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Abstract Background Limited literature exists on the feasibility and effectiveness of integrating stereotactic ablative radiotherapy (SABR) techniques with hyperfractionated regimens for patients with lung cancer. This study aims to assess whether the SABR technique with hyperfractionation can potentially reduce lung toxicity. Methods We utilized the linear‐quadratic model to find the optimal fraction to maximize the tumor biological equivalent dose (BED) to normal‐tissue BED ratio. Validation was performed by comparing the SABR plans with 50 Gy/5 fractions and hyperfractionationed plans with 88.8 Gy/74 fractions with the same tumor BED and planning criteria for 10 patients with early‐stage lung cancer. Mean lung BED, Lyman–Kutcher–Burman (LKB) normal tissue complication probability (NTCP), critical volume (CV) criteria (volume below BED of 22.92 and 25.65 Gy, and mean BED for lowest 1000 and 1500 cc) and the percentage of the lung receiving 20Gy or more (V20) were compared using the Wilcoxon signed‐rank test. Results The transition point occurs when the tumor‐to‐normal tissue ratio (TNR) of the physical dose equals the TNR of α/β in the BED dose‐volume histogram of the lung. Compared with the hypofractionated regimen, the hyperfractionated regimen is superior in the dose range above but inferior below the transition point. The hyperfractionated regimen showed a lower mean lung BED (6.40 Gy vs. 7.73 Gy) and NTCP (3.50% vs. 4.21%), with inferior results concerning CV criteria and higher V20 (7.37% vs. 7.03%) in comparison with the hypofractionated regimen (p

Abstract Tumor-to-normal ratio (T/N) measurement of 18F-FBPA is crucial for patient eligibility to receive boron neutron capture therapy. This study aims to compare the difference in standard uptake value ratios on brain tumors and normal brains using PET/MR ZTE and atlas-based attenuation correction with the current standard PET/CT attenuation correction. Regarding the normal brain uptake, the difference was not significant between PET/CT and PET/MR attenuation correction methods. The T/N ratio of PET/CT-AC, PET/MR ZTE-AC and PET/MR AB-AC were 2.34 ± 0.95, 2.29 ± 0.88, and 2.19 ± 0.80, respectively. The T/N ratio comparison showed no significance using PET/CT-AC and PET/MR ZTE-AC. As for the PET/MRI AB-AC, significantly lower T/N ratio was observed (− 5.18 ± 9.52%; p

The World Health Organization (WHO) classification system for central nervous system (CNS) tumors provides a distinct framework for differentiating these tumors from other types. Notably, gliomas are the most common and clinically significant primary brain tumors. The 2021 update of the WHO classification system (WHO CNS5), building upon the 2016 edition, integrates molecular genetics with histopathological insights to enhance diagnostic precision. This update advocates a multi-layered diagnostic strategy, combining histopathology, WHO grading, and molecular genetics into a unified diagnosis, thus refining the basis for clinical research, trials, and therapeutic interventions. In WHO CNS5, gliomas are categorized into three main groups based on IDH mutation and 1p/19q codeletion status: Diffuse astrocytoma with IDH-mutant, oligodendroglioma with IDH-mutant and 1p/19q-codeletion, and glioblastoma with IDH-wildtype. The diagnostic criteria for adult diffuse gliomas include detailed descriptions of the updated classification, focusing on the molecular markers and histopathological characteristics.

Abstract The presence of oral microbes in extra-oral sites is linked to gastrointestinal cancers. However, their potential ectopically colonization in the nasopharynx and impact on local cancer development remains uncertain. Our study involving paired nasopharyngeal-oral microbial samples from nasopharyngeal carcinoma (NPC) patients and controls unveils an aberrant oral-to-nasopharyngeal microbial translocation associated with increased NPC risk (OR = 4.51, P = 0.012). Thirteen species are classified as oral-translocated and enriched in NPC patients. Among these, Fusobacterium nucleatum and Prevotella intermedia are validated through culturomics and clonal strain identification. Nasopharyngeal biopsy meta-transcriptomes confirm these microbes within tumors, influencing local microenvironment and cytokine response. These microbes correlate significantly with the Epstein-Barr virus (EBV) loads in the nasopharynx, exhibiting an increased dose-response relationship. Collectively, our study identifies oral microbes migrating to the nasopharynx, infiltrating tumors, impacting microenvironments and linking with EBV infection. These results enhance our understanding of abnormal microbial communication and their roles in carcinogenesis.

It is inevitable to cut reinforced concrete (RC) appeared in cross passage of city metro by cutting tools when constructing in densely populated area. The previous cutters employed to cut RC are insufficient and easily damaged, so a new polycrystalline diamond compact (PDC) cutter is used to solve this question. Based on the theoretical analysis of cutting mechanism, both circular and tapered PDC cutters with cutting edge angle of 90° and negative front rack angle of 10° are used to cut RC. The peeling and breaking patterns of cutting concrete are proposed, the nodular and grainy chips are the preferred modes in cutting steel bars. The LS-DYNA is employed to investigate the cutting performance in advance. The simulation results show that the average and peak cutting forces increase with the growth of penetration depth, cutting speed, and roundness, and subsequently the recommended penetration depth less than 1.2 mm is obtained to cut RC due to the existence of steel bars. Moreover, the linear cutting platform is adopted to investigate the force ability and damage state of PDC cutters. It is concluded that the cutting force increases abruptly and fluctuates heavily when cutting the coarse aggregates. The patterns occurred in both numerical and experimental results are generally similar. Notably, the steel bar is pulled out and the PDC cutter is damaged at the penetration depth of 0.8 mm, while a good cut occurs at the penetration depth of 0.3 mm. The tapered PDC cutter with a relatively low cutting force is prone to be broken compared with circular PDC cutter. It is suggested that the circular PDC cutter at the penetration depth of 0.3 mm should be used to cut RC in practical engineering.

ABSTRACTThe Gram-negative oral pathobiont Fusobacterium nucleatum can traverse to extra-oral sites such as placenta and colon, promoting adverse pregnancy outcomes and colorectal cancer, respectively. How this anaerobe sustains many metabolically changing environments enabling its virulence potential remains unclear. Informed by our genome-wide transposon mutagenesis, we report here that the highly conserved Rhodobacter nitrogen-fixation (Rnf) complex, encoded by the rnfCDGEAB gene cluster, is key to fusobacterial metabolic adaptation and virulence. Genetic disruption of the Rnf complex via non-polar, in-frame deletion of rnfC (ΔrnfC) abrogates polymicrobial interaction (or coaggregation) associated with adhesin RadD and biofilm formation. The defect in coaggregation is not due to reduced cell surface of RadD, but rather an increased level of extracellular lysine, which binds RadD and inhibits coaggregation. Indeed, removal of extracellular lysine via washing ΔrnfC cells restores coaggregation, while addition of lysine inhibits this process. These phenotypes mirror that of a mutant (ΔkamA) that fails to metabolize extracellular lysine. Strikingly, the ΔrnfC mutant is defective in ATP production, cell growth, cell morphology, and expression of the enzyme MegL that produces hydrogen sulfide (H2S) from cysteine. Targeted metabolic profiling demonstrated that catabolism of many amino acids, including histidine and lysine, is altered in ΔrnfC cells, thereby reducing production of ATP and metabolites including H2S and butyrate. Most importantly, we show that the ΔrnfC mutant is severely attenuated in a mouse model of preterm birth. The indispensable function of Rnf complex in fusobacterial pathogenesis via modulation of bacterial metabolism makes it an attractive target for developing therapeutic intervention.IMPORTANCEThis paper illuminates the significant question of how the oral commensal Fusobacterium nucleatum adapts to the metabolically changing environments of several extra-oral sites such as placenta and colon to promote various diseases as an opportunistic pathogen. We demonstrate here that the highly conserved Rhodobacter nitrogen-fixation complex, commonly known as Rnf complex, is key to fusobacterial metabolic adaptation and virulence. Genetic disruption of this Rnf complex causes global defects in polymicrobial interaction, biofilm formation, cell growth and morphology, hydrogen sulfide production, and ATP synthesis. Targeted metabolomic profiling demonstrates that the loss of this respiratory enzyme significantly diminishes catabolism of numerous amino acids, which negatively impacts fusobacterial virulence as tested in a preterm birth model in mice.

Abstract Background Atypical teratoid rhabdoid tumor (AT/RT) occurs at a younger age and is associated with a worse prognosis than medulloblastoma; however, these two tumor entities are mostly indistinguishable on neuroimaging. The aim of our study was to differentiate AT/RT and medulloblastoma based on their clinical and MRI features to enhance treatment planning and outcome prediction. Methods From 2005–2021, we retrospectively enrolled 16 patients with histopathologically diagnosed AT/RT and 57 patients with medulloblastoma at our institute. We evaluated their clinical data and MRI findings, including lesion signals, intratumoral morphologies, and peritumoral/distal involvement. Results The age of children with AT/RT was younger than that of children with medulloblastoma (2.8 ± 4.9 [0–17] vs. 6.5 ± 4.0 [0–18], p

Abstract Background To investigate whether whole‐brain radiotherapy (WBRT) decreases lymphocyte counts and evaluate the impact of treatment‐related lymphopenia on survival in patients with brain metastasis. Methods Medical records from 60 small‐cell lung cancer patients treated with WBRT from January 2010 to December 2018 were included in the study. Total lymphocyte count (TLC) was obtained pre and post treatment (within 1 month). We performed linear and logistic regression analyses to identify predictors of lymphopenia. The association between lymphopenia and survival was analyzed using Cox regression analysis. Results Thirty‐nine patients (65%) developed treatment‐related lymphopenia. The median TLC decrease was −374 cells/μL (interquartile range −50 to −722, p

Abstract Background Stereotactic ablative radiotherapy (SABR) is now the standard of care for patients with inoperable early‐stage lung cancer. Many of these patients are elderly. EGFR (epidermal growth factor receptor) mutation is also common in the Asian population. Methods To evaluate the effects of old age and EGFR mutation on treatment outcomes and toxicity, we reviewed the medical records of 71 consecutive patients with inoperable early‐stage non‐small cell lung cancer (NSCLC) who received SABR at Taipei Veterans General Hospital between 2015 and 2021. Results The study revealed that median age, follow‐up, Charlson comorbidity index, and ECOG score were 80 years, 2.48 years, 3, and 1, respectively. Of these patients, 37 (52.1%) were 80 years or older, and 50 (70.4%) and 21 (29.6%) had T1 and T2 diseases, respectively. EGFR mutation status was available for 33 (46.5%) patients, of whom 16 (51.5%) had a mutation. The overall survival rates at 1, 3, and 5 years were 97.2, 74.9, and 58.3%, respectively. The local control rate at 1, 3, and 5 years was 97.1, 92.5, and 92.5%, respectively. Using Cox proportional hazards regression we found that male sex was a risk factor for overall survival (p = 0.036, 95% CI: 1.118–26.188). Two patients had grade 2 pneumonitis, but no other grade 2 or higher toxicity was observed. We did not find any significant differences in treatment outcomes or toxicity between patients aged 80 or older and those with EGFR mutations in this cohort. Conclusion These findings indicate that age and EGFR mutation status do not significantly affect the effectiveness or toxicity of SABR for patients with inoperable early‐stage NSCLC.

Objective: To study the inhibitory effects on colorectal cancer (CRC) and the underlying mechanism of the petroleum ether extract of Aegiceras corniculatum leaves (PACL). Materials and Methods: The effect of PACL on the proliferation of CRC cell lines DLD-1, HT-29, and SW480 was measured by 3-(4,5-dimethylthiazol-2-yl)-5-(3-carboxymethoxyphenyl)-2-(4-sulfophenyl)-2H-tetrazolium assay and colony-forming assay. And then, a wound-healing assay was used to measure the migration ability of three CRC cells. The cell cycle and apoptosis of three CRC cells were measured by PI/RNase staining and annexin V-FITC/double staining, respectively, and the intrinsic apoptosis pathway was studied by the Western blot. The anti-CRC effect of PACL in vivo was evaluated by HT-29 xenograft zebrafish embryos. Results: PACL inhibited cell viability and proliferation in DLD-1, HT-29, and SW480 cells in a dose- and time-dependent manner. PACL can inhibit cell migration in DLD-1 and SW480 cells but not in the less mobile phenotype cell HT-29. PACL treatment resulted in cell cycle arrest of DLD-1 and HT-29 cells in the G2/M phase. Moreover, PACL can induce apoptosis in all three CRC cells, which may be achieved by regulating the intrinsic apoptosis pathway mediated by mitochondria and the endoplasmic reticulum. Interestingly, the tumor sizes were decreased after treatment with PACL and PACL combined with fluorouracil in HT-29 xenograft zebrafish embryos. Conclusions: These findings suggested that PACL may exert its anti-CRC effect by inducing apoptosis through the intrinsic apoptosis pathway and show a significant anti-CRC effect in vitro and in vivo, so it might be potentially developed as an anti-CRC agent.

Because the average number of missing people in our country is more than 20,000 per year, determining how to efficiently locate missing people is important. The traditional method of finding missing people involves deploying fixed cameras in some hotspots to capture images and using humans to identify targets from these images. However, in this approach, high costs are incurred in deploying sufficient cameras in order to avoid blind spots, and a great deal of time and human effort is wasted in identifying possible targets. Further, most AI-based search systems focus on how to improve the human body recognition model, without considering how to speed up the search in order to shorten the search time and improve search efficiency, which is the aim of this study. Hence, by exploiting the high-mobility characteristics of unmanned aerial vehicles (UAVs), this study proposes an integrated YOLOv5 and hierarchical human-weight-first (HWF) path planning framework to serve as an efficient UAV searching system, which works by dividing the whole searching process into two levels. At level one, a searching UAV is dispatched to a higher altitude to capture images, covering the whole search area. Then, the well-known artificial intelligence model YOLOv5 is used to identify all persons in the captured images and compute corresponding weighted scores for each block in the search area, according to the values of the identified human bodies, clothing types, and clothing colors. At level two, the UAV lowers its altitude to sequentially capture images for each block, in descending order according to its weighted score at level one, and it uses the YOLOv5 recognition model repeatedly until the search target is found. Two improved search algorithms, HWFR-S and HWFR-D, which incorporate the concept of the convenient visit threshold and weight difference, respectively, are further proposed to resolve the issue of the lengthy and redundant flight paths of HWF. The simulation results suggest that the HWF, HWFR-S, and HWFR-D search algorithms proposed in this study not only effectively reduce the length of a UAV’s search path and the number of search blocks but also decrease the search time required for a UAV to locate the search target, with a much higher search accuracy than the two traditional search algorithms. Moreover, this integrated YOLOv5 and HWF framework is implemented and tested in a real scenario to demonstrate its capability in enhancing the efficiency of a search and rescue operation.

Abstract This paper proposes a generalized piecewise linear time‐variable droop frequency controller with a ramp‐up period for a de‐loaded wind turbine generator. The authors present an analytical model using a simplified system frequency response (SFR) to explain the need for a ramp‐up period under the conditions of variable wind speed. In order to achieve the highest frequency nadir under different operating conditions, the durations and peak value of the time‐variable droop function must be adapted in real time. This adaptation is achieved using an artificial neural network (ANN) based on current system variables such as wind speed, penetration, pitch angle, wind speed change, and outage capacity. Dynamic frequency responses for a power system subject to generator outages and wind speed changes are simulated using MATLAB/Simulink to demonstrate the effectiveness of the proposed droop controller. These results show that the frequency nadir can be improved by the proposed algorithm through adaption of the durations and peak value.

Objectives: The objective of the study is to report the acute and late toxicity and preliminary results of localized prostate cancer treated with high-dose radiation therapy (RT). Materials and Methods: Between March 2010 and October 2018, a total of 53 patients with clinically localized prostate cancer were treated with definitive RT at our institution. All patients were planned to receive a total dose of 81 Gy with the volumetric-modulated arc therapy technique. Patients were stratified by prognostic risk groups based on the National Comprehensive Cancer Network risk classification criteria. Acute and late toxicities were scored by the Radiation Therapy Oncology Group morbidity grading scales. The definition of biochemical failure was using the 2005 ASTRO Phoenix consensus definition. Median follow-up time was 46.5 months (range: 4.7–81.0 months). Results: The 3-year biochemical failure-free survival rates for low-, intermediate-, and high-risk group patients were 100%, 87.5%, and 84%, respectively. The 3- and 5-year overall survival rates were 83% and 62%, respectively. Three (5.6%) patients developed Grade II acute gastrointestinal (GI) toxicity. Four (7.5%) patients developed Grade II acute genitourinary (GU) toxicity, and none experienced Grade III or higher acute GI or GU symptoms. One (1.8%) patient developed Grade II or higher late GI toxicity. Six (11.3%) patients experienced Grade II late GU toxicity. No Grade III or higher late GI and GU complications have been observed. Conclusions: Data from the current study demonstrated the feasibility of dose escalation with image-guided and volumetric-modulated arc therapy techniques for the treatment of localized prostate cancer. Minimal acute and late toxicities were observed from patients in this study. Long-term prostate-specific antigen controls are comparable to previously published results of high-dose intensity-modulated RT for localized prostate cancer. Based on this favorable outcome, dose escalation (81 Gy) has become the standard treatment for localized prostate cancer at our institution.

The surface properties of a biomaterial play an important role in cell behavior, e.g., recolonization, proliferation, and migration. Collagen is known to favor wound healing. In this study, collagen (COL)-based layer-by-layer (LbL) films were built using different macromolecules as a partner, i.e., tannic acid (TA), a natural polyphenol known to establish hydrogen bonds with protein, heparin (HEP), an anionic polysaccharide, and poly(sodium 4-styrene sulfonate) (PSS), an anionic synthetic polyelectrolyte. To cover the whole surface of the substrate with a minimal number of deposition steps, several parameters of the film buildup were optimized, such as the pH value of the solutions, the dipping time, and the salt (sodium chloride) concentration. The morphology of the films was characterized by atomic force microscopy. Built at an acidic pH, the stability of COL-based LbL films was studied when in contact with a physiological medium as well as the TA release from COL/TA films. In contrast to COL/PSS and COL/HEP LbL films, COL/TA films showed a good proliferation of human fibroblasts. These results validate the choice of TA and COL as components of LbL films for biomedical coatings.

(1) Background: A well-established Boron Neutron Capture Therapy (BNCT) facility includes many essential systems, which are the epithermal neutron beam system, on-line monitoring system (OMS), QA/QC (quality assurance or quality control) system, boron concentration (BC) measurement system, and treatment planning system (TPS). Accurate data transmission, monitoring, and deposition among these systems are of vital importance before, during, and after clinical, animal, and cell BNCT irradiation. This work developed a novel integrated platform NeuTHOR Station (NeuTHORS) for BNCT at Tsing Hua Open-pool Reactor (THOR). Apart from the data of the OMS and QA/QC system, the data of BC and TPS can be loaded on NeuTHORS before BNCT clinical, animal, and cell irradiation. (2) Methods: A multi-paradigm computer programming language c# (c sharp) was used to develop the integrated platform NeuTHORS. The design of NeuTHORS is based on the standard procedures of BNCT treatment or experiment at THOR. Moreover, parallel testing with OMS-BNCT (the former OMS) and QA/QC of THOR was also performed for more than 70 times to verify the validation of NeuTHORS. (3) Results: According to the comparisons of the output, NeuTHORS and OMS-BNCT and QA/QC of THOR show very good consistency. NeuTHORS is now installed on an industrial PC (IPC) and successfully performs the monitoring of BNCT Treatment at THOR. Patients’ f BC and TPS data are also input into NeuTHORS and stored on IPC through an internal network from BC measurement room and TPS physicist. Therefore, the treatment data of each patient can be instantaneously established after each BNCT treatment for further study on BNCT. NeuTHORS can also be applied on data acquisition for a BNCT-related study, especially for animal or cell irradiation experiments. (4) Conclusions: A novel integrated platform NeuTHOR Station for monitoring BNCT clinical treatment and animal and cell irradiation study has been successfully established at THOR. With this platform, BNCT radiobiology investigations will be efficiently performed and a thorough data storage and analysis system of BNCT treatments or experiments can thus be systematically built up for the further investigation of BNCT at THOR.

Oral hygiene and the alteration of the oral microbiome have been linked to nasopharyngeal carcinoma (NPC). This study aimed to investigate whether the oral microbiome plays a mediating role in the relationship between oral hygiene and NPC, and identify differential microbial taxonomies that potentially mediated this association. We conducted a case–control study that involved 218 NPC patients and 192 healthy controls. The 16S rRNA gene sequencing of the V4 region was performed to evaluate the composition of the oral microbiome. Mediation analysis was applied to explore the relationship among oral hygiene, the oral microbiome and NPC. We found that dental fillings and poor oral hygiene score were associated with increased risks of NPC (OR = 2.51 (1.52–4.25) and OR = 1.54 (1.02–2.33)). Mediation analysis indicated that dental fillings increased the risk of NPC by altering the abundance of Erysipelotrichales, Erysipelotrichaceae, Solobacterium and Leptotrichia wadei. In addition, Leptotrichia wadei also mediated the association between oral hygiene score and the risk of NPC. Our study confirmed that poor oral hygiene increased the risk of NPC, which was partly mediated by the oral microbiome. These findings might help us to understand the potential mechanism of oral hygiene influencing the risk of NPC via the microbiome.

Background: Osteosarcoma (OS) is the most common primary malignancy of the bone and is notoriously resistant to radiation therapy. High-dose cytotoxic chemotherapy and surgical resection have improved the survival rate and prognosis of patients with OS. Nonetheless, treatment challenges remain when the tumor cannot be removed by surgery. Boron neutron capture therapy (BNCT) provides high linear energy transfer (LET) radiation, and its internal targeted characteristics make BNCT a novel therapy for removing OS and reducing radiation damage to adjacent healthy tissues. Methods: In this study, a UMR-106-grafted OS rat model was developed, and boric acid (BA) was used as the boron drug for BNCT. The pharmacokinetics of BA, following intravenous injection, were evaluated to determine the optimal time window for neutron irradiation. OS-bearing rats were irradiated by an epithermal neutron beam at Tsing Hua Open-Pool Reactor (THOR). The therapeutic efficacy of and tissue response after BNCT were evaluated by radiographic and histopathological observations. Results: OS-bearing rats were irradiated by neutrons in the first hour following the intravenous injection of BA. The prescription-absorbed doses in the tumor regions were 5.8 and 11.0 Gy. BNCT reduced the body weight of the tumor-bearing rats, but they recovered after a few days. The BA-mediated BNCT effectively controlled the orthotopic OS tumor, reduced osteolysis, and induced bone healing. Autoradiography and histological analysis confirmed that the BA retention region is consistent with the calcification region in OS tissue. Conclusion: BA is specifically retained in OS, and the BA-mediated BNCT can significantly reduce the tumor burden and osteolysis in OS-bearing rats.

Disease and treatment-related symptoms and dysfunctions can interfere with the psychosocial adjustment of patients with oral cancer. Identifying factors influencing psychosocial maladjustment is important because at-risk individuals can be targeted for early intervention. This prospective longitudinal study investigated psychosocial adjustment changes and associated factors in postoperative oral cancer patients. Data on psychosocial adjustment, facial disfigurement, symptoms, and social support were collected before surgery (T1) at one month (T2), three months (T3), and five months after discharge (T4). Fifty subjects completed the study, and their data were included in the analysis. Psychosocial maladjustment was reported in 50%, 59.2%, 66%, and 62% of subjects at T1, T2, T3, and T4, respectively. The subjects’ psychosocial adjustment deteriorated after surgery. Results from generalized estimating equations indicated that financial status, cancer stage, pain, speech problems, social eating problems, and less sexuality were significant predictors of changes in psychosocial adjustment. Patients with insufficient income, stage III/IV cancer, severe pain, speech problems, social eating problems, and less sexuality were at higher risk for postoperative psychosocial maladjustment. Continued psychosocial assessment and appropriate supportive measures are needed to strengthen the psychosocial adjustment of these high-risk groups.

Abstract Background Cryptosporidium viatorum is a minor Cryptosporidium pathogen in humans. Currently, there is limited information regarding the prevalence and genotypes of C. viatorum in animals in China. Methods In this study, 228 faecal samples were collected from two wild rat species (Leopoldamys edwardsi and Berylmys bowersi) in Chongqing Municipality and Guangdong Province, China. These specimens were analyzed for C. viatorum and then subtyped it using PCR and sequence analysis of the small subunit ribosomal RNA (SSU rRNA) and 60-kilodalton glycoprotein (gp60) genes, respectively. Results A total of 25 (11.0%) faecal samples were tested positive for C. viatorum by SSU rRNA assay. Of these samples, 4 (3.6%) came from L. edwardsi and 21 (18.0%) from B. bowersi. Of the 25 C. viatorum-positive samples, 17 were successfully amplified at the gp60 gene locus, which represented four subtypes belonging to two subtype families, including XVa (XVaA6, XVaA3g, XVaA3h) and XVc (XVcA2G1). Phylogenetic analysis based on the gp60 amino acid sequences indicated that all of the C. viatorum isolates grouped together, supporting the conclusion that C. viatorum from the wild rats represent two subtype families. Conclusions These results indicate an occurrence of C. viatorum XVa subtype family from rats which is genetically identical to those found in humans. Our findings suggest that wild rats may be a potential source of human cryptosporidiosis.

In clinical boron neutron capture therapy (BNCT), boronophenylalanine (BPA) administrations through one-step infusion (OSI) and two-step infusion (TSI) are the most widely used. This study compared the advantages of OSI and TSI using a human oral squamous cell carcinoma-bearing animal model. OSI was administered at a high-dose rate of 20 mg/kg/min for 20 min (total dose: 400 mg/kg) as the first step infusion. TSI was a prolonged infusion at a low-dose rate of 1.67 mg/kg/min for 15, 30, 45, and 60 min (total dose: 25, 50, 75, and 100 mg/kg) following the first step infusion. The sigmoid Emax model was used to evaluate the boron accumulation effect in the tumor. The advantages of TSI were observed to be greater than those of OSI. The observed advantages of TSI were as follows: a stable level of boron concentration in blood; tumor to blood boron ratio (T/B); tumor to muscle boron ratio (T/M); and skin to blood boron ratio (S/B). The boron accumulation effect in tumors increased to 68.98%. Thus, effective boron concentration in these tumor cells was achieved to enhance the lethal damage in BNCT treatment. Boron concentration in the blood was equal to that in the skin. Therefore, the equivalent dose was accurately estimated for the skin.

In this report, 19 boron-containing depsipeptides were synthesized via microwave-assisted Passerini three-component reaction (P-3CR) in an aqueous environment. The linker-free DAHMI fluorescent tagging approach was used on selected boron-containing compounds to study the relationship between their structures and their level of cellular uptake of HEK293 cells. The biological data retrieved from the DAHMI experiments indicated that while the structures of tested compounds may be highly similar, their bio-distribution profile could be vastly distinctive. The reported optimized one-pot synthetic strategy along the linker-free in vitro testing protocol could provide an efficient platform to accelerate the development of boron-containing drugs.

Brainstem tumors are heterogenous and cancerous glioma tumors arising from the midbrain, pons, and the medulla that are relatively common in children, accounting for 10% to 20% of all pediatric brain tumors. However, the prognosis of aggressive brainstem gliomas remains extremely poor despite aggressive treatment with chemotherapy and radiotherapy. That means there are many life-threatening patients who have exhausted all available treatment options and are beginning to face end-of-life stage. Therefore, the unique properties of highly selective heavy particle irradiation with boron neutron capture therapy (BNCT) may be well suited to prolong the lives of patients with end-stage brainstem gliomas. Herein, we report a case series of life-threatening patients with end-stage brainstem glioma who eligible for Emergency and Compassionate Use, in whom we performed a scheduled two fractions of salvage BNCT strategy with low treatment dosage each time. No patients experienced acute or late adverse events related to BNCT. There were 3 patients who relapsed after two fractionated BNCT treatment, characterized by younger age, lower T/N ratio, and receiving lower treatment dose. Therefore, two fractionated low-dose BNCT may be a promising treatment for end-stage brainstem tumors. For younger patients with low T/N ratios, more fractionated low-dose BNCT should be considered.

Neural architecture search (NAS), which aims at automatically seeking proper neural architectures given a specific task, has attracted extensive attention recently in supervised learning applications. In most real-world situations, the class labels provided in the training data would be noisy due to many reasons, such as subjective judgments, inadequate information, and random human errors. Existing work has demonstrated the adverse effects of label noise on the learning of weights of neural networks. These effects could become more critical in NAS since the architectures are not only trained with noisy labels but are also compared based on their performances on noisy validation sets. In this paper, we systematically explore the robustness of NAS under label noise. We show that label noise in the training and/or validation data can lead to various degrees of performance variations. Through empirical experiments, using robust loss functions can mitigate the performance degradation under symmetric label noise as well as under a simple model of class conditional label noise. We also provide a theoretical justification for this. Both empirical and theoretical results provide a strong argument in favor of employing the robust loss function in NAS under high-level noise.

A de-loaded real power control strategy is proposed to decrease the real power output and increase the reactive power output of a grid-connected offshore wind farm in order to improve the voltage profile when the wind farm is subject to a grid fault. A simplified linear model of the wind farm is first derived and a fixed-gain proportional-integral (PI) real power controller is designed based on the pole-zero cancellation method. To improve the dynamic voltage response when the system is subject to a major disturbance such as a three-phase fault in the grid, a self-tuning controller based on particle swarm optimization (PSO) is proposed to adapt the PI controller gains based on the on-line measured system variables. Digital simulations using MATLAB/SIMULINK were performed on an offshore wind farm connected to the power grid in central Taiwan in order to validate the effectiveness of the proposed PSO controller. It is concluded from the simulation results that a better dynamic voltage response can be achieved by the proposed PSO self-tuning controller than the fixed-gain controller when the grid is subject to a three-phase fault. In addition, low voltage ride through (LVRT) requirements of the local utility can be met by the wind farm with the proposed power controller.

The use of copper single-crystal electrodes (CSCEs) has revealed the crucial role of electrode structure in electrocatalysis and corrosion. CSCEs, although commercially available, can be prepared in-house by melting the end of a Cu wire to form a single crystal bead (SCB) in ambient air. Unlike the conventional torch used for making Pt and Au SCBs, the torch used in this study allows the Cu bead to cool down to room temperature in a nitrogen stream. The resulting Cu bead is subsequently fabricated into a CSCE with a desired orientation. Copper’s propensity for oxidation does not pose a problem for our method as long as the H2 and O2 fluxes to the flame are well-controlled. The bulk oxide in the Cu SCB prepared as above is below the detection limit of our X-ray photoelectron spectrometer. The devised method opens up an avenue toward the study of electrochemistry at well-defined Cu and possibly other non-noble transition metal electrodes. Moreover, this method can also be used to make alloyed SCBs, as illustrated by the successful fabrication of a Cu/Ni (98.5/1.5) bead. The resulting Cu(1 1 1) and Cu98.5Ni1.5(1 1 1) electrodes are examined by cyclic voltammetry and in situ scanning tunneling microscopy in 0.1 M sulfuric acid. The trace amount of Ni in the Cu(1 1 1) electrode affects the potential, but not the structure, of specific adsorption of the (bi)sulfate anion. A (√3 × √7)–HSO4− structure and the Cu(1 1 1) lattice are imaged by STM at positive and negative potentials. Keywords: Copper single crystal electrode, Preparation and characterization, Annealing and quenching method