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Novel two-dimensional melamine lead iodide perovskite (2D-C 3 H 8 N 6 PbI 4 ) is synthesized to investigate its crystallinity, optical band gap and broadband emission properties and to make comparisons with 2D-C 3 H 8 N 6 PbCl 4 /2D-C 3 H 8 N 6 PbBr 4 perovskites. Both experimental and density functional theory (DFT) interrogations on 2D-C 3 H 8 N 6 PbX 4 (X = Cl, Br and I) are conducted. The crystal structure, morphology and percentile of Pb and halide elements are confirmed using scanning electron microscope (SEM), and energy dispersive spectrum (EDS), powder/single crystal X-ray diffraction (PXRD/SXRD), DFT and X-ray crystallography simulations. The optical band gaps of 2D-C 3 H 8 N 6 PbX 4 perovskites are determined from the Tauc plot fitting of absorbance and DFT studies. Distinct broadband emission of 2D-C 3 H 8 N 6 PbX 4 perovskites between 300 and 800 nm is observed, which can be fitted with multiple Gaussian distributions. The fittings of broad PL spectra from 2D-C 3 H 8 N 6 PbCl 4 /2D-C 3 H 8 N 6 PbBr 4 perovskites confirm the involvement of both Dexter energy transfer from melamine cation and self-trapped excitons (STEs). However, the broadband emission of 2D-C 3 H 8 N 6 PbI 4 is attributed only to the Dexter energy transfer from melamine cation and the absence of STEs is attributed to the larger lattice deformation of 2D-C 3 H 8 N 6 PbI 4 . Moreover, the involvement of spin-orbit coupling (SOC) in the energy transfer is clarified to attest that the broadband emission of 2D-C 3 H 8 N 6 PbI 4 is distinct among its halide family., Competing Interests: Declaration of Competing Interest The authors declare that they have no known competing financial interests or personal relationships that could have appeared to influence the work reported in this paper., (Copyright © 2023 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.)

Objective: Laparoscopic box simulation training is widely recognized as an assessment tool to facilitate psychomotor skills especially for novice surgeons. However, current commercialized training modules including pegs, gauze, clips, pins etc. are generally costly and relatively inaccessible. We introduce a simple and pioneer surgical training drill, the Origami Box Folding Exercise (OBFE), based on the validated evaluating system of objective structured assessment of technical skills (OSATS) constructed with the scoring system of procedure-specific checklist (PSC) and global rating scale (GRS)., Materials and Methods: Face and content validation of the OBFE and OSATS are evaluated by five endoscopic experts from two medical centers in Taiwan. This is a prospective observational study analyzing the pre-test/post-test result of OBFE from 37 participants in two individual workshops as training and evaluating method for laparoscopic psychomotor skills. Both the pre and post tests are video recorded with a time limit of 5 min graded by two independent evaluators based on the OSATS scoring system., Results: The reliability of PSC, GRS, and intergroup value between PSC and GRS were 0.923, 0.926 and 0.933, respectively. Inter-rater reliability of PSC, GRS, and both were 0.985, 0.932 and 0.977, respectively. Construct validity of PSC and GRS were statistically significant, with p-value 0.006 and 0.001, respectively., Conclusion: OBFE enhances laparoscopic psychomotor skills with requirement of a single piece of paper. The associated OSATS tool for a 5-min OBFE test was validated. OBFE training is an efficient training and assessment system to promote psychomotor skills in laparoscopic box simulation drill which requires simple and economical preparation., Competing Interests: Declaration of competing interest Hsin-Hong Kuo, MD has a consultancy to Huaprac. Chih-Feng Yen, MD, PhD, Wei-Li Lin, MD, Hung-Hsueh Chou, MD, PhD, Kuan-Gen Huang, MD, PhD, Chyi-Long Lee, MD, PhD, Kung-Liahng Wang, MD and Ming-Ju Hsieh, MD have no conflicts of interest or financial ties to disclose., (Copyright © 2023. Published by Elsevier B.V.)

Study Objective: Although a pericervical tourniquet helped reduce blood loss in myomectomy [1], a technique of triple tourniquets was more influential in occluding the uterine vessel networks [2,3]. This video demonstrates the procedures of laparoscopic triple-tourniquet constriction with the number 1 suture around the uterine isthmic portion and bilateral infundibulopelvic ligaments [4] in a case of robotic myomectomy., Design: A step-by-step, narrated video demonstration., Setting: A university hospital., Interventions: Robotic myomectomy was scheduled for a patient with menorrhagia. Magnetic resonance imaging revealed 8 uterine myomas; the maximal one was 9.1 × 8.4 × 8.6 cm in dimension. Our robotic settings included 3 ports: fenestrated bipolar in the left lower quadrant, spatula or mega needle holder in the right lower quadrant, and an umbilical glove port accessible for lens and assisted instruments. A number 1 Monocryl (Ethicon, Bridgewater, NJ) was introduced from the suprapubic area extracorporeally; then, the needle penetrated through bilateral avascular zones of broad ligaments at the isthmic level and with a sliding tie made anteriorly to the uterus. The isthmic tourniquet-we also named it as the hangman's tourniquet-was tightened by manually tensioning the suture extracorporeally and pushing down the knot intracorporeally. Bilateral infundibulopelvic tourniquets were placed by using sliding ties of 1-0 Monocryl as well. With the total occlusion of uterine vessel networks, the uterus should retain only minimal blood flow. During the enucleation of uterine myomas, the tourniquet may loosen because of newly developed, unoccupied space with increasing bleeding; therefore, the tourniquet should be tightened up regularly throughout the surgery. After the repair of all the uterine wounds, we removed the 3 tourniquets., Conclusion: The convenient and adjustable triple-tourniquet constriction is a safe and feasible laparoscopic technique to block the vessel networks temporally in uterine-preserving surgery., (Copyright © 2022 AAGL. Published by Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.)

In Taiwan, freshwater clams (Corbicula fluminea) and hard clams (Meretrix lusoria) are the most frequently raised shellfish in land-based pond aquaculture, but research on the accumulation of organochlorine pesticides (OCPs) in these shellfish is limited. We detected the levels of 14 OCPs in 62 shellfish from Taiwanese aquafarms by performing gas chromatography-tandem mass spectrometry. OCP residues were detected in 4.84% of the samples including readings of 0.04 mg/kg chlordane (in a freshwater clam), 0.03 mg/g p,p'-DDE (in a freshwater clam), and 0.02 mg/g p,p'-DDE (in a hard clam). However, the associated estimated daily intake values were less than the acceptable daily intake levels of chlordane and p,p'-DDE Therefore, the consumption of these shellfish presents no immediate health risks. Our findings contribute to food safety and serve as a reference for OCP screenings for aquatic shellfish., (Copyright © 2021. Published by Elsevier Ltd.)

Porcine circovirus type 2 possesses a circular, single-stranded DNA genome that requires the replication protein (Rep) for virus replication. To characterize the DNA binding potential and the significant region that confers the nuclear localization of the Rep protein, the defined coding regions of rep gene were cloned and expressed. All of the recombinant proteins except for the N-terminal 110 residues deletion mutant could bind to the double-stranded minimal binding site of replication origin (ori). In addition, the N-terminal deletion mutant lacking 110 residues exhibited mainly cytoplasmic staining in the transfected cells in contrast to the others, which localized dominantly in the nucleus, suggesting that this N-terminal domain is essential for nuclear localization. Furthermore, a series of green fluorescence proteins (GFP) containing potential nuclear localization signal (NLS) sequences were tested for their cellular distribution. The ability of the utmost 20 residues of the N-terminal region to target the GFP to the nucleus confirmed its role as a functional NLS.