Uncovering latent infections in kidneys: A novel molecular approach for differential detection.

Leptospirosis, a re-emerging zoonotic disease caused by spp., poses significant global health and veterinary challenges. Long-term colonization of renal tubules by in asymptomatic hosts highlights the need for sensitive detection methods.

A Quick Sequential Organ Failure Assessment (qSOFA) Score Greater than 1 and Shortened Ampicillin Use Predict Death and One-Year Mortality in Hospitalized Patients with Non-Perinatal Invasive Listeriosis: A Retrospective Analysis of 118 Consecutive Cases.

causes listeriosis, a serious foodborne illness with a high mortality rate, especially in vulnerable populations. It accounts for 19% of foodborne deaths, with invasive cases having a mortality rate of up to 44%, leading to conditions like meningitis, bacteremia, and meningoencephalitis. However, the prognostic factors remain unclear.

Assessing the Performance of Chatbots on the Taiwan Psychiatry Licensing Examination Using the Rasch Model.

Background/objectives: The potential and limitations of chatbots in medical education and clinical decision support, particularly in specialized fields like psychiatry, remain unknown. By using the Rasch model, our study aimed to evaluate the performance of various state-of-the-art chatbots on psychiatry licensing exam questions to explore their strengths and weaknesses.

Methods: We assessed the performance of 22 leading chatbots, selected based on LMArena benchmark rankings, using 100 multiple-choice questions from the 2024 Taiwan psychiatry licensing examination, a nationally standardized test required for psychiatric licensure in Taiwan.

ADHD and Risk of Precocious Puberty: Considering the Impact of MPH.

Background/objectives: The complex association between attention-deficit/hyperactivity disorder (ADHD) and methylphenidate (MPH) with precocious puberty (PP) is still unclear. This study aims to investigate the association between ADHD, MPH, and PP.

Methods: This is a nationwide cohort study including a total of 3,342,077 individuals, 186,681 with ADHD and 3,155,396 without.

Outcomes in Pediatric Cholesteatoma.

Objective: The objective of the study is to evaluate the outcomes of surgical management options for cholesteatoma using a national database.

Study Design: Database analysis of the Pediatric Health Information System database to identify children undergoing surgical intervention for cholesteatoma from October 2015 to December 2022.

Methods: Patients were categorized by initial surgical modality: tympanoplasty (TM), tympanoplasty with canal wall-up tympanomastoidectomy (TM-CWU), and tympanoplasty with canal wall-down tympanomastoidectomy (TM-CWD).

Synchronous Head and Neck Squamous Cell Carcinoma and Hematologic Malignancies.

Synchronous occurrence of solid tumors and hematological malignancy is a rare condition. There is no standard management or therapy for this complicated situation. The authors systematically reviewed articles searched using online databases.

Invasive Listeriosis in End-Stage Kidney Disease (ESKD) Patients Receiving Long-Term Dialysis: A 21-Year Case Series.

Background: Listeriosis is caused by the facultative anaerobic bacterium . Infection from -contaminated food or water is the main etiology. If travels outside the intestines, it can cause invasive listeriosis, such as sepsis, meningitis, and meningoencephalitis.

Outcomes and Complications of Pediatric Eustachian Tube Dilation Surgery.

Objective: To determine whether balloon dilation of Eustachian tube (BDET) improves postoperative audiology and quality of life scores in children with chronic Eustachian tube dysfunction.

Study Design: Retrospective study.

Setting: Tertiary care pediatric center.

The Association between Autism Spectrum Disorder and Precocious Puberty: Considering Effect Modification by Sex and Neuropsychiatric Comorbidities.

Limited knowledge is available about the association between autistic spectrum disorder (ASD) and precocious puberty. Our study examined the association between the two medical conditions and effect modification by sex and neuropsychiatric comorbidities in a nationwide population. To compare the risk of precocious puberty between ASD and non-ASD cases, we conducted a Cox regression analysis using ASD as the exposure and time to precocious puberty as the outcome.

The relationship between schizophrenia or schizoaffective disorder and type 1 diabetes mellitus: a scoping review of observational studies.

Objective: Both schizophrenia and type 1 diabetes mellitus (T1D) are known as immune-related disorders. We systematically reviewed observational studies to explore the relationship between schizophrenia or schizoaffective disorder and T1D.

Methods: A preliminary search of articles was completed using the following databases: Airiti Library, CINAHL Complete (via EBSCOhost), OVID MEDLINE, Embase, and PubMed.

Rate and management of tympanic membrane perforations in children with Down syndrome and middle ear disorder.

Objective: To characterize the management and outcomes of observation versus surgical intervention of tympanic membrane (TM) perforations in children with Down syndrome (DS). In addition, to estimate the prevalence of TM perforations in children with DS.

Methods: Retrospective case review analysis of TM perforation rate in children with DS with history of tympanostomy tube (TT) insertion at a tertiary pediatric referral center.

Clinical outcomes of cetuximab-based treatment for distant metastatic head and neck squamous cell carcinoma: A real-world study using Taiwan Head Neck Society registry database.

Background: For R/M HNSCC, the differences in prognosis and treatment options between distant metastasis (DM) and locoregional recurrence, especially in the DM group, remain unclear.

Methods: From the Taiwan Head Neck Society registry database, patients who were diagnosed with R/M HNSCC and received cetuximab-based frontline therapy were collected for analysis.

Results: Among the enrolled patients, 59.

Sleep Duration and Kidney Function - Does Weekend Sleep Matter?

Objective: Weekend sleep duration is linked to health issues, including mortality. However, how weekend sleep duration can impact chronic kidney disease (CKD) still needs to be understood. Therefore, we aimed to analyze how weekend sleep duration is associated with kidney function.

General anesthesia with local infiltration reduces urine retention rate and prolongs analgesic effect than spinal anesthesia for hemorrhoidectomy.

Introduction: Postoperative pain and complications pose significant challenges following a hemorrhoidectomy. Attaining effective anesthesia with minimal complications is crucial. The ideal anesthesia method for ambulatory hemorrhoidectomy remains uncertain.

Novel intertypic recombination of Echovirus 11 in the Enterovirus species B.

Enteroviruses (EVs), single-stranded, positive-sense RNA viruses, can be classified into four species (A-D), which have previously been linked to a diverse range of disease manifestations and infections affecting the central nervous system. In the Enterovirus species B (EV-B), Echovirus type 11 (E11) has been observed to occasionally circulate in Taiwan, which was responsible for an epidemic of enterovirus infections in 2018. Here, 48 clinical specimens isolated in 2003, 2004, 2009, and 2018 were collected for the high-throughput sequencing.

Association Between Maternal Mood Disorders and Schizophrenia and the Risk of Type 1 Diabetes in Offspring: A Nationwide Cohort Study.

Objective: Our study aimed to determine whether mothers with bipolar disorder, major depressive disorder, schizophrenia, or schizoaffective disorder affected the risk of type 1 diabetes (T1D) in their offspring.

Methods: We conducted a nationwide cohort study by using data from Taiwan's National Health Insurance Research Database and the Maternal and Child Health Database from 2004 to 2018. A total of 2,556,640 mother-child pairs were identified.

The Effect of Developmental Delay and Autism Spectrum Disorder on External Auditory Canal Foreign Body Extraction.

Objectives: To determine the effect of developmental delay (DD) and autism spectrum disorder (ASD) on pediatric external auditory canal foreign body (EAC FB) retrieval outcomes.

Methods: A retrospective chart review of children presenting with EAC FB at a tertiary children's hospital was performed between January 2018 and December 2019. Charts were reviewed for demographics, presence of otalgia, complications, number of EAC FB episodes, indications for operating room removal, DD, and ASD status.

A scoping review of randomized clinical trials for pain management in pediatric tonsillectomy and adenotonsillectomy.

Objectives: To examine the volume, topics, and reporting trends in the published literature of randomized clinical trials for pharmacologic pain management of pediatric tonsillectomy and adenotonsillectomy and to identify areas requiring further research.

Data Sources: PubMed (National Library of Medicine and National Institutes of Health), Scopus (Elsevier), CINAHL (EBSCO), and Cochrane Library (Wiley).

Methods: A systematic search of four databases was conducted.

Auditory Outcomes in Children Who Undergo Cochlear Implantation Before 12 Months of Age: A Systematic Review.

Objective: To systematically review the literature to determine auditory outcomes of cochlear implantation in children ≤12 months old.

Data Source: PubMed, EMBASE, Medline, CINAHL, Cochrane, Scopus, and Web of Science databases were searched from inception to 9/1/2021 using PRISMA guidelines.

Review Methods: Studies analyzing auditory outcomes after cochlear implantation (CI) in children ≤12 months of age were included.