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We investigate the magnetization and electrical transport properties of Sm-based ternary magnetic bulk metallic glasses at low temperatures. A cluster spin-glass phase is evidenced below Tf∼25 K, which is probably ascribed to competition among the multifold magnetic interactions and intrinsic structural inhomogeneity, and further demonstrated by the magnetic hysteresis under field-cooling conditions. It is shown that the short-range magnetic clusters play as scattering centers for conductive electrons and result in a Kondo-like transport behavior in highly spin disordered Sm50Al25Co25 at low temperature. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The specific heat of La0.4Ca0.6MnO3 in bulk and nanoparticle (∼60 nm in grain size) forms was investigated. It is found that the charge-ordered state highly stabilized in the bulk samples can be significantly suppressed in the nanoparticle. The low temperature specific heat data reveal a Schottky-like anomaly at ∼5 K for the bulk sample, while a large electronic linear term (γ=17.8 mJ/mole K2) was identified for the nanoparticle samples. The magnetic measurements unveil the small magnetic entropy as low as ∼0.255 J/kg K and the possible existence of a Griffiths-like phase in the nanoparticle samples. We argue that the physics underlying the size effect is associated with the dimension-dependent interactions based on which the ferromagnetic/charge-ordering transition occurs. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Estrogens encompass steroid hormones which display physiological roles not only in the female reproductive system but also in other organ systems of non-reproductive controls, including the peripheral and central nervous systems. Traditionally, estrogen signals in neurons through a 'genomic pathway': binding to estrogen receptors ( ERs) which then interact with nuclear estrogen response elements to initiate transcription. This effect is usually delayed at onset (within several hours to days) and prolonged in duration. In addition to these classical ERs, recent data suggest that other ERs function through pregenomic signaling pathways. Estrogen's pregenomic pathways cause intracellular changes within seconds to minutes and go through a novel, 7-transmembrane spanning G protein-coupled receptor ( GPER, formerly known as GPR30). In this review, we will briefly cover the cellular and molecular mechanisms of GPER and then discuss newly discovered roles of GPER in cognition, depression, homeostasis, pain processing, and other associated neuronal functions. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Electrolyte gating technology has been widely used as an effective tool to study novel physics at complex oxide surfaces and interfaces. Certain emergent phenomena reported in electro-gated SrTiO3 (STO) surfaces are particularly interesting. Here, we report on the disparate electron transport behaviors of electrolyte-gated STO (001) and (110) oriented surfaces. In contrast to the anomalous transport from an insulating state to a Kondo-like state and then metallic states on the (001) surface, with increasing carrier density, the (110) surface always behaves as an insulating state. A comparison study suggests that the oxygen vacancies and localized Ti3+ ions on the (001) surface are scatter carriers, but no such defects are found on the (110) surface. This suggests that these surfaces are intrinsically insulating, and the observed anomalous effects are likely induced by the Ti3+ ions and oxygen vacancies introduced during electrolyte gating. This work sheds light on complicated phenomena in electrolyte-gated STO-based systems. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Aims To report the annual incidence rate and the socio-demographic and clinical characteristics of childhood Type 1 diabetes in Taiwan in the period 2003-2008. Methods A total of 1306 incident cases of childhood (0-14 years) Type 1 diabetes were identified from Taiwan's National Health Insurance claim datasets from the period 2003-2008. The temporal trend of the incidence rate of Type 1 diabetes and the features of hospitalizations in the first year after diagnosis were investigated. The associations of patient characteristics, child population density and the urbanization level of the residential areas with the risk of Type 1 diabetes were assessed using Poisson regression analysis. Results The annual incidence rate was stable, irrespective of age and gender, with a mean annual incidence rate of 5.3 per 100 000 children. Girls were more likely than boys to develop Type 1 diabetes (6.0 vs 4.7 per 100 000 children) and the incidence rate increased with age. There was no apparent geographic variation in the incidence rates. Despite the 60% decrease in the rate of admission (from 11.0 to 5.8%) over the study period, ketoacidosis remained the major diabetes complication leading to admission for childhood Type 1 diabetes. The multivariate analysis suggested that female gender and older age were significant predictors of the incidence of Type 1 diabetes, whereas the population density of children and the urbanization levels of the residential areas were not. Conclusions Girls and older children should receive particular attention when formulating preventive strategies targeting Type 1 diabetes. Additionally, clinicians should still carefully optimize the management of children with Type 1 diabetes to further reduce the occurrence of ketoacidosis. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

CXCR4 belongs to a family of G protein-coupled cell surface receptors and has been proved to a prognostic marker in a various tumors, including esophageal squamous cell cancer. In this study, we analyzed CXCR4 expression in tumor tissue and metastatic tumor tissues of lymph node by immunohistochemistry. CXCR4 was found to be an independent factor of patients' survival and heterogeneously expressed in tumor tissues. Compared with the primary tumor tissues, the scores of CXCR4 expression were significantly higher in corresponding metastatic tumor tissues of lymph nodes ( P < 0.01). It was suggested CXCR4-positive cells were prone to migrate to lymph nodes. In the further experiments in vitro, we confirmed heterogeneous expression of CXCR4 in esophageal squamous cell cancer cell lines ( KYSE70, Ec109, and CaES17) by flow cytometry analysis. Meanwhile, two subpopulations were isolated from Ec109 based on CXCR4 membrane expression by fluorescence-activated cell sorting. CXCR4-positive cells showed stronger migration ability in Boyden chamber assay than CXCR4 negative ones ( P < 0.01). However, no significant difference of cell proliferation was found between the two subpopulations in colony formation assay ( P > 0.05). We concluded that CXCR4 might be a key molecule in esophageal squamous cell cancer metastasis. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Esophageal cancer (EC) is a highly aggressive neoplasm with poor prognosis. The main reason for this disappointing outcome is the strong behavior of esophageal cancer cell's invasion and metastasis. CXC chemokine receptor 4 (CXCR4) was found to be expressed in many tumors and significantly correlated with invasion, angiogenesis, metastasis, and prognosis. In the present study, we investigated the expressions of CXCR4, matrix metalloproteinase-9 (MMP-9), and vascular endothelial growth factor (VEGF) in esophageal squamous cell cancer (ESCC) and analyzed the relationship among the three proteins. Sections of paraffin-embedded tissues were obtained from 127 patients with ESCC undergoing esophagectomy at Zhongshan Hospital, Fudan University in 2005. The CXCR4, MMP-9, and VEGF expressions in EC tissues were evaluated according to the immunohistochemical staining area and intensity. The correlations between patients' prognosis and covariates were analyzed by Kaplan-Meier method (univariate analysis) and Cox regression (multivariate analysis). The overall expression rate of CXCR4, MMP-9, and VEGF was 88.2%, 93.7%, and 79.5%, respectively. CXCR4 expression was significantly associated with tumor grade, tumor size, tumor depth, regional lymph node metastasis, and tumor, node, metastasis (TNM) stage ( P < 0.05). MMP-9 expression was significantly associated with age and tumor grade ( P < 0.05). VEGF expression was significantly associated with tumor grade, tumor depth, and TNM stage ( P < 0.05). CXCR4 expression was positively correlated with MMP-9 expression ( P < 0.01, r= 0.365) and VEGF expression ( P < 0.01, r= 0.380). However, there was no significant correlation between MMP-9 and VEGF expression ( P > 0.05). In univariate analysis, CXCR4 expression, tumor size, tumor depth, lymph node metastasis, and TNM stage were correlated with patients' prognosis ( P < 0.05); in multivariate analysis, tumor size and lymph node metastasis were the independent factors of poor prognosis. CXCR4 was highly expressed in ESCC and correlated with MMP-9, VEGF, clinicopathological features and prognosis. We speculated CXCR4 play an important role during the progression of this disease and there might be some regulatory mechanism existing between CXCR4 and MMP-9/VEGF in ESCC. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Measurements of the dynamical electrical transport behavior are performed on electron-doped manganites LaCa(MnRu)O ( x=0 and 0.02). An undoped sample possesses a robust charge-ordered antiferromagnetic ground state, and only a positive resistivity relaxation can be observed. However, a low-temperature negative relaxation behavior arises after inducing a few ferromagnetic orders to the charge-ordered matrix by tiny Ru doping. We assigned this difference to the dynamical competition between ferromagnetic metallic and charge-ordered insulating phases. Consistently, for a doped sample, the crossover from positive to negative resistivity relaxation behavior ensues around T=115 K, which is just below the ferromagnetic Curie temperature. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

A series of manganites Tb1− xHo xMnO3 (0≤ x≤0.6) with orthorhombic structure are synthesized and detailed investigations on their multiferroicity are performed. Successive magnetic transitions upon temperature variation are evidenced for all the samples, and both the Mn3+spiral spin ordering and rare-earth spin ordering are suppressed with increasing x. A significant enhancement of both the polarization and magnetoelectric response within 0.2< x<0.4 is observed, which may probably result from the shortening of the spiral-spin-ordering period, due to the competition between the spiral spin order and E-type antiferromagnetic order. This argument is supported by further theoretical calculations based on the two e g-orbital double-exchange model. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

A total of 569 nonduplicate isolates recovered from patients with community-onset or hospital-onset intraabdominal infections (IAIs) from 2001 to 2006 were studied. These included 28 Staphylococcus aureus and 541 Gram-negative isolates (33.6% Escherichia coli, 29.0% Klebsiella pneumoniae, 8.1% Acinetobacter baumannii, and 6.3% Pseudomonas aeruginosa). Minimum inhibitory concentrations (MICs) of the isolates to moxifloxacin, imipenem, and ciprofloxacin were determined using the agar dilution method and to tigecycline using the broth microdilution method. Extended-spectrum β-lactamase (ESBL) producers were found in 15.5% (29 out of 182) of E. coli, 15.3% (24 out of 157) of K. pneumoniae, and 15.4% (2 out of 13) of K. oxytoca isolates. More than 85% of Enterobacteriaceae were susceptible to moxifloxacin, but this percentage was lower among E. coli (78%). The percentage of E. coli ( K. pneumoniae) isolates that were not susceptible to moxifloxacin was 6% (0%) in 2001, 39% (17%) in 2003, and 21% (14%) in 2006. Tigecycline exhibited good in vitro activities against all S. aureus and >95% of all Enterobacteriaceae tested. Among the 24 isolates of ESBL-producing K. pneumoniae, 4 had tigecycline MICs ≥2 μg/ml. Eighty percent of A. baumannii isolates exhibited tigecycline MICs of ≤2 μg/ml. This study found that moxifloxacin and tigecycline exhibited good in vitro activity against bacterial isolates causing IAIs. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The magnetization, Raman spectroscopy, and ferroelectricity of multiferroic GdMn2O5 as a function of temperature and magnetic field are investigated. The complicated magnetic transitions at low temperatures are featured with anomalous Raman mode shifts, dielectric response, and ferroelectricity generation, indicating the significant spin–phonon coupling. It is argued that this coupling is possibly responsible for the electrical polarization generation associated with the incommensurate–commensurate transition. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This article presents a 2.4-/5.7-GHz dual-band low-power direct-conversion CMOS RF receiver for the 802.11a/b/g WLAN applications. The RF receiver includes a low noise amplifier (LNA) with dual input stages and dual switches for each of 2.4/5.7-GHz applications. This design can substitute the use of two LNAs in conventional structure and eliminate the use of the costly external band-select switches. It also alleviates the difficulty of single matching for multiple frequency bands. The RF receiver also includes a Gilbert-cell-based broadband mixer which is designed to be both low power consumption and relatively high conversion gain. Fabricated in 0.18-μm CMOS technology, the RF receiver exhibits a conversion gain of 25.8/20.6 dB, DSB noise figure of 4.4/5.6 dB, and input IP3 of -18/-12.5 dBm at 2.4/5.7 GHz frequency band, respectively. The measured EVM for IEEE 802.11a/b/g is 1.2/1.6/1.1% at data rate of 11/54/54 Mbps. The power consumption under 1.8 V supply is 10.6 mW for the 2.4 GHz mode, and 17.2 mW for the 5.7 mode. © 2009 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. Microwave Opt Technol Lett 51: 593–597, 2009; Published online in Wiley InterScience (www.interscience.wiley.com). DOI 10.1002/mop.24120 [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Objectives: This article aims to quantify the risk factors associated with the human cases of HSN1 avian influenza in South-east Asian countries and China; a dangerous region for this disease that has the potential for a pandemic outbreak. Study design: A statistical model with time and spatial dimensions was built to capture the international spread patterns of this disease. Methods: The grid search method was used to fit the model with 2004-2006 data. The grid search approach is a simple procedure that allows the fit of any function to data. Results: This study found that: (1) when the number of domestic HSN1 human cases increases by one person in a certain time period, the chance that the country will have a human case in the next period increases by 22.10%; (2) when the number of human cases in a neighbouring country increases by one person in a certain time period, the chance that the country will have a human case in the next period increases by 1.62%; (3) when the number of avian cases in a neighbouring country increases by one, the chance that the country will have a human case increases by 0.02%; (4) as the human population increases by one unit, the chance that the country will have a human case increases by 0.10%; (5) when the quantity of imported poultry increases by 1000 metric tons, the chance that the country will have a human case increases by 0.03%; (6) when the outbreak of the disease among domestic birds increases by one, the chance that the country will have a human case increases by 0.19%; and finally (7) when the number of birds destroyed increases by 1000, the chance that the country will have a human case decreases by 0.30%. Conclusions: These findings shed new light on the spatiotemporal characteristics of the epidemic, and thus need to be taken into consideration in interdisciplinary and scientific discussion of the disease. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In this study, we apply the tight-binding method to magneto-electronic properties of the AA- and ABC-stacked graphites, which are strongly dependent on the interlayer interactions, the magnetic field, and the stacking sequences. First of all, the interlayer interactions induce the significant changes in the energy dispersions, the band symmetry about the Fermi level, the overlap between valence and conduction bands, the band width, and the band-edge states or the symmetry points. Then, the magnetic field induces the Peierls phase in the Bloch functions and thus strongly affects the energy dispersions of the Landau Levels, the subband spacings, the energy width, and the special structures in density of states (DOS). Finally, the stacking sequences dominates over the low-energy band overlap and the anisotropy of energy bands. The effects mentioned above are exactly reflected in the density of state. Here, DOS exhibits the 3D, 2D, and 1D characteristics. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

>Background The epidemiology and impact of functional constipation on Asians remain unclear. >Aim To determine the prevalence of functional constipation, its social/medical impact, and its distinction from constipation-predominant irritable bowel syndrome (C-IBS) in Taiwan. >Methods A Rome II questionnaire was administered to an apparently healthy adult Chinese population ( n = 2865). >Results The prevalence of functional constipation was 8.5% and it was 2.7% for C-IBS. The functional constipation subjects were predominantly female and had excessive gastrointestinal-related doctor visits, absenteeism and sleep disturbance compared with controls ( P < 0.01). Among functional constipation subjects, approximately 40% were ‘consulters’ with excessive doctor consultations, absenteeism and sleep disturbance. Female gender, the presence of sleep difficulty and higher constipation symptom scores were predictive of their consultation behaviour ( P < 0.05). No differences existed in demographic variables, doctor consultations and absenteeism between 172 functional constipation and 54 C-IBS subjects. However, the C-IBS subjects experienced more severe constipation symptoms and sleep disturbance than functional constipation subjects. >Conclusions Functional constipation in Taiwan is comparable with that in other countries. The clinical presentation of constipation-predominant irritable bowel syndrome differ somewhat from that of functional constipation. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background : Little is known about the social and medical burdens of heartburn in Asia. Aim : To assess the impact of heartburn in Taiwan. Methods : We applied a questionnaire to 2018 apparently healthy adult Chinese receiving a routine health maintenance programme. Costs of heartburn-related prescriptions were obtained from the Bureau of National Health Insurance of Taiwan. Results : Heartburn prevalence (>1 episode/week) was 7%. Smoking and increased body mass index were associated with heartburn occurrence. Heartburn sufferers reported more atypical gastro-oesophageal reflux disease symptoms, e.g. chest pain, dysphagia and globus. They were more likely to consult physicians, and have an increased frequency and number of days of absenteeism, irrespective of upper gastrointestinal or nongastrointestinal-related illnesses. They experienced sleep disturbances more frequently. The 62 heartburn consulters (48%) were more likely to have co-existing globus, visited physicians more, had more absenteeism, suffered from more sleep disturbances and had higher costs for antacids, proton pump inhibitors, hypnotic/sedatives, tranquilizers and antidepressants than nonconsulters. Conclusions : Heartburn prevalence in Taiwan is lower than in Western countries. Nevertheless, heartburn in Taiwanese creates a significant burden in terms of social impact, health resource utilization, sleep quality and pharmaceutical costs. The increased costs of psychoactive drugs in consulters suggest that anxiety/depression affects their health-seeking behaviour. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

: Little is known about the gender effect on irritable bowel syndrome in Asia. : To assess the gender difference in Chinese subjects with irritable bowel syndrome meeting Rome II criteria. : Irritable bowel syndrome was identified from an apparently healthy adult population receiving a routine health maintenance program ( n = 2018). : Female gender is not a factor associated with irritable bowel syndrome or irritable bowel syndrome-related health care-seeking behaviour. Female irritable bowel syndrome subjects, irrespective of consulting behaviour for irritable bowel syndrome, are likely to have<3 bowel movements/week, hard/lumpy stools and abdominal fullness/bloating ( P < 0.05). Female irritable bowel syndrome subjects are prone to be absent from school/work with more days of absenteeism, irrespective of consultation status ( P < 0.05). Only female irritable bowel syndrome consulters have more absenteeism for their irritable bowel syndrome-related symptoms, reporting more sleep disturbances than their male counterparts ( P < 0.001). : In an apparent healthy adult population in Taiwan, gender difference is present in Rome II defined Chinese subjects with irritable bowel syndrome as regards bowel symptoms, social impact and sleep quality. Female predominance was not found in irritable bowel syndrome subjects and irritable bowel syndrome-related health care-seeking behaviour in the current population. Both irritable bowel syndrome non-consulters and consulters have similar gender difference profiles in presenting symptoms, suggesting that bowel symptoms per se may not be the only factor leading to health care-seeking behaviour. The gender differences in sleep problems were observed solely in irritable bowel syndrome consulter. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Visceral hypersensitivity in gastric fundus is a possible pathogenesis for functional dyspepsia. The cortical representation of gastric fundus is still unclear. Growing evidence shows that the insula, but not the primary or secondary somatosensory region (SI or SII), may be the cortical target for visceral pain. Animal studies have also demonstrated that amygdala plays an important role in processing visceral pain. We used fMRI to study central projection of stomach pain from fundus balloon distension. We also tested the hypothesis that there will be neither S1 nor S2 activation, but amygdala activation with the fundus distension. A 3T-fMRI was performed on 10 healthy subjects during baseline, fullness (12.7 ± 0.6 mmHg) and moderate gastric pain (17.0 ± 0.8 mmHg). fMRI signal was modelled by convolving the predetermined psychophysical response. Statistical comparisons were performed between conditions on a group level. Gastric pain activated a wide range of cortical and subcortical structures, including thalamus and insula, anterior and posterior cingulate cortices, basal ganglia, caudate nuclei, amygdala, brain stem, cerebellum and prefrontal cortex (P < 0.001). A subset of these neuronal substrates was engaged in the central processing of fullness sensation. SI and SII were not activated during the fundus stimulation. In conclusion, the constellation of neuronal structures activated by fundus distension overlaps the pain matrices induced musculocutaneous pain, with the exception of the absence of SI or SII activation. This may account for the vague nature of visceral sensation/pain. Our data also confirms that the insula and amygdala may act as the central role in visceral sensation/pain, as well as in the proposed sensory-limbic model of learning and memory of pain. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

: Irritable bowel syndrome is a common condition seen in Western countries. In Asia, however, it is less known and even less studied. : To determine the prevalence and social impact of irritable bowel syndrome as well as the health-seeking behaviour of irritable bowel syndrome patients in Taiwan : Using the modified Rome II questionnaire, a survey was carried out in a population receiving physical check-up ( n = 2865). : The prevalence of irritable bowel syndrome in Taiwan was 22.1% and 17.5% (κ = 0.73) according to the Rome II and I criteria, respectively. No gender difference was found between subjects with and without irritable bowel syndrome symptoms. Irritable bowel syndrome subjects were likely to undertake an excessive number of physician-visits ( P < 0.01). Such subjects were often absent from work/school, with more days of absenteeism than irritable bowel syndrome-free subjects ( P < 0.01). They also suffered obvious sleep disturbance ( P < 0.01). Nearly half of the irritable bowel syndrome subjects were ‘consulters’, and they were more likely to have frequent physician-visits, suffer from work/school absenteeism, and endure sleep disturbance and bowel symptoms than irritable bowel syndrome nonconsulters ( P < 0.05). : Irritable bowel syndrome is common in a Chinese population of Taiwan. Similar to irritable bowel syndrome in the West, it also involves significant social and medical burdens. However, in the irritable bowel syndrome subjects of Taiwan there is no gender difference, and more irritable bowel syndrome subjects will seek physician consultations, which may be due to Taiwan's easily accessible and affordable heath care facilities. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Antiferromagnetic spintronics has been receiving attention recently, while spin-texture dependent magnetoresistance (MR) represents one of the main mechanisms for magnetic data storage. In particular, sufficiently large MR with high operating temperatures would be highly required for advanced spintronic applications. In this work, we experimentally investigate the MR effect of well-known antiferromagnet α-Fe2O3 (hematite) in a single crystal form, which has the Morin transition temperature as high as Tm ∼ 260 K. It is revealed that the MR effect associated with the spin-texture re-alignment, i.e., the spin-flop from the out-of-plane direction (c axis) to the in-plane direction, driven by sufficiently low magnetic fields inclined along the [012] direction, reaches up to ∼2.5% at temperature T ∼ 250 K. The first-principles calculations suggest that this MR effect originates from the reduced bandgap due to the spin-flop and the finite spin–orbital coupling. The present work sheds light on the possibility of α-Fe2O3 as a favored MR-based candidate for near-room temperature spintronics. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The laser molten pool model was built to research the influence of high-frequency ultrasound vibration (HFUV) on aircraft thin-walled structures using the COMSOL software. The acoustic pressure of the laser molten pool was simulated considering the position and number of sources, with both side-touch single vibration and dual vibration sources being used. The results indicate that the positive and negative acoustic pressures alternate with HFUV, and the temperature field is homogeneous. This phenomenon favors the generation and collapse of cavitation bubbles, resulting in the ultrasound cavitation effect and reduced residual stress. The distance and amplitude of the ultrasound are directly proportional to the acoustic pressure of the molten pool. The acoustic pressure of the molten pool will enlarge 2–3-fold with each 10-mm decrease in the distance from the ultrasound loading position to the molten pool and by 10 Pa with each 4-μm increase in the amplitude. HFUV primarily acts as a blender for the molten pool. The acoustic streaming effect will appear when the amplitude exceeds 7 μm and the distance is lower than 60 mm. The ultrasound cavitation effect dominates when the distance is lower than 15 mm. Dual vibration sources will not influence the acoustic pressure amplitude of the molten pool. Still, the gradients of acoustic pressure influenced by these conditions will be favorable for the homogeneous flow of metal liquid on the sides of the molten pool, achieving the aim of grain refinement and reduced residual stress. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

We investigate epitaxial Pr0.65(Ca0.7Sr0.3)0.35MnO3 thin film grown on orthorhombic (110) NdGaO3 substrate which breaks the lattice symmetry and affects the phase separated ground state. As a result of the anisotropic substrate strain, giant in-plane magnetic and magnetotransport anisotropy are observed, which is related to the anisotropic coupling and competition between the double-exchange interaction and the Jahn-Teller distortion. Furthermore, the in-plane anisotropy shows a distinct enhancement near the metal-insulator transition, implying a significant contribution from the phase separation to the anisotropic transport behaviors. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

We report the synthesis and characterization of an epitaxial heterostructure composed of multiferroic BiFeO3 and superconducting YBa2Cu3O7-δ thin films grown on (001) SrTiO3. Both the superconductivity of YBa2Cu3O7-δ and the ferroelectricity of BiFeO3 are retained in the heterostructure. Current density-electric field characteristics measured from 30 to 170 K suggest a Schottky-emission-like transport at the BiFeO3/YBa2Cu3O7-δ interface. Furthermore, the temperature dependence of the barrier height shows an anomalous enhancement at TC, indicating an intimate coupling between the multiferroic and the superconducting layers. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

La0.4Ca0.6MnO3 nanoparticles of grain size as small as ∼20 nm are prepared and their magnetic behaviors are investigated in order to understand the size effect of the charge ordering in manganites. The highly stable charge-ordered state can be significantly suppressed upon reduction of the grain size down to nanometer scale, while the ferromagnetism is enhanced. The magnetic phase separation due to the competition between ferromagnetic state and charge-ordered state as well as the surface spin disordering is responsible for the spin-glass-like state at low temperature. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Examines lower gastrointestinal bleeding in adult intussuscepted Meckel's diverticulum (MD). Major clinical manifestations of MD-related intussusception; Reduction of MD with colonoscopy; Possible reasons for the occurrence of bleeding; Characteristic findings of MD under colonoscopy.

The influence of a perpendicular electric field (F) on the optical properties of simple hexagonal and rhombohedral few-layer graphenes is studied through the tight-binding model. The electric-field-modulated absorption spectra depend on the stacking sequence. The low-energy absorption spectra of simple hexagonal few-layer graphenes exhibit the jumping structures in the absence or presence of an electric field. On the other hand, absorption spectra of rhombohedral few-layer graphenes show discontinuities and sharp peaks at F=0. Besides, the application of F affects the absorption spectra, generates new peaks, and changes peak position and peak height. The frequency of the peak is predicted to be closely associated with the stacking sequences and the field strength. Above all, the predicted absorption spectra could be verified by optical measurements. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The rare-earth double-perovskite R2CoMnO6 family has been reported to be promising multiferroics where the predicted ferroelectric polarization along the b-axis is induced by the Co2+/Mn4+ collinear magnetic order. In this work, we report our characterizations on the structural, magnetic, dielectric, and ferroelectric behaviors of flux-grown Y2CoMnO6 single crystals. A weak ferromagnetic transition with the Curie point TC ∼ 70 K is evident in combination with a remarkable magnetic hysteresis loop along the c-axis. The earlier reported dielectric anomaly at the magnetic transition is not detected in our single crystals. In addition, the peak of each electric current curve as a function of temperature, probed along different crystallographic directions, shows serious shifting with the temperature ramping rate, excluding the intrinsic ferroelectric contribution. The measured data are not in conformity with theoretical predictions and earlier experiments on polycrystalline samples. In addition, no reliable sign for magnetoelectric coupling can be detected. The present work seems to exclude the existence of magnetism-driven ferroelectricity in Y2CoMnO6. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Crystalline nanotubes of g-AlOOH and g-Al2O3 have been synthesized. An anionic surfactant-assisted hydrothermal process yields g-AlOOH nanotubes, and appropriate calcination treatment of the g-AlOOH nanotubes yields g-Al2O3 nanotubes. The nanotubes were characterized by XRD, SEM, TEM, TG-DSC, FTIR and nitrogen adsorption-desorption techniques. Both the g-AlOOH and g-Al2O3 nanotubes are crystalline, with a representative length of [?]500 nm and diameters of 20-40 nm. The g-Al2O3 nanotubes exhibit a very high mesoporous specific surface area (SSA) of 201.0 m2 g[?]1 and a high mesopore volume of 0.68 cm3 g[?]1 with an average mesopore size of 27.7 nm, as well as a high microporous SSA of 186.0 m2 g[?]1 and a micropore volume of 0.08 cm3 g[?]1 with an average micropore size of 0.53 nm. The formation process was discussed and a possible mechanism was proposed, in which a lamellar phase was first formed by camphorsulfonic anions and Al(III) species, and then rolled up to form the crystalline nanotubes under the hydrothermal condition. The catalytic performance of the obtained g- Al2O3 nanotubes was tested by using the dehydration of ethanol to ethylene as a probe reaction and it was shown that the obtained g- Al2O3 nanotubes catalyst possesses a higher catalytic activity compared with the g- Al2O3 nanoparticles. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

A 16-GHz CMOS differential Colpitts VCO fabricated with the 0.18 μm 1P6M process is presented. The 16-GHz VCO is a good choice for the local oscillator (LO) circuit of the UWB or 60-GHz WPAN direct conversion receiver. The VCO is composed of a PMOS transistor-pair core circuit and two source follower output buffers. The VCO can operate at 16.5 GHz, and the measured phase noise at 1-MHz offset is -115 dBc/Hz. The power consumption of the VCO core is 12.6 mW. Compared with previous reported works, this VCO has an output power of -0.9 dBm and about 800-mV output peak-to-peak voltage swing of the VCO core at 16.5 GHz. © 2007 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. Microwave Opt Technol Lett 49: 2489–2492, 2007; Published online in Wiley InterScience (www.interscience.wiley.com) DOI 10.1002/mop.22742 [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The correlations between D-dimer and Glasgow Coma Scale (GCS), pupillary light reflex, distance of midline shift on brain computed tomography (CT), and Glasgow Outcome Score (GOS) in patients with trauma/non-trauma intracranial hemorrhage (ICH) are not consistent in studies. Ninety-eight traumatic and 59 non-traumatic ICH patients were studied. Pre-existing venous thrombosis, recent surgery, drug use (aspirin or coumadin), or malignancy, were excluded. D-dimer level was estimated within hours after acute insult, and statistical analyses were used for comparisons between groups. Traumatic ICH patients had higher D-dimer levels than controls (2984 vs. 256 μg/l; P = 0.001). The GCS, midline shift on brain CT, pupillary reflex, and GOS at 3 months were significantly correlated with high D-dimer value in traumatic patients (individual P < 0.001), but not in the non-traumatic group. Using receiver-operating characteristic curve (ROC), the cutoff point was 1496 μg/l, with sensitivity and specificity of 100% and 83%, respectively. D-dimer ≥1496 μg/l predicted a poor outcome [adjusted odds ratio (OR) 14.44, 95% CI 1.16–179.27; P = 0.038]. A high D-dimer level is associated with a poor outcome in patients with traumatic ICH. It can be used in addition to neurological assessment to predict the outcome. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The polar magnet, Fe2Mo3O8 (FMO), with linear magnetoelectric (ME) coupling, is a promising candidate for multiferroic applications in advanced spin devices. However, a giant magnetic bias (Hb) is needed for optimizing the inverse ME effect, i.e., electric field (E) modulation of magnetization (M), which is still a core issue. Herein, we utilize the chemical doping route to enhance the sensitivity of controlling the competitive magnetic interactions and/or multiferroic phases by means of introducing nonmagnetic Zn2+ ions into FMO crystals. Compared with FMO, the Zn-doped composition (Fe0.95Zn0.05)2Mo3O8 (FZMO) generates three metastable magnetic states in the middle of antiferromagnetic and ferrimagnetic states, along with obvious ferroelectric polarization. The inverse ME effect of FZMO is intact with a relative change of ΔM ≈ 0.06 μB/f.u. responding to an E value of ± 20 kV/cm at 52 K. Most interestingly, the exciting Hb is dramatically dropped to 0.8 T for FZMO from 5.1 T for FMO, which is in favor of the application of ME coupling. It is suggested that the perturbation of magnetic interactions via substituting specific sites by nonmagnetic ions plays a key role in decreasing the exciting Hb without deteriorating the inverse ME coupling in this polar M2Mo3O8 family. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: Caffeine is known to produce various effects on the gastrointestinal tract. Few studies have, however, investigated the effects of caffeine on gastrointestinal myoelectric activity under physiologic conditions. The aims of this study were to investigate the effects of caffeine on colonic motility (spike activity) and gastric and jejunal slow waves in conscious dogs. Methods: The study was performed in eight healthy female hound dogs (15-20 kg) in which one pair of electrodes was implanted on the serosa of the stomach, one pair on the proximal jejunum, and another pair on the ascending colon. The protocol consisted of a 60-min recording as base line and a 90-min recording after intravenous injection of saline, a low dose of caffeine (125 mg), or a high dose of caffeine (250 mg). Results: In the colon there was a significant increase in the number of spike bursts per minute after the injection of both the low (6.69 ± 1.27 versus 8.22 ± 1.31, P < 0.05) and the high dose (4.38 ± 1.23 versus 6.92 ± 0.98, P < 0.05) of caffeine. The increase in the total energy of spikes per minute after the injection of the high dose of caffeine was significantly higher than that after the low dose of caffeine (41.2 ± 14.6 versus 133.4 ± 39.2, P < 0.05). The characteristics of the gastric and jejunal slow waves were, however, not affected by caffeine. Conclusion: Caffeine increases spike activity in the colon, and its effect may be dose-dependent. Gastric and jejunal slow waves are not affected by caffeine. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The training effect has been systematically studied in exchange coupled NiFe2O4/NiO nanogranular system. Both exchange bias field (HEB) and vertical magnetization shifts (MShift) can be observed after the system field cooled from 350 K to low temperatures, which decrease monotonically through consecutive loop cycles. During this procedure, linear dependence between HEB and MShift is found for this system, revealing the critical role of the pinned uncompensated spins. With the increase of cooling field, the relative change of HEB becomes more pronounced, which shows that the rapid reduction of the pinned uncompensated spins for high cooling field. Moreover, the reduction of HEB becomes weakened with decreasing measured temperatures, which indicated the spin configuration at low temperatures possesses higher dynamic stability. The cooling field and temperature dependence on training effect is discussed in terms of the evolution of the metastable spin configurations at the interfaces and fitted by a recent theoretical model. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Using the first-principle calculations, we investigate in detail the structure instability resulting from softening of the polar zone-center phonon mode [ferroelectric (FE) instability] and nonpolar zone-boundary mode [antiferrodistortive (AFD) instability] in cubic BaZrO3 (BZO) under hydrostatic pressure P from -20 to 90 GPa. The hydrostatic pressure enhances the AFD instability, while it suppresses and then enhances the FE instability. A sequence of FE→cubic→AFD→AFD/FE phase transitions with increasing P is predicted. A careful examination of the pressure dependence of full phonon dispersions and interatomic force constants in real space reveals the microscopic key interactions in driving the transitions. With increasing pressure P, the drastically evolving short-range forces suppress the FE instability induced by the long-range dipole-dipole forces under low pressure, and enhance both the AFD and FE instability under high pressure. We investigate the dielectric properties of cubic BZO under hydrostatic pressure. The dielectric constant as a function of pressure shows a minimum contributed from the TO1 mode with the lowest frequency. We argue that this pressure dependence of the dielectric constant mainly originates from fluctuations of the SR forces. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The dielectric relaxation and magnetocapacitance effect of one-dimensional spin frustrated compound Ca3Co2O6 are investigated. The steplike magnetocapacitance effect is observed and one to one corresponds to the steplike magnetization. We explain this phenomenon from the spin configuration dependent dielectric response. The simulation results using the Monte Carlo method are in good agreement with experimental data at low temperature. The close correspondence between the magnetic and dielectric properties indicates that the coupling is the intrinsic character of Ca3Co2O. The steplike magnetocapacitance effect may find potential applications in data storage and sensors. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The conduction relaxations of polycrystalline La0.5Ca0.5Mn0.95Fe0.05O3 upon imposing rectangle electric current pulses (with minute time scale) are studied in details. We observe clear “overshooting” features of the conduction relaxation at both the front and rear edges of the current pulse so long as the pulse is sufficiently high. The Joule heating effect and the intrinsic stabilization of the ferromagnetic metal phase by the current pulse are linked in understanding our observations, and these effects may be applicable for resistance switching function. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In this article, a 24-GHz VCO composed of a 12-GHz VCO and an active frequency doubler is presented. This work is implemented by using the 0.18-μm 1P6M CMOS process. The VCO and active frequency doubler with a 1.5 V supply consume 30 mA. The phase noise of measurement is -107.5 dBc/Hz and -123.1 dBc/Hz at 1-MHz and 10-MHz offset, respectively. A tuning range of 2.3 GHz is achieved by using varactor. The measurement shows a good efficiency of translation of frequency doubler and the oscillator has a good figure of merit (FOM) of -180 dBc/Hz. © 2009 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. Microwave Opt Technol Lett 51: 940–942, 2009; Published online in Wiley InterScience (www.interscience.wiley.com). DOI 10.1002/mop.24238 [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Hybrid improper ferroelectrics have their electric polarization generated by two or more combined non-ferroelectric structural distortions, such as the rotation and tilting of Ti-O octahedral in the Ca3Ti2O7 (CTO) family. In this work, we prepare the high quality (010)-oriented CTO thin films on (110) SrTiO3 (STO) substrates by pulsed laser deposition. The good epitaxial growth of the CTO thin films on the substrates with the interfacial epitaxial relationship of [001]CTO//[001]STO and [100]CTO//[-110]STO is revealed. The in-plane ferroelectric hysteresis unveils an ultralow coercive field of ~5 kV/cm even at low temperature, nearly two orders of magnitude lower than that of bulk CTO single crystals. The huge difference between the epitaxial thin films and bulk crystals is most likely due to the lattice imperfections in the thin films rather than substrate induced lattice strains, suggesting high sensitivity of the ferroelectric properties to lattice defects. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background Sleep-wake disturbances are common in patients with cirrhosis and have a considerable effect on health-related quality of life; however, the underlying mechanism behind the phenomenon is unclear. Cytokines are involved in the mediation of signalling pathways regulating fibrogenesis, leading to cirrhosis. In addition, increased cytokines could contribute to sleep disturbances. Aim To determine the relationship between pro-inflammatory cytokines and sleep disturbance in cirrhotic patients. Methods Ninety-eight nonalcoholic cirrhotic patients without overt hepatic encephalopathy were enrolled in this cross-sectional study. The Pittsburgh Sleep Quality Index ( PSQI) was used to assess sleep quality. The Psychometric Hepatic Encephalopathy Score ( PHES) was used to examine cognitive performance and define minimal hepatic encephalopathy ( MHE). The Hospital Anxiety and Depression Scale ( HADS) was used to evaluate the mood status of the patients. Pro-inflammatory cytokines that include interleukin 6 ( IL-6) and tumour necrosis factor-α, as well as HBV- DNA or HCV- RNA levels were determined in patients. Results A total of 56 (57%) cirrhotic patients were identified as 'poor' sleepers ( PSQI > 5). After multivariate analysis, IL-6 ( P = 0.001) and HADS scores ( P = 0.002) were found to be independent predictive factors of poor sleep quality. No significant relationships were observed between the sleep indices and the presence of MHE. HCV- RNA, but not HBV- DNA, viraemia was associated with sleep disturbance in cirrhotic patients. Conclusions Sleep disturbance is found commonly in cirrhotic patients and a high serum IL-6 level is predictive of poor sleep quality. Minimal hepatic encephalopathy by itself may not contribute to sleep dysfunction in cirrhotic patients. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Presents a study on the influence of crystal structure on the magnetoresistance of cobalt (Co)/chromium (Cr) multilayers. Characteristics of epitaxial Co/Cr multilayers; Definition of the giant magnetoresistance in multilayers; Effects due to the spin dependent scattering at the interfacial regions of the superlattice.

Aims We prospectively assessed the age- and sex-specific incidence rates and relative risks of overall and severe acute pancreatitis in Taiwanese with diabetes. Methods The study cohort included age- and-sex-matched groups of patients with ( n = 547 554) and without ( n = 584 373) diabetes. Incidence rate was estimated under Poisson assumption and relative risks of acute pancreatitis and severe acute pancreatitis, based on modified Atlanta criteria, were indicated by hazard ratios estimated from Cox proportional hazard regression models. Results Over an 8-year follow-up period, the incidence of acute pancreatitis was 2.98 and 1.68 per 1000 person-years for patients with and without diabetes, respectively, representing a covariate adjusted hazard ratio of 1.53 (95% confidence interval 1.49-1.58). Diabetes was associated with a significantly elevated risk of acute pancreatitis in all sex and age stratifications, with the highest hazard ratio noted for study subjects aged < 45 years (men 2.37; women 2.95). Diabetes was also significantly associated with an increased hazard ratio of severe acute pancreatitis [1.46 (1.36-1.57)], and especially of acute pancreatitis with local complications [1.65 (1.14-2.39)]. Conclusions Diabetes is associated with an increased risk of overall and severe acute pancreatitis, and the relation is stronger in women and young patients. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Multivessel coronary disease or peripheral arterial disease is the clinical clue to diagnosis of renal artery stenosis (RAS). RAS is considered equivalent to coronary artery disease in terms of cardiovascular risk. In this study, we evaluated the incidence of RAS in the patients who were proposed to undergo coronary artery bypass grafting (CABG). Diagnostic evaluations of coronary arteriography and renal artery angiography were performed during the same procedure; the patients who were proposed for CABG in terms of CAD anatomy and clinical manifestation were enrolled. RAS was evaluated and a diameter stenosis of ≥50% was considered as significant RAS; significant RAS patients were divided into five groups. The five groups of RAS were as follows: (1) unilateral RAS ≥50-70%, (2) unilateral RAS ≥70%, (3) bilateral RAS ≥50-70%, (4) one-renal-artery stenosis ≥50-70%, contralateral RAS ≥70%, and (5) bilateral renal artery stenosis ≥70%. A total of 151 patients were enrolled, and RAS (≥50% stenosis in either or both renal arteries) was identified in 47.02% (71/151) patients. Unilateral RAS ≥50-70% was identified in 16.6% (25/151) patients, unilateral RAS ≥70% in 4.6% (7/151) patients, bilateral RAS ≥50-70% in 7.9% (12/151) patients, one-renal-artery stenosis ≥50-70% and contralateral RAS ≥70% in 7.9% (12/151) patients, and bilateral RAS ≥70% was in 9.9%(15/151) patients. The incidence of RAS was 29.03% (18/62) in patients aged ≤60 years, >60% (36/60) in patients aged >60 and ≤70 years, and 58.62% (17/29) in patients aged >70 years. The incidence of RAS was significantly higher in patients aged >60 - ≤70, and >70 years than patients aged ≤60 years (P = 0.001 and P = 0.007, respectively). There was a trend that the incidence of RAS in patients with hypertension [HTN, 50.40% (64/127)] was higher than those without HTN (29.17%, 7/24), with P = 0.056. The incidence of RAS was 47.02% in patients who were proposed for CABG; bilateral RAS of ≥70% was 9.9%. Older age and HTN were associated with RAS in patients who were referred for CABG. This study indicates that the incidence of RAS was high in the patients referred for CABG, and the renal function should be taken care of. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Aliment Pharmacol Ther 2011; 34: 519-525 Summary Background Clopidogrel does not inhibit prostaglandin synthesis. As a result, clopidogrel's incidence of peptic ulcer disease (PUD) and ulcer bleeding is lower than aspirin's. Aim To compare the healing rate in aspirin-related dyspeptic ulcer patients who were given proton pump inhibitor (PPI) plus aspirin or PPI plus clopidogrel. Methods Patients with aspirin-related nonbleeding symptomatic ulcers were randomised to receive rabeprazole (20 mg/day) plus aspirin (100 mg/day) or rabeprazole (20 mg/day) plus clopidogrel (75 mg/day) for 12 weeks. The primary endpoint was the successful treatment of PUD as characterised by intention-to-treat at the end of therapy. Results Two hundred and eighteen patients (109 in the aspirin group and 109 in the clopidogrel group) were enrolled. There were no statistical demographic differences between the group that received aspirin and the group that received clopidogrel. The PUD treatment success rate was also statistically equal between the clopidogrel and aspirin groups (86.2% vs. 90.0%, P = 0.531). Neither group experienced ulcer-related bleeding. Multivariate logistic regression analysis showed that large ulcer size (>10 mm) (OR: 6.29, 95% CI: 2.58-15.37) and past history of PUD (OR: 3.69, 95% CI: 1.24-10.97) were important predictors of unsuccessful therapy for aspirin-related PUD. Conclusions Rabeprazole plus aspirin is not inferior to rabeprazole plus clopidogrel in treating aspirin-related symptomatic PUD. Large ulcer size (>10 mm) and past history of PUD are important predictors of unsuccessful therapy (NCT 01037491). [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Aims:  To elucidate the clinicopathological features and prognostic factors of primary intestinal diffuse large B-cell lymphoma (PI-DLBL). Methods and results:  Archival tissues from 30 tumours were used for tissue microarray construction, immunohistochemistry and interphase fluorescence in situ hybridization for chromosomal translocation. The M:F ratio was 1.7:1, with a median age of 60 years. The ileum and ileocaecum were most frequently involved (40% each). Fourteen (47%) were at stage IE disease, 15 (50%) at stage IIE. Five (17%) tumours were perforated at presentation. The tumours expressed Bcl-6 (73%), MUM1 (70%), Bcl-2 (67%) and CD10 (23%). Nine (30%) were classified as germinal centre B-cell (GCB) phenotype and 21 non-GCB. Eight of 30 (27%), 7/30 (23%) and 2/29 (7%) cases were positive for rearrangements involving IGH, BCL6, and C-MYC loci, respectively, whereas all cases were negative for BCL2 and CCND1 translocation. Perforation was a poor prognostic indicator, with a hazard ratio of tumour-related death at 8.75 ( P = 0.001). The differentiation antigens, GCB versus non-GCB phenotype, or lymphoma-associated translocations were of no prognostic significance. Conclusions:  We found a higher rate of perforation and lower frequency of GCB phenotype in PI-DLBL in Taiwan compared with other geographical areas; perforation is a poor prognostic indicator. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Aims: To characterize the clinicopathological features of sporadic Burkitt lymphoma (BL). Methods and results: A retrospective study of 17 paediatric and 14 adult BLs with history and histopathology review, immunohistochemistry, Epstein–Barr virus (EBV) in situ hybridization (EBER) and fluorescence in situ hybridization. There was no statistically significant difference in gender, frequency of central nervous system (CNS) involvement and leukaemic change at presentation, or frequency of CD10+/Bcl-2−/Bcl-6+ (88% versus 86%), Ki67 labelling index, EBER (24% versus 21%), or C-MYC translocation (100% versus 92%) between paediatric and adult tumours. Correct pretreatment diagnoses were made in 13/17 (76%) paediatric and in 9/14 (64%) adult tumours. Twenty-eight patients received chemotherapy including 13/16 (81%) paediatric and 3/12 (25%) adult patients with appropriate regimens; 16 (57%) received CNS prophylaxis. The 1- and 5-year overall survival (OS) rates for paediatric patients were 80% and 50%, respectively, whereas 1-year OS for adults was 15%. Conclusions: Sporadic paediatric and adult BLs were phenotypically and genotypically similar. The significant prognosticators were age ( P = 0.001), with or without CNS prophylaxis ( P = 0.004), and CNS involvement ( P = 0.008) and leukaemic change ( P = 0.019) in disease course. The poor outcome in adult patients might be related to incorrect diagnosis and inappropriate treatment. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Summary Background : Saliva plays a role in mucosal protection and ulcer healing. Aim : To study whether decreased salivary production leads to peptic ulcer disease in connective tissue disease patients associated with xerostomia. Patients and methods : Two hundred and two connective tissue disease patients (90 with xerostomia and 112 without xerostomia) were enrolled. Their demographic data and use of medications were recorded. Peptic ulcer disease was confirmed by endoscopy. The stimulated salivary output and secretory epidermal growth factor level were measured. Results : Compared with non-xerostomic counterparts, xerostomic patients manifested a higher occurrence of peptic ulcer disease (31% vs. 12%, P = 0.001), lower stimulated salivary output (9.3 ± 4.1 vs. 22.9 ± 5.9 mL/15 min, P < 0.001) and lower stimulated salivary epidermal growth factor output (1.40 ± 0.77 vs. 3.00 ± 0.96 ng/min, P < 0.001). Multivariate analysis disclosed that an older age (≥ 60 years) (odds ratio, 4.71; P < 0.001), xerostomia with stimulated salivary output of ≤1 mL/min (odds ratio, 7.54; P = 0.014) and the use of non-steroidal anti-inflammatory drugs (odds ratio, 5.76; P = 0.031) were the risk factors leading to peptic ulcer disease. In addition, xerostomic connective tissue disease patients receiving non-steroidal anti-inflammatory drugs manifested an extremely high risk of development of peptic ulcer disease (odds ratio, 19.78; P < 0.001). Conclusions : Ageing, the use of non-steroidal anti-inflammatory drugs and poor salivary function are potential risk factors for the development of peptic ulcer disease in patients with connective tissue disease. If these xerostomic subjects consume non-steroidal anti-inflammatory drugs, they will encounter an extremely high peptic ulcer disease risk. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]