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.

IL-33/ST2 axis mediates diesel exhaust particles-induced mast cell activation.

Background: Mast cells are implicated in the pathogenesis and severity of asthma in children and adults. The release of proinflammatory mediators and cytokines from activated mast cells (MC) is associated with Type 2 (T2) cell-skewed inflammation.

Methods: We obtained the airway tissues of Balb/c mice with or without intra-tracheal diesel exhaust particles (DEP) instillation to measure the extent of tryptase MCs infiltration and interleukin (IL)-33 expression.

Topical Vancomycin Paste Over the Sternal Edge During Cardiac Surgery: Effects of Renal Function and Body Size on Systemic Exposure.

Purpose: Intraoperative topical vancomycin has been widely used in several surgical fields to prevent wound infection. However, there have been limited studies on the systemic exposure of topical vancomycin. The aim of this study was to investigate systemic exposure after topical vancomycin over the sternal edge in cardiac surgical patients.

Rare-Earth Iron Garnet Superlattices with Sub-unit Cell Composition Modulation.

Oxide superlattices reveal a rich array of emergent properties derived from the composition modulation and the resulting lattice distortion, charge transfer, and symmetry reduction that occur at the interfaces between the layers. The great majority of studies have focused on perovskite oxide superlattices, revealing, for example, the appearance of an interfacial 2D electron gas, magnetic moment, or improper ferroelectric polarization that is not present in the parent phases. Garnets possess greater structural complexity than perovskites: the cubic garnet unit cell contains 160 atoms with the cations distributed between three different coordination sites, and garnets exhibit a wide range of useful properties, including ferrimagnetism and ion transport.

Telemedicine facilitates medical care for hospitalized patients in quarantine.

Background/purpose: Telemedicine is an innovative medical care system that facilitates visual communication between patients and healthcare workers (HCWs), mainly in a community-based setting. We investigated the clinical effectiveness of in-patient telemedicine care for patients in quarantine for the Coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19).

Methods: We conducted a prospective study to include patients with mild-to-moderate severity of COVID-19 and their primary-care HCWs.

Determination of Nemonoxacin in Small Volumes of Rat Plasma and Bile by a Novel HPLC-Fluorescence Assay and Its Application to Disposition and Biliary Excretion Kinetics.

Background: Nemonoxacin is a novel non-fluorinated quinolone antibiotic for the treatment of community-acquired pneumonia. To investigate the pharmacokinetics (PK) of nemonoxacin, a simple and sensitive high-performance liquid chromatography assay (HPLC) was needed.

Methods: An HPLC method with fluorescence (FL) detection was developed for the quantification of nemonoxacin in plasma and bile.

Effective remediation for advanced practice providers with lowest patient experience: The power of relational resources.

Objectives: Healthcare providers with low patient experience scores may provide suboptimal care and experience burnout. Communication skills training (CST) can be effective, but remedial programs may be poorly received. We aimed to create a program to support advanced practice providers (APPs) with lowest patient experience ratings.

Comparison of the BluePoint MoldID oligonucleotide array and Bruker Biotyper MALDI-TOF MS for the identification of filamentous fungi.

Unlabelled: BluePoint MoldID can identify 43 fungal species through nucleic acid array hybridization and matrix-assisted laser desorption ionization-time of flight mass spectrometry (MALDI-TOF MS) can identify 247 filamentous fungi through mass spectrometry. First, 43 standard isolates from the Bioresource Collection and Research Center, Taiwan, and the College of American Pathologists and 41 clinical species isolates confirmed by rDNA-ITS sequencing were analyzed using BluePoint MoldID and Bruker MALDI-TOF MS. BluePoint MoldID accurately identified 79% (34/43) of the standard isolates to the species level but failed to recognize nine isolates absent from its database; additionally, 87.

Biopolymer encapsulation for improved probiotic delivery: Advancements and challenges.

Probiotics, known for their health benefits as living microorganisms, hold significant importance across various fields, including agriculture, aquaculture, nutraceuticals, and pharmaceuticals. Optimal delivery and storage of probiotic cells are essential to maximize their effectiveness. Biopolymers, derived from living sources, plants, animals, and microbes, offer a natural solution to enhance probiotic capabilities and they possess distinctive qualities such as stability, flexibility, biocompatibility, sustainability, biodegradability, and antibacterial properties, making them ideal for probiotic applications.

Quantifying the effects of the microphysical hygroscopic restructuring of soot on ensemble optical properties and satellite aerosol optical depth retrievals.

Black carbon, or soot, significantly contributes to atmospheric light absorption due to its low single scattering albedo (SSA). This study investigates the impact of soot's hygroscopic restructuring on satellite remote sensing, focusing on radiative forcing, top-of-atmosphere (TOA) reflectance, and aerosol optical depth (AOD) retrievals. We characterized soot aging using relative humidity (RH) growth factor functions and modeled fresh and aging soot aggregates using a cluster-cluster aggregation algorithm.

Investigating ITM2B-associated ataxia in a Taiwanese cerebellar ataxia cohort.

Objective: The genetic causes of a significant number of patients with cerebellar ataxia remain unsolved. Variations in the ITM2B gene, typically linked to dominantly inherited dementia, can sometimes present with cerebellar ataxia as an early symptom. This study aims to investigate the role of ITM2B variations in a Taiwanese cohort with unsolved cerebellar ataxia.

Standardized List Evaluating Apnea (SLEAP): A Comprehensive Survey to Define the Quality of Life in OSA.

Objective: To develop and validate a patient-reported outcome measure (PROM) to evaluate the quality of life (QoL) among patients with obstructive sleep apnea (OSA).

Study Design: A prospective cohort study.

Settings: Tertiary referral center.

Nonlinear Magnetic Sensing with Hybrid Nitrogen-Vacancy/Magnon Systems.

Magnetic sensing beyond the linear regime could broaden the frequency range of detectable magnetic fields, which is crucial to various microwave and quantum applications. Recently, nonlinear interactions in diamond nitrogen-vacancy (NV) centers are proposed to realize magnetic sensing across arbitrary frequencies. In this work, we enhanced these capabilities by exploiting the nonlinear spin dynamics in hybrid systems of NV centers and ferri- or ferromagnetic (FM) thin films.

Characterizing Cerebral Perfusion Changes in Subjective Cognitive Decline Using Single Photon Emission Computed Tomography: A Case-Control Study.

Subjective cognitive decline (SCD) may serve as an early indicator of Alzheimer's disease (AD). This study investigates regional cerebral blood flow (rCBF) alterations in individuals with SCD using single photon emission computed tomography (SPECT). To characterize rCBF patterns in SCD patients compared to healthy controls and examine the relationship between rCBF and cognitive function.

Beliefs underlying weight control behaviors among adolescents and emerging adults living with obesity: an elicitation qualitative study.

Background: Weight control behaviors are commonly observed among adolescents and emerging adults. However, the high prevalence of overweight and obesity in both these age groups remains an imperative health concern. Adolescents and emerging adults represent the most vulnerable groups facing the health burden of obesity.

Low CXCL11 expression is indicative of poor prognosis in rectal cancer patients undergoing preoperative chemoradiotherapy: a retrospective cohort study.

Introduction: Neoadjuvant concurrent chemoradiotherapy (CCRT) is routinely used before surgery in patients with locally advanced rectal cancer to reduce tumor size and decrease the risk of local recurrence. However, the disease-specific survival has not improved in most cases due to distant metastases. In selected individuals exhibiting a clinical complete response, non-operative management may be allowed; however, those who presented no or little response tend to have an inferior prognosis.

Prediction of risk for early or very early preterm births using high-resolution urinary metabolomic profiling.

Background: Preterm birth (PTB) is a serious health problem. PTB complications is the main cause of death in infants under five years of age worldwide. The ability to accurately predict risk for PTB during early pregnancy would allow early monitoring and interventions to provide personalized care, and hence improve outcomes for the mother and infant.

Outdoor mesoscale fabricated ecosystems: Rationale, design, and application to evapotranspiration.

The disparity in scale, complexity, and control level between laboratory experiments and field observational studies has shaped both the methodologies employed and the nature of the research questions pursued in ecology and hydrology. While lysimeters and fabricated ecosystems suitably fit in this gap, their use as mesoscale experimental facilities has not been fully explored because of the limited manipulating capabilities and integration with imaging and monitoring methods, particularly for soil functioning. The proposed fabricated ecosystem (4.