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This study aimed to study the effect of different color combinations of LED light on the quantity of primordia, the formation of the fruiting body, and the yield of bioactive ingredients produced in solid culture C. militaris. The results show that appropriate color combinations and light intensities of Light-Emitting Diodes (LEDs) can significantly increase the quantity of primordia, promote the formation of fruiting bodies, and increase the yield of bioactive ingredients (cordycepin, adenosine, mannitol, and polysaccharides) in solid culture of Cordyceps militaris. LEDs have several advantages such as small size, long lifespan, fast response time, high efficiency and stability, and the ability to emit a narrow wavelength range of monochromatic light from a cold source. Our results show that both red and green-LEDs can shorten the period of primordia appearance. Red-LED increased the number of primordia and biological efficiency and red and blue LED combinations increased the biomass of the fruiting body. A light intensity of 1,000 Lux resulted in the fastest appearance of primordia, and the highest average fruiting body biomass and biological efficiency. Under different red and blue LED combinations, the highest amounts of cordycepin, adenosine, mannitol, and polysaccharide in the fruiting body of C. militaris were 15.63±0.72 (100 Lux), 23.17±1.22 (1,000 Lux), 19.84±0.84 (300 Lux), and 28.69±1.52 mg g-1 (1,000 Lux), respectively. Appropriate color combinations and intensities of LED light can significantly increase the quantity of the primordium, promote the formation of the fruiting body, and increase the yield of bioactive ingredients produced in solid culture C. militaris. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Since large-scale reports of pulmonary infarction in systemic lupus erythematosus (SLE) are limited, a retrospective study was performed for this manifestation in 773 hospitalized patients in southern Taiwan from 1999 to 2009. Pulmonary infarction was defined as the presence of pulmonary embolism, persistent pulmonary infiltrates, and characteristic clinical symptoms. Demographic, clinical, laboratory, and radiological images data were analyzed. There were 12 patients with pulmonary embolism and 9 of them had antiphospholipid syndrome (APS). Six patients (19 to 53 years, average 38.2 ± 12.6) with 9 episodes of lung infarction were identified. All cases were APS and four episodes had coincidental venous thromboembolism. There were four episodes of bilateral infarction and seven episodes of larger central pulmonary artery embolism. Heparin therapy was routinely prescribed and thrombolytic agents were added in two episodes. Successful recovery was noted in all patients. In conclusion, there was a 0.8% incidence of pulmonary infarction in patients with SLE, all with the risk factor of APS. Differentiation between pulmonary infarction and pneumonia in lupus patients should be made; they have similar chest radiography with lung consolidation but require a different clinical approach in management. Although this report is a retrospective study with relatively small numbers of lupus patients with lung infarcts, our observation might provide beneficial information on the clinical features and radiological presentations during the disease evolution of pulmonary infarction in SLE with APS. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: Few studies have explored the effect of a gender-specific infertility diagnosis on the responses of couples in Taiwan. The purpose of this research was to compare the differences in distress, marital and sexual satisfaction in husbands and wives based on an infertility diagnosis.Methods: Three structured questionnaires were used.Results: Female members of couples in which both partners were infertile expressed less marital and sexual satisfaction than their husbands. No differences in marital and sexual satisfaction were found between wives and husbands with unexplained infertility. Only wives with a diagnosed female infertility expressed higher distress to infertility than their husbands. Although no differences in psychosocial responses were found among husbands, regardless of the diagnosis, wives with a diagnosed female infertility experienced higher distress in self-esteem and less satisfaction in acceptance by in-laws than wives experiencing a diagnosed male infertility.Conclusions: These findings suggest that the diagnosis of infertility is an important factor in assessing the differences in infertility distress and marital and sexual satisfaction between husbands and wives. Health professionals can explain the gender differences when counselling infertile couples and encourage them to share each other's feelings, which may help couples to cope with the communication problems they may experience. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]