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Dental plaque is the main cause leading to the dental caries and periodontal diseases. The main purpose of this study was to test the efficacy of oral spray containing the antimicrobial peptide P-113 on the reduction of oral bacteria number and dental plaque formation in a randomized clinical assessment. This study was divided into two parts. In Part A, we investigated the user experiences with the P-113 containing oral spray. In part B, 14 subjects in the experimental group used the P-113-containing oral spray, while 14 subjects in the control group used a placebo without the P-113 in a 4-week clinical trial. Participants were asked to use the P-113-containing oral spray or placebo 3 times per day and 5 times per use. Moreover, 3 check-ups and 2 washouts were carried out to evaluate the DMFT score, dental plaque weight, dental plaque index, and gingival index. In part A, up to 91.8% of the subjects in the experimental group were satisfied with the use of the P-113-containing oral spray. In part B, based on our PacBio SMRT sequencing platform and DADA2 analysis, the numbers of Streptococcus and Porphyromonas in the experimental group were lower than those in the control group. In addition, decreased dental plaque weight, dental plaque index, and gingival index were all observed in the experimental group. The P-113-containing oral spray has the potential to reduce the dental caries and periodontal disease-related bacteria and to control the dental plaque formation. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Allergic skin diseases may result from various types of chemical and biological allergens. This study investigated the association between ambient bioaerosol exposure and allergic skin diseases by using the exposure data obtained from land use regression models and interpolated data. Data on daily average outpatient visits for atopic dermatitis (ICD-9-CM 691.8) and contact dermatitis and other eczema (ICD-9-CM 692.9) between November 2011 and August 2012 were obtained from the National Health Insurance Research Database. A generalized estimating equation was used to analyze the associations between the skin diseases and ambient bioaerosol levels. The results indicated that during the study period, contact dermatitis and other eczema were more prevalent than atopic dermatitis in the study area. Most cases were observed in districts of Taipei City and 3 major districts of New Taipei City, namely Xinzhuang, Banqiao, and Xindian. In univariate analysis, most bioaerosols were positively associated with both skin diseases. After adjustment for air pollution and sociodemographic factors, exposure to total fungal spores was significantly associated with atopic dermatitis in males (relative risk [RR] = 1.12; 95% confidence interval [CI] = 1.05–1.19). Contact dermatitis and other eczema had significant relationships with Cladosporium in males (RR = 1.07; 95% CI = 1.02–1.14) and with Aspergillus / Penicillium in females (RR = 1.04; 95% CI = 1.02–1.07). Meteorological parameters, namely wind speed, temperature, and rainfall, were also significantly associated with skin diseases. Our findings reveal that exposure to ambient bioaerosols is a significant and independent risk factor for allergic skin diseases. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background/Purpose: Cigarette smoking, exposure to secondhand smoke, and arsenic exposure are well known risk factors for developing urothelial carcinoma (UC). We investigated the combined effects of cigarette smoking, exposure to secondhand smoke, and the presence of urinary total arsenic on the risk of developing UC. Methods: We conducted a hospital-based, case–control study involving 261 UC patients and 672 cancer-free control individuals between September 2002 and May 2009. Results: Individuals who had smoked <100 cigarettes in their lifetime (never smokers) and had a high urinary total arsenic level (≥15.40 μg/g creatinine), and those who had smoked >100 cigarettes in their lifetime (ever smokers) and had a high urinary total arsenic level, had increased risks of developing UC (3.20-fold and 6.45-fold greater), respectively, compared to individuals who were never smokers and had a low urinary total arsenic level. Individuals who had high urinary total arsenic levels and had been exposed to secondhand smoke, and individuals with high urinary arsenic levels who had not been exposed to secondhand smoke, had increased chances (2.71-fold and 5.00-fold greater, respectively) of developing UC, compared to individuals who were not exposed to secondhand smoke and had low urinary total arsenic levels. Ever smokers who had been exposed to secondhand smoke and had a high urinary total arsenic level had the greatest increased risk for developing UC (10.82-fold greater). Conclusion: Individuals in a Taiwanese population who smoked cigarettes, were exposed to secondhand smoke, and a high urinary total arsenic level, had a significant risk for developing UC. [Copyright &y& Elsevier]

This study presents the distribution of Cu, Zn, Pb, Cd, Hg and As invarious marine organisms collected along the western coast of Taiwanfrom 1991 to 1998, and also evaluates the time variation of Cu in oysters before (1980/85) and after (1986/98) the 'green oyster' incident. The results show that relatively high geometric mean (GM) concentrations of Cu, Zn, Pb, Cd, As and Hg were generally found in Crassostrea gigas (Cu=229 Mug/g, Zn=783 Mug/g), Gomphina aeguialtera (Pb=30.3 Mug/g), Tegillarca granosa (Cd=2.85 Mug/g), Thais clavigera (As=96.9 Mug/g) and Parapenaeopsis cornuta (Hg=1.35 Mug/g), respectively. Especially, maximum Cu and Zn concentrations (GM=229 and 783 Mug/g, respectively) in oysters (C. gigas) from different culture areas were muchhigher than those of the other organisms by about 1.13/458 and 2.40/63.7 times, respectively. Similarly, rock-shells (Thais clavigera) had a high capacity for accumulating Cu (GM=202 Mug/g) and Zn (GM=326 Mug/g) under the same physico-chemical conditions. The highest GM Cu and Zn concentrations of 1108 (range from 113 to 2806) and 1567 (rangefrom 303 to 3593) Mug/g were obtained in oysters from the Hsiangshancoastal area, one of the most important oyster culture areas in Taiwan. However, the highest GM Cd and As concentrations of 6.82 and 19.3Mug/g were found in oysters from the Machu Islands. Mean Cu concentrations in the oysters from the Erhjin Chi estuary declined from 2194+/-212 Mug/g in 1986/90 to 545 Mug/g (GM) in 1991/96. In the Hsiganshan area, GM Cu concentrations of 909 Mug/g (1991/96) and 1351 Mug/g (1997/98) in oysters were significantly higher than those of 201 Mug/g (1980/85) and 682 Mug/g (1986/90). The gradually increasing levels ofCu and Zn in the oysters from the Hsiangshan area have been observedyear by year. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Pollutant concentrations detected in oysters from 12 different culture areas of Taiwan (especially for the Hsiangshan area and the Machu Islands) from 1991/98 were evaluated to investigate potential carcinogenic (inorganic As and organochlorine pesticides) and non-carcinogenic (Cu, Zn, Cd and inorganic As) risk to the public from ingestion ofthe oysters. The highest geometric mean (GM) Cu and Zn concentrations of 1108 (range 113/2806) and 1567 (range 303/3593) mug/g dry weightwere obtained in oysters from the Hsiangshan coastal area. The maximum GM Cd and As concentrations of 6.82 and 19.3 mug/g dry weight werefound in oysters from the Machu Islands area. The p,p'-DDE values range from not detectable in Penghu Islands' oysters to 164 ng/g dry weight in Machu Islands' oysters. The highest tDDT (sum of p,p'-DDE, p,p'-DDD and p,p'-DDT) concentrations of 337 and 340 ng/g dry weight were found in oysters from Kimmen and Machu Islands, respectively. A calculated target hazard quotient (THQ; daily intake/reference dose) of11.4 (based on 139 g oysters/day) for Cu caused by consuming oystersfrom the Hsiangshan area is higher than that from other areas (range0.124/5.95). The highest average Cu intake from Hsiangshan's oystersfor individuals is 11.4 times (i.e. THQ=11.4) more than that of reference dose (40 mug/kg/day). However, the maximum THQ values for Cd and As caused by consuming oysters collected from the Machu Islands were 5.57 and 2.63 for Cd and As, respectively. Generally, the results of THQ showed that if only the maximally exposed individuals were considered, the value of 65.4% for oyster was higher than 1.0 in comparison with reference dose. All cancer risk estimates for inorganic As from consuming oysters were higher than 10-6 (range from 128x 10-6 to 509x 10-6 for maximally exposed individuals and range from 17.1x 10-6 to 68.0x 10-6 for typically exposed individuals, respectively); that is the risk ofthe low [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Pig farming is a major industry in southern Taiwan, with two million pigs being raised along the banks of the Kaoping River. Excretions from pigs are discharged into the river and carried into the sea. In this study, 24 surface sediments and 1 sediment core off southwestern Taiwan were analyzed to determine, quantitatively, the extent of coprostanol addition and its distribution, and to obtain the input of coprostanol over the past. Geographically, the percent of coprostanol is highest around the river mouth, and decreases to about 1&percnt; at the shelf break and close to 0 at 40 nautical miles from the river mouth. The progressive seaward decline of the percent of coprostanol from the river mouth can be attributed to dilution of coprostanol by uncontaminated sediment and&sol;or sediment containing lower levels of coprostanol, dilution of coprostanol by biogenic sterols, and degradation of coprostanol. Kaoping Canyon sediments contain a high percent of coprostanol, which can be attributed to a direct input of river sediments, canyon currents being alternate up canyon and down canyon, and the blocking effect of a high topographic. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]