A deep learning approach for the screening of referable age-related macular degeneration - Model development and external validation.

Purpose: To develop a deep learning image assessment software, VeriSee™ AMD, and to validate its accuracy in diagnosing referable age-related macular degeneration (AMD).

Methods: For model development, a total of 6801 judgable 45-degree color fundus images from patients, aged 50 years and over, were collected. These images were assessed for AMD severity by ophthalmologists, according to the Age-Related Eye Disease Studies (AREDS) AMD category.

Mindfulness-based family psychoeducation intervention for caregivers of young adults with first-episode psychosis: results at 9-month follow-up.

Objectives: To investigate the effects of a mindfulness-based family psychoeducation (MBFPE) intervention on caregivers and the young adults with first-episode psychosis in mental health care.

Methods: Sixty-five caregivers were randomly assigned to the MBFPE program (n = 33) or an ordinary family psychoeducation (FPE) program (n = 32). Eighteen young adults in recovery (YAIR) also participated in the study.

Stereotactic radiosurgery for anterior cranial fossa dural arteriovenous fistulas.

Objective: Anterior cranial fossa (ACF) dural arteriovenous fistulas (DAVFs) are notoriously malignant vascular abnormalities, and their drainage into the cortical vein poses a high risk of intracranial hemorrhage (ICH). Stereotactic radiosurgery (SRS) is increasingly seen as an alternative to microsurgery or embolization for the treatment of DAVFs; however, researchers have yet to report on its applicability to ACF DAVFs. This paper summarizes the authors' experience in the use of SRS for ACF DAVFs.

Short-term outcomes of Transrectal Natural Orifice Specimen extraction compared with conventional minimally invasive surgery for selected patients with colorectal cancer: a propensity score matching analysis and literature review.

Purpose: Conventional minimally invasive surgery requires mini-laparotomy to extract the pathological specimen. However, by using a natural orifice as the delivery route, natural orifice specimen extraction (NOSE) surgery avoids the need for a large incision. This study analyzed the short-term outcome of NOSE compared with conventional mini-laparotomy (CL) for colorectal cancer surgery.

Association of contrast sensitivity with vessel density and functional parameters in different stages of glaucoma.

Purpose: To evaluate the association between contrast sensitivity (CS), vessel density (VD), and functional parameters in patients with glaucoma of varying severity.

Methods: Ninety-four eyes of 94 patients (57 men and 37 women, aged 56.52 ± 11.

Potentially Inappropriate Medication Use in Older Adults With Multimorbidity in Taiwan.

Background: Medication-related problem is a concerning issue in older adults with multimorbidity due to complexity of disease conditions and polypharmacy, and may lead to increase in risk for adverse health outcomes. This study aims to investigate the prevalence and associated factors of potentially inappropriate medication use among the growing population of older adults with multimorbidity in Taiwan.

Method: The study population was composed of patients who were aged 65 years or older with multimorbidity (two or more chronic diseases) and had at least one outpatient clinic visit with drug prescription in 2018 identified from the Taiwan National Health Insurance Research Database.

Assessing the Quality of ChatGPT's Dietary Advice for College Students from Dietitians' Perspectives.

Background: As ChatGPT becomes a primary information source for college students, its performance in providing dietary advice is under scrutiny. This study assessed ChatGPT's performance in providing nutritional guidance to college students.

Methods: ChatGPT's performance on dietary advice was evaluated by 30 experienced dietitians and assessed using an objective nutrition literacy (NL) test.

An Exercise Immune Fitness Test to Unravel Disease Mechanisms-A Proof-of-Concept Heart Failure Study.

: Cardiorespiratory fitness positively correlates with longevity and immune health. Regular exercise may provide health benefits by reducing systemic inflammation. In chronic disease conditions, such as chronic heart failure and chronic fatigue syndrome, mechanistic links have been postulated between inflammation, muscle weakness, frailty, catabolic/anabolic imbalance, and aberrant chronic activation of immunity with monocyte upregulation.

Kaempferol-Enhanced Migration and Differentiation of C2C12 Myoblasts via ITG1B/FAK/Paxillin and IGF1R/AKT/mTOR Signaling Pathways.

Scope: Kaempferol (KMP), a bioactive flavonoid compound found in fruits and vegetables, contributes to human health in many ways but little is known about its relationship with muscle mass. The effect of KMP on C2C12 myoblast differentiation and the mechanisms that might underlie that effect are studied.

Methods And Results: This study finds that KMP (1, 10 µM) increases the migration and differentiation of C2C12 myoblasts in vitro.

Corneal thickness and endothelial change after use of ocular hypotensive agents.

Corneal transplantation can restore visual function when visual impairment is caused by a corneal disease. However, this treatment is associated with the scarcity of cornea donors. The suitability of corneal donation from patients with glaucoma using ocular hypotensive agents (OHAs) is controversial.

College students' perceptions of electronic cigarette risks and benefits: a concept mapping study.

The use of electronic cigarettes (e-cigarettes) is on the rise among young adults, with higher public acceptance than traditional tobacco. A study in Taiwan employed concept mapping to explore risk and benefit perceptions of e-cigarette use among college students. The study involved 100 college students from 11 Taiwanese universities, with 50 being e-cigarette users and 50 non-users.

The prognostic and predictive significance of perineural invasion in stage I to III colon cancer: a propensity score matching-based analysis.

Background: Colorectal cancer (CRC) presents with varying prognoses, and identifying factors for predicting metastasis and outcomes is crucial. Perineural invasion (PNI) is a debated prognostic factor for CRC, particularly in stage I-III patients, but its role in guiding adjuvant chemotherapy for node-positive colon cancer remains uncertain.

Methods: We conducted a single-center study using data from the Colorectal Section Tumor Registry Database at Chang Gung Memorial Hospital, Taiwan.

Identification of Molecular Profile of Ear Fibroblasts Derived from Spindle-Transferred Holstein Cattle with Ooplasts from Taiwan Yellow Cattle under Heat Stress.

Global warming has a significant impact on the dairy farming industry, as heat stress causes reproductive endocrine imbalances and leads to substantial economic losses, particularly in tropical-subtropical regions. The Holstein breed, which is widely used for dairy production, is highly susceptible to heat stress, resulting in a dramatic reduction in milk production during hot seasons. However, previous studies have shown that cells of cows produced from reconstructed embryos containing cytoplasm (o) from Taiwan yellow cattle (Y) have improved thermotolerance despite their nuclei (n) being derived from heat-sensitive Holstein cattle (H).

Revisiting the surgical table: An analysis of surgical dose-response in Asian exotropia.

Background: Previous research on the factors associated with surgical dose-response in strabismus surgery for exotropia has yielded inconsistent results. This study determined the factors influencing surgical dose-response in exotropia patients who underwent recession and resection (R&R).

Methods: Exotropia patients who underwent unilateral R&R at the National Taiwan University Hospital between 2006 and 2021 were evaluated.

Efficacy of HMJ-38, a new quinazolinone analogue, against the gemcitabine-resistant MIA-PaCa-2 pancreatic cancer cells.

Gemcitabine is frequently utilized to treat pancreatic cancer. The purpose of our study was to create a gemcitabine-resistant MIA-PaCa-2 pancreatic cancer cell line (MIA-GR100) and to evaluate the anti-pancreatic cancer efficacy of HMJ-38, a new quinazolinone analogue. Compared to their parental counterparts, MIA-PaCa-2, established MIA-GR100 cells were less sensitive to gemcitabine.

Niche and phenotypic differentiation in fern hybrid speciation, a case study of Pteris fauriei (Pteridaceae).

Background And Aims: Niche differentiation is a crucial issue in speciation. Although it has a well-known role in adaptive processes of hybrid angiosperms, it is less understood in hybrid ferns. Here, we investigate whether an intermediate ecological niche of a fern hybrid is a novel adaptation that provides insights into fern hybrid speciation.

Female travellers in hospitality and tourism industry: A systematic literature review.

Female tourism is gaining momentum in the world. Thus, a review of female tourism is essential to explore future research directions. The paper discusses the evolution of female tourism research from the early 1980s to 2022 through different analytical methods.

Automated identification and quantification of metastatic brain tumors and perilesional edema based on a deep learning neural network.

Purpose: This paper presents a deep learning model for use in the automated segmentation of metastatic brain tumors and associated perilesional edema.

Methods: The model was trained using Gamma Knife surgical data (90 MRI sets from 46 patients), including the initial treatment plan and follow-up images (T1-weighted contrast-enhanced (T1cWI) and T2-weighted images (T2WI)) manually annotated by neurosurgeons to indicate the target tumor and edema regions. A mask region-based convolutional neural network was used to extract brain parenchyma, after which the DeepMedic 3D convolutional neural network was in the segmentation of tumors and edemas.

The effect of radiotherapy on patients with pathological stage IIB breast cancer after breast-conserving surgery or mastectomy: A cohort study.

Background: Breast cancer is one of the most common cancers in women, and treatment options include surgery, systemic therapies, and radiotherapy (RT). While postoperative RT plays an important role in reducing local recurrence rates and improving survival outcomes, its exact impact on patients with pathological stage IIB breast cancers remains unidentified.

Methods: In this retrospective cohort study, patients with newly diagnosed pathological stage IIB breast cancer who underwent surgery and postoperative RT were included.