Correlation of Neutrophil-Lymphocyte and Albumin-Globulin Ratios With Outcomes in Patients With Breast Cancer Undergoing Neoadjuvant Chemotherapy or Upfront Surgery

Shi Hui Yang,Min Li Tey,Siqin Zhou,Phyu Nitar,Hanis Mariyah,Yirong Sim,Grace Kusumawidjaja,Wen Yee Chay,Wong Fuh Yong,Ru Xin Wong 한국유방암학회 2024 Journal of breast cancer Vol.27 No.2

Purpose: Higher neutrophil-lymphocyte ratio (NLRs) indicate a pro-inflammatory state and are associated with poor survival. Conversely, higher albumin-globulin ratio (AGRs) may be associated with improved prognosis. We aimed to investigate the association between NLR and AGR and prognosis and survival in patients with breast cancer. Methods: This retrospective study included all patients with stage I–III breast cancer between 2011 and 2017 in Singapore General Hospital and National Cancer Center Singapore. Multivariate logistic regression analysis of NLR, AGR, age, stage, grade, and subtype was performed. Survival data between groups were compared using Cox regression analysis and log-rank tests. Results: A total of 1,188 patients were included, of whom 323 received neoadjuvant chemotherapy (NACT) and 865 underwent upfront surgery. In patients who underwent NACT, a higher AGR was significantly associated with a higher pCR rate (cut-off > 1.28; odds ratio [OR], 2.03; 95% confidence interval [CI], 1.13–3.74; p = 0.020), better DFS (cut off > 1.55; hazard ratio [HR], 0.37; 95% CI, 0.16–0.85; p = 0.019), and better CSS (cut off > 1.46; HR, 0.39; 95% CI, 0.17–0.92; p = 0.031). Higher NLR was significantly associated with worse DFS (cut off > 4.09; HR, 1.77; 95% CI, 1.07–2.91; p = 0.026) and worse CSS (cut off > 4.09; HR, 1.98; 95% CI, 1.11–3.53; p = 0.021). In patients who underwent upfront surgery, higher AGR correlated with significantly better OS (cut off > 1.17; HR, 0.54; 95% CI, 0.36–0.82; p = 0.004) and higher NLR correlated with worse OS (cut off > 2.38; HR, 1.63; 95% CI, 1.09–2.44; p = 0.018). Conclusion: NLR and AGR are useful in predicting the response to NACT as well as prognosis of patients with breast cancer. Further studies are needed to explore their value in clinical decision making.

The thermal stability of atomic layer deposited HfLaOx: Material and electrical characterization

Wen Yang,Qing-Qing Sun,Run-Chen Fang,Lin Chen,Peng Zhou,Shi-Jin Ding,David Wei Zhang 한국물리학회 2012 Current Applied Physics Vol.12 No.6

HfLaOx based Metaleoxideesemiconductor capacitors were fabricated by atomic layer deposition in this work. The material and electrical properties of the films along with the high temperature thermal treatment were investigated. It was found that samples undergoing annealing at 900 ℃ exhibited the best performance. The film was found to be crystallized to a cubic structure at 900 ℃, and the roughness of the films was estimated to be 0.332 nm. For electrical characterization, the C-V curve of the film is in good agreement with the corresponding simulated curve, and the capacitor does not show any hysteresis. Moreover, the Dit near the center of silicon band gap exhibits lowest value, and it was calculated to be 2.28 × 1011 eV-1 cm-2. HfLaOx based Metaleoxideesemiconductor capacitors were fabricated by atomic layer deposition in this work. The material and electrical properties of the films along with the high temperature thermal treatment were investigated. It was found that samples undergoing annealing at 900 ℃ exhibited the best performance. The film was found to be crystallized to a cubic structure at 900 ℃, and the roughness of the films was estimated to be 0.332 nm. For electrical characterization, the C-V curve of the film is in good agreement with the corresponding simulated curve, and the capacitor does not show any hysteresis. Moreover, the Dit near the center of silicon band gap exhibits lowest value, and it was calculated to be 2.28 × 1011 eV-1 cm-2.

Digital Image-based Identification Method for the Determination of the Particle Size Distribution of Dam Granular Material

Shi-lin Zhang,Gao-jian Wu,Xingguo Yang,Wan-hong Jiang,Jia-wen Zhou 대한토목학회 2018 KSCE JOURNAL OF CIVIL ENGINEERING Vol.22 No.8

The Particle Size Distribution (PSD) properties of dam granular material plays an important role in the construction process ofearth-rock dams, as it can affect the filling quality and structural safety. However, the conventional sieving method employed tocheck the PSD is labor-intensive, time-consuming and not highly accurate. In this study, a digital image-based identification methodis presented for the determination of the PSD of dam granular material, which mainly incorporates image acquisition technology, alarge database and a neural network. Digital Image Processing (DIP) technology is used to recognize the geometric size and gradingcurve of dam granular materials at a small scale, while statistical distribution models are used to determine the characteristicparameters of the grading curve and convert the graphical curve into mathematical variables. Furthermore, a large database and a BPneutral algorithm, which is improved using a genetic algorithm, are introduced as tools to reveal the implicit relationship between theDIP and sieving grading curves to correct the error of identification. A case study for the Changheba Hydropower Station is used toillustrate the implementation details of the presented method. The identification results demonstrate that the presented method canacquire and assess the gradation in spite of a degree of error, which can be decreased when more advanced DIP technologies areexplored, the amount of data in the database is increased, and a more optimized network algorithm is adopted.

A new phenylethanoid glycoside with antioxidant and anti-HBV activity from Tarphochlamys affinis

Zhou, Xian-Li,Wen, Qing-Wei,Lin, Xing,Zhang, Shi-Jun,Li, Ying-Xin,Guo, You-Jia,Huang, Ren-Bin 대한약학회 2014 Archives of Pharmacal Research Vol.37 No.5

A new phenylethanoid glycoside, named taraffinisoside A (1), together with five known glycosides were isolated from the stems and leaves of Tarphochlamys affinis. The structure of taraffinisoside A was identified on the basis of detailed spectral analysis. Compounds 1-4 and 6 showed potent antioxidant activities with $IC_{50}$ values of 10.36, 19.73, 43.95, 15.30 and $46.04{\mu}M$ by 1,1-diphenyl-2-picryhydrazyl radical-scavenging assay. Compounds 1, 2 and 4 showed anti-HBV activities, with $IC_{50}$ values of 0.50, 0.72 and 0.26 mM for HBsAg and 0.93, 0.42 and 0.07 mM for HBeAg, respectively.

MiR-214 inhibits apoptosis in thyroid epithelial follicular cells induced by amiodarone through the FASL/MAPK pathway

Wen Jing,Deng Chaonan,Shi Lixin,Zhou Shi,Zhang Miao,Hu Xiaoli,Wang Nianxue,Luo Lijuan 대한독성 유전단백체 학회 2022 Molecular & cellular toxicology Vol.18 No.2

Background Hashimoto's thyroiditis (HT), also known as chronic lymphocytic thyroiditis, is one of the most common autoimmune disease (AITD) in clinical practice. It is urgent to explore the mechanism of amiodarone-induced thyroid dysfunction. Objective This study aims to assess the expression levels of miR-214 and FasL in amiodarone contact type of HT, and the effect of miR-214 on cell viability and apoptosis and potential mechanism. Results We found that miR-214 was low expressed in the tissues of amiodarone-treated thyroiditis patients. MiR-214 increased the survival rate of amiodarone-induced thyroid epithelial follicular cells and inhibited apoptosis. Mechanically, we found that miR-214 could bind to FASL and regulate MAPK signaling pathway through FASL. Conclusions Our results suggested that miR-214 could be a potential therapeutic target for Hashimoto's thyroiditis.

Distinct mutations in MLH1 and MSH2 genes in Hereditary Non-polyposis Colorectal Cancer (HNPCC) families from China

( Wen Qian Wei ),( Fang Qi Liu ),( Lei Liu ),( Zuo Feng Li ),( Xiao Yan Zhang ),( Fan Jiang ),( Qu Shi ),( Xiao Yan Zhou ),( Wei Qi Sheng ),( San Jun Cai ),( Xuan Li ),( Ye Xu ),( Peng Nan ) 생화학분자생물학회(구 한국생화학분자생물학회) 2011 BMB Reports Vol.44 No.5

Hereditary non-polyposis Colorectal Cancer (HNPCC) is an autosomal dominant inheritance syndrome. HNPCC is the most common hereditary variant of colorectal cancer (CRC), which accounts for 2-5% CRCs, mainly due to hMLH1 and hMSH2 mutations that impair DNA repair functions. Our study aimed to identify the patterns of hMSH2 and hMLH1 mutations in Chinese HNPCC patients. Ninety-eight unrelated families from China meeting Amsterdam or Bethesda criteria were included in our study. Germline mutations in MLH1 and MSH2 genes, located in the exons and the splice-site junctions, were screened in the 98 probands by direct sequencing. Eleven mutations were found in ten patients (11%), with six in MLH1 (54.5%) and five in MSH2 (45.5%) genes. One patient had mutations in both MLH1 and MSH2 genes. Three novel mutations in MLH1 gene (c.157_160delGAGG, c.2157dupT and c.-64G>T) were found for the first time, and one suspected hotspot in MSH2 (c.1168C>T) was revealed. [BMB reports 2011; 44(5): 317-322]

A Security Localization Algorithm Based on DV‑Hop Against Sybil Attack in Wireless Sensor Networks

Shi Dong,Xin‑gang Zhang,Wen‑gang Zhou 대한전기학회 2020 Journal of Electrical Engineering & Technology Vol.15 No.2

Localization technology is crucial in wireless sensor networks (WSN) by forming the basis of various WSN applications. With the advancements of WSN, WSN attacks for node localization have increasingly become an important security issue. The Sybil attack is an example of such attacks where a reputation system is subverted by creating multiple pseudonymous identities. In this paper, a detection and defense algorithm against Sybil attacks based on the distance vector-hop (DV-Hop) method is presented. Experimental results show that the algorithm can efectively improve the security of the node localization in WSN. When the number of beacon nodes is 50, our proposed algorithm reduces the average localization error by 3% than the traditional DV-Hop.

Proteomic Analysis on Exosomes Derived from Patients’ Sera Infected with Echinococcus granulosus

Wen Wang,Xiaojing Zhou,Fang Cui,Chunli Shi,Yulan Wang,Yanfei Men,Wei Zhao,Jiaqing Zhao 대한기생충학ㆍ열대의학회 2019 The Korean Journal of Parasitology Vol.57 No.5

Cystic echinococcosis (CE), a zoonotic disease caused by Echinococcus granulosus at the larval stage, predominantly develops in the liver and lungs of intermediate hosts and eventually results in organ malfunction or even death. The interaction between E. granulosus and human body is incompletely understood. Exosomes are nanosized particles ubiquitously present in human body fluids. Exosomes carry biomolecules that facilitate communication between cells. To the best of our knowledge, the role of exosomes in patients with CE is not reported. Here, we isolated exosomes from the sera of patients with CE (CE-exo) and healthy donors and subjected them to liquid chromatography-tandem mass spectrometry analysis. Proteomic analysis identified 49 proteins specifically expressed in CE-exo, including 4 proteins of parasitic origin. The most valuable parasitic proteins included tubulin alpha-1C chain and histone H4. And 8 proteins were differentially regulated in CE-exo (fold change>1.5), as analyzed with bioinformatic methods such as annotation and functional enrichment analyses. These findings may improve our understanding about the interaction between E. granulosus and human body, and may contribute to the diagnosis and prevention of CE.

Comprehensive Assessment of Associations between ERCC2 Lys751Gln/Asp312Asn Polymorphisms and Risk of Non-Hodgkin Lymphoma

Zhou, Jue-Yu,He, Li-Wen,Liu, Jie,Yu, Hai-Lang,Wei, Min,Ma, Wen-Li,Shi, Rong Asian Pacific Journal of Cancer Prevention 2014 Asian Pacific journal of cancer prevention Vol.15 No.21

Background: Excision repair crossing-complementing group 2 (ERCC2), also called xeroderma pigmentosum complementary group D (XPD), plays a crucial role in the nucleotide excision repair (NER) pathway. Previous epidemiological studies have reported associations between ERCC2 polymorphisms and non-Hodgkin lymphoma (NHL) risk, but the results have remained controversial. Materials and Methods: We conducted this meta-analysis based on eligible case-control studies to investigate the role of two ERCC2 polymorphisms (Lys751Gln and Asp312Asn) in determining susceptibility to NHL. Ten case-control studies from several electronic databases were included in our study up to August 14, 2014. Pooled odds ratios (ORs) and 95% confidence intervals (CIs) were calculated using fixed- or random-effects models to estimate the association strength. Results: The combined results based on all studies did not show any association between Lys751Gln/Asp312Asn polymorphisms and NHL risk for all genetic models. Stratified analyses by histological subtype and ethnicity did not indicate any significant association between Lys751Gln polymorphism and NHL risk. However, a significant reduced risk of NHL was found among population-based studies (Lys/Gln versus Lys/Lys: OR=0.87, 95% CI=0.77-0.99, P=0.037) but not hospital-based studies. As for Asp312Asn polymorphism, there was no evidence for the association between this polymorphism and the risk of NHL in all subgroup analyses. Conclusions: This meta-analysis suggests that there may be no association between Lys751Gln/Asp312Asn polymorphism and the risk of NHL and its two subtypes, whereas ERCC2 Lys751Gln heterozygote genotype may provide protective effects against the risk of NHL in population-based studies. Therefore, large-scale and well-designed studies are needed to clarify the effects of haplotypes, gene-gene, and gene-environment interactions on these polymorphisms and the risk of NHL and its different histological subtypes in an ethnicity specific population.

Antibacterial and Antioxidant Composite Fiber Prepared from Polyurethane and Polyacrylonitrile Containing Tea Polyphenols

Ya Wen,Ruifang Zhao,Xueqian Yin,Yidong Shi,Haojun Fan,Yi Zhou,Lin Tang 한국섬유공학회 2020 Fibers and polymers Vol.21 No.1

Antibacterial and antioxidant properties exert an indispensable effect on biomedical and packaging materialswhich are mainly made of fiber-based fabrics. The current research illustrates a novel type of composite fiber which wasprepared from thermoplastic polyurethane (PU), polyacrylonitrile (PAN) and tea polyphenols (TP) through wet-spinningtechnology. The PU-PAN mass ratio was optimized upon the mechanical property; TP was incorporated into the compositefiber with different contents. The obtained fibers were fully characterized in terms of mechanical, thermal, morphologicalproperties as well as surface wettability. Additionally, in vitro TP release, antioxidant and antibacterial activity of suchcomposite fibers before and after washing were under investigation systematically and orderly. The findings showed that TPloadedcomposite fibers with an average diameter around 120 μm performed a sustained TP release behavior and desirablecytocompatibility. According to the capacity on scavenging 2, 2-diphenyl-1-picrylhydrazyl (DPPH) free radicals, theobservation of scavenging ratio reaching to 97 % proved the excellent antioxidant performance. Furthermore, the idealantibacterial activity against Gram-negative E. coli and Gram-positive S. aureus was also demonstrated. Collectively, thisstudy provides a facile strategy to design and prepare a novel type of composite fibers and fabrics, which may be put intoapplication as wound dressing and tissue conduit.