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Nonalcoholic fatty liver disease (NAFLD) is commonly associated with obesity but is also found in non‐obese individuals. The PNPLA3gene variant (rs738409) is by far the most important genetic determinant of NAFLD. To date, there is no study exploring the differences and associations between gut microbiota and PNPLA3genotype on lean and obese NAFLD patients. Thus, the aim of this study was to evaluate the association between gut microbiota and lean and obese NAFLD, while considering the role of PNPLA3variants. This prospective study took place at Kaohsiung Chang Gung Memorial Hospital from December 2019 to November 2020. We recruited 35 lean NAFLD patients, 70 obese NAFLD patients, and 35 healthy individuals. Fecal samples were collected to analyze the V4 region of the 16S rRNA gene for intestinal bacteria composition. Although lean and obese NAFLD groups did not differ in PNPLA3variant abundance, the lean NAFLD group had a higher percentage of the G allele variant (82.9% vs. 72.9%) than obese NAFLD group. Alpha diversity for gut microbiota was not significantly different among the three groups. Microbiota differed significantly between lean and obese NAFLD groups in a multi‐response permutation procedure analysis (p= .005). Although, there were no significant differences between PNPLA3G and C in alpha and beta diversity, the same phylum, family, and genus dominant microbiota differed between lean and obese NAFLD. Lean and obese NAFLD patients have different predominant gut microbiota, as do PNPLA3C and G variants, indicating that lean NAFLD patients may be associated with PNPLA3G allele variant.

The purpose of this study is to explore the necessity of creating retention strategies, emphasize the significance of customer retention, and propose a customer value/retention model. The main objective is to combine three mediators - customer satisfaction (CS), customer loyalty (CL), and word of mouth (WOM) - and evaluate their effect on customer retention using YL Company, a Taiwanese chemical manufacturing company, as a case study. The proposed model's goodness-of-fit was assessed using confirmatory factor analysis (CFA) and SEM-AMOS. Hierarchical regression and the PROCESS macro were employed to examine mediation and moderation effects. The outcomes indicate that product quality, service quality, and price attribution act as marketing stimuli factors that significantly influence the three mediators. Relationship proneness serves as a negative moderator that impedes customer WOM and loyalty's influence on customer retention.

ABSTRACTThis study aims to identify a secure and efficient trading approach for investors in highly volatile cryptocurrency markets. While pairs trading is a promising strategy, the available literature on this topic in cryptocurrency markets is limited and primarily based on traditional methods. This study compares six statistical approaches for selecting trading pairs: Cointegration, Correlation, Distance, Fluctuation Behaviour, Hurst Exponent, and Stochastic Differential Residual. We utilise intraday data from 30 cryptocurrencies on the Binance exchange during a three-month period from 1 January 2022 to 31 March 2022. The trading results are measured by 11 criteria covering return, risk, and trade aspects. The findings show that Distance performs well at all three frequencies of 1 minute, 5 minutes, and 60 minutes, with a total return of 208.12%, 236.31%, and 210.36%, respectively. At the 60-minute frequency, this method exhibits low risk and performs impressively even when all other techniques generate negative returns, as well as displays the lowest number of expired counts and the highest success ratio among the methods. At 1-minute and 5-minute frequencies, Cointegration and Hurst Exponent produce results comparable to those of Distance. The Student t-test conducted confirms these conclusions.

This article proposes a reaction wheel design for angular momentum control of CubeSats using flexible printed circuit board (FPCB) windings and Halbach magnet array. Reaction wheels must provide sufficient adjustable angular momentum under the weight and space restrictions in aerospace applications. The proposed wheel is based on a three-phase permanent magnet synchronous motor with several features to minimize the weight. It consists of a coreless stator with FPCB windings and an outer rotor with a Halbach magnet array to maximize and smoothen the output torque. Different from the conventional reaction wheels with only a single-layer outer rotor, this design features a dual-layer rotor composed of inner and outer yokes. Therefore, the magnetic force acting on the bearing due to the interaction between the stator yokes and the magnets can be eliminated. Besides, instead of the conventional dual-layer rotor with magnets attached to both yokes, the proposed design only has the magnets attached to the outer yoke. According to the finite-element analysis (FEA), the proposed dual-layer rotor shows better torque ripple reduction. The reaction wheel prototypes with conventional enameled copper winding and proposed FPCB windings are both fabricated for experimental comparison. According to the experimental results, the proposed reaction wheel using FPCB windings achieves comparable performance to a conventional reaction wheel with enameled copper windings. More importantly, the weight of the proposal is lighter, and the potting process for windings can be removed to increase the overall reliability.

The recent rate of the expansion of graphene nanomaterials requires appropriate toxicological assessment for biomedical usage. The toxicity of graphene and its composites is a major hurdle. Here, we report the effects of reduced graphene oxide nanocomposites on mouse fibroblast (NCTC-929) cells with the aim for futuristic biomedical applications of our synthesized material such as wearable device. The rGO was prepared by modified Hummer’s method and conjugated in comparison with carbon nanotubes (CNT), silver nanoparticles, zinc oxide particles and polyurethane to form nanocomposites. The as-prepared nanocomposites were characterized using X-ray diffraction, Raman spectroscopy, transmission electron microscope, field emission scanning electron microscopy and EDX analysis. As expected, most of our purified nanocomposites did not show any cytotoxicity on NCTC-929 cells when cultured with different doses of the samples. The nanomaterials were biocompatible and the cells displayed a viability of 80% and more. However, the nanocomposites that were autoclaved prior to testing were toxic. The materials with ZnO conjugation showed a dose dependent toxicity. The composites that had CNTs conjugated with rGO (rGO3C) were toxic than compared to the rGO-CNT conjugated with silver nanoparticles (rGO6CAgNP and rGO3CAgNP). When these nanomaterials are explored for several other applications in vivo, their biocompatibility is a major factor to be considered.

Laser-induced graphene (LIG) has gained dominance recently as a very sought after material for fabrication, patterning graphitic structures, and electrodes for various applications in electronics. In this study, we increase the ability of RGO-graphitized nanosheets by carefully regulating the laser fluence. We used an advanced cutting-edge technique for direct writing with a pulse laser in an open atmosphere to reduce graphite oxide nanosheets in aqueous media. The nano-sized RGO was confirmed as being produced by converting the sp3structure to sp2reduced form. The laser-induced RGO-1-3 were characterized by field emission scanning electron microscopy (FESEM), transmission electron microscopy (TEM), Raman spectroscopy, Fourier transform infrared (FTIR), powder X-ray diffraction (XRD), and X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy (XPS). Non-agglomerated and different porous nanostructures of RGO-1–3 were successfully obtained during laser irradiation. Electrochemical impedance spectroscopy (EIS) was performed and high surface-active edge reactive regions were found after laser irradiation of the RGO nanostructures, which promoted excellent electrochemical detection performance with rapid electron transfer, in a low potential window. All LI-RGO nanostructures were fabricated on GCE to determine their capacity for the precise detection of acetaminophen using CV and DPV voltametric techniques. In particular, the RGO-3/GCE fabricated electrode exhibited the lowest level of 5.2 nanomolar detection of acetaminophen with an outstanding sensitivity of 2.7271 μA Mm−1cm−2. The designed RGO-3/GCE electrode also exhibited remarkable reproducibility, selectivity, and stability. In addition, the RGO-3/GCE device was successfully investigated for the detection of an antipyretic pharmaceutical drug in river and human urine samples and showed excellent results. In the search for acetaminophen, the RGO-3/GCE fabricated device can be a low-cost and reliable RGO GCE electrode.

Lenvatinib has been approved as one of the first‐line treatments for advanced hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) due to its high treatment efficacy being non‐inferior to sorafenib. Previous studies have shown well‐controlled viremia contributes to the prognosis of HCC patients receiving first‐line sorafenib; hence, we postulated this association might also exist in HCC patients with lenvatinib treatment. From April 2018 to December 2021, 201 unresectable HCC patients with first‐line lenvatinib treatment in our institute were assessed. High‐effect nucleoside analogues were administered for hepatitis B virus (HBV) control, while direct‐acting antivirals were used for hepatitis C virus (HCV) elimination. Based on our previous study, well‐controlled viremia was defined as patients who had undetectable viremia, or who had been receiving antivirals at least 6 months before lenvatinib. This study enrolled 129 patients, including 85 patients with HBV‐related HCC (HBV‐HCC) and 44 patients with HCV‐related HCC (HCV‐HCC), respectively. Progression‐free survival (PFS) and overall survival (OS) rates between the two groups were not different. Before administration of lenvatinib, 57.1% of the HBV‐HCC patients and 88.4% of the HCV‐HCC patients had well‐controlled viremia, and their PFS (8.8 vs. 3.1 months, p< 0.001) and OS (30.2 vs. 12.8 months, p= 0.041) were better than those who had uncontrolled viremia; moreover, well‐controlled viremia reduced tumor progression in multivariate analysis (Hazard ratio: 0.41, 95% confidence interval: 0.25–0.68, p= 0.001) after adjusting for albumin–bilirubin grade and concurrent treatment. HBV or HCV infection was not associated with tumor progression of HCC patients receiving lenvatinib, but viremia, controlled or not, was.

This study developed a quasi-monoenergetic neutron source (QMN) for the semiconductor device's soft error rate test (SER). Quasi-monoenergetic neutrons are generated by Be(p,n)B99nuclear reaction with a 1 mm beryllium target and 30 MeV protons from a cyclotron. An 8 mm water in the back of the beryllium target is used for avoiding proton penetration. The neutron spectra simulated by MCNP showed that the peak energy was around 26.5 MeV. The heat flow and mechanical properties are numerically analyzed, and the safe operating conditions are therefore determined.

Introduction: High-dose dual therapy (HDDT) can attain acceptable eradication rates provided that the optimal doses, timing and treatment duration are applied. The existing evidence still shows inconsistent reports (&lt; 90%) on HDDT therapy except in some Asian countries. We aimed to assess and compare the efficacy of 14-day HDDT by comparing it to 14-day rabeprazole-containing hybrid therapy (HT) and to investigate the host and bacterial factors predicting the treatment outcomes of eradication therapies. Methods: In this open-label, randomized controlled trial, we recruited 243 naïve Helicobacter pylori-infected patients from September 1, 2018, to November 30, 2021. They were randomly allocated (1:1) to the HDDT group (rabeprazole 20 mg and amoxicillin 750 mg q.i.d for 14 days, n= 122) and the HT group (rabeprazole 20 mg and amoxicillin 1 g b.i.d. for 7 days, followed by rabeprazole 20 mg, amoxicillin 1 g, clarithromycin 500 mg and metronidazole 500 mg b.i.d. for 7 days, n= 121). Twelve patients were absent during follow-up in the HDDT group and 4 in the HT group, resulting in 110 for the HDDT group and 117 for HT group in the per protocol (PP) study. The outcome was determined by urea breath tests 8 weeks later. Results: The eradication rates for the HDDT and HT groups were 77.0% (95% confidence interval [CI]: 68.5% to 84.1%) and 94.2% (95% CI: 88.4% to 97.6%) (P&lt; 0.001) in intention-to-treat analysis; 85.5% (95% CI: 77.5% to 91.5%) and 97.4% [95% CI: 92.6% to 99.5%] (P= 0.001) in per protocol analysis. The adverse event rates were 7.3% in the HDDT group and 14.5% in the HT group (P= 0.081). The habit of coffee drinking was the dependent factor for eradication failure in the HDDT group (88.2% vs. 68.8%, P= 0.040), but had no influence in the HT group (97.9% versus 95.0%, P= 0.449) in the univariate analysis. Conclusion: This study demonstrated that 14-day rabeprazole-containing HDDT did not achieve > 90% eradication rates for first-line H. pylorieradication as 14-day rabeprazole-containing HT did. HDDT is a potentially beneficial combination, which involves only two drugs with mild adverse effects; more precise studies are urged to find answers regarding these failures.

The objective of this article is to propose a new five-level step-up switched-capacitor grid-connected inverter (FSSGI) The proposed FSSGI, which is composed of a switched-capacitor converter (SCC) and a dc–ac unfolder, is able to operate in standalone and grid-connected mode. Compared with conventional step-up inverter topologies, the advantages of the proposed FSSGI include high conversion efficiency, self-balancing of capacitor, and voltage stress reduction on the switches for low-power applications. In addition, the leakage current caused by the high common-mode voltage (CMV) can be reduced since the unfolder is only switched at a low frequency. Also, the electrolytic capacitor can be replaced with the long lifetime film capacitor by reducing the required capacitance. The principle of operation, voltage gain analysis, and design methodology are described in this article. Finally, the computer simulations and hardware experimental results are shown to verify the performance of the proposed FSSGI. A 400-W prototype is built and tested, and the peak and rated power conversion efficiency are 97.89% and 97.45%, respectively.

The objective of this article is to propose a new inductorless bidirectional switched-capacitor power electronics transformer (IBSCX) for low-power commercial and residential applications. The proposed IBSCX is composed of multiple switched-capacitor converters (SCCs) and two bidirectional unfolders. Compared with the traditional solution which is the use of a low-frequency transformer, the advantages of the proposed IBSCX include control circuit simplicity, high conversion efficiency, and volume and weight reduction for low-power applications. The principle of operation, voltage gain analysis, and design methodology are described in this article. Also, with the interleaved operation between SCCs, the output current ripple can be reduced. Finally, the computer simulations and hardware experimental results are shown to verify the performance of the proposed IBSCX. A prototype IBSCX is built and tested, and the peak and rated power conversion efficiency are 98.26% and 97.95%, respectively.

To determine whether liver stiffness (LS) and fibrosis‐4 (Fib‐4) index were useful in assessing the occurrence of liver‐related complications (LRC) in chronic hepatitis C (CHC) patients after direct‐acting antivirals (DAAs) had been administered. This retrospective study enrolled CHC patients achieving sustained virological response (SVR) after DAA. A total of 697 (male/female: 294/403, mean age: 63.8 year) patients with measured LS and complete lab data at SVR were enrolled, followed, and analyzed. In a median follow‐up of 21.4 months after SVR, 39 patients developed LRC including 28 with hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC), with the 30‐month cumulative incidence of LRC and HCC being 7.7% and 5.1%, respectively. Predictions of occurrence of LRC and HCC were 0.820 and 0.774 for LS, and 0.775 and 0.737 for Fib‐4, with optimal cutoffs of LS and Fib‐4 being 14.5 kPa and 2.9 for LRC prediction. In multivariate analysis, LS was associated with the occurrence of LRC (hazard ratio: 3.97, 95% confidence interval [1.866, 8.446], p< 0.001) after adjustment for Fib‐4 and diabetes. A risk‐score system combining LS, Fib‐4, and diabetes was developed for LRC risk assessment. Patients were stratified into low‐ (score 0–1), intermediate‐ (score 2–3), and high‐risk (score 4) groups with LRC cumulative incidences of 1.7%, 14.9%, and 36.4%, respectively (p< 0.001). For patients with CHC after DAA, the risk scoring system based on LS, Fib‐4, and diabetes was useful to assess the risk of LRC development during follow‐up; accordingly, it would be advantageous for clinicians to set up more personalized and cost‐effective strategies of surveillance.

The mutant burden of FLT3-ITD modulates its prognostic impact on patients with acute myeloid leukemia (AML). However, for patients with low allelic ratio (AR) FLT3-ITD (FLT3-ITDlow, AR < 0.5), clinical features, as well as genomic and transcriptomic profiles remain unclear, and evidence supporting allogeneic hematopoietic stem cell transplantation (allo-HSCT) in first complete remission (CR1) remains controversial. This study aimed to elucidate the genomic features, prognosis, and transplantation outcome of FLT3-ITDIowin AML patients with intermediate-risk cytogenetics. FLT3-ITDlowwas associated with a negative enrichment of the leukemic stem cell signature, a marked enrichment of the RAS pathway, and with higher frequencies of RAS pathway mutations, different from those with FLT3-ITDhigh. Concurrent CEBPAdouble mutations were favorable prognostic factors, whereas MLL-PTD, and mutations in splicing factors were unfavorable prognostic factors in FLT3-ITDlowpatients. Patients with FLT3-ITDlowhad a shorter overall survival (OS) and event-free survival (EFS) than those with FLT3wt. Allo-HSCT in CR1 was associated with a significantly longer OS and EFS compared with postremission chemotherapy in patients with FLT3-ITDlow. In conclusion, FLT3-ITDlowis associated with different mutational and transcriptomic profiles compared with FLT3-ITDhigh. The presence of concomitant poor-risk mutations exert negative prognostic impacts in patients with FLT3-ITDlow, who markedly benefit from allo-HSCT in CR1.

Non-bismuth containing quadruple therapy (concomitant therapy) is an alternative treatment for Helicobacter pylori (H. pylori)eradication with increasing clarithromycin-resistant strains over times. This study compared the efficacies of non-bismuth containing quadruple therapy (concomitant therapy) in the treatment of first-line anti-Helicobacter Pyloribetween two time intervals (January 2013 to June 2014 and June 2016 to December 2017).

Aside from cell intrinsic factors such as genetic alterations, immune dysregulation in the bone marrow (BM) microenvironment plays a role in the development and progression of myelodysplastic syndromes (MDS). However, the prognostic implications of various immune cells in patients with MDS remain unclear. We adopted CIBERSORTx to estimate the relative fractions of 22 subtypes of immune cells in the BM of 316 patients with MDS and correlated the results with clinical outcomes. A lower fraction of unpolarized M0 macrophages and higher fractions of M2 macrophages and eosinophils were significantly associated with inferior survival. An immune cell scoring system (ICSS) was constructed based on the proportion of these 3 immune cells in the BM. The ICSS high-risk patients had higher BM blast counts, higher frequencies of poor-risk cytogenetics, and more NPM1, TP53, and WT1 mutations than intermediate- and low-risk patients. The ICSS could stratify patients with MDS into 3 risk groups with distinct leukemia-free survival and overall survival among the total cohort and in the subgroups of patients with lower and higher disease risk based on the revised International Prognostic Scoring System (IPSS-R). The prognostic significance of ICSS was also validated in another independent cohort. Multivariable analysis revealed that ICSS independently predicted prognosis, regardless of age, IPSS-R, and mutation status. Bioinformatic analysis demonstrated a significant correlation between high-risk ICSS and nuclear factor κB signaling, oxidative stress, and leukemic stem cell signature pathways. Further studies investigating the mechanistic insight into the crosstalk between stem cells and immune cells are warranted.

Aside from cell intrinsic factors such as genetic alterations, immune dysregulation in the bone marrow (BM) microenvironment plays a role in the development and progression of myelodysplastic syndromes (MDS). However, the prognostic implications of various immune cells in patients with MDS remain unclear. We adopted CIBERSORTx to estimate the relative fractions of 22 subtypes of immune cells in the BM of 316 patients with MDS and correlated the results with clinical outcomes. A lower fraction of unpolarized M0 macrophages and higher fractions of M2 macrophages and eosinophils were significantly associated with inferior survival. An immune cell scoring system (ICSS) was constructed based on the proportion of these 3 immune cells in the BM. The ICSS high-risk patients had higher BM blast counts, higher frequencies of poor-risk cytogenetics, and more NPM1, TP53, and WT1mutations than intermediate- and low-risk patients. The ICSS could stratify patients with MDS into 3 risk groups with distinct leukemia-free survival and overall survival among the total cohort and in the subgroups of patients with lower and higher disease risk based on the revised International Prognostic Scoring System (IPSS-R). The prognostic significance of ICSS was also validated in another independent cohort. Multivariable analysis revealed that ICSS independently predicted prognosis, regardless of age, IPSS-R, and mutation status. Bioinformatic analysis demonstrated a significant correlation between high-risk ICSS and nuclear factor κB signaling, oxidative stress, and leukemic stem cell signature pathways. Further studies investigating the mechanistic insight into the crosstalk between stem cells and immune cells are warranted.

Sorafenib is the recommended first‐line treatment option for patients with advanced hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC). Hepatitis C virus (HCV)‐related advanced HCC (HCV–HCC) seemed to have a better response than hepatitis B virus (HBV)‐related HCC (HBV–HCC) in sorafenib use, but it was undetermined. Hence, we aimed to investigate the effect of sorafenib between HBV–HCC and HCV–HCC patients in Taiwan. From August 2012 to December 2016, 575 consecutive advanced HCC patients received sorafenib under the reimbursement of Taiwan national health insurance in our hospital. Radiologic assessment was performed at a 2‐month interval. Those patients with tumor progression or liver function deterioration were disallowed for further sorafenib use. Patients with HBV or HCV infection were, retrospectively, enrolled and followed till December 2018. There were 277 (62.4%) HBV–HCC patients and 167 (37.6%) HCV–HCC patients. Before sorafenib, 192 (69.3%) HBV–HCC patients who had used nucleoside analogs (NAs) for HBV management, whereas only 5 (3%) HCV–HCC patients received interferon‐based antiviral therapy. Overall survival (OS) of HCV–HCC patients was significantly superior to HBV–HCC patients without NAs (8.8 months vs. 4.9 months, p= 0.006), but was noninferior to HBV–HCC patients with NAs (8.8 months vs. 10.7 months, p= 0.54). Using propensity score matching, progression‐free survival (2.0 months vs. 2.1 months, p= 0.374) and OS (10.5 months vs. 9.6 months, p= 0.746) between HBV–HCC and HCV–HCC groups were not different. Antiviral therapy might increase survival benefits of advanced HBV–HCC patients underwent sorafenib use, leading to a comparable OS to HCV–HCC patients in Taiwan.

Next-generation sequencing (NGS) has been applied to measurable/minimal residual disease (MRD) monitoring after induction chemotherapy in patients with acute myeloid leukemia (AML), but the optimal time point for the test remains unclear. In this study, we aimed to investigate the clinical significance of NGS MRD at 2 different time points. We performed targeted NGS of 54 genes in bone marrow cells serially obtained at diagnosis, first complete remission (first time point), and after the first consolidation chemotherapy (second time point) from 335 de novo AML patients. Excluding DNMT3A, TET2, and ASXL1 mutations, which are commonly present in individuals with clonal hematopoiesis of indeterminate potential, MRD could be detected in 46.4% of patients at the first time point (MRD1st), and 28.9% at the second time point (MRD2nd). The patients with detectable NGS MRD at either time point had a significantly higher cumulative incidence of relapse and shorter relapse-free survival and overall survival. In multivariate analysis, MRD1st and MRD2nd were both independent poor prognostic factors. However, the patients with positive MRD1st but negative MRD2nd had a similar good prognosis as those with negative MRD at both time points. The incorporation of multiparameter flow cytometry and NGS MRD revealed that the presence of NGS MRD predicted poorer prognosis among the patients without detectable MRD by multiparameter flow cytometry at the second time point but not the first time point. In conclusion, the presence of NGS MRD, especially after the first consolidation therapy, can help predict the clinical outcome of AML patients.

Next-generation sequencing (NGS) has been applied to measurable/minimal residual disease (MRD) monitoring after induction chemotherapy in patients with acute myeloid leukemia (AML), but the optimal time point for the test remains unclear. In this study, we aimed to investigate the clinical significance of NGS MRD at 2 different time points. We performed targeted NGS of 54 genes in bone marrow cells serially obtained at diagnosis, first complete remission (first time point), and after the first consolidation chemotherapy (second time point) from 335 de novo AML patients. Excluding DNMT3A, TET2, and ASXL1mutations, which are commonly present in individuals with clonal hematopoiesis of indeterminate potential, MRD could be detected in 46.4% of patients at the first time point (MRD1st), and 28.9% at the second time point (MRD2nd). The patients with detectable NGS MRD at either time point had a significantly higher cumulative incidence of relapse and shorter relapse-free survival and overall survival. In multivariate analysis, MRD1stand MRD2ndwere both independent poor prognostic factors. However, the patients with positive MRD1stbut negative MRD2ndhad a similar good prognosis as those with negative MRD at both time points. The incorporation of multiparameter flow cytometry and NGS MRD revealed that the presence of NGS MRD predicted poorer prognosis among the patients without detectable MRD by multiparameter flow cytometry at the second time point but not the first time point. In conclusion, the presence of NGS MRD, especially after the first consolidation therapy, can help predict the clinical outcome of AML patients.

Silver vanadate nanorods (β-AgVO3) with silver nanoparticles (Ag-NPs) decorated on the surface of the rods were synthesized by using simple hydrothermal technique and later anchored onto nitrogen-doped reduced graphene oxide (N-rGO) to make a novel nanocomposite. Experimental analyses were carried out to identify the electronic configuration by X-ray diffraction analysis, Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy, and X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy analysis, which revealed monoclinic patterns of the C12/m1 space group with Wulff construction forming beta silver vanadate (β-AgVO3) crystals with optical density and phase transformations. Ag nucleation showed consistent results with metallic formation and electronic changes occurring in [AgO5] and [AgO3] clusters. Transmission electron microscopy and field-emission scanning electron microscopy with elemental mapping and EDX analysis of the morphology reveals the nanorod structure for β-AgVO3with AgNPs on the surface and sheets for N-rGO. Additionally, a novel electrochemical sensor is constructed by using Ag/AgVO3/N-rGO on screen-printed carbon paste electrodes for the detection of antiviral drug levofloxacin (LEV) which is used as a primary antibiotic in controlling COVID-19. Using differential pulse voltammetry, LEV is determined with a low detection limit of 0.00792 nm for a linear range of 0.09–671 μM with an ultrahigh sensitivity of 152.19 μA μM–1cm–2. Furthermore, modified electrode performance is tested by real-time monitoring using biological and river samples.

The precise detection of antibiotics is very critical. Here, silver selenide (Ag2Se) nanorods are hydrothermally synthesized and ultrasonically treated with rGO surface modified with octadecylamine (rGO-ODA). The optical, structural, morphological, and functional analysis were performed which revealed the orthorhombic pattern of the P2221 E space group, the crystalline purity of Ag2Se, and the substantial composite formation. The morphological studies revealed nanorod like structure of the Ag2Se material and wrinkled sheets of rGO-ODA. A sensor that detects moxifloxacin hydrochloride (MOXH) antibiotic using the cyclic voltammetry (CV), differential pulse voltammetry (DPV) and UV-Vis absorbance was developed. For DPV analysis, a quite low value for detection limit 12.46 nM was exhibited with 0.199 μM – 425.16 μM linear range, and a sensitivity of 5.0439 μA M−1cm−2. For UV-Vis, the sensor demonstrated a very low limit of detection 17.42 nM over 0.12 μM – 7.7 μM working range. The use of this sensor was validated in real-time analysis with industrial waste water, fish, human blood, and urine samples. The results suggested an excellent rate of analyte recovery and enhanced efficiency for MOXH detection with a potential for commercialization in the future.

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Myelodysplastic neoplasms (MDS) are a heterogeneous group of clonal myeloid neoplasms characterized by dysregulated hematopoiesis. In the past several years, major advances in molecular technologies and the development of next generation sequencing have deepened our understanding of MDS pathobiology. Revisions of the existing classification were warranted. Under the aegis of the International Agency for Research on Cancer, the 2022 World Health Organization (WHO) classification was released. The 2022 WHO proposed new categories including MDS with biallelic TP53inactivation (MDS-bi TP53), MDS, hypoplastic (MDS-h) and MDS with fibrosis (MDS-f). In addition, the novel risk scoring system-Molecular International Prognostic Scoring System (IPSS-M) has been established. There are limited data that explore the application of the 2022 WHO classification of MDS in light of the IPSS-M. In this study, a cohort of 635 patients diagnosed as having primary MDS based on the 2022 WHO criteria was retrospectively reviewed. We aimed to elucidate the differences in genetic features and clinical outcomes among patients with different MDS subtypes, based on the 2022 WHO classification. The survival impact of allogeneic hematopoietic stem cell transplantation (allo-HSCT) was also evaluated. TruSight myeloid sequencing panel and the HiSeq platform were used to analyze the alterations of 54 myeloid neoplasm-relevant genes.

A series of novel sensitizers were successfully synthesized utilizing azobenzene as a π‐linkage unit for the D–π–A structure. A slight red shift on the absorption spectra and λonsetof the sensitizers could be observed when the thienyl group was introduced to the acceptor moiety (A). In addition, replacing the donor moiety (D) from carbazole to diarylamino could lead to a negative shift (approximately 0.3 V) in the first oxidation potential. DFT calculation was also carried out and the trend of calculated HOMO–LUMO gaps was consistent to the experimental data obtained from the CV results (DT1< DT2< DT3< DT4). These sensitizers were then employed in dye‐sensitized solar cells to investigate their photovoltaic performances. Highest power conversion efficiency (PCE) of 0.84% was achieved for DT1‐based DSSC according to its most bathochromic absorption spectrum. A series of novel sensitizers were successfully synthesized utilizing azobenzene as π‐linkage unit for D‐π‐A structure. A slight red‐shift on the absorption spectra and λonsetof the sensitizers could be observed when thienyl group was introduced to the acceptor moiety.

Synthesis of nanostructures for industrial usage is a challenge issue since most of the scale up production is not economically suitable. Here we have described two efficient synthesis approaches for copper (II) oxide nanostructures. And, we have compared the methods with current published procedures in terms of time and its impact to the environments. Our simple and environmentally friendly synthesis procedures can produce various Cu (II) oxide nanostructures. We have successfully synthesis Cu (OH)2, CuO nanowire and CuO nanoparticles. And, they were characterized by Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy (FTIR), X-ray diffraction spectroscopy (XRD), Field emission scanning electron microscopy (FESEM), We have also explored the potential of these nanostructure for future development on biomedical applications.

Conscious sedation is not routinely administered for therapeutic endoscopic retrograde cholangiopancreatography (ERCP) in many countries. The aim of our retrospective study was to compare the safety and rate of success and complications during common bile duct (CBD) stone extraction using ERCPs performed with no-sedation (NS) or under general endotracheal anesthesia (GET).

Development of green technique for the fabrication of noble metal nanoparticles is of great importance in order to avoid the usage of toxic chemicals. In this strategy, gold nanoparticles (AuNPs) are synthesized at room temperature by using Camellia japonicaleaf extract under room temperature. The successful formation of AuNPs was confirmed by various spectroscopic techniques including UV, FTIR, XRD and SEM studies. The resulting antimicrobial activity of the synthesized AuNPs stabilized in C. japonicais tested against seven different microbial strains such as Bacillus subtilis, Staphylococcus aureus, Streptococcus faecalis, Klebsiella pneumoniae, Pseudomonas aeruginosa, Escherichia coliand Candida albicans. The present study opens a new window for future synthesis of AuNPs viagreen technique.

In the community screening, those subjects with elevated serum alpha-fetoprotein (AFP) required further abdomen ultrasonography (US) to detect hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC). However, some chronic hepatitis patients might have elevated AFP. AFP-L3, has been proposed to differentiate HCC and hepatitis in elevated AFP cases in Japan for decades, but the utility is limited outside Japan. We conducted this study to elucidate the role of AFP-L3 in the community and the possibility of saving unnecessary US. A total of 56,702 subjects underwent a large-scale healthcare screening in Tainan county in 2004. Among them, 286 residents with AFP more than 20 ng/ml further received US and 169 (59%) had stored baseline sera were enrolled into this study in 2013. Their AFP and AFP-L3 levels were further detected. HCC patients were initially identified through US and personal history. Among 169 studied sera, only 148 (87.6%) samples still had AFP level more than 20 ng/ml after a 10-years frozen period. The decrease of AFP level was significant (481.3 ± 2093.8 ng/ml and 456.1 ± 2095.3 ng/ml in paired-T test, p < 0.001). Focusing on these 148 cases, 23 (15.5%) HCC cases were diagnosed at the baseline screening. There was no difference of AFP-L3 level between HCC and non-HCC cases. Using AFP-L3 to predict HCC, the area under Receiver Operating Characteristic curve was as low as 52%, p = 0.757. Too long frozen period might lower the quality of stored sera. Additionally, AFP-L3 might not provide more information for HCC identification to save advanced US examinations in the community screening.

In the community screening, those subjects with elevated serum alpha‐fetoprotein (AFP) required further abdomen ultrasonography (US) to detect hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC). However, some chronic hepatitis patients might have elevated AFP. AFP‐L3, has been proposed to differentiate HCC and hepatitis in elevated AFP cases in Japan for decades, but the utility is limited outside Japan. We conducted this study to elucidate the role of AFP‐L3 in the community and the possibility of saving unnecessary US. A total of 56,702 subjects underwent a large‐scale healthcare screening in Tainan county in 2004. Among them, 286 residents with AFP more than 20 ng/ml further received US and 169 (59%) had stored baseline sera were enrolled into this study in 2013. Their AFP and AFP‐L3 levels were further detected. HCC patients were initially identified through US and personal history. Among 169 studied sera, only 148 (87.6%) samples still had AFP level more than 20 ng/ml after a 10‐years frozen period. The decrease of AFP level was significant (481.3 ± 2093.8 ng/ml and 456.1 ± 2095.3 ng/ml in paired‐T test, p < 0.001). Focusing on these 148 cases, 23 (15.5%) HCC cases were diagnosed at the baseline screening. There was no difference of AFP‐L3 level between HCC and non‐HCC cases. Using AFP‐L3 to predict HCC, the area under Receiver Operating Characteristic curve was as low as 52%, p = 0.757. Too long frozen period might lower the quality of stored sera. Additionally, AFP‐L3 might not provide more information for HCC identification to save advanced US examinations in the community screening.

Objective We assessed our results of short-segment decompression and fixation for osteoporotic thoracolumbar fractures with neurological deficits.Methods We evaluated 20 elderly patients (age, 60–89 years; mean, 73.2 years) with osteoporotic thoracolumbar fractures and neurological deficits. They underwent short-segment decompression and fixation and followed up for 40.6 (range, 24–68) months. A visual analog scale (VAS) and the Oswestry Disability Index (ODI) were used to measure back pain and disability. We also analyzed patients’ radiologic findings and neurological status. Perioperative and postoperative complications were recorded.Results At the latest follow-up, the average VAS score for back pain and ODI scores had significantly improved. The radiologic assessment showed significant improvements in local kyphosis, anterior vertebral height, and the vertebral wedge angle compared with the original measures. Neurological function also improved in 18 of 20 patients. No major complications occurred perioperatively. Our techniques included preservation of the posterior ligament complex, decortication of facet joints for fusion, no tapping to increase the screw insertional torque, pre-contouring of the rods according to the “adaptive” curve obtained from postural reduction, and postoperative spinal bracing.Conclusions Posterior short-segment decompression and fixation could be an effective surgical option for osteoporotic thoracolumbar burst fractures with neurological deficits.