This study utilized a low-cost hydrothermal method to synthesize gallium oxide hydroxide (GaOOH) nanorods and adopted a high-temperature annealing processes to develop nitrogen dioxide (NO2) gas sensors based on gallium oxide (Ga2O3) nanorods. To achieve a high surface-to-volume ratio of GaOOH nanorods, optimization methods were proposed in this study, including optimizing the thickness of the tin oxide (SnO2) seed layer and the precursor concentrations in the hydrothermal synthesis. In addition, GaOOH nanorods could cause dehydrogenation through annealing process to transform into Ga2O3 nanorods and increased the amount of oxygen vacancy. The optimal surface-to-volume ratio of GaOOH nanorods was obtained by using a 50 nm seed layer and a precursor concentration ratio of Ga(NO3)3·9H2O/HMT of 12 mM/10 mM in the hydrothermal synthesis. Furthermore, the NO2 gas sensors with 400 °C-annealed Ga2O3 nanorod sensing membranes exhibited excellent gas sensing performance. The responsivity was 1184.6% and response and recovery times were 63.6 s and 135.7 s, respectively, under a NO2 concentration of 10 ppm. The sensor was capable of detecting NO2 concentration as low as 100 ppb, with a responsivity of 34.2%. Due to its low-cost production and excellent sensing performance, Ga2O3 nanorods hold great potential for applications in NO2 gas sensors.
Neurodegenerative diseases like Parkinson's affect motor functions, resulting in abnormal movements. These symptoms, including tremors and hand movement disorders, can be subtle and vary daily, making evaluating the disease during a short clinical session challenging. To address the issue, this study presents an approach for detecting human micromotion using Wi-Fi channel state information, enabling home health monitoring and examination in regular-sized rooms. The proposed method was tested on three types of motion, and the results demonstrated that micromotion could be accurately captured at multiple locations within the experimental environment. The computer algorithm achieved an average accuracy of 90.9% (single Wi-Fi link) to 95.7% (multiple Wi-Fi links) in computing the frequency and duration of simulated hand tremors.
3. Thinking more wisely: using the Socratic method to develop critical thinking skills amongst healthcare students.
Ho, Y.-R., Chen, B.-Y., & Li, C.-M. (2023). BMC Medical Education, 23(1), 173. Read this article
In medicine, critical thinking is required for managing and tolerating medical uncertainty, as well as solving professional problems and treating diseases. However, the core of Confucianism, teacher-centered and exam-oriented settings in middle and high school education may pose challenges to developing critical thinking in Han Chinese or Taiwanese students. Thus, how to guide students with less stable foundations of critical thinking might require more approach. Almost all healthcare students must complete a biochemistry laboratory course as part of their basic science training. Thus, we aimed to train students to develop critical thinking in the biochemistry laboratory course by using learning sheets and teacher guidance based on the Socratic method and questioning. We recruited second-year students from a medical college, of whom 32 had medical science and biotechnology majors (MSB), 27 had pharmaceutical science majors (PS), and 85 were medical undergraduate (MU) students. Clarity and logic dimensions were identified as the key elements to facilitate the development of critical thinking skills through learning sheets and teacher guidance in students across all three different healthcare majors. The results showed that metacognitive monitoring via Socratic questioning learning sheets have demonstrated potential encourage students to develop critical thinking skills in all dimensions. Another unique contribution of current study was present the heterogeneous learning patterns and progress trajectories of clarity and logic dimensions within classes.
4. Funneling of Oblique Incident Light through Subwavelength Metallic Slits.
Chen, A. E., Xia, X.-Q., Hong, J.-S., & Chen, K.-R. (2023). Nanomaterials, 13(1), 61. Read this article
Light funneling determines how enhanced energy flows into subwavelength slits. In contrast to the previous research on oblique incident light, this study reveals that light funneling in the slits can be highly asymmetric, even at small angles. This mechanism is explained by polarized fields and charges, which are induced using Poynting vectors. It is shown that when light is obliquely incident to the slits perforated in a perfect electric conductor, asymmetrical fields and charges accumulate at the upper apex corners of the left (right) sides. When light is incident from the left (right) side, more (less) induced fields and charges accumulate in the left (right) slit corner so that the funneling width, area, and energy flow at the left (right) side increases (decreases).
5. Reversibility of some oxidative stress markers in chronic hepatitis C patients after receiving direct-acting antiviral agents.
Cheng, P.-N., Sun, H.-Y., Feng, I. C., Wang, S.-T., Chiu, Y.-C., Chiu, H.-C., Chien, S.-C., & Young, K.-C. (2023). Journal of Virus Eradication, 9(1), 100318. Read this article
Introduction: Hepatitis C (HCV) is associated with extra-hepatic involvment, morbidity as well as metabolic changes. Whether these might be reversible if sustained virologic response (SVR) is achieved by direct-acting antiviral (DAA) therapy remains unknown.Methods: Chronic hepatitis C (CHC) individuals receiving DAA treatment with SVR were compared to those who underwent spontaneous clearance (SC) of HCV infection at the 2-year follow-up. Plasma oxidative stress markers (oxidized low-density lipoprotein (oxLDL), 8-hydroxy-2’-deoxyguanosine (8-OHdG), malondialdehyde (MDA) and ischemia-modified albumin (IMA)) as well as progression of liver fibrosis were evaluated.Results: Compared to SC individuals, those in the CHC group exhibited at baseline higher levels of oxLDL, 8-OHdG and IMA but not of MDA. In the SC group, 8-OHdG levels were elevated at 2-year post-SVR (p =0.0409), while the DAA-treated CHC group showed decrease in oxLDL (p < 0.0001) and 8-OHdG (p=0.0255) levels, approaching those of the SC group, but increased MDA (p=0.0055) levels. Additionally, oxLDL levels were positively correlated with liver stiffness measurements at SVR (p=0.017) and at 1 year post- SVR (p=0.002).Conclusions: Plasma oxLDL showed post-SVR normalization after clearance of HCV viremia with DAAs and was associated with levels of hepatic fibrosis.
6. A Modified 1H-NMR Quantification Method of Ephedrine Alkaloids in Ephedrae Herba Samples.
Li, Y.-C., Wu, C.-H., Le, T. H., Yuan, Q., Huang, L., Chen, G.-F., Yang, M.-L., Lam, S.-H., Hung, H.-Y., Sun, H., Wu, Y.-H., Kuo, P.-C., & Wu, T.-S. (2023). International Journal of Molecular Sciences, 24(14), 11272. Read this article
A previous 1H-NMR method allowed the quantification of ephedrine alkaloids; however, there were some disadvantages. The cyclized derivatives resulted from the impurities of diethyl ether were identified and benzene was selected as the better extraction solvent. The locations of ephedrine alkaloids were confirmed with 2D NMR. Therefore, a specific 1H-NMR method has been modified for the quantification of ephedrine alkaloids. Accordingly, twenty Ephedrae Herba samples could be classified into three classes: (I) E. sinica-like species; (II) E. intermedia-like species; (III) others (lower alkaloid contents). The results indicated that ephedrine and pseudoephedrine are the major alkaloids in Ephedra plants, but the concentrations vary greatly determined by the plant species and the collection locations.
7. Paper-Based Exosomal MicroRNA-21 Detection for Wound Monitoring: A Proof of Concept and Clinical Validation Trial Study.
Pan, S.-C., Lai, C.-H., Vu, V.-T., Vu, C.-A., Huang, C.-J., Cheng, C.-M., & Chen, W.-Y. (2023). International Journal of Molecular Sciences, 24(14), 9822. Read this article
Emerging evidence has shown that microRNAs play pivotal roles in wound healing. Exosomal miRNAs have been identified and explored as essential markers for diagnostic medicine. However, the role of exosomal miR-21 in wounds has yet to be well studied. We developed an easy-to-use, rapid, paper-based microfluidic-exosomal miR-21 extraction device to determine wound prognosis. We isolated and then quantitatively examined exosomal miR-21 in wound fluids. Eight improving wounds displayed lower levels of exosomal miR-21 expression after wound debridement. However, four instances of increased exosomal miR-21 expression levels were notably associated with patients with poor healing wounds despite aggressive wound debridement, indicating a predictive role of tissue exosomal miR-21 for wound outcome. Paper-based nucleic acid extraction device provides a rapid and user-friendly approach for evaluating exosomal miR-21 in wound fluids as a means of monitoring wounds. Our data suggest that tissue exosomal miR-21 is a reliable marker for determining current wound status.
Silver-based nanocrystals have excellent catalytic performance in various reactions, such as the reduction of 4-nitrophenol. The catalytic performance of nanocrystals varies with serval parameters, including nanocrystal morphology, composition, and plasmoninduced hot electrons around nanocrystals. Here, highly heterogeneous nanocrystals (Au-Ag and Ag2S-Ag nanocrystals) fabricated on polymer films via seed-mediated are used as catalysts for the reduction of 4-nitrophenol, and the effect of the morphology and composition of nanocrystals on the catalytic performance is investigated. These nanocrystals on polymer films exhibit higher reusability (low catalysts loss) in catalytic applications compared to catalysts dispersed freely in the reaction solution. The excellent catalyst performance of these heterogeneous nanocrystals is attributed to their high surface area/volume ratio (flower-like nanocrystal) and strong synergistic effect (cage-like nanocrystals). These nanocrystals with special morphologies and composites showed higher catalytic performance (higher reactivity at lower catalysts contents) than silver-based nanocrystals reported in the literature. Due to the excellent plasmonic properties of Ag nanocrystals, the catalytic performance of these nanocrystals can be further enhanced by generating hot electrons around the nanocrystals under irradiation. These results demonstrated that by carefully controlling the morphology and composition of nanocrystals, it is possible to design and fabricate excellent catalysts for various reactions.
Glioblastomas (GBMs) often resist radiotherapy, with many recurring post-treatment. Enhancing radiotherapy via gene-silencing has thus gained interest. However, challenges in consistent RNA loading in nanoparticles hinder clinical application. We've bioengineered bacteriophage particles with a three-way junction (b-3WJ) RNA scaffold for targeting radioresistant GBM genes. In vitro, the b-3WJ RNA cleavage by Dicer enzyme is trackable via fluorescence microscopy. Moreover, TrQβ@b-3WJ effectively silences both EGFR and IKKα genes, inhibiting the NF-κB pathway and DNA repair. Utilizing convection-enhanced delivery (CED) for TrQβ@b-3WJ, followed by 2Gy X-ray, the median survival extended to over 60 days, compared to just 31 days in the standard 2Gy X-ray group. This highlights RNAi-based strategies' potential and CED's efficacy in enhancing radiotherapy for GBMs without systemic toxicity.
10. Stick-slip squirmers: slip asymmetry can qualitatively change self-swimming characteristics of squirmers.
Yang, F.-L., Chen, Y.-A., Premlata, A. R., & Wei, H.-H. (2023). Journal of Fluid Mechanics, 967, A29, Article A29. Read this article
A stick-slip asymmetry can break the symmetry of the local hydrodynamic force distribution on the surface of an otherwise no-slip or uniform-slip particle. Here we use the Lorentz reciprocal theorem to demonstrate that such asymmetry, even in a small amount, can completely change the swimming characteristics of a self-propelled spherical squirmer, making its behavior markedly different than a no-slip or uniform-slip squirmer. We find that the swimming velocity U of a stick-slip squirmer can be driven alone by a symmetric extensile/contractile squirming from the B2 mode that commonly provides a stresslet, capable of reversing the swimming direction of the squirmer. A symmetric force dipole, namely stresslet S, can also be generated solely by a unidirectional diverging and converging squirming from the B1 mode that provides the thrust for the swimming, which can invert the stresslet of the squirmer from extensile type to contractile type or vice versa. When these two squirming modes are executing together, both U and S can be enhanced or diminished due to the interplays between asymmetric squirming forces generated by these two modes, depending on the stick-slip partition and orientation. These distinctive features arising from stick-slip asymmetry can not only be made geometrically tunable for steering the motion of a squirmer, but also provide new means for making efficient artificial microswimmers using catalytic Janus particles.
黏滑不對稱性可以破壞無滑移或均勻滑移粒子表面上的局部流體力學受力分佈的對稱性。我們使用洛倫茨互易定理來證明，即使是微小的黏滑不對稱性也可以完全改變球形自滑粒子的自泳動特性，使其表徵與無滑移或均勻滑移的自滑粒子明顯不同。我們發現，黏滑自滑粒子的泳動速度 U 可單獨由慣常提供應力子的 B2 模式的對稱伸展/收縮方式來驅動，該模式能夠反轉自泳動方向。而對稱的力偶，即應力子 S，也可以僅通過提供泳動所需推力的單向滑游B1模式來生成，可以將自滑粒子的應力子從伸展型轉變為收縮型，反之亦然。當這兩種自滑模式一起執行時，由於這兩種模式產生的不對稱滑泳力之間的相互作用，U 和 S 可能增強或減弱。由黏滑不對稱性引起的這些獨特性質不僅可藉幾何方式調控自泳動粒子的運動，還可能為使用兩面催化粒子製備高效的人工微米自游動機帶來新的方案。
11. Reducing Medication Errors by Adopting Automatic Dispensing Cabinets in Critical Care Units.
Tu, H.-N., Shan, T.-H., Wu, Y.-C., Shen, P.-H., Wu, T.-Y., Lin, W.-L., Yang-Kao, Y.-H., & Cheng, C.-L. (2023). Journal of Medical Systems, 47(1), 52. Read this article
Medication errors can have severe consequences and threaten patient safety. The patient safety-related benefits of automated dispensing cabinets (ADCs) have been reported by several previous studies, including a reduction in medication errors in intensive care units (ICUs) and emergency departments. However, the benefits of ADCs need to be assessed, given the different healthcare practice models. This study aimed to compare the rates of medication errors, including prescription, dispensing, and administrative, before and after using ADCs in intensive care units. The prescription, dispensing, and administrative error data before and after the adoption of ADCs were retrospectively collected from the medication error report system. The severity of medication errors was classified according to the National Coordinating Council for Medication Error Reporting and Prevention guidelines. The study outcome was the rate of medication errors. After the adoption of ADCs in the intensive care units, the rates of prescription and dispensing errors reduced from 3.03 to 1.75 per 100,000 prescriptions and 3.87 to 0 per 100,000 dispensations, respectively. The administrative error rate decreased from 0.046 to 0.026%. The ADCs decreased National Coordinating Council for Medication Error Reporting and Prevention category B and D errors by 75% and category C errors by 43%. To improve medication safety, multidisciplinary collaboration and strategies, such as the use of automated dispensing cabinets, education, and training programs from a systems perspective, are warranted.
12. Exploring tourist preference for Mobility-as-a-Service (MaaS) – A latent class choice approach.
Chen, C.-F., Fu, C., & Chen, Y.-C. (2023). Transportation Research Part A: Policy and Practice, 47(1), 52. Read this article
Mobility-as-a-Service (MaaS) provides travelers with a single digital travel platform that integrates information, booking, and payment with considerable discounts. Existing MaaS studies mainly focus on commuters’ daily mobility instead of tourists’ mobility during their stay at destinations. However, the tourist market is a potential but neglected MaaS market. To explore tourist preference for MaaS bundled services, this research examines the preference heterogeneity of tourist-specific MaaS bundles among 491 Taiwanese tourists by using the latent class choice model. The choice experiments are designed by seven MaaS bundle attributes, including public transport, shared bike, shared e-moped, shared car, shopping discount, attraction ticket discount and price. Three tourist classes, namely, MaaS Skeptics, MaaS Supporters, and MaaS Enthusiasts, are identified based upon three attitudinal latent variables (hedonic motivation, Attitude toward MaaS and mobile application factor) as well as socioeconomic characteristics. The results provided evidence of a tourist-specific MaaS market and preference heterogeneity among various tourist classes in Taiwan. Class profiles and scenario analyses of pro-MaaS propensity for three classes were conducted to provide deeper insights into preference variations.
交通行動服務方案提供旅運者一個單一的數位旅運平臺用來整合資訊、訂票以及支付具有折扣的整合方案。目前大部分的交通行動服務方案都是針對通勤者的旅運需求進行探討，但是對觀光客在目的地停留期間的旅運需求之了解仍為研究之缺口。實際上針對觀光客旅運需求所提供的交通行動方案，乃是MaaS的另外一個值得重視的利基市場。為了分析觀光客對觀光MaaS組合服務方案的需求偏好，本研究以臺灣重要觀光目的地(高雄駁二文創園區)為研究情境，利用潛在類別選擇模型（Latent Class Choice Model, LCCM）分析觀光客敘述性偏好問卷資料，以瞭解觀光客對觀光MaaS方案所重視的屬性，並透過潛在變數所得的分群，探討不同分群對需求偏好之差異，已達成對偏好異質性的掌握。選擇實驗所考慮的MaaS組合運具屬性包括公共運輸、共享單車、共享電動機車、購物折扣、觀光景點入門費折扣、以及方案價格。透過三項潛在變數（享樂動機、對MaaS的態度、及行動APP的使用態度等）進行受訪者之分群，得到3個觀光客分群，包括MaaS懷疑者、MaaS支持者、及MaaS擁護者。透過對此3個分群進行受訪者組成分析，可以提供MaaS方案行銷策略重要的訊息，進而設計適合各分群觀光客需要的組合方案。
13. Anterior gradient 2 induces resistance to sorafenib via endoplasmic reticulum stress regulation in hepatocellular carcinoma.
Tsai, H.-W., Chen, Y.-L., Wang, C.-I., Hsieh, C. C., Lin, Y.-H., Chu, P.-M., Wu, Y.-H., Huang, Y.-C., & Chen, C.-Y. (2023). Cancer Cell Internationall, 23(1), 42. Read this article
Background: Hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) accounts for almost 80% of all liver cancer cases and is the sixth most common cancer and the second most common cause of cancer-related death worldwide. The survival rate of sorafenib-treated advanced HCC patients is still unsatisfactory. Unfortunately, no useful biomarkers have been verified to predict sorafenib efficacy in HCC. Results: We assessed a sorafenib resistance-related microarray dataset and found that anterior gradient 2 (AGR2) is highly associated with overall and recurrence-free survival and with several clinical parameters in HCC. However, the mechanisms underlying the role of AGR2 in sorafenib resistance and HCC progression remain unknown. We found that sorafenib induces AGR2 secretion via posttranslational modification and that AGR2 plays a critical role in sorafenib-regulated cell viability and endoplasmic reticulum (ER) stress and induces apoptosis in sorafenib-sensitive cells. In sorafenib-sensitive cells, sorafenib downregulates intracellular AGR2 and conversely induces AGR2 secretion, which suppresses its regulation of ER stress and cell survival. In contrast, AGR2 is highly intracellularly expressed in sorafenib-resistant cells, which supports ER homeostasis and cell survival. We suggest that AGR2 regulates ER stress to influence HCC progression and sorafenib resistance. Conclusions: This is the first study to report that AGR2 can modulate ER homeostasis via the IRE1α-XBP1 cascade to regulate HCC progression and sorafenib resistance. Elucidation of the predictive value of AGR2 and its molecular and cellular mechanisms in sorafenib resistance could provide additional options for HCC treatment.
14. Regional groundwater sequential forecasting using global and local LSTM models.
Patra, S. R., Chu, H.-J., & Tatas. (2023). Journal of Hydrology: Regional Studies, 47, 101442. Read this article
This study proposes and evaluates a Long Short-Term Memory (LSTM) model to predict daily fluctuations of regional groundwater patterns using observations across multiple monitoring wells in Choushui River Alluvial Fan located in Central Taiwan. Global models calibrated over all monitoring well data were compared with the local LSTM models each trained on the local well data for regional groundwater sequential forecast. Spatial assessment showed that the results from the local model were adversely affected when trained on data from coastal wells indicating that these areas require special attention for regional forecasting. Eventually, a fine-tuning through Transfer Learning (TL) scheme was further proposed to show considerable improvements in model performance, and to highlight the potential advantages of synthesizing cross-data information for model training when suffering from hydrogeological heterogeneity in fields.
15. An analysis of the learning styles and attitudes of foreign students in a post-baccalaureate medical education program.
Hsu, H.-C., & Sung, T.-C. (2023). BMC Medical Education, 23(1), 497. Read this article
In a scenario of ongoing changes in the theory and methodology of teaching, student-centered practices are crucial in improving teaching and learning outcomes. This study aimed to evaluate whether the learning styles and attitudes (connected and separate knowing) associated with the curriculum differ among medical students. The research subjects consisted of 43 first- and second-year medical students attending a post-baccalaureate medical education program exclusively for foreign students at a comprehensive university in Kaohsiung City, Taiwan. A self-administered Attitudes Toward Thinking and Learning Survey (ATTLS) was used to assess the differences in learning styles and attitudes among grades, gender, and nationality of these post-baccalaureate medical students. The reliability value of Cronbach Alpha coefficients for all items of ATTLS was 0.93. These medical students reported significantly higher connected knowing styles than separate knowing. The average score of the connected knowing for first-year students taking the "International Health" course is significantly higher than that of second-year students taking the "Population Health and Sustainable Development" course. There is no difference in the separate knowing between these two curricula. The learning styles and attitudes of students participating in the teaching process showed no difference in grade, gender, and nationality. The evidence that there is a significant interaction effect of grade, gender, and nationality examined with the separate knowing, rather than the connected knowing, suggests that this heterogenicity of learning methodology needs to be considered and integrated into future teaching methods.
Keywords:learning styles and attitudes, post-baccalaureate, medical education
Social novelty is a cognitive process that is essential for animals to interact strategically with conspecifics based on their prior experiences. The commensal microbiome in the gut modulates social behavior through various routes, including microbe-derived metabolite signaling. Short-chain fatty acids (SCFAs), metabolites derived from bacterial fermentation in the gastrointestinal tract, have been previously shown to impact host behavior. Herein, we demonstrate that the delivery of SCFAs directly into the brain disrupts social novelty through distinct neuronal populations. We are the first to observe that infusion of SCFAs into the lateral ventricle disrupted social novelty in microbiome-depleted mice without affecting brain inflammatory responses. The deficit in social novelty can be recapitulated by activating calcium/calmodulin-dependent protein kinase II (CaMKII)-labeled neurons in the bed nucleus of the stria terminalis (BNST). Conversely, chemogenetic silencing of the CaMKII-labeled neurons and pharmacological inhibition of fatty acid oxidation in the BNST reversed the SCFAs-induced deficit in social novelty. Our findings suggest that microbial metabolites impact social novelty through a distinct neuron population in the BNST.
17. The development of ocean governance for marine environment protection: Current legal system in Taiwan.
Shih, Y.-C., Chen, W. C., Chen, T.-A. P., & Chang, C.-w. (2023). [Original Research]. Frontiers in Marine Science, 10. Read this article
Since the establishment of the Ocean Affairs Council (OAC) in Taiwan in 2018, ocean governance has reached a new milestone. In 2019, the Ocean Basic Act was enacted, and in 2020, the National Ocean Policy White Paper was published, meaning that Taiwan has specialized ocean authorities, regulations, enforcement units, and relevant mechanisms and policies. The Ocean Conservation Administration (OCA) is also responsible for marine environmental protection and conservation. To ensure good ocean governance, maintain marine resources, and protect the environment, the OCA has recently drafted the Marine Conservation Act for sustainable development. This article mainly reviews, analyzes, and compares Taiwan’s current marine-related laws and regulations and refers to the laws, policies, and mechanisms of other countries to provide suggestions on marine governance and the ongoing draft of the Marine Conservation Act.
18. The B56γ3-containing protein phosphatase 2A attenuates p70S6K-mediated negative feedback loop to enhance AKT-facilitated epithelial-mesenchymal transition in colorectal cancer.
Hsiao, K.-C., Ruan, S.-Y., Chen, S.-M., Lai, T.-Y., Chan, R.-H., Zhang, Y.-M., Chu, C.-A., Cheng, H.-C., Tsai, H.-W., Tu, Y.-F., Law, B. K., Chang, T.-T., Chow, N.-H., & Chiang, C.-W. (2023). Cell Communication and Signaling, 21(1), 172. Read this article
Colorectal cancer is a leading cause of cancer mortality, which accounts for approximately 10% of cancer-related mortality in Western countries and the incidence of colorectal cancer has increased steadily in the past ten years and has recently become the most common cancer in Taiwan. Although several treatment options are available for patients of colorectal cancer, very limited options of effective therapy are applied for treating the advanced stages of colorectal cancer. Our finding reveals a novel oncogenic mechanism involving the B56γ3 regulatory subunit-containing PP2A in colorectal cancer. PP2A was previously recognized as a tumor suppressor, whereas our current finding indicates that the B56γ3 regulatory subunit can lead PP2A to downregulate p70S6K-mediated negative feedback loop on growth factor signaling, resulting in oncogenic AKT hyper-activation. Our finding suggests that the PP2A-B56γ3/p70S6K signaling module may serve as a therapeutic target to control tumor progression of colorectal cancer.
19. Scheduling coflows for minimizing the total weighted completion time in heterogeneous parallel networks.
Chen, C.-Y. (2023). Journal of Parallel and Distributed Computing, 182, 104752. Read this article
Coflow is a network abstraction used to represent communication patterns in data centers. The coflow scheduling problem encountered in large data centers is a challenging NP-hard problem. Many previous studies on coflow scheduling mainly focus on the single-core model. However, with the growth of data centers, this single-core model is no longer sufficient. This paper addresses the coflow scheduling problem within heterogeneous parallel networks, which feature an architecture consisting of multiple network cores running in parallel. In this paper, two polynomial-time approximation algorithms are developed for the flow-level scheduling problem and the coflow-level scheduling problem in heterogeneous parallel networks, respectively. For the flow-level scheduling problem, the proposed algorithm achieves an approximation ratio of O(log m/ loglog m) when all coflows are released at arbitrary times, where $m$ represents the number of network cores. On the other hand, in the coflow-level scheduling problem, the proposed algorithm achieves an approximation ratio of O(m(log m/loglog m)^2) when all coflows are released at arbitrary times. Moreover, we propose a heuristic algorithm for the flow-level scheduling problem. Simulation results using synthetic traffic traces validate the performance of our algorithms and show improvements over the previous algorithm.
In this comprehensive study, we meticulously fine-tuned the solid content of polyimide (PI) to strategically enhance the surface properties of the dielectric layer in organic field-effect transistors (OFETs). Our primary objective was to mitigate defect density at the critical interface between the dielectric and the organic semiconductor layer within OFETs. Through this modulation, we achieved significant enhancements in electrical characteristics and overall stability of the OFETs. Notably, a higher solid content of the PI film directly correlated with elevated current stability in the OFET, showcasing a promising avenue for tailored device performance. Leveraging this optimized PI film in organic memory devices demonstrated remarkable attributes, notably improved storage retention and durability. These advancements pave the way for highly stable devices, making them well-suited for integration into future flexible electronic products, thereby fostering the evolution of this technology towards a more sustainable and versatile future.
21. Physical therapy for sleep apnea: a smartphone application for home-based physical therapy for patients with obstructive sleep apnea [Methods].
Bui-Diem, K., Hung, C.-H., Zhu, G.-C., Tho, N. V., Nguyen-Binh, T., Vu-Tran-Thien, Q., To-Truong, D., Ngo-Thanh, H., & Duong-Quy, S. (2023). Frontiers in Neurology, 14. Read this article
Purpose: In this study, we described “Physical Therapy for Sleep Apnea”, a smartphone application for home-based physical therapy of patients with Obstructive Sleep Apnea.Methods: The application was created in a joint program between the University of Medicine and Pharmacy at Ho Chi Minh City, Vietnam, and National Cheng Kung University, Taiwan. Exercises maneuvers were derived from the exercise program previously published by the partner group at National Cheng Kung University. They included exercises for upper airway and respiratory muscle training and general endurance training.Results: The application provides video and in-text tutorials for users to follow at home and a schedule function to assist the user in organizing the training program, which may improve the efficacy of home-based physical therapy in patients with Obstructive Sleep Apnea.Conclusion: In the future, our group plans to conduct a user study and randomized-controlled trials to investigate whether our application can benefit patients with Obstructive Sleep Apnea.
22. When to help juveniles, adults, or both: analyzing the evolutionary models of stage-structured mutualism [Original Research]
Nakazawa, T., Katayama, N., Utsumi, S., Yamawo, A., & Yamamichi, M. (2023). Frontiers in Ecology and Evolution, 11. Read this article
Mutualism is common in nature and is crucial for population dynamics, community structure, and ecosystem functioning. Studies have recently pointed out that life-history stage structure (e.g., juveniles and adults) is a key factor to better understand the ecological consequences of mutualism (termed stage-structured mutualism). Despite the potential importance, little is known about what kinds of stage-structured mutualism can evolve and when it is likely to occur. Here, we theoretically investigated how a mutualistic partner species should allocate efforts of mutualistic associations for different life-history stages of its host species to maximize its fitness. We assessed the partner’s optimal strategy by using a one host–one partner model with the host’s juvenile-adult stage structure. The results showed that different forms of stage-structured mutualism can evolve, such as juvenile-specialized association, adult-specialized association, and inter-stage partner sharing (i.e., the partner associates with both the juvenile and adult stages of the host) depending on the shape of association trade-off, i.e., how much association with one stage is weakened when the partner strengthens its association with the other stage. In general, stage-specialized association (either juvenile-specialized or adult-specialized association) tends to evolve when being associated with that stage is relatively beneficial. Similarly, adult-specialized association tends to evolve if it is relatively beneficial. Meanwhile, when the association trade-off is weak, inter-stage partner sharing can occur if the mutualistic benefits of juvenile-specific and adult-specific associations are sufficiently large. We also found that when the association trade-off is strong, alternative stable states occur in which either juvenile-specialized or adult-specialized associations evolve depending on the initial trait value. These results suggest that pairwise interspecific mutualism is more complicated than previously thought, implying that we may under- or overestimate the strength of mutualistic interactions when looking at only certain life-history stages. This study provides a conceptual basis for better understanding the mechanisms underlying ontogenetic shifts of mutualistic partners and more complex mutualistic networks mediated by the life-history stages of organisms and their stage-structured interactions.
23. Quantification of vessel separation using the carotid-jugular angle to predict the nerve origin of neck peripheral nerve sheath tumours: a pooled analysis of cases from the literature and a single-center cohort.
Postoperative nerve palsy is a major complication following resection of neck peripheral nerve sheath tumours (PNSTs). Accurate preoperative identification of the nerve origin (NO) can improve surgical outcomes and patient counselling.
Material and methods:
This study was a retrospective cohort and quantitative analysis of the literature. The authors introduced a parameter, the carotid-jugular angle (CJA), to differentiate the NO. A literature review of neck PNST cases from 2010 to 2022 was conducted. The CJA was measured from eligible imaging data, and quantitative analysis was performed to evaluate the ability of the CJA to predict the NO. External validation was performed using a single-centre cohort from 2008 to 2021.
Results:
In total, 17 patients from our single-centre cohort and 88 patients from the literature were analyzed. Among them, 53, 45, and 7 patients had sympathetic, vagus, and cervical nerve PNSTs, respectively. Vagus nerve tumours had the largest CJA, followed by sympathetic tumours, whereas cervical nerve tumours had the smallest CJA (P＜0.001). Multivariate logistic regression identified a larger CJA as a predictor of vagus NO (P＜0.001), and receiver operating characteristic (ROC) analysis showed an area under the curve (AUC) of 0.907 (0.831–0.951) for the CJA to predict vagus NO (P＜0.001). External validation showed an AUC of 0.928 (0.727–0.988) (P＜0.001). Compared with the AUC of the previously proposed qualitative method (AUC=0.764, 0.673–0.839), that of the CJA was greater (P=0.011). The cut-off value identified to predict vagus NO was greater than or equal to 100°. Receiver operating characteristic analysis showed an AUC of 0.909 (0.837–0.956) for the CJA to predict cervical NO (P＜0.001), with a cut-off value less than 38.5°.
Conclusions:
A CJA greater than or equal to 100° predicted a vagus NO and a CJA less than 100° predicted a non-vagus NO. Moreover, a CJA less than 38.5 was associated with an increased likelihood of cervical NO.
The Vibrio α-hemolysin is a β-pore-forming toxin secreted by Vibrio bacteria, crucial for enhancing bacterial infections. In our study on Vibrio campbellii α-hemolysin (VcαHL), we found that its hemolytic activity is significantly elevated under the induction of calcium ions. We further investigated how calcium ions promote the assembly of VcαHL on the cell membrane. Using X-ray crystallography and cryo-electron microscopy, we presented the precursor and assembled structures of VcαHL. Notably, VcαHL contains a calcium-binding site, playing a pivotal role in its activation. These novel findings provide a new direction for therapeutic strategies against Vibrio infections.
Infection is a common cause of hospitalization in patients with heart failure (HF). The impact of infection on long term cardiovascular outcome in HF is not well studied. The aim of this study was to compare the long-term risk of major adverse cardiovascular events (MACE) in HF patients with or without prior hospitalization for infection. From 2009 to 2015, 310,485 patients with their first HF admissions were enrolled from the Taiwan National Health Insurance Research Database. Among the patients, those with readmission due to infection within one year after HF discharge were defined as infection group and those without any infection admission were controls. The propensity score matching method was used to balance covariates between the two groups. In a mean follow-up time of 4.29 ± 2.92 years, 86.19% of patients in the infection group and 63.63% of patients in the control group had MACE. Multivariate Cox proportional hazards analysis showed the infection group had a higher risk of MACE, including all-cause mortality, myocardial infarction, stroke and hospitalization for HF. In conclusion, many HF patients discharged from the hospital experienced acute infection that required readmission. The patients had worse cardiovascular outcome after readmission for infectious disease compared to those without any infection.
We report an efficient method to synthesize undoped and K-doped rare cubic tungsten trioxide nanowires through the thermal evaporation of WO3 powder without a catalyst. The WO3 nanowires are reproducible and stable with a low-cost growth process. The thermal evaporation processing was conducted in a three-zone horizontal tube furnace over a temperature range of 550–850 °C, where multiple substrates were placed at different temperature zones. The processing parameters, including pressure, temperature, type of gas, and flow rate, were varied and studied in terms of their influence on the morphology, aspect ratio and density of the nanowires. The morphologies of the products were observed with scanning electron microscopy. High resolution transmission electron microscopy, X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy, and X-ray diffraction studies were conducted to further identify the chemical composition, crystal structure and growth direction of the nanostructures. Additionally, the growth mechanism has been proposed. Furthermore, we investigated the potassium doping effect on the physical properties of the nanostructures. Photoluminescence measurements show that there were shorter emission bands at 360 nm and 410 nm. Field emission measurements show that the doping effect significantly reduced the turn-on electric field and increased the enhancement factor. Furthermore, as compared with related previous research, the K-doped WO3 nanowires synthesized in this study exhibited excellent field emission properties, including a superior field enhancement factor and turn-on electric field. The study reveals the potential of WO3 nanowires in promising applications for sensors, field emitters and light-emitting diodes.
27. Exploring electric moped sharing preferences with integrated choice and latent variable approach.
Chen, C.-F., Fu, C., & Siao, P.-Y. (2023). Transportation Research Part D: Transport and Environment, 121, 103837. Read this article
Electric motor scooter (e-moped) sharing, an innovative shared mobility service, has recently attracted attention in urban transport systems. It is challenging to operate the service while Motorcycles and mopeds are prevalent. The study explores individual preferences toward the services using stated preference data collected in Taiwan. An integrated choice and latent variable approach is employed to investigate individuals' preferences related to e-moped sharing attributes and latent variables. The results show that service attributes such as base time, pay-per-minute fees, and the walking time to access an available vehicle decrease choice likelihood while returning to a vehicle without additional procedure, and e-mopeds with hedonic brands increase it. The impacts of those latent variables (advocacy for the service, hedonic motivation, and attitudes toward the service) varied in the groups with and without past riding experience, providing insights into the service adoption. I've talked about the relevant implications and provided it for future research.
28. Antiviral and immunoregulatory effects of curcumin on coxsackievirus B3-infected hepatitis.
Neonatal infection with nonpolio enteroviruses (EVs) causes nonspecific febrile illnesses and even life-threatening multiorgan failure. Hepatitis, which often results in hepatic necrosis followed by disseminated intravascular coagulopathy, is one of the most severe and frequent fatal neonatal EV infection complications. Coxsackievirus B (CVB) 1–5 and many echoviruses have been most commonly identified. Neonatal EV infection treatment has usually involved initial supportive care. Studies for CVB and echovirus infection treatments were developed for more than thirty years. Intravenous immunoglobulin and pleconaril therapy was performed in some clinical trials. Additionally, other studies demonstrated antiviral and/or anti-inflammatory pathogenesis mechanisms of neonatal EV hepatitis in in vitro or in vivo models. These treatments represented promising options for the clinical practice of neonatal EV hepatitis. However, further investigation is needed to elucidate the whole therapeutic potential and safety problems.
High-grade liver laceration is a common injury with bleeding as the main cause of death. Timely resuscitation and hemostasis are keys to the successful management. The impact of in-hospital trauma system on the quality of resuscitation and management in patients with traumatic high-grade liver laceration, however, was rarely reported. We retrospectively reviewed the impact of team-based approach on the quality and outcomes of high-grade traumatic liver laceration in our hospital. Patients with traumatic liver laceration between 2002 and 2020 were enrolled in this retrospective study. Inverse probability of treatment weighting (IPTW)-adjusted analysis using the propensity score were performed. Outcomes before the trauma team establishment (PTTE) and after the trauma team establishment (TTE) were compared. A total of 270 patients with liver trauma were included. After IPTW adjustment, interval between emergency department arrival and managements was shortened in the TTE group with a median of 11 min (p < 0.001) and 28 min (p < 0.001) in blood test reports and duration to CT scan, respectively. Duration to hemostatic treatments in the TTE group was also shorter by a median of 94 min in patients receiving embolization (p = 0.012) and 50 min in those undergoing surgery (p = 0.021). The TTE group had longer ICU-free days to day 28 (0.0 vs. 19.0 days, p = 0.010). In our study, trauma team approach had a survival benefit for traumatic high-grade liver injury patients with 65% reduction of risk of death within 72 h (Odds ratio (OR) = 0.35, 95% CI = 0.14–0.86) and 55% reduction of risk of in-hospital mortality (OR = 0.45, 95% CI = 0.23–0.87). A team-based approach might contribute to the survival benefit in patients with traumatic high-grade liver laceration by facilitating patient transfer from outside the hospital, through the diagnostic examination, and to the definitive hemostatic procedures.
Recurrent miscarriage is defined as more than three pregnancy failures occurring before 20 weeks of gestation. Poor differentiation of the endometrial stroma or defective trophoblast cell invasion at the maternal-fetal interface leads to recurrent miscarriages. Several miRNAs, including miR-20b-5p, are aberrantly regulated in recurrent miscarriages; however, the underlying molecular mechanisms remain unclear. Primary cilia are antenna-like organelles that coordinate signaling during development and differentiation. Defective primary cilia formation leads to complications, such as recurrent miscarriage or preeclampsia. Here, we demonstrated that miR-20b-5p inhibited trophoblast cell invasion by blocking primary cilia formation. Mechanistically, miR-20b-5p targeted and inhibited ATG16L1 and ATG7 expression, thereby blocking autophagy. Defective autophagy reduced primary cilia formation and stopped ERK activation, which is a crucial signaling pathway for trophoblast invasion. Aspirin is used to prevent recurrent miscarriages in clinical settings. Treatment with aspirin inhibited miR-20b-5p levels, thus restoring primary cilia formation and trophoblast invasion. Thus, our findings uncovered the molecular mechanism by which miR-20b-5p suppressed primary cilia formation and trophoblast invasion by reducing the expression of ATG16L1 and ATG7. Moreover, we found that the defective phenotypes could be rescued by aspirin in recurrent miscarriage.
31. Is increased activation in the fusiform face area to Greebles a result of appropriate expertise training or caused by Greebles' face likeness?
Liu, K., Chen, C.-Y., Wang, L.-S., Jo, H., & Kung, C.-C. (2023). Frontiers in Neuroscience. Read this article
In 2011, Brants et al. trained eight subjects to become Greeble experts and found a neural inversion effect [i.e., the upright Greeble elicited a higher response in the fusiform face area (FFA) than when it was inverted]. These effects were also seen with faces before and after training. Brants et al. therefore, claimed that these results reflected that subjects' saw Greeble as faces throughout training. However, Brants et al.'s claim presents two issues. First, their behavioral results did not replicate Gauthier and Tarr's 1997 results. Second, the literature review and meta-analysis of NIE in FFA indicate that it is not a valid index of face processing. To further examine these questions, the present study compared two training paradigms documented by Gauthier and colleagues in 1997 and 1998, and compared their effects on the brain. Results: These results of our experiments confirm that the two research assumptions behind Brants’ claim were invalid, and therefore conclusions invalidated.
Hepassocin is a hepatokine exhibiting a hepatic protective effect. We found that the alanine aminotransferase (ALT) levels were significantly decreased in parallel with the decrement in serum hepassocin after treatment for hyperthyroidism in the human study. In the cell study, treatment of hepassocin recombinant protein in HepG2 cells decreased triiodothyronine (T3)-induced aminotransferases elevation. These results indicated that a compensatory increase in serum hepassocin might have a protective role in hyperthyroidism-induced hepatic dysfunction.
33. A perceptron-based learning method for solving the inverse problem of the brain model via poroelastodynamics.
Chou, D., & Chen, P.-Y. (2023). Chaos, Solitons & Fractals, 172, 113611. Read this article
Computer simulations and in silico models are currently the best tools for understanding complex biological processes. However, the complexity of biological tissues, with multiple cellular mechanisms in response to changing physical and chemical external stimuli, makes the corresponding mathematical models highly nonlinear with numerous parameters. These parameters are crucial to the models but are often fitted for specific conditions, making the conclusions drawn difficult to generalize. Moreover, some of these parameters will be hard to obtain through either clinical measurements or experiments. Hence, in this study, we introduced a perceptron-based method to determine unknown parameters of water transfer coefficients in the cerebral multi-compartmental poroelasticity model. Based on the nature and conditions of the available data, we designed a straightforward and functional model to solve a steady-state inverse problem. Moreover, we added an analytical solution to restrict the learning tendency of the model. It is to be noted that we only evaluated the unknown parameters without fitting the solution of PDEs. We believe that this study presents a functional perceptron-based approach for investigating and demonstrating unknown parameters using the cerebral multi-compartmental poroelasticity model. Besides, the algorithm was fully presented since we believed that our scheme has the ability to utilise in various field for those who need to estimate unknown parameters in PDEs. Furthermore, we tested the efficiency and effectiveness of the proposed method and demonstrated how the framework can help estimate the parameters rapidly. Finally, we discussed the unmet needs and forecasted future tasks of this framework.
35. Ubiquitin-specific peptidase 5 facilitates cancer stem cell-like properties in lung cancer by deubiquitinating β-catenin.
Kao, C.-Y., Zhang, Y.-Z., Bregente, C. J. B., Kuo, P.-Y., Chen, P. K., Chao, J.-Y., Duong, T. T. T., Wang, M.-C., Thuy, T. T. D., Hidrosollo, J. H., Tsai, P.-F., Li, Y.-C., & Lin, W.-H. (2023). Epidemiology & Infection, 151, e155, Article e155. Read this article
Longitudinal studies on the variations of phenotypic and genotypic characteristics of K. pneumoniae across two decades are rare. We aimed to determine the antimicrobial susceptibility and virulence factors for K. pneumoniae isolated from patients with bacteraemia or urinary tract infection (UTI) from 1999 to 2022. A total of 699 and 1,267 K. pneumoniae isolates were isolated from bacteraemia and UTI patients, respectively, and their susceptibility to twenty antibiotics was determined; PCR was used to identify capsular serotypes and virulence associated genes. K64 and K1 serotypes were most frequently observed in UTI and bacteraemia, respectively, with an increasing frequency of K20, K47, and K64 observed in recent years. entB and wabG predominated across all isolates and serotypes; the least frequent virulence gene was htrA. Most isolates were susceptible to carbapenems, amikacin, tigecycline, and colistin, with the exception of K20, K47, and K64 where resistance was widespread. The highest average number of virulence genes was observed in K1, followed by K2, K20, and K5 isolates, which suggest their contribution to the high virulence of K1. In conclusion, we found that the distribution of antimicrobial susceptibility, virulence gene profiles, and capsular types of K. pneumoniae over two decades were associated with their clinical source.
34. A 24-year longitudinal study of Klebsiella pneumoniae isolated from patients with bacteraemia and urinary tract infections reveals the association between capsular serotypes, antibiotic resistance, and virulence gene distribution.
Lung cancer has the highest mortality rate in the world, and mounting evidence suggests that cancer stem cells (CSCs) are associated with poor prognosis, recurrence, and metastasis of lung cancer. It is urgent to identify new biomarkers and therapeutic targets for targeting lung CSCs. In this study, we demonstrated that USP5 expression were positively correlated with the stemness-associated signatures and poor outcomes in lung cancer specimens. We found that USP5 interacted with β-catenin, which resulted in deubiquitination, stabilization of β-catenin, and activation of Wnt/β-catenin pathway. Targeting USP5 with the small molecule WP1130 promoted the degradation of β-catenin, and showed great inhibitory effects on sphere formation, migration, and invasion. Finally, we identified a poor-prognosis subset of tumors characterized by high levels of USP5, Wnt signaling score, and Stemness score in two datasets. These findings reveal the clinical evidence for USP5-enhanced Wnt/β-catenin signaling in promoting lung cancer stemness and metastasis, implying that targeting USP5 could provide beneficial effects to improve lung cancer therapeutics.
Along with the rapid development of quantum technologies, quantum computing has become a reality. Among the various applications of quantum computation, quantum simulation is arguably the most prominent one to demonstrate the quantum advantage of near-term quantum computing platforms. However, due to the limitations imposed by the significant noises and the topological qubit connectivity, simulating large-scale materials on near-term quantum computing platforms remains a troublesome problem. In this work, we propose an alternative approach to circumvent these difficulties. Our approach adaptively partitions the effects of a huge environment into small groups fitting into the limited performance of near-term quantum computing platforms. Then each small group can be implemented independently. Finally, the outputs of all small groups are combined together to recover the effects of the huge environment. We have explicitly demonstrated our approach on IBMQ by simulating the free induction decay (FID) of the electron spin in diamond NV center. Additionally, our approach can also realize the manipulation of the nonclassicality of the FID dynamics by simulating the external magnetic field and the dynamical nuclear spin polarization. In conclusion, we have established a flexible approach capable of simulating large-scale materials by adaptively distributing the computing loading to different devices and circumventing the limitations of near-term quantum computers.
URS-10 serve as a rapid test capable of detecting 10 distinct parameters in urine samples. Although the operational procedure is straightforward, the variegated color changes exhibited in the outcomes of individual parameters render it challenging for lay users to deduce the results. In this study, we successfully developed a cloud-based health checkup system that can be used in an indoor environment. The system is used by placing a URS-10 test strip on a colorimetric board developed for this study, then using a smartphone application to take images which are uploaded to a server for cloud computing. Finally, the interpretation results are stored in the cloud and sent back to the smartphone to be checked by the user. This study uses color correction technology to reduce the impact of chromatic aberration and enable correct interpretation of results.
The tumor microenvironment (TME), where immunosuppressive cells such as tumor-associated macrophages (TAMs) proliferate, is the main cause of resistance to antineoplastic treatment for KRAS-driven lung cancer. In this study, we synthesized polymer-based nanoparticles composed of a 16 nm-sized Au core and the amphiphile, poly-(styrene-alt-maleic acid) (PSMA), via a hydrothermal procedure for carrying the multi-receptor tyrosine kinase inhibitor, sitravatinib (Sit), in a new nanodrug (Au@PSMA-Sit). Au@PSMA-Sit was water soluble and showed high sitravatinib loading and good stability under numerous solution conditions, and was degraded by intracellular esterase to release sitravatinib. In Lewis lung carcinoma (LLC) orthotopic tumor mice, Au@PSMA-Sit enhanced antitumor efficiency by remodeling the TME. Immune profiling with single-cell RNA sequencing showed that Au@PSMA-Sit treatment increased the CD8 T cell cluster and decreased the M2-type macrophage cluster compared to treatment with pure sitravatinib. Au@PSMA-Sit reduced LLC cell proliferation and upgraded M1 polarization of LLC-cocultured TAMs through inhibition of TAM receptors (Tyro3, AXL, and MerTK) after intracellular release of sitravatinib. Au@PSMA-Sit promoted endocytosis-induced endoplasmic reticulum (ER) stress-mediated spleen tyrosine kinase signaling activation, which regulated immunosuppressive TAMs metabolism via enhancement of mitochondrial fission and glycolysis leading to immunogenic modulation. Furthermore, Au@PSMA-Sit enhanced immunogenic cell death through endocytosis/ER stress-mediated release of CRT and HMGB1 from LLC cells, leading to dendritic cell maturation and cytotoxic T cell activation. Therefore, macrophage and CD8 T cell depletion using blocking antibodies diminished the antitumor efficiency of Au@PSMA-Sit. Our results indicate the potential of nano-formulated sitravatinib for strengthening anti-cancer effects in the absence of immunotherapy via immunogenic remodeling of the KRAS-mutant lung TME.
Maintaining adequate skin hydration is vital for healthy skin function. This study investigated using diffuse reflectance spectroscopy (DRS) to noninvasively assess changes in skin optical properties related to variations in hydration state. DRS allows quantitative measurement of absorption and scattering properties in superficial skin layers. Ten healthy subjects underwent facial mask or soaked cotton pad treatment for 20 minutes to induce skin hydration changes. The DRS-derived absorption coefficient at 980nm, a characteristic wavelength for water, showed high correlation (r=0.93 for facial mask and 0.82 for cotton pad) with skin capacitance indicating hydration level. Participants reporting skin tightness sensation (Group A) exhibited decreased reduced scattering coefficient after treatments, suggesting DRS scattering profiles can detect cellular swelling. Overall, DRS sensitively monitored skin optical property changes reflecting dynamic hydration variation from different treatments. This could offer a convenient approach for quantitative evaluation of treatment efficacy and subjective sensations.
40. Correlates of disordered eating and insulin restriction behavior and its association with psychological health in Taiwanese youths with diabetes mellitus.
Adolescents and young adults (AYAs) with diabetes mellitus (DM) are prone to eating disorders that may worsen metabolic control. In this study, we enrolled 110 patients with DM aged 10-30 years receiving insulin treatment from 2019 to 2021. After obtaining informed consent, we assessed various HbA1c measures indicating glycemic control, DE/IR behavior using the modified SCOFF questionnaire, weight-control practices, and anxious and depressive symptoms using the Hospital Anxiety and Depression Scale. Results found 17.6% restricting insulin use and 6.3% self-medicating for weight control (higher in type 2 DM than type 1 DM). Hierarchical regression analyses showed HbA1c standard deviation, body image, and dieting associated with disordered eating and insulin restriction (DE/IR) behavior that was further associated with anxiety and depression. DE/IR behavior is not uncommon among AYAs with DM, and its clinical implications need further exploration.
41. Mediating effect of self-esteem on the relationship between academic self-efficacy and depression symptoms among nursing students participating in blended learning.
Achmad, B. F., Fitriawan, A. S., Kurniawan, D., & Chen, H.-M. (2023). Heliyon, 9(11). Read this article
This study aimed to examine the determinants of depression symptoms and the mediating effect of self-esteem on the relationship between academic self-efficacy and depression symptoms among nursing students who participate in blended learning. A cross-sectional study design using a convenience sampling method was employed, and 534 nursing students were recruited from ten universities across five provinces and two major Indonesian islands. Instruments included the General Self-Efficacy Scale, Rosenberg Self-Esteem Scale, and a 9-item Patient Health Questionnaire. Data were analyzed by hierarchical linear regression and mediation effect analysis using SPSS PROCESS macro version 4.1. The results showed that of the 534 participants, 213 (39.14 %) experienced moderate-to-severe depression symptoms. The hierarchical linear regression analysis found that online learning difficulties and self-esteem were two significant determinants of depression symptoms. The medication effect analysis suggested that self-esteem mediated the relationship between academic self-efficacy and depression symptoms. The study concluded the importance of understanding the online learning difficulties experienced by blended learning students and improving their self-esteem by maximizing academic self-efficacy to prevent depression symptoms. Keywords: Academic self-efficacy, blended learning, depression symptoms, self-esteem
混合式學習護生之自尊對學業自我效能與憂鬱症狀間的中介效果 本研究目的旨在探討參與混合式學習的護生之憂鬱症狀的決定因素，以及自尊在學業自我效能與憂鬱症狀關係中的中介效果。採橫斷式研究設計，以便利取樣法共招募來自印尼二大島嶼、五個省份、10所大學共534位護生加入研究。研究工具包含一般自我效能量表、自信心量表和病人健康問卷-9等。資料分析則使用 SPSS PROCESS macro版本 4.0進行階層線性迴歸與中介效果分析。研究結果顯示，在534位的護生中，有216位(39.14%)有中度至重度的憂鬱症狀。線上學習障礙及自尊是發生憂鬱症狀的二大關鍵性因素。中介效果分析則發現，自尊中介學業自我效能感與憂鬱症狀之間的關係。本究結果結論在了解混合式學習學生線上學習障礙的重要性，透過盡可能地提高其學業自我效能以期改善自尊，進而預防憂鬱症狀的發生。 關鍵字：學業自我效能、混合式學習、憂鬱症狀、自尊
42. Protective role of IL-17-producing γδ T cells in a laser-induced choroidal neovascularization mouse model.
In patients with wet/exudative age-related macular degeneration (AMD), vision loss is often linked to choroidal neovascularization (CNV). As the primary cause of irreversible vision impairment in older adults, AMD poses a significant health concern. Interleukin-17A (IL-17A), a component associated with autoimmune diseases, has been found in elevated levels in the serum of wet AMD patients. However, the impact of IL-17A on AMD progression remains unclear. This study investigates IL-17A's role using a laser-induced CNV mouse model. Results show that IL-17A deficiency leads to larger CNV lesions, decreased immune cell populations, and altered cytokine levels in mice. IL-17A-producing γδ T cells play a time-dependent role in response to laser injury. Additionally, in vitro experiments demonstrate IL-17A's protective effects, suggesting a novel regulatory role in wet AMD's ocular microenvironment. Our findings provide new insight into the protective effect of IL-17A in a laser-induced CNV model and reveal a novel regulatory role of IL-17A-producing γδ T cells in the ocular microenvironment in wet AMD.
43. Association between recently raised anticholinergic burden and risk of acute cardiovascular events: nationwide case-case-time-control study.
Huang, W.-C., Yang, A. S.-H., Tsai, D. H.-T., Shao, S.-C., Lin, S.-J., & Lai, E. C.-C. (2023). BMJ, 382, e076045. Read this article
Anticholinergic burden refers to the cumulative effect of using multiple medications with anticholinergic properties concomitantly. Previous studies have reported an association between anticholinergic burden and increased cardiovascular risk, but they did not consider the potential issue of protopathic bias. In this nationwide study, we implemented the case-case-time control analyses, which consisted of two case-crossover analysis—a case crossover analysis and a control crossover analysis consisting of future cases to eliminate the time invariant confounders and protopathic bias. We found recently raised anticholinergic burden was associated with an increased risk of acute cardiovascular events. Although the results were substantially diminished after considering the effects of protopathic bias through the case-case-time-control design, the bias did not fully explain away the increased risk. Moreover, the association was further strengthened by the evidence of a dose-response relationship between anticholinergic burden and the risk of acute cardiovascular events. Given that many drugs have anticholinergic effects in addition to their primary mechanism of action, healthcare providers should increase their awareness of these effects and consider reducing unnecessary drug use
