Eating disorders (ED) are a group of important psychiatric disorders that affect young men and wo... more Eating disorders (ED) are a group of important psychiatric disorders that affect young men and women, and can have serious consequences. Among all ED, anorexia nervosa (AN) is the most typical but also the most severe. The pathogenesis of AN is multifactorial and a great variety of cognitive deficits may contribute to its pathogenesis. The present study is aimed to measure NO and peroxynitrite production, iNOS and nNOS expression by Western immunoblot after incubation of AN lipoproteins at different times with human astrocytoma cells. The AN-HDL treated cells showed an increased production of NO at 3 h versus control-HDL treated cells and a decreased production at 24 h. Regarding LDL, a significant increase of NO production was obtained both at 3 and 24 h. The AN-HDL and AN-LDL treated cells showed an increased production of peroxynitrite both at 3 and 24 h compared to control lipoproteins. Densitometric analysis of bands indicated that both iNOS and nNOS protein levels were significantly higher in the cells incubated with AN lipoproteins compared to cells incubated with control lipoproteins both at 3 and 24 h. Although the pathogenesis of AN remains uncertain, evidence exists that modifications to the lipoprotein profile and cholesterol, structural alterations of phospholipids and integral constituents of myelin and synaptosomes may be related to psychotic disorders and body image distortion common to AN. Thus, a relevant pathophysiological association between NO and depression is certainly a possibility, as well as a central role played by NO in the pathogenesis.
Journal of Mechanical Science and Technology, 2009
This study describes a new training system based on an unstable platform and a visual interactive... more This study describes a new training system based on an unstable platform and a visual interactive system, that was designed to improve postural control ability. The training system consists of an unstable platform, a safety harness, a monitoring device, and a personal computer. To confirm the effects of the training system, a performance test and a training effect test were conducted. The performance test included calibration and the test-retest experiments. The training effect test was conducted on elderly adults. The results of the calibration demonstrated that the average deviations of COP (center of pressure) in all of the other directions were all less than 0.4cm. The results of the test-retest experiment demonstrated that the ICC (intraclass correlation coefficient) of repeatability was reflective of excellent reliability in both the COP maintenance test and the COP movement test. The training reduced the COP sway path by 5% and the average distance of the COP sway by 32.4%. The RMS (root mean square) of COP after training was reduced by 24% and 33% in the ML (medio-lateral) and AP (anterior-posterior) directions. The training also caused a 25% reduction in the results of the Timed Up and Go test. The PTBW (peak torque/body weight) value was increased by 31% and 17.5% in the knee and ankle joints. The experimental results suggest that this postural control training system using an unstable platform could be applied to training to improve postural control ability in elderly adults.
Background This study was designed to investigate an association between methylenetetrahydrofolat... more Background This study was designed to investigate an association between methylenetetrahydrofolate reductase (MTHFR) C677T polymorphism and the risk of lung cancer in a Korean population. Methods We conducted a large-scale, case-control study involving 3938 patients with newly diagnosed lung cancer and 1700 healthy controls. Genotyping was performed with peripheral blood DNA for MTHFR C677T polymorphisms. Statistical significance was estimated by logistic regression analysis. Results The MTHFR C677T frequencies of CC, CT, and TT genotypes were 34.5%, 48.5%, and 17% among lung cancer patients, and 31.8%, 50.7%, and 17.5% in the controls, respectively. The MTHFR 677CT and TT genotype showed a weak protection against lung cancer compared with the homozygous CC genotype, although the results did not reach statistical significance. The age- and gender-adjusted odds ratio (OR) of overall lung cancer was 0.90 (95% confidence interval (CI), 0.77-1.04) for MTHFR 677 CT and 0.88 (95% CI, 0.71-1.07) for MTHFR 677TT. However, after stratification analysis by histological type, the MTHFR 677CT genotype showed a significantly decreased risk for squamous cell carcinoma (age- and gender-adjusted OR, 0.78; 95% CI, 0.64-0.96). The combination of 677 TT homozygous with 677 CT heterozygous also appeared to have a protection effect on the risk of squamous cell carcinoma. We observed no significant interaction between the MTHFR C677T polymorphism and age and gender or smoking habit. Conclusions This is the first reported study focusing on the association between MTHFR C677T polymorphisms and the risk of lung cancer in a Korean population. The T allele was found to provide a weak protective association with lung squamous cell carcinoma.
International Archives of Allergy and Immunology, 2002
Bee and wasp venom extracts contain potent allergens capable of inducing severe clinical reaction... more Bee and wasp venom extracts contain potent allergens capable of inducing severe clinical reactions. To analyze immediate-type hypersensitivity to defined hymenoptera venom components, a recently developed in vitro test was applied that is based on the upregulation of CD203c expression on basophils. CD203c expression on blood basophils of 9 healthy donors and 39 patients allergic to bee and/or wasp venom was analyzed by flow cytometry before and after activation with the purified bee venom allergens phospholipase A2 (Api m 1), hyaluronidase (Api m 2) and melittin (Api m 4), or the purified wasp venom allergens phospholipase A1 (Ves v 1), hyaluronidase (Ves v 2) and the recombinant antigen 5 (Ves v 5). Venom-induced CD203c upregulation on basophils was compared with skin tests and assessment of specific IgE. Basophils of nonresponders were preincubated with 10 ng/ml interleukin-3 (IL-3) prior to allergen stimulation. CD203c upregulation on basophils was induced by defined hymenoptera venom components in 35/39 patients with a diagnosed allergy to wasp and/or bee venom. Twenty-seven of the 34 tested patients with wasp allergy showed CD203c upregulation in response to Ves v 5, 26 of these patients also reacted with Ves v 2 and 17 with Ves v 1. Nine of 13 patients with bee allergy reacted with Api m 1, 13 individuals with Api m 2 and none of these patients with the minor allergen Api m 4. A diagnosed wasp allergy could also be confirmed in the prestimulated basophils (IL-3) of 2 nonresponder individuals who failed to upregulate CD203c in response to IgE receptor cross-linking prior to culture with IL-3. Flow-cytometric determination of CD203c upregulation on basophils activated by molecularly defined allergens is a powerful method to identify the precise allergen reactivity in sensitized individuals.
In power system filed, to study the characteristics of the gas breakdown is essential and of impo... more In power system filed, to study the characteristics of the gas breakdown is essential and of importance in designing the protection of high voltage system as well as to the power system reliability. Hence, in this paper, the major purpose is to propose a refined mathematical approach based on rough set methods to find the priority of influence factor in gas breakdown. And also created rough set toolbox based on Matlab, which to help the complex calculation. As the result, we not only can get the rank of influence factor in gas breakdown, but also provides a new idea for extension the applications of rough set.
Eating disorders (ED) are a group of important psychiatric disorders that affect young men and wo... more Eating disorders (ED) are a group of important psychiatric disorders that affect young men and women, and can have serious consequences. Among all ED, anorexia nervosa (AN) is the most typical but also the most severe. The pathogenesis of AN is multifactorial and a great variety of cognitive deficits may contribute to its pathogenesis. The present study is aimed to measure NO and peroxynitrite production, iNOS and nNOS expression by Western immunoblot after incubation of AN lipoproteins at different times with human astrocytoma cells. The AN-HDL treated cells showed an increased production of NO at 3 h versus control-HDL treated cells and a decreased production at 24 h. Regarding LDL, a significant increase of NO production was obtained both at 3 and 24 h. The AN-HDL and AN-LDL treated cells showed an increased production of peroxynitrite both at 3 and 24 h compared to control lipoproteins. Densitometric analysis of bands indicated that both iNOS and nNOS protein levels were significantly higher in the cells incubated with AN lipoproteins compared to cells incubated with control lipoproteins both at 3 and 24 h. Although the pathogenesis of AN remains uncertain, evidence exists that modifications to the lipoprotein profile and cholesterol, structural alterations of phospholipids and integral constituents of myelin and synaptosomes may be related to psychotic disorders and body image distortion common to AN. Thus, a relevant pathophysiological association between NO and depression is certainly a possibility, as well as a central role played by NO in the pathogenesis.
Journal of Mechanical Science and Technology, 2009
This study describes a new training system based on an unstable platform and a visual interactive... more This study describes a new training system based on an unstable platform and a visual interactive system, that was designed to improve postural control ability. The training system consists of an unstable platform, a safety harness, a monitoring device, and a personal computer. To confirm the effects of the training system, a performance test and a training effect test were conducted. The performance test included calibration and the test-retest experiments. The training effect test was conducted on elderly adults. The results of the calibration demonstrated that the average deviations of COP (center of pressure) in all of the other directions were all less than 0.4cm. The results of the test-retest experiment demonstrated that the ICC (intraclass correlation coefficient) of repeatability was reflective of excellent reliability in both the COP maintenance test and the COP movement test. The training reduced the COP sway path by 5% and the average distance of the COP sway by 32.4%. The RMS (root mean square) of COP after training was reduced by 24% and 33% in the ML (medio-lateral) and AP (anterior-posterior) directions. The training also caused a 25% reduction in the results of the Timed Up and Go test. The PTBW (peak torque/body weight) value was increased by 31% and 17.5% in the knee and ankle joints. The experimental results suggest that this postural control training system using an unstable platform could be applied to training to improve postural control ability in elderly adults.
Background This study was designed to investigate an association between methylenetetrahydrofolat... more Background This study was designed to investigate an association between methylenetetrahydrofolate reductase (MTHFR) C677T polymorphism and the risk of lung cancer in a Korean population. Methods We conducted a large-scale, case-control study involving 3938 patients with newly diagnosed lung cancer and 1700 healthy controls. Genotyping was performed with peripheral blood DNA for MTHFR C677T polymorphisms. Statistical significance was estimated by logistic regression analysis. Results The MTHFR C677T frequencies of CC, CT, and TT genotypes were 34.5%, 48.5%, and 17% among lung cancer patients, and 31.8%, 50.7%, and 17.5% in the controls, respectively. The MTHFR 677CT and TT genotype showed a weak protection against lung cancer compared with the homozygous CC genotype, although the results did not reach statistical significance. The age- and gender-adjusted odds ratio (OR) of overall lung cancer was 0.90 (95% confidence interval (CI), 0.77-1.04) for MTHFR 677 CT and 0.88 (95% CI, 0.71-1.07) for MTHFR 677TT. However, after stratification analysis by histological type, the MTHFR 677CT genotype showed a significantly decreased risk for squamous cell carcinoma (age- and gender-adjusted OR, 0.78; 95% CI, 0.64-0.96). The combination of 677 TT homozygous with 677 CT heterozygous also appeared to have a protection effect on the risk of squamous cell carcinoma. We observed no significant interaction between the MTHFR C677T polymorphism and age and gender or smoking habit. Conclusions This is the first reported study focusing on the association between MTHFR C677T polymorphisms and the risk of lung cancer in a Korean population. The T allele was found to provide a weak protective association with lung squamous cell carcinoma.
International Archives of Allergy and Immunology, 2002
Bee and wasp venom extracts contain potent allergens capable of inducing severe clinical reaction... more Bee and wasp venom extracts contain potent allergens capable of inducing severe clinical reactions. To analyze immediate-type hypersensitivity to defined hymenoptera venom components, a recently developed in vitro test was applied that is based on the upregulation of CD203c expression on basophils. CD203c expression on blood basophils of 9 healthy donors and 39 patients allergic to bee and/or wasp venom was analyzed by flow cytometry before and after activation with the purified bee venom allergens phospholipase A2 (Api m 1), hyaluronidase (Api m 2) and melittin (Api m 4), or the purified wasp venom allergens phospholipase A1 (Ves v 1), hyaluronidase (Ves v 2) and the recombinant antigen 5 (Ves v 5). Venom-induced CD203c upregulation on basophils was compared with skin tests and assessment of specific IgE. Basophils of nonresponders were preincubated with 10 ng/ml interleukin-3 (IL-3) prior to allergen stimulation. CD203c upregulation on basophils was induced by defined hymenoptera venom components in 35/39 patients with a diagnosed allergy to wasp and/or bee venom. Twenty-seven of the 34 tested patients with wasp allergy showed CD203c upregulation in response to Ves v 5, 26 of these patients also reacted with Ves v 2 and 17 with Ves v 1. Nine of 13 patients with bee allergy reacted with Api m 1, 13 individuals with Api m 2 and none of these patients with the minor allergen Api m 4. A diagnosed wasp allergy could also be confirmed in the prestimulated basophils (IL-3) of 2 nonresponder individuals who failed to upregulate CD203c in response to IgE receptor cross-linking prior to culture with IL-3. Flow-cytometric determination of CD203c upregulation on basophils activated by molecularly defined allergens is a powerful method to identify the precise allergen reactivity in sensitized individuals.
In power system filed, to study the characteristics of the gas breakdown is essential and of impo... more In power system filed, to study the characteristics of the gas breakdown is essential and of importance in designing the protection of high voltage system as well as to the power system reliability. Hence, in this paper, the major purpose is to propose a refined mathematical approach based on rough set methods to find the priority of influence factor in gas breakdown. And also created rough set toolbox based on Matlab, which to help the complex calculation. As the result, we not only can get the rank of influence factor in gas breakdown, but also provides a new idea for extension the applications of rough set.
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