Elevated reactive aggression in forebrain-specific knockout mice.

Cellular communication network factor 2 (CCN2) is a matricellular protein that plays important roles in connective tissue. CCN2 is also expressed in the nervous system; however, its role is still unclear. To explore CCN2 function in the brain, we generated forebrain-specific knockout (Fb KO) mice.

Clinical outcomes and patient-reported outcomes after oncoplastic breast surgery in breast cancer patients: A matched cohort study.

Background: Surgery is the recommended treatment for breast cancer, the most common cancer in women in Taiwan and the leading cause of cancer-related deaths. Although breast-conserving surgery (BCS) has good prognosis, in some cases, BCS may cause more significant deformities and interfere with the patient's psychosocial well-being. Oncoplastic breast surgery (OBS) is the treatment option in these cases.

Cerebellar Volume and Disease Staging in Parkinson's Disease: An ENIGMA-PD Study.

Background: Increasing evidence points to a pathophysiological role for the cerebellum in Parkinson's disease (PD). However, regional cerebellar changes associated with motor and non-motor functioning remain to be elucidated.

Objective: To quantify cross-sectional regional cerebellar lobule volumes using three dimensional T1-weighted anatomical brain magnetic resonance imaging from the global ENIGMA-PD working group.

CVM-1118 (foslinanib), a 2-phenyl-4-quinolone derivative, promotes apoptosis and inhibits vasculogenic mimicry via targeting TRAP1.

CVM-1118 (foslinanib) is a phosphoric ester compound selected from 2-phenyl-4-quinolone derivatives. The NCI 60 cancer panel screening showed CVM-1125, the major active metabolite of CVM-1118, to exhibit growth inhibitory and cytotoxic effects at nanomolar range. CVM-1118 possesses multiple bioactivities, including inducing cellular apoptosis, cell cycle arrest at G/M, as well as inhibiting vasculogenic mimicry (VM) formation.

Effects of Neurofeedback on Cognitive Function, Productive Activity, and Quality of Life in Patients With Traumatic Brain Injury: A Randomized Controlled Trial.

Background: Cognitive impairment is common in patients with traumatic brain injury (TBI). Studies that have examined the effectiveness of neurofeedback (NFB) on cognitive function following TBI have had poor study designs and small sample sizes.

Objectives: This randomized controlled trial assessed the effects of low-resolution tomography Z-score NFB (LZNFB) and theta/beta NFB on cognitive impairment, return to productive activity, and quality of life in patients with TBI.

Hydrogel-Based Strategies for the Management of Osteomyelitis.

Osteomyelitis is a type of bone infection caused by bacteria, with being responsible for most cases. Osteomyelitis treatment generally requires a multifaceted approach that may include intervention of surgery and administration of antibacterial agents, where several materials have been utilized as delivery vehicles for antibiotics and other antibacterial materials. Hydrogel has become a popular candidate for osteomyelitis treatment due to its biocompatibility, water-containing porous structure, and adaptable physicochemical properties.

Effect of the coronavirus disease 2019 pandemic on pediatric emergency department visits for acute gastroenteritis evaluated using a validated clinical severity score.

Background: The coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) outbreak that began in late 2019 has significantly affected quality of life and healthcare. Approaches to prevent the spread of COVID-19 have also affected the prevalence of other diseases. This retrospective review evaluated pediatric emergency department (PED) volume, in terms of children with acute gastroenteritis (AGE), and changes in AGE severity before versus during the COVID-19 pandemic in a tertiary medical center in Taiwan.

Cerebral Hemodynamics and Regional Oxygen Metabolism during Ductus Arteriosus Ligation in Preterm Infants.

Introduction: Neurodevelopmental impairment is a growing concern for preterm infants who received surgical ligation of patent ductus arteriosus (PDA). We aimed to explore the cerebral hemodynamics during the critical period of PDA ligation.

Methods: Very-low-birth-weight (VLBW) preterm infants who underwent PDA ligation were prospectively enrolled.

Genetic Disruption of KLF1 K74 SUMOylation in Hematopoietic System Promotes Healthy Longevity in Mice.

The quest for rejuvenation and prolonged lifespan through transfusion of young blood has been studied for decades with the hope of unlocking the mystery of the key substance(s) that exists in the circulating blood of juvenile organisms. However, a pivotal mediator has yet been identified. Here, atypical findings are presented that are observed in a knockin mouse model carrying a lysine to arginine substitution at residue 74 of Krüppel-like factor 1 (KLF1/EKLF), the SUMOylation-deficient Klf1 mouse, that displayed significant improvement in geriatric disorders and lifespan extension.

Changes in interferon-γ release assay readout after COVID-19 vaccination: A prospective cohort study.

Objectives: Interferon-γ release assays (IGRAs) are widely used in public health practice to diagnose latent tuberculosis. During the COVID-19 pandemic and rollout of COVID-19 vaccination, it has remained unclear whether COVID-19 vaccines interfere with IGRA readouts.

Methods: We prospectively recruited healthcare workers during their annual occupational health examinations in 2021.

Association between implantable loop recorder use and secondary stroke prevention: a meta-analysis.

Objective: To conduct a meta-analysis of randomised controlled trials (RCTs) to evaluate the impact of ILR use on occurrence of recurrent stroke.

Methods: PubMed, EMBASE, CENTRAL and ClinicalTrials.gov were searched from 1966 to November 2021 to identify RCTs comparing ILR versus non-ILR in patients with ischaemic stroke.

Comparison of the Efficacy and Safety of Dinalbuphine Sebacate, Patient-Controlled Analgesia, and Conventional Analgesia After Laparotomy for Gynecologic Cancers: A Retrospective Study.

Objective: We aimed to investigate the effects of dinalbuphine sebacate (DNS), fentanyl-based patient-controlled analgesia (PCA), and conventional analgesia (CA) for pain management after laparotomy for gynecologic cancers.

Methods: A total of 137 eligible patients who underwent laparotomy through a midline incision wound for gynecologic cancer between July 2019 and June 2020 were retrospectively evaluated. The patients were divided into three groups as follows: the intramuscular DNS, intravenous PCA, and CA groups.

Distinct lung function and bronchodilator responses between term and preterm young children with recurrent wheezing.

Background: Recurrent or unresolved wheezing is a common complaint in certain young children populations, especially those born preterm. Using infant lung function testing, we aimed to distinguish the differences between term and preterm young children with recurrent wheezing.

Methods: Children under 2 years of corrected age were enrolled if they had 3 or more wheezing episodes during the enrollment period.

Preoperative prognostic nutritional index predicts prognosis of patients with oral cavity cancer.

Objective: To investigate whether prognostic nutritional index (PNI) predicts patient survival outcomes in oral cavity squamous cell carcinoma (OSCC).

Materials And Methods: The data of a total of 360 patients subjected to primary surgery for OSCC were retrospectively analysed. Patients were categorised into high-PNI (≥51.

Evolution and Determinants of Lung Function until Late Infancy among Infants Born Preterm.

To investigate the evolution of lung function in preterm infants with and without bronchopulmonary dysplasia (BPD) and to determine the perinatal characteristics associated with indexes of lung function in later infancy. Longitudinal lung function assessments were performed at approximately 6, 12, 18, and 24 months of corrected age in preterm infants. Perinatal characteristics were further analyzed to ascertain the determinants of lung function indexes.

Demographic differences in people living with HIV according to recruitment sources: comparison between health-care systems and social media networks.

With the improvement of internet technology in health applications, the utilization of internet and social media as new survey methodologies and recruitment source for research participants have been encouraged, yet evidence of the feasibility in people living with HIV (PLHIV) study is still lacking. We conducted a cross-sectional survey to determine whether there are differences among PLHIV recruited from social media networks and health-care systems using an HIV stigma and discrimination questionnaire. The result revealed that PLHIV recruited from social media networks were younger, more sexually active, and had higher educational status and awareness of the country's HIV rights protection laws than those recruited from hospitals.

Impact of parent-child relationship and sex on trajectories of children internalizing symptoms.

Introduction: Parenting and parental-child relationship may lead children to develop behavior disorders that can affect many aspects of their later life. This study aimed to examine the impact of parent-child relationship and sex on the development of internalizing symptoms in children.

Methods: Childhood and Adolescent Behaviors in Long-term Evolution (CABLE) is a longitudinal healthy-lifestyle research for which 18 elementary schools were randomly selected respectively in Taipei and Hsinchu in Taiwan.

Baseline cardiac output and its alterations during ibuprofen treatment for patent ductus arteriosus in preterm infants.

Background: Infants with hemodynamically significant patent ductus arteriosus (PDA) may physiologically compensate with a supranormal cardiac output (CO). As such, a supranormal CO may be a surrogate marker for a significant PDA or indicate a failed response to PDA closure by ibuprofen. Electrical cardiometry (EC) is an impedance-based monitor that can continuously and non-invasively assess CO (CO).

Trend and risk factors of recurrence and complications after arrhythmias radiofrequency catheter ablation: a nation-wide observational study in Taiwan.

Objectives: This study determined the recurrence and complication rates after radiofrequency catheter ablation (RFCA) for those with paroxysmal supraventricular tachycardia (PSVT), Wolff-Parkinson-White syndrome (WPW), atrial flutter (AFL), atrial fibrillation (AF) and ventricular tachycardia (VT).

Study Design And Setting: This retrospective study included RFCAs for 2001-2010 in the Taiwan National Health Insurance Research Database. Primary outcomes included perioperative complications (pericardial effusion and new-onset stroke), RFCA recurrence and long-term outcomes (high-grade atrioventricular block (AVB) and pacemaker implantation).

Outcomes of patients with hypertrophic cardiomyopathy and acute myocardial infarction: a propensity score-matched, 15-year nationwide population-based study in Asia.

Objectives: Hypertrophic cardiomyopathy (HCM) entails thickening of the myocardium and an increased risk of ischaemia. However, the prognosis of patients with HCM with acute myocardial infarction (AMI) is incompletely understood.

Methods: Medical information was retrieved from the Taiwan National Health Insurance Research Database in 1997-2011.

Long-term antibacterial performances of biodegradable polylactic acid materials with direct absorption of antibiotic agents.

In this study, polylactic acid (PLA) disks with antibacterial performances were prepared using 3D printing technology combined with direct adsorption of the antibiotic agents in solution baths. The effects of the layer thicknesses for the building of the 3D printing PLA disks and the amounts of antibiotic agents absorbed onto the sample surfaces on their antibacterial activities were investigated. The antibiotic agent release profiles from the samples surface into the buffer solution show that the antibacterial performances of these samples can reach up to 28 days.

Clinical outcomes of percutaneous vertebroplasty for selective single segment dorsolumbar vertebral compression fractures.

Overview Of Literature: Elderly patients sustaining a trivial fall may develop vertebral compression fractures if they are predisposed to any factor that leads to decreased bone mineral density. Such patients suffer with severe pain and disability during the early healing stages. Percutaneous Vertebroplasty is mainly done to provide immediate pain relief and also believed to offer stability to the compressed vertebra by preventing further collapse.

Comparison of positron emission tomography/computed tomography and magnetic resonance imaging for posttherapy evaluation in patients with advanced cervical cancer receiving definitive concurrent chemoradiotherapy.

Purpose: Our purpose was to assess the diagnostic performance of positron emission tomography/computed tomography (PET/CT) and pelvic/abdominal magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) after concurrent chemoradiotherapy (CCRT) for posttherapy evaluation in patients with advanced cervical cancer.

Methods: Patients with cervical squamous cell carcinoma, either with advanced FIGO stage or with positive pelvic or para-aortic lymph node (PALN), received PET/CT using [F]fluorodeoxyglucose and MRI including diffusion-weighted imaging between 2 and 3 months after CCRT completion. PET/CT were interpreted independently by two nuclear medicine physicians and MRI by two radiologists using the same scoring system.

How Taiwanese parents of children with autism spectrum disorder experience the process of obtaining a diagnosis: A descriptive phenomenological analysis.

An autism spectrum disorder can result in considerable stress and confusion for parents as they attempt to understand their child's problems and obtain a diagnosis. Few studies have explored the parental experience in the context of Chinese culture. The purpose of this study was to understand the experiences of parents in Taiwan of children diagnosed with autism spectrum disorder.