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Keywords: Rock quality designation prediction; Rotary drilling energy; Rock mass classification; Standard deviation EN Rock quality designation prediction Rotary drilling energy Rock mass classification Standard deviation 3383 3394 12 07/02/20 20200701 NES 200701 Introduction The rock quality designation (RQD) is widely used around the world as an important index and reference for rock mass quality evaluation (Deere [6]). When the borehole is 8.75 m in depth, the RQD SB I d i sb value with a calculation unit of 3 m in length has an almost linear relationship with the increase in the borehole length, and the results poorly reflect the small-scale broken pieces in segments 1.8-3 m and 4.8-5.4 m in the No. 2 borehole. 6 The standard deviation versus borehole depth in a drilling test. a The standard deviation versus the borehole depth in a drilling test for the No. 1 borehole. b The standard deviation versus the borehole depth in a drilling test for the No. 2 borehole Graph: Fig. The RQD SB I d i sb classification of rock masses is established based on the correlation between the standard deviation and the RQD SB I d i sb , which depends on only the standard deviation data of the rotary drilling energy when using the drilling method to evaluate the RQD SB I d i sb . [Extracted from the article]

Copyright of HNO is the property of Springer Nature and its content may not be copied or emailed to multiple sites or posted to a listserv without the copyright holder's express written permission. However, users may print, download, or email articles for individual use. This abstract may be abridged. No warranty is given about the accuracy of the copy. Users should refer to the original published version of the material for the full abstract. (Copyright applies to all Abstracts.)

Copyright of HNO is the property of Springer Nature and its content may not be copied or emailed to multiple sites or posted to a listserv without the copyright holder's express written permission. However, users may print, download, or email articles for individual use. This abstract may be abridged. No warranty is given about the accuracy of the copy. Users should refer to the original published version of the material for the full abstract. (Copyright applies to all Abstracts.)

Background: A second-opinion procedure was introduced for (adeno)tonsillectomy and tonsillotomy in 2018 by the Federal Joint Committee, due to the assumed high prevalence of both procedures. This study was conducted to quantify and analyze both types of tonsil surgery in Germany. Methods: Data from the Federal Office of Statistics on the number of procedures and population size were used to calculate annual intervention rates between 2005 and 2017. Percentual changes in intervention rates compared to the previous year were calculated for Germany, for the total number of ENT specialists, for the ENT specialists of the federal states, and for four age groups (≤10; ≤20; ≤40; >40 years). Results: Regression analysis revealed a significant decrease in (adeno)tonsillectomy and a significant increase in tonsillotomy in each investigated year (p < 0.001; exception: 2006 for adenotonsillectomy). Surgical rates of tonsillectomy and tonsillotomy decreased significantly with age (p < 0.001). There was no clear relationship between the density of ENT specialists in the different federal states and the number of surgical procedures. Conclusion: There was no clear association between the surgical prevalence and the density of ENT specialists. The significant decrease in rates of (adeno)tonsillectomy began in 2005 and the tonsillotomy rates have been increasing since 2007, albeit without a compensatory effect. Both procedures are on the list of the 50 most frequently performed operations. The decreasing total number of both surgical procedures questions the value of a second-opinion procedure as suggested by the Federal Joint Committee. Tonsil surgery is significantly associated with young age (<10 years) and discussions on surgery rates must consider the age structure of the investigated population, since this is the most important influencing factor in tonsil surgery. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: Tonsillectomy remains a common procedure in Germany. However, demographic changes, the advent of tonsillotomy, and current guidelines may have an impact on the overall incidence. Objective: To longitudinally evaluate the number of tonsillectomies, with (ATE) or without adenoidectomy (TE), and tonsillotomies (TT) performed annually in Germany. Materials and methods: Based on comprehensive data from the Federal Office for Statistics, the number of patients undergoing the above-stated surgical procedures on an inpatient basis was retrospectively assessed in terms of year and federal state, without restriction by age or gender. Annual rates of ATE, TE, and TT were calculated based on population statistics. Regression analysis was performed to compare different federal states, years, and age groups. The variables were compared using the Pearson correlation coefficient. Results: Between 2005 and 2017, 1,313,449 tonsil surgeries were registered. There was a considerable decrease in the overall incidence rate (per 100,000) of TE (92 to 43), which was even more pronounced for ATE (51 to 15). In contrast, an increased TT rate (6 to 22) was observed. Correlation analysis revealed a strong positive correlation (r = 0.986). Conclusion: The change of trends in tonsil surgery started long before relevant national guidelines were published. The national trend was associated with considerably less surgical activity overall, a significant decrease in ATE/TE, and a significant increase in TT. Regional differences to the national trend were identified and found to be significant in at least in 7 of 16 federal states. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The huge spin-orbit coupling inherent to 3D topological insulators makes bilayers of the topological insulator—ferromagnetic metal type very attractive for topological spintronics. We study spin pumping due to ferromagnetic resonance in permalloy ferromagnet—topological insulator bismuth selenide (Bi2Se3) bilayers. We study cases of both uniform and nanostructured bilayers, where the permalloy layer is in the form of an array of nanocylinders with industry-relevant geometries. We measure the dc voltage signal caused by conversion of the spin current into the charge current in the bulk of topological insulator due to the inverse spin Hall effect. Our results show that the pumped signal for uniform and nanostructured bilayers is comparable, which is important for prospective applications in information and communication technologies. We report the temperature dependencies of a resonance magnetic field for the uniform sample. To obtain theoretical insight into the experimental results, we use a method which involves micromagnetic modeling for estimation of effective constants and dc voltages in experiments with similar nanostructured bilayers. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Copyright of HNO is the property of Springer Nature and its content may not be copied or emailed to multiple sites or posted to a listserv without the copyright holder's express written permission. However, users may print, download, or email articles for individual use. This abstract may be abridged. No warranty is given about the accuracy of the copy. Users should refer to the original published version of the material for the full abstract. (Copyright applies to all Abstracts.)

The fatigue test for rock salt is conducted to investigate the effects of stress amplitude, loading frequency and loading rate on the plastic strain energy, from which the evaluation rule of the plastic strain energy is analyzed, which is divided into three stages: cyclic hardening, saturation and cyclic softening. The total accumulated plastic strain energy only depends on the mechanical behavior of rock salt, but is immune to the loading conditions. A novel model for fatigue life prediction is proposed based on the invariance of the total plastic dissipation energy and the stability of the plastic energy per cycle. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Summary: Increased neuropeptide Y (NPY) expression occurred in the glucocorticoid-induced osteoporotic skeleton. NPY knockout mice exhibited a minor response to the glucocorticoid-mediated exacerbation of bone accretion and fatty marrow pathogenesis. NPY deletion restored SITR1 signaling and enhanced PPARγ ubiquitination of bone tissue, an alternative strategy for ameliorating glucocorticoid-induced skeletal deterioration. Introduction: Glucocorticoid excess is observed to worsen the pathogenesis of osteoporosis and fatty marrow. This study was undertaken to investigate the contribution of neuropeptide Y (NPY) to glucocorticoid-induced bone loss and marrow adiposity. Methods: NPY knockout and wild-type mice were administered methylprednisolone for four consecutive weeks. Bone mineral density, microarchitecture, and calcein-labeled mineral acquisition were quantified by μCT, dual energy X-ray absorptiometry, and histomorphometry. Expression of osteogenic and adipogenic markers and acetylation states of PPARγ were detected by RT-quantitative PCR, immunoprecipitation, and immunoblotting. Results: High NPY levels were associated with glucocorticoid-induced trabecular bone deterioration and marrow fat accumulation. Mice lacking NPY had high bone mass concomitant with spacious trabecular and cortical bone microstructure. NPY deletion shielded skeletal tissues from the glucocorticoid-induced impediment of bone mass, trabecular morphometric characteristics, mineral accretion activity, and fatty marrow development. Ex vivo, NPY deficiency sustained osteogenic differentiation capacity and curtailed the glucocorticoid-mediated escalation of adipocyte formation reactions of primary bone-marrow mesenchymal cells. NPY deletion appeared to modulate Y1 and Y2 receptors, sirtuin 1, ERK, and p38 signaling pathways, an effect that facilitated hypoacetylation and ubiquitination of adipogenic transcription factor PPARγ in the skeletal tissues exposed to glucocorticoid stress. Conclusions: NPY mediates the glucocorticoid-induced disturbance of mineral accretion and marrow adipogenesis through post-translational modification of PPARγ. This study brings a new molecular insight into the disintegration of adipogenic and osteogenic activities within glucocorticoid-mediated osteoporotic skeletons. Control of NPY is an alternative strategy to ameliorate glucocorticoid-induced bone destruction and fatty marrow. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This study investigated the in vitro susceptibilities of methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus (MRSA) to nine antimicrobial agents in Taiwan. A total of 1,725 isolates were obtained from 20 hospitals throughout Taiwan from 2006 to 2010. The minimum inhibitory concentrations (MICs) of the nine agents were determined by the agar dilution method. The MICs of mupirocin and tyrothricin were determined for 223 MRSA isolates collected from 2009 to 2010. For vancomycin, 99.7 % were susceptible; however, 30.0 % ( n = 517) exhibited MICs of 2 μg/ml and 0.3 % ( n = 6) demonstrated intermediate susceptibility (MICs of 4 μg/ml). Nearly all isolates (≥99.9 %) were susceptible to teicoplanin, linezolid, and daptomycin. The MIC values were 2 μg/ml for ceftobiprole and 1 μg/ml for nemonoxacin. The MIC values of mupirocin and tyrothricin were 0.12 and 4 μg/ml, respectively. MIC creep was noted for daptomycin during this period, but not for vancomycin, teicoplanin, linezolid, or tigecycline. For isolates with vancomycin MICs of 2 μg/ml, the MIC values were 2 μg/ml for teicoplanin, 0.5 μg/ml for daptomycin, and 0.5 μg/ml for tigecycline. Those values were four- to eight-fold higher than those among isolates with vancomycin MICs of 0.5 μg/ml (2, 0.06, and 0.12 μg/ml, respectively). Of the nine MRSA isolates exhibiting non-susceptibility to vancomycin ( n = 6), teicoplanin ( n = 1), daptomycin ( n = 2), or tigecycline ( n = 1), all had different pulsotypes, indicating the absence of intra-hospital or inter-hospital spread. The presence of a high proportion of MRSA isolates with elevated MICs (2 μg/ml) and MIC creep of daptomycin might alert clinicians on the therapy for serious MRSA infections in Taiwan. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

We present an approach to electrical control of the spin polarization in a diluted magnetic semiconductor (DMS) structure. A variable magnetic field induced by a micro-scale current loop magnetizes the Mn2+ ions in a CdMnTe/CdMgTe DMS quantum well, which via the sp-d exchange interaction polarizes photo-generated electron-hole pairs confined in the well. A maximum spin polarization degree of ±8.5% is obtained at 4.2 K without external magnetic field. The current-induced magnetic field and the current-generated heating of the spin system are quantitatively extracted by micro magneto-luminescence measurements. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

AimsAcute haemorrhagic conjunctivitis (AHC) is a highly contagious conjunctivitis associated with enteroviruses. Coxsackie A-24 variant (CA-24v) and enterovirus-70 (EV-70) are the two major causative agents. During October 2007, an epidemic of AHC occurred in Taiwan, affecting more than 11 000 people. The aim of this study was to determine the aetiological agent associated with the outbreak in patients diagnosed with AHC and treated at the Cathay General Hospital, Taipei (CGHT) and Cathay General Hospital Sijhih (CGHS), Taiwan during October 2007.MethodsVirus isolates were obtained from six patients (four from CGHS and two from CGH), and a total of seven specimens (one throat and one rectal, and five eye swabs) were collected. The specimens were inoculated onto the MRC-5 cell lines. The viral isolation was confirmed by performing real-time reverse transcription-polymerase chain reaction (RT-PCR) and indirect immunofluorescence assay (IFA).ResultsThe conjunctival, throat, and rectal swabs collected in this study were all tested positive for a variant of CA-24. All seven viral isolates were characterized as a variant of CA-24 and confirmed by IFA and real-time RT-PCR.ConclusionsThe findings suggest that the outbreak of AHC that occurred during October 2007 in the northern area of Taiwan was caused by a variant of coxsackie A-24. Further phylogenic analysis is underway to further classify this CA-24v strain. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Objective: The purpose of this study is to determine the association between fetal nasal bone length (NBL) and gestational age (GA), biparietal diameter (BPD) and head circumference (HC) in women undergoing prenatal assessments and Down syndrome screening. Methods: Cross-sectional data were obtained from 3,003 women with singleton pregnancies who underwent a prenatal ultrasound examination at the Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology, Cheng Hsin General Hospital between August 2006 and July 2009. Results: Statistical analyses involved linear regression. NBL with GA, BPD and HC as measured between 14 and 35 weeks of gestation were linearly related. Conclusions: Using multiple parameters(GA, BPD and HC) to estimate NBL is more accurate than using than using GA or BPD or HC alone, as indicated by the higher predictive value. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Individuals with end-stage renal disease (ESRD) are 10- to 25-fold more likely than immunocompetent people to develop active tuberculosis (TB) and are candidates for being treated for latent TB infection (LTBI). However, diagnosis using the tuberculin skin test (TST) is doubly difficult due to cutaneous anergy and cross-reactions with Bacille–Calmette–Guérin (BCG) vaccination. This was a prospective, doublematched, cohort study in which 32 ESRD patients and 32 age-matched, healthy controls were enrolled. The TST and two new interferon-γ blood tests, QuantiFERON-TB Gold (QFT-G) and T-SPOT.TB (ELISPOT), were performed. The subjects were followed up 2 years for active TB disease. ELISPOT was done in ESRD patients only. Compared to the healthy controls, a high prevalence of LTBI was found in the ESRD patients by TST (62.5%, 95% confidence interval [CI] 43.7–78.9), QFT-G (40.0%, 95% CI 22.7–59.4), and ELISPOT (46.9%, 95% CI 29.1–65.3). Agreement was moderate (kappa [κ] = 0.53) for QFT-G and ELISPOT but only slight between TST and QFT-G (κ = 0.25) and fair between TST and ELISPOT (κ = 0.32). ESRD (p = 0.03) and diabetes mellitus (p = 0.04) were significant risk factors for QFT-G positivity on the multivariable analysis. The overall rate of active TB was 1.66 cases per 100 person-years (pys), with the rate higher in patients with ESRD (3.53 per 100 pys) and those with positive (3.40 per 100 pys) and indeterminate QFT results (30.16 per 100 pys), although the difference was not statistically significant. Sensitivity, specificity, and positive and negative predictive values of QFT-G for active TB was 100%, 62.1%, 8.3% and 100%. This pilot study is the first to compare QFT-G, ELISPOT, and TST in ESRD patients on hemodialysis and demonstrates a high prevalence of LTBI in this population. In our study, the QFT-G was the more accurate method for identifying those truly infected with Mycobacterium tuberculosis, even in BCG-vaccinated individuals. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Aims:To study the efficacy of verteporfin photodynamic therapy (VPDT) retrospectively in the treatment of idiopathic subfoveal choroidal neovascularization (ICNV) in an Asian population in correlation with number of treatments and age at treatment. This is the first report to compare the efficacy between single and multiple treatments.Methods:VPDT was administered according to protocol to 45 eyes in 45 patients aged 18–55 years diagnosed with active subfoveal ICNV between September 2003 and December 2005. In total 28 patients received a single VPDT treatment and the remaining 17 received multiple treatments. Collected measurements of visual acuity (VA) were plotted on a time-course model, and later dichotomized by age (18–45 vs46–55 years).Results:The 28 patients receiving a single VPDT treatment showed significant improvement in VA at 3-month follow-up. The 17 patients, who did not show improvement after the first treatment, received multiple VPDT treatments. Those patients showed an even clearer trend in VA improvement although significance was detected only at the 24th month. All patients showed a significant improvement in mean VA of 0.46 logMAR (P<0.01 compared to baseline) by the end of the 24-month observation period, although VPDT treatment for subfoveal ICNV appears to stabilize vision more rapidly in younger patients.Conclusions:ICNV patients who did not benefit from single VPDT treatments could receive multiple treatments, and showed a more significant improvement in visual acuity. These results are the first of their kind in ICNV treatment.Eye (2009) 23, 314–319; doi:10.1038/sj.eye.6703073; published online 18 January 2008 [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The literature suggests that tonsillectomy techniques are not standardized throughout the world although certain techniques were identified as risk factors for post-tonsillectomy hemorrhage (PTH). This survey was undertaken to evaluate whether surgical techniques are uniformly performed in a nation of 82 million people and if they are related to the incidence of PTH or lethal outcome. A questionnaire was sent personally to the chairmen of 156 departments of otorhinolaryngolog, yincluding 37 University Hospitals to assess the surgical training techniques of tonsil dissection and hemostasis, incidence of primary (<24 h) and secondary (>24 h) PTH, number of tonsillectomies performed in 2006 and the number of cases with lethal outcome. The responses were made anonymous for further analysis. The response rate was 88.5% (138/156). A total of 54,572 procedures were performed (mean 395.4, median 361.5, SD 199.5, range 100–975 annually per clinic). Cold dissection was the teaching method of choice (117). Hemostasis was either achieved by suture ligation or bipolar cautery in 91 departments. Secondary bleeding clearly prevailed in the responses (97). One patient experienced a fatal bleeding after tonsillectomy indicated for tumour removal. Two other cases with lethal outcome had undergone surgery elsewhere including one patient who had undergone tonsillotomy. Lethal outcome occurred with an estimated incidence of 1/75,000. The term “conventional tonsillectomy” is loosely defined and includes various surgical techniques for tonsil dissection and methods to achieve hemostasis. The incidence of secondary PTH is related to electrosurgery with statistical significance. Lethal outcome may occur, if ever, rarely but even after intracapsular tonsillectomy. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This study aims to identify the effects of antipsychotics on plasma proteins, and on the proteins associated with schizophrenia. We applied proteomics technology to screen protein aberrations in Sprague-Dawley rats treated with antipsychotics and schizophrenic patients undergoing medication. ApoA-I was found significantly increased in the chlorpromazine-treated rats and decreased in the patients with treatment-resistant schizophrenia, which suggest that decreased levels of apoA-I might be associated with the pathology of schizophrenia and that chlorpromazine increases apoA-I levels as part of its therapeutic action. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This study investigates the reliability of flip chip ball grid array (FCBGA) components with three types of solder materials: eutectic solder with a composition Sn63Pb37 and the lead-free solders SnAg3.0Cu0.5 and SnAg4.0Cu0.5. Two substrate-side solder mask (S/M) opening sizes, 0.4 mm and 0.525 mm, were used. Both the monotonic and cyclic mechanical four-point bend tests are conducted for the reliability assessment. It is found that the FCBGA components with SnAg3.0Cu0.5 solder have the best durability during the cyclic bend test, yet the eutectic solder is the strongest during the monotonic bend test. Besides, the FCBGA components with 0.525-mm S/M opening have around 3 times more life cycles than those with the 0.4-mm S/M opening in the cyclic bend test. It is also noteworthy that the lead-free solder materials have much variation in the failed cycles during the cyclic test. Moreover, the failure locations for those components with 0.4-mm S/M openings are found to be at the interface between the package side metal pad and the solder ball, and those with an S/M opening of 0.525 mm are observed to be failed mostly at the interface between the printed circuit board (PCB) side metal pad and the solder ball. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

A soil isolate of Lactobacillus animalis was found to produce a bacteriocin-like inhibitory substance (BLIS) with a wide inhibitory spectrum against Gram-positive bacteria. The isolate exhibited high BLIS production in broth containing surfactants, such as Tween 20 and 80, but low BLIS production in the absence of surfactants. Culture temperature also had an effect on BLIS production. This is the first report to study the production and characteristics of L. animalis BLIS. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: Fever of unknown origin (FUO) is a challenging problem worldwide. There was no prospective study of FUO in the past two decades in Taiwan. A prospective study was conducted. Materials and Methods: The prospective study was undertaken from March 2001 to May 2002. All patients fulfilling the modified criteria for FUO, either admitted, referred or consulted in a medical center in southern Taiwan, were enrolled for analysis. Results: A total of 94 cases met the criteria of FUO. The final diagnoses of FUO consisted of 54 infectious diseases (57.4%), 8 hematologic/neoplastic (8.5%), 7 noninfectious inflammatory (7.4%), 8 miscellaneous (8.5%) and 17 undiagnosed (18.1%) cases. The single most common cause of FUO was tuberculosis. Some infectious diseases, such as rickettsiosis and melioidosis, were rarely reported in western countries. Three patients with hemophagocytotic syndrome without ascertainable etiologies were present with FUO in this study. Between the patients with and those without a final diagnosis, the short-term survival (3 months) was compared by the Kaplan-Meier analysis, which revealed no difference. Conclusions: Mycobacteriosis is still the leading cause of FUO in Taiwan and it is important to identify this treatable disease from all causes of FUO. This study has showed geographical variation among the studies of FUO. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

We demonstrate a compact efficient diode-pumped acousto-optically Q-switched intracavity-frequency-tripled Nd:YVO4 blue laser. The optimum polarization state is experimentally investigated to optimize the output performance. Greater than 280 mW of 447-nm average power at a repetition rate of 25 kHz was generated with a 15-W diode pump power. At 25 kHz, the pulse width is shorter than 15 ns and the peak power is higher than 800 W. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Most of the studies in economic design of control charts focus on a fixed-sampling interval (FSI), however, it has been discovered that variable-sampling-interval (VSI) control charts are substantially quicker in detecting shifts in the process than FSI control charts due to a higher frequency in the sampling rate when a sample statistic shows some indication of a process change. In this paper, an economic design for a VSIcontrol chart is proposed for a continuous-flow production process. The results of a numerical example adopted from an actual case indicate that the economic design of VSI control charts is consistently lower in loss-cost than that of the FSI scheme. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

We report on a diode pumped Q-switched yellow-orange laser, with intracavity sum-frequency generation, in a periodically poled KTiOPO4 crystal in a diode-pumped Q-switched dual-wavelength laser at 1064 and 1342 nm. The conversion efficiency is measured as a function of crystal temperature, incident pump power, and pulse repetition rate. Under optimal phase-matching conditions, the highest yellow-orange average power was 610 mW at a pump power of 17 W. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Markers near the nested genes G72 and G30 on chromosome 13q33 have been implicated in the etiology of schizophrenia and, recently, bipolar affective disorder (BPAD). Hattori et al (2003) reported that single-nucleotide polymorphisms (SNPs) near the G72/G30 locus were associated with BPAD in a sample of 22 pedigrees, and that SNP haplotypes were associated in a second, larger sample of triads. The present study attempts to replicate this finding in an independent case-control sample. Six SNPs near the G72/G30 locus, including the most strongly associated markers in the previous study, were tested in 139 cases and 113 ethnically matched controls. Significant association was detected between BPAD and two adjacent SNPs (smallest P=0.007; global P=0.024). Haplotype analysis produced additional support for association (smallest P=0.004; global P=0.004). Analysis of 31 unlinked microsatellite markers detected no population stratification in the cases or controls studied. Although the associated alleles and haplotypes differ from those previously reported, these new results provide further evidence, in an independent sample, for an association between BPAD and genetic variation in the vicinity of the genes G72 and G30.Molecular Psychiatry (2004) 9, 87-92. doi:10.1038/sj.mp.4001453 [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The economic design of a control chart can reduce the cost of process control and promote the competitiveness of an enterprise. This type of design has been studied for over four decades since Duncan’s pioneering work in 1956. Few studies, however, have focused attention on the economic design of a moving average (MA) control chart. Montgomery pointed out that an MA control chart is more effective than a Shewhart control chart for detecting small process shifts and is considered by some to be simpler to implement than the CUSUM. This study proposes an economic model of an MA control chart with multiple assignable causes. This economic model is then applied to a realistic case from the chemical industry, and sensitivity analysis shows that the magnitude of shift, rate of occurrence of assignable causes and penalty cost, when the process is out of control, should be more carefully estimated when conducting an economic analysis.. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

A 69-year-old man with Sweet's syndrome and myelodysplastic syndrome presented with pneumonia and respiratory distress. He had been taking corticosteroids and methotrexate. The diagnosis of Legionnaires' disease was established by the isolation of Legionella pneumophila serogroup 6 from sputum and a fourfold seroconversion of Legionella antibodies to 1:512. Legionella pneumophila serogroup 6 was isolated from faucets in two homes owned by the patient. Strains of Legionella pneumophila serogroup 6 isolated from the patient's sputum and from one home were demonstrated to be genetically identical by pulsed-field gel electrophoresis but different from strains found in the other home and in a hospital outpatient clinic that he visited. This case illustrates an emerging public health issue concerning acquisition of community-acquired Legionnaires' disease from the homes of immunocompromised hosts. This is the first such case reported in Asia. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

We describe CT findings of a case of mucin-hypersecreting papillary cholangiocarcinoma (MHPC), with extrahepatic bile leakage to the rectus abdominis muscle via the ligamentum teres hepatis forming an abdominal wall abscess. Endoscopic retrograde cholangiography was unsatisfactory. Spiral three-dimensional CT cholangiography was helpful in assessing the resectability of MHPC by offering anatomic details of the uninvolved biliary tree. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Purpose: We report a rare complication of TEP herniorrhaphy. Methods: A 47-year-old man underwent TEP inguinal hernia repair. Results: Bladder rupture was noted after balloon dissection. The defect was sutured, and the hernia was repaired under laparoscopy. Cystoscopy showed the site of injury at anterior bladder neck. Conclusion: This is the first report of bladder rupture associated with balloon dissector in a patient with no prior abdominal surgery. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Despite intensive studies on the complex perovskite Pb(Fe2/3W1/3)O3 (PFWO) relaxor, understanding the exact nature of its multifunctional properties has remained a challenge for decades. In this work we report a comprehensive structural study of the PFWO single crystals using a combination of synchrotron X-ray diffraction and high-resolution electron microscopy. The set of {h + ½, k + ½, l + ½} superlattice reflections was observed for the first time based on single-crystal synchrotron X-ray experiments (100–450 K) and transmission electron microscopy investigations, which indicates some kind of B-cation ordering in PFWO which had been thought to be totally disordered. It was found that (1) the crystal structure of PFWO should be described by a partly ordered cubic perovskite (i.e. Fm − 3m), (2) the weak ferromagnetic properties and excess magnetic moment of PFWO can be understood based on non-random distribution of Fe cations between the 4a and 4b sites, and (3) the Pb displacement disorder is present in this material and the cations are probably displaced along the <100> directions. The X-ray diffraction results of this investigation show that partial cation ordering indeed exists in PFWO, which makes it necessary to revisit the generally accepted interpretations of the results obtained up to date. In agreement with X-ray diffraction study the main results of TEM study include: (1) a long range order that can be described with the Fm − 3m symmetry is reliably detected, (2) the coherence length of that long range order is in the order of 1–2 nm and (3) no remarkable chemical inhomogeneity is found in the tested PFWO crystal, excluding the possibility of a compositional ordering arising from substitutional defects in the perovskite structure. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Japanese encephalitis (JE) is an endemic disease in Taiwan. Acute JE virus infection characterized by acute flaccid paralysis in an adult has never been reported in Taiwan. We report a young adult man who received four doses of JEV (Nakayama strain) vaccination in childhood, but still developed acute JE virus infection, characterized with acute flaccid paralysis. He presented with fever, headache, progressive muscle weakness, and respiratory paralysis requiring mechanical ventilator. Deep tendon reflexes were decreased except for the Achilles reflex. After supportive care, he was weaned from the mechanical ventilator and at discharge 1 month later, his muscle power level and deep tendon reflexes recovered partially. The diagnosis of JE was based on the presence of anti-JE virus IgM in the CSF and seroconversion of IgM and IgG by the ELISA method. Electrophysiological findings were described. From the experience of this case, we caution that a history of vaccination for JE with the Nakayama strain may not provide a complete protection against natural infection in the community; and in Taiwan or any area where JE remains an endemic disease, Japanese virus encephalitis infection should be considered as a differential diagnosis in any adult presenting with acute flaccid paralysis. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Describes the use of multi-wall nanotubes (MWNT) blended with sodium polystyrenesulfonate, a typical polyelectrolyte humidity-sensitive material, for the preparation of a nanocomposite for construction of the resistive-type humidity sensors. Measurement of the humidity responses of the sensors with an in-house built electric circuit; Exhibition of a highly linear response of the sensor composed of the nanocomposite over the whole tested humidity range of 33; Potential of the nanocomposites with MWNT for preparation of humidity sensors.

An ordinary Hall effect in a conductor arises due to the Lorentz force acting on the charge carriers. In ferromagnets, an additional contribution to the Hall effect, the anomalous Hall effect (AHE), appears proportional to the magnetization. While the AHE is not seen in a collinear antiferromagnet, with zero net magnetization, recently it has been shown that an intrinsic AHE can be non-zero in non-collinear antiferromagnets as well as in topological materials hosting Weyl nodes near the Fermi energy. Here we report a large anomalous Hall effect with Hall conductivity of 27 Ω−1 cm−1 in a chiral-lattice antiferromagnet, CoNb3S6 consisting of a small intrinsic ferromagnetic component (≈0.0013 μB per Co) along c-axis. This small moment alone cannot explain the observed size of the AHE. We attribute the AHE to either formation of a complex magnetic texture or the combined effect of the small intrinsic moment on the electronic band structure. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

A letter to the editor is presented regarding the use of autologous hematopoietic stem cell transplantation (auto-HSCT) and allogeneic hematopoietic stem cell microtransplantation to a 59-year-old man suffering from acute mixed-cell leukemia (AMAL).