In a PV module, the relative humidity (rh) of a front encapsulant is different from that of a backside encapsulant (rhback). In this study, the effective humidity (rheff) in a PV module was ...investigated to study the effects of moisture variation on the degradation rate (RD). rheff represents uniform humidity in a PV module when it is exposed to certain damp heat conditions. Five types of accelerated tests were conducted to derive the relation between rheff and rhback. rheff showed a linear relationship with rhback at constant temperature. Two types of models, namely, Eyring and Peck models, were used for predicting the RD of PV modules, and their results were compared. The RD of PV modules was thermally activated at 0.49 eV. Furthermore, the temperature and rheff history of PV modules over one year were determined at two locations: Miami (FL, USA) and Phoenix (AZ, USA). The accumulated RD values based on the temperature and rheff of the modules were calculated by summing the hourly degradation amounts over the time history.
Background: Primary hepatic angiosarcoma is a very rare malignancy with a poor prognosis. While surgical resection has been validated as curative choice, most cases are diagnosed too late for ...resection. Nonetheless, treatment protocols have not been established and also there are very few reports on the clinical features and treatment outcomes. Patients and methods: Among 11 939 patients diagnosed with primary hepatic tumors from January 1985 to December 2007 at two centers, five patients were diagnosed with primary hepatic angiosarcoma. We analyzed patients' demographics, tumor characteristics, treatment modality, and outcomes using imaging, serology, and pathology. Results: All five patients were diagnosed at advanced stage with distant metastases. The most common symptom was abdominal pain. The levels of the tumor markers were within the normal range and serological tests were negative for hepatitis B and C viruses. Two of four patients who received chemotherapy died <3 months after diagnosis, but the other two patients survived >6 months. Conclusions: A combination of chemotherapy resulted in an improved outcome for two of four patients, suggesting the potential usefulness of palliative chemotherapy to improve survival. This case study may aid in planning chemotherapy for patients with advanced hepatic angiosarcoma.
Background and purpose
Data on the pregnancy outcome of neuromyelitis optica spectrum disorder (NMOSD) remain limited, especially for woman who had received immunosuppressive treatment before ...becoming pregnant. The aim was to evaluate the outcome of pregnancy amongst patients with NMOSD who attempted to become pregnant after NMOSD onset and to identify risk factors that predict pregnancy‐related attack.
Methods
Medical records from 29 patients who attempted to become pregnant after NMOSD onset were retrospectively evaluated and the patients were interviewed for pregnancy outcomes. Pregnancy‐related attack was defined as an attack that occurred during pregnancy or within 1 year of delivery.
Results
Amongst the 29 patients, 26 had 33 pregnancies after NMOSD symptom onset. The 33 pregnancies after NMOSD onset resulted in 24 live births (healthy neonates except one with low birth weight), six miscarriages and three elective abortions. Pregnancy‐related attack occurred in nine (75%) of 12 pregnancies before initiation of immunosuppressive therapy, but in only five (24%) of 21 pregnancies after initiation of immunosuppressive therapy (P = 0.009). Multivariable analysis indicated that pregnancy‐related attack was negatively associated with pregnancy after initiation of rituximab (odds ratio 0.048, 95% confidence interval 0.004–0.546).
Conclusion
Successful pregnancy without maternal and neonatal complications may be feasible in patients with NMOSD. Rituximab treatment before pregnancy might help to prevent pregnancy‐related attack in patients with NMOSD.
Chemical vapor deposition (CVD) is a process that a solid is formed on a substrate by the chemical reaction in the vapor phase. Employing this technology, a wide range of materials, including ceramic ...nanocomposite coatings, dielectrics, and single crystalline silicon materials, can be coated on a variety of substrates. Among the factors influencing the design of a CVD system are the dimensions or geometry of the substrate, substrate temperature, chemical composition of the substrate, type of the deposition process, the temperature within the chamber, purity of the target material, and the economics of the production. Three major phenomena of surface reaction (kinetic), diffusion or mass transfer reaction, and desorption reaction are involved during the CVD process. Thermodynamically, CVD technology requires high temperatures and low pressures in most systems. Under such conditions, the Gibbs free energy of the chemical system quickly reaches its lowest value, resulting in the production of solids. The kinetic control of the CVD technology should always be used at low temperatures, and the diffusion control should be done at high temperatures. The coating in the CVD technology is deposited in the temperature range of 900–1400 °C. Overall, it is shown here that by controlling the temperature of the chamber and the purity of the precursors, together with the control of the flow rate of the precursors into the chamber, it is possible to partially control the deposition rate and the microstructure of the ceramic coatings during the CVD process.
Background
Therapeutic hypothermia in adult victims who suffer cardiac arrest following drowning has been applied in only a small number of cases. In the last 4 years, we have employed therapeutic ...hypothermia to decrease hypoxia‐induced brain injury in these patients. The purpose of the present study was to report the results of the treatment of these patients.
Methods
This study investigated the utilisation of therapeutic hypothermia on consecutive patients with cardiac arrest because of drowning between 2005 and 2008. The study was conducted retrospectively, collecting data by reviewing medical records. Hypothermia, with a target temperature of 32–34°C, was induced for 24 h. Neurological outcomes were classified using the cerebral performance categories (CPCs). The primary outcome was neurological function at discharge.
Results
Twenty patients were treated with therapeutic hypothermia. Four patients (20%) exhibited a favourable neurological outcome (CPC 1–2). Two patients (10%) remained in a vegetative state at discharge (CPC 4), and 14 patients (70%) died (CPC 5). The most common complications during therapeutic hypothermia were pancreatitis and rhabdomyolysis. A longer duration of advanced cardiac life support (P = 0.035), an absence of motor response to pain after 3 days (P = 0.003), an abnormal brain imaging (P = 0.005) and a lack of cortical response to somatosensory evoked potential (P = 0.008) were related to an unfavourable outcome (CPC 3–5).
Conclusion
The present study did not demonstrate an advantage of therapeutic hypothermia in adult cardiac arrest after drowning compared with previous studies treated with conventional therapy. Further prospective studies are needed to evaluate the effects of therapeutic hypothermia.
Dichloromethane, ethanol, and boiling water extracts of the brown seaweeds
Sargassum fulvellum and
Sargassum thunbergii were examined for antipyretic, analgesic, and anti-inflammatory activities in ...mice. The activities were evaluated against yeast-induced pyrexia, tail-flick test, and phorbol myristate acetate-induced inflammation (edema, erythema, and blood flow). The dichloromethane extract (0.4
mg/ear) of
Sargassum fulvellum inhibited an inflammatory symptom of mouse ear edema by 79.1%. The ethanol extract (0.4
mg/ear) of
Sargassum thunbergii also inhibited edema by 72.1%. No acute toxicity was observed after p.o. administration of each extract (5
g/kg
bw). These findings are consistent with various claims that these seaweeds can be used as remedies for inflammation-related symptoms.
Objectives
The aim of this study was to elucidate the role of 6‐6 bieckol (EB1) and pholorofucofuroeckol‐A (EB5) from brown seaweed marine algae (Eisenia bicyclis) on lipopolysaccharide (LPS)‐induced ...inflammation in human dental pulp cells (HDPCs).
Methods
The cytotoxicity of EB1 and EB5 was examined by MTT assay on LPS‐induced human dental pulp cells. Their role on expression of inflammatory, odontogenic, and osteogenic molecules was determined by Western blot analysis. The dentin mineralization was checked by alkaline phosphatase activity.
Results
The five compounds from E. bicyclis have different structure with non‐cytotoxic in HDPCs. EB1 and EB5 showed anti‐inflammatory properties and inhibited phosphorylated‐extracellular signal‐regulated kinase (p‐ERK1/2) and phosphorylated‐c‐jun N‐terminal kinases (p‐JNK) without any cytotoxicity. In particular, EB1 inhibited cyclooxygenase‐2 (COX‐2) and p‐ERK1/2 signaling, and EB5 inhibited only p‐ERK1/2 signaling but not COX‐2. Both compounds inhibited nuclear factor kappa‐B (NF‐κB) translocation. Furthermore, EB1 and EB5 increased dentinogenic and osteogenic molecules, and dentin mineralized via alkaline phosphatase activity (ALP) in LPS‐induced HDPCs.
Conclusions
This study elucidates that EB1 and EB5 have different types of anti‐inflammatory property and help in dentin formation. Therefore, these compounds derived from marine algae of E. bicyclis may be used as selective therapeutic strategies for pulpitis and oral diseases.
Synopsis
Soy extracts are well known as medicinal and nutritional ingredients, and exhibit benefits towards human skin including depigmenting or anti‐ageing effects. Despite the wrinkle decreasing ...effects of retinoids on skin as an anti‐ageing ingredient, retinoid application can causes photo‐sensitive responses such as skin irritation. Thus, their daytime usage is not recommended. The aim of this study is the investigation into the activities of soybean extract as an anti‐ageing ingredient and their comparison to retinoids in this respect. Soybean extract decreased the relative ratio of MMP‐1/TIMP‐1 mRNA to the same degree as retinoic acid in normal human fibroblasts. It also affected mRNA levels of HAS2 and CRABP2 in normal human keratinocytes. Furthermore, we investigated its effect on mRNA expression of histidase, an enzyme that converts histidine into urocanic acid, the main UV light absorption factor of the stratum corneum. Unlike the complete inhibition of histidase exhibited by the mRNA expression of retinoic acid, the effect of soybean extract on histidase gene expression was weaker in normal human keratinocytes. Also, soybean extract pretreatment inhibited UVB‐induced cyclobutane pyrimidine dimer formation dose‐dependently in normal human keratinocytes. In this study, we found that soybean extract modulated retinoic acid‐related genes and showed photo‐protective effects. Our findings suggest that soybean extract could be an anti‐ageing ingredient that can be safely used under the sunlight.
Résumé
Les extraits de soja sont bien connus comme ingrédients médicinaux et nutritionnels, et possèdentdes activités sur la peau humaine, y compris des effets dépigmentants ou anti‐vieillissement. En dépit des effets anti‐rides des rétinoïdes, leur application peut provoquer des réponses photo‐sensibles tels que les irritations de la peau. Ainsi, leur utilisation quotidienne n'est pasrecommandée. Le but de cette étude est l'évaluationdes activités de l'extrait de soja en tant qu'ingrédient anti‐âge, et sa comparaison aux rétinoïdes à cet égard. L'extrait de sojadiminue la proportion relative des ARNm MMP‐1/TIMP‐1 au même degré que l'acide rétinoïque dansdes fibroblastes humains normaux. Il affecte également les niveaux d'ARNm de HAS2 et CRABP2 dans leskératinocytes humains. En outre, nous avons étudié son effet sur l'expression de l'ARNm dehistidase, une enzyme qui convertit l'histidine en acide urocanique, le principalfacteur d'absorption de la lumière UV de la couche cornée. Contrairement à l'inhibition complète de l'histidaseindiquée par l'expression d'ARNm de l'acide rétinoïque, l'effet de l'extrait de soja sur l'expression des gènes histidaseétait plus faible dans les kératinocytes humains normaux. Le prétraitement à l'extrait de soja a également inhibéla formation UVB induite dudimère cyclobutane‐pyrimidine de façon dose‐dépendante dans les kératinocytes. Dans cette étude, nous avons constaté que l'extrait de soja modulelesgènes liés à l'acide rétinoïque et possède un effet photo protecteur. Nos résultats suggèrent que l'extrait de soja pourraitêtre un ingrédient anti‐âge qui peut être utilisé en toute sécurité sous la lumière du soleil.
PDF
