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Sleep disorder (SD), especially sleep apnea, and its effect on atrial fibrillation (AF) are gathering attention. However, other SDs may also play an essential role in AF. The aim of the study is to investigate the effects of other SDs on the risk of atrial fibrillation development.This study investigated the risk of AF in people diagnosed with SD compared with that in age and sex-matched unaffected individuals. This longitudinal, nationwide, population-based cohort study was conducted using data from the Taiwan National Health Insurance Research Database (NHIRD) of individuals diagnosed with SD from January 1, 2001, to December 31, 2012.The sample consisted of 193,288 people with the SD, which include of 4406 people with sleep apnea, 73,704 people with insomnia, 107,395 people with sleep disturbance, 7,783 people with other SD, and 193,288 matched controls. A Cox proportional hazard regression was used to compute the risk of AF in people with SD and subgroup of SD, relative to that in people without SD. The AF incidences were 1.21-fold higher (95% CI 1.15-1.27) in the SD cohort, 1.19-fold higher (95% CI 0.91-1.56) in the sleep apnea cohort, 1.26-fold higher (95% CI 1.19-1.34) in the insomnia cohort, 1.15-fold higher (95% CI 1.08-1.22) in the sleep disturbance cohort, and 1.30-fold higher (95% CI 1.11-1.53) in other SDs, than in the control cohort, after age, sex, and comorbidities were adjusted.This nationwide population-based cohort study indicates a strong relationship between SD and incident AF, and insomnia has a higher impact on AF compared with other SD.

The composition of a self-assembly system has long been an essential factor that governs the resulting supramolecular structures. Nevertheless, due to the rigorous demands of structural compatibili...

Among the polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons, although perylene is commercially available and possesses higher solubility and stability than the others, its thin-film structures and organic field-effect transistor (OFET) performances have been rarely explored. To understand its potential as an active material in OFETs, the polymorphic behaviors, packing structures, and OFET characteristics of perylene were carefully examined. The well-oriented crystal arrays of perylene prepared via droplet-pinned crystallization delivered the highest hole mobility among the reported perylene OFETs. Fluorescence microscope, electron diffraction, and lattice modeling results confirm the polymorphic behavior of perylene in the solution-processed crystal arrays and its influences on the OFET performances. The concentration-sensitive and temperature-sensitive polymorphic behavior of perylene make processing conditions crucial in the preparation of pure-phase crystal arrays. The results show the great potential of perylene as an...

Specific surface area change of ZrO 2 (predominant tetragonal – (t) symmetry, 30–50 nm) and less refractory TiO 2 anatase nanoparticles (20–50 nm) upon isothermal firing at 700–1000 °C in air was determined by N 2 adsorption–desorption hysteresis isotherm. The nanoparticles underwent onset coarsening–coalescence within minutes without appreciable phase transformation for TiO 2 , but with extensive transformation into monoclinic (m-) symmetry for ZrO 2 . The apparent activation energy of such a process being not much higher for ZrO 2 (77 ± 23 kJ/mol) than TiO 2 (56 ± 3 kJ/mol) nanoparticles can be attributed to transformation plasticity. The minimum temperature for coarsening/coalescence of the present ZrO 2 and TiO 2 nanoparticles was estimated as 710 and 641 °C, respectively.

Machado–Joseph disease is an autosomal dominant spinocerebellar degeneration caused by the expansion of a polyglutamine tract within the gene product, ataxin-3. We have previously shown that increased oxidative stress and decreased expression of Hsp27 may be contributory factors to the disease progression. In this study, we utilized neuroblastoma SK-N-SH cells stably transfected with full-length expanded ataxin-3 to further investigate the mechanism(s) resulting in the decreased expression of Hsp27. Results from 35 S-methionine pulse-chase labeling and protein degradation assays revealed that decreased Hsp27 in mutant MJD cells is due to defects in protein synthesis. Our results further demonstrated that Hsp27 degradation is independent of the proteasome degradation pathway. In addition, we showed that overexpression of Hsp27 desensitizes mutant MJD cells to apoptotic stress. Taken together, these findings provide the first evidence that expanded ataxin-3 interferes with Hsp27 synthesis, which may contribute to the impairment of the cells’ ability to respond to stresses and trigger the progression of this late-onset disease.

TiO2−ZnO powders in a molar ratio of 92:8 were subject to solution annealing via a reactive sintering route prior to X-ray diffraction and transmission electron microscopic studies. Charge-compensating defect clusters and planar faults predominantly parallel to (121) and (132) planes, analogous to the crystallographic shear of nonstoichiometric TinO2n−1 with specific extent of oxygen vacancies, were formed in the Zn-doped TiO2 of the rutile-type structure when quenched from 1300 °C in air. Upon annealing at 900 °C, an additional phase with 3x(101) commensurate superstructure was formed by an ordering process and Guinier−Preston zones parallel to (100) and (010) were exsolved via anisotropic lattice diffusion.

Vaccinia virus, the prototype of the Orthopoxvirus genus in the family Poxviridae , infects a wide range of cell lines and animals. Vaccinia mature virus particles of the WR strain reportedly enter HeLa cells through fluid-phase endocytosis. However, the intracellular trafficking process of the vaccinia mature virus between cellular uptake and membrane fusion remains unknown. We used live imaging of single virus particles with a combination of various cellular vesicle markers, to track fluorescent vaccinia mature virus particle movement in cells. Furthermore, we performed functional interference assays to perturb distinct vesicle trafficking processes in order to delineate the specific route undertaken by vaccinia mature virus prior to membrane fusion and virus core uncoating in cells. Our results showed that vaccinia virus traffics to early endosomes, where recycling endosome markers Rab11 and Rab22 are recruited to participate in subsequent virus trafficking prior to virus core uncoating in the cytoplasm. Furthermore, we identified WASH-VPEF/FAM21-retromer complexes that mediate endosome fission and sorting of virus-containing vesicles prior to virus core uncoating in the cytoplasm. IMPORTANCE Vaccinia mature virions of the WR strain enter HeLa cells through fluid phase endocytosis. We previously demonstrated that virus-containing vesicles are internalized into phosphatidylinositol 3-phosphate positive macropinosomes, which are then fused with Rab5-positive early endosomes. However, the subsequent process of sorting the virion-containing vesicles prior to membrane fusion remains unclear. We dissected the intracellular trafficking pathway of vaccinia mature virions in cells up to virus core uncoating in cytoplasm. We show that vaccinia mature virions first travel to early endosomes. Subsequent trafficking events require the important endosome-tethered protein VPEF/FAM21, which recruits WASH and retromer protein complexes to the endosome. There, the complex executes endosomal membrane fission and cargo sorting to the Rab11-positive and Rab22-positive recycling pathway, resulting in membrane fusion and virus core uncoating in the cytoplasm.

This study examined attitudes of university faculty specialising in the field of human resource (HR) in Taiwan towards participation in the teaching of online courses using the theory of reasoned action (TRA). The population targeted for investigation consisted of the full-time university faculty in the HR field in Taiwan regardless of their experience in the teaching online courses of any kind. Survey development included a detailed literature review to identify beliefs that guided measurement construction and followed the guidelines recommended by Ajzen and Fishbein (1980) to ensure construct validity. Data were collected on TRA constructs and demographic variables using the questionnaire mailed to 278 faculty members targeted for the study. A 42% (n = 116) response rate was achieved after one round of the follow-up through emailing. The significant predictor variables, attitude and subjective social norm were confirmed. In other words, results of analyses evidenced the contribution of TRA to explaining the underlying beliefs that enhance or thwart participation. Additionally, faculty in this study possessed positive attitudes towards the participation in online teaching, and further analyses supported the use of TRA in this research context.

In this work we show the magnetic characteristics of perpendicular magnetic tunnel junction (pMTJ) with different oxidation layers. The pMTJs structures were made by RF and DC magnetron sputtering. Individual depositions of magnesium oxide layers and of aluminum oxide films were prepared by plasma oxidation. The experimental results showed that the initial switching field was decreased as the magnesium oxide thickness was increased. Further work of the aluminum oxide surface roughness and hysteresis loop influenced by different oxidation layers on pMTJs structures will be discussed as well.

Ethnopharmacological relevance Taiwanese green propolis (TGP) extract contains a variety of chemical components and has proven to have broad-spectrum biological activities, including anticancer, antioxidant, and antimicrobial activities. Propolin G, an active anticancer component of TGP, was isolated and characterized in this study. Histone deacetylase inhibitors (HDACis) have been shown to be effective anticancer agents. The aim of this study was to develop a novel HDACi and investigate its anticancer mechanism. Materials and methods NBM-HD-3, a novel HDACi, was derived from propolin G. Two brain cancer cell lines (c6 and DBTRG-05MG) were used in the anti-proliferation assay. NBM-HD-3 treated cells were analyzed by flow cytometry in the cell cycle assay. The gene expression of NBM-HD-3 treated cells was determined by real-time quantitative PCR. HDAC enzyme assay, confocal microscopy and Western blot assay were used to validate NMB-HD-3 as HDACi. Western blot assay was used for analyzing cell cycle modulation by PTEN and AKT. Results NBM-HD-3 was found to have potent anti-proliferative activity in brain cancer cells (rat C6 glioma and human DBTRG-05MG glioblastoma). Western blot analysis and HDAC enzyme assay indicated that NBM-HD-3 was an HDAC inhibitor. The Western blot data exhibited increased levels of p21, Ac-histone 3, Ac-histone 4, and Ac-tubulin after brain cancer cells being treated with NBM-HD-3. NBM-HD-3 also affected the cell cycle regulators such as p21 and cyclin B1. In the study for its anticancer mechanism, NBM-HD-3 was found to increase PTEN and AKT protein levels significantly, while decreasing p-PTEN and p-AKT levels markedly. Conclusion This study demonstrated that the novel compound, NBM-HD-3, is a potent HDAC inhibitor. It produces anticancer activity through modulation of PTEN and AKT in brain cancer cells.

This paper delineates an instrumental multi-case study conducted in Taiwan with university faculty. The study explores higher education teachers' standpoints concerning adoption of online learning community (OLC) as a strategy for continuing professional development (CPD) taking advantage of the technique frequently applied to program planning or decision making analyses on internal effects of Strength and Weakness as well as external possibilities of Opportunity and Threat (SWOT). In the end, discussions of use of OLC for CPD of university faculty in Taiwan are elaborated.

We discuss the interfacial structure of MgO and Al–O barrier layers and influence on the magnetic properties of perpendicular magnetic tunnel junction (pMTJ) devices. The pMTJs layer structures analyzed were Si-wafer∕Pt∕Gd(FeCo)∕FeCo∕MgO (AlO)∕FeCo∕Tb(FeCo)∕Pt. The deposit of all pMTJs structures was carried out by rf and dc magnetron sputtering systems. Transmission electron microscopy (TEM) clearly showed that the interfacial structure of FeCo∕MgO or AlO∕FeCo in the pMTJs was very smooth and uniform. Hysteresis loops obtained by an alternating gradient magnetrometer (AGM) for the different oxide barrier layers of pMTJ structures showed that the Al–O layer performs better than the MgO layer. An additional discussion on the oxide layer thickness in the TEM and AGM measurements is also presented.

The effects of MgO tunnel barrier thickness on the magnetic-transport characteristics of perpendicularly magnetized magnetic tunnel junction device are explored. Saturation magnetization and initial switching field of the free layer decrease with MgO barrier thickness. Increased MgO thickness that extended interaction distance and diminished the influence from the magnetized pinned layer leads to a smaller initial switching applied field required for saturation. The oscillating dependences of the high coercivity of pinned layer and the low coercivity of free layer on MgO thickness are discovered. Moreover, an out-of-phase feature between both layers’ coercivity cyclic variation is exhibited. This unique cyclic varying of coercivity with MgO barrier thickness is revealed and analogous to the recent finding of the magnetoresistance’s periodic variation with MgO thickness.