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

Mobile Edge Computing Platform Deployment in 4G LTE Networks: A Middlebox Approach

This paper has been presented at : USENIX Workshop on Hot Topics in Edge Computing (Hot Edge '18)Low-latency demands for cellular networks have at-tracted much attention. Mobile edge computing (MEC), which deploys a cloud computing platform at the edge closer to mobile users, has been introduced as an enabler of low-latency performance in 4G and 5G networks. In this paper, we propose an MEC platform deployment so-lution in 4G LTE networks using a middlebox approach. It is standard-compliant and transparent to existing cel-lular network components, so they need not be modified. The MEC middlebox sits on the S1 interface, which con-nects an LTE base station to its core network, and does traffic filtering, manipulation and forwarding. It enables the MEC service for mobile users by hosting application servers. Such middlebox approach can save deployment cost and be easy to install. It is different from other stud-ies that require modifications on base stations or/and core networks. We have confirmed its viability through a pro-totype based on the OpenAirInterface cellular platform.We thank our shepherd Weisong Shi for his help, and also thank the anonymous reviewers for their valuable comments on improving this paper. This work was partially supported by the Ministry of Science and Technology, Taiwan, under grant numbers 106-2622-8-009-017 and 106-2218-E-009-018, and by the H2020 collaborative Europe/Taiwan research project 5G-CORAL (grant number 761586)

Granulocyte Colony-Stimulating Factor Activating HIF-1α Acts Synergistically with Erythropoietin to Promote Tissue Plasticity

Stroke and peripheral limb ischemia are serious clinical problems with poor prognosis and limited treatment. The cytokines erythropoietin (EPO) and granulocyte-colony stimulating factor (G-CSF) have been used to induce endogenous cell repair and angiogenesis. Here, we demonstrated that the combination therapy of EPO and G-CSF exerted synergistic effects on cell survival and functional recovery from cerebral and peripheral limbs ischemia. We observed that even under normoxic conditions, G-CSF activates hypoxia-inducible factor-1α (HIF-1α), which then binds to the EPO promoter and enhances EPO expression. Serum EPO level was significantly increased by G-CSF injection, with the exception of Tg-HIF-1α+f/+f mice. The neuroplastic mechanisms exerted by EPO combined with G-CSF included enhanced expression of the antiapoptotic protein of Bcl-2, augmented neurotrophic factors synthesis, and promoted neovascularization. Further, the combination therapy significantly increased homing and differentiation of bone marrow stem cells (BMSCs) and intrinsic neural progenitor cells (INPCs) into the ischemic area. In summary, EPO in combination with G-CSF synergistically enhanced angiogenesis and tissue plasticity in ischemic animal models, leading to greater functional recovery than either agent alone

Chronic hepatitis virus infection in patients with multiple myeloma: clinical characteristics and outcomes

OBJECTIVES: Cytotoxic agents and steroids are used to treat lymphoid malignancies, but these compounds may exacerbate chronic viral hepatitis. For patients with multiple myeloma, the impact of preexisting hepatitis virus infection is unclear. The aim of this study is to explore the characteristics and outcomes of myeloma patients with chronic hepatitis virus infection. METHODS: From 2003 to 2008, 155 myeloma patients were examined to determine their chronic hepatitis virus infection statuses using serologic tests for the hepatitis B (HBV) and C viruses (HCV). Clinical parameters and outcome variables were retrieved via a medical chart review. RESULTS: The estimated prevalences of chronic HBV and HCV infections were 11.0% (n = 17) and 9.0% (n = 14), respectively. The characteristics of patients who were hepatitis virus carriers and those who were not were similar. However, carrier patients had a higher prevalence of conventional cytogenetic abnormalities (64.3% vs. 25.0%). The cumulative incidences of grade 3-4 elevation of the level of alanine transaminase, 30.0% vs. 12.0%, and hyperbilirubinemia, 20.0% vs. 1.6%, were higher in carriers as well. In a Kaplan-Meier analysis, carrier patients had worse overall survival (median: 16.0 vs. 42.4 months). The prognostic value of carrier status was not statistically significant in the multivariate analysis, but an age of more than 65 years old, the presence of cytogenetic abnormalities, a beta-2-microglobulin level of more than 3.5 mg/L, and a serum creatinine level of more than 2 mg/ dL were independent factors associated with poor prognosis. CONCLUSION: Myeloma patients with chronic hepatitis virus infections might be a distinct subgroup, and close monitoring of hepatic adverse events should be mandatory

Targeting PML-RARα and Oncogenic Signaling Pathways by Chinese Herbal Mixture Tien-Hsien Liquid in Acute Promyelocytic Leukemia NB4 Cells

Tien-Hsien Liquid (THL) is a Chinese herbal mixture that has been used worldwide as complementary treatment for cancer patients in the past decade. Recently, THL has been shown to induce apoptosis in various types of solid tumor cells in vitro. However, the underlying molecular mechanisms have not yet been well elucidated. In this study, we explored the effects of THL on acute promyelocytic leukemia (APL) NB4 cells, which could be effectively treated by some traditional Chinese remedies containing arsenic trioxide. The results showed THL could induce G2/M arrest and apoptosis in NB4 cells. Accordingly, the decrease of cyclin A and B1 were observed in THL-treated cells. The THL-induced apoptosis was accompanied with caspase-3 activation and decrease of PML-RARα fusion protein. Moreover, DNA methyltransferase 1 and oncogenic signaling pathways such as Akt/mTOR, Stat3 and ERK were also down-regulated by THL. By using ethyl acetate extraction and silica gel chromatography, an active fraction of THL named as EAS5 was isolated. At about 0.5–1% of the dose of THL, EAS5 appeared to have most of THL-induced multiple molecular targeting effects in NB4 cells. Based on the findings of these multi-targeting effects, THL might be regarding as a complementary and alternative therapeutic agent for refractory APL

Improved sulfide mitigation in sewers through on-line control of ferrous salt dosing

Water utilities worldwide spend annually billions of dollars to control sulfide-induced corrosion in sewers. Iron salts chemically oxidize and/or precipitate dissolved sulfide in sewage and are especially used in medium- and large-size sewers. Iron salt dosing rates are defined ad hoc, ignoring variation in sewage flows and sulfide levels. This often results in iron overdosing or poor sulfide control. Online dosing control can adjust the chemical dosing rates to current (and future) state of the sewer system, allowing high-precision, stable and cost-effective sulfide control. In this paper, we report a novel and robust online control strategy for the dosing of ferrous salt in sewers. The control considers the fluctuation of sewage flow, pH, sulfide levels and also the perturbation from rainfall. Sulfide production in the pipe is predicted using auto-regressive models (AR) based on current flow measurements, which in turn can be used to determine the dose of ferrous salt required for cost-effective sulfide control. Following comprehensive model-based assesment, the control was successfully validated and its effectiveness demonstrated in a 3-week field trial. The online control algorithm controlled sulfide below the target level (0.5 mg S/L) while reducing chemical dosing up to 30%

Schwann Cell Migration Induced by Earthworm Extract via Activation of PAs and MMP2/9 Mediated through ERK1/2 and p38

The earthworm, which has stasis removal and wound-healing functions, is a widely used Chinese herbal medicine in China. Schwann cell migration is critical for the regeneration of injured nerves. Schwann cells provide an essentially supportive activity for neuron regeneration. However, the molecular migration mechanisms induced by earthworms in Schwann cells remain unclear. Here, we investigate the roles of MAPK (ERK1/2, JNK and p38) pathways for earthworm-induced matrix-degrading proteolytic enzyme (PAs and MMP2/9) production in Schwann cells. Moreover, earthworm induced phosphorylation of ERK1/2 and p38, but not JNK, activate the downstream signaling expression of PAs and MMPs in a time-dependent manner. Earthworm-stimulated ERK1/2 and p38 phosphorylation was attenuated by pretreatment with U0126 and SB203580, resulting in migration and uPA-related signal pathway inhibition. The results were confirmed using small interfering ERK1/2 and p38 RNA. These results demonstrated that earthworms can stimulate Schwann cell migration and up-regulate PAs and MMP2/9 expression mediated through the MAPK pathways, ERK1/2 and p38. Taken together, our data suggests the MAPKs (ERK1/2, p38)-, PAs (uPA, tPA)-, MMP (MMP2, MMP9) signaling pathway of Schwann cells regulated by earthworms might play a major role in Schwann cell migration and nerve regeneration

Chern-Simons Term for BF Theory and Gravity as a Generalized Topological Field Theory in Four Dimensions

A direct relation between two types of topological field theories, Chern-Simons theory and BF theory, is presented by using ``Generalized Differential Calculus'', which extends an ordinary p-form to an ordered pair of p and (p+1)-form. We first establish the generalized Chern-Weil homomormism for generalized curvature invariant polynomials in general even dimensional manifolds, and then show that BF gauge theory can be obtained from the action which is the generalized second Chern class with gauge group G. Particularly when G is taken as SL(2,C) in four dimensions, general relativity with cosmological constant can be derived by constraining the topological BF theory.Comment: Improved abstract and introduction with 11 references added. Accepted for publication in Physical Review

Gender Difference in the Relationship of Albuminuria and Arterial Stiffness in Chinese Adults - a 6.6-Year Follow-Up Longitudinal Study

Background/Aims: Brachial–ankle pulse wave velocity (baPWV) reflects the stiffness of muscular arteries. Albuminuria is recognized as a marker of vascular dysfunction. We assessed the association between arterial stiffness and albuminuria in a population-based longitudinal study. Methods: 1116 adults aged ≥ 40 years in the Taichung Community Health Study (TCHS) in 2004 attended a follow-up visit in 2011. Albuminuria was defined as an urinary albumin-to-creatinine ratio (UACR) ≥ 30 mg/g. Arterial stiffness was defined as BaPWV ≥ 1540 cm/sec in males and BaPWV ≥ 1480 cm/sec in females, respectively. ∆baPWV was calculated as baPWV at follow-up minus baPWV at baseline, while ∆UACR was calculated as UACR at follow-up minus UACR at baseline. Multiple linear and logistic regression analyses were used to explore the relationship between albuminuria and arterial stiffness. Results: Among 652 subjects without arterial stiffness at baseline, 209 (32%) subjects developed incident arterial stiffness after an average of 6.6 years. In male subjects, baseline albuminuria was associated with development of arterial stiffness (odds ratio: 4.47, 95% confidence interval [CI]: 1.04–19.31) and ∆baPWV was modestly positively associated with ∆UACR. Conclusion: Our results indicated that male adults with albuminuria had an increased risk for developing arterial stiffness