Cheuk-Sing Choy

• Taipei City Hospital

Hypoxemia and obstructive sleep apnea (OSA) have been recognized as a threat to life. Nonetheless, information regarding the association between pre-dialytic pulse oximeter saturation (SpO2) level, OSA and mortality risks remains mysterious in patients with maintenance hemodialysis (MHD). Bioclinical characteristics and laboratory features were rec...

Absorbable porcine collagen membrane with a bovine bone graft can be considered for regenerative treatment in periodontal class II furcation defects. We evaluated the clinical efficacy of guided tissue regeneration (GTR) treatment with bovine bone xenograft and a porcine collagen membrane in molars with class II furcations. Probing depth (PD), clin...

Guided-bone regeneration (GBR) is increasingly using three-dimensional (3D) printing by fused deposition modeling (FDM) to build the filaments used for treatment. Polylactic acid (PLA) and beta-tricalcium phosphate (β-TCP) are widely used as base materials in 3D printing, necessitating that they are studied together in the context of GBR treatment....

Periodontitis is an inflammatory disease, wherein endogenous antioxidants help to balance the inflammatory status. Oral health behaviors are related to the periodontal disease status. The aim of this study was to explore the associations between oral health behaviors and endogenous antioxidants in periodontitis patients. In total, 225 subjects diag...

Background: Interactions and early warning effects of non-hepatic alkaline phosphatase (NHALP) and high-sensitivity C-reactive protein (hs-CRP) on the progression of vertebral fractures (VFs) in patients with rheumatoid arthritis (RA) remain unclear. We aim to explore whether serum concentrations of NHALP and hs-CRP could serve as a promising dual...

Background: Interactions and joint effects of galectin-3 and vascular cell adhesion molecule 1 (VCAM-1) on risks of all-cause and cardiovascular (CV) mortality remain unclear in patients with maintenance hemodialysis (MHD). Methods: Unadjusted and adjusted hazard ratios (aHRs) of mortality risks were analyzed between higher and lower concentrati...

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Growing evidence shows that hydroxamate-based compounds exhibit broad-spectrum pharmacological properties including anti-tumor activity. However, the precise mechanisms underlying hydroxamate derivative-induced cancer cell death remain incomplete understood. In this study, we explored the anti-tumor mechanisms of a novel aliphatic hydroxamate-based...

The goal of the present study was to compare the influence of the methylation capacity of arsenic, as well as insulin resistance on psychological characteristics of school students from elementary and junior high school. 296 elementary and 318 junior high school students participated in health examinations, completed questionnaires and determined t...

The purpose of this study is to determine the possible effect of photoluminescence of bioceramic (PLB) on ischemic cerebral infarction (stroke), by using an animal model of transient middle cerebral artery occlusion (MCAO). Sprague-Dawley rats were used to induce MCAO to block the origin of the left MCAO; three months later, the positive chronic st...

Melanoma is extremely resistant to chemotherapy and the death rate is increasing hastily worldwide. Extracellular matrix promotes the migration and invasion of tumor cells through the production of matrix metalloproteinase (MMP)-2 and -9. Evidence has shown that natural dietary antioxidants are capable of inhibiting cancer cell growth. Our recent s...

Proinflammatory cytokines are key inflammatory mediators in periodontitis. This study aimed to investigate the relationship between proinflammatory cytokines in saliva and periodontal status. To investigate the usefulness of cytokines in the therapeutic approach for periodontal disease, the relationship between stimulated cytokine changes and the p...

The goal of the present study was to compare the arsenic methylation capacities in elementary school and junior high school students in an area of Taiwan with low arsenic exposure, and explore the influence of both arsenic methylation capacity and obesity on insulin resistance in these children and adolescents using the HOMA-IR index. We recruited...

Hyperglycaemia, a characteristic feature of diabetes mellitus, induces endothelial dysfunction and vascular complications by limiting the proliferative potential of these cells. Here we aimed to investigate the effect of an ethanolic extract of Sanguis draconis (SD), a kind of dragon's blood resin that is obtained from Daemonorops draco (Palmae), o...

Vascular inflammatory process has been suggested to play a key role in the initiation and progression of atherosclerosis, a major complication of diabetes mellitus. Recent studies have shown that brazilin exhibits antihepatotoxic, antiplatelet, cancer preventive, or anti-inflammatory properties. Thus, we investigated whether brazilin suppresses vas...

Objective: In January of 2013, the National Institute of Health and Clinical Excellence of United Kingdom have announced that taking tamoxifen for five years could reduce breast cancer risk, include positive family history or chronic estrogen and phytoestrogen users. However, routinely oral intake of tamoxifen for breast cancer prophylaxis on high...

The mechanisms of acupuncture remain poorly understood, but it is generally assumed that measuring the electrical conductivity at various meridians provides data representing various meridian energies. In the past, noninvasive methods have been used to stimulate the acupuncture points at meridians, such as heat, electricity, magnets, and lasers. Ph...

The rapid rise of diabetes in Asia and Africa is surpassing that of western countries. Diabetes incurs a significant financial burden on patients and national economies. Consequently, factors such as a miserable life-long treatment of hypoglycemic therapy and the possibility of drug intolerance necessitate a search for non-pharmacological alternati...

Background Doxorubicin (DOX) is an effective antineoplastic drug; however, clinical use of DOX is limited by its dose-dependent cardiotoxicity. It is well known that reactive oxygen species (ROS) play a vital role in the pathological process of DOX-induced cardiotoxicity. For this study, we evaluated the protective effects of guggulsterone (GS), a...

BACKGROUND: Familial hemiplegic migraine (FHM) is a rare type of migraine. Correct diagnosis is challenging for emergency physicians (EPs) due to its variable clinical picture, as well as its lack of diagnostic biological markers. OBJECTIVES: To raise awareness among EPs regarding FHM's diverse clinical picture, and to highlight FHM's diagnostic cr...

To study the association of waist to height ratio (WHtR) and elevated blood pressure (BP) in children. Cross-sectional study. Six elementary schools in Taipei, Taiwan. All children aged 7 years at first grade. We measured anthropometrics and BP during the regular health examinations among children. Elevated BP in children was defined as an average...

The aim was to investigate the circadian and weekly variation in Chinese young patients with acute myocardial infarction (AMI). This was a 10-year retrospective cohort study. We studied patients (>18 to <45 years of age) with a first attack of AMI from the emergency departments of 3 university teaching hospitals in Taiwan from January 1, 2001, to D...

This study evaluated the arsenic methylation profile of adolescents and explored the influence of body mass index (BMI) on the arsenic methylation profile of adolescents in an area of Taiwan with no-obvious arsenic exposure. This study evaluated 202 normal weight students and 101 obese students from eight elementary schools, recruited from Septembe...

BACKGROUND: Traffic accidents and falls are the major causes of spinal trauma, which result in serious personal and social loss. A comparison between causes and patients' characteristics can be important. METHODS: A total of 681 spinal trauma patients were compared for differences, and the effects of age stratification of the differences are discus...

The study was to examine the effects of Sanguis draconis ethanol extract (SDEE) on streptozotocin (STZ)- and cytokine-induced β-cell damage. In vitro, SDEE did not cause cytotoxicity below 200 μg/ml, and can prevent STZ (5mM)-induced cell death and apoptosis below 100 μg/ml on RIN-m5F cells. SDEE inhibits IL-1β/IFN-γ-stimulated NO, TNF-α release, a...

To elucidate a novel anti-inflammatory mechanism of myrrh against lipopolysaccharide (LPS)-induced inflammation. RAW264.7 macrophages were cultured in DMEM and then cells were treated with LPS or LPS plus a myrrh methanol extract (MME) for 24h. The culture medium was collected for determination of nitric oxide (NO), prostaglandin (PG)E(2) , interle...

Increasing childhood obesity has become a major health threat. This cross-sectional study reports associations between schoolchildren's waist circumference (WC) and risk of elevated blood pressure. We measured height, weight, neck and waist circumference, and blood pressure in regular health examinations among children in grade 1 (ages 6-7 years) a...

Background: Although the association between increased waist circumference (WC) and hypertension has been established in adults, it has not been thoroughly studied in Asian children. The present study investigates the association between WC and hypertension risk in normal-weight children and subse-quently examines the ability of WC to effectively p...

Safflower, whose botanic name is Carthamus tinctorius L., is a member of the family Compositae or Asteraceae. Carthamus yellow (CY) is the main constituent of safflower and is composed of safflomin A and safflomin B. Dried safflower petals are used in folk medicine and have been shown to invigorate blood circulation, break up blood stasis, and prom...

Background: The increasing rate of childhood obesity has become a major threat to children health. This study reports the association between hip circumference (HC) and risk of elevated blood pressure in school children. Methods: We measured height, weight, neck circumference, HC, and blood pressure in regular health examinations among children in...

Background: Although there are several extensive studies on stroke risks and prevention, stroke has remained one of the top ten causes of death in Taiwan for many years. The key factor is a lack of an effective and non-invasive screening tool for stroke risk. The arterial stiffness index (ASI), which measures artery distensibility and is correlated...

Traffic accidents and falls are the major causes of spinal trauma, which result in serious personal and social loss. A comparison between causes and patients' characteristics can be important. A total of 681 spinal trauma patients were compared for differences, and the effects of age stratification of the differences are discussed. Significant diff...

Cardiac rupture after blunt injury of the chest is uncommon and usually fatal. The incidence of biatrial cardiac rupture is rarer and more likely to be lethal. We report a case of biatrial multiple lacerations following blunt chest injury. At referral, the chest film showed left side massive hemothorax. A chest tube was inserted and primary resusci...

Bicycle-related head injury is an important public health issue. A paucity of statistical data on bicycle accidents exists in Taiwan. The purpose of this study was to report the characteristics of bicycle-related head injuries among school-aged children in Taipei, Taiwan. Between 2001 and 2002, basic patient information of those with bicycle-relate...

Cupping therapy is a popular technique in Traditional Chinese Medicine. Cupping is the application of a vacuum to a closed system cup on a specific area of skin. SUBJECT AND SETTING: A 55-year-old, previously healthy man presented at our emergency department (ED) due to tingling and a painful sensation on his back after receiving cupping therapy wh...

Familial hemiplegic migraine (FHM) is a rare type of migraine. Correct diagnosis is challenging for emergency physicians (EPs) due to its variable clinical picture, as well as its lack of diagnostic biological markers. To raise awareness among EPs regarding FHM's diverse clinical picture, and to highlight FHM's diagnostic criteria to facilitate an...

Brazilin, the main constituent of Caesalpinia sappan L., is a natural red pigment that has been reported to possess anti-inflammatory properties. This study aimed to identify a novel anti-inflammatory mechanism of brazilin. We found that brazilin did not cause cytotoxicity below 300 μM, and activated heme oxygenase-1 (HO-1) protein synthesis in a c...

Sanguinarine (SANG) has been suggested to be one of the principle constituents responsible for the toxicity of Argemone mexicana seed oil. In this study, we focused on the possible mechanism of SANG-induced hepatotoxicity. The serum aspartate aminotransferase (AST), alanine aminotransferase (ALT), and lactate dehydrogenase (LDH) activities, hepatic...

This study used a nationwide population-based dataset to explore the variation among the days of week of stroke onset within population subgroups defined by age, sex, and stroke type. We used ambulatory care data from the 2002 Taiwan National Health Insurance Research Database, focusing on 42,779 emergency room (ER) visits for stroke that year. All...

Background/Purpose. To evaluate the prevalence of elevated blood pressure (BP) and the associated anthropometric factors among first-grade elementary school students in Taipei county. Methods. We measured height, weight, neck circumference (NC), waist circumference (WC), and blood pressure (BP) in 2344 first-grade children who were undergoing a reg...

Sanguis Draconis (SD) is a kind of dragon's blood resin that is obtained from Daemomorops draco (Palmae). It is used in traditional medicine and has shown anti-inflammatory activity in some diseases. In this study, we examined the effects of Sanguis Dranonis ethanol extract (SDEE) on LPS-induced inflammation using RAW 264.7 cells. Our data indicate...

The integration of community resources is critical for emergency response. A thorough understanding of a community's requirements in advance is essential. This study examines communities that suffered mudslide disasters, and discusses expectations of the emergency medical response provided to the community from the perspectives of residents and res...

The integration of community resources is critical for emergency response. A thorough understanding of a community's requirements in advance is essential. This study examines communities that suffered mudslide disasters, and discusses expectations of the emergency medical response provided to the community from the perspectives of residents and res...

Objective: The value of methylprednisolone (MP) treatment in acute traumatic spinal cord injury (SCI) remains controversial. We attempted to evaluate the utilization of resources, motor function recovery and adverse effect after the use of MP. Methods: We compared 13 demographic and clinical characteristics between MP and non-MP treatment groups in...

Under the safety net of hospital-based patient safety informatics (PSI) system, RFID is build to adapt emergency department safety needs and the process improvement activities. We implemented the RFID framework as the electronic patient identifier into the process improvement of ED workflow; it defined as the safety portal to introduce PSI safety f...

Background. This study is intended to determine the causes of pediatric traumatic brain injuries (PTBI) in children aged 14 years or less, and to identify various types of craniocerebral damage resulting from different mechanisms of injury.Methods. From July 1, 1993 to June 30, 2001, a survey on PTBI was conducted in Taiwan. The data of patients us...

Although Taipei City government has requested the emergency response hospitals to implement Hospital Emergency Incident Command System (HEICS) since 2002, the initial evaluation re- vealed inadequate results last year. After SARS endemics, we re-evaluated the response plans provided by these hospitals to evaluate if the HEICS has been implemented....

Deep venous thromboembolism is an uncommon complication during the perinatal period, so post-partum deep venous thromboem-bolism is not considered clinically significant, but it causes quite mortality. Emergency physicians should be alert to the possibility of deep venous thromboembolism. In Chinese societies, postpartum women undergo a traditional...