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Objective. This study assessed the possible associations between lower urinary tract symptoms (LUTS) and erectile dysfunction (ED) in aging Taiwanese males and investigated the impact of various aspects of LUTS on ED. Methods. A free health screening for aging males (≥40 years old) was conducted in Kaohsiung Medical University Hospital. All the subjects had completed clinical data and answered questionnaires. ED and LUTS were assessed by validated symptom scales: the International Index of Erectile Function-5 (IIEF-5) and the International Prostate Symptom Score (IPSS). Results. A total of 339 eligible patients enrolled in this study with a mean age of 60.1 years old. In multiple logistic regression analysis, age and IPSS ( p < 0.001 and p = 0.013, respectively) were significantly associated with ED after controlling other comorbidities. In a further age-adjusted multiple regression analysis, our results showed that irritative symptoms ( p = 0.042) have a more significant association with ED than the obstructive symptoms ( p = 0.101). Conclusions. Our results indicate that age and LUTS are the two most independent risk factors for ED. Aging Taiwanese males with LUTS are at increasing risk for ED, especially for those with significant irritative symptoms. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The use of natural and synthetic anabolic steroids in animal fattening has been prohibited in Taiwan and many countries because of their potential toxic effect on public health. This paper describes a newly developed gas chromatography–ion trap–mass spectrometry (GC–IT–MS) method for the quantitative determination of various residual anabolic steroids in meat. Anabolic steroid was derivatized with N-methyl-N-trimethylsilytrifluoroacetamide prior to GC–IT–MS analysis. MS2 was employed for quantitative measurement. In addition, 2d-estradiol was used as an internal standard. Quantitative determination was based on the ratio of peak area of steroid derivative to peak area of internal standard derivative. Good linearity of each compound, 0.03–1.0 μg/ml, was determined. Solvent extraction was used to extract residual anabolic compounds in meat samples and a solid phase extraction (SPE) procedure was utilized for sample cleanup and pre-concentration. The limits of detection of anabolic compounds approximately ranged from 0.1 to 0.4 μg/kg. The detection limit was comparable with or better than reported methods and was below the minimum required performance limits (MRPLs) established by the European Community (EC). The application of this newly developed method was demonstrated by analyzing various beef, pork, chicken and several animal internal organ samples from local markets. [Copyright &y& Elsevier]

In order to gain insight into how interfacial effects influence cell responses, chemically modified anodized TiO2 nanotubes (ATNs) were used to simultaneously investigate the effects of nanoscale substrate structure and angstrom-scale chemicals on cell morphological change and cell growth. Two small chemicals were used to modify the ATNs, namely, 3-aminopropyltrimethoxysilane (APTMS) and 3-mercaptopropyltrimethoxysilane (MPTMS), resulting in APTMS-modified ATNs (APTMS-ATNs) and MPTMS-modified ATNs (MPTMS-ATNs), respectively. In our in vitro observation of NIH/3T3 fibroblasts, cells thrived on both unmodified and modified ATNs. Quantitative analyses of cell numbers exhibited that APTMS-ATNs effectively facilitated cell proliferation and directed cell orientation owing to full cell-substrate contact caused by positively charged amino groups (-NH3(+)) on the surface. In addition, scanning electron microscopy and fluorescence images showed different cell morphologies on APTMS-ATNs and MPTMS-ATNs. APTMS-ATNs resulted in flat spreading of fibroblasts, while MPTMS-ATNs resulted in fibroblasts with a three-dimensional solid shape and clear contours. The results indicate that the synergistic effects of nanotube surface topology and small chemical modification and, to a lesser extent, surface hydrophilicity, alter the interfacial interactions between cells and substrates, significantly affecting cell morphology, attachment, and growth. Using ATNs with different interfacial effects from various small chemicals, orientation of cells into various patterns can be achieved and investigation of cell fates, such as proliferation or stem cell differentiation, can be performed for future advanced medical or biological applications.