Quercetin-mediated Cell Cycle Arrest and Apoptosis Involving Activation of a Caspase Cascade through the Mitochondrial Pathway in Human Breast Cancer MCF-7 Cells

Chu-Chung Chou,Jai-Sing Yang,Hsu-Feng Lu,Siu-Wan Ip,Chyi Lo,Chih-Chung Wu,Jing-Pin Lin,Nou-Ying Tang,Jing-Gung Chung,Ming-Jen Chou,Ying-Hock Teng,Dar-Ren Chen 대한약학회 2010 Archives of Pharmacal Research Vol.33 No.8

Dietary polyphenols have been correlated with a reduced risk of developing cancer. Quercetin (a natural polyphenolic compound) induced apoptosis in many human cancer cell lines, including breast cancer MCF-7 cells. However, the involvement of possible signaling pathways and the roles of quercetin in apoptosis are still undefined. The purpose of this study was to investigate the effects of quercetin on the induction of the apoptotic pathway in human breast cancer MCF-7 cells. When MCF-7 cells were treated with quercetin for 24 and 48 h and at various doses (10-175 μM), cell viability decreased significantly in time- and dose-dependent manners. Exposure of MCF-7 cells to 10-175 μM quercetin resulted in an approximate 90.25% decrease in viable cells. To explicate the mechanism underlying the antiproliferative effect of quercetin, cell cycle distribution and apoptosis in MCF-7 cells was investigated after exposure to 150 μM quercetin for 6-48 h. Quercetin caused a remarkable increase in the number of S phase (14.56%to 61.35%) and sub-G1 phase cells (0.1% to 8.32%) in a dose- and time-dependent manner. Quercetin caused S phase arrest by decreasing the protein expression of CDK2, cyclins A and B while increasing the p53 and p57 proteins. Following incubation with quercetin for 48 h, MCF-7 cells showed apoptotic cell death by the decreased levels of Bcl-2 protein and ΔΨ m and increased activations of caspase-6, -8 and -9. Moreover, quercetin increased the AIF protein released from mitochondria to nuclei and the GADD153 protein translocation from endoplasmic reticulum to the nuclei. These data suggested that quercetin may induce apoptosis by direct activation of the caspase cascade through the mitochondrial pathway in MCF-7 cells.

Forensic-based investigation-optimized extreme gradient boosting system for predicting compressive strength of ready-mixed concrete

Chou Jui-Sheng,Chen Li-Ying,Liu Chi-Yun 한국CDE학회 2023 Journal of computational design and engineering Vol.10 No.1

Regulations mandate testing concrete’s compressive strength after the concrete has cured for 28 days. In the ideal situation, cured strength equals the target strength. Advanced estimation of concrete’s compressive strength can facilitate quality management, improve safety, and present economic advantages in sustainable use. Basic statistical methods cannot effectively predict concrete’s strength or its non-linear relationships with the proportions of its constituent materials. In this study, a baseline model for predicting concrete’s compressive strength was constructed using a state-of-the-art machine-learning method. Most related studies have used sets of concrete mix design results concerning concrete specimens for laboratory-produced concrete specimens as training sets and have obtained simple models through regression; however, these models have been unsuitable for onsite prediction of the compressive strength of concrete with the various mix designs. Control over mix proportions is high in laboratories, resulting in low variation; onsite manual operation and environmental factors cause significant variations in assessment data. In this study, machine-learning techniques and a newly developed metaheuristic optimization algorithm were applied to big long-term data from 75 concrete plants to construct the optimal machine-learning model. Our self-developed forensic-based investigation algorithm was employed to fine-tune the hyperparameters of the extreme gradient boosting model and to improve the model’s generalizability. The lowest mean absolute percentage error (MAPE) obtained using this model was 9.29%, which was smaller than the lowest MAPE achieved using the conventional simple regression with the water-to-binder (W/B) ratio (12.73%). The traditional method tends to overestimate the actual compressive strength. Finally, a convenient expert system was developed that facilitates the use of the proposed model by onsite engineers for quality management. This system expedites the judgment of whether a mixed design is reasonable, reducing production costs while maintaining the safety of concrete structures. It can be widely applied in practice and function as an effective decision-making tool.

Criteria for Evaluating Aerotropolis Service Quality

Ying WANG,Chien-chang CHOU,여기태 한국해운물류학회 2013 The Asian journal of shipping and Logistics Vol.29 No.3

This paper provides an exploratory analysis from the perspective of the aerotropolis operators, aiming to obtain the criteria for evaluating the service quality of the aerotropolises in Korea and Taiwan. Interviews and questionnaires were carried out, focusing on the public and private institutions involved in aerotropolis services. A fuzzy method was employed to measure the importance of the aerotropolis service quality criteria. The results reveal that airport access modes, transfer hub, and government policy planning are the main criteria that affect the service quality of an aerotropolis. Additionally, the paper reveals the development strategies for the Incheon and Taoyuan aerotropolises. It shows that the Incheon aerotropolis is primarily motivated by tourism, followed by the development of an airport-related industry zone and a residential zone. However, for the Taoyuan aerotropolis, the creation of an airport-related industry zone is the driving, followed by tourism and a residential zone.

Market Return, Liquidity, and Trading Activity of Various Trader Types in the Emerging Market: A Study of the TAIFEX

Ying Hao,Robin K. Chou,Keng-Yu Ho,Pei-Shih Weng 한국증권학회 2016 Asia-Pacific Journal of Financial Studies Vol.45 No.4

Using a large data set with detailed classifications of different trader types, this study sheds further light on the trading activity of various trader types on the Taiwan futures exchange (TAIFEX). Compared with domestic traders on the TAIFEX, we find that foreign institutional traders act as contrarians. In addition, when the market becomes illiquid, foreign institutional traders are net buyers and individual traders are net sellers. The result implies that both foreign institutional traders and individual traders may contribute to the recovery of liquidity dry-ups together. Among all traders, only the order imbalance of foreign institutional investors presents return predictability when the market is illiquid, which suggests they have an information advantage in such a market.

Monitoring changes in the genetic structure of Brown Tsaiya duck selected for feeding efficiency by microsatellite markers

Yi-Ying Chang,Hsiu-Chou Liu,Chih-Feng Chen Asian Australasian Association of Animal Productio 2023 Animal Bioscience Vol.36 No.3

Objective: Few studies have genetically monitored chickens over time, and no research has been conducted on ducks. To ensure the sustainable management of key duck breeds, we used microsatellite markers to monitor Brown Tsaiya ducks over time genetically. Methods: The second, fourth, sixth to eighth generations of the Brown Tsaiya duck selected for feeding efficiency and control lines were included in this study to investigate the genetic variations, effective population size, population structure and the differentiation between populations over time with 11 microsatellite markers derived from Brown Tsaiya duck. Results: The results showed there were a slight decrease in the genetic variations and an increase in within-population inbreeding coefficient (F_IS) in both lines, but no consistent increase in F_IS was observed in each line. The effective population size in the second and eighth generations was 27.2 for the selected line and 23.9 for the control line. The change in allele richness showed a downward trend over time, and the selected line was slightly lower than the control line in each generation. The number of private alleles (N_p) in the selected line were higher than in the control line. Moderate differentiation was observed between the second and eighth generations in the selected line (F_ST = 0.0510) and the control line (F_ST = 0.0606). Overall, differentiation tended to increase with each generation, but genetic variation and structure did not change considerably after six generations in the two lines. Conclusion: This study provides a reference for poultry conservation and helps to implement cross-generation genetic monitoring and breeding plans in other duck breeds or lines to promote sustainable management.

Infusion of Human Mesenchymal Stem Cells Improves Regenerative Niche in Thioacetamide-Injured Mouse Liver

Kao Ying-Hsien,Lin Yu-Chun,Lee Po-Huang,Lin Chia-Wei,Chen Po-Han,Tai Tzong-Shyuan,Chang Yo-Chen,Chou Ming-Huei,Chang Chih-Yang,Sun Cheuk-Kwan 한국조직공학과 재생의학회 2020 조직공학과 재생의학 Vol.17 No.5

Background: This study investigated whether xenotransplantation of human Wharton’s jelly-derived mesenchymal stem cells (WJ-MSCs) reduces thioacetamide (TAA)-induced mouse liver fibrosis and the underlying molecular mechanism. Methods: Recipient NOD/SCID mice were injected intraperitoneally with TAA twice weekly for 6 weeks before initial administration of WJ-MSCs. Expression of regenerative and pro-fibrogenic markers in mouse fibrotic livers were monitored post cytotherapy. A hepatic stallate cell line HSC-T6 and isolated WJ-MSCs were used for in vitro adhesion, migration and mechanistic studies. Results: WJ-MSCs were isolated from human umbilical cords by an explant method and characterized by flow cytometry. A single infusion of WJ-MSCs to TAA-treated mice significantly reduced collagen deposition and ameliorated liver fibrosis after 2-week therapy. In addition to enhanced expression of hepatic regenerative factor, hepatocyte growth factor, and PCNA proliferative marker, WJ-MSC therapy significantly blunted pro-fibrogenic signals, including Smad2, RhoA, ERK. Intriguingly, reduction of plasma fibronectin (pFN) in fibrotic livers was noted in MSC-treated mice. In vitro studies further demonstrated that suspending MSCs triggered pFN degradation, soluble pFN conversely retarded adhesion of suspending MSCs onto type I collagen-coated surface, whereas pFN coating enhanced WJ-MSC migration across mimicked wound bed. Moreover, pretreatment with soluble pFN and conditioned medium from MSCs with pFN strikingly attenuated the response of HSC-T6 cells to TGF-β1-stimulation in Smad2 phosphorylation and RhoA upregulation. Conclusion: These findings suggest that cytotherapy using WJ-MSCs may modulate hepatic pFN deposition for a better regenerative niche in the fibrotic livers and may constitute a useful anti-fibrogenic intervention in chronic liver diseases.

Radiofrequency ablation of benign thyroid nodules: recommendations from the Asian Conference on Tumor Ablation Task Force

하은주,백정환,Ying Che,Chou Yi-Hong,Nobuhiro Fukunari,김지훈,Wei-Che Lin,Le Thi My,나동규,Lawrence Han Hwee Quek,Ming-Hsun Wu,Koichiro Yamakado,Jianhua Zhou 대한초음파의학회 2021 ULTRASONOGRAPHY Vol.40 No.1

Radiofrequency ablation (RFA) is a thermal ablation technique widely used for the management of benign thyroid nodules. To date, five academic societies in various countries have reported clinical practice guidelines, opinion statements, or recommendations regarding the use of thyroid RFA. However, despite some similarities, there are also differences among the guidelines, and a consensus is required regarding safe and effective treatment in Asian countries. Therefore, a task force was organized by the guideline committee of the Asian Conference on Tumor Ablation with the goal of devising recommendations for the clinical use of thyroid RFA. The recommendations in this article are based on a comprehensive analysis of the current literature and the consensus opinion of the task force members.

STRATEGIES AND NETWORK CONSEQUENCES IN AN INTERACTIVE CONTEXT

Hsin-Hui Chou,Christina ?berg,Tommy Tsung-Ying Shih 글로벌지식마케팅경영학회 2014 Global Marketing Conference Vol.2014 No.7

This paper adopts an industrial network perspective on strategy. Business strategy in an interactive context has been a recurrent theme in the Industrial Marketing & Purchasing (IMP) literature for over three decades (Baraldi et al., 2007; Gadde, Huemer & H?kansson, 2003; Turnbull & Valla, 1986). The interactive context refers to how change by a company expectedly leads to changes in needs, or structures of interconnected parties (Gadde, Huemer & H?kansson, 2003). Strategy also becomes a response to changes among business partners, and any introduced change may have consequences that either reinforce or disable the intentions of the company. Based on how other parties act in parallel, try to adapt to present structures or intend to change them, outcomes are unforeseeable (Baraldi et al., 2007; Brennan, Gressetvold & Zolkiewski, 2008). Baraldi et al. (2007) even state that strategizing in an interactive context is an impossible task. Still, companies do formulate and implement strategies (M?ller & Halinen, 1999). While some studies discuss actions and effects (e.g. Wilkinson & Young, 2002), a search in the EBSCO database, on business strategy and consequences/outcomes in a network context resulted in zero hits. Researchers have suggested the complexity of strategizing in an interactive context and referred such strategizing as conforming to or confronting present structures (Ford et al., 2003). Surprisingly, however, less is known about network consequences and the link to different kinds of strategies. This paper focuses on the issue. Network consequences refer to what happens in the network in terms of changed contents of relationships, and/or changed network structures. We describe the consequences as either intended or unexpected (cf. Andersson, Havila & Salmi, 2001) from the focal company’s perspective and link them to different strategies. The aim of this paper is to develop the understanding, from an industrial network perspective, of network consequences from a focal company’s perspective and how different strategies influence these. To that end the present paper bases on a case study from the optical recording media industry, and follows the Taiwanese company Ritek. The paper contributes to the growing interest for strategy in a network context and the link between different strategies and network consequences in the following ways: • Through the case study we categorize business strategies into copying, shared, reflexive, and company-rooted. These categories add to research on strategy in interactive contexts, through pointing to a more fine-tuned categorization than conforming/confronting and pointing to conforming and confronting as scale-measures rather than absolute categories. The division between company-rooted and network-challenging strategies is important as it indicates different viewpoints by the firm, and shared strategies acknowledge the net as an analytical level in networks. • The paper indicates how strategies may include other parties in terms of considerations (reflexive or copying strategies) or as joint parties (shared strategies), and how intended consequences foremost appear on that level, while unexpected consequences occur in the wider network. The paper divides unexpected network consequences into reinforcing, spin-off effects, partly disabling, and fully disabling, and thereby adds to understandings and categorizations of network consequences. • The link between strategies and network consequences points to how the more confronting the strategy, the more unexpected consequences, and also the more negative their impact on the strategy realization, which also attracts attention to the importance of including the network in strategy formulation. This adds to present understanding on strategizing in interactive contexts, and highlights the network’s impact to the strategy literature.

STRATEGIES AND NETWORK CONSEQUENCES IN AN INTERACTIVE CONTEXT

Hsin-Hui Chou,Christina Öberg,Tommy Tsung-Ying Shih 글로벌지식마케팅경영학회 2014 Global Marketing Conference Vol.2014 No.9

This paper adopts an industrial network perspective on strategy. Business strategy in an interactive context has been a recurrent theme in the Industrial Marketing & Purchasing (IMP) literature for over three decades (Baraldi et al., 2007; Gadde, Huemer & Håkansson, 2003; Turnbull & Valla, 1986). The interactive context refers to how change by a company expectedly leads to changes in needs, or structures of interconnected parties (Gadde, Huemer & Håkansson, 2003). Strategy also becomes a response to changes among business partners, and any introduced change may have consequences that either reinforce or disable the intentions of the company. Based on how other parties act in parallel, try to adapt to present structures or intend to change them, outcomes are unforeseeable (Baraldi et al., 2007; Brennan, Gressetvold & Zolkiewski, 2008). Baraldi et al. (2007) even state that strategizing in an interactive context is an impossible task. Still, companies do formulate and implement strategies (Möller & Halinen, 1999). While some studies discuss actions and effects (e.g. Wilkinson & Young, 2002), a search in the EBSCO database, on business strategy and consequences/outcomes in a network context resulted in zero hits. Researchers have suggested the complexity of strategizing in an interactive context and referred such strategizing as conforming to or confronting present structures (Ford et al., 2003). Surprisingly, however, less is known about network consequences and the link to different kinds of strategies. This paper focuses on the issue. Network consequences refer to what happens in the network in terms of changed contents of relationships, and/or changed network structures. We describe the consequences as either intended or unexpected (cf. Andersson, Havila & Salmi, 2001) from the focal company’s perspective and link them to different strategies. The aim of this paper is to develop the understanding, from an industrial network perspective, of network consequences from a focal company’s perspective and how different strategies influence these. To that end the present paper bases on a case study from the optical recording media industry, and follows the Taiwanese company Ritek. The paper contributes to the growing interest for strategy in a network context and the link between different strategies and network consequences in the following ways:·Through the case study we categorize business strategies into copying, shared, reflexive, and company-rooted. These categories add to research on strategy in interactive contexts, through pointing to a more fine-tuned categorization than conforming/confronting and pointing to conforming and confronting as scale-measures rather than absolute categories. The division between company-rooted and network-challenging strategies is important as it indicates different viewpoints by the firm, and shared strategies acknowledge the net as an analytical level in networks.·The paper indicates how strategies may include other parties in terms of considerations (reflexive or copying strategies) or as joint parties (shared strategies), and how intended consequences foremost appear on that level, while unexpected consequences occur in the wider network. The paper divides unexpected network consequences into reinforcing, spin-off effects, partly disabling, and fully disabling, and thereby adds to understandings and categorizations of network consequences.·The link between strategies and network consequences points to how the more confronting the strategy, the more unexpected consequences, and also the more negative their impact on the strategy realization, which also attracts attention to the importance of including the network in strategy formulation. This adds to present understanding on strategizing in interactive contexts, and highlights the network’s impact to the strategy literature.

Bacillus amyloliquefaciens and Saccharomyces cerevisiae feed supplements improve growth performance and gut mucosal architecture with modulations on cecal microbiota in red-feathered native chickens

Lee Tzu Tai,Chou Chung-Hsi,Wang Chinling,Lu Hsuan-Ying,Yang Wen-Yuan 아세아·태평양축산학회 2022 Animal Bioscience Vol.35 No.6

Objective: The aim of study was to investigate the effects of in-feed supplementation of Bacillus amyloliquefaciens (BA) and Saccharomyces cerevisiae (SC) on growth performance, gut integrity, and microbiota modulations in red-feathered native chickens (RFCs). Methods: A total of 18,000 RFCs in a commercial farm were evenly assigned into two dietary treatments (control diet; 0.05% BA and 0.05% SC) by randomization and raised for 11 weeks in two separate houses. Fifty RFCs in each group were randomly selected and raised in the original house with the partition for performance evaluations at the age of 9 and 11 weeks. Six non-partitioned RFCs per group were randomly selected for analyses of intestinal architecture and 16S rRNA metagenomics. Results: Feeding BA and SC increased the body weight and body weight gain, significantly at the age of 11 weeks (p<0.05). The villus height/crypt ratio in the small intestines and Firmicutes to Bacteroidetes ratio were also notably increased (p<0.05). The supplementation did not disturb the microbial community structure but promote the featured microbial shifts characterized by the significant increments of Bernesiella, Prevotellaceae_NK3B31_group, and Butyrucimonas, following remarkable decrements of Bacteroides, Rikenellaceae_RC9_ gut_group, and Succinatimonas in RFCs with growth benefits. Besides, functional pathways of peptidoglycan biosynthesis, nucleotide excision repair, glycolysis/gluconeogenesis, and aminoacyl transfer ribonucleic acid (tRNA) biosynthesis were significantly promoted (p< 0.05). Conclusion: In-feed supplementation of BA and SC enhanced the growth performance, improved mucosal architectures in small intestines, and modulated the cecal microbiota and metabolic pathways in RFCs. Objective: The aim of study was to investigate the effects of in-feed supplementation of Bacillus amyloliquefaciens (BA) and Saccharomyces cerevisiae (SC) on growth performance, gut integrity, and microbiota modulations in red-feathered native chickens (RFCs).Methods: A total of 18,000 RFCs in a commercial farm were evenly assigned into two dietary treatments (control diet; 0.05% BA and 0.05% SC) by randomization and raised for 11 weeks in two separate houses. Fifty RFCs in each group were randomly selected and raised in the original house with the partition for performance evaluations at the age of 9 and 11 weeks. Six non-partitioned RFCs per group were randomly selected for analyses of intestinal architecture and 16S rRNA metagenomics.Results: Feeding BA and SC increased the body weight and body weight gain, significantly at the age of 11 weeks (p<0.05). The villus height/crypt ratio in the small intestines and Firmicutes to Bacteroidetes ratio were also notably increased (p<0.05). The supplementation did not disturb the microbial community structure but promote the featured microbial shifts characterized by the significant increments of Bernesiella, Prevotellaceae_NK3B31_group, and Butyrucimonas, following remarkable decrements of Bacteroides, Rikenellaceae_RC9_gut_group, and Succinatimonas in RFCs with growth benefits. Besides, functional pathways of peptidoglycan biosynthesis, nucleotide excision repair, glycolysis/gluconeogenesis, and aminoacyl transfer ribonucleic acid (tRNA) biosynthesis were significantly promoted (p<0.05).Conclusion: In-feed supplementation of BA and SC enhanced the growth performance, improved mucosal architectures in small intestines, and modulated the cecal microbiota and metabolic pathways in RFCs.