The effects of Transtheoretical Model-based interventions on smoking cessation in Taiwan: A longitudinal study

Session presented on Saturday, July 23, 2016 and Sunday, July 24, 2016: Purpose: The adverse effects of cigarette smoking have caused a noticeable increase in smoking-related diseases and death globally. The purpose of this study is to assist smokers in smoking cessation with interventions based on the Transtheoretical Model (TTM) and to evaluate the effects of TTM-based interventions on knowledge about the hazardous effects of smoking, attitude toward smoking, and movement through stages of change. Methods: In this quasi-experimental longitudinal study, a structured questionnaire was administered pre-intervention (pretest, Time 1), post-intervention (3 months, Time2), and at follow-up (6 months, Time 3). Participants aged 18 years and older were recruited in a regional hospital in Taiwan and divided into 2 groups (experimental group, n = 100; comparison group, n = 100). The interventions involved 6 counseling sessions in 3 months with the implementation of recommendations from a textbook of smoking cessation therapy edited by the Health Promotion Administration (2013), Taiwan. The intervention effect was assessed using the generalized estimating equation (GEE) model with robust standard error and exchangeable working correlation matrix for the adjustment of time. The intervention effect was verified when a significant two-way interaction effect(s) (of time by treatment) emerged, which indicates that a difference exists from pretest to posttest between groups. The TTM stage at each time-point between the study groups was compared using Fisher\u27s exact test. Results: The experimental and comparison groups were homogeneous in the basic variables of demographic characteristics, lifestyle, and disease history. The experimental group showed a greater improvement than the comparison group in scores on knowledge of cigarette smoking. The groups significant differed between Time 1 and Time 3 for the stages of precontemplation, contemplation, and action (P \u3c .01). Conclusion: A TTM-based smoking cessation intervention significantly increased knowledge of the hazardous effects of smoking and resulted in improvement in stages of change at a 6-month follow-up among smokers

The expression and significance of insulin-like growth factor-1 receptor and its pathway on breast cancer stem/progenitors

INTRODUCTION: Dysregulation of the insulin-like growth factor-1 receptor (IGF-1R)/phosphatidylinositol-3-kinase (PI3K)/Akt pathway was shown to correlate with breast cancer disease progression. Cancer stem cells are a subpopulation within cancer cells that participate in tumor initiation, radio/chemoresistance and metastasis. In breast cancer, breast cancer stem cells (BCSCs) were identified as CD24(-)CD44(+ )cells or cells with high intracellular aldehyde dehydrogenase activity (ALDH(+)). Elucidation of the role of IGF-1R in BCSCs is crucial to the design of breast cancer therapies targeting BCSCs. METHODS: IGF-1R expression in BCSCs and noncancer stem cells sorted from xenografts of human primary breast cancers was examined by fluorescence-activated cell sorting (FACS), western blot analysis and immunoprecipitation. The role of IGF-1R in BCSCs was assessed by IGF-1R blockade with chemical inhibitor and gene silencing. Involvement of PI3K/Akt/mammalian target of rapamycin (mTOR) as the downstream pathway was studied by their phosphorylation status upon IGF-1R inhibition and the effects of chemical inhibitors of these signaling molecules on BCSCs. We also studied 16 clinical specimens of breast cancer for the expression of phosphor-Akt in the BCSCs by FACS. RESULTS: Expression of phosphorylated IGF-1R was greater in BCSCs than in non-BCSCs from xenografts of human breast cancer, which were supported by western blot and immunoprecipitation experiments. The sorted IGF-1R-expressing cells displayed features of cancer stem/progenitors such as mammosphere formation in vitro and tumorigenicity in vivo, both of which were suppressed by knockdown of IGF-1R. A specific inhibitor of the IGF-1R, picropodophyllin suppressed phospho-Akt(Ser473 )and preferentially decreased ALDH(+ )BCSC populations of human breast cancer cells. Furthermore, picropodophyllin inhibited the capacity of CD24(-)CD44(+ )BCSCs to undergo the epithelial-mesenchymal transition process with downregulation of mesenchymal markers. Inhibitors of signal molecules downstream of IGF-1R including PI3K/Akt/mTOR also reduced the ALDH(+ )population of breast cancer cells. Furthermore, the mTOR inhibitor, rapamycin, suppressed BCSCs in vitro and in vivo. CONCLUSION: Our data support the notion that IGF-1R is a marker of stemness, and IGF-1R and its downstream PI3K/Akt/mTOR pathway are attractive targets for therapy directed against breast cancer stem/progenitors

Clinical impact of pharmacogenetic risk variants in a large chinese cohort.

Incorporating pharmacogenetics into clinical practice promises to improve therapeutic outcomes by optimizing drug selection and dosage based on genetic factors affecting drug response. A key advantage of PGx-guided therapy is to decrease the likelihood of adverse events. To evaluate the clinical impact of PGx risk variants, we performed a retrospective study using genetic and clinical data from the largest Han Chinese cohort, comprising 486,956 individuals, assembled by the Taiwan Precision Medicine Initiative. We found that nearly all participants carried at least one genetic variant that could affect drug response, with many carrying multiple risk variants. Here we show the detailed analyses of four gene-drug pairs, azathioprine (NUDT15/TPMT), clopidogrel (CYP2C19), statins (ABCG2/CYP2C9/SLCO1B1), and NSAIDs (CYP2C9), for which sufficient data exists for statistical power. While the results validate previous findings that PGx risk variants are significantly associated with drug-related adverse events or ineffectiveness, the excess risk of adverse events or lack of efficacy is small compared to that found in those without the PGx risk variants, and most patients with PGx variants do not suffer from adverse events. Our results point to the complexity of implementing PGx in clinical practice and the need for integrative approaches to optimize precision medicine

English for communication: A curriculum to enhance listening and speaking skills for 4th graders in Taiwan

In Taiwan, English is the most important foreign language and being proficient in English is crucial when it comes to college application as well as job hunting and career promotion. While English is learned as a foreign language in Taiwan, students are exposed to English insufficiently and it is hard for them to develop proficiency in English, especially listening and speaking skills. Although it is claimed that communicative language teaching is the major principle that the English curriculum of Taiwan adopted, there is a disconnect between what is claimed to be achieved and the outcomes of students' performance in terms of English speaking or listening proficiency. The purposes of this project are to promote students' communicative competence and involve real language use through communicative activities. A Curriculum to Enhance Listening and Speaking Skills for 4th Graders in Taiwan is aimed to provide teachers who wish to enhance students' English listening and speaking skills with communicative lesson plans. Topics such as school life, English songs, answering the phone, ordering meals, English stories, shopping and sports are included in the lesson plans, and these topics mirror the authentic language use in the real world. The focus of the lessons is intended to give students meaningful, contextualized and communicative language practice

Content analysis of disaster prevention education websites for kids in Japan-An example of ＂kids plaza on Museum of Fire safty & disaster preparedness＂

[[abstract]]隨著數位時代的來臨，人們獲取資訊的方式也從過去以紙本為主轉為併採網路資訊平台，網路資訊不受時間和空間限制的數位學習（e-Learning）方式，允許兼納文字、動畫與聲音等活潑的內容展現，更添兒童學習的誘因。就防災教育而言，有關災害內容對人類生活的影響、曾有的災害經驗，以及面對災害的應有作為等，若能結合生動的資訊科技與便捷的網路資訊平台加以推廣，將更添其可及性與效益性。我國教育部為推動「防災科技教育」，由教育部顧問室規劃提出「防災科技教育深耕實驗研發計畫」，自98年度起建置「防災教育數位學習平台」，藉以做為各學習階段的防災教育以及一般民眾的防災教育之用。但衡諸前述數位學習平台內容，有關兒童與幼兒的防災教育網站內容仍待補強，為落實前述研發計畫的實際成效，如何確保防災教育網站內容的正確性、趣味性與教育性等，將是計畫成效的關鍵。日本近年以兒童為主體陸續發展相關的防災教育網站，本研究擬擇取前述部分網站進行內容分析，期能彙集兒童防災教育網站的內容建置經驗，對我國發展相關網站內容提出具體建議。顧及分析應含防災教育的多元面向，本研究初步分析日本兒童防災教育相關網站後，擇取「消防防災博物館－兒童廣場」進行內容分析，分析重點包含網站內容的操作便利性、完整性、教育內容、延伸性，以及趣味性等五大面向，經過前述面向的具體分析，本研究進一步提出日本兒童防災教育網站內容的優劣分析，並就我國發展兒童防災教育網站內容提出具體建議。 With the advent of the digital age, the way people obtain information have been changed from paper-based information to adoption of Internet and network information. Without time and space constraints of e-Learning approach containing with text, animation and sound, and lively content displayed, can motive children to learn. On disaster prevention education, disaster affect human lives, the experience of disasters, and the actions of facing disaster, if they can be combined with a lively and convenient network platform technology and promote them to add their accessibility and effectiveness. In recent years, it has been developed the websites of disaster prevention education for children in Japan. This study will use content analysis to examine the aforementioned kids website, and hope to learn the site building experience of disaster prevention education for children. Finally, the specific suggestions will be described

Preparation of Manganese Thin Film in Room-Temperature Butylmethylpyrrolidinium Bis(Trifluoromethylsulfony)Imide Ionic Liquid and its Application for Super-Capacitors

Abstract not Available.</jats:p