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A hallmark of many unconventional superconductors is the presence of many-body interactions that give rise to broken-symmetry states intertwined with superconductivity. Recent resonant soft X-ray scattering experiments report commensurate 3a0charge density wave order in infinite-layer nickelates, which has important implications regarding the universal interplay between charge order and superconductivity in both cuprates and nickelates. Here we present X-ray scattering and spectroscopy measurements on a series of NdNiO2+xsamples, which reveal that the signatures of charge density wave order are absent in fully reduced, single-phase NdNiO2. The 3a0superlattice peak instead originates from a partially reduced impurity phase where excess apical oxygens form ordered rows with three-unit-cell periodicity. The absence of any observable charge density wave order in NdNiO2highlights a crucial difference between the phase diagrams of cuprate and nickelate superconductors.

The search continues for nickel oxide-based materials with electronic properties similar to cuprate high-temperature superconductors1–10. The recent discovery of superconductivity in the doped infinite-layer nickelate NdNiO2(refs. 11,12) has strengthened these efforts. Here, we use X-ray spectroscopy and density functional theory to show that the electronic structure of LaNiO2and NdNiO2, while similar to the cuprates, includes significant distinctions. Unlike cuprates, the rare-earth spacer layer in the infinite-layer nickelate supports a weakly interacting three-dimensional 5dmetallic state, which hybridizes with a quasi-two-dimensional, strongly correlated state with 3dx2−y2symmetry in the NiO2layers. Thus, the infinite-layer nickelate can be regarded as a sibling of the rare-earth intermetallics13–15, which are well known for heavy fermion behaviour, where the NiO2correlated layers play an analogous role to the 4fstates in rare-earth heavy fermion compounds. This Kondo- or Anderson-lattice-like ‘oxide-intermetallic’ replaces the Mott insulator as the reference state from which superconductivity emerges upon doping.

Urothelial carcinoma (UC) carcinogenesis has been hypothesized to occur through epigenetic repression of tumor-suppressor genes (TSGs). By quantitative real-time polymerase chain reaction array, we found that one potential TSG, angiopoietin-like 4 (ANGPTL4), was expressed at very low levels in all bladder cancer cell lines we examined. Previous studies had demonstrated that ANGPTL4 is highly expressed in some cancers, but downregulated, by DNA methylation, in others. Consequently, owing to these seemingly conflicting functions in distinct cancers, the precise role of ANGPTL4 in the etiology of UC remains unclear. In this study, using methylation-specific PCR and bisulfite pyrosequencing, we show that ANGPTL4 is transcriptionally repressed by DNA methylation in UC cell lines and primary tumor samples, as compared with adjacent noncancerous bladder epithelium. Functional studies further demonstrated that ectopic expression of ANGPTL4 potently suppressed UC cell proliferation, monolayer colony formation in vitro, and invasion, migration, and xenograft formation in vivo. Surprisingly, circulating ANGPTL4 was significantly higher in plasma samples from UC patients than normal control, suggesting it might be secreted from other cell types. Interestingly, our data also indicated that exogenous cANGPTL4 could promote cell proliferation and cell migration via activation of signaling through the Erk/focal adhesion kinase axis. We further confirmed that mouse xenograft tumor growth could be promoted by administration of exogenous cANGPTL4. Finally, immunohistochemistry demonstrated that ANGPTL4 was downregulated in tumor cells but overexpressed in tumor adjacent stromal tissues of muscle-invasive UC tissue samples. In conclusion, our data support dual roles for ANGPTL4 in UC progression, either as a tumor suppressor or oncogene, in response to microenvironmental context.

In this study, several cancer-related proteins (Bax, p300, E2F4 and securin) have been proven to be substrates of ubiquitin-specific peptidase 24 (USP24), and relevance has been shown between USP24 and its substrates in samples from clinical lung cancer patients. Silencing USP24 increases the cancer formation by inhibiting cellular apoptosis and increasing cellular proliferation. Epidermal growth factor (EGF) treatment, and the KrasG12Dand EGFRL858Rmutations decrease USP24 protein stability via EGF- or CDK1-mediated phosphorylation at Ser1616, Ser2047 and Ser2604. Knockdown of USP24 decreases Bax and p300 levels, and reduces Ku70 acetylation, thereby preventing cancer cell apoptosis. In addition, knockdown of USP24 increases cell cycle progression by enhancing the G1–S transition and metaphase–anaphase transition. The molecular mechanism involves a decrease in the USP24 level, which reduces the expression of E2F4 and its partner TFDP1, and thus increases the G1/S transition. In conclusion, the USP24 level was decreased during the early stage of cancer and the mitotic stage of the cell cycle to regulate its substrates p300, Bax, E2F4 and securin, resulting in decreased cell apoptosis and increased cell cycle progression and, thus, cancer formation.

Recent schizophrenia (SCZ) studies have reported an increased burden of de novocopy number variants (CNVs) and identified specific high-risk CNVs, although with variable phenotype expressivity. However, the pathogenesis of SCZ has not been fully elucidated. Using array comparative genomic hybridization, we performed a high-resolution genome-wide CNV analysis on a mainly (92%) Japanese population (1699 SCZ cases and 824 controls) and identified 7066 rare CNVs, 70.0% of which were small (<100 kb). Clinically significant CNVs were significantly more frequent in cases than in controls (odds ratio=3.04, P=9.3 × 10−9, 9.0% of cases). We confirmed a significant association of X-chromosome aneuploidies with SCZ and identified 11 de novoCNVs (e.g., MBD5deletion) in cases. In patients with clinically significant CNVs, 41.7% had a history of congenital/developmental phenotypes, and the rate of treatment resistance was significantly higher (odds ratio=2.79, P=0.0036). We found more severe clinical manifestations in patients with two clinically significant CNVs. Gene set analysis replicated previous findings (e.g., synapse, calcium signaling) and identified novel biological pathways including oxidative stress response, genomic integrity, kinase and small GTPase signaling. Furthermore, involvement of multiple SCZ candidate genes and biological pathways in the pathogenesis of SCZ was suggested in established SCZ-associated CNV loci. Our study shows the high genetic heterogeneity of SCZ and its clinical features and raises the possibility that genomic instability is involved in its pathogenesis, which may be related to the increased burden of de novoCNVs and variable expressivity of CNVs.

Ubiquitin is a critical modifier regulating the degradation and function of its target proteins during posttranslational modification. Here we found that ubiquitin-specific peptidase 24 (USP24) is highly expressed in cell lines with enhanced malignancy and in late-stage lung cancer clinical samples. Studying single-nucleotide polymorphisms (SNPs) of USP24using genomic DNA of lung cancer patients revealed an increase in SNP 7656C/T. When using RNA specimens instead of the genomic DNA of lung cancer patients, we found significant increases in the ratios of variants 930C/T and 7656T/C, suggesting that variants at these two sites are not only caused by the SNP of DNA but also by the RNA editing. USP24-930Tand USP24-7656Cincrease USP24 expression levels by increasing RNA stability. Knocking down USP24increased Suv39h1 level through a decrease in mouse double-minute 2 homolog levels, thus enhancing lysine-9 methylation of histone H3, and resulting in the prevention of lung cancer malignancy. In conclusion, as USP24variant analysis revealed a higher ratio of variants in blood specimens of lung cancer patients than that in normal individuals, USP24-930Tand USP24-7656Cmight be useful as diagnostic markers for cancer detection.

Understanding how midlife risk factors influence age at onset (AAO) of Alzheimer’s disease (AD) may provide clues to delay disease expression. Although midlife adiposity predicts increased incidence of AD, it is unclear whether it affects AAO and severity of Alzheimer’s neuropathology. Using a prospective population-based cohort, Baltimore Longitudinal Study of Aging (BLSA), this study aims to examine the relationships between midlife body mass index (BMI) and (1) AAO of AD (2) severity of Alzheimer’s neuropathology and (3) fibrillar brain amyloid deposition during aging. We analyzed data on 1394 cognitively normal individuals at baseline (8643 visits; average follow-up interval 13.9 years), among whom 142 participants developed incident AD. In two subsamples of BLSA, 191 participants underwent autopsy and neuropathological assessment, and 75 non-demented individuals underwent brain amyloid imaging. Midlife adiposity was derived from BMI data at 50 years of age. We find that each unit increase in midlife BMI predicts earlier onset of AD by 6.7 months (P=0.013). Higher midlife BMI was associated with greater Braak neurofibrillary but not CERAD (Consortium to Establish a Registry for Alzheimer's Disease) neuritic plaque scores at autopsy overall. Associations between midlife BMI and brain amyloid burden approached statistical significance. Thus, higher midlife BMI was also associated with greater fibrillar amyloid measured by global mean cortical distribution volume ratio (P=0.075) and within the precuneus (left, P=0.061; right, P=0.079). In conclusion, midlife overweight predicts earlier onset of AD and greater burden of Alzheimer’s neuropathology. A healthy BMI at midlife may delay the onset of AD.

Familial amyloid polyneuropathy (FAP) due to amyloidogenic transthyretin (TTR) is often associated with impairment of thermonociceptive functions. This study investigated skin innervation and its clinical significance in genetically defined FAP due to a hot-spot Ala97Ser TTR mutation (Ala97Ser).

A study on improvement in device performance of a double‐pass concentric circular mass exchanger with uniform wall fluxes and external refluxes was conducted under counterflow operations. The linear superposition of an asymptotic solution and a homogeneous solution with the use of an orthogonal expansion technique for solving such a conjugated Graetz problem is formulated theoretically and the analytical predictions are applied to investigate a substantial masstransfer improvement. A mathematical expression for the average Sherwood numbers and the outlet dimensionless concentration is given. Comparisons of analytical results are made with the single‐pass operations of the same working dimensions (without permeable barriers inserted and without recycle). Considerable device improvement in mass transfer rate is obtained by introducing the recycle‐effect concept in designing such double‐pass devices. The effect of permeable barriers on the mass‐transfer efficiency improvement as well as on the power consumption increment has also been delineated.

A double‐pass concentric circular mass exchanger under uniform wall fluxes is produced by inserting a permeable barrier into a circular tube to improve the device performance. The mathematical formulation was developed theoretically for such double‐pass, forced‐convection, mass‐transfer problems which are referred to as conjugated Graetz problems. The analytical solutions are obtained by the linear superposition of an asymptotic solution and a homogeneous solution which are linear in the axial direction and solved with the use of an eigenfunction expansion in a power series. The analytical results show that the mass‐transfer rate of a double‐pass mass exchanger can be improved compared to that of a single‐pass mass exchanger by suitably adjusting the permeable barrier position. Moreover, the ratio of mass‐transfer efficiency improvement and power consumption increment is also shown to make good economic sense.

Objective. To evaluate the annual incidence and other epidemiological characteristics of Henoch–Schönlein purpura (HSP) among children in Taiwan.Methods. The records of patients were derived from the research database of the Bureau of National Health Insurance, Taiwan, Republic of China, from January 1999 to December 2002. Children younger than 17 yr of age with the diagnosis of HSP were included into this study. Data for each patient including sex, age, date of onset and length of hospitalization were recorded and analysed.Results. A total of 2759 cases were included with an annual incidence of 12.9 (11.8–13.4) per 100 000 children <17 yr of age. The occurrence of HSP had a peak at the age of 5 to 6 yr. In this study, 1118 (40.5%) patients had been hospitalized at some stage. There were 1454 males and 1305 females, for a male to female ratio of 1.11. Males had a higher annual incidence before the age of 10 yr (P = 0.04), and had a lower incidence than females at older ages (P = 0.02). Disease onset was more common in autumn and winter, and no apparent change in seasonal pattern was noted over 4 yr.Conclusions. Insurance claim data provide useful information on the epidemiology of HSP in Taiwan. Childhood HSP in Taiwan, with an incidence of 12.9 per 100 000 children, occurs commonly in autumn and winter; and at the age of 5 to 6 yr. The characteristics presented in this study may provide valuable data for understanding and further studies of HSP.

Chronic inflammation is prevalent in dialysis patients. We investigated the relationship between inflammation and newly identified adipokines: leptin and adiponectin in this population. A total of 129 chronic hemodialysis patients were collected. Serum high sensitivity C-reactive protein (CRP), interleukin-6 (IL-6), leptin and adiponectin levels were determined as well as other metabolic variables. Correlation studies and multiple regression analysis were performed among variables. Our results showed that hemodialysis patients had elevated levels of inflammatory markers, leptin and adiponectin. Diabetic subjects had higher serum CRP and lower albumin levels than non-diabetics. Serum CRP levels were positively correlated with IL-6 levels and negatively correlated with albumin levels. Serum leptin levels were directly related to CRP levels while adiponectin levels were inversely related to CRP levels. A significant negative correlation was observed between serum leptin and adiponectin levels. Serum IL-6 levels were the single independent factor affecting CRP levels. Body mass index can predict both serum leptin and adiponectin levels. We conclude that hemodialysis patients are at an increased risk of chronic inflammation and diabetes patients are even more susceptible to this status. Both serum leptin and adiponectin levels are associated with inflammatory markers. As adipose tissue is the major secreting site of these adipokines, our results suggest that adipose tissue plays an important role in the pathogenesis of chronic inflammation in dialysis patients.

A pigmentless polyester−melamine coating catalyzed with p-toluenesulfonic acid (p-TSA) shows high impedance (~10¹⁰ Ω·cm²) at low frequency (0.1 Hz). After the addition of pigment and additives, the impedance drops to ~10⁵ Ω·cm². However, using an in situ phosphatizing reagent (ISPR) for the dual purpose of catalyzing the polyester−melamine cross-linking reaction and phosphatizing the metal surface does not show this detrimental lowering of the impedance at low frequency. Results of electrochemical impedance spectroscopy measurements and the corresponding electrical equivalent circuits show that the in situ phosphatizing coating (ISPC) applied to both bare and pretreated steel panels provides superior corrosion protection. At low frequency, the panels coated with the ISPC show 1000 times the resistance of the bare and pretreated steel panels coated with the p-TSA-catalyzed polyester−melamine paint. The simultaneous chemical process of the ISPR catalyzing desirable cross-linking reactions and forming the substrate−phosphate layer at the substrate−paint interface is the reason for the superior paint performance of ISPCs.

Abstract:  This paper reports a novel way to compensate the air gap between photomask and photoresist for eliminating UV light diffraction on photoresist, which greatly increases the sidewall straightness of high-aspect-ratio resist structures. In this research, SU-8 negative tone photoresist was used for experiments, and glycerol was employed as an index match material for bridging air gap between photomask and photoresist during exposure. Results showed that a high aspect ratio wall structure of 156 μm thick and 25 μm wide had a 45% pattern width error when exposed under 100 μm air gap, while glycerol compensated process accomplished a straight resist wall without appreciable error. This method is simple and cheap to employ, compared to the usage of costly thick-photoresist-film spinner for resist planarization. Numerical simulation on the diffraction effect upon the structure wall has also been conducted. The calculated and experiment wall profiles showed similarity in trend.

A long-lasting antihyperalgesic effect has been demonstrated for intrathecal (IT) clonidine, an alpha2-adrenergic agonist. In the present study, the mechanism and antihyperalgesic effects of IT clonidine were examined post-treatment in a rat model of Complete Freund's Adjuvant (CFA)-induced inflammatory hyperalgesia. Using a chronic model of spinal cord dialysis, we examined the effect of the adjuvant-induced inflammation on spinal release of nitric oxide (NO) and the development of chronic pain and assessed the antinociceptive effects and mechanisms of the alpha2-adrenergic agonist, clonidine (IT). Chronic, persistent inflammatory pain was induced by left hind paw injection of 0.3 ml CFA prepared in a mixture with Mycobacterium butyricum. Rats were randomly assigned to groups receiving IT clonidine in discrete doses of 1, 10 or 50 μg, 3 or 24 hr post-inflammation. Measurement of total NOx(NO + $${\text{NO}}_{2 - } + {\text{NO}}_{3 - } $$ ) was used to determine NO release into the cerebrospinal fluid. Rat thermal antinociception was assessed using a radiant heat thermal hyperalgesia model. CFA injection resulted in significant thermal hyperalgesia throughout the four days of observation. A dose-dependent suppression of thermal hyperalgesia and spinal NO release was observed after IT clonidine treatment. Evidence from this CFA-induced inflammatory pain model suggests that clonidine's spinal antihyperalgesic mechanisms act through inhibition of spinal NO release.

In this study, the polymerization kinetics and the molecular structure of the tetrapolymer poly[isobornyl methacrylate (IBMA)–methyl methacrylate (MMA)–methacrylic acid (MAA)–tert-butyl methacrylate (TBMA)] were investigated. The relationships among the tetrapolymer composition, monomer conversion, and reaction time were studied. Kinetic equations of the four-component copolymerization related to the mean sequence length, the run number, the reactivity ratio, and the monomer concentration were derived. The mean sequence length of the monomer IBMA increases with the reaction time and monomer conversion. However, those of the other three monomers remain an insignificant variation. Furthermore, the run number decreases rapidly at the end of polymerization. These results suggest that the slow polymerization rate of IBMA is due to its bulky side group. The mean sequence lengths of IBMA, MMA, MAA, and TBMA at the end of polymerization are 1.772, 1.304, 1.169, and 1.229, respectively. On the other hand, the run number of the prepared tetrapolymer is 70.25. The results of the mean sequence length, run number, and the single glass transition temperature suggest that the prepared tetrapolymer is a random copolymer. The molecular weight distribution of the prepared tetrapolymer is significantly affected by polymerization conditions. © 2000 John Wiley & Sons, Inc. J Appl Polym Sci 79: 853–863, 2001

We present Angle-Resolved Photoemission experiments (ARPES) results on Bi2Sr2CaCu2O8+δ (BSCCO) crystals. With high energy and momentum resolution, we identify the existence of electron-like portions of Fermi Surface (FS) near Mat hv = 33eV. This phenomena contrasts with the hole-like topology obtained using hv ≈ 22eV.

We report a novel soluble n-doped polyaniline in dimethyl sulfoxide (DMSO), which is obtained by doping the emeraldine base type polyaniline with the strong reductant, KH or NaH. At room temperature, it shows a broad strong new optical absorption peak above 1100 nm, indicating the formation of a new energy band within the energy gap, and has a conductivity of 10^-1−10^-2 S/cm, a spin density of 3.4 × 10²⁰ (for KH-doping) and 4.3 × 10¹⁹ spins/g (for NaH-doping), which are close to those of self-acid-doped polyanilines, and a magnetic susceptibility of (4.6−7.2) × 10^-3 emu/mol of ring, which is 2 orders of magnitude higher than that of acid-doped polyaniline. When exposed to air, the conductivity decreases rapidly by 6−7 orders of magnitude within 90 s due to undoping by moisture. An n-doping mechanism is proposed, from which the n-doping can also be considered as a direct doping on the oxidized form of polyaniline (pernigraniline) by the alkali metals K and Na.

Objectives: Aeromonasbacteraemia is not a common infectious disease, but can cause a grave outcome in infected cases. In this study, clinical presentations and prognostic factors of cases of monomicrobialAeromonasbacteraemia were analysed. Also, the impact of β-lactam and aminoglycoside in combination and of emerging cephalosporin-resistance during therapy was discussed.

In this article we systematically examine the ability of current electronic structure methods to treat transition states whose unrestricted wave functions show significant spin contamination. Three H atom abstraction reactions have been selected as test cases for the study, namely the reactions of trans-N2H2 with H, CH4 with OH, and C2H6 with OH. In each case we calculate the exoergicity, barrier heights, and transition state geometry at 3 to 26 levels of theory. The spin contamination in spin-unrestricted electronic structure calculations of the transition states is in the range of 0.755−0.9. Twelve different kinds of ab initio calculation with electron correlation (UMP2, ROMP2, UMP4, UCCD, UQCISD, UCCSD, UQCISD(T), UCCSD(T), RUCCSD, RCCSD, RUCCSD(T), and RCCSD(T)) are applied with two correlation-consistent basis sets (cc-pVDZ and cc-pVTZ). We conclude that quadratic configuration interaction and coupled cluster methods, even with unrestricted reference states, provide good approximations to transition state geometries and energies.

Seventy-one patients with cryptococcal meningitis, 46 males and 25 females, aged 15–83 years, were included in this study. Their initial clinical manifestations, cerebrospinal fluid (CSF) features, and therapeutic results were analysed. Patients were treated with three different regimens: amphotericin B, fluconazole, and combination therapy. Based on the therapeutic results, the 71 patients were also divided into cured, improved, and failed groups. For statistical comparison, the clinical manifestations and CSF features, were compared according to therapeutic outcome. There was no statistical difference in outcome among the three different antifungal regimens. However, patients treated with fluconazole required 36% fewer days of hospitalization compared with those receiving amphotericin B. Significant prognostic factors, included low CSF glucose, high CSF lactate, high CSF cryptococcal antigen titre (≥1: 1024), initial level of consciousness, the presence of seizure, hydrocephalus, and central nervous system vasculitis. Multiple logistic regression analysis showed that only initial level of consciousness, and CSF antigen titre were strongly associated with therapeutic failure after other potentially confounding factors were adjusted for. Because some of the prognostic factors in cryptococcal meningitis can be corrected, early diagnosis, early use of appropriate antifungal treatment, and the correction of the underlying metabolic derangements are important in management.

A sequence-specific heparin pentasaccharide activates the serpin, antithrombin, to inhibit factor Xa through an allosteric mechanism, whereas full-length heparin chains containing this sequence further activate the serpin to inhibit thrombin by an alternative bridging mechanism. To test whether the factor Xa specificity of allosterically activated antithrombin is encoded in the serpin reactive center loop, we mutated the factor Xa-preferred P2 Gly to the thrombin-preferred P2 Pro. Kinetic studies revealed that the mutation maximally enhanced the reactivity of antithrombin with thrombin 15-fold and decreased its reactivity toward factor Xa 2-fold when the serpin was activated by heparin pentasaccharide, thereby transforming antithrombin into an allosterically activated inhibitor of both factor Xa and thrombin. Surprisingly, the enhanced thrombin specificity of the mutant antithrombin was attenuated when a full-length bridging heparin was the activator, due both to a reduced rate of covalent reaction of the mutant serpin and thrombin and preferred reaction of the mutant serpin as a substrate. These results demonstrate that the reactive center loop sequence determines the specificity of allosterically activated antithrombin for factor Xa and that the conformational flexibility of the P2 Gly may be critical for optimal bridging of antithrombin and thrombin by physiologic heparin and for preventing antithrombin from reacting as a substrate in the bridging complex.

We calculate the rate constant for the reaction ^•H + CH3OH → H2 + ^•CH2OH both in the gas phase and in aqueous solution at 298 K. To accomplish this, we apply two different methods to estimate the electronic energies along the reaction path. First, we use specific reaction parameters (SRP) to mix the exchange and correlation energies in Becke's adiabatic connection theory (AC-SRP) to optimize the model for the specific bond-breaking, bond-making combination under consideration. Second, we obtain the potential energy using a linear combination of the Hartree−Fock method and AM1 with specific reaction parameters (HF||AM1-SRP); in this linear mixing method, eight NDDO parameters and the linear mixing parameter are simultaneously optimized by a genetic algorithm. To calculate the reaction rate constants in solution, the solute atomic charges are represented by class IV charges, the electric polarization of the solvent is determined from the electronic charge distribution of the solute self-consistently, and the solute electronic, solvent electric polarization terms are augmented by first-solvation-shell terms calculated by the SM5.42 solvation model. Reaction rate constants of the hydrogen transfer reaction and the kinetic isotope effects are studied both in the gas phase at 200−2400 K and in aqueous solution at 298 K. The AC-SRP and HF||AM1-SRP methods, although quite different, give qualitatively similar pictures of the reaction at the separable equilibrium solvation level; however, it is found that a full equilibrium solvation path (ESP) calculation, which involves optimization of structures along the reaction path in the presence of solvent, is essential to reproduce the speedup of the reaction due to solvation. The final calculation, based on the HF||AM1-SRP electronic structure calculations and ESP dynamics with variational transition state theory in curvilinear coordinates with the microcanonical optimized multidimensional tunneling approximation, agrees well with experiment not only for the speedup due to the solvation but also for the ^•D + CH3OH and ^•H + CD3OH kinetic isotope effects.

Summary: Ninety-three patients with gram-negative bacillary meningitis (GNBM) were identified at Kaohsiung Chang Gung Memorial Hospital, over a period of 12 years. Among them, eight showed resistance to third-generation cephalosporins, accounting for 9% of the total GNBM cases and 29% of the postneurosurgical GNBM cases. The resistant pathogens includedAcinetobacter baumannii, Klebsiella pneumoniae, Citrobacter freundii andMorganella morganii. These eight patients, six males and two females aged 18–61 years, all had nosocomially acquired meningitis associated with head trauma and/or postneurosurgical states. Six patients received imipenem/cilastatin treatment; five survived and one died. The other two expired because they did not receive appropriate antibiotic treatment. Although third-generation cephalosporin-resistant GNBM is rare, its incidence has been increasing over the past 5 years. In patients with nosocomially-acquired postneurosurgical GNBM, the presence of third-generation cephalosporin resistnace should therefore be highly suspected. The appropriate choice of antibiotic is essential for their survival.

Sharps injuries are a major cause of transmission of hepatitis B and C viruses and human immunodeficiency virus in health-care workers. To determine the yearly incidence and causes of sharps injuries in health-care workers in Taiwan, we conducted a questionnaire survey in a total of 8645 health care workers, including physicians, nurses, laboratory technicians, and cleaners, from teaching hospitals of various sizes. The reported incidence of needlestick and other sharps injuries was 1·30 and 1·21 per person in the past 12 months, respectively. Of most recent episodes of needlestick/sharps injury, 52·0% were caused by ordinary syringe needles, usually in the patient units. The most frequently reported circumstances of needlestick were recapping of needles, and those of sharps injuries were opening of ampoules/vials. Of needles which stuck the health-care workers, 54·8% had been used in patients, 8·2% of whom were known to have hepatitis B or C, syphilis, or human immunodeficiency virus infection. Sharps injuries in health-care workers in Taiwan occur more frequently than generally thought and risks of contracting blood-borne infectious diseases as a result are very high.

Three procedures for incorporating higher level electronic structure data into reaction path dynamics calculations are tested. In one procedure, variational transition state theory with interpolated single-point energies, which is denoted VTST-ISPE, a few extra energies calculated with a higher level theory along the lower level reaction path are used to correct the classical energetic profile of the reaction. In the second procedure, denoted variational transition state theory with interpolated optimized corrections (VTST-IOC), which we introduced earlier, higher level corrections to energies, frequencies, and moments of inertia are based on stationary-point geometries reoptimized at a higher level than the reaction path was calculated. The third procedure, called interpolated optimized energies (IOE), is like IOC except it omits the frequency correction. Three hydrogen-transfer reactions, CH3 + H‘H → CH3H‘ + H (R1), OH + H‘H → HOH‘ + H (R2), and OH + H‘CH3 → HOH‘ + CH3 (R3), are used to test and validate the procedures by comparing their predictions to the reaction rate evaluated with a full variational transition state theory calculation including multidimensional tunneling (VTST/MT) at the higher level. We present a very efficient scheme for carrying out VTST-ISPE calculations, which are popular due to their lower computational cost. We also show, on the basis of calculations of the reactions R1−R3 with eight pairs of higher and lower levels, that VTST-IOC with higher level data only at stationary points is a more reliable dual-level procedure than VTST-ISPE with higher level energies all along the reaction path. Although the frequencies along the reaction path are not corrected in the IOE scheme, the results are still better than those from VTST-ISPE; this indicates the importance of optimizing the geometry at the highest possible level.

It is vitally important that the caps of electric lamps undergo visual inspection before they reach the market. This paper describes an on-line, real-time automated visual inspection system which can detect all possible faults. Fault classification is performed by a rule-based system, inferring the result of the inspection from feature values. A special illumination arrangement was developed to reveal the faults.

A new scheme for carrying out dual-level direct dynamics calculations is presented in this paper. A better estimate of the barrier width is obtained by using the high-level imaginary frequency at the saddle point as well as high-level values of the energies of three stationary points (i.e., reactants, products, and saddle point). Furthermore, a more robust formula is introduced for incorporating high-level vibrational frequency corrections on the generalized normal modes along the reaction path. Incorporating these improvements, we carry out dual-level calculations of the reaction rate of H + N2H2 → H2 + N2H by employing variational transition-state theory with optimized multidimensional tunneling. Dual-level calculations at the level of zero-curvature tunneling (ZCT) show excellent agreement with an earlier calculation involving high-level computations at 11 times as many geometries. Having validated the dual-level approach at the ZCT level, we next extend the dual-level calculations to include small-curvature, large-curvature, and optimized multidimensional tunneling approximations. Four choices of low-level surface are used to gauge the sensitivity to these choices.

The pedestal (prepulse and postpulse) associated with a chirped-pulse-amplification (CPA) laser is studied. Four components have been identified that contribute to the pedestal. Pulses are spectrally shaped by gain narrowing in a frequency-matched, regenerative amplifier, while self-phase modulation is avoided. The intensity contrast is further improved through the use of a saturable absorber, resulting in Gaussian pulses of ~0.9-ps duration with an intensity contrast exceeding 10^5:1. Both experimental and numerical descriptions of these processes are presented. This investigation makes possible the study of high-intensity ultrashort laser–plasma interactions with a fiber–grating CPA system.