A small nonaxisymmetric (3D) magnetic field can induce nonambipolar transport of the particle species confined in a tokamak and thus a significant change of plasma rotation. This process can be in a ...favor of instability control in the region where the tokamak plasma is sufficiently collisional and resistive, as observed in the applications of n=1 resonant magnetic perturbations to the KSTAR tokamak. The plasma rotation can be globally accelerated due to radially drifting electrons and constrained to the electron root, if the radial transport is enhanced by an amplified 3D response. This mechanism is verified by a kinetically self-consistent magnetohydrodynamic modeling for both response and transport, which offers the quantitative explanations on the internal n=1 structure detected by electron-cyclotron-emission imaging and the cocurrent plasma spinning observed in the experiments.
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CMK, CTK, FMFMET, IJS, NUK, PNG, UL, UM
Background Complementary and alternative medicine (CAM) is being increasingly used among Koreans with chronic dermatologic diseases, such as androgenetic alopecia (AGA), atopic dermatitis (AD) and ...psoriasis.
Objective To quantify the usage of CAM in Korean patients with AGA, AD or psoriasis, and to offer valid information for the physicians frequently encountering such disorders.
Methods Outpatients (n = 678) from three tertiary hospitals were investigated independently by constructed and self‐directed questionnaire.
Results Of the respondents, 62.1% (421/678) of the subjects reported current or previous use of CAM for their dermatologic conditions (AGA, 67.2%; AD, 68.9%; psoriasis, 46.6%). In AGA, topical applicants (50.2%) were most often used, followed by dietary therapy and health supplements. In AD, bath therapy (39.4%) was most often used, followed by oriental medicine and topical applicants. In psoriasis, oriental medicine (33.9%) was most frequently used, followed by bath therapy and health supplements. The proportion of patients who believed that CAM helped to improve their skin condition was relatively low (AGA, 16.1%; AD, 31.7%; psoriasis, 15.0%).
Limitations The results may not be applicable to other countries and generalized to general populations.
Conclusion These results indicate that CAM is widely used in Korean patients with chronic dermatological diseases despite their dissatisfactions. Thus, the advantages and disadvantages of CAM must be considered before its clinical practice.
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BFBNIB, FZAB, GIS, IJS, KILJ, NLZOH, NUK, OILJ, SBCE, SBMB, UL, UM, UPUK
•Effects of DSR paths were investigated.•Rotation 180° (RR sample) resulted in equiaxed grains with recrystallization texture.•RR sample exhibited superior strength and ductility.
The work ...investigated the effect of deformation path on texture and tension properties of submicrocrystalline Al-Mg-Si alloy sample processed by differential speed rolling (DSR). DSR was performed on the present samples rotated between passage utilizing three paths, such as no rotation, rotations along the transverse and rolling axes toward deformation direction in order to understand the roles of the different characteristics of macro-shear. When both no rotation and rotation along the transverse axis were applied, high strength but low ductility would be obtained due to the presence of fine grains together with lamellar bands. A good combination of strength (∼312 MPa) and ductility (∼7.4%) was attained by means of rotation along the rolling axis, giving rise to the conjugation of macro-shear bands. This was explained in relation to the interpretation of recrystallization texture components.
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GEOZS, IJS, IMTLJ, KILJ, KISLJ, NLZOH, NUK, OILJ, PNG, SAZU, SBCE, SBJE, UL, UM, UPCLJ, UPUK, ZRSKP
Abstract
The 14
th
experimental campaign from the Korea Superconducting Tokamak Advanced Research (KSTAR) device has passed since the first experimental campaign was carried out in 2008. The basic ...diagnostic systems such as magnetic diagnostics, interferometer, inspection illuminator, visible spectrometer, ECE radiometer have been used for the first plasma experiment in KSTAR. Currently more than 50 diagnostic systems have been continuously installed including improved basic diagnostics and advanced imaging diagnostics in KSTAR. A recent progress and future plan of diagnostics for KSTAR are briefly discussed.
Aims
We investigated the association between lipoprotein(a) Lp(a) level and new‐onset chronic kidney disease (CKD) in patients with Type 2 diabetes.
Methods
We conducted a prospective cohort study ...from March 2003 to December 2004 with a median follow‐up time of 10.1 years. Patients aged 25–75 years with Type 2 diabetes and without CKD estimated glomerular filtration rate (eGFR) ≥ 90 ml/min/1.73 m2) were consecutively enrolled. The eGFR was measured at least twice every year , and new‐onset CKD was defined as a decreased eGFR status of < 60 ml/min/1.73 m2 using a Chronic Kidney Disease Epidemiology Collaboration (CKD‐EPI) equation.
Results
Of the 862 patients who were enrolled, 560 (65.0%) completed the follow‐up and 125 (22.3%) progressed to CKD. The mean age and duration of diabetes were 53.3 ± 9.6 and 7.5 ± 6.0 years, respectively. The baseline eGFR was 101.8 ± 11.3 ml/min/1.73 m2. After adjusting for multiple confounding factors, a Cox hazard regression analysis revealed that the third tertile of Lp(a) was significantly associated with the development of CKD during the observation period when compared with the first tertile hazard ratio 2.12 (95% confidence interval 1.33–3.36); P = 0.001).
Conclusions
In this prospective, longitudinal, observational cohort study, we demonstrated that the Lp(a) level was an independent prognostic factor for the future development of CKD in patients with Type 2 diabetes.
What's new?
Our study confirms that an elevated lipoprotein(a) level is an independent predictable risk factor for the future development of new‐onset chronic kidney disease in Type 2 diabetes.
The median calculated estimated glomerular filtration rate reduction showed an increasing trend as the lipoprotein(a) level increased.
We suggest that cardiovascular risk factors in patients with diabetes who have high lipoprotein(a) should be treated more aggressively to prevent the future development of chronic kidney disease.
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BFBNIB, FZAB, GIS, IJS, KILJ, NLZOH, NUK, OILJ, SBCE, SBMB, UL, UM, UPUK
Objective
To compare the intercycle variation of serum anti‐Mullerian hormone (AMH) and antral follicle count (AFC) measurements over four consecutive menstrual cycles.
Design
Observational study ...with secondary analysis using data from two previous randomized controlled trials.
Patients
Seventy‐eight women from two previous randomized trials on the effect of dehydroepiandrosterone pretreatment on ovarian response in women undergoing in vitro fertilization (IVF) treatment.
Measurements
The intraclass correlation coefficients (ICC) for AFC and AMH across the four study cycles, as well as their predictive performance on poor ovarian response, were compared.
Results
No significant difference was observed in AMH (p = .608) across the four study cycles. AFC was significantly higher at 4 weeks before ovarian stimulation compared with 0, 8 and 12 weeks before ovarian stimulation (p < .05, Conover posthoc test). Both single‐measures and average‐measures ICC were significantly higher with AMH than with AFC. The areas under the receiver operating characteristic curve of the four AFC measurements in predicting poor ovarian response (defined as three or less oocytes retrieved) in the IVF cycle ranged from 0.657 to 0.743 with no significant difference (p > .05) among the four cycles, whereas those of the four AMH measurement ranged from 0.730 to 0.780 with no significant difference (p > .05) among the four cycles.
Conclusions
Although both AFC and AMH are good predictors of ovarian response, intercycle repeatability was significantly better with serum AMH than AFC measurement. Both have no significant difference in their predictive performance on poor ovarian response when assessed within three months before IVF treatment, hence allowing pre‐IVF assessment at more flexible timing.
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BFBNIB, FZAB, GIS, IJS, KILJ, NLZOH, NUK, OILJ, SBCE, SBMB, UL, UM, UPUK
Purpose
To evaluate the effect of basal serum testosterone levels on the ovarian response and the cumulative live birth rate of infertile women undergoing in vitro fertilization (IVF).
Methods
It is ...a retrospective study in a university-affiliated assisted reproduction center in Hong Kong. Infertile women undergoing the first IVF cycle in the center between December 2012 and November 2016 with archived serum samples and available information on cumulative live birth were included for the analysis.
Results
A total of 1122 women were included for analysis. The median basal serum testosterone level was 0.53 (25–75th percentile: 0.40–0.67) nmol/L. Women with higher basal serum testosterone levels required a lower total dosage of gonadotrophin and a shorter duration of stimulation and had more oocytes retrieved. The cumulative live birth rates did not differ among women with serum testosterone levels in the four quartiles. Basal serum testosterone level was not a significant independent predictor of the cumulative live birth after adjusted for the women’s age and number of normally fertilized oocytes in a binary logistic regression. The areas under the receiver operative characteristics (ROC) curves in predicting low or high ovarian response and the cumulative live birth were all below 0.6.
Conclusion
Higher basal serum testosterone levels were associated with a better ovarian response but had no effect on the cumulative live birth rate of infertile women undergoing IVF.
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EMUNI, FIS, FZAB, GEOZS, GIS, IJS, IMTLJ, KILJ, KISLJ, MFDPS, NLZOH, NUK, OILJ, PNG, SAZU, SBCE, SBJE, SBMB, SBNM, UKNU, UL, UM, UPUK, VKSCE, ZAGLJ
This study was performed to assess whether intubation is more difficult in obese patients and to assess the ability of a new index: the ratio of the neck circumference to thyromental distance ...(NC/TM), to predict difficult intubation in obese patients.
The incidence of difficult tracheal intubation in 123 obese (BMI≥27.5 kg m−2) and 125 non-obese patients was compared. Difficult intubation was determined using the intubation difficulty scale (IDS≥5). The NC/TM ratio was calculated and its ability to predict difficult intubation in obese patients was compared with that of established predictors including high BMI, the Mallampati score, the Wilson score, NC, width of mouth opening, sternomental distance, TM, and a previous history of difficult intubation.
Difficult intubation was more frequent in obese patients than in non-obese patients (13.8% vs 4.8%; P=0.016). Multivariate analysis revealed that the Mallampati score, the Wilson score, and NC/TM independently predicted difficult intubation in obese patients. Among these three indices, NC/TM showed the highest sensitivity and a negative predictive value, and largest area under the curve on an ROC curve.
Difficult intubation was more common in obese patients and the NC/TM was a better method for predicting difficult intubation than other established indices.
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GEOZS, IJS, IMTLJ, KILJ, KISLJ, NLZOH, NUK, OILJ, PNG, SAZU, SBCE, SBJE, UILJ, UL, UM, UPCLJ, UPUK, ZAGLJ, ZRSKP
A nanocomposite of gelatinGEL-hydroxyapatiteHAp was prepared using the biomimetic process. The hydroxyapatite nanocrystals were precipitated in aqueous solution of gelatin at pH 8 and 38°C. The ...chemical bonding between calcium ions of HAp and carboxyl ions of GEL molecules induced a red-shift of the 1339
cm
−1 band of GEL in FT-IR analysis. TEM images and electron diffraction patterns for the nanocomposite strongly indicate the self-organization of HAp nanocrystals along the GEL fibrils. Electron diffraction for the nanocomposites showed a strong preferred orientation of the (0
0
2) plane in HAp nanocrystals. The development of HAp nanocrystals in an aqueous GEL solution was highly influenced by the concentration ratio of GEL to HAp. A higher concentration of GEL induced the formation of tiny crystallites (4
nm×9
nm size), while a lower concentration of GEL contributed to the development of bigger crystallites (30
nm×70
nm size). From DT/TGA data, the HAp-GEL nanocomposite showed typically three exothermic temperatures. The increase in decomposition temperatures indicates the formation of a primary chemical bond between HAp and GEL. The higher concentration of GEL supplies abundant reaction sites containing groups such as carboxyl, which can bind with calcium ions. The abundant supply of reaction sites leads to a very large number of HAp nuclei. However, the formation of a large number of nuclei depletes the concentration of calcium ions that available for growth to the extent that the nuclei cannot grow very large. This in turn will lead to the creation of a large number of tiny nanocrystals at this higher GEL concentration.
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GEOZS, IJS, IMTLJ, KILJ, KISLJ, NUK, OILJ, PNG, SAZU, SBCE, SBJE, UL, UM, UPCLJ, UPUK
IntroductionLow vitamin D status is prevalent among women with polycystic ovary syndrome (PCOS). The objective of the study is to assess the effect of vitamin D supplementation on (1) the ovulation ...rate to letrozole and (2) other reproductive, endocrine and metabolic outcomes after 1 year of supplementation in women with PCOS.Methods and analysisThis is a multicentre, randomised, double-blind, controlled clinical trial. A total of 220 anovulatory women with PCOS diagnosed by the Rotterdam criteria will be recruited. They will be randomly assigned to either the (1) vitamin D supplementation group or (2) placebo group. Those in the vitamin D group will take oral Vitamin D3 50 000 IU/week for 4 weeks, followed by 50 000 IU once every 2 weeks for 52 weeks. Those who remain anovulatory after 6 months will be treated with a 6-month course of letrozole (2.5 mg to 7.5 mg for 5 days per cycle titrated according to response) for ovulation induction. The primary outcome is the ovulation rate. All statistical analyses will be performed using intention-to-treat and per protocol analyses.Ethics and disseminationEthics approval was sought from the Institutional Review Board of the participating units. All participants will provide written informed consent before joining the study. The results of the study will be submitted to scientific conferences and peer-reviewed journals.Trial registration number NCT04650880.
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