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Pi-Shan Hsu,1,2 Ie-Bin Lian,3,4 Day-Yu Chao2 1Department of Family Medicine, Taichung Hospital, Ministry of Health and Welfare, Taichung, Taiwan; 2Graduate Institute of Microbiology and Public Health, College of Veterinary Medicine, National Chung-Hsing University, Taichung, Taiwan; 3Graduate Institute of Statistics and Information Science, National Changhua University of Education, Changhua, Taiwan; 4Department of Applied Math, National Chung-Hsing University, Taichung, TaiwanCorrespondence: Day-Yu ChaoGraduate Institute of Microbiology and Public Health, College of Veterinary Medicine, National Chung-Hsing University, Taichung 401, TaiwanTel +886-4-22840694Fax +886-4-22852186Email dychao@nchu.edu.twIe-Bin Lian Tel +886-4-7232105 ext. 3222Fax +886-4-7211192Email maiblian@cc.ncue.edu.twBackground: Influenza is a major cause of morbidity and mortality in the elderly worldwide. Influenza vaccination can prevent morbidity/mortality from influenza infection. A gap of 1– 2 years, before an epidemic strain is recommended by the World Health Organization (WHO) to be the vaccine strain in Southeast Asia, has been reported; this results in a high rate of vaccine mismatch and excess influenza-associated morbidity. The aim of the current study was to evaluate the effect of repeated vaccination on vaccine effectiveness (VE) among the elderly in Taiwan, during years with and without early appearance of antigenically drifted strains.Methods: A historical cohort study was conducted to evaluate the impact of repeated vaccination on the reduction of influenza-associated hospitalization among persons older than 64 years over two influenza seasons: 2007– 08, with all circulating virus strains mismatched, and 2008– 09, with all virus strains matched with the vaccine strains, considering four exposure effects, namely current vaccine effect, sequential vaccination effect, residual protection effect and no vaccination effect. Propensity score matching on vaccination status was performed to ensure similar baseline characteristics between the groups that received and did not receive vaccination.Results: Only current-year vaccination in combination with prior history of annual revaccination significantly reduced the risk of hospitalization, with adjusted hazard ratios of 0.68 (95% CI: 0.54, 0.85) and 0.74 (95% CI: 0.57, 0.95) during the 2007– 08 and 2008– 09 influenza seasons, respectively. Further stratification showed that even during the 2007– 08 influenza season, when all vaccinations were mismatched with the circulating strains, sequential vaccinations still significantly reduced influenza-associated hospitalization in the female population aged 68– 74 and 75– 84 years, with adjusted VE of 25.2% (95% CI: − 9.6, 49.0%) and 36.9% (95% CI: 17.1, 52.0%), respectively.Conclusion: Our study supports the recommendation of annual revaccination against influenza in the elderly, even though the circulating strain of influenza virus was antigenically mismatched with the vaccine strains.Keywords: vaccine effectiveness, trivalent influenza vaccine, elderly, prior vaccination history, repeated vaccination, propensity score matching

Purpose: To investigate the influence of different keratometry (K) measurements on the postoperative outcomes of cataract surgery with extended depth-of-focus (EDOF) intraocular lens (IOL) implantation. Methods: A retrospective cohort study was conducted, and patients who received cataract surgery and one type of EDOF IOL implantation were included. The patients were then categorized according to K measurements, and 70 and 30 eyes were included in the biometric-K and topographic-K groups, respectively. The primary outcomes were postoperative uncorrected distance visual acuity (UDVA), spherical equivalent (SE) and cylinder power. A generalized linear model was applied to compare the adjusted odds ratios (aORs) and 95% confidence intervals (CIs) of the outcomes between groups. Results: One month after surgery, the UDVA was 0.15 and 0.07 in the biometric-K group and topographic-K group, respectively. Furthermore, the final SEs were -0.42 D and -0.13 D in the biometric-K group and topographic-K group, respectively, and the final cylinder powers were -0.35 D and -0.13 D in the biometric-K group and topographic-K group, respectively. According to the multivariate analysis, the topographic-K group presented a significantly better UDVA (P = 0.044) and significantly lower cylinder power (P = 0.031) than the biometric-K group. Angle kappa was significantly correlated with high postoperative astigmatism in the topographic-K group (P = 0.033), whereas angle kappa, steep K, and corneal cylinder powers were significantly correlated with high postoperative astigmatism in the biometric-K group (all P < 0.05). Conclusion: Topography-based K measurements yielded better refractive outcomes than biometric-based K measurements did., Competing Interests: Competing Interests: The authors have declared that no competing interest exists., (© The author(s).)

Background: We aim to evaluate lifestyle and nutritional factors that lead to dry eye disease (DED) in a depressed population using data from the Taiwan BioBank (TWB)., Methods: A retrospective case-control study was conducted, and patients with depression based on a questionnaire were selected as the depression group. Each patient in the depression group was matched by age and sex to two individuals without depression, and a total of 3,754 and 7,508 patients constituted the depression and non-depression groups, respectively. Based on the questionnaire, the primary outcome was the presence of DED. Additionally, the chi-square test and interaction test were applied to survey the effect of lifestyle and nutritional factors on DED in the depression and non-depression groups., Results: There were 822 (21.90%) and 958 (12.76%) DED patients in the depression and non-depression groups, respectively, and the incidence of DED was significantly higher in the depression group ( p  < 0.001). In terms of lifestyle and nutritional factors in the depression population, a higher rate of chronic pain and a sedentary lifestyle were observed than in the patients with depression without DED (both p  < 0.05). According to the interaction test, the chronic pain ( p  = 0.0227) and sedentary lifestyle ( p  = 0.0002) were significant risk factors for DED presence in the depression group than in the non-depression group, while the persistent coffee consumption ( p  = 0.0005) and tea consumption ( p  = 0.0003) were significant protective factors for the DED exclusively for the depression group and not for the non-depression group., Conclusion: The depression population could be significantly benefited from physical activity, coffee intake and tea intake regarding DED development compared to the general population., Competing Interests: The authors declare that the research was conducted in the absence of any commercial or financial relationships that could be construed as a potential conflict of interest., (Copyright © 2024 Lee, Yang, Lian, Chang, Jhan and Chang.)

The aim of this study is to survey the effectiveness of preservative-free artificial tears containing hyaluronic acid (HA) on post-cataract surgery dry eye disease (DED) prevention. A retrospective cohort study was performed, and patients that received cataract surgeries were divided into either an HA group or non-HA group depending on the artificial tear they used. A total of 37 and 74 eyes were enrolled into the HA and non-HA groups, respectively, after the selection. The primary outcomes are postoperative superficial keratitis and multiple (>3) DED symptoms. The generalized linear model was utilized to calculate the adjusted odds ratio (aOR) and 95% confidence interval (CI) of primary outcomes between the two groups. There were 10 and 2 episodes of superficial keratitis in the non-HA group and HA group, respectively, and the HA group demonstrated a significantly lower incidence of superficial keratitis ( p < 0.001). Moreover, 13 and 5 patients developed multiple DED symptoms in the non-HA and HA groups, and the HA group illustrated fewer multiple DED symptoms ( p = 0.024). The lower preoperative tear break-up time (TBUT) was correlated with superficial keratitis in the HA group ( p = 0.043), while old age, low preoperative TBUT and ocular surface staining were associated with superficial keratitis in the non-HA group (all p < 0.05). Lower preoperative TBUT was correlated with multiple DED symptoms in the HA group ( p = 0.020), while female sex, low preoperative TBUT and any DED symptoms were associated with multiple DED symptoms in the non-HA group (all p < 0.05). In conclusion, the usage of preservative-free artificial tears containing HA is associated with lower postoperative DED events.

In this study, we aim to evaluate the risk factors of myopia undercorrection in recipients of second-generation keratorefractive lenticule extraction (KLEx) surgery. A retrospective case-control study was performed, and patients who received second-generation KLEx surgery were enrolled. The cases with myopia undercorrection were matched to non-myopia undercorrection cases with a 1:4 ratio according to age, and a total of 22 and 88 eyes were categorized into the undercorrection and control groups, respectively. Demographic, refractive, topographic, and surgical data were collected preoperatively. A generalized linear model was operated to evaluate the potential risk factors for myopia undercorrection. The uncorrected distance visual acuity (UDVA) at three months postoperation was significantly better in the control group ( p = 0.006), and residual myopia and SE were significantly higher in the undercorrection group during the whole follow-up period (all p < 0.001). The UDVA value showed a trend of improvement in the control group ( p < 0.001), and the changes to SE and residual myopia were significantly lower in the control group (both p < 0.001). Regarding the risk factors for myopia undercorrection in the whole population and the high-myopia population, a higher manifest sphere power, higher steep keratometry (K), higher topographic cylinder, lower central corneal thickness (CCT) at apex, higher CCT difference and lower residual stromal thickness (RST) correlated to myopia undercorrection (all p < 0.05). In the low-myopia population, only higher myopia and lower RST correlated to myopia undercorrection (both p < 0.05). In conclusion, a high-sphere power and irregular topographic pattern correlated to myopia undercorrection after the second KLEx surgery, especially for individuals with high myopia.

We aimed to survey the potential correlation between biometric parameters and postoperative outcomes after implanting extended depth-of-focus (EDOF) intraocular lenses (IOLs) and trifocal IOLs. A retrospective cohort study was conducted, and patients receiving EDOF or trifocal IOL implantations were included. In total, 36 and 26 eyes were enrolled in the EDOF and trifocal groups, respectively. The primary outcomes of this study were the postoperative uncorrected distance visual acuity (UDVA), uncorrected near visual acuity (UNVA), and spherical equivalent (SE). The generalized linear model was applied to evaluate the adjusted odds ratio (aOR) and 95% confidence intervals (CIs) of primary outcomes in patients with different biometric characters. The final UDVA of the EDOF group was significantly better than that of the trifocal group ( p = 0.020), and the UNVA and SE did not show significant differences between the two groups throughout the postoperative period (all p > 0.05). In a multivariable analysis, the UDVA was significantly better in the EDOF group than in the trifocal group ( p = 0.038). For the subgroup analysis, the high axial length (AXL) value correlated to a lower postoperative UDVA in the EDOF group (both p < 0.05). Additionally, a large white-to-white (WTW) diameter was related to worse postoperative UNVA in the trifocal group ( p = 0.042), and a high AXL was associated with higher SE in both the EDOF and trifocal groups (both p < 0.05). In conclusion, a high AXL correlates to worse postoperative outcomes in both the EDOF and trifocal IOLs, and trifocal IOL outcomes could be affected by large WTW diameters.

We aim to investigate the potential risk factors for undercorrection in those who have received extend depth-of-focus (EDOF) intraocular lens (IOL) implantation. A retrospective case-control study was conducted in which patients who had received one type of EDOF IOL implantation were included. The patients were divided into the residual group and non-residual group according to the final postoperative sphere power. The preoperative data include the refractive, topographic, endothelial, and biometric parameters obtained. A generalized linear model was generated to yield the adjusted odds ratio (aOR) and 95% confidence interval (CI) of each parameter of the residual myopia. One month postoperatively, the UDVA was better in the non-residual group than in the residual group ( p = 0.010), and the final SE was significantly higher in the residual group than in the non-residual group ( p < 0.001). In the multivariable analysis, the high preoperative cycloplegia sphere power, higher TCRP, higher corneal cylinder power, and longer AXL significantly correlated to the presence of postoperative residual myopia (all p < 0.05). Furthermore, the higher preoperative cycloplegia sphere power, higher TCRP, higher corneal cylinder power, longer AXL, larger ACD, and larger WTW were significantly associated with postoperative residual myopia in the high-myopia population (all p < 0.001), while the higher preoperative cycloplegia sphere power, higher TCRP, and longer AXL were related to postoperative residual myopia in the low-myopia population (all p < 0.05). In conclusion, high preoperative myopia and corneal refractive power correlate to high risk of residual myopia after EDOF IOL implantation, especially in the high-myopia population.

We aimed to evaluate the postoperative visual and refractive outcomes between the first- and second-generation keratorefractive lenticule extraction (KLEx) surgeries. A retrospective cohort study was conducted and patients who had received first- and second-generation KLEx surgeries were enrolled. A total of 80 and 80 eyes were categorized into the first and second KLEx groups after exclusion, respectively. The primary outcomes were the postoperative uncorrected distance visual acuity (UDVA), spherical equivalent (SE), and safety indexes. An independent t -test and generalized estimate equation were implemented to compare the primary outcomes between the two groups. After the KLEx surgery, the UDVA showed no significant difference between the two groups throughout the study period (all p > 0.05), and the postoperative SE and safety index were also statistically identical between the two groups during the follow-up interval (all p > 0.05). There was a similar trend of visual recovery between the two groups (aOR: 0.967; 95% CI: 0.892-1.143; p = 0.844), while the amplitude of the SE change was significantly lower in the second KLEx group (aOR: 0.760; 95% CI: 0.615-0.837; p = 0.005). Nine and two unintended initial dissection of the posterior plane (UIDPP) occurred intraoperatively in the first and second KLEx groups, respectively, and the second group showed a lower risk of UIDPP ( p = 0.032). In conclusion, the efficiency, predictability, and safety are similar between first- and second-generation KLEx surgeries.

Our objective was to evaluate the topographic and surgical factors of early myopic regression between laser in situ keratomileusis (LASIK) and small-incision lenticule extraction (SMILE). A retrospective case-control study was conducted, and 368 and 92 eyes were enrolled in the LASIK and SMILE groups via propensity score matching (PSM). Visual acuity, refractive status, axial length, and topographic/surgical parameters were collected. Multiple linear regression was applied to the yield coefficient and the 95% confidence interval (CI) of the parameters. The cumulative incidence of early myopic regression was higher in the LASIK group ( p < 0.001). In the SMILE group, a lower central corneal thickness (CCT) thinnest value and a higher corneal cylinder associated with early myopic regression were observed; meanwhile, in the LASIK group, a lower CCT thinnest value, a higher steep corneal curvature, a larger optic zone, and a lower flap thickness related to early myopic regression were observed (all p < 0.05). In the SMILE group, a higher CCT difference correlated with early myopic regression was observed compared to the LASIK group ( p = 0.030), and higher steep corneal curvature and lower cap/flap thickness (both p < 0.05) correlated with early myopic regression were observed in the LASIK group compared to the SMILE group. In conclusion, CCT differences significantly influence early myopic regression in the SMILE group; meanwhile, corneal curvature and flap thickness affect early myopic regression principally in the LASIK group.

Purpose: The purpose of this study was to compare the differences in myopic control effects between orthokeratology (OK) contact lenses and defocus incorporated multiple segments (DIMS) spectacle lenses. Methods: A retrospective cohort study was conducted that included patients who had received OK lens, DIMS spectacle lens or single-vision spectacle treatments. A total of 54 eyes from 27 individuals, 38 eyes from 19 individuals and 42 eyes from 21 individuals were enrolled into the OK lens, DIMS and control groups, respectively. The primary outcomes were the changes in the spherical equivalent refraction (SER) and axial length (AXL) among the groups. A repeated-measure ANCOVA was adopted to calculate the SER progression and AXL elongation of the OK lens group compared with the DIMS group. Results: The difference in the SER progression was clinically non-significant in the OK lens group compared with the DIMS and control groups (P = 0.001). The total AXL elongation results were similar between the OK lens and DIMS groups, but these were lower than in the control group (P = 0.005). The repeated-measure ANCOVA revealed that the SER progression difference during the study interval was clinically non-significant in the OK lens group when compared with the DIMS group (P = 0.028). The AXL elongation results between the OK lens and DIMS populations did not illustrate a significant difference (P = 0.607). In a subgroup analysis of moderate astigmatism, better AXL control was observed in the DIMS subgroup compared with the OK lens subgroup (P = 0.016). Conclusions: The OK lens demonstrated a clinically non-significant effect on the SER and AXL controls compared with the DIMS spectacle lens., Competing Interests: Competing Interests: The authors have declared that no competing interest exists., (© The author(s).)

Purpose: We investigated sexual orientation disparities in several obstetric and perinatal outcomes in Louisiana and examined whether these disparities differed among Black, Latine, and White populations. Methods: We analyzed cross-sectional vital records data on singleton live births in Louisiana (2016-2022). Same-sex relationships (SSR) vs. different-sex relationships (DSR) were classified based on the sex of the parents listed on the birth certificate. Using modified Poisson regression, we estimated adjusted risk ratios and 95% confidence intervals among birthing persons in SSR vs. DSR for preterm birth (PTB), low birthweight (LBW), spontaneous labor, Cesarean delivery, gestational hypertension, and gestational diabetes. We examined within and across group disparities in models stratified by sexual orientation and race/ethnicity. Results: In the total birthing population, those in SSR experienced higher risk of gestational hypertension and gestational diabetes and were less likely to have spontaneous labor compared with persons in DSR. The risk of PTB and LBW was two-fold higher among Black birthing people in SSR compared with White birthing people in SSR and DSR. Latine birthing people in SSR experienced higher risk of gestational hypertension and gestational diabetes compared with their peers in DSR and White people in DSR. Some of these disparities were partially explained by including socioeconomic and health risk factors. Conclusion: Sexual orientation-related disparities exist across and within racial/ethnic groups among birthing people in Louisiana. Adopting an intersectional approach that considers the mutually constituted nature of heterosexism and racism is critical to addressing sexual orientation-related inequities in reproductive and perinatal health.

We sought to evaluate the topographic risk factors for early myopic regression after small-incision lenticule extraction (SMILE). A retrospective case‒control study was conducted, and individuals who underwent SMILE surgery were enrolled. Among them, 406 and 14 eyes were categorized into the nonregression and regression groups, respectively. The preoperative and postoperative parameters in the two groups were collected, including spherical refraction (SE), axial length (AXL) and topographic data. A generalized linear model was adopted to analyze the difference in each parameter between the two groups. After 6 months, UCVA decreased in the regression group, and SE increased in the regression group (both P < 0.05). The increase in the CCT at the thinnest point (P = 0.044), flat corneal curvature (P = 0.012) and TCRP (P = 0.001) were significantly greater in the regression group. Regarding the risk factors for myopic regression, preoperative SE, preoperative sphere power, preoperative AXL, preoperative flat corneal curvature, preoperative SA, early postoperative SE, early postoperative sphere power, early postoperative AXL and early postoperative CCT difference were significantly greater in the regression group (all P < 0.05). The SE, sphere power, AXL, preoperative flat corneal curvature, preoperative SA, and postoperative CCT difference correlate with early myopic regression after SMILE., (© 2024. The Author(s).)

Background: To evaluate the possible topographic and surgical risk factors for high postoperative residual astigmatism in patients who undergo small-incision lenticule extraction (SMILE) surgery and have different myopia degrees., Methods: A retrospective cohort study was conducted, and patients who underwent SMILE surgery were enrolled. A total of 80 and 150 eyes from 40 to 75 individuals, respectively, were selected as the low myopia and high myopia groups. The demographic data, visual acuity, refraction, topographic parameters and surgical settings were recorded. Multiple linear regression with interaction tests were performed to survey the risk factors for high postoperative residual astigmatism in each group., Results: Five (6.25%) and 9 (6.00%) eyes presented with high postoperative residual astigmatism in the low myopia and high myopia groups, respectively, but these differences were not significant (P = 0.569). A steep corneal curvature was correlated with a greater risk of high postoperative residual astigmatism in the low myopia group (P = 0.015), while a higher degree of cycloplegic cylinder power, steeper corneal curvature, greater topographic cylinder power, smaller optic zone and longer incision length were associated with a high rate of postoperative residual astigmatism in the high myopia group (all P < 0.05). In addition, the interaction effects of cycloplegic and topographic cylinder power and longer incision length on the incidence of high postoperative residual astigmatism development were more evident in the high myopia group than in the low myopia group (all P < 0.05)., Conclusions: A steep corneal curvature correlates with a high risk of high postoperative residual astigmatism after SMILE surgery, and a higher degree of cycloplegic and topographic cylinder and longer incision are associated with high postoperative residual astigmatism in individuals with high myopia., (© 2024. The Author(s).)

We aim to investigate the myopic control effect of high-concentration atropine (ATR) and dual-focus contact lenses (DFCLs). A retrospective cohort study was conducted. A total of 182 eyes in 91 individuals who used high-concentration ATR (0.125%) and another 70 eyes in 35 individuals who used DFCLs were enrolled in the ATR and DFCL groups, respectively. The primary outcomes were spherical equivalent refraction (SER) progression and axial length (AXL) elongation. The generalized estimate equation was utilized to yield the adjusted odds ratio (aOR) and 95% confidence interval (CI) of cycloplegic SER progression and AXL elongation between groups. According to the multivariable analysis, the change in cycloplegic SER progression was similar between the DFCL and ATR groups (aOR: 1.305, 95% CI: 0.247-2.515, p = 0.803). The DFCL group demonstrated a numerically higher rate of AXL elongation compared to the ATR group (aOR: 1.530, 95% CI: 0.980-1.894, p = 0.051). In the subgroup analysis, cycloplegic SER progression was insignificant between ATR and DFCL users in different subgroups (all p > 0.05). The DFCL patients with moderate astigmatism and high AXL (both p < 0.001) presented a high risk of AXL elongation. In conclusion, DFCL usage demonstrated similar myopic control of cycloplegic SER and AXL compared to high-concentration ATR, while DFCLs showed lower AXL control, mainly in patients with moderate astigmatism and high AXL.

We aimed to investigate high-order aberration (HOA) change between topography-guided (TG) and wavefront-optimized (WFO) laser in situ keratomileusis (LASIK) in patients with different degrees of myopia. A non-randomized clinical trial was conducted, in which 40 eyes of 20 patients aged 20-50 years old were included. Participants received TG-LASIK in one eye and WFO-LASIK on the alternate eye. Corneal topography and HOAs including coma, trefoil, spherical aberration (SA), and contrast sensitivity (CS) were collected. Moreover, a quality of vision (QoV) questionnaire was completed by each participant. Non-parametric tests were used to infer the difference in HOAs and CS between the TG-LASIK and WFO-LASIK groups, and subgroup analyses stratified by myopia degree were performed. The high-myopia patients with TG-LASIK showed more coma and SA compared to low-myopia individuals (all 95% CI lower limits > 0), and subjects who received WFO-LASIK exhibited more SA in high-myopia status (both 95% CI lower limits > 0). The TG-LASIK group showed lower postoperative trefoil compared to the WFO-LASIK group in the high-myopia population (mean difference: -0.1267, 95% CI: -0.24 to -0.01). The TG-LASIK group yielded less surgically induced haze, better clarity at night, and better total quality scores (all p < 0.05). In conclusion, TG-LASIK might yield less postoperative trefoil in high-myopia patients and higher QoV in the general population compared to the WFO-LASIK procedure.

Background: Ischemic stroke poses a major threat to human beings, and a prompt intravenous thrombolytic management remains the gold standard protocol for stroke sufferers. Although the role of thrombolytic therapy (r-tPA) for ischemic stroke patients and those with underlying impaired renal function has been advocated as effective treating strategy, there is still a lack of investigation as to finding out baseline important variables that are capable of early outcome prediction., Objectives: In this project, we hypothesize that the change of clinical chronic kidney disease (CKD) staging (delta stage = CKD stage after 3-month follow-up - CKD stage at admission) could serve as a crucial predictor of the prognosis of patients., Design: This is a cohort longitudinal retrospective study., Sources and Methods: A total of 765 cerebral artery ischemic stroke patients with impaired renal function were recruited and followed up for 1 year. Among them, 116 had received the thrombolytic treatment (r-tPA) after being evaluated at the triage in the emergency department and the rest had not (non-r-tPA). Propensity-matching was applied to compare the mortality between the r-tPA and non-r-tPA groups. Multiple logistic regression (LR) and decision tree (DT) algorithm were used to identify important prediction factors for mortality as well as the improvement in neurological function., Results: The 1-year mortality rates for r-tPA and non-r-tPA groups were 32.8% and 44.4%, respectively. The propensity-matched odds ratio of mortality for the r-tPA group compared with the non-r-tPA group is 0.469, with p  = 0.003. Logistic regressions suggest that age, Hct, diabetes mellitus type 2, coronary artery disease, and delta stage are important factors for mortality for the non-r-tPA group, whereas age, diabetes mellitus type 2, chronic heart failure, hospital day, and delta stage are important factors for the r-tPA group. On the usage of antihypertensive drugs, ACEI/ARB was not associated with mortality ( p  = 0.198), whereas the diuretic was, with odds ratio at 1.619 ( p  = 0.025), indicating higher mortality after administration. Both LR and DT analyses indicate that delta stage is the most important predictor. For the r-tPA group, patients with delta stage ⩽0 had a 24% mortality, while that for delta stage >0 the mortality is 75%. For non-r-tPA patients, the corresponding mortalities were 30.9 and 66.3, respectively. Delta stage is also useful for predicting patients' improvement of neurological function, assessed by NIHSS, mRS, and Barthel Index. The areas under the curve for the three assessments are 0.83, 0.835, and 0.663, respectively., Conclusion: Large-artery ischemic stroke patients who received thrombolytic treatment had significantly lower mortality, even when presenting underlying impaired renal function. The change of CKD staging (delta stage) is capable of acting as a powerful clinical baseline surrogate for both r-tPA and non-r-tPA patients in terms of early outcome prediction. Long-term use of diuretics could be potentially harmful to this group of patients. Moreover, delta stage correlates well with clinical long-term neurological functionality assessment (NIHSS, mRS, and Barthel index), which is helpful in aiding urgent clinical decision-making., Competing Interests: The authors declared no potential conflicts of interest with respect to the research, authorship, and/or publication of this article., (© The Author(s), 2023.)

Background: Previous studies suggested that vasomotor symptoms were associated with an increasing risk of coronary heart diseases (CHD) but not clear with menopausal symptoms other than vasomotor symptoms. Given the heterogeneity and interrelationship among menopausal symptoms, it is not easy to make causal inferences based on observational studies. We performed a Mendelian randomization (MR) to investigate the association of individual non-vasomotor menopausal symptoms and the risk of CHDs., Methods: A sample of 177,497 British women aged ≥51 years old (average age at menopause) without related cardiovascular diseases from the UK biobank is selected as our study population. Non-vasomotor menopausal symptoms, including anxiety, nervous, insomnia, urinary tract infection, fatigue, and vertigo, were selected as exposures based on the modified Kupperman index. Outcome variable is CHD., Results: In total, 54, 47, 24, 33, 22, and 81 instrumental variables were selected for anxiety, insomnia, fatigue, vertigo, urinary tract infection and nervous respectively. We conducted MR analyses of menopausal symptoms and CHD. Only insomnia symptoms increased the lifetime risk of CHD with OR 1.394 (p = 0.0003). There were no significant causal relationships with CHD and other menopausal symptoms. Insomnia near menopause age (45-50 years) does not increase the risk of CHD. However, postmenopausal (over 51) insomnia increases the risk of CHD., Conclusion: MR analyses support that among non-vasomotor menopausal symptoms, only insomnia symptoms may increase the lifetime risk of CHD. Insomnia at different ages near menopause has differential impacts on CHD risk., Competing Interests: The authors declare no competing interests., (© 2023 The Authors. Published by Elsevier Ltd.)

Background and Purpose: The implantation of carotid artery stents prevents recurrent ischemic stroke in patients with carotid stenosis. This study aimed to investigate associations between change of ophthalmic artery flow (COAF) post carotid stenting and recurrent ischemic stroke, as well as the link toward the anterior and posterior circulations and patients' prognosis after carotid stenting., Methods: This retrospective, longitudinal cohort study recruited 87 left side carotid stenosed ischemic stroke patients undergoing left side carotid stenting between year of 2009 and 2013, and patients were followed up to 9 years after carotid procedures. Clinical data were derived from medical records. The primary outcome was stroke recurrence. Predictive factors were stenosis  > 50% in one intracranial artery and ROAF. Kaplan-Meier and Cox regression analyses were used to identify risk factors associated with stroke recurrence., Results: Among 87 included patients undergone left side carotid stent treatment, 44 had stroke recurrence within 3 years after carotid stenting. The recurrence group had significantly greater proportions of COAF after stenting (p = 0.001), and middle cerebral artery (MCA) and basilar artery or vertebral artery (BA/VA) stenosis > 50% (all p < 0.001) than the no-recurrence group. Survival was significantly shorter in patients with COAF than in those without (p < 0.01). Regression analysis showed that COAF was associated with stroke recurrence (HR: 3.638, 95% CI 1.54-8.62, p = 0.003). The recurrence rate was highest in patients with bilateral MCA stenosis  > 50% (100%), followed by left MCA stenosis  > 50% plus BA/VA stenosis  > 50% (83.33%) or COAF (82.14%). Patients with bilateral MCA stenosis  < 50% had no recurrence within 3-year follow-up., Conclusions: Prognosis after carotid stenting is poorer for patients with MCA stenosis  > 50%, BA/VA stenosis  > 50% and/or COAF. Carotid duplex and magnetic resonance angiography provide definitive information for prognosis prediction., (© 2022. The Author(s).)

We aim to investigate the lifestyle and symptom factors related to dry eye disease (DED) presence in patients with persistent gout using the Taiwan Biobank (TWB) database. A retrospective case-control study was conducted, and patients with a history of gout longer than 10 years were enrolled in the persistent-gout group. Each persistent-gout patient was age- and sex-matched to two non-gout individuals who served as the control group, and we included a total of 973 and 1946 patients in the persistent-gout group and non-gout groups. The main outcome of our study is the presence of DED and the distribution of several lifestyle and symptom risk factors of DED in persistent-gout and non-gout individuals. Logistic regression considering the age and sex and interaction test was applied to estimate the correlation of each lifestyle and symptom risk factor to DED in the two groups. A total of 95 and 140 DED events were found in the persistent-gout and non-gout groups, with a significantly higher percentage in the persistent-gout population (aOR: 1.167, 95% CI: 1.073-3.855, p = 0.0415). The visual display terminal (VDT) user ( p = 0.0026) and persistent alcohol drinking ( p = 0.0384) were associated with DED more often in the persistent-gout population than the non-gout population. Moreover, the percentages of DED in the patients with gout intervals of 10-20 years and more than 20 years were statistically insignificant (aOR: 1.042, 95% CI: 0.886-1.910, p = 0.5279). In conclusion, VDT usage and persistent alcohol drinking are prominent lifestyle and symptom risk factors for DED occurrence in patients who have experienced gout for more than 10 years.

We aimed to compare the postoperative quality of vision among patients who received extended depth of focus (EDOF), bifocal, and monofocal intraocular lens (IOL) implantation. A retrospective study was conducted, and 87 patients who underwent cataract surgery were enrolled. Patients were categorized into different groups according to IOL design, with 24, 29, and 34 individuals constituting bifocal, EDOF, and monofocal groups. Preoperative and postoperative visual acuity (VA), biometry data, refractive status, contrast sensitivity (CS), higher-order aberrations (HOAs), and a quality of vision questionnaire that consisted of 11 questions were obtained 1 month postoperatively. The Kruskal−Wallis test and Pearson’s chi-square test were applied for statistical analyses. The postoperative CDVA was better in the EDOF group than in the bifocal group (p = 0.043), and the residual cylinder was lower in the EDOF groups than in the other two groups (both p < 0.05). The CS was worse in the EDOF group than in the other two groups (all p < 0.05), while the spherical aberration and trefoil were lower in the EDOF group than in the bifocal group (both p < 0.05). In terms of the quality of vision, the scores were better in the monofocal group than in the EDOF group in seven items (all p < 0.05), and the quality of vision in the bifocal group was better than in the EDOF group in small print reading (p = 0.042). In addition, the incidence of glare was lower in the monofocal group than in the other two groups (p < 0.001), while the spectacle dependence ratio was significantly higher in the monofocal group compared to the other two groups (p < 0.001). In conclusion, the general quality of vision was better in the monofocal group compared to the bifocal and EDOF groups, while the spectacle dependence ratio was significantly higher in the monofocal group than in the other two groups.

Aims: Women with menopausal symptoms show evidence of accelerated epigenetic ageing, vascular aging and low-grade systemic inflammation status. However, data are limited regarding menopausal symptoms and risk of heart failure (HF). We aimed to explore the impact of menopausal symptoms on risk of HF., Methods: We included 14 340 symptomatic menopausal women without a history of coronary heart disease (CHD) or HF from the Taiwan National Health Insurance Research Database as the experimental cohort. We included 14 340 asymptomatic women matched for age and comorbidities as controls. We surveyed possible comorbidity-attributable risks of HF and assessed whether menopausal symptoms play a role in risk of HF. Additional analyses were conducted to ascertain the association of CHD and HF in different risk factor burdens categories in both cohorts and CHD was applied as a sensitivity analysis., Results: The incidence of HF was not significantly lower in the experimental than in the control cohort (4.87 vs. 5.06 per 1000 person-years, P = 0.336). Participants with a higher comorbidity burden had a proportionally increased risk of HF and CHD in both cohorts. The burden of risk factors had a greater impact on risk of HF in the control than in the experimental cohort (≥five risk factors, adjusted hazard ratio 25.69 vs. 14.75). Participants undergoing hormone therapy had no significant effect on the risk of HF, regardless of the presence or absence of menopausal symptoms. Subgroup analysis revealed that compared with the control cohort, the risk of HF in the experimental cohort did not increase significantly in all subgroups., Conclusions: Menopausal symptoms were associated with CHD risk but not with risk of HF. Traditional risk factors rather than menopausal symptoms play important roles in the HF risk among middle-aged women., (© 2021 The Authors. ESC Heart Failure published by John Wiley & Sons Ltd on behalf of European Society of Cardiology.)

Background: Due to the affordability of whole-genome sequencing, the genetic association design can now address rare diseases. However, some common statistical association methods only consider homozygosity mapping and need several criteria, such as sliding windows of a given size and statistical significance threshold setting, such as P -value < 0.05 to achieve good power in rare disease association detection., Methods: Our region-specific method, called expanded maximal segmental score (eMSS), converts p -values into continuous scores based on the maximal segmental score (MSS) (Lin et al., 2014) for detecting disease-associated segments. Our eMSS considers the whole genome sequence data, not only regions of homozygosity in candidate genes. Unlike sliding window methods of a given size, eMSS does not need predetermined parameters, such as window size or minimum or maximum number of SNPs in a segment. The performance of eMSS was evaluated by simulations and real data analysis for autosomal recessive diseases multiple intestinal atresia (MIA) and osteogenesis imperfecta (OI), where the number of cases is extremely small. For the real data, the results by eMSS were compared with a state-of-the-art method, HDR-del (Imai et al., 2016)., Results: Our simulation results show that eMSS had higher power as the number of non-causal haplotype blocks decreased. The type I error for eMSS under different scenarios was well controlled, p < 0.05. For our observed data, the bone morphogenetic protein 1 ( BMP1 ) gene on chromosome 8, the Violaxanthin de-epoxidase-related chloroplast ( VDR ) gene on chromosome 12 associated with OI, and the tetratricopeptide repeat domain 7A ( TTC7A ) gene on chromosome 2 associated with MIA have previously been identified as harboring the relevant pathogenic mutations., Conclusions: When compared to HDR-del, our eMSS is powerful in analyzing even small numbers of recessive cases, and the results show that the method can further reduce numbers of candidate variants to a very small set of susceptibility pathogenic variants underlying OI and MIA. When we conduct whole-genome sequence analysis, eMSS used 3/5 the computation time of HDR-del. Without additional parameters needing to be set in the segment detection, the computational burden for eMSS is lower compared with that in other region-specific approaches., (Copyright © 2020 Hsieh, Sie, Chang, Ott, Lian and Fann.)

Background: Invoices had been used in food product traceability, however, none have addressed the automated alarm system for food safety by utilizing electronic invoice big data. In this paper, we present an alarm system for edible oil manufacture that can prevent a food safety crisis rather than trace problematic sources post-crisis., Materials and Methods: Using nearly 100 million labeled e-invoices from the 2013‒2014 of 595 edible oil manufacturers provided by Ministry of Finance, we applied text-mining, statistical and machine learning techniques to "train" the system for two functions: (1) to sieve edible oil-related e-invoices of manufacturers who may also produce other merchandise and (2) to identify suspicious edible oil manufacture based on irrational transactions from the e-invoices sieved., Results: The system was able to (1) accurately sieve the correct invoices with sensitivity >95% and specificity >98% via text classification and (2) identify problematic manufacturers with 100% accuracy via Random Forest machine learning method, as well as with sensitivity >70% and specificity >99% through simple decision-tree method., Conclusion: E-invoice has bright future on the application of food safety. It can not only be used for product traceability, but also prevention of adverse events by flag suspicious manufacturers. Compulsory usage of e-invoice for food producing can increase the accuracy of this alarm system., Competing Interests: The authors have declared that no competing interests exist.

Aim: In Taiwan, Changhua County residents were exposed to high heavy metal pollution and exhibited high heavy metal levels in blood and urine. We examined associations between heavy metals in residential soil and renal outcomes of residents with chronic kidney disease (CKD)., Method: From 1 January 2003 to 30 June 2015, we retrospectively identified CKD patients with an estimated glomerular filtration rate of <60 mL/min per 1.73 m 2 at one tertiary care centre. We linked data displaying heavy metal concentrations from farm soil adjacent to the patients' residences to clinical outcomes. We included 2343 CKD patients (533 with progression to end-stage renal disease [ESRD] and 1810 without]. We followed these patients for 3.49 ± 2.27 years, until death or initiation of maintenance dialysis., Results: There were high correlations among the concentrations of the eight metals: arsenic, cadmium, chromium, mercury, copper, lead, nickel, and zinc. After factor analysis, chromium, copper, nickel, and zinc were grouped and labelled Factor 1. High Factor 1 concentration near the patients' residences was associated with diagnoses of hypertension, diabetes mellitus, and cerebral vascular accident. Patients living in areas with high Factor 1 concentrations were at higher risk of ESRD. After multivariate adjustment [adjusted hazard ratio: 1.08, 95% Confidence interval: 1.01-1.14, P = 0.02], only zinc and nickel were risk factors for progression to ESRD., Conclusion: Patients with CKD, with long-term exposure to soil-based heavy metals, had rapid progression to ESRD. Groups of minerals from the same source of contamination may accumulate and lead to additional harm., (© 2017 Asian Pacific Society of Nephrology.)

Background/purpose: Chromium and nickel are important soil pollutants in Taiwan. Previously, we showed that blood chromium levels correlated strongly with soil chromium levels. Our observation that many patients with dry eyes or a dry mouth came from areas where soils contain high chromium levels prompted us to investigate whether incidence and prevalence of SS are higher in areas where soils contain high levels of heavy metals., Methods: We used a database from national health insurance (NHI) to study the epidemiology of SS. It was ascertained by at least 3 hospital visits with the diagnosis within 12 months. We then compared the results with the information about heavy metal contents in farm soils., Results: The incidence of SS was significantly increased (3.6 fold) in the areas where soils contained high levels of chromium and nickel. In contrast, lead, copper, or arsenic did not show such a strong association., Conclusion: Both the prevalence and incidence of SS are significantly increased in areas where soils contain high levels of chromium and nickel. Whether heavy metal, particularly chromium or nickel is a novel environmental risk factor for sicca syndrome needs more studies to confirm., (Copyright © 2018. Published by Elsevier B.V.)

Differential diagnosis for neuromyelitis optica spectrum disorder (NMOSD) and multiple sclerosis (MS) is always doubtful. To differentiate these diseases, we studied the immune status in the blood of patients with MS (n = 45) or NMOSD (n = 23) at remission phase. Remitting NMOSD patients had increased levels of CXCL13 and memory B cells, while remitting MS patients had elevated levels of galectin-9 and Th1 cells. A diagnostic model with these four variables is built to distinguish remitting NMOSD from MS with a sensitivity of 91.30%. Our diagnostic model may help to improve the differentiation of remitting NMOSD from MS., (Copyright © 2018 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.)

Objective: Oral cancer (OC) is a leading cause of death from cancer in men between the ages of 25 and 44 years in Taiwan. The overall 5-year survival rates for the four OC stages (I-IV) in Taiwan are approximately 70%, 30%, 20%, and 10%, respectively, indicating the importance of the early diagnosis of oral potentially malignant disorders (OPMDs). Previous studies indicated an association between the OC incidence and certain environmental heavy metal concentrations. If these associations do exist for OC, they may also be observed for OPMD. The purpose of this study is to explore the association between the development of OPMD to OC and environmental heavy metals. Oral submucous fibrosis (OSF) and oral leukoplakia (OL) are two major types of OPMD in Taiwan., Materials and Methods: A retrospective cohort study was conducted by Changhua Christian Hospital, the sole medical center in Changhua County, where 2725 male adult patients diagnosed with either OSF or OL between 2000 and 2014 were recruited. Data were analyzed by Cox regression and adjusted for smoking and betel-quid chewing., Results and Discussion: OPMD patients who resided in areas with high nickel concentrations (polluted levels) exhibited hazard ratios of 1.8-2 for OC relative to those who lived in areas with low nickel levels (P<0.01). Meanwhile, smokers with OPMDs had a hazard ratio of 2.8-2.9 relative to non-smokers. Betel-quid chewers had a 2.2-2.3 hazard ratio relative to non-chewers. Smoking, betel-quid chewing, and environmental nickel exposure are associated with an increased risk of OC development in OPMD patients. This study provides valuable findings on the environmental effects of heavy metals on human health. Enhanced surveillance of the condition of OPMD patients who have been exposed to high nickel concentrations may be crucial for OC prevention., (Copyright © 2017 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.)

This study investigated the interaction effects of meteorological factors and air pollutants on the onset of acute coronary syndrome (ACS). Data of ACS patients were obtained from the Taiwan ACS Full Spectrum Registry and comprised 3164 patients with a definite onset date during the period October 2008 and January 2010 at 39 hospitals. Meteorological conditions and air pollutant concentrations at the 39 locations during the 488-day period were obtained. Time-lag Poisson and logistic regression were used to explore their association with ACS incidence. One-day lag atmospheric pressure (AP), humidity, particulate matter (PM 2.5 , and PM 10 ), and carbon monoxide (CO) all had significant interaction effects with temperature on ACS occurrence. Days on which high temperatures (>26 °C) and low AP (<1009 hPa) occurred the previous day were associated with a greater likelihood of increased incidence of developing ACS. Typhoon Morakot was an example of high temperature with extremely low AP associated with higher ACS incidence than the daily average. Combinations of high concentrations of PM or CO with low temperatures (<21 °C) and high humidity levels with low temperatures were also associated with increased incidence of ACS. Atmospheric pollution and weather factors have synergistic effects on the incidence of ACS.

Background: Traumatic brain injury (TBI) is an important cause of death and disability worldwide. The relationship between TBI and kidney diseases is largely unknown., Methods: We aimed to determine whether TBI is associated with long-term adverse renal outcomes. We performed a nationwide, population-based, propensity score-matched cohort study of 32,152 TBI patients and 128,608 propensity score-matched controls. Data were collected by the National Health Insurance Research Database of Taiwan from 2000 to 2012. Our clinical outcomes were chronic kidney disease (CKD), end-stage renal disease (ESRD) and the composite endpoint of ESRD or all-cause mortality., Results: The incidence rate of CKD was higher in the TBI than in the control cohort (8.99 vs. 7.4 per 1000 person-years). The TBI patients also showed higher risks of CKD (adjusted hazard ratio [aHR] 1.14, 95% confidence interval [CI] 1.08-1.20; P < 0.001) and composite endpoints (aHR 1.08, 95% CI 1.01-1.15; P = 0.022) than the control groups, but the ESRD was not significantly different between the groups. In subgroup analyses, the risks of incident CKD and composite endpoints were significantly raised in TBI patients aged < 65 years and/or without comorbidities. However, the risks of both CKD and composite outcome were little affected by the severity of TBI., Conclusions: TBI has a modest but significant effect on incident CKD and composite endpoint, but not on ESRD alone. TBI patients under 65 are at greater risk of CKD and composite outcome than their older counterparts., Competing Interests: The authors have declared that no competing interests exist.

Objectives: Metabolic factors are major risk factors for non-alcoholic fatty liver disease although other factors may also contribute to development of fatty liver disease. We explored the association between exposure to soil heavy metals and prevalence of fatty liver disease., Methods: We retrospectively analysed data from patients diagnosed with fatty liver disease in 2014 at the Health Evaluation Centre of Chang-Hua Christian Hospital (n=1137). We used residency data provided in the records of the Health Evaluation Centre and data for soil metal concentrations from a nationwide survey conducted by the Environmental Protection Administration of Taiwan. We studied the correlations between the severity of fatty liver disease and concentrations of soil heavy metals (arsenic, mercury, cadmium, chromium, copper, nickel, lead and zinc)., Results: The prevalence of moderate to severe fatty liver disease in our study was 26.5%. Using univariate and multivariate analysis, we demonstrated that the presence of soil heavy metals was a significant risk factor for fatty liver disease in men (OR 1.83, 95% CI 1.161 to 2.899, p=0.009). With stratification by body mass index (BMI) and gender, lean men with a BMI <24 kg/m 2 were the most susceptible to soil heavy metals (OR 5.059, 95% CI 1.628 to 15.728, p<0.05)., Conclusions: Our study suggested a significant association between exposure to soil heavy metals and fatty liver disease in lean men., Competing Interests: Conflicts of Interest: None declared., (Published by the BMJ Publishing Group Limited. For permission to use (where not already granted under a licence) please go to http://www.bmj.com/company/products-services/rights-and-licensing/.)

Aim: To assess the loss of contrast sensitivity (CS) function for INTRACOR or intrastromal femtosecond laser presbyopia procedure to conventional LASIK procedures., Methods: Patients were recruited from a refractive surgery center for either INTRACOR or conventional LASIK. INTRACOR was performed on 8 eyes and LASIK was performed for 40 eyes in an overlapping period. Pre-operative evaluation and post-operative follow up for up to three months was done. Drops of CS in 4 spatial frequency (3 cpd, 6 cpd, 12 cpd and 18 cpd) right before and 3mo after the surgery were compared by Wilcoxon signed ranks test., Results: For INTRACOR, CS threshold showed significant drop at both glare and non-glare condition, the drop was seen in all 4 spatial frequency. The averaged loss over the 4 spatial frequencies 3mo after surgery was 1.18 for non-glare and 0.71 for glare. For LASIK the CS threshold drop was most significant in 12 cpd for glare., Conclusion: INTRACOR procedure produces a gain of near vision for presbyopia patients but also introduces a high lost of contrast sensitivity plus worsen of vision quality. Pre-surgical patient selection and advise should be given with specific regards to night driving and glare conditions.

Objective: Air pollution, weather condition and influenza are known risk factors of acute coronary syndrome (ACS) among elderly people. The influenza vaccine (IV) has been shown to reduce major cardiovascular events. The purpose of this study was to compare resistance to air pollution and weather factors causing ACS between vaccinated and less-vaccinated elderly people., Methods: A case-crossover design was applied to 1835 elderly ACS patients who were obtained from the 1-million sample of Taiwan National Health Insurance Research Data with inclusion criteria: (1) the first diagnosis of ACS was in cold season and at age 68 or more, (2) had received the free IV program at least once during the period 3years before the ACS. They were stratified into two groups: 707 had received flu vaccinations for all the 3years and the remaining 1128 had not. The measurements of air pollutants, temperature, and humidity corresponding to each of the 3days prior to the ACS diagnosis date were retrieved from the data banks of the Taiwan Environmental Protection Administration and Central Weather Bureau., Findings: Increases in air pollution concentrations of CO, NO 2 , PM 10 or PM 2.5 and decreases in temperature significantly influenced the risk of ACS for the non-continuously vaccinated elderly population; however, less significant effects were observed for the continuously vaccinated population., Conclusion: Consecutive influenza vaccination may potentially offer resistance against the detrimental effects of air pollution and changes in temperature in frail elderly adults with ACS. Future studies are needed to directly assess the interaction effect between the vaccination and environmental factors on ACS., (Copyright © 2016 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.)

Background/purpose: Heavy metal pollution in farm soils is a problem in some parts of Taiwan. Copper can be a factor associated with increased disease activities of rheumatoid arthritis (RA). Thus, the aim of this study was to investigate whether copper pollution in farm soils is associated with worsened RA., Methods: Clinical parameters from 122 RA patients were collected from a medical center in central Taiwan. Levels of heavy metals in the blood were measured using inductively coupled plasma mass spectrometry. Levels of copper in farm soils were retrieved from a national survey. These data were analyzed to find the factors related to RA disease activities., Results: RA patients living where farm soils contained high levels of copper had increased white blood cell counts, erythrocyte sedimentation rate, and disease activity score 28, compared with patients living where copper levels were low. Among the nine types of heavy metal measured in the study, blood levels of copper and nickel correlated with erythrocyte sedimentation rate., Conclusion: Our cross-sectional data suggest a correlation between RA disease activity and the level of copper at township farm soils samples. Further longitudinal studies using more rigorous methodologies are warranted to examine whether this correlation is causal., (Copyright © 2015. Published by Elsevier B.V.)

Background : Heavy metal pollution in farm soils is a grave concern in Taiwan. Previously, we found the incidence of oral cancer (OC) correlated positively with levels of nickel and arsenic in farm soils. Many OC patients have a second malignancy, among which esophageal cancer (EC) is the most common one in Taiwan. Objectives : We aimed to investigate whether these two cancers share some common risk factors. Methods : Taiwan began a compulsory national health insurance program in 1995. We used a database from this program to calculate the prevalence of EC and OC in Taiwan. We compared the prevalence of EC with prevalence of betel nut chewers in adults and the information of heavy metal in farm soils to look for any association. Results : The prevalence of OC and prevalence of EC were strongly correlated. The prevalence of betel nut chewing correlated with OC prevalence, but not with EC prevalence. An increased prevalence (1.9 fold) of EC was found where the farm soils contained high levels of nickel. Meanwhile, among the eight heavy metals studied, only the levels of nickel in the farm soils correlated statistically with the prevalence of EC. Conclusion : Nickel is probably a common environmental risk factor for esophageal cancer and oral cancer., Competing Interests: The authors have no actual or potential competing financial interests.

Exogenous administration of coenzyme Q10 (CoQ10) has been shown in experimental models to have a protective effect against ischemia-reperfusion injury. However, it is unclear whether follow-up plasma CoQ10 concentration is prognostic of left ventricular (LV) performance after primary balloon angioplasty in patients with acute ST segment elevation myocardial infarction (STEMI).We prospectively recruited 55 patients with STEMI who were treated with primary coronary balloon angioplasty. Plasma CoQ10 concentrations were measured before primary angioplasty (baseline) and 3 days, 7 days, and 1 month after STEMI using high-performance liquid chromatography. Echocardiography was performed at baseline and at 6-month follow-up. The control group comprised 54 healthy age- and sex-matched volunteers.Serial circulating CoQ10 concentrations significantly decreased with time in the STEMI group. The LV ejection fraction at 6-month follow-up positively correlated with the 1-month plasma CoQ10 tertile. Higher plasma CoQ10 concentrations at 1 month were associated with favorable LV remodeling and systolic function 6 months after STEMI. Multiple linear regression analysis showed that changes in CoQ10 concentrations at 1-month follow-up were predictive of LV systolic function 6 months after STEMI. Changes in CoQ10 concentrations correlated negatively with baseline oxidized low-density lipoprotein and fibrinogen concentrations and correlated positively with leukocyte mitochondrial copy number at baseline.Patients with STEMI who had higher plasma CoQ10 concentrations 1 month after primary angioplasty had better LV performance at 6-month follow-up. In addition, higher plasma CoQ10 concentration was associated with lower grade inflammatory and oxidative stress status. Therefore, plasma CoQ10 concentration may serve as a novel prognostic biomarker of LV systolic function after revascularization therapy for acute myocardial infarction.

End stage renal disease (ESRD) has been reported to be an important risk factor for systemic vascular disease. Retinal vein occlusion (RVO) is closely related with cardiovascular diseases; however, its association with ESRD had not been reported. The aim of the study was to investigate whether ESRD is a risk factor for RVO, including central retinal vein occlusion (CRVO) and branch retinal vein occlusion (BRVO). This population-based study is based on the longitudinal data from Taiwan National Health Insurance Research Database. The study cohort comprised 5344 patients with diagnosis of ESRD on hemodialysis or peritoneal dialysis during the period from January 1996 to December 2011. For each ESRD patient, we selected 20 non-ESRD patients matched on age and sex. Each ESRD patient and his/her controls were followed from the initiation of renal dialysis until either the diagnosis of RVO or censorship. Kaplan-Meier method was used to compare the hazard of RVO between cohorts. Stratified Cox proportional hazard models were applied to estimate the hazard ratio (HR) adjusted by the comorbidities of RVO including diabetes mellitus (DM), hypertension, hypercholesteremia, and hypertriglyceridemia. After stratifying by DM status, the statistics were applied again to examine the associations among the DM cohort and non-DM cohort.The 16-year RVO cumulative incidence for ESRD cohort was 2-fold to the non-ESRD (1.01% vs 0.46%). After matching with age, sex, hypertension, and hypercholesteremia, the adjusted HR was 1.46 (95% confidence interval = 1.07-2.01, P value = 0.018). By further excluding patients with DM, the adjusted HR escalated to 2.43 (95% confidence interval = 1.54-3.83, P < 0.001). In contrast, there was no significant risk of ESRD on RVO in the DM patients (HR = 1.03). We conclude that among the non-DM patients, ESRD cases had significantly higher RVO rate than the non-ESRD, which indicates that ESRD maybe a potential risk factor for the development of RVO in nondiabetic patients., Competing Interests: The authors have no conflicts of interest to disclose.

The primary objective of a Phase I cancer clinical trial is to determine the maximum tolerated dose of a drug. The "failure probability" was proposed and used as a constraint to help identify a suitable initial dose range. The maximum tolerated dose was then determined based on a 3 + 3 cohort-based escalation scheme. Multiple simulations were conducted, and the method was evaluated according to the required sample size and accuracy and precision of maximum tolerated dose estimate. The results indicated that the median of the initial dose range suggested using a failure probability is a suitable initial dose regardless of the dose escalation sequence used for a cancer Phase I study. This initial dose required a smaller sample size and resulted in less bias of the estimated maximum tolerated dose compared with a commonly used initial dose, that is, 10% of the lethal dose. We tested our approach using real dose and toxicity outcome data from two published Phase I studies. These results indicate that adding a failure probability constraint into the calculation of the initial dose range will improve the efficiency of Phase I cancer trials., (Copyright © 2014. Published by Elsevier B.V.)

The introduction and the widespread use of the varicella vaccine in Taiwan has led to a 75-80% decrease in the incidence of varicella in children. However the vaccine's long-term impact on the incidence of herpes zoster (HZ) has attracted attention. By controlling gender, underlying diseases, and age effects, a Poisson regression was applied on the 2000-2008 chart records of 240 000 randomly selected residents who enrolled in the Universal National Health Insurance. The results show that, as the vaccine coverage in children increases, the incidence of varicella decreases. However, the incidence of HZ increased even before the implementation of the free varicella vaccination programme in 2004, particularly in females. The increase in the incidence of HZ cannot be entirely and directly attributed to the widespread vaccination of children. Continuous monitoring is needed to understand the secular trends in HZ before and after varicella vaccination in Taiwan and in other countries.