Identification of middle cerebral artery stenosis in transcranial Doppler using a modified VGG-16.

Objectives: The diagnosis of intracranial atherosclerotic stenosis (ICAS) is of great significance for the prevention of stroke. Deep learning (DL)-based artificial intelligence techniques may aid in the diagnosis. The study aimed to identify ICAS in the middle cerebral artery (MCA) based on a modified DL model.

Factors Related to Caregivers' Intention to Vaccinate Their Elderly Family Members with Major Neurocognitive Disorders against COVID-19.

Vaccination helps reduce the risk of coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) infection in elderly individuals with major neurocognitive disorders (MNDs). However, some caregivers are hesitant to have their elderly family members with MNDs vaccinated against COVID-19. This study explored the factors influencing caregivers' intentions to vaccinate elderly family members with MNDs against COVID-19.

Factors Related to Mpox-Vaccine Uptake among Men Who Have Sex with Men in Taiwan: Roles of Information Sources and Emotional Problems.

An mpox outbreak occurred suddenly and rapidly spread worldwide in 2022. Research has demonstrated a link between the sexual behavior of men who have sex with men (MSM) and the contraction of mpox. This study assessed the factors related to mpox-vaccine uptake among MSM in Taiwan, focusing on the roles of information sources and emotional problems.

Predicting risk of dementia among the elderly with major depressive disorder in remission: A prospective study.

Objectives: Cognitive impairment and change are a focus of research into late-life depression. The aims of this 5-year prospective study were (1) to observe cognitive status change; (2) to investigate the rate and risk ratio of dementia or cognitive decline; and (3) to examine the cognitive domain predictors for conversion to dementia within 5 years among a clinical cohort with remitted major depressive disorder (MDD).

Methods: The study cohort included 130 elderly persons with late-life remitted MDD and 100 normal controls.

A 4-year prospective investigation of predictive effects of prepandemic sexual stigma, affective symptoms, and family support on fear of COVID-19 among lesbian, gay, and bisexual individuals.

Aim: This prospective study examined whether prepandemic sexual stigma, affective symptoms, and family support can predict fear of coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) among lesbian, gay, and bisexual (LGB) individuals.

Methods: Data of 1,000 LGB individual on prepandemic sociodemographic characteristics, sexual stigma (familial sexual stigma [FSS] measured by the Homosexuality-Related Stigma Scale, internalized sexual stigma [ISS] measured by the Measure of Internalized Sexual Stigma for Lesbians and Gay Men, and sexual orientation microaggression [SOM] measured by the Sexual Orientation Microaggression Inventory), affective symptoms (i.e.

Molecular Engineering and Confinement Effect Powered Ultrabright Nanoparticles for Improving Sensitivity of Lateral Flow Immunoassay.

The application of traditional lateral flow immunoassay (LFIA)-based gold nanoparticles (AuNPs) to measure traces of target chemicals is usually challenging. In this study, we developed an integrated strategy based on molecular engineering and the spatial confinement of nanoparticles (NPs) to obtain ultrahigh quantum yields (QYs) of aggregation-induced emission (AIE) fluorescence NPs and employed them for the highly sensitive detection of T-2 toxin on the LFIA platform. Tetraethyl-4,4',4″,4‴-(ethene-1,1,2,2-tetrayl)tetrabenzoate (TCPEME), an AIE luminogen, was designed using molecular engineering to lower the energy gap, achieving higher QYs (26.

Predictors of problematic smartphone use among young adult lesbian, gay and bisexual individuals during the COVID-19 pandemic: a four-year follow-up study.

Background: This 4-year follow-up study was conducted to evaluate the predictive effects of prepandemic individual and environmental factors on problematic smartphone use (PSU) among young adult lesbian, gay, and bisexual (LGB) individuals during the COVID-19 pandemic.

Methods: Data on prepandemic PSU, demographics, sexual stigma (e.g.

Left Ventricular Pressure Strain Loops for Evaluation of Myocardial Work in Type 2 Diabetic Patients with Hypertension.

Background: Type 2 diabetes mellitus (T2DM) and hypertension (HT) are the two most common underlying diseases worldwide, and they often coexist. The long-term existence of both may lead to left ventricular dysfunction. Therefore, evaluating the cardiac function of T2DM patients with HT is vital to guide treatment and improve prognosis.

A Newly Developed Scale for Assessing Experienced and Anticipated Sexual Stigma in Health-Care Services for Gay and Bisexual Men.

Gay and bisexual men's experiences and worries of sexual stigma by health-care providers may delay them from seeking health-care assistance. Our study developed the Experienced and Anticipated Sexual Stigma Scale in Health-care Services (EASSSiHS) and examined its psychometric properties. The six-item EASSSiHS was first developed on the basis of the results of focus group interviews with 24 participants.

Validation and Comparison of the Informant-Rated and Self-Rated Versions of the Mild Behavioral Impairment Checklist.

Background: The Mild Behavioral Impairment Checklist (MBI-C) has been developed to assess mild behavioral impairment (MBI). However, no study has validated the use of MBI-C using a promising translation method in Taiwan. Thus, consistency and discrepancy between informant-rated and self-rated scores have not been extensively researched.

Comparing the Psychometric Properties among Three Versions of the UCLA Loneliness Scale in Individuals with Schizophrenia or Schizoaffective Disorder.

The UCLA Loneliness Scale (Version 3; UCLA-LSV3) is widely used for assessing loneliness. Nevertheless, the validity of this scale for assessing loneliness in individuals with schizophrenia or schizoaffective disorder has not been determined. Additionally, studies validating the eight-item and three-item versions of UCLA-LSV3 have not included individuals with severe mental illness; therefore, whether the short versions are comparable to the full 20-item version of UCLA-LSV3 for this population is unclear.

Cardiac Autonomic and Cardiac Vagal Control During and After Depressive and Happiness Autobiographical Memories in Patients With Major Depressive Disorder.

Background: Heart rate variability (HRV) and respiratory sinus arrhythmia (RSA) are indices of cardiac autonomic and cardiac vagal control (CVC), both of which are markers of emotional regulation and physical health. This study examined (1) the differences in cardiac autonomic regulation and CVC during baseline, depressive, and happiness autobiographical memory tasks between participants with major depressive disorder (MDD group) and healthy controls (HC group); (2) the associations between depressive symptoms and cardiac autonomic and CVC; and (3) the reactivity and recovery of cardiac autonomic and CVC between the MDD and HC groups.

Methods: A total of 168 and 178 participants were included in the MDD and HC groups, respectively.

Application of Contrast-enhanced Ultrasound and Bosniak Classification to the Diagnosis of Cystic Renal Masses.

Background: The Bosniak classification system based on contrast-enhanced computed tomography (CECT) is commonly used for the differential diagnosis of cystic renal masses. Contrastenhanced ultrasound (CEUS) is a relatively novel technique, which has gradually played an important role in the diagnosis of cystic renal cell carcinoma (CRCC) due to its safety and lowest price.

Objective: The aim of the study is to investigate the application value of CEUS and Bosniak classification into the diagnosis of cystic renal masses.

Problematic Smartphone Use and Its Associations with Sexual Minority Stressors, Gender Nonconformity, and Mental Health Problems among Young Adult Lesbian, Gay, and Bisexual Individuals in Taiwan.

Smartphones are a necessity for many people; however, problematic smartphone use (PSU) may negatively influence people's mental health. Using multivariate linear regression analysis, the study examined the associations of sexual minority stressors [namely perceived sexual stigma from family members, sexual orientation microaggressions (SOMs), and internalized sexual stigma] and gender nonconformity with PSU severity as well as the associations of PSU with depression and anxiety in young adult lesbian, gay, and bisexual (LGB) individuals. This cross-sectional survey study recruited 1000 young adult LGB individuals (500 men and 500 women).

One-kilojoule pulsed-power generator for laboratory space sciences.

This paper reports on the assembly of a compact, low-cost, pulsed-power facility used for plasma studies. The construction uses two modules placed on opposite sides of the test chamber to minimize the system impedance and improve access to test samples. The stored energy is 1  kJ with a peak current of 135  kA and a 1592  ns quarter-period time.

Neuropsychiatric symptoms and mortality among patients with mild cognitive impairment and dementia due to Alzheimer's disease.

Background: Neuropsychiatric symptoms (NPS) could increase mortality risk in people with dementia due to Alzheimer's disease (AD). However, whether NPS affects mortality risk in people with mild cognitive impairment (MCI) and whether any specific syndrome of NPS influences this risk are still unclear.

Methods: In total, 984 participants with dementia due to AD, 338 with MCI, and 365 controls were enrolled.

Prefrontal Lobe and Posterior Cingulate Cortex Activations in Patients with Major Depressive Disorder by Using Standardized Weighted Low-Resolution Electromagnetic Tomography.

Background: The differences in brain activity between patients with major depressive disorder (MDD) and healthy adults have been confirmed by functional magnetic resonance imaging (fMRI), positron emission tomography (PET), and electroencephalography (EEG). The prefrontal lobe and posterior cingulate cortex (PCC) are related to emotional regulation in patients with MDD. However, the high cost and poor time resolution of fMRI and PET limit their clinical application.

Contrast-enhanced Ultrasound for Diagnosis of Renal Cystic Mass.

Background: Cystic Renal Cell Carcinoma (CRCC) is often difficult to differentiate from complex cysts with sonographic manifestations of renal carcinoma. Contrast-Enhanced Ultrasound (CEUS) is a new technology, and its clinical utility in the diagnosis of renal cystic mass has not been established.

Objective: The objective of this study is to analyze the characteristics of CEUS of renal cystic masses and to explore the clinical significance and value of CEUS in the diagnosis of CRCC.

Rail-gap switch with a multistep high-voltage triggering system.

A rail-gap switch with a multistep triggering system was developed. The rail-gap switch consisted of two rail-like electrodes and a knife-edge electrode parallel to each other. It was assembled from many pieces and filled with unpressurized-flowing dry air.

SPARC promotes insulin secretion through down-regulation of RGS4 protein in pancreatic β cells.

SPARC-deficient mice have been shown to exhibit impaired glucose tolerance and insulin secretion, but the underlying mechanism remains unknown. Here, we showed that SPARC enhanced the promoting effect of Muscarinic receptor agonist oxotremorine-M on insulin secretion in cultured mouse islets. Overexpression of SPARC down-regulated RGS4, a negative regulator of β-cell M3 muscarinic receptors.

Genetics of neuropsychiatric symptoms in patients with Alzheimer's disease: A 1-year follow-up study.

Aim: The aim of this study was to investigate the associations between candidate gene variants and domains of neuropsychiatric symptoms (NPS) and the changes in these associations over a 1-year period.

Methods: Seven hundred and ninety-three Taiwanese participants (47.8% female) with Alzheimer's disease (AD) were enrolled.

Association between Generalized Anxiety Disorder and Premenstrual Dysphoric Disorder in a Diagnostic Interviewing Study.

Premenstrual dysphoric disorder (PMDD) demonstrates predictable, cyclic, affective and somatic symptoms that are aggravated in the late luteal phase and are resolved by menstruation. Generalized anxiety disorder (GAD) is characterized by excessive and persistant worry. The present study aims to evaluate the association between PMDD and GAD.

Association of brain white matter lesions and atrophy with cognitive function in chronic kidney disease.

Objectives: Cognitive impairment is common in patients with chronic kidney disease (CKD), possibly leading to poor outcomes. However, the correlation between brain structural abnormalities and cognitive impairment remains unclear. The aim of this study was to investigate the impairment of specific cognitive domains and their association with brain structural abnormalities.