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Liver diseases cause millions of deaths globally. Current treatments are often limited in effectiveness and availability, driving the search for alternatives. Herbal preparations offer potential hepatoprotective properties. Disrupted gut microbiota is linked to liver disorders. This scoping review aims to explore the effects of herbal preparations on hepatoprotective mechanisms, particularly in the context of non-alcoholic fatty liver disease (NAFLD), non-alcoholic steatohepatitis (NASH), and hepatic steatosis, with a focus on gut microbiota modulation. A systematic search was performed using predetermined keywords in four electronic databases (PubMed, Scopus, EMBASE, and Web of Science). A total of 55 studies were included for descriptive analysis, covering study characteristics such as disease model, dietary model, animal model, intervention details, comparators, and study outcomes. The findings of this review suggest that the hepatoprotective effects of herbal preparations are closely related to their interactions with the gut microbiota. The hepatoprotective mechanisms of herbal preparations are shown through their effects on the gut microbiota composition, intestinal barrier, and microbial metabolites, which resulted in decreased serum levels of liver enzymes and lipids, improved liver pathology, inhibition of hepatic fatty acid accumulation, suppression of inflammation and oxidative stress, reduced insulin resistance, and altered bile acid metabolism.

Chronic allergic skin conditions, including atopic dermatitis (AD), are characterized by pruritus, erythema, xerosis, desquamation, and inflammation, significantly impacting quality of life. Long-term steroid use, while common in treatment, carries the risk of adverse effects. Previous studies have demonstrated the potential of Lactobacillus paracasei subsp. paracasei NTU 101 (NTU 101) in alleviating AD symptoms from a preventive perspective. This study, however, focuses on exploring NTU 101’s therapeutic potential by investigating its effects on regulatory T cell (Treg) maturation and Th1/Th2 balance. The results revealed that NTU 101 administration effectively reduced serum IgE levels and inflammatory cell infiltration in the skin, leading to a significant improvement in both epidermal and dermal thickness in the AD model. Additionally, NTU 101 modulated the immune response by increasing the proportion of CD4+/IL-4+ (Th2) cells in the spleen and concurrently enhancing FOXP3 expression in CD4+/CD25+ cells, which is critical for Treg cell development. This immune modulation was further associated with a rebalancing of the Th1/Th2 ratio, achieved by increasing the proportion of CD4+/IFN-γ+ (Th1) cells. Moreover, NTU 101 influenced the proportion of CD4+IL-17+ (Th17) cells, thereby supporting neutrophil maturation and promoting allergen clearance, ultimately mitigating AD symptoms. These findings underscore the potential of NTU 101 not only in managing AD symptoms but also in modulating key immune pathways involved in the pathogenesis of the disease, offering a promising alternative or adjunct to conventional steroid therapies.

This study aims to provide an understanding of the preferences of student tourists regarding service attributes related to domestic accommodation. To clarify how lodging firms formulate policies for the student travel market, a “Relative to an Identified Distribution” (RIDIT) analysis in which responses are treated as ordinal data instead of equally spaced data is performed to examine the Likert-scale data obtained from 296 university students in Taiwan. In our RIDIT analytical results, respondents’ preferences are sorted in descending importance. Of the examined attributes, “Cleanliness of rooms” is the attribute most prioritized by the students, followed by “Located in a safe neighborhood/feeling safe in the room” and “Close to scenic area for meeting the trip requirement”. The attribute least prioritized by the students is “Interaction with other guests”. This analysis provides conclusions that differ from those obtained through commonly used techniques including the arithmetic average and exploratory factor analysis. The preference rankings indicate that managers should focus on the most prioritized service attributes and implement the necessary measures to enhance their service quality and maximize customer satisfaction.

The application of far-infrared blankets has shown certain benefits in health promotion and therapy, such as improving blood circulation and alleviating muscle pain. However, the effects of such blankets on increasing deep sleep, reducing blood pressure, enhancing memory, dilating microvessels for blood flow, reducing chronic inflammation, and decreasing fatigue remain to be studied. We aim to investigate the effects of the DAZZEON αSleep® far-infrared blanket on these indicators. This study adopted a double-blind design, recruiting 24 male participants aged over 45 years, divided into two groups of 12 each: (A) a placebo group and (B) a DAZZEON αSleep® group. The participants used the blanket every night for two weeks, with sleep records taken using a wearable device and blood pressure, blood oxygen levels, arterial stiffness, and surface temperature measured before and after the intervention. Blood samples were collected for an analysis of inflammation and sleep-related blood indicators (serotonin and melatonin), and exercise tests were conducted to assess fatigue improvement. Compared with before the intervention, the blanket significantly increased changes in grip strength and reaction time. Additionally, it significantly increased blood serotonin, melatonin, and nitric oxide concentrations (p < 0.05), thus significantly increasing deep sleep and REM sleep durations (p < 0.05) and improving subjective sleep quality (p < 0.05). This study confirmed that using the DAZZEON αSleep® far-infrared blanket for 14 consecutive days helps to improve blood circulation, reduce vascular age and arterial stiffness, increase serotonin and melatonin levels, and improve sleep quality, as well as enhances muscle strength and reaction time.

Banana (Musa sp.) is one of the world’s most planted and consumed crops. Analysis of plantations using a geospatial perspective is growing in Costa Rica, and it can be used to optimize environmental analysis. The aim of this study was to propose a methodology to identify areas prone to water accumulation to quantify nitrate concentrations using geospatial modeling techniques in a 40 ha section of a banana plantation located in Siquirres, Limón, Costa Rica. A total of five geomorphometric variables (Slope, Slope Length factor (LS factor), Terrain Ruggedness Index (TRI), Topographic Wetness Index (TWI), and Flow Accumulation) were selected in the geospatial model. A 9 cm resolution digital elevation model (DEM) derived from unmanned aerial vehicles (UAVs) was employed to calculate geomorphometric variables. ArcGIS 10.6 and SAGA GIS 7.8.2 software were used in the data integration and analysis. The results showed that Slope and Topographic Wetness Index (TWI) are the geomorphometric parameters that better explained the areas prone to water accumulation and indicated which drainage channels are proper areas to sample nitrate values. The average nitrate concentration in high-probability areas was 8.73 ± 1.53 mg/L, while in low-probability areas, it was 11.28 ± 2.49 mg/L. Despite these differences, statistical analysis revealed no significant difference in nitrate concentrations between high- and low-probability areas. The method proposed here allows us to obtain reliable results in banana fields worldwide.

In this study, we demonstrate the high luminous efficacy of 118 lm/W and the high reliability of white LEDs (WLEDs) through 450 °C thermal aging, utilizing four-inch YAG: Ce3+ phosphor-in-glass (PiG) plates designed for vehicle headlights. The sintering process of mixing glass and phosphor typically generates pores, which can scatter light and reduce the luminous efficacy of the fabricated PiG. In this study, we produced four-inch PiG plates under four different fabrication conditions to evaluate their luminous efficacy. Our results revealed that the PiG plate with a thin thickness of 0.08 mm exhibited a 16.83% increase in luminous efficacy compared to the 0.15 mm plate, attributed to reduced light interaction with the pores. Unlike silicone-based phosphor WLEDs, which offer high performance but lower reliability due to the silicone resin’s low transition temperature (150 °C), our novel thin PiG plate achieves high performance and reliability. This advancement suggests that the proposed thin PiG plate could replace traditional silicone-based phosphors, enabling the development of high-quality WLEDs for vehicle headlights in automotive applications.

Immunotherapy-based systemic treatment (ST) is the standard of care for most patients diagnosed with metastatic renal cell carcinoma (mRCC). Cytoreductive nephrectomy (CN) has historically shown benefit for select patients with mRCC, but its role and timing are not well understood in the era of immunotherapy. The primary objective of this study is to assess outcomes in patients who received ST only, CN followed by ST (CN-ST), and ST followed by CN (ST-CN). The Canadian Kidney Cancer information system (CKCis) database was queried to identify patients with de novo mRCC who received immunotherapy-based ST between January 2014 and June 2023. These patients were classified into three categories as described above. Cox proportional hazards models were used to assess the impact of the timing of ST and CN on overall survival (OS) and progression-free survival (PFS), after adjusting for the International Metastatic RCC Database Consortium (IMDC) risk group, age, and comorbidities. Best overall response and complications of ST and CN for these cohorts were collected. A total of 588 patients were included in this study: 331 patients received ST only, 215 patients received CN-ST, and 42 patients received ST-CN. Patient and disease characteristics including age, gender, performance status, IMDC risk category, comorbidity, histology, type of ST, and metastatic sites are reported. OS analysis favored patients who received ST-CN (hazard ratio [HR] 0.30, 95% confidence interval [CI] 0.13–0.68) and CN-ST (HR 0.68, CI 0.47–0.97) over patients who received ST only. PFS analysis showed a similar trend for ST-CN (HR 0.45, CI 0.26–0.77) and CN-ST (HR 0.9, CI 0.68–1.17). This study examined baseline features and outcomes associated with the use and timing of CN and ST using real-world data via a large Canadian real-world cohort. Patients selected to receive CN after ST demonstrated improved outcomes. There were no appreciable differences in perioperative complications across groups. Limitations include the small number of patients in the ST-CN group and residual confounding and selection biases that may influence the outcomes in patients undergoing CN.

Background: IL-26 has demonstrated antimicrobial properties, as well as in the degradation of DNA from the Lyme disease spirochete Borrelia burgdorferi (Bb). Additionally, IL-26 can promote macrophage activation and enhance Bb phagocytotic activity. It is unclear if cell-mediated immune responses are modulated through TLR9 signaling when exposed to IL-26 Bb DNA complexes in post-treatment Lyme disease syndrome (PTLDS). Objective: We here aim to explore the effect of IL-26 in human Toll-like receptor (TLR)-9’s activation upon the recognition of Bb DNA. Methods: We utilized a single-receptor cell system, HEK-Dual™ hTLR9 cells, which harbors two reporter plasmids for the NF-κB and IL-8 signaling pathways. Bb DNA was exposed to increasing concentrations of IL-26 in monomeric or dimeric form and then used to stimulate the cells for 4 h. The TLR-9 ligand CpG was used as a control. Results: We observed that NF-κB and IL-8 activation was maximal when the cells were stimulated with Bb DNA that had been treated with 5 µM of IL-26 monomer and 1 µM of IL-26 dimer. The same was observed for IL-8 activation upon CpG stimulation. We observed, however, a decrease in NF-κB activation when treated with either form of IL-26. An NF-κB activation increase did not occur with IL-26-treated TLR9 ligand CpG. Conclusions: Our study shows an enhancement in NF-κB and IL-8 activation upon the recognition of IL-26-treated Bb DNA by TLR9, which suggests an increase in sensing by the TLR9 of Bb DNA when it is in the form of an IL-26-Bb DNA complex. These findings will prompt further studies on the interaction between IL-26 and Bb DNA.

With the ongoing obesity epidemic, the prevalence of metabolic dysfunction-associated steatotic liver disease (MASLD) is expected to rise and necessitates a greater understanding of how the disease proceeds from benign excess lipid in hepatocytes to liver fibrosis and eventually to liver cancer. MASLD is caused, at least in part, by hepatocytes’ storage of free fatty acids (FAs) that dysfunctional adipocytes are no longer able to store, and therefore, MASLD is a disease that involves both the liver and adipose tissues. The disease progression is not only facilitated by biochemical signals, but also by mechanical cues such as the increase in stiffness often seen with fibrotic fatty livers. The change in stiffness and accumulation of excess lipid droplets impact the ability of a cell to mechanosense and mechanotranduce, which perpetuates the disease. A mechanosensitive protein that is largely unexplored and could serve as a potential therapeutic target is the intermediate filament vimentin. In this review, we briefly summarize the recent research on hepatocyte and adipocyte mechanobiology and provide a synopsis of studies on the varied, and sometimes contradictory, roles of vimentin. This review is intended to benefit and encourage future studies on hepatocyte and adipocyte mechanobiology in the context of MASLD and obesity.

Gastric inflammation-related disorders are commonly observed digestive system illnesses characterized by the activation of proinflammatory cytokines, particularly tumor necrosis factor-α (TNF-α). This results in the induction of cyclooxygenase-2 (COX-2)/prostaglandin E2 (PEG2) and matrix metallopeptidase-9 (MMP-9). These factors contribute to the pathogenesis of gastric inflammation disorders. We examined the preventive effects of Lonicera japonica Thunb. ethanol extract (Lj-EtOH) on gastric inflammation induced by TNF-α in normal human gastric mucosa epithelial cells (GES-1). The GES-1 cell line was used to establish a model that simulated the overexpression of COX-2/PGE2 and MMP-9 proteins induced by TNF-α to examine the anti-inflammatory properties of Lj extracts. The results indicated that Lj-EtOH exhibits significant inhibitory effects on COX-2/PEG2 and MMP-9 activity, attenuates cell migration, and provides protection against TNF-α-induced gastric inflammation. The protective effects of Lj-EtOH are associated with the modulation of COX-2/PEG2 and MMP-9 through the activation of TNFR–ERK 1/2 signaling pathways as well as the involvement of c-Fos and nuclear factor kappa B (NF-κB) signaling pathways. Based on our findings, Lj-EtOH exhibits a preventive effect on human gastric epithelial cells. Consequently, it may represent a novel treatment for the management of gastric inflammation.

Myelodysplastic neoplasms (MDS) with ring sideroblasts (RS) are diagnosed via bone marrow aspiration in the presence of either (i) ≥15% RS or (ii) 5–14% RS and an SF3B1 mutation. In the MEDALIST trial and in an interim analysis of the COMMANDS trial, lower-risk MDS-RS patients had decreased transfusion dependency with luspatercept treatment. A total of 6817 patients with suspected hematologic malignancies underwent molecular testing using a next-generation-sequencing-based genetic assay and 395 MDS patients, seen at our centre from 1 January 2018 to 31 May 2023, were reviewed. Of these, we identified 39 evaluable patients as having lower-risk MDS with SF3B1 mutations: there were 20 (51.3%) males and 19 (48.7%) females, with a median age of 77 years (range of 57 to 92). Nineteen (48.7%) patients had an isolated SF3B1 mutation with a mean variant allele frequency of 35.2% +/− 8.1%, ranging from 7.4% to 46.0%. There were 29 (74.4%) patients with ≥15% RS, 6 (15.4%) with 5 to 14% RS, one (2.6%) with 1% RS, and 3 (7.7%) with no RS. Our study suggests that a quarter of patients would be missed based on the morphologic criterion of only using RS greater than 15% and supports the revised 2022 definitions of the World Health Organization (WHO) and International Consensus Classification (ICC), which shift toward molecularly defined subtypes of MDS and appropriate testing.

Traumatic brain injury (TBI) profoundly affects sleep, mood, and fatigue, impeding daily functioning and recovery. This systematic review evaluates the efficacy of morning shorter wavelength lighting in the visible (blue) range and broad-spectrum or blue-enriched bright white light exposure in mitigating these challenges among TBI patients. Through electronic database searches up to May 2023, studies assessing sleep, circadian rhythm, sleepiness, mood, and fatigue outcomes in TBI patients exposed to morning shorter wavelength lighting in the visible (blue) range and broad-spectrum or blue-enriched bright white light were identified. Seven studies involving 309 participants met the inclusion criteria. Results indicated consistent advancement in sleep timing among individuals with mild TBI, alongside improvements in total sleep time, mood, and reduced sleepiness with both types of light exposure, particularly in mild TBI cases. Notably, two studies demonstrated alleviation of fatigue exclusively in severe TBI cases following light exposure. Despite promising findings, evidence remains limited, emphasizing the need for future research with standardized protocols to confirm the potential and optimize the benefits of light therapy for TBI recovery.

Protein kinase C-iota (PKC-ι) is an oncogene overexpressed in many cancer cells including prostate, breast, ovarian, melanoma, and glioma cells. Previous in vitro studies have shown that 5-amino-1-((1R,2S,3R,4R)-2-3-dihydroxy-4-(hydroxymethyl)cyclopentyl)-1H-imidazole-4-carboxamide (ICA-1S), a PKC-ι-specific inhibitor, has low toxicity in both acute and sub-acute mouse model toxicological testing and is an effective therapeutic against several cancer cell lines showing significant reductions in tumor growth when treating athymic nude mice with xenografted carcinoma cell lines. To further assess ICA-1S as a possible therapeutic agent, chronic mouse model toxicological testing was performed in vivo to provide inferences concerning the long-term effects and possible health hazards from repeated exposure over a substantial part of the animal’s lifespan. Subjects survived well after 30, 60, and 90 days of doses ranging from 50 mg/kg to 100 mg/kg. Heart, liver, kidney, and brain tissues were then analyzed for accumulations of ICA-1S including the measured assessment of aspartate transaminase (AST), alkaline phosphatase (ALK-P), gamma-glutamyl transferase (GGT), troponin, and C-reactive protein (CRP) serum levels to assess organ function. Predictive in vitro/in silico methods were used to predict compound-induced direct hepatocyte toxicity or renal proximal tubular cell (PTC) toxicity in humans based on the high-content imaging (HCI) of compound-treated cells in combination with phenotypic profiling. In conclusion, ICA-1S shows low toxicity in both acute and chronic toxicology studies, and shows promise as a potential therapeutic.

Backgroud: This prospective randomized trial evaluated the clinical efficacy of inhaled colistin administered through two distinct nebulizer types, a vibrating mesh nebulizer (VMN) and a jet nebulizer (JN), in the treatment of ventilator-associated pneumonia caused by multidrug-resistant bacteria. In addition, an in vitro model was used to determine the optimal delivery of colistin. Method: Thirty-two patients prescribed intravenous (IV) colistin inhalation were randomized to receive either a VMN (n = 17) or a JN (n = 15), then compared to the control group (IV alone) over a 7-to 10-day period. The primary endpoint was the clinical pulmonary infection score (CPIS), and the secondary endpoints were the Sequential Organ Failure Assessment (SOFA) score, Acute Physiology and Chronic Health Evaluation (APACE) score, and duration of ventilator use. Results: Results from in vitro testing demonstrated that VMN delivered a significantly higher colistin dose than JN (35.68 ± 3.55% vs. 23.56 ± 3.31%; p < 0.001) when positioned at the humidifier inlet. Compared to the IV alone group, the IV with inhalation group yielded significant improvements in CPIS, SOFA score, and APACHE score on day 7; nevertheless, clinical outcomes between the two nebulizers were statistically indistinguishable. Conclusions: In conclusion, although VMN delivers a higher dose in vitro, both nebulizers yielded comparable clinical outcomes. This study was registered at US Clinical Trial Registration (NCT04633317).

Atopic dermatitis (AD) is a recurrent allergic disease characterized by symptoms such as itching, redness, swelling, dryness, scaling skin, inflammation, and tissue damage. The underlying pathogenesis of AD remains unclear. Steroid drugs are commonly used in the clinical treatment of AD; however, their long-term use may lead to associated complications. Numerous studies have indicated that probiotics could modulate the immune system, enhance immune function, or suppress excessive immune responses. In this study, Lactobacillus paracasei subsp. paracasei NTU 101 (NTU 101) was orally administered for a duration of 4 weeks, followed by the induction of AD using ovalbumin (OVA) in a mouse model. The skin condition of the stimulated site was observed during the induction period. Subsequently, the serum immunoglobulin E (IgE) content, splenocyte T cell typing, and skin histological interpretation were examined to evaluate the efficacy of NTU 101 in alleviating AD symptoms in allergen-exposed animals. The findings indicated that administering NTU 101 beforehand effectively alleviated skin symptoms in animals with AD. It reduced the infiltration of inflammatory cells in skin tissue sections, and compared to the OVA group, there was a significant reduction in the thickening of the epidermal cell layer (decreased from 89.0 ± 20.2 µM to 48.6 ± 16.0 µM) and dermis layer (decreased from 310.3 ± 69.0 µM to 209.7 ± 55.5 µM). Moreover, the proportion of regulatory T (Treg) cells and T helper 2 (Th2) cells in splenocytes significantly increased, while the proportions of T helper 1 (Th1) and T helper 17 (Th17) cells did not differ. It is speculated that the potential mechanism by which NTU 101 prevents AD involves increasing the expression of Forkhead box protein P3 (FOXP3) and promoting Treg cell maturation, thereby alleviating allergic reaction symptoms associated with AD.

Humidity nanosensors play a vital role in modern technology industries, including weather forecasts, industrial manufacturing, agriculture, food and chemistry storage. In recent years, research on humidity sensors has focused on different materials such as ceramics, polymers, carbon-based materials, semiconductors, MXenes or triboelectric nanogenerators, each with their own advantages and disadvantages. Among them, anodic aluminum oxide (AAO) is a well-known ceramic humidity sensor material with a long history of research and development. AAO humidity sensors offer advantages such as simple manufacturing processes, controllable nanostructures, high thermal stability and biocompatibility. However, traditional AAO fabrication still has disadvantages like high costs and longer process times. Hence, finding a low-cost and efficient method to fabricate AAO for controlling different nanostructures to meet the requirements is consistently a major research topic. From our previous studies, we have studied the relationship between the AAO capacitive humidity sensor and its nanostructures. In this paper, we explore the effect of an AAO nanoporous structure controlled by an anodization voltage of 20–40 V on the resistive-type humidity sensor performance instead of a capacitive one. We efficiently apply one-step hybrid pulse anodization at 25 °C to significantly reduce the processing time compared to the traditional two-step process under 0–10 °C. The AAO nanostructures and their impact on sensor measurements of humidity at 20–80 RH% will be discussed in detail. An electrical resistive sensing mechanism is established for further performance improvement by controlling anodization voltage.

Atherosclerosis is caused by cholesterol accumulation within arteries. The intima is where atherosclerotic plaque accumulates and where lipid-laden foam cells reside. Intimal foam cells comprise of both monocyte-derived macrophages and macrophage-like cells (MLC) of vascular smooth muscle cell (VSMC) origin. Foam cells can remove cholesterol via apoAI-mediated cholesterol efflux and this process is regulated by the transporter ABCA1. The microRNA miR-33a-5p is thought to be atherogenic via silencing ABCA1 which promotes cholesterol retention and data has shown inhibiting miR-33a-5p in macrophages may be atheroprotective via enhancing apoAI-mediated cholesterol efflux. However, it is not entirely elucidated whether precisely inhibiting miR-33a-5p in MLC also increases ABCA1-dependent cholesterol efflux. Therefore, the purpose of this work is to test the hypothesis that inhibition of miR-33a-5p in cultured MLC enhances apoAI-mediated cholesterol efflux. In our study, we utilized the VSMC line MOVAS cells in our experiments, and cholesterol-loaded MOVAS cells to convert this cell line into MLC. Inhibition of miR-33a-5p was accomplished by transducing cells with a lentivirus that expresses an antagomiR directed at miR-33a-5p. Expression of miR-33a-5p was analyzed by qRT-PCR, ABCA1 protein expression was assessed via immunoblotting, and apoAI-mediated cholesterol efflux was measured using cholesterol efflux assays. In our results, we demonstrated that lentiviral vector-mediated knockdown of miR-33a-5p resulted in decreasing expression of this microRNA in cultured MLC. Moreover, reduction of miR-33a-5p in cultured MLC resulted in de-repression of ABCA1 expression, which caused ABCA1 protein upregulation in cultured MLC. Additionally, this increase in ABCA1 protein expression resulted in enhancing ABCA1-dependent cholesterol efflux through increasing apoAI-mediated cholesterol efflux in cultured MLC. From these findings, we conclude that inhibiting miR-33a-5p in MLC may protect against atherosclerosis by promoting ABCA1-dependent cholesterol efflux.

Betel quid (BQ) is the fourth most popular psychoactive substance in the world, and BQ use disorder (BUD) is prevalent in Asian countries. Although the mechanisms underlying BUD remain unclear, studies have reported influences from monoamine oxidase inhibitor. We enrolled 50 patients with BUD and assessed their BQ consumption habits, emotional conditions, and the clinical severity of addiction—assessed using the Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders [Fifth Edition] (DSM-5) criteria, Substance Use Severity Rating Scale, and Yale–Brown Obsessive Compulsive Disorder Rating Scale for BQ. Patients were categorized into the severe group when showing six or more symptoms defined by DSM-5. A genome-wide association study was conducted for single nucleotide polymorphisms in BRCA1, COL9A1, NOTCH1, HSPA13, FAT1, and MAOA by using patients’ blood samples. More severe BUD symptoms were associated with younger age of using BQ and poor oral hygiene and with severe craving for and more anxiety toward BQ use. The MAOA rs5953210 polymorphism was significantly associated with severe BUD (odds ratio, 6.43; 95% confidence interval, 5.12–7.74; p < 0.01) and might contribute to BQ-associated cancer risk. Further studies are required to investigate the addictive properties of BQ and the development of novel diagnostic tools and pharmacotherapeutic alternatives to BUD treatment.

Molecular-assisted breeding is an effective way to improve targeted agronomic traits. dep1 (dense and erect panicle 1) is a pleiotropic gene that regulates yield, quality, disease resistance, and stress tolerance, traits that are of great value in rice (Oryza sativa L.) breeding. In this study, a colorimetric LAMP (loop-mediated isothermal amplification) assay was developed for the detection of the dep1 allele and tested for the screening and selection of the heavy-panicle hybrid rice elite restorer line SHUHUI498, modified with the allele. InDel (Insertion and Deletion) primers (DEP1_F and DEP1_R) and LAMP primers (F3, B3, FIP, and BIP) for genotyping were designed using the Primer3 Plus (version 3.3.0) and PrimerExplore (version 5) software. Our results showed that both InDel and LAMP markers could be used for accurate genotyping. After incubation at a constant temperature of 65 °C for 60 min with hydroxynaphthol blue (HNB) as a color indicator, the color of the LAMP assay containing the dep1 allele changed to sky blue. The SHUHUI498 rice line that was detected in our LAMP assay displayed phenotypes consistent with the dep1 allele such as having a more compact plant architecture, straight stems and leaves, and a significant increase in the number of effective panicles and spikelets, demonstrating the effectiveness of our method in screening for the dep1 allele in rice breeding.

Macelignan, from Myristica fragrans (nutmeg), is a bioactive compound with various pharmacological properties, including anti-inflammatory and neuroprotective activities. The purpose of this work was to investigate the antioxidant and anti-apoptotic effects of macelignan in glutamate-treated HT22 mouse hippocampal neurons. Macelignan was extracted and identified in a methanol extract of M. fragrans seeds. The DPPH was used to assess the antioxidative activity of macelignan. Glutamate (5 mM) was used to induce neurotoxicity in the HT22 cells. Neuroprotective effects were measured using relevant biochemical and imaging assays, including cell viability, ROS production, nuclear staining, apoptotic cell death, and protein expression. Macelignan markedly and concentration-dependently enhanced DPPH radical scavenging activity. In the HT22 cell model, glutamate induced cell damage by decreasing cell viability, promoting ROS generation, and increasing apoptotic cell death according to cell morphological changes. However, macelignan treatment restored cell viability, inhibited ROS generation concentration-dependently, and reduced apoptosis. Moreover, glutamate significantly up-regulated the phosphorylation of MAPK-pathway-related proteins, which was reversed by macelignan treatment. In conclusion, macelignan shows notable neuroprotective effects on oxidative stress and apoptotic cell death in glutamate-induced cells, and this study provides useful information on its potential therapeutic implications in neurological disorders.

Blood pressure (BP) measurement is a major physiological information for people with cardiovascular diseases, such as hypertension, heart failure, and atherosclerosis. Moreover, elders and patients with kidney disease and diabetes mellitus also are suggested to measure their BP every day. The cuffless BP measurement has been developed in the past 10 years, which is comfortable to users. Now, ballistocardiogram (BCG) and impedance plethysmogram (IPG) could be used to perform the cuffless BP measurement. Thus, the aim of this study is to realize edge computing for the BP measurement in real time, which includes measurements of BCG and IPG signals, digital signal process, feature extraction, and BP estimation by machine learning algorithm. This system measured BCG and IPG signals from a bodily weight-fat scale with the self-made circuits. The signals were filtered to reduce the noise and segmented by 2 s. Then, we proposed a flowchart to extract the parameter, pulse transit time (PTT), within each segment. The feature included two calibration-based parameters and one calibration-free parameter was used to estimate BP with XGBoost. In order to realize the system in STM32F756ZG NUCLEO development board, we limited the hyperparameters of XGBoost model, including maximum depth (max_depth) and tree number (n_estimators). Results show that the error of systolic blood pressure (SBP) and diastolic blood pressure (DBP) in server-based computing are 2.64 ± 9.71 mmHg and 1.52 ± 6.32 mmHg, and in edge computing are 2.2 ± 10.9 mmHg and 1.87 ± 6.79 mmHg. This proposed method significantly enhances the feasibility of bodily weight-fat scale in the BP measurement for effective utilization in mobile health applications.

This study investigates the effects of various surface modification techniques on the Ti-6Al-4V alloy for biomedical applications. Mechanical treatments (sandblasting, shot peening) and electrochemical corrosion using different electrolytes were employed to modify surface characteristics. Surface morphology, roughness, hardness, and chemical composition were analyzed using SEM, profilometry, and Raman spectroscopy. Cell attachment studies revealed that combined treatments, particularly shot peening followed by HF/HNO3 etching, significantly enhanced cell adhesion and distribution. The results demonstrate the potential for tailoring Ti-6Al-4V surfaces to optimize biocompatibility and osseointegration properties for dental and orthopedic implants.

Data for solar radiation resources play a pivotal role in assessing the energy yield capability of solar applications. A nationwide database for the typical meteorological year from the 30 weather stations of the Central Weather Bureau (CWB) in Taiwan is used to determine the spatial distribution of global radiation over the terrain of Taiwan. There is no available beam radiation information in daily reports from all CWB stations. Information on the diffuse fraction for all CWB stations is estimated using three available correlation models that account for topographical and geographical effects in Taiwan. The databases for beam radiation are generated using these estimated diffuse fractions. The mappings of global and beam radiation on the Taiwanese mainland are performed with databases from 24 CWB stations using the residual kriging method. There are no mappings of the remote islands, where six CWB stations are located. The databases for global and beam radiation for these six CWB stations are applied to nearby remote islands. The effects of topography and geography on the distributions of global and beam radiation are discussed. The spatial distributions of solar radiation presented are good scientific references for assessing the performances of solar energy systems in Taiwan.

Background/Objectives: The emergence and dissemination of carbapenem-resistant organisms, particularly Acinetobacter baumannii and Klebsiella pneumoniae, pose a significant threat to healthcare systems worldwide. This retrospective study aims to characterise carbapenem-resistant Acinetobacter baumannii (CRAB) and carbapenem-resistant Klebsiella pneumoniae (CRKP) strains in a teaching hospital and to determine the risk factors associated with patients’ in-hospital mortality. Methods: A total of 90 CRAB and 63 CRKP were included in this study. Carbapenemase genes and MLST types of CRAB and CRKP were determined using specific primers. Risk factors associated with in-hospital mortality were analysed with collected data. Results: All the CRAB strains consisted of OXA carbapenemase genes, with 98% of the strains co-harbouring blaOXA-23-like and blaOXA-51-like carbapenemase genes. Conversely, blaNDM is the predominant carbapenemase gene in CRKP, followed by blaOXA-48-like carbapenemase genes. ST2 and ST20 are the dominant MLST types in CRAB and CRKP, respectively. In CRAB, multivariate analysis identified age, ethnicity, the presence of a mechanical ventilator, and patients who experienced previous exposure to clindamycin in the last 90 days as associated with an increased risk of in-hospital mortality. In contrast, older age, male, ICU admission, and the presence of an indwelling urinary catheter were significantly associated with an increased risk of mortality for patients with CRKP. Conclusions: Both CRAB and CRKP lead to high rates of mortality. The MLST profile showed that the genomic patterns of CRKP were highly diverse, whereas CRAB strains had low genetic diversity. To tackle these challenging pathogens, robust surveillance and an in-depth understanding of molecular epidemiology and genomics studies are needed to tailor infection control strategies and individualise treatment approaches.

Far-ultraviolet C (far-UVC) light shows promise for pathogen control but its safety and efficacy for corneal disinfection remain unclear. In this study, safe far-UVC dosages were investigated for corneal disinfection and its germicidal performance and oxidative damage potential to 5% povidone-iodine (PVP-I) were compared. Rat corneas were exposed to varying 222 nm far-UVC doses (3–60 mJ/cm2) and assessed for ocular damage, apoptosis, and oxidative stress to determine the safe dose of far-UVC. Far-UVC at 30 mJ/cm2 induced corneal apoptosis and oxidative damage, but 15 mJ/cm2 caused no apoptosis or oxidative damage. At this optimized dose (9 mJ/cm2), far-UVC achieved 90.5% sterilization, exceeding 5% PVP-I (80.8%), with significantly less oxidative damage and cell death in the cornea. In conclusion, our study demonstrates that the use of 5% povidone-iodine (PVP-I) for disinfection results in significant oxidative damage to the corneal tissue. However, a safe dosage of far-UVC light exhibited a promising disinfection effect without causing oxidative damage to the corneal tissue. Far-UVC offers a promising alternative for corneal disinfection but requires careful dosage control (≤30 mJ/cm2) to avoid ocular surface harm.

Particulate matter (PM) with an aerodynamic diameter of ≤2.5 μm (PM2.5) significantly contributes to various disease-related respiratory inflammations. Armillaria mellea, recognized for its medicinal properties, could alleviate these respiratory ailments. However, its efficacy against PM2.5-induced inflammation remains elusive. In this study, we investigated whether A. mellea mycelia could mitigate PM2.5-induced respiratory inflammation and assessed the underlying mechanisms. Our results showed that A. mellea mycelia significantly reduced PM2.5-induced nitric oxide (NO) production and nuclear factor (NF)-κB activation in macrophages. Furthermore, A. mellea mycelia suppressed the expression of inflammatory mediators, indicating their potent antioxidant and anti-inflammatory properties. In murine models, A. mellea mycelia mitigated PM2.5-induced lung inflammation and cytokine secretion, restoring lung inflammatory status. Our results highlight the potential of A. mellea mycelia to treat PM2.5-induced respiratory inflammation. The antioxidant and anti-inflammatory effects of A. mellea mycelia demonstrated in vitro and in vivo hold promising potential for developing respiratory health improvement interventions upon PM2.5 exposure.

Thyroid gland diseases remain clinical challenges due to the lack of reliable in vitro models to examine molecular pathways of thyrocytes development, maturation, and functional maintenance. This study aimed to develop in vitro thyrocytes model using a stem cell culture, P19 embryonal carcinoma which requires no feeder layer, differentiation into mature and functional thyrocytes that allow molecular and genetic manipulation for studying thyroid diseases. The procedure utilizes Activin A and thyroid stimulating hormone (TSH) to first induce embryoid body endoderm formation enriched in thyrocyte progenitors. Following dissociating embryoid bodies, thyrocyte progenitors are plated in Matrigel as monolayer cultures that allows thyrocyte progenitors mature to functional thyrocytes. These thyrocytes further maturate to form follicle-like structures expressing and accumulating thyroglobulin that can be secreted into the medium upon TSH stimulation. Thyrocyte differentiation-maturation process is monitored by the expression of essential transcriptional factors and thyrocyte-specific functional genes. Further, the applicability of this system is validated by introducing a siRNA control. Following molecular manipulation, the system can still be guided to differentiate into mature and functional thyrocytes. This system spans a time frame of 14 days, suitable for detailed molecular studies to dissect pathways and molecular players in thyrocytes development and functional maintenance.

This study focusses on the spectroscopic observation of marbles, rubies and the transition zone between ruby and its hosted marble that may distinguish the origin of ruby. Samples of ruby-bearing marble were obtained from Afghanistan, Myanmar, and Pakistan. Energy-dispersive X-ray fluorescence was used to analyze the chemical compositions. Although the content of other elements in the marble varied with the origin, the Cl content was quite constant. A diagram of the trace elements Fe and Ga was used to determine the origins of the marble-hosted rubies. X-ray diffraction was used to verify the structure phases, where trioctahedral mica, plagioclase, quartz, and alkali feldspar were found in marbles. Ultraviolet–visible spectrophotometry was used for rubies, where a 659 nm fluoresce peak was found in the Myanmar ruby sample, which could make Myanmar ruby redder and more sought after. The bonding of elements and inclusions of the samples were analyzed using Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy, Raman spectroscopy, and photoluminescence. A FTIR peak at 630 cm−1 is found to be useful in judging the temperature of ruby formation. Scanning electron microscopy and energy-dispersive X-ray spectroscopy were used to analyze the variation of the transition zone, which revealed that the boundary was a gradation zone. Concentrations of Al203 increased in this zone, but CaCO3 concentrations decreased.

This paper designs and fabricates a small-type permanent-magnet linear motor and driver for automation applications. It covers structural design, magnetic circuit analysis, control strategies, and hardware development. Magnetic circuit analysis software JMAG is used for flux density distribution, back electromotive force (back-EMF), and electromagnetic force analysis. To address the lack of a complete closed magnetic circuit path at the ends of the linear motor, which causes magnetic field asymmetry, a phenomenon known as end effects, auxiliary core structures are proposed to compensate for the magnetic field at the ends. It successfully utilizes auxiliary cores to achieve the phase voltages of each phase, which are balanced at a phase voltage error of 0.02 V. To address the cogging force caused by variations in the magnetic reluctance of the core, this paper analyzes the relationship between electromagnetic force and mover position, conducting harmonic content analysis to obtain parameters. These parameters are applied to the designed cogging force control compensation strategy. It successfully achieves q-axis current compensation of around 1.05 A based on the mover’s position, ensuring that no jerking caused by cogging force occurs during closed-loop electromagnetic force control. The S-curve motion trajectory control is proposed to replace the traditional trapezoidal acceleration and deceleration, resulting in smoother position control of the linear motor. Simulations using JMAG-RT models in MATLAB/Simulink verified these control strategies. After verification, practical test results showed a maximum position error of approximately 5.0 μm. Practical tests show that the designed small-type permanent-magnet linear motor and its driver provide efficient, stable, and high-precision solutions for automation applications.

Incorporating β-glucan-rich oat bran (OB) can attenuate postprandial glycemic response (PPGR) in solid foods, but its effect in liquid matrices is unclear. This study investigated the ability of differently processed low-dose-β-glucan-containing beverages to lower PPGR, and the mechanisms of action. Twenty participants consumed five malt beverages made from cocoa powder: intact OB (Intact), OB treated with enzymatic hydrolysis (EnzymA, EnzymB) or extrusion (Extr), or no OB (Ctrl). Four-hour postprandial incremental areas under the curve (iAUC) and peak incremental concentrations (iCmax) of glucose, insulin, glucagon-like peptide 1 (GLP-1), gastric inhibitory polypeptide (GIP), and paracetamol were evaluated. The molecular weight (MW) and extractability of the β-glucan in all the test products were also assessed. The three-hour glucose iAUC significantly decreased by −26%, −28%, −32%, and −38% in Intact, EnzymA, EnzymB, and Extr, respectively, and the insulin levels of the oat-containing products were also significantly lower compared to Ctrl. Intact and Extr elicited a lower insulin iCmax and GLP-1 3 h iAUC compared to Ctrl. However, the GIP and paracetamol levels were not changed. All the processed OBs improved β-glucan extractability and lowered the MW of β-glucan compared to Intact. In conclusion, low-dose oat β-glucan in a beverage significantly reduced PPGR, with effects maintained across different oat processing methods.

Coastal blue carbon ecosystems sequester carbon, storing it as plant biomass and particulate organic matter in sediments. Recent studies emphasize the importance of incorporating dissolved inorganic and organic forms into carbon assessments. As sediment-stored organic matter decomposes, it releases dissolved inorganic carbon (DIC) and total alkalinity (TA), both of which are critical for regulating the partial pressure of CO2 (pCO2) and thus carbon sequestration. This study investigated the role of benthic DIC and TA fluxes in carbon sequestration within seagrass meadows in Dongsha Island’s inner lagoon (IL) during the winter and summer seasons. Chamber incubation experiments revealed elevated benthic DIC and TA fluxes compared to global averages (107 ± 75.9 to 119 ± 144 vs. 1.3 ± 1.06 mmol m−2 d−1 for DIC, and 69.7 ± 40.7 to 75.8 ± 81.5 vs. 0.52 ± 0.43 mmol m−2 d−1 for TA). Despite DIC fluxes being approximately 1.5 times higher than TA fluxes, water pCO2 levels remained low (149 ± 26 to 156 ± 18 µatm). Mass balance calculations further indicated that benthic DIC was predominantly reabsorbed into plant biomass through photosynthesis (−135 to −128 mmol m−2 d−1). Conversely, TA accumulated in the water and was largely exported (−60.3 to −53.7 mmol m−2 d−1), demonstrating natural ocean alkalinity enhancement (OAE). This study highlights the crucial role of IL seagrass meadows in coastal carbon sequestration through net autotrophy and carbonate dissolution. Future research should explore the global implications of these processes and assess the potential of natural OAE in other coastal blue carbon ecosystems.

Heart failure impairs the heart’s pumping ability and triggers catecholamine production as an adaptive mechanism. Uterine leiomyomas are common tumors of the female reproductive tract. Their growth is promoted by dysregulated angiogenesis and gonadal steroid hormones. Although uterine leiomyomas share risk factors with most cardiovascular diseases, their relationship with heart failure has not been well described. Herein, we present the case of a 45-year-old woman with heart failure who visited the emergency department, where we incidentally discovered a giant uterine leiomyoma. The patient was admitted with progressive dyspnea and abdominal distension. Echocardiography revealed an enlarged right ventricle and a decreased systolic function. Computed tomography revealed cardiomegaly with bilateral pleural effusions and a tumor measuring 18.0 × 12.0 cm in the abdominal cavity with massive ascites. A diagnosis of heart failure in conjunction with a uterine leiomyoma was established, which prompted the prescription and adjustment of heart failure medications according to the patient’s clinical presentation. Three weeks later, given the persistent symptoms of bilateral lower extremities pitting edema and abdominal distension, a total hysterectomy was performed. Postoperatively, echocardiography revealed marked improvement in her heart failure. The patient was discharged in a stable clinical and hemodynamic conditions, and reported good physical condition at the 4-month follow-up. Growth factors and the compression effect of uterine leiomyomas may predispose patients to heart failure and exacerbate its deterioration. Although reports of fibroid-related heart failure are rare, uterine leiomyomas should be considered a potential cause of refractory heart failure. Nevertheless, a direct association requires a longer follow-up period.

This study employed atomic layer deposition (ALD) to fabricate an Al2O3 passivation layer to optimize the performance of ultraviolet (UV) photodetectors with a TiO2-nanorod-(NR)-containing active layer and a solid–liquid heterojunction (SLHJ). To reduce the processing time and enhance light absorption, a hydrothermal method was used to grow a relatively thick TiO2-NR-containng working electrode. Subsequently, a 5-nm-thick Al2O3 passivation layer was deposited on the TiO2 NRs through ALD, which has excellent step coverage, to reduce the surface defects in the TiO2 NRs and improve the carrier transport efficiency. X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy revealed that the aforementioned layer reduced the defects in the TiO2 NRs. Moreover, high-resolution transmission electron microscopy indicated that following the annealing treatment, Al, Ti, and O atoms diffused across the interface between the Al2O3 passivation layer and TiO2 NRs, resulting in the binding of these atoms to form Al–Ti–O bonds. This process effectively filled the oxygen vacancies in TiO2. Examination of the photodetector device revealed that the photocurrent-to-dark current ratio exhibited a difference of four orders of magnitude (10−4 to 10−8 A), with the switch-on and switch-off times being 0.46 and 3.84 s, respectively. These results indicate that the Al2O3 passivation layer deposited through ALD can enhance the photodetection performance of SLHJ UV photodetectors with a TiO2 active layer.

In this study, bimetallic NiCo nanoparticles (NPs) were encapsulated within the mesopores of carboxylic acid functionalized mesoporous silica (CMS) through the chemical reduction approach. Both NaBH4 and NH3BH3 were used as reducing agents to reduce the metal ions simultaneously. The resulting composite was used as a catalyst for hydrolysis of ammonia borane (NH3BH3, AB) to produce H2. The bimetallic NiCo NPs supported on carboxylic group functionalized mesoporous silica, referred to as NixCo100−x@CMS, exhibited significantly higher catalytic activity for AB hydrolysis compared to their monometallic counterparts. The remarkable activity of NixCo100−x@CMS could be ascribed to the synergistic contributions of Ni and Co, redox reaction during the hydrolysis, and the fine-tuned electronic structure. The catalytic performance of the NixCo100−x@CMS nanocatalyst was observed to be dependent on the composition of Ni and Co. Among all the compositions investigated, Ni40Co60@CMS demonstrated the highest catalytic activity, with a turn over frequency (TOF) of 18.95 molH2min−1molcatalyst−1 and H2 production rate of 8.0 L min−1g−1. The activity of Ni40Co60@CMS was approximately three times greater than that of Ni@CMS and about two times that of Co@CMS. The superior activity of Ni40Co60@CMS was attributed to its finely-tuned electronic structure, resulting from the electron transfer of Ni to Co. Furthermore, the nanocatalyst exhibited excellent durability, as the carboxylate group in the support provided a strong metal–support interaction, securely anchoring the NPs within the mesopores, preventing both agglomeration and leakage.

This study employed chaotic systems as an innovative approach for shellcode obfuscation to evade current antivirus detection methods. Standard AV solutions primarily rely on static signatures and heuristic analysis to identify malicious code. However, chaotic systems employ dynamic and unpredictable encryption methods, significantly obstructing detection efforts. The utilization of various chaotic maps for shellcode encryption facilitates the generation of multiple unique variations from the same functional code, each exhibiting distinct unpredictability due to the inherent nonlinearity and sensitivity of chaotic systems to initial conditions. The unpredictability of these situations poses a considerable challenge for antivirus software in recognizing consistent patterns, resulting in decreased detection rates. The findings from our experiments demonstrate that chaos-driven encryption methods significantly outperform traditional encryption techniques in terms of evading detection. This paper emphasizes the potential of chaos theory to enhance malware evasion strategies, offering a sophisticated approach to bypassing modern antivirus protections while ensuring the effectiveness of malicious payloads.

Our study was designed to investigate the Lactiplantibacillus plantarum 1008 (LP1008) on testicular antioxidant capacity, spermatogenesis, apoptosis, autophagy, and metabolic function in male mice with high-fat-diet-induced obesity. A total of thirty-six male C57BL/6 mice were fed a normal diet (denoted as the NC group) or a high-fat control diet (denoted as the HFC group) for 16 weeks, then half of the HFC group was randomly chosen and subsequently fed with LP1008 for the final 8 weeks (high-fat diet + LP1008; denoted as the HFP group). The HFP group expressed improved blood cholesterol, insulin resistance, hepatic function, and lipopolysaccharide (LPS) levels compared to the HFC group. Meanwhile, the HFC group displayed decreased testicular testosterone levels, sperm quality, and 17β-HSD protein expression, which were rescued after LP1008 treatment. Moreover, the HFC group had lower superoxide dismutase (SOD), catalase (CAT), and glutathione peroxidase (GPX) enzyme activities. After LP1008 treatment, enhanced antioxidative activities and decreased lipid peroxidation were observed. The HFC group also exhibited aggravated apoptosis, inflammation, and autophagy proteins in the testis, which were ameliorated by LP1008 supplementation. Furthermore, the gut microbiota analysis results revealed that the Firmicutes/Bacteroidetes ratio was significantly elevated in the HFC and HFP groups compared to the NC group and that LP1008 treatment diminished Ruminococcaceae and enhanced Bifidobacteriaceae diversity. In summary, LP1008 treatment strengthened antioxidative enzyme levels and regulated microbiota-ameliorated HFC-induced oxidative stress, apoptosis, inflammation, and autophagy, and thus improved testicular function and semen quality.

Background: Metabolic Score for Visceral Fat (METS-VF) is a novel indicator for estimating intra-abdominal fat, yet its connection with coronary artery calcification (CAC) remains uncharted. Our research aims to explore the novel METS-VF indicator’s link to CAC while comparing its performance against relevant anthropometric indices. Methods: This study enrolled participants who underwent health checkups and computed tomography scans for categorizing severity of CAC using the coronary artery calcium score. The METS-VF was calculated and compared with anthropometric indices in estimating the presence of CAC and different CAC severity using receiver operating characteristic curves. Results: Overall, 1217 participants (mean age 50.7 ± 9.9, 53.8% male) were included. METS-VF (odds ratio [OR], 1.506; 95% confidence interval [CI], 1.181–1.921; p = 0.001) was positively associated with the presence of CAC, even after accounting for cardiometabolic factors. Notably, METS-VF was positively associated with mild (OR, 1.450; 95% CI, 1.115–1.886; p = 0.006), moderate (OR, 1.865; 95% CI, 1.137–3.062; p = 0.014), and severe (OR, 2.316; 95% CI, 1.090–4.923; p = 0.029) CAC. Moreover, METS-VF yielded the highest area under curve (AUC) value in the estimation of the CAC presence (AUC = 0.710), mild (AUC = 0.682), moderate (AUC = 0.757), and severe (AUC = 0.807) CAC when compared with body mass index, waist circumference, visceral adiposity index, triglyceride–glucose index, and metabolic score for insulin resistance. The optimal METS-VF cut-off value was 6.4 for predicting CAC. Conclusions: METS-VF emerged as a strong independent marker for detecting CAC presence across mild, moderate, and severe CAC categories, outperforming major anthropometric indices in accurately estimating the presence of CAC and different severity of CAC.

Background/Objectives: Metabolic syndrome (MS) is diagnosed when at least three out of five key risk factors are present: obesity, high blood pressure, insulin resistance, high triglycerides (TG) and low high-density lipoprotein (HDL). MS is often associated with chronic low-grade inflammation. Recent studies have shown that raw stingless bee honey (SBH) can alleviate MS risk factors. However, the high moisture content in raw SBH predisposes it to fermentation, which can degrade its quality. Therefore, dehydrating SBH is necessary to prevent the fermentation process. This study aimed to compare the effects of dehydrated (DeGT) and raw (RGT) SBH from Geniotrigona thoracica species on high-carbohydrate, high-fat diet (HCHF)-induced MS in rats. Methods: Twenty-four male Wistar rats were divided into four groups: control (C), HCHF-induced MS without treatment (MS), HCHF-induced MS treated with DeGT (MS+DeGT) and HCHF-induced MS treated with RGT (MS+RGT). Group C received standard rat chow, while the other groups were fed with HCHF diet for 16 weeks. In the final eight weeks, two HCHF-induced groups received their respective SBH treatments. Results: Both DeGT and RGT treatments reduced energy intake, fat mass, high blood pressure, inflammatory (tumour necrosis factor-alpha (TNF-α)) and obesity (the leptin/adiponectin (L/A) ratio, corticosterone, 11 beta-hydroxysteroid dehydrogenase type-1 (11βHSD1)) markers, as well as prevented histomorphometry changes (prevented adipocyte hypertrophy, increased the Bowman’s space area and glomerular atrophy). Additionally, DeGT increased serum HDL levels, while RGT reduced serum TG, leptin and other inflammatory markers (interleukin-6 (IL-6) and interleukin-1 beta (IL-1β)), as well as hepatosteatosis. Conclusions: While DeGT demonstrates potential as a preventive agent for MS, RGT exhibited more pronounced anti-MS effects in this study.

With the development of the information age, all walks of life are inseparable from the internet. Every day, huge amounts of data are transmitted and stored on the internet. Therefore, to improve transmission efficiency and reduce storage occupancy, compression technology is becoming increasingly important. Based on different application scenarios, it is divided into lossless data compression and lossy data compression, which allows a certain degree of compression. Vector quantization (VQ) is a widely used lossy compression technology. Building upon VQ compression technology, we propose a lossless compression scheme for the VQ index table. In other words, our work aims to recompress VQ compression technology and restore it to the VQ compression carrier without loss. It is worth noting that our method specifically targets texture images. By leveraging the spatial symmetry inherent in these images, our approach generates high-frequency symbols through difference calculations, which facilitates the use of adaptive Huffman coding for efficient compression. Experimental results show that our scheme has better compression performance than other schemes.

To analyze utility estimating and allocating under real-world interactive modes, various interrelationships formed by members and its operational extents are always investigated by means of multifaceted approaches. To address this, this study first proposes a symmetric allocating concept under multiple-goals. In order to evaluate relative effects result from varying members and its operational extents under different situations, this study introduces several asymmetric generalizations by applying weights related to the members and its operational extents. Several axiomatic outcomes are also adopted to express the mathematical correctness and practicality for these allocating concepts. Moreover, some more explanations for related axiomatic outcomes and applications are also offered throughout this study.

High dynamic range imaging is an important field in computer vision. Compared with general low dynamic range (LDR) images, high dynamic range (HDR) images represent a larger luminance range, making the images closer to the real scene. In this paper, we propose an approach for HDR image reconstruction from a single LDR image based on histogram learning. First, the dynamic range of an LDR image is expanded to an extended dynamic range (EDR) image. Then, histogram learning is established to predict the intensity distribution of an HDR image of the EDR image. Next, we use histogram matching to reallocate pixel intensities. The final HDR image is generated through regional adjustment using reinforcement learning. By decomposing low-frequency and high-frequency information, the proposed network can predict the lost high-frequency details while expanding the intensity ranges. We conduct the experiments based on HDR-Real and HDR-EYE datasets. The quantitative and qualitative evaluations have demonstrated the effectiveness of the proposed approach compared to the previous methods.

People with hearing impairments often face increased risks related to traffic accidents due to their reduced ability to perceive surrounding sounds. Given the cost and usage limitations of traditional hearing aids and cochlear implants, this study aims to develop a sound alert assistance system (SAAS) to enhance situational awareness and improve travel safety for people with hearing impairments. We proposed the VAS-Compass Net (Vehicle Alert Sound–Compass Net), which integrates three lightweight convolutional neural networks: EfficientNet-lite0, MobileNetV3-Small, and GhostNet. Through employing a fuzzy ranking ensemble technique, our proposed model can identify different categories of vehicle alert sounds and directions of sound sources on an edge computing device. The experimental dataset consisted of images derived from the sounds of approaching police cars, ambulances, fire trucks, and car horns from various directions. The audio signals were converted into spectrogram images and Mel-frequency cepstral coefficient images, and they were fused into a complete image using image stitching techniques. We successfully deployed our proposed model on a Raspberry Pi 5 microcomputer, paired with a customized smartwatch to realize an SAAS. Our experimental results demonstrated that VAS-Compass Net achieved an accuracy of 84.38% based on server-based computing and an accuracy of 83.01% based on edge computing. Our proposed SAAS has the potential to significantly enhance the situational awareness, alertness, and safety of people with hearing impairments on the road.

This study aimed to determine the characteristics of accelerations and angular velocities obtained by an inertial measurement unit (IMU) attached to a cane between older people with and without physical frailty. Community-dwelling older people walked at a comfortable speed using a cane with a built-in IMU. Physical frailty was assessed using exercise-related items extracted from the Kihon Check List. The efficacy of five machine learning models in distinguishing older people with physical frailty was investigated. This study included 48 older people, of which 24 were frail and 24 were not. Compared with the non-frail participants, the older people with physical frailty had a small root mean square value in the vertical and anteroposterior directions and angular velocity in the anteroposterior direction (p < 0.001, r = 0.36; p < 0.001, r = 0.29; p < 0.001, r = 0.30, respectively) and a large mean power frequency value in the vertical direction (p = 0.042, r = 0.18). The decision tree model could most effectively classify physical frailty, with an accuracy, F1 score, and area under the curve of 78.6%, 91.8%, and 0.81, respectively. The characteristics of IMU-attached cane usage by older adults with physical frailty can be utilized to effectively evaluate and determine physical frailty in their usual environments.

Background: Post-marketing surveillance is crucial for gathering data on vaccine reactogenicity, enhancing public trust in immunization, and promoting vaccine uptake. This study aims to characterize adverse events following immunization (AEFIs) and estimate the incidence rates of adverse reactions (ARs) associated with vaccines included in Taiwan’s Expanded Program on Immunization (EPI). This study utilizes data from Taiwan’s Vaccine Injury Compensation Program (VICP). Methods: Vaccine injury claims submitted to the VICP between 2014 and 2019 were analyzed. ARs were defined as AEFIs adjudicated as “related” or “indeterminate” by the VICP committee. Data on the annual number of vaccine doses administered were obtained from the Taiwan CDC, which helped calculate the AR incidence rates. Results: A total of 491 AEFI claims were reviewed, with 327 (66.6%) categorized as ARs. The AEFIs were mainly associated with the Bacillus Calmette–Guérin (BCG) vaccine (43.4%) and the seasonal influenza vaccine (22.0%). Most EPI vaccines demonstrated low AR incidence rates, ranging from 1.68 to 13.6 per million doses, with the exception of BCG, which exhibited 162.5 ARs per million doses. Shifting BCG immunization from below 5 months to at least 5 months reduced osteomyelitis incidence significantly, from 41.4 to 7.9 (p = 0.0014), but increased abscess and lymphadenitis cases. Conclusions: EPI vaccines in Taiwan are highly safe, with minimal AR incidences in the general population. The BCG vaccine remains an exception, occasionally causing severe ARs like osteomyelitis. Adjusting the immunization schedule to an older age may mitigate some of these adverse effects.

Thickness and shape are two significant indices in the tandem hot strip rolling process. Excessive thickness correction can cause rolling force imbalance, leading to deteriorated shape conditions. Aiming at this problem, we propose a new monitor automatic gauge control (M-AGC) with consideration of the rolling force distribution to not only keep the shape condition but also improve the robustness of the rolling process. First, the M-AGC with the Smith predictor control structure was studied. Second, based on the rolling force and thickness correction redistribution algorithm, shape balance automatic gauge control (SB-AGC), the phenomenon of rolling force imbalance was improved. Third, the transient response was improved by adding a command prefilter to the upstream stands, which is asynchronous shape balance automatic gauge control (ASB-AGC). The proposed algorithms can be applied to all steel grades and are easy to implement. Finally, cross-validation was conducted through numerical simulations and application results, confirming the alignment between the theoretical derivation and practical implementation. The simulation results show improvements in both the rolling force balance and the thickness response. The practical application results also confirm that better flatness conditions and thickness response can be achieved, significantly reducing the amount of head-end cutoff losses.

Recommended List (RL) is the UK plant variety recommendation system introduced in 1944 for supporting growers in making decisions on variety choices. The current RL system is heavily focused on single-trial analyses developed in the 1980s without making full use of information across varieties and trial sites. Given the statistical advances that have been developed and adopted elsewhere, it is timely to review and update the methods for data analysis in RL. In addition, threats from climate change challenge the prediction of variety performance in future environments. Better variety recommendations, particularly for matching varieties to specific environments can be achieved through the improved modeling of effects from genetics, environments, and genetic-by-environment interactions. Here, we evaluate grain yield data from 153 spring barley varieties that were trialed for RL from 2002 to 2019. Our results show that the current RL system produces poor and inconsistent predictions on variety performance across environments. Improvement in RL can be achieved by using mixed models that account for genetic relationships among varieties, and additional improvement is possible if genetic-by-environment interaction can be modeled accurately. We highlight the relevance and importance of genomics in both variety registration and recommendation.

The challenge in developing an AI deep learning model for motor health diagnosis is hampered by the lack of sufficient and representative datasets, leading to considerable time and resource consumption in research. Therefore, this paper focuses on the analysis of the second harmonic component fault characteristic induced by inter-turn short circuits (ITSCs) in phase voltages. First, it establishes a coil inter-turn short-circuit fault (ITSCF) model of the motor to identify the twice-frequency q-axis voltage error characteristics. Subsequently, it develops simulation programs by integrating control and fault models in MATLAB/Simulink/Simscape to observe and analyze the q-axis voltage and circulating current errors caused by the short circuit. Finally, a discrete wavelet transform method is established to analyze the q-axis synchronous reference frame voltage. By applying the energy-based method to extract the twice-frequency voltage error characteristics, the approach successfully detects the error features and confirms ITSCF in the motor. The contributions of this paper include not only the development of an ITSCF characteristic model for the motor but also the successful application of wavelet transform to effectively analyze the time-frequency characteristics of its signals. This approach can serve as a valuable reference for the design of deep learning models in future AI applications.

This study evaluates the economic benefits of meteorological information services (MISs) provided by the Central Weather Administration (CWA) in Taiwan, specifically for Taiwan’s capture fishery industry. Using the contingent valuation method (CVM) and conducting in-person interviews, we collected questionnaires from capture fishery practitioners nationwide to gather their subjective evaluations of the meteorological information services provided by the CWA. Based on these evaluations, we further investigated the respondents’ willingness to pay (WTP) for the CWA’s meteorological information services. An empirical analysis of the bid function was conducted to identify the key factors influencing the respondents’ bidding behavior. The empirical findings indicate that the primary factors affecting bids include subjective perceptions (such as forecast accuracy ratings and the ratings of the impacts on fishing production), working location, fishing vessel tonnage, and fishing methods. The median WTP for Taiwanese capture fishery practitioners is Taiwan dollar (TWD) 2111.12 per person per year. Based on the number of capture fishery practitioners in Taiwan in 2019, the total annual economic value of applying MIS in coastal and offshore fisheries is estimated to be between TWD 376 million and TWD 496 million per year.

Background/Objectives: The complex association between attention-deficit/hyperactivity disorder (ADHD) and methylphenidate (MPH) with precocious puberty (PP) is still unclear. This study aims to investigate the association between ADHD, MPH, and PP. Methods: This is a nationwide cohort study including a total of 3,342,077 individuals, 186,681 with ADHD and 3,155,396 without. First, we compared the risk of PP between ADHD cases and non-ADHD cases. Second, we compared the risk of PP between MPH users and non-MPH users in patients with ADHD. Results: Patients with ADHD were at a greater risk of PP (adjusted hazard ratio [aHR], 2.01 [95% CI, 1.91–2.11]). In our moderation analyses, the female gender was a positive additive effect modifier of the association between ADHD and PP, whereas tics and intellectual disability were negative effect modifiers. In patients with ADHD, MPH users had a significantly lower risk of PP (aHR, 0.63 [95% CI 0.57–0.70]), and females had a negative effect modification on the association between MPH and PP. Conclusions: Our study found that children with ADHD were at a greater risk of PP. Girls with ADHD were a group particularly vulnerable to PP. Comorbid tics or intellectual disability was associated with a lower risk of PP. Among patients with ADHD, MPH was protective against PP, especially in girls. However, these preliminary results need further validation due to the nature of them being from an electronic database study. Unmeasured confounding factors might affect the association between MPH and PP.

Background: Idiopathic pulmonary fibrosis (IPF) is a serious, progressive lung disease for which treatments are scarce. Pirfenidone has been approved for the treatment of IPF in Taiwan since 2016. This study aimed to gain a better insight into pirfenidone’s real-world safety and effectiveness in adult IPF patients in Taiwan. Methods: We conducted a prospective, multicenter, post-marketing surveillance study, and analyzed data from a small sample of 50 IPF patients treated with pirfenidone. Results: Most patients were men, with a mean age of 72.8 years (±10.3). They were in physiology stage I or II with a baseline mean forced vital capacity (FVC) of 2.236 L (73.8% of predicted value). After treatment with pirfenidone, the mean FVC decreased by 0.088 L at week 24 and 0.127 L at week 52. The mean 6 min walk test was 325.5 m at baseline, increased by 8.1 m at week 24, but then decreased by 23.0 m at week 52. These changes from baseline did not reach statistical significance. Pirfenidone prevented worsening of cough but did not stabilize dyspnea. During 52 weeks of treatment, the incidence of total adverse drug reactions was 62.0%, with decreased appetite (32.0%) and pruritis (10.0%) being the most common. The adverse events leading to treatment discontinuation were decreased appetite (8.0%), nausea (4.0%), and respiratory failure (4.0%). No safety concern was raised by the study. Treatment with pirfenidone stabilized both FVC and the subjective symptom of cough in most patients. Conclusions: This post-marketing surveillance study demonstrated that pirfenidone is an effective, safe, and well-tolerated treatment in patients with IPF in Taiwan.