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Macroalgae (seaweeds) are abundant in functional polysaccharides known for their unique biochemical activities. In this study, the antioxidant, anti-lipogenic, and anti-inflammatory activities of the fucoidan extracted from brown seaweed Sargassum siliquosum were investigated by 1,1-diphenyl-2-picrylhydrazyl (DPPH)-scavenging ability, lipid synthesis inhibition, and suppression of pro-inflammatory cytokine tumor necrosis factor-alpha (TNF-α) production, respectively. To examine the effect of molecular mass on fucoidan's bioactivities above, the extracted fucoidan was subject to hydrogen peroxide-mediated partial hydrolysis to obtain lower molecular mass compounds within the range of 107.3–3.2 kDa. Results indicated that fucoidan's antioxidant activity increased with a corresponding decrease in molecular mass; the dosage for the half-maximal response (EC50) dropped from 2.58 to 1.82 mg/mL when the molecular mass decreased from 107.3 to 3.2 kDa. In addition, both the anti-lipogenesis and anti-inflammatory activities of fucoidan were significantly enhanced by 71.1% and 36.7%, respectively, when the molecular mass decreased to about 3 kDa. To further test the effect of sulfation on fucoidan's bioactivities, low molecular mass fucoidan was treated with SO3-DMF to increase the sulfate content. The results indicated that when sulfate content increased from 18.7% to 32.1%, EC50 of DPPH decreased from 1.82 mg/mL to 0.86 mg/mL and the anti-inflammatory activity also increased by 35.2%; however, the anti-lipogenesis activity decreased.

Continuous positive airway pressure (CPAP) is a standard treatment for obstructive sleep apnea (OSA). However, CPAP has limitations. High-flow nasal cannula (HFNC) is already in use for various types of respiratory diseases. As HFNC generates positive airway pressure, it may be a potential candidate for OSA treatment. This prospective study compared the therapeutic effects of HFNC to CPAP in patients with OSA. Patients whose apnea–hypopnea index (AHI) was > 5 events/h were enrolled in this study. All participants were randomly divided into two groups. The first group underwent CPAP the first night and HFNC the second night. Conversely, the second group received HFNC the first night and CPAP the second night. Their respiratory events and sleep quality were compared using baseline polysomnography, CPAP, and HFNC. In total, 28 participants completed this study. Median [interquartile range] AHI (35.0 [20.0–48.6] vs. 10.8 [5.5–20.6] events/h; p

The number of patients requiring prolonged mechanical ventilation (PMV) is increasing worldwide, placing a burden on healthcare systems. Therefore, investigating the pathophysiology, risk factors, and treatment for PMV is crucial. Various underlying comorbidities have been associated with PMV. The pathophysiology of PMV includes the presence of an abnormal respiratory drive or ventilator-induced diaphragm dysfunction. Numerous studies have demonstrated that ventilator-induced diaphragm dysfunction is related to increases in in-hospital deaths, nosocomial pneumonia, oxidative stress, lung tissue hypoxia, ventilator dependence, and costs. Thus far, the pathophysiologic evidence for PMV has been derived from clinical human studies and experimental studies in animals. Moreover, recent studies have demonstrated the outcome benefits of pharmacological agents and rehabilitative programs for patients requiring PMV. However, methodological limitations affected these studies. Controlled prospective studies with an adequate number of participants are necessary to provide evidence of the mechanism, prognosis, and treatment of PMV. The great epidemiologic impact of PMV and the potential development of treatment make this a key research field.

Mechanical ventilation (MV) is essential for patients with sepsis-related respiratory failure but can cause ventilator-induced diaphragm dysfunction (VIDD), which involves diaphragmatic myofiber atrophy and contractile inactivity. Mitochondrial DNA, oxidative stress, mitochondrial dynamics, and biogenesis are associated with VIDD. Hypoxia-inducible factor 1α (HIF-1α) is crucial in the modulation of diaphragm immune responses. The mechanism through which HIF-1α and mitochondria affect sepsis-related diaphragm injury is unknown. We hypothesized that MV with or without endotoxin administration would aggravate diaphragmatic and mitochondrial injuries through HIF-1α. C57BL/6 mice, either wild-type or HIF-1α-deficient, were exposed to MV with or without endotoxemia for 8 h. MV with endotoxemia augmented VIDD and mitochondrial damage, which presented as increased oxidative loads, dynamin-related protein 1 level, mitochondrial DNA level, and the expressions of HIF-1α and light chain 3-II. Furthermore, disarrayed myofibrils; disorganized mitochondria; increased autophagosome numbers; and substantially decreased diaphragm contractility, electron transport chain activities, mitofusin 2, mitochondrial transcription factor A, peroxisome proliferator activated receptor-γ coactivator-1α, and prolyl hydroxylase domain 2 were observed (p < 0.05). Endotoxin-stimulated VIDD and mitochondrial injuries were alleviated in HIF-1α-deficient mice (p < 0.05). Our data revealed that endotoxin aggravated MV-induced diaphragmatic dysfunction and mitochondrial damages, partially through the HIF-1α signaling pathway.

Snoring, apnea, and arousal are commonly observed during sleep in patients with obstructive sleep apnea (OSA), and these nocturnal symptoms frequently disturb their bed partners. We aimed to evaluate the sleep disturbance and depressive tendency in the bed partners of patients with OSA. A cross-sectional, prospective study was conducted. A total of 136 patients with OSA and their bed partners were recruited. We analyzed the demographic data of both patients with OSA and bed partners and the polysomnography parameters of patients with OSA. The sleep quality of bed partners was assessed using the Chinese version of the Pittsburgh Sleep Quality Index (PSQI), and depressive symptoms were evaluated using the Center for Epidemiologic Studies Depression Scale (CES-D). The mean apnea–hypopnea index (AHI) was 43.5/h among all participants (76.5% male). Among bed partners, the mean PSQI score was 7.8 and the mean CES-D score was 15.4. The prevalence of chronic disease was significantly higher in bed partners with sleep disturbance (PSQI > 5) and depressive tendency (CES-D ≥ 16). The AHI and snore index of patients with OSA were not associated with bed partners’ sleep disturbance and depressive tendency, which were stratified according to PSQI (> 5 and ≤ 5) and CES-D (≥ 16 and r = 0.426, p

The power consumption (PC), window margin (WM), thermal stability (TS), and reliability [i.e., endurance (EN) and retention-time (RT)] of aluminum nitride (AlN) resistive random access memory (RRAM) devices with different film orientations [i.e., amorphous, (100)- and (002)-oriented] are investigated. It is shown that the charge carrier transport mechanism of the three devices is dominated by Ohmic behavior under low electric fields and the trap-controlled space charge limited current (TC-SCLC) model under high electric fields. Among the three devices, the (002)-oriented AlN sample provides the best overall PC, WM, TS, EN, and RT performance due to its ${c}$ -axis orientation, which is favorable for the formation and rupture of the vertically arranged conductive filaments (CFs) in the AlN film.

Wei-Ke Kuo,1 Yu-Chih Liu,1,2 Chien-Ming Chu,1 Chung-Ching Hua,1,2 Chih-Yu Huang,1 Min-Hui Liu,2,3 Chao-Hung Wang2,3 1Division of Pulmonary, Critical Care, and Sleep Medicine, Department of Internal Medicine, Chang Gung Memorial Hospital, Keelung, Taiwan; 2Chang Gung University, College of Medicine, Taoyuan, Taiwan; 3Heart Failure Research Center, Division of Cardiology, Department of Internal Medicine, Chang Gung Memorial Hospital, Keelung, TaiwanCorrespondence: Chao-Hung WangHeart Failure Research Center, Division of Cardiology, Department of Internal Medicine, Chang Gung Memorial Hospital, No. 222, Maijin Road, Anle District, Keelung City 204, TaiwanTel +886-2-24313131 ext 2245Fax +886-2-24335342Email bearty54@gmail.comBackground: The BODE index is a multidimensional grading system for predicting the prognoses of patients with chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD). This study investigated whether an amino acids-based metabolic profile developed for heart failure patients (including histidine, ornithine, phenylalanine, and leucine) could identify COPD patients and further discriminates COPD patients in advanced BODE stages.Methods: Ultra-performance liquid chromatography was performed on 119 participants, including 75 COPD patients at different BODE stages and 44 normal controls. Albumin, pre-albumin, transferrin, high sensitivity C-reactive protein, and hand grip strength were also measured. Receiver operating characteristic curves and area under curves were used for estimation.Results: The BODE points in our patients were 3.29 [95% confidence interval (CI) = 2.74–3.85]. Compared to normal controls, COPD patients had lower leucine but higher ornithine levels. A COPD score, developed based on leucine and ornithine, significantly discriminated COPD from normal controls [odds ratio (OR) = 2.71, 95% CI = 1.83–4.04, p

A 0.6-V wideband Low-Noise Amplifier (LNA) design using a 0.18 μm CMOS standard process is presented in this paper. An important goal for the design is to achieve wideband under a low supply voltage. The presented LNA design is a three-stage amplifier, which is based on a common gate stage and two common source stages. The common gate stage provides a wideband input matching. The two common source stages provide a flat gain. A forward body bias technique is used to reduce the supply voltage of the wideband LNA. The forward body bias, that is, the body-source voltage (VBS) is greater than 0 V, decreases the threshold voltage of the NMOS transistor, achieving the low voltage LNA. The supply voltage that is applied to the wideband LNA is only 0.6 V and the Power Consumption (PDC) is 9.24 mW. Simulation results indicate that the gain exceeds 10 dB and the Noise Figure (NF) is below 6.5 dB from 1.62 GHz to 7.02 GHz. The main advantage of the LNA is it's wideband with a low supply voltage.

Chung-Chieh Yu,1–3 Chih-Yu Huang,1–3Wei-Ke Kuo,1–3 Chung-Yao Chen2,4 1Division of Pulmonary Critical Care and Sleep Medicine, Chang Gung Memorial Hospital, Keelung, Taiwan; 2Department of Medicine, College of Medicine, Chang Gung University, Taoyuan City, Taiwan; 3Department of Respiratory Therapy, Chang Gung Memorial Hospital, Keelung, Taiwan; 4Department of Physical Medicine and Rehabilitation, Chang Gung Memorial Hospital, Keelung, Taiwan Objectives: To assess the effect of continuous positive airway pressure (CPAP) on nocturia in ischemic stroke patients with obstructive sleep apnea (OSA).Methods: This was a prospective and non-randomized controlled study in which ischemic stroke patients with OSA being treated in a rehabilitation ward were enrolled. The participants who tolerated CPAP were classified as the CPAP group, while those who refused or could not tolerate CPAP were classified as the control group. The percentage change of nocturia before and after 2 weeks of CPAP therapy between the two groups were compared.Results: A total of 44 participants were enrolled in and 35 participants (mean age=59.8±11.7 years old; mean apnea hypopnea index=42.9±16.7/h) completed the study (control group: 14, CPAP group: 21). Overall, 69% of the participants had nocturnal polyuria and 69% of them had more than one nocturia episode per night. The baseline and initial nocturia characteristics did not differ significantly between the two groups. As compared to the control group, CPAP therapy significantly decreased the nocturnal polyuria index (mean percentage change: 9% vs -21% (P=0.005)) and nocturnal urine output (mean percentage change: 6% vs -26% (P=0.04)), but not the nocturia episodes or 24-hours total urine output.Conclusion: Nocturia due to nocturnal polyuria is very common in post-stroke patients with OSA. Treating OSA by CPAP significantly reduces nocturnal polyuria, but not nocturia frequency, in ischemic stroke patients. Keywords: nocturia, nocturnal polyuria index, nocturnal urine output, multiple comorbidities &nbsp

Microbial production of industrial chemicals is a sustainable approach to reduce the dependence on petroleum-based chemicals such as acids, alcohols, and amines, in which the cadaverine is a natural diamide and serves as one of the key monomers for biopolymer production. In this study, the constitutive promoter J23100 driven lysine decarboxylase (CadA) for cadaverine production was established and compared in different Escherichia coli strains. The best chassis designed as JW, expressed the highest amount of CadA by using J23100 promoter, showing stable and high copy numbers (i.e., PCN > 100) when culture in the antibiotic-free medium. JW attained a CadA activity of 167 g-DAP/g-DCW-h and had the maximum biocatalyst of 45.6 g-DCW/L in fed-batch fermentation. In addition, JW was able to convert 2.5 M L-lysine to 221 g/L cadaverine, with 86 % yield and 55.3 g/L-h productivity. The whole-cell biocatalyst could be reused over four times at an average of 97 % conversion when supplied half of fresh cells in the reaction. This work developed a stable, constitutive expression, long-term preservation, high-level expression of CadA for DAP production, and paved an alternative opportunity of bio-nylon for industry in the future.

Mechanical ventilation (MV) is required to maintain life for patients with sepsis-related acute lung injury but can cause diaphragmatic myotrauma with muscle damage and weakness, known as ventilator-induced diaphragm dysfunction (VIDD). Hypoxia-inducible factor 1α (HIF-1α) plays a crucial role in inducing inflammation and apoptosis. Low-molecular-weight heparin (LMWH) was proven to have anti-inflammatory properties. However, HIF-1α and LMWH affect sepsis-related diaphragm injury has not been investigated. We hypothesized that LMWH would reduce endotoxin-augmented VIDD through HIF-1α. C57BL/6 mice, either wild-type or HIF-1α–deficient, were exposed to MV with or without endotoxemia for 8 h. Enoxaparin (4 mg/kg) was administered subcutaneously 30 min before MV. MV with endotoxemia aggravated VIDD, as demonstrated by increased interleukin-6 and macrophage inflammatory protein-2 levels, oxidative loads, and the expression of HIF-1α, calpain, caspase-3, atrogin-1, muscle ring finger-1, and microtubule-associated protein light chain 3-II. Disorganized myofibrils, disrupted mitochondria, increased numbers of autophagic and apoptotic mediators, substantial apoptosis of diaphragm muscle fibers, and decreased diaphragm function were also observed (p &lt, 0.05). Endotoxin-exacerbated VIDD and myonuclear apoptosis were attenuated by pharmacologic inhibition by LMWH and in HIF-1α–deficient mice (p &lt, 0.05). Our data indicate that enoxaparin reduces endotoxin-augmented MV-induced diaphragmatic injury, partially through HIF-1α pathway inhibition.

Continuous positive airway pressure (CPAP) is a standard treatment for obstructive sleep apnea (OSA). However, CPAP has limitations. High-flow nasal cannula (HFNC) is already in use for various types of respiratory diseases. As HFNC generates positive airway pressure, it may be a potential candidate for OSA treatment. This prospective study compared the therapeutic effects of HFNC to CPAP in patients with OSA.Patients whose apnea-hypopnea index (AHI) was 5 events/h were enrolled in this study. All participants were randomly divided into two groups. The first group underwent CPAP the first night and HFNC the second night. Conversely, the second group received HFNC the first night and CPAP the second night. Their respiratory events and sleep quality were compared using baseline polysomnography, CPAP, and HFNC.In total, 28 participants completed this study. Median [interquartile range] AHI (35.0 [20.0-48.6] vs. 10.8 [5.5-20.6] events/h; p 0.001) was significantly improved by the HFNC. However, sleep quality was not improved. When CPAP was compared directly with HFNC, CPAP demonstrated a more favorable effect for respiratory events (AHI 5.0 [2.0-7.0] vs. 10.8 [5.5-20.6] events/h; p 0.001) and sleep efficiency (88.1 [79.9-92.5] vs. 77.9 [69.2-86.6] %; p = 0.001).The efficacy of CPAP was superior to HFNC for both respiratory events and sleep quality.ClinicalTrials.gov Identifier: NCT03843372; URL: www.gov ; Date of registration: November 2, 2019.

Highly (100)-oriented lead-free Na0.5K0.5NbO3 (NKN) + 40 mol% Na(I) and K(I) thin films are fabricated on Pt/Ti/SiO2/Si substrates via a sol-gel processing method. A two-stage post-annealing process consisting of rapid thermal annealing (RTA) at various temperatures in the range of 650 ∼ 850 °C followed by tube furnace (TF) treatment at a temperature of 700 °C is then employed to modify the microstructure and chemical bonds of the NKN films in an attempt to improve their dielectric and ferroelectric properties. It is shown that the optimal values of the dielectric constant (e = 658 at 100 kHz), dielectric loss (tanδ = 0.113 at 100 kHz), remnant polarization (2Pr = 17.1 μC/cm2 at 1 kHz), and coercive field (2Ec = 372 kV/cm at 1 kHz) are obtained when using an RTA temperature of 750 °C. The superior electrical properties of the NKN film are the results mainly of an improved crystallization, a higher film density and a denser grain structure. It is shown that the ferroelectric properties of the NKN film are maintained for more than 25000 cycles in thermal environments of less than 150 °C. Hence, it is inferred that NKN has good thermal stability and endurance for ferroelectric devices.

Aluminum nitride (AlN) thin films with different orientations (i.e., amorphous, (100)- and (002)-oriented) are deposited on Pt/Ti/SiO2/Si substrates via the radio-frequency (RF) sputtering method. Among the three films, the amorphous AlN film is found to provide both the lowest leakage current (2.6 × 10−11 A) and the largest memory window size (3.1 × 106). Moreover, the observation results suggest that the thermal activation energy has a greater effect on the conduction behavior of the Ag/AlN/Pt structures than the microstructure, surface morphology, or chemical bonds.

Spectroscopic stimulated Raman scattering (SRS) microscopy is a label-free technique that generates chemical maps of live cells or tissues. A handheld SRS imaging system using an optical fiber for laser delivery will further enable in situ and in vivo compositional analysis for applications such as medical diagnosis and surgical guidance. In fiber-delivered SRS, the interaction of two ultrashort pulses in the confined mode area creates a significant background that overwhelms the stimulated Raman signal from a sample. Here, we report the first background-free fiber-delivered handheld SRS microscope for in situ chemical imaging. By temporally separating the two ultrafast pulses propagating in the fiber and then overlapping them on a sample through a highly dispersive material, we detected a stimulated Raman signal that is 200 times weaker than the background induced by the fiber. Broad applications of the handheld SRS microscope were demonstrated through in situ ambient-light chemical mapping of pesticide ...

Background: Patients with severe sepsis frequently require intensive care unit (ICU) admission and different ICU care models may influence their outcomes. The mortality of severe septic patients between physician's high and low care volume remains unclear. Methods: We analyzed the data from a three-year prospective observation study, which was performed in an adult medical ICU of Chung Gung Memorial Hospital, Keelung. The data included initial bundle therapies based on the Surviving Sepsis Campaign (SSC) guidelines for patients with severe sepsis. Results: Clinical data of total 484 patients with severe sepsis were recorded. Cox regression model showed that physician's care volume was an independent factor for lowering mortality in ICU patients with severe sepsis (hazard ratio 0.708; 95% confidence interval 0.514–0.974; p = 0.034). Patients treated by high care volume physician had four out of nine bundle therapies that were significantly higher in percentage following the SSC guidelines. These four therapies were renal replacement therapy, administration of low-dose steroids for septic shock, prophylaxis of gastro-intestinal bleeding, and control of hyperglycemia. Conclusion: High care volume physician may decrease mortality in ICU patients with severe sepsis through fitting bundle therapies for sepsis.

Background. A conventional centrally inserted central catheter (CICC) is frequently used to measure central venous pressure (CVP) to monitor the cardiocirculatory status of patients. The tip of the totally implanted port (TIP) is inserted at the same location in the superior vena cava as that of a CICC, and the TIP has been implanted in many patients with cancer. Measurements of CVP using CICC (CICCP) and TIP (TIPP) may be closely related. Material and Methods. Ten patients with TIPs in an intensive care unit were prospectively studied, and 121 records of 4536 paired CICCP and TIPP measurements were collected. A bench test in a static or dynamic setting was performed, and 598 paired measurements taken using CICC and TIP were recorded. Results. The measurement of TIPP was highly correlated with that of CICCP in patients with cancer, especially those in a calm state. Patients with a calm state and ≥3 consecutive identical TIPP were recorded (≥30 seconds), and 90% of the mean difference between CICCP and TIPP was ≤2 mmHg. The pressure measurements recorded using CICC and TIP were identical in both the static and dynamic bench tests. Conclusions. TIP may be an alternative to CICC for measuring CVP.

Chih-Yu Huang,1 Chung-Chieh Yu1,21Division of Pulmonary, Critical Care, and Sleep Medicine, Chang Gung Memorial Hospital, Keelung, Taiwan, Republic of China; 2College of Medicine, Chang Gung University, Taoyuan, Taiwan, Republic of ChinaObjective: Periodic leg movement in sleep (PLMS) is common among patients with obstructive sleep apnea (OSA). The PLMS frequency changes after continuous positive airway pressure (CPAP) titration. This study investigated the effects of two PLMS diagnostic criteria on PLMS prevalence and the restless leg syndrome (RLS) detection rate in patients with OSA before and after CPAP titration.Methods: This retrospective study included patients with OSA who received polysomnography (PSG) and successful CPAP titration from December 2012 to December 2014. Their clinical variables and sleep parameters were evaluated using the PLMS diagnostic criteria: PLMS index (PLMI) ≥5 and ≥15. PLMS prevalence and the RLS detection rate were analyzed according to the PLMI before and after CPAP.Results: In patients with OSA with a PLMI of ≥5 and ≥15 after PSG with CPAP titration, the PLMS prevalence was 20.1% (76/378) and 4.5% (17/378), respectively, which revealed CPAP titration increased PLMI. Moreover, in terms of PLMI ≥5 and ≥15, PSG with CPAP titration led to significantly higher PLMS prevalence than PSG alone (20.1% vs 7.1% and 4.5% vs 0.8%, respectively; both P

The use of magnetic nanoparticles (MNPs) magnetized on applying an alternating magnetic field (AMF) to stimulate the thermal characteristics and to induce tumor apoptosis is a currently active area of research in cancer treatment. In previous work, we developed biocompatible and superparamagnetic polystyrene-sulfonic-acid-coated magnetic nanoparticles (PSS-MNPs) as applications for magnetically labeled cell trapping, but without assessment of treatment effects on tumor diseases. In the present work, we examined PSS-MNP-induced magnetic fluid hyperthermia (MFH) on SK-Hep1 hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) cells for lethal thermal effects with a self-made AMF system; an adjustable AMF frequency generated a variable intensity of magnetic field and induced MNP relaxation. The extracellular and intracellular MFH treatments on a SK-Hep1 cell line were implemented in vitro; the result indicates that the lethal effects were efficient and caused a significantly decreased cell viability of SK-Hep1 cells. As the PSS-MNP concentration decreased, especially in intracellular MFH treatments, the MFH effects on cells, however, largely decreased through heat spreading to the culture medium. On controlling and decreasing the volume of culture medium, the problem of heat spreading was solved. It can be consequently expected that PSS-MNPs would be a prospective agent for intracellular cancer magnetotherapy.

Fucoidans are sulfated polysaccharides of marine origin and they have distinguished biological applications due to their anti-viral, anti-inflammatory, anti-angiogenic, and anti-tumorigenic potential. In this study, fucoidan was extracted from a brown macroalga (Sargassum siliquosum) using microwave-assisted extraction (MAE) and ultrasound-assisted extraction (UAE). MAE under the condition of 750 W, 10 min, and a liquid/solid ratio of 15 mL/g, showed higher extraction efficiency with a total sugar yield of 6.94% per dry weight. The crude fucoidan obtained with ethanol precipitation was further purified by isoelectric point precipitation and calcium chloride addition (for protein and uronic acid removal), followed by anion-exchange chromatography (AEC) and dialysis. The purity of the polysaccharides content of crude fucoidan increased from 33.3–64.5% with a total sugar recovery of 50.3%. Based on the sugar and sulfate group (the major components of fucoidan), the purity of the final sulfated polysaccharides product is nearly 84.0%, and this purified fucoidan product was found to display biological activities linked to anti-lipogenesis with 28.9% decreased lipid synthesis in contrast to the free-fatty-acid-induced control.

Background Predicting acute renal failure in patients with severe sepsis is important, because patients may need renal replacement therapy (RRT). Neutrophil gelatinase-associated lipocalin (NGAL) has been evaluated for its ability to detect and predict acute kidney injury (AKI) in critically ill patients. This study aimed to assess the predictive value of plasma NGAL for acute renal failure in adult severely septic patients. Methods Thirty healthy adults and 85 adult patients admitted to the medical intensive care unit (ICU) were enrolled. Serum creatinine, plasma NGAL, and interleukin (IL)-6, IL-10, and IL-17 levels were evaluated. AKI was classified as Risk, Injury, Failure, Loss of kidney function, and End-stage kidney disease (RIFLE). Results RIFLE-Failure (RIFLE-F) developed in 30 of 76 (39.5%) patients with severe sepsis without chronic kidney disease within 7 days after ICU admission. Serum creatinine, plasma NGAL, IL-6, and IL-10 could predict RIFLE-F within 7 days after ICU admission. The discriminatory power of plasma NGAL was not significant for predicting hospital mortality. The area under the receiver operating characteristic curve of plasma NGAL was not higher than that of serum creatinine in predicting RIFLE-F within 7 days. Conclusion Plasma NGAL is a useful tool for predicting acute renal failure in adult patients with severe sepsis. Serum creatinine has a similar ability to detect RIFLE-F occurrence.

In this paper, we propose a technique by integrating mechanical mounts into lens elements to fulfill a self-aligned and self-assembled optical system. To prove this concept, we designed, fabricated, and tested an ultra-compact endoscope that adopts this technique. By taking advantages of the specially designed fixture and observing the interference fringes between the lens and fixture, we developed a method to minimize decenter and tilt between the two surfaces of the endoscope lens during the diamond turning fabrication process. The integrated mechanical mounts provide an easy assembly process for the endoscope system while maintaining high accuracy in system alignment. With the application of heat shrink tube as the endoscope system holder and to block stray light, the proposed endoscope system has the advantages of low cost, compact size, and high imaging quality.

Background/Purpose Interleukin (IL)-17 family members (IL-17A to IL-17F) are appearing to play key roles in host defense and inflammatory disease. Recently, several cytokines, such as IL-6, IL-10, IL-12, and transforming growth factor (TGF)-β1, were shown to have vital roles in severe sepsis. However, the influence of IL-17 on these cytokine responses from peripheral blood mononuclear cells (PBMCs) is unclear. Methods Fifty-two patients who were admitted to our intensive care unit (ICU) because of severe sepsis were enrolled into this study. To validate experimental findings, 25 healthy controls were enrolled. Lipopolysaccharide-stimulated PBMCs with IL-17 or anti-IL-17 treatments were cultured for 24 hours. IL-6, IL-10, IL-12, and TGF-β1 levels in supernatants were measured. Results The IL-12 production from stimulated PBMCs was increased after IL-17 treatment in both control and patient groups. Additional treatment of anti-IL-17 enhanced IL-10 production but decreased IL-12 production from stimulated PBMCs of healthy controls and patients with severe sepsis. Conclusion IL-17 was helpful for inflammation in severe sepsis. Lack of IL-17 decreased IL-12 and enhanced IL-10 production from PBMCs, which resulted in immune imbalance.

Nb-doped ZnO (NbxZn1−xO, NZO) thin films with various Nb additions (x = 0, 0.2, 0.5, and 0.8 at. %) were deposited on Pt/TiO2/SiO2/Si substrates by radio frequency magnetron sputtering. The Nb doping concentration was found to affect the microstructure, the number of oxygen vacancies, and work function of the Pt/NZO/Pt structures. Among the various devices, the film with 0.5 at. % Nb addition showed a better switching-voltage stability [i.e., the optimal coefficient of variation (Cv) for reset (7.02%) and set (2.73%) operations, respectively], a high endurance (∼1000 cycles), and lower reset (0.57 V) and set (1.83 V) voltages due to a larger number of oxygen vacancies and a lower work function. In general, the results show that the present NZO thin films are promising candidates for stable and low power-consumption resistive random access memory applications.

Cadaverine, also known as 1,5-diaminopentane, is a biogenic amine particularly used for the synthesis of nylon. Cadaverine can be efficiently synthesized through decarboxylation of lysine in microorganisms. However, the respective metabolic pathways in Escherichia coli results in many byproducts in parallel with cadaverine synthesis via genes such as speE, speG, ygjG, and puuA. In this study, nine different types of deletion strains were constructed from the aforementioned four genes to explore their effects on cadaverine production in a T7 promoter based systemic bicistronic cadA-cadB transformed recombinant E. coli. Results show that all the deletion strains could increase cadaverine productivity compared to the deletion-free strain when the culture was supplemented with l -lysine. The cadaverine production from l -lysine with the deletion strains increased 3 folds when compared with that of the deletion-free strain at the cultivation time of 16 h. This indicates that the deletion strain could successfully facilitate lysine consumption and block the undesirable metabolic pathways.

A simple protocol for the synthesis of quinic acid derivatives was established and their biological evolution against T-cells is studied. Results showed that one of the derivatives, Cyn-1324, has low toxicity on T-cells and a high effect on reducing Signal 2 of T-cell immune responses. In vitro binding measurements of atomic force spectroscopy further indicated that the blocking effect of Cyn-1324 between CD28 and CD80 was about 31 ± 4%. In vivo animal tests also confirmed that Cyn-1324 can reduce the allergic responses from ovalbumin-induced mice with little toxicity. Based on these observations, Cyn-1324 can be a mild immuno-suppressive candidate for future drug development.