The Evolution of Uroflowmetry and Bladder Diary and the Emerging Trend of Using Home Devices From Hospital to Home.

Although uroflowmetry and bladder diaries are widely used for noninvasive evaluation of lower urinary tract symptoms, they still have limitations in diagnostic capability and users' convenience. The aim of this paper is to discuss potential solutions by reviewing (1) the evolution and current clinical use of uroflowmetry and bladder diary, including clinical guidelines, daily practice applications, and their historical development; (2) a growing trend toward using home devices with various technologies; and (3) a comprehensive comparison of the strengths and weaknesses of these home devices. In our opinion, the following points can be highlighted: (1) the emerging trend of using home devices can enhance diagnostic capabilities through repeated measurements and the convenience of at-home testing and (2) home devices, which provide both frequency-volume and uroflowmetry information, have the potential to transform the management of lower urinary tract symptoms.

Oxidative Scission of Bicyclo[2.2.2]octenones: Untying the α-Dimethoxycarbonyl.

This study explores the selective oxidative scission of bicyclo[2.2.2]octenones derived from masked -benzoquinones (MOBs).

Use of Electronic Health Records to Identify Factors Related to Skin Changes in Terminal Patients.

Objective: To investigate the incidence of skin changes at life's end (SCALE) among hospice patients and identify associated factors.

Methods: The authors conducted a retrospective chart review of demographic data, medical history, Braden Scale assessment scores, Charlson Comorbidity Index, symptom records, and medical treatments of patients admitted to a local teaching hospital's hospice unit between May 2019 and April 2021.

Results: Most (79%) of the 300 hospice patients included in the study had cancer.

Prognostic factors in severe dengue patients: A multi-center retrospective cohort study.

Background/purpose: Early detection of severe dengue (SD) and appropriate management are crucial in reducing the case fatality rate. The objective of this study was to investigate the clinical characteristics of SD and identify independent risk factors associated with mortality among SD patients.

Methods: A retrospective study was conducted at two medical center hospitals between 2002 and 2019, involving patients aged ≧18 years with laboratory-confirmed SD.

Transthyretin variants impact blood-nerve barrier and neuroinflammation in amyloidotic neuropathy.

Hereditary transthyretin amyloidosis with polyneuropathy (ATTRv-PN) is a neurodegenerative disease caused by mutations in the gene encoding transthyretin (TTR). Despite amyloid deposition being pathognomonic for diagnosis, this pathology in nervous tissues cannot fully account for nerve degeneration, implying additional pathophysiology for neurodegeneration, which, however, has not yet been fully elucidated. In this study, neuroinflammation in ATTRv-PN was investigated by examining nerve morphometry, the blood-nerve barrier, and macrophage infiltration in the sural nerves of ATTRv-PN patients and the sciatic nerves of a complementary mouse system, i.

Association of methotrexate polyglutamates concentration with methotrexate efficacy and safety in patients with rheumatoid arthritis treated with predefined dose: results from the MIRACLE trial.

Objectives: The usefulness of methotrexate-polyglutamates (MTX-PGs) concentration for management of rheumatoid arthritis has been debated. We aimed to clarify the association of MTX-PGs concentration with efficacy and safety in MTX-naïve patients initiating MTX in a prospective interventional clinical trial.

Methods: The MIRACLE trial enrolled 300 MTX-naïve patients.

Identifying categories of patient-driven health services innovation: insights from Taiwan's health services sector.

Purpose: This study aims to build a typology of patient-driven health services innovation (PDHSI) and propose their relationships with healthcare quality.

Design/methodology/approach: Guided by value co-creation theory (VCC), this study adopted in-depth interviews and focus groups to collect qualitative data in Taiwan's health services sector. The collected data were analyzed using manual thematic analysis, following the standard procedures for transcribing, encoding and identifying themes.

Unraveling the phenotypic and metabolic responses induced by urea-encapsulated hydrogel beads on (L.) Czern & Coss.

Hydrogels, three-dimensional polymeric networks capable of absorbing and retaining significant amounts of aqueous solution, offer a promising platform for controlled release of desired compounds. In this study, we explored the effects of urea delivery through galactoxyloglucan-sodium alginate hydrogels on the phenotypic and metabolic responses of , a vital oilseed and vegetable crop. The experiments were conducted with four treatments: control (without hydrogel beads and urea), direct urea supplementation (U), hydrogel beads with urea (HBWU), and hydrogel beads without urea (HBWOU).

Systematic review of 99 extremity bone malignancy survival prediction models.

Background: Various prediction models have been developed for extremity metastasis and sarcoma. This systematic review aims to evaluate extremity metastasis and sarcoma models using the utility prediction model (UPM) evaluation framework.

Methods: We followed Preferred Reporting Items for Systematic Reviews and Meta-Analyses (PRISMA) guidelines and systematically searched PubMed, Embase, and Cochrane to identify articles presenting original prediction models with 1-year survival outcome for extremity metastasis and 5-year survival outcome for sarcoma.

Oedema index trajectories at heart failure nurse clinics over 6 months after acute heart failure predict patient outcomes: a retrospective cohort study.

Aims: Fluid accumulation is associated with poor outcomes in patients with heart failure (HF). After acute HF, HF nurses provide home care suggestions based on oedema status assessed at outpatient clinics. However, the pattern of serial oedema changes and their associations with patient outcomes are unknown.

Degrees of Death: The Hierarchy of Capital Punishments Between Strangulation and Decapitation in Qing China.

This article unravels the classification of individuals which operated through the dualism between two execution methods, strangulation and decapitation, during the Qing dynasty. The fundamental difference lay in whether the method of execution preserved the integrity of the corpse. As this factor entailed important moral and metaphysical consequences, there is an uncrossable boundary between the two situations.

Bisdemethoxycurcumin and Curcumin Alleviate Inflammatory Bowel Disease by Maintaining Intestinal Epithelial Integrity and Regulating Gut Microbiota in Mice.

Curcuminoids, found in turmeric ( L.), include curcumin (CUR), demethoxycurcumin (DMC), and bisdemethoxycurcumin (BDMC). Although CUR and DMC are well-studied, the anti-inflammatory effects of BDMC remain less explored.

Comparison of different microbiome analysis pipelines to validate their reproducibility of gastric mucosal microbiome composition.

Microbiome analysis has become a crucial tool for basic and translational research due to its potential for translation into clinical practice. However, there is ongoing controversy regarding the comparability of different bioinformatic analysis platforms and a lack of recognized standards, which might have an impact on the translational potential of results. This study investigates how the performance of different microbiome analysis platforms impacts the final results of mucosal microbiome signatures.

Association Between Elevation of Serum Alanine Aminotransferase and HBsAg Seroclearance After Nucleos(t)ide Analog Withdrawal.

Background: Alanine aminotransferase (ALT) frequently elevates in chronic hepatitis B patients stopping nucleos(t)ide analogs (NAs).

Aims: To clarify the association between ALT elevation and HBsAg seroclearance after NA withdrawal.

Methods: This multicenter cohort study reviewed consecutive patients discontinuing NA between 2004/04/01 and 2022/05/24.

Measurement of multidifferential cross sections for dijet production in proton-proton collisions at .

A measurement of the dijet production cross section is reported based on proton-proton collision data collected in 2016 at by the CMS experiment at the CERN LHC, corresponding to an integrated luminosity of up to 36.3 . Jets are reconstructed with the anti- algorithm for distance parameters of and 0.

Using Pharmacoepidemiology to Examine the Interplay of Sulfonylureas and Infection Risk in Patients With Diabetes Mellitus.

Sulfonylureas (SU) are commonly prescribed as oral hypoglycemic agents for the management of diabetes mellitus (DM). We postulated that SU possess antimicrobial properties due to their structural resemblance to the antimicrobial agent sulfamethoxazole. Using data from Taiwan's National Health Insurance Research Database, we enrolled patients diagnosed with DM between 2000 and 2013 and followed them for a three-year period.

Oleanolic acid inhibits aldo-keto reductase family 1 member B10-induced cancer stemness and avoids cisplatin-based chemotherapy resistance via the Snail signaling pathway in oral squamous cell carcinoma cell lines.

Background/purpose: Oral squamous cell carcinoma (OSCC) is a common malignancy often associated with poor prognosis due to chemoresistance. In this study, we investigated whether arecoline, a major alkaloid in betel nuts, can stimulate aldo-keto reductase family 1 member B10 (AKR1B10) levels in OSCC, promoting cancer stemness and leading to resistance to cisplatin (CDDP)-based chemotherapy.

Materials And Methods: Gain- and Loss- of AKR1B10 functions were analyzed using WB and q-PCR of OSCC cells.

NCK1 antisense RNA 1 (NCK1-AS1) exerts pro-fibrosis property in oral mucosa through modulation of miR-137/NCK1 axis.

Background/purpose: Oral submucous fibrosis (OSF) is a premalignant condition of the oral cavity, and its pathogenesis remains largely unknown. A multitude of non-coding RNAs are aberrantly expressed in OSF, and their implication for the development of OSF is a matter meriting investigation.

Materials And Methods: The functional role of long non-coding RNA NCK1-AS1 in myofibroblast activation of fibrotic buccal mucosal fibroblasts (fBMFs) derived from OSF tissues was assessed.

Soft coral Lobophytum crassum extract inhibits migration and induces apoptosis capabilities in human oral squamous cell carcinoma cells.

Background/purpose: The extract of the soft coral has shown an anti-cancer activity in various cancer cells. However, its effect on the oral squamous cell carcinoma cell (OSCC) lines remains unclear. The purpose of this study is to investigate the anti-cancer effects of the extract of (C127) on the OSCC cells.

Significant association of oral health-related quality of life with mental depression in middle-aged and older Taiwanese adults.

Background/purpose: With the gradual aging of the population, oral health has emerged as a critical concern alongside mental well-being. This study endeavored to investigate the relationship between oral health-related quality of life (OHRQoL) and mental depression in middle-aged and older population.

Materials And Methods: Based on the Taiwan Longitudinal Study on Aging in 2015, 7631 participants were enrolled.

Integrating digital technologies in dental technician education: A comparative study of national examination in Asian countries.

Background/purpose: The integration of digital technologies in dental technician education revolutionized the profession in Asian countries. Despite the growing adoption of digital methods, national examinations predominantly relied on traditional techniques. This study aimed to conduct a comparative analysis of national examination standards and digital course integration in dental technician education among 5 countries including Japan, Taiwan, South Korea, the Philippines, and China.

High-precision and non-invasive measurement of crestal bone level by optical coherence tomography.

Background/purpose: Identifying crestal bone level (CBL) on the buccal and lingual aspects poses challenges in conventional dental radiographs. Given that optical coherence tomography (OCT) has the capability to non-invasively provide in-depth information about the periodontium, this in vitro study aimed to assess whether OCT can effectively identify periodontal landmarks and measure CBL in the presence of gingiva.

Materials And Methods: An in-house handheld scanning probe connected to a 1310-nm swept-source OCT (SS-OCT) system, along with self-developed algorithms were employed to measure the CBL in dental models with artificial gingiva.