Effects of factors influencing cesarean section rates between 2008 and 2018 in Taiwan: A population-based cross-sectional study.

Many factors can affect delivery mode decisions. Therefore, this study aimed to explore the effects of maternal age, physician's sex, region, income, and hospital type on cesarean section (C/S) delivery rates between 2008 and 2018 in Taiwan. In this population-based cross-sectional study, data were extracted from the Taiwan National Health Insurance Research Database (2 million individuals).

Predictors and shared traits of longevity within 1 year before death in patients with schizophrenia receiving long-term care: 3-year retrospective cross-sectional study.

Background: Research on schizophrenia and life expectancy has mainly focused on premature mortality.

Aims: This study investigates factors associated with longevity in patients with schizophrenia receiving long-term care and identifies shared traits among these individuals.

Method: A retrospective cross-sectional study analysing the clinical records of 138 patients with schizophrenia who died between 2015 and 2017 in a psychiatric long-term care facility was conducted.

Different impacts of physical activity on health in urban and rural older adults.

Objective: This study aimed to explore the impact of physical activity on health among older adults in urban and rural areas in Taiwan.

Methods: This study employed a cross-sectional design and data were analyzed from 2015 to 2019 from the Hualien County Health Bureau. Participants were divided into urban (n = 4780) and rural groups (n = 4983), and logistic regression models were employed to examine how physical activity relates to their health condition in urban and rural older adults.

Diabetes and further risk of cancer: a nationwide population-based study.

Background: Individuals with diabetes have a significantly higher risk of developing various forms of cancer, and the potential biological links between these two diseases are not completely understood.

Methods: This was a longitudinal retrospective nationwide cohort study, a study design that allows us to examine the natural course of cancer development over an extended period of time with a large sample size. Initially, 3,111,975 and 22,208,395 eligible patients aged ≥ 20 years with and without diabetes, respectively, were matched by age, sex, and the Charlson comorbidity index.

Factors affecting vancomycin-resistant colonization of in-hospital patients in different wards.

Objectives: The prevalence of vancomycin-resistant (VRE) infection at a medical center in Eastern Taiwan rose to 80.6%, exceeding the average prevalence of 55.6% among all medical centers nationwide during the same period.

A real-world study for timely assessing the diabetic macular edema refractory to intravitreal anti-VEGF treatment.

Background: Early Identifying and characterizing patients with diabetic macular edema (DME) is essential for individualized treatment and outcome optimization. This study aimed to timely investigate optical coherence tomography (OCT) biomarkers of DME refractory to intravitreal anti-vascular endothelial growth factor (VEGF) therapy.

Methods: We retrospective reviewed 72 eyes from 44 treatment-naïve patients who were treated with intravitreal anti-VEGF for DME.

Association between vaginal or cesarean delivery and later development of stress urinary incontinence or pelvic organ prolapse: A retrospective population-based cohort study.

Introduction And Hypothesis: Child delivery mode may be associated with pelvic floor disorders. We explored the association between different delivery modes and later development of stress urinary incontinence (SUI) and pelvic organ prolapse (POP) in Taiwanese women.

Methods: This was a retrospective population-based cohort study.

Using real-time device-based visual feedback in CPR recertification programs: A prospective randomised controlled study.

Background: Receiving regular training to maintain CPR skills is critical for in-service health-care professionals, especially because motor skills diminish over time.

Objectives: To compare the effects of real-time device-based visual feedback and conventional instructor-based feedback on the chest compression skills and self-efficacy of nurses receiving a CPR recertification program.

Design: A prospective randomised controlled study with repeated measurements was conducted according to the CONSORT 2010 guidelines.

Association of Neutrophil-to-Lymphocyte Ratio and Bloodstream Infections with Survival after Curative-Intent Treatment in Elderly Patients with Oral Cavity Squamous Cell Carcinoma.

Patients with oral cavity squamous cell carcinoma (OSCC) undergoing curative-intent treatment may become immunocompromised. This study aimed to investigate the association of pretreatment sarcopenia, nutritional status, comorbidities, and blood-based inflammation prognostic biomarkers in bloodstream infection (BSI) with survival status in elderly patients with OSCC. Retrospective data were collected from 235 patients who were newly diagnosed with OSCC, were aged ≥ 65 years, had undergone curative-intent treatment, and were classified into either the BSI group or the no-BSI group within 6 months after surgery and/or adjuvant therapy initiation.

Correlation between the Control of Blood Glucose Level and HbA1C and the Incidence of Surgical Site Infection after Emergent Surgery for the Lower Limb Fracture among Type II DM Patients Aged More Than 50 Years Old.

This is the first study focusing on perioperative blood glycemic monitoring for the incidence of surgical site infection (SSI) among patients with type II DM (T2DM) during the 1-year follow-up after emergent orthopedic surgery. We retrospectively collected the data of 604 patients who had received surgery for unilateral lower limb traumatic fracture from January 2011 to January 2021, including 215 men and 389 women with a mean age of 71.21 and a mean BMI of 25.

Nurse-Led Counseling Intervention of Postoperative Home-Based Exercise Training Improves Shoulder Pain, Shoulder Disability, and Quality of Life in Newly Diagnosed Head and Neck Cancer Patients.

This randomized controlled trial investigated the effectiveness of the nurse-led counseling intervention (NLCI) of postoperative home-based exercise training (HBET) on functional outcomes in patients with newly diagnosed head and neck cancer (NDHNC). Forty NDHNC patients were randomly and equally divided into the control and intervention groups. Both groups received routine care, and were instructed to undergo a HBET program with 40 min moderate-intensity exercise 3-4 times per day for 12 weeks after their surgery.

LAWN TRIMMER-RELATED OPEN-GLOBE INJURIES IN TAIWAN.

Purpose: Work-related ocular trauma remains the leading cause of unilateral visual impairment worldwide. Many preventable work-related ocular injuries continue to occur, even at home. This study describes the characteristics, surgical techniques, and prognostic factors of lawn trimmer-related open-globe injuries in eastern Taiwan.

Prognostic Values of Inflammatory Indexes and Clinical Factors in Patients with Epidermal Growth Factor Receptor Mutations in Lung Adenocarcinoma and Treated with Tyrosine Kinase Inhibitors.

This study aimed to access the predictive value of inflammatory indices and clinical factors in toxicity and survival in patients with epidermal growth factor receptor (EGFR)-mutated lung adenocarcinoma receiving first-line tyrosine kinase inhibitor (TKI)-treatment. A total of 259 patients with stage IIIB−IV lung adenocarcinoma and actionable EGFR mutation who received first-line TKI treatment between 2008 and 2020 were retrospectively enrolled and analyzed. The prognostic factors of TKI-related toxicity, overall survival (OS), and progression-free survival (PFS) were identified by using logistic regression analysis and Cox proportional hazards models.

Association between Sarcopenia and Immediate Complications and Mortality in Patients with Oral Cavity Squamous Cell Carcinoma Undergoing Surgery.

Sarcopenia negatively affects oncologic outcomes. However, studies have yet to reveal whether it is associated with postoperative complications and survival among patients with oral cavity squamous cell carcinoma (OSCC). This study retrospectively enrolled 592 patients undergoing primary OSCC surgery with available computed tomography (CT) images of their third cervical vertebrae (C3) within 30 days before surgery between January 2011 and December 2020.

Systemic Inflammation Index and Tumor Glycolytic Heterogeneity Help Risk Stratify Patients with Advanced Epidermal Growth Factor Receptor-Mutated Lung Adenocarcinoma Treated with Tyrosine Kinase Inhibitor Therapy.

Tyrosine kinase inhibitors (TKIs) are the first-line treatment for patients with advanced epidermal growth factor receptor ()-mutated lung adenocarcinoma. Over half of patients failed to achieve prolonged survival benefits from TKI therapy. Awareness of a reliable prognostic tool may provide a valuable direction for tailoring individual treatments.

Designing a Scoring System for Differential Diagnosis From Reactive Thrombocytosis and Essential Thrombocytosis.

Thrombocytosis is a common finding in hospitalized patients and is of two main types, essential thrombocytosis (ET) and reactive thrombocytosis (RT). It is important to distinguish the two due to increased risk of developing marrow fibrosis, acute leukemia, and thrombosis in the former. Molecular studies are the main tools to differentiate the two but are not available in all hospitals.

Long-term use of valproic acid reduced mortality in bipolar disorder patients in a Taiwanese population: An association analysis using the national health insurance research database (NHIRD).

Objective: Valproic acid (VPA) is used for the treatment of epilepsy and bipolar disorder (BD). The aims of this study was to examine that long-term VPA use affects mortality in BD patients.

Methods: Association analysis was conducted using the National Health Insurance Research Database (NHIRD) of Taiwan.

Evaluation of Sarcopenia, Frailty, and Inflammation on Adverse Events and Survival Outcomes in Patients with Oral Cavity Squamous Cell Carcinoma under Adjuvant Chemoradiotherapy.

In this study, we aimed to evaluate the prognostic impact of sarcopenia, five-item modified frailty index (mFI-5), neutrophil/lymphocyte ratio (NLR), and platelet/lymphocyte ratio (PLR) in patients with oral cavity squamous cell carcinoma (OSCC) treated with adjuvant chemoradiotherapy (CRT) and their survival outcomes. We retrospectively enrolled 175 patients with OSCC undergoing adjuvant CRT between 2011 and 2018, who were divided into groups with ( = 112) and without ( = 63) sarcopenia. Logistic regression analysis and Cox proportional hazards models were used to determine prognostic factors for CRT-related toxicity, three-year overall survival (OS), and disease-free survival (DFS).

Development and Validation of Nurses' Well-Being and Caring Nurse-Patient Interaction Model: A Psychometric Study.

Nurses' care nurse-patient interaction (CNPI) competence is critical for improving nursing care quality. The focus is the psychological quality of nurses, which may be derived from their sense of well-being. The purpose of this study was to develop a conceptual model of nurses' well-being and their CNPI competence.

Different Patterns in Ranking of Risk Factors for the Onset Age of Acute Myocardial Infarction between Urban and Rural Areas in Eastern Taiwan.

This cross-sectional study aimed to investigate the difference in ranking of risk factors of onset age of acute myocardial infarction (AMI) between urban and rural areas in Eastern Taiwan. Data from 2013 initial onset of AMI patients living in the urban areas (n = 1060) and rural areas (n = 953) from January 2000 to December 2015, including onset age, and conventional risk factors including sex, smoking, diabetes, hypertension, dyslipidemia, and body mass index (BMI). The results of multiple linear regressions analysis showed smoking, obesity, and dyslipidemia were early-onset reversible risk factors of AMI in both areas.

Age and gender differences for the behavioral phenotypes of 3xTg alzheimer's disease mice.

The triple transgenic Alzheimer's disease (3xTg-AD) strain is a common mouse model used for studying the pathology and mechanism of Alzheimer's disease (AD). The 3xTg-AD strain exhibits two hallmarks of AD, amyloid beta (Aβ) and neurofibrillary tangles. Several studies using different gender and age of 3xTg-AD mice to investigate their behavior phenotypes under the influence of various treatments have reported mixed results.

The Effect of Two Bed Bath Practices in Cost and Vital Signs of Critically Ill Patients.

By promoting personal hygiene and improving comfort, bed baths can decrease the risk of infection and help maintain skin integrity in critically ill patients. Current bed-bathing practices commonly involve the use of either soap and water (SAW) or disposable wipes (DWs). Previous research has shown both bed-bathing methods are equally effective in removing dirt, oil, and microorganisms.

Prognostic Value of Baseline Radiomic Features of F-FDG PET in Patients with Diffuse Large B-Cell Lymphoma.

This study investigates whether baseline F-FDG PET radiomic features can predict survival outcomes in patients with diffuse large B-cell lymphoma (DLBCL). We retrospectively enrolled 83 patients diagnosed with DLBCL who underwent F-FDG PET scans before treatment. The patients were divided into the training cohort ( = 58) and the validation cohort ( = 25).

Effect of Bright Light Therapy on Depressive Symptoms in Middle-Aged and Older Patients Receiving Long-Term Hemodialysis.

Depressive symptoms are common psychiatric comorbidities among individuals receiving long-term hemodialysis. The aim of this two-arm parallel design study is to assess the effects of bright light therapy (BLT) on depressive symptoms among middle-aged and older adults receiving long-term hemodialysis. Study participants are recruited using convenient sampling from four dialysis clinics in eastern Taiwan.