Transcriptomic and enzymatic analysis of peroxidase families at the early growth stage of halophyte ice plant (Mesembryanthemum crystallinum L.) under salt stress.

Ice plant (Mesembryanthemum crystallinum L.) is a halophyte and an inducible CAM plant. Ice plant seedlings display moderate salt tolerance, with root growth unaffected by 200 mM NaCl treatments, though hypocotyl elongation is hindered in salt-stressed etiolated seedlings.

Development of multiple genome-wide proteome microarrays comprised wafer substrate-based chip and its scanner: An advanced high-throughput and sensitivity for molecular interactions studies.

Proteome microarray technology enables high-throughput analysis of protein interactions with all kinds of molecules. Wafer (6-inch) substrates offer a promising alternative to conventional glass (2.6 × 7.

Cepstral Peak Prominence: A Valuable Measure of Voice Outcome Severity in Patients With Unilateral Vocal Fold Paralysis.

Objectives: This study investigated the relationship between the position of the paralyzed vocal fold and voice quality in patients with unilateral vocal fold paralysis (UVFP) and identified a reliable acoustic analysis tool to enhance the accuracy of voice quality assessments in this population.

Methods: A retrospective case-control study was conducted with 70 patients with UVFP diagnosed at Mackay Memorial Hospital. Acoustic features-jitter, shimmer, the harmonic-to-noise ratio (HNR), and the cepstral peak prominence smoothed (CPPs)-were analyzed using the Praat software.

L. alleviates acute lung injury in human A-549 cells by reducing NF-κB and NLRP3 inflammasome signaling.

Background: L. (celery) is a dietary vegetable with anti-inflammatory properties. It has the potential to treat acute lung injury (ALI) caused by COVID-19 or other diseases.

Methods to Study Poxvirus Structures by Cryo-EM Imaging Modalities.

Poxviruses are double-stranded DNA viruses that represent the largest known highly pathogenic viruses infecting humans. They undergo dramatic morphological changes during their maturation process, resulting in structural differences between each virion, and their surface is decorated with more than a dozen randomly distributed surface proteins that facilitate viral entry. These are the main reasons poxviruses have eluded high-resolution structure determination.

Dual-wavelength solid-state Raman laser at 555 and 579.5 nm for spectrophotometric determination of carboxyhemoglobin.

For accurate measurement of carboxyhemoglobin level in the blood, a compact dual-wavelength laser at 555 and 579.5 nm with conversion efficiency up to 27.5% is originally developed by using Nd:YVO/KGW/LBO laser with intracavity stimulated Raman scattering (SRS), second harmonic generation (SHG), and sum frequency generation (SFG).

Ultrasound Imaging for Preoperative Assessment of Schwannomas in the Palm: A Case Report.

Peripheral nerve sheath tumors of the hand are rare occurrences. Among them, schwannomas are benign tumors originating from peripheral nerves. In this case report, we presented a patient with schwannomas in the palm, examined using ultrasound for preoperative assessment and was confirmed by pathological specimen.

Aerodynamic Threshold Measures for Reflecting Glottal Closure in Voice Disorders.

Purpose: Previous work suggested that phonation threshold pressure (PTP), phonation threshold flow (PTF), and phonation threshold power (PTW) could be effective aerodynamic measures for quantifying glottal incompetence. This study examined how these measures could reflect varying extent of incomplete glottal closure in individuals with voice disorders.

Method: Thirty individuals formally diagnosed with glottal incompetence, including 10 with hypofunctional disorders (hypo group) and 20 with hyperfunctional disorders (hyper group), and 30 individuals with normal voice (control group) participated in the study.

Customized GPT model largely increases surgery decision accuracy for pharmaco-resistant epilepsy.

Background: To develop an enhanced epilepsy diagnosis system by integrating an expert-informed ontology with a custom generative pre-trained transformer (GPT), validated by inferring possible seizure lateralization and localization using retrospective textual data from the pre-surgical assessments of patients with pharmaco-resistant epilepsy (PRE).

Methods: We developed an AI system for epilepsy diagnosis using Protégé with OWL/SWRL, integrating a knowledge base with seizure semiology, seizure types EEG descriptors, expert insights, and literature to pinpoint seizure locations. A customized GPT model was then tailored for specific diagnostic needs.

Impact of freeze-thaw cycles on the remobilization behaviors of microplastics in natural soils.

Freeze-thaw (FT) cycle would greatly influence the fate of plastic particles (one of emerging contaminants with great concerns) in soils, yet its impacts and mechanisms remain unclear. The vertical migration/release behaviors of plastic particles (with diameters of 0.2 μm and 1 μm) in two natural soils and one model soil (i.

Surveillance of pathogenic yeasts in hospital environments in Taiwan in 2020.

Background: A predominate azole-resistant Candida tropicalis clade 4 genotype causing candidemia has been detected in not only Taiwan but also China, Singapore, and Australia. It can also be detected on fruit surfaces. In addition to determining distribution and drug susceptibilities of pathogenic yeasts in environments of intensive care units of 25 hospitals in Taiwan, we would also like to investigate whether the azole-resistant C.

Bystander monocytic cells drive infection-independent NLRP3 inflammasome response to SARS-CoV-2.

Unlabelled: The pathogenesis of COVID-19 is associated with a hyperinflammatory immune response. Monocytes and macrophages play a central role in this hyperinflammatory response to SARS-CoV-2. NLRP3 inflammasome activation has been observed in monocytes of patients with COVID-19, but the mechanism and consequences of inflammasome activation require further investigation.

Targeted colorectal cancer treatment: In vitro anti-cancer effects of carnosine nanoparticles supported by agar and magnetic iron oxide.

The usage of peptides in the colorectal cancer (CRC) treatment promises to be a new anti-cancer therapy with improved treatment efficacy. Carnosine, a natural dipeptide molecule, has been demonstrated to be a potential anti-cancer drug. Nonetheless, it shows an exhibition of high-water solubility and is quickly degraded by carnosinase.

Production of γ-aminobutyric acid by immobilization of two Yarrowia lipolytica glutamate decarboxylases on electrospun nanofibrous membrane.

This study harnesses glutamate decarboxylase (GAD) from Yarrowia lipolytica to improve the biosynthesis of γ-aminobutyric acid (GABA), focusing on boosting the enzyme's catalytic efficiency and stability by immobilizing it on nanofibrous membranes. Through recombinant DNA techniques, two GAD genes, YlGAD1 and YlGAD2, were cloned from Yarrowia lipolytica and then expressed in Escherichia coli. Compared to their soluble forms, the immobilized enzymes exhibited significant improvements in thermal and pH stability and increased resistance to chemical denaturants.

Performance evaluation of predictive models for detecting MMR gene mutations associated with Lynch syndrome in cancer patients in a Chinese cohort in Taiwan.

Identifying Lynch syndrome significantly impacts cancer risk management, treatment, and prognosis. Validation of mutation risk predictive models for mismatch repair (MMR) genes is crucial for guiding genetic counseling and testing, particularly in the understudied Asian population. We evaluated the performance of four MMR mutation risk predictive models in a Chinese cohort of 604 patients with colorectal cancer (CRC), endometrial cancer (EC), or ovarian cancer (OC) in Taiwan.

Mismatch Repair (MMR) Gene Mutation Carriers Have Favorable Outcome in Colorectal and Endometrial Cancer: A Prospective Cohort Study.

Germline (Lynch syndrome, LS) and somatic deficiencies of mismatch repair proteins (MMRd) are linked to colorectal and endometrial cancer; however, their prognostic impact in Asian populations remains unclear. This prospective cohort study aimed to determine the prevalence and outcome of germline and somatic MMRd in cancer patients suspected of LS. Patients with colorectal or endometrial cancer suspected of LS were enrolled and underwent gene sequencing for germline MMRd (gMMRd) and immunohistochemistry staining of MMR proteins in a subset of the pathological samples (pMMRd).

Highly efficient continuous-wave solid-state Raman crystal lasers at 555 and 559 nm.

High-power efficient continuous-wave Nd:YVO/KGW Raman lasers at 555 and 559 nm are achieved by using a double-sided dichroic coating output coupler to improve the resonance quality factor. The Np-cut potassium gadolinium tungstate (KGW) is used to generate the Stokes waves at 1159 and 1177 nm by placing the polarization of the1064 nm fundamental wave parallel to the Ng and Nm axes, respectively. The lithium triborate (LBO) crystal with the cut angle in the XY plane for the type-I phase matching is used to perform the intracavity sum frequency generation for yielding the green light at 555 nm and the lime light at 559 nm at the optimal phase matching temperature.

The benefits of leisure activities on healthy life expectancy for older people with diabetes.

Purpose: The purpose of this study is to examine whether leisure activities can help reduce years lived with disability and increase healthy life expectancy of diabetics aged 50 years and above.

Methods: Analysis was based on five waves of follow-up survey data (Taiwan Longitudinal Study of Aging, TLSA) from 1996 to 2011. A total of 5131 participants aged 50 years and above in 1996 were included in the analysis, and gender, leisure activity participation, and diabetes mellitus were used as primary variables to examine the variation trend in health status in the participants.

Mechanistic and Kinetic Insights into Cellular Uptake of Biomimetic Dinitrosyl Iron Complexes and Intracellular Delivery of NO for Activation of Cytoprotective HO-1.

Dinitrosyl iron unit (DNIU), [Fe(NO)], is a natural metallocofactor for biological storage, delivery, and metabolism of nitric oxide (NO). In the attempt to gain a biomimetic insight into the natural DNIU under biological system, in this study, synthetic dinitrosyl iron complexes (DNICs) [(NO)Fe(μ-SCHCHCOOH)Fe(NO)] () and [(NO)Fe(μ-SCHCHCOOCH)Fe(NO)] () were employed to investigate the structure-reactivity relationship of mechanism and kinetics for cellular uptake of DNICs, intracellular delivery of NO, and activation of cytoprotective heme oxygenase (HO)-1. After rapid cellular uptake of dinuclear through a thiol-mediated pathway ( = 0.