Adverse birth and obstetric outcomes in the offspring of male adolescent and young adult cancer survivors: A nationwide population-based study.

Background The growing population of male adolescent and young adult (AYA, 15-40 years old) cancer survivors has heightened interest in their reproductive health. However, studies have reported conflicting findings on the potential risks of cancer and its treatments on birth and obstetric outcomes. Methods We utilized encrypted identification numbers for both fathers and mothers to link three nationwide Taiwan datasets from 2004 to 2019, identifying 3,785 births with a paternal history of AYA cancer.

Age-dependent immune profile in healthy individuals: an original study, systematic review and meta-analysis.

Background: The circulatory peripheral immune system is the most convenient approach for determining an individual's immune status. Due to various reasons, while previous studies have addressed the critical impact of age, most individual studies did not analyze immunosenescence in a systemic manner, which complicates the possibility of building a reference range for age-dependent immune profiles for effective immune monitoring. To address this gap, this study analyzed a group of healthy individuals to establish age-specific reference ranges of the healthy circulatory immune profile, and a systematic review and meta-analysis were conducted to validate the findings and create generalizable immune cell reference ranges.

The Effects of Social Interaction Intervention on Cognitive Functions Among Older Adults Without Dementia: A Systematic Review and Meta-Analysis.

Background And Objectives: Previous systemic reviews, predominantly including observational studies, have shown that participation in social activities is a protective factor against cognitive decline. However, this association is subject to potential reverse causality, creating a knowledge gap in our understanding of the effect of social interaction interventions on cognitive function. Therefore, this study aims to conduct a systematic review and meta-analysis of randomized controlled trials to examine the effects of social interaction interventions on cognitive decline among older adults without dementia.

The impact of the COVID-19 pandemic on dyslipidemia in peritoneal dialysis patients.

Background: The coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) pandemic has had a profound impacted on various aspects of society, including the healthcare system and patient care. In this context, this study aimed to evaluate the impact of COVID-19 control strategies on the lipid profile and blood sugar levels of peritoneal dialysis (PD) patients in Taiwan, a crucial focus for understanding the pandemic's influence on individuals with chronic kidney disease (CKD).

Methods: A retrospective cohort study was conducted, analyzing data from the medical records of 170 PD patients who visited the nephrology division of Taipei Veterans General Hospital in 2021.

Mild cognitive impairment prediction based on multi-stream convolutional neural networks.

Background: Mild cognitive impairment (MCI) is the transition stage between the cognitive decline expected in normal aging and more severe cognitive decline such as dementia. The early diagnosis of MCI plays an important role in human healthcare. Current methods of MCI detection include cognitive tests to screen for executive function impairments, possibly followed by neuroimaging tests.

Association of Well-Being in Middle-Aged and Older Adults With Enhanced Personal Health and Social Support: A Nationally Representative Cohort Study.

Objectives: This study aimed to explore the relationship between multidimensional factors, such as environment, health status, behavior, social support, and the well-being of middle-aged and older adults.

Methods: This study utilized data from 2 waves of the nationally representative Taiwan Longitudinal Study on Aging Survey Report (TLSA) conducted in 2015 and 2019. The TLSA assesses socioeconomic status, physical and health status, the 5-item World Health Organization Well-Being Index (WHO-5 index), and social support.

A mediation approach in resting-state connectivity between the medial prefrontal cortex and anterior cingulate in mild cognitive impairment.

Mild cognitive impairment (MCI) is recognized as the prodromal phase of dementia, a condition that can be either maintained or reversed through timely medical interventions to prevent cognitive decline. Considerable studies using functional magnetic resonance imaging (fMRI) have indicated that altered activity in the medial prefrontal cortex (mPFC) serves as an indicator of various cognitive stages of aging. However, the impacts of intrinsic functional connectivity in the mPFC as a mediator on cognitive performance in individuals with and without MCI have not been fully understood.

Precision probiotics supplement strategy in aging population based on gut microbiome composition.

With the increasing prevalence of age-related chronic diseases burdening healthcare systems, there is a pressing need for innovative management strategies. Our study focuses on the gut microbiota, essential for metabolic, nutritional, and immune functions, which undergoes significant changes with aging. These changes can impair intestinal function, leading to altered microbial diversity and composition that potentially influence health outcomes and disease progression.

Yearly change in air pollution and brain aging among older adults: A community-based study in Taiwan.

Background: Air pollution is recognized as a modifiable risk factor for dementia, and recent evidence suggests that improving air quality could attenuate cognitive decline and reduce dementia risk. However, studies have yet to explore the effects of improved air quality on brain structures. This study aims to investigate the impact of air pollution reduction on cognitive functions and structural brain differences among cognitively normal older adults.

Physical Fitness and Risk of Mental Disorders in Children and Adolescents.

Importance: With the rising prevalence of mental disorders among children and adolescents, identifying modifiable associations is critical.

Objective: To examine the association between physical fitness and mental disorder risks.

Design, Setting, And Participants: This nationwide cohort study used data from the Taiwan National Student Fitness Tests and National Health Insurance Research Databases from January 1, 2009 to December 31, 2019.

Foxp2 Is Required for Nucleus Accumbens-mediated Multifaceted Limbic Function.

The forkhead box protein P2 (Foxp2), initially identified for its role in speech and language development, plays an important role in neural development. Previous studies investigated the function of the Foxp2 gene by deleting or mutating Foxp2 from developmental stages. Little is known about its physiological function in adult brains.

Shared genetic architectures of educational attainment in East Asian and European populations.

Educational attainment (EduYears), a heritable trait often used as a proxy for cognitive ability, is associated with various health and social outcomes. Previous genome-wide association studies (GWASs) on EduYears have been focused on samples of European (EUR) genetic ancestries. Here we present the first large-scale GWAS of EduYears in people of East Asian (EAS) ancestry (n = 176,400) and conduct a cross-ancestry meta-analysis with EduYears GWAS in people of EUR ancestry (n = 766,345).

Cancer survivorship and risk of pregnancy complications, adverse obstetric outcomes, and maternal morbidities in female adolescents and young adults: a nationwide population-based study from Taiwan.

Background: Cancer treatment in female adolescent and young adult (AYA) cancer survivors (i.e., those diagnosed between 15 and 39 years of age) may adversely affect multiple bodily functions, including the reproductive system.

Altered gut microbiota in older adults with mild cognitive impairment: a case-control study.

Introduction: The microbiota-gut-brain axis is implicated in Alzheimer's disease. Gut microbiota alterations in mild cognitive impairment (MCI) are inconsistent and remain to be understood. This study aims to investigate the gut microbial composition associated with MCI, cognitive functions, and structural brain differences.

Physical Fitness and Inflammatory Bowel Disease Risk Among Children and Adolescents in Taiwan.

Importance: The incidence of inflammatory bowel disease (IBD) is increasing in newly industrialized countries but disease etiologies remain unclear.

Objective: To investigate the association between physical fitness and subsequent IBD risk among children and adolescents in Taiwan.

Design, Setting, And Participants: This nationwide cohort study was conducted between January 1, 2010, and December 31, 2018.

White matter hyperintensities in cholinergic pathways are associated with dementia severity in e4 carriers but not in non-carriers.

Background And Objectives: Among individuals with Alzheimer's disease (AD), e4 carriers with increased white matter hyperintensities (WMHs) may selectively be at increased risk of cognitive impairment. Given that the cholinergic system plays a crucial role in cognitive impairment, this study aimed to identify how status modulates the associations between dementia severity and white matter hyperintensities in cholinergic pathways.

Methods: From 2018 to 2022, we recruited participants ( e4 carriers, = 49; non-carriers, = 117) from the memory clinic of Cardinal Tien Hospital, Taipei, Taiwan.

Effects of losartan and exercise on muscle mass and exercise endurance of old mice.

This study evaluated the effects of angiotensin II type I receptor blocker (ARB) on muscle mass and exercise capacity in healthy older animals. The effects of combined ARB and exercise training were also determined. Eighty 18-month-old mice were randomized into the control group (C), exercise group (E), losartan group (L) and losartan plus exercise group (LE).

Urban-rural differences in the prevalence and correlates of mild cognitive impairment in community-dwelling older adults in Taiwan: The EMCIT study.

Background: Taiwan is a rapidly aging society. The elderly with mild cognitive impairment (MCI) have increased risk of dementia, and this is a population-based report using standard neuropsychological tests and expert consensus diagnosis to assess the MCI prevalence and its associated factors in Taiwan.

Method: The Epidemiology of Mild Cognitive Impairment study in Taiwan (EMCIT) is a community-based, prospective cohort study.

Association between real-world home blood pressure measurement patterns and blood pressure variability among older individuals with hypertension: A community-based blood pressure variability study.

Home blood pressure (BP) monitoring is a useful tool for hypertension management. BP variability (BPV) has been associated with an increased risk of cardiovascular events. However, little is known about the correlation between BPV and different measurement patterns of long-term home BP monitoring.

Angiotensin II Blood Levels Are Associated with Smaller Hippocampal and Cortical Volumes in Cognitively Normal Older Adults.

Background: There is emerging evidence about possible involvement of the renin-angiotensin system (RAS) in the pathogenesis of Alzheimer's disease (AD) and decline of cognitive function. However, little is known about associations with brain biomarkers.

Objective: Our study aimed to examine associations between blood ACE-1 and ANG II levels and brain MRI based volumes in non-demented participants, and whether these associations were mediated by blood pressure.

Interaction between Apolipoprotein E and Butyrylcholinesterase Genes on Risk of Alzheimer's Disease in a Prospective Cohort Study.

Background: An epistatic interaction between the ɛ4 allele of apolipoprotein E (APOEɛ4) gene and the K-variant of butyrylcholinesterase (BCHE-K) genes has been previously reported to increase risk of Alzheimer's disease (AD). However, these observations were largely from case-control studies with small sample sizes.

Objective: To examine the interaction between APOEɛ4 and BCHE-K on: 1) the risk of incident AD and 2) rates of change in brain volumes and cognitive performance during the preclinical stages of AD in a prospective cohort study.

Plasma Leucine-Rich α-2-Glycoprotein 1 Predicts Cardiovascular Disease Risk in End-Stage Renal Disease.

Plasma leucine-Rich α-2-glycoprotein 1 (LRG1) is an innovative biomarker for inflammation and angiogenesis. Many adverse pathophysiological changes including inflammation, atherosclerosis, and premature mortality is associated with End-stage renal disease (ESRD). However, whether levels of plasma LRG1 correlate with the co-morbidities of ESRD patients is unknown.

Adverse birth outcomes in adolescent and young adult female cancer survivors: a nationwide population-based study.

Background: For female adolescent and young adult (AYA), cancer with treatments may affect their children's health. Our aim was to determine reliable risk estimates of adverse birth outcomes in AYA cancer survivors and the differential effects of treatments.

Methods: The study population of 4547 births in the AYA cancer survivor group and 45,463 in the comparison group were identified from two national databases between 2004 and 2014.