Relationships among green space, ambient fine particulate matter, and cancer incidence in Taiwan: A 16-year retrospective cohort study.

Introduction: Green space and air pollution have been recognized as vital health determinants. There is a paucity of studies examining the interplay between green space, fine particulate matter (PM), and the incidence of specific cancers.

Objective: We aimed to explore the contributions of green space and ambient PM to the risk of specific cancers in terms of the most common cancers based on incidence or mortality rate in Taiwan and to ascertain the interaction between green space and PM and their role in cancer risk.

Long-Term Exposure to Ambient Fine Particulate Matter and Chronic Kidney Disease: A Cohort Study.

Background: Chronic kidney disease (CKD) is a serious global public health challenge, but there is limited information on the connection between air pollution and risk of CKD.

Objective: The aim of this study was to investigate the association between long-term exposure to particulate matter (PM) with an aerodynamic diameter of less than [Formula: see text] ([Formula: see text]) and the development of CKD in a large cohort.

Methods: A total of 100,629 nonCKD Taiwanese residents age 20 y or above were included in this study between 2001 and 2014.

Balancing geo-privacy and spatial patterns in epidemiological studies.

To balance the protection of geo-privacy and the accuracy of spatial patterns, we developed a geo-spatial tool (GeoMasker) intended to mask the residential locations of patients or cases in a geographic information system (GIS). To elucidate the effects of geo-masking parameters, we applied 2010 dengue epidemic data from Taiwan testing the tool's performance in an empirical situation. The similarity of pre- and post-spatial patterns was measured by D statistics under a 95% confidence interval.

Enhancing Raman signals through electromagnetic hot zones induced by magnetic dipole resonance of metal-free nanoparticles.

In this study, we found that the large area of electromagnetic field hot zone induced through magnetic dipole resonance of metal-free structures can greatly enhance Raman scattering signals. The magnetic resonant nanocavities, based on high-refractive-index silicon nanoparticles (SiNPs), were designed to resonate at the wavelength of the excitation laser of the Raman system. The well-dispersed SiNPs that were not closely packed displayed significant magnetic dipole resonance and gave a Raman enhancement per unit volume of 59 347.

Minimizing Spatial Variability of Healthcare Spatial Accessibility-The Case of a Dengue Fever Outbreak.

Outbreaks of infectious diseases or multi-casualty incidents have the potential to generate a large number of patients. It is a challenge for the healthcare system when demand for care suddenly surges. Traditionally, valuation of heath care spatial accessibility was based on static supply and demand information.

Online platform for applying space-time scan statistics for prospectively detecting emerging hot spots of dengue fever.

Background: Cases of dengue fever have increased in areas of Southeast Asia in recent years. Taiwan hit a record-high 42,856 cases in 2015, with the majority in southern Tainan and Kaohsiung Cities. Leveraging spatial statistics and geo-visualization techniques, we aim to design an online analytical tool for local public health workers to prospectively identify ongoing hot spots of dengue fever weekly at the village level.

Spatial decision on allocating automated external defibrillators (AED) in communities by multi-criterion two-step floating catchment area (MC2SFCA).

Background: The occurrence of out-of-hospital cardiac arrest (OHCA) is a critical life-threatening event which frequently warrants early defibrillation with an automated external defibrillator (AED). The optimization of allocating a limited number of AEDs in various types of communities is challenging. We aimed to propose a two-stage modeling framework including spatial accessibility evaluation and priority ranking to identify the highest gaps between demand and supply for allocating AEDs.

Spatial Variation and Resuscitation Process Affecting Survival after Out-of-Hospital Cardiac Arrests (OHCA).

Background: Ambulance response times and resuscitation efforts are critical predictors of the survival rate after out-of-hospital cardiac arrests (OHCA). On the other hand, rural-urban differences in the OHCA survival rates are an important public health issue.

Methods: We retrospectively reviewed the January 2011-December 2013 OHCA registry data of Kaohsiung City, Taiwan.

Cardiac depression induced by cocaine or cocaethylene is alleviated by lipid emulsion more effectively than by sulfobutylether-β-cyclodextrin.

Objectives: Cocaine intoxication leads to over 500,000 emergency department visits annually in the United States and ethanol cointoxication occurs in 34% of those cases. Cardiotoxicity is an ominous complication of cocaine and cocaethylene overdose for which no specific antidote exists. Because infusion of lipid emulsion (Intralipid) can treat lipophilic local anesthetic toxicity and cocaine is an amphipathic local anesthetic, the authors tested whether lipid emulsion could attenuate cocaine cardiotoxicity in vivo.

Rapid cardiotonic effects of lipid emulsion infusion*.

Objectives: Bolus infusion of lipid emulsion can reverse cardiac pharmacotoxicity caused by local anesthetics and other lipophilic drugs. The mechanisms of this effect are not completely elucidated. The authors test the hypothesis that lipid emulsion infusion exerts direct, positive inotropic effects.

Size, composition and structural changes of TiO2 rutile nanoparticles by pulsed laser ablation in water.

The rutile-type TiO2 powders originally whitish and micrometer in size were successfully reduced in size with accompanied structure, composition and optical property change to become dark bluish by pulsed laser ablation in liquid under 532 nm excitation and 400 mJ per pulse at a specified water depth (5 or 15 mm) for up to 30 min. Transmission electron microscopic observations indicated the newly formed anatase nanoparticles are ca. 5 nm in size with spindle-like shape having well-developed {101} faces and -(001) facets for mutual coalescence into unity.

Epinephrine induces rapid deterioration in pulmonary oxygen exchange in intact, anesthetized rats: a flow and pulmonary capillary pressure-dependent phenomenon.

Background: Previous studies indicate epinephrine adversely affects arterial oxygenation when administered in a rat model of local anesthetic overdose. The authors tested whether epinephrine alone exerts similar effects in the intact animal.

Methods: Anesthetized rats received a single intravenous injection of epinephrine (25, 50, or 100 mcg/kg); matched cohorts were pretreated with phentolamine (100 mcg/kg); n = 5 for each of the six treatment groups.

(Zn,H)-codoped copper oxide nanoparticles via pulsed laser ablation on Cu-Zn alloy in water.

Nanosized (5 to 10 nm) amorphous and crystalline nanocondensates, i.e., metallic α-phase of Zn-Cu alloy in face-centered cubic structure and (Zn,H)-codoped cuprite (Cu2O) with high-pressure-favored close-packed sublattice, were formed by pulsed laser ablation on bulk Cu65Zn35 in water and characterized by X-ray/electron diffractions and optical spectroscopy.

Pioglitazone attenuates acute cocaine toxicity in rat isolated heart: potential protection by metabolic modulation.

Background: The authors tested whether cocaine depresses mitochondrial acylcarnitine exchange and if a drug that enhances glucose metabolism could protect against cocaine-induced cardiac dysfunction.

Methods: Oxygen consumption with and without cocaine was compared in rat cardiac mitochondria using octanoylcarnitine (lipid) or pyruvate (nonlipid) substrates. Isolated hearts from rats with or without a pioglitazone-supplemented diet were exposed to cocaine.