Characterization of the tumor immune microenvironment in pregnancy-associated breast cancer through multiplex immunohistochemistry and transcriptome analyses.

Background: Pregnancy-associated breast cancer (PABC) is breast cancer diagnosed during pregnancy or within 2 years postpartum. Although relatively rare, it is associated with a poor prognosis, and the underlying mechanisms contributing to this unfavorable condition remain incompletely understood. In this study, we investigated tumor microenvironmental features linked to pregnancy and lactation in an effort to elucidate these mechanisms.

Fourier Transform Analysis of GPS-Derived Mobility Patterns for Diagnosis and Mood Monitoring of Bipolar and Major Depressive Disorders: Prospective Study.

Background: Mood disorders, including bipolar disorder (BP) and major depressive disorder (MDD), are characterized by significant psychological and behavioral fluctuations, with mobility patterns serving as potential markers of emotional states.

Objective: This study explores the diagnostic and monitoring capabilities of Fourier transform, a frequency-domain analysis method, in mood disorders by leveraging GPS data as an objective measure.

Methods: A total of 62 participants (BP: n=20, MDD: n=27, and healthy controls: n=15) contributed 5177 person-days of data over observation periods ranging from 5 days to 6 months.

Mealtime alters daily rhythm in nuclear O-GlcNAc proteome to regulate hepatic gene expression.

The liver circadian clock and hepatic transcriptome are highly responsive to metabolic signals generated from feeding-fasting rhythm. Previous studies have identified a number of nutrient-sensitive signaling pathways that could interpret metabolic input to regulate rhythmic hepatic biology. Here, we investigated the role of O-GlcNAcylation, a nutrient-sensitive post-translational modification (PTM) in mediating metabolic regulation of rhythmic biology in the liver.

Identification of vascular hotspots and analysis of micro-vessel flow velocity waveforms in high-grade squamous intraepithelial lesions of the cervix.

Objectives: To assess hotspot micro-vessel flow velocity waveforms in human papillomavirus (HPV) cervical infections using transvaginal power Doppler ultrasound (TV-PDU) and explore associations with high-grade squamous intraepithelial lesions (HSIL, cervical intraepithelial neoplasia [CIN] II and III).

Methods: In all, 62 patients with confirmed HPV-HSIL (14 CIN II, 48 CIN III) and 65 age- and parity-matched women with neither HPV infection nor CIN were compared. Seven parameters by TV-PDU were used to assess vascular classification and micro-vessel flow velocity, including vascular grading (class I, II, III), lowest pulsatility index (PI), resistance index (RI), peak systolic velocity (PS), end-diastolic velocity (ED), time average maximum velocity (TAMV), and the vascular index (VI = PS/ED).

Dynamic Bidirectional Associations Between Global Positioning System Mobility and Ecological Momentary Assessment of Mood Symptoms in Mood Disorders: Prospective Cohort Study.

Background: Although significant research has explored the digital phenotype in mood disorders, the time-lagged and bidirectional relationship between mood and global positioning system (GPS) mobility remains relatively unexplored. Leveraging the widespread use of smartphones, we examined correlations between mood and behavioral changes, which could inform future scalable interventions and personalized mental health monitoring.

Objective: This study aims to investigate the bidirectional time lag relationships between passive GPS data and active ecological momentary assessment (EMA) data collected via smartphone app technology.

Characteristics, utilization of reproductive health services and AI prediction among Taiwanese adolescent mothers during the COVID-19 pandemic.

Background: Although adolescent birth rates have declined globally, the sexual and reproductive health of adolescent mothers remains an area of specific concern, and these were impacted by the COVID-19 pandemic. This study investigates characteristics, utilization of reproductive health services (RHS) and artificial intelligence (AI) prediction during the pandemic.

Methods: We conducted an exploratory study using data for 2020-2022 from the Taipei City Government Health Bureau.

Transcriptome analysis of Drosophila suzukii reveals molecular mechanisms conferring pyrethroid and spinosad resistance.

Drosophila suzukii lay eggs in soft-skinned, ripening fruits, making this insect a serious threat to berry production. Since its 2008 introduction into North America, growers have used insecticides, such as pyrethroids and spinosads, as the primary approach for D. suzukii management, resulting in development of insecticide resistance in this pest.

Using a 3D-Printed Hand Orthosis to Improve Three-Jaw Chuck Hand Function in Individuals With Cervical Spinal Cord Injury: A Feasibility Study.

Individuals with cervical spinal cord injury (C-SCI) often use a tenodesis grip to compensate for their hand function deficits. Although clinical evidence confirms that assistive devices can help achieve hand function improvements, the currently available devices have some limitations in terms of their price and accessibility and the difference in the user's muscle strength. Therefore, in this study, we developed a 3D-printed wrist-driven orthosis to improve the gripping effect and tested the feasibility of this device by assessing its functional outcomes.

Classification of Vascular Hotspots and Micro-Vessel Flow Velocity Waveforms in Low-Grade Squamous Intraepithelial Lesions and HPV Condyloma of the Cervix.

To assess hotspot micro-vessel flow velocity waveforms in human papillomavirus (HPV) cervical infections using transvaginal power Doppler ultrasound (TV-PDU) and to explore the associations of these sonographic parameters with HPV condyloma and low-grade squamous intraepithelial lesions (LSIL) of the cervix. A total of 39 patients with cervical HPV infections with abnormal cytology and colposcopy results (26 cases of LSIL; 13 cases of HPV condyloma) were enrolled to assess the vascular classification of the cervix and micro-vessel flow velocity using TV-PDU before treatment; 40 individuals with a pathologically normal cervix were used as the control group; seven parameters were measured, including vascular grading classification (Class I, Class II, and Class III), lowest pulsatility index (PI), resistance index (RI), peak systolic velocity (PS), end-diastolic velocity (ED), time average maximum velocity (TAMV), and the vascular index (VI = PS/ED). According to vascular classification, most LSILs were class I (69.

Solid Pseudopapillary Neoplasms of the Pancreas Across Races Demonstrate Disparities with Comparably Good Prognosis.

Background: Solid pseudopapillary neoplasms (SPNs) of the pancreas are rare with low-grade malignancy and unclarified clinicopathological features. This study aimed to examine their characteristics and re-evaluate current treatments.

Methods: Databases from three sources were screened for patients with SPNs.

Prenatal Diagnosis Using Chromosomal Microarray Analysis in High-Risk Pregnancies.

Background: To assess the value of chromosomal microarray analysis (CMA) during the prenatal diagnosis of high-risk pregnancies. Methods: Between January 2016 and November 2021, we included 178 chorionic villi and 859 amniocentesis samples from consecutive cases at a multiple tertiary hospital. Each of these high-risk singleton pregnancies had at least one of the following indications: (1) advanced maternal age (AMA; ≥35 years; 546, 52.

Retrospective analysis of stillbirth and induced termination of pregnancies: Factors affecting determination.

Objective: The aim of this study was to identify the factors and frequencies of induced termination of pregnancies.

Materials And Methods: This is a retrospective study of 488 terminations of pregnancies (TOPs) between January 2011 and December 2021 to demonstrate the factors affecting the decision to terminate the pregnancy. All cases had been hospitalized to manage the induction of labor.

Cervical Power Doppler Angiography with Micro Vessel Blood Flow Indices in the Auxiliary Diagnosis of Acute Cervicitis.

We have conducted cervical imaging of uterine and micro-vessel flow velocity waveforms in acute pelvic inflammatory disease (PID) by transvaginal power Doppler ultrasound (TVPDU) in order to explore the associations of sonographic parameters with simple and complex cervicitis. Thirty-eight patients with acute PID (26 with acute simple cervicitis and 12 with complex cervicitis) were enrolled for an assessment of vascular grading of cervix and micro-vessel flow velocity using TVPDU before treatment. Seven parameters, including vascular grading (VG), lowest pulsatility index (PI), resistance index (RI), peak systolic velocity (PS), end diastolic velocity (ED), time average maximum velocity (TAMV), and vascular index (VI = PS/ED), were measured and recorded.

The impact of prenatal screening tests on prenatal diagnosis in Taiwan from 2006 to 2019: a regional cohort study.

Background: The purpose of this study is to evaluate the impact of prenatal screening tests on prenatal diagnosis in Taiwan's 14 years from 2006 to 2019.

Methods: The prenatal screening methods evolved from the second-trimester serum screening to combined first-trimester screening (cFTS) and then followed by the non-invasive cell-free DNA prenatal test (NIPT). The data used by the Department of Statistics, the Ministry of Health and Welfare and Department of Household Registration, Ministry of the Interior public website.

High prevalence of APOA1/C3/A4/A5 alterations in luminal breast cancers among young women in East Asia.

In East Asia, the breast cancer incidence rate among women aged <50 years has rapidly increased. Emerging tumors are distinctly characterized by a high prevalence of estrogen receptor (ER)-positive/human epidermal growth factor receptor (HER2)-negative cancer. In the present study, we identified unique genetic alterations in these emerging tumors.

Pancreatic neck transection using a harmonic scalpel increases risk of biochemical leak but not postoperative pancreatic fistula after pancreaticoduodenectomy.

Background: The effect of a harmonic scalpel on postoperative pancreatic fistula (POPF) has not been addressed. This study assessed the effect of pancreatic neck transection using a harmonic scalpel on rate and severity of POPF after pancreaticoduodenectomy (PD).

Methods: This retrospective analysis included patients who underwent PD at National Taiwan University Hospital between July 2015 and March 2019.

A new clinical-genomic model to predict 10-year recurrence risk in primary operable breast cancer patients.

This study aimed to validate the long-term prognostic value of a new clinical-genomic model, Distant Genetic Model-Clinical Variable Model 6 (DGM-CM6), developed in Asia as a prognostic panel for all subtypes of breast cancer. We included 752 operable stage I-III breast cancer patients representing all subtypes treated from 2005 to 2014 as the validation cohort. The median follow-up was 95.

Tumor-Infiltrating Leukocyte Composition and Prognostic Power in Hepatitis B- and Hepatitis C-Related Hepatocellular Carcinomas.

Background: Tumor-infiltrating leukocytes (TILs) are immune cells surrounding tumor cells, and several studies have shown that TILs are potential survival predictors in different cancers. However, few studies have dissected the differences between hepatitis B- and hepatitis C-related hepatocellular carcinoma (HBV-HCC and HCV-HCC). Therefore, we aimed to determine whether the abundance and composition of TILs are potential predictors for survival outcomes in HCC and which TILs are the most significant predictors.

Disparity in Tumor Immune Microenvironment of Breast Cancer and Prognostic Impact: Asian Versus Western Populations.

Background: The clinicopathological features and prognosis of breast cancer in Asia are different from those in the Western countries. Tumor-infiltrating immune cells can influence the outcome of patients with breast cancer, but they have not been systemically evaluated in Asian patients with breast cancer.

Methods: We compared the immune score, composition, and prognostic impact of infiltrating immune cells between Asian and Western patients with breast cancer by analyzing gene expression profiles from eight Gene Expression Omnibus data sets and The Cancer Genome Atlas data set.

Developing a Prognostic Gene Panel of Epithelial Ovarian Cancer Patients by a Machine Learning Model.

Epithelial ovarian cancer patients usually relapse after primary management. We utilized the support vector machine algorithm to develop a model for the chemo-response using the Cancer Cell Line Encyclopedia (CCLE) and validated the model in The Cancer Genome Atlas (TCGA) and the GSE9891 dataset. Finally, we evaluated the feasibility of the model using ovarian cancer patients from our institute.

A 4-lncRNA scoring system for prognostication of adult myelodysplastic syndromes.

Long noncoding RNAs (lncRNAs) not only participate in normal hematopoiesis but also contribute to the pathogenesis of acute leukemia. However, their clinical and prognostic relevance in myelodysplastic syndromes (MDSs) remains unclear to date. In this study, we profiled lncRNA expressions in 176 adult patients with primary MDS, and identified 4 lncRNAs whose expression levels were significantly associated with overall survival (OS).

Biomechanical evaluation of reconstruction plates with locking, nonlocking, and hybrid screws configurations in calcaneal fracture: a finite element model study.

Calcaneal fractures are the most common fractures of the tarsal bones. The stability of fixation is an important factor for successful reconstruction of calcaneal fractures. The purpose of this study was to analyze the biomechanical influence of plate fixation with different combinations of locking and nonlocking screws during early weight-bearing phase.