Journal of the Formosan Medical Association最新文献

{"title":"Highlights.","authors":"Jia-Horng Kao","doi":"10.1016/j.jfma.2025.02.026","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.1016/j.jfma.2025.02.026","url":null,"abstract":"","PeriodicalId":17305,"journal":{"name":"Journal of the Formosan Medical Association","volume":" ","pages":""},"PeriodicalIF":2.6,"publicationDate":"2025-02-20","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"143472660","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":3,"RegionCategory":"医学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}

{"title":"Cogstate Brief Battery performance in assessing cognitive impairment in Taiwan: A prospective, multi-center study.","authors":"Yi-Chun Kuan, Kai-Ming Jhang, Wen-Fu Wang, Yi-Chun Yeh, Cheng-Sheng Chen, Cheng-Chang Yang, Chaur-Jong Hu","doi":"10.1016/j.jfma.2025.02.025","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.1016/j.jfma.2025.02.025","url":null,"abstract":"<p><strong>Background: </strong>Early detection and accessible monitoring of dementia are crucial for timely intervention. However, traditional neuropsychological assessments are resource-intensive, and with the growing aging population, scheduling delays increased. The Cogstate Brief Battery (CBB) offers a promising, rapid screening tool, though its validation in Mandarin-speaking populations has been limited.</p><p><strong>Methods: </strong>This prospective, multi-center study assessed the validity of the CBB in distinguishing between mild cognitive impairment (MCI) and dementia compared to healthy controls (HC) in Taiwan. Participants from three tertiary medical centers underwent comprehensive cognitive evaluation using the CBB, including the Learning/Working Memory Brain Performance Index (Lrn/WM BPI), Attention/Psychomotor Brain Performance Index (Attn/Psychomotor BPI), combined BPI, and Brain Age.</p><p><strong>Results: </strong>Of 192 participants (mean age 68.7 ± 8.2 years, mean education level 11.0 ± 3.9 years, 59.9% female), the CBB showed strong discriminatory power across groups. The combined BPI demonstrated the highest AUC (0.95) for distinguishing dementia from HC, followed by 0.92 for Lrn/WM BPI, 0.91 for Brain Age difference, and 0.88 for Attn/Psychomotor BPI. A combined BPI cut-off score of 41.25 effectively differentiated between HC and cognitive impairment groups.</p><p><strong>Conclusion: </strong>This first validation of the CBB in Mandarin-speaking populations highlights its utility as a reliable screening tool for early cognitive impairment detection. Its use could enhance timely diagnoses, helping to streamline clinical pathways and improve patient outcomes, addressing a critical gap in dementia care in Taiwan's healthcare system.</p>","PeriodicalId":17305,"journal":{"name":"Journal of the Formosan Medical Association","volume":" ","pages":""},"PeriodicalIF":2.6,"publicationDate":"2025-02-20","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"143472618","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":3,"RegionCategory":"医学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}

{"title":"Preoperative thoracic epidural analgesia with and without erector spinae plane block for thoracotomy: A retrospective study.","authors":"Tzu-Jung Wei, Hsin-An Hsu, Ping-Yan Hsiung, Ping-Ju Chen, Chen-Tse Lee, Chun-Yu Wu","doi":"10.1016/j.jfma.2025.02.021","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.1016/j.jfma.2025.02.021","url":null,"abstract":"<p><strong>Background: </strong>Thoracotomy is a highly painful surgical procedure, with thoracic epidural analgesia (TEA) serving as the gold standard for postoperative pain management. However, TEA can induce significant hypotension, especially when combined with general anesthesia. The ultrasound-guided erector spinae plane block (ESPB) has emerged as a complementary technique for enhancing analgesia while minimizing side effects. This study compares the analgesic efficacy and intraoperative hemodynamic outcomes of preoperative TEA with and without ESPB in patients undergoing thoracotomy.</p><p><strong>Methods: </strong>This retrospective cohort study was conducted at a tertiary university hospital, including patients who underwent thoracotomy for tumor resection between March 2017 and March 2023. Patients receiving ESPB prior to TEA were compared with those receiving TEA alone. Postoperative pain intensity and intraoperative hemodynamic stability were assessed. The primary outcome was postoperative pain scores, while secondary outcomes included intraoperative mean arterial pressure and postoperative outcomes such as length of hospital stay.</p><p><strong>Results: </strong>A total of 64 patients were enrolled in the study, including 43 who received TEA alone and 21 who received a combination of TEA and ESPB. After propensity score matching, 21 patients were matched 1:1 in each group for comparative analysis. Patients who received ESPB in addition to TEA had significantly lower pain scores at 1 h and 24 h postoperatively (p < 0.001). Additionally, they demonstrated higher intraoperative mean arterial pressures (p = 0.036) compared to the TEA-only group. However, there were no significant differences in postoperative outcomes.</p><p><strong>Conclusions: </strong>The combination of preoperative ESPB and TEA provides superior early postoperative pain control and enhances intraoperative hemodynamic stability in thoracotomy patients compared to TEA alone.</p>","PeriodicalId":17305,"journal":{"name":"Journal of the Formosan Medical Association","volume":" ","pages":""},"PeriodicalIF":2.6,"publicationDate":"2025-02-19","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"143468354","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":3,"RegionCategory":"医学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}

{"title":"Ablative margin assessment for recurrence prediction in patients with hepatocellular carcinoma receiving radiofrequency ablation.","authors":"Geeng-Jia Hu, Quan-Yin Zheng, Feng-Guang Tsai, Chiueng-Fang Wu, Yi-Cheng Hsiao, Chih-Kai Chang, Po-Chin Liang, Chih-Horng Wu","doi":"10.1016/j.jfma.2025.02.023","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.1016/j.jfma.2025.02.023","url":null,"abstract":"<p><strong>Background/purpose: </strong>To predict outcomes for patients with hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) after radiofrequency ablation (RFA) by assessing the ablative margin.</p><p><strong>Methods: </strong>We retrospectively analyzed 163 HCC patients with complete RFA treatment at National Taiwan University Hospital (NTUH) from 2015 to 2020. Local tumor progression (LTP) is defined as the reappearance of HCC around the ablative zone. Various ablative margins (AM) are measured on post-RFA computed tomography (CT), including the minimal and maximal AM covering or not covering the liver surfaces (AMCLSmin, AMCLSmax, AMULSmin, AMULSmax). Average ablative margins (AMCLSavg, AMULSavg) are calculated from the minimal and maximal AM. Tumors at high-risk locations, including subdiaphragmatic, subcapsular, and perivascular regions, were further analyzed. The Kaplan-Meier method was utilized to analyze the recurrence-free survival (RFS) of different groups of patients. Patients were grouped by their ablative margin width with a cutting-off value of 3 mm or 5 mm.</p><p><strong>Results: </strong>Of the 163 HCC patients enrolled, 29 had LTP within two years, and 20 had LTP after two years. AMULSmin and AMULSavg were shown to be significant factors contributing to local tumor recurrences. Patients with AMULSmin≧3 mm had significantly better RFS than those with AMULSmin<3 mm (p = 0.0236). In high-risk locations, AMULSavg ≧5 mm had better RFS in subdiaphragmatic and subcapsular regions, and AMULSavg ≧3 mm had better RFS in perivascular region.</p><p><strong>Conclusion: </strong>Measuring the ablative margin without covering the liver surface (especially AMULSmin, AMULSavg) in the post-RFA CT may be helpful prognosis indicators of LTP and RFS in HCC patients.</p>","PeriodicalId":17305,"journal":{"name":"Journal of the Formosan Medical Association","volume":" ","pages":""},"PeriodicalIF":2.6,"publicationDate":"2025-02-19","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"143468353","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":3,"RegionCategory":"医学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}

{"title":"Reply to commentary on \"Fluid intake impact on heart failure: Systematic review and meta-analysis with trial sequential analysis\".","authors":"Suh-Meei Hsu, Ying-Chun Lin, Chung-Lieh Hung, Tsae-Jyy Wang","doi":"10.1016/j.jfma.2025.02.001","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.1016/j.jfma.2025.02.001","url":null,"abstract":"","PeriodicalId":17305,"journal":{"name":"Journal of the Formosan Medical Association","volume":" ","pages":""},"PeriodicalIF":2.6,"publicationDate":"2025-02-18","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"143457914","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":3,"RegionCategory":"医学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}

{"title":"IgG4-associated autoimmune hepatitis in a 70-year-old woman with progressive liver failure: First case report in Taiwan.","authors":"Chun-Hsun Liao, Hsu-Hua Tseng, Tzu-Chan Hong, Chun-Jen Liu","doi":"10.1016/j.jfma.2025.02.018","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.1016/j.jfma.2025.02.018","url":null,"abstract":"","PeriodicalId":17305,"journal":{"name":"Journal of the Formosan Medical Association","volume":" ","pages":""},"PeriodicalIF":2.6,"publicationDate":"2025-02-18","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"143457897","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":3,"RegionCategory":"医学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}

{"title":"Arsenic exposure and trend of incidence in urinary cancer from 1979 to 2019: A nationwide population-based study.","authors":"Chi-Chun Hsieh, Liang-Ju Tsai, Hsiang-Ying Lee, Yung-Shun Juan, Hao-Han Chang, Yi-Sheng Tai","doi":"10.1016/j.jfma.2025.02.011","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.1016/j.jfma.2025.02.011","url":null,"abstract":"<p><strong>Purpose: </strong>To investigate the incidences of newly diagnosed arsenic-related bladder cancer (BC), upper urinary tract UC (UTUC), and renal cell carcinoma (RCC) in Taiwan.</p><p><strong>Methods: </strong>Cancer data for 1979-2019 were extracted from the Taiwan Cancer Registry Database. According to birth residency, individuals were divided into Z0, Z1, Z2, and Z3 areas according to the groundwater As levels in the 1970s and whether BFD was endemic to an area. New diagnosis rates were analyzed. The investigation period was divided into early (1979-1999) and late (2000-2019) periods to compare the changes after the As-contaminated water use stopped.</p><p><strong>Results: </strong>26,908, 59,838, and 34,245 newly diagnosed cases of RCC, BC, and UTUC, respectively, were identified. Age-standardized incidence showed the RCC and BC patients were predominantly male. As contamination was not correlated with RCC incidence. Regarding BC and UTUC in Z3, higher As groundwater levels accompanied with higher incidence rates in both sexes. When comparing late to early period, reverse change with decreased incidence was noted in BC and UTUC in Z3 populations. (BC male: mean ± SD: 45.1 ± 10.8 vs 69.7 ± 10.4, ∗∗∗P < 0.0001, female: mean ± SD: 32.2 ± 8.9 vs 50.4 ± 13.4, ∗∗P < 0.007; UTUC male: mean ± SD: 35.73 ± 8 vs 46 ± 13.4, ∗∗P < 0.007; female: mean ± SD: 30.7 ± 7.2 vs 38.5 ± 6,2, ∗∗P < 0.007).</p><p><strong>Conclusion: </strong>Exposure of arsenic is related to incidence of BC and UTUC but RCC in Taiwan. After stopping drinking As-containing groundwater since 1980s, significant decrease in BC and UTUC incidence was also noted.</p>","PeriodicalId":17305,"journal":{"name":"Journal of the Formosan Medical Association","volume":" ","pages":""},"PeriodicalIF":2.6,"publicationDate":"2025-02-15","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"143433458","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":3,"RegionCategory":"医学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}

{"title":"Comment on \"A deep learning approach for the screening of referable age-related macular degeneration - Model development and external validation\".","authors":"Fang Zhao, Liping Yang","doi":"10.1016/j.jfma.2025.02.017","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.1016/j.jfma.2025.02.017","url":null,"abstract":"","PeriodicalId":17305,"journal":{"name":"Journal of the Formosan Medical Association","volume":" ","pages":""},"PeriodicalIF":2.6,"publicationDate":"2025-02-15","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"143433461","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":3,"RegionCategory":"医学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}

{"title":"Comment on \"Fat loss and muscle gain: The possible role of striatal dopaminergic tone in determining the efficacy of physical exercise\".","authors":"Joshua Wang","doi":"10.1016/j.jfma.2025.02.019","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.1016/j.jfma.2025.02.019","url":null,"abstract":"","PeriodicalId":17305,"journal":{"name":"Journal of the Formosan Medical Association","volume":" ","pages":""},"PeriodicalIF":2.6,"publicationDate":"2025-02-15","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"143433464","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":3,"RegionCategory":"医学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}

{"title":"Pioneering study in the role of Ribonuclease L in the development of gestational diabetes mellitus in pregnant women.","authors":"Yi-Yun Tai, Yi-Ting Wang, Hung-Yuan Li, Hui-Chuen Chen, Chi-Ling Chen, Shin-Yu Lin, Wei-Shiung Yang","doi":"10.1016/j.jfma.2025.02.008","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.1016/j.jfma.2025.02.008","url":null,"abstract":"<p><strong>Background: </strong>Gestational diabetes mellitus as a common pregnancy complication carries metabolic risks for both the mother and infant. We and others have shown that ribonuclease L (RNase-L, an innate immunity regulator) regulates adipogenesis and insulin sensitivity of skeletal muscle. We further showed that its serum level was reduced in human subjects with impaired fasting glucose and metabolic syndrome. In this study we investigated its levels in gestational diabetes mellitus.</p><p><strong>Methods: </strong>A total of 82 pregnant women who have received a one-step 75g oral glucose tolerance test (OGTT) for Gestational diabetes mellitus diagnosis were enrolled in this study, and their serum RNase-L levels during pregnancy were examined. Serum RNase-L levels were compared between women who did and did not develop Gestational diabetes mellitus. The risk for Gestational diabetes mellitus with the change of serum RNase-L concentration was estimated using a binary logistic regression model adjusting for age and body mass index.</p><p><strong>Results: </strong>During pregnancy, serum RNase-L levels tended to descend with gestational age (P-for-trend = 0.008). The mean of serum RNase-L in the 1st, 2nd, and 3rd trimesters of pregnancy were respectively lower in the Gestational diabetes mellitus group compared with the controls (1st trimester: 17.1 ± 8.4vs.19.3 ± 7.2 μg/ml, P=0.328; 2nd: 14.7 ± 5.9vs.18.6 ± 6.8 μg/ml, P=0.017; 3rd: 13.6 ± 2.8vs.16.0 ± 3.5 μg/ml, P=0.005).</p><p><strong>Conclusion: </strong>This is the first study on how innate immune factor affect the pregnant women in developing GDM. The serum RNase-L levels were found to be negatively associated with GDM risk during pregnancy. This observation linked GDM with innate immunity and RNA metabolism in its pathophysiology.</p>","PeriodicalId":17305,"journal":{"name":"Journal of the Formosan Medical Association","volume":" ","pages":""},"PeriodicalIF":2.6,"publicationDate":"2025-02-15","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"143433467","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":3,"RegionCategory":"医学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}