Metagenomic Next-Generation Sequencing as an Alternative to Procalcitonin in Guiding Antibiotic Use in Patients with Acute Necrotizing Pancreatitis and Fever Background and Research Objectives Acute pancreatitis (AP) is one of the leading causes of emergency hospital admissions for digestive system diseases, with significant medical resource utiliz...

Observation vs Surgical Resection for Initial Unresectable Hepatocellular Carcinoma after Conversion Therapy Background Hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) is the sixth most common cancer globally and the third leading cause of cancer-related mortality. Partial hepatectomy can provide a 5-year survival rate of 70-80% in the treatment of early-stage HCC....

Interaction Between Gut Microbiota and Colonic Enteroendocrine Cells Regulates Host Metabolism Research Background Obesity is a major health issue in the 21st century and a significant factor contributing to various adverse health consequences such as diabetes, fatty liver disease, and cardiovascular diseases. Therefore, exploring the biological me...

Microbial Metabolite Ethylamine as FXR Agonist Promotes Polycystic Ovary Syndrome in Female Mice I. Research Background and Objectives Polycystic ovary syndrome (PCOS) is a common endocrine and metabolic disorder affecting 6%-20% of women of reproductive age worldwide. Symptoms of PCOS include hyperandrogenemia, ovarian dysfunction, and polycystic ...

Clinical Gastrointestinal Disease Screening Based on the Bionic Artificial Tentacle Method Background Gastrointestinal diseases display a wide range of complex symptoms globally, such as diarrhea, gastrointestinal bleeding, malabsorption, malnutrition, and even neurological dysfunction. These diseases pose significant health challenges and socioeco...

Tracking In Situ Checkpoint Inhibitor-Bound Target T Cells Academic Background Checkpoint inhibitors (CPIs) have revolutionized cancer treatment by blocking immune regulatory signals mediated by checkpoint molecules, restoring T cell-mediated tumor clearance. However, these therapies also lead to a range of immune-related adverse events (IRAEs), wi...

Characterizing the Coefficient of Friction between a Capsule Robot and the Colon Background Traditional colonoscopy, while effective for assessing colon health, is highly invasive, causing discomfort and potential complications. To address this issue, researchers have developed capsule robots (CR) with active movement mechanisms to achieve colon in...

Precise Colorectal Cancer Screening Based on Customized Intervals Using Fecal Hemoglobin Concentration Researchers: Amy Ming-Fang Yen, Yang-Ching Chen, Yu-Lin Ding, Wen-Zhu Qiu, Han-Mo Qiu, Tony Hsiu-Hsi Chen, Sam Li-Sheng Chen Academic Background Colorectal cancer (CRC) is the third most prevalent malignancy worldwide. In recent years, significant...

Linking microbial evolution and ecological restructuring in the human gut Background: The human gut harbors hundreds of microbial species that interact with each other in a complex ecological network. Recent studies have shown that gut microbes can evolve within human-relevant timescales, but little is known about how this evolution impacts (or is ...