Ultrastrong and precisely controllable n‐type photoinduced doping at a graphene/TiOx heterostructure as a result of trap‐state‐mediated charge transfer is demonstrated, which is much higher than any ...other reported photodoping techniques. Based on the strong light–matter interactions at the graphene/TiOx heterostructure, precisely controlled photoinduced bandgap opening of a bilayer graphene device is demonstrated.
Probiotic supplements are potential therapeutic agents for age-related disorders due to their antioxidant and anti-inflammatory properties. However, the effect of probiotics on age-related brain ...dysfunction remains unclear. To investigate the effects of
PS23 (LPPS23) on the progression of age-related cognitive decline, male and female senescence-accelerated mouse prone 8 (SAMP8) mice were divided into two groups (
= 6 each): the control and PS23 groups. From the age of 16 weeks, these groups were given saline and LPPS23, respectively, because SAMP8 mice start aging rapidly after four months of age. After 12 weeks of treatment, we evaluated the effect of LPPS23 by analyzing their appearance, behavior, neural monoamines, anti-oxidative enzymes, and inflammatory cytokines. The PS23 group showed lower scores of senescence and less serious anxiety-like behaviors and memory impairment compared to the control group. The control mice also showed lower levels of neural monoamines in the striatum, hippocampus, and serum. Moreover, LPPS23 induced the anti-oxidative enzymes superoxide dismutase (SOD) and glutathione peroxidase (GPx). Higher levels of tumor necrosis factor (TNF)-α and monocyte chemotactic protein-1 (MCP1) and lower levels of interleukin (IL)-10 indicated that LPPS23 modulated the inflammation. Our results suggest that LPPS23 supplements could delay age-related cognitive decline, possibly by preventing oxidation and inflammation and modulating gut⁻brain axis communication.
•Drawing on two-factor theory, this study successfully identified hygiene and motivation factors that activated online impulse buying.•The hygiene factors affecting online impulse buying distributed ...across the six stages of consumer decision-making processes.•The motivation factors affecting online impulse buying distributed across the three stages.•Motivation factors that induced online impulse buying were sales promotion stimuli, which can create consumers utilitarian or hedonic benefits.•The design factors of online stores were the hygiene factors rather than the motivators.
Impulse buying accounts for a large proportion of consumer shopping behavior in the bricks-and-mortar retail market. Online retailers also expect to profit from impulse buying. It is therefore interesting and beneficial to investigate the design elements of online stores and the sales promotion stimuli that e-retailers can use to either arouse consumers’ desire or decrease their self-control to evoke their purchase impulses. This study seeks to explicitly identify the factors associated with online store design and sales promotion stimuli that most affect online impulse buying behavior throughout the consumer decision-making process. Drawing on the two-factor theory, it successfully identifies the hygiene and motivation factors that trigger online impulse buying. The questionnaire responses of 239 valid respondents revealed that most of the hygiene factors are associated with the design of online stores, and all of the motivation factors are forms of sales promotion stimuli that effectively facilitate online impulse buying and present utilitarian or hedonic benefits to consumers. This study also identifies the most effective sales promotion stimuli and offers a comprehensive checklist for Web designers. Moreover, the distribution of motivation and hygiene factors for each stage of the EKB model is uneven, and some stages include only hygiene factors. The findings of this study demonstrate that the triggers of consumers’ online shopping behavior do not always apply to online impulse buying, and have important implications for impulse buying research and practice.
SARS-CoV-2 has spread rapidly, causing deaths worldwide. In this study, we evaluated the performance of the BD MAX Open System module for identifying viral pathogens, including SARS-CoV-2, in ...nasopharyngeal specimens from individuals with symptoms of upper respiratory tract infection. We developed and validated a rapid total nucleic acid extraction method based on real-time reverse transcription-polymerase chain reaction (RT-PCR) for the reliable, high-throughput simultaneous detection of common cold viral pathogens using the BD MAX Platform. The system was evaluated using 205 nasopharyngeal swab clinical samples. For assessment of the limit of detection (LoD), we used SARS-CoV-2, influenza A/B, and respiratory syncytial virus (RSV) RNA standards. The BD MAX dual multiplex real-time RT-PCR panel demonstrated a sensitivity comparable to that of the World Health Organization-recommended SARS-CoV-2 assay with an LoD of 50 copies/PCR. The LoD of influenza A/B and RSV was 100-200 copies/PCR. The overall percent agreement between the BD MAX panel and laboratory-developed RT-PCR test on 55 SARS-CoV-2-positive clinical samples was 100%. Among the 55 positive cases of COVID-19 analysed, no coinfection was detected. The BD MAX rapid multiplex PCR provides a highly sensitive, robust, and accurate assay for the rapid detection of SARS-CoV-2, influenza A/B, and RSV.
Protein-bound uremic toxins, such as p-cresol sulfate (PCS), can be accumulated with declined renal function and aging and is closely linked with central nervous system (CNS) diseases. In the ...periphery, PCS has effects on oxidative stress and inflammation. Since oxidative stress and inflammation have substantial roles in the pathogenesis of neurological disorders, the CNS effects of PCS were investigated in unilateral nephrectomized C57/BL/6 mice. Unlike intact mice, unilateral nephrectomized mice showed increased circulating levels of PCS after exogenous administration. Upon PCS exposure, the unilateral nephrectomized mice developed depression-like, anxiety-like, and cognitive impairment behaviors with brain PCS accumulation in comparison with the nephrectomy-only group. In the prefrontal cortical tissues, neuronal cell survival and neurogenesis were impaired along with increased apoptosis, oxidative stress, and neuroinflammation. Circulating brain-derived neurotrophic factors (BDNF) and serotonin were decreased in association with increased corticosterone and repressor element-1 silencing transcription factor (REST), regulators involved in neurological disorders. On the contrary, these PCS-induced changes were alleviated by uremic toxin absorbent AST-120. Taken together, PCS administration in mice with nephrectomy contributed to neurological disorders with increased oxidative stress and neuroinflammation, which were alleviated by PCS chelation. It is suggested that PCS may be a therapeutic target for chronic kidney disease-associated CNS diseases.
Objectives
We aimed to investigate whether the risk of diabetes mellitus (DM) is heightened in patients with prostate cancer receiving injection therapy.
Methods
Men diagnosed with prostate cancer ...between 2000 and 2012 were included in the case cohort, and men without prostate cancer were included as controls. Each patient with prostate cancer was matched with a control patient with the same index year, demographic variables and comorbidities, and comparisons were made using propensity score matching. The hazard ratio of DM was estimated using the Cox proportional hazards model.
Results
This cohort study consisted of 1213 patients with prostate cancer and 1213 control patients. The risk of DM in patients with prostate cancer was 1.60 times (95% CI = 1.12, 2.27) that of patients without prostate cancer. Compared with the controls, the hazard ratios of DM for patients with prostate cancer not receiving oral hormone therapy, patients with prostate cancer receiving oral hormone therapy, and patients with prostate cancer not receiving injection hormone therapy were 1.65 (95% CI = 1.01, 2.70), 1.57 (95% CI = 1.07, 2.70), and 1.94 (95% CI = 1.34, 2.81), respectively. The risk of DM in patients who received injection hormone therapy was 0.45 times (95% CI = 0.25, 0.82) that of patients who did not receive injection hormone therapy.
Conclusion
Patients with prostate cancer had an increased risk of DM compared with patients without prostate cancer. Patients with prostate cancer who received injection therapy had a lower risk of DM compared with those who did not.
Aims/Introduction
The convergence of tuberculosis (TB) and diabetes mellitus (DM) is a new challenge in Asia as a result of the rising prevalence of diabetes mellitus with higher TB infection rates, ...and also because diabetes mellitus itself enhances TB disease activity and consequently the spread of TB. We aimed to address the risk presented by diabetes mellitus for TB infection.
Materials and Methods
Patients with diabetes mellitus were retrospectively recruited. The baseline assessments included age, sex, body mass index, fasting blood glucose, glycated hemoglobin, urine albumin‐to‐creatinine ratio and estimated glomerular filtration rate. TB was determined by meeting the international classification of disease, for TB diagnosis and receiving anti‐TB treatment for at least 2 months.
Results
In total, 9,750 individuals with diabetes mellitus were recruited. The event rate of TB was 47 (0.48%). Younger age, lower proportion of men, higher fasting blood glucose and glycated hemoglobin values, and better renal function (estimated glomerular filtration rate and urine albumin‐to‐creatinine ratio) were observed in the metformin‐exposed groups. Old age and male sex were associated with higher TB infection risk on multivariate analysis. Metformin users had a significantly lower risk for TB infection, whereas insulin users had a higher risk for TB infection. However, glycemic status had no effect on TB infection risk.
Conclusions
This study provides clinical evidence from a survey of TB in individuals with diabetes mellitus. Old age, male sex and insulin use were risk factors for TB infection. Metformin remains the first choice of treatment for diabetes mellitus and has a potential protective effect against TB infection.
To manage the rapidly growing incidence of, and related medical burden resulting from hip fractures in older adults in an aging society, studies involving orthogeriatric co-management treatment ...models have reported improved outcomes, including reduced medical costs. The treatment gap for osteoporosis was however seldom emphasized in the published treatment protocols. Aiming to improve the existing orthogeriatric protocol, we have established a patient-centered protocol for elderly patient hip fractures, which simultaneously focuses on fracture care and anti-osteoporosis agent prescription in regarding to healthcare quality and medical expense.
This was a retrospective study comparing patients who enrolled in the multidisciplinary co-managed protocol for geriatric hip fractures and those who did not. The inclusion criteria for this study were: (a) single-sided hip fractures treated from 1 to 2018 to 30 June 2020, (b) patients who were 60-years or older (c) trauma treated within 3 days from time of injury, and (d) minimal follow-up period of 12 months after surgery.
From 1 to 2018 to 30 June 2020, 578 patients were included (267 patients in the protocol group vs. 331 patients in the conventional group). The protocol group was associated with significantly reduced lengths of hospital stay (p = 0.041), medical expenditures (p = 0.006), and mortality (p = 0.029) during their acute in-hospital admission period. Early osteoporosis diagnosis and anti-osteoporosis agent prescription were achieved in the protocol group, with a significantly wider coverage for BMD assessment (p < 0.001) and prescriptions for anti-osteoporosis medication (p < 0.001). Yet, there was no significant decline in the one-year refracture rate in the protocol group.
The implementation of a multidisciplinary co-managed care protocol for geriatric proximal femur fractures successfully improved patient outcomes with significantly reduced lengths of stay, medical expenditures, and mortality during the acute in-hospital admission period. The high prescription rate of anti-osteoporosis medication after hip fractures in the protocol group was not associated with a significantly lower re-fracture rate in the 12-month follow-up. However, the association between early anti-osteoporosis agent prescription and reduced long-term medical expenses in this group of patients has provided a direction for future research.
Background
Whether hydroxychloroquine (HCQ) use could reduce lesser risk of bacterial infections is unknown. We aimed to conduct a retrospective cohort propensity‐matching study to investigate the ...association between HCQ use and the incidence of bacterial pneumonia in rheumatic patients.
Methods
The Longitudinal Health Insurance Database (LHID) from Taiwan National Health Insurance Research Database (NHIRD) of 23 million Taiwanese populations was used. We included patients who were newly diagnosed with rheumatic and immune disease (ICD‐9‐CM codes 696.0, 710, 714) within 2000‐2012.
HCQ users and non‐users were then matched according to age, sex, urbanisation level, monthly income, comorbidities and medications in the ratio of 1:1 by the propensity score matching. Cox proportional hazard model was used to evaluate the risk of bacterial pneumonia in rheumatic patients who used HCQ and who did not use HCQ.
Results
There were total 3285 patients with rheumatic and immune disease enrolled. The cumulative incidence curve of patients with the use of HCQ sulphate had no difference to that of patient without the use of HCQ sulphate in propensity score‐matched cohort, (Log‐rank test: P = .5). However, patients who used HCQ sulphate for more than 1400 average use days had a lesser risk of bacterial pneumonia (adjusted HR = 0.55, 95% CI = 0.35, 0.89) in the cohort matched, with regarding HCQ non‐users as a reference.
Conclusion
Rheumatic patients taking HCQ had no overall significant differences of bacterial pneumonia incidences compared with rheumatic patients not taking HCQ. HCQ used more than >1400 days or lupus patients using HCQ was associated with lower risk of bacterial pneumonia.
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