Revealing the structure stability and evolution of gold nanocrystals at the atomic scale is crucial to their versatile applications; however, the fundamental mechanism remains elusive due to the lack of characterizations. In this work, the structural evolution of two types of Au nanobipyramids (Au NBPs) at elevated temperatures is monitored through electron microscopy analysis, and there is a sharp distinction between their structure stability despite that they possess the same crystalline structure. Detailed material characterization reveals that the surface alloying of residual Ag with Au (customized Ag armor) can greatly inhibit the Au atom diffusion and contribute remarkably to the stability and surface-enhanced Raman scattering improvement.
View Article and Find Full Text PDFAim: The tumor staging of colorectal cancer (CRC) plays a significant role in both treatment and prognosis, impacting surgical planning and adjuvant therapy decisions. Currently, the staging of CRC is based on the TNM system developed by the American Joint Committee on Cancer. Prior studies have suggested that survival rates and recurrent rates of T4a tumors appear to be worse than that of T4b tumors, although there is currently no consensus.
View Article and Find Full Text PDFObjective: To quantify alterations in soma and neurite density imaging measures within and surrounding cortical lesions in people with multiple sclerosis using in vivo high-gradient diffusion MRI.
Methods: In this cross-sectional study, 41 people with multiple sclerosis and 34 age- and sex-matched healthy controls underwent 3 T high-gradient diffusion MRI. Cortical lesions were segmented on artificial intelligence-enabled double inversion recovery images.
Introduction: We explored the clinical characteristics, treatment, and outcomes of colitis-associated colorectal cancer (CAC) and compared with sporadic colorectal cancer in Taiwan.
Methods: In this retrospective study spanning 1987-2022, CACs diagnosed according to endoscopic and pathological reports from 14 tertiary centers were reported to our cohort. Clinical demographics, endoscopic findings, histological results, treatment modalities, and outcomes were analyzed.
YKL-40 is significantly associated with the prevalence and severity of coronary artery disease (CAD). YKL-40 levels are significantly associated with variations in the CHI3L1 and TRIB1 genes. We investigated candidate genes for YKL-40 levels and evaluated the prognostic value of this biomarker and corresponding variants for long-term outcomes in patients with CAD.
View Article and Find Full Text PDFPolyamorphic transition (PT) is a compelling and pivotal physical phenomenon in the field of glass and materials science. Understanding this transition is of scientific and technological significance, as it offers an important pathway for effectively tuning the structure and property of glasses. In contrast to the PT observed in conventional metallic glasses (MGs), which typically exhibit a pronounced first-order nature, herein we report a continuous PT (CPT) without first-order characteristics in high-entropy MGs (HEMGs) upon heating.
View Article and Find Full Text PDFBackground: The aim of this study is to describe the management and associated follow-up strategies adopted by thyroid surgeons with different surgical volumes when loss of signal (LOS) occurred on the first side of planned bilateral thyroid surgery, and to further define the consensus on intraoperative neuromonitoring (IONM) applications.
Methods: The International Neural Monitoring Study Group (INMSG) web-based survey was sent to 950 thyroid surgeons worldwide. The survey included information on the participants, IONM team/equipment/procedure, intraoperative/postoperative management of LOS, and management of LOS on the first side of thyroidectomy for benign and malignant disease.
Current assessments of social competence for children with autism spectrum disorder (ASD) are mostly designed for screening or diagnosis, not for measuring outcomes. This study aimed to develop a professional-administrated outcome measure, the Observational Social Competence Assessment (OSCA), and examine its psychometric properties. The OSCA was constructed based on a multidimensional view of social competence (i.
View Article and Find Full Text PDFBackground: Laser hemorrhoidoplasty has demonstrated significant therapeutic effectiveness. To diminish postoperative bleeding and enhance overall outcomes, we have additionally adopted suture ligating the feeding vessels. This study aimed to understand the treatment outcomes and any associated complications.
View Article and Find Full Text PDFBackground: Entrustable Professional Activities (EPA)-based assessment is easily and intuitively used in evaluating the learning outcomes of competency-based medical education (CBME). This study aimed to develop an EPA for occupational therapy focused on providing health education and consultation (TP-EPA3) and examine its validity.
Methods: Nineteen occupational therapists who had completed online training on the EQual rubric evaluation participated in this study.
Objective: To evaluate the intrinsic and extrinsic microstructural factors contributing to atrophy within individual thalamic subregions in multiple sclerosis using in vivo high-gradient diffusion MRI.
Methods: In this cross-sectional study, 41 people with multiple sclerosis and 34 age and sex-matched healthy controls underwent 3T MRI with up to 300 mT/m gradients using a multi-shell diffusion protocol consisting of eight b-values and diffusion time of 19 ms. Each thalamus was parcellated into 25 subregions for volume determination and diffusion metric estimation.
Objectives: The feasibility and reliability of trans-thyroid cartilage EMG recording method (TCERM) during intraoperative monitoring (IONM) of the recurrent laryngeal nerve (RLN) in thyroid surgery have been established. This study compared two different recording electrode placements on the ipsi-lateral and contra-lateral lamina of the thyroid cartilage (TC).
Methods: Fifty consecutive patients undergoing total thyroidectomy with 100 RLNs at risk were enrolled.
One of the mechanisms of chemotherapy is to increase the oxidative stress of cancer cells, leading to their apoptosis. Glutathione (GSH) and its related antioxidant enzymes might be stimulated to cope with increased oxidative stress during chemotherapy. Here, we studied the fluctuation in oxidative stress and GSH-related antioxidant capacities before tumor resection, after tumor resection, and after resection either with or without chemotherapy in patients with colorectal cancer (CRC).
View Article and Find Full Text PDFBackground: Drowning is a leading cause of brain injury in children. Long-term outcome data for drowning survivors are sparse. This study reports neurocognitive outcomes for 154 children hospitalized following drowning.
View Article and Find Full Text PDFRegulating the local configuration of atomically dispersed transition-metal atom catalysts is the key to oxygen electrocatalysis performance enhancement. Unlike the previously reported single-atom or dual-atom configurations, we designed a new type of binary-atom catalyst, through engineering Fe-N electronic structure with adjacent Co-NC and nitrogen-coordinated Co nanoclusters, as oxygen electrocatalysts. The resultant optimized electronic structure of the Fe-N active center favors the binding capability of intermediates and enhances oxygen reduction reaction (ORR) activity in both alkaline and acid conditions.
View Article and Find Full Text PDFBackground: The main target of sodium-glucose cotransporter 2 inhibitors (SGLT2i), the sodium-glucose cotransporters 2, is found in the kidneys, and their activity is reduced in patients with chronic kidney disease (CKD). How the efficacy of SGLT2i may vary in patients with different levels of renal impairment has not been fully elucidated.
Methods: We searched the PubMed databases for relevant studies published through May 25, 2022.
Robotics competitions boosts the development of STEM education, but gender disparity in this field remains rarely addressed by researchers. This study focused on the World Robot Olympiad (WRO) and tried to explore the gender differences through investigation method. The research questions are as follows: RQ1, what is the tendency of girls' participation in WRO from 2015 to 2019 in terms of the four competition categories and three age groups? RQ2, what advantages and challenges do the all-girl teams have from the perspectives of parents, coaches and students? The results showed that among the 5956 participants in the 2015-2019 WRO finals, girls accounted for only 17.
View Article and Find Full Text PDFBackground: We have demonstrated that bioresorbable vascular scaffold (BVS) for ACC/AHA type C lesions was associated with higher risks of long-term target lesion revascularization (TLR) and target lesion failure (TLF). We determined the specific time after which higher risks of BVS for type C lesions are reduced in a longer-term follow-up.
Methods: We analyzed data of 457 patients (59 ± 12 years, 87% male) with 714 BVS implanted for 529 lesions and a median follow-up of 56.
Multiple sclerosis features complex pathological changes in grey matter that begin early and eventually lead to diffuse atrophy. Novel approaches to image grey-matter microstructural alterations are highly sought after and would enable more sensitive monitoring of disease activity and progression. This cross-sectional study aimed to assess the sensitivity of high-gradient diffusion MRI for microstructural tissue damage in cortical and deep grey matter in people with multiple sclerosis and test the hypothesis that reduced cortical cell body density is associated with cortical and deep grey-matter volume loss.
View Article and Find Full Text PDFBackground: Robotic surgery and ERAS protocol care are both prominent developments and have each become global trends. However, the effects and learning curves of combining robotic surgery and ERAS care in colorectal resection have not yet been well validated. This study aimed to present our real-world experience and establish the learning curves necessary for the implementation of an ERAS program in minimally-invasive surgery for colorectal resection, while also evaluating the impact that the development of the robotic technique has on ERAS outcomes.
View Article and Find Full Text PDF