Intranasal Oxytocin Increases Perceptual Salience of Faces in the Absence of Awareness

Shao-Wei Xue,Hua-Bo Wu,Lanhua Zhang,De-Xuan Zhang 대한신경정신의학회 2020 PSYCHIATRY INVESTIGATION Vol.17 No.4

Objective The neuropeptide oxytocin has been found to improve human social cognition and promote prosocial behavior. However, it is still unclear about the mechanisms underlying these effects of oxytocin on neural processes, such as visual perception and awareness. Especially, it is still unclear whether oxytocin influences perceptual salience of social stimuli in the absence of awareness. Methods In a randomized double-blind, placebo-controlled trial we applied an interocular suppression paradigm and eye tracking methods to investigate the influence of intranasally administered oxytocin on perceptual salience of social stimuli. Suppression times and pupillometric data were measured during subjects being presented with gradually introduced pictures of social stimuli (neutral expression faces) or nonsocial stimuli (grayscale watch pictures) that were suppressed and invisible in 10 men who were administered 24 IU oxytocin and 10 men who were administered a placebo. Results The results demonstrated that the oxytocin group perceived social stimuli more quickly accompanied by subsequent larger increasing pupil diameter than nonsocial stimuli, indicating an increased unconscious salience of social stimuli. Conclusion These findings provided new insights into oxytocin’s modulatory role to social information processing, suggesting that oxytocin might enhance attentional bias to social stimuli even after removal of awareness.

Downregulated MicroRNA-133a in Gastric Juice as a Clinicopathological Biomarker for Gastric Cancer Screening

Shao, Juan,Fang, Peng-Hua,He, Biao,Guo, Li-Li,Shi, Ming-Yi,Zhu, Yan,Bo, Ping,Zhang, Zhen-Wen Asian Pacific Journal of Cancer Prevention 2016 Asian Pacific journal of cancer prevention Vol.17 No.5

Circulatory miR-133a is a marker shared by several types of cancer. In this study we evaluated the feasibility of using miR-133a levels in gastric juice to screen for gastric cancer. A total of 204 samples of gastric juice and mucosa from gastric cancer, atrophic gastritis, gastric ulcer, superficial gastritis and healthy cases were collected by gastroscopy. The results showed that miR-133a levels in gastric juice and carcinoma tissues of patients with gastric cancer were significantly downregulated and positively correlated. Moreover, miR-133a in gastric juice has high operability, high reliability, high sensitivity, high specificity and relative stability, fit for clinical diagnosis of gastric cancer.

Discovery of New S-RNase Genes and Identification of S-genotype in Japanese Plum (Prunus salicina Lindl.)

Shao Xi Huang,Shao Ling Zhang,Hua Qing Wu,Hong Feng Song,Zhi Jun Shen,Yang Rui Li 한국원예학회 2006 한국원예학회 기타간행물 Vol.- No.-

Characterization of Marinilongibacter aquaticus gen. nov., sp. nov., a unique marine bacterium harboring four CRISPR-Cas systems in the phylum Bacteroidota

Zhang Dao-Feng,Yao Yu-Fang,Xue Hua-Peng,Fu Zi-Yue,Zhang Xiao-Mei,Shao Zongze 한국미생물학회 2022 The journal of microbiology Vol.60 No.9

A novel bacterium, designated YYF0007T, was isolated from an agar-degrading co-culture. The strain was found harboring four CRISPR-Cas systems of two classes in the chromosome and subsequently subjected to a study on polyphasic taxonomy. Pairwise analyses of the 16S rRNA gene sequences indicated that strain YYF0007T had highest 16S rRNA gene sequence similarity (92.2%) to Jiulongibacter sediminis JN- 14-9T. The phylogenomic trees based on the 16S rRNA gene and 269 single-copy orthologous gene clusters (OCs) indicated that strain YYF0007T should be recognized as a novel genus of the family Spirosomaceae. The cells were Gramstain- negative, nonmotile, strictly aerobic, and straight long rods with no flagellum. Optimum growth occurred at 28°C and pH 7.0 with the presence of NaCl concentration 1.0–3.0% (w/v). The strain showed oxidase and catalase activities. The major fatty acids were C16:1ω5c, iso-C15:0 and summed feature 3 (C16:1 ω7c and/or C16:1 ω6c). The predominant isoprenoid quinone was MK-7. The complete genome size was 4.64 Mb with a DNA G + C content of 44.4%. Further typing of CRISPR-Cas systems in the family Spirosomaceae and the phylum Bacteroidota indicated that it was remarkable for strain YYF0007T featured by such a set of CRISPR-Cas systems. This trait highlights the applications of strain YYF- 0007T in studies on the evolutionary dynamics and bacterial autoimmunity of CRISPR-Cas system as a potential model. The name Marinilongibacter aquaticus gen. nov., sp. nov. is proposed, and the type strain is YYF0007T (= MCCC 1K06017T = GDMCC 1.2428T = JCM 34683T).

Lack of Influence of an XRCC3 Gene Polymorphism on Oral Cancer Susceptibility: Meta-analysis

Zhang, En-Jiao,Cui, Zhi-Gang,Xu, Zhong-Fei,Duan, Wei-Yi,Huang, Shao-Hui,Tan, Xue-Xin,Yin, Zhi-Hua,Sun, Chang-Fu,Lu, Li Asian Pacific Journal of Cancer Prevention 2014 Asian Pacific journal of cancer prevention Vol.15 No.23

Background: To systematically summarize the association between the X-ray repair cross complementing 3 (XRCC3) gene polymorphism and oral cancer susceptibility by meta-analysis. Materials and Methods: Databases including PubMed, EMbase, CNKI, VIP and WanFang Data were searched to identify case-control studies concerning the association between an XRCC3 gene polymorphism and the risk of oral cancer from the inception to June 2014. Two reviewers independently screened the literature according to the criteria, extracted the data and assessed the quality. Then meta-analysis was performed using Stata 11.0 software. Results: Seven published case-control studies including 775 patients with oral cancer and 1922 controls were selected. Associations between the rs861539 polymorphism and overall oral cancer risk were not statistically significant in all kinds of comparison models (CT vs CC: OR=0.94, 95%CI=0.74-1.18; TT vs CC: OR=0.94, 95%CI=0.64-1.38; dominant model: OR=0.95, 95%CI=0.76-1.18; recessive model: OR=0.94, 95%CI=0.69-1.29; allele T vs C: OR=0.97, 95%CI=0.84-1.11). In the stratified analysis by ethnicity, no significant associations were found among Asians and Caucasians. On stratification by tumor type, no significant associations were found for cancer and oral premalignant lesions. Conclusions: The XRCC3 gene polymorphism was not found to be associated with the risk of oral cancer. Considering the limited quality of the included case-control studies, more high quality studies with large sample size are needed to verify the above conclusion.

Differences in the biological properties of mesenchymal stromal cells from traumatic temporomandibular joint fibrous and bony ankylosis: a comparative study

Zhang Pei-Pei,Liang Su-Xia,Wang Hua-Lun,Yang Kun,Nie Shao-Chen,Zhang Tong-Mei,Tian Yuan-Yuan,Xu Zhao-Yuan,Chen Wei,Yan Ying-Bin 한국통합생물학회 2021 Animal cells and systems Vol.25 No.5

The aim of this study was to compare the functional characteristics of mesenchymal stromal cells (MSCs) from a sheep model of traumatic temporomandibular joint (TMJ) fibrous and bony ankylosis. A sheep model of bilateral TMJ trauma-induced fibrous ankylosis on one side and bony ankylosis on the contralateral side was used. MSCs from fibrous ankylosed callus (FAMSCs) or bony ankylosed callus (BA-MSCs) at weeks 1, 2, 4, and 8 after surgery were isolated and cultured. MSCs derived from the bone marrow of the mandibular condyle (BM-MSCs) were used as controls. The MSCs from the different sources were characterized morphologically, phenotypically, and functionally. Adherence and trilineage differentiation potential were presented in the ovine MSCs. These cell populations highly positively expressed MSC-associated specific markers, namely CD29, CD44, and CD166, but lacked CD31 and CD45 expressions. The BA-MSCs had higher clonogenic and proliferative potentials than the FA-MSCs. The BA-MSCs also showed higher osteogenic and chondrogenic potentials, but lower adipogenic capacity than the FA-MSCs. In addition, the BA-MSCs demonstrated higher chondrogenic, but lower osteogenic capacity than the BM-MSCs. Our study suggests that inhibition of the osteogenic and chondrogenic differentiations of MSCs might be a promising strategy for preventing bony ankylosis in the future.

Expression of β-tubulin III and Survivin in Advance Stage Breast Cancer Correlates with Chemotheraputic Effects of Docetaxel

Yuan, Shao-Fei,Zhu, Lin-Jia,Zheng, Wei-E,Chen, Hua,Wu, Li-Li,Zhang, Wu,Sun, Hong-Yu,Chen, Wen-Jun Asian Pacific Journal of Cancer Prevention 2012 Asian Pacific journal of cancer prevention Vol.13 No.1

Aims: To investigate the relationship between the expression of ${\beta}$-tubulin III and survivin in advanced breast cancers and chemotherapeutic effects of docetaxel. Methods: Clinical pathological data of 74 patients with advanced breast cancer were retrospectively analyzed after docetaxel chemotherapy. Expression of ${\beta}$-tubulin III and survivin was assessed by immunohistochemistry and analyzed with reference to therapeutical and adverse effects of docetaxel. Results: The positive expression rate of ${\beta}$-tubulin III was 38.1% (32/84), while that of survivin was 76.2% (64/84). The effective rate (complete response + partial response) was 52.4%. That for patients with the positive expression of ${\beta}$-tubulin III or/and survivin was significantly lower than for those with negative expression (P<0.05). There were significant differences in the non-progression of median diseases, 1-year and 2-year survival rates of between the patients with positive and negative expression (P<0.05). The main side effects were myelosuppression, alimentary canal response and alopecie, no differences being observed between groups. Conclusions: The combined detection of ${\beta}$-tubulin III and survivin is a predictive index for chemotherapy effects of docetaxel in metastatic breast cancer.

Darapladib, a Lipoprotein-Associated Phospholipase A2 Inhibitor, Reduces Rho Kinase Activity in Atherosclerosis

Juan Zhang,Dong-Ling Xu,Xiao-Bo Liu,Shao-jie Bi,Tong Zhao,Shu-Jian Sui,Xiao-Ping Ji,Qing-Hua Lu 연세대학교의과대학 2016 Yonsei medical journal Vol.57 No.2

Purpose: Increased lipoprotein-associated phospholipase A2 (Lp-PLA2) activity and Rho kinase activity may be associated with atherosclerosis. The principal aim of this study was to examine whether darapladib (a selective Lp-PLA2 inhibitor) could reduce the elevated Lp-PLA2 and Rho kinase activity in atherosclerosis. Materials and Methods: Studies were performed in male Sprague-Dawley rats. The atherosclerosis rats were prepared by feeding them with a high-cholesterol diet for 10 weeks. Low-dose darapladib (25 mg·kg-1·d-1) and high-dose darapladib (50 mg·kg-1·d-1) interventions were then administered over the course of 2 weeks. Results: The serum levels of triglycerides, total cholesterol (TC), low-density lipoprotein cholesterol (LDL-C), high-density lipoproteincholesterol (HDL-C), high-sensitivity C-reactive protein (hs-CRP), and Lp-PLA2, significantly increased in atherosclerosis model groups, as did Rho kinase activity and cardiomyocyte apoptosis (p<0.05 vs. sham group), whereas nitric oxide (NO) productionwas reduced. Levels of TC, LDL-C, CRP, Lp-PLA2, and Rho kinase activity were respectively reduced in darapladib groups, whereas NO production was enhanced. When compared to the low-dose darapladib group, the reduction of the levels of TC, LDL-C, CRP, and Lp-PLA2 was more prominent in the high-dose darapladib group (p<0.05), and the increase of NO productionwas more prominent (p<0.05). Cardiomyocyte apoptosis of the high-dose darapladib group was also significantly reduced compared to the low-dose darapladib group (p<0.05). However, there was no significant difference in Rho kinase activity between the low-dose darapladib group and the high-dose darapladib group (p>0.05). Conclusion: Darapladib, a Lp-PLA2 inhibitor, leads to cardiovascular protection that might be mediated by its inhibition of both Rho kinase and Lp-PLA2 in atherosclerosis.

Roles of Immunohistochemical Staining in Diagnosing Pulmonary Squamous Cell Carcinoma

Yan, Yue,Zhang, Ya-Xiong,Fang, Wen-Feng,Kang, Shi-Yang,Zhan, Jian-Hua,Chen, Nan,Hong, Shao-Dong,Liang, Wen-Hua,Tang, Yan-Na,He, Da-Cheng,Wu, Xuan,Zhang, Li Asian Pacific Journal of Cancer Prevention 2015 Asian Pacific journal of cancer prevention Vol.16 No.2

Background: Differentiating morphologic features based on hematoxylin-eosin (HE) staining is the most common method to classify pathological subtypes of non-small-cell lung cancer (NSCLC). However, its accuracy and inter-observer reproducibility in pathological diagnosis of poorly differentiated NSCLC remained to be improved. Materials and Methods: We attempted to explore the role of immunohistochemistry (IHC) staining in diagnosing pulmonary squamous cell carcinoma (SQCC) with poorly differentiated features by HE staining or with elevated serum adenocarcinoma-specific tumor markers (AD-TMs). We also compared the difference of epidermal growth factor receptor (EGFR) mutation rate between patients with confirmed SQCC and those with revised pathological subtype. Logistic regression analyses were used to test the association between different factors and diagnostic accuracy. Results: A total of 132 patients who met the eligible criteria and had adequate specimens for IHC confirmation were included. Pathological revised cases in poor differentiated subgroup, biopsy samples and high-level AD-TMs cases were more than those with high/moderate differentiation, surgical specimens and normal-level AD-TMs. Moreover, biopsy sample was a significant factor decreasing diagnostic accuracy of pathological subtype (OR, 4.037; 95% CI 1.446-11.267, p=0.008). Additionally, EGFR mutation rate was higher in patients with pathological diagnostic changes than those with confirmed SQCC (16.7% vs 4.4%, p=0.157). Conclusions: Diagnosis based on HE staining only might cause pathological misinterpretation in NSCLC patients with poor differentiation or high-level AD-TMs, especially those with biopsy samples. HE staining and IHC should be combined as pathological diagnostic standard. The occurrence of EGFR mutations in pulmonary SQCC might be overestimated.

Dynamics and Liver Disease Specific Aspects of Quality of Life Among Patients with Chronic Liver Disease in Yunnan, China

Che, Yan-Hua,You, Jing,Chongsuvivatwong, Virasakdi,Li, Li,Sriplung, Hucha,Yan, Yuan-Zhi,Ma, Si-Jia,Zhang, Xiaoli,Shen, Ting,Chen, He-Min,Rao, Shao-Feng,Zhang, Ru-Yi Asian Pacific Journal of Cancer Prevention 2014 Asian Pacific journal of cancer prevention Vol.15 No.12

Background: Patients with chronic liver diseases (CLD) may have compromised health related quality of life (HRQoL). Hepatitis B virus (HBV) infection has long been the leading cause of CLD including liver cancer and cirrhosis. Knowledge on different symptom profiles of CLD should help in development of comprehensive treatment and patient care plans. Objective: To access the facets of HRQoL in chronic liver diseases throughout their spectrum of severity. Materials and Methods: A cross-sectional study was conducted in the First Affiliated Hospital of Kunming Medical University in Yunnan Province of China. Both out- and inpatients undergoing treatment protocols for different HBV related liver disease states were consecutively collected from December 2012 to June 2013. ANOVA was used to compare the mean scores of EQ-5D and chronic liver disease questionnaire (CLDQ) among 5 disease groups. The relationship between demographic variables predicting global CLDQ scores and the domains of CLDQ was analysed. Results: A total of 1040 patients including 520 without complications, 91 with compensated cirrhosis, 198 with decompensated cirrhosis, 131 with HCC and 100 with liver failure were recruited. All domains of CLDQ, the means of EQ-5D value and EQ VAS exhibited significant decline with worsening of disease severity from uncomplicated HBV to liver failure. The multivariate regression demonstrated the reduction of mean scores of CLDQ domain at advanced stage. Patients with liver failure and HCC had more HRQoL impairment than other disease states. No effect of patient gender was found. Patient age was associated with 'fatigue' and 'worry' domains (p=0.006; p=0.004) but not with other domains and global scores of CLDQ and ED-5D. Conclusions: The HRQoL in chronic hepatitis B patients is greatly affected by disease states. Care for HBV-related diseases should consider not only the outcomes of treatment strategies but also improvement in patient wellbeing.