Long-term outcomes of radiofrequency ablation for intrathoracic goiter up to 5 years: evaluated by computed tomography/magnetic resonance imaging and ultrasound.

OBJECTIVES: This study evaluated the long-term efficacy and safety of radiofrequency ablation (RFA) for intrathoracic goiter (ITG) over a follow-up period exceeding six months. METHODS: From 2017 to 2022, 22 patients (6 males, 16 females) with 24 ITGs treated with RFA at a single medical center were evaluated. All patients underwent ultrasonography (US), computed tomography (CT), or magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) before RFA. Follow-up CT/MRI was performed six months after the initial RFA and then every 6-12 months. The primary outcomes measured were the degree of extension, goiter volume, volume reduction rate (VRR), tracheal deviation, and tracheal lumen. Additionally, we assessed the outcomes of single-session RFA (n = 16) vs. multiple sessions (n = 8) on goiters and explored the correlation between ITG volume measurements obtained using ultrasonography and CT/MRI. RESULTS: The median follow-up period was 12 months (interquartile range: 6-36.8 months). At the last follow-up, the nodule volume measured by CT/MRI had significantly decreased (76.2 vs. 24.6 mL; p < 0.05), with a VRR of 64.6%. Patients who underwent multiple RFA sessions showed a significantly higher VRR than the single-session patients (63.8 vs. 80.1%, p < 0.05). The intraclass correlation between goiter volumes measured using US and CT/MRI was moderate. CONCLUSION: This study affirms the long-term efficacy and safety of RFA for ITG, providing an alternative treatment for nonsurgical candidates. Multiple RFA sessions may be beneficial for achieving better volume reduction. Sole reliance on ultrasonography is inadequate; therefore, integrating CT/MRI is essential for accurate pre-RFA and follow-up assessments.

Intrathoracic goiters significantly impact both cosmetic appearance and induce numerous compressive symptoms.Radiofrequency ablation brought notable volume reduction and persistent, effective alleviation of compressive symptoms.Radiofrequency ablation presents a promising therapeutic modality with long-term benefits for patients with intrathoracic goiter.

Artificial Intelligence Application in Skull Bone Fracture with Segmentation Approach.

This study aims to evaluate an AI model designed to automatically classify skull fractures and visualize segmentation on emergent CT scans. The model's goal is to boost diagnostic accuracy, alleviate radiologists' workload, and hasten diagnosis, thereby enhancing patient outcomes. Unique to this research, both pediatric and post-operative patients were not excluded, and diagnostic durations were analyzed. Our testing dataset for the observer studies involved 671 patients, with a mean age of 58.88 years and fairly balanced gender representation. Model 1 of our AI algorithm, trained with 1499 fracture-positive cases, showed a sensitivity of 0.94 and specificity of 0.87, with a DICE score of 0.65. Implementing post-processing rules (specifically Rule B) improved the model's performance, resulting in a sensitivity of 0.94, specificity of 0.99, and a DICE score of 0.63. AI-assisted diagnosis resulted in significantly enhanced performance for all participants, with sensitivity almost doubling for junior radiology residents and other specialists. Additionally, diagnostic durations were significantly reduced (p < 0.01) with AI assistance across all participant categories. Our skull fracture detection model, employing a segmentation approach, demonstrated high performance, enhancing diagnostic accuracy and efficiency for radiologists and clinical physicians. This underlines the potential of AI integration in medical imaging analysis to improve patient care.

Long-term survival after major trauma: a retrospective nationwide cohort study from the National Health Insurance Research Database.

BACKGROUND: Most trauma-related studies are focused on short-term survival and complications within the index admission, and the long-term outcomes beyond discharge are mainly unknown. The purpose of this study was to analyze the data from the National Health Insurance Research Database (NHIRD) and to assess the long-term survival of major trauma patients after being discharged from the index admission. MATERIAL AND METHODS: This retrospective, observational study included all patients with major trauma (injury severity score ≥16) in Taiwan from 2003 to 2007, and a 10-year follow-up was conducted on this cohort. Patients aged 18-70 who survived the index admission were enrolled. Patients who survived less than one year after discharge (short survival, SS) and those who survived for more than one year (long survival, LS) were compared. Variables, including preexisting factors, injury types, and short-term outcomes and complications, were analyzed, and the 10-year Kaplan-Meier survival analysis was conducted. RESULTS: In our study, 9896 patients were included, with 2736 in the SS group and 7160 in the LS group. Age, sex, comorbidities, low income, cardiopulmonary resuscitation event, prolonged mechanical ventilation, prolonged ICU length of stay (LOS), and prolonged hospital LOS were identified as the independent risk factors of SS. The 10-year cumulative survival for major trauma patients was 63.71%, and the most mortality (27.64%) occurred within the first year after discharge. CONCLUSION: 27.64% of patients would die one year after being discharged from major trauma. Major trauma patients who survived the index admission still had significantly worse long-term survival than the general population, but the curve flattened and resembled the general population after one year.

Cutaneous infection caused by Purpureocillium lilacinum: Case reports and literature review of infections by Purpureocillium and Paecilomyces in Taiwan.

Hyalohyphomycosis is a rare infection caused by a group of fungi that are devoid of pigments in their cell walls. As one of the main pathogens of hyalohyphomycosis, Purpureocillium lilacinum (former Paecilomyces lilacinus) is known for its intrinsic resistance to various antifungal agents. Here, we report three cases that coincide with a history of farming and all of them suffered from cutaneous hyalohyphomycosis caused by P. lilacinum. They shared a clinical presentation consisting of erythematous-to-violaceous painful plaques with overlying pustules on one of their forearms. Hyphae and fungal elements were highlighted by periodic acid Schiff or Gomori methenamine silver staining in their skin biopsies. Fungal cultures of their skin tissues yielded P. lilacinum, which was confirmed by both morphological and molecular characteristics. All patients responded well to oral terbinafine or itraconazole treatment. In this report, we also reviewed previously reported cases associated with either P. lilacinum or other Paecilomyces spp. infections in Taiwan.

The association between retinal vascular fractal dimension and cognitive function in the community-dwelling older adults cohort TIGER.

BACKGROUND/PURPOSE: The small retinal vessels reflect cerebral microcirculation and its fractal dimension (Df), representing the complexity of the retinal microcirculation. However, the connection between retinal circulation and cognitive function lacked consistent and longitudinal evidence. This study aimed to explore the association between retinal vascular complexity and cognitive impairment over time in non-demented community-dwelling older adults. METHODS: This four-year prospective cohort study (2015-2019) is part of the ongoing Taiwan Initiative for Geriatric Epidemiological Research (TIGER, 2011 to present). Of the 434 older adults (age >65) recruited, 207 participants were included for analysis. The retinal vascular Df was assessed by baseline images from fundus photography (2015-2017). Global (Montreal Cognitive Assessment-Taiwanese version, MoCA-T) and domain-specific cognition were assessed at the baseline and 2-year follow-up (2017-2019). The multivariable linear regression models and generalized linear mixed models were used to evaluate the association of Df with cognitive decline/impairment over time. RESULTS: Decreased left retinal vascular complexity was associated with poor attention performance (ß = -0.40). As follow-up time increased, decreased vascular complexity was associated with poor memory performance (right: ß = -0.25; left: ß = -0.19), and decreased right vascular complexity was associated with poor attention performance (ß = -0.18). CONCLUSION: Low retinal vascular complexity of the right or left eye may be differentially associated with cognitive domains in community-dwelling older adults over two years. The retinal vascular Df of either eye may be served as a screening tool for detecting cognitive impairment in the preclinical phase of dementia.

A single session of high-energy microwave axillary hyperhidrosis and osmidrosis therapy: Key pretherapeutic assessment and outcome analysis.

BACKGROUND: Microwave therapy is used to treat axillary hyperhidrosis and osmidrosis. Even while a "danger zone" has been identified and reports of potential complications from nerve injury have been made, there has been little real-world discussion regarding whether there is any pretreatment evaluation key factor that may lower the risk. Furthermore, the efficacy of a single treatment and the safety of high-energy therapies have not been well investigated. OBJECTIVE: The aim of this study is to demonstrate the key aspects of pre-therapeutic assessment, efficacy, and suitability of a single treatment, as well as the safety of high-energy treatments. METHODS: Fifteen patients with axillary hyperhidrosis (AH) and axillary osmidrosis (AO) between ages of 20 and 50 had pretherapeutic ultrasonography and clinical assessments performed followed by a single-pass microwave treatment using the miraDry system at energy level 5. The severity of AH and AO was evaluated using the Hyperhidrosis Disease Severity Scale and Odor-10 scale, respectively, at baseline, 1 month, 3 months, and 1 year after treatment. Adverse reactions were recorded at each point of evaluation. RESULTS: Out of 30 treatment areas, 14 have a danger zone. Female gender, a small mid-upper arm circumference, and a low body mass index (BMI) are all associated risk factors. The average Hyperhidrosis Disease Severity Scale score decreased from 3.1 ± 0.7 to 1.3 ± 0.5 (p < 0.001), while the odor-10 score declined from 7.1 ± 1.6 to 3.0 ± 1.6 (p < 0.001), indicating a significant improvement in AH and AO. Most of the unfavorable treatment effects disappeared within the first month. LIMITATIONS: This study has no objective quantitative measurement of axillary odor severity and sweat assessment. CONCLUSION: Female patients, those with a smaller mid-upper arm circumference, and those with a low BMI should be treated with extra caution, and the tumescent anesthetic dose may be increased based on safety. A high-energy microwave treatment procedure performed in a single session is a safe and effective therapeutic option with good recovery.

Challenges faced by community connectors: lessons learned from a Taiwan public health initiative.

BACKGROUND: Effective solutions that meet the diverse community health needs of older adult populations are of critical importance. To address these needs, a nationwide community connector team-tasked with providing referral support to older adult populations and completing an asset mapping resource inventory initiative centered around the needs of older adult populations-was developed in Taiwan. The purpose of this qualitative study was to explore community connectors' experiences and challenges. METHODS: Community connectors (n = 26) across four diverse sites participated in focus group interviews in July 2020. Interviews explored the challenges community connectors encountered in their roles; the strategies used to address these challenges; the asset mapping process; and on how they conceptualized their roles. Qualitative content analysis was applied. RESULTS: Three themes were uncovered: developing community ties, cross-organization interactions and professional conflicts. The findings show that community connectors face hurdles in uncovering community resources and that they experience considerable professional instability. The findings also shed light on the day-to-day approaches used to navigate on-the-job challenges and the steps taken to develop community partnerships. CONCLUSIONS: The experiences of community connectors provide important insights and can serve to illuminate the development of similar initiatives that seek to use community connectors for community health related purposes.

Macrophage Distribution Affected by Virus-Encoded Granulocyte Macrophage Colony Stimulating Factor Combined with Lactate Oxidase.

Oncolytic virotherapy was approved as a localized treatment for advanced melanoma by the US Food and Drug Administration (FDA) in 2015. Granulocyte macrophage colony stimulating factor (GM-CSF) encoded by clinical virus-infected tumor cells, acting as a pro-inflammatory cytokine or growth factor, increases tumor antigen presentation, leading to the activation of macrophages and T cells. Notably, tumor-secreted lactate can promote the suppressive functions of M2-polarized tumor-associated macrophages and subsequently promote tumor growth. Furthermore, the consumption of tumor-secreted lactate has been implicated in the beneficial polarization of macrophages. Here, we report that GM-CSF-encoded recombinant adeno-associated virus (AAV2-GM-CSF) infection in B16-F10 mouse melanoma cells combined with lactate oxidase (LOX) leads to the recruitment of M1 macrophages for the inhibition of cancer cell growth. This study suggests that GM-CSF combined with LOX has potential as cancer virotherapy.

Effect of Digital Learning With an Interactive eBook on Electrocardiogram Interpretation Among Clinical Nurses: A Repeated-Measures Analysis.

In digital learning, the use of an interactive eBook is perceived as helpful for students. However, the effect of interactive eBooks on learning among clinical nurses has not been explored yet. This study used an interactive electrocardiogram eBook to explore the effect of digital learning on the promotion of electrocardiogram interpretation competence, confidence, knowledge retention, and learning satisfaction among clinical nurses. A single-group quasi-experimental study with three repeated measures was conducted. A total of 80 nurses from the emergency room, critical units, and medical-surgical units completed the measures. The results showed that digital learning is an effective method that significantly improved nurses' electrocardiogram competence, learning retention, confidence, and learning satisfaction. Most nurses were satisfied with the convenience and content design of this eBook. Few nurses reported drawbacks regarding loading speed and individual learning habits. It is recommended that more preset learning exercise questions should be created for trial and error so that nurses can have repeated practice for self-assessment. Specific feedback mechanisms should be established to promote motivation for digital self-learning.

A retrospective review of transcutaneous and transconjunctival dual approach-A technique for mini-invasive double eyelid blepharoplasty with blepharoptosis correction.

BACKGROUND: Many Oriental eyes feature single eyelid fold and ptotic eyelid. Performing the double eyelid blepharoplasty (DEB) in a minimally invasive manner with simultaneous blepharoptosis correction (BPC) is important to achieve an aesthetic pleasing outcome. OBJECTIVE: To demonstrate an effective mini-invasive transcutaneous and transconjunctival dual approach technique for simultaneous DEB and BPC. Furthermore, to compare the outcome of BPC in dual approach, transcutaneous procedure and transconjunctival procedure. METHODS: This is a retrospective study reviewing 159 eyelids that underwent mini-invasive DEB with BPC from November 2018 to May 2019, including the technical description and the surgical outcomes. To investigate the efficacy, the pre- and postoperative margin reflex distance 1 (MRD1) and levator function (LF) corresponding to the different surgical procedures and preoperative severity was analyzed. RESULTS: Statistically, the dual approach group has significant improvement in MRD1 and LF (47 eyelids, p<0.05) corresponding to patients with ptosis of any severity. Under the same tucking amount, dual approach can achieve 1.6±0.7 mm of MRD1 improvement, which is nearly twice the amount compare with transconjunctival approach alone. No revision nor complication noted in the dual approach group by 6-month follow-up. CONCLUSION: The dual approach technique is a method with a wide range of applications, effective, and low revision rate that simultaneously correct blepharoptosis and create a double eyelid.

Systematic Review of Diagnostic Sensors for Intra-Abdominal Pressure Monitoring.

Intra-abdominal pressure (IAP) is defined as the steady-state pressure within the abdominal cavity. Elevated IAP has been implicated in many medical complications. This article reviews the current state-of-the-art in innovative sensors for the measurement of IAP. A systematic review was conducted on studies on the development and application of IAP sensors. Publications from 2010 to 2021 were identified by performing structured searches in databases, review articles, and major textbooks. Sixteen studies were eligible for the final systematic review. Of the 16 articles that describe the measurement of IAP, there were 5 in vitro studies (31.3%), 7 in vivo studies (43.7%), and 4 human trials (25.0%). In addition, with the advancement of wireless communication technology, an increasing number of wireless sensing systems have been developed. Among the studies in this review, five presented wireless sensing systems (31.3%) to monitor IAP. In this systematic review, we present recent developments in different types of intra-abdominal pressure sensors and discuss their inherent advantages due to their small size, remote monitoring, and multiplexing.

Molecular Mechanisms of the Anti-obesity Properties of Agardhiella subulata in Mice Fed a High-Fat Diet.

The overweight and obese population has skyrocketed, resulting in a high incidence of metabolic disorders. Agardhiella subulata (AS) contains a variety of beneficial components, such as sulfur-containing polysaccharides (dietary fiber) and astaxanthin, which is considered to have anti-obesity potential. In this study, we investigated the effects and possible mechanisms of dietary AS on high-fat diet (HFD)-induced obesity in mice. AS supplementation significantly reduced HFD-induced weight gain (19%) and the visceral adiposity index (4.1%). In addition, the level of total cholesterol, triglyceride, and low-density lipoprotein was significantly decreased; adiponectin was significantly increased in serum and fecal triglyceride excretion was significantly higher in mice fed AS compared with mice on an HFD. Preadipocyte factor 1 and Sry-box transcription factor 9 that were significantly higher than the levels found for the HFD group lead to reduced adipogenesis. Moreover, accompanying the lipolysis and fatty acid ß-oxidation that occur in the AS group, the concentration of non-esterified fatty acids was lowered to 0.4 ± 0.1 mEq/L. In addition, peroxisome proliferator-activated receptor γ and phosphorylation acetyl-CoA carboxylase increased 1.5- and 1-fold, thus increasing the expression of adiponectin and the activation of AMPK and ultimately resulting in lower blood glucose levels. The results of this study suggest that AS supplementation increases lipid excretion and improves energy metabolism to prevent obesity in mice fed a HFD.

Preoperative sarcopenia is associated with poor overall survival in pancreatic cancer patients following pancreaticoduodenectomy.

OBJECTIVES: To analyze the effect of preoperative body composition on survival in patients with pancreatic cancer following pancreaticoduodenectomy (PD). METHODS: Between October 2005 and August 2018, 116 patients (68 men, 48 women, mean age 66.2 ± 11.9 years) diagnosed with pancreatic adenocarcinoma following PD were retrospectively enrolled. The preoperative CT on vertebral level L3 was assessed for total abdominal muscle area (TAMA), visceral adipose tissue area (VAT), subcutaneous adipose tissue area (SAT), and mean skeletal muscle attenuation (SMD). The clinical data and pathological findings of tumors were collected. The impact of these factors on disease-free survival (DFS) and overall survival (OS) was evaluated by the Kaplan-Meier method and by univariable and multivariable Cox proportional hazards models. RESULTS: The 3-year DFS and OS rates were 8% and 25%, respectively. Of 116 patients, 20 (17.2%), 3 (2.6%), and 46 (39.7%) patients were classified as having sarcopenia, sarcopenic obesity, and myosteatosis, respectively. The VAT-TAMA ratio (1.2 ± 0.7 vs 0.9 ± 0.5, p = 0.01) and the visceral to subcutaneous adipose tissue area ratio (1.3 ± 0.7 vs 0.9 ± 0.5, p = 0.04) were higher in sarcopenic patients than in the nonsarcopenic group. Preoperative sarcopenia and sarcopenic obesity were associated with shorter OS (p = 0.012 and p = 0.041, respectively), but not shorter DFS. Myosteatosis was neither associated with DFS nor OS. On multivariable analysis, sarcopenia was the only significant prognostic factor for OS (p = 0.039). CONCLUSIONS: Preoperative sarcopenia assessed by CT is a poor prognostic factor for OS in pancreatic cancer patients after PD. KEY POINTS: • Sarcopenia and sarcopenic obesity can be evaluated by abdominal CT on L3 level. • Patients with diabetes mellitus (DM) had lower sex-standardized subcutaneous adipose tissue area index and skeletal muscle density and higher visceral to subcutaneous adipose tissue area ratio than did those without DM. • Preoperative sarcopenia, sarcopenic obesity, and new-onset diabetes mellitus may predict poor overall survival in pancreatic cancer patients following pancreaticoduodenectomy.

PCL-Blended Chitosan Substrates for Patterning the Heterotypic Cell Distribution in an Epithelial and Mesenchymal Coculture System.

Cell-cell and cell-substrate interactions in coculture systems are very important to the context of biomaterial scaffolds for tissue engineering applications. Understanding the cellular interactions and distribution of epithelial-mesenchymal microtissues on the controllable biomaterial surfaces is useful to study the organoid applications. The aim of the present study is to investigate the effects of chitosan/poly(ε-caprolactone) (PCL)-blended biomaterials on the distribution and spheroid formation of HaCaT and Hs68 cells in a coculture system. In this study, we demonstrated that the cocultured cells gradually changed their pattern from core/shell spheroid to monolayered morphology as the PCL content increased in the blended substrates. This indicates that the chitosan/PCL-blended substrates are able to regulate cell-substrate and cell-cell interactions to modify the distribution of HaCaT and Hs68 cells similar to various mesenchymal-epithelial organizations in biological tissues. Moreover, we also developed a two-dimension lattice model to elaborate the dependence of cell spheroid development on complex cell-cell interactions. This information may be helpful to develop appropriate biomaterials with appropriate properties to the applications of engineered epithelial-mesenchymal organoids.