Publications by authors named "Yu-Wei Chen"

This study was performed to develop an optimal process for manufacturing activated carbon (AC) from pineapples' off-cuts (leaves and peels; PL and PP) by pyrolysis and for forming a bio-complex with sodium alginate (CA). In addition, the physicochemical properties were also explored under different preparation conditions, and the effects of adsorbed uremic toxins in three simulated gastrointestinal conditions (in vitro) were evaluated. This study showed that pyrolysis at 800 °C and activation by CO (30 min) resulted in satisfactory porous profiles with high specific surface areas of 388.

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  • Calcified nodules (CNs) are high-risk lesions that can emerge from untreated calcified lesions, leading to serious health issues like cardiac death and myocardial infarction.
  • A study with 372 patients tracked the development of new CNs over approximately 1.5 years, finding that 7% of lesions showed new CNs at follow-up.
  • Factors like the presence of residual lipid, larger calcified volume, increased motion during heart cycles, and longer time since initial imaging were linked to the formation of new CNs and were associated with worse clinical outcomes.
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Phosphinopyridyl ligands are used to synthesize a class of Ni(II) bis(chelate) complexes, which have been comprehensively characterized in both solid and solution phases. The structures display a square-planar configuration within the primary coordination sphere, with axially positioned labile binding sites. Their electrochemical data reveal two redox couples during the reduction process, suggesting the possibility of accessing two-electron reduction states.

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  • Dramatic advances in biological discoveries since the 1990s have changed how metastatic renal cell carcinoma (RCC) is treated, focusing on gene alterations like VHL that promote tumor growth.
  • Antiangiogenic strategies targeting the VHL/HIF/VEGF pathway have shown improved survival rates, while the introduction of immune checkpoint inhibitors has shifted treatment paradigms to include combination therapies.
  • Despite progress, the projected 14,390 RCC deaths in 2024 highlight the ongoing need for research and development of optimized treatment options for patients.
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Objective: Multidisciplinary rehabilitation facilitates post-stroke functional recovery, but is associated with resource and accessibility barriers. This study evaluated the combination of a wearable device-assisted system (WEAR) and conventional therapy for post-stroke rehabilitation.

Methods: This randomized, controlled, parallel group, clinical trial was conducted at two rehabilitation centers.

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  • * After exposure to PS-MPs, mice showed inflammation in various organs, as indicated by immune cell infiltration and increased proinflammatory signals, suggesting significant health impacts.
  • * Inflammatory responses were reduced when two specific receptors (TLR2 and TLR4) were inhibited, indicating a potential pathway for mitigating the effects of PS-MPs, although the specific macrophage response observed in vitro did not align with in vivo findings.
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Interbody fusion is an orthopedic surgical procedure to connect two adjacent vertebrae in patients suffering from spinal disc disease. The combination of synthetic bone grafts with protein-based drugs is an intriguing approach to stimulate interbody bone growth, specifically in patients exhibiting restricted bone progression. Recombinant human thrombomodulin (rhTM), a novel protein drug characterized by its superior stability and potency, shows promise in enhancing bone formation.

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Self-regulation, which encompasses cognitive, behavioural, and emotional domains, poses challenges in consistent measurement due to diverse definitions and conceptual complexities. In recognition of its profound impact on long-term mental health and wellbeing in children, this systematic review examined available self-regulation measures for children and young people between 1 and 18 years of age. The systematic review followed the COSMIN taxonomy and reported on the measurement tools' characteristics and psychometric properties.

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  • This study compares outcomes of radical nephrectomy (RN) versus partial nephrectomy (PN) for treating sarcomatoid renal cell carcinoma (sRCC) using a large national database from 2004 to 2019.
  • The analysis found that patients receiving PN had better overall survival rates, particularly in early-stage tumors (cT1 and cT3), although factors like age and tumor characteristics influenced the likelihood of receiving PN.
  • The results suggest that PN can be a viable option for certain patients without compromising outcomes, but disparities in care exist based on income and insurance status, affecting survival rates.
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Taiwan is situated in the subtropical region and its geographical location and topographical features contribute to a rich ecological diversity and scenic landscapes. We investigated the diversity of methanogens in different environments of Taiwan using a culture-dependent method. This report presents the characterization and taxonomy of six hydrogenotrophic methanogens obtained from cold seep sediments (strain FWC-SCC1 and FWC-SCC3), marine sediments (strain CWC-02 and YWC-01), estuarine sediments (strain Afa-1), and a hot spring well (strain Wushi-C6) in Taiwan.

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Peritoneal dialysis (PD) is a widely used sustainable kidney replacement therapy. Prolonged use of PD fluids is associated with mesothelial-mesenchymal transition, peritoneal fibrosis, and eventual ultrafiltration (UF) failure. However, the impact of pressure on the peritoneum remains unclear.

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Introduction: A peer-mediated, play-based intervention has been developed to address social participation challenges experienced by children with ADHD. To facilitate implementation into clinical practice, interventions should be evaluated for appropriateness to the end-user, as well as effectiveness. Previous research demonstrated the approach is effective for improving children's social play skills.

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The management of renal cell carcinoma (RCC) has advanced significantly in the past two decades. Many promising functional imaging modalities such as radiolabeled tracer targeting carbonic anhydrase IX and prostate-specific membrane antigen are under development to detect primary kidney tumors, stage systemic disease, and assess treatment response in RCC. Immune checkpoint inhibitors targeting PD-1 and cytotoxic T-cell lymphocyte-4 have changed the treatment paradigm in advanced RCC.

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The Hospital at Home (HaH) program has experienced accelerated growth in major Canadian provinces, driven in part by technological advancements and evolving patient needs during the COVID-19 pandemic. As an increasing number of hospitals pilot or implement these innovative programs, substantial resources have been allocated to support clinical teams. However, it is crucial to note that the vital roles played by clinical laboratories remain insufficiently acknowledged.

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Intervertebral disc degeneration arises from damage or degeneration of the nucleus pulposus (NP). In this study, we developed a photo-crosslinkable hydrogel incorporating FG4592 to support the growth and differentiation of bone-marrow-derived mesenchymal stem cells (BMSC). Initially, hyaluronic acid was modified with tyramine and combined with collagen to introduce riboflavin as a photo-crosslinker.

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Opioids are powerful analgesics; however, their significant systemic adverse effects and the need for frequent administration restrict their use. Nalbuphine (NA) is a κ-agonist narcotic with limited adverse effects, but needs to be frequently administrated due to its short elimination half-life. Whereas sebacoyl dinalbuphine ester (SDE) is a NA prodrug, which can effectively prolong the analgesic effect, but lacks immediate pain relief.

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Background: Hyperglycemia affects the outcomes of endovascular therapy (EVT) for acute ischemic stroke (AIS). This study compares the predictive ability of diabetes status and glucose measures on EVT outcomes using nationwide registry data.

Methods: The study included 1,097 AIS patients who underwent EVT from the Taiwan Registry of Endovascular Thrombectomy for Acute Ischemic Stroke.

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  • This study explored the prevalence of metabolic dysfunction-associated steatotic liver disease (MASLD) and its impact on mortality related to cardiometabolic risks, involving over 343,000 adults aged 30 and older.
  • The findings revealed that 36.4% of participants had MASLD, with a notable association between abnormal liver enzymes and higher cardiometabolic comorbidities among these individuals.
  • Patients with MASLD faced a significantly increased risk of dying from all causes, as well as from cardiovascular and diabetes-related issues, emphasizing the need for monitoring and lifestyle guidance for those affected.
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The revolutionary self-healing function for long-term and safe service processes has inspired researchers to implement them in various fields, including in the application of antimicrobial protective coatings. Despite the great advances that have been made in the field of fabricating self-healing and antimicrobial polymers, their poor transparency and the trade-off between the mechanical and self-healing properties limit the utility of the materials as transparent antimicrobial protective coatings for wearable optical and display devices. Considering the compatibility in the blending process, our group proposed a self-healing, self-cross-linkable poly{(-butyl acrylate)--[-(hydroxymethyl)acrylamide]} copolymer (AP)-based protective coating combined with two types of commercial cationic antimicrobial agents (i.

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Background: It is crucial to identify factors that can predict the risk of mortality in patients newly diagnosed with interstitial lung disease (ILD). This study sought to develop and assess a composite scoring system for mortality prediction among ILD patients based on cardiovascular parameters, which were previously reported as predictors of survival.

Methods: We prospectively enrolled patients with newly diagnosed ILD and monitored their survival status for 24 months.

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Background: Demographics of pulmonary hypertension (PH) has changed a lot over the past forty years. Several recent registries noted an increase in mean age of PH but only a few of them investigated the characteristics of elderly patients. Thus, we aimed to analyze the characteristics of PH in such a population in this study.

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Renal cell carcinoma (RCC) is the most common type of kidney cancer and is divided into two distinct subtypes, clear cell renal cell carcinoma (ccRCC) and non-clear cell renal cell carcinoma (nccRCC). Although many treatments exist for RCC, these are largely based on clinical trials performed in ccRCC and there are limited studies on the management of nccRCC. Non-clear cell RCC consists of multiple histological subtypes: papillary, chromophobe, translocation, medullary, collecting duct, unclassified, and other rare histologies.

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  • MSI (microsatellite instability) and TMB (tumor mutational burden) are important biomarkers for predicting responses to immunotherapy in various cancers, but their relationship, especially in lung cancer, is not fully understood.
  • Analysis of over 46,000 cancer patients revealed that many with MSI-H (high) also had TMB-low across different cancer types, with colorectal and stomach cancers showing the strongest links between the two.
  • In lung cancer patients receiving immunotherapy, TMB-H significantly improved overall and progression-free survival compared to TMB-low, while the MSI-H group did not show notable benefits, highlighting the need for tailored biomarker use in immunotherapy.
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Background: Stereoelectroencephalography (SEEG) is an effective presurgical invasive evaluation for drug-resistant epilepsies. The introduction of robotic devices provides a simplified, accurate, and safe alternative to the conventional SEEG technique. We report our institutional experience with robot-assisted SEEG and compare its in vivo accuracy, operation efficiency, and safety with the more traditional SEEG workflow.

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  • The study examines outcomes of percutaneous coronary intervention (PCI) for de novo ostial right coronary artery (RCA) lesions, which have previously shown poor outcomes.
  • Researchers utilized intravascular ultrasound (IVUS) to categorize 170 identified RCA stenoses into three morphological types: isolated ostial lesions, ostial lesions with calcified nodules (CN), and ostial lesions with diffuse disease.
  • Results indicated that patients with CN had a significantly higher two-year target lesion failure (TLF) rate compared to those with diffuse disease, while isolated lesions resulted in no events, highlighting that lesion morphology is crucial for predicting clinical outcomes.
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