Equal Z standard-setting method to estimate the minimum number of panelists for a medical school’s objective structured clinical examination in Taiwan: a simulation study

Ying-Ying Yang,Pin-Hsiang Huang,Ling-Yu Yang,Chia-Chang Huang,Chih-Wei Liu,Shiau-Shian Huang,Chen-Huan Chen,Fa-Yauh Lee,Shou-Yen Kao,Boaz Shulruf 한국보건의료인국가시험원 2022 보건의료교육평가 Vol.19 No.-

Purpose Undertaking a standard-setting exercise is a common method for setting pass/fail cut scores for high-stakes examinations. The recently introduced equal Z standard-setting method (EZ method) has been found to be a valid and effective alternative for the commonly used Angoff and Hofstee methods and their variants. The current study aims to estimate the minimum number of panelists required for obtaining acceptable and reliable cut scores using the EZ method. Methods The primary data were extracted from 31 panelists who used the EZ method for setting cut scores for a 12-station of medical school’s final objective structured clinical examination (OSCE) in Taiwan. For this study, a new data set composed of 1,000 random samples of different panel sizes, ranging from 5 to 25 panelists, was established and analyzed. Analysis of variance was performed to measure the differences in the cut scores set by the sampled groups, across all sizes within each station. Results On average, a panel of 10 experts or more yielded cut scores with confidence more than or equal to 90% and 15 experts yielded cut scores with confidence more than or equal to 95%. No significant differences in cut scores associated with panel size were identified for panels of 5 or more experts. Conclusion The EZ method was found to be valid and feasible. Less than an hour was required for 12 panelists to assess 12 OSCE stations. Calculating the cut scores required only basic statistical skills.

Chinese patent herbal medicine (Shufeng Jiedu capsule) for acute upper respiratory tract infections: A systematic review and meta-analysis

Ying-ying Zhang,Ru-yu Xia,Shi-bing Liang,Xiao-yang Hu,Meng-yuan Dai,Yi-lin Li,Le-yi Zhao,Michael Moore,Yu-tong Fei,Jian-ping Liu 한국한의학연구원 2021 Integrative Medicine Research Vol.10 No.3

Background: Shufeng Jiedu capsule has been widely used in China for acute upper respiratory tract infections (AURTIs). The aim of this study was to evaluate its effectiveness and safety for AURTIs. Methods: Randomized controlled trials comparing SFJD with conventional drug for patients with AURTIs were included. Eight databases were searched from their inceptions to February 2021. Data was synthesized using risk ration (RR) or mean difference (MD) with their 95% confidence interval (CI). The primary outcome was resolution time of typical symptoms. Results: Twenty-five RCTs involving 3410 patients were included. SFJD in combination with conventional drug was associated with; in common cold shortening the duration of fever (MD −1.54 days, 95% CI [−2.15,−0.92], I2 = 80%, n = 385, 3 trials) and cough (MD −1.22 days, 95% CI [−1.52, −0.93]); in herpangina, shortening the duration of fever (MD -0.68 days, 95% CI [−1.15, −0.21], I2 = 68%, n = 140, 2 trials) and blistering (MD −0.99 days, 95% CI [−1.23, −0.76], n = 386, 3 trials); in acute tonsillitis and acute pharyngitis shortening the duration of fever (MD −1.13 days, 95% CI [−1.36, −0.90], I2 = 33%, n = 688, 7 trials) and sore throat (MD −1.13 days, 95% CI [−1.40, −0.86], I2 = 84.1%, n = 1194, 10 trials). SFJD also improving their cure rate with a range (1–5 days). No serious adverse events were reported. Conclusion: Low certainty evidence suggests that SFJD appears to shorten the duration of symptoms in AURTIs, improve cure rate and seems safe for application. However, high quality placebo controlled trials are warranted to confirm its benefit.

Immunogenicity of recombinant Lactobacillus plantarum NC8 expressing goose parvovirus VP2 gene in BALB/c mice

Yu-Ying Liu,Wentao Yang,Shaohua Shi,Ya-Jie Li,Liang Zhao,Chunwei Shi,Fangyu Zhou,Yanlong Jiang,Jingtao Hu,Wei Gu,Gui-Lian Yang,Chun-feng Wang 대한수의학회 2017 Journal of Veterinary Science Vol.18 No.2

Goose parvovirus (GPV) continues to be a threat to goose farms and has significant economic effects on the production of geese. Current commercially available vaccines only rarely prevent GPV infection. In our study, Lactobacillus (L.) plantarum NC8 was selected as a vector to express the VP2 gene of GPV, and recombinant L. plantarum pSIP409-VP2/NC8 was successfully constructed. The molecular weight of the expressed recombinant protein was approximately 70 kDa. Mice were immunized with a 2 × 109 colony-forming unit/200 mL dose of the recombinant L. plantarum strain, and the ratios and numbers of CD11c+, CD3+CD4+, CD3+CD8+, and interferon gamma- and tumor necrosis factor alpha-expressing spleen lymphocytes in the pSIP409-VP2/NC8 group were higher than those in the control groups. In addition, we assessed the capacity of L. plantarum SIP409-VP2/NC8 to induce secretory IgA production. We conclude that administered pSIP409-VP2/NC8 leads to relatively extensive cellular responses. This study provides information on GPV infection and offers a clear framework of options available for GPV control strategies.

Sputum Metabolomic Profiling Reveals Metabolic Pathways and Signatures Associated With Inflammatory Phenotypes in Patients With Asthma

Liu Ying,Zhang Xin,Zhang Li,Oliver Brian G,Wang Hong Guang,Liu Zhi Peng,Chen Zhi Hong,Wood Lisa,Hsu Alan Chen-Yu,Xie Min,McDonald Vanessa,Wan Hua Jing,Luo Feng Ming,Liu Dan,Li Wei Min,Wang Gang 대한천식알레르기학회 2022 Allergy, Asthma & Immunology Research Vol.14 No.4

Purpose: The molecular links between metabolism and inflammation that drive different inflammatory phenotypes in asthma are poorly understood. We aimed to identify the metabolic signatures and underlying molecular pathways of different inflammatory asthma phenotypes. Methods: In the discovery set (n = 119), untargeted ultra-high-performance liquid chromatography-mass spectrometry (UHPLC-MS) was applied to characterize the induced sputum metabolic profiles of asthmatic patients with different inflammatory phenotypes using orthogonal partial least-squares discriminant analysis (OPLS-DA), and pathway topology enrichment analysis. In the validation set (n = 114), differential metabolites were selected to perform targeted quantification. Correlations between targeted metabolites and clinical indices in asthmatic patients were analyzed. Logistic and negative binomial regression models were established to assess the association between metabolites and severe asthma exacerbations. Results: Seventy-seven differential metabolites were identified in the discovery set. Pathway topology analysis uncovered that histidine metabolism, glycerophospholipid metabolism, nicotinate and nicotinamide metabolism, linoleic acid metabolism as well as phenylalanine, tyrosine and tryptophan biosynthesis were involved in the pathogenesis of different asthma phenotypes. In the validation set, 24 targeted quantification metabolites were significantly expressed between asthma inflammatory phenotypes. Finally, adenosine 5′-monophosphate (adjusted relative risk [adj RR] = 1.000; 95% confidence interval [CI] = 1.000–1.000; P = 0.050), allantoin (adj RR = 1.000; 95% CI = 1.000–1.000; P = 0.043) and nicotinamide (adj RR = 1.001; 95% CI = 1.000–1.002; P = 0.021) were demonstrated to predict severe asthma exacerbation rates. Conclusions: Different inflammatory asthma phenotypes have specific metabolic profiles in induced sputum. The potential metabolic signatures may identify therapeutic targets in different inflammatory asthma phenotypes.

Preparation of minor ginsenosides C-Mc, C-Y, F2, and C-K from American ginseng PPD-ginsenoside using special ginsenosidase type-I from Aspergillus niger g.848

Liu, Chun-Ying,Zhou, Rui-Xin,Sun, Chang-Kai,Jin, Ying-Hua,Yu, Hong-Shan,Zhang, Tian-Yang,Xu, Long-Quan,Jin, Feng-Xie The Korean Society of Ginseng 2015 Journal of Ginseng Research Vol.39 No.3

Background: Minor ginsenosides, those having low content in ginseng, have higher pharmacological activities. To obtain minor ginsenosides, the biotransformation of American ginseng protopanaxadiol (PPD)-ginsenoside was studied using special ginsenosidase type-I from Aspergillus niger g.848. Methods: DEAE (diethylaminoethyl)-cellulose and polyacrylamide gel electrophoresis were used in enzyme purification, thin-layer chromatography and high performance liquid chromatography (HPLC) were used in enzyme hydrolysis and kinetics; crude enzyme was used in minor ginsenoside preparation from PPD-ginsenoside; the products were separated with silica-gel-column, and recognized by HPLC and NMR (Nuclear Magnetic Resonance). Results: The enzyme molecular weight was 75 kDa; the enzyme firstly hydrolyzed the C-20 position 20-O-${\beta}$-D-Glc of ginsenoside Rb1, then the C-3 position 3-O-${\beta}$-D-Glc with the pathway $Rb1{\rightarrow}Rd{\rightarrow}F2{\rightarrow}C-K$. However, the enzyme firstly hydrolyzed C-3 position 3-O-${\beta}$-D-Glc of ginsenoside Rb2 and Rc, finally hydrolyzed 20-O-L-Ara with the pathway $Rb2{\rightarrow}C-O{\rightarrow}C-Y{\rightarrow}C-K$, and $Rc{\rightarrow}C-Mc1{\rightarrow}C-Mc{\rightarrow}C-K$. According to enzyme kinetics, $K_m$ and $V_{max}$ of Michaelis-Menten equation, the enzyme reaction velocities on ginsenosides were Rb1 > Rb2 > Rc > Rd. However, the pure enzyme yield was only 3.1%, so crude enzyme was used for minor ginsenoside preparation. When the crude enzyme was reacted in 3% American ginseng PPD-ginsenoside (containing Rb1, Rb2, Rc, and Rd) at $45^{\circ}C$ and pH 5.0 for 18 h, the main products were minor ginsenosides C-Mc, C-Y, F2, and C-K; average molar yields were 43.7% for C-Mc from Rc, 42.4% for C-Y from Rb2, and 69.5% for F2 and C-K from Rb1 and Rd. Conclusion: Four monomer minor ginsenosides were successfully produced (at low-cost) from the PPD-ginsenosides using crude enzyme.

A Study on the Application of Traditional Chinese Patterns in Cosmetics Design

( Yu Liu Ying ),( Ko Jeong Hoon ) 한국상품문화디자인학회 2023 상품문화디자인학연구 Vol.72 No.-

현재 화장품의 디자인은 포장에 국한되지 않고, 제품 자체도 예술적 표현이 되고 있다. 전통 문화와 연계된 디자인도 새로운 사조가 되었으며, 이러한 디자인 스타일의 제품과 포장은 소비자들에게 인정받고 있다. 본 논문은 주로 몇 가지 우수화장품 디자인을 연구 대상으로 하여 화장품의 모양, 스타일 및 패턴을 분석하였다. 전통적인 문양은 강한 문화적 배경을 포함한다. 하나의 문양은 한 시대의 문화를 나타내고, 하나의 문양은 한 시대의 변화를 나타낼 수 있다. 전통 문양은 문화와 예술의 결합일 뿐 아니라 사회적 경제와 문화의 발전과 밀접한 관련이 있는 귀중한 무형 문화 유산이다. 사회의 발전과 함께, 사람들의 문화적 추구는 끊임없이 변화하고 있다. 우리는 더 많은 혁신을 원하지만, 우리는 또한 조국에 대한 동일한 신념을 공유하기 때문에, 중국의 문화적·역사적 문양에 매료된다. 디자이너들은 제품 포장과 전통적인 문양을 결합하여 제품이 중국의 역사를 보여줄 수 있을 뿐만 아니라 그들의 분석과 감상을 끊임없이 혁신하는 데에도 독창적이다. 화장품이 사람들의 삶에 변화와 자신감을 주어 삶에서 중요한 역할을 하기 때문에 본 논문에서는 화장품을 선택하였다. 디자이너는 문화유산의 발전을 위해 끊임없이 혁신할 필요가 있고, 화장품 디자인에서 중국 전통 문양은 독특하고 심오하고 아름다운 서사를 제공할 수 있다. Currently, the design of cosmetics is not limited to packaging, and the product itself is becoming an artistic expression. Design linked to traditional culture has also become a new trend, and products and packaging of this design style are recognized by consumers. This paper mainly analyzed the shape, style, and pattern of cosmetics by studying several excellent cosmetic designs. Traditional patterns contain a strong cultural background. A pattern represents the culture of an era, and a pattern can represent the changes of an era. Traditional patterns are not only the combination of culture and art but also a valuable intangible cultural heritage, closely related to the development of social economy and culture. With the development of society, people’s cultural pursuit is constantly changing. Although we want more innovation, we also share the same belief in the motherland, so we fall in love with China’s cultural and historical patterns. Designers are ingenious, not only in combining product packaging with traditional patterns so that products can show our history but also in constantly innovating their analysis and appreciation. We choose cosmetics because of their importance in life as they can bring changes and confidence to people in their lives. Designers need to constantly innovate in the development of cultural heritage, and traditional Chinese patterns in cosmetics design can present a unique, profound, and beautiful story.

Cyr61/CCN1 Overexpression Induces Epithelial-Mesenchymal Transition Leading to Laryngeal Tumor Invasion and Metastasis and Poor Prognosis

Liu, Ying,Zhou, Yan-Dong,Xiao, Yu-Li,Li, Ming-Hua,Wang, Yu,Kan, Xuan,Li, Qiu-Ying,Lu, Jian-Guang,Jin, De-Jun Asian Pacific Journal of Cancer Prevention 2015 Asian Pacific journal of cancer prevention Vol.16 No.7

Background: To examine the expression of cysteine-rich 61 (Cyr61/CCN1) protein in laryngeal squamouscell carcinoma (LSCC) tissues, and its relationship with the tumor epithelial-mesenchymal transition (EMT), invasion, metastasis, and prognosis. Materials and Methods: Immunohistochemistry was used to detect the expressions of Cyr61, Vimentin (Vim), and E-cadherin (E-cad) in 88 cases of LSCC tissues and 30 cases of tumor-adjacent normal tissues. Vim and E-cad were used as mesenchymal and epithelial markers, respectively, to determine the relationship between Cyr61 expression and the EMT of LSCC cells. In addition, clinical and histopathological data were combined to analyze the relationship between the positive-expression rates of Cyr61, Vim and E-cad and LSCC invasion, metastasis and prognosis. Results: In LSCC tissues, Vim expression rate was significantly higher than that of the tumor-adjacent tissues, whereas E-cad expression rate was significantly lower than that of the tumor-adjacent tissues. The Vim expression rate was significantly higher in stages T3 and T4 than in stages T1 and T2 LSCC tissues, whereas E-cad expression rate was significantly lower in stages T3 and T4 than in stages T1 and T2 LSCC tissues. Compared to the group without lymph node metastasis, the Vim expression rate was significantly higher and the E-cad expression rate was significantly lower in the group with lymph node metastasis. The expression rate of Cyr61 was significantly higher in LSCC tissues than in the tumor-adjacent normal tissues. In addition, the Cyr61 expression rate was higher in stages T3 and T4 than in stages T1 and T2 LSCC, and higher in the group with lymph node metastasis than in the group without lymph node metastasis. The Vim expression rate was significantly higher in the Cyr61 positive group than in the Cyr61 negative group, whereas the E-cad expression rate was significantly higher in the Cyr61 negative group than in the Cyr61 positive group. Survival analysis indicated that survival rates of Cyr61 positive, Vim positive and E-cad negative groups were significantly lower than that of Cyr61 negative, Vim negative and E-cad positive groups, respectively. Conclusions: Cyr61 expression is closely associated with LSCC invasion and lymph node metastasis. Overexpression of Cyr61 may induce EMT and therefore leads to LSCC invasion and metastasis and poor prognosis. Cyr61 may become a new maker for clinical prediction of LSCC invasion and metastasis and a new target for LSCC treatment.

The regional culture of leisure and resort products

YU LIU YING 인문사회과학예술융합학회 2018 인문사회과학예술융합학회지 Vol.2 No.2

With the rapid development of the national econmy, The improvement of people’s living standards,The enthusiasm of going out for leisure vacation is getting higher and higher, which leads to the rapid development of leisure resort hotels, and the disposable products of these leisure resort hotels are also increasing. How to add regional elements to these hotel supplies, seek for more development, and at the same time maximize the problem of reducing environmental pollution, which is the concern of packaging designers and environmental art designers. Key words :Hotel; Supplies; Regional culture; Reflect

Collaborative fabrication of poly(L-proline)s with well-defined mesopores and hydrophobicity: Synergistic effect of mesoporous confinement and hydrophobic micro-environment on organic transformations

Zhongqiu Liu,Yuanyuan Yu,Shengnan Li,Yaqi Liu,Guoqiang Zhang,Long Han,Yujing Liu,Jinmao You,Anguo Ying 한국공업화학회 2021 Journal of Industrial and Engineering Chemistry Vol.104 No.-

The preparation of materials with a well-defined mesoporous structure and hydrophobicity is of greatsignificance for heterogeneous catalyst development, yet there still remains a challenge for fabricatingthe above materials without using templates. Herein, the polymerization of L-proline-functionalizedmonomer with crosslinkers containing variable alkyl-bridged length (n = 2,4,6,8) and vinyl-modifiedFe3O4 nanoparticles to construct mesoporous poly(L-proline)s (MPLPs) has been reported for the firsttime. The resultant MPLPs were analyzed by characterization methods, suggesting that MPLPs with awell-defined mesoporous structure and unique hydrophobicity were successfully constructed by synergisticregulation of vinyl-modified Fe3O4 nanoparticles and crosslinkers with alkyl-bridged length of 6carbon atoms, in which vinyl-modified Fe3O4 nanoparticles as structural reinforcer plays a vital rolefor the mesoporous formation. Moreover, the resultant MPLPs were found to be efficient catalysts forone-pot synthesis of functionalized spiroindolones and olefins. The kinetic study and the water contactangle indicate the mesoporous confinement and hydrophobic micro-environment in organic transformations. Hence, the high activity of MPLPs is ascribed to synergistic effect of mesoporous confinement andhydrophobic micro-environment, and the adsorption experiment results further confirm this synergisticcatalysis. This work promotes a textural engineering approach to the development of multifunctionalmaterials with well-defined mesopores and hydrophobicity.

Comparison of Liver Transplantation and Liver Resection for Hepatocellular Carcinoma Patients with Portal Vein Tumor Thrombus Type I and Type II

Jia-Yu Lv,Ning-Ning Zhang,Ya-Wei Du,Ying Wu,Tian-Qiang Song,Ya-Min Zhang,Yan Qu,Yu-Xin Liu,Jie Gu,Ze-Yu Wang,Yi-Bo Qiu,Bing Yang,Da-Zhi Tian,Qing-Jun Guo,Li Zhang,Ji-San Sun,Yan Xie,Zheng-Lu Wang,Xin 연세대학교의과대학 2021 Yonsei medical journal Vol.62 No.1

Purpose: The aim of this study was to compare the efficacy of liver transplantation (LT) and liver resection (LR) for hepatocellularcarcinoma (HCC) patients with portal vein tumor thrombus (PVTT) and to investigate risk factors affecting prognosis. Materials and Methods: A total of 94 HCC patients with PVTT type I (segmental PVTT) and PVTT type II (lobar PVTT) were involvedand divided into LR (n=47) and LT groups (n=47). Recurrence-free survival (RFS) and overall survival (OS) were comparedbefore and after inverse probability of treatment weighting (IPTW). Prognostic factors for RFS and OS were explored. Results: Two treatment groups were well-balanced using IPTW. In the entire cohort, LT provided a better prognosis than LR. Among patients with PVTT type I, RFS was better with LT (p=0.039); OS was not different significantly between LT and LR(p=0.093). In subgroup analysis of PVTT type I patients with α-fetoprotein (AFP) levels >200 ng/mL, LT elicited significantly longermedian RFS (18.0 months vs. 2.1 months, p=0.022) and relatively longer median OS time (23.6 months vs. 9.8 months, p=0.065). Among patients with PVTT type II, no significant differences in RFS and OS were found between LT and LR (p=0.115 and 0.335,respectively). Multivariate analyses showed treatment allocation (LR), tumor size (>5 cm), AFP and aspartate aminotransferase(AST) levels to be risk factors of RFS and treatment allocation (LR), AFP and AST as risk factors for OS. Conclusion: LT appeared to afford a better prognosis for HCC with PVTT type I than LR, especially in patients with AFP levels>200 ng/mL.