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In this report, the improved lasing performance of the III-nitride based vertical-cavity surface-emitting laser (VCSEL) has been demonstrated by replacing the bulk AlGaN electron blocking layer (EBL) in the conventional VCSEL structure with an AlGaN/GaN multiple quantum barrier (MQB) EBL. The output power can be enhanced up to three times from 0.3 mW to 0.9 mW. In addition, the threshold current density of the fabricated device with the MQB-EBL was reduced from 12 kA/cm2 (9.5 mA) to 10.6 kA/cm2 (8.5 mA) compared with the use of the bulk AlGaN EBL. Theoretical calculation results suggest that the improved carrier injection efficiency can be mainly attributed to the partial release of the strain and the effect of quantum interference by using the MQB structure, hence increasing the effective barrier height of the conduction band.
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Botulinum toxin type A (BTA) injections into the subjacent orbicularis oris muscle have been shown to improve appearance and produce narrower cheiloplasty scars. This study was performed to determine the effect of BTA injected at different sites on the unilateral cleft lip scar and cleft side nostril width. A double-blind, randomized prospective trial was conducted involving 64 consecutive patients with unilateral cleft lip undergoing primary cheiloplasty between September 2016 and January 2019. The patients were randomized to receive BTA injections either into the subjacent orbicularis oris muscle (4 points group) or into the bilateral nasolabial fold region (6 points group) during cheiloplasty. The scars were assessed by photographic scar width measurements and Vancouver scar scale assessment tool. The cleft side nostril width was compared to the non-cleft side width. Fifty-six patients completed the trial, 24 in the 4 points group and 31 in the 6 points group. There was no significant difference in scar width or nostril width measurements between the groups at the end of follow-up. The Vancouver scar scale assessment was also similar between the groups. There was no significant difference in scar width or nostril width measurements after cleft lip repair between patients treated with botulinum toxin injections to the subjacent orbicularis oris muscle and patients treated with injections in the nasolabial region.
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Toxinas Botulínicas Tipo A , Fenda Labial , Toxinas Botulínicas Tipo A/farmacologia , Toxinas Botulínicas Tipo A/uso terapêutico , Cicatriz/tratamento farmacológico , Fenda Labial/cirurgia , Humanos , Estudos Prospectivos , Resultado do TratamentoRESUMO
PURPOSE: The purpose of this retrospective study was to calculate the positive predictive value (PPV) of sonographic Breast Imaging Reporting and Data System (BI-RADS) categories 3, 4, and 5 in different age groups to investigate whether age influences the PPV of the BI-RADS category in breast ultrasound. MATERIALS AND METHODS: From our sonography-guided core biopsy database of breasts between 2006 and 2008, we identified 2817 BI-RADS category 3, 4, and 5 lesions with known pathological diagnosis in 2587 women, all of whom underwent the earlier breast assessment via ultrasound with a sonographic BI-RADS lexicon and later sonography-guided core biopsy. All lesions were classified into three age groups (< 45, 45 - 59, and > 59 years). The age-related PPVs of each BI-RADS category among three age groups were calculated on the basis of pathological diagnoses and were compared using a χ(2)-test. RESULTS: The overall PPV of each BI-RADS category was 2.2 % in category 3, 6.5 % in category 4a, 35.2 % in category 4b, 79.6 % in category 4c, and 99.6 % in category 5. The age-related PPVs of category 3 varied significantly among the three age groups (0.9 % versus 3.9 % versus 2.0 % p = 0.048), and notably, the age-related PPV in group 2 was higher than the others. Additionally, there was a significant positive association between the age-related PPVs and increasing age in categories 4a and 4b (4a, p < 0.0001 and 4b, p = 0.0139), but not in categories 4c and 5 (4c, p = 0.1853 and 5, p = 0.2871). CONCLUSION: The incidence of female breast cancer differs not only in different sonographic BI-RADS categories, but also in different age groups. Therefore, more attention should be paid to the special age group that we found for sonographic BI-RADS categories 3, 4a, and 4b.
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Adenocarcinoma Mucinoso/diagnóstico por imagem , Adenocarcinoma Mucinoso/epidemiologia , Biópsia por Agulha/estatística & dados numéricos , Neoplasias da Mama/diagnóstico por imagem , Neoplasias da Mama/epidemiologia , Carcinoma Ductal/diagnóstico por imagem , Carcinoma Ductal/epidemiologia , Carcinoma Intraductal não Infiltrante/diagnóstico por imagem , Carcinoma Intraductal não Infiltrante/epidemiologia , Carcinoma Lobular/diagnóstico por imagem , Carcinoma Lobular/epidemiologia , Ultrassonografia de Intervenção/estatística & dados numéricos , Ultrassonografia Mamária/estatística & dados numéricos , Adenocarcinoma Mucinoso/classificação , Adenocarcinoma Mucinoso/patologia , Adulto , Fatores Etários , Idoso , Idoso de 80 Anos ou mais , Cisto Mamário/classificação , Cisto Mamário/diagnóstico por imagem , Cisto Mamário/epidemiologia , Cisto Mamário/patologia , Neoplasias da Mama/classificação , Neoplasias da Mama/patologia , Carcinoma Ductal/classificação , Carcinoma Ductal/patologia , Carcinoma Intraductal não Infiltrante/classificação , Carcinoma Intraductal não Infiltrante/patologia , Carcinoma Lobular/classificação , Carcinoma Lobular/patologia , Comparação Transcultural , Estudos Transversais , Feminino , Fibroadenoma/classificação , Fibroadenoma/diagnóstico por imagem , Fibroadenoma/epidemiologia , Fibroadenoma/patologia , Humanos , Pessoa de Meia-Idade , Valor Preditivo dos Testes , Projetos de Pesquisa/estatística & dados numéricos , Estudos Retrospectivos , TaiwanRESUMO
AIM: Chicken anaemia virus (CAV) causes an economically important viral disease in chickens worldwide. The main aim of this study was to establish a rapid, sensitive and specific loop-mediated isothermal amplification (LAMP) assay for detecting CAV infection. METHODS AND RESULTS: A set of four specific LAMP primers were designed based on the nucleotide sequence of the CAV VP2 gene, which encodes a nonstructural protein. These were used for the amplification of a specific target region of the VP2 gene. LAMP amplicons were successfully amplified and detected by DNA electrophoresis and by direct naked eye SYBR Green I visualization. A sensitivity test systematically demonstrated that the LAMP assay was superior to a conventional PCR assay with a minimum concentration limit of 100 fg compared to 10 ng for the conventional PCR. The specificity of the LAMP assay for CAV detection is consistent with conventional PCR. Using this established LAMP assay, infected and uninfected clinical samples obtained from an experimental farm were fully verified. CONCLUSIONS: A novel nucleic acid-based approach of LAMP assay was successfully developed for detecting CAV infection. SIGNIFICANCE AND IMPACT OF THE STUDY: In this study, these results indicate that the developed LAMP assay herein for CAV detection is a time-effective, simple, sensitive and specific test that can be used as an alternative approach in the future for large-scaled diagnosis on the farm of CAV infection.
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Vírus da Anemia da Galinha/isolamento & purificação , Galinhas/virologia , Técnicas de Amplificação de Ácido Nucleico/métodos , Animais , Proteínas do Capsídeo/genética , Vírus da Anemia da Galinha/genética , Primers do DNA/genética , Fígado/virologia , Reação em Cadeia da Polimerase/métodos , Sensibilidade e EspecificidadeRESUMO
OBJECTIVES: Although phytobezoars are a rare cause of gastrointestinal obstruction, they are most commonly found in patients with previous gastric surgery. It is well known that predisposing factors of phytobezoar formation are ingestion of fruits containing soluble tannin, presence of dilute hydrochloric acid in the stomach, and gastric stasis or delayed emptying. We investigated whether intake of acid-suppressing drugs that neutralize gastric acidity or inhibit gastric acid secretion to constitute a hypo-acidic condition, increases the risk of phytobezoar formation. MATERIALS AND METHODS: Between September 1992 and October 2008, 32 patients (24 male and 8 female) with gastrointestinal phytobezoars were diagnosed either surgically or endoscopically at the Tri-Service General Hospital, Taipei, Republic of China. The data were collected from hospital records and analyzed retrospectively. RESULTS: Eighteen (56.25%) of all patients had previous gastric surgery and 6 (42.9%) of the 14 patients who had not undergone surgery had diabetes mellitus. The majority of admissions were during winter and spring (between October and March) (P < 0.01) and none of the patients had taken acid-suppressing drugs during the 6 months before detection of gastrointestinal phytobezoars. CONCLUSIONS: In our study, intake of acid-suppressing drugs did not increase the risk of phytobezoar formation in patients with normal gastric motility. Moreover, we believe that the major factor in phytobezoar formation is gastric stasis or delayed emptying, which sufficiently prolongs the retention period of materials in the stomach, while dilute hydrochloric acid is a minor factor.
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Bezoares/epidemiologia , Intestinos , Estômago , Adulto , Idoso , Idoso de 80 Anos ou mais , Antiácidos/farmacologia , Antiulcerosos/farmacologia , Bezoares/fisiopatologia , Feminino , Motilidade Gastrointestinal , Humanos , Masculino , Pessoa de Meia-Idade , Estudos Retrospectivos , Fatores de RiscoRESUMO
The surgical approach for the correction of residual velopharyngeal insufficiency requiring secondary surgery at Chang Gung Memorial Hospital is the modified Furlow palatoplasty with pharyngeal flap (mFP-PF). The aim of this study was to describe the mFP-PF technique and to determine the results obtained with regard to improvements in velopharyngeal function in patients undergoing this surgery. This retrospective analysis included 58 non-syndromic patients treated during the period 1992-2015 who complained of hypernasal speech after primary cleft palate repair and failed postoperative speech therapy. All of them underwent mFP-PF surgery. Preoperative and postoperative perceptual speech assessment results were obtained. The male to female ratio in the study group was 1.2:1, and the mean patient age at the time of surgery was 8.27 years. The patients underwent nasoendoscopic examination and the velar closing ratio was categorized as 0.1-0.4 in 53.4% and 0.5-0.7 in 46.6%. The assessment of speech after mFP-PF showed statistically significant changes for all perceptual speech outcomes. The incidence of repeat surgery was 3.4%. This study revealed that 96.6% of patients did not require second surgery for velopharyngeal insufficiency. Further studies on obstructive sleep apnoea in post-mFP-PF patients and improvements to the surgical technique should be considered.
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Fissura Palatina , Insuficiência Velofaríngea , Feminino , Humanos , Masculino , Palato Mole , Estudos Retrospectivos , Resultado do TratamentoRESUMO
Disordered GaN nanopillars of three different heights: 300, 550, and 720 nm are fabricated, and demonstrate broad angular and spectral antireflective characteristics, up to an incident angle of 60? and for the wavelength range of lambda=300-1800 nm. An algorithm based on a rigorous coupled-wave analysis (RCWA) method is developed to investigate the correlations between the reflective characteristics and the structural properties of the nanopillars. The broadband and omnidirectional antireflection arises mainly from the refractive-index gradient provided by nanopillars. Calculations show excellent agreement with the measured reflectivities for both s- and p- polarizations.
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Gálio/química , Lentes , Modelos Químicos , Nanoestruturas/química , Nanoestruturas/ultraestrutura , Fotometria/métodos , Simulação por Computador , Luz , Tamanho da Partícula , Refratometria , Espalhamento de RadiaçãoRESUMO
Since 2008, a septal anchoring suture has been used in unilateral cleft lip repair at Chang Gung Memorial Hospital in order to stabilize the lateral lip centrally. This study compared the symmetry of two groups of patients: those treated with and without an anchoring suture. Multiple standardized direct and photographic facial measurements were performed on the faces of all patients pre-cheiloplasty and at 5 years post-cheiloplasty. The degree of nasolabial symmetry was evaluated by comparing the ratios of measurements of the cleft vs. non-cleft sides. The ratio of change in these measurements was also compared postoperatively. The vertical lip length ratio approached 1 in the septal anchoring suture group, which differed significantly from the group without the suture (0.968 vs. 0.873, P<0.001). As expected, the horizontal lip length and central lip height ratios showed no statistically significant change. The ratio of change from pre- to postoperative also showed a significant improvement (P=0.028) in the vertical lip length of the group with the septal anchoring suture compared to the one without. The septal anchoring suture is a useful method to correct the tendency of the lip to shift to the cleft side.
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Fenda Labial/cirurgia , Septo Nasal/cirurgia , Nariz/anormalidades , Nariz/cirurgia , Procedimentos de Cirurgia Plástica/métodos , Âncoras de Sutura , Pontos de Referência Anatômicos , Pré-Escolar , Estética , Feminino , Humanos , Masculino , Fotografação , Resultado do TratamentoRESUMO
BACKGROUND: There is limited data about how appropriate medical care is in the emergency department (ED). OBJECTIVES: To investigate the rate and types of preventable deaths among patients with early mortality after emergency admission from the ED. METHODS: We retrospectively reviewed charts of early mortality (defined as mortality which occurred within 24 hours after admission from the ED) over a 3 year period. Those patients with terminal cancer or out of hospital cardiac arrest (OHCA) at presentation were excluded. Two independent assessors reviewed each eligible chart and determined whether early mortality was preventable. Any disagreements were resolved through discussion between the investigators. A mortality event was considered preventable if actions or missed actions were identified that would have prevented the death. The types of preventability were categorised as misdiagnosis, delayed diagnosis, and inappropriate medical management. Interrater reliability in the initial determination was assessed using Cohen kappa statistic. RESULTS: Over a 3 year period, 210 early mortality cases were identified. Excluding patients with terminal cancer or OHCA, the rate of preventable deaths was 25.8% (32/124). The types of preventability were inappropriate medical management (17 patients), delayed diagnosis (eight), and misdiagnosis (seven). There was good agreement between assessors with a Cohen kappa statistic of 0.81. CONCLUSIONS: Preventable deaths in emergency admitted patients with early mortality are not uncommon. Analysis and identification of preventability early mortality by using a chart based method may be used as a quality assurance index in emergency medical care.
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Serviço Hospitalar de Emergência/normas , Mortalidade Hospitalar , Erros Médicos/prevenção & controle , Qualidade da Assistência à Saúde/normas , Adolescente , Adulto , Idoso , Idoso de 80 Anos ou mais , Criança , Pré-Escolar , Feminino , Humanos , Masculino , Pessoa de Meia-Idade , Estudos Retrospectivos , Taiwan/epidemiologiaRESUMO
Isolation conditions of immunoglobulin in egg yolk (IgY) were optimized by the addition of various levels of Na-alginate (Alg), lambda-carrageenan (lambda-Cg), Na-carboxymethyl cellulose (CMC), and pectin (PC) to 6-fold diluted yolk. The mixtures were then reacted at pH 4.0-6.0 for 30 min. The optimal isolation conditions of IgY for Alg, lambda-Cg, and CMC were at the 0.1% level and at pH 5.0, while those for PC were at the 0.15% level and at the same pH. The remaining lipid and remaining protein in the supernatants thus obtained was 0.5-3.8% and 10-17%, respectively, and more than 90% of lipoproteins were precipitated. The IgY recovery was determined to be 33-74% by means of single radial immunodiffusion method when IgY was isolated under the optimal conditions. PC showed the best recovery of IgY, while lambda-Cg provided the least. The interactions between polysaccharides and lipoproteins were mainly ionic bonds, hydrophobic interactions, and hydrogen bonds as determined by the addition (0-2.0 M) of NaSCN or urea to the polysaccharide-lipoprotein precipitates.
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Gema de Ovo/imunologia , Imunoglobulinas/isolamento & purificação , Alginatos , Animais , Carboximetilcelulose Sódica , Carragenina , Galinhas , Ácido Glucurônico , Ácidos Hexurônicos , Indicadores e Reagentes , Pectinas , Polissacarídeos , UreiaRESUMO
Renal oncocytoma is a rare benign tumor of the kidney that accounts for about 5% of renal tumors. Acquired renal cystic disease (ARCD) is commonly seen in dialyzed patients. However, the occurrence of renal oncocytoma in ARCD has rarely been reported. We report such a case in a 67-year-old man who had hypertension-associated end-stage renal disease and had received regular hemodialysis for 5 years. Radiologic diagnostic studies demonstrated a renal mass in the left atrophic cystic kidney that increased in size from 2 cm to 4 cm during 2 years of follow-up. Under the diagnosis of renal cell carcinoma, he received left radical nephrectomy. The pathologic examination revealed renal oncocytoma with a well-cirumscribed, homogenous, mahogany-brown tumor on a background of ARCD. Although patients with ARCD have a higher incidence of renal malignancies, renal oncocytoma may occur in these patients and may be managed conservatively.
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Adenoma Oxífilo/etiologia , Doenças Renais Císticas/complicações , Neoplasias Renais/etiologia , Adenoma Oxífilo/patologia , Idoso , Humanos , Neoplasias Renais/patologia , MasculinoAssuntos
Clorpromazina/administração & dosagem , Dextroanfetamina/administração & dosagem , Animais , Depressores do Apetite/farmacologia , Peso Corporal/efeitos dos fármacos , Clorpromazina/farmacologia , Dextroanfetamina/farmacologia , Interações Medicamentosas , Tolerância a Medicamentos , Crescimento/efeitos dos fármacos , Masculino , Ratos , Fatores de TempoRESUMO
A 32-year-old female patient visited the emergency room because of sudden onset of abdominal pain, which was found to be induced by hemorrhagic infarction of a plexiform neurofibroma arising from the lesser omentum. No other classic clinical characteristics of systemic von Recklinghausen's disease had been seen up until now. The tumor, classified as sporadic plexiform neurofibroma, rarely occurs in the digestive tract. This diagnosis was confirmed by exploratory laparotomy with complete resection of the tumor. Here, we describe the rare case of a sporadic intra-abdominal plexiform neurofibroma and discuss the clinical characteristics and management of plexiform neurofibroma.
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Dor Abdominal/etiologia , Hemorragia Gastrointestinal/etiologia , Infarto/etiologia , Neurofibroma Plexiforme/complicações , Omento , Neoplasias Peritoneais/complicações , Doença Aguda , Adulto , Feminino , Humanos , Imuno-Histoquímica , Laparotomia , Neurofibroma Plexiforme/diagnóstico , Neurofibroma Plexiforme/diagnóstico por imagem , Neurofibroma Plexiforme/patologia , Neurofibroma Plexiforme/cirurgia , Omento/patologia , Neoplasias Peritoneais/diagnóstico , Neoplasias Peritoneais/diagnóstico por imagem , Neoplasias Peritoneais/patologia , Neoplasias Peritoneais/cirurgia , Tomografia Computadorizada por Raios XRESUMO
Enhanced light extraction from a GaN-based power chip (PC) of green light-emitting diodes (LEDs) with a rough p-GaN surface using nanoimprint lithography is presented. At a driving current of 350 mA and with a chip size of 1 mm × 1 mm packaged on transistor outline (TO)-cans, the light output power of the green PC LEDs with nano-rough p-GaN surface is enhanced by 48% when compared with the same device without a rough p-GaN surface. In addition, by examining the radiation patterns, the green PC LED with nano-rough p-GaN surface shows stronger light extraction with a wider view angle. These results offer promising potential to enhance the light output powers of commercial light-emitting devices by using the technique of nanoimprint lithography under suitable nanopattern design.
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Self-assembled InGaN quantum dots (QDs) were grown by metal-organic chemical vapour deposition with growth interruption at low V/III ratio and low growth temperature on sapphire substrates. The effects of the interruption time on the morphological and optical properties of InGaN QDs were studied. The results show that the growth interruption can modify the dimension and distribution of InGaN QDs, and cause the QD emission wavelength to blue shift with increasing interruption time. A density of InGaN QDs of about 4.5 × 10(10) cm(-2) with an average lateral size of 11.5 nm and an average height of 1.6 nm can be obtained by using a growth interruption time of 60 s.
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OBJECTIVE: To review the incidence and clinical characteristics of spontaneous pneumothorax in patients with ankylosing spondylitis (AS). METHODS: This is a retrospective observational cohort study. Chest radiographs and medical records of patients with a diagnosis of AS from 1993 to 2003 in a tertiary referral centre were reviewed. RESULTS: A total of 1028 patients with a diagnosis of AS were identified from July 1993 to July 2003. Twenty-two patients had typical apical lung fibrotic changes in the chest radiographs (22/1028, 2.1%). Three of these patients (3/22, 13.6%) with lung disease had pneumothorax. Two patients had recurrences and received video-assisted thoracoscopic surgery (VATS) on the second attack. The third patient received talc pleurodesis on the first attack and did not have a recurrence. The incidence of spontaneous pneumothorax in patients with AS was 0.29% (3/1028) with an incidence density of 64.85/100,000 patient-yr (95% confidence interval: 66.17-63.57/100,000). CONCLUSION: Spontaneous pneumothorax appears to be exceedingly rare in AS unless there is an underlying fibrocystic lung disease, in which case its occurrence is not uncommon. Cigarette smoking may be an important co-factor. Once developed, recurrences are common even after treatment. Prophylactic procedures should thus be considered for the first attack of spontaneous pneumothorax.