Cystic neoplasms of the pancreas are relatively rare, comprising 10 percent of pancreatic cysts and only 1 percent of pancreatic cancers. Cystic neoplasms include mucinous cystic neoplasms, serous ...cystadenomas, papillary cystic tumors, cystic islet cell tumors and intraductal papillary mucinous neoplasms of the pancreas （IPMNs）. IPMN was first described in 1982. It has been most commonly described in 60 to 70 years old males, and represents a relatively ＂new＂ but increasingly recognized disease. The improvement and widespread use of modern imaging equipments and heightened awareness of physicians contribute to the increasing incidence of IPMN. The majority of IPMNs are located in the pancreatic head （75%） while the rest involves the body/tail regions. Multifocal IPMNs have been hypothesized, but the true presence of multifocality is unknown. Here we present a 72-year- old male diagnosed with IPMN （carcinoma in situ） in the pancreatic head and a branch duct type IPMN （duct atypia） in the pancreatic body and tail. The patient underwent a Whipple intervention and a distal pancreatectomy. A three-year disease-free survival has been observed so far.
Minocycline is a second-generation tetracycline with multiple biological effects, including inhibition of microglial activation. Recently, microglial activation has been implicated in the development ...of nerve injury-induced neuropathic pain. In this study, the authors examined the effects of continuous intrathecal minocycline on the development of neuropathic pain and microglial activation induced by L5/6 spinal-nerve ligation in rats.
Under isoflurane anesthesia, male Sprague-Dawley rats (200-250 g) received right L5/6 spinal-nerve ligation and intrathecal catheters connected to an infusion pump. Intrathecal saline or minocycline (2 and 6 microg/h) was given continuously after surgery for 7 days (n = 8 per group). The rat right hind paw withdrawal threshold to von Frey filament stimuli and withdrawal latency to radiant heat were determined before surgery and on days 1 to 7 after surgery. Spinal microglial activation was evaluated with OX-42 immunoreactivity on day 7 after surgery.
Spinal-nerve ligation induced mechanical allodynia and thermal hyperalgesia on the affected hind paw of saline-treated rats. Intrathecal minocycline (2 and 6 microg/h) prevented the development of mechanical allodynia and thermal hyperalgesia induced by nerve ligation. It also inhibited nerve ligation-induced microglial activation, as evidenced by decreased OX-42 staining. No obvious histopathologic change was noted after intrathecal minocycline (6 microg/h) infusion.
In this study, the authors demonstrate the preventive effect of continuous intrathecal minocycline on the development of nociceptive behaviors induced by L5/6 spinal-nerve ligation in rats. Further studies are required to examine if continuous intrathecal minocycline could be used safely in the clinical setting.
Lymphoepithelioma-like cholangiocarcinoma (LELCC) is a rare variant of intrahepatic cholangiocarcinoma. Epstein-Barr virus (EBV) was reported to be associated with LELCC in approximately 70% of cases ...by EBV-encoded small non-polyadenylated RNA (EBER) in situ hybridization. In reviewing literature, the treatment experience of advanced LELCC are lacking. In this study, we reported a young female patient diagnosed with locally advanced EBV-associated LELCC with elevated EBV DNA titer and treated with systemic chemotherapy.
To promote smart campus, National Chiao Tung University is deploying several location-based IoT applications based on wireless communications technologies including LoRa and NB-IoT. The applications ...are indoor/outdoor environment conditions monitoring (such as PM2.5, temperature, and humidity), emergency buttons, and so on. This paper uses PM2.5 measurement application as an example to present the performance of LoRa when it is used on campus. We investigated the LoRa transmission performance from LoRa end-devices to the LoRa gateway. We show how packet losses were affected by the distance between the end-device and the gateway, the transmit power, the payload length, the antenna angle, the time of day, and the weather conditions. The pattern of LoRa packet losses were also measured and we found that in our long-term PM2.5 monitoring application, more than 99\% of LoRa packet losses occurred with three or less consecutive packet losses.
To realize seabed behaviours under extreme waves in coastal regions, a wave-induced seabed response subjected to high-order cnoidal wave theory is studied via Biot’s consolidation theory. An ...analytical model is proposed for a dynamic response comprising pore pressure and effective stresses in a permeable layer of the seafloor. The seabed pressure solutions yielded by cnoidal waves up to the third order are derived as an input loading under boundary conditions, and high-power Jacobian elliptic cosine functions involved in cnoidal wave theory are approximated in terms of a Fourier series to construct the seabed response via the superposition of harmonic solutions. For the present Fourier series approximation of Jacobian elliptic cosine functions, a convergence analysis is performed, and a verification of seabed pressure compared with experimental data shows good agreement. The characteristics of the present solution are investigated, and the discrepancies among the solutions for each order and a harmonic solution for linear waves are demonstrated on the profiles of effective stresses and excess pore pressure. Compared with the third-order solution, the harmonic solution provides a better prediction at the wave peak than the other solutions, but the prediction of excess pore pressure around the wave trough shows a remarkable overestimation for every solution except the second-order solution. The impact of seabed momentary liquefaction induced by shallow water waves is evaluated, and the influence of wave parameters, including wave height and wavelength, is determined. This study reveals the significance of the nonlinear effect on seabed response under high-order cnoidal waves and provides the underlying implication to liquefaction assessment.
•A novel analytical solution of seabed responses under third-order cnoidal wave theory is proposed for the first time.•The third-order cnoidal wave solution shrinks the amplitude of the seabed surface pressure at both the wave peak and trough than the first-order solution.•Compared with the third-order cnoidal wave solution, the prediction of excess pore pressure around the wave trough shows a remarkable overestimation for every solution except the second-order solution.•Our analysis highlights the importance of adopting a high-order cnoidal wave solution to provide a more accurate prediction, particularly for the assessment of seabed liquefaction in shallow water.
DyMn2O5 multiferroic nanorods with radial (D) × axial (<L
C
>) lengths of 24(9) nm × 46(12) nm, 36(9) nm × 84(26) nm and 111(22) nm × 212(84) nm, were fabricated through the hydrothermal method. The ...aspect ratio <L
C
>/D of the nanorods retained the value 2 at different annealing temperatures (T
a
= 400, 800, and 1000 °C for <L
C
> = 46, 84, and 212 nm, respectively). Antiferromagnetic magnetic ordering started at approximately 42 K, 42 K, and 50 K for <L
C
> = 46 nm, 84 nm, and 212 nm samples, respectively. The saturation magnetic moment (<
μ
z
>s), Hc, and Mr decreased as <L
C
> increased. The results of magnetic hysteresis experiment implied that magnetic domain sizes decreased as the <L
C
> increased. The size effect not only merges the nanorods into larger crystals but also reduces interior magnetic domain sizes.
► The behavior of high-strength bolt is evaluated under fire condition. ► The effects of temperature, bolt number and the joint geometry on the behavior of high-strength bolts are analyzed. ► ...Eurocode 3 gives a good prediction on bolt strength. ► AIJ provides a conservative prediction on bolt strength. ► BS5950 overestimates bolt strength.
Failure of bolted connections has frequently occurred during fire events. Because knowledge of the behavior of high-strength bolts while under fire is insufficient, there is further need to establish the behavior of high-strength bolt while under fire load. In this study, the behavior of high-strength bolts was investigated by a series of tests conducted at elevated temperatures with the parameters of temperature, number of bolts and the joint geometry analyzed. The strength deterioration and the deformation characteristics of the bolts were analyzed and discussed. Based on the experimental results, it was found that AIJ specification provides a conservative prediction for the strength of high-strength bolt under fire conditions, while BS5950 overestimated bolt strength. Eurocode 3 gave a good prediction on bolt strength.
This study presents an optimal design procedure including topology optimization and size–shape optimization methods to maximize mechanical advantage (which is defined as the ratio of output force to ...input force) of the synthesized compliant mechanism. The formulation of the topology optimization method to design compliant mechanisms with multiple output ports is presented. The topology-optimized result is used as the initial design domain for subsequent size–shape optimization process. The proposed optimal design procedure is used to synthesize an adaptive compliant gripper with high mechanical advantage. The proposed gripper is a monolithic two-finger design and is prototyped using silicon rubber. Experimental studies including mechanical advantage test, object grasping test, and payload test are carried out to evaluate the design. The results show that the proposed adaptive complaint gripper assembly can effectively grasp irregular objects up to 2.7 kg.
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