Preparation of high-stability konjac glucomannan-au NPs and reducing terminal triggered the dual signal ultra-sensitive detection of mercury(II) in lettuce.

A high-stability konjac glucomannan-functionalized gold nanoparticles (KGM-Au NPs) were successfully synthesized via a one-step hydrothermal method. The Au (III) ion was employed as Lewis acid which could induce exposure to the highly reducing aldehyde or ketone groups of KGM to prepare Au NPs. The KGM-Au NPs exhibited excellent stability with strong acids and excess ion concentrations, owing to the oxidation products of aldehyde or ketone groups in KGM.

Sub-diffraction optical beam lithography based on a center-non-zero depletion laser.

Photoinhibition (PI) mechanisms have been introduced in nanofabrication which allows breaking the diffraction limit by large factors. Donut-shaped laser is usually selected as a depletion beam to reduce linewidth, but the parasitic process has made the results of the experiment less than expected. As a result, the linewidth is difficult to achieve below 50 nm with 780 nm femtosecond and 532 nm continuous-wave lasers.

Polysaccharide-based gold nanomaterials: Synthesis mechanism, polysaccharide structure-effect, and anticancer activity.

Polysaccharide-based gold nanomaterials have attracted great interest in biomedical fields such as cancer therapy and immunomodulation due to their prolonged residence time in vivo and enhanced immune response. This review aims to provide an up-to-date and comprehensive summary of polysaccharide-based Au NMs synthesis, including mechanisms, polysaccharide structure-effects, and anticancer activity. Firstly, research progress on the synthesis mechanism of polysaccharide-based Au NMs was addressed, which included three types based on the variety of polysaccharides and reaction environment: breaking of glycosidic bonds via Au (III) or base-mediated production of highly reduced intermediates, reduction of free hydroxyl groups in polysaccharide molecules, and reduction of free amino groups in polysaccharide molecules.

Histopathological Study on Collagen in Full-Thickness Wound Healing in Fraser's Dolphins ().

Fraser's dolphins () possess great healing abilities. Their skin composition can be restored after wounding, including collagen spacing, orientation, and bundle thickness. However, it remains unclear how collagens are involved in the wound-healing process and eventually regain normality in Fraser's dolphins.

Parallel two-photon lithography achieving uniform sub-200 nm features with thousands of individually controlled foci.

The limited throughput of nano-scale laser lithography has been the bottleneck for its industrial applications. Although using multiple laser foci to parallelize the lithography process is an effective and straightforward strategy to improve rate, most conventional multi-focus methods are plagued by non-uniform laser intensity distribution due to the lack of individual control for each focus, which greatly hinders the nano-scale precision. In this paper, we present a highly uniform parallel two-photon lithography method based on a digital mirror device (DMD) and microlens array (MLA), which allows the generation of thousands of femtosecond (fs) laser foci with individual on-off switching and intensity-tuning capability.

Fabrication of Chiral 3D Microstructure Using Tightly Focused Multiramp Helico-Conical Optical Beams.

Beams with optical vortices are widely used in various fields, including optical communication, optical manipulation and trapping, and, especially in recent years, in the processing of nanoscale structures. However, circular vortex beams are difficult to use for the processing of chiral micro and nanostructures. This paper introduces a multiramp helical-conical beam that can produce a three-dimensional spiral light field in a tightly focused system.

Successful Repigmentation of Full-Thickness Wound Healing in Fraser's Dolphins ().

Fraser's dolphins () exhibit the capability to restore nearly normal pigmentation after full-thickness wounding. However, the association among melanocytes, melanin and skin pigmentation during wound healing in cetaceans has yet to be addressed. Here, the number of melanocytes and the distribution of melanocytes and melanin in different-colored skin and different wound-healing stages in Fraser's dolphins were analyzed by using Fontana-Masson staining, immunofluorescence staining and immunohistochemical staining.

Theoretical analysis of thermal-lensing effect in a high power exciplex pumped Cs vapor laser.

Considering the kinetic and fluid dynamic processes in the gain medium, a theoretical model is established to describe the mechanism of thermal-lensing effect in an exciplex pumped Cs vapor laser. The three-dimensional distribution of temperature and index of refraction in the gain medium are depicted. The effective focal length and radius of thermal lens are predicted.

species complex infection in elasmobranchs: A case report for rough-tail stingray with valid antifungal therapy.

species are common plant and animal pathogens. For humans, there are two dominant species complexes, species complex (FSSC) and species complex (FOSC), which both infect immunocompromised individuals. However, there are few reports related to elasmobranchs infected by species.

Numerical simulations on a nanosecond-pulse exciplex pumped cesium vapor laser.

A theoretical model is established to describe the kinetic processes and laser mechanism for a nanosecond-pulse exciplex pumped Cs vapor laser (XPCsL). A new simulation method is proposed to solve a set of non-stationary rate equations considering high energy levels and the results of simulation are consistent with the experimental data. The effects of cell temperature, pump energy and buffer gas on the output laser pulses are presented and analyzed in detail, which reveal the unique properties of nanosecond-pulse XPCsL.

Theoretical simulation on exciplex pumped Rb vapor laser.

Considering spectrally resolved absorption and temperature distribution, a physical model is established to describe the laser kinetic and thermodynamic processes of an exciplex pumped Rb vapor laser. A comparison with Carroll's model is made. Influences of pump intensity, temperature, reflectivity of output coupler, and number density of Kr on the performance of CW Rb-Kr XPAL with uniform temperature distribution are calculated and analyzed.

Locally extensive meningoencephalitis caused by Miamiensis avidus (syn. Philasterides dicentrarchi) in a zebra shark.

Scuticociliatosis, caused by ciliated protozoa in the subclass Scuticociliatia of the phylum Ciliophora, can cause fatal disease in teleost fish species. However, information on scuticociliatosis in elasmobranchs is still scarce. In this report, we describe a case of locally extensive meningoencephalitis caused by Miamiensis avidus (syn.

Changes in the six most common sequence types of Neisseria gonorrhoeae, including ST4378, identified by surveillance of antimicrobial resistance in northern Taiwan from 2006 to 2013.

Background: There has been no longitudinal study of drug susceptibility in Neisseria gonorrhoeae in Taiwan since 2006.

Methods: We collected 1090 gonococcal isolates from Taipei City Hospital, Taiwan from April 2006 to August 2013. We used a disk diffusion assay to determine the susceptibility to five antibiotics and an E-test to determine the minimum inhibitory concentrations for cefixime and ceftriaxone in isolates with resistance.

Pregnancy outcomes of anti-hypertensives for women with chronic hypertension: a population-based study.

Background: The impact of anti-hypertensive treatment on fetus was unclear, and hence, remains controversial. We set out in this study to estimate the prevalence of adverse pregnancy outcomes, including low birth weight, preterm delivery and small for gestational age amongst women with chronic hypertension, and to determine whether the use of anti-hypertensive drugs increases the risk of such adverse pregnancy outcomes.

Methodology/principal Findings: A total of 2,727 hypertension mothers and 8,181 matched controls were identified from the population-based cohort.

Changes in compliance with recommended infection control practices and affecting factors among dentists in Taiwan.

Compliance with recommended infection control practices in East Asia has not been clearly documented. To investigate changes in compliance with recommended infection control practices over a eleven-year period and to identify affecting factors, two nationwide cross-sectional surveys of dentists in Taiwan were conducted in 1999 and 2010. An anonymous questionnaire that assessed characteristics of dentists and practices of recommended infection control guidelines was mailed.

Factors affecting occupational exposure to needlestick and sharps injuries among dentists in Taiwan: a nationwide survey.

Background: Although the risks of needlestick and sharps injuries (NSIs) for dentists are well recognized, most papers published only described the frequency of occupational exposure to NSIs. Less has been reported assessing factors contributing to exposure to NSIs. The purpose of this study was to update the epidemiology of NSIs among dentists in Taiwan and identify factors affecting NSIs in order to find preventive strategies.

Risk of digoxin intoxication in heart failure patients exposed to digoxin-diuretic interactions: a population-based study.

WHAT IS ALREADY KNOWN ABOUT THIS SUBJECT * Increased frequency of electrolyte abnormalities and cardiac arrhythmias among patients exposed to digoxin-diuretic interactions has been well-documented in numerous descriptive studies. * Nonetheless, a clear causal relationship has not been established in these studies. WHAT THIS STUDY ADDS * The risks of digoxin intoxication associated with use of digoxin in combination with any diuretic use, types of diuretics, combinations of diuretics, and individual diuretics were quantified using a population-based nested case-control study design.

Risk of digoxin intoxication caused by clarithromycin-digoxin interactions in heart failure patients: a population-based study.

Objective: To quantify the effect of exposures to digoxin–clarithromycin interactions on the risk of digoxin toxicity requiring hospitalizations in a population-based manner in a Taiwanese population.

Methods: This is a retrospective population-based nested case–control study. Data were retrieved from the National Health Insurance Research Database.

Validation of a shortened Taiwanese version of an asthma quality-of-life questionnaire by Rasch model.

The purpose of this study was to assess the one-dimensionality, item fit, redundancy, and differential item functioning (DIF) of a Taiwanese version of the Asthma Quality of Life Questionnaire (TAQLQ) using Rasch model and to examine the test-retest reliability, validity of a simplified version of the TAQLQ and the original AQLQ. The design of this study was a two-time assessment on a 1-month interval. A total of 143 asthmatic outpatients were requested to administer the original 7-point 32-item TAQLQ questionnaires at the first visit and the 5-point 27-item TAQLQ questionnaires at the second visit.

Enhancement of human platelet activation by the combination of low concentrations of collagen and rabbit anticardiolipin antibodies.

Low concentrations of collagen and anticardiolipin antibodies (ACLA), which were raised in rabbits by immunization with cardiolipin (CL), co-operatively activated human gel-filtrated platelets (GFP). GFP activated by adding ACLA 5 min prior to collagen (ACLA + Col) showed strong responses in cytosolic Ca2+ mobilization and cell aggregation; the responses decreased after 1 min, however, when collagen was added prior to ACLA (Col + ACLA). Col + ACLA was 30% less effective than the ACLA + Col in: (1) the phosphorylation of pleckstrin and myosin light chain; and (2) the secretion of alpha- and dense granules.