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Biomedical subjects

Y C Hsu

Publications and source records attributed to Y C Hsu.

At least 19 recordsLinked to original sources
PubMed2002

Consumption of flea faeces and eggs by larvae of the cat flea, Ctenocephalides felis.

The effects of the consumption of flea faeces and non-viable eggs on larval development in the cat flea Ctenocephalides felis (Bouché) (Siphonaptera: Pulicidae) were investigated. Only 13.3% of larvae developed into adults when fed a diet of male or female flea faeces alone; however, 90% of larvae developed into adults when fed on flea faeces supplemented with non-viable flea eggs. When fed with non-viable eggs alone, larvae did not develop into adults. Nevertheless, non-viable eggs may provide critical supplemental nutrients, lacking in flea faeces and required for larval development. None of the larvae fed on flea faeces or non-viable eggs alone formed a cocoon. A diet of flea faeces alone significantly extended the second as well as third larval stadia compared to larvae fed on diets containing non-viable eggs. It is suggested that the cannibalism of fertile eggs may limit population growth in the cat flea.

Animals↗
PubMed2001

The distinct roles that Gln-192 and Glu-217 of factor IX play in selectivity for macromolecular substrates and inhibitors.

In this paper, we report functional characterization of positions 192 and 217 (chymotrypsinogen numbering system) in human factor IX and discuss the distinction and similarity of these two sites among the blood coagulation factors. Recombinant factor IXQ192E (residue glutamine at position 192 replaced by glutamic acid), IXQ192K, IXE217D, and IXE217R proteins exhibited 11%, 46%, 39%, and 2% of the wild-type factor IX's clotting activity, respectively. Binding of these variants to factor VIIIa (FVIIIa) was inefficient compared to that of wild-type factor IX, and the dissociation constants doubled for IXQ192E, 3-fold higher for IXQ192K and 4-fold higher for both IXE217D and IXE217R. In the presence of FVIIIa, all variant factor IX hydrolyzed factor X at the catalytic efficiencies correlating with respective clotting activities. However, FVIIIa greatly enhanced the catalytic efficiency of both IXE217 variants to a greater extent (approximately 7 x 10(4)-fold) as compared to its effect on the wild-type factor IXa and the other two IXQ192 variants [by a factor of (1-2) x 10(4)]. Moreover, while both IXQ192 variants demonstrated small substrate selectivity similar to that of wild-type factor IXa, the selectivity of both IXE217 variants was greatly altered. Mutations at position 192 disturbed the interaction of factor IXa with physiological inhibitors. Although all variants formed an SDS-stable complex with antithrombin III (ATIII) equally well in the presence of heparin and were readily inhibited by ATIII in the absence of heparin, activated IXQ192K exhibited a slower stable complex formation with ATIII without heparin. On the other hand, only IXQ192E showed decreased interaction with TFPI. Our results demonstrate that positions 192 and 217 play different roles unique to factor IX in specifying the interaction of factor IX with substrates and inhibitors.

Antithrombin III↗
PubMed2001

Diminution of phagocytosed perfluorocarbon emulsions using perfluoroalkylated polyethylene glycol surfactant.

Perfluorocarbon emulsions have been considered as potential blood substitutes for years due to their high capacity of dissolving respiratory oxygen and carbon dioxide. However, they have been reported to associate with side effects (e.g., flu-like syndrome) after being injected into animal's bloodstream. The cause of these side effects is related to the phagocytosis of perfluorocarbon emulsions by cells (e.g., macrophages). Inspired by the approach of using polyethylene glycol (PEG) to camouflage liposomes, we synthesized a perfluoroalkylated PEG (R(F)-PEG) surfactant to provide steric hindrance for decreasing phagocytosis of perfluorocarbon emulsions. The R(F)-PEG surfactant along with Pluronic F-68 and egg yolk phospholipid mediated perfluorocarbon emulsions were incubated individually with J774A.1 macrophages to examine the degree of phagocytosis. 19F NMR studies were used to quantitatively determine the amount of perfluorocarbon emulsions phagocytosed by macrophages. Results showed that the degree of phagocytosis was diminished to a large extent for perfluorocarbon microparticles emulsified by the R(F)-PEG surfactant.

Alkylation↗
PubMed2001

Tunnel study of on-road vehicle emissions and the photochemical potential in Taiwan.

Motor vehicle emission factors of carbon monoxide (CO) and non-methane volatile organic compounds (NMVOCs) were calculated inside the Chung-Cheng Tunnel of Kaohsiung in Taiwan. The results were compared with those model predictions from the Mobile Taiwan 2.0 model. Individual concentrations of 21 species of NMVOCs were also determined. Photochemical potential of NMVOCs was evaluated by using the maximum incremental reactivity (MIR). Field data showed that the integrated emission factors of CO and NMVOCs for actual fleet were 6.3 and 1.5 g/veh km, respectively. The error range of these factors may be up to 45%. The predicted values by the Mobile Taiwan 2.0 model closely matched the observed data. Concentrations of isopentane, 2-methylpentane, toluene and m,p-xylene were the dominant species of NMVOCs. The ratio of maximum incremental reactivity to NMVOCs concentration was 3.9, similar to those of the studies in the US Fort McHenry and Tuscarora Tunnel.

Carbon Monoxide↗
PubMed2001

Phonological studies of the new gas-induced agitated reactor using computational fluid dynamics.

An ozone-induced agitated reactor has been found to be very effective in degrading industrial wastewater. However, the cost of the ozone generation as well as its short residence time in reactors has restricted its application in a commercial scale. An innovated gas-induced draft tube installed inside a conventional agitated reactor was proved to effectively retain the ozone in a reactor. The setup was demonstrated to significantly promote the ozone utilization rate up to 96% from the conventional rate of 60% above the onset speed. This work investigates the mixing mechanism of an innovated gas-induced reactor for the future scale-up design by using the technique of computational fluid dynamics. A three-dimensional flow model was proposed to compute the liquid-gas free surface as well as the flow patterns inside the reactor. The turbulent effects generated by two 45 degrees pitch-blade turbines were considered and the two phases mixing phenomena were also manipulated by the Eulerian-Eulerian techniques. The consistency of the free surface profiles and the fluid flow patterns proved a good agreement between computational results and the experimental observation.

Environmental Pollution↗
PubMed2001

Fluoroalkylated polyethylene glycol as potential surfactant for perfluorocarbon emulsion.

So far, perfluorocarbon (PFC) emulsions have been manufactured based mainly on two surfactants, Pluronic F-68 and egg yolk phospholipids (EYP) for clinical use. However, they have been documented to induce inflammatory or allergic responses when PFC emulsions were injected into human bloodstream. The cause of these side effects is associated with the phagocytosis of emulsified PFC microparticles by cells such as macrophages. In order to lessen the side effects, it is logic to develop surfactants, which are more phagocytosis-resistant and biocompatible. In this study, a perfluoroalkylated polyethylene glycol (R(F)-PEG) surfactant was synthesized by reacting perfluorooctanoyl chloride (C7F15COCl) with PEG of molecular weigh 8000. Both R(F)-PEG 8000 and EYP were used to make PFC emulsions separately by an ultrasonic homogenizer. Individual PFC emulsions were then incubated with mouse macrophage J774A.1 cells to examine the degree of phagocytosis. From microscopic observation of cell morphology, our results showed that the process of phagocytosis was retarded to a large extend using the R(F)-PEG surfactant. We also harnessed 19F-NMR to quantitatively detect the amount of PFC emulsions phagocytosed by J774A.1 cells. 19F-NMR result was consistent with the qualitative microscopic observation aforementioned.

Alkylation↗
PubMed2001

Folate depletion and elevated plasma homocysteine promote oxidative stress in rat livers.

This study was designed to determine whether nutritional folate depletion exerts hepatic oxidative stress in relation to elevated plasma homocysteine. To mimic various extents of folate depletion status in vivo, male Wistar rats were fed an amino acid-defined diet containing either 8 (control), 2, 0.5, or 0 mg folic acid/kg diet. After a 4-wk feeding period, the plasma and hepatic folate concentrations of the rats decreased significantly with each decrement of dietary folate. Folate depletion did not significantly affect two major liver antioxidants: reduced glutathione and alpha-tocopherol. Conversely, folate depletion decreased Cu-Zn superoxide dismutase and glutathione peroxidase activities, but had no effect on catalase activity in liver homogenates. Lipid peroxidation products, as measured by thiobarbituric acid-reactive substances, were significantly higher in livers of folate-depleted rats than in those of the controls. This occurrence of hepatic oxidative stress in folate-depleted rats was confirmed by demonstrating an increased susceptibility of livers of folate-depleted rats to lipid peroxidation induced by additional H2O2 or Fe(2+) treatments compared with the controls. Decreasing dietary folate intake resulted in graded increases in plasma homocysteine concentrations of folate-depleted rats. Elevated plasma homocysteine and decreased plasma and hepatic folate concentrations in folate-depleted rats were all strongly and significantly correlated with increased liver lipid peroxidation (/r/ > or = 0.58, P < 0.0003). These data demonstrate that folate depletion and elevated plasma homocysteine promote oxidative stress in rat livers.

Animals↗
PubMed2001

Duck hepatitis B virus expresses a regulatory HBx-like protein from a hidden open reading frame.

Duck hepatitis B viruses (DHBV), unlike mammalian hepadnaviruses, are thought to lack X genes, which encode transcription-regulatory proteins believed to contribute to the development of hepatocellular carcinoma. A lack of association of chronic DHBV infection with hepatocellular carcinoma development supports this belief. Here, we demonstrate that DHBV genomes have a hidden open reading frame from which a transcription-regulatory protein, designated DHBx, is expressed both in vitro and in vivo. We show that DHBx enhances neither viral protein expression, intracellular DNA synthesis, nor virion production when assayed in the full-length genome context in LMH cells. However, similar to mammalian hepadnavirus X proteins, DHBx activates cellular and viral promoters via the Raf-mitogen-activated protein kinase signaling pathway and localizes primarily in the cytoplasm. The functional similarities as well as the weak sequence homologies of DHBx and the X proteins of mammalian hepadnaviruses strongly suggest a common ancestry of ortho- and avihepadnavirus X genes. In addition, our data disclose similar intracellular localization and transcription regulatory functions of the corresponding proteins, raise new questions as to their presumed role in hepatocarcinogenesis, and imply unique opportunities for deciphering of their still-enigmatic in vivo functions.

Amino Acid Sequence↗
PubMed2001

Postoperative 6-month and 1-year evaluation of health-related quality of life in total hip replacement patients.

BACKGROUND AND PURPOSE: During the last decade, health-related quality of life (HRQOL) has been recognized as a principal outcome measure for total hip replacement (THR). However, most THR outcome studies in Taiwan have limited their assessments to the areas of pain relief and physical function. This study examined the effects of THR on quality of life. METHODS: A longitudinal prospective study design was adopted. A total of 76 THR patients were enrolled. Disease specific (Harris Hip Score) and generic measures (SF-36) were determined before and after surgery. Postoperative evaluations were completed at 6 months and 1 year. Patient characteristics and related medical information were derived from chart data. RESULTS: Significant improvement was found in HRQOL. This improvement was maintained at both 6-month and 1-year follow-up. Specifically, the mean Harris Hip Score improved from 44.7 to 88.9 at the 6-month postoperative evaluation, and further improved to 91.3 at the 1-year evaluation. In the SF-36, each domain of health status showed a significant improvement at 6-month and 1-year evaluations (p < 0.05 or p < 0.01). CONCLUSIONS: The results of the Harris Hip Score and the SF-36 showed that THR not only relieved physical pain but also enhanced all aspects of quality of life. In addition to pain relief and improved physical function, improvements in role limitations due to physical or emotional problems were also significant. These findings indicate that a general health survey should be combined with a disease-specific scoring system to assess THR outcome.

Adult↗
PubMed2001

Extracellular polymers of ozonized waste activated sludge.

Effect of ozonation on characteristics of waste activated sludge was investigated in the current study. Concentrations of cell-bound extracellular polymers (washed ECPs) did not change much upon ozonation, whereas the sum of cell-bound and soluble extracellular polymers (unwashed ECPs) increased with increasing ozone dose. Washed ECPs in original sludge as divided by molecular weight distribution was 39% < 1,000 Da (low MW), 30% from 1,000 to 10,000 Da (medium MW), and 31% > 10,000 Da (high MW). It was observed that the low-MW fraction decreased, and the high-MW fraction increased in ozonized sludge. The unwashed ECPs were characterized as 44% in low MW, 30% in medium MW, and 26% in high MW. Both low-MW and medium-MW fractions of unwashed ECPs decreased while high-MW fraction increased in ozonized sludge. The dewaterability of ozonized sludge, assessed by capillary suction time (CST) and specific resistance to filtration (SRF), deteriorated with ozone dose. The optimal dose of cationic polyelectrolyte increased with increasing ozone dose. The production rate and the accumulated amount of methane gas of ozonized sludge were also higher.

Electrolytes↗
PubMed2000

Identification of a new CA dinucleotide repeat in the human factor VIII gene.

We describe the identification of a new CA dinucleotide repeat marker for the diagnosis of haemophilia A carriers. The marker (CA-6) is present in intron 6 as a single copy 5 kb upstream of exon 7. Of 195 and 118 X chromosomes from normal individuals and haemophilia A patients, respectively, we observed three alleles of CA-6 with 12-14 repetitions [(CA)(12-14)]. The frequencies were 0.5% and 0% for (CA)(12), 99% and 95.8% for (CA)(13), and 0.5% and 4.2% for (CA)(14) in normals and patients respectively. We conclude that the low polymorphism of the CA-6 marker renders it less useful for the diagnosis of Chinese haemophilia A carriers.

Blotting, Southern↗
PubMed2000

Therapeutic effect of sheng-ji-san on pressure ulcers.

In the present study, the effectiveness of sheng-ji-san (SJS) in promoting the healing of pressure ulcers was evaluated. Thirty-two patients with pressure ulcers were divided into two groups. The treated group received routine medical care combined with SJS treatment and the control group received only routine medical care. After three weeks, the treated group showed a significant reduction in both surface area and depth grade, while the control group showed no significant change. The reduction ratio of the surface area of the ulcer and the effectiveness ratio for the treated group were significantly higher than for the control group. Multiple Linear Regression Analysis revealed that only the SJS treatment was significantly associated with the reduction of surface area and that the use of SJS could independently explain the observed high effectiveness ratio and a relatively high Odds Ratio of 9.539. These results indicate that SJS is effective in promoting the healing of pressure ulcers and should be considered as an adjuvant to routine therapy.

Aged↗
PubMed1999

Hierarchical order of critical residues on the immunity-determining region of the Im7 protein which confer specific immunity to its cognate colicin.

The directed mutagenesis study of the Im7 protein of colicin E7 revealed that three residues, D31, D35, and E39, located in the loop 1 and helix 2 regions of the protein were critical for initiating the complex formation with its cognate colicin E7. Interestingly, the importance of these three critical residues in conferring specific immunity to its own colicin was exhibited in a hierarchical order, respectively. Moreover, we found that existence of the three critical residues was common among the DNase-type Im proteins. Most likely the three residues of the DNase-type immunity proteins are critical for initiating the unique protein-protein interactions with their cognate colicin. In addition, replacement of the helix 2 of Im7 by the corresponding region of Im8 produced a phenotype of the mutant protein very similar to that of Im8. This result suggests that the DNase-type Im proteins indeed share a "homologous-structural framework" and evolution of the Im proteins may be engendered by minor amino acid changes in this specific immunity-determining region without causing structural alteration of the proteins.

Amino Acid Sequence↗
PubMed1998

Molecular and electrophysiological characterizations of fGluR3 alpha, an ionotropic glutamate receptor subunit of a teleost fish.

Here we report the cloning and functional analysis of a cDNA encoding a functional glutamate receptor subunit of Oreochromis sp., a freshwater teleost fish. The deduced amino acid sequence of this cDNA clone, fGluR3 alpha, displays the highest sequence identity to that of the mammalian GluR3 subunit. Results of quantitative reverse-transcriptase polymerase chain reaction (RT-PCR) analysis indicated that the expression level of fGluR3 alpha in the cerebellum was much less than that in the telencephalon and optical lobe. Similar to its mammalian counterpart, variants of fGluR3 alpha were created by alternative splicing and RNA editing at the R/G site. The channel properties of homomeric fGluR3 alpha expressed in Xenopus oocytes were similar to those of the mammalian alpha-amino-3-hydroxy-5-methyl-4-isoxazole propionic acid (AMPA)-preferring receptors. The rank order of agonist potency of the expressed fGluR3 alpha is AMPA > or = glutamate > or = quisqualate > domoate > or = kainate. This is the first functional glutamate receptor of teleost fish being demonstrated to be sensitive to AMPA. Furthermore, this study suggested a strong functional conservation of AMPA-preferring receptors in vertebrates.

Amino Acid Sequence↗
PubMed1998

Distant metastasis of gastric cancer is associated with elevated expression of the antimetastatic nm23 gene.

To understand the clinical significance of nm23 gene expression in gastric cancer patients, the Nm23-H1 protein level of fresh resected specimens from a total of 37 gastric cancer patients was measured by Western blot analysis. The elevated nm23 expression group (Nm23-H1 protein level in tumor tissue greater than the 75th percentile value of patients) was significantly associated with the histologically differentiated type (P = 0.036). This group had a higher incidence of distant (hematogeneous) metastasis (P = 0.0023) and a lower 2-year disease-free survival rate (P = 0.033) than the non-elevated group. The result was not consistent with the previous assumption that nm23 is an antimetastatic gene for gastric cancer.

Adenocarcinoma↗
PubMed1996

Mouse and human neuronal pentraxin 1 (NPTX1): conservation, genomic structure, and chromosomal localization.

We have previously identified novel members of the pentraxin family (neuronal pentraxin 1 and 2) that are expressed in the nervous system. Neuronal pentraxin 1 (NP1) was identified as a rat protein that may mediate the uptake of synaptic material and the presynaptic snake venom toxin, taipoxin. NP2 was identified as a separate gene discovered by screening for a human homolog for NP1. Here, we report human cDNA and mouse genomic DNA sequences for NP1 (gene symbol NPTX1). Human NP1 and mouse NP1 show 95 and 99% amino acid identity, respectively, with rat NP1 and conserve all potential glycosylation sites. Like rat NP1, human NP1 message is large (6.5 kb) and is exclusively localized to the nervous system. The mouse NP1 gene is 13 kb in length and contains four introns that break the coding sequence of NP1 in the same positions as the introns of the human NP2 gene. The human and mouse NP1 genes are localized to chromosome 17q25.1-q25.2 and chromosome 11e2-e1.3, respectively. These data demonstrate the existence of a separate family of pentraxin proteins that are expressed in the human brain and other tissues and that may play important roles in the uptake of extracellular material.

Amino Acid Sequence↗
PubMed1996

A mutation that allows endosperm development without fertilization.

The mechanisms that initiate reproductive development after fertilization are not understood. Reproduction in higher plants is unique because it is initiated by two fertilization events in the haploid female gametophyte. One sperm nucleus fertilizes the egg to form the embryo. A second sperm nucleus fertilizes the central cell to form the endosperm, a unique tissue that supports the growth of the embryo. Fertilization also activates maternal tissue differentiation, the ovule integuments form the seed coat, and the ovary forms the fruit. To investigate mechanisms that initiate reproductive development, a female-gametophytic mutation termed fie (fertilization-independent endosperm) has been isolated in Arabidopsis. The fie mutation specifically affects the central cell, allowing for replication of the central cell nucleus and endosperm development without fertilization. The fie mutation does not appear to affect the egg cell, suggesting that the processes that control the initiation of embryogenesis and endosperm development are different. FIE/fie seed coat and fruit undergo fertilization-independent differentiation, which shows that the fie female gametophyte is the source of signals that activates sporophytic fruit and seed coat development. The mutant fie allele is not transmitted by the female gametophyte. Inheritance of the mutant fie allele by the female gametophyte results in embryo abortion, even when the pollen bears the wild-type FIE allele. Thus, FIE carries out a novel, essential function for female reproductive development.

Journal Article↗