Publications by authors named "Ming-Chih Shih"

Chrysanthemum tea is commonly consumed by Chinese consumers mainly due to the Chrysanthemum flower being a potential source of antioxidants. The current study investigates the effects of extraction time and temperature on Chrysanthemum flower aqueous extract (CFAE) antioxidant capacity, including Trolox equivalent antioxidant capacity (TEAC), ferrous iron-chelating activity, and superoxide radical scavenging capacity (SRSC) using a two-factor, three-level factorial design of the response surface method (RSM). The TEAC and SRSC of CFAE are higher at higher temperatures and longer times up to a certain point, and the highest TEAC and SRSC are achieved at a 100 °C extraction temperature for 45 min.

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Silica bodies are commonly found in , but their function is unclear. Lens-like appearance and location in many species above giant chloroplasts of dorsal epidermal cells suggest optical functions. Silica body morphology in three species was studied by microscopy.

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The asymmetric mandibles of termites are hypothetically more efficient, rapid, and powerful than the symmetric mandibles of snap-jaw ants or termites. We investigated the velocity, force, precision, and defensive performance of the asymmetric mandibular snaps of a termite species, Pericapritermes nitobei. Ultrahigh-speed recordings of termites revealed a new record in biological movement, with a peak linear velocity of 89.

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Background: Osteoclasts (OCs) are motile multinucleated cells derived from differentiation and fusion of hematopoietic progenitors of the monocyte-macrophage lineage that undergo a multistep process called osteoclastogenesis. The biological function of OCs is to resorb bone matrix for controlling bone strength and integrity, which is essential for bone development. The bone resorption function is based on the remodelling of the actin cytoskeleton into an F-actin-rich structure known as the sealing zone for bone anchoring and matrix degradation.

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Iridoplasts (modified plastids in adaxial epidermal cells) reported from Begonia were originally hypothesized to cause iridescence, which was broadly accepted for decades. However, several species of Begonia with iridoplasts are not iridescent causing confusion. Here chloroplast ultrastructure was observed in 40 taxa of Begoniaceae to explore the phenomenon of iridescence.

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The objective of this study was to evaluate the antioxidant activities of Mesona procumbens ethanolic extracts (MPEEs) which displayed variable antioxidant levels with different ethanolic concentrations. Compared to MPEEs with 20, 40 and 80% ethanol, the 60% MPEE exhibited a higher total phenol content (TPC), total flavonoid content (TFC), 1,1-diphenyl-2-picryl hydrazyl (DPPH)- and 2,2-azino-bis-(3-ethyl benzothiazoline-6-sulphonic acid (ABTS)-scavenging activities, reducing power, protection of Raw 264.7 mouse macrophages against HO-induced damage, and inhibition of reactive oxygen species (ROS) induced by 2,2-azobis(2-amidino propane) dihidrochloride (AAPH).

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This study developed an in vitro diaphragm motion reproduction system (IVDMRS) based on noninvasive and real-time ultrasound imaging to track the internal displacement of the human diaphragm and diaphragm phantoms with a respiration simulation system (RSS). An ultrasound image tracking algorithm (UITA) was used to retrieve the displacement data of the tracking target and reproduce the diaphragm motion in real time using a red laser to irradiate the diaphragm phantom in vitro. This study also recorded the respiration patterns in 10 volunteers.

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The effects of water activity (aw) and temperature during storage on the physicochemical characteristics and functional properties of soy protein isolate (SPI) were investigated. SPI was stored with two different temperatures (25, 45 °C) and two levels of water activity (0.25, 0.

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Males of Dytiscinae beetles use specialized adhesive setae to adhere to female elytra during underwater courtship. This coevolution of male setae and female elytra has attracted much attention since Darwin. However, there has been little examination of their biomechanical functioning despite increasing knowledge on biofibrillar adhesion.

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The aim of this study was to examine the fatty acid (FA) composition and levels in seeds of twelve native Camellia species collected in different populations of major producing regions in Taiwan. The constituents of FAs varied within and among populations. Oleic acid (OA) was found to be the predominant FA constituent in all species.

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Background: Flow cytometry has been widely used for the diagnosis of various hematopoietic diseases. Although there have been advances in the number of biomarkers that can be analyzed simultaneously and technologies that enable fast performance, the diagnostic data are still interpreted by a manual gating strategy. The process is labor-intensive, time-consuming, and subject to human error.

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Moringa oleifera, Lam. (Moringaceae) is grown world-wide in the tropics and sub-tropics of Asia and Africa and contains abundant various nutrients. This study describes the effect of different parts (leaf, stem and stalk) and seasons (summer and winter) on the chemical compositions and antioxidant activity of M.

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Response surface methodology (RSM) was used to determine the optimum combinations of 3 factors, cooking time (40 to 120 min), inoculated bacteria populations (10(1) to 10(9) cells/100 g), and fermentation time (12 to 36 h) for producing black soybean natto. All of the responses (hardness, viscosity, and trichloacetic acid-soluble nitrogen) were significantly affected by the 3 factors. Fermentation time was the most important factor affecting quality of black soybean natto.

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Subcellular localization of a photosensitizer is critical to its therapeutic outcome during photodynamic therapy (PDT). We delineated the distribution of hypericin, a new generation photosensitizer, in model membrane systems to identify the operating principles of its subcellular accumulation. Results from fluorescence microscopy indicated preferential incorporation of hypericin in lipid of giant unilamellar vesicles.

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Using neutron reflectivity with contrast variation, X-ray reflectivity, and grazing incident small-angle X-ray scattering (GISAXS), we have characterized the in-depth and in-plane structural characteristics of the Langmuir and Langmuir-Blodgett (LB) films formed by a novel lecithin C60-derivative, FPTL, of three phospholipids jointly bonded on one single olefinic moiety of a C60 cage. Based on the neutron reflectivity measured, we have proposed a monolayer structure, with the C60 cages of FPTL lifted into the air and hydrophilic phospholipid heads immersed in water, for the FPTL Langmuir layer formed on water. On the other hand, the LB film of FPTL prepared on mica exhibits clear Kiessig fringes in the X-ray reflectivity profile, indicating a 27 angstroms monolayer film with less molecular orientation.

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An activity-directed fractionation and purification process was used to identify the antioxidative components of adlay hulls. Hulls of adlay (Coix lachryma-jobi L. var.

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