The contribution of estimated dead space fraction to mortality prediction in patients with chronic obstructive pulmonary disease-a new proposal.

Background: Mortality due to chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD) is increasing. However, dead space fractions at rest (V/V) and peak exercise (V/V) and variables affecting survival have not been evaluated. This study aimed to investigate these issues.

Sensitivity analysis of selection bias: a graphical display by bias-correction index.

Background: In observational studies, how the magnitude of potential selection bias in a sensitivity analysis can be quantified is rarely discussed. The purpose of this study was to develop a sensitivity analysis strategy by using the bias-correction index (BCI) approach for quantifying the influence and direction of selection bias.

Methods: We used a BCI, a function of selection probabilities conditional on outcome and covariates, with different selection bias scenarios in a logistic regression setting.

Risk reduction analysis of mix-and-match vaccination strategy in healthcare workers during SARS-CoV-2 Omicron variant predominant period: A multi-center cohort study in Taiwan.

This study investigated the relative effectiveness of a mix-and-match vaccination strategy, primarily comprising ChAdOx1 nCOV-19, mRNA-1273, BNT162b2, and a protein-based vaccine, MVC-COV1901, against COVID-19 in a healthcare worker (HCW) cohort in Taiwan during a period when the Omicron variant was predominant. The analysis included a total of 21,729 HCWs and recorded 3,672 infections with no severe disease nor death. Two main findings were observed from the study.

Influenza vaccination is associated with a reduced risk of invasive aspergillosis in high-risk individuals in Taiwan: a population-based cohort study.

Invasive aspergillosis (IA) has become the emerging life-threatening disease in recent years. Influenza has been identified as an independent risk factor for IA. Vaccination is the most effective way to prevent influenza, while whether it can reduce IA in high-risk population still uncertain.

The Impact of the COVID-19 Pandemic on Tuberculosis Case Notification and Treatment Outcomes in Eswatini.

We investigated the impact of COVID-19 on tuberculosis (TB) case notification and treatment outcomes in Eswatini. A comparative retrospective cohort study was conducted using TB data from eight facilities. An interrupted time series analysis, using segmented Poisson regression was done to assess the impact of COVID-19 on TB case notification comparing period before (December 2018-February 2020, = 1,560) and during the pandemic (March 2020-May 2021, = 840).

An Immunobridging Study to Evaluate the Neutralizing Antibody Titer in Adults Immunized with Two Doses of Either ChAdOx1-nCov-19 (AstraZeneca) or MVC-COV1901.

Rapid development and deployment of vaccines is crucial to control the continuously evolving COVID-19 pandemic. The placebo-controlled phase 3 efficacy trial is still the standard for authorizing vaccines in the majority of the world. However, due to a lack of eligible participants in parts of the world, this has not always been feasible.

Incidence and Risk Factors of Reinfection with HCV after Treatment in People Living with HIV.

Infection with hepatitis C virus (HCV) does not induce protective immunity, and re-exposure to HCV can reinfect the population engaging in high-risk behavior. An increasing incidence of acute hepatitis C infection in people living with HIV (PLWH) has been described in recent years. This retrospective cohort study was conducted in PLWH who completed HCV therapy between June 2009 and June 2020 at an HIV care hospital, to analyze their basic characteristics and risky behavior.

Prediction and types of dead-space fraction during exercise in male chronic obstructive pulmonary disease patients.

A high dead space (VD) to tidal volume (VT) ratio during peak exercise (VD/VTpeak) is a sensitive and consistent marker of gas exchange abnormalities; therefore, it is important in patients with chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD). However, it is necessary to use invasive methods to obtain VD/VTpeak, as noninvasive methods, such as end-tidal PCO2 (PETCO2peak) and PETCO2 adjusted with Jones' equation (PJCO2peak) at peak exercise, have been reported to be inconsistent with arterial PCO2 at peak exercise (PaCO2peak). Hence, this study aimed to generate prediction equations for VD/VTpeak using statistical techniques, and to use PETCO2peak and PJCO2peak to calculate the corresponding VD/VTpeaks (i.

The Association Between Renal Function Decline and the Incidence of Urothelial Carcinoma: A 16-year Retrospective Cohort Study in Taiwan.

Background: The incidence of cancer is higher among patients with end-stage renal disease but it remains uncertain whether a mild decrease in renal function affects cancer.

Objective: To measure the effect of impaired renal function, represented by the estimated glomerular filtration rate (eGFR), personal health behaviors, and long-term exposure to fine particulate matter (PM) on the risk of urothelial carcinoma (UC) incidence.

Design Setting And Participants: We performed a population-based cohort study of 372 008 participants aged ≥30 yr with no prior cancer history using the MJ health examination database (2000-2015) and UC diagnosis data from the Taiwan Cancer Registry database.

Resting Dead Space Fraction as Related to Clinical Characteristics, Lung Function, and Gas Exchange in Male Patients with Chronic Obstructive Pulmonary Disease.

Background: Measures of forced expired volume in one second % predicted (FEV%), residual volume to total lung capacity ratio (RV/TLC) and diffusing capacity for carbon monoxide measurements (DCO) are the standard lung function test for evaluating patients with chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD). The dead space fraction (V/V) has been shown to be a robust marker of gas exchange abnormality. However, the use of V/V has gradually become less common.

Plasma lipid concentrations and survival in geriatric population: A retrospective cohort study.

Plasma lipids in mid-life are important predictors for cardiovascular events and deaths. However, the association between plasma lipid concentrations and mortality in late life is controversial. Recent studies showed that older people with extremely low total cholesterol (TC) have poor survival outcome, but this conclusion was drawn mostly from Western cohorts.

Severe diabetes complications among patients with diabetes with regular follow-up: Does care setting matter?

Objective: To investigate diabetes outcomes by long-term trajectories of patients' care settings among diabetes patients with regular follow-up.

Research Design And Methods: This longitudinal population-based cohort study used data from the National Health Insurance Research Database in Taiwan. The trajectories of diabetes care-seeking behaviours among newly diagnosed diabetes patients with regular follow-up were identified using a group-based trajectory model from 2000 to 2004.

Investigating the relationships among lung function variables in chronic obstructive pulmonary disease in men.

Background: In patients with chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD), the independent contributions of individual lung function variables to outcomes may be lower when they are modelled together if they are collinear. In addition, lung volume measurements may not be necessary after spirometry data have been obtained. However, these hypotheses depend on whether forced vital capacity (FVC) can predict total lung capacity (TLC).

More Impaired Dynamic Ventilatory Muscle Oxygenation in Congestive Heart Failure than in Chronic Obstructive Pulmonary Disease.

Patients with chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD) and congestive heart failure (CHF) often have dyspnea. Despite differences in primary organ derangement and similarities in secondary skeletal muscle changes, both patient groups have prominent functional impairment. With similar daily exercise performance in patients with CHF and COPD, we hypothesized that patients with CHF would have worse ventilatory muscle oxygenation than patients with COPD.

Variation in the 11-year trajectories of medical care seeking behaviors in diabetes patients under a single payer system: persisting gaps to be filled.

Background: Care-seeking behavior is widely acknowledged to have strong influences on health outcomes among individuals with chronic conditions including diabetes. Despite its dynamic nature, care seeking behavior are often considered as time invariant in most studies. The likelihood of patients changing their regularity and source of chronic care over time is often neglected.

Development and Validation of a New Short-Form Health Literacy Instrument (HLS-SF12) for the General Public in Six Asian Countries.

Background: No comprehensive short-form health literacy (HL) survey tool has been available for general use across Asia.

Objective: This study aimed to develop and validate a short-form HL instrument derived from the 47-item European Health Literacy Questionnaire (HLS-EU-Q47).

Methods: A population survey ( = 10,024) was conducted from 2013 to 2015 using the HLS-EU-Q47 in 1,029 participants from Indonesia, 1,845 from Kazakhstan, 462 from Malaysia, 1,600 from Myanmar, 3,015 from Taiwan, and 2,073 from Vietnam.

Developing a New Marker of Dynamic Hyperinflation in Patients with Obstructive Airway Disease - an observational study.

Tidal volume at peak exercise and vital capacity ratio (V/VC) and V/inspiratory capacity (IC) were used to differentiate lung expansion in subjects with normal health and chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD) from that in subjects with restrictive ventilation. However, VC and IC variably change due to pseudorestriction of lung volumes. Thus, these variables are currently not recommended.

Plasma MCP-1 and Cognitive Decline in Patients with Alzheimer's Disease and Mild Cognitive Impairment: A Two-year Follow-up Study.

Monocyte chemoattractant protein-1 (MCP-1, also known as chemokine CCL2) is a vital chemokine that mediates inflammation in Alzheimer's disease (AD). We analyzed the associations between the baseline plasma MCP-1 level, longitudinal cognitive changes, and genetic effects of CCL2 rs1024611 and its receptor, CC-chemokine receptor 2 (CCR2) rs1799864, in AD. In total, 310 AD patients and 66 mild cognitive impairment (MCI) patients were followed for 2 years, and 120 controls were recruited at baseline for comparison.

30 years follow-up and increased risks of breast cancer and leukaemia after long-term low-dose-rate radiation exposure.

Background: The current study followed-up site-specific cancer risks in an unique cohort with 30 years' follow-up after long-term low-dose-rate radiation exposure in Taiwan.

Methods: Six thousand two hundred and forty two Taiwanese people received extra exposure in residential and school buildings constructed with Co-60-contaminated steel from 1982 until informed and relocated in early 1990s. The additional doses received have been estimated.

Patterns of Oxygen Pulse Curve in Response to Incremental Exercise in Patients with Chronic Obstructive Pulmonary Disease - An Observational Study.

In COPD, pulmonary hyperinflation causes decreased stroke volume thereby decreased oxygen pulse (OP). While OP flattening is related to myocardial ischemia in cardiac patients, OP patterns have seldom been explored in COPD. The aims of the study were to investigate OP-curve patterns and associated factors in COPD.

Health-related behaviors moderate the association between age and self-reported health literacy among Taiwanese women.

The role of health-related behaviors in the association between age and health literacy has not been well-elucidated. The present cross-sectional study evaluated the interactions between age and health-related behaviors in 942 women in Taiwan between February and October 2013. Women aged 18-78 years were randomly sampled and recruited from the national administrative system.

AlN Surface Passivation of GaN-Based High Electron Mobility Transistors by Plasma-Enhanced Atomic Layer Deposition.

We report a low current collapse GaN-based high electron mobility transistor (HEMT) with an excellent thermal stability at 150 °C. The AlN was grown by N-based plasma enhanced atomic layer deposition (PEALD) and shown a refractive index of 1.94 at 633 nm of wavelength.