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The leaching contents of metals and metalloids, such as Cr, Cd, Ni, Pb, and As, were all below their respective maximum discharge standards for the first priority pollutants in China.Metal oxide semiconductors are of great interest for enabling advanced photodetectors. However, operational instability and absence of an appropriate doping technique hinder practical development and commercialization. Here we propose a strategy to dramatically increase the conventional photodetection performance having superior stability in operational and environmental atmospheres. By performing energy band engineering through an octadecylphosphonic acid (ODPA) self-assembled monolayer based doping treatment, the proposed indium-gallium-zinc oxide (IGZO)/p-Si hetero-interfaced devices exhibit greatly enhanced photoresponsive characteristics, including a photo-switching current ratio with a hundredfold increase, and photoresponsivity and detectivity with a 15-fold increase each. The observed ODPA doping effects were investigated through comprehensive analysis with X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy (XPS), atomic force microscopy (AFM), and with a Kelvin probe force microscope (KPFM). Furthermore, the proposed photodetectors fabricated at a four-inch wafer-scale, and demonstrate its excellent operation robustness with consistent performance over 237 days and 20,000 testing cycles. This article is protected by copyright. All rights reserved.The pncA gene encodes pyrazinamidase enzyme which converts drug pyrazinamide to active form pyrazinoic acid, but mutations in this gene can prevent enzyme activity which leads to pyrazinamide resistance. The cross-sectional study was carried out during 2016-2017 for 12 months. The purpose of the study was to detect mutation at codon 12 and codon 85 in the pncA gene in local multidrug-resistant tuberculosis (MDR-TB) patients by developing a simple molecular test so that disease could be detected timely in the local population. DNA extracted from sputum-cultured samples from MDR-TB patients and subjected to semi-multiplex allele-specific PCR by using self-designed primers against the pncA gene. Among 75 samples, 53 samples were subjected to molecular analysis based on purified DNA quantity and quality. The primers produced 250 and 480 bp fragments, indicating the mutations at codon 12 (aspartate to alanine) and codon 85 (leucine to proline) respectively. MDR-TB was more common in the age group 21-40 years. Fifty-seven percent of samples (n = 30) were found positive for pncA mutations, whereas 43% of samples (n = 23) showed negative results. Thirteen percent of samples (n = 4) had mutations at codon 12 in which aspartate was converted to alanine, and they produced an amplified product of 480 bp. Eighty-seven percent of samples (n = 26) had mutations at codon 85 in which leucine was converted to proline and amplified product size was 250 bp. The mutations were simple nucleotide substitutions. The prevalence of mutations in which leucine was substituted by proline was higher than the mutations in which aspartate was substituted by alanine. A high prevalence of substitution mutation (CTG → CCG; leucine to proline) was detected in MDR-TB cases. Earlier detection of MDR-TB via an effective molecular diagnostic method can control the MDR tuberculosis spread in the population.Innovative multiplexing technologies based on nano-optics for anti-counterfeiting have been proposed as overt and covert technologies to secure products and make them difficult to counterfeit. However, most of these nano-optical anti-counterfeiting materials are metasurfaces and metamaterials with complex and expensive fabrication process, often resulting in materials that are not damage tolerant. Highly efficient anti-counterfeiting technologies with easy fabrication process are targeted for intuitive and effective authentication of banknotes, secure documents, and goods packing. Here, a simple strategy exploiting self-assembling and nanoimprinting technique to fabricate a composite lattice photonic crystal architecture featuring full spatial control of light, multiplexed full-pixel imaging, and multichannel cryptography combined with customized algorithms is reported. In particular, the real-time encryption/recognition of mobile quick response codes and anti-counterfeiting labels on a postage stamp, encoded by the proposed photonic architecture, are both demonstrated. The wave optics of scattering, diffraction, and polarization process involved are also described, validated with numerical simulations and experiments. By introducing a new degree of freedom in the 3D space, the multichannel image switching exhibits unprecedented variability of encryption, providing a promising roadmap to achieve larger information capacity, better security, and higher definition for the benefit of modern anti-counterfeiting security.

Neurological, structural, and behavioral abnormalities are widely reported in individuals with autism spectrum disorder (ASD); yet there are no objective markers to date. We postulated that by using dominant and nondominant ear data, underlying differences in auditory evoked potentials (AEPs) between ASD and control groups can be recognized.

The primary purpose was to identify if significant differences exist in AEPs recorded from dominant and nondominant ear stimulation in (1) children with ASD and their matched controls, (2) adults with ASD and their matched controls, and (3) a combined child and adult ASD group and control group. The secondary purpose was to explore the association between the significant findings of this study with those obtained in our previous study that evaluated the effects of auditory training on AEPs in individuals with ASD.

Factorial analysis of variance with interaction was performed.

Forty subjects with normal hearing between the ages of 9 and 25 years were included. Elev

ALR peak N1 amplitude is proposed as the most feasible AEP marker in the evaluation of ASD.

ALR peak N1 amplitude is proposed as the most feasible AEP marker in the evaluation of ASD.

Understanding the functional differences between crossed and uncrossed medial olivocochlear (MOC) neurons has been of interest to researchers for decades. Previous reports revealed conflicting results about which MOC pathway, crossed or uncrossed, is stronger in humans. Both crossed and uncrossed MOC neurons synapse at the base of the outer hair cells (OHCs) in each ear. OHCs generate the cochlear microphonic, which is a major contributor to the cochlear response (CR) PURPOSE  The current study investigated the effects of eliciting the crossed and uncrossed MOC reflex (MOCR) on CR in humans with three levels of noise.

Normal-hearing, young adults (

 = 16) participated in this study. The CR was recorded using 500 Hz tone-burst stimuli presented at 80 dB nHL. To examine the crossed and uncrossed MOCR, CR was recorded without and with continuous ipsilateral or contralateral broadband noise (BBN) at three levels (40, 50, and 60 dB SPL).

Analysis of the CR was completed using the amplitude of the response eossed MOC pathway results in a larger CR amplitude enhancement compared with an ipsilateral elicitor of the crossed MOC pathway, regardless of the elicitor level. Eliciting the MOCR appears to modulate the OHCs function. Furthermore, assessing the MOCR with the 500 Hz CR with BBN elicitors at moderate levels should separate its effects (i.e., increase response amplitude) from those associated with the middle ear muscle reflex (i.e., reduce response amplitude).The effective reduction of atherogenic lipoproteins has contributed to the rate of atherosclerosis-related cardiovascular complications being approximately halved over the last 50 years. Nevertheless, cardiovascular disease will be the leading cause of death worldwide in the coming years. The focus of this review is on the clinical significance of the pathophysiology of changes in lipid and lipoprotein metabolism. Elevated levels of atherogenic lipoproteins are a causal risk factor for atherosclerotic cardiovascular disease. Primary forms of hypercholesterolaemia have a significantly higher ASCVD risk because of the already lifelong LDL elevation (higher cumulative LDL exposure for the vessel wall). Secondary changes in lipid and lipoprotein metabolism (e. g. in diabetes or hypothyroidism) must be excluded or treated. Regulatory key steps in the pathophysiology of lipid metabolism and atherosclerotic plaque are "drug targets" for existing and new lipid and lipoprotein modifying therapies.The incidence of chronic keratoconjunctivitis, which potentially causes long-term loss of visual acuity due to corneal opacity, is considerably less common in children than in adults. It is therefore in danger of being overlooked. In children the appropriate treatment is therefore often introduced too late, or to an insufficient extent. In this article we would like to raise awareness about the diagnosis of chronic keratoconjunctivitis in children, and to present an effective treatment plan for severe stages of the disease. There are two forms of chronic keratoconjunctivitis that occur most frequently in children hyperergic blepharokeratoconjunctivitis (hBKC) and vernal keratoconjunctivitis (VKC). this website With hBKC, the patient often has a history of recurring hordeolum and also presents with blepharitis; it is characterized by the marked presence of corneal neovascularization in the lower circumference of the cornea. VKC is typically characterized by changes under the upper eyelid, with marked changes to the superior limbus. If there is a risk of complications involving the cornea, or in the presence of such complications, a consistent long-term topical immunosuppressive and anti-inflammatory treatment is required. Both of these properties are combined in the active ingredient cyclosporine A. Other advantages of topical CSA treatment are its steroid-sparing effect and the long-term reduction of exacerbations. Parents need to be informed about the chronic nature of these two diseases and their tendency to recur; because of these characteristics, treatment, in most cases, should be envisaged for at least one year in order to effectively disrupt the complex immunologic processes. This safeguards the child's visual development and prevents amblyopia caused by scarring and astigmatism. We hope that the data presented will lower the barriers related to prescribing CSA for topical eye application in children.

Nowadays, keratoconus (KC) is very well treatable in a stage-oriented manner. A wide range of designs and materials of contact lenses (CL) are available for the treatment of KC. The aim of this study was to evaluate the possibilities, the possible challenges and the visual outcome of lens fitting in KC eyes.

This retrospective study includes data from 200 patients who received a lens fitting trial in our contact lens service between 2006 and 2016. We documented ophthalmological parameters, the type of prescribed CL, the number of required trial lenses and possible causes of the failure of the lens fitting.

The mean age at initial lens fitting was 33.9 ± 12.5 years. In 98.8% of the cases, the fitting was performed with rigid gas permeable lenses, in 90.1% with four-curve lenses. Of the total number of aspheric lenses prescribed, 87.5% were fitted in keratoconus stages "1" to "2" (topographic keratoconus classification; Oculus Keratograph). Back surface toric lenses or bitoric lenses were fitted to 61.7% in keratoconus stages "2 - 3" to "4".