Improvement in outcomes of children with acute myeloid leukemia (AML) is attributed to several refinements in clinical management. We evaluated treatment outcomes of Taiwanese pediatric AML patients ...in the past 20 years. Overall, 860 de novo AML patients aged 0-18 years and registered in the Childhood Cancer Foundation of R.O.C during January 1996-December 2019 were included. Survival analysis was performed to identify factors that improved treatment outcomes. Regardless of treatment modalities used, patients during 2008-2019 had better 5-year event-free survival (EFS) and overall survival (OS) rates than patients during 1996-2007. For patients received the TPOG-AML-97A treatment, only 5-year OS rates were significantly different between patients diagnosed before and after 2008. Patients with RUNX1-RUNX1T1 had similar relapse-free survival rates, but 5-year OS rates were better during 2008-2019. However, the survival of patients who received hematopoietic stem-cell transplantations (HSCT) did not differ significantly before and after 2008. For patients without relapse, the 5-year OS improved during 2008-2019. Non-relapse mortality decreased annually, and cumulative relapse rates were similar. In conclusion, 5-year EFS and OS rates improved during 2008-2019, though intensities of chemotherapy treatments were similar before and after 2008. Non-relapse mortality decreased gradually. Further treatment strategies including more intensive chemotherapy, novel agents' use, identification of high-risk patients using genotyping and minimal residual disease, early intervention of HSCT, and antibiotic prophylaxis can be considered for future clinical protocol designs in Taiwan.
All‐solid‐state batteries (ASSBs) show great potential as high‐energy and high‐power energy‐storage devices but their attainable energy/power density at room temperature is severely reduced because ...of the sluggish kinetics of lithium‐ion transport. Here a thermally modulated current collector (TMCC) is reported, which can rapidly cold‐start ASSBs from room temperature to operating temperatures (70–90 °C) in less than 1 min, and simultaneously enhance the transient peak power density by 15‐fold compared to one without heating. This TMCC is prepared by integrating a uniform, ultrathin (≈200 nm) nickel layer as a thermal modulator within an ultralight polymer‐based current collector. By isolating the thermal modulator from the ion/electron pathway of ASSBs, it can provide fast, stable heat control yet does not interfere with regular battery operation. Moreover, this ultrathin (13.2 µm) TMCC effectively shortens the heat‐transfer pathway, minimizes heat losses, and mitigates the formation of local hot spots. The simulated heating energy consumption can be as low as ≈3.94% of the total battery energy. This TMCC design with good tunability opens new frontiers toward smart energy‐storage devices in the future from the current collector perspective.
A thermally modulated current collector is reported, which can rapidly cold‐start all‐solid‐state batteries from room temperature to operating temperatures (70–90 °C) in less than 1 min, and simultaneously enhance the transient peak power density by 15‐fold compared to one without heating.
C
carotenoids, as unique bioactive molecules, have many biological properties, including antioxidant, anticancer, and antibacterial activity, and have a wide range of potential uses in the food, ...cosmetic, and biomedical industries. The majority of C
carotenoids are produced by the sterile fermentation of halophilic archaea. This study aims to look at more cost-effective and manageable ways of producing C
carotenoids. The basic medium, carbon source supplementation, and optimal culture conditions for Halorubrum sp. HRM-150 C
carotenoids production by open fermentation were examined in this work. The results indicated that Halorubrum sp. HRM-150 grown in natural brine medium grew faster than artificial brine medium. The addition of glucose, sucrose, and lactose (10 g/L) enhanced both biomass and carotenoids productivity, with the highest level reaching 4.53 ± 0.32 μg/mL when glucose was added. According to the findings of orthogonal studies based on the OD
and carotenoids productivity, the best conditions for open fermentation were salinity 20-25%, rotation speed 150-200 rpm, and pH 7.0-8.2. The up-scaled open fermentation was carried out in a 7 L medium under optimum culture conditions. At 96 h, the OD
and carotenoids productivity were 9.86 ± 0.51 (dry weight 10.40 ± 1.27 g/L) and 7.31 ± 0.65 μg/mL (701.40 ± 21.51 μg/g dry weight, respectively). When amplified with both universal bacterial primer and archaeal primer in the open fermentation, Halorubrum remained the dominating species, indicating that contamination was kept within an acceptable level. To summarize, open fermentation of Halorubrum is a promising method for producing C
carotenoids.
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•We conducted the analysis of the microbial community structure in bee bread across different seasons.•We explored the correlation between the microbial community and nutrient ...composition in bee bread through the integration of multiple omics data.•By analysing 16S rRNA and 18S rRNA high-throughput sequencing data, we found that the microbial diversity of Apis mellifera bee bread was higher than that of Apis cerana bee bread at both the phylum and genus levels.•Glycerophospholipid metabolism was active during both spring and winter in both types of bee bread.
Bee bread is a product of honeybees, which collect and ferment pollen, that contains highly nutritious and easily digestible active substances. However, its nutritional composition varies significantly with fermentation strains and seasonal changes. To unveil the patterns of microbial community and nutritional component changes in bee bread across seasons, we employed high-throughput techniques to assess the diversity of bacteria and fungi in bee bread. The results indicated that the compositions of bacteria and fungi in bee bread undergo significant seasonal variation, with noticeable changes in the microbial diversity of bee bread from different bee species. Subsequently, metabolomic analysis revealed high activity of glycerophospholipid metabolism in bee bread. Furthermore, our analysis identifaied noteworthy differences in nutritional components, including pH values, sugar content, and free amino acid levels, in bee bread across different seasons.
Ten triterpenes in Ganoderma lucidum were quantitatively determined using ultra performance liquid chromatography, with ganoderic acid A serving as the single reference standard. Stable system ...parameters were established. Display omitted
•An UPLC–SSDMC method was established for ganoderic and ganoderenic acids using a single reference standard.•Conversion factors of ten triterpenes in Ganoderma lucidum were validated.•An innovative gradient elution method was developed.•Major parameters of the analytical procedure were validated to be stable.
Ultra-performance liquid chromatography (UPLC) and Single Standard for Determination of Multi-Components (SSDMC) are becoming increasingly important for quality control of medicinal herbs; this approach was developed for Ganoderma lucidum. Special attention was necessary for the appropriate selection of markers, for determining the reproducibility of the relative retention times (RRT), and for the accuracy of conversion factors (F). Finally, ten components were determined, with ganoderic acid A serving as single standard. Stable system parameters were established, and with successful resolution of those issues, this analytical method could be used more broadly.
Patients with childhood cancer are at increased risk for the development of second cancers.
A national multicenter survey of second cancers conducted by the Taiwan Pediatric Oncology Group retrieved ...retrospective data from the database at the Children Cancer Foundation in Taiwan beginning in 1995. The characteristics of second cancers and associations of patient demographic and clinical characteristics with time to death due to a second cancer were analyzed.
We examined the records of 8782 patients with a primary cancer diagnosed between January 1, 1995 and December 31, 2013, and a total of 99 patients with a second cancer were identified. The most common type of second cancer was acute myeloid leukemia (n = 35), followed by acute lymphoblastic leukemia (n = 15), central nervous system (CNS) tumors (n = 15), and sarcomas (n = 10). Secondary hematological malignancies occurred earlier than other secondary cancers. The frequencies of second CNS tumors and second bone cancers and sarcomas were notably increased when prior radiation doses increased from zero, low dose to high dose. The overall 5-year survival of patients with a second cancer was poor (33.7%). Multivariate survival analysis revealed that the year of primary diagnosis ≤2002, secondary hematological malignancies, and age at second cancer diagnosis ≤9.3 years or >26.8 years increased the risk of death following second cancer.
Children who develop a second cancer have an unfavorable outcome. Early detection and improved treatment for second cancers are needed.
The efficacy of primary sutureless repair for supracardiac total anomalous pulmonary venous connection (TAPVC) needs to be confirmed. This study aimed to compare the long-term outcomes between the ...conventional surgery and the sutureless technique with a modified approach in superior TAPVC. Between January 2008 and December 2018, 173 patients with supracardiac TAPVC underwent surgery either with the conventional procedure (
n
= 130) or the sutureless repair (
n
= 43). Multivariate analysis and competing-risk analysis were used to identify risk factors for early death and postoperative pulmonary venous obstruction (PVO), respectively. Among 173 patients who underwent repair of supracardiac TAPVC, 46 (28%) had preoperative PVO, and 22 (12.7%) had postoperative PVO. The sutureless group had a lower postoperative PVO rate compared with the conventional group (
p
= 0.027). The risk factors for death were age ≤ 28 days odds ratio (OR), 11.56; 95% confidence interval (CI) 1.33–100.47,
p
= 0.015, weight ≤ 3 kg (OR 9.57; 95% CI 1.58–58.09,
p
= 0.009), emergency operation (OR 19.24; 95% CI 3.18–116.35,
p
= 0.002), cardiopulmonary bypass time (OR 2.16; 95% CI 1.36–3.43,
p
= 0.003), cross-clamp time (OR 1.73; 95% CI 1.20–2.50,
p
= 0.022), and duration of ventilation (OR 1.11; 95% CI 1.02–1.21,
p
= 0.027). Age ≤ 28 days Hazard Ratio (HR) 1.92; 95% CI 1.92–11.02,
p
< 0.001 and preoperative PVO (HR 41.70; 95% CI 8.15–213.5,
p
< 0.001) were associated with postoperative PVO. The sutureless repair is a reliable technique for supracardiac TAPVC. Age ≤ 28 days is associated with 30-day mortality and postoperative PVO.
Plants growing in phosphorus (P)-deficient conditions can either increase their exploration of the environment (hence increasing P uptake) or can solubilize and reutilize P from established tissue ...sources. However, it is currently unclear if P stored in root cell wall can be reutilized. The present study shows that culture of the rice cultivars ‘Nipponbare’ (Nip) and ‘Kasalath’ (Kas) in P-deficient conditions results in progressive reductions in root soluble inorganic phosphate (Pi). However, Nip consistently maintains a higher level of soluble Pi and lower relative cell wall P content than does Kas, indicating that more cell wall P is released in Nip than in Kas. P-deficient Nip has a greater pectin and hemicellulose 1 (HC1) content than does P-deficient Kas, consistent with the significant positive relationship between pectin and root-soluble Pi levels amongst multiple rice cultivars. These observations suggest that increased soluble Pi might result from increased pectin content during P starvation. In vitro experiments showed that pectin releases Pi from insoluble FePO₄. Furthermore, an Arabidopsis thaliana mutant with reduced pectin levels (qua1-2), has less root soluble Pi and is more sensitive to P deficiency than the wild type (WT) Col-0, whereas NaCl-treated WT plants exhibit both an increased root pectin content and an elevated soluble Pi content during P-starvation. These observations indicate that pectin can facilitate the remobilization of P deposited in the cell wall. This is a previously unknown mechanism for the reutilization of P in P-starved plants.
To compare the visual outcomes of children with small (≤3 mm) posterior polar cataracts (PPC) and posterior lenticonus who had cataract extraction surgery with the visual outcomes of those who were ...managed conservatively.
Children who initially had small PPC and posterior lenticonus who were followed up over 1-year period were retrospective reviewed in the study. Patients receiving surgery were compared with those receiving conservative therapy. The axial length, keratometry, refraction, best-corrected visual acuity (BCVA), and strabismus measurements were recorded. Lens morphology,
, the location, size, and depth of the cataract lesion, was measured with a Scheimpflug imaging system. To help control for baseline differences in the groups, patients were matched with controls by propensity score methodology.
The study evaluated 60 patients (30 in the surgery group and 30 in the conservative therapy group) after matching by propensity score. Patients who underwent cataract surgery showed greater BCVA improvements (0.36±0.24 logMAR) than patients who were treated without surgery (0.22±0.26 logMAR;
=0.036). Surgery was effective in patients with a rear projection length (RPL) less than 1.0 mm and a pretreatment BCVA worse than 0.52 logMAR.
Children with small PPC and posterior lenticonus who undergo cataract surgery experience greater BCVA improvements than those managed conservatively. Certain patients presenting with a RPL less than 1.0 mm and a pretreatment BCVA of 0.52 logMAR or worse may benefit from surgery.
Glaucoma is a progressive neuropathy characterized by the loss of retinal ganglion cells (RGCs). Strategies that delay or halt RGC loss have been recognized as potentially beneficial for rescuing ...vision in glaucoma patients. Quercetin (Qcn) is a natural and important dietary flavonoid compound, widely distributed in fruits and vegetables. Mounting evidence suggests that Qcn has numerous neuroprotective effects. However, whether Qcn exerts neuroprotective effects on RGC in glaucoma is poorly understood. In this study, we investigated the protective effect of Qcn against RGC damage in a rat chronic ocular hypertension (COHT) model
and hypoxia-induced primary cultured RGC damage
, and we further explored the underlying neuroprotective mechanisms. We found that Qcn not only improved RGC survival and function from a very early stage of COHT
, it promoted the survival of hypoxia-treated primary cultured RGCs
via ameliorating mitochondrial function and preventing mitochondria-mediated apoptosis. Our findings suggest that Qcn has direct protective effects on RGCs that are independent of lowering the intraocular pressure (IOP). Qcn may be a promising therapeutic agent for improving RGC survival and function in glaucomatous neurodegeneration.
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