Exploring the genomic and transcriptomic profiles of glycemic traits and drug repurposing.

Background: Type 2 diabetes is an increasingly prevalent metabolic disorder with moderate to high heritability. Glycemic indices are crucial for diagnosing and monitoring the disease. Previous genome-wide association study (GWAS) have identified several risk loci associated with type 2 diabetes, but data from the Taiwanese population remain relatively sparse and primarily focus on type 2 diabetes status rather than glycemic trait levels.

Cost-effective 3D-printed rotatable reflectors for two-dimensional beam steering.

In this paper, we have developed a 2D optical scanning module comprising cascaded 3D-printed one-axis rotating mirrors with large areas (30×30 for the X-direction scan and 60×25 for the Y-direction scan). Each mirror device contains a square or rectangular silicon substrate coated with aluminum, serving as the mirror. A 3D-printed structure, including the mirror frame (with four embedded mini permanent magnets on the backside), torsion springs, and base, is combined with the mirror; two electromagnets are situated under the mirror as the actuation mechanism.

Acupuncture Point Stimulation Treatments Combined With Conventional Treatment in Chronic Obstructive Pulmonary Disease: A Systematic Review and Network Meta-Analysis.

Chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD), which is a disease characterized by dyspnea, cough, and respiratory symptoms, leading to impaired health-related quality of life (HRQL) and exercise capacity, is highly prevalent worldwide. Some studies demonstrated that acupuncture point stimulation treatments (APSTs) are effective and safe in treating patients with COPD. The aim of this systematic review and network meta-analysis is to analyze the effects on HRQL and FEV1% predicted of diverse APSTs in treating patients with COPD.

Oridonin Attenuates Lipopolysaccharide-Induced ROS Accumulation and Inflammation in HK-2 Cells.

Renal tubulointerstitial inflammation plays an important role in chronic kidney disease (CKD). Inflammation reduction is a good strategy to combat CKD. Oridonin, an ent-kaurane diterpenoid isolated from (Donglingcao), is considered as an effective natural candidate for the treatment of anti-inflammatory, antiviral, and antibacterial activities, including liver fibrosis and many tumors; however, no study has demonstrated its effect on lipopolysaccharide- (LPS-) induced renal inflammation.

Suppression of Human Platelet Activation via Integrin αβ Outside-In Independent Signal and Reduction of the Mortality in Pulmonary Thrombosis by Auraptene.

Auraptene is the most abundant coumarin derivative from plants. The pharmacological value of this compound has been well demonstrated, especially in the prevention of cancer and neurodegenerative diseases. Platelet activation is a major factor contributing to arterial thrombosis.

Interactions of Val66Met Polymorphism and Menstrual Pain on Brain Complexity.

The irregularity and uncertainty of neurophysiologic signals across different time scales can be regarded as neural complexity, which is related to the adaptability of the nervous system and the information processing between neurons. We recently reported general loss of brain complexity, as measured by multiscale sample entropy (MSE), at pain-related regions in females with primary dysmenorrhea (PDM). However, it is unclear whether this loss of brain complexity is associated with inter-subject genetic variations.

Novel Therapeutic Agent against Platelet Activation In Vitro and Arterial Thrombosis In Vivo by Morin Hydrate.

Morin hydrate, a bioactive flavonoid, has been proven to prevent inflammation and apoptosis of cells. Flavonoids can reduce the risk of cardiovascular diseases, in which platelet activation plays a major role. This study investigated the effect of morin hydrate on platelet activation in vitro and in vivo.

Difference between observed and predicted glycated hemoglobin at baseline and treatment response to vildagliptin-based dual oral therapy in patients with type 2 diabetes.

Aim: We aimed to investigate the association of difference between observed and predicted glycated hemoglobin (dopHbA1c) and HbA1c reduction after vildagliptin-based oral therapy in patients with type 2 diabetes (T2D).

Methods: This was a prospective observational study. Adults ≥ 20 years old with T2D and HbA1c ≧7% treated with oral anti-diabetic drugs (OADs) were eligible if their OADs were shifted to vildagliptin-based dual oral therapy.

Visualization of biosensors using enhanced surface plasmon resonances in capped silver nanostructures.

We propose a method and optical design for direct visualization of label-free detection. The system, similar to a tiny spectral analyzer, is composed of a nanostructure-based surface plasmon resonance chip, linear polarizer and 532 nm laser light source. The full-width-at-half-maximum bandwidths of the enhanced surface plasmon resonances are about 5 nm.

Self-aligned Cu etch mask for individually addressable metallic and semiconducting carbon nanotubes.

Two means to achieve high yield of individually addressable single-walled carbon nanotubes (CNTs) are developed and examined. The first approach matches the effective channel width and the density of horizontally aligned CNTs. This method can provide single CNT devices and also allows control over the average number of CNTs per channel.

Resistive random access memory enabled by carbon nanotube crossbar electrodes.

We use single-walled carbon nanotube (CNT) crossbar electrodes to probe sub-5 nm memory domains of thin AlOx films. Both metallic and semiconducting CNTs effectively switch AlOx bits between memory states with high and low resistance. The low-resistance state scales linearly with CNT series resistance down to ∼10 MΩ, at which point the ON-state resistance of the AlOx filament becomes the limiting factor.

Integration of type II nanorod heterostructures into photovoltaics.

High-quality epitaxial interfaces and delicate control over shape anisotropy make nanorod heterostructures (NRHs) with staggered band offsets efficient in separating and directing photogenerated carriers. Combined with versatile and scalable wet chemical means of synthesis, these salient features of NRHs are useful for improving both the performance and the cost-effectiveness of photovoltaics (PVs). However, inefficient carrier transport and extraction have imposed severe limitations, outweighing the benefits of enhanced charge separation.

Temperature and gate voltage dependent Raman spectra of single-layer graphene.

Raman spectra of electrostatically gated single-layer graphene are measured from room temperature to 560 K to sort out doping and thermally induced effects. Repeated heating cycles under Ar led to convergent first-order temperature coefficients of the G-band (χ(G) = -0.03 cm(-1)/K) and the 2D-band (χ(2D) = -0.

Layer-by-layer transfer of multiple, large area sheets of graphene grown in multilayer stacks on a single SiC wafer.

Here we report a technique for transferring graphene layers, one by one, from a multilayer deposit formed by epitaxial growth on the Si-terminated face of a 6H-SiC substrate. The procedure uses a bilayer film of palladium/polyimide deposited onto the graphene coated SiC, which is then mechanically peeled away and placed on a target substrate. Orthogonal etching of the palladium and polyimide leaves isolated sheets of graphene with sizes of square centimeters.

Manifestation of Kohn anomaly in 1/f fluctuations in metallic carbon nanotubes.

Low-frequency noise in metallic single walled carbon nanotubes is shown to be strongly dependent on the Fermi level position and the applied electric field across the nanotube. Resonance-like enhancement observed near optical phonon energy only when the Fermi level lies near the Dirac point is correlated to Raman G-band softening and broadening. The results suggest that the competition between zone-center and zone-boundary phonon scattering is the underlying origin of the large enhancement and resonance-like behavior of 1/f noise.