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There is a lack of studies that concurrently differentiate the effect of the holiday season from the weekend effect on mortality risk in patients with acute myocardial infarction (AMI). We evaluated the mortality risk among patients admitted with AMI who underwent percutaneous coronary intervention, using data from the Taiwan National Health Insurance Research Database. Adult AMI patients admitted during January and February between 2013 and 2020 were enrolled and classified into the holiday season (using the Chinese New Year holiday seasons as an indicator) (n = 1729), weekend (n = 4725), and weekday (n = 14,583) groups according to the first day of admission. A multivariable logistic regression model was used to assess the risk. With the weekday group or the weekend group as the reference, the holiday season group did not have increased risks of in-hospital mortality (adjusted odds ratio [aOR] 1.15; 95% confidence intervals [CI] 0.93–1.42 or aOR 1.23; 95% CI 0.96–1.56) and 7-day mortality (aOR 1.20; 95% CI 0.90–1.58 or aOR 1.24; 95% CI 0.90–1.70). Stratified and subgroup analyses showed similar trends. We conclude that holiday season-initiated admissions were not associated with higher mortality risks in AMI admission cases than weekday or weekend admissions. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Summary: Previous studies have suggested that bisphosphonates may reduce stroke risk. This meta-analysis, which included 21 studies with 741,274 participants, revealed that bisphosphonates might be associated with lower stroke risk. However, evidence derived from randomized controlled trials identified no statistically significant association. Future high-quality studies are still required to determine causality. Purpose: Whether bisphosphonates may reduce the risk of stroke remains inconclusive. We conducted a systematic review and meta-analysis to evaluate the association between bisphosphonate use and the risk of stroke based on up-to-date evidence. Methods: We searched for studies evaluating the effects of bisphosphonate on the risk of stroke from inception until January 3, 2022, on PubMed, Embase, Scopus, and Cochrane libraries and updated our search until August 22, 2022, using PubMed to identify any new potential published studies. Two or more reviewers independently screened articles, extracted data, and assessed the study quality. We retrieved the data to synthesize the pooled relative risk (RR) of stroke associated with bisphosphonate use compared with controls; random-effects models were used for meta-analysis. Results: A total of 21 studies (7 randomized controlled trials [RCTs] and 14 observational studies) involving 741,274 participants were included in our meta-analysis. Overall, bisphosphonate use was associated with a lower risk of stroke, but the result was only borderline significant (pooled RR = 0.87, 95% confidence interval [CI]: 0.76–0.99, p = 0.048), and high between-study heterogeneity was found (I2 = 83.7%). Subgroup analyses showed that the evidence derived from RCTs suggested no significant association between bisphosphonate use and stroke risk (pooled RR = 0.93, 95% CI: 0.76–1.13, p = 0.462; I2 = 13.4%). Conclusion: Our results suggest that bisphosphonate use is associated with a lower risk of stroke. However, the current evidence does not lead to a definite conclusion due to the borderline statistical significance and high between-study heterogeneity. Future studies, especially RCTs, are necessary to assess causality. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Summary: Previous evidence suggests that bisphosphonates may improve glycemic control. The present meta-analysis, comprising seven studies with 1,233,844 participants, demonstrated that bisphosphonate use was significantly associated with a lower risk of diabetes. However, in the randomized controlled trial subgroup, a non-significant association was found. Further studies are needed to determine causality. Purpose: This study aimed to evaluate the impact of bisphosphonates on glycemic control and the risk of incident diabetes. Methods: MEDLINE, Embase, and Cochrane Library were searched from inception to February 15, 2022. Experimental or observational studies that compared fasting blood glucose (FBG) and glycated hemoglobin (HbA1c) levels and the diabetes risk with and without bisphosphonates were included. Studies without relevant outcomes, only providing crude estimates, or the absence of a control group were excluded. Two reviewers independently screened the articles, extracted data, and appraised studies. The pooled relative risk (RR) and weighted mean difference (WMD) were calculated using random effects models. Results: Seven studies (n = 1,233,844) on diabetes risk were included, including two post hoc analyses of randomized controlled trials (RCTs) and five observational studies. Compared with controls, bisphosphonates (BPs) were associated with a significant decrease in the risk of diabetes (RR = 0.77; 95% CI, 0.65 to 0.90; P = 0.002). However, in the subgroup of post hoc analyses of RCTs, the association was non-significant (RR = 0.93; 95% CI, 0.74 to 1.18; P = 0.576). Moreover, three studies (n = 4906) on FBG and one (n = 60) on HbA1c were included. We observed non-significant association between BPs and changes in FBG (WMD = − 0.61 mg/dL; 95% CI, − 2.72 to 1.49; P = 0.567) and HbA1c (WMD = − 0.11%; 95% CI, − 0.23 to 0.01; P = 0.083). Conclusion: Patients taking BPs may have a lower risk of incident diabetes than those without BPs. However, due to the high between-study heterogeneity and inconsistent findings between post hoc analyses of RCTs and observational studies, further rigorous RCTs are required to determine whether the findings are causal. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Oxidized low-density lipoprotein (ox-LDL) is a type of modified cholesterol that promotes apoptosis and inflammation and advances the progression of heart failure. Leucine-zipper and sterile-α motif kinase (ZAK) is a kinase of the MAP3K family which is highly expressed in the heart and encodes two variants, ZAKα and ZAKβ. Our previous study serendipitously found opposite effects of ZAKα and ZAKβ in which ZAKβ antagonizes ZAKα-induced apoptosis and hypertrophy of the heart. This study aims to test the hypothesis of whether ZAKα and ZAKβ are involved in the damaging effects of ox-LDL in the cardiomyoblast. Cardiomyoblast cells H9c2 were treated with different concentrations of ox-LDL. Cell viability and apoptosis were measured by MTT and TUNEL assay, respectively. Western blot was used to detect apoptosis, hypertrophy, and pro-survival signaling proteins. Plasmid transfection, pharmacological inhibition with D2825, and siRNA transfection were utilized to upregulate or downregulate ZAKβ, respectively. Ox-LDL concentration-dependently reduces the viability and expression of several pro-survival proteins, such as phospho-PI3K, phospho-Akt, and Bcl-xL. Furthermore, ox-LDL increases cleaved caspase-3, cleaved caspase-9 as indicators of apoptosis and increases B-type natriuretic peptide (BNP) as an indicator of hypertrophy. Overexpression of ZAKβ by plasmid transfection attenuates apoptosis and prevents upregulation of BNP. Importantly, these effects were abolished by inhibiting ZAKβ either by D2825 or siZAKβ application. Our results suggest that ZAKβ upregulation in response to ox-LDL treatment confers protective effects on cardiomyoblast. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

We aimed to determine whether hospital admissions during an extended holiday period (Chinese New Year) and weekends were associated with increased mortality risk from pulmonary embolism (PE), compared to admissions on weekdays. We conducted a nationwide retrospective cohort study using Taiwan's National Health Insurance Research Database. Data of newly diagnosed PEs during the months of January and February from 2001 to 2017 were obtained from patient records and classified into three admission groups: Chinese New Year (≥ 4 consecutive holiday days), weekends, and weekdays. The adjusted odds ratios (aORs) (95% confidence intervals [CIs]) for 7-day and in-hospital mortality were calculated using multivariable logistic regression models. The 7-day and in-hospital mortality risks were higher for patients admitted during the Chinese New Year holiday (10.6% and 18.7%) compared to those admitted on weekends (8.4% and 16.1%) and weekdays (6.6% and 13.8%). These higher mortality risks for holiday admissions compared to weekday admissions were confirmed by multivariable analysis (7-day mortality: aOR = 1.68, 95% CI 1.15–2.44, P = 0.007; in-hospital mortality: aOR = 1.41, 95% CI 1.05–1.90, P = 0.022), with no subgroup effects by sex or age. Hospital admission for PE over an extended holiday period, namely Chinese New Year, was associated with an increased risk of mortality. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Cataract is the primary cause of visual impairment and can be corrected by cataract surgery. We investigated the impact of cataract on the risk of depression along with the benefits of cataract surgery. Patients newly diagnosed with cataract by ophthalmologists between 2001 and 2015 were identified from the National Health Insurance Research Database (NHIRD) in Taiwan. Non-cataract individuals were recruited by 1:1 matching for age, sex and index year. After propensity score matching, 233,258 patients in total were included in our study: 116,629 in each of the cataract and non-cataract cohorts. The primary outcome was the new diagnosis of depression by psychiatrists. In a mean follow-up period of 7.8 years, cataract was significantly associated with increased risk of developing depression (adjusted hazard ratio [aHR] = 1.78, 95% confidence interval [CI] 1.70–1.87, p < 0.001). We further divided the cataract cohort into surgery and non-surgery groups. Notably, cataract surgery group was associated with a decreased risk of depression compared with non-surgery patients (aHR = 0.75, 95% CI 0.71–0.79, p < 0.001). Our results emphasise the importance of regular screening for depression among cataract patients and the beneficial effect of cataract surgery in reducing the risk of depression. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Impaired quality of life (QoL) is a common and clinically relevant feature of schizophrenia. In the present study, we attempted to formulate a model of QoL in the chronic stage of schizophrenia by including key variables-namely cognitive insight, self-stigma, insight into treatment, and medication compliance-that were proposed as its significant predictors in previous studies. We employed structural equation modeling (SEM) to simultaneously test the associations between these variables. A total of 170 community-dwelling patients with schizophrenia participated in this study. Cognitive insight, self-stigma, insight into treatment, medication compliance, and QoL were assessed through self-reporting. Symptoms were rated by interviewers. The influences of cognitive insight, stigma, insight into treatment, and medication compliance on QoL were supported using SEM. Our findings indicated that cognitive insight had a significant, positive, and direct effect on both self-stigma and insight into treatment; in contrast, it had a negative and direct effect on medication compliance. Notably, no evidence indicated a direct effect of cognitive insight on QoL. Thus, individuals with high cognitive insight reported low QoL because of stigma, low medication compliance, and their increased insight into treatment. In contrast, cognitive insight might indirectly ameliorate QoL mediated by the effect of insight into treatment on medication compliance. The findings provide additional support of the links between cognitive and clinical insight, self-stigma, medication compliance, and QoL in those with schizophrenia and suggest the need for screening and intervention services appropriate for this high-risk population. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Although 8-hydroxy-2-deoxyguanosine (8-OHdG) is a widely used promising biomarker of DNA damage, there are concerns about which tissues or body fluids should be sampled. The objective of this study is to evaluate the correlation of DNA oxidative damage biomarkers, 8-OHdG, between blood and urine and risk factors associated with 8OHdG. The study population was recruited from a baseline survey of a worksite lifestyle study including 92 office workers aged 23 to 60 years. A self-administered questionnaire was used to collect information on personal characteristics. The plasma and urinary 8-OHdG was measured by liquid chromatography tandem mass spectrometry (LC-MS/MS). In linear regression, a positive relation was found ( p < 0.01) between the log-transformed plasma and urinary 8-OHdG levels adjusted for gender, age, BMI, and smoking status. Our findings showed that age, gender and smoking were significantly associated with plasma 8-OHdG, but not with urinary 8-OHdG. Our results suggest that there is a positive relation between the biomarkers of plasma (steady state DNA damage) and urinary 8-OHdG (total DNA damage). However, the plasma 8-OHdG is more sensitive than urinary 8-OHdG to detect increased oxidative damages induced by risk factors. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Research suggests that accurate measurement is essential in evaluating internalized stigma and abilities to combat with stigma for treatment compliances and outcomes in individuals with mental illness. The purpose of this study was to assess the reliability and validity of the Chinese version of the Internalized Stigma of Mental Illness Scale (ISMIS-C), which is one of the few tools available to measure internalized stigma and stigma resistance (SR) simultaneously. A total of 160 outpatients with ( n = 103) and without ( n = 57) psychotic disorders were administrated with the ISMIS-C, and measures of self-esteem, self-efficacy, depression, and hopelessness. Overall, the 29-item ISMIS-C was presented to be internal reliable (Cronbach's alpha = 0.90), and reliable over time (intraclass correlation coefficients = 0.36-0.73). The construct validity of the ISMIS-C derived from the factor analysis was nearly identical to the original version. ISMIS-C dimension scores were well correlated with each other and measures of self-esteem, self-efficacy, depression, and hopelessness. Our data also demonstrated that psychotic patients experienced higher internalized stigma scores than those without psychotic diagnoses, but endorsed indifferently on SR scores. This scale can be used as an informative device when investigating 'internalized stigma' and 'SR' among individuals with or without psychotic disorders. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Purpose: Studies on the association between psychopathology, perceived public stigma, and labeling in mental illness have focused primarily on severe but rare mental disorders, especially schizophrenia, or other clinically defined psychotic disorders. Although evidence is mounting that psychosis-like experiences show high prevalence in the general population and lead to an increased risk of psychotic disorders, little is known about how psychosis-like experiences independently affect perceived public stigma in the non-clinical population. The aim of the present study was to examine the relationship between psychosis-like experiences and perceived public stigma in a non-clinical sample. Methods: For this cross-sectional study, we recruited 524 individuals (239 male, 285 female) who had no lifetime history of psychiatric disorder. Participants completed questionnaires that asked for sociodemographic and clinical information, a measure of perceived public stigma (Perceived Psychiatric Stigma Scale [PPSS]), and two measures of psychosis-like experiences (Peters et al. Delusions Inventory [PDI]; Cardiff Anomalous Perceptions Scale [CAPS]). Results: Of the sociodemographic characteristics analyzed in this study-gender, age, education level, marital status, and religion-only age simultaneously influenced PPSS, PDI, and CAPS scores. As hypothesized, perceived public stigma was positively correlated with measures of psychosis-like experiences, even after controlling for age. Furthermore, the perceived stigma was more strongly associated with delusion proneness than with anomalous perceptual experiences. Conclusion: The association between psychopathology and perceived public stigma appears to extend beyond clinically defined psychosis to more common psychosis-like experiences in a sample drawn from the general Han Chinese population. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Cooking oil fumes (COF) contain polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons (PAHs), heterocyclic aromatic amines, benzene, and formaldehyde, which may cause oxidative damages to DNA and lipids. We assessed the relations between exposure to COF and subsequent oxidative DNA damage and lipid peroxidation among military cooks and office-based soldiers. The study population, including 61 Taiwanese male military cooks and a reference group of 37 office soldiers, collected urine samples pre-shift of the first weekday and post-shift of the fifth workday. We measured airborne particulate PAHs in military kitchens and offices and concentrations of urinary 1-OHP, a biomarker of PAH exposure, urinary 8-hydroxydeoxyguanosine (8-OHdG), a biomarkers of oxidative DNA damage, and urinary isoprostane (Isop). Airborne particulate PAHs levels in kitchens significantly exceeded those in office areas. The concentrations of urinary 1-OHP among military cooks increased significantly after 5 days of exposure to COF. Using generalized estimating equation analysis adjusting for confounding, a change in log(8-OHdG) and log(Isop) were statistically significantly related to a unit change in log(1-OHP) (regression coefficient (β), β=0.06, 95% CI 0.001-0.12) and (β=0.07, 95% CI 0.001-0.13), respectively. Exposure to PAHs, or other compounds in cooking oil fumes, may cause both oxidative DNA damage and lipid peroxidation. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]