Search

OBJECTIVE: Oxidative stress is increased in nonalcoholic fatty liver disease (NAFLD). Variants in the UGT1A1 gene contribute to increased bilirubin levels, and bilirubin can act as an antioxidant. We hypothesize that variant UGT1A1 genotypes reduce the risk for NAFLD development. METHODS: Two hundred thirty-four obese children 6 to 13 years of age were recruited. NAFLD was determined through liver ultrasonography. The UGT1A1 genotypes UGT1A1*6 and UGT1A1*28 were detected. We assessed the effects of UGT1A1 genotypes on pediatric NAFLD. RESULTS: In total, 12% of the obese children had NAFLD. The subjects with NAFLD had lower serum total bilirubin levels (0.25 +/- 0.30 mg/dL) than did those without NAFLD (0.36 +/- 0.38 mg/dL; P = .021). With conditioning on the effects of age- and gender-adjusted BMI, waist/hip ratio, and adiponectin levels, variant UGT1A1*6 genotypes were a protecting factor for NAFLD, with an estimated adjusted odds ratio of 0.31 (95% confidence interval: 0.11-0.91; P = .033), but variant UGT1A1*28 genotypes were not significantly associated with the occurrence of NAFLD. CONCLUSIONS: Variant UGT1A1*6 genotypes are associated with a lower risk of NAFLD in obese Taiwanese children. The UGT1A1 genotype is a new risk factor for pediatric NAFLD. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: Occupational therapy graduate students report poor well-being during their educational experience., Objective: This convergent mixed-methods study (quantitative approach presented) examined the effectiveness of an occupation-based intervention in promoting well-being., Methodology: Forty-one entry-level doctorate students (intervention = 18, control = 23) completed four standardized measures at three timepoints. The manualized intervention included six 45-minute virtual synchronous sessions, once per week. Data were analyzed using two-way mixed analysis of variance (ANOVA)., Results: Statistically significant differences in well-being ( p = .024, η p 2 = .09), self-compassion ( p = .006, η p 2 = .12), and engagement in meaningful occupations ( p = .014, η p 2 = .10) between groups, indicating intervention effectiveness., Conclusion: Intervention study participants were self-compassionate and intentional about promoting their well-being; therefore, increasing their participation in a variety of meaningful occupations moved them toward more occupational balance and improved well-being. This occupation-based intervention could be offered to promote student well-being through engagement in meaningful occupations., Competing Interests: Declaration of Conflicting InterestsThe author(s) declared the following potential conflicts of interest with respect to the research, authorship, and/or publication of this article: The authors, except Dr. P.-F.C., do not have any financial arrangements, organizational affiliations, or other relationships that might constitute a conflict of interest regarding the subject matter of the manuscript. Dr. P.-F.C. is an Associate Editor of OTJR: Occupational Therapy Journal of Research.

Glucose-6-phosphate dehydrogenase (G6PD) deficiency and variants of the UDP-glucuronosyltransferase 1A1 (UGT1A1) gene are the most common genetic causes of neonatal unconjugated hyperbilirubinemia (NUH). In this review, we searched PubMed for articles on the genetic causes of NUH published before December 31, 2022, and analyzed the data. On the basis of the results, we reached eight conclusions: (1) 37 mutations of the G6PD gene are associated with NUH; (2) the clinical manifestation of G6PD deficiency depends not only on ethnicity but also on the molecular mechanisms underlying the deficiency (and thus its severity); (3) of mutations in the UGT1A1 gene, homozygous c.-53A(TA) 6 TAA > A(TA) 7 TAA is the main cause of NUH in Caucasians and Africans, whereas homozygous c.211G > A is the main genetic cause of NUH in East Asians; (4) in Indonesian neonates, homozygous c.-3279T > G is the most common cause of NUH development, and neither c.-53 A(TA) 6 TAA > A(TA) 7 TAA nor c.211G > A causes it; (5) in breast-fed East Asian neonates, the TA7 repeat variant of the UGT1A1 gene protects against the development of NUH; (6) G6PD deficiency combined with homozygous c.211G > A variation of the UGT1A1 gene increases the risk of severe NUH; (7) in Pakistani and Caucasian patients with Crigler-Najjar syndrome type 2 (CN-2), point mutations of the UGT1A1 gene are widely distributed and frequently occur with variation at nucleotide -53, whereas in Asian patients with CN-2, compound homozygous variations in the coding region are frequently observed; and (8) records of G6PD deficiency and UGT1A1 variation status for a neonate offer useful pharmacogenomic information that can aid long-term care. These results indicate that timely diagnosis of NUH through molecular tests is crucial and that early initiation of treatment for the neonates and educational programs for their parents improves outcomes., (Copyright © 2024 Taiwan Pediatric Association. Published by Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.)

Individuals with concealable stigma continually decide whether, and if so, how to disclose to others. These complex decision-making processes are evident across various stigmatized sexual health contexts, including sexually transmitted diseases and infections, LGBTQ+ identities, and sexual trauma, among others. One context that has received less attention within communication scholarship is difficulty orgasming among women. Due to the stigma associated with this experience, women are often reluctant to disclose their orgasm difficulties to others, especially their sexual and/or relational partners. However, the motivations women have for, and the factors they consider prior to disclosure have yet to be identified. Building upon extant sexual health communication, concealable stigma, and disclosure research, this study used semi-structured interviews ( N  = 31) to examine how women disclose orgasm difficulties within their sexual and/or romantic relationships. Our findings highlight several motivations women have for (non)disclosure, and various contextual and situational factors that complicate their disclosure processes. This study contributes to our theoretical understanding of the disclosure processes model (DPM) and the disclosure of concealable (sexual health) stigma. This study also offers practical insights for improving disclosure and experiences with stigma within this context.

Background and Objectives: A cochlear implant (CI) is an effective prosthetic device used to treat severe-to-profound hearing loss. The present study examined cognitive function in CI users by employing a web-based cognitive testing platform, i.e., BrainCheck, and explored the correlation between cognitive function and subjective evaluation of hearing., Subjects and Methods: Forty-two CI users (mean age: 58.90 years) were surveyed in the subjective evaluation of hearing, and 20/42 participated in the BrainCheck cognitive tests (immediate recognition, Trail Making A, Trail Making B, Stroop, digit symbol substitution, and delayed recognition). As controls for cognitive function, young normal-hearing (YNH, mean age=23.83 years) and older normal-hearing (ONH, mean age=52.67 years) listener groups were subjected to Brain-Check testing., Results: CI users exhibited poorer cognitive function than the normal hearing groups in all tasks except for immediate and delayed recognition. The highest percentage of CI users who had "possible" and "likely" cognitive impairment, based on BrainCheck scores (ranging from 0-200), was observed in tests assessing executive function. The composite cognitive score across domains tended to be related to subjective hearing (p=0.07)., Conclusions: The findings of the current study suggest that CI users had a higher likelihood of cognitive impairment in the executive function domain than in lower-level domains. BrianCheck online cognitive testing affords a convenient and effective tool to self-evaluate cognitive function in CI users.

There are four formae speciales of Fusarium oxysporum responsible for causing yellows of Brassicaceae. Because of crossbreeding among crops, the host ranges of these formae speciales often overlap, making pathogen identification a challenging task. Among these formae speciales, F . oxysporum f. sp. rapae and F . oxysporum f. sp. matthiolae still lack specific primers for pathogen identification. To address this problem, we targeted the secreted in xylem (SIX) genes, known as specific effectors of pathogenic F. oxysporum , for primer design. Through sequence comparison with other formae speciales, we successfully designed specific primers for F. oxysporum f. sp. rapae and F. oxysporum f. sp. matthiolae on SIX14 and SIX9 , respectively. Both primer pairs exhibited high specificity in detecting F. oxysporum f. sp. rapae or F. oxysporum f. sp. matthiolae , distinguishing them from 20 nontarget formae speciales of F. oxysporum , five species of phytopathogenic Fusarium , and four other common pathogenic fungi affecting cruciferous plants. Moreover, the effectiveness of these specific primers was validated by detecting the pathogens in infected plants. To further enhance the identification process of the four formae speciales, we combined the two newly designed specific primer pairs with two previously published primer pairs, enabling the establishment of a multiplex PCR method that can accurately distinguish all four formae speciales of F. oxysporum responsible for causing yellows in cruciferous plants in a single reaction., Competing Interests: The author(s) declare no conflict of interest.

Coronary heart disease (CHD) is the leading cause of death globally, posing a serious threat to human health. However, the current treatment approaches available for CHD fall short of the ideal results. Tongxinluo (TXL) is a traditional Chinese medicine (TCM) that has been employed in the clinical treatment of cardiovascular and cerebrovascular diseases (such as angina pectoris, stroke, etc.) in China for many years and holds great potential as a prospective treatment. TXL either as a standalone treatment or in combination with interventions recommended in CHD guidelines has been shown to be effective and well tolerated in clinical trials for CHD. Drawing on the evidence from clinical trials and experimental studies, this review will focus on the cardiovascular protective properties and related mechanisms of TXL. By searching 8 Chinese and English databases, more than 4000 articles were retrieved. These articles were categorized, then read, and finally written into this review. In this review, the pharmacological properties of TXL include regulation of blood lipids, improvement of endothelial function, anti-inflammatory, antioxidant, inhibition of apoptosis and regulation of autophagy, anti-fibrosis, promotion of angiogenesis, and modulation of exosome communication. The information provided in this review will help the reader to comprehend better the insights that TCM has developed over time in practice and provide new perspectives for the treatment of CHD., Competing Interests: The authors declare that they have no known competing financial interests or personal relationships that could have appeared to influence the work reported in this paper., (© 2024 Published by Elsevier Ltd.)

Individuals with invisible disabilities continually undergo decision-making processes regarding whether or not, and if so, how to disclose their disability to others. While a great deal of theorization exists regarding disclosure processes, less work has considered how and why individuals with invisible disabilities forgo the disclosure process by making the invisible visible. This study examines motivations for using tattoos as a mechanism for invisible disability disclosure among the single-sided deaf (SSD) community. Interviews with 41 individuals with SSD across the U.S. reveal a complex set of motivations for permanently and visibly disclosing invisible disability through the use of tattoos. Motivations ranged from being (1) functionally driven, such as normalizing and naturalizing disability disclosures in mixed interactions (2) identity driven, such as showing pride in their condition with the goal of de-stigmatizing SSD (3) community driven, such as educating others about SSD and increasing camaraderie within the hard-of-hearing community to (4) personally driven, such as memorializing a loss, marking the legitimacy of deafness to the self and to others, and increasing disability identification. This study contributes to existing disclosure models by considering how this emerging form of disclosure bypasses and complicates some of the foundational assumptions of disclosure decision-making processes regarding whether, to whom, and how individuals with disabilities disclose. This provides important insights regarding how disclosure decisions can be predetermined and made independent of context, situation, and relationship(s), which has several theoretical and practical implications.

Purpose: To compare the group- and individual-level responsiveness of the Barthel Index (BI) and modified BI (MBI) in patients with early subacute stroke., Materials and Methods: The BI and MBI scores of 63, 63, and 55 patients were retrieved at 3 time points with a 3-weeks interval. The group-level responsiveness was examined using paired t -test and standardized response mean (SRM). The individual-level responsiveness was examined by the percentage of patients who achieved significant improvement exceeding the corresponding minimal detectable change., Results: At the group level, the MBI showed significantly larger SRMs than did the BI in the 1st-2nd assessment (1.10 vs. 0.81 [95% CI of mean difference = 0.05-0.38]) and the 2nd-3rd assessment (0.94 vs. 0.72 [95% CI of mean difference = 0.04-0.41]). At the individual level, the MBI detected significantly more patients with significant improvement than the BI for the 1st-2nd assessments only (34.9 vs. 25.4% [95% CI of mean differences = 3.2-17.5])., Conclusions: The MBI has better responsiveness than the BI at both the group and individual levels in the patients with early subacute stroke. The MBI is recommended for clinical and research use as an outcome measure for patients with stroke.IMPLICATIONS FOR REHABILITATIONThe MBI is recommended for clinical and research applications because of its superior ability to detect subtle changes in ADL performance in patients with subacute stroke.The MBI and the BI have equal responsiveness for patients whose magnitude of improvement of ADL is substantial.

Chronic inflammation is a major contributor to the development of obesity-induced insulin resistance, which then can lead to the development of type 2 diabetes (T2D). Skeletal muscle plays a pivotal role in insulin-stimulated whole-body glucose disposal. Therefore, dysregulation of glucose metabolism by inflammation in skeletal muscle can adversely affect skeletal muscle insulin sensitivity and contribute to the pathogenesis of T2D. The mechanism underlying insulin resistance is not well known; however, macrophages are important initiators in the development of the chronic inflammatory state leading to insulin resistance. Skeletal muscle consists of resident macrophages which can be activated by lipopolysaccharide (LPS). These activated macrophages affect myocytes via a paracrine action of pro-inflammatory mediators resulting in secretion of myokines that contribute to inflammation and ultimately skeletal muscle insulin resistance. Therefore, knowing that synthetic triterpenoid 2-cyano-3,12-dioxooleana-1,9(11)-dien-28-oic acids (CDDOs) can attenuate macrophage pro-inflammatory responses in chronic disorders, such as cancer and obesity, and that macrophage pro-inflammatory responses can modulate skeletal muscle inflammation, we first examined whether CDDO-ethyl amide (CDDO-EA) inhibited chemokine and cytokine production in macrophages since this had not been reported for CDDO-EA. CDDO-EA blocked LPS-induced tumor necrosis factor-alpha (TNF-α), monocyte chemotactic protein-1 (MCP-1), interleukine-1beta (IL-1β), and interleukine-6 (IL-6) production in RAW 264.7 mouse and THP-1 human macrophages. Although many studies show that CDDOs have anti-inflammatory properties in several tissues and cells, little is known about the anti-inflammatory effects of CDDOs on skeletal muscle. We hypothesized that CDDO-EA protects skeletal muscle from LPS-induced inflammation by blocking nuclear factor kappa B (NF-κB) signaling. Our studies demonstrate that CDDO-EA prevented LPS-induced TNF-α and MCP-1 gene expression by inhibiting the NF-κB signaling pathway in L6-GLUT4myc rat myotubes. Our findings suggest that CDDO-EA suppresses LPS-induced inflammation in macrophages and myocytes and that CDDO-EA is a promising compound as a therapeutic agent for protecting skeletal muscle from inflammation.

Background/purpose: Alanine aminotransferase (ALT) is a cost-effective screening test for asymptomatic liver diseases. The aims of this study are to redefine the ULNs of ALT using the 2010-2012 Nutrition and Health Survey in Taiwan (NAHSIT) database and to determine whether the updated ULNs can better screen for metabolic dysfunction-associated fatty liver disease (MAFLD) in obese children., Methods: Reference data were obtained from 2895 NAHSIT participants (1442 boys, 1453 girls) aged 6-18 years. Participants with any of MAFLD-related metabolic risk factors, including overweight/obesity, elevated triglyceride, low high-density lipoprotein cholesterol and high fasting glucose, were excluded. This study compared the sensitivities of different ULNs of ALT for detecting MAFLD in our previously established cohort of obese children., Results: The ULNs of ALT defined as the 95th percentile in metabolically healthy NAHSIT participants were 23 IU/L for boys and 18 IU/L for girls. When using the updated ULNs, the percentages of elevated ALT levels were 13.0% in boys and 7.8% in girls of all NAHSIT participants. When using the updated ULNs of ALT to detect MAFLD in obese children, the sensitivity was 84.0% in boys and 74.3% in girls. In contrast, when using the conventional ALT cutoff (>40 IU/L), the sensitivity decreased to 61.4% in boys and 36.4% in girls., Conclusion: After taking into account MAFLD-related metabolic risk factors, the ULNs of ALT are 23 IU/L for boys and 18 IU/L for girls in Taiwan. The updated ULNs may be better cutoffs for screening MAFLD in obese children., Competing Interests: Declaration of competing interest The authors have no conflicts of interest relevant to this article., (Copyright © 2022 Formosan Medical Association. Published by Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.)

Mobile media offer new ways for older adults to access and interact with their social support networks. While mobile media usage has been increasing among older adults, less is known about why older adults with chronic pain prefer to select members of their existing social network for quality social support interactions, what types of communication mechanisms they engage in when utilizing mobile media, and how they use their mobile media to manage their interactions and relationships. The analysis of 25 semi-structured interviews with older adults with chronic pain reveals that a sense of camaraderie and shared meaning of pain experiences underlie their preferences for communicating with similar others about chronic pain. On the other hand, having to take on a role reversal of comforting and receiving unsolicited advice are the main reasons for avoiding social support interactions with dissimilar others. Additionally, older adults strategically utilize specific features of mobile media such as SMS text messaging for short forms of validation and encouragement, staccato social support, and management of interaction coordination or avoidance. This study demonstrates how mobile technology can be adopted and appropriated to meet social, emotional, and interpersonal needs of older adults' lives. It also provides important insights into communicative dynamics of pain-related social support interactions and communication channel selection of older adults. The way mobile media are used to leverage social interactions and support networks can contribute to self-management, health-promoting behavior, and overall quality of life for older adults with chronic pain.

Background/purpose: The status of nonalcoholic fatty liver disease (NAFLD) can wax and wane over time in children. However, the factors affecting its incidence and remission remain elusive. We aimed to investigate NAFLD incidence, remission and predicting factors in obese children., Methods: Obese children aged 9-10 and 12-13 years were recruited from schools and followed up for 2 years. Liver ultrasonography was performed at baseline and Year 1. Alanine aminotransferase (ALT) concentrations were measured at baseline, Year 1 and Year 2. Elevated ALT was defined as above 26 U/L for boys and 22 U/L for girls. Four NAFLD susceptible genes, including PNPLA3, GCKR, TM6SF2 and MBOAT7, were genotyped. We analyzed the effects of these risk factors on the incidence and remission of NAFLD and elevated ALT., Results: At baseline, 86 of 440 (19.5%) subjects had ultrasonography-diagnosed NAFLD. At Year 1, of 264 subjects without NAFLD at baseline, 20 (7.6%) developed NAFLD. The baseline BMI z-score and increment in BMI z-score independently predicted incident NAFLD. Of the 68 subjects with NAFLD at baseline, 36 (52.9%) had NAFLD remission. Decrement in BMI z-score independently predicted NAFLD remission. The four studied NAFLD susceptible genes were not significantly associated with either the incidence or remission of NAFLD. In addition, changes in BMI z-score predicted the incidence and remission of elevated ALT from Year 1 to Year 2., Conclusion: Obese children with increasing BMI are more likely to develop NAFLD and those with decreasing BMI are more likely to have NAFLD remission., Competing Interests: Declaration of conflicts of interest The authors have no conflicts of interest relevant to this article., (Copyright © 2021 Formosan Medical Association. Published by Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.)

Study Design: This is a cross-sectional observational study., Background: Reference equations for describing hand-grip strength across the age span were derived from the 2011 NIH Toolbox norming study., Purpose: The purpose of this study was to cross-validate reference equations by evaluating its predicting power on a separate, independent data set from the 2011-2014 National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey (NHANES) study METHODS: Observed hand-grip strength data from 13,676 noninstitutionalized participants were obtained from the NHANES study. Best values (best from 3 trials) and the mean values (averaged from 3 trials) were determined for each hand. Using the age (yr), height (m), and weight (kg), we computed predicted grip strength values for dominant and nondominant hands using the reference equations. For validation, three predictability measures: the correlation coefficient, residuals, and accuracy, were used along with the Bland-Altman plot., Results: The predicted values highly correlated with observed values (r = 0.90, ICC = 0.89). In predicting best values, means (SD) of residuals were 1.41 (5.57) and 1.03 (5.44) kg for dominant and nondominant hands, respectively. In predicting mean values, means (SD) of residuals were -0.23 (5.42) and -0.54 (5.31) kg for dominant and nondominant hands, respectively. Root mean square error ranged from 4.10 (female's nondominant mean values) to 6.74 (male's dominant best values). About 5.56% fell outside of the 95% confidence interval of the prediction., Conclusions: We acknowledged that the two studies' hand-grip protocols (NIH Toolbox, NHANES) were different. Results provided the preliminary predicting performance of the reference equations derived from the NIH Toolbox study., (Copyright © 2021. Published by Elsevier Inc.)

Objective: To observe the effect of auriculotherapy with miniature bian needle on anxious emotion, the condition of angina pectoris attack and sleep quality in the patients with anxiety after percutaneous coronary intervention (post-PCI)., Methods: A total of 74 eligible patients of post-PCI combined with anxious depression were randomized into an auriculotherapy group (37 cases, 2 cases dropped out) and a control group (37 cases, 3 cases dropped out). In the auriculotherapy group, on the base of the conventional secondary prevention medication for coronary heart disease (CHD), auriculotherapy with miniature bian needle was supplemented. In the control group, a proper physical exercise was combined on the base of the secondary prevention medication for CHD. The duration of treatment was 4 weeks in two groups. Separately, the score of Hamilton anxiety scale (HAMA), the score Seattle angina questionnaire (SAQ) and the score of Pittsburgh sleep quality index (PSQI) were assessed in the patients of the two groups before and after treatment., Results: After treatment, the score of HAMA, the score of each item of SAQ and PSQI score were all improved significantly as compared with those before treatment respectively in both the auriculotherapy group and the control group ( P <0.001, P <0.05). After treatment, HAMA score, PSQI score and the scores of physical limitation (PL), anginal stability (AS), anginal frequency (AF) and treatment satisfaction (TS) in SAQ in the auriculotherapy group were all better than those in the control group ( P <0.001, P <0.05). The total effective rate was 91.43% (32/35) in the auriculotherapy group, obviously higher than 58.82% (20/34) in the control group ( P <0.001)., Conclusion: Auriculotherapy with miniature bian needle effectively relieves anxious emotions and the condition of angina pectrois attack and improves sleep quality in the post-PCI patients with anxiety.

Study Design: This is a cross-sectional, observational study., Introduction: The disability of the arm, shoulder and hand (DASH) questionnaire is an upper-extremity specific outcome measure commonly used in routine clinical care and clinical trials., Purpose of the Study: Our purposes were to: (1) examine the psychometric properties of the DASH questionnaire using factor analysis, one- and two-parameter item response theory models, and (2) develop a functional staging map illustrating the relationships between the item difficulty hierarchy of the DASH items and the patient's DASH total score., Methods: Data from 2724 patients with orthopedic shoulder impairments seeking outpatient physical therapy in 79 clinics in the US were analyzed., Results: Factor analysis supported a general factor, explaining 62.2% of the total variance. The coverage of DASH items was suitable for patients with shoulder impairments with no ceiling or floor effect. Endorsed items representing the most difficult items were related to feeling less capable, executing recreational activities with force or impact, and performing recreational activities in which you move your arm freely. Items with higher discriminating abilities were those related to do heavy household chores, garden/yard work, and change a light bulb overhead. With a separation index equaled to 4.94, the DASH can differentiate persons into at least 6 statistically distinct person strata. None of the DASH items exhibited differential item functioning by gender or symptom acuity, except two items by age group., Discussion: Besides a total (summed) final score obtained from a specific measure, the keyform and functional staging plots/maps can be used to assist clinicians in clinical interpretation of the scores., Conclusions: Results supported the clinical usage of the DASH questionnaire in patients with orthopedic shoulder impairments seeking outpatient rehabilitation., (Copyright © 2020 Hanley & Belfus. Published by Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.)

Background: We found that Taiwanese adults carrying genotypes of UDP-glucuronosyltransferase (UGT) 1A1 with enzyme activity ≤40% of normal were at high risk for developing Gilbert's syndrome. However, the relationship between UGT1A1 activity and neonatal hyperbilirubinemia has never been evaluated for Taiwanese., Methods: We enrolled 141 hyperbilirubinemic neonates partially fed supplementary infant formula and 432 controls; and 112 hyperbilirubinemic neonates exclusively breastfed and 493 controls. The five single nucleotide polymorphisms (SNPs) at nucleotides -53, 211, 686, 1091 and 1456 in the UGT1A1 gene were determined and UGT1A1 activity was estimated. Odds ratios (ORs) of variation status in the UGT1A1 gene and enzyme activity for the development of neonatal hyperbilirubinemia were calculated, respectively., Results: For neonates partially fed supplementary infant formula, the adjusted OR (AOR) for the development of hyperbilirubinemia was significantly higher in the neonates carrying the homozygous variation (211AA) in the UGT1A1 gene than for those carrying the wild type (AOR = 6.00, p < 0.001). Only the AOR of those carrying UGT1A1 activity ranked 31-40% of normal was statistically significant (AOR = 3.16, p < 0.001). For the hyperbilirubinemic neonates exclusively breastfed, AOR for the development of hyperbilirubinemia is positively correlated to degree of variation (AOR = 1.95, 2.19 and 4.53; with p = 0.003, 0.05 and < 0.001, respectively), while the effect of UGT1A1 enzyme activity was varied (AOR = 1.02-3.72, with p = 0.95∼<0.001)., Conclusion: The estimated enzyme activity depending on combination of SNPs (genotypes) in the UGT1A1 gene could not be utilized to explain the development of neonatal hyperbilirubinemia. We reconfirm that the -53 A(TA) 7 TAA/A(TA) 7 TAA is not, while the 211AA is a risk factor for the development of neonatal hyperbilirubinemia in Taiwanese., Competing Interests: Declaration of Competing Interest The authors have no conflicts of interest to declare., (Copyright © 2020. Published by Elsevier B.V.)

There is a relationship between sitting balance and self-care functioning, but no occupation-based sitting balance assessment. The objective of this study was to determine whether the Sock Test for Sitting Balance (STSB) is a valid balance assessment for use by therapists in acute care. Results of the STSB were compared with those of the Adapted Functional Reach (AFR), the Functional Independence Measure (FIM™) chair transfer, and the Kansas University Sitting Balance Scale (KUSBS), in both hospitalized and healthy participants. There is a significant relationship between STSB results and AFR results for all participants ( r s = -.382, p = .012). Relationships between STSB results and score on the FIM™ Chair Transfer subscale ( p = .001), and score on the KUSBS ( p = .003) are significant. The STSB can differentiate between a hospitalized population and healthy population ( p = .017). Criterion and known-groups validity are demonstrated, but should be confirmed with further testing.

Objective: To understand the communication and social challenges that individuals with SSD face post diagnosis., Methods: Fifty-two single-sided deaf patients from all over the world participated in semi-structured interviews. Interviews were digitally recorded, transcribed verbatim, and coded using a thematic analysis approach., Results: Patients with single sided deafness identified challenges including: increased reliance on family members, decreased sense of autonomy, communication quality changes with family members, information discrepancy across family members and various emotional responses, conflicting information from interactions with multiple medical professionals, and lack of knowledge regarding what to anticipate post diagnosis., Conclusion: This study provides insights into patients' perspectives around single-sided deafness and its challenges, and the various health care approaches (e.g., patient- and family-centered care, third party disability, patient navigation) that could be implemented post diagnosis to decrease negative experiences and outcomes associated with SSD., Practical Implications: This study has practical implications for improving our understanding of what single-sided deaf patients need and for health professionals to offer better care to current and future populations impacted by single-sided deafness., (Copyright © 2019 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.)

Bowel microbiota is a "metaorgan" of metabolisms on which quantitative readouts must be performed before interventions can be introduced and evaluated. The study of the effects of probiotic Clostridium butyricum MIYAIRI 588 (CBM588) on intestine transplantees indicated an increased percentage of the "other glycan degradation" pathway in 16S-rRNA-inferred metagenomes. To verify the prediction, a scoring system of carbohydrate metabolisms derived from shotgun metagenomes was developed using hidden Markov models. A significant correlation (R = 0.9, p < 0.015) between both modalities was demonstrated. An independent validation revealed a strong complementarity (R = -0.97, p < 0.002) between the scores and the abundance of "glycogen degradation" in bacteria communities. On applying the system to bacteria genomes, CBM588 had only 1 match and ranked higher than the other 8 bacteria evaluated. The gram-stain properties were significantly correlated to the scores (p < 5 × 10 -4 ). The distributions of the scored protein domains indicated that CBM588 had a considerably higher (p < 10 -5 ) proportion of carbohydrate-binding modules than other bacteria, which suggested the superior ability of CBM588 to access carbohydrates as a metabolic driver to the bowel microbiome. These results demonstrated the use of integrated counts of protein domains as a feasible readout for metabolic potential within bacteria genomes and human metagenomes.

Background/aims: There are substantial genetic components contributing to the susceptibility of nonalcoholic fatty liver disease (NAFLD). It has recently been reported that the rs641738 C>T variant in the membrane-bound O-acyltransferase domain-containing protein 7 (MBOAT7) gene increased severity of NAFLD in adults of European descent. We aimed to test the hypothesis that MBOAT7 rs641738 variant would increase hepatic steatosis and hepatocellular injury in obese children., Methods: A total of 831 obese children aged 7-15 years were recruited. Hepatic steatosis was measured by ultrasonography. Because PNPLA3 rs738409, GCKR rs780094 and TM6SF2 rs58542926 variants are known to confer susceptibility to NAFLD, we assessed the influence of MBOAT7 rs641738 on hepatic steatosis, and serum levels of CK-18 fragment (a biomarker of hepatocellular injury and apoptosis for NAFLD) after adjusting the effects of PNPLA3, GCKR and TM6SF2 polymorphisms., Results: Of the recruited obese children, 22.7% had hepatic steatosis. PNPLA3 rs738409, GCKR rs780094 and TM6SF2 rs58542926 variants were independent risk factors of hepatic steatosis and elevated ALT levels. In contrast, MBOAT7 rs641738 variants, neither heterozygous nor homozygous genotypes, were not associated with hepatic steatosis, insulin resistance, lipid levels and liver enzymes. The multiple linear regression model revealed that after adjusting for age, gender, body mass index z score, PNPLA3 rs738409 and GCKR rs780094 variants, but not MBOAT7 rs641738, were associated with serum levels of CK-18 fragment., Conclusions: The variant MBOAT7 rs641738 genotype is not associated with hepatic steatosis and serum levels of CK-18 fragment in obese Taiwanese children., (© 2018 John Wiley & Sons A/S. Published by John Wiley & Sons Ltd.)

Motivated by the need to support those self-managing chronic pain, we report on the development and evaluation of a novel pressure-based tangible user interface (TUI) for the self-report of scalar values representing pain intensity. Our TUI consists of a conductive foam-based, force-sensitive resistor (FSR) covered in a soft rubber with embedded signal conditioning, an ARM Cortex-M0 microprocessor, and Bluetooth Low Energy (BLE). In-lab usability and feasibility studies with 28 participants found that individuals were able to use the device to make reliable reports with four degrees of freedom as well map squeeze pressure to pain level and visual feedback. Building on insights from these studies, we further redesigned the FSR into a wearable device with multiple form factors, including a necklace, bracelet, and keychain. A usability study with an additional 7 participants from our target population, elderly individuals with chronic pain, found high receptivity to the wearable design, which offered a number of participant-valued characteristics (e.g., discreetness) along with other design implications that serve to inform the continued refinement of tangible devices that support pain self-assessment.

Objective: To understand the dynamic experiences of parents undergoing the decision-making process regarding cochlear implants for their child(ren)., Methods: Thirty-three parents of d/Deaf children participated in semi-structured interviews. Interviews were digitally recorded, transcribed, and coded using iterative and thematic coding., Results: The results from this study reveal four salient topics related to parents' decision-making process regarding cochlear implantation: 1) factors parents considered when making the decision to get the cochlear implant for their child (e.g., desire to acculturate child into one community), 2) the extent to which parents' communities influence their decision-making (e.g., norms), 3) information sources parents seek and value when decision-making (e.g., parents value other parent's experiences the most compared to medical or online sources), and 4) personal experiences with stigma affecting their decision to not get the cochlear implant for their child., Conclusion: This study provides insights into values and perspectives that can be utilized to improve informed decision-making, when making risky medical decisions with long-term implications., Practical Implications: With thorough information provisions, delineation of addressing parents' concerns and encompassing all aspects of the decision (i.e., medical, social and cultural), health professional teams could reduce the uncertainty and anxiety for parents in this decision-making process for cochlear implantation., (Copyright © 2017 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.)

Choristoma is a mass of tissue that is histologically normal for the organ or part of the body from which it originates, but is located at an abnormal site. Choristoma of the nervous system involves the occurrence of residual dysplastic tissues outside the nervous system and exhibits a low incidence. Thus far, there has been no prior report of intraspinal choristoma originating from the striated muscle. The patient in the present case was a young man who was admitted to the hospital wing to intermittent lumbago. A lumbar magnetic resonance imaging examination revealed a cystic-solid lesion in the spinal canal at the S1 level. Preoperatively, the lesion was suspected to be a teratoma and was therefore completely removed. The postoperative pathological report suggested that the mass was an intraspinal choristoma, a benign lesion associated with a good prognosis, which had originated from striated muscle. Early diagnosis and treatment can prevent progression of nerve dysfunction. The patient recovered well postoperatively and the symptoms of lower back pain disappeared. Although intraspinal choristomas are rare, when a lesion in the spinal canal is diagnosed, it should be considered in the differential diagnosis tumors.

Background & Aims: Autophagy has been shown to be crucial in the regulation of the intracellular lipid stores in hepatocytes. We hypothesize that immunity-related GTPase family M (IRGM) gene (an autophagy-related gene) variants confer the susceptibility to non-alcoholic fatty liver disease (NAFLD) development., Methods: 832 obese children and adolescents aged 6-18years were recruited. NAFLD was determined by liver ultrasonography. We genotyped PNPLA3 rs738409, GCKR rs780094, TM6SF2 rs58542926, six IRGM single nucleotide polymorphisms (rs13361189, rs9637876, rs72553867, rs10065172, rs1000113, and rs11747270). To understand the molecular mechanism, we examined the effects of IRGM knockdown and overexpression on autophagic flux and lipid droplet metabolism in human hepatoma cells., Results: 22.8% of recruited obese children and adolescents had NAFLD. Multiple logistic regression analysis revealed that after controlling for the effects of age- and gender-adjusted body mass index, gender, PNPLA3, GCKR, and TM6SF2 polymorphisms, variant IRGM rs10065172 TT genotype independently increased the odds ratio of NAFLD by 2.04 (95% confidence interval 1.22-3.42; p=0.007), as compared to the CC genotype. The predictive model was validated by means of 10-fold cross validation. Functional assay revealed that IRGM knockdown inhibited autophagic flux and increased lipid droplet content in HepG2 and PLC/PRF/5 cells, which were reversed by the autophagy inducer rapamycin administration. Similarly, wortmannin (an autophagy inhibitor) increased intracellular lipid droplet content. In contrast, overexpression of IRGM caused decreased lipid droplet content in HepG2 cells., Conclusions: Our findings suggest that IRGM may contribute to the development of human NAFLD by altering hepatic lipid metabolism through the autophagy pathway., Lay Summary: Autophagy is involved in the process of lipid metabolism in hepatocytes. The mechanism of autophagy regulation by IRGM has just been unveiled. This study demonstrates that genetic variants in IRGM confer risk of human non-alcoholic fatty liver disease. The functional studies reveal how IRGM regulates hepatic lipid droplet content., (Copyright © 2016 European Association for the Study of the Liver. Published by Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.)

This study developed a novel and inexpensive detection method based on a TaqMan probe-based insulated isothermal polymerase chain reaction (iiPCR) method for the rapid detection of Panama disease caused by Fusarium oxysporum f. sp. cubense (Foc) race 4, which is currently among the most serious fungal vascular diseases worldwide. By using the portable POCKIT™ device with the novel primer set iiFoc-1/iiFoc-2, the Foc race 4 iiPCR assay (including DNA amplification and signal monitoring) could be completed within one hour. The developed Foc race 4 iiPCR assay is thus a user-friendly and efficient platform designed specifically for the detection of Foc race 4. The detection limit of this optimized Foc iiPCR system was estimated to be 1 copy of the target standard DNA as well as 1 fg of the Foc genomic DNA. This approach can serve as a rapid detection method for in planta detection of Foc race 4 in field-infected banana. It was concluded that this molecular detection procedure based on iiPCR has good potential for use as an efficient detection method.

After traumatic brain injury (TBI), many people experience significant motor function impairments. To help occupational therapy practitioners make informed decisions in choosing treatment strategies to improve clients' motor function, we undertook a systematic review and synthesized applicable findings of intervention studies. Of 2,306 articles identified in the literature search, we reviewed 47 full-text articles, of which 16 met approved criteria. We found moderate evidence that various exercise programs increase motor function and limited evidence that people with TBI can benefit from rehabilitation and computer-based programs. We offer implications for practice, education, and research., (Copyright © 2016 by the American Occupational Therapy Association, Inc.)

Objective: Several studies suggested that colonic microbiota have impacts on irritable bowel syndrome (IBS) patients. However, the knowledge about the association of small intestine (SI) microbiota with IBS is limited. We aimed to investigate the gut microbiota composition of SI and stool in IBS patients., Materials and Methods: Biopsies of jejunum mucosa by balloon-assisted enteroscopy and faecal samples from 28 IBS patients and 19 healthy controls were analysed by next-generation sequencing method., Results: The three major phyla in SI microbiota of case/control groups were Proteobacteria (32.8/47.7%), Bacteroidetes (25.2/15.3%), and Firmicutes (19.8/11.2%), and those of stool were Bacteroidetes (41.3/45.8%), Firmicutes (40.7/38.2%), and Proteobacteria (15.4/7.1%). Analysis based on the family level, IBS patients had a higher proportion of Veillonellaceae (mean proportion 6.49% versus 2.68%, p = 0.046) in stool than controls. Prevotellaceae was more abundant in IBS patients than in control group (14.27% versus 6.13%, p = 0.023), while Mycobacteriaceae (0.06% versus 0.17%, p = 0.024) and Neisseriaceae (6.40% versus 8.94%, p = 0.038) was less abundant in IBS patients' jejunal mucosa than those in controls. This less abundant jejunal Neisseriaceae was associated with more severe IBS (p = 0.03). The ratio of Firmicutes to Bacteroidetes in the stool of IBS-diarrhoea type patients was approximately three-fold higher, and the ratio of Firmicutes to Actinobacter in SI of IBS-mixed type patients was about nine-fold higher than healthy subjects., Conclusion: Higher abundance of colonic Veillonellaceae and SI Prevotellaceae, and lower amount of oral cavity normal flora in proximal SI were found in IBS patients. We may manipulate these bacteria in IBS patients in future studies (ClinicalTrial.gov Number NCT01679730).

Pro-anorexic websites are a popular online venue for individuals with anorexia, but recent research suggests that they play a role of "online negative enabling support groups" because they can undermine recovery and encourage negative behaviors by validating pro-anorexic views. By analyzing 22,811 messages from 5,590 conversations from the Pro-Ana Nation online discussion board forum, this study examines communicative mechanisms of online negative enabling support through language analysis of disclosure-response sequences, changes in the language of the initial discloser within an interaction exchange, and the role of responses in eliciting those changes. The findings show that initiating disclosures containing stigma-related emotion words, anorexia-specific content, and sociorelational content are typically met with negatively valenced responses from other members of the pro-anorexic community. Moreover, although the act of revealing stigmatized information has some cathartic effects, disclosers use more, not fewer, stigma-related emotion words when they receive negatively valenced responses. These results provide insight into communicative dynamics and effects of online negative enabling support through validation of the pro-anorexic identity and the dangerous cycle of stigma escalation in disclosure-response exchanges on pro-anorexic online communities.

Background and Objectives: Oxidative stress and the insulin-resistant state are thought to be key components in the pathogenesis of pediatric nonalcoholic fatty liver disease (NAFLD). Heme oxygenase (HO) is important in the defense against oxidative stress. This study aimed to assess the association of HO-1 gene promoter polymorphism and insulin resistance with NAFLD among obese children., Methods: A total of 101 obese children aged 6-17 years were recruited. Anthropometric, serum biochemical variables and biomarkers for glucose and insulin metabolism were measured. We screened the allelic frequencies of (GT)n repeats in the HO-1 gene promoter among these obese children. NAFLD was determined through liver ultrasonography. Because the distribution of numbers of (GT)n repeats was bimodal, we divided the alleles into two classes: class S included shorter (27) repeats, and class L included longer (⩾27) repeats. We assessed the effects of the length of (GT)n repeats in HO-1 gene promoter on pediatric NAFLD., Results: Of the 101 obese subjects, 27 (26.7%) had NAFLD. The alanine aminotransferase level was higher in patients carrying L alleles (L/L and L/S) than patients with S alleles (S/S) (46.2±49.3 IU|(-1) versus 30.2±20.1 IU|(-1); P=0.027). The significant risk factors for pediatric NAFLD were patients carrying L alleles (L/L and L/S) (odds ratio (OR)=18.84; 95% confidence interval (CI): 1.45-245.22; P=0.025), homeostasis model assessment of insulin resistance (OR=1.40; 95% CI: 1.07-1.83; P=0.014) and age (OR=1.24; 95% CI: 1.03-1.50; P=0.025)., Conclusion: In this hospital-based study, the obese children with longer GT repeats in the HO-1 gene promoter and insulin resistance were susceptible to NAFLD.

MoodLight is an interactive ambient lighting system that responds to biosensor input related to an individual's current level of arousal. Changes in levels of arousal correspond to fluctuations in the color of light provided by the system, altering the immediate environment in ways intimately related to the user's private internal state. We use this intervention to explore personal and social implications of the ambient display of biosensor data. This study provides greater understanding of the ways in which the representations of personal informatics, with a focus on ambient feedback, influence our perceptions of ourselves and those around us.

This article extends socioemotional selectivity theory to online social networking by examining age differences in the size and composition of Facebook networks across a wide age range of Facebook users (18 to 93 years old) in a nationally representative sample. Findings suggest increasing selectivity of Facebook social partners with age. Compared to younger adults, friend networks of older adults are smaller but contain a greater proportion of individuals who are considered to be actual friends. Moreover, a higher proportion of actual to total Facebook friends is associated with lower levels of social isolation and loneliness across the life span.

Background: A genome-wide association study identified variants in or near patatin-like phospholipase domain-containing-3 (PNPLA3), neurocan (NCAN), lysophospholipase-like 1 (LYPLAL1), glucokinase regulatory protein (GCKR), and protein phosphatase 1 regulatory subunit 3b (PPP1R3B) that were strongly associated with nonalcoholic fatty liver disease (NAFLD) in adults of European ancestry., Objective: We examined these genetic variants in obese children and tested whether their effects on NAFLD are significant in the Taiwanese Han Chinese population., Design: We genotyped PNPLA3 rs738409, NCAN rs2228603, LYPLAL1 rs12137855, GCKR rs780094, and PPP1R3B rs4240624 in 797 obese children aged 7-18 y. NAFLD was identified by liver ultrasonography. We analyzed the effect of these genetic variants on NAFLD., Results: NAFLD was identified in 24% of the recruited obese children. We found significant associations with NAFLD at variants in PNPLA3 and GCKR but not in NCAN, LYPLAL1, and PPP1R3B. Multiple logistic regression analysis showed that, after control for the effects of age- and sex-adjusted body mass index, waist-to-hip ratio, sex, and PNPLA3 rs738409 polymorphism, the variant GCKR rs780094 TT genotype independently increased the OR of NAFLD by 1.997 (95% CI: 1.196, 3.335; P = 0.008) compared with the CC genotype. Subjects with the variant GCKR rs780094 TT genotype had a higher mean serum alanine aminotransferase concentration than did those with the CC genotype (30.8 ± 34.7 compared with 22.2 ± 18.6 IU/L; P = 0.01)., Conclusions: By studying the genetic variants of obese Taiwanese children, we confirmed that the genetic variants in GCKR rs780094 and PNPLA3 rs738409, but not in NCAN rs2228603, LYPLAL1 rs12137855, and PPP1R3B rs4240624, are associated with an increased risk of NAFLD. GCKR and PNPLA3 variants are the common genetic factors that may confer susceptibility to NAFLD in obese individuals across multiple ethnic groups.

Background: The aim of this study was to establish a model to identify term breast-fed infants who are at risk of developing significant neonatal hyperbilirubinemia., Methods: A prospective study was designed to investigate the effects of birth weight, mode of delivery, cephalohematoma, glucose-6-phosphate dehydrogenase (G6PD) deficiency, predischarge total serum bilirubin, variant uridine 5'diphospho-glucuronosyltransferase 1A1 (UGT1A1) gene, and hepatic solute carrier organic anion transporter 1B1 (SLCO1B1) gene on significant hyperbilirubinemia in term breast-fed neonates. Significant hyperbilirubinemia was defined as a bilirubin level exceeding the hour-specific phototherapy treatment threshold recommended by the American Academy of Pediatrics in 2004., Results: Of 240 exclusively breast-fed term neonates, 26 (10.8%) had significant hyperbilirubinemia. The predischarge total serum bilirubin on the third day (odds ratio (OR) = 2.63; 95% confidence interval (CI): 1.87-3.70; P < 0.001) and the variant UGT1A1 gene at nucleotide 211 (OR = 5.00; 95% CI: 1.08-23.03; P < 0.05) were significant risk factors. The area under the receiver operating characteristic (ROC) curve of the predictive probability was 0.964 (95% CI: 0.932-0.984; P < 0.0001)., Conclusion: Combining the total serum bilirubin on the third day and the variant UGT1A1 gene at nucleotide 211 can predict hyperbilirubinemia well in term breast-fed infants.

Background: The single nucleotide polymorphism in the peroxisome proliferator-activated receptor-γ coactivator (PGC)-1α gene (PPARGC1A) was identified to be associated with nonalcoholic fatty liver disease (NAFLD) in adults. The PPARGC1A gene encodes PGC-1α, which regulates cellular energy metabolism., Objective: We aimed to test the hypothesis that the PPARGC1A rs8192678 risk A allele would influence the risk of NAFLD in obese children., Design: We genotyped PPARGC1A rs8192678 and PNPLA3 rs738409 in 781 obese children aged 7-18 y. NAFLD was determined by ultrasonography. We evaluated the independent influence of the PPARGC1A rs8192678 risk A allele on pediatric NAFLD after control for the effect of the PNPLA3 rs738409 polymorphism., Results: A total of 23.3% of the recruited obese children had NAFLD. PNPLA3 rs738409 increased the OR of NAFLD by 1.622 (95% CI: 1.071, 2.457; P = 0.023) in subjects with GC alleles and 2.659 (95% CI: 1.509, 4.686; P < 0.001) for GG alleles, as compared with CC alleles. After control for the effects of age- and sex-adjusted BMI, sex, and PNPLA3 rs738409 polymorphism, the PPARGC1A rs8192678 risk A allele was an independent risk factor for developing NAFLD, with an OR of 1.740 (95% CI: 1.149, 2.637; P = 0.009). Subjects with the PPARGC1A rs8192678 risk A allele had an increase in the mean serum alanine aminotransferase concentration of 5.2 IU/L, as compared with subjects without this allele (P = 0.011)., Conclusion: The PPARGC1A rs8192678 risk A allele is associated with an increased risk of NAFLD, independent of the effect of the PNPLA3 rs738409 polymorphism in our population of obese Taiwanese children.

Objective: To observe the changes in the structure and cytocompatibility of porcine acellular dermal matrix, which was prepared with dermal reticular layer, treated with matrix metalloproteinase 7 (MMP-7), genipin, and vacuum freeze-drying., Methods: Fifty-four pieces of porcine dermal reticular layer, prepared with lateral abdominal skin were obtained from healthy large Yorkshire pig with mechanical method under sanitary condition, each 10.0 mm×5.0 mm in size and 0.5 - 0.6 mm in thickness. They were divided into normal control group (A(1), without treatment, n = 6), decellularization group (B, decellularized, n = 12), decellularization + MMP-7 group (C, treated with MMP-7 after decellularization, n = 12), decellularization + MMP-7 + genipin group (D, treated with MMP-7 and genipin after decellularization, n = 12), and decellularization + MMP-7 + genipin + vacuum freeze-drying group (E, treated with MMP-7, genipin, and vacuum freeze-drying after decellularization, n = 12) according to the random number table. Meanwhile, 6 pieces of human acellular dermal matrix, with the same size and thickness as listed above, were taken as control group (A(2), without treatment) in the cytocompatibility tests. HE staining and scanning electron microscope were used to detect the cell number and the change in tissue structure in dermal scaffold in groups A(1) and B-E. Immunohistochemical staining was used to determine residual vimentin, laminin and collagen IV in groups A(1), B, and C. Cytotoxicity tests were employed to test the cytotoxicity of the leaching solutions of groups B-E. Human fibroblasts were seeded on the surface of dermal scaffold in groups A(2) and B-E. The proliferation of fibroblasts were determined on post culture day (PCD) 3, 7, and 14, and the content of IL-6 and IL-8 in the supernatant were determined on PCD 3 and 7 with enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay. Data were processed with two-way analysis of variance and LSD- t test., Results: Granular structure with hair follicle in pale yellow color was observed in group A(1). Small amount of hair, epithelial root sheath, nuclei, cell debris-like structure, vimentin, laminin, and collagen IV were observed in group B but not in group C, D, or E, which had been treated with MMP-7. The toughness of dermal scaffold was stronger in groups D, E than in groups B and C as observed in gross condition observation. The collagen fibers of dermal scaffold in groups C-E maintained their structural integrity with similar arrange as that of group A(1). The interspaces among collagen fibers in groups C-E were all increased, while those of groups C and D were similar but larger than that in group B; the interspace in group E was the largest. Groups B-E scored level 0 or 1 in the cytotoxicity test. Fibroblasts could proliferate on the surface of dermal scaffold in groups A(2) and B-E. Furthermore, with the extension of culture time, fibroblasts gradually became to be stratified to form multiple layers, and they proliferated toward the dermis. High density of fibroblasts was observed on the surface in groups D and E and in the deep layer in groups A(2) and C. On PCD 7, the contents of IL-6 [(132 ± 14), (104 ± 9), (122 ± 14), (120 ± 12), (128 ± 17) pg/mL] and IL-8 [(135 ± 18), (102 ± 17), (127 ± 18), (134 ± 23), (141 ± 24) pg/mL] in the supernatant in groups A(2) and B-E were significantly higher than those on PCD 3 [(55 ± 13), (34 ± 8), (48 ± 8), (50 ± 13), (49 ± 12) pg/mL] and [(93 ± 19), (63 ± 11), (82 ± 15), (82 ± 16), (89 ± 16) pg/mL], with F values respectively 98.869, 184.038, 125.531, 93.237, 87.265 and 15.694, 23.451, 22.801, 19.607, 18.808, P values below 0.05. The differences among groups A(2) and B-E in the levels of IL-6 and IL-8 at each time point were statistically significant (with F values respectively 2.809, 3.301 and 3.757, 3.266, P values below 0.05). The differences among groups A(2), C, D, and E in amount of IL-6 and IL-8 at each time point were not statistically significant (with t values respectively 0.058 - 1.905 and 0.034 - 1.295, P values above 0.05), but they were all higher than those in group B (with t values respectively 3.707 - 5.612 and 2.785 - 4.079, P values below 0.05)., Conclusions: The low immunogenic porcine dermal scaffold treated with MMP-7, genipin, and vacuum freeze-drying after decellularization, has good cytocompatibility. The growth of only a few fibroblasts in the dermal scaffold may be correlated with genipin, which increases tissue toughness.

ABSCISIC ACID DEFICIENT2 (ABA2) encodes a short-chain dehydrogenase/reductase1 (SDR1) that catalyzes the multi-step conversion of xanthoxin to abscisic aldehyde during abscisic acid (ABA) biosynthesis in Arabidopsis thaliana. In this study, AtSDR2 and AtSDR3, the two closest homologs to AtABA2, were investigated for their potential role in ABA biosynthesis. AtSDR2 showed undetectable transcription in plants grown under normal conditions or under stress. AtSDR3 and AtABA2 have different spatial and temporal expression patterns. Complementation testing demonstrated that the pABA2::SDR3 transgene failed to complement the aba2 mutant phenotype, and that transgenic plants showed the same levels of ABA as the aba2 mutants. These data suggest that AtSDR3 confers no functional redundancy to AtABA2 in ABA biosynthesis. Interestingly, microarray data derived from Genevestigator suggested that AtSDR3 might have a function that is related to plant defense. Pseudomonas syringae pv. tomato (Pst) DC3000 infection and systemic acquired resistance (SAR) activator application further demonstrated that AtSDR3 plays an important role in plant defense responses at least partially through the regulation of AtPR-1 gene expression., (Copyright © 2011 Elsevier Masson SAS. All rights reserved.)

Objective: To investigate the risk factors for hyperbilirubinemia in infants who are exclusively breast-fed., Study Design: A prospective study was conducted to investigate the effects of birth body weight, sex, mode of delivery, glucose-6-phosphate dehydrogenase (G6PD) deficiency, variant UDP-glucuronosyltransferase 1A1 (UGT1A1) gene, and hepatic solute carrier organic anion transporter 1B1 (SLCO1B1) gene on hyperbilirubinemia in neonates who were breast-fed. Hyperbilirubinemia was diagnosed when a full term neonate had a bilirubin level ≧15.0 mg/dL (256.5 μM) in serum at 3 days old. The polymerase chain reaction-restriction fragment length polymorphism method was used as a means of detecting the known variant sites in the UGT1A1 and SLCO1B1 gene., Results: Of 252 infants born at term who were exclusively breast-fed, 59 (23.4%) had hyperbilirubinemia. The significant risk factors were a variant nucleotide 211 in UGT1A1 (2.48; 95% CI, 1.29 to 4.76; P = .006), G6PD deficiency (12.24; 95% CI, 1.08 to 138.62; P < .05), and vaginal delivery (3.55; 95% CI, 1.64 to 7.66; P < .001)., Conclusion: Breast-fed neonates who are 211 variants in the UGT1A1, G6PD deficiency, and vaginal delivery are at high-risk for hyperbilirubinemia., (Copyright © 2011 Mosby, Inc. All rights reserved.)

Objective: To test the hypothesis that the presence of the PNPLA3 rs738409 G allele would increase the susceptibility of non-alcoholic fatty liver disease (NAFLD) in obese Taiwanese children., Study Design: A total of 520 obese children aged 6-18 years were recruited. Their PNPLA3 rs738409 genotypes-CC, CG, or GG-were detected by the 5'-nuclease assay. The effects of the PNPLA3 rs738409 G allele on pediatric NAFLD were evaluated based on liver ultrasonography findings and mean serum alanine aminotransferase levels in these children., Results: NAFLD was present in 19.6% of the obese children. In comparison to the subjects with CC alleles, the risk of NAFLD was increased by 2.96-fold (95% CI, 1.57 to 5.59, P = .0008) in the subjects with CG alleles and by 5.84-fold (95% CI, 2.59 to 13.16; P < .0001) in those with GG alleles. Variant PNPLA3 rs738409 genotypes were associated with increases in mean serum alanine aminotransferase level of 4.77 IU/L (P = .0435) in subjects with CG alleles and of 10.86 IU/L (P < .0001) in those with GG alleles compared with subjects with CC alleles., Conclusions: The variant PNPLA3 rs738409 genotypes increased the risk of NAFLD in our population of obese Taiwanese children. The effect of the G allele on pediatric NAFLD followed a dominant genetic model., (Copyright © 2011 Mosby, Inc. All rights reserved.)

Fusarium wilt, caused by Fusarium oxysporum (Fo), is one of the most important fungal diseases worldwide. Like other plant pathogens, Fo displays specialized forms in association with its hosts. For example, F. oxysporum f. sp. niveum (Fon) is the damaging pathogen causing Fusarium wilt disease on watermelon, whereas F. oxysporum f. sp. cubense is the pathogen that infects banana. A rapid and reliable pathogen identification or disease diagnosis is essential for the integrated disease management practices in many crops. In this study, two new primer sets, Fon-1/Fon-2 and FnSc-1/FnSc-2, were developed to differentiate Fon and Fo, respectively. The PCR method using the novel primer sets has high sensitivity to detect Fon when the DNA concentration was as low as 0.01 pg or when the conidia number was as few as 5. In comparison with the published primer set, the Fon-1/Fon-2 primer set, derived from the sequence of OP-M12 random primer-amplified fragment, produced a 174 bp DNA fragment, and was more specific to Fon in Taiwan. In addition, with optimized PCR parameters, the molecular method using the Fon-1/Fon-2 primer set could directly detect Fon even when watermelon samples were collected in its early stage of disease development., (Copyright 2010 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.)

Background: Concurrent with the recent rise of the incidence in obesity, nonalcoholic fatty liver disease is increasingly prevalent in childhood. The aim of this study was to identify non-invasive biomarkers for liver steatosis in obese children and adolescents., Methods: We used a cross-sectional study to examine risk factors for liver steatosis in obese children and adolescents. Sixty-nine obese subjects aged 6-17 years were recruited. The diagnosis of liver steatosis was made by liver ultrasonography. Anthropometric, serum biochemical variables, and oral glucose tolerance tests were measured., Results: Thirty-eight (55.1%) subjects had liver steatosis. Elevated alanine aminotransferase levels (> 30 IU/L in boys and >19 IU/L in girls) were found in 27 (71.1%) of the 38 subjects with liver steatosis. In multivariate logistic regression analysis, liver steatosis was associated with waist circumference and the change of plasma glucose level before and after oral glucose tolerance testing (C-OGTT). For every 5 cm increase in waist circumference, there was an odds ratio of 1.391 for predicting liver steatosis (95% confidence interval: 1.009-1.916, p = 0.044). C-OGTT was the only laboratory variable that independently predicted liver steatosis, with an odds ratio of 1.198 (95% confidence interval: 1.022-1.404, p = 0.026) for each 5 mg/dL of increase., Conclusion: In this hospital-based sample of obese children and adolescents, liver steatosis was common. Liver steatosis was positively associated waist circumference and C-OGTT. These findings have implications for screening liver steatosis in obese children and adolescents., (2010 Taiwan Pediatric Association. Published by Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.)

Objective: To test the hypothesis that a mutation in uridine diphosphate-glucuronosyl transferase 1A1 (UGT1A1) gene of breast-fed infants is a contributory factor to prolonged unconjugated hyperbilirubinemia., Study Design: Of 125 breast-fed term infants, 35 infants had prolonged unconjugated hyperbilirubinemia; another 90 breast-fed neonates without prolonged jaundice were control infants. The polymerase chain reaction-restriction fragment length polymorphism method was used to detect the known variant sites (promoter area, nucleotides 211, 686, 1091, and 1456) of the UGT1A1 gene., Results: Of 35 breast-fed infants with prolonged unconjugated hyperbilirubinemia, 29 had at least 1 mutation of the UGT1A1 gene. Variation at nucleotide 211 was most common. The percentages of the neonates carrying the variant nucleotide 211 were significantly different between the prolonged hyperbilirubinemia group and control neonates. Male breast-fed infants had a higher risk than female infants for prolonged hyperbilirubinemia., Conclusions: Male breast-fed neonates with a variant nucleotide 211 in UGT1A1 have a high risk for developing prolonged hyperbilirubinemia.

Objective: This pilot study describes the showering habits of people with brain injury (BI) compared with those of people without BI (WBI)., Method: The showering habits of 10 people with BI and 10 people WBI were measured and compared. A videotaped session recorded and documented the shower routine., Results: The BI group spent longer time showering, used more steps, and used fewer products than the WBI group. A moderately significant relationship was found between time and age (r = .46, p = .041). Similarly, we found significant correlations between number of steps and number of products used (r = .64, p = .002) and between the number of products used and education (r = .47, p = .044)., Conclusion: Results suggest that people with BI have showering habits that differ from those WBI. Correlations, regardless of group, showed that older people showered longer, and people with more education used more showering products.