The results of this study indicated that L. rhamnosus was effective in decreasing symptoms of atopic dermatitis after an 8-week treatment by comparing the mean change of SCORAD from baseline with a placebo (p < 0.05). The reduction in SCORAD resulted from a consistent decrease in all components of SCORAD. Patients who took L. rhamnosus for 8 weeks expressed less SCORAD in the three components: area of affected skin, intensity of atopic dermatitis, and patient symptoms, with a significant decrease in the mean change of intensity from baseline compared with placebo.

Toxic megacolon can occur in patients with rotavirus gastroenteritis. An abdominal radiograph should be taken for patients with rotavirus gastroenteritis who have systemic toxicity and persistent abdominal fullness.

No abstract

Although the prevalence with which food causes asthma is not well known, food allergy is implicated in a variety of respiratory symptoms. Eighty-two asthmatic children aged 6-16 years with doctor-diagnosed sensitization to inhalants and presenting with asthma exacerbation participated in this study of food allergies linked to asthma exacerbations. The diagnosis of food allergy was established using a questionnaire, clinical criteria, serum-specific IgE antibody measurements, and an atopy patch test. Asthma exacerbation was determined using fractional exhaled nitric oxide management after the children were admitted to the hospital. On the basis of questionnaire data, suspected food allergy was identified in 59.8% children. The positive and negative rates of serum food-specific IgE tests were 54.9% and 45.1%, respectively. The results of atopy patch tests in radioallergosorbent-positive participants were 88.9% positive and 12.5% negative. Food allergy is a risk factor for asthma exacerbation, and evaluation of food allergy in selected patients with asthma is indicated.

In this paper, TCAD was used to simulate GGNMOS (Grounded-Gate NMOS) as an ESD protection device for 40V BCD. The physic models and the calibration method are discussed in order to get better accuracy on the result. The effects of device parameter on the ESD robustness are investigated by device simulation in order to achieve the desired ESD design window. The simulated holding voltage is in agreement with BJT model that already proven has an agreement with silicon result. Finally, the ESD design window for 40V BCD device can be obtained by changing some device parameters.

Amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (ALS) is a neurodegenerative disease. Usually, patients survive for approximately 2–4 years after the onset of the disease, and they often die of respiratory failure. This study examined the factors associated with signing a “do not resuscitate” (DNR) form in patients with ALS. This cross-sectional study included patients diagnosed with ALS between January 2015 and December 2019 in a Taipei City hospital. We recorded patients’ age at disease onset; sex; presence of diabetes mellitus, hypertension, cancer, or depression; use of invasive positive pressure ventilator (IPPV) or non-IPPV (NIPPV); use of nasogastric tube (NG) or percutaneous endoscopic gastrostomy (PEG) tube; follow-up years; and number of hospitalizations. Data from 162 patients were recorded (99 men). Fifty-six (34.6%) signed a DNR. Multivariate logistic regression analyses revealed that the factors associated with DNR included NIPPV (OR = 6.95, 95% CI = 2.21–21.84), PEG tube feeding (OR = 2.86, 95% CI = 1.13–7.24), NG tube feeding (OR = 5.75, 95% CI = 1.77–18.65), follow-up years (OR = 1.13, 95% CI = 1.02–1.26), and number of hospital admissions (OR = 1.26, 95% CI = 1.02–1.57). The findings suggest that end-of-life decision making among patients with ALS may often be delayed. DNR decisions should be discussed with patients and their families during the early stages of disease progression. Physicians are advised to discuss DNR with patients when they can speak and to offer palliative care options.

No abstract

Objective: People with higher level of diabetes distress (DD) may have difficulty in managing their diabetes and possible higher A1c. In order to provide proper psychosocial care, we designed this study to understand the DD of participants in a diabetes clinic. Methods: The study was a cross-sectional design conducted in a diabetes clinic in Taiwan. Diabetes distress (DD) was assessed by Diabetes Distress Scale and accompanied by a semi-structured interview to collect qualitative information. DD includes 4 dimensions which are emotional burden (EB), interpersonal (IP), physician related (PR) and regimen-related (RR) distress. The correlation analysis was conducted to portray the relationships between DD and sociodemographic variables. Emotional state using Hospital Anxiety and Depression Scale, quality of life using WHO Quality of Life-BREF, and HbA1C levels were also gathered as the dependent variables in regression models to understand how DD related to the adaptive index in people with diabetes. Results: There were 71 (37 M and 34 F, 64 T2D and 7 T1D, 27 insulin treated) participants and mean age 51.6 ± 14.5 yrs. According to correlation analysis, age (r = -.30, p = .011) and taking insulin (r = .33, p = .005) were associated with the level of DD. Female participants had a higher level of EB (r = .26, p = .031) and IP distress (r = .29, p = .014). In the regression model with single independent variable, mean DD (β = .29, p = .016) and RR (β = .24, p = .040) was related to the level of HbA1C respectively, but they were not significant after entering control variables of taking insulin and new patients. Mean DD and EB distress were significant association with quality of life, the symptoms of depression and anxiety in the regression models. Conclusions: Younger people and using insulin were associated with higher level of DD. The mean score of DD and RR dimension were also associated with the levels of A1c, however, using insulin and new patients might have a stronger association with the levels of A1c. Disclosure K. Chen: None. H. Chen: None. C. Hung: None. J. Hwang: None. Y. Chuang: None. Z. Chen: None.