Involvement of Orai1 in tunicamycin-induced endothelial dysfunction

Hui Yang,Yumei Xue,Sujuan Kuang,Mengzhen Zhang,Jinghui Chen,Lin Liu,Zhixin Shan,Qiuxiong Lin,Xiaohong Li,Min Yang,Hui Zhou,Fang Rao,Chunyu Deng 대한약리학회 2019 The Korean Journal of Physiology & Pharmacology Vol.23 No.2

Endoplasmic reticulum (ER) stress is mediated by disturbance of Ca2+ homeostasis. The store-operated calcium (SOC) channel is the primary Ca2+ channel in non-excitable cells, but its participation in agent-induced ER stress is not clear. In this study, the effects of tunicamycin on Ca2+ influx in human umbilical vein endothelial cells (HUVECs) were observed with the fluorescent probe Fluo-4 AM. The effect of tunicamycin on the expression of the unfolded protein response (UPR)-related proteins BiP and CHOP was assayed by western blotting with or without inhibition of Orai1. Tunicamycin induced endothelial dysfunction by activating ER stress. Orai1 expression and the influx of extracellular Ca2+ in HUVECs were both upregulated during ER stress. The SOC channel inhibitor SKF96365 reversed tunicamycin-induced endothelial cell dysfunction by inhibiting ER stress. Regulation of tunicamycin-induced ER stress by Orai1 indicates that modification of Orai1 activity may have therapeutic value for conditions with ER stress-induced endothelial dysfunction.

Current status and future of applied entomology in Taiwan

Kuang-Hui Lu 한국응용곤충학회 2011 한국응용곤충학회 학술대회논문집 Vol.2011 No.05

Taiwan is an island located in the south-east of China (20°30"N, 121°00"E), and the Tropic of Cancer runs through the middle of the island. Total area of Taiwan is about 36,000 sq. km with 394 km long and 144 km wide at its broadest point. The mountain ranges occupy almost half of the island, more than 200 peaks elevate over 3000 m, and the tallest peak is Yu-Shan (Jade Mountain) with 3952 m. In general, Taiwan has a marine climate and varies widely by season in the Northern part and the mountain areas however, in the South, it belongs to the tropical belt and is warm and humid all year. These diverse climate patterns create the extreme diversity of insects in Taiwan, of course including all kinds of insect pests. Here, I try to make a brief introduction to how we study and control in insect pests in Taiwan. Entomological research related government organizations Mainly, two government departments, i.e., the Bureau of Animal and Plant Health Inspection and Quarantine (BAPHIQ) and the Centers for Disease Control (CDC), are in charge of insect pest-relatedstudy and control in Taiwan. Both are the major providers of research funding to support study on all aspects of applied entomology; however, the former is responsible for control of animal and plant diseases and pests and plant health inspection and quarantine (agriculture entomology); however, the latter is responsible for prevention, control, survey and research of various communicable diseases that are mostly related with the public health (medical entomology).Besides, the National Science Council (NSC) provides funding mainly for basic research. Entomology study in Universities and Research institutes There are only two “Department of Entomology” in Taiwan, one is at the National Taiwan University, and the other is at the National Chung University. In addition, there are two plant protection related departments as well, i.e., “Department of Plant Medical Science, National Pingtung University of Science and Technology” in Pingtung County and “Department of Biological Resources, National Chiayi University” in Chiayi County. Besides teaching, all aspects of entomology-related research projects are held as well. Additionally, there are many entomologists scattered in different university, especially in medical schools for medical entomological research. Under the Council of Agriculture (COA), there are several agriculture research institutes are responsible for agriculture research including insect pest control (applied entomology), such as (1) Taiwan Agricultural Research Institute (ARI) and its experimental branches: the key agricultural research institute in Taiwan, (2) Taiwan Agricultural Chemicals and Toxic Substance Research Institute (TACTRI): the institute is responsible for developing pesticides and plant protection technologies, monitoring pesticide residues and toxic substances in agricultural products, providing technical services, and establishing evaluation methods and guidelines to control pesticides, and (3) seven “District Agricultural Research and Extension Stations” located in Taoyuan, Miaoli, Taichung, Tainan, Kaohsiung, Hualien and Taitung Districts, respectively. These Stations are responsible for the research and extension works which are according to the regional difference, as well as (4) Endemic Species Research Institute and (5) Taiwan Forestry Research Institute. Current status and future of applied entomology in Taiwan All aspects of the entomological research are going in Taiwan, and there is no way to clearly introduce all of them; therefore, only main directions are highlighted as the following: (1) In agriculture a. Key targeted species- oriental fruit fly (Bactrocera dorsalis (Hendel)), melon fly (B. cucurbitae Coquillett), common cutworm (Spodoptera litura (Fabricius)), and……..etc. b. Control methods i. Chemical control- it still is the key method currently. ii. Nonchemical control- attractants (pheromones), natural enemy, microbial control,……..etc. c. Insect vectors on transmission of plant diseases. d. New technique- use of wireless sensor network (WSN) technology to monitor the insect population. (2) In public health- medical insects a. Key targeted species- Aedes aegypti, Ae. albopictus, Culex quinquefasciatus, and…..etc. b. Important issues i. Insect-borne diseases- e.g. Dengue fever ii. Zoonotic diseases- e.g. Japanese encephalitis iii. Nuisance insects- e.g. biting midge (Forcipomyia taiwana) c. Control methods: similar to (1) b. (3) Prevention, invasion and control of exotic insect pests a. Plant quarantine inspection- application of molecular biotechnology, such as PCR and microarray, to detection and identification insect species. b. Invasion and control of the imported fire ant, Solenopsis invicta, and the erythrina gall wasp, Quadrastichus erythrinae. (4) Insect biodiversity and conservation a. Conservation species of insects in Taiwan b. Firefly restoration (5) Application of biotechnology on insects a. Use of insect as bioreactors to produce useful proteins. b. Use of transgenic insect to control insect pests.

Association between ABCB1 Polymorphisms and Antidepressant Treatment Response in Taiwanese Major Depressive Patients

Hui Hua Chang,Chen-Hsi Chou,Yen Kuang Yang,I Hui Lee,Po See Chen 대한정신약물학회 2015 CLINICAL PSYCHOPHARMACOLOGY AND NEUROSCIENCE Vol.13 No.3

Objective: The multidrug resistance 1 (ABCB1, MDR1) gene, encoding P-glycoprotein, is extensively distributed and expressed in various tissues, such as a blood-brain barrier transporter. P-glycoprotein plays an important role in controlling the passage of substances between the blood and brain. The current study aimed to investigate possible associations of functional ABCB1 polymorphisms (C3435T, G2677T and C1236T) with response to antidepressant treatment and serum cortisol levels in Taiwanese patients with major depressive disorder (MDD). Methods: We recruited 112 MDD patients who were randomized to fluoxetine (n=58, mean dose: 21.4±4.5 mg/day) or venlafaxine (n=54, 80.2±34.7 mg/day) treatment for 6 weeks. The 21-item Hamilton Depression Rating Scale (HDRS) was administered initially and biweekly after treatment, and cortisol levels were assessed initially and after 6-week antidepressant treatment. Results: The initial HDRS scores and the HDRS scores after six weeks of antidepressant treatment were not significantly different among the different genotypes in each polymorphism of ABCB1. The percentage changes of HDRS scores over time were significantly different in the polymorphisms of ABCB1 G2677T (p=0.002). MDD patients with the G/G genotype of ABCB1 G2677T had a worse antidepressant treatment response. However, the polymorphisms of ABCB1 genotypes were not significantly associated with cortisol levels before and after antidepressant treatment in MDD patients. Conclusion: The results suggested that the variants of ABCB1 may influence the short-term antidepressant response in MDD patients. Further details of the underlying mechanisms of ABCB1 in antidepressant treatment remain to be clarified.

Unit Nonrespondents in a Taiwan Telephone Survey

Chen, Kuang-hui Center for Asian Public Opinion ResearchCollaborat 2016 Asian journal for public opinion research Vol.3 No.3

Researchers have been perplexed by the issue of unit nonresponse since the beginning of practicing survey research and have been attentive to the causes that lead to the occurrence of unit nonresponse as well as the impact of unit nonresponse. However, because researchers have little to no information regarding unit nonrespondents, it is unlikely that they are able to examine the differences between participants and nonrespondents to estimate the loss of representativeness in the final sample compared with the target population. Therefore, the lack of information regarding the absentees complicates addressing the unit nonresponse bias in a satisfactory manner. Therefore, the purpose of this study was to determine the demographic characteristics and political attitudes of nonrespondents by relying on information provided by their spouses, which was obtained through a telephone survey conducted in Taiwan. It is found that demographic variables as well as political attitudes are related to the likelihood of an individual becoming a unit nonrespondent in telephone surveys.

Involvement of Orai1 in tunicamycin-induced endothelial dysfunction

Yang, Hui,Xue, Yumei,Kuang, Sujuan,Zhang, Mengzhen,Chen, Jinghui,Liu, Lin,Shan, Zhixin,Lin, Qiuxiong,Li, Xiaohong,Yang, Min,Zhou, Hui,Rao, Fang,Deng, Chunyu The Korean Society of Pharmacology 2019 The Korean Journal of Physiology & Pharmacology Vol.23 No.2

Endoplasmic reticulum (ER) stress is mediated by disturbance of $Ca^{2+}$ homeostasis. The store-operated calcium (SOC) channel is the primary $Ca^{2+}$ channel in non-excitable cells, but its participation in agent-induced ER stress is not clear. In this study, the effects of tunicamycin on $Ca^{2+}$ influx in human umbilical vein endothelial cells (HUVECs) were observed with the fluorescent probe Fluo-4 AM. The effect of tunicamycin on the expression of the unfolded protein response (UPR)-related proteins BiP and CHOP was assayed by western blotting with or without inhibition of Orai1. Tunicamycin induced endothelial dysfunction by activating ER stress. Orai1 expression and the influx of extracellular $Ca^{2+}$ in HUVECs were both upregulated during ER stress. The SOC channel inhibitor SKF96365 reversed tunicamycin-induced endothelial cell dysfunction by inhibiting ER stress. Regulation of tunicamycin-induced ER stress by Orai1 indicates that modification of Orai1 activity may have therapeutic value for conditions with ER stress-induced endothelial dysfunction.

Correlates of Susceptibility to Smoking among Secondary School Students in Kota Tinggi District, Johor, Malaysia

Hock, Lim Kuang,Ghazali, Sumarni Mohd,Cheong, Kee Chee,Kuay, Lim Kuang,Li, Lim Hui,Ying, Chan Ying,Huey, Tay Chien,Yee, Lai Wai,Ying, Ong Shiau,Yen, Yeo Lay,Abdullah, Norhamimah,Wymen, Seet,Ibrahim, N Asian Pacific Journal of Cancer Prevention 2013 Asian Pacific journal of cancer prevention Vol.14 No.11

Background: Smoking among adolescents has been linked to a variety of adverse and long term health consequences. "Susceptibility to smoking" or the lack of cognitive commitment to abstain from smoking is an important predictor of adolescent smoking. In 2008, we conducted a study to determine the psycho-sociological factors associated with susceptibility to smoking among secondary school students in the district of Kota Tinggi, Johor. Materials and Methods: Two thousand seven hundred students were randomly selected by proportional stratified sampling. Analyses on 1,736 non-smoking students revealed that prevalence of adolescents susceptible to smoking was 16.3%. Results: Male gender (aOR=2.05, 95%CI= 1.23-3.39), poor academic achievement (aOR 1.60, 95%CI 1.05-2.44), ever-smoker (aOR 2.17, 95%CI 1.37-3.44) and having a smoking friend (aOR 1.76, 95%CI 1.10-2.83) were associated with susceptibility to smoking, while having the perception that smoking prohibition in school was strictly enforced (aOR 0.55, 95%CI 0.32-0.94), and had never seen friends smoking in a school compound (aOR 0.59, 95%CI 0.37-0.96) were considered protective factors Conclusions: These results indicate that follow-up programmes need to capitalise on the modifiable factors related to susceptibility to smoking by getting all stakeholders to be actively involved to stamp out smoking initiation among adolescents.

Prevalence and Factors Associated with Smoking Intentions among Non-smoking and Smoking Adolescents in Kota Tinggi, Johor, Malaysia

Hock, Lim Kuang,Ghazali, Sumarni Mohamad,Cheong, Kee Chee,Kuay, Lim Kuang,Li, Lim Hui,Huey, Teh Chien,Ying, Chan Ying,Yen, Yeo Lay,Ching, Fiona Goh Swee,Yi, Khoo Yi,Lin, Chong Zhuo,Ibrahim, Normala,Mu Asian Pacific Journal of Cancer Prevention 2014 Asian Pacific journal of cancer prevention Vol.15 No.10

Intention to smoke is a valid and reliable factor for predicting future smoking habits among adolescents. This factor, however, has received inadequate attention in Malaysia. The present paper elaborates the prevalence and factors associated with intent to initiate or to cease smoking, among adolescent nonsmokers and smokers in Kota Tinggi, Johor, Malaysia. A total of 2,300 secondary school students aged 13-16 years were selected through a two-stage stratified sampling method. A set of standardized questionnaires was used to assess the smoking behavior among adolescents and the inter-personal and intra-personal factors associated with smoking intention (intention to initiate smoking or to cease smoking). Multivariable logistic regression was used to identify factors related to smoking intention. The prevalence of intention to smoke in the future or to cease smoking among non-smoking adolescents and current smokers were 10.7% and 61.7% respectively. Having friends who smoke, social influence, and poor knowledge about the ill effects on health due to smoking showed significant relationships with intention to smoke in the future among non-smokers. Conversely, perceived lower prevalence of smoking among peers, weak contributory social influence, and greater awareness of the ill effects of smoking are factors associated with the intention to cease smoking sometime in the future. The study found that prevalence of intention to initiate smoking is low among non-smokers while the majority of current smokers intended to cease smoking in the future. Existing anti-smoking programmes that integrate the factors that have been identified in the current study should be put in motion to reduce the prevalence of intention to initiate smoking and increase the intention to cease smoking among adolescents.

Strategic Buying or Selling?: The Behavior ofVertically-Integrated Firms in the IntermediateGoods Market

( Kuang Cheng Wang ),( Hui Wen Koo ),( Tain Jy Chen ) 세종대학교 경제통합연구소 (구 세종대학교 국제경제연구소) 2005 Journal of Economic Integration Vol.20 No.2

This paper considers a successive oligopoly model in which a vertically-intergrated firm(VI firm) can buy or sell intermediate goods. We find that when there are only a small number of VI firms in the market, they tend to buyor even to store up intermediate goods. In our setting, a vertical merger wil l not result in market foreclosure and it always in creases social welfare.

The Change of Immunoactivity of Dendritic Cells Induced by Mouse 4-1BBL Recombinant Adenovirus

Kuang Youlin,Weng Xiaodong,Chen Zhiyuan,Zhu Hengcheng,Chen Hui,Jiang Botao,Liu Xiuheng 연세대학교의과대학 2010 Yonsei medical journal Vol.51 No.4

Purpose: The purpose of this study is to construct a recombinant adenovirus vector carrying mouse 4-1BBL and observe its effects in dendritic cells. Materials and Methods: Mouse 4-1BBL cDNA was taken from the plasmid pcDNA3-m4-1BBL and subcloned into adenovirus shuttle plasmid pAdTrack-CMV, and then transformed into competent BJ5183 with plasmid pAdEasy-1. After recombination in E. coli, Ad-4-1BBL was packaged and amplified in HEK 293 cells. The expression of 4-1BBL in Ad-4-1BBL-transfected mouse prostate cancer cell line RM-1was detected by reverse transcription polymerase chain reaction (RT-PCR) and Western blot. After the co-culture of dendritic cells (DCs) with Ad-4-1BBLtransfected RM-1 cells, interleukin (IL)-6 and IL-12 production were assessed by enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay (ELISA) and co-stimulatary moleculs (CD80 and CD86) on DCs were analyzed by flow cytometry. Results: The levels of IL-6 (3,960 pg/mL) and IL-12 (249 pg/mL) production in Ad-m4-1BBL-pulsed DCs were more than those in none-pulsed DCs. The differences were statistically significant (p < 0.05). The expression of co-stimulatary molecules (CD80 and CD86) was up-regulated in Ad-m4-1BBL-pulsed DCs. Conclusion: The results indicated the recombinant mouse 4-1BBL can effectively activate DCs.

Fuzzy Model and Control for Hybrid Systems Using Averaging Techniques

Kuang-Yow Lian,Hui-Wen Tu,Jeih-Jang Liou 제어로봇시스템학회 2006 제어로봇시스템학회 국제학술대회 논문집 Vol.2006 No.10