Does septic arthritis after anterior cruciate ligament reconstruction lead to poor outcomes? A systematic review and meta-analysis of observational studies.

Background: Septic arthritis is a rare but devastating complication after anterior cruciate ligament reconstruction (ACLR). While early treatment can prevent significant graft complications, outcomes are often inferior to those in uncomplicated ACLR. Furthermore, whether to retain or remove the graft after infection remains debatable.

Diagnostic value of neutrophil-to-lymphocyte ratio and albumin-to-globulin ratio for periprosthetic joint infections: a systematic review and meta-analysis.

Purpose: Periprosthetic joint infection (PJI) is a serious complication after joint arthroplasty, resulting in high morbidity and mortality. The neutrophil-to-lymphocyte ratio (NLR) and albumin-to-globulin ratio (AGR) are novel diagnostic markers for PJI; however, their diagnostic value remains inconsistent.

Methods: This meta-analysis was conducted using the PubMed, Embase, and MEDLINE databases to determine the diagnostic accuracy of NLR and AGR for PJI in the knee or hip.

Safety, tolerability, and efficacy of intranasally-administered detoxified LTh(αK) in mild-to-moderate COVID-19 patients: A randomized, double-blinded, placebo-controlled phase 2 study.

The objective of the study was to assess the safety, tolerability, and potential efficacy of intranasally administered AD17002, a detoxified form of heat-labile enterotoxin, in treating individuals with mild-to-moderate coronavirus disease of 2019 (COVID-19). In this randomized, double-blinded, and placebo-controlled phase 2a study, a total of 30 adults aged 20-70 years with mild-to-moderate COVID-19 were recruited from three medical centers in Taiwan in 2022-2023. The trial comprised two cohorts, and participants were randomly assigned to receive intranasal administrations of either three doses of AD17002 immunomodulator or a placebo formulation buffer.

The Second Hip Fracture is not an Independent Predictor of Poor Outcomes in Elderly Patients - A Case-Control Study.

Introduction: Hip fracture is particularly seen in elderly patients with frailty and osteoporosis and leads to diminished functional independence and quality of life. Despite the susceptibility of these patients to a second hip fracture (SHF), the literature insufficiently discussed its impact leading to poor outcomes. This study aims to directly assess the outcomes of elderly patients with initial hip fractures (IHF) vs those experiencing an SHF within a well-matched group with similar characteristics.

High-Verdet Constant and Low-Optical Loss Tb Doped Magnetite Nanoparticles.

Magneto-optical (MO) polymer nanocomposites have emerged as alternatives to conventional MO crystals, particularly in nanophotonics applications, thanks to their better processing flexibility and superior Verdet constants. However, a higher Verdet constant commonly comes with excessive optical loss due to increased absorption and scattering, resulting in a constant or reduced figure-of-merit (FOM) defined as the Verdet constant over optical loss. By doping magnetite (FeO) nanoparticles with Tb ions, we report a new strategy to enhance the Verdet constant without increasing the optical loss.

Broadband frequency comb generation through cascaded quadratic nonlinearity in thin-film lithium niobate microresonators.

Broadband frequency comb generation through cascaded quadratic nonlinearity remains experimentally untapped in free-space cavities with bulk χ materials mainly due to the high threshold power and restricted ability of dispersion engineering. Thin-film lithium niobate (LN) is a good platform for nonlinear optics due to the tight mode confinement in a nano-dimensional waveguide, the ease of dispersion engineering, large quadratic nonlinearities, and flexible phase matching via periodic poling. Here we demonstrate broadband frequency comb generation through dispersion engineering in a thin-film LN microresonator.

Preoperative handgrip strength can predict early postoperative shoulder function in patients undergoing arthroscopic rotator cuff repair.

Background: Rotator cuff tears (RCTs) are a common musculoskeletal disorder, and arthroscopic rotator cuff repair (ARCR) is widely performed for tendon repair. Handgrip strength correlates with rotator cuff function; however, whether preoperative grip strength can predict functional outcomes in patients undergoing ARCR remains unknown. This study aimed to investigate the correlation between preoperative grip strength and postoperative shoulder function following ARCR.

Automated osteoporosis classification and -score prediction using hip radiographs deep learning algorithm.

Background: Despite being the gold standard for diagnosing osteoporosis, dual-energy X-ray absorptiometry (DXA) is an underutilized screening tool for osteoporosis.

Objectives: This study proposed and validated a controllable feature layer of a convolutional neural network (CNN) model with a preprocessing image algorithm to classify osteoporosis and predict -score on the proximal hip region simple hip radiographs.

Design: This was a single-center, retrospective study.

Recurrence Pattern Is an Independent Surgical Prognostic Factor for Long-Term Oncological Outcomes in Patients with Hepatocellular Carcinoma.

Background: The perioperative outcomes of a partial hepatectomy for hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) have improved. However, high recurrence rates after a curative hepatectomy for HCC is still an issue. This study aimed to analyze the difference between various recurrence patterns.

A colonial serrated polyp classification model using white-light ordinary endoscopy images with an artificial intelligence model and TensorFlow chart.

In this study, we implemented a combination of data augmentation and artificial intelligence (AI) model-Convolutional Neural Network (CNN)-to help physicians classify colonic polyps into traditional adenoma (TA), sessile serrated adenoma (SSA), and hyperplastic polyp (HP). We collected ordinary endoscopy images under both white and NBI lights. Under white light, we collected 257 images of HP, 423 images of SSA, and 60 images of TA.

The predictive value of laboratory parameters for no-reflow phenomenon in patients with ST-elevation myocardial infarction following primary percutaneous coronary intervention: A meta-analysis.

To date, the predictive role of laboratory indicators for the phenomenon of no flow is unclear. Hence, our objective was to conduct a meta-analysis to investigate the association between laboratory parameters and the risk of the no-reflow phenomenon in patients with ST-elevation myocardial infarction (STEMI) following primary percutaneous coronary intervention (PCI). This, in turn, aims to offer valuable insights for early clinical prediction of no-reflow.

Association Between Long‑Term Exposure to Air Pollution and the Rate of Mortality After Hip Fracture Surgery in Patients Older Than 60 Years: Nationwide Cohort Study in Taiwan.

Background: To enhance postoperative patient survival, particularly in older adults, understanding the predictors of mortality following hip fracture becomes paramount. Air pollution, a prominent global environmental issue, has been linked to heightened morbidity and mortality across a spectrum of diseases. Nevertheless, the precise impact of air pollution on hip fracture outcomes remains elusive.

Turnkey photonic flywheel in a microresonator-filtered laser.

Dissipative Kerr soliton (DKS) microcomb has emerged as an enabling technology that revolutionizes a wide range of applications in both basic science and technological innovation. Reliable turnkey operation with sub-optical-cycle and sub-femtosecond timing jitter is key to the success of many intriguing microcomb applications at the intersection of ultrafast optics and microwave electronics. Here we propose an approach and demonstrate the first turnkey Brillouin-DKS frequency comb to the best of our knowledge.

Impact of the COVID-19 vaccine booster strategy on vaccine protection: a pilot study of a military hospital in Taiwan.

Purpose: The global fight against the severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2) pandemic has led to widespread vaccination efforts, yet the optimal dosing schedule for SARS-CoV-2 vaccines remains a subject of ongoing research. This study aims to investigate the effectiveness of administering two booster doses as the third and fourth doses at different intervals to enhance vaccine protection.

Materials And Methods: This study was conducted at a military regional hospital operated by the Ministry of National Defense in Taiwan.

Minimal short-term decline in functional performance and quality of life predicts better long-term outcomes for both in older Taiwanese adults after hip fracture surgery: a prospective study.

Background: Hip fracture can lead to long-term loss of mobility and self-care ability in older adults. Despite initial decreases in functional performance after hip fracture surgery, patients tend to gradually recover. However, recovery can vary, with some regaining their abilities quickly while others becoming functionally dependent.

Plant-based polyphenol rich protein supplementation attenuated skeletal muscle loss and lowered the LDL level gut microbiota remodeling in Taiwan's community-dwelling elderly.

Sarcopenia, characterized by muscle loss, negatively affects the elderly's physical activity and survival. Enhancing protein and polyphenol intake, possibly through the supplementation of fermented black soybean koji product (BSKP), may alleviate sarcopenia by addressing anabolic deficiencies and gut microbiota dysbiosis because of high contents of polyphenols and protein in BSKP. This study aimed to examine the effects of long-term supplementation with BSKP on mitigating sarcopenia in the elderly and the underlying mechanisms.

Inhalable chitosan-based hydrogel as a mucosal adjuvant for hydroxychloroquine in the treatment for SARS-CoV-2 infection in a hamster model.

Background: Effective therapy for COVID-19 remains limited. Hydroxychloroquine (HCQ) has been considered, but safety and efficacy concerns remain. Chitosan exhibits antiviral and immunomodulatory effects, yet how the combination of HCQ and chitosan performs in treating COVID-19 is unknown.

Point-of-care detection devices for wound care and monitoring.

Healthcare resources are heavily burdened by infections that impede the wound-healing process. A wide range of advanced technologies have been developed for detecting and quantifying infection biomarkers. Finding a timely, accurate, non-invasive diagnostic alternative that does not require a high level of training is a critical step toward arresting common clinical patterns of wound health decline.

Hepatitis C accelerates extrahepatic cholangiocarcinoma risk: a joint study of hospital-based cases and nationwide population-based cohorts in a viral hepatitis-endemic area.

Hepatitis C virus (HCV) infection causes many cancers, including intrahepatic cholangiocarcinoma. Whether it increases the risk of extrahepatic cholangiocarcinoma (ECC) is unknown. A 10-year nationwide population-based cohort study of the Taiwan National Health Insurance Research Database (TNHIRD) was conducted.

Case report: Duodenal obstruction caused by gastroduodenal artery pseudoaneurysm with hematoma: an unusual case and literature review.

Visceral artery pseudoaneurysm is a rare disease that most commonly occurs in male patients in their 50s, with gastroduodenal artery (GDA) pseudoaneurysm accounting for only 1.5% of these. The treatment options generally include open surgery and endovascular treatment.

Association of Coffee and Tea Intake with Bone Mineral Density and Hip Fracture: A Meta-Analysis.

: Osteoporosis is characterized by low bone mass and high bone fragility. Findings regarding the association of coffee and tea intake with osteoporosis have been inconsistent. We conducted this meta-analysis to investigate whether coffee and tea intake is associated with low bone mineral density (BMD) and high hip fracture risk.

-score discordance between hip and lumbar spine: risk factors and clinical implications.

Background: -score discordance is common in osteoporosis diagnosis and leads to problems for clinicians formulating treatment plans.

Objectives: This study investigated the potential predictors of -score discordance and compared fracture risk among individuals with varying -score discordance status.

Design: This was a single-center cross-sectional study conducted at Wan Fang Hospital, Taipei City, between 1 February 2020 and 31 January 2022.