Biomedical subjects

M F Cheng

Publications and source records attributed to M F Cheng.

At least 19 recordsLinked to original sources

PubMed2001

Cryptococcus laurentii fungemia in a premature neonate.

Cryptococcus spp. other than Cryptococcus neoformans are generally considered nonpathogenic to humans. There are only 15 case reports of disease in humans caused by Cryptococcus laurentii infection. Underlying diseases and predisposing risk factors seem to play an important role in these cases. Our patient is the first case of an extremely low birth weight infant with C. laurentii fungemia reported in the English literature. In our case, the MIC of amphotericin B for C. laurentii was 0.25 to 1 microg/ml and the patient had a good outcome following the administration of amphotericin B at 10 mg/kg combined with central venous catheter removal. There will undoubtedly be an increasing occurrence of unusual fungal infections accompanying further advances in medicine. A high degree of suspicion and improvements in the techniques for culture and identification will contribute to the earlier diagnosis and treatment of unusual fungal infections.

Adolescent↗

PubMed2000

Effects of indoor environmental factors on risk for atopic eczema in a subtropical area.

The objective of this study was to examine the relationship between indoor environmental factors and atopic eczema in a subtropical area. A case-control study was performed using participants from a survey that included 144 school children with atopic eczema and 144 age- and gender-matched controls. The study was confined to 4,164 primary school children aged 6-12 yr attending 8 primary schools in Kaohsiung rural municipalities who participated in the study. Cases of atopic eczema were ascertained by asking whether a physician had ever diagnosed this condition in the child. Information regarding the home environment was obtained using a structured written questionnaire, completed by the parents of the children. Of the many indoor environmental factors included in this study, such as dampness and smoking, none was found to be associated with atopic eczema.

Air Pollutants↗

PubMed2000

Calcium and magnesium in drinking water and risk of death from prostate cancer.

The possible association between the increased risk of prostate cancer and the levels of calcium and magnesium in drinking water from municipal supplies was investigated in a matched cancer case-control study in Taiwan. All eligible prostate-cancer deaths (682 cases) of Taiwan residents from 1987 through 1993 were compared with deaths from other causes (682 controls). The levels of calcium and magnesium in the drinking water of these residents were also determined. Data on calcium and magnesium levels in drinking water throughout Taiwan were obtained from the Taiwan Water Supply Corporation (TWSC). The control group consisted of people who died from other causes, and the controls were pair-matched to the cases by year of birth and death. The adjusted odds ratios for prostate cancer death for those with higher magnesium levels in their drinking water, as compared to the lowest tertile, were 0.73 (95% CI = 0.51-1.03) and 0.64 (95% CI = 0.43-0.96), respectively. The adjusted odd ratios for the relationship between calcium levels in drinking water and prostate cancer were not statistically significant. The results of the present study show that there may be a significant protective effect of magnesium intake from drinking water and other dietary sources against the risk of prostate cancer development.

Aged↗

PubMed2000

Fluoride in drinking water and cancer mortality in Taiwan.

The possibility that cancer risk is associated with naturally fluoridated water in Taiwan is examined. The 1982-1991 age-adjusted mortality rates for cancer for 10 municipalities whose water supplies contained the highest naturally occurring fluoride concentrations in Taiwan were compared to those rates for 10 matched municipalities with unfluoridated water. The two groups had similar urbanization levels and sociodemographic characteristics. Our study does not support the suggestion that fluoridation of water supplies is associated with an increase in cancer mortality in Taiwan.

Adolescent↗

PubMed2000

Calcium and magnesium in drinking water and the risk of death from breast cancer.

The relationship between mortality from breast cancer and the levels of calcium and magnesium in drinking water was examined using an ecological design. The study area consisted of 2.52 municipalities in Taiwan. Data on the levels of calcium and magnesium in drinking water were collected from the Taiwan Water Supply Corporation (TWSC). The age-standardized mortality rate (ASR) for breast cancer ( 1982-1991) was compared among municipalities with different levels of magnesium and calcium in drinking water. Weighted multivariate regression analysis was used, and after adjusting for fertility rates and urbanization, there was a significant inverse relationship between the levels of calcium and magnesium in drinking water and risk of death from breast cancer.

Birth Rate↗

PubMed2000

Mastoiditis: a disease often overlooked by pediatricians.

Although mastoiditis can be a life threatening disease, clinicians often overlook it because it is uncommon. We reviewed the presentation and management of all children younger than 15 years of age with the discharge diagnosis of mastoiditis in our hospital from January 1994 through December 1999. Nineteen patients that fulfilled the case definition were included. The most common clinical presentation in this series was fever. More specific findings, such as otorrhea, postauricular pain, swelling, and redness of mastoid could be found in less than half of these patients. Only two patients had characteristic physical findings, and mastoiditis was diagnosed in only three patients upon admission. Plain radiographic evidence of mastoiditis was usually not apparent early in the course. In this series, the majority of patients were diagnosed by computed tomography (CT) scans. The present study demonstrates that mastoiditis most commonly presents without a clearly diagnostic set of physical examination and laboratory findings. Mastoiditis should be considered in patients with otitis media or with fever of unknown origin (FUO). The empirical antibiotic treatment should cover organisms commonly found in acute otitis media (AOM), including Haemophilus influenzae, Streptococcus pneumoniae, and Moraxella catarrhalis.

Adolescent↗

PubMed1999

Pancreatic cancer mortality and total hardness levels in Taiwan's drinking water.

The possible association between the risk of pancreatic cancer mortality and hardness levels in drinking water from municipal supplies was investigated in a matched case-control study in Taiwan. All eligible pancreatic cancer deaths (883 cases) of Taiwan residents from 1990 through 1994 were compared with deaths from other causes (883 controls), and the hardness levels of the drinking water used by these residents were determined. Data on water hardness throughout Taiwan was collected from Taiwan Water Supply Corporation (TWSC). The control group consisted of people who died from other causes and were pair matched to the cancer cases by sex, year of birth, and year of death. The results show that there is a 39 % excess risk of mortality from pancreatic cancer in relation to the use of soft water. Trend analyses showed an increasing odds ratio for pancreatic cancer with decreasing levels of hardness in drinking water. This is an important finding for the Taiwan water industry and human health.

Aged↗

PubMed1999

Effects of indoor environmental factors on risk for acute otitis media in a subtropical area.

The objective of this study was to examine the relationship between indoor environmental factors and acute otitis media in a subtropical area. A case-control study was performed using participants from a prevalence survey that included 219 school children with acute otitis media and 219 age- and gender-matched controls. The study was confined to 4164 primary school children aged 6-12 yr attending 8 primary schools in Kaohsiung rural municipalities who participated in a prevalence study of the health effects of an indoor environment. An acute otitis media case was defined as a child with acute symptoms (presenting with earache, fever, irritability, and/or discharge from the ear) diagnosed by a physician in the previous year. Controls selected from the same school did not have chronic or acute respiratory illness or an ear-related illness during the same period. Information regarding the home environment was obtained using a structured written questionnaire, completed by the parents of the children. Of the many indoor environmental factors included in this study, only living in a home with indications of dampness (mold, flooding, home dampness) showed an association with acute otitis media. It was concluded that dampness in the home is a new public health issue in subtropical areas.

Acute Disease↗

PubMed1999

Esophageal cancer mortality and total hardness levels in Taiwan's drinking water.

The possible association between the risk of esophageal cancer and hardness levels in drinking water from municipal supplies was investigated in a matched case-control study in Taiwan. All eligible esophageal cancer deaths (2084 cases) of Taiwan residents from 1987 through 1996 were compared with deaths from other causes (2084 controls), and the hardness levels of the drinking water used by these residents were determined. Data on water hardness throughout Taiwan have been collected from the Taiwan Water Supply Corporation (TWSC). The control group consisted of people who died from other causes and the controls were pair-matched to the cases by sex, year of birth, and year of death. The results show that there is a 42% excess risk of mortality from esophageal cancer in relation to the use of soft water (adjusted odds ratio and 95% confidence intervals was 1.42 (1.22-1.66). This is an important finding for the Taiwan water industry and human health.

Aged↗

PubMed1999

Magnesium in drinking water and the risk of death from diabetes mellitus.

This report examines whether magnesium in drinking water is protective against the probability of dying from diabetes mellitus. All eligible deaths from diabetes (6781 cases) of Taiwan residents from 1990 through 1994 were compared with deaths from other causes (6781 controls), and the levels of magnesium in the drinking water of these residents was determined. Data on magnesium levels in drinking water throughout Taiwan were obtained from the Taiwan Water Supply Corporation (TWSC). Controls were pair matched to the cases by sex, year of birth, and year of death. The results of the present study show that there seems to be a significant protective effect of magnesium intake from drinking water on the risk of dying from diabetes mellitus. This is an important finding for the Taiwan water industry and human health.

Age Distribution↗

PubMed1998

Hypothalamic neurons preferentially respond to female nest coo stimulation: demonstration of direct acoustic stimulation of luteinizing hormone release.

Avian vocalizations are generally understood to play a pivotal role in reproductive functions. The role of the hypothalamus in gonadotropin release in higher vertebrates including birds is well established. To date, however, a direct linkage between the neuronal processing of vocal input and the contingent luteinizing hormone (LH) response has not been demonstrated. In this study, using female ring doves, we recorded neuronal activity from hypothalamic nuclei that, as we have shown previously, receive acoustic inputs from the auditory thalamic relay. Concurrently with recording single-unit responses to stimulation with species-specific coo vocalizations, we sampled LH levels in blood from the pituitary veins. LH concentration in the plasma was significantly elevated in birds hearing species-typical coos but not in birds exposed to experimentally altered coos or white noise or in birds that received no vocal stimulation. We found two types of neurons in the preoptic and anterior hypothalamus that selectively responded to the female nest coo: excitatory units and inhibitory units. Among the excitatory neurons are units characterized by two bursts separated by a period of slow spiking or complete silence, in a pattern approximately corresponding temporally to the two-note coo. We designate them as female-nest-coo-specific units. Most neurons in the posterior hypothalamus were nonselective in their response. Female nest coo and male nest coo stimulation evoked an equal magnitude of discharge changes from responsive units in the preoptic-anterior hypothalamic area. We found, however, that the LH increment was three times greater for birds hearing female nest coos than for birds hearing male nest coos. These observations suggest that feature-detecting neurons such as the female-nest-coo-specific units are involved in gonadotropin-releasing hormone output. The present findings are consistent with the well established behavioral evidence that female nest coos mediate ovarian growth.

Acoustic Stimulation↗

PubMed1998

Chlorination of drinking water and cancer mortality in Taiwan.

Chlorination has been the major strategy for disinfection of drinking water in Taiwan. An ecologic epidemiological study design was used to examine whether chlorination of drinking water was associated with cancer risks. A "chlorinating municipality" (CHM) was defined as one in which more than 90% of the municipality population was served by the chlorinated water while an "nonchlorinating municipality" (NCHM) was one in which less than 5% of the municipality population was served by chlorinated water. Age-adjusted mortality rates for cancer during 1982-1991 among the 14 CHMs were compared to rates among the 14 matched NCHMs with similar urbanization level and sociodemographic characteristics. The results of this study suggest a positive association between consumption of chlorinating drinking water and cancer of the rectum, lung, bladder, and kidney. Although these findings must be interpreted with caution because of limitations in the ecological study design, their public health significance should not be disregarded because chlorination of water is so widely practiced in Taiwan.

Adolescent↗

PubMed1998

The incidence of school-related injuries among adolescents in Kaohsiung, Taiwan.

OBJECTIVES: To determine the incidence of nonfatal school-related injuries in adolescent schoolchildren. DESIGN: Nurses completed a Student Accident Report Form (SARF) on all injuries in schools meeting standardized criteria from September 1995 to June 1996. SETTING: Six junior high schools in Kaohsiung city, Taiwan. SUBJECTS: 13,335 adolescents aged 13-15 in six schools. RESULTS: A total of 3,640 injuries were reported among the city's 13,335 students, for an overall injury rate of 27.3 injuries/100 student years. Injury rates were higher for boys than for girls at all grade levels. The seventh-grade students had the highest incidence rate. Injuries not involving other students accounted for nearly 64% of all injuries. Injuries occurring on the playground/gymnasium and classroom were the two most common types and were more than twice as frequent as injuries occurring in the hall or stairs. Contusions, abrasions, and swelling were the most frequently reported types of injuries. The body sites most frequently injured were the extremities. When exposure time is taken into account, injury rates were higher in the unsupervised areas of the schools. CONCLUSIONS: School-related injury incidence among adolescents attending junior high school is higher than has been previously reported and should be recognized as a significant public health problem in Taiwan.

Accidents↗

PubMed1998

Benign fibrous histiocytoma of the choroid.

Benign fibrous histiocytoma (BFH) is a common soft tissue tumour. However, its occurrence in the orbit was not well recognised in the past. It is only in recent years that this condition has become more frequently diagnosed. Now, it is believed to be the commonest mesenchymal tumour of the orbit in adults. Its occurrence in the uveal tract is, however, exceedingly rare. Only one case of presumed fibrous histiocytoma of the choroid has been reported in the literature. We report herein a case of BFH of the choroid in the left eye of a Chinese woman. The patient presented with a huge but asymptomatic raised choroidal mass. Results of choroidal biopsy showed no sign of malignancy but definitive diagnosis could not be made. Enucleation was finally performed. The diagnosis was made on detailed evaluation of the results of the immunohistochemical staining and the ultrastructural findings. The patient remained well at the latest follow-up, which was 33 months after enucleation. Although BFH of the choroid is vary rare, its benign nature and the availability of choroidal biopsy for tissue diagnosis make it important to include this as one of the differential diagnoses for amelanotic choroidal mass.

Aged↗

PubMed1998

Calcium, magnesium, and nitrate in drinking water and gastric cancer mortality.

The possible association between the risk of gastric cancer and the levels of calcium, magnesium, and nitrate in drinking water from municipal supplies was investigated in a matched case-control study in Taiwan. Records of gastric cancer deaths among eligible residents in Taiwan from 1987 through 1991 were obtained from the Bureau of Vital Statistics of the Taiwan Provincial Department of Health. Controls were deaths from other causes and were pair-matched to the cases by sex, year-of-birth, and year-of-death. Each matched control was selected randomly from the set of possible controls for each case. Data on calcium, magnesium, and nitrate levels in drinking water throughout Taiwan were obtained from the Taiwan Water Supply Corporation. The municipality of residence of the cases and controls was assumed to be the source of the subject's calcium, magnesium, and nitrate exposure via drinking water. The subjects were divided into tertiles according to the levels of calcium, magnesium, and nitrate in their drinking water. The results of the present study show that there is a significant positive association between drinking water nitrate exposure and gastric cancer mortality. The present study also suggests that there was a significant protective effect of calcium intake from drinking water on the risk of gastric cancer. Magnesium also exerts a protective effect against gastric cancer, but only for the group with the highest levels.

Aged↗

PubMed1997

Neurogenesis in juvenile and adult ring doves.

Studies in songbirds suggest that neurogenesis during the first few years of life is related to song learning. In this study, we examined whether postnatal neurogenesis occurs in a nonsongbird, the ring dove (Streptoplia risoria), and whether it persists to old age. Twenty-four hours after a single intramuscular injection of [3H]thymidine, labeled cells were present in the brains, particularly in the lateral wall of the lateral ventricle of juvenile (3-month and 8-month) and adult (1-year to 8-year) doves. Two months after multiple [3H]thymidine injections, there were fewer labeled cells in the ventricular zone (VZ), but many labeled cells with neuronal morphology in the parenchyma of the forebrain; labeled cells were confirmed as neurons by using neuron-specific markers, microtubule-associated protein-2 (MAP-2) and anti-neuronal nucleus (NeuN). In general, new neurons were distributed in the forebrain without clustering in any particular nucleus. During the first year of life, however, neostriatum caudale and hyperstriatum, the regions known to be essential for proper integration of sensory cues and reproductive behavior, contained more new neurons than any other brain regions. These neuronal additions showed an age-related decline; the first reduction coincided with the dove's attainment of adult physical size (about 3 months old) and the second occurred when the dove would normally attain reproductive fitness (about 1 year old). A low level of forebrain neurogenesis persisted up to 8 years of age (the oldest animals studied). These observations suggest that neurogenesis in adulthood is widespread among birds but that the biological significance of adult neurogenesis in the ring dove remains to be determined.

Aging↗

PubMed1997

Reciprocal talk between the auditory thalamus and the hypothalamus: an antidromic study.

In this study we sought to validate physiologically the hypothalamus afferent projections from the auditory thalamus previously identified with tract tracing techniques in the ring dove. In total, we recorded the responses of 628 units in the nucleus ovoidalis (Ov) and its shell region to electrical stimulation applied to anterior hypothalamus and ventromedial nucleus. Ninety-six acoustic units in the shell region displayed good antidromic responses, confirming this region's axonal projections into these nuclei of the hypothalamus. Orthodromic responses (143 units) recorded in the Ov-Ov shell region suggest on the other hand reciprocal projections from the hypothalamus back to the auditory thalamus.

Afferent Pathways↗

PubMed1997

Respiratory and irritant health effects of a population living in a petrochemical-polluted area in Taiwan.

Reported herewith are the results from an ongoing study of outdoor air pollution and the health of persons living in the communities in close proximity to petrochemical industrial complexes. To determine if there is an excess of adverse health outcomes in the population exposed to petrochemical industrial emissions, a health survey was undertaken in 1996 in this area and in one reference area which has no local industrial emissions. The subjects were 436 adults (30-64 years of age) living in the Sanwei area (exposed area) and 488 in Taicei (reference area). For several indicators of respiratory health, including cough, wheezing, and chronic bronchitis, the prevalence rates were not significantly different between the study and the control populations. Acute irritative symptoms (eye irritation, nausea, throat irritation, and chemical odor perception) were significantly more common in the exposed area, particularly perception of chemical odors (84.6% vs 2.1%). It is concluded that exposure to petrochemical air emissions may be associated with increased rates of acute irritative symptoms. Future studies are needed to identify the potential role of petrochemical industrial emissions (particularly volatile organic compounds) in the genesis of acute irritative symptoms in a nearby petrochemical industrial area.

Adult↗