The association between different impact exercises and osteoporosis: an analysis of data from the Taiwan biobank.

Osteoporosis is a prevalent condition marked by reduced bone density and an elevated risk of fractures, especially among postmenopausal women. Exercise plays a crucial role in preventing and managing osteoporosis, with weight-bearing and impact exercises being particularly effective in enhancing bone density and mitigating disease risk. This study investigated the relationship between various types of impact exercises and osteoporosis using data from the Taiwan Biobank (TWB).

Origin of Limiting and Overlimiting Currents in Bipolar Membranes.

Bipolar membranes (BPMs), a special class of ion exchange membranes with the unique ability to electrochemically induce either water dissociation or recombination, are of growing interest for environmental applications including eliminating chemical dosage for pH adjustment, resource recovery, valorization of brines, and carbon capture. However, ion transport within BPMs, and particularly at its junction, has remained poorly understood. This work aims to theoretically and experimentally investigate ion transport in BPMs under both reverse and forward bias operation modes, taking into account the production or recombination of H and OH, as well as the transport of salt ions (e.

Jogging and weight training associated with increased high-density lipoprotein cholesterol levels in Taiwanese adults.

Background: Although previous studies have shown that aerobic and resistance exercise increase high-density lipoprotein cholesterol (HDL-C) levels, the optimal type of exercise has not been determined. Therefore, the purpose of this study was to investigate the association of jogging (a type of aerobic exercise) and weight training (a type of resistance exercise) with HDL-C levels in Taiwanese adults.

Methods: The data used in this cross-sectional study were obtained from the Taiwan Biobank (TWB), which is a national health resource that contains the genetic information of Taiwanese volunteers aged 30-70 years.

Deep Learning-Based Automatic Detection of ASPECTS in Acute Ischemic Stroke: Improving Stroke Assessment on CT Scans.

(1) Background: The Alberta Stroke Program Early CT Score (ASPECTS) is a standardized scoring tool used to evaluate the severity of acute ischemic stroke (AIS) on non-contrast CT (NCCT). Our aim in this study was to automate ASPECTS. (2) Methods: We utilized a total of 258 patient images with suspected AIS symptoms.

Associations between cigarette smoking status and health-related physical fitness performance in male Taiwanese adults.

Background: The highest proportion of smoking behavior occurs in male adults in Taiwan. However, to our knowledge, no study has investigated the relationship between smoking behavior and health-related physical fitness according to education level, health status, betel nut-chewing status and obesity in male adults aged 18 years or older in Taiwan.

Aims: This study aimed to determine the associations between cigarette smoking and health-related physical fitness performance in male Taiwanese adults.

Structure-Guided Regulation in the Enantioselectivity of an Epoxide Hydrolase to Produce Enantiomeric Monosubstituted Epoxides and Vicinal Diols via Kinetic Resolution.

Structure-guided microtuning of an epoxide hydrolase was executed. One mutant, A214C/A250I, displayed a 12.6-fold enhanced enantiomeric ratio ( = 202) toward -styrene oxide, achieving its nearly perfect kinetic resolution at 0.

Structure-guided improvement in the enantioselectivity of an Aspergillus usamii epoxide hydrolase for the gram-scale kinetic resolution of ortho-trifluoromethyl styrene oxide.

Microtuning the substrate-binding pocket (SBP) of EHs has emerged as an effective approach to manipulate their enantio- or regio-selectivities and activities towards target substrates. Here, the enantioselectivity (enantiomeric ratio, E) of AuEH2 towards a racemic (rac-) ortho-trifluoromethyl styrene oxide (o-TFMSO) was improved via microtuning its SBP. Based on the analysis on the crystal structure of AuEH2, its specific residues I192, Y216, R322 and L344 lining the SBP in close to the catalytic triad were identified for site-saturation mutagenesis.

The effect of redox potential on the removal characteristic of divalent cations during activated carbon-based capacitive deionization.

The main objective of the study is to explore the removal characteristics of Cu and Zn ions in activated carbon-based capacitive deionization (CDI). In this work, CDI experiments were performed to remove divalent ions (e.g.

Nearly perfect kinetic resolution of racemic o-nitrostyrene oxide by AuEH2, a microsomal epoxide hydrolase from Aspergillus usamii, with high enantio- and regio-selectivity.

Only a few known epoxide hydrolases (EHs) displayed activity towards o-nitrostyrene oxide (4a), presumably owing to the large steric hindrance caused by o-nitro substituent. Therefore, excavating EHs with high activity and enantio- and/or regio-selectivity towards racemic (rac-) 4a is essential but challenging. Here, AuEH2 from Aspergillus usamii was expressed in E.

Highly regio- and enantio-selective hydrolysis of two racemic epoxides by GmEH3, a novel epoxide hydrolase from Glycine max.

A novel epoxide hydrolase from Glycine max, designated GmEH3, was excavated based on the computer-aided analysis. Then, gmeh3, a GmEH3-encoding gene, was cloned and successfully expressed in E. coli Rosetta(DE3).

Near-perfect kinetic resolution of o-methylphenyl glycidyl ether by RpEH, a novel epoxide hydrolase from Rhodotorula paludigena JNU001 with high stereoselectivity.

In order to provide more alternative epoxide hydrolases for industrial production, a novel cDNA gene Rpeh-encoding epoxide hydrolase (RpEH) of Rhodotorula paludigena JNU001 identified by 26S rDNA sequence analysis was amplified by RT-PCR. The open-reading frame (ORF) of Rpeh was 1236 bp encoding RpEH of 411 amino acids and was heterologously expressed in Escherichia coli BL21(DE3). The substrate spectrum of expressed RpEH showed that the transformant E.

Greatly enhancing the enantioselectivity of PvEH2, a Phaseolus vulgaris epoxide hydrolase, towards racemic 1,2-epoxyhexane via replacing its partial cap-loop.

To achieve the kinetic resolution and enantioconvergent hydrolysis of rac-1,2-epoxyhexane, the E value of PvEH2 was enhanced by substituting its partial cap-loop. Based on the experimental results reported previously and computer-aided analysis, the flexible and variable cap-loop, especially its middle segment, was speculated to be related to the catalytic properties of PvEH2. In view of this, four PvEH2's hybrids, Pv2St, Pv2Pv1, Pv2Vr1 and Pv2Vr2, were designed by substituting the middle segment (EGMGSNLNTSMP) of a cap-loop in PvEH2 with the corresponding ones in StEH, PvEH1, VrEH1 and VrEH2, respectively.

Interaction between Sex and LDLR rs688 Polymorphism on Hyperlipidemia among Taiwan Biobank Adult Participants.

Hyperlipidemia is one of the strong risk factors for ischemic heart disease. Using the Taiwan Biobank (TWB) database, we evaluated the risk of hyperlipidemia and its interaction with sex and rs688 polymorphism on the low-density lipoprotein receptor (LDLR) gene. Data collection in the biobank started in 2008 and is ongoing.

Manipulating regioselectivity of an epoxide hydrolase for single enzymatic synthesis of (R)-1,2-diols from racemic epoxides.

Both the activity and regioselectivity of Phaseolus vulgaris epoxide hydrolase were remarkably improved via reshaping two substrate tunnels based on rational design. The elegant one-step enantioconvergent hydrolysis of seven rac-epoxides was achieved by single mutants, allowing green and efficient access to valuable (R)-1,2 diols with high eep (90.1-98.

Substantially improving the enantioconvergence of PvEH1, a Phaseolus vulgaris epoxide hydrolase, towards m-chlorostyrene oxide by laboratory evolution.

Background: Epoxide hydrolase can regioselectively catalyze the oxirane ring-opening hydrolysis of rac-epoxides producing the corresponding chiral diols. In our laboratory, a gene named pveh1 encoding an EH from Phaseolus vulgaris was cloned. Although the directed modification of PvEH1 was carried out, the mutant PvEH1 showed a limited degree of enantioconvergence towards racemic (rac-) m-chlorostyrene oxide (mCSO).

Near-perfect kinetic resolution of racemic p-chlorostyrene oxide by SlEH1, a novel epoxide hydrolase from Solanum lycopersicum with extremely high enantioselectivity.

An open reading frame of sleh1, a gene encoding for a novel epoxide hydrolase from Solanum lycopersicum (SlEH1), was amplified by RT-PCR and expressed in E. coli BL21(DE3). The substrate spectrum assay showed that E.

Multiple site-directed mutagenesis of a Phaseolus vulgaris epoxide hydrolase to improve its catalytic performance towards p-chlorostyrene oxide based on the computer-aided re-design.

To improve the activity and regioselectivity of a Phaseolus vulgaris epoxide hydrolase (PvEH3) towards p-chlorostyrene oxide (pCSO), the site-directed mutagenesis was conducted based on the computer-aided re-design. Firstly, seven single-site variants of a PvEH3-encoding gene (pveh3) were constructed as designed theoretically and expressed in E. coli BL21(DE3), respectively.

Directed modification of l-LcLDH1, an l-lactate dehydrogenase from Lactobacillus casei, to improve its specific activity and catalytic efficiency towards phenylpyruvic acid.

To improve the specific activity and catalytic efficiency of l-LcLDH1, an NADH-dependent allosteric l-lactate dehydrogenase from L. casei, towards phenylpyruvic acid (PPA), its directed modification was conducted based on the semi-rational design. The three variant genes, Lcldh1, Lcldh1 and Lcldh1, were constructed by whole-plasmid PCR as designed theoretically, and expressed in E.

Duration-response association between exercise and HDL in both male and female Taiwanese adults aged 40 years and above.

Background: Exercise is an important cardiovascular risk reducing therapy.

Objective: The aim of this study was to assess the relationship between weekly exercise duration and high-density lipoprotein cholesterol (HDL-c) in Taiwanese men and women.

Methods: Data were retrieved from the dataset of the national adult preventive medical services which is recorded under the Health Promotion Administration (HPA).

Exercise might prevent cirrhosis in overweight and obese adults.

Background & Aims: Exercise in overweight patients with liver disease has improved liver enzymes, insulin levels and quality of life. Scientific evidence is incomplete regarding the role of exercise in the prevention of cirrhosis. We investigated the effect of exercise on the occurrence of cirrhosis in obese and overweight adults.

Improving the temperature characteristics and catalytic efficiency of a mesophilic xylanase from Aspergillus oryzae, AoXyn11A, by iterative mutagenesis based on in silico design.

To improve the temperature characteristics and catalytic efficiency of a glycoside hydrolase family (GHF) 11 xylanase from Aspergillus oryzae (AoXyn11A), its variants were predicted based on in silico design. Firstly, Gly with the maximum B-factor value, which was confirmed by molecular dynamics (MD) simulation on the three-dimensional structure of AoXyn11A, was subjected to site-saturation mutagenesis. Thus, one variant with the highest thermostability, AoXyn11A, was selected from the mutagenesis library, E.

Biliverdin Protects the Isolated Rat Lungs from Ischemia-reperfusion Injury via Antioxidative, Anti-inflammatory and Anti-apoptotic Effects.

Background: Biliverdin (BV) has a protective role against ischemia-reperfusion injury (IRI). However, the protective role and potential mechanisms of BV on lung IRI (LIRI) remain to be elucidated. Thus, we aimed to investigate the protective role and potential mechanisms of BV on LIRI.

Association of School Environment and After-School Physical Activity with Health-Related Physical Fitness among Junior High School Students in Taiwan.

The relationship between students' school environment and exercise habits is complex, and is affected by numerous factors. However, the few studies that have been conducted on this relationship have reported inconsistent results, especially regarding Taiwanese students. We conducted this cross-sectional study to investigate the association of school environment and after-school physical activity with health-related physical fitness in Taiwanese adolescents.

Post-inhaled corticosteroid pulmonary tuberculosis and pneumonia increases lung cancer in patients with COPD.

Background: Inhaled corticosteroids (ICS) have been associated with decreased lung cancer risk. However, they have been associated with pulmonary infections (tuberculosis [TB] and pneumonia) in patients with chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD). TB and pneumonia have increased lung cancer risk.

Kinetic resolution of racemic styrene oxide at a high concentration by recombinant Aspergillus usamii epoxide hydrolase in an n-hexanol/buffer biphasic system.

Using the cell-free extract of engineered E. coli/Aueh2, expressing the recombinant Aspergillus usamii epoxide hydrolase (reAuEH2), as a biocatalyst, the kinetic resolution technique of racemic styrene oxide (rac-SO) was examined. In a phosphate buffer system (50mM, pH 7.