Adherence to Nutritional Practice Guideline in Premature Infants: A Nationwide Survey in Taiwan.

Objectives: This study aimed to assess the current neonatal nutritional practices in Taiwan and promote consensus on standardized protocols.

Methods: An online questionnaire comprising 95 items on parenteral nutrition (PN) and enteral nutrition (EN) practices was distributed to neonatal care units across Taiwan via email between August and December 2022. The responses were compared with the recommendations from the European Society for Pediatric Gastroenterology Hepatology and Nutrition for preterm infant care.

Synthesis of Quillaic Acid through Sustainable C-H Bond Activations.

To meet the demand for quillaic acid, a multigram synthesis of quillaic acid was accomplished in 14 steps, starting from oleanolic acid, leading to an overall yield of 3.4%. Key features include C-H activation at C-16 and C-23.

Sodium Glycerophosphate Use in Parenteral Nutrition Improves Mineral Metabolism in Extremely Low Birth Weight Infants.

Objective: To evaluate the clinical effect of sodium glycerophosphate (NaGP) in parenteral nutrition solutions on mineral metabolism in extremely low birth weight (ELBW) infants.

Study Design: NaGP was introduced for use in place of potassium phosphate (KPO) in January 2018; this retrospective cohort study included 95 ELBW infants treated with KPO between January 2015 and December 2017 and 77 infants treated with NaGP between August 2018 and January 2021. Mineral intake over the first 14 days; changes in serum calcium, phosphorus, sodium, and alkaline phosphatase (ALP) levels over the first 1-3 months; and the rates of electrolyte imbalance and clinical morbidity were compared.

Microrna-486-5P Regulates Human Pulmonary Artery Smooth Muscle Cell Migration via Endothelin-1.

Pulmonary arterial hypertension (PAH) is a fatal or life-threatening disorder characterized by elevated pulmonary arterial pressure and pulmonary vascular resistance. Abnormal vascular remodeling, including the proliferation and phenotypic modulation of pulmonary artery smooth muscle cells (PASMCs), represents the most critical pathological change during PAH development. Previous studies showed that miR-486 could reduce apoptosis in different cells; however, the role of miR-486 in PAH development or HPASMC proliferation and migration remains unclear.

Reducing intraventricular hemorrhage following the implementation of a prevention bundle for neonatal hypothermia.

Introduction: In very low birth weight (VLBW) infants, hypothermia immediately following birth is common even in countries rich in medical resources. The purpose of this study is to design a standard prevention bundle that decreases the rate of hypothermia among infants after birth and to investigate efficacy of the bundle and short-term outcomes for VLBW infants.

Methods: This quality improvement project was conducted from February 2017 to July 2018 on all VLBW preterm infants admitted at a single referral level III neonatal intensive care unit.

Evaluating environmental radiations of the tomotherapy facility by optimizing full factorial design of the TLD technique.

Background: In the last 40 years, the number of deaths due to cancer has been the highest in TaiwanOBJECTIVE: To optimize the readout system of the thermoluminescent dosimeter (TLD)-100H, the radiation rates among the Tomotherapy (TOMO) facility of the Department of Radiology Oncology of Chung Shan Medical University Hospital (CSMUH) were calculated with a 32 full factorial design (FFD).

Methods: A ten-month survey of the facility was employed using the sensitive and accurate TLD method. The TLD system was optimized for maximum temperature, heat rate, and preheat temperature of Harshaw 3500 reader.

Evaluating dose distributions of normal organs for patients undergoing VMAT therapy of nasopharyngeal carcinoma using Rando phantom and TLD-100H.

Background: The routine radiation therapy treatment planning does not include secondary radiation and peripheral doses resulting from radiotherapy exposure in patients with nasopharyngeal carcinoma (NPC) undergoing Volumetric Modulated Arc Therapy (VMAT) using an linear accelerator (linac) of Axesse (Elekta 2538).

Objective: VMAT has a better dose conformity of the tumor and is also operated by adjusting the shapes of mulileaf collimator. However, such treatment is potentially important to improve the accuracy of estimated health risks.

Evaluating photoneutron dose equivalents for lung cancer using PMMA phantoms undergoing 15 MV IMRT.

Background: According to statistics of the Ministry of Health and Welfare in 2017, the second leading cause of death in Taiwan was lung cancer.

Objective: Routine treatment planning does not consider photoneutron dose equivalent (PNDE) of patient induced secondary radiation resulting from primary exposure of lung cancer. However, such treatment is potentially important for improving estimates of health risks.

Validation of the Postnatal Growth and Retinopathy of Prematurity Screening Criteria in a Taiwanese Cohort.

Purpose: To validate the performance of Postnatal Growth and Retinopathy of Prematurity (G-ROP) screening criteria in a Taiwanese cohort.

Design: Screening evaluation with retrospective data.

Method: Premature infants who underwent retinopathy of prematurity (ROP) screening between January 2015 and April 2019 at a tertiary hospital were examined.

Propolis alleviates 4-aminobiphenyl-induced oxidative DNA damage by inhibition of CYP2E1 expression in human liver cells.

4-Aminobiphenyl (4-ABP) may cause DNA damage in human liver cells (HepG2 and L-02). Propolis exhibits antioxidant properties through reactive oxygen species (ROS) scavenging. We determined the effects of propolis in alleviating 4-ABP -induced DNA damage using the comet assay.

Association between short-term exposure to air pollution and sudden infant death syndrome.

The association between air pollution and infant mortality has been inconsistently reported. A few studies have estimated short-term effects of air pollution on infants' health. This population-based case-control study aimed to examine the potential effects of air pollution on sudden infant death syndrome (SIDS) in the post-neonatal period in Taiwan during 1997-2002.

Hypophosphatemia as an Early Metabolic Bone Disease Marker in Extremely Low-Birth-Weight Infants After Prolonged Parenteral Nutrition Exposure.

Background: Early metabolic bone disease (MBD) detection is important in preterm infants to decrease long-term consequence. We aim to explore the early MBD biochemical marker in extremely low-birth-weight (ELBW) infants.

Methods: Retrospective cohort study of 95 preterm infants born in a tertiary care-level neonatal intensive care unit between January 2015 and June 2018, with birth weight <1000 g.

Risk factors for digestive morbidities after esophageal atresia repair.

Esophageal atresia with/without tracheoesophageal fistula (EA/TEF) is a congenital digestive tract anomaly that represents a major therapeutic challenge. Postoperative digestive morbidities such as gastroesophageal reflux disease (GERD) and esophageal stricture are common. The aim of this study was to identify the incidence of and potential risk factors for digestive morbidities after EA/TEF repair.

TLD environmental monitoring of new scanner facilities at the Nuclear Medicine Department of the Taiwan Medical University Hospital.

Objective: Single-photon emission computed tomography (SPECT) as well as dual energy X-ray absorptiometry (DXA) scanners were designed in July 2018 at the Nuclear Medicine Department (NM), of the Taiwan Medical University Hospital. These scanners emit substantial X-rays from the target, which are tungsten, iron. Therefore, patients undergoing SPECT and DXA diagnosis, in addition to medical personnel, are exposed to undesirable photon leakage.

Linear growth of corpus callosum and cerebellar vermis in very-low-birth-weight preterm infants.

Background/purpose: Impaired growth of the corpus callosum (CC) and cerebellar vermis (CV) is associated with poorer neurodevelopmental outcomes in preterm infants. However, references on the postnatal growth rate of the CC and CV by sonography are limited. The aim of this study is to assess the normal linear growth of CC and CV using a serial cranial ultrasound.

Use of sodium glycerophosphate in neonatal parenteral nutrition solutions to increase calcium and phosphate compatibility for preterm infants.

Background: Preterm infants require higher calcium and phosphate intake than term infants to facilitate adequate bone growth, but this is rarely met in parenteral nutrition (PN) solution because of the limited solubility of calcium and phosphate. This study aimed to evaluate the solubility of organic phosphate with calcium gluconate in neonatal PN solutions, simulating its clinical use.

Methods: PN solutions were composed of calcium gluconate at 50 mEq/L and sodium glycerophosphate (NaGP) at 25 mmol/L.

Maternal exposure to air pollution and the risk of small for gestational age in offspring: A population-based study in Taiwan.

Background: Exposure to air pollution has been associated with a wide range of adverse health effects; however, few studies addressed the relationship between ambient particulate matter as well as the compositions in particulate matter such as lead and the risk of small for gestational age (SGA) in offspring. The aim of this study is to investigate the effect of maternal exposure to criteria air pollutants and the lead in total suspended particulate matter during pregnancy on SGA births in Taiwan.

Methods: This population study consisted of 322,513 singleton live births in Taiwan between 1996 and 2002.

The gestational effect of antenatal corticosteroids on respiratory distress syndrome in very low birth weight infants: A population-based study.

Background/purpose: The aim of this study was to evaluate the efficacy of antenatal corticosteroids for preventing very low birth weight (VLBW) infants with respiratory distress syndrome (RDS) from surfactant use at different gestational ages (GA).

Methods: We retrospectively analyzed the VLBW preterm infants registered in the Premature Baby Foundation of Taiwan from 1997 through 2014. Infants at 20-37 weeks' gestation were included, and infants with lethal congenital anomaly, chromosomal anomaly, and congenital infection were excluded.

Involution of retinopathy of prematurity and neurodevelopmental outcomes after intravitreal bevacizumab treatment.

This single-centered, retrospective cohort study investigated the timing of involution of retinopathy of prematurity (ROP) and retinal vascularization to zone III after intravitreal bevacizumab (IVB) treatment and its possible impacts on postnatal growth and neurodevelopment. Premature infants with birth weight ≤1500 g, born between 2008 to 2014 and diagnosed with ROP were enrolled. All patients with type 1 ROP underwent IVB as 1st line treatment and were recruited as the study group; those with any stage of ROP except type 1 ROP without treatment served as controls.

Association of Maternal Preeclampsia with Neonatal Respiratory Distress Syndrome in Very-Low-Birth-Weight Infants.

Preeclampsia is a common cause of preterm birth and neonatal morbidity, but its relationship with neonatal respiratory distress syndrome (RDS) remains controversial. We conducted a retrospective cohort study with data from very-low-birth-weight (VLBW) infants born in 1997-2014 from the database of the Premature Baby Foundation of Taiwan to evaluate the relationship between maternal preeclampsia and neonatal RDS. In total, 13,490 VLBW infants were enrolled, including 2200 (16.

Radiation doses with various body weights of phantoms in brain 128-slice MDCT examination.

The effective dose (HE) and organ or tissue equivalent dose (HT) for use in brain computed tomography (CT) examinations with various body weights were evaluated. Thermoluminescent dosimeters (TLD-100H) were inserted into Rando and five anthropomorphic phantoms. These phantoms were made of polymethylmethacrylate (PMMA), according to the specifications of ICRU 48, with masses from 10 to 90 kg.