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When people learn a new kind of language, the listening ability is the first ability people will encounter. Listening ability will also influence people to speak a new type of language fluently and correctly. This research aimed to determine the relationship between teachers' listening strategies and the listening strategies students use. Moreover, this research also intended to investigate what kind of listening strategies students usually use when practicing English listening. In this study, the researcher again examined the listening strategies teachers usually instruct during the class. The participants of the study were all freshmen of the Department of Applied Foreign Languages, University of central Taiwan with a certain level of English listening ability. The participants were going to fill out a questionnaire about their English listening habits. After analyzing the data, the researcher revealed final findings that indicated differences between teachers' listening strategies and the listening strategies students use. Teachers preferred to combine different materials and knowledge when they were in the listening class. Moreover, students tended to choose the materials that they are interested to improve their English listening after the course. Moreover, teachers also facilitate students with methods to enhance their English listening skills after class.

This work develops a dual-function thermosensitive hydrogel to prevent overheating, a side effect of focused ultrasound therapy. The proposed hydrogel has the components of chitosan, β-glycerophosphate, and glycerol. Its thermosensitive sol-to-gel transition gives an instant signal of overheating without the need of any awkward sensing device. Impacts of varying component concentrations on the sol-to-gel temperature, rate, and degree of transparency are also investigated. Chemical structures and ultrasonic coefficients after heating are obtained with a Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy and ultrasonic measurement, respectively. Optimized formula of the proposed hydrogel is 0.5% chitosan, 5% β-glycerophosphate, and 25% glycerol. This hydrogel has a high acoustic impedance (Z=1.8 Mrayl) close to that of human skin, high ultrasonic transmission (T=99%, which is normalized to water) from 25 to 55°C, and low attenuation coefficient (α=4.0Np/m). These properties assure the success of dual functions of the hydrogel developed in this work.

In this study, we investigated the effects of substituting Mn 3+ for some Fe 3+ in spinel lattice on the structure, magnetic properties, magnetostriction behavior, and AC impedance characteristics of cobalt ferrites. The manganese substituted cobalt ferrites (Co–Mn ferrites), CoMn x Fe 2− x O 4 , with x varied from 0 to 0.3 in 0.1 increments, were prepared by solid-state reaction. XRD examination confirmed that all sintered Co-based ferrites had a single-phase spinel structure. The average grain size, obtained from SEM micrographs, increased from 8.2 μm to 12.5 μm as the Mn content ( x ) increased from 0 to 0.3. Both the Curie temperature and coercivity of Co-based ferrites decreased with greater amounts of Mn, while the maximum magnetization (at H =6 kOe) of Mn-substituted cobalt ferrites was larger than that of the pure Co-ferrite. Magnetostrictive properties revealed that the pure Co-ferrite had the largest saturation magnetostriction ( λ S ), about −167 ppm, and the CoMn 0.2 Fe 1.8 O 4 sample exhibited the highest strain sensitivity (|d λ ⊥ /d H | m ) of 2.23×10 −9 A −1 m among all as-prepared Co-based ferrites. In addition, AC impedance spectra analysis revealed that the real part ( Z ′) of the complex impedance of Co–Mn ferrites was lower than that of pure Co-ferrite in the low frequency region, and the Co-based ferrites exhibited semiconductor-like behavior.

Objective To show the flexibility in magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) of seminal vesicle (SV) and intra-abdominal segment of vas deferens for the patients with congenital absence of the vas deferens (CAVD), including congenital bilateral absence of the vas deferens (CBAVD) and congenital unilateral absence of vas deferens (CUAVD). Methods Fourteen consecutive patients with CAVD had transrectal ultrasonography (TRUS) and further MRI evaluations. TRUS was performed using a 7.5-MHz transducer, and images of the SVs were obtained, calculated in the transaxial plane. MRI studies were performed with a 1.5-7 superconducting system, T1- and T2-weighted axial, coronal, and sagittal imaging of the pelvis was obtained. If the SVs were present, then their size was measured for the morphologic classification and diagnosis. All of the patients also received cystic fibrosis transmembrane conductance regulator ( CFTR ) gene mutation testing. Results In a series of 12 men with CBAVD, only 4 were found to have bilateral SV agenesis using MRI. The remaining 8 men with unilateral hypoplasia still had SV remnants. MRI also detected the intra-abdominal segment of the vas deferens. Through our study of MRI, SV agenesis is not well associated with the presence of CFTR mutation in patients with CAVD. Conclusion MRI provides a precise imaginal diagnosis of SV defect, which is superior to the TRUS examination for the patients with CAVD. Compared with the previous inaccurate examination method of TRUS, this study demonstrates that MRI can provide better images for the patients with CAVD for the clinical diagnosis of existing defects of internal seminal tract and internal organs.

Objective This study was to investigate the usefulness and limitations of cardiac magnetic resonance imaging (MRI). We compared echocardiography (ECHO) and perfusion scans to evaluate: left ventricular wall scar formation of the myocardium; hypokinesis, akinesis, or dyskinesis of the myocardium; regurgitation of the aortic and mitral valves; post acute myocardial infarction (AMI) ventricular function; and the viable myocardium (ischemia/infarction). Methods Twenty patients received both cardiac MRI and ECHO. Among them, nine patients received perfusion scans. The modalities and methods examined in this study were not the most advanced or updated protocols. Results We compared the results of cardiac MRI with those of ECHO and perfusion scans. We found significant correlations between the interpretations of left ventricular wall morphological change with dynamic images for hypokinesia, akinesia, and dyskinesia of the myocardium. We also found possible correlations between cardiac MRI and perfusion scans regarding their results to produce a “bull's eye target figure” to evaluate severe ischemia and infarctions. Conclusion We found that cardiac MRI provided a useful adjunct to ECHO on interpretations of left ventricular wall morphological change. The correlations between qualitative interpretations of cardiac MRI versus perfusion scan respective to ‘bull's eye target figures’, were found to be moderately matching. There was an unsatisfactory mismatching of correlations between quantitative by manual input and the drawing inaccuracy and an unavoidable error of the post-processing technique of cardiac MRI on ejection fraction (EF) and end systolic volume (ESV).

The influence of dynamic strain aging (DSA) on low cycle fatigue (LCF) in duplex Ti-6-4 and SP700 titanium alloys was studied. LCF was performed within the temperature range from 350 °C to 450 °C, at strain rates of 10−3 s−1 and 10−4 s−1, and strain amplitudes of 1.25% and 2%. DSA appeared as serrations at the plastic portion of the cyclic stress–strain hysteresis loop, as well as stress humps appearing in the cyclic stress response (CSR) curve of peak tensile stress response versus cycle number. Strain-induced micro twin formation was only observed in the sample after fatigue with 2% strain amplitude under a 10−4 s−1 strain rate, indicating that it is a DSA induced phenomenon.

Background/Purpose Cardiovascular disease accounts for more than 50% of deaths among patients with end-stage renal disease, and numerous factors have been proposed that may contribute to this increased risk of death. Coronary artery calcification has been recognized as one of the important risk factors for cardiovascular disease in patients undergoing dialysis. The aim of this study was to compare the coronary artery calcification score (CACS) in peritoneal dialysis (PD) and hemodialysis (HD) patients, and to assess the effect of dialysis during a 12-month period. Methods Multidetector computed tomography was performed in 33 chronic dialysis patients (15 PD and 18 HD patients; mean age, 54 years) at Months 1, 6, and 12 during the study period. Blood samples were collected from each patient monthly to measure the serum levels of calcium and phosphorus. Results The CACSs were significantly increased at Month 12 versus Month 1 in both PD and HD patients (p Conclusions Our data suggest that the increase in CACS is not different between the PD and HD patients. Furthermore, the decrease in CACS between Months 7 and 12 suggests that there could be a factor other than the level of the calcium–phosphorus product that accounts for the variation in CACS in both groups.

Background The 64-multidetector computed tomography (64-MDCT) has developed into a mature clinical tool to detect coronary artery disease. This 64-MDCT system permits cross-sectional and longitudinal imaging of the coronary arteries with a high spatial and temporal resolution. However, small vessels, side branches and the distal portions of the main coronary arteries are not always optimally visualized. Purpose The aim of this study was to evaluate the effect of nitroglycerin (NTG) on lumen diameters and the number of visualized side branches of the coronary arteries on 64-MDCT. We also assessed whether NTG would affect the quality of the images of the coronary arteries obtained by 64-MDCT. Methods Sixty-seven patients were randomized and divided into two groups: Group C (31 patients, no sublingual NTG) and Group N (36 patients, sublingual NTG given before the scan). We measured the lumen diameter of the coronary artery and visibility of the side branches by using the 64-MDCT system and also evaluated the image quality by using the scores. Results The cardiac 64-MDCT images of these patients showed that the average diameters of the proximal segments in the right coronary artery, left main artery, left anterior descending coronary artery, and left circumflex coronary artery were 4.1 ± 0.7 mm, 3.9 ± 0.6 mm, 3.6 ± 0.7 mm, and 3.4 ± 0.6 mm, respectively, in Group N and 3.0 ± 0.5 mm, 3.1 ± 0.6 mm, 2.8 ± 0.5 mm, and 2.7 ± 0.5 mm, respectively in Group C. In addition, the scores for visibility and image quality for the side branches in Group N were significant higher than for those in Group C. Conclusion Our study indicates that CT coronary angiography using 64-MDCT with NTG administration produces images of diagnostically acceptable quality in all coronary segments. Thus, NTG might be recommended for routine 64-MDCT coronary angiography examinations.

Acute epididymo-orchitis is not a rare disease in children. We report a 10-year-old boy who presented to our hospital with a 14-day oral cefazoline treatment for left epididymo-orchitis without any voiding problem, uncontrollably resulting in abscess formation because of pseudomonal infection. We highlight the importance of alertness and sonographic examination to a community-acquired pseudomonal infection in prepubertal boys with a first episode of acute epididymitis.

The effect of tensile strain rate on deformation microstructure was investigated in Ti-6-4 (Ti–6Al–4V) and SP700 (Ti–4.5Al–3V–2Mo–2Fe) of the duplex titanium alloys. Below a strain rate of 10−2 s−1, Ti-6-4 alloy had a higher ultimate tensile strength than SP700 alloy. However, the yield strength of SP700 was consistently greater than Ti-6-4 at different strain rates. The ductility of SP700 alloy associated with twin formation (especially at the slow strain rate of 10−4 s−1), always exceeded that of Ti-6-4 alloy at different strain rates. It is caused by a large quantity of deformation twins took place in the α phase of SP700 due to the lower stacking fault energy by the β stabilizer of molybdenum alloying. In addition, the local deformation more was imposed on the α grains from the surrounding β-rich grains by redistributing strain as the strain rate decreased in SP700 duplex alloy.

Background/Purpose The incidence of breast cancer in Taiwan is increasing, and this form of cancer has already become the number one malignancy. Taiwanese women share similar characteristics of breast cancer with other developed Asian countries such as a younger age at diagnosis. In addition, a large proportion of Asian women have dense glandular breast tissue, which lowers the sensitivity of mammography for cancer detection. In this study, we compared possible differences in image interpretation of digital mammography and a dedicated breast magnetic resonance imaging system (using spiral RODEO). Methods From March 2008 to April 2009, we retrospectively collected data on 106 Taiwanese women who received both digital mammography and dedicated breast magnetic resonance imaging examinations in the same period. We divided these cases into non-dense and dense groups according to breast density, and compared the image interpretations based on the different modalities. Results There were statistically significant differences (p Conclusion Mammography may be useful for screening in non-dense breast tissue, but breast magnetic resonance imaging should be an additional screening tool in populations with dense breast tissue.

Background High-attenuation oral contrast agents in the form of iodine solutions or barium suspensions have been used traditionally and effectively for abdominal computed tomography (CT) examinations. Apart from the unpleasant taste, there are relatively few disadvantages that may affect interpretation, such as pseudotumor formation due to incomplete mixing of contrast material with the bowel contents and poor mural discrimination. Thus, low-attenuation oral contrast materials are needed. Purpose The aim of this study was to evaluate the efficiency of whole milk as a low-attenuation contrast agent compared with water-soluble contrast medium and water for abdomi-nopelvic CT. Methods A total of 152 patients were randomly assigned to receive whole milk (4%), water or water-soluble contrast medium (Optiral). All CT scans were performed using a 64-multidetector CT scanner with a 0.35-second rotation time. Two radiologists were responsible for reviewing the images to assess bowel wall enhancement and bowel dilation. Results There were no differences in average dilation scores among the three groups for duodenum and jejunum. The average dilation score in the milk group was higher than that in the water-soluble contrast medium group in the antrum, and there was no difference between water and milk. For the ileum, there were no differences in the average dilation scores in the milk and water-soluble contrast medium groups, and milk produced better dilation compared with water. Bowel enhancement in the water and milk groups was stronger than that in the water-soluble contrast medium group. The major side effects of milk were nausea and flatulence. Conclusion We concluded that abdominopelvic multidetector CT with whole milk provides better bowel dilation and wall visualization compared with high-attenuation contrast medium. Whole milk and water have potential as good oral contrast materials for bowel discrimination. However, whole milk should be considered as an alternative to water in cases of disease suspected in the pelvis.

Stabilized hybrid mode-locking of erbium-doped fiber laser (EDFL) by incorporating strong MoS2 saturable absorber and weak nonlinear polarization rotation (NPR) is demonstrated. At threshold condition, the MoS2 starts the mode-locking of EDFL to provide a 680 fs wide pulsewidth with a time-bandwidth product of 0.407. With only the unintentionally weak NPR effect, the fluctuated EDFL pulsewidth ranged between 377 and 382 fs is observed with a tolerant half-wave-plate orientation angle of θ HWP =21°. Adding MoS2 enhances the self-amplitude modulation (SAM) and shortens a pulsewidth to 305–330 fs with an allowable θ HWP increasing up to 76°, implying the enhanced stabilization of passively mode-locking in EDFL. Enduing the weak NPR with strong saturable absorption (SA) effect significantly makes up the maximal SAM coefficient from 4.02 × 10−4 to 1 × 10−3, whereas the self-phase modulation (SPM) coefficient remains unaltered as that without adding the MoS2. The MoS2 saturable absorber additively offsets SAM beyond its threshold to enlarge the polarization tolerance without altering the SPM. Adjusting the polarization controller with unintentional polarization dependence affects the NPR induced polarization dependent loss so as to strengthen the SAM for mandatory mode-locking optimization of EDFL.

Cysts in the region of the prostate are common and may present as either intraprostatic or periprostatic. However, a hemorrhagic cyst in this area is unusual. A 62-year-old man was transferred to our hospital for elevated serum prostate-specific antigen (502 ng/mL). A digital rectal examination revealed a non-tendered fluctuation over the prostate, masquerading as an abscess-like lesion. The urine was sterile. Transrectal sonography revealed a cystic lesion over the apical portion of the prostate. On color and power Doppler appearance, mildly increased vascularity but asymmetric distribution was found. With the patient's consent, about 20 mL of sterile, non-coagulant, dark, bloody fluid was aspirated under sonographic guidance. After aspiration, the prostate outline returned to a near normal but existed as an echo-heterogeneous entity. Bilateral sextant biopsy was simply performed thereafter and pathology showed adenocarcinoma from each core (Gleason score, 4 + 5/10). Hormonal therapy was administered because of multiple bony metastases. However a cyst in this area is unusual. We herein report a newly diagnosed prostrate cancer associated with a hemorrhagic cyst which was masquerading as a abscess-like lesion. The Doppler transrectal sonographic appearance of this particular case of prostate cancer is also described.

The Ge-rich Si0.052Ge0.948 is employed as a saturable absorber to demonstrate an L-band passively mode-locked erbium-doped fiber laser with a pulsewidth of 330 fs and a spectral linewidth of 7.91 nm.

Following a recent increase in the incidence and cancer deaths of prostate cancer, transrectal ultrasound (TRUS) has become an important tool that enables accurate sampling of prostate tissue for histologic examination in patients with a high risk of harboring cancer (patients with elevated prostate-specific antigen and abnormal digital rectal examination). The biopsy protocol continues to evolve with progress in ultrasound technology. In countries with a rising incidence of prostate cancer, it is important to determine an optimal biopsy strategy. In this article, we briefly summarize our experience and the problems we encountered when using TRUS in diagnosing prostate cancer at National Cheng Kung University Hospital. We also review progress in biopsy protocols according to the targeted lesion or systematic random biopsy protocols. We consider promising predictive models regarding the optimal number of biopsy cores and the probability of being diagnosed with prostate cancer. This information will enable biopsy strategies to be better applied according to the requirements of individual institutions.

Objective Photoselective vaporization of the prostate (PVP) is an easy-to-learn procedure which shows promise as an alternative to transurethral resection of the prostate (TURP) in treating acute urinary retention with benign prostatic hyperplasia (BPH). In this retrospective study, we evaluated the safety and efficacy of PVP in patients with urinary retention due to BPH. Materials and Methods In total, 48 male patients aged 60–87 (mean, 72) years were included in the study. Preoperative data, postoperative outcomes, and complications were recorded in patients with a history of urinary retention before surgery. Results The average prostate volume was 59.2 (range, 41.71–120.1) mL. The respective preoperative prostate-specific antigen (PSA) level was 10.4 ng/mL, and the operative time was 45 (range, 30–90) min. The total applied laser energy ranged 60–120 (mean, 90 ± 25) kJ. The maximal urinary flow rate after surgery 14 mL/s, and the postvoided residual urine volume was 132 mL. Recorded surgical complications were hematuria in 10.4% and transient urinary retention in 8.3%. Conclusion PVP can improve the uroflow and peak flow rate in patients with urinary retention due to BPH with minimal postoperative discomfort and a low rate of complications.

In this study, we report the influence of Ga content on the microstructural, magnetic, and AC impedance properties of Co-based ferrites with compositions of CoMn0.2−xGaxFe1.8O4 (x=0, 0.1, and 0.2) prepared by the solid-state reaction method. Experimental results showed that the as-prepared Co-based ferrites had a single-phase spinel structure; the Curie temperature of Co-based ferrites decreased with increasing Ga content. All ferrite samples exhibited a typical hysteresis behavior with good values of saturation magnetization at room temperature. The electrical properties of Co-based ferrites were investigated using complex impedance spectroscopy analysis in the frequency range of 100 kHz-50 MHz at temperatures of 150 to 250 oC. The impedance analysis revealed that the magnitudes of the real part (Z’) and the imaginary part (Z”) of complex impedance decreased with increasing temperature. Only one semicircle was observed in each complex impedance plane plot, which revealed that the contribution to conductivity was from the grain boundaries. It was found that the relaxation time for the grain boundary (τgb) also decreased with increasing temperature. The values of resistance for the grain boundary (Rgb) significantly increased with increasing Ga content, which indicated that the incorporation of Ga into Co-based ferrites enhanced the electrical resistivity.

18 F-fluorodeoxyglucose positron emission tomography (FDG-PET) of a 74-year-old man showed high FDG uptake in bilateral adrenal histoplasmosis. Four months after the administration of an appropriate antifungal treatment, we observed a significant decrease in FDG uptake into the lesions, with a 40% reduction in activity (maximal standardized uptake value). This imaging result indicated partial resolution of the disease and was consistent with clinical outcome. Our study results suggest that FDG-PET is a useful modality for initial whole-body evaluation, selection of an appropriate antifungal treatment regimen, and monitoring of therapeutic response in bilateral adrenal histoplasmosis.

Sann-Joong-Kuey-Jian-Tang (SJKJT), a traditional Chinese medicine, has been prescribed as complementary medication for colon cancer in Taiwan. However, its molecular mechanisms are not yet understood. In the present study, we investigated the effects of SJKJT on human colon cancer colo 205 cells in vitro. The cytotoxicity of SJKJT in colo 205 cells was evaluated using the MTT assay, and the protein expression of microtubule-associated protein II light chain 3 (MAP-LC3-II) was measured using Western blot analysis. The results showed that SJKJT inhibited the survival rates of colo 205 cells in a time- and dose-dependent manner, with an IC50 concentration at 24 h of 590.34 µg/ml. In addition, SJKJT up-regulated the protein expression of MAP-LC3-II in colo 205 cells. These findings indicate that one of the molecular mechanisms by which SJKJT inhibits the proliferation of colo 205 cells in?vitro may be through the induction of the autophagic pathway. SJKJT may therefore have therapeutic potential for the treatment of human colon cancer.

Sann-Joong-Kuey-Jian-Tang (SJKJT), a traditional Chinese medicine prescription, has been used to treat lymph node diseases and tumors. However, the molecular mechanisms of SJKJT in human colon cancer in vivo and in vitro have not been clearly elucidated. In the present study, we investigated the molecular mechanisms of SJKJT in human colon cancer colo 205 cells in vitro and in vivo. In the in vitro study, colo 205 cells were treated with various concentrations (0.5, 1 and 2 mg/ml) of SJKJT. The protein expression of TNF-α, Caspase-8 and Caspase-3 in colo 205 cells was measured by Western blotting. The results demonstrate that SJKJT up-regulated Fas, TNF-α, Caspase-8 and Caspase-3 protein expression. In the in vivo study, human colon cancer colo 205 cells (3x106/0.2 ml) were injected subcutaneously into the flank area of nude SCID mice (n=32) randomly divided into four groups. SJKJT was dissolved in saline and then administered orally to the mice at concentrations of 0.01, 0.1 and 0.3 g/kg/day for 30 days. The control group was treated with an equal volume of saline. SCID mice were sacrified by CO2 inhalation and the xenograft tumors were dissected. Subsequently, the protein expression of Fas, TNF-α, Caspase-8 and Caspase-3 in the tumors was measured by Western blotting. The results demonstrate that SJKJT up-regulated Fas, TNF-α, Caspase-8 and Caspase-3 protein expression, both in vitro and in vivo. These observations suggest that SJKJT has therapeutic potential in colon cancer.

Malignant tumors are the leading cause of death in Taiwan; among these, colon cancer ranks third as a cause of cancer-related death. Sann-Joong-Kuey-Jian-Tang (SJKJT), a traditional Chinese medicinal prescription, has been used to treat lymph node diseases and infectious lesions, and exhibits cytotoxic activity in many cancer cell lines. Our previous studies demonstrated that SJKJT inhibits the proliferation of human colon cancer colo 205 cells in vitro. The aim of this study was to evaluate the anti-tumor activity of SJKJT alone and in combination with 5-fluorouracil (5-FU) in vivo. SCID mice bearing human colon cancer colo 205 cell xenografts were administered SJKJT alone (30 mg/kg daily, p.o.), SJKJT (30 mg/kg daily, p.o.) in combination with 5-FU (30 mg/kg weekly, i.p.), or vehicle alone. At the end of the 4-week dosing schedule, the tumor and animal body weights were individually measured. The SCID mice were sacrificed with CO2 inhalation, the xenograft tumors were dissected, and the protein expression of microtubule-associated protein light chain 3 (MAP-LC3-II) in colo 205 xenograft tumors was measured by Western blotting. In the control, SJKJT-, and SJKJT plus 5-FU-treated mice, the tumor weights were 6.37±2.57, 0.43±0.35 and 1.63±0.46 g, and the mice body weights were 29±0.55, 29±2.71 and 27±0.77 g, respectively. Treatment with SJKJT resulted in a reduction in tumor weight compared with the control group, indicating that SJKJT inhibits tumor growth in a colo 205 xenograft model. SJKJT also increased LC3-II protein expression as compared to the controls. The present study shows that SJKJT alone or in combination with 5-FU has a positive effect on the treatment of SCID mice bearing human colon cancer colo 205 cell xenografts. This suggests that SJKJT has therapeutic potential in the treatment of human colon cancer.

Curcumin (diferuloylmethane), which is obtained from turmeric, the rhizome of Curcuma longa (L.), inhibits many human cancer cells. However, the molecular mechanisms responsible for curcumin-induced endoplasmic reticulum stress in human hepatic cellular carcinoma J5 cells, are not yet clearly understood. J5 cells were treated with various concentrations of curcumin for different durations. The cell viability was detected by MTT assay. The protein expressions of caspase-12, ATF6, GADD153, Calnexin, Calreticulin, PDI and Ero1-Lα, which are associated with endoplasmic reticulum stress and the unfolding protein response pathway, were examined by Western blot analysis. The cell cycle was analyzed by flow cytometry. The protein expressions of TCTP, Mcl-1, Bcl-2 and Bax, which are related to mitochondrial dysfunction, were detected by Western blot analysis. We also detected the ATF6 protein location by immunocytochemistry. The results showed that curcumin inhibits the proliferation of J5 cells in a time- and dose-dependent manner. Curcumin induced the unfolding protein response by down-regulating the protein expressions of Calnexin, PDI and Ero1-Lα and up-regulating the Calreticulin expression. Curcumin induces the GADD153 expression by cleaving caspase-12 and ATF6, and then by translocating ATF6 to the nucleus. Curcumin also down-regulates the protein expressions of TCTP, Mcl-1 and Bcl-2, in order to induce mitochondrial dysfunction. Curcumin induced cell cycle arrest at the G2/M phase by decreasing the Cdc2 expression. In conclusion, the present study showed that curcumin inhibits the proliferation of J5 cells by inducing endoplasmic reticulum stress and mitochondrial dysfunction.

Recently, the resource sharing systems apply the P2P technique to provide scalable multi-attribute range queries. However, due to the heterogeneity of resources and the variation of sharing policies in different providers, current P2P-based resource discovery systems may suffer the load imbalance problem in a large scale distributed system. In this paper, we propose a self-adaptive resource index and discovery system (SARIDS) to achieve load balancing. SARIDS adopts a two-tier architecture based on the structured P2P overlay. The intra-overlay is constructed by normal peers with the same attribute via the locality preserving hash function; and, the inter-overlay is constructed by super-peers with classified attributes in different intra-overlays. SARIDS supports not only the multi-attribute range queries but also the self-adaptive mechanisms for load balancing in the intra-overlay and among the intra-overlays. The simulation results show that SARIDS is scalable and efficient for load balancing even in the non-uniform peer range environment.

Grid systems integrate distributed resources to form self-organization and self-management autonomies. With the widespread development of grid systems around the world, grid collaboration for large-scale computing has become a prevalent research topic. In this paper, the authors propose a meta-grid framework, named the Grid-to-Grid (G2G) framework, to harmonize autonomic grids in realizing a grid federation. The G2G framework is a decentralized management framework that is built on top of existing autonomic grid systems. This paper further adopts a super-peer network in a separate layer to coordinate distributed grid systems. A super-peer overlay network is constructed for communication among super-peers, thus enabling collaboration among grid systems. This study proposes the G2G framework for use in a Grid-to-Grid federation and implements a preliminary system as a demonstration. Experimental results show that the proposed meta-grid framework can improve system performance with little overhead.

Tanshinone IIA (Tan-IIA) was isolated from Salviae Miltiorrhizae Radix. Our previous studies showed that Tan-IIA induced apoptosis in human colon cancer colo 205 cells, but the molecular mechanisms of the effect of Tan-IIA on human colon cancer were not clearly elucidated. The protein expression of ErbB-2 was up-regulated and activated in human and experimental colon cancers. In the present study, the effects of Tan-IIA on the protein expression of ErbB-2 in colo 205 cells were investigated. In vitro, colo 205 cells were treated with various concentrations of Tan-IIA (1, 2 and 5 mug/ ml) for 24 h, and the protein expression of TNF-alpha, ErbB-2 and caspase-3 was assayed by Western blotting. For the in vivo studies, male SCID mice were xenografted with colo 205 cells, and from day 10, Tan IIA (20 mg/kg/day, dissolved in corn oil) was administered by oral feeding for 30 days. As a control, mice with xenografted tumors were separately treated with corn oil (0.1 ml/10 g body weight). Expression of TNF-alpha, ErbB-2 and caspase-3 proteins was measured by Western blot analysis. Our results showed that Tan-IIA down-regulated the protein expression of ErbB-2 and up-regulated TNF-alpha and caspase-3 in colo 205 cells in vitro. In a colo 205 xenograft model, treatment with Tan-IIA caused up-regulation of TNF-alpha, caspase-3 and down-regulation of ErbB-2 protein expression as compared to the controls. Based on these observations, one possible molecular mechanisms by which Tan-IIA inhibits the proliferation of colo 205 cells is through the down-regulation of ErbB-2 protein expression and the up-regulation of the protein expression of TNF-alpha and caspase-3.

Objective. The purpose of this study was to compare cancer detection rates of sonographically suspicious lesion-directed biopsies and random biopsies through transverse examination of prostate halves in 518 patients over 5 years. Methods. From 1998 to 2002, 518 patients were referred for prostate biopsies because of either elevated prostate-specific antigen (PSA) levels or abnormal digital rectal examination findings. On the basis of transverse examination of prostate halves by transrectal ultrasound, we performed lesion-directed biopsy of 3 to 5 cores if morphologically suspicious lesions existed on sonography or random biopsy of 3 cores if no obvious suspicious lesions existed. Biopsy specimens were put into 2 labeled containers. Pathologic results were correlated with random and lesion-directed guided locations. Results. Nine-hundred fifty-nine results were obtained from 439 random and 520 lesion-directed biopsies in 518 patients. Cancer was detected in 207 patients (40.7%). Patients with cancer who had PSA levels of 10.0 ng/mL or greater had higher proportions of bilateral cancer lesions than those with PSA levels of less than 10 ng/mL (P = 0.03). One hundred ten (25.1 %) of 439 normal-appearing halves taken by random biopsy were tumor-positive compared with 200 (38.5 %) of 520 biopsies from halves with sonographically suspicious lesions. Regardless of having random or lesion-directed biopsies, patients with PSA levels of 10 ng/mL or greater had higher positive malignancy rates than those with PSA levels of less than 10.0 ng/mL (P

Tanshinone IIA (C 19 H 18 Ο 3 ) was extracted from danshen (Salviae miltiorrhizae radix). It has cytotoxic properties and induces apoptosis in many human cancer cells. The molecular mechanisms are poorly understood, therefore, in the present study, we aimed to elucidate its anticancer activity on human breast cancer MDA-MB-231 cells. The cytotoxic effects of tanshinone IIA on MDA-MB-231 cells were measured by MTT assay. The percentages of cells in different cell cycle phases were determined by flow cytometry. The protein expression of Bax and Bcl-2 was examined using Western blotting. The results showed that tanshinone IIA inhibits the proliferation of MDA-MB-231 cells in a dose- and time-dependent manner. Tanshinone IIA induces apoptosis in a dose-dependent manner and the percentage of cells in sub-Gl phase. It increases the protein expression of Bax but decreases the Bcl-2 expression in MDA-MB-231 cells. Our findings suggest that tanshinone IIA can inhibit the proliferation of MDA-MB-231 cells by active apoptosis. One of the mechanisms may be through up-regulating the expression of Bax but down-regulating Bcl-2 expression and then inducing apoptosis. In conclusion, tanshinone IIA has therapeutic potential in breast cancer patients.

Previous research has identified that ceramic far infrared (cFIR)-emitting material can modulate various biological processes, particularly those involving hydrogen peroxide scavenging and antioxidant activities. The present study treated MCF-10A cells with 50 and 100 μM hydrogen peroxide before incubating them for 24 h on the top of The present study treated MCF-10A cells with 50 and 100 μM hydrogen peroxide before incubating them for 24 h on the top of cFIR or control powder. cFIR or control powder. Cells were also treated with ionizing radiation from a fluoroscopic X-ray source to induce cell damage and cultured for 48 h beneath cFIR or control powder. The effects of cFIR on cell survival were evaluated using XTT and MTT assays. A total accumulated radiation dose of 1 Gy to 2 Gy was sufficient to cause cell damage and reduce cell viability. In both the hydrogen peroxide toxicity and radiation exposure experimental models, the cFIR groups demonstrated significantly higher cell survival rates than those of the control groups (p＜0.05). Considering the relationship between indirect-ionizing-radiation- and oxidative-stress-induced cell damage and the accumulation of free radicals, these results indicate that the protection of cFIR against ionizing radiation is predominantly through an antioxidant mechanism. cFIR-emitting material has potential use in reducing radiation damage caused by medical instruments and radiation pollution.