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Simple Summary: CD20-targeting CAR T cells have shown remarkable clinical outcomes in patients with B-cell malignancies. However, the manufacturing processes usually involved in autologous cell collection and gene editing limit their usage and development across the board. Here, we developed an allogenic cell product ACE1831, Vγ9Vδ2 T (γδ2 T) cells equipped with anti-CD20 antibody, using antibody–cell conjugation (ACC) technology. ACE1831 elicits a specific and potent anti-tumor activity against CD20-expressing cancer cells in vitro and in vivo with no abnormal clinical observation. We further found that the ACC-linked antibody/receptor complex stimulated T cell activation upon recognizing the antigen on cancer cells. To summarize, our data show the promise of a novel combination of an ACC platform with γδ2 T cells in allogenic immunotherapy against relapsed/refractory B-cell lymphoma. Chimeric antigen receptor T cell (CAR-T) therapy has been applied in the treatment of B-cell lymphoma; however, CAR-T manufacturing requires virus- or non-virus-based genetic modification, which causes high manufacturing costs and potential safety concerns. Antibody–cell conjugation (ACC) technology, which originated from bio-orthogonal click chemistry, provides an efficient approach for arming immune cells with cancer-targeting antibodies without genetic modification. Here, we applied ACC technology in Vγ9Vδ2 T (γδ2 T) cells to generate a novel off-the-shelf CD20-targeting cell therapy ACE1831 (rituximab-conjugated γδ2 T cells) against relapsed/refractory B-cell lymphoma. ACE1831 exhibited superior cytotoxicity against B-cell lymphoma cells and rituximab-resistant cells compared to γδ2 T cells without rituximab conjugation. The in vivo xenograft study demonstrated that ACE1831 treatment strongly suppressed the aggressive proliferation of B-cell lymphoma and prolonged the survival of tumor-bearing mice with no observed toxicity. Mass spectrometry analysis indicated that cell activation receptors including the TCR complex, integrins and cytokine receptors were conjugated with rituximab. Intriguingly, the antigen recognition of the ACC-linked antibody/receptor complex stimulated NFAT activation and contributed to ACE1831-mediated cytotoxicity against CD20-expressing cancer cells. This study elucidates the role of the ACC-linked antibody/receptor complex in cytotoxicity and supports the potential of ACE1831 as an off-the-shelf γδ2 cell therapy against relapsed/refractory B-cell lymphoma. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Numerical groundwater flow simulation involves manual and tedious pre-processing and post-processing procedures. Hence, this study developed a systematic and efficient workflow to alleviate model buildup and data-processing burdens, allowing researchers to focus on the application aspects of simulation results. This highly automatic workflow allows researchers to execute three-dimensional groundwater flow simulations in sites with complex hydrogeological conditions. Processes in the workflow are formed as a trilogy: building a hydrogeological conceptual model, generating a site-specific unstructured mesh and specifying simulation conditions, and executing the simulation and post-processing results. The workflow feasibility has been demonstrated by simulating the three-component (water, brine, and air) fluid flow in Huayu Islet, the only andesitic island of the basaltic Penghu archipelago, using TOUGH3 (Transport of Unsaturated Groundwater and Heat version 3) and its EOS7 (Equation of State #7) fluid module. Our self-developed mesh generator can produce a locally refined unstructured mesh with millions of grid cells that can capture the essential geological features of Huayu. It was found that, of the three scenarios considered, only the one using a fine mesh coupled with a two-phase Dirichlet boundary condition at the top surface could obtain a physically meaningful bowl-shaped fresh water and brine interface and reasonable transport pathway characteristics. In summary, the developed workflow serves as a practical methodology to authentically characterize the hydrogeologic mechanisms of a site with complicated geology. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The ability of an observationally‐constrained cloud‐system resolving model (Weather Research and Forecasting; WRF, 4‐km grid spacing) and a global climate model (Energy Exascale Earth System Model; E3SM, 1‐degree grid spacing) to represent the precipitation diurnal cycle over the Amazon basin during the 2014 wet season is assessed. The WRF model coupled with a 3‐D variational data assimilation scheme reproduces the spatial variability of the precipitation diurnal cycle over the basin and the lifecycle of westward propagating MCSs initiated by the coastal sea‐breeze front. In contrast, a single morning peak in rainfall is produced by E3SM for simulations despite the nudging of large‐scale winds toward global reanalysis, indicating precipitation in E3SM is largely controlled by local convection associated with diurnal heating. The role of propagating MCS on the environment are discussed by using a multivariate perturbation analysis. We also find that the advection of moisture perturbations from ocean to inland regions have a higher correlation with the occurrence of MCSs in the Amazon than the intensity of colder air intrusion associated with sea breezes along the coast. Moreover, the presence of large cold pools over the central Amazon basin are responsible for the maintenance of propagating deep convection. Plain Language Summary: The Amazon basin in South America is one of the regions over land that has the highest occurrence of large‐size and deep cloud systems (also called "Mescoscale Convective System" [MCS]). Since they have a wide coverage and produce much heavier rainfall than the other types of cloud, the regional climate and even the earth system are tied closely with their behaviors. However, current global atmospheric models are unable to reproduce realistic diurnal variation of precipitation in the Amazon and the poor representation of those MCSs is responsible for the deficiency. We use various observations as the reference to understand how accurate the physical processes related to MCS are represented by both the cloud‐system resolving (higher‐resolution) and global climate (lower‐resolution) models. The results show the diurnal variation of local precipitation in the basin is mostly reproduced by cloud‐system resolving model but not the global climate model, because the propagating MCSs and many related processes can only be simulated by using higher‐resolution model. We also found the advection of moisture perturbation from ocean to inland regions have a higher correlation with the occurrence of MCS in the Amazon than intensity of colder air intrusion associated with sea breezes along the coast. Key Points: Spatial variability of the precipitation diurnal variation in the Amazon is mostly reproduced by WRF but not E3SMRepresentation of propagating convective systems is the key to simulate accurate diurnal cycle of precipitationOcean to inland advection of moisture perturbations into the Amazon control the occurrence of propagating MCS [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Continental shallow cumulus (ShCu) clouds observed on 30 August 2016 during the Holistic Interactions of Shallow Clouds, Aerosols, and Land‐Ecosystems (HI‐SCALE) field campaign are simulated by using an observation‐constrained cloud‐system resolving model. On this day, ShCu forms over Oklahoma and southern Kansas and some of these clouds transition to deeper, precipitating convection during the afternoon. We apply a four‐dimensional ensemble‐variational (4DEnVar) hybrid technique in the Community Gridpoint Statistical Interpolation (GSI) system to assimilate operational data sets and unique boundary layer measurements including a Raman lidar, radar wind profilers, radiosondes, and surface stations collected by the U.S. Department of Energy's (DOE) Atmospheric Radiation Measurement (ARM) Southern Great Plains (SGP) atmospheric observatory into the Weather Research and Forecasting (WRF) model to ascertain how improved environmental conditions can influence forecasts of ShCu populations and the transition to deeper convection. Independent observations from aircraft, satellite, as well as ARM's remote sensors are used to evaluate model performance in different aspects. Several model experiments are conducted to identify the impact of data assimilation (DA) on the prediction of clouds evolution. The analyses indicate that ShCu populations are more accurately reproduced after DA in terms of cloud initiation time and cloud base height, which can be attributed to an improved representation of the ambient meteorological conditions and the convective boundary layer. Extending the assimilation to 18 UTC (local noon) also improved the simulation of shallow‐to‐deep transitions of convective clouds. Plain Language Summary: Accurate prediction of life cycle of shallow convective clouds is very challenging for the existing weather and climate models since they have difficulties in reproducing realistic atmospheric structure within a shallow layer near the Earth surface (also called boundary layer, roughly below 2‐km height in daytime). To tackle this fundamental problem, the observational data collected for operational weather prediction as well as unique boundary layer observations measured near north‐central Oklahoma are integrated to constrain the behavior of cloud‐system resolving model across different scales with an emphasis on boundary layer. The results show that the model biases in atmospheric conditions, especially humidity within boundary layer, are reduced with the modification informed by observations. As a consequence, shallow convective clouds are well reproduced in terms of cloud evolution in time and space which are verified by various cloud measurements. It also suggests that surface observation can be used to correct cold pool intensity which is closely related to the maintenance of deep convective clouds that are transitioned from shallow convective clouds. Key Points: Observations are utilized to constrain cloud‐system resolving model to improve the prediction of continental shallow cumulus populationsThe impact of assimilating boundary layer measurements on simulation of shallow cloud populations is especially examinedThe evolution of shallow clouds is better simulated as more realistic ambient environment and boundary layer are represented in the model [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The operation and maintenance costs of wind power generation systems can be reduced through the implementation of maintenance policies at suitable procurement indenture and maintenance levels. Purchasing components involves uncertainties associated with cost and component reliability due to objectives which frequently lack precision. In order to solve fuzzy multi-objective lot-sizing decisions of spare parts for a long term predictive maintenance planning problem in offshore wind farms, this study develops a novel fuzzy multi-objective linear programming model with piecewise linear membership function and S-curve membership function to simultaneously evaluate maintenance cost and system reliability. This model integrates multi-OWT (offshore wind turbines), multi-component, multi-supplier, and component reliability functions for offshore wind systems under an uncertain environment. The analytical results can help operation and maintenance managers to systematically analyze the cost-effectiveness and system reliability of predictive maintenance planning in practical applications. • The predictive maintenance planning problem in offshore wind farms uncertain environment. • Fuzzy multi-objective linear programming model with the piecewise linear membership function and S-curve membership function. • An interactive decision-making procedure facilitating the fuzzy environment. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Marine shellfish toxins are seafood safety problems of global concern. Herein the analysis of six shellfish toxins, regulated by European Union, with one single run by LC-MS/MS with acidic mobile phase was developed. After 80% methanol extraction of the shellfish toxins, the crude extract was subjected to HLB SPE cleanup before LC-MS/MS analysis. The method was validated according to Commission Decision 2002/657/EC. For azaspiracid-1 (AZA1), domoic acid (DA), dinophysistoxin-1 (DTX1), okadaic acid (OA), pectenotoxin-2 (PTX2), and yessotoxin (YTX) toxins the recovery rate was 99.4, 92.7, 114.1, 90.2, 115.2 and 87.8%, respectively. The intra-day relative standard deviation (RSD) was less than 5% for all of the shellfish toxins except DA. The inter-day RSD was less than 5% for AZA1, DTX1, PTX2, YTX, 7.85% for DA, and 14.63% for OA. The decision limit (CCα) and detection capability (CCβ) for AZA1 were 13.6 and 14.8 ppb; for DA they were 1883 and 2051 ppb; DTX1 12.3 and 13.4 ppb; OA 8.0 and 8.7 ppb; PTX2 12.1 and 13.2 ppb; YTX 36.9 and 40.1 ppb. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Abstract Objectives Long non-coding RNAs (lncRNAs) are a group of noncoding RNAs with length larger than 200 nucleotides. LncRNAs have limited or no protein-coding capacity because of lack of obvious open reading frame. An increasing number of researches have shown that lncRNAs participate in the complex regulation network of cancer and play an important role in tumourigenesis and progression such as proliferation, migration and invasion. LncRNA FOXD2 adjacent opposite strand RNA 1 (FOXD2-AS1), located on chromosome 1p33 and with a transcript length of 2527 nucleotides, is a novel cancer-related lncRNA. FOXD2-AS1 was recently found to exhibit aberrant expression in various malignancies, including gastric, lung, bladder, colorectal, nasopharyngeal, esophageal, hepatocellular, thyroid and skin cancer, and its deregulation might be related to survival and prognosis of cancer patients. Pertinent to clinical practice, FOXD2-AS1 might act as a feasible biomarker or therapeutic target in human cancers. In this paper, we made a summary on the current findings concerning the biological functions and molecular mechanisms of FOXD2-AS1 in tumor progression. Materials and methods In this paper, we summarized and figured out recent studies about the expression and molecular biological mechanisms of FOXD2-AS1 in tumor progression. Existing relevant studies were obtained through a systematic search from PubMed, Embase, BioMedNet, GEO database and Cochrane Library. Results FOXD2-AS1 was a valuable tumor-associated lncRNA. Its expression level was up-regulation in various malignancies, including gastric, lung, bladder, colorectal, nasopharyngeal, esophageal, hepatocellular, thyroid and skin cancer. In addition, the aberrant expressions of FOXD2-AS1 have shown to contribute to proliferation, migration and invasion of cancer cells, and its deregulation is related to carcinogensis, overall survival, disease free survival, prognosis and tumor progression. Conclusions LncRNA FOXD2-AS1 is an oncogene and probably represents a feasible biomarker or therapeutic target in human cancers. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This study develops a fuzzy multi-objective linear programming (FMOLP) model with an interactive two-phase possibilistic linear programming (ITPPLP) approach for solving remanufacturing production system problems with multiple goals in a fuzzy environment. Because the related parameters are imprecise/fuzzy in nature, a triangular possibility distribution can be used. The proposed model aims to simultaneously minimize total production costs and total lead time, while integrating multiple suppliers, multiple components, multiple time periods, and multiple machines to realize a remanufacturing production system. An air-conditioning compressor case was used to test the proposed models. The analytical results presented in this work will allow decision-making managers to better understand the systematic analysis, potential for cost-effectiveness and lead time of recoverable remanufacturing planning. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The aims of this paper are to consider cost and energy consumption to solve overhead crane systems' setting issues. The main issue is that cranes use higher frequency handling equipment in heavy industry. In the overhead crane system setting issues, the determining factors, such as cost, load and energy consumption, are fuzzy. Moreover, decision makers must simultaneously consider real-world conflicting multi-objectives. In summary the question involves a fuzzy multi-objectives problem. Therefore, this paper adopted fuzzy multi-objective programming to construct a mathematical model aimed at minimizing cost and energy consumption with reference to the crane load, recovery period and budget, to carry out a crane system configuration. The model is used for a real problem to verify its correctness. Finally, this study provides a reference for decision makers to purchase crane device configurations. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In this study, we found that dynamic movements of squid in its feeding phase have profound effects on its abundance and thus affect its availability to fisheries. The Argentine shortfin squid Illex argentinus is one of the world’s important economic invertebrate species, with annual fisheries production exceeding one million tons in some years, but the value drastically fluctuates by more than 20-fold. Using catch per unit effort (CPUE) data from the Taiwanese squid jigging fleets during the years 2004–2013, we evaluated its variability in abundance, and the most possible relationships to migration patterns. Results from the statistical analysis using a generalized additive model (GAM) showed that within a specific year, the CPUE was linearly related to latitude (between 46°S and 50°S) and sea surface temperature (SST; of between 10 and 14 °C) components, corresponding to the squid’s dynamic movement during a fishing season. Two distinctive movement patterns for low- and high-abundance years were recognized. In low-abundance years (2004 and 2010), negative cross-correlations between the CPUE and the latitudinal component of the fishing position were found in a time-lagged analyses, suggesting a decoupling of the CPUE from latitude; while in high-abundance years (2007 and 2013), a positive correlation was found, signifying a strong coupling between the CPUE and latitude. A spectral analysis identified one significant long-period (low frequency) coherency between the CPUE and the latitudinal component in 2007, while no significant coherency was found in 2004, suggesting a feasible matchup of squid abundance and its southern feeding movement for an expected high annual production. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Candies, chewing gums, dried fruits, jellies, chocolate, and shredded squid pieces imported from 17 countries were surveyed for their aluminum content. The samples were bought from candy shops, supermarkets, and convenience stores, and through online shopping. Sample selection focused on imported candies and snacks. A total of 67 samples, including five chewing gums, seven dried fruits, 13 chocolates, two jellies, two dried squid pieces, and 38 candies, were analyzed. The content of aluminum was analyzed by inductively coupled plasma optical emission spectrometry (ICP OES). The limit of quantitation for aluminum was 1.53 mg/kg. The content of aluminum ranged from not detected (ND) to 828.9 mg/kg. The mean concentrations of aluminum in chewing gums, dried fruits, chocolate, jellies, dried squid pieces, and candies were 36.62 mg/kg, 300.06 mg/kg, 9.1 mg/kg, 2.3 mg/kg, 7.8 mg/kg, and 24.26 mg/kg, respectively. Some samples had relatively high aluminum content. The highest aluminum content of 828.9 mg/kg was found in dried papaya threads imported from Thailand. Candies imported from Thailand and Vietnam had aluminum contents of 265.7 mg/kg and 333.1 mg/kg, respectively. Exposure risk assessment based on data from the Taiwan National Food Consumption Database was employed to calculate the percent provisional tolerable weekly intake (%PTWI). The percent provisional tolerable weekly intake of aluminum for adults (19-50 years) and children (3-6 years) based on the consumption rate of the total population showed that candies and snacks did not contribute greatly to aluminum exposure. By contrast, in the exposure assessment based on the consumers-only consumption rate, the estimated values of weekly exposure to aluminum from dried papaya threads in adults (19-50 years) and children (3-6 years) were 4.18 mg/kg body weight (bw)/wk and 7.93 mg/kg bw/wk, respectively, for 50th percentile consumers, and 6.26 mg/kg bw/wk and 12.88 mg/kg bw/wk, respectively, for 95th percentile consumers. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Danggui Buxue Tang (DBT) is a simple combination of Radix Astragali and Radix Angelica sinensis (5:1), with a variety pharmacological activities. In the present study, a single intravenous injection of 30 mg/kg streptozotocin and subsequent six weeks of high glucose diet in Sprague Dawley rats were used to induce diabetic nephropathy. Rats with diabetes mellitus showed increased levels of fasting blood glucose (FBG), blood urea nitrogen (BUN), serum creatinine (Scr), serum and urine β2-microglobulins (β2-MG), and type IV collagen (all P<0.05). DBT treatment significantly decreased the levels of FBG, BUN, Scr, serum and urine β2-MG, and type IV collagen. Furthermore, DBT treatment significantly and dose-dependently restored the ultrastructural injury, and reduced the expression of heparanase, compared with the vehicle (P<0.05). Therefore, DBT may be a novel therapeutic approach for the prevention and treatment of diabetic nephrology. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In this study, nanocomposites of cobalt sulfide and carbon nanotube (CNT) in the forms of CNT@CoS 1.097 and CNT@Co 9 S 8 were deposited on fluorine-doped SnO 2 (FTO)-coated glasses by using a facile spray-coating approach, followed by annealing under N 2 atmosphere at 400 and 600 °C, respectively; and employed as counter electrodes (CEs) for dye-sensitized solar cells (DSCs). According to the electrochemical properties of CEs quantified by cyclic voltammetry, electrochemical impedance spectroscopy, and Tafel polarization measurements, the CNT@Co 9 S 8 CE showed a superior electrocatalytic activity towards triiodide (I 3 ) reduction to that of the CNT@CoS 1.097 CE. As a result, the DSC based on the CNT@Co 9 S 8 CE achieved an impressive photovoltaic conversion efficiency of 7.78%, which was even higher than those of the DSCs assembled with the CNT@CoS 1.097 CE (7.29%) and Pt CE (7.46%). This signifies that the CNT@Co 9 S 8 was indeed an efficient and cost-effective Pt-like alternative CE for I 3 reduction reaction in DSCs. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Rapid and nondestructive measurement of moisture content in crude palm oil is essential for promoting the shelf-stability and quality. In this research, micro NIR spectrometer coupled with a multivariate calibration model was used to collect and analyse fingerprinted information from palm oil samples at different moisture contents. Several preprocessing methods such as standard normal variant (SNV), multiplicative scatter correction (MSC), Savitzky–Golay first derivative (SGD1), Savitzky–Golay second derivative (SGD2) together with partial least square (PLS) regression techniques, full PLS, interval PLS (iPLS), synergy interval PLS (SiPLS), genetic algorithm PLS (GAPLS), and successive projection algorithm PLS (SPA-PLS) were comparatively employed to construct an optimum quantitative prediction model for moisture content in crude palm oil. The models were evaluated according to the coefficient of determination and root mean square error in calibration (Rc and RMSEC) and prediction (Rp and RMSEC) set, respectively. The model SGD1 + SiPLS was the optimal novel algorithm obtained among the others with the performance of Rc = 0.968 and RMSEC = 0.468 in the calibration set and Rp = 0.956 and RMSEP = 0.361 in the prediction set. The results showed that rapid and nondestructive determination of moisture content in palm oil is feasible and this would go a long way to facilitating quality control of crude palm oil. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Highlights: [•] Calcium contributes to proline accumulation in duckweed under salt stress. [•] At 200mM NaCl, NADH-GDH activity increased and GS activity decreased. [•] Addition of Ca2+ ameliorates NaCl injury and increases in GS and GDH expression. [•] Exogenous proline protects GS2 from redox degradation in the chloroplast lysates. [•] Ca-induced proline plays as an enzyme protectant in cytosol and possibly in chloroplast. [Copyright &y& Elsevier]

Highlights: [•] CoS NSAs was prepared by a combined electrodeposition and chemical soaking. [•] CoS NSAs CE exhibited high transmittance (>70%) at wavelength of 550nm. [•] CoS NSAs CE showed the lowest R ct of 0.95Ωcm2. [•] The efficiency of the Pt-free DSC reached 6.39% using the CoS NSAs CE. [Copyright &y& Elsevier]

Cholesteatoma is a destructive and expanding growth of keratinizing squamous epithelium in the middle ear or petrous apex. The molecular and cellular processes of the pathogenesis of acquired middle ear cholesteatoma have not been fully understood. In this study, comparative proteomic analysis was conducted to investigate the roles of specific proteins in the pathways regarding keratinocyte proliferation in cholesteatoma. The differential proteins were detected by comparing the two-dimension electrophoresis (2-DE) maps of the epithelial tissues of 12 attic cholesteatomas with those of retroauricular skins. There were 14 upregulated proteins in the epithelial tissues of cholesteatoma in comparison with retroauricular skin. The modulation of five crucial proteins, HSP27, PRDX2, GRP75, GRP78 and GRP94, was further determined by RT-PCR, Western blot and immunohistochemistry. Phosphorylation of HSP27 at Ser-82 was identified by mass spectroscopy. The results of this study suggested that phosphorylated HSP27 is the end expression of two potential signal-transduction pathways, and together with PRDX2, they are very likely involved in the proliferation of keratinocytes in cholesteatoma. Upregulations of GRP75, GRP78 and GRP94 in keratinocytes may be able to counter endoplasmic reticulum stress, to inhibit cell apoptosis, to prevent protein unfolding and to promote cholesteatoma growth. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Formaldehyde can be added illegally as a food preservative in addition to the endogenous formaldehyde that naturally occurs in aquatic products. In this study, formaldehyde was derivatized from 2,4-dinitrophenylhydrazine and analyzed using gas chromatography--mass spectrometry to investigate free and reversibly bound formaldehyde in 10 squid and squid products. The results were compared to those obtained by high-performance liquid chromatography (HPLC). The limit of detection was 2.0 mg/kg. The total concentrations of free and reversibly bound formaldehyde were, on average, higher than the free formaldehyde concentration by 26.6 mg/kg. Free formaldehyde made up, on average, 39% of total free and reversibly bound formaldehyde. The sum of the concentrations of free and reversibly bound formaldehyde was, on average, higher than the free formaldehyde concentration by 19.3 mg/ kg in the HPLC method. Free formaldehyde made up an average of 39% of total free and reversibly bound formaldehyde in the HPLC method. The use of gas chromatography--mass spectrometry to detect formaldehyde in aquatic products allowed confirmation through retention time and molecular mass information. The monitoring of free formaldehyde in aquatic products and proper control of the manufacturing process could help to reduce the formaldehyde level in shredded squid products. Finally, exposure to formaldehyde from consumption of shredded squid was estimated: it was less than 0.2 mg/kg, which is the oral reference dose suggested by the US Environmental Protection Agency. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Cow milk is one of the most important nutrition sources besides breast milk for infants and babies; therefore the detection of nitrate and nitrite in milk is of great importance to the health of infants and babies. Traditional colorimetric method for the determination of the nitrate and nitrite concentrations in food is very tedious. In the present study, 100 samples of milk and milk powder were analyzed by ion chromatography to detect nitrate and nitrite simultaneously without tedious preparation steps. The limit of detection (LOD) for nitrate is 0.33 ppm and the LOD for nitrite 0.07 ppm. The measured nitrate concentration in milk ranged from 0.3 - 417.7 ppm with an average concentration of 92.7 ppm. The nitrite concentration in all milk samples were below the detection limit. The survey information was as the following: (1) the average nitrate concentration of colostrums fortified milk ranged from 14.1 to 136 ppm. (2) the average nitrate concentration of whey fortified milk ranged from 42.6 to 242.8 ppm. (3) the average nitrate concentration of ordinary milk ranged from 57.9 to 157.6 ppm. The dietafyintake of nitrate from milk and milk products in Taiwanese adults and children were estimated. All the nitrate exposure levels calculated with the measured results for the different age groups were less than the acceptable daily intake (ADI) of 3.7 mg/ kg body weight per day suggested by WHO. Finally the health effect of nitrate and nitrite in foods was discussed. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The antimicrobial properties of natural luffa sponge were tested by flask shaking method, and test results showed: luffa sponge fiber didn't have antimicrobial effects to fungi includingTrichophyton rubrumandCandida albicans, and bacterial referring toStaphlylococcus aureus. In order to endow the luffa sponge with antifungal properties, antifungal finishing on luffa sponge fibers were conducted, and the performance of the treated fibers were measured. As shown in the results, fibers treated by organic antifungal agent showed that the resistance toTrichophyton rubrumwas 92.46% and 88.55% toCandida albicansafter finishing. In addition, antifungal agent was successfully loaded on sponge fiber, which rendered luffa sponge high antifungal activity. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Taoyuan tableland faces the increasing water demand associated with the expansion of industrialization and urbanization. The county currently relies on the Shihmen Reservoir as the single water supply system. It will be of great concern in the shortage of water resources. This study aims to explore the impact of changes in farm ponds on the regional agricultural environment in Taoyuan County with multiyear (1993, 2003, and 2010) SPOT satellite imagery. Results show that farm ponds have decreased by 10.55million m2 from 1993 to 2010, and the existing farm ponds were 18.80 million m2 in 2010, equivalent to the irrigation water of 21.10~31.65 million m3 (tons) and 37.61~56.41 million m3 (tons), respectively. The existing farm ponds are able to provide the water supply for 1.88~2.82 thousand hectares of agricultural land, accounting for 6.70%~10.50% of total agricultural area of Taoyuan County. Corresponding to the government's promotion policy (2012) on activating fallow land, if we redeploy the existing farm ponds for activating fallow fields, it will lessen the water supply burden of Shimen Reservoir. Thus, farm ponds remain the significant water facilities. For the sustainable agriculture, farm ponds shall be classified and cherished as a public asset for the future development. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Abstract: The toxic effects of diethyl phthalate (DEP), a potent allelochemical, on the enzyme activity and polypeptide accumulation of glutamine synthetase (GS) in greater duckweed were investigated. In our previous studies, DEP induced oxidative responses at concentrations from 0.5 to 2mM in greater duckweed and the antioxidant enzymes played important roles in the defense strategy against DEP stress. In this study, DAB-H2O2 and NBT stain for superoxide radicals (O2 .−), lipid peroxidation, HSP70, and ammonia accumulation in DEP-treated duckweed tissues revealed adverse effect of DEP in plant growth. Biochemical analysis and physiological methods were combined to investigate GS activity and polypeptide accumulation under DEP-induced stress. The results showed that GS activity was reduced with the increasing concentration of DEP, indicative of enhanced toxic effect. Immunoblot analysis with chloroplast soluble fractions indicated that the chloroplastic GS (GS2) polypeptide from greater duckweed was degraded under DEP stress conditions. The response of GS2 to the DEP stress may be modulated by means of redox change in plant tissues, chloroplasts, and chloroplast lysates. The results suggest that DEP is toxic to the greater duckweed by inhibition of the GS isoenzymes in nitrogen assimilation and the GS2 plays important roles in the adaptation strategy against DEP toxicity. [Copyright &y& Elsevier]

Abstract: One cutlassfish species, the common hairtail (Trichiurus japonicus), forms large populations on the western North Pacific continental shelf, where fisheries exploitation is extensive, and the stocks have suffered overfishing. For the purpose of stock identification and fisheries management, an accurate and efficient method of identifying species and separating compound catch samples with desirable accuracy is needed. Up to twelve cutlassfish species may be mixed in catches; they have similar external morphologies and the existing taxonomic keys are somewhat vague, making accurate field identification difficult. Herein, we prepared 12 DNA consensus sequences of 651 base pairs of the mitochondrial cytochrome c oxidase subunit I (COI) gene for each species, as a species-specific barcode to facilitate the correct identification of commercial catch compositions and processed products. These standard barcode sequences showed high interspecific differences, together with high within-species similarities (>95% similarity). The degree of interspecific differences basically conformed to the age of phylogenetic origin, and thus barcode differences were genetically comprehensive. To validate their effectiveness, we tested cutlassfish samples taken from markets (both fresh and frozen), and the results revealed high reliability. The developed protocols are of value for both conservative fisheries management and governmental scrutiny of labeling of cutlassfish products. [Copyright &y& Elsevier]

Abstract: The toxicity and effects of diethyl phthalate (DEP), a potent allelochemical, on the growth of greater duckweed were studied. Biochemical analyses and physiological methods were combined to investigate oxidative stress, adverse effects and their mechanisms in greater duckweeds grown in 0–2mM of diethyl phthalate (DEP) after cultivation for 7 days. The results showed that J-shaped concentration response curves were displayed in hydrogen peroxide (H2O2), ascorbic acid (ASA) and dehydroascorbate (DHA) levels, and ascorbate peroxidase (APX) and gualacol peroxidase (POD) activities, indicating reduced oxidative stress and toxic effect. The inverted U-shaped curves were exhibited in relative growth rate (RGR), fresh weight/dry weight (FW/DW) ratio, total chlorophyll content, total soluble thiols, and glutathione reductase (GR) activity, revealing beneficial effect in plant growth. The inverted U-shaped curves were also found in malondialdehyde (MAD) and superoxide radical (O2 −) contents with the increasing concentration of DEP, indicative of enhanced oxidative stress. The results suggest that DEP is toxic to the greater duckweed by inducing oxidative stress and antioxidative enzymes may play important roles in the defense strategy against DEP toxicity. [Copyright &y& Elsevier]

The quantitative precipitation forecast (QPF) capability of the Variational Doppler Radar Analysis System (VDRAS) is investigated in the Taiwan area, where the complex topography and surrounding oceans pose great challenges to accurate rainfall prediction. Two real cases observed during intensive operation periods (IOPs) 4 and 8 of the 2008 Southwest Monsoon Experiment (SoWMEX) are selected for this study. Experiments are first carried out to explore the sensitivity of the retrieved fields and model forecasts with respect to different background fields. All results after assimilation of the Doppler radar data indicate that the principal kinematic and thermodynamic features recovered by the VDRAS four-dimensional variational data assimilation (4DVAR) technique are rather reasonable. Starting from a background field generated by blending ground-based in situ measurements (radiosonde and surface mesonet station) and reanalysis data over the oceans, VDRAS is capable of capturing the evolution of the major precipitation systems after 2 h of simulation. The model QPF capability is generally comparable to or better than that obtained using only in situ observations or reanalysis data to prepare the background fields. In a second set of experiments, it is proposed to merge the VDRAS analysis field with the Weather Research and Forecasting Model (WRF), and let the latter continue with the following model integration. The results indicate that through this combination, the performance of the model QPF can be further improved. The accuracy of the predicted 2-h accumulated rainfall turns out to be significantly higher than that generated by using VDRAS or WRF alone. This can be attributed to the assimilation of meso- and convective-scale information, embedded in the radar data, into VDRAS, and to better treatment of the topographic effects by the WRF simulation. The results illustrated in this study demonstrate a feasible extension for the application of VDRAS in other regions with similar geographic conditions and observational limitations. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This study was conducted to demonstrate ultra-low-molecular-weight heparin's neuroprotective effects on ischemic injury both in vivo and in vitro studies. In vitro, the effect of ultra-low-molecular-weight heparin was tested in cultured PC12 cells exposed to Earle's solution containing sodium dithionite, to identify its neuroprotection to PC12 cells damaged by oxygen-glucose deprivation (OGD). The cell injury was detected by the tetrazolium salt 3-(4,5-dimethyl-2-thiazolyl)-2,5 diphenyl-2H tetrazolium bromide (MTT) assay. In vivo, male Wistar rats with middle cerebral artery occlusion were evaluated for infarct volume followed by the treatment with ultra-low-molecular-weight heparin. The results in vitro showed that ultra-low-molecular-weight heparin significantly inhibited PC12 cells damage induced by OGD. Results in vivo showed that vein injection of Ultra-Low-molecular-weight heparin at doses of 0.5 and 1.0 mg/kg exerted significant neuroprotective effects on rats with focal cerebral ischemic injury by significantly reducing the infarct volume compared with the injury group. All the findings suggest that ultra-low-molecular-weight heparin might act as a neuroprotective agent useful in the treatment of cerebral ischemia. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The main purpose of this paper is to propose an incorporating improved grammatical evolution (GE) into the genetic algorithm (GA), called GEGA, to estimate the compressive strength of high-performance concrete (HPC). The GE is a recently developed evolutionary programming type system. It is used to automatically discover complex relationships between significant factors and the strength of HPC. This method is transparent and can enhance our understanding of the mechanisms of HPC strength. A GA was used afterward with GE to optimize the appropriate function type and its associated coefficients. In addition, macroevolution algorithm was processed to improve search efficiency during the GA optimization procedure. The case study includes over 1,000 examples of HPC for which experimental data were available. This novel model, GEGA, can obtain a highly nonlinear mathematical equation for predicting the HPC’s compressive strength. The results show that GEGA has lower estimating errors, which outperforms another evolutionary strategy called genetic programming and two popular types of traditional multiple regression analysis. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The catch per unit effort (CPUE) is a widely used index for assessing the abundance of exploited populations in fishery management. To obtain appropriate CPUE values, it is essential to standardise catch-effort data from fisheries. This task is particularly important for squid fisheries because squid generally have a short life-span and are vulnerable to environmental variability, and thus effective fishery management should take such factors into account. In this study, we analysed unit catches of paired vessels operating under similar fishing conditions to calculate their relative fishing power (RFP) in order to standardise the CPUE of the Taiwanese fleet jigging for Illex argentinus in the Southwest Atlantic. To evaluate the appropriateness of the method, we used a logbook dataset covering eleven years (1993–2003), in which 93.5% of the total catch during the period was included. The results indicate that 98.7% of the fishing effort can be standardised according to the estimated RFP. Compared to nominal CPUE, the standardised CPUE values projected an explainable temporal pattern, indicating an increasing trend in abundance from 1995 to 1999 and a subsequent sharp plunge from 1999 to 2003. However, the RFP was not related to apparent physical factors of the vessel, such as gross tonnage or vessel length. Our evaluations suggest that the RFP method is appropriate for standardising the CPUE, so that it can serve as an abundance index that reflects the annual recruitment size of the squid fishery, because the quality of the method can potentially take possible affecting factors into account in order to satisfy the general assumptions of standardisation criteria. However, the effects of varying the settings of parameters should be carefully examined prior to applying this standardisation method to other squid fisheries. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

A short-term, pulse injection tracer experiment conducted in fractured quartzitic sandstone at Kukuan, Taiwan was analyzed. Tracer transport at the test site was dominated by advection but a specific attenuation mechanism leading to breakthrough curve (BTC) tailing also seemed to exist. Matrix diffusion was hypothesized as the transport mechanism thai results in the tailing. This hypothesis was proved by comparing the field BTC with numerical simulation results obtained by the general-purpose flow/transport simulator, TOUGH2, based on a single-fracture conceptual model. Due to the lack of accuracy of estimating the interporosity flux by the conventional double porosity model (DPM), TOUGH2 was incorporated with the multiple interacting continua (MINC) scheme to simulate the transient characteristics of the interporosity flux. In MINC, rock matrix is discretized as a series of continua according to the perpendicular distance from the fracture that adjoins the matrix. The closer the rock matrix is to the fracture, the finer the rook matrix is discretized. This concept is fundamentally different from DPM in that rock matrix is no longer treated as a single continuum. Simulation results by TOUGH2-MINC have successfully reproduced the observed BTC tailing even under the dominating advection effect. Sensitivity studies showed that TOUGH2-MINC is sensitive to parameters including fracture aperture (2b), matrix porosity (nm) and effective molecular diffusion coefficient in matrix (Dm). If 2b, nm, Dm, are respectively 200 µm, 2%, 10-11 m² s-1, and if hydrodynamic dispersion coefficient (D) is 1.69 x 10-6 m² s-1, TOUGH2-MINC result can well fit the field BTC. Furthermore, the importance of matrix diffusion was verified by fitting the field BTC with analytical solutions that either neglect matrix diffusion or consider the mass exchange between mobile and immobile zones within the fracture as the attenuation transport mechanism. It was found that the BTC tailing can only be modeled if matrix diffusion is taken into account. Therefore, matrix diffusion can explain BTC tailing for advection-dominated tracer transport in fractured sandstone. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Abstract: A simple, low-cost technique for fabrication of an optical fiber oxygen sensor is described. The technique is based on coating the end of an optical fiber with a microporous film prepared by a sol–gel process. A platinum complex, platinum tetrakis pentrafluoropheny porphine (PtTFPP) or platinum octaethylporphine (PtOEP), is trapped in the microporous film. In this sensor configuration, the complex is excited by the 380nm radiation and guided by an optical fiber. As a result, the I 0/I 100 values of the PtTFPP or PtOEP doped in n-Octyltriethoxysilane (Octyl-triEOS)/tetraethylorthosilane (TEOS) composite xerogels are estimated to be 22.31 and 47.84, respectively. Also, the typical Stern–Volmer plot shows a very good linearity. The response time of the PtTFPP doped in Octyl-triEOS/TEOS composite xerogels is 0.6s upon switching from nitrogen to oxygen and 5s from oxygen to nitrogen. In addition, the response time of the PtOEP doped in Octyl-triEOS/TEOS composite xerogels is 0.7s upon switching from nitrogen to oxygen and 14s from oxygen to nitrogen. These results indicate that the optical fiber oxygen sensors based on the platinum complexes exhibit greater sensitivity, stability and faster response time as compared to the existing ones. [Copyright &y& Elsevier]

The following study was focused on the simulation of a steam-injection field pilot test conducted in our past research. The scope of research contained two main subjects: heat transfer and contaminant transport when steam was injected into a pentachlorophenol (PCP)-contaminated aquifer. Numerical simulation of the heat transfer during the field test showed that vertical permeability is more influential to the distribution of water temperature than the horizontal permeability. If the vertical permeability is relatively high, the steam in the aquifer has a higher tendency to migrate upward and cause the aquifer temperature to rise faster. The simulation results also showed that heat convection is very sensitive to the soil permeability. Therefore, high permeability media makes the effect of heat convection more important on applying the steam-injection method. Heat conduction dominates the heat transfer within the hot aqueous zone. However, the hot aqueous zone is relatively smaller than the steam zone when steam is injected into the aquifer. Therefore, heat conduction is not as important as heat convection within the steam zone, which is the same result observed in the field test. Specific heat of soil media is also a sensitive factor. A numerical simulator, T2VOC, was utilized to simulate the PCP transport in the aquifer when steam was injected into the aquifer. The results showed that the shape of PCP distribution was identical to that of steam. It illustrated that the steam carried PCP upward and laterally. The high vertical soil permeability causes the steam to migrate upward with PCP easily. A low partitioning coefficient allows PCP to be desorbed easier, also an important factor. A majority of the PCP in the soil was transferred to the aqueous phase as the water temperature increased, showing similar results to those observed in the field test. According to the sensitivity analysis, PCP transport is more sensitive to the vertical permeability than the partitioning coefficient. The steam-injection rate is also an important operation parameter and may determine the success of the remediation work. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This study investigated gender differences for college computer science majors in Taiwan. Subjects were college students enrolled in five universities offering computer science programs. A total of 940 valid questionnaires were collected, including 796 males (85%) and 144 females (15%). Significant gender differences were not found for most of the College Entrance Examination (CEE) scores, prior computer experience and the prediction models of college performance. However, female students achieved significantly higher scores in CEE language component. Females were also found to outperform males in academic achievement at both the high school and college levels, including math courses. The results seem to suggest that, in Taiwan, female students who decided to enroll in the computer science programs might be more confident in their ability to compete with males in this male-dominated field, due to appropriate amount of math discipline and computer experience they gained prior to entering college. [Copyright &y& Elsevier]

The neon flying squid, Ommastrephes bartramii (Lesueur), is a widespread subtropical to temperate species, and is composed of several tempo-spatial groups in the North Pacific. We analyze the growth parameters of two allopatric stocks with two seasonal cohorts using statolith microstructure, and propose a tempo-spatial migration model.We used 571 statoliths, obtained from juvenile/adult squids (175–527 mm mantle length, ML). Based on precise digitized statolith growth marks, various early life demographic traits were estimated by the back-calculation method. Two cohorts of autumn and winter were identified in the northeastern (NE) North Pacific, while only a comparable winter cohort was found in the northwestern (NW). There was a significant difference in the relationships of statolith radius (Ra) to increment numbers (In) between NE and NW stocks. However, linear ML to Ra relationship exhibited no geographic difference in large females (>350 mm ML), but significant difference between NE and NW in both small females (<350 mm ML) and males. Growth in length (ML) at week (t) is best fitted by a power function of innate growth for NE small females and males, and NW large females; however, the Gompertz function of decreasing growth rate is better for NE large females, and NW small females and males. Variations on demographic traits confirm two geographic stocks of NE and NW, and two seasonal cohorts of NE stock. Indistinguishable growth parameters shown by NE and NW large females suggest a longer life history of the population, which migrates across the geographic boundary at a longitude of 170°E. The ambient temperature, that corresponding to their early life stages, could be a plausible factor in later growth difference. [Copyright &y& Elsevier]

Bacterial infections trigger inflammation and impede the closure of skin wounds. The misuse of antibiotics exacerbates skin infections by generating multidrug-resistant bacteria. In this study, we developed chemo-photothermal therapy (chemo-PTT) based on near-infrared (NIR)-irradiated chitosan/gold nanorod (GNR) clusters as anti-methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus (MRSA) agents. The nanocomposites exhibited an average size of 223 nm with a surface charge of 36 mV. These plasmonic nanocomposites demonstrated on-demand and rapid hyperthermal action under NIR. The combined effect of positive charge and PTT by NIR-irradiated nanocomposites resulted in a remarkable inhibition rate of 96 % against planktonic MRSA, indicating a synergistic activity compared to chitosan nanoparticles or GNR alone. The nanocomposites easily penetrated the biofilm matrix. The combination of chemical and photothermal treatments by NIR-stimulated clusters significantly damaged the biofilm structure, eradicating MRSA inside the biomass. NIR-irradiated chitosan/GNR clusters increased the skin temperature of mice by 13 °C. The plasmonic nanocomposites induced negligible skin irritation in vivo. In summary, this novel nanosystem demonstrated potent antibacterial effects against planktonic and biofilm MRSA, showcasing the possible efficacy in treating skin infections. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Investigates whether student academic achievement in college computer science programs in Taiwan could be predicted by factors reported to be effective in the United States. Factors identified as effective performance predictors; Prediction models used; Results of analysis for gender differences.

This work examined the effects of maternal conditions on early life history traits of black porgy Acanthopagrus schlegeli. Age-II females produced significantly larger eggs as compared to the same size of Age-III females. Also, within each of the age groups, there was a positive relationship between egg size and female size. The larger eggs generally had larger volumes of oil globules, required longer incubation periods (hatching age), and produced larger larvae that endured longer to starvation. Hatching age was covaried negatively with yolk volume at hatching, indicating that embryonic development consumed primarily yolk as its energy resource. The condition factor, gonadosomatic index, hepatosomatic index, and lipid content of the females were not related to the early life history traits of their offspring. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: Metastasis is a severe problem in patients with oral squamous cell carcinoma (OSCC), which is the fifth most common cancer worldwide. Leukemia inhibitory factor (LIF) has been studied in different cancers, while the role of LIF in OSCC remains unclear. Methods: LIF expression was detected in 100 OSCC samples by immunohistochemistry. Effects of LIF on cell motility were evaluated in OSCC cell lines. High-throughput microarray analysis was also conducted. The correlation between LIF and the downstream effector was analyzed by real-time quantitative reverse transcription PCR. Results: Patients with OSCC who had lymph node metastasis or advanced cancer stages showed high LIF expression. OSCC patients with higher LIF expression, advanced stage, large tumor size, or lymph node metastasis had significantly shorter overall survival. LIF regulated cancer cell motilities through outside-in signaling. The inhibin beta A subunit (INHBA) gene was identified as a crucial downstream effector of LIF-promoted OSCC progression and restored migration and invasion abilities in LIF knockdown transfectants. Conclusion: LIF enhances regional lymphatic spread, thus leading to an advanced cancer stage. Regulation of LIF downstream molecules such as INHBA inhibits the invasion or migration ability of cancer cells. Thus, LIF can be a potential target in preventing cancer metastasis and spread. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Objective To investigate the response on late stage Chinese AIDS patients after highly active antiretroviral therapy (HAART). Methods From October 2002 to March 2004, 20 cases of late stage Chinese AIDS patients were selected to participate in this opened and randomised study, we purposely chose those with CD4+ T cell counts < 100/mm³. All of them had one or two opportunistic infections and none had been treated with anti-HIV drugs. All patients were tested with CD4+ (naive CD4+ T cell defined by CD45RA+ and CD62L+, memory CD4+ T cell defined by CD45RA-), CD8+ T cell, plasma HIV viral load, and clinical manifestations on before, during, and after HAART (5 different regimes) on 1, 3, 6, 9, and 12 months. Results Before HAART mean CD4+ T cell counts were 32 ± 31 (range 2–91)/mm³, and plasma HIV viral load were 5.07 ± 0.85(range 2.04–5.70) log copies/mL. In 1 month's time patients treated with HAART had mean CD4+ and CDε T cell counts increasing rapidly. After 1 month the increasing speed turned to slow down, but HIV viral load decreased predominantly within the first 3 months. The major part of increasing CD4+ T cells were memory CD4+ T cells, as for naive CD4+ T cells increasing low and slow. Clinical symptoms and signs improved, and opportunistic infections reduced. The quality of life will be far much better than before. Each patient was followed for 12 months, and had finished 12 months' HAART. Conclusion This is the first report in China that late stage Chinese AIDS patients after HAART could have their immune reconstitution. The regular pattern is similar to what had been reported in Western countries and also in China. So it is worth to treat late stage Chinese AIDS patients with HAART. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

An accurate wind resource dataset is required for assessing the potential energy yield of floating offshore wind farms that are expected along the California outer continental shelf. The National Renewable Energy Laboratory has developed and disseminated an updated wind resource dataset offshore of California, using the Weather Research and Forecasting Model, referred to as the CA20 dataset. As compared to buoy lidar measurements that have become available recently, the CA20 dataset showed significant positive biases for 100-m wind speeds along Northern California wind energy lease areas. To investigate the meteorological drivers for the model errors, we first consider two 1-yr simulations run with two different planetary boundary layer (PBL) parameterizations: the Mellor–Yamada–Nakanishi–Niino (MYNN) PBL scheme (the chosen configuration in the CA20 dataset) and the Yonsei University PBL scheme (which significantly reduces the bias in modeled winds). By comparing the 1-yr simulations to the concurrent lidar buoy observations, we find that errors are larger with the MYNN PBL scheme in warm seasons. We then dive deeper into the analysis by running simulations for short-term (3-day) case studies to evaluate the sensitivity of initial/boundary condition forcings on model results. By analyzing the short-term simulations, we find that during synoptic-scale northerly flows driven by the North Pacific high and inland thermal low, a coastal warm bias in the MYNN simulation is mainly responsible for the modeled wind speed bias by altering the boundary layer thermodynamics. The results of our analysis will help guide the creation of an updated version of the CA20 dataset. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Purpose: To systematically explore the superiority of the transperitoneal approach in robot-assisted partial nephrectomy (TP-RAPN) and retroperitoneal approach in robot-assisted partial nephrectomy (RP-RAPN). Methods: Several databases were searched including PubMed, EMBASE, Cochrane Library, Web of Science, CNKI, CBM, Wan Fang, and VIP to identify relevant studies that reported the comparison of the TP-RAPN and RP-RAPN. Outcomes of data were pooled and analyzed with Review Manager 5.3 to compare the intraoperative and postoperative variables and postoperative complications. Based on the heterogeneity of the studies, odds ratios (ORs) and weighted mean differences (WMDs) with 95% confidence intervals (CIs) were calculated using a random-effect model or fixed-effect model. The sensitivity analysis and the subgroup analysis were used to minimize the effects of heterogeneity. And, publication bias was assessed by funnel plots. Results: In all, 16 studies met the inclusion criteria, including 2336 TP-RAPN patients and 1705 RP-RAPN patients. This meta-analysis reviewed 16 studies on RAPN, and the RP-RAPN showed shorter operative time (OT) (WMD 13.18 minutes; 95% CI 5.04–21.31; p = 0.001), shorter postoperative bowel function recovery (WMD 1.97 days; 95% CI 0.43–3.52; p = 0.01), shorter length of stay (LOS) (WMD 0.51 days; 95% CI 0.25–0.77; p = 0.0001), and lower estimated blood loss (EBL) (WMD 7.08 mL; 95% CI 1.41–12.74; p = 0.01) than the TP-RAPN. Additionally, no significant differences were found in other outcomes. Conclusions: In comparison, the RP-RAPN had significantly shorter OT, postoperative bowel function recovery time, LOS, and lower EBL. The RP-RAPN is associated with better value for posterior and laterally located tumors and is faster and equally safe and low costs for the patient. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This research is to develop a new tool to improve the performance of predicting prostate cancer (PCa) and reducing unnecessary biopsies. The clinical data of patients who were definitely diagnosed by prostate biopsy were retrospectively analyzed. PCa risks that include age, prostate-specific antigen (PSA), PSA density (PSAD), free-PSA (fPSA), the ratio of fPSA to PSA (%fPSA), prostate volume (PV), digital rectal examination (DRE) and multi-parametric magnetic resonance imaging (MP-MRI) were selected by univariate and multivariate analysis. The satisfactory risks were used to establish predictor (Prostate Biopsy Rating Scale, PBRS). The total score (TS) that was obtained from PBRS was performed to forecast PCa. The areas under the receiver operating characteristic curve (AUC) and the net reclassification index (NRI) were used to compare the predictive ability. A total of 1078 cases were recruited. The mean values of TS in PCa and non-PCa were 15.94 ± 3.26 and 10.49 ± 3.36 points respectively. The AUC of PBRS was higher than PSA, PSAD and MP-MRI (0.87 vs. 0.75, 0.78, 0.80, respectively). PBRS can reduce unnecessary biopsies compared with PSA, PSAD and MP-MRI by up to 63%, 54% and 44%, respectively. In brief, PBRS is a promising predictor of forecasting PCa. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) is a malignant tumor leading cancer-associated high mortality worldwide. Unfortunately, the most commonly used drug therapeutics not only lack of target ability and efficiency, but also exhibit severe systemic toxicity to normal tissues. Thus, effective and targeted nanodrug of HCC therapy is emerging as a more important issue. Here, we design and develop the novel nanomicelles, namely Mannose-polyethylene glycol 600-Nitroimidazole (Man-NIT). This micelle compound with high purity comprise two parts, which can self-assemble into nanoscale micelle. The outer shell is selected mannose as hydrophilic moiety, while the inner core is nitroimidazole as hydrophobic moiety. In the cell experiment, Man-NIT was more cellular uptake by HCCLM3 cells due to the mannose modification. Mannose as a kind of glucose transporter 1 (GLUT1) substrate, can specifically recognize and bind to over-expressed GLUT1 on carcinoma cytomembrane. The nitroimidazole moiety of Man-NIT was reduced by the over-expressed nitroreductase with reduced nicotinamide adenine dinucleotide phosphate (NADPH) as the cofactor, resulting in transient deletion of NADPH and glutathione (GSH). The increase of reactive oxygen species (ROS) in HCCLM3 cells disturbed the balance of redox, and finally caused the death of tumor cells. Additional in vivo experiment was conducted using twenty-four male BALB/c nude mice to build the tumor model. The results showed that nanomicelles were accumulated in the liver of mice. The tumor size and pathological features were obviously improved after nanomicelles treatment. It indicates that namomicelles have a tumor inhibition effect, especially Man-NIT, which may be a potential nanodrug of chemotherapeutics for HCC therapy. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Non-nutritive sweeteners are low-calorie substances used to replace sugar, and are commonly used worldwide in the food industry as single or combined compounds. Determination of these sweeteners in foods and the environment is important to ensure consistency in quality and product safety. The types and amounts of allowed sweeteners vary greatly between countries. Hence, it is important to measure sweetener concentrations effectively and efficiently. This study reviews mass spectrometry-based methods for the detection and quantification of these compounds, as they are the most sensitive and precise analytical techniques now employed in sweeteners analysis. The advantages and disadvantages of each published method, including sample preparation, have been discussed. This review also presents information relating to widely used sweeteners in terms of regulations. [Display omitted] • Highlights advances in sample preparation techniques and the trends are summarized. • Different mass spectrometric methods for the determination of sweeteners are discussed. • The advantage and disadvantages of analytical tools are comprehensively compared. • Applications and future challenges are presented. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Objective: To introduce a wireless high‐definition endoscopic system (WHES) and compare it with a Storz high‐definition (HD) system for image resolution, colour resolution, weight, and costs. Materials and Methods: The WHES incorporated a portable light‐emitting diode light source and a wireless camera module, which can be compatible with different types of endoscopes. Images were wirelessly transmitted to a monitor or mobile platform such as smartphone through a receiver. The International Standards Organization 12233 resolution chart image was used for the comparison of image resolution and Munsell Colour Checker Chart for colour resolution. In all, 38 endourologists used a Likert questionnaire to blindly evaluate cystoscopic images from a patient with haematuria. The surgical team was asked about the overall performance of the WHES in 20 laparoscopic adrenalectomies using a unvalidated subjective survey. Results: There was no difference in image resolution between the two systems (5.82 vs 5.89 line pairs/mm). Without lens and respective light sources, there were better purple (ΔE = 21.48 vs 28.73), blue (ΔE = 34.88 vs 38.6) and red colour resolution (ΔE = 29.01 vs 35.45) for the WHES camera (P < 0.05), but orange (ΔE = 43.45 vs 36.52) and yellow (ΔE = 52.7 vs 35.93) resolutions were better for the Storz HD camera (P < 0.05). Comparing the WHES to a Storz laparoscopic system, the Storz system still had better resolution of orange and yellow, while the resolution of purple, blue, and red was similar for the two systems. The expert comments on resolution, brightness, and colour for cystoscopy were not statistically different, but the ergonomics score for the WHES was higher (3.7 vs 3.33, P = 0.038). The overall cost of the WHES was $23 000–25 000 compared with $45 000–50 000 for a Storz system. There were 100% general satisfaction for the WHES in the survey. Conclusion: We developed a new WHES that provides the same resolution images as a Storz laparoscopic system and acceptable colour resolution with the advantages of wireless connection, small volume, low cost, portability, and high‐speed wireless transmission. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Drug delivery system (DDS) realizes the drug delivery process through the drug carrier. As an important part of DDS, the selection of the drug carrier material is extremely critical, which requires the carrier material to possess excellent biocompatibility and targeting and not affect the pharmacological action of the drug. As one of the endogenous extracellular vesicles, exosomes are 30–100 nm in diameter, which are considered a new generation of a natural nanoscale delivery system. Exosomes secreted by different types of cells carry signaling molecules (such as proteins and nucleic acid) playing an important role in cell behaviors. Owing to their ability to specialize in intercellular communication, exosomes provide a distinctive method to deliver therapeutic drugs to target cells. In this concept, exosomes as the natural liposomes carry endogenous biomolecules, have excellent biocompatibility, and could be loaded with cargo both in vivo and in vitro. In addition, modifications by genetic and/or chemical engineering to part of the exosome surface or complement the desired natural effect may enhance the targeting with drug loading capability. Notably, exosomes weakly react with serum proteins prolonging cargo half-life. Overall, exosomes as natural carriers integrate the superiority of synthetic nanocarriers and cellular communication while precluding their limitations, which provides novel and reliable methods for drug delivery and treatment. Our review focuses on the therapeutic potentials and clinical values of exosomes as a carrier of drug delivery system in multiple diseases, including cancer, nervous, immune, and skeletal system diseases. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Pancreatic cancer is the most lethal type of malignancy and is characterized by high invasiveness without severe symptoms. It is difficult to detect PC at an early stage because of the low diagnostic accuracy of existing routine methods, such as abdominal ultrasound, CT, MRI, and endoscopic ultrasound (EUS). Therefore, it is of value to develop new diagnostic techniques for early detection with high accuracy. In this review, we aim to highlight research progress on novel biomarkers, artificial intelligence, and nanomaterial applications on the diagnostic accuracy of pancreatic cancer. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Realistic simulation of the Earth's mean-state climate remains a major challenge, and yet it is crucial for predicting the climate system in transition. Deficiencies in models' process representations, propagation of errors from one process to another, and associated compensating errors can often confound the interpretation and improvement of model simulations. These errors and biases can also lead to unrealistic climate projections and incorrect attribution of the physical mechanisms governing past and future climate change. Here we show that a significantly improved global atmospheric simulation can be achieved by focusing on the realism of process assumptions in cloud calibration and subgrid effects using the Energy Exascale Earth System Model (E3SM) Atmosphere Model version 1 (EAMv1). The calibration of clouds and subgrid effects informed by our understanding of physical mechanisms leads to significant improvements in clouds and precipitation climatology, reducing common and long-standing biases across cloud regimes in the model. The improved cloud fidelity in turn reduces biases in other aspects of the system. Furthermore, even though the recalibration does not change the global mean aerosol and total anthropogenic effective radiative forcings (ERFs), the sensitivity of clouds, precipitation, and surface temperature to aerosol perturbations is significantly reduced. This suggests that it is possible to achieve improvements to the historical evolution of surface temperature over EAMv1 and that precise knowledge of global mean ERFs is not enough to constrain historical or future climate change. Cloud feedbacks are also significantly reduced in the recalibrated model, suggesting that there would be a lower climate sensitivity when it is run as part of the fully coupled E3SM. This study also compares results from incremental changes to cloud microphysics, turbulent mixing, deep convection, and subgrid effects to understand how assumptions in the representation of these processes affect different aspects of the simulated atmosphere as well as its response to forcings. We conclude that the spectral composition and geographical distribution of the ERFs and cloud feedback, as well as the fidelity of the simulated base climate state, are important for constraining the climate in the past and future. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]