A Survey of Visible-Light-Communication-Based Indoor Positioning Systems.

There is a growing demand for indoor positioning systems (IPSs) in a wide range of applications. However, traditional solutions such as GPS face many technical challenges. In recent years, a promising alternative has been emerging, the visible light communication (VLC)-based IPS, which offers a combination of high accuracy, low cost, and energy efficiency.

Introduction of an Analgesia Prescription Guideline Can Reduce Unused Opioids After Cardiac Surgery: A Before and After Cohort Study.

Objective(s): The authors aimed to assess whether the introduction of a tailored Analgesia Prescription Guideline would decrease the amount of unused opioid following discharge from cardiac surgery.

Design: Prospective, observational, before and after study.

Setting: Quaternary care university hospital.

Plasma Exosomal Brain-Derived Neurotrophic Factor Correlated with the Postural Instability and Gait Disturbance-Related Motor Symptoms in Patients with Parkinson's Disease.

Brain-derived neurotrophic factor (BDNF) is an essential neurotrophin, responsible for neuronal development, function, and survival. Assessments of peripheral blood BDNF in patients with Parkinson's disease (PD) previously yielded inconsistent results. Plasma exosomes can carry BDNF, so this study investigated the role of plasma exosomal BDNF level as a biomarker of PD.

Randomized Trial to Compare Renal Function and Ductal Response between Indomethacin and Ibuprofen Treatment in Extremely Low Birth Weight Infants.

Background: A head to head comparison study on renal function and ductal response between indomethacin and ibuprofen has rarely been conducted in extremely low birth weight (ELBW) infants.

Objectives: The aim was to compare renal function and ductal response between indomethacin and ibuprofen in ELBW infants.

Methods: We performed a double-blind randomized control trial to compare renal function and ductal response between indomethacin (0.

Bubble CPAP Support after Discontinuation of Mechanical Ventilation Protects Rat Lungs with Ventilator-Induced Lung Injury.

Background: Bubble continuous positive airway pressure (BCPAP) has been used in neonates with respiratory distress for decades, but its lung-protective effect and underlying mechanism has not been investigated.

Objectives: To test the hypothesis that BCPAP use after extubation decreases lung injury and that alterations to lung nitric oxide synthase (NOS) 3 expression may be one of the underlying mechanisms.

Methods: We compared gas exchange, lung injury severity, and lung NOS expression among rats with ventilator-induced lung injury (VILI) treated with either BCPAP or spontaneous breathing.

Intratracheal Administration of Budesonide/Surfactant to Prevent Bronchopulmonary Dysplasia.

Rationale: Bronchopulmonary dysplasia (BPD) is an important complication of mechanical ventilation in preterm infants, and no definite therapy can eliminate this complication. Pulmonary inflammation plays a crucial role in its pathogenesis, and glucocorticoid is one potential therapy to prevent BPD.

Objectives: To compare the effect of intratracheal administration of surfactant/budesonide with that of surfactant alone on the incidence of death or BPD.

Long-term results of the cutting seton for high anal fistula.

Background: No single procedure for high anal fistula delivers a high cure rate while also completely protecting sphincter function. This paper reports our long-term results with the cutting seton for high fistulae and draws comparisons with advancement flap and ligation of intersphincteric fistula track (LIFT) procedures.

Methods: A retrospective study of prospectively collected data in consecutive patients undergoing treatment with cutting seton for high cryptoglandular fistulae was carried out.

Bioavailability of cranberry bean hydroalcoholic extract and its inhibitory effect against starch hydrolysis following in vitro gastrointestinal digestion.

This study used a simulated in vitro gastrointestinal digestion procedure to assess the bioavailability of a freeze-dried cranberry bean hydroalcoholic extract (polyphenol content of 28.73mgg). The amount of polyphenols in 200mg of cranberry bean extract increased from 5.

Effect of hyperbaric oxygenation and gemcitabine on apoptosis of pancreatic ductal tumor cells in vitro.

Background: Gemcitabine is first-line therapy for advanced pancreatic ductal adenocarcinoma (PDAC) with a poor survival and response rate. Hyperbaric oxygenation (HBO) enhances delivery of oxygen to hypoxic tumor cells and increases their susceptibility to cytotoxic effects of chemotherapy. We hypothesized that the anticancer activity of gemcitabine (GEM) may be enhanced if tumor cells are placed in an oxygen-rich environment.

Positional signaling and expression of ENHANCER OF TRY AND CPC1 are tuned to increase root hair density in response to phosphate deficiency in Arabidopsis thaliana.

Phosphate (Pi) deficiency induces a multitude of responses aimed at improving the acquisition of Pi, including an increased density of root hairs. To understand the mechanisms involved in Pi deficiency-induced alterations of the root hair phenotype in Arabidopsis (Arabidopsis thaliana), we analyzed the patterning and length of root epidermal cells under control and Pi-deficient conditions in wild-type plants and in four mutants defective in the expression of master regulators of cell fate, CAPRICE (CPC), ENHANCER OF TRY AND CPC 1 (ETC1), WEREWOLF (WER) and SCRAMBLED (SCM). From this analysis we deduced that the longitudinal cell length of root epidermal cells is dependent on the correct perception of a positional signal ('cortical bias') in both control and Pi-deficient plants; mutants defective in the receptor of the signal, SCM, produced short cells characteristic of root hair-forming cells (trichoblasts).

Effect of Echinacea purpurea L. on oxidative status and meat quality in Arbor Acres broilers.

Background: Echinacea purpurea L. (EP) is a popular herbal antioxidant and immunomodulator. The present study was conducted to evaluate the effects of EP on meat quality and oxidative status in broilers.

Toxicity of propargylic alcohols on green alga--Pseudokirchneriella subcapitata.

The present study evaluates the toxicity of 34 propargylic alcohols, including primary, primary homo-, secondary, and tertiary alcohols, based on their effects on phytoplankton. A closed-system algal toxicity test was applied because the closed-system technique presents more realistic concentration-response relationships for the above compounds than the conventional batch tests. The green alga, Pseudokirchneriella subcapitata, was the test organism and final yield and growth rate were chosen as the test endpoints.

Hyperbaric oxygenation therapy alleviates chronic constrictive injury-induced neuropathic pain and reduces tumor necrosis factor-alpha production.

Background: The development of hyperalgesia and allodynia after chronic constrictive injury (CCI) is associated with significantly increased tumor necrosis factor (TNF)-α and interleukin (IL)-1β. Theoretically, if the production of TNF-α and/or IL-1β could be reduced, neuropathic pain syndrome may be alleviated. Recently, a beneficial effect of hyperbaric oxygenation therapy (HBOT) in the treatment of pain disorders has been suggested.

Gastric bypass up-regulates insulin signaling pathway.

Objective: In the severely obese, Roux-en-Y gastric bypass (RYGB) reverses diabetes before body weight loss occurs. We determined changes in protein expression of insulin receptor (IR), its substrates (IRS1 and IRS2), and their phosphorylated state (p-IR and p-IRS1/2) in skeletal muscle (SM), liver and adipose tissue (AT), and GLUT4 in SM and AT, 14 and 28 d after RYGB to gaining insight into the time-related dynamics of insulin transduction pathway that may contribute to diabetes resolution.

Background: RYGB induces a rapid weight loss followed by a slower weight loss period, leading to reversal of diabetes.

Hyperbaric oxygenation alleviates MCAO-induced brain injury and reduces hydroxyl radical formation and glutamate release.

The present study examined the effect of hyperbaric oxygen (HBO) on the formation of 2,3-dihydroxybenzoic acid (2,3-DHBA) and 2,5-dihydroxybenzoic acid (2,5-DHBA), the products of salicylate trapping of hydroxyl free radicals, and glutamate release in the striatum during acute ischemia and reperfusion. Non-HBO rats (n = 8) were subjected to 1-h ischemia. Study rats (n = 8) were treated with HBO at 2.

Purification, crystallization and preliminary X-ray crystallographic analysis of xylose reductase from Candida tropicalis.

Xylose reductase (XR), which requires NADPH as a co-substrate, catalyzes the reduction of D-xylose to xylitol, which is the first step in the metabolism of D-xylose. The detailed three-dimensional structure of XR will provide a better understanding of the biological significance of XR in the efficient production of xylitol from biomass. XR of molecular mass 36.

Estimating low-toxic-effect concentrations in closed-system algal toxicity tests.

The no-observed-effect concentrations (NOEC) and EC(10) values for 108 organic compounds were estimated, using multiple endpoints (i.e., biopopulation, growth rate, and dissolved oxygen production), from previous data obtained by a closed-system algal toxicity test (test alga: Pseudokirchneriella subcapitata).

Toxicity and quantitative structure-activity relationships of benzoic acids to Pseudokirchneriella subcapitata.

The present study presents the toxicity data of benzoic acid and its derivatives on Pseudokirchneriella subcapitata, in terms of EC50 and NOEC values. Median effective concentrations (EC50) range from 0.55 to 270.

Synthesis of aminomethyl- and bis-aminomethyl-fluorescein energy transfer terminators.

Synthesis of aminomethyl and bis-aminomethylfluorescein derived energy transfer terminators is described.

Characterization of weight loss and weight regain mechanisms after Roux-en-Y gastric bypass in rats.

Roux-en-Y gastric bypass (RYGB) is the most effective therapy for morbid obesity, but it has a approximately 20% failure rate. To test our hypothesis that outcome depends on differential modifications of several energy-related systems, we used our established RYGB model in Sprague-Dawley diet-induced obese (DIO) rats to determine mechanisms contributing to successful (RGYB-S) or failed (RYGB-F) RYGB. DIO rats were randomized to RYGB, sham-operated Obese, and sham-operated obese pair-fed linked to RYGB (PF) groups.

Synergistic antimicrobial effect of cefotaxime and minocycline on proinflammatory cytokine levels in a murine model of Vibrio vulnificus infection.

Background And Purpose: Vibrio vulnificus causes primary bacteremia and necrotizing wound infection, leading to high morbidity and mortality in humans. This study aimed to evaluate the antimicrobial effect of cefotaxime and minocycline on proinflammatory cytokine levels in a murine model of V. vulnificus infection.

Matrix-assisted laser desorption/ionization (MALDI) mechanism revisited.

Although matrix-assisted laser desorption/ionization (MALDI) was developed more than a decade ago and broad applications have been successfully demonstrated, detailed mechanism of MALDI is still not well understood. Two major models; namely photochemical ionization (PI) and cluster ionization (CI) mechanisms have been proposed to explain many of experimental results. With the photochemical ionization model, analyte ions are considered to be produced from a protonation or deprotonation process involving an analyte molecule colliding with a matrix ion in the gas phase.