OBSERVATIONAL AND DYNAMICAL CHARACTERIZATION OF MAIN-BELT COMET P/2010 R2 (La Sagra)

Hsieh, Henry H.,Yang, Bin,Haghighipour, Nader,Novaković,, Bojan,Jedicke, Robert,Wainscoat, Richard J.,Denneau, Larry,Abe, Shinsuke,Chen, Wen-Ping,Fitzsimmons, Alan,Granvik, Mikael,Grav, Tommy,Ip, American Institute of Physics 2012 The Astronomical journal Vol.143 No.5

<P>We present observations of the recently discovered comet-like main-belt object P/2010 R2 (La Sagra) obtained by Pan-STARRS1 and the Faulkes Telescope-North on Haleakala in Hawaii, the University of Hawaii 2.2 m, Gemini-North, and Keck I telescopes on Mauna Kea, the Danish 1.54 m telescope (operated by the MiNDSTEp consortium) at La Silla, and the Isaac Newton Telescope on La Palma. An antisolar dust tail is observed to be present from 2010 August through 2011 February, while a dust trail aligned with the object's orbit plane is also observed from 2010 December through 2011 August. Assuming typical phase darkening behavior, P/La Sagra is seen to increase in brightness by >1 mag between 2010 August and December, suggesting that dust production is ongoing over this period. These results strongly suggest that the observed activity is cometary in nature (i.e., driven by the sublimation of volatile material), and that P/La Sagra is therefore the most recent main-belt comet to be discovered. We find an approximate absolute magnitude for the nucleus of H<SUB>R</SUB> = 17.9 ± 0.2 mag, corresponding to a nucleus radius of ~0.7 km, assuming an albedo of p = 0.05. Comparing the observed scattering surface areas of the dust coma to that of the nucleus when P/La Sagra was active, we find dust-to-nucleus area ratios of A<SUB>d</SUB>/A<SUB>N</SUB> = 30-60, comparable to those computed for fellow main-belt comets 238P/Read and P/2008 R1 (Garradd), and one to two orders of magnitude larger than for two other main-belt comets (133P/Elst-Pizarro and 176P/LINEAR). Using optical spectroscopy to search for CN emission, we do not detect any conclusive evidence of sublimation products (i.e., gas emission), finding an upper limit CN production rate of Q<SUB>CN</SUB> < 6 × 10<SUP>23</SUP> mol s<SUP>–1</SUP>, from which we infer an H<SUB>2</SUB>O production rate of <img SRC='http://ej.iop.org/images/1538-3881/143/5/104/aj423523ieqn1.gif' ALIGN='MIDDLE' ALT='$Q_{\rm H_2O}\,{<}\,10^{26}$'/> mol s<SUP>–1</SUP>. Numerical simulations indicate that P/La Sagra is dynamically stable for >100 Myr, suggesting that it is likely native to its current location and that its composition is likely representative of other objects in the same region of the main belt, though the relatively close proximity of the 13:6 mean-motion resonance with Jupiter and the (3,–2,–1) three-body mean-motion resonance with Jupiter and Saturn mean that dynamical instability on larger timescales cannot be ruled out.</P>

Responses of Candida albicans to the Human Antimicrobial Peptide LL-37

Pei-Wen Tsai,Yin-Lien Cheng,Wen-Ping Hsieh,Chung-YuLan 한국미생물학회 2014 The journal of microbiology Vol.52 No.7

Candida albicans is amajor fungal pathogen in humans. Antimicrobialpeptides (AMPs) are critical components of the innateimmune response in vertebrates and represent the firstline of defense against microbial infection. LL-37 is the onlymember of the human family of cathelicidin AMPs and iscommonly expressed by various tissues and cells, includingsurfaces of epithelia. The candidacidal effects of LL-37 havebeen well documented, but the mechanisms by which LL-37kills C. albicans are not completely understood. In this study,we examined the effects of LL-37 on cell wall and cellular responsesin C. albicans. Using transmission electron microscopy,carbohydrate analyses, and staining for β-1,3-glucan,changing of C. albicans cell wall integrity was detected uponLL-37 treatment. In addition, LL-37 also affected cell wallarchitecture of the pathogen. Finally,DNAmicroarray analysisand quantitative PCR demonstrated that sub-lethal concentrationsof LL-37 modulated the expression of genes witha variety of functions, including transporters, regulators forbiological processes, response to stress or chemical stimulus,and pathogenesis. Together, LL-37 induces complex responsesin C. albicans, making LL-37 a promising candidate for useas a therapeutic agent against fungal infections.

Chlorophyll-Related Compounds Inhibit Cell Adhesion and Inflammation in Human Aortic Cells

Kuan-Hung Lin,Ching-Yun Hsu,Ya-Ping Huang,Jun-You Lai,Wen-Bin Hsieh,Meng-Yuan Huang,Chi-Ming Yang,Pi-Yu Chao 한국식품영양과학회 2013 Journal of medicinal food Vol.16 No.10

The objectives of this study were to investigate the effects of chlorophyll-related compounds (CRCs) and chlorophyll (Chl) a + b on inflammation in human aortic endothelial cells. Adhesion molecule expression and interleukin (IL)-8, nuclear factor (NF)-jB p65 protein, and NF-jB and activator protein (AP)-1 DNA binding were assessed. The effects of CRCs on inflammatory signaling pathways of signal transducers and activators of transcription 3 (STAT3) and mothers against decapentaplegic homolog 4, respectively induced by IL-6 and transforming growth factor (TGF)-b, in human aortic smooth muscle cells cultured in vitro were also investigated. HAECs were pretreated with 10 lM of CRCs, Chl a + b, and aspirin (Asp) for 18 h followed by tumor necrosis factor (TNF)-a (2 ng/mL) for 6 h, and U937 cell adhesion was determined. TNF-a–induced monocyte-endothelial cell adhesion was significantly inhibited by CRCs. Moreover, CRCs and Chl a + b significantly attenuated vascular cell adhesion molecule-1, intercellular adhesion molecule-1, and IL-8 expressions. Treatments also significantly decreased in NF-jB expression, DNA binding, and AP-1 DNA binding by CRCs and Asp. Thus, CRCs exert anti-inflammatory effects through modulation of NF-jB and AP-1 signaling. Ten micromoles of CRCs and Asp upregulated the expression of mothers against decapentaplegic homolog 4 (Drosophila) (SMAD4) in the TGF-b receptor signaling pathway, and SMAD3/4 transcription activity was also increased. Ten micromoles of CRCs were able to potently inhibit STAT3-binding activity by repressing IL-6–induced STAT3 expression. Our results provide a potential mechanism that explains the anti-inflammatory activities of these CRCs.

Determination of surface area of carbon-black by simple cyclic-voltammetry measurements in aqueous H2SO4

Jiin-Jiang Jow,Li-Ya Hsieh,Huai-Ping Cho,Ho-Rei Chen,Chung-Wen Kuo 한국공업화학회 2013 Journal of Industrial and Engineering Chemistry Vol.19 No.5

Determination of the surface area of commercial carbon-black (CB) by cyclic-voltammetry (CV)measurements of the electrochemical double-layer charge (Q) in aqueous sulfuric acid was investigated. Various factors that affect the Q value associated with CB, including: the presence of redox-reversible function-groups, the binders used for the formation of thin-film CB electrodes, the scan rates of the CV measurement, H2SO4 electrolyte concentration and the volume of air contained in the pores of the CB samples were examined. Conditions for measuring Q without interference from these factors were investigated and the data derived, without interference, was found to correlate well with the surface area of the CB. The results show that the total Brunauer–Emmett–Teller (BET) surface area shows good correlation (R2 = 0.993) with the Q value corresponding to a full charge/discharge of the CB (Q0), obtained by extrapolation at a zero scan rate; additionally, the CB micropore surface area (diameter < 2 nm)shows good linear correlation with the Q deficiency (Q0–Q), measured at 5 mV s-1 (R2 = 0.998).

HUA ENHANCER1 Is Involved in Posttranscriptional Regulation of Positive and Negative Regulators in <i>Arabidopsis</i> Photomorphogenesis

Tsai, Huang-Lung,Li, Yi-Hang,Hsieh, Wen-Ping,Lin, Meng-Chun,Ahn, Ji Hoon,Wu, Shu-Hsing American Society of Plant Biologists 2014 The Plant cell Vol.26 No.7

<P>This work reports that the expression of <I>HEN1</I>, a small regulatory RNA methyltransferase essential for microRNA biogenesis, is activated by light signaling pathways to regulate <I>Arabidopsis</I> photomorphogenesis. The expression of positive (<I>HY5</I>) and negative (<I>TCPs</I>) regulators is tuned by miR157d and miR319, respectively, in deetiolating seedlings, demonstrating a posttranscriptional control in the photomorphogenic development.</P>

Professionals’ experiences and attitudes toward use of Traditional Chinese Medicine in hospice palliative inpatient care units: A multicenter survey in Taiwan

Yu-Jia Lin,Hsiao-Ting Chang,Ming-Hwai Lin,Ru-Yih Chen,Ping-Jen Chen,Wen-Yuan Lin,Jyh-Gang Hsieh,Ying-Wei Wang,Chung-Chieh Hu,Yi-Sheng Liou,Tai-Yuan Chiu,Chun-Yi Tu,Yi-Jen Wang,Bo-Ren Cheng,Tzeng-Ji Ch 한국한의학연구원 2021 Integrative Medicine Research Vol.10 No.2

Background: Medical staff may have difficulties in using conventional medicine to manage symptoms among terminally ill patients, including adverse effects of the treatment. Traditional Chinese medicine (TCM) is regarded as a complementary or alternative medicine, and has been increasingly used in the field of palliative medicine in recent years. This study aimed to investigate the experiences of and attitudes toward using TCM among palliative care professionals, and to provide preliminary information about its use in palliative care. Methods: This was a cross-sectional survey study conducted in eight inpatient hospice wards in Taiwan between December 2014 and February 2016. The questionnaire was self-administered, and was analyzed with descriptive statistics including Pearson’s Chi-square test and Fisher’s exact test. Results: A total of 251 palliative care professionals responded to the questionnaire, of whom 89.7% and 88.9% believed that the use of TCM could improve the physical symptoms and quality of life in terminally ill patients, respectively. Overall, 59.8%, of respondents suggested that TCM had rare side effects, and 58.2% were worried that TCM could affect the liver and kidney function of patients. In total, 89.7% and 88.0% of professionals agreed there were no suitable clinical practice guidelines and educational programs, respectively, for TCM use in palliative care. Conclusions: Most of the respondents agreed there was insufficient knowledge, skills-training, and continuing education on the use of TCM in terminally ill patients in Taiwan. These results show that to address patient safety considerations, guidelines about use of TCM in palliative care should be established.