Exploring gender-specific prognostic factors and survival outcomes in oral squamous cell carcinoma: Insights from a Taiwanese cohort.

Background: /purpose: Oral squamous cell carcinoma (OSCC) is a prevalent malignancy in Taiwan, with sex-specific variations in risk factors, clinical presentation, and prognosis. This study aimed to evaluate the clinicopathological characteristics and survival outcomes of a larger cohort of male and female OSCC patients treated at National Taiwan University Hospital (NTUH) between 2012 and 2022.

Materials And Methods: A retrospective review of 240 de-identified, sex- and age-matched OSCC patients was conducted, analyzing clinicopathological characteristics, lifestyle habits (alcohol, betel quid, smoking), and survival outcomes.

Structural and functional characterization of Pin1BP1: A novel Pin1-interacting protein regulating apoptosis.

Pin1 recognizes and isomerizes pSer/pThr-Pro bonds, a mechanism critical for mitotic progression in human and yeast cells. This post-phosphorylation regulation precisely modulates phosphoprotein function. To explore Pin1-regulated pathways in the cell cycle and apoptosis, we identified Pin1BP1 through yeast two-hybrid screening.

Integrating Magnetic Resonance Chemical Shift Imaging for Localized Prostate Cancer Risk Stratification on the Basis of the Impact of Periprostatic Brown Adipocytes Within Tumor Microenvironment.

Background: We sought to characterize periprostatic adipose tissue (PPAT) with magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) featuring water-to-oil ratio (R) to detect brown adipocyte (BAT).

Patients And Methods: Between November 2021 and September 2023, 21 localized patients with prostate cancer were studied, categorized as low (n = 4), intermediate (n = 4), and high risk (n = 13). We utilized MRI to analyze the water-only signal and fat-only signal.

Sex differences in prognostic factors and genomic variations in oral squamous cell carcinoma: A 5-year retrospective study.

Background/purpose: This study examined the prognostic factors and genomic variations in oral squamous cell carcinoma (OSCC) among male and female patients, focusing on the rising incidence of OSCC in women.

Materials And Methods: Using data from 98 OSCC cases treated at National Taiwan University Hospital between 2013 and 2018, the study analyzed the patient cohort, clinical characteristics, and genomic profiles.

Results: The Female patients had a higher incidence of tongue cancer, while the male patients were prone to have buccal cancer.

Trends of dental service utilization and expenditure in Taiwan from 2000 to 2020.

Background: /purposeSince 1995, Taiwan's National Health Insurance (NHI) has offered a comprehensive dental coverage to over 99 % of the population. This study mainly analyzed the dental service utilization and expenditure trends by the gender, age, and service type and evaluated the resource allocation across different demographics from 2000 to 2020.

Materials And Methods: Nationwide NHI administrative data were used to assess the dental visit rates, average visits per user, and per capita expenditure by the gender, age, and 11 service categories for the years 2000, 2005, 2010, 2015, and 2020.

A nationwide study of the influence of training institutions in the postgraduate year training program for dentists on the future dental practice choices in Taiwan.

Background/purpose: The postgraduate year training program for dentists (PGYD) provides the comprehensive clinical training to bridge the gap between the academic education and the hands-on clinical practice. This study mainly explored the influence of training institutions on the future dental practice choices (in clinics or hospitals) after the completion of the PGYD program in Taiwan.

Materials And Methods: A nationwide, register-based cohort analysis was conducted on all 3,966 PGYD trainees from July 2010 to April 2023.

Challenges and resilience of Taiwan's oral health care system after Covid-19 pandemic.

This paper examines the resilience of Taiwan's oral healthcare system in response to COVID-19, focusing on pre-pandemic conditions, pandemic impacts, and policy recommendations for future resilience. In Taiwan, oral diseases were prevalent, with 80.48% of adults affected by periodontitis in 2016, and 65.

A novel long non-coding RNA MIR4500HG003 promotes tumor metastasis through miR-483-3p-MMP9 axis in triple-negative breast cancer.

Breast cancer (BC) is the most common cancer and the leading cause of cancer-related deaths in women worldwide. The 5-year survival rate is over 90% in BC patients, but once BC cells metastasis into distal organs, it is dramatically decreasing to less than 30%. Especially, triple-negative breast cancer (TNBC) patients usually lead to poor prognosis and survival because of metastasis.

ICAM2 initiates trans-blood-CSF barrier migration and stemness properties in leptomeningeal metastasis of triple-negative breast cancer.

Leptomeningeal metastasis (LM) occurs when tumor cells spread to the leptomeningeal space surrounding the brain and the spinal cord, thereby causing poor clinical outcomes. The triple-negative breast cancer (TNBC) has been associated with symptoms of LM and mechanism remained unclear. Through proteomic analysis, we identified high expression of ICAM2 in leptomeningeal metastatic TNBC cells, which promoted the colonization of the spinal cord and resulted in poor survival in vivo.

Using Patient Health Profile Evaluation for Predicting the Likelihood of Retinopathy in Patients with Type 2 Diabetes: A Cross-Sectional Study Using Latent Profile Analysis.

To determine whether long-term self-management among patients with type 2 diabetes mellitus has the risk of developing complications. We conducted a survey of self-management behavior using diabetes self-management scales (DMSES-C and TSRQ-d) from November 2019 to May 2020 linked with biomarkers (glucose, lipid profile, blood pressure, and kidney function), and the varying measure values were transformed into normal rate proportions. We performed latent profile analysis (LPA) to categorize the patient into different patient health profiles using five classes (C1-C5), and we predicted the risk of retinopathy after adjusting for covariates.

Concurrent Chemoradiotherapy-Driven Cell Plasticity by miR-200 Family Implicates the Therapeutic Response of Esophageal Squamous Cell Carcinoma.

Esophageal squamous cell carcinoma (ESCC) is a common and fatal malignancy with an increasing incidence worldwide. Over the past decade, concurrent chemoradiotherapy (CCRT) with or without surgery is an emerging therapeutic approach for locally advanced ESCC. Unfortunately, many patients exhibit poor response or develop acquired resistance to CCRT.

Using a simple preliminary screening tool to explore related factors of osteoporosis in the elderly of southern Taiwan.

The aims of this study were to use a simple screening tool to explore related factors with osteoporosis in the elderly in the community of southern Taiwan.This was an observational cross-sectional study using Osteoporosis Self-Assessment Tool for Asia (OSTA), Osteoporosis Self-Assessment Tool for Taiwanese (OSTAi), and the basic demographic information to identify osteoporosis in the participants. This study collected data from 200 participants aged 65 and above and living in southern Taiwan.

Sialylation of CD55 by ST3GAL1 Facilitates Immune Evasion in Cancer.

Altered glycosylations, which are associated with expression and activities of glycosyltransferases, can dramatically affect the function of glycoproteins and modify the behavior of tumor cells. ST3GAL1 is a sialyltransferase that adds sialic acid to core 1 glycans, thereby terminating glycan chain extension. In breast carcinomas, overexpression of ST3GAL1 promotes tumorigenesis and correlates with increased tumor grade.

Synergy between the pay-for-performance scheme and better physician-patient relationship might reduce the risk of retinopathy in patients with type 2 diabetes.

Aims/introduction: This study investigated whether participation by patients with type 2 diabetes in Taiwan's pay-for-performance (P4P) program and maintaining good continuity of care (COC) with their healthcare provider reduced the likelihood of future complications, such as retinopathy.

Materials And Methods: The analysis used longitudinal panel data for newly diagnosed type 2 diabetes from the National Health Insurance claims database in Taiwan. COC was measured annually from 2003 to 2013, and was used to allocate the patients to low, medium and high groups.

Sialylation of vasorin by ST3Gal1 facilitates TGF-β1-mediated tumor angiogenesis and progression.

ST3Gal1 is a key sialyltransferase which adds α2,3-linked sialic acid to substrates and generates core 1 O-glycan structure. Upregulation of ST3Gal1 has been associated with worse prognosis of breast cancer patients. However, the protein substrates of ST3Gal1 implicated in tumor progression remain elusive.

Reciprocal feedback regulation of ST3GAL1 and GFRA1 signaling in breast cancer cells.

GFRA1 and RET are overexpressed in estrogen receptor (ER)-positive breast cancers. Binding of GDNF to GFRA1 triggers RET signaling leading to ER phosphorylation and estrogen-independent transcriptional activation of ER-dependent genes. Both GFRA1 and RET are membrane proteins which are N-glycosylated but no O-linked sialylation site on GFRA1 or RET has been reported.

The linear relationship between the Vulnerable Elders Survey-13 score and mortality in an Asian population of community-dwelling older persons.

Background: The Vulnerable Elders Survey-13 (VES-13) has been used as a screening tool to identify vulnerable community-dwelling older persons for more in-depth assessment and targeted interventions. Although many studies supported its use in different populations, few have addressed Asian populations. The optimal scaling system for the VES-13 in predicting health outcomes also has not been adequately tested.

Measuring inequality in physician distributions using spatially adjusted Gini coefficients.

Objective: To measure inequality in physician distributions using Gini coefficient and spatially adjusted Gini coefficients.

Design: Measurements were based on the distribution of physician data from the Taiwan National Health Insurance Research Database (NHIRD) and population data from the Ministry of the Interior in Taiwan.

Settings: The distribution of population and physicians in Taiwan from 2001 to 2010.

Assessment of duration until initial treatment and its determining factors among newly diagnosed oral cancer patients: A population-based retrospective cohort study.

Few studies have focused on the early treatment stages of cancer, and the impact of treatment delay on oncologic outcomes is poorly defined. We used oral cancer as an example to investigate the distribution of durations until initial treatment.This study was conducted using the National Health Insurance Research Database, which is linked to Taiwan's Cancer Registry and Death Registry databases.

The relationship between accessibility of healthcare facilities and medical care utilization among the middle-aged and elderly population in Taiwan.

Objective: The purpose of this study was to explore the relationship between accessibility of healthcare facilities and medical care utilization among the middle-aged and elderly population in Taiwan.

Design: Cross-sectional study from 2007 Taiwan Longitudinal Study on Ageing (TLSA) survey.

Setting: Community-based study.

Potent adjuvant effects of novel NKT stimulatory glycolipids on hemagglutinin based DNA vaccine for H5N1 influenza virus.

H5N1 influenza virus is a highly pathogenic virus, posing a pandemic threat. Previously, we showed that phenyl analogs of α-galactosylceramide (α-GalCer) displayed greater NKT stimulation than α-GalCer. Here, we examined the adjuvant effects of one of the most potent analogs, C34, on consensus hemagglutinin based DNA vaccine (pCHA5) for H5N1 virus.

Chimeras of p14ARF and p16: functional hybrids with the ability to arrest growth.

The INK4A locus codes for two independent tumor suppressors, p14ARF and p16/CDKN2A, and is frequently mutated in many cancers. Here we report a novel deletion/substitution from CC to T in the shared exon 2 of p14ARF/p16 in a melanoma cell line. This mutation aligns the reading frames of p14ARF and p16 mid-transcript, producing one protein which is half p14ARF and half p16, chimera ARF (chARF), and another which is half p16 and half non-p14ARF/non-p16 amino acids, p16-Alternate Carboxyl Terminal (p16-ACT).