Capsule retention caused by duodenal metastases from primary appendiceal adenocarcinoma

( Jen-wei Chou ),( Ken-sheng Cheng ) 대한장연구학회 2017 Intestinal Research Vol.15 No.1

Metastatic small bowel cancers are extremely rare in clinical practice. Primary appendiceal adenocarcinoma with gastrointestinal metastasis is seldom reported in the literature. Here, we describe the case of an 80-year-old male patient with primary appendiceal adenocarcinoma, who presented to China Medical University Hospital with mid-gastrointestinal tract bleeding. Capsule endoscopy revealed stenotic bowel lumen, but the capsule was retained in the distal duodenum. Double-balloon enteroscopy demonstrated erosive and erythematous mucosa in the region of capsule retention. The retained capsule was retrieved successfully by using an electrosurgical snare. Histological examination and immunohistochemical staining of the biopsy specimen from the duodenal lesion strongly supported the diagnosis of metastatic appendiceal adenocarcinoma. (Intest Res 2017;15:130-132)

Pulmonary embolism in an immunocompetent patient with acute cytomegalovirus colitis

( Jen Wei Chou ),( Ken Sheng Cheng ) 대한장연구학회 2016 Intestinal Research Vol.14 No.2

Acute cytomegalovirus (CMV) infection occurs commonly in immunocompromised and immunocompetent patients, but is usually asymptomatic in the latter. Vascular events associated with acute CMV infection have been described, but are rare. Hence, such events are rarely reported in the literature. We report a case of pulmonary embolism secondary to acute CMV colitis in an immunocompetent 78-year-old man. The patient presented with fever and diarrhea. Colonic ulcers were diagnosed based on colonoscopy findings, and CMV was the proven etiology on pathological examination. The patient subsequently experienced acute respiratory failure. Pulmonary embolism was diagnosed based on the chest radiography and computed tomography findings. A diagnosis of acute CMV colitis complicated by pulmonary embolism was made. The patient was successfully treated with intravenous administration of unfractionated heparin and intravenous ganciclovir. (Intest Res 2016;14:187-190)

Outcomes of limited period of adalimumab treatment in moderate to severe Crohn’s disease patients: Taiwan Society of Inflammatory Bowel Disease Study

( Wei-chen Lin ),( Jen-wei Chou ),( Hsu-heng Yen ),( Wen-hung Hsu ),( Hung-hsin Lin ),( Jen-kou Lin ),( Chiao-hsiung Chuang ),( Tien-yu Huang ),( Horng-yuan Wang ),( Shu-chen Wei ),( Jau-min Wong ) 대한장연구학회 2017 Intestinal Research Vol.15 No.4

Background/Aims: In Taiwan, due to budget limitations, the National Health Insurance only allows for a limited period of biologics use in treating moderate to severe Crohn’s disease (CD). We aimed to access the outcomes of CD patients following a limited period use of biologics, specifically focusing on the relapse rate and remission duration; also the response rate to second use when applicable. Methods: This was a multicenter, retrospective, observational study and we enrolled CD patients who had been treated with adalimumab (ADA) according to the insurance guidelines from 2009 to 2015. Results: A total of 54 CD patients, with follow-up of more than 6 months after the withdrawal of ADA, were enrolled. The average period of treatment with ADA was 16.7±9.7 months. After discontinuing ADA, 59.3% patients suffered a clinical relapse. In the univariate analysis, the reason for withdrawal was a risk factor for relapse (P=0.042). In the multivariate analysis, current smoker became an important risk factor for relapse (OR, 3.9; 95% CI, 1.2-14.8; P=0.044) and male sex was another risk factor (OR, 2.9; 95% CI, 1.1-8.6; P=0.049). For those 48 patients who received a second round of biologics, the clinical response was seen in 60.4%, and 1 anaphylaxis occurred. Conclusions: Fifty-nine percent of patients experienced a relapse after discontinuing the limited period of ADA treatment, and most of them occurred within 1 year following cessation. Male sex and current smoker were risk factors for relapse. Though 60.4% of the relapse patients responded to ADA again. (Intest Res 2017;15:487-494)

Crystallization and Luminescence Properties of Polypropylene Fiber Containing Rare Earth Aluminates and a Sorbital Derivative Nucleating Agent

Wei-Jen Lai,Kuo-Chung Cheng 한국섬유공학회 2018 Fibers and polymers Vol.19 No.1

Polypropylene (PP) fibers with a sorbital derivative nucleating agent (SDN) and rare earth aluminates (SrAl2O4:Eu2+,Dy3+) were prepared via melt compounding and melt-spinning. Non-isothermal crystallization kinetics and luminescence properties of PP and luminous PP fibers were studied by differential scanning calorimetry (DSC), polarized optical microscopy (POM), and decay of the afterglow test. The crystallization temperature determined by DSC increasedwith the addition of the nucleating agent during the cooling process from 200 oC. The Jeziorny model successfully described the non-isothermal crystallization behavior of the luminous PP with various SDN contents. The crystal grain size and morphology of the sample with the SDN was different from that without nucleating agent. The luminous PP fabric having high initial brightness intensity, approximately 461 mcd g-1m-2, can be prepared with addition of 10 wt% of rare earthaluminates and 0.5 % of SDN.

A large symptomatic jejunal subepithelial tumor treated with endoloop-assisted polypectomy using spiral enteroscopy

( Jen Wei Chou ),( Ken Sheng Cheng ),( Ching Pin Lin ) 대한장연구학회 2016 Intestinal Research Vol.14 No.1

An unusual cause of distal duodenal bleeding

( Jen Wei Chou ),( Ken Sheng Cheng ),( Shih Chieh Chuang ) 대한장연구학회 2016 Intestinal Research Vol.14 No.2

A Two-stage Stochastic Programming Model for Optimal Reactive Power Dispatch with High Penetration Level of Wind Generation

Wei Cui,Wei Yan,Wei-Jen Lee,Xia Zhao,Zhouyang Ren,Cong Wang 대한전기학회 2017 Journal of Electrical Engineering & Technology Vol.12 No.1

The increasing of wind power penetration level presents challenges in classical optimal reactive power dispatch (ORPD) which is usually formulated as a deterministic optimization problem. This paper proposes a two-stage stochastic programming model for ORPD by considering the uncertainties of wind speed and load in a specified time interval. To avoid the excessive operation, the schedule of compensators will be determined in the first-stage while accounting for the costs of adjusting the compensators (CACs). Under uncertainty effects, on-load tap changer (OLTC) and generator in the second-stage will compensate the mismatch caused by the first-stage decision. The objective of the proposed model is to minimize the sum of CACs and the expected energy loss. The stochastic behavior is formulated by three-point estimate method (TPEM) to convert the stochastic programming into equivalent deterministic problem. A hybrid Genetic Algorithm-Interior Point Method is utilized to solve this large-scale mixed-integer nonlinear stochastic problem. Two case studies on IEEE 14-bus and IEEE 118-bus system are provided to illustrate the effectiveness of the proposed method.

Poster Session:PS 0479 ; Nephrology : Hypotonic Versus Isotonic Fluid Maintenance Therapy on Biochemical Outcomes after Major Surgery

( Wei Ying Jen ),( Margaret L Teng ),( Wee Chuan Hing ),( Valerie Ma ),( Shridhar Ganpathi Iyer ),( Chung Cheen Chai ),( Horng Ruey Chua ) 대한내과학회 2014 대한내과학회 추계학술대회 Vol.2014 No.1

Background: Premixed hypotonic solutions of 0.33% saline + 5% dextrose + 10mmol/ L potassium-chloride (0.33S, tonicity 133mEq/L) and 0.9% saline ±dextrose (NS, tonicity 308mEq/L) are common peri-operative maintenance fiuids, but their effects on serum biochemistry are unclear. Methods: Using a single-centre, prospectively-maintained electronic database, we retrospectively examined post-operative biochemistry in adults maintained on exclusively 0.33S or NS peri-operatively, from March 2012 to September 2013. Outcomes included new-onset post-operative hyponatremia, hypokalaemia, hypoglycaemia, and acute kidney injury (AKI, =1.5x increase in serum creatinine); multivariate analyses were adjusted for demographics, comorbidities, surgery-types/duration, infusion time/ volumes, and hospital length-of-stay. Results: We studied 279 patients given 0.33S, and 279 NS controls matched for cumulative infusion volume. Mean age was 59(±18) years. More NS patients had diabetes mellitus, ischemic heart disease and chronic kidney disease (p<0.05). Surgery types included gastrointestinal/hepatobiliary (43%), orthopaedic (30%) and nephrectomy (3%). Mean fi uid volumes administered were 6.9(±3.3)L of 0.33S and 7.1(±5.6)L of NS (p=0.57), with 100% versus 52% of drips containing dextrose, respectively. More 0.33S patients (versus NS) developed hyponatremia (30% versus 17%, p<0.001); this difference was signifi cant for gastrointestinal/hepatobiliary (p=0.001) but not orthopaedic (p=0.74) surgeries. Less 0.33S patients (versus NS) had hypokalaemia (1% versus 10%, p<0.001), hypoglycaemia (1% versus 4%, p=0.01), and AKI (3% versus 8%, p=0.007). On multivariate analyses, 0.33S, gastrointestinal/hepatobiliary surgeries and nephrectomy were independently associated with hyponatremia; while NS, hypertension, longer infusion hours, and nephrectomy were independently associated with AKI (p<0.05). Conclusions: 0.33S infusion in post-surgical patients, especially post-gastrointestinal/ hepatobiliary surgeries, is strongly associated with hyponatremia, but with less hypokalaemia or hypoglycaemia, compared with NS. The association between NS administration and AKI is heavily confounded by baseline comorbidities and requires further prospective evaluation. Both fi uid types are not appropriate for isolated use, and more balanced maintenance fi uids are desired.

Forecasting Volatility of Stocks Return: A Smooth Transition Combining Forecasts

HO, Jen Sim,CHOO, Wei Chong,LAU, Wei Theng,YEE, Choy Leng,ZHANG, Yuruixian,WAN, Cheong Kin Korea Distribution Science Association 2022 The Journal of Asian Finance, Economics and Busine Vol.9 No.10

This paper empirically explores the predicting ability of the newly proposed smooth transition (ST) time-varying combining forecast methods. The proposed method allows the "weight" of combining forecasts to change gradually over time through its unique feature of transition variables. Stock market returns from 7 countries were applied to Ad Hoc models, the well-known Generalized Autoregressive Conditional Heteroskedasticity (GARCH) family models, and the Smooth Transition Exponential Smoothing (STES) models. Of the individual models, GJRGARCH and STES-E&AE emerged as the best models and thereby were chosen for constructing the combined forecast models where a total of nine ST combining methods were developed. The robustness of the ST combining forecasts is also validated by the Diebold-Mariano (DM) test. The post-sample forecasting performance shows that ST combining forecast methods outperformed all the individual models and fixed weight combining models. This study contributes in two ways: 1) the ST combining methods statistically outperformed all the individual forecast methods and the existing traditional combining methods using simple averaging and Bates & Granger method. 2) trading volume as a transition variable in ST methods was superior to other individual models as well as the ST models with single sign or size of past shocks as transition variables.

Facile hydrophilic modification of polydimethylsiloxane-based sponges for efficient oil–water separation

Chao-Jen Wang,Wei-Fan Kuan,Hui-Ping Lin,Yury A. Shchipunov,Li-Jen Chen 한국공업화학회 2021 Journal of Industrial and Engineering Chemistry Vol.96 No.-

In this study, an eco-friendly fabrication process for the hydrophilic polydimethylsiloxane (PDMS)-basedsponge was proposed with the assistance of sugar templates and poly(dimethylsiloxane-b-ethyleneoxide) (PDMS-b-PEO) block copolymer additives. The effects of sugar loadings and sugar particle sizes onsponge structure and separation performance were investigated. Manipulating sugar loadings exhibiteda unique control over the porosity of sponge, which further influenced the absorption capacity and oil–water separation speed. Additionally, the surface modification of PDMS sponge from hydrophobic/oleophilic to hydrophilic/underwater oleophobic was achieved by incorporating PDMS-b-PEO. Suchmodified sponge demonstrated an underwater oil contact angle of 154 and a stable separation efficiencygreater than 99.9% in the gravity-driven cycledfiltration tests. The hydrophilic PDMS-b-PEO modifiedsponges highlighted herein reveal a promising potential for novel separation materials with energyefficientand cost-effective features, which are ideal for oil spill clean-up events and wastewatertreatment application.