2022 Taiwan clinical multicenter expert consensus and recommendations for thyroid radiofrequency ablation

Wei-Che Lin,Wen-Chieh Chen,Pei-Wen Wang,Yi-Chia Chan,Yen-Hsiang Chang,Harn-Shen Chen,Szu-Tah Chen,Wei-Chih Chen,Kai-Lun Cheng,Shun-Yu Chi,Pi-Ling Chiang,Chen-Kai Chou,Feng-Fu Chou,Shun-Chen Huang,Feng 대한초음파의학회 2023 ULTRASONOGRAPHY Vol.42 No.3

Radiofrequency ablation (RFA) is a minimally invasive management strategy that has been widely applied for benign and recurrent malignant thyroid lesions as an alternative to surgery in Taiwan. Members of academic societies for specialists in interventional radiology, endocrinology, and endocrine surgery collaborated to develop the first consensus regarding thyroid RFA in Taiwan. The modified Delphi method was used to reach a consensus. Based on a comprehensive review of recent and valuable literature and expert opinions, the recommendations included indications, pre-procedural evaluations, procedural techniques, post-procedural monitoring, efficacy, and safety, providing a comprehensive review of the application of RFA. The consensus effectively consolidates advice regarding thyroid RFA in clinical practice for local experts.

Sofosbuvir/velpatasvir plus ribavirin for Child-Pugh B and Child-Pugh C hepatitis C virus-related cirrhosis

( Chen-hua Liu ),( Chi-yi Chen ),( Wei-wen Su ),( Chun-jen Liu ),( Ching-chu Lo ),( Ke-jhang Huang ),( Jyh-jou Chen ),( Kuo-chih Tseng ),( Chi-yang Chang ),( Cheng-yuan Peng ),( Yu-lueng Shih ),( Chia 대한간학회 2021 Clinical and Molecular Hepatology(대한간학회지) Vol.27 No.4

Background/Aims: Real-world studies assessing the effectiveness and safety of sofosbuvir/velpatasvir (SOF/VEL) plus ribavirin (RBV) for Child-Pugh B/C hepatitis C virus (HCV)-related cirrhosis are limited. Methods: We included 107 patients with Child-Pugh B/C HCV-related cirrhosis receiving SOF/VEL plus RBV for 12 weeks in Taiwan. The sustained virologic response rates at off-treatment week 12 (SVR₁₂) for the evaluable population (EP), modified EP, and per-protocol population (PP) were assessed. The safety profiles were reported. Results: The SVR₁₂ rates in the EP, modified EP and PP were 89.7% (95% confidence interval [CI], 82.5-94.2%), 94.1% (95% CI, 87.8-97.3%), and 100% (95% CI, 96.2-100%). Number of patients who failed to achieve SVR₁₂ were attributed to virologic failures. The SVR₁₂ rates were comparable regardless of patient characteristics. One patient discontinued treatment because of adverse events (AEs). Twenty-four patients had serious AEs and six died, but none were related to SOF/VEL or RBV. Among the 96 patients achieving SVR₁₂, 84.4% and 64.6% had improved Child-Pugh and model for endstage liver disease (MELD) scores. Multivariate analysis revealed that a baseline MELD score ≥15 was associated with an improved MELD score of ≥3 (odds ratio, 4.13; 95% CI, 1.16-14.71; P=0.02). Patients with chronic kidney disease (CKD) stage 1 had more significant estimated glomerular filtration rate declines than patients with CKD stage 2 (-0.42 mL/min/1.73 ㎡/month; P=0.01) or stage 3 (-0.56 mL/min/1.73 ㎡/month; P<0.001). Conclusions: SOF/VEL plus RBV for 12 weeks is efficacious and well-tolerated for Child-Pugh B/C HCV-related cirrhosis. (Clin Mol Hepatol 2021;27:575-588)

Delay of Surgery for Spinal Metastasis due to the COVID-19 Outbreak Affected Patient Outcomes

Chia-Jung Hsieh,Chun-Yu Wu,Yen-Heng Lin,Yu-Cheng Huang,Wen-Chi Yang,Tom Wei-Wu Chen,Wei-Li Ma,Wei-Hsin Lin,Feng-Ming Hsu,Furen Xiao,Shih-Hung Yang,Dar-Ming Lai,Chang-Mu Chen,Shin-Yi Chao,Fon-Yih Tsuan 대한척추신경외과학회 2023 Neurospine Vol.20 No.4

Objective: The present study is to analyze the effects of the coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID 2019) outbreak and the subsequent lockdown on the outcomes of spinal metastasis patients. Methods: The study was a retrospective analysis of data from a prospective cohort study. All patients underwent surgical intervention for spinal metastases between January 2019 and December 2021 and had at least 3 months of postoperative follow-up. The primary outcome was overall mortality during the 4 different stages (pre-COVID-19 era, COVID-19 pandemic except in Taiwan, national lockdown, lifting of the lockdown). The secondary outcomes were the oncological severity scores, medical/surgical accessibility, and patient functional outcome during the 4 periods as well as survival/mortality. Results: A total of 233 patients were included. The overall mortality rate was 41.20%. During the Taiwan lockdown, more patients received palliative surgery than other surgical methods, and no total en bloc spondylectomy was performed. The time from surgeon visit to operation was approximately doubled after the COVID-19 outbreak in Taiwan (75.97, 86.63, 168.79, and 166.91 hours in the 4 periods, respectively). The estimated survival probability was highest after the national lockdown was lifted and lowest during the lockdown. In the multivariate analysis, increased risk of mortality was observed with delay of surgery, with emergency surgery having a higher risk with delays above 33 hours, urgent surgery (below 59 and above 111 hours), and elective surgery (above 332 hours). Conclusion: The COVID-19 pandemic and related policies have altered daily clinical practice and negatively impacted the survival of patients with spinal metastases.

Fabrication of Multifunctional Polyester Fabrics by Using Fluorinated Polymer Coatings

Chia-Jung Chen,Wen-Hui Li,Wei-Yu Chen,Yu-Min Yang 한국섬유공학회 2019 Fibers and polymers Vol.20 No.10

Facile and effective polymer coatings are highly desirable in the creation of functional surfaces for variousapplications. A polymer coating by using poly(vinylidene fluoride-co-hexafluoropropylene (PVDF-HFP) and a fluorinatedalkyl silane (FAS-17) in volatile solvent has been proposed in the literature for the fabrication of chemically stable andsuperamphiphobic fabrics. This method, however, suffered from the fact that the results were unable to be experimentallyreproduced by the authors. In this work, FAS-17-modified PVDF-HFP with surface energy of 14.04 mN/m was preparedthrough two-step reactions in acetone using coupling agent 3-aminopropyltrimethoxysilane (H2N-(CH2)3-Si-(OCH3)3) and1H,1H,2H,2H-perfluorodecyltriethoxysilane (FAS-17, F3C-(CF2)7-(CH2)2-Si-(OC2H5)3) in the first and second reaction steps,respectively. This coating solution was then applied onto the twill weave polyester fabric using a dip-coating method. The asfabricatedsurfaces exhibited extreme liquid repellency as signified by high static contact angles (149.5 o-105.7 o) against sixpure liquids (water, ethylene glycol, hexadecane, pentadecane, nonane, octane) with surface tension values ranging from 72.8to 21.4 mN/m. Furthermore, this coating showed chemical stability to strong acid (96 % sulfuric acid) and strong base (38 %sodium hydroxide). In addition to self-cleaning property, the coating also exhibited self-healing property as revealed by thestatic contact angle change with the plasma-and-heat treatment cycles. Moreover, it is interesting to note that coating offabrics with the pristine solution of PVDF-HFP and FAS-17 may instead find its potential applications in oil-waterseparation. High separation efficiency, stability, and reusability were exhibited by the as-fabricated separation membrane.

Comparative global immune-related gene profiling of somatic cells, human pluripotent stem cells and their derivatives: implication for human lymphocyte proliferation

Chia-Eng Wu,Chen-Wei Yu,Kai-Wei Chang,Wen-Hsi Chou,Chen-Yu Lu,Elisa Ghelfi,Fang-Chun Wu,Pey-Shynan Jan,Mei-Chi Huang,Patrick Allard,Shau-Ping Lin,Hong-Nerng Ho,Hsin-Fu Chen 생화학분자생물학회 2017 Experimental and molecular medicine Vol.49 No.-

Human pluripotent stem cells (hPSCs), including embryonic stem cells (ESCs) and induced PSCs (iPSCs), represent potentially unlimited cell sources for clinical applications. Previous studies have suggested that hPSCs may benefit from immune privilege and limited immunogenicity, as reflected by the reduced expression of major histocompatibility complex class-related molecules. Here we investigated the global immune-related gene expression profiles of human ESCs, hiPSCs and somatic cells and identified candidate immune-related genes that may alter their immunogenicity. The expression levels of global immune-related genes were determined by comparing undifferentiated and differentiated stem cells and three types of human somatic cells: dermal papilla cells, ovarian granulosa cells and foreskin fibroblast cells. We identified the differentially expressed genes CD24, GATA3, PROM1, THBS2, LY96, IFIT3, CXCR4, IL1R1, FGFR3, IDO1 and KDR, which overlapped with selected immune-related gene lists. In further analyses, mammalian target of rapamycin complex (mTOR) signaling was investigated in the differentiated stem cells following treatment with rapamycin and lentiviral transduction with specific short-hairpin RNAs. We found that the inhibition of mTOR signal pathways significantly downregulated the immunogenicity of differentiated stem cells. We also tested the immune responses induced in differentiated stem cells by mixed lymphocyte reactions. We found that CD24- and GATA3-deficient differentiated stem cells including neural lineage cells had limited abilities to activate human lymphocytes. By analyzing the transcriptome signature of immune-related genes, we observed a tendency of the hPSCs to differentiate toward an immune cell phenotype. Taken together, these data identify candidate immune-related genes that might constitute valuable targets for clinical applications.

Achievement Goal Orientation in Chinese Societies: Implications for College Counseling

Ching-Chen Chen,Wei-Wen Chen,George B. Richardson,Chia-Laing Dai,Jared Lau,Danica G. Hays 한국상담학회 2018 Journal of Asia Pacific counseling Vol.8 No.1

Achievement goal orientation has been linked to various academic and psychosocial outcomes within the United States and globally. As college counselors increasingly work with a diversified student body, it is imperative that they understand goal orientation and how it should be assessed among various cultures and subcultures. This study evaluated the functioning of the Achievement Goal Scale items across samples from Taiwan, Hong Kong, and Macau and tested whether metric (i.e., goal orientation dimensions had the same meanings) and scalar (i.e., means could be compared across groups) invariance held. Findings suggest that goal orientation can be assessed across Chinese societies and, therefore, used to inform the development of culturally appropriate counseling approaches when working with college students. Implications for counseling practice and research are provided.

The back contact modification in high-efficiency Cu₂ZnSn(S,Se)₄ solar cells by a thin MoO₃ layer

Septia KHOLIMATUSSADIAH,Cheng-Ying CHEN,Wei-Chao CHEN,Yi-Rung LIN,Shao-Hung LU,Meng-Chia HSIEH,Jan-Kai CHANG,Chih-I WU,Ruei-San CHEN,Kuei-Hsien CHEN,Li-Chyong CHEN 한국진공학회 2016 한국진공학회 학술발표회초록집 Vol.2016 No.8

Combined Assessment of Serum Alpha-Synuclein and Rab35 is a Better Biomarker for Parkinson’s Disease

Hung-Li Wang,Chin-Song Lu,Tu-Hsueh Yeh,Yu-Ming Shen,Yi-Hsin Weng,Ying-Zu Huang,Rou-Shayn Chen,Yu-Chuan Liu,Yi-Chuan Cheng,Hsiu-Chen Chang,Ying-Ling Chen,Yu-Jie Chen,Yan-Wei Lin,Chia Chen Hsu,Huang-Li 대한신경과학회 2019 Journal of Clinical Neurology Vol.15 No.4

Background and Purpose It is essential to develop a reliable predictive serum biomarker for Parkinson’s disease (PD). Te accumulation of alpha-synuclein (αSyn) and up-regulated expression of Rab35 participate in the etiology of PD. Te purpose of this investigation was to determine whether the combined assessment of serum αSyn and Rab35 is a useful predictive biomarker for PD. Methods Serum levels of αSyn or Rab35 were determined in serum samples from 59 sporadic PD patients, 19 progressive supranuclear palsy (PSP) patients, 20 multiple system atrophy (MSA) patients, and 60 normal controls (NC). Receiver operating characteristics (ROC) curves were calculated to determine the diagnostic accuracy of αSyn or/and Rab35 in discriminating PD patients from NC or atypical parkinsonian patients. Results The levels of αSyn and Rab35 were increased in PD patients. The serum level of Rab35 was positively correlated with that of αSyn in PD patients. Compared to analyzing αSyn or Rab35 alone, the combined analysis of αSyn and Rab35 produced a larger area under the ROC curve and performed better in discriminating PD patients from NC, MSA patients, or PSP patients. When age was dichotomized at 55, 60, 65, or 70 years, the combined assessment of αSyn and Rab35 for classifying PD was better in the group below the cutof age than in the group above the cutof age. Conclusions Combined assessment of serum αSyn and Rab35 is a better biomarker for discriminating PD patients from NC or atypical parkinsonian patients, and is a useful predictive biomarker for younger sporadic PD patients.

EVOLUTION OF THE TIMES WHEN THE TRADITIONAL MATERIALS ENCOUNTER INTERACTIVE TECHNOLOGY

Chen-Wei Chiang,Min-Shiue Wu,Meng-Te Hsieh,Chia-Yu Kao,Chun-Yan Liu 한국디자인학회 2015 한국디자인학회 학술발표대회 논문집 Vol.2015 No.10

The Reflection of Bamboo combines traditional materials with interactive technology, analyzing what the characteristics of the old and new materials are, as well as how to apply technology to the integration of these materials. Through this installation, we reconsider the possibility of integrating traditional materials with modern technology. Adopting bamboo as the main material, this installation raises the spirit of traditional techniques in a unique way and employs bamboo’s special tenacity. Viewers can interact with this installation and experience the strength, esthetics and variation in the demonstrated shadow.

Monacolin K affects lipid metabolism through SIRT1/AMPK pathway in HepG2 cells

Chia-Hsin Huang,Shin-Mau Shiu,Min-Tze Wu,Wei-Lu Chen,Shyang-Guang Wang,Horng-Mo Lee 대한약학회 2013 Archives of Pharmacal Research Vol.36 No.12

Monacolin K is the secondary metabolite isolatedfrom Monascus spp. It is the natural form of lovastatin,which is clinically used to reduce the synthesis of cholesterolby inhibiting 3-hydroxy-3-methylglutaryl coenzyme Areductase. In the present study, monacolin K increased proteinexpression of SIRT1 and phosphorylation level of AMPactivatedprotein kinase (AMPK) in HepG2 cells. Throughactivation of SIRT1/AMPK pathway, monacolin Kincreased phosphorylation of acetyl CoA carboxylase andcaused nuclear translocation of forkhead box O1. The westernblotting results showed that monacolin K increasedexpression of adipose triglyceride lipase but decreasedabundances of fatty acid synthase (FAS) and sterol regulatory element-binding protein 1 (SREBP1). MonacolinK also decreased the intracellular accumulation of lipids asdemonstrated by Oil Red O staining. In addition, theimmunostaining showed that monacolin K prevented thenuclear translocation of SREBP1, indicating the associationwith down-regulation of FAS. All the demonstrated effectsof monacolin K were counteracted by nicotinamide orcompound C, the inhibitors of SIRT1 orAMPK. In summary,monacolin K reduces the lipid content through SIRT1/AMPK pathway in HepG2 cells, which promotes catabolismand inhibits anabolism of lipid.