Inflammatory Marker but Not Adipokine Predicts Mortality among Long-Term Hemodialysis Patients

Aims: chronic inflammation contributes significantly to the morbidity and mortality of chronic hemodialysis patients. A recent research has shown that adipokines were associated with inflammation in these patients. We aim to investigate whether biomarkers of inflammation, adipokines, and clinical features can predict the outcome of hemodialysis patients. Materials and methods: we enrolled 181 hemodialysis patients (men: 97, mean age: 56.3±13.6) and analyzed predictors of long-term outcomes. Results: during the 3-year followup period, 41 patients died; the main causes of death were infection and cardiovascular disease. Elevated serum levels of hsCRP and albumin and advanced age were highly associated with death (all P<.001). Leptin and adiponectin levels were not significantly different between deceased patients and survivors. Cox-regression analysis indicated that age, diabetes, albumin level, and hsCRP were independent factors predicting mortality. Conclusion: the presence of underlying disease, advanced age, and markers of chronic inflammation is strongly related to survival rate in long-term hemodialysis patients

Multi-messenger observations of a binary neutron star merger

On 2017 August 17 a binary neutron star coalescence candidate (later designated GW170817) with merger time 12:41:04 UTC was observed through gravitational waves by the Advanced LIGO and Advanced Virgo detectors. The Fermi Gamma-ray Burst Monitor independently detected a gamma-ray burst (GRB 170817A) with a time delay of ~1.7 s with respect to the merger time. From the gravitational-wave signal, the source was initially localized to a sky region of 31 deg2 at a luminosity distance of 40+8-8 Mpc and with component masses consistent with neutron stars. The component masses were later measured to be in the range 0.86 to 2.26 Mo. An extensive observing campaign was launched across the electromagnetic spectrum leading to the discovery of a bright optical transient (SSS17a, now with the IAU identification of AT 2017gfo) in NGC 4993 (at ~40 Mpc) less than 11 hours after the merger by the One- Meter, Two Hemisphere (1M2H) team using the 1 m Swope Telescope. The optical transient was independently detected by multiple teams within an hour. Subsequent observations targeted the object and its environment. Early ultraviolet observations revealed a blue transient that faded within 48 hours. Optical and infrared observations showed a redward evolution over ~10 days. Following early non-detections, X-ray and radio emission were discovered at the transient’s position ~9 and ~16 days, respectively, after the merger. Both the X-ray and radio emission likely arise from a physical process that is distinct from the one that generates the UV/optical/near-infrared emission. No ultra-high-energy gamma-rays and no neutrino candidates consistent with the source were found in follow-up searches. These observations support the hypothesis that GW170817 was produced by the merger of two neutron stars in NGC4993 followed by a short gamma-ray burst (GRB 170817A) and a kilonova/macronova powered by the radioactive decay of r-process nuclei synthesized in the ejecta

Design Pattern Retrieval and Style Analysis for Content Creation of Comic Figures

Placement of objects within a constrained space is a common challenge for designers; it is associated with decisions regarding the furnishing of a space with furniture, collocation of dressings, flower arrangement, and design of comic figures. Though many design elements can be shared on the Internet in the current age of technology, it is still not easy to compare or search for design patterns based on these elements. Thus, it is difficult for designers to efficiently retrieve similar patterns designed by others, to compare them, or to learn from them. This paper proposes the architecture of representing, comparing, retrieving, and analyzing the design patterns of digital contents for design support. This scheme can help the designers to explore the huge space of design patterns efficiently, to analyze and summarize the design styles quickly, and to improve design skills and stimulate imaginations effectively during the process of learning or creating. The proposed scheme has been verified with a design support system for the content creation of comic figures. It is generally applicable to the creation of digital contents and shows potential for applications in the fields of design and education

Surgical Treatment of Epiblepharon Effectively Alleviates Keratopathy but Not Astigmatism: A Case-Control Study Utilizing Vector Analysis in East Asian Children

Purpose. To identify an appropriate surgical indication of epiblepharon by comparing keratopathy and astigmatism outcomes after surgical and medical treatments for epiblepharon in Asian children. Methods. Children diagnosed with epiblepharon (n = 82, age 5.93 ± 2.76 years) with >6 months of follow-up were enrolled. The clinical presentations and cycloplegic refractive status at the baseline and 3 and 6 months after treatment were compared between surgical (91 eyes from 47 children) and nonsurgical (67 eyes from 35 children) groups. The refractive and keratometric astigmatism at each time point were evaluated with vector analysis methods. For Thibos and Horner’s method, the astigmatic power vector was decomposed into horizontal and oblique meridians (J0 and J45). However, the treatment-induced astigmatism (TIA) vectors were calculated by Alpins’ method and depicted by the AstigMATIC software. Results. In the surgical and nonsurgical groups, the baseline astigmatism magnitude was similar (2.22 ± 1.39 and 2.26 ± 1.46 D, p = 0.87). The rate of complete resolution of keratopathy at 6 months was 71.4% and 11.5%. The astigmatism magnitude in the surgical group differed among baseline and 3 months (2.25 ± 1.23 D) and 6 months postoperatively (1.97 ± 1.28 D) (p = 0.001). Power vector analyses confirmed a nuanced against-the-rule shift in the surgical group. This trend was especially observed in the subgroup of baseline astigmatism >2.0 D. However, the difference in the astigmatism magnitude between surgical and nonsurgical groups, even in highly astigmatic children, was not significant at 6 months. Conclusions. The improvement of keratopathy in the surgical group was greater than that in the nonsurgical group in consideration of the more advanced severity in the surgery group at baseline. Decreased with-the-rule astigmatism can be observed at 6 months postoperatively, particularly among those with greater baseline astigmatism. However, the amount of change is small, and the outcome does not differ significantly from the nonsurgical treatment. Therefore, surgical indications should majorly base on the severity of symptoms and keratopathy

Attention Drawing of Movie Trailers Revealed by Electroencephography Using Sample Entropy

Abstract A movie trailer is a common advertising tool in the entertainment industry. Detection of a viewer&apos;s brain responses to a movie trailer can help film producers to tailor a more appealing trailer of a movie. In this study, we acquired electroencephalographic (EEG) signals from subjects when they watched movie trailers (labeled as Movie session), and compared with their resting state session (labeled as Resting session) or when they watch nature scenes (labeled as Nature session). We used Sample Entropy (SampEn) to analyze the EEG signals between different sessions. Results showed that the complexity ratios at Fp1, Fp2 and Fz channels derived from Movie session were significantly lower than that in Resting state or when subjects watched Nature session (p &lt; 0.001). Our results suggest that the brain status can affect the complexity of their EEG. Further, the attraction of attention of a movie trailer can be observed from the change of EEG

Tree mortality in response to typhoon-induced floods and mudslides is determined by tree species, size, and position in a riparian Formosan gum forest in subtropical Taiwan - Fig 1

<p>Aerial photographs of the location of the monitored sample Aowanda Formosan gum forest plot over the years: (a) 1996, (b) 1999, (c) 2007, (d) August 2008, (e) September 2008, and (f) 2011.</p

Emotional state and cancer-related self-efficacy as affecting resilience and quality of life in kidney cancer patients: a cross-sectional study

[[abstract]]Objective: To assess the relationship between resilience and quality of life (QOL) of kidney cancer patients, including influencing factors. Methods: Based on a cross-sectional study design, participants (N = 103) were recruited from patients who were admitted to the urology clinic of a medical center in Taiwan between April 2020 and January 2021. Data collection was accomplished via a questionnaire. The study variables included demographic information, disease attributes, happiness level, depression, cancer-related self-efficacy, resilience, and QOL. One-way analysis of variance, Pearson correlation coefficients, independent-sample t-tests, hierarchical regression, and process analysis were the statistical methods used to analyze the data. Results: Kidney cancer patients who were less depressed exhibited better cancer-related self-efficacy and have better resilience. In non-depressed individuals, higher levels of happiness and better resilience resulted in better QOL. Resilience is a mediator that affects the relationship between depression and QOL. Conclusions: Patients with better emotional state experience better resilience and QOL. Patients' better cancer-related self-efficacy is related to better resilience while better resilience is associated with better QOL. Clinical care providers need to evaluate and improve cancer-related self-efficacy, emotional state, and resilience of kidney cancer patients, which will improve their resilience and QOL

高屏溪流域崩塌地之植生復育分析

Typhoon Morakot seriously wrecked southern Taiwan, especially upstream Gaoping River. This study set sample plots on the landslides in Gaoping River basin to realize the vegetation restoration. From the results of investigation, the vegetation types of understory on landsliding areas could be classified into expanding type and adding type. The landslide management should be planned on a case by case basis, and using small catchment as foundation. In the meanwhile, the soil characters of more than a half of the managed plots investigated were suitable for root growth and seed germination. Among the common sowing woody species, Fraxinus griffi thii and Melia azedarach grew better. Herb seeds developed well in the most managed plots. In the distribution evenness of the understory, Paspalum notatum-Trema orientalis type was higher than Axonopus affi nis-Rhus javanica var. roxburghiana type. The former type recovered faster, too. As Lagerstroemia subcostata, Vitex quinata, and Cordia dichotoma sprout easily, they are better choices for sowing and helpful for the quick recovery. On the other hand, the monitoring the exotic species expansion, such as Mikania micrantha is recommended. In conclusion, the natural restoration was more effective than the artificial recovery in the research area. However artificial sowing and slope surface processing will enhance biodiversity and succession speed, and is helpful for back to original natural vegetation.因莫拉克颱風重創南臺灣，尤以高屏溪流域更是受創嚴重，故本研究主要針對高屏溪上游 之崩塌地設置樣區，以瞭解崩塌地之植生復育情形。研究結果得知，多數崩塌地仍屬於擴崩型或新 增型，而崩塌地須就不同情況加以規劃合適方案，以小集水區治理為原則。又所調查之半數以上施 業地的之土壤硬度屬根系生長良好、種子發芽的範圍內。另研究區內常用為撒播之木本植物中，以 臺灣白蠟樹、苦楝較為適合；而草本植物種子則於多數施業地處之生長情況亦佳，其中以百喜草— 山黃麻型之地被層均勻度高於類地毯草—羅氏鹽膚木型，且其演替速度亦較快。此外，因九芎、薄 姜木、破布子等萌櫱良好，建議亦可作為編柵的木樁，以確保並加速復育成效。並建議對小花蔓澤 蘭等外來種族群之拓殖情形加以密切監測。綜合言之，區內自然植生復育情況多較人工植生復育情 況為佳；然因藉由人工播種及坡面處理後，能增加其生物多樣性，並可加速演替之速度，助其復原 至自然的生態面貌

古坑鄉華山地區之整合性鄉村旅遊分析

鄉村旅遊可有效帶動農村地區之發展，為瞭解華山地區鄉村旅遊的推動現況，本研究基於整合性鄉村旅遊之概念模式，針對旅遊業者、當地住民、遊客及協會組織等利害相關者進行半結構式訪談。研究結果發現四組利害相關者中，組織性團體之協會組織的分數最高，生產及衝擊面之旅遊業者、當地住民間差異不大，而消費面之遊客的分數則是最低。因此，當藉由整合性鄉村旅遊模式結合策略配適運用時，須考量利害相關者間的利益衝突及參與度，瞭解其間的合作與競爭關係，基於內部的連結整合，強化利害相關者間之合作，方能於符合法規之前提下使用資源，有效地經營管理，同時並保護及提升在地資源；另賦權當地社區，公部門提供優惠方案及補助計畫輔導，並應積極輔導地方組織熟悉相關法規，以活絡地方觀光產業及提升農村的生活品質。其次是資源的妥善利用以增強行動，如古坑咖啡的品牌建立後，再結合其他農產品及人文資源的互補性，強化在地性的特色；另考量華山地區的自然條件，建議應穩健發展，較能提供優質化的旅遊品質。再者，透過網絡連結利害相關者，以及鑲嵌化運用在地資源，使之能達成鄉村旅遊的永續發展並獲得最大效益。Rural tourism could promote the development of rural villages effectively. The study aimed to understand out the present state of the rural tourism activities in Huashan area. Based on the conceptual model of the Integrated Rural Tourism (IRT), semi-structured interview was made with the relevant stakeholders; including the tourism operators, local residents, tourists and associations. The result revealed that the associations for organizational context had the most interests on the criteria, the tourism operators and the local residents for production and impacts involved had similar interests, and the tourists for consumption had the least interests among the 4 groups of relevant stakeholders. Combining the IRT and the strategic fit was concerned with the conflicts of interest and the participation of the stakeholders. Realizing their cooperation and competition just enabled the optimal use of resources, the effective management, and the protection and promotion of the local resources under the laws and regulations. Therefore, we suggest integrating the internal and the relevant stakeholders, empower the local communities, provide preferential schemes and subsidization programs by the public sectors, and guide actively the local organizations to know the laws and regulations well. It must develop the local tourism and enhance the quality of life in the rural village. The next is to use the resources properly and strengthen them. For instance, after the establishment of the brand of the Gukeng coffee, other agricultural products and cultural resources add their complementarity and stress the endogeneity. Considering the natural conditions of the Huashan area, the stable development is recommended to provide more excellent quality of tourism. And then, networking the relevant stakeholders and embedding the local resources attained to the sustainability of rural tourism and earned the maximum benefits