Sorafenib Continuation after First Disease Progression Could Reduce Disease Flares and Provide Survival Benefits in Patients with Hepatocellular Carcinoma: a Pilot Retrospective Study

Fu, Si-Rui,Zhang, Ying-Qiang,Li, Yong,Hu, Bao-Shan,He, Xu,Huang, Jian-Wen,Zhan, Mei-Xiao,Lu, Li-Gong,Li, Jia-Ping Asian Pacific Journal of Cancer Prevention 2014 Asian Pacific journal of cancer prevention Vol.15 No.7

Background: Sorafenib is a promising drug for advanced hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC); however, treatment may be discontinued for multiple reasons, such as progressive disease, adverse events, or the cost of treatment. The consequences of sorafenib discontinuation and continuation are uncertain. Materials and Methods: We retrospectively analyzed 88 HCC patients treated with sorafenib from July 2007 to January 2013. Overall survival (OS), post-disease progression overall survival (pOS), and time to disease progression (TTP) were compared for survival analysis. Cox proportional hazard regression was performed to assess the effect of important factors on OS in the overall patient population and on pOS in patients who continued sorafenib treatment. Results: Sorafenib was discontinued and continued in 24 and 64 patients, respectively. The median OS (355 vs 517 days respectively; p=0.015) and median post-PD OS (260 vs 317 days, respectively; p=0.020) were statistically different between the discontinuation and continuation groups. Neither the median time to first PD nor the time to second PD were significantly different between the 2 groups. In the discontinuation group, 3 of the 24 patients (12.5%) suffered disease outbreaks. In Cox proportional hazard regression analysis after correction for confounding factors, BCLC stage (p=0.002) and PD site (p=0.024) were significantly correlated with pOS in patients who continued sorafenib treatment. Conclusions: Sorafenib discontinuation may cause HCC flares or outbreaks. It is advisable to continue sorafenib treatment after first PD, particularly in patients with Barcelona Clinic Liver Cancer stage B disease or only intrahepatic PD.

Analysis of Volatile Compounds of Jasmine Scented Tea during the Orthodox Manufacturing Process Using HS-SPME/GC-MS

Jian Lu,De-Jun Fu,Dong-Fen Wu,Yu Liu,Yao-Ping Luo 한국차학회 2015 한국차학회지 Vol.- No.S

Volatile components of jasmine-scented tea during the orthodox manufacturing process were extracted using Headspace solid-phase microextraction (HS-SPME) and the major flavor compounds were identified by Gas chromatography-mass spectrometry/Retention indices (GC-MS/RI). The major volatile compounds extracted by SDE could also be obtained by HS-SPME, which appears more suitable for extraction of aromatic compounds, for its advantages of simplicity and convenience. The GC-MS chromatograms of tea samples showed that the aromatic constituents of jasmine tea had been identified in composition after 1st scenting, which contained 6 apparently high peaks representing linalool, benzyl acetate, α-farnesene, (Z)-3-hexenyl benzoate, methyl anthranilate, and indole. According to the change of peak area of major volatile compounds, (Z)-3-hexenyl acetate and (Z)-3-hexenyl butyrate with green grass aroma reduced by 71.13% and 63.10% respectively in jasmine tea product, while 7 compounds with favorable flowery fruity aroma-benzyl acetate, (Z)-3-hexenyl benzoate, linalool, benzyl alcohol, α-farnesene, methyl anthranilate and indole- increased by 17.84%, 28.33 times, 32.49%, 1.70 times, 6.67 times, 11.84 times and 21.48 times respectively, comparing to the base tea. Besides, nerolidol (fruity-flowery) and germacrene D (woody), not detected in the base tea also gradually increased. The quality grade of jasmine tea was potentially correlated to the ratio of peak area of the 9 favorable compounds to that of the 2 grass compounds. After 1st scenting, the peak areas of compounds from jasmine flower increased by 1.81×105-18.24×105, and decreased by 36.14%-69.95% after the 1st drying. The peak areas of some components detected in both the base tea and jasmine flowers, like (Z)-3-hexenyl acetate and methyl salicylate, increased by 9.05%-57.60% of those of the base tea after 1st scenting, and lost more than 100% after the 1st drying, while the increased peak areas of some other components both detected, like α-farnesene and indole, were more than peak areas of the base tea, with 30%- 95% loss after the 1st drying. The content change tendency of volatiles during 2nd scenting and the 2nd drying were consistent with those during 1st scenting and the 1st drying. After raising fragrance, the contents of some low boiling point volatiles and compounds not detected in the base tea increased.

Glyceraldehyde-3-Phosphate Dehydrogenase, an Immunogenic Streptococcus equi ssp. zooepidemicus Adhesion Protein and Protective Antigen

( Qiang Fu ),( Zi Gong Wei ),( Xiao Hong Liu ),( Ping Ping Xiao ),( Zhao Hui Lu ),( Yao Sheng Chen ) 한국미생물 · 생명공학회 2013 Journal of microbiology and biotechnology Vol.23 No.4

Streptococcus equi ssp. zooepidemicus (Streptococcus zooepidemicus, SEZ) is an important pathogen associated with opportunistic infections of a wide range of species, including pigs and humans. The absence of a suitable vaccine makes it difficult to control SEZ infection. Glyceraldehyde-3-phosphate dehydrogenase (GAPDH) has been previously identified as an immunogenic protein using immunoproteomic techniques. In the present study, we confirmed that the sequence of GAPDH was highly conserved with other Streptococcus spp. The purified recombinant GAPDH could elicit a significant humoral antibody response in mice and confer significant protection against challenge with a lethal dose of SEZ. GAPDH could adhere to the Hep-2 cells, confirmed by flow cytometry, and inhibit adherence of SEZ to Hep-2 cells in an adherence inhibition assay. In addition, real-time PCR demonstrated that GAPDH was induced in vivo following infection of mice with SEZ. These suggest that GAPDH could play an important role in the pathogenesis of SEZ infection and could be a target for vaccination against SEZ.

Radiation Hybrid Mapping and mRNA Expression of Chicken N- myc downregulated gene 4

Yong Tian,Li Zhi Lu,Yan Fu,Ai Ping Yuan,Guo Qin Li,Qing Yan Yuan,Zheng Rong Tao,Jin Zhao 한국유전학회 2007 Genes & Genomics Vol.29 No.4

N-myc downregulated gene 4 (NDRG4) is a member of the N-myc downregulated gene family which belongs to the alpha/beta hydrolase superfamily. The protein encoded by this gene is a cytoplasmic protein that may be involved in the regulation of mitogenic signalling in vascular smooth muscle cells. To map NDRG4 gene in chicken chromosome, a 6,000 rads chicken- hamster radiation hybrid panel was used. Primers were designed according to the published human sequence for amplification of chicken NDRG4. We compared the corresponding human mRNA sequence with the predicted coding sequence of chicken NDRG4, and found that the assembled contig shared a high percentage of similarity with that of human gene. PCR of samples from ChickRH6 revealed the locations of NDRG4 to be linked to the maker PARD6G (5 cR away) with a LOD score 20.46. In addition, we detected the mRNA expression and distribution of chicken NDRG4 in various tissues by RT-PCR, and found that NDRG4 was highly expressed in chicken brain and heart, whereas lowly but detectable in thymus. The mRNA expression of this gene in chicken liver, spleen, lung and muscle was rarely detectable under present experimental conditions.

Research Articles : Deletion of Superoxide Dismutase Gene of Bombyx mori Nuclear Polyhedrosis Virus Affects Viral DNA Replication

( Wen Bing Wang ),( Zhi Xiu Song ),( Ping Ji ),( Jun Wu ),( Zhi Fang Zhang ),( Jia Lu He ),( Xiang Fu Wu ) 한국잠사학회 2004 International Journal of Industrial Entomology Vol.9 No.2

Time-dependent Nonlinear Theory and Numerical Simulation of Folded Waveguide Traveling Wave Tubes

Wei Feng Peng,Zhong Hai Yang,Yu Lu Hu,Zan Cao,Yin-Fu Hu,Jin-Jun Feng,Xian-Ping Wu 한국물리학회 2013 THE JOURNAL OF THE KOREAN PHYSICAL SOCIETY Vol.62 No.6

In this paper, a time-dependent nonlinear theory including the generalized time-dependent radiofrequency (RF) field equations is presented to simulate the beam and wave interaction (BWI) of folded waveguide (FWG) traveling wave tubes (TWTs). The analytical RF fields in FWG TWTs are replaced by digitized RF field profiles obtained from electromagnetic simulations. A W-band FWG TWT is studied by using a self-consistent one-dimensional code based on the theory. The numerical results show good predictions when compared with the experimental tests.

Biocatalysis and Fermentation Technology : Secretory Expression, Functional Characterization, and Molecular Genetic Analysis of Novel Halo-Solvent-Tolerant Protease from Bacillus gibsonii

( Ai Hua Deng ),( Guo Qiang Zhang ),( Na Na Shi ),( Jie Wu ),( Fu Ping Lu ),( Ting Yi Wen ) 한국미생물 · 생명공학회 2014 Journal of microbiology and biotechnology Vol.24 No.2

A novel protease gene from Bacillus gibsonii, aprBG, was cloned, expressed in B. subtilis, and characterized. High-level expression of aprBG was achieved in the recombinant strain when a junction was present between the promoter and the target gene. The purified recombinant enzyme exhibited similar N-terminal sequences and catalytic properties to the native enzyme, including high affinity and hydrolytic efficiency toward various substrates and a superior performance when exposed to various metal ions, surfactants, oxidants, and commercial detergents. AprBG was remarkably stable in 50% organic solvents and retained 100% activity and stability in 0-4 M NaCl, which is better than the characteristics of previously reported proteases. AprBG was most closely related to the high-alkaline proteases of the subtilisin family with a 57-68% identity. The secretion and maturation mechanism of AprBG was dependent on the enzyme activity, as analyzed by site-directed mutagenesis. Thus, when taken together, the results revealed that the halo-solvent-tolerant protease AprBG displays significant activity and stability under various extreme conditions, indicating its potential for use in many biotechnology applications.

Bisphosphonates for Osteoporosis in Nonmetastatic Prostate Cancer Patients Receiving Androgen-deprivation Therapy: A Systematic Review and Meta-analysis

Ding, Hui,Yang, Li,Du, Wan,Teng, Yang,Fu, Sheng-Jun,Tao, Yan,Lu, Jian-Zhong,Wang, Zhi-Ping Asian Pacific Journal of Cancer Prevention 2013 Asian Pacific journal of cancer prevention Vol.14 No.5

This systematic review was conducted to assess the efficacy and safety of bisphosphonates for prevention and treatment of osteopenia or osteoporosis in men with non-metastatic prostate cancer receiving androgendeprivation therapy. We searched for randomised controlled trials (RCTs) of bisphosphonates compared with placebo from Pubmed, Embase, the Cochrane Library, and ISI - Science Citation Index. Meta-analyses of prespecified outcomes (bone mineral density, fractures, and adverse events) were performed using Review Manager. Ten RCTs with a total patient population of 1,017 were identified. There was generally more improvement in bone mineral density of the lumbar spine for patients who received bisphosphonate treatment than placebo or other medical treatment at 12 months (WMD 6.02,95%CI 5.39 to 6.65). Similar effects were also observed for total hip, trochanter or femoral neck bone mineral density. However, there was no significant reduction in fractures. Fever and gastrointestinal symptoms were the most common adverse events (10.4% vs. 1.2%; 0.10% vs. 0.03%). Currently, our meta-analysis suggested that oral and intravenous bisphosphonates caused a rapid increase in spine and hip or femoral BMD in non-metastatic prostate cancer patients receiving androgen-deprivation therapy. Fever and gastrointestinal symptoms were common with the use of bisphosphonates. These short-term trials (maximum of 12 months) did not show fracture reduction. In future, more efficient performance of higher quality, more rigorous, large sample, long-term randomised controlled trials (>12 months) are needed where outcomes are detailed.

Risk Factors for Anxiety in Major Depressive Disorder Patients

Li-Min Xin,Lin Chen,Zhen-Peng Ji,Suo-Yuan Zhang,Jun Wang,Yan-Hong Liu,Da-Fang Chen,Fu-De Yang,Gang Wang,Yi-Ru Fang,Zheng Lu,Hai-Chen Yang,Jian Hu,Zhi-Yu Chen,Yi Huang,Jing Sun,Xiao-Ping Wang,Hui-Chun 대한정신약물학회 2015 CLINICAL PSYCHOPHARMACOLOGY AND NEUROSCIENCE Vol.13 No.3

Objective: To analyze the sociodemographic and clinical factors related to anxiety in patients with major depressive disorder (MDD). Methods: This study involved a secondary analysis of data obtained from the Diagnostic Assessment Service for People with Bipolar Disorders in China (DASP), which was initiated by the Chinese Society of Psychiatry (CSP) and conducted from September 1, 2010 to February 28, 2011. Based on the presence or absence of anxiety-related characteristics, 1,178 MDD patients were classified as suffering from anxious depression (n=915) or non-anxious depression (n=263), respectively. Results: Compared with the non-anxious group, the anxious-depression group had an older age at onset (t=−4.39, p<0.001), were older (t=−4.69, p<0.001), reported more lifetime depressive episodes (z=−3.24, p=0.001), were more likely to experience seasonal depressive episodes (χ2=6.896, p=0.009) and depressive episodes following stressful life events (χ2=59.350, p <0.001), and were more likely to have a family history of psychiatric disorders (χ2=6.091, p=0.014). Their positive and total scores on the Mood Disorder Questionnaire (MDQ) and the 32-item Hypomania Checklist (HCL-32) (p<0.05) were also lower. The logistic regression analysis indicated that age (odds ratio [OR]=1.03, p<0.001), a lower total MDQ score (OR=0.94, p=0.011), depressive episodes following stressful life events (OR=3.04, p<0.001), and seasonal depressive episodes (OR=1.75, p=0.039) were significantly associated with anxious depression. Conclusion: These findings indicate that older age, fewer subclinical bipolar features, an increased number of depressive episodes following stressful life events, and seasonal depressive episodes may be risk factors for anxiety-related characteristics in patients with MDD.

Isolation, Purification, and Characterization of a Thermostable Xylanase from a Novel Strain, Paenibacillus campinasensis G1-1

( Hong Chen Zheng ),( Yi Han Liu ),( Xiao Guang Liu ),( Jian Ling Wang ),( Ying Han ),( Fu Ping Lu ) 한국미생물 · 생명공학회 2012 Journal of microbiology and biotechnology Vol.22 No.7

High levels of xylanase activity (143.98 IU/ml) produced by the newly isolated Paenibacillus campinasensis G1-1 were detected when it was cultivated in a synthetic medium. A thermostable xylanase, designated XynG1-1, from P. campinasensis G1-1 was purified to homogeneity by Octyl-Sepharose hydrophobic-interaction chromatography, Sephadex G75 gel-filter chromatography, and Q-Sepharose ion-exchange chromatography, consecutively. By multistep purification, the specific activity of XynG1-1 was up to 1,865.5 IU/mg with a 9.1-fold purification. The molecular mass of purified XynG1-1 was about 41.3 kDa as estimated by sodium dodecyl sulfate polyacrylamide gel electrophoresis (SDS-PAGE). Sequence analysis revealed that XynG1-1 containing 377 amino acids encoded by 1,134 bp genomic sequences of P. campinasensis G1-1 shared 96% homology with XylX from Paenibacillus campinasensis BL11 and 77%~78% homology with xylanases from Bacillus sp. YA- 335 and Bacillus sp. 41M-1, respectively. The activity of XynG1-1 was stimulated by Ca2+, Ba2+, DTT, and β- mercaptoethanol, but was inhibited by Ni2+, Fe2+, Fe3+, Zn2+, SDS, and EDTA. The purified XynG1-1 displayed a greater affinity for birchwood xylan, with an optimal temperature of 60oC and an optimal pH of 7.5. The fact that XynG1-1 is cellulose-free, thermostable (stability at high temperature of 70oC~80oC), and active over a wide pH range (pH 5.0~9.0) suggests that the enzyme is potentially valuable for various industrial applications, especially for pulp bleaching pretreatment.