The effects of electroencephalography functional connectivity during emotional recognition among patients with major depressive disorder and healthy controls.

Background: The brain of major depressive disorder (MDD) is associated with altered functional connectivity (FC) compared to that of healthy individuals when processing positive and negative visual stimuli. Building upon alterations in brain connectivity, some researchers have employed electroencephalography (EEG) to study FC in MDD, aiming to enhance both diagnosis and treatment; however, the results have been inconsistent and the studies involving FC during emotional recognition are limited. This study aims to 1) investigate the effects of MDD on EEG patterns during visual emotional processing, 2) explore the therapeutic effects of antidepressant treatment on brain FC within the first week, and assess whether these effects can be predictive of treatment outcomes four weeks later, and 3) study baseline FC parameter biomarkers that can be used to predict treatment responsiveness in MDD patients.

Negative effects on medical students' scores for clinical performance during the COVID-19 pandemic in Taiwan: a comparative study.

Purpose: Coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) has heavily impacted medical clinical education in Taiwan. Medical curricula have been altered to minimize exposure and limit transmission. This study investigated the effect of COVID-19 on Taiwanese medical students' clinical performance using online standardized evaluation systems and explored the factors influencing medical education during the pandemic.

The Impact of COVID-19 Pandemic on the Learning Outcomes of Medical Students in Taiwan: A Two-Year Prospective Cohort Study of OSCE Performance.

Background/aims: To avoid the negative impacts of the COVID-19 pandemic on clinical clerkship, supplemental teachings such as digital materials in the scenario-based distal simulations were implemented. This study utilized the OSCE (objective-structured clinical examination) to evaluate the impact of COVID-19 pandemic on the learning outcome of medical students from the regular group (class of 2020) and pandemic-impacted group (class of 2021).

Methods: All medical students serially took, firstly, the mock-OSCE, secondly, the mock-OSCE, and the national OSCE.

Experiences With Internet Triaging of 9498 Outpatients Daily at the Largest Public Hospital in Taiwan During the COVID-19 Pandemic: Observational Study.

Background: During pandemics, acquiring outpatients' travel, occupation, contact, and cluster histories is one of the most important measures in assessing the disease risk among incoming patients. Previous means of acquiring this information in the examination room have been insufficient in preventing disease spread.

Objective: This study aimed to demonstrate the deployment of an automatic system to triage outpatients over the internet.

Deployment of a computerized ward visitor registration system in coronavirus disease 2019 epidemic: Experiences of a large academic medical center in Taiwan.

Background: Visitors to hospitalized patients during an epidemic might themselves be carriers and are therefore likely to spread the disease in wards. Although measures were taken to restrict hospital visits, traditional paper-based registration is insufficient to screen and monitor the numbers of visitors to a large hospital.

Methods: Throughout March 2020, during the coronavirus disease 2019 crisis, a computer system was deployed in the 2800-bed Taipei Veterans General Hospital (Taipei, Taiwan) to register, screen, and monitor inpatient visitors.

Where to buy face masks? Survey of applications using Taiwan's open data in the time of coronavirus disease 2019.

Background: The coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) had spread rapidly since late December 2019. Personal protective equipment was essential to prevent transmission. Owing to shortage of face masks, Taiwan government began to implement quasi rationing on February 6, 2020, by allowing each resident to purchase two masks in seven days.