Relationship Between Belief about Analgesics, Analgesic Adherence and Pain Experience in Taiwanese Cancer Outpatients

Liang, Shu-Yuan,Chen, Kang-Pan,Tsay, Shiow-Luan,Wu, Shu-Fang,Chuang, Yeu-Hui,Wang, Tsae-Jyy,Tung, Heng-Hsin,Cheng, Su-Fen Asian Pacific Journal of Cancer Prevention 2013 Asian Pacific journal of cancer prevention Vol.14 No.2

Social and behavioral scientists have proposed that a person's belief system crucially influences his or her behaviour, and therefore may affect outcomes of pain management. The purpose of this study was to explore the relationship between analgesic beliefs, analgesic adherence and pain experience amongst Taiwanese cancer outpatients. The cross-sectional study included 92 oncology outpatients in two teaching hospitals in the Taipei area of Taiwan. The research instruments included the Pain Opioid Analgesic Beliefs Scale-Cancer (POABS-CA), opioid adherence, and the Brief Pain Inventory-Chinese (BPI-Chinese). Beliefs about pain and opioids demonstrated a significant relationship with patients' opioid adherence (r = -0.30, p < 0.01). The more negative beliefs regarding opioids and pain the patient had, the worse their adherence to around the clock (ATC) analgesic regimen. However, there was no significant correlation between opioid belief and pain experience. As well, there were no significant relationships between adherence to opioid regimen and any of the measures of pain experience. The study highlights the potential importance of a patient's pain and opioid beliefs in adherence to pain medication.

MnO2/carbon nanotube-embedded carbon nanofibers as core–shell cables for high performing asymmetric flexible supercapacitors

Cheng-Liang Huang,Li-Ming Chiang,Chien-An Su,YUAN-YAO LI 한국공업화학회 2021 Journal of Industrial and Engineering Chemistry Vol.103 No.-

Supercapacitors (SCs) are important devices for energy storage because they provide a higher power densityas compared to that of batteries. However, SCs with high energy density and good flexibility are stillunder development. In this study, we fabricated MnO2-coated Carbon nanotube (CNT)-embedded carbonnanofiber (CNF) (referred to as MnO2/CNF-CNT) core–shell cables to investigate pseudo-capacitators,while activated CNF-CNTs obtained by CO2 activation was used for Electrical double-layer capacitors(EDLCs). Owing to the unique structure of the materials and high electrical conductivity of the CNTson the CNFs, a specific capacitance of 483.5 F/g was achieved using MnO2/CNF-CNT mat with 1 MNa2SO4 aqueous electrolyte at 0.5 A/g. A flexible MnO2/CNF-CNT supercapacitor was assembled, whichwas binder-free, electrically conductive media-free, and current collector-free. Further an asymmetricsupercapacitor was assembled with the MnO2/CNF-CNT mat and activated CNF-CNT mat in an ionic liquid(1-ethyl-3-methylimidazolium bis (trifluoromethylsulfonyl) imide) electrolyte. The maximum specificcapacitance of, energy density of and power density of 94.25 F/g, 209.4 Wh/kg and 1000 W/kg can beachieved with the asymmetric supercapacitor at 0.5 A/g and 4.0 V. We believe that these materials havesignificant potential for use in light-weight and flexible SCs.

Single Nucleotide Polymorphisms of Toll-Like Receptor 7 and Toll-Like Receptor 9 in Hepatitis C Virus Infection Patients from Central China

Xin-su Wei,Ping-an Zhang,Chuan-dong Wei,Yong-qing Tong,Cheng-liang Zhu 연세대학교의과대학 2014 Yonsei medical journal Vol.55 No.2

Purpose: To analyze the correlation of polymorphisms of toll-like receptor 7 (TLR7) (rs179009) and toll-like receptor 9 (TLR9) (rs187084) in hepatitis C virus (HCV) infections in the Han population. Materials and Methods: The genotypes of TLR7IVS2-151 in HCV infection were detected by Sanger sequencing using polymerase chain reaction-restriction fragment length polymorphism to determine the TLR9 T-1486C single nucleotide polymorphisms (SNP) for all enrolled patients. Results: We found no significant difference between males with spontaneousclearance of HCV versus those chronically infected [χ²=2.71, p=0.10, odd ratios(OR)=0.58, 95% confidence interval (CI) 0.31-1.11]. However, significant differences were found for the distribution of TLR7 (rs179009) in females (χ²=9.46, p=0.01). In females, a significant difference was also found between chronic hepatitis C and those with spontaneous clearance of HCV in terms of TLR7 IVS2-151G/A allele frequencies (χ²=9.50, p=0.00, OR=0.46, 95% CI 0.28-0.75). In HCV-infected patients, no significant association was found between the frequency of TLR9 genotypes and alleles. Conclusion: The site of TLR7 IVS2-151 (rs179009) G/A may be a factor for susceptibility of chronic HCV in the femaleHan population. TLR9T-1486C (rs18084) SNP may not play a major role in HCV infection. However, individual risk profiles for HCV infection did vary by sex and this relationship should be further investigated.

Current Status and Growth of Nuclear Theranostics in Singapore

Hian Liang Huang,Aaron Kian Ti Tong,Sue Ping Thang,Sean Xuexian Yan,Winnie Wing Chuen Lam,Kelvin Siu Hoong Loke,Charlene Yu Lin Tang,Lenith Tai Jit Cheng,Gideon Su Kai Ooi,Han Chung Low,Butch Maulion 대한핵의학회 2019 핵의학 분자영상 Vol.53 No.2

The concept of theranostics, where individual patient-level biological information is used to choose the optimal therapy for that individual, has become more popular in the modern era of ‘personalised’ medicine. With the growth of theranostics, nuclear medicine as a specialty is uniquely poised to grow along with the ever-increasing number of concepts combining imaging and therapy. This special report summarises the status and growth of Theranostic Nuclear Medicine in Singapore.We will cover our experience with the use of radioiodine, radioiodinated metaiodobenzylguanidine, peptide receptor radionuclide therapy, prostate specific membrane antigen radioligand therapy, radium-223 and yttrium-90 selective internal radiation therapy.We also include a section on our radiopharmacy laboratory, crucial to our implementation of theranostic principles. Radionuclide theranostics has seen tremendous growth and we hope to be able to grow alongside to continue to serve the patients in Singapore and in the region.

Flexural Performance of Prestressed Beams with Grouting Material of Various Compactnesses

Xuansheng Cheng,Haibo Liu,Jiaxuan Su,Liang Ma,Guoliang Li 대한토목학회 2020 KSCE JOURNAL OF CIVIL ENGINEERING Vol.24 No.8

Presently, there is no reliable conclusion on the effect of grouting compactness on the mechanical behavior of a prestressed concrete structure. To study the influence of grouting compactness on the performance of prestressed concrete, the flexural behaviors of 8 prestressed beams fabricated by using different sheaths materials with grouting material of various compactnesses were studied experimentally, and the flexural bearing capacity and flexural stiffness of the prestressed beams were discussed. The results showed that the variation in the average strain along the beam height has a linear distribution. The load-deflection curves included two turning points, which indicate concrete cracking and steel yielding. The effect of grouting compactnesses on the early stage of beam cracking is small, but the effect becomes increasingly obvious after beam cracking. The distribution of cracks in the prestressed beams with fuller grouting is more concentrated compared to that of beams with lower grouting compactness; when the crack spacing is smaller, the beam ductility is reduced, and the bearing capacity is improved. The fracture resistance and overall bearing capacity of metal sheaths prestressed concrete beams are better than those of plastic sheaths prestressed concrete beams. However, the ductility of prestressed beams with plastic sheaths is better than that of prestressed beams with metal sheaths. A reference is provided for such prestressed concrete beams, but in practical engineering, the relevant parameters should be reevaluated because the number of studied samples is limited.

Selection and evaluation of RT-qPCR reference genes for expression analysis in the tiny egg parasitoid wasp, Trichogramma dendrolimi matsumura (Hymenoptera: Trichogrammatidae)

Huo Liang-xiao,Bai Xue-ping,Che Wu-nan,Ning Su-fang,Lv Lin,Zhang Lisheng,Zhou Jin-cheng,Dong Hui 한국응용곤충학회 2022 Journal of Asia-Pacific Entomology Vol.25 No.2

The egg parasitoid, Trichogramma spp., is an important biological control agent used against a broad range of Lepidopteran pests in agriculture and forestry. The biology of Trichogramma has been studied in details. Further studies should focus on the molecular mechanisms of Trichogramma by qualifying the expression of related genes It is critical to select appropriate reference genes for normalizing RT-qPCR results and establishing a robust method for quantifying target gene expression. This study aimed to identify and validate appropriate reference genes for use in RT-qPCR analysis of Trichogramma dendrolimi. Ten candidate housekeeping genes, namely betaactin (ACTIN), forkhead box O (FOXO), glyceraldehyde-3-phosphate dehydrogenase (GAPDH), heat shock pro tein 90 (HSP90), ribosomal protein L10a (RPL10a), L18 (RPL18), L28 (RPL28), S13 (RPS13), S15 (RPS15), and superoxide dismutase (SOD), were tested for their suitability as reference genes for developmental stage (3rd, 4th, 5th, 6th, 7th, 8th, 9th, and 10th day after parasitization), tissue (head, thorax, and abdomen of adults), sex of adults (male and female), and temperature (17℃, 25℃, and 32℃). According to the GeNorm analysis, a robust analysis should involve using an appropriate combination of reference genes, namely, at least three genes for different development stages, two genes for different tissues, two genes for different sex, and two genes for different temperatures, respectively. According to the RelFinder method by the integrated results of GeNorm, NormFinder, BestKeeper, and the ΔCt method, we identified the developmental stage-specific reference genes SOD, GAPDH, and ACTIN; tissue-specific reference genes RPL18 and RPS15; sex-specific reference genes RPL18 and SOD; and temperature-specific reference genes RPL18 and RPL10a. This study provides a standardized procedure for the quantification of gene expression in T. dendrolimi and will be helpful for future biological control programs using Trichogramma wasps.

Interleukin 1 Up-regulates MicroRNA 135b to Promote Inflammation-Associated Gastric Carcinogenesis in Mice

Han, Tae-Su,Voon, Dominic Chih-Cheng,Oshima, Hiroko,Nakayama, Mizuho,Echizen, Kanae,Sakai, Eri,Yong, Zachary Wei Ern,Murakami, Kazuhiro,Yu, Liang,Minamoto, Toshinari,Ock, Chan-Young,Jenkins, Brendan J Elsevier 2019 Gastroenterology Vol.156 No.4

<P><B>Background & Aims</B></P> <P>Gastritis is associated with development of stomach cancer, but little is known about changes in microRNA expression patterns during gastric inflammation. Specific changes in gene expression in epithelial cells are difficult to monitor because of the heterogeneity of the tissue. We investigated epithelial cell-specific changes in microRNA expression during gastric inflammation and gastritis-associated carcinogenesis in mice.</P> <P><B>Methods</B></P> <P>We used laser microdissection to enrich epithelial cells from K19-C2mE transgenic mice, which spontaneously develop gastritis-associated hyperplasia, and Gan mice, which express activated prostaglandin E2 and Wnt in the gastric mucosa and develop gastric tumors. We measured expression of epithelial cell-enriched microRNAs and used bioinformatics analyses to integrate data from different systems to identify inflammation-associated microRNAs. We validated our findings in gastric tissues from mice and evaluated protein functions in gastric cell lines (SNU-719, SNU-601, SNU-638, AGS, and GIF-14) and knockout mice. Organoids were cultured from gastric corpus tissues of wild-type and miR-135b–knockout C57BL/6 mice. We measured levels of microRNAs in pairs of gastric tumors and nontumor mucosa from 28 patients in Japan.</P> <P><B>Results</B></P> <P>We found microRNA 135b (miR-135B) to be the most overexpressed microRNA in gastric tissues from K19-C2mE and Gan mice: levels increased during the early stages of gastritis-associated carcinogenesis. Levels of miR-135B were also increased in gastric tumor tissues from <I>gp130</I> <SUP> <I>F/F</I> </SUP> mice and patients compared with nontumor tissues. In gastric organoids and immortalized cell lines, expression of miR-135B was induced by interleukin 1 signaling. K19-C2mE mice with disruption of <I>Mir-135b</I> developed hyperplastic lesions that were 50% smaller than mice without <I>Mir-135b</I> disruption and had significant reductions in cell proliferation. Expression of miR-135B in gastric cancer cell lines increased their colony formation, migration, and sphere formation. We identified <I>FOXN3</I> and <I>RECK</I> messenger RNAs (mRNAs) as targets of miR-135B; their knockdown reduced migration of gastric cancer cell lines. Levels of <I>FOXN3</I> and <I>RECK</I> mRNAs correlated inversely with levels of miR-135B in human gastric tumors and in inflamed mucosa from K19-C2mE mice.</P> <P><B>Conclusions</B></P> <P>We found expression of miR-135B to be up-regulated by interleukin L1 signaling in gastric cancer cells and organoids. miR-135B promotes invasiveness and stem-cell features of gastric cancer cells in culture by reducing <I>FOXN3</I> and <I>RECK</I> messenger RNAs. Levels of these messenger RNA targets, which encode tumor suppressor, are reduced in human gastric tumors.</P> <P><B>Graphical abstract</B></P> <P>[DISPLAY OMISSION]</P>

An Optimized Control Method Based on Dual Three-Level Inverters for Open-end Winding Induction Motor Drives

Wu, Di,Su, Liang-Cheng,Wu, Xiao-Jie,Zhao, Guo-Dong The Korean Institute of Power Electronics 2014 JOURNAL OF POWER ELECTRONICS Vol.14 No.2

An optimized space vector pulse width modulation (SVPWM) method with common mode voltage elimination and neutral point potential balancing is proposed for an open-end winding induction motor. The motor is fed from both of the ends with two neutral point clamped (NPC) three-level inverters. In order to eliminate the common mode voltage of the motor ends and balance the neutral point potential of the DC link, only zero common mode voltage vectors are used and a balancing control factor is gained from calculation in the strategy. In order to improve the harmonic characteristics of the output voltages and currents, the balancing control factor is regulated properly and the theoretical analysis is provided. Simulation and experimental results show that by adopting the proposed method, the common mode voltage can be completely eliminated, the neutral point potential can be accurately balanced and the harmonic performance for the output voltages and currents can be effectively improved.

New Analysis of Reduced-Version of Piccolo in the Single-Key Scenario

( Ya Liu ),( Liang Cheng ),( Fengyu Zhao ),( Chunhua Su ),( Zhiqiang Liu ),( Wei Li ),( Dawu Gu ) 한국인터넷정보학회 2019 KSII Transactions on Internet and Information Syst Vol.13 No.9

The lightweight block cipher Piccolo adopts Generalized Feistel Network structure with 64 bits of block size. Its key supports 80 bits or 128 bits, expressed by Piccolo-80 or Piccolo-128, respectively. In this paper, we exploit the security of reduced version of Piccolo from the first round with the pre-whitening layer, which shows the vulnerability of original Piccolo. As a matter of fact, we first study some linear relations among the round subkeys and the properties of linear layer. Based on them, we evaluate the security of Piccolo-80/128 against the meet-in-the-middle attack. Finally, we attack 13 rounds of Piccolo-80 by applying a 5-round distinguisher, which requires 2⁴⁴ chosen plaintexts, 2^67.39 encryptions and 2^64.91 blocks, respectively. Moreover, we also attack 17 rounds of Piccolo-128 by using a 7-round distinguisher, which requires 2⁴⁴ chosen plaintexts, 2¹²⁶ encryptions and 2^125.49 blocks, respectively. Compared with the previous cryptanalytic results, our results are the currently best ones if considering Piccolo from the first round with the pre-whitening layer.

An Optimized Control Method Based on Dual Three-Level Inverters for Open-end Winding Induction Motor Drives

Di Wu,Liang-Cheng Su,Xiao-Jie Wu,Guo-Dong Zhao 전력전자학회 2014 JOURNAL OF POWER ELECTRONICS Vol.14 No.2

An optimized space vector pulse width modulation (SVPWM) method with common mode voltage elimination and neutral point potential balancing is proposed for an open-end winding induction motor. The motor is fed from both of the ends with two neutral point clamped (NPC) three-level inverters. In order to eliminate the common mode voltage of the motor ends and balance the neutral point potential of the DC link, only zero common mode voltage vectors are used and a balancing control factor is gained from calculation in the strategy. In order to improve the harmonic characteristics of the output voltages and currents, the balancing control factor is regulated properly and the theoretical analysis is provided. Simulation and experimental results show that by adopting the proposed method, the common mode voltage can be completely eliminated, the neutral point potential can be accurately balanced and the harmonic performance for the output voltages and currents can be effectively improved.