The new insights into autophagy in thyroid cancer progression.

In recent decades, the incidence of thyroid cancer keeps growing at a shocking rate, which has aroused increasing concerns worldwide. Autophagy is a fundamental and ubiquitous biological event conserved in mammals including humans. Basically, autophagy is a catabolic process that cellular components including small molecules and damaged organelles are degraded for recycle to meet the energy needs, especially under the extreme conditions.

[A novel method for electroencephalography background analysis in neonates with hypoxic-ischemic encephalopathy].

Objectives: To explore a new method for electroencephalography (EEG) background analysis in neonates with hypoxic-ischemic encephalopathy (HIE) and its relationship with clinical grading and head magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) grading.

Methods: A retrospective analysis was performed for the video electroencephalography (vEEG) and amplitude-integrated electroencephalography (aEEG) monitoring data within 24 hours after birth of neonates diagnosed with HIE from January 2016 to August 2022. All items of EEG background analysis were enrolled into an assessment system and were scored according to severity to obtain the total EEG score.

Correlation of electroencephalogram background evolution with the degree of brain injury in neonates with hypoxic-ischemic encephalopathy.

Objectives: To study the correlation of electroencephalogram (EEG) background evolution with the degree of brain injury in neonates with hypoxic-ischemic encephalopathy (HIE).

Methods: A retrospective analysis was performed for 56 neonates with HIE who underwent continuous video electroencephalogram (cVEEG) and brain magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) examinations. According to clinical symptoms, they were divided into a mild group with 3 neonates, a moderate group with 36 neonates, and a severe group with 17 neonates.

Effect of Acupuncture on Intraocular Pressure in Glaucoma Patients: A Single-Blinded, Randomized, Controlled Trial.

Glaucoma is characterized by the degeneration of retinal ganglion cells that cause progressive optic neuropathy, finally resulting in changes to the optic nerve head. Lowering intraocular pressure (IOP) is the only method proven for treating glaucoma. Several studies have discovered that acupuncture can reduce IOP and also increase ocular perfusion and ocular blood flow.

Impact of sarcopenia and its diagnostic criteria on hospitalization and mortality in chronic hemodialysis patients: A 3-year longitudinal study.

Background/purpose: Sarcopenia is prevalent in chronic hemodialysis patients. This prospective cohort study evaluated the impact of sarcopenia and its diagnostic criteria on hospitalization and mortality in 126 chronic hemodialysis patients.

Methods: Skeletal muscle mass, handgrip strength (HGS), gait speed, and blood parameters were assessed.

Serum creatinine to cystatin C ratio predicts skeletal muscle mass and strength in patients with non-dialysis chronic kidney disease.

Background & Aims: Muscle wasting is highly prevalent in patients with chronic kidney disease (CKD). However, the assessment of skeletal muscle mass and strength in clinical settings is not commonly available. We aimed to evaluate the feasibility of serum creatinine/cystatin C (Cr/CysC) ratio in the assessment of muscle wasting.

Angiotensin II receptor blockade is associated with preserved muscle strength in chronic hemodialysis patients.

Background: Sarcopenia, defined as low muscle mass and strength, is highly prevalent in patients undergoing chronic hemodialysis (HD). However, muscle function and muscle mass do not share the same clinical relevance. In fact, muscle strength was more closely associated with the risk of mortality in chronic HD patients than was muscle mass.

C1q/TNF-Related Protein 9 Inhibits THP-1 Macrophage Foam Cell Formation by Enhancing Autophagy.

During the pathogenesis of early atherosclerosis, lipid-loaded macrophages are involved in plaque development and progression. As a novel adipokine, C1q/tumor necrosis factor-related protein-9 (CTRP9) has beneficial effects in cardiovascular disease. However, previous reports have not studied whether the formation of macrophage foam cell induced by oxidized low-density lipoprotein (ox-LDL) is affected by CTRP9.

Decreased serum fatty acid binding protein 4 concentrations are associated with sarcopenia in chronic hemodialysis patients.

Background: Fatty acid binding protein 4 (FABP4) is found to play a role in skeletal muscle homeostasis. Since the dysregulation of FABP4 and sarcopenia are both highly prevalent in patients on chronic hemodialysis (HD), the correlation between them remains unknown. We aimed to examine this relationship in a cross-sectional study.

EBV-positive T/NK lymphoproliferative diseases: analysis of prognostic factors for patients in China.

The Epstein-Barr virus (EBV) is a ubiquitous lymphotropic herpesvirus that infects the human body through the respiratory tract. Usually, primary infection with EBV is asymptomatic and occurs early in life, however adolescents or young adults are more likely to develop a self-limited symptomatic infection, which manifests as acute infectious mononucleosis (IM). Systemic EBV-positive lymphoproliferative disease (EBV + T/NK-LPD) has been described as a disease related to chronic or persistent EBV infection after acute EBV infection, with severe IM-like symptoms.

Wild-type p53-induced phosphatase 1 is a prognostic marker and therapeutic target in bladder transitional cell carcinoma.

Wild-type p53-induced phosphatase (Wip1) is an established oncogene and is associated with development of multiple forms of human cancer. However, the expression and role of Wip1 in human bladder transitional cell carcinoma (TCC) remains to be elucidated. In the present study, immunohistochemistry demonstrated that Wip1 was overexpressed in bladder TCC tissues compared with corresponding normal bladder tissues in 106 bladder TCC cases (P<0.

Mortality among patients with schizophrenia and vocational rehabilitation program services under Taiwan's psychiatric care reform.

Background: Vocational rehabilitation programs are implemented to enhance the occupational functioning of long-stay patients with schizophrenia. Unemployment is associated with a higher risk of death. Schizophrenia patients who participate in vocational rehabilitation programs may have better health outcomes with participation in employment.

Lifetime risk of distinct upper aerodigestive tract cancers and consumption of alcohol, betel and cigarette.

The cancer of upper aerodigestive tract (UADT) is a common cancers in the world. However, its lifetime risk by consumption of alcohol, betel and cigarettes remain to be elucidated. This study aimed to estimate lifetime risk of distinct UADT cancers and assess their associations with alcohol, betel and cigarette consumption.

Mortality among long-stay patients with schizophrenia during the setting-up of community facilities under the Yuli model.

Over the past 15 years, Yuli Veterans Hospital (YVH) in Taiwan has developed the Yuli model to reform long-stay care for psychiatric patients. The development of the Yuli model could be divided into pre-early (1998-1999), early (2000-2006) and late (2007-2008) periods according to the setting-up of the community facilities. In the pre-early period, a vocational rehabilitation program was established for psychiatric patients in YVH.

A novel method for the angiographic estimation of the percentage of spleen volume embolized during partial splenic embolization.

Purpose: To evaluate the efficacy of estimating the volume of spleen embolized in partial splenic embolization (PSE) by measuring the diameters of the splenic artery and its branches.

Materials And Methods: A total of 43 liver cirrhosis patients (mean age, 62.19±9.

Urinary arsenic profiles and the risks of cancer mortality: a population-based 20-year follow-up study in arseniasis-endemic areas in Taiwan.

Few studies investigated the association between chronic arsenic exposure and the mortality of cancers by estimating individual urinary arsenic methylation profiles. Therefore, we compared with the general population in Taiwan to calculate the standardized mortality ratio (SMR) in arseniasis-endemic area of Taiwan from 1996 to 2010 and evaluated the dose-response relationships between environmental arsenic exposure indices or urinary arsenic profiles and the mortality of cause-specific cancer. A cohort of 1563 residents was conducted and collected their urine sample and information regarding arsenic exposure from a questionnaire.

Classifying subtypes of acute lymphoblastic leukemia using silhouette statistics and genetic algorithms.

Correct classification and prediction of tumor cells is essential for a successful diagnosis and reliable future treatment. In this study, we aimed at using genetic algorithms for feature selection and proposed silhouette statistics as a discriminant function to distinguish between six subtypes of pediatric acute lymphoblastic leukemia by using microarray with thousands of gene expressions. Our methods have shown a better classification accuracy than previously published methods and obtained a set of genes effective to discriminate subtypes of pediatric acute lymphoblastic leukemia.

[Clinicopathologic features of systemic EBV-positive T/NK-cell lymphoproliferative disease in adults].

Objective: To study the clinicopathologic features, immunophenotype, clonality and Epstein-Barr virus (EBV) status of systemic EBV-positive T/NK-cell lymphoproliferative disease in adults (ASEBV(+)T/NK-LPD).

Methods: Twenty cases of ASEBV(+)T/NK-LPD were analyzed retrospectively with histopathologic review, immunohistochemistry and in-situ hybridization for EBV-encoded RNA (EBER). The follow-up data were collected.

Evaluation of the burn healing properties of oil extraction from housefly larva in mice.

Aim Of The Study: To evaluate the burn wound-healing properties of oil extraction from housefly larva by employing a deep second-degree model in mice.

Materials And Methods: The burn wound-healing properties were evaluated by employing a deep second-degree model of burn wound assay. The anti-inflammatory activity and antibacterial activity were examined by employing the xylene-induced ear swelling model in mice and a disc-diffusion assay, respectively.

[Clinicopathologic study of splenic marginal zone B-cell lymphoma].

Objective: To study the clinicopathologic features, diagnosis and differential diagnosis of splenic marginal zone B-cell lymphoma (SMZL).

Methods: The clinical data, histologic findings and immunophenotype of 8 SMZL cases were studied. IgH gene rearrangement was performed in 1 case.

Aflatoxin B1 exposure, hepatitis B virus infection, and hepatocellular carcinoma in Taiwan.

To evaluate the role of aflatoxin B1 (AFB1) exposure on risk of hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC), a case-control study nested within a community-based cohort was conducted. Baseline blood and urine samples were used to determine the level of AFB1-albumin adducts and urinary AFB1 metabolites. Conditional logistic regression analysis was used to calculate odds ratios (OR) and 95% confidence intervals (95% CI) to assess the effect of AFB1 exposure on risk of HCC.

Arsenic exposure, urinary arsenic speciation, and the incidence of urothelial carcinoma: a twelve-year follow-up study.

The risk of urothelial carcinoma (UC) and urinary arsenic speciation have been evaluated in a few case-control studies; however, the association has not been verified in a prospective cohort study. The aim of this study was to examine the association between urinary arsenic speciation and the incidence of UC in a cohort study. A total of 1,078 residents of southwestern Taiwan were followed for an average of 12 years.

Urinary 15-F2t-isoprostane, aflatoxin B1 exposure and hepatitis B virus infection and hepatocellular carcinoma in Taiwan.

To evaluate the role of oxidative stress and aflatoxin exposure on risk of hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC), a case-control study nested within a large community-based cohort was conducted in Taiwan. Baseline urine samples, collected from a total of 74 incident HCC cases and 290 matched controls, were used to determine by enzyme-linked immunosorbent assays the level of urinary 15-F(2t)-isoprostane (15-F(2t)-IsoP), a biomarker of lipid peroxidation. These samples had been previously analyzed for urinary aflatoxin B(1) (AFB(1)) metabolites and 8-oxo-7,8-dihydro-2'-deoxyguanosine (8-oxodG).