Enhanced sleep quality and reduced indoxyl sulfate levels following probiotic supplementation were linked to gut microbiota modulation in hemodialysis patients.

Objective: Hemodialysis patients frequently exhibit altered gut microbiota and elevated indoxyl sulfate (IS) levels, a uremic toxin linked to negative health outcomes. This study explores how probiotic supplementation may be associated with changes in uremic toxins and sleep quality in hemodialysis patients through its relationship with gut microbiota.

Design And Methods: This open-label, randomized cohort study involved 80 hemodialysis patients with poor sleep quality, assessed by the Pittsburgh Sleep Quality Index (PSQI) Global Score.

CPAP Effects on Energy Expenditure, Intake, Hormonal Regulation, and Body Composition: A Randomized Trial.

Study Objectives: Weight gain after continuous positive airway pressure (CPAP) initiation in obstructive sleep apnea (OSA) is common, but its mechanism and relevance remain unclear. This open-label randomized trial evaluated CPAP effects on energy expenditure, intake, body composition, physical activity, and appetite-regulatory hormones.

Methods: Patients with OSA were randomized (1:1) to 12-week CPAP or inactive control.

Factorial Validity of the 32-Item World Health Organization Disability Assessment Schedule 2.0 in Persons With Stroke.

Background And Purpose: The World Health Organization Disability Assessment Schedule 2.0 (WHODAS 2.0) is a well-established tool for assessing disability.

The relationship between plasma sphingosine-1-phosphate, plasma apolipoprotein M, obesity, and the risk of incident type 2 diabetes: a prospective cohort study.

Objectives: Type 2 diabetes (T2D) is a growing global health challenge, necessitating novel biomarkers for early risk assessment. This study investigates the associations between plasma sphingosine-1-phosphate (S1P), apolipoprotein M (ApoM), obesity measures, and the risk of incident T2D.

Methods: We utilized data from the Taiwan Lifestyle Study, a prospective cohort initiated in 2006.

Flexible suction ureteral access sheath: A game-changer for reducing high-power laser use in retrograde intrarenal surgery?

Purpose: This study compares the effectiveness and safety of a novel flexible and navigable suction (FANS) ureteral access sheath (UAS), utilizing a lower-power holmium laser (LPHL), against conventional UAS (cUAS) with a high-power holmium laser (HPHL) for retrograde intrarenal surgery (RIRS) in treating renal stones.

Materials And Methods: Patients aged 18 years and older undergoing RIRS for renal stones were enrolled, excluding those with uncontrolled urinary tract infections, simultaneous ureteral stones, radiolucent stones, and abnormal anatomy. The FANS-UAS group used an LPHL with fixed fragmentation setting, while the cUAS group used an HPHL for both dusting and fragmentation.

Risk factors of acute bacterial paranasal sinusitis in children: a case control study.

Background: Acute bacterial paranasal sinusitis is a common infection in children. The aim of this study was to analyze risk factors associated with acute bacterial paranasal sinusitis in children.

Methods: Children aged 4 to 18 years were enrolled and received questionnaire survey from January 2020 to December 2021.

Is the pay-for-performance program associated with better quality of life among type 2 diabetes patients, including those with gastrointestinal conditions, in Taiwan? A cross-sectional survey.

Background: Many studies have shown that Taiwan's diabetes pay-for-performance (P4P) program can improve several patients' clinical outcomes; however, it remains unclear whether P4P initiatives yield effects on health-related quality of life (HRQoL) for all diabetes patients as well as those with comorbidities, especially comorbid gastrointestinal conditions.

Purpose: In this study, we evaluated the effects of the diabetes P4P program on QoL among all patients as well as the effects of this program on QoL among patients with comorbid gastrointestinal conditions.

Methods: Data were collected across 6 hospitals.

Is acupuncture a viable therapeutic strategy for degenerative eye diseases? a systematic review and meta-analysis.

Introduction: Degenerative ocular diseases-glaucoma, age-related macular degeneration (AMD), optic atrophy, and retinitis pigmentosa (RP)-are major causes of irreversible vision loss. Acupuncture, a traditional Chinese therapy, has shown promise in improving visual function through neuroprotective and vascular mechanisms.

Methodology: A systematic review and meta-analysis were conducted using data from PubMed, Embase, Scopus, Web of Science, Google Scholar, and Cochrane Library.

SGLT2 inhibitors and the risk of hepatocellular carcinoma in patients with MASLD and Type 2 diabetes.

Background: - Hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) is increasingly driven by non-viral causes, especially metabolic dysfunction-associated steatotic liver disease (MASLD), which is common in type 2 diabetes mellitus (T2D). No pharmacologic agent is currently approved for HCC chemoprevention.

Objective: - To evaluate the association between sodium-glucose cotransporter-2 inhibitor (SGLT2i) use and risks of HCC and all-cause mortality in patients with MASLD and T2D.

A consensus on the diagnosis and management of neurofibromatosis type 1 in Taiwan.

Neurofibromatosis type 1 (NF1) is a genetic disorder resulting from pathogenic variants in the tumor suppressor NF1 gene, which encodes neurofibromin. Its clinical manifestations are age-related and affect multiple systems, ranging from the characteristic café-au-lait macules, visible on the skin from birth, to plexiform neurofibromas (PNs), which have the potential to transform into malignant tumors during adolescence and adulthood. The Taiwan Child Neurology Society convened a series of meetings with experts from various specialties to review the latest evidence and updates related to NF1, including the recent approval of selumetinib for pediatric patients with symptomatic and inoperable PN in Taiwan.

Influence of traditionality and modernity on public breastfeeding behaviors: a theory of planned behavior approach.

Background: Breast milk is widely recognized as the optimal source of infant nutrition, with the World Health Organization recommending exclusive breastfeeding for the first six months. However, breastfeeding rates remain suboptimal worldwide and in Taiwan. The six-month exclusive breastfeeding rate in Taiwan, defined as the percentage of infants aged six months who received only breast milk and no other foods or liquids in the previous 24 h, declined from 46.

Using machine learning methods to investigate the role of volatile organic compounds in non-alcoholic fatty liver disease.

Aims: Approximately 25%-30% of the global population is affected by non-alcoholic fatty liver disease (NAFLD). This study aimed to explore whether NAFLD could be effectively detected using 341 volatile organic compounds (VOCs) via 10 machine learning (Mach-L) algorithms in a cohort of 1,501 individuals.

Methods: Participants were selected from the Taiwan MJ cohort, which includes comprehensive demographic, biochemical, lifestyle, and VOCs data.

Glycaemic responses to metformin monotherapy by SNP clusters in patients with type 2 diabetes.

Aims: This study retrospectively investigates the association between polygenic risk scores (PRS) derived from SNP clusters and glycaemic response to metformin in patients with newly diagnosed T2D.

Materials And Methods: Utilizing a dataset from the Taiwan Precision Medicine Initiative, we evaluated alterations in fasting glucose (FBG) and glycated haemoglobin (HbA1c) in individuals newly diagnosed with T2D who underwent metformin monotherapy for a duration of 6 months. Glycaemic responses between those in the bottom 20% of PRS (Q1) and the top 20% of PRS (Q5) for each of the SNP clusters and for the combination of two clusters were analysed.

Clinical and Economic Evaluation of a Real-Time Chest X-Ray Computer-Aided Detection System for Misplaced Endotracheal and Nasogastric Tubes and Pneumothorax in Emergency and Critical Care Settings: Protocol for a Cluster Randomized Controlled Trial.

Background: Advancements in artificial intelligence (AI) have driven substantial breakthroughs in computer-aided detection (CAD) for chest x-ray (CXR) imaging. The National Taiwan University Hospital research team previously developed an AI-based emergency CXR system (Capstone project), which led to the creation of a CXR module. This CXR module has an established model supported by extensive research and is ready for application in clinical trials without requiring additional model training.

Are dexamethasone implants a safe and effective breakthrough in uveitis treatment? A systematic review and meta-analysis.

Background: Uveitis encompasses inflammatory conditions affecting the iris, ciliary body, and choroid. Its management relied on corticosteroids, immunosuppressive agents, and, more recently, biologic therapies. The development of sustained-release intravitreal corticosteroid delivery systems, like dexamethasone intravitreal implants, has revolutionized the treatment of posterior uveitis.

Is there a link between dry eye disease and diabetes mellitus? A systematic review and meta-analysis.

Background: Keratoconjunctivitis sicca, or the dry eye disease (DED) is prevalent multifactorial disorder of the tears and ocular surface, which has lately been interested scholars, particularly in establishing its link with diabetes mellitus (DM). This study aimed to evaluate the association between DM and DED through a comprehensive systematic review and meta-analysis of existing published articles, and thus understand the attributed risks for DED development in diabetic patients.

Methods: Four databases, PubMed, Cochrane Library (CENTRAL), Web of Science, and Google Scholar, were electronically searched for relevant publications.

Analyzing clinical laboratory data outcomes in retrospective cohort studies using TriNetX.

TriNetX, a rapidly growing global network of anonymized patient data, enables clinical researchers to perform large-scale retrospective cohort studies. However, its functionality for querying laboratory data outcomes is significantly constrained, as it only provides the results of the most recent test within a specified observation period. Consequently, the platform is not optimized for analyzing laboratory data collected at multiple time points during an observation period.

Cardiorenal outcomes after herpes zoster reactivation in COVID-19 survivors from a global TriNetX study.

Herpes zoster (HZ) has emerged as a post-viral complication in COVID-19 survivors, but its long-term clinical impact remains uncertain. This retrospective cohort study utilized the TriNetX Global Collaborative Network to evaluate whether HZ reactivation after COVID-19 is associated with increased risks of mortality, cardiovascular, and renal outcomes. Adults diagnosed with HZ within one year of COVID-19 were propensity score-matched 1:1 with controls without HZ.

In silico modeling of total hip replacement with press-fit cementless system in dogs shows impingement-free motion is greater with larger head-to-neck ratios.

Objective: To evaluate whether femoral head diameter and head-to-neck ratio (HNR) influence prosthetic impingement-free motion (IFM) in canine total hip replacement (THR) using a press-fit cementless hip system in silico.

Methods: This was a descriptive study conducted from January through June 2025. Twenty-eight head-neck combinations were assembled using 3-D stereolithographic files of cementless THR implants (Universal Hip System; BioMedtrix).

Lutein attenuates rheumatoid arthritis progression by suppressing MAPK/NF-κB signaling and MMP3 and MMP13 expression in fibroblast-like Synoviocytes.

Rheumatoid arthritis (RA) is a chronic autoimmune disease affecting approximately 1 % of the global population, characterized by synovitis and joint destruction. Current therapies aim to control inflammation but often result in adverse effects or limited efficacy. Lutein is a natural carotenoid that possesses antioxidant and anti-inflammatory properties.

Multi-omics profiling reveals PLEKHA6 as a modulator of β-catenin signaling and therapeutic vulnerability in lung adenocarcinoma.

Lung adenocarcinoma (LUAD) remains the most prevalent and lethal subtype of lung cancer, largely due to late diagnosis and therapeutic resistance. In this study, we conducted a comprehensive multi-omics analysis to characterize the pleckstrin homology domain-containing (PLEKHA) family gene in LUAD. Among the eight members, PLEKHA6 was uniquely overexpressed in LUAD tissues and significantly associated with poor prognosis.

Interactions between bacterial vaginosis-associated microbiota and Trichomonas vaginalis modulate parasite-induced pathogenicity and host immune responses.

Background: Trichomoniasis, caused by Trichomonas vaginalis (Tv), is the most common nonviral sexually transmitted infection (STI). Bacterial vaginosis (BV) is characterized by a reduction in health-associated Lactobacillus and an overgrowth of anaerobes. Both BV-associated bacteria (BVB) and Tv are linked to adverse gynecologic outcomes.

Cyclosporine in uveitis: a game changer or a risky choice? A systematic review and meta-analysis of its efficacy and safety.

Background: Uveitis, an inflammation of the uveal tract, can lead to severe ocular complications and vision loss if left untreated. Cyclosporine has gained recognition as an effective immunosuppressive therapy, particularly as a steroid-sparing agent. This study aims to evaluate the efficacy and safety of cyclosporine in managing various types of uveitis, assess its safety profile and associated adverse effects, and compare its therapeutic effectiveness to other treatment options.