Development of noodles prepared by partial supplementation with Taiwan Oolong banana and evaluation of their physicochemical characteristics.

The physicochemical characteristics of noodles prepared using Taiwan Oolong banana were evaluated. To prepare noodles, wheat flour was partially substituted with Oolong banana flour (OBF) in different levels (0, 2.5, 0.

Inhibition of Long-Term Variability in Decoding Forelimb Trajectory Using Evolutionary Neural Networks With Error-Correction Learning.

In brain machine interfaces (BMIs), the functional mapping between neural activities and kinematic parameters varied over time owing to changes in neural recording conditions. The variability in neural recording conditions might result in unstable long-term decoding performance. Relevant studies trained decoders with several days of training data to make them inherently robust to changes in neural recording conditions.

Neural Decoding Forelimb Trajectory Using Evolutionary Neural Networks with Feedback-Error-Learning Schemes.

Changes in the functional mapping between neural activities and kinematic parameters over time poses a challenge to current neural decoder of brain machine interfaces (BMIs). Traditional decoders robust to changes in functional mappings required many day's training data. The decoder may not be robust when it was trained by data from only few days.

Mutation in cyl operon alters hemolytic phenotypes of Streptococcus agalactiae.

Streptococcus agalactiae infects numerous fish species, causing considerable economic losses during fish cultivation. This study compared the phenotypic differences among S. agalactiae hemolytic variant isolates and investigated the genetic composition of their hemolysin genes.

Decreased Power but Preserved Bursting Features of Subthalamic Neuronal Signals in Advanced Parkinson's Patients under Controlled Desflurane Inhalation Anesthesia.

Deep brain stimulation (DBS) surgery of the subthalamic nucleus (STN) under general anesthesia (GA) had been used in Parkinson's disease (PD) patients who are unable tolerate awake surgery. The effect of anesthetics on intraoperative microelectrode recording (MER) remains unclear. Understanding the effect of anesthetics on MER is important in performing STN DBS surgery with general anesthesia.

Class 1 Integrons and the Antiseptic Resistance Gene (qacEΔ1) in Municipal and Swine Slaughterhouse Wastewater Treatment Plants and Wastewater-Associated Methicillin-Resistant Staphylococcus aureus.

Class 1 integrons are mobile gene elements (MGEs) containing qacEΔ1 that are resistant to quaternary ammonium compound (QAC) disinfectants. This study compared the abundances of class 1 integrons and antiseptic resistance genes in municipal (M) and swine slaughterhouse (S) wastewater treatment plants (WWTPs) and investigated the presence of class 1 integrons and antiseptic resistance genes in methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus (MRSA) isolated from wastewater samples. The abundances of intI1 and qacEΔ1 genes in 96 wastewater samples were quantified using real-time quantitative polymerase chain reaction (real-time qPCR), and 113 MRSA isolates recovered from the wastewater samples were detected class 1 integrons and linked antiseptic resistance genes (qacEΔ1), and minimum inhibitory concentrations (MICs) for QAC antiseptics.

Spreading of β-lactam resistance gene (mecA) and methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus through municipal and swine slaughterhouse wastewaters.

Methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus (MRSA) is a potential zoonotic agent. Municipal wastewater treatment plants (WWTPs) can be reservoirs for MRSA dissemination. It is unclear, however, whether MRSA and its β-lactam resistance gene (mecA) can be spread from WWTPs that treat the wastewater of swine auction markets.

Population deviation of piggery-associated methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus based on mec-associated direct repeat unit analysis.

Piggery-associated methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus (MRSA) is a potential zoonotic pathogen. We constructed the population structure and dynamics of staphylococcal chromosome cassette mec (SCCmec) in MRSA ST9 isolates from different geographical areas of Taiwan. A total of 140 MRSA (135 piggery and 5 human clinical) isolates from three populations located in western Taiwan (n=96 including the 5 clinical isolates), central eastern Taiwan (n=22), and Penghu Island (n=22) were collected and characterized by analysis of the mec-associated direct repeat unit (dru).

Characteristics and virulence factors of livestock associated ST9 methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus with a novel recombinant staphylocoagulase type.

Livestock-associated methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus (LA-MRSA) sequence type 9 (ST9) is a potential source of zoonotic infection for humans. In this study, we investigated and compared the virulence profiles of MRSA ST9 isolates from healthy swine and human clinical origins. A total of 152 MRSA ST9 isolates, including 147 LA-MRSA isolates and 5 human clinical isolates, were studied for the accessory gene regulator (agr) and 20 enterotoxin genes (se), exfoliatoxin gene, and tst gene.

Molecular characterization and clonal genetic diversity of methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus of pig origin in Taiwan.

Livestock-associated methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus (LA-MRSA) is an emerging public health threat. The aims of this study were to identify nasal carriage of MRSA in finishing pigs from different geographical areas of Taiwan and to compare the genetic features of LA-MRSA with other countries. A total of 299 swine nasal samples were collected from 11 counties in western Taiwan with 220 identified MRSA isolates characterized by spa, SCCmec, MLST, pulsed-field gel electrophoresis (PFGE), antibiogram, and Panton-Valentine leukocidin (PVL) toxin genes.

Effects of exercise in the heat on thermoregulation of Japanese and Malaysian males.

The effect of low-intensity exercise in the heat on thermoregulation and certain biochemical changes in temperate and tropical subjects under poorly and well-hydrated states was examined. Two VO2max matched groups of subjects consisting of 8 Japanese (JS) and 8 Malaysians (MS) participated in this study under two conditions: poorly-hydrated (no water was given) and well-hydrated (3 mL x Kg(-1) body weight of water was provided at onset of exercise, and the 15th, 35th and 55th min of exercise). The experimental room in both countries was adjusted to a constant level (Ta: 31.

Antimicrobial susceptibility and plasmid analysis of Actinobacillus pleuropneumoniae isolated in Taiwan.

Sixty Actinobacillus pleuropneumoniae (App) strains from pigs in Taiwan were examined. Serotyping revealed that these belonged to serovars 1 (n=53), 2 (n=3), and 5 (n=4). Agar disk diffusion susceptibility testing of the isolates showed 55 (92%) were resistant to three or more antimicrobial agents.