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Abstract The Marine Isotope Stage (MIS) 11c interglacial and its preceding glacial termination represent an enigmatically intense climate response to relatively weak insolation forcing. So far, a lack of radiometric age control has confounded a detailed assessment of the insolation-climate relationship during this period. Here, we present 230Th-dated speleothem proxy data from northern Italy and compare them with palaeoclimate records from the North Atlantic region. We find that interglacial conditions started in subtropical to middle latitudes at 423.1 ± 1.3 thousand years (kyr) before present, during a first weak insolation maximum, whereas northern high latitudes remained glaciated (sea level ~ 40 m below present). Some 14.5 ± 2.8 kyr after this early subtropical onset, peak interglacial conditions were reached globally, with sea level 6–13 m above present, despite weak insolation forcing. We attribute this remarkably intense climate response to an exceptionally long (~15 kyr) episode of intense poleward heat flux transport prior to the MIS 11c optimum.

The hospital-at-home (HaH) model delivers hospital-level acute care, including diagnostics, monitoring, and treatments, in a patient’s home. It is particularly effective for managing conditions such as pneumonia. Point-of-care ultrasonography (PoCUS) is a key diagnostic tool in the HaH model, and it often serves as a substitute for imaging-based diagnosis in the HaH setting. Both standard and handheld ultrasound equipment are suitable for lung ultrasound (LUS) evaluation. Curvelinear and linear probes are typically used. Patient positioning depends on their clinical condition and specific diagnostic protocols. To enhance sensitivity, we recommend using at least 10-point protocols supported by studies for pneumonia. Five essential LUS patterns should be identified, including A-line, multiple B-lines (alveolar-interstitial syndrome), confluent B-lines, subpleural consolidation, and consolidation with air bronchogram. Pleural effusion is common, and its internal echogenicity can indicate severity and the need for invasive procedures. The current evidence on various etiologies and types of pneumonia is limited, but LUS demonstrates good sensitivity in detecting abnormal sonographic patterns in atypical pneumonia, tuberculosis, and ventilator-associated pneumonia. Further LUS studies in the HaH setting are required to validate and generalize the findings.

Abstract The vagal nervous system is central to the physiological responses and systemic diseases of the liver. We evaluated the subsequent risk of liver and intrahepatic cancer (HCC/ICC) in non-H. pylori (HP)-infected perforated peptic ulcer (PPU) patients with and without vagotomy. Hospitalized PPU patients who underwent simple closure or truncal vagotomy/pyloroplasty (TVP) in the National Health Insurance Research Database from 2000 to 2008 were enrolled. The exclusion criteria included: (1) Multiple surgeries for PPU were received at the same admission; (2) Any cancer history; (3) Previous peptic ulcer-associated surgery; (4) HP infection history; (5) Viral hepatitis infection history; (6) Follow-up duration

As the population worldwide continues to age and the percentage of elderly people continues to increase, falls have been become the second leading cause of death from accidental or unintentional injuries. Although many imaging sensing devices have been used to detect falls for elderly people, most involve using the Internet to transfer images taken by a camera to a large back-end server, which performs the necessary calculations; however, algorithm limitations and computational complexity may cause bottlenecks in image outflow, and the image transfer can result in privacy problems. To address these problems, in this paper, an artificial intelligence (AI) fall detection method is proposed that operates using an edge computing architecture, called the pose estimation-based fall detection methodology (PEFDM), which is based on a human body posture recognition technique. The proposed PEFDM can effectively reduce the computational load, runs smoothly on mainstream edge computing systems and possesses artificial intelligence computing capabilities. By using edge computing, the privacy and upload bandwidth issues caused by image outflow can be eliminated. Experiments with real humans show that the PEFDM can detect falls for elderly people with a recognition accuracy of up to 98.1%.

Today, with the arrival of an aging society, the average age of the population is rising. It is known that the physiology of a person degrades with age. There are approximately 285 million visually impaired people in the world, of whom 140 million are elderly people over the age of 50, and 110 million of these visually impaired elderly people suffer from multiple chronic diseases. In the case of multiple medication usage, these 110 million vulnerable people will be more likely to take the wrong medicines or forget to take their medication. To solve this problem, this paper proposes a wearable smart-glasses-based drug pill recognition system using deep learning, named MedGlasses, for visually impaired people to improve their medication-use safety. The proposed MedGlasses system consists of a pair of wearable smart glasses, an artificial intelligence (AI)-based intelligent drug pill recognition box, a mobile device app, and a cloud-based information management platform. Experimental results show that a recognition accuracy of up to 95.1% can be achieved. Therefore, the proposed MedGlasses system can effectively mitigate the problem of drug interactions caused by taking incorrect drugs, thereby reducing the cost of medical treatment and providing visually impaired chronic patients with a safe medication environment.

Neurons are highly specialized cells with polarized cellular processes and subcellular domains. As vital organelles for neuronal functions, mitochondria are distributed by microtubule-based transport systems. Although the essential components of mitochondrial transport including motors and cargo adaptors are identified, it is less clear how mitochondrial distribution among somato-dendritic and axonal compartment is regulated. Here, we systematically study mitochondrial motors, including four kinesins, KIF5, KIF17, KIF1, KLP-6, and dynein, and transport regulators in C. elegans PVD neurons. Among all these motors, we found that mitochondrial export from soma to neurites is mainly mediated by KIF5/UNC-116. Interestingly, UNC-116 is especially important for axonal mitochondria, while dynein removes mitochondria from all plus-end dendrites and the axon. We surprisingly found one mitochondrial transport regulator for minus-end dendritic compartment, TRAK-1, and two mitochondrial transport regulators for axonal compartment, CRMP/UNC-33 and JIP3/UNC-16. While JIP3/UNC-16 suppresses axonal mitochondria, CRMP/UNC-33 is critical for axonal mitochondria; nearly no axonal mitochondria present in unc-33 mutants. We showed that UNC-33 is essential for organizing the population of UNC-116-associated microtubule bundles, which are tracks for mitochondrial trafficking. Disarrangement of these tracks impedes mitochondrial transport to the axon. In summary, we identified a compartment-specific transport regulation of mitochondria by UNC-33 through organizing microtubule tracks for different kinesin motors other than microtubule polarity.

Aim: Taiwan’s response to the coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) differed in that it successfully prevented the spread without having to shutdown or overburden medical services. Patients’ fear regarding the pandemic would be the only reason to reduce surgeries, so Taiwan could be the most suitable place for research on the influence of psychological factors. This study aimed to assess the impact of patients’ fear on orthopedic surgeries in Taiwan amid the peak period of the COVID-19 pandemic. Patients and Methods: The investigation period included the COVID-19 pandemic (March 2020 to April 2020) and the corresponding period in the previous year. The following data on patients with orthopedic diseases were collected: outpatient visits, hospital admission, and surgical modalities. Results: The COVID-19 pandemic led to a 22%–29% and 20%–26% reduction in outpatients, 22%–27% and 25%–37% reduction in admissions, and 26%–35% and 18%–34% reduction in surgeries, respectively, at both hospitals. The weekly mean number of patients was significantly smaller during the COVID-19 pandemic for all types of surgery and elective surgeries at the university hospital, and for all types of surgery, elective surgeries, and total knee arthroplasties at the community hospital. Further, patients visiting the community hospital during the pandemic were significantly younger, for all types of surgery, elective surgeries, and total knee arthroplasties. Conclusions: The reduction in orthopedic surgeries in Taiwan’s hospitals during COVID-19 could be attributed to patients’ fear. Even without restriction, the pandemic inevitably led to a reduction of about 20%–30% of the operation volume.

This paper proposes an intelligent medicine recognition system based on deep learning techniques, named ST-Med-Box. The proposed system can assist chronic patients in taking multiple medications correctly and avoiding in taking the wrong medications, which may cause drug interactions, and can provide other medication-related functionalities such as reminders to take medications on time, medication information, and chronic patient information management. The proposed system consists of an intelligent medicine recognition device, an app running on an Android-based mobile device, a deep learning training server, and a cloud-based management platform. Currently, eight different medicines can be recognized by the proposed system. The experimental results show that the recognition accuracy reaches 96.6%. Therefore, the proposed system can effectively reduce the problem of drug interactions caused by taking incorrect drugs, thereby reducing the cost of medical treatment and giving patients with chronic diseases a safe medication environment.

INTRODUCTION:Enteral nutrition (EN) is important in the management of critically illness. Yet, the best route (e.g. pre-pyloric or post-pyloric) for EN in critically ill patients remains to be investigated, especially in specific surgical patients group. In addition, EN could be associated with a higher risk of aspiration pneumonia. Therefore, we evaluate the effect of various EN routes in surgical critically ill perforated peptic ulcer (PPU) patients who underwent surgery and required mechanical ventilation. METHOD:We collected data of surgical critically ill PPU patients admitted to intensive care unit. The patients were managed with appropriate care bundle and program. To reduce the impact of surgery types, we excluded those who had received other surgical procedures and included patients that only received simple closure. Patients were classified into nasogastric and jejunostomy feeding groups. The demographics, severity scores (e.g.: APACHE II, SOFA, and POSSUM), body mass index (BMI), comorbidities, ventilator days, use of proton pump inhibitors (PPIs), pneumonia occurrence, mortality and complications were collected for analysis. RESULTS:A total of 136 critically ill PPU patients that received surgery and mechanical ventilation were enrolled. There were 53 patients in NG group and 83 patients in FJ group. There were no differences in demographics, severity scores, BMI, comorbidities, ventilator days, use of PPIs, pneumonia occurrence, mortalities and complications between groups. CONCLUSION:Our study indicates that there are no differences in mortalities and pneumonia occurrence using nasogastric or feeding jejunostomy in surgical critically ill PPU patients underwent surgery. However, further studies are required.

A protein concentration measurement system with two-port flexural plate-wave (FPW) biosensors using a frequency-shift readout technique is presented in this paper. The proposed frequency-shift readout method employs a peak detecting scheme to measure the amount of resonant frequency shift. The proposed system is composed of a linear frequency generator, a pair of peak detectors, two registers, and a subtractor. The frequency sweep range of the linear frequency generator is limited to 2 MHz to 10 MHz according to the characteristics of the FPW biosensors. The proposed frequency-shift readout circuit is carried out on silicon using a standard 0.18 μm CMOS technology. The sensitivity of the peak detectors is measured to be 10 mV. The power consumption of the proposed protein concentration measurement system is 48 mW given a 0.1 MHz system clock.

The hull of high performance submarines must resist underwater shock loading due to exploding torpedoes or depth bombs. An underwater shock involving an initial shock wave and successive bubble pulsating waves is so complex that a theoretical technique for deriving shock pressure distribution is required for improving simulation efficiency. Complete shock loading is obtained theoretically in this work, and responses of a submarine pressure hull are calculated using ABAQUS USA (Underwater Shock Analysis) codes. In the long run, this deflection and stress data will assist in examining the structural arrangement of the submarine pressure hull.

Notch signaling pathway defines an evolutionarily conserved mechanism in cell-fate determination in a broad spectrum of developmental processes through local cell interactions. mind bomb (mib) encodes an E3 ubiquitin ligase that is involved in Notch activation through Delta ubiquitylation and internalization. To further dissect the function of Mib, two yeast two-hybrid screens for zebrafish Mib/Mib2-binding proteins with different strategies have been performed. 81 putative interesting proteins were discovered and classified into six groups: ubiquitin proteasome pathway, cytoskeleton, trafficking, replication/transcription/translation factors, cell signaling and others. Confirmed by coimmunoprecipitation (Co-IP), Mib interacted with four tested proteins: ubiquitin specific protease 1 (Usp1), ubiquitin specific protease 9 (Usp9), tumor-necrosis-factor-receptor-associated factor (TRAF)-binding domain (Trabid)/zinc finger, RAN-binding domain containing 1 (Zranb1) and hypoxia-inducible factor 1, alpha subunit inhibitor (Hif1an)/factor inhibiting HIF 1 (Fih-1). Usp1, Usp9, Trabid and Fih-1 also bound to zebrafish Mib2, a Mib homolog with similar structural domains and functions. Both Mib and Mib2 can ubiquitylate Trabid and Fih-1, indicating a potential regulating role of Mib and Mib2 on Trabid and Fih-1 and, furthermore, the possible involvement of Notch signaling in hypoxia-regulated differentiation, tumorigenesis and NF-κB pathway. Finally, functions of confirmed Mib/Mib2-interacting proteins are collated, summarized and hypothesized, which depicts a regulating network beyond Notch signaling.

Data acquisition and supervisory control are usually performed using client-server architecture and centralized control in conventional power systems. However, the message transmission and fault clearing are too slow for large-scale complex power systems. Microgrid systems have various types of distributed energy resources (DERs) which are quite different in characteristics and capacities, thus, the client-server architecture and centralized control are inadequate to control and operate in microgrids. Based on MATLAB/Simulink (ver.R2012a) simulation software and Java Agent Development Framework (JADE) (JADE 4.1.1-revision 6532), this paper proposes a novel fault protection technology that used multi-agent system (MAS) to perform fault detection, fault isolation and service restoration in microgrids. A new topology identification method using the YBus Matrix Algorithm is presented to successfully recognize the network configurations. The identification technology can respond to microgrid variations. Furthermore, the interactive communications among intelligent electronic devices (IEDs), circuit breakers (CBs), and agents are clarified during fault occurrence. The simulation results show that the proposed MAS-based microgrids can promptly isolate faults and protect the system against faults in real time.

Many organs in vertebrates are left-right asymmetrical located. For example, liver is at the right side and stomach is at the left side in human. Fibroblast growth factor (Fgf) signaling is important for left-right asymmetry. To investigate the roles of Fgfr2 signaling in zebrafish left-right asymmetry, we used splicing blocking morpholinos to specifically block the splicing of fgfr2b and fgfr2c variants, respectively. We found that the relative position of the liver and the pancreas were disrupted in fgfr2c morphants. Furthermore, the left-right asymmetry of the heart became random. Expression pattern of the laterality controlling genes, spaw and pitx2c, also became random in the morphants. Furthermore, lefty1 was not expressed in the posterior notochord, indicating that the molecular midline barrier had been disrupted. It was also not expressed in the brain diencephalon. Kupffer's vesicle (KV) size became smaller in fgfr2c morphants. Furthermore, KV cilia were shorter in fgfr2c morphants. We conclude that the fgfr2c isoform plays an important role in the left-right asymmetry during zebrafish development.

The catalytic growth of Zn3N2 using guided-stream thermal chemical vapor deposition has been investigated within the parameter range of acicular growth to obtain uniform microtips with a high crystalline quality. The cubic anti-bixbyite crystal structure of Zn3N2 microtips and its related phonon mode are revealed by X-ray diffraction and Raman spectroscopy, respectively. The surface morphologies of pure and surface-oxidized Zn3N2 microtips are depicted by scanning electron microscopy and show the crack formation on the surface-oxidized Zn3N2 microtips. The spatial element distribution map confirms the VLS growth mechanism for Zn3N2 microtips and reveals the depth profile of zinc, nitrogen, oxygen, and nickel elements. Photoluminescence (PL) spectra of Zn3N2 microtips show a sharp infrared band-to-band emission peak at 1.34 eV with a full width at half maximum of ~100 meV and a very broad oxygen-related defect band emission peak centered at ~0.85eV [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The article focuses on the findings of a study by Kirchhof et al., indicating that anticoagulation with edoxaban did not reduce the incidence of cardiovascular death, stroke, or systemic embolism compared to placebo in patients with atrial high-rate episodes (AHREs) detected by implantable devices. It mentions the NOAH-AFNET 6 trial observed a low incidence of stroke, around 1 present per patient-year.

We proposed a new PatchNet structure for zero shot learning (ZSL). In addition to the global features extracted from VGG19, PatchNet features are intended to catch the overall region-of-interested. These two features are fused via a bilinear operation. The fused image feature is mapped to the semantic space by a fully connected layer. The structure is easy to train since it only adopts a simple cross entropy loss function. According to the experiments, this method can extract more completeness features than those well-known backbones do in some images. In specific dataset, our method is competitive to other state of the art methods. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

As a Paiwan scholar who is familiar with Paiwan language, Chou has been an active speaker at many lectures and performance events of Paiwan music, as well as a key coordinator to the transmission of Paiwan flutes. 50 The aestheticization of Paiwan flutes has therefore been recontextualized into the new generation through a series of transmission and promotion projects, and the music of Paiwan flutes has been publicized as a representative form of Paiwan art worth learning by the Paiwan people and appreciated by the general audience. Hsu: Sounding Paiwan 123 The institutionalization of Paiwan flutes also involves a process in which the state and the Taiwanese society have gradually come to regard Paiwan flutes as a legitimate cultural heritage. Ethnomusicology Review 22(2) Sounding Paiwan: Institutionalization and Heritage-Making of Paiwan Lalingedan and Pakulalu Flutes in Contemporary Taiwan Chia-Hao Hsu Lalingedan ni vuvu namaya tua qaun Lalingedan ni vuvu namaya tua luseq…… Lalingedan sini pu'eljan nu talimuzav a'uvarun Lalingedan nulemangeda'en mapaqenetje tua saluveljengen The ancestor's nose flute is like weeping. 17 For example, as the first female Paiwan flautist, Sauniaw Tjuveljevelj, who is designated as a preserver of Paiwan flutes in Pingtung County in 2008, broke through the gender restrictions and dedicated herself to the transmission of Paiwan flutes in public schools. [Extracted from the article]

304 stainless steels (SS) were considered as the materials for a dry storage canister. In this study, ER (Electrode Rod) 308L was utilized as the filler metal for the groove and overlay welds of a 304L stainless steel substrate, which was prepared via a gas tungsten arc-welding process in multiple passes. The electron backscatter diffraction (EBSD) map was used to identify the inherent microstructures in distinct specimens. U-bend and weight-loss tests were conducted by testing the 304L substrates and welds in a salt spray containing 5 wt % NaCl at 80 °C to evaluate their susceptibility to stress corrosion cracking (SCC). Generally, the weight loss of the ER 308L deposit was higher than that of the 304L substrate in a salt spray in the same sample-prepared condition. The dissolution of the skeletal structure in the fusion zone (FZ) was responsible for a greater weight loss of the 308L deposit, especially for the cold-rolled and sensitized specimen. Cold rolling was detrimental and sensitization after cold rolling was very harmful to the SCC resistance of the 304L substrate and 308L deposit. Overall, the SCC susceptibility of each specimen was correlated with its weight loss in each group. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Data acquisition and supervisory control are usually performed using client-server architecture and centralized control in conventional power systems. However, the message transmission and fault clearing are too slow for large-scale complex power systems. Microgrid systems have various types of distributed energy resources (DERs) which are quite different in characteristics and capacities, thus, the client-server architecture and centralized control are inadequate to control and operate in microgrids. Based on MATLAB/Simulink (ver.R2012a) simulation software and Java Agent Development Framework (JADE) (JADE 4.1.1-revision 6532), this paper proposes a novel fault protection technology that used multi-agent system (MAS) to perform fault detection, fault isolation and service restoration in microgrids. A new topology identification method using the YBus Matrix Algorithm is presented to successfully recognize the network configurations. The identification technology can respond to microgrid variations. Furthermore, the interactive communications among intelligent electronic devices (IEDs), circuit breakers (CBs), and agents are clarified during fault occurrence. The simulation results show that the proposed MAS-based microgrids can promptly isolate faults and protect the system against faults in real time. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

We demonstrate the control of phase composition in Bridgman-grown β-Zn4Sb3 crystals by indium doping, an effective way to overcome the difficulty of growing very pure β-Zn4Sb3 thermoelectric material. The crystal structures are characterized by Rietveld refinement with synchrotron X-ray diffraction data. The results show an anisotropic lattice expansion in In-doped β-Zn4Sb3 wherein the zinc atoms are partially substituted by indium ones at 36f site of R-3c symmetry. Through the elimination of ZnSb phase, all the three individual thermoelectric properties are simultaneously improved, i.e., increasing electrical conductivity and Seebeck coefficient while reducing thermal conductivity. Under an optimal In concentration (x=0.05), pure phase β-Zn4Sb3 crystal can be obtained, which possesses a high figure of merit (ZT) of 1.4 at 700 K. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Objective: To assess substance use before and after bariatric weight loss surgery (WLS). There is a paucity of research investigating the occurrence of substance use following bariatric WLS. It was hypothesized that patients who underwent WLS would exhibit an increase in substance use (drug use, alcohol use, and cigarette smoking) following surgery to compensate for a marked decrease in food intake. Design: Prospective study. Setting: A major urban community hospital. Participants: A total of 155 participants (132 women and 23 men) who underwent WLS were recruited from a preoperative information session at a bariatric surgery center. Intervention: Participants received either laparoscopic Roux-en-Y gastric bypass surgery (n=100) or laparoscopic adjustable gastric band surgery (n=55). Participants completed questionnaires to assess eating behaviors and substance use at preoperative baseline and 1, 3, 6, 12, and 24 months after surgery. Main Outcome Measure: Substance use as assessed by the Compulsive Behaviors Questionnaire. Results: Participants reported significant increases in the frequency of substance use (a composite of drug use, alcohol use, and cigarette smoking, hereafter referred to as composite substance use) 24 months after surgery. Specifically, participants experienced a significant increase in the frequency of composite substance use from baseline to 24 months after surgery (P=.02), as well as significant increases from 1 month, 3 months, and 6 months to 24 months after surgery (all P⩽.002). In addition, participants who underwent laparoscopic Roux-en-Y gastric bypass surgery reported a significant increase in the frequency of alcohol use from baseline to 24 months after surgery (P=.011). The response rate to the survey was 61% at 1-month follow-up, 41% at 3-month follow-up, 43% at 6-month follow-up, 49% at 12-month followup, and 24% at 24-month follow-up. Conclusions: Patients may be at increased risk for substance use following bariatric WLS. In particular, patients who undergo laparoscopic Roux-en-Y gastric bypass surgery may be at increased risk for alcohol use following WLS. Our study is among the first to document significant increases in substance use following WLS using longitudinal data. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

A series of Ce3+/Mn2+-coactivated MgY4Si3O13 phosphors with oxyapatite nature have been prepared via high temperature solid state reaction process and their structural and luminescence property was thoroughly investigated. On examining the Mn2+ concentration-dependent photoluminescence properties, we found that the increment of Mn2+ concentration would lead to a systematic decrease of Ce3+ emission due to the efficient energy transfer from Ce3+ to Mn2+, which occurs because of the spectral overlap between the emission band of Ce3+ and the excitation band of Mn2+. The resonant energy transfer from Ce3+ to Mn2+ via a dipole-quadrupole mechanism was supported by decay lifetime data and the critical distance (RC) of the energy transfer was calculated to be 14.13 Å. The color-tunable emission in Ce3+/Mn2+ codoped system as a function of Mn2+ concentration can be realized by continuous shifting of the emission colors from blue to white and eventually to orange red region. Based on the results in this study, MgY4Si3O13:Ce3+,Mn2+ phosphors are considered efficient phosphors with excellent color tunability for white UV-LEDs. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

YBO3:Tb3+ phosphors with nest-like and apple-like morphology were synthesized via the microemulsion-mediated hydrothermal process at a reaction temperature as low as 180°C. This process significantly reduced the reaction duration and temperatures as compared with the conventional processes. The YBO3:Tb3+ powders prepared via the microemulsion-mediated hydrothermal process had smaller particle sizes in comparison with the hydrothermal process. In the growth process, the nanoflakes assembled to spheres in revolved order. Each nanoflake protruded out of the spheres, followed by transforming into completed multilayers to form the nest-like particles. When the prepared phosphors were excited with the wavelength of 240 nm, the emission peaks in the range from 487 to 628 nm are related to the transitions from 5D4 to 7FJ ( J=3-6) levels of Tb3+ ions. As the reaction temperatures were increased, the lifetimes were increased due to decrease in the defect centers. The reduced defect centers and enhanced crystallinity of the prepared samples cause the luminescent intensity to increase. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Oxynitride-based phosphors CaSi2O2N2 codoped with Ce3+ and Eu2+ were prepared in this study. Broad Ce3+ excitation spectra ranging from 200 to 500 nm were found for CaSi2O2N2:Ce3+, Eu2+ phosphors. The emission bands consisted of Ce3+ and Eu2+ emission peaks. When the Eu2+ concentration increased, the emission intensity of Ce3+ decreased along with the enhancement in the Eu2+ emission intensity. The energy transfer from Ce3+ to Eu2+ occurred effectively in CaSi2O2N2:Ce3+, Eu2+ with a dipole-dipole interaction. The increased Eu2+ concentration led the emitting colors of the prepared phosphor to shift from blue to green region. Increasing the temperature caused the emission intensity to decrease monotonously due to the thermal quenching effects. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

La3+/Ce3+-codoped carbonitride phosphors-Y2Si4N6C were synthesized via a carbothermal reduction nitridation route. For the Ce3+-doped Y2Si4N6C phosphors, the emission spectrum exhibited a broad band at around 538 nm due to the f-d transition of Ce3+ ions. When La3+ ions were incorporated into the host, the emitting colors of (Y, La)2Si4N6C: Ce3+ phosphors varied from a yellowish green to blue region. The great blue shift in emission bands was due to the variation in the crystal-field strength around the activators. In addition, (Y, La)2Si4N6C: Ce3+ phosphors exhibited high thermal stability, indicating the superior suitability in ultraviolet light-emitting diodes. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

A nitridosilicate phosphor CeSi3N5 has been successfully prepared via the carbothermal reduction and nitridation method. The accurate structural parameters of single-phased CeSi3N5 were determined utilizing the Rietveld refinement process. Upon excitation at 353 nm, CeSi3N5 exhibited an intense blue emission assigned to a Ce3+ ion transition. When Tb3+ ions were doped into the host, several Tb3+ emission lines and a decrease in Ce3+ emission were observed. Energy transfer from Ce3+ to Tb3+ resulted in a color shift from blue to greenish blue. The color-tunable CeSi3N5:Tb3+ phosphors to be used in ultraviolet light-emitting diodes were developed by modulating the Tb3+ concentrations. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The aim of this work was to develop a micropore-controlled release tablet for theophylline. The tablets were composed of a drug core surrounded by a microporous film. The major components of coating film included a biocompatible semipermeable polymer, cellulose acetate, and a water-soluble pore-forming agent, poly(ethylene glycol). The effect of the coating film composition and the type of excipient incorporated in the drug core on drug release were demonstrated via an in vitro release study. The optimized formulation was further investigated in vivo of rabbits. The results showed that micropore-controlled release tablets continuously released drug for 24-36 hours depending on the type of excipient in the drug core and the coating film composition. Incorporation of lactose in the drug core enhanced drug release from micropore-controlled release tablets. In vivo animal study revealed that the micropore-controlled release tablets reduced the maximum concentration and prolonged the mean residence time of drug. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Oxide-based phosphors MgY4Si3O13 codoped with Ce3+ and Tb3+ were prepared in this study. Broad Ce3+ excitation spectra with the highest intensity at 330 nm were found for MgY4Si3O13:Ce3+, Tb3+ phosphors. Emission lines ranging from 450 to 650 nm originated from the 5D4→7F J ( J=6, 5, 4, 3) transitions of Tb3+ ions. The energy transfer from Ce3+ to Tb3+ occurred effectively in MgY4Si3O13:Ce3+, Tb3+ with a dipole–quadrupole interaction. Codoping Ce3+ with Tb3+ significantly increased the emission intensity of the prepared phosphors. Increasing the Tb3+ concentration led to the chromaticity coordinates of the prepared samples greatly shifting from the blue to the green region, extending the applicability of MgY4Si3O13:Ce3+, Tb3+ phosphors in solid-state lighting. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]