Search

Angiostrongylus cantonensis, a zoonotic parasite, can invade the human central nervous system (CNS) and cause acute eosinophilic meningitis or eosinophilic meningoencephalitis. Mice infected with A. cantonensis show elevated levels of pro-inflammatory cytokines, plasminogen activators, and matrix metalloproteinase-9, resulting in disruption of the blood–brain barrier (BBB) and immune cell infiltration into the CNS. Caveolin-1 (Cav-1) regulates the permeability of the BBB, which affects immune cells and cerebrospinal fluid. This intricate interaction ultimately fuels the progression of brain damage and edema. This study aims to investigate the regulatory role of Cav-1 in the pathogenesis of meningoencephalitis induced by A. cantonensis infection. We investigated pathological alterations by triphenyl-tetrazolium chloride, brain water content, BBB permeability, Western blot analysis, and gelatin zymography in BALB/c mice after A. cantonensis. The study evaluates the critical role of Cav-1 regulation through the TLR4/MyD88 signaling pathway, modulates tight junction proteins, influences BBB permeability, and contributes to brain damage in A. cantonensis-induced meningoencephalitis.

Objective: Lower serum low-density lipoprotein cholesterol (LDL-C) levels are associated with increased intracerebral hemorrhage (ICH) risk. However, reverse causality and residual confounding has not attracted public attention. Therefore, we assessed whether people with LDL-C have increased risk of mortality adjusting for potential confounders using two large Taiwan cohorts.Methods: The Mei-Jhao (MJ) cohort has 414,372 adults participating in a medical screening program with 378 ICH deaths within 15 years of follow-up (1994–2008). Cox proportional hazards regressions estimated hazard death ratios according to LDL-C levels. We identified 4,606 ICH patients from the Taiwan Stroke Registry (TSR) and analyzed the impact of LDL-C on 3-month mortality.Results: Low cholesterol (LDL-C

The 108 Curriculum Guidelines (108CG) were implemented in high schools in Taiwan in 2019 and have increased the flexibility of curriculum offerings. Schools must now offer diverse curricula, flexible options and self-directed learning courses based on students' needs and teachers' expertise. This study explores how rural high schools in Taiwan promote curriculum leadership following the implementation of the 108CG. Using a case school in southern Taiwan as the study site, it examines the current implementation of the 108CG in rural high schools, the processes and strategies that school members employ in applying curriculum leadership and the challenges they encounter. Six participants from the case school were interviewed, from August 2021 to May 2022. We also conducted observations and document analyses. The results show that the principal and mid-level leaders' collaborative efforts are integral to advancing the 108CG. However, the school faces challenges in implementing the 108CG due to its environmental context. The principal's major challenge stems from the differing curriculum interpretations by tribal chiefs and families in the community. Mid-level leaders also grapple with students' passive learning attitudes and the need for preparedness among teachers for curriculum reform. Although the 108CG have been in operation for more than 4 years, rural high schools continue to face challenges in implementing them. Introducing collaborative lesson planning and using checklists during curriculum review meetings could help track curriculum progress.

This paper investigates the impact of human capital, social capital, career planning behavior, protean career orientation and core self-evaluations on students' academic and life satisfaction in China, with the mediation effect of perceived employability and moderation effect of perceived labor market conditions. Data were collected by distributing online questionnaires to 1155 students in three types of universities. All the hypothesized direct paths and the mediation effects were supported. The moderation effect was partially supported. Perceived employability contributes to positive evaluations about life and academic work, and the perception of labor market condition could be enhanced to improve students' academic evaluations.

An essential aspect of scientific practice involves grappling with the generation of predictions, representations, interpretations, investigations, and communications related to scientific phenomena, all of which are inherently permeated with uncertainty. Transferring this practice from expert settings to the classroom is invaluable yet challenging. Teachers often perceive struggles as incidental, negative, and uncomfortable, assuming they stem from students' deficiencies in knowledge or understanding, which they feel compelled to promptly address to progress. While some empirical research has explored the role of scientific uncertainties in driving productive student struggle, few studies have explicitly examined or provided a framework to unpack scientific uncertainty as it manifests in the classroom, including the sources that lead to student struggle and how teachers can manage it effectively. In this position paper, we elucidate the importance of incorporating scientific uncertainties as pedagogical resources to foster student struggles through uncertainty from three perspectives: scientific literacy, student agency, and coherent trajectories of sensemaking. To develop a theoretical framework, we consider scientific uncertainty as a resource for productive struggle in the sensemaking process. We delve into two types (e.g., conceptual, epistemic), four sources (e.g., insufficiency, ambiguity, incoherence, conflict), and three desirability considerations (e.g., relevance, timing, complexity) of scientific uncertainties in student struggles to provide a theoretical foundation for understanding what students struggle with, why they struggle, and how scientific uncertainties can be effectively managed by teachers. With this framework, researchers and teachers can examine the (mis)alignments between uncertainty-in-design, uncertainty-in-practice, and uncertainty-in-reflection.

Sensemaking is conceptualized as a trajectory to develop better understanding and is advocated as one of the fundamental practices in science education. However, the field is lacking of a framework to view the prolonged process of sensemaking that starts from a raise of uncertainty of a target phenomenon to a grasping of a better understanding of a target phenomenon. The process requires teachers to recognize the role of scientific uncertainty in different phases of sensemaking and develop responsive instructional supports to help students navigate the uncertainties. With an attention on student scientific uncertainty as a potential driver of the trajectory of sensemaking, this study aims to identify different phases of sensemaking that can be developed with students' scientific uncertainty. This study especially attends to two types of scientific uncertainty - conceptual and epistemic uncertainties. Conceptual uncertainty refers to student struggle of using conceptual understanding (e.g., mastery of content and everyday knowledge) to respond to an encountered phenomenon. Epistemic uncertainty emerges from struggles in using epistemic understanding to generate new ideas. Based on the multiple case study method, we examined sensemaking activities in two Korean science classrooms and one American science classroom and identified three phases of sensemaking: (a) focusing on a driving question related to a target phenomenon; (b) delving into multiple resources to develop plausible explanation(s); and (c) examining the successfulness of the new understanding and concretizing it. Based on the findings, we discuss two emerging themes. First, sensemaking progresses through three distinctive phases driven by students' dynamically evolving scientific uncertainty. Second, attending to both epistemic and conceptual uncertainties can support developing sensemaking coherent with students' view.

Sensemaking has been advocated as a core practice of science education to support students in constructing their own understanding through a prolonged trajectory. However, the field lacks a discussion of teaching strategies that can better support students as they develop in the trajectory of sensemaking, which includes four phases: initial engagement with a driving question related to a target phenomenon; identification of incoherence and insufficiency in existing understanding; exploration of multiple resources to help develop plausible explanations; and synthesis of solutions and application of new understanding to interpret the target phenomenon. With the view that students' scientific uncertainty, including conceptual and epistemic uncertainties, can motivate or drive the trajectory of sensemaking coherent with students' understanding, this multiple case study examined how two science teachers, one from South Korea and one from the USA, supported students to navigate their scientific uncertainties to shape a trajectory of sensemaking that is coherent to them. Transcripts of video recordings of classroom discourses and student-created artifacts were analyzed. We identified the dynamic nature of students' scientific uncertainties in the four phases and the teaching strategies in each phase. Three main findings emerged from this study: (1) student uncertainty as a key not only to initiate the trajectory of sensemaking meaningfully but also to continuously develop the trajectory along a coherent pathway, (2) conceptual and epistemic uncertainties having different roles in building different phases of sensemaking, and (3) teaching strategies that support student navigation of scientific uncertainty that drives the trajectory of sensemaking.

Proteasome primarily degrades the unneeded or damaged proteins by proteolysis. Disruption of the brain barrier and its resulting meningoencephalitis caused by Angiostrongylus cantonensis are important pathological events in non-permissive hosts. In this study, the results showed upregulated proteasome during A. cantonensis infection. Occludin degradation and matrix metalloproteinase-9 (MMP-9) activity were significantly increased in infected mice than in uninfected mice. Moreover, confocal immunoflourescence microscopy showed that occludin was co-localized with MMP-9. The infected-mice were treated with proteasomal activity inhibitor MG132 by 1.5 and 3.0 mg/kg/day, which resulted in significantly reduced protein levels of phosphorylated IκBα (P

Productive struggle is a process in which students expend effort to grapple with perplexing problems and make sense of something that is not immediately apparent and beyond their current level of understanding and capacity. The experience encourages students to reflect on and restructure their existing knowledge toward a new understanding of scientific concepts and practice. Scientific uncertainty is common in scientific sensemaking practice and is one of the major factors provoking student struggle. A teaching approach called Student Uncertainty as a Pedagogical Resource (SUPeR) is introduced to encourage teachers to engage students in the practice of productive struggle. The SUPeR approach is composed of four phases: (1) problematize a phenomenon, (2) engage in material practice, (3) participate in argumentative practice, and (4) engage in reflection, transformation, and application. An example from an eighth-grade biology class unit on Mendel's Law of Segregation is used to demonstrate how the SUPeR approach can be implemented in the classroom.

This study aimed to use a game-based learning (GBL) module with multi-scaffolding and mobile technology for high school students with mild intellectual disabilities (MID) to assist them in learning career education knowledge. This study used a quasi-experimental method to investigate the participants' learning effectiveness, motivation, flow state, game acceptance, and learning behavior patterns (LBP). The differences in the LBP of the high and low learning effectiveness groups and the high and low flow state groups were also investigated. In total, 32 high school students with MID participated in this study. The results show that the GBL module with the multi-scaffolding mechanism could improve their learning effectiveness, motivation, flow state, game acceptance, and LBP and reduce their distraction behavior in the learning activities. The results of the sequential analysis indicated the significance of the behavior of reflection and discussions in the high learning effectiveness group. Additionally, the high-flow state group tended to try multiple strategies to complete the learning tasks. Furthermore, the game mechanism embodied collaborative peer interaction; even when the high-flow group became distracted, they returned to the tasks and continued the discussions with peers.

Research shows that motivation is a critical precursor to students' science achievement. However, research on the topic yields ambiguous results in different cultural contexts. While the positive association between motivation and science achievement has been evidenced universally, the relatively predictive effect and strength of different motivational factors in different cultures need additional examination. To tease the potential discrepancy apart and explore different student motivational factors including self-concept, intrinsic value, utility value, and sense of relatedness, this study examines grade 8 students from the U.S. (N = 14,290) and Singapore (N = 6113) by using the International Trends in Mathematics and Science Study (TIMSS) data. The results suggest that the U.S. student self-concept in science learning is the strongest and most significant predictor of their science achievement. In Singapore, students perceived utility value in science learning has the strongest and most significant association with their science achievement. Explanations of the differences as well as the implications for future research are discussed.

Student Uncertainty as Pedagogical Resource (SUPeR) is a teaching approach that science teachers can use to promote student scientific literacy, practice, and learning. SUPeR helps students navigate scientific uncertainty to improve understanding of scientific concepts and phenomena. The SUPeR approach consists of four phases: (1) problematize a phenomenon, (2) material practice, (3) argumentative practice, and (4) reflection, transformation, and application. Three design principles are generated to guide how teachers implement the SUPeR approach: (1) engage students in writing and talking about conceptual and epistemic uncertainties; (2) write and talk to raise, maintain, reduce, and postpone scientific uncertainty; and (3) socially engage students to talk and write about uncertainty with peers while making claims and seeking evidence to reach a consensus understanding. A sixth-grade project-based learning unit that features the phenomena of solar panels is examined to illustrate how the SUPeR approach can be applied in designing a lesson plan. The SUPeR approach can be useful for teachers from different grade levels who are struggling to get their students to think "outside the box" and to practice like a scientist. Interviews from twelve science teachers recognized that the SUPeR is a powerful to (1) engage students in learning the new era of literacy, (2) help student use claims and evidence to negotiate their uncertainties, (3) motivate students to assume agency for learning science, and (4) support student to positively view their uncertainty as a resource to engage in scientific practice.

Experimental education in Taiwan developed rapidly since the promulgation of the "Three Acts Governing Experimental Education" in 2014, after which public experimental schools were established in response to local educational needs. The majority of restructuring cases have involved small rural schools faced with high drop-out rates and staff retrenchment plus merger (SRM). Indigenous schools also initiated experimental education by introducing teaching modules on cultural responses to develop ethnic education that better reflects local culture. In metropolitan areas, experimental schools were established through restructuring for educational innovation or for coping with the pressure of competition from neighboring schools. The number of experimental schools and enrolled students has increased yearly, which reveals the expectations of parents about diversified education and their right to make educational choices. The school selected for this study is an elementary school in a metropolitan area that experienced an SRM crisis and was restructured as a public experimental school in 2019. The study examined the methods through which the principal transformed leadership competencies to leadership strategies. The school overcame the competition and SRM crises and even achieved full-capacity enrollment in Taipei city. Information was collected from the relevant literature and through interviews with the principal, a head of department, teachers, a parent, and an administrative official of the Bureau of Education. The study analyzed the leadership competencies and corresponding strategies of the principal and the future prospects of the school. The findings provided principals of experimental schools with a basis for sustained improvement in leadership competencies and recommendations for the future development of school affairs.

The relationship between cholesterol level and hemorrhagic stroke is inconclusive. We hypothesized that low cholesterol levels may have association with intracerebral hemorrhage (ICH) severity at admission and 3-month outcomes. This study used data obtained from a multi-center stroke registry program in Taiwan. We categorized acute spontaneous ICH patients, based on their baseline levels of total cholesterol (TC) measured at admission, into 3 groups with 200 mg/dL of TC. We evaluated risk of having initial stroke severity, with National Institutes of Health Stroke Scale (NIHSS) >15 and unfavorable outcomes (modified Rankin Scale [mRS] score >2, 3-month mortality) after ICH by the TC group. A total of 2444 ICH patients (mean age 62.5±14.2 years; 64.2% men) were included in this study and 854 (34.9%) of them had baseline TC 15), with an adjusted odds ratio [aOR] of 1.80; 95% confidence interval [CI], 1.41-2.30), and 3-month mRS >2 (aOR, 1.41; 95% CI, 1.11-1.78) using patients with TC >200 mg/dL as reference. Those with TC >160 mg/dL and body mass index (BMI)

Abstract The gut microbiome and its metabolites are increasingly implicated in several cardiovascular diseases, but their role in human myocardial infarction (MI) injury responses have yet to be established. To address this, we examined stool samples from 77 ST-elevation MI (STEMI) patients using 16 S V3-V4 next-generation sequencing, metagenomics and machine learning. Our analysis identified an enriched population of butyrate-producing bacteria. These findings were then validated using a controlled ischemia/reperfusion model using eight nonhuman primates. To elucidate mechanisms, we inoculated gnotobiotic mice with these bacteria and found that they can produce beta-hydroxybutyrate, supporting cardiac function post-MI. This was further confirmed using HMGCS2-deficient mice which lack endogenous ketogenesis and have poor outcomes after MI. Inoculation increased plasma ketone levels and provided significant improvements in cardiac function post-MI. Together, this demonstrates a previously unknown role of gut butyrate-producers in the post-MI response.

Background: Bacteremia is a life-threatening complication of infectious diseases. Bacteremia can be predicted using machine learning (ML) models, but these models have not utilized cell population data (CPD). Methods: The derivation cohort from emergency department (ED) of China Medical University Hospital (CMUH) was used to develop the model and was prospectively validated in the same hospital. External validation was performed using cohorts from ED of Wei-Gong Memorial Hospital (WMH) and Tainan Municipal An-Nan Hospital (ANH). Adult patients who underwent complete blood count (CBC), differential count (DC), and blood culture tests were enrolled in the present study. The ML model was developed using CBC, DC, and CPD to predict bacteremia from positive blood cultures obtained within 4 h before or after the acquisition of CBC/DC blood samples. Results: This study included 20,636 patients from CMUH, 664 from WMH, and 1622 patients from ANH. Another 3143 patients were included in the prospective validation cohort of CMUH. The CatBoost model achieved an area under the receiver operating characteristic curve of 0.844 in the derivation cross-validation, 0.812 in the prospective validation, 0.844 in the WMH external validation, and 0.847 in the ANH external validation. The most valuable predictors of bacteremia in the CatBoost model were the mean conductivity of lymphocytes, nucleated red blood cell count, mean conductivity of monocytes, and neutrophil-to-lymphocyte ratio. Conclusions: ML model that incorporated CBC, DC, and CPD showed excellent performance in predicting bacteremia among adult patients with suspected bacterial infections and blood culture sampling in emergency departments.

Radiofrequency ablation (RFA) is a minimally invasive management strategy that has been widely applied for benign and recurrent malignant thyroid lesions as an alternative to surgery in Taiwan. Members of academic societies for specialists in interventional radiology, endocrinology, and endocrine surgery collaborated to develop the first consensus regarding thyroid RFA in Taiwan. The modified Delphi method was used to reach a consensus. Based on a comprehensive review of recent and valuable literature and expert opinions, the recommendations included indications, pre-procedural evaluations, procedural techniques, post-procedural monitoring, efficacy, and safety, providing a comprehensive review of the application of RFA. The consensus effectively consolidates advice regarding thyroid RFA in clinical practice for local experts.

Value co-creation profoundly affects brand experience, human interaction rules, and customer behavior performance and is a recurring theme in research in the field of virtual brand communities. Studies have determined an influence model for value co-creation, but there is a dearth of research on the impacts of value co-creation activities on brand attachment. This study built a mediation theoretical research framework on value co-creation theory, brand experience, and brand attachment. The purpose of this study is to explore the significance of value co-creation activities on brand experience. Furthermore, this study intends to measure the impact of brand experience on brand attachment. Additionally, this study intends to investigate the mediation role of brand experience in the relationship between value co-creation and brand attachment. This study analyzed 512 data collected by structural equation modeling using registered users of the OPPO community as participants. The results of this empirical test show that the three dimensions of value co-creation (interpersonal interaction, feedback, and advocacy) have a positive effect on brand experience and that brand experience has a positive and significant impact on brand attachment and mediates the relationship between value co-creation and brand attachment. The findings of significance for management are the identification of factors that enhance value co-creation in virtual brand communities. Doi: 10.28991/ESJ-2023-07-04-014 Full Text: PDF

Abstract Background In recent decades, 95% of children with congenital heart disease (CHD) can survive to adolescence and adulthood. However, adolescents with CHD are prone to poorer health-related quality of life (HRQoL). It is imperative to develop a reliable and valid instrument for health professionals to monitor the HRQoL. This study aims to: (1) evaluate the psychometric properties of the traditional Chinese version of Pediatric Quality of Life™ 3.0 Cardiac Module (PedsQL-CM) and measurement invariance across adolescents with CHD and their parents; and (2) investigate the adolescent-parent agreement in HRQoL. Methods A total of 162 adolescents and 162 parents were recruited. Internal consistency was examined using Cronbach’s alpha and McDonald’s Omega. The criterion-related validity was evaluated with intercorrelations between the PedsQL-CM and PedsQL™ 4.0 Generic Core (PedsQL-GC) Scale. The construct validity was examined by second-order confirmatory factor analysis (CFA). Measurement invariance was evaluated using the multi-group CFA. The adolescent-parent agreement was analyzed with the intraclass correlation (ICC), paired t-tests, and Bland–Altman plots. Results PedsQL-CM showed acceptable internal consistency (self-reports 0.88, proxy-reports 0.91). The intercorrelations were medium to large effect size (self-reports 0.34–0.77, proxy-reports 0.46–0.68). The CFA supported the construct validity (CFI = 0.967, TLI = 0.963, RMSEA = 0.036, 90% CI = 0.026–0.046, SRMR = 0.065). The multi-group CFA proved scalar invariance between self and parent proxy-reports. Parents significantly underestimated their adolescents’ HRQoL in cognitive problems (Cohen’s d = 0.21) and communication (Cohen’s d = 0.23) subscales, while there was a negligible difference in total HRQoL (Cohen’s d = 0.16). ICCs were poor to moderate effect size with the highest and lowest agreement in heart problems and treatment subscale (ICC = 0.70) and communication subscale (ICC = 0.27), respectively. The Bland–Altman plots showed lesser variability in the heart problem and treatment subscale and the total scale. Conclusion The traditional Chinese version of PedsQL-CM has acceptable psychometric properties to measure disease-specific HRQoL in adolescents with CHD. Parents may be proxies for adolescents with CHD to rate total HRQoL. When the patient-reported score is the primary outcome, the proxy-reported score could serve as a secondary outcome for research and clinical evaluation.

We report here an approach to inhibit Cu–Sn intermetallic compounds (IMCs) in flip chip solder joints under thermal-gradient annealing. We reflowed two types of solders joints, Cu/SnAg/Cu and Cu/SnAg/Ni, in an oven (isothermal) and on a hot plate (with thermal-gradient) at 260 °C. During the isothermal reflow, the IMC growth rates in the top and bottom sides of the solder joint were ∼4.0 × 10−2 and 8.9 × 10−2 μm/min, respectively. However, the IMC growth rate increased to 7.8 × 10−1, 7.9 × 10−1, and 8.9 × 10−1 μm/min in the cold ends with low, medium, and high thermal gradients, respectively. Yet, the IMC thickness on the hot ends remained almost unchanged. These results indicate that the thermal gradient has facilitated the Cu–Sn IMC formation in the cold ends. But, when a Ni film was sandwiched at the cold end, the IMC growth rates in the cold end were reduced to ∼9.7 × 10−2, 1.4 × 10−1, and 1.5 × 10−1 μm/min with low, medium, and high thermal gradients, respectively, indicating that the thermomigration of IMCs was retarded by the Ni. It is speculated that the Ni layer transformed the IMCs on the hot end into stable (Cu,Ni)6Sn5 ternary IMCs, and thus the thermomigration of Cu was suppressed. A kinetic model is also proposed to address the competitive reactions of Cu-molten solder joints.

Since April 2022, waves of SARS-CoV-2 Omicron variant cases have surfaced in Taiwan and spread throughout the island. Using high-throughput sequencing of the SARS-CoV-2 genome, we analyzed 2,405 PCR-positive swab samples from 2,339 persons and identified the Omicron BA.2.3.7 variant as a major lineage within recent community outbreaks in Taiwan.

Abstract As part of the central nervous system (CNS), retinal ganglion cells (RGCs) and their axons are the only neurons in the retina that transmit visual signals from the eye to the brain via the optic nerve (ON). Unfortunately, they do not regenerate upon injury in mammals. In ON trauma, retinal microglia (RMG) become activated, inducing inflammatory responses and resulting in axon degeneration and RGC loss. Since aldose reductase (AR) is an inflammatory response mediator highly expressed in RMG, we investigated if pharmacological inhibition of AR can attenuate ocular inflammation and thereby promote RGC survival and axon regeneration after ON crush (ONC). In vitro, we discovered that Sorbinil, an AR inhibitor, attenuates BV2 microglia activation and migration in the lipopolysaccharide (LPS) and monocyte chemoattractant protein-1 (MCP-1) treatments. In vivo, Sorbinil suppressed ONC-induced Iba1 + microglia/macrophage infiltration in the retina and ON and promoted RGC survival. Moreover, Sorbinil restored RGC function and delayed axon degeneration one week after ONC. RNA sequencing data revealed that Sorbinil protects the retina from ONC-induced degeneration by suppressing inflammatory signaling. In summary, we report the first study demonstrating that AR inhibition transiently protects RGC and axon from degeneration, providing a potential therapeutic strategy for optic neuropathies.

Abstract Objective Bilateral frontoparietal polymicrogyria (BFPP) is a rare genetic‐related migration disorder. It has been attributed to loss‐of‐function of the ADGRG1 gene, which encodes an adhesion G protein‐coupled receptor, ADGRG1/GPR56. We report the EEG findings of BFPP in three Asian patients, and confirmed that change in protein function was caused by the novel missense variant (p.Leu290Pro). Methods We reviewed the medical records of three siblings with BFPP including one elder girl and two identical twin boys from birth to adulthood. The clinical symptoms, electroencephalography (EEG), brain MRI, whole‐exome sequencing, treatment including medications, neuromodulation, and epilepsy surgery, and clinical outcomes were reviewed. The protein structure of a novel missense variant (p.Leu290Pro) was predicted by in silico studies, and molecular analysis was performed via typical flow cytometry and Western blotting. Results The elder girl (Patient 1) was 22 years old and the twin boys (Patients 2 and 3) were 20 years old at the time of publication. All of them presented with typical clinical symptoms/signs and MRI findings of BFPP. Whole‐exome sequencing followed by Sanger confirmation showed that all three patients had compound heterozygous variants in the ADGRG1 gene. The missense variant (p.Leu290Pro) was confirmed to be related to a reduction in cell surface GPR56 expression. High‐amplitude rhythmic activity was noted in sleep EEG during infancy, which may have been due to excessive sleep spindle, and the rhythm disappeared when they were of pre‐school age. Partial callosotomy provided short‐term benefits in seizure control in Patients 1 and 2, and combined vagus nerve stimulation and partial callosotomy provided longer benefits in Patient 3. Significance Sleep EEG findings of high‐amplitude rhythmic activity in our BFPP cases were only noted during infancy and childhood. We also confirmed that the missense variant (p.Leu290Pro) led to loss of function due to a reduction in cell surface GPR56 expression.

Abstract Background The aim of this study was to determine the actual state of the photosynthetic apparatus and exhibit distinguishable differences in the chlorophyll fluorescence (ChlF) components in different seedling ages of M. oiwakensis plants subjected to different light intensity (LI). Potted 6-month-old greenhouse seedlings and field collected 2.4-year-old seedlings with 5 cm heights were selected and randomly separated into seven groups for photosynthesis measurements illuminated with 50, 100 (assigned as low LI), 300, 500, 1,000 (as moderate LI), 1,500 and 2,000 (as high LI) μmol m–2 s–1 photosynthetic photon flux density (PPFD) treatments. Results n 6-month-old seedlings, as LI increased from 50 to 2,000 PPFD, the values of non-photochemical quenching and photo-inhibitory quenching (qI) increased but potential quantum efficiency of PSII (Fv/Fm) and photochemical efficiency of photosystem II (ΦPSII) values decreased. High electron transport rate and percentage of actual PSII efficiency by Fv/Fm values were observed in 2.4-year-old seedlings at high LI conditions. Furthermore, higher ΦPSII was detected under low LI conditions, with lower energy-dependent quenching (qE) and qI values and photo-inhibition % decreased as well. However, qE and qI increased as ΦPSII decreased and photo-inhibition% increased under high LI treatments. Conclusions These results could be useful for predicting the changes in growth and distribution of Mahonia species grown in controlled environments and open fields with various combinations of varying light illuminations, and ecological monitoring of their restoration and habitat creation is important for provenance conservation and helps to formulate better conservation strategies for the seedlings.

Protein signatures of unstable and stable atherosclerosis are defined by quantitative proteomics using a preclinical mouse model of plaque instability/rupture.

Abstract We investigated the effects of vegetable glycerin (VG), a main e-cigarette constituent, on endotoxin-induced acute lung injury (ALI). Mice received intratracheal administration of 30% VG in phosphate buffered saline (PBS) vehicle or only PBS (control) for 4 days. On Day 5, mice received an intratracheal instillation of lipopolysaccharide (LPS) (LPS group and VG + LPS group) or PBS (VG group and control group). Lung histopathology, expression of chemokine receptors, and regulatory signaling were analyzed 24 h after the Day 5 treatment. VG significantly increased ALI-associated histopathological and fibrotic changes in both the VG group and LPS-induced ALI mice (VG + LPS group). Immunohistochemistry (IHC) and western blot analyses revealed that VG administration resulted in upregulation of neutrophil markers [lymphocyte antigen 6 complex locus G6D (Ly6G) and myeloperoxidase (MPO)] as well as upregulation of the expression of transforming growth factor-β (TGF-β), a central mediator of fibrogenesis, in the lungs of both VG and VG + LPS groups. VG enhanced the expression of adhesion molecules [very late antigen 4 (VLA-4) and vascular cell adhesion molecule 1 (VCAM-1)] and increased activation of p38 mitogen-activated protein kinase (p38 MAPK) to prompt neutrophil recruitment in the lungs of mice with ALI. Intraperitoneal administration of a p38 inhibitor attenuated these histopathological changes significantly as well as VG-induced upregulation in expression of Ly6G, MPO, VLA-4, VCAM-1, TGF-β, and collagen-1 in mice with ALI. In conclusion, VG enhances neutrophil chemotaxis and fibrosis and it amplifies the inflammatory response associated with LPS-induced ALI in the lungs via enhancement of p38 MAPK activity.

Objective: In order to figure out the cause for two consecutive fetuses with nonimmune hydrops fetalis (NIHF) in a Taiwanese couple, whole-Exome Sequencing and Sanger Sequencing were applied for the family. Case report: The two fetuses developed NIHF at gestation age of 19 and 21 weeks, respectively. The clinical features included ascites and pleural effusion, flattened nasofrontal angle, skin edema, clenched hands, ambiguous genitalia, hepatosplenomegaly and fetal thrombocytopenia. Magnetic resonance imaging of the brain showed cerebellar hypoplasia and delayed cortical maturation. The GBA deleterious variants c.1505+5G > C and c.308-1G > A were both detected in the two fetuses. Conclusion: The report provided the precious experience of the clinical presentation of perinatal lethal Gaucher disease (PLGD) and advice on reproductive medicine for the next pregnancy in a couple. The novel genetic mutations identified in the study also contribute to the known spectrum of PLGD-related mutations.

Introduction This study aimed to investigate and compare the therapeutic efficacy and safety of ultrasound-guided radiofrequency ablation (RFA), between primary hyperparathyroidism (PHPT) and secondary hyperparathyroidism (SHPT) patients, with or without previous parathyroidectomy (PTX).Subjects and Methods A total of 21 patients (7 PHPT, 14 SHPT) underwent RFA for hyperparathyroidism (HPT) at Kaohsiung Chang Gung Memorial Hospital, Taiwan. Five of the 14 SHPT patients had previously received PTX. The laboratory data, volume change of each parathyroid nodule, symptomatic scores, and complications were analyzed and compared between all groups at 1 and 7 days, and at 1, 3, 6, and 12 months after RFA.Results After RFA, the volume reduction ratio (VRR) for all patients at the last follow-up was 93.76%, and clinical symptoms significantly improved. At 12 months, all PHPT patients achieved successful treatment of intact PTH (iPTH). In SHPT patients, the mean iPTH value significantly decreased 1-day post-RFA, subsequently exhibiting a transient rebound which proceeded to decrease, with 57.1% reaching successful treatment standards. SHPT patients with PTX showed a lower complication score, shorter ablation time, higher iPTH baseline and outcomes, and lower VRR, compared to patients without PTX. The serum calcium level significantly decreased to normal range in 85.7% of all patients at 12 months. Severe hypocalcemia occurred in 23.8% at 1 week, and all were corrected with calcium supplements.Conclusions RFA demonstrates a therapeutic efficacy similar to PTX. It can thus be considered an effective alternative treatment for PHPT, SHPT, or post-PTX patients who are unsuitable for another PTX.

Coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) is caused by severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2) and has become a global pandemic since December 2019. Most of the patients are mild or asymptomatic and recovered well as those suffered from other respiratory viruses. SARS-CoV-2 infection is supposed to demonstrate more sequelae. Acute kidney injury (AKI) is common among COVID-19 patients and is associated with disease severity and outcomes. Only a few studies focused on a detailed analysis of kidney damage in asymptomatic or mildly symptomatic COVID-19 patients. Whether any minor viral infection is likely to exhibit similar minor effect on renal function as COVID-19 is still unclear, and the definite pathophysiology of viral invasion is not fully understood. Currently, the proposed mechanisms of AKI include direct effects of virus on kidney, dysregulated immune response, or as a result of multi-organs failure have been proposed. This study will discuss the difference between COVID-19 and other viruses, focusing on proposed mechanisms, biomarkers and whether it matters with clinical significance.