WNKs: protein kinases with a unique kinase domain

Chou-Long Huang,차승규,Hao-Ran Wang,Jian Xie,Melanie H. Cobb 생화학분자생물학회 2007 Experimental and molecular medicine Vol.39 No.5

WNKs (with-no-lysine [K]) are a family of serine-threonine protein kinases with an atypical placement of the catalytic lysine relative to all other protein kinases. The roles of WNK kinases in regulating ion transport were first revealed by the findings that mutations of two members cause a genetic hypertension and hyperkalemia syndrome. More recent studies suggest that WNKs are pleiotropic protein kinases with important roles in many cell processes in addition to ion transport. Here, we review roles of WNK kinases in the regulation of ion balance, cell signaling, survival, and proliferation, and embryonic organ development.

Contrasting clinical characteristics and treatment patterns in women with newly diagnosed advanced-stage epithelial ovarian cancer in Australia, South Korea and Taiwan

Hung-Hsueh Chou,Sian Fereday,Anna DeFazio,Chih-Long Chang,David Bowtell,Heng-Cheng Hsu,Nadia Traficante,Soo Young Jeong,Wen-Fang Cheng,Dinuka Ariyarantne,Australian Ovarian Cancer Study Group,Teresa T 대한부인종양학회 2023 Journal of Gynecologic Oncology Vol.34 No.1

Objective: The real-world INFORM study analyzed sociodemographics, treatment patterns and clinical outcomes for patients with newly diagnosed advanced epithelial ovarian cancer (EOC) in Australia, South Korea (S.Korea) and Taiwan preceding incorporation of poly(ADP-ribose) polymerase inhibitors into clinical practice. Methods: Retrospective data from patients diagnosed with EOC (high-grade serous EOC for Taiwan) between January 2014 and December 2018 with ≥12 months follow-up from diagnosis were analyzed descriptively. Survival was evaluated by Kaplan-Meier with two-sided 95% confidence interval (CI). Results: Of the 987 patients (Australia, 223; S.Korea, 513; Taiwan, 251), 98% received platinum-based chemotherapy (CT). In S.Korea and Taiwan 76.0% and 78.9% respectively underwent primary cytoreductive surgery; in Australia, 56.5% had interval debulking surgery. Bevacizumab was included in primary/maintenance therapy for 22.4%, 14.6% and 6.8% of patients in Australia, S.Korea and Taiwan, respectively. Patients receiving bevacizumab were high-risk (reimbursement policy) and achieved similar real-world progression-free survival (PFS) compared with CT only. Overall, the median real-world PFS (months; 95% CI) was similar across Australia (16.0 [14.63–18.08]), S.Korea (17.7 [16.18–19.27]) and Taiwan (19.1 [17.56–22.29]). Conclusion: This study reveals poor prognosis despite differences in demographics and treatment patterns for patients with EOC across Asia-Pacific suggesting the need for biomarker-driven novel therapies to improve outcomes.

Reduction of [Fe(III)EDTA]ˉcatalyzed by activated carbon modified with KOH solution

Lin Yang,Xiang-li Long,Xue-wei Chou,Cong Li,Wei-kang Yuan 한국공업화학회 2013 Journal of Industrial and Engineering Chemistry Vol.19 No.3

NO and SO2 can be eliminated simultaneously by [Fe(II)EDTA]2ˉ solution with a pH range of 5.6–8.0 at 25–80 8C. Activated carbon is used to catalyze the regeneration of [Fe(II)EDTA]2ˉ. In this paper, KOH solution has been utilized to modify the carbon to improve its catalytic capability. Experimental results show that the optimal modification factors are as follow: KOH concentration 6.0 mol l-1, impregnation time 9 h, activation temperature 700 8C and activation time 4 h. After KOH modification, the surface area of activated carbon decreases. But its basicity is enhanced, which plays an important role in improving the catalytic characteristics of activated carbon in the reduction of [Fe(III)EDTA]ˉ. The experimental results demonstrate that the activated carbon modified by concentrated KOH solution can get a higher NO removal efficiency than the original activated carbon.

RAPID, SPECIFIC, AND SENSITIVE ON-SITE DIAGNOSIS OF MICROSPORIDIAN Enterocytozoon hepatopenaei ON POCKIT<SUB>TM</SUB> SYSTEM, A FIELD-DEPLOYABLE TOOL

Simon Chung,Chen Su,Pin-Hsing Chou,Yun-Long Tsai,Pei-Yu Alison Lee,Hsiao-Fen Grace Chang 한국수산과학회 양식분과 2015 한국수산과학회 양식분과 학술대회 Vol.2015 No.5

Microcantilever biosensor: sensing platform, surface characterization and multiscale modeling

Chen, Chuin-Shan,Kuan, Shu,Chang, Tzu-Hsuan,Chou, Chia-Ching,Chang, Shu-Wei,Huang, Long-Sun Techno-Press 2011 Smart Structures and Systems, An International Jou Vol.8 No.1

The microcantilever (MCL) sensor is one of the most promising platforms for next-generation label-free biosensing applications. It outperforms conventional label-free detection methods in terms of portability and parallelization. In this paper, an overview of recent advances in our understanding of the coupling between biomolecular interactions and MCL responses is given. A dual compact optical MCL sensing platform was built to enable biosensing experiments both in gas-phase environments and in solutions. The thermal bimorph effect was found to be an effective nanomanipulator for the MCL platform calibration. The study of the alkanethiol self-assembly monolayer (SAM) chain length effect revealed that 1-octanethiol ($C_8H_{17}SH$) induced a larger deflection than that from 1-dodecanethiol ($C_{12}H_{25}SH$) in solutions. Using the clinically relevant biomarker C-reactive protein (CRP), we revealed that the analytical sensitivity of the MCL reached a diagnostic level of $1{\sim}500{\mu}g/ml$ within a 7% coefficient of variation. Using grazing incident x-ray diffractometer (GIXRD) analysis, we found that the gold surface was dominated by the (111) crystalline plane. Moreover, using X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy (XPS) analysis, we confirmed that the Au-S covalent bonds occurred in SAM adsorption whereas CRP molecular bindings occurred in protein analysis. First principles density functional theory (DFT) simulations were also used to examine biomolecular adsorption mechanisms. Multiscale modeling was then developed to connect the interactions at the molecular level with the MCL mechanical response. The alkanethiol SAM chain length effect in air was successfully predicted using the multiscale scheme.

Improved biocompatibility of hydroxyapatite thin film prepared by aerosol deposition

Park, Dong-Soo,Kim, In-Sook,Kim, Hyeongil,Chou, Alex Hung Kuo,Hahn, Byung-Dong,Li, Long-Hao,Hwang, Soon-Jung Wiley Subscription Services, Inc., A Wiley Company 2010 Journal of biomedical materials research. Part B, Vol.94 No.2

<P>Technical development for an efficient coating of bioactive materials improves the characteristics of a fully functional implant. The aim of this study was to investigate the osteoinductive effect of a newly developed hydroxyapatite (HA)-coating technique using aerosol deposition without post-heat treatment [room temperature (RT) group] on the titanium (Ti) dental implant in vitro and in vivo, compared with that of HA coating with post-heat treatment (HT-400 group) or machined surface (control group). Cell proliferation or attachment on the HA-coated Ti surface was assessed using tetrazolium salt, WST-8 or scanning electron microscopy (SEM). Human osteoblasts (HOB) on RT group were well attached and grew alike in the control or HT-400 group. The alkaline phosphatase activity of HOB cultured on RT and HT-400 group was significantly higher than the control group (p < 0.05). Evaluation by SEM, TEM, and XRD demonstrated that aerosol deposition facilitated HA particles to form a dense and uniform HA layer in the RT group despite no post-heating. In a rabbit tibia model (n = 3), the ratios of bone implant contact and bone area in the RT group (49.88%, 86.05%) were greater than in the HT-400 group (38.82%, 77.34%) or the control (28.31%, 73.86%). The finding of this study showed that the HA coating using aerosol deposition without post-heat treatment has a good biocompatibility, and provide a promoting strategy to enhance osseointegration in the application of the dental implant. © 2010 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. J Biomed Mater Res Part B: Appl Biomater, 2010.</P>

Could Tumor Size Be A Predictor for Papillary Thyroid Microcarcinoma: a Retrospective Cohort Study

Wang, Min,Wu, Wei-Dong,Chen, Gui-Ming,Chou, Sheng-Long,Dai, Xue-Ming,Xu, Jun-Ming,Peng, Zhi-Hai Asian Pacific Journal of Cancer Prevention 2015 Asian Pacific journal of cancer prevention Vol.16 No.18

Background: Central lymph node metastasis(CLNM) is common in papillary thyroid microcarcinoma (PTMC). The aim of this study was to define the pathohistologic risk grading based on surgical outcomes. Materials and Methods: Statistical analysis was performed to figure out the optimal cut-off values of size in preoperative ultrasound images for defining the risk of CLNM in papillary thyroid microcarcinoma. Receiver operating characteristic curves (ROC) studies were carried out to determine the cutoff value(s) for the predictor(s). All the patients were divided into two groups according to the above size and the clinic-pathological and immunohistochemical parameters were compared to determine the significance of findings. Results: The optimal cut-off value of tumor size to predict the risk of CLNM in papillary thyroid microcarcinoma was 0.575 cm (area under the curve 0.721) according to the ROC curves. Significant differences were observed on the multifocality, extrathyroidal extension and central lymph node metastasis between two groups which were divided according to the tumor size by the cutoff values. Patients in two groups showed different positive rate and intensity of Ki67. Conclusions: The size of PTMC in ultrasound images are helpful to predict the aggressiveness of the tumors, it could be an easy predictor for PTMC prognosis and assist us to choose treatment.

Microcantilever biosensor: sensing platform, surface characterization and multiscale modeling

Chuin-Shan Chen,Shu Kuan,Tzu-Hsuan Chang,Chia-Ching Chou,Shu-Wei Chang,Long-Sun Huang 국제구조공학회 2011 Smart Structures and Systems, An International Jou Vol.8 No.1

The microcantilever (MCL) sensor is one of the most promising platforms for next-generation label-free biosensing applications. It outperforms conventional label-free detection methods in terms of portability and parallelization. In this paper, an overview of recent advances in our understanding of the coupling between biomolecular interactions and MCL responses is given. A dual compact optical MCL sensing platform was built to enable biosensing experiments both in gas-phase environments and in solutions. The thermal bimorph effect was found to be an effective nanomanipulator for the MCL platform calibration. The study of the alkanethiol self-assembly monolayer (SAM) chain length effect revealed that 1-octanethiol (C8H17SH) induced a larger deflection than that from 1-dodecanethiol (C12H25SH) in solutions. Using the clinically relevant biomarker Creactive protein (CRP), we revealed that the analytical sensitivity of the MCL reached a diagnostic level of 1~500 μg/ml within a 7% coefficient of variation. Using grazing incident x-ray diffractometer (GIXRD) analysis, we found that the gold surface was dominated by the (111) crystalline plane. Moreover, using X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy (XPS) analysis, we confirmed that the Au-S covalent bonds occurred in SAM adsorption whereas CRP molecular bindings occurred in protein analysis. First principles density functional theory (DFT) simulations were also used to examine biomolecular adsorption mechanisms. Multiscale modeling was then developed to connect the interactions at the molecular level with the MCL mechanical response. The alkanethiol SAM chain length effect in air was successfully predicted using the multiscale scheme.

FROM BUSINESS STRATEGY AND SOCIAL CAPITAL PERSPECTIVE TO TRAVEL AGENCIES’ COMPETITIVE ADVANTAGE

Chih-Hsing Liu,Jeou-Shyan Horng,Sheng-Fang Chou,Yung-Chuan Huang,Bernard Gan,Wei-Long Lee 글로벌지식마케팅경영학회 2018 Global Marketing Conference Vol.2018 No.07

Many firms see organizational learning systems as critical to facilitating competitive advantage. However, until now, few tourism studies have empirically investigated and identified how the different characteristics of highly competitive organizations, such as travel agencies, influence competitive advantage in a dynamic environment. This study uses a mediation-moderation analysis for such an empirical examination. A total of 288 travel agencies from Taiwan were analysed. The authors found that travel agencies’ shared goals may influence competitive advantage through characteristics of dynamic capability development, differential strategy implication and social capital accumulation. Greater levels of organizational learning may positively strengthen the relationships between (a) shared goals and dynamic capability, (b) shared goals and social capital, and (c) social capital and competitive advantage. Implications of these findings for managerial and theoretical frameworks are also discussed.

A Pan-Dengue Virus Reverse Transcription-Insulated Isothermal PCR Assay Intended for Point-of-Need Diagnosis of Dengue Virus Infection by Use of the POCKIT Nucleic Acid Analyzer

Go, Yun Young,Rajapakse, R. P. V. Jayanthe,Kularatne, Senanayake A. M.,Lee, Pei-Yu Alison,Ku, Keun Bon,Nam, Sangwoo,Chou, Pin-Hsing,Tsai, Yun-Long,Liu, Yu-Lun,Chang, Hsiao-Fen Grace,Wang, Hwa-Tang Tho American Society for Microbiology 2016 Journal of clinical microbiology Vol.54 No.6

<P>Dengue virus (DENV) infection is considered a major public health problem in developing tropical countries where the virus is endemic and continues to cause major disease outbreaks every year. Here, we describe the development of a novel, inexpensive, and user-friendly diagnostic assay based on a reverse transcription-insulated isothermal PCR (RT-iiPCR) method for the detection of all four serotypes of DENV in clinical samples. The diagnostic performance of the newly established pan-DENV RT-iiPCR assay targeting a conserved 3' untranslated region of the viral genome was evaluated. The limit of detection with a 95% confidence was estimated to be 10 copies of in vitro-transcribed (IVT) RNA. Sensitivity analysis using RNA prepared from 10-fold serial dilutions of tissue culture fluid containing DENVs suggested that the RT-iiPCR assay was comparable to the multiplex real-time quantitative RT-PCR (qRT-PCR) assay for DENV-1, -3, and -4 detection but 10-fold less sensitive for DENV-2 detection. Subsequently, plasma collected from patients suspected of dengue virus infection (n = 220) and individuals not suspected of dengue virus infection (n = 45) were tested by the RT-iiPCR and compared to original test results using a DENV NS1 antigen rapid test and the qRT-PCR. The diagnostic agreement of the pan-DENV RT-iiPCR, NS1 antigen rapid test, and qRT-PCR tests was 93.9%, 84.5%, and 97.4%, respectively, compared to the composite reference results. This new RT-iiPCR assay along with the portable POCKIT nucleic acid analyzer could provide a highly reliable, sensitive, and specific point-of-need diagnostic assay for the diagnosis of DENV in clinics and hospitals in developing countries.</P>