Pro-angiogenic effects of Guo Min decoction in a zebrafish model.

Objectives: Guo Min decoction (GMD) is a Chinese traditional medicine that can regulate allergy-related symptoms. Although GMD treatment was reported to treat allergy-associated symptoms by regulating the immune response, the rationale between GMD treatment and angiogenesis has not been reported yet. Our objective is to investigate the angiogenesis-modulating activity of GMD.

Using a machine learning algorithm and clinical data to predict the risk factors of disease recurrence after adjuvant treatment of advanced-stage oral cavity cancer.

Objectives: Head-and-neck cancer is a major cancer in Taiwan. Most patients are in the advanced stage at initial diagnosis. In addition to primary surgery, adjuvant therapy, including chemotherapy and radiotherapy, is also necessary to treat these patients.

Advancements in minimally invasive surgery for adolescent idiopathic scoliosis: A case series and literature review.

Objectives: Minimally invasive surgery (MIS) has emerged as a promising alternative to conventional open techniques in the management of adolescent idiopathic scoliosis (AIS).

Materials And Methods: This study presents a case series of six patients who underwent MIS for AIS at a spine center, employing a synergistic blend of intraoperative fluoroscopy, cone-beam computed tomography scans, and three-dimensional navigation technology. The surgical procedures were meticulously guided, with a focus on ensuring safety and precision in posterior pedicle fixation.

Review of simultaneous treatment with intradetrusor onabotulinumtoxinA injections during transurethral prostate surgery for men with bladder outlet obstruction and overactive bladder.

Bladder outlet obstruction (BOO) is common in males with benign prostate enlargement (BPE) and often presents with different lower urinary tract symptoms. Overactive bladder (OAB) has been reported to be related to BOO, although it can also be idiopathic. The storage symptoms of BOO are often similar to those of OAB.

Short-term and long-term outcomes of acute severe ulcerative colitis in Taiwan: a multicenter study with pre- and post-biologics comparison.

Background/aims: Data from Asia regarding the short-term and long-term outcomes for acute severe ulcerative colitis (ASUC) are limited. We assessed the outcomes of ASUC, identified the risk factors for colectomy, and compared colectomy rates between the pre-biologics and post-biologics eras in Taiwan.

Methods: The patients with an ASUC diagnosis between January 2013 and March 2022 at 5 tertiary medical centers were retrospectively analyzed.

Understanding social behaviours across neurodiverse young people: roles of social cognition and self-regulation.

Background: Differences in social behaviours are common in young people with neurodevelopmental conditions (NDCs). Recent research challenges the long-standing hypothesis that difficulties in social cognition explain social behaviour differences.

Aims: We examined how difficulties regulating one's behaviour, emotions and thoughts to adapt to environmental demands (i.

Revealing the roles of solar withering and shaking processes on oolong tea manufacturing from transcriptome and volatile profile analysis.

Solar and indoor withering in the manufacturing process of semi-fermented oolong tea are crucial for aroma formation. While the processes have been established through accumulated experience, the underlying mechanisms remain largely unknown. This study identified pairs of gene and volatile organic compound (VOC) that were significantly correlated and up-regulated during solar withering and the first shaking, including lipoxygenase 8 (LOX8) with 3-hexenyl iso-butyrate, terpene synthase 2 (TPS2) with β-ocimene and linalool, as well as tryptophan synthase β-subunit 2 (TSB2) with indole.

Modeling the growth and dynamics of uropathogenic Escherichia coli in sugarcane juice for shelf life predictions.

In this study, we assessed the effects of temperature and dilution on uropathogenic Escherichia coli (UPEC) growth in sugarcane juice and modeled the kinetics for shelf life simulation. Diluted and undiluted sugarcane juice samples inoculated with a four-strain UPEC cocktail were stored at 4, 10, 15, 20, 30, and 40 °C to evaluate their growth during storage. Changes in UPEC growth were fitted using three primary models (Baranyi, Huang, and reparameterized Gompertz models), and two secondary models (Huang square-root and Ratkowsky square-root models) were selected to evaluate the effect of temperature on specific growth rates.

Longitudinal analysis of in-hospital cardiac arrest: trends in the incidence, mortality, and long-term survival of a nationwide cohort.

Background: In-hospital cardiac arrest (IHCA) poses a considerable threat to hospitalized patients, leading to high mortality rates and severe neurological deficits among survivors. Despite the advancements in resuscitation practices, the prognosis of IHCA remains poor, and comprehensive studies exploring nationwide trends and long-term survival are scarce, particularly in the Asian populations.

Methods: Utilizing data from the Taiwan National Health Insurance Research Database, we conducted a nationwide cohort study to analyze the IHCA events among adult patients between 2003 and 2020.

The value of growth differentiation factor 15 as a biomarker for peripheral artery disease in diabetes patients.

Background: Growth differentiation factor 15 (GDF15) is significantly correlated with glycolipid metabolic disorders. Increased GDF15 levels are associated with obesity, insulin resistance, and diabetes as well as a poorer diabetes progression and prognosis. This is a prospective cohort study investigated the association between circulating GDF15 and diabetic peripheral artery disease.

Socioeconomic Inequity in Access to Medical and Long-Term Care Among Older People.

Background: Ensuring equitable access to medical and long-term care (LTC) is critical to enable older people to maintain their health and well-being even after they undergo a decline in their intrinsic capacity.

Methods: We used data from five waves of the National Survey of the Japanese Elderly, conducted between 2002 and 2021, to assess gradients in access to medical care and LTC by income and education among Japanese individuals aged 60 years and above. Specifically, we assessed self-reported unmet needs for medical care and LTC, and public LTC use, and estimated the concentration indices (CI) to evaluate the degree of inequality and inequity.

Hypofractionated image-guided radiotherapy with 70 Gy in 28 fractions for prostate cancer confined to the pelvis: a single institute experience in Taiwan.

Background: The incidence of prostate cancer is increasing in Asian countries. Although moderately hypofractionated radiotherapy is not inferior to conventional fractionated radiation according to the updated guidelines, data regarding its efficacy and safety in Taiwan are currently lacking. The aim of this study was to investigate the outcomes of prostate cancer patients treated with hypofractionated image-guided radiotherapy at a single institution in Taiwan.

Enhanced detection of mild cognitive impairment in Alzheimer's disease: a hybrid model integrating dual biomarkers and advanced machine learning.

Alzheimer's disease (AD) is a complex, progressive, and irreversible neurodegenerative disorder marked by cognitive decline and memory loss. Early diagnosis is the most effective strategy to slow the disease's progression. Mild Cognitive Impairment (MCI) is frequently viewed as a crucial stage before the onset of AD, making it the ideal period for therapeutic intervention.

Efficiency and safety comparison between 20,000 and 10,000 cuts per minute vitrectomy using a 27G cutter in rhegmatogenous retinal detachment: a prospective randomized controlled study.

Purpose: To compare the efficac and safety of a dual-blade 20,000 cuts per minute (cpm) vitrectomy probe with a single-blade 10,000 cpm probe for primary rhegmatogenous retinal detachment (RRD).

Study Design: Prospective, randomized controlled clinical trial.

Methods: Evaluations were conducted preoperatively, intraoperatively, and at three months postoperatively.

Compound heterozygous TMEM67 biallelic variants including a novel frameshift mutation in two Filipino adolescent siblings with Joubert syndrome.

Joubert Syndrome (JS) is a congenital cerebellar ataxia typically inherited in an autosomal recessive pattern, although rare X-linked inheritance can occur. It is characterized by hypotonia evolving into ataxia, global developmental delay, oculomotor apraxia, breathing dysregulation, and multiorgan involvement. To date, there are 40 causative genes implicated in JS, all of which encode proteins of the primary cilium.

Deep Convolutional Neural Networks on Multiclass Classification of Three-Dimensional Brain Images for Parkinson's Disease Stage Prediction.

Parkinson's disease (PD), a degenerative disorder of the central nervous system, is commonly diagnosed using functional medical imaging techniques such as single-photon emission computed tomography (SPECT). In this study, we utilized two SPECT data sets (n = 634 and n = 202) from different hospitals to develop a model capable of accurately predicting PD stages, a multiclass classification task. We used the entire three-dimensional (3D) brain images as input and experimented with various model architectures.

Comparing clinical only and combined clinical laboratory models for ECPR outcomes in refractory cardiac arrest.

Extracorporeal cardiopulmonary resuscitation (ECPR) improves survival for prolonged cardiac arrest (CA) but carries significant risks and costs due to ECMO. Previous predictive models have been complex, incorporating both clinical data and parameters obtained after CPR or ECMO initiation. This study aims to compare a simpler clinical-only model with a model that includes both clinical and pre-ECMO laboratory parameters, to refine patient selection and improve ECPR outcomes.

A Markov decision optimization of medical service resources for two-class patient queues in emergency departments via particle swarm optimization algorithm.

In the modern healthcare system, the rational allocation of emergency department (ED) resources is crucial for enhancing emergency response efficiency, ensuring patient safety, and improving the quality of medical services. This paper focuses on the issue of ED resource allocation and designs a priority sorting system for ED patients. The system classifies patients into two queues: urgent and routine.

Disrupted HIV care during COVID-19 pandemic associated with increased disabilities among people living with HIV in Belize.

The COVID-19 pandemic may have impacted disabilities among people living with HIV; however, data on the association between COVID-19 pandemic-related healthcare disruptions and disabilities among people living with HIV is limited. We aimed to evaluate the association between COVID-19-affected HIV care behaviors and disability domains among people living with HIV in Belize. A cross-sectional study was conducted at the Western Regional Hospital and Southern Regional Hospital between August and October 2021 among people living with HIV in Belize aged ≥ 21 years and on antiretroviral therapy.

Long-term serum ferritin dynamics in patients receiving antiviral treatment for hepatitis C virus infection.

Background: Limited data exists regarding the long-term serum ferritin dynamics following sustained virologic response (SVR) and factors associated with trends in changes among patients undergoing treatment for hepatitis C virus (HCV).

Methods: Serum ferritin levels were assessed biannually in 1538 participants undergoing direct-acting antivirals (DAAs) or peginterferon plus ribavirin (PR) with a median of follow-up of 5.0 years after off-treatment week 12.

Cervical spine fracture dislocation with mild neurological deficits.

Cervical fracture dislocation often leads to neurological deficits, manifesting with sensory and motor symptoms, which may persist even after surgical intervention. We presented two cases with mild neurological deficits following such injuries. In Case 1, the patient presented with left-hand numbness 1 month after a car accident.

Alpha6-containing GABA receptors - Novel targets for the treatment of schizophrenia.

α6-containing GABA receptors (α6GABARs) are strongly expressed in cerebellar granule cells and are of central importance for cerebellar functions. The cerebellum not only is involved in regulation of motor activity, but also in regulation of thought, cognition, emotion, language, and social behavior. Activation of α6GABARs enhances the precision of sensory inputs, enables rapid and coordinated movement and adequate responses to the environment, and protects the brain from information overflow.

Temporal trends and patterns in mortality from falls across 59 high-income and upper-middle-income countries, 1990-2021, with projections up to 2040: a global time-series analysis and modelling study.

Background: Deaths related to falls are a substantial public health problem worldwide, and insight into trends and differences in global fall-related deaths can be valuable for identifying prevention strategies and developing effective policies. Thus, we aimed to estimate global fall-related mortality rate trends and forecast future fall-related deaths.

Methods: In this global time-series analysis and modelling study, we investigated temporal trends in fall-related mortality rates from 1990 to 2021 using the WHO Mortality Database, following the GATHER guidelines, and forecasted trends until 2040 across 59 high-income and upper-middle-income countries.

Assessment of radioactivity in soil samples from Wolaita Sodo town, Ethiopia: implications for environmental and public health.

This study assesses the activity concentrations of the radionuclides 238U, 232Th, and 40K in soil samples collected from Wolaita Sodo town, located in the Southern Nations, Nationalities, and Peoples' (SNNP) Region, Ethiopia. A gamma-ray spectrometer equipped with a NaI(Tl) detector was used for the measurements. The concentrations of 238U, 232Th, and 40K varied from 3.