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AbstractObjectiveDesignStudy sampleResultsConclusionsApproximately 30–50% of sudden sensorineural hearing loss (SSNHL) patients show poor response to systemic steroid therapy. Additionally, the most appropriate treatment for patients with refractory sudden sensorineural hearing loss (RSSNHL) is unknown. This study aimed to explore the best treatment for RSSNHL.Using a frequentist contrast-based model and PRISMA guidelines, this study compared five salvage regimes: intratympanic injection of steroids (ITS), hyperbaric oxygen (HBO) therapy, post auricle steroid injection (PSI), ITS combined with HBO therapy, and continued systemic steroids.We searched the PubMed, EMBASE, Web of Science, and Cochrane Library databases for randomised controlled trials and cohort studies comparing treatment regimens for RSSNHL.Compared with the control group (no additional treatment), PSI and ITS demonstrated significant improvements. The mean hearing gain was greater after PSI (11.1 dB [95% CI, 4.4–17.9]) than after ITS (7.7 dB [95% CI, 4.8–10.7]). When a restricted definition of RSSNHL was used, the ITS + HBO therapy showed the largest difference in improvement for pure tone average compared with the control group (14.5 dB [95% CI, 4.2–25.0]).The administration of either PSI or ITS leads to the greatest therapeutic effect in patients with RSSNHL. However, a consensus on the definition of RSSNHL is needed. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The advent of digital transformation has profoundly impacted the diversified development of Chinese family firms. Consequently, this study investigates the influence of digital transformation on the diversification strategies of Chinese family firms, employing a sample of Chinese-listed family firms from 2016 to 2020. The findings reveal a significant contribution of digital transformation to the diversification of Chinese family firms. The analysis shows that second-generation involvement plays a moderating role, negatively affecting both digital transformation and diversification. Furthermore, the study highlights that the positive impact of digital transformation on diversification strategy is particularly notable among family firms characterised by low family authority and high innovation capability. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Aiming at the traditional optical remote sensing imaging simulation(ORSIS) method can't meet the requirements of high resolution and precision quantitative remote sensing application, this paper proposes a centimeter-scale three-dimensional scene ORSIS method based on visible light and near infrared. By classifying the texture image of the feature model in the 3D scene, the material texture mapping method is used to distinguish the different materials in the single facet without increasing the facet. Using ray tracing to calculate the radiance at the entrance, the bidirectional reflection characteristics of the target material and the mixed pixel effect are considered. Finally, by comparing the simulation result image with the radiance of the real image taken by GF-2, the relative error between the two is less than 10%. The results show that the method can provide a reference for the research of high-precision 3D digital scenes ORSIS. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Purpose: Hepatobiliary scintigraphy (HBS) is used to aid in the diagnosis of Biliary Atresia in full-term infants with conjugated hyperbilirubinemia. There is little information on the utility of the HBS in premature infants with conjugated hyperbilirubinemia and infants with parenteral nutrition associated cholestasis (PNAC). The purpose of this study is to assess the utility of HBS in differentiating Biliary Atresia and PNAC in premature neonates and full-term infants who received parenteral nutrition (PN). Materials and methods: Retrospective data collection and analysis on infants who developed conjugated hyperbilirubinemia and had HBS performed during their stay at level IV neonatal intensive care unit between 2005 and 2015. Results: A total of 20 patients with exposure to PN had HBS; two patients were confirmed to have Biliary Atresia. There were no statistically significant differences between patients with Biliary Atresia versus PNAC in demographics, days on PN, or gamma glutamyl-transferase levels. Stool color was statistically significantly different between the two groups; patients with Biliary Atresia had acholic stools more consistently than patients without Biliary Atresia. HBS had 100% sensitivity, 17% specificity, positive-predictive value of 12%, and a negative-predictive value (NPV) of 100%. Conclusions: These data indicate that the ability of HBS to aid in diagnosing Biliary Atresia is poor in a population of preterm neonates and full-term infants with PNAC. Although there is 100% sensitivity, the poor specificity (17%) should be acknowledged when utilizing HBS to diagnose Biliary Atresia in this vulnerable patient population. NPV of 100% is helpful in ruling out Biliary Atresia in this population. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: There have been some gradual changes in the distribution of renal biopsy pathological diagnoses during recent years. This study aimed to show changes in renal disease prevalence in China by investigating 10 patients diagnosed at our Kidney Disease Centre during the last 15 years. Methods and results: All patients aged 15-year-old or older who underwent renal biopsy at the First Affiliated Hospital, Zhejiang University, from 2001 to 2015 were enrolled. There were 5 common types of primary glomerulonephritis: IgA nephropathy (IgA N), membranous nephropathy (MN), mesangial progressive glomerulonephritis (MsPGN), minimal change disease (MCD), and focal segmental glomerulosclerosis (FSGS), which represented 50%, 16.8%, 15.9%, 8.1% and 2.5% of total cases, respectively. IgA nephropathy was the most common type of primary glomerulonephritis (PGN). Conclusions: Our results mostly showed a new trend that the diagnosis of IgA nephropathy was not increasing and the prevalence of membranous nephropathy had increased, becoming the second most common type of primary glomerulonephritis. Key POINTS: Distinguished with other domestic studies, IgA nephropathy did not show a trend of continuous growth although it still had about the half proportion of PGN, whereas membranous nephropathy kept rising and became the second common PGN. Concerning SGN, LN peaked in the younger-age and middle-age groups with a significant female prevalence, DN, BANS and SV had a male predominance peaking in the middle-age and old-age groups. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Three-spot angelfish (Apolemichthys trimaculatus) is one of the most widespread angelfish that belongs to Pomacanthidae. However, there are few reports of the systemically classification and evolutionary analysis for A. trimaculatus so far. In this study, the complete mitochondrial genome of the A. trimaculatus is described. The full length of the mitogenome is 16,548 bp, consisting of 13 protein-coding genes, 22 transfer RNAs, two ribosomal RNAs genes, and a non-coding control region. The overall base composition is 28.4% for A, 25.6% for T, 29.5% for C, and 16.5% for G, with a slight AT bias (54.0%). The mitogenome of A. trimaculatus provided essential and valuable DNA molecular information for further phylogeny and management of angelfish species. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The complete mitochondrial genome of Congrogadus subducens is first presented in this study. The whole mitogenome is a closed circular molecule of 16,881 bp in size, including 13 protein-coding, 22 transfer RNA, 2 ribosomal RNA genes and a non-coding control region. The overall base composition of the mitochondrial DNA is 30.2% for A, 28.6% for T, 26.4% for C and 14.8% for G. The phylogenetic analysis conducted using 18 protein-coding genes showed that C. subducens was most closely related to the Pseudochromidae. This work will be useful for further research on species identification and evolutionary relationships within related species. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Purpose: This study systemically reviewed the published literature on the ICF core set. Method: A computer search of the MEDLINE, PubMed and SCOPUS databases was conducted between 2001 and December 2012. Articles reporting on the development of a set or sets of ICF categories for specific disease or health conditions were selected for a systematic review. Results: The analysis included 116 articles from 36 journals, with the majority of papers having been published in 2011 and 2012. In these studies, spinal cord injury was the most frequently reported disease. The majority of the experts involved in the consensus process were physicians and physical therapists. Conclusion: This systematic review of studies on ICF core sets provided background information on the current developmental status of ICF core sets. Our findings also highlight possible directions for future research. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

There are four types of PM10(particulate matter with an aerodynamic diameter <10 μm) episodes that occur frequently in central Taiwan: long-range transport with dust storms (DS), long-range transport with frontal pollution (FP), river dust (RD), and stagnant weather (SW). During the periods of the four episodes, poor visibility usually results. Multiple linear regression was applied to visibility using eight potential influential variables (temperature, relative humidity, wind speed, PM2.5, PM2.5–10, SO2, NO2, and NO) as independent variables. Of the eight variables, PM2.5showed the greatest explainable percentage of about 48.6% and 58.1% for Taichung and Wuchi stations, respectively. This suggested that PM2.5was the most important contributor to reduced visibility. Compared with other type of episodes, the aerosols tended to be of fine size during the SW episodes. This is the main reason that the poorest visibility occurred during the SW episodes. Good correlation between visibility and secondary inorganic salts (NH4+, NO3−, and SO42−) were found at Taichung station (r = 0.71) and Wuchi station (r = 0.81), suggesting that secondary inorganic salts did contribute significantly to the degradation of visibility. The visibility degradation due to the effects of NO3−was much higher than that due to SO42−and NH4+in the urban area, whereas the visibility degradation due to the effects of NO3−, SO42−, and NH4+did not show significant difference in the rural area. [ABSTRACT FROM PUBLISHER]

Surface energy processes have an essential role in regional weather, climate and hydrosphere cycles, as well in regulating urban heat redistribution. The Chiayi urban area of Taiwan and its surrounding agricultural plains are an appropriate complex for studying land surface parameters and energy fluxes of different land cover/land use types in an urban heat island. In this study, three micro-meteorological stations were established over Chiayi Plain to collect in situ reference observations from 2006. In order to properly characterize the surface heat fluxes over a regional scale by point measurement, Moderate Resolution Imaging Spectroradiometer (MODIS) satellite images and images acquired by a high resolution airborne campaign in conjunction with meteorological data were used to estimate the surface heat fluxes over a large area. The analytical results indicated that surface heat fluxes determined from both airborne and satellite images were feasible for estimating surface heat flux. The correlation coefficient of surface heat fluxes with in situ corresponding observations exceeded 0.80. On the other hand, satellite-observed surface skin temperature and land surface energy fluxes were the core factors analysed in different land cover types. The urban surface was rather dry as half of net radiation is converted to sensible heat flux for heating the surface, whereas over 90% net radiation is converted to latent heat flux at wet surfaces such as evergreen broadleaf or water. Surface heat flux was also proven to be an indicator of the magnitude of urban heat island effect and the findings of this study encouraged further use of remotely sensed imagery for assessing the urban heat island effect. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]