Self-Healing Cementitious Composites (SHCC) with Ultrahigh Ductility for Pavement and Bridge Construction

Cracks and their formations in concrete structures have been a common and long-lived problem, mainly due to the intrinsic brittleness of the concrete. Concrete structures, such as rigid pavement and bridge decks, are prone to deformations and deteriorations caused by shrinkage, temperature fluctuation, and traffic load, which can affect their service life. Rehabilitation of concrete structures is expensive and challenging—not only from maintenance viewpoints but also because they cannot be used for services during maintenance. It is critical to significantly improve the ductility of concrete to overcome such issues and to enable better infrastructure quality. To this end, the self-healing cementitious composites (SHCC) investigated in this work could be a promising solution to the aforementioned problems. In this project, the team has designed a series of cementitious composites to investigate their mechanical performances and self-healing abilities. Firstly, various types of fibers were investigated for improving ductility of the designed SHCC. To enhance the self-healing of SHCC, we proposed and examined that the combination of the internal curing method with SHCC mixture design can further improve self-healing performance. Three types of internal curing agents were used on the SHCC mixture design, and their self-healing efficiency was evaluated by multiple destructive and non-destructive tests. Results indicated a significant improvement in the self-healing capacity with the incorporation of internal curing agents such as zeolite and lightweight aggregate. To control the fiber distribution and workability of the SHCC, the mix design was further adjusted by controlling rheology using different types of viscosity modifiers. The team also explored the feasibility of the incorporation of colloidal nano-silica into the mix design of SHCC. Results suggest that optimum amounts of nano-silica have positive influence on self-healing efficiency and mechanical properties of the SHCC. Better hydration was also achieved by adding the nano-silica. The bonding strength of the SHCC with conventional concrete was also improved. At last, a standardized mixing procedure for the large scale SHCC was drafted and proposed

Diagnosis and Treatment of Comorbidities of Tourette's Syndrome and Bipolar Disorder in A 10-Year-Old Boy

Changes in moods are one of the comorbid psychiatric manifestations that frequently occur in patients with Tourette's syndrome. The assessment of a manic episode in children with Tourette's syndrome is challenging. Furthermore, the treatment of children with comorbid mania and Tourette's syndrome has not been extensively studied. We present a 10-year-old boy who suffered from both Tourette's syndrome and mania, whose symptoms improved after using lithium and risperidone. The child was diagnosed with Tourette's syndrome at 7 years of age when he suffered from tics and experienced his first manic episode. He received monotherapy, including haloperidol, risperidone and aripiprazole, and the response was poor. When the combination of lithium and risperidone was used, the tics and mania subsided. It is important to assess individuals with Tourette's syndrome for associated bipolar disorder. The treatment of children with both disorders is a major clinical issue, and our case may serve as an example for successful treatment strategies

Factors Affecting Occupational Exposure to Needlestick and Sharps Injuries among Dentists in Taiwan: A Nationwide Survey

BACKGROUND: Although the risks of needlestick and sharps injuries (NSIs) for dentists are well recognized, most papers published only described the frequency of occupational exposure to NSIs. Less has been reported assessing factors contributing to exposure to NSIs. The purpose of this study was to update the epidemiology of NSIs among dentists in Taiwan and identify factors affecting NSIs in order to find preventive strategies. METHODOLOGY/PRINCIPAL FINDINGS: A nationwide survey was conducted in dentists at 60 hospitals and 340 clinics in Taiwan. The survey included questions about factors supposedly affecting exposure to NSIs, such as dentist and facility characteristics, knowledge and attitudes about infectious diseases, and practices related to infection control. Univariate and multivariate logistic regression analyses were conducted to determine the association between risk factors and exposure to NSIs. In total, 434 (74.8%) of 580 dentists returned the survey questionnaires, and 100 (23.0%) reported that they had experienced more than one NSI per week. Our data showed that the risk of occupational NSIs is similarly heightened by an older age (odds ratio [OR], 3.18; 95% confidence interval [CI], 1.62-6.25), more years in practice (OR, 2.57; 95% CI, 1.41-4.69), working in clinics (OR, 1.73; 95% CI, 1.08-2.77), exhibiting less compliance with infection-control procedures (OR, 1.82; 95% CI, 1.04-3.18), having insufficient knowledge of blood-borne pathogens (OR, 1.67; 95% CI, 1.04-2.67), and being more worried about being infected by blood-borne pathogens (OR, 1.82; 95% CI, 1.05-3.13). CONCLUSIONS/SIGNIFICANCE: High rates of NSIs and low compliance with infection-control procedures highly contribute to the chance of acquiring a blood-borne pathogen infection and threaten occupational safety. This study reveals the possible affecting factors and helps in designing prevention strategies for occupational exposure to NSIs

Depression is a predictor for both smoking and quitting intentions among male coronary artery disease patients

Coronary artery disease (CAD) is the third most prominent cause of death globally, and smoking is the most common risk factors for CAD. However, few studies have examined both smoking and smoking cessation intentions in patients with CAD. The study aims to explore the predictors for smoking and quitting intentions among male CAD patients. This was a cross-sectional study. A total of 368 male CAD patients were recruited and classified into never smoked, quit smoking, and continuing to smoke three groups. Demographic information, level of nicotine dependence, carbon monoxide concentration, depression, and resilience were analyzed by using t-test, one- way analysis of variance (ANOVA), and least significant difference (LSD) post-hoc test and the multiple logistic regression analysis. The results revealed that among participants, 23.1% had never smoked, 40.5% had quit smoking, and 36.4% continued to smoke. Multiple logistic regression analysis revealed that age (OR=0.95, 95% CI=0.90–0.99), carbon monoxide (OR=1.74, 95% CI=1.51–2.01), and depression (OR=1.13, 95% CI=1.04–1.23) predicted participants who continued to smoke. Among the 134 participants who continued to smoke, 35.8% exhibited no intention to quit, and 64.2% planned to quit. Nicotine dependence (OR=0.79, 95% CI=0.66–0.94) and depression (OR=1.10, 95% CI=1.02–1.20) were significant predictors in participants who intended to quit smoking. The study demonstrates that depression is a significant predictor for both smoking and quitting intentions among male CAD patients

Shared decision-making for chronic obstructive pulmonary disease smoking cessation

Chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD) is the main cause of death among people aged 65 years and above. Smoking cessation reduces the risk of morbidity and mortality. This study used the variables of smoking cessation behavior and psychological dependence to evaluate the effectiveness of smoking cessation shared decision-making (SDM) with traditional smoking cessation education in patients with COPD. This randomized controlled trial represents a significant positive correlation was observed among smoking duration (p<.05), the number of cigarettes (p<.05), smoking cessation behavior (p<.05), and psychological cigarette dependence. The intervention group (n=44) underwent session of smoking cessation SDM, whereas the control group (n=44) underwent session of traditional smoking cessation education. After three months of the intervention, significant improvements in psychological cigarette dependence (p<.05) and smoking cessation behavior (p<.05) were observed in both groups. The study confirmed that the success rate of smoking cessation in the intervention group is higher than the control group

Characterization of high exopolysaccharide-producing Lactobacillus strains isolated from mustard pickles for potential probiotic applications

The aim of this study was to characterize high exopolysaccharide (EPS)-producing lactic acid bacteria (LAB) isolated from mustard pickles in Taiwan for potential probiotic applications. Among 39 collected LAB strains, four most productive EPS-producing strains were selected for further analysis. Comparative analyses of 16S rDNA genes rpoA and pheS sequences demonstrated that these strains were members of Lactobacillus plantarum-group (LPG). NCD 2, NLD 4, SLC 13, and NLD 16 showed survival rates of 95.83% ± 0.49%, 95.07% ± 0.64%, 105.84% ± 0.82%, and 99.65% ± 0.31% under simulated gastrointestinal conditions, respectively. No cytotoxic effects on macrophage RAW 264.7 cells were observed when they were treated with a low dose (1 μg/ml) of stimulants extracted from the tested LAB strains. The production of nitric oxide in RAW 264.7 cells incubated with various LAB stimulants showed a dose-dependent increase. Among the four strains, SLC 13 showed higher inhibitory activity on growth of Enterococcus faecalis (BCRC 12302) and Yersinia enterocolitica (BCRC 10807). NLD 4 showed strong inhibitory activity against Escherichia coli O157:H7 (ATCC 43894) as compared with the other three strains. In summary, our results suggest that Lactobacillus pentosus SLC 13 may be a good candidate for probiotic applications and for development of antibacterial compounds. [Int Microbiol 20(2):75-84 (2017)]Keywords: Lactobacillus spp. · exopolysaccharide · probiotic

Persistent and multisite homophobic harassment during childhood and adolescence and its association with school difficulties in gay and bisexual men in Taiwan

Background: Homophobic harassment can compromise mental health of sexual minority youths. Objectives: This study examined the rates of persistent and multisite homophobic harassment and their associations with school difficulties during childhood and adolescence among gay and bisexual men in Taiwan. Methods: Participants were recruited through advertisements on the Facebook, Bulletin Board Systems, and the home pages of health promotion and counseling centers for the gay, lesbian, and bisexual community. The experiences of traditional and cyber harassment based on gender role nonconformity and sexual orientation of 500 gay or bisexual men were examined. The associations of multisite and persistent harassment victimization with school difficulties were evaluated. Results: A total of 239 (47.8%) and 131 (26.2%) participants experienced persistent and multisite harassment victimization, respectively. Harassment victimization was significantly associated with low satisfaction with academic performance in any stage of study. Moreover, the participants who were harassed in senior high schools were more likely to miss classes or be truant than those who were not harassed. The victims of multisite harassment at senior high schools were more likely to miss classes or be truant than those of school-only harassment. Discussion: Prevention and intervention programs are warranted to reduce homophobic harassment in sexual minority youths

Crystallization of Adenylylsulfate Reductase from Desulfovibrio gigas: A Strategy Based on Controlled Protein Oligomerization

Adenylylsulfate reductase (adenosine 5′-phosphosulfate reductase, APS reductase or APSR, E.C.1.8.99.2) catalyzes the conversion of APS to sulfite in dissimilatory sulfate reduction. APSR was isolated and purified directly from massive anaerobically grown Desulfovibrio gigas, a strict anaerobe, for structure and function investigation. Oligomerization of APSR to form dimers–α_2β_2, tetramers–α_4β_4, hexamers–α_6β_6, and larger oligomers was observed during purification of the protein. Dynamic light scattering and ultracentrifugation revealed that the addition of adenosine monophosphate (AMP) or adenosine 5′-phosphosulfate (APS) disrupts the oligomerization, indicating that AMP or APS binding to the APSR dissociates the inactive hexamers into functional dimers. Treatment of APSR with β-mercaptoethanol decreased the enzyme size from a hexamer to a dimer, probably by disrupting the disulfide Cys156—Cys162 toward the C-terminus of the β-subunit. Alignment of the APSR sequences from D. gigas and A. fulgidus revealed the largest differences in this region of the β-subunit, with the D. gigas APSR containing 16 additional amino acids with the Cys156—Cys162 disulfide. Studies in a pH gradient showed that the diameter of the APSR decreased progressively with acidic pH. To crystallize the APSR for structure determination, we optimized conditions to generate a homogeneous and stable form of APSR by combining dynamic light scattering, ultracentrifugation, and electron paramagnetic resonance methods to analyze the various oligomeric states of the enzyme in varied environments

Generation of a Homozygous Knock-in Human Embryonic Stem Cell Line Expressing Meos4b-tagged Ctr1

Copper transporter 1 (CTR1) is the major membrane protein responsible for cellular copper (Cu) uptake and mediates cellular copper homeostasis. To elucidate CTR1\u27s behavior using imaging approaches, we generated a homozygous knock-in human embryonic stem cell (hESC) clone expressing photoconvertible fluorescence protein mEos4b-tagged endogenous CTR1 using CRISPR-Cas9 mediated homologous recombination. The engineered cells express functional CTR1-mEos4b fusion and have normal stem cell morphology. They remain pluripotent and can be differentiated into all three germ layers in vitro. This resource allows the study of CTR1 at an endogenous level in different cellular contexts using microscopy