• Asian Pacific Journal of Cancer Prevention
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• v.13 no.4
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• pp.1663-1666
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• 2012

Background and Objective: Protein expression in colon and rectal cancer (CRC) and paired normal tissues was examined by two-dimensional gel electrophoresis (2-DE) to identify differentially expressed proteins. Materials and Methods: Five fresh colorectal cancer and paired adjacent normal tissues were obtained and differentially expressed protein spots were determined using PDQuest software, with identification on the basis of MALDI-TOF mass spectra. Results: Compared with normal colorectal mucosa, protein abnormal expression of 65 spots varying more than 1.5 times were found in 2-DE gels from colorectal cancer samples (P<0.05); forty-two proteins were up-regulated and 23 were down-regulated; twelve protein spots were identified using mass spectrometry, of which 8 were up-regulated, includimng HSPB1and Annexin A4, while 4 were down-regulated, the results being consistent with Western blot findings. Conclusions: Two-dimensional electrophoresis reference maps for CRC tissues and adjacent normal mucosa (NMC) were established and 12 differentially expressed proteins were identified. Up-regulated HSPB1 and Annexin A4 may play many important roles in the pathogenesis of colorectal cancer.

• Asian Pacific Journal of Cancer Prevention
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• v.15 no.20
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• pp.8735-8740
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• 2014

Background: Previous studies for non-communicable disease cotrol, including cancer, have mostly relied on health literacy in adults. However, limited studies are available for adolescents. This study aimed to assess the status and determinants of health literacy in in-school adolescents in Guangdong, China. Materials and Methods: A total of 3,821 students aged 13-25 years were selected by multi-stage cluster sampling. After the questionnaire of health literacy was answered, the total scores for health knowledge (18 questions), skills (5 questions) and behaviors (14 questions) were determined. The total scores for health literacy and each subscale were recoded into adequate and inadequate subgroups, and logistic regression models were used to identify factors associated with each outcome variable. Results: The prevalence of adequate health literacy was 14.4%, and the prevalences for adequate knowledge, skills and behavior were 22.4%, 64.7% and 6.6%, respectively. Students coming from prestigious schools and having parents with higher education had higher odds of having adequate knowledge, skills and behaviors. Female students had higher odds of having adequate knowledge and behaviors. Students in grade 7-8 had higher odds of having adequate knowledge and skills. The health knowledge was positive associated with health skills (odds ratio [OR] =2.1, 95% confidence interval [CI] 1.7-2.5) and behaviors (OR=3.0, 95%CI 2.3-4.0), and health skills were positive associated with health behaviors (OR=2.6, 95%CI 1.8-3.8). Conclusions: Further efforts should be made to increase adolescents' health knowledge and behaviors, especially for low grade and male students in non-prestigious schools.

• Mycobiology
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• v.46 no.4
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• pp.382-387
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• 2018

The entomopathogenic fungus Cordyceps militaris is a valuable medicinal ascomycete, which degenerates frequently during subsequent culture. To avoid economic losses during industrialized production, scratching stimuli of mycelia was introduced to improve the fruiting body production. The present results indicated that higher yields and biological efficiency were obtained from two degenerate strains (YN1-14 and YN2-7) but not from g38 (an insertional mutant in Rhf1 gene with higher yields and shorter growth periods). Furthermore, the growth periods of the fruiting bodies were at least 5 days earlier when the mycelia were scratched before stromata differentiation. Three ROS-scavenging genes including Cu/Zn superoxide dismutase (CmSod1), Glutathione peroxidase (CmGpx), and Catalase A (CmCat A) were isolated and their expression profiles against scratching were determined in degenerate strain YN1-14 and mutant strain g38. At day 5 after scratching, the expression level of CmGpx significantly decreased for strain g38, but that of CmSod1 significantly increased for YN1-14. These results indicated that scratching is an effective way to promote fruiting body production of degenerate strain, which may be related at least with Rhf1 and active oxygen scavenging genes.

• Advances in nano research
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• v.12 no.2
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• pp.151-165
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• 2022

Micro-scale serpentine structure fibers are widely used as flexible sensor in the manufacturing of micro-nano flexible electronic devices because of their outstanding non-linear mechanical properties and organizational flexibility. The use of melt electrowriting (MEW) technology, combined with the axial bending effect of the Taylor cone jet in the process, can achieve the micro-scale serpentine structure fibers. Due to the interference of the process parameters, it is still challenging to achieve the precise deposition of micro-scale and high-consistency serpentine structure fibers. In this paper, the micro-scale serpentine structure fiber is produced by MEW combined with axial bending effect. Based on the controlled deposition of MEW, applied voltage, collector speed, nozzle height and nozzle diameter are adjusted to achieve the precise deposition of micro-scale serpentine structure fibers with different morphologies in a single motion dimension. Finally, the influence mechanism of the above four parameters on the precise deposition of micro-scale serpentine fibers is explored.

• Asian Pacific Journal of Cancer Prevention
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• v.14 no.9
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• pp.5527-5531
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• 2013

Background and Aim: Increasing evidence correlates the presence of systemic inflammation with poor survival in patients with hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC). The aim of this study was to investigate the prognostic significance of the blood neutrophil-to-lymphocyte ratio (NLR) in patients with advanced HCC who received sorafenib monotherapy. Methods: A total of sixty-five patients with advanced HCC, not eligible for locoregional therapy, treated with sorafenib were enrolled. Potential prognostic factors such as age, gender, tumoral characteristics, performance status and NLR were analyzed. Results: Median OS and TTP for the entire cohort were 10.0 months (95%CI, 7.6-12.3 months) and 4.5 months (95% CI, 4.0-4.9 months). The mean NLR at baseline was 2.89. The median OS of patients with a high NLR (>4) was 6.5 months (95%CI, 5.2-7.7 months) compared with 12.5 months (95%CI, 9.9-15.0) for patients with a normal NLR (${\leq}4$) (P=0.01). Age ${\leq}65$, NLR>4, extrahepatic metastases and vascular invasion were all predictors of poorer overall survival. Multivariate analysis showed that NLR > 4, vascular invasion and extrahepatic metastases were independent predictors of poorer overall survival. The median TTP of patients with a high NLR was 2.5 months (95%CI, 1.4-3.6 months) compared with 4.5 months (95%CI, 3.9-5.1 months) for patients with a normal NLR (P=0.012). Conclusions: High baseline NLR was associated with worse OS and TTP for patients with advanced HCC treated with sorafenib.

• Korean Journal of Radiology
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• v.25 no.3
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• pp.277-288
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• 2024

Objective: We previously found that the incidence of sarcopenia increased with declining glucose metabolism of muscle in patients with treatment-naïve diffuse large B-cell lymphoma (DLBCL). This study aimed to investigate the relationship between sarcopenia and muscle glucometabolism using ¹⁸F-FDG PET/CT at baseline and end-of-treatment, analyze the changes in these parameters through treatment, and assess their prognostic values. Materials and Methods: The records of 103 patients with DLBCL (median 54 years [range, 21-76]; male:female, 50:53) were retrospectively reviewed. Skeletal muscle area at the third lumbar vertebral (L3) level was measured, and skeletal muscle index (SMI) was calculated to determine sarcopenia, defined as SMI < 44.77 cm²/m² and < 32.50 cm²/m² for male and female, respectively. Glucometabolic parameters of the psoas major muscle, including maximum standardized uptake value (SUVmax) and mean standardized uptake value (SUVmean), were measured at L3 as well. Their changes across treatment were also calculated as ΔSMI, ΔSUVmax, and ΔSUVmean; Δbody mass index was also calculated. Associations between SMI and the metabolic parameters were analyzed, and their associations with progression-free survival (PFS) and overall survival (OS) were identified. Results: The incidence of sarcopenia was 29.1% and 36.9% before and after treatment, respectively. SMI (P = 0.004) was lower, and sarcopenia was more frequent (P = 0.011) at end-of-treatment than at baseline. The SUVmax and SUVmean of muscle were lower (P < 0.001) in sarcopenia than in non-sarcopenia at both baseline and end-of-treatment. ΔSMI was positively correlated with ΔSUVmax of muscle (P = 0.022). Multivariable Cox regression analysis showed that sarcopenia at end-of-treatment was independently negatively associated with PFS (adjusted hazard ratio [95% confidence interval], 2.469 [1.022-5.965]), while sarcopenia at baseline was independently negatively associated with OS (5.051 [1.453-17.562]). Conclusion: Sarcopenic patients had lower muscle glucometabolism, and the muscular and metabolic changes across treatment were positively correlated. Sarcopenia at baseline and end-of-treatment was negatively associated with the prognosis of DLBCL.

• Mycobiology
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• v.43 no.1
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• pp.37-42
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• 2015

A mutant library of Cordyceps militaris was constructed by improved Agrobacterium tumefaciens-mediated transformation and screened for degradation features. Six mutants with altered characters in in vitro and in vivo fruiting body production, and cordycepin formation were found to contain a single copy T-DNA. T-DNA flanking sequences of these mutants were identified by thermal asymmetric interlaced-PCR approach. ATP-dependent helicase, cytochrome oxidase subunit I and ubiquitin-like activating enzyme were involved in in vitro fruiting body production, serine/threonine phosphatase involved in in vivo fruiting body production, while glucose-methanol-choline oxidoreductase and telomerase reverse transcriptase involved in cordycepin formation. These genes were analyzed by bioinformatics methods, and their molecular function and biology process were speculated by Gene Ontology (GO) analysis. The results provided useful information for the control of culture degeneration in commercial production of C. militaris.

• The Korean Journal of Physiology and Pharmacology
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• v.21 no.6
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• pp.591-598
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• 2017

Propofol is known to cause vasorelaxation of several systemic vascular beds. However, its effect on the pulmonary vasculature remains controversial. In the present study, we investigated the effects of propofol on human pulmonary arteries obtained from patients who had undergone surgery. Arterial rings were mounted in a Multi-Myograph system for measurement of isometric forces. U46619 was used to induce sustained contraction of the intrapulmonary arteries, and propofol was then applied (in increments from $10-300{\mu}m$). Arteries denuded of endothelium, preincubated or not with indomethacin, were used to investigate the effects of propofol on isolated arteries. Propofol exhibited a bifunctional effect on isolated human pulmonary arteries contracted by U46619, evoking constriction at low concentrations ($10-100{\mu}m$) followed by secondary relaxation (at $100-300{\mu}m$). The extent of constriction induced by propofol was higher in an endothelium-denuded group than in an endothelium-intact group. Preincubation with indomethacin abolished constriction and potentiated relaxation. The maximal relaxation was greater in the endothelium-intact than the endothelium-denuded group. Propofol also suppressed $CaCl_2$-induced constriction in the 60 mM $K^+$-containing $Ca^{2+}$-free solution in a dose-dependent manner. Fluorescent imaging of $Ca^{2+}$ using fluo-4 showed that a 10 min incubation with propofol ($10-300{\mu}m$) inhibited the $Ca^{2+}$ influx into human pulmonary arterial smooth muscle cells induced by a 60 mM $K^+$-containing $Ca^{2+}$-free solution. In conclusion, propofol-induced arterial constriction appears to involve prostaglandin production by cyclooxygenase in pulmonary artery smooth muscle cells and the relaxation depends in part on endothelial function, principally on the inhibition of calcium influx through L-type voltage-operated calcium channels.

• The Korean Journal of Physiology and Pharmacology
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• v.23 no.1
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• pp.89-89
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• 2019

• Journal of Microbiology and Biotechnology
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• v.26 no.6
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• pp.1018-1025
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• 2016

Probiotics are considered as the best effective alternatives to antibiotics. The aim of this study was to characterize the probiotic potential of lactobacilli for use in swine farming by using in vitro evaluation methods. A total of 106 lactic acid bacterial isolates, originating from porcine feces, were first screened for the capacity to survive stresses considered important for putative probiotic strains. Sixteen isolates showed notable acid and bile resistance, antibacterial activity, and adherence to intestinal porcine epithelial cells (IPEC-1). One isolate, LR1, identified as Lactobacillus reuteri, was selected for extensive study of its probiotic and functional properties in IPEC-1 cell models. L. reuteri LR1 exhibited good adhesion to IPEC-1 cells and could inhibit the adhesion of enterotoxigenic Escherichia coli (ETEC) to IPEC-1 cells. L. reuteri LR1 could also modulate transcript and protein expression of cytokines involved in inflammation in IPEC-1 cells; the Lactobacillus strain inhibited the ETEC-induced expression of proinflammatory transcripts (IL-6 and TNF-α) and protein (IL-6), and increased the level of anti-inflammatory cytokine (IL-10). Measurement of the permeation of FD-4 showed that L. reuteri LR1 could maintain barrier integrity in monolayer IPEC-1 cells exposed to ETEC. Immunolocalization experiments showed L. reuteri LR1 could also prevent ETEC-induced tight junction ZO-1 disruption. Together, these results indicate that L. reuteri LR1 exhibits desirable probiotic properties and could be a potential probiotic for use in swine production.