Search

The unique structure of human teeth limits dental repair to custom-made solutions. The production process requires a lot of time and manpower. At present, artificial intelligence (AI) has begun to be used in the medical field and improve efficiency. This study attempted to design a variety of dental restorations using AI and evaluate their clinical applicability. Using inlay and crown restoration types commonly used in dental standard models, we compared differences in artificial wax-up carving (wax-up), artificial digital designs (digital) and AI designs (AI). The AI system was designed using computer calculations, and the other two methods were designed by humans. Restorations were made by 3D printing resin material. Image evaluations were compared with cone beam computed tomography (CBCT) by calculating the root mean squared error. Surface truth results showed that AI (68.4 µm) and digital-designed crowns (51.0 µm) had better reproducibility. Using AI for the crown reduced the time spent by 400% (compared to digital) and 900% (compared to wax-up). Optical microscopic and CBCT images showed that AI and digital designs had close margin gaps (p < 0.05). The margin gap of the crown showed that the wax-up group was 4.1 and 4.3 times greater than those of the AI and digital crowns, respectively. Therefore, the utilization of artificial intelligence can assist in the production of dental restorations, thereby enhancing both production efficiency and accuracy. It is expected that the development of AI can contribute to the reproducibility, efficiency, and goodness of fit of dental restorations. [Display omitted] • Artificial intelligence-designed dental restorations exhibit similar external shapes as those designed by human experts. • Artificial intelligence can reduce the manufacturing time of dental restorations. • The use of artificial intelligence can improve the marginal adaptation. • AI-designed dental restorations may become potential options for clinical selection. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

When the size of a liquid crystal display (LCD) increases, the light guiding plate (LGP) as the main part of the LCD must adopt a wedge-shaped plate to reduce its weight (the thickness of the LGP decreases because of this) and guide the light to the LCD screen. Micro-injection molding (MIM) is commonly used to manufacture LGPs. During the filling phase of MIM, the entire entering polymer melt front of the LGP should reach the end of the mold cavity at the same time. In this way, there will be no shrinkage or warpage of the LGP in its subsequent application, but it is difficult for the wedge-shaped LGP to meet these requirements. Therefore, the authors hoped to investigate MIM process parameters to change this situation. Otherwise, the LGP is easily deformed during the manufacturing process. Flow characteristics of LGPs were investigated during the filling phase of MIM in this study. Experimental and 3D numerical simulations were used to analyze the hysteresis, i.e., the advance of the polymer melt front of the LGP in MIM. Study results showed that a low injection speed caused a hysteresis effect of the plastic melt front, the solution was to increase the injection speed to improve the situation and an injection speed of 10 cm/s could achieve uniformity of the melt front in MIM. The research results showed that the filling situation of the LGP of MIM in the experiment was very close to that of the 3D numerical simulation. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Objectives: Professional quality of life involves the negative and positive effects of proving care to terminal patients on health care professionals, including burnout and compassion satisfaction. Around 18% of hospice staff have experienced burnout, and few studies explore the role of an innate ability to cope with burnout. The aim of this study was to explore the significant predictors of burnout and compassion satisfaction as well as the coping strategies among hospice staff in Taiwan. Methods: A cross-sectional study was conducted, and 220 hospice staff were recruited. Standardized questionnaires were used to collect self-rated stress and growth due to hospice care, self-efficacy, self-awareness, and managing emotion. Results: Hospice staff who perceived higher stress and lower growth due to hospice care and had lower self-efficacy in providing hospice care experienced higher burnout and lower compassion satisfaction. Those who had a lower level of ability related to self-awareness and managing emotion tended to experience higher burnout. The common coping strategies included seeking social support, taking professional courses for clinical skills, and developing hobbies. Conclusion: Hospice staff have to develop professional abilities in regard to hospice care as well as an ability to maintain awareness and manage emotions related to work. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In this study, we determined the effects of design and processing parameters of precision injection molding (PIM) to minimize warpage phenomena of micro-sized parts using various plastics (polyoxymethylene (POM), acrylonitrile-butadiene-styrene (ABS), polypropylene (PP), polyamide (PA), and ABS+ polycarbonate (PC)). We applied a numerical simulation (Moldflow) to determine the runner's balance in multi-cavities of the micro-sized part and simulate the warpage phenomenon of micro-parts with PIM. We used simulation data to fabricate a steel mold by computer numerical control (CNC) machining. In this, we study manufactured a micro-sized part and measured its warpage value using various PIM process parameters (melt temperature, mold temperature, injection pressure, and filling time). In order to obtain optimal results (i.e., minimum warpage), we employed the Taguchi method and grey theory to discern the influence of each process parameter on PIM. Finally, we determined that the most significant PIM process parameter influencing the warpage phenomenon of micro-sized parts was the mold temperature, regardless of whether in terms of the experimental results, numerical simulations, or grey theory. The PA material had the most suitable properties for application for micro-sized parts, regardless of whether in terms of experimental results, numerical simulations, or grey theory for PIM. This study also illustrates that micro-sized parts can be fabricated by PIM without the use of micro-injection molding, and we determined that the mold temperature required for molding does not need to be higher than the glass-transition temperature of the material. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Purpose: Clinicians face personal barriers that impede the provision of bereavement care and require education in hospice care. This study aims to investigate the effects of an educational bereavement program on emotional and cognitive barriers, self-efficacy, and professional quality of life among clinicians in hospice care. Methods: A pretest–posttest design was implemented. A total of 194 clinicians with working experience in hospice care were recruited. The participants underwent a 12-h workshop. The content included lectures, role-play, and group discussion. Emotional and cognitive barriers, self-efficacy, and professional quality of life were measured before and after the program and at 3-month follow-up. Results: After the educational program, negative emotional barriers (F (2, 386) = 17.07, p < 0.001), lack of ability (F (2, 386) = 20.11, p < 0.001), belief in avoidance (F (2, 386) = 7.10, p = 0.001), outcome expectancy (F (2, 386) = 11.32, p < 0.001), and burnout (F (2, 386) = 5.59, p = 0.005) decreased significantly. Self-efficacy (F (2, 386) = 5.37, p = 0.006) and compassion satisfaction (F (2, 386) = 127.99, p < 0.001) increased significantly. Conclusion: The educational program addressed personal barriers to bereavement care. Role-play and group discussion about emotional and cognitive barriers can reduce barriers and improve self-efficacy in clinicians in hospice care. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Calcaneal quantitative ultrasonography (QUS) is a useful prescreening tool for osteoporosis, while the dual-energy X-ray absorptiometry (DXA) is the mainstream in clinical practice. We evaluated the correlation between QUS and DXA in a Taiwanese population. A total of 772 patients were enrolled and demographic data were recorded with the QUS and DXA T-score over the hip and spine. The correlation coefficient of QUS with the DXA-hip was 0.171. For DXA-spine, it was 0.135 overall, 0.237 in females, and 0.255 in males. The logistic regression model using DXA-spine as a dependent variable was established, and the classification table showed 66.2% accuracy. A receiver operating characteristic (ROC) analyses with Youden's Index revealed the optimal cut-off point of QUS for predicting osteoporosis to be 2.72. This study showed a meaningful correlation between QUS and DXA in a Taiwanese population. Thus, it is important to pre-screen for osteoporosis with calcaneus QUS. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

• The degradation behavior of PCL and PCL–CoHA membranes was analyzed by long-term immersion (6 months). • Accelerate the degradation of PCL membrane by added CoHA. • PCL–CoHA membrane favors MG63 cell attachment, proliferation and differentiation. • PCL–CoHA membrane significantly inhibited the growth of E. coli. • PCL–CoHA membrane scavenges free radicals by continuously releasing cobalt ions. Currently, infections due to foreign-body reactions caused by bacteria or implant materials at the wound site are one of the major reasons for the failure of guided tissue regeneration (GTR) and guided bone regeneration (GBR) in clinical applications. The purpose of this study was to develop regeneration membranes with localized cobalt ion release to reduce infection and inflammation by polycaprolactone (PCL)/cobalt-substituted hydroxyapatite (CoHA). The PCL composite membrane containing 20 wt% CoHA powders was prepared by solvent casting. The surface morphology, crystal structure, chemical composition and thermal properties of PCL composite membranes were characterized. The biocompatibility, osteogenic differentiation and antibacterial properties of composite membrane were also investigated. Then, in biodegradability was assessed by immersing phosphate buffer solution (PBS) for 6 months. Physicochemical analyses revealed that CoHA is evenly mixed in the membranes and assistance reduce the crystallinity of PCL for getting more degradation amounts than PCL membrane. Osteoblast cells culture on the membrane showed that the CoHA significantly increases cell proliferation and found the calcium deposition production increased over 90% compared with PCL after 7 days of culture. A good antibacterial effect was achieved by the addition of CoHA powder. The results were confirmed by 2.4 times reduction of proliferation of Escherichia coli (E. coli) seeded on the composite membrane after 24 h. Immersing in PBS for 6 months indicated that PCL–CoHA composite membrane has improved biodegradation and can continuously remove free radicals to reduce the inflammatory response. The PCL–CoHA composite membrane with suitable releasing of cobalt ion can be considered as a potential choice for bone tissue regeneration. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This work demonstrates pentacene-based organic thin-film transistors (OTFTs) fabricated by inserting a 6,13-pentacenequinone (PQ) carrier injection layer between the source/drain (S/D) metal Au electrodes and pentacene channel layer. Compared to devices without a PQ layer, the performance characteristics including field-effect mobility, threshold voltage, and On/Off current ratio were significantly improved for the device with a 5-nm-thick PQ interlayer. These improvements are attributed to significant reduction of hole barrier height at the Au/pentacene channel interfaces. Therefore, it is believed that using PQ as the carrier injection layer is a good candidate to improve the pentacene-based OTFTs electrical performance. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Sand boils are a recognized phenomenon associated with soil liquefaction. However, the exact conditions required to produce sand boils remain unclear, and sand boil-induced settlement is difficult to quantify. The mechanism of sand boils and associated settlements due to soil liquefaction is investigated in this study using model testing. Loose saturated sand deposit is made in a transparent acrylic cylinder applied with torsional shaking to reproduce liquefaction and sand boils. An acrylic circular plate, whose diameter is slightly smaller than the cylinder's inner diameter, is placed on the model ground surface to mimic a non-liquefiable layer. The gap allows the liquefied sand to be ejected, leading to sand boils. The mechanism of sand boils and induced settlements is investigated by the transient variations of the measured water pressure at the sidewall, the recorded plate settlement, and the monitored video image. The influence of different thicknesses of the non-liquefiable layer, the gap sizes, and the overburden pressures on the sand boil-induced settlement is assessed quantitatively. It is found that the thicker the non-liquefied layer or the smaller ejecta gap size, the lower the amount of ejecta and associated subsidence is observed. The overburden pressure had relatively minor effect on the amount of ejecta, but it affected the amount of consolidation settlement significantly. Based on the observation of test results, a theoretical ejection head is proposed to determine the condition leading to sand boils. • The mechanism of sand boils and associated settlements due to soil liquefaction is investigated using model testing. • Sand deposit made in a transparent cylinder is applied with torsional shaking to reproduce liquefaction and sand boils. • The mechanism is investigated by the transient variations of the water pressure, the settlement, and the video image. • Influence of thickness of non-liquefiable layer, gap size, and overburden pressure on ejecta-induced settlement is assessed. • A theoretical ejection head is proposed to determine the condition leading to sand boils. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Health status improvement is a critical treatment goal for physicians managing chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD). Numerous instruments to measure the disease-specific health-related quality of life (HRQOL) for patients with COPD have been used in daily clinical practice. The Clinical COPD Questionnaire (CCQ) is one of these recommended by the Global Initiative for Chronic Obstructive Lung Disease (GOLD). This study examined the psychometric properties of the CCQ in patients with COPD in Taiwan. A descriptive, cross-sectional design was conducted. Data were collected in a secondary care unit. We administered the CCQ, the modified Medical Research Council (mMRC) dyspnea scale, and the 12-item Short Form Health Survey (SF-12) for patients with COPD. Reliability was assessed using Cronbach's alpha and item–total correlation coefficients. Construct validity was assessed using confirmatory factor analysis (CFA) and testing the hypothesis that severity of dyspnea measured using the mMRC dyspnea scale is associated with the CCQ scores. Convergent validity was assessed by testing the correlation between the CCQ and the SF-12. Discriminant validity was assessed to differentiate among the classifications of COPD Groups A to D. A total of 114 subjects were recruited in the study. Cronbach's alpha was high (0.90) for the total score of the CCQ. Significant correlations were found between the CCQ scores and those of the mMRC dyspnea scale (ρ = 0.67) and domains of the SF-12 (ρ = −0.44 to −0.75). Furthermore, the CCQ scores showed a significant difference among the classifications of COPD Groups A to D. CFA confirmed the construct validity, with a good model fit. Good to excellent psychometric properties of the Chinese Version CCQ were demonstrated in the study. Wide usage of the Chinese Version CCQ for Taiwanese COPD patients can be recommended in daily clinical practice or clinical trials. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Many laminar shear boxes have recently been developed into sliding-frame containers that can reproduce 1D ground-response boundary conditions. The measured responses of such large specimens can be utilized to back-calculate soil properties. This study investigates how the boundary effect in large specimens affects the identified soil properties through shaking table tests on a soil-filled large laminar box conducted at the National Center for Research on Earthquake Engineering in Taiwan. The tested soil-box system is unique because only 80% of the container is filled with soil. This system can be regarded as a two-layer system: an empty top and soil-filled bottom. The dynamic properties of this two-layer system are identified through various approaches, including theoretical solutions of wave propagation, free vibration, and nonparametric stress–strain analyzes. Therefore, the coupling effect of the box and soil can be evaluated. Results show that, compared with the two-layer system considering the influence of the box, the conventional approach with a single-layer system slightly underestimates shear wave velocity but obtains the same damping ratio of the soil layer. In addition, the identified modulus reduction and damping curves in the two-layer system are consistent with those obtained in a laboratory test on a small specimen. Furthermore, based on detailed acceleration measurements along different depths of soil, a piecewise profile of shear wave velocity is built. The identified shear wave velocity increases with depth, which is not uniform and differs from the constant velocity typically assumed for the specimen. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

To develop the logistic and the probit models to analyse electromyographic (EMG) equivalent uniform voltage- (EUV-) response for the tenderness of tennis elbow. In total, 78 hands from 39 subjects were enrolled. In this study, surface EMG (sEMG) signal is obtained by an innovative device with electrodes over forearm region. The analytical endpoint was defined as Visual Analog Score (VAS) 3+ tenderness of tennis elbow. The logistic and the probit diseased probability (DP) models were established for the VAS score and EMG absolute voltage-time histograms (AVTH). TV50 is the threshold equivalent uniform voltage predicting a 50% risk of disease. Twenty-one out of 78 samples (27%) developed VAS 3+ tenderness of tennis elbow reported by the subject and confirmed by the physician. The fitted DP parameters were TV50 = 153.0 mV (CI: 136.3-169.7 mV), γ 50 = 0.84 (CI: 0.78-0.90) and TV50 = 155.6 mV (CI: 138.9-172.4 mV), m = 0.54 (CI: 0.49-0.59) for logistic and probit models, respectively. When the EUV ≥ 153 mV, the DP of the patient is greater than 50% and vice versa. The logistic and the probit models are valuable tools to predict the DP of VAS 3+ tenderness of tennis elbow. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background. Auricular point acupressure (APA) is a promising treatment for pain management. Few studies have investigated the physiological mechanisms of APA analgesics. Method. In this pilot randomized clinical trial (RCT), a 4-week APA treatment was used to manage chronic low back pain (CLBP). Sixty-one participants were randomized into a real APA group (n=32) or a sham APA group (n=29). Blood samples, pain intensity, and physical function were collected at baseline and after 4 weeks of treatment. Results. Subjects in the real APA group reported a 56% reduction of pain intensity and a 26% improvement in physical function. Serum blood samples showed (1) a decrease in IL-1β, IL-2, IL-6, and calcitonin gene-related peptide [CGRP] and (2) an increase in IL-4. In contrast, subjects in the sham APA group (1) reported a 9% reduction in pain and a 2% improvement in physical function and (2) exhibited minimal changes of inflammatory cytokines and neuropeptides. Statistically significant differences in IL-4 and CGRP expression between the real and sham APA groups were verified. Conclusion. These findings suggest that APA treatment affects pain intensity through modulation of the immune system, as reflected by APA-induced changes in serum inflammatory cytokine and neuropeptide levels. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Selecting appropriate texts for L2 (second/foreign language) learners is an important approach to enhancing motivation and, by extension, learning. There is currently no tool for classifying foreign language texts according to a language proficiency framework, which makes it difficult for students and educators to determine the precise difficulty/complexity levels of an unclassified text. Taking the Chinese language as an example, this study aimed to create a readability assessment system, called the Chinese Readability Index Explorer for Chinese as a Foreign Language (CRIE-CFL), in order to level-that is, to sort by proficiency level-texts that will be used for instructional purposes. The framework of choice in this project is the Common European Framework of Reference (CEFR). A team of expert CFL teachers first classified 1,578 CFL texts into their appropriate CEFR levels. A set of 30 CFL readability features was then developed or drawn from previous research, and sorted according to importance using F-scores. In addition, a support vector machine model was trained by sequentially integrating the features into the model to optimize accuracy. The empirical evaluation of CRIE-CFL revealed average exact- and adjacent-level accuracies of 74.97% and 99.62%, respectively, for predicting the expert classification of a text. The functionalities of CRIE-CFL are introduced and discussed. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Purpose: To investigate the relationship between health-related quality of life (HRQoL) and different cutoff value of low level of high-density lipoprotein cholesterol (HDL-C) in Taiwanese women with different definition of obesity. Methods: Prospective observational study in women with central obesity was conducted in Taipei City Hospital. A total of 572 women were screened at our clinic, and 227 of them with a body mass index ≧27 kg/m defined by the Department of Health in Taiwan and weight circumference ≧80 cm were eligible for the study. We defined two groups as group A-low HDL (HDL-C < 40 mg/dL) and group B-high HDL (HDL-C < 50 mg/dL) according to different definition of hypoalphalipoproteinemia in obese women. Results: Significantly reduced HRQoL score was noted in group A-low HDL compared to group A-high HDL (HDL-C ≧ 40 mg/dL), but not between group B-low HDL and group B-high HDL (HDL-C ≧ 50 mg/dL). Positively correlation was noted between HDL-C level and physical domain of HRQoL score. HDL-C contributes independently to physical domain of HRQoL score after controlling for other factors. Decreased leptin and adiponectin level were noted in hypoalphalipoproteinemia groups. Conclusion: Taiwanese obese women with hypoalphalipoproteinemia have adverse impact on HRQoL, especially when the HDL-C level is lower than 40 mg/dL. Both hypoalphalipoproteinemia and hypertension accounted for a great variance to lower scores of physical domain of HRQoL with positively correlation with HDL-C level observed. Decreased leptin and adiponectin were also observed in hypoalphalipoproteinemia group, which implied increased cardiovascular risk. HDL-C level may deem as another indicator for HRQoL in women with central obesity. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Tandempolymer solar cells (PSCs), consisting of more than one(normally two) subcells connected by a charge recombination layer(i.e., interconnecting layer), hold great promise for enhancing theperformance of PSCs. For an ideal tandem solar cell, the open circuitvoltage (Voc) equals to the sum of thoseof the subcells while keeping the short circuit current the same asthe lower one, leading to an increased overall power conversion efficiency.The interconnecting layer plays an important role in regulating thetandem device performance. Here, we report that graphene oxide (GO)/GO-Cs(cesium neutralized GO) bilayer modified with ultrathin Al and MoO3can act as an efficient interconnecting layer in tandem PSCsto achieve a significantly increased Voc, reaching almost 100% of the sum of the subcell Vocs under standard AM 1.5 conditions. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Abstract: The behavioral modeling of active devices using pathological nullor–mirror elements has shown advantages comparing with their representations using nullor elements only. In order to model the terminal characteristic of active devices containing current or voltage differencing properties, the pathological representations of current and voltage differencing cells are presented. Each proposed model includes the non-ideal effects of input and output parasitics and transfer characteristics. They are used to model some active devices with the consideration of their non-ideal effects. Symbolic nodal analyses (NA) using the non-ideal models of active devices are given to demonstrate the usefulness of the proposed models. [Copyright &y& Elsevier]

Aims and objectives. To assess the effects of respiratory training on lung function, activity tolerance and quality of life in patients with chronic obstructive pulmonary disease. Background. For patients with chronic obstructive pulmonary disease, pulmonary rehabilitation can increase activity tolerance and improve their psychological state by relieving dyspnoea and promoting their quality of life. Design. A randomised clinical trial was conducted in a local hospital. Methods. Patients with chronic obstructive pulmonary disease were randomly assigned to intervention ( n = 20) and control groups ( n = 20). Spirometry, six-minute walking distance and quality of life were used to assess the efficacy of respiratory training programme. Results. Significant improvement in lung function, including forced vital capacity ( p = 0·037), forced expiratory volume in one-second ( p = 0·006) and per cent predicted forced expiratory volume in one-second ( p = 0·008) in the intervention group. Regarding efficacy of the training programme for patients with chronic obstructive pulmonary disease, in forced expiratory volume in one-second ( p = 0·024) and per cent predicted forced expiratory volume in one-second ( p = 0·035), six-minute walking distance significantly increased. In addition, there were significant improvements for symptoms ( p = 0·018), impact ( p < 0·001) and total quality of life scores ( p < 0·001), as well as significantly decreased body mass, airflow obstruction, dyspnoea and exercise capacity index ( p = 0·004) in the intervention group. Conclusions. A respiratory training programme for patients with chronic obstructive pulmonary disease was found to relieve dyspnoea, maintain lung function, increase activity tolerance and improve quality of life. Relevance to clinical practice. Respiratory training programme can be used as a routine rehabilitation protocol for patients with chronic obstructive pulmonary disease and can be used by nurses as a reference to monitor chronic obstructive pulmonary disease patients' health status. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Abstract: Degradation process of organic light-emitting diodes (OLEDs) is examined directly by X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy with in situ high-energy C60 + and low-energy Ar+ co-sputtering. It is proven that this analytical technique clearly indicates the elemental depth profile of as-prepared OLED device (Al/LiF/2,2′,2′′-(1,3,5-benzinetriyl)-tris(1-phenyl-1-H-benzimidazole) (TPBi)/4,4′-bis(carbazol-9-yl)biphenyl:bis(3,5-difluoro-2-(2-pyridyl)-phenyl-(2-carboxypyridyl) iridium (III) (CBP:FIrpic)/poly(ethylenedioxythiophene): poly(styrene sulfonic acid) (PEDOT:PSS)/ITO). Devices operated for different durations are subjected to this profiling technique for studying the change of elemental distribution. In addition to some of the accepted degradation mechanisms, it is observed that small TPBi molecules migrate towards the ITO anode under a direct driving voltage while retaining its original structure. It is also observed that oxygen diffused into the device through the Al cathode and along the Al–organic interface. Molecules with high stereo-hindrance may have less degradation due to the electron migration. [Copyright &y& Elsevier]

Abstract: This study presents a feasible and sensitive method to determine alkylphenol residues (i.e., 4-t-octylphenol (4-t-OP) and the isomers of 4-nonylphenols (4-NPs)) in breast milk samples and commercial cow milk products. The matrix interference associated with the constituents in the milk was reduced by extraction with n-hexane and dilution with 50% methanolic solution (v/v, methanol/water), then followed by the Oasis-HLB SPE extraction. The analytes were determined by a GC–MS system in full-scan and selected ion monitoring modes simultaneously. Limit of quantitation was less than 0.05ng/g in a 20g (wet weight) milk sample. The 4-NPs were detected in 19 of the 20 breast milk samples at concentrations ranging from 1.7 to 11.6ng/g, while 4-t-OP was detected in 8 samples at concentrations ranging from 0.4 to 1.1ng/g. The 4-NPs were detected in all the testing commercial cow milk products at concentrations ranging from 2.9 to 8.8ng/g. [Copyright &y& Elsevier]

Abstract: Small molecular organic light-emitting diodes (OLEDs) can be fabricated by spin-coating and thermo-evaporation of organic materials. In this work, X-ray photoelectron spectrometry (XPS) and secondary ion mass spectrometry (SIMS) are used to examine the microstructure of emissive layers in organic LEDs prepared with different technique using in situ sputtering. It is found that the Ir-containing guest molecule is enriched at the bottom-interface and a concentration gradient results from spin-coating while the opposite molecular distribution is observed with thermo-evaporation. Such a difference in microstructure affects the carrier-injection and carrier-transportation and is key to the dramatic difference (∼3.5×) in the efficiency of the resultant OLED devices. [Copyright &y& Elsevier]

Abstract: The damage to the solid by low-energy single atomic projectiles and high-energy cluster ion beams is analyzed by evaluating the Si (001) surface after ion sputtering, with angle-resolved x-ray photoelectron spectroscopy (ARXPS), high-resolution transmission electron microscopy (HRTEM), and atomic force microscopy (AFM). The depth distribution of Ar and C was determined using ARXPS. It was found that the primary ion implant region thickness in the Si is estimated to be 2.34, 1.68, and 1.63nm for Ar+, C60 +, and mixed Ar+–C60 + sputtering, respectively. Similarly, 5–8, 4–6, and 3–5nm thick rearranged layers were observed directly with HRTEM. The results indicate that cluster ion beams cause shallower damage to the solid. On the other hand, AFM revealed 0.44, 2.58, and 2.63nm surface roughness indicating that cluster ion beams induce significantly rougher interfaces. This interfacial roughening will ultimately determine the depth resolution of the depth profile. [Copyright &y& Elsevier]

This study compared the accuracy of static computer-assisted implant surgery (sCAIS) planned through dental surface image registration and fiducial marker registration. Stone models of 30 patients were converted into digital dental casts by using a desktop scanner. Cone-beam computed tomography (CBCT) was performed and superimposed to the digital dental casts with two methods: matching the dental surface images or matching the fiducial markers on a stereolithographic radiographic template. Following the implant planning, stereolithographic surgical guides were fabricated, and 56 fully guided implants were inserted by the same doctor. Deviations between planned and inserted implants were measured and compared using postoperative CBCT images. After adjustment for other potential influencing factors, compared with the fiducial marker registration group, significantly larger mean lateral deviations were noted in the dental surface registration group at both the implant platform and apex (p = 0.0188 and 0.0371, respectively). However, the mean lateral deviations for the dental surface registration (0.83 ± 0.51 mm at implant platform and 1.24 ± 0.68 mm at implant apex) were comparable to the literature. In conclusion, our findings indicate that although sCAIS planned using dental surface image registration was not statistically as accurate as that using fiducial marker registration, its accuracy was satisfactory for clinical use. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Summary: Purpose: This phase II single arm, open label study was designed to evaluate the efficacy and toxicity of oral gefitinib (250mg) daily in previously untreated patients with advanced non-small-cell lung cancer (NSCLC). Methods: Eligible patients had stage IIIB or IV NSCLC with adequate organ functions, and were chemonaïve. All eligible patients were treated with oral administration of 250mg of gefitinib until intolerable toxicity, disease progression or death occurred. Responses were assessed after every 8 weeks of therapy. Results: For a total of 53 patients, the objective response rate (ORR) was 32.1% and overall disease control rate (DCR) was 52.8%. Median overall and progression-free survivals (PFS) were 9.4 (95% CI, 8.8–13.3) and 3.2 months (95% CI, 1.1–5.2) months, and 1-year survival rate was 41.5%. Patients with adenocarcinoma (n =35) had a higher response rate. Adenocarcinoma, female gender (n =24), and response to gefitinib were predictive factors for better survival. The most commonly seen adverse events (AEs) were skin toxicity (54.7%), diarrhea (43.4%) and nail change (16.9%). Most AEs were mild to moderate and considered manageable. Drug-related interstitial pneumonia was clinically diagnosed in four cases (7.5%). Conclusions: Oral gefitinib, as compared to conventional chemotherapy, has comparable effect but less toxicity as a first-line treatment in Chinese patients who have advanced NSCLC, especially in those with adenocarcinoma histology. A further phase III prospective study comparing gefitinib to standard chemotherapy to define the efficacy of gefitinib is appropriate in advanced NSCLC patients. [Copyright &y& Elsevier]

Simple Summary: No data are available regarding the effect of chronic obstruction pulmonary disease (COPD) and COPD with acute exacerbation (COPDAE) on survival in patients with lung squamous cell carcinoma (SCC) receiving definitive concurrent chemoradiotherapy (CCRT). This study is the first to examine the survival impact of COPD in patients with lung SCC receiving definitive CCRT. COPD and its severity are significant independent risk factors for all-cause mortality in patients with stage IIIA–IIIB lung SCC receiving definitive CCRT. Hospitalization for COPDAE within 1 year before CCRT is the significant independent risk factor for lung cancer death in the patients with stage IIIA–IIIB lung SCC receiving definitive CCRT. Background: To date, no data are available regarding the effect of chronic obstruction pulmonary disease (COPD) and COPD with acute exacerbation (COPDAE) on survival in patients with lung squamous cell carcinoma (SCC) receiving definitive concurrent chemoradiotherapy (CCRT). Patients and methods: We enrolled 3986 patients with clinical stage IIIA–IIIB, unresectable lung SCC, who had received standard definitive CCRT, and categorized them into two groups based on their COPD status to compare overall survival outcomes. We also examined the effects of COPD severity (0, 1, or ≥2 hospitalizations for COPDA within 1 year before CCRT). Results: In the inverse probability of treatment weighting (IPTW)-adjusted model, the adjusted hazard ratio (aHR) (95% confidence interval (CI)) of all-cause death for COPD was 1.04 (1.01, 1.16), compared no COPD in patients with stage IIIA–IIIB lung SCC receiving definitive CCRT. In the IPTW-adjusted model, the aHRs (95% CIs) of 1 and ≥ 2 hospitalizations for COPDAE within 1 year before CCRT were 1.32 (1.19, 1.46) and 1.81 (1.49, 2.19) respectively, compared with no hospitalization for COPDAE. Conclusion: COPD and its severity are significant independent risk factors for all-cause death in patients with stage IIIA–IIIB lung SCC receiving definitive CCRT. Hospitalization for COPDAE within 1 year before CCRT is the significant independent risk factor for lung cancer death in the patients with stage IIIA–IIIB lung SCC receiving definitive CCRT. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In these times of Industrial 4.0 and Health 4.0, people currently want to enhance the ability of science and technology, to focus on patient aspects. However, with intelligent, green energy and biomedicine these days, traditional three-dimensional (3D) printing technology has been unable to meet our needs, so 4D printing has now arisen. In this research, a shape-memory composite material with 3D printing technology was used for 4D printing technology. The authors used fused deposition modeling (FDM) to print a polylactic acid (PLA) strip onto the surface of paper to create a shape-memory composite material, and a stimulus (heat) was used to deform and recover the shape of this material. The deformation angle and recovery angle of the material were studied with various processing parameters (heating temperature, heating time, pitch, and printing speed). This research discusses optimal processing related to shape-memory situations of stimulus-responsive composite materials. The optimal deformation angle (maximum) of the stimulus-responsive composite material was found with a thermal stimulus for an optimal heating temperature of 190 °C, a heating time of 20 s, a pitch of 1.5 mm, and a printing speed of 80 mm/s. The optimal recovery angle (minimum) of this material was found with a thermal stimulus for an optimal heating temperature of 170 °C, a heating time of 90 s, a pitch of 2.0 mm, and a printing speed of 80 mm/s. The most important factor affecting both the deformation and recovery angle of the stimulus-responsive composite material was the heating temperature. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Objective--To report and analyse the pattern of end-of-life decision making for terminal Chinese cancer patients. Design--Retrospective descriptive study. Setting--A cancer clinical trials unit in a large teaching hospital. Patients--From April 1992 to August 1997, 177 consecutive deaths of cancer clinical trial patients were studied. Main measurement--Basic demographic data, patient status at the time of signing a DNR consent, or at the moment of returning home to die are documented, and circumstances surrounding these events evaluated. Results--DNR orders were written for 64.4% of patients. Patients in pain (odds ratio O. 45, 95%CI O. 22-0. 89), especially if requiring opioid analgesia (odds ratio 0.40, 95%CI 0.21-0. 77), were factors associated with a higher probability of such an order. Thirty-five patients were taken home to die, a more likely occurrence if the patient was over 75 years (odds ratio O. 12, 95%CI 0.04-0.34), had children (odds ratio 0.14, 95%CI 0.02-0.79),had Taiwanese as a first language (odds ratio 6. 74, 95%CI 3.04-14.93), or was unable to intake orally (odds ratio 2.73, 95%CI 1.26-5.92). CPR was performed in 30 patients, none survived to discharge. Conclusions--DNR orders are instituted in a large proportion of dying Chinese cancer patients in a cancer centre, however, the order is seldom signed by the patient personally. This study also illustrates that as many as 20% of dying patients are taken home to die, in accordance with local custom. (Journal of Medical Ethics 1999;25:309-314) [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In this study, we designed and fabricated transmission parts for a flapping-wing micro-aerial vehicle (FW-MAV), which was fabricated by precision injection molding, and analyzed its warpage phenomena. First, a numerical simulation (Moldflow) was used to analyze the runner balance and temperature, pressure, and stress distributions of the base, gears, and linkage of the transmission structures in an FW-MAV. These data were then applied to fabricate a steel mold for an FW-MAV. Various process parameters (i.e., injection temperature, mold temperature, injection pressure, and packing time) for manufacturing transmission parts for the FW-MAV by precision injection molding were compared. The Taguchi method was employed to determine causes of warpage in the transmission parts. The experimental results revealed that the causes of warpage in the transmission parts were, in order of importance, the mold temperature, injection pressure, packing time, and injection temperature. After the transmission parts were assembled on the FW-MAV, experiments revealed that the MAV could achieve a flight time of 180 s. Mass production of the FW-MAV by precision injection molding could potentially produce substantial savings in time, manpower, and cost. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Diabetic foot ulcers (DFUs) caused by diabetes are prone to serious and persistent infections. If not treated properly, it will cause tissue necrosis or septicemia due to peripheral blood vessel embolism. Therefore, it is an urgent challenge to accelerate wound healing and reduce the risk of bacterial infection in patients. In clinical practice, DFUs mostly use hydrogel dressing to cover the surface of the affected area as an auxiliary treatment. Polyvinyl alcohol (PVA) is a hydrophilic hydrogel polymer widely used in dressings, drug delivery, and medical applications. However, due to its weak bioactivity and antibacterial ability, leads to limited application. Filler adding is a useful way to enhance the biocompatibility of PVA. In our study, cobalt-substituted hydroxyapatite (CoHA) powder was prepared by the electrochemically-deposited method. PVA and PVA-CoHA nanocomposite were prepared by the solvent casting method. The bioactivity of the PVA and composite was evaluated by immersed in simulated body fluid for 7 days. In addition, L929 cells and E. coli were used to evaluate the cytotoxicity and antibacterial tests of PVA and PVA-CoHA nanocomposite. The results show that the addition of CoHA increases the mechanical properties and biological activity of PVA. Biocompatibility evaluation showed no significant cytotoxicity of PVA-CoHA composite. In addition, a small amount of cobalt ion was released to the culture medium from the nanocomposite in the cell culture period and enhanced cell growth. The addition of CoHA also confirmed that it could inhibit the growth of E. coli. PVA-CoHA composite may have potential applications in diabetic trauma healing and wound dressing. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Magnetic nanoparticles are used to enhance the image contrast of magnetic resonance imaging (MRI). However, the development of magnetic nanoparticles with a low dose/high image contrast and non-toxicity is currently a major challenge. In this study, cobalt-substituted hydroxyapatite nanoparticles deposited on titanium (Ti-CoHA) and cobalt-substituted hydroxyapatite nanoparticles deposited on titanium dioxide nanotubes (TNT-CoHA) were synthesized by the electrochemical deposition method. The particle sizes of Ti-CoHA and TNT-CoHA were 418.6 nm and 127.5 nm, respectively, as observed using FE-SEM. It was shown that CoHA can be obtained with a smaller particle size using a titanium dioxide nanotube (TNT) electrode plate. However, the particle size of TNT-CoHA is smaller than that of Ti-CoHA. The crystal size of the internal cobalt oxide of CoHA was calculated by using an XRD pattern. The results indicate that the crystal size of cobalt oxide in TNT-CoHA is larger than that of the cobalt oxide in Ti-CoHA. The larger crystal size of the cobalt oxide in TNT-CoHA makes the saturation magnetization (Ms) of TNT-CoHA 12.6 times higher than that of Ti-CoHA. The contrast in MRIs is related to the magnetic properties of the particles. Therefore, TNT-CoHA has good image contrast at low concentrations in T2 images. The relaxivity coefficient of the CoHA was higher for TNT-CoHA (340.3 mM−1s−1) than Ti-CoHA (211.7 mM−1s−1), and both were higher than the commercial iron nanoparticles (103.0 mM−1s−1). We showed that the TNT substrate caused an increase in the size of the cobalt oxide crystal of TNT-CoHA, thus effectively improving the magnetic field strength and MRI image recognition. It was also shown that the relaxivity coefficient rose with the Ms. Evaluation of biocompatibility of CoHA using human osteosarcoma cells (MG63) indicated no toxic effects. On the other hand, CoHA had an excellent antibacterial effect, as shown by E. coli evaluation, and the effect of TNT-CoHA powder was higher than that of Ti-CoHA powder. In summary, TNT-CoHA deposited electrochemically on the TNT substrates can be considered as a potential candidate for the application as an MRI contrast agent. This paper is a comparative study of how different electrode plates affect the magnetic and MRI image contrast of cobalt-substituted hydroxyapatite (CoHA) nanomaterials. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Hydroxyapatite has excellent biocompatibility and osteo-conductivity and, as the main inorganic component of human bones and teeth, is commonly used for bone repair. Its original characteristics can be changed by metal ion substitution. Cobalt ions can act as hypoxia-inducible factors and accelerate bone repair. At the same time, cobalt has paramagnetic properties and is often used in the study of medical imaging and target drugs. Through the introduction of cobalt ions, the unique hydroxyapatite has better biological activity and positioning of medical images. Herein, cobalt-substituted hydroxyapatite (CoHA) was synthesized on the surface of a titanium plate by electrochemical deposition and changes in the power output mode to explore the impact on CoHA. Electrochemical deposition with a pulse current significantly improved the productivity and uniformity of CoHA on the surface of titanium. CoHA show paramagnetic characteristics by a superconducting quantum interference device (SQUID). Resulting smaller particle size and circular morphology improves the magnetic strength of CoHA. Magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) of CoHA showed significant image contrast effect at low concentrations. The calculated particle relaxation rate was higher than other common MRI contrast agents. Biocompatibility of CoHA powder was evaluated using the human osteosarcoma cell line (MG63) which confirmed that CoHA is not cytotoxic and can promote cell growth and extracellular matrix mineralization. With the release of cobalt ions, CoHA was found to be significantly good in repression E. coli indicating about than 95% reduction in bacterial growth. The as-synthesized CoHA has a low degree of crystallinity, highly sensitive image contrast effect, and good bioactivity, and may have potential applications in bone repair and MRI. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Textual analysis has been applied to various fields, such as discourse analysis, corpus studies, text leveling, and automated essay evaluation. Several tools have been developed for analyzing texts written in alphabetic languages such as English and Spanish. However, currently there is no tool available for analyzing Chinese-language texts. This article introduces a tool for the automated analysis of simplified and traditional Chinese texts, called the Chinese Readability Index Explorer (CRIE). Composed of four subsystems and incorporating 82 multilevel linguistic features, CRIE is able to conduct the major tasks of segmentation, syntactic parsing, and feature extraction. Furthermore, the integration of linguistic features with machine learning models enables CRIE to provide leveling and diagnostic information for texts in language arts, texts for learning Chinese as a foreign language, and texts with domain knowledge. The usage and validation of the functions provided by CRIE are also introduced. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

High entropy oxides (HEOs) are considered promising materials for lithium-ion batteries (LIBs) due to their excellent thermal stability at high temperatures and high ionic conductivity. In this study, we utilized the sol-gel method to synthesize a novel HEO, (Co 0.2 Ni 0.2 Cu 0.2 Mg 0.2 Zn 0.2)O, with a rock-salt structure, serving as the active anode material for LIBs. The HEO anode exhibited a specific capacity of 450 mAh g−1 under constant-current charge-discharge conditions (current density = 50 mA g−1, C-rate = 0.1C). To address the irreversible capacity loss in the initial stages of HEO anode reactions, a prelithiation modification treatment was applied to the HEO anode surface before assembling it with a LiNi 0.8 Co 0.1 Mn 0.1 O 2 (NCM811) cathode to form a full cell. This prelithiation method reduced the irreversible capacitance ratio to 15% and the formation of a mixed layer of lithium carbonate (Li 2 CO 3) and lithium phosphate (Li 3 PO 4) at the anode-electrolyte interface was studied. This layer enhanced conductivity and hindered the growth of lithium dendrites. Electrochemical results revealed that the HEO anode achieved a specific capacity of 121 mAh g−1 at 20 mA g−1 (0.1C), with a working voltage of approximately 2.4 V and an energy density of 292 Wh kg−1. • We use sol–gel method to prepare high entropy oxides powder. • The prelithiation modification treatment reduces irreversible capacity loss to 15%. • Formation of by-products deposition on electrodes contributes to battery degradation. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In prosthodontics, the ability of glass-ceramics to express the optical properties of natural teeth is an important goal of esthetic restorations. Dental restorations do not merely need to be similar in color to natural teeth; proper optical properties, such as opalescence, transparency, etc., must be combined in order to achieve excellent esthetic effects. The optical properties of ceramic materials are mainly distinguished by different hues (e.g., A, B, C, and D) combined with translucency (e.g., high translucency (HT), medium translucency (MT), low translucency (LT), and medium opacity (MO)). However, there are many varieties of tooth color. Therefore, it is expected that glass-ceramics can change their nanocrystal size and porosity through different heat-treatment temperatures and times and, thereby, present different transparency effects. This study mainly analyzed the influence of changes in sintering temperature on the optical properties of glass-ceramics. The optical properties of glass-ceramics in the oral cavity were evaluated with human trials. We hypothesized that (1) the transparency of glass-ceramics can be changed by controlling the sintering temperature and (2) glass-ceramics modified by the sintering temperature can be suitable for clinical applications. Results showed that the transparency decreased, the nanoparticle size increased, the crystallinity increased, and the surface hardness decreased as the sintering temperature increased. High-brightness glass-ceramics have more-sensitive optical properties. Results of clinical trials showed that glass-ceramics whose transparency was changed by controlling the sintering temperature can be candidates for clinical applications. Based on the above results, the hypotheses of this study were supported. In the future, we will continue to explore the esthetic field of dental restorations. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The P&P (pulp and paper) industry in Taiwan is highly energy intensive and there is much product diversification. Taiwan has extremely limited coal and petroleum resources and imports 98% of its energy supply. Increased energy utilization efficiency to reduce energy consumption is necessary for industry in order to implement energy audit recommendations. This work summarizes the energy-saving potential of 118 firms from 2009 to 2013 as determined by on-site energy audits, as well as the energy savings implemented in 2011 by 72 firms in Taiwan's P&P industry, according to data from the on-line Energy Declaration System. It is found that the total of the energy-saving potential and the implemented energy savings are 168.3 and 762.1 TJ, respectively. The results of this study can serve as a reference for current P&P operations and as a base case for stimulating changes in energy utilization. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Photocatalytic CO 2 conversion, in general, requires the incorporation of expensive and noble materials to achieve a highly efficient conversion rate. Herein, the TNT/NiO/CQD ternary nanocomposites without any expensive materials and material modification are fabricated for the demonstration of efficient and economically affordable photocatalytic CO 2 conversion, to our best knowledge, for the first time. The TNT-based ternary photocatalysts are successfully prepared by a simple anodization and immersion process. The TNT/NiO/CQD ternary nanocomposites produce 1.47 μmol·cm-2·h-1 (≈ c.a. 2834 μmol·g-1·h-1) of CH 4 as the sole product under AM 1.5 illumination. This is five times higher performance than that of bare TNT and the performance is comparable to that of any other TiO 2 -based unitary, binary, or ternary photocatalysts. This highly enhanced performance results from effective junction formation between TNT and NiO NP, and the dual role of CQDs as a light absorber and charge transporter/collector in the system. The formation of Z-scheme at the TNT/NiO interface leads to efficient charge transfer via a TiO 2 /NiO bond. The light absorption of the photocatalysts is enhanced and extended by decorated CQDs due to their small band gap. The charge transfer and collection are further improved by charge depletion at the TNT/CQD interface and the charge transfer at the NiO/CQD interface. This work provides a possible model for the realization of efficient and economically affordable photocatalytic CO 2 conversion. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Highlights: [•] Analytical tool was applied to estimate the energy efficiency indicator of energy intensive industries in Taiwan. [•] The carbon dioxide emission intensity in selected energy-intensive industries is also evaluated in this study. [•] The obtained energy efficiency indicator can serve as a base case for comparison to the other regions in the world. [•] This analysis results can serve as a benchmark for selected energy-intensive industries. [Copyright &y& Elsevier]

• Development of Se_HEC for degrading pollutants in the electro-Fenton reaction. • The Se_HEC cathode successfully decomposed 98% of pollutants within 120 min. • The Se_HEC cathode uses solar energy can still degrade 98% of pollutants. In this study, pollution from sewage was addressed using a novel high-entropy material to decompose organic pollutants containing azo groups. Se_(AlCrCuFeNi) (Se_HEC) nanomaterials were employed as an active catalyst to restore organic pollution in aqueous solutions by using the electro-Fenton technique. The efficacy of Se_HEC catalysts in degrading pollutants during the electro-Fenton reaction and the potential of functionalized high-entropy materials to decompose pollutants were investigated. The Se_HEC material was synthesized through rapid calcination followed by selenization. This Se_HEC cathode demonstrated a remarkable removal efficiency of 98% for methyl orange in aqueous solutions and high stability in an acidic environment with a pH of 3. Additionally, the effects of various parameters, such as applied current and pH, were assessed. The results revealed that an increase in the current led to a higher reaction rate for the entire process, with the optimal conditions occurring at pH 3. The potential methyl orange degradation pathway was elucidated through a reactive oxygen species (ROS) test conducted during the electro-Fenton process. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

[Display omitted] • This research builds up a new methodology for the quantitative study of HEAs. • Corrosion mechanism of HEAs is rebuilt by using HAXPES-XPS analysis. • Overlapping peaks and Auger signals interference could be prevented. • HAXPES provides a deeper and highly reliable compositional study of HEAs. • Fe, Co, and Ni keep dissolving until the redeposition of Al and Cr compounds occurs. Recently, high-entropy alloys (HEAs) have demonstrated excellent properties, such as high yield strength, better ductility, and great corrosion resistance, which breaks the conventional alloy design strategy. We investigate the corrosion behavior of AlCoCrFeNi HEAs in 0.5 M H 2 SO 4 solution under ambient conditions using soft and hard X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy (XPS) for surface/bulk (∼5 nm and > 10 nm) analysis. The composition information of the surface and bulk can be achieved and compared via a switchable target system, where the Al (Kα, 1486.6 eV) and Cr (Kα, 5414.8 eV) targets produced X-rays for regular XPS and hard X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy (HAXPES) as the detection source, respectively. The HAXPES provides a precise composition study in the bulk region without the interference of Auger electron signals caused by neighboring transition metals. The dissolution of metallic ions in H 2 SO 4 solution were collected by inductively coupled plasma–mass spectrometry (ICP–MS) and compared with the XPS-HAXPES analysis. The Al and Cr compounds redeposited to the HEA surface, while Fe, Co, and Ni kept dissolving into the acidic solution. It is speculated that the dissolution of Fe, Ni, and especially Co could slow the rate of dissolution of Cr. The passivation layer formed by Cr hydroxide/oxide could thus protect the HEA from further corrosion. Al easily leached before the formation of the Cr passivation layer, however, Al compounds still became the main species on the surface of the HEA. Moreover, our findings examined by the novel analysis technique may provide a new paradigm for the quantification study of HEAs. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

• Our study is the first to evaluate the effect of early thoracic surgery on patients with unresectable stage IIIB–IV EGFR-mutant lung adenocarcinoma who received and responded to EGFR-TKIs. • Thoracic surgery reduced the incidence of death in patients with unresectable stage IIIB–IV EGFR-mutant lung adenocarcinoma who received and responded to EGFR-TKIs. • Thoracic surgery appeared to be more beneficial for OS in older patients (aged ≥65 years) patients receiving and responding to TKIs compared with younger patients. No large-scale, prospective, randomized study has evaluated the effect of thoracic surgery on patients with unresectable stage IIIB–IV epidermal growth factor receptor (EGFR)-mutant lung adenocarcinoma who received and responded to EGFR tyrosine kinase inhibitor (TKI) treatment. Therefore, we designed a propensity-score-matched, nationwide, population-based, cohort study to investigate the effects of thoracic surgery on patients with EGFR-mutant lung adenocarcinoma. We included patients with unresectable stage IIIB–IV EGFR-mutant lung adenocarcinoma and categorized them into two groups according to their treatment modalities and compared their outcomes: the case group consisted of patients who underwent thoracic surgery for lung tumors after receiving and responding to EGFR-TKI treatment and the comparison group consisted of patients who received EGFR-TKI treatment alone until tumor progression. Patients in both groups were matched at a ratio of 1:4. The matching process yielded a final cohort of 1395 patients (279 and 1,116 in the case and comparison groups, respectively) who were eligible for further analysis. According to multivariable Cox regression analyses, the adjusted hazard ratio (aHR; 95% confidence interval [CI]) for thoracic surgery for lung tumors after EGFR-TKI use and tumor response (group 2) compared with EGFR-TKI treatment alone (group 1) was 0.445 (0.351–0.564). Thoracic surgery prolonged overall survival in patients with unresectable stage IIIB–IV EGFR-mutant lung adenocarcinoma who received and responded to EGFR-TKI treatment. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This study examined the uniformity of illuminance field distributions of light guide plates (LGPs). First, the authors designed microstructural patterns on the surface of an LGP. Then, a mold of the LGP with the optimal microstructural design was fabricated by a photolithography method. Micro-injection molding (μIM) was used to manufacture the molded LGPs. μIM technology can simultaneously manufacture large-sized wedge-shaped LGPs and micro-scale microstructures. Finally, illuminance values of the field distributions of the LGPs with various microstructures were obtained through optical field measurements. This study compared the illuminance field distributions of LGPs with various designs and structures, which included LGPs without and those with microstructure on the primary design and the optimal design. The average illuminance of the LGP with microstructures and the optimal design was roughly 196.1 cd/m2. Its average illuminance was 1.3 times that of the LGP without microstructures. This study also discusses illuminance field distributions of LGPs with microstructures that were influenced by various μIM process parameters. The mold temperature was found to be the most important processing parameter affecting the illuminance field distribution of molded LGPs fabricated by μIM. The molded LGP with microstructures and the optimal design had better uniformity than that with microstructures and the primary design and that without microstructures. The uniformity of the LGP with microstructures and the optimal design was roughly 86.4%. Its uniformity was nearly 1.65 times that of the LGP without microstructures. The optimized design and fabrication of LGPs with microstructure exhibited good uniformity of illuminance field distributions. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

New optical–photonic devices with the capability to manipulate, modify, and even tailor the light characteristics dynamically, such as wave surface, play an increasingly important role in the development of modern and future optics. Optical vortex with spiral wave surfaces is a special type of light with intrinsic orbital angular momentum (OAM). Thus, this vortex can be applied to the development of advanced optics, such as optical tweezers, ultra‐resolution microscope, optical communication, and quantum technology. This study demonstrates an optical device known as Bragg–Berry optical vortex generator (BBOVG) with a circularly symmetric chiral photonic structure using an easy‐to‐implement method by filling a ferroelectric liquid crystal‐doped cholesteric liquid crystal (FLC‐CLC) material into an indium‐tin‐oxide‐coated cell pre‐treated with photoalignment along the azimuthal direction. The BBOVG devices can be operated by dynamically tuning the photonic bandgaps of the opposite‐handed FLC‐CLCs throughout the full‐visible region (400–700 nm) in a low voltage range (≤ 3.0 V) to obtain reflective optical vortices with opposite OAM signs in a full‐visible range near room temperature. The present devices, which can transform geometric phase and have ultra‐wideband manipulability and high operability at room temperature, provide a good example in demonstrating key devices that fit the use in future optical/photonic applications. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Abstract: Self-assembled monolayer (SAM)-modified gold nanoparticles can be used to immobilize and transport molecules including DNA and proteins. However, these molecules are usually covalently bound to the surface and chemical reactions are required to cleave and release them. Therefore, immobilizing molecules using electrostatic interactions might be beneficial. In this work, Au nanoparticles modified by SAMs with mixed carboxylic acid and amine functional groups are presented. The surface potential and the iso-electric point (IEP) of the nanoparticles can be tailored by the ratio of these functional groups and arbitrary IEPs between 3.2 and 7.3 can be achieved. As a result, based on electrostatic interactions, molecules could be triggered to adsorb/desorb by changing the environmental pH around this tunable IEP. These engineered nanoparticles were synthesized in a single-phase system based on the reduction of HAuCl4 by NaBH4 in ethanol with a mixture of 16-mercaptohexadecanoic acid and 8-amino-1-octanethiol that forms the SAM on the synthesized nanoparticles. Transmission electron microscopy, X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy, and electrophoresis light scattering revealed the particle size, ratio of the functional groups, and zeta-potential of the particles as a function of pH, respectively. [Copyright &y& Elsevier]

This study applied poly-ε-caprolactone (PCL), a biomedical ceramic powder as an additive (nano-hydroxyapatite (nHA) or β-tricalcium diphosphate (β-TCP)), and sodium chloride (NaCl) and ammonium bicarbonate ((NH4)HCO3) as porogens; these stuffs were used as scaffold materials. An improved solvent-casting/particulate-leaching method was utilized to fabricate 3D porous scaffolds. In this study we examined the physical properties (elastic modulus, porosity, and contact angle) and degradation properties (weight loss and pH value) of the 3D porous scaffolds. Both nHA and β-TCP improved the mechanical properties (elastic modulus) of the 3D porous scaffolds. The elastic modulus (0.15~1.865 GPa) of the various composite scaffolds matched that of human cancellous bone (0.1~4.5 GPa). Osteoblast-like (MG63) cells were cultured, a microculture tetrazolium test (MTT) was conducted and alkaline phosphatase (ALP) activity of the 3D porous scaffolds was determined. Experimental results indicated that both nHA and β-TCP powder improved the hydrophilic properties of the scaffolds. The degradation rate of the scaffolds was accelerated by adding nHA or β-TCP. The MTT and ALP activity tests indicated that the scaffolds with a high ratio of nHA or β-TCP had excellent properties of in vitro biocompatibility (cell attachment and proliferation). [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Simple Summary: This study is the first to estimate the impact of smoking-related chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD) in patients with rectal adenocarcinoma undergoing curative resection. In these patients, current smokers with smoking-related COPD had worse survival outcomes than nonsmokers without COPD. Moreover, hospitalization for COPD with acute exacerbation within 1 year before diagnosis was an independent risk factor for OS in these patients, with a higher number of hospitalizations being associated with poorer survival. Purpose: The survival effect of current smoking-related chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD) and COPD with acute exacerbation (COPDAE) is unclear for patients with rectal adenocarcinoma undergoing curative resection. Methods: We recruited patients with clinical stage I–IIIC rectal adenocarcinoma from the Taiwan Cancer Registry Database who had received surgery. The Cox proportional hazards model was used to analyze all-cause mortality. We categorized the patients into two groups by using propensity score matching based on COPD status to compare overall survival outcomes: Group 1 (current smokers with COPD) and Group 2 (nonsmokers without COPD). Results: In the multivariate Cox regression analyses, the adjusted hazard ratio (aHR; 95% confidence interval (CI)) of all-cause mortality for Group 1 compared with Group 2 was 1.25 (1.04–1.51). The aHRs (95% cis) of all-cause mortality for frequency of ≥1 hospitalizations for COPDAE or ≥2 hospitalizations within 1 year before diagnosis were 1.17 (1.05–1.51) and 1.48 (1.03–2.41) compared with no COPDAE in patients with rectal adenocarcinoma undergoing curative resection. Conclusion: In patients with rectal adenocarcinoma undergoing curative resection, being a current smoker with COPD (Group 1) was associated with worse survival outcomes than being a nonsmoker without COPD (Group 2). Being hospitalized at least once for COPDAE within 1 year before the diagnosis of rectal adenocarcinoma is an independent risk factor for poor overall survival in these patients, and a higher number of hospitalizations for COPDAE within 1 year before diagnosis was associated with poorer survival. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Simple Summary: This study is the first to estimate the impact of smoking-related chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD) on invasive ductal carcinoma (IDC) patients receiving standard treatments. Smoking-related COPD was not a significant independent risk factor for all-cause mortality in women with stage I–III IDC receiving standard treatments. The frequency of hospitalization for COPD with at least one acute exacerbation within one year before breast surgery was highly associated with high mortality for women with IDC receiving standard treatments. Purpose: the survival effect of smoking-related chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD) and COPD with acute exacerbation (COPDAE) is unclear for patients with invasive ductal carcinoma (IDC) receiving standard treatments. Methods: we recruited women with clinical stage I–III IDC from the Taiwan Cancer Registry Database who had received standard treatments between 1 January 2009 and 31 December 2018. The time-dependent Cox proportional hazards model was used to analyze all-cause mortality. To reduce the effects of potential confounders when all-cause mortality between Groups 1 and 2 were compared, 1:2 propensity score matching (PSM) was performed. We categorized the patients into two groups based on COPD status to compare overall survival outcomes: Group 1 (current smokers with COPD) and Group 2 (nonsmokers without COPD group). Results: PSM yielded 2319 patients with stage I–III IDC (773 and 1546 in Groups 1 and 2, respectively) eligible for further analysis. In the multivariate time-dependent Cox regression analyses, the adjusted hazard ratio (aHR; 95% confidence interval (CI)) of all-cause mortality for Group 1 compared with Group 2 was 1.04 (0.83–1.22). The aHRs (95% CIs) of all-cause mortality for ≥1 hospitalization for COPDAE within one year before breast surgery was 1.51 (1.18–2.36) compared with no COPDAE. Conclusion: smoking-related COPD was not a significant independent risk factor for all-cause mortality in women with stage I–III IDC receiving standard treatments. Being hospitalized at least once for COPDAE within one year before breast surgery is highly associated with high mortality for women with IDC receiving standard treatments. The severity of smoking-related COPD before treatments for breast cancer might be an important prognostic factor of survival. Thus, the information of the severity of COPD before treatment for breast cancer might be valuable for increasing the survival rate in treatment of breast cancer, especially in the prevention of progress from COPD to COPDAE. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Mantispids are small brown bugs about 1.5 cm in length. Mantispid eggs are produced in large quantities, with about 1000 eggs per spawning, and are tiny and densely packed. Traditionally, mantispid eggs are counted manually. However, counting such a large quantity of eggs is difficult. To provide accurate data for researchers, we detail methods to accurately detect and count the number of mantispid eggs using image processing. The following methods were used to count the mantispid eggs: background estimation, morphological image processing, background subtraction, stretching, image thresholding, gray-level transformation, labeling and counting. The results of automated counting were compared with the results of manual counting. The segmentation results were verified, and the accuracy of the mantispid egg counts was determined to be 100%. This provides a useful resource for mantispid egg counting. The automatic counting system cannot only count mantispid eggs, it can also be used to count other similar insect eggs. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background and Objectives: There have been few large population-based studies of the association between rheumatoid arthritis (RA) and chronic kidney disease (CKD) and glomerulonephritis. This nationwide cohort study investigated the risks of developing CKD and glomerulonephritis in patients with RA, and the associated risks for cardiovascular complications. Methods: From the Taiwan National Health Insurance Research Database, we identified a study cohort of 12,579 patients with RA and randomly selected 37,737 subjects without RA as a control cohort. Each subject was individually followed for up for 5 years, and the risk of CKD was analyzed using Cox proportional hazards regression models. Results: During the follow-up period, after adjusting for traditional cardiovascular risk factors RA was independently associated with a significantly increased risk of CKD (adjusted hazard ratio [aHR] 1.31; 95% confidence interval [CI] 1.23–1.40) and glomerulonephritis (aHR 1.55; 95% CI 1.37–1.76). Increased risk of CKD was also associated with the use of non-steroidal anti-inflammatory drugs, cyclosporine, glucocorticoids, mycophenolate mofetil, and cyclophosphamide. Patients with comorbidities had even greater increased risk of CKD. Moreover, RA patients with concurrent CKD had significantly higher likelihood of developing ischemic heart disease and stroke. Conclusions: RA patients had higher risk of developing CKD and glomerulonephritis, independent of traditional cardiovascular risk factors. Their increased risk of CKD may be attributed to glomerulonephritis, chronic inflammation, comorbidities, and renal toxicity of antirheumatic drugs. Careful monitoring of renal function in RA patients and tight control of their comorbid diseases and cardiovascular risk factors are warranted. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

To elucidate the effect of different substituents on the optical and redox properties of perylene bisimide (PBI), a novel series of 1,6,7-trisubstituted PBIs (1 – 6) with a highly twisted perylene core was synthesized and characterized. By substituting the hydrogen atoms at the bay-positions with various substituents (dihexylamino, piperidinyl, morpholinyl, hexoxy, and bromo), the absorption and fluorescence wavelengths of 1 – 6 in cyclohexane were extensively tuned within the ranges of 551–646 and 586–720 nm, respectively, simply by harnessing the electron-donating strength of the substituents. Varying the substituents generated a new family of long-wavelength absorbing and fluorescent dyes. Moreover, PBI 2 exhibited colorimetric and "turn-on" fluorescence responses in extremely acidic medium (pH 1.0 to −0.6). Low-cost test strips containing 2 were easily prepared and could be used to detect HCl. [Display omitted] • A series of 1,6,7-trisubstituted perylene bisimides (1 – 6) was synthesized. • The emission wavelengths of 1 – 6 can be widely tuned from 586 to 720 nm. • Compound 2 exhibits colorimetric and fluorometric responses to HCl. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]