Use of Information Technologies to Explore Correlations between Climatic Factors and Spontaneous Intracerebral Hemorrhage in Different Age Groups

Hsien-Wei Ting,Chien-Lung Chan,Ren-Hao Pan,Robert K. Lai,Ting-Ying Chien 한국정보과학회 2017 Journal of Computing Science and Engineering Vol.11 No.4

Spontaneous intracerebral hemorrhage (sICH) has a high mortality rate. Research has demonstrated that sICH occurrence is related to weather conditions; therefore, this study used the decision tree method to explore the impact of climatic risk factors on sICH at different ages. The Taiwan National Health Insurance Research Database (NHIRD) and other open-access data were used in this study. The inclusion criterion was a first-attack sICH. The decision tree algorithm and random forest were implemented in R programming language. We defined a high risk of sICH as more than the average number of cases daily, and the younger, middle-aged and older groups were calculated as having 0.77, 2.26 and 2.60 cases per day, respectively. In total, 22,684 sICH cases were included in this study; 3,102 patients were younger (<44 years, younger group), 9,089 were middle-aged (45–64 years, middle group), and 10,457 were older (>65 years, older group). The risk of sICH in the younger group was not correlated with temperature, wind speed or humidity. The middle group had two decision nodes: a higher risk if the maximum temperature was >19°C (probability = 63.7%), and if the maximum temperature was <19°C in addition to a wind speed <2.788 (m/s) (probability = 60.9%). The older group had a higher risk if the average temperature was >23.933°C (probability = 60.7%). This study demonstrated that the sICH incidence in the younger patients was not significantly correlated with weather factors; that in the middle-aged sICH patients was highly-correlated with the apparent temperature; and that in the older sICH patients was highly-correlated with the mean ambient temperature. “Warm” cold ambient temperatures resulted in a higher risk of sICH, especially in the older patients.

Use of Information Technologies to Explore Correlations between Climatic Factors and Spontaneous Intracerebral Hemorrhage in Different Age Groups

Ting, Hsien-Wei,Chan, Chien-Lung,Pan, Ren-Hao,Lai, Robert K.,Chien, Ting-Ying Korean Institute of Information Scientists and Eng 2017 Journal of Computing Science and Engineering Vol.11 No.4

Spontaneous intracerebral hemorrhage (sICH) has a high mortality rate. Research has demonstrated that sICH occurrence is related to weather conditions; therefore, this study used the decision tree method to explore the impact of climatic risk factors on sICH at different ages. The Taiwan National Health Insurance Research Database (NHIRD) and other open-access data were used in this study. The inclusion criterion was a first-attack sICH. The decision tree algorithm and random forest were implemented in R programming language. We defined a high risk of sICH as more than the average number of cases daily, and the younger, middle-aged and older groups were calculated as having 0.77, 2.26 and 2.60 cases per day, respectively. In total, 22,684 sICH cases were included in this study; 3,102 patients were younger (<44 years, younger group), 9,089 were middle-aged (45-64 years, middle group), and 10,457 were older (>65 years, older group). The risk of sICH in the younger group was not correlated with temperature, wind speed or humidity. The middle group had two decision nodes: a higher risk if the maximum temperature was >$19^{\circ}C$ (probability = 63.7%), and if the maximum temperature was <$19^{\circ}C$ in addition to a wind speed <2.788 (m/s) (probability = 60.9%). The older group had a higher risk if the average temperature was >$23.933^{\circ}C$ (probability = 60.7%). This study demonstrated that the sICH incidence in the younger patients was not significantly correlated with weather factors; that in the middle-aged sICH patients was highly-correlated with the apparent temperature; and that in the older sICH patients was highly-correlated with the mean ambient temperature. "Warm" cold ambient temperatures resulted in a higher risk of sICH, especially in the older patients.

Grasping the Pseudo-Cleft in the Case of a Small, Severely Tethered Posterior Mitral Leaflet

Ching-Wei Lee,Shih-Hsien Sung,Ting-Yung Chang,I-Lin Tsai,Chih-Po Hsu,Chun-Che Shih 대한심장학회 2017 Korean Circulation Journal Vol.47 No.4

Development of Conversion Coefficient Factor Between Hamburg Wheel- Tracking Test, UK Wheel-Tracking Test, and Scaled Accelerated Pavement

Shih-Hsien Yang,Hery Awan Susanto,Chien-Ting Kao,Chien-Wei Huang 한국도로학회 2018 한국도로학회 학술대회 발표논문 초록집 Vol.2018 No.05

The purpose of this study was to investigate the feasibility of converting the results obtained using different rutting performance tests. The correlation between the three simulation tests was analysed to determine the conversion coefficient factor. Two parameters (temperature and speed of simulation testing) were evaluated in this study. The results of this study have shown that the values obtained in the SALS test were lower than those obtained in the HWTT and UKWTT. The conversion of the SALS test results to the HWTT results yielded a good propensity value. The temperature is important parameter for determining the conversion coefficient factor.

A New Comprehensive Short-form Health Literacy Survey Tool for Patients in General

Tuyen Van Duong,Peter WuShou Chang,Shih-Hsien Yang,Ming-Chu Chen,Wei-Ting Chao,Tara Chen,Priscilla Chiao,Hsiao-Ling Huang 한국간호과학회 2017 Asian Nursing Research Vol.11 No.1

Purpose: To validate a conceptual short-form health literacy 12 items questionnaire (HL-SF12) in patient populations. Methods: A cross-sectional study was conducted via a convenient sample of 403 patients from three departments of a community general hospital in the northern Taiwan. Patients’ health literacy was assessed with a validated HL-SF12, derived from the full scale, the European Health Literacy Survey Questionnaire (HLS-EU-Q), as well as a single-item from Chew’s Set of Brief Health Literacy Question. A reference population in Northern Taiwan (n = 928) via the HLS-EU-Q in 2013e2014 was used as a reference to compare the health literacy between that of the general public and the patients. Data was analyzed by confirmatory factor analysis (CFA), internal consistency analysis, correlation analysis, and linear regression models. Results: Patients’ health literacy assessed with the HL-SF12 was shown with high internal consistency (Cronbach a = .87), and moderately correlated with the single-item from Chew's Set of Brief Health Literacy Question, with satisfactory item-scale convergent validity (item-scale correlation> .40), without floor/ceiling effect, and with satisfactory goodness of fit indices of the three-factor construct model for most of the patients. Their health literacy was significantly positively associated with female gender, higher income, and more often watching health-related TV programs. On the other hands, patients were reported with significantly higher healthcare health literacy than the general public, but not in general health literacy, disease prevention health literacy, or health promotion health literacy. Conclusion: The comprehensive HL-SF12 was a valid and easy to use tool for assessing patients’ health literacy in the hospitals to facilitate healthcare providers in enhancing patients’ health literacy and healthcare qualities.

Nerve growth factor upregulates sirtuin 1 expression in cholestasis: a potential therapeutic target

Ming-Shian Tsai,Po-Huang Lee,Cheuk-Kwan Sun,Ting-Chia Chiu,Yu-Chun Lin,I-Wei Chang,Po-Han Chen,Ying-Hsien Kao 생화학분자생물학회 2018 Experimental and molecular medicine Vol.50 No.-

This study investigated the regulatory role of nerve growth factor (NGF) in sirtuin 1 (SIRT1) expression in cholestatic livers. We evaluated the expression of NGF and its cognate receptors in human livers with hepatolithiasis and the effects of NGF therapy on liver injury and hepatic SIRT1 expression in a bile duct ligation (BDL) mouse model. Histopathological and molecular analyses showed that the hepatocytes of human diseased livers expressed NGF, proNGF (a precursor of NGF), TrkA and p75NTR, whereas only p75NTR was upregulated in hepatolithiasis, compared with non-hepatolithiasis livers. In the BDL model without NGF therapy, p75NTR, but not TrkA antagonism, significantly deteriorated BDL-induced liver injury. By contrast, the hepatoprotective effect of NGF was abrogated only by TrkA and not by p75NTR antagonism in animals receiving NGF therapy. Intriguingly, a positive correlation between hepatic SIRT1 and NGF expression was found in human livers. In vitro studies demonstrated that NGF upregulated SIRT1 expression in mouse livers and human Huh-7 and rodent hepatocytes. Both NGF and proNGF induced protective effects against hydrogen peroxide-induced cytotoxicity in Huh-7 cells, whereas inhibition of TrkA and p75NTR activity prevented oxidative cell death. Mechanistically, NGF, but not proNGF, upregulated SIRT1 expression in human Huh-7 and rodent hepatocytes via nuclear factor (NF)-κB activity, whereas NGF-induced phosphoinositide-3 kinase/Akt, extracellular signal–regulated kinase and NF-κB signaling and SIRT1 activity were involved in its hepatoprotective effects against oxidative injury. These findings suggest that pharmacological manipulation of the NGF/SIRT1 axis might serve as a novel approach for the treatment of cholestatic disease.