Polysaccharide from Polygonatum Inhibits the Proliferation of Prostate Cancer-Associated Fibroblasts Cells

Han, Shu-Yu,Hu, Ming-Hua,Qi, Guan-Yun,Ma, Chao-Xiong,Wang, Yuan-Yuan,Ma, Fang-Li,Tao, Ning,Qin, Zhi-Hai Asian Pacific Journal of Cancer Prevention 2016 Asian Pacific journal of cancer prevention Vol.17 No.8

Inhibition of cancer-associated fibroblasts (CAFs) may improve the efficacy of cancer therapy. Polysaccharide extracted from polygonatum can selectively inhibit the growth of prostate-CAFs (p<0.001) without inhibiting the growth of normal fibroblasts (NAFs). Polysaccharides from polygonatum stimulate autophagy of prostate-CAFs. 3-methyl-adenine(3-MA) is an autophagy inhibitor. 3-MA was added to prostate-CAFs with polysaccharide from polygonatum to determine whether autophagy plays an important role in the restrained effect. Finally, polysaccharide from polygonatum treatment significantly increased the activation of Beclin-1 and LC3, key autophagy proteins. Polysaccharide from polygonatum stimulates autophagy of prostate-CAFs and inhibits prostate-CAF growth, indicating that a novel anti-cancer strategy involves inhibiting the growth of prostate-CAFs.

Synthesis of Tailed Metalloporphyrins Modified with 2-Chloronicotinic Acid and Interactions with Human Serum Albumin

Shu-Jun Wang,Yu-Ling Peng,Cheng-Gen Zhang,Qi Peng Ma,Xiao Xia Peng,Li Lei Ren 대한화학회 2017 Bulletin of the Korean Chemical Society Vol.38 No.7

Two kinds of free-base tailed porphyrins modified with 2-chloronicotinic acid and the corresponding Zn porphyrins have been synthesized. They have been characterized by elemental analysis and NMR, UV/Vis, fluorescence spectra, and infrared spectroscopies. Their configurations have been optimized through theoretical calculations. The fluorescence quantum yields were determined by a comparative method. The interactions between the Zn porphyrins and human serum albumin have been studied by means of fluorescence spectra. The experimental results showed that the interaction mechanism involved a combined fluorescence quenching process (static and dynamic quenching) and that the main driving force was hydrophobic in nature. Quenching constants, binding constants, thermodynamic parameters, and binding distances have been determined.

The Effectiveness of Dignity Therapy as Applied to End-of-Life Patients with Cancer in Taiwan: A Quasi-Experimental Study

Yu-Chi Li,Yin-Hsun Feng,Hui-Ying Chiang,Shu-Ching Ma,Hsiu-Hung Wang 한국간호과학회 2020 Asian Nursing Research Vol.14 No.4

Purpose: The aim of the study was to determine the effectiveness of dignity therapy for end-of-lifepatients with cancer. Methods: This study used a quasi-experimental study design with a nonrandomized controlled trial. Dignity therapy was used as an intervention in the experimental group, and general visit was used in thecontrol group. Thirty end-of-life patients with cancer were recruited, with 16 in the experimental groupand 14 in the control group. Outcome variables were the participants' dignity, demoralization, anddepression. Measurements were taken at the following time points: pre-test (before intervention), posttest1 (the 7th day), and post-test 2 (the 14th day). The effectiveness of the intervention in the twogroups was analyzed using the generalized estimating equation, with the p value set to be less than .05. Results: After dignity therapy, the end-of-life patients with cancer reflected increased dignity significantly[b ¼ 37.08, standard error (SE) ¼ 7.43, Wald c2 ¼ 24.94, p < .001], whereas demoralization(b¼ 39.55, SE ¼ 6.42,Wald c2 ¼ 37.95, p < .001) and depression (b¼ 12.01, SE ¼ 2.17,Wald c2 ¼ 30.71,p < .001) were both reduced significantly. Conclusion: Clinical nurses could be adopting dignity therapy to relieve psychological distress andimprove spiritual need in end-of-life patients with cancer. Future studies might be expanded tolooking at patients vis- a-vis end-of-life patients without cancer to improve their psychologicaldistress. These results provide reference data for the care of end-of-life patients with cancer fornursing professionals.

Dignity and Related Factors in Patients with Cancer: A Cross-Sectional Study

Li Yu-Chi,Feng Yin-Hsun,Ma Shu-Ching,Wang Hsiu-Hung 한국간호과학회 2023 Asian Nursing Research Vol.17 No.1

Purpose: Dignity is a basic human right that is related to psychological distress factors in patients with cancer such as depression and demoralization. Hence, the dignity issue is of great importance to healthcare professionals. The present study aimed to advise healthcare professionals regarding the related distress factors of dignity in patients with cancer by investigating its relationship with patients’ demographics, disease characteristics, and psychological distress. Methods: This was a cross-sectional study design. A convenience sample of 267 patients with cancer from a medical center was recruited into this study. Each patient completed demographics and disease characteristics questionnaires, the Patient Dignity Inventory Mandarin Version, the Demoralization Scale Mandarin Version (DS-MV), and the Patient Health Questionnaire-9 (PHQ-9). Data were analyzed with SPSS 22.0 software. Results: Dignity was significantly correlated with age, demoralization, and depression. Cancer patients aged 65 or above were more likely to have a lower sense of dignity. In the present study, the sensitivity and specificity of the Patient Dignity Inventory Mandarin Version for demoralization (DS-MVꠑ30) were 84.8% and 79.1% and for depression (PHQ-9ꠑ10) were 73.8% and 70.9% in patients with cancer with an aggregate score of 35 or above. Conclusions: Dignity is significantly correlated with personal demographic characteristics and psychoꠓlogical distress in patients with cancer. The results provide reference data for healthcare professionals to understand and enable dignity in patients with cancer and aid in the development of methods that promote their dignity

Prognostic Impact of Cyclin D1, Cyclin E and P53 on Gastroenteropancreatic Neuroendocrine Tumours

Liu, Shu-Zheng,Zhang, Fang,Chang, Yu-Xi,Ma, Jie,Li, Xu,Li, Xiao-Hong,Fan, Jin-Hu,Duan, Guang-Cai,Sun, Xi-Bin Asian Pacific Journal of Cancer Prevention 2013 Asian Pacific journal of cancer prevention Vol.14 No.1

Conventional classifications of gastroenteropancreatic neuroendocrine tumours (GEP-NETs) are rather unsatisfactory because of the variation in survival within each subgroup. Molecular markers are being found able to predict patient outcome in more and more tumours. The aim of this study was to characterize the expression of the proteins cyclin D1, cyclin E and P53 in GEP-NETs and assess any prognostic impact. Tumor specimens from 68 patients with a complete follow-up were studied immunohistochemically for cyclin D1, cyclin E and P53 expression. High cyclin D1 and cyclin E immunostaining (${\geq}$ 5% positive nuclei) was found in 48 (71%) and 24 (35%) cases, and high P53 staining (${\geq}$ 10% positive nuclei) in 33 (49%). High expression of P53 was more common in gastric neuroendocrine tumors and related to malignant behavior, being associate with a worse prognosis on univariate analysis (RR=1.9, 95%CI=1.1-3.2). High expression of cyclin E was significantly associated with shorter survival in the univariate analysis (RR=2.0, 95%CI=1.2-3.6) and multivariate analysis (RR=2.1, 95%CI=1.1-4.0). We found no significant correlation between the expression of cyclin D1 and any clinicopathological variables. Our study indicated a prognostic relevance for cyclin E and P53 immunoreactivity. Cyclin E may be an independent prognostic factor from the 2010 WHO Classification which should be evaluated in further studies.

Aberrant Methylation of RASSF2A in Tumors and Plasma of Patients with Epithelial Ovarian Cancer

Wu, Yu,Zhang, Xian,Lin, Li,Ma, Xiao-Ping,Ma, Ying-Chun,Liu, Pei-Shu Asian Pacific Journal of Cancer Prevention 2014 Asian Pacific journal of cancer prevention Vol.15 No.3

Objective: The tumor suppressor gene, Ras-association domain family (RASSF)2A, is inactivated by promoter hypermethylation in many cancers. The current study was performed to evaluate the methylation status of RASSF2A in epithelial ovarian cancer (EOC) tissues and plasma, and correlations with gene expression and clinicopathologic characteristics. Method: We detected methylation of the RASSF2A gene in tissues and corresponding plasma samples from 47 EOC patients and 14 patients with benign ovarian tumors and 10 with normal ovarian tissues. The methylation status was determined by methylation-specific PCR while gene expression of mRNA was examined by RT-PCR. The EOC cell line, SKOV3, was treated with 5-aza-2'-deoxycytidine (5-azadC). Results: RASSF2A mRNA expression was significantly low in EOC tissues. The frequency of aberrant methylation of RASSF2A was 51.1% in EOC tissues and 36.2% in corresponding plasma samples, whereas such hypermethylation was not detected in the benign ovarial tumors and normal ovarian samples. The expression of RASSF2A mRNA was significantly down-regulated or lost in the methylated group compared to the unmethylated group (p<0.05). After treatment with 5-aza-dC, RASSF2A mRNA expression was significantly restored in the Skov3 cell line. Conclusion: Epigenetic inactivation of RASSF2A through aberrant promoter methylation may play an important role in the pathogenesis of EOC. Methylation of the RASSF2A gene in plasma may be a valuable molecular marker for the early detection of EOC.

Tiny Basic Nickel Carbonate Arrays/Reduced Graphene Oxide Composite for High-Efficiency Supercapacitor Application

Zhengmin Yu,Xiaoli Su,Denghu Wei,Shu-Juan Yao,Huiyan Ma,Hui Zhao,Xipeng Pu,Wenzhi Li,Jie Wang 성균관대학교(자연과학캠퍼스) 성균나노과학기술원 2019 NANO Vol.14 No.4

3D structure composite made of tiny basic nickel carbonate arrays on the surface of reduced graphene oxide nanosheets (G-NiCH) are prepared by the hydrothermal method. The specific surface area of the G-NiCH composites is twice that of single basic nickel carbonate, which is due to the tiny basic nickel carbonate arrays structure wherein each individual nanoneedle is about 20 nm in length and 2 nm in width. The G-NiCH electrodes display high-efficiency electrochemical performance with good specific capacitance (1230 F g -1) and excellent stability (100% capacitance retention after 2000 cycles). This is attributed to the synergistic effect that reduced graphene oxide offer fast electron transmission path and basic nickel carbonate act as high effective active material.

Combined Detection of CEA, CA 19-9, CA 242 and CA 50 in the Diagnosis and Prognosis of Resectable Gastric Cancer

Tian, Shu-Bo,Yu, Jian-Chun,Kang, Wei-Ming,Ma, Zhi-Qiang,Ye, Xin,Cao, Zhan-Jiang,Yan, Chao Asian Pacific Journal of Cancer Prevention 2014 Asian Pacific journal of cancer prevention Vol.15 No.15

Our aim was to investigate the value of combined detection of serum carcinoembryonic antigen (CEA), carbohydrate antigen (CA) 19-9, CA 242 and CA 50 in diagnosis and assessment of prognosis in consecutive gastric cancer patients. Clinical data including preoperative serum CEA, CA 19-9, CA 242, and CA 50 values and information on clinical pathological factors were collected and analyzed retrospectively. Univariate and multivariate survival analyses were used to explore the relationship between tumor markers and survival. Positive rates of tumor markers CEA, CA 19-9, CA 242 and CA 50 in the diagnosis of gastric cancer were 17.7, 17.1, 20.4 and 13.8%, respectively, and the positive rate for all four markers combined was 36.6%. Patients with elevated preoperative serum concentrations of CEA, CA 19-9, CA 242 and CA 50, had late clinical tumor stage and significantly poorer overall survival. Five-year survival rates in patients with elevated CEA, CA 19-9, CA 242 and CA 50 were 28.1, 25.8, 27.0 and 24.1%, respectively, compared with 55.0, 55.4, 56.4 and 54.5% in patients with these markers at normal levels (p<0.01). In multivariate Cox proportional hazards analyses, an elevated CA 242 level was determined to be an independent prognostic marker in gastric cancer patients. Combined detection of four tumor markers increased the positive rate for gastric cancer diagnosis. CA 242 showed higher diagnostic value and CA 50 showed lower diagnostic value. In resectable gastric carcinoma, preoperative CA 242 level was associated with disease stage, and was found to be a significant independent prognostic marker in gastric cancer patients.

Resequencing 302 wild and cultivated accessions identifies genes related to domestication and improvement in soybean

Zhou, Zhengkui,Jiang, Yu,Wang, Zheng,Gou, Zhiheng,Lyu, Jun,Li, Weiyu,Yu, Yanjun,Shu, Liping,Zhao, Yingjun,Ma, Yanming,Fang, Chao,Shen, Yanting,Liu, Tengfei,Li, Congcong,Li, Qing,Wu, Mian,Wang, Min,Wu, Nature Publishing Group, a division of Macmillan P 2015 Nature biotechnology Vol.33 No.4

Understanding soybean (Glycine max) domestication and improvement at a genetic level is important to inform future efforts to further improve a crop that provides the world's main source of oilseed. We detect 230 selective sweeps and 162 selected copy number variants by analysis of 302 resequenced wild, landrace and improved soybean accessions at >11× depth. A genome-wide association study using these new sequences reveals associations between 10 selected regions and 9 domestication or improvement traits, and identifies 13 previously uncharacterized loci for agronomic traits including oil content, plant height and pubescence form. Combined with previous quantitative trait loci (QTL) information, we find that, of the 230 selected regions, 96 correlate with reported oil QTLs and 21 contain fatty acid biosynthesis genes. Moreover, we observe that some traits and loci are associated with geographical regions, which shows that soybean populations are structured geographically. This study provides resources for genomics-enabled improvements in soybean breeding.

Factors that Influence the Presciption of Antipsychotics for Patients with Schizophrenia in China

Tian-Mei Si,Liang Shu,Ke-Qing Li,Xie-He Liu,Qi-Yi Mei,Gao-Hua Wang,Pei-Shen Bai,Li-Ping Ji,Xian-Sheng Chen,Cui Ma,Jian-Guo Shi,Hong-Yan Zhang,Hong Ma,Xin Yu 대한정신약물학회 2011 CLINICAL PSYCHOPHARMACOLOGY AND NEUROSCIENCE Vol.9 No.3

Objective: To investigate the patterns of antipsychotic use in China and to analyze the factors that influence antipsychotic prescriptions. Methods: A standardized survey was conducted from May 20 to 24 2002 in five different regions of China with varying economic levels. The patterns of antipsychotic medication use were analyzed in a sample of 4,779 patients with schizophrenia. The survey gathered information on demographic characteristics, clinical profiles, and antipsychotic medications prescribed. Multiple logistic regression was used to analyze factors related to patterns of antipsychotic medication use. Results: A plurality of patients with schizophrenia was treated with clozapine (39%); this was followed by risperidone, sulpride,chlorpromazine, perphenazine, and haloperidol. More than 56.3% of patients were treated with only one atypical antipsychotic. The mean daily dose of chlorpromazine was 365±253 mg (mean±standard deviation), and 6.5% of patients were treated with depot injections of typical antipsychotic medications. A total of 73.7% (n=3,523) of patients with schizophrenia received monotherapy,24.8% (n=1,183) received two antipsychotics, 1.1% (n=52) received three antipsychotics, and one received four different antipsychotics. Patients often simultaneously received other classes of medications including anticholinergic agents, benzodiazepines,β-blockers, antidepressants, and mood stabilizers. Economic status and clinical symptoms were the main factors that contributed to the patterns of antipsychotic prescription. Conclusion: The present study suggests that atypical antipsychotic medications, especially clozapine, are the primary psychiatric treatments of choice in the management of schizophrenia in China. Moreover, the economic status and clinical profile of the patient are the major factors affecting the prescription of antipsychotic medication.