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Background: Suicide is a leading cause of death worldwide, and nonfatal suicide attempts, which occur far more frequently, are a major source of disability and social and economic burden. Both have substantial genetic etiology, which is partially shared and partially distinct from that of related psychiatric disorders., Methods: We conducted a genome-wide association study (GWAS) of 29,782 suicide attempt (SA) cases and 519,961 controls in the International Suicide Genetics Consortium (ISGC). The GWAS of SA was conditioned on psychiatric disorders using GWAS summary statistics via multitrait-based conditional and joint analysis, to remove genetic effects on SA mediated by psychiatric disorders. We investigated the shared and divergent genetic architectures of SA, psychiatric disorders, and other known risk factors., Results: Two loci reached genome-wide significance for SA: the major histocompatibility complex and an intergenic locus on chromosome 7, the latter of which remained associated with SA after conditioning on psychiatric disorders and replicated in an independent cohort from the Million Veteran Program. This locus has been implicated in risk-taking behavior, smoking, and insomnia. SA showed strong genetic correlation with psychiatric disorders, particularly major depression, and also with smoking, pain, risk-taking behavior, sleep disturbances, lower educational attainment, reproductive traits, lower socioeconomic status, and poorer general health. After conditioning on psychiatric disorders, the genetic correlations between SA and psychiatric disorders decreased, whereas those with nonpsychiatric traits remained largely unchanged., Conclusions: Our results identify a risk locus that contributes more strongly to SA than other phenotypes and suggest a shared underlying biology between SA and known risk factors that is not mediated by psychiatric disorders., (Copyright © 2021 Society of Biological Psychiatry. All rights reserved.)

This study examined an aquaponic approach of circulating water containing ammonia excretions from African catfish grown in an aquaculture tank for bacterial conversion into nitrates, which then acted as a nutrient substance to cultivate lettuce in hydroponic tank. We found that microwave pyrolysis biochar (450 g) having microporous (1.803 nm) and high BET surface area (419 m 2 /g) was suitable for use as biological carrier to grow nitrifying bacteria (63 g of biofilm mass) that treated the water quality through removing the ammonia (67%) and total suspended solids (68%), resulting in low concentration of remaining ammonia (0.42 mg/L) and total suspended solid (59.40 mg/L). It also increased the pH (6.8), converted the ammonia into nitrate (29.7 mg/L), and increased the nitrogen uptake by the lettuce (110 mg of nitrogen per plant), resulting in higher growth in lettuce (0.0562 %/day) while maintaining BOD 5 level (3.94 mg/L) at acceptable level and 100% of catfish survival rate. Our results demonstrated that microwave pyrolysis biochar can be a promising solution for growing nitrifying bacteria in aquaponic system for simultaneous toxic ammonia remediation and generation of nitrate for growing vegetable in aquaculture industry., Competing Interests: Declaration of Competing Interest The authors declare that they have no known competing financial interests or personal relationships that could have appeared to influence the work reported in this paper., (Copyright © 2020 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.)

Objective: Dermatological problems after chemotherapy are often neglected with gynecological oncologists. Since paclitaxel is one of most popular agents for gynecology organ-related cancers, dermatologic change after paclitaxel treatment is seldom reported before., Case Report: Two patients with gynecological organ malignancy who underwent the postoperative dose-dense weekly schedule of paclitaxel 80 mg/m 2 plus carboplatin (area of curve 5) every three weeks had repeat dermatological problems (skull, facial and upper trunk areas) during the treatment. They included dermatitis, eczema, and folliculitis. Topical use of anti-fungal cream and oral anti-histamine agents stopped the disease progression and all had completed their chemotherapy without interruption., Conclusion: Clinicians should be aware of paclitaxel-induced skin toxicities, especially on the skull, face and upper trunk areas to minimize the occurrence of severe morbidity and to provide the better quality of life when cure is our primary priority in the management of gynecological organs-related malignancies., (Copyright © 2019. Published by Elsevier B.V.)

In 2008, we published a review article entitled "Differential diagnosis of gynecologic organ-related diseases in women presenting with ascites" in the Taiwanese Journal of Obstetrics and Gynecololgy. Ascites might be the results of the physiological or pathological status, and the underlying mechanisms varied greatly in the different genders. The diagnostic challenge is frequently found in clinical practice. This review summarizes the recent knowledge and clinical practice for women presenting with ascites. Approach includes history, physical examination, laboratory examination, ultrasound, paracentesis and possible laparoscopy. Accurate and prompt diagnosis not only provides the better care and management but also diminishes the unnecessary psychological stress in women presenting with ascites., (Copyright © 2019. Published by Elsevier B.V.)

Microwave vacuum pyrolysis of palm kernel shell (PKS) was performed to produce biochar, which was then tested as bio-fertilizer in growing Oyster mushroom (Pleurotus ostreatus). The pyrolysis approach produced biochar containing a highly porous structure with a high BET surface area of up to 270m 2 /g and low moisture content (≤10wt%), exhibiting desirable adsorption properties to be used as bio-fertilizer since it can act as a housing that provides many sites on which living microorganisms (mycelium or plant-growth promoting bacteria) and organic nutrients can be attached or adsorbed onto. This could in turn stimulate plant growth by increasing the availability and supply of nutrients to the targeted host plant. The results from growing Oyster mushroom using the biochar recorded an impressive growth rate and a monthly production of up to about 550g of mushroom. A shorter time for mycelium growth on one whole baglog (21days) and the highest yield of Oyster mushroom (550g) were obtained from cultivation medium added with 20g of biochar. Our results demonstrate that the biochar-based bio-fertilizer produced from microwave vacuum pyrolysis of PKS shows exceptional promise as growth promoting material for mushroom cultivation., (Copyright © 2017 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.)

Municipal solid waste incinerator (MSWI) fly ash has been examined for possible use as landfill interim cover. For this aim, three anaerobic bioreactors, 1.2m high and 0.2m in diameter, were used to assess the co-digestion or co-disposal performance of MSW and MSWI fly ash. Two bioreactors contained ratios of 10 and 20 g fly ash per liter of MSW (or 0.2 and 0.4 g g(-1) VS, that is, 0.2 and 0.4 g fly ash per gram volatile solids (VS) of MSW). The remaining bioreactor was used as control, without fly ash addition. The results showed that gas production rate was enhanced by the appropriate addition of MSWI fly ash, with a rate of approximately 6.5l day(-1)kg(-1)VS at peak production in the ash-added bioreactors, compared to approximately 4l day(-1)kg(-1)VS in control. Conductivity, alkali metals and VS in leachate were higher in the fly ash-added bioreactors compared to control. The results show that MSW decomposition was maintained throughout at near-neutral pH and might be improved by release of alkali and trace metals from fly ash. Heavy metals exerted no inhibitory effect on MSW digestion in all three bioreactors. These phenomena indicate that proper amounts of MSWI fly ash, co-disposed or co-digested with MSW, could facilitate bacterial activity, digestion efficiency and gas production rates.

An approach to the chiral separation of racemic mixtures of amino acids by means of micellar electrokinetic chromatography after derivatization with a new triazine spectroscopic reagent, 3-(4,6-dichloro-1,3,5-triazinylamino)-7-dimethylamino-2-methylphenazine (DTDP), has been evaluated. It was found that the derivatives of the aliphatic amino acids such as serine, valine and arginine, could produce a strong UV absorption at 282 nm, whose apparent molar absorptivities are of 10(-4) M(-1) cm(-1), and thus the concentration of the amino acids down to 3 x 10(-7) M can still give a detectable signal (S/N = 3). Beta-Cyclodextrin (beta-CD) added to the buffer system was used as a chiral selector, and separation conditions were optimized. The presence of an organic modifier (2-propanol) was also a prerequisite for the chiral separation. The best results for the chiral separation of DTDP-amino acids were achieved in a mixed sodium dodecylsulfate-beta-CD-borate-2-propanol medium at pH 9.0. Compared to some of the commonly used derivatization methods, the present one offers a relatively stable derivative and strong UV absorption for the spectroscopically inert amino acids, thus enabling amino acids to be separated and detected by CE even with a simpler UV detector.

Ribosomal (r) DNA genotypes (rRNA gene copy number) and nucleolar phenotypes (nucleoli number and size) were studied in dam and sire commercial broiler pure lines from three primary breeder sources. Thirteen lines were studied to determine whether directionally selected broiler pure lines contain higher numbers of rRNA genes than a control line unselected for performance traits. Eight of the 13 lines exhibited rRNA gene copy averages between 261 and 331 copies, three lines had averages between 365 and 380, and two lines had average copy numbers equal to or greater than 450 rRNA genes. The overall source copy number average from one breeder company exhibited a value (402 rRNA genes) significantly different from the control value (300 rRNA genes). Nucleoli number and relative-size were examined in 9 of the 13 lines to establish ploidy and determine the population incidence of nucleolar size polymorphisms. All of the individuals examined for nucleolar phenotype expressed two nucleoli, indicating that gene copy number variation in those lines was generally unrelated to haploidy, aneuploidy, or polyploidy. A high frequency of individuals exhibited nucleolar size polymorphisms (line values of 57 to 87%). The results suggest that multiple nucleolus organizer region (NOR) types are segregating within and among broiler pure lines and that these NOR types contain variable numbers of rRNA genes that differ in nucleogenesis capacity.

An experimental methodology was developed to evaluate the physicochemical basis for in vitro-in vivo correlations in iontophoretic delivery situations. This experimental methodology can be used to quantitatively evaluate the extent of interaction between chemical permeation enhancers and iontophoresis for drug delivery. The inherent advantages of using Ag/AgCl electrodes are fully exploited to control pH and minimize depletion of permeant during prolonged periods of iontophoresis.

This paper explores the possibility of iontophoretically enhancing the in vitro transdermal flux of two polypeptides: leuprolide (a LHRH analogue; MW = 1209.4) and a cholecystokinin-8 analogue (CCK-8; MW = 1150.17). Control experiments at an applied voltage of 0.5 V across full-thickness human skin did not yield measurable fluxes of either polypeptide, suggesting that despite the expected iontophoretic flux enhancements, the intrinsic permeability of these polypeptides through skin may be too low to allow significant amounts of the drug to permeate. Therefore, pretreatment with ethanol (to simulate the effect of a chemical permeation enhancer) followed by iontophoresis was investigated with the aim of evaluating the potential of the enhancer plus ionophoresis as a means for controlled transdermal delivery of these polypeptides. The ethanol pretreatment dramatically increased the passive fluxes of both polypeptides, and iontophoresis produced further enhancements in their fluxes. Also, the experimental enhancement factors for leuprolide as a function of the applied voltage appeared to be generally lower than the predictions of the constant field theory. A synergism of iontophoresis with a chemical permeation enhancer may be a potential route for controlled transdermal delivery of these and other high molecular weight polypeptides.