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Metabolic syndrome (MS) was conceptualized to identify people at risk for cardiovascular disease and type 2 diabetes; however, the epidemiology of MS and its combinations of components in older adults remains unclear. Data from the Senior Health Examination Program of the New Taipei City Government in Taiwan in 2014 were obtained for this study. All participants aged 65 years or older and those with a prior history of cardiovascular disease, cerebrovascular disease, or diabetes mellitus were excluded. 29,164 senior citizens were retrieved for this study, and 12,331 (41.28%) of the participants were male. Female participants were more likely to have MS (42.7% vs.31.3%, p <0.001). Female participants with MS were older than those without MS (73.15±6.5 vs. 72.10±6.14 years, p <0.001). Conversely, male participants with MS were younger than those without MS (72.93±6.70 vs. 73.52±6.98 years, p <0.001). The most common combination of MS components was the triad of high blood glucose, high blood pressure and central obesity (25.2% of all participants with MS). Age-related changes in MS component combinations were noted only when central obesity was present. The strongest MS component combination for new-onset diabetes mellitus was high blood glucose, hypertriglyceridemia, reduced HDL-C and central obesity (HR: 5.42, P<0.001). In conclusion, not all component combinations of MS were of the same prognostic impact or the risk for new-onset diabetes mellitus. Further study is needed to develop individualized intervention programs for MS based on risk profiles of older adults is needed.

Background and Aims The objective of this study was to test the suitability of greenwaste biochar to aid nitrogen (N) retention in rehabilitated bauxite-processing residue sand (BRS). Methods Bauxite residue sand was collected from the Alcoa of Australia Pinjarra refinery. The pH of BRS was adjusted to values of 5, 7, 8 and 9 and subsequently amended with different rates (1,5,10 and 20 %, w/w) of greenwaste biochar. The loss of N via NH₃ volatilization following addition of di-ammonium phosphate (DAP) was determined using an acid trapping method. Results At low pH (5), increasing pH rather than adsorption capacity, resulting from biochar addition, caused greater losses of N through volatilization from BRS. In BRS with medium pH (7, 8), increasing adsorption capacity, induced by biochar addition, played the more dominant role in enhancing adsorption of NH₄⁺-N /NH₃-N and lowering NH₃ volatilization. In the BRS with high pH (9), the majority of NH₄⁺-N /NH₃-N pools was lost via NH₃ volatilization due to the strong acid-base reaction at this pH. Conclusions It is concluded that the interaction of changes in pH and adsorption capacity induced by greenwaste biochar addition affects the availability and dynamics of NH₄⁺-N /NH₃-N in BRS amended with DAP.

Soil C dynamics are not only important to both productivity and sustainability of terrestrial ecosystems, but also contribute significantly to global C cycling. Adjacent natural forest (NF), and first (1R) and second rotation (2R) hoop pine (Araucaria cunninghamii Aiton ex A. Cunn.) plantations in southeast Queensland, Australia, were selected to investigate the effects of conversion of NF to hoop pine plantations and forest management (harvesting and site preparation of plantation) on the size and the nature of C pools in surface (0–10 cm) soils using chemical extraction, laboratory incubation and 13C cross‐polarization with magic‐angle‐spinning nuclear magnetic resonance spectroscopy (13C CPMAS NMR). Conversion from NF to hoop pine plantations not only led to the reduction of soil total C (by 19.8%), water‐soluble organic C (WSOC) (by 17.7%), CaCl2–extractable organic C (by 38.8%), and hot water‐extractable organic C (HWEOC) (by 30.9%) and bioavailability of soil C (as determined by CO2 evolved in the incubation), but also to a change in chemical composition of soil C with lower O‐alkyl C and higher alkyl C under the 1R plantation compared with NF. Harvesting and site preparation did not significantly affect total soil C and most labile C pools (except for a decrease in WSOC), but led to a lower signal intensity in the alkyl C spectral region and a decreased alkyl C/O‐alkyl C (A/O‐A) ratio in the soil under the 2R compared with the 1R plantation. The shifts in the amount and nature of soil C following forest conversion may be attributed to changes in litter inputs, microbial diversity and activity, and the disturbance of soil during harvesting and site preparation.

Objective Failure rate in randomized controlled trials (RCTs) is > 50%, includes safety-problems, underpowered statistics, lack of efficacy, lack of funding or insufficient patient recruitment and is even more pronounced in oncology trials. We present results of a structured concept-development phase (CDP) for a phase III RCT on personalized radiotherapy (RT) in primary prostate cancer (PCa) patients implementing prostate specific membrane antigen targeting positron emission tomography (PSMA-PET). Materials and methods The 1 yr process of the CDP contained five main working packages: (i) literature search and scoping review, (ii) involvement of individual patients, patients’ representatives and patients’ self-help groups addressing the patients’ willingness to participate in the preparation process and the conduct of RCTs as well as the patient informed consent (PIC), (iii) involvement of national and international experts and expert panels (iv) a phase II pilot study investigating the safety of implementation of PSMA-PET for focal dose escalation RT and (v) in-silico RT planning studies assessing feasibility of envisaged dose regimens and effects of urethral sparing in focal dose escalation. Results (i) Systematic literature searches confirmed the high clinical relevance for more evidence on advanced RT approaches, in particular stereotactic body RT, in high-risk PCa patients. (ii) Involvement of patients, patient representatives and randomly selected males relevantly changed the PIC and initiated a patient empowerment project for training of bladder preparation. (iii) Discussion with national and international experts led to adaptions of inclusion and exclusion criteria. (iv) Fifty patients were treated in the pilot trial and in- and exclusion criteria as well as enrollment calculations were adapted accordingly. Parallel conduction of the pilot trial revealed pitfalls on practicability and broadened the horizon for translational projects. (v) In-silico planning studies confirmed feasibility of envisaged dose prescription. Despite large prostate- and boost-volumes of up to 66% of the prostate, adherence to stringent anorectal dose constraints was feasible. Urethral sparing increased the therapeutic ratio. Conclusion The dynamic framework of interdisciplinary working programs in CDPs enhances robustness of RCT protocols and may be associated with decreased failure rates. Structured recommendations are warranted to further define the process of such CDPs in radiation oncology trials.

PURPOSE Studies show that measures of physician and medical students’ empathy decline with clinical training. Presently, there are limited data relating self-reported measures to observed behavior. This study explores a self-reported measure and observed empathy in medical students. METHOD Students in the Class of 2009, at a university-based medical school, were surveyed at the end of their 2nd and 3rd year. Students completed the Jefferson Scale of Physician Empathy-Student Version (JSPE-S), a self-administered scale, and were evaluated for demonstrated empathic behavior during Objective Structured Clinical Examinations (OSCEs). RESULTS 97.6% and 98.1% of eligible students participated in their 2nd and 3rd year, respectively. The overall correlation between the JSPE-S and OSCE empathy scores was 0.22, p < 0.0001. Students had higher self-reported JSPE-S scores in their 2nd year compared to their 3rd year (118.63 vs. 116.08, p < 0.0001), but had lower observed empathy scores (3.96 vs. 4.15, p < 0.0001). CONCLUSIONS Empathy measured by a self-administered scale decreased, whereas observed empathy increased among medical students with more medical training.

Rice ( Oryza sativa L.) is one of the most important crops in the world, and its production is limited by soil phosphorus (P) deficiencies in many parts of the world. Impacts of long-term fertilization regimes on rice productivity and soil P availability is largely unknown. A long-term (26-year) field experiment in a paddy soil of southeastern China was carried out to study the response of rice grain yield and soil P pools to different fertilization regimes including control without fertilization (CK), nitrogen, P, and potassium (NPK) fertilizer (NPK), NPK fertilizer plus cattle manure (NPKM), and NPK fertilizer plus rice straw (NPKS). Application of fertilizers (NPK, NPKM, and NPKS) increased rice grain yield compared with the CK treatment (on average, by 75%, 97%, and 92%, respectively). Soil P was predominately present in the organic form (51–75% of total P) across different treatments. Most soil inorganic P fractions decreased with time due to continuous depletion by rice plants in the nonfertilized treatment (CK), while they generally increased with time in the fertilizer treatments (NPK, NPKM, and NPKS) due to continued supply of P to soil. On the other hand, soil organic P fractions increased continuously with time regardless of treatment, probably due to the retention of stubble and biological immobilization of inorganic P. Positive relationships between the rice grain yield and most inorganic P fractions in the CK treatment indicated the P limitation for rice production due to no P inputs and long-term conversion of inorganic P into organic P.

The payload of the UFFO (Ultra-Fast Flash Observatory)-pathfinder now onboard the Lomonosov spacecraft (hereafter UFFO/ Lomonosov ) is a dedicated instrument for the observation of GRBs. Its primary aim is to capture the rise phase of the optical light curve, one of the least known aspects of GRBs. Fast response measurements of the optical emission of GRB will be made by a Slewing Mirror Telescope (SMT), a key instrument of the payload, which will open a new frontier in transient studies by probing the early optical rise of GRBs with a response time in seconds for the first time. The SMT employs a rapidly slewing mirror to redirect the optical axis of the telescope to a GRB position prior determined by the UFFO Burst Alert Telescope (UBAT), the other onboard instrument, for the observation and imaging of X-rays. UFFO/Lomonosov was launched successfully from Vostochny, Russia on April 28, 2016, and will begin GRB observations after completion of functional checks of the Lomonosov spacecraft. The concept of early GRB photon measurements with UFFO was reported in 2012. In this article, we will report in detail the first mission, UFFO/Lomonosov, for the rapid response to GRB observations.

To examine the significance of underweight and physical function as well as their interaction on mortality in the aged. Prospective cohort. The Elderly Nutrition and Health Survey in Taiwan during 1999–2000. Total of 1435 representative free-living elders (739 men and 696 women). Body composition was assessed by various anthropometrics. Physical function score (PF, ranged 0–100) was derived from the SF-36®. Death by December 31, 2006 was the outcome measure. After 7.9 (median: 7.0) years follow-up, 381 (223 men, 158 women) of 1435 eligible participants had died. Those with the lowest PF (<45) had 3.43 (hazards ratio (HR), 95% confidence interval (CI) = 2.20–5.36) times the all-cause mortality risk of the highest PF (≥58). Interactions for PF and BMI (P =0.02) and for PF and wrist circumference (P =0.09) on death were found after controlling for potential confounders. Jointly, compared to normal-BMI-highest-PF, the greatest HR for death occurred where BMI <18.5 kg/m2 was combined with the lowest-PF after covariate adjustments (HR = 8.67, 95% CI = 3.77–20.0). Similarly, the lowest arm muscle circumference (MAMC)-PF had a HR of 5.22 compared to mid-MAMC-highest-PF. However, percent and absolute body fat, estimated by bioelectrical impedance, was comparable to non-sarcopenic individuals. Thin elderly Taiwanese with sarcopenia, and less skeleton, are at the most risk of death, especially if physical function is limited.

Managing heavily manured soils for decreased P loss to waters requires improved understanding of the chemical and sorption-desorption characteristics of P in these soils. We used soils from agricultural fields receiving > or = 8 yr of dairy, poultry, swine manure or spent mushroom compost for the determination of P functional groups in NaOH-EDTA extracts by solution 31P nuclear magnetic resonance (NMR) spectroscopy, degree of P saturation (DPS), and P sorption-desorption isotherms. The 31P NMR results show that inorganic orthophosphate was the primary form of P in manure treated (79-93% of total extract P) and untreated soils (33-71%). Pyrophosphate and phosphate monoesters were identified in all soils, whereas phosphate diesters were present in small proportions (<3%) in only a few soils. Polyphosphate, a more condensed form of inorganic P, was present in seven out of nine manured soils (9-47 mg P kg-1, <2%) but absent in untreated soils. Concentrations of inositol hexakisphosphate (IHP), mostly myo-IHP plus some scyllo-IHP, were similar in manured soils (52-116 mg P kg-1, 2-8%) and untreated soils (43-137 mg P kg-1, 6-22%), suggesting a lack of IHP accumulation despite long-term manure applications, including poultry manures that are typically rich in IHP. Most of the treated soils had DPS approximately 80 to 90% compared with 11 to 33% for the untreated samples. Results from P sorption isotherms showed that potential P release was 3 to 30 times greater from treated than untreated soils. The lack of IHP accumulation in soils receiving long-term manure applications implies that manure-derived IHP may not be biologically and environmentally benign.

Soil soluble organic N (SON) plays an important role in N biogeochemical cycling. In this study, 22 surface forest soils (0–10 cm) were collected from southeast Queensland, Australia, to investigate the size of SON pools extracted by water and salt solutions. Approximately 5–45 mg SON kg-1, 2–42 mg SON kg-1 and 1–24 SON mg kg-1 were extracted by 2 M KCl, 0.5 M K2SO4 and water, on average, corresponding to about 21.1, 13.5 and 7.0 kg SON ha-1 at the 0–10 cm forest soils, respectively. These SON pools, on average, accounted for 39% (KCl extracts), 42% (K2SO4 extracts) and 43% (water extracts) of total soluble N (TSN), and 2.3% (KCl extracts), 1.3% (K2SO4 extracts) and 0.7% (water extracts) of soil total N, respectively. Large variation in SON pools observed across the sites in the present study may be attributed to a combination of factors including soil types, tree species, management practices and environmental conditions. Significant relationships were observed among the SON pools extracted by water, KCl and K2SO4 and microbial biomass N (MBN). In general, KCl and K2SO4 extracted more SON than water from the forest soils, while KCl extracted more SON than K2SO4. The SON and soluble organic C (SOC) in KCl, K2SO4 and water extracts were all positively related to soil organic C, total N and clay contents. This indicates that clay and soil organic matter play a key role in the retention of SON in soil.