Shikonin Induced Program Cell Death through Generation of Reactive Oxygen Species in Renal Cancer Cells.

Shikonin mitigated tumor cell proliferation by elevating reactive oxygen species (ROS) levels. Herein, we investigated the effects of shikonin on renal cancer cell (RCC) cell proliferation. 3-(4,5-Dimethylthiazol-2-yl)-2,5-diphenyltetrazolium bromide (MTT) assay indicated that shikonin dose-dependently reduced the proliferation of Caki-1 and ACHN cells.

Tectorigenin Inhibits Glioblastoma Proliferation by G0/G1 Cell Cycle Arrest.

Glioblastoma is one of the leading cancer-related causes of death of the brain region and has an average 5-year survival rate of less than 5%. The aim of this study was to investigate the effectiveness of tectorigenin, a naturally occurring flavonoid compound with anti-inflammatory, anti-oxidant, and anti-tumor properties, as a treatment for glioblastoma. A further goal was to use in vitro models to determine the underlying molecular mechanisms.

Addition of one session with a specialist counselor did not increase efficacy of a family physician-led smoking cessation program.

Objective Higher-intensity counseling sessions increase the smoking abstinence rate. However, counselors are limited in Taiwan. This study was performed to determine whether the addition of one session with a specialist counselor increases the efficacy of a family physician-led smoking cessation program.

Evolutionary characterization of the emerging porcine epidemic diarrhea virus worldwide and 2014 epidemic in Taiwan.

Since 2010, a new variant of PEDV belonging to Genogroup 2 has been transmitting in China and further spreading to the Unites States and other Asian countries including Taiwan. In order to characterize in detail the temporal and geographic relationships among PEDV strains, the present study systematically evaluated the evolutionary patterns and phylogenetic resolution in each gene of the whole PEDV genome in order to determine which regions provided the maximal interpretative power. The result was further applied to identify the origin of PEDV that caused the 2014 epidemic in Taiwan.

An overview of a non-medical x-ray safety program at a large university.

Objectives: Compared to clinical x-ray equipment, non-medical x-ray producing equipment has been subject to limited radiation safety oversight. However, the concern of unnecessary or even hazardous personnel exposure has always been associated with the use of ionizing radiation. The goal of this paper is to review the process of developing and implementing a systematic and structured radiation safety program at a large university that aims to provide adequate oversight and education to ensure personnel safety.

Wavelength-selective dual p- and n-type carrier transport of an organic/graphene/inorganic heterostructure.

A novel organic/graphene/inorganic -heterostructure, consisting of a graphene layer encapsulated by n- and p-type photoactive materials with complementary absorptions, enables the control of dual n- and p-typed transport behaviors of a graphene transistor under selective UV or visible light illumination. A graphene-based p-n junction created by spatially patterned wavelength-selective illumination using the organic/graphene/inorganic heterostructure is also demonstrated.

Self-encapsulated doping of n-type graphene transistors with extended air stability.

This paper presents an innovative approach to fabricating controllable n-type doping graphene transistors with extended air stability by using self-encapsulated doping layers of titanium suboxide (TiOx) thin films, which are an amorphous phase of crystalline TiO(2) and can be solution processed. The nonstoichiometry TiOx thin films consisting of a large number of oxygen vacancies exhibit several unique functions simultaneously in the n-type doping of graphene as an efficient electron-donating agent, an effective dielectric screening medium, and also an encapsulated layer. A novel device structure consisting of both top and bottom coverage of TiOx thin layers on a graphene transistor exhibited strong n-type transport characteristics with its Dirac point shifted up to -80 V and an enhanced electron mobility with doping.