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Introduction: This study aimed to identify risk factors affecting outcomes in pediatric patients requiring emergent peritoneal dialysis (PD) for all causes, focusing on survival rates, kidney function recovery, PD duration, complications, and quality of life. Methods: A retrospective review was conducted on medical records of pediatric patients who received emergent bedside PD in the intensive care unit from January 2010 to February 2023. Thirty-four catheters were placed, with demographic, preoperative, and procedural data collected. MedCalc® Statistical Software was used for analysis with a significance level set at p < 0.05. Prophylactic antibiotics were administered prior to surgery, and catheters were placed using a consistent technique by a single team of pediatric surgeons. Results: The median age at catheter placement was 39 days (range 2–2,286), and the median body weight was 3.53 kg (range 1.2–48.8). The majority were male (64.7%), with 17.6% preterm. The most common indication for PD was acute kidney injury (AKI) (88.2%), followed by hyperammonemia, metabolic acidosis, and abdominal compartment syndrome. The median waiting period for PD placement was 1 day, and the median duration of PD was 7 days. Complications included dialysate leakage (22.8%) and catheter obstruction leading to PD discontinuation (31.4%). The mortality rate was high at 71.4%. Conclusion: It is advisable to advocate for the early initiation of PD in pediatric patients following cardiac surgery. AKI is a significant risk factor for mortality, while prematurity increases the risk of dialysate leakage. Omentectomy and the method of catheter exit did not significantly affect outcomes. The study's limitations highlight the need for larger prospective studies to better understand and improve emergent PD management in this vulnerable population. Plain Language Summary: In our study, we looked at medical records of young patients, from newborns to 18-year-olds, who needed an emergency procedure called peritoneal dialysis after heart surgery. Peritoneal dialysis is a treatment that cleans the blood when the kidneys can't do it properly. It involves placing a special tube in the belly to filter out waste using a cleansing fluid. We found that this emergency treatment was most often needed after complex surgery for heart problems present from birth. It is a serious situation, and unfortunately, many children did not survive. We learned that starting the dialysis treatment as soon as possible after surgery might help increase the chances of survival. We also noticed that some issues like infections or problems with the tube used in the treatment could lead to stopping the dialysis, which happened in about a third of the patients. Our goal was to understand what makes this emergency treatment work well or not. Knowing these factors can help doctors and medical teams improve how they care for very sick children after surgery and potentially save more lives. We hope that our findings will lead to better ways to manage and prevent problems that come up with this life-saving treatment. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

English as a medium of instruction (EMI) is commonly adopted as a strategy for higher education internationalisation. While there are numerous studies on the teaching practices of EMI programmes, the relationship between EMI and structural inequalities has been less investigated, especially in "universal" higher education systems. To address the research gap, this study investigates the EMI practices of two Taiwanese higher education institutions (HEIs) under current government initiatives. Qualitative data from policy documents and semi-structured interviews are analysed with an institutional logics approach and reflexive thematic analysis. The findings suggest that while state, managerial, and academic logics jointly shape EMI strategies in the public university case, EMI practices in the private university of technology case are predominantly driven by market and managerial logics and challenged by academic logic. Furthermore, this study reveals the structural "stuckness" encountered by the private case. In Taiwan's hierarchical higher education system, the promotion of EMI could result in widening horizontal inequalities among HEIs. More specifically, under the EMI grading certification scheme for students and the tiered award system for HEIs, the majority may be left behind whereas the few with linguistic capital are spotlighted. Therefore, this study concludes that in light of organisational conditions, policymakers should allow greater flexibility for HEIs to develop performance indicators appropriate to their students' needs. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Fumarate hydratase-deficient renal cell carcinoma (FH-deficient RCC) is a rare but aggressive subtype of renal cancer associated with germline or somatic mutations of the FH gene. The histology demonstrates a broad range of morphologic patterns with loss of FH immunostaining. There is no standard therapy approved for FH-deficient RCC, and treatment is often extrapolated from other subtypes of RCC. With a better understanding of the molecular mechanism and pathogenesis, more studies including this population are ongoing. We reported a 33-year-old man with no relevant family history diagnosed with locally advanced FH-deficient RCC and who later developed distant metastasis. He received erlotinib-bevacizumab combination therapy and achieved a partial response. We also performed a literature review of FH-deficient RCC. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: Previous research has shown that anesthetic techniques can influence patient outcomes following cancer surgery. However, the effects of anesthesia in patients undergoing glioblastoma surgery are still not known. We studied the relationship between the type of anesthesia and patient outcomes following elective glioblastoma surgery. Methods: This was a retrospective cohort study of patients who underwent elective glioblastoma surgery between January 2008 and December 2018. Patients were grouped according to the anesthesia they received, desflurane or propofol. A Kaplan-Meier analysis was conducted, and survival curves were presented from the date of surgery to death. Univariable and multivariable Cox regression models were used to compare hazard ratios for death after propensity matching. Results: A total of 50 patients (45 deaths, 90.0%) under desflurane anesthesia and 53 patients (38 deaths, 72.0%) under propofol anesthesia were included. Thirty-eight patients remained in each group after propensity matching. Propofol anesthesia was associated with improved survival (hazard ratio, 0.51; 95% confidence interval, 0.30–0.85; P = 0.011) in a matched analysis. Furthermore, patients under propofol anesthesia exhibited less postoperative recurrence than those under desflurane anesthesia (hazard ratio, 0.60; 95% confidence interval, 0.37–0.98; P = 0.040) in a matched analysis. Conclusions: In this limited sample size, we observed that propofol anesthesia was associated with improved survival and less postoperative recurrence in glioblastoma surgery than desflurane anesthesia. Further investigations are needed to examine the influence of propofol anesthesia on patient outcomes following glioblastoma surgery. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Phenotypic variation can arise from differences in the protein coding sequence and in the regulatory elements. However, little is known about the contribution of regulatory difference to the expression divergence, especially the cis and trans regulatory variation to the expression divergence in intraspecific populations. In this study, we used two different yeast strains, BY4743 and RM11‐1a/α, to study the regulatory variation to the expression divergence between BY and RM under oxidative stress condition. Our results indicated that the expression divergence of BY and RM is mainly due to trans regulatory variations under both normal and oxidative stress conditions. However, cis regulatory variation seems to play a very important role in oxidative stress response in yeast because 36% of genes showed an increase in cis regulatory variation effect compared with 13% of genes that showed an increase in trans regulatory variation effect after oxidative stress. Our data also indicated that genes located on the longer arm of the chromosomes are more susceptible to cis variation effect under oxidative stress than genes on the shorter arm of the chromosomes. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: Breast cancer is the most common cancer in women and several perioperative factors may account for tumor recurrence and metastasis. The anesthetic agents employed during cancer surgery might play a crucial role in cancer cell survival and patient outcomes. We conducted a retrospective cohort study to investigate the relationship between the type of anesthesia and overall survival in patients who underwent breast cancer surgery performed by one experienced surgeon. Methods: All patients who underwent breast cancer surgery by an experienced surgeon between January 2006 and December 2010 were included in this study. Patients were separated into two groups according to the use of desflurane or propofol anesthesia during surgery. Locoregional recurrence and overall survival rates were assessed for the two groups (desflurane or propofol anesthesia). Univariable and multivariable Cox regression models and propensity score matching analyses were used to compare the hazard ratios for death and adjust for potential confounders (age, body mass index, American Society of Anesthesiologists physical status classification, TNM stage, neoadjuvant chemotherapy, Charlson Comorbidity Index, anesthesiologists, and functional status). Results: Of the 976 breast cancer patients, 632 patients underwent breast cancer surgery with desflurane anesthesia, while 344 received propofol anesthesia. After propensity scoring, 592 patients remained in the desflurane group and 296 patients in the propofol group. The mortality rate was similar in the desflurane (38 deaths, 4%) and propofol (22 deaths, 4%; p = 0.812) groups in 5-year follow-up. The crude hazard ratio (HR) for all patients was 1.13 (95% confidence interval [CI] 0.67–1.92, p = 0.646). No significant difference in the locoregional recurrence or overall 5-year survival rates were found after breast surgery using desflurane or propofol anesthesia (p = 0.454). Propensity score-matched analyses demonstrated similar outcomes in both groups. Patients who received propofol anesthesia had a higher mortality rate than those who received desflurane anesthesia in the matched groups (7% vs 6%, respectively) without significant difference (p = 0.561). In the propensity score-matched analyses, univariable analysis showed an insignificant finding (HR = 1.23, 95% CI 0.72–2.11, p = 0.449). After adjustment for the time since the earliest included patient, the HR remained insignificant (HR = 1.23, 95% CI 0.70–2.16, p = 0.475). Conclusion: In our non-randomized retrospective analysis, neither propofol nor desflurane anesthesia for breast cancer surgery by an experienced surgeon can affect patient prognosis and survival. The influence of propofol anesthesia on breast cancer outcome requires further investigation. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This is a follow-up work to two prior studies examining secondary eyewall formation (SEF) in Typhoon Sinlaku (2008). This study shows that, in the SEF region, the majority of the elevated winds are supergradient. About two-thirds of the rapid increase in tangential wind tendencies immediately prior to SEF are attributed to agradient wind tendencies. This suggests the importance of nonlinear, unbalanced dynamical processes in SEF in addition to the classical axisymmetric balanced response to forcings of heating and momentum. In the SEF region, analyses show two distinct responsible processes for the increasing azimuthal tangential wind in two vertical intervals. Within the boundary inflow layer, the competing effect between the mean radial influx of absolute vorticity and deceleration caused by surface friction and subgrid diffusion yields a secondary maximum of positive tendency. Analyses further demonstrate the major impact of the mean radial influx of absolute vorticity on SEF. Above the boundary inflow layer, the vertical advection acts to vertically extend the tangential wind jet via the lofting of the enhanced tangential momentum farther upward. The roles of the nonlinear unbalanced dynamics in these two processes are discussed in this paper. From a Lagrangian perspective, the persistently increasing agradient force outweighs the frictional loss, effectively decelerating boundary layer inflowing air across the SEF region. This explains the sharpening of the radial gradient of boundary layer inflow, which is shown to be responsible for the buildup of a zone with concentrated boundary layer convergence. The previously proposed unbalanced dynamical pathway to SEF is elaborated upon and supported by the current results and discussion. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

• Formation of Furan and 10 derivatives were studied in 3 model systems. • Furan and 10 derivatives were identified by GC–MS/MS coupled with HS-SPME Arrow. • High recovery and precision were obtained with 1 g sample and 10 min extraction. • 0.5 M glucose/alanine + 0.1 M ascorbic acid (121 °C/2 h) produced the highest furans. • Furan compounds were highest in canned meat and lowest in fruit jam and sauce. Furan has been described as a carcinogen, being present in numerous food products available to the everyday consumer. The objectives of this study were to determine the formation of furan and its derivatives in 3 model systems during heating, with their contents being determined in selected commercial food products by HS-SPME Arrow coupled with GC/MS/MS. A high accuracy and precision was attained for the method developed in this study. The model system of 0.5 M glucose/alanine + 0.1 M ascorbic acid generated the highest furan level (5603.63 ng/g) when heated at 121 °C for 2 h. The addition of ascorbic acid favored formation of furfural and furfuryl alcohol, while linoleic acid favored formation of furfuryl alcohol. In addition, the total furan contents in various commercial foods ranged from 21.14 to 3183.39 ng/g. Most importantly, the outcome of model systems may be used to predict the presence of furan and its derivatives in commercial foods. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Sodium amalgam mediated desulfonylative reduction of β-ketosulfones in MeOH at rt affords alcohols in good yields via radical desulfonylation of β-ketosulfones and sequential Bouveault-Blanc reduction of the resulting ketones. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

A facile route toward 1,1-diarylethylenes 6 has been developed in good yields via m CPBA-promoted oxidation of β-hydroxysulfides 2 , BF 3 ·OEt 2 -mediated Friedel–Crafts reaction of the resulting β-hydroxysulfoxides 3 with oxygenated benzenes 4 , followed by Pd/C-mediated [2,3]-sigmatropic rearrangement of sulfoxides 5 . The protocol provides a short-term, easy-operational, inexpensive reagent, mild condition and rapidly obtainable transformation. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

BF 3 ·OEt 2 -mediated a one-pot tandem benzannulation of 4-alkynols 5 with oxygenated benzenes 4 affords 1-arylnaphthalenes 6 in good yields. The key synthetic route combines a facile double Friedel–Crafts electrophilic cyclization of 4-alkenols 5 followed by a sequential desulfonative aromatization. A plausible mechanism has been studied and proposed. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This study experimentally investigated natural convection in an oscillating cylindrical enclosure to simulate heat transfer inside a buoy of a wave power generator. Mechanical oscillations were applied vertically to simulate the operating conditions of a wave power generator extracting energy from the surface motion of ocean waves. The Rayleigh numbers used in this study ranged from 50,000 to 600,000. Enclosures of various heights H (2.5, 3, 4, and 5 cm) and oscillations of various frequencies (1 and 2 Hz) were investigated. In addition, pin fins of length L were attached to the heat transfer area, and the heat transfer coefficient variation was examined at various L / H ratios (0.4, 0.33, 0.25, and 0.2). The results indicate that the pin fins enhanced the heat transfer under both stationary and oscillating conditions by up to 30%. The mechanical oscillation did not cause considerable changes in heat transfer based on the tested parameters, and the maximal heat transfer variation was less than 10%. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

DITRA, acronym for deficiency of interleukin‐36 receptor antagonist (IL36RN), leads to unopposed pro‐inflammatory signalling which typically manifests as pustular psoriasis. In Asian patients, c.115 + 6 T > C mutation is the most common and important single‐nucleotide variant in DITRA. We present the largest case series consisting of 58 DITRA patients carrying heterozygous or homozygous c.115 + 6 T > C mutation. The mean age of onset (±SD) was 20.74 (±20.86), and the median age of onset was 13 years old. Twelve patients (20.7%) had disease onset before the age of two. Twenty‐two patients (37.9%) had disease onset between the ages of 2–18. Main clinical phenotype was generalized pustular psoriasis (GPP) with systemic symptoms (33 patients, 56.9%), followed by acrodermatitis continua of Hallopeau (ACH) (16 patients, 27.6%). Nearly half of our patients (27 patients, 46.6%) ever had ACH, and only three of them are free of ACH currently, which indicates that the development of ACH is relatively persistent and irreversible. Thirty‐four patients (58.6%) had recurrent GPP and 29 patients (50%) have been admitted due to GPP flare. Compared to those with heterozygous (C/T) mutation, more patients carrying homozygous mutation (C/C) have recurrent episodes of GPP (C/T vs. C/C: 25.53 vs. 76.47%, p = 0.0367). Two patients with squamous cell carcinomas arising from the pustular psoriasis skin lesions were noted. Two patients had elevated serum IgG4 levels. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Facile and cost-efficient hydrothermally grown 3-D tungsten trioxide (WO3) nanowires (NWs) network film on seed-free fluorine-doped tin oxide (FTO) substrates without using additive or capping agent is reported. The NW networks are hexagonal phase and the morphologies are changed by adjusting the pH of precursor solutions. Growth mechanism of WO3 NWs is also extensively discussed. The designed porous film exhibits remarkable enhancement of the electrochromic (EC) properties. In particular, a significant optical modulation (57% at 632 nm), fast color switching speed (bleaching: 7 s and coloration: 21 s), high coloration efficiency ( 120.3~cm^2~C^-1 at 632 nm), high Li^+ diffusion coefficient (2.14\times10^-9cm^2~s^-1) , and excellent cycling stability (87% after 1000 cycles) are achieved for the 3-D NWs film. The improved EC properties are mainly attributed to the highly porous film, which makes the Li^+ diffusion becomes easier and provides larger specific surface area for charge-transfer reactions. Furthermore, we also reported an EC device (50 mm $\times\,$ 50 mm) with a simple two-electrode configuration showing high optical contrast. The 3-D WO3 NWs network film acts as an excellent EC material. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Highlights: [•] The vibronic and cation spectra of 4-chloro-3-fluoroaniline were recorded. [•] An additivity rule regarding the shift in the transition energy was found. [•] The geometry and vibrational coordinates in the S1 and D0 states are alike. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This study aimed to explore a low cost and sustainable adsorbent to remove Sr2+ and Co2+ ions, which are major radioactive ions in nuclear wastewater. The material properties of the alkali-activated metakaoline as a function of soaking time at ambient temperature from 1 day to 7 days were examined by XRD, XRF, SEM, and solid-state NMR. Adsorption isotherms were used to evaluate the appropriate soaking time for the optimal sorption performance for both Sr2+ and Co2+ ions. The alkali-activated metakaolin soaked for 3 days (BK3) presented the maximum adsorption capacities of 3.81 meq/g (167.5 mg/g) and 4.02 meq/g (118.5 mg/g) for Sr2+ and Co2+, respectively. The sorption mechanisms for Sr2+ and Co2+ in the BK3 sample were investigated, and the experimental results indicated that adsorption for Sr2+ was achieved via ion exchange. By contrast, surface complexation in combination with ion exchange contributed to the sorption mechanisms for the removal of Co2+. Competitive adsorption experiments revealed that the alkali-activated metakaolin favored the adsorption for divalent ions (i.e., Sr2+ and Co2+), and it was less effective for Cs+. Finally, the used adsorbent could be directly mineralized and vitrified by heat treatment to immobilize the Sr2+ and Co2+ ions. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Simple Summary: Cancer ranks as a leading cause of death worldwide, which is often the result of recurrence and metastasis. Surgical resection is the mainstay of cancer treatment for potentially removable solid tumors. However, surgery-induced stress responses may lead to immunosuppression and subsequent cancer regrowth and spread. Evidence shows that the tumor microenvironment plays an essential role in disease progression through mechanisms such as inflammation promotion. Tumor necrosis factor alpha (TNF-α) is one of the pro-inflammatory cytokines found in cancer patients and is reported to be involved in the immune system as well as in the surveillance of tumor growth. To date, several studies have demonstrated that various anesthetic agents or techniques and perioperative management have varying effects on innate and cellular immunity, the enhancement of adrenergic-inflammatory responses, and the activation of cancer-promoting cellular signaling pathways, which may be associated with long-term cancer outcomes. This review outlines the current knowledge of anesthesia implications on TNF-α release and provides potential anesthetic strategies for improving patient survival. Cancer remains a major public health issue and a leading cause of death worldwide. Despite advancements in chemotherapy, radiation therapy, and immunotherapy, surgery is the mainstay of cancer treatment for solid tumors. However, tumor cells are known to disseminate into the vascular and lymphatic systems during surgical manipulation. Additionally, surgery-induced stress responses can produce an immunosuppressive environment that is favorable for cancer relapse. Up to 90% of cancer-related deaths are the result of metastatic disease after surgical resection. Emerging evidence shows that the interactions between tumor cells and the tumor microenvironment (TME) not only play decisive roles in tumor initiation, progression, and metastasis but also have profound effects on therapeutic efficacy. Tumor necrosis factor alpha (TNF-α), a pleiotropic cytokine contributing to both physiological and pathological processes, is one of the main mediators of inflammation-associated carcinogenesis in the TME. Because TNF-α signaling may modulate the course of cancer, it can be therapeutically targeted to ameliorate clinical outcomes. As the incidence of cancer continues to grow, approximately 80% of cancer patients require anesthesia during cancer care for diagnostic, therapeutic, or palliative procedures, and over 60% of cancer patients receive anesthesia for primary surgical resection. Numerous studies have demonstrated that perioperative management, including surgical manipulation, anesthetics/analgesics, and other supportive care, may alter the TME and cancer progression by affecting inflammatory or immune responses during cancer surgery, but the literature about the impact of anesthesia on the TNF-α production and cancer progression is limited. Therefore, this review summarizes the current knowledge of the implications of anesthesia on cancers from the insights of TNF-α release and provides future anesthetic strategies for improving oncological survival. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In Part I of this study, the association between the secondary eyewall formation (SEF) and the broadening of the outer swirling wind in Typhoon Sinlaku (2008) was documented. The findings from Part I help lay the groundwork for the application of a newly proposed intensification paradigm to SEF. Part II presents a new model for SEF that utilizes this new paradigm and its axisymmetric view of the dynamics. The findings point to a sequence of structure changes that occur in the vortex's outer-core region, culminating in SEF. The sequence begins with a broadening of the tangential winds, followed by an increase of the corresponding boundary layer (BL) inflow and an enhancement of convergence in the BL where the secondary eyewall forms. The narrow region of strong BL convergence is associated with the generation of supergradient winds in and just above the BL that acts to rapidly decelerate inflow there. The progressive strengthening of BL inflow and the generation of an effective adverse radial force therein leads to an eruption of air from the BL to support convection outside the primary eyewall in a favorable thermodynamic/kinematic environment. The results suggest that the unbalanced response in the BL serves as an important mechanism for initiating and sustaining a ring of deep convection in a narrow supergradient wind zone outside the primary eyewall. This progressive BL control on SEF suggests that the BL scheme and its coupling to the interior flow need to be adequately represented in numerical models to improve the prediction of SEF timing and preferred location. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Typhoon Sinlaku (2008) is a case in point under The Observing System Research and Predictability Experiment (THORPEX) Pacific Asian Regional Campaign (T-PARC) with the most abundant flight observations taken and with great potential to address major scientific issues in T-PARC such as structure change, targeted observations, and extratropical transition. A new method for vortex initialization based on ensemble Kalman filter (EnKF) data assimilation and the Weather Research and Forecasting (WRF) model is adopted in this study. By continuously assimilating storm positions (with an update cycle every 30 min), the mean surface wind structure, and all available measurement data, this study constructs a unique high-spatial/temporal-resolution and model/observation-consistent dataset for Sinlaku during a 4-day period. Simulations of Sinlaku starting at different initial times are further investigated to assess the impact of the data. It is striking that some of the simulations are able to capture Sinlaku's secondary eyewall formation, while others starting the simulation earlier with less data assimilated are not. This dataset provides a unique opportunity to study the dynamical processes of concentric eyewall formation in Sinlaku. In Part I of this work, results from the data assimilation and simulations are presented, including concentric eyewall evolution and the precursors to its formation, while detailed dynamical analyses are conducted in follow-up research. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Abstract: This study applies the theory of consumption values to determine the influence factors on consumer choice behavior regarding green products, and examines whether there are significant differences in consumption values and choice behavior between consumers with different outlooks on environmental concerns. One-way analysis of variance and multiple regression is used to assess data collected by a questionnaire survey. The results indicate that consumers with high environmental concern support green products more, and show greater readiness to choose them. This study concludes that the main influence factors on consumer choice behavior regarding green products include psychological benefit, desire for knowledge, novelty seeking, and specific conditions, and do not include functional values, price and quality. This study contributes to preliminary but vital insights in effective promotion of green products. [Copyright &y& Elsevier]

High-resolution simulations for Typhoon Krosa (2007) and a set of idealized experiments are conducted using a full-physics model to investigate the eminent deflection of typhoon track prior to its landfall over mountainous island topography. The terrain height of Taiwan plays the most important role in Typhoon Krosa''s looping motion at its landfall, while the surface properties, details in the topographic shape of Taiwan, and the cloud microphysics are shown to be secondary to the track deflection. A simulation with 3-km resolution and realistic model settings reproduces the observed Krosa''s track, while that with 9-km resolution fails, suggesting that high resolution to better resolve the typhoon--terrain interactions is important for the prediction and simulation of typhoon track deflection prior to landfall. Results from idealized experiments with model configurations mimicking those of Supertyphoon Krosa show that vortices approaching the northern and central topography are significantly deflected to the south before making sharp turns to the north, forming a kinked track pattern prior to and during landfall. This storm movement is consistent with the observed looping cases in Taiwan. Both real-case and idealized simulations show strong channel winds enhanced between the storm and the terrain when deflection occurs. Backward trajectory analyses support the concept of the channeling effect, which has been previously found to be crucial to the looping motion of Typhoon Haitang (2005) as well. However, the inner-core asymmetric ventilation flow does not match the movement of a deflected typhoon perfectly, partly because the steering flow is not well defined and could not completely capture the terrain-induced deflection in the simulation and in nature. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Systemic characterization of genomic alterations into signaling pathways helps to understand the molecular pathogenies of colorectal cancer; however, their clinical implications remain unclear. Here, 128 patients with metastatic colorectal cancer (mCRC) receiving targeted next generation sequencing were retrospectively enrolled to analyze the impact of altered oncogenic pathways on clinical outcome. The datasets from Memorial Sloan Kettering Cancer Center were used for validation. In 123 patients with non-MSI-high tumor, the most common mutated gene was TP53 (84.6%), followed by APC (78.0%), KRAS (49.6%), and SMAD4 (22.8%). When mutated genes were allocated into signaling pathways defined as The Cancer Genome Atlas Pan-Cancer Analysis Project, alterations of cell cycle, Wnt, p53, RTK-RAS, PI3K, TGF-β, Notch, and Myc pathways were identified in 88%, 87%, 85%, 75%, 28%, 26%, 17%, and 10% of mCRC tissues, respectively. The survival analyses revealed that Myc and TGF-β pathway alterations were associated with a shorter overall survival (OS) (hazard ratio [HR]: 2.412; 95% confidence interval [CI]: 1.139–5.109; p = 0.018 and HR: 2.754; 95% CI: 1.044–7.265; p = 0.033, respectively). The negative prognostic impact of altered TGF-β pathway was maintained in patients receiving an anti-EGFR antibody. The OS of patients with mCRC carrying MYC and BRAF mutation was shorter than those with either MYC or BRAF mutation (HR: 4.981, 95% CI: 0.296–83.92; p = 0.02). These findings have clinical implications, such as prognosis prediction, treatment guidance, and molecular-targeted therapy development. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Abstract: The anti-cancer effects and possible mechanisms of the freshwater clam (Corbicula fluminea Muller) and its active compounds (FME) on cell viability in human leukemia HL-60 cells were investigated. This study demonstrated that FME was able to inhibit cell proliferation in a concentration- and time-dependent manner. Treatment with FME caused induction of caspase-2, caspase-3, caspase-6, caspase-8, and caspase-9 activity in a time-dependent manner, but not affect caspase-1 activity; it induced the proteolysis of DNA fragmentation factor (DFF-45) and poly(ADP-ribose) polymerase (PARP). Induction of cell death by FME was completely prevented by a pan-caspase inhibitor, Z-Val-Ala-Asp-fluoromethyl ketone (Z-VAD-FMK) and a caspase-2 inhibitor, Z-Val-Asp-Val-Ala-Asp-FMK (Z-VDVAD-FMK). Furthermore, treatment with FME caused a rapid loss of mitochondrial transmembrane potential, stimulation of generation of reactive oxygen species (ROS), release of mitochondrial cytochrome c into cytosol, and GSH depletion. Anti-oxidants such as N-acetylcysteine, catalase, superoxide dismutase, allopurinol, and pyrrolidine dithiocarbamate, but not diphenylene iodonium, significantly inhibited FME-induced cell death. In addition, the results showed that FME-induced apoptosis was accompanied by up-regulation of Bax and Bad, and down-regulation of Bcl-2 and Bcl-XL. Taken together, induction of apoptosis on HL-60 cells by FME was mainly associated with ROS production, GSH depletion, mitochondrial dysfunction, and caspase activation. [Copyright &y& Elsevier]

The shrimp aquaculture industry has encountered many diseases that have caused significant losses, with the most serious being white spot syndrome (WSS). Until now, no cures, vaccines, or drugs have been found to counteract the WSS virus (WSSV). The purpose of this study was to develop an oral delivery system to transport recombinant proteinaceous antigens into shrimp. To evaluate the feasibility of the oral delivery system, we used white shrimp as the test species and maggots as protein carriers. The results indicated that the target protein was successfully preserved in the maggot, and the protein was detected in the gastrointestinal tract of the shrimp, showing that this oral delivery system could deliver the target protein to the shrimp intestine, where it was absorbed. In addition, the maggots were found to increase the total haemocyte count and phenoloxidase activity of the shrimp, and feeding shrimp rVP24-fed maggots significantly induced the expression of penaeidins 2. In the WSSV challenge, the survival rate of rVP24-fed maggots was approximately 43%. This study showed that maggots can be used as effective oral delivery systems for aquatic products and may provide a new method for aquatic vaccine delivery systems. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Simple Summary: Pancreatic cancer is a lethal malignant neoplasm with less than 10% 5-year relative survival after the initial diagnosis. Several factors may be related to the poor prognosis of pancreatic cancer, including the rapid tumor progression, increased metastatic propensity, insignificant symptoms, shortage of early diagnostic biomarkers, and its tendency toward resistance to both chemotherapy and radiotherapy. Pancreatic neoplastic cells interact intimately with a complicated microenvironment that can foster drug resistance, metastasis, or relapse in pancreatic cancer. In addition, evidence shows that perioperative factors, including surgical manipulation, anesthetics, or analgesics, might alter the tumor microenvironment and cancer progression. This review outlines the up-to-date knowledge of anesthesia implications in the pancreatic microenvironment and provides future anesthetic strategies for improving pancreatic cancer survival. Pancreatic malignancy is a lethal neoplasm, as well as one of the leading causes of cancer-associated mortality, having a 5-year overall survival rate of less than 10%. The average life expectancy of patients with advanced pancreatic cancer does not exceed six months. Although surgical excision is a favorable modality for long-term survival of pancreatic neoplasm, metastasis is initially identified in nearly 80% of the patients by the time of diagnosis, making the development of therapeutic policy for pancreatic cancer extremely daunting. Emerging evidence shows that pancreatic neoplastic cells interact intimately with a complicated microenvironment that can foster drug resistance, metastasis, or relapse in pancreatic cancer. As a result, the necessity of gaining further insight should be focused on the pancreatic microenvironment contributing to cancer progression. Numerous evidence reveals that perioperative factors, including surgical manipulation and anesthetics (e.g., propofol, volatile anesthetics, local anesthetics, epidural anesthesia/analgesia, midazolam), analgesics (e.g., opioids, non-steroidal anti-inflammatory drugs, tramadol), and anesthetic adjuvants (such as ketamine and dexmedetomidine), might alter the tumor microenvironment and cancer progression by affecting perioperative inflammatory or immune responses during cancer surgery. Therefore, the anesthesiologist plays an important role in perioperative management and may affect surgical outcomes. However, the literature on the impact of anesthesia on the pancreatic cancer microenvironment and progression is limited. This review summarizes the current knowledge of the implications of anesthesia in the pancreatic microenvironment and provides future anesthetic strategies for improving pancreatic cancer survival rates. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Targeting glutamine catabolism has been attracting more research attention on the development of successful cancer therapy. Catalytic enzymes such as glutaminase (GLS) in glutaminolysis, a series of biochemical reactions by which glutamine is converted to glutamate and then alpha-ketoglutarate, an intermediate of the tricarboxylic acid (TCA) cycle, can be targeted by small molecule inhibitors, some of which are undergoing early phase clinical trials and exhibiting promising safety profiles. However, resistance to glutaminolysis targeting treatments has been observed, necessitating the development of treatments to combat this resistance. One option is to use synergy drug combinations, which improve tumor chemotherapy's effectiveness and diminish drug resistance and side effects. This review will focus on studies involving the glutaminolysis pathway and diverse combination therapies with therapeutic implications. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

When a financial institute constructs a credit risk assessment model, qualitative, and quantitative data must be considered at the same time due to differences in the attributes of each form of data. While qualitative data are usually relied on professional appraisers' judgment, 2-tuple fuzzy linguistic representation could assist to organize appraisers' scores to avoid any loss of information. In practice, a financial institute needs to regularly update its credit risk assessment model to maintain correct assessment results. However, every update involves a lot of numerical experiments using multiple systems or even software packages for evaluating the effect of different sampling methods and classifiers to construct a suitable model for the updated dataset. Such an assessment process is time-consuming with many repetitive processes. This study applied the latest web-based technology to develop a fuzzy decision support system (DSS) that used logistic regression as the classifier combined with different sampling methods and model threshold settings to make data preprocessing and model fitting process more structured and efficient. This DSS was written by Django, a Python web framework, using the RESTful architecture that has good database imaging mechanism and good interaction between the front-end (user side) and the back-end (service side). After verification of multiple actual data set, the average time spent on constructing one model combination per dataset is less than 1 min, which indeed is significantly shorter than the original time required for credit risk assessment and provided a practical tool for the related work of credit risk assessment. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: The effects of anesthesia in patients undergoing thyroid cancer surgery are still not known. We investigated the relationship between the type of anesthesia and patient outcomes following elective thyroid cancer surgery. Methods: This was a retrospective cohort study of patients who underwent elective surgical resection for papillary thyroid carcinoma between January 2009 and December 2019. Patients were grouped according to the type of anesthesia they received, desflurane or propofol. A Kaplan-Meier analysis was conducted, and survival/recurrence curves were presented from the date of surgery to death/recurrence. Univariable and multivariable Cox regression models were used to compare hazard ratios for recurrence after propensity matching. Results: A total of 621 patients (22 deaths, 3.5%) under desflurane anesthesia and 588 patients (32 deaths, 5.4%) under propofol anesthesia were included. Five hundred and eighty-eight patients remained in each group after propensity matching. Propofol anesthesia was not associated with better survival compared to desflurane anesthesia in the matched analysis (P = 0.086). However, propofol anesthesia was associated with less recurrence (hazard ratio, 0.38; 95% confidence interval, 0.25–0.56; P < 0.001) in the matched analysis. Conclusions: Propofol anesthesia was associated with less recurrence, but not mortality, following surgery for papillary thyroid carcinoma than desflurane anesthesia. Further prospective investigation is needed to examine the influence of propofol anesthesia on patient outcomes following thyroid cancer surgery. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The one-pot synthesis of secondary benzylic alcohols proceeds via radical desulfonylation of β-ketosulfones and sequential Bouveault-Blanc reduction of the resulting ketones. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The Aerobic Scope (AS), which reflects the functional capacity for biological fitness, is a highly relevant proxy to determine thermal tolerance in various taxa. Despite the importance of this method, its implementation is often hindered, due to lacking techniques to accurately measure standard- (SMR) and maximal- (MMR) metabolic rates, especially in sluggish marine invertebrates with low oxygen consumption rates, such as sea cucumbers. In this study the AS concept was modified to define a Temperature-induced Aerobic Scope (TAS), based on metabolic rate changes due to temperature adjustments rather than traditionally used physical activity patterns. Consequentially, temperature dependent peak and bottom O2 consumption rates, defined as Temperature-induced Maximal- (TMMR) and Standard Metabolic Rates (TSMR), respectively, served as MMR and SMR alternatives for the sea cucumber Holothuria scabra. TMMR and TSMR were induced through acute temperature change (2°C per hour; 17–41°C) until critical warm (WTcrit) and cold (CTcrit) temperatures were reached, respectively. In addition, Hsp70 gene expression linked to respiration rates served as synergistic markers to confirm critical threshold temperatures. O2 consumption of H. scabra peaked distinctly at WTcrit of 38°C (TMMR = 33.2 ± 4.7 μgO2 g-1 h-1). A clear metabolic bottom line was reached at CTcrit of 22°C (TSMR = 2.2 ± 1.4 μgO2 g-1 h-1). Within the thermal window of 22–38°C H. scabra sustained positive aerobic capacity, with assumed optimal performance range between 29–31.5°C (13.85–18.7 μgO2 g-1 h-1). Between 39–41°C H. scabra decreased respiration progressively, while gene expression levels of Hsp70 increased significantly at 41°C, indicating prioritization of heat shock response (HSR) and homeostatic disruption. At the cold end (17–22°C) homeostatic disruption was visible through incrementally increasing energetic expenses to fuel basal maintenance costs, but no Hsp70 overexpression occurred. TMMR, TSMR and TAS proved to be reliable metrics, similar to the traditional energetic key parameters MMR, SMR and AS, to determine a specific aerobic performance window for the sluggish bottom dwelling species H. scabra. In addition, the linkage between respiration physiology and molecular defense mechanisms showed valuable analytical synergies in terms of mechanistic prioritization as response to thermal stress. Overall, this study will help to define lethal temperatures for aquaculture and to predict the effects of environmental stress, such as ocean warming, in H. scabra. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The article presents chemical equations for the article "Synthesis of 1,1-Diarylethylenes" by M. Y. Chang and others published in "Tetrahedron" in 2016.

The Lewis acid-mediated one-pot tandem benzannulation of alkynols with oxygenated benzenes provides arylnapthalenes in moderate to good yields. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The effects of convective and stratiform diabatic processes in the near-core region on tropical cyclone (TC) structure and intensity change are examined by artificially modifying the convective and stratiform heating/cooling between 40- and 80-km radii. Sensitivity experiments show that the absence of convective heating in the annulus can weaken TC intensity and decrease the inner-core size. The increased convective heating generates a thick and polygonal eyewall, while the storm intensifies more gently than that in the control run. The removal of stratiform heating can slow down TC intensification with a moderate intensity, whereas the doubling of stratiform heating has little effect on the TC evolution compared to the control run. The halved stratiform cooling facilitates TC rapid intensification and a compact inner-core structure with the spiral rainbands largely suppressed. With the stratiform cooling doubled, the storm terminates intensification and eventually develops a double-eyewall-like structure accompanied by the significantly outward expansion of the inner-core size. The removal of both stratiform heating and cooling generates the strongest storm with the structure and intensity similar to those in the experiment with stratiform cooling halved. When both stratiform heating and cooling are doubled, the storm first decays rapidly, followed by the vertical connection of the updrafts at mid- to upper levels in the near-core region and at lower levels in the collapsed eyewall, which reinvigorates the eyewall convection but with a large outward slope. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Purpose: Current skin imaging modalities, including optical, electron, and confocal microscopy, mostly require tissue fixations that could damage proteins and biological molecules. Live tissue or cell imaging such as ultrasonography and optical coherent microscope may not adequately measure the dynamic spectroscopical changes. Raman spectroscopy has been adopted for skin imaging in vivo, mostly for skin cancer imaging. However, whether the epidermal and dermal thickening in skin could be measured and distinguished by conventional Ramen spectroscopy or the surface‐enhanced Raman scattering (SERS), a rapid and label‐free method for noninvasive measurement remains unknown. Methods: Human skin sections from patients of atopic dermatitis and keloid, which represent epidermal and dermal thickening, respectively, were measured by conventional Ramen spectroscopy. In mice, skin sections from imiquimod (IMQ)‐ and bleomycin (BLE)‐treated mice, which reflect the epidermal and dermal thickening, respectively, were measured by SERS, that incorporates gold nanoparticles to generate surface plasma and enhance Raman signals. Results: Conventional Ramen spectroscopy failed to consistently show the Raman shift in human samples among the different groups. SERS successfully revealed a prominent peak around 1300 cm−1 in the IMQ‐treated skin; and two significant peaks around 1100 and 1300 cm−1 in BLE‐treated group. Further quantitative analysis showed 1100 cm−1 peak was significantly accentuated in the BLE‐treated skin than that in control skin. SERS identified in vitro a similar 1100 cm−1 peak in solutions of collagen, the major dermal biological molecules. Conclusion: SERS distinguishes the epidermal or dermal thickening in mouse skin with rapid and label‐free measures. A prominent 1100 cm−1 SERS peak in the BLE‐treated skin may result from collagen. SERS might help precision diagnosis in the future. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Designing in‐plane‐oriented light‐emitting dipoles is known as a critical method to develop high‐efficiency organic light‐emitting diodes (OLEDs) by enhancing light extraction. However, in‐plane‐oriented light‐emitting dipoles must demonstrate sufficient polarization memory extended into light emission lifetime window, generating extended anisotropy dynamics shown as the necessary condition to increase light extraction toward developing high‐efficiency OLEDs. This paper reports experimental studies on anisotropy dynamics of light‐emitting dipoles in both time and energy domains by using time‐resolved and steady‐state photoluminescence anisotropy measurements based on the in‐plane oriented exciplex‐heterostructured [BCzPh:CN‐T2T] host dispersed with phosphorescent molecules. It is found that, when host–guest Coulomb scattering is suppressed by parallel placing of the in‐plane‐configured phosphorescent Ir(ppy)2(acac) molecules into the in‐plane‐oriented exciplex‐heterostructured [BCzPh:CN‐T2T] host, the anisotropy dynamics of light‐emitting dipoles can be extended into microseconds time window comparable with its phosphorescence lifetime, satisfying the necessary condition in time domain to increase light out‐coupling efficiency toward developing high external quantum efficiencies (EQEs) in Ir(ppy)2(acac):exciplex system. More importantly, by suppressing host–guest Coulomb scattering, the high‐energy transition dipoles can still maintain extended anisotropy dynamics in the energy domain in Ir(ppy)2(acac):exciplex system while hot electrons are relaxing toward lowest unoccupied molecular orbital (LUMO). Consequently, the extended anisotropy dynamics of light‐emitting dipoles demonstrate a high EQE of 34.01% in the Ir(ppy)2(acac):exciplex OLED. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Simple Summary: Hyperuricemia is a major risk factor for gout. Inhibition of liver xanthine oxidase has been shown to reduce the uric acid level in blood. However, side effects were reported for the xanthine oxidase inhibitors clinically used in the treatment of hyperuricemia. This study aimed to evaluate strictinin, a natural polyphenol from Pu'er tea, for its therapeutic effects on hyperuricemia. Alleviation of hyperuricemia by strictinin supplementation was observed in AML12 mouse hepatocytes treated with xanthine as well as in an animal model using mice treated with potassium oxonate. Hyperuricemia, an abnormally high level of blood uric acid, is a major risk factor for gout. Although xanthine oxidase inhibitors were clinically used to lower blood uric acid level, the concerned side effects restricted their utilization. In this study, strictinin, an abundant polyphenol in Pu'er tea, was evaluated for its preventive effects on hyperuricemia. The results showed that the xanthine oxidase activity, uric acid production, and inflammation in AML12 mouse hepatocytes treated with xanthine were significantly reduced by the supplementation of strictinin. Detailed analyses revealed that strictinin inhibited xanthine-induced NLRP3 inflammasome activation. Consistently, the elevated blood uric acid level and the enhanced xanthine oxidase activity in mice treated with potassium oxonate were effectively diminished by strictinin supplementation. Moreover, for the first time, strictinin was found to promote healthy gut microbiota. Overall, strictinin possesses a great potential to be utilized as a functional ingredient for the prevention of hyperuricemia. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Tramadol is a common anesthetic used to treat cancer pain, including endometrial cancer, but its function in endometrial cancer remains unclear. The purpose of this study was to elucidate the antitumor effects of tramadol on human endometrial cancer cells. Colony formation, BrdU, cell cycle profiles, apoptosis, ROS, and Western blot analyses were used to study the response of endometrial cancer cells to tramadol. JC-1 and seahorse metabolic flux assays were used to detect the effect of tramadol on mitochondria in endometrial cancer cells. Combination index was used to detect the interaction of tramadol with chemotherapy drugs in endometrial cancer cells. In this study, we found that tramadol was able to inhibit proliferation and induce cell cycle arrest, ROS generation, and apoptosis in two types of endometrial cancer cells. In addition, tramadol treatment also induced mitochondrial dysfunction in endometrial cancer cells by causing a loss of mitochondrial membrane potential and a decreased oxygen consumption rate. More importantly, the synergetic effect of tramadol with doxorubicin or cisplatin was further confirmed in endometrial cancer cells by the results of the combination index and apoptosis assay. In summary, our findings indicate that tramadol has an antitumor effect on endometrial cancer cells, which might serve as a potential adjuvant therapy strategy for endometrial cancer. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Observations have documented typhoons experiencing pronounced track deflection before making landfall in Taiwan. In this study, idealized full-physics model experiments are conducted to assess the orographic influence on tropical cyclone (TC) track. An intense and westward-moving TC is simulated to approach the bell-shaped terrain imitating the Taiwan topography. Sensitivity numerical experiments are carried out to evaluate the topographic effect under different flow regimes and parameters, such as TC intensity, terrain height, and incident angle of the TC movement toward the topography. All the presented simulated storms experience southward track deflection prior to landfall. Different from the mechanism related to the channeling-effect-induced low-level northerly jet as suggested in previous studies, this study indicates the leading role of the northerly asymmetric flow in the midtroposphere in causing the southward deflection of the simulated TC tracks. The midtropospheric northerly asymmetric flow forms as a result of the wind speeds restrained east of the storm center and winds enhanced/maintained west of the storm center. In all, this study highlights a new mechanism that contributes to the terrain-induced southward track deflection in addition to the traditional channeling effect. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The pathology of chronic asthma in human and mouse is characterized by inflammation and remodeling of airway tissues. As a result of repeated inflammatory insults to the lower airways, smooth muscle thickening, mucin secretion and airway hyperreactivity may develop. In ovalbumin (OVA)-sensitized mice with repeated challenges with OVA to the lower airways, the trachea and bronchi are characterized by goblet cell hyperplasia and mucus hypersecretion from goblet cells. Previous study reports that intravenous (i.v.) application of a high dose of capsaicin releases tachykinin from capsaicin-sensitive nerves, producing acute plasma leakage and mucosal edema formation and causing depletion of mucin granules in goblet cells that results in a reduction in the number and size of Alcian blue (AB)-positive goblet cells in the rat trachea within a few minute after capsaicin application. Histamine is an important non-neural mediator of asthma from mast cells. The present study investigated whether i.v. application of a high dose of histamine (18 μmol/ml/kg) could result in these acute changes and the similar time-course changes in rat trachea. The tracheal whole mounts stained with chloroacetate esterase reagent and AB and tracheal methacrylate sections stained with AB and periodic acid-Schiff reagent were used for evaluation of histological and cellular changes. At 5 min after histamine application, mucosal leaky venules were numerous and subepithelial edema ratio (% of length of edema along the mucosal epithelial circumference of tracheal cross section) was found to be 48.2 ± 4.9, which was greater ( P < 0.01) than saline-treated rats. But, the number of AB-positive goblet cells, 2,030 ± 170/mm of mucosal surface epithelium, was similar to saline-treated group ( P > 0.05). One day later, edema ratio remained large and the number of AB-positive goblet cells was 1,140 ± 150/mm epithelium, reduced to half the number of the group at 5 min after histamine ( P < 0.01). It is suggested that mucus hypersecretion occurred at this time point. At 3 or 5 days after histamine, edema ratio gradually decreased. The number of AB-positive goblet cells continued to remain small on day 3. On day 5 after histamine, the number of AB-positive goblet cells restored to the level of rat group at 5 min after histamine application. At 7 days after histamine, edema ratio returned to the level of saline-treated group. It is concluded that degranulation and thinning of tracheal goblet cells and mucus hypersecretion lagged behind histamine-induced acute plasma leakage and edema, and restoration of mucin store in goblet cells was associated with remission of mucosal edema. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: Previous researches have shown that anesthetic techniques may influence the patients' outcomes after cancer surgery. Here, we studied the relationship between the type of anesthetic techniques and patients' outcomes following elective robot-assisted radical prostatectomy. Methods: This was a retrospective cohort study of patients who received elective, robot-assisted radical prostatectomy between January 2008 and December 2018. Patients were grouped according to the anesthesia they received, namely desflurane or propofol. A Kaplan–Meier analysis was conducted, and survival curves were presented from the date of surgery to death. Univariable and multivariable Cox regression models were used to compare hazard ratios for death after propensity matching. Subgroup analyses were performed for tumor-node-metastasis stage and disease progression. The primary outcome was overall survival, and the secondary outcome was postoperative biochemical recurrence. Results: A total of 365 patients (24 deaths, 7.0%) under desflurane anesthesia, and 266 patients (2 deaths, 1.0%) under propofol anesthesia were included. The all-cause mortality rate was significantly lower in the propofol anesthesia than in the desflurane anesthesia during follow-up (P = 0.001). Two hundred sixty-four patients remained in each group after propensity matching. The propofol anesthesia was associated with improved overall survival (hazard ratio, 0.11; 95% confidence interval, 0.03–0.48; P = 0.003) in the matched analysis. Subgroup analyses showed that patients under propofol anesthesia had less postoperative biochemical recurrence than those under desflurane (hazard ratio, 0.20; 95% confidence interval, 0.05–0.91; P = 0.038) in the matched analysis. Conclusions: Propofol anesthesia was associated with improved overall survival in robot-assisted radical prostatectomy compared with desflurane anesthesia. In addition, patients under propofol anesthesia had less postoperative biochemical recurrence. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Using special data from the field program of "Impact of Typhoons on the Ocean in the Pacific" (2010) and an ensemble Kalman filter--based vortex initialization method, this study explores the impact of Taiwan terrain on the uncertainty in forecasting track, intensity, and rainfall of Typhoon Fanapi (2010) based on ensemble simulations. The results show that the presence of Taiwan topography leads to rapid growths of the simulation uncertainty in track and intensity during the landfall period, particularly at the earlier landfall period. The fast moving ensemble members show an earlier southward track deflection as well as weakening of intensity, resulting in a sudden increase of standard deviation in track and intensity. During the period of offshore departure from Taiwan, our analysis suggests that the latitudinal location of the long-lasting and elongated rainband to the south of the tropical cyclone (TC) center has strong dependence on the latitude of the TC center. In addition, the rainfall uncertainty in southern Taiwan is dominated by the uncertainty of the simulated TC rainband, and the latitude of the TC track can be regarded as a good predictor of the rainband's location at departure time. It is also found that the rainband develops farther to the south as the topography is elevated. Considering the fact that the rainband impinging the high mountains in the southern Central Mountain Range generates the greatest accumulated rainfall, positions where the rainband associated circulation and its interaction with topography appear to offer an explanation on the uncertainty of the simulated rainfall. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: Previous studies have shown that anaesthetic technique can affect outcomes of cancer surgery. We investigated the association between anaesthetic technique and patient outcomes after elective hepatectomy for hepatocellular carcinoma.Methods: This was a retrospective single-centre cohort study of patients who received elective hepatectomy for hepatocellular carcinoma from January 2005 to December 2014. Patients were grouped according to propofol or desflurane anaesthesia. Kaplan-Meier analysis was performed and survival curves were constructed from the date of surgery to death. After propensity matching, univariable and multivariable Cox regression models were used to compare hazard ratios for death. Subgroup analyses were performed for tumour-node-metastasis staging and distant metastasis and local recurrence.Results: A total of 492 patients (369 deaths, 75.0%) with desflurane anaesthesia and 452 (139 deaths, 30.8%) with propofol anaesthesia were eligible for analysis. After propensity matching, 335 patients remained in each group. In the matched analysis, propofol anaesthesia had a better survival with hazard ratio of 0.47 (95% confidence interval, 0.38-0.59; P<0.001). Subgroup analyses also showed significantly better survival in the absence of distant metastasis (hazard ratio, 0.47; 95% confidence interval, 0.37-0.60; P<0.001) or local recurrence (hazard ratio, 0.22; 95% confidence interval, 0.14-0.34; P<0.001) in the matched groups.Conclusions: Propofol anaesthesia was associated with better survival in hepatocellular carcinoma patients who underwent hepatectomy. Prospective studies are warranted to evaluate the effects of propofol anaesthesia on surgical outcomes in hepatocellular carcinoma patients. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Groundwater contamination remains a global threat due to its toxic effects to humans and the environment. The remediation of contaminated groundwater sites can be costly, thus, identifying the priority areas of concern is important to reduce money spent on resources. In this study, we aimed to identify and rank the priority groundwater sites in a contaminated petrochemical district by combining alternative, non-animal approaches – chemical analysis, cell-based high throughput screening (HTS), and Toxicological Priority Index (ToxPi) computational toxicology tool. Groundwater samples collected from ten different sites in a contaminated district showed pollutant levels below the detection limit, however, hepatotoxic bioactivity was demonstrated in human hepatoma HepaRG cells. Integrating the pollutants information (i.e., pollutant characteristics and concentration data) with the bioactivity data of the groundwater samples, an evidence-based ranking of the groundwater sites for future remediation was established using ToxPi analysis. The currently presented combinatorial approach of screening groundwater sites for remediation purposes can further be refined by including relevant parameters, which can boost the utility of this approach for groundwater screening and future remediation. [Display omitted] • Prioritization of groundwater sites in Taiwan using the ToxPi ranking tool. • Groundwater quality was assessed by coupled chemical analysis and bioassays. • No chemical contamination was found but some sites displayed high bioactivity. • ToxPi predicted the priority sites of concern by integrating chemical and toxicity data. • The approach and results can be beneficial for future groundwater management. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The article examines a theory on the impact of boundary layers (BL) on the eyewall replacement cycles of axisymmetric tropical cyclones. Topics discussed include the production of vorticity in the gradient wind that exceeds the radius of maximum tangential wind, the role of BL in the creation of an updraft at maximum vorticity and production of a secondary eyewall by the interaction of convection with BL.

Non-uniqueness is a problem encountered while imaging subsurface susceptibility by inverting magnetic field surveys. We propose a novel method to construct velocity-susceptibility initial models using Vp together with the Vp/Vs ratio from seismic tomography to improve the model which satisfies more information and better identifies locations of high-susceptibility materials. For comparison, two recovered susceptibility structures are derived from two distinct initials (homogeneous and velocity-susceptibility) models through the standard inversion process. Two profiles with intense undulation of magnetic anomalies over sedimentary areas in central-west Taiwan and complex geological structures at the rim of the subduction zone in northeast Taiwan are used as examples to compare the results of the initial models. The inversion results suggest that the susceptibility structures from both models agree in terms of the location of the fault zones, specifically at depth < 10 km. Recovered susceptibility structures derived from the velocity-susceptibility initial model agree with the geological structure that reduces uncertainty at depth > 10 km. Consequently, the initial model with velocity constraints lowers the non-uniqueness associated with the inversion of magnetic anomalies. Unlabelled Image • High-susceptibility materials can be distinguished by Vp accompanying with Vp/Vs. • Velocity-susceptibility initial models can be constructed for adapting complex reality. • Recovered susceptibility distribution and geological structure yield agreements. • Non-uniqueness in the inversion of magnetic anomalies can be obviously reduced. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]