Associations between domestic violence and poor pregnancy outcomes in taiwanese women: a nested case-control study.

BACKGROUND AND AIMS: Domestic violence (DV) are one of the important risk factors for women's health outcomes. The aim of this study was explored the risk of DV association with the poor pregnancy outcomes (PPOs), including premature delivery, abortion, and stillbirth. METHODS: A nested case-control study was applied. Data from the Taiwan National Health Insurance Research Database were collected from 2000 to 2015. A total of 41,730 participants were included in this study, including 8,346 participants in the case group and 33,384 age- and index year-matched control group. Assessments of DA and PPOs were determined according to the International Classification of Diseases, 9th Revision. We conducted a conditional logistic regression analysis to estimate the effect of DV on PPOs. RESULTS: The mean age was 35.53 in the 41,730 female participants. The overall incidence rate of PPOs of the participants, who had experienced DV, was 84.05 per 100,000 person-years. which was significantly higher than that for the controls (18.19 per 100,000 person-years). The risk of PPOs was higher in the participants who had experienced DV than in the controls (adjusted odds ratio [AOR] = 3.31; 95% confidence interval [CI] [95% CI]: 2.83-3.86), including for premature delivery (AOR = 3.57; 95% CI: 3.05-4.17), abortion (AOR = 3.31; 95% CI: 2.83-3.86) and stillbirth (AOR = 2.98; 95% CI: 2.55-3.47). The results showed that the longer a participant has been suffering DV, the risk of PPOs was higher. CONCLUSIONS: Present results reaved the risk of PPOs associated with DV. Especially, the longer a woman has been experiencing DV, the risk of PPOs was higher, showed a dose-response effect.

Antimicrobial activity effects of electrolytically generated hypochlorous acid-treated pathogenic microorganisms by isothermal kinetic simulation.

This study involves isothermal kinetic simulation to evaluate the parameters of inhibition conditions for Escherichia coli (E. coli) and Staphylococcus aureus (S. aureus) of high-risk pathogens. This is because the new type of the 2019 novel coronavirus (2019-nCoV) is continuously spreading and the importance of public health issues. Environmental disinfection and personal wearing of masks have become important epidemic prevention measures. Selection of concentration kinetics could be estimated best for E. coli and S. aureus of pathogens, 2.74 × 104 and 105 and 2.44 × 104 and 105 colony-forming units (CFU mL-1), by isothermal micro-calorimeter (TAM Air) tests, respectively. Comparisons were made of different doses of 0-70 ppm (in 20 mL test ampoule) hypochlorous acid treatment for conducting nth-order and autocatalytic reaction simulation to evaluate the inhibition reaction parameters, which determined the autocatalytic kinetic model that was beneficially applied on the E. coli and S. aureus. We developed the inhibition reaction parameters of the pathogens, which included the activation energy (E a), the natural logarithm of pre-exponential factor (lnk 0), the enthalpy of inhibition microbial growth reaction (∆H), inhibition microbial growth, and the inhibition growth analysis. Overall, we conducted isothermal kinetic simulation to understand the antimicrobial activity effects of electrolytically generated hypochlorous acid-treated pathogenic microorganisms, which will provide reference for public health and medical-related fields for SDG3, and can contribute to ensuring human health and hygiene.

Experiences of Middle-Aged and Older Taiwanese Adults With Chronic Insomnia: A Descriptive Qualitative Study.

The purpose of the current study was to describe the experiences of middle-aged and older adults with chronic insomnia. A descriptive qualitative study design was used, and semi-structured interviews were conducted with 17 participants from two primary clinic health centers in northern Taiwan. Mean age of participants was 64.3 years, most (58.8%) participants were middle aged (aged 40 to 64 years), and mean duration of insomnia was 5.6 years. Three themes emerged: Imperfection of Lived Experience, Dilemma of Whether to Take a Hypnotic, and Seeking Help from Alternative Therapy. Participants believed chronic insomnia contributed to an accumulation of anxiety and negative emotions, resulting in psychological burden. For participants with insomnia, because of their negative impressions of hypnotics, they usually sought alternative therapies to improve sleep. Health care providers should endeavor to understand the needs of individuals with insomnia and provide them with sleep hygiene knowledge and assistance in safe sleep practices. [Journal of Gerontological Nursing, 48(11), 21-28.].

Obstructive sleep apnea and injury events in Taiwanese adults: A retrospective cohort study.

PURPOSE: The aim of this study was to examine the association between obstructive sleep apnea (OSA) diagnosis and diverse types of injuries. DESIGN: This population-based retrospective cohort study compared records from 2000 to 2013 in the Taiwan National Health Insurance Research Database. METHODS: 3025 patients identified with OSA were compared against the control cohort consisting of 12,100 age- and sex-matched patients. Cox proportional hazards regression analysis was performed to estimate the effects of OSA on injury risk. FINDINGS: Patients with OSA exhibited a significantly higher overall incidence of injury of 2599 per 100,000 person-years compared to the control cohort (2248 per 100,000 person-years). After the confounding factors were considered, subjects with OSA showed a higher risk of injury than subjects in the control group (adjusted hazard ratio [HR] = 1.78, 95% confidence interval [CI] = 1.64-1.93). The risk of unintentional injury (traffic, poisoning, falls) and intentional injury (suicide) in the group of patients with OSA was higher than that in the controls. CONCLUSIONS: Our study strongly supports the conclusion that adults with OSA are at increased risk of injury. CLINICAL RELEVANCE: The present results indicate the significance of OSA as a predictor of injury risk, which will provide valuable information for clinical practice and injury prevention.

The prognostic value of preoperative serum lactate dehydrogenase levels in patients underwent curative-intent hepatectomy for colorectal liver metastases: A two-center cohort study.

BACKGROUND: The prognostic value of lactate dehydrogenase (LDH) in colorectal cancer patients has remained inconsistent between nonmetastatic and metastatic settings. So far, very few studies have included LDH in the prognostic analysis of curative-intent surgery for colorectal liver metastases (CRLM). PATIENTS AND METHODS: Five hundred and eighty consecutive metastatic colorectal cancer patients who underwent curative-intent CRLM resection from Sun Yat-sen University Cancer Center (434 patients) and Sun Yat-sen University Sixth Affiliated Hospital (146 patients) in 2000-2019 were retrospectively collected. Overall survival (OS) was the primary end point. Cox regression model was performed to identify the prognostic values of preoperative serum LDH levels and other clinicopathology variables. A modification of the established Fong CRS scoring system comprising LDH was developed within this Chinese population. RESULTS: At the median follow-up time of 60.5 months, median OS was 59.5 months in the pooled cohort. In the multivariate analysis, preoperative LDH >upper limit of normal (250 U/L) was the strongest independent prognostic factor for OS (HR 1.73, 95% confidence interval [CI], 1.22-2.44; p < 0.001). Patients with elevated LDH levels showed impaired OS than patients with normal LDH levels (27.6 months vs. 68.8 months). Five-year survival rates were 53.7% and 22.5% in the LDH-normal group and LDH-high group, respectively. Similar results were also confirmed in each cohort. In the subgroup analysis, LDH could distinguish the survival regardless of most established prognostic factors (number and size of CRLM, surgical margin, extrahepatic metastases, CEA, and CA19-9 levels, etc.). Integrating LDH into the Fong score contributed to an improvement in the predictive value. CONCLUSION: Our study implicates serum LDH as a reliable and independent laboratory biomarker to predict the clinical outcome of curative-intent surgery for CRLM. Composite of LDH and Fong score is a potential stratification tool for CRLM resection. Prospective, international studies are needed to validate these results across diverse populations.

The Prognostic Value of Locoregional Interventions for BRAF V600E Metastatic Colorectal Cancer: A Retrospective Cohort Analysis.

The prognostic heterogeneity in patients with BRAF V600E metastatic colorectal cancer (mCRC) remains poorly defined. Real-world data of 93 BRAF V600E mCRC patients from Sun Yat-sen University Cancer Center were evaluated using the prognostic factors affecting overall survival (OS). Treatment of metastases served as an independent prognosticator, where curative locoregional interventions (LRIs) were associated with superior clinical outcomes (adjusted hazard ratio (HR): 0.46, 95% confidence interval (CI): 0.22-0.98; p = 0.044). The LRIs group showed an improved median OS of 49.4 months versus 18.3 months for the palliative treatments (PTs) group. The median OS of patients with colorectal liver metastasis (CRLM) was significantly prolonged after undergoing LRIs (42.4 vs. 23.7 months; HR: 0.11, 95% CI: 0.01-1.22; p = 0.030), and patients in the LRIs plus liver-limited or lung-limited metastasis (LLM) group benefited more than those in the LRIs plus non-LLM group when compared to the PTs group (LLM from LRIs vs. PTs, HR: 0.16, 95% CI: 0.04-0.68; p = 0.006. Non-LLM from LRIs vs. PTs, HR: 0.47, 95% CI: 0.21-1.05; p = 0.074). In conclusion, we confirmed the positive prognostic value of LRIs in BRAF V600E mCRC, particularly in patients with CRLM or LLM.

Risk of alcohol use disorders in patients with insomnia: A population-based retrospective cohort study.

BACKGROUND: The aim of this study was to explore the risk of alcohol use disorders (AUDs) in patients with insomnia. METHODS: This was a population-based retrospective cohort study based on data from 2000 to 2013. Data from the Taiwan National Health Insurance Research Database were employed for this study. A total of 8076 patients with insomnia were identified as the study group. The control group comprised 16,152 age- and sex-matched patients. We conducted a Cox proportional hazard regression analysis to estimate the effects of insomnia on the risk of AUDs. RESULTS: The overall incidence of AUDs was 753.71 per 100,000 person-years for patients with insomnia, which was significantly higher than the incidence for those in the control group (377.73 per 100,000 person-years). Overall, patients with insomnia had a higher risk of AUDs than did those in the control group (adjusted hazard ratio [HR] = 1.75, 95% confidence interval [CI] = 1.42-2.10). We also observed a significantly higher risk of AUDs in patients with both insomnia and depression (adjusted HR = 5.85; 95% CI = 3.13-8.88) than in those without these conditions. CONCLUSIONS: The risk of AUDs in patients with insomnia was found to be significantly higher than that in individuals in the control group; the risk was particularly pronounced among those with insomnia and depression. These conditions thus exhibited a joint effect on AUDs risk.

Differences in the Moisture Capacity and Thermal Stability of Tremella fuciformis Polysaccharides Obtained by Various Drying Processes.

We compared the proportions and differences in the polysaccharides of Tremella fuciformis (Berkeley) after drying them by various processes, such as 18 °C cold air, 50 °C hot air, and freeze-drying. We also focused on the moisture capacity kinetic parameters of Tremella fuciformis polysaccharides using various thermal analyses, including differential scanning calorimetry and thermogravimetric techniques. Erofeev's kinetic and proto-kinetic equations, utilized for kinetic model simulation, can predict the moisture capacity due to the thermal effect. Among the various drying processes, cold air-drying had the highest molecular weight of 2.41 × 107 Da and a moisture content of 13.05% for Tremella fuciformis polysaccharides. Overall, the freeze-dried products had the best thermal decomposition properties under the conditions of a closed system, with an air or nitrogen atmosphere, and had an excellent moisture capacity of around 35 kJ/kg under a closed system for all samples.

The association between sleep duration and overweight or obesity in Taiwanese adults: A cross-sectional study.

BACKGROUND/OBJECTIVE: The effect of eating habits and sedentary lifestyle on obesity has been extensively examined and supported; however, few studies have examined the association of sleep duration with obesity in Taiwan. To redress this gap, this study investigated the association of sleep duration with overweight and obesity in community-dwelling Taiwanese adults. METHODS: A cross-sectional study was performed using the 2005-2008 Nutrition and Health Survey in Taiwan (NAHSIT). A logistic regression model was used to calculate the odds ratios (ORs) and 95% confidence intervals (CIs) of the association of sleep duration with overweight and obesity. Nightly sleep duration was divided into three groups: >6 to <9h (normal), ≤6h (short), and ≥9h (long). RESULTS: A total of 1548 adults aged 20-64 years were examined in this study. The adjusted ORs of obesity for short and long sleep duration relative to a normal sleep duration were 1.31 (95% CI 1.01, 1.76) and 1.64 (95% CI 1.04, 2.61), respectively. No significant association of sleep duration with overweight was observed. CONCLUSIONS: The present study suggests that both short and long sleep duration are associated with obesity risk.

Compositional Differences of the Winter Culinary-Medicinal Mushroom, Flammulina velutipes (Agaricomycetes), under Three Types of Light Conditions.

The focus of this study was to investigate the effect of light on the cultivation and the amounts of bio-active components in Flammulina velutipes. The mushrooms were cultivated under fluorescent tube (T8) grow lights, lightemitting diodes (LEDs), and cold-cathode fluorescent lamps. The biological efficiency of the T8 lights was the highest, at 92%. The crude fat content, crude fiber content, polysaccharide content, and ergosterol content were highest under the LEDs, at 2.9 g/100 g, 7.9 g/100 g, 3.9 g/100 g, and 1.4 mg/g, respectively. Moreover, vitamin D2 (1.9 µg/g) was generated only under light from LEDs. Principal component analysis showed that F. velutipes cultivated under the 3 different lighting conditions showed different profiles for proximate composition, nutritional compounds, and principal fatty acids.

Effect of UV-B Irradiation on Physiologically Active Substance Content and Antioxidant Properties of the Medicinal Caterpillar Fungus Cordyceps militaris (Ascomycetes).

Ultraviolet-B (UV-B) light irradiation is a well-known technique for converting vitamin D2 from ergosterol in mushroom fruit bodies. Mushrooms are a natural and nonanimal food source of vitamin D2. We studied the effect of UV-B light irradiation on the amount of vitamin D2 and physiologically active substances in Cordyceps militaris and their antioxidant properties. After UV-B irradiation for 2 hours, the vitamin D2 content of freshly harvested C. militaris fruiting bodies, mycelia, whole submerged culture (WSC), and homogenized submerged culture (HSC) increased from 0 to 0.03 to 0.22 to 1.11 mg/g, but the ergosterol content was reduced from 1.36 to 2.50 to 1.24 to 2.06 mg/g, respectively. After UV-B irradiation, the amount of adenosine, cordycepin, and ergothioneine of fruiting bodies dramatically increased 32-128%, but the polysaccharide content slightly decreased 36%. The reverse trends were observed in mycelia, WSC, and HSC. UV-B irradiation could reduce the effective concentrations at 50% of fruiting bodies for ethanolic and hot water extracts in reducing power, scavenging, and chelating abilities, whereas mycelia, WSC, and HSC of ethanolic extracts increased effective concentrations at 50% in reducing power, scavenging, and chelating abilities. UV-B irradiation slightly increased flavonoid content (10-56%) and slightly affected total phenol content.

Molecular epidemiological survey of hemoglobinopathies in the Wuxi region of Jiangsu Province, eastern China.

In order to determine the prevalence and molecular characterization of hemoglobinopathies in the Wuxi region of Jiangsu Province in the People's Republic of China (PRC), a total of 10,297 healthy people selected from a regional hospital were screened. Hemoglobin (Hb) electrophoresis, complete blood cell (CBC) count, polymerase chain reaction (PCR), DNA sequencing, reverse dot-blot and multiplex ligation-dependent probe amplification (MLPA) were used to detect Hb variants, thalassemias and hereditary persistence of fetal Hb (HPFH). Two thousand and twenty-one adult subjects were screened for thalassemia, five cases were identified as α-thalassemia (α-thal) carriers including three cases of the -α(3.7) (rightward) deletion, one case of the - -(SEA) deletion and one case of ß-thal [IVS-II-654 (C>T), (HBB: c.316-197C>T)]. The incidence of Hb variants, thalassemia and HPFH/δß-thal were 0.136% (14/10,297), 0.25% (5/2021) and 0.0001% (1/10,297), respectively. Eight genotypes of Hb variants were found, including Hb E [ß26(B8)Glu→Lys, GAG>AAG; HBB: c.79G>A], Hb J-Bangkok [ß56(D7)Gly→Asp (GGC>GAC); HBB; c.170G>A], Hb G-Coushatta [ß22(4)Glu→Ala (GAA>GCA); HBB: c.68A>C], Hb Queens [α34(B15)Leu→Arg (CTG>CGG) (α2 or α1); HBA2: c.104T>G (or HBA1)], Hb I [α16(A14)Lys→Glu, AAG>GAG (α1); HBA1: c.49A>G], Hb Beijing [α16(A14)Lys→Asn (AAG>AAC or AAT) (α2 or α1); HBA2: c.51G>C (or HBA1) or 51G>T (or HBA1)], Hb Ube-2 [α68(E17)Asn→Asp (AAC>GAC) (α2 or α1); HBA2: c.205A>G (or HBA1)] and Hb G-Taipei [ß22(B4)Glu→Gly (GAA>GGA); HBB: c.68A>G]. A Sicilian δß(0)-thal, identified for the first time in Asia, was also found in this survey.

Hemoglobinopathy: molecular epidemiological characteristics and health effects on Hakka people in the Meizhou region, southern China.

BACKGROUND: Hemoglobinopathies are the most common inherited diseases in southern China. However, there have been only a few epidemiological studies of hemoglobinopathies in Guangdong province. MATERIALS AND METHODS: Peripheral blood samples were collected from 15299 "healthy" unrelated subjects of dominantly ethnic Hakka in the Meizhou region, on which hemoglobin electrophoresis and routine blood tests were performed. Suspected cases with hemoglobin variants and hereditary persistence of fetal hemoglobin (HPFH) were further characterized by PCR, DNA sequencing, reverse dot blot (RDB) or multiplex ligation-dependent probe amplification (MLPA). In addition, 1743 samples were randomly selected from the 15299 subjects for thalassemia screening, and suspected thalassemia carriers were identified by PCR and RDB. RESULTS: The gene frequency of hemoglobin variants was 0.477% (73/15299). The five main subgroups of the ten hemoglobin variants were Hb E, Hb G-Chinese, Hb Q-Tahiland, Hb New York and Hb J-Bangkok. 277 cases (15.89%, 277/1743) of suspected thalassemia carriers with microcytosis (MCV<82 fl) were found by thalassemia screening, and were tested by a RDB gene chip to reveal a total of 196 mutant chromosomes: including 124 α-thalassemia mutant chromosomes and 72 ß-thalassemia mutant chromosomes. These results give a heterozygote frequency of 11.24% for common α and ß thalassemia in the Hakka population in the Meizhou region. 3 cases of HPFH/δß-thalassemia were found, including 2 cases of Vietnamese HPFH (FPFH-7) and a rare Belgian( G)γ((A)γδß)°-thalassemia identified in Chinese. CONCLUSIONS: Our results provide a detailed prevalence and molecular characterization of hemoglobinopathies in Hakka people of the Meizhou region. The estimated numbers of pregnancies each year in the Meizhou region, in which the fetus would be at risk for ß thalassemia major or intermedia, Bart's hydrops fetalis, and Hb H disease, are 25 (95% CI, 15 to 38), 40 (95% CI, 26 to 57), and 15 (95% CI, 8 to 23), respectively.

[The effect of tai chi for blood pressure, blood sugar, blood lipid control for patients with chronic diseases: a systematic review].

BACKGROUND: Tai chi emphasizes gentle, balanced, slow, deep-breathing activity and is widely applied in healthcare and health promotion in elderly populations. Researchers have applied tai chi as an intervention to reduce hypertension, hyperglycemia, and hyperlipidemia with unclear results. This article conducts a systematic review of tai chi intervention research with regard to its effectiveness in addressing three risk factors. PURPOSE: This study conducted a systematic review of reports discussing the blood pressure, blood sugar and blood lipid effects of tai chi in chronic diseases clients. METHOD: Researchers searched six electronic databases for relevant articles published between 1990 and May 2011. Data were collected using inclusion and exclusion criteria. A modified Jadad Scale was used to evaluate the quality of the identified articles. RESULTS: Seven studies met our inclusion criteria of targeting middle-aged subjects with chronic diseases. There was a total of 947 participants, with studies ranging from 38-207 participants. The majority of participants were women (six studies with a female ratio of > 50%); participant ages ranged from 51 ± 9.8 to 81.2 ± 6.1; four studies reported that tai chi reduced blood pressure and blood lipid levels; three studies reported that tai chi did not improve blood glucose, insulin sensitivity, or HbA1C. CONCLUSION: Systematic review results indicate that tai chi interventions have a significant and positive effect on blood pressure and lipid levels but not for blood sugar levels. Larger scale studies with more subjects and longer time periods are necessary to further confirm and illuminate the effects of tai chi and guide the design of effective, empirical-based intervention programs.

Kinetic and safety parameters analysis for 1,1,-di-(tert-butylperoxy)-3,3,5-trimethylcyclohexane in isothermal and non-isothermal conditions.

Over the past 30 years, the field of thermal analysis of organic peroxides has become an important issue in chemical engineering departments, safety departments, and in companies working with polymerization, petrifaction process, and so on. The contributions of thermal analysis to the evaluation and prediction of the runaway reactions have been important for decreasing or preventing a hazard, such as fire or explosion accident. This study was carried out using differential scanning calorimetry (DSC) to evaluate the kinetic and safety parameters in isothermal and non-isothermal conditions, for instance, temperature of no return (T(NR)), self accelerating decomposition temperature (SADT), time to maximum rate (TMR), activation energy (E(a)), frequency factor (A), reaction order (n), and reaction heat (ΔH), in terms of the hazardous material of 1,1,-di-(tert-butylperoxy)-3,3,5-trimethylcyclohexane (TMCH) 88 mass%. On the basis of this study, we demonstrated that TMCH 88 mass% must be well controlled in the manufacturing process due to the unstable structure of O-O, which releases a great quantity of heat, higher than 1300 J/g under decomposition. Results of this study could contribute to the relevant plants adopting TMCH 88mass% in a process, in order to prevent a fire or explosion accident from happening.

Molecular characteristics of three hemoglobin variants observed in a Chinese population: Hb Ube-1 [ß98 (FG5) Val→Met], Hb Ube­2 [α68 (E17) Asn→Asp] and Hb Ube­4 [α116 (GH4) Glu→Ala].

In this study we report three cases of Hb Ube-1, one case of Hb Ube-2 and one case of Hb Ube-4 in mainland China. One case of Hb Ube-1 had the clinical manifestation of hemolytic anemia. Hb Ube-2 and Hb Ube-4 did not appear to be associated with clinical or hematological abnormalities. The variants were detected by Hb electrophoresis during a thalassemia screening. Genomic DNA was extracted from the peripheral blood leukocytes of Hb specimens. α1, α2 and ß-globin genes were amplified by polymerase chain reaction (PCR). All variants were confirmed by DNA sequence analysis and the PCR-restriction fragment length polymorphism assay.

Molecular and clinical characteristics of hemoglobin Ottawa detected in a Chinese population.

Hemoglobin (Hb) Ottawa [α15 (A13) Gly→Arg], also known as Hb Siam, was first described in an 82-year-old Canadian in 1974. The same year, a second case was reported in a 28-year-old Chinese male living in Thailand. A third case was found in 1986 in a Chinese female living in the Hubei province of China. Since then, there have been no reports of Hb Ottawa in mainland China in the English literature. Hb Ottawa results from a GGT→CGT mutation in codon 15 of the α1 or α2-globin gene. Hb Ottawa carriers do not present any clinical symptoms or hematological changes, and are often diagnosed during a health examination and thalassemia screening. In a hemoglobin survey of 9745 students in Chaozhou, Guangdong, China, we identified four cases of Hb Ottawa in a thalassemia screening by Hb electrophoresis, and confirmed it to be the result of a GGT→CGT mutation in codon 15 of the α2-globin gene by DNA sequence analysis.

[Impact of neoadjuvant hormonal therapy on the permanent ¹²5I-seed brachytherapy for localized high-risk prostate cancer].

OBJECTIVE: To evaluate the impact of neoadjuvant hormonal therapy on the permanent transperineal (125)I-seed brachytherapy for localized high-risk prostate cancer. METHODS: Ten patients with T(1)-T(2a) localized high-risk prostate cancer were reviewed. The mean level of PSA was (29.4 ± 12.6) µg/L (20 - 50 µg/L) and the mean prostate volume (54 ± 33) ml. All cases were sequentially treated on a neoadjuvant hormonal therapy with 1 week of Casodex (50 mg/d) and 3 - 10 months (median: 6 months) of Casodex (50 mg/d) with Zoladex (3.6 mg per 4 weeks, SC). Then all patients received the transperineal permanent interstitial (125)I-seed implantation brachytherapy by template method. The matched peripheral dose of seed implantation was 145 Gy (median number of (125)I seeds: 46), urethral peripheral dose ≤ 80 Gy and rectal peripheral dose ≤ 60 Gy. The mean operative duration was 1.75 hours (range: 1 - 2.5 hours). RESULTS: After neoadjuvant hormonal therapy for 3 - 10 months, the PSA level decreased to (1.4 ± 0.7) µg/L in all patients. The mean prostate volume significantly decreased to (25 ± 10) ml (t-test, P < 0.01). The Foley tube extracted at Days 3 - 5 post-brachytherapy. Side effects of mild dysuria (n = 1) and urethral irritation (n = 1) were effectively managed by symptomatic treatment. After a median follow-up of 13 months (range: 3 - 24), the PSA level was (0.9 ± 0.7) µg/L. CONCLUSION: A combination of neoadjuvant hormonal therapy with brachytherapy may lower the PSA level and shrink the prostate volume so as to ensure an effective dose in the target tumor and improve the therapeutic efficacy for localized high-risk prostate cancer.

Modeling solid thermal explosion containment on reactor HNIW and HMX.

2,4,6,8,10,12-Hexanitro-2,4,6,8,10,12-hexaaza-isowurtzitane (HNIW), also known as CL-20 and octahydro-1,3,5,7-tetranitro-1,3,5,7-tetrazocine (HMX), are highly energetic materials which have been popular in national defense industries for years. This study established the models of thermal decomposition and thermal explosion hazard for HNIW and HMX. Differential scanning calorimetry (DSC) data were used for parameters determination of the thermokinetic models, and then these models were employed for simulation of thermal explosion in a 437L barrel reactor and a 24 kg cubic box package. Experimental results indicating the best storage conditions to avoid any violent runaway reaction of HNIW and HMX were also discovered. This study also developed an efficient procedure regarding creation of thermokinetics and assessment of thermal hazards of HNIW and HMX that could be applied to ensure safe storage conditions.