Development and Evaluation of a Patient-Reported Outcome (PRO) Scale for Breast Cancer

Zhang, Jun,Yao, Yu-Feng,Zha, Xiao-Ming,Pan, Li-Qun,Bian, Wei-He,Tang, Jin Hai Asian Pacific Journal of Cancer Prevention 2015 Asian Pacific journal of cancer prevention Vol.16 No.18

Background: This study was guided by principles of the theoretical system of evidence-based medicine. In particular, when searching for evidence of breast cancer, a measuring scale is an instrument for evaluating curative effects in accordance with the laws and characteristics of medicine and exploring the establishment of a system for medically assessing curative effects. At present, there exist few tools for evaluating curative effects. Patient-reported outcomes (PROs) refer to outcomes directly reported by patients (without input or explanations from doctors or other intermediaries) with respect to all aspects of their health. Data obtained from PROs provide evidence of treatment effects. Materials and Methods: In accordance with the tenets of theoretical medicine and ancient medical theory regarding breast cancer, principles for developing a PRO scale were established, and a theoretical model was developed and a literature review was performed, items from this pool were combined and split, and an initial scale was constructed. After a pilot survey and additional modifications, a pre-questionnaire scale was formed and used in a field investigation. After the application of statistical methods, the item pool was used to create a formal scale. The reliability, validity and feasibility of this formal scale were then assessed. Results: In a clinical investigation, 479 responses were recovered, with an acceptance rate of 95%. a combination of various methods was employed, and the items that were selected by all methods or more than half of the methods were employed in the questionnaire. In these cases, the screening methods were combined with certain features of the item, A total of four domains and 38 items were reserved. The reliability analysis indicated that the PRO scale was relatively reliable. Conclusions: Scientific assessment proved that the proposed scale exhibited good reliability and validity. This scale was readily accepted and could be used to assess the curative effects of medical therapy. However, given the limited scope of this investigation, the capacity for adapting this scale to incorporate other theories could not be determined.

Design of Large-scale Boolean Networks Based on Prescribed Attractors

Jinfeng Pan,Jun-e Feng,Min Meng,Jianli Zhao 제어·로봇·시스템학회 2018 International Journal of Control, Automation, and Vol.16 No.3

In this paper, the problem of designing large-scale Boolean networks with prescribed attractors is considered. The obtained Boolean networks satisfy the attractor constraints, as well as that the size of the basins of attraction (BOAs) of desired attractors is at its maximum. This is achieved by network aggregation, under which desired attractors and undesired attractors can be mapped to input-state cycles in the subnetworks. The input-state cycles corresponding to desired attractors must be contained in subnetworks, and for each undesired attractor at least one input-state cycle is not contained. An algorithm is proposed to maximize the size of the BOAs of desired attractors. Finally, a practical example is given to illustrate the effectiveness of the proposed methods.

A Voronoi path planning extracted from improved skeleton for dynamic environments

Lin Jiang,Jun Li,Yuxin Hu,Feng Pan,Jianyang Zhu,Bin Lei,Rui Lin 대한기계학회 2023 JOURNAL OF MECHANICAL SCIENCE AND TECHNOLOGY Vol.37 No.4

Aiming at the problems that the robot being in the process of navigation cannot meet the requirements of real-time and accuracy at the same time, moreover is too close to obstacles and lacks the initiative to avoid obstacles, a Voronoi diagram algorithm for improved skeleton extraction suitable for dynamic environment is proposed. On the one hand, firstly the grid map is preprocessed by binarization, corrosion and expansion, so the reduced skeleton map suitable for navigation is obtained, then the reduced skeleton map is extracted for searching the global path, finally the improved cubic spline smoothing algorithm is used to optimize the global path each planned, thus overcoming the defects of bloated and tortuous in the path obtaining by original Voronoi diagram algorithm. On the other hand, the position information of all obstacles is obtained by a single scan lidar. Firstly, segmenting and linearly fitting all laser point clouds to remove the known obstacles in the map. Then to mark new possible dynamic obstacles with circles of appropriate size. Secondly detecting dynamic obstacles by the alteration of their center coordinates, moreover, solving their motion equations. Finally expanding the cost map along the speed direction of dynamic obstacles and combining DWA dynamic window method to realize dynamic obstacle avoidance. Compared with the original DWA algorithm, it can predict the motion state of dynamic obstacles in advance, which improves the safety of the robot in the dynamic environment. Moreover, the effectiveness of the algorithm is verified by many simulation experiments and real environment experiments.

Ordered Morphologies on the Binary Blend of Diblock Copolymers Film Induced by Nanoparticles

Min-Na Sun,Jin-Jun Zhang,Jun-Xing Pan,Bao-Feng Wang,Hai-Shun Wu 성균관대학교(자연과학캠퍼스) 성균나노과학기술원 2016 NANO Vol.11 No.1

In this study, we investigate the ordered morphologies on the binary blend of diblock copolymers film induced by the mobile wettable nanoparticles on the substrate. The film forms highly ordered microphase and macrophase morphologies. We constructed the phase diagram, which suggests that the ordered-striped macrophase structures are due to the competition equilibrium of the wetting strength and the chemical potential amplitude upon the nanoparticles. The morphologies of the binary blend film form the striped pattern of different periods with the changing oscillation period of the chemical potential. The short-range interaction between monomers only alters the microphase structures. We analyzed the variation in the interfacial energy, the wetting energy and the particles/substrate's coupling energy on different morphologies. The results provide a new control mechanism to stabilize the ordered microphase and macrophase structures within the copolymer blend film.

Comprehensive Expression Analysis Suggests Functional Overlapping of Human FOX Transcription Factors in Cancer

Zhang, Ya-Li,Sun, Feng-Ting,Zhang, Ze,Chen, Xiao-Xu,Liu, Ai-Xiang,Pan, Jing-Jing,Peng, Fei,Zhou, Shuai,Sun, Li-Jun Asian Pacific Journal of Cancer Prevention 2014 Asian Pacific journal of cancer prevention Vol.15 No.23

Forkhead-box (FOX) transcription factors comprise a large gene family that contains more than 50 members in man. Extensive studies have revealed that they not only have functions in control of growth and development, but also play important roles in different diseases, especially in cancer. However, biological functions for most of the members in the FOX family remain unknown. In the present study, the expression of 39 FOX genes in 48 kinds of cancer was mined from the Gene Expression Atlas database of European Bioinformatics Institute. The analysis results showed that some FOX genes demonstrate overlapping expression in various cancers, which suggests particular biological functions. The pleiotropic features of the FOX genes make them excellent candidates in efforts aimed to give medical treatment for cancers at the genetic level. The results also indicated that different FOX genes may have the synergy or antagonistics effects in the same cancers. The study provides clues for further functional analysis of FOX genes, especially for the pleiotropic biological functions and crosstalk of FOX genes in human cancers.

Synthesis and characterization of monodisperse yttrium aluminum garnet (YAG) micro-crystals with rhombic dodecahedron

Xu, Tao,Yuan, Rui,Xu, Peng-Cheng,Pan, Dong-Jie,Yang, Woochul,Guo, Hai-Bo,Shen, Yu-Fang,Hu, Jian-Feng,Zhang, Zhi-Jun,Zhao, Jing-Tai Elsevier 2018 Journal of alloys and compounds Vol.762 No.-

<P><B>Abstract</B></P> <P>Uniform, monodisperse yttrium aluminum garnet (YAG) rhombic dodecahedron micro-crystals were synthesized using coprecipitation and hydrothermal methods. The Na<SUB>2</SUB>SO<SUB>4</SUB> as a surfactant was helpful in improving the dispersity of the crystallites and forming well-faceted, micro-sized dodecahedral YAG crystallites. The effect of the reaction time and the solvent has also been studied. The crystal growth mechanism called dissolution/crystallization was determined by analyzing the experimental and simulated results. And the specific well-developed crystal facets in the {110} family have been demonstrated by the theoretical calculation. A higher integrated emission intensity can be achieved for the YAG:Ce crystallites by improving the phase purity, morphology with better developed dodecahedrons, and dispersion. Furthermore, a rather high luminous efficacy (LE = 104.14 lm/W) for the white LED fabricated using the YAG:Ce<SUP>3+</SUP> phosphor prepared in this work was realized. The correlation between the crystal growth, morphology and luminescence properties of YAG crystallites has been established, which exhibits a great importance for the synthesis and application of mono-dispersed YAG crystallites.</P> <P><B>Highlights</B></P> <P> <UL> <LI> Uniform and monodisperse YAG rhombic dodecahedron micro-crystals were synthesized. </LI> <LI> The growth mechanism of YAG rhombic dodecahedron was studied through experimental and computational simulation. </LI> <LI> The correlation between the crystal growth, morphology and luminescence of YAG crystallites was established. </LI> </UL> </P> <P><B>Graphical abstract</B></P> <P>[DISPLAY OMISSION]</P>

Analysis on Clinical Characteristics and Influencing Factors of Patients with Locoregionally Advanced Nasopharyngeal Carcinoma

Zheng, Wei,Xu, Yuan-Ji,Qiu, Su-Fang,Zong, Jing-Feng,Huang, Ling-Ling,Huang, Chao-Bin,Lin, Shao-Jun,Pan, Jian-Ji Asian Pacific Journal of Cancer Prevention 2015 Asian Pacific journal of cancer prevention Vol.16 No.10

Background: To explore the independent prognostic factors for the recurrence/metastasis of patients with locoregionally advanced nasopharyngeal carcinoma (LANPC). Materials and Methods: A total of 604 patients initially diagnosed as LANPC by pathohistology in Fujian Provincial Cancer Hospital were selected to analyze the relationship between the clinical pathological patterns, therapeutic protocols and clinical stages with the recurrence/metastasis of LANPC. Results: The 1-, 3- and 5-year locoregionally recurrent rates of LANPC patients were 2.0%, 9.5% and 12.9% respectively, with average recurrent period being 78 months. Univariate analysis results indicated that clinical stages had certain influence on the recurrent period of LANPC patients. However, COX regression models showed that ages, genders and clinical stages were not the independent prognostic factors influencing the recurrence. The 1-, 3- and 5-year metastatic rates of LANPC patients were 6.6%, 17.5% and 18.8% respectively, with average metastatic period of 73 months. Univariate analysis results demonstrated that ages, N stages, clinical stages, locations of lymph node, retropharyngeal lymph node and extracapsular invasion of lymph node had certain influence on the metastatic period of LANPC patients. Additionally, further COX regression analysis results suggested that T stages, reduction protocols and extracapsular invasion of lymph node were the independent prognostic factors influencing the metastasis of patients with LANPC, in which T stages and extracapsular invasion of lymph node were the pestilent factors while reduction protocols the protective factor. Conclusions: Induction chemotherapy is beneficial to LANPC patients with initial treatment, and the metastatic rate decreases greatly after the application of reduction chemotherapy.

Research Paper : Influences of long-term different types of fertilization on weed community biodiversity in rice paddy fields

( Kai Yuan Wan ),( Yong Tao ),( Ru Hai Li ),( Jun Feng Pan ),( Lei Lei Tang ),( Fang Chen ) 한국잡초학회 2012 Weed Biology and Management Vol.12 No.1

In order to provide a scientific basis for developing integrated weed management strategies in rice paddy fields, this study investigated the influences of different types of fertilization on weed biodiversity. The experiment was conducted at Long-term-located Monitoring Station for Soil Fertility, Agricultural Science Academy, of Jiangxi Province, China. Five fertilization treatments were set: no fertilization (NOF), PK, NP, NK, and NPK. The results showed that the influence of different fertilization treatments on weed community traits followed the models PK > NOF > NK > NP > NPK for species richness, PK > NOF > NK > NP > NPK for species diversity, NPK > NP > NK > NOF > PK for community dominance, and PK > NOF > NK > NP > NPK for community evenness. Under NPK (i.e. balanced fertilization), the weed species diversity and richness and weed community evenness were the lowest. The principal component analysis showed that the weed community was divided into three groups: (i) NK and a part of NOF; (ii) NP and NPK; and (iii) PK and NOF. The correlation analysis indicated that the influence of each macro-element on the weed community followed the model N > P > K. The organic content in the paddy soil might have played an equally important role with the amount of available N in determining the weed community`s characteristics. Regarding the way by which N, P, and K influenced the weed community, the amount of available P and K mainly influenced the organic content, while the amount of available N influenced both the organic content and light transmittance within the canopy, thereby enhancing the capacity of rice to compete with weeds.