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Background: The effectiveness of robotic‐assisted lobectomy (RAL) for patients with non–small‐cell lung cancer (NSCLC) has not been fully evaluated. Methods: This retrospective study compared the perioperative outcomes of NSCLC patients who underwent RAL and video‐assisted lobectomy (VAL) using propensity score matching (PSM) analysis. Subgroup analyses were then performed. Results: A total of 822 NSCLC patients (359 RAL cases and 463 VAL cases) were included, and there were 292 patients in each group after PSM. Compared with the VAL group, the RAL group had a significantly higher number of lymph nodes (LNs) harvested (10 vs. 8, p < 0.001) and more LN stations examined (6 vs. 5, p < 0.001). The operative duration (95 minutes vs. 115 minutes, p < 0.001) and intraoperative estimated blood loss (65 mL vs. 80 mL, p < 0.001) were significantly reduced, and the drainage volume on postoperative day (POD) 1 (240 mL vs. 200 mL, p < 0.001) and hospitalization costs (¥81084.96 vs. ¥66142.55, p < 0.001) were significantly higher in the RAL group. Subgroup analysis indicated that the incidence of postoperative complications (17.9% vs. 26.7%, p = 0.042) was significantly reduced in the RAL group for overweight and obese patients (body mass index [BMI] ≥24 kg/m2), which became insignificant in the BMI < 24 kg/m2 subgroup (31.0% vs. 24.8%, p = 0.307). Conclusion: RAL might have potential advantages in terms of lymph node assessment, reducing intraoperative blood loss, and shortening operation duration. Overweight and obese patients could benefit more from RAL because of reduced risk of postoperative complications. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

It is challenging to establish single metal atoms with a uniform coordination environment at targeted sites of a zeolite. In this study, single platinum atoms were selectively encaged in the six‐membered rings of sodalite (SOD) cages within Y zeolite using a template‐guiding strategy. During the in situ synthesis process, template molecules were designed to occupy supercages and thereby force coordinated platinum species into SOD cages. Subsequent control of the post‐treatment conditions yielded the Y zeolite with selectively encaged single platinum atoms, denoted Pt@Y‐SOD. The Pt@Y‐SOD catalyst had good stability and excellent catalytic selectivity in the semihydrogenation reaction, and it exhibited interesting thiophene and carbon monoxide resistance in this transformation because interactions with these poisons are weakened by the configuration of the encaged single platinum atoms. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Volatile organic compounds are a kind of important indoor and outdoor air pollutants. In recent years, more and more attention has been paid to the ways of volatile organic compound elimination because of its potential long‐term effects on human health. Among the various available methods for volatile organic compound elimination, the catalytic combustion is the most attractive method due to its high efficiency, low cost, simple operation, and easy scale‐up. Perovskite oxides, as a large family of metal oxides with their A‐site mainly of lanthanide element and/or alkaline earth metal element and B‐site of transition metal element, have been extensively investigated as active and stable catalysts for volatile organic compound removal reactions due to their abundant compositional elements, high thermal/chemical stability, and compositional/structural flexibility. The catalytic performance of perovskite oxides is strongly depended on its material composition, morphology, and surface/bulk properties, while the doping, tailored synthesis route, and composite construction may have a significant effect on the bulk (oxygen vacancy concentration, lattice structure), surface (oxygen species, defect) properties, and particulate morphology, consequently the catalytic activity and stability for volatile organic compound removal. Herein, a comprehensive review about the recent advances in perovskite oxides for volatile organic compound elimination reactions based on catalytic combustion is presented from different aspects with a special emphasis on the material design strategies, such as compositional tuning, morphology control, nanostructure building, hybrid construction, and surface modification. At last, some perspectives are presented on the development and design of perovskite oxide‐based catalysts for volatile organic compound removal applications by highlighgting the critical issues and challenges. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

We study return policies in the presence of supplier competition. Consider a supply chain consisting of a retailer and competing manufacturers. The retailer has a limited ordering capacity. The manufacturers compete for the retailer's orders by offering return policies. We show that in equilibrium, the manufacturers always offer full‐credit return policies to the retailer. This result explains the inconsistency between the popular practice of full‐credit returns and the theoretical argument that full‐credit return policies are suboptimal. Compared with wholesale price contracts, return policies may cause fiercer competition between manufacturers and thus make the manufacturers worse off and the retailer better off. The manufacturers and the channel always benefit from an increase in the retailer's ordering capacity. However, the retailer's profit may decrease when its ordering capacity increases. Numerical studies reveal that when manufacturers can first commit to their contract types, wholesale price contracts can be their equilibrium choices when the retailer's ordering capacity is below a threshold; otherwise, full‐credit return policies will be their unique equilibrium choice. This partially explains the coexistence of wholesale price contracts and return policies in practice. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Few conservation studies have examined fish communities in entire drainage basins, especially in developing regions such as Southeast Asia, one of the most diverse biomes globally. The aim of this study was to establish conservation projections for the whole of the Irrawaddy River system, based on fish diversity patterns, human impact, and environmental change.The Irrawaddy River is one of the five largest rivers in Southeast Asia. Although it has very high diversity of fish species and species endemism, our understanding of resident fish status remains poor.Based on 1,726 field survey and 1,056 database records, 470 fish species and their distribution patterns (i.e. alpha, beta, threatened species, and endemic species diversities) in sub‐basins of the Irrawaddy drainage were identified. Canonical correspondence analysis of diversity and environmental patterns indicated that climatic factors had the largest effect on diversity, compatible with the species–energy theory.Fish conservation priorities of sub‐basins were evaluated based on diversity patterns and human impact. The delta and Manipur basin regions were highlighted as areas of focus for future fish diversity conservation, and the importance of connectivity in the Irrawaddy main stem was demonstrated.The results of this study will be valuable for future management of the Irrawaddy basin and as a reference for other river basins when implementing protection strategies for fish diversity. This study also advocates the need for systematic investigations across entire drainage basins and further detailed studies on the ecological conditions of poorly studied river systems. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Cardiac hypertrophy is not only an adaptational state before heart failure but also is an independent risk factor for ischemia, arrhythmia, and sudden death. However, the direct effects of hypercholesterolemia on the myocardium and mechanisms are not completely understood. It has been demonstrated that peroxisome proliferator-activated receptor- γ (PPAR γ) ligand agonists attenuate cardiac hypertrophy through anti-inflammatory effects. The present study investigated the effects of PPAR γ agonists on hypercholesterolemia-dependent, renin-angiotensin-system-related cardiac hypertrophy. The findings showed that left ventricular hypertrophy, eminent cardiomyocyte hypertrophy, and lipid deposits in myocardium were observed in the rats fed a cholesterol-rich diet for 6 months, while these characteristic pathological alterations and the increase in angiotensin II (ANG II) level and over-expression of angiotensin II type 1 receptor (AT1R) in the left ventricular tissues induced by the cholesterol-rich diet were significantly suppressed to equal extents by rosiglitazone and irbesartan. In contrast, expression of angiotensin II type 2 receptor (AT2R) was upregulated by these two drugs. In addition, lipid metabolism was markedly improved. The above findings suggest that the cardioprotection of the PPAR γ agonist against cardiac hypertrophy evoked by hypercholesterolemia in rats is mediated partially by the improvement of lipid profile, the reduction of ANG II level in the local tissue along with the downregulation of AT1R expression, and upregulation of AT2R expression. Copyright © 2009 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]