The Necessary And Sufficient Condition for Generalized Demixing

Demixing is the problem of identifying multiple structured signals from a superimposed observation. This work analyzes a general framework, based on convex optimization, for solving demixing problems. We present a new solution to determine whether or not a specific convex optimization problem built for generalized demixing is successful. This solution will also bring about the possibility to estimate the probability of success by the approximate kinematic formula

The Significance of Culture Care in the Evaluation System of Indigenous Cultural Health Station Service in Taiwan

In 2015, the Taiwan government launched the Long-term Care Plan 2.0 that contains a chapter devoted to the Indigenous peoples. The Council of Indigenous Peoples promotes the development of a long-term care system that provides dignified care service for elders in the tribes and focuses on the subjectivity of the ethnic culture. For over a decade, among the long-term care services for the tribes, the Cultural Health Station (CHS) has served as the facility put forward by the government for the implementation of care centers with the important mission to develop a sustainable long-term care system for elders. This article examines the relevance of cultural care in the practice and in the evaluation system of cultural health stations. It summarizes and analyzes the relationship between cultural subjectivity and care services through the data of "excellent performance" in the evaluations of CHSs across the country. Based on this analysis, the study further explores how CHS, which operates under the evaluation system, reinforces the local characteristics in its cultural care services. Finally, the paper attempts to put forward views and suggestions on how the CHS can develop a more suitable tribal cultural care model.   The results show that among 31 CHSs with excellent performance in the evaluation in 2020, the functions of CHS have been upgraded from the general primary prevention and long-term care function to include diversified services. This paper finds that the indicators related to culture care in the evaluation system can promote the development of individual care models in CHS, including 1) professional care that emphasizes the cultivation of local manpower to improve the quality of service; 2) friendly environment and activity design that provide safe and appropriate care to the elderly; and 3) innovative services that respect local cultures by empowering elders  to contribute their wisdom and skills through participation in CHS activities. In order to ensure that the evaluation system supports the CHS to further develop a sustainable local cultural care service with more cultural subjectivity, it is recommended that the government encourage the tribes to strengthen their own cultural characteristics and provide flexibility for CHS operations so as to implement culture care that meets local needs and supports the uniqueness of the tribal health stations

Effects of different ceramic and dentin thicknesses on the temperature rise during photocuring

AbstractBackground/purposeThe aims of this investigation were to describe the effect of different ceramic and remaining dentin thicknesses on substrate temperature during photocuring, and investigate whether the temperature increased by >5.5°C for different dentin/ceramic combinations.Materials and methodsThree groups of dentin thicknesses of 1.0 (D1.0), 1.5 (D1.5), and 2.0 mm (D2.0), and three groups of ceramic thicknesses of 1.5 (C1.5), 2.5 (C2.5), and 3.5 mm (C3.5) were examined. Temperature changes and the maximum temperature were observed under a high-intensity halogen light (QTH-Atralis 10 ECS program at 1200mW/cm2 for 30 seconds, Ivoclar Vivadent AG, Schaan, Liechtenstein). Four groups, D1.0–C1.5 (+11°C), D1.5–C1.5 (+7.2°C), D1.0–C2.5 (+6.7°C), and D2–0C1.5 (+5.8°C), demonstrated temperature changes of >5.5°C.Results and ConclusionsA statistical analysis showed that separate individual thicknesses and combinations of dentin and ceramic had significant effects on temperature changes (P<0.01). It was observed that the ceramic exhibited a smaller temperature shielding effect than dentin. Clinically, it would be optimal to preserve the dentin to avoid damaging pulp tissues. Where there is insufficient overall thickness (≤3.5mm), continuous high-energy output photocuring should be avoided to protect pulp tissues from thermal injury

Down-regulation of Survivin enhances sensitivity to BPR0L075 in human cancer cells via caspase-independent mechanisms

Background: BPR0L075 [6-methoxy-3-(3&#x27;,4&#x27;,5&#x27;-trimethoxy-benzoyl)-1H-indole] is a novel anti-cancer compound. It inhibits tubulin polymerization and induces mitochondrial-dependent apoptosis in various human cancer cells with different multi-drug resistance (MDR) status. Over-expression of an anti-apoptotic molecule, survivin, causes drug-resistance in various cancers. Survivin inhibits apoptosis by interfering caspase-3 and promotes cell growth by stabilizing microtubule networks. Here, we determined the effects of down-regulation of survivin in BPR0L075 (L075) treatment. Methods: Western blot analysis was used to determine the expression level of survivin in L075-untreated/-treated human oral carcinoma KB and nasopharyngeal carcinoma HONE-1 cancer cells. siRNA was used to down-regulate endogenous survivin. MTT cell viability assay, real-time caspase-3 activity assay and immuno-fluorescence microscopy were used to analyze downstream effects. Results: Survivin expression was up-regulated in both KB and HONE-1 cells in response to L075 treatment. Down-regulation of survivin induced hyper-sensitivity to L075 in KB and re-stored sensitivity to L075 in KB-derived L075-resistant KB-L30 cancer cells. At the molecular level, down-regulation of survivin induced changes in microtubule dynamics in both KB and KB-L30 cells. Surprisingly, down-regulation of survivin did not enhance the activity of caspase-3 in L075 therapy. Instead, down-regulation of survivin induced translocation of the apoptosis-inducing factor (AIF) from cytoplasm to nucleus. Conclusion: Down-regulation of survivin improved drug sensitivity to L075 in both KB and L075-resistant KB-L30 cancer cells, possibly through a tubulin-dependent and caspase-independent mechanism. We suggest that combining BPR0L075 and survivin inhibitor may give better clinical outcome than the use of BPR0L075 monotherapy in future clinical trials

18F-FDG PET/CT-based gross tumor volume definition for radiotherapy in head and neck Cancer: a correlation study between suitable uptake value threshold and tumor parameters

<p>Abstract</p> <p>Background</p> <p>To define a suitable threshold setting for gross tumor volume (GTV) when using ¹⁸Fluoro-deoxyglucose positron emission tomography and computed tomogram (PET/CT) for radiotherapy planning in head and neck cancer (HNC).</p> <p>Methods</p> <p>Fifteen HNC patients prospectively received PET/CT simulation for their radiation treatment planning. Biological target volume (BTV) was derived from PET/CT-based GTV of the primary tumor. The BTVs were defined as the isodensity volumes when adjusting different percentage of the maximal standardized uptake value (SUVmax), excluding any artifact from surrounding normal tissues. CT-based primary GTV (C-pGTV) that had been previously defined by radiation oncologists was compared with the BTV. Suitable threshold level (sTL) could be determined when BTV value and its morphology using a certain threshold level was observed to be the best fitness of the C-pGTV. Suitable standardized uptake value (sSUV) was calculated as the sTL multiplied by the SUVmax.</p> <p>Results</p> <p>Our result demonstrated no single sTL or sSUV method could achieve an optimized volumetric match with the C-pGTV. The sTL was 13% to 27% (mean, 19%), whereas the sSUV was 1.64 to 3.98 (mean, 2.46). The sTL was inversely correlated with the SUVmax [sTL = -0.1004 Ln (SUVmax) + 0.4464; R²= 0.81]. The sSUV showed a linear correlation with the SUVmax (sSUV = 0.0842 SUVmax + 1.248; R²= 0.89). The sTL was not associated with the value of C-pGTVs.</p> <p>Conclusion</p> <p>In PET/CT-based BTV for HNC, a suitable threshold or SUV level can be established by correlating with SUVmax rather than using a fixed threshold.</p