Publications by authors named "T-F Cheng"

Chemical recycling to monomers (CRM) offers a promising closed-loop approach to transition from current linear plastic economy toward a more sustainable circular paradigm. Typically, this approach has focused on modulating the ceiling temperature () of monomers. Despite considerable advancements, polymers with low often face challenges such as inadequate thermal stability, exemplified by poly(γ-butyrolactone) (PGBL) with a decomposition temperature of ∼200 °C.

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Background: Eczema is associated with multiple genes regulating epidermal barrier functions and immunological pathways. However, their epistatic interactions are not well studied. This cross-sectional study investigated the relationship between childhood eczema phenotypes and single-nucleotide polymorphisms (SNPs) of immune regulatory genes.

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A central problem in cancer immunotherapy with immune checkpoint blockade (ICB) is the development of resistance, which affects 50% of patients with metastatic melanoma. T cell exhaustion, resulting from chronic antigen exposure in the tumour microenvironment, is a major driver of ICB resistance. Here, we show that CD38, an ecto-enzyme involved in nicotinamide adenine dinucleotide (NAD) catabolism, is highly expressed in exhausted CD8 T cells in melanoma and is associated with ICB resistance.

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Background: Empirical evidence has shown that light therapy (LT) can reduce depression symptoms by stimulating circadian rhythms. However, there is skepticism and inconclusive results, along with confusion regarding dosing. The purpose of this study is to quantify light as a stimulus for the circadian system and create a dose-response relationship that can help reduce maladies among adolescents and young adults (AYAs).

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Perturbation of mitochondrial function can trigger a host of cellular responses that seek to restore cellular metabolism, cytosolic proteostasis, and redox homeostasis. In some cases, these responses persist even after the stress is relieved, leaving the cell or tissue in a less vulnerable state. This process-termed mitohormesis-is increasingly viewed as an important aspect of normal physiology and a critical modulator of various disease processes.

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Rationale And Objectives: To evaluate the association between positron emission tomography (PET)/magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) biomarkers and survival outcomes in patients with endometrial cancer.

Materials And Methods: Between April 2014 and April 2016, 88 patients with newly diagnosed endometrial cancer participated this prospective study and underwent [F] fluorodeoxyglucose PET/MRI. Sixty-nine patients with measurable tumors on PET/MRI were included in the image analysis.

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Recent studies of severe acute inflammatory lung disease including COVID-19 identify macrophages to drive pulmonary hyperinflammation and long-term damage such as fibrosis. Here, we report on the development of a first-in-class, carbohydrate-coupled inhibitor of microRNA-21 (RCS-21), as a therapeutic means against pulmonary hyperinflammation and fibrosis. MicroRNA-21 is among the strongest upregulated microRNAs in human COVID-19 and in mice with acute inflammatory lung damage, and it is the strongest expressed microRNA in pulmonary macrophages.

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The recent outbreak of Corona Virus Disease 2019 (COVID-19) caused by severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2) has been a severe threat to the global public health and economy, however, effective drugs to treat COVID-19 are still lacking. Here, we employ a deep learning-based drug repositioning strategy to systematically screen potential anti-SARS-CoV-2 drug candidates that target the cell entry mechanism of SARS-CoV-2 virus from 2635 FDA-approved drugs and 1062 active ingredients from Traditional Chinese Medicine herbs. In silico molecular docking analysis validates the interactions between the top compounds and host receptors or viral spike proteins.

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Article Synopsis
  • Triple-negative breast cancer (TNBC) is a diverse group of tumors, with most being aggressive high-grade types, but a minority classified as non-high-grade and exhibiting less aggressive behavior.
  • A study examined 18 non-high-grade TNBCs, mostly with apocrine features, and found that they had low Ki-67 levels, with only 11% showing lymph node metastasis and no recurrences during an average follow-up of 38 months.
  • The tumors showed distinct genetic profiles, particularly involving the PI3K-PKB/Akt and RTK-RAS pathways, indicating that non-high-grade TNBCs are a unique subgroup with specific clinical behaviors that may require tailored treatment approaches.
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The prevalence of heart failure is increasing, causing a tremendous burden on health care systems around the world. Although mortality rate of heart failure has been significantly reduced by several effective agents in the past 3 decades, yet it remains high in observational studies. More recently, several new classes of drugs emerged with significant efficacy in reducing mortality and hospitalization in chronic heart failure with reduced ejection fraction (HFrEF) and preserved ejection fraction (HFpEF).

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Purpose: To evaluate disease progression using static perimetry (SP) in patients with USH2A-related retinal degeneration, including Usher syndrome type 2 (USH2) and nonsyndromic autosomal recessive retinitis pigmentosa.

Design: Prospective, observational cohort study.

Methods: A total of 102 patients with biallelic disease-causing sequence variants in USH2A with baseline best-corrected visual acuity (BCVA) letter score ≥54 were recruited from 16 clinical sites in Europe and North America.

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Background: The presence of abnormal substrate of left atrium is a predictor of atrial fibrillation (AF) recurrence after pulmonary vein isolation. We aimed to investigate the isochronal late activation mapping to access the abnormal conduction velocity for predicting AF ablation outcome.

Methods: Forty-five paroxysmal AF patients (30 males, 57.

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Two Gram-stain-positive, catalase-negative, non-spore-forming, cocci-shaped strains (dk850 and JY899) were isolated from the feces of Equus kiang in the Qinghai-Tibet Plateau of China. 16S rRNA gene sequence-based phylogenetic analyses showed that strains dk850 and JY899 belong to the genus Flaviflexus, closest to F. salsibiostraticola KCTC 33148, F.

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DNMT1 maintains the parental DNA methylation pattern on newly replicated hemimethylated DNA. The failure of this maintenance process causes aberrant DNA methylation that affects transcription and contributes to the development and progression of cancers such as acute myeloid leukemia. Here, we structurally characterized a set of newly discovered DNMT1-selective, reversible, non-nucleoside inhibitors that bear a core 3,5-dicyanopyridine moiety, as exemplified by GSK3735967, to better understand their mechanism of inhibition.

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People living with diabetes are at higher risk for stroke and have a poorer prognosis following a stroke event than those without diabetes. Data from cardiovascular outcome trials and meta-analyses indicate that GLP-1RAs (glucagon-like peptide 1 receptor agonists) reduce the risk of stroke in individuals with type 2 diabetes. Accordingly, many guidelines now recommend the addition of GLP-1RAs to ongoing antihyperglycemic regimens to lower the risk of stroke in type 2 diabetes.

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Environmentally friendly lead-free piezoelectric materials have been attracting significant attention in recent years. NaBiTiO-based relaxor ferroelectrics have found acceptance for application in promising lead-free transducers in high-power ultrasonic devices. However, their low thermal stability, i.

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DNA methylation, a key epigenetic driver of transcriptional silencing, is universally dysregulated in cancer. Reversal of DNA methylation by hypomethylating agents, such as the cytidine analogs decitabine or azacytidine, has demonstrated clinical benefit in hematologic malignancies. These nucleoside analogs are incorporated into replicating DNA where they inhibit DNA cytosine methyltransferases DNMT1, DNMT3A and DNMT3B through irreversible covalent interactions.

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Article Synopsis
  • Type 2 diabetes is a growing global health issue, with projections suggesting over half a billion cases by 2030, increasing risks for heart-related complications.
  • Two new types of diabetes medications have shown promise in reducing cardiovascular issues through various clinical trials.
  • The Taiwan Society of Cardiology has created a consensus pathway to better integrate these therapies into patient care, supporting existing clinical guidelines.
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Background And Purpose: Research suggests that women and men may present with different transient ischemic attack (TIA) and stroke symptoms. We aimed to explore symptoms and features associated with a definite TIA/stroke diagnosis and whether those associations differed by sex.

Methods: We completed a retrospective cohort study of patients referred to The Ottawa Hospital Stroke Prevention Clinic in 2015.

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Using SCAN-rVV10+U, we show CrTiC and CrTiCT (T = -F and -OH) MXenes are moderate band gap semiconductors mostly in the antiferromagnetic state. All investigated MXene structures show large Seebeck coefficients (>400 μV/K), especially CrTiC (>800 μV/K) and CrTiCF (>700 μV/K). The hole relaxation time of p-type CrTiC(OH) is found to be ∼8 ps, ensuring its superior electron transport properties in comparison to other investigated MXenes.

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The performance of organic photovoltaics (OPVs) has rapidly improved over the past years. Recent work in material design has primarily focused on developing near-infrared nonfullerene acceptors with broadening absorption that pair with commercialized donor polymers; in the meanwhile, the influence of the morphology of the blend film and the energy level alignment on the efficiency of charge separation needs to be synthetically considered. Herein, the selection rule of the donor/acceptor blend is demonstrated by rationally considering the molecular interaction and energy level alignment, and highly efficient OPV devices using both-fluorinated or both-nonfluorinated donor/acceptor blends are realized.

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Cigarette affordability measures the price smokers pay for cigarettes in relation to their incomes. Affordability can be measured using the relative income price of cigarettes (RIP), or the price smokers pay to purchase 100 packs of 20 cigarettes divided by their per capita household income. Using longitudinal data from 7046 smokers participating in the International Tobacco Control (ITC) US Survey, the purpose of this study was to test whether affordability significantly changed following the US federal tax increase implemented on 1 April 2009.

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