Modifi ed Radiology-Guided Percutaneous Gastrostomy (MRPG) for Patients with Complete Obstruction of the Upper Digestive Tract and Who are without Endoscopic or Nasogastric Access

Siu-Cheung Chan,Winnie Chiu-Wing Chu,Kar-Wai Liu,Chun-Ta Liao,Tsung-Shih Lee,Shu-Hang Ng 대한영상의학회 2011 Korean Journal of Radiology Vol.12 No.2

Objective: We wanted to report on our experience with modified radiology-guided percutaneous gastrostomy (MRPG) without endoscopic or nasogastric access for treating patients with complete obstruction of the upper digestive tract. Materials and Methods: Fourteen oncology patients (13 had hypopharyngeal cancer and 1 had upper esophageal cancer) with complete obstruction of the upper digestive tract were recruited. Conventional percutaneous endoscopic gastrostomy (PEG) and radiologic (fl uoroscopy-guided) percutaneous gastrostomy (RPG) were not feasible in all the patients. An MRPG technique (with a combination of ultrasound, an air enema and fl uoroscopic guidance) was performed in these patients. Results: We achieved successfully percutaneous gastrostomy using the modifi ed technique in all patients without any major or minor complications after the procedure. Conclusion: A modifi ed radiology-guided percutaneous gastrostomy technique can be safely performed in patients who failed to receive conventional PEG or RPG due to the absence of nasogastric access in the completely obstructed upper digestive tract. Objective: We wanted to report on our experience with modified radiology-guided percutaneous gastrostomy (MRPG) without endoscopic or nasogastric access for treating patients with complete obstruction of the upper digestive tract. Materials and Methods: Fourteen oncology patients (13 had hypopharyngeal cancer and 1 had upper esophageal cancer) with complete obstruction of the upper digestive tract were recruited. Conventional percutaneous endoscopic gastrostomy (PEG) and radiologic (fl uoroscopy-guided) percutaneous gastrostomy (RPG) were not feasible in all the patients. An MRPG technique (with a combination of ultrasound, an air enema and fl uoroscopic guidance) was performed in these patients. Results: We achieved successfully percutaneous gastrostomy using the modifi ed technique in all patients without any major or minor complications after the procedure. Conclusion: A modifi ed radiology-guided percutaneous gastrostomy technique can be safely performed in patients who failed to receive conventional PEG or RPG due to the absence of nasogastric access in the completely obstructed upper digestive tract.

Body Shape Perception and Body Mass Index among Female Adults in Hong Kong

( Siu Kuen Robert Ng ) 한국체육학회 2015 국제스포츠과학 학술대회 Vol.2015 No.1

Purpose: The purposes of this study are to investigate the relationship between different weight status as measured by body mass index (BMI) and the perception of body shape among female college students. Method: 1361 females (ranged: 17- 61; mean age = 22.5 ± 9.9 years old) at two universities in Hong Kong participated in the study. They were asked to complete the Photographic Figure Rating Scale (PFRS; Swami et al., 2008). The PFRS is a figural rating scale that depicts 10 front-view, photographic images of women ranging in body size from emaciated (1) to obese (10). All images were presented in greyscale, with faces obscured, and in standard clothing. Participants were asked to rate the figure that 1) most closely matched their own body, 2) they would most like to possess, 3) most physically attractive, 4) they think men of their age find most physically attractive, 5) represent the body that is typical for women of their age. Weight discrepancy was calculated by their current minus ideal ratings. A series of analysis of variance (ANOVA) was performed to investigate any significant differences among respondents with the four BMI categories [underweight, UW (<18.5); normal weight, NW (18.5-22.9); overweight, OW (23-26.9); obese, OB (>27.0)] on 1) their current, 2) their ideal, 3) most physically attractive, 4) they think men of their age find most physically attractive, 5) represent the body that is typical for women of their age. An alpha level of 0.05 was employed for all statistical tests. Results: Results of ANOVA show that there are statistically significant body shape perception differences among females with four BMI categories. OW respondents reported their perceived "attractive" figures significantly bigger size than their UW and NW counterparts (F(3,1357) = 11.731, p = .00). OW females rated larger figure as "men of their age find most physically attractive" than their NW counterparts (F(3,1355) = 4.448, p = .004). OW and OB women reported bigger size as "typical for women of their age" and their "ideal" compared to their UW and NW counterparts (F(3,1357) = 22.480, p = .00). The BID of respondents increased with their BMI (F(3,1351) = 163.59, p = .00), their age and their indicated "current" figures. All the females regardless of their age, BMI and current figure chose between no. 3 and no. 4 figure as their "ideal", "most physically attractive" and "men of their age find most physically attractive". Conclusion: Firstly, all females regardless of their BMI categories in the present study indicated their desires to be thinner. The vast majority of the overweight (93.7%) and obesity (90.9%) women showed their intention to be thinner. Special attention is drawn to underweight (38.5%) and normal weight (32.7%) females who showed their intentions to lose weight. Their further weight loss will pose a serious hazard to their health. Secondly, their body image discrepancy increased with their BMI and age. Finally, this study highlights such a necessity of helping female adults in Hong Kong to develop a healthy and realistic body image. It also avoids them to develop eating disorder and body image dissatisfaction.

Developing a Career Decision Making Scale for Chinese Students

Siu Man R Ting 한국상담학회 2013 Journal of Asia Pacific counseling Vol.3 No.1

Career-related decision making of Chinese students was explored through a new instrument, the Chinese Career Decision Making (CCDM). In this study, 345 freshmen (126 men and 219 women) at a university in southern mainland China, and another sample of 253 high school students in Hong Kong, responded to the CCDM. In the factor analysis, the preliminary findings show good reliability and validity across nine to ten factors, including traditional culture orientation, family expectation, peer advising, role model, and self-efficacy. Implications for career counseling practice and theory, as well as the limitations of the study, are discussed.

Tongwen Suanzhi (同文算指) and transmission of bisuan (筆算 written calculation) in China: from an HPM (History and Pedagogy of Mathematics) viewpoint

SIU, Man-Keung The Korean Society for History of Mathematics 2015 Journal for history of mathematics Vol.28 No.6

In 1613 the official-scholar LI Zhi-zao (李之藻) of the Ming Dynasty, in collaboration with the Italian Jesuit Matteo RICCI (利瑪竇), compiled the treatise Tongwen Suanzhi (同文算指). This is the first book which transmitted into China in a systematic and comprehensive way the art of written calculation that had been in common practice in Europe since the sixteenth century. This paper tries to see what pedagogical lessons can be gleaned from the book, in particular on the basic operations in arithmetic and related applications in various types of problems which form the content of modern day mathematics in elementary school education.

Evershed and Counter-Evershed Flows in Sunspot MHD Simulations

Siu-Tapia, A. L.,Rempel, M.,Lagg, A.,Solanki, S. K. American Astronomical Society 2018 The Astrophysical journal Vol.852 No.2

<P>There have been a few reports in the literature of counter-Evershed flows observed in well-developed sunspot penumbrae, i.e., flows directed toward the umbra along penumbral filaments. Here, we investigate the driving forces of such counter-Evershed flows in a radiative magnetohydrodynamic simulation of a sunspot, and compare them to the forces acting on the normal Evershed flow. The simulation covers a timespan of 100 solar hours and generates an Evershed outflow exceeding 8 km s(-1) in the penumbra along radially aligned filaments where the magnetic field is almost horizontal. Additionally, the simulation produces a fast counter-Evershed flow (i.e., an inflow near tau = 1) in some regions within the penumbra, reaching peak flow speeds of similar to 12 km s(-1). The counter-Evershed flows are transient and typically last a few hours before they turn into outflows again. By using the kinetic energy equation and evaluating its various terms in the simulation box, we found that the Evershed flow occurs due to overturning convection in a strongly inclined magnetic field, while the counter-Evershed flows can be well-described as siphon flows.</P>

Hyaluronic Acid Stimulated Enterocytic Differentiation of Intestinal Stem Cells and Enhanced Enteroid Grafting on Scaffolds

Siu Chung Ha,Ya-Hui Tsai,Shinn-Gwo Hong,Yun Chen,Chao-Ling Yao 한국생물공학회 2023 Biotechnology and Bioprocess Engineering Vol.28 No.3

Hyaluronic acid (HA) is one of the main components of the extracellular matrix, and functions as a stabilizing molecule for cell-niche interactions. Although the mechanism of HA in supporting cell attachment is debatable, HA-based scaffolds are increasingly being applied in tissue engineering owing to their excellent mechanical properties and biocompatibility. HA reportedly enhances the intestinal growth in postnatal mice. In the present study, we aimed to investigate the effects of HA on intestinal stem cells (ISCs) using an in vitro enteroid culture system. A high-concentration of HA (0.5 mg/mL) significantly lowered the proliferative activity of ISCs with decreased enteroid-forming efficiency compared to the control ISCs. In contrast, a low-concentration of HA (0.1 mg/mL) did not affect the enteroid-forming efficiency of ISCs, but up regulated markers of enterocytic differentiation, villin, and HA receptor, CD44 and TLR4, in the enteroid cells. When enteroid fragments were seeded on an intestinal submucosa bioscaffold, HA treatment enhanced the growth and differentiation of enteroid cells on the material with a high villin expression level in the cell grafts. These results suggest that HA treatment is effective in promoting enterocytic differentiation of ISCs and enteroid grafting on scaffolds.

PRA RESEARCH AND THE DEVELOPMENT OF RISK-INFORMED REGULATION AT THE U.S. NUCLEAR REGULATORY COMMISSION

Siu, Nathan,Collins, Dorothy Korean Nuclear Society 2008 Nuclear Engineering and Technology Vol.40 No.5

Over the years, probabilistic risk assessment (PRA) research activities conducted at the U.S. Nuclear Regulatory Commission (NRC) have played an essential role in support of the agency's move towards risk-informed regulation. These research activities have provided the technical basis for NRC's regulatory activities in key areas; provided PRA methods, tools, and data enabling the agency to meet future challenges; supported the implementation of NRC's 1995 PRA Policy Statement by assessing key sources of risk; and supported the development of necessary technical and human resources supporting NRC's risk-informed activities. PRA research aimed at improving the NRC's understanding of risk can positively affect the agency's regulatory activities, as evidenced by three case studies involving research on fire PRA, human reliability analysis (HRA), and pressurized thermal shock (PTS) PRA. These case studies also show that such research can take a considerable amount of time, and that the incorporation of research results into regulatory practice can take even longer. The need for sustained effort and appropriate lead time is an important consideration in the development of a PRA research program aimed at helping the agency address key sources of risk for current and potential future facilities.

Asia in the Eyes of Yesi’s Food Poems

Siu Yan-ho 한국식생활문화학회 2017 한국식생활문화학회학술대회논문집 Vol.2017 No.11

Parental self‐esteem, parent–child relationships, and authoritative parenting of Chinese migrant parents of leftbehind children: Implications for social policy and services

Siu-ming To 한국사회복지학회 2018 Asian Social Work and Policy Review Vol.12 No.3

In this study, we aimed to examine whether and how parental self‐esteem and parent– child relationships interact and associate with the authoritative parenting of Chinese rural‐to‐urban migrant mothers and fathers of left‐behind children. Results from a cross‐sectional survey of 295 Chinese migrant parents living in Shenzhen revealed no statistically significant differences between migrant mothers and fathers in parental self‐esteem, parent–child relationships, and authoritative parenting. Both parental self‐esteem and parent‐child relationships had positive associations with authoritative parenting among two groups of respondents; however, the perceived parent–child relationship quality was a more important predictor than parental selfesteem. There was also an interaction effect between parental self‐esteem and parent– child relationships on migrant mothers’ authoritative parenting. The findings indicate that migrant parents’ perception of their encounters with their children has a profound influence on their parenting behaviors. Social services should, thus, be provided to strengthen both virtual and face‐to‐face parent–child interactions via mobile phone parenting and periodic visits. New policies should be developed to provide migrant parents with more options regarding family reunion

Parametric studies on an innovative waste vegetable oil-based continuous liquid membrane (WVCLM) for Cu(II) ion separation from aqueous solutions

Siu Hua Chang 한국공업화학회 2017 Journal of Industrial and Engineering Chemistry Vol.50 No.-

Separation of Cu(II) ions from aqueous solutions using an innovative waste vegetable oil-basedcontinuous liquid membrane (WVCLM) was studied with waste vegetable oil as diluent,di-2-ethylhexylphosphoric acid (D2EHPA) as carrier and sulphuric acid (H2SO4) as stripping phase. For an initial Cu(II) ion concentration of 500 mg/L, the maximum percentages of extraction (96%) andstripping (80%) were achieved in 8 h and 24 h, respectively, with feed phase buffered at pH 4.5, 250 mM ofinert salt, 88 mM of D2EHPA, 1.5 M of H2SO4, 2.5 L/h of membrane phase, 4.0 L/h of feed phase and 0 L/h ofstripping phase.