Current Surgical Treatment for Neurogenic Lower Urinary Tract Dysfunction in Patients with Chronic Spinal Cord Injury.

This study aimed to present a comprehensive literature review of the efforts of a spinal cord injury workgroup in Taiwan regarding urologic surgery for neurogenic lower urinary tract dysfunction (NLUTD) in patients with chronic spinal cord injury (SCI). Surgical procedures should be viewed as a final option for managing patients with SCI who have persistent symptoms and complications that cannot be resolved by other means. Surgeries can be grouped according to their purpose: reducing bladder pressures, reducing urethra resistance, increasing urethra resistance, and urinary diversion.

Arthroscopic treatment of stable nonunion, unstable nonunion, or nonunion of the scaphoid with early degenerative radioscaphoid arthritis.

Background: This study was designed to analyze the clinical follow-up results (minimum of 2 years) in patients with stable nonunion, unstable nonunion, or nonunion of the scaphoid with early degenerative radioscaphoid arthritis (Lichtman classification stage I-III) treated with arthroscopic osteosynthesis with autogenous bone graft.

Methods: We retrospectively recruited 44 consecutive patients with scaphoid fracture nonunion treated with arthroscopy-assisted percutaneous internal fixation with autogenous bone grafts from January 2010 to November 2019. We recorded union and return to activity and analyzed data with regular clinical follow-up at a mean duration of 33 months (range 24-46 months).

Clinical practice guidelines for the prevention and treatment of osteoporosis in Taiwan: 2022 update.

Osteoporosis greatly increases the risk of fractures. Osteoporotic fractures negatively impact quality of life, increase the burden of care, and increase mortality. Taiwan is an area with a high prevalence of osteoporosis.

Asia-pacific consensus on osteoporotic fracture prevention in postmenopausal women with low bone mass or osteoporosis but no fragility fractures.

Postmenopausal women are at significant risk for osteoporotic fractures due to their rapid bone loss. Half of all postmenopausal women will get an osteoporosis-related fracture over their lifetime, with 25% developing a spine deformity and 15% developing a hip fracture. By 2050, more than half of all osteoporotic fractures will occur in Asia, with postmenopausal women being the most susceptible.

Association of Urinary Lead and Cadmium Levels, and Serum Lipids with Subclinical Arteriosclerosis: Evidence from Taiwan.

Background: Exposure to lead and cadmium has been linked to changes in lipid metabolism and the development of arteriosclerosis, but the role of lipoprotein profiles in this relationship is not well understood, including the potential role of novel lipid biomarkers.

Methods: In this study, we enrolled 736 young Taiwanese subjects aged 12 to 30 years to assess the correlation between urine levels of lead and cadmium, lipoprotein profiles, and carotid intima-media thickness (CIMT).

Results: Higher levels of lead and cadmium were significantly associated with higher levels of low-density lipoprotein cholesterol (LDL-C), small dense LDL-C (sdLDL-C), LDL-triglyceride (LDL-TG), and CIMT.

A Functional Polymorphism Downstream of Vitamin A Regulator Gene Is Associated with Hand Osteoarthritis.

While genetic analyses have revealed ~100 risk loci associated with osteoarthritis (OA), only eight have been linked to hand OA. Besides, these studies were performed in predominantly European and Caucasian ancestries. Here, we conducted a genome-wide association study in the Han Chinese population to identify genetic variations associated with the disease.

The Effects of Switching from Dipeptidyl Peptidase-4 Inhibitors to Glucagon-Like Peptide-1 Receptor Agonists on Bone Mineral Density in Diabetic Patients.

Purpose: Diabetes increases the risk of fragility fractures. As a result, when choosing a diabetes treatment, whether the drug affects bone density should be taken into account. The goal of this study was to determine how switching from dipeptidyl peptidase-4 inhibitors (DPP-4i) to glucagon-like peptide-1 receptor agonists (GLP-1RA) influenced bone mineral density (BMD) in diabetic patients.

Terminally ill patients' and their relatives' experiences and behaviors regarding complementary and alternative medicine utilization in hospice palliative inpatient care units: a cross-sectional, multicenter survey.

Background: Terminally ill patients often experience exacerbations of diseases that render mainstream medicine ineffective in relieving symptoms, prompting attempts at complementary and alternative medicine (CAM). This study collected data from terminally ill patients and their relatives to determine differences between CAM use, behavioral patterns, and perceptions of health information about CAM.

Methods: A cross-sectional design using a self-administered questionnaire was adopted.

Renal function is associated with one-month and one-year mortality in patients with intracerebral hemorrhage.

Objective: This study evaluated short-term (1-month) and long-term (1-year) mortality risks associated with the glomerular filtration rate (eGFR) on admission for patients with intracerebral hemorrhage.

Methods: From the Taiwan Stroke Registry data from April 2006 to December 2016, we identified and stratified patients with intracerebral hemorrhage into five subgroups by the eGFR level on admission: ≥90, 60-89, 30-59, 15-29, and <15 mL/min/1.73 m2 or on dialysis.

Cinnamic aldehyde, an anti-inflammatory component in Du-Huo-Ji-Sheng-Tang, ameliorates arthritis in II collagenase and monosodium iodoacetate induced osteoarthritis rat models.

Background And Aim: Du-Huo-Ji-Sheng-Tang (DHJST) is a Chinese herbal formula used for arthralgia and arthritis treatment clinically. This study aims to evaluate the joint-protecting efficacy of DHJST and to identify the active constituents as the evaluation marker.

Experimental Procedure: DHJST can be categorized into three recipes: Blood-tonifying-herbs Si-Wu-Tang (SWT), Wind-dampness-dispelling-herbs (WDH) and Qi-tonifying-herbs (TH).

Immunoprofiling of Equine Plasma against in Taiwan: Key to Understanding Differential Neutralization Potency in Immunized Horses.

Snakebite envenoming is a public health issue linked to high mortality and morbidity rates worldwide. Although antivenom has been the mainstay treatment for envenomed victims receiving medical care, the diverse therapeutic efficacy of the produced antivenom is a major limitation. is a venomous snake that poses significant concern of risks to human life in Taiwan, and successful production of antivenom against envenoming remains a considerable challenge.

Heterotopic ossification with concurrent chronic osteomyelitis of the leg following licking of a wound by a domesticated dog.

Introduction: HO with concurrent chronic osteomyelitis is extremely rare. To the authors' knowledge, this is the first case in the English-language literature with wound infection and mature HO with chronic osteomyelitis caused by mixed infection of Pasteurella canis, Peptoniphilus coxii, Peptostreptococcus canis, and Fusobacterium nucleatum following licking of a wound by a domesticated dog.

Case Report: A 49-year-old female with a painful, swollen, and purulent wound with bone exposure, measuring 2.

An Index to Assess Overwork-Related Adverse Effects on Employees Under the Occupational Safety and Health Act in Taiwan.

Background: The present study aimed to digitally evaluate the risk of overwork-related adverse effects (OrAEs) among employees from various occupational categories in Taiwan.

Methods: Anonymous data of employees from seven companies/factories providing occupational health services were analyzed. The studied population comprised 5505 employees, and the data analyzed included employment duration, working hours, shift work schedules, and health checkup results.

Fractal Properties of Heart Rate Dynamics: A New Biomarker for Anesthesia-Biphasic Changes in General Anesthesia and Decrease in Spinal Anesthesia.

Processed electroencephalogram (EEG) has been considered a useful tool for measuring the depth of anesthesia (DOA). However, because of its inability to detect the activities of the brain stem and spinal cord responsible for most of the vital signs, a new biomarker for measuring the multidimensional activities of the central nervous system under anesthesia is required. Detrended fluctuation analysis (DFA) is a new technique for detecting the scaling properties of nonstationary heart rate (HR) behavior.

Laser acupuncture combined with auricular acupressure improves low-back pain and quality of life in nurses: A randomized controlled trial.

Background: Low-back pain (LBP) in nurses is a major health concern that affects their quality of life and ability to work, with consequences for their economic status.

Objective: This study evaluates the effect of low-level laser acupuncture combined with auricular acupressure (LAA) on pain intensity, pain interference and quality of life in nurses with LBP.

Design, Setting, Participants And Interventions: This randomized controlled trial recruited a convenience sample of hospital-based nurses from one teaching hospital in Taiwan, China.

Mesenchymal Stem Cell Transplantation Increases Antioxidant Protein Expression and Ameliorates GP91/ROS/Inflammasome Signals in Diabetic Cardiomyopathy.

Background: Cardiomyopathy is one of the complications associated with diabetes. Due to its high prevalence, diabetic cardiomyopathy has become an urgent issue for diabetic patients. Various pathological signals are related to diabetic cardiomyopathy progress, including inflammasome.

Association of periodontitis and oral microbiomes with Alzheimer's disease: A narrative systematic review.

Background/purpose: Alzheimer's disease (AD) is a neurodegenerative disorder and the most common form of dementia. The etiology for AD includes age, genetic susceptibility, neuropathology, and infection. Periodontitis is an infectious and inflammatory disease which mainly causes alveolar bone destruction and tooth loss.

Localization Patterns of RAB3C Are Associated with Murine and Human Sperm Formation.

Background and Objectives: Septins (SEPTs) are highly conserved GTP-binding proteins and the fourth component of the cytoskeleton. Polymerization of SEPTs contributes to several critical cellular processes such as cytokinesis, cytoskeletal remodeling, and vesicle transportation. In our previous study, we found that SEPT14 mutations resulted in teratozoospermia with >87% sperm morphological defects.

Cross-protective humoral immunity to coronaviruses from SARS coronavirus 2-naïve sera of children with Kawasaki disease.

Objectives: SARS coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2)-associated multi-system inflammatory syndrome in children indicates that viruses can trigger a Kawasaki disease (KD)-like hyperinflammation. A plausible hypothesis was that coronavirus-specific 'holes' in humoral immunity could cause both diseases.

Methods: To determine whether SARS-CoV-2-naïve patients with KD have inferior humoral immunity for the novel coronavirus, sera of children with KD and control children from year 2015 to 2021 were subjected to ELISA, microwestern, and neutralization assays to evaluate the capabilities in recognizing the receptor-binding domain of SARS-CoV-2, spotting spike proteins of three respiratory syndromic coronaviruses, and blocking SARS-CoV-2 from binding to angiotensin-converting enzyme 2 receptors in vitro, respectively.

Risk of intraoperative floppy iris syndrome among selective alpha-1 blockers-A consistency model of 6,488 cases.

Selective α1-blockers are commonly administered to patients with lower urinary tract syndrome and benign prostatic hyperplasia, but may increase the risk of intraoperative floppy iris syndrome (IFIS). The purpose of this study aimed to clarify the risk of IFIS among various selective α1-blockers. Four databases were searched for prospective studies comparing alpha-1-antagonists.

The effects of a combination of 3D virtual reality and hands-on horticultural activities on mastery, achievement motives, self-esteem, isolation and depression: a quasi-experimental study.

Background: Aging societies are a public health concern worldwide. It is critical to develop strategies that harness technology to enhance older adults' mastery, achievement motives, self-esteem, isolation and depression effectively.

Methods: This study aimed to explore the effects of a combination of three-dimensional virtual reality (VR) and hands-on horticultural activities on the psychological well-being of community-dwelling older adults.