Gender Self-Identification: Opinions About Transgender Women from a National Online Survey in Taiwan.

Gender self-identification (transgender) is not permitted in most Asian countries. In Taiwan, individuals recognized as transgender must meet requirements mandated by the Gender Recognition Act. Currently, lifting the requirement for proof of sex-reassignment surgery is pending.

Legalization of marijuana or not? Opinions from over 38,000 residents in Taiwan.

Background: Marijuana is legal in many Western countries and Thailand. In Taiwan, Marijuana remains a category-2 narcotic; however, some legislative candidates recently advocated legalization of medical marijuana. This study surveyed a large sample of Taiwanese to gain a better understanding of the public's knowledge and attitudes towards legalizing marijuana.

Design and evaluation of radiation disaster prevention map based on evacuation behavior.

An effective disaster prevention map ensures public safety and efficient evacuation during emergencies. Emergency evacuation information design in Taiwan is in its nascent stages. This study focuses on individuals' understanding, behavior, and decision-making during disaster prevention to devise suitable disaster prevention map norms.

The lung microenvironment shapes a dysfunctional response of alveolar macrophages in aging.

Alveolar macrophages orchestrate the response to viral infections. Age-related changes in these cells may underlie the differential severity of pneumonia in older patients. We performed an integrated analysis of single-cell RNA-Seq data that revealed homogenous age-related changes in the alveolar macrophage transcriptome in humans and mice.

Parental involvement in developmental disabilities across three cultures: A systematic review.

Background: Parents play a critical role in the early intervention/early childhood special education (EI/ECSE) services provided to young children (birth-6 years) with developmental disabilities.

Aim: The aim of this systematic review was to explore parental involvement in developmental disabilities across three cultures: Mainland China, Taiwan, and Turkey.

Method: According to PRISMA guidelines, we searched for articles indexed in EBSCOhost, PsycINFO, and PubMed published within the last decade for one culture (i.

A spatially restricted fibrotic niche in pulmonary fibrosis is sustained by M-CSF/M-CSFR signalling in monocyte-derived alveolar macrophages.

Ontologically distinct populations of macrophages differentially contribute to organ fibrosis through unknown mechanisms.We applied lineage tracing, single-cell RNA sequencing and single-molecule fluorescence hybridisation to a spatially restricted model of asbestos-induced pulmonary fibrosis.We demonstrate that tissue-resident alveolar macrophages, tissue-resident peribronchial and perivascular interstitial macrophages, and monocyte-derived alveolar macrophages are present in the fibrotic niche.

Single-Cell Transcriptomic Analysis of Human Lung Provides Insights into the Pathobiology of Pulmonary Fibrosis.

The contributions of diverse cell populations in the human lung to pulmonary fibrosis pathogenesis are poorly understood. Single-cell RNA sequencing can reveal changes within individual cell populations during pulmonary fibrosis that are important for disease pathogenesis. To determine whether single-cell RNA sequencing can reveal disease-related heterogeneity within alveolar macrophages, epithelial cells, or other cell types in lung tissue from subjects with pulmonary fibrosis compared with control subjects.

Multidimensional Assessment of the Host Response in Mechanically Ventilated Patients with Suspected Pneumonia.

The identification of informative elements of the host response to infection may improve the diagnosis and management of bacterial pneumonia. To determine whether the absence of alveolar neutrophilia can exclude bacterial pneumonia in critically ill patients with suspected infection and to test whether signatures of bacterial pneumonia can be identified in the alveolar macrophage transcriptome. We determined the test characteristics of alveolar neutrophilia for the diagnosis of bacterial pneumonia in three cohorts of mechanically ventilated patients.

Metformin Targets Mitochondrial Electron Transport to Reduce Air-Pollution-Induced Thrombosis.

Urban particulate matter air pollution induces the release of pro-inflammatory cytokines including interleukin-6 (IL-6) from alveolar macrophages, resulting in an increase in thrombosis. Here, we report that metformin provides protection in this murine model. Treatment of mice with metformin or exposure of murine or human alveolar macrophages to metformin prevented the particulate matter-induced generation of complex III mitochondrial reactive oxygen species, which were necessary for the opening of calcium release-activated channels (CRAC) and release of IL-6.

Generation of a Lineage II Powassan Virus (Deer Tick Virus) cDNA Clone: Assessment of Flaviviral Genetic Determinants of Tick and Mosquito Vector Competence.

The Flavivirus genus comprises a diverse group of viruses that utilize a wide range of vertebrate hosts and arthropod vectors. The genus includes viruses that are transmitted solely by mosquitoes or vertebrate hosts as well as viruses that alternate transmission between mosquitoes or ticks and vertebrates. Nevertheless, the viral genetic determinants that dictate these unique flaviviral host and vector specificities have been poorly characterized.

Monocyte-derived alveolar macrophages drive lung fibrosis and persist in the lung over the life span.

Little is known about the relative importance of monocyte and tissue-resident macrophages in the development of lung fibrosis. We show that specific genetic deletion of monocyte-derived alveolar macrophages after their recruitment to the lung ameliorated lung fibrosis, whereas tissue-resident alveolar macrophages did not contribute to fibrosis. Using transcriptomic profiling of flow-sorted cells, we found that monocyte to alveolar macrophage differentiation unfolds continuously over the course of fibrosis and its resolution.

Hematopoietic stem and multipotent progenitor cells produce IL-17, IL-21 and other cytokines in response to TLR signals associated with late apoptotic products and augment memory Th17 and Tc17 cells in the bone marrow of normal and lupus mice.

We studied effects of early and late apoptotic (necroptotic) cell products, related damage associated alarmins and TLR agonists, on hematopoietic stem and progenitor cells (HSPC). Surprisingly, normal HSPC themselves produced IL-17 and IL-21 after 1½days of stimulation, and the best stimulators were TLR 7/8 agonist; HMGB1-DNA; TLR 9 agonist, and necroptotic B cells. The stimulated HSPC expressed additional cytokines/mediators, directly causing rapid expansion of IL-17(+) memory CD4 T (Th17), and CD8 T (Tc17) cells, and antigen-experienced IL-17(+) T cells with "naïve" phenotype.

Anthropometry of external auditory canal by non-contactable measurement.

Human ear canals cannot be measured directly with existing general measurement tools. Furthermore, general non-contact optical methods can only conduct simple peripheral measurements of the auricle and cannot obtain the internal ear canal shape-related measurement data. Therefore, this study uses the computed tomography (CT) technology to measure the geometric shape of the ear canal and the shape of the ear canal using a non-invasive method, and to complete the anthropometry of external auditory canal.

Maintaining therapeutic activity in the operating room: compatibility of a gamma-retroviral replicating vector with clinical materials and biofluids.

Toca 511 is a novel retroviral replicating vector, encoding a modified yeast cytosine deaminase, administered to recurrent high grade glioma patients in Phase 1 trials by stereotactic, transcranial injection into the tumor or into the walls of the resection cavity. A key issue, with little published data, is vector biocompatibility with agents likely to be encountered in a neurosurgical setting. We tested biocompatibility of Toca 511 with: delivery devices; MRI contrast agents, including ProHance supporting coinjection for real time MRI-guided intratumoral delivery; hemostatic agents; biofluids (blood and cerebrospinal fluid); potential adjuvants; and a needleless vial adapter that reduces risk of accidental needle sticks.

Brain tumor eradication and prolonged survival from intratumoral conversion of 5-fluorocytosine to 5-fluorouracil using a nonlytic retroviral replicating vector.

Patients with the most common and aggressive form of high-grade glioma, glioblastoma multiforme, have poor prognosis and few treatment options. In 2 immunocompetent mouse brain tumor models (CT26-BALB/c and Tu-2449-B6C3F1), we showed that a nonlytic retroviral replicating vector (Toca 511) stably delivers an optimized cytosine deaminase prodrug activating gene to the tumor lesion and leads to long-term survival after treatment with 5-fluorocytosine (5-FC). Survival benefit is dose dependent for both vector and 5-FC, and as few as 4 cycles of 5-FC dosing after Toca 511 therapy provides significant survival advantage.

Comparative pathogenesis of epidemic and enzootic Chikungunya viruses in a pregnant Rhesus macaque model.

Since 2004, an East African genotype of Chikungunya virus (CHIKV) has emerged, causing significant epidemics of an arthralgic syndrome. In addition, this virus has been associated for the first time with neonatal transmission and neurological complications. In the current study, pregnant Rhesus macaques were inoculated with an enzootic or epidemic strain of CHIKV to compare pathogenesis and transplacental transmission potential.

[Studies of the norm and psychometric properties of Ages and Stages Questionnaires in Shanghai children].

Objective: To introduce the Ages and Stages Questionnaire (ASQ) to China, we created ASQ-Chinese (ASQ-C) and carried out studies of its norm and the psychometrical properties in Shanghai children aged 3-66 months in collaboration with the author of the ASQ with the permissions from the publisher.

Method: The 19 ASQ intervals were translated into Chinese, to make the ASQ-C culturally relevant, and back translated into English. The project used a stratified cluster sampling method and recruited children aged 3 - 66 months with respect to demographic characteristics that were representative of Shanghai census data, and excluded the children whose mother tongue was not Chinese and/or diagnosed with disabilities by the authoritative hospitals in Shanghai.

Serial passage of the etiologic agent of epizootic bovine abortion in immunodeficient mice.

Molecular studies have provided convincing evidence that a unique deltaproteobacterium is the causative agent of epizootic bovine abortion (EBA). Bovine fetuses, infected following dam exposure, are the only identified susceptible mammalian host. The inability to cultivate the bacterial agent of EBA (aoEBA) in vitro, associated with the substantial cost of bovine experimentation, drove efforts to identify an alternative laboratory animal host.

Identification of the etiologic agent of epizootic bovine abortion in field-collected Ornithodoros coriaceus Koch ticks.

Epizootic bovine abortion (EBA), or foothill abortion as it has often been termed, is a tick-borne disease of pregnant cattle recognized in California, Nevada and Oregon. The primary objective of this study was to better define the relationship of a novel deltaproteobacterium, the putative etiological agent of EBA (aoEBA), with the Pajaroello tick (Ornithodoros coriaceus Koch), the recognized vector of EBA. Three developmental stages of O.

Molecular identification of a novel deltaproteobacterium as the etiologic agent of epizootic bovine abortion (foothill abortion).

Epizootic bovine abortion (EBA) is endemic in California's coastal range and the foothill regions of the Sierra Nevada, where it has been the primary diagnosed cause of abortion in beef cattle for >50 years. Investigation of these losses has defined a specific fetal syndrome characterized by late-term abortion or birth of weak or dead calves. Although the unusual clinical presentation and unique fetal pathology associated with EBA have been recognized since the 1950s, the identity of the etiologic agent is unknown.

Excystation of Haplorchis taichui metacercariae could be elicited by change in pH.

The effect of different component of the intestinal fluid on the excystation of Haplorchis taichui metacercariae was examined in vitro. Encysted metacercariae obtained by pepsin digestion of fish muscle showed that the highest percentage of metacercariae excystation could be obtained after being treated with trypsin at pH 7.5.