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With the rapid development of digital technologies and the outbreak of the COVID‐19, digital transformation (DT) has been accelerated. This appears to pose specific challenges to the medical field, leading to an inevitable trend towards DT in healthcare organisations. Determining how to develop strategies to master the substantial opportunities brought about by DT is a fundamental issue. Knowledge management (KM) is a key vehicle that can drive DT because it provides a solid foundation for organisational strategies and learning, and helping establish operational priorities. Using the operations of healthcare organisations in Taiwan as an example, this study discusses the challenges and opportunities faced by healthcare organisations related to DT based on data-driven business models, where the concept of KM, organisational agility (OA), and business models are integrated to develop a KM-OA-enabled DT conceptual framework intended to support DT implementation in healthcare organisations. This can serve as a foundation for future studies of DT [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This prospective study investigated and analyzed the clinical characteristics and prognosis of paroxysmal sympathetic hyperactivity (PSH) in patients with severe nontraumatic brain injury. Patients presenting with severe nontraumatic brain injury with PSH from July 2018 to June 2019 were enrolled. A PSH assessment measure ≥ 8 points was used as the criterion for PSH. Clinical data, indicators related to PSH, treatment effects and the prognosis were prospectively collected and analyzed. A total of 220 patients with severe nontraumatic brain injury were analyzed, and PSH occurred in 8 patients (3.6%). The primary neurological diseases included acute cerebral infarction, anti-N-methyl-D-aspartate receptor encephalitis, hypoxic encephalopathy and acute disseminated encephalitis. The Glasgow Coma Scale score was lower than 8 in the 8 patients with PSH. Seven of these eight patients had a Glasgow outcome scale (GOS) score of 3 or less than 3, and one patient had a GOS of 5 after 6 months. The medicines that effectively controlled PSH included dexmedetomidine, clonazepam, midazolam and diazepam. Although the incidence was lower for nontraumatic brain injury complicated with PSH than for traumatic brain injury, patients with PSH had a more severe disease state and poorer prognoses. Dexmedetomidine might effectively control PSH. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

China is transitioning towards green and sustainable manufacturing, considering environmental measures as per external environment demands. This research investigates the impact of green entrepreneurial orientation, social entrepreneurship, and organizational ambidexterity on sustainable environmental performance. Besides, examining the mediating role of organizational support and moderating the role of corporate social responsibilities (CSR) are also included in the aim of this research. The present study has used quantitative data of 510 respondents from China's manufacturing industry; further structural equation modelling (SEM) was employed to analyse the data. The results revealed that organizational ambidexterity, green entrepreneurial orientation, and social entrepreneurship are positively associated with sustainable environmental performance. Organizational support positively mediates among the nexus of green entrepreneurial orientation, social entrepreneurship, and sustainable environmental performance. The findings also showed that CSR significantly moderates the relationship between organizational support and sustainable environmental performance. These outcomes provide various implications for policymakers while making policies regarding CSR and sustainable environmental performance. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Objective: Substance use has increasingly been linked to the onset of catatonic episodes; however, no large observational studies have examined this association. This study aimed to identify catatonic episodes temporally associated with acute intoxication, withdrawal or chronic substance use, investigate which substances were involved, and compare clinical characteristics of substance-related and non-substance-related catatonic episodes. Methods: This study retrospectively identified all catatonic episodes recorded in an electronic case register hosted at a large secondary mental health trust in London, UK. Episodes were categorized as substance-related if the clinical record reported either a positive urine drug screen, an ICD-10 diagnosis of a mental or behavioral disorder due to substance use, or documented substance use between two weeks prior to the catatonic episode and the date of the catatonic episode. Results: 108 of 2130 catatonic episodes (5.1%) were deemed substance-related. The number of contemporaneously reported substance-related episodes increased between 2007 and 2016 [r = 0.72, p = 0.02]. Episodes in the context of acute intoxication (n = 54) were most frequently related to cannabis (n = 31) or cocaine (n = 5) use, whilst those in the context of drug withdrawal (n = 8) were most commonly related to alcohol, opioids and benzodiazepines. There were 50 episodes of catatonia associated with chronic substance use without intoxication or withdrawal, of which the majority were related to cannabis use (n = 37). 21 episodes had overlapping intoxication, withdrawal and chronic use of different substances within an episode. Compared to catatonic episodes not related to substance use, episodes of substance-related catatonia occurred in individuals who were younger (mean age 31.3 years [SD 12.2] vs 35.7 years [SD 16.3], p = 0.01) and more likely to be men (74.0% vs 54.3%, p < 0.001). The clinical features of catatonia were similar between the two groups. Conclusions: A relatively small proportion of catatonic episodes were temporally associated with reported substance use within their electronic records. Substance-related catatonic episodes were mostly related to cannabis use, but other substances including cocaine, alcohol, opioids and benzodiazepines were sometimes implicated. This is likely an underestimate of substance-related catatonia use due to issues with documentation and appropriate investigation. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

COVID-19's rapid spread has caused a global pandemic. Consequently, it is imperative that healthcare organisations conduct crisis management (CM) to cope with this calamity. This study presents a set of operational guidelines for healthcare organisations to launch effective countermeasures against such crises by means of effective knowledge management (KM) practices. Additionally, information-technology (IT) applications can significantly improve organisations' CM and KM capabilities by enhancing organisational responsiveness and flexibility. This study thus aims to articulate how the use of innovative IT-enabled mechanisms (e.g., non-contact monitoring devices, intelligent robots, and telemedicine) can reduce the risk of exposure and leverage an artificial intelligence-based epidemic intelligence dashboard to support appropriate decision-making by taking the operation of healthcare organisations in Taiwan during COVID-19 crisis as an example. The research results demonstrate the effectiveness of the employment of IT-enabled KM practices in CM settings in terms of preventing or minimising undesirable crisis consequences. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Impaired mucociliary clearance may increase COPD exacerbation risk. We aimed to compare bronchial ciliary function and epithelial ultrastructure of COPD patients to healthy controls and explore its relationship to exacerbator phenotypes (frequent [FE] and infrequent [IFE] exacerbator). In this cross-sectional study, 16 COPD patients and 12 controls underwent bronchial brushings. Ciliary beat frequency (CBF) and dyskinesia index (DI; % of dyskinetic cilia) were assessed using digital high-speed video microscopy, and epithelial ultrastructure using transmission electron microscopy (TEM). Bronchial epithelium in COPD showed lower CBF and higher DI, compared to controls (median [IQR] CBF: 6.8 (6.1–7.2) Hz vs 8.5 (7.7–8.9) Hz, p<0.001 and DI: 73.8 (60.7–89.8) % vs 14.5 (11.2–16.9) %, p<0.001, respectively). This was true for FE and IFE phenotypes of COPD, which were similar in terms of bronchial CBF or DI. Subgroup analyses demonstrated lower CBF and higher DI in FE and IFE COPD phenotypes compared to controls, irrespective of smoking status. TEM showed more loss of cilia, extrusion of cells, cytoplasmic blebs and dead cells in COPD patients versus controls. Profound dysfunction of bronchial cilia is a feature of COPD irrespective of exacerbation phenotype and smoking status, which is likely to contribute to poor mucus clearance in COPD. Supplemental data for this article is available online at https://doi.org/10.1080/15412555.2021.1963695. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This study aimed to explore the influence of activated carbon, oily sludge pyrolysis residue, and biochar and their contents on the distribution of three-phase products of oily sludge subjected to microwave pyrolysis. A microwave reaction system, refinery gas analyzer, and chromatography-mass spectrometry were used to carry out the experiment and analyze the results. The results showed that all three additives reduced the yield of solid products and increased the yield of gas products. With an increase in the additive content, the volatile matter and moisture content in the pyrolysis residue greatly reduced. The content of CH4 and H2 in the pyrolysis gas increased with an increase in the additive content. When the amount of activated carbon was 20%, the H2 content reached a maximum (39.7%), and when the amount of biochar was 20%, the CH4 content reached a maximum (44.5%). All three additives increased the content of small molecules in the pyrolysis oil; when 10% activated carbon was added, the oil recovery rate reached up to 78.5%. The results of this study can guide the industrial application of microwave pyrolysis oily sludge. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Weekend admission has been reported to be associated with poor clinical outcomes of various diseases. This study aimed to determine whether weekend admission increases the incidence of hospital-acquired pneumonia (HAP) in patients with aneurysmal subarachnoid hemorrhage (aSAH). We retrospectively analyzed aSAH patients admitted to our hospital between 2014 and 2020. These patients were divided into weekend and weekday groups. We compared the incidence of HAP and other clinical outcomes between the two groups. Risk factors for HAP were identified by logistic regression analysis. Of 653 included aSAH patients, 145 (22%) were admitted on weekends and 508 (78%) were admitted on weekdays. The incidence of HAP in the weekend group was significantly higher than that in the weekday group (25% vs 16%, P = 0.01). The weekend group showed worse clinical outcomes, including worse neurological outcome (74% vs 65%, P = 0.03), higher risk of intensive care unit (ICU) admission (21% vs 13%, P = 0.01) and longer length of stay (21.3 vs 16.4 days, P < 0.01). Age ≥ 60 years (odds ratio [OR] = 2.0, 95% confidence interval [CI] = 1.3–3.0, P < 0.01), modified Fisher score (MFS) ≥ 3 (OR = 1.7, 95% CI = 1.1–2.6, P = 0.02), weekend admission (OR = 1.8, 95% CI = 1.1–2.8, P = 0.02) and operative treatment (OR = 2.3, 95% CI = 1.2–4.5, P = 0.02) were risk factors for HAP following aSAH. Weekend admission was associated with a higher incidence of HAP in aSAH patients. This study suggested that medical administrators may need to optimize healthcare services on weekends. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This study aims to examine the intermediate links and boundary conditions between unit-level participative leadership and unit-level unit performance. The study collects multiple resource data from 174 units in 75 high, medium, and low technology firms. In particular, unit-level co-worker knowledge sharing is found to partially mediate the relationship between unit-level participative leadership and unit-level performance. Unit-level absorptive capacity also positively moderates the positive relationship between unit-level participative leadership and unit-level co-worker knowledge sharing, as well as positively moderating the concept that unit-level co-worker knowledge sharing mediates the positive relationship between unit-level participative leadership and unit-level performance. The theoretical contributions of this study are in its attempts to use organisational learning theory to comprehensively understand the intermediate links and boundary conditions between participative leadership and performance. This study has two practical implications: 1) human resources practitioners in each firm should arrange specific educational trainings for each unit; and 2) firms should establish a knowledge exchange platform for every unit. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

For pediatric patients with APL receiving ATRA-ATO, the main adverse effect was a frequent increase of liver SGOT/SGPT by hepatocytotoxicity which was reversible and appeared to be manageable with temporary discontinuation of ATO. Arsenic trioxide (ATO), which was initially used in the treatment of refractory or relapsed APL [[2]], has been proven to be effective in the therapy of newly diagnosed APL [[3]]. Two patients declined ATRA-ATO therapy and were excluded. Acute promyelocytic leukemia (APL) is a subtype of acute myeloid leukemia (AML) characterized by the reciprocal translocation of t(15;17) (q22;q21) encoding the promyelocytic leukemia-retinoic acid receptor- (PML-RAR ) fusion protein in approximate 90% of cases [[1]]. [Extracted from the article]

The conjugated compound (3Z,6Z)-3,6-bis((5-(9,9-bis(2-octyldodecyl)-9H-fluoren-2-yl) thiophene-2-yl) methylene) piperazin-2,5-dione(p-QM2AF) was synthesized successfully. Nanoparticles (NPs) coated with p-QM2AF compound were prepared from liposomes. The morphology of NPs was characterized by transmission electron microscope and dynamic light scattering instrument, and the NPs maintained high stability after long time storage. Cytotoxicity test was used to evaluate the safety of nanoparticles, and the photothermal properties were characterized. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

A within-person diary research design with 39 full-time workers was used to examine the effects of daily cross-domain usage of information and communication technologies (ICTs) on job-related performance and stress in both workplace and home domains. Segmentation preference effects on links between cross-domain ICT usage and both job performance and job stress were also analyzed. A positive association was found for the first relationship in mixed home-workplace contexts, and a negative association for the second in home contexts only. A stronger segmentation preference effect on the negative relationship between cross-domain ICT usage and job stress was found for integrators (employees who integrate work and home domains) compared to separators (employees who separate work/non-work activities). Our findings suggest that daily cross-domain ICT usage can enhance job performance and reduce job stress, with a moderating effect of segmentation preference on the link between cross-domain ICT usage and job stress. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Garcinol is a natural polyisoprenylated benzophenone extracted from the dried fruit rind of Garcinia indica. The aim of this study was to investigate the roles of garcinol in oral squamous cell carcinoma (OSCC) cells and its action on cancer cell energy metabolisms. Cell cycle, apoptosis, migration and invasion assays were detected, and oxygen consumption and extracellular acidification rates were also measured with Extracellular Flux Analyzer. Our studies showed that garcinol represses OSCC cells proliferation, cell cycle, migration and invasion, and colony formation. Of note, garcinol directly targeted cancer cell energy producing pathway mitochondrial respiration by significantly inhibiting ATP production, maximal respiration, spare respiration capacity and basal respiration in a dose-dependent manner. But garcinol treatment reflexively boosted glycolysis presented by increased glycolysis and glycolytic capacity. The promotion of garcinol on glycolytic pathway is also confirmed presented by elevated lactic acid content and the activity of pyruvate kinase. Furthermore, the expression of glucose transporter1 and 4, and several important genes related to the glycolysis pathway, including HIF-1α, AKT, and PTEN, was also upregulated after garcinol treatment. Taken together, our results revealed that garcinol has opposite effects on tumor energy metabolism through inhibiting mitochondrial oxidative phosphorylation significantly, and reflexively enhancing glycolysis in OSCC cells. OSCC oral squamous cell carcinoma DMBA dimethylbenzanthracene OCR oxygen consumption rate OXPHOS oxidative phosphorylation ECAR extracellular acidification rate [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The authors investigated the relationships among effortful control and frustration and literacy proficiency of preadolescence to determine which subcomponent of effortful control and/or emotion might be critical in achieving academic success. The participants included 72 children recruited from a larger longitudinal study. Children's frustration, effortful control, and literacy skills were assessed at Grade 5, and their nonverbal IQ levels were assessed at Grade 1. Effortful control and frustration were measured by a self-report questionnaire. Literacy proficiency was measured with tests of reading comprehension, written language, and the semestral grades in the subject of Chinese literacy. Results showed that children with higher effortful control perception had better literacy abilities, particularly writing and language academic achievement. The dispositional frustration moderated the predictive effect of attention control on children's reading comprehension. The findings support the importance of self-regulation and emotions on literacy proficiency. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Most Taiwanese women continue to work throughout pregnancy. Few studies have investigated the prevalence of antenatal depressive symptoms in employed women and their relationship with work-related factors. We explored the relations of work-related factors, including perceived job strain and workplace support, to depressive symptoms among pregnant Taiwanese employees. During 2015-2016, we interviewed 153 employees in their third trimester of pregnancy using questionnaires to collect data on demographics, pregnancy status, physical conditions, work-related factors, family function, the Edinburgh Postnatal Depression Scale (EPDS), and health-related quality of life (HRQoL). The prevalence of antenatal depressive symptoms, based on EPDS scores≥13, was 13.7%. Pregnant employees with depressive symptoms had lower Family APGAR scores (p < 0.0001) and lower scores on all scales of the HRQoL (p < 0.05). Controlling for covariates, work-related feelings of stress and distress were associated with increased odds of antenatal depressive symptoms (Odds Ratio [OR] = 4.7, 95% confidence Interval [95% CI] = 1.3-19.9). Feeling tired at work (OR = 9.1, 95% CI = 2.3-47.0) and lack of support from colleagues (OR = 16.7, 95% CI = 2.9-53.1) were significantly associated with antenatal depressive symptoms. Such information will facilitate implementation of supportive workplace climates for pregnant employees by employers, supervisors, and occupational and environmental health nurses, which may help improve the health of pregnant employees. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In this study, we measured the physiological response such as relative growth rate (RGR), relative water content (RWC), chlorophyll index, net photosynthetic rate and relative electrical conductivity of Tiger lily leaves periodically, under different concentrations of salt. We isolated LiMAPK mRNA (including the 5′ UTR and 3′ UTR) (GenBank accession number JQ437268) under treatment at salt threshold concentrations by rapid amplification of cDNA ends polymerase chain reaction (RACE-PCR). The relative expression levels of LiMAPK under salt stress were analyzed by real-time fluorescence quantitative PCR. The results showed that the salt threshold concentration of Tiger Lily was 1.09 mg/mL, and the LiMAPK gene covered 1291 bp, coded 306 amino acids and the conservative domain was 627 bp long. There was a highly conserved domain (TRWYRAPE) present in the amino acid sequence of MAPK. Comparative analysis using NCBI BLASTp showed that this conservative domain was a catalytic domain in the MAPK super family. The LiMAPK expression levels in the leaves were significantly increased within 2 h after initiation of stress treatment with salt threshold concentrations and continued to rise in the next 2 h, reaching a maximum at 4 h and decreasing in the next 4 h. After 12 and 24 h of salt stress, the LiMAPK expression levels were basically stable, but still twice as high as those in the control. The results indicated that the LiMAPK gene was up-regulated by salt stress, which might be closely related to the salt-tolerance mechanism in Tiger lily. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Acute lung injury (ALI) is a critical clinical condition with a high mortality rate, characterized with excessive uncontrolled inflammation and apoptosis. Recently, microRNAs (miRNAs) have been found to play crucial roles in the amelioration of various inflammation-induced diseases, including ALI. However, it remains unknown the biological function and regulatory mechanisms of miRNAs in the regulation of inflammation and apoptosis in ALI. The aim of this study is to identify and evaluate the potential role of miRNAs in ALI and reveal the underlying molecular mechanisms of their effects. Here, we analyzed microRNA expression profiles in lung tissues from LPS-challenged mice using miRNA microarray. Because microRNA-27a (miR-27a) was one of the miRNAs being most significantly downregulated, which has an important role in regulation of inflammation, we investigated its function. Overexpression of miR-27a by agomir-27a improved lung injury, as evidenced by the reduced histopathological changes, lung wet/dry (W/D) ratio, lung microvascular permeability and apoptosis in the lung tissues, as well as ameliorative survival of ALI mice. This was accompanied by the alleviating of inflammation, such as the reduced total BALF cell and neutrophil counts, decreased levels of tumor necrosis factor alpha (TNF-α), interleukin-1 (IL-6) interleukin-1β (IL-1β) and myeloperoxidase (MPO) activity in BAL fluid. Toll-like receptor 4 (TLR4), an important regulator of the nuclear factor kappa-B (NF-κB) signaling pathway, was identified as a novel target of miR-27a in RAW264.7 cells. Furthermore, our results showed that LPS stimulation increased the expression of MyD88 and NF-κB p65 (p-p65), but inhibited the expression of inhibitor of nuclear factor-κB-α (IκB-α), suggesting the activation of NF-κB signaling pathway. Further investigations revealed that agomir-miR-27a reversed the promoting effect of LPS on NF-κB signaling pathway. The results here suggested that miR-27a alleviates LPS-induced ALI in mice via reducing inflammation and apoptosis through blocking TLR4/MyD88/NF-κB activation. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

After studying the development law of surface settlement induced by excavation of foundation pit and the characteristics of the settlement curve, the paper introduces the idea of combination forecasting based on S-shaped growth curves and establishes the weight combination prediction model, which is applied to the actual project to verify the rationality of the model. Results show that the model cannot only reflect the settlement development process along with time, but also predict the surface settlement accurately. In addition, the combination prediction model is more superior to other single ones, and provides an effective and practical method for surface settlement forecasting. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Few studies have focused on premenstrual symptoms in employees. This study explored the prevalence of premenstrual symptoms in 7,193 female employees aged 18–55 years in a large electronics manufacturer in Taiwan from August 2014 to December 2014 and examined whether regular exercise was associated with premenstrual symptoms. Information was collected on demographics, lifestyle, menstrual history, menstrual pain, and premenstrual symptoms. Half of the participants reported irregular menstruation; 79.4% reported a moderate menstruation amount, and half reported little impact of menstrual pain at work. In order of prevalence, symptoms were “easy to fatigue” (24%), “backache” (21.2%), and “abdominal bloating” (17.4%). Participants who engaged in regular exercise reported fewer backaches (adjusted odds ratio [aOR] = 0.79, 95% confidence interval [CI] = 0.68–0.91), somatic discomfort (aOR = 0.78, 95% CI = 0.63–0.96), headache (OR = 0.82, 95% CI = 0.69–0.98), diarrhea (aOR = 0.76, 95% CI = 0.60–0.96), constipation (aaOR = 0.59, 95% CI = 0.44–0.78), less irritability (aOR = 0.78, 95% CI = 0.65–0.94), feeling morose and depressed (aOR = 0.75, 95% CI = 0.58–0.95), crying (aOR = 0.51, 95% CI = 0.27–0.87), and emotional lability (aOR = 0.73, 95% CI = 0.58–0.91). Regular exercise was associated with decreased menstrual pain (aOR = 0.85, 95% CI = 0.76–0.96). Our findings provide a better understanding of premenstrual symptoms in female workers, allowing for the development of premenstrual health programs to improve their health and quality of life. [ABSTRACT FROM PUBLISHER]

The neurotoxicity of ziram is largely unknown. In this study, we investigated the direct inhibitions of ziram on rat neurosteroid synthetic and metabolizing enzymes, 5α-reductase 1 (SRD5A1), 3α-hydroxysteroid dehydrogenase (AKR1C14), and retinol dehydrogenase 2 (RDH2). Rat SRD5A1, AKR1C14, and RDH2 were cloned and transiently expressed in COS1 cells, and the effects of ziram on these enzymes were measured. Ziram inhibited rat SRD5A1 and AKR1C14 with IC50values of 1.556 ± 0.078 and 1.017 ± 0.072 μM, respectively, when 1000 nM steroid substrates were used. Ziram weakly inhibited RDH2 at 100 μM, when androstanediol (1000 nM) was used. Ziram competitively inhibited SRD5A1 and non-competitively inhibited AKR1C14 when steroid substrates were used. Docking study showed that ziram bound to NADPH-binding pocket of AKR1C14. In conclusion, our results demonstrated that ziram inhibited SRD5A1 and AKR1C14 activities, thus possibly interfering with neurosteroid production in rats. [ABSTRACT FROM PUBLISHER]

Numerical computation of shielding effectiveness (SE) of electromagnetic shielding fabric (EMSF) is a research difficulty, making no a suitable model for it at present. This paper proposes a partition method based on the yarn diameter and fabric weave structure. The fabric is divided into overlapping region, lateral single yarn region, longitudinal single yarn region, and interstice region according to the weave feature. A fabric structure model for FDTD numerical computation of the SE is constructed. The electromagnetic parameters of each region are tested according to the transmission and reflection method. The Yee’s grid discretization method of the structure model is given, and the absorption boundary and the excitation parameters are set to determine the physical model of the fabric. The numerical computation of the physical model is done by the East FDTD electromagnetic computation software. The computation data are compared with the actual testing data, and the results show that the computation results of the SE of the EMSF with the proposed model are satisfied. The research in this paper provides an important reference value for the design, production, evaluation, and theoretical study of the EMSF. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Leukemia inhibitory factor (LIF) has many physiological roles. However, its effects on Leydig cell development are still unclear. Rat immature and adult Leydig cells were cultured with different concentrations of LIF alone or in combination with luteinizing hormone (LH) for 24 h. LIF (1 and 10 ng/ml) significantly increased androgen production in immature Leydig cells, but had no effects on testosterone production in adult Leydig cells. Further studies revealed that LIF dose-dependently increasedStarandHsd17b3expression levels in immature Leydig cells. Gene microarray revealed that the upregulation of anti-oxidative genes andStarmight contribute to LIF-induced androgen production. In conclusion, LIF has stimulatory effects on androgen production in rat immature Leydig cells. [ABSTRACT FROM PUBLISHER]

Few studies have focused on adverse relations of job strain to health in disabled employees by gender. In this study, the author explores gender differences in work-related stress, social support, and health-related quality of life (HRQoL) among 106 disabled employees in an electronics manufacturing plant during 2012–2013, using questionnaire data on demographics, perceived work-related stress, the Beck Depression Inventory, the Chinese version of the Job Content Questionnaire (C-JCQ), and HRQoL. The prevalence of stress related to workload, colleagues, and supervisor were 26.4%, 14.1%, and 8.5%, respectively. Disabled females had higher scores for psychological job demand than male disabled employees (p = .0219). Increasing psychological job demand scores were adversely related to physical function scores (β = −1.6) in males, whereas increasing decision latitude scores were positively related to role-limitation due to physical function (β = 2.3), general health (β = 1.2), vitality (β = 1.3), role-limitation due to emotional health (β = 2.6), and mental health (β = 0.9) scores in females. These results provide a better understanding of the HRQoL in female and male disabled workers, allowing for the development of stress-prevention programs specific for gender in disabled laborers. [ABSTRACT FROM PUBLISHER]

To assess the genetic variability of peanut (Arachis hypogaeaL.) in tolerance to iron (Fe) deficiency, spectral and photosynthetic parameters of 12 peanut cultivars were determined. The results showed that peanut exhibit significant variations in spectral and photosynthetic parameters within cultivars in response to Fe deficiency. The 12 peanut cultivars were separated into three groups, which include (i) a Fe-deficient tolerant cultivar (‘Zhenghong 3’), (ii) a Fe-deficient sensitive cultivar (‘Huayu 22’), and (iii) ten intermediate cultivars. Iron deficiency caused an increase in root biomass, root/shoot ratio, structure independent pigment index and intercellular carbon dioxide (CO2) concentration, but resulted in a decrease in net photosynthetic rate (Pn), quantum yield of PS II photochemistry (Fv/Fm), effective quantum yield of PS II (ΦPS II), photochemical reflectance index, red edge point, and chlorophyll normalized difference index. Iron deficiency-induced decline in net photosynthetic rate may be resulted from the reduction of photosynthetic pigment contents and inhibition of PSII photochemistry. [ABSTRACT FROM PUBLISHER]

Hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) is the one of the leading causes of cancer mortality in the world, mainly due to the difficulty of early detection and limited therapeutic options. The implementation of HCC surveillance programs in well-defined, high-risk populations were only able to detect about 40-50% of HCC at curative stages (Barcelona Clinic Liver Cancer stages 0 & 1) due to the low sensitivities of the current screening methods. The advance of sequencing technologies has identified numerous modifications as potential candidate DNA markers for diagnosis/surveillance. Here we aim to provide an overview of the DNA alterations that result in activation of cancer pathways known to potentially drive HCC carcinogenesis and to summarize performance characteristics of each DNA marker in the periphery (blood or urine) for HCC screening. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

We explored the application of single nucleotide polymorphism microarray (SNP array) in molecular karyotype analysis for early spontaneous abortion detection in assisted reproductive technology (ART). SNP array was performed in 81 cases. Of the 81 cases, 16 experienced natural conception (NC) and 65 were pregnant by ART. Of the 65 cases, 4 underwent artificial insemination (AI), 32 fresh in vitro fertilization-embryo transfer (IVF-ET), 9 fresh intracytoplasmic sperm injection (ICSI), and 20 thawed embryo transfer. In the 81 cases examined 69.1% displayed an abnormal molecular karyotype. In the subjects greater than 35 years of age, the abnormal molecular karyotype rate was 87.5% higher compared to 61.4% in younger individuals ( P < 0.05). There was no significant difference in the abnormal molecular karyotype rate or type between ART (64.6%) and NC (87.5%). Compared with traditional cytogenetic diagnosis, the SNP array can identify a greater number of abnormal karyotypes. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Objectives: To find out the EEG abnormal patterns in massive cerebral hemispheric infarction (MCHI) and their correlation with poor outcome, and to construct an EEG grading for predicting the outcome of MCHI patients. Methods: Between 2000 and 2010, 162 patients with MCHI who met the selection criterions were selected for this study. All the patients underwent EEG examinations within 3 days after stroke onset and repeated on day 2 and 3. We classified the EEG recordings into 9 patterns and anglicized the correlation between EEG patterns and outcome. Then according to the results of the correlation between EEG patterns and outcome we constructed an EEG grading for predicting the outcome of MCHI patients. Results: We revealed that patterns of dominant alpha without reactivity, RAWOD, burst-suppression, α/ϑ-coma, epileptiform activity (without burst-suppression), and generalized suppression were correlated to poor outcome. We further modified the Young grading according to the correlation between EEG patterns and outcome. We found that the modified grading was superior to existing EEG gradings in predicting the outcome of MCHI patients, and it could predict the outcome of MCHI more accurately. Conclusions: MCHI is common in N-ICU (Neurology Intensive Care Unit). The EEG analysis would detect the degree of brain lesion during the ischemia within the acute stage after stroke onset. The EEG evaluation might assist the neurophysicians to predict outcome of patients and make decisions on the treatments. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

D-optimal designs for nonlinear models are often minimally supported. They have been frequently criticized for their inability to test for lack of fit. We construct alternative designs to address this issue for some commonly used sigmoid curves, including logistic, probit, and Gompertz models with two, three, or four parameters. For each model, we compare five nonminimally supported designs in terms of their efficiency, and propose designs that are both statistically efficient and practically convenient for practitioners. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Transnational marriages in Taiwan are largely mediated by marriage brokers. The present study was conducted to evaluate the satisfaction of immigrant women with their family function and health-related quality of life in a rural township in southern Taiwan. Data were collected from January 1, 2006 to November 31, 2006, and 157 immigrants agreed to participate in the study, with a 79.3% response rate. A structured questionnaire was used for data collection. The interviewers also collected information on the immigrants' and husbands' demographics, self-reported mental conditions, family function using a Family APGAR questionnaire (Adaptability, Partnership, Growth, Affection, and Resolve), and health-related quality of life. Marriage arranged through a marriage broker and having emotional distress were factors that were strongly associated with lower Family APGAR scores. Based on multiple regression models, higher Family APGAR scores were more positively related to vitality and mental health scales. Self-reported mental conditions, including feeling economic distress, emotional distress, loneliness, and having sleep problems, were negatively associated with most scales of the health-related quality of life. Female migrants' mental health was significantly related to their health-related quality of life. These findings suggest that migrant women must be educated regarding the importance of mental health by physicians and hygiene authorities in Taiwan. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

We analyzed the incidence of ectopic pregnancy in frozen-thawed embryo transfer (FET) as a function of natural and hormone replacement cycles and ectopic pregnancy-related factors. In this study, there were 4,034 FET cycles performed in our center between January 2005 and December 2010, and the rates of ectopic pregnancy were compared between natural and hormone replacement cycles. The analysis of ectopic pregnancy-related factors in FET was performed with 1:4 age-matched chi-square tests. The rate of ectopic pregnancy was lower in natural FET cycles (1.46%) than in hormone replacement FET cycles (3.31%) with a statistical significance ( P < 0.05). Many factors were associated with ectopic pregnancy in FET, but only treatment protocols were considered as a controllable factor. We conclude that the incidence of ectopic pregnancy is significantly lower in natural FET cycles than in hormone replacement FET cycles. The application of exogenous sex hormones in assisted reproductive cycles may be an important factor to cause ectopic pregnancy in FET. This suggests that care should be taken when selecting the treatment protocol in order to avoid ectopic pregnancy. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Several studies have reported improved IVF by shortening the time of sperm-oocyte coincubation from 16-18 hours to 1-4 hours. The objective of this study was to examine the advantages and disadvantages of a shortened sperm-oocyte coincubation time in order to assess the effects of this insemination method for clinical IVF practice. Two insemination methods, the shortened method (4 hours) and the standard method (16-18 hours) of coincubation of sperm-oocytes for two groups of patients based on the quality of sperm were compared. Group I, was composed of couples without male factor; Group II, involved couples with mild male factor. Fertilization, good quality embryos, clinical pregnancy, and implantation rates were compared by two different insemination methods. In Group I, fertilization, clinical pregnancy, and implantation rates were not different between the two insemination methods. However, the polyspermy rate was significantly higher ( P < 0.05) in the shortened (7.3%) than in the standard (4.1%) insemination method. In Group II, the fertilization rate was significantly lower ( P < 0.05) using the shortened insemination method (62.6%) compared to the standard insemination method (68.7%). When fertilization failed with the shortened insemination method, the clinical pregnancy and implantation rates were 34.7% and 24.1%, respectively, from the rescue intracytoplasmic sperm injection (ICSI). The live birth rate from the rescue ICSI was 32.0% with normal infants. The duration of sperm-oocyte coincubation does not affect fertilization, embryo quality, clinical pregnancy, and implantation rates. However, fertilization rates will decrease with the shortened insemination method when the sperm parameters are poor. From the results of the present study we suggest that the combination of the shortened sperm-oocyte coincubation and rescue ICSI method may be an efficient method for IVF treatment in order to prevent fertilization failure when sperm parameters were poor as mild male factor. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Based on past research regarding the relationship between person-environment fit and work-family conflict (WFC), we examined the mediating effects of perceived organization/supervisor support on the relationship between person-organization/supervisor value congruence and WFC. A structural equation model was used to test three hypotheses using data collected from 637 workers in Taiwan. Person-organization value congruence regarding role boundaries was found to be positively correlated with employee perception of organizational support, resulting in reduced WFC. Person-supervisor value congruence regarding role boundaries also increased employee perception of organizational support, mediated by perceived supervisor support. Research and managerial implications are discussed. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The present study extends the feedback-seeking behavior literature by investigating how supervisor-related antecedents (i.e., supervisors’ expert power, reflected appraisals of supervisors, and supervisors’ emotional intelligence) influence subordinates’ negative feedback-seeking behavior (NFSB) through different cost/value perceptions (i.e., expectancy value, self-presentation cost, and ego cost). Using data collected from 216 supervisor-subordinate dyads from various industries in Taiwan, we employ structural equation modeling analysis to test our hypotheses. The results show that expectancy value mediates the relationship between supervisor expert power and subordinates’ NFSB. Moreover, self-presentation cost mediates the relationship between reflected appraisals of supervisors’ and subordinates’ NFSB. Theoretical and practical implications of this study are also discussed. [ABSTRACT FROM PUBLISHER]

We retrospectively analyzed 6,360 artificial insemination cycles of husband's semen through intrauterine insemination (AIH-IUI) or artificial insemination with donor semen through intrauterine insemination (AID-IUI) in patients with infertility between August, 1998 and August, 2010. The relationship between processed total motile sperm count (PTMS) and pregnancy outcome was determined. The study was divided into 6 groups according to PTMS. Group 1: ≤ 2.0 million, Group 2: 2.1-4.0 million, Group 3: 4.1-6.0 million, Group 4: 6.1-8.0 million, Group 5: 8.1-10.0 million, and Group 6: >10.0million. There was no statistically significant difference in age, duration of infertility, unilateral tubal patency, induced ovulation, and single IUI or double IUI between the 6 groups in both AIH-IUI and AID-IUI. The total clinical pregnancy rate of AIH-IUI was 10.81 % and AID-IUI was 27.52 %. Among the 6 groups, the clinical pregnancy rate was the lowest in Group 1 (P < 0.05) in both AIH-IUI and AID-IUI. With the increased PTMS, the clinical pregnancy rate of IUI was improved. However, a statistical difference between groups was only observed for Group 1. When PTMS is ≤ 2 × 106 the clinical pregnancy rate of IUI is significantly decreased. In this case in vitro fertilization (IVF) should be adopted. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The development of an effective oocyte cryopreservation system will have a significant impact on the clinical practice of reproductive medicine. However, the important option of emergency oocyte cryopreservation has yet to be well documented. In this report, we review the cases of 15 women with male partners who were diagnosed with nonobstructive azoospermia and for whom testicular sperm extraction on the day of oocyte retrieval failed. Emergency oocyte vitrification was performed and after two months, the vitrified oocytes were warmed and the surviving oocytes inseminated with frozen-thawed donor sperm by intracytoplasmic sperm injection (ICSI). A total of 117 mature oocytes from the 15 women were vitrified and warmed. The post-warming survival rate was 84.6%% (99//117), and the fertilization rate following ICSI was 83.8%% (83//99). We selected 30 embryos for transfer to 15 patients, 8 of whom became pregnant. The clinical pregnancy rate was 53.3%% (8//15) and the implantation rate was 30.0%% (9//30). Nine healthy live births resulted from 8 pregnancies. These results indicate that emergency oocyte vitrification is an effective rescue technique that can be applied clinically with acceptable pregnancy and live birth rates when testicular sperm extraction from the male partner failed on the day of oocyte retrieval. These results also highlight another important option for oocyte cryopreservation through the use of vitrification technology. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Dietary contribution to breast cancer risk, recurrence, and progression remains incompletely understood. Increased consumption of soy and soy isoflavones is associated with reduced mammary cancer susceptibility in women and in rodent models of carcinogenesis. In rats treated with N-methyl-N-nitrosourea, dietary intake of soy protein isolate (SPI) reduced mammary tumor occurrence but increased incidence of more invasive tumors in tumored rats, relative to the control diet casein. Here we evaluated whether mammary tumor progression in tumor-bearing rats lifetime exposed to SPI is associated with deregulated progesterone receptor (PR) isoform expression. In histologically normal mammary glands of rats with invasive ductal carcinoma lesions, PR-A protein levels were higher for SPI- than casein-fed rats, whereas PR-B was undetectable for both groups. Increased mammary PR-A expression was associated with higher transforming growth factor-β1, stanniocalcin-1, and CD44 transcript levels; lower E-cadherin and estrogen receptor-α expression; and reduced apoptotic status in ductal epithelium. Serum progesterone (ng/ml) (CAS: 25.94 ± 3.81; SPI: 13.19 ± 2.32) and estradiol (pg/ml) (CAS: 27.9 ± 4.49; SPI: 68.48 ± 23.87) levels differed with diet. However, sera from rats of both diet groups displayed comparable mammosphere-forming efficiency in human MCF-7 cells. Thus, soy-rich diets may influence the development of more aggressive tumors by enhancing PR-A-dependent signaling in premalignant breast tissues. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The full mitochondrial (mt) genome ofSinergasilus polycolpusis 14 000 bp in length, and it contains 13 protein-coding genes, 22 transfer RNA genes, 2 rRNA genes and 1 non-coding region. The genome organization, nucleotide composition and codon usage are different compared to other Copepodas, such asLernaea cyprinacea. The full mt genome ofS. polycolpusprovides useful information for further studies on epidemiology and phylogenetics. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Information Quality (IQ) is a critical factor for the success of many activities in the information age, including the development of data warehouses and implementation of data mining. The issue of IQ risk is recognized during the process of data mining; however, there is no formal methodological approach to dealing with such issues. Consequently, it is essential to measure the risk of IQ in a data warehouse to ensure success in implementing data mining. This article presents a methodology to determine three IQ risk characteristics: accuracy, comprehensiveness, and non-membership. The methodology provides a set of quantitative models to examine how the quality risks of source information affect the quality for information outputs produced using the relational algebra operations: Restriction, Projection, and Cubic product. It can be used to determine how quality risks associated with diverse data sources affect the derived data. The study also develops a data cube model and associated algebra to support IQ risk operations. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Objectives: Personalized medicine using genetic information is increasing in cancer screening and treatment; however, little is known about perceived value of genetic testing for cancer risk in a general population. The objectives of this report are: to identify a general population's willingness to pay for genetic testing that provids colorectal cancer risk information; examine whether screening intentions (likelihood of testing and test choice) change based on risk; and identify providers' beliefs about patients' perceived value. Methods: A survey of US general (n = 1087) and physician (n = 100) populations using the willingness-to-pay method was carried out. Physicians responded from the perspective of a typical patient. X² tests, t-tests and ordered logistic regression were used to examine factors associated with willingness to pay and intentions to be screened. Results: General population respondents' average willingness to pay for a genetic test for colorectal cancer risk was US$150. Higher willingness to pay was significantly associated with being male, having higher income and education, having private health insurance and reporting a greater likelihood of getting colorectal cancer screening when due. Physicians' beliefs about patients were different than general population responses: physicians believed patients would be willing to pay more (US$212; p < 0.001), fewer believed patients would not pay (1 vs 17%; p<0.001), and if a genetic test indicated higher than average risk, physicians believed patients would be more likely to get screened (65 vs 46%; p < 0.001) and would choose alternative screening tests (62 vs 22%; p < 0.001). Conclusion: Respondents valued genetic tests to inform screening decisions and indicated that tests may influence screening choices. Additional studies are needed to examine the implications of physicians' beliefs about patients' choices for screening. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Purpose: Demonstration of experimental autoimmune uveitis (EAU) with extremely small, fragmented peptides (12–30 amino acid residues) of interphotoreceptor retinoid-binding protein (IRPB). Method: Very small fragmented peptides (no. 854, 888, 907, and 1057) were conjugated to heat-killed Group A Streptococcus cells and administered as a single intravenous injection to Lewis rats. A non-uveitogenic peptide 950 was also conjugated to heat-killed Streptococcus and administered. Administration of a mixture of small peptides and Streptococcus was a control for the peptides conjugated with Streptococcus. Results: The uveitogenic peptide/Streptococcus conjugates produced uveitis inflammatory responses in the uvea, retina and pineal gland. Administration of mixtures of small peptides and Streptococcus cells, and a non-uveitogenic peptide 950 conjugated with Streptococcus did not produce autoimmune uveitis. Conclusions: Since mixtures of small uveitogenic peptides and Streptococcal cells did not develop autoimmune uveitis, conjugated Streptococcal cells provided a vehicle for macrophage phagocytosos of very small uveitogenic IRBP peptides. Subsequent antigen presentation from macrophages to lymphocytes developed autoimmune uveitis. Peptide 888, one of four IRBP peptides that encompass the major uveitogenic domain, proved to be the most effective in development of uveitis. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Objective To investigate the use of alternative therapies among different racial/ethnic groups in the USA. Specifically, we examined whether alternative medicine use differs for working aged whites, Asian Americans, African Americans, and Hispanics. Design Using the 1996 Medical Expenditure Panel Survey, racial differences in utilization were investigated at two levels: (1) the bivariate level with no controls for other factors and (2) at the multivariate level with controls for age, sex, region, marital status, education, income, health status, satisfaction with conventional healthcare, and access measures. Results Americans in this sample population used alternative and complementary therapies at a fairly low rate (6.5%). This 6.5%, however, was not consistent across all groups. African Americans and Hispanics were less likely than whites to utilize alternative therapies, whereas Asian Americans did not differ significantly from whites. Conclusions The use of alternative and complementary therapies varied across racial/ethnic groups. Evidence showed that individuals who were dissatisfied with the availability of conventional healthcare, who were in poor health, but very satisfied with their conventional provider were more likely to use complementary and alternative medicine (CAM) therapies. The addition of these variables to a logistic regression model did not change the findings for differential use by ethnicity, the relative ranking of groups, or the overall strength of the relationship. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]