Predictive biosignatures for hospitalization in patients with virologically confirmed COVID-19.

Background: COVID-19, caused by the SARS-CoV-2 virus, presents with varying severity among individuals. Both viral and host factors can influence the severity of acute and chronic COVID-19, with chronic COVID-19 commonly referred to as long COVID. SARS-CoV-2 infection can be properly diagnosed by performing real-time reverse transcription PCR analysis of nasal swab samples.

The trend and ripple effects of retractions in primary health care: A bibliometric analysis.

Background: In primary health care, the dissemination of retracted publications through literature reviews, guidelines, and recommendations can have a significant and lasting impact. Despite this potential threat, the retraction consequences and patterns in this domain have not been extensively explored. Therefore, this study investigates the characteristics and ripple effects of retracted papers in primary health care literature.

Progesterone modulates cell growth via integrin αvβ3-dependent pathway in progesterone receptor-negative MDA-MB-231 cells.

Progesterone (P) plays a pivotal role in regulating the cancer progression of various types, including breast cancer, primarily through its interaction with the P receptor (PR). In PR-negative breast cancer cells, P appears to function in mediating cancer progression, such as cell growth. However, the mechanisms underlying the roles of P in PR-negative breast cancer cells remain incompletely understood.

Bibliographic analysis of psychiatric publications in Taiwan: An analysis of Web of Science subject category from 1970 to 2023.

Background: Mental diseases continue to rank among the top 10 leading causes of global burden. Psychiatric research is a crucial avenue through which mental healthcare can be enhanced. Taiwanese academics have constantly concentrated their efforts on psychiatric research and published their findings.

Enhancing COVID-19 booster vaccination among the elderly through text message reminders.

The BOOST (Booster promotion for older outpatients using SMS text reminders) program at Taipei Veterans General Hospital assessed the effectiveness of text message reminders in enhancing COVID-19 booster vaccination rates among the elderly, guided by the Health Belief Model (HBM). Targeting patients aged 65 and above, eligible yet unvaccinated for a COVID-19 booster, this cohort study sent personalized reminders a week prior to their scheduled appointments between April 18, 2022, and May 12, 2022, acting as cues to action to enhance vaccination uptake by overcoming perceived barriers and raising awareness of benefits. Over 5 weeks, the study observed a 38% increase in vaccination rate among 3,500 eligible patients, markedly surpassing the concurrent national rate increase of 4% for the same demographic.

Understanding the factors associated with nurse employment in clinics: Experiences in Taiwan.

Background: The shortage and distribution of nurses affect healthcare access in aging societies. Limited research has explored the nursing workforce in clinics, which is vital for healthcare delivery. This study aimed to investigate the shortage and distribution of nurses in clinics in Taiwan, considering geographical, institutional, and specialty variations.

Smart cost estimation: Empirical case for extra-high voltage transmission towers.

Nowadays, electricity has become an integral part of human lives. Most of our daily appliances, tools, and personal belongings are inseparable from electricity. To ensure a proper electricity distribution with an efficient transfer capability, Extra-High Voltage (EHV) transmission towers are needed.

Integration and Assessment of ChatGPT in Medical Case Reporting: A Multifaceted Approach.

ChatGPT, a large language model, has gained significance in medical writing, particularly in case reports that document the course of an illness. This article explores the integration of ChatGPT and how ChatGPT shapes the process, product, and politics of medical writing in the real world. We conducted a bibliometric analysis on case reports utilizing ChatGPT and indexed in PubMed, encompassing publication information.

Decoding and reconstructing disease relations between dry eye and depression: a multimodal investigation comprising meta-analysis, genetic pathways and Mendelian randomization.

Introduction: The clinical presentations of dry eye disease (DED) and depression (DEP) often comanifest. However, the robustness and the mechanisms underlying this association were undetermined.

Objectives: To this end, we set up a three-segment study that employed multimodality results (meta-analysis, genome-wide association study [GWAS] and Mendelian randomization [MR]) to elucidate the association, common pathways and causality between DED and DEP.

Medication-Seeking Behaviors and Correlated Characteristics of Zolpidem Users in Taiwan-A Shared Patient Network Analysis.

Increasing insomnia signals a public health problem, alongside rising zolpidem use. This study investigates the factors behind the disproportionate rise in zolpidem prescriptions in Taiwan. It aims to identify the determinants of high-dose zolpidem users in Taiwan's Yilan County and employ an innovative approach to outline their medication-seeking patterns, using Taiwan's healthcare database.

Fostering relational autonomy in end-of-life care: a procedural approach and three-dimensional decision-making model.

Respect for patient autonomy is paramount in resolving ethical tensions in end-of-life care. The concept of relational autonomy has contributed to this debate; however, scholars often use this concept in a fragmented manner. This leads to partial answers on ascertaining patients' true wishes, meaningfully engaging patients' significant others, balancing interests among patients and significant others, and determining clinicians' obligations to change patients' unconventional convictions to enhance patient autonomy.

Incidence and Nature of Short-Term Adverse Events following COVID-19 Second Boosters: Insights from Taiwan's Universal Vaccination Strategy.

This study evaluates the incidence and characteristics of adverse events (AEs) following the second COVID-19 booster dose, leveraging Taiwan's distinctive approach of extending booster vaccinations to all citizens, unlike the targeted high-risk group strategies in other countries. Utilizing data from Taipei Veterans General Hospital's Vaccine Adverse Event Reporting System (VAERS) from 27 October 2022 to 19 January 2023, this research examines AEs in 441 out of 1711 booster recipients, considering factors like age, vaccine brands, and booster combinations. The findings revealed incidence rates (IRs) of 25.

Caffeine supplementation improves the cognitive abilities and shooting performance of elite e-sports players: a crossover trial.

We explored the effect of 3 mg/kg of caffeine supplementation on the cognitive ability and shooting performance of elite e-sports players. Nine e-sports players who had received professional training in e-sports and had won at least eighth place in national-level e-sports shooting competitions. After performing three to five familiarization tests, we employed a single blind, randomized crossover design to divide participants into caffeine trial (CAF) and placebo trial (PL).

Neural Network Corrections to Intermolecular Interaction Terms of a Molecular Force Field Capture Nuclear Quantum Effects in Calculations of Liquid Thermodynamic Properties.

We incorporate nuclear quantum effects (NQE) in condensed matter simulations by introducing short-range neural network (NN) corrections to the ab initio fitted molecular force field ARROW. Force field NN corrections are fitted to average interaction energies and forces of molecular dimers, which are simulated using the Path Integral Molecular Dynamics (PIMD) technique with restrained centroid positions. The NN-corrected force field allows reproduction of the NQE for computed liquid water and methane properties such as density, radial distribution function (RDF), heat of evaporation (HVAP), and solvation free energy.

Combining Force Fields and Neural Networks for an Accurate Representation of Bonded Interactions.

We present a formalism of a neural network encoding bonded interactions in molecules. This intramolecular encoding is consistent with the models of intermolecular interactions previously designed by this group. Variants of the encoding fed into a corresponding neural network may be used to economically improve the representation of torsional degrees of freedom in any force field.

Negative emotionality downregulation affects moral choice but not moral judgement of harm: a pharmacological study.

Previous neuroscientific research has expounded on the fundamental role played by emotion during moral decision-making. Negative emotionality has been observed to exert a general inhibitory effect towards harmful behaviors against others. Nevertheless, the downregulation of negative affects at different levels of moral processing (e.

Metal-enhanced fluorescence through conventional Ag-polyethylene glycol nanoparticles for cellular imaging.

A novel application of conventional Ag nanoparticles (NPs) for metal-enhanced fluorescence (MEF) in cellular imaging is proposed. Different molecular weights of polyethylene glycol (PEG) were tested to determine a suitable spacer on Ag NPs for MEF, and NPs comprising Ag with PEG with a molecular weight of 6000 g (Ag-PEG6k), when present in fluorescein solution, were discovered to cause a 2-fold quantum yield enhancement. For fluorescence imaging of mesenchymal stem cells stained by Alexa Fluor 488, the enhancement factor increased with the Ag-PEG6k NP concentration but decreased with the Alexa Fluor 488 concentration.

Factors influencing the effects of the mindfulness-based interventions of patients with substance abuse: A qualitative systematic review and meta-synthesis.

Objective: This article aims to provide the experiences of mindfulness treatments from the perspectives of patients with a history of substance abuse.

Data Source: Peer-reviewed articles on 5 databases, namely, PubMed, PsychINFO, Medline, CINAHL and the Cochrane Library, between the year of 2000 and 2023.

Study Inclusion And Exclusion Criteria: Studies were included if they were published in the English language and reported on qualitative studies that directly engaged patients with experiences of substance abuse and mindfulness treatments.

The association of bisphenol A and paraben exposure with sensorineural hearing loss in children.

Bisphenol A (BPA) and parabens (PBs) are chemicals that are extensively used in personal care products (PCPs). In early childhood development, hearing is critical to speech and language development, communication, and learning. In vitro and in vivo, BPA/PBs exhibited neurotoxicity through elevated levels of oxidative stress.

Comparative prevalence of oral bacteria and protozoa in patients with periodontitis in Taiwan.

Objectives: Periodontitis is an inflammatory disease caused by bacteria present in the dental biofilm. However, the presence of two oral protozoans, Entamoeba gingivalis and Trichomonas tenax, in patients with the periodontal disease remains largely unknown in Taiwan. Therefore, we investigated the prevalence of oral microbial infections between the sites with mild gingivitis and chronic periodontitis in patients.

A Flexible Six-in-One Microsensor Embedded in a Vanadium Redox Flow Battery for Long-Term Monitoring.

The vanadium redox flow battery (VRFB) can be used as a supporting technology for energy storage corresponding to wind and solar power generation. An aqueous vanadium compound solution can be used repeatedly. As the monomer is large, the flow uniformity of electrolytes in the battery is better, the service life is long, and the safety is better.