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The water immersion through-transmission method is widely used owing to its simplicity and high precision in measuring sound speed. However, when measuring the sound speed of a compound material whose host medium is water, such as hydrogel tissue-mimicking material (TMM), the reproducibility and reliability of the measurements obtained under the state of water immersion method were found to be low. To solve this problem, the application of contact transmission method instead of the water immersion method was examined in this study. Unlike the water immersion method, the direct-contact method requires stability in target stiffness, which is difficult in TMM hydrogels due to their low-stiffness properties. Therefore, it is important to find a material that acts as a propagation medium, maintains thickness, and prevents percentage change of the material component in TMM. As a propagation medium, it is necessary for the material to have a low attenuation coefficient value to increase the signal-to-noise ratio. Among the investigated candidate materials, polymethyl methacrylate (PMMA) was selected, owing to its lowest signal attenuation value compared to other candidate materials. A measuring jig was designed and manufactured with this material. The sound speeds of agar and gelatin TMMs were measured by the conventional water immersion through-transmission method and the proposed indirect contact-type method for comparison. In the case of the conventional water immersion method, as the measurement was repeated, the measured sound speeds showed a decreasing trend. By contrast, the indirect contact-type measurements using the PMMA jig showed relatively high reproducibility and reliability.

Sensitive, effective, and quantitative analysis of infectious pathogens is an important task for the prevention of human health threats. Herein, we present an advanced approach to producing gene-encapsulated microdroplets for quantitative analysis using a micropatterned metal mold and injection molding technique with an automatically operated system. An injection molded microdroplet generation device was successfully fabricated with a minimum channel width of 30 μm and optimized to produce 100 μm diameter droplets. The optimized microchannel design and flow rate also enable the production of stable numbers of microdroplets (~ 16,000 droplets). To verify the applicability of our device and system to droplet-based digital PCR analysis

Liquid-based cytology (LBC) has been shown to improve the diagnostic efficacy of brush cytology for thyroid, cervical and pancreatic cancer. To evaluate the diagnostic performance of LBC for biliary tract cancer, we compared it with conventional smears and forceps biopsies.A retrospective study was conducted of all consecutive patients who underwent brush cytology under ERCP from January 2010 to April 2020. The primary outcome was the diagnostic efficacy of conventional smears and LBC. The difference between the two groups was corrected using inverse probability weighting (IPW). The secondary outcome was the sensitivity and specificity of brush cytology and forceps biopsy. The secondary outcome was evaluated in patients who underwent both methods.Among 162 patients, conventional smears were performed in 70 patients and LBC was performed in 92 patients. In the primary analysis using IPW, the sensitivity of conventional smears and LBC was 56.00% and 78.26% respectively (P = 0.009). The specificity was 100% for both methods. The accuracy was 66.15% for conventional smears and 83.33% for LBC (P = 0.012). In the secondary analysis, the sensitivity of conventional smears versus forceps biopsies was 62.16% versus 78.38% (P = 0.034) and 81.16% for both LBC and forceps biopsies. The specificity of both cytological examination and forceps biopsies was 100%.Liquid-based cytology demonstrated better sensitivity and accuracy than conventional smears. Moreover, its diagnostic performance was close to that of forceps biopsies.

Sensitive and accurate capture, enrichment, and identification of drug-resistant bacteria on human skin are important for early-stage diagnosis and treatment of patients. Herein, we constructed a three-dimensional hierarchically structured polyaniline nanoweb (3D HPN) to capture, enrich, and detect drug-resistant bacteria on-site by rubbing infected skins. These unique hierarchical nanostructures enhance bacteria capture efficiency and help severely deform the surface of the bacteria entrapped on them. Therefore, 3D HPN significantly contributes to the effective and reliable recovery of drug-resistant bacteria from the infected skin and the prevention of potential secondary infection. The recovered bacteria were successfully identified by subsequent real-time polymerase chain reaction (PCR) analysis after the lysis process. The molecular analysis results based on a real-time PCR exhibit excellent sensitivity to detecting target bacteria of concentrations ranging from 102 to 107 CFU/mL without any fluorescent signal interruption. To confirm the field applicability of 3D HPN, it was tested with a drug-resistant model consisting of micropig skin similar to human skin and Klebsiella pneumoniae carbapenemase-producing carbapenem-resistant Enterobacteriaceae (KPC-CRE). The results show that the detection sensitivity of this assay is 102 CFU/mL. Therefore, 3D HPN can be extended to on-site pathogen detection systems, along with rapid molecular diagnostics through a simple method, to recover KPC-CRE from the skin. Graphical Abstract

Background Although diabetes is reportedly associated with the occurrence of acute pancreatitis (AP), the risk of AP according to the duration and severity of diabetes is not yet clear. We aimed to investigate the risk of AP based on glycemic status and the presence of comorbidities using a nationwide population-based study. Methods We enrolled 3,912,496 adults who underwent health examinations under the National Health Insurance Service in 2009. All participants were categorized by glycemic status as normoglycemic, impaired fasting glucose (IFG), or diabetes. Baseline characteristics and the presence of comorbidities at the time of health check-up were investigated, and the occurrence of AP was followed up until 31 December 2018. We estimated the adjusted hazard ratios (aHRs) for AP occurrence according to the glycemic status, duration of diabetes (new-onset, duration Results During the observation period of 32,116,716.93 person-years, 8,933 cases of AP occurred. Compared with normoglycemia, the aHRs (95% confidence interval) were 1.153 (1.097–1.212) in IFG, 1.389 (1.260–1.531) in new-onset diabetes, 1.634 (1.496–1.785) in known diabetes Conclusion As glycemic status worsens, the risk of AP increases, and there is a synergistic effect when comorbidities coexist. To reduce the risk of AP, active control of factors that can cause AP should be considered in patients with long-standing diabetes and comorbidities.

Backgrounds and Objectives Endoscopic ultrasound-guided ethanol ablation (EUS-EA) has recently been introduced for the management of solid pancreatic tumors, including pancreatic neuroendocrine tumors (PNETs) and solid pseudopapillary tumors (SPTs). The study aims to evaluate the efficacy and predictive factors for response of EUS-EA in solid pancreatic tumors. Methods Between October 2015 and July 2021, 72 patients who underwent EUS-EA for solid pancreatic tumors were included. The study outcomes were to evaluate the efficacy of EUS-EA with complete remission (CR) and objective response, and their predictive factors. Results During follow-up, 47 patients were diagnosed with PNETs and 25 with SPTs. Eight cases reached CR and 48 reached objective response. When compared with SPTs, PNETs showed similar duration to reach CR (median not reached; p = 0.319), but shorter duration to reach objective response (PNETs: median 20.6 months, 95%CI 10.26–30.88; SPTs: median 47.7 months, 95%CI 18.14–77.20; p = 0.018). Ethanol dosage > 0.35 ml/cm3 shortened the duration to reach CR (median not reached; p = 0.026) and objective response (median 42.5 months, 95%CI 25.34–59.66 vs. 19.6 months, 95%CI 10.17–29.09; p = 0.006). CR had no significant predictive factors, but PNETs showed significant predictive factors for objective response (HR 3.34, 95%CI 1.07–10.43; p = 0.038). Twenty-seven patients experienced adverse events, and there were two severe cases. Conclusion EUS-EA for pancreatic solid lesions seems feasible as a local treatment for patients who refuse or are unfit for surgery. Additionally, PNETs seem to be the better candidate for EUS-EA.

Background Dung beetles recycle organic matter through the decomposition of feces and support ecological balance. However, these insects are threatened by the indiscriminate use of agrochemicals and habitat destruction. Copris tripartitus Waterhouse (Coleoptera: Scarabaeidae), a dung beetle, is listed as a class-II Korean endangered species. Although the genetic diversity of C. tripartitus populations has been investigated through analysis of mitochondrial genes, genomic resources for this species remain limited. In this study, we analyzed the transcriptome of C. tripartitus to elucidate functions related to growth, immunity and reproduction for the purpose of informed conservation planning. Results The transcriptome of C. tripartitus was generated using next-generation Illumina sequencing and assembled de novo using a Trinity-based platform. In total, 98.59% of the raw sequence reads were processed as clean reads. These reads were assembled into 151,177 contigs, 101,352 transcripts, and 25,106 unigenes. A total of 23,450 unigenes (93.40%) were annotated to at least one database. The largest proportion of unigenes (92.76%) were annotated to the locally curated PANM-DB. A maximum of 5,512 unigenes had homologous sequences in Tribolium castaneum. Gene Ontology (GO) analysis revealed a maximum of 5,174 unigenes in the Molecular function category. Further, in Kyoto Encyclopedia of Genes and Genomes (KEGG) enrichment analysis, a total of 462 enzymes were associated with established biological pathways. Based on sequence homology to known proteins in PANM-DB, representative immunity, growth, and reproduction-related genes were screened. Potential immunity-related genes were categorized into pattern recognition receptors (PRRs), the Toll-like receptor signaling pathway, the MyD88- dependent pathway, endogenous ligands, immune effectors, antimicrobial peptides, apoptosis, and adaptation-related transcripts. Among PRRs, we conducted detailed in silico characterization of TLR-2, CTL, and PGRP_SC2-like. Repetitive elements such as long terminal repeats, short interspersed nuclear elements, long interspersed nuclear elements and DNA elements were enriched in the unigene sequences. A total of 1,493 SSRs were identified among all unigenes of C. tripartitus. Conclusions This study provides a comprehensive resource for analysis of the genomic topography of the beetle C. tripartitus. The data presented here clarify the fitness phenotypes of this species in the wild and provide insight to support informed conservation planning.

Floral fragrance is a vital factor for the marketability of ornamental flowers, and it may also influence flower longevity. Despite several studies on the relationship between floral fragrance and flower longevity, a scientific consensus about this relationship has not been established to date. To investigate the influence of floral scent level on ethylene sensitivity and flower longevity, we determined the relationship between the mRNA levels of ethylene biosynthesis genes and senescence characteristics of low- and high-scent carnation cultivars after ethylene treatment. In this study, we demonstrated that high floral scent is related to increased sensitivity to ethylene as a consequence of transcriptional accumulation of the ethylene biosynthesis genes DcACS1 and DcACO1 in carnations. Flower senescence symptoms responsible for vase life termination following ethylene exposure differed depending on the floral scent level; while low-scent flowers terminated their vase life due to brown edges and wilting, high-scent flowers terminated their vase life earlier due to petal inrolling, which resulted from their rapid tissue response to ethylene. The results revealed that the longevity of carnation flowers is strongly negatively correlated with floral scent level and ethylene sensitivity and that the initial transcript level of DcACO1 contributed the most to the vase life of high-scent flowers. This result suggested that floral scent intensity is closely related to ethylene sensitivity in carnation flowers. High floral scent is correlated with a rapid tissue response to exogenous ethylene and consequently shortens the vase life of carnation flowers.

This study aims to investigate the frequency-dependent characteristics of the focal length of an acoustic lens made of a material with a frequency-dependent acoustic refractive index (ARI). For this purpose, an exchangeable plano-spherical convex subsonic index lens (PSCSIL) was fabricated using a polydimethylsiloxane (PDMS) material. The ARI of the lens material was evaluated via the tone-burst through-transmission method over the frequency range of 1–10 MHz. The frequency dependence of the focal length of the fabricated PSCSIL was evaluated through graphical analysis of the acoustic field scanned by a hydrophone as well as of that simulated using the finite element method. The measured ARI and focal length were observed to be dependent on frequency. The simulated and measured focal lengths of the PSCSIL exhibited a great discrepancy with their respective values predicted using the conventional focal length equation. This discrepancy was further studied using the ray-tracing method and is described in the discussion section. In conclusion, the spherical curvature of PSCSIL does not induce the convergence of rays to meet in a point. The ray tracing method does not take into account the phase complexity of the near-field region inside the lens. This causes the actual focal length to be shorter than the predicted one.

To date, numerous studies have investigated the brain white matter abnormality in patients with alcohol dependence using diffusion tensor imaging (DTI). DTI has been primarily utilized to evaluate white matter integrity, it is now increasingly used to investigate microstructural changes of gray matter (GM), particularly the subcortical GM. We predicted that structural alterations may not only be restricted to the white matter but also found in subcortical GM in alcohol dependent patients (ADP). Possible relationships between brain microstructure assessed by magnetic resonance diffusion tensor imaging (DTI) and brain volumes were investigated in ADP. Diffusion and volumetric analyses were performed in 21 alcohol dependent men without neurological or somatic complications and in 21 healthy men. Raw volume and DTI parameters (i.e., fractional anisotropy, and diffusivity values) of six subcortical gray matter structures (amygdala, hippocampus, caudate, pallidum, putamen, thalamus) were measured in both hemispheres. Between-group (controls versus patients) comparisons of normalized volume, DTI parameters, as well as within-group correlation analyses between structural changes and clinical variables were carried out. Our results show that DTI measurements appear more sensitive than volume measurements, but the combination of the two methods can still be useful for detecting pathological changes. Major findings are change of macrostructures in left hippocampus and bilateral putamen and thalamus. ADP group exhibited significant volume reductions and change of microstructures in caudate and hippocampus, putamen. These findings can broaden our understanding of the neuroanatomical changes underlying ADP.

Mold oscillations, widely used in continuous casting for infiltrating the mold flux between the mold and the solidified shell, change periodically the heat flux from the meniscus to mold. These variations of the heat flux affect the solidification behavior near an initial solidification position. Because the surface shape of the solidified shell is influenced by the initial solidification behavior, it is important to understand the relation between the mold oscillation, the heat flux and initial solidification behavior. In the present study, we developed a numerical model that simulates the flow and thermal behavior of the mold flux near the meniscus. Using this model, we analyze the effects of the variations of the heat flux from the meniscus on the initial solidification position and suggest the formation mechanism of the oscillation marks (OMs) and the hooks. Also, we will present quantitative results about the depth of the OMs and the length of the hooks at the conditions used in the present study. The factors that influence the hooks’ types and the causes of the irregularity of the shell surface are also discussed.

Repetitive start-up and shut-down events in polymer electrolyte membrane fuel cells for automotive applications lead to serious corrosion of the cathode due to an instantaneous potential jump that results from unintended air leakage into the anodic flow field followed by a parasitic oxygen reduction reaction (ORR) on the anode. Here we report a solution to the cathode corrosion issue during the start-up/shut-down events whereby intelligent catalyst design is used to selectively promote the hydrogen oxidation reaction (HOR) while concomitantly suppressing the ORR on the anode. Platinum thin layers supported on hydrogen tungsten bronze (Pt/HxWO3) suppressed the ORR by converting themselves into an insulator following exposure to oxygen, while selectively promoting the HOR by regaining metallic conductivity following subsequent exposure to hydrogen. The HOR-selective electrocatalysis imparted by a metal–insulator transition in Pt/HxWO3 demonstrated a remarkably enhanced durability of membrane electrode assemblies compared to those with commercial Pt/C catalysts. The stability of polymer electrolyte membrane fuel cells is limited by the degradation of the cathode catalyst during repetitive start-up/shut-down events — a parasitic oxygen reduction reaction on the anode causes an instantaneous potential jump at the cathode. The issue is now addressed by selectively suppressing the oxygen reduction reaction on the anode by exploiting the metal–insulator transition behaviour of Pt/HxWO3 catalysts.

A bacteria-capturing platform is a critical function of accurate, quantitative, and sensitive identification of bacterial pathogens for potential usage in the detection of foodborne diseases. Despite the development of various nanostructures and their surface chemical modification strategies, relative to the principal physical contact propagation of bacterial infections, mechanically robust and nanostructured platforms that are available to capture bacteria remain a significant problem. Here, a three-dimensional (3D) hierarchically structured polyaniline nanoweb film is developed for the efficient capture of bacterial pathogens by hand-touching. This unique nanostructure ensures sufficient mechanical resistance when exposed to compression and shear forces and facilitates the 3D interfacial interactions between bacterial extracellular organelles and polyaniline surfaces. The bacterial pathogens (Escherichia coli O157:H7, Salmonella enteritidis, and Staphylococcus aureus) are efficiently captured through finger-touching, as verified by the polymerase chain reaction (PCR) analysis. Moreover, the real-time PCR results of finger-touched cells on a 3D nanoweb film show a highly sensitive detection of bacteria, which is similar to those of the real-time PCR using cultured cells without the capturing step without any interfering of fluorescence signal and structural deformation during thermal cycling. Graphic Abstract

Nucleic acid (NA) extraction and purification are one of the crucial steps for NA-based molecular diagnosis. However, the currently developed methods are still suffering from many issues including long process time, complicated steps, requirement of trained personnel and potential inhibition caused by chaotropic agents and/ or residual reagents. Herein, a surface-modified NA extraction microchip (SNC) is newly fabricated by introducing poly(2-dimethylaminomethyl styrene) (pDMAMS) film engaged directly on the microchip surface via initiated chemical vapor deposition (iCVD) process. The positively charged SNC inner surface could directly capture the negatively charged NA efficiently and its performance is confirmed by fluorescence microscopy and X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy. The developed SNC exhibits the deoxyribonucleic acid (DNA) capture efficiency higher than 92% regardless of initial DNA concentration in range of 20 ng/µL to 0.01 ng/µL. With this versatile DNA-capturing surface, the genomic DNAs of Escherichia Coli O157:H7 (E. coli O157:H7) is successfully extracted directly from cell lysate in the SNC with higher than 90% of efficiency within 30 min. The extraction time can be reduced to at least of 10 min maintaining extraction efficiency higher than 50%. Furthermore, the genomic DNAs are directly extracted using the SNC without loss from various real samples including juice, milk and blood serum. The proposed SNC enables us to perform an one-step NA extraction for molecular diagnosis and has the potential to be integrated into a micro-total analysis in the fields of point-of-care diagnosis.

Mesoporous metal oxides consisting of fully interconnected network structures with small pores (20–50 nm) have high surface areas and decreased ion intercalation distances, making them ideal for use in high-performance electrochromic supercapacitors (ECSs). Evaporation-induced self-assembly (EISA), which combines sol–gel chemistry and molecular self-assembly, is a powerful method for the fabrication of mesoporous metal oxides through a solution phase synthesis. Herein, we introduce ultrafast sub-1 s ECSs based on an amorphous mesoporous tungsten trioxide (WO3) that is prepared by EISA. Compared to that of a compact-WO3 film-based device, the performances of an ECS with mesoporous WO3 exhibits a large optical modulation (76% at 700 nm), ultrafast switching speeds (0.8 s for coloration and 0.4 s for bleaching), and a high areal capacitance (2.57 mF/cm2), even at a high current density (1.0 mA/cm2). In addition, the excellent device stability during the coloration/bleaching and charging/discharging cycles is observed under fast response conditions. Moreover, we fabricated a patterned mesoporous WO3 for ECS displays (ECSDs) via printing-assisted EISA (PEISA). The resulting ECSDs can be used as portable energy-storage devices, and their electrochromic reflective displays change color according to their stored energy level. The ECSDs in this work have enormous potential for use in next-generation smart windows for buildings and as portable energy storage displays. Networks of tiny holes improve the energy storage properties of materials that can also be used for smart windows. In electrochromic materials, the fraction of light passing through the material can be controlled using an electrical voltage. This is useful for smart windows which electrically switch from being transparent to opaque. This change is associated with the storage or release of energy, so the same materials are being investigated for energy storage. Keon-Woo Kim from Pohang University of Science and Technology, South Korea, and co-workers have developed an improved electrochromic supercapacitor made from tungsten trioxide. They used an evaporation-induced self-assembly process to deposit a film of tungsten trioxide containing pores approximately 30 nanometers across. This porous structure increased the material’s switching speed and capacitance compared to a conventional tungsten trioxide thin film. Ultra-fast electrochromic supercapacitors (ECSs) are demonstrated based on mesoporous WO3 prepared by evaporation-induced self-assembly (EISA). Mesoporous WO3 based ECSs show excellent electrochromic and supercapacitor performances under fast operating condition. Furthermore, printing assisted EISA is introduced to produce patterned mesoporous WO3 for ECS displays (ECSDs). The resulting ECSDs have great potential as next-generation smart electrochemical components.

BackgroundSeveral systemic inflammatory response (SIR) markers, including platelet-to-lymphocyte ratio (PLR), neutrophil-to-lymphocyte ratio (NLR), lymphocyte-to-monocyte ratio (LMR), and albumin-to-globulin ratio (AGR), have emerged as prognostic markers in various cancers. The aim of this study was to explore the impact of SIR markers on the survival outcomes of unresectable intrahepatic cholangiocarcinoma (IHC) patients.MethodsPatients with histologically confirmed, unresectable IHC treated with gemcitabine plus cisplatin (GP) chemotherapy in a single tertiary hospital from 2012 to 2016 were retrospectively reviewed. Progression-free survival (PFS) and overall survival (OS) were determined using unadjusted Kaplan-Meier and adjusted Cox-proportional-hazards analysis. Time-dependent receiver operating characteristic (ROC) analysis was performed to compare the performance of the SIR markers in predicting OS.ResultsA total of 137 patients received a median of six cycles (interquartile range [IQR], 3–11) of GP chemotherapy with a median observation time of 9.9 months (range, 1.8–54.7 months). The median PFS and OS of all patients were 7.8 months and 9.9 months, respectively. Among the SIR markers, high PLR (> 148) and high NLR (> 5) were associated with a short PFS (Hazard ratio [HR] 1.828,P = 0.006; HR 1.738,P = 0.030, respectively) and short OS (HR 2.332,P P P P = 0.002, respectively). In multivariable cox-regression analysis, high PLR (HR 1.766,P = 0.009) and distant lymph node (LN) metastasis (HR 2.085,P = 0.001) were associated with a short PFS. High PLR (HR 1.856,P = 0.002) was an independent predictor of a short OS, along with distant LN metastasis (HR 1.929;P P = 0.041), and low level of serum albumin (P = 0.043). Time-dependent ROC analysis revealed that the area under the curve of PLR for predicting overall survival was greater than that of NLR, LMR, and AGR at most time points.ConclusionsHigh PLR was an independent prognostic factor of a short PFS and OS in patients with unresectable IHC receiving GP chemotherapy.

Non-oxidative methane coupling has promising economic potential, but the catalytic and radical reactions become complicated at high temperatures. Here, we investigate the mechanism of non-oxidative methane coupling on an iron single-atom catalyst using density functional theory, and evaluate the catalytic performance under various reaction conditions using microkinetic modelling and experiments. Under typical reaction conditions (1300 K and 1 bar), C–C coupling and subsequent dehydrogenation to produce ethylene shows comparable energetics between the gas-phase and catalytic pathways. However, the microkinetic analysis reveals that the iron single-atom catalyst converted methane to mainly CH3 and H2 at reaction temperatures above 1300 K, and acetylene production is dominant over ethylene production. The sensitivity analysis suggests that increasing the C2 hydrocarbon yield by optimising the reaction conditions is limited. The experimental results obtained at 1293 K are consistent with the theoretical estimation that acetylene is the main C2 product over the iron single-atom catalyst. The catalytic mechanism in non-oxidative methane coupling becomes complicated at high temperatures, making informed catalyst design challenging. Here, microkinetic modelling and experiments on a single-atom iron catalyst show how optimizing the reaction conditions can increase the C2 hydrocarbon yield.

In this paper, an improved model is designed through optimization process to reduce the radial magnetic force which is a vibration source. At this time, radial magnetic force is calculated by the magnetic flux component in the radial direction. This causes the vibration of the motor by applying a force to the stator side. It predicts whether the vibration of motor will be reduced through electromagnetic analysis and structural analysis. And the analysis results are verified by the vibration experiment.

Ruhrstahl–Heraeus (RH) processor is widely applied to the refining process to produce steel with very low carbon contents. In this study, to investigate the effect of ultrasound treatment on RH decarburization process, we have developed two kinds of the water models simulated the RH process and study the removal rate of dissolved oxygen. The one is the RH water model of 1/8 size of actual RH degasser simulated the late-stage of the RH process when surface reaction and plume reaction mainly occur. Through this model, it is found that the ultrasound treatment accelerates dissolved oxygen removal reaction and this tendency is maintained even at low concentrations. Also, the results show that there is a difference in the degassing efficiency depending on the frequencies and the positions of the ultrasonic transducer. Also, to simulate the Early-stage Reaction of the process including the inner-site reaction which is difficult to investigate through the RH water model, the other water model has been developed (the RH-ER water model). This model shows that the ultrasound treatment facilitates the early-stage reaction including inner-site reaction, like the RH water model. These results show that the addition of the ultrasound treatment can accelerate decarburization reaction during RH process compared to conventional process.

This study assessed the efficacy and safety of onabotulinumtoxinA according to injection site for treatment of overactive bladder. A systematic literature review located randomized controlled trials of onabotulinumtoxinA treatment for neurogenic detrusor overactive bladder and idiopathic overactive bladder in adults. We searched MEDLINE, EMBASE, and the Cochrane Controlled Trials Register using the Ovid platform. Meta-analysis was based on Cochrane Review Methods. Eight studies (419 participants) were included. Trigone-including injection demonstrated a significant improvement in symptom score (SMD = − 0.53, 95% CI − 1.04 to − 0.02, P = 0.04, I 2 = 78%), higher complete dryness rates (OR = 2.19 patients, 95% CI 1.32–3.63, P = 0.002, I 2 = 41%), and lower frequency of incontinence episodes (WMD = − 0.85 per day, 95% CI − 1.55 to − 0.16, P = 0.02, I 2 = 87%) in patients. Comparing trigone-including injection to trigone-sparing injection, lower detrusor pressure (WMD = − 2.55 cm H2O, 95% CI − 4.16 to − 0.95, P = 0.002, I 2 = 0%) and higher volume at first desire to void (WMD = 17.54 ml, 95% CI 1.00–34.07, P = 0.04, I 2 = 0%) were observed with trigone-including injection. Between intradetrusor and suburothelial injection sites, there were no differences in efficacy or safety regarding the incidence of vesicoureteral reflux, hematuria, general weakness, bladder discomfort, large post-void residual, and urinary tract infection. Trigone-including onabotulinumtoxinA injection has superior efficacy to trigone-sparing injection without increased complications. The depth of injection does not influence the efficacy or safety of onabotulinumtoxinA.

In this paper, we have studied the oligomerization of ethylene with a liquid heptane solvent over bifunctional Ni catalysts in a continuous flow reactor. We have prepared an Al-containing KIT-6 silica that was used as a support after calcination in the temperature range of 300–900 °C. The Ni/Al-KIT-6 catalysts had uniform mesopores with diameters in the range of 5.4–6.3 nm, excepting Ni/Al-KIT-6 (900). The calcination temperature of Al-KIT-6 support changed the surface acidity as well as the interaction of Ni2+ and acid sites for the Ni catalysts, as determined by temperature-programmed desorption of ammonia, temperature-programmed reduction, infrared spectroscopy after the adsorption of pyridine, solid-state 27Al magic-angle spinning nuclear magnetic resonance spectroscopy, and X-ray adsorption spectroscopy. Among the tested catalysts, the Ni/Al-KIT-6 (300) showed the highest ethylene conversion because of the increased intimate contact between Ni2+ and acid sites. The strong interaction of Ni2+ species and the support is not effective in increasing active sites for ethylene conversion. The Ni/Al-KIT-6 catalysts produced internal linear C4 and C6 olefins with high selectivity. The Ni/Al-KIT-6 (300) had 2.2–6.1 times lower selectivities toward 2-ethyl-1-butene than other catalysts at similar ethylene conversions. The reaction product mixture showed that the Ni/Al-KIT-6 catalysts shifted the product distribution towards acid-catalyzed oligomerization/cracking/realkylation products (i.e. C3, C7, C7, and C8+ olefins) as the concentration of Bronsted acid sites increased. Among the tested catalysts, the Ni/Al-KIT-6 (300) showed the highest yield of C4 and C6 olefins (78.3%).

Chlorine evolution reaction (CER) is a critical anode reaction in chlor-alkali electrolysis. Although precious metal-based mixed metal oxides (MMOs) have been widely used as CER catalysts, they suffer from the concomitant generation of oxygen during the CER. Herein, we demonstrate that atomically dispersed Pt−N4 sites doped on a carbon nanotube (Pt1/CNT) can catalyse the CER with excellent activity and selectivity. The Pt1/CNT catalyst shows superior CER activity to a Pt nanoparticle-based catalyst and a commercial Ru/Ir-based MMO catalyst. Notably, Pt1/CNT exhibits near 100% CER selectivity even in acidic media, with low Cl− concentrations (0.1 M), as well as in neutral media, whereas the MMO catalyst shows substantially lower CER selectivity. In situ electrochemical X-ray absorption spectroscopy reveals the direct adsorption of Cl− on Pt−N4 sites during the CER. Density functional theory calculations suggest the PtN4C12 site as the most plausible active site structure for the CER., Chlorine evolution reaction (CER) is a key electrochemical reaction for chemical, pulp, and paper industries, and water treatments. Here, the authors report that an atomically dispersed Pt−N4 site can catalyse CER with high activity and selectivity under a wide range of Cl– concentrations and pH.

The ideal type of stent utilized at index endoscopic retrograde cholangiopancreatography (ERCP) in management of malignant hilar obstruction (MHO) remains unclear. We aimed to determine the ideal stent choice in patients with MHO. In this retrospective study, patients with unresectable MHO were separated into the plastic stent (PS) group and the self-expandable metal stent (SEMS) group. The primary outcome was the risk and rate of rescue percutaneous transhepatic biliary drainage (PTBD). The secondary outcomes were the progression-free survival, the overall survival and the PTBD-free period (days). Thirty-six patients in the PS group and 38 patients in the SEMS group were enrolled. The risk for PTBD was higher in SEMS group (HR = 2.205, 95% C.I. 0.977–4.977, P = 0.057). The rate of PTBD was significantly lower in the PS group. (22.2% vs 50.0%, P = 0.017) There were no differences in overall survival and progression-free survival (410 and 269 in the PS group, 395 and 266 in the SEMS group, P = 0.663 and P = 0.757). The PTBD-free period was significantly longer in the PS group. (836.43 vs 586.40, P = 0.039) Although comparable in clinical efficacy, utilization of PS at index ERCP may reduce patient’s discomfort by avoiding PTBD and prolonging PTBD-free period in patients with MHO.

In this study, a novel film-based immunochromatographic microfluidic device (IMD) has been developed for malaria diagnosis. A microfluidic channel was patterned on a polyethylene terephthalate (PET) double-sided adhesive film using a plotting cutter and was assembled with a polycarbonate (PC) film. The PC film used for the probe immobilization layer was activated using oxygen plasma treatment to modify the film surface with avidin-biotin linker to immobilize a capture antibody. A fluorescent labeled Pan type mAb conjugate was prepared for signal indicator after undergoing a sandwich enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay (ELISA). Target antigens include Plasmodium falciparum (P. falciparum) lactate dehydrogenase (LDH) and Plasmodium vivax (P. vivax) LDH which were injected into the sample inlet. Target antigens combined with the conjugate and then flowed to the detection chamber where two test dots and a control dot (Ctrl) exist. In the presence of P. falciparum LDH, three detection dots including test dot 1 (T1), test dot 2 (T2) and Ctrl revealed fluorescence signals where P. falciparum mAb, Pan type pLDH mAb and goat anti-mouse IgG were immobilized, respectively. When P. vivax LDH was present, T2 and Ctrl dots showed fluorescence signals while no signal was detected with the negative control. P. falciparum LDH and P. vivax LDH were successfully detected on the IMD with a detection limit of 50 ng/mL and 100 ng/mL, respectively. The IMD provides a point-of-care diagnosis platform which is able to analyze pathogenic bacteria and viruses that can be applied in the field of clinical diagnosis and food safety testing.

The effect of temperature, pressure, space velocity and feed-stream water content in the synthesis of dimethyl ether from methanol over a K-HZSM-5 catalyst was evaluated with respect to the activity, physicochemical properties and deactivation of the catalyst. Increasing the water content in the feed stream allowed to proceed the reaction over a wider temperature range. Despite a decrease in the methanol conversion at low temperatures (

We have developed an integrated slidable direct polymerase chain reaction-capillary electrophoresis (Direct PCR-CE) microdevice to analyze mini-Y chromosome short tandem repeat (mini-Y STR) typing without a DNA purification step. The Direct PCR has been recently commercialized as a simple DNA amplification technique, which does not require any sample preparation steps such as cell lysis, DNA extraction and purification for amplifying specific target genes. By implementing the advantages of Direct PCR on a microdevice, we can amplify target min-Y STR loci directly from human whole blood in a micro-reactor (2μL) and the amplicons were successively separated by micro-capillary electrophoresis. The utilization of a slidable plate enables us to manually control the fluid without use of microvalves and microtubes, and the functional units of sample injection, Direct PCR, and CE analysis were sequentially and independently performed by switching the slidable plate to each unit. On the integrated slidable Direct PCR-CE microdevice, we could complete monoplex and multiplex mini-Y STR typing directly using human whole blood within 1 h.

Highly ordered arrays of vertically aligned Au nanorod arrays consisting of agglomerated nanoparticles are fabricated by porous anodic aluminum oxide (AAO) template-assisted electrochemical deposition. The Au nanorod arrays with rough surfaces are then transformed to smooth surfaces by a subsequent thermal annealing step. The surface-enhanced Raman scattering (SERS) intensity of the Au nanorod arrays with rough and smooth surfaces was compared to investigate the morphology dependence of SERS. The Au nanorod arrays with agglomerated structures demonstrated a highly active SERS effect as abundant nanogaps are created uniformly by combination of hot spots caused by both agglomerated porous structures on each nanorod and inter-rod gaps.

Background Gallbladder cancer (GBC) is likely to be diagnosed at progressive stages and shows a very poor prognosis. Combination therapy with gemcitabine and cisplatin (GEMCIS) has been widely used as first-line palliative chemotherapy for advanced GBC. This study was designed to investigate the efficacy of GEMCIS and identify prognostic factors in patients with unresectable GBC. Methods Patients with GBC who were treated with GEMCIS from January 2008 to June 2017 in a single tertiary hospital were included. All cases of GBC were diagnosed by pathologic findings and extent of the tumour was assessed by imaging tests. Combination chemotherapy consisted of cisplatin 25 mg/m2 and gemcitabine 1000 mg/m2 intravenously on days 1 and 8 every 3 weeks. To determine factors affecting prognosis, Kaplan–Meier survival analysis, log-rank test and the Cox proportional hazard regression linear model were used. All variables with P

Carvacrol is a monoterpenic phenol present in Thymus quinquecostatus Celak. The protective effects of carvacrol against tert-butyl hydroperoxide (t-BHP)-induced oxidative damage were investigated in human Chang cells. Cells treated with carvacrol extracts promoted Chang cell survival and protection was associated with stabilization of the mitochondrial membrane potential (MMP), prevention of oxidative stress-triggered reactive oxygen species (ROS), and lipid peroxidation (MDA production). In addition, Annexin V/PI, observed using Hoechst staining, indicated that carvacrol inhibited t-BHP-induced cell damage and stimulated the antioxidant capability of Chang cells due to elevation of glutathione (GSH) levels, which were reduced by t-BHP treatment. Carvacrol prevented oxidative stress-induced Chang cell damage via suppression of ROS and MDA levels, and increased GSH levels.

It is very important to understand flow patterns within the continuous casting mold because they have a significant impact on product quality. Water model experiment and particle image velocimetry were conducted to identify the fluid flow pattern in the steel slab continuous casting mold. The fluid flow pattern in the mold is not steady but instead an oscillatory flow with a specific oscillation frequencies. Many studies have been reported about oscillatory flow within the mold. However, these studies do not provide a clear explanation of physical origin of oscillatory flow. We identified the physical origins of various specific oscillation frequencies, and confirmed through experimentation and simulation that each frequency is related to the cross flow and injection stream oscillation. Moreover, the degree of oscillation at each frequency appears differently depending on the location within the mold, and is shown to have a effect near the mold wall. These results provide a better understanding of complex oscillatory flow patterns within the mold.

In recent years, a number of platforms for building Big Data applications, both open-source and proprietary, have been proposed. One of the most popular platforms is Apache Hadoop, an open-source software framework for Big Data processing used by leading companies like Yahoo and Facebook. Historically, earlier versions of Hadoop did not prioritize security, so Hadoop has continued to make security modifications. In particular, the Hadoop Distributed File System (HDFS) upon which Hadoop modules are built did not provide robust security for user authentication. This paper proposes a token-based authentication scheme that protects sensitive data stored in HDFS against replay and impersonation attacks. The proposed scheme allows HDFS clients to be authenticated by the datanode via the block access token. Unlike most HDFS authentication protocols adopting public key exchange approaches, the proposed scheme uses the hash chain of keys. The proposed scheme has the performance (communication power, computing power and area efficiency) as good as that of existing HDFS systems.

A partially covered self-expandable metallic stent (PCSEMS) is of proven benefit in palliation of unresectable or inoperable malignant gastric outlet obstruction. However, its use in patients with benign anastomotic stricture after laparoscopy-assisted gastrectomy (LAG) is not well established. Patients who between May 2007 and June 2012 underwent PCSEMS placement for management of benign gastrointestinal obstruction after LAG were included in this retrospective analysis. The primary outcomes were the technical success and clinical success of the PCSEMS. The secondary outcomes were procedure-related complications and PCSEMS dysfunction. Eleven patients (six women, five men, mean age 53.5 years, range 15–76 years) underwent successful placement of a PCSEMS for management of benign anastomotic strictures after LAG and were followed-up for a mean of 20.6 months (range 7.9–55.6 months). The mean gastric outlet obstruction scoring system (GOOSS) score was 0.36 before PCSEMS placement and 1.55 (p = 0.010) 24–48 h after PCSEMS placement. All of the patients were able to tolerate a solid diet (GOOSS score 3) after 1 week. There were no major or minor procedure-related complications. Stent dysfunction occurred in four patients (three distal migrations, one proximal migration), and stent removal was successful in all of the remaining patients after a mean of 2.0 months (1.1–3.0 months). Obstructive symptoms recurred in two patients (one after proximal migration, one after stent removal) and were treated successfully with PCSEMS reinsertion and balloon dilation. A PCSEMS may be a feasible and effective option for management of benign anastomotic strictures after LAG which could avoid secondary surgery.

This study presents the outcomes of low transcondylar fractures of the distal humerus treated by closed reduction and internal fixation with two screws in a crisscross orientation.Between 2003 and 2009, ten consecutive elderly patients (1 man and 9 women) with transcondylar fractures of distal humerus (AO 13A2.3) were included in this study. The average age at the time of injury was 72 years (range 63-82). All were closed injuries without nerve injury. The mechanism of the injuries was low-energy fall or slip. Six patients had medical or other systemic diseases.After a closed reduction of the fracture fragments, two guide wires were inserted in a crisscross orientation; one from the lower lateral edge of the capitellum to the medial cortex of the distal humerus, and the other from the lower medial edge of the trochlea to the lateral cortex of the distal humerus. After drilling, fully threaded cannulated screws (4.5 mm in diameter) were inserted along the each guide wire. Functional outcome was assessed with Mayo Elbow Performance scores.The mean operation time was 55 min (range 40-100 min). The average follow-up duration was 26.8 months (range 24-35 months). The mean Mayo Elbow Performance scores were 93.8 (range 90-99). The elbow extension-flexion arc was 12(o)-125(o). The mean pronation-supination angle was 74(o)-72(o).In geriatric patients with transcondylar fractures of the distal humerus, a crisscross fixation with two cannulated screws provides satisfactory results that allow a nearly full range of elbow motion with minimal surgical morbidity.

This paper introduces a new design method using a hybrid optimization algorithm for the electromagnet used in maglev transportation vehicles. Maglev system typically uses electromagnetic suspension, which is more advantageous than electro dynamic suspension. However, the structural constraints must be considered in the optimal design of an electromagnet for an electromagnetically suspended vehicle. In this study, a hybrid optimization algorithm based on the teaching---learning based optimization algorithm and clonal selection was used to design an electromagnet satisfying the structural constraints. The proposed method was verified by MATLAB simulations, which showed that the proposed method is more efficient than conventional methods.

Chronic ultraviolet (UV) light causes skin photoaging, characterized by fine and coarse wrinkle formation and dryness. In this study, the effect of fermented Gelidium amansii and Cirsium japonicum extract mixture (FGCM) with lactic acid bacteria on UVB-induced photoaging was evaluated in human dermal fibroblasts and SKH-1 hairless mice. In vitro, FGCM increased type I procollagen levels and suppressed UVB-induced matrix metalloproteinase-1 (MMP-1) expression more effectively than G. amansii and C. japonicum extract mixture (GCM). In vivo, oral administration of FGCM significantly inhibited UVB-induced the number and total depth of wrinkles in the dorsal skin of mice. FGCM suppressed UVB-induced epidermal thickening, and attenuated UVB-induced MMP-13 expression and MMP-2 and MMP-9 activities in dermal tissue. Furthermore, FGCM increased skin hydration and blocked transepidermal water loss in the dorsal skin of mice compared with the UVB-irradiated group. These data indicate that FGCM exerts potent anti-photoaging activities by improving wrinkle formation and dryness.

This paper proposes a fuzzy adaptive control approach based on a modular design for uncertain chaotic Duffing oscillators. Using fuzzy logic, the unknown nonlinear function in the Duffing oscillator is approximated. Subsequently, a modular adaptive controller is derived consisting of an inputtostate stabilizing (ISS) control module and a passive identifier module. Since the modular design allows for independent design of the controller and identifier, the proposed method provides substantial flexibility in the choice of a parameter identifier. Additionally, the modularity of the controller-identifier pair provides simplicity in the control system derivation. Simulation results are included to illustrate the effectiveness of the proposed approach.

The dehydration of d-xylose into furfural was examined using SiO2–Al2O3 catalysts with varying alumina contents to determine the effects of surface acidity on the catalytic performance. For comparison, SiO2 and Al2O3 catalysts were also examined. d-Xylose conversion increased with increasing alumina content in the SiO2–Al2O3 catalysts. Conversely, furfural selectivity at a similar d-xylose conversion decreased with increasing alumina content in the SiO2–Al2O3 catalyst. Lewis acid sites appeared to catalyze the isomerization of d-xylose into lyxose and xylulose, decomposition of d-xylose into C1–C3 products, and polymerization of d-xylose and furfural into humin.

Since the emergence of lab-on-a-chip technology, a variety of chemical and biochemical assays were successfully implemented on microdevice platforms. Among the chip-based applications, genetic analysis based on the polymerase chain reaction (PCR) has been extensively developed in order to accomplish the goal of cheap, rapid, high-throughput, and point-of-care DNA testing. We are summarizing here several formats of the miniaturized PCR systems including the integration of units for sample pretreatment and downstream analytical detection. The various sections cover (a) miniaturized PCR systems, (b) integrated sample pretreatment-PCR microsystems, (c) integrated PCR-detection microsystems, and (d) integrated sample pretreatment-PCR-detection microsystems. Respective microdevices were successfully introduced recently in the form of a fully integrated microsystem for genetic analysis with sample-in-answer-out capability. Contains 120 references.

Cu-free and Cu-doped LSM system, La0·8Sr0·2Mn1 − xCuxO3 − δ(x = 0, 0·2), with perovskite structure were prepared using an EDTA combined citrate process and the effects of Cu ion at B-site were investigated. Electrical conductivity and polarization resistance of the Cu-doped LSM were 210 S·cm − 1 at 750 °C, and 2·54 Ω · cm2 at 800 °C, respectively which were better than those of the Cu-free LSM. This indicated that the electrode performance of LSM was improved by the addition of Cu. The oxidation state of Mn ions increased with addition of Cu. The increase in the oxidation state of Mn ions was due to the formation of Mn4 + ions and oxygen vacancies. The addition of Cu ions to LSM systems could lead to enhanced electrode performance for oxygen reduction reactions originating from the change in valence of Mn ions.

The cycling performance of lithium–sulfur batteries in binary electrolytes based on tetra(ethylene glycol)dimethyl ether (TEGDME) and 1,3-dioxolane(DOL) with lithium nitrate (LiNO3) additive were investigated. The highest ionic conductivity was obtained for 1 M LiN(CF3SO2)2 (LiTFSI) in TEGDME/DOL = 33:67(volume ratio)-based electrolyte. The cyclic efficiency of lithium–sulfur batteries was dramatically increased with LiNO3 additive as a shuttle inhibitor in electrolytes. The lithium–sulfur cell assembled with 1 M LiTFSI in TEGDME/DOL containing 0.2 M LiNO3 additive for electrolyte, the elemental sulfur for cathode, and the lithium metal for anode demonstrated the initial discharge capacity of about 900 mAh g−1 and an enhanced cycling performance.

The influence of chelating amine ligands, copper precursors, and solvent composition on copper-catalyzed oxidative coupling of 2,6-dimethylphenol was investigated. The most efficient catalytic reaction was conducted with CuCl2-di-tert-butylethylenediamine (Dt-BEDA) complex in anisole or toluene with alcohol cosolvent. Slight structural changes in the N-substituent, backbone, or coordination atom of the ligand significantly dropped catalytic activities, leading to a low polymer yield. Alcohol cosolvent was necessary to synthesize a polymer of high molecular weight \(\left( {\overline {M_n } > 10,000} \right)\) with the copper(II) catalyst in toluene. With increasing alcohol ratios, the isolated yields and \(\overline {M_n }\) values of the resulting polymers gradually decreased. However, the use of sterically bulky t-butanol produced polymers of the desired molecular weight ranges with low polydispersity indexes (PDI

In this study, an antioxidative peptide was obtained by hydrolyzation of mideodeok (Styela clava) flesh tissue with various proteases and purified through gel filtration chromatography and reverse phage-HPLC (RPHPLC), and then antioxidant activity was investigated using electron spin resonance (ESR) spectrometer. Among the enzymatic hydrolysates, the peptic hydrolysate exhibited the highest antioxidant activity, and a strong antioxidant peptide was purified from the hydrolysate. The peptide sequence, Leu-Trp-His-Thr-His (692.2 Da), was identified by quardruple time-of-flight electrospray ionization (QTOF ESI)-MS. This antioxidative peptide strongly scavenged peroxyl radical with the IC50 value of 39.4 μM.

The oxidative suspension polymerization of 2,6-dimethyl phenol (DMP) to poly(2,6-dimethyl-1,4-phenylene ether) (PPE) was performed with the use of emulsifier in water–chloroform biphasic medium. The effects of DMP/catalyst mole ratio, ligands, emulsifiers, and 2,4,6-trimethyl phenol on polymerization were investigated in terms of molecular weight and yield. Various ligands were employed in the polymerization to investigate ligand efficiency. Intrinsic viscosity measurement data showed that the most efficient ligand was 1-methyl imidazole (Meim) in terms of molecular weight. By incorporating different amount of DMP in the monomer feed, it was possible to control the molecular weight of PPE in the oxidative suspension polymerization.

Pancreatic β-cells are very sensitive to oxidative stress and this might play an important role in β-cell death in diabetes. In the present study, we investigated whether the brown alga Ecklonia cava has protective effects against high glucose-induced damage in INS-1 pancreatic β-cells. For that purpose, we prepared an enzymatic hydrolysate from E. cava (EHE) by using the carbohydrase, Celluclast. High-glucose (30 mM) treatment induced glucotoxicity, whereas EHE prevented cells from high glucose-induced damage then restoring cell viability was significantly increased. Furthermore, lipid peroxidation, intracellular reactive oxygen species (ROS) and nitric oxide (NO) were overproduced as the result of the treatment by high glucose; however, these lipid peroxidation, ROS and NO generations were effectively inhibited by addition of EHE in a dose-dependent manner. Moreover, EHE treatment increased activities of antioxidant enzymes including catalase (CAT), superoxide dismutase (SOD), and glutathione peroxidase (GSH-px) in high glucose pretreated INS-1 pancreatic β-cells. EHE slightly reduced the expression of pro-apoptotic protein Bax induced by high glucose but increased the expression of Bcl-2, an anti-apoptotic protein. These findings indicate that EHE might be used as potential nutraceutical agent which will protect the glucotoxicity caused by hyperglycemia-induced oxidative stress associated with diabetes.