Journal of the Chinese Medical Association : JCMA
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The incidence of hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) is significantly higher in men than women. Nonetheless, the impact of sex disparities on HCC outcomes remains unclear. We aimed to compare the clinical manifestations and prognoses between male and female patients with HCC. ⋯ Sex was not an independent predictor of the outcome of patients with HCC, especially for those aged more than 50 years.
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Opioids are effective for severe pain; however, the safety issue is also a primary concern. To better understand the opioid use in Taiwan, we conducted this study. ⋯ The total number of opioid prescriptions in Taiwan gradually increased annually, among which morphine was the most commonly used opioid. Cancer patients consumed more opioid prescriptions than noncancer patients and most of the prescriptions in noncancer patients were used in acute pain service. The number of prescriptions increased with the age of the patients in both cancer and noncancer patients. The low prescription rate of opioids in chronic pain in Taiwan is not similar as those in high opioid-consuming countries, such as United States.
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Compared with traditional computed tomography (CT), dual-layer spectral detector CT (SDCT) shows significant improvement in imaging soft tissues of the digestive tract. This work aimed to explore the application of SDCT to evaluate the expression of the molecular marker Ki-67 in colorectal cancer. ⋯ The SDCT parameters 40-keV VMI and AP-IC can be used for preliminary evaluation of the Ki-67 index in colorectal cancer.
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The comprehensive surveillance for interval changes in signal-averaged P-wave (SAPW) after pulmonary vein isolation (PVI) remains lacking. We aimed to analyze the SAPW parameters before and after PVI and explored their link to the left atrial electrical properties. ⋯ The consistent changes in SAPW and left atrial electrical properties after PVI suggest that SAPW may be used as a noninvasive tool to monitor the responses to PVI.
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Magnolol is a component of the bark of Magnolia officinalis, which is a traditional herbal remedy used in China. In this study, we investigated whether magnolol can reduce myocardial injury induced by renal ischemia and reperfusion (I/R). ⋯ Magnolol reduces myocardial injury induced by renal I/R. The underlying mechanisms for this effect might be related to modulation of the production of pro- and anti-inflammatory cytokines and the limiting of apoptosis.