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Interactions among sensory information are important for generating a coherent percept of the external world. Facilitation and inhibition effects in cross-modal perception have been widely studied for decades. The present study tried to confirm the interaction effects between sensory information in a bimodal context and explore these influences when part of the sensory information was presented without participants' subjective awareness. A total of 40 undergraduate participants were recruited in this mixed design study. Participants were required to count the flashing of the black circle (visual task) or the presentation frequency of the beep sound (auditory task) with the presence of either congruent or incongruent sensory signals in the background. Participants in the explicit group generally performed more accurately and also faster with the congruent stimuli than with the incongruent stimuli. Performance accuracy in the visual task in the implicit group was affected by the non-target sound signals which were presented beneath participants' subjective awareness. The better performance yielded in the auditory task than in the visual task was explained by the appropriateness of the auditory stimulation to the task nature. In addition, the supportive findings regarding processing without awareness should be interpreted with caution. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Chia (Salvia hispanica L.), originated in central and southern Mexico and Guatemala, is an emerging industry crop due to its high content of omega‐3 fatty acids and dietary fiber in its seeds. The seeds also have a high concentration of proteins and essential amino acids, and are becoming a promising source of bioactive peptides. Polymorphic DNA markers are essential tools to analyse genetic diversity and to accelerate genetic improvement. However, in chia, polymorphic and codominant DNA markers are still lacking. In this study, fourteen polymorphic microsatellites were identified from DNA sequences and were characterized. The average allele number was 4.8 while the expected and observed heterozygosity was 0.24 and 0.34, respectively. The average probability of identity (PI) was 0.50 while the combined PI was 9 × 10–6. These first 14 microsatellites in chia are useful in genetic analysis and traceability. These 14 polymorphic microsatellites were used in analysing genetic diversity and population relationships in six cultivars originating in Mexico, Australia and Bolivia. Results showed that allelic diversity and gene diversity were low and ranged from 2.79 to 3.64 and 0.27 to 0.38, respectively. The Mexico black cultivar showed the highest allelic (3.64) and gene diversity (0.38). The six cultivars were closely related with high identity (≥ 0.893). Taken together, these chia cultivars contain low genetic variation. Therefore, to initiate a breeding program for improving traits, it is essential to use seeds from multiple cultivars to enlarge genetic variation in the founder population. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

A new position-sensitive thermal neutron detector based on boron-coated converters has been developed as an alternative to today's standard 3 He -based technology for application to thermal neutron scattering. The key elements of the development are the boron-coated GEM foils (Sauli in Nucl Instrum Methods Phys Res Sect A Accel Spectrom Detect Assoc Equip 386:531, 1997) that are used as a multi-layer neutron converter via the 10 B (n , α) 7 Li reaction together with an efficient collection of the produced secondary electrons. This paper reports the test performed on a 3 layers converter prototype coupled to a GEMPix detector (Murtas in Radiat Meas 138:106421, 2020), carried out in order to study the possibility to produce a large-scale multi-layer neutron detector capable to reach high detection efficiency with high spatial resolution and able to sustain the high neutron flux expected in the new neutron spallation source under development like the ESS. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Summary: Our systematic review and meta-analysis of observational studies indicated that the use of antipsychotics was associated with a nearly 1.5-fold increase in the risk of fracture. First-generation antipsychotics (FGAs) appeared to carry a higher risk of fracture than second-generation antipsychotics (SGAs). Introduction: The risk of fractures associated with the use of antipsychotic medications has inconsistent evidence between different drug classes. A systematic review and meta-analysis was conducted to evaluate whether there is an association between the use of antipsychotic drugs and fractures. Methods: Searches were conducted through the PubMed and EMBASE databases to identify observational studies that had reported a quantitative estimate of the association between use of antipsychotics and fractures. The summary risk was derived from random effects meta-analysis. Results: The search yielded 19 observational studies ( n = 544,811 participants) with 80,835 fracture cases. Compared with nonuse, use of FGAs was associated with a significantly higher risk for hip fractures (OR 1.67, 95% CI, 1.45-1.93), and use of second generation antipsychotics (SGAs) was associated with an attenuated but still significant risk for hip fractures (OR 1.33, 95% CI, 1.11-1.58). The risk of fractures associated with individual classes of antipsychotic users was heterogeneous, and odds ratios ranged from 1.24 to 2.01. Chlorpromazine was associated with the highest risk (OR 2.01, 95% CI 1.43-2.83), while Risperidone was associated with the lowest risk of fracture (OR 1.24, 95% CI 0.95-1.83). Conclusions: FGA users were at a higher risk of hip fracture than SGA users. Both FGAs and SGAs were associated with an increased risk of fractures, especially among the older population. Therefore, the benefit of the off-label use of antipsychotics in elderly patients should be weighed against any risks for fracture. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The evaluation and interpretation of the spatio-temporal pattern of surface water quality is crucial for the assessment, restoration and protection of drinking water sources. This case study reports different multivariate statistical techniques such as cluster analysis, factor analysis/principal component analysis (FA/PCA) and discriminant analysis, which had been applied for 6 years (2005–2010) water quality data set generated from 19 parameters at 14 different sites within the Fei-Tsui Reservoir basin. Hierarchical cluster analysis grouped 14 sampling sites into three clusters: high-, moderate- and low-pollution regions. This study revealed that water release from the dam outlet will further increase the concentrations of pollutants in the downstream river. PCA/FA did not result in considerable data reduction, as it points to 13 parameters (68 % of original 19) required to explain the 72.8 % of the total variance in the water quality data set. The varifactors obtained from PCA suggested that parameters responsible for water quality variation were mainly related to mineral-related parameters (natural), nutrient group (non-point sources pollution), physical parameters (natural) and organic pollutants (anthropogenic sources). Discriminant analysis used only five parameters: water temperature, dissolved oxygen (DO), calcium, total dissolved solids (TDS) and turbidity; and seven parameters: BOD, DO, nitrate nitrogen, TDS, total alkalinity, turbidity and WT, to discriminate between temporal and spatial with 88 and 90 % correct assignation, respectively. This study illustrated the usefulness of multivariate statistical techniques for designing the sampling and analytical protocol, analysis and interpretation of complex data sets, identification of pollution sources/factors, and provides a reliable guideline for selecting the priorities of possible controlling measures in the sustainable management of Fei-Tsui Reservoir basin. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Summary: In patients with systemic lupus erythematosus (SLE), low bone mineral density (BMD) is associated with increased age, prolonged disease, low body mass index (BMI), and overlap with rheumatoid arthritis (RA). Elevated fibroblast growth factor (FGF)-23 in cyclosporine A (CsA) users with SLE are associated with decreased active vitamin D and osteocalcin. Introduction: The objective of this study was to investigate the steroid and CsA effect on bone metabolism and serum FGF-23 in SLE patients. Methods: Seventy-two SLE patients and 10 age- and sex-matched healthy individuals underwent blood tests for bone metabolic biomarkers and FGF-23, and lumbar spine dual-energy X-ray absorptiometry for BMD. Results: Comparisons between patients and controls were made in premenopausal women/men younger than 50 years and postmenopausal women/men older than 50 years separately. SLE patients had more frequent low Z-score (≤ − 2.0, 8.5 vs. 0 %), osteopenia (−2.5 < T-score < −1.0, 52 vs. 50 %), and osteoporosis (T-score ≤ −2.5, 12 vs. 0 %), than the healthy age-compatible counterparts. BMD was significantly lower in patients with advanced age, longer disease duration, lower BMI, and overlap with RA (all p < 0.05 by multiple linear regression analyses). Serum FGF-23 was significantly higher and 1,25-dihydroxyvitamin D (1,25(OH)D) lower in SLE patients treated with glucocorticoid and CsA than in those not taking both of them ( p = 0.027 and 0.002, respectively). The cumulative dose of glucocorticoid was inversely correlated with serum intact parathyroid hormone ( r = −0.299, p = 0.011), C-terminal telopeptide of type I collagen ( r = −0.581, p < 0.001), and osteocalcin ( r = −0.648, p < 0.001). FGF-23 and the cumulative dose of CsA were positively correlated ( r = 0.38, p = 0.001) and both were negatively correlated with 1,25(OH)D ( r = −0.266, p = 0.016 and r = −0.55, p < 0.001) and osteocalcin ( r = −0.234, p = 0.034 and r = −0.274, p = 0.02). Conclusion: SLE patients treated with glucocorticoid and CsA exhibited markedly decreased bone turnover. Those taking CsA had higher serum FGF-23 associated with suppression of 1,25(OH)D and bone formation. Such high-risk patients necessitate regular screening of osteoporosis. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Purpose: To compare multimodal imaging in detecting lacquer cracks in highly myopic eyes, and to correlate these findings with those of spectral-domain optical coherence tomography (SD-OCT).Methods: An observational case series study. Patients with a refractive error worse than -8 diopters and lacquer cracks were recruited. The rates of detection of the lacquer cracks using multimodal imaging including near-infrared reflectance (NIR) imaging, fundus autofluorescence (FAF) imaging, and fluorescence angiography (FA) were compared. The characteristic findings of multimodal imaging were correlated with those of SD-OCT.Results: NIR imaging was more sensitive (92.9%) in detecting lacquer cracks than either FAF (12.5%) or FA (67.9%). Lacquer cracks showed hyperreflectance on NIR, and they were consistently associated with a continuous retinal pigment epithelium-Bruch's membrane complex, thinner choroid, and acoustic shadows on SD-OCT.Conclusions: NIR imaging is superior to blue laser light (FAF and FA) imaging in detecting lacquer cracks. SD-OCT in combination with NIR located primary pathological lacquer cracks in the intact retinal pigment epithelium-Bruch's membrane complex as well as thinner choroid. These findings indicate that multimodal cSLO and SD-OCT imaging allow for detecting of lacquer cracks in highly myopic eyes. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

PurposeTo evaluate the refractive outcomes in children treated after intravitreal injection of bevacizumab (IVB) for retinopathy of prematurity (ROP).MethodsA retrospective, bi-centre study of 34 patients (64 eyes) was conducted. The patients were divided into three groups, patients received intravitreal IVB (IVB group), patients received combined IVB and laser treatment (IVB+Laser group), or patients received lens-sparing vitrectomy (IVB+LSV group). Cycloplegic refraction and axial length (AXL) were evaluated at 2 years old.ResultsThe prevalences of myopia and high myopia were 47.5 and 10.0% in the IVB group, respectively, which were lower than those in the IVB+Laser (82.4 and 29.4%) and IVB+LSV (all 100%) groups (P=0.001 and P<0.001). The prevalences of emmetropia in the IVB group, IVB+Laser group, and IVB+LSV group were 50, 5.9, and 0% (P=0.001). The AXL were similar among all groups.ConclusionsAt the 2-year follow-up, severe ROP patients treated with IVB alone were more likely to remain emmetropic and had lower prevalences of myopia and high myopia. The development of high myopia in severe ROP patients could not be explained by AXL changes but may be associated with abnormalities in the anterior segment. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

We retrospectively analyzed the clinical and microbiological characteristics of adult patients with hematological malignancy and nontuberculous mycobacteria (NTM) infections from 2001 to 2010. During the study period, 50 patients with hematological malignancy and tuberculosis (TB) were also evaluated. Among 2,846 patients with hematological malignancy, 34 (1.2%) patients had NTM infections. Mycobacterium avium-intracellulare complex (13 patients, 38%) was the most commonly isolated species, followed by M. abscessus (21%), M. fortuitum (18%), and M. kansasii (18%). Twenty-six patients had pulmonary NTM infection and eight patients had disseminated disease. Neutropenia was more frequently encountered among patients with disseminated NTM disease ( p = 0.007) at diagnosis than among patients with pulmonary disease only. Twenty-five (74%) patients received adequate initial antibiotic treatment. Five of the 34 patients died within 30 days after diagnosis. Cox regression multivariate analysis showed that chronic kidney disease ( p = 0.017) and neutropenia at diagnosis ( p = 0.032) were independent prognostic factors of NTM infection in patients with hematological malignancy. Patients with NTM infection had higher absolute neutrophil counts at diagnosis ( p = 0.003) and a higher 30-day mortality rate (15% vs. 2%, p = 0.025) than TB patients. Hematological patients with chronic kidney disease and febrile neutropenia who developed NTM infection had significant worse prognosis than patients with TB infection. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Infections caused by non- cholerae Vibrio are uncommon. From July 2004 to June 2010, a total of 218 isolates of Vibrio species were identified from 171 patients treated at Chi Mei Medical Center, Taiwan. A total of 173 isolates of non- cholerae Vibrio species were isolated from 127 patients. The most common type of infection was acute gastroenteritis (59.8%), followed by skin and soft tissue infection (SSTI) (26.0%) and primary bacteremia (11.0%). Other types of infection included biliary tract infection, peritonitis, and acute otitis media, each at a rate of less than 2%. For patients with acute gastroenteritis, V. parahaemolyticus comprised 92.1% of cases, but V. vulnificus was the most common pathogen causing SSTI. All episodes of bacteremia were caused by V. vulnificus. The all-cause mortality rate was 18.8% of 32 patients with SSTI and the fatality rate was significantly higher among patients with decreased albumin, elevated lactate, use of mechanical ventilation, intensive care unit (ICU) admission, and the presence of shock. In conclusion, non- cholerae Vibrio species caused protean manifestations that vary with the infecting Vibrio species. This epidemiological study helps physicians to better understand the clinical characteristics of infections caused by different non- cholerae Vibrio species. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The aim of this study was to investigate the clinical significance of nontuberculous mycobacteria (NTM) isolates in elderly Taiwanese patients. From 2004 through 2008, patients >65 years old with NTM isolation were identified. The definitions of NTM disease followed the American Thoracic Society and Infectious Disease Society of America (ATS/IDSA) criteria. Among the 3,175 NTM isolates, Mycobacterium avium complex (MAC; n = 1,118, 35.2%) was the most prevalent species, followed by M. abscessus ( n = 545, 17.2%). Among the 1,633 elderly patients with NTM isolates, the most prevalent NTM species were MAC ( n = 592, 36.3%) and M. fortuitum complex ( n = 311, 19.0%). NTM colonization was found in 1,339 (80.4%) patients and only 326 (19.6%) patients had NTM diseases. During the study period, the annual incidence rates (per 100,000 inpatients and outpatients) of NTM colonization and disease both increased significantly ( p < 0.0001) from 10.5 to 15.8 and from 2.1 to 4.3, respectively. Isolated pulmonary NTM infections compromised 294 (90.2%) of the 326 elderly cases of NTM disease. In conclusion, this study found an increasing trend in the incidence of both NTM isolates and NTM diseases among elderly Taiwanese patients. MAC and M. abscessus were the most frequent species causing various types of NTM disease. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The aim of this study was to evaluate the diagnostic performance of an enzyme-linked immunospot (ELISPOT) assay for interferon-γ in patients with suspected skeletal tuberculosis (TB). From March 2007 to June 2010, a total of 36 patients with suspected skeletal TB in a tertiary care hospital in Taiwan were enrolled. Twelve patients (35.3%) had culture-confirmed TB, three (8.8%) patients had probable TB, and the remaining 21 (58.3%) patients did not have TB. Fourteen patients with mycobacterial infection had available biopsy or surgical specimens for histopathological examination and 12 (85.7%) specimens had pathological features consistent with mycobacterial infection. Among the 12 patients with positive findings indicating mycobacterial infection, all seven patients with spinal TB and three of five patients with TB arthritis had positive ELISPOT assays. All nine patients with spinal TB had positive ELISPOT assays, but only four of six patients with TB arthritis had positive ELISPOT assays. The sensitivity, specificity, positive predictive value, and negative predictive value for skeletal TB diagnosis by the ELISPOT assay were 86.7%, 61.9%, 61.9%, and 86.7%, respectively. In conclusion, the ELISPOT assay can provide useful support in diagnosing skeletal TB, and spinal TB can be excluded based on a negative ELISPOT assay. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

ll patients with urine culture-confirmed genitourinary tuberculosis (GUTB) diagnosed between 1995 and 2007 at two medical centers in northern Taiwan were included in this retrospective study. Genotypes of 48 preserved Mycobacterium tuberculosis (MTB) isolates from these patients were determined by spoligotyping and double repetitive element PCR (DRE-PCR) analysis. Among the 64 patients, 38 (59.4%) were male with a mean ±SD age of 60.3 ± 16.1 years old. The overall mortality rate was 26.2%. Poor prognostic factors included age over 65 years (HR = 4.03; 95%; CI: 1.27-12.76), cardiovascular disease (HR = 5.96; 95% CI: 1.98-17.92), receiving steroids (HR = 10.16; 95% CI: 2.27-45.47), not being treated (HR 4.81; 95% CI 1.12-20.67). Spoligotyping and DRE-PCR of the 48 MTB isolates revealed that 20 (41.7%) belonged to the Beijing family and 40 (83.3%) had a clustering pattern. Identification of a Beijing family isolate was not correlated with drug resistance or mortality. Clustering strains were likely to be resistant to isoniazid (OR = 4.71; 95% CI: 1.10 to 23.53). In this study of patients with urine culture-confirmed GUTB, age and coexisting diseases were independently associated with an unfavorable outcome. The Beijing family was the dominant genotype of GUTB isolates, but did not correlate with drug resistance or outcome. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This study was to determine the diagnostic value of procalcitonin (PCT) in the differentiation of infectious and non-infectious causes of pleural effusion. From January 2005 to April 2005, we measured the PCT levels of pleural effusion from 76 patients using an immunoluminometric assay. The types of pleural infusions studied were para-pneumonic effusion ( n = 26), empyema ( n = 7), tuberculous pleurisy ( n = 8), malignant pleural effusion ( n = 25) and transudative pleural effusion ( n = 8). The PCT levels were low in transudative pleural effusions (0.188 ± 0.077 ng/mL) and tuberculous pleurisy (0.130 ± 0.069 ng/mL), but high in empyema (5.147 ± 3.056 ng/mL), para-pneumonic effusion (1.091 ± 0.355 ng/mL), and malignant pleural effusion (0.241 ± 0.071 ng/mL). The receiver-operating characteristic curve analysis for an optimal discrimination between empyema and para-pneumonic effusion from non-para-pneumonic effusion could be performed at a cut-off point of 0.18 ng/mL with area under the curve of 0.776 (sensitivity: 69.7%, specificity: 72.1%). The correlation was found between pleural effusion PCT and serum PCT levels in 16 patients ( r = 0.967, p < 0.001). In conclusion, a high pleural effusion PCT level suggests the presence of empyema and para-pneumonic effusion. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This study investigated the correlation between antibiotic consumption and resistance among Staphylococcus aureus and enterococci causing healthcare-associated infections at a university hospital in Taiwan from 2000 to 2009. Overall, the trend of total consumption (defined daily dose [DDD] per 1,000 patient-days) of glycopeptides, including vancomycin and teicoplanin, significantly increased during 2000 to 2003 and remained stable during 2004-2009. Vancomycin consumption significantly increased during 2003 and decreased after 2004. A significant decrease in the resistance rate with time was found for oxacillin- and gentamicin-resistant S. aureus. In contrast, the rates of vancomycin- and teicoplanin-resistant enterocci increased significantly. A significant correlation was found between the increased use of extended-spectrum cephalosporins, β-lactam-β-lactamase inhibitor combinations, carbapenems and the decreased prevalence of methicillin-resistant S. aureus (MRSA). In contrast, the increased use of teicoplanin, extended-spectrum cephalosporins, β-lactam-β-lactamase inhibitor combinations, and carbapenems was correlated with the increased prevalence of vancomycin-resistant enterococci (VRE). In conclusion, this 10-year study in a single institution identified different correlations between the prescription of antibiotics and the resistance rates of MRSA and VRE. Strict implementation of infection control policy based on these correlates would be helpful in decreasing the presence of these multidrug-resistant pathogens in hospitals. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

We retrospectively investigated the prevalence of drug resistance in Mycobacterium tuberculosis (MTB) isolates recovered from elderly patients and compared the drug resistance patterns between the elderly (≥65 years old) and adult (15-64 years old) patients. Data on the prevalence of drug resistance in clinical and non-duplicate isolates of MTB recovered from 2000 to 2008 were evaluated. Among the 3,186 non-duplicate MTB isolates found during the study period, 1,497 isolates were recovered from elderly patients. Thirty-eight (2.54%) isolates were multidrug-resistant tuberculosis (MDRTB). The rates of resistance to isoniazid (INH), rifampicin (RIF), ethambutol (EMB), streptomycin (SM), ofloxacin, rifabutin, any one drug-resistant (ADR), and multidrug-resistant (MDR) were significantly lower in isolates from the elderly than from adults ( p < 0.05). Significant decreasing trends in resistance rates to EMB, SM, at least any one of the four first-line agents (ADR), and MDRTB were observed ( p < 0.05) . In conclusion, elderly patients had a lower rate of anti-TB drug resistance than adults and a decreasing overall trend of anti-TB drug resistance was found in the elderly in recent years, but the higher rate of MDRTB in Taiwan continues to present a challenge for the control of TB in the elderly. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The aims of this study were to compare the clinical features of patients with extensively drug-resistant tuberculosis (XDRTB) and multidrug-resistant tuberculosis (MDRTB) and the genotypic characteristics of these Mycobacterium tuberculosis isolates. A total of 90 non-HIV-infected patients having MDRTB ( n = 80, not including XDRTB, 88.9%) and XDRTB ( n = 10, 11.1%) were identified from 2000 to 2007. Genotypes of the 39 available isolates were evaluated by spoligotyping and the 24-locus mycobacterial interspersed repetitive units–variable number of tandem repeats (MIRU-VNTR) scheme. Patients with XDRTB were more likely to have previous history of TB and cavitary lung lesions than patients with MDRTB ( P < 0.05). Among the 39 isolates for spoligotyping analysis, the Beijing genotype was the most common ( n = 21, 53.8%). Four (44.4%) isolates of XDRTB and 17 (56.7%) isolates of MDRTB belonged to Beijing family genotypes. There was no significant difference in the anti-tuberculosis drug resistance rates between Beijing and non-Beijing genotype isolates or in the clinical features of infected patients. In conclusion, significant differences in clinical manifestations existed among patients with XDRTB and MDRTB. The clinical features of patients infected with the Beijing genotype and the drug resistance profile of the Beijing genotype isolates were similar to those for the non-Beijing family genotype. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In Taiwan, the 23-valent pneumococcal polysaccharide vaccine (PPV23) and the 7-valent pneumococcal conjugate vaccine (PCV7) have been available since January 2001 and October 2005, respectively. A hospital-based surveillance of invasive pneumococcal disease (IPD) in a medical center was conducted from 2000 to 2008 to evaluate the epidemiologic changes after pneumococcal vaccination. A total of 337 episodes in 328 patients were identified. The cumulative coverage rate of PPV23 among persons of age ≥75 years increased from 12% in 2007 to 41% in 2008, and that of PCV7 among children aged <5 years was 0.7% in 2005 and 25.2% in 2008. The annual incidence of IPD decreased from 6.2 cases per 10,000 hospitalizations in 2000–2005 to 3.8 cases in 2006–2008 (38.5% reduction, P < 0.001), but the fatality rate did not change significantly (24.4% and 21.8%, P = 0.74). The serotype coverage rates of PPV23 and PCV7 were not significantly different between 2000–2005 and 2006–2008 (both P > 0.05). A marked increase of serotype 19A from 2000–2005 (0.5%) to 2006–2008 (11.5%) was found ( P < 0.001). In summary, a decline in IPD incidence but not in fatality rate occurred after the availability of PCV7 and the increased usage of PPV23. The rapid emergence of serotype 19A during this period is alarming. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The docking protein Grb2-associated binder1 (Gab1) has a central role in the integration of the growth-factor signaling. In this study, we aimed to examine the significance of Src-mediated Gab1 phosphorylation in the hepatocyte growth factor (HGF) signaling. Using both mutagenesis and mass spectrometry approaches, Y242, Y259, Y317, Y373 and Y627 of Gab1 were identified to be phosphorylated by c-Src. It is interesting to note that the binding of the tyrosine phosphatase SHP2 to the Y627 antagonized the effect of c-Src on the phosphorylation of the other four tyrosine residues. Moreover, the tyrosine residues predominantly phosphorylated by c-Src were different from those predominantly phosphorylated by the HGF receptor. Gab1 overexpression potentiated both mitogenic and motogenic activities of HGF. However, a Gab1 mutant with substitutions of the Src phosphorylation sites (Y242, Y259, Y317 and Y373) failed to promote HGF-induced DNA synthesis, but retained its ability to facilitate HGF-induced chemotaxis. Taken together, our results not only suggest that the phosphorylation of Gab1 by c-Src is important for HGF-induced DNA synthesis, but also provide an example to illustrate how a docking protein (for example, Gab1) is differentially phosphorylated by c-Src and a receptor tyrosine kinase to emanate full spectrum of signals to the downstream. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

PurposeTo evaluate the efficacy of pain relief by oral diazepam, acetaminophen, mefenamic acid, intramuscular ketorolac tromethamine, and peribulbar anaesthesia in panretinal photocoagulation (PRP).MethodsA total of 220 patients with proliferative diabetic retinopathy requiring PRP treatment were enrolled in this study. Before laser treatment, the patients were allocated randomly to one of eight groups: group 1: diazepam (n=22), group 2: acetaminophen (n=21), group 3: mefenamic acid (n=21), group 4: diazepam and acetaminophen (n=22), group 5: diazepam and mefenamic acid (n=22), group 6: peribulbar anaesthesia with lidocaine (n=23), group 7: intramuscular injection of ketorolac tromethamine (n=22), group 8: placebo (n=67). Pain after the laser treatment was assessed by a verbal descriptive scale. Blood pressure and heart rate were measured before and after laser treatment.ResultsPatients receiving peribulbar anaesthesia had a significantly lower pain score than the control group (P<0.0001). Additionally, the peribulbar anaesthesia-treated group had the significantly least PRP-associated rise in either systolic (P=0.043) or diastolic blood pressure rates (P=0.030). There were no significant differences in pain score using other anesthetic agents when compared with the control group. There were no significant changes in heart rate after PRP treatment.ConclusionPeribulbar anaesthesia is effective in reducing pain and blood pressure increase after PRP treatment. Oral diazepam, mefenamic acid, and acetaminophen (either alone or in combination with each other) are not effective in preventing PRP treatment-associated pain. Intramuscular injection of ketorolac tromethamine is also not effective in reducing PRP-associated pain.Eye (2006) 20, 712–719. doi:10.1038/sj.eye.6701989; published online 8 July 2005 [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The authors followed the guidelines of translation and pilot testing of the EORTC QLQ-C30 and EORTC-QLQ-H&N35 questionnaires. The questionnaires were given to 50 nasopharyngeal carcinoma patients under active treatment and 50 under follow-up at our institution from November 2000 to June 2001. A retest was conducted 2 weeks after the first interview/form completion for the follow-up group. The intraclass correlation coefficients of the two questionnaires were moderate to high in the follow-up group. Cronbach's alpha coefficients of all scales of the two questionnaires were > or = 0.70 except that of cognitive functioning. Correlation of scales measuring similar dimensions of the QLQ-C30 and the SF-36 were moderate to high, while that of the QLQ-H&N35 and the QLQ-C30 and the SF-36 were moderate to low. Patients in the active treatment group had more serious acute problems due to disease and chemotherapy. Patients in the follow-up group had more serious chronic problems due to radiation therapy. We concluded that the Taiwan Chinese version of the EORTC QLQ-C30 and the EORTC QLQ-H&N35 had moderate to high test-retest reliability, high internal consistency in most scales, and could show the expected differences between patients in active treatment and follow-up group. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Liver abscess caused by Actinomyces odontolyticus is rarely reported. We report an immunocompetent patient who developed A. odontolyticus liver abscess, and was successfully treated with antibiotics for 6 weeks and abscess drainage. The isolate could not be identified accurately by one commercial biochemical method and was documented to species level by partial sequencing analysis of 16S rRNA genes. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The Legionella species is an important cause of communityand hospital-acquired pneumonia. Bacteremic pneumonia caused by L. pneumophila is rarely reported. We describe the first reported case of hospital-acquired pneumonia and bacteremia caused by L. pneumophila from Taiwan in a patient with idiopathic thrombocytopenic purpura who received steroid treatment. The patient was successfully treated with ceftazidime and clindamycin initially, followed by ciprofloxacin for 14 days. The blood isolate was further confirmed by 16S rDNA sequence analysis. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

A correction is presented to the article "Use of antipsychotics increases the risk of fracture: a systematic review and meta-analysis."

A letter to the editor is presented in response to the article "Changing trend in bile microbiology and antibiotic susceptibilities: over 12 years of experience" by W. Kwon, J. Y. Jang, E. C. Kim, J. W. Park, E. W. Han, M. J. Kang and colleagues.

The article presents a case study of an 88-year-old woman who has an abdominal pain and history of end-stage renal disease and liver cirrhosis. It states that a computed tomography of the abdomen and sonography have confirmed the presence of bilateral intrahepatic duct stones with general dilatation of the biliary tract, which was caused by Vibrio fluvialis, a curved gram-negative rod. It also says that a piperacillin-tazobactam was administered under the impression of biliary tract infection.

A 3-year weekly data set on the ionic composition of rainwater from 6 sampling sites in Hong Kong representing the 1990-92 period was resolved employing factor analysis. Two-to-three factors explaining cumulative variances of 78-93% of the total in the 9 ionic parameters studied are utilised in the interpretation. The procedure is repeated onthe screened data sets obtained on the basis, among other constraints, of a cut-off ion balance of +/- 15%. The results indicate that: (i) the 'mixed' (residential-industrial) area, Central-Western has a 7-membered 'degenerate' first factor which fails to resolve into smaller groups; (ii) the quasi-rural site, Junk Bay has a partially neutralised acid (PNA) and a pure sea salt (SS) component; (iii) two other mainly residential areas, Hong Kong South - whose factors resemble those for industrial Kwun Tong - and Tai Po have a third factor containing potassium, and additional chloride, respectively. The latter factor, V/W, for Tai Po believed to be due to burning vegetation/waste incineration is similar only to that for the industrial Kwai Chung. On the other hand, the process of data screening has no effect on the factorial sequence or make-up, except in the cases of the two industriallocations, where the order of the resolved factors in two of their sets are swapped among two different factors; and, in the case of one of them, a variable (ion) shifts its loading to a different factor upon screening. Finally, stepwise multiple regression corroborates our earlier provisional conclusion that the free acidity of rainwater in Hong Kong is also contributed by acids other than H2SO4 and HNO3, possibly by oxalic, formic and acetic acids, among some others. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]