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This study demonstrated both adipose-derived stem cells (ASCs) in vitro and in vivo combined with three-dimensional (3D) porous sponge matrices on implant wound healing. Sponge matrices were created from hyaluronic acid (HA), collagen (Col), and gelatin (Gel), constructing two types: HA-L (low content) and HA-H (high content), to be cross-linked with 1-ethyl-3-(3-dimethylaminopropyl) carbodiimide (EDC). Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy method verified carboxyl groups of HA and amino groups of Col and Gel reacting between the raw materials and scaffolds to identify the successive cross-linking. The swelling ratios of two types of sponge matrices were analyzed by water absorption capabilities, and the results displayed both over 30-fold dry scaffold weight enhancements. In biodegradation tests, matrices were hydrolyzed over time by three cutaneous enzymes, hyaluronidase, lysozyme, and collagenase I. ASCs from rats were cultured within the HA-H scaffold, demonstrating higher antioxidative abilities and secretions on related genes and proteins compared to the other two groups. The ASC HA-H matrix promoted cell proliferation to stimulate capillary angiogenesis inducer secretions, including vascular endothelial growth factor (VEGF) and transforming growth factor-β (TGF-β). In vivo histological examinations showed ASCs from implanted HA-H implant transported into the subcutis, and rat skin cells also infiltrated into the original matrix zone to increase the extracellular matrix (ECM) reconstructions. Our experimental data revealed that the ASC HA-H sponge implant was effective in improving wound repair.

This action research study has two aims: (i) to develop a wearable virtual reality language-learning platform for English for specific purposes and (ii) to examine student learning effectiveness and the relationship between self-efficacy and behavioral intention. The participants are 131 university students in Taiwan. A model of wearable virtual reality language-learning based on structural equation modeling is built. A path analysis indicates that self-efficacy directly influences students’ perceptions of ease of use of the wearable virtual reality technology and indirectly influences perceived usefulness, attitude, and behavioral intention. Student self-efficacy is slightly above the moderate level. Gender and English proficiency have an effect on student self-efficacy and behavioral intention, whereas students’ online and virtual reality learning experiences have no significant effect on these variables. This new environment is shown to facilitate student learning: the pretest and posttest results indicate improvements in lexical and semantic knowledge, reading comprehension, and syntax. The study implies that since self-efficacy is a crucial determinant in student technology use, educators should enhance student self-efficacy in order to encourage them to try innovative technology.

BACKGROUND Image-based recognition has become a long-term topic in the field of artificial intelligence, and neuroimaging has gradually become a beneficial way to understand the course of Alzheimer’s disease (AD). OBJECTIVE The goal of this study is to compare the detection performance of convolutional neural networks (CNNs) on medical images to establish a classification model for epidemiological research. However, medical image analysis lacks large labeled training datasets, and thus many transfer learning-based methods have been proposed to solve few labels in the medical field. METHODS Owing to the scarcity of image data from single-photon emission computed tomography (SPECT), this study uses transfer learning to compare the performance of diagnostic methods based on five different CNNs (two lightweight and three deeper-weight CNN models) to determine the most suitable model. Brain scan image data were collected from 36 male and 63 female subjects. This study used 4711 images as the input data for the model. RESULTS The Cognitive Abilities Screening Instrument and Mini Mental State Exam scores of subjects with Clinical Dementia Rating (CDR) of 2 were significantly lower than those of subjects with CDR of 1 and 0.5. These results indicate that the ResNet model (the deeper-weight CNN model) exhibits the highest accuracy (70.79%) and can hence be used to improve the classification of mild cognitive impairment (MCI), mild AD, and moderate AD (CDRs of 0.5, 1, and 2, respectively). CONCLUSIONS This study successfully analyzes the classification performance of different CNN architectures for medical images and also proves the effectiveness of transfer learning in identifying the MCI, mild AD, and moderate AD scoring based on SPECT images.

BACKGROUND Cockayne syndrome (CS) is a rare inherited disease characterized by progressive motor symptoms including muscle weakness, joint contracture, ataxia, and spasticity. Botulinum neurotoxin type A has been used for conditions such as dystonia and spasticity, but it has rarely been used in patients with CS. CASE SUMMARY We report a 6-year-and-9-mo old girl diagnosed with CS who received an injection of botulinum neurotoxin type A to manage her difficulty with walking. A total dose of 210 units of botulinum neurotoxin type A was administered into the bilateral tibialis posterior and gastrocnemius muscles. To evaluate the treatment effects on spasticity, joint contracture, pain, and ataxia, measurement tools including the Modified Ashworth Scale, the passive range of motion, the Faces Pain Scale-Revised, and the Scale for the Assessment and Rating of Ataxia, were employed. The first week after the injection, the Modified Ashworth Scale score for the plantar flexors and foot invertors improved bilaterally, along with advancements in the passive range of motion of the bilateral ankles and a lower score for the Faces Pain Scale-Revised. These treatment effects persisted to the 8th week post-injection, but returned to baseline values at the 12th week post-injection, except for the pain scale. CONCLUSION Botulinum toxin injection can thus be considered as a treatment option for lower extremity spasticity, joint contracture, and pain derived from CS.

Image recognition and neuroimaging are increasingly being used to understand the progression of Alzheimer’s disease (AD). However, image data from single-photon emission computed tomography (SPECT) are limited. Medical image analysis requires large, labeled training datasets. Therefore, studies have focused on overcoming this problem. In this study, the detection performance of five convolutional neural network (CNN) models (MobileNet V2 and NASNetMobile (lightweight models); VGG16, Inception V3, and ResNet (heavier weight models)) on medical images was compared to establish a classification model for epidemiological research. Brain scan image data were collected from 99 subjects, and 4711 images were used. Demographic data were compared using the chi-squared test and one-way analysis of variance with Bonferroni’s post hoc test. Accuracy and loss functions were used to evaluate the performance of CNN models. The cognitive abilities screening instrument and mini mental state exam scores of subjects with a clinical dementia rating (CDR) of 2 were considerably lower than those of subjects with a CDR of 1 or 0.5. This study analyzed the classification performance of various CNN models for medical images and proved the effectiveness of transfer learning in identifying the mild cognitive impairment, mild AD, and moderate AD scoring based on SPECT images.

There is insufficient evidence to prove the effect of the Post-acute Care (PAC) program on post-stroke recovery. This study aimed to determine the effectiveness of the PAC versus traditional inpatient rehabilitation (non-PAC) for middle- and old-aged stroke survivors. This multicenter cohort study enrolled 334 stroke patients admitted for post-stroke rehabilitation. The outcome variables included the Barthel Index (BI), Functional Oral Intake Scale (FOIS), Mini Nutritional Assessment-Short Form (MNA-SF), EuroQoL-5D (EQ-5D), Lawton–Brody Instrumental Activities of Daily Living (ADL) Scale, and Mini-Mental State Examination (MMSE). The inverse-probability-of-treatment-weighting method was used to analyze the differences in outcomes between the PAC and non-PAC groups. The PAC group showed better improvements in BI, MNA-SF, EQ-5D, Instrumental ADL, and MMSE compared to the non-PAC group, with differences in effect sizes of 0.54 (95% confidence interval [CI] 0.38–0.71), 0.26 (95% CI 0.10–0.42), 0.50 (95% CI 0.33–0.66), 0.44 (95% CI 0.28–0.60) and 0.34 (95% CI 0.17–0.50), respectively. The PAC project showed more improvement in basic and instrumental ADL and status of swallowing, nutrition, and cognition than those of non-PAC, which had less length of stay restricted by the National Health Insurance. More studies are warranted to investigate the influence of hospital stay and duration from stroke onset on the PAC’s effectiveness.

Environmental factors are crucial determinants of disability in schizophrenic patients. Using data from the 2014–2018 Certification of Disability and Care Needs dataset, we identified 3882 adult patients (46.78% females; age, 51.01 ± 13.9 years) with schizophrenia. We found that patients with severe schizophrenia had lower capacity and performance than those with moderate schizophrenia. The chances of having an access barrier to environmental chapter 1 (e1) products and technology in moderate schizophrenic patients and in severe schizophrenic patients were 29.5% and 37.8%, respectively. Logistic regression analyses demonstrated that the performance score was related to accessibility barriers in the categories described in e1, with adequate fitness of models in category e110 for personal consumption, e115 for personal usage in daily living activities, and e120 for personal outdoor and indoor mobility and transportation. Furthermore, the capacity-performance discrepancy was higher in moderate schizophrenic patients with accessibility barriers in the e110, e115, and e120 categories than that in moderate schizophrenic patients without accessibility barriers. However, severe schizophrenic patients with category e120 accessibility barriers were prone to a lower discrepancy, with institutional care a potentially decreasing factor. In conclusion, providing an e1 barrier-free environment is necessary for patients with schizophrenia to decrease their disability.

A novel herbal extract-loaded gel containing several biofunctional extracts, including green tea, Zingiber officinale Rosc, Phyllanthus emblica, and salicylic acid, was developed for acne vulgaris. These natural raw materials were blended with suitable dosages of gelatin and carboxymethyl cellulose (CMC) to produce a biocompatible herbal gel. The physical chemistry properties of the hydrogel were determined by Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy (FTIR), thermal gravimetric analysis (TGA), rheometry, and scanning electron microscopy (SEM), and the hydrogel showed good mechanical and morphological characteristics. The herbal extract-loaded hydrogel mimicked extracellular matrix properties and showed good antioxidant and anti-inflammatory properties and various advantages, serving as a potential wound dressing material because of its high moisture retention ability, wound exudate absorption behavior, and biocompatibility. It exhibited moderate-high antioxidative and anti-inflammatory qualities that were important for dermis wound closure. The clinical trial results showed that most patients experienced moderate to high healing rates, and four of twenty-four individuals (16.67%) had recovery area ratios greater than 80%. This herbal extract-loaded hydrogel has effective ingredients and excellent mechanical properties as a bioactive dressing agent for acne treatment.

This study demonstrated both adipose-derived stem cells (ASCs) in vitro and in vivo combined with three-dimensional (3D) porous sponge matrices on implant wound healing. Sponge matrices were created from hyaluronic acid (HA), collagen (Col), and gelatin (Gel), constructing two types: HA-L (low content) and HA-H (high content), to be cross-linked with 1-ethyl-3-(3-dimethylaminopropyl) carbodiimide (EDC). Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy method verified carboxyl groups of HA and amino groups of Col and Gel reacting between the raw materials and scaffolds to identify the successive cross-linking. The swelling ratios of two types of sponge matrices were analyzed by water absorption capabilities, and the results displayed both over 30-fold dry scaffold weight enhancements. In biodegradation tests, matrices were hydrolyzed over time by three cutaneous enzymes, hyaluronidase, lysozyme, and collagenase I. ASCs from rats were cultured within the HA-H scaffold, demonstrating higher antioxidative abilities and secretions on related genes and proteins compared to the other two groups. The ASC HA-H matrix promoted cell proliferation to stimulate capillary angiogenesis inducer secretions, including vascular endothelial growth factor (VEGF) and transforming growth factor-β (TGF-β). In vivo histological examinations showed ASCs from implanted HA-H implant transported into the subcutis, and rat skin cells also infiltrated into the original matrix zone to increase the extracellular matrix (ECM) reconstructions. Our experimental data revealed that the ASC HA-H sponge implant was effective in improving wound repair.

Additional file 3: Supplementary Table 3 Estimation results of mixed-effects model with CIR16–99† of spinal cord injury (SCI) as the dependent variable and major risk factors as fixed effects. The major risk factors in this mixed-effects model include one more indicator, the evaluation scores of pedestrian environment (SPE), to represent the quality of barrier-free environment.

Additional file 1: Supplementary Table 1. Estimation results of constructed mixed-effects model with CIR16–59† of spinal cord injury (SCI) as the dependent variable and major risk factors as fixed effects.

Additional file 2: Supplementary Table 2. Income effects of total spinal cord injury (SCI), traumatic SCI, motor vehicle (MV)-related SCI, fall-related SCI, tetraplegia, traumatic tetraplegia, MV-related tetraplegia, and fall-related tetraplegia in Taiwan.

BackgroundThe objectives of this research were to determine the savings of loss-of-life expectancy (LE) and lifetime medical costs (LMC) from prevention of spinal cord injuries (SCI) in Taiwan.MethodsFrom the claims database of Taiwan National Health Insurance, we identified 6164 adult patients with newly diagnosed SCI with permanent functional disability from 2000 to 2015 and followed them until the end of 2016. We estimated survival function through the Kaplan-Meier method and extrapolated it to lifetime.ResultsFor the SCI cohort, the LE and loss-of-LE were 17.6 and 13.3 years, respectively, while those for SCI with coding of external causes (E-code) were 18.1 and 13.0 years, respectively. For the SCI cohort with E-code, the loss-of-LE of motor vehicle (MV)-related SCI was significantly higher than that of fall-related SCI. In young and middle-aged patients with SCI with E-code, the loss-of-LE of MV-related paraplegia was significantly higher than that of MV-related quadriplegia and fall-related SCI. With a 3% discount rate, the LMC for patients with SCI after diagnosis were US$82 772, while those for patients with SCI with E-code were US$81 473. The LMC and the cost per year for those living with quadriplegia were significantly higher than those for paraplegia in all age groups, possibly related to the higher frequencies of stroke, chronic lung disease and dementia.ConclusionsWe conclude that quadriplegia has a higher impact on medical costs than paraplegia, and MV-related SCI has a higher impact on loss-of-LE than fall-related SCI. We recommend comprehensive SCI prevention be established, including infrastructures of construction and transportation.

The genetic identity and morphological features of a reptile-associated tick, Amblyomma geoemydae, were examined for the first time in Taiwan. The key morphological characters of male and female Am. geoemydae were photographed using a stereo microscope. The genetic identity was analyzed by comparing the 16S mitochondrial DNA gene sequences obtained from 11 Taiwan Am. geoemydae ticks with other Amblyomma species and three Ixodes species as outgroups. All the Taiwan specimens were genetically affiliated to a monophyletic group of Am. geoemydae and could be discriminated from other Amblyomma species. Our results provide the first distinguished colour figures and first genetic identification of adult Am. geoemydae ticks infesting turtles in Taiwan. The host range and vectorial capacity of Am. geoemydae for various tick-borne pathogens need to be further clarified in Taiwan.

Chloroquine (CQ) is an antimalaria drug that has been used in clinical practice for several decades. One serious complication of CQ treatment is the macular retinopathy caused by the disruption of the retinal pigmented epithelium, leading to vision loss. Little is known about how CQ affects retinal pigmented epithelium. In this study, we found that cell proliferation was reduced by CQ treatment in time and dose-dependent manners. No obvious cell death was detected; however, what was observed instead was G0/G1 arrest during which primary cilium started to grow in the presence of CQ. Pharmacological inhibition of primary cilium formation led to a reduction of cell viability suggesting that CQ-induced primary cilium protected cells from death. In addition to cell growth, with the CQ treatment the retina pigmented epithelium (RPE) cells less flattened with the spindle-like protrusion. When checking the microtubule networks, the microtubule nucleation activity was disrupted in the presence of CQ. The level of p150 glued , the largest subunit of dynactin, was reduced in CQ-treated RPE1 cells, and depletion of p150 glued resulted in a phenotype reminiscent of CQ-treated cells. Thus, CQ treatment reduced the expression of p150 glued , leading to reduced S phase entry and defective microtubule nucleation.

The aim of this study was to evaluate the incidence and clinical features of musculoskeletal pain (MSP) in patients with Parkinson disease (PD) compared with a control group without the disease. The retrospective cohort study used a subset of the Taiwan National Health Insurance Research Database (NHIRD) comprising information on 1 million beneficiaries randomly sampled from the entire population of Taiwan. A total of 490 patients aged 50 and above with newly diagnosed Parkinson disease were identified during a period from 2000 to 2005. Among them, 199 developed MSP after PD. The control group consisted of 1960 participants without PD over the study period randomly selected by matching PD cases according to the date of PD incidence, age, and sex. The study groups were then followed to the end of 2007. Musculoskeletal pain was the end point. The incidence rate ratios of MSP were higher in the PD group than in the control group, representing an adjusted hazard ratio of 1.31 (95% confidence interval 1.09 to 1.58). PD was associated with a significantly elevated risk of MSP in all sex and age stratifications, with the highest hazard ratio noted for middle-aged male patients with PD, followed by older male patients with PD. This study showed that the PD may significantly increase the risk of developing MSP. The risk of developing MSP seems to be greatest for middle-aged male patients with PD. Clinicians should be more alert for MSP in patients with PD, and early intervention should be considered.

Introduction Punding is a complex stereotyped behavior, characterized by excessiveness, non-goal orientation, and repetitiveness. It is mostly associated with Parkinson’s disease, and very few cases in non-Parkinson’s disease have been reported. We report a case of punding associated with supratentorial ischemic stroke. Case presentation We present a 70-year-old man with left posterior cerebral artery infarction with quetiapine-induced punding manifesting as repetitive unidirectional body turning. Remission of punding behavior ensued after cessation of quetiapine and administration of clonazepam. Conclusion This case describes the clinical course of quetiapine-induced punding in a patient with left posterior cerebral artery infarction. It suggests clonazepam may serve as a treatment option for poststroke punding.

Human osteosarcoma (bone cancer) is a highly malignant and the most prevalent bone tumor affecting children. Despite recent advances in the understanding of the molecular mechanism by which anticancer drugs kill osteosarcoma or block its growth, however, the mortality rate has declined only modestly. Thus, a new therapeutic approach is needed to be established. 7-hydroxystaurosporine, UCN-01, abrogates the G2 checkpoint thus enhancing the cytotoxicity of chemotherapeutic agents. In addition, it has been evaluated in clinical trials as a single antineoplastic agent in treating several cancers. However, the effects of UCN-01 on treating bone cancer has never been tested. In this study, we found that UCN-01 induced cell cycle arrest and apoptosis in the human osteosarcoma, U2-OS cells. In addition, the migration ability was also reduced, suggesting UCN-01 inhibited cell growth and migration. When U2-OS cells were treated with UCN-01, DNA damage response was triggered. The ataxia telangiectasia mutated (ATM) and the non-canonical downstream effector, ERK, was activated by UCN-01. In addition, depletion of ATM or inhibition of ERK deteriorated the cell viability in UCN-01-treated U2-OS cells. Furthermore, UCN-01 induced autophagy activation for protecting cells from apoptosis. Thus, UCN-01 might function as a single antineoplastic agent in treating human osteosarcoma.

Supplemental Digital Content is available in the text, To compare the degree of gait symmetry of chronic poststroke fallers with that of nonfallers during level walking using triaxial accelerometry. In this cross-sectional study, a total of 14 patients with chronic stroke were recruited from a community hospital from February 2015 to July 2016. Patient characteristics, including the number of falls in the previous 12 months, were obtained from medical records. The Berg Balance Scale (BBS) and timed up and go (TUG) test were used at the onset of the study. Triaxial accelerometers were attached to the back and bilateral lower extremities of each subject with sampling rates of 120 Hz. The cross-correlation between the acceleration signals of the affected and unaffected feet was measured to assess the degree of gait symmetry. The triaxial acceleration signals of the 5 consecutive and bilateral strides from the middle of each trial were processed to measure the cross-correlation and time delay (Ts) between the magnitude of the acceleration vector of the affected and unaffected foot. After controlling for possible confounding factors, the mixed-effect models showed that cross-correlation was significantly higher among nonfallers than fallers (β = −0.093; standard error [SE] = 0.029; P-value = 0.002), and that the Ts was significantly longer among fallers than nonfallers (β = −1.900; SE = 0.719; P-value = 0.011). Cross-correlation and Ts between the affected and unaffected lower extremities may be useful indicators to distinguish poststroke fallers from nonfallers.

Anti-N-methyl-d-aspartate (anti-NMDA) receptor encephalitis is a newly recognized, potentially fatal, but treatable autoimmune disease. Good outcome predictors include milder severity of symptoms, no need for intensive care unit admission, early aggressive immunotherapy, and prompt tumor removal. We report a case of a young girl aged 3 years 2 months and diagnosed as recalcitrant anti-NMDA receptor encephalitis without any underlying neoplasm. The patient had initial symptoms of behavioral changes that progressed to generalized choreoathetosis and orofacial dyskinesia, which resulted in 6 months of hospitalization in the pediatric intensive care unit. One year after initial onset of the disease, she had only achieved the developmental age of an infant aged 6-8 months in terms of gross and fine motor skills, but she resumed total independence in activities of daily living after receiving extensive immunotherapy and 28 months of rehabilitation. Our brief review will help clinical practitioners become more familiar with this disease and the unique rehabilitation programs.

Objective To compare the effects of 2 different injection sites of low doses of botulinum toxin type A with steroid in treating lateral epicondylalgia. Design Double-blind, randomized, active drug-controlled trial. Setting Tertiary medical center. Participants Patients with lateral epicondylalgia for >6 months were recruited from a hospital-based outpatient population (N=26). A total of 66 patients were approached, and 40 were excluded. No participant withdrew because of adverse effects. Interventions Patients were randomly assigned into 3 groups: (1) botulinum toxin epic group (n=8), who received 20U of botulinum toxin injection into the lateral epicondyle; (2) botulinum toxin tend group (n=7), who received 20U of botulinum toxin injected into tender points of muscles; and (3) steroid group (n=11), who received 40mg of triamcinolone acetonide injected into the lateral epicondyle. Main Outcome Measures A visual analog scale, a dynamometer, and the Patient-Rated Tennis Elbow Evaluation were used to evaluate the perception of pain, maximal grip strength, and functional status, respectively. Outcome measures were assessed before intervention and at 4, 8, 12, and 16 weeks after treatment. The primary outcome measure was a visual analog scale. Results At 4 weeks after injection, the steroid group was superior to the botulinum toxin tend group in improvement on the visual analog scale ( P =.006), grip strength ( P =.03), and Patient-Rated Tennis Elbow Evaluation ( P =.02). However, these differences were not observed at the 8-, 12-, and 16-week follow-up assessments. There was no significant difference between the steroid and botulinum toxin epic groups. Conclusions Injections with botulinum toxin and steroid effectively reduced pain and improved upper limb function in patients with lateral epicondylalgia for at least 16 weeks. The onset of effect was earlier in the steroid and botulinum toxin epic groups than in the botulinum toxin tend group.

Introduction/Background The aim of this study was to evaluate the impact of benzodiazepine (BZD) on analgesic costs to treat spinal cord injury (SCI) patients in Taiwan. Material and method The retrospective cohort study used a subset of the Taiwan National Health Insurance Research Database (NHIRD) comprising information on two million beneficiaries randomly sampled from the entire population of Taiwan. A total of 3170 patients aged 16 and above with newly diagnosed SCI were identified during a period from 2001–2010. Results The multivariate linear regression using average daily costs of prescription of nociceptive pain, including non-steroidal anti-inflammatory drugs (NSAIDs) and opioid analgesics for 1 year and 4 years after SCI showed increased costs in benzodiazepine (BZD) user, especially in high-dose BZD users (cumulative defined daily dose [cDDD] > 0.3) (parameter estimate = 3.79 and 1.37 respectively. P-value Conclusion This study showed that the baseline BZD exposure may significantly increase the analgesic costs in SCI patients.

Introduction/Background Knee osteoarthritis (OA) has an incidence rate of 25% per year and its responses to treatment are variable. The analgesic effect of intra-articular injection of botulinum toxin type A (BTX-A) has been observed in patients with knee OA. BTX-A might inhibit Rho GTPase by ADP-ribosylation of amino acid asparagine-41. Rho activity has a role in mediation of chondrocyte catabolic signaling pathways, and Rho/ROCK (Rho-associated coiled-coil containing kinase) activation induces articular cartilage degradation. In our unpublished data, chondroprotection of BTX-A was observed based on pathological findings in rat knee OA. ROCK I & II were found to be altered in chondrocytes treated with BTXA, with dose-dependent effect. This study aimed to compare the effect on chondrocyte of BTX-A and Rho-inhibitor. Material and method ATDC5 chondrocytes were compared based on cell phenotype and markers for chondrocyte differentiation and growth after administration of BTX-A, Rho-inhibitor (Y27632), and normal saline (control) to clarify the downstream signaling pathway. Results Reverse transcription-PCR (RT-PCR) showed that in ATDC5 chondrocyte cell culture, Y27632 and BTX-A elevated aggrecan on culture day 4 and day 7. On day 21, the level of collagen type X and MMP13 were lowered in Y27632 and BTX-A. ROCK I and II level were decreased on day 4 and 7 in all three groups, but were remarkably higher on day 14 and 21 in Y27632. On day 8, in ATDC5 cells not pretreated with insulin, decreased cell density, small and flat chondrocyte morphology were observed after addition of Y27632 and BTX-A, in comparison to control. Conclusion BTX-A and Rho-inhibitor decreased ROCK I & II and increased aggrecan level during early stage, and decreased collagen type X and MMP13 during late stage. Potential dedifferentiation effect in BTX-A and Rho-inhibitor were observed as well. Rho-signaling pathway might play different roles during early and late stage in chondrocyte growth.

To test the hypothesis that mobility, activities of daily living, and the interaction between them can play a key role in determining perceived physical environment barriers among community-dwelling elderly. Cross-sectional. Community. One hundred and ninety-seven community-dwelling elderly with more than 7 points on the Short Portable Mental State Questionnaire and less than 7 points on the Geriatric Depression Scale (15 items). None. Time Get-up and Go test (TUG), the subscales of basic activity of daily living (BADL)/instrumental activities of daily living (IADL) of the Hierarchy of Care Required (HCR), and the physical/structural subscale of the Craig Hospital Inventory of Environmental Factors in Community-dwelling Elderly in Taiwan were used to measure mobility, activities of daily living and perceived physical environment barriers, respectively. Hierarchical linear regression analyses were used to test the study hypothesis. Significant and positive relations were found to exist between perceived physical environment barriers and (1) the TUG time (β=.300, p

In this study, microemulsion electrokinetic chromatography (MEEKC) and micellar electrokinetic chromatography (MEKC) were compared for their abilities to separate and detect thirteen phenolic compounds (syringic acid, p-coumaric acid, vanillic acid, caffeic acid, gallic acid, 3,4-dihydroxybenzoic acid, 4-hydroxybenzoic acid, (+)-catechin, (-)-epigallocatechin, (-)-epicatechin gallate, (-)-epigallocatechin gallate, (-)-epicatechin, and (-)-gallocatechin), and two other ingredients (caffeine and theophylline) in teas and grapes. Separation of phenolic compounds was improved by changing the SDS concentration for MEEKC, but the SDS concentration rarely affected the resolution for MEKC. Organic modifier (acetonitrile or methanol) was found to markedly influence the resolution and selectivity for both MEEKC and MEKC systems. In addition, a higher voltage and a higher column temperature improved the separation efficiency without any noticeable reduction in resolution for MEEKC whereas they caused a poor resolution for the MEKC system. Although separations with baseline resolution were achieved by the optimized MEEKC and MEKC methods, the separation selectivity resulting from the proposed MEEKC method was completely different from that of MEKC.

Objective.To determine whether the vasodilatation effect of monochromatic infrared photo energy (MIRE) had the potential for the treatment of myofascial trigger spot (MTrS) in rabbits.Design. A randomized-controlled animal study.Subjects.Twelve adult New Zealand rabbits.Methods.For each rabbit, a MTrS (equivalent to a myofascial trigger point in humans) in one side of the biceps femoris muscle was randomly selected for MIRE treatment (experimental side), while another MTrS in the other side (control side) received a sham treatment. The intervention consisted of a daily 40 minutes treatment, three times per week for 2 weeks. The prevalence of endplate noise (EPN) loci in the MTrS was assessed before, immediately after, and one week after the completion of the 2-week treatment.Results.MIRE could suppress the prevalence of EPN in the MTrS. The degree of reduction in EPN prevalence in the MTrS between the experimental side and the control side was significantly different immediately after MIRE treatment, but not significantly different one week after MIRE treatment.Conclusion.Our study suggests that MIRE may be a useful therapeutic option for the management of the myofascial trigger point in humans.