Heart Rate Variability Biofeedback Increased Autonomic Activation and Improved Symptoms of Depression and Insomnia among Patients with Major Depression Disorder

I-Mei Lin,Sheng-Yu Fan,Cheng-Fang Yen,Yi-Chun Yeh,Tze‐Chun Tang,Mei-Feng Huang,Tai-Ling Liu,Peng-Wei Wang,Huang-Chi Lin,Hsin-Yi Tsai,Yu-Che Tsai 대한정신약물학회 2019 CLINICAL PSYCHOPHARMACOLOGY AND NEUROSCIENCE Vol.17 No.2

Objective: Autonomic imbalance is considered a psychopathological mechanism underlying major depressive disorder (MDD). Heart rate variability (HRV) is an index for autonomic activation. Poor sleep quality is common among patients with MDD. HRV biofeedback (BF) has been used for regulating autonomic balance among patients with physical illness and mental disorders. The purpose of present study was to examine the effects of HRV-BF on depressive symptoms, sleep quality, pre-sleep arousal, and HRV indices, in patients with MDD and insomnia. Methods: In this case-controlled study, patients with MDD and Pittsburgh Sleep Quality Index (PSQI) score higher than 6 were recruited. The HRV-BF group received weekly 60-minute protocol for 6 weeks, and the control group who have matched the age and sex received medical care only. All participants were assessed on Beck Depression Inventory-II, Back Anxiety Inventory, PSQI, and Pre-Sleep Arousal Scale. Breathing rates and electrocardiography were also performed under resting state at pre-testing, and post-testing conditions and for the HRV-BF group, also at 1-month follow-up. Results: In the HRV-BF group, symptoms of depression and anxiety, sleep quality, and pre-sleep arousal were significantly improved, and increased HRV indices, compared with the control group. Moreover, in the HRV-BF group, significantly improved symptoms of depression and anxiety, decreased breathing rates, and increased HRV indices were detected at post-testing and at 1-month follow-up, compared with pre-testing values. Conclusion: This study confirmed that HRV-BF is a useful psychosocial intervention for improving autonomic balance, baroreflex, and symptoms of depression and insomnia in MDD patients.

Long-term Survivals, Toxicities and the Role of Chemotherapy in Early-Stage Nasopharyngeal Carcinoma Patients Treated with Intensity-modulated Radiation Therapy: A Retrospective Study with 15-year Follow-up

Lin Wang,Jingjing Miao,Huageng Huang,Boyu Chen,Xiao Xiao,Manyi Zhu,Yingshan Liang,Weiwei Xiao,Shaomin Huang,Yinglin Peng,Xiaowu Deng,Xing Lv,Weixiong Xia,Yanqun Xiang,Xiang Guo,Fei Han,Chong Zhao 대한암학회 2022 Cancer Research and Treatment Vol.54 No.1

Purpose This study was aimed to investigate long-term survivals and toxicities of early-stage nasopharyngeal carcinoma (NPC) in endemic area, evaluating the role of chemotherapy in stage II patients. Materials and Methods Totally 187 patients with newly diagnosed NPC and restaged American Joint Committee on Cancer/ International Union Against Cancer 8th T1-2N0-1M0 were retrospectively recruited. All received intensity-modulated radiotherapy (IMRT)±chemotherapy (CT) from 2001 to 2010. Results With 15.7-year median follow-up, 10-year locoregional recurrence-free survival, distant metastasis-free survival (DMFS), disease-specific survival (DSS), and overall survival (OS) were 93.3%, 93.5%, 92.9% and 88.2%, respectively. Multivariable analyses showed cervical lymph nodes positive and pre-treatment prognostic nutritional index ≥ 52.0 could independently predict DMFS (p=0.036 and p=0.011), DSS (p=0.014 and p=0.026), and OS (p=0.002 and p < 0.001); Charlson comorbidity index < 3 points could predict DSS (p=0.011); age > 45 years (p=0.002) and pre-treatment lactate dehydrogenase ≥ 240 U/L (p < 0.001) predicted OS. No grade 4 late toxicity happened; grade 3 late toxicities included subcutaneous fibrosis (4.3%), deafness or otitis (4.8%), skin dystrophy (2.1%), and xerostomia (1.1%). No differences on survivals were shown between IMRT+CT vs. IMRT alone in stage II patients, even in T2N1M0 (p > 0.05). Unsurprising, patients in IMRT+CT had more acute gastrointestinal reaction, myelosuppression, mucositis, late ear toxicity, and cranial nerve injury (all p < 0.05) than IMRT alone group. Conclusion Superior tumor control and satisfying long-term outcomes could be achieved with IMRT in early-stage NPC with mild late toxicities. As CT would bring more toxicities, it should be carefully performed to stage II patients.

“谣言”对中国消费者购买韩国商品的影响研究: 基于感知价值模型

Huang Peng,Zhang Wei Lin 부산대학교 중국연구소 2018 Journal of China Studies Vol.21 No.3

The share of Korean products in the Chinese market has declined since 2016, with the Samsung mobile and Hyundai motor having lost more than 60% of their share than the apex by the end of 2017. Meanwhile, the same is true for the household appliances, cosmetics and food. The reasons for the weakness of Korean products in the Chinese market include the competition of others brands, pricing strategy mistakes and the Chinese media's Biased reports on Korean products and South Korea. According to some symbolic events, there are two types of rumors that affect Korean brands in the Chinese market: one is directly related to the product, the other is unrelated to the product. Therefore, to analyze the market problems of Korean products in China, it is necessary to explore the intrinsic mechanism of market rumors affecting Chinese consumers' judgment of the value of Korean products from the perspective of Chinese consumers This study starting with the sensitivity of consumers to market rumors which based on the theoretical model of perceived value discusses the rumor sensitivity of Chinese consumers, under the rumor environment and its impact on evaluating the value of Korean products. The analysis of 5 consumers' interviews and 399 effective questionnaires revealed that 72.3% of Chinese consumers showed high rumor sensitivity tendency. Through regression analysis, intermediary effect and adjustment effect analysis, we get the following three conclusions: (1) Chinese consumers will be more likely to evaluate the quality of products from the inherent attributes of the products, and the labeling of origin is being weakened. (2) Chinese consumers are more inclined to choose products with high cost performance ratio, so they no longer think that the high price of Korean products represents high quality. (3) When Chinese consumers evaluate Korean products, market rumors directly affect the subjective quality perception of Chinese consumers. Accordingly, this study suggests that the key of Korean products is to win the Chinese consumers’ approval of the objective attributes of Korean products by the way of enhancing the product force. On this basis, we can take the subsidiary of Korean company in China as the main body that develop the local brands with different pricing strategy in order to eliminate the problem of the decline of market share caused by rumors that about Korean.

Experimental study and FE analysis of tile roofs under simulated strong wind impact

Huang, Peng,Lin, Huatan,Hu, Feng,Gu, Ming Techno-Press 2018 Wind and Structures, An International Journal (WAS Vol.26 No.2

A large number of low-rise buildings experienced serious roof covering failures under strong wind while few suffered structural damage. Clay and concrete tiles are two main kinds of roof covering. For the tile roof system, few researches were carried out based on Finite Element (FE) analysis due to the difficulty in the simulation of the interface between the tiles and the roof sheathing (the bonding materials, foam or mortar). In this paper, the FE analysis of a single clay or concrete tile with foam-set or mortar-set were built with the interface simulated by the equivalent nonlinear springs based on the mechanical uplift and displacement tests, and they were expanded into the whole roof. A detailed wind tunnel test was carried out at Tongji University to acquire the wind loads on these two kinds of roof tiles, and then the test data were fed into the FE analysis. For the purpose of validation and calibration, the results of FE analysis were compared with the full-scale performance ofthe tile roofs under simulated strong wind impact through one-of-a-kind Wall of Wind (WoW) apparatus at Florida International University. The results are consistent with the WoW test that the roof of concrete tiles with mortar-set provided the highest resistance, and the material defects or improper construction practices are the key factors to induce the roof tiles' failure. Meanwhile, the staggered setting of concrete tiles would help develop an interlocking mechanism between the tiles and increase their resistance.

Observation of magnetoconductivity with terahertz probes for ferromagnetic Fe films

Huang Lin,Zhao Yunxiu,Le Thi Nguyen,Lee Sang-Hyuk,Peng Zhi,Kim Seongheun,Shin Hee Jun,Park Jaehun,Kim Hyun-Joong,Hong Jung-Il,Bang Junhyeok,Lee Hyun Seok,Kim Kyung Wan,Kim Dong-Hyun 한국물리학회 2022 Current Applied Physics Vol.41 No.-

Ultrafast characterization of spin-dependent transport behavior in ferromagnetic systems without contact probes has been of strong demand, recently. We have experimentally investigated spin-dependent complex conductivity for ferromagnetic Fe films of various thickness by means of terahertz time-domain transmission spectroscopy. Comparison of the transmitted terahertz wave amplitude and the spin-dependent conductivity reveals that the magnetization state of films effectively determines the complex conductivity. Non-invasive observation of spin-dependent conductivity by contact-free terahertz probe method is proven to be promising in further investigating spintronic materials, particularly on an ultrafast timescale.

Possible Effect of Implementing a National Query Program on Site-Specific Cancer Mortality Rates in Taiwan

Lin, Ching-Yih,Cheng, Tain-Junn,Peng, Hua-Chun,Chen, Lea-Hua,Huang, Shiuh-Ming,Lu, Tsung-Hsueh Asian Pacific Journal of Cancer Prevention 2014 Asian Pacific journal of cancer prevention Vol.15 No.2

Background: This study aimed to examine possible effects of implementing a national query program on site-specific cancer mortality rates. Materials and Methods: A total of 2,874 query letters were sent out by the Department of Statistics, Ministry of Health and Welfare of Taiwan between January 2009 and December 2011 to medical certifiers who reported "neoplasm with uncertain nature" on the death certificate asking for more detailed information for coding. Results: Of the 2,571 responses, in 1,398 cases (54%) medical certifiers were still unable to determine the nature of the neoplasm. There were four neoplasm sites for which more than 50% of the responses changed the category to malignant, the gastrointestinal system (73%), urinary system (60%), stomach (55%) and rectum (53%). The liver was the cancer site that showed the largest absolute increase in the number of deaths after the query; however, the brain showed the largest relative increase, at 12%. Conclusions: Different neoplasm sites showed different magnitudes of change in nature after the query. Brain cancer mortality rates exhibited the largest increase.

Experimental study and FE analysis of tile roofs under simulated strong wind impact

Peng Huang,Huatan Lin,Feng Hu,Ming Gu 한국풍공학회 2018 Wind and Structures, An International Journal (WAS Vol.26 No.2

A large number of low-rise buildings experienced serious roof covering failures under strong wind while few suffered structural damage. Clay and concrete tiles are two main kinds of roof covering. For the tile roof system, few researches were carried out based on Finite Element (FE) analysis due to the difficulty in the simulation of the interface between the tiles and the roof sheathing (the bonding materials, foam or mortar). In this paper, the FE analysis of a single clay or concrete tile with foam-set or mortar-set were built with the interface simulated by the equivalent nonlinear springs based on the mechanical uplift and displacement tests, and they were expanded into the whole roof. A detailed wind tunnel test was carried out at Tongji University to acquire the wind loads on these two kinds of roof tiles, and then the test data were fed into the FE analysis. For the purpose of validation and calibration, the results of FE analysis were compared with the full-scale performance of the tile roofs under simulated strong wind impact through one-of-a-kind Wall of Wind (WoW) apparatus at Florida International University. The results are consistent with the WoW test that the roof of concrete tiles with mortar-set provided the highest resistance, and the material defects or improper construction practices are the key factors to induce the roof tiles\' failure. Meanwhile, the staggered setting of concrete tiles would help develop an interlocking mechanism between the tiles and increase their resistance.

PCSK9 regulates myocardial ischemia–reperfusion injury through parkin/pink1-mediated autophagy pathway

Huang Guangwei,Bao Hailong,Zhan Peng,Lu Xiyang,Duan Zonggang,Xiong Xinlin,Lin Muzhi,Wang Bing,An Hongxin,Xiahou Luanda,Zhou Haiyan,Luo Zhenhua,Li Wei 대한독성 유전단백체 학회 2024 Molecular & cellular toxicology Vol.20 No.2

Objectives This study aimed at investigating the role of the proprotein convertase subtilisin/Kexin type 9 (PCSK9)-mediated autophagy on myocardial ischemia/reperfusion injury (MIRI). To determine the relationship between autophagy, apoptosis, fibrosis, and inflammation in the myocardium, to provide experience in preventing and treating the myocardial ischemia/reperfusion (I/R) injury. Methods An AC16 hypoxia-reoxygenation model and a rat myocardial ischemia–reperfusion model were established. The concentrations of cardiac troponin T (cTnT) and creatine kinase-MB (CKMB) in plasma were measured by ELISA. To determine the size of the myocardial infarction, TTC/EB staining was performed. In addition to identifying pathological changes in myocardial tissue, Masson’s trichrome stains and H&E stains were used to identify pathological changes. Echocardiography was employed to detect cardiac function. Western blot analysis was then performed to detect the protein expression of Parkin, Pink1, and markers associated with autophagy (Beclin-1, p62, LC3). Results A significant increase in PCSK9 was observed in the myocardium during H/R. In the cardiac-specific PCSK9 knockdown model, cardiac autophagy was significantly inhibited, whereas cardiac-specific PCSK9 overexpression promoted cardiac autophagy. In vivo studies have demonstrated a significant decrease in cardiac autophagy when the PCSK9 inhibitor was administered. Apoptosis induced by I/R was greatly decreased, and myocardial infarction size and function were both improved by PCSK9 inhibitors. Mechanistically, the PCSK9 inhibitor improved the degree of myocardial fibrosis and inhibited the development of inflammation. Conclusions Our results demonstrated that increased PCSK9 via the parkin/pink1 signaling pathway contributes to I/R and H/R by exaggerating excessive autophagy during reperfusion/reoxygenation. In addition, the PCSK9 inhibitor blocked the development of inflammation and improved Infarct size, myocardial function, and myocardial fibrosis.

Current Status of Hydroponic Soilless Production with Facilities in Taiwan and Its Prospect

Geng-Peng Chang,Yahn Chir Lee,Yu Wen Lin,Jen-Chyi Liu,Wei-Tin Huang 한국원예학회 2006 한국원예학회 기타간행물 Vol.- No.-

Morphology Characterization and Mechanism Analysis of the Microstructure of LiNbO3 Crystals Fabricated by Using Focused Ion Beam Milling

Xue-Lin Wang,Peng Liu,Qing Huang,Xue-Feng Xu,Sha Yan 한국물리학회 2010 THE JOURNAL OF THE KOREAN PHYSICAL SOCIETY Vol.56 No.4

This paper reports the basic results obtained from an investigation of the microstructure of lithium niobate (LiNbO3) crystals fabricated by using the focused ion beam (FIB) sputtering method. The morphology characterization of the microstructure is explained in terms of scanning electron microscopy observations based on the geometrical integrity, surface smoothness, cross-sectional area, aspect ratio, etc. The optimized micro-fabrication conditions and the sample morphology characterization are presented, and the sputtering rate of Ga ions for a 30-keV energy milling of the LiNbO3 crystal is calculated, which is lower than the theoretical one gained from “The Stopping and Range of Ions in Matter” (SRIM) sputtering simulation due to the redeposition effect being enhanced with increasing milling depth