Applying the Berberine-Pretreated Filter for Inactivating Bioaerosols

This work considers the effects of using the berberine pretreated filters (BPFs) as the antiseptic filters on the bioaerosol penetration. Two concentrations of berberine solutions were used to coat on the polypropylene fibrous filter. The Escherichia coli (E. coli), and Bacillus subtilis (B. subtilis) bioaerosols were generated using a Collison nebulizer, as the challenged bioaerosols. The effects of various factors, including the face velocity and the relative humidity on the bioaerosol collection characteristics were evaluated. Experimental results suggested the pretreatment of berberine did have an antiseptic effect on bacteria bioaerosol and increase the inactivation mechanism. The filter pretreated with a higher concentration of berberine has a stronger antiseptic effect on bioaerosols. The culturable survival of E. coli bioaerosols through the untreated filter, the 0.002 wt%, and 0.02 wt% BPFs are around 68%, 43% and 36%, respectively. In addition, the culturable survival of B. subtilis bioaerosols through the 0.002 wt%, and 0.02 wt% BPFs are around 66%, 51% and 43%, respectively. Moreover, the culturable survival of E. coli bioaerosol through the 0.002 wt% BPFs increased from 43% to 54% as the face velocity increased from 10 to 30 cm/s. These results indicated that the antiseptic of the BPFs decreased with face velocity

Seismo-Traveling Ionospheric Disturbances Triggered by the 12 May 2008 M 8.0 Wenchuan Earthquake

A network of 6 ground-based GPS receivers in East Asia was employed to study seismo-traveling ionospheric disturbances (STIDs) triggered by an M 8.0 earthquake which occurred at Wenchuan on 12 May 2008. The network detected 5 STIDs on the south side of the epicenter area. A study on the distances of the detected STIDs to the epicenter versus their associated traveling times shows that the horizontal speed is about 600 m s-1. Applying the circle method, we find that the 5 circles intercept at a point right above the epicenter when the horizontal speed of 600 m s-1 is given. Global searches of the ray-tracing and the beam-forming techniques confirm that the STIDs are induced by vertical motions in the Earth¡¦s surface during the Wenchuan Earthquake

Liquid biopsy genotyping in lung cancer: ready for clinical utility?

Liquid biopsy is a blood test that detects evidence of cancer cells or tumor DNA in the circulation. Despite complicated collection methods and the requirement for technique-dependent platforms, it has generated substantial interest due, in part, to its potential to detect driver oncogenes such as epidermal growth factor receptor (EGFR) mutants in lung cancer. This technology is advancing rapidly and is being incorporated into numerous EGFR tyrosine kinase inhibitor (EGFR-TKI) development programs. It appears ready for integration into clinical care. Recent studies have demonstrated that biological fluids such as saliva and urine can also be used for detecting EGFR mutant DNA through application other user-friendly techniques. This review focuses on the clinical application of liquid biopsies to lung cancer genotyping, including EGFR and other targets of genotype-directed therapy and compares multiple platforms used for liquid biopsy

(Z)-4-(2-Hy­droxy­benzyl­idene)-1-methyl-2-phenyl-1H-imidazol-5(4H)-one

In the title compound, C17H14N2O2, the asymmetric unit comprises two mol­ecules that are comformationally similar [the dihedral angles between the phenyl rings in each are 46.35 (2) and 48.04 (3)°], with the conformation stabilized by intra­molecular O—H⋯N hydrogen bonds, which generate S(7) rings. In the crystal, inversion-related mol­ecules are linked by pairs of weak C—H⋯O hydrogen bonds, forming dimers with an R 2 2(16) graph-set motif. Weak inter-ring π–π stacking is observed in the structure, the shortest centroid-to-centroid distance being 3.7480 (13) Å

(E)-4-[(4-Diethyl­amino-2-hy­droxy­benzyl­idene)amino]­benzonitrile

The title compound, C18H19N3O, displays an E conformation with respect to the C=N double bond. The dihedral angle between the mean planes of the two benzene rings is 24.49 (3)°. An intra­molecular O—H⋯N hydrogen bond generates an S(6) ring. In the crystal, mol­ecules are linked by nonclassical inter­molecular C—H⋯O hydrogen bonds to form an infinite one-dimensional chain along [010], generating a C(8) motif

Age and sex differences in the association between APOE genotype and Alzheimer’s disease in a Taiwan Chinese population

IntroductionThe Apolipoprotein E (APOE) epsilon (ε) 4 allele is a well-established risk factor for late-onset Alzheimer’s disease (AD). Reports on white ancestry populations have showed that age, sex, and ethnicity have different effects on the association between APOE genotype and AD. However, studies on Asian populations such as Taiwan Chinese populations are limited. This study aimed to evaluate the association between APOE genotype and AD in a Taiwan Chinese population, and to explore if the association varies by age and sex.MethodsWe conducted a case-control study in 725 patients with AD and 1,067 age- and sex- matched controls without dementia from a Taiwan Chinese population. Logistic regression models were used to test the association between AD and APOE genotypes. Secondary analyses considered age (<75 or ≥75 years old), and sex stratified models.ResultsThe risk of AD was significantly increased for people with at least one copy of APOE ε4 (OR = 2.52, 95% CI = 2.01–3.17, p < 0.001) and in a dose-dependent manner. Our results did not show an statistically significance different in AD risk when women and men carrying APOEε4 were compared. Despite not reaching statistical significance, the risk of APOE ε4 for AD was higher among younger participants (OR = 3.21, 95% CI = 2.26–4.56, p < 0.001) compared to older ones (OR = 2.13, 95% CI = 1.53–2.97, p < 0.001). When considering both sex and age, the risk of AD was higher among older men carrying APOE ε4 (OR = 2.64, 95% CI = 1.51–4.60 in men; OR = 1.90, 95% CI = 1.26–2.86 in women), while women carrying APOE ε4 appeared to have an increased risk at a younger age (OR = 3.29, 95% CI = 2.20–4.93 in women; OR = 2.91, 95% CI = 1.40–6.05 in men).DiscussionThe APOE ε4 allele represents a major risk factor for AD in the Taiwanese population. The effect of APOE ε4 allele on AD risk appeared to be stronger among men aged 75 years or more and among younger women

Study on the Stability of DeoxyArbutin in an Anhydrous Emulsion System

The skin-whitening agent, deoxyArbutin, is a potent tyrosinase inhibitor that is safer than hydroquinone and arbutin. However, it is thermolabile in aqueous solutions, where it decomposes to hydroquinone. Pharmaceutical and cosmetic emulsions are normally oil-in-water (o/w) or water-in-oil (w/o) systems; however, emulsions can be formulated with no aqueous phase to produce an anhydrous emulsion system. An anhydrous emulsion system could offer a stable vehicle for compounds that are sensitive to hydrolysis or oxidation. Therefore, to enhance the stability of deoxyArbutin in formulations, we chose the polyol-in-silicone, anhydrous emulsion system as the basic formulation for investigation. The quantity of deoxyArbutin and the accumulation of hydroquinone in both hydrous and anhydrous emulsions at various temperatures were analyzed through an established high performance liquid chromatographic (HPLC) method. The results indicated that water increased the decomposition of deoxyArbutin in the formulations and that the polyol-in-silicone, oil-based, anhydrous emulsion system provided a relatively stable surrounding for the deoxyArbutin that delayed its degradation at 25 °C and 45 °C. Moreover, the composition of the inner hydrophilic phase, containing different amounts of glycerin and propylene glycol, affected the stability of deoxyArbutin. Thus, these results will be beneficial when using deoxyArbutin in cosmetics and medicines in the future

Structural Elucidation and Bioactivity of Biflavonoids from the Stems of Wikstroemia taiwanensis

Three new biflavonoids, wikstaiwanones A–C (1–3), along with four known compounds (4–7) were isolated from the stems of Wikstroemia taiwanensis (Thymelaeaceae). Their structures were elucidated by spectroscopic analysis. Compounds 4 and 5 showed antitubercular activity against Mycobacterium tuberculosis with MIC values of 15 μg/mL, respectively

The Equatorial El Niño-Southern Oscillation Signatures Observed by FORMOSAT-3/COSMIC from July 2006 to January 2012

This paper uses the tropospheric pressure, temperature, and water vapor pressure observed by six micro-satellites of the FORMOSAT-3/COSMIC (F3/C) constellation to study El Niño-Southern Oscillation (ENSO) events from July 2006 to January 2012. The temperature and pressure profiles are used to derive the height, pressure, temperature, and potential temperature of the lapse rate tropopause. Following the calculation of the standard normalized Southern Oscillation Index (SOI) and the Niño 3.4 index, the corresponding indices of the four tropopause parameters are derived. Good agreements between the standard and F3/C-derived indices show that the derived indices are significant for monitoring ENSO signatures. With the uniform coverage, the global F3/C profiles are used to construct three-dimensional structures of temperature, pressure, and water vapor pressure to gain a better understanding of tropospheric structures and dynamics during the ENSO events