Health-related Quality of Life in Women with Breast Cancer: a Literature-based Review of Psychometric Properties of Breast Cancer-specific Measures

Niu, Hui-Yan,Niu, Chun-Ying,Wang, Jia-He,Zhang, Yi,He, Ping Asian Pacific Journal of Cancer Prevention 2014 Asian Pacific journal of cancer prevention Vol.15 No.8

Background: Breast cancer is one of the most common cancers in women in the world. Health-related quality of life (HRQL) at treatment endpoint in cancer clinical trials is widely considered to be increasingly important. The aim of this review was to provide a literature-based assessment of the validity, reliability and responsiveness of breast cancer-specific HRQL instruments in women breast cancer patients. Materials and Methods: The databases consulted were Medline, PubMed, and Embase. The inclusion criteria required studies to: (1) involve use of HRQL measures; (2) cover women with breast cancer under standard treatment (surgery, radiation therapy, chemotherapy, hormone therapy, and targeted therapy); (3) involve the validity, reliability, or responsiveness of HRQL; (4) deal with validation of breast cancer-specific HRQL instruments. Results: A total of 16 studies were identified through the literature search that met the 4 inclusion criteria. Some seven instruments were assessed among these 16 studies: EORTC QLQ-BR23, FACT-B, FACT-ES, HFRDIS, LSQ-32, QLICP-BR, and SLDS-BC. EORTC QLQ-BR23, FACT-B, LSQ-32, QLICP-BR, and SLDS-BC are more general breast cancer-specific HRQL instruments. FACT-EB is the endocrine subscale combined with FACT-B in order to measure the side effects and putative benefits of hormonal treatment administered in breast cancer patients. HFRDIS is the HRQL measure focusing on hot flash concerns. Conclusions: This paper provides an overall understanding on the currently available breast cancer-specific HRQL instruments in women breast cancer patients.

Advantages and disadvantages of renewable energy-oil-environmental pollution-from the point of view of nanoscience

Shunzheng Jia,Xiuhong Niu,Fangting Jia,Tayebeh Mahmoudi Techno-Press 2023 Advances in concrete construction Vol.16 No.1

This investigation delves into the adverse repercussions stemming from the impact of arsenic on steel pipes concealed within soil designated for rice cultivation. Simultaneously, the study aims to ascertain effective techniques for detecting arsenic in the soil and to provide strategies for mitigating the corrosion of steel pipes. The realm of nanotechnology presents promising avenues for addressing the intricate intersection of renewable energy, oil, and environmental pollution from a novel perspective. Nanostructured materials, characterized by distinct chemical and physical attributes, unveil novel pathways for pioneering materials that exert a substantial impact across diverse realms of food production, storage, packaging, and quality control. Within the scope of the food industry, the scope of nanotechnology encompasses processes, storage methodologies, packaging paradigms, and safeguards to ensure the safety of consumables. Of particular note, silver nanoparticles, in addition to their commendable antibacterial efficacy, boast anti-fungal and anti-inflammatory prowess, environmental compatibility, minimal irritability and allergenicity, resilience to microbial antagonism, thermal stability, and robustness. Confronting the pressing issue of arsenic contamination within both environmental settings and the food supply is of paramount importance to preserve public health and ecological equilibrium. In response, this study introduces detection kits predicated upon silver nanoparticles, providing an expeditious and economically feasible avenue for identifying arsenic concentrations ranging from 0.5 to 3 ppm within rice. Subsequent quantification employs Hydride Atomic Absorption Spectroscopy (HG-AAS), which features a detection threshold of 0.05 ㎍/l. A salient advantage inherent in the HG-AAS methodology lies in its capacity to segregate analytes from the sample matrix, thereby significantly reducing instances of spectral interference. Importantly, the presence of arsenic in the soil beneath rice cultivation establishes a causative link to steel pipe corrosion, with potential consequences extending to food contamination-an intricate facet embedded within the broader tapestry of renewable energy, oil, and environmental pollution.

In Vitro Screening for Compounds Derived from Traditional Chinese Medicines with Antiviral Activities Against Porcine Reproductive and Respiratory Syndrome Virus

( Jia Cheng ),( Na Sun ),( Xin Zhao ),( Li Niu ),( Mei Qin Song ),( Yao Gui Sun ),( Jun Bing Jiang ),( Jian Hua Guo2 ),( Yuan Sheng Bai ),( Jun Ping He ),( Hong Quan Li ) 한국미생물 · 생명공학회 2013 Journal of microbiology and biotechnology Vol.23 No.8

Seventeen compounds derived from traditional Chinese medicines (TCMs) were tested for their antiviral activity against porcine reproductive and respiratory syndrome virus (PRRSV) in vitro. Visualization with the cytopathologic effect (CPE) assay and the 3-(4, 5-dimethyithiazol- 2-yl)-2,5-diphenyltetrazolium bromide test were used to determine the 50% cytotoxic concentration (CC50) and 50% effective concentration (EC50) in cultured Marc-145 cells. Among the tested compounds, chlorogenic acid and scutellarin showed potential anti-PRRSV activity. The EC50 values were 270.8 ± 14.6 μg/ml and 28.21 ± 26.0 μg/ml and the selectivity indexes were >5.54 and 35.5, respectively. The time-of-addition and virucidal assay indicated that the anti-PRRSV activity of the two compounds could be due to their inhibiting the early stage of virus replication and/or inactivating the virus directly. The inhibition of the virus attachment was not observed in the adsorption inhibition assay. The inhibition ratios of chlorogenic acid and scutellarin were, respectively, 90.8% and 61.1% at the maximum non-cytotoxic concentrations. The results have provided a basis for further exploration of their antiviral properties and mechanisms in vivo. We believe that the chlorogenic acid and scutellarin have a great potential to be developed as new anti-PRRSV drugs for clinical application.

Effects of astaxanthin on antioxidant capacity of golden pompano (Trachinotus ovatus) in vivo and in vitro

( Jia-jun Xie ),( Xu Chen ),( Jin Niu ),( Jun Wang ),( Yun Wang ),( Qiang-qiang Liu ) 한국수산과학회 2017 Fisheries and Aquatic Sciences Vol.20 No.2

The objective of this research was to study the effect of astaxanthin (AST) on growth performance and antioxidant capacity in golden pompano (Trachinotus ovatus) both in vivo and in vitro. In the in vivo study, two diets were formulated with or without astaxanthin supplementation (D1 and D2; 0 and 200 mg/kg) to feed fish for 6 weeks. In the in vitro study, cells from hepatopancreas of golden pompano were isolated and four treatments with or without astaxanthin and H₂O₂ supplementation were applied (control group: without both astaxanthin and H₂O₂ treated; H₂O₂ group: just with H₂O₂ treated; H₂O₂ + AST group: with both astaxanthin and H₂O₂ treated; AST group: just with AST treated). Results of the in vivo study showed that weight gain (WG) and special growth rate (SGR) significantly increased with astaxanthin supplemented (P < 0.05). Feed conversion ratio (FCR) of fish fed D2 diet was significantly lower than that of fish fed D1 diet (P < 0.05). Hepatic total antioxidant capacity (T-AOC) and the reduced glutathione (GSH) of golden pompano fed D2 diet were significant higher than those of fish fed D1 diet (P < 0.05). Superoxide dismutase (SOD) was significantly declined as astaxanthin was supplemented (P < 0.05). Results of the in vitro study showed that the cell viability of H₂O₂ group was 52.37% compared to the control group, and it was significantly elevated to 84.18% by astaxanthin supplementation (H₂O₂ + AST group) (P < 0.05). The total antioxidant capacity (T-AOC) and the reduced glutathione (GSH) of cell were significant decreased by oxidative stress from H₂O₂ (P < 0.05), but it could be raised by astaxanthin supplementation (H₂O₂ vs H₂O₂ + AST), and the malondialdehyde (MDA) was significant higher in H₂O₂ group (P < 0.05) and astaxanthin supplementation could alleviate the cells from lipid peroxidation injury. In conclusion, dietary astaxanthin supplementation can improve the growth performance of golden pompano. Moreover, astaxanthin can improve the golden pompano hepatic antioxidant capacity both in vivo and in vitro study by eliminating the reactive oxygen species.

Projection of Indian summer monsoon climate in 2041-2060 by multiregional and global climate models : Projection of ISM Climate

Niu, Xiaorui,Wang, Shuyu,Tang, Jianping,Lee, Dong-Kyou,Gutowski, William,Dairaku, Koji,McGregor, John,Katzfey, Jack,Gao, Xuejie,Wu, Jia,Hong, Songyou,Wang, Yuqing,Sasaki, Hidetaka American Geophysical Union 2015 Journal of Geophysical Research: Atmospheres Vol.120 No.5

A putative plastidial adenine nucleotide transporter, BRITTLE1-3, plays an essential role in regulating chloroplast development in rice (Oryza sativa L.)

Jia Lyu,Yihua Wang,Linglong Liu,Chunming Wang,Yulong Ren,Cheng Peng,Feng Liu,Yunlong Wang,Mei Niu,Di Wang,Ming Zheng,Kunneng Zhou,Shaolu Zhao,Fuqing Wu,Haiyang Wang,Jianmin Wan 한국식물학회 2017 Journal of Plant Biology Vol.60 No.5

Differentiation from proplastids into chloroplasts isa light- and energy-dependent process. How this process isregulated is still poorly understood at the molecular level. We herein report a new putative plastidial adenine nucleotidetransporter, BRITTLE1-3 (referred to as OsBT1-3), encoded bythe rice (Oryza sativa) White Stripe Leaf 2 (WSL2) gene. Loss of OsBT1-3 function results in defective chloroplastbiogenesis, severely reduced photosynthetic efficiency, andfinally a white stripe leaf phenotype in the first four leaves. The expression levels of genes related to chlorophyllbiosynthesis and photosynthesis are drastically reduced,accompanied with over accumulation of reactive oxygenspecies (ROS) in the wsl2 mutant. OsBT1-3 is targeted tothe chloroplasts and it expresses in almost all tissues inplants, especially in young leaves. OsBT1-3 consists of 419amino acids and exhibits features of all mitochondrialcarrier proteins, including a typical transmembrane-spanningdomain and a highly conserved sequence motif designatedas the ‘mitochondrial energy transfer signatures’. Phylogeneticanalysis shows that OsBT1-3 is a putative plastidialadenine nucleotide transporter and is most closely relatedto ZmBT1-2. Together, these observations suggest that thenew putative adenine nucleotide transporter, OsBT1-3,plays an essential role in regulating chloroplast biogenesisand maintenance of ROS homeostasis during rice seedlingde-etiolation.

The mechanical design and fabrication of 162.5 MHz buncher for China accelerator driven sub-critical system injector II

Haihua Niu,Youtang Li,Yuan He,Bin Zhang,Shichun Huang,Chenzhang Yuan,Huan Jia,Shenghu Zhang 한국원자력학회 2017 Nuclear Engineering and Technology Vol.49 No.5

A buncher is one of the main pieces of equipment in the medium energy beam transport line (MEBT) for China accelerator driven sub-critical system (C-ADS) Injector II. To focus the beam longitudinally and match the beam for the acceptance of the superconducting linac section, two room temperature quarter wave resonator (QWR) bunchers with frequency of 162.5 MHz have been designed as parts of the MEBT. According to the beam transmission matching of the MEBT and the geometric parameters requirements of bunchers, the unique mechanical structure and the main processing technology of buncher cavities and their couplers and tuners are described in this paper. The fabrication of bunchers and their parts have been completed and tested at high power, the test results agree well with the design requirements. These bunchers work well for about two years in Institute of Modern Physics, Chinese Academy of Sciences.

Toxoplasma gondii induces autophagy and apoptosis in human umbilical cord mesenchymal stem cells via downregulation of Mcl−1

Chu, Jia-Qi,Jing, Kai-Peng,Gao, Xiang,Li, Peng,Huang, Rui,Niu, Yan-Ru,Yan, Shou-Quan,Kong, Jun-Chao,Yu, Cai-Yuan,Shi, Ge,Fan, Yi-Ming,Lee, Young-Ha,Zhou, Yu,Quan, Juan-Hua Landes Bioscience 2017 Cell Cycle Vol.16 No.5

<P>Autophagy and apoptosis are critical for controlling Toxoplasma gondii (T. gondii) infection. T. gondii infection during pregnancy can damage the fetus and cause birth defects; however, the molecular mechanisms of this process are poorly understood. This study aims to determine the activities of autophagy and apoptosis as well as their regulatory mechanisms during T. gondii infection by using human umbilical cord mesenchymal stem cells (hUC-MSCs) as a model of congenital diseases. LC3B, a hallmark protein of autophagy was incrementally upregulated with the infection duration, whereas p62 was downregulated in T. gondii-infected hUC-MSCs. Concurrent to this result, the invasion of T. gondii into hUC-MSCs increased in a time-dependent manner. The expression levels of Bcl-2 family proteins including Bcl-2, Bcl-xL, Bim, Bax, Bid and Bak were not altered; however, Mcl-1 levels in hUC-MSCs were dramatically decreased upon T. gondii infection. In addition, at 24h post-infection, cleaved PARP and cleaved caspase-3 protein levels were elevated in hUC-MSCs. Importantly, Mcl-1 overexpression reduced the levels of autophagy- and apoptosis-related proteins in T. gondii-infected hUC-MSCs. Mcl-1 proteins were primarily expressed in the fraction containing mitochondria and strongly interacted with Beclin-1 under normal conditions; however, these interactions were remarkably attenuated by T. gondii infection. These results suggest that mitochondrial Mcl-1 is an essential signaling mediator regulating the activation of autophagy and apoptosis during T. gondii infection.</P>

H∞ Control for Networked Systems with Data Packet Dropout

Yugang Niu,Tinggang Jia,Xingyu Wang 제어·로봇·시스템학회 2010 International Journal of Control, Automation, and Vol.8 No.2

This paper considers the control problem of networked control systems, respectively, for the two cases that system state is available and unavailable. It is assumed that there exists a communication network in the feedback loop, and multiple data packet dropouts may happen. An estimation method is introduced to compensate the lost data. And then, the design of control is considered for the states available and states unavailable, respectively, and some sufficient conditions are derived such that the closed-loop systems are exponentially mean-square stable with prescribed disturbance attenuation level.

Mathematical Analysis Power Spectrum of M-ary MSK and Detection with Optimum Maximum Likelihood

( Zheng Niu ),( Yuzhong Jiang ),( Shuyan G Jia ),( Zhi Huang ),( Wenliang Zou ),( Gang Liu ),( Yu Li ) 한국인터넷정보학회 2021 KSII Transactions on Internet and Information Syst Vol.15 No.8

In this paper, the power spectral density(PSD) for Multilevel Minimum Shift Keyed signal with modulation index h=1/2 (M-ary MSK) are derived using the mathematical method of the Markov Chain model. At first, according to an essential requirement of the phase continuity characteristics of MSK signals, a complete model of the whole process of signal generation is built. Then, the derivations for autocorrelation functions are carried out precisely. After that, we verified the correctness and accuracy of the theoretical derivation by comparing the derived results with numerical simulations using MATLAB. We also divided the spectrum into four components according to the derivation. By analyzing these figures in the graphic, each component determines the characteristics of the spectrum. It is vital for enhanced spectral characteristics. To more visually represent the energy concentration of the main flap and the roll-down speed of the side flap, the specific out-of-band power of M-ary MSK is given. OMLCD(Optimum Maximum Likelihood Coherent Detection) of M-ary MSK is adopted to compare the signal received with prepared in advance in a code element T to go for the best. And M-ary MSK BER(Bit Error Rate) is compared with the same ary PSK (Phase Shift Keying) with M=2,4,6,8. The results show the detection method could improve performance by increasing the length of L(memory inherent) in the phase continuity.