Definitive radiotherapy for early stage glottic cancer by 6 MV photons

Purpose: To evaluate the clinical outcome of early glottic cancer (GC) treated by primary radiotherapy (RT) with 6 MV photons. Methods and materials: We retrospectively reviewed the medical records of 695 consecutive patients with T1N0 and T2N0 GC treated between 1983 and 2005 by RT in our institution. Clinical outcome in terms of local control (LC), overall survival (OS) and cause- specific survival (CSS) rate were evaluated. Results: The median follow-up time was 10.5 years.The 10-year actuarial LC rates were as follows: T1A, 91%; T1B, 87%; T2, 77%. The 10-year OS were as follows: T1, 74.2%; T2, 70.7%. The 10-year CSS were as follows: T1, 97.7%; T2, 97.1%. Poorly differentiated histology and tumor biologically effective dose < 65 Gy.© 2012 Tong et al.; licensee BioMed Central Ltd.Link_to_subscribed_fulltex

Women with endometriosis have higher comorbidities: Analysis of domestic data in Taiwan

AbstractEndometriosis, defined by the presence of viable extrauterine endometrial glands and stroma, can grow or bleed cyclically, and possesses characteristics including a destructive, invasive, and metastatic nature. Since endometriosis may result in pelvic inflammation, adhesion, chronic pain, and infertility, and can progress to biologically malignant tumors, it is a long-term major health issue in women of reproductive age. In this review, we analyze the Taiwan domestic research addressing associations between endometriosis and other diseases. Concerning malignant tumors, we identified four studies on the links between endometriosis and ovarian cancer, one on breast cancer, two on endometrial cancer, one on colorectal cancer, and one on other malignancies, as well as one on associations between endometriosis and irritable bowel syndrome, one on links with migraine headache, three on links with pelvic inflammatory diseases, four on links with infertility, four on links with obesity, four on links with chronic liver disease, four on links with rheumatoid arthritis, four on links with chronic renal disease, five on links with diabetes mellitus, and five on links with cardiovascular diseases (hypertension, hyperlipidemia, etc.). The data available to date support that women with endometriosis might be at risk of some chronic illnesses and certain malignancies, although we consider the evidence for some comorbidities to be of low quality, for example, the association between colon cancer and adenomyosis/endometriosis. We still believe that the risk of comorbidity might be higher in women with endometriosis than that we supposed before. More research is needed to determine whether women with endometriosis are really at risk of these comorbidities

Robust estimation of bacterial cell count from optical density

Optical density (OD) is widely used to estimate the density of cells in liquid culture, but cannot be compared between instruments without a standardized calibration protocol and is challenging to relate to actual cell count. We address this with an interlaboratory study comparing three simple, low-cost, and highly accessible OD calibration protocols across 244 laboratories, applied to eight strains of constitutive GFP-expressing E. coli. Based on our results, we recommend calibrating OD to estimated cell count using serial dilution of silica microspheres, which produces highly precise calibration (95.5% of residuals &lt;1.2-fold), is easily assessed for quality control, also assesses instrument effective linear range, and can be combined with fluorescence calibration to obtain units of Molecules of Equivalent Fluorescein (MEFL) per cell, allowing direct comparison and data fusion with flow cytometry measurements: in our study, fluorescence per cell measurements showed only a 1.07-fold mean difference between plate reader and flow cytometry data

Discutindo a educação ambiental no cotidiano escolar: desenvolvimento de projetos na escola formação inicial e continuada de professores

A presente pesquisa buscou discutir como a Educação Ambiental (EA) vem sendo trabalhada, no Ensino Fundamental e como os docentes desta escola compreendem e vem inserindo a EA no cotidiano escolar., em uma escola estadual do município de Tangará da Serra/MT, Brasil. Para tanto, realizou-se entrevistas com os professores que fazem parte de um projeto interdisciplinar de EA na escola pesquisada. Verificou-se que o projeto da escola não vem conseguindo alcançar os objetivos propostos por: desconhecimento do mesmo, pelos professores; formação deficiente dos professores, não entendimento da EA como processo de ensino-aprendizagem, falta de recursos didáticos, planejamento inadequado das atividades. A partir dessa constatação, procurou-se debater a impossibilidade de tratar do tema fora do trabalho interdisciplinar, bem como, e principalmente, a importância de um estudo mais aprofundado de EA, vinculando teoria e prática, tanto na formação docente, como em projetos escolares, a fim de fugir do tradicional vínculo “EA e ecologia, lixo e horta”.Facultad de Humanidades y Ciencias de la Educació

Pteroptyx

Key to species of &lt;i&gt;Pteroptyx&lt;/i&gt; from SE Asia using males &lt;p&gt;(Figs 7&ndash;32)&lt;/p&gt; &lt;p&gt; 1. Light organ in V7 entire; flanges present on ventral surface of tergite 8; MFC absent; aedeagal sheath lacking paraprocts; lateral lobes of aedeagus separated for most of their dorsal length; having orange pronotum and dark brown elytra............................................................................................................ &lt;i&gt;amilae&lt;/i&gt; Sat&ocirc;&lt;/p&gt; &lt;p&gt;- Light organ in V7 bipartite; flanges usually absent on the ventral surface of tergite 8; MFC present (e.g. Fig. 22); aedeagal sheath with paraprocts (Figs 15, 16); lateral lobes of aedeagus separated along their dorsal length for less than half their length (Fig. 14); colour often pale brownish yellow with black elytral apices...................................................... 2&lt;/p&gt; &lt;p&gt; 2. V7 with slender incurving hair bearing lobes along its posterior margin between PLP and MPP (arrowed in Figs 9, 10); LOs in V7 restricted to very small anterolateral plaques; PLP of V7 narrowed and considerably produced beyond the posterior margin of the MPP; T8 prolonged apically beyond MPP with margins converging posteriorly (Figs 9, 10)......... &lt;i&gt;macdermotti&lt;/i&gt; McLean&lt;/p&gt; &lt;p&gt;- V7 lacking slender incurving hair bearing lobes along its posterior margin between PLP and MPP of that ventrite; LOs in V7 never restricted to very small anterolateral plaques; if posterolateral processes of V7 narrowed then not produced far beyond the posterior margin of MPP if at all; T8 not as above.............................................................. 3&lt;/p&gt; &lt;p&gt;3. Tergite 8 bearing slender elongate lobes along its posterior margin to either side of the posterior median emargination (Figs 7, 13); flanges on ventral surface of tergite 8 absent; basitarsi of legs 2 excavated in its inner margin (Fig. 11)............... 4&lt;/p&gt; &lt;p&gt;- Tergite 8 lacking slender elongate lobes along its posterior margin to either side of the median posterior emargination (e.g. Figs 8, 17, 19, 24); flanges may be present on ventral surface of tergite 8............................................... 7&lt;/p&gt; &lt;p&gt; 4. Posterior margin of tergite 8 strongly asymmetrical especially when viewed from above; posterior margin of tergite 7 broadly and shallowly emarginate; elytral apices broadly rounded (C&gt; A or B); all FS simple; posterolateral corners of V7 produced and rounded............................................................................. &lt;i&gt;asymmetria&lt;/i&gt; Ballantyne&lt;/p&gt; &lt;p&gt; - Posterior margin of tergite 8 symmetrical or nearly so (Figs 7, 19, 24); if any asymmetry present this is in the paired lobes arising at each side of the median posterior emargination, and not an asymmetry of the entire posterior margin; elytral apices rounded or margin B obliquely truncate; flagellar segment 1 slightly expanded in median area in &lt;i&gt;decolor&lt;/i&gt;; posterolateral corners of V7 produced and rounded, or not produced and angulate; posterior margin of tergite 8 deeply emarginated in middle area with posterolateral corners produced and rounded, or barely and very narrowly emarginated in median line only..................... 5&lt;/p&gt; &lt;p&gt; 5. Posterolateral processes of V 7 angulate, not or scarcely produced posteriorly (Figs 7, 12); posterior margin of V7 between PLP and MPP slightly sinuate; posterior margin of T7 with narrowed angulate corners and a small shallow median emargination (margin appears trisinuate); elytral apices obliquely truncate across most of their anterior (outer) margin (C)...... &lt;i&gt;tener&lt;/i&gt; Olivier&lt;/p&gt; &lt;p&gt;- Posterolateral processes of V7 rounded obtuse, and produced posteriorly; posterior margin of V7 between PLP and MPP with moderately deep and rounded emarginations; posterior margin of tergite 7 deeply emarginated in middle area with posterolateral corners produced and rounded; posterior margin of T7 not appearing trisinuate; elytral apices C rounded or truncate......... 6&lt;/p&gt; &lt;p&gt; 6. Dorsal surface entirely pale coloured except for dark markings at tip of elytra, head and anterior margin of scape pale yellow with labrum dark brown; elytral apices rounded.................................................... &lt;i&gt;decolor&lt;/i&gt; Olivier&lt;/p&gt; &lt;p&gt; - Elytra pale brown, semitransparent, with lateral margin paler than rest; if elytra pale then at least base and apex brown; head pale brown, with labrum slightly darker; elytral apex B obliquely truncate................................ &lt;i&gt;similis&lt;/i&gt; Ballantyne&lt;/p&gt; &lt;p&gt; 7. Deflexed elytral apex shortened (wider than long) (Fig. 23); tibiae 3 not expanded; basitarsi 3 not swollen; fine ventrally directed flanges on ventral surface of tergite 8 absent; PLP separated from MPP by moderately deep circular emarginations (Fig. 18); apices of PLP broad, flat, slightly obliquely truncate; posterior margin of T7 not emarginated and posterolateral corners not produced; lateral margins of tergite 8 rounded.................................................... &lt;i&gt;truncata&lt;/i&gt; Ballantyne&lt;/p&gt; &lt;p&gt;- Deflexed elytral apex not shortened (i.e. about as wide as long); tibiae 3 often expanded at apex and basitarsi 3 may be swollen (Fig. 26); fine ventrally directed flanges may be present on the ventral surface of tergite 8 (Fig. 17); PLP separated from MPP by moderately deep circular emarginations or not; apices of PLP sometimes flat, slightly obliquely truncate; posterior margin of T7 usually emarginated and posterolateral corners produced; lateral margins of tergite 8 rounded or straight and converging anteriorly..................................................................................................8&lt;/p&gt; &lt;p&gt; 8. Posterior end of elytra dimpled (Figs 20, 21); wide deep emarginations separating elongate narrow PLP from MPP; apices of PLP narrow and rounded; posterolateral corners of T8 angulate and lateral margins converge anteriorly; posterolateral corners of T7 narrowed and may project and are often visible from beneath in the emarginations between PLP and MPP (Fig. 19)............................................................................................ &lt;i&gt;gelasina&lt;/i&gt; Ballantyne&lt;/p&gt; &lt;p&gt;- Posterior end of elytra not dimpled; either wide emarginations separating elongate PLP from MPP, or emarginations scarce; apices of PLP often slightly oblique, or PLP broadly rounded and scarcely produced; posterolateral corners of T8 angulate and lateral margins converge anteriorly or corners and lateral margins rounded; posterolateral corners of T7 not usually visible from beneath in the emarginations between PLP and MPP........................................................... 9&lt;/p&gt; &lt;p&gt;9. Posterolateral corners of V7 rounded or angulate, scarcely produced; MPP of V7 broad and apex almost squarely truncate or slightly rounded in ventral view and perpendicular to horizontal plane; median dorsal surface of MPP may be narrowly prolonged and apically emarginated.......................................................................... 10&lt;/p&gt; &lt;p&gt; - PLP of V7 elongate, longer than wide, produced and apically obliquely truncated; MPP of V7 narrower and apex emarginated (emargination visible from beneath); median dorsal surface of MPP not developed (Figs 24, 25)........................................................................................... &lt;i&gt;masatakai&lt;/i&gt; Kawashima, &lt;i&gt;malaccae&lt;/i&gt; (Gorham) 1&lt;/p&gt; &lt;p&gt; 10 Dorsal surface of MPP of V7 strongly prolonged and apically narrowly emarginated......................................................................... &lt;i&gt;sulawesiensis&lt;/i&gt; Kawashima; &lt;i&gt;valida&lt;/i&gt; Olivier &lt;b&gt;sensu&lt;/b&gt; Ballantyne (2001 Group 2:81) 2&lt;/p&gt; &lt;p&gt;- Dorsal surface of MPP either lacking a median posterior projection or with a slight projection......................... 11&lt;/p&gt; &lt;p&gt; 11. Elytral apices strongly deflexed (Fig. 32); posterior margin of outer area of elytral apex grooved; LO in V7 well separated in the middle (Figs 27, 31)............................................ &lt;i&gt;valida&lt;/i&gt; Olivier &lt;b&gt;sensu&lt;/b&gt; Ballantyne (2001) Groups 1, 3 3&lt;/p&gt; &lt;p&gt; - Elytral apices not strongly deflexed (Fig. 2); posterior margin of outer area of elytral apex not grooved; LO in V7 contiguous in the middle (Fig. 2)........................................................................... &lt;i&gt;maipo&lt;/i&gt; &lt;b&gt;sp. nov.&lt;/b&gt;&lt;/p&gt;Published as part of &lt;i&gt;Ballantyne, Lesley, Fu, Xin Hua, Shih, Chun-Hat, Cheng, Chui-Yu &amp; Yiu, Vor, 2011, Pteroptyx maipo Ballantyne, a new species of bent-winged firefly (Coleoptera: Lampyridae) from Hong Kong, and its relevance to firefly biology and conservation, pp. 8-34 in Zootaxa 2931&lt;/i&gt; on pages 11-12, DOI: &lt;a href="http://zenodo.org/record/278036"&gt;10.5281/zenodo.278036&lt;/a&gt

Epitaxy-like protective layers for high-performance low-cost Au/Pd/Ni preplated Cu alloy leadframes

In this paper, we report the performance, the crystal microstructure, and defects of Au/Pd/Ni/Cu preplated lead frames (PPF). The wire pull test, the solderability test, and high-resolution transmission electron microscopy (HRTEM) are employed to characterize the PPFs in order to understand the relationship between performance and microstructure. The electroplated PPFs are composed of Au (3 nm)/Pd (5 to 15 nm)/Ni (0.7 mu m)/Cu substrate. We optimize the electroplating profile and determine the minimum thickness of the Pd layer with the PPF performance satisfying the industry standards. Further increasing the Pd layer thickness beyond the critical thickness will not enhance the performance more, but increase the product cost. With the optimized electroplating profile, the electroplated Au layer is epitaxially deposited on the I'd layer, and so does the Pd layer on the Ni layer. The interface between the Au and Pd layers is in general coherent in spite of the about 4.8\% mismatch strain between the An and Pd lattices because the Au layer thickness is only 3 nm small. Misfit dislocations and nanotwins are present at the interface between the I'd and Ni layers, which are generated to release the about 10.4\% misfit strain between the Pd and Ni lattices

Emphysematous pyelonephritis: An 8-year retrospective review across four acute hospitals

To retrospectively review our experience of managing patients with emphysematous pyelonephritis (EPN). Case notes of patients with EPN were reviewed. The patients' demographic data, clinical presentation, investigation findings, treatment, and outcome were studied. Twelve patients were diagnosed with EPN. Majority (66.7%) of them had diabetes mellitus. All patients had been evaluated by computed tomography (CT). Using the classification proposed by Wan et al, five patients had type 1 EPN, whereas six, two, and four patients had Huang and Tseng CT class 2, 3a, and 3b EPN, respectively. Immediate nephrectomy was performed in six patients, whereas conservative treatment was adopted in the other six. In the nephrectomy group, one patient died of disseminated sepsis after a protracted course. Conservative treatment failed in three patients, who succumbed despite salvage nephrectomy in two of them. Analysis revealed that severe hyperglycemia and radiological CT class (both Wan and Huang systems) were significant predictors of mortality from EPN. Severe hyperglycemia and CT class of EPN are significant risk factors for death. CT is the investigation of choice for correct diagnosis of EPN. Additional intervention should be offered to EPN patients with Wan type 1 and Huang and Tseng class 3 CT features

A simple design for strongly emissive sky-blue phosphorescent neutral rhenium complexes: synthesis, photophysics, and electroluminescent devices

A simple design strategy for a new class of stable, vacuum-sublimable, and strongly emissive sky-blue neutral phosphorescent Re(I) phenanthroline complexes {Re(R2phen)(CO)3[CNB(C6F5)3]} is reported. These complexes show intense bluish green emission in CH2Cl2 solution with the highest emission quantum yield and bluest emission ever reported for the neutral Re(I) diimine complexes. In the solid state, they display sky-blue emission. The electroluminescent properties of devices containing these complexes have also been investigated

Emphysematous pyelonephritis: An 8-year retrospective review across four acute hospitals

Objective: To retrospectively review our experience of managing patients with emphysematous pyelonephritis (EPN). Methods: Case notes of patients with EPN were reviewed. The patients' demographic data, clinical presentation, investigation findings, treatment, and outcome were studied. Results: Twelve patients were diagnosed with EPN. Majority (66.7%) of them had diabetes mellitus. All patients had been evaluated by computed tomography (CT). Using the classification proposed by Wan et al, five patients had type 1 EPN, whereas six, two, and four patients had Huang and Tseng CT class 2, 3a, and 3b EPN, respectively. Immediate nephrectomy was performed in six patients, whereas conservative treatment was adopted in the other six. In the nephrectomy group, one patient died of disseminated sepsis after a protracted course. Conservative treatment failed in three patients, who succumbed despite salvage nephrectomy in two of them. Analysis revealed that severe hyperglycemia and radiological CT class (both Wan and Huang systems) were significant predictors of mortality from EPN. Conclusion: Severe hyperglycemia and CT class of EPN are significant risk factors for death. CT is the investigation of choice for correct diagnosis of EPN. Additional intervention should be offered to EPN patients with Wan type 1 and Huang and Tseng class 3 CT features