Design and implementation of a VoIP broadcasting service over embedded systems in a heterogeneous network environment.

As the digitization is integrated into daily life, media including video and audio are heavily transferred over the Internet nowadays. Voice-over-Internet Protocol (VoIP), the most popular and mature technology, becomes the focus attracting many researches and investments. However, most of the existing studies focused on a one-to-one communication model in a homogeneous network, instead of one-to-many broadcasting model among diverse embedded devices in a heterogeneous network.

Chlorophyll-related compounds inhibit cell adhesion and inflammation in human aortic cells.

The objectives of this study were to investigate the effects of chlorophyll-related compounds (CRCs) and chlorophyll (Chl) a+b on inflammation in human aortic endothelial cells. Adhesion molecule expression and interleukin (IL)-8, nuclear factor (NF)-κB p65 protein, and NF-κB and activator protein (AP)-1 DNA binding were assessed. The effects of CRCs on inflammatory signaling pathways of signal transducers and activators of transcription 3 (STAT3) and mothers against decapentaplegic homolog 4, respectively induced by IL-6 and transforming growth factor (TGF)-β, in human aortic smooth muscle cells cultured in vitro were also investigated.

Inhibitive effect of purple sweet potato leaf extract and its components on cell adhesion and inflammatory response in human aortic endothelial cells.

This study investigated the effects of purple sweet potato leaf extract (PSPLE) and its components, cyanidin and quercetin, on human aortic endothelial cells (HAECs) during the inflammatory process. HAECs were pretreated with 100 μg/mL PSPLE or 10 μM quercetin, cyanidin or aspirin for 18 h followed by TNF-α (2 ng/mL) for 6 h, and U937 cell adhesion was determined. Adhesion molecule expression and CD40 were evaluated; NFκB p65 protein localization and DNA binding were assessed.

Outcome of herpes simplex encephalitis in children.

Background And Purpose: Herpes simplex encephalitis (HSE) can cause high mortality and morbidity in children. Since local data of HSE in children are rare, we performed a retrospective study to evaluate the prognostic factors and outcome of HSE in Taiwan.

Methods: Children were enrolled into this study if they were diagnosed as having encephalitis and also had positive polymerase chain reaction for herpes simplex virus (HSV) from cerebrospinal fluid, and/or positive immunoglobulin M or at least four-fold elevation of immunoglobulin G against HSV type 1 or type 2 from serum during the period from December 1, 1984 to January 31, 2003.

Anti-inflammatory and cytotoxic diterpenes from formosan Polyalthia longifolia var. pendula.

A new clerodane diterpenoid 16-hydroxycleroda-13-ene-15,16-olide-3-one (1) was isolated from the bark of Polyalthia longifolia var. pendula, along with 23 known compounds and phytosteroids. Among these compounds, 5 - 7, 10, and 24 were obtained for the first time from the family Annonaceae .

Occupational blood and infectious body fluid exposures in a teaching hospital: a three-year review.

Background And Purpose: Blood and infectious body fluid (BBF) exposures are common safety problems for health care workers (HCWs). We analyzed reported BBF exposures during a 3-year period at a teaching hospital.

Methods: We collected reports of BBF exposures among HCWs occurring from January 2001 to December 2003 at a 2000-bed tertiary care medical center in northern Taiwan.

Poland syndrome in a neonate: report of one case.

Poland syndrome is an infrequent disease that presents in newborn infants and features an incidence of about one in 7,000 to one in 100,000 live births. The clinical features include an absence of the costosternal portion of the pectoralis major muscle, hypoplasia and/or aplasia of the ipsilateral breast or nipple, hypoplasia of subcutaneous tissue, abnormalities of the rib cage and upper extremity anomalies. We present a male newborn suffering Poland syndrome who featured a depressed left chest wall with respiratory distress.

Candidal arthritis after complete treatment of systemic candidiasis.

Over the last few decades, the incidence of invasive candidal infections in neonatal intensive care units has increased dramatically. Various complications, such as arthritis, endocarditis, meningitis, and endophthalmitis, have been reviewed. We present the case of a premature infant with systemic candidemia.