Purpose
Glare visual acuity and contrast sensitivity are important indicators of visual quality. Studies have shown that the glare visual acuity and contrast sensitivity in dry eye patients tend to ...degenerate, further affecting their quality of life. The objective of this study was to investigate the effect of notch filters on glare VA and contrast sensitivity in patients with dry eye or with dry eye syndrome.
Method
36 subjects in the 20‒65 age group were diagnosed as having dry eye disease or perceived dry eye syndromes themselves who were included after the initial screening with the OSDI questionnaire, and one was subsequently excluded as they had undergone retinal detachment surgery. Finally, 35 subjects (14 male and 21 female) with a mean age of 40.66 ± 15.62 years participated in this study. All subjects wore their habitual prescriptions and four different filter lenses (namely 480, 620, dual 480 & 620 notch filter, and FL-41 tinted lens), and measured the parameters of glare visual acuity and contrast sensitivity using CSV-1000 and sine wave contrast test (SWCT), respectively. Student t-test and Repeated measurement analysis (R-ANOVA) were utilized by using SPSS 26.0 software.
Results
A dual-wavelength 480 & 620 nm optical notch filter had a significant anti-glare effect decreasing glare disabilities or discomfort, and leading to better visual quality, the same effect was also shown on a 480 nm notch filter lens. All participants showed a significant difference among the baseline, three notch filters (480 nm, 620 nm, dual-wavelength 480 & 620 nm), and FL-41 tinted lens were used on SWCT_A (1.5 cpd, F = 3.054, p = 0.019) and SWCT_E (18 cpd, F = 2.840, p = 0.049); but did not show statistical different on SWCT_B (3 cpd, F = 0.333, p = 0.771), SWCT_C (6 cpd, F = 1.779, p = 0.159), and SWCT_D (12 cpd, F = 1.447, p = 0.228).
The baseline showed the best visual performance on CS at a low spatial frequency (SWCT_A, 1.5 cpd), any filter might reduce the contrast sensitivity at low spatial frequencies in the clinical trial, whereas 480 nm notch filter showed the best effectiveness on CS at a high spatial frequency (SWCT_E, 18 cpd), the FL-41 lens that also filters out the 480 nm band does not achieve the same effect. Moreover, patients with dry eye or those older than 40 years old preferred optical multilayer notch filters to FL-41 tinted lenses.
Conclusion
The 480- & 620-nm dual-wavelength and 480-nm single-wavelength notch filters have the best effect on the glare visual acuity and contrast sensitivity (CS) at high spatial frequencies in dry eye patients. The 620-nm notch filter performs better in CS at low and mid-low spatial frequencies; the FL-41 tinted lens performs poorly for glare VA and CS spatial frequencies examination. Patients with glare disabilities or CS disturbance at high spatial frequencies may choose a 480-nm notch filter lens, and patients who have CS disturbance at low spatial frequencies may consider a 620-nm notch filter for the prescription.
Aim. The objectives of this study were to evaluate an Internet education programme provided to primigravida in the third trimester of pregnancy with the aim of enhancing mothers’ knowledge about ...newborn care and increasing their maternal confidence.
Background. Shorter hospital stays have had an impact on the traditional role of mother–baby nurses in providing education about parenting to their parturient women. Internet education is an efficient way to provide nursing instruction.
Design. A randomised controlled trial was used. A total of 118 women receiving prenatal care in a hospital clinic who met study criteria and who consented were assigned randomly to intervention and control groups. The study was conducted at a hospital in Taiwan.
Methods. The target population was women at 32–34 weeks gestation, using the Internet on a regular basis. The primigravida were randomly assigned to either the control group (n = 57) or the experimental group (n = 61). Two primary outcome measures were newborn‐care knowledge and maternal confidence.
Results. The changes in newborn‐care knowledge were 7·21 for the experimental group, compared with 1·95 for the control group; the difference between the least‐squares means computed by ancova was 5·73 and statistically significant (p < 0·001). The changes in maternal confidence were 8·46 for the experimental group and 3·05 for the control group; the difference between the least‐squares means computed by ancova was 5·94 and statistically significant (p < 0·001).
Conclusion. Results suggest that Internet education about newborn care may contribute to greater care knowledge and maternal confidence.
Relevance to clinical practice. Internet newborn‐care education programmes can achieve success in promoting newborn care and provide health professionals with evidence‐based intervention.
To detect chronic kidney disease (CKD) at earlier stages, diagnosis through non-invasive ultrasonographic imaging techniques provides an auxiliary clinical approach for at-risk CKD patients. We have ...established a detection method based on imaging processing techniques and machine learning approaches for the diagnosis of different CKD stages. Decisive area-proportional and textural features and support-vector-machine techniques were applied for efficient and effective analyses. Several clustered collections of CKD patients were evaluated and compared according to the estimated glomerular filtration rates. Based on the findings of evolving changes from ultrasound images, the proposed approach could be used as complementary evidences to help differentiate between different clinical diagnoses.
Objective To investigate whether birth weight and paternal education may have independent and interactive effects on the learning achievement of adolescents. Study design We linked birth weights, ...gestational ages (term or preterm) and paternal education of a 4-year birth cohort to the Basic Competence Test (BCT) scores in Mandarin, mathematics and science for junior high school students age 15 to 16 years. The study groups comprised infants with term low birth weight (TLBW; n = 33 507), preterm normal birth weight (PNBW; n =19 905), and preterm low birth weight (PLBW; n = 25 840), as well as randomly selected term infants with normal birth weight (TNBW; n = 83 756). Paternal education levels were categorized. Results Compared with the TNBW adolescents, the TLBW adolescents consistently showed larger deficits in mean scores for Mandarin (β = −2.36), mathematics (β = −2.89), and science (β = −2.11). The corresponding significant deficit scores for the PLBW adolescents were −1.93, −2.80, and −1.92. The deficit scores were very small for the PNBW adolescents. Paternal education was inversely associated with scores of all 3 groups. Lower paternal education level tended to worsen the negative impact of low birth weight on BCT scores. Conclusions Both lower birth weight and lower paternal education exert an independent and interactive effect on adolescent learning achievement.
Abstract Objectives Pleasant and humane childbirth is every mother's wish. We established one practicable and tailored Taiwanese mother-friendly childbirth model, and the objective of this study was ...to investigate the implementation, pregnancy outcomes, and women's satisfaction. Materials and methods We used the Taiwanese mother-friendly childbirth model. Women from eight hospitals were divided into an experimental group and control group. The experimental group received prenatal care modified by the Taiwanese mother-friendly childbirth model and the control group received routine prenatal care according to their hospital. We performed a quasi-experimental study of women's satisfaction toward this mother-friendly childbirth model by questionnaires and surveyed the practicality and effectiveness of this model. Results Seven hundred and fifty-one women from eight hospitals, including three medical centers and five regional hospitals were included. There was significantly different practices between the two groups, such as: (1) intermittent fetal monitoring for low-risk pregnancy; (2) no routine enema; (3) no perineal shaving; (4) less routine parenteral fluid support; (5) using an upright position; and (6) restrictive episiotomy. The mean maternal height, body weight gain, gestational age, birth weight, and episiotomy wound infection rate were indifferent. The epidural anesthesia rate and induction medication use were significantly lower in the experimental group. The self-reported pain score was higher in the experimental group and the self-reported satisfactory score was also higher in the experimental group, without statistical significance. Conclusion Women receiving standardized prenatal care modified by the woman-friendly childbirth model of prenatal care had less epidural anesthesia, less induction medication, higher self-reported satisfaction score, and indifferent pregnancy outcomes such as gestational age, birth weight, and wound infection rate.
Background: Breast engorgement is a common problem that affects the initiation and duration of breastfeeding. Limited solutions are available to relieve the discomfort associated with breast ...engorgement. Thus, further investigation of methods to achieve effective relief of symptoms is critical to promote breastfeeding success.
Purpose: The purpose of this study was to determine the effects of two breast caremethods, that is, scraping (Gua-Sha) therapy (administered to the experimental group) and traditional breast care (i. e., massage and heating; administered to the control group).
Methods: A randomized controlled trial was conducted on 54 postpartum women at a Level Ⅲ medical teaching hospital. Participant inclusion criteria included postpartum breastfeeding women (a) who had an uncomplicated delivery and (b) who were experiencing breast engorgement problems. The Gua-Sha protocol selected appropriate acupoint positions, which included ST16, ST18, SP17, and CV17. Each position was lightly scraped seven times in two cycles. For the control group, we used hot packs and massage for 20 min in accordance with recommendations given in an obstetrical technique textbook.
Results: Results showed no statistical differences between the two groups at baseline. Body temperature, breast temperature, breast engorgement, pain levels, and discomforting levels were statistically different between the two groups at 5 and 30 min after intervention (p＜.001). The results of generalized estimating equation analysis indicated that, with the exception of body temperature, all variables remained more significant (p＜.0001) to improving engorgement symptoms in the experimental group than those in the control group, after taking related variables into account.
Conclusions and Implications for Practice: Our findings provided empirical evidence supporting that Gua-Sha therapy may be used as an effective technique in the management of breast engorgement. By using Gua-Sha therapy, nurses can handle breast engorgement problems more effectively in primary care and hence help patients both physically and psychologically.
The prognostic relevance of topoisomerase II alpha (TOP2A) copy number change remains not well established. This study is aimed to investigate the frequency and pattern of TOP2A aberrations; to ...correlate TOP2A alterations with human epidermal growth factor receptor 2 (HER2) status and clinicopathological parameters, and further to explore prognostic value of TOP2A and HER2 status in breast cancer in Taiwan.
We analyzed tissue samples from 311 invasive carcinomas in tissue microarrays for TOP2A and HER2 status by fluorescent in situ hybridization.
TOP2A copy number change is an infrequent genetic event (9.8% amplification and 2.7% deletion) and is present in both HER2-amplified and nonamplified tumors. TOP2A amplification is statistically associated with age >50 at diagnosis (P = 0.016) and HER2 amplification (P < 0.001). HER2 amplification, but not TOP2A amplification, is a predictor of unfavorable prognosis (P = 0.002). Univariate and multivariate analysis showed that higher histologic grading, positive nodal involvement, and HER2 positivity were associated with poorer overall survival. Cytogenetically, double minutes-type amplification is the predominant pattern for both genes (HER2: 64% and TOP2A: 93.1%). Homogeneous staining region-type signals of both genes are resistant to RNase digestion, supporting that these were not nuclear accumulation of mRNA transcripts.
Our results demonstrate the prognostic value of tumor grading, nodal involvement, and HER2 status in Taiwanese breast cancer. TOP2A aberrations are an infrequent event independent of HER2 status, and TOP2A amplification carries no prognostic value. The predictive value of TOP2A aberrations in patients of breast cancer taking athracycline-containing treatment in Taiwan remains to be determined in prospectively well-designed clinical trials.
Age-related macular degeneration (AMD) is an important cause of blindness in aged people. Chronic kidney disease (CKD) was reported to be associated with a higher risk of AMD. However, supporting ...evidence was inconsistent between studies. This work intends to examine whether a positive association exists between CKD and AMD by systematic review and meta-analysis.
A systematic search of electronic databases (Medline, PubMed, Cochrane and EMBASE) and reference lists on June 2017. The key inclusion criteria were controlled trials that investigated the relationship between AMD and CKD. The outcome measures included risk ratios and/or occurrence rates of AMD in CKD vs. non-CKD population. Data were pooled according to the type of AMD by random effect model.
Twelve observational studies (3 cohorts, 2 case controls, and 7 cross-sectionals) with a total 335,601 participants were included. Eleven studies reported risk ratios and 9 reported occurrence rates. Pooled prevalence for early, advanced, and any AMD were all higher in the CKD population than in the non-CKD population. The pooled multivariate adjusted OR of CKD vs. non-CKD was 1.49 (95% CI 1.11-2.02) for early, 1.55 (95% CI 1.05-2.27) for exudative, 1.58 (95% CI 1.12-2.23) for advanced, and 1.35 (95% CI 1.05-1.73) for any AMD. However, high statistical heterogeneity and methodological diversity existed. Moreover, results were inconsistent between different study designs.
The overall results support a positive association between CKD and AMD, although some limitations exist. Given the risk that AMD is increased in CKD, regular eye screenings for the CKD population is recommended for an early detection and intervention.
Abstract Objective Pleasant and humane childbirth is every mother's wish. The objective of this study was to propose a practicable mother-friendly childbirth model tailored to Taiwanese women in ...order to improve the quality of perinatal care and maternal satisfaction. Material and methods In this study, the guidelines of several countries were systematically reviewed, and a standard set of clinical guidelines were established by a focus group. In addition, a total of 172 Taiwanese obstetricians were visited, and a cross-sectional study of these obstetricians' attitudes toward the practicality and effectiveness of the model was performed using questionnaires. Results A total of 10 suggestions were developed for this woman-friendly childbirth model, including: (1) intermittent fetal monitoring for low-risk pregnancy, (2) no routine enema, (3) no routine perineal shaving, (4) no routine restricted oral intake, (5) no routine parenteral fluid support, (6) no routine elective amniotomy, (7) nonpharmacological pain management, (8) upright position during childbirth, (9) delayed pushing, and (10) restrictive episiotomy. Taiwanese obstetricians approved of no routine oral intake restriction and providing nonmedical pain relief. The majority of obstetricians disagreed that perineal shaving and routine elective amniotomy were necessary, and agreed to modify their practice according to the suggestions. Suggestions were still being debated, such as no routine parenteral fluid support, using an upright position for childbirth, and delayed pushing. Intermittent fetal monitoring for low-risk pregnancy, no routine enema, and restrictive episiotomy were questioned by many Taiwanese obstetricians. Conclusion Several suggestions were made in this model. However, there was still no consensus of Taiwanese obstetricians. More evidence for the advantages and disadvantages of the various suggestions was needed to convince Taiwanese obstetrician to modify their routine practice.
Medical education has emphasized the importance of integrating medical humanities training into the curriculum to benefit medical and nursing students' future practice, featuring in the list of ...national funding priorities for healthcare education research in Taiwan for many years. However, the extent to which this drive has resulted in medical humanities training, what rationales underpin its inclusion, and its efficacy is largely unknown. This study aims to address these issues across medical humanities programs within the Taiwanese context.
We conducted a systematic review. Inclusion criteria included studies in English or Mandarin reporting outcomes of medical humanities courses in healthcare education settings in Taiwan between 2000 and 2019. We searched across five electronic databases (PubMed, Embase, ERIC, PsycInfo, Web of Science), following PRISMA guidelines. The Best Evidence Medical Education (BEME) Global Scale and Kirkpatrick Levels are used for identifying the strength of evidence.
17 articles were extracted from the 134 identified. Intrinsic and instrumental rationales for the inclusion of medical humanities education were common, compared with epistemological-based and critical-based approaches. Several positive impacts were identified in relation to participation including modification of attitudes, knowledge, and skills. However, the highest level (i.e., unequivocal) of evidence characterized by effects on students' behaviors or ongoing interaction with colleagues and patients is lacking.
Findings suggest that although medical humanities education is widely implemented in Taiwan, no clear consensus has been reached regarding the rationale for inclusion or how it is localized from Western to Asian contexts. Future research still needs to explore the long-term impact of medical humanities education for medical and nursing students and its impact on patient care.
https://www.crd.york.ac.uk/PROSPERO, identifier: CRD42019123967.
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