http://scholars.ntou.edu.tw/handle/123456789/205 2026-08-10T18:40:06Z http://scholars.ntou.edu.tw/handle/123456789/26763 標題: Adiponectin improves clozapine-induced lipid accumulation and inflammation without affecting insulin resistance 作者: Tsai, I-Lun; Lin, Shih-Chao; Lin, Lin; Tsai, Pei-Shan; Chen, Shiow-Yi 摘要: Clozapine, an atypical antipsychotic, is effective for treatment-resistant schizophrenia but frequently causes metabolic adverse effects, including hepatic lipid accumu-lation, inflammation and insulin resistance. Adiponectin, an adipocyte-derived cytokine with anti-inflammatory and insulin-sensitizing properties, may counteract these effects; however, its ability to mitigate clozapine-induced hepatic alterations remains unclear. This study examined whether adiponectin overexpression reduces clozapine-induced lipid accumulation, inflammatory signaling, and whether it restores insulin-related Akt signaling in human HepG2 liver cells. Cells were treated with 25 mu M clozapine for 24 or 48 h, and adiponectin was overexpressed by plasmid transfection. Lipid accumulation was quantified by BODIPY staining. AdipoR1 and AdipoR2 expression was analyzed by qPCR, and protein levels of FASN, phosphorylated NF-kappa B, and phosphorylated Akt were assessed by Western blotting. Clozapine increased lipid accumulation, upregulated FASN, and reduced AdipoR1 and AdipoR2 expression. Adiponectin overexpression significantly decreased lipid levels, which was associated with reduced NF-kappa B phosphorylation, suggesting attenuation of inflammatory signaling. However, adiponectin did not restore insulin-stimulated Akt phosphorylation. In summary, adiponectin selectively reduced clozapine-induced lipid accumulation and inflammatory signaling in HepG2 cells, whereas impaired insulin-stimulated Akt phosphorylation remained unchanged under the present experimental conditions. These findings indicate a selective protective role of adiponectin and suggest its potential as a modulator of clozapine-induced metabolic side effects. 2026-01-01T00:00:00Z http://scholars.ntou.edu.tw/handle/123456789/26721 標題: Carbonization of citrus-derived flavonoids exhibits enhanced anti-coronavirus infection in vitro and in vivo 作者: Lin, Lin; Lai, Pei-Chun; Hsu, Chun-Ru; Huang, Dong-Ming; Kehn-Hall, Kylene; Huang, Chih-Ching; Chen, Shiow-Yi; Lin, Shih-Chao 摘要: Orange peel waste from juice processing has long been an environmental challenge. The abundant bioactive flavonoids, such as hesperidin and naringin, within the peel waste have attracted significant scientific interest. However, the low biocompatibility and the requirement for high effective concentrations to exert bioactivities hinder the capability and utility of these citrus-derived flavonoids. This study aimed to transform orange waste into a high-value product by enhancing the antiviral activity against coronavirus infection. The coronavirus pandemic, caused by SARS-CoV-2, has had a devastating impact on our quality of life and resulted in significant casualties. In this study, we modified and converted raw flavonoids into carbonized gel-like macromolecules and assessed their antiviral activity in cells infected with human coronavirus HCoV-229E. We found that hesperidinand naringin-derived macromolecules exhibited greater anti-HCoV-229E effects and significantly reduced virus-induced cell death compared with raw flavonoids. These promising results from the in vitro model motivated the evaluation of flavonoid-macromolecule treatments in a mouse model of coronavirus infection, where they lessened weight loss and improved appearance and behavior. Our findings confirmed that novel antiviral candidates can be developed from resourceful agricultural plants and demonstrated that agricultural wastes, such as orange peels, can be further modified into biomedical products to diversify the available antimicrobial remedies. Overall, this work highlights a waste-to-value strategy for discovering urgently needed antiviral agents to bolster the resilience of our society against emerging and re-emerging coronavirus infections in the future. 2026-01-01T00:00:00Z http://scholars.ntou.edu.tw/handle/123456789/26636 標題: Nanoscale layer-separated zincophosphate framework enabled by dual-mode aromatic pillar engineering for selective luminescent dye detection 作者: Jian, Jia-Yi; Wei, Pi-Chen; Chang, Kai-Chi; Hsu, Chun-Ru; Lu, Ching-Ping; Wang, Chih-Min 摘要: The integration of bulky pi-conjugated organic ligands into crystalline metal phosphate frameworks is often hindered by crystal growth challenges that limit access to definitive structural information. In this work, we successfully obtained a three-dimensional zincophosphate framework incorporating the large 4,4 '-di(4-pyridyl)biphenyl (DPBP) ligand, which features an unprecedented nanoscale interlayer separation exceeding 20 & Aring;. Single-crystal X-ray diffraction (SCXD) reveals that DPBP simultaneously adopts bidentate pillar and monodentate pendant coordination modes, generating a robust hierarchical pillared architecture with exceptional thermal and chemical stability. The material exhibits pronounced ligand-to-metal charge transfer luminescence that is selectively quenched in the presence of Rhodamine 6G (R6G), enabling sensitive dye detection with a detection limit as low as 2.52 & times; 10-6 M. Spectral overlap between the framework emission and R6G absorption confirms an efficient donor-to-acceptor energy-transfer pathway as the sensing mechanism. This study demonstrates a versatile structural design strategy for stabilizing large aromatic linkers within metal phosphate scaffolds and establishes a durable solid-state platform for luminescent molecular recognition and dye sensing. 2026-01-01T00:00:00Z http://scholars.ntou.edu.tw/handle/123456789/26635 標題: Does internal control matter to banks' operational efficiency? 作者: Lai, Shu-Miao; Liu, Chih-Liang 摘要: PurposeThis study aims to examine whether and how the quality of internal control over financial reporting (ICFR) affects banks' operational efficiency.Design/methodology/approachFirst, the authors use a two-stage, nonoriented, variable-returns-to-scale slack-based data envelopment analysis model to calculate banks' operational efficiency. Second, the authors use cross-sectional Tobit and ordinary least squares regressions to test the hypotheses. Third, the authors use propensity score matching and entropy balancing to control for omitted variables and model misspecification and use the Heckman two-stage treatment-effect model to address self-selection bias. Finally, the authors conduct a structural equation model to identify how ICFR affects banks' operational efficiency.FindingsThe results corroborate that banks' operational efficiency is negatively associated with ineffective ICFR. This negative association is more pronounced when internal control weaknesses relate to revenues, restatements or fraud and when banks have higher human capital, lower board independence and lower free cash flows. Moreover, banks improve operational efficiency by remedying material weaknesses in their ICFR. The findings remain robust across various analyses, including change analyses, alternative measures of ineffective ICFR and operational efficiency, additional control variables and the exclusion of banks during financial crises, COVID-19 and those not under Federal Deposit Insurance Corporation Improvement Act.Practical implicationsThe findings inform managers and regulators that effective ICFR complements other bank regulations and boosts banks' operational efficiency.Originality/valueThe research shows that effective ICFR is a key driver of banks' operational efficiency, contributing to ongoing debates and mixed evidence. 2026-01-01T00:00:00Z