correlation between the sensitivity of different TRP receptors or with age, suggesting that dysfunction in these receptors may cause different symptoms, warranting further research on TRPV1 and TRPA1 receptor interactions.
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Background: Real-world vaccine effectiveness following the third dose of vaccination against SARS-CoV-2 remains less investigated among people with HIV (PWH).

Methods: PWH receiving the third dose of BNT162b2 and mRNA-1273 (either 50- or 100-μg) were enrolled. Participants were followed for 180 days until the fourth dose of COVID-19 vaccination, SARS-CoV-2 infection, seroconversion of anti-nucleocapsid IgG, death, or loss to follow-up.

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Background: The RECOVERY trial demonstrated that the use of dexamethasone is associated with a 36% lower 28-day mortality in hospitalized patients with COVID-19 on invasive mechanical ventilation. Nevertheless, the optimal timing to start dexamethasone remains uncertain.

Methods: We conducted a quasi-experimental study at National Taiwan University Hospital (Taipei, Taiwan) using propensity score matching to simulate a randomized controlled trial to receive or not to receive early dexamethasone (6 mg/day) during the first 7 days following the onset of symptoms.

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Background And Aims: As there is growing interest in the application of cardiopulmonary exercise test (CPX) in chronic kidney disease (CKD), it is important to understand the utility of conventional exercise test parameters in quantifying the cardiopulmonary fitness of patients with CKD. Merely extrapolating information from heart failure (HF) patients would not suffice. In the present study, we evaluated the utility of CPX parameters such as the peak O-pulse and the estimated stroke volume (SV) in assessing the peak SV by comparing with the actual measured values.

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Objective: Hydroxychloroquine (HCQ) is a US Food and Drug Administration (FDA)-approved treatment for systemic lupus erythematosus (SLE) through inhibition of antigen presentation and subsequent reduction in T cell activation. Psoriasis relapse after antimalarial therapy have been reported in up to 18% of patients with psoriasis. Here, we explored the role of HCQ on exacerbating dermatitis utilizing an imiquimod (IMQ)-induced psoriasis-like dermatitis mouse model.

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Introduction: Sialorrhea or drooling can result in physical and psychosocial complications, such as aspiration and social isolation. Treatment options include botulinum toxin into the salivary glands and 4-duct ligation (i.e.

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Background: Systemic therapy is the standard treatment for unresectable colorectal cancer with liver metastasis (CRCLM). Transarterial chemoembolization with drug-eluting beads (DEB-TACE) is considered an effective treatment option for CRCLM. Few studies have investigated the combination of DEB-TACE, chemotherapy, and targeted therapy for CRCLM.

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Background: The current standard of drawing two vs three blood culture sets lacks adequate guidance. Because people who inject drugs are at higher risk for bacteraemia and life-threatening infection, consideration of a third blood culture becomes more important.

Aim: To investigate the risks and benefits of obtaining two versus three blood culture sets.

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Increasing emphasis on the use of real-world evidence (RWE) to support clinical policy and regulatory decision-making has led to a proliferation of guidance, advice, and frameworks from regulatory agencies, academia, professional societies, and industry. A broad spectrum of studies use real-world data (RWD) to produce RWE, ranging from randomized trials with outcomes assessed using RWD to fully observational studies. Yet, many proposals for generating RWE lack sufficient detail, and many analyses of RWD suffer from implausible assumptions, other methodological flaws, or inappropriate interpretations.

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Group VII ethylene response factors (ERFVIIs), whose stability is oxygen concentration-dependent, play key roles in regulating hypoxia response genes in Arabidopsis (Arabidopsis thaliana) and rice (Oryza sativa) during submergence. To understand the evolution of flooding tolerance in cereal crops, we evaluated whether Brachypodium distachyon ERFVII genes (BdERFVIIs) are related to submergence tolerance. We found that three BdERFVIIs, BdERF108, BdERF018, and BdERF961, form a feedback regulatory loop to mediate downstream responses.

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Article Synopsis
  • - The study examines the effects of soybean fermentation broth with saponin (SFBS) on male mice consuming either a high-fat-fructose diet or a normal diet, highlighting SFBS's potential to reduce weight gain, hyperlipidemia, and hyperglycemia.
  • - SFBS supplementation led to a shift in gut microbiota, decreasing harmful pathogens and promoting beneficial probiotics, indicating a positive reprogramming of the gut environment.
  • - The research suggests that SFBS may help improve metabolic disorders linked to unhealthy diets and could serve as a nutritional supplement for various populations.
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Psoriasis is a chronic autoimmune skin disease with a significant impact on quality of life and potential for severe comorbidities. Inflammation in the skin is induced by immune cells that overexpress pro-inflammatory cytokines, with the Th17 cell playing a crucial role. NLRP3 inflammasome activation is associated with inflammatory diseases and abnormal T cell differentiation.

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  • The study aimed to compare the risk of sinus membrane perforation (SMP) between two dental procedures: lateral window sinus floor elevation (LSFE) and transcrestal sinus floor elevation (TSFE) by reviewing literature from 1960 to 2021.
  • The analysis included 85 studies with over 5,500 procedures, finding that LSFE with rotary burs had the highest SMP risk, while TSFE with reamers had the lowest.
  • Higher rates of SMP significantly decreased the survival rates of dental implants, indicating that certain surgical techniques might lower SMP risk, but more randomized controlled trials are needed for clearer comparisons.
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