Breast Cancer Patient Flap Management After Mastectomy: A Best Practice Implementation Project.

Background: Breast cancer is a prevalent malignancy in women, with mastectomy as the main surgery. Common postmastectomy complications are seroma (15%-81%), infections (2.9%-3.

A Smith Predictor Modified with a Pseudo Feedforward Control for the Charge-Coupled Device-Based Optoelectronic Tracking System.

In the high-precision optoelectronic tracking system (OTS) based on a charge-coupled device (CCD), the boresight error extracted from the tracking image contains an undeniable delay, which directly limits the control bandwidth of visual tracking. High bandwidth means high response speed and tracking accuracy. Generally, a model-based delay compensation control method called the Smith predictor is utilized to separate time delay from the closed loop to promote the control bandwidth.

Saponin and Ribosome-Inactivating Protein Synergistically Trigger Lysosome-Dependent Apoptosis by Inhibiting Lysophagy: Potential to Become a New Antitumor Strategy.

The susceptibility of lysosomal membranes in tumor cells to cationic amphiphilic drugs (CADs) enables CADs to induce lysosomal membrane permeabilization (LMP) and trigger lysosome-dependent cell death (LDCD), suggesting a potential antitumor therapeutic approach. However, the existence of intrinsic lysosomal damage response mechanisms limits the display of the pharmacological activity of CADs. In this study, we report that low concentrations of QS-21, a saponin with cationic amphiphilicity extracted from tree, can induce LMP but has nontoxicity to tumor cells.

Improving combination cancer immunotherapy by manipulating dual immunomodulatory signals with enzyme-triggered, cell-penetrating peptide-mediated biomodulators.

Immunosuppressive tumor microenvironments challenge the effectiveness of protein-based biopharmaceuticals in cancer immunotherapy. Reestablishing tumor cell immunogenicity by enhancing calreticulin (CRT) exposure is expected to improve tumor immunotherapy. Given that CRT translocation is inherently modulated by phosphorylated eIF2α, the selective inhibition of protein phosphatase 1 (PP1) emerges as an effective strategy to augment tumor immunogenicity.

Microplastics in the Taiwan Strait and adjacent sea: Spatial variations and lateral transport.

This study investigates the distribution, structural properties, and potential impacts of oceanic processes on microplastics (MPs) in the Taiwan Strait (TWS) and surrounding seas. With an average of 174 particles/m, the MP abundance in surface seawater ranged from 84 to 389 particles/m. MP abundance ranged from 16 to 382 particles/kg in sediments, with a median of 121 particles/kg.

Quantitative assessment of the response of seawater environmental quality to marine protection policies under regional economic development --A case study of Xiamen Bay, China.

Xiamen is the epitome of having steady economic growth and non-negligible environmental stress over decades. Several restoration programs have been applied to address the conflicts between heavy environmental pressures and human activities, but the response of current coastal protection policies to the marine environment remains to be assessed. Therefore, to assess the effectiveness and efficiency of marine conservation policies under regional economic growth in Xiamen, quantitative techniques including elasticity analysis and dummy variable regression models were applied.

A questionnaire to assess the health information literacy of patients with intermediate-stage chronic kidney disease.

Aim: To investigate the status and influencing factors of health information literacy in patients with intermediate-stage chronic kidney disease (CKD).

Design: A prospective clinical study.

Methods: We used a CKD health information literacy questionnaire to survey 130 patients with intermediate-stage CKD and valuate their health needs and health knowledge.

Effects of wearable physical activity tracking for breast cancer survivors: A systematic review and meta-analysis.

Purpose: Breast cancer is the most common cancer type worldwide, with its survivors often experiencing physical and psychosocial health problems. Wearable device use is an innovative and effective way to promote physical activity and improve health-related outcomes in breast cancer survivors; however, the current evidence is unclear. We aimed to determine the effects of wearable devices on physical activity and health-related outcomes in breast cancer survivors.

Solvent-dependent carbon dots for multifunctional sensing of temperature, pH, and proton pump inhibitors.

Multifunctional sensing, a strategy to improve the efficiency of analysis and detection, has attracted much attention. In this study, a multifunction sensing platform was developed for temperature, pH, and proton pump inhibitors (PPI) with fluorescence carbon dots. Solvent-dependent carbon dots (PG-CDs) were synthesized through a one-step solvothermal method from phloroglucinol with the assistance of HCl.

Impact of intensive mariculture activities on microplastic pollution in a typical semi-enclosed bay: Zhanjiang Bay.

Microplastic (MP) was investigated in Zhanjiang Bay, a semi-enclosed bay in south China and famous for considerable mariculture industry, to evaluate whether mariculture activities accelerated MP pollution. The MP abundances ranged from 0 to 2.65 n/m (number/m), showing seasonal variances with higher levels in May and September and lower levels in January.

Facile fabrication of silica@covalent organic polymers core-shell composites as the mixed-mode stationary phase for hydrophilic interaction/reversed-phase/ion-exchange chromatography.

Covalent organic polymers (COPs) are a promising class of cross-linked polymeric networks that attracted extensive attention in separation and analysis fields. Exploring facile and convenient strategy to prepare COPs-based mixed-mode stationary phases for high performance liquid chromatography (HPLC) has seriously lagged and has never been reported. Herein, we describe a facile in-situ grow strategy for fabrication of silica@COPs core-shell composites (SiO@TpBD-(OH)) as a novel mixed-mode stationary phase for HPLC.

Microplastics in seawater and two sides of the Taiwan Strait: Reflection of the social-economic development.

Microplastic abundance, distribution and source characteristics were investigated for the surface seawaters from the Taiwan Strait as well as those of sediments along its west and east coasts. The microplastic abundances were in the range of 28-208 (mean 90) and 10-246 (mean 69) items/kg (d.w.

Socioeconomic Relation with Plastic Consumption on 61 Countries Classified by Continent, Income Status and Coastal Regions.

In this study, World Bank socioeconomic data of 61 countries during 2009-2015 combine with a semi-systematic literature review was applied to analyze the relationship between plastic consumptions and socioeconomic levels statistically. Based on a total data volume of 5551, we found that all countries can be divided into different groups like the continent, income status, and coastal countries. It is showed that most plastics were consumed by North America, Europe, high-income countries, and coastal countries in the Pacific and the Atlantic Ocean.

Bioelectrochemical Fixation of Nitrogen to Extracellular Ammonium by Pseudomonas stutzeri.

Diazotrophs can produce bioavailable nitrogen from inert N gas by bioelectrochemical nitrogen fixation (-BNF), which is emerging as an energy-saving and highly selective strategy for agriculture and industry. However, current -BNF technology is impeded by requirements for NH assimilation inhibitors to facilitate intracellular ammonia secretion and precious metal catalysts to generate H as the energy-carrying intermediate. Here, we initially demonstrate inhibitor- and catalystless extracellular NH production by the diazotroph Pseudomonas stutzeri A1501 using an electrode as the sole electron donor.

Extracellular polymeric substances trigger an increase in redox mediators for enhanced sludge methanogenesis.

Artificial redox mediators can be employed to improve the electron transfer efficiency during sludge methanogenesis, whereas these artificial redox mediators have possible deficiencies, such as high cost and non-biodegradability. For large-scale commercial applications, more cost-effective and environmentally friendly alternatives should be developed. Herein, the potential of extracellular polymeric substances (EPS) as natural redox mediators to improve methanogenesis was investigated.

Spatial-temporal potential exposure risk analytics and urban sustainability impacts related to COVID-19 mitigation: A perspective from car mobility behaviour.

Coronavirus disease-2019 (COVID-19) poses a significant threat to the population and urban sustainability worldwide. The surge mitigation is complicated and associates many factors, including the pandemic status, policy, socioeconomics and resident behaviours. Modelling and analytics with spatial-temporal big urban data are required to assist the mitigation of the pandemic.

Early dengue outbreak detection modeling based on dengue incidences in Singapore during 2012 to 2017.

Dengue has been as an endemic with year-round presence in Singapore. In the recent years 2013, 2014, and 2016, there were several severe dengue outbreaks, posing serious threat to the public health. To proactively control and mitigate the disease spread, early warnings of dengue outbreaks, at which there are rapid and large-scale spread of dengue incidences, are extremely helpful.

Recyclable magnetite-enhanced electromethanogenesis for biomethane production from wastewater.

Improving the yield and methane content of biogas is of great concern for wastewater treatment by anaerobic digestion. Herein we developed a nanomagnetite-enhanced electromethanogenesis (EM) process for the first time, the sustainable utilization of which improved the biomethane production rate from dairy wastewater. The maximum CH production rate in the EM process is 2.

Pollutant removal characteristics of a two-influent-line BNR process performing denitrifying phosphorus removal: role of sludge recycling ratios.

This paper studied denitrifying phosphorus removal of a novel two-line biological nutrient removal process treating low strength domestic wastewater under different sludge recycling ratios. Mass balance of intracellular compounds including polyhydroxyvalerate, polyhydroxybutyrate and glycogen was investigated together with total nitrogen (TN) and total phosphorus (TP). Results showed that sludge recycling ratios had a significant influence on the use of organics along bioreactors and 73.