BRCA1/2 mutation status in patients with metachronous breast and ovarian malignancies: clues towards the implementation of genetic counseling

Angel Chao,Yi-Hao Lin,Lan-Yan Yang,Ren-Chin Wu,Wei-Yang Chang,Pi-Yueh Chang,Shih-Cheng Chang,Chiao-Yun Lin,Huei-Jean Huang,Cheng-Tao Lin,Hung-Hsueh Chou,Kuan-Gen Huang,Wen-Ling Kuo,Ting-Chang Chang,Ch 대한부인종양학회 2020 Journal of Gynecologic Oncology Vol.31 No.3

Objective: The characteristics of patients with metachronous breast and ovarian malignancies and the pathogenic role of BRCA1/2 mutations remain poorly understood. We investigated these issues through a review of hospital records and nationwide Taiwanese registry data, followed by BRCA1/2 mutation analysis in hospital-based cases. Methods: We retrospectively retrieved consecutive clinical records of Taiwanese patients who presented with these malignancies to our hospital between 2001 and 2017. We also collected information from the Data Science Center of the Taiwan Cancer Registry (TCR) between 2007 and 2015. Next-generation sequencing and multiplex ligation-dependent probe amplification were used to identify BRCA1/2 mutations and large genomic rearrangements, respectively. When BRCA1/2 mutations were identified in index cases, pedigrees were reconstructed and genetic testing was offered to family members. Results: A total of 12,769 patients with breast cancer and 1,537 with ovarian cancer were retrieved from our hospital records. Of them, 28 had metachronous breast and ovarian malignancies. We also identified 113 cases from the TCR dataset. Eighteen hospital-based cases underwent BRCA1/2 sequencing and germline pathogenic mutations were detected in 7 patients (38.9%, 5 in BRCA1 and 2 in BRCA2). All BRCA1/2 mutation carriers had ovarian high-grade serous carcinomas. Of the 12 patients who were alive at the time of analysis, 5 were BRCA1/2 mutation carriers. All of them had family members with BRCA1/2-associated malignancies. Conclusions: Our results provide pilot evidence that BRCA1/2 mutations are common in Taiwanese patients with metachronous breast and ovarian malignancies, supporting the clinical utility of genetic counseling.

Clinical Significance of Smudge Cells in Peripheral Blood Smears in Hematological Malignancies and Other Diseases

Chang, Chih-Chun,Sun, Jen-Tang,Liou, Tse-Hsuan,Kuo, Chin-Fu,Bei, Chia-Hao,Lin, Sheng-Jun,Tsai, Wei-Ting,Tan, N-Chi,Liou, Ching-Biau,Su, Ming-Jang,Yen, Tzung-Hai,Chu, Fang-Yeh Asian Pacific Journal of Cancer Prevention 2016 Asian Pacific journal of cancer prevention Vol.17 No.4

Background: It is reported that the percentage of smudge cells in the blood smear could be a prognostic indicator in chronic lymphocytic leukemia. However, the clinical significance of smudge cells in other hematological malignancies, solid tumors or non-malignant diseases is less clear. Hence, this study was conducted to survey the clinical significance of smudge cells in hematological cancers and other disorders. Materials and Methods: From January to November, 2015, the clinical data of patients who received blood examination with differential counts for clinical purpose and were found to have smudge cells in the peripheral blood film in Far Eastern Memorial Hospital were selected. The percentage of smudge cells and patient outcomes were evaluated for further univariate and survival analyses. Results: A total of 102 patients with smudge cells in their blood smears were included. Smudge cells were frequently presented in out-of-hospital cardiac arrest (OHCA; n=30), infections (n=23), hematological cancers (n=23) and solid cancers (n=10). There was no relationship between the percentage of smudge cells and the patient mortality in all diseases (OR: 1.08, 95% CI: 0.47-2.48, P=1.000) as well as the OHCA group (OR: 1.91, 95% CI: 0.38-9.60, P=0.694). It was observed that in patients with all cancers with the percentage of smudge cells less than 50% had a lower mortality rate in comparison with those who had the percentage of smudge cells of 50% or more (OR: 22.29, 95% CI: 2.38-208.80, P<0.001). Additionally, it was seemingly that patients with smudge cells of 50% or more had a lower survival rate than those with smudge cells less than 50% in all cancers with follow-up at 2-month intervals, but without statistical significance (P=0.064). Conclusions: Our survey indicated that in all cancers, those who had higher percentage of smudge cells were prone to have poor outcomes when compared with the subjects with lower percentage of smudge cells. This finding was quite different from the results of previous studies in which the race-ethnicity of most study populations was non-Asian; hence, further investigations are required. Besides, there was no apparent association of the percentage of smudge cells with patient outcomes in all diseases, including OHCA.

Recent Research and A, pp.ication of Earthquake Protection System in Taiwan

Chang Kuo Chun,Tsai Meng Hao 한국지진공학회 1998 한국지진공학회논문집 Vol.2 No.3

Research and a, pp.ication of earthquake protection system in Taiwan have become very active since about ten years ago. Many passive isolators, etc., have been studied extensively. These studies have resulted in a few practical a, pp.ications and proposals of two draft design provisions for seismic isolation design of bridges and buildings. In addition to the pass control, analytical studies on active semi-active control have also been very active and the experimental studies have scheduled in the near future. This paper summarise the progress on recent research and a, pp.ication of earthquake protection systems in Taiwan. The emphases are given to the control systems that have been a, pp.ied in practical a, pp.ications.

Initial Factors Influencing Duration of Hospital Stay in Adult Patients With Peritonsillar Abscess

Yu-Hsi Liu,Hsing-Hao Su,Yi-Wen Tsai,Yu-Yi Hou,Kuo-Ping Chang,Chao-Chuan Chi,Ming-Yee Lin,Pi-Hsiung Wu 대한이비인후과학회 2017 Clinical and Experimental Otorhinolaryngology Vol.10 No.1

Objectives. To review cases of peritonsillar abscess and investigate the initial clinical factors that may influence the duration of hospitalization. To determine the predictive factors of prolonged hospital stay in adult patients with peritonsillar abscess. Methods. Subjects were adults hospitalized with peritonsillar abscess. We retrospectively reviewed 377 medical records from 1990 to 2013 in a tertiary medical center in southern Taiwan. The association between clinical characteristics and the length of hospital stay was analyzed with independent t-test, univariate linear regression and multiple linear regression analysis. Results. The mean duration of hospitalization was 6.2±6.0 days. With univariate linear regression, a prolonged hospital stay was associated with several variables, including female gender, older ages, nonsmoking status, diabetes mellitus, hypertension, band forms in white blood cell (WBC) counts, and lower hemoglobin levels. With multiple linear regression analysis, four independent predictors of hospital stay were noted: years of age (P<0.001), history of diabetes mellitus (P<0.001), ratio of band form WBC (P<0.001), and hemoglobin levels (P<0.001). Conclusion. In adult patients with peritonsillar abscess, older ages, history of diabetes mellitus, band forms in WBC counts and lower hemoglobin levels were independent predictors of longer hospitalization.

Formation of Solid-Solution Cu-to-Cu Joints Using Ga Solder and Pt under Bump Metallurgy for Three-Dimensional Integrated Circuits

Shih-kang Lin,Hao-miao Chang,Cheng-liang Cho,Yu-chen Liu,Yi-kai Kuo 대한금속·재료학회 2015 ELECTRONIC MATERIALS LETTERS Vol.11 No.4

Three-dimensional (3D) integrated circuits (ICs) are the most important packaging technology for next-generation semiconductors. Cu-to-Cu throughsilicon via interconnections with micro-bumps are key components in the fabrication of 3D ICs. However, significant reliability concerns have been raised due to the formation of brittle intermetallic compounds in the entire 3D IC joints. This study proposes a Ga-based Cu-to-Cu bonding technology with Pt under bump metallurgy (UBM). A systematic analysis of reactive wetting between Ga solders and polycrystalline, single-crystalline, and Ptcoated Cu substrates was conducted. Pt UBM as a wetting layer was identified to be a key component for Ga-based Cu-to-Cu bonding. Pt-coated Cu substrates were bonded using Ga solders with various Ga-to-Pt ratios (n) at 300°C. When n ≥ 4, the Cu/Pt/Ga/Pt/Cu interface evolves to Cu/facecentered cubic (fcc)/γ1-Cu9Ga4/fcc/Cu, Cu/fcc/γ1-Cu9Ga4 + Ga7Pt3/fcc/Cu, and finally Cu/fcc + Ga7Pt3/Cu structures. The desired ductile solid solution joint formed with discrete Ga7Pt3 precipitates. When n ≤ 1, a Cu/Ga7Pt3/Cu joint formed without Cu actively participating in the reactions. The reaction mechanism and microstructure evolution were elaborated with the aid of CALPHAD thermodynamic modeling.

Yield Improvement on In-Mold Decoration Manufacturing through Parameter Optimization

Liam Yuehfeng Hsieh,Kuo-Hao Chang 한국정밀공학회 2013 International Journal of Precision Engineering and Vol. No.

In-Mold Decoration (IMD) is an efficient, durable and cost effective technique for printing, painting, and forming plastic decorations. However, a large number of parameters involved in IMD manufacturing process and the complex relationship between these parameters make the determination of the optimal parameter setting a challenging task. This paper proposes a systematic framework integrating Response Surface Methodology (RSM) and logistic regression to improve the yield of IMD manufacturing process. The integrated framework becomes easy to identify the optimal parameter setting, saving a great deal of time and money in the manufacturing process. On the empirical study in collaboration with IMD company, the proposed framework shows the significant result from 10% to 87.5%, validating the viability of the proposed framework in real settings.

Experimental study on complete stress-strain characteristics of two kinds of green concretes

Nguyen, Hoang Anh,Chang, Ta Peng,Kuo, Yu Hao,Shih, Jeng Ywan Techno-Press 2021 Advances in concrete construction Vol.12 No.4

The current study explores the empirical whole stress-strain curves detected from the axial compression test of the green concretes manufactured with two kinds of no-cement binders. The first one is the binder of alkali-activated material (AAM) with ground granulated blast furnace slag blending with Class F fly ash (FFA) and the second is a new hydraulic SFC binder produced by mixing ternary powders of slag (S), FFA (F), and circulating fluidized bed combustion fly ash (C). The performances of two green concretes were conducted and compared with that of the plain ordinary Portland cement (OPC) concretes with the equivalent 28-day compressive strengths graded at 30, 40, and 50 MPa. Experimental results showed that the AAM concretes had the energy absorption capacity lower than those of the SFC and OPC concretes because the descending parts of the whole stress-strain curves of the AAM concretes referred to the snap back mode different from the strain softening modes of those of the SFC and OPC concretes with the compressive strength graded at 30 or 40 MPa. Among three concretes with equivalent strength grades, the AAM concretes had the lowest elastic Young's moduli and the highest Poisson's ratios. The SFC concretes had the comparable or slightly higher elastic Young's moduli and lower Poisson's ratios than those of the OPC concretes.

Comparison of the Infant and Adult Adipose-Derived Mesenchymal Stem Cells in Proliferation, Senescence, Anti-oxidative Ability and Differentiation Potential

Wu Szu-Hsien,Yu Jin-Huei,Liao Yu-Ting,Liu Kuo-Hao,Chiang En-Rung,Chang Ming-Chau,Wang Jung-pan 한국조직공학과 재생의학회 2022 조직공학과 재생의학 Vol.19 No.3

BACKGROUND: Infant adipose-derived mesenchymal stem cells (ADSCs) collected from excised polydactyly fat tissue, which was surgical waste, could be cultured and expanded in vitro in this study. In addition, the collecting process would not cause pain in the host. In this study, the proliferation, reduction of senescence, anti-oxidative ability, and differentiation potential in the infant ADSCs were compared with those in the adult ADSCs harvested from thigh liposuction to determine the availability of infant ADSCs. METHODS: Proliferation was determined by detecting the fold changes in cell numbers and doubling time periods. Senescence was analyzed by investigating the age-related gene expression levels and the replicative stress. The superoxide dismutase (SOD) gene expression, adipogenic, neurogenic, osteogenic, and tenogenic differentiation were compared by RTqPCR. The chondrogenic differentiation efficiency was also determined using RT-qPCR and immunohistochemical staining. RESULTS: The proliferation, SOD (SOD1, SOD2 and SOD3) gene expression, the stemness-related gene (c-MYC) and telomerase reverse transcriptase of the infant ADSCs at early passages were enhanced compared with those of the adults’. Cellular senescence related genes, including p16, p21 and p53, and replicative stress were reduced in the infant ADSCs. The adipogenic genes (PPARc and LPL) and neurogenic genes (MAP2 and NEFH) of the infant ADSC differentiated cells were significantly higher than those of the adults’ while the expression of the osteogenic genes (OCN and RUNX) and tenogenic genes (TNC and COL3A1) of both demonstrated opposite results. The chondrogenic markers (SOX9, COL2 and COL10) were enhanced in the infant ADSC differentiated chondrogenic pellets, and the expression levels of SODs were decreased during the differentiation process. CONCLUSION: Cultured infant ADSCs demonstrate less cellular senescence and replicative stress, higher proliferation rates, better antioxidant defense activity, and higher potential of chondrogenic, adipogenic and neurogenic differentiation.

台灣社區營造之資源盤點及整合模式建立研究

陳亭伊(Ting-Yi Chen),謝杏慧(Hsing-Hui Hsieh),林漢明(Han-Ming Lin),陳怡昌(Yi-Chang Chen),黃招憲(Jau-Hsien Huang),郭殷豪(Yin-Hao Kuo),Hsin-Mien Wang 한국외국어대학교 대만연구센터 2016 대만연구 Vol.- No.9

For the promotion of community development, the first step is to investigate the specialty resources and human resources, to understand the process and the current appearance of community development, and to explore the future development vision or direction should be promoted. Secondly, the local smart people must have the abilities of cooperation, communication, cross-domain integration, and linking external support. It is one of the keypoints of adding-value workforce. Therefore, leaders of a community must find the local characteristics of the championship, and have the capacity to promote citizen participation and to integrate external support and cooperation, so that communities can acquire and integrate diverse and sufficient resources in order to succeed in community sustainability. Therefore, the main purpose of this paper is to establish a model of resource inventory and integration. Through the methods of literature analysis and focus group discussion, this paper explores the community cases of Guantu area in Taipei, Shennong Street and Jingliao community in Tainan how to inventory both natural and human resources, to seek community development and value-added directions, to promote civic participation, cooperation, and to link external groups, so as to achieve the success of internal and external resource integration.

Effect of Controlled Growth Dynamics on the Microstructure of Nonpolar<i>a</i>-Plane GaN Revealed by X-ray Diffraction

Sun, Qian,Ko, Tsung-Shine,Yerino, Christopher D.,Zhang, Yu,Lee, In-Hwan,Han, Jung,Lu, Tien-Chang,Kuo, Hao-Chung,Wang, Shing-Chung IOP Publishing 2009 Japanese journal of applied physics Vol.48 No.r7