Measuring the CO₂ Reduction Performance on Industry Level in Taiwan : Evidence from a Meta-Frontier SBM Model with Undesirable Output

Sheng Hsiung Chiu,Shi Li Xiao,Xin Miao Tan,Tzu Yu Lin,Helen Yang 한국유통과학회 2017 KODISA ICBE (International Conference on Business Vol.2017 No.-

The purpose of this paper is to investigate the CO₂ reduction performance on industry level in Taiwan after the renewable development act that enacted in 2009. We observe that CO₂ reduction performance has risen slightly due to the effectiveness of energy-saving technologies and low-carbon energy structures under the growth scale of Taiwan’s economy in the meanwhile. It is noticed that the target of GHG reduction in Taiwan for 2030 will be controlled at 20% off compared to their 2005 levels, in accordance of the COP21 that made an appeal to their member nation to submit a reduction target about GHG (CO₂) emission. Therefore, to realize the historical situation of CO₂ emission with the consideration of economic growth has been brought to the attention of Taiwanese government for policy planning on mitigating CO₂ emission on either national level or industry level. We can draw several policy implications from the evaluation results. First, we suggest that the government should pay more attention on industrial sectors because they relative underperformed in terms of their CO₂ reduction behavior in the viewpoint of meta-frontier. Second, it is noted that electricity will be the main part of the energy consumption structure. A low-carbon electricity supply portfolio is necessary for decreasing CO₂ emissions. It may not practical, only that expanding the capacity of renewable energies becomes antidote.

Baicalin attenuates adriamycin-induced nephrotic syndrome by regulating fibrosis procession and inflammatory reaction

Tan Ning,Sun Chen-Xia,Zhu Hui-Jun,Li De-Yu,Huang Sheng-Guang,He Shou-Di 한국유전학회 2021 Genes & Genomics Vol.43 No.9

Background Baicalin has anti-infammatory, antibacterial, blood platelet aggregation-inhibiting, free oxygen radical-clearing, and endotoxin-decreasing properties. However, its molecular mechanism involved in the treatment of Adriamycin-induced nephrotic syndrome (NS) is still unclear. Objective This study aimed to explore the efects of baicalin on Adriamycin-induced nephrotic syndrome (NS) and to characterize the genes involved in this progression. Methods We established Adriamycin-induced NS model in 32 rats and used six rats in Sham group. Urinary total protein content and creatinine serum were assessed as physiological indicators. H&E staining was used to observe the pathological changes. We determined gene expression profles using transcriptome sequencing in the rat kidney tissues from Sham, Adriamycin, and Adriamycin+baicalin groups. KEGG was carried out to analyze the enriched pathways of diferentially expressed genes among these groups. Results Baicalin treatment relieved renal injury in NS rats. Expression of 363 genes was signifcantly diferent between the Adriamycin and Adriamycin+baicalin M groups. Most of the diferentially expressed genes were enriched in pathways involved in epithelial-mesenchymal transition (EMT), fbrosis, apoptosis, and infammation. Conclusions Overall, these data suggest that Adriamycin-induced NS can be attenuated by baicalin through the suppression of fbrosis-related genes and infammatory reactions. Baicalin is a potential drug candidate for the treatment of NS, and the identifed genes represent potential therapeutic targets.

The Prognostic Value of Treatment-Related Lymphopenia in Nasopharyngeal Carcinoma Patients

Li-Ting Liu,Qiu-Yan Chen,Lin-Quan Tang,Shan-Shan Guo,Ling Guo,Hao-Yuan Mo,Ming-Yuan Chen,Chong Zhao,Xiang Guo,Chao-Nan Qian,Mu-Sheng Zeng,Jin-Xin Bei,Jing Tan,Shuai Chen,Ming-Huang Hong,Jian-Yong Shao 대한암학회 2018 Cancer Research and Treatment Vol.50 No.1

Purpose This study was conducted to evaluate the prognostic value of treatment-related lymphopenia in patients with nasopharyngeal carcinoma (NPC). Materials and Methods A total of 413 consecutive stage II-IVb NPC patients treated with concurrent chemoradiotherapy (CCRT) were enrolled. The overall survival (OS), progression-free survival (PFS), and distant metastasis-free survival (DMFS) were calculated with the Kaplan-Meier method, and differences were compared using the log-rank test. Results A minimum (mini)–absolute lymphocyte counts (ALC) of < 390 cells/μL or ALC after 3 months of CCRT (post3m-ALC) < 705 cells/μL was significantly associated with worse outcome than mini-ALC ! 390 cells/μL (OS, p=0.002; PFS, p=0.005; DMFS, p=0.004) or post3m-ALC ! 705 cells/μL (OS, p < 0.001; PFS, p < 0.001; DMFS, p=0.001). Patients with lymphopenia (mini-ALC < 390 cells/μL and post3m-ALC < 705 cells/μL) had a worse prognosis than those without lymphopenia (mini-ALC ! 390 cells/μL and post3m-ALC ! 705 cells/μL) (OS, p < 0.001; PFS, p < 0.001; DMFS, p < 0.001). Multivariate analysis revealed that post3m-ALC was an independent prognostic factor for OS (hazard ratio [HR], 1.76; 95% confidence interval [CI], 1.12 to 2.78; p=0.015), PFS (HR, 1.86; 95% CI, 1.23 to 2.82; p=0.003), and DMFS (HR, 1.87; 95% CI, 1.13 to 3.08; p=0.014). Multivariate analysis also revealed that patients with lymphopenia had a high risk of death (HR, 3.79; 95% CI, 1.75 to 8.19; p=0.001), disease progression (HR, 2.93; 95% CI, 1.59 to 5.41; p=0.001), and distant metastasis (HR, 3.89; 95% CI, 1.67 to 9.10; p=0.002). Multivariate analysis performed with time dependent Cox regression demonstrated ALC was an independent prognostic factor for OS (HR, 0.995; 95% CI, 0.991 to 0.999; p=0.025) and PFS (HR, 0.993; 95% CI, 0.988 to 0.998; p=0.006). Conclusion Treatment-related lymphopenia was a poor prognostic factor in NPC patients.

Cell type??specific channelrhodopsin-2 transgenic mice for optogenetic dissection of neural circuitry function

Zhao, Shengli,Ting, Jonathan T,Atallah, Hisham E,Qiu, Li,Tan, Jie,Gloss, Bernd,Augustine, George J,Deisseroth, Karl,Luo, Minmin,Graybiel, Ann M,Feng, Guoping Nature Publishing Group, a division of Macmillan P 2011 Nature methods Vol.8 No.9

Optogenetic methods have emerged as powerful tools for dissecting neural circuit connectivity, function and dysfunction. We used a bacterial artificial chromosome (BAC) transgenic strategy to express the H134R variant of channelrhodopsin-2, ChR2(H134R), under the control of cell type??specific promoter elements. We performed an extensive functional characterization of the newly established VGAT-ChR2(H134R)-EYFP, ChAT-ChR2(H134R)-EYFP, Tph2-ChR2(H134R)-EYFP and Pvalb(H134R)-ChR2-EYFP BAC transgenic mouse lines and demonstrate the utility of these lines for precisely controlling action-potential firing of GABAergic, cholinergic, serotonergic and parvalbumin-expressing neuron subsets using blue light. This resource of cell type??specific ChR2(H134R) mouse lines will facilitate the precise mapping of neuronal connectivity and the dissection of the neural basis of behavior.

Drug Resistance Effects of Ribosomal Protein L24 Overexpression in Hepatocellular Carcinoma HepG2 Cells

Guo, Yong-Li,Kong, Qing-Sheng,Liu, Hong-Sheng,Tan, Wen-Bin Asian Pacific Journal of Cancer Prevention 2014 Asian Pacific journal of cancer prevention Vol.15 No.22

Background: The morbidity and mortality rate of liver cancer continues to rise in China and advanced cases respond poorly to chemotherapy. Ribosomal protein L24 has been reported to be a potential therapeutic target whose depletion or acetylation inhibits polysome assembly and cell growth of cancer. Materials and Methods: Total RNA of cultured amycin-resistant and susceptible HepG2 cells was isolated, and real time quantitative RT-PCR were used to indicate differences between amycin-resistant and susceptible strains of HepG2 cells. Viability assays were used to determine amycin resistance in RPL24 transfected and control vector and null-transfected HepG2 cell lines. Results: The ribosomal protein L24 transcription level was 7.7 times higher in the drug-resistant HepG2 cells as compared to susceptible cells on quantitative RT-PCR analysis. This was associated with enhanced drug resistance as determined by methyl tritiated thymidine (3H-TdR) incorporation. Conclusions: The ribosomal protein L24 gene may have effects on drug resistance mechanisms in hepatocellular carcinoma HepG2 cells.

Effects of Ribosomal Protein L39-L on the Drug Resistance Mechanisms of Lung Cancer A549 Cells

Liu, Hong-Sheng,Tan, Wen-Bin,Yang, Ning,Yang, Yuan-Yuan,Cheng, Peng,Liu, Li-Juan,Wang, Wei-Jie,Zhu, Chang-Liang Asian Pacific Journal of Cancer Prevention 2014 Asian Pacific journal of cancer prevention Vol.15 No.7

Background: Cancer is a major threat to the public health whether in developed or in developing countries. As the most common primary malignant tumor, the morbidity and mortality rate of lung cancer continues to rise in recent ten years worldwide. Chemotherapy is one of the main methods in the treatment of lung cancer, but this is hampered by chemotherapy drug resistance, especially MDR. As a component of the 60S large ribosomal subunit, ribosomal protein L39-L gene was reported to be expressed specifically in the human testis and human cancer samples of various tissue origins. Materials and Methods: Total RNA of cultured drug-resistant and susceptible A549 cells was isolated, and real time quantitative RT-PCR were used to indicate the transcribe difference between amycin resistant and susceptible strain of A549 cells. Viability assay were used to show the amycin resistance difference in RPL39-L transfected A549 cell line than control vector and null-transfected A549 cell line. Results: The ribosomal protein L39-L transcription level was 8.2 times higher in drug-resistant human lung cancer A549 cell line than in susceptible A549 cell line by quantitative RT-PCR analysis. The ribosomal protein L39-L transfected cells showed enhanced drug resistance compared to plasmid vector-transfected or null-transfected cells as determined by methyl tritiated thymidine (3H-TdR) incorporation. Conclusions and Implications for Practice: The ribosomal protein L39-L gene may have effects on the drug resistance mechanism of lung cancer A549 cells.

Promoting effect of the Maillard reaction products produced during the stir-frying process of Hordei Fructus Germinatus on the intestinal absorption of active ingredients in Hordei Fructus Germinatus

Lu Wu,Li Xia Tan,Fen Fang Gong,Yu Xia,Rui Ge Chu,Hua Sheng Yang 한국식품과학회 2021 Food Science and Biotechnology Vol.30 No.5

This study was designed to evaluate theabsorption promoting capacity of Maillard Reaction Products(MRPs) produced during the stir-frying process ofHordei Fructus Germinatus on catechin, ferulic acid,quercetin and kaempferol by the ex vivo rat everted gut sacmodel, in situ single-pass intestinal perfusion model andthe whole animal model. Moreover, verapamil, EDTA andmannitol were used for determining the transport mechanismof catechin, ferulic acid, quercetin and kaempferol. The tight junction (TJ) proteins including zonula occudens-1(ZO-1) and claudin-1 were chosen to investigate thepromoting mechanism of MRPs by quantitative real-timePCR (qRT-PCR) and western blot analyses. The resultsshowed that the MRPs produced during the stir-fryingprocess of Hordei Fructus Germinatus could improve theintestinal absorption of catechin, ferulic acid, quercetin andkaempferol. And the absorption-promoting effect of MRPswas related to chelating effect and the reduced expressionof claudin-1 and ZO-1. Our results suggested that MRPscould be promising oral absorption promoters, which mightbe another processing mechanism of Hordei FructusGerminatus.

Loss of KDM5B ameliorates pathological cardiac fibrosis and dysfunction by epigenetically enhancing ATF3 expression

Wang Bo,Tan Yong,Zhang Yunkai,Zhang Sheng,Duan Xuewen,Jiang Yuyu,Li Tong,Zhou Qingqing,Liu Xingguang,Zhan Zhenzhen 생화학분자생물학회 2022 Experimental and molecular medicine Vol.54 No.-

Excessive cardiac fibrosis is central to adverse cardiac remodeling and dysfunction leading to heart failure in many cardiac diseases. Histone methylation plays a crucial role in various pathophysiological events. However, the role of histone methylation modification enzymes in pathological cardiac fibrosis needs to be fully elucidated. Here, we identified lysine demethylase 5B (KDM5B), a histone H3K4me2/me3 demethylase, as a key epigenetic mediator of pathological cardiac fibrosis. KDM5B expression was upregulated in cardiac fibroblasts and myocardial tissues in response to pathological stress. KDM5B deficiency markedly ameliorated cardiac fibrosis, improved cardiac function, and prevented adverse cardiac remodeling following myocardial infarction (MI) or pressure overload. KDM5B knockout or inhibitor treatment constrained the transition of cardiac fibroblasts to profibrogenic myofibroblasts and suppressed fibrotic responses. KDM5B deficiency also facilitated the transformation of cardiac fibroblasts to endothelial-like cells and promoted angiogenesis in response to myocardial injury. Mechanistically, KDM5B bound to the promoter of activating transcription factor 3 (Atf3), an antifibrotic regulator of cardiac fibrosis, and inhibited ATF3 expression by demethylating the activated H3K4me2/3 modification, leading to the enhanced activation of TGF-β signaling and excessive expression of profibrotic genes. Our study indicates that KDM5B drives pathological cardiac fibrosis and represents a candidate target for intervention in cardiac dysfunction and heart failure.

ON THE DETERMINANT OF A DUAL PERIODIC SINGULAR FIBER

Cheng Gong,Jun Lu,Sheng-Li Tan 대한수학회 2023 대한수학회보 Vol.60 No.5

Let $F$ be a periodic singular fiber of genus $g$ with dual fiber $F^*$, and let $T$ (resp.~$T^*$) be the set of the components of $F$ (resp.~$F^*$) by removing one component with multiplicity one. We give a formula to compute the determinant $|\det T\,|$ of the intersect form of $T$. As a consequence, we prove that $|\det T\,|=|\det T^*\,|$. As an application, we compute the Mordell-Weil group of a fibration $f:S\to \bP^1$ of genus $2$ with two singular fibers.

Safety Assessment of Ovarian Cryopreservation and Transplantation in Nude Mice Bearing Human Epithelial Ovarian Cancer

Zhu, Gen-Hai,Wang, Sheng-Tan,Yang, Zhao-Xin,Cai, Jun-Hong,Chen, Chun-Ying,Yao, Mao-Zhong,Hong, Lan,He, Guo-Li,Yang, Shu-Ying Asian Pacific Journal of Cancer Prevention 2012 Asian Pacific journal of cancer prevention Vol.13 No.9

Objective: Nude mice with orthotopic transplantation of human ovarian epithelial cancer were used to investigate screening criteria for paraneoplastic normal ovarian tissue and the security of the freezing and thawing for ovarian tissue transplantation. Methods: Expression of CK-7, CA125, P53, survivin, MMP-2/TIMP-2 in paraneoplastic normal ovarian tissues were detected by RT-PCR as well as immunohistochemistry. The tissues of the groups with all negative indicators of RT-PCR, all negative indicators of immunohistochemistry, negative expression of CK-7, CA125 and survivin, positive expression of CK-7, CA125 and survivin, cancer tissues and normal ovarian tissues of nude mice were used for freezing and thawing transplantation, to analyze overt and occult carcinogenesis rates after transplantation. Results: When all indicators or the main indicators, CK-7, CA125 and survivin, were negative, tumorigenesis did not occur after transplantation. In addition the occult carcinogenesis rate was lower than in the group with positive expression of CK-7, CA125 and survivin (P<0.01). After subcutaneous and orthotopic transplantation of ovarian tissues, rates did not change (P>0.05). There was no statistical significance among rates after transplantation of ovarian tissues which were obtained under different severity conditions (P>0.05). Conclusion: Negative expression of CK-7, CA125 and survivin can be treated as screening criteria for security of ovarian tissues for transplantation. Immunohistochemical methods can be used as the primary detection approach. Both subcutaneous and orthotopic transplantation are safe. The initial severity does not affect the carcinogenesis rate after tissue transplantation. Freezing and thawing ovarian tissue transplantation in nude mice with human epithelial ovarian carcinoma is feasible and safe.