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OBJECTIVE Temporary vascular access (TVA) is frequently used during the first dialysis in patients with chronic kidney disease (CKD), and it is associated with an increased risk of infection, central vein stenosis, and mortality. Here, factors associated with TVA in patients with CKD were explored. METHODS This study included patients in a single-center CKD care program who initiated long-term renal replacement therapy. The primary outcome was TVA use at first dialysis. Factors possibly associated with TVA use were analyzed using Cox regression. RESULTS Temporary vascular access was used in 53.2% of the patients at first dialysis. In total, 73.2% (n = 865) and 26.8% (n = 317) of the patients were on hemodialysis and peritoneal dialysis, respectively. Multivariate Cox regression analysis showed that TVA use in patients with CKD was associated with diabetes (hazard ratio [HR] 1.52, 95% confidence interval [CI] 1.28-1.81, p

Background The prevalence of hypothyroidism is high in hemodialysis (HD) patients and hypothyroidism increases all-cause mortality in HD patients. Comorbidities are common in HD patients and are associated with both mortality and hypothyroidism. The aim of the study is to explore the effect of the interactions of comorbidities and hypothyroidism on all-cause mortality in HD patients. Method Patients with hypothyroidism (ICD-9-CM 244.0, 244.1, and 244.9) and matched patients without hypothyroidism in the Registry for Catastrophic Illness Patient Database of Taiwan Health Insurance from 2000 to 2010 were analyzed. The association of hypothyroidism and risk of all-cause mortality was analyzed using Cox proportional hazard regression. Result Nine hundred and eight HD patients with hypothyroidism and 3632 sex-, age-, gender- matched HD patients without hypothyroidism were analyzed. Hypothyroidism was associated with increased all-cause mortality with an adjusted hazard ratio of 1.22 [95% confidence interval (CI): 1.10 – 1.36, p

This work was supported by the Taiwan Ministry of Science and Technology (Grant No. MOST 108-2112-M-005-012-MY3 and 109-2112-M-005-013-MY3), and also supported in part by the National Natural Science Foundation of China under Grant No. 61974070 and 61874074, 1311 Talent Plan, and Start-Up Fund from Nanjing University of Posts and Telecommunications under Grant No. NY219003, and Shenzhen Peacock Plan (Grant No. KQTD2016053112042971).

AIM Prolonged QT interval is related to changes of electrolytes in haemodialysis (HD) and is associated with all-cause mortality in HD patients. It is unknown if prolonged QT interval is associated with all-cause mortality in peritoneal dialysis (PD) patients as the electrolytes were relatively stable in PD. We therefore investigated the association of prolonged QT interval and all-cause mortality in chronic PD patients. METHODS The QT intervals were measured in 2003 and all patients were followed to December 2012. A prolonged QT interval was defined as a QT interval > 450 ms. The association of prolonged QT interval with all-cause and cardiac-specific mortality was analyzed using Cox regression and Kaplan-Meier analysis. RESULTS Of 306 patients, 196 (64%) patients had prolonged QT interval. The incidence density rate was 9.7 per 100 persons-years for all-cause mortality and 5.6 for cardiac specific mortality in patients with prolonged QT interval. Prolonged QT interval was associated with all-cause mortality with a hazard ratio (HR) of 1.59 (95% confidence interval (CI): 1.06-2.39, P = 0.03] and cardiac mortality (HR: 1.66, 95% CI: 1.00-2.78, P = 0.05) with adjustments for age, gender, diabetes, and vintage of dialysis. Longer QT interval (>500 ms, 450-500 ms, and

Three new abietane-type diterpenoids, 7β-acetoxy-12-methoxyabieta-8,11,13-triene-6α,11-diol (1), 7α-acetoxy-12-methoxyabieta-8,11,13-triene-6α,11-diol (2), and 6α-acetoxy-12-methoxyabieta-8,11,13-triene-7α,11-diol (3), as well as two known abietane-type diterpenoids, 12-methoxyabieta-8,11,13-triene-6α,7β,11-triol (4) and 6α-acetoxy-12-methoxyabieta-8,11,13-triene-7β,11-diol (5), were isolated from the MeOH extract of the bark of Cryptomeria japonica. Their structures were determined by analysis of spectroscopic data and comparison of NMR data with those of related metabolites.

The behavior of grain and grain-boundary conductivity of acceptor (Sc)-doped (Ba,Ca)(Ti,Zr)O3 ceramics sintered in moist reducing atmosphere and subsequently reoxidized in dry and moist atmosphere was investigated by means of impedance spectroscopy (IS). In moist firing atmosphere, water vapor was found to react with oxygen vacancies, forming positively charged hydroxyl defects (OH)0∙ on regular oxygen sites in the crystal lattice. Proton hopping is considered to raise the ionic conductivity significantly. Therefore, hydroxyl defects (OH)0∙ in turn influence the grain conduction. Hydroxyl defects (OH)0∙ are also considered to be responsible for alternations of the dielectric maximum at the Curie point.

Vascular calcification is common in chronic hemodialysis (HD) patients and can be measured using abdominal aortic calcification (AAC). Loss of residual renal function (RRF) is associated with increased mortality in HD patients. However, the association between loss of RRF and vascular calcification is unknown. The aim of the study was to analyze the association between loss of RRF and VC in HD patients. All chronic HD (HD for more than 3 months) patients of China Medical University Hospital in 2014 were included. AAC scores were measured semi-quantitatively based on later lumbar radiographs. Loss of RRF was defined as urine output less than 200 mL per day. The association between loss of RRF and AAC was analyzed using logistic regression. Four hundred and thirty-eight chronic HD patients with a mean age of 63 ± 12 years were analyzed. The median (interquartile range) AAC score of all patients was 7 (2-13). The AAC score of patients with loss of RRF was 9 (3-22), significantly higher than that of patients with RRF 5 (0-17) (P = 0.004). Loss of RRF, independent of patients' age, diabetes, C-reactive protein, calcium-phosphorus product and vintage of dialysis was associated with higher AAC scores. Loss of RRF was associated with vascular calcification in HD patients.

Low-frequency current fluctuations are monitored and the mechanism of electric noise investigated in layered 2H-type α-molybdenum ditelluride transistors. The charge transport mechanism of electric noise in atomically thin transition-metal dichalcogenides is studied under different environments; the development of a new sensing functionality may be stimulated.

Aim Diabetes is the leading cause of chronic kidney disease (CKD) that requires dialysis. It is not clear if survival of patients with diabetes as primary kidney disease (DKD) is different from the survival of patients with diabetes as comorbidity (DCM). We investigated the survival of patients with DKD and patients with DCM in patients on maintenance haemodialysis (HD) using propensity score matching approach. Methods All patients on maintenance HD in Taiwan Renal Registry Database from 1997 to 2005 were analyzed and were prospectively followed to 31 December 2008. Patients' survival was determined using Cox proportional-hazards regression. Results We analyzed the survival of 2632 patients with DCM and 13 160 matched patients with DKD. The first year mortality rate was 11.9% in patients with DCM and 13.9% in patients with DKD. The incidence density rate of overall mortality was 11.2 per 100 patient-years in patients with DCM and 12.9 in patients with DKD. Patients with DKD had a worse survival than patients with DCM (P

Two new labdane-type diterpene acids, (12S)-12-hydroxylabda-8(17),13(16),14-trien-18-oic acid (1) and (12R)-12-hydroxy-15,16-epoxylabda-8(17),13-dien-18-oic acid (2), along with a known labdane-type diterpene, (11E)-15,16-bisnor-13-oxolabda-8(17),11-dien-19-oic acid (3), were isolated from the MeOH extract of the wood of Cunninghamia konishii. Their structures were determined by analysis of spectroscopic data and comparison with the data of known analogs.

BACKGROUND The phytochemical composition of aqueous and ethanol extracts from Gynura bicolor DC., a vegetable, was determined. Human umbilical vein endothelial (HUVE) cells were used to examine the antioxidative and anti-inflammatory potentials of these extracts at 1, 2 or 4% (v/v) against high-glucose-induced injury. RESULTS Both aqueous and ethanol extracts contained phenolic acids, flavonoids, carotenoids and anthocyanins in the ranges 1428–1569, 1934–2175, 921–1007 and 2135–2407 mg per 100 g dry weight respectively. Both extracts were rich in quercetin, lutein, malvidin and pelargonidin. Addition of these extracts at test doses decreased reactive oxygen species formation, preserved glutathione content and retained glutathione peroxide and catalase activities in high-glucose-treated HUVE cells (P < 0.05). Treatments with these extracts at 2 and 4% lowered interleukin-6, tumor necrosis factor-alpha and prostaglandin E2 production and reduced cyclooxygenase-2 activity (P < 0.05). CONCLUSION These findings suggest that this vegetable could be considered as a functional food and might provide antioxidative and anti-inflammatory protection. © 2014 Society of Chemical Industry

Dementia is common in chronic hemodialysis (HD) patients and is associated with a higher mortality. Factors associated with dementia in HD patients are not clear. We investigated factors associated with early dementia in HD patients. Chronic HD patients of 27 hemodialysis centers were enrolled in 2013. Early dementia was identified using the AD8 assessment. Factors associated with early dementia were analyzed using logistic regression. A total of 1617 chronic HD patients including 820 males and 797 females, aged 63.3 ± 13 years, dialyzed for 4 (1.8–8.4) years were analyzed. Early dementia was identified in 414 (25.6%) of the patients. Longer HD times were associated with a lower chance of dementia (P = 0.032), with an adjusted odds ratio (OR) of 0.522 (95% confidence interval [CI]: 0.270–0.969) for every one more hour of HD. Patient's age (OR: 1.587, 95% CI: 1.406–1.791, P

Aim Frailty is a common syndrome in the elderly and is linked to poor outcomes. Walking performance is one of the indicators of frailty and can be associated with peripheral vascular disease (PVD). The association between frailty and PVD is unclear. The present study investigates the association between frailty and PVD in the elderly. Methods This cross-sectional study was carried out in a geriatric population of ≥65-year-old residents of Taichung, Taiwan, in June 2009. The association between frailty and subclinical PVD was analyzed using logistic regression with adjustments for PVD risk factors. Results The community-based study consisted of 1036 individuals (539 male and 497 female subjects) with a mean age of 74.2 ± 6.6 years. Frailty was found in 143 (13.8%), and subclinical PVD was identified in 74 (7.1%) individuals using the Ankle Brachial Index

Theoretical models predict that a variety of self-assembled structures of closely packed spherical particles may result when they are confined in a cylindrical domain. In the present work we demonstrate for the first time that the polymer-coated nanoparticles confined in the self-assembled cylindrical domains of a block copolymer pack in helical morphology, where we can isolate individual fibers filled with helically arranged nanoparticles. This finding provides unique possibilities for fundamental as well as application-oriented research in similar directions.

Three new abietane-type diterpenoids, 7β-acetoxy-12-methoxyabieta-8,11,13-triene-6α,11-diol (1), 7α-acetoxy-12-methoxyabieta-8,11,13-triene-6α,11-diol (2), and 6α-acetoxy-12-methoxyabieta-8,11,13-triene-7α,11-diol (3), as well as two known abietane-type diterpenoids, 12-methoxyabieta-8,11,13-triene-6α,7β,11-triol (4) and 6α-acetoxy-12-methoxyabieta-8,11,13-triene-7β,11-diol (5), were isolated from the MeOH extract of the bark of Cryptomeria japonica. Their structures were determined by analysis of spectroscopic data and comparison of NMR data with those of related metabolites.

Electrical contacts often dominate charge transport properties at the nanoscale because of considerable differences in nanoelectronic device interfaces arising from unique geometric and electrostatic features. Transistors with a tunable Schottky barrier between the metal and semiconductor interface might simplify circuit design. Here, germanium nanowire (Ge NW) transistors with Cu3 Ge as source/drain contacts formed by both buffered oxide etching treatments and rapid thermal annealing are reported. The transistors based on this Cu3 Ge/Ge/Cu3 Ge heterostructure show ambipolar transistor behavior with a large on/off current ratio of more than 105 and 103 for the hole and electron regimes at room temperature, respectively. Investigations of temperature-dependent transport properties and low-frequency current fluctuations reveal that the tunable effective Schottky barriers of the Ge NW transistors accounted for the ambipolar behaviors. It is further shown that this ambipolarity can be used to realize binary-signal and data-storage functions, which greatly simplify circuit design compared with conventional technologies.

Two different specific surface area of starting BaCO3, 10 and 30 m2/g, are used to prepare solid-state BaTiO3 powder. Pure tetragonal BaTiO3 was obtained at a lower calcination temperature with smaller BaCO3, and the kinetic calculations of activation energy also agree with it. A clear, thin, and nano-sized cubic BaTiO3 clusters on TiO2 particles were also observed. A narrower particle size distribution of BaTiO3 powder (350 nm) was obtained from 30 m2/g of starting BaCO3 at 1000°C. After sintering with reducing atmosphere, the ceramics with potential of X8R or X7R specifications and a clear core–shell microstructure were obtained in this study.