OBJECTIVE Lipoprotein-associated phospholipase A(2) (Lp-PLA(2)), a proinflammatory enzyme that predominantly circulates with low-density lipoprotein (LDL), has been shown in general populations to predict cardiovascular (CV) events. We sought to determine whether increased Lp-PLA(2) would also predict CV events in the absence of high LDL-cholesterol (LDL-C), in a population with low high-densit...

PURPOSE The aim of this study was to investigate if the duration of decaffeinated green tea extract (dGTE) ingestion plays a role in augmenting fat oxidation rates during moderate-intensity exercise. METHODS In a crossover, placebo-controlled design, 19 healthy males (mean ± SD; age = 21 ± 2 yr, weight = 75.0 ± 7.0 kg, body mass index = 23.2 ± 2.2 kg·m, maximal oxygen consumption [V˙O2max] = ...

Plasticized polylactide (PLA) with increased crystallization ability and prolonged life-span in practical applications due to the minimal plasticizer migration was prepared. Branched plasticized PLA was successfully obtained by coupling poly(butylene succinate-co-adipate) (PBSA) to crotonic acid (CA) functionalized PLA. The plasticization behavior of PBSA coupled PLA (PLA-CA-PBSA) and its count...

A polarization-selective uncooled infrared (IR) sensor was developed based on an asymmetric twodimensional plasmonic absorber (2-D PLA). The 2-D PLA has an Au-based 2-D periodic dimple structure, where photons can be manipulated by spoof surface plasmon polaritons. Asymmetry was introduced into the 2-D PLA to realize a polarization selective function. Numerical investigations demonstrate that a...

An exclusive-OR transform of input variables significantly reduces the size of the PLA implementation for adder and comparator circuits. For n bit adder circuits, the size of PLA for transformed functions is O(n2). In comparison, when the complete truth-table of an adder is minimized, the PLA size will be O(2n+2). Similarly, for an n bit comparator, the size of the PLA is reduced from O(2n+1) t...

BACKGROUND Taiwan is endemic for pyogenic liver abscess (PLA). Septic ocular or central nervous system (CNS) complications derived from PLA can result in catastrophic disability. We investigated the epidemiology and long-term prognosis of PLA patients with septic ocular or CNS complications over an 8-year period. METHODOLOGY/PRINCIPAL FINDINGS We extracted 21,307 patients with newly diagnosed...

In this study, scanning electron microscopy (SEM), Raman spectroscopy and high-resolution atomic force microscopy (AFM) were used to reveal the early-stage change of nanomorphology and nanomechanical properties of poly(lactic acid) (PLA) fibers in a time-resolved manner during the mineralization process. Electrospun PLA nanofibers were soaked in simulated body fluid (SBF) for different periods ...

OBJECTIVE To design a new controlled-release MMC-PLA film and explore whether and how this film could prevent epidural scar hyperplasia and adhesion in a post-laminectomy rat model. MATERIALS AND METHODS All procedures were performed under the approval and supervision of the Institutional Animal Care and Use Committee (IACUC) of Nanjing Medical University. A total of 120 Sprague-Dawley (SD) r...