New Plasma Separation Glucose Oxidase-based Glucometer in Monitoring of Blood With Different PO2 Levels

BackgroundThe PalmLab glucometer is a newly designed plasma separation glucose oxidase (GO)-based glucometer. Past studies have shown that the accuracy of GO-based glucometers is compromised when measurements are taken in patients with high PO2 levels. We performed a two-arm study comparing the fitness of the PalmLab blood glucometer with that of a standard glucose analyzer in monitoring blood glucose levels in pediatric patients, especially when arterial partial pressure of oxygen (PO2) was high.MethodsIn the first arm of the study, arterial blood samples from pediatric patients were measured by the PalmLab blood glucometer and the YSI 2302 Plus Glucose/Lactate analyzer. In the second arm of the study, venous blood samples from adult volunteers were spiked with glucose water to prepare three different levels of glucose (65, 150, and 300mg/dL) and then oxygenated to six levels of PO2 (range, 40–400mmHg). The biases of the PalmLab glucometer were calculated.ResultsA total of 162 samples were collected in the first arm of the study. Results of linear regression showed that the coefficient of determination (R2) between PalmLab glucometer and standard glucose analyzer was 0.9864. Error grid analysis revealed that all the results were within Zone A (clinically accurate estimate zone). The biases between the two systems were low at different PO2 levels. In the second arm of the study, the results were also unaffected by changes in PO2.ConclusionThe PalmLab glucometer provides accurate results in samples with high PO2 and is suitable for measuring arterial glucose levels in pediatric patients

A Study of Entrepreneur Cognition and Behavior Intention：An Application of Theory of Planned Behavior and Social Cognitive Theory

[[abstract]]近年來台灣經濟的快速成長，創業家貢獻了相當大的力量，所以儘管有愈來愈多的文獻研究台灣成功的經濟發展經驗，但是研究重點都集中在文化和社會因素的影響上，特別是儒家思想的影響上，但關於創業家的貢獻仍顯不足。 有鑑於此，本研究主要在探討創業家之認知與行為意向之研究，甚有當前之政策急迫性與重要性。因此，援引已有嚴謹結構，且經驗證支持之計劃行為理論與社會認知理論，針對焦點創業家進行研究，期建構出創業家之行為意向模式，以更深入了解創業家們行為因素、個人因素及環境因素三者間之互動關係，並據此提出相關之創業家在創業時考慮因素，與政府主管機關之政策輔導。 本研究是以問卷的方式來收集資料，對象為南部地區之創業家。經資料分析獲得以下結論： 一、創業家的態度信念，顯著影響創業者的行為意向，研究指出有90.4%的受訪者同意創業，是為了增加財富的收入，其可能原因為創業者自利性的考量。 二、創業者的主觀規範信念，對創業者的行為意向，未達統計上之顯著水準。可能原為創業者有較強之創業意志，且個人自主性強，較不易受他人影響。 三、創業者的知覺行為控制，會影響創業之行為意向，研究指出有90%以上的受訪者認為「創業資金來源應可掌握」是創業的關鍵，其可能原因為若資金的來源無法控制與掌握，則創業的歷程會更艱辛。 四、創業者之「個人」、「環境」和「行為」等三信念因素會相互影響。本研究結果發現上述三信念因素是相互影響的，當其中一個因素改變會使得其他二個因素產生變化，如：當環境改變時會使得個人及其行為產生變化。[[abstract]]In recent years, many entrepreneurs contributed tremendously to the high growing economy of Taiwan. There are more and more documents on the research of the successful experience of Taiwan’s economic development, but most of them seem only to focus on the factors and the effects of culture and society, especially the Confucian thinking. The contribution of entrepreneurs is insufficient. In consideration of that, this study tries to explore entrepreneurs’ this research design a survey questionary bared on cognition and behavior intention. Which seems more and more important today. Therefore, based on quoting the planned behavior theory and social cognition theory, which are well-knit and also well supported with evidences, we design our research on the entrepreneurs using survey questionary. We expect to structure the entrepreneurs’ behavior intention model, and understand the interactive relationship among personal, environmental, and behaved factors. According to our research results, we propose the environmental and the assistant policy of government when an entrepreneur is starting a business. This study collects research material and information by conducting questionnaires survey. Our survey subjects are the entrepreneurs in the south of Taiwan. The research results are as following: 1、An entrepreneur’s behavior intention is influenced obviously by his/her belief and attitude. There are about 90.4% of interviewees agree that starting a business in order to increase their income. That might be the entrepreneur’s self-benefit concerning. 2、The subject norm of entrepreneurs did not achieve the expected statistical significant level. That might be an entrepreneur has a strong independent intention, which is hard to be effected and controlled by someone else. 3、Perceived Behavioral Control will affect the behavioral intention. There are 90% of the interviewees entrepreneurs “they can control the source of funds ”. This point plays a key role for who wants to start a business. They think if they could not control business capital, responded that will be difficult to start a business. 4、“Personal factor”, “Environmental factor”, and “Behavioral factor”, all of these three factors will be inter-influenced among each other. This study show responded that if one of the factors is changed, and the other factors will also change. For example, the change of environment will cause some changes of personal behavior

Characterization of Genes Involved in Cytokinin Signaling and Metabolism from Rice

Two-component signaling elements play important roles in plants, including a central role in cytokinin signaling. We characterized two-component elements from the monocot rice (Oryza sativa) using several complementary approaches. Phylogenetic analysis reveals relatively simple orthologous relationships among the histidine kinases in rice and Arabidopsis (Arabidopsis thaliana). In contrast, the histidine-containing phosphotransfer proteins (OsHPs) and response regulators (OsRRs) display a higher degree of lineage-specific expansion. The intracellular localizations of several OsHPs and OsRRs were examined in rice and generally found to correspond to the localizations of their dicot counterparts. The functionality of rice type-B OsRRs was tested in Arabidopsis; one from a clade composed of both monocot and dicot type-B OsRRs complemented an Arabidopsis type-B response regulator mutant, but a type-B OsRR from a monocot-specific subfamily generally did not. The expression of genes encoding two-component elements and proteins involved in cytokinin biosynthesis and degradation was analyzed in rice roots and shoots and in response to phytohormones. Nearly all type-A OsRRs and OsHK4 were up-regulated in response to cytokinin, but other cytokinin signaling elements were not appreciably affected. Furthermore, multiple cytokinin oxidase (OsCKX) genes were up-regulated by cytokinin. Abscisic acid treatment decreased the expression of several genes involved in cytokinin biosynthesis and degradation. Auxin affected the expression of a few genes; brassinosteroid and gibberellin had only modest effects. Our results support a shared role for two-component elements in mediating cytokinin signaling in monocots and dicots and reveal how phytohormones can impact cytokinin function through modulating gene expression

Schizandrin Protects Primary Rat Cortical Cell Cultures from Glutamate-Induced Apoptosis by Inhibiting Activation of the MAPK Family and the Mitochondria Dependent Pathway

Glutamate-induced excitotoxicity has been implicated in a variety of neuronal degenerative disorders. In the present study, we investigated the possible neuroprotective effects of schizandrin against apoptosis of primary cultured rat cortical cells induced by glutamate. Glutamate (10 μM) administered for 24 h decreased the expression of Bcl-2 and Bcl-XL protein, whereas increased the expression of Bax, Bak, apoptosis inducing factor (AIF), endonuclease G (Nodo G) and endoplasmic reticulum (ER) stress of caspase-12. Pretreatment with schizandrin (100 μM) before glutamate treatment increased the Bcl-XL and Bcl-2 expression and decreased Bax, Bak, AIF, Nodo G and caspase-12 compared with those only treated with glutamate. Furthermore, glutamate-induced phosphorylation of JNK, p38 and ERK mitogen-activated protein kinases (MAPK), and these effects were attenuated by schizandrin (100 μM) treatment. These results suggest that schizandrin possesses the neuroprotective effects. The molecular mechanisms of schizandrin against glutamate-induced apoptosis may involve the regulation of Bcl-2 family proteins expression, and ER stress through blocking the activation of JNK, ERK and p38 MAPK

Retention Model of TaO/HfO x and TaO/AlO x RRAM with Self-Rectifying Switch Characteristics

Abstract A retention behavior model for self-rectifying TaO/HfO x - and TaO/AlO x -based resistive random-access memory (RRAM) is proposed. Trapping-type RRAM can have a high resistance state (HRS) and a low resistance state (LRS); the degradation in a LRS is usually more severe than that in a HRS, because the LRS during the SET process is limited by the internal resistor layer. However, if TaO/AlO x elements are stacked in layers, the LRS retention can be improved. The LRS retention time estimated by extrapolation method is more than 5 years at room temperature. Both TaO/HfO x - and TaO/AlO x -based RRAM structures have the same capping layer of TaO, and the activation energy levels of both types of structures are 0.38 eV. Moreover, the additional AlO x switching layer of a TaO/AlO x structure creates a higher O diffusion barrier that can substantially enhance retention, and the TaO/AlO x structure also shows a quite stable LRS under biased conditions

Current Genetic Survey and Potential Gene-Targeting Therapeutics for Neuromuscular Diseases

Neuromuscular diseases (NMDs) belong to a class of functional impairments that cause dysfunctions of the motor neuron-muscle functional axis components. Inherited monogenic neuromuscular disorders encompass both muscular dystrophies and motor neuron diseases. Understanding of their causative genetic defects and pathological genetic mechanisms has led to the unprecedented clinical translation of genetic therapies. Challenged by a broad range of gene defect types, researchers have developed different approaches to tackle mutations by hijacking the cellular gene expression machinery to minimize the mutational damage and produce the functional target proteins. Such manipulations may be directed to any point of the gene expression axis, such as classical gene augmentation, modulating premature termination codon ribosomal bypass, splicing modification of pre-mRNA, etc. With the soar of the CRISPR-based gene editing systems, researchers now gravitate toward genome surgery in tackling NMDs by directly correcting the mutational defects at the genome level and expanding the scope of targetable NMDs. In this article, we will review the current development of gene therapy and focus on NMDs that are available in published reports, including Duchenne Muscular Dystrophy (DMD), Becker muscular dystrophy (BMD), X-linked myotubular myopathy (XLMTM), Spinal Muscular Atrophy (SMA), and Limb-girdle muscular dystrophy Type 2C (LGMD2C)

Calreticulin Expression Controls Cellular Redox, Stemness, and Radiosensitivity to Function as a Novel Adjuvant for Radiotherapy in Neuroblastoma

Radiotherapy (RT) is currently only used in children with high-risk neuroblastoma (NB) due to concerns of long-term side effects as well as lack of effective adjuvant. Calreticulin (CALR) has served distinct physiological roles in cancer malignancies; nonetheless, impact of radiation on chaperones and molecular roles they play remains largely unknown. In present study, we systemically analyzed correlation between CALR and NB cells of different malignancies to investigate potential role of CALR in mediating radioresistance of NB. Our data revealed that more malignant NB cells are correlated to lower CALR expression, greater radioresistance, and elevated stemness as indicated by colony- and neurospheroid-forming abilities and vice versa. Of note, manipulating CALR expression in NB cells of varying endogenous CALR expression manifested changes in not only stemness but also radioresistant properties of those NB cells. Further, CALR overexpression resulted in greatly enhanced ROS and led to increased secretion of proinflammatory cytokines. Importantly, growth of NB tumors was significantly hampered by CALR overexpression and was synergistically ablated when RT was also administered. Collectively, our current study unraveled a new notion of utilizing CALR expression in malignant NB to diminish cancer stemness and mitigate radioresistance to achieve favorable therapeutic outcome for NB