Concurrent Weekly Docetaxel Chemotherapy in Combination with Radiotherapy for Stage III and IVA-B Nasopharyngeal Carcinoma

Wei, Wei-Hong,Cai, Xiu-Yu,Xu, Tao,Zhang, Guo-Yi,Wu, Yong-Feng,Feng, Wei-Neng,Lin, Li,Deng, Yan-Ming,Lu, Qiu-Xia,Huang, Zhe-Li Asian Pacific Journal of Cancer Prevention 2012 Asian Pacific journal of cancer prevention Vol.13 No.3

Background and Purpose: Cisplatin is the most common chemotherapeutic agent for loco-regionally advanced nasopharyngeal carcinoma (NPC); however, toxicity is a limiting factor for some patients. We retrospectively compared the efficacy and toxicity of weekly docetaxel-based and cisplatin-based concurrent chemoradiotherapy in loco-regionally advanced NPC. Methods and Materials: Eighty-four patients with Stage III and IVA-B NPCs, treated between 2007 and 2008, were retrospectively analyzed. Thirty received weekly docetaxel-based concurrent chemotherapy, and 43 were given weekly cisplatin-based concurrent chemotherapy. Radiotherapy was administered using a conventional technique (seven weeks, 2.0 Gy per fraction, total dose 70-74 Gy) with 6-8 Gy boosts for some patients with locally advanced disease. Results: Median follow-up time was 42.3 months (range, 8.6-50.8 months). There were no significant differences in the 3-year loco-regional failure-free survival (85.6% vs. 92.3%; p=0.264), distant failure-free survival (87.0% vs. 92.5%; p=0.171), progression-free survival (85.7% vs. 88.4%; p=0.411) or overall survival (86.5% vs. 92.5%, p=0.298) of patients treated concurrently with docetaxel or cisplatin. Severe toxicity was not common in either group. Conclusions: Weekly docetaxel-based concurrent chemoradiotherapy is potentially effective and has a tolerable toxicity; however, further investigations are required to determine if docetaxel is superior to cisplatin for advanced stage NPC.

Tailoring fabric geometry of plain-woven composites for simultaneously enhancing stiffness and thermal properties

Xiao-Yi Zhou,Neng-Wei Wang,Wen Xiong,Xin Ruan,Shao-Jin Zhang 국제구조공학회 2022 Steel and Composite Structures, An International J Vol.42 No.4

This paper proposes a numerical optimization method to design the mesoscale architecture of textile composite for simultaneously enhancing mechanical and thermal properties, which compete with each other making it difficult to design intuitively. The base cell of the periodic warp and fill yarn system is served as the design space, and optimal fibre yarn geometries are found by solving the optimization problem through the proposed method. With the help of homogenization method, analytical formulae for the effective material properties as functions of the geometry parameters of plain-woven textile composites were derived, and they are used to form the inverse homogenization method to establish the design problem. These modules are then put together to form a multiobjective optimization problem, which is formulated in such a way that the optimal design depends on the weight factors predetermined by the user based on the stiffness and thermal terms in the objective function. Numerical examples illustrate that the developed method can achieve reasonable designs in terms of fibre yarn paths and geometries.

The dynamic DEA assessment of the intertemporal efficiency and optimal quantity of patent for China’s high-tech industry

Wen-Jie Zou,Chin-Wei Huang,Yung-Ho Chiu,Neng Shen,Shu-Mei Wang 기술경영경제학회 2016 ASIAN JOURNAL OF TECHNOLOGY INNOVATION Vol.24 No.3

This study uses the dynamic data envelopment analysis (DEA) model to evaluate intertemporalefficiency for high-tech industries in China. The significant difference from previous studies isthe assumption for patents, which are defined to be a carry-over intermediate linking differentterms. The model further provides an indicator of adjustment ratio for patents, based on theassessment of optimal quantity of patents. Output and input inefficiency indicators are alsodeveloped in the model to explore the sources of operational inefficiency. The empiricalresults conclude that intertemporal efficiency trends upward over time; the quantity ofpatents is assessed to be in shortage during the early terms, but excessive in recent terms;and that deficits in financial output is a significant factor in creating inefficiency.

Aberrant Expression of the Autocrine Motility Factor Receptor Correlates with Poor Prognosis and Promotes Metastasis in Gastric Carcinoma

Huang, Zhen,Zhang, Neng,Zha, Lang,Mao, Hong-Chao,Chen, Xuan,Xiang, Ji-Feng,Zhang, Hua,Wang, Zi-Wei Asian Pacific Journal of Cancer Prevention 2014 Asian Pacific journal of cancer prevention Vol.15 No.2

AMFR, autocrine motility factor receptor, also called gp78, is a cell surface cytokine receptor which has a dual role as an E3 ubiquitin ligase in endoplasmic reticulum-associated degradation. AMFR expression is associated with tumor malignancy. We here investigated the clinical significance of AMFR and its role in metastasis and prognosis in gastric cancer. Expression of AMFR, E-cadherin and N-cadherin in cancer tissues and matched adjacent normal tissues from 122 gastric cancer (GC) patients undergoing surgical resection was assessed by immunohistochemistry. Levels of these molecules in 17 cases selected randomly were also analysed by Western blotting. AMFR expression was significantly increased in gastric cancer tissues, and associated with invasion depth and lymph node metastasis. Kaplan-Meier analysis showed AMFR expression correlated with poor overall survival and an increased risk of recurrence in the GC cases. Cox regression analysis suggested AMFR to be an independent predictor for overall and recurrence-free survival. E-cadherin expression was decreased in gastric cancer tissues; conversely, N-cadherin was increased. Expression of AMFR negatively correlated with E-cadherin expression, whereas N-cadherin expression showed a significant positive correlation with AMFR expression. AMFR might be involved in the regulation of epithelial-mesenchymal transition, with aberrant expression correlating with a poor prognosis and promoting invasion and metastasis in GCs.

A Tracking System Using Location Prediction and Dynamic Threshold for Minimizing SMS Delivery

Yuan-Cheng Lai,Jian-Wei Lin,Yi-Hsuan Yeh,Ching-Neng Lai,Hui-Chuan Weng 한국통신학회 2013 Journal of communications and networks Vol.15 No.1

In this paper, a novel method called location-based delivery (LBD), which combines the short message service (SMS) and global position system (GPS), is proposed, and further, a realistic system for tracking a target’s movement is developed. LBD reduces the number of short message transmissions while maintaining the location tracking accuracy within the acceptable range. The proposed approach, LBD, consists of three primary features: Short message format, location prediction, and dynamic threshold. The defined short message format is proprietary. Location prediction is performed by using the current location, moving speed, and bearing of the target to predict its next location. When the distance between the predicted location and the actual location exceeds a certain threshold, the target transmits a short message to the tracker to update its current location. The threshold is dynamically adjusted to maintain the location tracking accuracy and the number of shortmessages on the basis of themoving speed of the target. The experimental results show that LBD, indeed, outperforms other methods because it satisfactorily maintains the location tracking accuracy with relatively fewer messages.

A Tracking System Using Location Prediction and Dynamic Threshold for Minimizing SMS Delivery

Lai, Yuan-Cheng,Lin, Jian-Wei,Yeh, Yi-Hsuan,Lai, Ching-Neng,Weng, Hui-Chuan The Korea Institute of Information and Commucation 2013 Journal of communications and networks Vol.15 No.1

In this paper, a novel method called location-based delivery (LBD), which combines the short message service (SMS) and global position system (GPS), is proposed, and further, a realistic system for tracking a target's movement is developed. LBD reduces the number of short message transmissions while maintaining the location tracking accuracy within the acceptable range. The proposed approach, LBD, consists of three primary features: Short message format, location prediction, and dynamic threshold. The defined short message format is proprietary. Location prediction is performed by using the current location, moving speed, and bearing of the target to predict its next location. When the distance between the predicted location and the actual location exceeds a certain threshold, the target transmits a short message to the tracker to update its current location. The threshold is dynamically adjusted to maintain the location tracking accuracy and the number of short messages on the basis of the moving speed of the target. The experimental results show that LBD, indeed, outperforms other methods because it satisfactorily maintains the location tracking accuracy with relatively fewer messages.

Application of Artifical Textile Fiber as Growing Medium for Phalaenopsis Cultivation

Keng Heng Chang,Ting En Dai,Seng Chung Huang,Chin Yi Tsao,Wei Tin Tsai,Fei Neng Wang,Ai Hua Chang,Fong Wu How 한국원예학회 2006 한국원예학회 기타간행물 Vol.- No.-

The joint effect of different concentration of Cd<SUP>2+</SUP> and ionic liquid on the growth of wheat seedlings

Zhonglin Chen,Qian Zhou,Feng Leng,Bing Dai,Xueyang Zhao,Weichen Zhang,Neng Liu,Wei Guan,Kui Liu 대한환경공학회 2017 Environmental Engineering Research Vol.22 No.3

The joint effect of different concentrations (0.05-0.375 mmol/L) of Cd<SUP>2+</SUP> and various concentrations (50-400 mg/L) of [C3mim][OAc] on the growth and physiology of wheat seedlings were investigated. The toxicity of Cd<SUP>2+</SUP> could be significantly reduced by lower concentrations (50-200 mg/L) of [C3mim][OAc]. With higher concentration (≥ 300 mg/L) of [C3mim][OAc], the reduction became less, and compared to Cd<SUP>2+</SUP> stress only, the toxicity of 400 mg/L [C3mim][OAc] increased. As for different Cd<SUP>2+</SUP> concentrations, the optimal reduction depends on the balance between the exact concentration of Cd<SUP>2+</SUP> and [C3mim][OAc]: With low Cd<SUP>2+</SUP> concentration (0.05-0.250 mmol/L) requiring 50 mg/L [C3mim][OAc], it could reach a dynamic equilibrium, while high Cd<SUP>2+</SUP> concentration (0.375 mmol/L) requiring 100 mg/L [C3mim][OAc]. The growth and physiological indexes of wheat seedlings show a decrease in toxicity compared to the Cd alone treatment, when the dynamic equilibrium is reached. The concentration of Cd<SUP>2+</SUP> in leaf tissues showed that low concentration (50-200 mg/L) of [C3mim][OAc] can reduce the toxicity of Cd<SUP>2+</SUP> (0.05-0.375 mmol/L) by decreasing the level of Cd<SUP>2+</SUP> concentration in the tissues, whereas the higher concentration (≥ 300 mg/L) of [C3mim][OAc] can increase the concentration of Cd<SUP>2+</SUP>.

Initial Study of a Wire Mesh Tomography Sensor for Liquid/Gas Component Investigation

Mohd Hafiz Fazalul Rahiman,Siow Lean Thiam,Ruzairi Abdul Rahim,Zulkarnay Zakaria,Vernoon Ang Wei Neng 대한전기학회 2015 Journal of Electrical Engineering & Technology Vol.10 No.5

Experimental studies have been carried out to study the principle operation of the conductive type wire-mesh tomography sensor and analyse the wire-mesh tomography sensor for the liquid/gas two-phase flow interface and void fraction distribution in a process column. The measurement of the two-phase flows in the process column is based on the cross-sectional local instantaneous conductivity. The sensor consists of two planes of parallel electrode wires with 16 electrodes each and was placed orthogonally with each plane. The sensor electrode wires were made of tinned copper wire with an outer diameter of 0.91 mm which stretched over the sensor fixture. Therefore, this result in the mesh grid size with 5.53×5.53mm². The wire-mesh sensor was tested in a horizontal liquid/gas two-phase flows process column with nominal diameter of 95.6 mm and the sampling frequency of 5882.3529 Hz. The tomogram results show that the wire-mesh tomography provides significant results to represent the void fraction distribution in the process column and estimation error was found in the liquid/gas interface level.

Epithelial-Mesenchymal Transition and Migration of Prostate Cancer Stem Cells Is Driven by Cancer-Associated Fibroblasts in an HIF-1alpha/beta-Catenin-Dependent Pathway

Yong Luo,Ling Lan,Yong-Guang Jiang,Jia-Hui Zhao,Ming-Chuan Li,Neng-Bao Wei,Yun-Hua Lin 한국분자세포생물학회 2013 Molecules and cells Vol.36 No.2

Although cancer stem cells (CSCs) play a crucial role in seeding the initiation of tumor progression, they do not always possess the same potent ability as tumor metastasis. Thus, precisely how migrating CSCs occur, still remains unclear. In the present study, we first comparatively analyzed a series of prostate CSCs, which exhibited a dynamically increasing and disseminating ability in nude mice. We observed that the transcriptional activity of HIF-1 and -catenin became gradually elevated in these stem cells and their epithelial-mesenchymal transition (EMT) characteristic altered from an epithelial type to a mesenchymal type. Next, we further used cancer-associated fibroblasts (CAFs), which were cultured from surgically re-sected tissues of prostate cancer (PCa) to stimulate prostate CSCs. Similar results were reconfirmed and showed that the protein levels of both HIF-1 and -catenin were markedly improved. In addition, the EMT phenotype displayed a homogenous mesenchymal type, accompanied with increased aggressive potency in vitro. Most importantly, the aforementioned promoting effect of CAFs on prostate CSCs was completely repressed after “silencing” the activity of -catenin by transfection of stem cells with ShRNA. Taken together, our observations suggest that prostate migrating CSCs, with a mesenchymal phenotype, could be triggered by CAFs in a HIF-1alpha/beta-catenin-depen-dent signaling pathway.