Effects of Codeine on Esophageal Peristalsis in Patients With Ineffective Esophageal Motility: Studies Using High-resolution Manometry

Wei-Yi Lei,Tso-Tsai Liu,Wei-Chuan Chang,Chih-Hsun Yi,Jui-Sheng Hung,Ming-Wun Wong,Shu-Wei Liang,Lin Lin,Chien-Lin Chen 대한소화기 기능성질환∙운동학회 2024 Journal of Neurogastroenterology and Motility (JNM Vol.30 No.1

Background/AimsThis study aims to evaluate the effects of acute codeine administration on primary and secondary esophageal peristalsis in patients with ineffective esophageal motility (IEM). MethodsEighteen IEM patients (8 women; mean age 37.8 years, range 23-64 years) were enrolled in the study. The patients underwent high-resolution manometry exams, consisting of 10 single wet swallows, multiple rapid swallows, and ten 20 mL rapid air injections to trigger secondary peristalsis. All participants completed 2 separate sessions, including acute administration of codeine (60 mg) and placebo, in a randomized order. ResultsCodeine significantly increased the distal contractile integral (566 ± 81 mmHg∙s∙cm vs 247 ± 36 mmHg∙s∙cm, P = 0.001) and shortened distal latency (5.7 ± 0.2 seconds vs 6.5 ± 0.1 seconds, P < 0.001) for primary peristalsis compared with these parameters after placebo treatment. The mean total break length decreased significantly after codeine treatment compared with the length after placebo (P = 0.003). Codeine significantly increased esophagogastric junction-contractile integral (P = 0.028) but did not change the 4-second integrated relaxation pressure (P = 0.794). Codeine significantly decreased the frequency of weak (P = 0.039) and failed contractions (P = 0.009), resulting in increased frequency of normal primary peristalsis (P < 0.136). No significant differences in the ratio of impaired multiple rapid swallows inhibition and parameters of secondary peristalsis were detected. ConclusionsIn IEM patients, acute administration of codeine increases contraction vigor and reduces distal latency of primary esophageal peristalsis, but has no effect on secondary peristalsis. Future studies are required to further elucidate clinical relevance of these findings, especially in the setting of gastroesophageal reflux disease with IEM.

Protective effect of a sesamin derivative, 3-bis (3-methoxybenzyl) butane-1, 4-diol on Ab-stressed PC12 cells

Chien-Wei Hou,Shun-Yu Chang,Kee-Ching Jeng 대한약학회 2015 Archives of Pharmacal Research Vol.38 No.4

Amyloid beta-protein (Ab) is involved in thepathogenesis of Alzheimer’s disease (AD). Ab induces freeradical production in neuronal cells, leading to oxidativestress and up-regulation of c-Jun N-terminal kinases (JNK),extracellular-signal-regulated kinases (ERK), p38 mitogenactivatedprotein kinase (MAPK) pathways and pro-apoptoticBax expression. Sesamin has been shown to haveprotection to several models of neurodegenerative diseasesby its antioxidant and anti-inflammatory properties. In thepresent study, we examined the neuroprotective effect of asesamin derivative, 3-bis (3-methoxybenzyl) butane-1,4-diol (BBD) on Ab1–42 induced cytotoxicity of PC12 cells. Ab1–42 induced lipid peroxidation, calcium, reactive oxygenspecies from the PC12 cells. The effect of BBD onthese harmful factors and the related signaling pathwayswere examined by biochemical and western blot assays. The result showed that BBD protected PC12 cells fromAb1–42 induced cytotoxicity with the increased cell viabilityand acetylcholine release, and the decreased lactatedehydrogenase, malondialdehyde and calcium release. BBD significantly reduced Ab-induced JNK, ERK, p38MAPK pathways and Bax expression in PC12 cells. Therefore the neuroprotective effect of BBD on Abinducedcytotoxicity was involved with antioxidant andanti-inflammatory effects. The result would help thedevelopment of new CNS drug for protection of AD.

LAUNCH TACTICS AND PRODUCT CANNIBALIZATION IN HIGH TECHNOLOGY MARKETS

Chien-Wei Chen,Nai-Hwa Lien 글로벌지식마케팅경영학회 2014 Global Marketing Conference Vol.2014 No.1

Product launch is perhaps the most important but risky phase in new product development process (Calantone & Montoya-Weiss, 1993). Product management at the launch phase aims to gain market acceptance, which, in turn, may maximize the chances of profitability (Guiltinan, 1999). One of the hidden, but real, threats for the vast majority of new product launches into a market is cannibalization, which refers to the process by which a new product gains a portion of its sales by diverting sales from an existing product (Harvey & Kerin, 1979;Lomax, Hammond, East, and Clemente, 1997; Traylor, 1986). High-technology markets are characterized by uncertainties that derive from market, technology, and competitive factors (Moriarty & Kosnik, 1989). Different information processing patterns among buyers are likely to emerge in high-technology markets (Capon and Glazer, 1987; Glazer, 1991). Accordingly, marketing strategies and tools are required to adapt to market environments. In response to environmental complexity and turbulence, marketers of high-tech products usually resort to marketing communications to assuage customers’ fear and doubt involved in product adoption (Lee and O’Connor, 2003). Such high-tech marketing practices, in a sense, illuminate signaling theory logic to mitigate uncertainty (Gulati and Higgins, 2003). Drawing on signaling theory, this research is to explore the circumstances under which launch tactics may result in salient product cannibalization. It is proposed that the cannibalization of product launch varies with the interactions between launch tactics and organizational/market factors. The findings of this research indicate that the cannibalization effect of price similarity will be greater for a launching firm possessing great product category strength. The cannibalization effects of preannouncing timing and price similarity tend to be greater in a highly competitive market context, as opposed to a low competitive context. Nevertheless, relative communication effort in support of product launch results in smaller cannibalization under a highly competitive condition. Product cannibalization derived by earlier preannouncements will become greater in a highly technologically turbulent market. This research contributes to the marketing and product management literature in two main respects. First, it represents an initial effort to empirically test the link between tactics in support of product launch and product cannibalization under different firm and market conditions. Second, we advance understanding of the cannibalization effects incurred by launch tactics by adopting a signaling approach. The fit between marketing strategy and its context has significant implications for new product performance, which should be captured in terms of the potential cannibalization between a new product and other products within the same firm, in addition to its sales and profitability. The findings may also offer guidelines for managing launch tactics. To make right decisions on developing appropriate tactics, the firms must accurately evaluate the firm and market characteristics and, simultaneously, take into account the amount of cannibalization caused by different tactics.

Resource Management in 5G Mobile Networks: Survey and Challenges

Wei-Che Chien,Shih-Yun Huang,Chin-Feng Lai,Han-Chieh Chao 한국정보처리학회 2020 Journal of information processing systems Vol.16 No.4

With the rapid growth of network traffic, a large number of connected devices, and higher application services, the traditional network is facing several challenges. In addition to improving the current network architecture and hardware specifications, effective resource management means the development trend of 5G. Althoughmany existing potential technologies have been proposed to solve the some of 5G challenges, such as multipleinput multipleoutput (MIMO), softwaredefined networking (SDN), network functions virtualization (NFV), edge computing, millimeterwave, etc., research studies in 5G continue to enrich its function and move toward B5G mobile networks. In this paper, focusing on the resource allocation issues of 5G core networks and radio access networks, we address the latest technological developments and discuss the current challenges for resource management in 5G.

Navigation-Assisted Full-Endoscopic Radiofrequency Rhizotomy Versus Fluoroscopy-Guided Cooled Radiofrequency Ablation for Sacroiliac Joint Pain Treatment: Comparative Study

Chien-Min Chen,Jae Hwan Lee,Meng-Yin Yang,Shang-Wun Jhang,Kai-Sheng Chang,Su-Wei Ou,Li-Wei Sun,Kuo-Tai Chen 대한척추신경외과학회 2023 Neurospine Vol.20 No.1

Objective: Sacroiliac joint (SIJ) pain is a common cause of chronic low back pain. Full-endoscopic rhizotomy of lateral branches of dorsal rami innervating SIJ is a potential option for patients’ refractory to medical treatment. The full-endoscopic rhizotomy is sometimes challenging under fluoroscopic guidance. This study is to evaluate the effectiveness of the navigation-assisted full-endoscopic rhizotomy for SIJ pain. Methods: The study was a retrospective match-paired study that enrolled consecutive patients undergoing navigation-assisted full-endoscopic rhizotomy for SIJ pain. The patient demographics, clinical outcomes, and operative parameters of endoscopic rhizotomy were compared with conventional cooled radiofrequency ablation (RFA) treatment. Results: The study enrolled 72 patients, including 36 patients in the endoscopic group. Thirty-six patients in the cooled RFA group were matched by age as the control. The follow-up time was at least 1 year. Patient characteristics were similar between the groups. The navigation-assisted endoscopic rhizotomy operation time was significantly longer than the cooled RFA. The visual analogue scale (VAS) for pain and Oswestry Disability Index (ODI) significantly decreased after each treatment. However, the between-group comparison revealed that the VAS and ODI of the patients after endoscopic rhizotomy were significantly lower than those after the cooled RFA group. There were no postoperative complications in the study. Conclusion: Navigation-assisted full-endoscopic rhizotomy is an alternative to SIJ pain treatment. Integrating intraoperative navigation can ensure accurate full-endoscopic rhizotomy to provide better durability of pain relief than the cooled RFA.

Sulfuric Acid Hydrolysis and Detoxification of Red Alga Pterocladiella capillacea for Bioethanol Fermentation with Thermotolerant Yeast Kluyveromyces marxianus

( Chien Hui Wu ),( Wei Chen Chien ),( Han Kai Chou ),( Jung Woo Yang ),( Hong Ting Victor Lin ) 한국미생물 · 생명공학회 2014 Journal of microbiology and biotechnology Vol.24 No.9

One-step sulfuric acid saccharification of the red alga Pterocladiella capillacea was optimized, and various detoxification methods (neutralization, overliming, and electrodialysis) of the acid hydrolysate were evaluated for fermentation with the thermotolerant yeast Kluyveromyces marxianus. A proximate composition analysis indicated that P. capillacea was rich in carbohydrates. A significant galactose recovery of 81.1 ± 5% was also achieved under the conditions of a 12% (w/v) biomass load, 5% (v/v) sulfuric acid, 121°C, and hydrolysis for 30 min. Among the various detoxification methods, electrodialysis was identified as the most suitable for fermentable sugar recovery and organic acid removal (100% reduction of formic and levulinic acids), even though it failed to reduce the amount of the inhibitor 5-HMF. As a result, K. marxianus fermentation with the electrodialyzed acid hydrolysate of P. capillacea resulted in the best ethanol levels and fermentation efficiency.

LAUNCH TACTICS AND PRODUCT CANNIBALIZATION IN HIGH TECHNOLOGY MARKETS

Chien-Wei Chen,Nai-Hwa Lien 글로벌지식마케팅경영학회 2014 Global Marketing Conference Vol.2014 No.7

Product launch is perhaps the most important but risky phase in new product development process (Calantone & Montoya-Weiss, 1993). Product management at the launch phase aims to gain market acceptance, which, in turn, may maximize the chances of profitability (Guiltinan, 1999). One of the hidden, but real, threats for the vast majority of new product launches into a market is cannibalization, which refers to the process by which a new product gains a portion of its sales by diverting sales from an existing product (Harvey & Kerin, 1979;Lomax, Hammond, East, and Clemente, 1997; Traylor, 1986). High-technology markets are characterized by uncertainties that derive from market, technology, and competitive factors (Moriarty & Kosnik, 1989). Different information processing patterns among buyers are likely to emerge in high-technology markets (Capon and Glazer, 1987; Glazer, 1991). Accordingly, marketing strategies and tools are required to adapt to market environments. In response to environmental complexity and turbulence, marketers of high-tech products usually resort to marketing communications to assuage customers’ fear and doubt involved in product adoption (Lee and O’Connor, 2003). Such high-tech marketing practices, in a sense, illuminate signaling theory logic to mitigate uncertainty (Gulati and Higgins, 2003). Drawing on signaling theory, this research is to explore the circumstances under which launch tactics may result in salient product cannibalization. It is proposed that the cannibalization of product launch varies with the interactions between launch tactics and organizational/market factors. The findings of this research indicate that the cannibalization effect of price similarity will be greater for a launching firm possessing great product category strength. The cannibalization effects of preannouncing timing and price similarity tend to be greater in a highly competitive market context, as opposed to a low competitive context. Nevertheless, relative communication effort in support of product launch results in smaller cannibalization under a highly competitive condition. Product cannibalization derived by earlier preannouncements will become greater in a highly technologically turbulent market. This research contributes to the marketing and product management literature in two main respects. First, it represents an initial effort to empirically test the link between tactics in support of product launch and product cannibalization under different firm and market conditions. Second, we advance understanding of the cannibalization effects incurred by launch tactics by adopting a signaling approach. The fit between marketing strategy and its context has significant implications for new product performance, which should be captured in terms of the potential cannibalization between a new product and other products within the same firm, in addition to its sales and profitability. The findings may also offer guidelines for managing launch tactics. To make right decisions on developing appropriate tactics, the firms must accurately evaluate the firm and market characteristics and, simultaneously, take into account the amount of cannibalization caused by different tactics.

A Novel Esterase from Paenibacillus sp. PBS-2 Is a New Member of the β-Lactamase Belonging to the Family VIII Lipases/Esterases

( Chien Hui Wu ),( Wei Chen Chien ),( Kai Chou Han ),( Jung Woo Yang ),( Hong Ting Victor Lin ) 한국미생물 · 생명공학회 2014 Journal of microbiology and biotechnology Vol.24 No.9

Screening of a gene library from Paenibacillus sp. PBS-2 generated in Escherichia coli led to the identification of a clone with lipolytic activity. Sequence analysis showed an open reading frame encoding a polypeptide of 378 amino acid residues with a predicted molecular mass of 42 kDa. The esterase displayed 69% and 42% identity with the putative β-lactamases from Paenibacillus sp. JDR-2 and Clostridium sp. BNL1100, respectively. The esterase contained a Serx- x-Lys motif that is conserved among all β-lactamases found to date. The protein PBS-2 was produced in both soluble and insoluble forms when E. coli cells harboring the gene were cultured at 18°C. The enzyme is a serine protein and was active against p-nitrophenyl esters of C2, C4, C8, and C10. The optimum pH and temperature for enzyme activity were pH 9.0 and 30°C, respectively. Relative activity of 55% remained at up to 5°C with an activation energy of 5.84 kcal/mol, which indicates that the enzyme is cold-adapted. Enzyme activity was inhibited by Cd2+, Cu2+, and Hg2+ ions. As expected for a serine esterase, activity was inhibited by phenylmethylsulfonyl fluoride. The enzyme was remarkably active and stable in the presence of commercial detergents and organic solvents. This cold-adapted esterase has potential as a biocatalyst and detergent additive for use at low temperatures.

Transient Hiatal Separation During Straight Leg Raise Can Predict Reflux Burden in Gastroesophageal Reflux Disease Patients With Ineffective Esophageal Motility

Wei-Yi Lei,Shu-Wei Liang,Taher Omari,Wei-Chuan Chang,Ming-Wun Wong,Jui-Sheng Hung,Chih-Hsun Yi,Tso-Tsai Liu,Lin Lin,C Prakash Gyawali,Chien-Lin Chen 대한소화기 기능성질환∙운동학회 2022 Journal of Neurogastroenterology and Motility (JNM Vol.28 No.4

Background/Aims Straight leg raise (SLR) can be utilized to evaluate the integrity of the esophagogastric junction during high-resolution manometry (HRM). We aim to assess the value of transient hiatal separation during SLR in symptomatic reflux patients. Methods Consecutive reflux patients undergoing esophageal HRM and pH monitoring were included. Transient hiatal separation was defined by a ≥ 1 cm separation between the lower esophageal sphincter and crural diaphragm during SLR. We compared esophageal motor patterns and reflux monitoring parameters between patients with normal, transiently abnormal and consistently abnormal esophagogastric junction morphology during SLR. Results Of 85 (56.3% female, mean age: 46.7 ± 12.3 years) completed SLR, esophagogastric junction morphology was normal in 31 (36.5%), transient hiatal separation in 19 (22.3%), and consistently hiatal hernia in 35 (41.2%). The values of total acid exposure time (P = 0.016), longest acid reflux episodes (P = 0.024), and DeMeester scores (P = 0.016) were higher in hiatal hernia compared to patients with non-transient hiatal separation, but there were no differences between those with and without transient hiatal separation. Within ineffective esophageal motility, the presence of transient hiatal separation during SLR significantly associated with a higher total acid exposure time (P = 0.014), higher DeMeester scores (P = 0.019), higher total acid reflux events (P = 0.037), and higher longest acid reflux episodes (P = 0.006). Conclusion Our work suggests that SLR may have value as a provocative test during HRM, and future outcome studies are warranted to elucidate the clinical relevance of motor abnormalities depicted from SLR.

Esophageal Bolus Domain Pressure and Peristalsis Associated With Experimental Induction of Esophagogastric Junction Outflow Obstruction

( Wei-yi Lei ),( Taher Omari ),( Tso-tsai Liu ),( Ming-wun Wong ),( Jui-sheng Hung ),( Chih-hsun Yi ),( Shu-wei Liang ),( Charles Cock ),( Chien-lin Chen ) 대한소화기기능성질환·운동학회 2022 Journal of Neurogastroenterology and Motility (JNM Vol.28 No.1

Background/Aims Intrabolus pressures are important for esophageal bolus transport and may detect obstructed bolus flow. This study measured the effect esophageal outflow obstruction experimentally induce by a leg-lift protocol. Methods Twenty-five gastroesophageal reflux disease patients referred for esophageal manometry and a normal motility diagnosis were included. Supine liquid swallows were tested. Leg-lift protocol generated esophageal outflow obstruction by increasing abdominal pressure. Esophageal pressure topography and intrabolus pressure metrics were calculated. These included, (1) mid-domain bolus distension pressure during esophageal emptying (DPE, mmHg) and (2) ramp pressure (mmHg/sec), generated by compression of the bolus between the peristaltic contraction and esophagogastric junction (EGJ). Results EGJ relaxation pressure was increased by leg-lift from 13 (11-17) to 19 (14-30) mmHg (P < 0.005) and distal contractile integral also increased from 1077 (883-1349) to 1620 (1268-2072) mmHgㆍcmㆍsec (P < 0.001) as a physiological response to obstruction. All bolus pressures were increased by leg lift; DPE increased from 17 (15-20) to 27 (19-32) mmHg (P < 0.001), and ramp pressure increased from 3 (1-4) to 5 (2-9) mmHg/sec (P < 0.05). Conclusion Measuring pressures within the intrabolus domain can quantify changes related to obstruction to outflow and may serve as adjunct measures for confirming a diagnosis EGJ outflow obstruction. (J Neurogastroenterol Motil 2022;28:62-68)