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.

Long-term follow-up of neurocognitive function in patients with citrin deficiency and cholestasis.

Background: Citrin deficiency is a rare metabolic disorder prevalent in East and Southeast Asia that affects liver or neurological function throughout various life stages. While early diagnosis and dietary management can improve prognosis for infant onset disease, data on long-term neurocognitive outcomes is scarce.

Purpose: This study aimed to clarify whether transient metabolic disturbances during early childhood have a lasting effect on the neurocognitive function of individuals with citrin deficiency.

Picture communication symbols and voice symbols: iconicity and preference among healthy older adults in Taiwan.

. Unaided (e.g.

Effective bone healing after corrective osteotomy in a patient with FGF23-related hypophosphatemic disease using short-term burosumab treatment.

Hypophosphatemic rickets is a rare metabolic bone disease caused by renal phosphate wasting, leading to impaired bone mineralization. We present a case of a boy with fibroblast growth factor 23 (FGF23)-related hypophosphatemic rickets who did not achieve callus consolidation after six months of conventional therapy with phosphate and active vitamin D following corrective osteotomy. After one month of therapy with an FGF23 antibody (burosumab), the patient demonstrated significant improvement and no longer required a walking aid.

The neuropsychological impacts of COVID-19 in non-hospitalized patients with long COVID and brain fog.

Background: Coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) causes persistent symptoms, including brain fog. Based on limited research on the long-term consequences of mild COVID-19, which has yielded inconsistent results, we investigated which cognitive functions were most affected by COVID-19 in non-hospitalized Asian patients with long-term COVID and subjective cognitive complaints.

Methods: Fifty-five non-hospitalized patients with long COVID and brain fog (24 males and 31 females, mean age: 45.

Curated incidence of lysosomal storage diseases from the Taiwan Biobank.

Lysosomal storage diseases (LSDs) are a group of metabolic disorders resulting from a deficiency in one of the lysosomal hydrolases. Most LSDs are inherited in an autosomal or X-linked recessive manner. As LSDs are rare, their true incidence in Taiwan remains unknown.

Serum brain-derived neurotrophic factor levels as a predictor for Alzheimer disease progression.

Background: Brain-derived neurotrophic factor (BDNF) has been implicated in the pathophysiology of Alzheimer's disease (AD), and decreased peripheral levels of this protein are associated with an increased risk of developing the disease. This study focuses on whether serum BDNF levels could be used as a predictor of AD progression.

Methods: In this longitudinal observational study, we recruited cognition normal participants (N = 98) and AD (N = 442) from the Clinic at the Taipei Veterans General Hospital.

Precocious puberty in patients with Pompe disease.

Introduction: The life expectancy of Pompe disease patients has increased due to improved neonatal screening and enzyme replacement therapy. Nevertheless, the potential effect of frequent medical device exposure on pubertal development in these patients is not well understood, so further investigation is warranted.

Methods: In this cross-sectional study, we assessed the growth and puberty of nine Pompe disease patients.

Core vocabulary for AAC practice from Mandarin Chinese-speaking Taiwanese without disabilities.

The purpose of this study was to select a core vocabulary list obtained from Mandarin Chinese-speaking Taiwanese persons without disabilities. Mandarin Chinese is dominant and official language of Taiwan. A total of 28 participants, equally divided among seven age groups, were recruited for the study.

Morphological changes of foveal cysts as a predictor for visual response to anti-vascular endothelial growth factor treatments in diabetic macular edema : Degenerative cyst in DME.

Purpose: To investigate morphological changes of intraretinal cyst in association with visual acuity following treatment for diabetic macular edema.

Methods: This retrospective study enrolled 105 eyes from 105 treatment naïve patients with diabetic macular edema following anti-vascular endothelial growth factor injections. Best-corrected visual acuity (BCVA) and optical coherence tomography (OCT) data were obtained at baseline, 1, 3, 6, and 12 months.

Dyadic Conversation between Mandarin-Chinese-Speaking Healthy Older Adults: From Analyses of Conversation Turns and Speaking Roles.

Older adults' daily conversations with other older adults enable them to connect to their surrounding communities and improve their friendships. However, typical aging processes and fluctuations in family caring might cause conversation changes. The purpose of this study was to explore the quantitative contributions of conversation turns (CTs) and speaking roles (SRs) in Mandarin-Chinese-speaking conversation dyads between mutually familiar healthy older adults (HOAs).

Using the ICF Framework to Assess Communicative Competence in Dyadic Communication among Children and Adolescents Who Use Augmentative and Alternative Communication Devices in Taiwan.

Augmentative and alternative communication (AAC) devices enable children and adolescents (CAD) with communication disorders to communicate competently and develop friendships through communicative competence (CC). Existing assessment tools are unable to indicate whether CAD aged 0 to 18 years would competently use the subsidized AAC devices provided by the Ministry of Health and Welfare in Taiwan. This study, thus, aimed to develop an assessment tool by using the International Classification of Functioning, Disability and Health (ICF) to measure CC in dyadic communication among CAD using AAC devices.

A missense variant in the nuclear localization signal of DKC1 causes Hoyeraal-Hreidarsson syndrome.

Hoyeraal-Hreidarsson syndrome (HHS) is the most severe form of dyskeratosis congenita (DC) and is caused by mutations in genes involved in telomere maintenance. Here, we identified male siblings from a family with HHS carrying a hemizygous mutation (c.1345C > G, p.

Adult height of children with congenital adrenal hyperplasia due to 21-hydroxylase deficiency.

Background/purposes: Congenital adrenal hyperplasia attributable to 21-hydroxylase deficiency (21-OHD) is a disorder of adrenal steroidogenesis. Achievement of optimal growth by such patients is challenging. We evaluated the adult height of Taiwanese children with 21-OHD and the effect of a gonadotropin-releasing hormone analogue (GnRHa) in patients with central precocious puberty (CPP) complicating 21-OHD.

Development of ICF core set to profile communicative competence in dyadic communication among adults who use communication devices in Taiwan.

Purpose: This study aimed to develop an ICF core set to profile communicative competence in dyadic communication among adults who use communication devices in Taiwan.

Materials And Methods: The study was conducted following the release of a manual by the World Health Organisation (WHO) on how to develop the International Classification of Functioning, Disability and Health (ICF) core set in three phases: , , and . The helped collect and sort second-level ICF codes into a candidate list based on different perspectives, including (i.

Cross-Camera External Validation for Artificial Intelligence Software in Diagnosis of Diabetic Retinopathy.

Aims: To investigate the applicability of deep learning image assessment software VeriSee DR to different color fundus cameras for the screening of diabetic retinopathy (DR).

Methods: Color fundus images of diabetes patients taken with three different nonmydriatic fundus cameras, including 477 Topcon TRC-NW400, 459 Topcon TRC-NW8 series, and 471 Kowa nonmyd 8 series that were judged as "gradable" by one ophthalmologist were enrolled for validation. VeriSee DR was then used for the diagnosis of referable DR according to the International Clinical Diabetic Retinopathy Disease Severity Scale.

Aggregation Control, Surface Passivation, and Optimization of Device Structure toward Near-Infrared Perovskite Quantum-Dot Light-Emitting Diodes with an EQE up to 15.4.

In recent years, the performance of perovskite quantum dots (QDs) and QD-based light-emitting diodes (QLEDs) has improved greatly, with electroluminescence (EL) efficiency of green and red emission exceeding 20%. However, the development of perovskite near-infrared (NIR) QLEDs has reached stagnation, where the reported maximum EL efficiency is still below 6%, limiting their further applications. In this work, new NIR-emissive FAPbI QDs are developed by post-treating long alkyl-encapsulated QDs with 2-phenylethylammonium iodide (PEAI).

Short stature leads to a diagnosis of Jansen-de Vries syndrome in two unrelated Taiwanese girls: A case report and literature review.

Short stature and intellectual disability are two of the major components of many dysmorphic syndromes. Jansen-de Vries syndrome (JDVS) is a rare syndromic disorder that was discovered recently using next-generation sequencing. It is characterized by hypotonia, developmental delay, a dysmorphic face, short stature, and high pain threshold and is caused by the variants of the protein phosphatase magnesium-dependent 1D (PPM1D) gene.

Patterns of ellipsoid zone change associated with visual outcome for diabetic macular oedema.

: Optical coherence tomography biomarkers are dynamic and possibly change over time. The dynamic biomarkers may better predict improvement of final vision than those at baseline for diabetic macular oedema after treatment.: To investigate predictors for ellipsoid zone (EZ) dynamics and the association with visual acuity after treatment for diabetic macular oedema: A total of 135 eyes from 135 patients with anti-vascular endothelial growth factor treatment for diabetic macular oedema were retrospectively enrolled in this study.

Intravitreal Aflibercept versus Ranibizumab for Diabetic Macular Edema in a Taiwanese Health Service Setting.

To compare the visual and anatomical outcomes between intravitreal aflibercept and ranibizumab for diabetic macular edema A total of 194 eyes from 194 patients (aflibercept n = 95, ranibizumab n = 99) were retrospectively enrolled in the study. All eyes fulfilled the key criteria including a baseline best-corrected visual acuity (BCVA) between 20 and 70 ETDRS letters, a central subfield thickness (CST) 300 µm or more. Primary outcomes were BCVA and CST at 1, 3, 6, and 12 months.

Conversation turns and speaking roles contributed by Mandarin Chinese dyadic conversations between adults who use speech-generating devices and adults who use natural speech.

Few studies have critically examined contributed conversation turns and speaking roles in dyadic Mandarin Chinese conversations between adults who use natural speech and adults who use SGDs. An analysis of conversation turns considers how conversation participants co-construct conversation processes, whereas an analysis of speaking roles considers how conversation participants co-construct conversation contents. The purpose of the current study was to explore the quantitative contributions of conversation turns and speaking roles in familiar Mandarin Chinese conversation dyads between adults who use SGDs and adults who use natural speech.

Assessing Physiological Stress Responses to Word Retrieval in Individuals with Aphasia: A Preliminary Study.

Objective: Word retrieval difficulty can be distressing for individuals with aphasia. However, physiological stress responses to word retrieval are relatively unstudied. This study aims to measure the physiological response (i.

Association of Body Fluid Expansion With Optical Coherence Tomography Measurements in Diabetic Retinopathy and Diabetic Macular Edema.

Purpose: To evaluate associations of body fluid status with optical coherence tomography measurements in patients with diabetic retinopathy (DR).

Methods: This prospective, cross-sectional study enrolled a total of 104 eyes from 104 patients with diabetes mellitus for fundus evaluations of DR and optical coherence tomography examinations. DR severity was graded via fundus photography.

Dengue and Zika Virus Domain III-Flagellin Fusion and Glycan-Masking E Antigen for Prime-Boost Immunization.

The viral E proteins of dengue virus (DENV) and Zika virus (ZIKV) are the major viral proteins involved in receptor binding and fusion, and for the induction of protective antibodies against viral infections. DIII of the E proteins is an independent domain and stretches out on the virion surface that can elicit type-specific neutralizing antibodies. For recombinant DIII vaccine development, prime-boost immunizations can provide an advantage of eliciting more type-specific neutralizing antibodies by recalling DIII antigens after DIII booster to improve protection.

Crystal structure of the programmed cell death 5 protein from Sulfolobus solfataricus.

Programmed cell death 5 (PDCD5) is a vital signaling protein in the apoptosis pathway in eukaryotes. It is known that there are two dissociated N-terminal regions and a triple-helix core in eukaryotic PDCD5. Structural and functional studies of PDCD5 from hyperthermophilic archaea have been limited to date.