Association of Increased Risk of Injury in Adults With Hearing Loss: A Population-Based Cohort Study.

This nationwide retrospective cohort study examines the association between adults with hearing loss (HL) and subsequent injury risk. Utilizing data from the Taiwan National Health Insurance Research Database (2000-2017), the study included 19,480 patients with HL and 77,920 matched controls. Over an average follow-up of 9.

Infectious intestinal diseases elevate neurodegenerative disease risk based on a nationwide population-based cohort study.

Infectious intestinal diseases (IIDs) pose a significant health and economic burden worldwide. Recent observations at the Tri-Service General Hospital, Taiwan, suggest a potential association between IIDs and neurodegenerative diseases, prompting an investigation into this relationship. This study explored interactions between IIDs and neurodegenerative diseases.

Impact of glycemic treatment and blood glucose monitoring on outcomes in patients with acute ischemic stroke without prior diabetes: a longitudinal cohort study.

Objectives: To explore the short- and long-term effects of glycemic management-through glycemic treatment and blood glucose monitoring (BGM)-on stroke recurrence and mortality specifically in patients experiencing a first-ever ischemic stroke (FIS) with hyperglycemia (FISHG) who have not previously been diagnosed with diabetes mellitus (DM).

Methods: We gathered data on patients who were registered on Taiwan's National Health Insurance Research Database from 2000 to 2015. We one-fold propensity-score-matched (by sex, age, and index date) 207,054 patients into 3 cohorts: those with FIS (1) without hyperglycemia, (2) hyperglycemia without glycemic treatment, and (3) hyperglycemia with glycemic treatment.

Risk factors for falls in older adults with type 2 diabetes: A cross-sectional study.

The study was to estimate the prevalence of falls with type 2 diabetes (T2D) and investigate the associated risk factors. The study design employed was cross-sectional. The participants for this study were recruited from a community-based diabetes specialist clinic.

Association Between Clinical Use of Lansoprazole and the Risk of Coronary Heart Disease: A Nationwide Pharmacoepidemiological Cohort Study.

Purpose: Proton pump inhibitors (PPIs) are widely prescribed for gastrointestinal disorders. Lansoprazole, a PPI, has been recognized for its potential effects of improving insulin resistance, reduction of oxidative stress, and improvement in atherosclerosis through peroxisome proliferator-activated receptor gamma (PPARγ) induction. This study aims to investigate whether lansoprazole poses a distinct risk of coronary heart disease (CHD) compared to other PPIs.

Effects of a SWELE program for improving mental wellbeing in children and adolescents with special educational needs: protocol of a quasi-experimental study.

Background: Unstructured play has also been found effective on promoting positive emotions and emotional competence among children and adolescents with special educational needs (SEN). Unstructured Outdoor Play coupled with Mindfulness-based Interventions via 'Supporting Wellness in E-Child Learning Environments' (SWELE) program can foster the mental health and wellbeing of children and adolescents with SEN. Currently there is a lack of the unstructured play with mindfulness-based interventions in the special schools in Hong Kong.

Acceptance and Commitment Therapy-based Lifestyle Counselling Program for people with early psychosis on physical activity: A pilot randomized controlled trial.

Objective: To evaluate the feasibility, acceptability and efficacy of an Acceptance and Commitment Therapy-based Lifestyle Counselling Program (ACT-LCP) on health outcomes of individuals with early psychosis.

Methods: In this assessor-blinded, parallel-group pilot randomized controlled trial, 72 early psychosis patients (mean age [SD] = 30.51 [8.

Roles of Psychological Flexibility, Parenting Competence, and Asthma Management Self-Efficacy in the Functioning Outcomes of Parents of Children with Asthma Co-Occurring with Attention-Deficit/Hyperactivity Disorder.

Asthma and ADHD represent prevalent pediatric conditions, with the former being a physical disorder and the latter being a neurodevelopmental disorder. This study examined the influence of parental psychological flexibility (PF)-the ability to adapt to evolving situational demands, shift perspectives, and balance competing priorities-alongside parenting competence and asthma management self-efficacy on family functioning and parental psychological adjustment in families with children exhibiting concurrent asthma and ADHD symptoms. Baseline data were analyzed from 130 parents (mean age = 40.

Image optimization of a computer-generated hologram by reusing zero-order beams and reflectors vibration.

In computer-generated holography, spatial light modulators are predominantly used for image reconstruction. However, the quality of the reconstructed images is often compromised by laser speckle and zero-order light diffraction. To address these problems, we propose the reuse of the zero-order beam, which not only eliminates the interference caused by zero-order diffraction in the reconstructed images but also considerably enhances image brightness.

Long-term follow up of fecundability after ectopic pregnancy in Taiwan: a nationwide population-based study.

Background: Ectopic pregnancy (EP) occurs when a fertilized ovum is implanted outside the uterine cavity. Its incidence is 2% of all pregnancies and is known to decrease fertility. This study aimed to measure pregnancy rates after EP, identify the various parameters influencing pregnancy, and compare these variables in women with and without a history of EP, as well as determine in which medical facilities women with EP seek medical help.

Pioglitazone increases risk of ischemic heart disease in patients with type 2 diabetes receiving insulin.

Aim: Studies evaluating the cardiovascular safety of pioglitazone show inconsistent results and ischemic heart disease (IHD) risks associated with different anti-diabetic drugs added to metformin uncontrolled type 2 diabetes mellitus (T2DM) are not assessed. This study aimed to evaluate IHD risk associated with pioglitazone and/or insulin added to patients with metformin uncontrolled T2DM.

Methods: Data were extracted from the National Health Insurance Research Database of Taiwan.

Psychometric Properties of the Chinese Version of the Psy-Flex Among Parents of Children with Autism Spectrum Disorder.

This research aimed to translate the original English version of the Psy-Flex, a scale of psychological flexibility, into Chinese and to test its psychometric properties among parents of children with autism spectrum disorder (ASD). Two phases were conducted: (1) translation from English to Chinese (Psy-Flex-C), followed by a semantic equivalence evaluation between two versions, a pre-test, and an evaluation of the Psy-Flex-C in terms of face validity with 20 parents of autistic children, and content validity of the Psy-Flex-C with eight experts. (2) A cross-sectional study with 248 parents of autistic children was conducted for validation, and a subgroup of 50 participants was randomly selected to assess the test-retest reliability at a 2-week interval.

Privacy-Preserving Handover Optimization Using Federated Learning and LSTM Networks.

The rapid evolution of wireless communication systems necessitates advanced handover mechanisms for seamless connectivity and optimal network performance. Traditional algorithms, like 3GPP Event A3, often struggle with fluctuating signal strengths and dynamic user mobility, leading to frequent handovers and suboptimal resource utilization. This study proposes a novel approach combining Federated Learning (FL) and Long Short-Term Memory (LSTM) networks to predict Reference Signal Received Power (RSRP) and the strongest nearby Reference Signal Received Power (RSRP) signals.

Plasma leptin levels are lower in females, but not males, with ketamine use disorder.

Ketamine has emerged as a prominent substance of misuse. Leptin, an adipocyte-derived polypeptide hormone, has been implicated in the development of addiction. Sex-specific changes in leptin levels have been demonstrated following acute ketamine administration; the persistence of long-term ketamine use on leptin levels is uncertain.

Impacts of Matrix Metalloproteinase-8 Genotypes, Smoking, Alcohol Drinking, and Infection on Gastric Cancer.

Background/aim: In gastric cancer (GCa) tissues, mRNA expression of matrix metalloproteinase-8 (MMP-8) is notably reduced compared to healthy tissues. Furthermore, abnormally low or elevated serum levels of MMP-8 have been linked to a significantly poor prognosis. The involvement of MMP-8 genotypes in susceptibility to GCa remains underexplored.

A GeSe switch-only-memory technology through polarized atomic distribution.

Ovonic threshold switching (OTS) materials that are frequently used with a resistor (1S1R) in memory devices have been found to show controllable and reversible memory properties, which could enable new memory architectures. Here, we examine the impact of composition on the polarity-dependent memory properties of GeSe OTS materials and reveal that an increase in Se content results in a higher set voltage threshold (V), a lower reset current (I), and a higher set energy. Specifically, GeSe demonstrates two distinct V of 5.

A cross-cultural study of different facets of dissociation: Validity and relationship with childhood trauma.

Background: Dissociative symptoms are often conceptualized as a response to childhood trauma. However, most previous studies did not consider dissociation as a multidimensional phenomenon and only focused on English-speaking samples.

Objectives: To establish the cross-cultural validity of dissociation and examine the relationship of childhood trauma with different specific dissociative symptoms across two different samples.

Effectiveness of psychosocial interventions for improving asthma symptoms and parental stress in families of school-age children with asthma: A systematic review and meta-analysis.

Background: Asthma is a prevalent chronic disease affecting school-age children, with substantial psychosocial implications for children and their parents.

Objectives: This review aimed to synthesise current evidence on the effects of psychosocial interventions for families of school-age children with asthma and investigate the optimal features of effective interventions.

Methods: Embase, MEDLINE, PsycINFO, CINAHL, Web of Science Core Collection, Cochrane Central Register of Controlled Trials, Google Scholar, CNKI, and Wanfang Data were searched from inception to November 2023.

Effects of Tactile Massage in Improving Older Residents' Psychological Health in Long-Term Care Facilities: A Randomised Controlled Trial.

Background: Loneliness, anxiety and depressive symptoms are common among older residents in long-term care facilities (LTCFs), which can negatively impact their quality of life and increase mortality rates. Addressing these psychological health issues is an important task for nursing staff. There is a need for easy and accessible interventions to improve older residents' negative emotions.

Ectopic pregnancy, its potential links to dementia risk and interactions with depression: insights from a nationwide cohort study.

Background: Dementia poses a growing global mental health impact, with variations in prevalence by gender, possibly influenced by reproductive factors. Ectopic pregnancy (EP), known for its association with cardiovascular diseases and depression, which are also predictors of dementia, prompted an exploration of their interplay.

Methods: Using Taiwan's National Health Insurance Research Database, this nationwide cohort study examined 53,096 individuals to investigate the link between EP and dementia.