A Library of Seed@High-Entropy-Alloy Core-shell Nanocrystals With Controlled Facets for Catalysis.

High-entropy-alloy (HEA) nanocrystals hold immense potential for catalysis, offering virtually unlimited alloy combinations through the inclusion of at least five constituent elements in varying ratios. However, general and effective strategies for synthesizing libraries of HEA nanocrystals with controlled surface atomic structures remain scarce. In this study, a transferable strategy for developing a library of facet-controlled seed@HEA nanocrystals through seed-mediated growth is presented.

Preceding hepatitis B virus infection is highly prevalent in patients with neuromyelitis optica spectrum disorder in Taiwan.

Background: Neuromyelitis optica spectrum disorder (NMOSD) is an autoimmune inflammatory disease of the central nervous system, characterized by pathogenic anti-Aquaporin-4 antibodies (AQP4-Ab). Given that infections can trigger autoimmune responses, we investigated the association between Hepatitis B virus (HBV) infection and NMOSD.

Methods: HBV and hepatitis C virus serologies were analyzed in 105 NMOSD patients, 85 multiple sclerosis (MS) patients, and 1,661 healthy Taiwanese controls.

Nerve conduction features may serve as a diagnostic clue for neuronal intranuclear inclusion disease.

Neuronal intranuclear inclusion disease is a neurodegenerative disorder with a wide phenotypic spectrum, including peripheral neuropathy. This study aims to characterize the nerve conduction features and proposes an electrophysiological criterion to assist the diagnosis of neuronal intranuclear inclusion disease. In this study, nerve conduction studies were performed in 50 genetically confirmed neuronal intranuclear inclusion disease patients, 200 age- and sex-matched healthy controls and 40 patients with genetically unsolved leukoencephalopathy.

Optical Simulation Design of a Short Lens Length with a Curved Image Plane and Relative Illumination Analysis.

This study proposes a three-lens design with a short lens length and explores the curved imaging plane and performs a relative illumination analysis. There are two ways to reduce the lens length: shortening the back focal and lens group lengths. We derived the relevant parameter relationships of three lenses using the first-order geometric optics theory.

Optical Design of a Miniaturized 10× Periscope Zoom Lens for Smartphones.

The size of the optical zoom system is important in smartphone camera design, especially as it governs the thickness of the smartphone. We present the optical design of a miniaturized 10× periscope zoom lens for smartphones. To achieve the desired level of miniaturization, the conventional zoom lens can be replaced with a periscope zoom lens.

Toward controllable and predictable synthesis of high-entropy alloy nanocrystals.

High-entropy alloy (HEA) nanocrystals have attracted extensive attention in catalysis. However, there are no effective strategies for synthesizing them in a controllable and predictable manner. With quinary HEA nanocrystals made of platinum-group metals as an example, we demonstrate that their structures with spatial compositions can be predicted by quantitatively knowing the reduction kinetics of metal precursors and entropy of mixing in the nanocrystals under dropwise addition of the mixing five-metal precursor solution.

Moderate white light exposure enhanced spatial memory retrieval by activating a central amygdala-involved circuit in mice.

Light exposure can profoundly affect neurological functions and behaviors. Here, we show that short-term exposure to moderate (400 lux) white light during Y-maze test promoted spatial memory retrieval and induced only mild anxiety in mice. This beneficial effect involves the activation of a circuit including neurons in the central amygdala (CeA), locus coeruleus (LC), and dentate gyrus (DG).

[Clinical observation on acupuncture for symptom burden in gastric cancer patients undergoing adjuvant chemotherapy after gastrectomy].

Objective: To observe the efficacy of acupuncture on symptom burden in patients with gastric cancer during adjuvant chemotherapy after gastrectomy.

Methods: A total of 58 patients were randomized into a high-dose acupuncture group (19 cases, 5 cases dropped off), a low-dose acupuncture group (20 cases, 6 cases dropped off) and a control group (19 cases, 2 cases dropped off). Conventional chemotherapy and antiemetic treatment were adopted in the control group.

The pivotal application of patient-derived organoid biobanks for personalized treatment of gastrointestinal cancers.

Gastrointestinal cancers (GICs) occupy more than 30% of the cancer-related incidence and mortality around the world. Despite advances in the treatment strategies, the long-term overall survival has not been improved for patients with GICs. Recently, the novel patient-derived organoid (PDO) culture technology has become a powerful tool for GICs in a manner that recapitulates the morphology, pathology, genetic, phenotypic, and behavior traits of the original tumors.

Retracted: Effect of Sham Acupuncture on Chronic Pain: A Bayesian Network Meta-Analysis.

Background: Along with increasing research on acupuncture for chronic pain, the validity of sham acupuncture (SA) has also been argued.

Methods: Nine databases were searched for randomized controlled trials (RCTs) from the inception dates of the databases to July 5, 2022. With Markov Chain Monte Carlo methods, a Bayesian multiple-treatment network meta-analysis (NMA) with random-effects model was conducted.

Dissecting the ferroptosis-related prognostic biomarker and immune microenvironment of driver gene-negative lung cancer.

Despite significant advances in targeted and immune therapy for non-small cell lung cancer (NSCLC), effective therapies for wild-type epidermal growth factor receptor/anaplastic lymphoma kinase () with low expression of programmed death ligand-1 (PD-L1) NSCLC remain elusive. Numerous studies have shown that ferroptosis plays an essential role in antitumor activity. To identify the molecular regulation patterns associated with ferroptosis, 351 NSCLC samples with low-level PD-L1 were extracted from The Cancer Genome Atlas (TCGA) and clustered using the k-means clustering technique.

Derivative Matrix-Isopotential Synchronous Spectrofluorimetry and Hantzsch Reaction: A Direct Route to Simultaneous Determination of Urinary δ-Aminolevulinic Acid and Porphobilinogen.

Early and sensitive detection of δ-aminolevulinic acid (δ-ALA) and porphobilinogen (PBG) is the cornerstone of diagnosis and effective treatment for acute porphyria. However, at present, the quantifying strategies demand multiple solvent extraction steps or chromatographic approaches to separate δ-ALA and PBG prior to quantification. These methods are both time-consuming and laborious.

Neuronal intranuclear inclusion disease in patients with adult-onset non-vascular leukoencephalopathy.

Neuronal intranuclear inclusion disease (NIID), caused by an expansion of GGC repeats in the 5'-untranslated region of NOTCH2NLC, is an important but underdiagnosed cause of adult-onset leukoencephalopathies. The present study aimed to investigate the prevalence, clinical spectrum and brain MRI characteristics of NIID in adult-onset nonvascular leukoencephalopathies and assess the diagnostic performance of neuroimaging features. One hundred and sixty-one unrelated Taiwanese patients with genetically undetermined nonvascular leukoencephalopathies were screened for the NOTCH2NLC GGC repeat expansions using fragment analysis, repeat-primed PCR, Southern blot analysis and/or nanopore sequencing with Cas9-mediated enrichment.

Erratum to "Qing-Kai-Ling Injection Acts Better Than Shen-Fu Injection in Enhancing the Antitumor Effect of Gefitinib in Resistant Non-Small Cell Lung Cancer Models".

[This corrects the article DOI: 10.1155/2021/9911935.].

Bone metastasis attenuates efficacy of immune checkpoint inhibitors and displays "cold" immune characteristics in Non-small cell lung cancer.

Objectives: This study aimed to assess the clinical characteristics affecting outcomes after immune checkpoint inhibitors (ICI) therapies in non-small cell lung cancer (NSCLC) patients, and the underlying mechanism in tumor immune micro-environment (TIME).

Materials And Methods: A total of 144 patients treated with ICI-based strategies were retrospectively analyzed. Expression of 10 immune antibodies in tumor tissues from other 60 untreated NSCLC patients were sequentially tested using multiplexed immunofluorescence (mIF) staining method.

Transcriptional suppression of Dicer by HOXB-AS3/EZH2 complex dictates sorafenib resistance and cancer stemness.

Sorafenib is a multikinase inhibitor for the standard treatment of advanced liver cancer patients. However, acquired resistance to sorafenib is responsible for a poor prognosis. Therefore, uncovering the molecular mechanisms underlying sorafenib sensitization can provide biomarkers for sorafenib treatment and improve sorafenib activity in a precise medication.

Comparative efficacy and safety of first-line treatments for advanced non-small cell lung cancer with ALK-rearranged: a meta-analysis of clinical trials.

Background: Whereas there are many pharmacological interventions prescribed for patients with advanced anaplastic lymphoma kinase (ALK)- rearranged non-small cell lung cancer (NSCLC), comparative data between novel generation ALK-tyrosine kinase inhibitors (TKIs) remain scant. Here, we indirectly compared the efficacy and safety of first-line systemic therapeutic options used for the treatment of ALK-rearranged NSCLC.

Methods: We included all phase 2 and 3 randomised controlled trials (RCTs) comparing any two or three treatment options.

Treatment response, risk of relapse and clinical characteristics of Taiwanese patients with neuromyelitis optica spectrum disorder.

Background/purpose: The long-term disease course and efficacy of maintenance therapies have rarely been investigated in Asian patients with neuromyelitis optica spectrum disorder (NMOSD).

Methods: Medical records of patients fulfilling the 2015 International Consensus Diagnostic Criteria for NMOSD at three medical centers in Taiwan were systematically analyzed. Linear regression analysis was performed to investigate factors related to annualized relapse rate (ARR); survival analysis was used to estimate the relapse-free intervals among therapies.

Genetic and Functional Analysis of Glycosyltransferase 8 Domain-Containing Protein 1 in Taiwanese Patients With Amyotrophic Lateral Sclerosis.

Background And Objectives: To investigate the frequency, spectrum, and molecular functional effect of glycosyltransferase 8 domain-containing protein 1 (GLT8D1) variations in Taiwanese patients with amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (ALS).

Methods: We performed genetic analyses of in 410 unrelated patients with ALS by Sanger sequencing. The 410 patients were selected from a cohort of 477 unrelated patients with ALS after excluding variations in common ALS disease genes.

GGC Repeat Expansion of in Taiwanese Patients With Inherited Neuropathies.

Background And Objectives: The GGC repeat expansion in the 5' untranslated region of was recently identified as the cause of neuronal intranuclear inclusion disease (NIID), which may manifest with peripheral neuropathy. The aim of this study is to investigate its contribution to inherited neuropathy.

Methods: This cohort study screened patients with molecularly undiagnosed Charcot-Marie-Tooth disease (CMT) and healthy controls for the GGC repeat expansion in using repeat-primed PCR and fragment analysis.

Qing-Kai-Ling Injection Acts Better Than Shen-Fu Injection in Enhancing the Antitumor Effect of Gefitinib in Resistant Non-Small Cell Lung Cancer Models.

Patients with EGFR gene mutation often obtain de novo resistance to epidermal growth factor receptor tyrosine kinase inhibitors (EGFR-TKIs) or develop secondary resistance to EGFR-TKIs after taking EGFR-TKI therapy. Traditional Chinese medicine (TCM) with different treatment principles, in combination with EGFR-TKIs, plays an important role in the treatment of cancers including resistant non-small cell lung cancer (NSCLC). However, inappropriate use of TCM herbs may induce resistance to gefitinib.

Comparison of Two Post Preparation Methods in Mandibular Second Molars with a C-shaped Root Canal Configuration.

Objective: To compare the reduction of residual dentine thickness of two different post preparation methods on the mandibular second molars with a C-shaped root canal configuration.

Methods: A total of 26 extracted right mandibular second molars with a C-shaped root canal configuration were selected and paired based on similar canal morphology. Each of the paired teeth was randomly allocated to the heat and ultrasonic instruments group (HU group) or Peeso Reamer (Mani, Utsonomiya, Japan) group (PR group) (n = 13) and received post preparation with different instruments after the same endodontic treatment.

Upregulation of microRNA miR-141-3p and its prospective targets in endometrial carcinoma: a comprehensive study.

The clinicopathological value of microRNA-141-3p (miR-141-3p) and its prospective target genes in endometrial carcinoma (EC) remains unclear. The present study determined the expression level of miR-141-3p in EC via quantitative real-time PCR (RT-qPCR). RT-qPCR showed a markedly higher expression level of miR-141-3p in EC tissues than in non-EC endometrium tissues ( < 0.

Specific Gene Co-variation Acts Better Than Number of Concomitant Altered Genes in Predicting EGFR-TKI Efficacy in Non-small-cell Lung Cancer.

Background: There occurs huge heterogeneity in clinical outcomes for patients with epidermal growth factor receptor (EGFR)-mutated non-small-cell lung cancer (NSCLC) treated with EGFR tyrosine kinase inhibitors (EGFR-TKIs). The purpose of this study was to indicate genetic biomarkers predicting primary resistance of EGFR-TKIs in these patients.

Patients And Methods: Using a next-generation sequencing panel with 168 cancer-related genes, matched tumor biopsy and plasma samples before treatments from patients with NSCLC were analyzed.