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Objective: To assess the public perception of the role of hospital pharmacists, their satisfaction with the pharmacy service provided, and the factors associated with their perception and satisfaction., Methods: A cross-sectional, questionnaire survey was conducted on adults older than 18 years who utilized public pharmacy services. A self-developed, validated questionnaire consisting of three parts was used, i.e., demographic data, perception, and satisfaction. The questionnaire was tested in a pilot study of 50 study participants and demonstrated good reliability results of 0.900 for the perception section and 0.836 for the satisfaction section. Therefore, all items were used in the final questionnaire., Key Findings: Four hundred and seventy-nine completed questionnaires were collected with a response rate of 91.6%. The Cronbach's α for perception and satisfaction scores were 0.938 and 0.841, respectively. The median total score for public perception was 83 (interquartile range [IQR]: 15), whereas the median total score for public satisfaction was 38 (IQR: 33). The level of public perception was significantly associated with the age groups (P = .009), ethnic groups (P < .001), respondents' locality groups (P < .001), the level of education achieved group (P = .017), and the income groups (P = .006). Satisfaction was not significantly associated with any sociodemographic factors., Conclusions: This study has found that the general public had a favorable perception of the role of hospital pharmacists, and they were generally satisfied with the pharmacy service provided., (© The Author(s) 2024. Published by Oxford University Press on behalf of the Royal Pharmaceutical Society. All rights reserved. For commercial re-use, please contact reprints@oup.com for reprints and translation rights for reprints. All other permissions can be obtained through our RightsLink service via the Permissions link on the article page on our site—for further information please contact journals.permissions@oup.com.)

We adopt the neural network (NN) flow method to study the Berezinskii-Kosterlitz-Thouless (BKT) phase transitions of the two-dimensional q-state clock model with q≥4. The NN flow consists of a sequence of the same units that proceed with the flow. This unit is a variational autoencoder trained by the data of Monte Carlo configurations in unsupervised learning. To gauge the difference among the ensembles of Monte Carlo configurations at different temperatures and the uniqueness of the ensemble of NN-flow states, we adopt the Jensen-Shannon divergence (JSD) as the information-distance measure "thermometer." This JSD thermometer compares the probability distribution functions of the mean spin value of two ensembles of states. Our results show that the NN flow will flow an arbitrary spin state to some state in a fixed-point ensemble of states. The corresponding JSD of the fixed-point ensemble takes a unique profile with peculiar features, which can help to identify the critical temperatures of BKT phase transitions of the underlying Monte Carlo configurations.

The COVID-19 pandemic has established remote work as the new normal. However, the factors that influence the effectiveness of remote work are unexplored. Moreover, the relationships between remote work and job performance and emotional exhaustion are under-investigated. This study addresses these gaps by investigating the factors that influence the effectiveness and outcomes of remote work. The technology-organisation-environment (TOE) framework and the theory of planned behaviour (TPB) are used as a theoretical lens to examine the internal and external factors that affect remote work and work-life balance. An online cross-sectional survey of knowledge workers engaged in remote work in Hong Kong indicates that both external (technological competence, government support) and internal (work flexibility, attitude, perceived behavioural control) factors are significant predictors of successful remote work. Furthermore, remote work is positively associated with job performance but has no association with emotional exhaustion. These findings suggest that to ensure a successful transition to the new normal, governments and organisations should provide technical support to employees engaged in remote work. The theoretical and practical implications of the findings are discussed., Competing Interests: None., (© 2022 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.)

We report the isolation and stereochemical determination of the predominant native cholesteryl 6- O -phosphatidyl α-glucoside (CPG) from Helicobacter pylori via an integrated biological and chemical strategy. The strategy employed (i) the metabolic isolation of a CPG analogue and (ii) the enzymatic degradation of the analogue to obtain the native lactobacillic acid for the stereochemical determination. The absolute stereochemistry of the acid was found to be 11 R and 12 S . Using the new stereochemical data, we accomplished the total synthesis of predominant native CPG and other predominant αCG derivatives.

Objective: To explore the efficacy of photodynamic therapy combined with chemotherapy, targeted therapy, and immunotherapy in poorly differentiated gastric adenocarcinoma (GAC). Background: Advanced GAC has high malignancy and mortality rate. To date, no study has applied photodynamic treatment (PDT) combined with chemo-, targeted, and immunotherapy to treat this cancer. Patient and methods: Clinical data of a patient diagnosed with poorly differentiated GAC admitted to the department of oncology of the Lanzhou University Second Hospital were retrospectively analyzed. The patient underwent four PDT procedures combined with chemo-, targeted, and immunotherapy. Results: A 72-year-old male patient received combination therapy of PDT. This treatment resolved the cancerous tissues and levels of tumor markers. There was no recurrence and metastasis during a 7-month follow-up. Conclusions: Combination therapy of PDT can effectively treat tumors and may be a method suitable for elderly patients with advanced GAC.

We report herein on the crystal structure and magnetic studies of a three-dimensional (3D) Ni(II)-chromate coordination polymer, [Ni(CrO 4 )(bpym)(H 2 O)] n ( 1 ; bpym = 5,5'-bipyrimidin), prepared by self-assembly of Ni(II) and chromate ions with a multi- N donor auxiliary ligands, bpym, through hydrothermal processes. The structure of 1 is composed of Ni(II)-CrO 4 layers with [Ni 3 ( μ 3 -CrO 4 )] triangular motifs, in which the Ni(II) centers are bridged by O ': O ': O ': μ 3 -CrO 4 2- anions, and the resulting layers are further connected by twisted trans - μ 2 - N , N '-bpym auxiliary ligands to form a 3D pillar-layered network with an hms topology. The magnetic properties of compound 1 were illustrated by variable field and temperature magnetic susceptibility measurements. The findings reveal that compound 1 shows intralayer ferromagnetic interactions within Ni(II)-CrO 4 layers, and furthers the 3D antiferromagnetic ordering in the resulting of interlayer antiferromagnetic couplings with a Néel temperature ( T N ) of 5.6 K. In addition, compound 1 shows the field-induced metamagnetic behavior at temperature below the T N .

Background/purpose: It is not clear whether the ground surface of resin-based composite (RBC) polymerized requires the application of an adhesive with/without a silane to improve bond strength. This study investigated the bond strength of RBC repaired within 24 h via the application of adhesive with/without a silane., Materials and Methods: Seventy RBC blocks were prepared and assigned to either 0 or 24 h repair stage. Each stage was divided into seven groups: a control group with no surface roughening or applied adhesive, a surface-roughened group with no applied adhesive, two surface-roughened groups treated with a G-aenial Bond adhesive and a BeautiBond Multi adhesive, two surface-roughened groups treated with the previously-mentioned adhesives as well as silane coupling agents, and one group treated with a Single Bond Universal silane-containing adhesive. Microtensile bond strength (μTBS) measurements were performed after the repaired RBC blocks of each group (n = 5) had been immersed in a 37 °C water bath for 24 h. The failure mode of each sample was determined, and the data were analyzed via one-way analysis of variance and Dunnett's test ( p  = 0.05)., Results: Regardless of the repair stage, the μTBS values of the adhesive-only and silane-adhesive groups did not differ significantly from those of the control group ( p  > 0.05). Only the no-adhesive groups exhibited a significantly time-dependent increase in adhesive failure rate., Conclusion: Our results suggest that the application of adhesives either with or without silane can significantly increase the bond strength of repairs to RBCs polymerized within 24 h., Competing Interests: The authors have no conflict of interest to declare., (© 2021 Association for Dental Sciences of the Republic of China. Publishing services by Elsevier B.V.)

Background: The clinical pharmacy service to the ward was established in 2005 in Malaysia, as the number of pharmacists working in the public service sector began to grow. Yet, there has been little local research done on reporting the range of work activities of clinical pharmacists and the amount of time that they spent on their work activities., Objective: This study aimed to identify the range of work activities of clinical pharmacists by observation and to estimate the proportion of time spent on different work activities by using the work sampling technique., Methods: The time spent by clinical pharmacists on various activities was measured using the work sampling technique over 30 working days. The work activities of clinical pharmacists were pre-identified and customized into an activity checklist. Two observers were placed at the study site and took turns recording the activities performed by the clinical pharmacists by following a randomly generated observation schedule., Results: 1,455 observations were made on five clinical pharmacists with a total of 3493 events recorded. Overall, clinical pharmacists spent 78.8% (n=2751) of their time providing clinical services whereas 12.3% (n=433) of their time was spent on non-clinical activities. They were found to be idle from work for 8.9% of the time. There was no difference in bed occupancy rate in the study site regardless of the presence of the observer (p=0.384). Clinical pharmacists were found to report a higher average daily cumulative work unit of 9.8 (SD=4.3) when under observation compared to an average daily cumulative work unit of 6.5 (SD=4.6) when no observer was present (p=0.005)., Conclusions: The results revealed that clinical pharmacists spent a significant amount of time on non-clinical work. Their responsibilities with non-clinical work should be properly taken care of so they can allocate more time to providing patient care., Competing Interests: CONFLICT OF INTEREST The author(s) declare(s) that they have no conflicts of interest to disclose., (Copyright: © Pharmacy Practice.)

Background/purpose: Dental visits are a high risk activity during the COVID-19 pandemic. This study investigated the utilization of emergency dental services and clinical practical attitudes of dental residents in this period., Materials and Methods: Retrospective chart data from 13th November 2019 to 31st March 2020 in Kaohsiung Medical University Hospital, Taiwan were used. We obtained electronic medical records to review data from 515 patients who visited the emergency department with dental complaints and we contacted the 26 residents assigned to act as primary care providers to participate in this study., Results: After the COVID-19 outbreak, 17% fewer patients had dental emergency utilization at a hospital emergency center relative to the previous period. A survey of residents also showed a decline in the number of patients. There were no significant differences of patients' problems and diagnoses between the two periods. After the COVID-19 outbreak, 61.5% of the residents were afraid of being infected by a patient's disease and the proportions of dentists wearing waterproof gowns, face shields, and surgical hair caps were 76.9%, 88.5%, and 76.3%, respectively. These variables increased significantly after the outbreak of COVID-19., Conclusion: Despite the trend of a decreased number of patients, their utilization of dental emergency services seems to be similar before and after the COVID-19 outbreak, possibly related to strict hospital infection control policies and the relatively low number of COVID-19 confirmed patients internationally at that time., (© 2021 Association for Dental Sciences of the Republic of China. Publishing services by Elsevier B.V.)

We evaluated the effect of toothbrush/dentifrice brushing on the weight variation and surface properties of different denture bases. Four denture base materials (conventional heat cure, high impact, CAD/CAM, and polyamide resins) were subjected to toothbrushing abrasion (50,000 strokes). The weight value, surface roughness, and topography of each group were determined before and after toothbrushing. The hardness was measured by the Vickers hardness test. Data were analyzed using ANOVA and Bonferroni tests. After toothbrushing, the weight of the polyamide resin had significantly increased; significant weight losses were observed for conventional heat cure and high impact resins, but none for the CAD/CAM resin. The surface roughness of each group increased significantly owing to the wear caused by toothbrushing. The weight variation and surface roughness were not affected by the hardness. Our results suggested that denture base materials deteriorate after brushing with toothpaste, in which the polyamide resin exhibited lower levels of abrasion.

The microstructural characteristics and Young's modulus of the as-cast Ti-15Ta-15Nb alloy are reported in this study. On the basis of the examined XRD and TEM results, the microstructure of the current alloy is essentially a mixture (α + β+ α' + α″ + ω + H) phase. The new H phase has not previously been identified as a known phase in the Ti-Ta-Nb alloy system. On the basis of examination of the Kikuchi maps, the new H phase belongs to a tetragonal structural class with lattice parameters of a = b = 0.328 nm and c = 0.343 nm, denoting an optimal presentation of the atomic arrangement. The relationships of orientation between these phases would be {0001} α //{110} β //{1¯21¯0} ω //{101¯} H and (011¯0) α //(11¯2) β //(1¯010) ω //(121) H. Moreover, the Young's modulus of the as-cast Ti-15Ta-15Nb alloy is approximately E = 80.2 ± 10.66 GPa. It is implied that the Young's modulus can be decreased by the mixing of phases, especially with the presence of the H phase.

Objectives: Oral submucous fibrosis (OSMF) is a chronic inflammatory disease and a potentially malignant oral disorder. However, the best therapeutic treatment for OSMF remains uncertain. Our previous study showed that photobiomodulation (PBM) therapy and forskolin could reduce arecoline-induced fibrosis reactions via the cAMP pathway. The present study aimed to establish an animal model of areca nut extract (ANE)-induced OSMF and to evaluate the therapeutic potential of PBM and forskolin for ANE-induced OSMF., Subjects and Methods: The mice were divided into five groups. The buccal tissues were harvested for histomorphological analysis and immunoblotting., Results: Our results showed that PBM significantly reduced the development of ANE-induced OSMF, quantified by changes in submucosal layer thickness and collagen deposition. Additionally, PBM could extensively reduce the protein expression of the fibrotic marker genes alpha-smooth muscle actin (α-SMA) and connective tissue growth factor (CTGF) in buccal submucous lesions. However, forskolin treatment significantly decreased the protein expression of fibrotic marker genes but slightly decreased the observed histomorphological changes., Conclusions: We established an ANE-induced OSMF mouse model, which also provided a model for the development of a therapeutic treatment for OSMF. The anti-fibrotic effects of PBM and forskolin may be useful for clinical interventions., (© 2020 The Authors. Oral Diseases published by John Wiley & Sons Ltd.)

Triggered in response to external and internal ligands in cells and animals, redox homeostasis is transmitted via signal molecules involved in defense redox mechanisms through networks of cell proliferation, differentiation, intracellular detoxification, bacterial infection, and immune reactions. Cellular oxidation is not necessarily harmful per se, but its effects depend on the balance between the peroxidation and antioxidation cascades, which can vary according to the stimulus and serve to maintain oxygen homeostasis. The reactive oxygen species (ROS) that are generated during influenza virus (IV) infection have critical effects on both the virus and host cells. In this review, we outline the link between viral infection and redox control using IV infection as an example. We discuss the current state of knowledge on the molecular relationship between cellular oxidation mediated by ROS accumulation and the diversity of IV infection. We also summarize the potential anti-IV agents available currently that act by targeting redox biology/pathophysiology.

Background: We aimed to investigate the load-induced strain variation in teeth with unrestored and resin-based composite restored non-carious cervical lesions (NCCLs)., Methods: Twelve extracted premolars were provided for measuring buccal-side root NCCLs. Strain gauges were fixed at four measuring sites of each tooth, two at the buccal surface and two at the lingual surface. NCCLs were prepared with occlusal margins at the cemento-enamel junction. A static 9-kg load was applied at seven occlusal loading points: buccal cusp tip (BC), inner inclination of the BC, lingual cusp tip (LC), inner inclination of the LC, center of the mesial marginal ridge or distal marginal ridge, and center of the central groove. The strain was detected at each site in teeth with NCCL depths of 0 (control), 0.5, 1.0, and 1.5 mm. Each NCCL was restored using an adhesive composite resin, and the strains were re-measured., Results: The strains at the NCCL occlusal and gingival margins decreased with increasing defect depths, and the effect was significant when the depth of the defect was 1.5 mm. Loading on the buccal and lingual cusps induced prominent strain variation. The strains at all depth distribution recovered to nearly intact conditions when the NCCLs were restored., Conclusions: NCCLs at 1.5 mm depth are detrimental, but they can be restored using resin composites., Clinical Significance: The existence of NCCLs should not be ignored. The depth of the NCCL may affect the progression of the lesion. Resin composite restoration is an appropriate method for preventing persistent NCCL deterioration.

To instill pure Ti with an antibacterial effect, Cu was added by metallurgical alloying to produce Ti-5 wt% Cu alloy (Ti-5Cu alloy). The precipitation of the likes of Ti 2 Cu in a Ti-Cu alloy is one of the factors that influences its antibacterial property. However, in the present study, Ti-5Cu alloy precipitates with different microstructures were obtained by applying heat treatment at different temperatures and for different durations. After the heat treatment, metallographic, microstructure, and element analyses were performed using scanning electron microscopy (SEM) and transmission electron microscopy (TEM) combined with energy dispersive X-ray spectroscopy (EDS). The antibacterial property of the Ti-5Cu alloy was assessed by the plated-count method using Escherichia coli (E. coli). The microstructure analysis revealed that the solution-treated alloy had no precipitation, while the aged alloy contained precipitations of intermetallic Ti 2 Cu compound. The aged alloy exhibited better antibacterial performance as the duration of the aging treatment increased. The optimal heat treatment for Ti-5Cu was found to be aging at 700 °C for 4 h, at which point the nucleation formation of the Ti 2 Cu particles would assume an acicular morphology. These acicular precipitates exhibit a high Cu content which, in turn, influences the antibacterial performance., (Copyright © 2019 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.)

Background: Amphilimus-eluting stent (AES) is a novel polymer-free drug eluting stent that combines sirolimus with fatty acid as antiproliferative drug and has shown promising results in percutaneous coronary intervention.We evaluated the clinical safety and efficacy of AES in an all-comers South-East Asian registry., Methods: Between May 2014 to April 2017, 268 patients (88% male, mean age 60.1 ± 10.8 years) with 291 coronary lesions were treated with AES. The primary endpoint was major adverse cardiac events (MACE) ie a composite of cardiovascular mortality, myocardial infarction (MI) and target lesion revascularization (TLR) at 12-month follow-up., Results: The majority of patients presented with acute coronary syndrome (75%) and 75% had multi-vessel disease on angiography. Diabetes mellitus was present in 123 patients (46%). The most common target vessel for PCI was left anterior descending artery (43%) followed by right coronary artery (36%), left circumflex (10%) and left main (6%).The majority of lesions were type B-C (85%) by ACC/AHA lesion classification. An average of 1.25 ± 0.5 AES were used per patient, with mean AES diameter of 3.1 ± 0.4 mm and average total length of 34.8 ± 19.4 mm.At 12-month follow-up, 4% of patients developed MACE. MACE was mainly driven by cardiovascular mortality (1.5%), MI (2%) and TLR (1.5%). The rate of stent thrombosis was 1.5%., Conclusion: In a contemporary all-comers South-East Asian registry with high rate of diabetes mellitus, AES was found to be efficacious with a low incidence of MACE observed at 12-month follow-up., Competing Interests: The authors declare that they have no known competing financial interests or personal relationships that could have appeared to influence the work reported in this paper., (© 2020 The Authors.)

Background/purpose: Electrolyzed water has been identified as an effective disinfectant that could represent as an alternative to sodium hypochlorite. Unfortunately, it remains unclear whether the texture or physical properties of dentin are affected by the application of electrolyzed water of different acidities. This study was aimed to assess the influence of electrolyzed waters with differing pHs on the demineralizing of inner dentin., Materials and Methods: The coronal superficial dentin of 20 human molars was exposed and further bisected into two pieces perpendicular to the dentin surface. The samples were immersed in strongly acidic electrolyzed water (AW group), neutral electrolyzed water (NW group), 5% sodium hypochlorite (positive control, NL group), or deionized water (negative control, DW group). Microhardness of the inner layer dentin was measured at a depth of 25 and 50 μm beneath the superficial surface layer every 5 up to 60 min., Results: At a depth of 25 μm, microhardness decreased with increasing immersion time in all but the DW group. The AW group exhibited a decreasing trend from the first 5 min that became significant after 35 min of immersion and was the most rapid decrease in the four groups. The rate of decline in the NW group was low and similar to that of the NL group. Both NW and NL groups exhibited significantly less demineralization than the AW group after 15 min of immersion. No significant microhardness change was found at a depth of 50 μm in any of the samples., Conclusion: AW produces a more pronounced softening of dentin than NW at a depth of 25 μm., Competing Interests: All authors declare no conflicts of interests., (© 2019 Association for Dental Sciences of the Republic of China. Publishing services by Elsevier B.V.)

Background: The use of lengthy, detailed, and complex informed consent forms (ICFs) is of paramount concern in biomedical research as it may not truly promote the rights and interests of research participants. The extent of information in ICFs has been the subject of debates for decades; however, no clear guidance is given. Thus, the objective of this study was to determine the perspectives of research participants about the type and extent of information they need when they are invited to participate in biomedical research., Methods: This multi-center, cross-sectional, descriptive survey was conducted at 54 study sites in seven Asia-Pacific countries. A modified Likert-scale questionnaire was used to determine the importance of each element in the ICF among research participants of a biomedical study, with an anchored rating scale from 1 (not important) to 5 (very important)., Results: Of the 2484 questionnaires distributed, 2113 (85.1%) were returned. The majority of respondents considered most elements required in the ICF to be 'moderately important' to 'very important' for their decision making (mean score, ranging from 3.58 to 4.47). Major foreseeable risk, direct benefit, and common adverse effects of the intervention were considered to be of most concerned elements in the ICF (mean score = 4.47, 4.47, and 4.45, respectively)., Conclusions: Research participants would like to be informed of the ICF elements required by ethical guidelines and regulations; however, the importance of each element varied, e.g., risk and benefit associated with research participants were considered to be more important than the general nature or technical details of research. Using a participant-oriented approach by providing more details of the participant-interested elements while avoiding unnecessarily lengthy details of other less important elements would enhance the quality of the ICF.

Importance: Diabetes mellitus is known to be associated with dry eye syndrome (DES), but the effects of long-term glycaemic control on tear film metrics and dry eye symptoms are not known in the Chinese population., Background: To evaluate tear film stability and dry eye symptoms and their associations with systemic risk factors in Chinese patients with type 2 diabetes mellitus (T2DM)., Design: Cross-sectional study set at the Lo Fong Siu Po Eye Centre (Grantham Hospital), Hong Kong., Participants: A total of 80 Chinese participants, aged 18 or above, with T2DM recruited from the specialist outpatient setting were included., Methods: The Oculus Keratograph 5M (Oculus Inc., Wetzlar, Germany) was used to measure the non-invasive tear break-up time (NITBUT). Ocular symptoms were evaluated using the Ocular Surface Disease Index (OSDI). The association between OSDI, NITBUT and metabolic parameters relating to diabetes were evaluated using multiple linear regression., Main Outcome Measures: The associations between long-term glycaemic control and NITBUT and OSDI scores., Results: Stepwise multiple linear regression analysis revealed glycated haemoglobin to be the only significant independent variable for NITBUT (R 2 = 0.099, P = 0.014) and OSDI (R 2 = 0.062, P = 0.044) after controlling for potential confounders. The age-adjusted prevalence of DES was 20% (95% confidence interval: 11-30%) in the Chinese T2DM population. The odds of DES for increasing percentage of glycated haemoglobin was 1.49 (95% confidence interval: 1.03-2.17, P = 0.04)., Conclusions and Relevance: Our findings highlight the importance of good glycaemic control as a modifiable risk factor for both dry eye symptoms and tear film instability in patients with T2DM., (© 2018 Royal Australian and New Zealand College of Ophthalmologists.)

Glioblastoma (GBM) is the most common type of malignant brain tumor. In spite of recent advancements in surgical techniques, chemotherapy, and radiation therapy, patients with GBM often face a dire prognosis. MicroRNAs have been shown to modulate the aggressiveness of various cancers, and have emerged as possible therapeutic agents for the management of GBM. miR‑205 is dysregulated in glioma and act as a prognostic indicator. However, the role of miR‑205 in the development of GBM has not been elucidated. To better understand the pathogenesis of GBM, we examine the biological significance and molecular mechanisms of miR‑205 in GBM cells. Zinc finger E-box binding homeobox 1 (ZEB1) has been shown to regulate the epithelial-mesenchymal transition (EMT), which is strongly associated with GBM malignancy. In the present study, we show miR‑205 expression is reduced in GBM tissues and cell lines, and ZEB1 expression is inversely correlated with miR‑205 expression. We also show ZEB1 is a downstream target of miR‑205 and the Akt/mTOR signaling pathway is activated when miR‑205 interacts with ZEB1. Increased activity of miR‑205 in GBM cells significantly inhibits migration and invasion, and prevents EMT. Furthermore, overexpression of ZEB1 partially abolishes these inhibitory effects of miR‑205. We show that miR‑205 negatively regulates the expression of ZEB1 in GBM, inhibits cell migration and invasion, and prevents EMT, at least in part through the inhibition of the activation of the Akt/mTOR signaling pathway. Our results indicate miR‑205 may be an efficacious therapeutic agent in the treatment of GBM.

Objective: We introduced primary arterial switch operation for the patient with transposition of great arteries and intact ventricular septum (TGA-IVS) who had more than 3.5 mm of posterior left ventricle (LV) wall thickness., Methods: Between January 2013 and June 2015, a total of 116 patients underwent arterial switch operation. Of the 116 patients, 26 with TGA-IVS underwent primary arterial switch operation at more than 30 days of age., Results: The age and body weight (mean ± SD) at the operation were 120.4 ± 93.8 days and 4.1 ±1.0 kg, respectively. There was no hospital mortality. The thickness of posterior LV wall (preoperation vs postoperation; mm) was 4.04 ± 0.71 versus 5.90 ± 1.3; P < .0001; interval: 11.8 ± 6.5 days. The left atrial pressure (mm Hg; postoperative day 0 vs 3) was 20.0 ± 3.2 versus 10.0 ± 2.0; P < .0001; and the maximum blood lactate level (mmol/dL) was 4.7 ± 1.4 versus 1.4 ± 0.3; P < .0001, which showed significant improvement in the postoperative course. All cases had delayed sternal closure. The patients who belonged to the thin LV posterior wall group (<4 mm [preoperative echo]: n = 13) had significantly longer ventilation time (days; 10.6 ± 4.8 vs 4.8 ± 1.7, P = .0039), and the intensive care unit stay (days) was 14 ± 9.2 versus 7.5 ± 3.5; P = .025, compared with thick LV wall group (≥4.0 mm: n = 13)., Conclusions: The children older than 30 days with TGA-IVS can benefit from primary arterial switch operation with acceptable results under our indication. However, we need further investigation for LV function.

Objective: To evaluate causes and impact of delay in the door-to-balloon (D2B) time for patients undergoing primary percutaneous coronary intervention (PPCI)., Subjects and Methods: From January 2009 to December 2012, 1268 patients (86% male, mean age of 58 ± 12 years) presented to our hospital for ST-elevation myocardial infarction (STEMI) and underwent PPCI. They were divided into two groups: Non-delay defined as D2B time ≤ 90 mins and delay group defined as D2B time > 90 mins. Data were collected retrospectively on baseline clinical characteristics, mode of presentation, angiographic findings, therapeutic modality and inhospital outcome., Results: 202 patients had delay in D2B time. There were more female patients in the delay group. They were older and tend to self-present to hospital. They were less likely to be smokers and have a higher prevalence of prior MI. The incidence of posterior MI was higher in the delay group. They also had a higher incidence of triple vessel disease. The 3 most common reasons for D2B delay was delay in the emergency department (39%), atypical clinical presentation (37.6%) and unstable medical condition requiring stabilisation/computed tomographic imaging (26.7%). The inhospital mortality was numerically higher in the delay group (7.4% versus 4.8%, p = 0.12)., Conclusions: Delay in D2B occurred in 16% of our patients undergoing PPCI. Several key factors for delay were identified and warrant further intervention.

Wedge-shaped defects are frequently observed on the cervical region of the human tooth. Previously, most studies explained that improper tooth-brushing causes such defects. However, recent clinical observation suggested that the repeated stress due to occlusal force may induce the formation of these wedge-shaped defects. In this study, therefore, two-dimensional human tooth models are considered with and without a wedge-shaped defect by applying the finite element method. To evaluate large stress concentrations accurately, a method of analysis is discussed in terms of the intensity of singular stress fields appearing at the tip of the sharp wedge-shaped defect. The effects of the position and direction of occlusion on the intensity of singular stress fields are discussed before and after restoration with composite resins.

Glioblastoma multiforme (GBM) is the most malignant brain tumor with limited therapeutic options. Temozolomide (TMZ) is a novel cytotoxic agent used as first-line chemotherapy for GBM, however, some individual cells can't be isolated for surgical resection and show treatment-resistance, thus inducing poor prognosis. By using the HiSeq sequencing and bioinformatics methods, we identified lncRNAs showing different expression levels in TMZ-resistant and non-resistant patients. RT-qPCR was then performed in tissues and serum samples, and lncRNA MALAT1 was finally identified to show considerable discriminating potential to identify responding patients from non-responding patients. Moreover, high serum MALAT1 expression was associated with poor chemoresponse and survival in GBM patients receiving TMZ treatment. Subsequently, the TMZ resistant cell lines were established, and the CCK8 assay showed that lncRNA MALAT1 knockdown significantly reversed TMZ resistance in GBM cells. The gain and loss-function experiments revealed that miR-203 was down-regulated by MALAT1 and this interaction has reciprocal effects. Besides, thymidylate synthase (TS) mRNA was identified as a direct target of miR-203. LncRNA MALAT1 inhibition re-sensitized TMZ resistant cells through up-regulating miR-203 and down-regulating TS expression. On the other hand, MALAT1 overexpression promoted resistance by suppressing miR-203 and promoting TS expression. In conclusion, our integrated approach demonstrates that enhanced expression of lncRNA MALAT1 confers a potent poor therapeutic efficacy and inhibition of MALAT1 levels could be a future direction to develop a novel therapeutic strategy to overcome TMZ resistance in GBM patients.

To investigate the milling properties of different yttria-tetragonal zirconia polycrystalline (Y-TZP) block materials by applying a dental computer numerical control (CNC) milling center. Low temperature sintering zirconia block denoted by KMUZ (experimental) with two commercial zirconia blocks for T block made in Taiwan and a G block made in Germany were compared for the milling properties. Seventy-two specimens were milled using the same CNC milling center, and properties were evaluated by measuring the weight loss (g), milling time (s), margin integrity (%) and broken diameter (μm). The crystalline phases contents were identified by X-ray diffraction and the microstructures of the sintering specimens were observed by scanning electron microscopy and transmission electron microscopy. The mean milling time of G and KMUZ were significantly shorter than T (P<0.05). The KMUZ samples exhibited the least weight loss among the three kinds of blocks (P<0.05). The percentages of marginal integrity after milling were high in G and KMUZ but low in T (P<0.05). The mean broken diameters were from 90μm to 120μm. The phase transformation of t-ZrO 2 (KMUZ: 7.4%, G: 5.9%, T: 3.2%) to m-ZrO 2 when facing the milling pressure in ZrO 2 blocks was observed by XRD. The result of TEM microstructure of KMUZ revealed that Y and Si were soluble in grain boundaries. The results show that the milling properties of KMUZ were better than one commercial T and near the G. The hindered grain growth, as a result of the Y 3+ content in the grain boundaries, also plays a role in promoting the abnormal grain growth of 3Y-TZP., (Copyright © 2016 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.)

Oral submucous fibrosis (OSF) is a potentially malignant disorder that is characterized by a progressive fibrosis in the oral submucosa. Arecoline, an alkaloid compound of the areca nut, is reported to be a major aetiological factor in the development of OSF. Low-power laser irradiation (LPLI) has been reported to be beneficial in fibrosis prevention in different damaged organs. The aim of this study was to investigate the potential therapeutic effects of LPLI on arecoline-induced fibrosis. Arecoline-stimulated human gingival fibroblasts (HGFs) were treated with or without LPLI. The expression levels of the fibrotic marker genes alpha-smooth muscle actin (α-SMA) and connective tissue growth factor (CTGF/CCN2) were analysed by quantitative real-time reverse transcription polymerase chain reaction (RT-PCR) and western blots. In addition, the transcriptional activity of CCN2 was further determined by a reporter assay. The results indicated that arecoline increased the messenger RNA and protein expression of CCN2 and α-SMA in HGF. Interestingly, both LPLI and forskolin, an adenylyl cyclase activator, reduced the expression of arecoline-mediated fibrotic marker genes and inhibited the transcriptional activity of CCN2. Moreover, pretreatment with SQ22536, an adenylyl cyclase inhibitor, blocked LPLI's inhibition of the expression of arecoline-mediated fibrotic marker genes. Our data suggest that LPLI may inhibit the expression of arecoline-mediated fibrotic marker genes via the cAMP signalling pathway.

The network of stemness genes and oncogenes in human patient-specific reprogrammed cancer stem cells (CSCs) remains elusive, especially in liver cancer. HepG2-derived induced pluripotent stem cell-like cells (HepG2-iPS-like cells) were generated by introducing Yamanaka factors and the knockdown vector shTP53. They exhibited features of stemness and a higher tumorigenesis after xenograft transplantation compared with HepG2 cells. The cancerous mass of severe combined immunodeficiency (SCID) mice derived from one colony was dissected and cultured to establish reprogrammed HepG2-derived CSC-like cells (designated rG2-DC-1C). A single colony exhibited 42% occurrence of tumors with higher proliferation capacities. rG2-DC-1C showed continuous expression of the OCT4 stemness gene and of representative tumor markers, potentiated chemoresistance characteristics, and invasion activities. The sphere-colony formation ability and the invasion activity of rG2-DC-1C were also higher than those of HepG2 cells. Moreover, the expression of the OCT4 gene and the c-JUN oncogene, but not of c-MYC, was significantly elevated in rG2-DC-1C, whereas no c-JUN expression was observed in HepG2 cells. The positive-feedback regulation via OCT4-mediated transactivation of the c-JUN promoter and the c-JUN-mediated transactivation of the OCT4 promoter were crucial for promoting cancer development and maintaining cancer stemness in rG2-DC-1C. Increased expression of OCT4 and c-JUN was detected in the early stage of human liver cancer. Therefore, the positive feedback regulation of OCT4 and c-JUN, resulting in the continuous expression of oncogenes such as c-JUN, seems to play a critical role in the determination of the cell fate decision from iPS cells to CSCs in liver cancer. Stem Cells 2016;34:2613-2624., (© 2016 The Authors STEM CELLS published by Wiley Periodicals, Inc. on behalf of AlphaMed Press.)

To study the mechanisms of gastric tumorigenesis, we have established CSN cell line from human normal gastric mucosa, and CS12, a tumorigenic and invasive gastric cancer cell line from CSN passages. Many stem cell markers were expressed in both CSN and CS12 cells, but LGR5 and NANOG were expressed only in CS12 cells. Increased expression of homeobox A13 (HoxA13) and its downstream cascades was significant for the tumorigenic activity of CS12 cells, and was associated with recruitment of E2F-1 to HoxA13 promoter accompanied with increased trimethylation of histone H3 lysine 4 (H3K4me3) at the hypomethylated E2F motifs. Knockdown of HoxA13 caused the downregulation of long non-coding RNA HOTTIP and insulin growth factor-binding protein 3 (IGFBP-3) genes, indicating that both were targets of HoxA13. Concurrent regulation of HoxA13-HOTTIP was mediated by the mixed lineage leukemia-WD repeat domain 5 complex, which caused the trimethylation of H3K4 and then stimulated cell proliferation. HoxA13 transactivated the IGFBP-3 promoter through the HOX-binding site. Activation of IGFBP-3 stimulated the oncogenic potential and invasion activity. Increased expression of HoxA13 (63.2%) and IGFBP-3 (28.6%) was detected in human gastric cancer tissues and was found in the gastric cancer data of The Cancer Genome Atlas. Taken together, the HoxA13-HOTTIP-IGFBP-3 cascade is critical for the carcinogenic characteristics of CS12 cells., Competing Interests: The authors have no conflicts of interest to declare.

Objective: Limited data is available on the clinical outcomes of telbivudine (LdT) and entecavir (ETV) in pre-emptive antiviral chemoprophylaxis. This study aimed to evaluate the clinical efficacy and renal safety of LdT and ETV in patients with chronic hepatitis B (CHB) who received cytotoxic chemotherapy., Methods: Altogether 290 treatment-naïve CHB patients undergoing intense chemotherapy were enrolled to receive daily 600 mg of LdT or 0.5 mg of ETV as pre-emptive antiviral chemoprophylaxis., Results: The ETV group had significantly higher proportion of patients with undetectable hepatitis B viral (HBV) DNA load compared with LdT at week 24 (73.0% vs 50.3%, P = 0.000). The cumulative rates of virological breakthrough in the LdT and ETV groups were 9.15% and 3.65% at the second year of therapy, respectively (P = 0.059), which was associated with detectable HBV DNA at week 24 (P = 0.000). The MELD score of the LdT group was significantly lower than that of the ETV group after the first year (4.53 vs 7.53, P = 0.002) and the second year (1.96 vs 7.09, P = 0.000) of antiviral therapy. Moreover, the estimated glomerular filtration rate (eGFR) was significantly improved in the LdT group than in the ETV group after two years of antiviral therapy., Conclusion: LdT has a lower clinical efficacy in viral suppression than ETV, but LdT is associated with greater extent of improvement in liver and renal functions of patients in pre-emptive prophylaxis for cytotoxic chemotherapy., (© 2016 Chinese Medical Association Shanghai Branch, Chinese Society of Gastroenterology, Renji Hospital Affiliated to Shanghai Jiaotong University School of Medicine and John Wiley & Sons Australia, Ltd.)

Background: Data comparing the clinical outcomes of telbivudine (LdT) and entecavir (ETV) in elderly patients with chronic hepatitis B are limited., Goals: The aim of the present study was to compare the efficacy and renal safety of LdT and ETV in treatment-naive elderly (≥ 60 years) patients with chronic hepatitis B., Methods: A total of 33 patients treated with LdT were consecutively enrolled in the study. Each patient was matched on the basis of age, sex, and baseline hepatitis B virus (HBV) DNA levels with three to four randomly selected controls treated with ETV., Results: Clinical characteristics were comparable between the two groups. Higher cumulative HBeAg-seroconversion rates were observed in the LdT group than in the ETV group after 2 years (50 vs. 20%) and 3 years (50 vs. 26.67%) of treatment (all P<0.0001). Virological response rate at week 24 was significantly lower in the LdT group than it was in the ETV group (54.55 vs. 70.87%, P<0.0001), but no significant difference was noted in long-term cumulative rates of undetectable HBV DNA levels between the two groups (P=0.562). Virological breakthrough occurred in six (18.18%) LdT patients, with no such cases reported in the ETV group (P<0.0001). Antiviral resistance was strongly associated with LdT use and the absence of undetectable HBV DNA at weeks 12 and 24 (P<0.0001). During the study, significant improvement was observed in the estimated glomerular filtration rate and model for end-stage liver disease score in LdT versus ETV group., Conclusion: LdT has a lower clinical efficacy for viral suppression and a higher risk of antiviral resistance than does ETV. However, LdT resulted in higher HBeAg-seroconversion rates and better renoprotective effects than did ETV.

Objective: The purpose of this study was to investigate postoperative stability and the correlation between hyoid, tongue, and mandible position following surgery for mandibular prognathism., Materials and Methods: Thirty-seven patients, treated for mandibular prognathism using intraoral vertical ramus osteotomy (IVRO), were evaluated cephalometrically. A set of four standardized lateral cephalograms were obtained from each subject preoperatively (T1), immediately postoperatively (T2), six weeks to three months postoperatively (T3), and more than one year postoperatively (T4). The Student t-tests, the Pearson correlation coefficient, and the multiple linear regression were used for statistical analysis., Results: Immediately after surgery, menton (Me) setback was 12.8 mm, hyoid (H) setback was 4.9 mm, and vallecula epiglottica (V) setback was 5.8 mm. The postoperative stability significantly correlated (r = -0.512, p < 0.01) with the amount of setback. The hyoid bone and tongue did not have significant effects on postoperative stability. Multiple linear regression model (R(2) = 0.2658, p < 0.05) showed predictability: Horizontal Relapse Me (T4-T2) = -6.406 - 0.488Me (T2-T1) + 0.069H (T2-T1) - 0.0619V (T2-T1)., Conclusion: Mandibular setback surgery may push the hyoid and tongue significantly backward, but this did not correlate with mandibular relapse. Postoperative stability significantly correlated with the amount of mandibular setback.

Aim: Primary peritoneal carcinoma (PPC) has a poor prognosis, with a median survival of 11-24 months. Unlike ovarian cancer, there exist no published data on the effectiveness of interval debulking surgery (IDS) in PPC and it is not routine practice. Our series compared outcomes in patients with PPC treated with IDS following chemotherapy versus patients treated with chemotherapy alone., Patients and Methods: A retrospective case-note analysis was undertaken of all patients diagnosed with PPC in the Pan-Birmingham network between May 2000 and October 2008. Data were analysed for age, performance status, response to chemotherapy, surgical outcomes, subsequent treatments, site of relapse, median progression-free (PFS) and overall (OS) survival. Analysis for PFS and OS was undertaken using both Kaplan-Meier and log-rank analysis., Results: A total of 44 patients with histologically-proven PPC were identified: 41 patients received chemotherapy with platinum combination or alone; 17/44 (39%) of patients underwent IDS following chemotherapy and 15 of these had optimal debulking; 3/15 (20%) had a complete pathological response. The recurrence rate for the surgical group was 11/17 (65%) including those with suboptimal debulking, whereas disease recurred in 25/27(93%) of the non-surgical group. The median PFS was 25 months (range=8-33 months) in the IDS group compared to 9 months (range=0-30 months) in the non-surgical group (p=0.001). The median OS was 48 months in the IDS group compared to 18 months in the non-surgical group (p=0.0016). The median OS for the whole patient cohort was 32 months., Conclusion: The median OS for the whole cohort compares favourably with previously published survival data of 11-24 months. IDS in selected cases of PPC appears to improve median OS and PFS in PPC and we would recommend that surgery is considered as a treatment option in all patients who have a good response to chemotherapy or entry into a clinical trial., (Copyright© 2016 International Institute of Anticancer Research (Dr. John G. Delinassios), All rights reserved.)

Background: Recently, several studies have reported that elevated platelet counts may be associated with the poor prognosis of colorectal cancer. However, conclusions remain controversial. This meta-analysis was therefore designed to analyze and evaluate the prognostic role of preoperative or pretreatment thrombocytosis in patients with colorectal cancer., Materials and Methods: We searched PubMed, EMBASE, the Cochrane Library and Web of Science to March 29th, 2015. The citation lists of included studies were also hand-searched to identify further relevant trials. To investigate the association between thrombocytosis and prognosis of colorectal cancer, the 1-year, 3-year and 5-year survival of each studies were obtained. The odds ratio (OR) with its 95% confidence interval (CI) was used to evaluate the relation of overall survival (OS) between thrombocytosis and normal platelet counts (PLT). Likewise, disease free survival (DFS) was obtained and evaluated. The analysis was performed and assessed using Review Manager 5.2., Results: A total of 14 studies (N=5,566 participants, 11 including 4,468 for OS, 6 including 1,533 for DFS) were included in this meta-analysis, of which seven (N=3810) defined thrombocytosis as a platelet count ≥ 400?109L, and 375 (9.8%) patients exhibited pretreatment thrombocytosis. Thrombocytosis have a close relationship with the poor OS of colorectal cancer compared with normal PLT, with the pooled ORs of 1-year, 3-year and 5-year survival being 0.41 [95% CI 0.34-0.51; P<0.001], 0.28 [95% CI 0.21-0.38; P<0.001] and 0.26 [95% CI 0.20-0.34; P<0.001], respectively. For DFS, the same results were showed as the pooled ORs of 1-year, 3-year and 5-year survival respectively being 0.34 [95% CI 0.24-0.50; P<0.001], 0.31 [95% CI 0.23-0.43; P<0.001] and 0.25 [95% CI 0.18-0.34; P<0.001]., Conclusions: This meta-analysis indicated that thrombocytosis may predict poor prognosis for patients with colorectal cancer, and platelet counts may be a cost-effective and noninvasive marker.

Neutral electrolyzed water was developed with new concepts of long-term good durability and minimum corrosiveness to metal in addition to its excellent bactericidal activities similar to acid type of electrolyzed waters. The present study examined the bactericidal effects of the neutral electrolyzed water on disinfection of the alginate impression of a dental arch model contaminated by bacteria. Only 1-min immersion in neutral electrolyzed water could sufficiently disinfect the alginate impression including the metallic tray under ultrasonic with no significant differences from acid electrolyzed waters. No bactericidal effects were found in any electrolyzed water when used as mixing water. Considering the advantages and disadvantages of each electrolyzed water in a comprehensive way, it was suggested that neutral electrolyzed water may be the most appropriate for the disinfection of alginate impression.

Clostridium difficile infection (CDI) is the most common cause of antibiotic-associated diarrhea. Severe diseases carry significant morbidities such as septic shock, acute kidney injury, bowel perforation, and mortality. Immunocompromising conditions increase the risk of developing the disease but whether these individuals suffer a more fulminant course or warrant a more potent first-line treatment is still controversial issue. Hereby we report a case of a cirrhotic patient with life-threatening pseudomembranous colitis complicated by colonic stricture, initially refractory to standard treatment but with subsequent improvement on intracolonic vancomycin.

Objectives . To investigate the correlation between frontal gaps and skeletal stability after intraoral vertical ramus osteotomy (IVRO) for correction of mandibular prognathism. Materials and Methods . Thirty-three patients with frontal gaps after IVRO-based mandibular prognathism correction were included. Three lateral and frontal cephalometric radiographs were obtained: preoperatively (T1), immediately postoperatively (T2), and 2 years postoperatively (T3). Two linear measurements (menton [Me] and frontal gap) were compared from T1 to T3 (T21: immediate surgical changes; T32: postoperative stability; T31: 2-year surgical change). Data were analyzed using Pearson's correlation coefficient and multiple linear regression. Results . The T21 mean surgical horizontal change in the Me position was 12.4 ± 4.23 mm. Vertically, the mean downward Me movement was 0.6 ± 1.73 mm. The mean frontal gaps were 4.7 ± 2.68 mm and 4 ± 2.48 mm in the right and left gonial regions, respectively. Postoperative stability (T32) significantly correlated with the amount of setback. Frontal gaps did not have a significant effect on postoperative stability. However, multiple regression model ( R 2 = 0.341, P = 0.017) showed value predictability, especially in the amount of setback. Conclusion . Frontal gaps occur after IVRO but have no significant effect on long-term postoperative skeletal stability. The primary risk factor for postoperative relapse remains the amount of mandibular setback.

This study investigated the exposed coronal superficial dentin of 28 human molars were immersed in strongly acidic electrolyzed water (AW group), neutral electrolyzed water (NW group), 5% sodium hypochlorite (negative control, NL group), or deionized water (positive control, DW group). Microhardness was determined at 5-min intervals for 60 min. Surface roughness, energy dispersive X-ray spectroscopy and scanning electron microscopy analyses were performed after 5 and 60 min. Reductions in microhardness were observed in the AW, NW and NL groups, with further decreases as immersion time increased. Surface roughness was also markedly greater, and the Ca/P ratio markedly decreased, in the AW group. Prolonged immersion of dentin in strongly acidic electrolyzed water markedly decreased the microhardness and Ca/P ratio and markedly increased surface roughness. Prolonged immersion can lead to greater softening effect in dentin depending on the acidity of the electrolyzed water used.

A concise synthesis of single components of C2 sulfated oligomannans including trimers, tetramers, and pentamers is reported. The synthesis features the application of the DMF-modulation method for the participatory thiomannoside donors in 1,2-transα-glycosidic bond formation. The obtained oligomannans were fully characterized using (1)H, (13)C, COSY, and HSQC NMR spectroscopy.

The aim of this study was to determine the correlation between pre- and postsurgical loss of blood and blood components among patients undergoing treatment of facial deformities by bilateral parasymphyseal osteotomy (BPsO).The pre- and postoperative values of blood components were determined in 30 facial deformity patients who underwent orthognathic surgery by hypotensive anesthesia. Correlations among the blood loss, sex, age, operation time, and reduced values of blood components were assessed by a correlation matrix. The mean blood loss and operation time were 437.5 (± 52.5) mL and 355.8 (± 209.42) minutes, respectively. Two patients included in this study had required blood transfusion. The mean reduced red blood cell (× 10/μL), hemoglobin (g/dL), and hematocrit (%) were -1.02, -2.98, and -9.18, respectively. There was no significant correlation between blood loss and other related factors (eg, age, operation time, and reduced blood components). All patients, however, showed significantly lower values of blood components after surgery. In conclusion, no significant factor was associated with blood loss and reduced blood components among patients undergoing BPsO. Furthermore, hypotensive anesthesia is a well-accepted method to reduce blood loss during orthognathic surgery.

We evaluated the clinical feasibility of using drug-coated balloon (DCB) angioplasty in patients undergoing primary percutaneous coronary intervention (PPCI). Between January 2010 to September 2014, 89 ST-elevation myocardial infarction patients (83% male, mean age 59 ± 14 years) with a total of 89 coronary lesions were treated with DCB during PPCI. Clinical outcomes are reported at 30 d follow-up. Left anterior descending artery was the most common target vessel for PCI (37%). Twenty-eight percent of the patients had underlying diabetes mellitus. Mean left ventricular ejection fraction was 44% ± 11%. DCB-only PCI was the predominant approach (96%) with the remaining 4% of patients receiving bail-out stenting. Thrombolysis in Myocardial Infarction (TIMI) 3 flow was successfully restored in 98% of patients. An average of 1.2 ± 0.5 DCB were used per patient, with mean DCB diameter of 2.6 ± 0.5 mm and average length of 23.2 ± 10.2 mm. At 30-d follow-up, there were 4 deaths (4.5%). No patients experienced abrupt closure of the infarct-related artery and there was no reported target-lesion failure. Our preliminary experience showed that DCB angioplasty in PPCI was feasible and associated with a high rate of TIMI 3 flow and low 30-d ischaemic event.

The photodesorption kinetics of graphene with various UV laser power is studied by conductance response. Analytical expressions of the power-dependent photodesorption kinetics of graphene in ambience are derived. The photodesorption time constant τd, steady current, and magnitude of modulation current, can be expressed as functions of the adsorption time constant τa, desorption cross section σ, and photon flux density. Under illumination the steady occupation ratio of adsorbed O 2 on graphene is equal to τd/τa. It is suggested that the photodesorption of O 2 on graphene is attributed the injection of photogenerated hot electrons and is restricted by the density of antibonding states of O 2 .

Surgical reconstruction is generally recommended for posterior cruciate ligament (PCL) injuries; however, the use of grafts is still a controversial problem. In this study, a three-dimensional finite element model of the human tibiofemoral joint with articular cartilage layers, menisci, and four main ligaments was constructed to investigate the effects of graft strengths on knee kinematics and in-situ forces of PCL grafts. Nine different graft strengths with stiffness ranging from 0% (PCL rupture) to 200%, in increments of 25%, of an intact PCL's strength were used to simulate the PCL reconstruction. A 100 N posterior tibial drawer load was applied to the knee joint at full extension. Results revealed that the maximum posterior translation of the PCL rupture model (0% stiffness) was 6.77 mm in the medial compartment, which resulted in tibial internal rotation of about 3.01°. After PCL reconstruction with any graft strength, the laxity of the medial tibial compartment was noticeably improved. Tibial translation and rotation were similar to the intact knee after PCL reconstruction with graft strengths ranging from 75% to 125% of an intact PCL. When the graft's strength surpassed 150%, the medial tibia moved forward and external tibial rotation greatly increased. The in-situ forces generated in the PCL grafts ranged from 13.15 N to 75.82 N, depending on the stiffness. In conclusion, the strength of PCL grafts have has a noticeable effect on anterior-posterior translation of the medial tibial compartment and its in-situ force. Similar kinematic response may happen in the models when the PCL graft's strength lies between 75% and 125% of an intact PCL.

Objective: The aim of this study was to evaluate the efficacy and safety of adjuvant chemoradiotherapy (CRT) versus chemotherapy (CT) for patients with gastric cancer., Methods: Electronic databases including PUBMED, EMBASE, and Cochrane Library were retrieved for original studies from their inception to April 2014. Two reviewers independently evaluated the quality of the included studies and extracted the data. All Statistical analyses were performed using RevMan Version 5.2 software., Results: Six randomized controlled trials involving 1,171 patients were included. The meta-analysis showed that there were statistical significances between chemoradiotherapy group and chemotherapy group in 5-year disease free survival rate (OR = 1.56, 95% CI: 1.09-2.24), local-regional recurrence rate (OR = 0.46, 95% CI: 0.32-0.67) and neutropenia (OR = 1.47, 95% CI: 1.11-1.96). While treatment efficacy did not differ significantly by the 5-year overall survival rate (OR = 1.32, 95% CI: 0.92-1.88), 3-year disease free survival rate (OR = 1.28, 95% CI: 0.92-1.80), and new metastases (OR = 0.76, 95% CI: 0.57-1.03). Toxicities were not significantly different between two groups for nausea/vomiting, diarrhea, anemia, and thrombocytopenia., Conclusions: For patients with gastric cancer, adjuvant chemoradiotherapy could significantly improve 5-year disease free survival rate and reduce local-regional recurrence rate compared with chemotherapy and, can be well accepted and tolerated., (© 2014 Wiley Periodicals, Inc.)

Purpose: The aim of this study was to determine the correlation between the pharyngeal airway space and head posture after mandibular setback surgery for mandibular prognathism., Materials and Methods: Serial lateral cephalograms of 37 patients with mandibular prognathism who underwent intraoral vertical ramus osteotomy (IVRO) were evaluated before (T1) and immediately (T2), between 6 weeks and 3 months (T3), and more than 1 year (T4) after surgery. Paired t-tests and Pearson's correlation analysis were used to evaluate the postoperative changes in all cephalometric parameters, including the mandible, hyoid, head posture (craniocervical angle), and pharyngeal airway space., Results: The mandible and hyoid were set back by 12.8 mm and 4.9 mm, respectively, at T2. Furthermore, the hyoid showed significant inferior movement of 10.7 mm, with an 8 mm increase in the tongue depth. The upper oropharyngeal airway (UOP) shortened by 4.1 mm, the lower oropharyngeal airway (LOP) by 1.7 mm, and the laryngopharyngeal airway by 2 mm. The craniocervical angle showed a significant increase of 2.8°. UOP and LOP showed a significant correlation with the craniocervical angle at T2 and T4., Conclusions: Our findings conclude that the oropharyngeal airway space is significantly decreased and correlated with a change in the head posture after mandibular setback surgery.

Objective. To investigate the factors affecting intraoperative hemorrhage and postoperative sequelae after orthognathic surgery. Materials and Methods. Eighty patients with mandibular prognathism underwent surgical mandibular setback with intraoral vertical ramus osteotomy (IVRO). The correlation between the blood loss volume and postoperative VAS with the gender, age, and operating time was assessed using the t-test and Spearman rank correlation coefficient. The correlation between the magnitude of mandibular setback with the presence of TMJ clicking symptoms and lip sensation was also assessed. Results. The mean operating time and blood loss volume for men and women were 249.52 min and 229.39 min, and 104.03 mL and 86.12 mL, respectively. The mean VAS in men and women was 3.21 and 2.93, and 1.79 and 1.32 on the first and second postoperative days. There is no gender difference in the operating time, blood loss, VAS, TMJ symptoms, and lip numbness. The magnitude of mandibular setback was not correlated with immediate and long-term postoperative lip numbness. Conclusion. There are no gender differences in the intraoperative hemorrhage and postoperative sequelae (pain, lip numbness, and TMJ symptoms). In addition, neither symptom was significantly correlated with the amount of mandibular setback.

Maximum mouth opening (MMO) can reflect the function of the dentofacial musculature and joint system, and routine oral examinations should include its assessment. To diagnose abnormalities using MMO measurements, it is necessary to establish the normal range of MMO; however, few studies have investigated this subject in Taiwan. Therefore, the purposes of this study were to determine the normal MMO range in 3- to 5-year-old preschool children and to investigate the factors correlated with MMO. We examined the interincisal distance, defined as the distance between the edges of the upper and lower incisors, in 518 preschool children (age range 3-5 years; 271 boys and 247 girls) with a plastic sliding caliper. The MMO on both sides of the mouth and mouth width (MW) was measured 3 times. No differences in MMO were found between the genders. The interincisal distance was 37.47 (±4.11) mm for boys and 36.93 (±3.85) mm for girls, whereas the mean MMO was 37.21 (±3.99) mm. The MMO increased with the increasing age of the children, and the mean value of MMO in children aged 3, 4, and 5 was 35.31 (±4.03), 36.61 (±3.79), and 38.31 (±3.88) mm, respectively. Furthermore, MMO was found to correlate with weight and MW. MMO increased by 0.19 mm per increased weight and 0.37 mm per increased MW. The mean value of MMO in 3- to 5-year-old preschool children was 37.21 (±3.99) mm. MMO in 3- to 5-year-old preschool children increased with age and was correlated with weight and MW.

Interleukin-12 (IL-12) is a cytokine which is secreted by activated phagocytes and dendritic cells and promotes cell-mediated immunity to intracellular pathogens, by inducing type 1 helper T cell (TH1) responses and interferon- γ (IFN- γ) production. Defects in the IL-12 may cause selective susceptibility to intracellular pathogens, such as mycobacteria. We herein report on a 13-year-old girl with defective mitogen-induced IL-12 production, who developed intestinal tuberculosis with wide dissemination involving the lung and urinary tract. She improved gradually, but developed terminal ileal perforation approximately 6.1 months following initiation of anti-tuberculous treatment. The paradoxical response phenomenon was suspected. The girl subsequently underwent surgical resection of the affected bowel segment with a temporary double barrel stoma, and ileocolonic anastomosis was performed after the completion of the anti-tuberculous therapy. The patient remained well, with no evidence of recurrent tuberculosis in the past 5 years. This case illustrates the possibility of underlying primary immunodeficiency in a patient with disseminated tuberculosis; delayed tuberculous intestinal perforation can develop during chemotherapy for tuberculosis., (Copyright © 2012. Published by Elsevier B.V.)

Purpose: Breath analysis has a potential prospect to benefit the medical field based on its perceived advantages to become a point-of-care, easy to use, and cost-effective technology. Early studies done by mass spectrometry show that volatile organic compounds from human breath can represent certain disease states of our bodies, such as lung cancer, and revealed the potential of breath analysis. But mass spectrometry is costly and has slow-turnaround time. The authors' goal is to develop a more portable and cost effective device based on Raman spectroscopy and hollow core-photonic crystal fiber (HC-PCF) for breath analysis., Methods: Raman scattering is a photon-molecular interaction based on the kinetic modes of an analyte which offers unique fingerprint type signals that allow molecular identification. HC-PCF is a novel light guide which allows light to be confined in a hollow core and it can be filled with a gaseous sample. Raman signals generated by the gaseous sample (i.e., human breath) can be guided and collected effectively for spectral analysis., Results: A Raman-cell based on HC-PCF in the near infrared wavelength range was developed and tested in a single pass forward-scattering mode for different gaseous samples. Raman spectra were obtained successfully from reference gases (hydrogen, oxygen, carbon dioxide gases), ambient air, and a human breath sample. The calculated minimum detectable concentration of this system was ∼15 parts per million by volume, determined by measuring the carbon dioxide concentration in ambient air via the characteristic Raman peaks at 1286 and 1388 cm(-1)., Conclusions: The results of this study were compared to a previous study using HC-PCF to trap industrial gases and backward-scatter 514.5 nm light from them. The authors found that the method presented in this paper has an advantage to enhance the signal-to-noise ratio (SNR). This SNR advantage, coupled with the better transmission of HC-PCF in the near-IR than in the visible wavelengths led to an estimated seven times improvement in the detection sensitivity. The authors' prototype device also demonstrated a 100-fold improvement over a recently reported detection limit of a reflective capillary fiber-based Raman cell for breath analysis. Continued development is underway to increase the detection sensitivity further to reach practical clinical applications.

Numerous studies examined the association between excision repair complementation group 1 (ERCC1) expression and the prognosis of gastric cancer patients receiving platinum-based chemotherapy but yielded controversial results. We thus conducted a meta-analysis to quantitatively evaluate the prognostic value of ERCC1 expression in gastric cancer patients receiving platinum-based chemotherapy. A systematic literature search was performed to identify relevant studies in PubMed, Web of Science, Embase, Cochrane Library, China National Knowledge Infrastructure, Chinese Biomedical Literature Database, and WanFang Database up to December 17, 2013. Pooled hazard ratios (HRs) or odds ratios (ORs) with 95 % confidence intervals (CIs) were estimated. Moreover, meta-regression analysis and subgroup analysis were conducted according to ethnicity, HR extraction, detection methods, survival analysis, and quality score. A total of 1,409 patients from 21 studies were subjected to final analysis. Positive/high ERCC1 expression was significantly associated with poorer overall survival (HR, 1.58; 95 % CI, 1.09-2.28), especially in Asians (HR, 1.81; 95 % CI, 1.20-2.73), and lower response rate (OR, 0.26; 95 % CI, 0.18-0.36), but not with clinicopathological features, such as gender (OR, 1.01; 95 % CI, 0.68-1.51), grade (OR, 0.66; 95 % CI, 0.43-1.01), and stage (OR, 1.05; 95 % CI, 0.58-1.90). This meta-analysis suggested that ERCC1 expression might be a useful biomarker to predict response and survival for gastric cancer patients receiving platinum-based chemotherapy, particularly in Asians.