Indoor localization has received wide attention recently due to the potential use of wide range of intelligent services. This paper presents a deep learning-based approach for indoor localization by ...utilizing transmission channel quality metrics, including received signal strength (RSS) and channel state information (CSI). We partition a rectangular room plane into two-dimensional blocks. Each block is regarded as a class, and we formulate the localization as a classification problem. Using RSS and CSI, we develop four deep neural networks implemented with multi-layer perceptron (MLP) and one-dimensional convolutional neural network (1D-CNN) to estimate the location of a subject in a room. The experimental results indicate that the 1D-CNN using CSI information achieves excellent localization performance with much lower network complexity.
A case-control study was conducted to evaluate the role of adult diet on nasopharyngeal carcinoma (NPC) in Taiwan.
A total of 375 incident NPC cases and 327 controls matched to the cases on sex, age, ...and residence were recruited between July 1991 and December 1994. A structured questionnaire inquiring complete dietary history, socio-demographic characteristics, and other potential confounding factors was used in the personal interview. Unconditional logistic regression analysis was used to estimate multivariate-adjusted odds ratio (OR(adj)) with 95% confidence interval (CI) after accounting for known risk factors.
Fresh fish (OR(adj), 0.56; 95% CI, 0.38-0.83 for the highest vs. lowest tertile of intake), green tea (OR(adj), 0.61; 95% CI, 0.40-0.91 for drinking ≥1 times/week vs. never) and coffee (OR(adj), 0.56; 95% CI, 0.37-0.85 for drinking ≥0.5 times/week vs. never) were inversely associated with the NPC risk. No association with NPC risk was observed for the intake of meats, salted fish, fresh vegetables, fruits and milk. Intake of vitamin A from plant sources was associated with a decreased NPC risk (OR(adj), 0.62; 95% CI, 0.41-0.94 for the highest vs. lowest tertile).
The study findings suggest that certain adult dietary patterns might protect against the development of NPC.
Full text
Available for:
DOBA, IZUM, KILJ, NUK, PILJ, PNG, SAZU, SIK, UILJ, UKNU, UL, UM, UPUK
Kaempferol (KP, 3,4',5,7-tetrahydroxyflavone), a dietary flavonol, has anti-cancer, antioxidant, anti-inflammatory, antimicrobial, and antimutagenic functions. However, it is unknown whether ...kaempferol possesses anti-Epstein-Barr virus (EBV) activity. Previously, we demonstrated that inhibition of EBV reactivation represses nasopharyngeal carcinoma (NPC) tumourigenesis, suggesting the importance of identifying EBV inhibitors. In this study, Western blotting, immunofluorescence staining, and virion detection showed that kaempferol repressed EBV lytic gene protein expression and subsequent virion production. Specifically, kaempferol was found to inhibit the promoter activities of Zta and Rta (Zp and Rp) under various conditions. A survey of the mutated Zp constructs revealed that Sp1 binding regions are critical for kaempferol inhibition. Kaempferol treatment repressed Sp1 expression and decreased the activity of the Sp1 promoter, suggesting that Sp1 expression was inhibited. In conclusion, kaempferol efficiently inhibits EBV reactivation and provides a novel choice for anti-EBV therapy and cancer prevention.
Full text
Available for:
IZUM, KILJ, NUK, PILJ, PNG, SAZU, UL, UM, UPUK
Cerebrovascular atherosclerosis has been identified as a prominent pathological feature of Alzheimer's disease (AD); the link between vessel pathology and AD risk may also extend to extracranial ...arteries. This study aimed to determine the effectiveness of using arterial pulse-wave measurements and multilayer perceptron (MLP) analysis in distinguishing between AD and control subjects. Radial blood pressure waveform (BPW) and finger photoplethysmography signals were measured noninvasively for 3 min in 87 AD patients and 74 control subjects. The 5-layer MLP algorithm employed evaluated the following 40 harmonic pulse indices: amplitude proportion and its coefficient of variation, and phase angle and its standard deviation. The BPW indices differed significantly between the AD patients (6247 pulses) and control subjects (6626 pulses). Significant intergroup differences were found between mild, moderate, and severe AD (defined by Mini-Mental-State-Examination scores). The hold-out test results indicated an accuracy of 82.86%, a specificity of 92.31%, and a 0.83 AUC of ROC curve when using the MLP-based classification between AD and Control. The identified differences can be partly attributed to AD-induced changes in vascular elastic properties. The present findings may be meaningful in facilitating the development of a noninvasive, rapid, inexpensive, and objective method for detecting and monitoring the AD status.
Full text
Available for:
IZUM, KILJ, NUK, PILJ, PNG, SAZU, UL, UM, UPUK
Focal adhesion kinase (FAK), a non-receptor tyrosine kinase, is overexpressed and activated in many cancer types. FAK regulates diverse cellular processes, including growth factor signaling, cell ...cycle progression, cell survival, cell motility, angiogenesis, and the establishment of immunosuppressive tumor microenvironments through kinase-dependent and kinase-independent scaffolding functions in the cytoplasm and nucleus. Mounting evidence has indicated that targeting FAK, either alone or in combination with other agents, may represent a promising therapeutic strategy for various cancers. In this review, we summarize the mechanisms underlying FAK-mediated signaling networks during tumor development. We also summarize the recent progress of FAK-targeted small-molecule compounds for anticancer activity from preclinical and clinical evidence.
Full text
Available for:
IZUM, KILJ, NUK, PILJ, PNG, SAZU, UL, UM, UPUK
The up-regulation of fucosyltransferase 8 (FUT8), the only enzyme catalyzing α1,6-fucosylation in mammals, has been observed in several malignant cancers including liver, ovarian, thyroid, and ...colorectal cancers. However, the pathological role and the regulatory mechanism of FUT8 in cancers remain largely unknown. In the current study, we report that the expression of FUT8 is up-regulated in nonsmall cell lung cancer (NSCLC) and correlates with tumor metastasis, disease recurrence, and poor survival in patients with NSCLC. Knocking down FUT8 in aggressive lung cancer cell lines significantly inhibits their malignant behaviors including in vitro invasion and cell proliferation, as well as in vivo metastasis and tumor growth. The results of glycoproteomic and microarray analyses show that FUT8 globally modifies surface antigens, receptors, and adhesion molecules and is involved in the regulation of dozens of genes associated with malignancy, suggesting that FUT8 contributes to tumor progression through multiple mechanisms. Moreover, we show that FUT8 is up-regulated during epithelial–mesenchymal transition (EMT), a critical process for malignant transformation of tumor, via the transactivation of β-catenin/lymphoid enhancer-binding factor-1 (LEF-1). These results provide a model to illustrate the relation between FUT8 expression and lung cancer progression and point to a promising direction for the prognosis and therapy of lung cancer.
Full text
Available for:
BFBNIB, NMLJ, NUK, PNG, SAZU, UL, UM, UPUK
Splenic Tuberculosis Chen, Chung-Yen; Yang, Po-Jen
The New England journal of medicine,
01/2023, Volume:
388, Issue:
4
Journal Article
Peer reviewed
A 29-year-old man with HIV infection and previously diagnosed pulmonary tuberculosis presented with abdominal pain on the left side. CT of the abdomen showed an enlarged spleen with numerous ...hypodense lesions.
This study compared nine resistance eccentric exercises targeting arm, leg, and trunk muscles in one session for changes in maximal voluntary isometric contraction strength (MVC), delayed onset ...muscle soreness (DOMS), plasma creatine kinase (CK) activity, and myoglobin (Mb) concentration after the first and second bouts. Fifteen sedentary men (20‐25 years) performed 5 sets of 10 eccentric contractions with 80% of MVC load for the elbow flexors (EF), elbow extensors (EE), pectoralis, knee extensors (KE), knee flexors (KF), plantar flexors (PF), latissimus, abdominis, and erector spinae (ES) in a randomized order and repeated the same exercises 2 weeks later. MVC decreased at 1 (16%‐57%) to 4 (13%‐49%) days, DOMS developed (peak: 43‐70 mm), and CK activity (peak: 23 238‐207 304 IU/L) and Mb concentration showed large increases after the first bout. The magnitude of decrease in MVC was greater (P < 0.05) for EF, EE, and PEC than others and for KF than KE, PF, and ES. DOMS was greater (P < 0.05) for EF, EE, and ES than others. Changes in all measures were smaller (P < 0.05) after the second than the first bout, and the magnitude of the repeated bout effect was similar among the muscles. Plasma CK activity and Mb concentration did not increase significantly after the second exercise bout. It was concluded that muscle damage was greater for arm than leg muscles, and muscle proteins in the blood increased to a critical level after unaccustomed whole‐body resistance exercises, but the magnitude of damage was largely attenuated for all muscles similarly after the second bout.
Full text
Available for:
BFBNIB, FSPLJ, FZAB, GIS, IJS, KILJ, NLZOH, NUK, OILJ, SAZU, SBCE, SBMB, UL, UM, UPUK
This study investigated how multiple family members co‐construct the ethical significance of living donor liver transplantation (LDLT) and how the family structure and dynamics of ...donor–recipient–caregiver relationships shape the communication and decision‐making process within the sociocultural context of Taiwan. We conducted in‐depth interviews with 36 participants from 13 families at the Chang Gung Memorial Hospital from February to December 2019. Interviews were audio recorded, transcribed, and translated from Mandarin to English and analyzed utilizing grounded theory and thematic analysis. Our findings revealed that LDLT in Taiwan is not merely a personal choice of either donor or recipient but essentially a collaborative process of family‐centered medical decision‐making, intertwined with socioeconomic conditions, cultural and social norms, gender roles, and the division of labor in the household. The notion of reciprocity and indebtedness for family members is a central theme underlying the entire process of motivation, deliberation, and decision‐making, thereby reinforcing the naturalness of LDLT. However, our study highlighted that donors from families with traditional gender hierarchy and power imbalance may experience psychological and social vulnerabilities. Conclusively, we suggest that healthcare professionals should be sensitive to the contextual and relational factors involved in family dynamics and provide appropriate support to the ambivalent donors.
Living donor liver transplantation in Taiwan is not merely a personal choice of either donor or recipient but a collaborative process of family‐centered medical decision‐making, intertwined with socioeconomic conditions, cultural and social norms, gender roles, and the division of labor in the household.
Full text
Available for:
BFBNIB, FZAB, GEOZS, GIS, IJS, IMTLJ, KILJ, KISLJ, NLZOH, NUK, OILJ, PNG, SAZU, SBCE, SBJE, SBMB, UILJ, UL, UM, UPCLJ, UPUK, ZAGLJ, ZRSKP
This study introduces a recent field experiment investigating multiscale terrain–circulation–precipitation interactions. When a synoptic‐scale northeasterly wind prevails under the active East Asian ...winter monsoon, stratocumulus cloud decks with severe rainfall exceeding 100 mm·day−1 frequently occur in the northeastern plain area and adjacent mountains in Yilan, Taiwan. The Yilan Experiment of Severe Rainfall (YESR2020) is a field campaign from November 20, 2020, to November 24, 2020, to survey the physical processes leading to severe wintertime rainfall. The three‐dimensional structure of the wind field and the atmospheric environment can be identified through high temporal and spatial resolution sounding observations, which is empowered by the novel Storm Tracker mini‐radiosonde. During YESR2020, the continuously collected meteorological data of two northeasterly episodes captured the variability of local‐scale wind patterns and the features of the severe rainfall induced by stratocumulus. A preliminary analysis indicated that a local‐scale convergence line could appear over the plain area of Yilan under the northeasterly environmental condition. The precipitation hotspot was located in the mountain region of southern Yilan, where the local winds signified turbulence features. Moreover, the severe rainfall of the two northeasterly episodes spotlighted shallow cumulus under stratus with pure warm rain processes. The results of YESR2020 inspire the arrangement of future field observations to explore detailed mechanisms of heavily precipitating stratocumulus over complex topography.
We conducted the Yilan Experiment of Severe Rainfall (YESR2020) to survey physical processes leading to severe rainfall in the northeastern plain area and adjacent mountains in Yilan, Taiwan, when a synoptic‐scale northeasterly wind prevails under the active East Asian winter monsoon with stratocumulus cloud decks. A preliminary analysis indicated that a local‐scale convergence line appeared over the plain area, and the precipitation hotspot was located in the mountain region of southern Yilan, where turbulence features were apparent. The results inspire the arrangement of future field observations to explore mechanisms of heavily precipitating stratocumulus over complex topography.
Full text
Available for:
BFBNIB, FZAB, GIS, IJS, KILJ, NLZOH, NUK, OILJ, SAZU, SBCE, SBMB, UL, UM, UPUK