A Novel Molecular Grading Model: Combination of Ki67 and VEGF in Predicting Tumor Recurrence and Progression in Non-invasive Urothelial Bladder Cancer

Chen, Jun-Xing,Deng, Nan,Chen, Xu,Chen, Ling-Wu,Qiu, Shao-Peng,Li, Xiao-Fei,Li, Jia-Ping Asian Pacific Journal of Cancer Prevention 2012 Asian Pacific journal of cancer prevention Vol.13 No.5

Purpose: To assess efficacy of Ki67 combined with VEGF as a molecular grading model to predict outcomes with non-muscle invasive bladder cancer (NMIBC). Materials: 72 NMIBC patients who underwent transurethral resection (TUR) followed by routine intravesical instillations were retrospectively analyzed in this study. Univariate and multivariate analyses were performed to confirm the prognostic values of the Ki67 labeling index (LI) and VEGF scoring for tumor recurrence and progression. Results: The novel molecular grading model for NMIBC contained three molecular grades including mG1 (Ki67 $LI{\leq}25%$, VEGF $scoring{\leq}8$), mG2 (Ki67 LI>25%, VEGF $scoring{\leq}8$; or Ki67 $LI{\leq}25%$, VEGF scoring > 8), and mG3 (Ki67 LI > 25%, VEGF scoring > 8), which can indicate favorable, intermediate and poor prognosis, respectively. Conclusions: The described novel molecular grading model utilizing Ki67 LI and VEGF scoring is helpful to effectively and accurately predict outcomes and optimize personal therapy.

Meteorological driven factors of population growth in brown planthopper, Nilaparvata lugens Stål (Hemiptera: Delphacidae), in rice paddies

Xiao‐Zhen Li,Yi ZOU,Hai-Yan YANG,Hai-Jun XIAO,Jian-Guo WANG 한국곤충학회 2017 Entomological Research Vol.47 No.5

Growth of brown planthopper (BPH) (Nilaparvata lugens Stål) in rice paddies is mainly driven by meteorological factors under similar management practices. By analyzing field investigation and meteorological data collected from 2008 to 2013 in Nanchang, China, we show that BPH population densities and monthly growth rates (BGR) changed greatly from May to October, and these changes were closely associated with meteorological factors. Stepwise regression and path analysis indicated average speed of winds (AW) in June and lowest temperature (LT) in July were the first factors entering analysis, which interpreted 46.20% and 31.90% of their influences on BGR. While highest temperature (HT) in August and average temperature (AT) in September were the most important factors affecting BGR, but their direct path coefficients were all smaller than their corresponding indirect path coefficients. In October, relative humidity (RH), AW and number of raining days (RD) had significant effects on BGR. According to the sum of each meteorological factor entering stepwise regression analysis sequences, we found AW had the utmost effect on BPH growth, followed by AT and RH, but LT and RD least. The work demonstrate dynamic meteorological factors driving BPH growth and outbreak in rice paddies, which would facilitate the development of durable approaches for forecasting and controlling this destructive rice pest.

Performance optimization of flexible a-Si:H solar cells with nanotextured plasmonic substrate by tuning the thickness of oxide spacer layer

Xiao, Huapeng,Wang, Jun,Huang, Hongtao,Lu, Linfeng,Lin, Qingfeng,Fan, Zhiyong,Chen, Xiaoyuan,Jeong, Chaehwan,Zhu, Xufei,Li, Dongdong Elsevier 2015 Nano energy Vol.11 No.-

<P><B>Abstract</B></P> <P>Plasmonic thin film solar cells deposited on periodically textured photonic crystal substrates have been extensively studied since the substantially enhanced light absorption. The reduction of parasitic absorption losses in the metal and spacer layers becomes one of the key issues to achieve high efficiency solar cells. Herein, plasmonic amorphous silicon (a-Si:H) flexible thin film solar cells with different thickness of oxide spacer layers are systematically investigated. An increase of the spacer layer thickness leads to an evolution in surface morphology of AZO and final devices. More intriguingly, the increase of spacer layer thickness reduces the absorption in Ag layer while induces more absorption in spacer layer. The highest light absorption in silicon layer is observed as applying 100nm spacer layer, which is further verified by electrical measurements. Our observations demonstrate a versatile and convenient route towards rational design of light harvesting nanostructure for high performance plasmonic solar cells based on a broad range of materials.</P> <P><B>Highlights</B></P> <P> <UL> <LI> Amorphous silicon thin film solar cells are constructed on patterned substrates. </LI> <LI> The devices properties are studied as a function of spacer layer thickness. </LI> <LI> An increase of spacer layer thickness reduces the absorption loss of Ag layer. </LI> <LI> The device with 100nm spacer layer confines more incident light in silicon layer. </LI> </UL> </P> <P><B>Graphical abstract</B></P> <P>[DISPLAY OMISSION]</P>

Apatinib Combined with Local Irradiation Leads to Systemic Tumor Control via Reversal of Immunosuppressive Tumor Microenvironment in Lung Cancer

Li-jun Liang,Chen-xi Hu,Yi-xuan Wen,Xiao-wei Geng,Ting Chen,Guo-qing Gu,Lei Wang,You-you Xia,Yong Liu,Jia-yan Fei,Jie Dong,Feng-hua Zhao,Yiliyar Ahongjiang,Kai-yuan Hui,Xiao-dong Jiang 대한암학회 2020 Cancer Research and Treatment Vol.52 No.2

Purpose This study aimed to investigate the potential systemic antitumor effects of stereotactic ablative radiotherapy (SABR) and apatinib (a novel vascular endothelial growth factor receptor 2 inhibitor) via reversing the immunosuppressive tumor microenvironment for lung carcinoma. Materials and Methods Lewis lung cancer cells were injected into C57BL/6 mice in the left hindlimb (primary tumor; irradiated) and in the right flank (secondary tumor; nonirradiated). When both tumors grew to the touchable size, mice were randomly divided into eight treatment groups. These groups received normal saline or three distinct doses of apatinib (50 mg/kg, 150 mg/kg, and 200 mg/kg) daily for 7 days, in combination with a single dose of 15 Gy radiotherapy or not to the primary tumor. The further tumor growth/regression of mice were followed and observed. Results For the single 15 Gy modality, tumor growth delay could only be observed at the primary tumor. When combining SABR and apatinib 200 mg/kg, significant retardation of both primary and secondary tumor growth could be observed, indicated an abscopal effect was induced. Mechanism analysis suggested that programmed death-ligand 1 expression increased with SABR was counteract by additional apatinib therapy. Furthermore, when apatinib was combined with SABR, the composition of immune cells could be changed. More importantly, this two-pronged approach evoked tumor antigen–specific immune responses and the mice were resistant to another tumor rechallenge, finally, long-term survival was improved. Conclusion Our results suggested that the tumor microenvironment could be managed with apatinib, which was effective in eliciting an abscopal effect induced by SABR.

Chemical Constituents and an Antineuroinflammatory Lignan, Savinin from the Roots of <i> Acanthopanax henryi</i>

Li, Xiao-Jun,Kim, Kwan-Woo,Oh, Hyuncheol,Liu, Xiang-Qian,Kim, Youn-Chul Hindawi 2019 Evidence-based Complementary and Alternative Medic Vol.2019 No.-

<P>The phytochemical investigation on the roots of<I> Acanthopanax henryi</I> (Araliaceae) resulted in the discovery of twenty compounds whose chemical structures were elucidated by the analysis of 1D-, 2D-NMR, mass spectrometry data, other physicochemical properties, and a comparison of the spectral data with the literature. They were identified as (-)-sesamin (<B>1</B>), helioxanthin (<B>2</B>), savinin (<B>3</B>), taiwanin C (<B>4</B>), 6-methoxy-7-hydroxycoumarin (<B>5</B>), behenic acid (<B>6</B>), 3-<I>O</I>-caffeoyl-quinic acid (<B>7</B>), 5-<I>O</I>-caffeoyl-quinic acid (<B>8</B>), 1,3-di-<I>O</I>-caffeoyl-quinic acid (<B>9</B>), 1,4-di-<I>O</I>-caffeoyl-quinic acid (<B>10</B>), 1,5-di-<I>O</I>-caffeoyl-quinic acid (<B>11</B>), (+)-<I>threo</I>-(7<I>R</I>,8<I>R</I>)-guaiacylglycerol-<I>β</I>-coniferyl aldehyde ether (<B>12</B>), (+)-<I>erythro</I>-(7<I>S</I>,8<I>R</I>)-guaiacylglycerol-<I>β</I>-coniferyl aldehyde ether (<B>13</B>), ferulic acid (<B>14</B>), caffeic acid (<B>15</B>), stigmasterol (<B>16</B>), <I>β</I>-sitosterol (<B>17</B>), adenosine (<B>18</B>), syringin (<B>19</B>), and<I> trans</I>-coniferin (<B>20</B>). Among these isolates, compound<B> 3</B> showed inhibitory activity against lipopolysaccharide- (LPS-) induced nitric oxide (NO) and prostaglandin E2 (PGE<SUB>2</SUB>) production with IC<SUB>50</SUB> values of 2.22 ± 0.11 and 2.28 ± 0.23 <I>μ</I>M, respectively. The effects of compound<B> 3</B> were associated with the suppression of LPS-induced expression of the inducible nitric oxide synthase (iNOS) and cyclooxygenase-2 (COX-2) protein. Furthermore, compound<B> 3</B> negatively regulated the production of interleukin- (IL-) 1<I>β</I> and tumor-necrosis factor- (TNF-) <I>α</I> at the transcriptional level in LPS-stimulated BV2 microglial cells. These antineuroinflammatory effects of compound<B> 3</B> were mediated by p38 mitogen-activated protein kinase (MAPK).</P>

The Effect of H2O2/Fe2+ Catalytic Oxidation System on the Morphology, Structure and Properties of Flake-Like Poly(2,3-dimethylaniline)

Jun Yan,Li Ma,Mengyu Gan,Xiao Li,Zhitao Li,Jihai Tang,Ying Tu,Haifeng Hu 한국고분자학회 2014 Macromolecular Research Vol.22 No.8

In this work, flake-like poly(2,3-dimethylaniline) (P(2,3-DMA)) with enhanced thermal stability andanticorrosive ability was synthesized by in situ polymerization using H2O2/Fe2+ catalytic oxidation system, comparingwith traditional oxidant ammonium persulfate (APS) synthetic method. The structure and morphology of thesamples were characterized Fourier transform infrared (FTIR) spectra, X-ray diffraction (XRD) and field-emissionscanning electron microscope (FESEM). The experimental results demonstrated that using H2O2/Fe2+ catalytic oxidationsystem was more inclined to form the two-dimensional P(2,3-DMA) flakes. The enhancement in thermostabilityand corrosion resistance was attributed to the formation of phenazine-like structures in the polymer chains,which could serve as templates to form the flake-like morphology. In addition, using H2O2/Fe2+ catalytic oxidationsystem is more environmental friendly than the APS method that can avoid ammonium pollution on aquatic life aswell as waters.

Tumor-Derived Transforming Growth Factor-β is Critical for Tumor Progression and Evasion from Immune Surveillance

Li, Zheng,Zhang, Li-Juan,Zhang, Hong-Ru,Tian, Gao-Fei,Tian, Jun,Mao, Xiao-Li,Jia, Zheng-Hu,Meng, Zi-Yu,Zhao, Li-Qing,Yin, Zhi-Nan,Wu, Zhen-Zhou Asian Pacific Journal of Cancer Prevention 2014 Asian Pacific journal of cancer prevention Vol.15 No.13

Tumors have evolved numerous mechanisms by which they can escape from immune surveillance. One of these is to produce immunosuppressive cytokines. Transforming growth factor-${\beta}$(TGF-${\beta}$) is a pleiotropic cytokine with a crucial function in mediating immune suppression, especially in the tumor microenvironment. TGF-${\beta}$ produced by T cells has been demonstrated as an important factor for suppressing antitumor immune responses, but the role of tumor-derived TGF-${\beta}$ in this process is poorly understood. In this study, we demonstrated that knockdown of tumor-derived TGF-${\beta}$ using shRNA resulted in dramatically reduced tumor size, slowing tumor formation, prolonging survival rate of tumor-bearing mice and inhibiting metastasis. We revealed possible underlying mechanisms as reducing the number of myeloid-derived suppressor cells (MDSC) and $CD4^+Foxp3^+$ Treg cells, and consequently enhanced IFN-${\gamma}$ production by CTLs. Knockdown of tumor-derived TGF-${\beta}$ also significantly reduced the conversion of na$\ddot{i}$ve $CD4^+$ T cells into Treg cells in vitro. Finally, we found that knockdown of TGF-${\beta}$ suppressed cell migration, but did not change the proliferation and apoptosis of tumor cells in vitro. In summary, our study provided evidence that tumor-derived TGF-${\beta}$ is a critical factor for tumor progression and evasion of immune surveillance, and blocking tumor-derived TGF-${\beta}$ may serve as a potential therapeutic approach for cancer.

Functional Magnetic Resonance Imaging in the Diagnosis of Locally Recurrent Prostate Cancer: Are All Pulse Sequences Helpful?

Xiao-Li Liao,Jun-Bao Wei,Yong-Qiang Li,Jian-Hong Zhong,Cheng-Cheng Liao,Chang-Yuan Wei 대한영상의학회 2018 Korean Journal of Radiology Vol.19 No.6

Objective: To perform a meta-analysis to quantitatively assess functional magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) in the diagnosis of locally recurrent prostate cancer. Materials and Methods: A comprehensive search of the PubMed, Embase, Cochrane Central Register of Controlled Trials, and Cochrane Database of Systematic Reviews was conducted from January 1, 1995 to December 31, 2016. Diagnostic accuracy was quantitatively pooled for all studies by using hierarchical logistic regression modeling, including bivariate modeling and hierarchical summary receiver operating characteristic (HSROC) curves (AUCs). The Z test was used to determine whether adding functional MRI to T2-weighted imaging (T2WI) results in significantly increased diagnostic sensitivity and specificity. Results: Meta-analysis of 13 studies involving 826 patients who underwent radical prostatectomy showed a pooled sensitivity and specificity of 91%, and the AUC was 0.96. Meta-analysis of 7 studies involving 329 patients who underwent radiotherapy showed a pooled sensitivity of 80% and specificity of 81%, and the AUC was 0.88. Meta-analysis of 11 studies reporting 1669 sextant biopsies from patients who underwent radiotherapy showed a pooled sensitivity of 54% and specificity of 91%, and the AUC was 0.85. Sensitivity after radiotherapy was significantly higher when diffusion-weighted MRI data were combined with T2WI than when only T2WI results were used. This was true when meta-analysis was performed on a per-patient basis (p = 0.027) or per sextant biopsy (p = 0.046). A similar result was found when 1H-magnetic resonance spectroscopy (1H-MRS) data were combined with T2WI and sextant biopsy was the unit of analysis (p = 0.036). Conclusion: Functional MRI data may not strengthen the ability of T2WI to detect locally recurrent prostate cancer in patients who have undergone radical prostatectomy. By contrast, diffusion-weight MRI and 1H-MRS data may improve the sensitivity of T2WI for patients who have undergone radiotherapy.

Roles of mTOR and p-mTOR in Gastrointestinal Stromal Tumors

Li, Jun-Chuan,Zhu, Hong-Yu,Chen, Ting-Xuan,Zou, Lan-Ying,Wang, Xiao-Yan,Zhao, Hui-Chuan,Xu, Jun Asian Pacific Journal of Cancer Prevention 2013 Asian Pacific journal of cancer prevention Vol.14 No.10

Objective: This study aimed to examine the relationship between expression of mammal target of rapamycin (mTOR) and phosphorylation of mTOR (p-mTOR) protein in the PI3K/Akt/mTOR signaling pathways in gastrointestinal stromal tumors and relatiuonships with clinical factors. Methods: Immunohistochemistry was used to detect the expression of the associated proteins mTOR, p-mTOR, and phosphorylation of the tumor suppressor genes PTEN, P27, VEGF, and EGFR in 40 cases of gastrointestinal stromal tumors, with division into a very low and low risk group as well as a moderate and high risk group. Results: The positive rate of mTOR and p-mTOR was significantly increased in the moderate and high risk group compared with the very low and low risk group. The difference was statistically significant (P<0.05). When grouped according to size, the positive mTOR expression rate exhibited a statistical difference (P<0.05), which was significantly increased in the group of tumors larger than 5 cm. The difference in the positive mTOR and p-mTOR expression rate exhibit no statistical significance among the PTEN, P27, VEGF, and EGFR expression subgroups (P>0.05). Conclusion: The different expressions of mTOR and p-mTOR in the signal transduction pathway of gastrointestinal stromal tumor in the different degree-of-risk groups suggested that the mTOR and p-mTOR of the signal transduction pathway serve an important function in the occurrence and development of gastrointestinal stromal tumors.

Accumulation of Flavonoids and Antioxidant Activity of Stellera chamaejasme by an Efficient Callus Culture

Jun-li Wang,Xuan Xiao,Qian Wang,Xiaoxu Li,Lu Zhang,Jianfei Li 한국원예학회 2013 Horticulture, Environment, and Biotechnology Vol.54 No.5

An efficient callus proliferation system of Stellera chamaejasme was developed. The calli were initially induced by cultivating the leaf explants on the MS medium containing 1.0 mg·L-1 2,4-dichlorophenoxy acetic acid (2,4-D). The culture had its fresh and dry weights increased by about 29 and 25 times, respectively, through further cultivation on the MS medium containing 0.5 mg·L-1 α-naphthalene acetic acid (NAA) and 1.0 mg·L-1 n-phenyl-n′-1,2,3-thiadiazol-5-ylurea (TDZ). The concentrations of NAA and 6-benzylaminopurine (BA) for an efficient accumulation of the total flavonoids in the callus were found to be 1.0 mg·L-1 and 0.25 mg·L-1, respectively. With this combination,the content of the total flavonoids slightly increased to 10.8 mg·g-1 dry weight (DW) in comparison to 10.1 mg·g-1DW obtained in the root of wild-type plant. The antioxidant activities of all flavonoid extracts were evaluated by 2,2-diphenyl-1-picrylhydrazyl (DPPH) assay. The flavonoid extracts from the callus as induced by 1.0 mg·L-1 NAA and 0.25 or 0.5 mg·L-1 BA was very active in radical scavenging, and their IC50 values were 11.94 and 19.17 μg·mL-1,respectively. Compared to the ascorbic acid (IC50 21.21 μg·mL-1), the antioxidant activity of callus from S. chamaejasme was even stronger, suggesting that be another potential source of new natural antioxidants.