Therapeutic Efficacy of a New Procedure for Male Urinary Incontinence Combining a Suburethral Polypropylene Mesh and Cardiovascular Patch

Shu-Yu Wu,Yuan-Hong Jiang,Hann-Chorng Kuo 대한배뇨장애요실금학회 2017 International Neurourology Journal Vol.21 No.1

Purpose: Stress urinary incontinence (SUI) in men is a complication secondary to prostatectomy or resulting from neurological lesions. This study presents our experiences with male suburethral slings over the past decade. Methods: In this study, we considered patients who presented with SUI and were diagnosed with an intrinsic sphincteric deficiency due to postprostatectomy incontinence (PPI) or other causes (non-PPI). Patients who underwent the suburethral sling procedure using a polypropylene mesh and a cardiovascular patch were retrospectively included. An urodynamic study was performed before and after the operation. Global response assessment (GRA) and SUI grading were used for surgical outcome. The revision rate and the infection rate were also evaluated. Results: A total 31 patients were enrolled in this study; the mean patient age was 59.5±18.9 years, and the mean follow-up period was 36.9±29.4 months. Fourteen patients comprised the non-PPI group and 17 were in the PPI group. The preoperative SUI of all patients were categorized as a moderate to severe problem according to the SUI grade, with a mean score of 2.32±0.48 before the operation and 0.48±0.57 after the operation. With a mean score of 2.35±0.71, GRA showed that the patients were satisfied with the treatment. After the sling procedure, 4 patients (13%) reported a mild improvement, 12 (38.7%) a moderate improvement, while 15 (48.4%) reported an excellent improvement. Six patients (19.4%), including 5 from the non-PPI group (35.7%) and 1 (5.9%) from the PPI group (P=0.037), underwent sling removal because of infection. Conclusions: The male suburethral sling procedure using a polypropylene mesh and a cardiovascular patch is a safe, efficacious, and inexpensive surgical procedure for PPI. In cases of neurological incontinence, however, the higher infection rate in non-PPI patients means that they should be carefully managed.

Identification of novel rheumatoid arthritis-associated MiRNA-204-5p from plasma exosomes

Wu Long-Fei,Zhang Qin,Mo Xing-Bo,Lin Jun,Wu Yang-Lin,Lu Xin,He Pei,Wu Jian,Guo Yu-Fan,Wang Ming-Jun,Ren Wen-Yan,Deng Hong-Wen,Lei Shu-Feng,Deng Fei-Yan 생화학분자생물학회 2022 Experimental and molecular medicine Vol.54 No.-

Rheumatoid arthritis (RA) is an autoimmune disease characterized by infiltration of immune cells in the synovium. However, the crosstalk of immune cells and synovial fibroblasts is still largely unknown. Here, global miRNA screening in plasma exosomes was carried out with a custom microarray (RA patients vs. healthy controls = 9:9). A total of 14 exosomal miRNAs were abnormally expressed in the RA patients. Then, downregulated expression of exosomal miR-204-5p was confirmed in both the replication (RA patients vs. healthy controls = 30:30) and validation groups (RA patients vs. healthy controls = 56:60). Similar to the findings obtained in humans, a decreased abundance of exosomal miR-204-5p was observed in mice with collagen-induced arthritis (CIA). Furthermore, Spearman correlation analysis indicated that plasma exosomal miR-204-5p expression was inversely correlated with disease parameters of RA patients, such as rheumatoid factor, erythrocyte sedimentation rate, and C-reactive protein. In vitro, our data showed that human T lymphocytes released exosomes containing large amounts of miR-204-5p, which can be transferred into synovial fibroblasts, inhibiting cell proliferation. Overexpression of miR-204-5p in synovial fibroblasts suppressed synovial fibroblast activation by targeting genes related to cell proliferation and invasion. In vivo assays found that administration of lentiviruses expressing miR-204-5p markedly alleviated the disease progression of the mice with CIA. Collectively, this study identified a novel RA-associated plasma exosomal miRNA-204-5p that mediates the communication between immune cells and synovial fibroblasts and can be used as a potential biomarker for RA diagnosis and treatment.

Long-term Outcomes of Augmentation Enterocystoplasty in Patients With End-Stage Bladder Diseases: A Single-Institute Experience Involving 102 Patients

Shu-Yu Wu,Yuan-Hong Jiang,Hann-Chorng Kuo 대한배뇨장애요실금학회 2017 International Neurourology Journal Vol.21 No.2

Purpose: Augmentation enterocystoplasty (AE) has been shown to improve clinical symptoms in patients with end-stage bladder disease (ESBD). Herein, we report the long-term outcomes of a series of patients with different etiologies of ESBD who received AE. Methods: We retrospectively reviewed 102 patients with ESBD who received AE at the Hualien Tzu Chi General Hospital from 1992 to 2014. ESBD in this study was defined as including neurogenic lower urinary tract dysfunction (NLUTD) due to spinal cord injury (SCI) or myelomeningocele, inflammatory bladder disease (IBD), ESBD occurring after pelvic cancer surgery, and other etiologies. Complications including active lower urinary tract problems and urinary tract infection (UTI), as well as patients’ self-reported satisfaction with the procedure, were evaluated. Results: A total of 102 patients were included in the study. A majority of patients received AE for NLUTD (n=43), followed by IBD (n=38), ESBD after pelvic cancer surgery (n=15), and the other etiologies (n=6). Patients had a mean age of 39.4±18.7 years and were followed for a mean of 78 months. All patients had significantly increased cystometric bladder capacity and compliance at the time of follow-up. Fifty-four patients (52.9%) reported moderate to excellent satisfaction with the outcome, and there were no significant differences among the groups (P=0.430). The most common reason for dissatisfaction was the need for clean intermittent catheterization (CIC; 41.7%), followed by urinary incontinence (25.0%) and recurrent UTI (16.7%). Conclusions: AE is a safe and effective procedure for patients with ESBD. Postoperative urinary incontinence and UTI as well as the need for CIC may affect quality of life and decrease patient satisfaction.

INVESTIGATING THE DEVELOPMENT OF BRAND LOYALTY IN BRAND COMMUNITIES FROM A POSITIVE PSYCHOLOGY PERSPECTIVE

Chia-Wu Lin,Kai-Yu Wang,Shu-Hao Chang,Jin-An Lin 글로벌지식마케팅경영학회 2016 Global Marketing Conference Vol.2016 No.7

Brand communities have been increasingly used by marketers to build brands. A brand community can be defined as a “…group of consumers with a shared enthusiasm for the brand and a well-developed social identity, whose members engage jointly in group actions to accomplish collective goals and/or express mutual sentiments and commitments” (Bagozzi and Dholakia, 2006, p. 45). Recent research on brand communities has begun to identify the importance of consumers’ psychological processes in regard to developing successful brand communities. Based on the flow theory from positive psychology, we propose that flow could be generated by brand community characteristics and plays an important role in influencing brand community members’ attitudes toward the brand. Specifically, we propose a model that identifies brand community characteristics (i.e., community cohesiveness and information quality) that produce flow experience and how the flow experience impacts brand identification and brand loyalty. Members from 31 automobile brand communities participated in this survey study, and 580 validated questionnaires were returned. Structural Equation Model was used to test the research hypotheses. The results show that community cohesiveness and information quality positively directly influence brand identification and also indirectly influence brand identification via flow. Flow also positively influences members’ brand identification and, subsequently, impacts brand loyalty. The results from our research contribute to the branding, brand community, and flow theory literature.

Improvement of bond strength and durability of concrete incorporating high volumes of class F fly ash

Wu, Chung-Hao,Chen, Chien-Jung,Lin, Yu-Feng,Lin, Shu-Ken Techno-Press 2021 Advances in concrete construction Vol.12 No.5

This study experimentally investigated the improvement of bond strength and durability of concrete containing high volume fly ash. Concrete mixtures made with 0%, 25% and 60% replacement of cement with class F fly ash were prepared. Water-binder ratios ranged from 0.28 to 0.72. The compressive, flexural and pullout bond strength, the resistance to chloride-ion penetration, and the water permeability of concrete were measured and presented. Test results indicate that except for the concretes at early ages, the mechanical properties, bond strength, and the durability-related chloride-ion permeability and water permeability of concrete containing high volume (60% cement replacement) fly ash were obviously superior to the concrete without fly ash at later ages of beyond 56 days. The enhanced bond strength for the high volume fly-ash concrete either with or without steel confinement is a significant finding which might be valuable for the structural application.

On the Charm of Chinoiserie Fashion - Preliminary Research into the Illustrations of Cheongsam Dress -

Yu-Ming jing,Chun-Chih Chen,Wu-Shu Ming 한국일러스트레이션학회 2019 일러스트레이션 포럼 Vol.20 No.59

This study is conducted from a design perspective with women's fashion and uses the cheongsam dress as an example within Taiwan and mainland China to investigate Chinoiserie fashion design. First, we adopt the Evaluation Grid Method of Miryoku engineering to interview subjects about their perceived cognition of Chinoiserie women's fashion to determine the purchase charm features that affect consumers the most. These findings help provide relevant references for fashion instruction personnel in the design of creative curriculum and instruction and can also add some effective information to the database of future fashion design. As our research results show, the consumer groups in mainland China and Taiwan have different perceptions of Chinoiserie fashion, while design professionals and non-design professionals have diverse preferences regarding their perceived cognition of Chinoiserie fashion. Therefore, these results indicate that people from different backgrounds have rather significant differences in terms of sensibility for Chinoiserie fashion.

Ginsenoside Rb1 Inhibits Cell Activation and Liver Fibrosis in Rat Hepatic Stellate Cells

Yu-Ting Lo,Ya-Hui Tsai,Shu-Ju Wu,Jiun-Rong Chen,C.-J. Chao 한국식품영양과학회 2011 Journal of medicinal food Vol.14 No.10

Chronic hepatitis/cirrhosis is the eighth leading cause of death in Taiwan. Excess accumulated extracellular matrix produced by activated hepatic stellate cells (HSCs) is the major cause of liver fibrosis. Ginsenoside Rb1, the most active compound purified from ginseng, has been considered to be hepatoprotective. This study investigated the effects of ginsenoside Rb1 (98.8% purity) on activation, proliferation, and profibrotic factors in rat HSC-T6 cells under H₂O₂oxidative stress. Rat HSC-T6 cells were activated by 10 nM H₂O₂and then incubated with different concentrations of ginsenoside Rb1 (5, 10, 20, 40, and 80 μg/mL) for 24 hours. Medium containing 0.08% dimethyl sulfoxide or 5 mM N-acetyl-l-cysteine was used as a negative or positive control, respectively. The results showed that ginsenoside Rb1 at 5–40 μg/mL significantly reduced α-smooth muscle actin levels and at 5–80 μg/mL inhibited cell proliferation in HSC-T6 cells after induction with H₂O₂(P<.05). Collagen secreted by HSC-T6 cells was decreased by ginsenoside Rb1 at 5–80 μg/mL (P<.05). Protein expression of transforming growth factor-β1 (TGF-β1), matrix metalloproteinase (MMP)-2, and tissue inhibitor of metalloproteinase (TIMP)-1 was suppressed by ginsenoside Rb1 at 10–80 μg/mL (P<.05). In addition, mRNA expression of type I and III collagen, TGF-β1, and TIMP-1 was inhibited by ginsenoside Rb1 (10 and 80 μg/mL) (P<.05). Therefore, ginsenoside Rb1 exerted an antifibrotic effect on HSCs by inhibiting activation, proliferation, and expression of collagen, TGF-β1, MMP-2, and TIMP-1.

The Influence of Resilience on the Coping Strategies in Patients with Primary Brain Tumors

Shu-Yuan Liang,Hui-Chun Liu,Yu-Ying Lu,Shu-Fang Wu,Ching-Hui Chien,Shiow-Luan Tsay 한국간호과학회 2020 Asian Nursing Research Vol.14 No.1

Purpose: The purpose of this study was to assess the amount of variance in the coping strategies of patients with brain tumors that could be accounted for by resilience. Methods: This cross-sectional survey involved 95 patients who had experienced surgical, chemotherapy, or radiotherapy therapies for their brain tumors at least 1 month before data collection. The investigator collected data using the scales of the Ways of Coping Checklist-Revised and Resilience Scale. Data were analyzed using descriptive statistics, t tests, analysis of variance, Pearson product–moment correlation, and hierarchical multiple regression. Results: The results revealed that resilience was significantly positively associated with patients' problem-focused coping (r = .65, p < .001) and total coping (r = .49, p < .001). In addition, resilience accounted for 27% (R2inc = .27, p < .001) and 16% (R2inc = .16, p < .001) of the distinct variances in predicting patients’ problem-focused coping and total coping. Conclusion: The current results provide evidence to support the importance of resilience in shaping the coping strategies of relevant patients. As resilience shows a crucial element in patient coping with brain tumors, health team members should develop and employ appropriate strategies to improve the resilience of patients with brain tumors.

Mechanisms of Electroacupuncture Pretreatment in Alleviating Myocardial Ischemia Reperfusion Injury: Interactions between the Cerebellar Fastigial Nucleus and Lateral Hypothalamic Area

Yu Qing,Wu Li-bin,Zhang Fan,Wei Xiao-tong,Chen Pian-pian,Wang Shuai-ya,Cai Mei-yi,Shu Qi,Li Liao-yuan,Wu Zi-jian,Cai Rong-lin,Hu Ling 사단법인약침학회 2021 Journal of Acupuncture & Meridian Studies Vol.14 No.6

Background: Myocardial ischemia reperfusion injury (MIRI) is an important mechanism of post-myocardial infarction injury and a main cause of death in patients with ischemic heart disease. Electroacupuncture (EA) pretreatment is effective for the prevention and treatment of MIRI, but mechanisms mediating the effects of cardiovascular disease EA treatments remain unclear. Objectives: To determine whether the lateral hypothalamus (LHA) and the cerebellar fastigial nucleus (FN) are involved in the protective effects of EA stimulation on MIRI. Methods: EA pretreatment was performed for 7 days before the establishment of the MIRI model. ST-segment changes on electrocardiograms were recorded and the Curtis–Walker arrhythmia score was used to evaluate changes in reperfusion injury. Hematoxylin–eosin staining was applied to evaluate the pathological and morphological changes in myocardial tissue. c-fos expression in the LHA and FN was determined by immunofluorescence staining. Glutamic (Glu) and γ-Aminobutyric acid (GABA) levels were measured using a high-performance liquid chromatography-electrochemical method. Results: EA pretreatment reduced ST-segment elevation, arrhythmia scores, and morphological changes in MIRI myocardial cells in rats, and decreased the c-fos protein expression in LHA/FN nuclei. MIRI was associated with an imbalance between GABA and Glu levels, whereas EA pretreatment increased GABA levels and decreased Glu levels in the LHA/FN. Conclusion: FN and LHA are involved in the EA-mediated attenuation of MIRI. Pretreatment with EA plays a protective role in the myocardium by regulating Glu and GABA release in the LHA and FN.

Identification of Homer1 as a Potential Prognostic Marker for Intrahepatic Cholangiocarcinoma

Wu, San-Yun,Yu, Ming-Xia,Li, Xiao-Gai,Xu, Shu-Fang,Shen, Ji,Sun, Zhen,Zhou, Xin,Chen, Xing-Zhen,Tu, Jian-Cheng Asian Pacific Journal of Cancer Prevention 2014 Asian Pacific journal of cancer prevention Vol.15 No.7

Background: The aim of the present study was to analyze whether Homer1 is a potential prognostic marker for intrahepatic cholangiocarcinoma (ICC). Materials and Methods: The expression of Homer1 in ICC tissue was detected with immunohistochemistry and levels of protein in ICC and paratumor tissues were evaluated by Western blotting. Survival analysis by the Kaplan-Meier method was performed to assess prognostic significance. Results: Homer1 expression was high in 67.4% (58/86) of ICC samples, and there was significant difference between ICC and adjacent noncancerous tissues (p<0.001); high expression was associated with poor histologic differentiation (p=0.019), TNM stage (p=0.014), lymph node metastasis (p=0.040), and lymphatic invasion (p=0.025). On Kaplan-Meier analysis, a comparison of survival curves of low versus high expressors of Homer1 revealed a highly significant difference in OS (p=0.001) and DFS (p=0.006), indicating that high expression of Homer1 was linked with a worse prognosis. Multivariate analyses showed that Homer1 expression was an independent risk factor predicting overall survival[Hazard ratio(HR), 7.52; 95% confidence interval (CI), 2.63-21.47; p=0.002] and disease-free survival (HR, 11.56; 95%CI, 5.17-25.96; p<0.001) in ICC. Conclusions: Homer1 promotes lymphatic invasion and associates with lymph node metastasis and poor prognosis of ICC. The current study shows that Homer1 may be an independent prognostic factor for ICC patients after curative resection, and it provides an important basis for screening/treating high-risk patients.