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Lateral wall thickness is a known predictor for postoperative stability of trochanteric femoral fractures and occurrence of secondary lateral wall fractures. Currently, the AO/OTA classification relies on the absolute lateral wall thickness (aLWT) to distinguish between stable A1.3 and unstable A2.1 fractures that does not take interpersonal patient differences into account. Thus, a more individualized and accurate measure would be favorable. Therefore, we proposed and validated a new patient-specific measure—the relative lateral wall thickness (rLWT)—to consider individualized measures and hypothesized its higher sensitivity and specificity compared with aLWT. First, in 146 pelvic radiographs of patients without a trochanteric femoral fracture, the symmetry of both caput-collum-diaphyseal angle (CCD) and total trochanteric thickness (TTT) was assessed to determine whether the contralateral side can be used for rLWT determination. Then, data of 202 patients were re-evaluated to compare rLWT versus previously published aLWT. Bilateral symmetry was found for both CCD and TTT (p ≥ 0.827), implying that bone morphology and geometry of the contralateral intact side could be used to calculate rLWT. Validation revealed increased accuracy of the rLWT compared with the gold standard aLWT, with increased specificity by 3.5% (Number Needed to Treat = 64 patients) and sensitivity by 1% (Number Needed to Treat = 75 patients). The novel rLWT is a more accurate and individualized predictor of secondary lateral wall fractures compared with the standard aLWT. This study established the threshold of 50.5% rLWT as a reference value for predicting fracture stability in trochanteric femoral fractures. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Lateral wall thickness is a known predictor for postoperative stability of trochanteric femoral fractures and occurrence of secondary lateral wall fractures. Currently, the AO/OTA classification relies on the absolute lateral wall thickness (aLWT) to distinguish between stable A1.3 and unstable A2.1 fractures that does not take interpersonal patient differences into account. Thus, a more individualized and accurate measure would be favorable. Therefore, we proposed and validated a new patient-specific measure—the relative lateral wall thickness (rLWT)—to consider individualized measures and hypothesized its higher sensitivity and specificity compared with aLWT. First, in 146 pelvic radiographs of patients without a trochanteric femoral fracture, the symmetry of both caput-collum-diaphyseal angle (CCD) and total trochanteric thickness (TTT) was assessed to determine whether the contralateral side can be used for rLWT determination. Then, data of 202 patients were re-evaluated to compare rLWT versus previously published aLWT. Bilateral symmetry was found for both CCD and TTT (p ≥ 0.827), implying that bone morphology and geometry of the contralateral intact side could be used to calculate rLWT. Validation revealed increased accuracy of the rLWT compared with the gold standard aLWT, with increased specificity by 3.5% (Number Needed to Treat = 64 patients) and sensitivity by 1% (Number Needed to Treat = 75 patients). The novel rLWT is a more accurate and individualized predictor of secondary lateral wall fractures compared with the standard aLWT. This study established the threshold of 50.5% rLWT as a reference value for predicting fracture stability in trochanteric femoral fractures. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In this brief, we propose and demonstrate the Bi2.0Te2.7Se0.3/Bi0.4Te3.0 Sb1.6 thermoelectric (TE) device with the 3-D structure through the manufacturing process by the ionized sputter system. With the same top-point-of-view area, the proposed 3-D TE device in this brief has approximately twice the number of n-/p-junctions than that in our previously demonstrated 2-D TE device. In order to extract the Seebeck coefficient (S) and the electrical conductivity (σ) to evaluate the total efficiency in our TE device, we also build up the accurate measurement systems. It can be found that the S value is improved ~25% successfully in our proposed 3-D TE device with the same TE material thickness (t) of 100 nm. On the other hand, the power factor is also found to be enhanced to ~50% accordingly. In summary, the figure of merit (ZT)—i.e., the ability of a TE device to efficiently produce electricity—is increased to ~50% and achieves a value of 0.9, which is the highly competitive number at the low operating temperature (T) of 130 °C in our proposed 3-D TE devices in this brief. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In patients with haemophilia A, repeated occurrences of haemarthrosis and synovitis lead to limitations in range of motion ( ROM) of major joints. However, the effect of limitations in joint ROM on health-related quality of life ( HRQOL) in these patients has not been studied previously. The aim of this study was to assess the impact of ROM limitations of 10 major joints (bilateral shoulders, elbows, hips, knees and ankles), combined with other possibly influential factors, on HRQOL in patients with haemophilia A. The ROM limitations in 13 movements and pain intensity of the 10 major joints were measured. The socio-demographic and clinical data were recorded. Short-Form 36 was used as the HRQOL measurement. Eighteen patients (mean age: 36.9 years) were included. Hip ROM limitations, knee ROM limitations and hip pain intensity predicted physical functioning scale ( P < 0.001; adjusted R2 = 0.553). Shoulder ROM limitations and age predicted role limitation were due to emotional problems scale ( P < 0.001; adjusted R2 = 0.373). Elbow ROM limitations and haemophilia severity predicted mental health scale ( P = 0.001; adjusted R2 = 0.320). Hip ROM limitations predicted social functioning scale ( P = 0.041; adjusted R2 = 0.091). Educational level and elbow ROM limitations predicted vitality scale ( P < 0.001; adjusted R2 = 0.416). The ROM limitations of hip, knee, shoulder and elbow could be predictors for HRQOL in patients with haemophilia A. Improving ROM of major joints could be an appropriate treatment strategy to enhance HRQOL in these patients. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

We report on the design, fabrication, and performance of solid-state neutron detector based on three-dimensional honeycomb-like silicon micro-structures. The fabricated detectors use boron filled deep holes with aspect ratio of over 12 and showed a very low leakage current density of ∼7 × 10-7 A/cm2 at -1 V for device sizes varying from 2 × 2 to 5 × 5 mm2. A thermal neutron detection efficiency of 4.5% ± 0.5% with discrimination setting of 500 keV and gamma to neutron sensitivity of (1.1 ± 0.1) × 10-5 for single layer was measured without external bias for these devices. Monte-Carlo simulation predicts a maximum efficiency of 45% for such devices filled with 95% enriched 10boron. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This study presents an adaptive bandwidth allocation model for multiple classes in wireless broadband network, worldwide interoperability for microwave access (WiMAX) (IEEE 802.16). Data to and from Internet are all conveyed through WiMAX links to its final destination. In order to promise the quality of real-time traffic and allow more transmission opportunity for other traffic types, the proposed adaptive bandwidth allocation (ABA) algorithm would first reserve the unsolicited bandwidth for constant-bit-rate traffic (unsolicited grant services). Then, polling bandwidth is allocated for real-time traffic (rtPS) to meet their end-to-end delay constraints and for non-real-time traffic (nrtPS) to meet their minimum throughput requirements. One of the novelties presented by this study is right in that ABA does not greedily overtake too much bandwidth from the lowest-priority class, best effort (BE). Instead, it is very intelligent to only meet the delay constraint of rtPS and the minimum throughput requirement of nrtPS, while it endeavours to avoid any possible starvation of BE traffic. For the purpose of performance evaluation, a four-dimensional Markov chains is built to analyse the proposed ABA. The analytical results are validated by a simulation. Finally, from the comparison with a previous work, the authors observe the performance superiority of the ABA in satisfying the delay constraints (for rtPS), meeting the minimum throughput requirements (for nrtPS) and reducing the average packet drop ratio (for BE), when traffic environments are varied. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

A new single-layer single-patch wide-band probe-feed microstrip patch antenna is investigated in this paper. The patch has a crescentlike shape in configuration. The proposed crescentlike microstrip antenna operating over 7.8 GHz ∼ 13.5 GHz is able to achieve a measured impedance bandwidth of 53% for VSWR < 3. And the patch is only single layer, in which it can be used for applications such as conformal microstrip antennas. Measurements on a prototype of the proposed patch antenna confirm good performance in terms of both impedance matching and gain. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Black disease (BFD) is a chronic peripheral vascular disorder disease affecting the articles of the lower limbs. It is endemic in certain parts of southwestern Taiwan and has been linked to arsenic contamination of artesian well water. This study was designed to compare the blood concentrations of copper, zinc and (Cu/Zn) in residents of BFD hyperendemic village including BFD patients (n = 123), non-BFD (n = 39) resident of hyperendemic villages and non-endemic village healthy control (n = 49) by using an atomic absorption spectrophotometer. Higher blood concentration of copper and higher ratio of (Cu/Zn), but lower concentration of zinc were found in non-BFD residents of hyperendemic villages and in nonendemic villages healthy controls. On the basis of this evidence, a higher ration of (Cu/Zn), higher concentration of copper and lower concentration of zinc in blood seems to be closely related to BFD. Therefore, this finding could be used for prescreening of highest risk BFD population in BFD hyperendemic village and also act as a secondary prevention of BFD. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Chronic hemodialysis (HD) patients increase erythrocyte susceptibility to hemolysis and impair cell survival. We explored whether electrolyte-reduced water (ERW) could palliate HD-evoked erythrocyte impairment and anemia. Forty-three patients undergoing chronic HD were enrolled and received ERW administration for 6 month. We evaluated oxidative stress in blood and plasma, erythrocyte methemoglobin (metHb)/ferricyanide reductase activity, plasma metHb, and proinflammatory cytokines in the chronic HD patients without treatment (n=15) or with vitamin C (VC)- (n=15), vitamin E (VE)-coated dialyzer (n=15), or ERW treatment (n=15) during an HD course. The patients showed marked increases (15-fold) in blood reactive oxygen species, mostly H2O2, after HD without any treatment. HD resulted in decreased plasma VC, total antioxidant status, and erythrocyte metHb/ferricyanide reductase activity and increased erythrocyte levels of phosphatidylcholine hydroperoxide (PCOOH) and plasma metHb. Antioxidants treatment significantly palliated single HD course-induced oxidative stress, plasma and RBC PCOOH, and plasma metHb levels, and preserved erythrocyte metHb /ferricyanide reductase activity in an order VC>ERW>VE-coated dialyzer. However, ERW had no side effects of oxalate accumulation easily induced by VC. Six-month ERW treatment increased hematocrit and attenuated proinflammatory cytokines profile in the HD patients. In conclusion, ERW treatment administration is effective in palliating HD-evoked oxidative stress, as indicated by lipid peroxidation, hemolysis, and overexpression of proinflammatory cytokines in HD patients.Kidney International (2006) 70, 391–398. doi:10.1038/sj.ki.5001576; published online 7 June 2006 [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Abstract: The metabolic syndrome has been identified as an increasingly important precursor to cardiovascular diseases in many Asian populations. Our objective was to compare the contribution of component risk factors to the diagnosis of the metabolic syndrome, as defined by the Third report of the National Cholesterol Education Program Expert Panel Adult Treatment Panel (NCEP-ATPIII), in the US and selected Asian populations. Nationally representative survey data from Hong Kong, Taiwan, Thailand and the US were used. Analyses were restricted to men and women aged ≥35 years. The age-standardized prevalence of the NCEP-ATPIII defined metabolic syndrome was highest in the US (31% in men, 35% in women), and lowest in Taiwan (11% in men, 12% in women). The component risk factors that defined the presence of the metabolic syndrome varied between countries. As expected, abnormal waist circumference was considerably more prevalent among individuals with the metabolic syndrome in the US (72% in men, 94% in women) compared with their Asian counterparts, but substantial variation was also observed between the Asian populations (13–22% in men, 38–63% in women). Furthermore, the relative contribution of other risk factors to the metabolic syndrome was also substantially different between countries. The NCEP-ATPIII definition identifies a heterogeneous group of individuals with the metabolic syndrome in different populations. [Copyright &y& Elsevier]

Ni-SiC composite coatings were electroplated from a nickel sulphamate solution with a SiC suspension, with and without the addition of monovalent thallium ions. Without thallium ions, the incorporated SiC particles did not modify the columnar grain structure of the nickel matrix. Conversely, the nickel matrix exhibited an equiaxed grain structure; meanwhile, the amount of codeposited SiC was markedly increased by adding thallium ions to the solution. Additionally, the density of lattice defects associated with nickel grains substantially decreased when the columnar grains were replaced by equiaxed grains. These distinct grain structures associated with the various coatings were discussed in terms of the inhibition of nickel electrocrystallization by thallium ions as well as the absorption and reduction of the various ionic species absorbed on the surface of the SiC particles. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

OBJECTIVE:: The rising epidemic worldwide in overweight and obese children requires urgent attention. Leptin has been found to be associated with body weight control and possibly affects insulin sensitivity. Since insulin resistance is associated with obesity in adults and possibly in adolescents, we set out to investigate the association of plasma leptin level with various anthropometric indices, body fat mass (FM), lipids, and insulin resistance (IR) index in nondiabetic adolescents. DESIGN:: A cross-sectional study from three high schools in Taipei City in Taiwan. SUBJECTS:: A total of 402 nondiabetic subjects (162 boys and 240 girls; age range, 10-19?y; mean age, 15.8±1.9?y, and mean body mass index (BMI), 24.8±4.6?kg/m2) were recruited. MEASUREMENTS:: The fasting plasma leptin, plasma glucose, insulin, lipids, and anthropometric indices including height, weight, waist (WC) and hip circumferences, and waist-to-hip ratio (WHR) were examined. Total body FM and percentage body fat (FM%) were obtained from dual-energy X-ray absorptiometry. The homeostasis model was applied to estimate the degree of IR. RESULTS:: The plasma leptin levels were significantly higher in girls (17.45±10.13?ng/ml) than boys (8.81±6.71?ng/ml, P<0.001). The plasma leptin levels were positively correlated to BMI, WC, WHR, FM, FM%, and triglycerides (TG). The IR index was positively correlated to BMI, WC, WHR, FM, FM%, TG, and leptin. Using the multivariate linear regression models, we found that plasma leptin remains significantly associated with IR index even after adjusting for age, gender, BMI, FM, WC, Tanner stage, and TG. CONCLUSION:: Plasma leptin was associated with IR index independent of age, gender, BMI, FM, WC, Tanner stage, and TG. Plasma leptin levels in adolescents could be a predictor for the development of the metabolic syndrome disorders and cardiovascular diseases.International Journal of Obesity (2004) 28, 470-475. doi:10.1038/sj.ijo.0802531 Published online 2 March 2004 [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Examines the role of tumor angiogenesis, cyclooxygenases 2 expression, K-ras mutation and p53 overexpression in the carcinogenesis of colorectal cancer. Inconclusiveness of the clinicopathological findings for the four biological factors; Absence of cyclooxygenase 2 expression in colonic cancer cells with microsatellite instability; Two major pathways involved in the tumorigenesis of colorectal cancer.

Background: The aim of the present study was to identify the clinicopathological and molecular biological characteristics of early-onset colorectal cancers. Methods: The clinicopathological and molecular biological parameters of 138 consecutive patients with colorectal cancer aged less than 40 years were compared with those of 339 patients aged 60 years or more. Results: The younger patients with colorectal cancer had more mucin-producing (14.5 versus 4.7 per cent; P < 0.001) and poorly differentiated (7.2 versus 3.3 per cent; P = 0.015) tumours, a higher incidence of synchronous (5.8 versus 1.2 per cent; P = 0.007) and metachronous (4.0 versus 0.6 per cent; P = 0.023) colorectal cancers, and more advanced tumour stage (P < 0.001) than older patients. The operative mortality rate was lower (0.7 versus 5.0 per cent; P = 0.026), and cancer-specific survival was similar (in stage I, II and HI disease; P > 0.05) or better (in stage IV disease; 95 per cent confidence interval 22.50 to 28.41 versus 12.61 to 17.05 months; P < 0.001). There was a higher percentage of normal p53 expression (61.1 versus 46.8 per cent; P = 0.023) and high-frequency microsatellite instability (MSI-H) (29.4 versus 6.3 per cent; P < 0.001), and a similar family history of cancer (17.5 versus 14.2 per cent; P > 0.05), compared with older patients. Conclusion: Young patients with colorectal cancer have several distinct clinicopathological and molecular biological features. The mechanisms underlying the inconsistency between the presence of MSI-H and a family history of cancer in these early-onset colorectal cancers deserve further investigation. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Examines the relationships between four anthropometric measurements and cardiovascular risk factors in Taiwan. Collection of data from four nationwide health screen centers in Taiwan from 1998 to 1999; Measurement of individual body weight, height, waist circumference, and cardiovascular risk factors.

Obesity is related to increased morbidity and mortality, and prevails worldwide. It has become an important health issue and requires urgent attention. In Taiwan, overweight and obesity are defined as body mass index ≥24 and 27 kg m−2, respectively. These cut-offs differ from Caucasian standards, as Asians have higher comorbidities and fat mass at lower BMI levels than Caucasians. The prevalence of obesity and overweight in Taiwan are 19.2% and 30.5% in men, 13.4% and 21.3% in women. This implies that a more profound increase in obesity prevalence is found in men than in women. A high-fat diet, sedentary lifestyle and betel nut chewing may increase substantially this obesity epidemic. Recently, type 2 diabetes mellitus has been found to be the most common type of diabetes, and obesity is significantly related to type 2 diabetes in children. In addition, obesity is associated with cardiovascular diseases risk factors and cannot be neglected in elderly. Therefore, a comprehensive prevention and management programme of obesity is urgently warranted for controlling the growing obesity trend and its related diseases in Taiwan. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Recently Schautz and Flad concluded that the Hellmann-Feynman theorem holds within the fixed-node diffusion quantum Monte Carlo (DMC) method. We show that the Hellmann-Feynman expression is not in general equal to the derivative of the DMC energy with respect to some parameter λ if the nodal surface depends on λ. © 2000 American Institute of Physics. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The electrical and thermo-electric (TE) properties of the bismuth telluride (BiTe) -based two-dimensional (2D) thermoelectric (TE) devices with different thin film thicknesses are analyzed systematically. The studied thin film thicknesses are covered from 100 nm to 400 nm. The accurate measured systems for the Seebeck coefficient (S) and electrical conductivity (σ) extractions are also built up in this work. When the thickness of the BiTe-based thin film in the TE device is scaled from 400 nm to 100 nm, the occurred optimized temperature (T) for the highest S value in these devices is found to be shifted from 60°C to 100°C. On the other hand, the best σ is observed in the thinner (100 nm) BiTe-based thin film devices under the higher T (130°C). Based on the understanding of S and σ values, the power factor and the figure of merit (ZT) – i.e., the ability of a TE material to efficiently produce electricity – are also investigated further. Compared with the commercial bulk BiTe TE device, we demonstrate that the ZT value can be improved ∼50% with the thinner (100 nm) BiTe-based thin film devices in the higher T (>100°C) region. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Robot-assisted surgery has revolutionized the field of surgery over the past few decades. Despite many successes, achieving full automation in these surgeries remains a challenging task. In this paper, a dynamic approach is proposed to automate knot tying with an in-house robot vision system. Through efficient path planning and coordination between two grippers, the workspace required for constructing the suture loop can be reduced while issues such as suture slippage and collisions between instruments can be eliminated. Visual images were employed to monitor the two grippers in real time and their positions were evaluated using transformation matrices obtained experimentally. A linear quadratic control scheme was applied to optimize the tracking performance of the two grippers. From the experiments, this visual evaluation method can achieve a position accuracy of 1 mm in the workspace. The proposed algorithm was evaluated and automatic suture looping operation was successfully performed in all six trials. Different parameters in the control scheme were also examined by introducing external impulse disturbances during the knot-tying process. This proposed knot-tying approach demonstrates a simple and efficient way to construct a suture knot in a minimal workspace. Note to Practitioners—A surgical operation usually takes several hours to complete, which is a test of surgeon’s endurance. To better assist surgeons, several repetitive surgical tasks can be performed automatically with a robotic system. This paper presents a new method for robot-assisted surgical knot tying in a confined environment. Through simultaneous manipulation and trajectory planning of the two surgical grippers, suture loops were constructed while keeping the suture in tension. Images were employed to guide the gripers in completing the knot-tying process with high precision. Experiments were conducted to demonstrate the automated suture looping operation with the system and the proposed method. The robustness of the method was also examined by introducing impulse disturbances and occlusions during the experiments. This proposed method does not require complicated hardware setup, allowing easy implementations on various surgical systems. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Studies the characteristics of gallium compound heterostructures grown on silicon substrates by organometallic epitaxy. Factors that drive the study on the growth of III-V semiconductors on silicon substrates; Details on the experiment; Discussion on the results of the study.

KOH treatment is investigated as a method to improve the I-V characteristics of AlGaN-based photodiodes. The defects in the photodiode may enhance the dark current, and cause some photocurrents with incident photon energy less than the absorption edge. With the KOH treatment in the process, the defects and whisker-like features could be reduced. High rejection ratio in the spectral responsivity could be achieved. The KOH treatment is a good method to reduce the surface defects in AlGaN-based photodiodes. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Study design:A case report and a review of literature.Objectives:To present the first youngest infant of a 4-month-old boy with spontaneous spinal epidural hematoma in cervicothoracic spine.Setting:National Cheng Kung University Hospital, Tainan, Taiwan.Methods:A 4-month-old boy who initially presented with irritable crying, neck stiffness, and fever followed by progressive quadriparesis. Magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) of the spine disclosed a space-occupying lesion on the right posterior–lateral aspect of the cervicothoracic spinal canal. Laminectomy with reconstruction in situ from C4 to T4 was performed 5 days after the onset of symptoms.Results:The boy had gradual improvement of his neurological status. Follow-up visit 1 year later, the infant's growth and development was within normal limit without any neurological deficits; his repeat MRI showed complete fusion of each implanted lamina and well expansion of the spinal cord.Conclusions:Prompt surgical decompression is valuable, irrespective of the time interval between symptom onset and operation in infant.Spinal Cord (2007) 45, 586–590; doi:10.1038/sj.sc.3101976; published online 3 October 2006 [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Kallikrein 6 (hK6, also known as protease M/zyme/neurosin) is a member of the human kallikrein gene family. We have previously cloned the cDNA for this gene by differential display and shown the overexpression of the mRNA in breast and ovarian primary tumour tissues and cell lines. To thoroughly characterise the expression of this kallikrein in ovarian cancer, we have developed a novel monoclonal antibody specific to hK6 and employed it in immunohistochemistry with a wide range of ovarian tumour samples. The expression was found elevated in 67 of 80 cases of ovarian tumour samples and there was a significant difference in the expression levels between normal and benign ovarian tissues and the borderline and invasive tumours (P<0.001). There was no difference of expression level between different subtypes of tumours. More significantly, high level of kallikrein 6 expression was found in many early-stage and low-grade tumours, and elevated hK6 proteins were found in benign epithelia coexisting with borderline and invasive tissues, suggesting that overexpression of hK6 is an early phenomenon in the development of ovarian cancer. Quantitative real-time reverse transcription-polymerase chain reactions also showed elevated kallikrein 6 mRNA expression in ovarian tumours. Genomic Southern analysis of 19 ovarian tumour samples suggested that gene amplification is one mechanism for the overexpression of hK6 in ovarian cancer. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

A vision-based system presents one of the most reliable methods for achieving an automated robot-assisted manipulation associated with surgical knot tying. However, some challenges in suture thread detection and automated suture thread grasping significantly hinder the realization of a fully automated surgical knot tying. In this article, we propose a novel algorithm that can be used for computing the 3-D coordinates of a suture thread in knot tying. After proper training with our data set, we built a deep-learning model for accurately locating the suture’s tip. By applying a Hessian-based filter with multiscale parameters, the environmental noises can be eliminated while preserving the suture thread information. A multistencils fast marching method was then employed to segment the suture thread, and a precise stereomatching algorithm was implemented to compute the 3-D coordinates of this thread. Experiments associated with the precision of the deep-learning model, the robustness of the 2-D segmentation approach, and the overall accuracy of 3-D coordinate computation of the suture thread were conducted in various scenarios, and the results quantitatively validate the feasibility and reliability of the entire scheme for automated 3-D shape reconstruction. Note to Practitioners—This article was motivated by the challenges of suture thread detection and 3-D coordinate evaluation in a calibrated stereovision system. To precisely detect the suture thread with no distinctive feature in an image, additional information, such as the two ends of the suture thread or its total length, is usually required. This article suggests a new method utilizing a deep-learning model to automate the tip detection process, eliminating the need of manual click in the initial stage. After feature enhancements with image filters, a multistencils fast marching method was incorporated to compute the arrival time from the detected tip to other points on the suture contour. By finding the point that takes the maximal time to travel in a closed contour, the other end of the suture thread can be identified, thereby allowing suture threads of any length to be segmented out from an image. A precise stereomatching method was then proposed to generate matched key points of the suture thread on the image pair, thereby enabling the reconstruction of its 3-D coordinates. The accuracy and robustness of the entire suture detection scheme were validated through experiments with different backgrounds and lengths. This proposed scheme offers a new solution for detecting curvilinear objects and their 3-D coordinates, which shows potential in realizing automated suture grasping with robot manipulators. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Sofosbuvir‐velpatasvir is approved for the treatment of chronic hepatitis C virus (HCV) infection. In this single‐arm, open‐label, phase 3, deferred treatment study, we investigated the efficacy and safety of sofosbuvir‐velpatasvir among patients randomized to the placebo group in the ASTRAL‐1 study. Patients received sofosbuvir‐velpatasvir (400/100 mg) once daily for 12 weeks. The primary efficacy endpoint was the proportion of patients with sustained virologic response 12 weeks after the end of therapy (SVR12). The primary safety endpoint was any adverse events (AEs) leading to the permanent discontinuation of study drug. Overall, 108/111 (97%, 95% confidence interval [CI], 92%‐99%) achieved SVR12, and only one patient had virological failure. SVR12 was achieved by 61/63 (97%, 95%CI, 89%‐100%) genotype 1 patients, 20/20 (100%; 95%CI, 83%‐100%) with genotype 2, 19/19 (100%; 95%CI, 82%‐100%) with genotype 4 and 8/9 (89%; 95% CI, 52%‐100%) with genotype 6. All (19/19; 95%CI, 82‐100) patients with cirrhosis and all (31/31, 95%CI, 89‐100) with prior treatment experience achieved SVR12. The safety profile during treatment was similar to that observed in patients receiving placebo treatment. The most common AEs were headache, fatigue and nausea. One patient (1%) discontinued treatment due to an AE of gallbladder carcinoma, which was not considered related to treatment. Of five reported serious AEs, none were considered related to study drug. Sofosbuvir‐velpatasvir for 12 weeks was effective and well tolerated among untreated and previously treated patients with HCV genotype 1, 2, 4 or 6 infection, including those with compensated cirrhosis (ClinicalTrials.gov NCT02346721). [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Presents direct current and microwave characterization of integrated resonant tunneling diodes. Method of the study; Results and discussion; Conclusion.

Specular single-crystal InP epilayers have been grown directly on Si(100) substrates by low-pressure organometallic vapor phase epitaxy. The effects of the initial nucleation process on the structure properties of the films were investigated, and improvements in the growth technique leading to higher quality InP films are reported. The InP/Si epilayer grown under optimum conditions exhibits high optical quality compared with that of the InP homoepilayer. Post-growth thermal annealing at 780 °C was also confirmed to be effective in improving the overall quality of InP-on-Si. The results presented are superior to those reported previously for InP/Si heteroepitaxy. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background. Patients chronically infected with genotype 3 hepatitis C virus (HCV) have faster disease progression and are less responsive to current direct-acting antiviral regimens than patients infected with other genotypes. We conducted an open-label trial to evaluate the safety, tolerability, and efficacy of ledipasvir and sofosbuvir plus ribavirin in patients with genotype 3 HCV infection. Methods. We enrolled treatment-naive patients with and without compensated cirrhosis at 15 sites in Canada. All patients were treated with ledipasvir-sofosbuvir (90 mg and 400 mg) plus weight-based ribavirin for 12 weeks. The primary endpoint was sustained virologic response 12 weeks after treatment (SVR12). Secondary endpoints included evaluation of baseline and treatment-emergent drug resistance. Results. Of the 111 patients enrolled, 105 (95%) had subtype 3a HCV and 39 (35%) had compensated cirrhosis. SVR12 was achieved by 99 of 111 patients (89%; 95% confidence interval, 82%-94%). Of the 39 patients with cirrhosis, 31 (79%) achieved SVR12, compared with 68 of 72 (94%) patients without cirrhosis. No treatment-emergent resistance mutations occurred in those who failed treatment. One patient discontinued treatment due to liver cancer and died 22 days after treatment discontinuation. The most common adverse events were fatigue (51%), headache (36%), and nausea (23%). Conclusions. In this multicenter trial involving treatment-naive patients with genotype 3 HCV, 12 weeks of ledipasvir-sofosbuvir provided a high level of SVR in those without cirrhosis. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background. A safe, simple, effective, and pan-genotypic regimen to treat hepatitis C virus (HCV) infection in patients coinfected with human immunodeficiency virus type 1 (HIV-1) remains a medical need. We assessed the efficacy and safety of the NS5B polymerase inhibitor sofosbuvir and the NS5A inhibitor velpatasvir for HCV in patients coinfected with HIV-1. Methods. This phase 3, open-label, single-arm study at 17 sites in the United States enrolled patients with HCV of any genotype and HIV-1 coinfection, including those with compensated cirrhosis. All patients received sofosbuvir-velpatasvir once daily for 12 weeks. The primary endpoint was sustained virologic response 12 weeks after treatment (SVR12). Efficacy and safety were assessed in all patients receiving at least 1 dose of treatment. Results. Of 106 patients, 91 (86%) were men, 48 (45%) were black, and 19 (18%) had cirrhosis. SVR12 was achieved by 101 of 106 (95% [95% confidence interval {CI}, 89%-99%]) patients: 74 of 78 (95% [95% CI, 87%-99%]) with genotype 1; all 11 (100% [95% CI, 72%-100%]) with genotype 2; 11 of 12 (92% [95% CI, 62%-100%]) with genotype 3; and all 5 (100% [95% CI, 48%-100%]) with genotype 4. All 19 patients with cirrhosis had SVR12. Two patients relapsed, 2 were lost to follow-up, and 1 withdrew consent. Two discontinued treatment due to adverse events and 2 had serious adverse events. The most common adverse events were fatigue (25%), headache (13%), upper respiratory tract infection (8%), and arthralgia (8%). Conclusions. Sofosbuvir-velpatasvir for 12 weeks was safe and provided high rates of SVR12 in patients coinfected with HCV and HIV-1. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: Patients who are chronically infected with hepatitis C virus (HCV) and who do not have a sustained virologic response after treatment with regimens containing direct-acting antiviral agents (DAAs) have limited retreatment options.Methods: We conducted two phase 3 trials involving patients who had been previously treated with a DAA-containing regimen. In POLARIS-1, patients with HCV genotype 1 infection who had previously received a regimen containing an NS5A inhibitor were randomly assigned in a 1:1 ratio to receive either the nucleotide polymerase inhibitor sofosbuvir, the NS5A inhibitor velpatasvir, and the protease inhibitor voxilaprevir (150 patients) or matching placebo (150 patients) once daily for 12 weeks. Patients who were infected with HCV of other genotypes (114 patients) were enrolled in the sofosbuvir-velpatasvir-voxilaprevir group. In POLARIS-4, patients with HCV genotype 1, 2, or 3 infection who had previously received a DAA regimen but not an NS5A inhibitor were randomly assigned in a 1:1 ratio to receive sofosbuvir-velpatasvir-voxilaprevir (163 patients) or sofosbuvir-velpatasvir (151 patients) for 12 weeks. An additional 19 patients with HCV genotype 4 infection were enrolled in the sofosbuvir-velpatasvir-voxilaprevir group.Results: In the three active-treatment groups, 46% of the patients had compensated cirrhosis. In POLARIS-1, the rate of sustained virologic response was 96% with sofosbuvir-velpatasvir-voxilaprevir, as compared with 0% with placebo. In POLARIS-4, the rate of response was 98% with sofosbuvir-velpatasvir-voxilaprevir and 90% with sofosbuvir-velpatasvir. The most common adverse events were headache, fatigue, diarrhea, and nausea. In the active-treatment groups in both trials, the percentage of patients who discontinued treatment owing to adverse events was 1% or lower.Conclusions: Sofosbuvir-velpatasvir-voxilaprevir taken for 12 weeks provided high rates of sustained virologic response among patients across HCV genotypes in whom treatment with a DAA regimen had previously failed. (Funded by Gilead Sciences; POLARIS-1 and POLARIS-4 ClinicalTrials.gov numbers, NCT02607735 and NCT02639247 .). [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Taiwan had been considered rabies free since 1961. In 2013, Taiwan confirmed the detection of rabies virus in wild Taiwan ferret-badgers. Up to December 2014, there have been 423 rabies-confirmed ferret-badgers and three cases of spillover infection into non-reservoir hosts. Genetic analysis indicates that TFBV is distinct from all other known rabies virus variants. To date, ferretbadger rabies is known to occur only in China and Taiwan. The temporal dynamics of rabid ferret-badgers in Taiwan suggests that the epizootic appears to have subsided to enzootic levels as of December 2014. According to the current epidemiologic data, there is only one TFBV strain in Taiwan. TFBV is still sequestered to the mountainous regions. Humans are at risk mainly through exposure to the virus from infected domestic meso-carnivores, mainly dogs and cats. Dogs and cats should be vaccinated to establish an immunological barrier to stop the spread of the disease from mountainous regions to domestic meso-carnivores. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Summary: This study estimated the fracture-related mortality and direct medical costs among postmenopausal women in Taiwan by fracture types and age groups by utilizing a nationwide population-based database. Results demonstrated that hip fractures constituted the most severe and expensive complication of osteoporosis across fracture sites. Introduction: The aims of the study were to evaluate the risk of death and direct medical costs associated with osteoporotic fractures by fracture types and age groups among postmenopausal women in Taiwan. Methods: This nationwide, population-based study was based on data from the National Health Insurance Research Database in Taiwan. Female patients aged 50 years and older in the fracture case cohort were matched in 1:1 ratio with randomly selected subjects in the reference control cohort by age, income-related insurance amount, urbanization level, and the Charlson comorbidity index. There were two main outcome measures of the study: age-differentiated mortality and direct medical costs in the first and subsequent years after osteoporotic fracture events among postmenopausal women. The bootstrap method by resampling with replacement was conducted to generate descriptive statistics of mortality and direct medical costs of the case and control cohorts. Student's t tests were then performed to compare mortality and costs between the two cohorts. Results: A total of 155,466 postmenopausal women in the database met the inclusion criteria for the fracture case cohort, including 22,791 hip fractures, 72,292 vertebral fractures, 15,621 upper end humerus (closed) fractures, 36,774 wrist fractures, and 7,988 multiple fractures. Analytical results demonstrated that patients experiencing osteoporotic fractures were at considerable excess risk of death and incurred substantially higher treatment costs, notably for hip fractures. Furthermore, results also revealed that the risk of mortality increased with advancing age across the spectrum of fracture sites. Conclusions: The present study confirmed an excess mortality and higher direct medical costs associated with osteoporotic fractures. Moreover, hip fractures constituted the most severe and expensive complication of osteoporosis among fracture types. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Eur J Clin Invest 2010; 40 (3): 220–225 Background The previous studies regarding the association between endogenous dehydroepiandrosterone (DHEA) sulphate level and metabolic syndrome are inconsistent. This study aimed to investigate such relationship in elderly Taiwanese men. Materials and methods Five hundred and eighty-five elderly Taiwanese men (mean age 68·7 ± 8·3 years) were enrolled as the baseline cohort population in 2000. In addition to a questionnaire, body mass index (BMI), blood pressure, fasting blood glucose, lipids, albumin and serum DHEA-S levels were measured for each participant. Metabolic syndrome was based on the definition by the America Heart Association/National Heart Lung Blood Institute. Results The prevalence of metabolic syndrome was 33·3%. Using multivariate logistic regression analyses with adjustments for age, smoking, alcohol, physical activities, albumin and BMI, there was a positive relationship between serum DHEA-S level and metabolic syndrome. The highest DHEA-S quartile group had increased risk for metabolic syndrome (odds ratio = 2·68, 95% confidence interval: 1·44–5·01, P < 0·01) compared with the lowest quartile group. The mean serum DHEA-S level increased with increasing number of metabolic syndrome components. Conclusions The prevalence of metabolic syndrome increases with elevated DHEA-S levels among elderly Taiwanese men. Thus, elevated serum DHEA-S level should be treated as an important risk factor for metabolic syndrome in elderly men. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Nontyphoid Salmonella have a broad host range in poultry and mammals, and serovar Typhimurium is a threat to public health. In this study, normal and sick ducks and geese were collected from 12 farms in Taiwan to investigate the age-associated infection of Salmonella and Salmonella Typhimurium in Roman geese (Anser anser domesticus) and Pekin ducks (Anas platyrhynchos domesticus). In normal birds, the prevalence of Salmonella differed between species, and with age [e.g., 1-wk group, 37.5% (30/80) for ducks and 5.2% (6/116) for goslings (P < 0.05) vs. 4-wk group, 1% (1/96) for ducks and 12.1% (21/174) for geese]. Salmonella Typhimurium was identified from the visceral organs of moribund young geese suffering with colibacillosis and riemerellosis isolated from 2 goose farms (farm A and B, respectively). At farm B, 22.9% (27/118) of 4-wk geese with diarrhea were Salmonella Typhimurium-positive compared with 4.6% (8/174) of 4-wk normal geese. All Salmonella Typhimurium strains except one harbored a 94.7-kb virulence plasmid. Subcutaneous injection of Salmonella Typhimurium isolate 91NGL1 resulted in different clinical signs and pathogenesis between ducks and geese. In addition, the mean infectivity dose ratios of ducks to geese were 3.2 and 85.0 for 4- and 12-d birds, respectively, suggesting that goslings were more susceptible to Salmonella Typhimurium and resistance to Salmonella Typhimurium increased with age, especially for ducks. Therefore, Salmonella Typhimurium infection should be more common in goose farms than in duck farms, especially in the younger birds. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background The prevalence of the metabolic syndrome (MetS) is high among the elderly. However, evidence that mortality increases with MetS is rare. In this study, we investigated the relationship between MetS, cardiovascular disease (CVD) and all cause mortality in the elderly. Materials and methods A total 10 547 participants, aged 65 years and older, of baseline cohort were recruited from four nationwide Health Screening Centres in Taiwan from 1998 to 1999. The metabolic syndrome was defined according to the America Heart Association/National Heart Lung Blood Institute definition. Cox proportional hazards regression analyses were used to estimate the relative risks (RRs) of CVD and all cause mortality for those with MetS for up to 8 years of follow-up. Results The baseline prevalence of MetS was 50·1% (45·6% in men and 54·4% in women, respectively). A total of 1312 participants died; of these, 300 participants died from CVD. Adjusted for age, gender, smoking, total cholesterol and estimated glomerular filtration rate, the RRs for CVD and all cause mortality among participants with MetS were 1·48 (95% confidence interval = 1·16–1·90) and 1·16 (1.03–1.30), respectively, for participants compared to those without MetS. The mean RRs for CVD, however, ranged from 1·21 to 5·31 among different combinations of MetS components. Conclusion The elderly with MetS, compared to those without MetS, had a higher CVD and all cause mortality in Taiwan. Furthermore, different combinations of MetS components posed different risks to the mortality, which deserves further research in the future. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Objective:To investigate the prevalence of metabolic syndrome and its associated risk factors in a cohort of university freshmen.Design:A cross-sectional study in a university health center in North Taiwan.Subjects:A total of 8226 students (mean age: 19.2±2.3 years) receiving pre-entrance health examinations and lifestyle questionnaires during the 2005–2006 academic year were recruited.Measurements:A fasting plasma glucose, lipids, uric acid and hepatitis B serology were measured for each subject. The prevalence of metabolic syndrome and its individual components were examined using the America Heart Association and National Heart Lung Blood Institute criteria. The risk factors for metabolic syndrome were identified using a multivariate logistic regression analysis.Results:The prevalence of overweight, obesity and metabolic syndrome was 12.7% (17.0% in men and 7.6% in women), 13.0% (18.4% in men and 6.4% in women) and 4.6% (6.4% in men and 2.4% in women). The risk for metabolic syndrome increased with an increase of body mass index and plasma uric acid level, and decreased with the vigorous physical activity and current alcohol drinking. Furthermore, as compared to subjects with seroprotective titers from hepatitis B vaccination (anti-HBs(+) and anti-HBc(−)), those without protective titers of anti-HBs after vaccination or without hepatitis B infection (anti-HBs(−) and anti-HBc(−)) had 34% higher risk for metabolic syndrome, and those with natural infection of hepatitis B (anti-HBc(+)) had 58% higher risk for metabolic syndrome.Conclusions:Overweight, obesity and metabolic syndrome were more common among men than women in university freshmen. Hepatitis B vaccination with anti-HBs(+) was associated with a lower risk of metabolic syndrome as compared to anti-HBs(−). However, hepatitis B infection presented with anti-HBc(+) was associated with a higher risk of metabolic syndrome. The interplay between hepatitis B infection, hepatitis B vaccination and metabolic syndrome needs further investigation.International Journal of Obesity (2008) 32, 474–480; doi:10.1038/sj.ijo.0803753; published online 23 October 2007 [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

To explore the validity and prognostic significance of minimal residual disease detection by quantitative polymerase chain reaction (qPCR) in patients of acute myeloid leukemia (AML) bearing Nucleophosmin (NPM1) mutations, we quantified mutants in 194 bone marrow samples from 38 patients with a median follow-up time of 20.6 months. Following induction chemotherapy, a median of 2.78 log decline in mutant copy number was observed. Relapse was always accompanied by significant increase of mutant numbers (P<0.001). After achieving complete remission (CR), the mutant copy number was significantly higher in patients with subsequent relapse than in those remaining in continuous CR (P<0.001). Presence of detectable mutants after treatment predicted relapse if no further chemotherapy was administered. Furthermore, the patients with any rise of mutant signals during serial follow-up had 3.2-fold increase of relapse risk compared to those with persistently low or undetectable signals (P<0.001). Patients who could achieve mutant reduction to <0.1% of internal control had significantly longer overall survival (OS) (P=0.004) and relapse-free survival (RFS) (P<0.001). Failure to achieve 2 logs of reduction after consolidation predicted shorter OS (P=0.01) and RFS (P=0.001). In conclusion, qPCR monitoring may have prognostic impact in AML patients with NPM1 mutations.Leukemia (2007) 21, 998–1004. doi:10.1038/sj.leu.2404637; published online 15 March 2007 [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Thin InGaN epitaxial layers and GaN-based light-emitting diodes (LEDs) on conventional and vicinal cut sapphire substrates are prepared. It is found that indium atoms are distributed much more uniformly in the samples prepared on vicinal cut sapphire substrates. It is also found that stronger electroluminescence intensity can be achieved without the band-filling effect of localised states from the LEDs with vicinal cut sapphire substrate. With 20 mA current injection, it is found that 44% electroluminescence intensity enhancement can be achieved by using the 1° tilted sapphire substrate. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Objective:To investigate the relationship between the metabolic syndrome and its related factors among non-diabetic pre- and post-menopausal women in North Taiwan.Design:A cross-sectional study in a medical center in North Taiwan.Subjects:Five hundred and ninety-four, non-diabetic middle-aged women (age range=40–64 years, mean=48.9±5.4 years) were recruited.Measurements:The fasting plasma glucose, insulin, lipids levels and anthropometric indices were measured. The homeostasis model assessment was applied to estimate the degree of insulin resistance (HOMA-IR). Metabolic syndrome was defined by using the National Cholesterol Education Panel (NCEP) criteria and modified NCEP criteria (waist circumference >80 cm).Results:The prevalence of metabolic syndrome was 6.2% using NCEP criteria, and 8.9% using modified NCEP criteria. Post-menopausal women had a higher prevalence of metabolic syndrome and its individual components compared to pre-menopausal women except hyperglycemia and low HDL-C. In multiple logistic regression analysis with adjustment for age and menopausal status, both BMI and HOMA-IR were independently associated with the metabolic syndrome.Conclusion:The prevalence of metabolic syndrome was higher in post-menopausal than pre-menopausal women. Both obesity and insulin resistance may play an important role in the development of metabolic syndrome among the middle-aged women in North Taiwan.International Journal of Obesity (2006) 30, 912–917. doi:10.1038/sj.ijo.0803240; published online 24 January 2006 [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

BACKGROUND:: The human adiponectin gene has been implicated in the pathophysiology of obesity, type II diabetes mellitus, dyslipidemia and atherosclerosis. Investigation of the physiological functions of the adiponectin gene in humans was mainly conducted at the levels of plasma proteins or DNA polymorphisms. The depot-specific adiponectin mRNA levels also could be relevant to these physiological functions. OBJECTIVES:: The relation between the adipose depot-specific adiponectin mRNA expression levels and various metabolic factors, including BMI, fasting plasma glucose, insulin, triglycerides (TGs) and HDL-cholesterol and insulin resistance index by HOMA, was investigated among 66 nondiabetic women using quantitative real-time PCR. RESULTS:: The subcutaneous relative adiponectin mRNA levels (SRAmR) correlated significantly with the omental relative adiponectin mRNA levels (ORAmR) (?=0.468, P=0.0001). The SRAmR correlated inversely with the fasting plasma glucose with a borderline significance (?=-0.35, P=0.058). On the other hand, the ORAmR correlated negatively with serum TG levels with the adjustment for age (?=-0.33, P=0.007) or age plus BMI (?=-0.27, P=0.027). CONCLUSION:: These results indicate that the adiponectin mRNA levels in different adipose depots were at least related to certain phenotypes of metabolic syndrome. The expression levels of adiponectin in the omental adipose depots are related to TG metabolism.International Journal of Obesity (2003) 27, 896-900. doi:10.1038/sj.ijo.0802367 [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

BACKGROUND: The increased health risks associated with obesity have been found to occur in Asians at lower body mass indices (BMIs). To determine the optimal cut-off values for overweight or obesity in Taiwan, we examined the relationships between four anthropometric indices and cardiovascular risk factors. METHODS: The data were collected from four health-screening centers from 1998 to 2000 in Taiwan. Included were 55 563 subjects (26 359 men and 29 204 women, mean age = 37.3 ± 10.9 and 37.0± 11.1 y, respectively). None had known major systemic diseases or were taking medication. Individual body weight, height, waist circumference (WC), and a series of tests related to cardiovascular risk (blood pressure, fasting plasma glucose, triglycerides, total cholesterol, low- and high-density lipoprotein cholesterol) were assessed and their relationships were examined. Receiver operating characteristic (ROC) analysis was used to find out the optimal cut-off values of various anthropometric indices to predict hypertension, diabetes mellitus and dyslipidemia. RESULTS: Of the four anthropometric indices we studied, waist-to-height ratio (WHtR) in women was found to have the largest areas under the ROC curve (women=0.755, 95% Cl 0.748-0.763) relative to at least one risk factor (ie hypertension or diabetes or dyslipidemia). The optimal cut-off values for overweight or obesity from our study in men and women showed that BMIs of 23.6 and 22.1 kg/m², WCs of 80.5 and 71.5 cm, waist-to-hip ratios (WHpR) of 0.85 and 0.76, and WHtR of 0.48 and 0.45, respectively, may be more appropriate in Taiwan. CONCLUSIONS: WHtR may be a better indicator for screening overweight- or obesity-related CVD risk factors than the other three indexes (BMI, WC and WHpR) in Taiwan. Our study also supported the hypothesis that the cut-off values using BMI and WC to define obesity should be much lower in Taiwan than in Western countries. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Gallium nitride p-i-n ultraviolet photodiodes with low-temperature (LT)-GaN interlayer have been fabricated. It was found that the dark current of photodiode with LT-GaN interlayer is as small as 143 pA at 5 V reverse bias. It was also found that the responsivity of the photodiode with LT-GaN interlayer can be enhanced at a small electric field (∼0.4 MV/cm) due to the carrier multiplication effect. The UV photocurrent gain of 13 and large ionization coefficient (α=3.1×105 cm-1) were also observed in the detector with LT-GaN interlayer. Furthermore, we can achieve a large peak responsivity of 2.27 A/W from the photodiode with LT-GaN interlayer. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Abstract: Liver transplantation, a definitive treatment for end-stage liver disease, has achieved excellent results. However, potential recipients on the waiting list outnumber donors. To expand the donor pool, marginal grafts from older donors, steatotic livers, and non–heart-beating liver donors (NHBD) have been used for transplantation. Reducing the warm ischemia time of NHBD is the critical factor in organs preservation. Liver transplantation using grafts from NHBD have been reported to display a high incidence of primary graft nonfunction and biliary complications. The authors report a liver graft donor who was maintained on extracorporeal membrane oxygenation (ECMO) after successful cardiopulmonary resuscitation. Core body temperature was 5°C. Procurement of the liver using a rapid flush technique was performed 4 hours after instituting ECMO. Graft function recovered fully after transplantation. In conclusion, ECMO may be used to reduce warm ischemia time in liver grafts obtained from uncontrolled NHBD, thereby increasing graft salvage rates. [Copyright &y& Elsevier]

The electronic structure and magnetic properties of Al-doped Fe3O4 films at various Al concentrations were investigated by Al and O K-edge x-ray absorption near-edge structure (XANES) and Fe L3,2-edge magnetic circular dichroism (MCD) measurements. The O K-edge XANES spectra reveal that the intensity of O 2p–Fe 3d hybridized states decreases linearly as the Al concentration increases, suggesting that nonmagnetic Al substitution reduces couplings of the O 2p with Fe 3d orbitals. The Fe L3-edge MCD spectra show that the intensities of MCD features decrease as the Al concentration increases, which suggests that Al substitution reduces the magnetic moments of Fe ions. The Fe L3,2 XANES spectra suggest the absence of mixed valence states in agreement with previous x-ray resonance scattering measurements. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Heteroepitaxial growth of InP on Si with an intermediate GaAs buffer layer by low-pressure organometallic vapor phase epitaxy is reported. Excellent crystallinity of InP epilayers with specular surfaces can be reproducibly obtained. The carrier concentration profile shows that the carrier distribution in the InP layer is very uniform, while an apparent reduction in concentration occurs at the InP/GaAs interface. The 77 K photoluminescence (PL) of the InP layer exhibits a strong near-band-edge emission. No evident shift in PL peak energy for the InP/GaAs/Si sample compared with that for the InP homoepitaxial sample was first observed in this study. These results are superior to those reported previously for the InP/Si heteroepitaxy. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

An innovative scheme for watermarking based on vector quantisation for transmitting over noisy channels is proposed. By modifying multiple description vector quantisation for watermark embedding and extraction, simulation results not only demonstrate effective transmission of the watermarked image, but reveal the robustness of the extracted watermark. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]