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Nutritional support has become an essential part of modern veterinary medicine. Among different techniques, esophagostomy tubes have been used extensively in dogs and cats. However, general anesthesia is typically required due to the critical step of passing an instrument orally to allow identification of the esophagus in the midcervical region. Therefore, clinicians commonly face a conundrum of poor general anesthesia candidacy for those who need an esophagostomy tube placed. Additionally, esophagostomy tubes are not a viable option for patients that have difficulty opening their mouth. Ideally, a technique that circumvents the step of passing an instrument orally would be developed.We report the successful development of a novel technique for esophagostomy tube placement using ultrasound guidance and serial percutaneous dilatation of the stoma in canine cadavers. Ultrasound guidance allowed for identification and avoidance of several vital structures in the cervical region.This is the first report of an esophagostomy tube placement technique that circumvents the step of passing any instrument orally to identify the esophagus in the midcervical region. Future studies are warranted to determine if this technique can be performed in live dogs.

A 4-year-old neutered-male Australian Shepherd was presented to an emergency and referral hospital for an acute onset of neurologic signs and abnormal mentation. Seven days prior, the patient had been diagnosed with hypoadrenocorticism and was treated accordingly at another hospital. Based on recent clinical history, the neurologic signs were consistent with thalamic and brainstem deficits and suspected to be caused by osmotic demyelination syndrome secondary to rapid correction of hyponatremia. A brain MRI confirmed lesions consistent with osmotic demyelination syndrome. The patient's clinical signs initially worsened, and he required intensive nursing care with multimodal sedation, close monitoring of electrolytes and tailored fluid therapy. The patient recovered and was discharged on day seven of hospitalization. Four and a half months later, re-evaluation of the patient showed complete resolution of the neurological deficits with a now unremarkable neurological exam, and follow-up MRI revealed still present, yet improved bilateral thalamic lesions. This is the first known veterinary case report of sequential brain imaging of a dog that has recovered from osmotic demyelination syndrome. In humans, patients can have evidence of near to full clinical recovery, yet imaging findings may still be abnormal several months after recovery. This report details similar imaging findings in a canine with improved clinical signs, despite persistent lesions on brain MRI. Prognosis of canines with osmotic demyelination syndrome may be better than previously perceived, despite the severity of clinical signs and brain lesions apparent on MRI.

Based on cognitive consistency theory, this study developed a motivation mechanism linking on-the-job embeddedness to employees’ job behaviors. This mechanism was tested using a sample of 170 subordinate-supervisor dyads. HLM analysis results revealed that organization-based self-esteem fully mediated the influence of on-the-job embeddedness on job performance and organizational citizenship behavior-altruism and partially mediated on-the-job embeddedness’s influence on innovative behavior. However, organization-based self-esteem did not mediate the relationship between on-the-job embeddedness and organizational citizenship behavior-voice. Implications are discussed.

Breast cancer (BC) is the most common cancer and second leading cause of death in women worldwide. Triple-negative breast cancer (TNBC) is the most aggressive type of BC, while the treatment option is limited and has long been considered as a major unmet need. Meta-analysis indicated the anti-tumor potential of anti-depressants, especially selective serotonin-reuptake inhibitors (SSRIs). The SSRI fluoxetine has been shown to suppress BC and ovarian cancer cell growth; however, whether it suppresses tumor progression in vivo is unclear.We established an 4T1 bearing animal model, an orthotopic TNBC model, to identify the mechanism and therapeutic efficacy of fluoxetine.Tumor growth evaluated by caliper and computed tomography scan demonstrated the inhibition effect by fluoxetine treatment. Immunohistochemistry showed that the expression of STAT3-mediated epithelial-to-mesenchymal transition (EMT) proteins and apoptosis-related proteins was decreased.Fluoxetine may induce an anti-TNBC effect via inactivating STAT3 signaling transduction and triggering the caspase-mediated apoptotic pathway.

BACKGROUND Studies investigating the modulators of mortality benefit conferred by peri-angioplasty glycoprotein IIb/IIIa inhibitors in ST-elevation myocardial infarction (STEMI) are still lacking.Methods and Results:A prospective database (n=1,025) of consecutive cases undergoing primary percutaneous coronary intervention for STEMI was retrospectively analyzed. For patients in Killip class I, II or III, IV, the multivariate-adjusted hazard ratios of 30-day all-cause mortality associated with adjunctive tirofiban were 3.873 (95% CI 0.504-29.745; P=0.193), 0.550 (95% CI 0.188-1.609; P=0.275), and 0.264 (95% CI 0.099-0.704; P=0.008), respectively. The P value for a linear trend was 0.032. Patients who had a body mass index (BMI) within 22.9-25.0 kg/m2had a significant benefit from tirofiban (adjusted HR 0.344; 95% CI 0.145-0.814; P=0.015) compared to other BMI groups. The P value for a quadratic trend was 0.012. A novel Killip-BMI score (KBS = 2.5 × Killip category - | BMI - 24 |) was calculated to select the beneficial population. A KBS ≥2 was associated with significant mortality benefit, whereas a KBS

Objective This study aimed to determine whether neonatal hyperbilirubinemia is associated with a risk of autism spectrum disorder (ASD) using a large population-based cohort.Study Design This retrospective cohort study used data from the children's database (2000–2012) of the National Health Insurance Research Database (1996–2012) in Taiwan. We included neonates who were born between 2000 and 2004 and aged Results A total of 67,017 neonates were included. The neonates with hyperbilirubinemia were associated with 1.28-fold increased risk of ASD (HR = 1.28, 95% confidence interval [CI]: 1.05–1.57) compared with those without hyperbilirubinemia. In subanalysis to determine how phototherapy and exchange transfusion treatment for hyperbilirubinemia were associated with ASD showed no association between treatment and ASD, suggesting the lack of a dose-response effect of hyperbilirubinemia on the risk of ASD. Boys had a nearly six-fold higher risk of ASD than girls (HR = 5.89, 95% CI: 4.41–7.86). Additionally, neonates born with preterm birth and low birth weight were associated with a risk of ASD (HR = 1.46, 95% CI: 1.00–2.13).Conclusion We did not observe a dose-response effect of hyperbilirubinemia on ASD, but neonatal hyperbilirubinemia may be an independent risk factor for ASD if there is a residual confounding by other perinatal complications. Therefore, this study does not support a causal link between neonatal hyperbilirubinemia exposure and the risk of ASD.

ASML’s extreme ultraviolet (EUV) lithography machines have found widescale adoption in 5 and 3 nm logic nodes and leading-edge DRAM nodes. The tool operates by generating 13.5nm light from a tin plasma source, which is then directed through multiple optics and reflected off the EUV photomask and down to the wafer surface. In the EUV tool, tin and other contaminants are generated, and because no protective pellicle is used in EUV photo-lithography, any contaminate on the EUV photomask will become a defect on the wafer. EUV photomasks therefore need frequent cleaning compared to a traditional photolithography process, which would employ a protective pellicle. Herein, we report on the development of an EUV photomask cleaning solution that was designed to remove Sn, SnO2, and other contaminates from a mask surface without damaging the mask’s tantalum absorber and ruthenium capping layers. Our mask cleaning solution extends photomask lifetime and can improve operational performance and quality control.

In the photolithographic process of semiconductor manufacture, a photoresist is exposed to light and then developed to create a pattern on the photoresist surface. After development, a rinse step is necessary to prevent pattern collapse and to remove polymer residues that linger after development. Surfactants are essential in these rinse solutions and help mobilize polymer residues while also minimizing capillary forces that are responsible for pattern collapse. An ideal surfactant system interacts with the polymer surface enough to mobilize debris particles, but not enough to cause swelling and shift the critical dimension; while at the same time creating a surface tension and contact angle to prevent pattern collapse. In this work, we investigated various non-fluorinated surfactants and their interaction with EUV photoresists by measuring surface tension, contact angle, and photoresist swelling. Although the difference of solubility parameters (DSP) between surfactants and photoresists were shown to correlate to photoresist swelling. No correlation between resist swelling and the difference of solubility parameters was found in the study. Through this work, we identified that ideal surfactant rinse properties can be achieved in a fluoro-free surfactant formulation. Ideal fluoro-free EUV surfactant rinse formulations achieve no pattern collapse, low CD-shift, and good residue clean performance for an EUV photolithographic process.

We report a case of canine adenocarcinoma with multi-organ metastasis in which colonies of adenocarcinoma cells grew upon aerobic bacterial culture of pleural effusion. Stained agar colonies were highly similar to rare suspicious cells seen on cytologic examination of the pleural effusion, as well as rare cells seen on cytologic examination of pancreatic and gastric wall fine-needle aspirates. Cells from colonies growing on agar media were mildly immunoreactive for cytokeratin. Histologic examination of tissues obtained at autopsy revealed pancreatic adenocarcinoma with vascular invasion and nodal, gastric, pulmonary, and pleural metastasis.

BACKGROUND: ST-segment elevation myocardial infarction (STEMI) is one of the leading causes of morbidity and mortality in developed countries. Therefore, understanding the prevalence and trends of major risk factors may facilitate primary and secondary prevention of STEMI. METHODS: In the present study, 2446 consecutive patients with STEMI admitted to Far Eastern Memorial Hospital from 2005 to 2016 were enrolled. A comprehensive analysis of the prevalence, distribution, and trends over time of major risk factors as well as Framingham risk scores of all patients was performed. RESULTS: The most prevalent risk factors were male sex, hypertension (HTN), smoking, age, dyslipidemia, and diabetes mellitus. Furthermore, 95%-97% of the patients had at least one modifiable risk factor, and < 1% of the patients did not have any identifiable risk factors. The prevalence trends of smoking, HTN, dyslipidemia, and metabolic syndrome increased significantly from 2005 to 2016. Seasonal variation analysis revealed a 15% increase in STEMI cases between January and March compared with those between April and December. Isolated low high- density lipoprotein-cholesterol syndrome was the second most common type of dyslipidemia, with a prevalence rate of 16.6%. Moreover, only 56.8% of the male and 32% of the female patients were in the Framingham high-risk group. CONCLUSIONS: A high prevalence rate and an increasing trend of modifiable risk factors resulted in a high number of STEMI cases at our hospital. Controlling modifiable risk factors and improving nontraditional risk factor detection could facilitate primary and secondary preventions for STEMI.

Background: This prospective study was designed to investigate whether myocardial triglyceride (TG) content from proton magnetic resonance spectroscopy (MRS) and left ventricular (LV) function parameters from cardiovascular magnetic resonance imaging (CMR) can serve as imaging biomarkers in predicting future major cardiovascular adverse events (MACE) and readmission in patients who had been hospitalized for acute heart failure (HF). Methods: Patients who were discharged after hospitalization for acute HF were prospectively enrolled. On a 3.0 T MR scanner, myocardial TG contents were measured using MRS, and LV parameters (function and mass) were evaluated using cine. The occurrence of MACE and the HF-related readmission served as the endpoints. Independent predictors were identified using univariate and multivariable Cox proportional hazard regression analyses. Results: A total of 133 patients (mean age, 52.4 years) were enrolled. The mean duration of follow-up in surviving patients was 775 days. Baseline LV functional parameters&mdash, including ejection fraction, LV end-diastolic volume, LV end-diastolic volume index (LVEDVI), and LV end-systolic volume (p &lt, 0.0001 for all), and myocardial mass (p = 0.010)&mdash, were significantly associated with MACE. Multivariable analysis revealed that LVEDVI was the independent predictor for MACE, while myocardial mass was the independent predictor for 3- and 12-month readmission. Myocardial TG content (lipid resonances &delta, 1.6 ppm) was significantly associated with readmission in patients with ischemic heart disease. Conclusions: LVEDVI and myocardial mass are potential imaging biomarkers that independently predict MACE and readmission, respectively, in patients discharged after hospitalization for acute HF. Myocardial TG predicts readmission in patients with a history of ischemic heart disease.

The mortality of patients with ST-segment elevation myocardial infarction (STEMI) and refractory cardiogenic shock (RCS) is high. Extracorporeal membrane oxygenation (ECMO) before percutaneous coronary intervention (PCI) has shown some favorable results, but this may delay door-to-balloon (D2B) time. Whether the benefit surpasses the risk of longer D2B time remains controversial.From January 2005 to December 2014, there were 46 patients with STEMI RCS who received ECMO and PCI. Comparison was made between patients whose ECMO were setup before (n = 12) and after (n = 34) the coronary angiography.There were no significant differences on the baseline characteristics. The ECMO before PCI group had significantly better six-month survival (58.3% vs. 14.7%, p = 0.006), and the benefit persisted to the end of two-year follow-up (41.7% vs. 11.8%, p = 0.045). The rates of neurological, vascular, or bleeding complications were not different between the groups. ECMO before PCI was associated with a nonsignificant increase of median D2B time (30 min) and decrease of patients achieving D2B time 90 min (9.1% vs. 32.0%). After adjusting for GRACE score, gender, D2B time, complete revascularization, ECMO before PCI and shock index 0.8 before PCI were significantly associated with six-month survival.In STEMI RCS patients, ECMO before PCI improves both short- and long-term outcomes, even if it nonsignificantly increases the D2B time. Our data suggests that ECMO before PCI is a reasonable and safe strategy in this particularly-ill population.

Background This study aims to observe the effectiveness and safety of idarucizumab in dabigatran-treated patients with severe bleeding or requiring surgery in Taiwan. Methods and Results In Taiwan, 11 dabigatran-treated patients developed severe bleeding, fracture that needed surgery, and acute ischemic stroke requiring thrombolysis. These patients were treated with idarucizumab and obtained adequate hemostasis. Our experiences reconfirmed the efficacy and safety of idarucizumab in Asian patients. Conclusions Idarucizumab improves safety in dabigatran-treated patients. Continued education about the availability and appropriate use of idarucizumab is necessary in Asia.

This study used work adjustment theory to develop a model of linking proactive personality to employee job satisfaction, career satisfaction, and job involvement. This model was tested using two samples. The first sample, collected using a cross-sectional survey, consisted of 278 employees nested in 25 organizations located in Taiwan, including 17 service organizations and eight manufacturing organizations. The second sample, collected using a two-wave survey, consisted of 300 employees nested in 22 organizations located in Taiwan, including eight service organizations and 14 manufacturing organizations. The results of hierarchical linear modeling (HLM) analysis of Sample 1 revealed that person-job fit and person-organization fit fully mediated the effects of proactive personality on job satisfaction and career satisfaction. The results of HLM analysis of Sample 2 revealed that person-job fit and person-organization fit fully mediated the effects of proactive personality on job satisfaction, career satisfaction, and job involvement. Results are offered, and implications are discussed.

OBJECTIVE. The objective of our study was to identify sonographic biomarkers predicting or indicating eventual malignant transformation of pathologically confirmed cirrhotic nodules. MATERIALS AND METHODS. Thirty-nine consecutive patients with 44 pathologically confirmed cirrhotic nodules (mean size, 17.5 ± 8.5 [SD] mm) who initially underwent contrast-enhanced ultrasound examination at detection and then underwent follow-up conventional ultrasound every 3-4 months thereafter were retrospectively included. Malignant transformation was identified on the basis of noninvasive diagnostic criteria for hepatocellular carcinoma or rebiopsy. Malignant transformation biomarkers were identified from clinical and sonographic variables and the performance thereof was evaluated using ROC curves. RESULTS. Fourteen nodules (31.8%) had eventual malignant transformation after a median follow-up time of 26.7 months. At initial detection, nodule size (hazard ratio [HR], 1.07; p = 0.019) and a contrast arrival time difference between the nodule and liver of more than 0.5 second (HR, 4.35; p = 0.011) were independent predictors for malignant transformation. The area under the ROC curve (Az) of initial nodule size (Az = 0.64, p = 0.131) and contrast arrival time difference between the nodule and liver (Az = 0.66, p = 0.029) improved after combining the two (Az = 0.75, p = 0.002). During follow-up, echogenicity change (p = 0.044), absolute growth rate (p < 0.001), and relative growth rate (p < 0.001) correlated with malignant transformation. Sensitivity analysis revealed that an absolute growth rate of 5 mm or greater in 6 months or a relative growth rate of 30% or greater in 6 months could be considered as threshold growth for identifying malignant transformation (specificity, 100.0%; positive predictive value, 100.0%). The absence of both echogenicity change and threshold growth was highly accurate in excluding malignant transformation (sensitivity, 100.0%; negative predictive value, 100.0%). CONCLUSION. The contrast arrival time difference between the nodule and liver at initial detection was useful in stratifying eventual malignant transformation risk for cirrhotic nodules. During follow-up, growth rate and echogenicity change correlated with malignant transformation; threshold growth on ultrasound may be considered a potential major feature in noninvasive diagnostic criteria of hepatocellular carcinoma.

We present a comparison of the energy transfer between carotenoid dark states and chlorophylls for the minor complexes CP24 and CP29. To elucidate the potential involvement of certain carotenoid–chlorophyll coupling sites in fluorescence quenching of distinct complexes, varying carotenoid compositions and mutants lacking chlorophylls at specific binding sites were examined. Energy transfers between carotenoid dark states and chlorophylls were compared using the coupling parameter, $$\varPhi_{\text{Coupling}}^{{{\text{Car S}}_{ 1} {-}{\text{Chl}}}}$$, which is calculated from the chlorophyll fluorescence observed after preferential carotenoid two-photon excitation. In CP24, artificial reconstitution with zeaxanthin leads to a significant reduction in the chlorophyll fluorescence quantum yield, $$\varPhi_{\text{F1}}$$, and a considerable increase in $$\varPhi_{\text{Coupling}}^{{{\text{Car S}}_{ 1} {-}{\text{Chl}}}}$$. Similar effects of zeaxanthin were also observed in certain samples of CP29. In CP29, also the replacement of violaxanthin by the sole presence of lutein results in a significant quenching and increased $$\varPhi_{\text{Coupling}}^{{{\text{Car S}}_{ 1} {-}{\text{Chl}}}}$$. In contrast, the replacement of violaxanthin by lutein in CP24 is not significantly increasing $$\varPhi_{\text{Coupling}}^{{{\text{Car S}}_{ 1} {-}{\text{Chl}}}}$$. In general, these findings provide evidence that modification of the electronic coupling between carotenoid dark states and chlorophylls by changing carotenoids at distinct sites can significantly influence the quenching of these minor proteins, particularly when zeaxanthin or lutein is used. The absence of Chl612 in CP24 and of Chl612 or Chl603 in CP29 has a considerably smaller effect on $$\varPhi_{{{\text{F}}1}}$$ and $$\varPhi_{\text{Coupling}}^{{{\text{Car S}}_{ 1} {-}{\text{Chl}}}}$$ than the influence of some carotenoids reported above. However, in CP29 our results indicate slightly dequenching and decreased $$\varPhi_{\text{Coupling}}^{{{\text{Car S}}_{ 1} {-}{\text{Chl}}}}$$ when these chlorophylls are absent. This might indicate that both, Chl612 and Chl603 are involved in carotenoid-dependent quenching in isolated CP29.

Chi-Chun Huang,1 Hsin-Yi Chen,1 Ruei-Hsin Chang,1 Pen-An Liao,2 Heng-Hui Lien,3,4 Chih-Sheng Hung,5 Sien-Sing Yang,1,3 Jui-Ting Hu1,3 1Liver Center, Cathay General Hospital Medical Center, Taipei, Taiwan; 2Department of Radiology, Cathay General Hospital Medical Center, Taipei, Taiwan; 3School of Medicine, Fu-Jen Catholic University College of Medicine, Taipei, Taiwan; 4Department of Surgery, Cathay General Hospital Medical Center, Taipei, Taiwan; 5Department of Gastroenterology, Cathay General Hospital Medical Center, Taipei, Taiwan Background: Sorafenib is an oral tyrosine kinase inhibitor that is indicated for advanced hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC). The aim of the present study was to determine the clinical outcomes of HCC patients receiving sorafenib in real-life clinical setting in comparison with formal clinical trials.Methods: Patients diagnosed with advanced HCC between 2007 and 2015 at single institute were retrospectively enrolled and evaluated for survival and tolerability following sorafenib treatment. Overall survival (OS) and duration of treatment (TTP) were examined by different stratifications including age, gender, etiology, liver functions, and severities.Results: A total of 67 advanced HCC patients were enrolled for analysis. Of the 67 eligible patients, 66 patients (99%) were diagnosed as Barcelona Clinic Liver Cancer stage C and 45 (67%) were Child-Pugh A. Chronic hepatitis B virus infection was the main etiology (67%), followed by hepatitis C virus infection (12%) and alcohol liver disease (8%). The median duration of treatment was 3.0 months (95% CI 2.6–3.4 months) and median OS was 8.0 months (95% CI 5.0–11.0 months). By multivariate analysis, female gender (HR =2.462, 95% CI 1.126–5.387, P=0.024), Child-Pugh C (HR =3.913, 95% CI 1.063–14.410, P=0.04), extrahepatic spread (HR =2.123, 95% CI 1.122–4.015, P=0.021), and combined other therapies (HR =0.410, 95% CI 0.117–0.949, P=0.037) were the independent predictors of OS.Conclusion: OS of advanced HCC patients treated with sorafenib was longer than that reported in the Asia-Pacific trial study. Impaired hepatic functions are associated with the shorter survival in real-life setting. Keywords: advanced hepatocellular carcinoma, sorafenib, liver function, tumor burden

The reaction of methyl anthranilates with N-arylcyanamides in the presence of p-TsOH in t-BuOH under reflux afforded predominantly 3-arylquinazolin-4-ones. In contrast, the reaction of the same reactants with TMSCl in t-BuOH at 60 °C followed by the Dimroth rearrangement in aqueous ethanolic sodium hydroxide gave exclusively the regioisomers, 2-(N-arylamino)quinazolin-4-ones. The regioselective synthesis of N-aryl-substituted 2-aminoquinazolin-4-ones can be further applied to the synthesis of benzimidazo[2,1-b]quinazolin-12-ones.

Background Systemic hypothermia is considered beneficial to stroke patients. However, many complications ensue. The aim of this study was to evaluate the effect of a new invasive regional cooling device in cerebral ischemic injury in a rat model. Methods After a pilot study confirming the efficiency of the cooling device, 15 adult male Sprague–Dawley rats, weighing 300–400 g, were randomly assigned into three groups: cooling device applied at 14°C and at 26°C, and a sham group. Focal cerebral ischemic injury was achieved by electrocauterization of the left middle cerebral artery through craniectomy and temporal occlusion of both common carotid arteries for 3 hours. Within 30 minutes after the end of ischemic injury, the cooling device was inserted into the rat brain through a stereotactic frame to provide regional hypothermia for 2 hours. The rats were sacrificed immediately after the 2-hour regional hypothermia. Results Although triphenyltetrazolium chloride staining showed smaller ischemic lesions in both the 26°C and 14°C groups compared to the control group, Fluoro Jade C staining showed no neuroprotective effects in the rostrum cerebral cortex in both groups. However, both triphenyltetrazolium chloride and Fluoro Jade C staining indicated significant beneficial effects in the caudal cerebral cortex in rats with cooling device applied at 26°C compared to the 14°C and control groups. Conclusion Our findings indicated that the device can effectively achieve regional hypothermia and could be beneficial for patients with cerebral ischemia during the acute phase.

A facile and general synthesis of various N-substituted cyanamides was accomplished by the Tiemann rearrangement of amidoximes with benzenesulfonyl chlorides (TsCl or o-NsCl) and DIPEA.

CuI-Catalyzed intramolecular aminocyanation of terminal alkynes in N-(2-ethynylphenyl)-N-sulfonylcyanamides was initiated by the formation of Cu–acetylide to trigger N–CN bond cleavage of the N-sulfonylcyanamide moiety followed by CN migration to form a β-cyano Cu–vinylidene intermediate. Subsequently, the indole ring closure furnished the corresponding 1-sulfonyl-3-cyanoindoles.

The regulation of light-harvesting in photosynthesis under conditions of varying solar light irradiation is essential for the survival and fitness of plants and algae. It has been proposed that rearrangements of protein distribution in the stacked grana region of thylakoid membranes connected to changes in the electronic pigment-interaction play a key role for this regulation. In particular, carotenoid−chlorophyll interactions seem to be crucial for the down- regulation of photosynthetic light-harvesting. So far, it has been difficult to determine the influence of the dense protein packing found in native photosynthetic membrane on these interactions. We investigated the changes of the electronic couplings between carotenoids and chlorophylls and the quenching in grana thylakoids of varying protein packing density by two-photon spectroscopy, conventional chlorophyll fluorometry, low-temperature fluorescence spectroscopy, and electron micrographs of freeze-fracture membranes. We observed an increasing carotenoid−chlorophyll coupling and fluorescence quenching with increasing packing density. Simultaneously, the antennas size and excitonic connectivity of Photosystem II increased with increasing quenching and carotenoid−chlorophyll coupling whereas isolated, decoupled LHCII trimers decreased. Two distinct quenching data regimes could be identified that show up at different protein packing densities. In the regime corresponding to higher protein packing densities, quenching is strongly correlated to carotenoid−chlorophyll interactions whereas in the second regime, a weak correlation is apparent with low protein packing densities. Native membranes are in the strong-coupling data regime. Consequently, PSII and LHCII in grana membranes of plants are already quenched by protein crowding. We concluded that this ensures efficient electronic connection of all pigment−protein complexes for intermolecular energy transfer to the reaction centers and allows simultaneously sensitive regulation of light harvesting by only small changes in the protein packaging.

This study uses cognitive consistency theory to develop a model linking proactive personality to employees' work outcomes. This model was tested using a sample of 161 subordinate–supervisor dyads. HLM analysis results revealed that organisation-based self-esteem fully mediated the relationships betw

Objective This study was to investigate the usefulness and limitations of cardiac magnetic resonance imaging (MRI). We compared echocardiography (ECHO) and perfusion scans to evaluate: left ventricular wall scar formation of the myocardium; hypokinesis, akinesis, or dyskinesis of the myocardium; regurgitation of the aortic and mitral valves; post acute myocardial infarction (AMI) ventricular function; and the viable myocardium (ischemia/infarction). Methods Twenty patients received both cardiac MRI and ECHO. Among them, nine patients received perfusion scans. The modalities and methods examined in this study were not the most advanced or updated protocols. Results We compared the results of cardiac MRI with those of ECHO and perfusion scans. We found significant correlations between the interpretations of left ventricular wall morphological change with dynamic images for hypokinesia, akinesia, and dyskinesia of the myocardium. We also found possible correlations between cardiac MRI and perfusion scans regarding their results to produce a “bull's eye target figure” to evaluate severe ischemia and infarctions. Conclusion We found that cardiac MRI provided a useful adjunct to ECHO on interpretations of left ventricular wall morphological change. The correlations between qualitative interpretations of cardiac MRI versus perfusion scan respective to ‘bull's eye target figures’, were found to be moderately matching. There was an unsatisfactory mismatching of correlations between quantitative by manual input and the drawing inaccuracy and an unavoidable error of the post-processing technique of cardiac MRI on ejection fraction (EF) and end systolic volume (ESV).

This study uses social exchange theory to develop a model of the processes linking work–family conflict to job attitudes. This model was tested on a sample of 236 employees in Taiwan's high-technology industry. The regression results revealed that perceived organizational support and leader–member exchange fully mediated the influence of work–family conflict on intentions to quit and affective organizational commitment, and partially mediated work–family conflict's influence on job satisfaction. The implications are discussed in this article.

Internet banking provides users diverse financial service through the Internet. Under the environment of drastic competition, in order to make customers proceed with transactions on the web site, Internet banking not only should provide complete functions of operations but also advance their electronic service quality. The electronic service quality evaluation for Internet banking can be treated as a multiple-criteria decision making (MCDM) problem. As for evaluating the electronic service quality, since the traditional Likert scale cannot deal with uncertain assessments according to human intuition for the service quality evaluation, fuzzy numbers are employed to measure decision-makers' subjective preferences. This paper treats the given hierarchical network with the fuzzy MCDM as a feed-forward neural network and aims to develop a genetic-algorithm-based method to automatically determine degrees of importance of respective criteria. Then, critical criteria for evaluating service quality can be easily identified. In the empirical study, five domestic banks belonging to financial holding companies in Taiwan are selected to find critical criteria. The findings provide useful information to Internet banks for improving the electronic service quality.

This study performs precision positioning of a generic piezoelectric structure against hysteresis effects by finite elements, microscopic hysteresis cancellation and robust H ∞ compensation. The designed control algorithm is expected to be effective in enhancing servo performance of hard disk drives. The precision positioning is accomplished by adding a polarization term into the linear constitutive equations of piezoelectric materials. This polarization term is then described by the well-known Preisach model. Applying basic principles of finite elements and Hamilton’s thoery, the macroscopic governing equations of an arbitrary piezoelectric system in finite elements are obtained. Based on the macro-model, a controller consisting of two parts is designed to perform the precision positioning of a generic piezo-structure. The first part is responsible for direct hysteresis cancellation at the microscopic level, while the second one is a robust H ∞ controller to overcome inevitable cancellation errors. In this way, the control effort is then more effective than the conventional PI and double-lead controller without microscopic hysteresis cancellation. A simple piezoelectric structure of a bender-bimorph cantilever beam is considered for designs and experimental validation. Based on experimental results, the proposed control design is found effective to suppress hysteresis effects as opposed to conventional controllers.

Recently, excitonic carotenoid-chlorophyll interactions have been proposed as a simple but effective model for the down-regulation of photosynthesis in plants. The model was proposed on the basis of quenching-correlated electronic carotenoid-chlorophyll interactions (Car S(1) → Chl) determined by Car S(1) two-photon excitation and red-shifted absorption bands. However, if excitonic interactions are indeed responsible for this effect, a simultaneous correlation of quenching with increased energy transfer in the opposite direction, Chl Q(y) → Car S(1), should be observed. Here we present a systematic study on the correlation of Car S(1) → Chl and Chl → Car S(1) energy transfer with the occurrence of red-shifted bands and quenching in isolated LHCII. We found a direct correlation between all four phenomena, supporting our conclusion that excitonic Car S(1)-Chl interactions provide low-lying states serving as energy traps and dissipative valves for excess excitation energy.

The aggregation dependent correlation between fluorescence quenching and the electronic carotenoid–chlorophyll interactions, ϕ Coupling Car S 1 - Chl , as measured by comparing chlorophyll fluorescence observed after two- and one-photon excitation, has been investigated using native LHC II samples as well as mutants lacking Chl 2 and Chl 13. For native LHC II the same linear correlation between ϕ Coupling Car S 1 - Chl and the fluorescence quenching was observed as previously reported for the pH and Zea-dependent quenching of LHC II [1] . In order to elucidate which carotenoid–chlorophyll pair might dominate this correlation we also investigated the mutants lacking Chl 2 and Chl 13. However, also with these mutants the same linear correlation as for native LHC II was observed. This provides indication that these two chlorophylls play only a minor role for the observed effects. Nevertheless, we also conclude that this does not exclude that their neighboured carotenoids, lutein 1 and neoxanthin, might interact electronically with other chlorophylls close by.

This study compared the antinociceptive and anti-inflammatory effects of various parts of Broussonetia papyrifera (L.) L'Herit. ex Vent. (BP, Moraceae) by chemical-induced pain and inflammation in rodents. All BP parts (1 and 2 g/kg, p.o.) effectively inhibited writhing responses induced by 1% acetic acid. The BP radix, leaf, and fruit effectively inhibited the late-phase licking responses caused by 1% formalin. But only the BP radix and fruit reduced the edema induced by 1% carrageenan at 1-2 h. Furthermore, the BP radix reduced the abdominal Evan's blue extravasations caused by inflammatory mediators, including serotonin and sodium nitroprusside. Finally, the radix had the highest contents of betulin and betulinic acid among all BP parts. In conclusion, the radix is the better medicinal BP part possessing antinociceptive and antiinflammatory effects, and its anti-inflammatory effects are partially related to the inhibition of vascular permeability via autocrines and nitric oxide.

The Car S 1 → Chl energy transfer efficiency, Φ Transfer , in xanthophyll-cycle mutants of living plants and LHC II was investigated by selective Car S 1 two-photon excitation. Before high-light illumination Φ Transfer , of the violaxanthin deficient mutant npq2 is ∼30% smaller than the corresponding value for wild type plants. For the zeaxanthin deficient mutant, npq1, Φ Transfer is ∼30% larger. Wild type Arabidopsis thaliana is the only variant which is capable of a light-dependent decrease of up to 40% and complete recovery to the original Φ Transfer values. In contrast, Φ Transfer remains constant during dark adaptation in both mutants. Surprisingly, changes in Φ Transfer of LHC II preparations were less than 5% only, when substituting violaxanthin by zeaxanthin.

Background Increased myocardial triglyceride (TG) content has been recognized as a risk factor for cardiovascular disease. However, its relation with cardiac function in patients on recovery from acute heart failure (HF) remains unclear. In this cross-sectional study, we sought to investigate the association between myocardial TG content measured on magnetic resonance spectroscopy (1H-MRS) and left ventricular (LV) function assessed on cardiovascular magnetic resonance (CMR) in patients who were hospitalized with HF. Methods A total of 50 patients who were discharged after hospitalization for acute HF and 21 age- and sex-matched controls were included in the study. Myocardial TG content and LV parameters (function and mass) were measured on a 3.0 T MR scanner. Fatty acid (FA) and unsaturated fatty acid (UFA) content was normalized against water (W) using the LC-Model algorithm. The patient population was dichotomized according to the left ventricular ejection fraction (LVEF

A 19-year-old boy with shortness of breath and chest pain after strenuous exercise presented to emergency department . On physical examination, the neck and shoulders appeared to be swollen. There was crepitus on skin palpation. Chest X-ray disclosed diffuse subcutaneous emphysema and pneumomediastinum. CT showed additional finding of air in epidural space. The patient was discharged after 2 days of hospitalisation with conservative treatment uneventfully. Pneumorrhachis is usually caused by abrupt increase in intrathoracic pressure in instance of forceful vomiting, cough or asthma attack in an otherwise healthy young adult. It is usually accompanied with pneumomediastinum. The management of epidural pneumatosis should be tailored according to its primary cause. For most patients with pneumorrhachis associated to a spontaneous pneumomediastinum without neurological symptoms, this condition is generally self-limited. For epidural free air of large volume that causes neurological deficits, surgical laminectomy may be indicated.

It is known that aggregation of isolated light-harvesting complex II (LHCII) in solution results in high fluorescence quenching, reduced chlorophyll fluorescence lifetime, and increased electronic coupling of carotenoid (Car) S-1 and chlorophyll (Chl) Q(y) states, as determined by two-photon studies. It has been suggested that this behavior of aggregated LHCII mimics aspects of non-photochemical quenching processes of higher plants and algae. However, several studies proposed that the minor photosystem II proteins CP24 and CP29 also play a significant role in regulation of photosynthesis. Therefore, we use a simple protocol that allows gradual aggregation also of CP24 and CP29. Similarly, as observed for LHCII, aggregation of CP24 and CP29 also leads to increasing fluorescence quenching and increasing electronic Car S-1-Chl Q(y) coupling. Furthermore, a direct comparison of the three proteins revealed a significant higher electronic coupling in the two minor proteins already in the absence of any aggregation. These differences become even more prominent upon aggregation. A red-shift of the Q(y) absorption band known from LHCII aggregation was also observed for CP29 but not for CP24. We discuss possible implications of these results for the role of CP24 and CP29 as potential valves for excess excitation energy in the regulation of photosynthetic light harvesting.

Fifty-six volatile organic compounds (VOCs), known to be ozone precursors, were stored in three media (SUMMA and Silocan canisters and Tedlar bags) to evaluate their stability in these storage media. An analysis of samples of air followed the procedures described in the US EPA Method TO-15, and was performed using gas chromatograph (GC) equipped with a mass spectrometer (MS). The first-order decay model matched 87 % of the observations. These 56 VOCs were classified into four groups-alkanes, alkenes, aromatics and biogenics. Alkenes and biogenics exhibited lower recovery rates than those of alkanes and aromatics. After a seven-day (7-d) storage period, 87 % of alkenes could be recovered from canister storage and 82 % were recovered from Tedlar bag storage. Isoprene, a major component in biogenic VOCs, exhibited a recovery rate of only 75±8 % after storage for seven days in canisters and Tedlar bags. Storage conditions (humidity and temperature) affected the degradation constant of each VOC. The calculated average half-lifes of 56 VOCs for SUMMA canisters, Silcocan canisters, and Tedlar bags were 45±6, 52±6, and 37±4 days, respectively. The VOCs stored in Tedlar bags had a lower recovery than those stored in canisters.