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BACKGROUND: The prevalence of psychiatric comorbidities in patients with chronic urticaria (CU) in a national population is largely unknown. OBJECTIVES: To investigate the prevalence of psychiatric disorders and psychiatric medication use in patients with CU in Taiwan. METHODS: Data were sourced from Taiwan's National Health Insurance Research Database for 2011. Patients who had a primary/secondary International Classification of Diseases, Ninth Revision, Clinical Modification diagnosis code of 708·1, 708·8 or 708·9 during 2011 with at least two outpatient visits and an antihistamine prescription were identified as CU cases. Patients with CU were classified into three disease severity groups according to their medication types. Psychiatric disorders were identified by patients having three outpatient visits with a primary or secondary diagnosis of a given psychiatric disease. Psychiatric medication use was defined by having at least four outpatient visits with prescriptions for anxiolytics, antidepressants or sleeping pills in 2010 or 2011. RESULTS: Of the 167 132 patients with CU, 82·5% had mild CU, 17·0% had moderate CU and 0·4% had severe CU. Patients with CU had a higher prevalence of psychiatric disorders and psychiatric medication prescription than control groups. The relative risk (RR) of psychiatric disorders was 1·43 for patients with mild, 1·50 for patients with moderate and 2·32 for patients with severe CU vs. the controls (P < 0·001). For psychiatric medication prescription, the RRs were 1·95, 2·70 and 2·09, respectively, vs. controls (P < 0·001). CONCLUSIONS: Patients with CU had a higher prevalence and risk of psychiatric disorders and psychiatric medication prescription than control groups. What's already known about this topic? Previous studies have shown a high prevalence of psychiatric comorbidities in patients with chronic urticaria (CU), with rates ranging from 35% to 60%. Anxiety, depression and somatoform disorders have been reported as the most prevalent mental disorders in patients with CU. What does this study add? Patients with CU had a higher prevalence of psychiatric disorders and psychiatric medication use than control groups in the general population. The relative risk (RR) of psychiatric disorders was 1·43 for those with mild CU, 1·50 for those with moderate CU and 2·32 for those with severe CU vs. controls. The RR for psychiatric medication use was 1·95 for those with mild CU, 2·70 for those with moderate CU and 2·09 for those with severe CU vs. controls. Mental health evaluations and management are important elements in CU management.
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Transtornos de Ansiedade , Urticária Crônica , Urticária , Ansiedade , Urticária Crônica/psicologia , Comorbidade , Humanos , Taiwan/epidemiologia , Urticária/epidemiologiaRESUMO
OBJECTIVE: To investigate the association of different antipsychotic treatments with hospitalization due to self-harm among patients with schizophrenia. METHOD: This retrospective cohort study was based on Taiwan's universal health insurance database. Patients aged 15-45 years with a newly diagnosed schizophrenic disorder in 2001-2012 were included. The study outcome was the first hospitalization due to self-harm or undetermined injury after the diagnosis of schizophrenic disorders. The exposure status of antipsychotics was modeled as a time-dependent variable. The analyses were stratified by antipsychotic dosage based on defined daily dose (DDD). RESULTS: Among 70 380 patients with a follow-up of 500 355 person-years, 2272 self-harm hospitalization episodes were identified. Compared with none or former use, current use of several second-generation antipsychotics with a dose of one DDD or above, including amisulpride, aripiprazole, clozapine, risperidone, and sulpiride, was associated with decreased risk of self-harm hospitalization, with clozapine showing the strongest effect (adjusted rate ratio = 0.26, 95% confidence interval 0.15-0.47). CONCLUSION: The protective effect on self-harm may vary across different antipsychotics. Further studies are needed to replicate the findings.
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Antipsicóticos/farmacologia , Clozapina/farmacologia , Esquizofrenia/tratamento farmacológico , Comportamento Autodestrutivo/prevenção & controle , Adolescente , Adulto , Antipsicóticos/administração & dosagem , Clozapina/administração & dosagem , Feminino , Seguimentos , Hospitalização/estatística & dados numéricos , Humanos , Masculino , Pessoa de Meia-Idade , Programas Nacionais de Saúde/estatística & dados numéricos , Risco , Esquizofrenia/epidemiologia , Comportamento Autodestrutivo/epidemiologia , Taiwan/epidemiologia , Adulto JovemRESUMO
BACKGROUND: The aim of the study was to evaluate the comparative risk of self-harm associated with the use of different antidepressants. METHOD: A cohort study was conducted using data from Taiwan's National Health Insurance Research Database from 2001 to 2012. A total of 751 606 new antidepressant users with depressive disorders were included. The study outcome was hospitalization due to self-harm (International Classification of Diseases, Ninth Revision, Clinical Modification codes: E950-E958 and E980-E988). Cox proportional hazards models with stratification of the propensity score deciles were used to estimate the hazard ratios of self-harm hospitalization during the first year following the initiation of antidepressant treatment. RESULTS: There were 1038 hospitalization episodes due to self-harm that occurred during the follow-up of 149 796 person-years, with an overall incidence rate of 6.9 [95% confidence interval (CI) 6.5-7.4] per 1000. Compared with fluoxetine, the risk of self-harm hospitalization was higher for maprotiline [adjusted hazard ratio (aHR) = 3.00, 95% CI 1.40-6.45], milnacipran (aHR = 2.34, 95% CI 1.24-4.43) and mirtazapine (aHR = 1.40, 95% CI 1.06-1.86), lower for bupropion (aHR = 0.51, 95% CI 0.30-0.86), and similar level of risk was found for other selective serotonin reuptake inhibitors (citalopram, escitalopram, fluvoxamine, paroxetine and sertraline). CONCLUSIONS: The risk of self-harm may vary across different antidepressant drugs. It would be of importance to conduct further research to investigate the influence of antidepressant use on self-harm behaviors.
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Antidepressivos/farmacologia , Transtorno Depressivo/tratamento farmacológico , Hospitalização/estatística & dados numéricos , Comportamento Autodestrutivo/prevenção & controle , Adolescente , Adulto , Idoso , Criança , Estudos de Coortes , Transtorno Depressivo/complicações , Transtorno Depressivo/epidemiologia , Feminino , Seguimentos , Humanos , Masculino , Pessoa de Meia-Idade , Risco , Comportamento Autodestrutivo/epidemiologia , Comportamento Autodestrutivo/etiologia , Taiwan/epidemiologia , Adulto JovemRESUMO
OBJECTIVE: The effectiveness of suicide prevention programmes is an important issue worldwide today. The impact of urbanization and gender is controversial in suicide rates. Hence, this study adjusted on potential risk factors and secular changes for suicide rates in gender and rural/urban areas. STUDY DESIGN: Observational study. METHODS: A Suicide Prevention Center was established by the Executive Yuan in Taiwan in 2005 and tried to carry out suicidal intervention in the community in every city and town. There were two phases, including the first phase of the programme from 2005 to 2008, and the second phase of the programme from 2009 to 2013. The crude suicide rates data from the period of 1991-2013, which recruited nine urban and 14 rural areas in Taiwan, were extracted from the Taiwanese national mortality data file. The suicide rates in two areas of Taiwan (Taipei city and Yilan County) were further used to compare the differences between urban and rural areas. RESULTS: The results show that unemployment increased the suicide rate in men aged 45-64 years and in women older than 65 years of age in Taiwan. High divorce and unemployment rates resulted in increased suicide rates in men in the city, whereas emotional distress was the main cause of suicides in men in rural areas. The main method of suicide was jumping from a high building for both sexes in the city, whereas drowning was the most common method of suicide for men in rural areas. CONCLUSION: Following the intervention programme, suicide behaviour began to decrease in all urban and rural areas of Taiwan. This study showed the cumulative effect of the intervention programme in decreasing the suicide rate in Taiwan. Moreover, the gender-specific suicidal rate and disparity in suicidal methods in urban and rural areas should be considered in further preventive strategies in Taiwan.
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Prevenção do Suicídio , Adolescente , Adulto , Distribuição por Idade , Idoso , Feminino , Humanos , Masculino , Pessoa de Meia-Idade , Avaliação de Programas e Projetos de Saúde , Fatores de Risco , População Rural/estatística & dados numéricos , Distribuição por Sexo , Taiwan/epidemiologia , População Urbana/estatística & dados numéricos , Adulto JovemRESUMO
Introduction: The autonomic effects of antidepressants and quetiapine on heart rate variability (HRV) are inconsistent based on past studies. The aim of this study was to explore their influence on the HRV of psychiatric patients without psychotic symptoms. Methods: A total of 94 patients with depression, anxiety, or somatic symptoms, were recruited into this study. Based on their medication, 4 groups were identified: the no antidepressant group (n=19), the SSRI group (using sertraline or escitalopram, n=53), the other antidepressants group (using venlafaxine or mirtazapine, n=9), and the augmentation group (AG, using an antidepressant+quetiapine, n=13). The HRV of the 4 groups were compared. The correlations between HRV and the medication(s) used were clarified. Results: Among the 4 groups, the AG had the lowest HRV with its total power (TP), very low frequency power (VLF) and low frequency power (LF) of HRV being significantly different from those of the other groups. Age and using quetiapine were found to be negatively correlated with TP, VLF and LF. With this study group, the autonomic effects of antidepressants were found not to be significant. Discussion: Among psychiatric patients without psychotic symptoms, quetiapine causes an overt decrease in HRV.
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Antidepressivos/farmacologia , Depressão/fisiopatologia , Frequência Cardíaca/efeitos dos fármacos , Fumarato de Quetiapina/farmacologia , Adulto , Idoso , Antidepressivos/uso terapêutico , Ansiedade/tratamento farmacológico , Ansiedade/fisiopatologia , Depressão/tratamento farmacológico , Feminino , Humanos , Modelos Lineares , Masculino , Sintomas Inexplicáveis , Mianserina/análogos & derivados , Pessoa de Meia-Idade , Mirtazapina , Escalas de Graduação Psiquiátrica , Fumarato de Quetiapina/uso terapêutico , Sertralina , Taiwan , Cloridrato de VenlafaxinaRESUMO
OBJECTIVE: Transforming growth factor-beta (TGF-ß) proteins are involved in epithelial keratinization. The major function of latent TGF-ß binding proteins (LTBPs) is modulating TGF-ß activity. However, whether LTBP-1 and LTBP-2 play roles in gingiva keratinization remains unclear. MATERIALS AND METHODS: Human keratinized gingiva and non-keratinized alveolar mucosa were processed for LTBP-1, LTBP-2, cytokeratin-1 (K1), cytokeratin-4 (K4), and TGF-ß immunohistochemical (IHC) staining. Porcine heterotopically transplanted connective tissues and newly grown epithelia were harvested for IHC staining. The expression levels of LTBP-1 and LTBP-2 were compared between differentiated and undifferentiated human normal oral keratinocytes (hNOK). The expression of LTBP-1 and LTBP-2 was knocked down in a cell line (OEC-M1) to evaluate the effects on the expression of K1, K4, and involucrin (INV). RESULTS: In human and porcine specimens, LTBP-2 expression patterns distinguished keratinized and non-keratinized oral epithelia. Western blotting results showed that K1, LTBP-1, and INV proteins were upregulated in differentiated hNOK. In OEC-M1 cells, LTBP-2 knockdown resulted in upregulated the expression of K1 and INV and downregulated the expression of K4. LTBP-1 knockdown resulted in opposite effects. CONCLUSION: The expression patterns of LTBP-2 differ in keratinized gingiva and non-keratinized mucosa. LTBP-1 and LTBP-2 are involved in the keratinization of oral epithelium; however, the underlying mechanism remains to be elucidated.
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Gengiva/química , Queratina-1/metabolismo , Queratina-4/metabolismo , Proteínas de Ligação a TGF-beta Latente/análise , Precursores de Proteínas/metabolismo , Animais , Diferenciação Celular , Linhagem Celular , Técnicas de Silenciamento de Genes , Humanos , Queratinócitos/metabolismo , Proteínas de Ligação a TGF-beta Latente/genética , Mucosa Bucal/química , SuínosRESUMO
BACKGROUND: The effectiveness of large-scale interventions to prevent suicide among persons who previously attempted suicide remains to be determined. The National Suicide Surveillance System (NSSS), launched in Taiwan in 2006, is a structured nationwide intervention program for people who survived their suicide attempts. This naturalistic study examined its effectiveness using data from the first 3 years of its operation. Method Effectiveness of the NSSS aftercare services was examined using a logistic/proportional odds mixture model, with eventual suicide as the outcome of interest. As well, we examined time until death for those who died and factors associated with eventual suicide. RESULTS: Receipt of aftercare services was associated with reduced risk for subsequent suicide; for service recipients who eventually killed themselves, there was a prolonged duration between the index and fatal attempts. Elderly attempters were particularly prone to a shorter duration between the index and fatal attempts. Male gender, the lethality potential of the index attempt, and a history of having had a mental disorder also were associated with higher risk. CONCLUSIONS: The structured aftercare program of the NSSS appears to decrease suicides and to delay time to death for those who remained susceptible to suicide.
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Assistência ao Convalescente/métodos , Transtornos Mentais , Prevenção do Suicídio , Tentativa de Suicídio , Adolescente , Adulto , Fatores Etários , Idoso , Feminino , Humanos , Modelos Logísticos , Masculino , Pessoa de Meia-Idade , Razão de Chances , Fatores de Risco , Fatores Sexuais , Taiwan , Fatores de Tempo , Resultado do Tratamento , Adulto JovemRESUMO
BACKGROUND: This study examined the prevalence of major depressive disorder (MDD), and the correlations and co-morbid conditions associated with MDD, in the adult Taiwanese population, which a previous estimate in the 1980s had found to be at the lower end of the spectrum worldwide. Possible explanations for the reported low prevalence of MDD were evaluated. METHOD: As part of a survey of common psychiatric disorders in a nationally representative sample of individuals aged ≥ 18 years who were non-institutionalized civilians in Taiwan, a face-to-face interview using the paper version of the World Mental Health Survey of the World Health Organization (WHO) Composite International Diagnostic Interview (WMH-CIDI) was conducted between 2003 and 2005. Functional impairment and help-seeking behaviors were compared between Taiwanese subjects with MDD and their counterparts in the USA. RESULTS: Among the 10 135 respondents, the lifetime prevalence of MDD was 1.20% [standard error (S.E.)=0.2%]. Individuals who were divorced or widowed, aged ≤ 40 years, and female were at increased risk, whereas rural residents were at lower risk for MDD. The proportion of MDD cases co-morbid with other psychiatric disorders in this study was much lower than in the US study. Only one-third of Taiwanese individuals with MDD sought help despite having twice the number of lost workdays compared with the US sample. CONCLUSIONS: Despite the low prevalence of MDD in Taiwanese adults, the pattern of low help-seeking behavior and profound functional impairment indicates much room for improvement in the early detection of and intervention in major depression in this population.
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Transtorno Depressivo Maior/epidemiologia , Transtornos Mentais/epidemiologia , Adolescente , Adulto , Comorbidade , Características Culturais , Transtorno Depressivo Maior/psicologia , Feminino , Inquéritos Epidemiológicos , Humanos , Entrevista Psicológica , Modelos Logísticos , Masculino , Pessoa de Meia-Idade , Aceitação pelo Paciente de Cuidados de Saúde/psicologia , Aceitação pelo Paciente de Cuidados de Saúde/estatística & dados numéricos , Prevalência , Psicometria , Papel (figurativo) , Licença Médica/estatística & dados numéricos , População Suburbana/estatística & dados numéricos , Taiwan/epidemiologia , População Urbana/estatística & dados numéricos , Adulto JovemRESUMO
BACKGROUND: Synthetic cathinone abuse is a global health issue. Synthetic cathinones emerged in Taiwan in 2009, and their prevalence rapidly rose. They are usually made into "instant coffee packets," and these so-called "toxic coffee packets" may also contain psychoactive drugs other than synthetic cathinones. Due to the diversity of the ingredients, clinical presentations can be complex. METHODS: Retrospective analysis of emergency department (ED) patients who reported ingesting toxic coffee packets at three Chang-Gung Memorial Hospitals located in northern Taiwan between January, 2015 and December, 2019. RESULTS: Sixty patients were included. Their mean age was 28.85 ± 9.24 years and 47(78.33%) were male. The most common presentations were palpitation, agitation, hallucination, and altered consciousness. Tachycardia and hypertension were common, while hyperthermia was observed in only three patients. Three patients (5%) developed rhabdomyolysis, and one underwent transient hemodialysis. Most patients were discharged from the ED, but 15(25%) were admitted, of whom nine (15%) were admitted to the intensive care unit (ICU), and one eventually died. Confirmation tests (mass-spectrometry-based analysis) were available in 10 patients; all reported positive for at least one type of synthetic cathinone. Polysubstance exposure was common. In multivariate logistic regression analyses, Glasgow coma scale ≤13 and the presence of seizure were associated with ICU admission. CONCLUSION: Patients who report ingesting toxic coffee packets are very likely to have been exposed to synthetic cathinones. Polysubstance exposure is common following ingestion. Cardiovascular and neurological symptoms are the main presentations, and severe complications such as rhabdomyolysis and life-threatening dysrhythmia can occur.
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Alcaloides/toxicidade , Efeitos Colaterais e Reações Adversas Relacionados a Medicamentos/terapia , Serviços Médicos de Emergência/métodos , Serviços Médicos de Emergência/estatística & dados numéricos , Drogas Ilícitas/toxicidade , Psicotrópicos/toxicidade , Medicamentos Sintéticos/toxicidade , Adolescente , Adulto , Feminino , Humanos , Masculino , Taiwan , Adulto JovemRESUMO
Mirtazapine augmentation to a serotonin-reuptake inhibitor has been proposed to boost antidepressant effects and more likely to induce manic switch. Such a combined antidepressant therapy strategy should be used carefully if the patient's refractoriness is attributable to mixed depressive features. Mixed depression is more difficult to be treated by antidepressant monotherapy and related to higher risk of manic switch during treatment. We report a case with no previous history of bipolar disorder, whereas developed full-blown psychotic manic symptoms soon after switch from fluoxetine to mirtazapine. The patient's premorbid characters and clinical presentations suggested an implicit bipolarity that predisposed her to a manic switch. Her manic switch was likely to be triggered by a simulated combined effect because of complex drug interactions during shifting from fluoxetine to mirtazapine. For patients in mixed depressive states, mood stabilizers are preferable to antidepressants.
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Antagonistas Adrenérgicos alfa/efeitos adversos , Transtorno Bipolar/induzido quimicamente , Fluoxetina/efeitos adversos , Mianserina/análogos & derivados , Inibidores Seletivos de Recaptação de Serotonina/efeitos adversos , Antagonistas Adrenérgicos alfa/administração & dosagem , Idoso , Transtorno Depressivo Maior/tratamento farmacológico , Transtorno Depressivo Maior/psicologia , Relação Dose-Resposta a Droga , Esquema de Medicação , Interações Medicamentosas , Feminino , Humanos , Mianserina/administração & dosagem , Mianserina/efeitos adversos , MirtazapinaRESUMO
The strong coupling between antiferromagnetism and ferroelectricity at room temperature found in BiFeO3 generates high expectations for the design and development of technological devices with novel functionalities. However, the multi-domain nature of the material tends to nullify the properties of interest and complicates the thorough understanding of the mechanisms that are responsible for those properties. Here we report the realization of a BiFeO3 material in thin film form with single-domain behaviour in both its magnetism and ferroelectricity: the entire film shows its antiferromagnetic axis aligned along the crystallographic b axis and its ferroelectric polarization along the c axis. With this we are able to reveal that the canted ferromagnetic moment due to the Dzyaloshinskii-Moriya interaction is parallel to the a axis. Furthermore, by fabricating a Co/BiFeO3 heterostructure, we demonstrate that the ferromagnetic moment of the Co film does couple directly to the canted moment of BiFeO3.
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BACKGROUND: The occurrence of inflammatory bowel disease (IBD) is higher in Western countries and is increasing worldwide. The incidence of IBDs is about nearly 20-fold in Western countries than Asia and has risen in Taiwan over the past few decades. Epidemiological studies have demonstrated an increased risk of colorectal cancer (CRC) in patients with IBD. The prevalence of IBD as well as IBD-associated CRC is changing and the risk of CRC in patients with IBD appears to be greater in Western countries, but CRC risk in IBD patients is less well understood in low endemic areas, such as Asia. METHODS: This population-based cohort study collected data from the Taiwan Health Insurance Research Database (from January 1998 to December 2011). In total, 10 650 patients with confirmed diagnosis of IBD served as the IBD cohort and 42 600 non-IBD subjects were enrolled. Cox proportional hazards regression was used to estimate hazard ratios (HRs) and 95% confidence intervals (CIs) were used to assess the risk of CRC. RESULTS: The incidence of CRC was slightly lower in the IBD cohort compared with that in the non-IBD cohort (0.94 vs. 1.13 per 1000 person-years), with an adjusted HR of 0.99 (95% CI: 0.71-1.37). More than four hospitalizations were associated with a significantly higher risk of CRC in IBD patients in the Cox model (adjusted HR = 3.48, 95% CI: 1.59-7.63). CONCLUSIONS: The risk for CRC was not increased among IBD patients overall, but appeared to be increased with cumulative frequency of hospitalizations for IBD.
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Colite Ulcerativa/epidemiologia , Neoplasias Colorretais/epidemiologia , Doença de Crohn/epidemiologia , Hospitalização/estatística & dados numéricos , Adulto , Idoso , Estudos de Casos e Controles , Colite Ulcerativa/terapia , Doença de Crohn/terapia , Feminino , Humanos , Incidência , Masculino , Pessoa de Meia-Idade , Fatores de Risco , Taiwan/epidemiologia , Adulto JovemRESUMO
Although radionuclide hysterosalpingography (RNHSG) has been suggested as an efficient procedure for assessing function of fallopian tubes, the radiation dose to the ovaries was addressed as an important issue to be taken into consideration. We describe a modified method of RNHSG, calculating the radiation dose to the ovaries. A small dose of approximately 18.5 MBq (0.5 mCi) of [99mTc]pertechnetate was administered directly into the uterine cavity without overpressure. The accuracy of the method was 84.5% as compared with the contrast hysterosalpingography. The estimated average dose to the ovaries was 0.057 mGy/MBq (0.21 rad/mCi) or 1.08 mGy (108 mrad) per study. RNHSG is an accurate method for functional study of fallopian tube patency with low radiation dose.
Assuntos
Histerossalpingografia/métodos , Ovário/efeitos da radiação , Doses de Radiação , Pertecnetato Tc 99m de Sódio , Útero/efeitos da radiação , Adulto , Testes de Obstrução das Tubas Uterinas , Feminino , HumanosRESUMO
Light transmittance (T) in the CA1 region of hippocampal slices was measured during exposure to media of various osmolarities to determine the utility of optical measurements as an index of changes in cell volume. In slices positioned at the gas-liquid interface, hypo-osmotic medium consistently produced a decrease in T and hyperosmotic medium produced an increase in T. The magnitude of deltaT was graded as a function of the strength of osmotic change. All changes in T were reversible upon return to isosmotic medium. In contrast, osmotically induced changes in T in submerged slices were consistently opposite in direction to those observed in slices at the interface. The magnitude and direction of deltaT could be altered by systematic variation of the level of the bathing medium within the same chamber, indicating that both extrinsic optical properties of various interfaces, such as refraction and reflection, and intrinsic optical properties of the tissue contribute to the observed T. Spectral measurements eliminated the possibility that osmotically induced deltaT was the result of changes in light absorbance by intrinsic chromophores such as cytochromes or hemoglobin. The results show that measurements of deltaT can be a useful index of changes in cell volume in brain slices, provided that the level of the bath remains constant.
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Hipocampo/citologia , Citometria por Imagem , Espectrofotometria/métodos , Animais , Tamanho Celular , Luz , Neurônios/citologia , Concentração Osmolar , Ratos , Ratos WistarRESUMO
The primary purpose of this study was to generate data that could be used to determine the absolute bioavailability of lead using data from a previous study in which soil containing lead from mining waste was mixed with feed. Young male and female Sprague-Dawley rats (7-8 weeks of age, five/sex/group) were given either soluble lead acetate mixed in a purified diet (AIN-76) at three different dose levels (1, 25, and 250 ppm Pb for 30 consecutive days) or intravenously at doses of 0.02, 0.20, and 2.0 mg Pb/kg BW for 29 days. A control group (purified diet only) was also included. The intravenous groups were used to provide maximal absorption (lead presumed to be 100% bioavailable) and accumulation data for lead in blood, bone, and liver. The lead acetate groups were used to evaluate the comparability of the present study with a previous study that compared bioavailable lead from ingested soil and lead acetate. Group mean whole blood, bone and liver lead concentration values increased with increasing dose levels for all treatment groups. A linear relationship was observed between blood lead concentration and dose following intravenous administration of lead and this provided empirical support for using blood lead concentrations at supposed steady state (approximately 30 days) to compute the bioavailability of lead administered by different routes and from different sources. The absolute bioavailability values of mining waste lead in soil were low based on the results for all tissue types. Absolute bioavailability values for lead acetate in dosed feed for blood, bone, and liver were approximately 6-, 19-, and 20-fold greater, respectively, than mining waste lead. Based on the current design and test system used, the absolute bioavailability of mining waste lead in soil administered in feed was approximately 3% based on blood data and less than 1% based on bone and liver data. These data are consistent with the low solubility of the constituent lead mineral phases in Butte soils.
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Resíduos Industriais , Chumbo/farmacocinética , Mineração , Compostos Organometálicos/farmacocinética , Poluentes do Solo/farmacocinética , Administração Oral , Animais , Disponibilidade Biológica , Osso e Ossos/metabolismo , Feminino , Injeções Intravenosas , Chumbo/administração & dosagem , Chumbo/sangue , Fígado/metabolismo , Masculino , Compostos Organometálicos/administração & dosagem , Compostos Organometálicos/sangue , Ratos , Ratos Sprague-Dawley , Poluentes do Solo/administração & dosagem , Poluentes do Solo/sangue , Distribuição TecidualRESUMO
The combined excited-state phosphorescence life-times of an alexandrite crystal and platinum tetraphenylporphyrin Pt(TPP) in a single-fiber sensor are used to monitor temperature and oxygen concentration in the physiological range from 15-45 degrees C and 0-50% O2 with precision of 0.24 degree C and 0.15% O2 and accuracy of 0.28 degree C and 0.2% O2. A 500-micron cubic alexandrite crystal bound to the distal end of a 750-micron-diameter optical fiber core and the Pt(TPP) coated circumferentially with a length of 1 cm from the end of the same fiber are excited with pulsed super-bright blue LED light. This apparatus uses a 125-kHz sampler for data acquisition and frequency domain methods for signal processing. The instrument amplifies both the dc and ac components of the photomultiplier output and band limits the signal to 20 kHz. The fundamental frequency of the excitation is set to 488.3 Hz and the highest harmonic used is the 35th. This bandlimited signal is sampled and averaged over a few hundred cycles in the time domain. The frequency domain representation of the data is obtained by employing fast Fourier transform algorithms. The phase delay and the modulation ratio of each sampled harmonic are then computed. At least four log-spaced harmonic phases or modulations are averaged before decoding the two lifetimes of temperature and oxygen phosphorescent sensors. A component of zero lifetime is introduced to account for the excitation backscatter leakage through optical interference filters seen by the photodetector. Linear and second-order empirical polynomials are employed to compute the temperatures and oxygen concentrations from the inverse lifetimes. In the situation of constant oxygen concentration, the lifetime of Pt(TPP) changes with temperature but can be compensated using the measured temperature lifetime. The system drift is 0.24 degree C for the temperature measurement and 0.59% for the oxygen concentration measurement over 30 h of continuous operation. The instrumentation and methods allow for 6-s update times and 90-s full-response times.
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Gasometria/instrumentação , Tecnologia de Fibra Óptica/métodos , Processamento de Sinais Assistido por Computador , Termômetros , Algoritmos , Calibragem , Desenho de Equipamento , Monitorização Fisiológica/instrumentação , Fibras Ópticas , Sensibilidade e Especificidade , Fatores de TempoRESUMO
The excited state phosphorescence lifetime of ruby crystals is used to monitor temperature in the physiological range from 15 degrees to 45 degrees C with precision and accuracy less than 1 degree C, in real time. Precision of 0.1 degree C is attained with 3 min integration times. A 500 micron cubic ruby crystal bounded to the distal end of an optical fibre of similar core dimensions is excited with pulsed Ne-He laser light of about 9 microW average power. The instrument uses a sampler for data acquisition, and frequency domain methods for data fitting. The instrument amplifies the a.c. components of the detector output and band limits the signal to 800 Hz. The fundamental frequency of the excitation is set to 24.41 Hz to obtain 32 or less harmonics. This band-limited signal is sampled and averaged between 20 and 100 cycles to obtain temperature measurements in real time. The frequency domain representation of the data is obtained by employing fast Fourier transform algorithms. The phase delay and the modulation ratio, of each sampled harmonic, is then computed. Five to 32 values of the phase and modulation are averaged before computing the sensor lifetime. The technique is capable of measuring precise and accurate excited state lifetimes from subpicowatt luminescent signals in plastic optical fibres. A least squares fit yields the lifetimes of single exponentials. A component of zero lifetime is introduced to account for the backscatter excitation seen by the photodetector leaking through optical interference filters. The phosphorescence lifetimes measured reproducibly to about six parts in 1000, with a 2 s integration time, are used to monitor physiological temperature. Temperatures are computed employing empirical polynomials. The system drift is 3% over 5 h of continuous operation. The instrumentation and methods allow 2.7 s update times and 50 s full response times.
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Tecnologia de Fibra Óptica/instrumentação , Termômetros , Engenharia Biomédica , Cristalização , Estudos de Avaliação como Assunto , Humanos , Medições Luminescentes , Modelos Teóricos , Monitorização Fisiológica/instrumentaçãoRESUMO
To apply user-friendly, easily operated and accessible tools to handle missing data resulting from an auto-stored medical information system, these tools are applied to satisfy general users from different disciplines (i.e. statistics and machine-learning), followed by medical information system development. This study attempts to develop a new logic separation inference method applied to a database with a format like most real-world medical records containing many missing data and miscellaneous variables. It is expected that this method should have better performance than currently accessible methods. The newly developed logic separation inference method shows a classification power of 0.997 (elimination method is 1), which is better than the simple replacing method (replaced by mode shows 0.974). Both inference methods (mode and mean) have superior classification power to the simple replacing method. The missing data treatment processes introduced in this study can be completed on a MS Excel spreadsheet without any complicated calculation; therefore, they can satisfy general users. This new missing data treatment method is only applied up to 60% of the missing data (missing at random). However, when there is large amount of data, it is expected that this method also can be applied to a database missing more than 60%.
Assuntos
Sistemas de Informação , HumanosRESUMO
Many family characteristics were reported to increase the risk of bipolar disorder (BPD). The development of BPD may be mediated through different pathways, involving diverse risk factor profiles. We evaluated the associations of family characteristics to build influential causal-pie models to estimate their contributions on the risk of developing BPD at the population level. We recruited 329 clinically diagnosed BPD patients and 202 healthy controls to collect information in parental psychopathology, parent-child relationship, and conflict within family. Other than logistic regression models, we applied causal-pie models to identify pathways involved with different family factors for BPD. The risk of BPD was significantly increased with parental depression, neurosis, anxiety, paternal substance use problems, and poor relationship with parents. Having a depressed mother further predicted early onset of BPD. Additionally, a greater risk for BPD was observed with higher numbers of paternal/maternal psychopathologies. Three significant risk profiles were identified for BPD, including paternal substance use problems (73.0%), maternal depression (17.6%), and through poor relationship with parents and conflict within the family (6.3%). Our findings demonstrate that different aspects of family characteristics elicit negative impacts on bipolar illness, which can be utilized to target specific factors to design and employ efficient intervention programs.
Assuntos
Transtorno Bipolar/etiologia , Causalidade , Relações Familiares , Modelos Psicológicos , Pais/psicologia , Adolescente , Adulto , Idade de Início , Idoso , Transtorno Bipolar/epidemiologia , Transtorno Bipolar/etnologia , Características da Família/etnologia , Conflito Familiar/etnologia , Relações Familiares/etnologia , Feminino , Humanos , Masculino , Pessoa de Meia-Idade , Relações Pais-Filho/etnologia , Taiwan/epidemiologia , Taiwan/etnologia , Adulto JovemRESUMO
Intriguing functionalities at nano-sized domain walls have recently spawned a new paradigm for developing novel nanoelectronics due to versatile characteristics. In this study, we explore a new scenario to modulate the local conduction of ferroic domain walls. Three controlling parameters, i.e., external electrical field, magnetic field and light, are introduced to the 90° domain walls (90° DWs) of BiFeO3. Electrical modulation is realized by electrical transport, where the mobility of 90° DWs can be altered by gating voltage. We further use the ferromagnetic/antiferromagnetic coupling to reveal the inherent magnetism at the DWs. With an established magnetic nature, magnetotransport has been conducted to introduce magnetic controlling parameter, where a giant positive magnetoresistance change can be observed up to 200%. In addition, light modulated conduction, a core factor for multifunctional applications, is successfully demonstrated (current enhancement by a factor of 2 with 11 W white lamp). These results offer new insights to discover the tunability of domain wall nanoelectronics.