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Multinodular and vacuolating neuronal tumor of the cerebrum is a recently reported benign, mixed glial neuronal lesion that is included in the 2016 updated World Health Organization classification of brain neoplasms as a unique cytoarchitectural pattern of gangliocytoma. We report 33 cases of presumed multinodular and vacuolating neuronal tumor of the cerebrum that exhibit a remarkably similar pattern of imaging findings consisting of a subcortical cluster of nodular lesions located on the inner surface of an otherwise normal-appearing cortex, principally within the deep cortical ribbon and superficial subcortical white matter, which is hyperintense on FLAIR. Only 4 of our cases are biopsy-proven because most were asymptomatic and incidentally discovered. The remaining were followed for a minimum of 24 months (mean, 3 years) without interval change. We demonstrate that these are benign, nonaggressive lesions that do not require biopsy in asymptomatic patients and behave more like a malformative process than a true neoplasm.

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BACKGROUND: In Taiwan, persons over 65 years old have higher prevalence of hepatitis C. Among these patients, around 50% have non-alcoholic fatty liver disease (NAFLD). Since cardiovascular diseases and diabetes are main causes of death in this age group, in this cross-sectional study, we tried to evaluate the effects of NAFLD and hepatitis C on the risk of metabolic syndrome (MetS). METHODS: In total, 25 116 subjects over 65 years old who presented for routine health check-ups were enrolled. From the results of seropositivity for hepatitis C and abnormal echogenicity, they were classified into four groups: normal (N), subjects with only hepatitis C (C), subjects with only abnormal echogenicity (E) and subjects with both hepatitis C and abnormal echogenicity (CE). RESULTS: Subjects in both groups E and CE had higher abnormal MetS components than group C. Among all five components, triglyceride (TG) was the one having the highest odds ratio (OR) in determining the incidence of MetS in groups C and E. Finally, compared to group N, both groups E and CE had significantly higher OR for having MetS. However, after adjusting for confounding factors, only the significance between groups E and N remained. In other words, higher MetS was noted in group E compared to group N and there was no difference in incidence of MetS between group CE and group N. CONCLUSIONS: Chronic hepatitis C is a protective factor against having MetS and this effect might be due to lower TG level in the elderly. Further studies are warranted for the underlying mechanisms.

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BACKGROUND: The prevalence of end-stage renal disease in Taiwan is the highest in the world; haemodialysis accounts for about 7% of the expenditure of the National Health Insurance. Nursing home residents with chronic kidney disease (CKD) have not been identified yet in Taiwan, along with associated risk factors. The objective of this study is to investigate the risk factors of CKD in long-term care facilities in Taiwan and those significantly associated with the presence of CKD. METHODS: The nursing home residents who received health examination between January and June 2012, age ≥ 55 years, were enrolled in this study. They were categorized into two subgroups according to estimated glomerular filtration rate (eGFR): < 60 and ≥ 60 mL/min. Risk factors were evaluated per recommendations from the National Kidney Foundation: body mass index (BMI), waist circumference, blood pressure, fasting glucose and lipid profile. Metabolic syndrome among the residents was also identified. RESULTS: Fifty-three nursing home residents were enrolled in the final study; 16 (30%) had eGFR below 60 mL/min, and nine (56%) of them had BMI higher than 25 kg/m2. The residents with advanced CKD had significantly higher BMI, triglyceride and lower high-density lipoprotein (HDL). Twelve (75%) had metabolic syndrome. Central obesity was observed in 10 (63%) with advanced CKD. CONCLUSION: Most of the nursing home elderly with advanced CKD have poor control of associated risk factors, including obesity, hypertension, dyslipidaemia and hyperglycaemia. For them, metabolic syndrome may be a major contributant to the aetiology. Monitoring their BMI and waist circumference is a simple but effective way to suspect the presence of CKD.

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Metabolic syndrome (MetS) includes obesity, dyslipidemia, elevated blood pressure, and dysglycemia. Subjects with type 2 diabetes (T2D) exhibit features of MetS. The etiology of MetS is complex, involving both environmental and genetic factors. In this study, we examined the role of specific candidate genetic variants on the severity of MetS in T2D subjects. A total of 240 T2D subjects aged 35-64 years were recruited. Waist circumstance, plasma triglycerides, high-density lipoprotein cholesterol, fasting plasma glucose, and blood pressure were measured to define MetS. Subjects were divided into 4 groups according to MetS components. Target genes involved in fibrotic and inflammatory processes, insulin and diabetes, cell growth and proliferation, and hypertension were genotyped. A total of 13 genes and 103 single-nucleotide polymorphisms (SNPs) were analyzed to evaluate their genetic association with MetS severity in T2D subjects. Univariate ordinal logistic regression using a dominant model (homozygous for the major allele vs carriers of the minor allele) revealed 6 SNP markers within 4 genes with genotypes associated with MetS risk. For the SNP genotypes of rs362551 (SNAP25), rs3818569 (RXRG), rs1479355, rs1570070 (IGF2R), and rs916829 (ABCC8), heterozygotes showed a lower risk of MetS compared with the reference group. In addition, the CC genotype was comparable to the TT genotype for rs3777411. There was no gender-specific effect. In conclusion, our results suggest that among the Han Chinese population, several SNPs increase the risk of severe MetS in T2D subjects. Further study in a large population should be conducted.

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The amphidromous goby Sicyopterus japonicus is distributed throughout southern Taiwan and Japan. Larvae of this freshwater fish go through a long marine stage. This migratory mode influences population genetic structure. We examined the genetic diversity, population differentiation, and demographic history of S. japonicus based on the mitochondrial DNA control region. We identified 102 haplotypes from 107 S. japonicus individuals from 22 populations collected from Taiwan and Islet Lanyu. High mean haplotype diversity (h = 0.999) versus low nucleotide diversity (θπ = 0.008) was detected across populations. There was low correspondence between clusters identified in the neighbor-joining tree and geographical region, as also indicated by AMOVA and pairwise F(ST) estimates. Both mismatch distribution analysis and Tajima's D test indicated that S. japonicus likely experienced a demographic expansion. Using a Bayesian skyline plot approach, we estimated the time of onset of the expansion of S. japonicus at 135 kyr (during the Pleistocene) and the time of stable effective population size at approximately 2.5 kyr (last glacial maximum). Based on these results, we suggest 1) a panmictic population at the oceanic planktonic larval stage, mediated by the Kuroshio current; 2) a long planktonic marine stage and long period of dispersal, which may have permitted efficient tracking of environmental shifts during the Pleistocene; and 3) a stable, constant population size ever since the last glacial maximum.

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Drawing on material from fieldwork conducted on the island of Saint Lucia, I examine how Saint Lucian nurse-midwives and student midwives negotiate multiple ways of understanding and evaluating their practices and roles in light of contradictory and powerful cultural, historical, and political forces. I argue that, although Saint Lucian nurse-midwives may not qualify as "postmodern" according to the criteria proposed by Davis-Floyd and Davis (1996), they are nonetheless struggling with postmodern conditions as they negotiate between competing healing ideologies. I illustrate the significance of these negotiations through analyzing: (1) the ways nurse-midwives understand and articulate the healing ideologies at play in Saint Lucia, (2) historical and ideological aspects of the Saint Lucian nurse-midwifery training program, and (3) a classroom discussion during which student reported on "bush-midwives."

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At times it is difficult to distinguish among the subtypes of chronic allergic conjunctivitis. A prospective study with 134 patients was carried out. Patients were diagnosed with vernal keratoconjunctivitis (VKC), atopic keratoconjunctivitis (AKC) or perennial allergic conjunctivitis (PAC). Demographic information was also collected including, age at symptom onset, sex, history of non-ocular allergy, and history of family allergy. Forty-six percent were diagnosed with VKC, 40% with AKC, 8% with PAC, and 6% were not specifically diagnosed. This distribution information as well as the demographic information collected demonstrates that there are patterns within each subgroup of chronic ocular allergy sufferers. These findings will be helpful in the diagnosing and proper classification of ocular allergic conditions.

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