Post-resuscitation diastolic blood pressure is a prognostic factor for outcomes of cardiac arrest patients: a multicenter retrospective registry-based analysis.

Background: Post-resuscitation hemodynamic level is associated with outcomes. This study was conducted to investigate if post-resuscitation diastolic blood pressure (DBP) is a favorable prognostic factor.

Methods: Using TaIwan Network of Targeted Temperature ManagEment for CARDiac Arrest (TIMECARD) registry, we recruited adult patients who received targeted temperature management in nine medical centers between January 2014 and September 2019.

Clinical features and prognostic predictors in patients with rheumatic diseases complicated by Pneumocystis pneumonia.

Objectives: To investigate the clinical outcomes and risk factors of mortality in patients with rheumatic diseases complicated by Pneumocystis pneumonia (PCP).

Methods: Between November 2015 and April 2021, patients with rheumatic diseases with PCP in a tertiary referral hospital were retrospectively enrolled. The diagnosis of PCP requires the fulfillment of clinical, radiographic, and microbiological criteria.

ENERGI-F703 gel, as a new topical treatment for diabetic foot and leg ulcers: A multicenter, randomized, double-blind, phase II trial.

Background: Diabetic foot and leg ulcers are a major cause of disability among patients with diabetes mellitus. A topical gel called ENERGI-F703, applied twice daily and with adenine as its active pharmaceutical ingredient, accelerated wound healing in diabetic mice. The current study evaluated the safety and efficacy of ENERGI-F703 for patients with diabetic foot and leg ulcers.

The diversity of hereditary neuromuscular diseases: Experiences from molecular diagnosis.

Background: Hereditary neuromuscular diseases (NMDs) are a group of rare disorders, and the diagnosis of these diseases is a substantial burden for referral centers. Although next-generation sequencing (NGS) has identified a large number of genes associated with hereditary NMDs, the diagnostic rates still vary across centers.

Methods: Patients with a suspected hereditary NMD were referred to neuromuscular specialists at the National Taiwan University Hospital.

The frailty risk trajectory associated with kidney and cardiovascular morbidities among patients with incident diabetes: A population-based study.

Background And Aims: Frailty denotes the increased vulnerability to stressors/insults associated with aging or diseases, and has high incidence in patients with diabetes mellitus (DM). We hypothesized that chronic kidney disease (CKD) and non-kidney morbidities in patients with newly diagnosed DM might modulate their risk of developing incident frailty.

Methods: From the Longitudinal Cohort of Diabetes Patients, we identified 322,109 patients with newly diagnosed DM, and classified them into those without CKD, with CKD before and after DM.

Global DNA methylation mediates the association between serum perfluorooctane sulfonate and carotid intima-media thickness in young and middle-aged Taiwanese populations.

Purpose: Perfluoroalkyl and polyfluoroalkyl substances (PFAS) are a group of synthetic chemicals used in the manufacture of many everyday products. Previous reports have shown PFAS exposure may contribute to cardiovascular diseases (CVD). Recent studies have also identified a critical role for DNA methylation, a model of epigenetic regulation, in the pathogenesis of CVD.

Impact of duration of mechanical support on heart transplantation: Hasty transplantation may not have a good long-term outcome.

Background: Mechanical circulatory support (MCS) has been widely utilized in critically ill cardiac transplant candidates. Few studies have investigated the impact of duration of MCS before heart transplantation (HTx) on long-term patient survival.

Methods: A retrospective HTx database was reviewed between 2009 and 2019.

Association between trajectories of end-tidal carbon dioxide and return of spontaneous circulation among emergency department patients with out-of-hospital cardiac arrest.

Background: We aimed to identify distinct trajectories of end-tidal carbon dioxide (EtCO) during cardiopulmonary resuscitation in patients with out-of-hospital cardiac arrest (OHCA) and to investigate the association between EtCO trajectories and OHCA outcomes.

Methods: This was a secondary analysis of a prospectively collected database on adult patients with OHCA who had been resuscitated in the emergency department of a tertiary medical center between 2015 and 2020. The primary outcome was the return of spontaneous circulation (ROSC).

Secondary Full-thickness Macular Holes after Diabetic Vitrectomy: Clinical Manifestations and Rational Approaches to the Treatment.

Purpose: The aim of the study is to present the clinical characteristics and surgical treatment of secondary full-thickness macular hole (MH) after diabetic vitrectomy (DV) in patients with proliferative diabetic retinopathy (PDR).

Methods: In this retrospective, observational, and longitudinal study, we enrolled consecutive patients with PDR who developed MH after DV. The macular structure was evaluated using optical coherence tomography.

Role of Ketogenic Diets in Multiple Sclerosis and Related Animal Models: An Updated Review.

Prescribing a ketogenic diet (KD) is a century-old dietary intervention mainly used in the context of intractable epilepsy. The classic KD and its variants regained popularity in recent decades, and they are considered potentially beneficial in a variety of neurological conditions other than epilepsy. Many patients with multiple sclerosis (MS) have attempted diet modification for better control of their disease, although evidence thus far remains insufficient to recommend a specific diet for these patients.

Exploring Usability and Patient Attitude towards a Smart Hospital Service with the Technology Acceptance Model.

The demand for health care has increased with the development of global technology and the rise of public health awareness, and smart service systems have also been introduced to medical care to relieve the pressure on hospital staff. However, the survey found that patients' willingness to use smart services at the time of consultation has not improved. The main research purpose of this study was to understand the willingness of patients from various groups to use smart medical service systems and to explore the influencing factors on patients' use of smart service systems in hospitals through the technology acceptance model.

Treatment Outcome in Patients with Complex Lung Disease: The Impact of Tigecycline and Amikacin.

Background: The contemporary guidelines have recommended multiple antimicrobial therapies along with oral macrolides for the treatment of complex lung disease (MABC-LD). However, there is little evidence supporting the parenteral tigecycline-containing regimens against MABC-LD. Therefore, we conducted this study to evaluate the effect of intravenous tigecycline-containing regimens on the treatment of MABC-LD.

Who Can Be the Standardized Patient in Disaster Medical Full-Scale Exercise, Freshman, or Professional?

Background: Disasters cannot be predicted, so being well-prepared is important before a disaster strike. Good preparation needs constant practice and improvement, and full-scale exercise can provide both. The standardized patients (SPs) in a full-scale exercise to simulate patients are vital because they can provide realistic effects to exercise participants.

Free Colon Tissue Transfer for the Management of Xerostomia in Head and Neck Cancer Patients: A Bacteriological Study and Clinical Case Series.

Introduction: Patients with head and neck cancer may suffer from xerostomia after repetitive surgery or radiation therapy. Free colon tissue transfer was used to restore the lubrication of the oral cavity, and a bacteriological study in mice was conducted to evaluate how the intestine transfer from the intra-abdominal to extra-abdominal locations may affect bacterial colonization.

Patients And Methods: Twelve patients received free colon transfer for the reconstruction of their intraoral mucosal defect following trismus release.

A deep learning-based precision volume calculation approach for kidney and tumor segmentation on computed tomography images.

Previously, doctors interpreted computed tomography (CT) images based on their experience in diagnosing kidney diseases. However, with the rapid increase in CT images, such interpretations were required considerable time and effort, producing inconsistent results. Several novel neural network models were proposed to automatically identify kidney or tumor areas in CT images for solving this problem.

Impact of Two Types of Board Games on Drug-Use Prevention in Adolescents at Senior High Schools.

A technology-assisted teaching tool with interactive features may improve the outcomes of illegal drug-use prevention strategies. This study explores augmented reality (AR) and paper board games incorporating a brief antidrug educational program for students without drug-use problems to increase their antidrug knowledge, attitude, life skills, subjective norms, perceived behavioral control, and intention to avoid using drugs. A total of 600 students were recruited, and 578 completed the intervention program and pre-and post-tests.

A genome-wide association study for melatonin secretion.

Melatonin exerts a wide range of effects among various tissues and organs. However, there is currently no study to investigate the genetic determinants of melatonin secretion. Here, we conducted a genome-wide association study (GWAS) for melatonin secretion using morning urine 6-hydroxymelatonin sulfate-to-creatinine ratio (UMCR).

A deep learning-based precision and automatic kidney segmentation system using efficient feature pyramid networks in computed tomography images.

This paper proposes an encoder-decoder architecture for kidney segmentation. A hyperparameter optimization process is implemented, including the development of a model architecture, selecting a windowing method and a loss function, and data augmentation. The model consists of EfficientNet-B5 as the encoder and a feature pyramid network as the decoder that yields the best performance with a Dice score of 0.

Association between glucagon-like peptide-1 receptor agonists and biliary-related diseases in patients with type 2 diabetes: A nationwide cohort study.

Study Objective: Clinical trials have suggested that glucagon-like peptide-1 receptor agonists (GLP-1RAs) may be associated with a higher risk of biliary-related diseases in patients with type 2 diabetes. Limited real-world studies have examined the comparative biliary safety of GLP-1RAs versus other antihyperglycemic drugs. We aimed to estimate the comparative risk of biliary-related diseases between GLP-1RAs and sodium glucose cotransporter 2 inhibitors (SGLT2is), which are indicated for patients with similar diabetes severity in Taiwan.

Comparative cardiovascular effectiveness of glucagon-like peptide-1 receptor agonists versus sodium-glucose cotransporter-2 inhibitors in patients with type 2 diabetes: A population-based cohort study.

Aims: To examine the comparative effectiveness of glucagon-like peptide-1 receptor agonists (GLP-1RAs) and sodium-glucose cotransporter-2 (SGLT2) inhibitors for select cardiovascular outcomes and to examine whether the relative risks varied across different patient subgroups in patients with type 2 diabetes.

Materials And Methods: We conducted a nationwide cohort study of patients with type 2 diabetes who initiated GLP-1RAs or SGLT2 inhibitors between 2012 and 2018 in Taiwan. The study outcomes included myocardial infarction and total stroke, further classified into ischaemic or haemorrhagic stroke.

Reappraisal of the roles of alpha-fetoprotein in hepatocellular carcinoma surveillance using large-scale nationwide database and hospital-based information.

Background/purpose: Controversies over the use of alpha-fetoprotein (AFP) for detection of hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) existed from guidelines. Using large-scale database and hospital-based information, we aimed to reappraise the role of AFP in HCC surveillance, including proportion of AFP elevation by stage of HCC, additional benefit of AFP in combination of ultrasonography (US) in the detection of early HCC, and survival in early HCC with high AFP levels.

Methods: This retrospective study enrolled 43,437 patients from database of the Taiwan Cancer Registry (TCR) and 4250 patients from Kaohsiung Chang Gung Memorial Hospital (KCGMH) between January 2011 and December 2017.

The psychopathology and happiness of the older adults in Yunlin, Taiwan: What do we need for long-term care service?

Background: The purpose of this study was to investigate the psychopathology and level of happiness and their association with the demographic data of the older population in long-term care situations in Taiwan.

Methods: The study enrolled 500 participants who were the elderly in long-term care situations and used the Brief Symptom Rating Scale (BSRS-5) and Chinese Happiness Inventory (CHI) to determine the psychopathology and level of happiness. Multiple linear regression analysis (using a stepwise method) and a two-step cluster analysis were performed to examine the data.

Institutional Place Identity and Life Adaptation among Elderly People in Taiwan.

Background: Many elderly people in Taiwan move to institutional care due to disability or insufficient family resources. This study aimed to understand the place identity and life adaptation of institutional residents and their influencing factors, and to explore the correlation between these two.

Methods: This study adopted a cross-sectional survey method.