Recycling Nonmagnetic Material from De-sulferization Slag as Coarse Aggregate through Cold-Pressing Technique

Every year there was approximately 500,000 tons of de-sulferization slag generated in Taiwan, but the recycling amount was very slightly. A new approach, the cold-pressing technique that incorporates the principles of the cement chemistry and composite material was developed to recycle innocuous resources (e.g. construction residual soil, granite and lime sludge, and sediment, etc.) as recycling coarse aggregate. Even this technique also has successfully been applied to recycle stainless steel reductive slag with low volume stability. This paper aims to show that using cold-pressing technique can recycle nonmagnetic material from de-sulferization slag as coarse aggregate. Herein the cement-based composite is regarded as concrete. Particularly, the mixture proportions with a low cement amount of 100 kg/m3 and more than 70% (by weight) of nonmagnetic material from de-sulferization were designed. The test results show that the specific gravity of recycling coarse aggregate is about 1.67 in the OD state; the absorption capacity is 27.65%; the dry loose density (i.e. unit weight) is about 1,106 kg/m3; and other characteristics conform to ASTM C33. Therefore the cold-pressing technique is a new and practicable approach to recycle nonmagnetic material from de-sulferization slag in future

Customer Behavior Survery for Cultural and Creative Park in Taiwan

Cultural and Creative Park is a recreational campus which usually consists of exhibition, gallery, show room, movie theater, and multi-function facilities to provide the cultural activities. Besides, in the Cultural and Creative Park, restaurants, coffee shops, bookstores, gift shops, and other business units are nearby. How to improve the customer experience in the Cultural and Creative Park is an important research question for the managerial division to promote culture industries. In this research, the questionnaires were developed and performed in one of creative park in Taipei, Taiwan to study customer behavior. This paper addresses the survey result and the insights revealed from the survey

Thyroid metastasis in a patient with hepatocellular carcinoma: case report and review of literature

<p>Abstract</p> <p>Background</p> <p>Despite the apparent low incidence of cancer metastatic to the thyroid, autopsy and clinical series suggest it is more common than generally. Although lung, renal, and breast cancer are probably the most common primary sites, a number of cancers have been reported to metastasize to the thyroid synchronously with diagnosis of primary tumor or years after apparently curative treatment.</p> <p>Case presentation</p> <p>We report a rare case of a hepatocellular carcinoma metasatic to the thyroid. The patient presented seven months after original diagnosis and treatment with hepatic lobectomy with multiple neck lesions producing a mass effect on the trachea and bilateral lymphadenopathy. Fine-needle aspiration revealed highly anaplastic carcinoma, and immunohistochemistry confirmed hepatocellular carcinoma. The patient received total thyroidectomy as palliative therapy because of the presence of multiple recurrent lesions in the liver.</p> <p>Conclusion</p> <p>Clinicians should consider the possibility of metastatic cancer in each patient who presents with a new thyroid mass, especially those with a history of cancer, however remote. In cases where cytology or histology is not diagnostic, immunohistochemistry may be definitive in making the diagnosis.</p

In vitro assay to estimate tea astringency via observing flotation of artificial oil bodies sheltered by caleosin fused with histatin 3

AbstractAstringency, a sensory characteristic of food and beverages rich in polyphenols, mainly results from the formation of complexes between polyphenols and salivary proteins, causing a reduction of the lubricating properties of saliva. To develop an in vitro assay to estimate the astringency of oolong tea infusion, artificial oil bodies were constituted with sesame oil sheltered by a modified caleosin fused with histatin 3, one of the human salivary small peptides. Aggregation of artificial oil bodies was induced when they were mixed with oolong tea infusion or its major polyphenolic compound, (−)-epigallocatechin gallate (EGCG) of 100μM as observed in light microscopy. The aggregated artificial oil bodies gradually floated on top of the solution and formed a visible milky layer whose thickness was in proportion to the concentrations of tea infusion. This assay system was applied to test four different oolong tea infusions with sensory astringency corresponding to their EGCG contents. The result showed that relative astringency of the four tea infusions was correlated to the thickness of floated artificial oil bodies, and could be estimated according to the standard curve generated by simultaneously observing a serial dilution of the tea infusion with the highest astringency

Self-catheterization of urinary bladder complicated with extraperitoneal abscess that mimics an infected bladder diverticulum

AbstractFor patients who are suffering from neurogenic lower urinary tract dysfunction, intermittent urinary catheterization is an efficient way to empty the bladder.1 However, the method may result in various complications. Herein we present a rare complication of extraperitoneal abscess owing to intermittent urinary catheterization in a 62-year-old male who had cervical spine injury and was treated with intermittent urethral catheterization for neurogenic lower urinary tract dysfunction. Treatment and a literature review are also described

Prescription characteristics of Xue-Fu-Zhu-Yu-Tang in pain management: a population-based study using the National Health Insurance Research Database in Taiwan

Objective: To explore the prevalence and distinctive features of Xue-Fu-Zhu-Yu-Tang (XFZYT) prescriptions by analyzing the National Health Insurance Research Database (NHIRD) to identify the specific medical problems for which XFZYT is prescribed.Methods: This nationwide, population-based, cross-sectional study included 109,073 XFZYT users and 532,848 XFZYT non-users among Chinese herbal product (CHP) users in NHIRD. Chi-squared tests were used to analyze disparities between the XFZYT user and XFZYT non-user cohorts, and the mean age was evaluated using the Wilcoxon rank-sum test. Logistic regression was used to compute the odds ratios (ORs) and 95% confidence intervals (95% CIs).Results: XFZYT was frequently used to treat pain. The top five conditions for which the Taiwanese traditional Chinese medicine (TCM) practitioners would prescribe XFZYT were chest pain; headache; myalgia and myositis; lumbago; and neuralgia, neuritis, and radiculitis.Conclusion: This study represents an inaugural comprehensive survey conducted on the utilization of XFZYT prescriptions among patients with diverse diseases. XFZYT is mostly used to treat pain conditions in Taiwan. Combined with the combination use of other CHPs, XFZYT is used to treat symptoms of the chest and respiratory system, soft tissue conditions, menstruation disorders, and joint and back discomfort. These results suggest that further clinical trials are warranted to verify the effects of XFZYT in pain management

Pleural Effusion after Percutaneous Radiofrequency Ablation for Hepatic Malignancies

AbstractBackground and AimsRadiofrequency ablation (RFA) can play an important role in the treatment of primary or metastatic liver tumors. Currently, percutaneous RFA is generally regarded as a safe, effective, and minimally invasive procedure. This study aimed to evaluate the presence and course of pleural effusion after monopolar RFA.MethodsFrom October 2008 to July 2013, a total of 54 patients (28 male and 26 female, mean age 65.2) treated with monopolar RFA were included in our study. 47 patients were diagnosed with hepatocellular carcinoma, 4 patients with hepatic metastasis, and 3 patients had other diagnoses. There were a total of 115 sessions of treatment and 199 liver tumors to be treated (1.73 ± 1.02 tumors treated per session). The tumor size ranged from 0.8 cm to 5.0 cm (mean 2.31 cm, standard deviation 1.04 cm). Thereafter, a follow-up ultrasound was performed within 24 hours subsequent to ablation to evaluate the presence of pleural effusion. The degree of pleural effusion was assessed by chest X-ray.ResultsFifteen (13.0%) treatment sessions in 14 patients showed right-sided pleural effusion after ablations. One patient had a large amount of effusion, while other patients manifested a minimal to small amount of effusion. There were 5 patients that experienced delayed resolution of pleural effusion; one patient (0.87%) had a minimal amount of pleural effusion even after one month. Overall, there was no pneumothorax, or periprocedural morality. Age, gender, tumor numbers, tumor sizes, and complete ablation of target tumors were similar among groups presenting with or without pleural effusion. Tumor locations associated with S78 segments abutting the diaphragm or right lobe of the liver were not associated with development of pleural effusion. Only the duration of ablation time had a marginal trend toward significance (p = 0.051).ConclusionsThe transient appearance of right-sided pleural effusion after percutaneous RFA for hepatic malignancies was not infrequent. However, refractory pleural effusion was rare

Acute kidney disease following COVID-19 vaccination: a single-center retrospective study

BackgroundRare cases of de novo or relapsed kidney diseases associated with vaccination against coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) have been increasingly reported. The aim of this study was to report the incidence, etiologies, and outcomes of acute kidney disease (AKD) following COVID-19 vaccination.MethodsThis retrospective study extracted cases from renal registry of a single medical center from 1 March 2021 to 30 April 2022, prior to the significant surge in cases of the Omicron variant of COVID-19 infection in Taiwan. Adult patients who developed AKD after COVID-19 vaccination were included. We utilized the Naranjo score as a causality assessment tool for adverse vaccination reactions and charts review by peer nephrologists to exclude other causes. The etiologies, characteristics, and outcomes of AKD were examined.ResultsTwenty-seven patients (aged 23 to 80 years) with AKD were identified from 1,897 vaccines (estimated rate of 13.6 per 1000 patient-years within the renal registry). A majority (77.8%) of vaccine received messenger RNA-based regimens. Their median (IQR) Naranjo score was 8 (6-9) points, while 14 of them (51.9%) had a definite probability (Naranjo score ≥ 9). The etiologies of AKD included glomerular disease (n = 16) consisting of seven IgA nephropathy, four anti-neutrophil cytoplasmic antibodies-associated glomerulonephritis (AAN), three membranous glomerulonephritis, two minimal change diseases, and chronic kidney disease (CKD) with acute deterioration (n = 11). Extra-renal manifestations were found in four patients. Over a median (IQR) follow-up period of 42 (36.5–49.5) weeks, six patients progressed to end-stage kidney disease (ESKD).ConclusionBesides glomerulonephritis (GN), the occurrence of AKD following COVID-19 vaccination may be more concerning in high-risk CKD patients receiving multiple doses. Patients with the development of de novo AAN, concurrent extra-renal manifestations, or pre-existing moderate to severe CKD may exhibit poorer kidney prognosis

Combining prostrate-specific antigen and Gleason score increases the diagnostic power of endorectal coil magnetic resonance imaging in prostate cancer pathological stage

Abstract Background: The proper use of endorectal coil MRI (eMRI) images provide detailed information for the real extent of locally prostate cancer invasion and involvement of pelvic lymph nodes. This study evaluated the accuracy of endorectal coil magnetic resonance imaging (eMRI) results, combining the preoperative prostate-specific antigen (PSA), and the biopsy Gleason score to improve the diagnostic accuracy of prostate cancer (PCa) with organ-confined disease (OCD) or extracapsular extension (ECE)/seminal vesicle invasion (SVI). Methods: Between 2001 and 2007, 94 PCa patients received eMRI testing during presurgical evaluation and underwent radical prostatectomy. As a part of routine patient workup, serum PSA level and Gleason score after pathology examination were recorded. The eMRI images were used to help assess patient PCa staging status regarding OCD or ECE/SVI. These stage assessments as evaluated through the use of MRI were compared with the final specimen pathological stage after the patients underwent radical prostatectomy. Results: Of the total 94 patients in our study, 65 had stage pT2, 12 had stage pT3a, and 17 had stage pT3b PCa. In patients with clinical stage T2 PCa, the Gleason score significantly improved the discriminative ability of eMRI to successfully predict PCa at the OCD stage. Otherwise, in cases of clinical stage T3 PCa, accurate determination of PSA levels significantly improved eMRI predictive ability to assess ECE or SVI staging. Conclusion: In clinical stage T2 PCa patients, integrating the biopsy Gleason score improved the discriminative ability to assess OCD PCa staging. Additionally, combining the preoperative PSA levels of clinical T3 prostate cancer cases with Gleason scores significantly improved the sensitivity and accuracy of eMRI diagnosis to distinguish ECE from SVI