Systemic lupus erythematosus (SLE) is an autoimmune disease that is characterised by a dysregulation of the immune system, which causes inflammation responses, excessive oxidative stress and a reduction in the number of cluster of differentiation (CD)4+CD25+forkhead box P3 (FoxP3)+ T cells. Supplementation with certain Lactobacillus strains has been suggested to be beneficial in the comprehensive treatment of SLE. However, little is known about the effect and mechanism of certain Lactobacillus strains on SLE. To investigate the effects of Lactobacillus on SLE, NZB/W F1 mice were orally gavaged with Lactobacillus paracasei GMNL-32 (GMNL-32), Lactobacillus reuteri GMNL-89 (GMNL-89) and L. reuteri GMNL-263 (GMNL-263). Supplementation with GMNL-32, GMNL-89 and GMNL-263 significantly increased antioxidant activity, reduced IL-6 and TNF-α levels and significantly decreased the toll-like receptors/myeloid differentiation primary response gene 88 signalling in NZB/W F1 mice. Notably, supplementation with GMNL-263, but not GMNL-32 and GMNL-89, in NZB/W F1 mice significantly increased the differentiation of CD4+CD25+FoxP3+ T cells. These findings reveal beneficial effects of GMNL-32, GMNL-89 and GMNL-263 on NZB/W F1 mice and suggest that these specific Lactobacillus strains can be used as part of a comprehensive treatment of SLE patients.

Probiotics are known to regulate host immunity by interacting with systemic and mucosal immune cells as well as intestinal epithelial cells. Supplementation with certain probiotics has been reported to be effective against various disorders, including immune-related diseases. However, little is known about the effectiveness of Lactobacillus paracasei GMNL-32 (GMNL-32), Lactobacillus reuteri GMNL-89 (GMNL-89) and L. reuteri GMNL-263 (GMNL-263) in the management of autoimmune diseases, especially systemic lupus erythematosus (SLE). NZB/W F1 mice, which are a lupus-prone animal model, were orally gavaged with GMNL-32, GMNL-89 or GMNL-263 to investigate the effects of these Lactobacillus strains on liver injuries in NZB/W F1 mice. The results thus obtained reveal that supplementary GMNL-32, GMNL-89 or GMNL-263 in NZB/W F1 mice ameliorates hepatic apoptosis and inflammatory indicators, such as matrix metalloproteinase-9 activity and C-reactive protein and inducible nitric oxide synthase expressions. In addition, supplementation with GMNL-32, GMNL-89 or GMNL-263 in NZB/W F1 mice reduced the expressions of hepatic IL-1β, IL-6 and TNF-α proteins by suppressing the mitogen-activated protein kinase and NF-κB signalling pathways. These findings, presented here for the first time, reveal that GMNL-32, GMNL-89 and GMNL-263 mitigate hepatic inflammation and apoptosis in lupus-prone mice and may support an alternative remedy for liver disorders in cases of SLE.

This study examines the relationship between Islam and democracy with emphasis on the issue of whether and how Islam has bearings on democratic adjustment speed. Using comprehensive data on 17 Asian countries from 1996 to 2010, the study demonstrates that religion is a significant factor for determining democracy. Results indicate that the level of democracy in Islamic countries is generally lower than that in non-Islamic countries. However, the level of democracy in Islamic countries exhibits an upward trend, whereas that in non-Islamic countries displays a downward trend. Moreover, when benchmark variables are controlled, democratic adjustment in Islamic countries is faster than in non-Islamic countries. Hence, despite the current lower level of democracy in Islamic countries, the results of this study refute the conventional wisdom that Islam hinders democracy. Instead, Islamic countries are highly malleable and exhibit a potential for faster democratic development compared with non-Islamic countries. Results further suggest that Islamic countries can effectively promote democracy by improving education, minimizing the gender gap, controlling population growth, or becoming an oil exporter similar to non-Islamic countries. However, Islamic countries likely own an additional unique advantage in effectively improving democracy – that is, promoting urbanization. This aspect is in contrast to non-Islamic countries where urbanization plays no role in determining democracy.

This study presents a numerical solution to the three-dimensional solute transport in heterogeneous media by using a layer-integrated approach. Omitting vertical spatial variation of soil and hydraulic properties within each layer, a three-dimensional solute transport can be simplified as a quasi-three-dimensional solute transport which couples a horizontal two-dimensional simulation and a vertical one-dimensional computation. The finite analytic numerical method was used to discretize the derived two-dimensional governing equation. A quadratic function was used to approximate the vertical one-dimensional concentration distribution in the layer to ensure the continuity of concentration and flux at the interface between the adjacent layers. By integration over each layer, a set of system of equations can be generated for a single column of vertical cells and solved numerically to give the vertical solute concentration profile. The solute concentration field was then obtained by solving all columns of vertical cells to achieve convergence with the iterative solution procedure. The proposed model was verified through examples from the published literatures including four verifications in terms of analytical and experimental cases. Comparison of simulation results indicates that the proposed model satisfies the solute concentration profiles obtained from experiments in time and space.

We have developed a low cost and convenient approach to fabricate ITO-comparable transparent electrodes by using solution process of silver nanowires mixed with poly peroxotitanic acid (PPT) gel. The PPT gel is applied to connect the dispersed silver nanowires to preserve its high conductivity while remaining transparency and reducing surface roughness of the transparent electrode. The silver nanowires were synthesized via a modified polyol method, and the PPT gels were prepared by sol-gel method in appropriate concentrations. After applying the PPT gels, the sheet resistance of the transparent electrodes was improved from 192 Ω/□ to 44.7 Ω/□ with a transmittance of 81 %. And the roughness (RMS) was decreased from 106.3 nm to 48.1 nm. The PPT gel also improved the reliability of the proposed electrodes, which the conductivity was remained after general atmospheric storage of 6 months. We also demonstrate an Alq3 based OLED with the proposed transparent electrodes.

Impaired regulation of blood glucose levels in diabetes mellitus (DM) patients and the associated elevation of blood glucose levels are known to increase the risk of diabetic cardiomyopathy (DC). In the present study, a probiotic bacterium, Lactobacillus reuteri GMN-32, was evaluated for its potential to reduce blood glucose levels and to provide protection against DC risks in streptozotocin (STZ)-induced DM rats. The blood glucose levels of the STZ-induced DM rats when treated with L. reuteri GMN-32 decreased from 4480 to 3620 mg/l (with 107 colony-forming units (cfu)/d) and 3040 mg/l (with 109 cfu/d). Probiotic treatment also reduced the changes in the heart caused by the effects of DM. Furthermore, the Fas/Fas-associated protein with death domain pathway-induced caspase 8-mediated apoptosis that was observed in the cardiomyocytes of the STZ-induced DM rats was also found to be controlled in the probiotic-treated rats. The results highlight that L. reuteri GMN-32 treatment reduces blood glucose levels, inhibits caspase 8-mediated apoptosis and promotes cardiac function in DM rats as observed from their ejection fraction and fractional shortening values. In conclusion, the administration of L. reuteri GMN-32 probiotics can regulate blood glucose levels, protect cardiomyocytes and prevent DC in DM rats.

The affiliations for the authors were cited incorrectly in the November 2005 issue of the Journal of Materials Research. The correct affiliations appear above. The printer regrets this error.

Thin films of SiO2–TiO2 composite oxides with various SiO2:TiO2 compositions were prepared by the sol-gel method, using tetraethylorthosilicate (TEOS) and titanium tetraisopropoxide (TTIP) as precursors. The composition, crystal structure, and chemical bonding configuration of the as-deposited and annealed SiO2–TiO2 thin films were analyzed using Rutherford backscattering spectrometry (RBS), glancing incident angle x-ray diffraction (GIAXRD) and Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy (FTIR), respectively. Optical properties of the films were characterized by spectroscopic ellipsometry and ultraviolet-visible spectrophotometry. The Si/Ti ratios in the SiO2–TiO2 films agree with the TEOS/TTIP molar ratio in the sol-gel precursor. When the TEOS/(TEOS + TTIP) ratio is greater than 40%, the SiO2–TiO2 thin films remain amorphous (without formation of TiO2 crystalline phase) after annealing at temperatures as high as 700 °C. FTIR spectra indicate that the quantity of Si–O–Ti bonding can be maximized when the TEOS:TTIP in the precursor is 80%:20%. The refractive index of the SiO2–TiO2 films increases approximately linearly to the mixing ratio of TTIP/(TEOS + TTIP). However, SiO2-rich films possess higher ultraviolet-visible transmittance than the TiO2-rich films. The modification of microstructure and chemical bonding configuration in the SiO2–TiO2 films by the composition and its influence on the optical properties are discussed.

This present study was designed to investigate the combined modulatory effect of garlic oil (GO) and fish oil (FO) on the antioxidant and drug metabolism systems. Rats were fed either a low-maize oil (MO) diet (50 g MO/kg), high-MO diet (235 g MO/kg) or high-FO diet (205 g FO+30 g MO/kg) and received different doses of GO (0–200 mg/kg body weight) three times per week for 6 weeks. Fatty acid analysis showed that 20: 5n−3 and 22: 6n−3 were incorporated into serum lipid at the expense of 18: 2n−6 and 20: 4n−6 in rats fed the high-FO diet. GO dose-dependently increased hepatic glutathione S-transferase (GST), glutathione reductase, superoxide dismutase (SOD) and ethoxyresorufin O-deethylase (EROD) activities, but decreased glutathione peroxidase and N-nitrosodimethylamine demethylase (NDMAD) activities (P<0·05). With the exception of glutathione peroxidase, the activities of glutathione reductase, SOD, GST, EROD and NDMAD were modulated by the dietary fat. The high-FO group had greater SOD and EROD activity than either MO-fed group; it also had greater NDMAD activity than the low-MO group (P<0·05). GST activity was higher in rats fed high-FO or high-MO diets than rats fed the low-MO diet. Change in erythromycin demethylase activity, however, was not caused by either dietary fat or GO. Immunoblot assay showed that GO dose-dependently enhanced the protein level of the Ya, Yb1, Yc isoenzymes of GST and cytochrome P450 (CYP) 1A1 and 3A1, but GO suppressed CYP2E1 expression. Regardless of the dosage of GO, the high-FO diet increased CYP1A1, CYP3A1 and CYP2E1 levels compared with the high- and low-MO diets. Accompanying the changes observed in immunoblots, CYP1A1 and CYP3A1 mRNA levels were increased by GO in a dose-dependent manner and also increased additively in combination with FO feeding. These present results indicate that co-administration of GO and FO modulates the antioxidant and drug-metabolizing capacity of animals and that the effect of GO and FO on drug-metabolizing enzymes is additive.

The properties of ZnO thin film are currently of great commercial and scientific interest due to its particular properties such as highly conductive, transparent as well as chemical stability and nontoxic. The Ti doping ZnO thin films were deposited by simultaneously magnetron co-sputtering from both Zn and Ti targets in a mixture of oxygen and argon gases onto heated Corning 7059 glass substrates in this study. The experimental results show that deposition rate of ZnO films are strongly dependent on DC power of Ti target. The growth rate initially increases and changes to decrease when the DC power of Ti target further rises. The content of Ti in the ZnO films increases with the applied DC power of Ti target. The lattice constant of ZnO (002) increases with DC power of Ti target due to incorporated Ti into the lattice of ZnO. The crystalline size becomes smaller when the DC power of Ti target was raised. The visible transmittance is a little lowered when slight Ti incorporated but still average maintains above 80%. The lowest resistivity of undoped ZnO film obtained in this study is 4.14×10-3 ohm-cm and further decreased to 1.02×10-3 ohm-cm after being doped a trace of Ti.

This paper presents the experimental results of impedance analysis and longitudinal vibration measurement of micro-fabricated 0.5 MHz silicon-based ultrasonic nozzles. Each nozzle is made of a piezoelectric drive section and a silicon-resonator consisting of multiple Fourier horns each with half wavelength design and twice amplitude magnification. The experimental results verified the simulation prediction of one pure longitudinal vibration mode at the resonant frequency in excellent agreement with the design value. Furthermore, at the resonant frequency, the measured longitudinal vibration amplitude gain at the nozzle tip increases as the number of Fourier horns (n) increases in good agreement with the theoretical value of 2n. Using this design, very high vibration amplitude at the nozzle tip can be achieved with no reduction in the tip cross sectional area. Therefore, the required electric drive power should be drastically reduced, decreasing the likelihood of transducer failure in ultrasonic atomization.