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Article
Open AccessA cross-sectional study of SARS-CoV-2 antibodies among healthcare workers in a tertiary care hospital in Taiwan: implications for protection against the Omicron variants
Taiwan, deeply impacted by the 2003 SARS outbreak, promptly implemented rigorous infection control and prevention (ICP) measures in January 2020 to combat the global COVID-19 pandemic. This cross-sectional ser...
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Article
Open AccessCorrelating Reiff scores with clinical, functional, and prognostic factors: characterizing noncystic fibrosis bronchiectasis severity: validation from a nationwide multicenter study in Taiwan
Our study aimed to confirm a simplified radiological scoring system, derived from a modified Reiff score, to evaluate its relationship with clinical symptoms and predictive outcomes in Taiwanese patients with ...
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Article
Long-term PM2.5 exposure is associated with asthma prevalence and exhaled nitric oxide levels in children
Exhaled nitric oxide concentration (FENO) is a marker of airway inflammation. This study aimed to evaluate the association of air pollution exposure with FENO levels and asthma prevalence with respiratory symp...
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Open AccessThe impact of the duration of the integrated disease management program on COPD-related outcomes
The aim of this study is to assess the impact of the duration of the integrated disease management (IDM) program on COPD-related outcomes in real-world setting.
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Article
Open AccessBlood monocyte levels predict the risk of acute exacerbations of chronic obstructive pulmonary disease: a retrospective case–control study
Monocytes were critical cells in the innate immune system. Monocyte recruitment to the lungs is a crucial process of pathophysiology in chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD). Current evidence on the ass...
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Article
Open AccessMap** algorithms for predicting EuroQol-5D-3L utilities from the assessment test of chronic obstructive pulmonary disease
To predict 3-Level version of European Quality of Life-5 Dimensions (EQ-5D-3L) questionnaire utility from the chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD) assessment test (CAT), the study attempts to collect E...
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Open AccessBlood tryptase and thymic stromal lymphopoietin levels predict the risk of exacerbation in severe asthma
Some patients with severe asthma experience exacerbations despite receiving multiple therapy. The risk of exacerbation and heterogeneous response to treatment may be associated with specific inflammatory molec...
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Article
Open AccessDo beta-adrenergic blocking agents increase asthma exacerbation? A network meta-analysis of randomized controlled trials
Beta-adrenergic blocking agents (abbreviated as beta-blockers) have been used for treating various cardiovascular diseases. However, the potential for asthma exacerbation is one of the major adverse effects of...
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Article
Open AccessTiotropium/Olodaterol treatment reduces cigarette smoke extract-induced cell death in BEAS-2B bronchial epithelial cells
Cigarette smoking is a critical risk factor for the destruction of lung parenchyma or the development of emphysema, which is characteristic of COPD. Disruption of epithelial layer integrity may contribute to l...
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Article
The comparison between adenocarcinoma and squamous cell carcinoma in lung cancer patients
There are several studies comparing the difference between adenocarcinoma (AC) and squamous cell carcinoma (SqCC) of lung cancer. However, seldom studies compare the different overall survival (OS) between AC ...
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Article
Open AccessHigh-frequency power of heart rate variability can predict the outcome of thoracic surgical patients with acute respiratory distress syndrome on admission to the intensive care unit: a prospective, single-centric, case-controlled study
The morbidity and mortality of acute respiratory distress syndrome (ARDS) remains high, and the strategic focus of ARDS research has shifted toward identifying patients at high risk of mortality early in the c...
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Article
Chidamide alleviates TGF-β-induced epithelial–mesenchymal transition in lung cancer cell lines
Transforming growth factor-β (TGF-β)-induced epithelial–mesenchymal transition is a critical process in the initiation of metastasis of various types of cancer. Chidamide is a class I histone deacetylase inhib...
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Open AccessComparison of the efficacy of ciclesonide with that of budesonide in mild to moderate asthma patients after step-down therapy: a randomised parallel-group study
Inhaled corticosteroids (ICSs) are widely used in asthma control. Ciclesonide (CIC) is an ICS with on-site lung activation for potent anti-inflammatory activity.
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Open AccessSingle-port thoracoscopic rib resection: a case report
We describe a method of single-port thoracoscopic rib resection using a Gigli saw. Rib resection is typically performed with a large skin incision and soft tissue dissection. Some authors have described a thor...
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Article
Open AccessExperiences with a simple laparoscopic gastric tube construction
Minimally invasive esophagectomy (MIE) is a complex operation, and the detailed optimal surgical procedure has not been well described. Our aim was to evaluate use of a simple method of laparoscopic gastric tu...
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Article
Randomized Controlled Trials in Bariatric Surgery
To fill a void in the literature, we performed a literature search and subsequently reviewed randomized controlled trials (RCTs) in the field of obesity surgery that were published over the past 40 years. All ...
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Article
Open AccessEffect of Prostaglandin I2 Analogs on Cytokine Expression in Human Myeloid Dendritic Cells via Epigenetic Regulation
Prostaglandin I2 (PGI2) analog is regarded as a potential candidate for treating asthma. Human myeloid dendritic cells (mDCs) play a critical role in the pathogenesis of asthma. However, the effects of PGI2 analo...
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Article
Open AccessRapid detection of epidermal growth factor receptor mutations with multiplex PCR and primer extension in lung cancer
Epidermal growth factor receptor (EGFR) kinase domain mutations hyperactivate the kinase and confer kinase addiction of the non-small-cell lung cancer (NSCLC) tumor cells. Almost all of these mutations are locate...
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Article
Open Access"Cough officer screening" improves detection of pulmonary tuberculosis in hospital in-patients
Current tuberculosis (TB) reporting protocols are insufficient to achieve the goals established by the Stop TB partnership. Some countries have recommended implementation of active case finding program. We ass...
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Article
Metoclopramide decreases emesis but increases sedation in tramadol patient-controlled analgesia
To evaluate the clinical benefits and disadvantages of adding metoclopramide to tramadol for patient-controlled analgesia (PCA).,
