Nationwide Big Data Analysis of Statin Use and Intracerebral Hemorrhage Risk in Acute Ischemic Stroke Patients in Taiwan.

: Although statins are recommended for secondary prevention of acute ischemic stroke, some population-based studies and clinical evidence suggest that they might be used with an increased risk of intracranial hemorrhage. In this nested case-control study, we used Taiwan's nationwide universal health insurance database to investigate the possible association between statin therapy prescribed to acute ischemic stroke patients and their risk of subsequent intracerebral hemorrhage and all-cause mortality in Taiwan. : All data were retrospectively obtained from Taiwan's National Health Insurance Research Database.

Quantitative Analysis of Brain Swelling Resolution With Regard to Cranioplasty After Decompressive Craniectomy.

Objective: Adequate brain swelling resolution prior to cranioplasty (CP) is an important yet loosely defined issue. Despite efforts to balance timely CP and patient safety, heterogeneous study methodologies have led to conflicting results. This study aims to standardize this issue through quantifying degree of brain swelling resolution using a proposed Visual CP Scale.

Evaluation of the 10 Years' Association Between DXA Screening and Mortality in Patients Who Received Vertebroplasty in the Taiwan Population.

Background: Osteoporotic fractures are a significant cause of morbidity and mortality affecting population worldwide. All guidelines recommended vertebral fracture assessment by dual-energy X-ray absorptiometry (DXA). This study aimed at evaluation of any associated benefits of screening with DXA in patients who had received vertebroplasty in Taiwan.

Adjunctive Statin Therapy Reduces Mortality After Acute Hemorrhagic Stroke.

Background: Statin treatment improves clinical outcomes in patients with ischemic strokes, although there is no evidence regarding the safety of statin therapy in patients with intracerebral hemorrhage (ICH). This study aimed at evaluating the effects of continuing statin treatment after ICH.

Methods: Data were obtained from the National Health Insurance Research Database in Taiwan.

Patient-specific instrumentation improves functional kinematics of minimally-invasive total knee replacements as revealed by computerized 3D fluoroscopy.

Background And Objectives: Minimally-invasive total knee arthroplasty (MIS-TKA) has demonstrated very good short-term success, but its mid- to long-term results remain inconclusive. The success may be related to the tradeoff between a small incision and accurate positioning of the implant components. Patient-specific instrumentation (PSI) aims to improve the accuracy in restoring the knee axis and the clinical outcomes for MIS-TKA, but the results are yet to be confirmed by accurate assessment during functional activities.

Nonresectable Thoracic Rosai-Dorfman Disease: A Case Report and Review of the Literature.

Introduction: Rosai-Dorfman disease (RDD) is a rare disease that can be triggered by either viral or bacterial infection. Several parts of the body can be involved, from the central nervous system to the pelvic regions had been reported. At present, there is a serious lack of guidelines as to how to treat cases of RDD involving the spine.

Charge-transfer and isomerization reactions of trans-4-(N-arylamino)stilbenes.

We studied the excited-state dynamics of trans-4-(N-arylamino)stilbenes with aryl = phenyl (p1H), 4-methoxyphenyl (p1OM), or 4-cyanophenyl (p1CN) in solvents of varied polarity and viscosity by using femtosecond transient absorption and time-correlated single photon counting techniques. In nonpolar solvents the decay is triexponential, in which the rapid component corresponds to vibrational cooling combined with solvation, the intermediate temporal component 41-120 ps to trans-cis isomerization, and the long one ∼1 ns to fluorescence decay of the S state. The S state has a delocalized geometry and charge-transfer characteristics, corresponding to a planar intramolecular charge transfer (PICT) state.

Hemiasterlin derivative (R)(S)(S)-BF65 and Akt inhibitor MK-2206 synergistically inhibit SKOV3 ovarian cancer cell growth.

We reported previously that a hemiasterlin derivative BF65 is a potent anticancer agent that can inhibit microtubule assembly. Here we show that a more potent stereospecific diastereomer (R)(S)(S)-BF65 can synergize with an allosteric Akt inhibitor MK-2206 to suppress the growth of SKOV3 ovarian cancer cells with constitutively active Akt. (R)(S)(S)-BF65 induced mitotic arrest and MK-2206 caused G0/G1 arrest, while the combination of both induced simultaneous G0/G1 and G2/M cell cycle arrest.

Conformational control of oligo(p-phenyleneethynylene)s with intrinsic substituent electronic effects: origin of the twist in pentiptycene-containing systems.

Dependence of the backbone planarity of oligo(p-phenyleneethynylene)s (OPEs) on the intrinsic electronic character of substituents and on the nature of the solvent has been experimentally demonstrated with a series of center-symmetrical five-ring systems, pentiptycene-pentiptycene-arene-pentiptycene-pentiptycene, differing in the substituents on the central arene. In frozen 2-methyltetrahydrofuran (MTHF), the adjacent pentiptycene units prefer to be in a mutually twisted orientation when the substituents are electron-withdrawing (F and amido), resulting in a TPPT or TTTT conformation, whereas a planarized PPPP backbone is favored in the case of electron-donating substituents (alkyl and alkoxy). The propensity to adopt the PPPP form is generally enhanced by replacing MTHF with either methylcyclohexane or mixed ethanol/methanol as solvent.

Multisite constrained model of trans-4-(N,N-dimethylamino)-4'-nitrostilbene for structural elucidation of radiative and nonradiative excited states.

A constrained model compound of trans-4-(N,N-dimethylamino)-4'-nitrostilbene (DNS), namely, compound DNS-B3 that is limited to torsions about the phenyl-nitro C-N bond and the central C═C bond, was prepared to investigate the structural nature of the radiative and nonradiative states of electronically excited DNS. The great similarities in solvent-dependent electronic spectra, fluorescence decay times, and quantum yields for fluorescence (Φf) and trans → cis photoisomerization (Φtc) between DNS and DNS-B3 indicate that the fluorescence is from a planar charge-transfer state and torsion of the nitro group is sufficient to account for the nonradiative decay of DNS. This conclusion is supported by TDDFT calculations on DNS-B3 in dichloromethane.

Team innovation climate and knowledge sharing among healthcare managers: mediating effects of altruistic intentions.

Background: This paper aims to provide empirical evidence concerning the impact of team climate on knowledge sharing behavior and the mediating effects of individuals' altruistic intentions in the context of healthcare settings.

Methods: Questionnaire data were collected from 212 administrators employed at a medical center in Taiwan. Team climate was assessed by the Team Climate Inventory composed of four factors, participative safety, support for innovation, vision, and task orientation.

o-Amino conjugation effect on the photochemistry of trans-aminostilbenes.

The excited-state behavior of a series of trans-2-(N-arylamino)stilbenes (aryl = phenyl (o1H), 4-methylphenyl (o1Me), 4-methoxyphenyl (o1OM), and 4-cyanophenyl (o1CN)) and trans-2-(N,N-diphenylamino)stilbene (o2) in both nonpolar and polar solvents is reported and compared to that of the parent trans-2-aminostilbene and the corresponding meta- and para-isomers (m1R and p1R, where R = H, Me, OM, and CN, and m2 and p2). Two types of torsional motions, the D-A torsion that results in a nonfluorescent twisted intramolecular charge transfer (TICT) state and the C═C torsion that leads to the cis isomers, account for the radiationless decays of o1R and o2. The relative efficiencies of these torsions can be readily evaluated from their quantum yields for fluorescence (Φ(f)) and trans → cis isomerization (Φ(tc)).

Isotruxene-derived cone-shaped organic dyes for dye-sensitized solar cells.

The synthesis, electronic properties, and performance in dye-sensitized solar cells (DSSCs) of four cone-shaped organic dyes (ITD, ITD-Th, ITD-Hx, and ITD-OM) containing the isotruxene π-scaffold are reported. Selective substitution of the unsymmetrical isotruxene core with two diarylamino donors and one cyanocarboxylic acid acceptor was achieved by using a prefunctionalized dibromoisotruxene building block. The ortho-para-branched isotruxene core allows strong electronic couplings among the donors and the acceptor, leading to red-shifted absorption profiles with significant charge-transfer character.

Effect of ground-state twisting on the trans --> cis photoisomerization and TICT state formation of aminostilbenes.

The synthesis, X-ray crystal structures, and photochemical behavior of a series of methyl- and ethylene-bridge-substituted trans-4-(N-(4-cyanophenyl)amino)stilbenes (3-8) are reported and compared to those of the parent compound 1CN. Aminostilbene 1CN displays dual fluorescence in polar solvents due to planar and twisted intramolecular charge-transfer (PICT and TICT) states. Alkyl substitution on the stilbene group of 1CN significantly perturbs its photochemistry, including fluorescence, trans --> cis photoisomerization, and TICT state formation.