Impact of liminality and rituals on professional identity formation in physician training.

Purpose: The transition from medical student to practicing physician affects the complex processes of professional identity formation and professionalism, which have a lasting effect on the physician's career development. This study explored two different transitional processes of medical students in Taiwan, the associated rituals during this transitional period (the 'liminal phase') and their effect on the formation of professional identity.

Method: Using snowball sampling, we recruited 13 medical students from two training systems: six from the traditional postgraduate year programme and seven from the accelerated postgraduate year (A-PGY) programme.

Stacked SiGe nanosheets p-FET for Sub-3 nm logic applications.

The fabrication of vertically stacked SiGe nanosheet (NS) field-effect transistors (FETs) was demonstrated in this study. The key process technologies involved in this device fabrication are low pressure chemical vapor deposition SiGe/Si multilayer epitaxy, selective etching of Si layers over SiGe layers using tetramethyl-ammonium-hydroxide wet solution, and atomic layer deposition of YO gate dielectric. For the fabricated stacked SiGe NS p-GAAFETs with a gate length of 90 nm, I/I ratio of around 5.

Ge/Si multilayer epitaxy and removal of dislocations from Ge-nanosheet-channel MOSFETs.

Horizontally stacked pure-Ge-nanosheet gate-all-around field-effect transistors (GAA FETs) were developed in this study. Large lattice mismatch Ge/Si multilayers were intentionally grown as the starting material rather than Ge/GeSi multilayers to acquire the benefits of the considerable difference in material properties of Ge and Si for realising selective etching. Flat Ge/Si multilayers were grown at a low temperature to preclude island growth.

Medical students' affective reactions to workplace experiences: qualitative investigation in a Chinese cultural context.

Background: Compassion fatigue, unprofessional behavior, and burnout are prompting educators to examine medical students' affective reactions to workplace experiences. Attributes of both students and learning environments are influenced by their socio-cultural backgrounds. To prevent 'educational cultural hegemony', opinion leaders have advocated research in under-represented cultural contexts, of which Asia is a prime example.

Next-generation sequencing and bioinformatics to identify genetic causes of malignant hyperthermia.

Background/purpose: Malignant hyperthermia (MH) is a life-threatening pharmacogenetic disease with only two known causative genes, RYR1 and CACNA1S. Both are huge genes containing numerous exons, and they reportedly only account for 50-70% of known MH patients. Next-generation sequencing (NGS) technology and bioinformatics could help delineate the genetic diagnosis of MH and several MH-like clinical presentations.

Patients' experiences of long-acting injectable antipsychotics: a qualitative study.

Background: In this study, we applied a qualitative approach to explore patients' subjective experiences of long-acting injectable antipsychotics (LAIs).

Methods: Patients undergoing psychiatric treatment from the chronic ward or outpatient department of a medical center in northern Taiwan who had experience with LAI treatment were enrolled. Information was obtained through semi-structured in-depth interviews.

The association between exposure to second-hand smoke and major depressive disorder in perimenopausal women: results from apopulation-based study.

Purpose: The aim of this study was to test the hypothesis that exposure to second-hand smoke (SHS) would be positively associated with major depressive disorder (MDD) in perimenopausal women from a population-based perspective, after adjustment for all potential confounders.

Methods: This study used the National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey (NHANES) database, 2005-2012, to report on MDD in perimenopausal women.

Results: The odds ratio (OR) for MDD increased when there was a smoker was in the home, as compared to not having a smoker in the home (aOR = 2.

Effects of Etching Variations on Ge/Si Channel Formation and Device Performance.

During the formation of Ge fin structures on a silicon-on-insulator (SOI) substrate, we found that the dry etching process must be carefully controlled. Otherwise, it may lead to Ge over-etching or the formation of an undesirable Ge fin profile. If the etching process is not well controlled, the top Ge/SOI structure is etched away, and only the Si fin layer remains.

An observational study: The utility of perfusion index as a discharge criterion for pain assessment in the postanesthesia care unit.

Acute post-operative pain can remain untreated if patients cannot express themselves. The perfusion index (PI) may decrease when pain activates sympathetic tone and may increase after analgesics are administered. We evaluated if the perfusion index is a feasible indicator for objectively assessing pain relief in the postanesthesia care unit (PACU) and calculated the changes in PI measurements at the time of discharge from the PACU relative to baseline PI measurements to examine if the PI is a useful criterion for discharging patients from the postanesthesia care unit.

Biomarkers and echocardiography for evaluating the improvement of the ventricular diastolic function after surgical relief of hydronephrosis.

The pathophysiology of cardio-renal syndrome (CRS) is complex. Hydronephrosis caused by urolithiasis may cause cytokine release and lead to cardiac dysfunction. The aim of this study was to evaluate cardiac function changes observed in patients who received double J placement using feasible biomarkers and echocardiography.

Leading Comorbidity associated with 30-day post-anesthetic mortality in geriatric surgical patients in Taiwan: a retrospective study from the health insurance data.

Background: Elderly patients with aged physical status and increased underlying disease suffered from more postoperative complication and mortality. We design this retrospective cohort study to investigate the relationship between existing comorbidity of elder patients and 30 day post-anesthetic mortality by using International Classification of Diseases, 9th Revision, Clinical Modification (ICD-9-CM) from Health Insurance Database.

Methods: Patients aged above 65 years old who received anesthesia between 2000 and 2010 were included from 1 million Longitudinal Health Insurance Database in (LHID) 2005 in Taiwan.

A reliability generalization meta-analysis of coefficient alpha and test-retest coefficient for the aging males' symptoms (AMS) scale.

Purpose: The aging males' symptoms (AMS) scale is an instrument used to determine the health-related quality of life in adult and elderly men. The purpose of this study was to synthesize internal consistency (Cronbach's alpha) and test-retest reliability for the AMS scale and its three subscales.

Methods: Of the 123 studies reviewed, 12 provided alpha coefficients which were then used in the meta-analyses of internal consistency.

Development of a short version of the Aging Males' Symptoms scale: Mokken scaling analysis and Rasch analysis.

The aim of this study was to develop a psychometrically sound short version of the 17-item Aging Males' Symptoms (AMS) scale using Mokken scale analysis (MSA) and Rasch analysis. We recruited a convenient sample of 1787 men (age: mean (SD) = 43.8 (11.

Ultra-large suspended graphene as a highly elastic membrane for capacitive pressure sensors.

In this work, we fabricate ultra-large suspended graphene membranes, where stacks of a few layers of graphene could be suspended over a circular hole with a diameter of up to 1.5 mm, with a diameter to thickness aspect ratio of 3 × 10(5), which is the record for free-standing graphene membranes. The process is based on large crystalline graphene (∼55 μm) obtained using a chemical vapor deposition (CVD) method, followed by a gradual solvent replacement technique.

The Chinese Version of the Gotland Male Depression Scale (GMDS): Mokken scaling.

Objective: Invariant item ordering (IIO) is defined as the extent to which items have the same order for each respondent who completes a scale. IIO is crucial for establishing a scale hierarchy that is replicable across samples; however, no research has demonstrated IIO in the Gotland Male Depression Scale (GMDS). The aim of this study was to determine if an IIO hierarchy of depressive symptoms existed in a clinical sample of men who completed the GMDS.

The prevalence and correlates of the positive Androgen Deficiency in the Aging Male (ADAM) questionnaire among psychiatric outpatients: a cross-sectional survey of 176 men in a general hospital in Taiwan.

Introduction: The Androgen Deficiency in the Aging Male (ADAM) questionnaire is widely used to screen for late-onset hypogonadism. The positive response to the ADAM questionnaire (positive ADAM) has been associated with depression and poorer quality of life in a number of studies. It is unclear whether there is any value of the ADAM questionnaire in psychiatric populations.

Perfusion index derived from a pulse oximeter can detect changes in peripheral microcirculation during uretero-renal-scopy stone manipulation (URS-SM).

Background: The objective of this study was to test the effect of removal of a ureteral obstruction (renal calculus) from anesthetized patients on the perfusion index (PI), as measured by a pulse oximeter, and on the estimated glomerular filtration rate (eGFR).

Patients And Methods: This prospective study enrolled 113 patients with unilateral ureteral obstructions (kidney stones) who were scheduled for ureteroscopy (URS) laser lithotripsy. One urologist graded patient hydronephrosis before surgery.

Validity and clinical utilization of the Chinese version of the Gotland Male Depression Scale at a men's health polyclinic.

Introduction: Symptoms of depression in males, such as aggression and irritability, are different from those in females. However, there are no adequate scales for detecting possible diagnoses in the Chinese population. The aim of this study was to assess whether the Chinese version of the Gotland Male Depression Scale (CV-GMDS) could identify male depression as effectively as the English version.

Metabolic syndrome among psychiatric outpatients with mood and anxiety disorders.

Background: Few studies have simultaneously compared the impacts of pharmacotherapy and mental diagnoses on metabolic syndrome (MetS) among psychiatric outpatients with mood and anxiety disorders. This study aimed to investigate the impacts of pharmacotherapy and mental diagnoses on MetS and the prevalence of MetS among these patients.

Methods: Two-hundred and twenty-nine outpatients (men/women = 85/144) were enrolled from 1147 outpatients with mood and anxiety disorders by systematic sampling.

Neuropsychiatric complications in a patient with Marfan syndrome.

Background: Marfan syndrome (MFS) is an autosomal dominant disorder of fibrillin-1 gene mutations, with the involvement of cardiovascular, skeletal, and ocular systems. In addition to physical abnormalities, MFS patients are also found to be susceptible to schizophrenia and other psychiatric conditions.

Objectives: Awareness of the association between MFS and psychiatric conditions would improve the clinical management of MFS patients to reduce the risk or even to prevent the development of psychiatric complications in MFS patients.

Factors influencing weight gain in an Asian population of psychiatric inpatients: a retrospective study in Taiwan.

Introduction: The aim of this study was to investigate the factors associated with weight gain by psychiatric inpatients in short-term treatment.

Methods: A total of 378 medical records were reviewed, and sociodemographic, clinical, and baseline biochemical data from 221 psychiatric inpatients were analyzed.

Results: Evaluation of baseline characteristics indicated that the following were significant predictors of weight gain: Axis I diagnosis, treatment with second-generation antipsychotics and mood stabilizers, length of stay, admission body weight, low-density lipoprotein value, triglyceride level, and triglyceride/high-density lipoprotein ratio.

The "Aging Males' Symptoms" (AMS) Scale assesses depression and anxiety.

Objective: Emotional distress may be associated with severe aging symptoms. This study aimed to investigate aging symptoms in male psychiatric outpatients and their relationship with anxiety and depression.

Method: About 176 male psychiatric outpatients aged 40-80 years were enrolled into this single-center cross-sectional study, and completed self-reported questionnaires including "Aging Males' Symptoms" (AMS) scale and the Hospital Anxiety and Depression Scale (HADS).

The correlation between emotional distress and aging males' symptoms at a psychiatric outpatient clinic: sexual dysfunction as a distinguishing characteristic between andropause and anxiety/depression in aging men.

Background: Andropause and psychiatric disorders are associated with various symptoms in aging males and are part of the differential diagnosis of depression and anxiety. This study was designed to investigate the relationship between symptoms of aging, anxiety, and depression, and to determine if sexual dysfunction could be a differentiating characteristic in the psychiatric outpatient clinic.

Methods: One hundred seventy-six male psychiatric outpatients participated in the study and completed self-reported measures assessing symptoms of aging, depression, and anxiety.

Complaint of insomnia as a predictor of aging symptoms in males at a men's health clinic.

Introduction: Issues of men's health have been greatly researched by scholars in recent decades. At men's health clinics, many patients complain of both insomnia and aging males' symptoms (AMS). These symptoms might be influenced by biological, psychological or even social factors.