Unstable intertrochanteric fractures are associated with a greater hemoglobin drop during the perioperative period: a retrospective case control study.

Background: With an increase in the elderly population, the occurrence of hip fractures, femoral neck fractures, and intertrochanteric fractures (ITFs) is also increasing. It is important to establish effective perioperative methods that would help reduce the morbidity and mortality rates associated with ITFs. The purpose of this study was to determine the effects of ITFs according to the AO classification for perioperative hemoglobin drop.

A Feasibility Study of Ammonia Recovery from Coking Wastewater by Coupled Operation of a Membrane Contactor and Membrane Distillation.

More than 80% of ammonia (NH₃) in the steel manufacturing process wastewater is contributed from the coking wastewater, which is usually treated by biological processes. However, the NH₃ in the coking wastewater is typically too high for biological treatment due to its inhibitory concentration. Therefore, a two-stage process including a hollow fiber membrane contactor (HFMC) and a modified membrane distillation (MD) system was developed and applied to reduce and recover NH₃ from coking wastewater.

Innovative sponge-based moving bed-osmotic membrane bioreactor hybrid system using a new class of draw solution for municipal wastewater treatment.

For the first time, an innovative concept of combining sponge-based moving bed (SMB) and an osmotic membrane bioreactor (OsMBR), known as the SMB-OsMBR hybrid system, were investigated using Triton X-114 surfactant coupled with MgCl2 salt as the draw solution. Compared to traditional activated sludge OsMBR, the SMB-OsMBR system was able to remove more nutrients due to the thick-biofilm layer on sponge carriers. Subsequently less membrane fouling was observed during the wastewater treatment process.

Applicability of a novel osmotic membrane bioreactor using a specific draw solution in wastewater treatment.

This study aims to develop a new osmotic membrane bioreactor by combining a moving bed biofilm reactor (MBBR) with forward osmosis membrane bioreactor (FOMBR) to treat wastewater. Ethylenediaminetetraacetic acid disodium salt coupled with polyethylene glycol tert-octylphenyl ether was used as an innovative draw solution in this membrane hybrid system (MBBR-OsMBR) for minimizing the reverse salt flux and maintaining a healthy environment for the microorganism community. The results showed that the hybrid system achieved a stable water flux of 6.

Lens of controllable optical field with thin film metallic glasses for UV-LEDs.

In the exposure process of photolithography, a free-form lens is designed and fabricated for UV-LED (Ultraviolet Light-Emitting Diode). Thin film metallic glasses (TFMG) are adopted as UV reflection layers to enhance the irradiance and uniformity. The Polydimethylsiloxane (PDMS) with high transmittance is used as the lens material.

Molecular dynamics simulation of the induced-fit binding process of DNA aptamer and L-argininamide.

Aptamers are rare functional nucleic acids with binding affinity to and specificity for target ligands. Recent experiments have lead to the proposal of an induced-fit binding mechanism for L-argininamide (Arm) and its binding aptamer. However, at the molecular level, this mechanism between the aptamer and its coupled ligand is still poorly understood.

Studies of the binding mechanism between aptamers and thrombin by circular dichroism, surface plasmon resonance and isothermal titration calorimetry.

Thrombin, a multifunctional serine protease, has both procoagulant and anticoagulant functions in human blood. Thrombin has two electropositive exosites. One is the fibrinogen-binding site and the other is the heparin-binding site.

Investigation of factors affecting the accumulation of vinyl chloride in polyvinyl chloride piping used in drinking water distribution systems.

Plastic piping made of polyvinyl chloride (PVC), and chlorinated PVC (CPVC), is being increasingly used for drinking water distribution lines. Given the formulation of the material from vinyl chloride (VC), there has been concern that the VC (a confirmed human carcinogen) can leach from the plastic piping into drinking water. PVC/CPVC pipe reactors in the laboratory and tap samples collected from consumers homes (n = 15) revealed vinyl chloride accumulation in the tens of ng/L range after a few days and hundreds of ng/L after two years.

Novel application of parameters in waveform contour analysis for assessing arterial stiffness in aged and atherosclerotic subjects.

Objective: Although contour analysis of pulse waves has been proposed as a non-invasive means in assessing arterial stiffness in atherosclerosis, accurate determination of the conventional parameters is usually precluded by distorted waveforms in the aged and atherosclerotic objects. We aimed at testing reliable indices in these patient populations.

Methods: Digital volume pulse (DVP) curve was obtained from 428 subjects recruited from a health screening program at a single medical center from January 2007 to July 2008.

Daunomycin interaction with DNA: microcalorimetric studies of the thermodynamics and binding mechanism.

Nucleic acids are an important target for many therapeutics. Small molecules that bind to nucleic acids are important in many aspects of medicines, particularly in cancer chemotherapy. In recent years, many studies have utilized polynucleic acids with various sequences to demonstrate the binding mechanism of daunomycin, a potent anticancer drug.

Recent trends and some applications of isothermal titration calorimetry in biotechnology.

Isothermal titration calorimeters (ITCs) are thermodynamic instruments used for the determination of enthalpy changes in any physical/chemical reaction. This can be applied in various fields of biotechnology. This review explains ITC applications, especially in bioseparation, drug development and cell metabolism.

Thermodynamic basis of chiral recognition in a DNA aptamer.

Chiral separation is an important issue in pharmaceutical research and industries, because most organic compounds and biological molecules, including many drugs and food additives, are chiral compounds. DNA aptamers are a new group of chiral selectors; however, there still exists deficiencies in the understanding of the molecular basis of their chiral recognition. Herein, a comparative study of the DNA aptamer binding with L-argininamide (L-Arm) and its enantiomer (D-Arm) is investigated by spectroscopic and calorimetric methods.

Microcalorimetrics studies of the thermodynamics and binding mechanism between L-tyrosinamide and aptamer.

In recent years, several high-resolution structures of aptamer complexes have shed light on the binding mode and recognition principles of aptamer complex interactions. In some cases, however, the aptamer complex binding behavior and mechanism are not clearly understood, especially with the absence of structural information. In this study, it was demonstrated that isothermal titration calorimetry (ITC) and circular dichroism (CD) were useful tools for studying the fundamental binding mechanism between a DNA aptamer and L-tyrosinamide (L-TyrNH2).

The ARID domain of the H3K4 demethylase RBP2 binds to a DNA CCGCCC motif.

The histone H3 lysine 4 demethylase RBP2 contains a DNA binding domain, the AT-rich interaction domain (ARID). We solved the structure of ARID by NMR, identified its DNA binding motif (CCGCCC) and characterized the binding contacts. Immunofluorescence and luciferase assays indicated that ARID is required for RBP2 demethylase activity in cells and that DNA recognition is essential to regulate transcription.

Evaluation of perinephric, retroperitoneal schwannomas: case report and review of the literature.

Schwannomas are tumors arising from the nerve sheath. Because of their infrequent occurrence, nonspecific symptoms, and lack of distinguishing radiologic features, schwannomas are most often diagnosed histologically after surgical excision. We report herein a case of a perinephric, retroperitoneal schwannoma which, after evaluation by computed tomography, magnetic resonance, and angiography, appeared to be a renal cell carcinoma arising from the left kidney.