1
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Wang KM, Lee YM. Are life insurance futures a safe haven during COVID-19? Financ Innov 2023; 9:13. [PMID: 36643684 PMCID: PMC9826759 DOI: 10.1186/s40854-022-00411-z] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/23/2022] [Accepted: 10/23/2022] [Indexed: 06/17/2023]
Abstract
This study aims to examine whether life insurance futures can serve as a hedge against the COVID-19 pandemic and whether they have the characteristics of a safe haven under the impact of the health shocks of the COVID-19 pandemic. We chose three life insurance stock futures in India and one in Taiwan as samples, including the market index of the two countries and the number of confirmed COVID-19 cases as sample variables. We used the growth rate of COVID-19 cases as the threshold variable, estimated the asymmetric threshold vector autoregression model, and found that insurance futures in the regime with a significant growth rate of confirmed COVID-19 cases can hedge against COVID-19 risks; therefore, insurance futures are a safe haven for the market. We further estimated the time-varying parameter vector autoregression model, and the impulse response results showed that insurance futures are a safe haven for COVID-19 pandemic risks.
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Affiliation(s)
- Kuan-Min Wang
- Department of Finance, Overseas Chinese University, 100 Chiao Kwang Road, Taichung, 40721 Taiwan
| | - Yuan-Ming Lee
- Department of Finance, Southern Taiwan University of Science and Technology, No.1, Nantai St, Yung-Kang City, Tainan, Taiwan
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Lee HK, Yang YS, Kim SK, Vongxay V, Lee YM. Early adolescents’ sexual and reproductive health literacy in Lao PDR. Eur J Public Health 2022. [DOI: 10.1093/eurpub/ckac130.039] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/13/2022] Open
Abstract
Abstract
Background
Sexual and reproductive health literacy (SRHL) refers to the ability to access, understand, appraise, and apply information for decision-making related to sexual and reproductive health. The low level of SRHL in adolescents increases their sexually risky behaviors and endangers sexual health. Although early adolescence is a critical development period for forming initial views on sexuality and is often a time for attempting risky behaviors, studies on SRHL for early adolescents are fairly limited in Las PDR. As an initial step for the development of a global health project between Lao PDR and South Korea, this study assessed the level of SRHL and the differences in gender among early adolescents in Lao PDR.
Methods
Participants were 235 students conveniently recruited from one junior high school each in two provinces in Lao PDR. SRHL was measured using the 39-item Teen Pregnancy Health Literacy scale consisting of 4 subscales of finding, understanding, appraisal, and application. The scores were classified into inadequate, problematic, sufficient, and excellent using the SRHL index formula. The mean differences in gender were compared using t-test.
Results
The mean of the SRHL scores of the participants was 19.07 (±10.57). The mean score was significantly lower for girls, at 17.67 (±11.22) than for boys, at 21.37 (±9.05) (p = .006). Significant differences were further identified in all four sub-domains of SRHL: finding (p = .025), understanding (p = .005), appraisal (p = .041), and application (p = .029). The majority of participants (91.7%) were categorized as having an ‘inadequate’ or ‘problematic’ level of SRHL.
Conclusions
The level of SRHL among most early adolescents was found to be inadequate. The level of SRHL among girls was much lower than that among boys. The findings suggest a gender-specific approach to developing health education programs to improve SRHL among early adolescents and prevent future sexually risky behaviors in Lao PDR.
Key messages
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Affiliation(s)
- HK Lee
- Nursing, Yonsei University, Seoul , South Korea
| | - YS Yang
- Regional Office, Korea International Cooperation Agency , Vientiane, Laos
| | - SK Kim
- Nursing, Soonchunhyang, Cheonan , South Korea
| | - V Vongxay
- Public Health, University of Health Sciences , Vientiane, Laos
| | - YM Lee
- Nursing, DePaul University , Chicago, USA
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3
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Chen YF, Li D, Lee YM, Lee CC, Huang HY, Tsou CH, Liang HC. Highly efficient solid-state Raman yellow-orange lasers created by enhancing the cavity reflectivity. Opt Lett 2021; 46:797-800. [PMID: 33577517 DOI: 10.1364/ol.415437] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/18/2020] [Accepted: 01/08/2021] [Indexed: 06/12/2023]
Abstract
A new, to the best of our knowledge, output coupler (OC) with enhancement of the cavity reflectivity is proposed to remarkably elevate the output powers and efficiencies of diode-pumped Nd:GdVO4/KGW Raman yellow-orange lasers. The cavity reflectivity is effectively increased by using the double-sided dichroic coating on the OC. In comparison with the conventional single-sided coating, the conversion efficiency can be boosted from 15% to 26.3% in the experiment of a yellow laser at 578.8 nm, and the maximum output power can be increased from 5.7 to 10.5 W in the quasi-continuous-wave mode with 50% duty cycle and frequency of 500 Hz. Furthermore, in the operation of an orange laser at 588 nm, the maximum output power can be improved from 5.6 to 7.0 W by replacing the conventional OC with the new one.
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Ellepola K, Truong T, Liu Y, Lin Q, Lim TK, Lee YM, Cao T, Koo H, Seneviratne CJ. Multi-omics Analyses Reveal Synergistic Carbohydrate Metabolism in Streptococcus mutans-Candida albicans Mixed-Species Biofilms. Infect Immun 2019; 87:e00339-19. [PMID: 31383746 PMCID: PMC6759298 DOI: 10.1128/iai.00339-19] [Citation(s) in RCA: 40] [Impact Index Per Article: 8.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/29/2019] [Accepted: 07/26/2019] [Indexed: 12/25/2022] Open
Abstract
Candida albicans, a major opportunistic fungal pathogen, is frequently found together with Streptococcus mutans in dental biofilms associated with severe childhood caries (tooth decay), a prevalent pediatric oral disease. However, the impact of this cross-kingdom relationship on C. albicans remains largely uncharacterized. Here, we employed a novel quantitative proteomics approach in conjunction with transcriptomic profiling to unravel molecular pathways of C. albicans when cocultured with S. mutans in mixed biofilms. RNA sequencing and iTRAQ (isobaric tags for relative and absolute quantitation)-based quantitative proteomics revealed that C. albicans genes and proteins associated with carbohydrate metabolism were significantly enhanced, including sugar transport, aerobic respiration, pyruvate breakdown, and the glyoxylate cycle. Other C. albicans genes and proteins directly and indirectly related to cell morphogenesis and cell wall components such as mannan and glucan were also upregulated, indicating enhanced fungal activity in mixed-species biofilm. Further analyses revealed that S. mutans-derived exoenzyme glucosyltransferase B (GtfB), which binds to the fungal cell surface to promote coadhesion, can break down sucrose into glucose and fructose that can be readily metabolized by C. albicans, enhancing growth and acid production. Altogether, we identified key pathways used by C. albicans in the mixed biofilm, indicating an active fungal role in the sugar metabolism and environmental acidification (key virulence traits associated with caries onset) when interacting with S. mutans, and a new cross-feeding mechanism mediated by GtfB that enhances C. albicans carbohydrate utilization. In addition, we demonstrate that comprehensive transcriptomics and quantitative proteomics can be powerful tools to study microbial contributions which remain underexplored in cross-kingdom biofilms.
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Affiliation(s)
- K Ellepola
- Oral Sciences, Faculty of Dentistry, National University of Singapore, Singapore
- Center of Oral and Craniofacial Biology, School of Dentistry, Louisiana State University Health Sciences Center, New Orleans, Louisiana, USA
| | - T Truong
- Oral Sciences, Faculty of Dentistry, National University of Singapore, Singapore
| | - Y Liu
- Biofilm Research Labs, Levy Center for Oral Health, Department of Orthodontics and Divisions of Pediatric Dentistry & Community Oral Health, School of Dental Medicine, University of Pennsylvania, Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, USA
| | - Q Lin
- Protein and Proteomic Centre, Department of Biological Sciences, National University of Singapore, Singapore
| | - T K Lim
- Protein and Proteomic Centre, Department of Biological Sciences, National University of Singapore, Singapore
| | - Y M Lee
- Protein and Proteomic Centre, Department of Biological Sciences, National University of Singapore, Singapore
| | - T Cao
- Oral Sciences, Faculty of Dentistry, National University of Singapore, Singapore
| | - H Koo
- Biofilm Research Labs, Levy Center for Oral Health, Department of Orthodontics and Divisions of Pediatric Dentistry & Community Oral Health, School of Dental Medicine, University of Pennsylvania, Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, USA
| | - C J Seneviratne
- National Dental Centre Singapore, Oral Health ACP, SingHealth Duke NUS, Singapore
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5
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Ho TY, Wu WH, Hung SJ, Liu T, Lee YM, Liu YH. Expressional Profiling of Carpet Glia in the Developing Drosophila Eye Reveals Its Molecular Signature of Morphology Regulators. Front Neurosci 2019; 13:244. [PMID: 30983950 PMCID: PMC6449730 DOI: 10.3389/fnins.2019.00244] [Citation(s) in RCA: 7] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/23/2018] [Accepted: 03/01/2019] [Indexed: 12/11/2022] Open
Abstract
Homeostasis in the nervous system requires intricate regulation and is largely accomplished by the blood–brain barrier (BBB). The major gate keeper of the vertebrate BBB is vascular endothelial cells, which form tight junctions (TJs). To gain insight into the development of the BBB, we studied the carpet glia, a subperineurial glial cell type with vertebrate TJ-equivalent septate junctions, in the developing Drosophila eye. The large and flat, sheet-like carpet glia, which extends along the developing eye following neuronal differentiation, serves as an easily accessible experimental system to understand the cell types that exhibit barrier function. We profiled transcribed genes in the carpet glia using targeted DNA adenine methyl-transferase identification, followed by next-generation sequencing (targeted DamID-seq) and found that the majority of genes expressed in the carpet glia function in cellular activities were related to its dynamic morphological changes in the developing eye. To unravel the morphology regulators, we silenced genes selected from the carpet glia transcriptome using RNA interference. The Rho1 gene encoding a GTPase was previously reported as a key regulator of the actin cytoskeleton. The expression of the pathetic (path) gene, encoding a solute carrier transporter in the developing eye, is specific to the carpet glia. The reduced expression of Rho1 severely disrupted the formation of intact carpet glia, and the silencing path impaired the connection between the two carpet glial cells, indicating the pan-cellular and local effects of Rho1 and Path on carpet glial cell morphology, respectively. Our study molecularly characterized a particular subperineurial cell type providing a resource for a further understanding of the cell types comprising the BBB.
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Affiliation(s)
- Tsung-Ying Ho
- Department of Life Sciences, College of Bioscience and Biotechnology, National Cheng Kung University, Tainan, Taiwan
| | - Wei-Hang Wu
- Department of Life Sciences, College of Bioscience and Biotechnology, National Cheng Kung University, Tainan, Taiwan
| | - Sheng-Jou Hung
- Department of Biotechnology and Bioindustry Sciences, College of Bioscience and Biotechnology, National Cheng Kung University, Tainan, Taiwan
| | - Tsunglin Liu
- Department of Biotechnology and Bioindustry Sciences, College of Bioscience and Biotechnology, National Cheng Kung University, Tainan, Taiwan
| | - Yuan-Ming Lee
- Institute of Molecular Biology, Academia Sinica, Taipei, Taiwan
| | - Ya-Hsin Liu
- Department of Life Sciences, College of Bioscience and Biotechnology, National Cheng Kung University, Tainan, Taiwan
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Hsiao PS, Lee YM, Chu FS, Lee CL, Liu FC, Tsai PH. Probable sporadic Creutzfeldt-Jakob disease mimicking focal epilepsy. Epilepsy Behav Case Rep 2019; 11:77-80. [PMID: 30788213 PMCID: PMC6369248 DOI: 10.1016/j.ebcr.2019.01.006] [Citation(s) in RCA: 6] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.2] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/17/2018] [Revised: 01/17/2019] [Accepted: 01/21/2019] [Indexed: 11/20/2022]
Abstract
Creutzfeldt-Jakob disease (CJD) presents with seizures as an early symptom in only approximately 3% of cases. These seizures often present as nonconvulsive status epilepticus (NCSE) or epilepsia partialis continua (EPC). Here, we describe a case of probable sporadic CJD (sCJD) in an 83-year-old man whose manifest an unusual presentation of left-hand tonic seizures without evolution to EPC, as well as brain MRI findings interpreted as peri-ictal changes, which led to an initial misdiagnosis of focal epilepsy.
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Affiliation(s)
- Pei-Shan Hsiao
- Department of Laboratory Medicine, National Yang-Ming University Hospital, No.169, Siaoshe Rd., Yilan City, Yilan County 26058, Taiwan
- Division of Neurology, Department of Internal Medicine, National Yang-Ming University Hospital, No.169, Siaoshe Rd., Yilan City, Yilan County 26058, Taiwan
| | - Yuan-Ming Lee
- Department of Laboratory Medicine, National Yang-Ming University Hospital, No.169, Siaoshe Rd., Yilan City, Yilan County 26058, Taiwan
| | - Fu-Sin Chu
- Division of Neurology, Department of Internal Medicine, National Yang-Ming University Hospital, No.169, Siaoshe Rd., Yilan City, Yilan County 26058, Taiwan
- Center for Dementia Care and Evolution, National Yang-Ming University Hospital, No.169, Siaoshe Rd., Yilan City, Yilan County 26058, Taiwan
| | - Chao-Lin Lee
- Division of Neurology, Department of Internal Medicine, National Yang-Ming University Hospital, No.169, Siaoshe Rd., Yilan City, Yilan County 26058, Taiwan
- Center for Dementia Care and Evolution, National Yang-Ming University Hospital, No.169, Siaoshe Rd., Yilan City, Yilan County 26058, Taiwan
| | - Fang-Chun Liu
- Division of Neurology, Department of Internal Medicine, National Yang-Ming University Hospital, No.169, Siaoshe Rd., Yilan City, Yilan County 26058, Taiwan
- Center for Dementia Care and Evolution, National Yang-Ming University Hospital, No.169, Siaoshe Rd., Yilan City, Yilan County 26058, Taiwan
| | - Ping-Huang Tsai
- Division of Neurology, Department of Internal Medicine, National Yang-Ming University Hospital, No.169, Siaoshe Rd., Yilan City, Yilan County 26058, Taiwan
- Center for Dementia Care and Evolution, National Yang-Ming University Hospital, No.169, Siaoshe Rd., Yilan City, Yilan County 26058, Taiwan
- Department of Neurology, School of Medicine, National Yang-Ming University, No.155, Sec.2, Linong Street, Taipei 112, Taiwan
- Corresponding author at: Division of Neurology, Department of Internal Medicine, National Yang-Ming University Hospital, No.169, Siaoshe Rd., Yilan City, Yilan County 26058, Taiwan.
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7
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Yun WJ, Kim YG, Lee YM, Lim JY, Kim HJ, Khan MUK, Chang S, Park HS, Kyung CM. Depth extraction with offset pixels. Opt Express 2018; 26:15825-15841. [PMID: 30114838 DOI: 10.1364/oe.26.015825] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/25/2018] [Accepted: 05/27/2018] [Indexed: 06/08/2023]
Abstract
Numerous depth extraction techniques have been proposed in the past. However, the utility of these techniques is limited as they typically require multiple imaging units, bulky platforms for computation, cannot achieve high speed and are computationally expensive. To counter the above challenges, a sensor with Offset Pixel Apertures (OPA) has been recently proposed. However, a working system for depth extraction with the OPA sensor has not been discussed. In this paper, we propose the first such system for depth extraction using the OPA sensor. We also propose a dedicated hardware implementation for the proposed system, named as the Depth Map Processor (DMP). The DMP can provide depth at 30 frames per second at 1920 × 1080 resolution with 31 disparity levels. Furthermore, the proposed DMP has low power consumption as for the aforementioned speed and resolution it only requires 290.76 mW. The proposed system makes it an ideal choice for depth extraction systems in constrained environments.
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Kim DS, Son E, Lee YS, Lee YM, Park YH, Kim DH, Lee KW. Herbal Complex DKB114 for Hyperuricemia and Gout. Am J Transl Res 2018. [DOI: 10.1055/s-0038-1644979] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 10/28/2022]
Affiliation(s)
- DS Kim
- Korean Herbal Medicine Research Division, Korea Institute of Oriental Medicine, 1672 Yuseong-daero, Yuseong-gu, Dajeon 34054, Republic of Korea
| | - E Son
- Korean Herbal Medicine Research Division, Korea Institute of Oriental Medicine, 1672 Yuseong-daero, Yuseong-gu, Dajeon 34054, Republic of Korea
| | - YS Lee
- Korean Herbal Medicine Research Division, Korea Institute of Oriental Medicine, 1672 Yuseong-daero, Yuseong-gu, Dajeon 34054, Republic of Korea
| | - YM Lee
- Korean Herbal Medicine Research Division, Korea Institute of Oriental Medicine, 1672 Yuseong-daero, Yuseong-gu, Dajeon 34054, Republic of Korea
| | - YH Park
- Dongkook Pharmaceutical Co., LTD, Gyeonggi Bio-Center, 147, Gwanggyo-ro, Yeongtong-gu, Suwon-city, Gyeonggi-do, Republic of Korea
| | - DH Kim
- Dongkook Pharmaceutical Co., LTD, Gyeonggi Bio-Center, 147, Gwanggyo-ro, Yeongtong-gu, Suwon-city, Gyeonggi-do, Republic of Korea
| | - KW Lee
- Dongkook Pharmaceutical Co., LTD, Gyeonggi Bio-Center, 147, Gwanggyo-ro, Yeongtong-gu, Suwon-city, Gyeonggi-do, Republic of Korea
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Lee YM, Hung PS, Lin CW. Seroepidemiology and phylogenetic analysis of human herpesvirus type 8 in injection drug users and men who have sex with men in northern Taiwan. J Int Med Res 2018; 48:300060518764747. [PMID: 29595344 PMCID: PMC7113484 DOI: 10.1177/0300060518764747] [Citation(s) in RCA: 4] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/31/2022] Open
Abstract
Objectives Human herpesvirus 8 (HHV-8) is transmissible and causes Kaposi’s sarcoma and
other malignancies. This study analyzed the seroepidemiology and phylogeny
of HHV-8 among 515 injection drug users (IDUs) and 229 men who have sex with
men (MSM) in Taiwan. Methods Blood and peripheral mononuclear cells were analyzed for HHV-8 seroprevalence
using enzyme-linked immunosorbent and immunofluorescence assays. Viral loads
were measured using a real-time PCR assay. Phylogenetic analysis of the K1
gene was performed using nested PCR and DNA sequencing. Results HHV-8 infection rate was higher in MSM (24.9%) than in IDUs (3.8%). The rate
of HHV-8 infection was higher in HIV-1-positive patients (32.8%, MSM; 5.5%,
IDUs) than in HIV-1 negative patients. HHV-8 load was not significantly
different between HHV-8 seropositive and seronegative patients. HHV-8
genotypes C and A variants were detected at frequencies of 80% and 20%,
respectively, among IDUs; and genotypes C, D, E, and A were detected at
frequencies of 55.6%, 11.1%, 11.1%, and 5.6%, respectively, among MSM.
Variants of K1 amino acid residues 54–84 were detected in most IDUs and
MSM. Conclusions HHV-8 prevalence was significantly higher among MSM than among IDUs.
Evolution of the K1 gene occurred in HHV-8 variants of IDUs and MSM.
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Affiliation(s)
- Yuan-Ming Lee
- Department of Laboratory Medicine, National Yang-Ming University Hospital, Yilan, Taiwan.,Department of Biotechnology and Laboratory science in Medicine, National Yang-Ming University, Taipei, Taiwan.,Department of Nursing, Cardinal Tien Junior College of Healthcare and Management, Yilan, Taiwan
| | - Pei-Shih Hung
- Department of Education and Medical Research, National Yang-Ming University Hospital, Yilan, Taiwan
| | - Cheng-Wen Lin
- Department of Medical Laboratory Science and Biotechnology, 38019 China Medical University , Taichung, Taiwan.,Department of Biotechnology, Asia University, Wufeng, Taichung, Taiwan
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Ha KH, Kim SA, Lee YM, Kim DJ, Lee DH. Can persistent organic pollutants distinguish between two opposite metabolic phenotypes in lean Koreans? Diabetes Metab 2018; 44:168-171. [PMID: 29395811 DOI: 10.1016/j.diabet.2017.12.008] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/20/2017] [Revised: 12/02/2017] [Accepted: 12/19/2017] [Indexed: 10/18/2022]
Abstract
AIMS This study investigated the association of persistent organic pollutants (POPs), an emerging new risk factor for type 2 diabetes and the metabolic syndrome, with the presence of opposite phenotypes of glucose and lipid metabolism among normal-weight Koreans of similar body composition. METHODS Fifty subjects, randomly selected from an ongoing community-based cohort study, from two opposite phenotype groups - metabolically unhealthy normal weight (MUHNW) and metabolically healthy normal weight (MHNW) - were matched for waist circumference, visceral fat mass and demographic variables, then compared for serum concentrations of POPs. RESULTS Most POPs (10 out of 13 compounds) were present in higher serum concentrations in the MUHNW than in the MHNW. In particular, serum concentrations of all compounds of the organochlorine pesticide class were 2.2 to 4.7 times higher in cases than in controls. Compared with the lowest tertile of summary measures of POPs, Odds ratios (95% confidence interval) for the second and third tertiles were 7.4 (1.9-29.4) and 10.4 (2.6-41.2), respectively. Adjusting for possible confounders did not change the results. CONCLUSION Taken altogether, these findings from the present and previous studies suggest that increased serum POP concentrations may play an important role in the development of unhealthy metabolic phenotypes in lean people.
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Affiliation(s)
- K H Ha
- Department of Endocrinology and Metabolism, Ajou University, School of Medicine, Suwon, Republic of Korea; Cardiovascular and Metabolic Disease Etiology Research Center, Ajou University School of Medicine, Suwon, Republic of Korea
| | - S A Kim
- Department of Biomedical Science, Kyungpook National University, Daegu, Republic of Korea; BK21 Plus KNU Biomedical Convergence Program, Department of Biomedical Science, Kyungpook National University, Daegu, Republic of Korea
| | - Y M Lee
- Department of Preventive Medicine, School of Medicine, Kyungpook National University, 680, Gukchaebosang-ro Jung-gu, Daegu 41944, Republic of Korea
| | - D J Kim
- Department of Endocrinology and Metabolism, Ajou University, School of Medicine, Suwon, Republic of Korea; Cardiovascular and Metabolic Disease Etiology Research Center, Ajou University School of Medicine, Suwon, Republic of Korea.
| | - D H Lee
- Department of Biomedical Science, Kyungpook National University, Daegu, Republic of Korea; BK21 Plus KNU Biomedical Convergence Program, Department of Biomedical Science, Kyungpook National University, Daegu, Republic of Korea; Department of Preventive Medicine, School of Medicine, Kyungpook National University, 680, Gukchaebosang-ro Jung-gu, Daegu 41944, Republic of Korea.
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11
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Kim DW, Kim CS, Kim HJ, Lee YM, Kim HJ, Kwon KB. The Effect of Germanium Treatment on Rain Shelter House Cultivation of Korean Ginseng (Panax ginseng C. A. Meyer). Am J Transl Res 2017. [DOI: 10.1055/s-0037-1608510] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 10/18/2022]
Affiliation(s)
- DW Kim
- Jeollabukdo ARES Medicinal Resource Research Institute, Jinan, Korea, Republic of (South)
| | - CS Kim
- Jeollabukdo ARES Medicinal Resource Research Institute, Jinan, Korea, Republic of (South)
| | - HJ Kim
- Jeollabukdo ARES Medicinal Resource Research Institute, Jinan, Korea, Republic of (South)
| | - YM Lee
- Jeollabukdo ARES Medicinal Resource Research Institute, Jinan, Korea, Republic of (South)
| | - HJ Kim
- Jeollabukdo ARES Medicinal Resource Research Institute, Jinan, Korea, Republic of (South)
| | - KB Kwon
- National Institute of Horticultural & Herbal science, RDA, Eumseong, Korea, Republic of (South)
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12
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Chang YY, Chen HP, Lin CW, Tang JJ, Hsu TY, Weng YC, Lee YM, Wang WS, Lo SS. Implementation and outcomes of an antimicrobial stewardship program: Effectiveness of education. J Chin Med Assoc 2017; 80:353-359. [PMID: 28411959 DOI: 10.1016/j.jcma.2016.09.012] [Citation(s) in RCA: 14] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/13/2016] [Revised: 07/04/2016] [Accepted: 09/23/2016] [Indexed: 11/19/2022] Open
Abstract
BACKGROUND Unnecessary use of antibiotics is a common occurrence in hospitals. Implementation of antibiotic stewardship programs (ASPs) has been shown to reduce both unnecessary antibiotic use and drug-resistant bacteria. Education is a fundamental component of an ASP. However, the effectiveness of proper uses of antibiotics education has not been clearly analyzed. METHODS In a 520-bed university hospital located in northeastern Taiwan, a significantly increasing prescription of carbapenems, specifically imipenem and meropenem, was observed. An educational program highlighting the judicious use of carbapenems was started, beginning in October 2013. A multidisciplinary ASP was implemented starting in January 2014. The consumption of antibiotics, measured by defined daily dose per 1000 occupied bed-days, was compared among the pre-educational, posteducational, and post-ASP periods. RESULTS Compared with the pre-educational period, there was a significant reduction in antibiotics consumption of 13% total inpatient antibiotics (p = 0.008), 29.8% carbapenems (p = 0.001), 34.9% imipenem and meropenem (p < 0.001), and 27% glycopeptides (p = 0.015), in the posteducational and post-ASP periods. The major reduction emerged during the posteducational period and was sustained after the ASP. The percentage of inpatients prescribed with antibiotics was significantly decreased (16.2%; p < 0.001). The rate of carbapenem-resistant Acinetobacter baumannii decreased from 70.8% to 29.6% within 7 months. CONCLUSION A focused educational program is effective in controlling the prescription of specific antibiotic classes in the early phase of a multidisciplinary ASP.
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Affiliation(s)
- Yea-Yuan Chang
- Department of Internal Medicine, National Yang-Ming University Hospital, Yilan, Taiwan, ROC; School of Medicine, National Yang-Ming University, Taipei, Taiwan, ROC; Division of Infectious Diseases, Department of Internal Medicine, Taipei Veterans General Hospital, Taipei, Taiwan, ROC
| | - Hsin-Pai Chen
- Division of Infectious Diseases, Department of Internal Medicine, Taipei Veterans General Hospital, Taipei, Taiwan, ROC
| | - Chia-Wei Lin
- Department of Pharmacy, National Yang-Ming University Hospital, Yilan, Taiwan, ROC
| | - Jen-Jen Tang
- Department of Pharmacy, National Yang-Ming University Hospital, Yilan, Taiwan, ROC
| | - Ti-Ying Hsu
- Infection Control Office, National Yang-Ming University Hospital, Yilan, Taiwan, ROC
| | - Yueh-Chun Weng
- Department of Laboratory Medicine, National Yang-Ming University Hospital, Yilan, Taiwan, ROC
| | - Yuan-Ming Lee
- Department of Laboratory Medicine, National Yang-Ming University Hospital, Yilan, Taiwan, ROC
| | - Wei-Shu Wang
- Department of Internal Medicine, National Yang-Ming University Hospital, Yilan, Taiwan, ROC; School of Medicine, National Yang-Ming University, Taipei, Taiwan, ROC.
| | - Su-Shun Lo
- School of Medicine, National Yang-Ming University, Taipei, Taiwan, ROC; Department of Surgery, National Yang-Ming University Hospital, Yilan, Taiwan, ROC
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Wang SF, Tseng SP, Loh EW, Wang WH, Li MC, Chen KH, Tsai WC, Lee YM, Chen HY, Liu FT, Arthur Chen YM, Huang JC. Generation and characterization of new monoclonal antibodies against swine origin 2009 influenza A (H1N1) virus and evaluation of their prophylactic and therapeutic efficacy in a mouse model. Dev Comp Immunol 2017; 67:8-17. [PMID: 27984103 DOI: 10.1016/j.dci.2016.10.010] [Citation(s) in RCA: 6] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.9] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/13/2016] [Revised: 10/25/2016] [Accepted: 10/25/2016] [Indexed: 06/06/2023]
Abstract
In 2009, a swine-origin influenza A virus - A(H1N1)pdm09 - emerged and has became a pandemic strain circulating worldwide. The hemagglutinin (HA) of influenza virus is a potential target for the development of anti-viral therapeutic agents. Here, we generated mAbs by immunization of baculovirus-insect expressing trimeric recombinant HA of the A(H1N1)pdm09 strain. Results indicated that the mAbs recognized two novel neutralizing and protective epitopes-"STAS" and "FRSK" which located near Cb and Ca1 antigenic regions respectively and were conserved in almost 2009-2016 influenza H1N1 stains. The mAb 12E11 demonstrated higher protective efficacy than mAb 8B10 in mice challenge assay. Both mAb pretreatments significantly reduced virus titers and pro-inflammatory cytokines in mice lung postinfection (p < 0.01), and showed prophylactic and therapeutic efficacies even 48 h postinfection (p < 0.05). Combination therapy using the mAbs with oseltamivir pre- and post-treatment showed synergistic therapeutic effect in mice model (p < 0.01). Further investigation for clinical application in humans is warranted.
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Affiliation(s)
- Sheng-Fan Wang
- Department of Medical Laboratory Science and Biotechnology, Kaohsiung Medical University, Kaohsiung 80708, Taiwan; Center for Infectious Disease and Cancer Research, Kaohsiung Medical University, Kaohsiung 80708, Taiwan.
| | - Sung-Pin Tseng
- Department of Medical Laboratory Science and Biotechnology, Kaohsiung Medical University, Kaohsiung 80708, Taiwan
| | - El-Wui Loh
- Center for Evidence-based Health Care, Taipei Medical University, Shuang Ho Hospital, New Taipei City 23561, Taiwan
| | - Wen-Hung Wang
- Department of Medicine, Faculty of Medicine, College of Medicine, Kaohsiung Medical University, Kaohsiung 80708, Taiwan
| | - Ming-Chun Li
- Department of Pediatrics, Taipei City Hospital, Yang-Ming Branch, Taipei 11146, Taiwan
| | - Kuan-Hsuan Chen
- Center for Infectious Disease and Cancer Research, Kaohsiung Medical University, Kaohsiung 80708, Taiwan
| | - Wan-Chi Tsai
- Department of Medical Laboratory Science and Biotechnology, Kaohsiung Medical University, Kaohsiung 80708, Taiwan
| | - Yuan-Ming Lee
- Department of Laboratory Medicine, National Yang-Ming University Hospital, Yi-Lan 260, Taiwan
| | - Huan-Yuan Chen
- Institute of Biomedical Sciences, Academia Sinica, Taipei 11578, Taiwan; Department of Dermatology, University of California at Davis, CA 95816, USA
| | - Fu-Tong Liu
- Institute of Biomedical Sciences, Academia Sinica, Taipei 11578, Taiwan; Department of Dermatology, University of California at Davis, CA 95816, USA
| | - Yi-Ming Arthur Chen
- Center for Infectious Disease and Cancer Research, Kaohsiung Medical University, Kaohsiung 80708, Taiwan; Department of Microbiology, College of Medicine, Kaohsiung Medical University, Kaohsiung 80708, Taiwan.
| | - Jason C Huang
- Department of Biotechnology and Laboratory Science in Medicine, National Yang-Ming University, Taipei 11272, Taiwan; AIDS Prevention and Research Center, National Yang-Ming University, Taipei 11272, Taiwan.
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Lee YM, Lee SY, Sasaki T, Kim K, Ahn D, Jung MC. Two different phase-change origins with chemical- and structural-phase-changes in C doped (1.5 wt.%) In 3Sb 1Te 2. Sci Rep 2016; 6:38663. [PMID: 27929133 PMCID: PMC5144130 DOI: 10.1038/srep38663] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/03/2015] [Accepted: 11/14/2016] [Indexed: 11/09/2022] Open
Abstract
We fabricated C-doped (1.5 wt.%) In3Sb1Te2 (CIST) thin films with amorphous phase (a-CIST) using a sputter method. Two electrical-phase-changes at 250 and 275 °C were observed in the sheet resistance measurement. In order to understand the origin of these electrical-phase-changes, all samples were characterized by XRD, TEM, and HRXPS with synchrotron radiation. In a-CIST, only weak Sb-C bonding was observed. In the first electrical-phase-change at 250 °C, strong Sb-C bonding occurred without an accompanying structural/phase change (still amorphous). On the other hand, the second electrical-phase-change at 275 °C was due to the structural/phase change from amorphous to crystalline without a chemical state change.
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Affiliation(s)
- Y M Lee
- Beamline Department, Pohang Accelerator Laboratory (PAL), Pohang, 37673, Republic of Korea
| | - S Y Lee
- Beamline Department, Pohang Accelerator Laboratory (PAL), Pohang, 37673, Republic of Korea
| | - T Sasaki
- Biology Resources Section, Research Support Division, Okinawa Institute of Science and Technology Graduate University, Okinawa, 904-0495, Japan
| | - K Kim
- AE Center, Samsung Advanced Institute of Technology, P. O. Box 111, Suwon, 440-600, Korea
| | - D Ahn
- Beamline Department, Pohang Accelerator Laboratory (PAL), Pohang, 37673, Republic of Korea
| | - M-C Jung
- Laboratroy for Organic Electronics, Graduate School of Materials Science, Nara Institute of Science and Technology, Nara, 630-0192, Japan
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Abstract
This study aimed to investigate the role of PIN1 on the hepatic differentiation of human dental pulp stem cells (hDPSCs) and its signaling pathway, as well as the potential therapeutic effects of hDPSC transplantation and PIN1 inhibition on CCl4 (carbon tetrachloride)-induced liver fibrosis in mice. The in vitro results showed that hepatic differentiation was suppressed by infection with adenovirus-PIN1 and promoted by PIN1 inhibitor juglone via the downregulation of Wnt3a and β-catenin. Compared with treatment with either hDPSC transplantation or juglone alone, the combination of hDPSCs and juglone into CCl4-injured mice significantly suppressed liver fibrosis and restored serum levels of alanine transaminase, aspartate transaminase, and ammonia. Collectively, the present study shows for the first time that PIN1 inhibition promotes hepatic differentiation of hDPSCs through the Wnt/β-catenin pathway. Furthermore, juglone in combination with hDPSC transplantation effectively treats liver fibrosis, suggesting that hDPSC transplantation with PIN1 inhibition may be a novel therapeutic candidate for the treatment of liver injury.
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Affiliation(s)
- H J Kim
- 1 Department of Oral Physiology, BK21 PLUS Project, and Institute of Translational Dental Sciences, School of Dentistry, Pusan National University, Yangsan, Republic of Korea
| | - Y A Cho
- 2 Department of Oral and Maxillofacial Pathology, Research Center for Tooth and Periodontal Regeneration, and School of Dentistry, Kyung Hee University, Seoul, Republic of Korea
| | - Y M Lee
- 2 Department of Oral and Maxillofacial Pathology, Research Center for Tooth and Periodontal Regeneration, and School of Dentistry, Kyung Hee University, Seoul, Republic of Korea
| | - S Y Lee
- 2 Department of Oral and Maxillofacial Pathology, Research Center for Tooth and Periodontal Regeneration, and School of Dentistry, Kyung Hee University, Seoul, Republic of Korea
| | - W J Bae
- 2 Department of Oral and Maxillofacial Pathology, Research Center for Tooth and Periodontal Regeneration, and School of Dentistry, Kyung Hee University, Seoul, Republic of Korea
| | - E C Kim
- 2 Department of Oral and Maxillofacial Pathology, Research Center for Tooth and Periodontal Regeneration, and School of Dentistry, Kyung Hee University, Seoul, Republic of Korea
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16
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Hussain S, Kenigsberg BB, Danahey K, Lee YM, Galecki PM, Ratain MJ, O'Donnell PH. Disease-drug database for pharmacogenomic-based prescribing. Clin Pharmacol Ther 2016; 100:179-90. [PMID: 26940584 DOI: 10.1002/cpt.364] [Citation(s) in RCA: 15] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.9] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/28/2015] [Revised: 02/04/2016] [Accepted: 02/28/2016] [Indexed: 01/04/2023]
Abstract
Providers have expressed a strong desire to have additional clinical decision-support tools to help with interpretation of pharmacogenomic results. We developed and tested a novel disease-drug association tool that enables pharmacogenomic-based prescribing to treat common diseases. First, 324 drugs were mapped to 484 distinct diseases (mean number of drugs treating each disease was 4.9; range 1-37). Then the disease-drug association tool was pharmacogenomically annotated, with an average of 1.8 pharmacogenomically annotated drugs associated/disease. Applying this tool to a prospectively enrolled >1,000 patient cohort from a tertiary medical center showed that 90% of the top ∼20 diseases in this population and ≥93% of patients could appropriately be treated with ≥1 medication with actionable pharmacogenomic information. When combined with clinical patient genotypes, this tool permits delivery of patient-specific pharmacogenomically informed disease treatment recommendations to inform the treatment of many medical conditions of the US population, a key initial step towards implementation of precision medicine.
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Affiliation(s)
- S Hussain
- Center for Personalized Therapeutics, University of Chicago, Chicago, Illinois, USA
| | - B B Kenigsberg
- Internal Medicine Residency Program, University of Chicago Medical Center, Chicago, Illinois, USA
| | - K Danahey
- Center for Personalized Therapeutics, University of Chicago, Chicago, Illinois, USA.,Center for Research Informatics, University of Chicago, Chicago, Illinois, USA
| | - Y M Lee
- Committee on Clinical Pharmacology and Pharmacogenomics, University of Chicago, Chicago, Illinois, USA
| | - P M Galecki
- Center for Personalized Therapeutics, University of Chicago, Chicago, Illinois, USA
| | - M J Ratain
- Center for Personalized Therapeutics, University of Chicago, Chicago, Illinois, USA.,Committee on Clinical Pharmacology and Pharmacogenomics, University of Chicago, Chicago, Illinois, USA.,Department of Medicine, University of Chicago, Chicago, Illinois, USA
| | - P H O'Donnell
- Center for Personalized Therapeutics, University of Chicago, Chicago, Illinois, USA.,Committee on Clinical Pharmacology and Pharmacogenomics, University of Chicago, Chicago, Illinois, USA.,Department of Medicine, University of Chicago, Chicago, Illinois, USA
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Lee YM, Sung TY, Kim WB, Chung KW, Yoon JH, Hong SJ. Risk factors for recurrence in patients with papillary thyroid carcinoma undergoing modified radical neck dissection. Br J Surg 2016; 103:1020-5. [PMID: 27121346 DOI: 10.1002/bjs.10144] [Citation(s) in RCA: 49] [Impact Index Per Article: 6.1] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/14/2015] [Revised: 11/09/2015] [Accepted: 02/05/2016] [Indexed: 11/08/2022]
Abstract
BACKGROUND This study evaluated the impact of lymph node-related factors on the risk of and site of recurrence in patients who had papillary thyroid carcinoma with lymph node metastasis in the lateral compartment (classified as pN1b). METHODS Patients underwent total thyroidectomy with unilateral modified radical neck dissection for classical papillary thyroid carcinoma. Risk factors for recurrence were evaluated according to the pattern of recurrence. RESULTS A total of 324 patients were included in the study. The median follow-up was 63 (range 14-181) months. Recurrence was detected in 47 patients (14·5 per cent). In the multivariable analysis, a maximum diameter of metastatic lymph nodes larger than 2·0 cm (hazard ratio (HR) 1·15, 95 per cent c.i. 1·06 to 1·25; P = 0·033) and a central compartment metastatic lymph node ratio of more than 0·42 (HR 3·35, 1·65 to 6·79; P < 0·001) were identified as independent risk factors for locoregional recurrence. Age 45 years or older (HR 5·69, 1·24 to 26·12; P = 0·025) and extranodal extension of metastasis (HR 12·71, 1·64 to 98·25; P = 0·015) were risk factors for distant metastasis. In subgroup analysis of locoregional recurrence, several lymph node-related factors affected the risk of recurrence according to the specific site of metastasis. CONCLUSION Lymph node-related factors are of importance for the risk of recurrence in patients with classical papillary thyroid carcinoma classified as pN1b.
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Affiliation(s)
- Y M Lee
- Departments of Surgery, Asan Medical Centre, University of Ulsan College of Medicine, Seoul, Korea
| | - T Y Sung
- Departments of Surgery, Asan Medical Centre, University of Ulsan College of Medicine, Seoul, Korea
| | - W B Kim
- Departments of Internal Medicine, Asan Medical Centre, University of Ulsan College of Medicine, Seoul, Korea
| | - K W Chung
- Departments of Surgery, Asan Medical Centre, University of Ulsan College of Medicine, Seoul, Korea
| | - J H Yoon
- Departments of Surgery, Asan Medical Centre, University of Ulsan College of Medicine, Seoul, Korea
| | - S J Hong
- Departments of Surgery, Asan Medical Centre, University of Ulsan College of Medicine, Seoul, Korea
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18
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Moon BC, Kim WJ, Ji Y, Lee YM, Kang YM, Choi G. Molecular identification of the traditional herbal medicines, Arisaematis Rhizoma and Pinelliae Tuber, and common adulterants via universal DNA barcode sequences. Genet Mol Res 2016; 15:gmr7064. [PMID: 26909979 DOI: 10.4238/gmr.15017064] [Citation(s) in RCA: 18] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/03/2022]
Abstract
Methods to identify Pinelliae Tuber and Arisaematis Rhizoma are required because of frequent reciprocal substitution between these two herbal medicines and the existence of several closely related plant materials. As a result of the morphological similarity of dried tubers, correct discrimination of authentic herbal medicines is difficult by conventional methods. Therefore, we analyzed DNA barcode sequences to identify each herbal medicine and the common adulterants at a species level. To verify the identity of these herbal medicines, we collected five authentic species (Pinellia ternata for Pinelliae Tuber, and Arisaema amurense, A. amurense var. serratum, A. erubescens, and A. heterophyllum for Arisaematis Rhizoma) and six common adulterant plant species. Maturase K (matK) and ribulose-1,5-bisphosphate carboxylase/oxygenase large subunit (rbcL) genes were then amplified using universal primers. In comparative analyses of two DNA barcode sequences, we obtained 45 species-specific nucleotides sufficient to identify each species (except A. erubescens with matK) and 28 marker nucleotides for each species (except P. pedatisecta with rbcL). Sequence differences at corresponding positions of the two combined DNA barcodes provided genetic marker nucleotides that could be used to identify specimens of the correct species among the analyzed medicinal plants. Furthermore, we generated a phylogenetic tree showing nine distinct groups depending on the species. These results can be used to authenticate Pinelliae Tuber and Arisaematis Rhizoma from their adulterants and to identify each species. Thus, comparative analyses of plant DNA barcode sequences identified useful genetic markers for the authentication of Pinelliae Tuber and Arisaematis Rhizoma from several adulterant herbal materials.
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Affiliation(s)
- B C Moon
- K-herb Research Center, Korea Institute of Oriental Medicine, Daejeon, Republic of Korea
| | - W J Kim
- K-herb Research Center, Korea Institute of Oriental Medicine, Daejeon, Republic of Korea
| | - Y Ji
- K-herb Research Center, Korea Institute of Oriental Medicine, Daejeon, Republic of Korea
| | - Y M Lee
- K-herb Research Center, Korea Institute of Oriental Medicine, Daejeon, Republic of Korea
| | - Y M Kang
- K-herb Research Center, Korea Institute of Oriental Medicine, Daejeon, Republic of Korea
| | - G Choi
- K-herb Research Center, Korea Institute of Oriental Medicine, Daejeon, Republic of Korea
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19
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Choi HJ, Lee JC, Lee YM. Hourglass epidermoid inclusion cyst of the hand. J Hand Surg Eur Vol 2015; 40:749-50. [PMID: 24212414 DOI: 10.1177/1753193413511576] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 02/03/2023]
Affiliation(s)
- H J Choi
- Department of Plastic and Reconstructive Surgery, College of Medicine, Soonchunhyang University, Cheonan, Korea
| | - J C Lee
- Department of Plastic and Reconstructive Surgery, College of Medicine, Soonchunhyang University, Cheonan, Korea
| | - Y M Lee
- Department of Plastic and Reconstructive Surgery, College of Medicine, Soonchunhyang University, Cheonan, Korea
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20
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21
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Fong SSM, Wong JYH, Chung LMY, Yam TTT, Chung JWY, Lee YM, Chow LPY, Luk WS, Ng SSM. Changes in heart-rate variability of survivors of nasopharyngeal cancer during Tai Chi Qigong practice. J Phys Ther Sci 2015; 27:1577-9. [PMID: 26157266 PMCID: PMC4483444 DOI: 10.1589/jpts.27.1577] [Citation(s) in RCA: 19] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.1] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/05/2015] [Accepted: 01/31/2015] [Indexed: 01/08/2023] Open
Abstract
[Purpose] To explore the changes in heart-rate variability (HRV) of survivors of nasopharyngeal cancer (NPC) before, during, and after a Tai Chi (TC) Qigong exercise. [Subjects and Methods] Eleven survivors of NPC participated voluntarily in the study. The heart rate of each participant was measured continuously for 1 minute before the TC Qigong intervention, during the 5-minute TC Qigong intervention, and for 1 minute after the intervention, using a Polar heart-rate monitor. Spectral HRV was expressed in terms of normalised low frequency (LF) power, normalised high frequency (HF) power, and the low frequency/high frequency (LF/HF) power ratio. [Results] Both the LF-power and the HF-power components had significant time effects. However, the time effect of the LF/HF power ratio was not significant. Post hoc contrast analysis revealed a significant decrease in LF power and a concomitant increase in HF power during the 4th minute and 5th minute of the TC Qigong exercise. [Conclusion] Five minutes of TC Qigong exercise was found to improve HRV by increasing HF power and decreasing LF power, but these effects were transient. TC Qigong might be an appropriate exercise for improving the ANS function and psychological and cardiac health of survivors of NPC.
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Affiliation(s)
- Shirley S M Fong
- Institute of Human Performance, The University of Hong Kong: Pokfulam, Hong Kong
| | - Janet Y H Wong
- School of Nursing, Li Ka Shing Faculty of Medicine, The University of Hong Kong, Hong Kong
| | - Louisa M Y Chung
- Department of Health and Physical Education, Hong Kong Institute of Education, Hong Kong
| | - Timothy T T Yam
- Department of Physiotherapy, David Trench Rehabilitation Centre, Hong Kong
| | - Joanne W Y Chung
- Department of Health and Physical Education, Hong Kong Institute of Education, Hong Kong
| | | | - Lina P Y Chow
- Department of Health and Physical Education, Hong Kong Institute of Education, Hong Kong
| | - W S Luk
- The Association of Licentiates of the Medical Council of Hong Kong, Hong Kong
| | - Shamay S M Ng
- Department of Rehabilitation Sciences, The Hong Kong Polytechnic University, Hong Kong
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22
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Lee YM, Sun YH. Maintenance of glia in the optic lamina is mediated by EGFR signaling by photoreceptors in adult Drosophila. PLoS Genet 2015; 11:e1005187. [PMID: 25909451 PMCID: PMC4409299 DOI: 10.1371/journal.pgen.1005187] [Citation(s) in RCA: 6] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/09/2014] [Accepted: 03/31/2015] [Indexed: 01/13/2023] Open
Abstract
The late onset of neurodegeneration in humans indicates that the survival and function of cells in the nervous system must be maintained throughout adulthood. In the optic lamina of the adult Drosophila, the photoreceptor axons are surrounded by multiple types of glia. We demonstrated that the adult photoreceptors actively contribute to glia maintenance in their target field within the optic lamina. This effect is dependent on the epidermal growth factor receptor (EGFR) ligands produced by the R1-6 photoreceptors and transported to the optic lamina to act on EGFR in the lamina glia. EGFR signaling is necessary and sufficient to act in a cell-autonomous manner in the lamina glia. Our results suggest that EGFR signaling is required for the trafficking of the autophagosome/endosome to the lysosome. The loss of EGFR signaling results in cell degeneration most likely because of the accumulation of autophagosomes. Our findings provide in vivo evidence for the role of adult neurons in the maintenance of glia and a novel role for EGFR signaling in the autophagic flux. Degeneration of the nervous system can be viewed as a failure to maintain cell survival or function in the nervous system. The late onset of neurodegeneration in humans indicates that the cell survival in the nervous system must be maintained throughout our lives. Neuronal survival is maintained by neurotrophic factors in adults; however, it is unclear whether glia survival is also maintained throughout adulthood. Here, we use the Drosophila visual system as a model to address the role played by adult neurons for the active maintenance of glia. We demonstrated that the adult photoreceptors secrete a signaling molecule, which is transported to the brain to act on the lamina glia and maintain its integrity. When this signaling pathway is blocked, the lamina glia undergoes a progressive and irreversible degeneration. The primary defect occurs in the trafficking from the late endosome and autophagosome to the lysosome. This defect leads to an accumulation of autophagosomes and subsequent cell degeneration as a result of autophagy. Our findings provide in vivo evidence for a novel aspect of the neuron-glia interaction and a novel role for EGFR signaling in regulating the maintenance and degeneration of the nervous system.
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Affiliation(s)
- Yuan-Ming Lee
- Institute of Molecular Biology, Academia Sinica, Taipei, Taiwan
- Institute of Genomic Sciences, National Yang-Ming University, Taipei, Taiwan
| | - Y. Henry Sun
- Institute of Molecular Biology, Academia Sinica, Taipei, Taiwan
- Institute of Genomic Sciences, National Yang-Ming University, Taipei, Taiwan
- * E-mail:
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Hwang CY, Lee I, Cho Y, Lee YM, Baek K, Jung YJ, Yang YY, Lee T, Rhee TS, Lee HK. Rhodococcus aerolatus sp. nov., isolated from subarctic rainwater. Int J Syst Evol Microbiol 2014; 65:465-471. [PMID: 25385992 DOI: 10.1099/ijs.0.070086-0] [Citation(s) in RCA: 16] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.6] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/18/2022] Open
Abstract
A Gram-stain-positive, rod-shaped and non-motile strain, designated PAMC 27367(T), was isolated from rainwater collected on the Bering Sea. Analysis of the 16S rRNA gene sequence of the strain showed an affiliation with the genus Rhodococcus. Phylogenetic analyses revealed that strain PAMC 27367(T) formed a robust clade with the type strains of Rhodococcus rhodnii, Rhodococcus aetherivorans and Rhodococcus ruber with 16S rRNA gene sequence similarities of 96.3 %, 95.8 % and 95.5 %, respectively. Cells of the strain grew optimally at 25 °C and at pH 6.5-7.0 in the presence of 0-2 % (w/v) sea salts. The major polar lipids were diphosphatidylglycerol, phosphatidylglycerol, phosphatidylethanolamine, phosphatidylinositol, phosphatidylinositol mannoside and three unknown phospholipids. The major cellular fatty acids (>10 %) were iso-C16 : 0, C17 : 1ω8c and 10-methyl C17 : 0. Cell wall analysis showed that strain PAMC 27367(T) contained meso-diaminopimelic acid. The genomic DNA G+C content was 77.1 mol%. Based on the phylogenetic, chemotaxonomic and phenotypic data presented here, we propose a novel species with the name Rhodococcus aerolatus sp. nov., with PAMC 27367(T) ( = KCTC 29240(T) = JCM 19485(T)) as the type strain.
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Affiliation(s)
- C Y Hwang
- Division of Polar Life Sciences, Korea Polar Research Institute, 26 Songdomirae-ro, Yeonsu-gu, Incheon 406-840, Republic of Korea
| | - I Lee
- Division of Polar Life Sciences, Korea Polar Research Institute, 26 Songdomirae-ro, Yeonsu-gu, Incheon 406-840, Republic of Korea
| | - Y Cho
- Division of Polar Life Sciences, Korea Polar Research Institute, 26 Songdomirae-ro, Yeonsu-gu, Incheon 406-840, Republic of Korea
| | - Y M Lee
- Division of Polar Life Sciences, Korea Polar Research Institute, 26 Songdomirae-ro, Yeonsu-gu, Incheon 406-840, Republic of Korea
| | - K Baek
- Division of Polar Life Sciences, Korea Polar Research Institute, 26 Songdomirae-ro, Yeonsu-gu, Incheon 406-840, Republic of Korea
| | - Y-J Jung
- Division of Polar Life Sciences, Korea Polar Research Institute, 26 Songdomirae-ro, Yeonsu-gu, Incheon 406-840, Republic of Korea
| | - Y Y Yang
- Division of Polar Life Sciences, Korea Polar Research Institute, 26 Songdomirae-ro, Yeonsu-gu, Incheon 406-840, Republic of Korea
| | - T Lee
- Department of Environmental Science, Hankuk University of Foreign Studies, 81 Oedae-ro, Yongin-si, Gyeonggi-do 449-791, Republic of Korea
| | - T S Rhee
- Division of Polar Ocean Environment, Korea Polar Research Institute, 26 Songdomirae-ro, Yeonsu-gu, Incheon 406-840, Republic of Korea
| | - H K Lee
- Division of Polar Life Sciences, Korea Polar Research Institute, 26 Songdomirae-ro, Yeonsu-gu, Incheon 406-840, Republic of Korea
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Abstract
Physiologic bioengineering of the oral, dental, and craniofacial complex requires optimized geometric organizations of fibrous connective tissues. A computer-designed, fiber-guiding scaffold has been developed to promote tooth-supporting periodontal tissue regeneration and functional restoration despite limited printing resolution for the manufacture of submicron-scaled features. Here, we demonstrate the use of directional freeze-casting techniques to control pore directional angulations and create mimicked topographies to alveolar crest, horizontal, oblique, and apical fibers of natural periodontal ligaments. For the differing anatomic positions, the gelatin displayed varying patterns of ice growth, determined via internal pore architectures. Regardless of the freezing coordinates, the longitudinal pore arrangements resulted in submicron-scaled diameters (~50 µm), along with corresponding high biomaterial porosity (~90%). Furthermore, the horizontal + coronal ([Formula: see text]) freezing orientation facilitated the creation of similar structures to major fibers in the periodontal ligament interface. This periodontal tissue-mimicking microenvironment is a potential tissue platform for the generation of naturally oriented ligamentous tissues consistent with periodontal ligament neogenesis.
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Affiliation(s)
- C H Park
- Department of Periodontology, Dental Research Institute, School of Dentistry, Seoul National University, Seoul, Republic of Korea Department of Nanobiomedical Science and BK21 PLUS NBM Global Research Center for Regenerative Medicine, Dankook University, Cheonan, Republic of Korea Institute of Tissue Regeneration Engineering, Dankook University, Cheonan, Republic of Korea
| | - K H Kim
- Department of Periodontology, Dental Research Institute, School of Dentistry, Seoul National University, Seoul, Republic of Korea
| | - H F Rios
- Department of Periodontics and Oral Medicine, School of Dentistry, University of Michigan, Ann Arbor, MI, USA
| | - Y M Lee
- Department of Periodontology, Dental Research Institute, School of Dentistry, Seoul National University, Seoul, Republic of Korea
| | - W V Giannobile
- Department of Periodontics and Oral Medicine, School of Dentistry, University of Michigan, Ann Arbor, MI, USA Department of Biomedical Engineering, College of Engineering, University of Michigan, Ann Arbor, MI, USA
| | - Y J Seol
- Department of Periodontology, Dental Research Institute, School of Dentistry, Seoul National University, Seoul, Republic of Korea
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Lee JH, Oh SH, Lee YM, Kim YS, Son HJ, Jeong DJ, Whitley NC, Kim JJ. Study on Growth Curves of Longissimus dorsi Muscle Area, Backfat Thickness and Body Conformation for Hanwoo (Korean Native) Cows. Asian-Australas J Anim Sci 2014; 27:1250-3. [PMID: 25178367 PMCID: PMC4150190 DOI: 10.5713/ajas.2013.13797] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.1] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/06/2013] [Revised: 03/26/2014] [Accepted: 05/04/2014] [Indexed: 11/27/2022]
Abstract
The objective of this study was to estimate the parameters of Gompertz growth curves with the measurements of body conformation, real-time ultrasound longissimus dorsi muscle area (LMA) and backfat thickness (BFT) in Hanwoo cows. The Hanwoo cows (n = 3,373) were born in 97 Hanwoo commercial farms in the 17 cities or counties of Gyeongbuk province, Korea, between 2000 and 2007. A total of 5,504 ultrasound measurements were collected for the cows at the age of 13 to 165 months in 2007 and 2008. Wither height (HW), rump height (HR), the horizontal distance between the top of the hips (WH), and girth of chest (GC) were also measured. Analysis of variance was conducted to investigate variables affecting LMA and BFT. The effect of farm nested in location was included in the statistical model, as well as the effects of HW, HR, WH, and GC as covariates. All of the effects were significant in the analysis of variance for LMA and BFT (p<0.01), except for the HR effect for LMA. The two ultrasound measures and the four body conformation traits were fitted to a Gompertz growth curve function to estimate parameters. Upper asymptotic weights were estimated as 54.0 cm2, 7.67 mm, 125.6 cm, 126.4 cm, 29.3 cm, and 184.1 cm, for LMA, BFT, HW, HR, WH, and GC, respectively. Results of ultrasound measurements showed that Hanwoo cows had smaller LMA and greater BFT than other western cattle breeds, suggesting that care must be taken to select for thick BFT rather than an increase of only beef yield. More ultrasound records per cow are needed to get accurate estimates of growth curve, which, thus, helps producers select animals with high accuracy.
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Affiliation(s)
- J H Lee
- Department of Animal Sciences, North Carolina A&T State University, Greensboro, NC 27411, USA
| | - S-H Oh
- Department of Animal Sciences, North Carolina A&T State University, Greensboro, NC 27411, USA
| | - Y M Lee
- School of Biotechnology, Yeungnam University, Gyeongsan 712-749, Korea
| | - Y S Kim
- School of Biotechnology, Yeungnam University, Gyeongsan 712-749, Korea
| | - H J Son
- Gyeongbuk Livestock Research Institute, Yeongju 750-871, Korea
| | - D J Jeong
- Gyeongbuk Livestock Research Institute, Yeongju 750-871, Korea
| | - N C Whitley
- Department of Animal Sciences, North Carolina A&T State University, Greensboro, NC 27411, USA
| | - J J Kim
- School of Biotechnology, Yeungnam University, Gyeongsan 712-749, Korea
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Kim HS, Park YH, Nam H, Lee YM, Song K, Choi C, Ahn I, Park SR, Lee YH, Hwang DJ. Overexpression of the Brassica rapa transcription factor WRKY12 results in reduced soft rot symptoms caused by Pectobacterium carotovorum in Arabidopsis and Chinese cabbage. Plant Biol (Stuttg) 2014; 16:973-981. [PMID: 24552622 DOI: 10.1111/plb.12149] [Citation(s) in RCA: 16] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.6] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/29/2013] [Accepted: 12/03/2013] [Indexed: 06/03/2023]
Abstract
Chinese cabbage (Brassica rapa L. ssp. pekinensis), an important vegetable crop, can succumb to diseases such as bacterial soft rot, resulting in significant loss of crop productivity and quality. Pectobacterium carotovorum ssp. carotovorum (Pcc) causes soft rot disease in various plants, including Chinese cabbage. To overcome crop loss caused by bacterial soft rot, a gene from Chinese cabbage was isolated and characterised in this study. We isolated the BrWRKY12 gene from Chinese cabbage, which is a group II member of the WRKY transcription factor superfamily. The 645-bp coding sequence of BrWRKY12 translates to a protein with a molecular mass of approximately 24.4 kDa, and BrWRKY12 was exclusively localised in the nucleus. Transcripts of BrWRKY12 were induced by Pcc infection in Brassica. Heterologous expression of BrWRKY12 resulted in reduced susceptibility to Pcc but not to Pseudomonas syringae pv. tomato in Arabidopsis. Defence-associated genes, such as AtPDF1.2 and AtPGIP2, were constitutively expressed in transgenic lines overexpressing BrWRKY12. The expression of AtWKRY12, which is the closest orthologue of BrWRKY12, was down-regulated by Pcc in Arabidopsis. However, the Atwrky12-2 mutants did not show any difference in response to Pcc, pointing to a difference in function of WRKY12 in Brassica and Arabidopsis. Furthermore, BrWRKY12 in Chinese cabbage also exhibited enhanced resistance to bacterial soft rot and increased the expression of defence-associated genes. In summary, BrWRKY12 confers enhanced resistance to Pcc through transcriptional activation of defence-related genes.
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Affiliation(s)
- H S Kim
- National Academy of Agricultural Science, Rural Development Administration, Suwon, South Korea
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Lee JH, Lee YM, Oh SH, Son HJ, Jeong DJ, Whitley N, Kim JJ. Estimation of Genetic Parameters for Real-time Ultrasound Measurements for Hanwoo Cows at Different Ages and Pregnancy Status. Asian-Australas J Anim Sci 2014; 27:155-60. [PMID: 25049938 PMCID: PMC4093205 DOI: 10.5713/ajas.2013.13430] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.2] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/17/2013] [Revised: 11/01/2013] [Accepted: 10/08/2013] [Indexed: 11/27/2022]
Abstract
The purpose of this study was to estimate genetic parameters of ultrasound measurements for longissimus dorsi muscle area (LMA), backfat thickness (BFT), and marbling score (MS) in Hanwoo cows (N = 3,062) at the ages between 18 and 42 months. Data were collected from 100 Hanwoo breeding farms in Gyeongbuk province, Korea, in 2007 and 2008. The cows were classified into four different age groups, i.e. 18 to 22 months (the first pregnancy period), 23 to 27 (the first parturition), 28 to 32 (the second pregnancy), and 33 to 42 (the second parturition), respectively. For each age group, a multi-trait animal model was used to estimate variance components and heritabilities of the three traits. The averages of LMA, BFT, and MS measurements across the cows of all age groups were 50.1 cm2, 4.62 mm, and 3.04, respectively and heritability estimates were 0.09, 0.10, and 0.08 for the respective traits. However, when the data were analyzed in different age groups, heritability estimates of LMA and BFT were 0.24 and 0.47, respectively, for the cows of 18 to 22 months of age, and 0.21 for MS in the 28 to 32 months old cows. When the cows of all age groups were used, the estimates of genetic (phenotypic) correlations were 0.43 (0.35), −0.06 (0.34) and 0.21 (0.32) between LMA and BFT, LMA and MS, and BFT and MS, respectively. However, in the cow age group between 28 and 32 (18 and 22) months, the estimates of genetic (phenotypic) correlations were 0.05 (0.29), −0.15 (0.24) and 0.38 (0.24), for the respective pairs of traits. These results suggest that genetic, environmental, and phenotypic variations differ depending on cow age, such that care must be taken when ultrasound measurements are applied to selection of cows for meat quality.
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Affiliation(s)
- J H Lee
- Gyeongbuk Provincial College, Yecheon, Gyeongbuk, Korea
| | - Y M Lee
- Gyeongbuk Provincial College, Yecheon, Gyeongbuk, Korea
| | - S-H Oh
- Gyeongbuk Provincial College, Yecheon, Gyeongbuk, Korea
| | - H J Son
- Gyeongbuk Provincial College, Yecheon, Gyeongbuk, Korea
| | - D J Jeong
- Gyeongbuk Provincial College, Yecheon, Gyeongbuk, Korea
| | - Niki Whitley
- Gyeongbuk Provincial College, Yecheon, Gyeongbuk, Korea
| | - J J Kim
- Gyeongbuk Provincial College, Yecheon, Gyeongbuk, Korea
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Kim J, Kim CS, Sohn E, Lee YM, Jo K, Shin SD, Kim JS. Aminoguanidine protects against apoptosis of retinal ganglion cells in Zucker diabetic fatty rats. Eur Rev Med Pharmacol Sci 2014; 18:1573-1578. [PMID: 24943965] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 06/03/2023]
Abstract
AIM The inhibition of advanced glycation end products (AGEs) and the receptor for AGEs (RAGE) mediated downstream signaling pathways have been suggested to have retinoprotective actions in diabetic retinopathy. Herein, we examined the protective effects of aminoguanidine (AG), an AGEs inhibitor, on diabetes-induced injury of retinal ganglion cells in the Zucker diabetic fatty (ZDF) rats. MATERIALS AND METHODS Seven-week-old male ZDF rats were treated with AG (50 mg/kg body weight) once a day orally for 13 weeks. Serum and vitreous concentration of AGEs were examined. Expressions of AGEs and its receptor (RAGE) were assessed by immunohistochemistry. Southwestern histochemistry was used to detect activated nuclear factor (NF)-κB. RESULTS At the end of the study, vitreal levels of AGEs were significantly reduced in ZDF rats treated with AG. Similary, immunohistochemical analysis showed that AG significantly reduced the positive areas for AGEs and RAGE. Furthermore, AG strongly inhibited the loss of retinal ganglion cells by apoptosis. AG also suppressed the activation of to NF-κB. CONCLUSIONS Our results suggest that AG has retinoprotective properties through not only direct inhibition of AGEs formation but also downregulation of NF-κB.
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Affiliation(s)
- J Kim
- Korean Medicine Based Herbal Drug Development Group, Herbal Medicine Research Division, Korea Institute of Oriental Medicine, Daejeon, South Korea.
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Lee YM, Chuang SY, Wang SF, Lin YT, Chen YMA. Epidemiology of human herpesvirus type 8 and parvovirus B19 infections and their association with HIV-1 among men who have sex with men and injection drug users in Taiwan. Journal of Microbiology, Immunology and Infection 2014; 47:233-8. [DOI: 10.1016/j.jmii.2013.01.006] [Citation(s) in RCA: 7] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/17/2012] [Revised: 12/10/2012] [Accepted: 01/22/2013] [Indexed: 10/27/2022]
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Yuan MK, Chang CY, Tsai PH, Lee YM, Huang JW, Chang SC. Comparative chest computed tomography findings of non-tuberculous mycobacterial lung diseases and pulmonary tuberculosis in patients with acid fast bacilli smear-positive sputum. BMC Pulm Med 2014; 14:65. [PMID: 24755048 PMCID: PMC4022395 DOI: 10.1186/1471-2466-14-65] [Citation(s) in RCA: 28] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/06/2013] [Accepted: 04/10/2014] [Indexed: 11/10/2022] Open
Abstract
BACKGROUND Early diagnosis and treatment of nontuberculous mycobacterial lung diseases (NTM-LD) and pulmonary tuberculosis (PTB) are important clinical issues. The present study aimed to compare and identify the chest CT characteristics that help to distinguish NTM lung disease from PTB in patients with acid-fast bacilli (AFB) smear-positive sputum. METHODS From January 2009 to April 2012, we received 467 AFB smear-positive sputum specimens. A total of 95 CT scans obtained from the 159 patients were analyzed, 75 scans were from patients with PTB and 20 scans from NTM-LD. The typical chest CT findings of mycobacterial diseases were analyzed. RESULTS In patients with PTB, the prevalence of pleural effusion (38.7% vs. 15.0%; P = 0.047), nodules < 10 mm in size (76.0% vs. 25.0%; P < 0.001), tree-in-bud pattern (81.3% vs. 55.0%; P = 0.021), and cavities (31.1% vs. 5.0%; P = 0.018) were significantly higher than patients with NTM. Of the 20 patients with NTM lung diseases, bronchiectasis and cystic changes were significantly higher than patients with PTB (20.0% vs. 4.0%; P = 0.034). In multivariate analysis, CT scan findings of nodules was independently associated with patients with diagnoses of PTB (odds ratio [OR], 0.07; 95% confidence interval [CI], 0.02-0.30). Presence of bronchiectasis and cystic changes in CT scans was strongly associated with patients with NTM-LD (OR, 33.04; 95% CI, 3.01-362.55). CONCLUSIONS The CT distinction between NTM-LD and PTB may help radiologists and physicians to know the most likely diagnoses in AFB-smear positive patients and avoid unnecessary adverse effects and the related costs of anti-TB drugs in endemic areas.
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Affiliation(s)
| | | | | | | | | | - Shih-Chieh Chang
- Faculty of Medicine, School of Medicine, National Yang-Ming University, Taipei, Taiwan.
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Lee YM, Ahn D, Kim JY, Kim YS, Cho S, Ahn M, Cho MH, Jung MS, Choi DK, Jung MC, Qi YB. Only the chemical state of Indium changes in Mn-doped In3Sb1Te2 (Mn: 10 at.%) during multi-level resistance changes. Sci Rep 2014; 4:4702. [PMID: 24736451 PMCID: PMC3988486 DOI: 10.1038/srep04702] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.1] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/09/2013] [Accepted: 03/21/2014] [Indexed: 11/09/2022] Open
Abstract
We fabricated and characterized the material with Mn (10 at.%: atomic percent) doped In3Sb1Te2 (MIST) using co-sputtering and synchrotron radiation, respectively. The MIST thin film showed phase-changes at 97 and 320 °C, with sheet resistances of ~10 kΩ(sq) (amorphous), ~0.2 kΩ(sq) (first phase-change), and ~10 Ω(sq) (second phase-change). MIST did not exhibit any chemical separation or increased structural instability during either phase-change, as determined with high-resolution x-ray photoelectron spectroscopy. Chemical state changes were only depended for In without concomitant changes of Sb and Te. Apparently, doped Mn atoms can be induced with movement of only In atoms.
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Affiliation(s)
- Y M Lee
- Pohang Accelerator Laboratory, POSTECH, Pohang, 790-784, Republic of Korea
| | - D Ahn
- Pohang Accelerator Laboratory, POSTECH, Pohang, 790-784, Republic of Korea
| | - J-Y Kim
- Pohang Accelerator Laboratory, POSTECH, Pohang, 790-784, Republic of Korea
| | - Y S Kim
- Energy Harvest-Storage Research Center (EHSRC) and Department of Physics, University of Ulsan, Ulsan 680-749, Republic of Korea
| | - S Cho
- Energy Harvest-Storage Research Center (EHSRC) and Department of Physics, University of Ulsan, Ulsan 680-749, Republic of Korea
| | - M Ahn
- Department of Physics, Yonsei University, Seoul 120-749, Republic of Korea
| | - M-H Cho
- Department of Physics, Yonsei University, Seoul 120-749, Republic of Korea
| | - M S Jung
- Department of Material Science and Engineering, Hanyang University, Seoul 133-791, Republic of Korea
| | - D K Choi
- Department of Material Science and Engineering, Hanyang University, Seoul 133-791, Republic of Korea
| | - M-C Jung
- Energy Materials and Surface Sciences Unit, Okinawa Institute of Science and Technology Graduate University, Okinawa, 904-0495, Japan
| | - Y B Qi
- Energy Materials and Surface Sciences Unit, Okinawa Institute of Science and Technology Graduate University, Okinawa, 904-0495, Japan
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Kim YS, Sohn E, Jung DH, Lee YM, Kim CS, Kim J, Kim JS. Expression of heat shock protein 90 in the kidneys of diabetic db/db mice. Eur Rev Med Pharmacol Sci 2014; 18:2198-2204. [PMID: 25070827] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 06/03/2023]
Abstract
OBJECTIVE To identify novel genes regulated in diabetic nephropathy. MATERIALS AND METHODS Total RNA from the renal cortex of db/+ and db/db mice was isolated and DNA microarrays specific for diabetes signaling pathways were used for expression profiling. Expression of mRNA and protein was determined by RT-PCR and western blotting. The terminal deoxynucleotidyl transferase-mediated biotinylated UTP nick-end labeling (TUNEL) assay and immunohistochemical staining were assessed in renal cortex of db/db mice. RESULTS Microarray data revealed that 7 genes show up- or down-regulated pattern and diabetic mice specifically decreased heat shock protein (Hsp) 90α expression of genes compared to control mice (diabetic mice 0.68 vs. control mice 1 relative density). Expression of Hsp90α mRNA and Hsp90 protein was significantly decreased in the renal cortex of diabetic mice. However, Hsp70 mRNA and protein expression was not changed. Apoptosis was increased in glomeruli of diabetic mice due to increased expression of cleaved caspase-3 and Bax. CONCLUSIONS Our results suggest that Hsp 90 expression was decreased in diabetic glomeruli and decreased Hsp90 expression may mediate podocyte apoptosis in type 2 diabetic kidneys.
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Affiliation(s)
- Y S Kim
- Korean Medicine-Based Herbal Drug Development Group, Herbal Medicine Research Division, Korea Institute of Oriental Medicine (KIOM), Daejeon, Republic of Korea.
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Kang OH, Kim SB, Seo YS, Joung DK, Mun SH, Choi JG, Lee YM, Kang DG, Lee HS, Kwon DY. Curcumin decreases oleic acid-induced lipid accumulation via AMPK phosphorylation in hepatocarcinoma cells. Eur Rev Med Pharmacol Sci 2013; 17:2578-2586. [PMID: 24142602] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 06/02/2023]
Abstract
BACKGROUND AND OBJECTIVES Non-alcoholic fatty liver disease (NAFLD) is one of the most common metabolic syndromes and is characterized by the accumulation of hepatic triglycerides (TG), which result from an imbalance between uptake, synthesis, export, and oxidation of fatty acids. Curcumin is a polyphenol derived from the herbal remedy and dietary spice turmeric, was found to prevent obesity and diabetes in mouse models. However, a hypolipidemic effect of curcumin in oleic acid- induced hepatocarcinoma cells has not been reported. In this study, we examined the effect of curcumin on reducing lipid accumulation in hepatic cells. MATERIALS AND METHODS Hepatocytes were treated with oleic acid (OA) containing with or without curcumin to observe the lipid accumulation by Oil Red O stain. We also tested the effects of curcumin on triglycerides (TG) and total cholesterol (TC) in HepG2 cells. Western blot and reverse transcription polymerase chain reaction (RT-PCR) was used to measure sterol regulatory element binding proteins-1 (SREBP-1), fatty acid synthase (FAS), peroxisome proliferator-activated receptor (PPAR)-α, and adenosine 5'-monophosphate (AMP)-activated protein kinase (AMPK) expression. RESULTS Curcumin suppressed OA-induced lipid accumulation and TG and TC levels. Also, curcumin decreased hepatic lipogenesis such as SREBP-1, and FAS. Besides, we also found out the antioxidative effect of curcumin by increasing the expression of PPARα. Curcumin increased AMPK phosphorylation in hepatocytes. CONCLUSIONS These results indicated that curcumin has the same ability to activate AMPK and then reduce SREBP-1, and FAS expression, finally leading to inhibit hepatic lipogenesis and hepatic antioxidative ability. In this report, we found curcumin exerted a regulatory effect on lipid accumulation by decreasing lipogenesis in hepatocyte. Therefore, curcumin extract may be active in the prevention of fatty liver.
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Affiliation(s)
- O H Kang
- Department of Oriental Pharmacy, College of Pharmacy, Wonkwang University, Wonkwang Oriental Medicines Research Institute, Institute of Biotechnology, Iksan, Jeonbuk, Republic of Korea.
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Chung JH, Kim YS, Noh K, Lee YM, Chang SW, Kim EC. Deferoxamine promotes osteoblastic differentiation in human periodontal ligament cells via the nuclear factor erythroid 2-related factor-mediated antioxidant signaling pathway. J Periodontal Res 2013; 49:563-73. [PMID: 24111577 DOI: 10.1111/jre.12136] [Citation(s) in RCA: 36] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Accepted: 08/17/2013] [Indexed: 11/27/2022]
Abstract
BACKGROUND AND OBJECTIVE Recently it was reported that deferoxamine (DFO), an iron chelator, stimulates bone formation from MG63 and mesenchymal stem cells, but inhibits differentiation in rat calvarial cells; however, the effect of DFO on osteoblastic differentiation in human periodontal ligament cells (hPDLCs) has not been reported. The aim of this study was to investigate the effects and the possible underlying mechanism of DFO on osteoblastic differentiation of hPDLCs. MATERIAL AND METHODS The effect of DFO on osteoblast differentiation was determined by the staining intensity of calcium deposits with Alizarin red and by RT-PCR analysis of the expression of osteoblastic markers. Signal transduction pathways were analyzed by western blotting. RESULTS DFO increased osteogenic differentiation in a concentration-dependent manner by expression of the mRNA for differentiation markers and calcium nodule formation. Exposure of hPDLCs to DFO resulted in increases in the production of reactive oxygen species and in the levels of nuclear factor erythroid 2-related factor (Nrf2) protein in nuclear extractions, as well as a dose-dependent increase in the expression of Nrf2 target genes, including glutathione (GSH), glutathione S-transferase, γ-glutamylcysteine lygase, glutathione reductase and glutathione peroxidase. Pretreatment with Nrf2 small interfering RNA, GSH depletion by buthionine sulfoximine and diethyl maleate, and with antioxidants by N-acetylcysteine and vitamin E, blocked DFO-stimulated osteoblastic differentiation. Furthermore, pretreatment with GSH depletion and antioxidants blocked DFO-induced p38 MAPK, ERK, JNK and nuclear factor-kappaB pathways. CONCLUSION These data indicate, for the first time, that nontoxic DFO promotes osteoblastic differentiation of hPDLCs via modulation of the Nrf2-mediated antioxidant pathway.
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Affiliation(s)
- J H Chung
- Department of Periodontology, School of Dentistry, Kyung Hee University, Seoul, Korea
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Abstract
The Drosophila compound eye is a large sensory organ that places a high demand on oxygen supplied by the tracheal system. Although the development and function of the Drosophila visual system has been extensively studied, the development and contribution of its tracheal system has not been systematically examined. To address this issue, we studied the tracheal patterns and developmental process in the Drosophila visual system. We found that the retinal tracheae are derived from air sacs in the head, and the ingrowth of retinal trachea begin at mid-pupal stage. The tracheal development has three stages. First, the air sacs form near the optic lobe in 42-47% of pupal development (pd). Second, in 47-52% pd, air sacs extend branches along the base of the retina following a posterior-to-anterior direction and further form the tracheal network under the fenestrated membrane (TNUFM). Third, the TNUFM extend fine branches into the retina following a proximal-to-distal direction after 60% pd. Furthermore, we found that the trachea extension in both retina and TNUFM are dependent on the FGF(Bnl)/FGFR(Btl) signaling. Our results also provided strong evidence that the photoreceptors are the source of the Bnl ligand to guide the trachea ingrowth. Our work is the first systematic study of the tracheal development in the visual system, and also the first study demonstrating the interactions of two well-studied systems: the eye and trachea.
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Affiliation(s)
- Wei-Chen Chu
- Graduate Institute of Life Sciences, National Defense Medical Center, Taipei, Taiwan
- Institute of Molecular Biology, Academia Sinica, Taipei, Taiwan
| | - Yuan-Ming Lee
- Institute of Molecular Biology, Academia Sinica, Taipei, Taiwan
- Department of Life Sciences and Institute of Genome Sciences, National Yang-Ming University, Taipei, Taiwan
| | - Yi Henry Sun
- Graduate Institute of Life Sciences, National Defense Medical Center, Taipei, Taiwan
- Institute of Molecular Biology, Academia Sinica, Taipei, Taiwan
- Department of Life Sciences and Institute of Genome Sciences, National Yang-Ming University, Taipei, Taiwan
- * E-mail:
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Hartono JL, Aung MO, Dan YY, Gowans M, Lim K, Lee YM, Lee GH, Low HC, Tan PS, Thwin MA, Soon C, Chiu LL, Khoo MJ, Koay E, Lim SG. Resolution of adefovir-related nephrotoxicity by adefovir dose-reduction in patients with chronic hepatitis B. Aliment Pharmacol Ther 2013; 37:710-9. [PMID: 23432107 DOI: 10.1111/apt.12251] [Citation(s) in RCA: 17] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/31/2012] [Revised: 10/08/2012] [Accepted: 01/27/2013] [Indexed: 12/17/2022]
Abstract
BACKGROUND Chronic hepatitis B patients (CHB) treated with adefovir were followed up to evaluate nephrotoxicity and its outcome. AIM To assess the incidence of renal dysfunction during adefovir therapy in Asian patients and factors associated with it, and evaluate strategies to improve adefovir-related renal dysfunction and their impact on viral suppression. METHODS Chronic hepatitis B clinic patients from a tertiary hospital on adefovir treatment, with their clinical and laboratory parameters were extracted from the hospital electronic clinical database in an observational study design. Patients were excluded if they had liver/renal transplant, baseline renal impairment or were on dialysis. Adefovir-related renal dysfunction was defined as adefovir-related abnormal serum creatinine (ARASC) > 125 μmol/L (males), >90 μmol/L (females); adefovir-related abnormal GFR <60 mL/min; and adefovir-related increased serum creatinine >0.5 mg/dL, without other known causes of nephrotoxicity. RESULTS A total of 271/383 adefovir-treated patients were suitable for analysis and 33(12%) patients developed abnormal serum creatinine. Cumulative increase in proportion of patients with ARASC was 33.8% and GFR ≤60 mL/min was 38.3% by 6 years, while serum creatinine increase ≥0.5 mg/dL was 21.48% by 5 years. Using multivariate analysis, the only independent baseline predictor of ARASC was GFR ≤76.1 mL/min. Patients who had ARASC had similar levels of viral suppression to those who did not have ARASC. Those who had ARASC either continued adefovir (24%), switched therapy (24%) or had adefovir dose reduction (52%). ARASC resolved and GFR normalised in almost all patients after either switching therapy or reducing adefovir dose, with no difference between the two strategies (P = 0.737). Those with adefovir dose reduction had no significant increase in HBV DNA (P = 0.170). CONCLUSIONS Adefovir-related renal dysfunction occurred in a significant number of adefovir-treated patients, but reduction of the dose led to renal improvement without compromising treatment efficacy.
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Affiliation(s)
- J L Hartono
- Department of Gastroenterology and Hepatology, National University of Singapore, Singapore
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Chang CY, Hong JY, Yuan MK, Chang SJ, Lee YM, Chang SC, Hsu LC, Cheng SL. Risk factors in patients with AFB smear-positive sputum who receive inappropriate antituberculous treatment. Drug Des Devel Ther 2013; 7:53-8. [PMID: 23386785 PMCID: PMC3563317 DOI: 10.2147/dddt.s39247] [Citation(s) in RCA: 10] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.9] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/23/2022]
Abstract
BACKGROUND Acid-fast bacilli (AFB) smear-positive sputum is usually an initial clue in the diagnosis of pulmonary tuberculosis (TB); however, the test is not disease-specific. Nontuberculous mycobacterium-related colonization or lung disease often has AFB smear-positive sputum results, and physicians may prescribe unnecessary antituberculous drugs for these patients. The aim of this study was to analyze the clinical characteristics of patients with AFB smear-positive sputum who received unnecessary anti-TB treatment. METHODS AND PATIENTS From January 2008 to July 2011, we retrospectively enrolled 97 patients with AFB smear-positive sputum who did not have pulmonary TB according to mycobacterial cultures and clinical judgment. We analyzed the clinical and radiographic features of the patients who received inappropriate and unnecessary anti-TB treatment. Preliminary analyses of chisquare and Fisher's exact tests were applied to determine factors unlikely to be associated with the independent variables. The relationship between independent covariates was then analyzed using multivariate logistic regression. RESULTS Of the 97 enrolled patients, 25 (25.8%) were diagnosed with pulmonary TB and prescribed anti-TB drugs (mostly a combination of isoniazid, rifampicin, ethambutol, and pyrazinamide). The other 72 (74.2%) patients were not initially diagnosed with pulmonary TB and were classified as the control group. Compared to the control group, the patients who received inappropriate anti-TB treatment had more chronic cough as presentation symptom and heavy AFB Ziehl-Neelsen staining in sputum (>10/100 fields, grading 2+ to 4+). There were no significant differences in the radiographic analysis between the two groups. CONCLUSION Among the patients with AFB smear-positive sputum that did not have pulmonary TB, chronic cough and heavy AFB staining (2+ to 4+) were risk factors for the inappropriate administration of unnecessary anti-TB treatment.
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Affiliation(s)
- Cheng-Yu Chang
- Division of Chest Medicine, Department of Internal Medicine, Far Eastern Memorial Hospital, Taipei, Taiwan
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Hur J, Kim S, Lee P, Lee YM, Choi SY. The protective effects of oxyresveratrol imine derivative against hydrogen peroxide-induced cell death in PC12 cells. Free Radic Res 2013; 47:212-8. [PMID: 23298159 DOI: 10.3109/10715762.2012.762769] [Citation(s) in RCA: 12] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.1] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/13/2022]
Abstract
Oxyresveratrol (2',3,4',5-tetrahydroxystilbene) is a naturally occurring ingredient found in mulberries that shows potential as an antioxidant, anti-inflammatory, and neuroprotective agent. This study was performed to identify materials similar to oxyresveratrol that may have more effective antioxidant properties. We synthesized a stilbene analog referred to as Compound 1 (2',3,4',5-tetramethoxystilbene); a benzamide analog referred to as Compound 2 ((2,4-dimethoxyphenyl)-3,5-dimethoxybenzamide); and three imine analogs referred to as Compound 3 (3,5-dimethoxybenzylidene)-(2,4-dimethoxyphenylamine), Compound 4 ((4-methoxybenzylidene)-(3-methoxyphenyl)amine), and Compound 5 ((4-methoxybenzylidene)phenylamine). The cytoprotective effects of these compounds were subsequently evaluated using hydrogen peroxide-treated PC12 cells. The cytoprotective effects of the imine analogs were greater than the effects of oxyresveratrol and the other analogs at concentrations of 200 μM. The Compound 3, which is the most effective imine analog of oxyresveratrol, exhibited these cytoprotective effects against hydrogen peroxide-induced oxidative stress through the regulation of heme oxygenase-1 (HO-1) expression and the translocation of nuclear factor E2-related factor 2 (Nrf2). Our results suggest that imine analogs of oxyresveratrol may be useful agents in reducing neuronal oxidative damage.
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Affiliation(s)
- J Hur
- Korea Food Research Institute, Seongnam, South Korea
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Kwon YJ, Kang BH, Bae SY, Seo JH, Kim JY, Lee EA, Wang JK, Lee YM, Go KJ, Pyo HJ, Lee JB. CALCIUM REQUIREMENT AFTER PARATHYROIDECTOMY (PTX) IN SECONDARY HYPERPARATHYROIDISM (2° HPT). Kidney Res Clin Pract 2012. [DOI: 10.1016/j.krcp.2012.04.449] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/25/2022] Open
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Lee SH, Choi IH, Jeon YK, Park SJ, Lee HK, Lee YM, Chang CL, Kim YS, Lee MK, Park SK. Association between the interleukin-18 promoter polymorphism and pulmonary tuberculosis in a Korean population. Int J Tuberc Lung Dis 2012; 15:1246-51, i. [PMID: 21943853 DOI: 10.5588/ijtld.11.0031] [Citation(s) in RCA: 8] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/10/2022] Open
Abstract
OBJECTIVE To examine the role of the -667G/T, -618A/C and -148G/C single nucleotide polymorphisms in the promoter region of the human interleukin (IL) 18 gene in the development of pulmonary tuberculosis (PTB), and its radiographic characteristics and severity. DESIGN Differences in the allele and genotype distributions of the -667G/T, -618A/C, and -148G/C polymorphisms between 251 patients with PTB and 225 healthy controls, between patients with single- and multilobe involvement, and between patients with and without cavities were explored. Serum IL-18 levels were measured using an enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay. RESULTS The -148G/G genotype was more common in patients with cavities than in those without (82.8% vs. 70.9%, P = 0.04), but an analogous trend was not observed for the -667G/T and -618A/C genotypes. However, there were no significant differences in allele and genotype distributions between patients with PTB and healthy controls, or between patients with single- and multilobe involvement (P > 0.05). Serum IL-18 levels were higher in patients with cavities (P = 0.01) and in patients with the -148G/G genotype (P = 0.02). CONCLUSION Considering serum IL-18 levels, the -148G/G genotype is associated with a cavitary formation of PTB rather than its development.
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Affiliation(s)
- S H Lee
- Division of Pulmonary and Critical Care Medicine, Department of Internal Medicine, Busan Paik Hospital, Inje University College of Medicine, Busan, Korea
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Lee YM, Lin HJ, Chen YJ, Lee CM, Wang SF, Chang KY, Chen TL, Liu HF, Chen YMA. Molecular epidemiology of HCV genotypes among injection drug users in Taiwan: Full-length sequences of two new subtype 6w strains and a recombinant form_2b6w. J Med Virol 2010; 82:57-68. [PMID: 19950240 DOI: 10.1002/jmv.21658] [Citation(s) in RCA: 64] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.6] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/24/2022]
Abstract
Human immunodeficiency virus type 1 (HIV-1) circulating recombinant form (CRF) 07_BC strain has caused serious outbreaks among injection drug users in Taiwan since 2004. The objective of this study was to conduct a molecular epidemiological study of HCV genotypes in intravenous drug users in Taiwan. Blood samples and questionnaires from 591 intravenous drug users infected with HIV-1 were collected nationwide. In total, 180 samples were selected for HCV genotyping using multiplex PCR and phylogenetic analysis of the core, E1 and NS5B regions. The Inno-Lipa assay was used to confirm multiple infections with different genotypes. Eighty percent had a single infection with subtype 1b being the most common subtype (24%), 12% had double infections and two had triple infections. In addition, three recombinant forms (RFs)-2a1a, 3a1b, and 2b6w were identified. Phylogenetic analyses showed that the 3a, 6a, and 6n strains were clustered with strains present in Thailand and mainland China. Full-length sequence analysis showed that two 6w strains shared 89.4-90.2% sequence homology with the 6(r) strain from the Guangdong Province, China. Bootscan analysis revealed that the recombination breakpoint of RF_2b6w was located at the NS2-NS3 junction. In summary, the distribution of HCV genotypes among Taiwanese intravenous drug users was complex and more than 12% of the drug users were infected with more than one genotype of HCV.
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Affiliation(s)
- Yuan-Ming Lee
- AIDS Prevention and Research Center, National Yang-Ming University, Taipei, Taiwan
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Lee JB, Lee YM. Pre-Measured Length Using Landmarks on Posteroanterior Chest Radiographs for Placement of the Tip of a Central Venous Catheter in the Superior Vena Cava. J Int Med Res 2010; 38:134-41. [DOI: 10.1177/147323001003800115] [Citation(s) in RCA: 10] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/15/2022] Open
Abstract
Central venous catheterization (CVC) is a common procedure but catheter misplacement is a frequent complication and can be lethal. Most CVCs are inserted at a recommended mean depth of 15 cm from the skin puncture site. Chest radiographs are used to confirm the positioning of CVCs, with the carina regarded as a reliable landmark for tip placement. The C-length, defined as the distance from the edge of the right transverse process of the first thoracic spine to the carina, can be measured on posteroanterior chest radiographs. To test the accuracy of C-length based CVC placement, 637 adult patients scheduled to undergo elective major abdominal procedures and neurological surgical procedures requiring CVC were randomized to undergo either the 15-cm guided method or the C-length guided method for placement of the CVC tip into the superior vena cava (SVC). All the CVC tips in the C-length group were successfully placed in the SVC. These findings indicate that the pre-measured C-length using two landmarks can be used to determine the insertion length and to place the CVC tip successfully into the SVC.
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Affiliation(s)
- JB Lee
- Department of Surgery, College of Medicine, Korea University, Seoul, Republic of Korea
| | - YM Lee
- Department of Anaesthesiology and Pain Medicine, Asan Medical Centre, College of Medicine, University of Ulsan, Seoul, Republic of Korea
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Yuan Q, Sparling R, Lagasse P, Lee YM, Taniguchi D, Oleszkiewicz JA. Enhancing biological phosphorus removal with glycerol. Water Sci Technol 2010; 61:1837-1843. [PMID: 20371943 DOI: 10.2166/wst.2010.974] [Citation(s) in RCA: 5] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 05/29/2023]
Abstract
An enhanced biological phosphorus removal process (EBPR) was successfully operated in presence of acetate. When glycerol was substituted for acetate in the feed the EBPR process failed. Subsequently waste activated sludge (WAS) from the reactor was removed to an off-line fermenter. The same amount of glycerol was added to the WAS fermenter which led to significant volatile fatty acids (VFA) production. By supplying the system with the VFA-enriched supernatant of the fermentate, biological phosphorus removal was enhanced. It was concluded that, if glycerol was to be used as an external carbon source in EBPR, the effective approach was to ferment glycerol with waste activated sludge.
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Affiliation(s)
- Q Yuan
- Department of Civil Engineering, University of Manitoba, 15 Gillson Street E1-368, Winnipeg, Canada R3T 5V6.
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Kim SA, Lee YM, Hwang IG, Kang DH, Woo GJ, Rhee MS. Eight enrichment broths for the isolation of Campylobacter jejuni from inoculated suspensions and ground pork. Lett Appl Microbiol 2009; 49:620-6. [PMID: 19780965 DOI: 10.1111/j.1472-765x.2009.02714.x] [Citation(s) in RCA: 15] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/28/2022]
Abstract
AIMS The efficiency of eight enrichment broths for the selective isolation of Campylobacter jejuni was compared to identify an optimal enrichment broth. METHODS AND RESULTS Brucella-FBP, Preston, Doyle and Roman, modified CCD (mCCD), Park and Sanders, Bolton, Hunt and Radle and Hunt broths were compared for their recovery of (i) Camp. jejuni in suspension, (ii) Camp. jejuni from inoculated ground pork, (iii) heat-injured Camp. jejuni (55 degrees C for 20 min) in suspension and (iv) heat-injured Camp. jejuni from inoculated ground pork. Hunt broth and Bolton broth showed the highest and most rapid enrichment efficacy for the cell suspensions and ground pork, respectively. Preston, Park and Sanders and mCCD broths had relatively high enrichment efficiencies, while Brucella-FBP broth was significantly inferior to the other broths (P < 0.05). CONCLUSIONS Cell recovery from the eight enrichment broths was dependent on the sample type and the state of the cells. The use of the appropriate broth is important for the rapid and efficacious enrichment of Camp. jejuni. In particular, heat-injured Camp. jejuni require a longer cultivation time and a suitable enrichment broth. SIGNIFICANCE AND IMPACT OF THE STUDY The results from the present study provide information for selecting the most appropriate enrichment broth for Camp. jejuni and may contribute to improved detection methods for the organism.
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Affiliation(s)
- S A Kim
- Division of Food Bioscience and Technology, College of Life Sciences and Biotechnology, Korea University, Seoul 136-713, Korea
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Wang SF, Lee YM, Chan YJ, Liu HF, Yen YF, Liu WT, Huang JC, Chen YMA. Influenza A virus in Taiwan, 1980-2006: Phylogenetic and antigenic characteristics of the hemagglutinin gene. J Med Virol 2009; 81:1457-70. [PMID: 19551820 PMCID: PMC7166446 DOI: 10.1002/jmv.21531] [Citation(s) in RCA: 15] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/08/2022]
Abstract
Limited amount of information is available in Taiwan on the genetic or antigenic characteristics of influenza A virus prior to the establishment of a Taiwan surveillance network in 2000. Isolates of H1N1 and H3N2 viruses in Taiwan between 1980 and 2006 were studied, and part of the hemagglutinin gene was analyzed due to its importance in terms of viral infection and antibody neutralization. Results from a phylogenetic analysis indicate continuous evolutionary topology in H3N2 isolates, and two distinct H1N1 lineages. Many genetic relationships between vaccine strains and epidemic isolates appearing in Taiwan before other global locations were also observed and recorded in addition to a gradual increase in the number of N‐linked glycosylation sites on partial HA1 proteins since 1980. The results from pairwise comparisons of HA1 nucleotide and deduced amino acid sequences indicate shared identities within groups organized according to their bootstrap and P‐values of approximately 95.5–100% and 95.7–100% in H1N1 and 94.5–100% and 93.2–100% in H3N2 viruses, respectively. Comparisons of amino acid substitutions in the five antigenic regions reveal highly non‐synonymous changes occurring in the Sb region of H1N1 and in the B region of H3N2. The results of an antigenic analysis using a hemagglutinin inhibition (HI) test indicate the presence of some epidemic strains 1–2 years earlier in Taiwan than in other parts of the world, as well as higher vaccine mismatch rates. This information supports the need for continuous surveillance of emerging influenza viruses in Taiwan, which will be useful for making global vaccine decisions. J. Med. Virol. 81:1457–1470, 2009. © 2009 Wiley‐Liss, Inc.
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Affiliation(s)
- Sheng-Fan Wang
- Department of Biotechnology and Laboratory Science in Medicine, National Yang-Ming University, Taipei, Taiwan
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Mak SS, Yeo W, Lee YM, Tse SM, Ho FP, Zee B, Chan E. Risk factors for the initiation and aggravation of lymphoedema after axillary lymph node dissection for breast cancer. Hong Kong Med J 2009; 15:8-12. [PMID: 19509430] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [MESH Headings] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 05/27/2023] Open
Affiliation(s)
- S S Mak
- Department of Clinical Oncology, Prince of Wales Hospital, Hong Kong SAR, China.
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Lee YM, Wang SF, Lee CM, Chen KH, Chan YJ, Liu WT, Chen YMA. Virological investigation of four outbreaks of influenza B reassortants in the northern region of Taiwan from October 2006 to February 2007. BMC Res Notes 2009; 2:86. [PMID: 19426542 PMCID: PMC2684540 DOI: 10.1186/1756-0500-2-86] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.1] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/12/2009] [Accepted: 05/09/2009] [Indexed: 11/10/2022] Open
Abstract
Background From October 2006 to February 2007, clinical specimens from 452 patients with symptoms related to respiratory tract infection in the northern region of Taiwan were collected. Real-time PCR and direct immunofluorescent antibody tests showed that 145 (32%) patients had influenza B virus infections. Subsequently, nucleotide sequence analyses of both hemagglutinin (HA) and neuraminidase (NA) genes of 39 isolates were performed. Isolated viruses were antigenically characterized using hemagglutinin inhibition (HI) test. Findings Phylogenetic tree analysis showed that all the isolates belonged to the B reassortant lineage with HA gene belonged to the B/Victoria/2/87 lineage and the NA gene belonged to the B/Yamagata/16/88 lineage. In addition, a group of children aged between 6 to 8 years old resided in Yilan county were infected with a variant strain. Hemagglutinin inhibition (HI) tests confirmed that all the reassortant influenza B viruses were B/Malaysia/2506/04-like viruses. Pre- and post-immunized serum samples from 4 normal volunteers inoculated with 2007 influenza vaccine were evaluated for their HI activity on 6 reassortant B isolates including two variants that we found in the Yilan county. The results demonstrated that after vaccination, all four vaccinees had at least 4-fold increases of their HI titers. Conclusion The results indicate that the 2006–2007 seasonal influenza vaccine was effective in stimulating protective immunity against the influenza B variants identified in Yilan county. Continuous surveillance of emerging influenza B variants in the northern region of Taiwan is important for the selection of proper vaccine candidate in the future.
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Affiliation(s)
- Yuan-Ming Lee
- Institute of Public Health, School of Medicine, National Yang-Ming University, Taipei, Taiwan, ROC.
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Wang SF, Chen KH, Thitithanyanont A, Yao L, Lee YM, Chan YJ, Liu SJ, Chong P, Liu WT, Huang JC, Chen YMA. Generating and characterizing monoclonal and polyclonal antibodies against avian H5N1 hemagglutinin protein. Biochem Biophys Res Commun 2009; 382:691-6. [PMID: 19327345 DOI: 10.1016/j.bbrc.2009.03.119] [Citation(s) in RCA: 18] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.2] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/10/2009] [Accepted: 03/16/2009] [Indexed: 11/26/2022]
Abstract
Accurate and timely diagnoses are central to H5N1 infection control. Here we describe the cloning and expression of the HA1 protein of the A/Vietnam/1203/04 strain in a bacterial system to generate mono-/polyclonal antibodies. All of the eight generated monoclonal antibodies recognized the same linear epitope on the top globular region of the HA structure -- a highly conserved epitope among all circulating H5N1 clades identified by amino acid alignment. Results from immunofluorescence staining and Western blotting indicate that all monoclonal antibodies interacted with a denatured form of HA proteins, while the resultant polyclonal antibodies recognized both denatured and native HA proteins on H5N1 reverse-genetics (RG) viruses. Results from flow cytometry and microneutralization assays indicate that the polyclonal antibodies blocked viral binding and neutralized H5N1-RG viruses. Our results may prove useful to establishing future H5N1 mono-and polyclonal antibodies, and perhaps contribute to the development of an alternative H5N1 vaccine.
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Affiliation(s)
- Sheng-Fan Wang
- Department of Biotechnology and Laboratory Science in Medicine, National Yang-Ming University, Taipei, Taiwan
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Koo BS, Lee SW, Lee YM, Lee JD, Koh YW. Sialolithiasis in a stump of Wharton's duct of an aplastic unilateral submandibular gland. Int J Oral Maxillofac Surg 2008; 38:93-5. [PMID: 19095409 DOI: 10.1016/j.ijom.2008.11.008] [Citation(s) in RCA: 7] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/31/2007] [Revised: 04/10/2008] [Accepted: 11/10/2008] [Indexed: 11/29/2022]
Abstract
Congenital absence of the salivary glands is an uncommon disorder. Isolated aplasia of a unilateral submandibular gland is rare and only 6 cases have been reported. The formation of a sialolith within the remaining Wharton's duct, associated with isolated aplasia of a unilateral submandibular gland, has not been reported previously. The authors report two cases of sialolithiasis within the ipsilateral remaining Wharton's duct in patients with isolated aplasia of a unilateral submandibular gland.
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Affiliation(s)
- B S Koo
- Department of Otolaryngology, Head and Neck Surgery, Cancer Research Institute, College of Medicine, Chungnam National University, Daejeon, Korea
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Abstract
RUNX3 is a tumor suppressor that is silenced in cancer following hypermethylation of its promoter. The effects of hypoxia in tumor suppressor gene (TSG) transcription are largely unknown. Here, we investigated hypoxia-induced silencing mechanisms of RUNX3. The expression of RUNX3 was downregulated in response to hypoxia in human gastric cancer cells at the transcriptional level. This downregulation was abolished following treatment with the histone deacetylase (HDAC) inhibitor trichostatin A (TSA) and cytosine methylation inhibitor 5-aza-2-deoxycytidine (5-Aza), suggesting that an epigenetic regulatory mechanism may be involved in RUNX3 silencing by hypoxia. DNA methylation PCR and bisulfite-sequencing data revealed that hypoxia did not affect the methylation of RUNX3 promoter. A chromatin immunoprecipitation (ChIP) assay revealed increased histone H3-lysine 9 dimethylation and decreased H3 acetylation in the RUNX3 promoter following hypoxia. Hypoxia resulted in the upregulation of G9a histone methyltransferase (HMT) and HDAC1; additionally, overexpression of G9a and HDAC1 attenuated RUNX3 expression. The overexpression of G9a and HDAC1, but not their mutants, inhibited the nuclear localization and expression of RUNX3. Diminished mRNA expression and nuclear localization of RUNX3 during hypoxia was abolished by siRNA-mediated knockdown of G9a and HDAC1. This study suggests that hypoxia silences RUNX3 by epigenetic histone regulation during the progression of gastric cancer.
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Affiliation(s)
- S H Lee
- Department of Natural Sciences, School of Life Sciences and Biotechnology, Kyungpook National University, Daegu, Republic of Korea
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