Abstract
This paper investigates the economic and institutional determinants of Taiwan's outward direct investment in six Southeast Asian countries from 1998 to 2017, applying the panel ARDL–Pooled ...Mean Group estimation. We specially examine the effects of institutional quality with five dimensions inclusively, using the Worldwide Governance Indicators. The results show the locational economic factors are the primary determinants in the long run. The tight and historic trading relation with Southeast Asia has a long‐run positive effect. On the contrary, the institutional quality of the host countries has strong positive effects in both the long run and short run. Further, the paper displays the dynamics of this investment in the last 20 years. These results are important for Taiwan and Southeast Asia policy‐makers in setting up the short‐run and long‐run policies to sustain their diversified economic growth.
Full text
Available for:
FZAB, GIS, IJS, KILJ, NLZOH, NUK, OILJ, SAZU, SBCE, SBMB, UL, UM, UPUK
Background: In Taiwan, infective native aortic aneurysms (INAAs) are relatively common, so the aim of present study was to demonstrate the comparative outcomes of endovascular repair for thoracic and ...abdominal INAAs.Methods and Results: Patients with naïve thoracic or abdominal INAAs managed with endovascular repair between 2001 and 2018 were included in this multicenter retrospective cohort. The confounding factors were adjusted with propensity score (PS). Of the 39 thoracic and 43 abdominal INAA cases, 41 (50%) presented with aneurysmal rupture, most of which were at the infrarenal abdominal (n=35, 42.7%) or descending thoracic aorta (n=25, 30.5%). Salmonella spp. was the most frequently isolated pathogen. The overall in-hospital mortality rate was 18.3%. The risks of in-hospital death and death due to rupture were significantly lower with thoracic INAAs (12.8% vs. 23.3%; PS-adjusted odds ratio (OR) 0.24, 95% confidence interval (CI) 0.06–0.96; 0.1% vs. 9.3%; PS-adjusted OR 0.11, 95% CI 0.01–0.90). During a mean follow-up of 2.5 years, the risk of all-cause death was significantly higher with thoracic INAAs (35.3% vs. 15.2%; PS-adjusted HR 6.90, 95% CI 1.69–28.19). Chronic kidney disease (CKD) was associated with death.Conclusions: Compared with thoracic INAAs, endovascular repair of abdominal INAAs was associated with a significantly higher in-hospital mortality rate. However, long-term outcomes were worse for thoracic INAAs, with CKD and infections being the most important predictor and cause of death, respectively.
Sugar-sweetened beverages (SSBs) are linked to increased metabolic risk. However, the sex differences in the relationship between SSB intake and adverse health effects remain unclear. Therefore, the ...present study examined the association between SSB consumption and metabolic risks among working-age males and females from Taiwanese communities.
A community-based study utilized data from a comprehensive health screening project conducted by the Public Health Bureau in Changhua County, Taiwan. Metabolic risks included waist circumference, systolic blood pressure, diastolic blood pressure, total cholesterol, triglycerides, low-density lipoprotein cholesterol (LDL), and fasting glucose level using serum tests.
Participants were recruited in Changhua County, Taiwan.
Between 2005 and 2014, 92,724 citizens participated in the health screening; our data analysis included 75,278 respondents between 30 and 64.
The results showed that the frequency of SSB consumption was associated with abnormal waist circumference and elevated total cholesterol, triglycerides, LDL, and glucose in both men and women. Increased SSB consumption frequency was associated with elevated glucose and hypertension in women. Even a slight increase in SSB intake frequency was related to raising the metabolic risks. Similar patterns were evident when models included body mass index (BMI); however, the associations were attenuated. In the BMI-stratified subgroup analysis, the relationship between SSB consumption and metabolic risks was more pronounced in participants without obesity.
The present study suggests that SSB consumption carries metabolic risk among working-age Taiwanese, particularly women and those without obesity. Health promotion programs should raise awareness of the health hazards associated with SSBs.
Abstract
Retinal ischemia followed by reperfusion (IR) is a common cause of many ocular disorders, such as age‐related macular degeneration (AMD), which leads to blindness in the elderly population, ...and proper therapies remain unavailable. Retinal pigment epithelial (RPE) cell death is a hallmark of AMD. Hyperbaric oxygen (HBO) therapy can improve IR tissue survival by inducing ischemic preconditioning responses. We conducted an in vitro study to examine the effects of HBO preconditioning on oxygen–glucose deprivation (OGD)‐induced IR‐injured RPE cells. RPE cells were treated with HBO (100% O
2
at 3 atmospheres absolute for 90 min) once a day for three consecutive days before retinal IR onset. Compared with normal cells, the IR‐injured RPE cells had lower cell viability, lower peroxisome proliferator activator receptor‐alpha (PPAR‐α) expression, more severe oxidation status, higher blood‐retinal barrier disruption and more elevated apoptosis and autophagy rates. HBO preconditioning increased PPAR‐α expression, improved cell viability, decreased oxidative stress, blood‐retinal barrier disruption and cellular apoptosis and autophagy. A specific PPAR‐α antagonist, GW6471, antagonized all the protective effects of HBO preconditioning in IR‐injured RPE cells. Combining these observations, HBO therapy can reverse OGD‐induced RPE cell injury by activating PPAR‐α signalling.
Full text
Available for:
FZAB, GIS, IJS, KILJ, NLZOH, NUK, OILJ, SAZU, SBCE, SBMB, UL, UM, UPUK
In this study, we experimentally demonstrated a flexible random laser fabricated on a polyethylene terephthalate (PET) substrate with a high degree of tunability in lasing emissions. Random lasing ...oscillation arises mainly from the resonance coupling between the emitted photons of gain medium (Rhodamine 6G, R6G) and the localized surface plasmon (LSP) of silver nanoprisms (Ag NPRs), which increases the effective cross-section for multiple light scattering, thus stimulating the lasing emissions. More importantly, it was found that the random lasing wavelength is blue-shifted monolithically with the increase in bending strains exerted on the PET substrate, and a maximum shift of ∼15 nm was achieved in the lasing wavelength, when a 50% bending strain was exerted on the PET substrate. Such observation is highly repeatable and reversible, and this validates that we can control the lasing wavelength by simply bending the flexible substrate decorated with the Ag NPRs. The scattering spectrum of the Ag NPRs was obtained using a dark-field microscope to understand the mechanism for the dependence of the wavelength shift on the exerted bending strains. As a result, we believe that the experimental demonstration of tunable lasing emissions based on the revealed structure is expected to open up a new application field of random lasers.
Asprosin is a novel fasting glucogenic adipokine discovered in 2016. Asprosin induces rapid glucose releases from the liver. However, its molecular mechanisms and function are still unclear. ...Adaptation of energy substrates from fatty acid to glucose is recently considered a novel therapeutic target in heart failure treatment. We hypothesized that the asprosin is able to modulate cardiac mitochondrial functions and has important prognostic implications in dilated cardiomyopathy (DCM) patients.
We prospectively enrolled 50 patients (86% male, mean age 55 ± 13 years) with DCM and followed their 5-year major adverse cardiovascular events from 2012 to 2017. Comparing with healthy individuals, DCM patients had higher asprosin levels (191.2 versus 79.7 ng/mL, P < 0.01).
During the 5-year follow-up in the study cohort, 16 (32.0%) patients experienced adverse cardiovascular events. Patients with lower asprosin levels (< 210 ng/mL) were associated with increased risks of adverse clinical outcomes with a hazard ratio of 7.94 (95% CI 1.88-33.50, P = 0.005) when compared patients with higher asprosin levels (≥ 210 ng/mL). Using cardiomyoblasts as a cellular model, we showed that asprosin prevented hypoxia-induced cell death and enhanced mitochondrial respiration and proton leak under hypoxia.
In patients with DCM, elevated plasma asprosin levels are associated with less adverse cardiovascular events in five years. The underlying protective mechanisms of asprosin may be linked to its functions relating to enhanced mitochondrial respiration under hypoxia.
Taiwan is more susceptible to earthquakes and typhoons because of the unique geographical position in the Northwestern Pacific Rim. It is necessary to understand the effects of such frequent natural ...disturbances on land cover change for watershed management and disaster mitigation. This study applied both global and local Moran's I statistics to analyze the spatial autocorrelation of landslide patches in a natural disturbed watershed in eastern Taiwan. The land cover maps extracted from FORMOSAT-2 satellite images acquired in 2005, 2008, and 2011. A logistic regression model validated to predict occurrence probability of change trajectory. Results showed that spatial pattern of homogeneous landslide patches presented on small scales; while heterogeneous landslide pattern was on larger scales. Landslide patches had higher positive spatial autocorrelation and indicated that as regional hotspots in study area. After the trajectory calculation and classification, two unchanged and five changed trajectories dominated the study area. The most significant transformation of land cover was from forest to landslide and channel. In addition, a fittest logistic regression model predicted the occurrence probability of change trajectory in the study area. Among these environmental variables for logistic regression, lithology was the most important spatial determinant for the change trajectories. Curvature and aspect variables were also significant. This spatial statistical model was helpful for predicting the occurrence probabilities of the change trajectories.
Full text
Available for:
FFLJ, IZUM, KILJ, NUK, ODKLJ, PILJ, PNG, SAZU, UL, UM, UPUK
Microneedle (MN) patches, which allow the extraction of skin interstitial fluid (ISF) without a pain sensation, are powerful tools for minimally invasive biofluid sampling. Herein, an MN-assisted ...paper-based sensing platform that enables rapid and painless biofluid analysis with ultrasensitive molecular recognition capacity is developed. First, a controllable-swelling MN patch is constructed through the engineering of a poly(ethylene glycol) diacrylate/methacrylated hyaluronic acid hydrogel; it combines rapid, sufficient extraction of ISF with excellent structural integrity. Notably, the analyte molecules in the needles can be recovered into a moist cellulose paper through spontaneous diffusion. More importantly, the paper can be functionalized with enzymatic colorimetric reagents or a plasmonic array, enabling a desired detection capacity-for example, the use of paper-based surface-enhanced Raman spectroscopy sensors leads to label-free, trace detection (sub-ppb level) of a diverse set of molecules (cefazolin, nicotine, paraquat, methylene blue). Finally, nicotine is selected as a model drug to evaluate the painless monitoring of three human volunteers. The changes in the nicotine levels can be tracked, with the levels varying significantly in response to the metabolism of drug in different volunteers. This as-designed minimally invasive sensing system should open up new opportunities for precision medicine, especially for personal healthcare monitoring.
Full text
Available for:
FZAB, GIS, IJS, KILJ, NLZOH, NUK, OILJ, SAZU, SBCE, SBMB, UL, UM, UPUK
Amyloid‐beta (Aβ) oligomer is known to contribute to the pathophysiology of age‐related macular degeneration. Herein, we aimed to elucidate the in vivo and in vitro effects of Aβ1‐42 application on ...retinal morphology in rats. Our in vivo studies revealed that intracerebroventricular administration of Aβ1‐42 oligomer caused dysmorphological changes in both retinal ganglion cells and retinal pigment epithelium. In addition, in vitro studies revealed that ARPE‐19 cells following Aβ1‐42 oligomer application had decreased viability along with apoptosis and decreased expression of the tight junction proteins, increased expression of both phosphor‐AKT and phosphor‐GSK3β and decreased expression of both SIRT1 and β‐catenin. Application of conditioned medium (CM) obtained from mesenchymal stem cells (MSC) protected against Aβ1‐42 oligomer‐induced retinal pathology in both rats and ARPE‐19 cells. In order to explore the potential role of peptides secreted from the MSCs, we applied mass spectrometry to compare the peptidomics profiles of the MSC‐CM. Gene ontology enrichment analysis and String analysis were performed to explore the differentially expressed peptides by predicting the functions of their precursor proteins. Bioinformatics analysis showed that 3‐8 out of 155–163 proteins in the MSC‐CM maybe associated with SIRT1/pAKT/pGSK3β/β‐catenin, tight junction proteins, and apoptosis pathway. In particular, the secretomes information on the MSC‐CM may be helpful for the prevention and treatment of retinal pathology in age‐related macular degeneration.
Aβ‐induced cell apoptosis may through inhibits SIRT1, enhanced AKT and GSK3β phosphorylation, and suppressed β‐catenin expression, and disrupted tight junction protein expression. It is well known that β‐catenin could maintain tight junction protein (such as ZO‐1 and occludin) expression and inhibit apoptosis. Conditioned medium (N‐CM or H‐CM) from mesenchymal stem cells under normoxic or hypoxic culture environment could reverse the Aβ‐induced apoptosis and tight junction protein disruption via APOC3, APOA1, KNG1, PSAP, HSP90B1, ACLY, YWHAE, and H2AFX from N‐CM, and CD44, PSMA1, and CTTN from H‐CM, which are all related to SIRT1/pAKT/pGSK3β/β‐catenin signaling pathway.
Full text
Available for:
DOBA, FZAB, GIS, IJS, IZUM, KILJ, NLZOH, NUK, OILJ, PILJ, PNG, SAZU, SBCE, SBMB, UILJ, UKNU, UL, UM, UPUK
PDF
