Modification of a Smoking Motivation Questionnaire for Chinese Medical Students

Jiang, Chao,Sun, Wen-Jie,Wan, Yan-Chun,Wei, Ming-Wei,Mu, Yong-Ping,Tarver, Siobhan L.,Gao, Yong-Qing,Hu, Tian,Xu, Chao,Gordon, James,Feng, Cindy Xin,Wen, Yu-Feng Asian Pacific Journal of Cancer Prevention 2014 Asian Pacific journal of cancer prevention Vol.15 No.6

Introduction: Smoking prevalence among the medical students is high in China. Therefore, understanding the smoking motivations of medical students is crucial for smoking control, but currently there are no scales questionnaires customized for probing the smoking motivations of medical students. This aim of study was to test and modify a questionnaire for investigating smoking motivations among medical students. Methods: A cross-sectional survey was conducted among 1,125 medical students at Xuzhou Medical College in China in 2012.The model fit and validity was assessed by confirmatory factor analysis (CFA) and the reliability was tested by single-item reliability, composite reliability, and item-total correlation. Results: The prevalence of smoking was 9.84 % among study population. In the modified scales, the global fit indices identified a CFI value of 0.96, TLI was 0.96, and the RMSEA was 0.063. CFA supported the two dimensional structure of the instrument. The average variance extracted ranged from 0.45 to 0.62. All single-item reliability scores were greater than 0.20, and the composite reliability ranged from 0.74 to 0.91. Conclusion: Modified scales could be the preliminary instrument used in evaluating the smoking motivations of medical students. However, it should be further assessed using other forms and methods of validity and reliability, additional motivations of smoking, and the survey of other medical colleges in China.

Disruption of ecdysis in Leptinotarsa decemlineata by knockdown of chitin deacetylase 1

Jian-Jian Wu,Li-Li Mu,Zhong-Chao Chen,Kai-Yun Fu,Wen-Chao Guo,Chao Li,Guo-Qing Li 한국응용곤충학회 2019 Journal of Asia-Pacific Entomology Vol.22 No.2

Chitin deacetylases (CDAs) catalyze N-deacetylation of chitin, a crucial process for chitin modification. In the present paper, LdCDA1 was identified in Leptinotarsa decemlineata. It was copiously expressed in larval foregut, hindgut and epidermis. Just before the molt in the first, second and third larval instars, the mRNA levels of LdCDA1 were high. In the fourth (final)-instar larvae, a peak occurred 4 days after ecdysis. In vivo results revealed that LdCDA1 transcriptionally responded, positively and negatively respectively, to 20-hydroxyecdysone and juvenile hormone titers. Moreover, knockdown of LdCDA1 significantly reduced foliage consumption, lengthened developing period and prevented growth in the final instar larvae. Three distinct lethal phenotypes were noted in the LdCDA1 RNAi larvae. About 30% of the RNAi larvae became moribund and finally died; approximately 50% of deformed pupae died as pharate adults; and around 20% of LdCDA1 depleted pupae finally emerged as abnormal adults and eventually died within 1 week after emergence. Furthermore, chitin content was low and the mRNA levels of five chitin biosynthesis transcripts (LdUAP1, LdUAP2, LdChSAa, LdChSAb and LdChSB) were significantly declined in the LdCDA1 RNAi larvae. In addition, glucose, trehalose and glycogen contents were increased in the LdCDA1 depleted hypomorphs, along with highly expressed genes coding for trehalose and glycogen synthesis enzymes. The findings provide a compelling piece of evidence that CDA1 is critical for chitin deposition in L. decemlineata. Moreover, LdCDA1 may be a potential target for control of the larvae.

Analysis of Local Surface Plasmon Resonance in Multilayered Au/Ag/Graphene Nanoshells

Chao Liu,Zhaoting Liu,Jingwei Lv,Tao Sun,Qiang Liu,Haiwei Mu,Paul K. Chu 성균관대학교(자연과학캠퍼스) 성균나노과학기술원 2017 NANO Vol.12 No.5

"The localized surface plasmon resonance (LSPR) properties of Au/Ag/graphene nanoshells are studied by discrete dipole approximation (DDA). The coupled resonance wavelengths show a remarkable dependence on the graphene thickness as well as refractive index of the surrounding medium. The resonance wavelengths of Au/Ag/graphene nanoshells red-shift as the thickness of the graphene layer is increased, when the radii of the Au core and Ag interlayer are 40 nm and 45nm, respectively. Specifically, the longer wavelength red-shifts from 540 nm to 740 nm when the refractive index varies from 1.25 to 2.05. "

Analysis of Localized Surface Plasmon Resonance in Ag/ITO/CdS/SiO2 Multilayered Nanostructured Composite

Chao Liu,Jingwei Lv,Famei Wang,Qiang Liu,Haiwei Mu,Tao Sun,Qiang Liu,Paul K. Chu 성균관대학교(자연과학캠퍼스) 성균나노과학기술원 2015 NANO Vol.10 No.8

Multilayered nanoshells have attracted much attention due to their unique optical, electronic and magnetic properties. In this work, numerical calculation using discrete dipole approximation (DDA) is conducted to investigate the quad-layered metal nanoshell consisting of a particle with a dielectric silica (SiO2) core, inner cadium sulfide (CdS) shell, middle indium tin oxide (ITO) shell and outer metal silver (Ag) shell. The phenomenon is interpreted by plasmon hybridization theory and the Ag–ITO–CdS–SiO2 multilayered nanoshells are studied by extinction spectra of localized surface plasmon resonance. The variation in the spectrum peak with nanoparticle thickness and refractive index of the surrounding medium is derived. The electric field enhancement contour around the nanoparticles under illumination is analyzed at the plasmon resonance wavelength. The |ω-->, |ω+->, and |ω-+> modes red-shift with the refractive index of the surrounding medium and increase in the layer thickness causes either blue-shift or red-shift as shown by the extinction spectra. The mechanism of the red-shift or blue-shift is discussed. The |ω--> blue-shifts and furthermore, the |ω-+> and |ω+-> modes of the Ag coated multilayered nanostructure are noticeable by comparing the extinction efficiency spectra of the Au–ITO–CdS–SiO2 and Ag–ITO–CdS–SiO2 multilayered nanoshells.

Taurine Attenuates Hepatic Inflammation in Chronic Alcohol-Fed Rats Through Inhibition of TLR4/MyD88 Signaling

Chao-Jen Lin,Chun-Ching Chiu,Yi-Chen Chen,Mu-Lin Chen,Tsai-Ching Hsu,Bor-Show Tzang 한국식품영양과학회 2015 Journal of medicinal food Vol.18 No.12

Accumulating evidence indicates that overconsumption of ethanol contributes in many ways to the pathogenesis of hepatic injury. Although studies indicate that taurine decreases lipogenesis, oxidative stress, and inflammatory cytokines, the protective effect of taurine against alcohol-induced liver injury is still unclear. To clarify the precise signaling involved in the beneficial effect of taurine on alcohol-induced liver injury, rats were randomly divided into four treatment groups: (1) control (Ctl), (2) alcohol (Alc), (3) Alc + taurine (Tau), and (4) Alc + silymarin (Sil). The Tau and Sil groups had lower lymphocyte infiltration and significantly lower TLR-4/MyD88 and IκB/NFκB compared to the Alc group. The inducible nitric oxide synthase (iNOS), C-reactive protein (CRP), tumor necrosis factors (TNF)-α, interleukin (IL)-6, and IL-1β were also significantly lower in the Tau and Sil groups than in the Alc group. The experimental results indicated that hepatoprotection against alcohol-induced inflammation may be mediated by decreased TLR-4/MyD88 signaling.

Regulatory Sequences in the 5' Flanking Region of Goat β-Casein Gene

Huang, Mu-Chiou,Chao, Jiunn-Shiuan Asian Australasian Association of Animal Productio 2001 Animal Bioscience Vol.14 No.11

A goat ${\beta}$-casein gene was cloned and sequenced. Our previous study had determined the nucleotide sequences of the 5' flanking region and the structural gene including all 9 exons. In the present study, investigations were done on the regulatory sequences in the 5' flanking region of the goat ${\beta}$-casein gene by aligning and comparing it with the same gene from other mammals. The results showed that -200/-1 bp of the 5' flanking sequences contained six conserved clusters, in which the sites of gene expression regulated by the transcription factor and hormone might exist. It showed that fourteen glucocorticoid receptor elements, two cAMP responsive elements, two SV40 virus enhancer core sequences, two OCT-1 binding elements and one CTF/NF-1 binding element were dispersed in the 5' flanking region of goat ${\beta}$-casein gene. Our findings are perhaps valuable for the elucidation of the molecular mechanisms that control the expression of the goat ${\beta}$-casein gene.

Localized Surface Plasmon Resonance Properties of Concentric Dual-Ring Nanodisk

Haiwei Mu,Jianxin Wang,Qiang Liu,Wei Liu,Xianli Li,Jingwei Lv,Chao Liu,Famei Wang,Tao Sun,Paul K. Chu 성균관대학교(자연과학캠퍼스) 성균나노과학기술원 2019 NANO Vol.14 No.6

The extinction spectral properties based on localized surface plasmon resonance (LSPR) of the concentric dual-ring nanodisk (CDRN) structure are investigated by discrete dipole approximation (DDA) and plasmon hybridization theory. The CDRN nanostructure shows flexible tunable multipole resonances in the near-infrared regime and the coupled resonance wavelengths depend on the structural parameters of the nanostructure, which has great potential in multichannel LSPR-based bio-sensing applications.

The 3D tolerance modeling of plane and influence analysis on precision based on working load

Xiao-Kai Mu,Wei Sun,Ying-Jie Jiang,Zhi-Yong Sun,Qing-Chao Sun 한국생산제조학회 2016 한국생산제조시스템학회 학술발표대회 논문집 Vol.2016 No.10

Myosin18B predicts favorable prognosis of cutaneous squamous-cell carcinoma

Can Cao,Chao Zhang,Ying Sun,Zhen Mu,Qin Shen 한국유전학회 2021 Genes & Genomics Vol.43 No.4

Background Myosin18 family, including Myosin18A (MYO18A) and Myosin18B (MYO18B), are newly-identifed Myosins in Myosin superfamily. The expression and function of Myosin18 family in cancer progression is still controversial, and in cutaneous squamous-cell carcinoma (cSCC) is totally unknown. Objective To investigate the expression and prognostic signifcance of Myosin18 family in cSCC. Methods In this study, the expressions of MYO18 family, including MYO18A and MYO18B were detected in six pairs of cSCCs and corresponding normal tissues with qRT-PCR. MYO18A and MYO18B expressions and intracellular locations in 80 cSCCs were detected with immunohistochemistry. The clinical signifcance was evaluated by analyzing the correlation between MYO18 family and clinicopathological factors. The prognostic signifcance of MYO18 family was estimated by univariate analysis with log-rank test, and by multivariate analysis by Cox-regression model. Results The percentages of high MYO18A and MYO18B in cSCC were 43.75% and 36.25%, respectively. High expression of MYO18A (P=0.035) and MYO18B (P=0.032) were both associated with less tumor size. MYO18A had no signifcant infuence on sSCC prognosis (P=0.686), but low expression of MYO18B was proved to be signifcantly associated with poor outcome of cSCC (P=0.014). MYO18B was confrmed as an independent prognostic biomarker of cSCC (P=0.002), indicating the favorable outcome. Conclusion The expression of MYO18B was an independent prognostic biomarker of cSCC, predicting the favorable prognosis independently. Investigating the expression of MYO18B can help stratify the subset of high-risk cSCC patients for more potent treatment and post-operational surveillance.

The Value of China Steam Coal Supply Chain Information Sharing and Impact of Lead-Time and Seasonal Factor

Li Yang,Dong Mu,Chao Wang 보안공학연구지원센터 2016 International Journal of u- and e- Service, Scienc Vol.9 No.9

The steam coal supply chain has the problem that the member’s inventory level cannot change with the market demand. The main reason is that market demand information has not been shared in the supply chain members. This paper considers the steam coal supply chain which consists of one coal manufacturer and one fire power plant, with the assumption that the steam coal demand follows a seasonal autoregressive moving average process, including marketing actions that cannot be deduced form the other parameters of the demand process. We compare the optimal inventory level of the steam coal manufacturer and the power plant in two scenarios and analyses the reasons that influence the value of the information sharing in the steam coal supply chain. It demonstrates that the seasonal effect and lead-time have an important impact on optimal inventory policy. This result provides managers of steam coal manufacturers and power plant with insights to establish strategic partnership to promote the performance of the whole supply chain.