Identification of candidate odorant‐degrading enzyme genes in the antennal transcriptome of Aphidius gifuensis

Kang Zhi‐Wei,Liu Fang‐Hua,Xu Yong‐Yu,Cheng Jia‐Hui,Lin Xiao‐Li,Jing Xiang‐Feng,Tian Hong‐Gang,Liu Tong‐Xian 한국곤충학회 2021 Entomological Research Vol.51 No.1

Odorant‐degrading enzymes (ODEs) have been found in insect antennae and play a critical role in signal chemical degradation once the message is conveyed. Significant progress has been made in characterizing ODEs in a variety of pests but very little is known in their natural enemies. We have carried out an antennae‐ and sex‐specific transcriptome of Aphidius gifuensis, a natural enemy of aphid, to identify the candidate ODEs. Based on the antennae‐ and sex‐specific transcriptome, a total of 100 putative ODEs were identified including one aldehyde oxidase (AOX), four alcohol dehydrogenases (ADs), eight UDP‐glucuronosyltransferases (UGTs), 45 cytochrome P450 (P450s), nine glutathione S‐transferases (GSTs) and 40 carboxylesterases (CCEs or CXEs). Additionally, we used RT‐qPCR to determine the expression profiles of these genes in tissues of both sexes. Based on the phylogenic analysis and tissue‐expression patterns, AgifEstE4, AgifCXE3, AgifCCE4, AgifCCE7, and AgifCCE18 were suggested as key ODEs in A. gifuensis. In addition, the female or male specifically enriched genes, such as AgifCCE17, AgifEstB1, AgifCYP18a1, AgifUGT2C2, were also considered to involve in the chemosensory processing in A. gifuensis. This study not only identified the candidate ODEs in A. gifuensis but also provided source for further exploration of the molecular mechanisms of chemical signal transductions in A. gifuensis, as well as other hymenopteran species.

Influence of host plants on the development, survivorship, and fecundity of the summer fruit tortrix moth, Adoxophyes orana (Lepidoptera: Tortricidae)

Li Guang‐wei,Wang Hui‐min,Yang Wen‐tao,Chen Xiu‐lin,Li Bo‐liao,Chen Yu‐xin 한국곤충학회 2021 Entomological Research Vol.51 No.10

The summer fruit tortrix moth Adoxophyes orana is a seriously damaged leaf roller pest for fruit trees. In this study, we evaluated the effect of five host plants (apple, Malus domestica B.; peach, Prunus persica var. nectarina; apricot, Armeniaca vulgaris Lam.; mulberry, Morus alba L.; and jujube, Ziziphus jujuba M.) on the development, survival, and fecundity of A. orana under laboratory conditions. Results showed that the development times of A. orana on jujube were significantly longer than those on the other four plants. The preimaginal survival rate was influenced by the host plants, which were fed during the larval stage, and with the highest on peach, followed by apple, apricot, and mulberry, and with the lowest on jujube. Adult females from larvae reared on apricot laid the greatest numbers of eggs (318.11 eggs per female), while that on apple, jujube, and mulberry was smaller, and no significant difference was observed among them. The highest intrinsic rate of increase (rm) was observed on peach and apricot; these two fruit trees were considered to be the most suitable host plant for A. orana because of the shorter developmental duration, higher survival rate, and the highest fecundity.

Outcomes of limited period of adalimumab treatment in moderate to severe Crohn’s disease patients: Taiwan Society of Inflammatory Bowel Disease Study

( Wei-chen Lin ),( Jen-wei Chou ),( Hsu-heng Yen ),( Wen-hung Hsu ),( Hung-hsin Lin ),( Jen-kou Lin ),( Chiao-hsiung Chuang ),( Tien-yu Huang ),( Horng-yuan Wang ),( Shu-chen Wei ),( Jau-min Wong ) 대한장연구학회 2017 Intestinal Research Vol.15 No.4

Background/Aims: In Taiwan, due to budget limitations, the National Health Insurance only allows for a limited period of biologics use in treating moderate to severe Crohn’s disease (CD). We aimed to access the outcomes of CD patients following a limited period use of biologics, specifically focusing on the relapse rate and remission duration; also the response rate to second use when applicable. Methods: This was a multicenter, retrospective, observational study and we enrolled CD patients who had been treated with adalimumab (ADA) according to the insurance guidelines from 2009 to 2015. Results: A total of 54 CD patients, with follow-up of more than 6 months after the withdrawal of ADA, were enrolled. The average period of treatment with ADA was 16.7±9.7 months. After discontinuing ADA, 59.3% patients suffered a clinical relapse. In the univariate analysis, the reason for withdrawal was a risk factor for relapse (P=0.042). In the multivariate analysis, current smoker became an important risk factor for relapse (OR, 3.9; 95% CI, 1.2-14.8; P=0.044) and male sex was another risk factor (OR, 2.9; 95% CI, 1.1-8.6; P=0.049). For those 48 patients who received a second round of biologics, the clinical response was seen in 60.4%, and 1 anaphylaxis occurred. Conclusions: Fifty-nine percent of patients experienced a relapse after discontinuing the limited period of ADA treatment, and most of them occurred within 1 year following cessation. Male sex and current smoker were risk factors for relapse. Though 60.4% of the relapse patients responded to ADA again. (Intest Res 2017;15:487-494)

Platelet-Derived Growth Factor Receptor-α Subunit Targeting Suppresses Metastasis in Advanced Thyroid Cancer In Vitro and In Vivo

( Ching-ling Lin ),( Ming-lin Tsai ),( Yu-hsin Chen ),( Wei-ni Liu ),( Chun-yu Lin ),( Kai-wen Hsu ),( Chien-yu Huang ),( Yu-jia Chang ),( Po-li Wei ),( Shu-huey Chen ),( Li-chi Huang ),( Chia-hwa Lee 한국응용약물학회 2021 Biomolecules & Therapeutics(구 응용약물학회지) Vol.29 No.5

Thyroid cancer is the most common endocrine malignancy. Patients with well-differentiated thyroid cancers, such as papillary and follicular cancers, have a favorable prognosis. However, poorly differentiated thyroid cancers, such as medullary, squamous and anaplastic advanced thyroid cancers, are very aggressive and insensitive to radioiodine treatment. Thus, novel therapies that attenuate metastasis are urgently needed. We found that both PDGFC and PDGFRA are predominantly expressed in thyroid cancers and that the survival rate is significantly lower in patients with high PDGFRA expression. This finding indicates the important role of PDGF/PDGFR signaling in thyroid cancer development. Next, we established a SW579 squamous thyroid cancer cell line with 95.6% PDGFRA gene insertion and deletions (indels) through CRISPR/Cas9. Protein and invasion analysis showed a dramatic loss in EMT marker expression and metastatic ability. Furthermore, xenograft tumors derived from PDGFRA geneedited SW579 cells exhibited a minor decrease in tumor growth. However, distant lung metastasis was completely abolished upon PDGFRA gene editing, implying that PDGFRA could be an effective target to inhibit distant metastasis in advanced thyroid cancers. To translate this finding to the clinic, we used the most relevant multikinase inhibitor, imatinib, to inhibit PDGFRA signaling. The results showed that imatinib significantly suppressed cell growth, induced cell cycle arrest and cell death in SW579 cells. Our developed noninvasive apoptosis detection sensor (NIADS) indicated that imatinib induced cell apoptosis through caspase-3 activation. In conclusion, we believe that developing a specific and selective targeted therapy for PDGFRA would effectively suppress PDGFRA-mediated cancer aggressiveness in advanced thyroid cancers.

Hydration of DCPD over sulfonic acid-functionalized SBA-15 catalyst

Yu-Cheng Lin,Yu-Wei Huang,Ku-Hsiang Sung,Tsung-Han Lin,Soofin Cheng 한국공업화학회 2016 Journal of Industrial and Engineering Chemistry Vol.44 No.-

Sulfonic acid-functionalized SBA-15 materials (SA-SBA-15) with ordered channeling pores weresynthesized by one-pot co-condensation and used to catalyze the hydration of dicyclopentadiene(DCPD). The target product, cydecanol (DCPD-OH) has been used as a modifier for polyester or alkydresin. Propylsulfonic acid functionalized SBA-15 was found to be more efficient than the silica gelcounterpart or arylsulfonic acid functionalized material in catalyzing DCPD hydration to yield DCPD-OH. The DCPD conversion and DCPD-OH yield increased with the decrease in H2O/DCPD ratio. Optimal DCPDconversion and DCPD-OH selectivity were obtained with the molar composition of DCPD:H2O:H+[1TD$DIF]-catalyst = 1:30:0.1.

Concurrent Weekly Docetaxel Chemotherapy in Combination with Radiotherapy for Stage III and IVA-B Nasopharyngeal Carcinoma

Wei, Wei-Hong,Cai, Xiu-Yu,Xu, Tao,Zhang, Guo-Yi,Wu, Yong-Feng,Feng, Wei-Neng,Lin, Li,Deng, Yan-Ming,Lu, Qiu-Xia,Huang, Zhe-Li Asian Pacific Journal of Cancer Prevention 2012 Asian Pacific journal of cancer prevention Vol.13 No.3

Background and Purpose: Cisplatin is the most common chemotherapeutic agent for loco-regionally advanced nasopharyngeal carcinoma (NPC); however, toxicity is a limiting factor for some patients. We retrospectively compared the efficacy and toxicity of weekly docetaxel-based and cisplatin-based concurrent chemoradiotherapy in loco-regionally advanced NPC. Methods and Materials: Eighty-four patients with Stage III and IVA-B NPCs, treated between 2007 and 2008, were retrospectively analyzed. Thirty received weekly docetaxel-based concurrent chemotherapy, and 43 were given weekly cisplatin-based concurrent chemotherapy. Radiotherapy was administered using a conventional technique (seven weeks, 2.0 Gy per fraction, total dose 70-74 Gy) with 6-8 Gy boosts for some patients with locally advanced disease. Results: Median follow-up time was 42.3 months (range, 8.6-50.8 months). There were no significant differences in the 3-year loco-regional failure-free survival (85.6% vs. 92.3%; p=0.264), distant failure-free survival (87.0% vs. 92.5%; p=0.171), progression-free survival (85.7% vs. 88.4%; p=0.411) or overall survival (86.5% vs. 92.5%, p=0.298) of patients treated concurrently with docetaxel or cisplatin. Severe toxicity was not common in either group. Conclusions: Weekly docetaxel-based concurrent chemoradiotherapy is potentially effective and has a tolerable toxicity; however, further investigations are required to determine if docetaxel is superior to cisplatin for advanced stage NPC.

Experimental and numerical investigation on post-earthquake fire behaviour of the circular concrete-filled steel tube columns

Yu-Hang Wang,Qi Tang,Mei-Ni Su,Ji-Ke Tan,Wei-Yong Wang,Yong-Sen Lan,Xiao-Wei Deng,Yong-Tao Bai,Wei Luo,Xiao-Hua Li,Jiu-Lin Bai 국제구조공학회 2021 Steel and Composite Structures, An International J Vol.38 No.1

Post-earthquake fire is a common disaster which causes serious safety issues to infrastructures. This study aims to investigate the residual loading capacities of circular concrete-filled steel tube (CFST) columns under post-earthquake fire experimentally and numerically. The experimental programme contains two loading steps - pre-damage cyclic loading at room temperature and transient state tests with constant compression loads. Three finite element models are developed and validated against the test results. Upon validation, a total of 48 numerical results were generated in the parametric study to investigate the effects of thickness and strengths of steel tube, axial compression ratio and damage degree on the fire resistance of circular CFST columns. Based on the analysis on experimental and numerical results, the loading mechanism of circular CFST columns is discussed. A design method is proposed for the prediction of fire resistance time under different seismic pre-damage and compression loads. The predictions by the new method is compared with the newly generated experimental and numerical results and is found to be accurate and consistent with the mean value close to the unity and a coefficient of variation around 1%.

Professionals’ experiences and attitudes toward use of Traditional Chinese Medicine in hospice palliative inpatient care units: A multicenter survey in Taiwan

Yu-Jia Lin,Hsiao-Ting Chang,Ming-Hwai Lin,Ru-Yih Chen,Ping-Jen Chen,Wen-Yuan Lin,Jyh-Gang Hsieh,Ying-Wei Wang,Chung-Chieh Hu,Yi-Sheng Liou,Tai-Yuan Chiu,Chun-Yi Tu,Yi-Jen Wang,Bo-Ren Cheng,Tzeng-Ji Ch 한국한의학연구원 2021 Integrative Medicine Research Vol.10 No.2

Background: Medical staff may have difficulties in using conventional medicine to manage symptoms among terminally ill patients, including adverse effects of the treatment. Traditional Chinese medicine (TCM) is regarded as a complementary or alternative medicine, and has been increasingly used in the field of palliative medicine in recent years. This study aimed to investigate the experiences of and attitudes toward using TCM among palliative care professionals, and to provide preliminary information about its use in palliative care. Methods: This was a cross-sectional survey study conducted in eight inpatient hospice wards in Taiwan between December 2014 and February 2016. The questionnaire was self-administered, and was analyzed with descriptive statistics including Pearson’s Chi-square test and Fisher’s exact test. Results: A total of 251 palliative care professionals responded to the questionnaire, of whom 89.7% and 88.9% believed that the use of TCM could improve the physical symptoms and quality of life in terminally ill patients, respectively. Overall, 59.8%, of respondents suggested that TCM had rare side effects, and 58.2% were worried that TCM could affect the liver and kidney function of patients. In total, 89.7% and 88.0% of professionals agreed there were no suitable clinical practice guidelines and educational programs, respectively, for TCM use in palliative care. Conclusions: Most of the respondents agreed there was insufficient knowledge, skills-training, and continuing education on the use of TCM in terminally ill patients in Taiwan. These results show that to address patient safety considerations, guidelines about use of TCM in palliative care should be established.

Identification and characterization of novel associations in the CASP8/ALS2CR12 region on chromosome 2 with breast cancer risk.

Lin, Wei-Yu,Camp, Nicola J,Ghoussaini, Maya,Beesley, Jonathan,Michailidou, Kyriaki,Hopper, John L,Apicella, Carmel,Southey, Melissa C,Stone, Jennifer,Schmidt, Marjanka K,Broeks, Annegien,Van't Veer, L IRL Press 2015 Human molecular genetics Vol.24 No.1

<P>Previous studies have suggested that polymorphisms in CASP8 on chromosome 2 are associated with breast cancer risk. To clarify the role of CASP8 in breast cancer susceptibility, we carried out dense genotyping of this region in the Breast Cancer Association Consortium (BCAC). Single-nucleotide polymorphisms (SNPs) spanning a 1 Mb region around CASP8 were genotyped in 46 450 breast cancer cases and 42 600 controls of European origin from 41 studies participating in the BCAC as part of a custom genotyping array experiment (iCOGS). Missing genotypes and SNPs were imputed and, after quality exclusions, 501 typed and 1232 imputed SNPs were included in logistic regression models adjusting for study and ancestry principal components. The SNPs retained in the final model were investigated further in data from nine genome-wide association studies (GWAS) comprising in total 10 052 case and 12 575 control subjects. The most significant association signal observed in European subjects was for the imputed intronic SNP rs1830298 in ALS2CR12 (telomeric to CASP8), with per allele odds ratio and 95% confidence interval [OR (95% confidence interval, CI)] for the minor allele of 1.05 (1.03-1.07), P = 1 ?? 10(-5). Three additional independent signals from intronic SNPs were identified, in CASP8 (rs36043647), ALS2CR11 (rs59278883) and CFLAR (rs7558475). The association with rs1830298 was replicated in the imputed results from the combined GWAS (P = 3 ?? 10(-6)), yielding a combined OR (95% CI) of 1.06 (1.04-1.08), P = 1 ?? 10(-9). Analyses of gene expression associations in peripheral blood and normal breast tissue indicate that CASP8 might be the target gene, suggesting a mechanism involving apoptosis.</P>

2022 Taiwan clinical multicenter expert consensus and recommendations for thyroid radiofrequency ablation

Wei-Che Lin,Wen-Chieh Chen,Pei-Wen Wang,Yi-Chia Chan,Yen-Hsiang Chang,Harn-Shen Chen,Szu-Tah Chen,Wei-Chih Chen,Kai-Lun Cheng,Shun-Yu Chi,Pi-Ling Chiang,Chen-Kai Chou,Feng-Fu Chou,Shun-Chen Huang,Feng 대한초음파의학회 2023 ULTRASONOGRAPHY Vol.42 No.3

Radiofrequency ablation (RFA) is a minimally invasive management strategy that has been widely applied for benign and recurrent malignant thyroid lesions as an alternative to surgery in Taiwan. Members of academic societies for specialists in interventional radiology, endocrinology, and endocrine surgery collaborated to develop the first consensus regarding thyroid RFA in Taiwan. The modified Delphi method was used to reach a consensus. Based on a comprehensive review of recent and valuable literature and expert opinions, the recommendations included indications, pre-procedural evaluations, procedural techniques, post-procedural monitoring, efficacy, and safety, providing a comprehensive review of the application of RFA. The consensus effectively consolidates advice regarding thyroid RFA in clinical practice for local experts.