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This study aimed to develop a valid and reliable instrument, the Mental Images of Scientists Questionnaire (MISQ), and use the instrument to examine Chinese students’ mental images of scientists’ characters across school levels, regions, living settings, and gender. The final version of the MISQ consisted of four constructs: scientists’ cognitive, affective, lifestyle, and job characters. The results showed that senior high school students gave higher scores for scientists’ cognitive character construct than junior high and elementary school students did. Students from eastern regions, which have a more highly developed economy, gave the highest scores on cognitive and affective character constructs of scientists. Students from western regions, which have a less developed economy, had a relatively negative impression of scientists. Students’ images of scientists’ affective, lifestyle, and job characters were positively correlated with their interests in pursuing scientific careers. Future research to explore the relationships between students’ mental images of scientists’ characters and students’ motivation to pursue science-related careers or to engage in scientific practices are recommended.

Kuan-Chih Chen,1,* Yen-Hsiang Huang,1– 3,* Kuo-Hsuan Hsu,3,4 Jeng-Sen Tseng,1– 3,5,6 Gee-Chen Chang,6– 9 Tsung-Ying Yang1,3,10 1Division of Chest Medicine, Department of Internal Medicine, Taichung Veterans General Hospital, Taichung, Taiwan; 2College of Medicine, National Yang Ming Chiao Tung University, Taipei, Taiwan; 3Lung Cancer Comprehensive Care and Research Center, Taichung Veterans General Hospital, Taichung, Taiwan; 4Division of Critical Care and Respiratory Therapy, Department of Internal Medicine, Taichung Veterans General Hospital, Taichung, Taiwan; 5Department of Post-Baccalaureate Medicine, College of Medicine, National Chung Hsing University, Taichung, Taiwan; 6Institute of Biomedical Sciences, National Chung Hsing University, Taichung, Taiwan; 7Division of Pulmonary Medicine, Department of Internal Medicine, Chung Shan Medical University Hospital, Taichung, Taiwan; 8School of Medicine, Chung Shan Medical University, Taichung, Taiwan; 9Institute of Medicine, Chung Shan Medical University, Taichung, Taiwan; 10Department of Life Sciences, National Chung Hsing University, Taichung, Taiwan*These authors contributed equally to this workCorrespondence: Jeng-Sen Tseng, Division of Chest Medicine, Department of Internal Medicine, Taichung Veterans General Hospital, No. 1650, Sect. 4, Taiwan Boulevard, Taichung, 407, Taiwan, Tel +886-4-23592525, ext. 3232, Fax +886-4-23741320, Email tzeng64@gmail.comPurpose: Although serum neutrophil-to-lymphocyte ratio (NLR) is correlated with the outcome of various cancer types, its role in treatment-naïve, advanced, epidermal growth factor receptor (EGFR)-mutant non-small cell lung cancer (NSCLC) patients treated with osimertinib remains uncertain. We have the intention to use this biomarker to evaluate the outcomes in NSCLC.Patients and Methods: Advanced EGFR-mutant NSCLC patients receiving osimertinib as the first-line treatment were included. We evaluated the prognostic role of baseline NLR and explored its association with patients’ characteristics. A high NLR was defined as pretreatment serum NLR ≥ 5.Results: A total of 112 eligible patients were included. The objective response rate was 83.7%. The median progression-free survival (PFS) and overall survival (OS) were 20.5 months (95% CI 14.5– 26.5) and 47.3 months (95% CI 36.7– 58.2), respectively. A high NLR predicted an inferior PFS (HR 1.90 [95% CI 1.02– 3.51], P = 0.042) and OS (HR 3.85 [95% CI 1.39– 10.66], P = 0.009). Patients with stage IVB disease were more likely to have a high baseline NLR than those with stage IIIB-IVA (33.9% vs 15.1%, P = 0.029). Other patients’ characteristics did not correlate with the baseline NLR significantly. Patients with a high NLR had significantly more metastatic organs than those with a low NLR (2.5 ± 1.3 vs 1.8 ± 0.9, P = 0.012), particularly brain, liver, and bone metastasis. There was no significant association between NLR and intrathoracic metastasis.Conclusion: Baseline serum NLR could act as an important prognostic marker for EGFR-mutant NSCLC patients receiving first-line osimertinib. A high NLR was associated with higher metastatic burden, more extrathoracic metastases, and therefore, a worse outcome.Keywords: non-small cell lung cancer, epidermal growth factor receptor, osimertinib, neutrophil-to-lymphocyte ratio, treatment-naïve

Anxiety, depression, and psychological distress are public health concerns for Black emerging adults ages 18–29, given their prevalence in this population. However, we have scant empirical research investigating the prevalence and correlates of negative mental outcomes among Black emerging adults with a history of exposure to police use of force. Thus, the current study examined the prevalence and correlates of depression, anxiety, and psychological well-being and how they vary among a sample of Black emerging adults with a history of direct or indirect exposure to police use of force. Computer-assisted surveys were administered to a sample of Black emerging adults (N = 300). Univariate, bivariate, and multiple linear regression analyses were conducted. Black women with a history of direct or indirect exposure to police use of force had significantly less favorable scores on the depression and anxiety scales compared with Black men. Study findings suggest that Black emerging adults, particularly women, with a history of exposure to police use of force are at risk of experiencing adverse mental health outcomes. Future research with a larger and ethnically diverse sample of emerging adults that examines the prevalence and correlates of adverse mental health outcomes and how they vary by gender, ethnicity, and exposure to police use of force is warranted.

Artificial intelligent technology is rapidly transforming the fitness apps landscape by applying data mining technologies within given parameters. These wide-ranging AI-enabled services improve user interface and enhance customers' experience when exercising with the fitness apps. The current study integrated the four antecedents—technological functions, intrinsic information quality, perceived enjoyment, and social connection—to investigate the moderating influence of AI-enabled service quality on users' attitude toward physical activity. PLS-SEM was used to analyze and validate a sample of 170 participants. The findings posited that individuals' attitude toward physical activity is encouraged by the (1) technological functions (2) intrinsic information quality, and (3) perceived enjoyment. Further, the moderating role of AI-enabled service positively influencing the attitude toward physical activity with technological functions was also established.

Anxiety disorders are among the most prevalent disorders for Black emerging adults ages 18 to 29 in America. Moreover, some Black emerging adults with a history of exposure to police use of force may experience police contact anxiety (PCA) symptoms during (e.g., unable to relax) or in anticipation of future police contacts (e.g., urge to avoid police), which may develop into an anxiety disorder. To explore this phenomenon, the current study assessed the prevalence and correlates of PCA symptoms for Black emerging adults. Data were collected from a sample of Black emerging adults (N = 300). Univariate, bivariate, and ordinary least square regression analyses were done to estimate prevalence rates and correlates of PCA symptoms. PCA symptoms were moderately high for the sample, and participants who worked full-time were significantly less likely to have higher PCA symptoms because of seeing a video of police use of force in the media than those who were unemployed. Findings from the current study provide direction for future analyses focusing prospectively on prevalence, severity, and correlates of PCA symptoms. In addition, results suggest the importance of social work clinicians/practitioners assessing for PCA symptoms among their patients with a history of exposure to police use of force.

Pei-Pei Huang,1,&ast; Samantha Yun-Kai Poon,2,&ast; Shao-Hsuan Chang,3 Chien-Wen Kuo,4 Ming-Wen Chien,1 Chien-Chih Chen,5 Shao-Chin Chiang2,6 1Division of Outpatient Pharmacy, Department of Pharmacy, Cheng Hsin General Hospital, Taipei, Taiwan; 2Department of Pharmacy, College of Pharmaceutical Sciences, National Yang Ming Chiao Tung University (Yang Ming Campus), Taipei, Taiwan; 3Department of Pharmaceutical Outcomes and Policy, College of Pharmacy, University of Florida, Gainesville, FL, USA; 4Department of Pharmacy, Cheng Hsin General Hospital, Taipei, Taiwan; 5Division of Colorectal Surgery, Koo Foundation Sun Yat-Sen Cancer Center, Taipei, Taiwan; 6Department of Pharmacy, Koo Foundation Sun Yat-Sen Cancer Center, Taipei, Taiwan&ast;These authors contributed equally to this workCorrespondence: Shao-Chin Chiang, Department of Pharmacy, College of Pharmaceutical Sciences, National Yang Ming Chiao Tung University (Yang Ming Campus), Taipei, Taiwan, Tel +886-983641216, Email scchiang316@nycu.edu.tw; scchiang@kfsyscc.orgPurpose: Medication reconciliation (MedRec) is a process to ensure complete and accurate communication of patient medication information throughout care transitions to prevent medication errors. Hospitals in Taiwan have stride to implement a universal protocol for MedRec. To establish a feasible protocol indigenously, the World Health Organization (WHO) protocol was incorporated with the Taiwan National Health Insurance (NHI) PharmaCloud patient medication profile. The efficiency and error detection capability of this modified protocol was evaluated in two hospitals.Methods: A prospective, non-randomized, unblinded, multicenter cohort study was conducted. Subjects were recruited among patients admitted for colorectal or orthopedic surgery with at least 4 or more chronic drugs. To obtain the best possible medication history (BPMH), the control group was conducted according to the WHO protocol, and the experimental group used the modified WHO protocol with the medication data from the PharmaCloud system. The time spent on the two protocols was recorded. Admission and discharge orders were reconciled against the BPMH to identify any discrepancies. Discrepancies were evaluated by appropriateness, prescribing intentions, and types of inappropriateness. The levels of potential harm were classified for inappropriate discrepancies.Results: The mean time to obtain BPMH in the control group was 34.3± 10.8 minutes and in the experimental group 27.5± 11.5 minutes (P = 0.01). The experimental group had more subjects with discrepancies (87.9%) than the control (58.3%) (p < 0.001). The discrepancies in both admission and discharge orders for the experimental group (84.5 and 67.2%) were higher than those of the control (47.9 and 37.5%). Many inappropriate discrepancies were classified as the potential harm of level 2 (77.8%).Conclusion: Through the establishment of BPMH with the medication data from the Taiwan NHI PharmaCloud, MedRec could be achieved with greater efficiency and error detection capability in both the admission and discharge order validation processes.Keywords: medication reconciliation, prescription discrepancy, PharmaCloud, best possible medication history, BPMH

When patients depend on ventilators for a long period of time, it will increase the risk of complexity and the risk of death. Thus, medical professionals try to help patients to wean off from the ventilator as soon as possible to minimize the adverse effects of the respiratory machine. This study analyzed historical clinical data to evaluate and improve the weaning protocol in operation. This study adopted a retrospective approach by collecting 1,014 weaning cases from Taiwan in 2012. We extracted the crucial rules describing the results of weaning from the ventilator using the machine learning algorithm - C4.5, which help medical professionals revise the existing weaning protocol and as supplementary indicators in a new version of the weaning protocol.

In the setting of acetabular dysplasia, the increased translational motion of the femur may damage the labrum and cartilage, as well as stretch the capsule. The purpose of the study was to investigate the relationship between the acetabular coverage and the capsular stiffness by assessing the distension of anterior and posterior joint recesses on the hip computed tomography arthrography.One hundred thirty-three patients (138 hips) with a median age of 36 years (range 18-50 years) who received the computed tomography arthrography for evaluation of nonarthritic hip pain in our institute between 2015 and 2017 were retrospectively reviewed. The maximal distance between the anterior/posterior capsule and the anterior femoral head-neck junction/posterior femoral head on the axial imaging of computed tomography arthrography was defined as the width of anterior/posterior joint recess. The width of anterior/posterior joint recess was adjusted with the diameter of the femoral head and was then compared between acetabular dysplasia (lateral center-edge angle 25°), normal acetabulum (lateral center-edge angle between 25 and 39°), and deep acetabulum (lateral center-edge angle 39°). In addition, the standard univariate linear regression analysis was used to investigate the relationship between the adjusted width of anterior/posterior joint recess and anterior/posterior coverage of the hip, determined by the anterior/posterior wall index.The adjusted width of posterior joint recess was significantly greater in the acetabular dysplasia group than the normal acetabulum and deep acetabulum groups (p 0.01 and p = 0.02, respectively). There was no significant difference of the adjusted width of anterior joint recess between the groups (n.s.). The adjusted width of posterior joint recess had a significant but weak negative correlation with the anterior wall index (r = - 0.25, p 0.001), and no correlation with the posterior wall index (r = - 0.0004, n.s.). There was no significant correlation between the adjusted width of anterior joint recess and the anterior/posterior wall index (r = 0.05, n.s./r = 0.07, n.s.).The distension of posterior capsule on the computed tomography arthrography was significantly greater in acetabular dysplasia. In addition, there was a significant but weak negative correlation between the distension of posterior capsule and the anterior coverage of the hip. It indicated a looser posterior capsule was observed in a dysplastic hip. The relevance of posterior capsular laxity to clinical outcomes warrants further investigation. Given the fact that the distension of anterior capsule was not significantly higher in acetabular dysplasia, the need of anterior capsular plication in a dysplastic hip should be carefully evaluated.Level III.

The achenes/seeds of endemic jelly fig (Ficus pumila var. awkeotsang) fruit have been applied to prepare a traditional beverage in Taiwan. Upon fruit harvest, jelly fig latex exuded from stalks was discarded. Protease activity was monitored in its latex. Proteases capable of hydrolyzing proteins have many application aspects based on diverse characteristics. Commercial plant proteases are frequently from latex.The latex protease of jelly fig, termed FaFicin, was purified to homogeneity with a molecular mass of ~32 kDa on sodium dodecyl sulfate-polyacrylamide gel electrophoresis. According to liquid chromatographic-tandem mass spectrometric analyses, the expected protein band of protease was matched to ficin A, ficin B or chymopapain from common fig or papaya. Iodoacetamide, an inhibitor of cysteine protease, inhibited its protease activity completely. Hence FaFicin was identified as a papain-like cysteine protease (PLCP), exhibiting more than 80% and 70% activity as assayed at pH 5-8 and 40-70 °C, respectively. It maintained ~89% of initial activity after 120 min at 55 °C and pH 7. Moreover, FaFicin could degrade the myosin and actin of meat, and clot milk.The ficin FaFicin was obtained, purified and identified as a PLCP member from agricultural waste: jelly fig latex. It possessed activity under a wide range of pH values and temperature, and exhibited excellent thermostability. Based on its initial evaluation as a meat tenderizer and milk clotting reagent, the application of FaFicin was possible, which may extend utilization of jelly fig. © 2022 Society of Chemical Industry.

(1) Background: Curved planar reformation (CPR) is a multiplanar reformatting technique of computed tomography (CT) commonly used during dental cone-beam CT (CBCT) to generate panorex-like images for dental evaluation. Here, we evaluated the utility of an additional CPR sequence in detecting dental pathologies in patients with chronic rhinosinusitis (CRS). (2) Methods: CRS patients who underwent paranasal sinus CT were enrolled retrospectively. The CT images featured three orthogonal sequences and a reconstructed CPR sequence. Additional dental CBCT was performed in patients with pathologies with a strongly suspected odontogenic origin. Dental pathologies detected by CT, CPR, and CBCT were analyzed. (3) Results: A total of 82 CRS patients (37 females and 45 males; mean age 47.3 ± 13.7 years) were included, of whom 23 underwent dental CBCT. In total, 1058 maxillary teeth were evaluated. Compared with paranasal sinus CT, CPR identified greater frequencies of dental pathologies, particularly caries (p < 0.001), periapical lesions (p < 0.001), and fistulae (p = 0.014). CBCT identified greater frequencies of periodontal dental pathologies (p = 0.046) and premolar caries (p = 0.002) compared with CPR. CBCT and CPR detected molar dental pathologies at similar frequencies. (4) Conclusions: CPR could increase the diagnostic rate of odontogenic pathologies compared with standard CT orthogonal views, especially when the sinusitis is caused by caries, periapical lesions, or fistulae. The addition of a CPR sequence allows for simple screening of dental pathologies in CRS patients without a need for additional radiation.

The COVID-19 pandemic has spread worldwide, resulting in crises in public health and sustainable development. Aimed at understanding the determinants of conscious green purchasing behavior (GPB), this paper developed a comprehensive framework linking the moderating effect of negative environmental affective reactions (NEAR) to COVID-19 based on the S-O-R paradigm. Using randomly selected urban residents from China's Yangtze River Delta and Bohai Rim regions, the empirical study was conducted using 559 valid responses. The results show that media and peers are the major social forces activating altruistic and egoistic motivations, while family influence was not significant. Dual motivations significantly mediated the relationships of unconditional and conditional GPB with media exposure and peer influence. Contrary to expectations, NEAR negatively moderated the formation process of conscious GPB. The findings indicate that the influence of peers on conscious GPB through dual motivations is stronger compared to media. Negative affective reactions to COVID-19 were also found to inhibit the impact of peer influence on altruistic and egoistic motivations, as well as the path of altruistic motivation on unconditional GPB. The results of this study have important theoretical and practical implications for enterprise marketing and environmental campaigns, and narrowing the green attitude-behavior gap.

GP.Mur is a clinically important red blood cell (RBC) type. GP.Mur and band 3 interact on the RBCs. We previously observed that healthy adults with GP.Mur type present slightly higher blood pressure (BP). Because band 3 and Hb comodulate nitric oxide (NO)-dependent vasodilation and hemoglobin (Hb) is positively associated with BP, we aimed to test whether these could contribute to higher BP in GP.Mur+ people.We recruited 989 non-elderly adults (21% GP.Mur) free of catastrophic illness and not on cardiovascular or anti-hypertensive medication. Their body indices, blood lab data and lifestyle data were collected for analyses of potential BP-related factors (BMI, age, smoking, Hb, and GP.Mur).BMI and age remained the most significant contributors to BP. GP.Mur slightly increased systolic BP (SBP). The direct correlation between Hb and BP was only found in Taiwanese non-anemic men, not women. After age and BMI adjusted, we estimated an increase of 1.8 mmHg and 2.6 mmHg of SBP by 1 g/dL Hb among men without and with GP.Mur type, respectively. Hb was generally lower among people expressing GP.Mur, which likely limited their larger impact on BP.GP.Mur contributed to BP in both Hb-dependent and Hb-independent fashion. A pronounced impact of hemoglobin on BP likely requires sufficient Hb, as GP.Mur increased the sensitivity of SBP to Hb only in non-anemic Taiwanese men, and not in Taiwanese women or anemic men. The mechanism through which GP.Mur affected BP independent of Hb is unknown.

To compare the clinical effectiveness of branded versus generic piperacillin-tazobactam for treating severe community-acquired pneumonia (CAP).We identified patients with severe CAP who received piperacillin-tazobactam based on a nine-center registry database. Furthermore, we classified the patients in three hospitals, which used only branded piperacillin-tazobactam as the study group, and the patients in six other hospitals, which used both branded and generic products as the control group.A total of 472 patients (n = 263 in the study group and n = 209 in the control group) with severe CAP were included. The study group using branded piperacillin-tazobactam had higher odds of clinical cure (adjusted odds ratio [OR] = 3.77, 95 % confidence interval [CI], 1.93-7.37) and lower odds of treatment failure (adjusted OR = 0.28, 95 % CI, 0.13-0.58) than the control group receiving either branded or generic piperacillin-tazobactam. In addition, the study group was associated with higher odds of clinical effectiveness (adjusted OR = 2.95, 95 % CI, 1.46-6.11), less odds of clinical ineffectiveness (adjusted OR = 0.39, 95 % CI, 0.18-0.81), and lower risk of in-hospital mortality (adjusted OR = 0.39, 95 % CI, 0.21-0.73).Based on the findings of the present study using indirect comparison, the clinical effectiveness of generic piperacillin-tazobactam for treating patients with severe CAP might not be as good as that of brand-name products.

Transanal total mesorectal excision (TaTME) was introduced as a novel technique to deal with rectal cancers. Its transanal approach offered the shortest distance to approach a challenging location, allowing an excellent visualization of the distal resection margin. Since its introduction in 2010, a significant amount of research has been put in to measure its development. In this review, we look at its ancestry, the genesis for its introduction and continued evolution as well as some of the important outcomes in its journey thus far. The importance of a structured and proctored learning journey is also stressed to enable the safe application and development of this technique. Beyond this, the TaTME movement has progressed relentlessly and its utility has been expanded to the management of benign conditions such as inflammatory bowel disease, Hartman reversals, and anastomotic strictures. We believe that the continued development and adoption of TaTME worldwide is here to stay.

Financial restatements have been shown to be associated with management reputation loss and turnover. The literature on cost stickiness has shown that cost stickiness has been associated with both management optimism as well as agency and behavioral issues such as empire building. In this paper, we investigate the relationship between Selling, General, and Administrative (SG&A) cost stickiness and financial restatements. We show that SG&A cost stickiness decreased significantly post financial restatements, and the decrease was significantly more in the case of restatements associated with fraud than those not associated with fraud. Our results support the following: (a) financial restatements act as a disciplining device for possible managerial excesses, and (b) firms working harder to reduce SG&A cost stickiness when financial restatements were associated with fraud than when they were not associated with fraud.

Hepatic dysfunction is commonly observed in subjects with hyperthyroidism. Hepassocin is a hepatokine playing an important role in metabolic diseases and exhibiting a hepatic protective effect. Nevertheless, the relationship between hepassocin and hyperthyroidism was still unknown. In the present study, a total of 36 subjects with Graves’ disease were enrolled, and we found that the alanine aminotransferase (ALT) levels were significantly decreased in parallel with the decrement in serum hepassocin concentrations at 6 months after standard treatment for hyperthyroidism. In addition, HepG2 cell line was used to investigate the role of hepassocin in hyperthyroidism-induced hepatic dysfunction. Treatment of hepassocin recombinant protein in HepG2 cells dose-dependently decreased triiodothyronine (T3)-induced ALT and aspartate aminotransferase (AST) elevation. Moreover, hepassocin significantly increased the expression of phosphoenolpyruvate carboxykinase (PEPCK) in a dose-dependent manner. Deletion of hepassocin in HepG2 cells reversed the effects of T3 on PEPCK expressions. Furthermore, we found that T3 increased the expression of hepassocin through a hepatocyte nuclear factor 1α-dependent pathway. Taken together, these results indicated a compensatory increase in serum hepassocin might have a protective role in hyperthyroidism-induced hepatic dysfunction.