"DNA signaturing" database construction for Tetradesmus species identification and phylogenetic relationships of Scenedesmus-like green microalgae (Scenedesmaceae, Chlorophyta).

Species identification of Scenedesmus-like microalgae, comprising Desmodesmus, Tetradesmus, and Scenedesmus, has been challenging due to their high morphological and genetic similarity. After developing a DNA signaturing tool for Desmodesmus identification, we built a DNA signaturing database for Tetradesmus. The DNA signaturing tool contained species-specific nucleotide sequences of Tetradesmus species or strain groups with high similarity in ITS2 sequences.

Using satellite data on remote transportation of air pollutants for PM2.5 prediction in northern Taiwan.

Accurate PM2.5 prediction is part of the fight against air pollution that helps governments to manage environmental policy. Satellite Remote sensing aerosol optical depth (AOD) processed by The Multi-Angle Implementation of Atmospheric Correlation (MAIAC) algorithm allows us to observe the transportation of remote pollutants between regions.

Influence of land-sea breeze on PM[Formula: see text] prediction in central and southern Taiwan using composite neural network.

PM[Formula: see text] prediction plays an important role for governments in establishing policies to control the emission of excessive atmospheric pollutants to protect the health of citizens. However, traditional machine learning methods that use data collected from ground-level monitoring stations have reached their limit with poor model generalization and insufficient data. We propose a composite neural network trained with aerosol optical depth (AOD) and weather data collected from satellites, as well as interpolated ocean wind features.

Differential bicistronic gene translation mediated by the internal ribosome entry site element of encephalomyocarditis virus.

Background: Internal ribosome entry sites (IRESs) allow the translation of a transcript independent of its cap structure. They are distributed in some viruses and cellular RNA. The element is applied in dual gene expression in a single vector.

Excretion of Ni, Pb, Cu, As, and Hg in Sweat under Two Sweating Conditions.

Physiologists have long regarded sweating as an effective and safe means of detoxification, and heavy metals are excreted through sweat to reduce the levels of such metals in the body. However, the body can sweat through many means. To elucidate the difference in the excretion of heavy metals among sweating methods, 12 healthy young university students were recruited as participants (6 men and 6 women).

Inhibiting TLR7 Expression in the Retinal Pigment Epithelium Suppresses Experimental Autoimmune Uveitis.

Experimental autoimmune uveitis (EAU), a model of human uveitis, is an organ-specific, T cell-mediated autoimmune disease. Autoreactive T cells can penetrate the blood-retinal barrier, which is a physical defense composed of tight junction-linked retinal pigment epithelial (RPE) cells. RPE cells serve as antigen-presenting cells (APCs) in the eye since they express MHC class I and II and Toll-like receptors (TLRs).

An Alternative Cell Therapy for Cancers: Induced Pluripotent Stem Cell (iPSC)-Derived Natural Killer Cells.

Cell therapy is usually defined as the treatment or prevention of human disease by supplementation with cells that have been selected, manipulated, and pharmacologically treated or altered outside the body (ex vivo). Induced pluripotent stem cells (iPSCs), with their unique characteristics of indefinite expansion in cultures and genetic modifications, represent an ideal cell source for differentiation into specialized cell types. Cell therapy has recently become one of the most promising therapeutic approaches for cancers, and different immune cell types are selected as therapeutic platforms.

Comparative Study of the Composition of Sweat from Eccrine and Apocrine Sweat Glands during Exercise and in Heat.

This preliminarily study was made to examine the differences in sweat excretions from human eccrine and apocrine sweat glands in dynamic exercise and heat conditions. Sweat samples were collected from six young males while they were either running on a treadmill or sitting in a sauna cabinet. Sweat samples of at least 5 mL from the eccrine (upperback) and apocrine (armpit) sweat glands were collected during a 20min running (or inactive overheating) period.

Synthesizing electronic health records using improved generative adversarial networks.

Objective: The aim of this study was to generate synthetic electronic health records (EHRs). The generated EHR data will be more realistic than those generated using the existing medical Generative Adversarial Network (medGAN) method.

Materials And Methods: We modified medGAN to obtain two synthetic data generation models-designated as medical Wasserstein GAN with gradient penalty (medWGAN) and medical boundary-seeking GAN (medBGAN)-and compared the results obtained using the three models.

Locally Targeting the IL-17/IL-17RA Axis Reduced Tumor Growth in a Murine B16F10 Melanoma Model.

Interleukin (IL)-17 and the cells that produce it within the tumor microenvironment appear to promote tumor development and are associated with survival in cancer patients. Here we investigated the role of the IL-17/IL-17 receptor A (IL-17RA) axis in regulating melanoma progression and evaluated the therapeutic potential of blocking the IL-17/IL-17RA pathway. First, recombinant mouse IL-17 (γmIL-17) treatment significantly increased proliferation of mouse B16F10 cells and human A375 and A2058 cells.

Interleukin-4 Supports the Suppressive Immune Responses Elicited by Regulatory T Cells.

Interleukin-4 (IL-4) has been considered as one of the tolerogenic cytokines in many autoimmune animal models and clinical settings. Despite its role in antagonizing pathogenic Th1 responses, little is known about whether IL-4 possesses functions that affect regulatory T cells (Tregs). Tregs are specialized cells responsible for the maintenance of peripheral tolerance through their immune modulatory capabilities.

Everolimus is better than rapamycin in attenuating neuroinflammation in kainic acid-induced seizures.

Background: Microglia is responsible for neuroinflammation, which may aggravate brain injury in diseases like epilepsy. Mammalian target of rapamycin (mTOR) kinase is related to microglial activation with subsequent neuroinflammation. In the present study, rapamycin and everolimus, both as mTOR inhibitors, were investigated in models of kainic acid (KA)-induced seizure and lipopolysaccharide (LPS)-induced neuroinflammation.

The Correlation between Chitin and Acidic Mammalian Chitinase in Animal Models of Allergic Asthma.

Asthma is the result of chronic inflammation of the airways which subsequently results in airway hyper-responsiveness and airflow obstruction. It has been shown that an elicited expression of acidic mammalian chitinase (AMCase) may be involved in the pathogenesis of asthma. Our recent study has demonstrated that the specific suppression of elevated AMCase leads to reduced eosinophilia and Th2-mediated immune responses in an ovalbumin (OVA)-sensitized mouse model of allergic asthma.

Structural alterations, pore generation, and deacetylation of α- and β-chitin submitted to steam explosion.

The purpose of this study was to use an environmentally friendly steam explosion method to achieve α- and β-chitin structural alterations, pore generation, and deacetylation, enhancing the degree of deacetylation (DD) in chitin and extending its applications. The samples of α- and β-chitin possessing various moisture contents that were exploded at 9 kg/cm(2) exhibited higher DDs, lower densities, lower crystallinity and more porous structures compared to unexploded chitin. After explosion, β-chitin exhibited a larger expansion ratio, lower crystallinity and contained a larger proportion of small-sized particles compared to α-chitin.

Production of hexaoligochitin from colloidal chitin using a chitinase from Aeromonas schubertii.

Chitin derivatives, such as those with modified main saccharide chains and deacetylated side chains, exhibit versatile biological functions. The biomedical properties of chitin oligosaccharides depend on their degree of oligomerization. Of the chitin oligosaccharides, chitin hexamers are generally the most potent.

The characteristics of chitinase expression in Aeromonas schubertii.

In this study, chitinase activity in an incubation broth of Aeromonas schubertii was measured using colloidal chitin azure as the substrate. More specifically, the induction of chitinases due to amendment with various carbon sources was examined. The highest chitinase activity was found following amendment with 0.

Optimization of recombinant hexaoligochitin-producing chitinase production with response surface methodology.

Hexaoligochitin produced by chitinase, ASCHI61, from Aeromonas schubertii was recently expressed. In this work, the optimal conditions for the mass production of ASCHI61 were investigated. The efficiency of recombinant protein expression in Escherichia coli was determined by various parameters, including the pH of the culture medium, induction temperature, shaking speed, inducer concentration, and induction period.

Protoporphyrin IX accumulation disrupts mitochondrial dynamics and function in ABCG2-deficient hepatocytes.

Targeted inhibition of multidrug ABCG2 transporter is believed to improve cancer therapeutics. However, the consequences of ABCG2 inhibition have not been systematically evaluated since ABCG2 is expressed in several organs including the liver. Here, we demonstrate that ABCG2-deficient hepatocytes have increased amounts of fragmental mitochondria accompanied by disruption of mitochondrial dynamics and functions.

Noninvasive and targeted gene delivery into the brain using microbubble-facilitated focused ultrasound.

Recombinant adeno-associated viral (rAAV) vectors are potentially powerful tools for gene therapy of CNS diseases, but their penetration into brain parenchyma is severely limited by the blood-brain barrier (BBB) and current delivery relies on invasive stereotactic injection. Here we evaluate the local, targeted delivery of rAAV vectors into the brains of mice by noninvasive, reversible, microbubble-facilitated focused ultrasound (FUS), resulting in BBB opening that can be monitored and controlled by magnetic resonance imaging (MRI). Using this method, we found that IV-administered AAV2-GFP (green fluorescence protein) with a low viral vector titer (1×10(9) vg/g) can successfully penetrate the BBB-opened brain regions to express GFP.

The identification and characterization of chitotriosidase activity in pancreatin from porcine pancreas.

The versatile oligosaccharide biopolymers, chitin and chitosan, are typically produced using enzymatic processes. However, these processes are usually costly because chitinases and chitosanases are available in limited quantities. Fortunately, a number of commercial enzymes can hydrolyze chitin and chitosan to produce long chain chitin or chitosan oligosaccharides.

Preparation and characterization of ferrofluid stabilized with biocompatible chitosan and dextran sulfate hybrid biopolymer as a potential magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) T2 contrast agent.

Chitosan is the deacetylated form of chitin and used in numerous applications. Because it is a good dispersant for metal and/or oxide nanoparticle synthesis, chitosan and its derivatives have been utilized as coating agents for magnetic nanoparticles synthesis, including superparamagnetic iron oxide nanoparticles (SPIONs). Herein, we demonstrate the water-soluble SPIONs encapsulated with a hybrid polymer composed of polyelectrolyte complexes (PECs) from chitosan, the positively charged polymer, and dextran sulfate, the negatively charged polymer.

Effects of age and splenectomy on heavy infection of Angiostrongylus cantonensis in rats.

This study was designed to determine the effects of age and the role of spleen in rats with heavy Angiostrongylus cantonensis infection. Young rats (8 weeks) infected with 100 larvae were found to have significantly higher worm recovery rate (75.0±6.

Chitosan, the marine functional food, is a potent adsorbent of humic acid.

Chitosan is prepared by the deacetylation of chitin, the second-most abundant biopolymer in nature, and has applicability in the removal of dyes, heavy metals and radioactive waste for pollution control. In weight-reduction remedies, chitosan is used to form hydrogels with lipids and to depress the intestinal absorption of lipids. In this study, an experimental method was implemented to simulate the effect of chitosan on the adsorption of humic acid in the gastrointestinal tract.

N-acetyl glucosamine obtained from chitin by chitin degrading factors in Chitinbacter tainanesis.

A novel chitin-degrading aerobe, Chitinibacter tainanensis, was isolated from a soil sample from southern Taiwan, and was proved to produce N-acetyl glucosamine (NAG). Chitin degrading factors (CDFs) were proposed to be the critical factors to degrade chitin in this work. When C.