Preparation of N- TiO

This study applied the microwave/sol-gel method to prepare nitrogen-doped TiO2 (N-TiO2). The N-TiO2 was immobilized in glass balls to form N-TiO2/glass beads and applied to degrade Bisphenol A (BPA) under visible-light and sunlight irradiation. The characteristics of the prepared photocatalysts were analyzed by X-ray diffraction (XRD), UV-Vis spectroscopy, Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy (FTIR), and X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy (XPS). Experimental results demonstrate that the percentage of anatase increased as the amount of N in N-TiO2 increased. Compared with the undoped TiO2 (420 nm), spectra show that the absorption edge shifted to a longer wavelength (445 nm) after N doping. The XPS characterization confirms the substitution of crystal lattice O to N species in N-TiO2, forming Ti–O–N and N–Ti–O. With an increased N/Ti ratio, photodegradation efficiency increased and then decreased; moreover, the optimal amount for N doping was determined as an N/Ti mole ratio of 0.08 (0.1 NT). The efficiency of 0.1 NT in doing BPA photodegradation was greater than that of Degussa P25. After reaction for 61 min, the mineralization percentage of 0.1 NT under visible-light irradiation reached 41%. Photocatalyst efficiency decreased as the number of repeats increased in the visible-light/N-TiO2 system; however, these systems were stable during reaction

Early utilization of hypertonic peritoneal dialysate and subsequent risks of non-traumatic amputation among peritoneal dialysis patients: a nationwide retrospective longitudinal study

BACKGROUND: The hemodialysis (HD) population has a particularly high incidence of amputation, which is likely associated with decreased tissue oxygenation during HD. However, information about the risk factors leading to amputation in peritoneal dialysis (PD) patients is limited. Here, we have investigated the association between the use of hypertonic peritoneal dialysate (HPD) and subsequent amputation in PD patients. METHODS: Based on the data from the Taiwan National Health Insurance research database, this observational cohort study enrolled 203 PD patients who had received HPD early during treatment and had not undergone amputation and 296 PD controls who had not undergone amputation. Subjects were followed through until the end of 2009 and the event rates of new non-traumatic amputation were compared between groups. RESULTS: The incidence of amputation was 3 times higher for the HPD cohort than for the comparison cohort (23.68 vs. 8.01 per 1000 person-years). The hazard ratio (HR) for this group, estimated using a multivariable Cox model, was 2.48 (95% confidence interval [CI] = 1.06–5.79). The HR for patients with both diabetes and early adoption of HPD increased to 44.34 (95% CI = 5.51-357.03), compared to non-HPD non-diabetic PD controls. CONCLUSION: Early utilization of HPD in PD patients is associated with increasing risk of amputation; this risk considerably increases for those with concomitant diabetes

Relationship between Obesity-related Hormone Peptides and Quality of Life in Obese Women among Different Traditional Chinese Medicine Syndrome Groups

AbstractThe aim of this study was to explore the relationship between obesity-related hormone peptides and quality of life in obese women among different traditional Chinese medicine (TCM) syndrome groups (證型 zhèng xíng). 260 obese women met with age between 20 and 65years old and body mass index (BMI) ≧ 27kg/m2, were recruited. The participants filled out a questionnaire on obese TCM syndrome groups, which was designed by professional TCM doctors, and two questionnaires on quality of life (QOL), WHOQOL-BREF Taiwan version and MOS Short Form-12 (SF-12). Data of biochemical characteristics and obesity-related hormone peptides were collected at the same time. According to the responses provided, the obese subjects were classified into spleen deficiency with dampness encumbrance syndrome (脾虛濕阻證 pí xū shī zǔ zhèng; SDD), stomach heat with dampness encumbrance syndrome (胃熱濕阻證 wèi rè shī zǔ zhèng; SHD), liver depression and qi stagnation syndrome (肝鬱氣滯證 gān yù qì zhì zhèng; LDQ), dual spleen-kidney deficiency syndrome (脾腎兩虛證 pí shèn liǎng xū zhèng; SKD), yin deficiency with internal heat syndrome (陰虛內熱證 yīn xū nèi rè zhèng; YDI) and a control group. For physical conditions, SDD group had significantly higher means in weight and BMI compared with the control group. The insulin and leptin levels in SHD group were significantly higher than those in the control group. The LDQ group showed marked decrease in mental condition scores compared with the control group. This study found that obese women in the SDD group were fatter than those in the control group. SHD group might have greater influence on the regulation of obesity-related hormone peptides. The LDQ group had poor QOL than the control group. Analysis of TCM syndrome groups among obese women merits further investigation

Inorganic Arsenite Potentiates Vasoconstriction through Calcium Sensitization in Vascular Smooth Muscle

Chronic exposure to arsenic is well known as the cause of cardiovascular diseases such as hypertension. To investigate the effect of arsenic on blood vessels, we examined whether arsenic affected the contraction of aortic rings in an isolated organ bath system. Treatment with arsenite, a trivalent inorganic species, increased vasoconstriction induced by phenylephrine or serotonin in a concentration-dependent manner. Among the arsenic species tested—arsenite, pentavalent inorganic species (arsenate), monomethylarsonic acid (MMA(V)), and dimethylarsinic acid (DMA(V))—arsenite was the most potent. Similar effects were also observed in aortic rings without endothelium, suggesting that vascular smooth muscle plays a key role in enhancing vasoconstriction induced by arsenite. This hypercontraction by arsenite was well correlated with the extent of myosin light chain (MLC) phosphorylation stimulated by phenylephrine. Direct Ca(2+) measurement using fura-2 dye in aortic strips revealed that arsenite enhanced vasoconstriction induced by high K(+) without concomitant increase in intracellular Ca(2+) elevation, suggesting that, rather than direct Ca(2+) elevation, Ca(2+) sensitization may be a major contributor to the enhanced vasoconstriction by arsenite. Consistent with these in vitro results, 2-hr pretreatment of 1.0 mg/kg intravenous arsenite augmented phenylephrine-induced blood pressure increase in conscious rats. All these results suggest that arsenite increases agonist-induced vasoconstriction mediated by MLC phosphorylation in smooth muscles and that calcium sensitization is one of the key mechanisms for the hypercontraction induced by arsenite in blood vessels

A novel deep intronic variant strongly associates with Alkaptonuria.

Alkaptonuria is a rare autosomal recessive inherited disorder of tyrosine metabolism, which causes ochronosis, arthropathy, cardiac valvular calcification, and urolithiasis. The epidemiology of alkaptonuria in East Asia is not clear. In this study, patients diagnosed with alkaptonuria from January 2010 to June 2020 were reviewed. Their clinical and molecular features were further compared with those of patients from other countries. Three patients were found to have alkaptonuria. Mutation analyses of the homogentisate 1,2-dioxygenase gene (HGD) showed four novel variants c.16-2063 A > C, p.(Thr196Ile), p.(Gly344AspfsTer25), and p.(Gly362Arg) in six mutated alleles (83.3%). RNA sequencing revealed that c.16-2063 A > C activates a cryptic exon, causing protein truncation p.(Tyr5_Ile6insValTer17). A literature search identified another 6 patients with alkaptonuria in East Asia; including our cases, 13 of the 18 mutated alleles have not been reported elsewhere in the world. Alkaptonuria is rare in Taiwan and East Asia, with HGD variants being mostly novel and private

Investigation of a Photoelectrochemical Passivated ZnO-Based Glucose Biosensor

A vapor cooling condensation system was used to deposit high quality intrinsic ZnO thin films and intrinsic ZnO nanorods as the sensing membrane of extended-gate field-effect-transistor (EGFET) glucose biosensors. The sensing sensitivity of the resulting glucose biosensors operated in the linear range was 13.4 μA mM−1 cm−2. To improve the sensing sensitivity of the ZnO-based glucose biosensors, the photoelectrochemical method was utilized to passivate the sidewall surfaces of the ZnO nanorods. The sensing sensitivity of the ZnO-based glucose biosensors with passivated ZnO nanorods was significantly improved to 20.33 μA mM−1 cm−2 under the same measurement conditions. The experimental results verified that the sensing sensitivity improvement was the result of the mitigation of the Fermi level pinning effect caused by the dangling bonds and the surface states induced on the sidewall surface of the ZnO nanorods

A False Positive 18F-FDG PET/CT Scan Caused by Breast Silicone Injection

We present here the case of a 40-year-old woman with a greater than 10 year prior history of bilateral breast silicone injection and saline bag implantation. Bilateral palpable breast nodules were observed, but the ultrasound scan was suboptimal and the magnetic resonance imaging showed no gadolinium-enhanced tumor. The 18F-FDG PET/CT scan showed a hypermetabolic nodule in the left breast with a 30% increase of 18F-FDG uptake on the delayed imaging, and this mimicked breast cancer. She underwent a left partial mastectomy and the pathology demonstrated a siliconoma

Non-Typhoidal Salmonella and the Risk of Kawasaki Disease: A Nationwide Population-Based Cohort Study

ObjectiveThe aim of this study was to investigate the relationship between non-typhoidal Salmonella (NTS) infection and the risk of Kawasaki disease (KD) by using a nationwide population-based data set in Taiwan.MethodsIn this retrospective cohort study, we enrolled 69,116 patients under 18 years of age, with NTS from January 1st, 2000, to December 31st, 2013, using the population-based National Health Insurance Research Database of Taiwan. A comparison group without NTS was matched (at a 1:4 ratio) by propensity score. The two cohorts were followed from the initial diagnosis of NTS until the date of KD development or December 31st, 2013. Cox proportional hazard regression analysis was conducted to estimate hazard ratios (HRs) and 95% confidence intervals (CIs) after adjusting for covariates. Also, we conducted sensitivity analyses to examine our findings.ResultsAfter adjusting for covariates, the risk of KD for the children with NTS was significantly higher than that of the comparison group (hazard ratio = 1.31; 95% confidence interval = 1.03-1.66; p < 0.01). Stratified analysis showed that the associated risk of the investigated outcome was significant in children aged ≤2 years (aHR= 1.31, 95% C.I. 1.02-1.69), in female patients (aHR= 1.46, 95% C.I. 1.03-2.08), and in those without allergic diseases.ConclusionsNTS is associated with an increased risk of KD in Taiwanese children

NBM-HD-1: A Novel Histone Deacetylase Inhibitor with Anticancer Activity

HDAC inhibitors (HDACis) have been developed as promising anticancer agents in recent years. In this study, we synthesized and characterized a novel HDACi, termed NBM-HD-1. This agent was derived from the semisynthesis of propolin G, isolated from Taiwanese green propolis (TGP), and was shown to be a potent suppressor of tumor cell growth in human breast cancer cells (MCF-7 and MDA-MB-231) and rat glioma cells (C6), with an IC50 ranging from 8.5 to 10.3 μM. Western blot demonstrated that levels of p21(Waf1/Cip1), gelsolin, Ac-histone 4, and Ac-tubulin markedly increased after treatment of cancer cells with NBM-HD-1. After NBM-HD-1 treatment for 1–4 h, p-PTEN and p-AKT levels were markedly decreased. Furthermore, we also found the anticancer activities of NBM-HD-1 in regulating cell cycle regulators. Treatment with NBM-HD-1, p21(Waf1/Cip1) gene expression had markedly increased while cyclin B1 and D1 gene expressions had markedly decreased. On the other hand, we found that NBM-HD-1 increased the expressions of tumor-suppressor gene p53 in a dose-dependent manner. Finally, we showed that NBM-HD-1 exhibited potent antitumor activity in a xenograft model. In conclusion, this study demonstrated that this compound, NBM-HD-1, is a novel and potent HDACi with anticancer activity in vitro and in vivo

Protective Effect of Caffeic Acid on Paclitaxel Induced Anti-Proliferation and Apoptosis of Lung Cancer Cells Involves NF-κB Pathway

Caffeic acid (CA), a natural phenolic compound, is abundant in medicinal plants. CA possesses multiple biological effects such as anti-bacterial and anti-cancer growth. CA was also reported to induce fore stomach and kidney tumors in a mouse model. Here we used two human lung cancer cell lines, A549 and H1299, to clarify the role of CA in cancer cell proliferation. The growth assay showed that CA moderately promoted the proliferation of the lung cancer cells. Furthermore, pre-treatment of CA rescues the proliferation inhibition induced by a sub-IC50 dose of paclitaxel (PTX), an anticancer drug. Western blot showed that CA up-regulated the pro-survival proteins survivin and Bcl-2, the down-stream targets of NF-κB. This is consistent with the observation that CA induced nuclear translocation of NF-κB p65. Our study suggested that the pro-survival effect of CA on PTX-treated lung cancer cells is mediated through a NF-κB signaling pathway. This may provide mechanistic insights into the chemoresistance of cancer calls