National Chiayi University

Research on liposome formulations has progressed from that on conventional vesicles to new generation liposomes, such as cationic liposomes, temperature sensitive liposomes, and virosomes, by modulating the formulation techniques and lipid composition. Many research papers focus on the correlation of blood circulation time and drug accumulation in target tissues with physicochemical properties of liposomal formulations, including particle size, membrane lamellarity, surface charge, permeability, encapsulation volume, shelf time, and release rate. This review is mainly to compare the therapeutic effect of current clinically approved liposome-based drugs with free drugs, and to also determine the clinical effect via liposomal variations in lipid composition. Furthermore, the major preclinical and clinical data related to the principal liposomal formulations are also summarized.

Abstract Aim To examine the contribution of large‐diameter trees to biomass, stand structure, and species richness across forest biomes. Location Global. Time period Early 21st century. Major taxa studied Woody plants. Methods We examined the contribution of large trees to forest density, richness and biomass using a global network of 48 large (from 2 to 60 ha) forest plots representing 5,601,473 stems across 9,298 species and 210 plant families. This contribution was assessed using three metrics: the largest 1% of trees ≥ 1 cm diameter at breast height (DBH), all trees ≥ 60 cm DBH, and those rank‐ordered largest trees that cumulatively comprise 50% of forest biomass. Results Averaged across these 48 forest plots, the largest 1% of trees ≥ 1 cm DBH comprised 50% of aboveground live biomass, with hectare‐scale standard deviation of 26%. Trees ≥ 60 cm DBH comprised 41% of aboveground live tree biomass. The size of the largest trees correlated with total forest biomass ( r 2 = .62, p < .001). Large‐diameter trees in high biomass forests represented far fewer species relative to overall forest richness ( r 2 = .45, p < .001). Forests with more diverse large‐diameter tree communities were comprised of smaller trees ( r 2 = .33, p < .001). Lower large‐diameter richness was associated with large‐diameter trees being individuals of more common species ( r 2 = .17, p = .002). The concentration of biomass in the largest 1% of trees declined with increasing absolute latitude ( r 2 = .46, p < .001), as did forest density ( r 2 = .31, p < .001). Forest structural complexity increased with increasing absolute latitude ( r 2 = .26, p < .001). Main conclusions Because large‐diameter trees constitute roughly half of the mature forest biomass worldwide, their dynamics and sensitivities to environmental change represent potentially large controls on global forest carbon cycling. We recommend managing forests for conservation of existing large‐diameter trees or those that can soon reach large diameters as a simple way to conserve and potentially enhance ecosystem services.

Previous studies have explored tourists’ environmentally responsible behavior (ERB) from the perspectives of individual commitment, attractiveness, and involvement. This study approaches from the standpoint of environmental knowledge (EK); it probes tourists’ behavior to facilitate sustainable tourism development, and constructs a sustainable island tourism development model by integrating EK, environmental sensitivity, place attachment, and ERB. Four hundred and seventy seven tourists visiting the Penghu Islands, Taiwan, were surveyed. Structural equation modeling was used to determine the relationships among the variables and the mediating effects. Results indicate that higher levels of tourists’ EK about the Penghu Islands are associated with stronger environmental sensitivity; environmental sensitivity which tourists have for island tourism is positively associated with place attachment. The extent of place attachment of Penghu as perceived by tourists is also positively associated with stronger ERB. When tourists are highly sensitive to the attraction, they are more likely to exhibit ERB. Environmental sensitivity and place attachment were found to exert significant effects in mediating the relationships between EK and ERB. This study pioneers the integration of all four constructs in a sustainable tourism behavior model for tourists to island tourism destinations. Suggestions for marketing and implementation of sustainable tourism, and their managerial implications are proposed.

between cells and biomaterial scaffolds is called focal adhesion. To understand the factors that influence cell adhesive ability is a key in the development and application of new tissue engineering scaffold. Cell attachment is a complex process, affected by numerous aspects, such as cell behavior, material surface properties, and environmental factors. Material surface properties comprise the hydrophobicity, charge, roughness, softness and chemical composition of the biomaterial surface itself.

The Black Rat (Rattus rattus) spread out of Asia to become one of the world's worst agricultural and urban pests, and a reservoir or vector of numerous zoonotic diseases, including the devastating plague. Despite the global scale and inestimable cost of their impacts on both human livelihoods and natural ecosystems, little is known of the global genetic diversity of Black Rats, the timing and directions of their historical dispersals, and the risks associated with contemporary movements. We surveyed mitochondrial DNA of Black Rats collected across their global range as a first step towards obtaining an historical genetic perspective on this socioeconomically important group of rodents. We found a strong phylogeographic pattern with well-differentiated lineages of Black Rats native to South Asia, the Himalayan region, southern Indochina, and northern Indochina to East Asia, and a diversification that probably commenced in the early Middle Pleistocene. We also identified two other currently recognised species of Rattus as potential derivatives of a paraphyletic R. rattus. Three of the four phylogenetic lineage units within R. rattus show clear genetic signatures of major population expansion in prehistoric times, and the distribution of particular haplogroups mirrors archaeologically and historically documented patterns of human dispersal and trade. Commensalism clearly arose multiple times in R. rattus and in widely separated geographic regions, and this may account for apparent regionalism in their associated pathogens. Our findings represent an important step towards deeper understanding the complex and influential relationship that has developed between Black Rats and humans, and invite a thorough re-examination of host-pathogen associations among Black Rats.

Tea is the most popular flavored and functional drink worldwide. The nutritional value of tea is mostly from the tea polyphenols that are reported to possess a broad spectrum of biological activities, including anti-oxidant properties, reduction of various cancers, inhibition of inflammation, and protective effects against diabetes, hyperlipidemia and obesity. Tea polyphenols include catechins and gallic acid in green and white teas, and theaflavins and thearubigins as well as other catechin polymers in black and oolong teas. Accurate analysis of black tea polyphenols plays a significant role in the identification of black tea contents, quality control of commercial tea beverages and extracts, differentiation of various contents of theaflavins and catechins and correlations of black tea identity and quality with biological activity, and most importantly, the establishment of the relationship between quantitative tea polyphenol content and its efficacy in animal or human studies. Global research in tea polyphenols has generated much in vitro and in vivo data rationally correlating tea polyphenols with their preventive and therapeutic properties in human diseases such as cancer, and metabolic and cardiovascular diseases etc. Based on these scientific findings, numerous tea products have been developed including flavored tea drinks, tea-based functional drinks, tea extracts and concentrates, and dietary supplements and food ingredients, demonstrating the broad applications of tea and its extracts, particularly in the field of functional food.

This study examines the causal relationships between place attachment, destination attractiveness and environmentally responsible behavior (ERB), and the mediating effect of place attachment. Four hundred and thirteen tourists were surveyed who had visited the Penghu islands, Taiwan. Structural Equation Modeling was used to determine the relationships among the variables and the mediating effects. Results show that the emotions and feelings (place attachment), which tourists have for Penghu, are positively associated with stronger ERB; the extent of attractiveness of island tourism as perceived by tourists is also positively associated with stronger ERB. A higher level of tourists’ destination attractiveness in regard to island tourism is associated with stronger place attachment; place attachment was found to exert a significant effect in mediating the relationship between destination attractiveness and ERB. The study shows that when island tourists are attracted by and are attached to the destination, they are more likely to exhibit ERB. The study pioneers the integration of all three factors in a sustainable tourism behavior model designed for tourists who stay one night or more at a destination, and tests the hypotheses for the first time in an Asian destination. Management implications and recommendations for the sustainable development of Penghu islands tourism are provided.

Flooding is a widespread natural disaster that leads to oxygen (O(2)) and energy deficiency in terrestrial plants, thereby reducing their productivity. Rice is unusually tolerant to flooding, but the underlying mechanism for this tolerance has remained elusive. Here, we show that protein kinase CIPK15 [calcineurin B-like (CBL)-interacting protein kinase] plays a key role in O(2)-deficiency tolerance in rice. CIPK15 regulates the plant global energy and stress sensor SnRK1A (Snf1-related protein kinase 1) and links O(2)-deficiency signals to the SnRK1-dependent sugar-sensing cascade to regulate sugar and energy production and to enable rice growth under floodwater. Our studies contribute to understanding how rice grows under the conditions of O(2) deficiency necessary for growing rice in irrigated lowlands.

This article is the 13th contribution in the Fungal Diversity Notes series, wherein 125 taxa from four phyla, ten classes, 31 orders, 69 families, 92 genera and three genera incertae sedis are treated, demonstrating worldwide and geographic distribution. Fungal taxa described and illustrated in the present study include three new genera, 69 new species, one new combination, one reference specimen and 51 new records on new hosts and new geographical distributions. Three new genera, Cylindrotorula (Torulaceae), Scolecoleotia (Leotiales genus incertae sedis) and Xenovaginatispora (Lindomycetaceae) are introduced based on distinct phylogenetic lineages and unique morphologies. Newly described species are Aspergillus lannaensis, Cercophora dulciaquae, Cladophialophora aquatica, Coprinellus punjabensis, Cortinarius alutarius, C. mammillatus, C. quercoflocculosus, Coryneum fagi, Cruentomycena uttarakhandina, Cryptocoryneum rosae, Cyathus uniperidiolus, Cylindrotorula indica, Diaporthe chamaeropicola, Didymella azollae, Diplodia alanphillipsii, Dothiora coronicola, Efibula rodriguezarmasiae, Erysiphe salicicola, Fusarium queenslandicum, Geastrum gorgonicum, G. hansagiense, Helicosporium sexualis, Helminthosporium chiangraiensis, Hongkongmyces kokensis, Hydrophilomyces hydraenae, Hygrocybe boertmannii, Hyphoderma australosetigerum, Hyphodontia yunnanensis, Khaleijomyces umikazeana, Laboulbenia divisa, Laboulbenia triarthronis, Laccaria populina, Lactarius pallidozonarius, Lepidosphaeria strobelii, Longipedicellata megafusiformis, Lophiotrema lincangensis, Marasmius benghalensis, M. jinfoshanensis, M. subtropicus, Mariannaea camelliae, Melanographium smilaxii, Microbotryum polycnemoides, Mimeomyces digitatus, Minutisphaera thailandensis, Mortierella solitaria, Mucor harpali, Nigrograna jinghongensis, Odontia huanrenensis, O. parvispina, Paraconiothyrium ajrekarii, Parafuscosporella niloticus, Phaeocytostroma yomensis, Phaeoisaria synnematicus, Phanerochaete hainanensis, Pleopunctum thailandicum, Pleurotheciella dimorphospora, Pseudochaetosphaeronema chiangraiense, Pseudodactylaria albicolonia, Rhexoacrodictys nigrospora, Russula paravioleipes, Scolecoleotia eriocamporesi, Seriascoma honghense, Synandromyces makranczyi, Thyridaria aureobrunnea, Torula lancangjiangensis, Tubeufia longihelicospora, Wicklowia fusiformispora, Xenovaginatispora phichaiensis and Xylaria apiospora. One new combination, Pseudobactrodesmium stilboideus is proposed. A reference specimen of Comoclathris permunda is designated. New host or distribution records are provided for Acrocalymma fici, Aliquandostipite khaoyaiensis, Camarosporidiella laburni, Canalisporium caribense, Chaetoscutula juniperi, Chlorophyllum demangei, C. globosum, C. hortense, Cladophialophora abundans, Dendryphion hydei, Diaporthe foeniculina, D. pseudophoenicicola, D. pyracanthae, Dictyosporium pandanicola, Dyfrolomyces distoseptatus, Ernakulamia tanakae, Eutypa flavovirens, E. lata, Favolus septatus, Fusarium atrovinosum, F. clavum, Helicosporium luteosporum, Hermatomyces nabanheensis, Hermatomyces sphaericoides, Longipedicellata aquatica, Lophiostoma caudata, L. clematidis-vitalbae, Lophiotrema hydei, L. neoarundinaria, Marasmiellus palmivorus, Megacapitula villosa, Micropsalliota globocystis, M. gracilis, Montagnula thailandica, Neohelicosporium irregulare, N. parisporum, Paradictyoarthrinium diffractum, Phaeoisaria aquatica, Poaceascoma taiwanense, Saproamanita manicata, Spegazzinia camelliae, Submersispora variabilis, Thyronectria caudata, T. mackenziei, Tubeufia chiangmaiensis, T. roseohelicospora, Vaginatispora nypae, Wicklowia submersa, Xanthagaricus necopinatus and Xylaria haemorrhoidalis. The data presented herein are based on morphological examination of fresh specimens, coupled with analysis of phylogenetic sequence data to better integrate taxa into appropriate taxonomic ranks and infer their evolutionary relationships.

This paper is the seventh in the Fungal Diversity Notes series, where 131 taxa accommodated in 28 families are mainly described from Rosa (Rosaceae) and a few other hosts. Novel fungal taxa are described in the present study, including 17 new genera, 93 new species, four combinations, a sexual record for a species and new host records for 16 species. Bhatiellae, Cycasicola, Dactylidina, Embarria, Hawksworthiana, Italica, Melanocucurbitaria, Melanodiplodia, Monoseptella, Uzbekistanica, Neoconiothyrium, Neopaucispora, Pararoussoella, Paraxylaria, Marjia, Sporormurispora and Xenomassariosphaeria are introduced as new ascomycete genera. We also introduce the new species Absidia jindoensis, Alternaria doliconidium, A. hampshirensis, Angustimassarina rosarum, Astragalicola vasilyevae, Backusella locustae, Bartalinia rosicola, Bhatiellae rosae, Broomella rosae, Castanediella camelliae, Coelodictyosporium rosarum, Comoclathris rosae, C. rosarum, Comoclathris rosigena, Coniochaeta baysunika, C. rosae, Cycasicola goaensis, Dactylidina shoemakeri, Dematiopleospora donetzica, D. rosicola, D. salsolae, Diaporthe rosae, D. rosicola, Endoconidioma rosae-hissaricae, Epicoccum rosae, Hawksworthiana clematidicola, H. lonicerae, Italica achilleae, Keissleriella phragmiticola, K. rosacearum, K. rosae, K. rosarum, Lophiostoma rosae, Marjia tianschanica, M. uzbekistanica, Melanocucurbitaria uzbekistanica, Melanodiplodia tianschanica, Monoseptella rosae, Mucor fluvius, Muriformistrickeria rosae, Murilentithecium rosae, Neoascochyta rosicola, Neoconiothyrium rosae, Neopaucispora rosaecae, Neosetophoma rosarum, N. rosae, N. rosigena, Neostagonospora artemisiae, Ophiobolus artemisiicola, Paraconiothyrium rosae, Paraphaeosphaeria rosae, P. rosicola, Pararoussoella rosarum, Parathyridaria rosae, Paraxylaria rosacearum, Penicillium acidum, P. aquaticum, Phragmocamarosporium rosae, Pleospora rosae, P. rosae-caninae, Poaceicola agrostina, P. arundinicola, P. rosae, Populocrescentia ammophilae, P. rosae, Pseudocamarosporium pteleae, P. ulmi-minoris, Pseudocercospora rosae, Pseudopithomyces rosae, Pseudostrickeria rosae, Sclerostagonospora lathyri, S. rosae, S. rosicola, Seimatosporium rosigenum, S. rosicola, Seiridium rosarum, Setoseptoria arundelensis, S. englandensis, S. lulworthcovensis, Sigarispora agrostidis, S. caryophyllacearum, S. junci, S. medicaginicola, S. rosicola, S. scrophulariae, S. thymi, Sporormurispora atraphaxidis, S. pruni, Suttonomyces rosae, Umbelopsis sinsidoensis, Uzbekistanica rosae-hissaricae, U. yakutkhanika, Wojnowicia rosicola, Xenomassariosphaeria rosae. New host records are provided for Amandinea punctata, Angustimassarina quercicola, Diaporthe rhusicola, D. eres, D. foeniculina, D. rudis, Diplodia seriata, Dothiorella iberica, Lasiodiplodia theobromae, Lecidella elaeochroma, Muriformistrickeria rubi, Neofusicoccum australe, Paraphaeosphaeria michotii, Pleurophoma pleurospora, Sigarispora caulium and Teichospora rubriostiolata. The new combinations are Dactylidina dactylidis (=Allophaeosphaeria dactylidis), Embarria clematidis (=Allophaeosphaeria clematidis), Hawksworthiana alliariae (=Dematiopleospora alliariae) and Italica luzulae (=Dematiopleospora luzulae). This study also provides some insights into the diversity of fungi on Rosa species and especially those on Rosa spines that resulted in the characterisation of eight new genera, 45 new species, and nine new host records. We also collected taxa from Rosa stems and there was 31% (20/65) overlap with taxa found on stems with that on spines. Because of the limited and non-targeted sampling for comparison with collections from spines and stems of the same host and location, it is not possible to say that the fungi on spines of Rosa differ from those on stems. The study however, does illustrate how spines are interesting substrates with high fungal biodiversity. This may be because of their hard structure resulting in slow decay and hence are suitable substrates leading to fungal colonisation. All data presented herein are based on morphological examination of specimens, coupled with phylogenetic sequence data to better integrate taxa into appropriate taxonomic ranks and infer their evolutionary relationships.

Helicobacter pylori is recognised as a main risk factor for gastric cancer. However, approximately half of the patients with gastritis are negative for H. pylori infection, and the abundance of H. pylori decreases in patients with cancer. In the current study, we profiled gastric epithelium-associated bacterial species in patients with gastritis, intestinal metaplasia, and gastric cancer to identify additional potential pathogenic bacteria. The overall composition of the microbiota was similar between the patients with gastritis and those with intestinal metaplasia. H. pylori was present in half of the non-cancer group, and the dominant bacterial species in the H. pylori-negative patients were Burkholderia, Enterobacter, and Leclercia. The abundance of those bacteria was similar between the cancer and non-cancer groups, whereas the frequency and abundance of H. pylori were significantly lower in the cancer group. Instead, Clostridium, Fusobacterium, and Lactobacillus species were frequently abundant in patients with gastric cancer, demonstrating a gastric cancer-specific bacterial signature. A receiver operating characteristic curve analysis showed that Clostridium colicanis and Fusobacterium nucleatum exhibited a diagnostic ability for gastric cancer. Our findings indicate that the gastric microenvironment is frequently colonised by Clostridium and Fusobacterium in patients with gastric cancer.

Polymethoxyflavones (PMFs) and hydroxylated polymethoxyflavones exist exclusively in citrus genus, especially in the citrus peels which have been used as herbal medicine for several diseases for thousands of years. In this review, the natural occurrence, isolation and separation of PMFs; synthetic scheme of hydroxylated PMF preparation, especially the reaction mechanism of preparation of 5-hydroxylated PMFs; biotransformation and metabolic fate of PMFs; the preliminary study on PMF bioavailability and the close relationship among solubility, permeability, absorption and oral bioavailability are summarized. The published bioactivity data on anti-inflammatory, anti-cancer and anti-atherogenic properties of PMFs have also been detailed along with a report of new findings of hydroxylated PMFs and their potent biological activities.

Abstract The progression of economic value has advanced to the stage of experience economy nowadays. Firms have recognized that the establishment of desirable experiential environment is an essential source of competitive advantage which is difficult to be imitated and substituted. The purpose of this study is to examine whether experiences of experiential marketing have positive effects on the consequent visitors' behaviors. A mean of self-administrative questionnaire on the visitors of Taipei Zoo which is suffused with various experiential marketing stimuli was employed to examine our conceptual framework. The results show that experiences of experiential marketing have positive effects on the emotion. Furthermore, the emotion also has a positive effect on the behavioral intention through the mechanism of satisfaction. This study also proposes some managerial implications and further research directions within this article.

We report a templated growth of FASnI₃ crystals by reconstruction of the intermediate phase, and an efficiency of 11.22% was certified.

This paper presents a two-phased tracking that forms a photovoltaic (PV) power-increment-aided incremental-conductance (PI-INC) maximum power point tracking (MPPT) to improve the tracking behavior of the conventional INC MPPT. The PI-INC MPPT performs, using either variable-frequency constant-duty control (VFCD) or constant-frequency variable-duty control (CFVD), with reference to a collectively called threshold-tracking zone (TTZ), beyond which a power-increment (PI) tracking along the <i xmlns:mml="http://www.w3.org/1998/Math/MathML" xmlns:xlink="http://www.w3.org/1999/xlink">P</i> <sub xmlns:mml="http://www.w3.org/1998/Math/MathML" xmlns:xlink="http://www.w3.org/1999/xlink">pv</sub> -V <sub xmlns:mml="http://www.w3.org/1998/Math/MathML" xmlns:xlink="http://www.w3.org/1999/xlink">pv</sub> curve executes and within which an INC tracking along the <i xmlns:mml="http://www.w3.org/1998/Math/MathML" xmlns:xlink="http://www.w3.org/1999/xlink">I</i> <sub xmlns:mml="http://www.w3.org/1998/Math/MathML" xmlns:xlink="http://www.w3.org/1999/xlink">pv</sub> -V <sub xmlns:mml="http://www.w3.org/1998/Math/MathML" xmlns:xlink="http://www.w3.org/1999/xlink">pv</sub> curve toward maximum power point (MPP) does. Delay tracking due to ambiguous conductance-increment detection in the flat portion of the left-hand side of the MPP along the <i xmlns:mml="http://www.w3.org/1998/Math/MathML" xmlns:xlink="http://www.w3.org/1999/xlink">I</i> <sub xmlns:mml="http://www.w3.org/1998/Math/MathML" xmlns:xlink="http://www.w3.org/1999/xlink">pv</sub> -V <sub xmlns:mml="http://www.w3.org/1998/Math/MathML" xmlns:xlink="http://www.w3.org/1999/xlink">pv</sub> curve will not appear in the PI-INC MPPT by using the PI tracking with clear and correct power-increment detection along the <i xmlns:mml="http://www.w3.org/1998/Math/MathML" xmlns:xlink="http://www.w3.org/1999/xlink">P</i> <sub xmlns:mml="http://www.w3.org/1998/Math/MathML" xmlns:xlink="http://www.w3.org/1999/xlink">pv</sub> - V <sub xmlns:mml="http://www.w3.org/1998/Math/MathML" xmlns:xlink="http://www.w3.org/1999/xlink">pv</sub> curve. In addition, the merit of INC MPPT to accurately track against the random solar insolation change still retains in the PI-INC MPPT that uses INC tracking toward MPP along the <i xmlns:mml="http://www.w3.org/1998/Math/MathML" xmlns:xlink="http://www.w3.org/1999/xlink">I</i> <sub xmlns:mml="http://www.w3.org/1998/Math/MathML" xmlns:xlink="http://www.w3.org/1999/xlink">pv</sub> -V <sub xmlns:mml="http://www.w3.org/1998/Math/MathML" xmlns:xlink="http://www.w3.org/1999/xlink">pv</sub> curve when tracking in the TTZ. Modeling and analysis of two typical PV power converters with VFCD and CFVD controls are addressed for implementing the tracking of the PI-INC MPPT in design and experiment. The tracking behavior of PI-INC MPPT and the conventional INC MPPT is assessed and compared through elaborate experimental tests.

Alzheimer disease (AD) is an age-dependent neurodegenerative disease characterized by the formation of β-amyloid (Aβ)-containing senile plaque. The disease could be induced by the administration of Aβ peptide, which was also known to upregulate inducible nitric oxide synthase (iNOS) and stimulate neuronal apoptosis. The present study is aimed to elucidate the cellular effect of resveratrol, a natural phytoestrogen with neuroprotective activities, on Aβ-induced hippocampal neuron loss and memory impairment. On adult Sprague-Dawley rats, we found the injection of Aβ could result in a significant impairment in spatial memory, a marked increase in the cellular level of iNOS and lipid peroxidation, and an apparent decrease in the expression of heme oxygenase-1 (HO-1). By combining the treatment with Aβ, resveratrol was able to confer a significant improvement in spatial memory, and protect animals from Aβ-induced neurotoxicity. These neurological protection effects of resveratrol were associated with a reduction in the cellular levels of iNOS and lipid peroxidation and an increase in the production of HO-1. Moreover, the similar neurological and cellular response were also observed when Aβ treatment was combined with the administration of a NOS inhibitor, N(G)-nitro-L-arginine methyl ester hydrochloride (L-NAME). These findings strongly implicate that iNOS is involved in the Aβ-induced lipid peroxidation and HO-1 downregulation, and resveratrol protects animals from Aβ-induced neurotoxicity by suppressing iNOS production.

This study compared the effect of four different intensities of initial eccentric exercise (ECC1) on optimum angle shift and extent of muscle damage induced by subsequent maximal eccentric exercise. Fifty-two male students were placed into 100%, 80%, 60%, or 40% groups (n = 13 per group), performing 30 eccentric actions of the elbow flexors of 100%, 80%, 60%, or 40% of maximal isometric strength [maximal voluntary contraction (MVC)] for ECC1, followed 2-3 wk later by a similar exercise (ECC2) that used 100% MVC load. MVC at six elbow joint angles, range of motion, upper arm circumference, serum creatine kinase activity, myoglobin concentration, and muscle soreness were measured before and for 5 days following ECC1 and ECC2. A rightward shift of optimum angle following ECC1 was significantly (P < 0.05) greater for the 100% and 80% than for the 60% and 40% groups, and it decreased significantly (P < 0.05) from immediately to 5 days postexercise. By the time ECC2 was performed, only the 100% group kept a significant shift (4 degrees). Changes in most of the criterion measures following ECC1 were significantly greater for the 100% and 80% groups compared with the 60% and 40% groups. Changes in the criterion measures following ECC2 were significantly (P < 0.05) greater for the 40% group compared with other groups. Although the magnitude of repeated bout effect following ECC2 was significantly (P < 0.05) smaller for the 40% and 60% groups, all groups showed significantly (P < 0.05) reduced changes in criterion measures following ECC2 compared with the ECC1 100% bout. We conclude that the repeated-bout effect was not dependent on the shift of optimum angle.

Various studies have reported the physical and mental health benefits from exposure to "green" neighborhoods, such as proximity to neighborhoods with trees and vegetation. However, no studies have explicitly assessed the association between exposure to "green" surroundings and cognitive function in terms of student academic performance. This study investigated the association between the "greenness" of the area surrounding a Massachusetts public elementary school and the academic achievement of the school's student body based on standardized tests with an ecological setting. Researchers used the composite school-based performance scores generated by the Massachusetts Comprehensive Assessment System (MCAS) to measure the percentage of 3rd-grade students (the first year of standardized testing for 8-9 years-old children in public school), who scored "Above Proficient" (AP) in English and Mathematics tests (Note: Individual student scores are not publically available). The MCAS results are comparable year to year thanks to an equating process. Researchers included test results from 2006 through 2012 in 905 public schools and adjusted for differences between schools in the final analysis according to race, gender, English as a second language (proxy for ethnicity and language facility), parent income, student-teacher ratio, and school attendance. Surrounding greenness of each school was measured using satellite images converted into the Normalized Difference Vegetation Index (NDVI) in March, July and October of each year according to a 250-meter, 500-meter, 1,000-meter, and 2000-meter circular buffer around each school. Spatial Generalized Linear Mixed Models (GLMMs) estimated the impacts of surrounding greenness on school-based performance. Overall the study results supported a relationship between the "greenness" of the school area and the school-wide academic performance. Interestingly, the results showed a consistently positive significant association between the greenness of the school in the Spring (when most Massachusetts students take the MCAS tests) and school-wide performance on both English and Math tests, even after adjustment for socio-economic factors and urban residency.

Objectives: This study aims to identify suitable lactobacilli that have anti-carbapenem-resistant Enterobacteriaceae (CRE) activity with in vitro tolerance to pepsin and bile salts. Methods: Fifty-seven Lactobacillus spp. strains encompassing nine species were collected for investigation. Their viabilities in the presence of pepsin and bile salts were tested using tolerance tests. Their anti-CRE effects were assessed by agar well diffusion and broth microdilution assay, as well as time-kill test. Results: Of the 57 Lactobacillus isolates collected, 31 had a less than 2-log reduction in their viability in both pepsin and bile salt tolerance tests. Of these 31 isolates, 5 (LUC0180, LUC0219, LYC0289, LYC0413, and LYC1031) displayed the greatest anti-CRE activity with a CRE zone of inhibition greater than 15 mm in agar well diffusion assays. The minimal inhibitory percentages of supernatants from these five strains against CREs ranged from 10 to 30%. With the exception of LUC0180, which had a minimal bactericidal percentage  40%, the bactericidal percentage of all the strains ranged from 20 – 40%. The inhibitory effect of the cell-free culture supernatants from these Lactobacillus strains did not change after heating but was abolished as the pH changed to 7.0. After a 24-h incubation, five of the Lactobacillus strains at a concentration of 108 CFU/ml totally inhibited the growth of carbapenem-resistant E. coli (CRE316) and K. pneumoniae (CRE632). After a 48-h incubation, the growth of CRE316 was completely inhibited under each concentration of lactobacilli based on time-kill test. Furthermore, when the concentration of lactobacilli was at 108 CFU/ml, the decline in pH was faster than at other concentrations. Conclusions: Some Lactobacillus strains exhibit anti-CRE activity, which suggests potential applications for controlling or preventing CRE colonization or infection.

Using data from the 1999 Survey of Taiwanese Outbound Travellers, this research quantitatively examined tourists’ shopping preferences and behaviours in relation to their socio-demographic characteristics and trip attributes. Results indicated that travel purpose, travel style, age and gender were significant factors influencing the amount of money travellers spent on shopping and the items that they preferred to buy. Such understanding affords destinations and retail businesses practical knowledge useful for destination marketing, product development, retail merchandising and customer service. Basic questions can be addressed more confidently, such as what the most popular items for a well-defined demographic group are, and what factors can be used to predict the spending level of tourist shoppers.