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Although some existing indices quantified the mixture strength of state gun laws, methodological supports are still lacking. The study aimed to build a new state gun law strength (GLS) index, evaluate the contribution of all state gun laws to the new index, and assess the association between the new index and firearm homicide mortality.This is a population-based ecological study.We condensed 134 state gun laws into a mixture GLS index at the state level to quantify each state's overall GLS by using the weighted quantile sum regression in each year from 1999 to 2018. The weights of state gun laws in the GLS index revealed their influence on GLS. The model also estimated the association between the GLS index and state-level firearm homicide mortality.From 1999 to 2018, 15 of 134 (11.19%) state gun laws significantly contributed to the GLS index for firearm homicide every year, five of which related to the minimum age of possessing firearms. The most influential gun law was "no possession of handguns until age 21." The GLS index was significantly and negatively associated with firearm homicide mortality; however, the association gradually diminished over time.The GLS index has methodological support and can take different gun violence outcomes into account. Future research can adopt the GLS index to conduct additional gun violence research or apply the modeling approach to build new GLS indexes for other gun violence outcomes.

Renal arteriovenous fistula (RAVF) is an uncommon vascular malformation of the kidney, which can be congenital, acquired or idiopathic. Although most patients are asymptomatic, RAVF can lead to hypertension, heart failure, renal insufficiency, hematuria, and progressive increase in size of renal vessels. Diagnosis is aided by radiological studies, with digital subtraction angiography as a gold standard. Besides, ultrasound with color Doppler and computed tomography angiography are noninvasive imaging techniques and can be useful for planning the treatment. A large fistula are generally treated by nephrectomy. Intervention can ameliorate the hemodynamic effects of high flow and to preserve the renal parenchymal function. Although endovascular therapy may be challenging due to the large size and high flow of fistula, this report describes a case of huge RAVF was successfully treated by embolization instead of surgery.

Potomac horse fever (PHF) is an acute and potentially fatal enterotyphlocolitis of horses with clinical signs that include anorexia, fever, diarrhea, and laminitis. Its incidence is increasing despite a commercially available vaccine.

Higher education is used to nurture advanced specialized training; however, nurturing innovative and practical ability is hard to put into practice. In experimental teaching, hands-on activities are offered to promote students’ practical ability, leading to better-specialized training. This study aims to explore students’ engagement, communication and collaborative skills, as well as learning outcomes by integrating hologram experiments into a university course. Eight university students participated in this study for 3-weeks. Hologram theory was taught in the first week, while in the second and third weeks, the students performed experiments. Pre- and post-test data were collected using questionnaires during the first and last week, respectively. Besides, in-depth interviews were conducted. The findings revealed that students were able to interact with each other, which promoted their engagement in experimenting. Moreover, teammates were able to communicate and collaborate effectively, which led to higher achievement in their learning outcomes. Despite the benefits reported, opportunities and challenges were identified for teachers and students to be aware of during hologram experiments to help them develop creative skills and develop an understanding of holography concepts.

An integral analysis methodology for BWR ATWS has been developed. The method covers main scopes about ATWS events, including radiological consequence, primary system integrity, fuel integrity, containment integrity, and long-term shutdown and cooling capability. The primary techniques about this methodology were described herein. The methodology has been applied on Kuosheng nuclear power station to show the applicability. Under this framework, some suggestions were proposed for further development of this methodology. This methodology can give a way to evaluate safety of BWR plants confidently. Further, it can be a tool for developing emergency procedures about severe accidents, or exploring strategies and checking their effectiveness.

A protonic ceramic fuel cell (PCFC) and a solid oxide fuel cell (SOFC) using NiO/BZCY and NiO/YSZ anodes, respectively, were compared in H2 and NH3 fuels at 600 °C. The effect on the cell performance by adding lanthanum strontium ruthenium titanate (LSRT) into the anode were investigated. The performance of PCFCs in NH3 was found to resemble that in H2 and remain stable; by contrast, the SOFC was subject to a rigorous fluctuation of voltages in NH3, followed by performance loss. Surface characterization evidenced that phase separation between nickel and electrolyte YSZ is a major reason to the deactivation of SOFCs. The structure degradation occurred due to repetitive nitridation of nickel and subsequent oxidation reaction. Despite containing nickel in the anode too, the PCFC experienced the little effect since the oxidation reaction occurs at the cathode. Furthermore, the addition of the LSRT helped stabilize the PCFC anode by facilitating decomposition of ammonia with exsolved ruthenium sites, which are characterized by temperature programmed reaction studies.

The synthesis of metal nanocatalysts exsolved from A-site deficient lanthanum strontium titanate (La0.4Sr0.4)(NixTi1−x)O3−γ (LST, x = 0, LSTN, x = 0.06, 0.25 and 0.5) perovskites and their catalytic properties are presented. These perovskites were doped in the B-site with varying amounts of nickel to obtain a stable perovskite structure (LSTN) theoretically. The exsolution of metal was investigated under different conditions to control particle nucleation. Results on the catalytic activity of the metal-exsolved material in repetitive redox cycles showed that the LSTN materials catalyze the production of H2 and CO in the half-cycle of reduction and oxidation, respectively, while the LST material could not. The macroscopic result obtained was complemented by in situ infrared studies at a molecular level. Our studies indicated that the LSTN materials are promising solid oxygen carriers for the conversion of methane in a novel process with highly efficient gas separation. The insights developed here were beneficial for the design of other materials capable of exsolution and for the applications of these materials ranging from catalysis, fuel cells, and beyond.

Aid of a metallic overlayer to nickel/yttrium-stabilized-zirconia (Ni/YSZ) anode is investigated in Direct Methane Fuel Cell. Copper modified nickel metallic overlayer shows high activity for fuel cell performance and good stability to coking in methane atmosphere. The copper-nickel overlayer provides advantages of material compatibility with the substrate and catalytic function on copper-modified nickel sites. The results suggest that the overlayer is effective for decomposition of methane and tolerant to coking by removal of deposited carbon via oxidation and gasification reaction.

Mesoporous titanium dioxide (TiO2) photocatalysts were synthesized via a solvothermal method using sodium dodecyl sulfate (SDS) as templates. The effect of the SDS concentration and solution pH value on the resulting TiO2 catalyst and its photocatalytic activity were studied. The photocatalytic activity was assessed by degradation methylene blue under low-power (8W × 4) UV light irradiation. The best performance showed that over 95% of methylene blue was degraded in 120 min and in the presence of S20 (20 mmol SDS addition, pH = 4). With the optimal addition of SDS, the crystal size was reduced, and the surface area was increased. In addition, some bidentate-sulfates (–SO42−) residues were observed within the prepared mesoporous TiO2. The Detail characterization of of the as-prepared TiO2 samples were conducted by X-ray diffraction, Ultraviolet–Visible Spectroscopy, Scanning electron microscope, Brunauer-Emmett-Teller analysis, and Fourier-transform infrared spectroscopy, respectively.

Background Early cancer detection could identify tumors at a time when outcomes are superior and treatment is less morbid. This prospective case-control sub-study (from NCT02889978 and NCT03085888) assessed the performance of targeted methylation analysis of circulating cell-free DNA (cfDNA) to detect and localize multiple cancer types across all stages at high specificity. Participants and methods The 6689 participants [2482 cancer (>50 cancer types), 4207 non-cancer] were divided into training and validation sets. Plasma cfDNA underwent bisulfite sequencing targeting a panel of >100 000 informative methylation regions. A classifier was developed and validated for cancer detection and tissue of origin (TOO) localization. Results Performance was consistent in training and validation sets. In validation, specificity was 99.3% [95% confidence interval (CI): 98.3% to 99.8%; 0.7% false-positive rate (FPR)]. Stage I–III sensitivity was 67.3% (CI: 60.7% to 73.3%) in a pre-specified set of 12 cancer types (anus, bladder, colon/rectum, esophagus, head and neck, liver/bile-duct, lung, lymphoma, ovary, pancreas, plasma cell neoplasm, stomach), which account for ∼63% of US cancer deaths annually, and was 43.9% (CI: 39.4% to 48.5%) in all cancer types. Detection increased with increasing stage: in the pre-specified cancer types sensitivity was 39% (CI: 27% to 52%) in stage I, 69% (CI: 56% to 80%) in stage II, 83% (CI: 75% to 90%) in stage III, and 92% (CI: 86% to 96%) in stage IV. In all cancer types sensitivity was 18% (CI: 13% to 25%) in stage I, 43% (CI: 35% to 51%) in stage II, 81% (CI: 73% to 87%) in stage III, and 93% (CI: 87% to 96%) in stage IV. TOO was predicted in 96% of samples with cancer-like signal; of those, the TOO localization was accurate in 93%. Conclusions cfDNA sequencing leveraging informative methylation patterns detected more than 50 cancer types across stages. Considering the potential value of early detection in deadly malignancies, further evaluation of this test is justified in prospective population-level studies.

In the Circulating Cell-free Genome Atlas (NCT02889978) substudy 1, we evaluate several approaches for a circulating cell-free DNA (cfDNA)-based multi-cancer early detection (MCED) test by defining clinical limit of detection (LOD) based on circulating tumor allele fraction (cTAF), enabling performance comparisons. Among 10 machine-learning classifiers trained on the same samples and independently validated, when evaluated at 98% specificity, those using whole-genome (WG) methylation, single nucleotide variants with paired white blood cell background removal, and combined scores from classifiers evaluated in this study show the highest cancer signal detection sensitivities. Compared with clinical stage and tumor type, cTAF is a more significant predictor of classifier performance and may more closely reflect tumor biology. Clinical LODs mirror relative sensitivities for all approaches. The WG methylation feature best predicts cancer signal origin. WG methylation is the most promising technology for MCED and informs development of a targeted methylation MCED test.

Immune checkpoint inhibitors (ICIs) are a major advance in cancer treatment, but their payment benefits are unclear, resulting in financial risk. In Taiwan, the National Health Insurance Administration (NHIA) has adapted risk-sharing mechanisms to cover ICIs by collecting and assessing real-world evidence, such as case registration data, to adjust benefit packages for each medication, increase payment benefits of ICIs, and enable national health insurance sustainability.This nationwide, multicenter, retrospective cohort study assessed the real-world use, effectiveness, and safety of ICIs reimbursed by the NHIA for treating multiple advanced cancers in Taiwan. We obtained data mainly from the NHIA Immune Checkpoint Inhibitor Registry Database.Between April 1, 2019, and March 31, 2020, 1644 patients received at least one dose of ICIs. The overall response rate (RR) was 29.1%. The metastatic urothelial carcinoma of patients ineligible for chemotherapy showed the highest RR. The estimated median progression-free survival (PFS) was 2.8 months (95% confidence interval [CI]=2.7-3 months), and renal cell carcinoma showed the longest PFS. The median PFS was reached in patients with most cancers except classic Hodgkin's lymphoma, which had a small sample size. The estimated survival probability was 50%.Under the national registration tracking system, Taiwan's high-cost drug policy has enabled access to new medicines and maximized patient benefits.

Estrogen receptor-positive (ER+) metastatic tumors contribute to nearly 70% of breast cancer-related deaths. Most patients with ER+ metastatic breast cancer (MBC) undergo treatment with the estrogen receptor antagonist fulvestrant (Fulv) as standard-of-care. Yet, among such patients, metastasis in liver is associated with reduced overall survival compared to other metastasis sites. The factors underlying the reduced responsiveness of liver metastases to ER-targeting agents remain unknown, impeding the development of more effective treatment approaches to improve outcomes for patients with ER+ liver metastases. We therefore evaluated site-specific changes in MBC cells and determined the mechanisms through which the liver metastatic niche specifically influences ER+ tumor metabolism and drug resistance. We characterized ER activity of MBC cells both in vitro, using a novel system of tissue-specific extracellular matrix hydrogels representing the stroma of ER+ tumor metastatic sites (liver, lung and bone), and in vivo, in liver and lung metastasis mouse models. ER+ metastatic liver tumors and MBC cells grown in liver hydrogels displayed upregulated expression of glucose metabolism enzymes in response to Fulv. Furthermore, differential ERα activity, but not expression, was detected in liver hydrogels. In vivo, increased glucose metabolism led to increased glycogen deposition in liver metastatic tumors, while a fasting-mimicking diet increased efficacy of Fulv treatment to reduce the metastatic burden.ImplicationsOur findings identify a novel mechanism of endocrine resistance driven by the liver tumor microenvironment. These results may guide the development of dietary strategies to circumvent drug resistance in liver metastasis, with potential applicability in other metastatic diseases.

After Fukushima accident, Taiwan Power Company has developed the Ultimate Response Guideline (URG) against the similar accidents. Two stages provision is used to depressurize the steam generators, named controlled depressurization and emergency depressurization. The URG for the Maanshan power plant is evaluated in this study. It is found that, under the technical specification requirement for reactor coolant system temperature decrease rate 37.8 °C/h, the power operated relief valve flow capacity cannot depressurize SGs to 1.57 MPa in one hour after earthquake. Sensitivity study shows, the time difference between reducing steam generators' pressure from 1.57 and 3.53 MPa to 0.69 MPa is less than during emergency depressurization. So, the target pressure of controlled depressurization can be set as high as 3.53 MPa. In case the raw water cannot be ready in one hour, the emergency depressurization action will be delayed and so does water injection. The minimum required raw water flow rate varies with injection time. A method is proposed to estimate minimum required flow under such condition.

Dual beam focused ion beam/scanning electron microscopy (FIB/SEM) is a critical characterization technique that is used as inline metrology from early stages of process developments until high volume manufacturing (HVM) of magnetic read/write heads in hard disk drive (HDD) due to the complex three-dimensional geometry [1]. Despite its destructive nature, FIB/SEM metrology is critical to support high throughout manufacture process for advanced process control during HVM in HDD industry. Final cross-sectional SEM images typically include several CD measurements and embedded or standalone standard machine vision applications are used as part of the metrology process. However, these applications are typically not able to accommodate various process changes during the rapid process development, and manual engineer assistance are often needed for the accurate cut placement and SEM search. On the other hand, optimization of machine vision application typically requires a reasonable number of images to allow training and optimization of edge finder and pattern recognition functions. Reducing the training and optimization time needed for machine vision applications reduces the learning time during new process development. In this work, we are introducing a machine learning based metrology application that minimizes the need for engineer involvement for recipe optimization during the rapid process development [2]. By addition of the process margin entities to the machine learning model, the recipe robustness is significantly improved at the time of transition to new product introduction (NPI) and high volume manufacturing (HVM). We compare the new machine learning based metrology application against the legacy machine vision application and study its impact on recipe writing time, wafer to wafer variations, and total measurement uncertainty (TMU). The new application allows recipes capable of cross-design metrology.

Fault-tolerant quantum information processing with flawed qubits and gates requires highly efficient, quantum non-demolition (QND) qubit readout. In superconducting circuits, qubit readout using coherent light with fidelity above 99% has been achieved by using quantum-limited parametric amplifiers such as the Josephson Parametric Converter (JPC). However, further improvement of such measurement is fundamentally limited by the vacuum fluctuations of the coherent light used for readout. In this work we measure a transmon qubit/cavity system with an unbalanced two-mode squeezed light interferometer formed from two JPCs. The first amplifier generates two-mode squeezed vacuum at its output, which is coherently recombined by the second amplifier after one branch is shifted and displaced by the transmon's state after it interacts with the qubit/cavity system on one arm of the interferometer. We have observed a 31% improvement in power Signal-to-Noise Ratio (SNR) of projective readout compared to that of coherent light readout in the same system. To investigate the quantum properties of the two-mode squeezed light in the system, we also studied weak measurement and found, surprisingly, that tuning the interferometer to be as unprojective as possible was associated with an increase in the quantum efficiency of our readout relative to the optimum setting for projective measurement. These enhancements may enable remote entanglement with lower efficiency components in a system with qubits in both arms of the interferometer., 20 pages, 16 figures

Dual beam focused ion beam/scanning electron microscopy (FIB/SEM) is a key characterization technique for rapid process development of electronic devices with complex geometry such as magnetic read/write heads in hard disk drives (HDD). Despite the destructive nature of FIB/SEM, it is still used as an in-line metrology technique supporting high volume manufacturing (HVM) process control. To overcome the throughput limitation of this technique and minimize the impact on product shipment time, it is a common practice to have a fleet of FIB/SEM tools in line. Hence, controlling the total measurement uncertainty (TMU) for the reference metrology fleet is essential. However, the existing TMU evaluation methods are mainly developed for non-destructive or less-destructive metrology techniques, which allows measurement repetition. [1], [2]

Synthesis gas was produced by methane oxidation on a NiO/YSZ cermet by interrupting the oxygen flow. Stopping the oxygen flow provoked the diffusion of lattice oxygen in the cermet, which in turn replenished the Ni–O bond that was consumed by methane. Resuming the oxygen flow brought about the activation of oxygen on the extrinsic vacancy site of YSZ. The activation, followed by the diffusion of oxygen and a Ni/NiO redox cycle, led to oscillatory syngas production. The infrared and mass spectroscopy results provide the reaction mechanism that governs the oxidation of methane on the NiO/YSZ cermet. This study presents a technique that can be applied to the catalysis of other metal/anion or cation conductor systems.

Neural responses to sudden changes can be observed in many parts of the sensory pathways at different organizational levels. For example, deviants that violate regularity at various levels of abstraction can be observed as simple On/Off responses of individual neurons or as cumulative responses of neural populations. The cortical deviance-related responses supporting different functionalities (e.g. gap detection, chunking, etc.) seem unlikely to arise from different function-specific neural circuits, given the relatively uniform and self-similar wiring patterns across cortical areas and spatial scales. Additionally, reciprocal wiring patterns (with heterogeneous combinations of excitatory and inhibitory connections) in the cortex naturally speak in favor of a generic deviance detection principle. Based on this concept, we propose a network model consisting of reciprocally coupled neural masses as a blueprint of a universal change detector. Simulation examples reproduce properties of cortical deviance-related responses including the On/Off responses, the omitted-stimulus response (OSR), and the mismatch negativity (MMN). We propose that the emergence of change detectors relies on the involvement of disinhibition. The analysis on network connection settings further suggests a supportive effect of synaptic adaptation and a destructive effect of N-methyl-D-aspartate receptor (NMDA-r) antagonists on change detection. We conclude that the nature of cortical reciprocal wirings gives rise to a whole range of local change detectors supporting the notion of a generic deviance detection principle. Several testable predictions are provided based on the network model. Notably, we predict that the NMDA-r antagonists would generally dampen the cortical Off response, the cortical OSR, and the MMN.

Industrial heritage is unique in terms of its patterns, reuse characteristics, economic relevance and social operations. Under the government’s “Industrial Heritage Regeneration Project”, a menu of outcome/performance assessments have been in practice and have evolved. This paper combines expert methods, the Analytic Hierarchy Process, and the Multi-criteria Evaluation Method, along with qualitative and quantitative data, to clarify the hierarchical structure and weight of factors that influence outcome/performances. The research purpose is to establish an integrated multi-criteria performance evaluation model for the reuse of industrial heritage. The findings identify a long list of factors by crossing the four major factors concerning the reuse of industrial heritage, namely regeneration creativity, operational management, implementation effectiveness and sustainable developments. Regeneration creativity is considered as the most important element, and the presentation of thematic plans and characteristics is the most important influencing factor. It is suggested that clarifications should be made concerning the factors that affect different facets in the execution of reuse initiatives. The research findings can serve as a reference for decision-making in reuse and development by reflecting the culture and value for the reuse and implementations of industrial heritage.