Journal of the Chinese Medical Association : JCMA
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The severe impairment battery (SIB) was developed to evaluate cognitive functions in moderate to severe dementia patients. We aimed to examine the reliability and validity of the Taiwanese version of the SIB (T-SIB) in patients with moderate to severe Alzheimer's disease (AD). ⋯ T-SIB is a reliable and valid instrument for measuring cognition of severely demented Taiwanese AD patients.
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Cardiovascular dysfunction in cirrhotic patients affects survival and the development of cirrhotic complications. We aimed to evaluate potential echocardiographic parameters to predict mortality and acute kidney injury (AKI) in cirrhotic patients. ⋯ Severity of underlying liver disease but not echocardiographic parameters predicts 1-year mortality in cirrhosis. Early echocardiographic signs of diastolic dysfunction and higher ALBI scores may predict development of AKI in cirrhotic patients with serum Cr < 1.5 mg/dL.
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This study evaluated whether obese male mice exposed to di-(2-ethylhexyl) phthalate (DEHP) showed synergistic effects on testosterone levels and the potential underlying mechanism. ⋯ Obesity- and DEHP-only exposure had adverse effects on testosterone levels in mice, which may be due to high leptin levels and decreased Ob-R, kisspeptin, and GPR54 expression. Obesity combined with DEHP exposure had an additive adverse effect on testosterone levels in mice. One of the potential mechanisms is higher leptin levels and decreased GPR54 expression in the testes.
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Editorial Comment
Does exogenously adding heparanase accelerate bone healing?