Interobserver and intraobserver variability in measuring the tortuosity of the thoracic aorta on computed tomography.

Objective: The variability in measuring the tortuosity of the thoracic aorta has not been previously studied. This study evaluated the interobserver and intraobserver variability of major methods used for measuring the tortuosity of the thoracic aorta in patients with aortic arch or descending thoracic aortic aneurysm.

Methods: This retrospective study enrolled 66 patients with aortic arch or descending thoracic aortic aneurysm who had undergone thoracic endovascular aortic repair.

Sex-Specific Association between Metabolic Abnormalities and Elevated Alanine Aminotransferase Levels in a Military Cohort: The CHIEF Study.

The association of metabolic syndrome (MetS) components with elevated serum alanine aminotransferase (ALT) levels, a marker of hepatic injury, may differ between men and women. However, the sex-specific association in a military young population which has a low prevalence of MetS was unclear. We conducted a cross-sectional examination in 6738 men and 766 women, aged 18-50 years, from the cardiorespiratory fitness study in armed forces (CHIEF) in eastern Taiwan.

Different utilization of intensive care services (ICSs) for patients dying of hemorrhagic and ischemic stroke, a hospital-based survey.

The intensive care service (ICS) saves lives and rescues the neurological function of stroke patients. We wondered the different utilization of ICS for patients with ischemic and hemorrhagic stroke, especially those who died within 30 days after stroke.Sixty-seven patients died during 2011 to 2015 due to acute stroke (42 due to intracranial hemorrhage [ICH]; 25 due to cerebral infarct [CI]).

Treatment response to etanercept in methotrexate refractory juvenile idiopathic arthritis: an analysis of predictors and long-term outcomes.

The aim of the study is to evaluate the long-term outcomes, predictors, and the role of inflammatory cytokines in methotrexate (MTx) refractory juvenile idiopathic arthritis (JIA) patients. This is a retrospective cohort study. MTx refractory JIA patients who received etanercept as their first biological agent in National Taiwan University Hospital (NTUH) were enrolled.

Role of Vitamin D in Uremic Vascular Calcification.

The risk of cardiovascular death is 10 times higher in patients with CKD (chronic kidney disease) than in those without CKD. Vascular calcification, common in patients with CKD, is a predictor of cardiovascular mortality. Vitamin D deficiency, another complication of CKD, is associated with vascular calcification in patients with CKD.

The Mandarin Chinese version of the Beach Centre Family Quality of Life Scale: development and psychometric properties in Taiwanese families of children with developmental delay.

Background: Early intervention (EI) practitioners provide individualised family-centred services to enhance the quality of life (QOL) of families of children with developmental delay (DD). Family QOL (FQOL) could be an important outcome indictor for EI, but there is no measurement tool for FQOL in Mandarin Chinese. The purpose of this study was to translate the Beach Centre FQOL Scale (BCFQOL) into Mandarin Chinese and to examine the psychometric properties of the scale in families of children with DD.

Inaccurate or delayed diagnosis of hollow organ perforation by emergency physicians: using a qualitative approach to identify the causes.

Background: Mistakes or delays in the diagnosis of hollow organ perforation may be detrimental to prognosis. Nonetheless, emergency physicians (EPs) are prone to misdiagnosing this condition in specific scenarios. The factors leading to errors in their cognitive processes, however, have received little attention.

Evolutionary magnetic resonance appearance of renal cell carcinoma after percutaneous cryoablation.

Objective: To determine the evolutionary MRI appearance of renal cell carcinoma (RCC) following cryoablation.

Methods: For this institution review board-approved study, we recruited patients with biopsy-proven RCC and treated them with percutaneous cryoablation between November 2009 and October 2014. Two radiologists retrospectively reviewed the pre-procedural and follow-up MRI.

Squamous Cell Carcinoma Arising From a Renal Calyceal Diverticulum.

Calyceal diverticulum is an eventration of the upper collecting system within the renal parenchyma. This nonsecretory outpouching is lined by transitional epithelium and communicates with the main collecting system via a narrow channel. Tumor growth arising from a calyceal diverticulum is rare, and primary squamous cell carcinoma arising from a calyceal diverticulum has never been described in literature.

Change of government's subsidization policy improves smoking cessation services: a cross-sectional study from the perspectives of physicians.

Background: The Taiwanese government increased financial subsidies for smoking cessation services in 2012. We aimed to evaluate the effects of this new policy on smoking cessation services from the physician's perspective.

Methods: This was a cross-sectional nationwide survey.

Endothelial Progenitor Cells Predict Long-Term Mortality in Hemodialysis Patients.

Background: The endothelial progenitor cells (EPCs) dysfunction is a critical event in the initiation of atherosclerotic plaque development and the level of circulating EPCs can be considered a biomarker of cardiovascular events. The level and functional change in EPCs has been investigated in hemodialysis patients, but the effect of absolute number of EPCs on risk of death has not yet been explored. We hypothesized that the number of EPCs predicted death from cardiovascular and all-cause mortality in hemodialysis patients.

The Optic Nerve Head in Primary Open-Angle Glaucoma Eyes With High Myopia: Characteristics and Association With Visual Field Defects.

Purpose: To evaluate the morphologic characteristics of optic neuropathy and its association with visual field (VF) defects in primary open-angle glaucoma (POAG) eyes with high myopia.

Methods: In this cross-sectional study, we reviewed data from 375 Taiwanese patients (375 eyes) of POAG, ages 20 to 60 years. Optic disc photographs were used for planimetric measurements of morphologic variables.

Correlations of Metabolic Components with Prostate Volume in Middle-Aged Men Receiving Health Check-Up.

Objectives: To investigate the impact of metabolic components and body composition indices on prostate volume (PV) in a population of middle-aged men receiving health check-ups.

Methods: Six hundred and sixteen men receiving health assessments were stratified to large and small prostates based on the cut-off of median PV. Their demographic data, health history, and international prostate symptoms scores (IPSS) were collected.

Melatonin Supplementation for Children With Atopic Dermatitis and Sleep Disturbance: A Randomized Clinical Trial.

Importance: Sleep disturbance is common in children with atopic dermatitis (AD), but effective clinical management for this problem is lacking. Reduced levels of nocturnal melatonin were found to be associated with sleep disturbance and increased disease severity in children with AD. Melatonin also has sleep-inducing and anti-inflammatory properties and therefore might be useful for the management of AD.

Reminiscence Therapy Improves Cognitive Functions and Reduces Depressive Symptoms in Elderly People With Dementia: A Meta-Analysis of Randomized Controlled Trials.

Objective: Cognitive function impairments and depressive symptoms are common in elderly people with dementia. Previous meta-analyses of outdated and small-scale studies have reported inconsistent results regarding the effects of reminiscence therapy on cognitive functions and depressive symptoms; therefore, we conducted a meta-analysis by including more recent randomized controlled trials (RCTs) with large sample sizes to investigate the immediate and long-term (6-10 months) effects of reminiscence therapy on cognitive functions and depressive symptoms in elderly people with dementia.

Review Methods: Electronic databases, including PubMed, Medline, CINAHL, PsycINFO, the Cochrane Central Register of Controlled Trials, ProQuest, Google Scholar, and Chinese databases were searched to select eligible articles.

Vitamin D and immune function in chronic kidney disease.

The common causes of death in chronic kidney disease (CKD) patients are cardiovascular events and infectious disease. These patients are also predisposed to the development of vitamin D deficiency, which leads to an increased risk of immune dysfunction. Many extra-renal cells possess the capability to produce local active 1,25(OH)2D in an intracrine or paracrine fashion, even without kidney function.

Attention deficit-hyperactivity disorder symptoms and daytime voiding symptoms in children with primary enuresis: an observational study to evaluate the effectiveness of desmopressin treatment.

Purpose: To evaluate the effectiveness of presence of desmopressin in treating primary enuresis (PE) for children with attention deficit-hyperactivity disorder (ADHD) symptoms.

Materials And Methods: Children aged from 5 to 12 years with the chief complaint of PE treated with desmopressin were enrolled in pediatric urology clinics. The parent-reported SNAP-IV questionnaire was used to evaluate ADHD symptoms (cut-off value: 90th percentile).

Significant gaps in awareness of familial hypercholesterolemia among physicians in selected Asia-Pacific countries: a pilot study.

Background: Familial hypercholesterolemia (FH) is a dominantly inherited disorder characterized by high plasma cholesterol levels and a very high risk of early heart disease. The prevalence of FH is estimated to be at least 1:500, with at least 3.6 million individuals in the Asia-Pacific region.

Collapsed Jugular Vein and abnormal cerebral blood flow changes in patients of Panic Disorder.

Objective: Panic disorder (PD) is characterized by panic attacks accompanied with respiratory symptoms. Internal jugular vein (IJV) alters its hemodynamics in response to respiration and which might cause cerebral blood flow (CBF) changes. In the present study, we compared (1) respiratory-related IJV hemodynamics and (2) CBF changes during Valsalva maneuver (VM) between PD and normal subjects.

Vascular calcification and renal bone disorders.

At the early stage of chronic kidney disease (CKD), the systemic mineral metabolism and bone composition start to change. This alteration is known as chronic kidney disease-mineral bone disorder (CKD-MBD). It is well known that the bone turnover disorder is the most common complication of CKD-MBD.