This paper describes the methodology of an ongoing project of constructing an East Asian climate database REACHES based on Chinese historical documents. The record source is Compendium of Meteorological Records of China in the Last 3000 Years which collects meteorology and climate related records from mainly official and local chronicles along with a small number of other documents. We report the digitization of the records covering the period 1644–1795. An example of the original records is translated to illustrate the typical contents which contain time, location and type of events. Chinese historical times and location names are converted into Gregorian calendar and latitudes and longitudes. A hierarchical database system is developed that consists of the hierarchies of domains, main categories, subcategories, and further details. Historical events are then digitized and categorized into such a system. Code systems are developed at all levels such that the original descriptive entries are converted into digitized records suitable for treatment by computers. Statistics and characteristics of the digitized records in the database are described.

In this paper, the rotating flexible-Timoshenko-shaft/flexible-disk coupling system is formulated by applying the assumed-mode method into the kinetic and strain energies, and the virtual work done by the eddy-current damper. From Lagrange’s equations, the resulting discretized equations of motion can be simplified as a bilinear system (BLS). Introducing the control laws, including the quadratic, nonlinear and optimal feedback control laws, into the BLS, it is found that the eddy-current damper can be used to suppress flexible and shear vibrations simultaneously, and the system is globally asymptotically stable. Numerical results are provided to validate the theoretical analysis.

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OBJECTIVE Good bone quality is the key to avoiding osteoporotic fragility fractures and poor outcomes after lumbar instrumentation and fusion surgery. Although dual-energy x-ray absorptiometry (DEXA) screening is the current standard for evaluating osteoporosis, many patients lack DEXA measurements before undergoing lumbar spine surgery. The present study aimed to investigate the utility of using simple quantitative parameters generated with novel synthetic MRI to evaluate bone quality, as well as the correlations of these parameters with DEXA measurements. METHODS This prospective study enrolled patients with symptomatic lumbar degenerative disease who underwent DEXA and conventional and synthetic MRI. The quantitative parameters generated with synthetic MRI were T1 map, T2 map, T1 intensity, proton density (PD), and vertebral bone quality (VBQ) score, and these parameters were correlated with T-score of the lumbar spine. RESULTS There were 62 patients and 238 lumbar segments eligible for analysis. PD and VBQ score moderately correlated with T-score of the lumbar spine (r = −0.565 and −0.651, respectively; both p < 0.001). T1 intensity correlated fairly well with T-score (r = −0.411, p < 0.001). T1 and T2 correlated poorly with T-score. Receiver operating characteristic curve analysis demonstrated area under the curve values of 0.808 and 0.794 for detecting osteopenia/osteoporosis (T-score ≤ −1.0) and osteoporosis (T-score ≤ −2.5) with PD (both p < 0.001). CONCLUSIONS PD and T1 intensity values generated with synthetic MRI demonstrated significant correlation with T-score. PD has excellent ability for predicting osteoporosis and osteopenia.

Background: Boron neutron capture therapy (BNCT) is a precise targeted particle therapy. Its principal purpose is to specifically administer boron-10-containing drugs to tumor cells and subsequently irradiate them with thermal neutrons. This highly explosive tumor destruction method exclusively attacks tumor cells that uptake boron-10-containing drugs, while minimizing damage to the surrounding normal cells without drug uptake, thereby making it an ideal option for the precise treatment of pediatric patients with recurrent brain tumors. Methods: Since March 2017, Taipei Veterans General Hospital collaborated with the Nuclear Science and Technology Development Center of National Tsing-Hua University to develop a salvage BNCT for recurrent tumors in the central nervous system. BNCT was delivered to patients using the research reactor of Tsing-Hua University. As of January 2020, a total of nine BNCT treatments (10 sites) have been performed on five pediatric patients with recurrent brain tumors. Results:The diagnoses of all five patients were recurrent glioblastomas, two of which developed from the brainstem. The median follow-up duration was 5.3 months. After BNCT, one site had complete response, and three had partial response. The median progression-free interval was 3.8 months. None of the five patients showed severe normal brain tissue necrosis nor serious complications after treatment.Conclusions: Pediatric patients are a vulnerable group with medical needs that are distinct from those of adult patients. BNCT is a precise cancer treatment for pediatric recurrent brain tumors with less normal toxicities and high tumor response.