J Formos Med Assoc
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Ramucirumab is indicated for salvage treatment after failure of first-line treatment for metastatic colorectal cancer (mCRC). However, the application of ramucirumab at later-line treatment in real-world practice has not received much discussion. ⋯ Ramucirumab plus triplet chemotherapy may be an alternative regimen in patients with mCRC, particularly as a later-line treatment modality.
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Both psoriasis and periodontal diseases are characterized by an exaggerated immune response to the microbiota residing on epithelial surfaces. This study aimed to explore the associations between the severity of psoriasis and periodontal destruction in patients with psoriasis. ⋯ PI, CAL, and salivary IL-1β were associated with PASI. Periodontal severity was associated with psoriasis involvement. Periodontal inflammation in psoriasis may be modified by anti-inflammatory medication and tobacco use. Additional large-scale longitudinal and mechanistic studies are needed.
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To compare a lateral-flow device (LFD) method to the galactomannan assay (GM) for the diagnosis of invasive aspergillosis (IA). ⋯ Serum samples that have been stored long term are not suitable for re-testing with the GM or LFD assay. There was a strong correlation between the LFD and GM assay results if the tests were performed on the same day, however, this decreased if the samples were stored for more than 2 days. Additionally, previous exposure to antibiotics and/or antifungal therapy could influence the LFD results, leading to discrepancies with the GM test results.
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A widely used method of treating left-sided arrhythmia substrates in children is retrograde transaortic ablation under fluoroscopic guidance. However, the feasibility, safety, and efficacy of this approach under zero fluoroscopy (ZF) guidance, especially the mid-term safety of anatomy and function of aortic valves, have yet to be proven. ⋯ ZF-guided retrograde transaortic ablation of left-sided arrhythmia substrates proved safe in children at midterm follow-up, reducing radiation exposure significantly within a learning curve of <20 cases.
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Residents play an important role as teachers of junior colleagues and medical students. Clinical teaching also helps residents in clinical learning. However, the skills required for residents to be competent teachers are rarely described systemically. Beyond the widely adopted six core competencies for postgraduate training by the Accreditation Council for Graduate Medical Education (ACGME), the teaching competencies should be further developed, and the milestones should be clearly defined to serve as better references for resident training programs. ⋯ A competency-based framework for resident-as-teacher was developed. The framework can be applied in combination with other existing competencies for holistic postgraduate training programs.