Articles

Dapagliflozin acutely improves endothelial dysfunction, reduces aortic stiffness and renal resistive index in type 2 diabetic patients: a pilot study

Sodium-glucose cotransporter-2 inhibitors reduce blood pressure (BP) and renal and cardiovascular events in patients with type 2 diabetes through not fully elucidated mechanisms. Aim of this study was to inves...

Authors: Anna Solini, Livia Giannini, Marta Seghieri, Edoardo Vitolo, Stefano Taddei, Lorenzo Ghiadoni and Rosa Maria Bruno

Translating recent results from the Cardiovascular Outcomes Trials into clinical practice: recommendations from the Central and Eastern European Diabetes Expert Group (CEEDEG)

These recommendations aim to improve care for patients with type 2 diabetes (T2D) at high cardiovascular (CV) risk in Central and Eastern Europe. Cardiovascular disease (CVD) and/or chronic kidney disease (CKD...

Authors: Guntram Schernthaner, Roger Lehmann, Martin Prázný, Leszek Czupryniak, Kristine Ducena, Peter Fasching, Andrej Janež, Avraham Karasik, Peter Kempler, Emil Martinka, Marina V. Shestakova, Lea Smirčić Duvnjak and Tsvetalina Tankova

Correction to: Disruption of endothelial adherens junctions by high glucose is mediated by protein kinase C-β–dependent vascular endothelial cadherin tyrosine phosphorylation

This article was unintentionally published twice in this journal, by the same authors. The following should be considered the version of record and used for citation purposes: “Mehran Haidari, Wei Zhang, James...

Authors: Mehran Haidari, Wei Zhang, James T. Willerson and Richard A. F. Dixon

Correction to: Report from the 2nd Cardiovascular Outcome Trial (CVOT) Summit of the Diabetes and Cardiovascular Disease (D&CVD) EASD Study Group

Following publication of the original article [1], author Antonio Ceriello requested that a correction be published in relation to his affiliations. His correct affiliations have been updated in this erratum. Thi...

Authors: Oliver Schnell, Eberhard Standl, Doina Catrinoiu, Stefano Genovese, Nebojsa Lalic, Jan Skra, Paul Valensi, Dario Rahelic and Antonio Ceriello

Human epicardial adipose tissue-derived and circulating secreted frizzled-related protein 4 (SFRP4) levels are increased in patients with coronary artery disease

Previous studies have demonstrated that secreted frizzled-related protein 4 (SFRP4) is associated with impaired glucose and triglyceride metabolism in patients with stable coronary artery disease. In the prese...

Authors: Qingwei Ji, Jianwei Zhang, Yu Du, Enjun Zhu, Zhijian Wang, Bin Que, Huangtai Miao, Shutian Shi, Xiuchuan Qin, Yingxin Zhao, Yujie Zhou, Fangjun Huang and Shaoping Nie

Pioglitazone and the secondary prevention of cardiovascular disease. A meta-analysis of randomized-controlled trials

Pioglitazone targets multiple pathogenic pathways involved in the development of cardiovascular diseases (CVD). The aim of this systematic review and meta-analysis is to assess the effects of pioglitazone trea...

Authors: Marit de Jong, H. Bart van der Worp, Yolanda van der Graaf, Frank L. J. Visseren and Jan Westerink

The anti-inflammatory function of HDL is impaired in type 2 diabetes: role of hyperglycemia, paraoxonase-1 and low grade inflammation

Functional properties of high density lipoproteins (HDL) are increasingly recognized to play a physiological role in atheroprotection. Type 2 diabetes mellitus (T2DM) is characterized by low HDL cholesterol, b...

Authors: Sanam Ebtehaj, Eke G. Gruppen, Mojtaba Parvizi, Uwe J. F. Tietge and Robin P. F. Dullaart

Impact of renal function on the underlying pathophysiology of coronary plaque composition in patients with type 2 diabetes mellitus

Both the progression of diabetic kidney disease and increased glycemic variability play important roles in the pathogenesis of coronary plaque formation via inflammatory pathways in patients with type 2 diabet...

Authors: Kentaro Kakuta, Kaoru Dohi, Miho Miyoshi, Takashi Yamanaka, Masaki Kawamura, Jun Masuda, Tairo Kurita, Toru Ogura, Norikazu Yamada, Yasuhiro Sumida and Masaaki Ito

Impact of empagliflozin on subclinical left ventricular dysfunctions and on the mechanisms involved in myocardial disease progression in type 2 diabetes: rationale and design of the EMPA-HEART trial

Asymptomatic left ventricular (LV) dysfunction is highly prevalent in type 2 diabetes patients. Unlike the other hypoglycemic drugs, SGLT2 inhibitors have shown potential benefits for reducing cardiovascular d...

Authors: Andrea Natali, Lorenzo Nesti, Iacopo Fabiani, Enrico Calogero and Vitantonio Di Bello

Increased amputation risk with canagliflozin treatment: behind the large cardiovascular benefit?

A growing body of evidence suggests that sodium-glucose cotransporter 2 (SGLT2) inhibitors appear to be a powerful option to improve the cardiovascular (CV) prognosis in high CV-risk patients with type 2 diabe...

Authors: Atsushi Tanaka and Koichi Node

Updates on cardiovascular outcome trials in diabetes

In 2008 the Food and Drug Administration introduced a guidance for industry that requires the investigation of cardiovascular outcomes of glucose-lowering medications. Since then, an increasing number of cardi...

Authors: Oliver Schnell, Lars Rydén, Eberhard Standl and Antonio Ceriello

The effects of vildagliptin compared with metformin on vascular endothelial function and metabolic parameters: a randomized, controlled trial (Sapporo Athero-Incretin Study 3)

Dipeptidyl peptidase-4 (DPP-4) inhibitors may have protective effects in the early stage of atherosclerosis in patients with type 2 diabetes, although similar effects in advanced atherosclerosis were not shown...

Authors: Naoyuki Kitao, Hideaki Miyoshi, Tomoo Furumoto, Kota Ono, Hiroshi Nomoto, Aika Miya, Chiho Yamamoto, Atsushi Inoue, Kenichi Tsuchida, Naoki Manda, Yoshio Kurihara, Shin Aoki, Akinobu Nakamura and Tatsuya Atsumi

Glycated albumin and its variability as an indicator of cardiovascular autonomic neuropathy development in type 2 diabetic patients

We investigated whether glycated albumin (GA) and its variability are associated with cardiovascular autonomic neuropathy (CAN) and further compared their associations with glycated hemoglobin (HbA1c).

Authors: Ji Eun Jun, Seung-Eun Lee, You-Bin Lee, Ji Yeon Ahn, Gyuri Kim, Sang-Man Jin, Kyu Yeon Hur, Moon-Kyu Lee and Jae Hyeon Kim

Impact of type 2 diabetes mellitus on in-hospital-mortality after major cardiovascular events in Spain (2002–2014)

Diabetes mellitus has long been associated with cardiovascular events. Nevertheless, the higher burden of traditional cardiovascular risk factors reported in high-income countries is offset by a more widesprea...

Authors: José M. de Miguel-Yanes, Rodrigo Jiménez-García, Valentín Hernández-Barrera, Manuel Méndez-Bailón, Javier de Miguel-Díez and Ana Lopez-de-Andrés

Pemafibrate (K-877), a novel selective peroxisome proliferator-activated receptor alpha modulator for management of atherogenic dyslipidaemia

Despite best evidence-based treatment including statins, residual cardiovascular risk poses a major challenge for clinicians in the twenty first century. Atherogenic dyslipidaemia, in particular elevated trigl...

Authors: Jean-Charles Fruchart

The role of endothelial nitric oxide in the anti-restenotic effects of liraglutide in a mouse model of restenosis

Previous animal studies have shown that glucagon-like peptide-1 receptor agonists (GLP-1RAs) suppress arterial restenosis, a major complication of angioplasty, presumably through their direct action on vascula...

Authors: Hideki Kushima, Yusaku Mori, Masakazu Koshibu, Munenori Hiromura, Kyoko Kohashi, Michishige Terasaki, Tomoyasu Fukui and Tsutomu Hirano

Relation between low-density lipoprotein cholesterol/apolipoprotein B ratio and triglyceride-rich lipoproteins in patients with coronary artery disease and type 2 diabetes mellitus: a cross-sectional study

The low-density lipoprotein cholesterol/apolipoprotein B (LDL-C/apoB) ratio has conventionally been used as an index of the LDL-particle size. Smaller LDL-particle size is associated with triglyceride (TG) met...

Authors: Shigemasa Tani, Tsukasa Yagi, Wataru Atsumi, Kenji Kawauchi, Rei Matsuo and Atsushi Hirayama

Oxidative stress and inflammation as central mediators of atrial fibrillation in obesity and diabetes

Atrial fibrillation (AF) is the most common sustained cardiac arrhythmia in humans. Several risk factors promote AF, among which diabetes mellitus has emerged as one of the most important. The growing recognit...

Authors: Basil S. Karam, Alejandro Chavez-Moreno, Wonjoon Koh, Joseph G. Akar and Fadi G. Akar

High-density lipoproteins attenuate high glucose-impaired endothelial cell signaling and functions: potential implications for improved vascular repair in diabetes

Abnormalities of endothelial cell function are proposed to be a critical factor underlying adverse cardiovascular outcomes in the setting of hyperglycaemia. While high-density lipoproteins (HDL) have been demo...

Authors: Xing Chen, My-Ngan Duong, Peter J. Psaltis, Christina A. Bursill and Stephen J. Nicholls

NTproBNP in insulin-resistance mediated conditions: overweight/obesity, metabolic syndrome and diabetes. The population-based Casale Monferrato Study

NTproBNP and BNP levels are reduced in obese subjects, but population-based data comparing the pattern of this relationship in the full spectrum of insulin-resistance mediated conditions, overweight/obesity, m...

Authors: Stefano Baldassarre, Salvatore Fragapani, Antonio Panero, Debora Fedele, Silvia Pinach, Manuela Lucchiari, Anna Rita Vitale, Giulio Mengozzi, Gabriella Gruden and Graziella Bruno

Circulating levels and characterization of microparticles in patients with different degrees of glucose tolerance

Microparticles (MPs) are vesicular structures shed from endothelial or circulating blood cells, after activation or apoptosis, and can be considered markers of vascular damage. We aimed to determine the levels...

Authors: Alessandra Giannella, Claudia Maria Radu, Lorenzo Franco, Elena Campello, Paolo Simioni, Angelo Avogaro, Saula Vigili de Kreutzenberg and Giulio Ceolotto

Erratum to: Changes in proteinuria and the risk of myocardial infarction in people with diabetes or pre-diabetes: a prospective cohort study

Following publication of the original article [1], the authors reported that figure 2 had not been replaced with the correct figure as indicated in the proofs.

Authors: Anxin Wang, Yang Sun, Xiaoxue Liu, Zhaoping Su, Junjuan Li, Yanxia Luo, Shuohua Chen, Jianli Wang, Xia Li, Zhan Zhao, Huiping Zhu, Shouling Wu and Xiuhua Guo

High density lipoprotein modulates osteocalcin expression in circulating monocytes: a potential protective mechanism for cardiovascular disease in type 1 diabetes

Cardiovascular disease (CVD) is a major cause of mortality in type 1 diabetes (T1D). A pro-calcific drift of circulating monocytes has been linked to vascular calcification and is marked by the surface express...

Authors: Ernesto Maddaloni, Yu Xia, Kyoungmin Park, Stephanie D’Eon, Liane J. Tinsley, Ronald St-Louis, Mogher Khamaisi, Qian Li, George L. King and Hillary A. Keenan

The impact of cardiovascular co-morbidities and duration of diabetes on the association between microvascular function and glycaemic control

Good glycaemic control in type 2 diabetes (T2DM) protects the microcirculation. Current guidelines suggest glycaemic targets be relaxed in advanced diabetes. We explored whether disease duration or pre-existin...

Authors: F. Casanova, D. D. Adingupu, F. Adams, K. M. Gooding, H. C. Looker, K. Aizawa, F. Dove, S. Elyas, J. J. F. Belch, P. E. Gates, R. C. Littleford, M. Gilchrist, H. M. Colhoun, A. C. Shore, F. Khan and W. D. Strain

Evolution and bad prognostic value of advanced glycation end products after acute heart failure: relation with body composition

The role of advanced glycation end products (AGEs) and their soluble receptor (sRAGE) on the progression and prognosis of acute heart failure (HF) was analysed in relation with metabolic parameters as body com...

Authors: Beatriz Paradela-Dobarro, Ángel Fernández-Trasancos, Diana Bou-Teen, Sonia Eiras, Rocío González-Ferreiro, Rosa M. Agra, Alfonso Varela-Román, Ana I. Castro-Pais, Marcos C. Carreira, Felipe F. Casanueva, Ezequiel Álvarez and José R. González-Juanatey

Nonclinical and clinical pharmacology evidence for cardiovascular safety of saxagliptin

In the Saxagliptin Assessment of Vascular Outcomes Recorded in Patients with Diabetes Mellitus (SAVOR) trial in patients with type 2 diabetes mellitus (T2D) at high risk of cardiovascular (CV) disease, saxagli...

Authors: Pia S. Pollack, Kristina D. Chadwick, David M. Smith, Martin Billger, Boaz Hirshberg, Nayyar Iqbal and David W. Boulton

A randomized, placebo-controlled study of the cardiovascular safety of the once-weekly DPP-4 inhibitor omarigliptin in patients with type 2 diabetes mellitus

Omarigliptin is a once-weekly (q.w.) oral DPP-4 inhibitor that is approved for the treatment of patients with type 2 diabetes mellitus (T2DM) in Japan. To support approval of omarigliptin in the United States,...

Authors: Ira Gantz, Menghui Chen, Shailaja Suryawanshi, Catherine Ntabadde, Sukrut Shah, Edward A. O’Neill, Samuel S. Engel, Keith D. Kaufman and Eseng Lai

Association between carotid plaque characteristics and acute cerebral infarction determined by MRI in patients with type 2 diabetes mellitus

Type 2 diabetes mellitus (T2DM) might aggravate the carotid plaque vulnerability, and increase the risk for ischemic stroke. Few studies reported the acute stroke subtype with carotid plaque characteristics in...

Authors: Beibei Sun, Xiao Li, Xiaosheng Liu, Xiaoqian Ge, Qing Lu, Xihai Zhao, Jun Pu, Jianrong Xu and Huilin Zhao

The effect of exercise training on clinical outcomes in patients with the metabolic syndrome: a systematic review and meta-analysis

Purpose: to establish if exercise training improves clinical outcomes in people with metabolic syndrome (MetS). Registered with PROSPERO international prospective register of systemati...

Authors: C. Ostman, N. A. Smart, D. Morcos, A. Duller, W. Ridley and D. Jewiss

Inverse associations between serum levels of secreted frizzled-related protein-5 (SFRP5) and multiple cardiometabolic risk factors: KORA F4 study

Secreted frizzled-related protein (Sfrp)5 has beneficial effects on insulin sensitivity, inflammation and cardiovascular risk in different mouse models, but its relevance for cardiometabolic diseases in humans...

Authors: Maren Carstensen-Kirberg, Julia M. Kannenberg, Cornelia Huth, Christa Meisinger, Wolfgang Koenig, Margit Heier, Annette Peters, Wolfgang Rathmann, Michael Roden, Christian Herder and Barbara Thorand

Relationship between the triglyceride glucose index and coronary artery calcification in Korean adults

The triglyceride glucose (TyG) index has been considered a simple surrogate marker of insulin resistance. However, few studies have investigated the relationship between the TyG index and coronary artery calci...

Authors: Min Kyung Kim, Chul Woo Ahn, Shinae Kang, Ji Sun Nam, Kyung Rae Kim and Jong Suk Park

Effects of background statin therapy on glycemic response and cardiovascular events following initiation of insulin therapy in type 2 diabetes: a large UK cohort study

Statins may increase the risk of new-onset diabetes and adversely affect glycaemic control, but their effects on the glycemic response and mortality outcomes following commencement of insulin therapy in patien...

Authors: Uchenna Anyanwagu, Jil Mamza, Richard Donnelly and Iskandar Idris

Contribution of serum FGF21 level to the identification of left ventricular systolic dysfunction and cardiac death

The relationship between fibroblast growth factor 21 (FGF21) and cardiovascular disease has been well established in recent studies. This study aimed to investigate the relationship between FGF21 and left vent...

Authors: Yun Shen, Xueli Zhang, Xiaoping Pan, Yiting Xu, Qin Xiong, Zhigang Lu, Xiaojing Ma, Yuqian Bao and Weiping Jia

Changes in proteinuria and the risk of myocardial infarction in people with diabetes or pre-diabetes: a prospective cohort study

The relationship between changes in proteinuria and myocardial infarction (MI) remains unclear in people with diabetes or pre-diabetes. We aimed to evaluate the predictive value and independent role of changes...

Authors: Anxin Wang, Yang Sun, Xiaoxue Liu, Zhaoping Su, Junjuan Li, Yanxia Luo, Shuohua Chen, Jianli Wang, Xia Li, Zhan Zhao, Huiping Zhu, Shouling Wu and Xiuhua Guo

New onset diabetes in adulthood is associated with a substantial risk for mortality at all ages: a population based historical cohort study with a decade-long follow-up

Diabetes has been reported to be associated with an increased relative risk for mortality, with estimates ranging from 1.1 to 2.1. Findings are inconsistent regarding modification of the risk by gender and by ...

Authors: Inbar Zucker, Tamy Shohat, Rachel Dankner and Gabriel Chodick

Combined effect of metformin with ascorbic acid versus acetyl salicylic acid on diabetes-related cardiovascular complication; a 12-month single blind multicenter randomized control trial

We aimed to investigate the efficacy of ascorbic acid and acetylsalicylic acid among type II diabetes mellitus patients using metformin (only) for diabetes management therapy.

Authors: Syed Wasif Gillani, Syed Azhar Syed Sulaiman, Mohi Iqbal Mohammad Abdul and Mirza R. Baig

Admission blood glucose and 10-year mortality among patients with or without pre-existing diabetes mellitus hospitalized with heart failure

High admission blood glucose (ABG) level has been associated with a poor short-term outcome among non-diabetic patients with heart failure (HF). We aimed to investigate the association between ABG levels and l...

Authors: Osnat Itzhaki Ben Zadok, Ran Kornowski, Ilan Goldenberg, Robert Klempfner, Yoel Toledano, Yitschak Biton, Enrique Z. Fisman, Alexander Tenenbaum, Gregory Golovchiner, Ehud Kadmon, Alexander Omelchenko, Tuvia Ben Gal and Alon Barsheshet

Gender differences in hospital admissions for major cardiovascular events and procedures in people with and without diabetes in England: a nationwide study 2004–2014

Secondary prevention of cardiovascular disease (CVD) has improved immensely during the past decade but controversies persist on cardiovascular benefits among women with diabetes. We investigated 11-year trends...

Authors: Anthony A. Laverty, Alex Bottle, Sung-Hee Kim, Bhakti Visani, Azeem Majeed, Christopher Millett and Eszter P. Vamos

Selenoprotein S: a therapeutic target for diabetes and macroangiopathy?

Inflammatory response, oxidative stress, and endoplasmic reticulum (ER) stress are important pathophysiological bases of the occurrence and development of diabetes mellitus (DM) and macroangiopathy complicatio...

Authors: Shan-shan Yu and Jian-ling Du

Serum high mobility group box-1 and osteoprotegerin levels are associated with peripheral arterial disease and critical limb ischemia in type 2 diabetic subjects

High mobility group box-1 (HMGB-1) is a nuclear protein also acting as inflammatory mediator, whilst osteoprotegerin (OPG), member of tumor necrosis factor receptor superfamily, is indicated as marker of vascu...

Authors: Silvia Giovannini, Giovanni Tinelli, Federico Biscetti, Giuseppe Straface, Flavia Angelini, Dario Pitocco, Luciana Mucci, Raffaele Landolfi and Andrea Flex

Impact of CD14⁺⁺CD16⁺ monocytes on plaque vulnerability in diabetic and non-diabetic patients with asymptomatic coronary artery disease: a cross-sectional study

Previously, we have reported that daily glucose fluctuations could affect coronary plaque vulnerability, but the underlying mechanisms remained unclear. This study sought to investigate the impact of CD14⁺⁺CD16⁺ ...

Authors: Naofumi Yoshida, Hiroyuki Yamamoto, Toshiro Shinke, Hiromasa Otake, Masaru Kuroda, Daisuke Terashita, Hachidai Takahashi, Kazuhiko Sakaguchi, Yushi Hirota, Takuo Emoto, Hilman Zulkifli Amin, Taiji Mizoguchi, Tomohiro Hayashi, Naoto Sasaki, Tomoya Yamashita, Wataru Ogawa…

Neutrophil gelatinase associated lipocalin (NGAL) is elevated in type 2 diabetics with carotid artery stenosis and reduced under metformin treatment

Neutrophil gelatinase-associated lipocalin (NGAL), an acute phase protein released by neutrophils, has been described as biomarker of inflammatory states. Type 2 diabetes mellitus (T2DM) is characterized by in...

Authors: W. Eilenberg, S. Stojkovic, A. Piechota-Polanczyk, A. Kaider, N. Kozakowski, W. J. Weninger, J. Nanobachvili, J. Wojta, I. Huk, S. Demyanets and C. Neumayer

Hemoglobin A_1c is associated with severity of coronary artery stenosis but not with long term clinical outcomes in diabetic and nondiabetic patients with acute myocardial infarction undergoing primary angioplasty

Acute myocardial infarction (AMI) patients with type 2 diabetes mellitus are known to present with multiple vessel lesions during coronary angiography. The underlying mechanism remains elusive and there is a s...

Authors: Jianqing She, Yangyang Deng, Yue Wu, Yulong Xia, Hongbing Li, Xiao Liang, Rui Shi and Zuyi Yuan

Heart failure hospitalization risk associated with use of two classes of oral antidiabetic medications: an observational, real-world analysis

Newer oral antidiabetic drug classes are expanding treatment options for type 2 diabetes mellitus (T2DM); however, concerns remain. The objective was to assess relative risk of heart failure hospitalization of...

Authors: Santosh Gautam, Abiy Agiro, John Barron, Thomas Power, Harry Weisman and Jeff White

Preclinical carotid atherosclerosis in patients with latent autoimmune diabetes in adults (LADA), type 2 diabetes and classical type 1 diabetes

LADA is probably the most prevalent form of autoimmune diabetes. Nevertheless, there are few data about cardiovascular disease in this group of patients. The aim of this study was to investigate the frequency ...

Authors: Marta Hernández, Carolina López, Jordi Real, Joan Valls, Emilio Ortega-Martinez de Victoria, Federico Vázquez, Esther Rubinat, Minerva Granado-Casas, Nuria Alonso, Teresa Molí, Angels Betriu, Albert Lecube, Elvira Fernández, Richard David Leslie and Dídac Mauricio

Comparative effects of microvascular and macrovascular disease on the risk of major outcomes in patients with type 2 diabetes

Microvascular disease is associated with a high risk of macrovascular events in patients with type 2 diabetes, but the impact of macrovascular disease on the risk of microvascular events remains unknown. We so...

Authors: Kamel Mohammedi, Mark Woodward, Michel Marre, Stephen Colagiuri, Mark Cooper, Stephen Harrap, Giuseppe Mancia, Neil Poulter, Bryan Williams, Sophia Zoungas and John Chalmers

Circulating sortilin level as a potential biomarker for coronary atherosclerosis and diabetes mellitus

A previous genome-wide association study showed that a genetic variant of sortilin was associated with the risk of coronary artery disease (CAD). However, the role of circulating sortilin is still unknown. We ...

Authors: Tae Jung Oh, Chang Ho Ahn, Bo-Rahm Kim, Kyoung Min Kim, Jae Hoon Moon, Soo Lim, Kyong Soo Park, Cheong Lim, HakChul Jang and Sung Hee Choi

Mirroring the CANTOS revolution: is anti-inflammatory therapy for diabetes just around the corner?

Authors: Alexander Tenenbaum and Enrique Z. Fisman

Erratum to: Impact of metabolic syndrome and its components on heart rate variability during hemodialysis: a cross-sectional study

Authors: Yu-Ming Chang, Chih-Chung Shiao, Ya-Ting Huang, I-Ling Chen, Chuan-Lan Yang, Show-Chin Leu, Hung-Li Su, Jsun-Liang Kao, Shih-Ching Tsai, Rong-Na Jhen and Ching-Cherng Uen

The impact of DPP-4 inhibitors on long-term survival among diabetic patients after first acute myocardial infarction

Previous studies regarding the cardioprotective effects of dipeptidyl peptidase 4 (DPP-4) inhibitors have not provided sufficient evidence of a relationship between DPP-4 inhibition and actual cardiovascular o...

Authors: Mei-Tzu Wang, Sheng-Che Lin, Pei-Ling Tang, Wang-Ting Hung, Chin-Chang Cheng, Jin-Shiou Yang, Hong-Tai Chang, Chun-Peng Liu, Guang-Yuan Mar and Wei-Chun Huang