Differentiation of bacteria cell wall using Raman scattering enhanced by nanoparticle array

We have fabricated surface-enhanced Raman scattering (SERS) substrates based on arrays of silver nanoparticles grown on porous anodic alumina templates. Using this nanotechnology platform, label-free and high-speed detection of bacteria are achieved. SERS spectra of various bacteria including Staphylococcus Aureus (Gram-positive bacterium), Klebsiella Pneumoniae (Gram-negative bacterium), and Mycobacterium Smegmatis (Mycobacterium) were recorded. The highly reproducible SERS-based technological platform is capable of differentiating different kinds of bacteria by PCA, LDA, clustering analysis, and SVM methods, which provides promising opportunity for biosensing of clinical microbes.

Role of lipocalin 2 and its complex with matrix metalloproteinase-9 in oral cancer

OBJECTIVES

Recent evidence demonstrated that lipocalin (LCN)2 is induced in many types of human cancer, while the detection of its complex with matrix metalloproteinase (MMP)-9 is correlated with the cancer disease status. We attempted to evaluate plasma expressions of LCN2, MMP-9, and their complex (LCN2/MMP-9) during the diagnostic work-up of patients with oral squamous cell carcinoma (OSCC) and investigated their correlations with disease progression.

METHODS

In total, 195 patients with OSCC and 81 healthy controls were recruited. Expression levels of LCN2, MMP-9, and LCN2/MMP-9 were determined with immunoenzymatic assays.

RESULTS

Patients with OSCC exhibited significantly higher levels of LCN2, MMP-9, and LCN2/MMP-9 compared with healthy controls (LCN2: P < 0.001; MMP-9: P < 0.001; LCN2/MMP-9: P < 0.01). Plasma levels of LCN2, MMP-9, and LCN2/MMP-9 in patients with OSCC were significantly correlated with each other and were associated with more-advanced clinical stages (P < 0.05) and/or a larger tumor size (P < 0.05), but were not associated with positive lymph-node metastasis or distal metastasis.

CONCLUSION

Our results suggest that plasma levels of LCN2 and the LCN2/MMP-9 complex may be useful in non-invasively monitoring OSCC progression, while supporting their potential role as biomarkers of oral cancer disease status.

A nutrient injection scheme for in situ bio-remediation

Geological layers often have different hydraulic conductivities. This paper presents an innovative design for delivering aqueous substrates and nutrients to various stratified layers at desired rates during in-situ bio-stimulation. The new delivery system consists of intermittent porous tubes connected in series with impermeable polyethylene tubes that run horizontally in each stratified layer of a contaminated aquifer. Results of the tracer test indicated that the distribution of tritium through each porous tube was fairly uniform. A mathematical model was also developed to calculate the distribution of water flow through each porous tube. By controlling the permeability and the length of porous tubes placed in stratified layers, the new design provides a means to selectively deliver nutrients to various layers at desired rates according to aquifer heterogeneity.

Urbanization and prevalence of depression in diabetes

OBJECTIVES

To depict recent secular trend (2001-2005) in prevalence of depression among diabetic population in Taiwan, and to explore the influences of urbanization on the prevalence of depression.

STUDY DESIGN

A descriptive correlation study design relating urbanization and prevalence of depression.

METHODS

Annual prevalence of depression was calculated as the ratio of number of individuals with depression (ICD-9-CM: 296, 309, or 311) to the size of diabetic population (ICD-9-CM: 250), which were ascertained from ambulatory care claim data of Taiwan's National Health Insurance between 2001 and 2005. Multivariate Poisson regression analysis was used to assess the secular trend in the prevalence of comorbid depression, and to appraise the influence of urbanization on prevalence of depression in diabetic patients.

RESULTS

The prevalence of depression among diabetic population increased annually from 22.6/10(3) in 2001 to 27.0/10(3) in 2005 with a significantly and linearly rising trend (β = 0.0461, p < 0.0001). Diabetic population living in urban areas showed the largest increase in prevalence (6.3/10(3)), followed by those from rural areas (5.6/10(3)). Compared to the diabetic patients residing in rural areas, those living in urban areas (RR = 1.28, 95% CI = 1.25-1.31) and those from satellite towns (RR = 1.22, 95% CI = 1.19-1.25) both had significantly increased adjusted RR.

CONCLUSIONS

There is a significant increasing trend in prevalence of depression among diabetic population in recent years in Taiwan. Diabetic patients from urban areas not only had the greatest prevalence of depression but also showed the largest increase in prevalence during the study period, which highlights a need for managing depression in urban diabetes.

Lack of efficacy to systemic chemotherapy for treatment of metaplastic carcinoma of the breast in the modern era

Metaplastic carcinoma of the breast (MCB) is a rare subtype of breast cancer. Anecdotal reports are available regarding its response to systemic chemotherapy. We reviewed the records of patients diagnosed with MCB at National Taiwan University Hospital between 1988 and 2009. A total of 46 MCB cases were identified from 8,695 breast tumor patients who underwent biopsy or resection. About 11 of 25 patients with initial bulky disease (T3-4) received neoadjuvant chemotherapy before surgery, and 2 (18.2%) exhibited a partial response. About 12 of 18 patients who developed distant metastasis received palliative systemic chemotherapy. Of them, only 1 (8.3%), 1 (10%), and none (0%) responded to first-, second-, or third- and beyond line chemotherapy, respectively. None of the patients who received anthracyline- (n = 13), vinorelbine- (n = 7), or cyclophosphamide-based (n = 18) chemotherapy responded, whereas 3 (17.6%) of 17 patients who received taxane-based chemotherapy exhibited a partial response. Tumor response to systemic chemotherapy remains generally poor for MCB patients. Taxanes may have modest activity, but need to be validated in further studies.

Eriobotrya japonica improves hyperlipidemia and reverses insulin resistance in high-fat-fed mice

The effect of Eriobotrya japonica Lindl. (loquat) on insulin resistance was examined in mice fed a high-fat (HF) diet. First, the mice were divided randomly into two groups: the control (CON) group was fed a low-fat diet, whereas the experimental group was fed with a 45% HF diet for 10 weeks. After 6 weeks of induction, the HF group was subdivided into five groups and was given orally loquat or not for 4 weeks afterward. It was demonstrated that loquat was effective in ameliorating the HF diet-induced hyperglycemia, hyperleptinemia, hyperinsulinemia and hypertriglyceridemia, as well as in decreasing the levels of free fatty acid (FFA), but increasing the adipose PPARγ (peroxisomal proliferator-activated receptor γ) and hepatic PPARα mRNA levels. Loquat significantly decreased the body weight gain, weights of white adipose tissue and visceral fat accompanying the suppressed leptin mRNA levels. Loquat not only suppressed the hepatic mRNA levels of enzymes involved in fatty acid and triacylglycerol synthesis and lowered the sterol regulatory element binding protein-1c (SREBP-1c) mRNA level, but also affected fatty acid oxidation enzyme levels. These regulations may contribute to triacylglycerol accumulation in white adipose tissue. The findings provide a nutritional basis for the use of loquat as a functional food factor that may have benefits for the prevention of hyperlipidemia and diabetes.

Surface Modification and Planar Defects of Calcium Carbonates by Magnetic Water Treatment

Powdery calcium carbonates, predominantly calcite and aragonite, with planar defects and cation-anion mixed surfaces as deposited on low-carbon steel by magnetic water treatment (MWT) were characterized by X-ray diffraction, electron microscopy, and vibration spectroscopy. Calcite were found to form faceted nanoparticles having 3x (01̄14) commensurate superstructure and with well-developed {112̄0} and {101̄4} surfaces to exhibit preferred orientations. Aragonite occurred as laths having 3x (01̄1) commensurate superstructure and with well-developed (01̄1) surface extending along [100] direction up to micrometers in length. The (hkil)-specific coalescence of calcite and rapid lath growth of aragonite under the combined effects of Lorentz force and a precondensation event account for a beneficial larger particulate/colony size for the removal of the carbonate scale from the steel substrate. The coexisting magnetite particles have well-developed {011} surfaces regardless of MWT.

Global DNA methylation, DNMT1, and MBD2 in patients with systemic lupus erythematosus

To investigate the associations of DNA methylation levels and mRNA expressions of DNA cytosine-5-methyltransferase 1 (DNMT1) and methyl CpG-binding domain 2 (MBD2) with systemic lupus erythematosus (SLE), 108 patients with SLE and 97 healthy controls were enrolled in this study. DNA and total RNA were extracted from the peripheral blood mononuclear cells of the SLE patients and the controls. The global methylation levels of DNA were measured in 63 patients with SLE and 68 healthy controls by the ELISA method. DNMT1 and MBD2 mRNA were also detected in 108 SLE patients and 97 controls using the quantitative real-time polymerase chain reaction method. The global methylation level of DNA was significantly decreased in the SLE patients in comparison with that in the controls ( p < 0.001, 95% CI = 0.1573–0.5052). The patients with SLE have higher expressions of DNMT1 and MBD2 mRNA than the controls ( p < 0.001, 95% CI = −0.0049 – −0.0019 and p = 0.001, 95% CI = −0.0119 – −0.0029, respectively). We also found that there were no significant differences in the methylation level and the expression of DNMT1 and MBD2 mRNA between the active and the inactive SLE patients. A positive correlation was also found between DNMT1 and MBD2 mRNA expressions in the SLE patients ( p < 0.001). This study demonstrated that the patients with SLE had a significantly lower level of DNA methylation than the controls. The expression of both DNMT1 and MBD2 mRNA was significantly increased in the SLE patients compared with the controls. This study also showed a positive correlation between DNMT1 and MBD2 mRNA levels in the patients with SLE.

Light extraction efficiency enhancement of GaN-based light emitting diodes on n-GaN layer using a SiO2 photonic quasi-crystal overgrowth

In this paper, GaN-based LEDs with a SiO2 photonic quasi-crystal (PQC) pattern on an n-GaN layer by nano-imprint lithography (NIL) are fabricated and investigated. At a driving current of 20 mA on Transistor Outline (TO)-can package, the better light output power of LED III (d = 1.2 microm) was enhanced by a factor of 1.20. After 1000 h life test (55 degrees C/50 mA) condition, Normalized output power of LED with a SiO2 PQC pattern (LED III (d = 1.2 microm)) on an n-GaN layer only decreased by 5%. This results offer promising potential to enhance the light output power of commercial light-emitting devices using the technique of nano-imprint lithography.

A 64-week, multicenter, open-label study of aripiprazole effectiveness in the management of patients with schizophrenia or schizoaffective disorder in a general psychiatric outpatient setting

OBJECTIVE

To evaluate the overall long-term effectiveness of aripiprazole in patients with schizophrenia in a general psychiatric practice setting in Taiwan.

METHODS

This was a prospective, open-label, multicenter, post-market surveillance study in Taiwanese patients with a Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders, Fourth Edition (DSM-IV) diagnosis of schizophrenia or schizoaffective disorder requiring a switch in antipsychotic medication because current medication was not well tolerated and/or clinical symptoms were not well controlled. Eligible patients were titrated to aripiprazole (5-30 mg/day) over a 12-week switching phase, during which their previous medication was discontinued. Patients could then enter a 52-week, long-term treatment phase. Aripiprazole was flexibly dosed (5-30 mg/day) at the discretion of the treating physicians. Efficacy was assessed using the Clinical Global Impression scale Improvement (CGI-I) score, the Clinical Global Impression scale Severity (CGI-S) score, The Brief Psychiatry Rating Scale (BPRS), and the Quality of Life (QOL) scale, as well as Preference of Medicine (POM) ratings by patients and caregivers. Safety and tolerability were also assessed.

RESULTS

A total of 245 patients were enrolled and switched from their prior antipsychotic medications, and 153 patients entered the 52-week extension phase. In all, 79 patients (32.2%) completed the study. At week 64, the mean CGI-I score was 3.10 and 64.6% of patients who showed response. Compared to baseline, scores of CGI-S, QOL, and BPRS after 64 weeks of treatment also showed significant improvements. At week 12, 65.4% of subjects and 58.9% of caregivers rated aripiprazole as better than the prestudy medication on the POM. The most frequently reported adverse events (AEs) were headache, auditory hallucinations and insomnia. A total of 13 patients (5.3%) discontinued treatment due to AEs. No statistically significant changes were noted with respect to fasting plasma glucose, lipid profile, body weight, and body mass index after long-term treatment with aripiprazole.

CONCLUSIONS

Although the discontinuation rate was high, aripiprazole was found to be effective, safe and well tolerated in the long-term treatment of Taiwanese patients with schizophrenia who continued to receive treatment for 64 weeks.

Using autocloning effects to develop broad-bandwidth, omnidirectional antireflection structures for silicon solar cells

In this study, we used the autocloning effect on pyramid structures to develop broad-bandwidth, omnidirectional antireflection structures for silicon solar cells. The angular dependence of reflectance on several pyramid structures was systematically investigated. The deposition of three-layer autocloned films reduced the refractive index gap between air and silicon, resulting in an increase in the amount of transmitted light and a decrease in the total light escaping. The average reflectance decreased dramatically to ca. 2-3% at incident angles from 0 to 60° for both sub-wavelength- and micrometer-scale pyramid structures. The measured reflectance of the autocloned structure was less than 4% in the wavelength range from 400 to 1000 nm for incident angles from 0 to 60°. Therefore, the autocloning technique, combined with optical thin films and optical gradient structures, is a practical and compatible method for the fabrication of broad-bandwidth, omnidirectional antireflection structures on silicon solar cells.

First Report of Fruit Rot of Loquat Caused by an Alternaria sp. in Taiwan

During March 2007, a fruit rot disease was observed in several loquat (Eriobotrya japonica (Thunberg) Lindley) fields located in Taichung, Nantou, and Miaoli counties. Loquat is a valuable fruit crop grown predominantly in central Taiwan, and hence, even a minor yield loss by this new disease is economically significant. Symptoms on fruits initially appeared as small lesions (<1 mm) that later developed into light-to-dark brown, circular, larger (7 mm), sunken lesions, indicating invasion of a pathogen into the fruit. Pieces of rotted fruit tissue (1 × 1 × 1 mm) were immersed for 1 min in 3% commercial bleach, followed by 70% ethanol, cultured on potato dextrose agar (PDA), and incubated under constant fluorescent light (185 ± 35 μE·m^-2·s^-1) at 24°C for 2 days. Three single conidial isolates (AS1 to AS3) were selected and used in morphological and pathogenicity studies. All three isolates were identified as an Alternaria sp. (1-3) and formed abundant, dark brown mycelium when cultured on PDA with light at 24°C. Conidiophores were 60 to 89 × 3 to 5 μm, densely fasciculate, cylindrical, simple or branched, and had distinct conidial scars. Conidia were 12 to 74 × 6 to 14 μm, golden brown, straight or curved, obclavate with beaks measuring half the length of the conidium, and observed in chains of 10 or more spores with four to seven transverse septa and several longitudinal septa. Pathogenicity tests were conducted twice by inoculating eight surface-sterilized wounded or unwounded fruits with each of the three isolates in each experiment. Two cuts (1 × 1 × 1 mm) were made on each fruit 3 cm apart with a sterile scalpel, and a 300-μl spore suspension (2 × 10⁵ conidia per ml) was placed on each wound. Similarly, a 300-μl spore suspension was placed on unwounded fruits and air dried for 5 min. Control fruits were similarly treated with sterile water. Inoculated fruits were enclosed in a plastic bag and kept at 24 ± 1°C. Symptoms of soft rot were observed on 60% (unwounded) and 100% (wounded) of inoculated fruits 5 days after inoculation, while control fruits did not develop disease symptoms. Reisolation from the symptomatic fruits consistently yielded an Alternaria sp. This fungus previously has been reported as the causal agent of fruit rot or black spot of papaya, mango, kiwifruit, pear, and carambola from Australia, India, Malaysia, South Africa, and the United States (1-3). To our knowledge, this is the first report of fruit rot of loquat caused by an Alternaria sp. in Taiwan. To manage this disease, growers may resort to fungicidal sprays followed by bagging of fruits to reduce pre- and postharvest losses. References: (1) A. L. Jones and H. S. Aldwinckle. Compendium of Apple and Pear Diseases. The American Phytopathological Society. St. Paul, MN, 1990. (2) R. C. Ploetz. Diseases of Tropical Fruit Crops. CABI Publishing. Wallingford, Oxfordshire, UK, 2003. (3) R. C. Ploetz et al. Compendium of Tropical Fruit Diseases. The American Phytopathological Society. St. Paul, MN, 1994.

Suppressor of cytokine signaling 1 gene expression and polymorphisms in systemic lupus erythematosus

With the aim of investigating the role of suppressor of cytokine signaling 1 (SOCS1) in the pathogenesis of systemic lupus erythematosus, 107 patients with systemic lupus erythematosus, 101 healthy controls, and 151 patients with ankylosing spondylitis were enrolled in this study. SOCS1 mRNA level was measured by the method of quantitative real-time polymerase chain reaction. SOCS1 polymorphisms were detected by the polymerase chain reaction/restriction fragment length polymorphisms method. Systemic lupus erythematosus disease activity was evaluated with the SLEDAI. This study showed that the SOCS1 mRNA expression was significantly higher in the patients with systemic lupus erythematosus than in the healthy controls (p = 0.0014). Patients with active systemic lupus erythematosus had a higher expression of SOCS1 mRNA than the patients with inactive systemic lupus erythematosus (p = 0.035). There was no significant difference in the frequencies of the SOCS1-1478CA/del polymorphisms among the patients with systemic lupus erythematosus, healthy controls, and patients with ankylosing spondylitis. The genotype frequency of the SOCS1-1478 polymorphisms in the dominant model (CA/del+del/del versus CA/CA) was significantly decreased in the patients with thrombocytopenia compared with those without thrombocytopenia (p(c) = 0.035). Moreover, the allele frequency of SOCS1-1478del was also significantly lower in the patients with thrombocytopenia than in those without thrombocytopenia (p( c) = 0.02). In conclusion, this study demonstrated that the expression of SOCS1 mRNA was significantly increased in patients with systemic lupus erythematosus. Moreover, SOCS1 mRNA levels in patients with active systemic lupus erythematosus were significantly higher than those in the inactive patients. We also found that the systemic lupus erythematosus patients with thrombocytopenia have a lower frequency of SOCS1-1478del compared with patients without thrombocytopenia.

The general utilization of scrapped PC board

The traditional burning process is used to recover copper from scrapped PC board (printed circuit board) but it causes serious environmental problems. In this research a new process was developed which not only prevents pollution problems, but also maximizes the utility of all the materials on the waste board. First, the scrapped PC board was crushed and grounded, then placed in the NH3/NH5CO3 solution with aeration in order to dissolve copper. After distilling the copper NH3/NH5CO3 solution and then heating the distilled residue of copper carbonate, pure copper oxide was obtained with particle size of about 0.2 microm and the shape elliptical. The remaining solid residue after copper removal was then leached with 6N hydrochloric acid to remove tin and lead. The last residue was used as a filler in PVC plastics. The PVC plastics with PC board powder as filling material was found to have the same tensile strength as unfilled plastics, but had higher elastic modulus, higher abrasion resistance, and was cheaper.

Chloroform in indoor swimming-pool air: monitoring and modeling coupled with the effects of environmental conditions and occupant activities

Human exposure to chloroform in indoor swimming pools has been recognized as a potential health concern. Although environmental monitoring is a useful technique to investigate chloroform concentrations in indoor swimming-pool air, in practice, the interpretations of measured data would inevitably run into difficulties due to the complex interactions among the numerous variables, including environmental conditions and occupant activities. Considering of the relevant variables of environmental conditions and occupant activities, a mathematical model was first proposed to predict the chloroform concentration in indoor swimming-pool air. The developed model provides a straightforward, conceptually simple way to predict the indoor air chloroform concentration by calculating the mass flux, J, and the Péclet number, Pe, and by using a heuristic value of the indoor airflow recycle ratio, R. The good agreement between model simulation and measured data demonstrates the feasibility of using the presented model for indoor air quality management, operational guidelines and health-related risk assessment.

Cytochrome p450 1A1 gene polymorphisms in patients with psoriatic arthritis

OBJECTIVE

To investigate the associations of cytochrome p450 1A1 (CYP1A1) gene polymorphisms with susceptibility to psoriatic arthritis in Taiwan.

METHODS

CYP1A1 gene polymorphisms were determined in 52 patients with psoriatic arthritis and in 90 healthy controls by polymerase chain reaction/restriction fragment length polymorphism.

RESULTS

The genotype frequency of CYP1A1 4889A/G was significantly increased in patients with psoriatic arthritis in comparison with healthy controls. The phenotype frequency of CYP1A1 4889G was also significantly increased in patients with psoriatic arthritis. The genotype frequency of CYP1A1 4887C/A was significantly higher in patients with psoriatic arthritis than in controls. The allele and phenotype frequencies of 4887A were also significantly increased in patients with psoriatic arthritis. We also found that the association of CYP1A1 4887A with psoriatic arthritis was independent of 4889G but a synergistic effect was present between CYP1A1 4887A and 4889G. The CYP1A1 4889A/G and 4887C/A polymorphisms were not associated with the manifestations and severity of psoriatic arthritis.

CONCLUSION

CYP1A1 4887A and 4889G may be precipitating factors for susceptibility to psoriatic arthritis in Taiwan. An additive effect was found between CYP1A1 4887A and 4889G.

First Report of Stem-End Rot of Mango Caused by Phomopsis mangiferae in Taiwan

Mango (Mangifera indica L.) is grown on approximately 20,000 ha in Taiwan. It is an economically important crop and the income of many fruit farmers comes primarily from mango production. During 2006 and 2007, a stem-end rot disease was observed 1 week after harvest on 28 to 36% of stored mangoes picked from six orchards in the Pingtung, Tainan, and Kaoshiung regions. Two popular mango cultivars, Keitt and Irwin, showed greater susceptibility to this disease, while 'Haden' was found to be moderately susceptible. In storage, symptoms initially appeared as light-to-dark brown lesions surrounding peduncles. Rot symptoms advanced slowly but eventually penetrated the mesocarp, which consequently reduced the commercial value of fruits. The fungus formed abundant pycnidia (0.1 to 0.6 mm in diameter) on infected fruits in advanced stages of symptom development. Pieces of symptomatic fruits plated on acidified potato dextrose agar (PDA) and incubated at 25 ± 1°C consistently yielded the same fungus. A single conidial isolate was cultured. Pycnidia developed on PDA after continuous exposure to light for 9 to 14 days. On the basis of morphological characteristics, the fungus was identified as Phomopsis mangiferae L. (2,3). Pycnidia released two types of conidia: α-conidia (5 to 10 × 2.3 to 4.0 μm) were hyaline and oval to fusoid; and β-conidia (15.0 to 37.5 × 1.3 to 2.5 μm) were hyaline and filiform with characteristic curves. Conidiophores were hyaline, filiform, simple or branched, septate, and 15 to 75 μm long. Cultures incubated under continuous fluorescent light (185 ± 35 μE·m^-2·s^-1) at 25°C for 3 days were used as inoculum for pathogenicity tests. Five fruits from 'Keitt' were wounded with a sterilized scalpel and each wound (2 × 2 × 2 mm) was inoculated with either a 5-mm mycelium agar plug or a 0.5-ml spore suspension (10⁵ conidia per ml) of the fungus. Five wounded fruits inoculated with 5-mm PDA plugs or sterile water alone served as controls. Inoculated areas were covered with moist, sterile cotton. Fruits were enclosed in plastic bags and incubated at 24°C for 3 days. The test was performed three times. The same symptoms were observed on all inoculated fruits, whereas no decay was observed on control fruits. Reisolations from the inoculated fruits consistently yielded P. mangiferae, thus fulfilling Koch's postulates. This disease has previously been reported in Australia, Brazil, China, Cuba, India, Malaysia, and the United States (1). To our knowledge, this is the first report of P. mangiferae causing stem-end rot disease on mangoes in Taiwan. Our report necessitates taking preventive strategies in the field, prior to or after harvest, to contain postharvest losses in mangoes. References: (1) G. I. Johnson. Page 39 in: Compendium of Tropical Fruit Diseases. R. C. Ploetz et al., eds. The American Phytopathological Society. St. Paul, MN, 1994. (2) R. C. Ploetz, ed. Page 354 in: Diseases of Tropical Fruit Crops. CABI Publishing. Wallingford, UK, 2003. (3) E. Punithalingam. No. 1168 in: Descriptions of Pathogenic Fungi and Bacteria. CMI, Kew, Surrey, UK, 1993.

Single aperiodically poled lithium niobate for simultaneous laser Q switching and second-harmonic generation in a 1342 nm Nd:YVO4 laser

We report the design and experimental demonstration of an electro-optically Q-switched intracavity second-harmonic generator (ISHG) based on a single aperiodically poled lithium niobate (APLN) in a 1,342 nm Nd:YVO(4) laser. This intracavity APLN, designed using the aperiodic optical superlattice technique, can perform simultaneously as a laser Q switch and a second-harmonic generator. At approximately 200 VQ-switching voltage and a 5 kHz switching rate, we measured a pulse energy of approximately 5.7 microJ and a peak power of approximately 700 W at 671 nm from the constructed ISHG with a 5.2 W diode power based on 51% fundamental energy depletion.

Single crystalline film on glass for thin film solar cells

A simple Ge-on-glass metal-oxide-semiconductor solar cell has been demonstrated by wafer bonding and smart-cut. Since single crystalline Ge is directly bonded on glass, the crystalline substrate is not necessary. The metal-oxide-semiconductor structure can be easily fabricated without n and p dopant diffusion or implantation. The reason for low efficiency is discussed, and then the optimized structures are designed by simulation. An outstanding enhancement on efficiency can be achieved with the Si/Ge/Si structure. The best performance can be achieved by optimization of the position of the Ge layer, the thickness of the Ge layer, and the number of the Ge layers. The efficiency of the thin film Si/Ge/Si solar cell with single layer of 30-nm-thick Ge outside the depletion region reaches 15.9%, as compared to the control Si sample of 11.8%. Based on the simulation and technologies, high efficiency thin film solar cells can be demonstrated in the future.

Momordica charantia extract on insulin resistance and the skeletal muscle GLUT4 protein in fructose-fed rats

AIM OF THE STUDY

We investigated the preventive effect of Momordica charantia Linn. (Cucurbitaceae) fruit, commonly known as bitter melon, on hyperglycemia and insulin resistance in rats fed with a fructose-enriched diet.

MATERIALS AND METHODS

First, rats were divided randomly into two groups: the control group was fed with control diet, whereas the experimental group was fed with a 60% high-fructose diet for 8 weeks. After the first 6 weeks, the fructose-treated rats were further subdivided into six groups and were orally fed with or without Momordica charantia L. or rosiglitazone (ROS) for 2 weeks while rats were still on fructose diet.

RESULTS

We demonstrated that bitter melon was effective in ameliorating the fructose diet-induced hyperglycemia, hyperleptinemia, hyperinsulinemia, and hypertriglyceridemia as well as in decreasing the levels of free fatty acid (FFA) (P<0.001, P<0.05, P<0.05, P<0.05, P<0.05, respectively). Bitter melon reversed fructose diet-induced hypoadiponectinemia (P<0.05), which provides a therapeutic advantage to insulin resistance in improving insulin sensitivity. Additionally, bitter melon decreased the weights of epididymal (P<0.05) and retroperitoneal white adipose tissue (WAT) (P<0.05). Bitter melon increased the expression of peroxisome proliferator-activated receptor gamma (PPAR gamma) in white adipose tissue (WAT). Conversely, bitter melon decreased the expression of leptin in WAT. Furthermore, we demonstrate that bitter melon significantly increases the mRNA expression and protein of glucose transporter 4 (GLUT4) in skeletal muscle.

CONCLUSIONS

This study demonstrates, for the first time, the beneficial effects of two different extracts of bitter melon on insulin resistance in rats fed a high-fructose diet thereby producing evidence of the role of changes in expression of PPAR gamma and GLUT4.

Clustering and phases of compartmentalized granular gases

This paper experimentally investigates the clustering conditions for compartmentalized monodisperse granular gases, determining the critical particle number and condensation granular temperature at the gas-clustering transition. When one heavier intruding particle is added to a monodisperse gas, it is found that the condensation temperature decreases with the ratio of the mass of the intruding particle to that of the background particle. This phenomenon can be mathematically characterized by a proposed linear relation, which is reminiscent of a relation between the freezing point depression for a solvent and the concentration of an added solute. Finally we perform various tests by changing the numbers of two types of particles in bidisperse granular mixtures to construct the phase diagrams, which present the range of the five different states, namely, homogeneous gas, unstable-gas, one-clustering, two-clustering, and granular oscillation states.

A new method for CE-EC determination of mercaptopurine (MP) in a PMMA biochip with on-chip gold nano-electrode ensemble (GNEE) working and decouple electrodes

This paper presents a new method for CE-EC determination of Mercaptopurine (MP), one of the most important medicines for inflammatory bowel disease (IBD) and acute lymphoblastic leukemia (ALL) treatment, in a PMMA-based microfluidic chip. A simple and reliable process for preparing the template of gold nanoelectrode ensemble (GNEE) and fabricating the integrated microfluidic chip is reported in the present study. The use of GNEE electrodes for both electric current decoupling and signal sensing in the proposed CE-EC chip not only enhances the signal response but also decreases the background noise during detection. Results show that a good detection limit of 100 nM for detecting mercaptopurine is achieved with the proposed method. In addition, the measured results also shows a good linear response between the detected CE-EC signals and the concentration of MP within the range of 100 nM-10 mM (R2 = 0.989). The proposed microchip device provides a novel and fast detection method for mercaptopurine analysis.

Role of three-dimensional power Doppler in the antenatal diagnosis of placenta accreta: comparison with gray-scale and color Doppler techniques

OBJECTIVE

To assess the role of three-dimensional (3D) power Doppler in the antenatal diagnosis of placenta accreta and compare its diagnostic performance with gray-scale and color Doppler ultrasonography.

METHODS

One hundred and seventy pregnant women with persistent placenta previa totalis (after 28 weeks' gestation) were prospectively enrolled into this study. Gray-scale transabdominal ultrasound examination was performed to detect loss of the subendometrial echolucent zone and other abnormalities suggestive of placenta accreta. Color flow mapping was used to scan the whole placenta to detect any newly formed vessels at the serosa-bladder border or the presence of abnormal lacunae. Finally a targeted examination of angioarchitecture in the basal and lateral views of the placenta was carried out using 3D power Doppler. The ultrasound findings were analyzed with reference to the final diagnosis made during Cesarean delivery.

RESULTS

Placenta accreta and its variants (including increta and percreta) were confirmed in 39 patients at the time of Cesarean delivery. Based on receiver-operating characteristics analysis, 'numerous coherent vessels' visualized using 3D power Doppler in the basal view was the best single criterion for the diagnosis of placenta accreta, with a sensitivity of 97% and a specificity of 92%. If we considered the presence of at least one criterion to be diagnostic when using each ultrasound technique, then 3D power Doppler would have the best positive predictive value (76%), followed by gray-scale (51%) and color Doppler (47%). The majority of patients with placenta accreta showed multiple characteristic features on ultrasound imaging. In contrast, those patients with a false-positive diagnosis (i.e. the final diagnosis was placenta previa alone) tended to show isolated ultrasound markers of the condition.

CONCLUSION

3D power Doppler may be useful as a complementary technique for the antenatal diagnosis or exclusion of placenta accreta.

Nanomachining with a mechanical manipulation system

This study describes about the development of a mechanical manipulation system that can perform three-dimensional nano-machining inside a scanning electron microscope (SEM). Experiments are carried out by constructing a precise machining platform integrated with pico-motors, linear stages and monolithic-silicon-based tips which is generally used in atomic-force microscope (AFM). This integrated system can easily manipulate the atoms in a workpiece inside an SEM. The platform consists of three translational stages along XYZ axis direction and one rotational stage, with a resolution of 30 nm. The system can be utilized to produce nanopattern such as nanolines, nanoscale characters on silicon substrate coated with gold (Au) and aluminum (Al). Molecular dynamics simulation model is used to analyze the machining mechanism from various machining parameters. The same AFM tip can be utilized to scratch away the unwanted material from the workpiece surface.