Moral Assumptions of American Social Engineering

Fann, Tseng Huei 한국아메리카학회 1977 美國學論集 Vol.10 No.-

Estimated Changes in Life Expectancy and Adult Mortality Resulting from Declining [FORMULA OMISSION] Exposures in the Contiguous United States: 1980–2010

Fann, Neal,Kim, Sun-Young,Olives, Casey,Sheppard, Lianne Environmental Health Perspectives 2017 Environmental health perspectives Vol.125 No.9

<P><B>Background:</B></P><P>[FORMULA OMISSION] precursor emissions have declined over the course of several decades, following the implementation of local, state, and federal air quality policies. Estimating the corresponding change in population exposure and [FORMULA OMISSION] risk of death prior to the year 2000 is made difficult by the lack of [FORMULA OMISSION] monitoring data.</P><P><B>Objectives:</B></P><P>We used a new technique to estimate historical [FORMULA OMISSION] concentrations, and estimated the effects of changes in [FORMULA OMISSION] population exposures on mortality in adults (age [FORMULA OMISSION]), and on life expectancy at birth, in the contiguous United States during 1980–2010.</P><P><B>Methods:</B></P><P>We estimated annual mean county-level [FORMULA OMISSION] concentrations in 1980, 1990, 2000, and 2010 using universal kriging incorporating geographic variables. County-level death rates and national life tables for each year were obtained from the U.S. Census and Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. We used log-linear and nonlinear concentration–response coefficients from previous studies to estimate changes in the numbers of deaths and in life years and life expectancy at birth, attributable to changes in [FORMULA OMISSION].</P><P><B>Results:</B></P><P>Between 1980 and 2010, population-weighted [FORMULA OMISSION] exposures fell by about half, and the estimated number of excess deaths declined by about a third. The States of California, Virginia, New Jersey, and Georgia had some of the largest estimated reductions in [FORMULA OMISSION] deaths. Relative to a counterfactual population with exposures held constant at 1980 levels, we estimated that people born in 2050 would experience an [FORMULA OMISSION] increase in life expectancy at birth, and that there would be a cumulative gain of 4.4 million life years among adults [FORMULA OMISSION] of age.</P><P><B>Conclusions:</B></P><P>Our estimates suggest that declines in [FORMULA OMISSION] exposures between 1980 and 2010 have benefitted public health. https://doi.org/10.1289/EHP507</P>

IgE-Binding Epitope Mapping and Tissue Localization of the Major American Cockroach Allergen Per a 2

Mey-Fann Lee,Chia-Wei Chang,Pei-Pong Song,Guang-Yuh Hwang,Shyh-Jye Lin,Yi-Hsing Chen 대한천식알레르기학회 2015 Allergy, Asthma & Immunology Research Vol.7 No.4

Purpose: Cockroaches are the second leading allergen in Taiwan. Sensitization to Per a 2, the major American cockroach allergen, correlates with clinical severity among patients with airway allergy, but there is limited information on IgE epitopes and tissue localization of Per a 2. This study aimed to identify Per a 2 linear IgE-binding epitopes and its distribution in the body of a cockroach. Methods: The cDNA of Per a 2 was used as a template and combined with oligonucleotide primers specific to the target areas with appropriate restriction enzyme sites. Eleven overlapping fragments of Per a 2 covering the whole allergen molecule, except 20 residues of signal peptide, were generated by PCR. Mature Per a 2 and overlapping deletion mutants were affinity-purified and assayed for IgE reactivity by immunoblotting. Three synthetic peptides comprising the B cell epitopes were evaluated by direct binding ELISA. Rabbit anti-Per a 2 antibody was used for immunohistochemistry. Results: Human linear IgE-binding epitopes of Per a 2 were located at the amino acid sequences 57-86, 200-211, and 299-309. There was positive IgE binding to 10 tested Per a 2-allergic sera in 3 synthetic peptides, but none in the controls. Immunostaining revealed that Per a 2 was localized partly in the mouth and midgut of the cockroach, with the most intense staining observed in the hindgut, suggesting that the Per a 2 allergen might be excreted through the feces. Conclusions: Information on the IgE-binding epitope of Per a 2 may be used for designing more specific diagnostic and therapeutic approaches to cockroach allergy.

Does Spore Count Matter in Fungal Allergy?: The Role of Allergenic Fungal Species

Wan-Rou Lin,Yi-Hsing Chen,Mey-Fann Lee,Ling-Yi Hsu,Chih-Jen Tien,Feng-Ming Shih,Shih-Ching Hsiao,Pi-Han Wang 대한천식알레르기학회 2016 Allergy, Asthma & Immunology Research Vol.8 No.5

Purpose: Fungi have been known to be important aeroallergens for hundreds of years. Most studies have focused on total fungal concentration; however, the concentration of specific allergenic fungi may be more important on an individual basis. Methods: Ten fungal allergic patients and 2 non-fungal allergic patients were enrolled. The patients with a decrease in physician or patient global assessment by more than 50% of their personal best were considered to have an exacerbation of allergic symptoms and to be in the active stage. Those who maintained their physician and patient global assessment scores at their personal best for more than 3 months were considered to be in the inactive stage. The concentrations of dominant fungi in the patients’ houses and outdoors were measured by direct and viable counts at active and inactive stages. Results: The exacerbation of allergic symptoms was not correlated with total fungal spore concentration or the indoor/outdoor ratio (I/O). Specific fungi, such as Cladosporium oxysporum (C. oxyspurum), C. cladosporioides, and Aspergillus niger (A. niger), were found to be significantly higher concentrations in the active stage than in the inactive stage. Presumed allergenic spore concentration threshold levels were 100 CFU/m3 for C. oxysporum, and 10 CFU/m3 for A. niger, Penicillium brevicompactum and Penicillium oxalicum. Conclusions: The major factor causing exacerbation of allergic symptoms in established fungal allergic patients may be the spore concentration of specific allergenic fungi rather than the total fungal concentration. These results may be useful in making recommendations as regards environmental control for fungal allergic patients.

Evidence that collaboration between HIF-1α and Notch-1 promotes neuronal cell death in ischemic stroke

Cheng, Y.L.,Park, J.S.,Manzanero, S.,Choi, Y.,Baik, S.H.,Okun, E.,Gelderblom, M.,Fann, D.Y.W.,Magnus, T.,Launikonis, B.S.,Mattson, M.P.,Sobey, C.G.,Jo, D.G.,Arumugam, T.V. Blackwell Science ; Academic Press 2014 Neurobiology of disease Vol.62 No.-

Recent findings suggest that Notch-1 signaling contributes to neuronal death in ischemic stroke, but the underlying mechanisms are unknown. Hypoxia inducible factor-1α (HIF-1α), a global regulator of cellular responses to hypoxia, can interact with Notch and modulate its signaling during hypoxic stress. Here we show that Notch signaling interacts with the HIF-1α pathway in the process of ischemic neuronal death. We found that a chemical inhibitor of the Notch-activating enzyme, γ-secretase, and a HIF-1α inhibitor, protect cultured cortical neurons against ischemic stress, and combined inhibition of Notch-1 and HIF-1α further decreased neuronal death. HIF-1α and Notch intracellular domain (NICD) are co-expressed in the neuronal nucleus, and co-immunoprecipitated in cultured neurons and in brain tissue from mice subjected to focal ischemic stroke. Overexpression of NICD and HIF-1α in cultured human neural cells enhanced cell death under ischemia-like conditions, and a HIF-1α inhibitor rescued the cells. RNA interference-mediated depletion of endogenous NICD and HIF-1α also decreased cell death under ischemia-like conditions. Finally, mice treated with inhibitors of γ-secretase and HIF-1α exhibited improved outcome after focal ischemic stroke, with combined treatment being superior to individual treatments. Additional findings suggest that the NICD and HIF-1α collaborate to engage pro-inflammatory and apoptotic signaling pathways in stroke.

A class of non-linear exposure-response models suitable for health impact assessment applicable to large cohort studies of ambient air pollution

Nasari, Masoud M.,Szyszkowicz, Mieczysław,Chen, Hong,Crouse, Daniel,Turner, Michelle C.,Jerrett, Michael,Pope III, C. Arden,Hubbell, Bryan,Fann, Neal,Cohen, Aaron,Gapstur, Susan M.,Diver, W. Ryan,Stie Springer Netherlands 2016 AIR QUALITY ATMOSPHERE AND HEALTH Vol.9 No.8

<P>The effectiveness of regulatory actions designed to improve air quality is often assessed by predicting changes in public health resulting from their implementation. Risk of premature mortality from long-term exposure to ambient air pollution is the single most important contributor to such assessments and is estimated from observational studies generally assuming a log-linear, no-threshold association between ambient concentrations and death. There has been only limited assessment of this assumption in part because of a lack of methods to estimate the shape of the exposure-response function in very large study populations. In this paper, we propose a new class of variable coefficient risk functions capable of capturing a variety of potentially non-linear associations which are suitable for health impact assessment. We construct the class by defining transformations of concentration as the product of either a linear or log-linear function of concentration multiplied by a logistic weighting function. These risk functions can be estimated using hazard regression survival models with currently available computer software and can accommodate large population-based cohorts which are increasingly being used for this purpose. We illustrate our modeling approach with two large cohort studies of long-term concentrations of ambient air pollution and mortality: the American Cancer Society Cancer Prevention Study II (CPS II) cohort and the Canadian Census Health and Environment Cohort (CanCHEC). We then estimate the number of deaths attributable to changes in fine particulate matter concentrations over the 2000 to 2010 time period in both Canada and the USA using both linear and non-linear hazard function models.</P><P><B>Electronic supplementary material</B></P><P>The online version of this article (doi:10.1007/s11869-016-0398-z) contains supplementary material, which is available to authorized users.</P>

Impact of timely BCR-ABL1 monitoring before allogeneic stem cell transplantation among patients with BCR-ABL1-positive B-acute lymphoblastic leukemia

Siew Lian Chong,Asral Wirda Ahmad Asnawi,Tze Shin Leong,Jenq Tzong Tan,Kian Boon Law,Siong Leng Hon,Rui Jeat Fann,Sen Mui Tan 대한혈액학회 2021 Blood Research Vol.56 No.3

Background With the emergence of tyrosine kinase inhibitors and the incorporation of stringent measurable residual disease (MRD) monitoring, risk stratification for BCR-ABL1-positive acute lymphoblastic leukemia (ALL) patients has changed significantly. However, whether this monitoring can replace conventional risk factors in determining whether patients need allogeneic stem cell transplantation is still unclear. This study aimed to determine the impact of BCR-ABL1 monitoring on the outcome of patients with BCR-ABL1-positive ALL after allogeneic stem cell transplantation. Methods We retrospectively analyzed the survival outcome of patients with BCR-ABL1-positive ALL based on the quantification of BCR-ABL1 at 3 timepoints: the end of induction (timepoint 1), post-consolidation week 16 (timepoint 2), and the end of treatment for patients who were either transplant-eligible or non-transplant eligible (timepoint 3). Results From 2006 to 2018, a total of 96 patients newly diagnosed with BCR-ABL1-positive ALL were treated with chemotherapy and tyrosine kinase inhibitors. Thirty-eight (41.3%) patients achieved complete remission, and 33 patients underwent allogeneic stem cell transplantation. Our data showed that pre-transplant MRD monitoring by real-time quantitative polymerase chain reaction had the highest correlation with survival in patients with BCR-ABL1-positive ALL, especially for those who underwent allogeneic stem cell transplantation. Conclusion Patients without MRD pre-transplantation had superior survival compared with those who had MRD, and they had excellent long-term outcomes after allogeneic stem cell transplantation.