Efficacy of immune checkpoint inhibitors in pulmonary sarcomatoid carcinoma and predictive potential of mutated TP53.

Objective: Pulmonary sarcomatoid carcinoma (PSC) is a rare, heterogeneous subgroup of non-small cell lung cancer (NSCLC). Patients with advanced PSCs have poor survival due to resistance to chemotherapy and radiotherapy, and narrow access to targeted therapy. Immune checkpoint inhibitors (ICIs) offer new hope, whereas data on their effectiveness is limited.

Development of a multi-functional naringin-loaded bioglass/carboxymethyl chitosan/silk fibroin porous scaffold for hemostasis and critical size bone regeneration.

Persistent bleeding and limited repair capacity greatly threaten patients with bone destruction. Designing inorganic-organic biomimetic scaffolds with quick hemostasis and osteogenesis functions will solve this problem. A novel degradable and naringin (NG) loaded porous scaffold (SCB-N) based on APTES-modified bioactive glass (ABG), carboxymethyl chitosan and silk fibroin is developed.

Association of acetaminophen use with mortality and renal recovery in patients with sepsis-associated acute kidney injury.

Background: Sepsis-associated acute kidney injury (SA-AKI) is common and associated with poor outcomes in critically ill patients. Acetaminophen is often used as an antipyretic and analgesic drug, but the association of acetaminophen use with mortality and recovery of renal function in SA-AKI patients remain unclear. We aimed to investigate the association between acetaminophen use and outcomes in SA-AKI patients.

Case report: Efficacy of later-line fam-trastuzumab deruxtecan in a patient with triple-positive breast cancer with brain metastases.

Fam-trastuzumab deruxtecan (T-DXd) has demonstrated substantial antitumor activity and durable responses in patients with human epidermal growth factor receptor 2 positive (HER2+) metastatic breast cancer. We report here the treatment outcomes of T-DXd in a patient with HER2+ breast cancer with brain metastases that repeatedly recurred and progressed after two lines of salvage therapy. In 2016, a 23-year-old G0P0 female with risk factors including menarche at age 9 years, Li-Fraumeni syndrome, and a strong family history of cancer was diagnosed with bilateral, triple-positive breast cancer.

GLI1-Altered Mesenchymal Tumor-Multiomic Characterization of a Case Series and Patient-Level Meta-analysis of One Hundred Sixty-Seven Cases for Risk Stratification.

GLI1-altered mesenchymal tumors have recently emerged as a distinctive group of neoplasms characterized by GLI1 fusions or amplifications. Although there is clearly metastatic potential, the clinicopathologic features predicting for metastasis are currently unknown. Herein, we present 6 cases of GLI1-altered mesenchymal tumors with multiomics analysis.

HSPD1 Supports Osteosarcoma Progression through Stabilizing ATP5A1 and thus Activation of AKT/mTOR Signaling.

Malignant transformation is concomitant with excessive activation of stress response pathways. Heat shock proteins (HSPs) are stress-inducible proteins that play a role in folding and processing proteins, contributing to the non-oncogene addiction of stressed tumor cells. However, the detailed role of the HSP family in osteosarcoma has not been investigated.

Preparation and osteogenesis of a multiple crosslinking silk fibroin/carboxymethyl chitosan/sodium alginate composite scaffold loading with mesoporous silica/poly (lactic acid-glycolic acid) microspheres.

Large bone defect repair is a striking challenge in orthopedics. Currently, inorganic-organic composite scaffolds are considered as a promising approach to these bone regeneration. Silicon ions (Si) are bioactive and beneficial to bone regeneration and Si-containing inorganic mesoporous silica (MS) can effectively load drugs for bone repair.

Efficacy and safety of methotrexate plus hydroxychloroquine combination therapy vs. methotrexate monotherapy in the treatment of rheumatoid arthritis: A randomized controlled clinical trial.

Objective: To explore the efficacy and safety of combination therapy with methotrexate (MTX) plus hydroxychloroquine (HCQ) vs. MTX monotherapy in patients with rheumatoid arthritis (RA).

Methods: Sixty patients without prior RA treatments were randomly allocated in a 1:1 ratio to two groups: one receiving MTX plus HCQ, and the other receiving MTX monotherapy.

Promoting neurovascularized bone regeneration with a novel 3D printed inorganic-organic magnesium silicate/PLA composite scaffold.

Critical-size bone defect repair presents multiple challenges, such as osteogenesis, vascularization, and neurogenesis. Current biomaterials for bone repair need more consideration for the above functions. Organic-inorganic composites combined with bioactive ions offer significant advantages in bone regeneration.

Associated Factors of Patients' Survival in Out of Hospital Cardiac Arrest; a Cross-sectional Study.

Introduction: Chinese populations have an increasingly high prevalence of cardiac arrest. This study aimed to investigate the prehospital associated factors of survival to hospital admission and discharge among out-of-hospital cardiac arrest (OHCA) adult cases in Macao Special Administrative Region (SAR), China.

Methods: Baseline characteristics as well as prehospital factors of OHCA patients were collected from publicly accessible medical records and Macao Fire Services Bureau, China.

Gender Self-Identification: Opinions About Transgender Women from a National Online Survey in Taiwan.

Gender self-identification (transgender) is not permitted in most Asian countries. In Taiwan, individuals recognized as transgender must meet requirements mandated by the Gender Recognition Act. Currently, lifting the requirement for proof of sex-reassignment surgery is pending.

Consensus statement on the management of hyperkalaemia-An Asia-Pacific perspective.

Hyperkalaemia is an electrolyte imbalance that impairs muscle function and myocardial excitability, and can potentially lead to fatal arrhythmias and sudden cardiac death. The prevalence of hyperkalaemia is estimated to be 6%-7% worldwide and 7%-10% in Asia. Hyperkalaemia frequently affects patients with chronic kidney disease, heart failure, and diabetes mellitus, particularly those receiving treatment with renin-angiotensin-aldosterone system (RAAS) inhibitors.

Hong Kong-Macau Severe Hives and Angioedema Referral Pathway.

Background: Urticaria (defined as the presence of hives, angioedema, or both) can be caused by a variety of etiologies ranging from more common conditions such as chronic spontaneous urticaria (CSU) to rarer conditions such as hereditary angioedema (HAE). Specialist referral may be necessary in cases of severe urticaria or HAE, but access to specialist services remains limited in certain regions, such as the Greater Bay Area (GBA) of China. To address this, the Hong Kong-Macau Severe Hives and Angioedema Referral Pathway (SHARP) was initiated by the Hong Kong Institute of Allergy and Macau Society of Dermatology to promote multidisciplinary collaboration and regional exchange of expertise in the diagnosis and management of severe urticaria.

Legalization of marijuana or not? Opinions from over 38,000 residents in Taiwan.

Background: Marijuana is legal in many Western countries and Thailand. In Taiwan, Marijuana remains a category-2 narcotic; however, some legislative candidates recently advocated legalization of medical marijuana. This study surveyed a large sample of Taiwanese to gain a better understanding of the public's knowledge and attitudes towards legalizing marijuana.

-Acetylcysteine overcomes epalrestat-mediated increase of toxic 4-hydroxy-2-nonenal and potentiates the anti-arthritic effect of epalrestat in AIA model.

Epalrestat, an aldose reductase inhibitor (ARI), has been clinically adopted in treating diabetic neuropathy in China and Japan. Apart from the involvement in diabetic complications, AR has been implicated in inflammation. Here, we seek to investigate the feasibility of clinically approved ARI, epalrestat, for the treatment of rheumatoid arthritis (RA).

Semantic Segmentation of Gastric Polyps in Endoscopic Images Based on Convolutional Neural Networks and an Integrated Evaluation Approach.

Convolutional neural networks (CNNs) have received increased attention in endoscopic images due to their outstanding advantages. Clinically, some gastric polyps are related to gastric cancer, and accurate identification and timely removal are critical. CNN-based semantic segmentation can delineate each polyp region precisely, which is beneficial to endoscopists in the diagnosis and treatment of gastric polyps.

Association between asthma and headache: Findings from the NHANES 2001-2004.

Introduction: With the adjustment of sociodemographic factors, our study aimed to explore the association between asthma control and headache using a representative sample in the United States.

Methods: A total of participants aged >20 years from the National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey (NHANES) cycles 2001-2004 were included. The presence of asthma and headache was determined by questionnaires.

Real-world patient characteristics and treatment patterns of polycythemia vera in Taiwan between 2016 and 2017: a nationwide cross-sectional study.

Background: Polycythemia vera (PV) patients often experience constitutional symptoms and are at risk of thromboembolism as well as disease progression to myelofibrosis or acute myeloid leukemia. Not only is PV often overlooked but treatment options are also limited, however.

Objectives: To explore the patient characteristics and treatment pattern of PV patients in Taiwan, and compare with other countries reported in the literature.

Consensus Statements on Precision Oncology in the China Greater Bay Area.

Background: Next-generation sequencing comprehensive genomic panels (NGS CGPs) have enabled the delivery of tailor-made therapeutic approaches to improve survival outcomes in patients with cancer. Within the China Greater Bay Area (GBA), territorial differences in clinical practices and health care systems and strengthening collaboration warrant a regional consensus to consolidate the development and integration of precision oncology (PO). Therefore, the Precision Oncology Working Group (POWG) formulated standardized principles for the clinical application of molecular profiling, interpretation of genomic alterations, and alignment of actionable mutations with sequence-directed therapy to deliver clinical services of excellence and evidence-based care to patients with cancer in the China GBA.

The Protective Effect of (-)-Tetrahydroalstonine against OGD/R-Induced Neuronal Injury via Autophagy Regulation.

Here, (-)-Tetrahydroalstonine (THA) was isolated from and investigated for its neuroprotective effect towards oxygen-glucose deprivation/re-oxygenation (OGD/R)-induced neuronal damage. In this study, primary cortical neurons were pre-treated with THA and then subjected to OGD/R induction. The cell viability was tested by the MTT assay, and the states of the autophagy-lysosomal pathway and Akt/mTOR pathway were monitored by Western blot analysis.

Anti-PD-1 antibodies, a novel treatment option for advanced chemoresistant pulmonary lymphoepithelioma carcinoma.

Background: Pulmonary lymphoepithelioma-like carcinoma (LELC) exhibits a unique immune microenvironment, including high PD-L1 expression and abundant infiltrating-immune cells. However, the availability of PD-1/PD-L1 inhibitors in patients with LELC is still not determined.

Methods: A total of 36 cases of pulmonary LELC treated with PD-1/PD-L1 inhibitors were reviewed, including 10 cases from our institute and 26 cases included from the literature.