24 results on '"Ching Cheng Hou"'
Search Results
2. Two-phase assessment for the environmental impacts from offset lithographic printing on color-box packaging
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Ching Cheng Hou, Pei Chun Lin, and Jenhung Wang
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Pollution ,Engineering ,Offset (computer science) ,Renewable Energy, Sustainability and the Environment ,business.industry ,Process (engineering) ,Strategy and Management ,media_common.quotation_subject ,Environmental engineering ,Analytic hierarchy process ,Environmental pollution ,Energy consumption ,Industrial and Manufacturing Engineering ,Greenhouse gas ,Process engineering ,business ,Lithography ,General Environmental Science ,media_common - Abstract
This study employed a two-phase methodology to assess the environmental impacts from offset lithographic printing on color-box packaging. The Analytic Hierarchy Process (AHP) was used to prioritize improvement options and the life-cycle assessment (LCA) approach was used to assess environmental impacts quantitatively. This study quantified the total amount of energy consumption and CO2 emissions caused by the printing processes of color-box packaging and showed that the total reduction of GHG emissions of the system that omitted the laminating and varnishing process was approximately 239 kg. Moreover, incineration contributes 2905–3004 kg of CO2 to potential global warming in the case of color-box packaging. The study demonstrated the viability of the AHP for evaluating environmental impacts of printing processes, ranking them in order of pollution potential, and subsequently identifying those critical for reducing environmental pollution on the printing operation. This study also showed how the LCA approach may be used together with expert opinion to identify opportunity to alter printing processes in order to address environmental impacts and improve the environmental profile of offset lithographic printing.
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- 2013
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3. Psychoactive Substance Use and the Risk of Motor Vehicle Crash Injuries in Southern Taiwan
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Shou-Chien Chen, Wen-Yang Chu, Kow-Tong Chen, Lia-Beng Tan, Ching-Cheng Hou, Chen-Mao Huang, and Shyun-Yeu Liu
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Adult ,Male ,medicine.medical_specialty ,Adolescent ,Alcohol Drinking ,Substance-Related Disorders ,Health Status ,Taiwan ,Poison control ,Risk Assessment ,Occupational safety and health ,Young Adult ,Surveys and Questionnaires ,Injury prevention ,Confidence Intervals ,Odds Ratio ,medicine ,Humans ,Aged ,Psychotropic Drugs ,business.industry ,Accidents, Traffic ,Public Health, Environmental and Occupational Health ,Psychoactive drug ,Case-control study ,Odds ratio ,Middle Aged ,medicine.disease ,Confidence interval ,Primary Prevention ,Logistic Models ,Case-Control Studies ,Relative risk ,Emergency medicine ,Wounds and Injuries ,Female ,Medical emergency ,business ,medicine.drug - Abstract
The purpose of this study was to examine the association between psychoactive drug use and motor vehicle crash (MVC) injuries requiring hospitalization in southern Taiwan. A case–control study was conducted in southern Taiwan from January 2009 to December 2009. The cases included car or van drivers who were involved in MVCs and required hospitalization. Demographic and trauma-related data were collected from questionnaires and hospital and ambulance records. Urine and/or blood samples were collected on admission. The controls consisted of drivers who were randomly recruited while driving on public roads. Study subjects were interviewed and asked to provide urine samples. All blood and urine samples were tested for alcohol and a number of other legal and illegal drugs. Only those subjects who provided urine and/or blood specimens were included in the study. During the study period, 254 case patients and 254 control drivers were enrolled. The analysis showed an odds ratio (OR) of 3.41 (95% confidence intervals (95% CI), 1.76–6.70; p < 0.001) for persons taking benzodiazepines, and an OR of 3.50 (95% CI, 1.81–6.85; p < 0.001) for those taking alcohol (blood alcohol concentrations (BAC) ≥ 0.8 g/l) with regard to hospitalizations due to MVCs. For persons taking combinations of benzodiazepines and alcohol, the OR increased to 5.12 (95% CI: 1.77–15.91, p < 0.001). This study concluded that drug use among motor vehicle drivers increases the risk of MVCs that require hospitalization. From a public health perspective, the high risk ratios are concerning, and preventive measures are warranted.
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- 2011
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4. Diagnostic performance of procalcitonin for bacteremia in patients with bacterial infection at the emergency department
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Wei-Lun Liu, Shey-Ying Chen, Che-Kim Tan, Po-Ren Hsueh, Cheng-Yi Wang, Chih-Cheng Lai, and Ching-Cheng Hou
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Microbiology (medical) ,medicine.medical_specialty ,Infectious Diseases ,business.industry ,Bacteremia ,medicine ,In patient ,Emergency department ,Intensive care medicine ,medicine.disease ,business ,Procalcitonin - Published
- 2010
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5. Absence of endemic measles transmission in a highly vaccinated population from 1999 to 2008: Implications of sustained measles elimination in Taiwan
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Yu-Kang Chang, Hsu-Feng Hsiao, Ching-Cheng Hou, Mei-Ching Yu, Shyun-Yeu Liu, Jacky Y.H. Chen, Kow-Tong Chen, and Hsiao-Ling Chang
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Adult ,Male ,medicine.medical_specialty ,Adolescent ,Measles Vaccine ,Population ,Taiwan ,Measles ,Disease Outbreaks ,law.invention ,Young Adult ,law ,Environmental health ,Epidemiology ,medicine ,Humans ,Child ,education ,education.field_of_study ,General Veterinary ,General Immunology and Microbiology ,business.industry ,Incidence ,Incidence (epidemiology) ,Public Health, Environmental and Occupational Health ,Infant ,Outbreak ,medicine.disease ,Virology ,Vaccination ,Infectious Diseases ,Transmission (mechanics) ,Immunization ,Child, Preschool ,Population Surveillance ,Molecular Medicine ,Female ,business - Abstract
Background Measles remains a leading vaccine-preventable cause of child mortality worldwide. The impact of vaccination programs can be seen in the increasingly low incidence of measles. However, cases of measles continue to occur in low numbers every year in Taiwan. We assessed the epidemiology of measles in Taiwan from 1999 to 2008 with a focus on domestic versus imported cases. Methods We analyzed the data reported to surveillance systems at the Taiwan Center for Disease Control, where viral isolation was performed. Results A total of 84 measles cases were reported from 1999 to 2008 in Taiwan with the incidence of measles varying from 0 to 1.5 per 1,000,000 people per year, peaking in 2002 and again in 2008. The incidence decreased with increasing age in both males and females. Among the 84 reported measles cases, 39 (46%) originated internationally, 8 (10%) were epidemiologically linked to imported cases and the source was unknown in 37 (44%) of the cases. The unknown-source cases were analyzed for potential evidence of endemic measles transmission. Most of the measles cases that occurred in Taiwan from 1999 to 2008 were associated with imported cases. No endemic transmission of measles in Taiwan was identified. Conclusions This study suggests that maintaining the high rate of vaccination coverage is needed to prevent future outbreak and sustain the elimination of measles in Taiwan.
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- 2010
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6. Development of peristaltic antithrombogenic micropumps for in vitro and ex vivo blood transportation tests
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Yi-Chu Hsu, Ching-Cheng Hou, and Sung-Ju Lin
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Materials science ,Biocompatibility ,Micropump ,Polyethylene glycol ,Condensed Matter Physics ,Electronic, Optical and Magnetic Materials ,chemistry.chemical_compound ,chemistry ,Hardware and Architecture ,In vivo ,Drug delivery ,PEG ratio ,Electrical and Electronic Engineering ,Ex vivo ,Whole blood ,Biomedical engineering - Abstract
This study involves the design, fabrication and characterization of a biocompatible silicon micropump. Three experiments were conducted to study the performance of this pump in clinical environments. They were a blood compatibility test, and in vitro and ex vivo studies. Whole blood is an intrinsically complex material and difficult to manipulate using a microsystem device. In the blood compatibility experiments, two materials N-(triethosilylpropyl)-O-polyethylene oxide urethane (PEOU) and polyethylene glycol (PEG) were employed to form a self-assembled monolayer (SAM) on a chip surface. According to the platelet remaining test and a 30-min blood transportation test, PEOU protected the micropump from thrombus. In the second experiment, the micropump handled several liquids, including DI water and whole blood. When the pump was operated at a voltage of 140 Vpp, the flow rates of the DI water and whole blood were 121.6 μl/min at 500 Hz and 50.2 μl/min at 450 Hz, respectively. The maximum back pressure of the water and the blood in the micropump were 3.2 and 1.8 kPa, respectively. Finally, the micropump injected phosphated buffered saline (PBS) and whole blood into the veins of rats. The pump was characterized ex vivo and discussed. The third experiment reveals that the micropump fulfilled the dosing condition for clinical medicine and did not affect the physiological function of the rats. This pump is highly promising for biomedical applications, such as in drug delivery for patients, or in clinical care. Moreover, the pump has potentials to control precisely medication to improve conventional clinical treatments.
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- 2007
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7. Intravenous injection of methylprednisolone reduces the incidence of postextubation stridor in intensive care unit patients*
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Ching-Cheng Hou, Heng-Ching Huang, Shu-Chih Lin, Kuo-Chen Cheng, and Haibo Zhang
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Male ,Resuscitation ,medicine.medical_treatment ,Stridor ,Anti-Inflammatory Agents ,Critical Care and Intensive Care Medicine ,Methylprednisolone ,Drug Administration Schedule ,law.invention ,Double-Blind Method ,law ,Intensive care ,Intubation, Intratracheal ,medicine ,Humans ,Intubation ,Aged ,Respiratory Sounds ,Aged, 80 and over ,business.industry ,Incidence (epidemiology) ,Middle Aged ,Airway obstruction ,medicine.disease ,Intensive care unit ,Airway Obstruction ,Logistic Models ,ROC Curve ,Anesthesia ,Injections, Intravenous ,Multivariate Analysis ,Female ,medicine.symptom ,Respiratory Insufficiency ,business ,medicine.drug - Abstract
To determine whether treatment with corticosteroids decreases the incidence of postextubation airway obstruction in an adult intensive care unit.Clinical experiment.Adult medical and surgical intensive care unit of a teaching hospital.One hundred twenty-eight patients who were intubated for24 hrs with a cuff leak volume24% of tidal volume and met weaning criteria.: Patients were randomized into a placebo group (control, n = 43) receiving four injections of normal saline every 6 hrs, a 4INJ group (n = 42) receiving four injections of methylprednisolone sodium succinate, or a 1INJ group (n = 42) receiving one injection of the corticosteroid followed by three injections of normal saline. Cuff volume was assessed 1 hr after each injection, and extubation was performed 1 hr after the last injection. Postextubation stridor was confirmed by examination using bronchoscopy or laryngoscopy.The incidences of postextubation stridor were lower both in the 1INJ and the 4INJ groups than in the control group (11.6% and 7.1% vs. 30.2%, both p.05), whereas there was no difference between the two treated groups (p = .46). The cuff leak volume increased after the second and fourth injection in the 4INJ group and after a second injection in the 1INJ group compared with the control group (both p.05).A reduced cuff leak volume is a reliable indicator to identify patients at high risk to develop stridor. Treatment with a single or multiple injections of methylprednisolone can effectively reduce the occurrence of postextubation stridor.
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- 2006
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8. Attenuating heat-induced acute lung inflammation and injury by dextromethorphan in rats
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Mao-Tsun Lin, Hsi-Hsing Yang, Ching-Ping Chang, and Ching-Cheng Hou
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Pulmonary and Respiratory Medicine ,Agonist ,Male ,medicine.medical_specialty ,Time Factors ,medicine.drug_class ,Heat Stroke ,Clinical Biochemistry ,Acute Lung Injury ,Lung injury ,Dextromethorphan ,Receptors, N-Methyl-D-Aspartate ,Piperazines ,Proinflammatory cytokine ,Sepsis ,Rats, Sprague-Dawley ,Internal medicine ,Edema ,Fluoxetine ,medicine ,Animals ,Receptors, sigma ,Molecular Biology ,Lung ,business.industry ,Hemodynamics ,Heatstroke ,Cell Biology ,Pneumonia ,medicine.disease ,Receptor antagonist ,Rats ,Disease Models, Animal ,Endocrinology ,Anesthesia ,medicine.symptom ,Dizocilpine Maleate ,Inflammation Mediators ,business ,Bronchoalveolar Lavage Fluid ,Excitatory Amino Acid Antagonists ,Biomarkers ,Selective Serotonin Reuptake Inhibitors ,medicine.drug - Abstract
Dextromethorphan (DM) has been shown to protect against endotoxic shock in mice. Heatstroke resembles sepsis in many respects. The objective of this study was to examine the heat-induced acute lung inflammation and injury in rats with or without DM, and for comparison with those of the rats with MK-801 (an N-methyl-D-aspartate receptor antagonist), SA4503 (a sigma-1 receptor agonist), or fluoxetine (a serotonin reuptake inhibitor). Heatstroke was induced by exposing the anesthetized rats to heat stress (43°C for 68 min). At 68 minutes after start of heat stress, animals treated with vehicle medium, DM (10-30 mg/kg of body weight, intramuscular), MK-801 (1 mg/kg of body weight, intraperitoneal), SA4503 (1 mg/kg of body weight, intraperitoneal), or fluoxetine (5 mg/kg of body weight, intraperitoneal) were allowed to recover at room temperature (26°C). As compared with vehicle-treated heatstroke rats (25-31 min; n = 8), DM (30 mg/kg)-treated heatstroke rats and MK-801 (1 mg/kg)-treated heatstroke rats had significantly greater survival time (193-209 min [n = 7] and 121-133 min [n = 8], respectively). However, the survival times for the SA4503-treated heatstroke rats (28-34 min; n = 8) or the fluoxetine-treated heatstroke rats (20-26 min; n = 8) were not significantly different from the vehicle-treated heatstroke rats. DM treatment significantly: (1) reduced acute lung injury, including edema, neutrophils infiltration, and hemorrhage scores; (2) decreased acute pleurisy; and (3) decreased bronchoalveolar fluid levels of the proinflammatory cytokines, and ischemia and oxidative damage markers during heatstroke. Our results indicate that DM therapy may improve outcomes of heatstroke in rats by antagonizing the N-methyl-D-aspartate receptors.
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- 2011
9. Oxidative stress and pyrogenic fever pathogenesis
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Hung Lin, Ching-Ping Chang, Mao-Tsun Lin, Ching-Cheng Hou, and Wu-Tein Huang
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Pharmacology ,Lipopolysaccharides ,Fever ,Superoxide ,Pyrogens ,medicine.medical_treatment ,Glutamate receptor ,Excitotoxicity ,Glutamic Acid ,Inflammation ,medicine.disease_cause ,Molecular biology ,Nitric oxide ,chemistry.chemical_compound ,Oxidative Stress ,chemistry ,Biochemistry ,medicine ,Animals ,Cytokines ,Humans ,medicine.symptom ,Reactive nitrogen species ,Oxidative stress ,Prostaglandin E - Abstract
The causative/regulatory connections between changes in tissue redox state and fever induction were investigated herein. Wherefore, LPS, the primary element of bacterial cell wall, in addition to inducing pro-inflammatory cytokines, activated macrophages and other leukocytes to secrete hydroxyl radical (OH), nitric oxide metabolites (NO(x)(-)), superoxide (O(2)) and other reactive oxygen/nitrogen species. Furthermore, inflammation response-associated hypoxia stimulated glutamate release, which caused excitotoxicity of cells by increasing extracellular Ca(2+). Cytokines and glutamate in turn also triggered the release of large amounts of NO(x)(-), OH, O(2), and other radicals. Those reactive nitrogen species in turn caused cellular injury via the peroxidation of membrane lipids and oxidative damage of proteins and DNA. Glutamate, NO(x)(-), OH and antioxidants participated in the pathogenesis and regulation of LPS- or cytokines-induced fever. In particular, to highlight the role of glutamate, prostaglandin E(2), NO(x)(-) and OH generated in the hypothalamus during pyrogenic fever was attempted hereby. To find the link among the signaling with the glutamate, NO(x)(-) and OH/prostaglandin E(2) in the hypothalamus during pyrogenic fever will be challenging and could now clinically suppress pyrogenic fever.
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- 2011
10. Pulmonary artery air embolism after blunt trauma
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Chien-Ming Chao, Wei-Lun Liu, Chu-Hsin Chuang, Chih-Cheng Lai, and Ching-Cheng Hou
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Male ,medicine.medical_specialty ,Resuscitation ,Abdominal Injuries ,Emergency Nursing ,Wounds, Nonpenetrating ,Air embolism ,Diagnosis, Differential ,Intensive care ,medicine.artery ,medicine ,Embolism, Air ,Humans ,Aged, 80 and over ,business.industry ,Respiratory disease ,medicine.disease ,Surgery ,Pulmonary embolism ,Blunt trauma ,Circulatory system ,Pulmonary artery ,Emergency Medicine ,Accidental Falls ,Radiography, Thoracic ,Cardiology and Cardiovascular Medicine ,business ,Pulmonary Embolism ,Tomography, X-Ray Computed - Published
- 2010
11. Clinical features and short-term outcome of critically ill patients with head and neck cancer in the medical intensive care unit
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Kuo-Chen Cheng, Ching-Cheng Hou, Hsiu-Nien Shen, Wen-Tsung Huang, and Che-Kim Tan
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Male ,Cancer Research ,medicine.medical_specialty ,medicine.medical_treatment ,Critical Illness ,Taiwan ,Risk Factors ,Internal medicine ,medicine ,Intubation ,Humans ,Hospital Mortality ,APACHE ,Aged ,Neoplasm Staging ,Retrospective Studies ,business.industry ,Head and neck cancer ,Cancer ,Odds ratio ,Airway obstruction ,Length of Stay ,Middle Aged ,medicine.disease ,Prognosis ,Respiration, Artificial ,Confidence interval ,Surgery ,Airway Obstruction ,Intensive Care Units ,Oncology ,Otorhinolaryngology ,Head and Neck Neoplasms ,Multivariate Analysis ,Female ,business ,Airway - Abstract
Objectives: To investigate the clinical features, especially cancer-related complications, and short-term outcome of critically ill patients with head and neck cancer (HNC) in the medical intensive care unit. Methods: We reviewed 57 patients with a diagnosis of HNC in the medical intensive care unit (≥24 hours) of a tertiary-care medical center between January 1999 and December 2005. Results: Thirty-two (56.1%) patients had advanced cancers (stage III/IV), and 21 (36.8%) remained uncontrolled (ie, relapsed or progressive). Twenty-five (43.9%) patients had cancer-related complications, including airway obstruction, tumor bleeding, or wound infection. Among 47 (82.4%) patients with acute respiratory failure, 25.5% of them were caused by cancer-related life-threatening airway complications. After excluding 5 already tracheos-tomized acute respiratory failure patients, difficult intubation was encountered in 26.2% (11/42); and 72.7% (8/11) of them required emergency tracheostomy. The 30-day mortality was 38.6%. Uncontrolled HNC (adjusted odds ratio [OR], 4.13; 95% confidence interval, 1.14-14.92) and Acute Physiology and Chronic Health Evaluation II score (adjusted OR 1.13; 95% confidence interval, 1.04-1.22) were found as the risk factors for 30-day mortality in multivariate analysis. Conclusions: Although critically ill patients with HNC usually had advanced cancers and carried a high rate of cancer-related life-threatening airway complications, their 30-day mortality was favorable and only independently associated with cancer status and Acute Physiology and Chronic Health Evaluation II score.
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- 2009
12. Readmission to the intensive care unit: an indicator that reflects the potential risks of morbidity and mortality of surgical patients in the intensive care unit
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Khee-Siang Chan, Ching-Cheng Hou, Kuo-Chen Cheng, Chi-Lun Tsai, Chiu-Shu Fang, Meng-Chih Lee, and Che-Kim Tan
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Male ,medicine.medical_specialty ,Respiratory Tract Diseases ,Patient Readmission ,law.invention ,Postoperative Complications ,law ,Risk Factors ,Critical care nursing ,Medicine ,Humans ,Hospital Mortality ,Survival analysis ,APACHE ,Aged ,Retrospective Studies ,APACHE II ,business.industry ,Mortality rate ,Respiratory disease ,Retrospective cohort study ,General Medicine ,Length of Stay ,Middle Aged ,medicine.disease ,Intensive care unit ,Survival Analysis ,Intensive Care Units ,Treatment Outcome ,Surgical Procedures, Operative ,Emergency medicine ,Multivariate Analysis ,Surgery ,Female ,business ,Complication - Abstract
To investigate the characteristics and outcomes of surgical patients who were readmitted to the intensive care unit (ICU).The data were collected for all readmissions to the surgical ICUs in a tertiary hospital in the year 2003.Of all the 945 ICU discharges, 110 patients (11.6%) were readmitted. They had a longer initial ICU stay (8.05 +/- 7.17 vs 5.22 +/- 4.95, P0.001) and were older and in a more severe condition than those not readmitted, but with a longer hospital stay and higher mortality rate (40% vs 3.6%, P0.001). A total of 26.4% of the readmission patients had an early readmission (48 h), with a lower mortality rate than those with a late readmission (24.1% vs 45.7%, P = 0.049). A total of 46.4% of the patients were readmitted with the same diagnosis while the rest were readmitted with a new complication. Respiratory disease was the most common diagnosis for patients readmitted with a new complication (66.1%). The nonsurvivors had a significantly higher second Acute Physiology and Chronic Health Evaluation (APACHE II) score (22.1 +/- 8.8 vs.14.6 +/- 7.4, P0.001) and second Therapeutic Intervention Scoring System (TISS) score (30.1 +/- 8.7 vs 24.7 +/- 7.6, P = 0.001) and a longer stay in the first ICU admission (10.4 +/- 9 days vs 6.4 +/- 5 days, P = 0.010). A multivariate analysis showed that the first ICU length of stay and the APACHE II score at the time of readmission were the two risk factors for mortality.The mortality of surgical patients with ICU readmission was high with respiratory complications being the most important issue.
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- 2008
13. Pyogenic liver abscess caused by Klebsiella pneumoniae: analysis of the clinical characteristics and outcomes of 84 patients
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Chi Lun Tsai, Kuo Chen Cheng, Wen Liang Yu, Khee Siang Chan, Ching Cheng Hou, Che Kim Tan, and Meng-Chih Lee
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Adult ,Male ,medicine.medical_specialty ,Abdominal pain ,Biliary disease ,Internal medicine ,medicine ,Humans ,Abscess ,Aged ,Retrospective Studies ,Pyogenic liver abscess ,Aged, 80 and over ,business.industry ,Incidence (epidemiology) ,Mortality rate ,General Medicine ,Middle Aged ,medicine.disease ,Surgery ,Klebsiella Infections ,Klebsiella pneumoniae ,Liver Abscess, Pyogenic ,Chills ,Female ,medicine.symptom ,business ,Liver abscess - Abstract
Background The increased incidence of pyogenic liver abscess caused by Klebsiella pneumoniae (K.pneumoniae) was reported in the recent literature. This study was conducted retrospectively to investigate the clinical characteristics and outcomes of these patients. Methods Microbiological and medical databases of a medical center were searched from January 2000 to June 2003. Eighty-four patients with liver abscess caused by K.pneumoniae were analyzed. Results In the 84 patients, 52 men and 32 women aged (58.2 +/- 13.3) years on average, 64.4% had concomitant diabetes mellitus and 23.8% had biliary disease. The most common clinical symptoms were fever (98.8%), chills (69.0%) and abdominal pain (58.3%). 85.7% of the 84 patients received catheter drainage for the abscess. The length of hospital stay was (17.4 +/- 8.7) days. The mortality rate was 7.1%. Older age and presence of biliary disease were associated with mortality. Conclusions The low mortality of our patients was probably related to the high proportion of patients who received catheter drainage. Older age and presence of biliary disease were associated with the mortality.
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- 2007
14. A stand-alone peristaltic micropump based on piezoelectric actuation
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Ling Sheng Jang, Mi-Ching Tsai, Yi-Chu Hsu, Ching Cheng Hou, Wu Sung Yao, Yuan Jie Li, and Sung Ju Lin
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Engineering ,business.industry ,DC-to-DC converter ,Back pressure ,Microfluidics ,Transducers ,Biomedical Engineering ,Electrical engineering ,Battery (vacuum tube) ,Differential amplifier ,Micropump ,Reproducibility of Results ,Diaphragm (mechanical device) ,Signal Processing, Computer-Assisted ,Infusion Pumps, Implantable ,Sensitivity and Specificity ,Vibration ,Control theory ,Electrochemistry ,Computer-Aided Design ,Electronics ,business ,Molecular Biology ,Voltage - Abstract
Despite significant efforts to develop micropumps, cumbersome driving equipment means that the design of portable micropumps remains a challenge. This study presents a stand-alone micropump system, which includes a peristaltic micropump based on piezoelectric actuation and a driving circuit. This battery-based driving circuit comprises a 12 V battery, an ATmega 8535 microprocessor, a 12 V-to-180 V DC to DC converter using transformerless technology, three differential amplifiers, an IC 7805, a phase controller, an A/D converter, a keyboard and an LCD module. The system can produce step-function signals with voltages of up to 228 V(pp) and frequencies ranging from 10 Hz to 100 kHz, as the inputs for the pump. It is portable and programmable with the package size of 22 x 12.8 x 9 cm. Additionally, this proposed system is used to design the driving signals of the pump which are 3-, 4, and 6-phase actuation sequences. This work performs the circuit testing and fluid pumping, and demonstrates the effects of actuation sequences on pump performance in terms of the dynamic behavior of the diaphragm, flow rates, back pressure and power consumption of the system. The experimental results show that the pump excited by the 6-phase sequence results in better performance compared with the 3- and 4-phase sequences, and produces a maximum flow rate of 36.8 microl/min and a maximum back pressure of 520 Pa with deionized water at 100 V (pp) and 700 Hz.
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- 2006
15. Activated protein C therapy in a rat heat stroke model
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Kuo-Chen Cheng, Mao-Tsun Lin, Ching-Cheng Hou, Ching-Ping Chang, Chin-Ming Chen, and Ru-Ling Tian
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Hyperthermia ,Glycerol ,Male ,medicine.medical_specialty ,Heat Stroke ,Partial Pressure ,Glutamic Acid ,Pharmacology ,Critical Care and Intensive Care Medicine ,Blood Urea Nitrogen ,Fibrin Fibrinogen Degradation Products ,Rats, Sprague-Dawley ,Intensive care ,Medicine ,Animals ,Pyruvates ,Stroke ,Blood urea nitrogen ,Transaminases ,Dose-Response Relationship, Drug ,business.industry ,Platelet Count ,Tumor Necrosis Factor-alpha ,Therapeutic effect ,medicine.disease ,Alkaline Phosphatase ,Recombinant Proteins ,Surgery ,Rats ,Oxygen ,Dose–response relationship ,Disease Models, Animal ,Regional Blood Flow ,Cerebrovascular Circulation ,Creatinine ,Lactates ,Prothrombin Time ,Tumor necrosis factor alpha ,Partial Thromboplastin Time ,business ,Protein C ,medicine.drug - Abstract
To evaluate the therapeutic effects of activated protein C in an animal model of heat stroke.Laboratory investigation.Chi-Mei Medical Center research laboratory.Male Sprague-Dawley rats weighing 252-304 g.Anesthetized animals were subjected to heat stress (40 degrees C) to induce heat stroke. A bolus injection of normal saline or recombinant human activated protein C (drotrecogin alfa, activated) was conducted via femoral catheters immediately after the onset of heat stroke. Blood sampling was done before initiation of heat stress and 0 and 40 mins after the onset of heat stroke.When the vehicle-treated rats underwent heat exposure, their survival time values were found to be 56-64 mins (n = 16). Resuscitation with activated protein C significantly and dose-dependently improved survival during heat stroke (108-246 mins for doses of 0.5-20 mg of activated protein C per kilogram of body weight) (n = 32). All heat-stressed animals displayed systemic inflammation and activated coagulation, evidenced by increased tumor necrosis factor-alpha, prothrombin time, activated partial thromboplastin time, and D-dimer and decreased platelet count and protein C. Biochemical markers evidenced by cellular ischemia and injury/dysfunction included increased plasma levels of blood urea nitrogen, creatinine, glutamic oxaloacetic transaminase, glutamic pyruvic transaminase, and alkaline phosphatase; increased striatal levels of glutamate, glycerol, and lactate/pyruvate ratio; and decreased striatal levels of partial pressure of oxygen and local cerebral blood flow, which were all observed during heat stroke. These heat stroke reactions were all significantly suppressed by resuscitation with activated protein C but not vehicle solution.The results indicate that systemic delivery of human recombinant activated protein C at the time point of onset of heat stroke may improve survival by ameliorating systemic inflammation, hypercoagulable state, and tissue ischemia and injury in multiple organs.
- Published
- 2006
16. Pyogenic liver abscess: a retrospective analysis of 107 patients during a 3-year period
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Khee-Siang, Chan, Chin-Ming, Chen, Kuo-Chen, Cheng, Ching-Cheng, Hou, Hung-Jung, Lin, and Wen-Liang, Yu
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Adult ,Male ,Time Factors ,Liver Abscess, Pyogenic ,Incidence ,Humans ,Female ,Middle Aged ,Sex Distribution ,Retrospective Studies - Abstract
Pyogenic liver abscess (PLA) is a potentially life-threatening disease, and early diagnosis may be difficult. In order to provide diagnostic clues and to enhance the prompt management of such cases, we retrospectively investigated the clinical characteristics of PLA during a 3-year period in a tertiary-care hospital. The crude incidence rate of PLA in our study was 446.1 per 100,000 hospital admissions. Male predominance and a mean age of 57.6 +/- 14.4 years were observed. Diabetes mellitus was the most common concomitant disease, and biliary pathologies were the most common predisposing cause of this type of abscess. The most common clinical features were fever, chills, and abdominal pain. Leukocytosis was found in 67.3% of the patients, and the observed C-reactive protein (CRP) values were high. The most common pathogen was Klebsiella pneumoniae. The mortality rate was 6.5%. A complete history, physical examination, evaluation of the white blood cell count and CRP, and the prompt arrangement of imaging studies may lead to an earlier diagnosis. The aggressive performance of image-guided catheter drainage and the appropriate administration of antibiotics may reduce the mortality rate of PLA.
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- 2005
17. Activation of human telomerase reverse transcriptase expression by some new symmetrical bis-substituted derivatives of the anthraquinone
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Jing Wen Shih, Jen Yi Wang, Yu Cheng Lu, Jeng Fong Chiou, Hsu Shan Huang, Yen Ru Pan, Ching Cheng Hou, Jing-Jer Lin, and Yaou Fong
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Telomerase ,Chemistry ,Somatic cell ,Cell Survival ,Biological activity ,Anthraquinones ,Antineoplastic Agents ,Alkaline Phosphatase ,Telomere ,Cell Line ,DNA-Binding Proteins ,Enzyme Activation ,Structure-Activity Relationship ,Biochemistry ,Cell culture ,Drug Discovery ,Tumor Cells, Cultured ,Molecular Medicine ,Alkaline phosphatase ,Humans ,Telomerase reverse transcriptase ,Stem cell ,Drug Screening Assays, Antitumor ,Enzyme Inhibitors - Abstract
As a part of our program aimed at exploring the biological activity of symmetrical substitution of side chains into the anthracene-9,10-dione chromophore, we have synthesized a series of 1,5-bisthioanthraquinones 2 and 1,5-bisacyloxyanthraquinones 3 that are related to the antitumor agent mitoxantrone. Since the telomerase enzyme is a novel target for potential anticancer therapy and stem cell expansion, we explore the biological effects of these compounds by evaluating their effects on telomerase activity and telomerase expression. Telomerase is required for telomere maintenance and is active in most human cancers and in germinal cells but not in most of the normal human somatic tissues. We found that most of the 1,5-disubstituted anthraquinones did not exhibit inhibitory activity at the concentration ranging from 20 to 30 microM. To facilitate the analysis of the expression of telomerase, we used cancer and normal cell lines that carry secreted alkaline phosphatase (SEAP) gene under the control of human telomerase reverse transcriptase (hTERT). The effects of these compounds on the expression of telomerease were analyzed using the cell-based reporter systems. While most of these compounds did not appear to selectively repress the expression of hTERT in cancer cells, compounds 3a, 3d, and 3i activated hTERT expression in normal cells. The effects of these three compounds on hTERT expression appear to be specific because they did not increase the expression of a CMV promoter-driven SEAP. Thus, in addition to anticancer functions, our finding raises the possibility that these compounds might also have a role in cell immortalization. The application of these anthraquinone derivatives in stem cell research and tissue engineering is also discussed.
- Published
- 2003
18. Traumatic Rupture of a Renal Angiomyolipoma
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Wei-Lun Liu, Chih-Cheng Lai, Chien-Ming Chao, Ching-Cheng Hou, and Wen-Chou Fan
- Subjects
Aged, 80 and over ,Rupture ,medicine.medical_specialty ,business.industry ,Angiomyolipoma ,Kidney Neoplasms ,Emergency Medicine ,medicine ,Humans ,Accidental Falls ,Female ,Radiology ,Tomography, X-Ray Computed ,business ,Renal angiomyolipoma - Published
- 2012
- Full Text
- View/download PDF
19. A case of acute appendicitis with Vibrio fluvialis peritonitis
- Author
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Chien-Ming Chao, Ching-Cheng Hou, Ping-Jen Chen, Tsung-Chih Tsai, and Wei-Lun Liu
- Subjects
Acute appendicitis ,medicine.medical_specialty ,biology ,business.industry ,medicine.medical_treatment ,Peritonitis ,Critical Care and Intensive Care Medicine ,medicine.disease ,biology.organism_classification ,Gastroenterology ,Peritoneal dialysis ,Diarrhea ,Vibrio fluvialis ,Cerebritis ,Internal medicine ,Bacteremia ,Cellulitis ,Vibrio Infections ,Immunology ,Emergency Medicine ,medicine ,medicine.symptom ,business - Abstract
Human infections caused by Vibrio fluvialis are rarely reported. The most common clinical presentation of V. fluvialis infection is acute gastroenteritis with diarrhea. Reported extra-intestinal infections caused by V. fluvialis have included bacteremia, hemorrhagic cellulitis and cerebritis. Peritonitis is an uncommon clinical presentation of Vibrio infections, and most cases have occurred in patients receiving peritoneal dialysis or those with liver cirrhosis. Herein, we report the first case of acute appendicitis with V. fluvialis peritonitis.
- Published
- 2011
- Full Text
- View/download PDF
20. Time to blood culture positivity as a predictor of methicillin resistance in Staphylococcus aureus bacteremia
- Author
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Wei-Lun Liu, Po-Ren Hsueh, Cheng-Yi Wang, Chih-Cheng Lai, Ching-Cheng Hou, and Yu-Tsung Huang
- Subjects
Adult ,Male ,Microbiology (medical) ,Cross Infection ,Staphylococcus aureus ,Time Factors ,medicine.diagnostic_test ,business.industry ,Taiwan ,Bacteremia ,Staphylococcus aureus bacteremia ,Middle Aged ,Staphylococcal Infections ,Methicillin resistance ,Microbiology ,Infectious Diseases ,Risk Factors ,medicine ,Humans ,Female ,Methicillin Resistance ,Blood culture ,business ,Aged - Published
- 2011
- Full Text
- View/download PDF
21. Attenuating Heat-Induced Acute Lung Inflammation and Injury by Dextromethorphan in Rats.
- Author
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Hsi-Hsing Yang, Ching-Cheng Hou, Mao-Tsun Lin, and Ching-Ping Chang
- Published
- 2012
- Full Text
- View/download PDF
22. Development of peristaltic antithrombogenic micropumps for in vitro and ex vivo blood transportation tests.
- Author
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Yi-Chu Hsu, Sung-Ju Lin, and Ching-Cheng Hou
- Subjects
BIOMEDICAL materials ,BLOOD transfusion ,CLINICAL medicine ,POLYETHYLENE oxide - Abstract
Abstract  This study involves the design, fabrication and characterization of a biocompatible silicon micropump. Three experiments were conducted to study the performance of this pump in clinical environments. They were a blood compatibility test, and in vitro and ex vivo studies. Whole blood is an intrinsically complex material and difficult to manipulate using a microsystem device. In the blood compatibility experiments, two materials N-(triethosilylpropyl)-O-polyethylene oxide urethane (PEOU) and polyethylene glycol (PEG) were employed to form a self-assembled monolayer (SAM) on a chip surface. According to the platelet remaining test and a 30-min blood transportation test, PEOU protected the micropump from thrombus. In the second experiment, the micropump handled several liquids, including DI water and whole blood. When the pump was operated at a voltage of 140 Vpp, the flow rates of the DI water and whole blood were 121.6 μl/min at 500 Hz and 50.2 μl/min at 450 Hz, respectively. The maximum back pressure of the water and the blood in the micropump were 3.2 and 1.8 kPa, respectively. Finally, the micropump injected phosphated buffered saline (PBS) and whole blood into the veins of rats. The pump was characterized ex vivo and discussed. The third experiment reveals that the micropump fulfilled the dosing condition for clinical medicine and did not affect the physiological function of the rats. This pump is highly promising for biomedical applications, such as in drug delivery for patients, or in clinical care. Moreover, the pump has potentials to control precisely medication to improve conventional clinical treatments. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]
- Published
- 2008
23. A stand-alone peristaltic micropump based on piezoelectric actuation.
- Author
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Ling-Sheng Jang, Yuan-Jie Li, Sung-Ju Lin, Yi-Chu Hsu, Wu-Sung Yao, Mi-Ching Tsai, and Ching-Cheng Hou
- Subjects
PIEZOELECTRICITY ,PRESSURE ,MICROPROCESSORS ,ELECTRONIC amplifiers - Abstract
Abstract Despite significant efforts to develop micropumps, cumbersome driving equipment means that the design of portable micropumps remains a challenge. This study presents a stand-alone micropump system, which includes a peristaltic micropump based on piezoelectric actuation and a driving circuit. This battery-based driving circuit comprises a 12 V battery, an ATmega 8535 microprocessor, a 12 V-to-180 V DC to DC converter using transformerless technology, three differential amplifiers, an IC 7805, a phase controller, an A/D converter, a keyboard and an LCD module. The system can produce step-function signals with voltages of up to 228 V
pp and frequencies ranging from 10 Hz to 100 kHz, as the inputs for the pump. It is portable and programmable with the package size of 22 12.8 9 cm. Additionally, this proposed system is used to design the driving signals of the pump which are 3-, 4, and 6-phase actuation sequences. This work performs the circuit testing and fluid pumping, and demonstrates the effects of actuation sequences on pump performance in terms of the dynamic behavior of the diaphragm, flow rates, back pressure and power consumption of the system. The experimental results show that the pump excited by the 6-phase sequence results in better performance compared with the 3- and 4-phase sequences, and produces a maximum flow rate of 36.8 μl/min and a maximum back pressure of 520 Pa with deionized water at 100 Vpp and 700 Hz. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]- Published
- 2007
- Full Text
- View/download PDF
24. The Application of Intra - Abdominal Pressure Measurement to Critically Ill Patients.
- Author
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Chiu-shu Fang, Hui-fang Yen, and Ching-cheng Hou
- Published
- 2005
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