153 research outputs found
Growth behavior of nanocrystalline diamond films on ultrananocrystalline diamond nuclei: The transmission electron microscopy studies
[[abstract]]Micron-crystalline diamond (MCD) films with a unique microstructure were synthesized using a modified nucleation and growth process, in which a thin layer of ultrananocrystalline diamond (UNCD) was used as nucleation layer for growing diamond films in H2-plasma. Thus obtained (MCD)UNCD diamond films consist of nanosized diamond clusters ( ā¼ 10ānm in size) surrounding the large diamond grains ( ā¼ 300ānm in size), exhibiting better electron field emission (EFE) properties than the conventional diamond materials with faceted grains. The EFE of these (MCD)UNCD films can be turned on at E0 = 11.1āV/Ī¼m, achieving EFE current density as large as (Je) = 0.7āmA/cm2 at 25āV/Ī¼m applied field, which can be attributed to the presence of large proportion of UNCD grains lying in between the MCD grains, forming an electron conduction path and thus facilitating the EFE process. Transmission electron microscopy examinations reveal that such a unique microstructure was formed by agglomeration and coalescence of the nanosized UNCD grains.[[incitationindex]]SCI[[incitationindex]]EI[[booktype]]ē“
Stochastic model for hepatitis B virus infection through maternal (vertical) and environmental (horizontal) transmission with applications to basic reproductive number estimation and economic appraisal of preventive strategies
Radiosurgery for Vestibular Schwannomas
BackgroundRadiosurgery has been established as an important alternative to microsurgery. We report our experience with radiosurgery for tumor control and the complications of unilateral vestibular schwannomas.MethodsWe reviewed our early experience regarding clinical presentation, management and outcomes in 45 patients with acoustic schwannomas who underwent gamma knife stereotactic radiosurgery. The median follow-up period was 25 months (range, 6-48 months). Thirteen patients had undergone 1 or more previous resections before radiosurgery; 32 underwent radiosurgery as the first procedure. Median tumor volume was 4.5 mL (range, 0.5-30.0), and median radiotherapy dose was 11.5 Gy (range, 10.5-14.0 Gy).ResultsTumor control was achieved in 43 patients (95.6%). Loss of central contrast enhancement was a characteristic change and was noted in 29 patients (64.4%). Reduction in tumor size was shown in 15 patients (33.3%). Thirteen patients (28.9%) had good or serviceable hearing preoperatively, and in all of these, the preoperative status was retained immediately after radiosurgery. At follow-up, however, 10 patients (76.9%) had preserved hearing and 3 (23.1%) had reduced hearing on the treated side. Hearing in 1 patient that was not serviceable preoperatively later improved to a serviceable level. No patients had delayed facial palsy or lower cranial nerve dysfunction, but one had delayed trigeminal sensory loss.ConclusionRadiosurgery achieved a high tumor control rate and a relatively low post-radiosurgical complication rate for acoustic neuromas
Transcriptional regulation of human eosinophil RNases by an evolutionary- conserved sequence motif in primate genome
The relationship between preoperative American Society of Anesthesiologists Physical Status Classification scores and functional recovery following hip-fracture surgery
Abstract
Background
Little is known about the relationship of the American Society of Anesthesiologists Physical Status Classification scores (ASA scores) on patient outcomes following hip fracture surgery in Asian countries. Therefore, this study explored the association of patientsā preoperative ASA scores on trajectories of recovery in physical functioning and health outcomes during the first year following postoperative discharge for older adults with hip-fracture surgery in Taiwan.
Methods
The data for this study was generated from three prior studies. Participants (NĀ =Ā 226) were older hip-fracture patients from an observational study (nĀ =Ā 86) and two clinical trials (nĀ =Ā 61 and nĀ =Ā 79). Participants were recruited from the trauma wards of one medical center in northern Taiwan and data was collected prior to discharge and at 1, 3, 6, and 12Ā months after hospital discharge. Participants were grouped as ASA class 1ā2 (50.5%; ASA Class 1, nĀ =Ā 7; ASA Class 2, nĀ =Ā 107) and ASA class 3 (49.5%, nĀ =Ā 112). Measures for mortality, service utilization, activities of daily living (ADL), measured by the Chinese Barthel Index, and health related quality of life, measured by Medical Outcomes Study Short Form-36, were assessed for the two groups. Generalized estimating equations (GEE) were used to analyze the changes over time for the two groups.
Results
During the first year following hip-fracture surgery, ASA class 1ā2 participants had significantly fewer rehospitalizations (6%, pĀ =Ā .02) and better scores for mental health (meanĀ =Ā 70.29, standard deviationĀ =Ā 19.03) at 6- and 12-months following discharge than those classified as ASA 3. In addition, recovery of walking ability (70%, pĀ =Ā .001) and general health (adjusted meanĀ =Ā 58.31, pĀ =Ā .003) was also significantly better than ASA 3 participants.
Conclusions
There was a significant association of hip-fracture patients classified as ASA 1ā2 with better recovery and service utilization during the first year following surgery. Interventions for hip fractured patients with high ASA scores should be developed to improve recovery and quality of life.https://deepblue.lib.umich.edu/bitstream/2027.42/138818/1/12891_2017_Article_1768.pd
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Nonapnea Sleep Disorders and the Risk of Acute Kidney Injury: A Nationwide Population-Based Study
Abstract Nonapnea sleep disorders (NASDs) and associated problems, which are highly prevalent in patients with kidney diseases, are associated with unfavorable medical sequelae. Nonetheless, whether NASDs are associated with acute kidney injury (AKI) development has not been thoroughly analyzed. We examined the association between NASD and AKI. We conducted a population-based study by using 1,000,000 representative data from the Taiwan National Health Insurance Research Database for the period from January 1, 2000, to December 31, 2010. We studied the incidence and risk of AKI in 9178 newly diagnosed NASD patients compared with 27,534 people without NASD matched according to age, sex, index year, urbanization level, region of residence, and monthly income at a 1:3 ratio. The NASD cohort had an adjusted hazard ratio (hazard ratio [HR]; 95% confidence interval [CI] = 1.15ā2.63) of subsequent AKI 1.74-fold higher than that of the control cohort. Older age and type 2 diabetes mellitus were significantly associated with an increased risk of AKI (P < 0.05). Among different types of NASDs, patients with insomnia had a 120% increased risk of developing AKI (95% CI = 1.38ā3.51; P = 0.001), whereas patients with other sleep disorders had a 127% increased risk of subsequent AKI (95% CI = 1.07ā4.80; P = 0.033). Men with NASDs were at a high risk of AKI (P < 0.05). This nationwide population-based cohort study provides evidence that patients with NASDs are at higher risk of developing AKI than people without NASDs
Prospective analysis of UGT1A1 promoter polymorphism for irinotecan dose escalation in metastatic colorectal cancer patients treated with bevacizumab plus FOLFIRI as the first-line setting: study protocol for a randomized controlled trial
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
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