Low Expression of the FoxO4 Gene may Contribute to the Phenomenon of EMT in Non-small Cell Lung Cancer

Xu, Ming-Ming,Mao, Guo-Xin,Liu, Jian,Li, Jian-Chao,Huang, Hua,Liu, Yi-Fei,Liu, Jun-Hua Asian Pacific Journal of Cancer Prevention 2014 Asian Pacific journal of cancer prevention Vol.15 No.9

Because of its importance in tumor invasion and metastasis, the epithelial-mesenchymal transition (EMT) has become a research focus in the field of cancer. Recently, evidence has been presented that FoxO4 might be involved in EMT. Our study aimed to detect the expression of FoxO4, E-cadherin and vimentin in non-small cell lung cancers (NSCLCs). We also investigated clinical features and their correlations with the markers. In our study, FoxO4, E-cadherin and vimentin were assessed by immunohistochemistry in a tissue microarray (TMA) containing 150 cases of NSCLC. In addition, the expression level of FoxO4 protein was determined by Western blotting. The percentages of FoxO4, E-cadherin and vimentin positive expression in NSCLCs were 42.7%, 38.7% and 55.3%, respectively. Immunoreactivity of FoxO4 was low in NSCLC when compared with paired normal lung tissues. There were significant correlations between FoxO4 and TNM stage (P<0.001), histological differentiation (P=0.004) and lymph node metastasis (P<0.001), but no significant links with age (P=0.323), gender (P=0.410), tumor size (P=0.084), smoking status (P=0.721) and histological type (P=0.281). Our study showed that low expression of FoxO4 correlated with decreased expression of E-cadherin and elevated expression of vimentin. Cox regression analysis indicated FoxO4 to be an independent prognostic factor in NSCLC (P=0.046). These data suggested that FoxO4 might inhibit the process of EMT in NSCLC, and might therefore be a target for therapy.

Evaluation of Computer-Assisted Quantitative Volumetric Analysis for Pre-Operative Resectability Assessment of Huge Hepatocellular Carcinoma

Tang, Jian-Hua,Yan, Fu-Hua,Zhou, Mei-Ling,Xu, Peng-Ju,Zhou, Jian,Fan, Jia Asian Pacific Journal of Cancer Prevention 2013 Asian Pacific journal of cancer prevention Vol.14 No.5

Purpose: Hepatic resection is arguably the preferred treatment for huge hepatocellular carcinoma (H-HCC). Estimating the remnant liver volume is therefore essential. This study aimed to evaluate the feasibility of using computer-assisted volumetric analysis for this purpose. Methods: The study involved 40 patients with H-HCC. Laboratory examinations were conducted, and a contrast CT-scan revealed that 30 cases out of the participating 40 had single-lesion tumors. The remaining 10 had less than three satellite tumors. With the consensus of the team, two physicians conducted computer-assisted 3D segmentation of the liver, tumor, and vessels in each case. Volume was automatically computed from each segmented/labeled anatomical field. To estimate the resection volume, virtual lobectomy was applied to the main tumor. A margin greater than 1 cm was applied to the satellite tumors. Resectability was predicted by computing a ratio of functional liver resection (R) as (Vresected-Vtumor)/(Vtotal-Vtumor) x 100%, applying a threshold of 50% and 60% for cirrhotic and non-cirrhotic cases, respectively. This estimation was then compared with surgical findings. Results: Out of the 22 patients who had undergone hepatectomies, only one had an R that exceeded the threshold. Among the remaining 18 patients with non-resectable H-HCC, 12 had Rs that exceeded the specified ratio and the remaining 6 had Rs that were < 50%. Four of the patients who had Rs less than 50% underwent incomplete surgery due to operative findings of more extensive satellite tumors, vascular invasion, or metastasis. The other two cases did not undergo surgery because of the high risk involved in removing the tumor. Overall, the ratio of functional liver resection for estimating resectability correlated well with the other surgical findings. Conclusion: Efficient pre-operative resectability assessment of H-HCC using computer-assisted volumetric analysis is feasible.

EBV-miR-BHRF1-1 Targets p53 Gene: Potential Role in Epstein-Barr Virus Associated Chronic Lymphocytic Leukemia

Dan-Min Xu,Yi-Lin Kong,Li Wang,Hua-Yuan Zhu,Jia-Zhu Wu,Yi Xia,Yue Li,Shu-Chao Qin,Lei Fan,Jian-Yong Li,Jin-Hua Liang,Wei Xu 대한암학회 2020 Cancer Research and Treatment Vol.52 No.2

Purpose The purpose of this study was to investigate the prognostic impact of Epstein-Barr virus (EBV)–microRNA (miRNA, miR)-BHRF1-1 with chronic lymphocytic leukemia (CLL) as well as role of EBV-miR-BHRF1-1 in p53 gene. Materials and Methods Quantitative reverse transcription–polymerase chain reaction and western blotting were used to quantify EBV-miR-BHRF1-1 and p53 expression in cultured CLL. Results p53 aberration was associated with the higher expression level of EBV-miR-BHRF1-1 (p < 0.001) which was also an independent prognostic marker for overall survival (p=0.028; hazard ratio, 5.335; 95% confidence interval, 1.193 to 23.846) in 97 newly-diagnosed CLL patients after adjusted with International Prognostic Index for patients with CLL. We identified EBV-miR-BHRF1-1 as a viral miRNA regulator of p53. EBV-miR-BHRF1-1 repressed luciferase reporter activity by specific interaction with the seed region within the p53 3- untranslated region. Discordance of p53 messenger RNA and protein expression was associated with high EBV-miR-BHRF1-1 levels in CLL patients and cell lines. EBV-miR-BHRF1- 1 inhibition upregulated p53 protein expression, induced cell cycle arrest and apoptosis and decreased cell proliferation in cell lines. EBV-miR-BHRF1-1 mimics downregulated p53 protein expression, decreased cell cycle arrest and apoptosis, and induced cell proliferation in cell lines. Conclusion This study supported the role of EBV-miR-BHRF1-1 in p53 regulation in vitro. Our results support the potential of EBV-miR-BHRF1-1 as a therapeutic target in EBV-associated CLL with p53 gene aberration.

Evaluation of Bending Fatigue Testing of Austempered Ductile Iron Spur Gears

Jian Hua Lv(려건화),Rui Zhou(주서),Yang Xu(허양),Zhen Qin(진진),Qi Zhang(장기),Sungki Lyu(류성기) 한국기계가공학회 2020 한국기계가공학회지 Vol.19 No.12

An experimental evaluation of bending fatigue strength for austempered ductile iron (ADI) spur gears was performed using a Zwick fatigue tester. The gear material was manufactured using vertical continuous casting, resulting in the radius of the graphite grains being smaller. The stress-number of cycles curve (S-N curve) for the bending fatigue strength of the ADI spur gears thus manufactured, without any specific surface treatments, was obtained using post-processing software. It was observed that when the reliability was 50%, the allowable root stress was 610 MPa. was calculated using an analytical method as well as the finite element method, and the difference between the values calculated using the two methods is only 7%. This study provides a reliable basis to rate the reliability design of small gearboxes in automation in the future.

MSP58 Knockdown Inhibits the Proliferation of Esophageal Squamous Cell Carcinoma in Vitro and in Vivo

Xu, Chun-Sheng,Zheng, Jian-Yong,Zhang, Hai-Long,Zhao, Hua-Dong,Zhang, Jing,Wu, Guo-Qiang,Wu, Lin,Wang, Qing,Wang, Wei-Zhong,Zhang, Jian Asian Pacific Journal of Cancer Prevention 2012 Asian Pacific journal of cancer prevention Vol.13 No.7

Esophageal carcinoma (EC) is one of the most aggressive cancers with a poor prognosis. Understanding the molecular mechanisms underlying esophageal cancer progression is a high priority for improved EC diagnosis and prognosis. Recently, MSP58 was shown to behave as an oncogene in colorectal carcinomas and gliomas. However, little is known about its function in esophageal carcinomas. We therefore examined the effects of MSP58 knockdown on the growth of esophageal squamous cell carcinoma (ESCC) cells in vitro and in vivo in order to gain a better understanding of its potential as a tumor therapeutic target. We employed lentiviral-mediated small hairpin RNA (shRNA) to knock down the expression of MSP58 in the ESCC cell lines Eca-109 and EC9706 and demonstrated inhibition of ESCC cell proliferation and colony formation in vitro. Furthermore, flow cytometry and western blot analyses revealed that MSP58 depletion induced cell cycle arrest by regulating the expression of P21, CDK4 and cyclin D1. Notably, the downregulation of MSP58 significantly inhibited the growth of ESCC xenografts in nude mice. Our results suggest that MSP58 may play an important role in ESCC progression.

Preparation, self-assembly and performance modulation of gold nanoparticles decorated ferrocene-containing hybrid block copolymer multifunctional materials

Jian-Guo Zhang,Xue-Yin Zhang,Hua Yu,Yan-Ling Luo,Feng Xu,Ya-Shao Chen 한국공업화학회 2018 Journal of Industrial and Engineering Chemistry Vol.65 No.-

Gold nanoparticles decorated stimuli-responsive copolymer hybrids, poly(2-methacryloyloxyethyl ferrocenecarboxylate)-block-poly(N-isopropylacryamide) decorated with gold nanoparticles, were synthesized through two-step successive RAFT and ensuing in-situ reduction. The hybrids could self-assemble into interesting micelle structures from globular, wormlike to rodlike shapes by altering the quality and compositions of solvents and ionic strength, and exhibited multifunctionality including quasi-reversible electrochemical behavior, redox-stress responsiveness and temperature sensitivity. The physicochemical and electrochemical properties were modulated by tailor-making the system compositions and redox reaction. The copolymer hybrids were expected to broaden their applications in nanobiomedicine including targeted drug carriers and magnetic resonance imaging, optical, electrochemical catalyst, optoelectronics and sensors etc.

Damage detection for decks of concrete girder bridges using the frequency obtained from an actively excited vehicle

Jian Zhang,Chun-Xu Qu,Ting-Hua Yi,Hong-Nan Li 국제구조공학회 2021 Smart Structures and Systems, An International Jou Vol.27 No.1

Concrete bridge decks may suffer local damage such as delamination, cracking, reinforcement corrosion and spalling during service. Visual inspection and nondestructive evaluation (NDE) technologies are extensively used for monitoring damage in bridge decks. This paper presents a damage detection method for decks of concrete girder bridges using the frequency obtained from an actively excited vehicle. First, the solution for the frequency of the deck with a concentrated mass is derived with Rayleigh's method, where the bridge deck is regarded as a slab supported on four sides, and the test vehicle is simplified as a concentrated mass. The validity of the proposed method that uses the frequency change to detect the local damage is verified. Then, the damage detection procedure for bridge decks is proposed, and the numerical analysis is performed on a typical concrete girder bridge to prove the validity of the method. Finally, the damage detection experiment for the plywood plate verifies the effectiveness of the proposed method. The results of this study provide an effective method for detecting damage in the decks of concrete girder bridges, which is time-saving and easier to implement.

Sulfur–Graphene Nanostructured Cathodes <i>via</i> Ball-Milling for High-Performance Lithium–Sulfur Batteries

Xu, Jiantie,Shui, Jianglan,Wang, Jianli,Wang, Min,Liu, Hua-Kun,Dou, Shi Xue,Jeon, In-Yup,Seo, Jeong-Min,Baek, Jong-Beom,Dai, Liming American Chemical Society 2014 ACS NANO Vol.8 No.10

<P>Although much progress has been made to develop high-performance lithium–sulfur batteries (LSBs), the reported physical or chemical routes to sulfur cathode materials are often multistep/complex and even involve environmentally hazardous reagents, and hence are infeasible for mass production. Here, we report a simple ball-milling technique to combine both the physical and chemical routes into a one-step process for low-cost, scalable, and eco-friendly production of graphene nanoplatelets (GnPs) edge-functionalized with sulfur (S-GnPs) as highly efficient LSB cathode materials of practical significance. LSBs based on the S-GnP cathode materials, produced by ball-milling 70 wt % sulfur and 30 wt % graphite, delivered a high initial reversible capacity of 1265.3 mAh g<SUP>–1</SUP> at 0.1 C in the voltage range of 1.5–3.0 V with an excellent rate capability, followed by a high reversible capacity of 966.1 mAh g<SUP>–1</SUP> at 2 C with a low capacity decay rate of 0.099% per cycle over 500 cycles, outperformed the current state-of-the-art cathode materials for LSBs. The observed excellent electrochemical performance can be attributed to a 3D “sandwich-like” structure of S-GnPs with an enhanced ionic conductivity and lithium insertion/extraction capacity during the discharge–charge process. Furthermore, a low-cost porous carbon paper pyrolyzed from common filter paper was inserted between the 0.7S-0.3GnP electrode and porous polypropylene film separator to reduce/eliminate the dissolution of physically adsorbed polysulfide into the electrolyte and subsequent cross-deposition on the anode, leading to further improved capacity and cycling stability.</P><P><B>Graphic Abstract</B> <IMG SRC='http://pubs.acs.org/appl/literatum/publisher/achs/journals/content/ancac3/2014/ancac3.2014.8.issue-10/nn5047585/production/images/medium/nn-2014-047585_0007.gif'></P><P><A href='http://pubs.acs.org/doi/suppl/10.1021/nn5047585'>ACS Electronic Supporting Info</A></P>

An Overlooked Effect of Glycine Betaine on Fermentation: Prevents Caramelization and Increases the L-Lysine Production

( Jian Zhong Xu ),( Xiu Hua Xia ),( Jun Lan Zhang ),( Yan Feng Guo ),( Wei Guo Zhang ) 한국미생물 · 생명공학회 2014 Journal of microbiology and biotechnology Vol.24 No.10

This article focuses on the effects of glycine betaine on preventing caramelization, and increasing DCW and L-lysine production. The additional glycine betaine not only decreased the browning intensity (decreased 4 times), and the concentrations of 5-hydroxymethylfurfural (decreased 7.8 times) and furfural (decreased 12 times), but also increased the availability of glucose (increased 17.5%) for L-lysine production. The DCW and L-lysine production were increased by adding no more than 20 mM glycine betaine, whereas the DCW and L-lysine production were decreased with the reduction of pH values, although pH had a better response to prevent caramelization than did glycine betaine. For L-lysine production, the highest increase (40%) was observed on the media with 20 mM glycine betaine. The crucial enzymes in glycolysis and L-lysine biosynthesis pathway were investigated. The results indicated that additional glycine betaine increases the activity of enzymes in glycolysis, in contrast to the effect of pH. All the results indicated that glycine betaine can be used to prevent caramelization and increase the L-lysine production. By applying this strategy, glucose would not be have to be separated from the culture media during autoclaving so that factories can save production costs and shorten the fermentation period.

MicroRNA-155 Expression has Prognostic Value in Patients with Non-small Cell Lung Cancer and Digestive System Carcinomas

Xu, Tong-Peng,Zhu, Can-Hong,Zhang, Jian,Xia, Rui,Wu, Feng-Lei,Han, Liang,Shen, Hua,Liu, Ling-Xiang,Shu, Yong-Qian Asian Pacific Journal of Cancer Prevention 2013 Asian Pacific journal of cancer prevention Vol.14 No.12

Objective: Published data have shown that microRNAs (miRNAs) could play a potential role as diagnostic and prognostic indicators in cancers. Data for the predictive value of microRNA-155 are inconclusive. The aim of the present analysis was therefore to evaluate the role of miR-155 in prognosis for patients with a variety of carcinomas. Methods: Relevant studies were identified by searching PubMed and EMBASE. Data were extracted from studies comparing overall survival (OS), recurrence-free survival (RFS) or cancer-specific survival (CSS) in patients with carcinoma with higher miR-155 expression and those with lower levels. The pooled hazard ratios (HRs) and 95% confidence intervals (CIs) of miR-155 for clinical outcome were calculated. Results: A total of 15 studies were included. The pooled hazard ratio (HR) for OS of higher miR-155 expression in cancerous tissue was 1.89 (95% CI: 1.20-2.99, P=0.006), which could markedly predict poorer survival in general cancer. For RFS/CSS, elevated miR-155 was also associated with poor prognosis of cancer (HR=1.50, 95% CI: 1.10-2.05, P=0.01). On subgroup analysis, the pooled HR for OS in non-small cell lung cancer (NSCLC) was 2.09 (95% CI: 0.68-6.41, P > 0.05), but for RFS/CSS was 1.28 (95% CI: 1.05-1.55, P=0.015), with statistical significance; the pooled HRs for OS and RFS/CSS in digestive system neoplasms were 3.04 (95% CI: 1.48-6.24, P=0.003) and 2.61 (95% CI: 1.98-3.42, P<0.05), respectively. Conclusions: The results indicated that the miR-155 expression level plays a prognostic role in patients with cancer, especially NSCLCs and digestive system carcinomas.