Alcohol Use, Abuse, and Dependency in Shanghai

The use of alcohol for social and ceremonial occasions was recorded in Chinese history as early as 1760 B.C. during the Yin Dynasty (Ci-Hai Encyclopedia, 1979:936). The cultural tradition of ancient China placed alcoholic beverages at the center of social occasions, which presumably was the origin of the adage: Without wine, there is no li (or etiquette). Thus, the use of alcoholic beverages has always been accompanied by the concept of propriety and the discharging of one\u27s role obligations m social functions, rather than that of personal indulgence

Detection of Hpdel in healthy individuals and cancer patients in Taiwan

Background: We investigated the genotypic distribution of Hpdel in healthy subjects and cancer patients in Taiwan. Methods: Blood samples were collected from 244 randomly selected healthy Taiwanese volunteers and 737 patients with various cancers. Samples were analyzed for the haptoglobin (Hp) gene, and the presence of the Hpdel allele was determined from genomic DNA by an Hpdel-specific polymerase chain reaction (PCR) method. The plasma concentration of Hp was also determined. Results: The frequency of the Hpdel allele was calculated to be 0.029, and was not different between the healthy subjects and patients with cancer. The prevalence of Hp deficiency caused by Hpdel homozygosity was estimated to be ∼0.85 in 1000. Fifty-seven subjects were reclassified from homozygous Hp1 or Hp2 to Hp1/Hpdel or Hp2/Hpdel genotypes. The Hpdel allele is not associated with prevalence, severity or stage of any cancer. Conclusions: Congenital Hp deficiency caused by Hpdel homozygosity is a condition present in Taiwan with a relatively high frequency. However, the Hpdel variant does not play a role in cancer. Clin Chem Lab Med 2009;47:745–9.Peer Reviewe

N-3 PUFA Ameliorates the Gut Microbiota, Bile Acid Profiles, and Neuropsychiatric Behaviours in a Rat Model of Geriatric Depression

The brain−gut−microbiome (BGM) axis affects host bioinformation. N-3 polyunsaturated fatty acids (PUFAs) alleviate cognitive impairment and depression in older adults. This study investigated altered microbiota−bile acid signalling as a potential mechanism linking fish oil-induced gut changes in microbiota to alleviate psychological symptoms. Sprague Dawley rats were fed a fish oil diet and administered D-galactose combined with chronic unpredictable mild stress (CUMS) to simulate geriatric depression. The cognitive function, psychological symptoms, microbiota compositions, and faecal bile acid profiles of the rats were assessed thereafter. A correlation analysis was conducted to determine whether the fish oil-induced alteration of the rats’ microbiota and bile acid profiles affected the rats’ behaviour. D-galactose and CUMS resulted in lower concentrations of Firmicutes, significantly altered bile acid profiles, and abnormal neurobehaviours. Fish oil intake alleviated the rats’ emotional symptoms and increased the abundance of Bacteroidetes, Prevotellaceae, Marinifilaceae, and Bacteroidesuniformis. It also elevated the concentrations of primary bile acids and taurine-conjugated bile acids in the rats’ faeces. The rats’ taurine-conjugated bile acid levels were significantly correlated with their behavioural outcomes. In short, fish oil intake may alleviate psychological symptoms by altering the microbial metabolites involved in the BGM axis, especially in the conjugation of bile acids

Combination Therapy of Acarbose and Cyclosporine a Ameliorates Imiquimod-Induced Psoriasis-Like Dermatitis in Mice

Moderate to severe psoriasis, an immune-mediated inflammatory disease, adversely affects patients’ lives. Cyclosporin A (CsA), an effective immunomodulator, is used to treat psoriasis. CsA is ineffective at low doses and toxic at high doses. Acarbose (Acar), a common antidiabetic drug with anti-inflammatory and immunomodulatory effects, reduces imiquimod (IMQ)-induced psoriasis severity. Combinations of systemic drugs are generally more efficacious and safer than higher doses of single drugs. We observed that mice treated with a combination of Acar (250 mg/kg) and low-dose CsA (10 or 20 mg/kg) exhibited significantly milder IMQ-induced psoriasis-like dermatitis and smoother back skin than those treated with Acar (250 mg/kg), low-dose CsA (10 or 20 mg/kg), or IMQ alone. The combination therapy significantly reduced serum and skin levels of Th17-related cytokines (interleukin (IL)-17A, IL-22, and IL-23) and the Th1-related cytokine tumor necrosis factor-α (TNF-α) compared with Acar, low-dose CsA, and IMQ alone. Additionally, the combination therapy significantly reduced the percentages of IL-17- and IL-22-producing CD4+ T-cells (Th17 and Th22 cells, respectively) and increased that of Treg cells. Our data suggested that Acar and low-dose CsA in combination alleviates psoriatic skin lesions by inhibiting inflammation. The findings provide new insights into the effects of immunomodulatory drugs in psoriasis treatment

Visible Light-Induced Photocatalyst with Au/TiO₂ Nanocomposites Fabricated through Pulsed Laser-Induced Photolysis

Gold–titanium oxide nanocomposites (Au–TiO2 NCPs) were fabricated through pulsed laser-induced photolysis (PIPS) and verified to be usable for the visible light catalytic degradation of methylene blue (MB). The PIPS method can produce a sufficient amount of NCPs quickly and has potential to be commercialized. In contrast to other studies, we clarified the optical spectrum of the light sources, including peak power, bandwidth, and total intensity used for photodegradation reactions and discovered that the photodegradation efficiency of the produced Au–TiO2 NCPs in the wavelength range of 405 nm could reach 37% in 30 min due to the charge transfer between Au and TiO2. The control experiment shows that the addition of individual Au and TiO2 nanoparticles (NPs) to an MB solution has no enhancement of degradation ability under visible light illumination. The photodegradation of Au–TiO2 NCPs can be further improved by increasing the concentrations of auric acid and TiO2 NPs in a precursor under PIPS fabrication

Visible Light-Induced Photocatalyst with Au/TiO2 Nanocomposites Fabricated through Pulsed Laser-Induced Photolysis

Gold–titanium oxide nanocomposites (Au–TiO2 NCPs) were fabricated through pulsed laser-induced photolysis (PIPS) and verified to be usable for the visible light catalytic degradation of methylene blue (MB). The PIPS method can produce a sufficient amount of NCPs quickly and has potential to be commercialized. In contrast to other studies, we clarified the optical spectrum of the light sources, including peak power, bandwidth, and total intensity used for photodegradation reactions and discovered that the photodegradation efficiency of the produced Au–TiO2 NCPs in the wavelength range of 405 nm could reach 37% in 30 min due to the charge transfer between Au and TiO2. The control experiment shows that the addition of individual Au and TiO2 nanoparticles (NPs) to an MB solution has no enhancement of degradation ability under visible light illumination. The photodegradation of Au–TiO2 NCPs can be further improved by increasing the concentrations of auric acid and TiO2 NPs in a precursor under PIPS fabrication

The microbiological quality of take-away raw salmon finger sushi sold in Hong Kong

The safety of ready-to-eat foods is an important issue. Improper storage and handling of ready-to-eat items may lead to foodborne disease outbreaks. In this study, raw salmon finger sushi (nigiri) was selected as a target ready-to-eat food for microbiological surveillance. The aim of this study was to evaluate the microbiological quality of take-away sushi sold in the licensed sushi shops in Hong Kong. Sushi samples were collected from 120 randomly selected licensed sushi shops in the 19 districts in Hong Kong from 1st June to 30th July 2014. They were tested for aerobic colony count (ACC), Escherichia coli and Staphylococcus aureus counts as well as the presence of Salmonella spp. to evaluate their overall hygienic quality. None of the samples was found to contain Salmonella spp. and 1.7% of the collected samples were classified as unsatisfactory for containing more than 100 CFU/g of E. coli indicating the overall hygienic quality of take-away sushi in Hong Kong was good. There was no significant difference between samples purchased from chain stores and those from self-hosted business, suggesting that microbiological quality of take-away sushi was not affected by these two types of business models. Based on the current findings, it was suggested that the government should have more frequent routine inspections and provide food hygiene education to the workers in the sushi shops in Hong Kong so as to minimize the risk of foodborne disease outbreaks