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The medicinal fungus Ganoderma lucidum is used as a dietary supplement and health tonic, but whether it affects longevity remains unclear. We show here that a water extract of G. lucidum mycelium extends lifespan of the nematode Caenorhabditis elegans. The G. lucidum extract reduces the level of fibrillarin (FIB-1), a nucleolar protein that correlates inversely with longevity in various organisms. Furthermore, G. lucidum treatment increases expression of the autophagosomal protein marker LGG-1, and lifespan extension is abrogated in mutant C. elegans strains that lack atg-18, daf-16, or sir-2.1, indicating that autophagy and stress resistance pathways are required to extend lifespan. In cultured human cells, G. lucidum increases concentrations of the LGG-1 ortholog LC3 and reduces levels of phosphorylated mTOR, a known inhibitor of autophagy. Notably, low molecular weight compounds (

We investigated whether the upper limb muscle stiffness quantified by the acoustic radiation force impulse shear wave elastography (ARFI/SWE) is a potential biomarker for age-related muscle alteration and functional decline in patients with Duchenne muscular dystrophy (DMD). 37 patients with DMD and 30 typically developing controls (TDC) were grouped by age (3–8, 9–11, and 12–18 years). ARFI/SWE measured the biceps and deltoid muscle's shear wave velocities (SWVs). Performance of Upper Limb Module (PUL 1.2 module) assessed muscle function in DMD patients. Mann Whitney test compared muscle SWVs between DMD and TDC, stratified by three age groups. We used analysis of variance with Bonferroni correction to compare muscle SWVs between DMD and TDC and correlated muscle SWVs with PUL results in the DMD group. Results showed that the SWVs of biceps differentiated DMD patients from TDC across age groups. Younger DMD patients (3–8 years) exhibited higher SWVs (p = 0.013), but older DMD patients (12–18 years) showed lower SWVS (p = 0.028) than same-aged TDC. DMD patients had decreasing biceps SWVs with age (p

Abstract Background Liver cancer is ranked fifth in incidence and second in mortality among cancers in Taiwan. Nevertheless, the Taiwan government does not screen for liver cancer in its free cancer screening and preventive health examination service. This study compared the differences in cancer stage and survival between patients who received an initial liver cancer diagnosis in outpatient departments (OPDs) and those who received such a diagnosis in emergency departments (EDs). Methods This retrospective cohort study used the 2000–2016 National Health Insurance Database to obtain a sample from 2 million Taiwanese residents. To evaluate the effect of the utilization of the adult health examination offered to people aged ≥ 40 years, patients aged ≥ 40 years who received an initial liver cancer diagnosis between 2003 and 2015 were followed up until December 31, 2016. Results In total, 2,881 patients were included in this study. A greater proportion of cancer cases in the OPD group were non-advanced than those in the ED group (75.26% vs. 54.23%). Having stage C or D cancer, having a low monthly salary, and a Charlson comorbidity index score ≥ 8, not having hepatitis B, being divorced, and attending a non-public hospital as the primary care institution were risk factors for initial ED diagnosis. The risk of liver cancer-specific death among the ED group patients was 1.38 times that among the OPD group patients (adjusted hazard ratio = 1.38, 95% confidence interval [CI] = 1.14–1.68, P

Obtaining reliable and timely estimates of migration flows is critical for advancing the migration theory and guiding policy decisions, but it remains a challenge. Digital data provide granular information on time and space, but do not draw from representative samples of the population, leading to biased estimates. We propose a method for combining digital data and official statistics by using the official statistics to model the spatial and temporal dependence structure of the biases of digital data. We use simulations to demonstrate the validity of the model, then empirically illustrate our approach by combining geo-located Twitter data with data from the American Community Survey (ACS) to estimate state-level out-migration probabilities in the United States. We show that our model, which combines unbiased and biased data, produces predictions that are more accurate than predictions based solely on unbiased data. Our approach demonstrates how digital data can be used to complement, rather than replace, official statistics. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Purpose: The purpose of this paper is to investigate entrepreneurial competencies of students in practicums within departments of electrical engineering and computer sciences (EECS) in universities of technology. In total, 71 faculty members who advised in entrepreneurial competitions in universities of technology were participants in the questionnaire survey to find the entrepreneurial competencies during practicums of the EECS students. Design/methodology/approach: Analysis was carried out based on the literatures related to off-campus internship in universities of technology and entrepreneurship competency. Then, through the questionnaire survey, the authors can understand what the entrepreneurial abilities should have when they after off-campus internships. The entrepreneurship competency expected of off-campus internship students within EECS was analyzed to derive at the important conclusion in this study. Findings: As the results of this study, the authors found that entrepreneurial processes, entrepreneurial traits/behaviors, communications and interpersonal skills, and digital skills are the entrepreneurial competencies that are emphasized during practicums. Originality/value: The paper suggests that, first, the EECS students take up innovative entrepreneurship programs and take electives such as marketing management, financial management, and related business administration courses. Second, respective universities of technology and internship organizations may co-arrange the incorporation of project-based learning (PBL), PBL into the internship work content. Third, establishing a platform that bridges communication for off-campus internship students.

Cohesin is an essential multiprotein complex that mediates sister chromatid cohesion critical for proper segregation of chromosomes during cell division. Cohesin is also involved in DNA double-strand break (DSB) repair. In mammalian cells, cohesin is involved in both DSB repair and the damage checkpoint response, although the relationship between these two functions is unclear. Two cohesins differing by one subunit (SA1 or SA2) are present in somatic cells, but their functional specificities with regard to DNA repair remain enigmatic. We found that cohesin-SA2 is the main complex corecruited with the cohesin-loading factor NIPBL to DNA damage sites in an S/G(2)-phase-specific manner. Replacing the diverged C-terminal region of SA1 with the corresponding region of SA2 confers this activity on SA1. Depletion of SA2 but not SA1 decreased sister chromatid homologous recombination repair and affected repair pathway choice, indicating that DNA repair activity is specifically associated with cohesin recruited to damage sites. In contrast, both cohesin complexes function in the intra-S checkpoint, indicating that cell cycle-specific damage site accumulation is not a prerequisite for cohesin's intra-S checkpoint function. Our findings reveal the unique ways in which cohesin-SA1 and cohesin-SA2 participate in the DNA damage response, coordinately protecting genome integrity in human cells.

In June 1920, a homicide case in Shanghai sent shock waves through society: Yen Ruisheng, the client of a prostitute named Wang Lianying, murdered Wang and absconded with her jewelry. Wang's body was discovered in a nearby field a few days after her death, leading to the exposure of this killing. From the moment Wang's body was found to Yen's capture and subsequent execution (a time period lasting from June to November) the public was engrossed in every step of the investigation, pursuit, trial, and execution. Seizing upon this opportunity, theater owners capitalized on these sensational events by producing a play about them. This drama became an instant hit, attracting large audiences. The use of topical events is one features of Shanghai style Peking Opera. However, topical drama had struggled to find its footing when it first emerged during the late Qing dynasty. With the debut of Executing Yen Ruisheng in 1920, this particular genre of Peking Opera experienced an unprecedented surge in popularity due to its being highly entertaining. Topical drama features two concepts: current time/recent time and actual events. Through watching this type of drama, audiences could not only fulfill their voyeuristic desires to pry into others' privacy but also better empathize with the story since it resembled their daily lives. These resonations could be converted into both profit and public opinion. This article provides an overview of performances of Executing Yen Ruisheng based on the study of news reports, theater advertisements, drama reviews, and recordings. Through analyzing the contents of this work, the author considers how its creators combined true story materials and the imagination, and then went beyond the boundary of real and fiction to create a new reality on stage. Lastly, the article discusses the potential roles that this work played in the public sphere and its unique place in the history of Peking Opera while exploring aspects of topical drama's emotional expressions. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]