Measuring Spatial Association of Aquacultural Land Use in Taiwan

Tsai, Bor Wen,Chang, Kang Tsung,Chang, Chang Yi,Chu, Jen Ming 서울대학교 지리교육과 2000 地理敎育論集 Vol.43 No.1

Domestic Politics, Cultural Conflict, and Global Exposure: Perceptions of Intergovernmental Organizations Across Asia

Ming-Chang Tsai 인하대학교 국제관계연구소 2017 Pacific Focus Vol.32 No.3

This study examines how Asian people conceive of the United Nations, World Bank, and International Monetary Fund, from three major arguments that have highlighted distinct sources of acceptance of, or distrust for, intergovernmental organizations (IOs). First, the outcome from multilevel analysis across eight Asian societies is supportive of the domestic proxies hypothesis, because the attitudes in favor of IOs parallel those developed from the evaluation of domestic politics with regard to democracy deficit, trust in government, and involvement in formal organizations. Second, in testing a cultural conflict hypothesis, religion produces a notable impact: Muslims, compared to Christians and Buddhists, are more reluctant to accept IOs. Third, an individual’s transnational experiences do not generate impact, casting doubt on whether global exposure necessarily operates to form a preference toward the current global order. National economic and political conditions and foreign aid are also inspected for their “elevator effects.”

Upregulating sirtuin 6 ameliorates glycolysis, EMT and distant metastasis of pancreatic adenocarcinoma with krüppel-like factor 10 deficiency

Tsai Yi-Chih,Chen Su-Liang,Peng Shu-Ling,Tsai Ya-Li,Chang Zuong-Ming,Chang Vincent Hung-Shu,Ch’ang Hui-Ju 생화학분자생물학회 2021 Experimental and molecular medicine Vol.53 No.-

Krüppel-like factor 10 (KLF10) is a tumor suppressor in multiple cancers. In a murine model of spontaneous pancreatic adenocarcinoma (PDAC), additional KLF10 depletion accelerated distant metastasis. However, Klf10 knockout mice, which suffer from metabolic disorders, do not develop malignancy. The mechanisms of KLF10 in PDAC progression deserve further exploration. KLF10-depleted and KLF10-overexpressing PDAC cells were established to measure epithelial-mesenchymal transition (EMT), glycolysis, and migration ability. A murine model was established to evaluate the benefit of genetic or pharmacological manipulation in KLF10-depleted PDAC cells (PDACshKLF10). Correlations of KLF10 deficiency with rapid metastasis, elevated EMT, and glycolysis were demonstrated in resected PDAC tissues, in vitro assays, and murine models. We identified sirtuin 6 (SIRT6) as an essential mediator of KLF10 that modulates EMT and glucose homeostasis. Overexpressing SIRT6 reversed the migratory and glycolytic phenotypes of PDACshKLF10 cells. Linoleic acid, a polyunsaturated essential fatty acid, upregulated SIRT6 and prolonged the survival of mice injected with PDACshKLF10. Modulating HIF1α and NFκB revealed that EMT and glycolysis in PDAC cells were coordinately regulated upstream by KLF10/SIRT6 signaling. Our study demonstrated a novel KLF10/SIRT6 pathway that modulated EMT and glycolysis coordinately via NFκB and HIF1α. Activation of KLF10/SIRT6 signaling ameliorated the distant progression of PDAC. Clinical Trial Registration: ClinicalTrials.gov. identifier: NCT01666184.

Alpinate Oxyphyllae Fructus Inhibits IGFII-Related Signaling Pathway to Attenuate Ang II-Induced Pathological Hypertrophy in H9c2 Cardiomyoblasts

Chuan-Te Tsai,Yung-Ming Chang,Shu-Luan Lin,Yueh-Sheng Chen,Yu-Lan Yeh,Viswanadha Vijaya Padma,Chin-Chuan Tsai,Ray-Jade Chen,Tsung-Jung Ho,Chih-Yang Huang 한국식품영양과학회 2016 Journal of medicinal food Vol.19 No.3

Angiotensin II (Ang II) is a very important cardiovascular disease inducer and may cause cardiac pathological hypertrophy and remodeling. We evaluated a Chinese traditional medicine, alpinate oxyphyllae fructus (AOF), for therapeutic efficacy for treating Ang II-induced cardiac hypertrophy. AOF has been used to treat patients with various symptoms accompanying hypertension and cerebrovascular disorders in Korea. We investigated its protective effect against Ang II-induced cytoskeletal change and hypertrophy in H9c2 cells. The results showed that treating cells with Ang II resulted in pathological hypertrophy, such as increased expression of transcription factors NFAT-3/p-NFAT-3, hypertrophic response genes (atrial natriuretic peptide [ANP] and b-type natriuretic peptide [BNP]), and Gαq down-stream effectors (PLCβ3 and calcineurin). Pretreatment with AOF (60–100 μg/mL) led to significantly reduced hypertrophy. We also found that AOF pretreatment significantly suppressed the cardiac remodeling proteins, metalloproteinase (MMP9 and MMP2), and plasminogen activator, induced by Ang II challenge. In conclusion, we provide evidence that AOF protects against Ang II-induced pathological hypertrophy by specifically inhibiting the insulin-like growth factor (IGF) II/IIR-related signaling pathway in H9c2 cells. AOF might be a candidate for cardiac hypertrophy and ventricular remodeling prevention in chronic cardiovascular diseases.

Type 2 Diabetes Mellitus Increases Peritonsillar Abscess Susceptibility: Real-World Evidence

Ching-Lung Wu,Ming-Shao Tsai,Ta-Jen Lee,Yun-Ting Wang,Chia-Yen Liu,Yao-Hsu Yang,Yao-Te Tsai,Cheng-Ming Hsu,Ching-Yuan Wu,Pey-Jium Chang,Geng-He Chang 대한이비인후과학회 2021 Clinical and Experimental Otorhinolaryngology Vol.14 No.3

Objectives. Type 2 diabetes mellitus (T2DM) is a risk factor for deep neck infection (DNI) and leads to complications and poor outcomes. Our study aimed to investigate the risk, prognosis, and complications of peritonsillar abscess (PTA) in patients with T2DM. Methods. We extracted data of patients newly diagnosed as having T2DM between January 2000 and December 2011 from Taiwan’s National Health Insurance Research Database. These patients were matched with patients without T2DM, and PTA incidence was compared between both cohorts. Results. In total, 67,852 patients with and 135,704 patients without T2DM were enrolled. PTA incidence was significantly higher in patients with T2DM (incidence rate ratio, 1.91; P<0.001); moreover, PTA incidence was higher at 1 to 5 years after T2DM diagnosis than at <1 and >5 years after T2DM diagnosis. Cox regression analysis showed that patients with T2DM had an approximately 2-fold higher PTA risk (adjusted hazard ratio [aHR]: 1.89, P<0.001). Patients with a higher adapted Diabetes Complications Severity Index (aDCSI) had higher PTA risk than those with a lower aDCSI (aHRs: 2.17 for aDCSI ≥1, P=0.006 and 1.81 for aDCSI=0, P=0.002). T2DM patients with a high aDCSI (≥1) had a nonsignificantly longer hospitalization duration and a higher rate of DNI complications than did those with a low aDCSI (=0). Conclusion. In patients with T2DM, PTA incidence was relatively high, and it increased with T2DM severity. Moreover, T2DM patients should be particularly careful about PTA within 1 to 5 years after the diagnosis, and physicians should keep in mind that the prognosis of PTA was correlated with T2DM severity.

Clinical Significance of Smudge Cells in Peripheral Blood Smears in Hematological Malignancies and Other Diseases

Chang, Chih-Chun,Sun, Jen-Tang,Liou, Tse-Hsuan,Kuo, Chin-Fu,Bei, Chia-Hao,Lin, Sheng-Jun,Tsai, Wei-Ting,Tan, N-Chi,Liou, Ching-Biau,Su, Ming-Jang,Yen, Tzung-Hai,Chu, Fang-Yeh Asian Pacific Journal of Cancer Prevention 2016 Asian Pacific journal of cancer prevention Vol.17 No.4

Background: It is reported that the percentage of smudge cells in the blood smear could be a prognostic indicator in chronic lymphocytic leukemia. However, the clinical significance of smudge cells in other hematological malignancies, solid tumors or non-malignant diseases is less clear. Hence, this study was conducted to survey the clinical significance of smudge cells in hematological cancers and other disorders. Materials and Methods: From January to November, 2015, the clinical data of patients who received blood examination with differential counts for clinical purpose and were found to have smudge cells in the peripheral blood film in Far Eastern Memorial Hospital were selected. The percentage of smudge cells and patient outcomes were evaluated for further univariate and survival analyses. Results: A total of 102 patients with smudge cells in their blood smears were included. Smudge cells were frequently presented in out-of-hospital cardiac arrest (OHCA; n=30), infections (n=23), hematological cancers (n=23) and solid cancers (n=10). There was no relationship between the percentage of smudge cells and the patient mortality in all diseases (OR: 1.08, 95% CI: 0.47-2.48, P=1.000) as well as the OHCA group (OR: 1.91, 95% CI: 0.38-9.60, P=0.694). It was observed that in patients with all cancers with the percentage of smudge cells less than 50% had a lower mortality rate in comparison with those who had the percentage of smudge cells of 50% or more (OR: 22.29, 95% CI: 2.38-208.80, P<0.001). Additionally, it was seemingly that patients with smudge cells of 50% or more had a lower survival rate than those with smudge cells less than 50% in all cancers with follow-up at 2-month intervals, but without statistical significance (P=0.064). Conclusions: Our survey indicated that in all cancers, those who had higher percentage of smudge cells were prone to have poor outcomes when compared with the subjects with lower percentage of smudge cells. This finding was quite different from the results of previous studies in which the race-ethnicity of most study populations was non-Asian; hence, further investigations are required. Besides, there was no apparent association of the percentage of smudge cells with patient outcomes in all diseases, including OHCA.

Clinical Features of Patients with Esophageal and Second Primary Cancers

Tsai, Huang-Wen,Chang, Chih-Chun,Sun, Jen-Tang,Liou, Ching-Biau,Lin, Hsiu-Chen,Lin, I-Hsin,Yu, Yun-Chieh,Weng, Wei-Ling,Leong, Ka-I,Yen, Tzung-Hai,Wu, Jiann-Ming Asian Pacific Journal of Cancer Prevention 2014 Asian Pacific journal of cancer prevention Vol.15 No.22

Background: The prevalence of esophageal cancer (EC) with second primary cancers (SPC) is increasing worldwide. This study was aimed to understand the clinical features of EC patients with SPC in the Taiwanese population. Materials and Methods: Clinical and laboratory data for 180 EC patients with or without SPC were collected between January 2009 and December 2013. Information on treatment approaches, location of SPCs and ABO blood type were also collected and stratified. Results: The most common SPC in EC patients was hypopharyngeal cancer, followed by laryngeal cancer and hepatocellular carcinoma in our study. Malignancies of colon, prostate and lung were also found. There was a significant higher portion of blood type A in the EC patients with SPC compared with those without (42.4% vs 19.5%, P=0.006). Conclusions: The frequency and SPC site distribution and blood type A should be considered in clinical evaluation of EC patients with a high risk of developing SPC in the Taiwanese population.

The Immunotyping Distribution of Serum Monoclonal Paraprotein and Environmental Impact on Multiple Myeloma (MM) and Monoclonal Gammopathy of Uncertain Significance (MGUS) in Taiwan: A Medical Center-Based Experience

Chang, Chih-Chun,Su, Ming-Jang,Lee, Shu-Jene,Tsai, Yu-Hui,Kuo, Lin-Yin,Lin, I-Hsin,Huang, Hui-Ling,Yen, Tzung-Hai,Chu, Fang-Yeh Asian Pacific Journal of Cancer Prevention 2016 Asian Pacific journal of cancer prevention Vol.17 No.1

Background: Whether ambient exposure to environmental pollutants leads to hematopoietic malignancies such as multiple myeloma (MM) remains to be ascertained. Therefore, we aimed to investigate the immunotyping distribution of serum monoclonal paraprotein and the environmental influence on MM and monoclonal gammopathy of uncertain significance (MGUS) in the Taiwanese population. Materials and Methods: Serum protein electrophoresis with immunosubtraction by the capillary zone electrophoresis method was performed as primary screening for MM and MGUS. Clinical, pathological, and residence data of patients were also obtained. Results: From August, 2013 to June, 2015, a total of 327 patients underwent serum protein electrophoresis with immunosubtraction. Among these, 281 demonstrated no remarkable findings or non-malignant oligoclonal gammopathy, 23 were detected to have MGUS, 18 were identified as MM, and a further 5 were found as other malignancies. The most frequent immunotyping distribution of serum monoclonal paraprotein was IgG kappa (54.3%, n=25), followed by IgA lambda (15.2%, n=7) and IgG lambda (10.9%, n=5) in subjects with gammopathy. Additionally, it was shown that the elderly (OR: 4.61, 95% CI: 1.88-11.30, P<0.01) and males (OR: 2.04, 95% CI: 1.04-4.02, P=0.04) had significantly higher risk of developing MM and MGUS. There was no obvious impact of environmental factors on the health risk of MM and MGUS evolution (OR: 0.77, 95% CI: 0.40-1.50, P=0.49). Conclusions: The most frequent immunotyping distribution of serum monoclonal paraprotein included IgG kappa, IgA lambda and IgG lambda in MM and MGUS in the Taiwanese population. The elderly and male subjects are at significantly higher risk of MM and MGUS development, but there was no obvious impact of environmental factors on risk.

Proactive Consultation by a Clinical Pathologist Prevents Diagnostic Delay in Hematological Malignancies

Chang, Chih-Chun,Su, Ming-Jang,Ho, Jung-Li,Sun, Jen-Tang,Tsai, Huang-Wen,Tang, Hui-Fei,Chu, Fang-Yeh Asian Pacific Journal of Cancer Prevention 2016 Asian Pacific journal of cancer prevention Vol.17 No.3

Background: Diagnostic difficulties in hematological malignancies may lead to unacceptably prolonged help-seeking to diagnostic interval as well as increased complications and poor outcomes. Proactive consultation by a clinical pathologist (PCCP) may help clinical diagnosis and therapeutic strategy. Hence, the aim of this investigation was to evaluate the effect of PCCP on the help-seeking to diagnostic interval in hematological cancer cases. Materials and Methods: From January to November, 2015, abnormal results of hematological laboratory testing with added laboratory comment were selectively screened out, and patients with such abnormalities in hematological laboratory testing and accompanied laboratory comment with PCCP were enrolled. Results: A total of 125 aberrant results of hematological laboratory testing were given with accompanied laboratory comments with PCCP and 40.8% (n=51) of these patient-oriented comments had an effect on clinical diagnosis and therapeutic strategy. Twelve of the subjects belonged to newly diagnosed hematological malignancies with the assistance of PCCP, and the help-seeking to diagnostic interval was also shortened from 42 days to 26 days in chronic lymphoid leukemia (CLL), from 83 days to 11 days in multiple myeloma (MM), and from 128 days to 15 days in myelodysplastic syndrome/myeloproliferative neoplasm (MDS/MPN). During the monitoring interval, neither complication events nor deaths were reported in the study group. Conclusions: It was seemingly that PCCP prevented diagnostic delay in hematological malignancies via shortening the help-seeking to diagnostic interval, particularly in CLL, MM and MDS/MPN cases. PCCP can be considered to play an essential role in prompt establishment of diagnosis in hematological malignancies for those who newly present.

Mesenchymal Stem Cell Secreted-Extracellular Vesicles are Involved in Chondrocyte Production and Reduce Adipogenesis during Stem Cell Differentiation

Tsai Yu-Chen,Cheng Tai-Shan,Liao Hsiu-Jung,Chuang Ming-Hsi,Chen Hui-Ting,Chen Chun-Hung,Zhang Kai-Ling,Chang Chih-Hung,Lin Po-Cheng,Huang Chi-Ying F. 한국조직공학과 재생의학회 2022 조직공학과 재생의학 Vol.19 No.6

BACKGROUND: Extracellular vesicles (EVs) are derived from internal cellular compartments, and have potential as a diagnostic and therapeutic tool in degenerative disease associated with aging. Mesenchymal stem cells (MSCs) have become a promising tool for functional EVs production. This study investigated the efficacy of EVs and its effect on differentiation capacity. METHODS: The characteristics of MSCs were evaluated by flow cytometry and stem cell differentiation analysis, and a production mode of functional EVs was scaled from MSCs. The concentration and size of EVs were quantitated by Nanoparticle Tracking Analysis (NTA). Western blot analysis was used to assess the protein expression of exosomespecific markers. The effects of MSC-derived EVs were assessed by chondrogenic and adipogenic differentiation analyses and histological observation. RESULTS: The range of the particle size of adipose-derived stem cells (ADSCs)- and Wharton’s jelly -MSCs-derived EVs were from 130 to 150 nm as measured by NTA, which showed positive expression of exosomal markers. The chondrogenic induction ability was weakened in the absence of EVs in vitro. Interestingly, after EV administration, type II collagen, a major component in the cartilage extracellular matrix, was upregulated compared to the EV-free condition. Moreover, EVs decreased the lipid accumulation rate during adipogenic induction. CONCLUSION: The results indicated that the production model could facilitate production of effective EVs and further demonstrated the role of MSC-derived EVs in cell differentiation. MSC-derived EVs could be successfully used in cell-free therapy to guide chondrogenic differentiation of ADSC for future clinical applications in cartilage regeneration.