Fractionated Boron Neutron Capture Therapy in Locally Recurrent Head and Neck Cancer: A Prospective Phase I/II Trial.

Purpose: To investigate the efficacy and safety of fractionated boron neutron capture therapy (BNCT) for recurrent head and neck (H&N) cancer after photon radiation therapy.

Methods And Materials: In this prospective phase 1/2 trial, 2-fraction BNCT with intravenous L-boronophenylalanine (L-BPA, 400 mg/kg) was administered at a 28-day interval. Before each fraction, fluorine-18-labeled-BPA-positron emission tomography was conducted to determine the tumor/normal tissue ratio of an individual tumor.

Exploring factors that have caused a decrease in surgical manpower in Taiwan.

The decreasing availability of surgical physicians is a concern in most countries. In the past decade, total physician manpower in Taiwan increased by 12%, but the number of surgical physicians decreased by 11%. Medical students are not inclined to choose surgery as a career--this study examines the factors involved in students' career choices.

A population-based study on the association between acute renal failure (ARF) and the duration of polypharmacy.

Background: Because of the rapid growth in elderly population, polypharmacy has become a serious public health issue worldwide. Although acute renal failure (ARF) is one negative consequence of polypharmacy, the association between the duration of polypharmacy and ARF remains unclear. We therefore assessed this association using a population-based database.

Association of serum bilirubin levels with albuminuria in patients with essential hypertension.

Objectives: This study was undertaken to evaluate the relationship between serum bilirubin concentrations and the degree of urinary albumin excretion in hypertensive patients.

Design And Methods: A total of 120 hypertensive subjects were enrolled, in which 80 (67%) with normoalbuminuria (albumin excretion rate [AER] of <20μg/min), 30 (25%) with microalbuminuria (AER of 20-200μg/min) and 10 (8%) with macroalbuminuria (AER>200μg/min). Logarithmic (log) transformation of urinary albumin excretion was carried out before performing correlation and regression analysis.

Effects of eye rubbing and breath holding on corneal biomechanical properties and intraocular pressure.

Purpose: To determine whether corneal biomechanical properties and intraocular pressure (IOP) are affected by eye rubbing and breath holding.

Methods: Corneal hysteresis, corneal resistance factor, corneal compensated IOP (IOPcc), and Goldmann equivalent IOP (IOPg) were measured on both eyes of 40 subjects. Measurements were taken at baseline before eye rubbing (ER(0)) and before breath holding (BH(0)), immediately after 2 episodes of eye rubbing (ER(1) and ER(2)), and during 2 episodes of breath holding (BH(1) and BH(2)).

Exertional headache--a survey of 1963 adolescents.

We employed a self-administered questionnaire to investigate exertional headache (EH) in students (ages 13-15 years) from two middle schools in Taiwan. In this study, the diagnosis of EH was made if the headache occurred during or immediately after exercise. In total, 1963 students completed the study (response rate 90.

Benign fibrous histiocytoma associated with a frontoethmoidal mucopyocele and orbital abscess.

A 74-year-old man sought treatment for painful swelling in the right upper eyelid. CT demonstrated a frontoethmoidal mucocele extending in the right orbit with abscess formation. Following functional endoscopic sinus surgery, the inflammatory symptoms in the right eye nearly resolved.

Benign parathyroid adenoma presenting with unusual parathyroid crisis, anemia and myelofibrosis.

Although the clinical symptoms of patients with benign parathyroid adenoma are usually nonspecific and benign, a malignant presentation of the benign disease may sometimes occur. Here, we report a case of a 58-year-old woman who presented with aggravated sacrum pain, general malaise, and polydipsia. Initial laboratory findings revealed hypercalcemia, normocytic anemia, and impaired renal function.

Prevalence and risk factors for depressive symptoms among veterans home elders in Eastern Taiwan.

Background: Depression in the elderly has become a serious health care issue worldwide. However, no studies have determined the prevalence and risk factors for depressive symptoms among a representative sample of veterans home elders in Taiwan.

Objectives: To determine the prevalence and risk factors for depressive symptoms among veterans home elders in eastern Taiwan.

Increased oxidative DNA damage, 8-hydroxydeoxy- guanosine, in human pterygium.

Purpose: Chronic exposure to ultraviolet (UV) light is a widely accepted aetiological factor in the development of pterygium. UV radiation may induce production of reactive oxygen species via photosensitized oxidation, thus causing oxidative damage. This study was conducted to test the hypothesis that oxidative damage to DNA is increased in pterygium.

Transplantation of the autologous submandibular gland to the lacrimal basin in rats.

Purpose: In this study, we designed an animal experiment in which we transferred a part of the autologous submandibular gland without performing a microvascular anastomosis. We studied histological changes and functional effects in the transfer glands.

Method: Thirty male adult Sprague-Dawley rats were divided into three groups.

Malignant fibrous histiocytoma of the maxillary sinus presenting as toothache.

Malignant fibrous histiocytoma (MFH) is a high-grade and aggressive sarcoma. It is relatively rare in the head and neck region. Its diagnosis is based on immunohistochemical stains.

Genetic polymorphism of hOGG1 and risk of pterygium in Chinese.

Purpose: Ultraviolet irradiation is known to cause oxidative DNA damage and is thought to be a major factor implicated in the pathogenesis of pterygium. The highly mutagenic 8-hydroxy-2'-deoxyguanosine, a marker for the evaluation of photo-oxidative DNA damage, can be repaired by human 8-oxoguanine glycosylase I (hOGG1). A transition of C to G at nucleotide position 1245 in exon 7 of the hOGG1 gene is associated with the substitution of cysteine for serine at codon 326.