Cis-3-O-p-hydroxycinnamoyl Ursolic Acid Induced ROS-Dependent p53-Mediated Mitochondrial Apoptosis in Oral Cancer Cells

Ching-Ying Wang,Chen-Sheng Lin,Chun-Hung Hua,Yu-Jen Jou,Chi-Ren Liao,Yuan-Shiun Chang,Lei Wan,Su-Hua Huang,Mann-Jen Hour,Cheng-Wen Lin 한국응용약물학회 2019 Biomolecules & Therapeutics(구 응용약물학회지) Vol.27 No.1

Cis-3-O-p-hydroxycinnamoyl ursolic acid (HCUA), a triterpenoid compound, was purified from Elaeagnus oldhamii Maxim. This traditional medicinal plant has been used for treating rheumatoid arthritis and lung disorders as well as for its anti-inflammation and anticancer activities. This study aimed to investigate the anti-proliferative and apoptotic-inducing activities of HCUA in oral cancer cells. HCUA exhibited anti-proliferative activity in oral cancer cell lines (Ca9-22 and SAS cells), but not in normal oral fibroblasts. The inhibitory concentration of HCUA that resulted in 50% viability was 24.0 μM and 17.8 μM for Ca9-22 and SAS cells, respectively. Moreover, HCUA increased the number of cells in the sub-G1 arrest phase and apoptosis in a concentrationdependent manner in both oral cancer cell lines, but not in normal oral fibroblasts. Importantly, HCUA induced p53-mediated transcriptional regulation of pro-apoptotic proteins (Bax, Bak, Bim, Noxa, and PUMA), which are associated with mitochondrial apoptosis in oral cancer cells via the loss of mitochondrial membrane potential. HCUA triggered the production of intracellular reactive oxygen species (ROS) that was ascertained to be involved in HCUA-induced apoptosis by the ROS inhibitors YCG063 and N-acetyl-L-cysteine. As a result, HCUA had potential antitumor activity to oral cancer cells through eliciting ROS-dependent and p53-mediated mitochondrial apoptosis. Overall, HCUA could be applicable for the development of anticancer agents against human oral cancer.

Detection of edge delamination in surface adhered active fiber composites

Wang, Dwo-Wen,Yin, Ching-Chung Techno-Press 2009 Smart Structures and Systems, An International Jou Vol.5 No.6

A simple method has been developed to detect the bonding condition of active fiber composites (AFC) adhered to the surface of a host structure. Large deformation actuating capability is one of important features of AFC. Edge delamination in adhesive layer due to large interfacial shear stress at the free edge is typically resulted from axial strain mismatch between bonded materials. AFC patch possesses very good flexibility and toughness. When an AFC patch is partially delaminated from host structure, there remains sensing capability in the debonded part. The debonding size can be determined through axial resonance measured by the interdigitated electrodes symmetrically aligned on opposite surfaces of the patch. The electrical impedance and modal response of the AFC patch in part adhered to an aluminum plate were investigated in a broad frequency range. Debonding ratio of the AFC patch is in inverse proportion to the resonant frequency of the fundamental mode. Feasibility of in-situ detecting the progressive delamination between AFC patch and host plate is demonstrated.

IS AN APOLOGY ENOUGH TO RECOVER FROM A MOBILE APPLICATION SERVICE FAILURE? INVESTIGATING THE EFFECT OF PERCEIVED FIRM REMORSE AND CUSTOMER EMPATHY ON CUSTOMER COPING BEHAVIOR

Wen-Hai Chih,Kai-Yu Wang,Li-Chun Hsu,Wei-Ching Lin 글로벌지식마케팅경영학회 2018 Global Marketing Conference Vol.2018 No.07

Offering an apology is one of the common service failure recovery strategies. Previous studies focused on examining the effectiveness of apology from the customer perspective. It is not clear whether and how customers perceive firm remorse after an apology influence their blame attribution and coping behaviors. Integrating a cognitive-emotive model and an empathy model, this research proposes and empirically tests a remorse-empathy-coping model to explain how customers respond to apology after mobile application service failures occur. Specifically, this research examines how perceived firm remorse influences blame attribution and emotional empathy, which subsequently affects coping behaviors (revenge and avoidance) in the mobile app service recovery context. The moderating role of technology anxiety in the proposed model is also identified. Four hundred and fifty-two mobile application service users were recruited for a survey study and the Structural Equation Modeling was used in order to test the research hypotheses. Our findings show that perceived firm remorse negatively influences blame attribution but positively influences empathy. Empathy negatively affects revenge and avoidance behaviors. In addition, technology anxiety moderates the effect of perceived firm remorse on blame attribution. The negative effect of perceived firm remorse on blame attribution becomes weaker when technology anxiety increases.

Detection of edge delamination in surface adhered active fiber composites

Dwo-Wen Wang,Ching-Chung Yin 국제구조공학회 2009 Smart Structures and Systems, An International Jou Vol.5 No.6

A simple method has been developed to detect the bonding condition of active fiber composites(AFC) adhered to the surface of a host structure. Large deformation actuating capability is one of important features of AFC. Edge delamination in adhesive layer due to large interfacial shear stress at the free edge is typically resulted from axial strain mismatch between bonded materials. AFC patch possesses very good flexibility and toughness. When an AFC patch is partially delaminated from host structure, there remains sensing capability in the debonded part. The debonding size can be determined through axial resonance measured by the interdigitated electrodes symmetrically aligned on opposite surfaces of the patch. The electrical impedance and modal response of the AFC patch in part adhered to an aluminum plate were investigated in a broad frequency range. Debonding ratio of the AFC patch is in inverse proportion to the resonant frequency of the fundamental mode. Feasibility of in-situ detecting the progressive delamination between AFC patch and host plate is demonstrated.

Safety and Efficacy of Adalimumab for Patients With Moderate to Severe Crohn`s Disease: The Taiwan Society of Inflammatory Bowel Disease (TSIBD) Study

( Chen Wang Chang ),( Shu Chen Wei ),( Jen Wei Chou ),( Tzu Chi Hsu ),( Chiao Hsiung Chuang ),( Ching Pin Lin ),( Wen Hung Hsu ),( Hsu Heng Yen ),( Jen Kou Lin ),( Yi Jen Fang ),( Horng Yuan Wang ),( 대한장연구학회 2014 Intestinal Research Vol.12 No.4

Background/Aims: Only moderate to severe Crohn`s Disease (CD) patients without a satisfactory conventional therapy effect are eligible to get reimbursement from the National Health Insurance of Taiwan for using adalimumab. These are more stringent criteria than in many Western countries and Japan and Korea. We aim to explore the efficacy of using adalimumab in CD patients under such stringent criteria. Methods: A retrospective analysis was conducted in nine medical centers in Taiwan and we collected the results of CD patients receiving adalimumab from Sep 2009 to Mar 2014. The clinical characteristics, response measured by CDAI (Crohn`s Disease Activity Index), adverse events and survival status were recorded and analyzed. CR-70, CR-100, and CR-150 were defined as attaining a CDAI decrease of 70, 100 or 150 points compared with baseline. Results: A total of 103 CD patient records were used in this study. Sixty percent of these patients received combination therapy of adalimumab together with immunomodulators. CR-70 was 68.7%, 74.5% and 88.4% after week 4, 8 and 12 of treatment, respectively. The steroid-free rate, complications and survival were 47.6%, 9.7% and 99% of patients, respectively. In considering the mucosal healing, only 25% patients achieve mucosal healing after treatment for 6 to12 months. Surgery was still needed in 16.5% of patients. Combination treatment of adalimumab with immunomodulators further decreased the level of CDAI at week 8 when compared with the monotherapy. Conclusions: Even under the stringent criteria for using adalimumab, the response rate was comparable to those without stringent criteria. (Intest Res 2014;12:287-292)

MR Imaging of Pregnancy Luteoma: a Case Report and Correlation with the Clinical Features

Hung-Wen Kao,Ching-Jiunn Wu,Kuo-Teng Chung,Sheng-Ru Wang,Cheng-Yu Chen 대한영상의학회 2005 Korean Journal of Radiology Vol.6 No.1

We report here on a 26-year-old pregnant female who developed hirsutism and virilization during her third trimester along with a significantly elevated serum testosterone level. Abdominal US and MR imaging studies were performed, and they showed unique imaging features that may suggest the diagnosis of pregnancy luteoma in the clinical context. After the delivery, the serum testosterone level continued to decrease, and it returned to normal three weeks postpartum. The follow-up imaging findings were closely correlated with the clinical presentation.

Effect of Musical Intervention for Pre-Term Labor Women

Yu-Wen Fane,Ching-Hsiu Hsieh,Mei-Huaw Wang 한국간호과학회 2009 한국간호과학회 학술대회 Vol.2009 No.10

DON’T BE A PASSING FAD: THE SUSTAINED COMPETITIVE ADVANTAGE OF HOTELS’ THEMING STRATEGY IN CHINESE MARKET

Lee, Wen-Yin,Wang, Kuo-Ching,Wu, Ben,Chuang, Wan-Hua,Hsiao, Chia-Lin 글로벌지식마케팅경영학회 2018 Global Marketing Conference Vol.2018 No.07

Theming has become a powerful strategy in hospitality industry to enhance customer engagement and to serve as a competitive advantage in a saturated market. Based on the resource-based theory (RBT) of sustained competitive advantage (SCA), this qualitative study is an exploratory attempt to investigate 10 hotels in Mainland China and Taiwan that have adopted the theming strategy. Introduction As hospitality industry is facing the increasingly intense competition and saturated markets, theming is continuously gaining importance of hotels strategy to survival and growth. In addition, strategy planning determines the future of firms and discover the method to achieve success (Yong & Oh, 2004). Holjevac (2003) predicted that at the beginning of the 21st century, hotels with themed strategy which characterized by a synthesis of esthetics, quality and functionality would become the future trend. Theming has created the differentiation in hospitality market, using the creation of experience-centric service. Pine & Gilmore (1999) once pointed out that the shaping of experience stems from simple and powerful thematic transmission. Moreover, experience marketing can bring preference to the product and service of the enterprise, which in turn leads to a positive value experience (Milman, 2013). The results of theming strategy will positively influence the satisfaction and return rate (Wu, M. Li, & T. Li, 2018). Theming strategy with the advantage of pursuing innovation and uniqueness was extensively used to firms in the competitive hospitality market, like hotels in Las Vegas and Macao. However, some scholars concerned about the sustainability for the strategy due to the high-capitalized cost and the customers sensitive taste (Wassler, Li, & Hung, 2015). Although hotels with themed strategy has flourished in Chinese market more than decade, market research has lagged behind to support the industry’s growth. Researchers still adopted a rather normative paradigm by either identifying the superficial issue focused on experiential market concept or pointing out problems without providing more sustainability related solutions (Zou & Peng, 2008; Xiao, Zhang, & Huang, 2013). Barney (2007) indicated that internal resources could lead to the competitive. Therefore, this study aims at understanding the factors that lead theming strategy to be sustainable in hotels, based on the resource-based theory of sustained competitive advantage. The article has the following structure. The first section establishes a theoretical foundation through a review of strategy literature on theming. The second section proposes a conceptualization of theming strategy’s sustained competitive advantage (SCA) consisting of firms intrinsic resources based on resource-based theory (RBT), also, describe the assessment of key sustainable factors of theming strategy through interview the superior manager of 10 hotels in Mainland China and Taiwan that have adopted the theming strategy. The final section discusses the study’s findings, implication, and suggests directions for future research. As this research is one of the first studies in the hospitality field that identifies the resources and capabilities of the hotels’ theming strategy from the inside viewpoint, the contribution of this study will, and can conceptualize and discover the key factors to sustain the competitive advantage of themed hotel managing strategy Literature review Theming strategy for hotels Theming is a complete and ubiquitous way of impressing consumers and improving brand awareness (Olson, 2004). From theme parks, casinos, department stores, aviation, restaurants to hotels, thematic construction has the dominant influence on most customer engagement (Mu?oz, Wood, & Solomon, 2006). Hotel theming strategy, based on the theme of cultural material (history, city story, etc.) either from surrounding area or develop within hotel, display the core value of theme from physical resources, as buildings and facilities, to invisible resources, as atmosphere and service, which would, in the end, create a valuable and unforgettable customer stay experience(Zins, 1998). Xiao, Zhang, & Huang (2013) noted that the distinctive consumer experience at the theme hotel can impress customers, and, ultimately enhances brand recognition, customer engagement and repurchase intention. On the other hand, Wassler, Li, and Hung (2015) has indicated the pros and cons for the China themed hotels, which are the uniqueness to create competitive advantages that are difficult to imitate. On the contrary, the gaining of customers’ sense of demand can lead to the difficulties to fulfill customers’ taste and the ingrained capital with the narrow development is hard to recapitalize once invested. Importance of sustainability for theming strategy. Due to the strong specific image of the themed hotels, some cases developed as a passing fad in the hospitality field. Although prior study has indicated the importance of theme selection for themed hotels (Xiao et al., 2013), seldom literature focus on the overall implementation and application within hotels’ ins and outs, also the SCA issue of hotels management. Xiao & O'Neill (2010) pointed out that the analysis of internal resource is enable manger to realize and build sources of competitive advantage, which is emanated from the resource-based view of strategy. In Resource Based Theory (RBT), scholars thought that resources and capabilities from firms could bring lasting competitive advantage to the organization, and companies that have SCA (Wernerfelt, 1984). Organization have SCAs can reach outstanding performance by constantly creating and delivering the core value through price, trust, aesthetics and functionality to its target markets (Barney, 1991). Thus, in order to observe the SCAs for themed hotels management, this research will employ on internal resource view based on RBT to explore the SCAs from the internal aspect of themed hotels. Methodology We illustrate the key factors and analyze the importance of internal resources for the SCA of hotels’ theming strategy by means of a qualitative study in which 10 hotels applied theming strategy in Mainland China and Taiwan were surveyed using semistructured interviews. For the research question, a qualitative approach offers the advantage to allow an adequate, in depth analysis of the complex relations between internal recourses and SCA of theming strategy. These 10 hotels adapted theming strategy are chosen by non-probability snowball sampling method, below Fig.1 is the hotels list for 10 interviews in Taiwan and Mainland China. In addition, because China with a vast territory is limited to cover all area, the research focuses on Zhejiang province and Shanghai city, which have well-developed economy and rich tourist resources. All interviewees of the hotels will be the superior manager who decides the core value and leads the hotel’s future. The interview will be three part to proceed. First, in warm-up period, interviewer will frame an informal and trust environment, first step is to confirm interviewees’ background. The second part will be identify period; there will be a questionnaire, which adopted Chuang (2000), whose survey to prioritize the 5 dimension of internal resources that essential to hotel theming strategy management. Finally, we will confirm the competency, competitive advantage, and the strategy to achieve the sustainability for hotels theming strategy. We present conclusions for research and practice, as well as deriving practical recommendations for hotels’ theming strategy in Chinese market based on our findings. Preliminary findings The preliminary findings of the research will base on the key themes that emerge from in-depth interview to understand perceptions of hotel managers regarding theming. The result will be presented and discussed in three period. First, based on the questionnaire result from the interviewees, we will recognize that what the priority degree about the five dimension of internal resources is regarding perception of theming in hotel strategy. Second, 10 interviews will transcribe from voice recordings to pages of text, then the text will go through the coding technique, in which the raw and efforts data will be identified as the themes and subthemes. All the analyzed process will be carried by expert triangulation. Finally, through the experts examining on the links of themes and quotations, we will create a view of framework that would explore the relationships between theming strategy and SCA, the result will find the formula for hotels adapted theming strategy to possess competitive advantage of being sustainable. Although space limitations of the conference preclude the detailed explanation of this research work, the authors believe this study will broaden the theoretical domains used in understanding internal resources and competency of hotels’ theming strategy and practical information can be observed from the findings.

Significance of Expression of Human METCAM/MUC18 in Nasopharyngeal Carcinomas and Metastatic Lesions

Lin, Jin-Ching,Chiang, Cheng-Feng,Wang, Shur-Wern,Wang, Wen-Yi,Kwan, Po-Cheung,Wu, Guang-Jer Asian Pacific Journal of Cancer Prevention 2014 Asian Pacific journal of cancer prevention Vol.15 No.1

Human METCAM/MUC18, a cell adhesion molecule (CAM) in the immunoglobulin-like gene super family, plays a dual role in the progression of several epithelium cancers; however, its role in the nasopharyngeal carcinoma (NPC) remains unclear. To initiate the study we determined human METCAM/MUC18 expression in tissue samples of normal nasopharynx (NP), NPCs, and metastatic lesions, and in two established NPC cell lines. Immunoblotting analysis was used for the determination in lysates of frozen tissues, and immunohistochemistry (IHC) for expression in formalin-fixed, paraffin-embedded tissue sections of 7 normal nasopharynx specimens, 94 NPC tissue specimens, and 3 metastatic lesions. Human METCAM/MUC18 was expressed in 100% of the normal NP, not expressed in 73% of NPC specimens (or expressed at very low levels in only about 27% of NPC specimens), and expressed again in all of the metastatic lesions. The level of human METCAM/MUC18 expression in NPC tissues was about one fifth of that in the normal NP and metastatic lesions. The low level of human METCAM/MUC18 expression in NPC specimens was confirmed by a weak signal of RT-PCR amplification of the mRNA. Low expression levels of human METCAM/MUC18 in NPC tissues were also reflected in the seven established NPC cell lines. These findings provided the first evidence that diminished expression of human METCAM/MUC18 is an indicator for the emergence of NPC, but increased expression then occurs with metastatic progression, suggesting that huMETCAM/MUC18, perhaps similar to TGF-${\beta}$, may be a tumor suppressor, but a metastasis promoter for NPC.

Dynamic responses of structures with sliding base

Tsai, Jiin-Song,Wang, Wen-Ching Techno-Press 1998 Structural Engineering and Mechanics, An Int'l Jou Vol.6 No.1

This paper presents dynamic responses of structures with sliding base which limits the translation of external loads from ground excitation. A discrete element model based on the discontinuous deformation analysis method is proposed to study this sliding boundary problem. The sliding base is simulated using sets of fictitious contact springs along the sliding interface. The set of contact spring is to translate friction force from ground to superstructure. Validity of the proposed model is examined by the closed-form solutions of an idealized mass-spring structural model subjected to harmonic ground excitation. This model is also applied to a problem of a three-story structural model subjected to the ground excitation of 1940 El Centro earthquake. Analyses of both sliding-base and fixed-base conditions are performed as comparisons. This study shows that using this model can simulate the dynamic response of a sliding structure with frictional cut-off quite accurately. Results reveal that lowering the frictional coefficient of the sliding joint will reduce the peak responses. The structure responses in little deformation, but it displaces at the end of excitation.