LEG STIFFNESS CHANGES IN DROP JUMPS WITH DIFFERENT STRETCH AMPLITUDE

The purpose of this study was to investigate the adjustment of leg stiffness and the relative electromyography (EMG) magnitude of different phases with shallow and deep drop jump (DJ) in order to understand the neuromuscular and contraction characteristics of different stretch amplitudes of SSC movement. There were 12 subjects tested in this experiment including jumpers and volleyball players whose ages are 20.5±1.93, heights are 181.01±6.23cm and weights are 71.95±4.93Kg. Kistler forceplatform, PEAK high speed video camera and EMG Biovision system were used to record the ground reaction force, kinematics data and the EMG signals of gastrocnemius and rectus femoris. The results of this study were that the leg stiffness between two different drops jump had the significant difference at the concentric and transmission phases in the progressive loads (

Epigenetics in Traditional Chinese Pharmacy: A Bioinformatic Study at Pharmacopoeia Scale

Epigenetics is a phenomenon of heritable changes in the chromatin structure of a genomic region, resulting in a transcriptional silent or active state of the region over cell mitosis. Mounting evidence has demonstrated phenotypic consequence of alternations in the patterns of DNA methylation and histone modifications, two of the well-studied epigenetic mechanisms. The epigenome thus represents an interesting therapeutic target. Traditional Chinese medicine (TCM) is a system of therapies that has developed through empiricism for over 2100 years and has remained a popular alternative medicine in some Far East Asian populations. We searched 3294 TCM medicinals (TCMMs) containing 48 491 chemicals for chemicals that interact with the epigenetics-related proteins and found that 29.8% of the TCMMs are epigenome- and miRNA-modulating via, mainly, interactions with Polycomb group and methyl CpG-binding proteins. We analyzed 200 government-approved TCM formulas (TCMFs) and found that a statistically significant proportion (99%) of them are epigenome- and miRNA-interacting. The epigenome and miRNA interactivity of the Monarch medicinals is found to be most prominent. Histone modifications are heavily exploited by the TCMFs, many of which are tonic. Furthermore, epigenetically, the Assistant medicinals least resemble the Monarch. We quantified the role of epigenetics in TCM prescription and found that epigenome- and miRNA-interaction information alone determined, to an extent of 20%, the clinical application areas of the TCMFs. Our results provide (i) a further support for the notion of the epigenomes as a drug target and (ii) a new set of tools for the design of TCM prescriptions

How do social media affect Taiwanese people’s participation in social movements under the Ma Ying-Jeou administration between 2008 and 2016

This thesis attempts to explore how technology affects people’s behaviour in the public sphere. Particularly, at a time when information communication technologies (ICTs) are rapidly reshaping nearly every aspect of our everyday life, this study asks, has citizens’ civic engagement been affected as well? In addition, this study takes Taiwan, a third wave democracy in East Asia, as a case study, with the aim of demonstrating how Western liberal democratic values can be compatible with socalled “Asian values”, whilst at the same time analysing if and how the civic engagement of Taiwanese people has been affected by the rise of ICTs mentioned above. To make the research scope more focused, this study only focuses on civil society during the years of President Ma Ying-Jeou’s administration from 2008 to 2016. This study focuses on what ICTs have changed, and what these changes can tell us. The main research method deployed is qualitative analysis, which was supplemented by a series of semi-constructed interviews with people who played significant roles in one or more of the major social movements that took place during the Ma administration. The findings and analysis of this study identify the impacts of ICTs on citizens’ behaviour from three perspectives: (1) how do ICTs reshape and revolutionise the way citizens communicate with each other; (2) how do ICTs enable social movement and empower activists; and (3) how do ICTs reshape and redefine the notion of the public and private spheres. In the information age, when technology has profoundly changed our social structure, it is important to continuously revisit people’s perception of their shared values of democracy, their political participation, and their role in a democracy. It is might be equally important to clarify that the idea of citizenship studied in this thesis is viewed more from a sociological perspective rather than a normative one. It is possible that such a changing perception may lead to further academic research on the normative definition of citizenship in future research

Ludwigia octovalvis extract improves glycemic control and memory performance in diabetic mice

Ethnopharmacological relevance Ludwigia octovalvis (Jacq.) P.H. Raven (Onagraceae) extracts have historically been consumed as a healthful drink for treating various conditions, including edema, nephritis, hypotension and diabetes. Aim of the study We have previously shown that Ludwigia octovalvis extract (LOE) can significantly extend lifespan and improve age-related memory deficits in Drosophila melanogaster through activating AMP-activated protein kinase (AMPK). Since AMPK has become a critical target for treating diabetes, we herein investigate the anti-hyperglycemic potential of LOE. Materials and methods Differentiated C2C12 muscle cells, HepG2 hepatocellular cells, streptozotocin (STZ)-induced diabetic mice and high fat diet (HFD)-induced diabetic mice were used to investigate the anti-hyperglycemic potential of LOE. The open field test and novel object recognition test were used to evaluate spontaneous motor activity and memory performance of HFD-induced diabetic mice. Results In differentiated C2C12 muscle cells and HepG2 hepatocellular cells, treatments with LOE and its active component (β-sitosterol) induced significant AMPK phosphorylation. LOE also enhanced uptake of a fluorescent glucose derivative (2-NBDG) and inhibited glucose production in these cells. The beneficial effects of LOE were completely abolished when an AMPK inhibitor, dorsomorphin, was added to the culture system, suggesting that LOE requires AMPK activation for its action in vitro. In streptozotocin (STZ)-induced diabetic mice, we found that both LOE and β-sitosterol induced an anti-hyperglycemic effect comparable to that of metformin, a drug that is commonly prescribed to treat diabetes. Moreover, LOE also improved glycemic control and memory performance of mice fed a HFD. Conclusions These results indicate that LOE is a potent anti-diabetic intervention that may have potential for future clinical applications

Trisomy Correction in Down Syndrome Induced Pluripotent Stem Cells

SummaryHuman trisomies can alter cellular phenotypes and produce congenital abnormalities such as Down syndrome (DS). Here we have generated induced pluripotent stem cells (iPSCs) from DS fibroblasts and introduced a TKNEO transgene into one copy of chromosome 21 by gene targeting. When selecting against TKNEO, spontaneous chromosome loss was the most common cause for survival, with a frequency of ∼10−4, while point mutations, epigenetic silencing, and TKNEO deletions occurred at lower frequencies in this unbiased comparison of inactivating mutations. Mitotic recombination events resulting in extended loss of heterozygosity were not observed in DS iPSCs. The derived, disomic cells proliferated faster and produced more endothelia in vivo than their otherwise isogenic trisomic counterparts, but in vitro hematopoietic differentiation was not consistently altered. Our study describes a targeted removal of a human trisomy, which could prove useful in both clinical and research applications

Characteristics, survival, and related factors of newly diagnosed colorectal cancer patients refusing cancer treatments under a universal health insurance program

BACKGROUND: Colorectal cancer is the third most commonly diagnosed cancer worldwide. Few studies have addressed the causes and risks of treatment refusal in a universal health insurance setting. METHODS: We examined the characteristics and survival associated with treatment refusal in patients with newly diagnosed colorectal cancer in Taiwan during 2004–2008. Treatment refusal was defined as not undergoing any cancer treatment within 4 months of confirmed cancer diagnosis. Patient data were extracted from four national databases. Factors associated with treatment refusal were identified through logistic regression using the generalized estimating equation method, and survival analysis was performed using the Cox proportional hazards model. RESULTS: Of the 41,340 new colorectal cancer cases diagnosed, 3,612 patients (8.74%) refused treatment. Treatment refusal rate was higher in patients with less urbanized areas of residence, lower incomes, preexisting catastrophic illnesses, cancer stages of 0 and IV, and diagnoses at regional and district hospitals. Logistic regression analysis revealed that patients aged >75 years were the most likely to refuse treatment (OR, 1.87); patients with catastrophic illnesses (OR, 1.66) and stage IV cancer (OR, 1.43) had significantly higher refusal rates. The treatment refusers had 2.66 times the risk of death of those who received treatment. Factors associated with an increased risk of death in refusers included age ≥75 years, insured monthly salary ≥22,801 NTD, low-income household or aboriginal status, and advanced cancer stage (especially stage IV; HR, 11.33). CONCLUSION: Our results show a lower 5-year survival for colorectal patients who refused treatment than for those who underwent treatment within 4 months. An age of 75 years or older, low-income household status, advanced stages of cancer, especially stage IV, were associated with higher risks of death for those who refused treatment

Phyllanthus urinaria Induces Apoptosis in Human Osteosarcoma 143B Cells via Activation of Fas/FasL- and Mitochondria-Mediated Pathways

Phyllanthus urinaria (P. urinaria), in this study, was used for the treatment of human osteosarcoma cells, which is one of the tough malignancies with few therapeutic modalities. Herein, we demonstrated that P. urinaria inhibited human osteosarcoma 143B cells growth through an apoptotic extrinsic pathway to activate Fas receptor/ligand expression. Both intracellular and mitochondrial reactive oxygen species were increased to lead to alterations of mitochondrial membrane permeability and Bcl-2 family including upregulation of Bid, tBid, and Bax and downregulation of Bcl-2. P. urinaria triggered an intrinsic pathway and amplified the caspase cascade to induce apoptosis of 143B cells. However, upregulation of both intracellular and mitochondrial reactive oxygen species and the sequential membrane potential change were less pronounced in the mitochondrial respiratory-defective 143Bρ0 cells compared with the 143B cells. This study offers the evidence that mitochondria are essential for the anticancer mechanism induced by P. urinaria through both extrinsic and intrinsic pathways