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The distribution of metabolic and obesity phenotypes in Taiwanese medical personnel is unknown. In this study, trajectory analysis with repeated measurements was used to explore the development and associated risk factors of different metabolic and obesity phenotypes in hospital staff from a Taiwanese medical center. The results demonstrated that metabolically unhealthy workers presented with a higher body mass index (BMI) compared with their metabolically healthy counterparts. Male and aged > 40 years hospital workers were more likely to be in a deleterious metabolic/obesity state. Meanwhile, profession and working hours were not significantly associated with the development of certain phenotypes in our study. These results shed light on the necessity of adequate data retrieval regarding working hours, and a nuanced examination of working conditions among different professions. Our findings are helpful for the development of advanced guidance regarding health promotion in hospital workers.

Acoustic cavitation plays a key role in blood-brain-barrier opening. Stable cavitation is required for safely transient barrier disruption when inertial cavitation may cause potentially undesirable damage to brain. To ensure the safety, an appropriate passive cavitation detector is needed to monitor cavitation activity during focused ultrasound treatment. The purpose of this study was to develop a passive cavitation detector with high sensitivity at the specific frequency used in blood-brain-barrier opening. The detector was designed with the assistance of pulse-echo response simulations, using the software PiezoCAD. The active transducer of the detector was constructed of two matching layers, a PZT-5A ceramic disk and the titanium backing. The detector was characterized via the pulse-echo measurements and a commercial hydrophone was used to determine the sensitivity of the developed detector. Cavitation experiments were also performed to validate the detector. The experimental results showed that the detector had the center frequency of 1.16 MHz with the bandwidth of 44.8% and its sensitivity was 2.87 V/MPa at 1.0 MHz. In cavitation experiments, 2-MHz focused ultrasound with the focal intensity of 58 W/cm2 and 1461 W/cm2 induced stable cavitation and inertial cavitation in free field, separately. The spectra of the ultrasound signals detected by the detector indicated the occurrence of peak voltages at the subharmonic frequency of 1 MHz and the increase in the level of wideband signals, reflecting stable cavitation and inertial cavitation, respectively. Based on the design guideline of this study, the passive cavitation detector can be developed dedicated for blood-brain-barrier opening.

The reaction of 2,4-dimethoxy-5-iodopyrimidine (8) and 3,5-di-O-tert-butyldimethylsilyl protected ribofuranoid glycal 4 was carried out with Pd(OAc)2 as the catalyst, PPh3 as the ligand and Et3N as the base in DMF at 70 °C followed by desilylation to afford exclusively the β-anomer of 5-(2,3-dideoxy-3-oxoribofuranosyl)-2,4-dimethoxypyrimidine (11) in a very good yield. The subsequent protecting group and functional group interconversions furnished pseudouridine (Ψ, 1).

Two-dimensional hexagonal boron nitride has been discovered for piezoelectric property in response to mechanical deformation. However, the quantitative measurement of piezoelectric effects in hexagonal boron nitride and its applicability are still explored. Here, we demonstrated the synthesis of boron nitride nanoflakes by mechanochemical exfoliation and employed the electrochemical method to quantitatively evaluate the piezoelectric performance of the nanoflakes deposited on carbon paper substrate under ultrasonic circumstances. The charge was reached up to 69.29 μC calculated from cyclic voltammogram at 30 mV/s sweep rate under 2.976 MPa induced by ultrasound. The net increased charge was 49.54 μC/mm 2 at 2.976 MPa. The output current was measured up to ~597 pA/mm 2 and positive shift of output voltage shifted from -600 mV to -450 mV. In addition, we observed that the piezoelectric performance linearly increased with pressure induced by ultrasound. Ultrasound-mediated boron nitride nanoflakes paves the new routes for applications of energy and biomedical field.

The disorders of the sodium concentration [Na+] are body fluid osmolality disorders called dysnatremias. They are so named because our clinical chemistry measurements are obtained from blood plasma, part of the extracellular fluid (ECF), where Na+ is the dominant osmole. Since water is highly permeable to nearly all plasma membranes, and body water osmolality is regulated, it is the amount of the major ECF cation, Na+, and its associated anions that determines the ECF volume. The amount of the major intracellular fluid (ICF) cation, K+, with associated anions determines the volume of the ICF. Thus, accounting for anions that maintain electroneutrality in each compartment, the osmolality of each fluid compartment of the total body water (TBW) is equal to that of TBW itself: $$ \mathrm{Osm}=2\left[\mathrm{ECF}\kern0.5em {\mathrm{Na}}^{+}+\mathrm{ICF}\ {\mathrm{K}}^{+}\right]/\mathrm{TBW} $$ where the units are as follows: Osm, milliosmoles/kg; Na+ and K+, Meq/kg or millimoles/kg.

The main objective of engineering education is to cultivate students to possess capabilities demanded by industries. Of capabilities, creative thinking is the most crucial one. Generally, art-related fields are classified with high creativity while science and engineering are classified as a field dealing with numbers, calculations and realistic phenomena. However, the real-world situation is that students majoring in science and engineering need the skill of creativity to face emerging complicated engineering problems. Our question is that: can art foster creativity of students majoring in science and engineering? This study is to explore link of art and creativity of mater students in science and engineering through the experience of interactive art and aesthetic sense to realize its effect on creativity by using the Processing Software and Leap Motion to create visual and music interactive art works. The total of 70 subjects are students in Colleges of Science and Engineering and College of Electronical Engineering and Computer Science from a university in Taiwan. The research measurement tools are Abbreviated Torrance Test for Adults (ATTA) for pretest-posttest research design and the Study Preference Questionnaire (SPQ) to differentiate the cognitive styles. Using descriptive statistics, One-Sample t test, Paired-samples t test, One-Way ANOVA and Pearson Correlation etc. for statistical analysis. Our findings indicate that students in science and technology fields, their creativity falls on average standard (Creative Index, CI), not particularly outperforming. Different genders, cognition styles and different institutes and colleges of master’s degree students in science and technology demonstrated also no significant differences in creativity. Nevertheless, after introducing the experience of visual and music interactive art works, it has significant effect on the creativity of students in science and technology. The study may provide a cross path of art, science and engineering in STEAM education if conducted further.

Background: Disorders of acid-base involve the complex interplay of many organ systems including brain, lungs, kidney, and liver. Compensations for acid-base disturbances within the brain are more complete, while limitations of compensations are more apparent for most systemic disorders. However, some of the limitations on compensations are necessary to survival, in that preservation of oxygenation, energy balance, cognition, electrolyte, and fluid balance are connected mechanistically. Summary: This review aims to give new and comprehensive perspective on understanding acid-base balance and identifying associated disorders. All metabolic acid-base disorders can be approached in the context of the relative losses or gains of electrolytes or a change in the anion gap in body fluids. Acid-base and electrolyte balance are connected not only at the cellular level but also in daily clinical practice. Urine chemistry is essential to understanding electrolyte excretion and renal compensations. Key Messages: Many constructs are helpful to understand acid-base, but these models are not mutually exclusive. Electroneutrality and the close interconnection between electrolyte and acid-base balance are important concepts to apply in acid-base diagnoses. All models have complexity and shortcuts that can help in practice. There is no reason to dismiss any of the present constructs, and there is benefit in a combined approach.

Purpose To study the genetics and functional alteration of a family with X-linked lissencephaly and subcortical band heterotopia. Methods Five affected patients (one male with lissencephaly, four female with subcortical band heterotopia) and their relatives were studied. Sanger sequencing of DCX gene, allele specific PCR and molecular inversion probe technique were performed. Mutant and wild type of the gene products, namely doublecortin, were expressed in cells followed by immunostaining to explore the localization of doublecortin and microtubules in cells. In vitro microtubule-binding protein spin-down assay was performed to quantify the binding ability of doublecortin to microtubules. Key findings We identified a novel DCX mutation c.785A > G, p.Asp262Gly that segregated with the affected members of the family. Allele specific PCR and molecular inversion probe technique demonstrated that the asymptomatic female carrier had an 8% mutant allele fraction in DNA derived from peripheral leukocytes. This mother had 7 children, 4 of whom were affected and all four affected siblings carried the mutation. Functional study showed that the mutant doublecortin protein had a significant reduction of its ability to bind microtubules. Significance Low level mosaicism could be a cause of inherited risk from asymptomatic parents for DCX related lissencephaly-subcortical band heterotopia spectrum. This is particularly important in terms of genetic counselling for recurrent risk of future pregnancies. The reduced binding affinity of mutant doublecortin may contribute to developmental malformation of the cerebral cortex.