Second harmonic generation microscopy reveals the spatial orientation of glutamine-potentiated liver regeneration after hepatectomy.

Background: Glutamine (Gln) is a critical amino acid for energy expenditure. It participates in extracellular matrix (ECM) formation and circulates in the hepatic parenchyma in a spatial-oriented manner. Posthepatectomy liver mass recovery poses a regenerative challenge.

The multinomial mixed-effect regression model for predicting PCOC phases in hospice patients.

Purpose: The Palliative Care Outcomes Collaboration (PCOC) aims to enhance patient outcomes systematically. However, identifying crucial items and accurately determining PCOC phases remain challenging. This study aims to identify essential PCOC data items and construct a prediction model to accurately classify PCOC phases in terminal patients.

Clinical Characteristics and Responses to Immune Checkpoint Inhibitors in RET-Aberrant Digestive Tract Tumours.

Background: RET plays an oncogenic role, and its aberrations are potentially actionable. However, they have seldom been reported in tumours other than lung or thyroid cancers. The correlation of RET aberrations with clinical characteristics, co-occurring aberrations, and responses to immune checkpoint inhibitors (ICPi) have not been explored in digestive tract tumours.

Lidocaine transdermal patches reduced pain intensity in neuropathic cancer patients already receiving opioid treatment.

Background: Limited efficacy has been observed when using opioids to treat neuropathic pain. Lidocaine patches reduce neuropathic pain in postherpetic neuralgia, but their benefits for cancer-related neuropathic pain remain unclear. This study aimed to investigate a treatment for cancer-related neuropathic pain.

Effects of age and gender on body composition indices as predictors of mortality in middle-aged and old people.

To determine whether body composition indices interact with age and gender as a predictor of all-cause mortality, 1200 participants at least 40 years of age were recruited in 2009 and 2010. A multi-frequency bioelectrical impedance analysis device was used to measure each participant's body composition indices, including the fat mass index (FMI), fat free mass index (FFMI), skeletal muscle mass index (SMMI), and visceral fat area index (VFAI). A baseline questionnaire was used to collect demographic information about lifestyle habits, socioeconomic status, and medical conditions.

Validation of the Taiwan FRAX® calculator for the prediction of fracture risk.

Unlabelled: The Taiwan FRAX® calculator was validated to predict incident fractures preliminarily. Cutoffs of FRAX probability for predicting major osteoporotic fracture and hip fracture were proposed as 9.5% and 4% in Taiwanese individuals.

Hospice delivery models and survival differences in the terminally ill: a large cohort study.

Objective: A common difficulty at the end of life (EOL) is to determine an appropriate service model, such as hospice share care (HSC), hospice inpatient care (HIC) and hospice home care (HHC). This study aimed to recommend the appropriate hospice delivery model based on the physical, psychosocial and spiritual needs of patients referred for hospice care.

Methods: This cohort study included patients who received only one kind of hospice delivery model between 2006 and 2020.

Mental Health During the COVID-19 Pandemic in Japan: Applying Topic Modeling in Daily Life Descriptions.

Unlabelled: The novel coronavirus disease pandemic is threatening not only physical but also mental health. Although some recent quantitative studies have been conducted and revealed the influence of the pandemic on mental health and its relevant factors, it is impossible to obtain and explore all possible variables strongly related to mental health. Therefore, we attempted to adopt a bottom-up approach using text mining of participants' narratives.

Predict Early Recurrence of Resectable Hepatocellular Carcinoma Using Multi-Dimensional Artificial Intelligence Analysis of Liver Fibrosis.

Background: Liver fibrosis is thought to be associated with early recurrence of hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) after resection. To recognize HCC patients with higher risk of early recurrence, we used a second harmonic generation and two-photon excitation fluorescence (SHG/TPEF) microscopy to create a fully quantitative fibrosis score which is able to predict early recurrence.

Methods: The study included 81 HCC patients receiving curative intent hepatectomy.

Surgery alone, adjuvant tegafur/gimeracil/octeracil (S-1), or platinum-based chemotherapies for resectable gastric cancer: real-world experience and a propensity score matching analysis.

Background: Adjuvant chemotherapy has changed the paradigm in resectable gastric cancer. S-1 is an oral chemotherapeutic with promising efficacy in Asia. However, comparisons with close observation or platinum-based doublets post D2 gastrectomy have been less reported, notably on real-world experiences.

Health literacy and cancer screening behaviors among community-dwelling female adults in Taiwan.

This study was designed to explore the association among health literacy and cancer screening behaviors in Taiwanese females. A total of 353 community-dwelling females were recruited in this cross-sectional study from February to October 2015. Demographic, socioeconomic and personal behavior variables including physical activity, community activity, smoking, alcohol consumption, and betel nut chewing were recorded.

Comparing the clinicopathological characteristics of combined hepatocellular-cholangiocarcinoma with those of other primary liver cancers by use of the updated World Health Organization classification.

Aims: Combined hepatocellular-cholangiocarcinoma (cHCC-CCA) is an uncommon hepatic malignancy with a poor outcome. The 2019 World Health Organization (WHO) classification modified the definition and discarded the subtypes with stem cell features. However, the differences among cHCC-CCA, hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC), HCC with stem cell/progenitor features (HCCscf) and intrahepatic cholangiocarcinoma (iCCA) remain undetermined.

Therapeutic Effects of Exercise Training on Elderly Patients With Dementia: A Randomized Controlled Trial.

Objective: To investigate whether strength or aerobic training can offer significantly more benefits with regarding the activities of daily living of elderly patients with dementia as well as to determine the effects of exercise on cognition, depression, and biochemical markers.

Design: Single-blind randomized controlled trial.

Setting: A nursing home for veterans.

Factors associated with low health literacy among community-dwelling women in Taiwan.

The present study investigated factors associated with health literacy in community-dwelling Taiwanese women, particularly focusing on those associated with prevalent unhealthy behaviors. This cross-sectional study recruited 353 community-dwelling women aged 39-89 years from February to October 2015 in urban, suburban, and rural areas. Variables investigated included physical activity, community activity, tobacco usage, alcohol consumption, and betel-nut chewing.

The impact of health literacy on knowledge, Attitude and decision towards hospice care among community-dwelling seniors.

The aim of this study was to investigate the relationships between health literacy and hospice knowledge, attitude and decision in community-dwelling elderly participants. This cross-sectional study enrolled 990 community-dwelling elderly participants in three residential areas, with a mean age of 71.53 ± 7.

Socio-Economic Marginalization and Compliance Motivation Among Students and Freeters in Japan.

This study examines the compliance motivation of students and Freeters when facing a marginalization risk situation evoked by priming. Freeter (part-time employers), NEET (not in education, employment, or training), and Hikikomori (social withdrawal) represent the socio-economically marginalized population in Japan. People at higher risk of becoming NEET and Hikikomori have shown a motivation pattern deviant from mainstream Japanese culture, including lower willingness to conform to in-group members, thus showing less cultural fit (Norasakkunkit and Uchida, 2014).

Novel psychosocial factor involved in diabetes self-care in the Japanese cultural context.

Aims/introduction: Recent evidence shows that cultural context can influence the management of diabetes mellitus. The aim of the present study was to examine the relationship between interdependence, which is valued in the Eastern cultural context, and diabetes self-care behavior in Japanese patients with type 2 diabetes mellitus.

Material And Methods: We carried out a cross-sectional survey of 161 Japanese adults with type 2 diabetes mellitus using well-established questionnaires.

Distinct clinical characteristics of paroxysmal nocturnal hemoglobinuria in patients in Southern Taiwan: A multicenter investigation.

Paroxysmal nocturnal hemoglobinuria (PNH) is an extremely rare acquired disorder. The aim of this study was to investigate the demographics, clinical manifestations, and outcomes of PNH patients in southern Taiwan. Data on PNH patients diagnosed over a 30-year period (1985-2015) were retrospectively collected from four tertiary medical centers in southern Taiwan.

miR-106b promotes cancer progression in hepatitis B virus-associated hepatocellular carcinoma.

Aim: To investigate the effect of miR-106b on tumor progression in hepatitis B virus (HBV)-associated hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC).

Methods: A total of 120 patients who underwent liver resection for HCC at National Cheng Kung University Hospital were enrolled in the present study. MicroRNA (miRNA) array was first used to screen the miRNA expression profiles in HCC patients.

Mild chronic kidney disease associated with greater risk of arterial stiffness in elderly adults.

Objectives: To assess the association between arterial stiffness and mild and moderate chronic kidney disease (CKD), independent of other cardiometabolic factors in an elderly population.

Design: Cross-sectional study.

Setting: Health examination data from National Cheng Kung University Hospital from 2006 to 2009.