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The photocatalytic technology has broad applications in energy and environmental science. In this study, we synthesized a type II heterojunction CdS/ZnO (CSZ) nanodispersion by means of one-pot precipitation. Different from previous studies, an anionic surfactant was used to improve the photocatalytic activity of CdS/ZnO. The CdS/ZnO nanodispersion showed very good photocatalytic performance in the degradation of tetracycline (TC) under visible light, with the highest degradation rate of 94.4% when pH = 7, both pH > 7 and pH < 7 were not conducive to TC degradation. Fast and high degradation efficiency was observed for three model compounds, and the degradation efficiency of RhB reached 100%. After 5 cycles, the degradation efficiency remains above 85%. In the photocatalysts, CdS nanoparticles act as photosensitizers, extending the light response of ZnO to the region of visible light, meanwhile, effectively reducing the electron–hole binding rate, which greatly improved the photocatalytic activity. In the end, the photocatalytic enhancement mechanism of TC degradation was discussed. publishedVersion

As the COVID‐19 pandemic continues to expand worldwide, Taiwan has effectively contained the spread domestically and protected its citizens after registering its first case relatively early on 21 January 2020. Proactive preparedness and deployment by the national government, timely evidence and experience‐based judgements and decision‐making, information transparency, rapid response, and effective communication and measures have all been critical to combating COVID‐19 in Taiwan. Nurses play a pivotal role in providing direct health care as well as providing contact tracing and care for the quarantined clients and community care services. The Taiwan Nurses Association and other nurses’ associations serve a vital leadership role in advocating for nurses, raising public awareness, enhancing nursing’s professional profile, and sharing experiences via national and international platforms. The implications for nursing and health policy are that we need to well prepare for any unpredicted emerging pandemic in the future. Providing adequate personal protective equipment and safe staffing should be the highest priority for the governments and policymakers around the world to combat pandemic successfully.

Springback is a tough issue in sheet forming, and always leads to dimensional inaccuracy of formed parts. Titanium alloy selected as desired light-weight alloy has been playing significant roles in aerospace industry because of its good comprehensive performance. Whereas, titanium alloy components manufactured always exhibit severe springback at room temperature, which greatly restrict their application. To explore the possibility of reducing springback, rectangular lath-shaped parts with Ti-6Al-4V alloy sheet were fabricated by impact hydroforming (IHF) with self-designed equipment. Consequently, much lower springback is obtained using IHF with high strain rate than that formed by conventional stretch-bending with low strain rate. Great efforts are paid to clarify the mechanism of springback restriction under IHF. Different from traditional forming methods, more complex and high-speed interaction behavior between liquid and Ti-6Al-4V alloy sheet occurs. It considerably increases the difficulty for analyzing the deformation process of sheet under IHF. Thus, a novel solid-liquid coupling numerical simulation technology for IHF was developed. To validate the simulation accuracy, experiments with different forming processes and parameters were performed. Given the combined analysis of experimental and simulation results, it is found that distinctive forming paths are introduced between stretch-bending and IHF. Specifically, the preferred deformation region of sheet transfers from middle region for conventional stretch-bending to end regions under IHF, which mainly attributes to the unique loading behavior of liquid at high strain rate.

From 1987 to 2017, cardiovascular disease (CVD) had been ranking the first cause of death in Suzhou, and the mortality rate showed an upward trend annual percentage changes (APC=0.62%,1987—2017年苏州市心血管疾病（CVD）一直位于死因顺位首位，死亡率呈现上升趋势[年度变化百分比（APC）=0.62%

To explore the mediating role of psychological resilience to childhood abuse and binge eating. This study assessed the childhood abuse, binge eating and psychological resilience of 3 453 middle school students in Harbin city, Heilongjiang Province. SPSS PROCESS macro program, combined with Bootstrap method, was employed to explore the mediating effect of psychological resilience. The incidence of middle school students experiencing at least one type of abuse in their childhood was 81.3% (2 807/3 453). Childhood abuse, psychological resilience and binge eating were all significantly different in terms of gender, household registration and whether they were only child (all为探讨心理弹性在童年期虐待与暴饮暴食之间的中介作用，本研究对黑龙江省哈尔滨市3 453名初高中生的童年期虐待、暴饮暴食及心理弹性水平进行测评。使用SPSS PROCESS宏程序并结合Bootstrap方法共同探讨心理弹性的中介作用。中学生童年期至少经历过一种虐待类型的发生率为81.3%（2 807名），童年期虐待、心理弹性及暴饮暴食在性别、户籍及是否独生子女方面均存在差异，具有统计学意义（

Aim Under-management of diabetes can lead to a hyperglycaemic episode (HCE), which could be further strengthened in the presence of schizophrenia and the use of antipsychotics. This study aims to investigate the risk of HCE in diabetic patients with schizophrenia. Additionally, the duration of antipsychotic use on the risk of HCE is examined. Materials and methods A total of 13858 diabetic patients with schizophrenia and 55407 controls (without schizophrenia) matched by gender, age, index year, and Charlson Comorbidity Index score were included between 1999 and 2010 and followed to the end of 2013 using from the Taiwan National Health Insurance Research Database. During the follow-up period, participants who developed HCE were identified. Cox regression analysis was used to calculate the hazard ratio (HR) with 95% confidence interval (95% CI) of the HCE incidence rate between the two groups studied. Results Diabetic patients with schizophrenia were associated with an increased risk of HCE compared with unaffected controls after adjusted for baseline demographics and duration of antipsychotic use (4.73 versus 2.43 per 1,000 person-years, HR: 2.16, 95% CI: 1.85-2.51). Also, in diabetic patients with schizophrenia, a longer duration of antipsychotic use was associated with a lower risk of HCE after adjustment for the above-mentioned variables, suggesting a protective effect of antipsychotics against HCE during prolonged use. Conclusion This study highlights the need to pay more attention to the risk of HCE in diabetic patients with schizophrenia and the importance of proper use of antipsychotics may reduce the risk of HCE.

In the thermo-mechanical process of lightweight alloys, such as aluminum alloys, complex microstructure evolutions are inevitably involved via the continuous dynamic recrystallization (CDRX) featured with extensive formation of subgrains followed by progressive transition into new grains. In this study, a novel fully integrated CDRX-VPSC (visco-plastic self-consistent) model is established. First, numerical formulations for formation and rotation of subgrains are addressed by reasonably tackling the grain boundary characteristics, and also the concept of generation for CDRX grains is newly introduced. By considering these two aspects, the grain population is updated according to the complex grain boundary evolutions. In the VPSC module of the integrated modeling, the shear strain rate, dislocation density, and orientation are calculated to update the grain populations and grain sizes in the CDRX module. The validation of the proposed model is conducted by simulating the hot compression of extruded AA7075 sheet, in which the DRX mechanism is controlled by the subgrain related dynamic recovery (DRV) and CDRX. The simulated flow stresses, microstructural evolutions (grains size and DRX fractions), and texture features agree well with reported experimental observations.

Intraoperative rerupture (IOR) during clipping of cerebral aneurysms is a difficult complication of microneurosurgery. The aim of this study was to evaluate the incidence of IOR and analyze the strategies for controlling profound hemorrhage. A total of 165 patients with unruptured intracranial aneurysms and 46 patients with subarachnoid hemorrhage (SAH) treated surgically between April 2010 and March 2011, were reviewed. The data were collected with regard to age, sex, presence of symptoms, confounding factors and strategy for controlling intraoperative hemorrhage was analyzed in terms of location of aneurysms, timing of rupture and severity of IOR. 211 patients with 228 aneurysms were treated in this series. There were a total of six IORs which represented an IOR rate of 2.84% per patient and 2.63% per aneurysm. The highest ruptures rates occurred in patients with internal carotid artery aneurysms (25%). Surgeries in the group with ruptured aneurysms had a much higher rate of IOR compared with surgeries in the group with unruptured aneurysms. Of the six IOR aneurysms, one occurred during predissection, four during microdissection and one during clipping. One was major IOR, three were moderate and two were minor. Intraoperative rupture of an intracranial aneurysm can be potentially devastating in vascular neurosurgery. Aneurysm location, presence of SAH and surgical experience of the operating surgeon seem to be important factors affecting the incidence of IOR.

BackgroundImpaired executive function (EF) is suggested to be one of the core features in individuals with autism spectrum disorders (ASD); however, little is known about whether the extent of worse EF in ASD than typically developing (TD) controls is age-dependent. We used age-stratified analysis to reveal this issue.MethodWe assessed 111 youths with ASD (aged 12.5 ± 2.8 years, male 94.6%) and 114 age-, and sex-matched TD controls with Digit Span and four EF tasks of the Cambridge Neuropsychological Test Automated Battery (CANTAB): Spatial Span (SSP), Spatial Working Memory (SWM), Stockings of Cambridge (SOC), and Intradimensional/Extradimensional Shift Test (I/ED).ResultsCompared to TD controls, youths with ASD performed poorer on the Digit Span, SWM, SOC, and I/ED tasks. The performance of all the tasks improved with age for both groups. Age-stratified analyses were conducted due to significant age × group interactions in visuospatial planning (SOC) and set-shifting (I/ED) and showed that poorer performance on these two tasks in ASD than TD controls was found only in the child (aged 8–12 years) rather than the adolescent (aged 13–18 years) group. By contrast, youths with ASD had impaired working memory, regardless of age. The increased magnitude of group difference in visuospatial planning (SOC) with increased task demands differed between the two age groups but no age moderating effect on spatial working memory.ConclusionsOur findings support deficits in visuospatial working memory and planning in youths with ASD; however, worse performance in set-shifting may only be demonstrated in children with ASD.

Background Dysregulation of the autonomic system can affect sinonasal physiological function and may exacerbate the symptom burden associated with rhinosinusitis. However, the association between autonomic dysfunction and chronic rhinosinusitis (CRS) has seldom been studied. Here, we investigated the relationship between autonomic dysfunction and CRS. Methods Patients with CRS who failed medical treatment were prospectively enrolled. All patients underwent pre-operative examinations and completed questionnaires, including the reflux symptom index (RSI) and the Sino-nasal Outcome Test-22 (SNOT-22). Autonomic dysfunction was scored using the 31-item Composite Autonomic Symptom Score (COMPASS 31), a validated simple instrument used to evaluate dysautonomia. Results We prospectively enrolled a total of 89 CRS patients, including 37 with polyps (CRSwNP) and 52 without polyps (CRSsNP). The most common dysautonomic symptoms were dry eye, dry mouth, postural dizziness, and a sensation of excessive fullness after meals. Significant positive correlations were evident between COMPASS 31 and SNOT-22 scores in CRSwNP patients. CRS-associated symptoms, including cough, post-nasal drip, sleep, and psychological dysfunction, were correlated with the level of autonomic dysfunction. Conclusions We found a positive correlation between the symptom burdens of autonomic dysfunction and CRSwNP. The relationship between autonomic dysfunction and CRS is highly complex; further work is needed.

We present our experience with elective microsurgical clipping of unruptured intracranial aneurysms (UIA) and analyze this management. A total of 150 patients with UIA were reviewed and data were collected with regard to age, sex, presence of symptoms, location and size of the aneurysms, surgical complications and postoperative 1 year outcomes. Aneurysm size was assessed either by three-dimensional CT angiography or digital subtraction angiogram. Glasgow Outcome Scale was used to assess clinical outcomes. One hundred and fifty patients with 165 aneurysms were treated in this series. The mean size of the UIA was 5.6mm. Eighty aneurysms (48.5%) were less than 5mm in size, and 73 (44.2%) were from 5 to 10mm. Ten (6.1%) of the aneurysms were large and two (1.2%) were giant. One hundred and forty-three were asymptomatic and seven were symptomatic before surgery. The outcome was good in 147 patients (98%), and only three patients (2%) had a treatment-related unfavorable outcome. Five patients experienced transient neurological deficits and one patient experienced permanent neurological deficits. Overall 98.7% of the treated aneurysms were satisfactorily obliterated. Wound complications were seen only in three patients. In conclusion, UIA pose a significant challenge for neurosurgeons, where a delicate balance between benefits and possible risks must be weighed. If the requisite expertise is available, they can be treated surgically with low morbidity and a good outcome at specialized neurovascular centers.

In this paper, the effects of salicylic acid (SA) algicide carried by cross-linked chitosan on the inhibition of Microcystis flos-aquae and the removal ability of heavy metals Pb and Ni in compound polluted water were studied. The results showed that the algicide had significant inhibitory effects on Microcystis flos-aquae: when the concentrations were 550 and 700 mg L−1, the inhibition time was up to 13 days or more, and the inhibition rate was as high as 99 %. The algicide exhibited strong adsorption capacity to heavy metals Pb and Ni. The adsorption rates of the algicide at concentrations of 400 and 550 mg L−1 on Ni and Pb were 61 and 64.9 %, 71.2 and 72.5 % at 13 days, respectively. The algicide allows a slow release of SA and long-term inhibition of algae and has better adsorption capacity on heavy metals, thus providing a method for the effective control of eutrophication and combined heavy metal pollution in water.

Rare earth (RE)-modified NiCrAlY powders were prepared by ultrasonic gas atomization and deposited on stainless steel substrate by high-velocity oxygen fuel spraying. The effects of the RE on the microstructure, properties, and thermal shock resistance of the NiCrAlY coatings were investigated. The results showed that the NiCrAlY powders were refined and distributed uniformly after adding RE, while the number of unmelted particles in the coatings was reduced. Moreover, the RE-modified coatings showed improved microhardness and distribution uniformity. The microhardness of the coating reached a maximum after adding 0.9 wt.% RE, being 34.4 % higher than that of coatings without RE. The adhesive strength increased and reached a maximum after adding 0.6 wt.% RE, being 18.8 % higher than that of coatings without RE. Excessive RE decreased the adhesive strength. The thermal cycle life of NiCrAlY coatings increased drastically with RE addition. The coating with 0.9 wt.% RE showed optimum thermal shock resistance, being 21.2 % higher than that of coatings without RE.

Previous studies have demonstrated that the levels of B-type natriuretic peptide (BNP) in plasma are negatively correlated with Body Mass Index (BMI) whereas lean body mass is also closely related to plasma BNP. The purpose of this study is to determine the effect of protein nutritional status on plasma BNP in aged patients. The cross-sectional study was applied and the anthropometric measurement and nutritional biochemical test was performed in 1118 elderly inpatients in a stable condition were enrolled in the study (mean age, 75 years; 54% women). The partial correlation and multivariate regression analysis were conducted to analyze the relation of plasma BNP with covariates. After adjustment for confounding factors such as age, smoking and coexisting diseases, we found that the concentrations of BNP were independently associated with serum albumin (s=-0.065, P

Objective To evaluate the feasibility and limitations of the contralateral approach to unruptured superior hypophyseal artery (SHA) aneurysms. Methods Data regarding eight cases of superior hypophyseal artery aneurysms operated on by a contralateral pterional approach at our center from January 2008 to September 2010 were collected and evaluated retrospectively. Of these eight cases, six were male and two were female. The mean age was 57.1 years (range 28 years to 77 years). All the aneurysms were unruptured; five were on right side and three were on left side. The surgical technique and outcome of patients were reviewed. Results All aneurysms were successfully clipped without complication and patency of all superior hypophyseal arteries was preserved. Postoperative three-dimensional computed tomography angiography revealed residual aneurysm in only one case. None of the patients had deterioration of visual acuity or field after surgery. The contralateral pterional approach was found to be appropriate for fully exposing the aneurysmal dome and neck without retraction of the optic nerve or the carotid artery in five cases. Slight retraction of the optic nerve was required in two cases, and significant manipulation of the optic nerve was required in one case. Conclusions The contralateral pterional approach for clipping of unruptured superior hypophyseal artery aneurysms is technically feasible and safe in a select group of patients where optimal results can be achieved without significant retraction of near by neurovascular structures.

High temperature sulphidation is one of the most deleterious forms of surface degradation. In the present work, the high temperature sulphidation behaviours of high velocity oxyfuel sprayed NiCrAlY and NiCrAlYCe coatings on high pressure steels in H2–H2S mixtures were investigated. Results showed that the NiCrAlYCe coating provided much better sulphidation resistance than the NiCrAlY coating in the given environment. After adding minor CeO2, the outer layer of scales became compact and showed good adhesion, which decreased the sulphur vapour pressure inside the scale and promoted the formation of more protective inner layer of sulphospinels (Cr, Ni)Al2S2.

Myeloperoxidase (MPO) is a heme protein produced and released by activated neutrophils and monocytes, and increased MPO is considered important in the pathophysiology of cardiovascular diseases (CVD). Accumulating evidence suggests that preeclampsia (PE), idiopathic intrauterine growth restriction (IUGR), and CVD share many similar metabolic disturbances, including an enhanced systemic inflammatory response and endothelial dysfunction. We hypothesized that MPO plays an important role in the development of PE and IUGR. Plasma samples were collected mid-gestation and at delivery from women with normal pregnancies (n = 40) and those who subsequently developed PE (n = 20), IUGR (n = 11) or both (PE + IUGR, n = 8). Placental samples were obtained immediately after delivery from 22 women with normal pregnancies, 19 women with PE, 14 women with IUGR, and 14 women with PE + IUGR. The MPO concentrations were measured using ELISA. Women with PE + IUGR had significantly higher plasma MPO before delivery than normal pregnant women. There was no difference in plasma levels at mid-gestation or the placental concentrations between women with normal pregnancies and those who developed PE, IUGR, or PE + IUGR. Using explants prepared from the placentas of 8 women with normal pregnancies and 8 women with PE, we found no difference in the levels of MPO in the tissue homogenates and culture media between these two groups of women. Together, these results indicate that increased maternal circulating MPO in women with PE + IUGR is likely a result of enhanced systemic inflammation caused by the established disease rather than a primary pathophysiological factor.

AIM To evaluate the potential of the lipoprotein-associated phospholipase A(2) (Lp-PLA(2) level as a biomarker in the prediction of prognostic outcome in patients with acute ischemic stroke (IS). METHODS From October 2008 to March 2010, 130 patients with acute IS were prospectively enrolled in the study and their medical records were reviewed. A blood sample was collected from each patient 48 hours after acute IS, as well as from 20 healthy volunteers as controls. Messenger-RNA (mRNA) expression of Lp-PLA(2) of peripheral-blood mononuclear cells (PBMNCs) relative to that of β actin was measured using quantitative reverse transcription polymerase chain reaction (RT-PCR). RESULTS Patients with acute IS exhibited significantly higher Lp-PLA(2) mRNA expression of PBMNCs than the control group (p

In this study, the mechanical properties of Caladium (Caladium × hortulanun Birdsey) petiole were investigated. The petiole was considered as a composite beam which consists of rind and core parts. To classify the mechanical properties of rind and core part of petioles, two-phase three-point bending tests were conducted on the specimens cut from petioles. Linear beam theory was used to convert the time-dependent bending forces, during the three-point bending tests, to relaxation moduli. The result shows that the mechanical properties of rind and core parts of Caladium are very different. The relaxation modulus of rind is approximate 40 times higher than relaxation modulus of core at time = 600 s after applying bending load, and the relaxation time distribution of core is wider than the relaxation time distribution of core. The three- and seven-parameter linear viscoelastic constitutive models were used to describe the time-dependent relaxation moduli of rind and core of caladium petiole. The fitted results show that the seven-parameter Wiechert model can describe the viscoelastic behaviour of Caladium petiole very well. The finite element analysis was used to assess the error of this test methodology. The reaction force error because of the tapered diameter of specimens is about 12%.

Please cite this paper as: Lin H-C, Lin H-C, Chen S-F. Increased risk of low birthweight and small for gestational age infants among women with tuberculosis. BJOG 2010;117:585–590. Objective As the relationship between tuberculosis (TB) and fetal outcomes remains unclear, this study used a 3-year nationwide population-based data set to determine the risk of adverse pregnancy outcomes [low birthweight (LBW), preterm birth and small for gestational age (SGA) infants] among women with TB. Design A cross-sectional retrospective study. Setting Taiwan. Sample Linking the Taiwan birth certificate registry and the Taiwan National Health Insurance Research Dataset, we identified 761 women who gave birth from 2001 to 2003 and who had received medication treatment for TB during their pregnancy, together with 3805 unaffected women matched in terms of age and year of delivery. Methods Conditional logistic regression analyses were performed to compare the risk of LBW, preterm birth and SGA for mothers with TB and unaffected mothers. Main outcome measures The risk of LBW, preterm birth and SGA. Results Mothers diagnosed with TB had significantly higher percentages of LBW (8.5 versus 6.4%, P = 0.033) and SGA (19.7 versus 16.7%, P = 0.048) infants than unaffected mothers. However, there was no significant difference in preterm birth (8.0 versus 8.0%, P = 0.961) between these two groups. The adjusted odds ratios of having LBW and SGA infants for mothers with TB were 1.35 (95% CI = 1.01–1.81) and 1.22 (95% CI = 1.00–1.49), respectively, compared with unaffected mothers. Conclusions We concluded that women diagnosed with TB during pregnancy are at increased risk for having LBW and SGA babies, compared with unaffected mothers. We suggest that clinicians should make women with TB aware of the potential risks before planning a child.

Background: This study aims to examine the risk of adverse pregnancy outcomes [low birthweight (LBW), preterm birth, cesarean sections (CS) and babies born small for gestational age (SGA)] in pregnant women with myasthenia gravis (MG), using a 3year population-based database, taking characteristics of infant and mother into consideration. Methods: This study used two nationwide population-based datasets: the Taiwan National Health Insurance Research Dataset and the Taiwan birth certificate registry. We identified 163 pregnant women with MG during 2001–2003 as the study cohort and 815 randomly selected pregnant women as a comparison cohort. Conditional logistic regression analyses were performed. Results: The results showed that, although these patterns did not reach a statistically significant level, mothers with MG had higher percentages of LBW (6.8%, vs. 5.6%), SGA (17.8%, vs. 14.1%) and cesarean deliveries (44.8%, vs. 37.4%), except for preterm births (8.1%, vs. 8.1%). After adjusting for highest maternal education level, marital status, family monthly income and infant gender and parity, the odds ratios (OR) of LBW, preterm birth, SGA infants, and cesarean delivery for mothers with MG were 1.19 (95% CI = 0.60–2.38), 1.00 (95% CI = 0.54–1.87), 1.30 (95% CI = 0.83–2.04), and 1.33 (95% CI = 0.94–1.88), respectively, as compared to unaffected mothers. Conclusions: We conclude that there were no statistically significant differences in the risk of having preterm, LBW, SGA infants and cesarean deliveries between women with and without MG.

Whole-rock chemistry and precise U – Pb zircon chronology have been used to determine the provenance of Archean greenschist-facies siliciclastic sedimentary rocks of the Diemals Formation in the Marda – Diemals area of the central Yilgarn Craton, Western Australia. Field evidence shows that these siliciclastic rocks are, at least in part, derived from uplift and erosion of underlying greenstones, and this is borne out by the similar La/Sc, Cr/Th and REE chemistry of Diemals Formation siltstones and some sandstones to mafic volcanic rocks of the underlying greenstones. The higher Cr/V and lower Y/Ni of some siltstones is consistent with input from ultramafic and mafic rocks. Diemals Formation sandstones and siltstones cannot be separated in terms of ratios such as Zr/La, and siliciclastic rock chemistry reflects provenance rather than the effects of transport and depositional processes, such as sorting. Chemistry does not support input to Diemals Formation sedimentary rocks from the Marda volcanic complex ...

Sex-biased behaviours are expected to play an important role in partitioning genetic variance in animal populations. Comparing genetic structure at markers with different modes of inheritance provides a means of detecting these behaviours and their consequences for population genetic structure. In colonially breeding mammals, the common combination of female philopatry and male vagility can promote contrasting patterns of genetic differentiation between the sexes, both via their effects on recurrent gene flow and on colonization. We examined sex differences in gene flow and structure by comparing maternally inherited mitochondrial DNA (mtDNA) and biparentally inherited autosomal loci in the Formosan lesser horseshoe bat Rhinolophus monoceros. We found that genetic partitioning was higher at mtDNA than autosomal markers in both sexes, indicative of female-biased philopatry and male-biased dispersal. Across Taiwan, isolation-by-distance was detected for all sex/marker combinations but was steeper for mtDNA than for nuclear markers. We suggest that isolation-by-distance shown from mtDNA at large scales is likely to reflect the stepwise founding of new breeding colonies by females during colonization. In contrast, no isolation-by-distance was found at smaller distances of up to 100 km, indicating that gene flow and/or recent shared ancestry homogenises genetic structure among nearby sites. Our results highlight the value of an indirect genetic approach to understanding sex-biased behaviours and their consequences in a little-studied species.

To evaluate the cerebral hemodynamics in cryptococcal meningitis (CM) patients using non-invasive studies. Serial trans-cranial color-coded sonography (TCCS) and magnetic resonance angiography (MRA) studies were performed to measure the cerebral vasculopathy of 12 HIV-negative CM patients. With TCCS, 8 of the 22 middle cerebral arteries (MCAs) showed stenotic velocities, whereas the time-mean velocity (V(mean)) of the 20 anterior cerebral arteries (ACAs), 22 posterior cerebral arteries (PCAs), and 12 basilar arteries (BAs) did not. In total, five patients had stenotic velocities, three of whom had bilateral M1 stenosis (

This paper describes a differential sampling measurement system using AC-programmable Josephson voltage standard (AC-PJVS) system up to 10 V in the frequency range down to 1 Hz. Such system combines the versatility and the accuracy and stability of the Josephson voltage standard. The validity of this method is confirmed with the AC-DC difference measurements of a calibrated thermal converter, and with an electro-thermal simulation at the root-mean square amplitudes of 3 V. The uncertainty of our differential sampling measurement system is estimated to be 1.3 μV/V for waveform frequencies of 62.5 Hz and root-mean square amplitude of 10 V.

This work presents Al 0.3 Ga 0.7 N/AlN/GaN metal-oxide-semiconductor high electron mobility transistors (MOS-HEMTs), grown on the Si substrate, with high-k Al 2 O 3 gate dielectric. The present AlGaN/AlN/GaN MOS-HEMT design (the control Schottky-gate HEMT) has showed two-terminal gate-drain breakdown voltage (BV GD )/turn-on voltage (V on ) of −146.6/1.12 (−96.4/0.98) V, maximum extrinsic transconductance (g m, max ) of 167.3 (124.2) mS/mm, saturated I DS density at V GS = 0 V (I DSS0 ) of 701.4 (538.2) mA/mm, maximum I DS density (I DS, max ) of 927.9 (646) mA/mm, A V of 211.8 (172.5), unity-gain cut-off frequency (f T ) of 16.8 (11) GHz, maximum oscillation frequency (f max ) of 18.8 (14) GHz, 2.4-GHz output power (P out ) of 17.2 (15.7) dBm, power gain (G S ) of 14.1 (13.4) dB, and power-added efficiency (PAE) of 32.2% (27.4%). Consequently, superior improvements of 52.2% in BV GD , 43.6% in I DS, max , 34.7% g m, max , and 52.7%/34.3% in f T /f max are achieved as compared with a control HEMT device.

AlGaN/GaN metal-oxide-semiconductor high electron mobility transistors (MOS-HEMTs), grown on the Si substrate, with high-k TiO 2 gate dielectric (k = 53.6) formed by using non-vacuum ultrasonic spray pyrolysis deposition (USPD) method has been investigated. Pulse I-V and low-frequency noise spectra (1/f) are conducted to characterize the interface property. Enhanced device performances have been accomplished for the devised MOS-HEMT (Schottky-gate HEMT) for the gate dimensions of 1 × 100 μιη2, including drain-source current density (I DS ) at V GS = 0 V (I DSS0 ) of 384 (342) mA/mm, maximum I DS (I DS, max ) of 650 (511) mA/mm, maximum extrinsic transconductance (gm, max) of 107 (110) mS/mm, two-terminal gate-drain breakdown voltage (BV GD ) of −155 (−105) V, turn-on voltage (V on ) of 3.8 (1.8) V, on-state breakdown (BV DS ) of 139 (94) V, gate-voltage swing (GVS) of 2.7 (1.7) V, and on/off current ratio (I on /I off ) of 4.5 × 105 (3.5 × 102). Consequently, the present MOS-HEMT design by using the cost-effective USPD method is suitable for high-power RF circuit applications.

Uterine rupture is a life-threatening obstetrical complication with significant neonatal and maternal morbidity. The authors report a 36-year-old woman with a history of previous caesarean section because of pre-eclampsia and antepartum haemorrhage at 31 gestational weeks during her first pregnancy. Postpartum haemorrhage occurred and the uterine cavity was packed with gauze for reducing blood loss. After two years, she underwent elective, repeat caesarean section at 38+1 gestational weeks with no abdominal pain or vaginal bleeding. During the operation, a six- to seven-cm-long defect was found in the lower uterine segment, with complete separation of the uterine scar and disruption of the visceral peritoneum. A live baby was delivered. The postoperative course was uneventful. Uterine dehiscence and rupture should be suspected in the presence of risk factors such as previous caesarean section, especially uterine packing involved. Spontaneous silent rupture can occur in women without any alarming symptoms.

SIRT6 belongs to the NAD+-dependent class III deacetylase sirtuin family. Accumulating evidences have supported the critical role of SIRT6 in the proliferation, differentiation, cell cycle progression and apoptosis of cancer cells. The present study aims to determine the expression of SIRT6 in human ovarian cancer tissues and further investigate its the biological effect in ovarian cancer.Real time PCR and western blot were performed to examine the mRNA and protein levels SIRT6 in human ovarian cancer tissues and normal tissues. The proliferation of ovarian cancer cells was determined using MTT methods. Small interfering RNA (siRNA) technology was used to down-regulate the expression of SIRT6 and Notch 3.We found that the SIRT6 expression was significantly reduced in human ovarian cancer tissues compared to the normal tissues. Furthermore, our data showed that overexpression of SIRT6 inhibited the proliferation of ovarian cancer cells SKOV3 and OVCAR3. By contrast, down-regulation of SIRT6 enhanced ovarian cancer cells growth. In addition, our study showed that SIRT6 suppressed the expression of Notch 3 both at the mRNA and protein levels in ovarian cancer cells.Our findings indicated that SIRT6 inhibited the proliferation of ovarian cancer cells through down-regulation of Notch 3 expression, and might provide novel therapeutic targets for ovarian cancer therapy.

Chorioamnionitis increases the risk of preterm labour and is associated with adverse neonatal outcomes including cerebral palsy. Tumour necrosis factor-alpha (TNF-alpha) derived from the gestational tissues (placenta, fetal membranes and maternal decidua) is thought to play a pivotal role in the induction of cytokine response in chorioamnionitis. Tumour necrosis factor-alpha converting enzyme (TACE) is essential for the release of TNF-alpha. Our aim was to determine whether the expression of TACE is increased in human gestational tissues from pregnancies complicated by chorioamnionitis, and whether lipopolysaccharide (LPS) causes increased expression of TACE in the human gestational tissues in vitro. The immunostaining of TACE was generally more intense, in particular in the syncytiotrophoblast and stromal cells, in villous samples from pregnancies complicated by chorioamnionitis than those from normal pregnancies. Increased immunoreactivity of TACE was also noted in the amnion and choriodecidua. In parallel, there was an increased infiltration of monocytes/macrophages within the villous stroma and choriodecidua. As a complement to our in vivo findings, LPS significantly increased the levels of mRNA and protein of TACE in a dose-dependent response in villous and fetal membrane explant cultures. Together, our results imply a potential role of TACE in the pathogenesis of chorioamnionitis.

The characteristics of nanocrystalline silicon deposited on different film substrates were studied. Through atomic force microscopy, field emission scanning electron microscopy, Raman scattering and Hall effect measurements, we investigated and compared the morphology, columnar grain size, crystallinity and Hall mobility of nanocrystalline silicon on different film substrates. The mechanisms affecting the characteristics of nanocrystalline silicon deposited to different substrates were studied in detail.

Recent geological mapping and exploration drilling has identified widespread but poorly exposed komatiites in the southern part of the Sandstone greenstone belt, which represent the most significant occurrence of komatiites so far recognised in the north-central Yilgarn Craton. Despite serpentinisation and talc – carbonate alteration, relict olivine-cumulate and less common olivine-spinifex textures are preserved. Whole-rock geochemistry indicates the presence of aluminium-depleted and aluminium-undepleted komatiites, both of which are also found in the Forrestania greenstone belt of the south-central Yilgarn Craton.

New novel fire-resistant and heat-resistant cyclotriphosphazene-containing polyimide resins were prepared in situ by the polymerization of (p-aminophenoxy)(phenoxy)cyclotriphosphazenes with 3,3′,4,4′-benzophenonetetracarboxylic acid or 3,3′,4,4′-diphenylsulfonetetracarboxylic acid and a crosslink agent, 5-norbornene-2,3-dicarboxylic acid and were used as polymer matrix compositing with a woven carbon fiber to prepare nadic-end-capped cyclotriphosphazene-containing polyimide/carbon fiber composites. The thermal stability, flame retardance, morphology of the surface fracture, and some physical properties of the composites were investigated by thermogravimetric analysis, scanning electron microscopy, and a material testing system, respectively. The composites had good thermal stability, flame retardance, and mechanical properties. © 2003 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. J Appl Polym Sci 90: 810–818, 2003