Taurine Rescues Cancer-induced Atrophy in Human Skeletal Muscle Cells via Ameliorating the Inflammatory Tumor Microenvironment.

BACKGROUND/AIM: Cancer cachexia is a wasting syndrome that has a devastating impact on the prognosis of patients with cancer. It is well-documented that pro-inflammatory cytokines are involved in the progression of this disorder. Therefore, this study was conducted to investigate the protective effect of taurine, an essential nonprotein amino acid with great anti-inflammatory properties, in attenuating muscle atrophy induced by cancer. MATERIALS AND METHODS: Conditioned media (CM) derived from T24 human bladder carcinoma cells with or without 5 mM taurine were incubated with human skeletal muscle cells (HSkMCs) and their differentiation was examined. The intracellular reactive oxygen species (ROS), morphology, and the catabolic pathway were monitored. RESULTS: T24-derived CM with high levels of TNF-α and IL-6 caused aberrant ROS accumulation and formation of atrophic myotubes by HSkMCs. In T24 cancer cells, taurine significantly inhibited the production of TNF-α and IL-6. In HSkMCs, taurine increased ROS clearance during differentiation and preserved the myotube differentiation ability impaired by the inflammatory tumor microenvironment. In addition, taurine ameliorated myotube atrophy by regulating the Akt/FoxO1/MuRF1 and MAFbx signaling pathways. CONCLUSION: Taurine rescues cancer-induced atrophy in human skeletal muscle cells by ameliorating the inflammatory tumor microenvironment. Taurine supplementation may be a promising approach for intervening with the progression of cancer cachexia.

Fabrication of Self-Wrinkling Polymer Films with Tunable Patterns through an Interfacial-Fuming-Induced Surface Instability Process.

Inspired by the superglue fuming method for fingerprint collection, this study developed a novel interfacial-fuming-induced surface instability process to generate wrinkled patterns on polymeric substrates. High-electronegativity groups are introduced on the substrate surface to initiate the polymerization of monomer vapors, such as ethyl cyanoacrylate, which results in the formation of a stiff poly(ethyl cyanoacrylate) capping layer. Moreover, interfacial polymerization resulted in the covalent bonding of the substrate, which led to the volumetric shrinkage of the composite and the accumulation of compressive strain. This process ultimately resulted in the development and stabilization of wrinkled surface morphologies. The authors systematically examined parameters such as the modulus of the epoxy substrate, prestrain, the flow rate of fuming, and operating temperature. The aforementioned technique can be easily applied to architectures with complex outer morphologies and inner surfaces, thereby enabling the construction of surface patterns under ambient conditions without vacuum limitations or precise process control. This study is the first to combine fuming-induced interfacial polymerization with surface instability to create robust wrinkles. The proposed method enables the fabrication of intricate microwrinkled patterns and has considerable potential for use in various practical applications, including microfluidics, optical components, bioinspired adhesive devices, and interfacial engineering.

Peer Victimization Trajectory and Psychosocial Maladjustment in Early Taiwanese Adolescents: A Longitudinal Study.

This study examined the peer victimization trajectory and maladjustment outcomes among early Taiwanese adolescents. Data were extracted from a large-scale longitudinal study with a national representative sample. A total of 1691 school students in 4th, 6th, and 8th grade were analyzed. Using latent profile analysis, students were classified into four trajectories, chronic victims, late onset victims, desisters, and non-victims, based on their self-reported physical and verbal victimization at three time points. Maladjustment, including psychological distress, reduced school attachment, internet addiction, and suicidal ideation in 8th grade, were assessed. The results showed significant differences in adjustment among students in the four trajectories. Chronic victims had the poorest outcomes on most variables, followed by late onset victims and desisters, while non-victims had the least maladjustment. The findings highlight the need for future interventions that would consider students' victim status over time and pay particular attention to those who suffer constant bullying and abuse.

Berezinskii-Kosterlitz-Thouless transition from neural network flows.

We adopt the neural network (NN) flow method to study the Berezinskii-Kosterlitz-Thouless (BKT) phase transitions of the two-dimensional q-state clock model with q≥4. The NN flow consists of a sequence of the same units that proceed with the flow. This unit is a variational autoencoder trained by the data of Monte Carlo configurations in unsupervised learning. To gauge the difference among the ensembles of Monte Carlo configurations at different temperatures and the uniqueness of the ensemble of NN-flow states, we adopt the Jensen-Shannon divergence (JSD) as the information-distance measure "thermometer." This JSD thermometer compares the probability distribution functions of the mean spin value of two ensembles of states. Our results show that the NN flow will flow an arbitrary spin state to some state in a fixed-point ensemble of states. The corresponding JSD of the fixed-point ensemble takes a unique profile with peculiar features, which can help to identify the critical temperatures of BKT phase transitions of the underlying Monte Carlo configurations.

Patterns and trajectories of children's maltreatment experiences in Taiwan: Latent transition analysis of a nationally representative longitudinal study.

BACKGROUND: Little is known about the patterns of child maltreatment change over time and vary according to gender and child protective services (CPS) experience in Taiwan. OBJECTIVE: To examine the latent status and the trajectories of child maltreatment and to identify effects that gender and CPS have on these statuses and trajectories in Taiwan. PARTICIPANTS AND SETTING: A national proportionately stratified sample of 6233 4th-grade students were recruited from 314 elementary schools in Taiwan, and followed up at 6th and 8th graders. A total of 1908 students completed valid data at all three time points was analyzed. METHODS: Latent class analysis and latent transition analysis were used to identify the number of latent variables and the patterns of child maltreatment. Multiple-group model was used to test with gender difference. RESULTS: Four latent maltreatment statuses were identified: high all maltreatment, high psychological maltreatment, high neglect, and no/low maltreatment. A reduction in maltreatment severity occurred over time was found. The percentage of students in the "high all maltreatment" and "high neglect" groups decreased whereas those in the "high psychological maltreatment" and "no/low maltreatment" groups increased. Differences in the transition probabilities of latent maltreatment status by gender was revealed. The percentage of CPS recipients in the "high all maltreatment" decreased over time. CONCLUSIONS: This study highlighted the dynamic nature of child maltreatment and described the timing, continuity, and change that characterizes children's exposure to maltreatment in Taiwan. Policies and interventions geared toward early detection, mitigation, and prevention of child maltreatment are needed.

A distinct sensitivity to the priming effect between labile and stable soil organic carbon.

Soil organic carbon (SOC) is a mixture of various carbon (C) compounds with different stability, which can be distinctly affected by the priming effect (PE). However, little is known about how the PE changes with SOC stability. We address this issue by combining results from two experiments and a metaanalysis. We found that the PE increased with the prolongation of soil preincubation, suggesting that higher PE occurred for more stable SOC than for labile SOC. This was further supported by the metaanalysis of 42 observations. There were significant negative relationships between the difference in PE (ΔPE) between labile and more stable SOC and their differences in SOC, microbial biomass C and soil C : N ratio, indicating that soil C availability exerts a vital control on ΔPE. We conclude that, compared with labile SOC, stable SOC can be more vulnerable to priming once microbes are provided with exogenous C substrates. This high vulnerability of stable SOC to priming warrants more attention in future studies on SOC cycling and global change.

2D gapless topological superfluids generated by pairing phases.

We systematically investigate the ground state phase diagram and the finite temperature phase transitions for a Rydberg-dressed Fermi gas loaded in a bilayer optical lattice. When an effective finite-ranged attraction is induced, our self-consistent mean-field calculation shows that the gapped topological (p-wave) superfluids in each layer are coupled together by thes-wave pairing in an intermediate inter-layer distance with a spontaneously modulated phases between these two order parameters. The obtained ground state is a gapless topological superfluid with quantized topological charges characterizing the gapless points, leading to a zero energy flat band at the edges. Finally, we calculate the finite temperature phase diagrams of this two-dimensional gapless superfluid and observe two distinct critical temperatures, demonstrating the fruitful many-body effects on a paired topological superfluids.

Relationship between Aspiration Pneumonia and Feeding Care among Home Care Patients with an In-Dwelling Nasogastric Tube in Taiwan: A Preliminary Study.

Home care patients have swallowing dysfunction and rely on an in-dwelling nasogastric tube (NGT) to complement oral food intake, supplement their diet, and maintain adequate nutritional status. This study explored the relationship between aspiration pneumonia (AP) and feeding care among home care patients with an in-dwelling NGT. This preliminary study employed a cross-sectional design. There were 35 patients who relied on an in-dwelling NGT to complement their oral intake of food (NGT-oral feeding) and their primary caregivers participated in this study. All of them developed AP in the past year. Factors involving food intake performance during mealtime of the home care patients and feeding care provided by the caregivers were simultaneously observed and recorded. Among the six risk factors univariately correlated with the incidence of AP, feeding in a noisy environment, using a large spoon to feed the participants, more than 5 mL of food per mouthful, food intake duration lasting > 30 min, swallowing twice for each mouthful of food, and coughing at least once every day remained significant in the logistic regression model (all p < 0.05). Four risk factors for AP were correlated with feeding care; the adjusted risk ratio ranged from 6.17 to 14.96 (all p < 0.05). In addition to each individual's food intake ability, improper feeding assistance was related to the risk factors for AP among home care patients with NGT-oral feeding. Thus, home caregivers should receive safe oral feeding education and training.

Rape Stereotype Acceptance in the General Population of England and Wales.

The #MeToo movement has facilitated a growing awareness in the UK of rape stereotypes but there has been little research on how accurately rape is perceived in this region, especially regarding demographics such as ethnicity and age. This study recruited 1000 participants, representative of the UK population, to complete an online survey prompting beliefs about rape perpetrators, rape victims, rape allegations, male rape, and motives for and consequences of rape. After carrying out frequency analyses on agree-incorrect and disagree-incorrect statements, we found that, generally, accuracy was high, although there were higher levels of stereotype acceptance for perpetrator related stereotypes. Further analysis found that in terms of demographic differences, Black and Asian participants and men were significantly more likely to accept stereotypes than other demographic groups. Implications for policy and practice are discussed, including potential for jury education, and educational media campaigns aimed at the demographics most likely to accept stereotypes.

Developing and Validating Risk Scores for Predicting Major Cardiovascular Events Using Population Surveys Linked with Electronic Health Insurance Records.

A risk prediction model for major cardiovascular events was developed using population survey data linked to National Health Insurance (NHI) claim data and the death registry. Another set of population survey data were used to validate the model. The model was built using the Nutrition and Health Survey in Taiwan (NAHSIT) collected from 1993-1996 and linked with 10 years of events from NHI data. Major adverse cardiovascular events (MACEs) were identified based on hospital admission or death from coronary heart disease or stroke. The Taiwanese Survey on Hypertension, Hyperglycemia, and Hyperlipidemia (TwSHHH), conducted in 2002 was used for external validation. The NAHSIT data consisted of 1658 men and 1652 women aged 35-70 years. The incidence rates for MACE per 1000 person-years were 13.77 for men and 7.76 for women. These incidence rates for the TwSHHH were 7.27 for men and 3.58 for women. The model had reasonable discrimination (C-indexes: 0.76 for men; 0.75 for women), thus can be used to predict MACE risks in the general population. NHI data can be used to identify disease statuses if the definition and algorithm are clearly defined. Precise preventive health services in Taiwan can be based on this model.

Applying Hierarchy of Expert Performance (HEP) to investigative interview evaluation: strengths, challenges and future directions.

The purpose of this paper is to systematically examine the research literature on the decision of expert interviewers within the theoretical framework of the Hierarchy of Expert Performance (HEP). After providing an overview of the HEP framework, existing research in the investigative interviewing at each of the eight levels of the HEP framework is reviewed. The results identify areas of strength in reliability between experts' observations (Level 2) and of weakness in reliability between experts' conclusions (Level 6). Biases in investigative interview experts' decision making is also revealed at biasability between expert conclusions (Level 8). Moreover, no published data are available in reliability within experts at the level of observations (Level 1) or conclusions (Level 5), biasability within or between expert observations (Level 3 and 4) and biasability within expert conclusions (Level 7). The findings highlight areas where future research and practical endeavour are much needed for the investigative interview.

Ecological Predictors and Trajectory of Internet Addiction from Childhood through Adolescence: A Nationally Representative Longitudinal Study.

We examined multidimensional factors within four systems (individual, family, school, and community) that influence internet addiction across time among children through adolescence in Taiwan. We hypothesize that internet addiction increases from childhood to adolescence and that resilience, child neglect, positive school experiences, and community violence are significant predictors at baseline and of the rate of change across time. Based on stratified random sampling, a valid sample size of 6233 Taiwanese children participated in our study, which we began in 2014 and then followed this sample in 2016 and 2018 using repeated measures. We used hierarchical linear modeling to model changes in internet addiction across time (with equal two-year intervals between assessments) and the associations between the predictors and internet addiction over time. The results show that internet addiction increases from childhood to adolescence. After controlling for gender, we found that resilience and positive school experiences predict less internet addiction, whereas neglect and community violence predict greater internet addiction. Over time, greater resilience predicts a decreasing trajectory of internet addiction, whereas greater neglect and community violence predict a slower increasing trajectory and positive school experiences predict a faster-increasing trajectory. A holistic approach can help children cope with internet addiction.

Genetic variation in catechol-O-methyltransferase is associated with individual differences in conditioned pain modulation in healthy subjects.

BACKGROUND: Genetic variation in the catechol-O-methyltransferase (COMT) gene is associated with sensitivity to both acute experimental pain and chronic pain conditions. Four single nucleotide polymorphisms (SNPs) have traditionally been used to infer three common haplotypes designated as low, average and high pain sensitivity and are reported to affect both COMT enzymatic activity and pain sensitivity. One mechanism that may partly explain individual differences in sensitivity to pain is conditioned pain modulation (CPM). We hypothesized that variation in CPM may have a genetic basis. METHODS: We evaluated CPM in 77 healthy pain-free Caucasian subjects by applying repeated mechanical stimuli to the dominant forearm using 26-g von Frey filament as the test stimulus with immersion of the non-dominant hand in hot water as the conditioning stimulus. We assayed COMT SNP genotypes by the TaqMan method using DNA extracted from saliva. RESULTS: SNP rs4680 (val158 met) was not associated with individual differences in CPM. However, CPM was associated with COMT low pain sensitivity haplotypes under an additive model (p = 0.004) and the effect was independent of gender. CONCLUSIONS: We show that, although four SNPs are used to infer COMT haplotypes, the low pain sensitivity haplotype is determined by SNP rs6269 (located in the 5' regulatory region of COMT), suggesting that inherited variation in gene expression may underlie individual differences in pain modulation. Analysis of 13 global populations revealed that the COMT low pain sensitivity haplotype varies in frequency from 13% to 44% and showed that two SNPs are sufficient to distinguish all COMT haplotypes in most populations.

Predicting maximal oxygen uptake from a 3-minute progressive knee-ups and step test.

BACKGROUND: Cardiorespiratory fitness assessment is crucial for diagnosing health risks and assessing interventions. Direct measurement of maximum oxygen uptake (V̇O2 max) yields more objective and accurate results, but it is practical only in a laboratory setting. We therefore investigated whether a 3-min progressive knee-up and step (3MPKS) test can be used to estimate peak oxygen uptake in these settings. METHOD: The data of 166 healthy adult participants were analyzed. We conducted a V̇O2 max test and a subsequent 3MPKS exercise test, in a balanced order, a week later. In a multivariate regression model, sex; age; relative V̇O2 max; body mass index (BMI); body fat percentage (BF); resting heart rate (HR0); and heart rates at the beginning as well as at the first, second, third, and fourth minutes (denoted by HR0, HR1, HR2, HR3, and HR4, respectively) during a step test were used as predictors. Moreover, R2 and standard error of estimate (SEE) were used to evaluate the accuracy of various body composition models in predicting V̇O2max. RESULTS: The predicted and actual V̇O2 max values were significantly correlated (BF% model: R2 = 0.624, SEE = 4.982; BMI model: R2 = 0.567, SEE = 5.153). The BF% model yielded more accurate predictions, and the model predictors were sex, age, BF%, HR0, ΔHR3-HR0, and ΔHR3-HR4. CONCLUSION: In our study, involving Taiwanese adults, we constructed and verified a model to predict V̇O2 max, which indicates cardiorespiratory fitness. This model had the predictors sex, age, body composition, and heart rate changes during a step test. Our 3MPKS test has the potential to be widely used in epidemiological research to measure V̇O2 max and other health-related parameters.

A Single Session of Heart Rate Variability Biofeedback Produced Greater Increases in Heart Rate Variability Than Autogenic Training.

Heart rate variability biofeedback (HRV-BF) has been confirmed to increase heart rate variability (HRV) and cardiac outflows by baroreflex in healthy populations and clinical patients. Autogenic training (AT) is common used in the psychological intervention. This study integrates a single-session of HRV-BF and AT into a high-technology mobile application (app), and examines the effects on HRV indices, breathing rates, and subjective relaxation scores. Healthy college students were recruited and assigned to the single-session HRV-BF group or AT group. Participants in the HRV-BF group received HRV-BF combined with paced breathing training, which gradually stepped down their breathing rates from 12, to 8, to 6 breaths/per min; and received feedback of HRV indices from the app. Participants in the AT group received autogenic training and feedback of heart rate from the app. A chest belt Zephyr BioHarness was connected through Bluetooth to a Zenfone5 mobile phone, it collected the signals of interbeat intervals and breathing rates at pre-training, mid-training, and post-training stages. The Kubios HRV software was used to analyze HRV indices. The results reveal higher HRV indices and lower breathing rates during mid-training and post-training in the HRV-BF group compared to the AT group. There were higher high-frequency of HRV at post-training than pre-training in the AT group. Participants of both groups increased their subjective relaxation scores after training. The HRV-BF protocol increased cardiac outflows by baroreflex and decreased breathing rates, and the AT protocol increased high-frequency of HRV. These high-technology wearable devices combined with psychological interventions will apply to various populations in the future.

Dual expression of transgenic delta-5 and delta-6 desaturase in tilapia alters gut microbiota and enhances resistance to Vibrio vulnificus infection.

Omega-3 polyunsaturated fatty acids (n-3 PUFAs), such as eicosapentaenoic acid (EPA) and docosahexaenoic acid (DHA), exhibit antibacterial and anti-inflammatory activities. Furthermore, diets rich in n-3 PUFAs are known to improve disease resistance and limit pathogen infection in commercial aquaculture fishes. In this study, we examined the effects of transgenic overexpression of n-3 PUFA biosynthesis genes on the physiological response to bacterial infection in tilapia. We first established tilapia strains with single or dual expression of salmon delta-5 desaturase and/or delta-6 desaturase and then challenged the fish with Vibrio vulnificus infection. Interestingly, our data suggest that n-3 PUFA-mediated alterations in gut microbiota may be important in determining disease outcome via effects on immune response of the host. Both liver- and muscle-specific single and dual expression of delta-5 desaturase and delta-6 desaturase resulted in higher n-3 PUFA content in transgenic fish fed with a LO basal diet. The enrichment of n-3 PUFAs in dual-transgenic fish is likely responsible for their improved survival rate and comparatively reduced expression of inflammation- and immune-associated genes after V. vulnificus infection. Gut microbiome analysis further revealed that dual-transgenic tilapia had high gut microbiota diversity, with low levels of inflammation-associated microbiota (i.e., Prevotellaceae). Thus, our findings indicate that dual expression of transgenic delta-5 and delta-6 desaturase in tilapia enhances disease resistance, an effect that is associated with increased levels of n-3 PUFAs and altered gut microbiota composition.

Symmetrical Wrinkles in Single-Component Elastomers with Fingerprint-Inspired Robust Isotropic Dry Adhesive Capabilities.

Robust and inexpensive dry adhesives have a great potential in multitudinous industrial applications. However, to date, the fabrication of dry adhesives, prepared using high aspect ratio structures in general, requires specific equipment and time-consuming processes, which limit their practicable utilization. Inspired from human fingerprints, in this study, we created durable single-component elastomer surfaces with symmetric and multiple concentric-shaped wrinkled patterns that exhibit isotropic dry adhesion capabilities. The dynamic interfacial release-induced surface wrinkling property of a rigid degradable polymeric capping layer [i.e., poly(l-lactide) (PLLA)] was exploited on a soft elastomer substrate [i.e., polydimethylsiloxane (PDMS)] to spontaneously form wrinkled PLLA/PDMS bilayer composites. After conducting a two-step thermal curing process on the composite and hydrolysis of the PLLA capping layer, a single-component microwrinkled PDMS surface with a large area and symmetric patterns could be generated. The patterns show flexible, durable, and isotropic dry adhesion capabilities that could be controlled by tuning their geometrical parameters (wrinkle wavelengths and amplitudes) and elastic modulus. In particular, the formation of symmetrically wrinkled patterns without using expensive lithography for patterning and costly material precursors is an advantage and could be extended to other industrial applications, such as damage-free transportation, biomimetic climbing robots, and biocompatible medical patches.

Parental Attachment, Adult-Child Romantic Attachment, and Marital Satisfaction: An Examination of Cultural Context in Taiwanese and Thai Heterosexual Couples.

Relationship dynamics between married couples can differ considerably, with varying impacts on relationship satisfaction. However, very limited research attention has been paid to how intergenerational attachment, relating to an individual's perception of his/her own and that of his/her parents' attachment, can affect marital dynamics within different cultural contexts. The current study examined associations between married heterosexual couples' romantic attachment, perception of parental attachment, and marital satisfaction in 100 Thai couples (M age = 45.59 years, SD = 10.86) and 73 Taiwanese couples (M age = 39.55 years, SD = 9.13). Results revealed that romantic attachment anxiety was negatively associated with marital satisfaction in the Taiwanese couples; in the Thai couples, neither romantic attachment anxiety nor avoidance was associated with marital satisfaction. Husbands reported higher romantic attachment anxiety than their wives in Taiwan, but this was not observed in the Thai couples. Taiwanese wives reported higher scores on their perceived parental attachment avoidance than did their husbands; whereas the reverse trend was observed in the Thai couples. These findings highlight the need to consider intergenerational aspects of attachment in cultural contexts, and they have important implications for practitioners working with couples from Asian cultural backgrounds.

Bioinspired Durable Superhydrophobic Surface from a Hierarchically Wrinkled Nanoporous Polymer.

Inspired by complex multifunctional leaves, in this study, we created robust hierarchically wrinkled nanoporous polytetrafluoroethene (PTFE) surfaces that exhibit superhydrophobic properties by combination of PTFE micellization and spontaneous surface wrinkling on a commercially available thermoretractable polystyrene (PS) sheet. A PTFE dispersion was coated onto the PS sheet, followed by thermal treatment to remove the surfactants surrounding the PTFE particles, and surface wrinkling was induced through a dynamic thermal contraction process. Thermally induced contraction from the PS sheet provided the driving force for developing and stabilizing micrometer-sized wrinkle formation, whereas the nanometer-sized PTFE particle aggregation formed a rigid nanoporous film, providing its intrinsic hydrophobic character. By combining the hierarchical interfacial structure and chemical composition, hierarchically wrinkled nanoporous PTFE surfaces were fabricated, which exhibited extremely high water repellence (water contact angle of ∼167°) and a water rolling-off angle lower than 5°. The wrinkled patterns could intimately bind the nanoporous PTFE layer through enhanced adhesion from their curved surface and viscous liquid surfactants, making these surfaces mechanically robust and offering potentially extendable alternatives with self-cleaning, antifouling, and drag-reducing properties.

Childhood poly-victimization and children's health: A nationally representative study.

BACKGROUND: Although research on the negative effects of childhood poly-victimization is substantial, few studies have examined the relationship between poly-victimization and younger children's physical health and diseases. OBJECTIVE: This study examines the associations between poly-victimization and children's health problems requiring medical attention. METHODS: A national stratified cluster random sampling was used to select and approach 25% of the total primary schools in Taiwan, and 49% of the approached schools agreed to participate in this study. We collected data with a self-report questionnaire from 6233 (4th-grade) students aged 10-11, covering every city and county in Taiwan. RESULTS: Logistic regression analyses demonstrate a significant dose-response relationship between children's poly-victimization exposure and their health problems including hospitalization, serious injury, surgery, daily-medication requirements, heart murmurs, asthma, dizziness or fainting, allergies, kidney disease, therapies for special needs, smoking, and alcohol use. The results indicate that children's risk of having a health problem grew significantly with each increase in the number of victimization types that children experienced. CONCLUSIONS: These research findings underscore the effect of poly-victimization on children's health problems requiring medical attention, and stress the need for both proper screening methods for children's exposure to poly-victimization and stronger awareness of poly-victimization's effects on health conditions in healthcare clinics.