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Abstract Mammalian central nervous system (CNS) axons cannot spontaneously regenerate after injury, creating an unmet need to identify molecular regulators to promote axon regeneration and reduce the lasting impact of CNS injuries. While tubulin polymerization promoting protein family member 3 (Tppp3) is known to promote axon outgrowth in amphibians, its role in mammalian axon regeneration remains unknown. Here we investigated Tppp3 in retinal ganglion cells (RGCs) neuroprotection and axonal regeneration using an optic nerve crush (ONC) model in the rodent. Single-cell RNA sequencing identified the expression of Tppp3 in RGCs of mice, macaques, and humans. Tppp3 overexpression enhanced neurite outgrowth in mouse primary RGCs in vitro, promoted axon regeneration, and improved RGC survival after ONC. Bulk RNA sequencing indicated that Tppp3 overexpression upregulates axon regeneration genes such as Bmp4 and neuroinflammatory pathways. Our findings advance regenerative medicine by developing a new therapeutic strategy for RGC neuroprotection and axon regeneration.

Abstract Background Animals exhibit a wide range of social behaviors, including positive actions that promote social cohesion and negative behaviors associated with asserting dominance. While these behaviors are often viewed as opposites, they can also exist independently or coexist in complex ways, necessitating further investigation into their interrelationships. Results To study the interplay between these two types of behaviors, we examined mouse social behaviors using resident-intruder assays and revealed a negative correlation between social aggression and prosocial allogrooming. Suppressing aggressive motivation through various manipulations, including social subordination, olfaction ablation, and inhibition of aggressive neural circuits, led to an increased display of allogrooming behavior. The mouse findings prompted us to further explore the relationship between aggression and prosocial behaviors in preschool children. Similarly, we observed a negative association between aggression and prosocial behaviors, which were potentially influenced by their inhibitory control abilities. Conclusions Through this cross-species study, we uncovered the inhibitory impact of aggressive neural circuits on mouse allogrooming and established a link between aggression and prosocial behaviors in children. These insights offer valuable implications for understanding and potentially influencing social interactions in both animal and human contexts, with potential applications in preschool education practices.

Abstract This study analyzed time series data from six GPS stations within the Tatun Volcano Group (TVG), a long‐dormant volcanic system in northern Taiwan, using multichannel singular spectrum analysis to search for potential spatiotemporally correlated transient deformations. A notable cycle of transient deformation was identified from 2015 to 2020, characterized by ground subsidence and uplift of up to 10 mm, accompanied by asymmetric horizontal motions directed inward and outward toward Dayoukeng, the largest fumarole and hydrothermal area in TVG. Evidence from earthquake focal mechanisms and gas composition, along with preliminary source modeling, suggest that these transient phases were likely caused by the pressure change of shallow hydrothermal systems beneath Dayoukeng. Further analysis of time series data from three long‐operating GPS stations revealed similar patterns of transient motion in the area from 2006 to 2015, indicating that TVG has experienced cyclical deformation, akin to many other volcanic systems worldwide.

Abstract Southwestern Taiwan exhibits multiple fold-thrust systems as a consequence of the interaction between the Philippine Sea Plate and the Eurasian Plate. A prominent geological feature of this region is the extensive layer of GuTingKeng mudstone, with a thickness of approximately 4 km, which serves as a source material for the formation of mud or shale diapirs. The 2016 Mw 6.4 Meinong earthquake, striking southwestern Taiwan at a depth of 15–20 km and inducing approximately 100 mm of uplift, has prompted investigations into the potential involvement of shallow structures (

In the pursuit of environmental sustainability and food security, biochar has emerged as a promising soil conditioner to mitigate continuous cropping obstacles (CCOs). This study explored the use of engineered biochar (WP400) with high adsorption capacity for phenolic acids in celery cultivation. Using liquid chromatography quadrupole time-of-flight mass spectrometry (LC-QTOF/MS) for both target and suspect analyses, along with Biolog EcoPlate™ to track the functional diversity of soil bacteria, the study examined chemical and microbiological interactions at varying WP400 application rates. WP400 enhanced celery growth, reduced disease severity, and adsorbed p-coumaric acid (COU), a potential autotoxin. Additionally, other potential allelochemicals, predominantly fatty acid-related, were identified, suggesting a broader role for fatty acids in allelopathy. WP400 also influenced soil bacterial carbon utilization and altered microbial communities. However, higher WP400 doses (0.8% w/w) may not be beneficial for celery growth and reduced bacterial metabolic potential, indicating limitations to its effectiveness. Proper application of WP400 provides a sustainable solution for alleviating continuous cropping issues, promoting both environmental sustainability and agricultural development.

Recently, oriented external electric fields (OEEFs) have earned much attention due to the possibility of tuning the properties of electronic systems. From a theoretical perspective, one can resort to electronic structure calculations to understand how the direction and strength of OEEFs affect the properties of electronic systems. However, for multi-reference (MR) systems, calculations employing the popular Kohn–Sham density functional theory with the traditional semilocal and hybrid exchange–correlation energy functionals can yield erroneous results. Owing to its decent compromise between accuracy and efficiency for MR systems at the nanoscale (i.e., MR nanosystems), in this study, thermally assisted occupation density functional theory (TAO-DFT) is adopted to explore the electronic properties of n-acenes (n = 2–10), containing n linearly fused benzene rings, in OEEFs, where the OEEFs of various electric field strengths are applied along the long axes of n-acenes. According to our TAO-DFT calculations, the ground states of n-acenes in OEEFs are singlets for all the cases examined. The effect of OEEFs is shown to be significant on the vertical ionization potentials and vertical electron affinities of ground-state n-acenes with odd-number fused benzene rings. Moreover, the MR character of ground-state n-acenes in OEEFs increases with the increase in the acene length and/or the electric field strength.

This study compared the quality of hand-shaken green tea prepared through rapid and natural cooling methods. Cooling is crucial in preserving green tea’s flavor, aroma, and nutritional components. In the rapid cooling method, green tea is freshly brewed at an initial temperature of 95 °C for 25 min, and then rapidly cooled to 18 °C for 25 min. Conversely, the natural cooling method involves brewing tea at the same initial temperature and time, but allowing it to cool gradually to 30 °C over approximately 4–5 h at room temperature. This study’s findings indicate that the rapid cooling method produced green tea with a more vibrant color and improved clarity versus the natural cooling method. Sensory analysis revealed that the taste and aroma of the hand-shaken green tea prepared using rapid cooling were perceived to be more refreshing and invigorating. However, the natural cooling method preserved a higher level of chemical components, including individual catechin caffeine, total polyphenol, soluble solids, reducing sugar, and total tannins. The essential amino acid content of the rapidly and naturally cooled green tea infusions was 6.85 and 13.55 μg/mL, respectively. The γ-Aminobutyric acid (GABA) content was 439.82 and 457.31 μg/mL, respectively. This study’s findings suggest that rapid cooling during the preparation of hand-shaken green tea enhances its overall quality. The vibrant color, improved clarity, refreshing taste, and invigorating aroma make it a preferable choice for tea enthusiasts who seek an enhanced sensory experience and excellent quality.

Introduction: Basic fibroblast growth factor (bFGF) plays a critical role in odontoblast differentiation and dentin matrix deposition, thereby aiding pulpo-dentin repair and regeneration. Objectives: The purpose of this study was to clarify the effects of bFGF on plasminogen activation factors, TIMP-1), ALP; and SPARC (osteonectin) expression/production of stem cells from apical papilla (SCAP) in vitro; and the involvement of MEK/ERK, p38, Akt, and TAK1 signaling. Methods: SCAP were exposed to bFGF with/without pretreatment and co-incubation with various signal transduction inhibitors (U0126, SB203580, LY294002, and 5Z-7-oxozeaenol). The expression of FGF receptors (FGFRs), PAI-1, uPA, p-ERK, p-TAK1, and p-p38 was analyzed via immunofluorescent staining. The gene expression and protein secretion of SCAP were determined via real-time PCR and ELISA. ALP activity was evaluated via ALP staining. Results: SCAP expressed FGFR1, 2, 3, and 4. bFGF stimulated the PAI-1, uPA, uPAR, and TIMP-1 mRNA expression (p

The body size of an animal plays a crucial role in determining its trophic level and position within the food web, as well as its interactions with other species. In the symbiosis between Termitomyces and fungus-growing termites, termites rely on nutrition of fungal nodules produced by Termitomyces. To understand whether the size of termites and fungal nodules are related to their partner specificity, we quantified the size of termite farmer caste, and the size and density of nodules in termite nests of four genera of fungus-growing termites, and identified their cultivated Termitomyces fungus species based on internal transcribed spacer regions and partial large subunit ribosomal RNA gene sequences. The results showed that the size and density of fungal nodules were different among Termitomyces clades and revealed a constant trade-off between size and density among clades. The nodule size of each clade has low variation and fits normal distribution, indicating that size is a stabilized trait. Moreover, we found larger termite genera cultivated Termitomyces with larger but less numerous nodules. Based on these results, we concluded that there is a size specificity between Termitomyces and fungus-growing termites, which may lead to diversification of Termitomyces as adaptations to different termite genera.

Abstract The association between lung deposition of particulate matter with an aerodynamic diameter less than 2.5 µm (PM2.5) from welding fumes and lung function is unclear. We conducted a cohort study with a follow-up of 4 years in 115 shipyard workers to investigate the incidence rate of chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD), and to evaluate the effects of welding fume PM2.5 deposition on fractional exhaled nitric oxide (FeNO), lung function, and blood pressure using generalized estimating equation models. Personal exposure to welding fumes was measured, and deposition fractions of inhaled welding fume PM2.5 in lung regions were estimated using multiple-path particle dosimetry. We observed the overall incidence rate of COPD to be 2.51 cases per 100 person-years. The incidence rate was higher in welding workers than in office workers and higher in non-smokers compared to smokers. In the overall cohort subjects, we observed that an increase in the interquartile range of PM2.5 was associated with a 1.618-ppb decrease in FeNO, a 0.115-L decrease in FVC, a 0.091-L decrease in FEV1, a 0.520% increase in the FEV1/FVC ratio, a 0.259-L s−1 decrease in PEF, a 0.096-L s−1 decrease in FEF25%–75%, a 0.215-L s−1 decrease in FEF25%, and a 0.114-L s−1 decrease in FEF50% (all p < 0.05). We observed that a 1-µg m−3 increase in PM2.5 deposition in lung regions (total lung, and head and nasal, tracheobronchial, and alveolar regions) was associated with decreases (β coefficients) in FeNO, FVC, FEV1, PEF, FEF25%–75%, FEF25%, and FEF50% (all p < 0.05). We observed that the absolute values of β coefficients decreased as follows: alveolar > head and nasal > tracheobronchial > total lung regions. Higher incidence rates of COPD were observed in non-smokers and welders, which associated with lung function declines due to PM2.5 exposure. Pulmonary effects by welding fume PM2.5 in occupational settings is an urgent occupational issue for worker health protection.

Abstract Diabetes is a complex disease characterized by hyperglycemia, dyslipidemia, and insulin resistance. Plasma advanced glycation end products (AGEs) activated the receptor for advanced glycation end products (RAGE) and the activation of RAGE is implicated to be the pathogenesis of type 2 diabetic mellitus (T2DM) patient vascular complications. Sitagliptin, a dipeptidyl peptidase-4 (DPP4) inhibitor, is a new oral hypoglycemic agent for the treatment of T2DM. However, the beneficial effects on vascular calcification remain unclear. In this study, we used a high-fat diet (HFD)-fed low-density lipoprotein receptor deficiency (LDLR−/−) mice model to investigate the potential effects of sitagliptin on HFD-induced arterial calcification. Mice were randomly divided into 3 groups: (1) normal diet group, (2) HFD group and (3) HFD + sitagliptin group. After 24 weeks treatment, we collected the blood for chemistry parameters and DPP4 activity measurement, and harvested the aorta to evaluate calcification using immunohistochemistry and calcium content. To determine the effects of sitagliptin, tumor necrosis factor (TNF)-α combined with S100A12 was used to induce oxidative stress, activation of nicotinamide adenine dinucleotide phosphate (NADPH), up-regulation of bone markers and RAGE expression, and cell calcium deposition on human aortic smooth muscle cells (HASMCs). We found that sitagliptin effectively blunted the HFD-induced artery calcification and significantly lowered the levels of fasting serum glucose, triglyceride (TG), nitrotyrosine and TNF-α, decreased the calcium deposits, and reduced arterial calcification. In an in-vitro study, both S100A12 and TNF-α stimulated RAGE expression and cellular calcium deposits in HASMCs. The potency of S100A12 on HASMCs was amplified by the presence of TNF-α. Sitagliptin and Apocynin (APO), an NADPH oxidase inhibitor, inhibited the TNF-α + S100A12-induced NADPH oxidase and nuclear factor (NF)-κB activation, cellular oxidative stress, RAGE expression, osteo transcription factors expression and calcium deposition. In addition, treatment with sitagliptin, knockdown of RAGE or TNF-α receptor blunted the TNF-α + S100A12-induced RAGE expression. Our findings suggest that sitagliptin may suppress the initiation and progression of arterial calcification by inhibiting the activation of NADPH oxidase and NF-κB, followed by decreasing the expression of RAGE.

This study aimed to examine whether different agricultural work patterns may cause MSDs in different body areas and assess their severity. In previous studies, musculoskeletal disorders (MSDs) have been recognized as an occupational disease in agricultural workers. However, not all MSDs resulting from agriculture occur in the same body areas or have similar severity. This study conducted a questionnaire survey to inquire about the body areas and severity of MSDs among fruit farmers. A total of 212 valid answers were collected. Subsequently, their main harvesting postures were classified into three groups to examine the differences in MSD occurrence and severity among those groups. The results indicate that the harvesting posture did result in different severities of MSDs in certain body areas. Raising hands above the shoulders caused significantly higher MSD severity in the neck, shoulder, upper back, and elbows despite the same standing posture. Additionally, those who squatted, bent, or kneeled had a significantly higher severity of MSDs in the shoulders compared to those who stood but did not raise their hands above their shoulders. This study confirmed that the different harvesting heights of fruits can affect farmers’ posture, leading to differences in the body areas affected by, and severity of, MSDs.

As people are accustomed to the popularization of information services, immersive experiences are emphasized, which drives the vigorous development of virtual reality. In practice, devices are limited by their computing capabilities and rely on cloud computing to complete the overall service provided. As a result, technologies of the Internet of Things (IoT) emerge to respond to this demand. As an ideal IoT, in addition to lightweight, it is ideally to possess the following features: easy installation of devices, intelligent networking capability, multi-field equipment sharing, and customizable to meet various needs. However, most of the current IoTs are “Internet of Targets” rather than “Internet of Things”. The Internet of Targets is lacking interoperability because of incompatible communication protocols and interface features among a variety of “devices” leading to different barriers thus hindering its applicability. This research task proposes two new ideas-refactor and feedback. The former meant that the system is able to change transmission path intelligently. The later enables the system reacts and acts appropriately in real time when receiving a stimulation. On the basis of the two factors we construct a conscious system served as the core of the “ideal IoT”. For the practical operating framework, we build a service model that integrates different data formations with feedback. We demonstrate the presented design by realizing a compact IoT system for long-term health care.

Background/Purpose: : The increasing trend of ceftriaxone resistant non-typhoidal Salmonella (NTS) worldwide is of serious concern, however, data is lacked in southern Taiwan. Methods: Salmonella isolates were collected at a regional hospital in Kaohsiung during 2004–2013. Ceftriaxone resistant NTS isolates were further characterized for beta-lactamases, typed by pulsed field gel electrophoresis (PFGE), multilocus sequence typing (MLST) and their plasmids were analyzed by PCR replicon typing and plasmid mutilocus sequence typing. Results: Among 528 NTS isolates, the most common serogroup is serogroup B (44.9%), followed by serogroup D, and serogroup C. Eleven (2.1%) isolates were resistant to ceftriaxone and were distributed in three peak periods (2010, 2011, and 2013). PFGE and MLST revealed the ten serogroup B isolates were of two clones. Beta-lactamase genes were detected in 10 of the 11 isolates, including CMY-2 (5 isolates), TEM-1 (2), CTX-M-14 (1), and 2 isolates carried both TEM-1 and CMY-2. Plasmid incompatibility types were identified in 9 (81.8%) isolates; three were IncI1, three was IncHI2, one was IncFIB and two had both replicons of IncI1 and IncHI2. The only ESBL gene blaCTM-X-14 was found in an isolate with plasmid belonged to IncHI2, which has not been reported in NTS in Taiwan before. Most MLST types and plasmid MLST types of NTS isolates in this study are different from those in northern Taiwan. Conclusion: Though clonal spread of ceftriaxone resistant NTS was suggested by PFGE and MLST, plasmid characterization and beta-lactamase detection revealed their plasmid types and beta-lactamase types were different. Keywords: Salmonella, Ceftriaxone, Resistance, ESBL, Plasmid

Particulate matter with an aerodynamic diameter of ≤ 2.5 µm (PM2.5) has been linked to adverse health outcomes in welding workers. The objective of this study was to investigate associations of chronic exposure to metal fume PM2.5 in shipyard workers with health outcomes. A longitudinal study was conducted to determine the effects of metal fume PM2.5 on FeNO, urinary metals, urinary oxidative stress, inflammation, and stress hormones in workers. There were 20 office workers and 49 welding workers enrolled in this study who were followed-up for a second year. We observed that Fe, Zn, and Mn were abundant in PM2.5 to which welding workers were personally exposed, whereas PM2.5 to which office workers were personally exposed was dominated by Pb, Cu, and Zn. We observed in the first and/or second visits that urinary 8-iso-prostaglandin F2-α (PGF2α) and 8-hydroxy-2′-deoxy guanosine (8-OHdG) were significantly increased by exposure. An increase in urinary interleukin (IL)-6 and decreases in urinary serotonin and cortisol were observed in the first and/or second visits after exposure. PM2.5 was associated with decreases in urinary 8-OHdG and cortisol among workers. Next, we observed that urinary Ni, Co, and Fe had significantly increased among workers after a year of exposure. Urinary metals were associated with decreases in urinary 8-iso-PGF2α and cortisol among workers. Urinary Ni, Cu, and Fe levels were associated with an increase in urinary IL-6 and a decrease in urinary cortisol among workers. In conclusion, chronic exposure to metal fume PM2.5 was associated with inflammation and a cortisol deficiency in shipyard workers, which could associate with adrenal glands dysfunction.

Bovine enteric bacterial pathogens are a major cause of health decline in agricultural cattle populations. The identification of host-derived microbiota with probiotic characteristics is key for the development of treatments utilizing pathogen displacement and recolonization by commensal flora. In this study, intestinal microbiota in fecal samples from four Holstein dairy cows were analyzed using 16S ribosomal RNA gene next-generation sequencing, leading to the identification of three Lactobacillus isolates (Lactobacillus gasseri, Lactobacillus reuteri, and Lactobacillus salivarius). By taking advantage of the preferential growth in acidified culture media, bacterial characteristics examination, and restriction fragment length polymorphism analysis of 16S rRNA genes, the three lactic acid bacteria (LAB) strains were successfully isolated. The three LAB isolates possess the prerequisite growth tolerances for probiotic functionality, as well as exhibit effective antimicrobial potency against enteric bacterial pathogens of cattle, including Escherichia coli O157:H7, Mycobacterium avium subspecies paratuberculosis, and Salmonella species (Salmonella enteritidis, Salmonella typhimurium, and Salmonella Dublin). Moreover, the LAB isolates showed significant adhesion to cattle intestine, implying greater survivability potential due to their species specificity when administered in the same host species. The LAB isolates were sensitive to most antibiotics with notable resistances of L. gasseri to streptomycin and L. salivarius to kanamycin. Genes attributed to specific antibiotic resistances demonstrated a low risk of lateral transfer in a conjugation study. Our in vitro results demonstrate the promising probiotic characteristics of these newly identified Lactobacillus strains and their considerable potential to serve as probiotics feed supplements for cows.

Two new genera with phylogenetic affinities to Phanerochaete s.l. are presented, namely Hydnophanerochaete and Odontoefibula. The generic type of Hydnophanerochaete is Phanerochaete odontoidea. Odontoefibula is established based on a new species: O. orientalis (generic type). Both genera have effused basidiocarps with odontioid hymenial surface, simple-septate generative hyphae, cystidia lacking, clavate basidia and ellipsoid basidiospores that are smooth, thin-walled, inamyloid, non-dextrinoid and acyanophilous. Hydnophanerochaete is additionally characterised by a compact texture in the subiculum with thick-walled generative hyphae and quasi-binding hyphae. Odontoefibula has a dense texture of subiculum with thin- to slightly thick-walled hyphae and further a dark reddish reaction of basidiocarps when treated with KOH. Multi-marker phylogenetic analyses based on sequences, inferred from the ITS+nuc 28S+rpb1+rpb2+tef1 dataset, indicate that Hydnophanerochaete and Odontoefibula are placed in the Meruliaceae and Donkia clades of Phanerochaetaceae, respectively. Phanerochaete subodontoidea is a synonym of P. odontoidea, according to morphological and molecular evidence.

The electrical and physical properties of atomic layer deposition high-k (Al2O3 and HfO2) /InxGa1-xAs (x = 0.53, 0.7, and 1) MOS interfaces with (NH4)Sy, BHF, and HF pretreatment are examined. It is found that, as the In content (x) becomes higher, InxGa1-xAs MOS interfaces with BHF and HF cleaning show better C-V characteristics and lower interface state density (Dit) than with (NH4)Sy pretreatment. Also, the amounts of arsenic oxides, evaluated by X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy, at the high In content Al2O3/InxGa1-xAs MOS interfaces are found to increase with BHF and HF cleaning than with (NH4)Sy cleaning. These results suggest that arsenic oxides can contribute to passivation of high-k/InxGa1-xAs MOS interface defects and the decrease in Dit for x = 0.7 and 1. Finally, we propose a physical model to explain the relationship between possible interface defects responsible for Dit and the pretreatment effects with the different In contents.

Heel ulcers in patients with severe peripheral artery occlusive disease represent a challenge to the treating physician. They become more difficult to treat with underlying medical comorbidities. We report a case of 76-year-old man with hypertension, diabetes mellitus, and end-stage renal disease in uremia status presented to our hospital with a 3-month history of a diabetic foot ulcer on his right heel. He was diagnosed with near total artery occlusion below the knee at the local hospital, and vascular reconstruction failed. After admission, surgical debridement was performed with subsequent partial calcanectomy facilitating wound closure without tension. After surgery, the foot was immobilized with a short-leg splint for 2 weeks. Thereafter, ankle immobilization was accomplished using a thermal protective plastic splint and cast shoes with a posterior window for wound care. The wound healed well with no recurrence during the 12-month follow-up period, and the patient may return to an ambulatory status, including a normal gait pattern. In this case, we demonstrate that the partial calcanectomy is practical for the treatment of plantar heel ulcers in a patient with severe comorbidities. With proper surgical planning and postoperative care, partial calcanectomy is a viable alternative to below-the-knee amputation and may better serve the patient who would otherwise be restricted to a sedentary lifestyle.

Thanks to the advances of the Internet of Things (IoTs), more and more wireless sensor networks applications have been realized. One of the fundamental but crucial applications is the continuous monitoring of environmental factors including temperature, humidity, illumination, etc. We develop a nonlinear regression model which takes spatial and temporal information into account to construct a globally three-dimensional heat map for a closed space based on very sparse sensor deployment. However, fitting the whole-space heat map with a very limited number of sensor observations gives a very poor estimation when we use a nonlinear model. We call it the coverage hole problem. We utilize the uniform experimental design which is well known in industrial statistics to allocate the synthetic sensors. We estimate those synthetic sensor readings on the basis of linear model locally. We then apply ε -SSVR, a nonlinear support vector regression model to fit the globally three-dimensional heat map by combining real sensor and synthetic sensor readings. The numerical results demonstrate our proposed model can enhance the accuracy significantly.

Soft tissue defects exposing the Achilles tendon are common in patients who have undergone trauma or in those with pressure ulcers associated with vascular diseases. Here, we present our recent experience of using a bipedicled fasciocutaneous flap to resurface the complex soft tissue defect and provide a gliding surface for the exposed Achilles tendon. The donor-sites were covered with split-thickness skin grafts and healed well without complications. The bipedicled fasciocutaneous flap survived completely, and the wound healed satisfactorily at 2 months follow-up. The bipedicled fasciocutaneous flap is a reliable flap for coverage of defects overlying the Achilles tendon, especially in patients with vascular problems and/or advanced age. The ease of handling, short operative time, and early recovery of mobilization function are of great benefit to patients. This method can be a valuable alternative for defect reconstructions overlying the Achilles tendon, with satisfactory results both functionally and cosmetically.

Background/purpose: This study attempted to understand the spreading characteristics of airborne bacterial contaminants during dental scaling treatment. Materials and methods: Bacterial aerosols were collected with gelatin filters, in a single-chair clinic during ultrasonic scaling treatments on two patients with periodontitis. Results: The results showed that bacterial aerosols contamination could spread a horizontal distance of 100 cm and a vertical distance of 50 cm from a patient’s oral cavity, and remain airborne suspended for 20 minutes. Conclusion: Proper environmental and personal infection control measures, including isolation, ventilation, and full-cover facial shield, are recommended to diminish the contaminating risk in dental clinics.

Currently, in the design standards for environmental sampling to assess long-term fatigue damage, the grid-based sampling method is used to scan a rectangular grid of meteorological inputs. However, the required simulation cost increases exponentially with the number of environmental parameters, and considerable time and effort are required to characterise the statistical uncertainty of offshore wind turbine (OWT) systems. In this study, a K-type jacket substructure of an OWT was modelled numerically. Time rather than frequency-domain analyses were conducted because of the high nonlinearity of the OWT system. The Monte Carlo (MC) sampling method is well known for its theoretical convergence, which is independent of dimensionality. Conventional grid-based and MC sampling methods were applied for sampling simulation conditions from the probability distributions of four environmental variables. Approximately 10,000 simulations were conducted to compare the computational efficiencies of the two sampling methods, and the statistical uncertainty of the distribution of fatigue damage was assessed. The uncertainty due to the stochastic processes of the wave and wind loads presented considerable influence on the hot-spot stress of welded tubular joints of the jacket-type substructure. This implies that more simulations for each representative short-term environmental condition are required to derive the characteristic fatigue damage. The characteristic fatigue damage results revealed that the MC sampling method yielded the same error level for Grids 1 and 2 (2443 iterations required for both) after 1437 and 516 iterations for K- and KK-joint cases, respectively. This result indicated that the MC method has the potential for a high convergence rate.

The aim of this study was to assess the use of anti-asthmatic medications in Taiwanese geriatric asthmatic patients. We used computerized prescription databases from the National Health Insurance Program, Taiwan, and classified drugs according to the Anatomical Therapeutic Chemical Classification System to analyze the patterns and extent of medication use in people aged over 65 years, and the influence of physician specialty on the prescription of anti-asthmatics. A total of 708,624 prescriptions for 226,018 patients were analyzed. Oral medications were most often prescribed. Only 3.94% and 7.79% of patients were treated with inhaled corticosteroids and inhaled short-acting b-agonists, respectively. Pulmonologists prescribed significantly more inhaled anti-asthmatics, except for cromolyn, than other types of physicians. More males than females were prescribed each category of anti-asthmatic medications, except for ketotifen. In conclusion, physicians in Taiwan do not prescribe as many inhaled anti-inflammatory agents for the treatment of asthma in the elderly as suggested in international treatment guidelines.

Human stem cell factor initiates a diverse array of cellular responses, including hematopoiesis, cell proliferation, differentiation, migration and survival. To explore the relationship between its structure and function, we produced recombinant soluble human stem cell factor1-165 (wild type) and human stem cell factor1-141 (C-terminal truncated) in a yeast expression system and compared their biological activities and thermal stabilities. The biological activity of the two proteins was measured as a function of TF-1 cell viability and effects on downstream signaling targets after incubation. We found that these proteins enhanced cell viability and downstream signaling to a similar extent, in a dose-dependent manner. The biological activity of recombinant human stem cell factor1-165 was significantly greater than that of recombinant human stem cell factor1-141 after heating the proteins (100 ng/mL) at 25-110°C for 10 minutes (P

A low-cost yet effective localization scheme for wireless sensor networks (WSNs) is presented in this study. The proposed scheme uses only two anchor nodes and uses bilateration to estimate the coordinates of unknown nodes. Many localization algorithms for WSNs require the installation of extra components, such as a GPS, ultrasonic transceiver, and unidirectional antenna, to sensors. The proposed localization scheme is range-free (i.e., not demanding any extra devices for the sensors). In this scheme, two anchor nodes are installed at the bottom-left corner (Sink X ) and the bottom-right corner (Sink Y ) of a square monitored region of the WSN. Sensors are identified with the same minimum hop counts pair to Sink X and Sink Y to form a zone, and the estimated location of each unknown sensor is adjusted according to its relative position in the zone. This study compares the proposed scheme with the well-known DV-Hop method. Simulation results show that the proposed scheme outperforms the DV-Hop method in localization accuracy, communication cost, and computational complexity.

Background: In Taiwan, the policy of catastrophic illness certificates has benefited some populations with specific diseases, but its effect on the use of medical services and the sequence of public health has not been examined. As a pilot of a series of studies, focused on emergency department (ED) visits, the present study aimed to compare medical utilization and various diagnostic categories at EDs between the elderly with an identified catastrophic illness and the elderly without., Methods: A cross-sectional study, based on a large-sample nationwide database (one million of the population, randomly sampled from Taiwan's National Health Insurance Research Database (NHIRD)), was performed in Taiwan. The 2008 insurance records of ambulatory medical services for subjects aged 65 years or more among the above one million of the population were further selected and analyzed. Taiwan's registered catastrophic illness dataset for 2008 was linked in order to identify the target subgroup., Results: The prevalence of certificated catastrophic illness in Taiwan's elderly utilizing ambulatory medical services was 10.16%. On average, 61.62 emergency department (ED) visits/1,000 persons (95% CI: 59.22-64.01) per month was estimated for the elderly Taiwanese with catastrophic illness, which was significantly greater than that for the elderly without a catastrophic illness (mean 33.53, 95% CI: 32.34-34.71). A significantly greater total medical expenditure for emergency care was observed in the catastrophic illness subgroup (US$145.6 ± 193.5) as compared with the non-catastrophic illness group (US$108.7 ± 338.0) (p < 0.001). The three most common medical problems diagnosed when visiting EDs were injury/poisoning (14.22%), genitourinary disorders (11.26%) and neoplasm-related morbidity (10.77%) for the elderly population with a catastrophic illness, which differed from those for the elderly without a catastrophic illness., Conclusions: In Taiwan, the elderly with any certificated catastrophic illness had significantly more ED visits and a higher ED medical cost due to untypical medical complaints.