Factors Associated with Evidence-Based Practice Competencies among Taiwanese Nurses: A Cross-Sectional Study.

Evidence-based practice (EBP) is an essential component of healthcare practice that ensures the delivery of high-quality care by integrating the best available evidence. This study aimed to explore factors influencing EBP among nursing professionals in Taiwan. A cross-sectional survey study was conducted with 752 registered nurses and nurse practitioners recruited from a regional teaching hospital in southern Taiwan. EBP competency was evaluated using the Taipei Evidence-Based Practice Questionnaire (TEBPQ). The results showed that participation in evidence-based courses or training within the past year had the strongest association with EBP competencies (Std. B = 0.157, p < 0.001). Holding a graduate degree (Std. B = 0.151, p < 0.001), working in gynecology or pediatrics (Std. B = 0.126, p < 0.001), searching the literature in electronic databases (Std. B = 0.072, p = 0.039), and able to read academic articles in English (Std. B = 0.088, p = 0.005) were significantly associated with higher TEBPQ scores. Younger age (Std. B = -0.105, p = 0.005) and male gender (Std. B = 0.089, p = 0.010) were also identified as factors contributing to higher EBP competencies. The study highlights the importance of ongoing professional development, including EBP training and language proficiency, in enhancing EBP competencies among nursing professionals in Taiwan.

Awake Versus Asleep Craniotomy for Patients With Eloquent Glioma: A Systematic Review and Meta-Analysis.

BACKGROUND AND OBJECTIVES: Awake vs asleep craniotomy for patients with eloquent glioma is debatable. This systematic review and meta-analysis sought to compare awake vs asleep craniotomy for the resection of gliomas in the eloquent regions. METHODS: MEDLINE and PubMed were searched from inception to December 13, 2022. Primary outcomes were the extent of resection (EOR), overall survival (month), progression-free survival (month), and rates of neurological deficit, Karnofsky performance score, and seizure freedom at the 3-month follow-up. Secondary outcomes were duration of operation (minute) and length of hospital stay (LOS) (day). RESULTS: Fifteen studies yielded 2032 patients, from which 800 (39.4%) and 1232 (60.6%) underwent awake and asleep craniotomy, respectively. The meta-analysis concluded that the awake group had greater EOR (mean difference [MD] = MD = 8.52 [4.28, 12.76], P < .00001), overall survival (MD = 2.86 months [1.35, 4.37], P = .0002), progression-free survival (MD = 5.69 months [0.75, 10.64], P = .02), 3-month postoperative Karnofsky performance score (MD = 13.59 [11.08, 16.09], P < .00001), and 3-month postoperative seizure freedom (odds ratio = 8.72 [3.39, 22.39], P < .00001). Furthermore, the awake group had lower 3-month postoperative neurological deficit (odds ratio = 0.47 [0.28, 0.78], P = .004) and shorter LOS (MD = -2.99 days [-5.09, -0.88], P = .005). In addition, the duration of operation was similar between the groups (MD = 37.88 minutes [-34.09, 109.86], P = .30). CONCLUSION: Awake craniotomy for gliomas in the eloquent regions benefits EOR, survival, postoperative neurofunctional outcomes, and LOS. When feasible, the authors recommend awake craniotomy for surgical resection of gliomas in the eloquent regions.

Impact of Antithrombotic Medications and Reversal Strategies on the Surgical Management and Outcomes of Traumatic Acute Subdural Hematoma.

OBJECTIVE: Careful hematologic management is required in surgical patients with traumatic acute subdural hematoma (aSDH) taking antithrombotic medications. We sought to compare outcomes between patients with aSDH taking antithrombotic medications at admission who received antithrombotic reversal with patients with aSDH not taking antithrombotics. METHODS: Retrospective review identified patients with traumatic aSDH requiring surgical evacuation. The cohort was divided based on antithrombotic use and whether pharmacologic reversal agents or platelet transfusions were administered. A 3-way comparison of outcomes was performed between patients taking anticoagulants who received pharmacologic reversal, patients taking antiplatelets who received platelet transfusion, and patients not taking antithrombotics. Multivariable regressions, adjusted for injury severity, further investigated associations with outcomes. RESULTS: Of 138 patients who met inclusion criteria, 13.0% (n = 18) reported taking anticoagulants, 16.7% (n = 23) reported taking antiplatelets, and 3.6% (n = 5) reported taking both. Patients taking antiplatelets who received platelet transfusion had longer intraoperative times (P = 0.040) and higher rates of palliative care consultations (P = 0.046) compared with patients taking anticoagulants who received pharmacologic reversal and patients not taking antithrombotics. Across groups, no significant differences were found in frequency of in-hospital intracranial hemorrhage and venous thromboembolism, length of hospital stay, rate of inpatient mortality, or follow-up health status. In multivariable analysis, intraoperative time remained longest for the antiplatelets with platelet transfusion group. Other outcomes were not associated with patient group. CONCLUSIONS: Among surgical patients with traumatic aSDH, those taking antiplatelet medications who receive platelet transfusions experience longer intraoperative procedure times and higher rates of palliative care consultation. Comparable outcomes were observed between patients receiving antithrombotic reversal and patients not taking antithrombotics.

Craniotomy versus craniectomy for traumatic acute subdural hematoma-coarsened exact matched analysis of outcomes.

BACKGROUND AND OBJECTIVES: Acute subdural hematoma (aSDH) after traumatic brain injury frequently requires emergent craniotomy (CO) or decompressive craniectomy (DC). We sought to determine the variables associated with either surgical approach and to compare outcomes between matched patients. METHODS: A multi-center retrospective review was used to identify traumatic aSDH patients who underwent CO or DC. Patient variables independently associated with surgical approach were used for coarsened exact matching.Multivariate logistic regression and multivariate Cox proportional-hazards regression wereconducted on matched patients to determine independent predictors of mortality. RESULTS: Seventy-six patients underwent CO and sixty-two underwent DC for aSDH evacuation. DC patients were21.4 years younger (P < 0.001), more likely to be male (80.6 % vs 60.5 %,P = 0.011), and present with GCS ≤ 8 (64.5 % vs 36.8 %,P = 0.001). Age (P < 0.001), epidural hematoma (P = 0.01), skull fracture (P = 0.001), and cisternal effacement (P = 0.02) were independently associated with surgical approach. After coarsened exact matching, DC (P = 0.008), older age (P = 0.007), male sex (P = 0.04), and intraventricular hemorrhage (P = 0.02), were independently associated with inpatient mortality. Multivariate Cox proportional-hazards regression demonstrated that DC was independently associated with mortality at 90-days (P = 0.001) and 1-year post-operation (P = 0.003). CONCLUSION: aSDH patients who receive surgical evacuation via DC as opposed to CO are younger, more likely to be male, and have worse clinical exam. After controlling for patient differences via coarsened exact matching, DC is independently associated with mortality.

Factors impacting the demonstration of relational autonomy in medical decision-making: A meta-synthesis.

BACKGROUND: Relational autonomy is an alternative concept of autonomy in which an individual is recognized as embedded into society and influenced by relational factors. Social context, including social location, political structure, and social forces, significantly influence an agent to develop and exercise autonomy skills. The relational approach has been applied in clinical practice to identify relational factors impacting patient autonomy and decision-making, yet there is a knowledge gap in how these factors influence the demonstration of relational autonomy in the context of medical decisions of adults. OBJECTIVE: The present study targeted the existing knowledge of what and how relational factors impact individuals making medical decisions using the theoretical framework of relational autonomy. METHODS: A meta-synthesis study was utilized. Four electronic databases, including Embase, OVID Medline, CINAHL, and PubMed, were searched, along with gray literature and reference lists, to identify relevant studies. RESULTS: 23 studies reporting 21 qualitative and two mixed-method studies were reviewed. Four themes emerged from the qualitative findings: (1) supportive relationships facilitate an individual's relational autonomy; (2) obtaining comprehensive information from broader sources helps individuals exercise relational autonomy; (3) undue family pressure impedes the exercising of patient relational autonomy; and (4) healthcare providers' dominant voice hampers the demonstration of relational autonomy. CONCLUSIONS: Applying relational autonomy to assist adults in making well-considered decisions is essential. The meta-synthesis suggests establishing a supportive relationship between individuals, healthcare providers, and family. A supportive relationship will allow healthcare providers to make judgments in line with an individual's values and wishes with the aim of promoting relational autonomy. Advance care planning was proposed as the effective solution to obtain a consensus between individuals and their families while respecting an individual's values and preferences. Furthermore, it is considered crucial for healthcare providers to appreciate an individual's values and incorporate their preferences into recommendations.

An analysis of reporting practices in the top 100 cited health and medicine-related bibliometric studies from 2019 to 2021 based on a proposed guidelines.

Bibliometric analysis has gained popularity as a quantitative research methodology to evaluate scholarly productivity and identify trends within specific research areas. However, there are currently no established reporting guidelines for bibliometric studies. The present study aimed to investigate the reporting practices of bibliometric research related to health and medicine based on a guidelines "Preferred Reporting Items for Bibliometric Analysis (PRIBA)" proposed in this study. The Science Citation Index, Expanded of the Web of Science was used to identify the top 100 articles with the highest normalized citation counts per year. The search was conducted on April 9, 2022, using the search topic "bibliometric" and including publications from 2019 to 2021. The results substantiated the need for a standardized reporting guideline for bibliometric research. Specifically, among the 25 proposed items in the PRIBA, only five were consistently reported across all articles examined. Further, 11 items were reported by at least 80% of the articles, while nine items were reported by less than 80% of the articles. In conclusion, our findings suggest that the reporting practices of bibliometric studies in the field of health and medicine are in need of improvement. Future research should be conducted to refine the PRIBA guidelines.

When and how do healthcare professionals introduce specialist palliative care to the families of children with life-threatening conditions in Taiwan? A qualitative study.

BACKGROUND: Specialist palliative care (SPC) is often needed to manage complex or refractory problems in children with life-threatening conditions during end-of-life. This study explores the perceptions of healthcare professionals (HPs) to determine the triggers leading to and experiences with introducing SPC among families of children with life-threatening conditions. METHODS: A secondary analysis of 13 semi-structured interviews with HPs conducted from September 2019-June 2020 was carried out in a pediatric ward and a neonatal and pediatric intensive care unit in Taiwan. A thematic analysis was conducted. Competence Theory was used to guide the research questions and the interpretive framework. FINDINGS: Seven nurses, four pediatricians, one psychologist, and one respiratory therapist were interviewed. The need for shared knowledge regarding wishes for care and end-of-life decision-making were found to be the indicators for introducing SPC, along with having a fear of causing harm to the family-professional relationship and the patient. HPs value harmony in the form of clarifying misconceptions, building trust, and holding the moral bottom line. The theme of 'seeking the competent self' encompasses the values and expectations related to improving skills and creating a sense of fulfillment as HPs achieve good quality care. DISCUSSION: Discussions about SPC facilitate better communication and decision-making. Careful attention should be paid to the needs related to clarifying misconceptions and protecting the child's right to life when SPC is suggested. APPLICATION TO PRACTICE: Communication, empathy, and conflict resolution training may be helpful with developing HP competencies related to introducing SPC.

Conceptual Models and Mechanisms of Action that Underpin End-of-Life Care Interventions to Improve Spiritual Well-Being.

Background: Understanding the conceptual models that underpin interventions, and the linkage between mechanisms of action and their intended outcomes, makes replication possible. Aim: To identify and appraise conceptual models and mechanisms of action underpinning end-of-life care interventions to improve spiritual well-being. Design: A systematic review following the Preferred Reporting Items for Systematic Review and Meta-Analysis was conducted. Data sources: A comprehensive search was performed in eight databases from inception to January 12, 2021. Results: A logic model was developed and potential mechanisms of action were identified from the seven included studies. Conclusion: First, conceptual models that have relevance and appropriateness to cultural setting are required to underpin future intervention development and implementation. Second, careful intervention development should articulate the link between concept, mechanisms, and outcomes. Third, selection of valid outcome measured must have a strong justification of how the construct being measured relates to the intervention goals.

[Applying Virtual Reality Assisted Critical Thinking Training Programs Among Nurse Practitioners].

The three-dimensional virtual world generated in virtual reality (VR) environments involves vision, hearing, touch, and potentially other user senses. VR environments are designed to closely simulate real situations/scenarios, allowing users to observe and engage in experiences free of time and space restrictions. Virtual patients are an extension of virtual reality. In recent years, virtual reality exercises have been widely used in various medical education and training programs to promote professional competence. The clinical practice of nurse practitioners is similar to physicians in some institutions. Nurse practitioners perform supplementary medical services such as physical assessment, medical history collection and consultation, problem detection, test result assessment, differential diagnosis, and patient health problem decision-making under the supervision of physicians. The critical thinking component in nurse practitioner education is largely similar to that taught in medical education. VR is often used in medical education to train medical students. Also, VR may be applied in critical thinking training for nurse practitioners to promote competence in reasoning and differential diagnosis. However, few studies in the literature have evaluated the effectiveness of VR-based training for nurse practitioners in Taiwan. In the future, this issue needs to be studied further.

Impact of palliative care on end-of-life care and place of death in children, adolescents, and young adults with life-limiting conditions: A systematic review.

OBJECTIVE: To determine the impact of palliative care (PC) on end-of-life (EoL) care and the place of death (PoD) in children, adolescents, and young adults with life-limiting conditions. METHOD: Eight online databases (PubMed, Medline, EMBASE, Cochrane Library, CINAHL, Airiti, GARUDA Garba Rujukan Digital, and OpenGrey) from 2010 to February 5, 2020 were searched for studies investigating EoL care and the PoD for pediatric patients receiving and not receiving PC. RESULTS: Of the 6,468 citations identified, 14 cohort studies and one case series were included. An evidence base of mainly adequate- and strong-quality studies shows that inpatient hospital PC, either with or without the provision of home and community PC, was found to be associated with a decrease in intensive care use and high-intensity EoL care. Conflicting evidence was found for the association between PC and hospital admissions, length of stay in hospital, resuscitation at the time of death, and the proportion of hospital and home deaths. SIGNIFICANCE OF RESULTS: Current evidence suggests that specialist, multidisciplinary involvement, and continuity of PC are required to reduce the intensity of EoL care. Careful attention should be paid to the need for a longer length of stay in a medical setting late in life, and earlier EoL care discussion should take place with patients/caregivers, especially in regard to attempting resuscitation in toddlers, adolescents, and the young adult population. A lack of robust evidence has identified a gap in rigorous multisite prospective studies utilizing data collection.

Consulting with a folk deity before making decisions: spiritual practices in parents facing end-of-life decisions for their child on life support with brain stem dysfunction.

Background: Adolescents with brain stem dysfunction may undergo many invasive treatments, and parents are often faced with making the decision to withdraw treatment. However, in the face of their child's death, the spiritual practices of parents dealing with end-of-life decision-making remain under investigated.Purpose: This study explores the spiritual practices in parents making end-of-life decisions for adolescents on life support with brain stem dysfunction.Method: A descriptive phenomenological study was conducted through in-depth interviews with three parents of two adolescents in Taiwan. Data were analysed using Colaizzi's seven-step protocol.Results: Three main themes emerged: (1) faith during decision-making, (2) struggles during decision-making, (3) transformation during decision-making. The findings indicate that "transforming the nature of hope" is the essence of the experience.Conclusion: Family-centred care, gaining insight into parental spiritual practices, and developing culturally-appropriate care are recommended.

Correlates of depressive symptoms in late middle-aged Taiwanese women: findings from the 2009 Taiwan National Health Interview Survey.

BACKGROUND: Previous studies have shown that depressive symptoms in middle-aged women were associated with a number of factors such as climacteric symptoms. Nevertheless, studies based on population-based data with a wide range of potential correlates are still scarce. Therefore, the aim of this study was to investigate the correlates of depressive symptoms in late middle-aged Taiwanese women using data from a nationally-representative, population-based survey. METHODS: Women aged 50.0-65.0 years were identified from the dataset of the 2009 Taiwan National Health Interview Survey. The outcome measure was depressive symptoms in the past week, evaluated using the Center for Epidemiologic Studies Short Depression Scale (CES-D 10) with a cut-off score of 10 or greater. Univariate and multiple logistic regression analyses were used to evaluate the correlates of depressive symptoms. RESULTS: The mean age of the 533 respondents was 56.7 years. Depressive symptoms were present in 53 respondents (9.9%). Multiple logistic regression analysis revealed that an education level of elementary school or below (adjusted odds ratio [AOR] = 3.19, P = 0.003), nulliparity (AOR = 8.10, P = 0.001), living alone (AOR = 5.47, P = 0.003), never having worked (AOR = 4.14, P = 0.008), lack of regular exercise (AOR = 3.01, P = 0.003), a perceived health status of fair or bad (AOR = 4.34, P < 0.001), and somatic climacteric symptoms (AOR = 2.32, P = 0.012) were independent and significant factors of depressive symptoms in late middle-aged Taiwanese women. CONCLUSIONS: Findings from this secondary analysis of a population-based survey suggested independent associations of somatic climacteric symptoms, and a number of socio-demographic and health-related factors with depressive symptoms in late middle-aged Taiwanese women.

High Immunoreactivity of DUOX2 Is Associated With Poor Response to Preoperative Chemoradiation Therapy and Worse Prognosis in Rectal Cancers.

Purpose: Colorectal cancer is the third most common cancer and also the fourth most common cause of cancer mortality worldwide. For rectal cancer, neoadjuvant concurrent chemoradiotherapy (CCRT) followed by radical proctectomy is gold standard treatment for patients with stage II/III rectal cancer. By data mining a documented database of rectal cancer transcriptome (GSE35452) from Gene Expression Omnibus, National Center of Biotechnology Information, we recognized that DUOX2 was the most significantly up-regulated transcript among those related to cytokine and chemokine mediated signaling pathway (GO:0019221). Hence, the aim of this study was to assess the DUOX2 expression level and its clinicopathological correlation and prognostic significance in patients of rectal cancer. Materials and Methods: DUOX2 immunostain was performed in 172 rectal adenocarcinomas treated with preoperative CCRT followed by radical proctectomy, which were divided into high- and low-expression subgroups. Furthermore, statistical analyses were examined to correlate the relationship between DUOX2 immunoreactivity and important clinical and pathological characteristics, as well as three survival indices: disease-specific survival (DSS), local recurrence-free survival (LRFS) and metastasis-free survival (MeFS). Results: DUOX2 overexpression was linked to post-CCRT tumor advancement, pre- and post-CCRT nodal metastasis and poor response to CCRT (all P ≤ 0.021). Furthermore, DUOX2 high expression was significantly associated with inferior DSS, LRFS and MeFS in univariate analysis (P ≤ 0.0097) and also served as an independent prognosticator indicating shorter DSS and LRFS interval in multivariate analysis (hazard ratio (HR) = 3.413, 95% confidence interval (CI): 1.349-8.633; HR = 4.533, 95% CI: 1.499-13.708, respectively). Conclusion: DUOX2 may play a pivotal role in carcinogenesis, tumor progression and response to neoadjuvant CCRT in rectal cancers, and serve as a novel prognostic biomarker. Additional researches to clarify the molecular and biochemical pathways are essential for developing promising DUOX2-targeted therapies for patients with rectal cancers.

VNN1 overexpression is associated with poor response to preoperative chemoradiotherapy and adverse prognosis in patients with rectal cancers.

BACKGROUND: Colorectal cancer is prevalent worldwide and it is also the fourth most common cause of cancer mortality. For rectal cancer, neoadjuvant concurrent chemoradiotherapy (CCRT) followed by radical proctectomy is gold standard treatment for patients with stage II/III rectal cancer. By data mining a public dataset of rectal cancer transcriptome (GSE35452) from Gene Expression Omnibus, National Center of Biotechnology Information (GEO, NCBI), we identified that VNN1 was the most significantly upregulated gene among those related to nitrogen compound metabolic process (GO:0006807). Therefore, we analyzed the clinicopathological correlation and prognostic impact of VNN1 protein (pantetheinase), which encoded by VNN1 gene. METHODS: VNN1 immunostaining was performed in 172 rectal adenocarcinomas treated with preoperative CCRT followed by surgery, which were bisected into high- and low-expression subgroups. Furthermore, statistical analyses were performed to correlate the relationship between VNN1 immunoreactivity and clinicopathological features, as well as three survival indices: disease-specific survival (DSS), local recurrence-free survival (LRFS) and metastasis-free survival (MeFS). RESULTS: High VNN1 immunoexpression was significantly associated with advanced pre-treatment and post-treatment disease and poor response to CCRT (all P ≤ .026). In addition, VNN1 overexpression was linked to adverse DSS, LRFS and MeFS in univariate analysis and served as an independent prognosticator indicating worse DSS and LRFS in multivariate analysis (all P ≤ .019). CONCLUSION: VNN1 may play a crucial role in rectal cancer progression and responsiveness to CCRT, and serve as a novel prognostic biomarker. Additional studies to clarify the molecular pathway are essential for developing potential VNN1-targeted therapies for rectal cancer.

Predictors of Internet use for health information among male and female Internet users: Findings from the 2009 Taiwan National Health Interview Survey.

BACKGROUND: The Internet is an increasingly important source of health information for the general population. Both preventive health behavior and Internet use are known to be different between men and women. However, few studies have compared predictors of Internet use for health information between the sexes. OBJECTIVES: To investigate the prevalence and predictors of Internet use for health information among male and female adult Internet users using data from a population-based survey in Taiwan. METHODS: Respondents between the ages of 20-65 years were identified from the dataset of the 2009 Taiwan National Health Interview Survey. The outcome variable of the study, the utilization of the Internet for health information, was ascertained by asking whether the respondent had ever used the Internet to search for health information or obtain health services. Univariate and multivariate logistic regression analyses were conducted separately for men and women to evaluate factors associated with the use of Internet for health information. RESULTS: Of the 2741 adults aged 20-65 years who had ever used the Internet, 1766 (64.4%) of them had used it for health information or services. Multivariate logistic regression analyses showed that a higher educational level (adjusted odds ratio [AOR]=3.60, P<0.001), living alone (AOR=1.77, P=0.019), had exercised in the past two weeks (AOR=2.41, P<0.001), residing in city or urban district (AOR=1.28, P=0.049), with a perceived health status of extremely good, very good, or good (AOR=1.34, P=0.022), and had used Western medicine services in the past month (AOR=1.51, P=0.005) were significantly associated with health information use in male Internet users. On the other hand, age between 20-44.9 years (AOR=1.87, P<0.001), a higher educational level (AOR=3.57, P<0.001), being married (AOR=1.68, P=0.001), had exercised in the past two weeks (AOR=1.56, P<0.001), and had a mean monthly personal income of NT$ 20,000 and above were significant factors in female Internet users. CONCLUSIONS: This secondary data analysis of a representative sample of Taiwan population revealed that a similar but not identical set of independent factors was associated with the use of Internet for health information between male and female Internet users.

The image of nursing: A glimpse of the Internet.

AIM: An inaccurate image of the nursing profession can negatively affect staff recruitment, resource allocation, and the perception of nursing professionalism. Previous research has investigated how nurses were portrayed in the traditional media but relatively little is known from the perspective of the Internet. Therefore, the present study aimed to explore how the nursing profession is portrayed on the Internet by using two popular sources of photographic images. METHODS: The first 100 images that were obtained using the search term "nurse" on Google Images and Shutterstock were analyzed. The distribution of the image attributes between the two websites was compared with Fisher's exact test. The text description of the images that were obtained from Shutterstock also was analyzed. RESULTS: In the 171 images with at least one nurse in them, the nurses were predominately female (91%). The facial expression of the nurses was mostly smiling (85%) and 68% of the nurses had a stethoscope. For those with their hands visible in the images, 39% were holding documents, writing boards, or tablet computers and 29% were shown touching patients. Only 7% were depicted as using medical devices. CONCLUSIONS: While most of the nursing images were relatively professional-looking, the nurses were portrayed only as engaging in comforting patients and recording data. Nurses who were engaged in clinical tasks or scientific activities, such as research, were absent in the portrayals. A plan needs to be developed to accurately and comprehensively represent the nursing profession on the Internet.

Bone microenvironment-mediated resistance of cancer cells to bisphosphonates and impact on bone osteocytes/stem cells.

Anti-resorptive bisphosphonates (BPs) have been clinically used to prevent cancer-bone metastasis and cancer-induced bone pathologies despite the fact that the phenotypic response of the cancer-bone interactions to BP exposure is "uncharted territory". This study offers unique insights into the interplay between cancer stem cells and osteocytes/osteoblasts and mesenchymal stem cells using a three-dimensional (3D) live cancer-bone interactive model. We provide extraordinary cryptic details of the biological events that occur as a result of alendronate (ALN) treatment using 3D live cancer-bone model systems under specific bone remodeling stages. While cancer cells are susceptible to BP treatment in the absence of bone, they are totally unaffected in the presence of bone. Cancer cells colonize live bone irrespective of whether the bone is committed to bone resorption or formation and hence, cancer-bone metastasis/interactions are though to be "independent of bone remodeling stages". In our 3D live bone model systems, ALN inhibited bone resorption at the osteoclast differentiation level through effects of mineral-bound ALN on osteocytes and osteoblasts. The mineral-bound ALN rendered bone incapable of osteoblast differentiation, while cancer cells colonize the bone with striking morphological adaptations which led to a conclusion that a direct anti-cancer effect of BPs in a "live or in vivo" bone microenvironment is implausible. The above studies were complemented with mass spectrometric analysis of the media from cancer-bone organ cultures in the absence and presence of ALN. The mineral-bound ALN impacts the bone organs by limiting transformation of mesenchymal stem cells to osteoblasts and leads to diminished endosteal cell population and degenerated osteocytes within the mineralized bone matrix.

Ambulatory medical services utilization for menstrual disorders among female personnel of different medical professions in Taiwan: a nationwide retrospective cohort study.

BACKGROUND: Menstrual disorders and their adverse symptoms can have a deleterious effect on both the private and working lives of women. Previous studies indicated that female nurses have elevated risk of menstrual disorders. Moreover, female nurses showed a higher incidence of ambulatory care visit for genitourinary diseases compared with other female medical personnel. However, little is known whether the medical services utilization for menstrual disorders were different among personnel from various medical professions. Therefore, the present study compared the ambulatory medical services utilization for menstrual disorders among personnel of six different medical professions in Taiwan using a nationwide, population-based health claim research database. METHODS: The National Health Insurance Research Database (NHIRD) was used to identify female medical professionals, aged 18 to 45 years, who obtained their licenses during January 1, 2000 to December 31, 2012. Personnel from six different medical professions were examined and they included (1) medical technologists and therapists, (2) registered nurses, (3) physicians, (4) doctors of Chinese medicine, (5) dentists, and (6) pharmacists. Diagnoses of menstrual disorders, based on International Classification of Diseases, Ninth Revision, Clinical Modification (ICD-9-CM) codes, were obtained from the ambulatory medical services utilization that occurred after their license date. Cox proportional hazards model was used to assess the hazards of medical services utilization for menstrual disorders using medical technologists and therapists as the reference category. RESULTS: A total of 7653 medical personnel were included in the analysis. Using the group containing medical technologists and therapists as the reference category, registered nurses (adjusted hazards ratio [AHR] = 1.13, p = 0.018) and doctors of Chinese medicine (AHR = 2.52, p < 0.001) showed a significant increased risk of medical services utilization for menstrual disorders. Conversely, physicians showed a significant decreased risk of medical services utilization for menstrual disorders (AHR = 0.58, p < 0.001). Regarding the nine specific menstrual disorders observed in this study, registered nurses and doctors of Chinese medicine showed an increased risk in six and four of them, respectively. Pharmacists showed an increased risk only in menorrhagia (AHR = 1.64, p = 0.020) and dentists showed no significant differences in any of the nine specific menstrual disorders compared with medical technologists and therapists. Physicians showed a significant decreased risk all specific menstrual disorders except menorrhagia and dysfunctional uterine bleeding. CONCLUSIONS: Findings from this population-based cohort study revealed that, compared with medical technologists and therapists, registered nurses and doctors of Chinese medicine exhibited significant increased risks in medical services utilization for menstrual disorders whereas physicians showed a significant decreased risk in menstrual disorders. Further studies should be conducted to delineate whether the differences in the medical services utilization is an indicator of risk of menstrual disorders or the results of varying patterns of health care seeking behavior among women of different medical professions.

Association between Helicobacter pylori Infection and Risk of Osteoporosis in Elderly Taiwanese Women with Upper Gastrointestinal Diseases: A Retrospective Patient Record Review.

Introduction. Helicobacter pylori (H. pylori) infection could lead to chronic local and systemic immune response. The resulting increase in proinflammatory cytokines could affect bone resorption and might increase the risk of osteoporosis. This study aimed to investigate the association between H. pylori infection and osteoporosis in elderly female patients with upper gastrointestinal diseases. Methods. A retrospective patient record review study was conducted in a regional teaching hospital in south Taiwan. Relevant information on female patients aged 65 and over who were diagnosed with diseases of esophagus, gastric ulcer, or duodenal ulcer during January 2008 to December 2010 were abstracted. Association between H. pylori infection and osteoporosis was evaluated using multivariate logistic regression analysis. Results. Of the 365 patients with a mean age of 77.3 years, 77 (21.1%) had H. pylori infection and 101 (27.7%) had been diagnosed with osteoporosis. Multivariate logistic regression analysis revealed that osteoporosis was significantly associated with H. pylori infection (adjusted odds ratio = 2.03, 95% confidence interval = 1.14-3.62) after adjusting for age group, body mass index group, and use of proton pump inhibitor. Conclusion. Osteoporosis was found to be associated with H. pylori infection in Taiwanese female patients with upper gastrointestinal diseases. Further studies with information on potential confounders are needed to confirm the association.