Clinical Effectiveness of Preoperative Embolization for Cerebellar Hemangioblastoma

Liu, Ai-Hua,Peng, Tang-Ming,Wu, Zhen,Xiao, Xin-Ru,Jiang, Chu-Han,Wu, Zhong-Xue,Li, You-Xiang Asian Pacific Journal of Cancer Prevention 2013 Asian Pacific journal of cancer prevention Vol.14 No.9

The cerebellar hemangioblastoma (CHB) has an abundant blood supply and deep anatomical location. Complete surgical resection is generally very difficult. This study investigated the safety and effectiveness of preoperative embolization followed by surgical resection of CHB in a large cohort of patients. A database of 125 CHB patients with surgical resection in Beijing Tiantan Hospital between July 2006 and July 2012 was reviewed. Of those, 46 cases (experimental group) received preoperative embolization, 79 cases (control group) underwent surgery without embolization. Patient demographics, tumor size, duration of surgery, blood loss, blood transfusion, complications and follow-up results were collected and analyzed retrospectively. In the experimental group, the Kamofsky score (KS) was 80-100 in 40 cases (86.9%), 40-70 in 4 cases (8.7%), and below 40 in 2 cases (4.3%). Among 31 cases with follow-up, KS was 80-100 in 27 cases (87.1%), 40-70 in 2 cases (6.5%), and 0 in 2 cases (6.5%). In control group, KS was 80 -100 in 65 cases (82.2%), 40-70 in 6 cases (7.6%), 10-30 in 3 cases (3.8%), and 0 in 3 cases (3.8%). Among 53 cases with follow-up, KS was 80-100 in 44 cases (83.0%), 40-70 in 4 cases (7.5%), 10-30 in 1 case (1.9%), and 0 in 4 cases (7.5%). There were statistically significant differences between the experimental and control groups in tumor size, duration of surgery, amount of intraoperative blood loss and transfusion (p<0.01). However, complications (p=0.31) and follow-up results (p=0.76) showed no significant differences between groups. Selective preoperative embolization of those CHB patients with richer blood supply, higher hemorrhage risk, is safe and effective, and is a reliable adjuvant therapy for complete surgical resection of CHB.

Highly Selective Production of Compound K from Ginsenoside Rd by Hydrolyzing Glucose at C-3 Glycoside Using β-Glucosidase of Bifidobacterium breve ATCC 15700

( Ru Zhang ),( Xue-mei Huang ),( Hui-juan Yan ),( Xin-yi Liu ),( Qi Zhou ),( Zhi-yong Luo ),( Xiao-ning Tan ),( Bian-ling Zhang ) 한국미생물생명공학회(구 한국산업미생물학회) 2019 Journal of microbiology and biotechnology Vol.29 No.3

To investigate a novel β-glucosidase from Bifidobacterium breve ATCC 15700 (BbBgl) to produce compound K (CK) via ginsenoside F2 by highly selective and efficient hydrolysis of the C-3 glycoside from ginsenoside Rd, the BbBgl gene was cloned and expressed in E. coli BL21. The recombinant BbBgl was purified by Ni-NTA magnetic beads to obtain an enzyme with specific activity of 37 U/mg protein using pNP-Glc as substrate. The enzyme activity was optimized at pH 5.0, 35°C, 2 or 6 U/ml, and its activity was enhanced by Mn²⁺ significantly. Under the optimal conditions, the half-life of the BbBgl is 180 h, much longer than the characterized β-glycosidases, and the Km and V_max values are 2.7 mM and 39.8 μmol/mg/min for ginsenoside Rd. Moreover, the enzyme exhibits strong tolerance against high substrate concentration (up to 40 g/l ginsenoside Rd) with a molar biotransformation rate of 96% within 12 h. The good enzymatic properties and gram-scale conversion capacity of BbBgl provide an attractive method for large-scale production of rare ginsenoside CK using a single enzyme or a combination of enzymes.

Magnetic Resonance Venography Findings of Obstructed Hepatic Veins and the Inferior Vena Cava in Patients with Budd-Chiari Syndrome

Ru-Xin Song,Shi-Feng Cai,Shuang Ma,Zhi-Ling Liu,Yong-Hao Gai,Chun-Qing Zhang,Guang-Chuan Wang 대한영상의학회 2018 Korean Journal of Radiology Vol.19 No.3

Objective: This study aimed to illustrate the magnetic resonance venography (MRV) manifestations of obstructed hepatic veins (HVs), the inferior vena cava (IVC), and accessory hepatic veins (AHVs) in patients with Budd-Chiari syndrome (BCS) and to evaluate the visualization capacity of MRV in the diagnosis of BCS. Materials and Methods: Fifty-two patients with chronic BCS were included in this study. All patients were examined via MRV performed with a 3T system following injections of gadolinium-diethylene triamine pentaacetic acid (Gd-DTPA) or Gdethoxibenzyl-DTPA. HV and IVC lesions were classified, and their characteristics were described. HV cord-like occlusions detected via MRV were compared using ultrasonography (US). Digital subtraction angiography (DSA) was performed as a contrast in the MRV detection of IVC lesions. The HVs draining collaterals, mainly AHVs, were carefully observed. HV lesions were classified as segmental stenosis, segmental occlusion, membranous stenosis, membranous occlusion, cord-like occlusion, or non-visualized. Except for patent IVCs, IVC lesions were classified as segmental occlusion, segmental stenosis, membranous occlusion, membranous stenosis, and hepatomegaly-induced stenosis. Results: All patients (52/52, 100%) showed HV lesions of different degrees. MRV was inferior to US in detecting cord-like occlusions (6 vs. 19, χ2 = 11.077, p < 0.001). Dilated AHVs, including 50 (50/52, 96.2%) caudate lobe veins and 37 (37/52, 71.2%) inferior HV and AHV lesions, were well-detected. There were no significant differences in detecting segmental lesions and thrombosis between MRV and DSA (χ2 = 0.000, p1 = 1.000, p2 = 1.000). The capacity of MRV to detect membranous lesions was inferior to that of DSA (7 vs. 15, χ2 = 6.125, p = 0.013). Conclusion: In patients with BCS, MRV can clearly display the lesions in HVs and the IVC, as well as in AHVs, and it has diagnostic and therapeutic value.

Effects of the Substitution of Mischmetal for PrNd on the Microstructures and Magnetic Properties of Rapidly Quenched (MM)PrNd-Fe-B Nanocrystalline Magnets

Zeng-ru Zhao,Xin Wang,Xue-feng Zhang,Qiang Ma,Yan-li Liu,Yong-feng Li,Fei Liu,Gao-feng Wang 한국자기학회 2017 Journal of Magnetics Vol.22 No.1

Mischmetal of Bayan Obo ore was utilized to prepare the high performance (Pr7.34Nd21.86)1-xMMxFe68.7Al0.1-Cu0.12Co0.88B ribbons using melt-spinning method. Phase composition and magnetic properties were investigated at room temperature. The ribbons mainly consist of R2Fe14B phase in isotropic nanostructure. Both coercivity and maximum energy product decrease with the increase of MM content. The magnetic parameters of the ribbons with MM = 20 % in mass are Br = 7.38 kGs, Hcj = 13.66 kOe, (BH)max = 11.81 MGOe. Henkel plots were applied to demonstrate the exchange coupling interaction between grains.

Combination of FDG PET/CT and Contrast-Enhanced MSCT in Detecting Lymph Node Metastasis of Esophageal Cancer

Tan, Ru,Yao, Shu-Zhan,Huang, Zhao-Qin,Li, Jun,Li, Xin,Tan, Hai-Hua,Liu, Qing-Wei Asian Pacific Journal of Cancer Prevention 2014 Asian Pacific journal of cancer prevention Vol.15 No.18

Background: Lymph node metastasis is believed to be a dependent negative prognostic factor of esophageal cancer. To explore detection methods with high sensitivity and accuracy for metastases to regional and distant lymph nodes in the clinic is of great significance. This study focused on clinical application of FDG PET/CT and contrast-enhanced multiple-slice helical computed tomography (MSCT) in lymph node staging of esophageal cancer. Materials and Methods: One hundred and fifteen cases were examined with enhanced 64-slice-MSCT scan, and FDG PET/CT imaging was conducted for neck, chest and upper abdomen within one week. The primary lesion, location and numbers of metastatic lymph nodes were observed. Surgery was performed within one week after FDG PET/CT detection. All resected lesions were confirmed histopathologically as the gold standard. Comparative analysis of the sensitivity, specificity, and accuracy based on FDG PET/CT and MSCT was conducted. Results: There were 946 lymph node groups resected during surgery from 115 patients, and 221 were confirmed to have metastasis pathologically. The sensitivity, specificity, accuracy of FDG PET/CT in detecting lymph node metastasis were 74.7%, 97.2% and 92.0%, while with MSCT they were 64.7%, 96.4%, and 89.0%, respectively. A significance difference was observed in sensitivity (p=0.030), but not the others (p>0.05). The accuracy of FDG PET/CT in detecting regional lymph node with or without metastasis were 91.9%, as compared to 89.4% for MSCT, while FDG PET/CT and MSCT values for detecting distant lymph node with or without metastasis were 94.4% and 94.7%. No significant difference was observed for either regional or distant lymph node metastasis. Additionally, for detecting para-esophageal lymph nodes metastasis, the sensitivity of FDG PET/CT was 72%, compared with 54.7% for MSCT (p=0.029). Conclusions: FDG PET/CT is more sensitive than MSCT in detecting lymph node metastasis, especially for para-esophageal lymph nodes in esophageal cancer cases, although no significant difference was observed between FDG PET/CT and MSCT in detecting both regional and distant lymph node metastasis. However, enhanced MSCT was found to be of great value in distinguishing false negative metastatic lymph nodes from FDG PET/CT. The combination of FDG PET/CT with MSCT should improve the accuracy in lymph node metastasis staging of esophageal cancer.

Simultaneous Determination of Hydroquinone and Catechol by N-doped Porous Biochar-modified Electrode

Yue-Xin Liu,Shi-Man Du,Jie Cao,Wen-sheng Huang,Xiao-Ru Zhang,Bao-Ping Qi,Sheng-Hui Zhang 대한화학회 2020 Bulletin of the Korean Chemical Society Vol.41 No.3

N-doped porous biochar (NPB) with large conjugated systems could not only be used as enrichment carriers but also be in favor of electron transport in the electrochemical detection. The NPB-modified electrode was fabricated for the simultaneous detection of catechol (CA) and hydroquinone (HQ) to enhance the signal-to-noise ratio and further improve the sensitivity. A detection limit as low as 37 and 47?nM was achieved for CA and HQ, respectively. The proposed strategy with the merits of high sensitivity, selectivity, and reproducibility exhibited a great potential for the detection.

Inhibitory effect of StCYP707A1 gene on tuberization in transgenic potato

Lu Liu,Rui-Jie Zhang,Wen-jiao Zhu,Xin-Ru Liu,Ke Shi,Min Chen,Qing Yang 한국식물생명공학회 2017 Plant biotechnology reports Vol.11 No.4

Tuber formation of potato is a complex biological process and is regulated by many factors including phytochrome, hormones, transcription factors, RNAs, microRNAs, etc. In our previous study, CYP707A1, an ABA 80-hydroxylase gene, was down-regulated in the StCOL antisense transgenic potato stolons, but its relation with potato tuberization has not been studied yet. In this study, to investigate the role of this gene in potato tuberization, we cloned a CYP707A1 gene from potato cultivar De ´sire ´e and constructed the StCYP707A1 over-expression and anti-sense potato lines by Agrobacterium-mediated transformation. In total, four over-expression transgenic lines and nine anti-sense transgenic lines were confirmed by PCR analysis. Semi-quantitative RT-PCR and qRTPCR analysis showed that the level of StCYP707A1 transcripts was significantly higher in the over-expression lines (A7 and A9) and lower in the anti-sense lines (F2 and F8), compared to the wild-type control. We further analyzed tuber formation in the transgenic lines and the wild-type control. The result showed that tuber yield per plant and average tuber weight were decreased in A7 and A9 and increased in F2. We also measured the content of ABA and GA3 in transgenic lines. ABA level was reduced in A7 and A9 and increased in F2. Contrariwise, the concentration of GA3 was higher in A7 and A9, and lower in F2 than in wild-type control. These results indicate that StCYP707A1 negatively affects potato tuberization through ABA regulation on gibberellic acid concentration.

Nanosized Carbon Black Combined with Ni₂O₃ as “Universal” Catalysts for Synergistically Catalyzing Carbonization of Polyolefin Wastes to Synthesize Carbon Nanotubes and Application for Supercapacitors

Wen, Xin,Chen, Xuecheng,Tian, Nana,Gong, Jiang,Liu, Jie,Rü,mmeli, Mark H.,Chu, Paul K.,Mijiwska, Ewa,Tang, Tao American Chemical Society 2014 Environmental science & technology Vol.48 No.7

<P>The catalytic carbonization of polyolefin materials to synthesize carbon nanotubes (CNTs) is a promising strategy for the processing and recycling of plastic wastes, but this approach is generally limited due to the selectivity of catalysts and the difficulties in separating the polyolefin mixture. In this study, the influence of nanosized carbon black (CB) and Ni<SUB>2</SUB>O<SUB>3</SUB> as a novel combined catalyst system on catalyzing carbonization of polypropylene (PP), polyethylene (PE), polystyrene (PS) and their blends was investigated. We showed that this combination was efficient to promote the carbonization of these polymers to produce CNTs with high yields and of good quality. Catalytic pyrolysis and model carbonization experiments indicated that the carbonization mechanism was attributed to the synergistic effect of the combined catalysts rendered by CB and Ni<SUB>2</SUB>O<SUB>3</SUB>: CB catalyzed the degradation of PP, PE, and PS to selectively produce more aromatic compounds, which were subsequently dehydrogenated and reassembled into CNTs via the catalytic action of CB together with Ni particles. Moreover, the performance of the synthesized CNTs as the electrode of supercapacitor was investigated. The supercapacitor displayed a high specific capacitance as compared to supercapacitors using commercial CNTs and CB. This difference was attributed to the relatively larger specific surface areas of our synthetic CNTs and their more oxygen-containing groups.</P><P><B>Graphic Abstract</B> <IMG SRC='http://pubs.acs.org/appl/literatum/publisher/achs/journals/content/esthag/2014/esthag.2014.48.issue-7/es404646e/production/images/medium/es-2013-04646e_0008.gif'></P><P><A href='http://pubs.acs.org/doi/suppl/10.1021/es404646e'>ACS Electronic Supporting Info</A></P>

Risk Factors for Anxiety in Major Depressive Disorder Patients

Li-Min Xin,Lin Chen,Zhen-Peng Ji,Suo-Yuan Zhang,Jun Wang,Yan-Hong Liu,Da-Fang Chen,Fu-De Yang,Gang Wang,Yi-Ru Fang,Zheng Lu,Hai-Chen Yang,Jian Hu,Zhi-Yu Chen,Yi Huang,Jing Sun,Xiao-Ping Wang,Hui-Chun 대한정신약물학회 2015 CLINICAL PSYCHOPHARMACOLOGY AND NEUROSCIENCE Vol.13 No.3

Objective: To analyze the sociodemographic and clinical factors related to anxiety in patients with major depressive disorder (MDD). Methods: This study involved a secondary analysis of data obtained from the Diagnostic Assessment Service for People with Bipolar Disorders in China (DASP), which was initiated by the Chinese Society of Psychiatry (CSP) and conducted from September 1, 2010 to February 28, 2011. Based on the presence or absence of anxiety-related characteristics, 1,178 MDD patients were classified as suffering from anxious depression (n=915) or non-anxious depression (n=263), respectively. Results: Compared with the non-anxious group, the anxious-depression group had an older age at onset (t=−4.39, p<0.001), were older (t=−4.69, p<0.001), reported more lifetime depressive episodes (z=−3.24, p=0.001), were more likely to experience seasonal depressive episodes (χ2=6.896, p=0.009) and depressive episodes following stressful life events (χ2=59.350, p <0.001), and were more likely to have a family history of psychiatric disorders (χ2=6.091, p=0.014). Their positive and total scores on the Mood Disorder Questionnaire (MDQ) and the 32-item Hypomania Checklist (HCL-32) (p<0.05) were also lower. The logistic regression analysis indicated that age (odds ratio [OR]=1.03, p<0.001), a lower total MDQ score (OR=0.94, p=0.011), depressive episodes following stressful life events (OR=3.04, p<0.001), and seasonal depressive episodes (OR=1.75, p=0.039) were significantly associated with anxious depression. Conclusion: These findings indicate that older age, fewer subclinical bipolar features, an increased number of depressive episodes following stressful life events, and seasonal depressive episodes may be risk factors for anxiety-related characteristics in patients with MDD.

Sexual dimorphism-related gene expression analysis based on the transcriptome in Gynaephora qinghaiensis, a pest of grassland on the Qinghai-Tibet Plateau

Wang Hai-Zhen,Zhang Ru-yi,Yuyu-Li,Liu Xin 한국응용곤충학회 2023 Journal of Asia-Pacific Entomology Vol.26 No.2

Gynaephora qinghaiensis is a pest in the alpine meadows of the Qinghai-Tibet Plateau (QTP) that seriously harms grassland vegetation. Sexual dimorphism (SD) is common in insects, but its molecular mechanism at the tran scriptome level in insects, especially in G. qinghaiensis, has not been reported. In this study, we conducted transcriptome analysis of pupae and adults of the two sexes (male and female) of G. qinghaiensis. A total of 204,557,900 clean reads assembled into 114,944 unigenes were obtained by RNA-Seq. To explore differences in the transcriptome levels of molecular characteristics related to SD between the two sexes of G. qinghaiensis, gene expression profiling was performed. A total of 88 differentially expressed unigenes related to sex determination were found in the pupae of G. qinghaiensis; of these, 74 were upregulated and 14 were downregulated in the female pupae compared to the male pupae. Forty-five unigenes related to sex determination were found in the adults of G. qinghaiensis; of these, 15 were upregulated and 30 were downregulated in the female adults compared to the male adults. This indicated some differences in the expression of genes involved in sex deter mination between male and female individuals of G. qinghaiensis. Therefore, we speculated that sex-determining genes may play an important role in the formation of sexual dimorphism in G. qinghaiensis. Our report provides a valuable genomic resource for further studies of grassland caterpillars and improves our understanding of the molecular mechanisms underlying sexual dimorphism between male and female insects.