Archaeobotanical evidence of plant cultivation from the Sanbaopi site in south-western Taiwan during the Late Neolithic and Metal Age

Despite decades of lively debate about Taiwan’s role in the spread of early agriculture, crops and cultivation practices to the Indo-Pacific region, there is little archaeobotanical data from the island. Here we present the first directly dated and systematically analysed macrobotanical records from Taiwan obtained by flotation at the archaeological site Sanbaopi 5 (23°07′03′′N, 120°15′32′′E), representing the Dahu (1400 BCE–100 CE) and Niaosong (100–1400 CE) culture periods. The results suggest that Middle Dahu (900–100 BCE) communities in the study area practiced rainfed crop cultivation with mainly foxtail (Setaria italica) and broomcorn (Panicum miliaceum) millet and rice (Oryza sativa). Pulses (Vigna angularis, Glycine soja/max) were also part of the subsistence of local farmers and used as supplementary food and/or green manure. The archaeobotanical record together with archaeological site data for prehistoric China substantiates evidence that the Dahu culture originates in the Lower Yellow River region and migrated to Taiwan along the East China Sea coast. The emergence of the Dahu culture coincided with the spread of mixed millet-rice farming to the Korean Peninsula and Japan and was possibly related to enhanced economic and political expansion of the Shang and Western Zhou dynasties and the long-term weakening of summer monsoon precipitation. Pigeon pea (Cajanus cajan) and mung bean (V. radiata var. radiata) assemblages from the sixth century CE Niaosong period highlight the influx of goods, crops, knowledge and people from South and Southeast Asia via southern routes in the context of enhanced exchange across the South China Sea region

Urinary Neutrophil Gelatinase-Associated Lipocalin Is a Potential Biomarker for Renal Damage in Patients with Systemic Lupus Erythematosus

Neutrophil gelatinase-associated lipocalin (NGAL) has been demonstrated to be a novel biomarker in acute and chronic kidney disease. We hypothesized that 24-hour urinary NGAL excretion may be a predictor for renal damage in patients with systemic lupus erythematosus (SLE). Thirty-four SLE patients with renal involvement (SLE-renal group), 8 SLE patients without renal involvement (SLE-nonrenal group), 14 patients with non-SLE autoimmune diseases (disease control or DC group), and 12 healthy volunteers (normal control or NC group) were compared for 24-hour urinary excretion of NGAL and different cytokines. We found that the 24-hour urinary NGAL excretion in the SLE-renal group was higher than that in the SLE-non-renal, DC, and NC groups. However, the excretion of interleukin-10, transforming growth factor-β1, and tumor necrosis factor-α was not different between the SLE-renal and SLE-non-renal groups. Furthermore, NGAL excretion in the SLE-renal group was correlated with serum creatinine levels and creatinine clearance, but not with the SLE Disease Activity Index score. Multivariate logistic regression analysis and receiver operating characteristic curve analysis revealed that 24-hour urinary NGAL excretion is a potential biomarker for renal damage in SLE patients, with higher sensitivity and specificity than anti-dsDNA antibody titers

Effect of grafting on growth and incidence of phytophthora blight and bacterial wilt of pepper (Capsicum annuum L.)

This study was conducted to investigate the effect of grafting using commercial rootstocks and breeding lines on growth and resistance to both Phytophthora blight (Phytophthora capsici) and bacterial wilt (Ralstonia solanacearum), and to evaluate the breeding lines as candidates rootstocks for grafted peppers. Capsicum annuum 'Nokkwang' (scion) was grafted onto five commercial rootstocks ('Kataguruma', 'Konesianhot', 'Koregon PR-380', 'PR-power', and 'Tantan') and nine breeding lines ('PR 901', 'PR 919', 'PR 920', 'PR 921', 'PR 922', 'PR 927', 'PR 928', 'PR 929', and 'PR 930'). Graft-take percentage was over 80% in all the grafted seedlings except those grafted onto 'PR 901' (75%). The number of leaves, stem diameter, leaf area, and dry weight of shoot of grafted seedlings were greater than those of non-grafted seedlings. Mineral contents in the shoots of grafted seedlings were significantly different, depending on rootstock genotypes. Marketable yield ranged from 1.35 to 1.96 kg per plant depending on rootstock genotypes, and was highest in peppers grafted onto 'PR 901' (1.95 kg) and non-grafted peppers (1.96 kg), and lowest in those grafted onto 'PR 928' (1.35 kg). Gross yield was highest in peppers grafted onto 'Konesianhot' (2.64 kg). Among nine breeding lines, three rootstocks ('PR 920', 'PR 921', and 'PR 922') were selected as candidate rootstocks for the grafted pepper based on graft-take, growth, yield, fruit quality, and resistance to diseases. Three major pepper cultivars ('Nokkwang', 'Saengsaeng Matkkwari', and 'Shinhong') were grafted onto those three breeding lines and 'Tantan' (control). Peppers grafted onto breeding lines of 'PR 920', 'PR 921', and 'PR 922' showed greater resistance to both Phytophthora blight and bacterial wilt without the decrease in yield and fruit quality. Accordingly, they were considered to be used as rootstocks resistant to both Phytophthora blight and bacterial wilt for pepper production.OAIID:oai:osos.snu.ac.kr:snu2012-01/102/0000027607/1SEQ:1PERF_CD:SNU2012-01EVAL_ITEM_CD:102USER_ID:0000027607ADJUST_YN:YEMP_ID:A075898DEPT_CD:517CITE_RATE:0FILENAME:2012-2-heb-접목-내병성-장윤아.pdfDEPT_NM:식물생산과학부EMAIL:[email protected]_YN:NCONFIRM:

Validation and Reliability of a Smartphone Application for the International Prostate Symptom Score Questionnaire: A Randomized Repeated Measures Crossover Study

Background: Smartphone-based assessment may be a useful diagnostic and monitoring tool for patients. There have been many attempts to create a smartphone diagnostic tool for clinical use in various medical fields but few have demonstrated scientific validity. Objective: The purpose of this study was to develop a smartphone application of the International Prostate Symptom Score (IPSS) and to demonstrate its validity and reliability. Methods: From June 2012 to May 2013, a total of 1581 male participants (>= 40 years old), with or without lower urinary tract symptoms (LUTS), visited our urology clinic via the health improvement center at Soonchunhyang University Hospital (Republic of Korea) and were enrolled in this study. A randomized repeated measures crossover design was employed using a smartphone application of the IPSS and the conventional paper form of the IPSS. Paired t test under a hypothesis of non-inferior trial was conducted. For the reliability test, the intraclass correlation coefficient (ICC) was measured. Results: The total score of the IPSS (P=.289) and each item of the IPSS (P=.157-1.000) showed no differences between the paper version and the smartphone version of the IPSS. The mild, moderate, and severe LUTS groups showed no differences between the two versions of the IPSS. A significant correlation was noted in the total group (ICC=.935, P<.001). The mild, moderate, and severe LUTS groups also showed significant correlations (ICC=.616,.549, and .548 respectively, all P<.001). There was selection bias in this study, as only participants who had smartphones could participate. Conclusions: The validity and reliability of the smartphone application version were comparable to the conventional paper version of the IPSS. The smartphone application of the IPSS could be an effective method for measuring lower urinary tract symptoms.X1144Ysciescopu

Impacts of chronic kidney disease and albuminuria on associations between coronary heart disease and its traditional risk factors in type 2 diabetic patients – the Hong Kong diabetes registry

<p>Abstract</p> <p>Background</p> <p>Glycated haemoglobin (HbA_1c), blood pressure and body mass index (BMI) are risk factors for albuminuria, the latter in turn can lead to hyperlipidaemia. We used novel statistical analyses to examine how albuminuria and chronic kidney disease (CKD) may influence the effects of other risk factors on coronary heart disease (CHD).</p> <p>Methods</p> <p>A prospective cohort of 7067 Chinese type 2 diabetic patients without history of CHD enrolled since 1995 were censored on July 30^th, 2005. Cox proportional hazard regression with restricted cubic spline was used to auto-select predictors. Hazard ratio plots were used to examine the risk of CHD. Based on these plots, non-linear risk factors were categorised and the categorised variables were refitted into various Cox models in a stepwise manner to confirm the findings.</p> <p>Results</p> <p>Age, male gender, duration of diabetes, spot urinary albumin: creatinine ratio, estimated glomerular filtration rate, total cholesterol (TC), high density lipoprotein cholesterol (HDL-C) and current smoking status were risk factors of CHD. Linear association between TC and CHD was observed only in patients with albuminuria. Although in general, increased HDL-C was associated with decreased risk of CHD, full-range HDL-C was associated with CHD in an A-shaped manner with a zenith at 1.1 mmol/L. Albuminuria and CKD were the main contributors for the paradoxically positive association between HDL-C and CHD for HDL-C values less than 1.1 mmol/L.</p> <p>Conclusion</p> <p>In type 2 diabetes, albuminuria plays a linking role between conventional risk factors and CHD. The onset of CKD changes risk associations between lipids and CHD.</p