Factors Influencing Sleep Quality in Open-Heart Patients in the Postoperative Intensive Care Unit.

Open-heart patients often experience sleep problems postoperatively. This cross-sectional study is aimed to investigate open-heart patients' sleep quality and its influencing factors during intensive care. A consecutive sample of 117 eligible open-heart patients was recruited from an intensive care unit (ICU) of a general hospital.

Multi-Modal Synergistic 99mTc-TRODAT-1 SPECT and MRI for Evaluation of the Efficacy of Hyperbaric Oxygen Therapy in CO-Induced Delayed Parkinsonian and Non-Parkinsonian Syndromes.

Background: Delayed neuropsychiatric syndrome (DNS) is characterized by motor dysfunction after acute carbon monoxide (CO) poisoning. We examined the relationship between dopamine transporter (DAT) loss using kit-based Tc-99m-TRODAT-1 (DAT single-photon emission-computed tomography (SPECT) radioligand) and globus pallidus necrosis on MRI, DAT availability before and after hyperbaric oxygen therapy (HBOT), and feasibility of Tc-99m-TRODAT-1 as an index for parkinsonian syndrome in CO poisoning. Methods: Twenty-one CO-intoxicated patients (mean ± SD age, 38.

Artificial Intelligence for Early Detection of Chest Nodules in X-ray Images.

Early detection increases overall survival among patients with lung cancer. This study formulated a machine learning method that processes chest X-rays (CXRs) to detect lung cancer early. After we preprocessed our dataset using monochrome and brightness correction, we used different kinds of preprocessing methods to enhance image contrast and then used U-net to perform lung segmentation.

Targeting nanoparticle-conjugated microbubbles combined with ultrasound-mediated microbubble destruction for enhanced tumor therapy.

The stress of the abnormal stromal matrix of solid tumors is a major limiting factor that prevents drug penetration. Controlled, accurate, and efficient delivery of theranostic agents into tumor cells is crucial. Combining ultrasound with nanocarrierbased drug delivery systems have become a promising approach for targeted drug delivery in preclinical cancer therapy.

Sympathetic ophthalmia following radiation-induced scleral necrosis in choroidal melanoma.

Sympathetic ophthalmia (SO) is a bilateral granulomatous panuveitis. We report a rare case of SO presenting after scleral necrosis as a late complication of Gamma Knife radiotherapy for choroidal melanoma. A 55-year-old woman presented with primary choroidal melanoma in the right eye and has been treated with Gamma Knife radiotherapy with stable tumor size.

Classification of Vascular Hotspots and Micro-Vessel Flow Velocity Waveforms in Low-Grade Squamous Intraepithelial Lesions and HPV Condyloma of the Cervix.

To assess hotspot micro-vessel flow velocity waveforms in human papillomavirus (HPV) cervical infections using transvaginal power Doppler ultrasound (TV-PDU) and to explore the associations of these sonographic parameters with HPV condyloma and low-grade squamous intraepithelial lesions (LSIL) of the cervix. A total of 39 patients with cervical HPV infections with abnormal cytology and colposcopy results (26 cases of LSIL; 13 cases of HPV condyloma) were enrolled to assess the vascular classification of the cervix and micro-vessel flow velocity using TV-PDU before treatment; 40 individuals with a pathologically normal cervix were used as the control group; seven parameters were measured, including vascular grading classification (Class I, Class II, and Class III), lowest pulsatility index (PI), resistance index (RI), peak systolic velocity (PS), end-diastolic velocity (ED), time average maximum velocity (TAMV), and the vascular index (VI = PS/ED). According to vascular classification, most LSILs were class I (69.

Long COVID: An inevitable sequela of SARS-CoV-2 infection.

At present, there are more than 560 million confirmed cases of the coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) worldwide. Although more than 98% of patients with severe acute respiratory syndrome-coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2) infection can survive acute COVID, a significant portion of survivors can develop residual health problems, which is termed as long COVID. Although severe COVID-19 is generally associated with a high risk of long COVID, patients with asymptomatic or mild disease can also show long COVID.

To do one and to get more: Part II. Diabetes and metabolic dysfunction-associated fatty liver diseases.

Type 2 diabetes mellitus (DM) is characterized by inability of faulty pancreatic β-cells to secret a normal amount of insulin to maintain normal body consumption, and/or peripheral tissue has a decreased susceptibility to insulin, resulting in hyperglycemia and insulin resistance. Similar to other chronic systemic inflammatory diseases, DM is a result from dysregulated interactions between ethnic, genetic, epigenetic, immunoregulatory, hormonal, and environmental factors. Therefore, it is rational to suppose the concept as "To do one and to get more", while using antidiabetic agents (ADA), a main pharmacologic agent for the treatment of DM, can provide an extraglycemia effect on comorbidities or concomittent comorbidities to DM.

Obese patients experience more severe OSA than non-obese patients.

To investigate whether previous exposure to obstructive sleep apnea (OSA) increases the risk of obesity in obese and nonobese patients. We identified 24,363 obese patients diagnosed between January 1, 2000, and December 31, 2015, in the Taiwan Longitudinal Health Insurance Database (LHID) 2005 National Health Insurance Research Database; 97,452 sex-, age- and index date-matched nonobese patients were identified from the same database. This study is based on the ninth edition of the International Classification of Sleep Disorders.

Dual-tracer positron emission tomography/computed tomography as an imaging probe of lipogenesis in preclinical models of hepatocellular carcinoma.

Background: lipogenesis is upregulated in many cancers, and targeting it represents a metabolic approach to cancer treatment. However, the treatment response is unpredictable because lipogenic activity varies greatly among individual tumors, thereby necessitating the assessment of lipogenic activity before treatment. Here, we proposed an imaging probe, positron emission tomography/computed tomography (PET/CT) with dual tracers combining C-acetate and F-fluorodeoxyglucose (F-FDG), to assess the lipogenic activity of hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) and predict the response to lipogenesis-targeted therapy.

Economic evaluation of new blood pressure target for hypertensive patients in Taiwan according to the 2022 hypertension clinical practice guidelines of the Taiwan society of cardiology: a simulation modeling study.

With the promising cardiovascular benefits in the STEP and SPRINT trials, the 2022 Taiwan's hypertension guidelines redefined the hypertension threshold as 130/80 mmHg and a universal blood-pressure target of <130/80 mmHg. This study's objective was to examine the cost-effectiveness of the intensive blood-pressure target for hypertensive patients using estimated lifetime medical costs and quality-adjusted life years (QALY) from the Taiwan national payer's perspective. We developed a lifetime Markov model comparing the intensive and conservative blood-pressure targets.

Sex difference in the association between pathological albuminuria and subclinical atherosclerosis: insights from the I-Lan longitudinal aging study.

Background: Pathological albuminuria (PAU) (urinary albumin creatinine ratio [UACR] ≥30 mg/g) is an independent risk factor of cardiovascular disease. PAU is more prevalent in men than women. We aimed to compare the association of PAU and the early phase of subclinical atherosclerosis (SA) between sexes.

Predicting readmission due to severe hyperglycemia after a hyperglycemic crisis episode.

Aim: This study aimed to investigate the readmission pattern and risk factors for patients who experienced a hyperglycemic crisis.

Methods: Patients admitted to MacKay Memorial Hospital for diabetic ketoacidosis (DKA) or hyperglycemic hyperosmolar state (HHS) between January 2016 and April 2019 were studied. The timing of the first readmission for hyperglycemia and other causes was recorded.

Clinical outcomes and cumulative healthcare costs of TAVR vs. SAVR in Asia.

Objectives: This study compared transcatheter aortic valve replacement (TAVR) and surgical aortic valve replacement (SAVR) in terms of short- and long-term effectiveness.

Methods: This retrospective cohort study based on nationwide National Health Insurance claims data and Cause of Death data focused on adult patients ( = 3,643) who received SAVR (79%) or TAVR (21%) between 2015 and 2019. Propensity score overlap weighting was applied to account for selection bias.

Very early activation of cochlear implants: A review of the literature.

Cochlear implantation (CI) has become the standard treatment for patients with severe-to-profound hearing loss. To date, an estimated 750,000 individuals spanning the entire lifecycle have benefited from this life-changing technology. Traditionally, the device is not "activated" for 3 to 4 weeks after surgery.

The safety and efficacy of the Mo.Ma system device for carotid artery stenting: A single-center experience from Taiwan.

Background: Proximal protection devices, such as the Mo.Ma system provides better neurological outcomes than the distal filter system in the carotid artery stenting (CAS) procedure. This study first evaluated the safety and efficacy of the Mo.

Bilateral Optic Disc Edema as an Initial Presentation of Acute Retinal Necrosis.

Purpose: We reported a case of acute retinal necrosis (ARN) that presented as isolated bilateral optic disc edema.

Methods: A case report.

Case: A 68-year-old male with a 3-day history of progressive blurred vision presented with isolated bilateral optic disc edema.

The Post-Translational Modification Networking in WNK-Centric Hypertension Regulation and Electrolyte Homeostasis.

The with-no-lysine (WNK) kinase family, comprising four serine-threonine protein kinases (WNK1-4), were first linked to hypertension due to their mutations in association with pseudohypoaldosteronism type II (PHAII). WNK kinases regulate crucial blood pressure regulators, SPAK/OSR1, to mediate the post-translational modifications (PTMs) of their downstream ion channel substrates, such as sodium chloride co-transporter (NCC), epithelial sodium chloride (ENaC), renal outer medullary potassium channel (ROMK), and Na/K/2Cl co-transporters (NKCCs). In this review, we summarize the molecular pathways dysregulating the WNKs and their downstream target renal ion transporters.

Farnesoid X Receptor Overexpression Decreases the Migration, Invasion and Angiogenesis of Human Bladder Cancers via AMPK Activation and Cholesterol Biosynthesis Inhibition.

Bladder cancer is one of the most prevailing cancers worldwide. Although treatments for urothelial carcinoma have improved, the rate of recurrence observed in the clinic is still high. The aim of this study was to evaluate whether cholesterol biosynthesis is involved in the effect of Farnesoid X Receptor (FXR) on bladder cancers.

Active Targeting of P-Selectin by Fucoidan Modulates the Molecular Profiling of Metastasis in Docetaxel-Resistant Prostate Cancer.

The standard of care for prostate cancer (PCa) is androgen deprivation therapy (ADT). Although hormone-sensitive PCa is curable by ADT, most conditions progress to castration-resistant prostate cancer (CRPCa) and metastatic CRPCa (mCRPCa). Front-line docetaxel has been administered to patients with CRPCa and mCRPCa.

Elevated alanine aminotransferase is associated with biphasic insulin secretion in the healthy elderly Han Chinese population.

Objective: To evaluate the relationship between alanine transaminase (ALT) level and biphasic insulin secretion (BPIS) in healthy elderly Han Chinese individuals.

Methods: This cross-sectional study enrolled healthy elderly participants aged ≥60 years that were part of a health examination programme. In order to explore the correlation and severity of the clinical condition, those with any possible confounding factors known to affect insulin secretion or liver function were excluded from the study.

The clinical impact of serum 1,5-anhydro-D-glucitol levels on coronary artery calcification and adverse outcomes assessed by coronary optical coherence tomography in diabetic patients.

Background: Serum 1,5-anhydro-D-glucitol (1,5-AG) is a novel biomarker for short-term glycemic status and postprandial hyperglycemia. The association between serum 1,5-AG levels and coronary artery calcification (CAC) through a quantitative assessment using optical coherence tomography (OCT) is unclear. We aimed to evaluate this association using OCT in patients with diabetes mellitus (DM).

Real-World Experience of Angiotensin Receptor-Neprilysin Inhibition in Reduced Ejection Fraction Heart Failure Patients With Advanced Kidney Disease.

Objective: To investigate the effectiveness and safety of angiotensin receptor-neprilysin inhibitors (ARNIs) in real-world patients with heart failure with reduced ejection fraction (HFrEF) and advanced chronic kidney disease (estimated glomerular filtration rate [eGFR] < 30 mL/min per 1.73 m), which have been excluded from the landmark trials.

Patients And Methods: This study examined 3281 patients pooled from two multicenter HFrEF cohorts, and 661 patients with baseline eGFR less than 30 mL/min per 1.

Pharmacokinetics and Safety of Sodium Benzoate, a d-Amino Acid Oxidase (DAAO) Inhibitor, in Healthy Subjects: A Phase I, Open-label Study.

Purpose: N-methyl-d-aspartate receptor (NMDAR)-mediated neurotransmission plays a critical role in cognition and memory, and d-serine is a co-agonist of the receptor. d-serine is metabolized by d-amino acid oxidase (DAAO). Sodium benzoate is a DAAO inhibitor that leads to the elevation of d-serine levels and enhances NMDAR functions as a therapeutic for wide-spectrum central nervous system (CNS) disorders, including schizophrenia and dementia.