Feasibility and safety of Taipei Veterans General Hospital Heavy Ion Therapy Center: The first carbon-ion irradiation facility in Taiwan.

Background: Unlike conventional photon radiotherapy, particle therapy has the advantage of dose distribution. Carbon-ion radiotherapy is also advantageous in terms of biological effectiveness and other radiobiological aspects. These benefits lead to a higher response probability for previously known radioresistant tumor types.

Lattice Strain-Modulated Trifunctional CoMoO Polymorph-Based Electrodes for Asymmetric Supercapacitors and Self-Powered Water Splitting.

Developing efficient, multifunctional electrodes for energy storage and conversion devices is crucial. Herein, lattice strains are reported in the β-phase polymorph of CoMoO within CoMoO@CoO heterostructure via phosphorus doping (P-CoMoO@CoO) and used as a high-performance trifunctional electrode for supercapacitors (SCs), hydrogen evolution reaction (HER), and oxygen evolution reaction (OER) in alkaline electrolytes. A tensile strain of +2.

Lattice Strain Regulated by Hetero/Homo Atom Interface Merging on NiMo Nanocluster for High-Performance Hydrogen Production.

Lattice strain engineering represents a cutting-edge approach capable of delivering enhanced performance across various applications. The lattice strain can affect the performance of electrochemical catalysts by changing the binding energy between the surface-active sites and intermediates. In this work, lattice strain is regulated through a homo/heterogeneous atomic interface merging.

The potential of integrating stereotactic ablative radiotherapy techniques with hyperfractionation for lung cancer.

Background: Limited literature exists on the feasibility and effectiveness of integrating stereotactic ablative radiotherapy (SABR) techniques with hyperfractionated regimens for patients with lung cancer. This study aims to assess whether the SABR technique with hyperfractionation can potentially reduce lung toxicity.

Methods: We utilized the linear-quadratic model to find the optimal fraction to maximize the tumor biological equivalent dose (BED) to normal-tissue BED ratio.

The impact of surgical volume on outcomes in newly diagnosed colorectal cancer patients receiving definitive surgeries.

Colorectal cancer (CRC) patients who receive cancer surgeries from higher-volume providers may have better outcomes. However, the definitions of surgical volume may affect the results. We aim to analyze the effects of different definitions of surgical volume on patient outcomes.

Feasibility estimation of injected hydrodissection before definitive radiotherapy of pancreatic adenocarcinoma.

Background: Pancreatic adenocarcinoma is often not diagnosed until an advanced stage, and so most patients are not eligible for resection. For patients who are inoperable, definitive radiotherapy is crucial for local disease control. However, the pancreas is located close to other vulnerable gastrointestinal organs, making it challenging to deliver an adequate radiation dose.

Severity of Complications and Duration of Type 2 Diabetes and the Risk of Cancer: A Population-Based Study.

Background: The literature on the association between diabetes severity and cancer risk is limited and inconclusive. The study aimed to evaluate the association between the adapted Diabetes Complications Severity Index (aDCSI) and the duration of type 2 diabetes and cancer risk.

Methods: Patients ages 20 years or older with newly diagnosed type 2 diabetes between January 1, 2007, and December 31, 2011, were identified from Taiwan National Health Insurance claims data.

Unlatching the Additional Zinc Storage Ability of Vanadium Nitride Nanocrystallites.

Vanadium-based materials, due to their diverse valence states and open-framework lattice, are promising cathodes for aqueous zinc ion batteries (AZIBs), but encounters the major challenges of in situ electrochemical activation process, potent polarity of the aqueous electrolyte and periodic expansion/contraction for efficient Zn storage. Herein, architecting vanadium nitride (VN) nanosheets over titanium-based hollow nanoarrays skeletal host (denoted VNTONC) can simultaneously modulate address those challenges by creating multiple interfaces and maintaining the (1 1 1) phase of VN, which optimizes the Zn storage and the stability of VN. Benefiting from the modulated crystalline thermodynamics during the electrochemical activation of VN, two outcomes are achieved; I) the cathode transforms into a nanocrystalline structure with increased active sites and higher conductivity and; II) a significant portion of the (1 1 1) crystal facets is retained in the process leading to the additional Zn storage capacity.

Tunable-pH Environment Induced by Local Anchor Effect of High Lewis Basicity Conductive Polymers toward Glycerol Upgrading Assisted Hydrogen Evolution.

Hybrid organic/inorganic composites with the organic phase tailored to modulate the local chemical environment at the transition metal-based catalyst surface arise as an enchanting category of catalysts for electrocatalysis. A fundamental understanding of how the conductive polymers of different Lewis basicities affect the reaction path is, however, still lacking to guide rational catalyst design. Herein, polyaniline (PANI), poly(3,4-ethylenedioxythiophene) (PEDOT), and poly(vinyl alcohol) (PVA) manifesting different Lewis basicities are compared for their regulatory roles on the hydrogen evolution reaction (HER) and glycerol electrooxidation (GOR) pathways regarding local proton coverage.

A universal method to fabricate high-valence transition metal-based HER electrocatalysts and direct Raman spectroscopic evidence for interfacial water regulation.

Valence modulation of transition metal oxides represents a highly effective approach in designing high-performance catalysts, particularly for pivotal applications such as the hydrogen evolution reaction (HER) in solar/electric water splitting and the hydrogen economy. Recently, there has been a growing interest in high-valence transition metal-based electrocatalysts (HVTMs) due to their demonstrated superiority in HER performance, attributed to the fundamental dynamics of charge transfer and the evolution of intermediates. Nevertheless, the synthesis of HVTMs encounters considerable thermodynamic barriers, which presents challenges in their preparation.

Association of radiation dose to cardiac substructures with major ischaemic events following breast cancer radiotherapy.

Background And Aims: Patients with left-sided breast cancer receive a higher mean heart dose (MHD) after radiotherapy, with subsequent risk of ischaemic heart disease. However, the optimum dosimetric predictor among cardiac substructures has not yet been determined.

Methods And Results: This study retrospectively reviewed 2158 women with breast cancer receiving adjuvant radiotherapy.

Lymphocytopenia and survival after whole-brain radiotherapy in patients with small-cell lung cancer.

Background: To investigate whether whole-brain radiotherapy (WBRT) decreases lymphocyte counts and evaluate the impact of treatment-related lymphopenia on survival in patients with brain metastasis.

Methods: Medical records from 60 small-cell lung cancer patients treated with WBRT from January 2010 to December 2018 were included in the study. Total lymphocyte count (TLC) was obtained pre and post treatment (within 1 month).

Adapted Diabetes Complications Severity Index and Charlson Comorbidity Index in predicting all-cause and cause-specific mortality among patients with type 2 diabetes.

Introduction: Adapted Diabetes Complications Severity Index (aDCSI) is a commonly used severity measure based on the number and severity of diabetes complications using diagnosis codes. The validity of aDCSI in predicting cause-specific mortality has yet to be verified. Additionally, the performance of aDCSI in predicting patient outcomes compared with Charlson Comorbidity Index (CCI) remains unknown.

Promoting Plasmonic Hot Hole Extraction and Photothermal Effect for the Oxygen Evolution Reactions.

Boosting oxygen evolution reaction by local surface plasmon resonance (LSPR) provides breakthrough opportunities for the promotion of solar energy conversion; the potential of LSPR, however, has rarely been tapped and investigated. Here, we report the precise regulation of commercial Au nanoparticles plasmonic nanomaterial and OER electrocatalysts, viz., the NiCoO electrocatalytic layer with hole transport ability and photothermal effect is prepared on the surface of Au nanoparticles by photoelectrodeposition.

A retrospective cohort study on the cardiotoxicity incidence rates of immune checkpoint inhibitors for oncology patients.

Background: This present study investigated the incidence rates of cardiotoxicity among cancer patients treated with immune checkpoint inhibitors (ICIs) plus other anticancer drugs.

Methods: This was a retrospective hospital-based cohort study using the medical records and the Cancer Registry records from the Taipei Veterans General Hospital. We enrolled patients diagnosed with cancer between 2011 and 2017, who were over 20 years old and had received ICI therapy, including pembrolizumab, nivolumab, atezolizumab, and ipilimumab.

Lipoprotein-Associated Phospholipase A2 Correlates with Reduced Left Ventricle Ejection Fraction in Hemodialysis Patients.

Objective: Reduced left ventricular ejection fraction (LVEF) is common in hemodialysis (HD) patients. Lipoprotein-associated phospholipase A2 (Lp-PLA2) is considered an important determinant of cardiovascular events. The aim of the study was to evaluate the relationship between Lp-PLA2 and LVEF in HD patients.

The impact of antimicrobial stewardship program designed to shorten antibiotics use on the incidence of resistant bacterial infections and mortality.

Reassessing the continuing need for and choice of antibiotics by using an antibiotic "time out'' program may reduce unnecessary treatment. This study aimed to explore the effect of an antibiotic stewardship program (ASP) on the antibiotics consumption, incidence of resistant bacterial infections and overall hospital mortality in a tertiary medical center during the study period 2012-2014. An ASP composed of multidisciplinary strategies including pre-prescription approval and post-approval feedback and audit, and a major "time out'' intervention (shorten the default antibiotic prescription duration) usage was introduced in year 2013.

In Situ Grown Co-Based Interstitial Compounds: Non-3d Metal and Non-Metal Dual Modulation Boosts Alkaline and Acidic Hydrogen Electrocatalysis.

Interfacial engineering and elemental doping are the two parameters to enhance the catalytic behavior of cobalt nitrides for the alkaline hydrogen evolution reaction (HER). However, simultaneously combining these two parameters to improve the HER catalytic properties of cobalt nitrides in alkaline media is rarely reported and also remains challenging in acidic media. Herein, it is demonstrated that high-valence non-3d metal and non-metal integration can simultaneously achieve Co-based nitride/oxide interstitial compound phase boundaries on stainless steel mesh (denoted Mo-Co N/N-CoO) for efficient HER in alkaline and acidic media.

Pre-existing chronic kidney disease and hypertension increased the risk of cardiotoxicity among colorectal cancer patients treated with anticancer drugs.

Background: This population-based study was to investigate the potential risk factors of cardiotoxicity among colorectal cancer (CRC) patients treated with anticancer drugs.

Methods: This was a retrospective cohort study using the National Health Insurance Research Database to identify the CRC patients receiving chemotherapy (CT) alone or CT combined with targeted therapies between 2000 and 2013. The patients enrolled were those who had the first diagnosis of CRC established ≥20 years and had no cancer history three years before the incident diagnosis of CRC.

Hospital volume and physician volume in association with survival in patients with nasopharyngeal cancer after radiation therapy.

Background: Cancer patients treated at higher-volume hospitals or by more experienced physicians have better outcomes. However, little is known about the effect of these provider volumes on the prognosis of patients receiving definitive radiotherapy (RT). This study aims to examine the independent association between hospital volume and physician volume in relation to the overall survival (OS) of nasopharyngeal cancer (NPC) patients after RT.

Effect of early radiotherapy initiation and high-dose chemotherapy on the prognosis of pediatric atypical teratoid rhabdoid tumors in different age groups.

Purpose: The optimal treatment strategy for pediatric atypical teratoid rhabdoid tumor (ATRT) is inconclusive. This study evaluated the prognostic value of early radiotherapy (RT) and high-dose chemotherapy with autologous stem cell rescue (HDC/ASCR) in pediatric ATRT.

Methods: This pooled analysis included ATRT patients treated at our institution and from other studies who were identified by a search of the PubMed electronic database.