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The aim of this study is to develop a set of functional finite mixture regression models with functional predictors in the framework of the reproducing kernel Hilbert space. First, we show the consistency of a penalized likelihood model order estimator for the true model order, denoted as q*. We further show that the penalty of order q 2r / (2r + 1) n 1 / (2r + 1) log(n) yields a strong consistent estimator of q*, where n and q are the sample size and the model order, respectively, and r is the eigenvalue decay rate of an operator determined jointly by the reproducing and covariance kernels. Second, we establish the minimax rate of convergence for the estimation risk. We show that the optimal rate is determined by the alignment of the reproducing kernel and the covariance kernel and the true model order q*. An efficient algorithm is also developed to estimate all unknown components of the functional finite mixture model. Simulation studies and a real-data analysis illustrate the merits of the proposed method. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Secondary metabolites generated by marine fungi have relatively small molecular weights and excellent activities and have become an important source for developing drug lead compounds. The review summarizes the structures of novel small-molecule compounds derived from marine fungi in recent years; introduces representative monomers in antimicrobial, antitumor, anti-viral, and anti-neuritis aspects; and discusses their biological activities and molecular mechanisms. This review will act as a guide for further discovering marine-derived drugs with novel chemical structures and specific targeting mechanisms. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The aim of this study was to assess changes in the expression levels of relevant factors associated with inflammation after Mycoplasma pneumoniae pneumonia (MPP) infection and compare the therapeutic effects of Qing Zhi Zhi Ke formula (QZZKF), QZZKF combined with azithromycin (AZM) and AZM on experimental mice. Fifty female BALB/c mice were randomly divided into five groups: control, model, AZM (0.01 g/kg/day), QZZKF (10.16 g/kg/day), AZM (0.01 g/kg/day) combined with QZZKF (10.16 g/kg/day). QZZKF and AZM were administered by oral gavage every day for five days.Pathological changes in lung tissue were determined by hematoxylin and eosin. The levels of cytokines in lung tissues were assessed by Immunohistochemistry staining and Quantitative real-time (qRT)-PCR assays were performed to explore the effects of QZZKF on the expression of surfactant protein A (SP-A), B7 homolog 3 protein (B7-H3), interleukin (IL)-12 and IL-13. The expression levels of B7-H3 and IL-13 were upregulated after MPP infection in the mouse model (P<0.05), while the expressions of SP-A and IL-12 were significantly decreased (P<0.05). After five days of therapy, the protein and mRNA expression levels of B7-H3 and IL-13 decreased, while SP-A and IL-12 increased, in response to QZZKF, QZZKF combined with AZM, and AZM. Statistical differences were detected between QZZKF and AZM, as well as between QZZKF combined with AZM and AZM, and between QZZKF and QZZKF combined with AZM. In conclusion: these results demonstrate that QZZKF combined with AZM exhibited protective effects on airway inflammation and inhibited the progression of MPP better than conventional treatments combined with western medicine. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Convolutional neural networks (CNNs) have exhibited superior performance in various types of classification and prediction tasks, but their interpretability remains to be low despite years of research effort. It is crucial to improve the ability of existing models to interpret deep neural networks from both theoretical and practical perspectives and to develop new neural network models with interpretable representations. The aim of this paper is to propose a set of novel masked CNN (MCNN) models with better ability to interpret networks and more accurate prediction. The key ideas behind MCNNs are to introduce a latent binary network to extract informative regions of interest that contain important signals for prediction and to integrate the latent binary network with CNNs to achieve better prediction invarious supervised learning problems. Extensive numerical studies demonstrate the competitive performance of the proposed MCNN models. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This research aims to explore how international education can be better practiced in the Taiwanese preschool context where there appears a myth for the push of "being global." Collaborative action research was conducted and data was collected from one preschool in Taiwan, which included teaching observations and semi-structured interviews with teachers. Three findings are as follows. First, strategies in the implementation of international education were creating new and genuine foreign contact with flexible design. Second, with the foreign contact experience, children have newfound and brighter cultural vision which trigger children's cultural thinking. Third, children gradually change their cultural bias by simply labelling culture as either Taiwan or foreign without discrimination. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

High-performance liquid chromatography coupled with photodiode array detection and evaporative light scattering detection (HPLC-DAD-ELSD) was established to determine paeoniflorin and albiflorin simultaneously in Radix Paeoniae Rubra. The assay was performed on a Diamonsil C18 (4.6 mm × 250 mm, 5 μm) column by a gradient elution program with acetonitrile and aqueous formic acid (0.05% v/v) as mobile phase at a flow rate of 1.0 mL min-1. The detection wavelength of DAD was 230 nm, and the evaporator tube temperature of ELSD was set at 110 °C with the nebulizing gas flow rate of 3 L min-1. The temperature of column was kept at 30 °C. The linear ranges of paeoniflorin and albiflorin were within 0.050-1.510 mg mL-1 and 1.007-5.035 mg mL-1. The recoveries of paeoniflorin and albiflorin were 96.2-102.9% and 95.0-102.4%, respectively, while the relative standard deviation (RSD) of them was 0.2-2.5%. This method was quick, simple, accurate, and specific. It could be used for the quality control of Radix Paeoniae Rubra. The proposed approach was expected as a powerful tool for the quality control of Radix Paeoniae Rubra. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Objective To study the risks of mortality and cancer incidence in physicians of traditional Chinese medicine (TCM) who had frequent exposure to herbal medicine. Methods A population-based cohort design was conducted in which a total of 7675 certified physicians of TCM who ever practised between 1985 and 2005 were compared with the age-, sex- and calendar year-specific mortalities and cancer incidence rates of the general population of Taiwan. The age-, sex- and calendar year-standardised mortality ratio (SMR) and standardised cancer incidence ratio (SIR) were calculated to estimate the relative risks of all causes and site-specific mortality and cancer incidence. Results Over an up to 20-year observational period, 796 (10.4%) physicians of TCM died, and 279 (3.6%) developed cancer. The study cohort showed a significantly reduced SMR for all-causes mortality (68, 95% CI 63 to 73), and for deaths from infectious (SMR=64), circulatory (SMR=68), respiratory (SMR=64) and digestive (SMR=56) disease. The study cohort also had a significantly reduced SIR (80, 95% CI 71 to 90) for all cancers, and for neoplasm of rectum, rectosigmoid junction, and anus (SIR=45), female breast (SIR=30) and cervix uteri (SIR=10). On the other hand, we noted that physicians of TCM suffered from a significantly increased SIR for neoplasm of liver and intrahepatic bile ducts (SIR=151, 95% CI 116 to 192) and of bladder cancer (SIR=259, 95% CI 167 to 382). Conclusion Like other healthcare workers, we noted that physicians of TCM had significantly reduced risks of all-causes mortality and cancer incidence. Nonetheless, reasons truly responsible for significantly increased risks of liver and bladder neoplasm among physicians of TCM warrant further investigations. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Fungal infections have been increasing and life-threatening in recent years, but host immune responses, especially the humoral immunity, to fungi have not been fully understood. In the present study, we report that natural antibodies from unimmunized mice bind to Candida albicans. We established a monoclonal natural antibody, 3B4, which recognized a surface antigen located at germ tubes of C. albicans. The 3B4 antibody protected mice from C. albicans-induced death in passive immunization, by mechanisms involving suppressing germ tube formation and modulating phagocytosis. Interestingly, 3B4 also bound to a self-antigen keratin. To further study the generation and anti- C. albicans activities of natural antibodies in vivo, we constructed a μ chain transgenic mouse (TgVH3B4) using the VH gene from 3B4. TgVH3B4 had elevated serum anti-keratin/ C. albicans IgM, and were resistant to C. albicans infections. Analyses of B cell development showed that in TgVH3B4, B cells secreting the anti-keratin/ C. albicans antibodies were enriched in the B1 B cell compartment. Our findings reveal an important role of keratin-reactive natural antibodies in anti- C. albicans immune responses, and suggest that keratin may function in selecting B cells into the B1 B cell compartment, where natural antibodies are made to fight fungal infections. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Antikeratin autoantibodies (AK auto Abs) are very important elements of the human immune system. To improve the outcome of studies on AK auto Abs, it is necessary to generate antikeratin human monoclonal antibodies. The purpose of present study was to isolate antikeratin human monoclonal antibodies by panning a phage antibody library. A semisynthetic phage antibody library with capacity of 4.0× 108 members was previously constructed. Panning of the library was performed against human epidermal keratin extracted from psoriatic scales. At the last round of the panning, individual colonies were grown in culture for expression of phage antibodies. Their binding activities and specificities to keratin were determined by ELISA, and positive clones were analyzed by DNA fingerprinting. The selected clones were induced with IPTG to express soluble Fab fragments, which were further characterized by ELISA, immunohistochemistry and Western blotting. Finally, DNA sequencing of the variable regions was performed. A human antibody clone which was able to express soluble Fab fragments and recognize Mr 46,000 keratin (K17) was isolated. DNA sequencing demonstrated that the VH and VL of the antibody came from the human VH1 and Vκ2 families, respectively. We conclude that phage antibody library technology is a powerful way to generate human monoclonal antibodies. The antikeratin antibody we isolated in the present study would be useful in the research on AK auto Abs. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

We herein report 2 cases of multiple lobular capillary hemangiomas after scalding. The patients exhibited papules and nodules on the scalded areas after healing. Histopathological examination of the lesions showed capillary proliferation in the upper dermis with edematous stroma containing inflammatory infiltrates predominantly composed of neutrophils. Biopsy tissue and secretion specimens from lesions of case 1 were cultured for bacteria, and both grew Enterobacter cloacae. Ultrastructural examination revealed features typical of a lobular capillary hemangioma and viral inclusion bodies in the epidermis of case 1. Multiple lobular capillary hemangiomas after scalding are rarely reported. Trauma may play an important role in the development of this rare condition. Accumulation of similar cases and its precise observation is needed to confirm the associations and to establish an etiological link between the disease and the pathogens. Copyright © 2006 S. Karger AG, Basel [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]