The effect of ferulic acid ethyl ester on leptin-induced proliferation and migration of aortic smooth muscle cells

Yung-Chieh Tsai,Yen-Mei Lee,Sy-Ying Leu,Hsiao-Yen Chiang,Mao-Hsiung Yen,Pao-Yun Cheng,Chih-Hsiung Hsu 생화학분자생물학회 2015 Experimental and molecular medicine Vol.47 No.-

Leptin is a peptide hormone, which has a central role in the regulation of body weight; it also exerts many potentially atherogenic effects. Ferulic acid ethyl ester (FAEE) has been approved for antioxidant properties. The aim of this study was to investigate whether FAEE can inhibit the atherogenic effects of leptin and the possible molecular mechanism of its action. Both of cell proliferation and migration were measured when the aortic smooth muscle cell (A10 cell) treated with leptin and/or FAEE. Phosphorylated p44/42MAPK, cell cycle-regulatory protein (for example, cyclin D1, p21, p27), β-catenin and matrix metalloproteinase-9 (MMP-9) proteins levels were also measured. Results demonstrated that leptin (10, 100 ng ml−1) significantly increased the proliferation of cells and the phosphorylation of p44/42MAPK in A10 cells. The proliferative effect of leptin was significantly reduced by the pretreatment of U0126 (0.5 μM), a MEK inhibitor, in A10 cells. Meanwhile, leptin significantly increased the protein expression of cyclin D1, p21, β-catenin and decreased the expression of p27 in A10 cells. In addition, leptin (10 ng ml−1) significantly increased the migration of A10 cells and the expression of MMP-9 protein. Above effects of leptin were significantly reduced by the pretreatment of FAEE (1 and 10 μM) in A10 cells. In conclusion, FAEE exerts multiple effects on leptin-induced cell proliferation and migration, including the inhibition of p44/42MAPK phosphorylation, cell cycle-regulatory proteins and MMP-9, thereby suggesting that FAEE may be a possible therapeutic approach to the inhibition of obese vascular disease.

Carbon induced phase transformation in electrospun TiO₂/multiwall carbon nanotube nanofibers

Tsai, Chieh-Ming,Song, Chan-Geun,Hung, Yung-Chieh,Jeong, Yong-Gi,Oh, Sung Hoon,Jeong, Joong Hoon,Kim, Huijin,Huh, Hoon,Yoon, Jong-Won,Sigmund, Wolfgang Elsevier 2017 CERAMICS INTERNATIONAL Vol.43 No.4

<P><B>Abstract</B></P> <P>Nanofibers of titania and composite nanofibers of titania and multiwall carbon nanotubes were synthesized by electrospinning using a sol-gel process combined with activated carbon nanotubes. The relationships of treatment temperature, carbon nanotube content on the crystal phase, fiber morphology, and electric properties are reported. It is found that the rutile phase becomes more prominent at low heat treatment temperatures with an increase of carbon content in nanofibers, be it for higher amount of carbon due to reducing atmosphere or due to an increase in MWCNT. Atmospheric control and lower heat treatment temperatures enable crystalline nanocomposite fibers of anatase where the level of rutile is below the detection limit of XRD or Raman spectroscopy. This work provides a new path to fabricate electrospun TiO<SUB>2</SUB>/MWCNT nanocomposite nanofibers with limited C-induced rutile phase.</P>

Robust Control Design Based-on Integral Sliding-Mode for Systems with Norm-Bounded Uncertainties

Chieh-Chuan Feng,Yung-Yeh Lin 제어로봇시스템학회 2011 제어로봇시스템학회 국제학술대회 논문집 Vol.2011 No.10

Based on the integral sliding-mode control that copes with norm-bounded matched uncertainties, a robust control of L₂-gain performance measure subsequently applied to the system is proposed to handle both nonlinearities and unmatched uncertainties. The similar issue through the use of higher order multimode model has been relaxed. Instead of using exact known multi-mode to express the uncertain system, the norm-bound convex set is a concise way of expressing the model and hence, higher order models needed in the computation can be avoided. In this paper integral sliding-mode control robustly nullifies the matched uncertainties from the first beginning of the process and then, once in the sliding mode, the nonlinearities and unmatched uncertainties are further compensated by the quadratic stability with L₂-gain performance measure to not only stabilize the system but also ensure the satisfaction of performance. The effectiveness is shown in a numerical example.

Poster Session : PS 0589 ; Psychiatry ; Holistic Care Unit Improves Access Block in Emergency Department in Taiwan

( Meng Chieh Wu ),( Hsin Kai Huang ),( Chun Cheng Zhang ),( Li Sheng Chang ),( Yung Ze Cheng ),( Chien Chin Hsu ),( Kao Chang Lin ) 대한내과학회 2014 대한내과학회 추계학술대회 Vol.2014 No.1

Background: Emergency department (ED) overcrowding is a problem in many countries including Taiwan. Access block refers to a situation where patients in the emergency department requiring inpatient care are unable to gain access to appropriate hospital beds within a reasonable time frame (more than 8 hours total time in the emergency department). Access block is one major reason of ED overcrowding. Methods: A new holistic care unit was established in our medical center in Taiwan in July 2012, with the attending physicians including internal medicine physicians and a neurologist. The patients who required hospitalized treatment were referred to internal medicine physicians in the emergency department. The new department was comprised of seven experienced medical attending physician to take care of the patients directly, with 8-hour duty work shifts within 24 hours, in collaboration with emergency physicians, radiologists, nurses, social workers and case managers to form a team. This team had similar three-shift work duty, education and training programs, and they shared medical devices and resources. If beds in the intensive care unit or ward are not available immediately, procedures and treatment can be performed in the holistic care unit. The pediatric patients were excluded from this study. Results: In total, 26,623 patients were admitting to ward from our emergency department from August 2011 to July 2012, and 23,790 patients from August 2012 to July 2013. The rate of access block decreased from 55.29% to 50.01% ( p < 0.01) after holistic care unit was established. The mean time of ED length of stay was also improved from 18.04 hours to 15.43 hours ( p < 0.01). Conclusions: The newly established holistic care unit in our hospital improved the quality of medical care, not only physiologically but also psychologically.

Role of accidental torsion in seismic reliability assessment for steel buildings

Heui-Yung Chang,Jung-Yu Chen,Chu-Chieh Jay Lin,Ker-Chun Lin 국제구조공학회 2009 Steel and Composite Structures, An International J Vol.9 No.5

This study investigates the role of accidental torsion in seismic reliability assessment. The analyzed structures are regular 6-story and 20-story steel office buildings. The eccentricity in a floor plan was simulated by shifting the mass from the centroid by 5% of the dimension normal to earthquake shaking. The eccentricity along building heights was replicated by Latin hypercube sampling. The fragilities for immediate occupancy and life safety were evaluated using 0.7% and 2.5% inter-story drift limits. Two limit-state probabilities and the corresponding earthquake intensities were compared. The effect of ignoring accidental torsion and the use of code accidental eccentricity were also assessed. The results show that accidental torsion may influence differently the structural reliability and limit-state PGAs. In terms of structural reliability, significant differences in the probability of failure are obtained depending on whether accidental torsion is considered or not. In terms of limit-state PGAs, accidental torsion does not have a significant effect. In detail, ignoring accidental torsion leads to underestimates in low-rise buildings and at small drift limits. On the other hand, the use of code accidental eccentricity gives conservative estimates, especially in high-rise buildings at small drift limits.

Face and Gesture Based Human Computer Interaction

Yo-Jen Tu,Chung-Chieh Kao,Huei-Yung Lin,Chin-Chen Chang 보안공학연구지원센터 2015 International Journal of Signal Processing, Image Vol.8 No.9

In this paper, we present a face and gesture based human computer interaction (HCI) system. We combine head pose and hand gesture to control the system. We can identify the positions of the eyes and mouth, and use the face center to estimate the pose of the head. Moreover, we introduce a technique for automatic gesture area segmentation and orientation normalization of the hand gesture. The user does not need to keep gestures in upright position and the system segments and normalizes the gestures automatically. The experimental results show that the proposed approach is accurate with gesture recognition rate of 93.6%. Also, the user can control multiple devices, including robots simultaneously through a wireless network.

3-D NUMERICAL AND EXPERIMENTAL ANALYSIS FOR AIRFLOW WITHIN A PASSENGER COMPARTMENT

Chia-Hung Chien,Yung-Hsin Chen,Shih-Chieh Wu,Jiin-Yuh Jang 한국자동차공학회 2008 International journal of automotive technology Vol.9 No.4

People use cars so frequently that they always consider the air-conditioning, and thermal comfort of the driver and passenger when buying a new car. Therefore accurate simulation of the thermal performance of automobile air conditioners to improve human comfort has become increasingly important. In order to improve the thermal comfort of passengers, 3-D flow motion and thermal behavior within vehicles must be analyzed. In this paper, a numerical simulation was used to investigate thermal behavior in a vehicle. Because air temperature at an air vent is related to the cooling capacity of the air conditioner, the cooling capacity was calculated using ε -NTU (effective number of transfer unit) theoretical equations. Using the air temperature relationship between inlet and outlet vents as boundary conditions, a 3-D unsteady κ -ε turbulent model was used to give a transient analysis simulation of the temperature field and flow conditions in a vehicle’s passenger cabin. Cooling cycle analysis and conjugate heat transfer analysis at the inside surface of the cabin’s ceiling, floor and sides were also considered. The predicted temperature distributions in the vehicles passenger cabin were in good agreement with those obtained experimentally.

Analgesic and Anti-Inflammatory Activities of Rosa taiwanensis Nakai in Mice

Der-Shiang Tsai,Mei-Hsuen Huang,Jen-Chieh Tsai,Yuan-Shuang Chang,Yung-Jia Chiu,Yen-Chang Lin,Lung-Yuan Wu,Wen-Huang Peng 한국식품영양과학회 2015 Journal of medicinal food Vol.18 No.5

In this study, we evaluated the analgesic and anti-inflammatory activities of a 70% ethanol extract from Rosa taiwanensis Nakai (RTEtOH). The analgesic effect was determined using acetic acid-induced writhing response and formalin test. The anti-inflammatory activity was evaluated by λ-carrageenan-induced paw edema in mice. The anti-inflammatory mechanism of RTEtOH was examined by measuring the levels of cyclooxygenase-2 (COX-2), nitric oxide (NO), tumor necrosis factor-α (TNF-α), interleukin (IL)-1β, IL-6, and malondialdehyde (MDA) in the paw edema tissue and the activities of superoxide dismutase (SOD), glutathione peroxidase (GPx), and glutathione reductase (GRd) in the liver tissue. The betulinic acid and oleanolic acid contents of RTEtOH were assayed by HPLC. The results showed that RTEtOH decreased the acetic acid-induced writhing responses (1.0 g/kg) and the late phase of the formalin-induced licking time (0.5 and 1.0 g/kg). In the anti-inflammatory models, RTEtOH (0.5 and 1.0 g/kg) reduced the paw edema at 3, 4, and 5 h after λ-carrageenan administration. Moreover, the anti-inflammatory mechanisms might be due to the decreased levels of COX-2, TNF-α, IL-1β, and IL-6, as well as the inhibition of NO and MDA levels through increasing the activities of SOD, GPx, and GRd. The contents of two active compounds, betulinic acid and oleanolic acid, were quantitatively determined. This study demonstrated the analgesic and anti-inflammatory activities of RTEtOH and provided evidence to support its therapeutic use in inflammatory diseases.

Diffusion Tensor-Derived Properties of Benign Oligemia, True “at Risk” Penumbra, and Infarct Core during the First Three Hours of Stroke Onset: A Rat Model

Fang-Ying Chiu,Duen-Pang Kuo,Yung-Chieh Chen,Yu-Chieh Kao,Hsiao-Wen Chung,Cheng-Yu Chen 대한영상의학회 2018 Korean Journal of Radiology Vol.19 No.6

Objective: The aim of this study was to investigate diffusion tensor (DT) imaging-derived properties of benign oligemia, true “at risk” penumbra (TP), and the infarct core (IC) during the first 3 hours of stroke onset. Materials and Methods: The study was approved by the local animal care and use committee. DT imaging data were obtained from 14 rats after permanent middle cerebral artery occlusion (pMCAO) using a 7T magnetic resonance scanner (Bruker) in room air. Relative cerebral blood flow and apparent diffusion coefficient (ADC) maps were generated to define oligemia, TP, IC, and normal tissue (NT) every 30 minutes up to 3 hours. Relative fractional anisotropy (rFA), pure anisotropy (rq), diffusion magnitude (rL), ADC (rADC), axial diffusivity (rAD), and radial diffusivity (rRD) values were derived by comparison with the contralateral normal brain. Results: The mean volume of oligemia was 24.7 ± 14.1 mm3, that of TP was 81.3 ± 62.6 mm3, and that of IC was 123.0 ± 85.2 mm3 at 30 minutes after pMCAO. rFA showed an initial paradoxical 10% increase in IC and TP, and declined afterward. The rq, rL, rADC, rAD, and rRD showed an initial discrepant decrease in IC (from -24% to -36%) as compared with TP (from -7% to -13%). Significant differences (p < 0.05) in metrics, except rFA, were found between tissue subtypes in the first 2.5 hours. The rq demonstrated the best overall performance in discriminating TP from IC (accuracy = 92.6%, area under curve = 0.93) and the optimal cutoff value was -33.90%. The metric values for oligemia and NT remained similar at all time points. Conclusion: Benign oligemia is small and remains microstructurally normal under pMCAO. TP and IC show a distinct evolution of DT-derived properties within the first 3 hours of stroke onset, and are thus potentially useful in predicting the fate of ischemic brain.

Differentiation of the Infarct Core from Ischemic Penumbra within the First 4.5 Hours, Using Diffusion Tensor Imaging-Derived Metrics: A Rat Model

Duen-Pang Kuo,Chia-Feng Lu,Michelle Liou,Yung-Chieh Chen,Hsiao-Wen Chung,Cheng-Yu Chen 대한영상의학회 2017 Korean Journal of Radiology Vol.18 No.2

Objective: To investigate whether the diffusion tensor imaging-derived metrics are capable of differentiating the ischemic penumbra (IP) from the infarct core (IC), and determining stroke onset within the first 4.5 hours. Materials and Methods: All procedures were approved by the local animal care committee. Eight of the eleven rats having permanent middle cerebral artery occlusion were included for analyses. Using a 7 tesla magnetic resonance system, the relative cerebral blood flow and apparent diffusion coefficient maps were generated to define IP and IC, half hour after surgery and then every hour, up to 6.5 hours. Relative fractional anisotropy, pure anisotropy (rq) and diffusion magnitude (rL) maps were obtained. One-way analysis of variance, receiver operating characteristic curve and nonlinear regression analyses were performed. Results: The evolutions of tensor metrics were different in ischemic regions (IC and IP) and topographic subtypes (cortical, subcortical gray matter, and white matter). The rL had a significant drop of 40% at 0.5 hour, and remained stagnant up to 6.5 hours. Significant differences (p < 0.05) in rL values were found between IP, IC, and normal tissue for all topographic subtypes. Optimal rL threshold in discriminating IP from IC was about -29%. The evolution of rq showed an exponential decrease in cortical IC, from -26.9% to -47.6%; an rq reduction smaller than 44.6% can be used to predict an acute stroke onset in less than 4.5 hours. Conclusion: Diffusion tensor metrics may potentially help discriminate IP from IC and determine the acute stroke age within the therapeutic time window.