Projected Time for the Elimination of Cervical Cancer Under Various Intervention Scenarios: Age-Period-Cohort Macrosimulation Study.

Background: The World Health Organization aims for the global elimination of cervical cancer, necessitating modeling studies to forecast long-term outcomes.

Objective: This paper introduces a macrosimulation framework using age-period-cohort modeling and population attributable fractions to predict the timeline for eliminating cervical cancer in Taiwan.

Methods: Data for cervical cancer cases from 1997 to 2016 were obtained from the Taiwan Cancer Registry.

Reliability of Gradient-Echo Magnetic Resonance Elastography of Lumbar Muscles: Phantom and Clinical Studies.

Magnetic resonance elastography (MRE) has been used to successfully characterize the mechanical behavior of healthy and diseased muscles, but no study has been performed to investigate the reliability of MRE on lumbar muscles. The objective of this work was to determine the reliability of MRE techniques on lumbar muscles in both ex vivo phantom and in vivo human studies. In this study, fresh porcine leg muscles were used in the phantom study, and 80 healthy adults (38.

Fabrication and characterization of lignin-xylan hybrid nanospheres as pesticide carriers with enzyme-mediated release property.

Lignin nanospheres (LNPs) are an emerging high-value material platform to realize lignin valorization. The modification or introduction of new functions to LNPs is of great significance to expand its downstream applications. This work evaluated the technical feasibility of preparing lignin-xylan hybrid nanospheres (LXNPs) through a simple solution-based self-assembly process, with the goal of achieving the application as pesticide carriers for enzyme-mediated controlled release.

Distinctive incidence patterns of follicular lymphoma in Taiwan: Implications of ethnic differences.

Background: Follicular lymphoma (FL) is less prevalent in Asians, but detailed epidemiological analyses were not available. This study aimed to characterize the epidemiologic features of FL in Taiwan to explore the factors relevant to disease development and prognosis.

Methods: We obtained epidemiological data for Taiwanese citizens during 1990-2012 from Taiwan's National Cancer Registry Database, and the corresponding data for US Caucasians from the Surveillance, Epidemiology, and End Results Program.

Sexual and bladder dysfunction in male ketamine abusers: A large-scale questionnaire study.

Purpose: To evaluate the prevalence of lower urinary tract symptoms (LUTS) and erectile dysfunction (ED) in the illicit male ketamine abusers (KA).

Materials And Methods: The male street KAs caught by policemen and patients visiting urologic clinics were invited to answer a structured questionnaire including demographic data, illicit drug use related details (duration, frequency, dosage and abstinence status), international prostate symptoms score (IPSS), interstitial cystitis symptoms and problem index (ICSI and ICPI) and International index of erectile function (IIEF-5). Erectile dysfunction was defined as IIEF-5 ≦21.

Essential role of amino acid position 71 in substrate preference by meso-diaminopimelate dehydrogenase from Symbiobacterium thermophilum IAM14863.

meso--Diaminopimelate dehydrogenase (meso-DAPDH) catalyzes the reversible oxidative deamination of the d-configuration of meso-2,6-diaminopimelate (meso-DAP) and is thought to have substrate specificity toward meso-DAP. The discovery of the meso-DAPDH from Symbiobacterium thermophilum IAM14863 (StDAPDH) revealed meso-DAPDH members with broad substrate specificity. In order to elucidate the substrate-preference mechanism of StDAPDH, it is necessary to identify the key residues related to this mechanism.

A population-based case-control study of hospitalisation due to head injuries among bicyclists and motorcyclists in Taiwan.

Introduction: According to official statistics in Taiwan, the main body region of injury causing bicyclist deaths is the head, and bicyclists are 2.6 times more likely to be fatally injured than motorcyclists. There is currently a national helmet law for motorcyclists but not for bicyclists.

[Effect of Dangua Recipe on Hepatic Adiponectin Receptor 2 Expression in Diabetic Apolipoprotein E Knockout Mice].

Objective To observe the effect of Dangua Recipe (DR) on adiponectin receptor 2 (AdipoR2) expression in liver of apolipoprotein E knockout (ApoE⁻¹⁻) diabetic mice. Methods Eight- week-old ApoE⁻¹⁻ mice were randomly divided into the model control group, the DR group, the pioglitazone group, and the combined treatment group. Besides, a C57 group was set up consisting of same age C57BL/ 6J mice.

[Effect of dangua recipe on glycolipid metabolism and VCAM-1 and its mRNA expression level in Apo E(-/-) mice with diabetes mellitus].

Objective: To study the effect of Dangua Recipe (DGR) on glycolipid metabolism, vascular cell adhesion molecule-1 (VCAM-1) and its mRNA expression level of transgenic Apo E(-/-) mouse with spontaneous atherosclerosis, thus revealing its partial mechanism for curing diabetes mellitus (DM) with angiopathy.

Methods: Diabetic model was prepared by peritoneally injecting streptozotocin (STZ) to Apo E(-/-) mouse. Totally 32 modeled mice were stratified by body weight, and then divided into 4 groups referring to blood glucose levels from low to high by random digit table, i.

Zoledronic acid infusion for lumbar interbody fusion in osteoporosis.

Background: Clinical outcomes of intravenous (IV) infusion of zoledronic acid (ZOL) for lumbar interbody fusion surgery (LIFS) remain unknown. We investigated the efficacy of IV ZOL on clinical outcome and bone fusion after LIFS.

Materials And Methods: We retrospectively analyzed 64 patients with both degenerative lumbar spondylolisthesis and osteoporosis who underwent LIFS from January 2007 to April 2010.

Gene transfer of the S24F regulated on activation normal T-cell expressed and secreted-chemokine ligand 5 variant attenuates cardiac allograft rejection.

Background: Regulated on activation normal T-cell expressed and secreted (RANTES)-chemokine ligand 5 plays a key role in mediating heart transplant rejection. Suppression of RANTES-mediated signals can reduce leukocyte recruitment and mitigate transplant rejection severity. The present study describes the construction of an adenovirus overexpression vector encoding a natural S24F RANTES variant as a means of reducing leukocyte recruitment, resulting in the prevention of allograft rejection.

Organic/Metallic nanohybrids based on amphiphilic dumbbell-shaped dendrimers.

In this study, we synthesized a series of amphiphilic dumbbell-shaped dendrimers through the addition reactions of a hydrophilic poly(oxyalkylene) with hydrophobic dendrons based on 4-isocyanate-4'-(3,3-dimethyl-2,4-dioxo-azetidine)diphenylmethane with different numbers of branching generations. The addition reaction of azetidine-2,4-diones of dendrons to amines of poly(oxyalkylene) was proceeded by stirring the reactants in dry tetrahydrofuran (THF) under nitrogen at 60 °C. In aqueous media, the dumbbell-shaped dendrimers self-assembled into micelles with their hydrophobic dendrons in the core and their hydrophilic poly(oxyalkylene) segments forming loops in the corona shell.

The role of total bile acid in oral secretions in ventilator-associated pneumonia.

Purpose: The aim of this study was to investigate the role of inflammatory biomarkers and total bile acid (TBA) in oral secretions in the development of ventilator-associated pneumonia (VAP).

Materials: This prospective study was conducted in an intensive care unit. Oral secretions were collected from mechanically ventilated patients who met the selection criteria for VAP prevention protocol.

[PEG-mediated covalent binding of VEGF to decellularized aortic valves promotes adhesion and proliferation of endothelial progenitor cells].

Objective: To improve the biological properties of decellularized aortic valves by polyethylene glycol (PEG)-mediated covalent incorporation of vascular endothelial growth factor (VEGF).

Methods: PEG crosslinking of decellularized aortic valves were completed via a Michael-type addition reaction, followed by covalent incorporation of VEGF through another Michael-type addition reaction between the unsaturated propylene acyl of PEG and the thiol groups on cysteine residues of VEGF. The effect of VEGF incorporation was evaluated by enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay (ELISA) and immune fluorescence assay.

Male gender is a risk factor for recurrent appendicitis following nonoperative treatment.

Background: This prospective study investigates recurrence rates and identifies predictive factors for recurrence following successful nonoperative treatment in adult patients with acute appendicitis.

Methods: Between January 2003 and December 2009, adult patients with acute appendicitis who received successful nonoperative management were enrolled. Cumulative recurrence rates were calculated using the Kaplan-Meier method.

Molecular prognostic markers for adult acute myeloid leukemia with normal cytogenetics.

Acute myeloid leukemia (AML) is a heterogenous disorder that results from a block in the differentiation of hematopoietic progenitor cells along with uncontrolled proliferation. In approximately 60% of cases, specific recurrent chromosomal aberrations can be identified by modern cytogenetic techniques. This cytogenetic information is the single most important tool to classify patients at their initial diagnosis into three prognostic categories: favorable, intermediate, and poor risk.