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Han SL, Cai ML, Pan MC. Inertial Measuring System to Evaluate Gait Parameters and Dynamic Alignments for Lower-Limb Amputation Subjects. Sensors (Basel) 2024; 24:1519. [PMID: 38475055 DOI: 10.3390/s24051519] [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] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/04/2023] [Revised: 02/14/2024] [Accepted: 02/21/2024] [Indexed: 03/14/2024]
Abstract
The study aims to construct an inertial measuring system for the application of amputee subjects wearing a prosthesis. A new computation scheme to process inertial data by installing seven wireless inertial sensors on the lower limbs was implemented and validated by comparing it with an optical motion capture system. We applied this system to amputees to verify its performance for gait analysis. The gait parameters are evaluated to objectively assess the amputees' prosthesis-wearing status. The Madgwick algorithm was used in the study to correct the angular velocity deviation using acceleration data and convert it to quaternion. Further, the zero-velocity update method was applied to reconstruct patients' walking trajectories. The combination of computed walking trajectory with pelvic and lower limb joint motion enables sketching the details of motion via a stickman that helps visualize and animate the walk and gait of a test subject. Five participants with above-knee (n = 2) and below-knee (n = 3) amputations were recruited for gait analysis. Kinematic parameters were evaluated during a walking test to assess joint alignment and overall gait characteristics. Our findings support the feasibility of employing simple algorithms to achieve accurate and precise joint angle estimation and gait parameters based on wireless inertial sensor data.
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Affiliation(s)
- Shao-Li Han
- Department of Mechanical Engineering, National Central University, Taoyuan 32001, Taiwan
- Department of Physical Medicine and Rehabilitation, Changhua Christian Hospital, Changhua 500209, Taiwan
| | - Meng-Lin Cai
- Department of Mechanical Engineering, National Central University, Taoyuan 32001, Taiwan
| | - Min-Chun Pan
- Department of Mechanical Engineering, National Central University, Taoyuan 32001, Taiwan
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Behera K, Mutharani B, Chang YH, Kumari M, Chiu FC. Protein-Aided Synthesis of Copper-Integrated Polyaniline Nanocomposite Encapsulated with Reduced Graphene Oxide for Highly Sensitive Electrochemical Detection of Dimetridazole in Real Samples. Polymers (Basel) 2024; 16:162. [PMID: 38201827 PMCID: PMC10781186 DOI: 10.3390/polym16010162] [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] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/18/2023] [Revised: 12/28/2023] [Accepted: 12/28/2023] [Indexed: 01/12/2024] Open
Abstract
Dimetridazole (DMZ) is a derivative of nitroimidazole and is a veterinary drug used as an antibiotic to treat bacterial or protozoal infections in poultry. The residues of DMZ cause harmful side effects in human beings. Thus, we have constructed a superior electrocatalyst for DMZ detection. A copper (Cu)-integrated poly(aniline) (PANI) electrocatalyst (PANI-Cu@BSA) was prepared by using a one-step method of biomimetic mineralization and polymerization using bovine serum albumin (BSA) as a stabilizer. Then, the synthesized PANI-Cu@BSA was encapsulated with reduced graphene oxide (rGO) using an ultrasonication method. The PANI-Cu@BSA/rGO nanocomposite had superior water dispersibility, high electrical conductivity, and nanoscale particles. Moreover, a PANI-Cu@BSA/rGO nanocomposite-modified, screen-printed carbon electrode was used for the sensitive electrochemical detection of DMZ. In phosphate buffer solution, the PANI-Cu@BSA/rGO/SPCE displayed a current intensity greater than PANI-Cu@BSA/SPCE, rGO/SPCE, and bare SPCE. This is because PANI-Cu@BSA combined with rGO increases fast electron transfer between the electrode and analyte, and this synergy results in analyte-electrode junctions with extraordinary conductivity and active surface areas. PANI-Cu@BSA/rGO/SPCE had a low detection limit, a high sensitivity, and a linear range of 1.78 nM, 5.96 μA μM-1 cm-2, and 0.79 to 2057 μM, respectively. The selective examination of DMZ was achieved with interfering molecules, and the PANI-Cu@BSA/rGO/SPCE showed excellent selectivity, stability, repeatability, and practicability.
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Affiliation(s)
- Kartik Behera
- Department of Chemical and Materials Engineering, Chang Gung University, Taoyuan 333, Taiwan; (K.B.); (B.M.)
| | - Bhuvanenthiran Mutharani
- Department of Chemical and Materials Engineering, Chang Gung University, Taoyuan 333, Taiwan; (K.B.); (B.M.)
| | - Yen-Hsiang Chang
- Department of General Dentistry, Chang Gung Memorial Hospital, Taoyuan 333, Taiwan;
| | - Monika Kumari
- Institute of Cellular and Organismic Biology, Academia Sinica, Taipei 115, Taiwan;
| | - Fang-Chyou Chiu
- Department of Chemical and Materials Engineering, Chang Gung University, Taoyuan 333, Taiwan; (K.B.); (B.M.)
- Department of General Dentistry, Chang Gung Memorial Hospital, Taoyuan 333, Taiwan;
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Yuan Hsieh DJ, Islam MN, Kuo WW, Shibu MA, Lai CH, Lin PY, Lin SZ, Chen MYC, Huang CY. A combination of isoliquiritigenin with Artemisia argyi and Ohwia caudata water extracts attenuates oxidative stress, inflammation, and apoptosis by modulating Nrf2/Ho-1 signaling pathways in SD rats with doxorubicin-induced acute cardiotoxicity. Environ Toxicol 2023; 38:3026-3042. [PMID: 37661764 DOI: 10.1002/tox.23936] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/31/2023] [Revised: 06/30/2023] [Accepted: 08/01/2023] [Indexed: 09/05/2023]
Abstract
Ohwia caudata (Thunb.) H. Ohashi (Leguminosae) also called as "Evergreen shrub" and Artemisia argyi H.Lév. and Vaniot (Compositae) also named as "Chinese mugwort" those two-leaf extracts frequently used as herbal medicine, especially in south east Asia and eastern Asia. Anthracyclines such as doxorubicin (DOX) are commonly used as effective chemotherapeutic drugs in anticancer therapy around the world. However, chemotherapy-induced cardiotoxicity, dilated cardiomyopathy, and congestive heart failure are seen in patients who receive DOX therapy, with the mechanisms underlying DOX-induced cardiac toxicity remaining unclear. Mitochondrial dysfunction, oxidative stress, inflammatory response, and cardiomyocytes have been shown to play crucial roles in DOX-induced cardiotoxicity. Isoliquiritigenin (ISL, 10 mg/kg) is a bioactive flavonoid compound with protective effects against inflammation, neurodegeneration, cancer, and diabetes. Here, in this study, our aim is to find out the Artemisia argyi (AA) and Ohwia caudata (OC) leaf extract combination with Isoliquiritigenin in potentiating and complementing effect against chemo drug side effect to ameliorate cardiac damage and improve the cardiac function. In this study, we showed that a combination of low (AA 300 mg/kg; OC 100 mg/kg) and high-dose(AA 600 mg/kg; OC 300 mg/kg) AA and OC water extract with ISL activated the cell survival-related AKT/PI3K signaling pathway in DOX-treated cardiac tissue leading to the upregulation of the antioxidant markers SOD, HO-1, and Keap-1 and regulated mitochondrial dysfunction through the Nrf2 signaling pathway. Moreover, the water extract of AA and OC with ISL inhibited the inflammatory response genes IL-6 and IL-1β, possibly through the NFκB/AKT/PI3K/p38α/NRLP3 signaling pathways. The water extract of AA and OC with ISL could be a potential herbal drug treatment for cardiac hypertrophy, inflammatory disease, and apoptosis, which can lead to sudden heart failure.
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Affiliation(s)
- Dennis Jine Yuan Hsieh
- School of Medical Laboratory and Biotechnology, Chung Shan Medical University, Taichung, Taiwan
- Clinical Laboratory, Chung Shan Medical University Hospital, Taichung, Taiwan
| | - Md Nazmul Islam
- Cardiovascular and Mitochondria Related Disease Research Center, Hualien Tzu Chi Hospital, Buddhist Tzu Chi Medical Foundation, Hualien, Taiwan
| | - Wei-Wen Kuo
- Department of Biological Science and Technology, China Medical University, Taichung, Taiwan
- PhD Program for Biotechnology Industry, China Medical University, Taichung, Taiwan
| | | | - Chin-Hu Lai
- Division of Cardiovascular Surgery, Department of Surgery, Taichung Armed Force General Hospital, Taichung City, Taiwan
- National Defense Medical Center, Taipei, Taiwan
| | - Pi-Yu Lin
- Buddhist Compassion Relief Tzu Chi Foundation, Hualien, Taiwan
| | - Shinn-Zong Lin
- Buddhist Compassion Relief Tzu Chi Foundation, Hualien, Taiwan
- Department of Neurosurgery, Hualien Tzu Chi Hospital, Hualien, Taiwan
| | - Michael Yu-Chih Chen
- Department of Cardiology, Buddhist Tzu Chi General Hospital, Hualien, Taiwan
- School of Medicine, Tzu Chi University, Hualien, Taiwan
| | - Chih-Yang Huang
- Cardiovascular and Mitochondria Related Disease Research Center, Hualien Tzu Chi Hospital, Buddhist Tzu Chi Medical Foundation, Hualien, Taiwan
- Department of Medical Research, China Medical University Hospital, China Medical University, Taichung, Taiwan
- Department of Biotechnology, Asia University, Taichung, Taiwan
- Center of General Education, Buddhist Tzu Chi Medical Foundation, Tzu Chi University of Science and Technology, Hualien, Taiwan
- Graduate Institute of Basic Medical Science, China Medical University, Taichung City, Taiwan
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Hung WT, Sutopo CCY, Wu ML, Hsu JL. Discovery and Characterization of a Dual-Function Peptide Derived from Bitter Gourd Seed Protein Using Two Orthogonal Bioassay-Guided Fractionations Coupled with In Silico Analysis. Pharmaceuticals (Basel) 2023; 16:1629. [PMID: 38004494 PMCID: PMC10674851 DOI: 10.3390/ph16111629] [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] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/07/2023] [Revised: 11/04/2023] [Accepted: 11/16/2023] [Indexed: 11/26/2023] Open
Abstract
The hydrolysate of bitter gourd seed protein, digested by the combined gastrointestinal proteases (BGSP-GPs), exhibited the most potent inhibition on angiotensin-I-converting enzyme (ACE) with an IC50 value of 48.1 ± 2.0 µg/mL. Using two independent bioassay-guided fractionations, fraction F5 from reversed-phase chromatography and fraction S1 from strong cation exchange chromatography exhibited the highest ACE inhibitory (ACEI) activity. Three identical peptides were simultaneously detected from both fractions and, based on the in silico appraisal, APLVSW (AW6) was predicted as a promising ACEI peptide. Their dipeptidyl peptidase-IV (DPP4) inhibitory (DPP4I) activity was also explored. The IC50 values of AW6 against ACE and DPP4 were calculated to be 9.6 ± 0.3 and 145.4 ± 4.4 µM, respectively. The inhibitory kinetics and intermolecular interaction studies suggested that AW6 is an ACE competitive inhibitor and a DPP4 non-competitive inhibitor. The quantities of AW6 in BGSP-GP hydrolysate, fractions F5 and S1, were also analyzed using liquid chromatography-tandem mass spectrometry. Notably, AW6 could resist hydrolysis in the human gastrointestinal tract according to the result of the simulated gastrointestinal digestion. To the best of our knowledge, this is the first discovery and characterization of a dual-function (ACEI and DPP4I activities) peptide derived from bitter gourd seed protein.
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Affiliation(s)
- Wei-Ting Hung
- Department of Food Science, National Pingtung University of Science and Technology, Pingtung 912, Taiwan; (W.-T.H.); (M.-L.W.)
| | - Christoper Caesar Yudho Sutopo
- Department of Tropical Agriculture and International Cooperation, National Pingtung University of Science and Technology, Pingtung 912, Taiwan;
| | - Mei-Li Wu
- Department of Food Science, National Pingtung University of Science and Technology, Pingtung 912, Taiwan; (W.-T.H.); (M.-L.W.)
| | - Jue-Liang Hsu
- Department of Biological Science and Technology, National Pingtung University of Science and Technology, Pingtung 912, Taiwan
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Wang YH, Chen YJ, Lai YH, Wang MC, Chen YY, Wu YY, Yang YR, Tsou HY, Li CP, Hsu CC, Huang CE, Chen CC. Mutation-Driven S100A8 Overexpression Confers Aberrant Phenotypes in Type 1 CALR-Mutated MPN. Int J Mol Sci 2023; 24:8747. [PMID: 37240094 PMCID: PMC10217897 DOI: 10.3390/ijms24108747] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/28/2023] [Revised: 05/11/2023] [Accepted: 05/11/2023] [Indexed: 05/28/2023] Open
Abstract
Numerous pathogenic CALR exon 9 mutations have been identified in myeloproliferative neoplasms (MPN), with type 1 (52bp deletion; CALRDEL) and type 2 (5bp insertion; CALRINS) being the most prevalent. Despite the universal pathobiology of MPN driven by various CALR mutants, it is unclear why different CALR mutations result in diverse clinical phenotypes. Through RNA sequencing followed by validation at the protein and mRNA levels, we found that S100A8 was specifically enriched in CALRDEL but not in CALRINS MPN-model cells. The expression of S100a8 could be regulated by STAT3 based on luciferase reporter assay complemented with inhibitor treatment. Pyrosequencing demonstrated relative hypomethylation in two CpG sites within the potential pSTAT3-targeting S100a8 promoter region in CALRDEL cells as compared to CALRINS cells, suggesting that distinct epigenetic alteration could factor into the divergent S100A8 levels in these cells. The functional analysis confirmed that S100A8 non-redundantly contributed to accelerated cellular proliferation and reduced apoptosis in CALRDEL cells. Clinical validation showed significantly enhanced S100A8 expression in CALRDEL-mutated MPN patients compared to CALRINS-mutated cases, and thrombocytosis was less prominent in those with S100A8 upregulation. This study provides indispensable insights into how different CALR mutations discrepantly drive the expression of specific genes that contributes to unique phenotypes in MPN.
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Affiliation(s)
- Ying-Hsuan Wang
- Division of Hematology and Oncology, Department of Medicine, Chang Gung Memorial Hospital, Chiayi 61363, Taiwan; (Y.-H.W.); (Y.-J.C.); (Y.-H.L.); (Y.-Y.C.); (Y.-Y.W.); (Y.-R.Y.); (H.-Y.T.); (C.-P.L.); (C.-C.H.)
| | - Ying-Ju Chen
- Division of Hematology and Oncology, Department of Medicine, Chang Gung Memorial Hospital, Chiayi 61363, Taiwan; (Y.-H.W.); (Y.-J.C.); (Y.-H.L.); (Y.-Y.C.); (Y.-Y.W.); (Y.-R.Y.); (H.-Y.T.); (C.-P.L.); (C.-C.H.)
| | - Yi-Hua Lai
- Division of Hematology and Oncology, Department of Medicine, Chang Gung Memorial Hospital, Chiayi 61363, Taiwan; (Y.-H.W.); (Y.-J.C.); (Y.-H.L.); (Y.-Y.C.); (Y.-Y.W.); (Y.-R.Y.); (H.-Y.T.); (C.-P.L.); (C.-C.H.)
| | - Ming-Chung Wang
- Division of Hematology and Oncology, Department of Medicine, Chang Gung Memorial Hospital, Kaohsiung 83301, Taiwan;
| | - Yi-Yang Chen
- Division of Hematology and Oncology, Department of Medicine, Chang Gung Memorial Hospital, Chiayi 61363, Taiwan; (Y.-H.W.); (Y.-J.C.); (Y.-H.L.); (Y.-Y.C.); (Y.-Y.W.); (Y.-R.Y.); (H.-Y.T.); (C.-P.L.); (C.-C.H.)
| | - Yu-Ying Wu
- Division of Hematology and Oncology, Department of Medicine, Chang Gung Memorial Hospital, Chiayi 61363, Taiwan; (Y.-H.W.); (Y.-J.C.); (Y.-H.L.); (Y.-Y.C.); (Y.-Y.W.); (Y.-R.Y.); (H.-Y.T.); (C.-P.L.); (C.-C.H.)
| | - Yao-Ren Yang
- Division of Hematology and Oncology, Department of Medicine, Chang Gung Memorial Hospital, Chiayi 61363, Taiwan; (Y.-H.W.); (Y.-J.C.); (Y.-H.L.); (Y.-Y.C.); (Y.-Y.W.); (Y.-R.Y.); (H.-Y.T.); (C.-P.L.); (C.-C.H.)
| | - Hsing-Yi Tsou
- Division of Hematology and Oncology, Department of Medicine, Chang Gung Memorial Hospital, Chiayi 61363, Taiwan; (Y.-H.W.); (Y.-J.C.); (Y.-H.L.); (Y.-Y.C.); (Y.-Y.W.); (Y.-R.Y.); (H.-Y.T.); (C.-P.L.); (C.-C.H.)
| | - Chian-Pei Li
- Division of Hematology and Oncology, Department of Medicine, Chang Gung Memorial Hospital, Chiayi 61363, Taiwan; (Y.-H.W.); (Y.-J.C.); (Y.-H.L.); (Y.-Y.C.); (Y.-Y.W.); (Y.-R.Y.); (H.-Y.T.); (C.-P.L.); (C.-C.H.)
| | - Chia-Chen Hsu
- Division of Hematology and Oncology, Department of Medicine, Chang Gung Memorial Hospital, Chiayi 61363, Taiwan; (Y.-H.W.); (Y.-J.C.); (Y.-H.L.); (Y.-Y.C.); (Y.-Y.W.); (Y.-R.Y.); (H.-Y.T.); (C.-P.L.); (C.-C.H.)
| | - Cih-En Huang
- Division of Hematology and Oncology, Department of Medicine, Chang Gung Memorial Hospital, Chiayi 61363, Taiwan; (Y.-H.W.); (Y.-J.C.); (Y.-H.L.); (Y.-Y.C.); (Y.-Y.W.); (Y.-R.Y.); (H.-Y.T.); (C.-P.L.); (C.-C.H.)
- College of Medicine, Chang Gung University, Taoyuan 33302, Taiwan
| | - Chih-Cheng Chen
- Division of Hematology and Oncology, Department of Medicine, Chang Gung Memorial Hospital, Chiayi 61363, Taiwan; (Y.-H.W.); (Y.-J.C.); (Y.-H.L.); (Y.-Y.C.); (Y.-Y.W.); (Y.-R.Y.); (H.-Y.T.); (C.-P.L.); (C.-C.H.)
- College of Medicine, Chang Gung University, Taoyuan 33302, Taiwan
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Li YF, Hsu YW, Syu JY, Chen BY, Song B. Study on the Utilization of Waste Thermoset Glass Fiber-Reinforced Polymer in Normal Strength Concrete and Controlled Low Strength Material. Materials (Basel) 2023; 16:ma16093552. [PMID: 37176433 PMCID: PMC10180042 DOI: 10.3390/ma16093552] [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] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/10/2023] [Revised: 04/26/2023] [Accepted: 05/03/2023] [Indexed: 05/15/2023]
Abstract
Thermoset glass fiber-reinforced polymers (GFRP) have been widely used in manufacturing and construction for nearly half a century, but the large amount of waste produced by this material is difficult to dispose of. In an effort to address this issue, this research investigates the reuse of thermoset GFRP waste in normal strength concrete (NSC) and controlled low-strength materials (CLSM). The mechanical performance and workability of the resulting concrete were also evaluated. To prepare the concrete specimens, the thermoset GFRP waste was first pulverized into granular pieces, which were then mixed with cement, fly ash, and water to form cylindrical concrete specimens. The results showed that when the proportion of thermoset GFRP waste aggregate in the concrete increased, the compressive strengths of NSC and CLSM would decrease. However, when incorporating 5% GFRP waste into CLSM, the compressive strength was 7% higher than concrete without GFRP. However, the workability of CLSM could be improved to meet engineering standards by adding an appropriate amount of superplasticizer. This finding suggests that the use of various combinations of proportions in the mixture during production could allow for the production of CLSM with different compressive strength needs. In addition, the use of recycled thermoset GFRP waste as a new aggregate replacement for traditional aggregates in CLSM was found to be a more sustainable alternative to the current CLSM combinations used in the market.
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Affiliation(s)
- Yeou-Fong Li
- Department of Civil Engineering, National Taipei University of Technology, Taipei 10608, Taiwan
| | - Yi-Wei Hsu
- Department of Civil Engineering, National Taipei University of Technology, Taipei 10608, Taiwan
| | - Jin-Yuan Syu
- Department of Civil Engineering, National Taipei University of Technology, Taipei 10608, Taiwan
| | - Bian-Yu Chen
- Department of Civil Engineering, National Taipei University of Technology, Taipei 10608, Taiwan
| | - Bo Song
- Department of Civil Engineering, University of Science and Technology Beijing, Beijing 100083, China
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Jiang YH, Jhang JF, Wu YH, Kuo HC. Investigating Urine Biomarkers in Detrusor Underactivity and Detrusor Overactivity with Detrusor Underactivity Patients. Biomedicines 2023; 11:biomedicines11041191. [PMID: 37189809 DOI: 10.3390/biomedicines11041191] [Citation(s) in RCA: 4] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/01/2023] [Revised: 04/12/2023] [Accepted: 04/13/2023] [Indexed: 05/17/2023] Open
Abstract
Bladder inflammation and tissue hypoxia were considered important pathognomonic bladder features in detrusor underactivity (DU) and detrusor overactivity (DO) patients. This study investigated urine inflammatory and oxidative stress biomarker levels in DU and DO with DU (DO-DU) patients. Urine samples were collected from 50 DU and 18 DO-DU patients, as well as 20 controls. The targeted analytes included three oxidative stress biomarkers (8-OHdG, 8-isoprostane, and total antioxidant capacity [TAC]) and 33 cytokines. DU and DO-DU patients had different urine biomarker profiles from controls, including 8-OHdG, PGE2, EGF, TNFα, IL-1β, IL-5, IL-6, IL-8, IL-10, IL-17A, and CXCL10. Controlling for age and sex, multivariate logistic-regression models revealed that 8-OHdG, PGE2, EGF, IL-5, IL-8, IL-10, and TAC were significant biomarkers for diagnosing DU. In DU patients, urine TAC and PGE2 levels were positively correlated with detrusor voiding pressure. In DO-DU patients, urine 8-OHdG, PGE2, IL-6, IL-10, and MIP-1α levels were positively correlated with maximal urinary flow rate, while urine IL-5, IL-10, and MIP-1α were negatively correlated with the first sensation of bladder filling. Urine inflammatory and oxidative stress biomarker analysis provides a non-invasive and convenient approach for important clinical information in DU and DO-DU patients.
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Affiliation(s)
- Yuan-Hong Jiang
- Department of Urology, Hualien Tzu Chi Hospital, Buddhist Tzu Chi Medical Foundation, Hualien 970, Taiwan
- Department of Urology, School of Medicine, Tzu Chi University, Hualien 970, Taiwan
| | - Jia-Fong Jhang
- Department of Urology, Hualien Tzu Chi Hospital, Buddhist Tzu Chi Medical Foundation, Hualien 970, Taiwan
- Department of Urology, School of Medicine, Tzu Chi University, Hualien 970, Taiwan
| | - Ya-Hui Wu
- Department of Urology, Hualien Tzu Chi Hospital, Buddhist Tzu Chi Medical Foundation, Hualien 970, Taiwan
| | - Hann-Chorng Kuo
- Department of Urology, Hualien Tzu Chi Hospital, Buddhist Tzu Chi Medical Foundation, Hualien 970, Taiwan
- Department of Urology, School of Medicine, Tzu Chi University, Hualien 970, Taiwan
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Fu RH, Tsai CW, Liu SP, Chiu SC, Chen YC, Chiang YT, Kuo YH, Shyu WC, Lin SZ. Neuroprotective Capability of Narcissoside in 6-OHDA-Exposed Parkinson's Disease Models through Enhancing the MiR200a/Nrf-2/GSH Axis and Mediating MAPK/Akt Associated Signaling Pathway. Antioxidants (Basel) 2022; 11:2089. [PMID: 36358461 PMCID: PMC9686521 DOI: 10.3390/antiox11112089] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/26/2022] [Revised: 10/20/2022] [Accepted: 10/20/2022] [Indexed: 09/29/2023] Open
Abstract
We assessed the antioxidant potential of narcissoside from Sambucus nigra flowers (elderflowers) in Parkinson's disease models in vitro and in vivo. The results showed that narcissoside lessened the 6-hydroxydopamine (6-OHDA)-induced increase in reactive oxygen species (ROS) and apoptosis in SH-SY5Y cells. In the 6-OHDA-exposed Caenorhabditis elegans model, narcissoside reduced degeneration of dopaminergic neurons and ROS generation, and also improved dopamine-related food-sensitive behavior and shortened lifespan. Moreover, NCS increased total glutathione (GSH) by increasing the expression of the catalytic subunit and modifier subunit of γ-glutamylcysteine ligase in cells and nematodes. Treatment with a GSH inhibitor partially abolished the anti-apoptotic ability of narcissoside. Furthermore, narcissoside diminished the 6-OHDA-induced phosphorylation of JNK and p38, while rising activities of ERK and Akt in resisting apoptosis. The antioxidant response element (ARE)-luciferase reporter activity analysis and electromobility gel shift assay showed that narcissoside promotes the transcriptional activity mediated by Nrf2. Finally, we found that narcissoside augmented the expression of miR200a, a translational inhibitor of the Nrf2 repressor protein Keap1. Downregulation of Nrf2 and miR200a by RNAi and anti-miR200a, respectively, reversed the neuroprotective ability of narcissoside. In summary, narcissoside can enhance the miR200a/Nrf2/GSH antioxidant pathway, alleviate 6-OHDA-induced apoptosis, and has the neuroprotective potential.
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Affiliation(s)
- Ru-Huei Fu
- Graduate Institute of Biomedical Sciences, China Medical University, Taichung 40402, Taiwan
- Translational Medicine Research Center, China Medical University Hospital, Taichung 40447, Taiwan
| | - Chia-Wen Tsai
- Department of Nutrition, China Medical University, Taichung 40402, Taiwan
| | - Shih-Ping Liu
- Graduate Institute of Biomedical Sciences, China Medical University, Taichung 40402, Taiwan
- Translational Medicine Research Center, China Medical University Hospital, Taichung 40447, Taiwan
| | - Shao-Chih Chiu
- Graduate Institute of Biomedical Sciences, China Medical University, Taichung 40402, Taiwan
| | - Yen-Chuan Chen
- Graduate Institute of Biomedical Sciences, China Medical University, Taichung 40402, Taiwan
| | - Yu-Ting Chiang
- Graduate Institute of Biomedical Sciences, China Medical University, Taichung 40402, Taiwan
| | - Yun-Hua Kuo
- Graduate Institute of Biomedical Sciences, China Medical University, Taichung 40402, Taiwan
| | - Woei-Cherng Shyu
- Graduate Institute of Biomedical Sciences, China Medical University, Taichung 40402, Taiwan
- Translational Medicine Research Center, China Medical University Hospital, Taichung 40447, Taiwan
| | - Shinn-Zong Lin
- Buddhist Tzu Chi Bioinnovation Center, Tzu Chi Foundation, Hualien 97002, Taiwan
- Department of Neurosurgery, Buddhist Tzu Chi General Hospital, Hualien 97002, Taiwan
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Shen YW, Tsai YS, Hsu JT, Shie MY, Huang HL, Fuh LJ. Biomechanical Analyses of Porous Designs of 3D-Printed Titanium Implant for Mandibular Segmental Osteotomy Defects. Materials (Basel) 2022; 15:576. [PMID: 35057294 PMCID: PMC8779878 DOI: 10.3390/ma15020576] [Citation(s) in RCA: 8] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/23/2021] [Revised: 01/04/2022] [Accepted: 01/11/2022] [Indexed: 01/15/2023]
Abstract
Clinically, a reconstruction plate can be used for the facial repair of patients with mandibular segmental defects, but it cannot restore their chewing function. The main purpose of this research is to design a new three-dimensionally (3D) printed porous titanium mandibular implant with both facial restoration and oral chewing function reconstruction. Its biomechanical properties were examined using both finite element analysis (FEA) and in vitro experiments. Cone beam computed tomography images of the mandible of a patient with oral cancer were selected as a reference to create 3D computational models of the bone and of the 3D-printed porous implant. The pores of the porous implant were circles or hexagons of 1 or 2 mm in size. A nonporous implant was fabricated as a control model. For the FEA, two chewing modes, namely right unilateral molar clench and right group function, were set as loading conditions. Regarding the boundary condition, the displacement of both condyles was fixed in all directions. For the in vitro experiments, an occlusal force (100 N) was applied to the abutment of the 3D-printed mandibular implants with and without porous designs as the loading condition. The porous mandibular implants withstood higher stress and strain than the nonporous mandibular implant, but all stress values were lower than the yield strength of Ti-6Al-4V (800 MPa). The strain value of the bone surrounding the mandibular implant was affected not only by the shape and size of the pores but also by the chewing mode. According to Frost's mechanostat theory of bone, higher bone strain under the porous implants might help maintain or improve bone quality and bone strength. The findings of this study serve as a biomechanical reference for the design of 3D-printed titanium mandibular implants and require confirmation through clinical investigations.
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Affiliation(s)
- Yen-Wen Shen
- School of Dentistry, China Medical University, Taichung 404, Taiwan; (Y.-W.S.); (Y.-S.T.); (J.-T.H.); (M.-Y.S.)
| | - Yuen-Shan Tsai
- School of Dentistry, China Medical University, Taichung 404, Taiwan; (Y.-W.S.); (Y.-S.T.); (J.-T.H.); (M.-Y.S.)
| | - Jui-Ting Hsu
- School of Dentistry, China Medical University, Taichung 404, Taiwan; (Y.-W.S.); (Y.-S.T.); (J.-T.H.); (M.-Y.S.)
- Department of Bioinformatics and Medical Engineering, Asia University, Taichung 413, Taiwan
| | - Ming-You Shie
- School of Dentistry, China Medical University, Taichung 404, Taiwan; (Y.-W.S.); (Y.-S.T.); (J.-T.H.); (M.-Y.S.)
- Department of Bioinformatics and Medical Engineering, Asia University, Taichung 413, Taiwan
- x-Dimension Center for Medical Research and Translation, China Medical University Hospital, Taichung 404, Taiwan
| | - Heng-Li Huang
- School of Dentistry, China Medical University, Taichung 404, Taiwan; (Y.-W.S.); (Y.-S.T.); (J.-T.H.); (M.-Y.S.)
- Department of Bioinformatics and Medical Engineering, Asia University, Taichung 413, Taiwan
| | - Lih-Jyh Fuh
- School of Dentistry, China Medical University, Taichung 404, Taiwan; (Y.-W.S.); (Y.-S.T.); (J.-T.H.); (M.-Y.S.)
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10
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Luo SM, Tsai WC, Tsai CK, Chen Y, Hueng DY. ARID4B Knockdown Suppresses PI3K/AKT Signaling and Induces Apoptosis in Human Glioma Cells. Onco Targets Ther 2021; 14:1843-1855. [PMID: 33732001 PMCID: PMC7956898 DOI: 10.2147/ott.s286837] [Citation(s) in RCA: 10] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/14/2020] [Accepted: 12/09/2020] [Indexed: 12/02/2022] Open
Abstract
PURPOSE Glioblastoma multiforme is a highly malignant primary brain cancer with a poor prognosis. We recently reported that ARID4B could potentially serve as a biomarker associated with poor survival in glioma patients. However, the function of ARID4B in human gliomas remains unclear. The aim of this study is to investigate the molecular cell biology role of ARID4B in human glioma cells. MATERIALS AND METHODS Gene Expression Omnibus (GEO) and Human Protein Atlas (HPA) datasets were analyzed for the expression of ARID4B in WHO pathological grading, overall survival and immunohistochemical staining. Using quantitative RT-PCR and Western blotting, those findings were confirmed in normal brain tissue and glioma cell lines. ARID4B knockdown was conducted via lentivirus-based transfection of small hairpin RNA in human glioma cells to investigate cell proliferation, cell cycle, and apoptosis. RESULTS In the present study, our analysis of GEO datasets showed that ARID4B mRNA expression is higher in WHO grade IV tumors (n = 81) than in non-tumor control tissue (n = 23, P <0.0001). ARID4B knockdown suppressed glioma cell proliferation and induced G1 phase arrest via the PI3K/AKT pathway. It also increased expression of HDAC1, leading to higher acetyl-p53 and acetyl-H3 levels and reduced glioma cell migration and invasion. These effects were mediated via downregulation of AKT pathway components, including p-mTOR, p-PI3K and p-AKT. ARID4B knockdown also led to downregulation of Cyclin D1, which increased apoptosis in human glioma cells. CONCLUSION These findings that ARID4B expression correlates positively with WHO pathologic grading in glioma. ARID4B knockdown suppresses PI3K/AKT signaling and induces apoptosis in human glioma cells. These results suggests that ARID4B acts as an oncogene in human gliomas.
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Affiliation(s)
- Siou-Min Luo
- Graduate Institute of Medical Sciences, National Defense Medical Center, Taipei, Taiwan, Republic of China
| | - Wen-Chiuan Tsai
- Department of Pathology, Tri-Service General Hospital, National Defense Medical Center, Taipei, Taiwan, Republic of China
| | - Chia-Kuang Tsai
- Graduate Institute of Medical Sciences, National Defense Medical Center, Taipei, Taiwan, Republic of China
- Department of Neurology, Tri-Service General Hospital, National Defense Medical Center, Taipei, Taiwan, Republic of China
| | - Ying Chen
- Department of Biology and Anatomy, National Defense Medical Center, Taipei, Taiwan, Republic of China
| | - Dueng-Yuan Hueng
- Graduate Institute of Medical Sciences, National Defense Medical Center, Taipei, Taiwan, Republic of China
- Department of Neurological Surgery, Tri-Service General Hospital, National Defense Medical Center, Taipei, Taiwan, Republic of China
- Department of Biochemistry, National Defense Medical Center, Taipei, Taiwan, Republic of China
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11
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Liang SH, Walther BA, Shieh BS. Determinants of establishment success: Comparing alien and native freshwater fishes in Taiwan. PLoS One 2020; 15:e0236427. [PMID: 32702074 PMCID: PMC7377439 DOI: 10.1371/journal.pone.0236427] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/13/2020] [Accepted: 07/06/2020] [Indexed: 11/19/2022] Open
Abstract
Many parts of Asia, including Taiwan, have suffered severely from freshwater fish invasions. However, few studies using an assemblage approach have been conducted in the region so far that would help to prioritize suitable preventive actions. In this study, we focused on the invasion process from the import stage to the establishment stage, and defined establishment success as the success during this predefined process. We used datasets of freshwater fish assemblages in Taiwan to (1) compare established versus non-established alien species to distinguish the determinants of establishment success, and (2) to use these determinants to test a life history hypothesis which predicts that the magnitudes of the determinants should be significantly different between established alien species and native species. We collated a dataset for freshwater fish species which were imported into Taiwan (n = 118) of which some successfully established (n = 26), and another dataset for freshwater fish species native to Taiwan (n = 77). For each imported species, we collected data for 17 variables, including two phylogenetic, two human-use, two invasion history, and 11 life history variables. We then used decision tree methods, which have advantages in analyzing datasets with many variables of mixed types without the need to make assumptions about data distributions and input data for missing values. Our results showed that aquaculture use and maximum body length were the most important determinants for predicting establishment success of alien freshwater fish in Taiwan. Comparing five important determinants between established alien versus native species showed that the established alien species were significantly more often used in aquaculture, were associated with a higher number of established countries, and had a larger body length and greater highest water temperature tolerance than the native species. We thus conclude that our results provided evidence to support our stated hypothesis. We suggest that aquaculture use, measures of body size, and the number of previously invaded countries may alert researchers and conservation managers to species with a high establishment potential, especially for countries with similar conditions as those in Taiwan.
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Affiliation(s)
- Shih-Hsiung Liang
- Department of Biotechnology, National Kaohsiung Normal University, Kaohsiung, Taiwan
| | - Bruno Andreas Walther
- Department of Biological Sciences, National Sun Yat-sen University, Kaohsiung, Taiwan
| | - Bao-Sen Shieh
- Department of Biomedical Science and Environmental Biology, Kaohsiung Medical University, Kaohsiung, Taiwan
- Department of Medical Research, Kaohsiung Medical University Hospital, Kaohsiung, Taiwan
- * E-mail:
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12
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Lee CY, Kuo YP, Chen PY, Lu HH, Lin MY. Influence of Annealing Temperature on Weak-Cavity Top-Emission Red Quantum Dot Light Emitting Diode. Nanomaterials (Basel) 2019; 9:E1639. [PMID: 31752259 PMCID: PMC6915585 DOI: 10.3390/nano9111639] [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] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/27/2019] [Revised: 11/15/2019] [Accepted: 11/15/2019] [Indexed: 12/29/2022]
Abstract
In this report, we show that the annealing temperature in QDs/Mg-doped ZnO film plays a very important role in determining QLEDs performance. Measurements of capacitance and single carrier device reveal that the change of the device efficiency with different annealing temperatures is related to the balance of both electron and hole injection. A comparison of annealing temperatures shows that the best performance is demonstrated with 150 °C-annealing temperature. With the improved charge injection and charge balance, a maximum current efficiency of 24.81 cd/A and external quantum efficiency (EQE) of 20.09% are achievable in our red top-emission QLEDs with weak microcavity structure.
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Affiliation(s)
- Chun-Yu Lee
- AU Optronics Corporation, Hsinchu 30078, Taiwan (Y.-P.K.); (P.-Y.C.); (H.-H.L.)
| | - Ya-Pei Kuo
- AU Optronics Corporation, Hsinchu 30078, Taiwan (Y.-P.K.); (P.-Y.C.); (H.-H.L.)
| | - Peng-Yu Chen
- AU Optronics Corporation, Hsinchu 30078, Taiwan (Y.-P.K.); (P.-Y.C.); (H.-H.L.)
| | - Hsieh-Hsing Lu
- AU Optronics Corporation, Hsinchu 30078, Taiwan (Y.-P.K.); (P.-Y.C.); (H.-H.L.)
| | - Ming Yi Lin
- Department of Electrical Engineering, National United University, Miaoli 36003, Taiwan
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13
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Fan HF, Ma CH, Jayaram M. Single-Molecule Tethered Particle Motion: Stepwise Analyses of Site-Specific DNA Recombination. Micromachines (Basel) 2018; 9:E216. [PMID: 30424148 PMCID: PMC6187709 DOI: 10.3390/mi9050216] [Citation(s) in RCA: 11] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/15/2018] [Revised: 04/25/2018] [Accepted: 04/28/2018] [Indexed: 12/17/2022]
Abstract
Tethered particle motion/microscopy (TPM) is a biophysical tool used to analyze changes in the effective length of a polymer, tethered at one end, under changing conditions. The tether length is measured indirectly by recording the Brownian motion amplitude of a bead attached to the other end. In the biological realm, DNA, whose interactions with proteins are often accompanied by apparent or real changes in length, has almost exclusively been the subject of TPM studies. TPM has been employed to study DNA bending, looping and wrapping, DNA compaction, high-order DNA⁻protein assembly, and protein translocation along DNA. Our TPM analyses have focused on tyrosine and serine site-specific recombinases. Their pre-chemical interactions with DNA cause reversible changes in DNA length, detectable by TPM. The chemical steps of recombination, depending on the substrate and the type of recombinase, may result in a permanent length change. Single molecule TPM time traces provide thermodynamic and kinetic information on each step of the recombination pathway. They reveal how mechanistically related recombinases may differ in their early commitment to recombination, reversibility of individual steps, and in the rate-limiting step of the reaction. They shed light on the pre-chemical roles of catalytic residues, and on the mechanisms by which accessory proteins regulate recombination directionality.
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Affiliation(s)
- Hsiu-Fang Fan
- Biophotonics and Molecular Imaging Center, Department of Life Sciences and Institute of Genome Sciences, National Yang-Ming University, Taipei 112, Taiwan.
- Institute of Cellular and Organismic Biology, Academia Sinica, Taipei 115, Taiwan.
| | - Chien-Hui Ma
- Department of Molecular Biosciences, University of Texas at Austin, Austin, TX 78712, USA.
| | - Makkuni Jayaram
- Department of Molecular Biosciences, University of Texas at Austin, Austin, TX 78712, USA.
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14
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Tu HC, Lee GH, Hsiao TH, Kao TT, Wang TY, Tsai JN, Fu TF. One crisis, diverse impacts-Tissue-specificity of folate deficiency-induced circulation defects in zebrafish larvae. PLoS One 2017; 12:e0188585. [PMID: 29176804 PMCID: PMC5703520 DOI: 10.1371/journal.pone.0188585] [Citation(s) in RCA: 5] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/29/2017] [Accepted: 11/09/2017] [Indexed: 12/17/2022] Open
Abstract
Folate (vitamin B9) is an essential nutrient required for cell survival, proliferation, differentiation and therefore embryogenesis. Folate deficiency has been associated with many diseases, including congenital heart diseases and megaloblastic anemia, yet the mechanisms underlying these remains elusive. Here, we examine the impact of folate deficiency on the development of the circulation system using a zebrafish transgenic line which displays inducible folate deficiency. Impaired hematopoiesis includes decreased hemoglobin levels, decreased erythrocyte number, increased erythrocyte size and aberrant c-myb expression pattern were observed in folate deficient embryos. Cardiac defects, including smaller chamber size, aberrant cardiac function and cmlc2 expression pattern, were also apparent in folate deficient embryos. Characterization of intracellular folate content in folate deficiency revealed a differential fluctuation among the different folate derivatives that carry a single carbon group at different oxidation levels. Rescue attempts by folic acid and nucleotides resulted in differential responses among affected tissues, suggesting that different pathomechanisms are involved in folate deficiency-induced anomalies in a tissue-specific manner. The results of the current study provide an explanation for the inconsistent outcome observed clinically in patients suffering from folate deficiency and/or receiving folate supplementation. This study also supports the use of this model for further research on the defective cardiogenesis and hematopoiesis caused by folate deficiency.
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Affiliation(s)
- Hung-Chi Tu
- The Institute of Basic Medical Sciences, National Cheng Kung University, College of Medicine, Tainan, Taiwan
| | - Gang-Hui Lee
- The Institute of Basic Medical Sciences, National Cheng Kung University, College of Medicine, Tainan, Taiwan
| | - Tsun-Hsien Hsiao
- The Institute of Basic Medical Sciences, National Cheng Kung University, College of Medicine, Tainan, Taiwan
| | - Tseng-Ting Kao
- The Institute of Basic Medical Sciences, National Cheng Kung University, College of Medicine, Tainan, Taiwan
| | - Tzu-Ya Wang
- Department of Medical Laboratory Science and Biotechnology, National Cheng Kung University, College of Medicine, Tainan, Taiwan
| | - Jen-Ning Tsai
- Department of Medical Laboratory and Biotechnology, Chung Shan Medical University, Taichung, Taiwan
- Department of Clinical Laboratory, Chung Shan Medical University Hospital, Taichung, Taiwan
| | - Tzu-Fun Fu
- The Institute of Basic Medical Sciences, National Cheng Kung University, College of Medicine, Tainan, Taiwan
- Department of Medical Laboratory Science and Biotechnology, National Cheng Kung University, College of Medicine, Tainan, Taiwan
- * E-mail:
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15
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Lee YF, Kuo YM, Chang HY, Tsai CF, Baba S. Foraging dispersion of Ryukyu flying-foxes and relationships with fig abundance in East-Asian subtropical island forests. BMC Ecol 2017; 17:35. [PMID: 29137616 PMCID: PMC5686908 DOI: 10.1186/s12898-017-0146-8] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.3] [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: 05/14/2017] [Accepted: 11/02/2017] [Indexed: 11/20/2022] Open
Abstract
BACKGROUND Figs are widely distributed key resources to many tropical-subtropical animals, and flying-foxes are major consumers and seed dispersers of figs. Bat-fig interrelationships, however, may vary among species differing in fruiting traits, i.e., bat- versus bird-dispersed figs. We examined Ryukyu flying-fox foraging dispersion and the relationships with tree species composition and fig abundance in forests of Iriomote Island. RESULTS Bat foraging dispersion showed no spatial patterns with respect to different areas of the island, and was not explained by heterogeneity, density, or basal area (BA) of total trees, nor by relative density or BA of fruiting trees or total fruiting figs among sites. Instead, bat densities were positively dependent on the relative density of total figs, and particularly the relative BA of bat-dispersed figs Ficus septica and F. variegata. Both species were dominant figs in forests, fruiting asynchronously with long crop seasons, and were used as predominant foods. Bats foraged mostly solitarily and the mean density was in a hump-shaped relationship with crop sizes of the dominant bat-figs. These two species and Ficus benguetensis are larger-sized bat-figs, all contained more seeds, higher dry-pulp mass and water mass, but not necessarily water content. By approximate estimation, higher proportions of seeds of these bat-figs would have been removed from fruits through the bat consumption, than that of small-sized bird-figs like F. virgata, F. superba, and F. microcarpa. CONCLUSIONS The foraging dispersion of Ryukyu flying-foxes in forests depends on the availability of the most abundant bat-figs that serve as predominant foods. Intermediate levels of crop sizes of theses figs appear most fit with their solitary foraging. Our results suggest that as density and BA coverage of these dominant bat-figs are below a certain level, their effectiveness to attract bats may dwindle and so would their chance of dispersal by bats.
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Affiliation(s)
- Ya-Fu Lee
- Department of Life Sciences, National Cheng Kung University, Tainan, 701 Taiwan
| | - Yen-Min Kuo
- Department of Life Sciences, National Cheng Kung University, Tainan, 701 Taiwan
| | - Hsin-Yi Chang
- Department of Life Sciences, National Cheng Kung University, Tainan, 701 Taiwan
| | - Chi-Feng Tsai
- Department of Life Sciences, National Cheng Kung University, Tainan, 701 Taiwan
| | - Shigeyuki Baba
- Tropical Biosphere Research Center and Faculty of Agriculture, University of the Ryukyus, Okinawa, Japan
- Present Address: International Society for Mangrove Ecosystems, University of the Ryukyus, Okinawa, Japan
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16
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Shieh G. On tests of treatment-covariate interactions: An illustration of appropriate power and sample size calculations. PLoS One 2017; 12:e0177682. [PMID: 28545117 PMCID: PMC5435249 DOI: 10.1371/journal.pone.0177682] [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] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/22/2017] [Accepted: 04/30/2017] [Indexed: 11/19/2022] Open
Abstract
The appraisals of treatment-covariate interaction have theoretical and substantial implications in all scientific fields. Methodologically, the detection of interaction between categorical treatment levels and continuous covariate variables is analogous to the homogeneity of regression slopes test in the context of ANCOVA. A fundamental assumption of ANCOVA is that the regression slopes associating the response variable with the covariate variable are presumed constant across treatment groups. The validity of homogeneous regression slopes accordingly is the most essential concern in traditional ANCOVA and inevitably determines the practical usefulness of research findings. In view of the limited results in current literature, this article aims to present power and sample size procedures for tests of heterogeneity between two regression slopes with particular emphasis on the stochastic feature of covariate variables. Theoretical implications and numerical investigations are presented to explicate the utility and advantage for accommodating covariate properties. The exact approach has the distinct feature of accommodating the full distributional properties of normal covariates whereas the simplified approximate methods only utilize the partial information of covariate variances. According to the overall accuracy and robustness, the exact approach is recommended over the approximate methods as a reliable tool in practical applications. The suggested power and sample size calculations can be implemented with the supplemental SAS and R programs.
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Affiliation(s)
- Gwowen Shieh
- Department of Management Science, National Chiao Tung University, Hsinchu, Taiwan
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17
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Chiu CC, Lu ML, Huang MC, Chen PY, Lin YK, Lin SK, Chen CH. Effects of Low Dose Metformin on Metabolic Traits in Clozapine-Treated Schizophrenia Patients: An Exploratory Twelve-Week Randomized, Double-Blind, Placebo-Controlled Study. PLoS One 2016; 11:e0168347. [PMID: 27973619 PMCID: PMC5156367 DOI: 10.1371/journal.pone.0168347] [Citation(s) in RCA: 9] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.1] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/28/2016] [Accepted: 11/20/2016] [Indexed: 11/18/2022] Open
Abstract
Background Metformin has been used for alleviating metabolic abnormalities in patients with schizophrenia. The lowest dose of metformin to treat metabolic abnormalities in clozapine-treated patients is 1000 mg/d. This study was designed to determine whether metformin at 500 mg/d and 1000 mg/d is effective in improving the metabolic profiles of clozapine-treated patients with pre-existing metabolic abnormalities, and whether its effectiveness depends on metformin dosage. Methods In this 12-week, randomized, double-blind, placebo-controlled trial, metformin at 500 mg/d or 1000 mg/d was prescribed to clozapine-treated patients with schizophrenia who had pre-existing metabolic abnormalities. The recruited patients underwent physical and laboratory evaluations at weeks 4, 8, and 12. The outcomes were any changes in metabolic traits. Results Among the 96 clozapine-treated patients with schizophrenia screened for the trial, 55 patients with pre-existing metabolic abnormalities were randomly assigned to placebo (n = 18), metformin dosage at 500 mg/d (n = 18), and metformin dosage at 1000 mg/d (n = 19) groups. The body weight (BW) of patients in the metformin 1000 mg/d group significantly decreased, by a mean of 0.97 kg over the 12 week trial period. Moreover, patients in the metformin at 500 mg/d and 1000 mg/d groups had a significant decrease in body mass index (BMI) after 12 weeks, with the mean decrease being 0.70 and 0.50 kg/m2, respectively. No significant changes were observed in the other metabolic parameters of patients in the three groups. Conclusions Our results demonstrated that a low metformin dosage of either 500 mg/d or 1000 mg/d for 12 weeks slightly reduced the BW and BMI of clozapine-treated patients with pre-existing metabolic abnormalities. A longer period of treatment with a larger sample is warranted to determine the factors that influence the metformin treatment response. Trial Registration ClinicalTrials.gov NCT02751307
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Affiliation(s)
- Chih-Chiang Chiu
- Department of Psychiatry, Taipei City Psychiatric Center, Taipei City Hospital, Taipei, Taiwan
- Department of Psychiatry, School of Medicine, College of Medicine, Taipei Medical University, Taipei, Taiwan
| | - Mong-Liang Lu
- Department of Psychiatry, Taipei City Psychiatric Center, Taipei City Hospital, Taipei, Taiwan
- Department of Psychiatry, Wan Fang Hospital, Taipei Medical University, Taipei, Taiwan
| | - Ming-Chyi Huang
- Department of Psychiatry, Taipei City Psychiatric Center, Taipei City Hospital, Taipei, Taiwan
- Department of Psychiatry, School of Medicine, College of Medicine, Taipei Medical University, Taipei, Taiwan
| | - Po-Yu Chen
- Department of Psychiatry, Taipei City Psychiatric Center, Taipei City Hospital, Taipei, Taiwan
- Graduate Institute of Medical Science, School of Medicine, Taipei Medical University, Taipei, Taiwan
| | - Yen-Kuang Lin
- Biostatistics Center, Taipei Medical University, Taipei, Taiwan
| | - Shih-Ku Lin
- Department of Psychiatry, Taipei City Psychiatric Center, Taipei City Hospital, Taipei, Taiwan
- Department of Psychiatry, School of Medicine, College of Medicine, Taipei Medical University, Taipei, Taiwan
| | - Chun-Hsin Chen
- Department of Psychiatry, Taipei City Psychiatric Center, Taipei City Hospital, Taipei, Taiwan
- Department of Psychiatry, Wan Fang Hospital, Taipei Medical University, Taipei, Taiwan
- * E-mail:
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Hsiao HY, Liu JW, Brey EM, Cheng MH. The Effects of Negative Pressure by External Tissue Expansion Device on Epithelial Cell Proliferation, Neo-Vascularization and Hair Growth in a Porcine Model. PLoS One 2016; 11:e0154328. [PMID: 27128731 PMCID: PMC4851423 DOI: 10.1371/journal.pone.0154328] [Citation(s) in RCA: 9] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.1] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/26/2015] [Accepted: 04/12/2016] [Indexed: 11/19/2022] Open
Abstract
While pre-treating a fat transplant recipient site with negative pressure has shown promise for increasing the fat survival rate, the underlying mechanisms have not been investigated, partly due to challenges related to immobilization of vacuum domes on large animal subjects. The aim of this study was to examine the effect of negative pressure treatment by External Tissue Expansion Device (ETED) on fat grating recipient sites in a porcine model. The ETED was designed to provide negative pressure on the dorsum of swine. Pressure treatment (-70 mmHg) was applied for 1 or 3 hours every other day for 10 and 20 treatments. The treated areas (3.5 cm in diameter) were harvested and examined for histological changes, vessel density, cell proliferation (Ki67) and growth factor expression (FGF-1, VEGF and PDGB-bb). The application of the ETED increased epidermis thickness even after 1-hour treatments repeated 10 times. The results of Ki67 analysis suggested that the increasing thickness was due to cell proliferation in the epidermis. There was a more than two-fold increase in the vessel density, indicating that the ETED promotes vascularization. Unexpectedly, the treatment also increased the number of hair follicles. Negative pressure provided by the ETED increases the thickness of epidermis section of tissue, cell proliferation and vessel density. The porcine model provides a better representation of the effect of the ETED on skin tissue compared to small animal models and provides an environment for studying the mechanisms underlying the clinical benefits of negative pressure treatment.
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Affiliation(s)
- Hui-Yi Hsiao
- Department of Plastic and Reconstructive Surgery, Chang Gung Memorial Hospital, Taoyuan, Taiwan
- Center for Tissue Engineering, Chang Gung Memorial Hospital, Taoyuan, Taiwan
| | - Jia-Wei Liu
- Department of Plastic and Reconstructive Surgery, Chang Gung Memorial Hospital, Taoyuan, Taiwan
- Center for Tissue Engineering, Chang Gung Memorial Hospital, Taoyuan, Taiwan
| | - Eric M. Brey
- Department of Biomedical Engineering, Illinois Institute of Technology, Chicago, Illinois, United States of America
- Research Service, Hines Veterans Administration Hospital, Hines, Illinois, United States of America
| | - Ming-Huei Cheng
- Department of Plastic and Reconstructive Surgery, Chang Gung Memorial Hospital, Taoyuan, Taiwan
- Center for Tissue Engineering, Chang Gung Memorial Hospital, Taoyuan, Taiwan
- * E-mail:
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