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Hair cortisol concentration (HCC) and a questionnaire were used as indicators of chronic stress status and quality of life (QoL), respectively, in cats. To date, there has been limited research on the simultaneous application of both indicators in unwell cats. Our aim was to evaluate HCC and questionnaire data obtained from a healthy cat cohort (n = 61) and cat cohorts with either chronic kidney disease (CKD) (n = 78) or suspected feline infectious peritonitis (FIP) (n = 24). Furthermore, we also investigated the correlation between HCC and clinical pathological data. For this study, hair from the abdomen of cats was collected and analyzed for HCC using a commercial ELISA kit. Owners also completed a questionnaire, from which average-item-weighted-impact-scores (AWISs) were calculated. Cats with late-stage-CKD (median, HCC = 330.15 pg/mg, AWIS = −0.43) presented with a significantly higher HCC (p < 0.01) and a significantly lower AWIS (p < 0.01) than cats with early-stage-CKD (HCC = 183.56 pg/mg, AWIS = 1.08). Similarly, there were significant differences in both HCC (p < 0.001) and AWIS (p < 0.001) between cats with suspected FIP (HCC = 896.27 pg/mg, AWIS = −1.97) and healthy cats (HCC = 181.24 pg/mg, AWIS = 1.24). The degree of consistency between the HCC results and the questionnaire results reminds us that the severity of a chronic disease or the presence of a life-threatening disease can significantly increase stress and thus can affect the QoL of cats.

Invasive pulmonary aspergillosis (IPA) affects immunocompromised hosts and is associated with higher risks of respiratory failure and mortality. However, the clinical outcomes of different IPA types have not been identified. Between September 2002 and May 2021, we retrospectively enrolled patients with IPA in Taichung Veterans General Hospital, Taiwan. Cases were classified as possible IPA, probable IPA, proven IPA, and putative IPA according to EORTC/MSGERC criteria and the AspICU algorithm. Risk factors of respiratory failure, kidney failure, and mortality were analyzed by logistic regression. A total of 3-year survival was assessed by the Kaplan-Meier method with log-rank test for comparisons. We included 125 IPA patients (50: possible IPA, 47: probable IPA, 11: proven IPA, and 17: putative IPA). Comorbidities of liver cirrhosis and solid organ malignancy were risk factors for respiratory failure; diabetes mellitus and post-liver or kidney transplantation were related to kidney failure. Higher galactomannan (GM) test optical density index (ODI) in either serum or bronchoalveolar lavage fluid was associated with dismal outcomes. Probable IPA and putative IPA had lower 3-year respiratory failure-free survival compared to possible IPA. Probable IPA and putative IPA exhibited lower 3-year renal failure-free survival in comparison to possible IPA and proven IPA. Putative IPA had the lowest 3-year overall survival rates among the four IPA groups. Patients with putative IPA had higher mortality rates than the possible, probable, or proven IPA groups. Therefore, a prompt diagnosis and timely treatment are warranted for patients with putative IPA.

The vigorous development of the Industrial Internet of Things brings the advanced connection function of the new generation of industrial automation and control systems. The Supervisory Control and Data Acquisition (SCADA) network is converted into an open and highly interconnected network, where the equipment connections between industrial electronic devices are integrated with a SCADA system through a Modbus protocol. As SCADA and Modbus are easily used for control and monitoring, the interconnection and operational efficiency between systems are highly improved; however, such connectivity inevitably exposes the system to the open network environment. There are many network security threats and vulnerabilities in a SCADA network system. Especially in the era of the Industrial Internet of Things, any security vulnerability of an industrial system may cause serious property losses. Therefore, this paper proposes an encryption and verification mechanism based on the trusted token authentication service and Transport Layer Security (TLS) protocol to prevent attackers from physical attacks. Experimentally, this paper deployed and verified the system in an actual field of energy management system. According to the experimental results, the security defense architecture proposed in this paper can effectively improve security and is compatible with the actual field system.

The advanced connection requirements of industrial automation and control systems have sparked a new revolution in the Industrial Internet of Things (IIoT), and the Supervisory Control and Data Acquisition (SCADA) network has evolved into an open and highly interconnected network. In addition, the equipment of industrial electronic devices has experienced complete systemic integration by connecting with the SCADA network, and due to the control and monitoring advantages of SCADA, the interconnectivity and working efficiency among systems have been tremendously improved. However, it is inevitable that the SCADA system cannot be separated from the public network, which indicates that there are concerns over cyber-attacks and cyber-threats, as well as information security breaches, in the SCADA network system. According to this context, this paper proposes a module based on the token authentication service to deter attackers from performing distributed denial-of-service (DDoS) attacks. Moreover, a simulated experiment has been conducted in an energy management system in the actual field, and the experimental results have suggested that the security defense architecture proposed by this paper can effectively improve security and is compatible with real field systems.

Near-infrared spectroscopy (NIRS) is a noninvasive neuroimaging tool for measuring evoked functional changes in brain oxygenation. Electroencephalography (EEG) can be used to evaluate the functionality of cortical connections and obtain information on regional cortical activity. Coregistration of EEG–NIRS is a recent technique that has been applied for measuring changes in electrical and hemodynamic activity in the human brain. EEG–NIRS coregistration facilitates the avoidance of misleading interpretations of NIRS, particularly in the diagnosis of neurological disorders. In this study, we investigated an approach for enhancing accuracy of NIRS by using EEG to monitor physiological activity during a mental focus task. Using the Wisconsin Card Sorting Test for the subjects mental focus task, we identified two trend types in the EEG and NIRS signals of normal subjects. These data can assist in understanding brain activation statuses and enable determining subjects’ degree of mental concentration. If the data can be standardized for the diagnosis of neurological disorders, they can provide a new index to improve traditional methods (e.g., questionnaires) to assist clinical doctors in diagnosing cognitive disorders.

To evaluate the efficacy and safety of add-on pioglitazone versus sitagliptin in patients with type 2 diabetes inadequately controlled on metformin and a sulfonylurea (SU). This 24-week, randomized, open-label study compared pioglitazone (30 mg daily, n = 59) and sitagliptin (100 mg daily, n = 60) in patients with inadequate glycemic control (glycosylated hemoglobin [HbA1c] ≥7.0% to <11.0%) while receiving a stable dose of metformin (≥1,500 mg daily) and an SU (≥half-maximal dose). The mean changes in HbA1c from baseline was -0.94 ± 0.12% with pioglitazone and -0.71 ± 0.12% with sitagliptin, for a between-groups difference of -0.23 ± 0.16% (P = .16). The mean change in fasting plasma glucose (FPG) were -35.7 ± 4.0 mg/dL with pioglitazone and -22.8 ± 4.0 mg/dL with sitagliptin, for a between-groups difference of -12.9 ± 5.7 mg/dL (P = .02). Pioglitazone was associated with a significant decrease in high-sensitive C-reactive protein (hs-CRP), but sitagliptin did not. The mean weight gain was higher in the pioglitazone group, with a between-group difference of 1.6 kg (P<.01). Overall adverse events (AEs) were similar in both groups. However, the incidence of edema was higher with pioglitazone, and the incidence of gastrointestinal AEs was higher with sitagliptin. Pioglitazone and sitagliptin achieved similar improvements in overall glycemic control in patients with type 2 diabetes inadequately controlled with metformin and an SU. However there were some differences in terms of FPG, hs-CRP, lipids, body-weight change, and AEs.

In this study we used hierarchical regression to examine the influence of internal marketing on organizational citizenship behavior (OCB) and how online community participation acted as a moderator on the relationship between internal marketing and OCB. We developed a questionnaire and distributed copies of this to 200 employees in a publicly owned power company in Taiwan. The results indicated that internal marketing had a positive effect on OCB and that online community participation acted as a moderator in the relationship between internal marketing and OCB.

Background Up to 30% of the cirrhotic patients may clinically be classified as having diabetes. The aims of this retrospective study were to evaluate the prevalence of diabetes, its association with the severity of cirrhosis, and subsequent implication on mortality in a broad population of cirrhotic patients in Taiwan. Methods From January 2004 to October 2008, 4,127 cirrhotic patients were reviewed. The latest demographic data were gathered after the latest laboratory measurement in the outpatient or inpatient department. In all, 2,945 patients were included on the basis of the etiology of cirrhosis: hepatitis B, hepatitis C, hepatitis B, and hepatitis C co-infection, or alcoholics. Results The observed cases of diabetes were significantly higher in cirrhotic patients than general population. Neither the Child–Pugh score (odds ratio = 0.99, p  = 0.527) nor the model for end-stage liver disease score (MELD) (odds ratio = 1.00, p  = 0.352) was associated with diabetes. The presence of diabetes was dissociated with renal function by means of serum creatinine (β = −0.01, p  = 0.604) or estimated glomerular filtration rate (eGFR) (β = −0.02, p  = 0.233), or in-hospital mortality (odds ratio = 1.08, p  = 0.362). Conclusion The prevalence of diabetes was higher in cirrhotic patients in Taiwan. The prevalence of diabetes was dissociated with Child–Pugh or MELD score. The diagnosis of diabetes did not affect the renal function or in-hospital mortality in cirrhotic patients. Since the clinical outcomes of diabetes were different from cirrhotic patients to general population, it is unclear whether the treatment of diabetes and improved glycemic control will benefit cirrhotic patients.

In this study we used hierarchical regression to examine the influence of internal marketing on organizational citizenship behavior (OCB) and how online community participation acted as a moderator on the relationship between internal marketing and OCB. We developed a questionnaire and distributed copies of this to 200 employees in a publicly owned power company in Taiwan. The results indicated that internal marketing had a positive effect on OCB and that online community participation acted as a moderator in the relationship between internal marketing and OCB.

Determining the hotspots and deposition efficiencies (DEs) for aerosols in human airways is important for both research and medical purposes. The complexity of the human airways and the breathing process limit the application of in vitro measurements to only two consecutive branches of the human airway. Herein, in-depth information on in vitro experiments and state-of-the-art review on various computational fluid dynamics (CFD) applications and finite element methods on airflow and aerosol motion in both healthy and obstructed human airways are provided. A brief introduction of the application of one-dimensional and two-dimensional mathematical models to investigate airflow and particle motion in the lungs are further discussed. As evident in this review, aerosol deposition in the upper and central human airway regions has been extensively studied under different inhalation statuses and conditions such as humidity as well as different aerosol sizes, shapes, and properties. However, there is little literature on the lower sections of the human airways. Herein, a detailed review of the fundamentals for both in vitro experiments and numerical simulation at different sections of human airways is done. Exceptional features and essential developments in numerical methods for aerosol motion in healthy and diseased human airways are also discussed. Challenges and limitations associated with the applications of in vitro experiments and CFD methods on both human-specific and idealized models are highlighted. The possibility of airborne transmission pathways for COVID-19 has been discussed. Overall, this review provides the most useful approach for carrying out two-phase flow investigations at different sections of the human lungs and under different inhalation statuses. Additionally, new research gaps that have developed recently on the role of bioaerosols motion in COVID-19 transmission, as well as the deposition of aerosols in impaired human airways due to coronavirus (COVID-19) are underlined.