Abstract: Disclosed herein is a ceramic article with an increased surface roughness. The ceramic article includes a ceramic body having an engagement surface and a composite porous layer disposed on the engagement surface of the ceramic body. The composite porous layer is formed from a material including multiple first ceramic particles and multiple second ceramic particles. The sintering temperature of the first ceramic particle is lower than the melting temperature of the second ceramic particle, and at least some of the second ceramic particles are disperse within the composite porous layer whereby increasing the surface roughness of the ceramic article. Methods for manufacturing such ceramic article are also disclosed.

Abstract: Novel N-substituted norcantharimide derivatives are disclosed herein. The novel N-substituted norcantharimide derivatives are useful as lead compounds for manufacturing a medicament or a pharmaceutical composition for treating cancer, particularly for treating leukemia.

Abstract: The present invention relates to a method of treating leukemia using rice prolamin, comprising administering a daily dose of isolated prolamin to a patient suffering from leukemia for a period of time from 5 days to 10 days. For the treatment application, the rice prolamin can stimulate human peripheral blood mononuclear cell (PBMC) to produce cytokines, such as tumor necrosis factor-alpha, to inhibit growth of and induce differentiation of human leukemia cells. The rice prolamin is gluten-free, thus will not trigger gastrointestinal allergic reaction, it also can decrease the tumor weight without changes in body weight and can inhibit the growth of peripheral blood leukocyte in leukemia mouse model.

Abstract: Disclosed herein is a device for controlling the flow of a body fluid from a first tissue/organ to a second tissue/organ of a subject. The flow control device includes a main body, a first fluid channel, a second fluid channel, a detection member, and a control member. The main body defines a lumen for accommodating the body fluid flowing from the first tissue/organ into the lumen. The first fluid channel is in fluid communication with the lumen and the first tissue/organ; while the second fluid channel is in fluid communication with the lumen and the second tissue/organ. The detection member is in fluid communication with the lumen, and is operable to detect at least one parameter associated with the flow of the body fluid. The control member is operable to control the flow of the body fluid from the first tissue/organ to the second tissue/organ of the subject.

Abstract: A method for promoting muscle or tendon regeneration, and/or arteriogenesis in a subject includes administering to the subject a pharmaceutical composition that contains a synthetic peptide, which has an amino acid sequence that has 20-39 amino acid residues and has at least 20 consecutive residues that has at least 90% amino acid sequence identity to residues 11-30 of SEQ ID NO: 1. The synthetic peptide may have the amino acid sequence of SEQ ID NO: 1, SEQ ID NO: 2, SEQ ID NO: 3, SEQ ID NO: 5, SEQ ID NO: 6, SEQ ID NO: 8, or SEQ ID NO: 9.

Abstract: A method for treating osteoarthritis in a subject includes administering to a subject in need of such treatments a synthetic peptide, which has an amino acid sequence that has 20-39 amino acid residues. The synthetic peptide has at least 20 consecutive residues that has at least 90% amino acid sequence identity to residues 11-30 of SEQ ID NO: 1.

Abstract: A method for treating alopecia and/or hair depigmentation includes administering to a subject in need of such treatments a synthetic peptide, which has an amino acid sequence that has 20-44 amino acid residues and includes at least 20 consecutive residues that has at least 90% amino acid sequence identity to residues 16-35 of SEQ ID NO: 10. Also disclosed herein are pharmaceutical compositions containing the synthetic peptide; and uses thereof. According to various embodiments of the present disclosure, the synthetic peptide is useful in treating alopecia and/or hair depigmentation in a subject.

Abstract: A method for preventing and/or ameliorating skin aging in a subject includes administering to the subject in need of such treatments a synthetic peptide, which has an amino acid sequence that has 20-39 amino acid residues. The synthetic peptide has at least 20 consecutive residues that has at least 90% amino acid sequence identity to residues 11-30 of SEQ ID NO: 1.

Abstract: Disclosed herein is the novel use of a gold nanocluser for ameliorating oxidative stress and/or aging of a cultured cell or a subject having an oxidative stress and/or aging condition mediated by a vascular factor. The gold nanocluster has a particle size ranging from about 0.1 to 20 nm, and preferably is dihydrolipoic acid (DHLA) coated gold nanocluster.

Abstract: The present invention is a C-reactive protein imprinted polymer film. The C-reactive protein antibody imprinted polymer film comprises a plurality of imprinted nanocavities with unified orientation and distribution formed by removing a plurality of C-reactive proteins from a polymer film. Its ability to capture the target proteins can achieve 99% compared with the natural antibodies. The present invention further provides a C-reactive protein microchip system formed by the dynamic capacitance sensing method with the above imprinted polymer film. The C-reactive protein microchip system comprises a body having a first chamber and a second chamber, and a detector.

Abstract: Disclosed herein is a synthetic peptide, which has an amino acid sequence that has 20-39 amino acid residues. The synthetic peptide has at least 80% amino acid sequence identity to SEQ ID NO: 1, and includes at least 20 consecutive residues that has at least 90% amino acid sequence identity to residues 11-30 of SEQ ID NO: 1. Also disclosed herein are compositions containing the synthetic peptide and applications thereof. According to various embodiments of the present disclosure, the synthetic peptide is useful in promoting stem cells proliferation or wound healing.

Abstract: Disclosed herein is a self-competitive primer for preferentially amplifying a sample nucleic acid based on whether a selected region thereof has a nucleotide variation, in comparison with a selected region of a reference nucleic acid. The self-competitive primer includes a 5?-competing domain and a 3?-elongating domain. Sequences of the 5?-competing domain and the 3?-elongating domain are complementary to a first region and a second region of the reference nucleic acid, respectively. The first region includes the selected region and at least one nucleotide residue immediately downstream of the selected region of the reference nucleic acid. The second region is located downstream of the selected region of the reference nucleic acid and does not comprise the selected region of the reference nucleic acid, and the first region and the second region overlap by at least one nucleotide.

Abstract: Disclosed herein is a polymerase chain reaction (PCR)-based method for detecting an insertion/deletion variant, as compared with a reference sequence, in a selected region of a target gene in a sample. The target gene has a template strand and a coding strand complementary to the template strand. The method uses a primer set that includes a blocking primer, and a forward primer. The blocking primer and the forward primer are partially overlapping and have different melting temperatures, and the 3?-end of the blocking primer is modified to prevent the extension of the blocking primer during the PCR. Accordingly, under specific PCR conditions, the presence of the PCR product is indicative of the presence of an insertion/deletion mutation in the selected region, and the absence of the PCR product is indicative of the absence of an insertion/deletion mutation in the selected region.

Abstract: Novel Uses of small molecules, particularly, triterpenoids and ingol diterpenes isolated from Euphorbia neriifolia, are disclosed herein. The triterpenoids are useful as lead compounds for manufacturing a medicament or a pharmaceutical composition for treating cancer; whereas the ingol diterpenes are useful as lead compounds for manufacturing a medicament or a pharmaceutical composition for treating thrombocytopenia.

Abstract: Disclosed herein is a method for prolonging analgesic effect of a membrane permeable local anesthetic in a subject in need thereof. The method uses cinnamaldehyde as an adjuvant which, when administered prior to or simultaneously with the administration of a local anesthetic, prolongs the analgesic effect of the local anesthetic. Also disclosed herein is a method for providing analgesic effect in a subject in need thereof. The method uses cinnamaldehyde as an analgesic compound which, when administered alone to the subject in an analgesically effective amount, provides the analgesic effect.

Abstract: Novel Uses of small molecules, particularly, 6-methylsulfinylhexyl isothiocyanate and 6-methylsulfonylhexyl isothiocyanate, are disclosed herein. The two isothiocyanates are useful as lead compounds for manufacturing a medicament or a pharmaceutical composition for treating cancer, particularly drug-resistant cancer, in a patient.

Abstract: Disclosed herein is a device for controlling the flow of a body fluid from a first tissue/organ to a second tissue/organ of a subject. The flow control device includes a main body, a first fluid channel, a second fluid channel, a detection member, and a control member. The main body defines a lumen for accommodating the body fluid flowing from the first tissue/organ into the lumen. The first fluid channel is in fluid communication with the lumen and the first tissue/organ; while the second fluid channel is in fluid communication with the lumen and the second tissue/organ. The detection member is in fluid communication with the lumen, and is operable to detect at least one parameter associated with the flow of the body fluid. The control member is operable to control the flow of the body fluid from the first tissue/organ to the second tissue/organ of the subject.

Abstract: Novel Uses of an aromatic ester isolated from Armillaria mellea, particularly, armillaridin, are disclosed herein. The armillaridin is useful for manufacturing a medicament or a pharmaceutical composition for suppressing the growth of cancerous cells or for enhancing susceptibility of esophageal cancerous cells to a radiation treatment, in a subject.

Abstract: Novel Uses of small molecules, particularly, triterpenoids and ingol diterpenes isolated from Euphorbia neriifolia, are disclosed herein. The triterpenoids are useful as lead compounds for manufacturing a medicament or a pharmaceutical composition for treating cancer; whereas the ingol diterpenes are useful as lead compounds for manufacturing a medicament or a pharmaceutical composition for treating thrombocytopenia.

Abstract: A device for data management, the device is in communication with a memory and includes: a verification module configured to receive a first identity information and a first request and verify the first identity information; a search module configured to search for at least one first data stored in the memory in response to the first request if the first identity information is verified, the at least one first data being assigned a first rating point; and an evaluation module configured to receive a second rating point associated with the first identification information, retrieve the first rating point from the at least one first data and generate a third rating point in accordance with the verified first identity information, the first rating point and the second rating point and store the third rating point in the memory.