Diffusion Tensor-Derived Properties of Benign Oligemia, True “at Risk” Penumbra, and Infarct Core during the First Three Hours of Stroke Onset: A Rat Model

Fang-Ying Chiu,Duen-Pang Kuo,Yung-Chieh Chen,Yu-Chieh Kao,Hsiao-Wen Chung,Cheng-Yu Chen 대한영상의학회 2018 Korean Journal of Radiology Vol.19 No.6

Objective: The aim of this study was to investigate diffusion tensor (DT) imaging-derived properties of benign oligemia, true “at risk” penumbra (TP), and the infarct core (IC) during the first 3 hours of stroke onset. Materials and Methods: The study was approved by the local animal care and use committee. DT imaging data were obtained from 14 rats after permanent middle cerebral artery occlusion (pMCAO) using a 7T magnetic resonance scanner (Bruker) in room air. Relative cerebral blood flow and apparent diffusion coefficient (ADC) maps were generated to define oligemia, TP, IC, and normal tissue (NT) every 30 minutes up to 3 hours. Relative fractional anisotropy (rFA), pure anisotropy (rq), diffusion magnitude (rL), ADC (rADC), axial diffusivity (rAD), and radial diffusivity (rRD) values were derived by comparison with the contralateral normal brain. Results: The mean volume of oligemia was 24.7 ± 14.1 mm3, that of TP was 81.3 ± 62.6 mm3, and that of IC was 123.0 ± 85.2 mm3 at 30 minutes after pMCAO. rFA showed an initial paradoxical 10% increase in IC and TP, and declined afterward. The rq, rL, rADC, rAD, and rRD showed an initial discrepant decrease in IC (from -24% to -36%) as compared with TP (from -7% to -13%). Significant differences (p < 0.05) in metrics, except rFA, were found between tissue subtypes in the first 2.5 hours. The rq demonstrated the best overall performance in discriminating TP from IC (accuracy = 92.6%, area under curve = 0.93) and the optimal cutoff value was -33.90%. The metric values for oligemia and NT remained similar at all time points. Conclusion: Benign oligemia is small and remains microstructurally normal under pMCAO. TP and IC show a distinct evolution of DT-derived properties within the first 3 hours of stroke onset, and are thus potentially useful in predicting the fate of ischemic brain.

Trough Melatonin Levels Differ between Early and Late Phases of Alzheimer Disease

Chieh-Hsin Lin,Chih-Chiang Chiu,Hsien-Yuan Lane 대한정신약물학회 2021 CLINICAL PSYCHOPHARMACOLOGY AND NEUROSCIENCE Vol.19 No.1

Objective: Melatonin has been considered to have an essential role in the pathophysiology of Alzheimer’s disease (AD) for its regulatory function on circadian rhythm and interaction with glutamate for the modulation of learning and memory. Previous studies revealed that melatonin levels decreased in patients with AD. However, melatonin supplement didn’t show promising efficacy for AD. This study compared trough melatonin levels among elderly people with different severities of cognitive deficits. Methods: We enrolled 270 elder individuals (consisting four groups: healthy elderly, amnestic mild cognitive impairment [MCI], mild AD, and moderate-severe AD) in the learning cohort. Trough melatonin levels in plasma were measured using ELISA. Cognitive function was evaluated by Clinical Dementia Rating Scale (CDR) and Mini-Mental State Examination (MMSE). An independent testing cohort, also consisting of four groups, was enrolled for ascertainment. Results: In the learning cohort, trough melatonin levels decreased in the MCI group but elevated in the mild and moderate to severe AD groups. Trough melatonin levels were associated with CDR and MMSE in MCI or AD patients significantly. In the testing cohort, the results were similar to those in the learning cohort. Conclusion: This study demonstrated that trough melatonin levels in the peripheral blood were decreased in MCI but increased with the severity of AD. The finding supports the trials indicating that melatonin showed efficacy only in MCI but not in AD. Whether trough melatonin level has potential to be a treatment response biomarker for AD, especially its early phase needs further studies.

A Neuroprotective Action of Quercetin and Apigenin through Inhibiting Aggregation of Aβ and Activation of TRKB Signaling in a Cellular Experiment

Chiu Ya-Jen,Teng Yu-Shan,Chen Chiung-Mei,Sun Ying-Chieh,Hsieh-Li Hsiu Mei,Chang Kuo-Hsuan,Lee-Chen Guey-Jen 한국응용약물학회 2023 Biomolecules & Therapeutics(구 응용약물학회지) Vol.31 No.3

Alzheimer’s disease (AD) is a neurodegenerative disease with progressive memory loss and the cognitive decline. AD is mainly caused by abnormal accumulation of misfolded amyloid β (Aβ), which leads to neurodegeneration via a number of possible mechanisms such as down-regulation of brain-derived neurotrophic factor-tropomyosin-related kinase B (BDNF-TRKB) signaling pathway. 7,8-Dihydroxyflavone (7,8-DHF), a TRKB agonist, has demonstrated potential to enhance BDNF-TRKB pathway in various neurodegenerative diseases. To expand the capacity of flavones as TRKB agonists, two natural flavones quercetin and apigenin, were evaluated. With tryptophan fluorescence quenching assay, we illustrated the direct interaction between quercetin/ apigenin and TRKB extracellular domain. Employing Aβ folding reporter SH-SY5Y cells, we showed that quercetin and apigenin reduced Aβ-aggregation, oxidative stress, caspase-1 and acetylcholinesterase activities, as well as improved the neurite outgrowth. Treatments with quercetin and apigenin increased TRKB Tyr516 and Tyr817 and downstream cAMP-response-element binding protein (CREB) Ser133 to activate transcription of BDNF and BCL2 apoptosis regulator (BCL2), as well as reduced the expression of pro-apoptotic BCL2 associated X protein (BAX). Knockdown of TRKB counteracted the improvement of neurite outgrowth by quercetin and apigenin. Our results demonstrate that quercetin and apigenin are to work likely as a direct agonist on TRKB for their neuroprotective action, strengthening the therapeutic potential of quercetin and apigenin in treating AD.

Correlation between goose circovirus and goose parvovirus with gosling feather loss disease and goose broke feather disease in southern Taiwan

Chiu-Huang Ting,Chia-Ying Lin,Yang-Chieh Huang,Shyh-Shyan Liu,Shao-Yu Peng,Chen-Wei Wang,Hung-Yi Wu 대한수의학회 2021 Journal of Veterinary Science Vol.22 No.1

Background: Goslings in several Taiwanese farms experienced gosling feather loss disease (GFL) at 21–35 days and goose broke feather disease (GBF) at 42–60 days. The prevalence ranges from a few birds to 500 cases per field. It is estimated that about 12,000 geese have been infected, the morbidity is 70–80% and the mortality is 20–30%. Objectives: This study aims to investigate the pathogens that cause GFL and GBF. Focus on the study of the correlation between goose circovirus (GoCV) and goose parvovirus (GPV) with the goose feather loss in southern Taiwan. Furthermore, a phylogenetic tree was established to align the differences between southern and northern Taiwan and compare with virus strains from China and Europe. Methods: Samples were collected from animal hospitals. Molecular and microscopy diagnostics were used to examine 92 geese. Specific quantitative polymerase chain reaction (Q-PCR) assays are performed to evaluate GPV and GoCV viral loads and simultaneously evaluated the feather loss conditions in geese with the scoring method. Results: High prevalence of GoCV and GPV infection in geese showing signs of GFL and GBF. Inclusion body was detected in the feather follicles and Lieberkühn crypt epithelial cells. The Q-PCR showed the high correlation between feather loss and viruses during 3rd–5th week. However, the infection was not detected using the same test in 60 healthy geese. Conclusions: Thus, GFL and GBF appear to be significantly closely related to GoCV and GPV. The geese feathers showed increasing recovery after being quarantined and disinfected.

Batch and continuous desorption kinetics for Naphthalene from sediment of Kao-Ping River, Taiwan

Chon-Lin Lee,Ping-Chieh Hsieh,An-An Chiu 환경독성보건학회 2004 한국독성학회 심포지움 및 학술발표회 Vol.- No.-

Sintering and electric conductivity of (Fe,Mn,Sm) codoped CeO2-δ

Ting-Yi Yang,Chieh Chiu,Wen-Cheng J. Wei 한양대학교 세라믹연구소 2021 Journal of Ceramic Processing Research Vol.22 No.5

Two ceria-based samples, Sm0.1Ce0.9O2 (ST00) and Fe0.005Mn0.005Sm0.09Ce0.9O2 (S9HH) were synthesized by EDTA-citratemethod to achieve molecular-scale homogeneity. The solubility limits of the (Fe, Mn) dopants were determined by quantitativeX-ray diffraction (QXRD). The microstructure of samples after sintering were analyzed by SEM and TEM. The conductivitywas measured by 2-probe DC and AC impedance methods. The results showed no solubility limit of Mn and Fe with 5-9 mol%Sm in CeO2. Two ceria-based samples, ST00 and S9HH could be densified at 1,500 oC and 1,250 oC respectively in 1 h to fulldensity. The electrical conductivity results showed that densified 9HH performed higher electrical conductivity at 800 oC, i.e. 7.15 x 10^-2 S·cm^-1 with an ionic transference ratio (ti) 0.76 at 600 oC. Sm-segregation near grain boundary was found in SDC,but amorphous submicron-domains in (Fe, Mn, Sm) co-doped grains were responsible for the ease of the sintering at 1,250 oC.

The Presence of Borrelia valaisiana-Related Genospecies in Ticks and a Rodent in Taiwan

Chun-Man Huang,Hsi-Chieh Wang,Ying-Chun Lin,Shih-Hui Chiu,Ying-Shun Kao,Pei-Lung Lee,Hsiu-I Wang,Ruei-Chen Hung,Huang-I Chan,Ho-Sheng Wu,Chuen-Sheue Chiang,Jung-Jung Mu 한국미생물학회 2010 The journal of microbiology Vol.48 No.6

A field survey was conducted to investigate the presence of Borrelia burgdorferi sensu lato (s.l.) in six counties of Taiwan. Spirochetes were successfully isolated from one rodent ear sample out of 485 rodent ears and 53live, fed tick (Ixodes granulatus) samples. The spirochetes were confirmed to be B. burgdorferi s.l. by real-time PCR. In addition, 23 of 113 tick samples were tested positive for Borrelia DNA according to real-time PCR. The Borrelia isolate from the rodent and the 23 Borrelia DNA samples from the ticks were identified as B. valaisiana-related genospecies by phylogenetic analysis based on flagellin gene sequences. These findings suggest that the Borrelia valaisiana-related strains are maintained in a zoonotic cycle between tick vectors and reservoir hosts in Taiwan.

Analgesic and Anti-Inflammatory Activities of Rosa taiwanensis Nakai in Mice

Der-Shiang Tsai,Mei-Hsuen Huang,Jen-Chieh Tsai,Yuan-Shuang Chang,Yung-Jia Chiu,Yen-Chang Lin,Lung-Yuan Wu,Wen-Huang Peng 한국식품영양과학회 2015 Journal of medicinal food Vol.18 No.5

In this study, we evaluated the analgesic and anti-inflammatory activities of a 70% ethanol extract from Rosa taiwanensis Nakai (RTEtOH). The analgesic effect was determined using acetic acid-induced writhing response and formalin test. The anti-inflammatory activity was evaluated by λ-carrageenan-induced paw edema in mice. The anti-inflammatory mechanism of RTEtOH was examined by measuring the levels of cyclooxygenase-2 (COX-2), nitric oxide (NO), tumor necrosis factor-α (TNF-α), interleukin (IL)-1β, IL-6, and malondialdehyde (MDA) in the paw edema tissue and the activities of superoxide dismutase (SOD), glutathione peroxidase (GPx), and glutathione reductase (GRd) in the liver tissue. The betulinic acid and oleanolic acid contents of RTEtOH were assayed by HPLC. The results showed that RTEtOH decreased the acetic acid-induced writhing responses (1.0 g/kg) and the late phase of the formalin-induced licking time (0.5 and 1.0 g/kg). In the anti-inflammatory models, RTEtOH (0.5 and 1.0 g/kg) reduced the paw edema at 3, 4, and 5 h after λ-carrageenan administration. Moreover, the anti-inflammatory mechanisms might be due to the decreased levels of COX-2, TNF-α, IL-1β, and IL-6, as well as the inhibition of NO and MDA levels through increasing the activities of SOD, GPx, and GRd. The contents of two active compounds, betulinic acid and oleanolic acid, were quantitatively determined. This study demonstrated the analgesic and anti-inflammatory activities of RTEtOH and provided evidence to support its therapeutic use in inflammatory diseases.

Hybrid Intelligence Approaches for Designing a Dynamic Financial Time-series Predictive Model Based on Web-Architecture Home Finance Learning Environment

Hsio-Yi Lin,Hsiao-Ya Chiu,Chieh-Chung Sheng,An-Pin Chen 보안공학연구지원센터 2008 International Journal of Smart Home Vol.2 No.2

This study proposes design concepts for a comprehensive home financial learning environment that individual investors can use as a reference in establishing web-based learning and investment platforms. This study also introduces a hybrid approach that demonstrates a data mining function of the financial learning environment. Known as Fuzzy BPN, this approach is comprised of backpropagation neural network (BPN) and fuzzy membership function. This membership function takes advantage of the nonlinear features of artificial neural networks (ANNs) and the interval values as a means of overcoming the inadequacy of single-point estimation of ANNs. Based from these characteristics, a dynamic and intelligent time-series forecasting system will be developed for practical financial predictions. In addition to this, the experimental processing can demonstrate the feasibility of applying the hybrid model-Fuzzy BPN. The empirical results of the study show that Fuzzy BPN provides an alternative data mining tool for financial learning environment to investment forecasting.

Toposequence for Distribution and Transformation of Phosphorus Fractions in Humid Subalpine Forests

Shih-Hao Jien,Yue-Ming Chen,Chih-Chieh Hu,Tsai-Huei Chen,Chih-Yu Chiu 한국토양비료학회 2014 한국토양비료학회 학술발표회 초록집 Vol.2014 No.6