Role of folP1 and folP2 Genes in the Action of Sulfamethoxazole and Trimethoprim Against Mycobacteria

( Tian Zhou Liu ),( Bang Xing Wang ),( Jin Tao Guo ),( Yang Zhou ),( Mugweru Julius ),( Moses Njire ),( Yuan Yuan Cao ),( Tian Wu ),( Zhi Yong Liu ),( Chang Wei Wang ),( Yong Xu ),( Tian Yu Zhang ) 한국미생물 · 생명공학회 2015 Journal of microbiology and biotechnology Vol.25 No.9

The combination of trimethoprim (TMP) and sulfamethoxazole (SMX) has been shown to be active against Mycobacterium tuberculosis (Mtb) in clinical tuberculosis (TB) treatment. However, the mechanism of action of TMP-SMX against Mtb is still unknown. To unravel this, we have studied the effect of TMP and SMX by deleting the folP2 gene in Mycobacterium smegmatis (Msm), and overexpressing the Mtb and Msm folP1/2 genes in Msm. Knocking out of the folP2 gene in Msm reduced the minimum inhibitory concentration of SMX 8-fold compared with wild type. Overexpression of the folP1 genes from Mtb and Msm increased the MICs by 4- and 2-fold in Msm for SMX and TMP, respectively. We show a strong correlation between the expression of folP1 and folP2 genes and TMP-SMX resistance in mycobacteria. This suggests that a combination of FolP2 inhibitor and SMX could be used for TB treatment with a better outcome.

Alveolar bone thickness around maxillary central incisors of different inclination assessed with cone-beam computed tomography

Yu-lou Tian,Fang Liu,Hong-jing Sun,Pin Lv,Yu-ming Cao,Mo Yu,Yang Yue 대한치과교정학회 2015 대한치과교정학회지 Vol.45 No.5

Objective: To assess the labial and lingual alveolar bone thickness in adults with maxillary central incisors of different inclination by cone-beam computed tomography (CBCT). Methods: Ninety maxillary central incisors from 45 patients were divided into three groups based on the maxillary central incisors to palatal plane angle; lingual-inclined, normal, and labial-inclined. Reformatted CBCT images were used to measure the labial and lingual alveolar bone thickness (ABT) at intervals corresponding to every 1/10 of the root length. The sum of labial ABT and lingual ABT at the level of the root apex was used to calculate the total ABT (TABT). The number of teeth exhibiting alveolar fenestration and dehiscence in each group was also tallied. One-way analysis of variance and Tukey’s honestly significant difference test were applied for statistical analysis. Results: The labial ABT and TABT values at the root apex in the lingual-inclined group were significantly lower than in the other groups (p < 0.05). Lingual and labial ABT values were very low at the cervical level in the lingual-inclined and normal groups. There was a higher prevalence of alveolar fenestration in the lingual-inclined group. Conclusions: Lingual-inclined maxillary central incisors have less bone support at the level of the root apex and a greater frequency of alveolar bone defects than normal maxillary central incisors. The bone plate at the marginal level is also very thin.

Virtual Non-Contrast Computer Tomography (CT) with Spectral CT as an Alternative to Conventional Unenhanced CT in the Assessment of Gastric Cancer

Tian, Shi-Feng,Liu, Ai-Lian,Wang, He-Qing,Liu, Jing-Hong,Sun, Mei-Yu,Liu, Yi-Jun Asian Pacific Journal of Cancer Prevention 2015 Asian Pacific journal of cancer prevention Vol.16 No.6

Objective: The purpose of this study was to evaluate computed tomography (CT) virtual non-contrast (VNC) spectral imaging for gastric carcinoma. Materials and Methods: Fifty-two patients with histologically proven gastric carcinomas underwent gemstone spectral imaging (GSI) including non-contrast and contrast-enhanced hepatic arterial, portal venous, and equilibrium phase acquisitions prior to surgery. VNC arterial phase (VNCa), VNC venous phase (VNCv), and VNC equilibrium phase (VNCe) images were obtained by subtracting iodine from iodine/water images. Images were analyzed with respect to image quality, gastric carcinoma-intragastric water contrast-to-noise ratio (CNR), gastric carcinoma-perigastric fat CNR, serosal invasion, and enlarged lymph nodes around the lesions. Results: Carcinoma-water CNR values were significantly higher in VNCa, VNCv, and VNCe images than in normal CT images (2.72, 2.60, 2.61, respectively, vs 2.35, $p{\leq}0.008$). Carcinoma-perigastric fat CNR values were significantly lower in VNCa, VNCv, and VNCe images than in normal CT images (7.63, 7.49, 7.32, respectively, vs 8.48, p< 0.001). There were no significant differences of carcinoma-water CNR and carcinoma-perigastric fat CNR among VNCa, VNCv, and VNCe images. There was no difference in the determination of invasion or enlarged lymph nodes between normal CT and VNCa images. Conclusions: VNC arterial phase images may be a surrogate for conventional non-contrast CT images in gastric carcinoma evaluation.

Self-assembled wide bandgap nanocoatings enabled outstanding dielectric characteristics in the sandwich-like structure polymer composites

Wang Tian-Yu,Li Xiao-Fen,Liu Shu-Ming,Liu Bai-Xin,Liang Xi-Dong,Li Shunning,Zhang Gui-Xin,Liu Jian-Bo,Dang Zhi-Min 나노기술연구협의회 2022 Nano Convergence Vol.9 No.55

Polymer dielectrics are insulators or energy storage materials widely used in electrical and electronic devices. Polymer dielectrics are needed with outstanding dielectric characteristics than current technologies. In this study, the self-assembly of boron nitride nanosheets (BNNSs) was applied to form an inorganic–organic nanocoating on various common polymer dielectrics. It is inexpensive and easy to fabricate this thin coating on a large scale. The coating has a wide bandgap and thus can significantly improve the breakdown strength of polymer dielectrics. The charge characteristics and trapping parameters of nano-domains on the surfaces of polymer dielectrics were measured, and the coating had shallow trap levels. This facilitated the dissipation of surface charges and thus greatly increased the flashover voltage. The coating also effectively improved the temperature stability and dielectric constant of the polymer dielectric. This nanocoating shows potential as a method to effectively improve the dielectric characteristics of polymer dielectrics and outperform existing composite polymer dielectrics, which are crucial for large-scale applications in energy storage and power and electronic devices.

Type II combination questionnaire model: A new survey design for a totally sensitive binary variable correlated with another nonsensitive binary variable

Xifen Huang,Guo-Liang Tian,Yin Liu,Jun-Wu Yu 한국통계학회 2015 Journal of the Korean Statistical Society Vol.44 No.3

Recently, Yu, Lu, and Tian (2013) introduced a combination questionnaire model to investigate the association between one sensitive binary variable and another non-sensitive binary variable. However, in practice, we sometimes need to assess the association between one totally sensitive binary variable (e.g., the number of sex partners being 63 or >3, the annual income being 6$25,000 or >$25,000, and so on) and one non-sensitive binary variable (e.g., good or poor health status, with or without cervical cancer, and so on). Although we could directly adopt the four-category parallel model (Liu & Tian, 2013), the information contained in the non-sensitive binary variable cannot be utilized in the design. Intuitively, such information can be used to enhance the degree of privacy protection so that more respondents will not face the sensitive question. The objective of this paper is to propose a new survey design (called Type II combination questionnaire model, which consists of a four-category parallel questionnaire and a supplemental direct questionnaire) and to develop corresponding statistical methods for analyzing sensitive data collected by this technique. Likelihood-based methods including maximum likelihood estimates, asymptotic and bootstrap confidence intervals of parameters of interest are derived. A likelihood ratio test is provided to test the association between the two binary random variables. Bayesian methods are also presented. Simulation studies are performed and a cervical cancer data set in Atlanta is used to illustrate the proposed methods.

Comparison of Liver Transplantation and Liver Resection for Hepatocellular Carcinoma Patients with Portal Vein Tumor Thrombus Type I and Type II

Jia-Yu Lv,Ning-Ning Zhang,Ya-Wei Du,Ying Wu,Tian-Qiang Song,Ya-Min Zhang,Yan Qu,Yu-Xin Liu,Jie Gu,Ze-Yu Wang,Yi-Bo Qiu,Bing Yang,Da-Zhi Tian,Qing-Jun Guo,Li Zhang,Ji-San Sun,Yan Xie,Zheng-Lu Wang,Xin 연세대학교의과대학 2021 Yonsei medical journal Vol.62 No.1

Purpose: The aim of this study was to compare the efficacy of liver transplantation (LT) and liver resection (LR) for hepatocellularcarcinoma (HCC) patients with portal vein tumor thrombus (PVTT) and to investigate risk factors affecting prognosis. Materials and Methods: A total of 94 HCC patients with PVTT type I (segmental PVTT) and PVTT type II (lobar PVTT) were involvedand divided into LR (n=47) and LT groups (n=47). Recurrence-free survival (RFS) and overall survival (OS) were comparedbefore and after inverse probability of treatment weighting (IPTW). Prognostic factors for RFS and OS were explored. Results: Two treatment groups were well-balanced using IPTW. In the entire cohort, LT provided a better prognosis than LR. Among patients with PVTT type I, RFS was better with LT (p=0.039); OS was not different significantly between LT and LR(p=0.093). In subgroup analysis of PVTT type I patients with α-fetoprotein (AFP) levels >200 ng/mL, LT elicited significantly longermedian RFS (18.0 months vs. 2.1 months, p=0.022) and relatively longer median OS time (23.6 months vs. 9.8 months, p=0.065). Among patients with PVTT type II, no significant differences in RFS and OS were found between LT and LR (p=0.115 and 0.335,respectively). Multivariate analyses showed treatment allocation (LR), tumor size (>5 cm), AFP and aspartate aminotransferase(AST) levels to be risk factors of RFS and treatment allocation (LR), AFP and AST as risk factors for OS. Conclusion: LT appeared to afford a better prognosis for HCC with PVTT type I than LR, especially in patients with AFP levels>200 ng/mL.

Three-dimensional changes in lip vermilion morphology of adult female patients after extraction and non-extraction orthodontic treatment

Zhi-Yu Liu,Jie Yu,Fan-Fan Dai,Ruo-Ping Jiang,Tian-Min Xu 대한치과교정학회 2019 대한치과교정학회지 Vol.49 No.4

Objective: To investigate the three-dimensional lip vermilion changes after extraction and non-extraction orthodontic treatment in female adult patients and explore the correlation between lip vermilion changes and incisor changes. Methods: Forty-seven young female adult patients were enrolled in this study (skeletal Class III patients were excluded), including 34 lip-protruding patients treated by extraction of four first premolars (18 patients requiring mini-implants for maximum anchorage control and 16 patients without mini-implants) and 13 patients requiring non-extraction treatment. Nine angles, seven distances, and the surface area of the lip vermilion were measured by using pre- and posttreatment three-dimensional facial scans. Linear and angular measurements of incisors were performed on lateral cephalograms. Results: There were no significant changes in the vermilion measurements in the non-extraction group. The vermilion angle, vermilion height, central bow angle, height/width ratio, and vermilion surface area decreased significantly after the orthodontic treatment in the extraction groups, but the upper/lower vermilion proportion remained unchanged. Significant correlations were found between the changes in incisor position and those in vermilion angles, vermilion height, and surface area. Conclusions: Extraction of the four first premolars probably produced an aesthetic improvement in lip vermilion morphology. However, the upper/ lower vermilion proportion remained unchanged. The variations in the vermilion were closely related to incisor changes, especially the upper incisor inclination changes.

Structural and Functional Neural Alterations in Internet Addiction: A Study Protocol for Systematic Review and Meta-Analysis

Jun-Li Liu,Jing-Ting Sun,Hui-Lin Hu,Hao-Yuan Wang,Yun-Xi Kang,Tian-Qi Chen,Zhu-Hong Chen,Yu-Xuan Shang,Yu-Ting Li,Bo Hu,Rui Liu 대한신경정신의학회 2023 PSYCHIATRY INVESTIGATION Vol.20 No.1

A growing number of neuroimaging studies have revealed abnormal brain structural and functional alterations in subjects with internet addiction (IA), however, with conflicting conclusions. We plan to conduct a systematic review and meta-analysis on the studies of voxelbased morphometry (VBM) and resting-state functional connectivity (rsFC), to reach a consolidated conclusion and point out the future direction in this field. A comprehensive search of rsFC and VBM studies of IA will be conducted in the PubMed, Cochrane Library, and Web of Science databases to retrieve studies published from the inception dates to August 2021. If the extracted data are feasible, activation likelihood estimation and seed-based d mapping methods will be used to meta-analyze the brain structural and functional changes in IA patients. This study will hopefully reach a consolidated conclusion on the impact of IA on human brain or point out the future direction in this field.

PKM2 Regulates Hepatocellular Carcinoma Cell Epithelial-mesenchymal Transition and Migration upon EGFR Activation

Fan, Fang-Tian,Shen, Cun-Si,Tao, Li,Tian, Chao,Liu, Zhao-Guo,Zhu, Zhi-Jie,Liu, Yu-Ping,Pei, Chang-Song,Wu, Hong-Yan,Zhang, Lei,Wang, Ai-Yun,Zheng, Shi-Zhong,Huang, Shi-Le,Lu, Yin Asian Pacific Journal of Cancer Prevention 2014 Asian Pacific journal of cancer prevention Vol.15 No.5

Pyruvate kinase isozyme type M2 (PKM2) was first found in hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC), and its expression has been thought to correlate with prognosis. A large number of studies have demonstrated that epithelial-mesenchymal transition (EMT) is a crucial event in hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) and associated metastasis, resulting in enhanced malignancy of HCC. However, the roles of PKM2 in HCC EMT and metastasis remain largely unknown. The present study aimed to determine the effects of PKM2 in EGF-induced HCC EMT and elucidate the molecular mechanisms in vitro. Our results showed that EGF promoted EMT in HCC cell lines as evidenced by altered morphology, expression of EMT-associated markers, and enhanced invasion capacity. Furthermore, the present study also revealed that nuclear translocation of PKM2, which is regulated by the ERK pathway, regulated ${\beta}$-catenin-TCF/LEF-1 transcriptional activity and associated EMT in HCC cell lines. These discoveries provide evidence of novel roles of PKM2 in the progression of HCC and potential therapeutic target for advanced cases.

Use of Clozapine for the Treatment of Schizophrenia: Findings of the 2006 Research on the China Psychotropic Prescription Studies

Tian-Mei Si,Yun-shu Zhang,Liang Shu,Ke-Qing Li,Xie-He Liu,Qi-Yi Mei,Gao-Hua Wang,Pei-Shen Bai,Li-Ping Ji,Xian-Sheng Cheng,Cui Ma,Jian-Guo Shi,Hong-Yan Zhang,Hong Ma,Xin Yu 대한정신약물학회 2012 CLINICAL PSYCHOPHARMACOLOGY AND NEUROSCIENCE Vol.10 No.2

Objective: Clozapine is one of the most commonly used antipsychotic drugs in China. To date, few studies have investigated the patterns the prescription of clozapine nationwide. The present study examined these patterns in China in 2006 and identified the demographic and clinical characteristics associated with the use of clozapine. Methods: Using a standardized protocol and data collection procedure, we surveyed 5,898 patients with schizophrenia in 10provinces with differing levels of economic development. Results: Overall, clozapine had been prescribed for 31.9% (n=1,883) of the patients; however we found considerable variation among the 10 provinces. The frequency of clozapine use was highest in Sichuan (39.3%) and lowest in Beijing (17.3%). The mean daily dose of clozapine was 210.36±128.72 mg/day, and 25.1% of the patients were treated with clozapine in combination with other antipsychotics. Compared with the group not receiving clozapine, clozapine-user had been treated for longer durations and had experienced a greater number of relapses and hospitalizations. Furthermore, those in the clozapine-user had lower family incomes, were less able to seek psychiatric services, and more likely to be male and have a positive family history of schizophrenia. A multiple logistic regression analysis revealed that age, sex, professional help-seeking behaviors, duration of illness, economic status, educational level, and clinical manifestations were associated with the use of clozapine. Conclusion: Clozapine use is common in China. However, use of the antipsychotic varies among provinces, and demographic and clinical factors play important roles in the prescription of clozapine.