Evidence that high-dose L-arginine may be inappropriate for use by diabetic patients as a prophylactic blocker of methylglyoxal glycation.

Previous reports have suggested that high-dose L-arginine could be used in diabetic patients as a prophylactic blocker for the initial glycation reaction of proteins by methylglyoxal (MG), a reactive dicarbonyl compound of glucose metabolism. Here, we present several lines of evidence to substantiate that this prophylactic intervention may be inappropriate and should be used with care. First, we demonstrated that when various concentrations of L-arginine (2.

Personal history and family history as a predictor of gastric cardiac adenocarcinoma risk: a case-control study in Taiwan.

Objectives: To clarify the risk of gastric cardiac adenocarcinoma for patients with a personal and/or family history of gastrointestinal diseases.

Methods: The present study was a hospital-based case-control study conducted from 1992 to 1997 in Kaohsiung, Taiwan, consisting of 176 cases and 579 controls matched by age, sex, and time of hospitalization. With informed oral consent, each subject completed a structured questionnaire during hospitalization regarding sociodemographic status, lifestyle, and health history.

Transacylation and de-esterification reactions of pectin as catalyzed by pectinesterases from tomato and citrus.

The optimal conditions for the de-esterification reaction of tomato pectinesterase (PE) and citrus PE was 0.1-0.2 M NaCl and at pH 7.

Improved superoxide-generating system suitable for the assessment of the superoxide-scavenging ability of aqueous extracts of food constituents using ultraweak chemiluminescence.

In the interest of developing a simple and rapid ultraweak chemiluminescence assay for assessing the superoxide (O(2)(-))-scavenging activities of various aqueous extracts of food constituents, a specific and stable O(2)(-)-generating system was sought. Reported herein is the obtainment for the first time of a specific and stable O(2)(-)-generating system consisting of methylglyoxal (MG), a reactive 2-oxo aldehyde and arginine, which has been shown to produce much steadier lucigenin-based chemiluminesence (LBCL) than the conventional xanthine/xanthine oxidase system running in parallel and monitoring by an ultraweak chemiluminescence analyzer. Upon mixing of MG and arginine in a phosphate-buffered saline solution, pH 7.

The parental influence of betel-chewing behavior among junior high school students in Taiwan.

A cross-sectional study with stratification sampling was conducted to explore the parental influence of betel-chewing behavior among junior high school students in Taichung County in 1998. The sample consisted of 2244 students in three different districts in Taichung County: the mountain line area, the seashore area; and the satellite cities area (near Taichung City). A self-reported questionnaire was filled out anonymously by the sampled students.

Learning needs of Taiwanese nurses caring for patients with irritable bowel syndrome.

This study, building on work on irritable bowel syndrome conducted by Letson and Dancey (1996), explores Taiwanese nurses' knowledge, perceptions and beliefs about caring for patients with irritable bowel syndrome (IBS). A 46-item questionnaire was completed voluntarily by 120 registered nurses from a large tertiary acute care facility in Taiwan. The study used a descriptive research design and a questionnaire was developed that used a five-point Likert scale (strongly agree = 5, to strongly disagree = 1).

Studies of a novel human thrombomodulin immobilized substrate: surface characterization and anticoagulation activity evaluation.

Immobilization of the anticoagulative or antithrombogenic biomolecule has been considered as one of the important methods to improve the blood compatibility of artificial biomaterials. In this study, a novel immobilization reaction scheme was utilized to incorporate the human thrombomodulin, an endothelial cell associated glycoprotein, onto the cover glass surface with an aim to develop an anticoagulative substrate. Trichlorotriazine and amino-terminated silane were employed as the coupling agents, while the polyethylene glycol with a molecular weight of 1500 was used as the spacer in this reaction scheme.

[Helplessness, social support and self-care behaviors among long-term hemodialysis patients].

The purpose of this study was to explore the helplessness, social support, and self-care behavior of hemodialysis patients. A total of 131 hemodialysis patients were obtained by purposed sampling at five hemodialysis centers in Tainan, Taiwan. The findings were as follows: (1) the standardized score for self-care behavior was 73.

Development and validation of growth model for Yersinia enterocolitica in cooked chicken meats packaged under various atmosphere packaging and stored at different temperatures.

Mathematical models that can predict the growth of Yersinia enterocolitica in chicken meats were evaluated in this study. The growth curves for Y. enterocolitica in chicken meats variously packaged (air, vacuum, and modified atmosphere packaging [MAP]) and stored at various temperatures (4, 10, 16, 22, 28, and 34 degrees C) were constructed.

Rapid and specific detection of hydroxyl radical using an ultraweak chemiluminescence analyzer and a low-level chemiluminescence emitter: application to hydroxyl radical-scavenging ability of aqueous extracts of Food constituents.

With the availability of an ultraweak chemiluminescence analyzer, it is possible to monitor the production of a specific oxygen-derived reactive species, such as hydroxyl radical ((*)OH), whenever a suitable chemiluminescent probe is obtainable. Reported herein is the development of a rapid and specific method for detecting (*)OH production using a specific probe, indoxyl-beta-glucuronide (IBG), a low-level chemiluminescence emitter. Using the Fenton reagent as a source of (*)OH, it was shown that IBG could elicit a very strong intensity of chemiluminescence (CL) (16200 +/- 200 photon counts/s).

Increased expression of iNOS and c-fos via regulation of protein tyrosine phosphorylation and MEK1/ERK2 proteins in terminal bronchiole lesions in the lungs of rats exposed to cigarette smoke.

Epidemiological evidence suggests that smoking is a major cause of human lung cancer. However, the mechanism by which cigarette smoke induces the cancer remains unestablished. To evaluate the effects of cigarette smoke on the expression of inducible nitric oxide synthase (iNOS), nuclear protooncogenes and related mitogen-activated protein kinases (MAPKs) in rat lung tissue, a histopathological study of the effects of gas-phase cigarette smoke on rat lung tissue were carried out.

Lifestyle habits and gastric cancer in a hospital-based case-control study in Taiwan.

Objectives: The aim of this study was to evaluate the effect of lifestyle habits on the risk of primary gastric cancer.

Methods: A hospital-based case-control study of matched pairs was conducted in Kaohsiung, Taiwan, from 1992 to 1996. The study included 649 subjects (152 cases and 497 controls).