Distribution of the observed IOP changes and that predicted by LLM and MLR in LASIK with an FS laser.

<p>The reference line indicates the ideal condition, in which the predicted IOP changes equal the observed IOP changes. The LMM (R² = 0.47) had superior prediction accuracy compared with the MLR model (R² = 0.1891).</p

Clinical characteristics of the FS laser and MK groups.

<p>Clinical characteristics of the FS laser and MK groups.</p

Association of clinical characteristics with IOP change in patients undergoing LASIK with an FS laser determined using an LMM and MLR.

<p>Association of clinical characteristics with IOP change in patients undergoing LASIK with an FS laser determined using an LMM and MLR.</p

The mean IOP.after LASIK using an FS laser or MK.

<p>Data are presented as mean ± standard deviation at 1 week, 1 month, 6 months and 12 months after surgery. In both methods of flap dissection, the postIOP at 1 month, 6 months and 12 months were all significantly lower than postIOP at 1 week (the * indicates <i>P</i>< .0001). The MK group showed greater postIOP from 1 week to 1 month than those of the FS laser group.</p

Effects of Low Dose Metformin on Metabolic Traits in Clozapine-Treated Schizophrenia Patients: An Exploratory Twelve-Week Randomized, Double-Blind, Placebo-Controlled Study

<div><p>Background</p><p>Metformin has been used for alleviating metabolic abnormalities in patients with schizophrenia. The lowest dose of metformin to treat metabolic abnormalities in clozapine-treated patients is 1000 mg/d. This study was designed to determine whether metformin at 500 mg/d and 1000 mg/d is effective in improving the metabolic profiles of clozapine-treated patients with pre-existing metabolic abnormalities, and whether its effectiveness depends on metformin dosage.</p><p>Methods</p><p>In this 12-week, randomized, double-blind, placebo-controlled trial, metformin at 500 mg/d or 1000 mg/d was prescribed to clozapine-treated patients with schizophrenia who had pre-existing metabolic abnormalities. The recruited patients underwent physical and laboratory evaluations at weeks 4, 8, and 12. The outcomes were any changes in metabolic traits.</p><p>Results</p><p>Among the 96 clozapine-treated patients with schizophrenia screened for the trial, 55 patients with pre-existing metabolic abnormalities were randomly assigned to placebo (n = 18), metformin dosage at 500 mg/d (n = 18), and metformin dosage at 1000 mg/d (n = 19) groups. The body weight (BW) of patients in the metformin 1000 mg/d group significantly decreased, by a mean of 0.97 kg over the 12 week trial period. Moreover, patients in the metformin at 500 mg/d and 1000 mg/d groups had a significant decrease in body mass index (BMI) after 12 weeks, with the mean decrease being 0.70 and 0.50 kg/m², respectively. No significant changes were observed in the other metabolic parameters of patients in the three groups.</p><p>Conclusions</p><p>Our results demonstrated that a low metformin dosage of either 500 mg/d or 1000 mg/d for 12 weeks slightly reduced the BW and BMI of clozapine-treated patients with pre-existing metabolic abnormalities. A longer period of treatment with a larger sample is warranted to determine the factors that influence the metformin treatment response.</p><p>Trial Registration</p><p>ClinicalTrials.gov <a href="https://clinicaltrials.gov/ct2/show/NCT02751307?term=NCT02751307&rank=1" target="_blank">NCT02751307</a></p></div

Changes of metabolic traits among patients in placebo, metformin at 500 mg/d, and metformin at 1000 mg/d groups.

<p>Changes of metabolic traits among patients in placebo, metformin at 500 mg/d, and metformin at 1000 mg/d groups.</p

Baseline characteristics of patients in placebo, metformin at 500 mg/d, and metformin at 1000 mg/d groups.

<p>Baseline characteristics of patients in placebo, metformin at 500 mg/d, and metformin at 1000 mg/d groups.</p

Demographic, clinical characteristics, and baseline metabolic profiles in all screened patients.

<p>Demographic, clinical characteristics, and baseline metabolic profiles in all screened patients.</p

Presentation_1_Therapeutic Effect of Repurposed Temsirolimus in Lung Adenocarcinoma Model.zip

<p>Lung cancer is one of the major cause of cancer-related deaths worldwide. The poor prognosis and resistance to both radiation and chemotherapy urged the development of potential targets for lung cancer treatment. In this study, using a network-based cellular signature bioinformatics approach, we repurposed a clinically approved mTOR inhibitor for renal cell carcinomans, temsirolimus, as the potential therapeutic candidate for lung adenocarcinoma. The PI3K-AKT-mTOR pathway is known as one of the most frequently dysregulated pathway in cancers, including non-small-cell lung cancer. By using a well-documented lung adenocarcinoma mouse model of human pathophysiology, we examined the effect of temsirolimus on the growth of lung adenocarcinoma in vitro and in vivo. In addition, temsirolimus combined with reduced doses of cisplatin and gemcitabine significantly inhibited the lung tumor growth in the lung adenocarcinoma mouse model compared with the temsirolimus alone or the conventional cisplatin–gemcitabine combination. Functional imaging techniques and microscopic analyses were used to reveal the response mechanisms. Extensive immunohistochemical analyses were used to demonstrate the apparent effects of combined treatments on tumor architecture, vasculature, apoptosis, and the mTOR-pathway. The present findings urge the further exploration of temsirolimus in combination with chemotherapy for treating lung adenocarcinoma.</p

Prevalence and factors associated with food intake difficulties among residents with dementia

<div><p>Background</p><p>Few studies have examined the prevalence of food intake difficulties and their associated factors among residents with dementia in long-term care facilities in Taiwan. The purpose of the study was to identify the best cutoff point for the Chinese Feeding Difficulty Index (Ch-FDI), which evaluates the prevalence of food intake difficulties and recognizes factors associated with eating behaviors in residents with dementia.</p><p>Methods and findings</p><p>A cross-sectional design was adopted. In total, 213 residents with dementia in long-term care facilities in Taiwan were recruited and participated in this study. The prevalence rate of food intake difficulties as measured by the Chinese Feeding Difficulty Index (Ch-FDI) was 44.6%. Factors associated with food intake difficulties during lunch were the duration of institutionalization (beta = 0.176), the level of activities of daily living-feeding (ADL-Q1) (beta = -0.235), and the length of the eating time (beta = 0.416). Associated factors during dinner were the illuminance level (beta = -0.204), sound volume level (beta = 0.187), ADL-Q1 (beta = -0.177), and eating time (beta = 0.395).</p><p>Conclusions</p><p>Food intake difficulties may potentially be associated with multiple factors including physical function and the dining environment according to the 45% prevalence rate among dementia residents in long-term care facilities.</p></div