Anterior Cervical Discectomy and Fusion for Hirayama Disease: A Case Report and Literature Review

Yi-Hsuan Kuo,Chao-Hung Kuo,Wen-Cheng Huang,Jau-Ching Wu 대한척추신경외과학회 2019 Neurospine Vol.16 No.3

Hirayama disease, a juvenile muscular atrophy of the distal upper extremity, is a rare form of cervical flexion myelopathy characterized by insidiously progressive weakness of the hands and forearm muscles (i.e., painless amyotrophy). The pathognomonic finding is a markedly forward-shifted spinal cord during neck flexion, demonstrated by dynamic magnetic resonance imaging (MRI), as in a young man with muscle atrophy in the bilateral distal upper extremities. In this report, the authors describe a 31-year-old man who had the classic radiological and clinical presentations of Hirayama disease. Since prior medical treatment had been ineffective for years, he underwent multilevel instrumented anterior cervical discectomy and fusion (ACDF) to keep his subaxial cervical spine slightly-lordotic (nonflexion). His motor evoked potential amplitude improved immediately during the operation, and there were improvements of myelopathy and a modest reversal of muscle wasting at 1 year postoperatively. Postoperative dynamic cervical spine MRI also demonstrated minimal cord compression and elimination of the venous plexus engorgement dorsal to the thecal sac. Although Hirayama disease is benign in nature and frequently self-limiting, multilevel instrumented ACDF could be a reasonable management option.

Optimal design of a novel amorphous silicon gate driver circuit using a TFT-circuit-simulation-based multi-objective evolutionary algorithm

Yi-Hsuan Hung,Sheng-Chin Hung,Chien-Hsueh Chiang,Yiming Li 한국정보디스플레이학회 2016 Journal of information display Vol.17 No.2

A short rise time, short fall time, and small ripple are required to reduce the misoperation of pixel data voltage and to improve the stable signal processing of a driver circuit. In this study, a novel amorphous silicon gate (ASG) driver circuit consisting of 15 hydrogenated amorphous silicon thin-film transistors (a-Si:H TFTs) and two capacitors was optimized using a thin-film transistor (TFT)-circuitsimulation- based multi-objective evolutionary algorithm on the unified optimization framework . The ASG circuit was optimized for the following given specifications: rise time <0.7 μs; fall time <0.6 μs; ripple peak <6.5 V; clock Ctotal <40 pf; and total TFT widths <6000 μm. The main findings of this study show that the rise time had an 18% reduction and that the fall time, total widths, and clock Ctotal had 7, 17.5, and 9% reductions, respectively.

A Genetic Analysis of Taoyuan Pig and Its Phylogenetic Relationship to Eurasian Pig Breeds

Kuan-Yi Li,Kuang-Ti Li,Chun-Chun Cheng,Chia-Hsuan Chen,Chien-Yi Hung,Yu-Ten Ju 아세아·태평양축산학회 2015 Animal Bioscience Vol.28 No.4

Taoyuan pig is a native Taiwan breed. According to the historical record, the breed was first introduced to Taiwan from Guangdong province, Southern China, around 1877. The breed played an important role in Taiwan’s early swine industry. It was classified as an indigenous breed in 1986. After 1987, a conserved population of Taoyuan pig was collected and reared in isolation. In this study, mitochondrial DNA sequences and 18 microsatellite markers were used to investigate maternal lineage and genetic diversity within the Taoyuan pig population. Population differentiation among Taoyuan, Asian type, and European type pig breeds was also evaluated using differentiation indices. Only one D-loop haplotype of the Taoyuan pig was found. It clustered with Lower Changjiang River Basin and Central China Type pig breeds. Based on the polymorphism of microsatellite markers, a positive fixation index value (FIS) indicates that the conserved Taoyuan population suffers from inbreeding. In addition, high FST values (>0.2105) were obtained, revealing high differentiation among these breeds. Non-metric multi-dimensional scaling showed a clear geometric structure among 7 breeds. Together these results indicate that maternally Taoyuan pig originated in the Lower Changjiang River Basin and Central China; however, since being introduced to Taiwan differentiation has occurred. In addition, Taoyuan pig has lost genetic diversity in both its mitochondrial and nuclear genomes.

The Robotic Arm Velocity Planning Based on Reinforcement Learning

Hao-Hsuan Huang,Chih‑Kai Cheng,Yi‑Hung Chen,Hung‑Yin Tsai 한국정밀공학회 2023 International Journal of Precision Engineering and Vol.24 No.9

In order to improve the performance of the robotic arm effectively, this study established a robotic arm velocity planning model developed by artificial intelligence in the simulation system. The model not only considered the dynamic factors of the robotic arm but was also able to set different customized conditions such as machining accuracy and rotation angle. The study could be divided into three parts. First, the simulation environment was constructed with the ABB IRB140 six axes multipurpose industrial robot. To be consistent with real-world situations, a Vortex physics engine was applied to the simulation supplying varying locomotion parameters. In this research, friction, kinematics, and inertia were considered. Second, artificial intelligence was imported into the robotic arm through the establishment of connecting V-rep and Python. The proposed model was developed in the Python environment by deep deterministic policy gradients. Eventually, a design of the appropriate reward function governing the ultimate results was presented. Compared with traditional velocity planning, the proposed method can decline moving error by 0.05 degrees under the considerations involving dynamic factors in a robotic arm. Besides, the proposed velocity planning strategy could be obtained after taking the training time of one hour which can meet the demand for the time cost of the industry.

A Genetic Analysis of Taoyuan Pig and Its Phylogenetic Relationship to Eurasian Pig Breeds

Li, Kuan-Yi,Li, Kuang-Ti,Cheng, Chun-Chun,Chen, Chia-Hsuan,Hung, Chien-Yi,Ju, Yu-Ten Asian Australasian Association of Animal Productio 2015 Animal Bioscience Vol.28 No.4

Taoyuan pig is a native Taiwan breed. According to the historical record, the breed was first introduced to Taiwan from Guangdong province, Southern China, around 1877. The breed played an important role in Taiwan's early swine industry. It was classified as an indigenous breed in 1986. After 1987, a conserved population of Taoyuan pig was collected and reared in isolation. In this study, mitochondrial DNA sequences and 18 microsatellite markers were used to investigate maternal lineage and genetic diversity within the Taoyuan pig population. Population differentiation among Taoyuan, Asian type, and European type pig breeds was also evaluated using differentiation indices. Only one D-loop haplotype of the Taoyuan pig was found. It clustered with Lower Changjiang River Basin and Central China Type pig breeds. Based on the polymorphism of microsatellite markers, a positive fixation index value ($F_{IS}$) indicates that the conserved Taoyuan population suffers from inbreeding. In addition, high $F_{ST}$ values (>0.2105) were obtained, revealing high differentiation among these breeds. Non-metric multi-dimensional scaling showed a clear geometric structure among 7 breeds. Together these results indicate that maternally Taoyuan pig originated in the Lower Changjiang River Basin and Central China; however, since being introduced to Taiwan differentiation has occurred. In addition, Taoyuan pig has lost genetic diversity in both its mitochondrial and nuclear genomes.

The Association of Acquired T790M Mutation with Clinical Characteristics after Resistance to First-Line Epidermal Growth Factor Receptor Tyrosine Kinase Inhibitor in Lung Adenocarcinoma

Yen-Hsiang Huang,Kuo-Hsuan Hsu,Jeng-Sen Tseng,Kun-Chieh Chen,Chia-Hung Hsu,Kang-Yi Su,Jeremy J. W. Chen,Huei-Wen Chen,Sung-Liang Yu,Tsung-Ying Yang,Gee-Chen Chang 대한암학회 2018 Cancer Research and Treatment Vol.50 No.4

Purpose The main objective of this study was to investigate the relationship among the clinical characteristics and the frequency of T790M mutation in advanced epidermal growth factor receptor (EGFR)mutant lung adenocarcinoma patients with acquired resistance after firstline EGFRtyrosine kinase inhibitor (TKI) treatment. Materials and Methods We enrolled EGFR-mutant stage IIIB-IV lung adenocarcinoma patients, who had progressed to prior EGFR-TKI therapy, and evaluated their rebiopsy EGFRmutation status. Results A total of 205 patients were enrolled for analysis. The overall T790M mutation rate of rebiopsy was 46.3%. The T790M mutation rates among patients with exon 19 deletion mutation, exon 21 L858R point mutation, and other mutations were 55.0%, 37.3%, and 27.3%, respectively. Baseline exon 19 deletion was associated with a significantly higher frequency of T790M mutation (adjusted odds ratio, 2.14; 95% confidence interval [CI], 1.20 to 3.83; p=0.010). In the exon 19 deletion subgroup, there was a greater prevalence of T790M mutation than other exon 19 deletion subtypes in patients with the Del E746-A750 mutation (61.6% vs. 40.6%; odds ratio, 2.35; 95% CI, 1.01 to 5.49; p=0.049). The progression- free survival (PFS) of first-line TKI treatment > 11 months was also associated with a higher T790M mutation rate (54.1% vs. 39.3%; adjusted odds ratio, 1.82; 95% CI, 1.02 to 3.25; p=0.044). Patients who underwent rebiopsy at metastatic sites had more chance to harbor T790M mutation (52.6% vs. 33.8%; adjusted odds ratio, 1.97; 95% CI, 1.06 to 3.67; p=0.032). Conclusion PFS of first-line EGFR-TKI, rebiopsy site, EGFR exon 19 deletion and its subtype Del E746- A750 mutation are associated with the frequency of T790M mutation.

Measurement of Deformity at the Craniovertebral Junction: Correlation of Triangular Area and Myelopathy

Chih-Chang Chang,Jau-Ching Wu,Chin-Chu Ko,Hsuan-Kan Chang,Yi-Hsuan Kuo,Chao-Hung Kuo,Tsung-Hsi Tu,Wen-Cheng Huang 대한척추신경외과학회 2022 Neurospine Vol.19 No.4

Objective: Diseases of the craniovertebral junction (CVJ) are commonly associated with deformity, malalignment, and subsequent myelopathy. The misaligned CVJ might cause compression of neuronal tissues and subsequently clinical symptoms. The triangular area (TA), measured by magnetic resonance imaging/images (MRI/s), is a novel measurement for quantification of the severity of compression to the brain stem. This study aimed to assess the normal and pathological values of TA by a comparison of patients with CVJ disease to age- and sex-matched controls. Moreover, postoperative TAs were correlated with outcomes. Methods: Consecutive patients who underwent surgery for CVJ disease were included for comparison to an age- and sex-matched cohort of normal CVJ persons as controls. The demographics, perioperative information, and pre- and postoperative 2-year cervical MRIs were collected for analysis. Cervical TAs were measured and compared. Results: A total of 201 patients, all of whom had pre- or postoperative MRI, were analyzed. The TA of the CVJ deformity group was larger than the healthy control group (1.62 ± 0.57 cm2 vs. 1.01 ± 0.18 cm2 , p < 0.001). Moreover, patients who had combined anterior odontoidectomy and posterior laminectomy with fixation had the greatest reduction in the TA (1.18 ± 0.58 cm2 ). Conclusion: In CVJ deformity, the measurement of the cervical TA could indicate the severity of brain stem compression. After surgery, the TA had a varying degree of improvement, which could represent the efficacy of surgery.

Potential of a combination of entomopathogenic fungal strains and a non-ionic surfactant to control the fall armyworm (Spodoptera frugiperda)

Wu Sing-Shan,Tseng Ching-Tzu,Yang Yu-Hung,Liu Yao-Chia,Chang Ju-Chun,Gyawali Purushottam,Li Yi-Hsuan,Yang Tzu-Hao,Tsai Yi-Fang,Tang Li-Cheng,Nai Yu-Shin 한국응용곤충학회 2022 Journal of Asia-Pacific Entomology Vol.25 No.4

The fall armyworm, Spodoptera frugiperda, is an emerging invasive pest in Taiwan that feeds on a wide range of crops and causes serious damage. Herein, an entomopathogenic fungal library (EFLib) was constructed to identify potential microbes to control FAW. Twenty-eight indigenous entomopathogenic fungi (EPF) were iso lated and investigated for their potential pathogenicity, with Metarhizium pinghaense (Mp-NCHU-124) and Beauveria bassiana (Bb-NCHU-157) exerting dose-dependent effects on the 4th instar FAW larvae. The non-ionic surfactant Silwet L-77 rapidly killed FAW larvae after spraying at a concentration of 300 mg/kg and the toxic effect of Silwet L-77 on FAW larvae was dose-dependent. When the EPF isolates (10 6 conidia/mL) were applied to FAW larvae in combination with the non-ionic surfactant Silwet L-77 (30–90 mg/kg), the mortality rate dramatically increased and the LT 50 reduced, with increased fungal mycosis (Mp-NCHU-124: 38% to 72% and Bb-NCHU-157: 20 to 62%), indicating the high compatibility of EPF with the non-ionic surfactant. Thus, the Silwet L-77+EPF combined formulation has potential for practical field application for FAW pest control and sustainable agriculture in the future.