Incidence of Metabolic Syndrome and Its Risk Factors in Elderly with Nonalcoholic Fatty Liver Disease.

Purpose: This study aimed to determine the incidence of metabolic syndrome (MetS) and its predictors in older patients with nonalcoholic fatty liver disease.

Patients And Methods: This retrospective cohort study analyzed repeated health surveillance data collected between 2009 and 2018 at Mackay Memorial Hospital, Taiwan. MetS was defined based on the modified National Cholesterol Education Program Adult Treatment Panel III (Taiwan revision).

An Online Rail Track Fastener Classification System Based on YOLO Models.

In order to save manpower on rail track inspection, computer vision-based methodologies are developed. We propose utilizing the YOLOv4-Tiny neural network to identify track defects in real time. There are ten defects covering fasteners, rail surfaces, and sleepers from the upward and six defects about the rail waist from the sideward.

Effectiveness of innovative instructional module for professional competence in health literacy in medical students.

Background: Physicians should be equipped with professional competence in health literacy to communicate more effectively with patients with limited health literacy. However, the health literacy curriculum has not yet been refined globally, and is scarce in Taiwan's medical education. We implemented an innovative instructional module to attain professional competence in health literacy among medical students and investigated its effects.

Smoking Cessation Rate and Its Predictors among Heavy Smokers in a Smoking-Free Hospital in Taiwan.

Smoking poses critical risks for heart disease and cancers. Heavy smokers, defined as smoking more than 30 pack-year, are the most important target for smoking cessation. This study aimed to obtain the cessation rate and its predictors among heavy smokers.

The role of smoking cessation programs in lowering blood pressure: A retrospective cohort study.

Introduction: Cigarette smoking affects blood pressure and is a major risk factor for cardiovascular diseases. The role of smoking cessation programs with respect to blood pressure remains inconclusive. Thus, this study aimed to investigate the effects of a smoking cessation program on blood pressure.

Visceral adiposity index outperforms conventional anthropometric assessments as predictor of diabetes mellitus in elderly Chinese: a population-based study.

Background: This study assessed the performance of visceral adiposity index and body shape index in predicting diabetes mellitus (DM) risk and compared their predictive ability to that of body mass index and waist circumference.

Methods: Among 8249 consecutive subjects who attended the Nationwide Health Check Up System for Senior Citizens (≥ 65 years) between 2008 and 2018, we examined the associations of several adiposity indices with DM risk and explored gender differences.

Results: Among all adiposity indicators, Chinese visceral adiposity index (CVAI) demonstrated the highest discriminatory ability for diabetes mellitus with area under receiver operating characteristic curves (AUC) of 0.

Improvement in Cardiometabolic Risk Factors During Smoking Cessation Treatment in Patients with Type 2 Diabetes: A Retrospective Cohort Study.

Purpose: Smoking cessation reduces morbidity and mortality of cardiovascular diseases. The purpose of this study was to evaluate the effect during smoking cessation treatment on glycemic control and cardiometabolic risk factors, including blood pressure and lipid levels, in patients with type 2 diabetes.

Patients And Methods: This retrospective cohort study included patients with type 2 diabetes who participated in a smoking cessation program, which comprised health education and medication prescription at an outpatient clinic in combination with a 3-month follow-up by phone.

Development of Machine Learning Models for Prediction of Smoking Cessation Outcome.

Predictors for success in smoking cessation have been studied, but a prediction model capable of providing a success rate for each patient attempting to quit smoking is still lacking. The aim of this study is to develop prediction models using machine learning algorithms to predict the outcome of smoking cessation. Data was acquired from patients underwent smoking cessation program at one medical center in Northern Taiwan.

Burnout and metabolic syndrome among different departments of medical center nurses in Taiwan-Cross-sectional study and biomarker research.

Objectives: The cross-sectional study aimed to analyze the association between burnout, work-related factors, and metabolic syndrome (Mets) in nurses from several departments of a tertiary hospital in Taiwan. Exploring biomarkers could provide for prevention.

Methods: Demographic data were obtained through a written questionnaire and include the following information: gender, age, education level, psychosocial and work situations, such as departments, working hours, work shift, depression, and sleep time.

Factors Correlated with Smoking Cessation Success in Older Adults: A Retrospective Cohort Study in Taiwan.

Smoking cessation in the elderly is very important. This study aims to explore the success rate of smoking cessation in the elderly and the factors that predict the success of smoking cessation. We collected data from smokers ≥60 years who visited a medical center in Taiwan during 2017.

Comparisons of early and delayed abstainers and its effects on long-term smoking cessation in Taiwan.

Background: Different quitting trajectories may reflect the stages of behavior change among smokers. The nature of quitting patterns could help the public health sector to design appropriate cessation plans. This study compared demographic, health, and behavioral characteristics and the effects of long-term abstinence between early and delayed abstainers.

Data on the acceptance of a tourism navigation system applying structuring equation modeling analysis.

The data presented in this article relate to the acceptance of an online tourism search technology by students from a Science and Technology University in Taiwan. The data were collected using quasi-experiment research design and a survey questionnaire. A structural equation modeling analysis was employed for data analysis using AMOS statistical software.

Factors Correlated with Success Rate of Outpatient Smoking Cessation Services in Taiwan.

Smoking is the leading cause of preventable death. The purpose of this study was to explore the patient’s and physician’s factors that are correlated with smoking cessation success rate. A total of 877 smokers who visited the outpatient smoking cessation services at a medical center in Northern Taiwan were recruited for the study.

Positive Association of Metabolic Syndrome with a Single Nucleotide Polymorphism of Syndecan-3 (rs2282440) in the Taiwanese Population.

Background/purpose: Metabolic syndrome (MetS) poses a major public health burden on the general population worldwide. Syndecan-3 (SDC3), a heparin sulfate proteoglycan, had been found by previous studies to be linked with energy balance and obesity, but its association with MetS is not known. The objective of this study is to investigate whether SDC3 polymorphism (rs2282440) is associated with MetS in the Taiwanese population.

Study of seven single-nucleotide polymorphisms identified in East Asians for association with obesity in a Taiwanese population.

Objective: This study aimed to examine single-nucleotide polymorphisms (SNPs) of seven previously reported obesity genes in East Asians and to analyse their associations and synergistic effects on obesity in the Taiwanese population.

Design: Cross-sectional study.

Setting: One medical centre in northern Taiwan.

Neuro-fuzzy technology as a predictor of parathyroid hormone level in hemodialysis patients.

Measuring the plasma parathyroid hormone (PTH) concentration is crucial to evaluate renal bone disease in patients with renal failure. Although frequent measurement is needed to avoid inadequate prescription of phosphate binders and vitamin D preparations, artificial intelligence can repeatedly perform the forecasting tasks and may be a satisfactory substitute for laboratory tests. Neuro-fuzzy technology represents a promising forecasting application in clinical medicine.

Prediction of target range of intact parathyroid hormone in hemodialysis patients with artificial neural network.

The application of artificial neural network (ANN) to predict outcome and explore potential relationships among clinical data is increasing being used in many clinical scenarios. The aim of this study was to validate whether an ANN is a useful tool for predicting the target range of plasma intact parathyroid hormone (iPTH) concentration in hemodialysis patients. An ANN was constructed with input variables collected retrospectively from an internal validation group (n = 129) of hemodialysis patients.

Acute hyperkalemic paralysis in a uremic patient.

Hyperkalemia is a less-recognized life-threatening cause of paralysis. We describe a 38-year-old uremic man on regular hemodialysis (HD) without interruption who suffered from muscle weakness progressing to ascending symmetric paralysis, and inability to masticate. Physical examination revealed flaccid paralysis with areflexia of the four limbs.