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Synergistic Effect of Combination of a Temoporfin-Based Photodynamic Therapy with Potassium Iodide or Antibacterial Agents on Oral Disease Pathogens In Vitro
No full text[[abstract]]5, 10, 15, 20-Tetrakis(3-hydroxyphenyl)chlorin (temoporfin) is a photosensitizer used in photodynamic therapy for oral cancer and periodontal disease treatment. This study determined the minimum inhibitory concentrations (MICs) and minimum bactericidal concentrations (MBCs) of temoporfin. Additionally, the combination of potassium iodide (KI) or antimicrobial agents in oral pathogens under hypoxic or normoxic conditions were determined. We also evaluated the biofilm removal effect and detected the expressions of the antibiotic resistance-related genes and biofilm formation-related genes of methicillin-resistant staphylococcus aureus (MRSA). The results provided reveal that the combination of the temoporfin and KI had a synergistic effect of reducing the MICs and MBCs of Lactobacillus acidophilus and Lactobacillus paracasei under normoxic and hypoxic conditions due to increasing H2O2 production. Temoporfin increased the biofilm removal of Aggregatibacter actinomycetemcomitans, Enterococcus faecalis, and Staphylococcus aureus under normoxic condition, and it reduced the antibiotic resistance-related genes expression of MRSA. The combination of temoporfin with ampicillin or chlorhexidine significantly enhanced the bactericidal effect on MRSA. This study provides a potential application of temoporfin on the clinical side against oral pathogens and the prevention of oral diseases
Investigation of the influence of crosslinking activation methods on the physicochemical and Cu(II) adsorption characteristics of cellulose hydrogels
No full text[[abstract]]Hydrogels represent an attractive soft material with promising applications in many fields. Conventional methods for hydrogel preparation typically involve heat curing either by water-bath (WB) heating or microwave (MW) irradiation to facilitate crosslinking. However, a detailed investigation of the influence of WB- and MW-mediated crosslinking process on the characteristics of hydrogels has been rarely reported. This work aims to evaluate the physicochemical properties of epichlorohydrin (ECH) crosslinked cellulose hydrogels prepared by WB and MW heating methods, including pore morphology, chemical composition, crystallinity, thermal stability, and water absorption capacity. The results showed that MW heating could accelerate the crosslinking reaction between cellulose and ECH to produce robust hydrogel, with a 3 min total irradiation time at 400 W compared to 2 h at 60 °C under conventional WB heating. The total utility cost to produce WBH is US 0.004). The estimation of the total production cost of MWH on a large scale is US$ 2.86 per kg. Moreover, the as-prepared MWH displayed outstanding performance in Cu(II) removal at 30 °C and pH 7, with a maximum adsorption capacity of 119 mg/g, respectively. The kinetic and equilibrium behaviors of Cu(II) ions on WBH and MWH were best described by pseudo-second order and Langmuir isotherm models, respectively
全家玩社群、商務飛沖天
No full text[[abstract]]社群商務是電子商務與社群媒體融合轉變的一種創新商業模式，並賦予消費者擁有影響他人消費決策的權力，且提升消費者在電子商務交易中的談判地位。從2016年開始，全家超商投入行動會員APP的開發，並轉型為社群商務零售通路商。而至2020年，其會員數高達1300萬人，是統一超商的兩倍，且來自會員的營收佔比更高達總營收四成，儼然是一個通路業者轉型為科技零售業的成功案例。儘管過去文獻對電子商務平台成效進行大量研究，但對社群商務成效及其影響因素的理解仍是有限的。因此，本研究希冀從社會支持理論、使用和滿足理論、及資訊系統成功模型等文獻，萃取一些可促進全家社群商務會員的滿意、參與意願及購買頻率等重要因素，並提出一個全新的社群商務成效模型，且對205名有效受訪者進行問卷實證分析研究。研究結果表明，社群商務成效很大程度上取決於技術因素（系統品質和服務品質）、動機因素（享樂動機和功利動機）與社交因素（社群支持）。在這些因素當中，系統品質、顧客參與、客戶滿意與社群支持四大因素對全家社群商務平台的購買頻率成效最為顯著。而本研究依據此結果提出理論和實務意涵與建議。[[abstract]]Social commerce is an innovative business model that integrates e-commerce and social media. It enhances consumers' bargaining status in e-commerce transactions. Since 2016, FamilyMart has invested in mobile membership Apps and transformed into a retail distributor of social commerce. By 2020, its membership number is as high as 13 million, which is twice that of Taiwan 7-Elevn, and the revenue from members for as much as 40% of the total revenue.Although there were a lot of research on the effectiveness of e-commerce, the understanding of the effectiveness of social commerce and its influencing factors are still limited. Therefore, this study hopes to extract some important factors that can promote the satisfaction, engagement and repurchase of members of FamilyMart from the literature of social support theory, use and satisfaction theory, and information system success model. We proposed a new model for social commerce effectiveness and conducted a survey and analysis on 205 effective respondents. The results show that the effectiveness of FamilyMart's social commerce largely depends on technical factors (system quality and service quality), motivation factors (hedonic motivation and utilitarian motivation) and social factors (social support). Based on this result, we put forward theoretical and practical implications and suggestions
路跑參與者認真性休閒、遊憩專門化與幸福感之研究
No full text[[abstract]]本研究旨在瞭解認真性休閒、遊憩專門化與幸福感之關聯性。以參加路跑運動社群之參與者為研究對象，使用「認真性休閒量表」、「遊憩專門化量表」及「幸福感量表」為研究工具，透過google表單發放有效問卷311份。其研究結果顯示：一、路跑參與者背景變項最多是「女性」、「未婚」，年齡以「20-29歲」，教育程度以「大學」，每月平均所得20,000元以下之參與者最多。二、不同背景變項參與者在認真性休閒、遊憩專門化與幸福感之間具有部分顯著差異。三、認真性休閒對遊憩專門化有顯著的正向關係；認真性休閒對幸福感有顯著的正向關係；遊憩專門化對幸福感有顯著的正向關係。根據研究結果提供給想參與路跑活動者與認真休閒者在實務上的建議。另外，也提供後續研究之參考。[[abstract]]This research is for the purpose of understanding relatedness of serious leisure, recreation specialization and well-being. This research the road running participants as object of study. The data were collected using ＂Questionnaire of serious leisure, recreation specialization and well-being＂. For descriptive statistic, t-test, one way ANOVA and Structural Equation Modeling, were used to analyze those questionnaires. Provides questionnaire with the Google form to the tourists and 311 valid copies were retrieved. Results of the research are described as follows: 1.Most of the participants is females, unmarried, age from 20 to 29, they have an education of university and their mean monthly salaries are under NT$20,000. 2.The participants with different background variables have partial effects on serious leisure, recreation specialization and well-being. 3.The serious leisure and recreation specialization have a significant positive relationship, The serious leisure and Well-being have a significant positive relationship. The recreation specialization and well-being have a significant positive relationship. Based on the research results, the researchers provided practical advice to those who want to the road running participants and serious leisure activities. In addition, the researcher also provided references for follow-up research
Bisdemethoxycurcumin suppresses human brain glioblastoma multiforme GBM 8401 cell migration and invasion via affecting NF-κB and MMP-2 and MMP-9 signaling pathway in vitro.
No full text[[abstract]]Human glioblastoma (GBM) is one of the common cancer death in adults worldwide, and its metastasis will lead to difficult treatment. Finding compounds for future to develop treatment is urgent. Bisdemethoxycurcumin (BDMC), a natural product, was isolated from the rhizome of turmeric (Curcuma longa), which has been shown to against many human cancer cells. In the present study, we evaluated the antimetastasis activity of BDMC in human GBM cells. Cell proliferation, cell viability, cellular uptake, wound healing, migration and invasion, and western blotting were analyzed. Results indicated that BDMC at 1.5-3 μM significantly decreased the cell proliferation by MTT assay. BDMC showed the highest uptake by cells at 3 h. After treatment of BDMC at 12-48 h significantly inhibited cell motility in GBM 8401 cells by wound healing assay. BDMC suppressed cell migration and invasion at 24 and 48 h treatment by transwell chamber assay. BDMC significantly decreased the levels of proteins associated with PI3K/Akt, Ras/MEK/ERK pathways and resulted in the decrease in the expressions of NF-κB, MMP-2, MMP-9, and N-cadherin, leading to the inhibition of cell migration and invasion. These findings suggest that BDMC may be a potential candidate for the antimetastasis of human GBM cells in the future
Indigodole E from Strobilanthes cusia exhibits anti-IL-17A effect
No full text[[abstract]]One new indazole alkaloid, indigodole E (1), was isolated from a traditional Chinese medicine Qing Dai prepared from the aerial parts of Strobilanthes cusia. The structure of 1 was elucidated by NMR, MS, UV, and IR spectra as well as optical rotation. Additionally, compound 1 could obviously inhibit not only IL-17A protein production at concentrations from 1.25 to 2.5 μg/mL, but also IL-17 gene expression at concentrations from 5.0 to 10.0 μg/mL without cytotoxicity toward Th17 and Jukat cells, respectively. Overall, indazole analogue 1 could be the anti-IL 17 A contributor of Qing Dai in this investigation
Pilot study of a new type of machine vision-assisted stereotactic neurosurgery for EVD placement
No full text[[abstract]]Background: The usage of machine vision technologies for image-based analysis and inspection is increasing. With the advent of the ability to process high-dimension data instantly, the possibilities of machine vision multiply exponentially. Robots now use this technology to assist in surgery.
Objective: The aim of this study is to explore the efficacy of Surgical Navigation Robot NaoTrac (Brain Navi Biotechnology Co., Ltd.), which utilizes machine vision-inspired technology for patient registration and stereotactic external ventricular drainage (EVD) by the robotic arm.
Methods: Preoperative and postoperative computed tomography (CT) scans were acquired for each case. The surgeons planned the targets and trajectories with the preoperative CT images. The postoperative CT images were utilized in the accuracy measurements.
Results: All 14 cases had cerebrospinal fluid drained through the catheter. The NaoTrac placed the catheter into the frontal horn in one attempt in 13 cases and was able to drain CSF in 12 cases. Not a single case had any bleeding or intraoperative complications. The average time spent on the patient registration was 142.8 s. The mean target deviation was 1.68 mm, and the mean angular deviation was 1.99°, all within the accepted tolerance for minimal tissue damage.
Conclusion: The results of this report demonstrate that machine vision-inspired patient registration is feasible and fast. NaoTrac has demonstrated its accuracy and safety in performing frameless catheter placement in 13 clinical cases. Other stereotactic neurosurgical operations such as stereotactic biopsy, depth electrode placement, deep brain stimulation electrode positioning, and neuroendoscopy may also be benefited from the assistance of NaoTrac
Effects of Acupressure on Anxiety: A Systematic Review and Meta-Analysis
No full text[[abstract]]Objectives: The research aim was to perform a systematic review and meta-analysis evaluating the ability of acupressure to reduce anxiety.
Design: Randomized controlled trials were obtained through a search of electronic medical databases (four in English and one in Chinese) from inception to October 5, 2020. Two authors searched the databases, evaluated studies' methodological quality, and performed data extraction independently. The final studies for analysis were identified after discussion with the third author.
Results: We obtained 27 studies for our systematic review and meta-analysis. Eight studies had a low overall risk of bias, and 13 had some bias concerns with methodological quality. According to the results, acupressure significantly reduced patient anxiety (standardized mean difference = 1.152; 95% confidence interval: 0.847–1.459, p < 0.001), and the study heterogeneity was high (Q = 299.74, p < 0.001, I2 = 91.333%). Two studies reported acupressure-associated adverse events. We also performed a sensitivity analysis by omitting one outlier study, which had the largest effect size; however, high heterogeneity remained (I2 = 87.816%). A subgroup analysis revealed significant differences between participant types (Q = 46.573, p < 0.001), levels of methodological quality (Q = 6.228, p = 0.044), and massage equipment (Q = 4.642, p = 0.031).
Conclusions: Our meta-analysis suggests that acupressure can alleviate anxiety. Acupressure was more effective for inpatients and preoperative patients when finger massage was applied. In individuals with anxiety and a stable hemodynamic status, acupressure could be a promising treatment option. However, the substantial heterogeneity across studies means that any inference from the results should be performed cautiously
Ursolic acid silences CYP19A1/Aromatase to suppress gastric cancer growth
No full text[[abstract]]Introduction: Gastric cancer (GCa) is a malignancy with few effective treatments. Ursolic acid (UA), a bioactive triterpenoid enriched in Hedyotis diffusa Willd, known to suppress GCa without identified target. CYP19A1 (cytochrome P450 family 19A1; also known as aromatase, Ar) was correlated to GCa prognosis. Relatedly, Ar silencers, which halt the expression of Ar exhibited anti-GCa effects in experimental models, are currently being investigated.
Method: The docking simulation score of UA was compared with Ar inhibitors, e.g., letrozole, exemestane, in Ar protein crystallization. Hedyotis diffusa Willd ethanol extract, UA, or 5-fluracil were applied onto AGS, SC-M1, MKN45 GCa cells for cancer inhibition tests. Immunoblot for measuring gene expressions upon drug treatments, or gene knockdown/overexpression. Treatments were also applied in a MKN45 implantation tumor model. A web-based GCa cohort for Ar expression association with prognosis was performed.
Result: The ethanol extracts of Hedyotis diffusa Willd, enrich with UA, exhibited cytotoxic activity against GCa cells. Molecular docking simulations with the 3D Ar structure revealed an excellent fitting score for UA. UA increase cytotoxic, and suppressed colony, in addition to its Ar silencing capacity. Moreover, UA synergistically facilitated 5-FU, (a standard GCa treatment) regimen in vitro. Consistent with those results, adding estradiol did not reverse the cancer-suppressing effects of UA, which confirmed UA acts as an Ar silencer. Furthermore, UA exhibited tumor-suppressing index (TSI) score of 90% over a 6-week treatment term when used for single dosing in xenograft tumor model. In the clinical setting, Ar expression was found to be higher in GCa tumors than normal parental tissue from the TCGA (The Cancer Genome Atlas) cohort, while high Ar expression associated with poor prognosis. Together, the results indicate UA could be used to treat GCa by silencing Ar expression in GCa. Hedyotis diffusa Willd ethanol extract could be an functional food supplements
A SYN Flooding Attack Detection Approach with Hierarchical Policies Based on Self-information
No full text[[abstract]]The SYN flooding attack is widely used in cyber attacks because it paralyzes the network by causing the system and bandwidth resources to be exhausted. This paper proposed a self-information approach for detecting the SYN flooding attack and provided a detection algorithm with a hierarchical policy on a detection time domain. Compared with other detection methods of entropy measurement, the proposed approach is more efficient in detecting the SYN flooding attack, providing low misjudgment, hierarchical detection policy, and low time complexity. Furthermore, we proposed a detection algorithm with limiting system resources. Thus, the time complexity of our approach is only (log n) with lower time complexity and misjudgment rate than other approaches. Therefore, the approach can detect the denial-of-service/distributed denial-of-service attacks and prevent SYN flooding attacks