Importance: The management of hypopharyngeal squamous cell carcinoma (HPSCC) continues to be one of the most formidable challenges in the realm of head and neck oncology.
Objectives: The aim of this meta-analysis was to evaluate the disparity in survival outcomes between upfront surgery and upfront concurrent chemoradiotherapy as the primary treatment modality in patients with HPSCC.
Design: Systemic review with meta-analysis.
Purpose: The objective of this study is to develop a nomogram for the personalized prediction of postoperative complication risks in patients with middle and low rectal cancer who are undergoing transanal total mesorectal excision (taTME). This tool aims to assist clinicians in early identification of high-risk patients and in addressing preoperative risk factors to enhance surgical safety.
Methods: In this case-control study, 207 patients diagnosed with middle and low rectal cancer and undergoing taTME between February 2018 and November 2023 at The First Affiliated Hospital of Xiamen University were included.
Acoustic keyword spotting (KWS) plays a pivotal role in the voice-activated systems of artificial intelligence (AI), allowing for hands-free interactions between humans and smart devices through information retrieval of the voice commands. The cloud computing technology integrated with the artificial neural networks has been employed to execute the KWS tasks, which however suffers from propagation delay and the risk of privacy breach. Here, we report a single-node reservoir computing (RC) system based on the CuInPS (CIPS)/graphene heterostructure planar device for implementing the KWS task with low computation cost.
View Article and Find Full Text PDFPersistent neuroinflammation and progressive neuronal loss are defining features of acute brain injury including traumatic brain injury (TBI) and cerebral stroke. Microglia, the most abundant type of brain-resident immune cells, continuously surveil the environment and play a central role in shaping the inflammatory state of the central nervous system (CNS). In the study, we discovered that the protein expression of METTL3 (a mA methyltransferase) was upregulated in inflammatory microglia independent of increased Mettl3 gene transcription following TBI in both human and mouse subjects.
View Article and Find Full Text PDFPurpose: The advent of circulating tumor DNA (ctDNA) technology has provided a convenient and noninvasive means to continuously monitor cancer genomic data, facilitating personalized cancer treatment. This study aimed to evaluate the supplementary benefits of plasma ctDNA alongside traditional tissue-based next-generation sequencing (NGS) in identifying targetable mutations and tumor mutational burden (TMB) in colorectal cancers (CRC).
Methods: Our study involved 76 CRC patients, collecting both tissue and plasma samples for NGS.
Objective: The lymph node to primary tumor standardized uptake value ratio (NTR) is an innovative parameter derived from positron emission tomography/computed tomography (PET/CT) scans that captures the intricate relationship between primary tumors and associated lymph nodes. This meta-analysis aimed to investigate the prognostic value of NTR in cancer patients.
Methods: A systematic search of PubMed, Cochrane, and Embase databases was conducted to identify studies investigating the association between NTR and survival outcomes in cancer patients.
Two-dimensional (2D) NbOI demonstrates significant second-harmonic generation (SHG) with a high conversion efficiency. To unlock its full potential in practical applications, it is desirable to modulate the SHG behavior while utilizing the intrinsic lattice anisotropy. Here, we demonstrate direction-specific modulation of the SHG response in NbOI by applying anisotropic strain with respect to the intrinsic lattice orientations, where more than 2-fold enhancement in the SHG intensity is achieved under strain along the polar axis.
View Article and Find Full Text PDFPivotal roles of extracellular vesicles (EVs) in the pathogenesis of central nervous system (CNS) disorders including acute brain injury are increasingly acknowledged. Through the analysis of EVs packaged miRNAs in plasma samples from patients with intracerebral hemorrhage (ICH), it is discovered that the level of EVs packaged miR-143-3p (EVs-miR-143-3p) correlates closely with perihematomal edema and neurological outcomes. Further study reveals that, upon ICH, EVs-miR-143-3p is robustly secreted by astrocytes and can shuttle into brain microvascular endothelial cells (BMECs).
View Article and Find Full Text PDFPurpose: Transanal total mesorectal excision (TaTME) as a novel surgical approach for mid and low rectal cancer has gained significant research interest in recent years. The main objective of this study is to identify the risk factors associated with major complications after TaTME and evaluate the perioperative clinical outcomes.
Methods: A retrospective analysis was performed on the clinical data of patients with mid-to-low rectal cancer who underwent TaTME surgery and were admitted to the First Affiliated Hospital of Xiamen University from January 2018 to May 2023.
Background: Gastric cancer (GC) is the third-leading cause of cancer-associated mortalities globally. The deregulation of circular RNAs (circRNAs) and microRNAs (miRNAs or miRs) is widely implicated in the pathogenesis and progression of different cancer types.
Methods: The expression profiling of circRNAs in GC is required to identify crucial circRNAs as biomarkers or therapeutic targets.
Background: Knee osteoarthritis (KOA) is a chronic degenerative disease characterized by pain, morning stiffness and swelling in the knee joints. And KOA is common in the elderly and seriously affects the exercise function and physical health of patients. This study aimed to explore the curative effects of patellar inward pushing method (PIPM) on KOA.
View Article and Find Full Text PDFThis study evaluates the whole airway abnormalities of long-term treated late-onset Pompe disease (LOPD) patients, with interventions using the flexible bronchoscope (FB). As a retrospective study, we follow up with our five LOPD patients treated with Myozyme from 2012 to 2021 regularly, but with a focus on the whole airway abnormalities of these patients visualized through FB. The long-term clinical outcomes and relevant airway symptoms were assessed.
View Article and Find Full Text PDFBackground: While acupuncture has been used for thousands of years, modern technology to develop new needle materials has rarely been discussed. We aim to explore a new acupuncture needle material and compare the differences in the needling sensations between the acupuncture needle surface treated with nitrogen applied supercritical fluid (SCF-N) and conventional stainless steel needles.
Methods: This was a double-blind cohort study.
Early enzyme replacement therapy (ERT) improve long-term outcomes in patients with infantile-onset Pompe disease (IOPD). Our cohort of patients with IOPD at Taipei Veterans General Hospital (TVGH) joined Taiwan Pompe newborn screening program from 2008, testing more than one million newborns until 2018. By 2010, we had established rapid diagnostic strategies.
View Article and Find Full Text PDFBackground: Group B Streptococcus (GBS) infection is one of the major causes of neonatal morbidity and mortality. Universal GBS screening with intrapartum antibiotic prophylaxis (IAP) in pregnant women were initiated in 2012 in Taiwan. This study aimed to analyze the most recent maternal GBS colonization rate and the changes in neonatal GBS infection rate from 2011 to 2016.
View Article and Find Full Text PDFObjective: Viral oral ulcers are common presentations in pediatric clinics. Although self-limiting, painful ulcerative lesions and inflamed mucosa can decrease oral intake and lead to dehydration. Despite the widespread use of Chinese herbal medicine (CHM) for pediatric upper respiratory disease in Taiwan, there is little evidence for its effectiveness as an antipyretic or in aiding ulcer healing for children with viral oral ulcers.
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