High-resolution fast-tomography brain-imaging beamline at the Taiwan Photon Source.

The new Brain Imaging Beamline (BIB) of the Taiwan Photon Source (TPS) has been commissioned and opened to users. The BIB and in particular its endstation are designed to take advantage of bright unmonochromatized synchrotron X-rays and target fast 3D imaging, ∼1 ms exposure time plus very high ∼0.3 µm spatial resolution.

Capabilities of time-resolved X-ray excited optical luminescence of the Taiwan Photon Source 23A X-ray nanoprobe beamline.

Time-resolved X-ray excited optical luminescence (TR-XEOL) was developed successfully for the 23A X-ray nanoprobe beamline located at the Taiwan Photon Source (TPS). The advantages of the TR-XEOL facility include (i) a nano-focused X-ray beam (<60 nm) with excellent spatial resolution and (ii) a streak camera that can simultaneously record the XEOL spectrum and decay time. Three time spans, including normal (30 ps to 2 ns), hybrid (30 ps to 310 ns) and single (30 ps to 1.

Investigation of Cavity Enhanced XEOL of a Single ZnO Microrod by Using Multifunctional Hard X-ray Nanoprobe.

The multifunctional hard X-ray nanoprobe at Taiwan Photon Source (TPS) exhibits the excellent ability to simultaneously characterize the X-ray absorption, X-ray excited optical luminescence (XEOL) as well as the dynamics of XEOL of materials. Combining the scanning electron microscope (SEM) into the TPS 23A end-station, we can easily and quickly measure the optical properties to map out the morphology of a ZnO microrod. A special phenomenon has been observed that the oscillations in the XEOL associated with the confinement of the optical photons in the single ZnO microrod shows dramatical increase while the X-ray excitation energy is set across the Zn K-edge.

Peculiar near-band-edge emission of polarization-dependent XEOL from a non-polar a-plane ZnO wafer.

Polarization-dependent hard X-ray excited optical luminescence (XEOL) was used to study not only the optical properties but also the crystallographic orientations of a non-polar a-plane ZnO wafer. In addition to a positive-edge jump and extra oscillations in the near-band-edge (NBE) XEOL yield, we observed a blue shift of the NBE emission peak that follows the polarization-dependent X-ray absorption near-edge structure (XANES) as the X-ray energy is tuned across the Zn K-edge. This NBE blue shift is caused by the larger X-ray absorption, generating higher free carriers to reduce the exciton-LO phonon coupling, which causes a decrease in the exciton activation energy.

Development of transgenic zooplankton Artemia as a bioreactor to produce exogenous protein.

Although the crustacean Artemia has been commonly used as an experimental organism and served as a live bait feed for aquaculture, gene transfer system on Artemia sp. to generate stable lines is not well developed. In this study, we optimized a condition for cyst-eletroporation and generated stable lines of transgenic A.

M-specific reverse transcription loop-mediated isothermal amplification for detection of pandemic (H1N1) 2009 virus.

Background: Since the initial outbreak in March 2009, the novel pandemic (H1N1) 2009 virus has affected individuals worldwide and caused over 18,138 deaths. There is an urgent need for the development of an easy, accurate and simple method for the diagnosis of this novel pandemic virus.

Design: Reverse transcription loop-mediated isothermal amplification assay (RT-LAMP) with primers targeting the M segment was established for the rapid differential diagnosis of pandemic (H1N1) 2009 virus.

Development of a high-resolution melting method for the detection of hemoglobin alpha variants.

Objectives: The present study was aimed at identifying hemoglobin (Hb) alpha variants.

Design And Methods: To identify Hb variants, a high-resolution melting (HRM) method was performed.

Results: The diagnostic strategy was found to be successful in identifying Hb alpha variants including HBA1:c.

Association between genetic polymorphisms of the NPHS1 gene and membranous glomerulonephritis in the Taiwanese population.

Background: Membranous glomerulonephritis (MGN) is one of the most common causes of nephrotic syndrome in adults. NPHS1 encoding nephrin is a transmembrane protein of the immunoglobulin family. We clarified the relationship between NPHS1 gene polymorphisms and the susceptibility or progression of MGN.

Rapid identification of HBB gene mutations by high-resolution melting analysis.

Objective: This study was undertaken to identify HBB gene mutation.

Design And Methods: Herein we evaluated high-resolution melting analysis in the identification of HBB mutations.

Results: We have successfully established a diagnostic strategy for identifying HBB gene mutations including c.

A dedicated small-angle X-ray scattering beamline with a superconducting wiggler source at the NSRRC.

At the National Synchrotron Radiation Research Center (NSRRC), which operates a 1.5 GeV storage ring, a dedicated small-angle X-ray scattering (SAXS) beamline has been installed with an in-achromat superconducting wiggler insertion device of peak magnetic field 3.1 T.

Hb Hekinan in a Taiwanese subject: a G-->T substitution at codon 27 of the alpha1-globin gene abolishes an HaeIII site.

We recently observed a heterozygote for Hb Hekinan in a Taiwanese subject. The molecular lesion of Hb Hekinan is a substitution of G-->T at codon 27 of the alpha1-globin gene, which abolishes an HaeIII restriction enzyme site. Hb Hekinan [alpha27(B8)Glu-->Asp, GAG-->GAC (alpha2)] has not been found in Taiwan.

Identification and phylogenetic analysis of orf virus from goats in Taiwan.

An outbreak of contagious ecthyma in goats in central Taiwan was investigated. The disease was diagnosed by physical and histopathologic examinations, and the etiology of the disease was identified as orf virus by electron microscopy and polymerase chain reaction (PCR) and sequence of major envelope protein (B2L) gene. The entire protein-coding region of B2L gene were cloned and sequenced.

X-ray beamlines for structural studies at the NSRRC superconducting wavelength shifter.

Using a superconducting-wavelength-shifter X-ray source with a photon flux density of 10(11)-10(13) photons s(-1) mrad(-1) (0.1% bandwidth)(-1) (200 mA)(-1) in the energy range 5-35 keV, three hard X-ray beamlines, BL01A, BL01B and BL01C, have been designed and constructed at the 1.5 GeV storage ring of the National Synchrotron Radiation Research Center (NSRRC).

Efficacy of Monascus purpureus Went rice on lowering lipid ratios in hypercholesterolemic patients.

Background: Several lipid ratios may be predictors of coronary artery disease risk. We assessed the efficacy of Monascus purpureus Went rice (red yeast rice) on lowering lipid ratios.

Method And Results: We evaluated 79 hypercholesterolemic patients (aged 23-65 years) who received a twice-daily dose of either red yeast rice or a placebo at 600 mg for 8 weeks.

The correlation between CpG methylation and protein expression of P16 in oral squamous cell carcinomas.

We examined the P16 expression by immunohistochemical stain and detected the methylation by methylation specific polymerase chain reaction (MSP) in 48 primary oral squamous cell carcinoma (SCC) tissues. The results showed that 20/48 (41.7%) of cancerous tissues had CpG methylation around the promoter region, but 8/48 (17%) of the nearby non-cancerous tissues also had CpG methylation, around the promoter region.