1,397 research outputs found

    Removal Effect of Bio-contaminants in a Packaged Liquid Desiccant-assisted Air Conditioning Unit

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    The purpose of the study is to evaluate the removal effects of microbial contamination, such as fungi and bacteria, on a packaged liquid desiccant-assisted air conditioning unit. Recently, a package unit of a liquid desiccant and indirect and direct evaporative cooling-assisted 100% outdoor air system (LD-IDECOAS) was proposed. The LD-IDECOAS consists of a liquid desiccant system, an indirect evaporative cooler, and a direct evaporative cooler. The test was conducted under operating conditions during the cooling season when the LD-IDECOAS operates a liquid desiccant system, an indirect evaporative cooler, and a direct evaporative cooler. The sampling is performed at the inlet (outdoor air) and outlet (supply air) of the package unit. Fungi were cultured in a potato dextrose agar (PDA) medium, and bacteria were cultured in a tryptic soy agar (TSA) medium as indices of bio-contaminants. The results indicated that the concentration of fungal contamination in the supply air (that passes through the package unit) decreased by 7.7% when compared to that of outdoor air. The concentration of bacterial contamination in the outlet was also reduced by 72.4% when compared to that in the inlet. Hence, the package unit improves air quality by removing bio-contaminants, such as fungi and bacteria, although unexpected contamination occurred in the experiment

    The Influence of Consumer Experiences on Store Choice Criteria and Patronage Intention: the Case Study of SPA brands

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    Based on an array of economic and social data as well as business trends, Pine and Gilmore (1999) agree that current consumers are concerned with engaging experiences rather than just buying goods and services. Pine and Gilmore (1999) conceptualized this new focus of consumer demand as the emerging “Experience Economy” (EE). This perspective views experiences as enhancing consumer value beyond that derived from goods and services. Pine and Gilmore (1999) proposed four experience realms of EE—entertainment, educational, escapist, and esthetic

    Elevated intracellular cAMP exacerbates vulnerability to oxidative stress in optic nerve head astrocytes.

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    Glaucoma is characterized by a progressive loss of retinal ganglion cells and their axons, but the underlying biological basis for the accompanying neurodegeneration is not known. Accumulating evidence indicates that structural and functional abnormalities of astrocytes within the optic nerve head (ONH) have a role. However, whether the activation of cyclic adenosine 3',5'-monophosphate (cAMP) signaling pathway is associated with astrocyte dysfunction in the ONH remains unknown. We report here that the cAMP/protein kinase A (PKA) pathway is critical to ONH astrocyte dysfunction, leading to caspase-3 activation and cell death via the AKT/Bim/Bax signaling pathway. Furthermore, elevated intracellular cAMP exacerbates vulnerability to oxidative stress in ONH astrocytes, and this may contribute to axonal damage in glaucomatous neurodegeneration. Inhibition of intracellular cAMP/PKA signaling activation protects ONH astrocytes by increasing AKT phosphorylation against oxidative stress. These results strongly indicate that activation of cAMP/PKA pathway has an important role in astrocyte dysfunction, and suggest that modulating cAMP/PKA pathway has therapeutic potential for glaucomatous ONH degeneration

    Current advances in combining stem cell and gene therapy for neurodegenerative diseases

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    Neuronal death is the common final pathologic pathway of various neurodegenerative diseases (NDs). Although central nervous system has little regenerative potential, it is expected that damaged neural tissue can be recovered by exogenous supplementation of stem cells; however, stem cell therapy cannot modulate specific causes of NDs, such as accumulation of extracellular amyloid peptides in Alzheimer’s disease. In contrast, gene therapy can deliver therapeutic genes to specific ND targets. Therefore, combining stem cell and gene therapy would have dual treatment mechanisms (regenerating damaged neural tissue and modifying specific causes of NDs) and lead to better clinical outcomes. In this review, we discuss various therapeutic genes that can be used to develop stem cell gene therapy for various NDs and the techniques for how therapeutic genes can be integrated into stem cells

    Preventive effects of Korean red ginseng on experimentally induced colitis and colon carcinogenesis

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    © 2020 Center for Food and Biomolecules, National Taiwan UniversityKorean Red Ginseng (KRG) exerts chemopreventive effects on experimentally induced carcinogenesis through multiple mechanisms. In this study, we investigated effects of KRG on dextran sulfate sodium (DSS)-induced colitis and azoxymethane (AOM) plus DSS-induced colon carcinogenesis in mice. Male C57BL/6J mice were fed diet containing 1% KRG or a standard diet throughout the experiment. The mouse colitis was induced by administration of 3% DSS in drinking water for 1 week. DSS caused body weight loss, diarrhea, rectal bleeding and colon length shortening, and all these symptoms were ameliorated by KRG treatment. KRG inhibited DSS-induced expression of cyclooxygenase-2 (COX-2) and inducible nitric oxide synthase (iNOS) by suppressing activation of nuclear factor-kappa B (NF-ÎșB) and signal transducer and activation of transcription 3 (STAT3). In another experiment, colon carcinogenesis was initiated by single intraperitoneal injection of AOM (10 mg/kg) and promoted by 2% DSS in drinking water. KRG administration relieved the symptoms of colitis and reduced the incidence, the multiplicity and the size of colon tumor. The up-regulation of COX-2, iNOS, c-Myc and Cyclin D1 by AOM plus DSS was attenuated in KRG fed mice which was associated with suppression of NF-ÎșB and STAT3 activation. These results suggest that KRG is a potential candidate for chemoprevention of inflammation-associated cancer in the colon.
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