Long Non-coding RNAs are Differentially Expressed in Hepatocellular Carcinoma Cell Lines with Differing Metastatic Potential

Fang, Ting-Ting,Sun, Xiao-Jing,Chen, Jie,Zhao, Yan,Sun, Rui-Xia,Ren, Ning,Liu, Bin-Bin Asian Pacific Journal of Cancer Prevention 2014 Asian Pacific journal of cancer prevention Vol.15 No.23

Background: Metastasis is a major reason for poor prognosis in patients with cancer, including hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC). A salient feature is the ability of cancer cells to colonize different organs. Long non-coding RNAs (lncRNAs) play important roles in numerous cellular processes, including metastasis. Materials and Methods: In this study, the lncRNA expression profiles of two HCC cell lines, one with high potential for metastasis to the lung (HCCLM3) and the other to lymph nodes (HCCLYM-H2) were assessed using the Arraystar Human LncRNA Array v2.0, which contains 33,045 lncRNAs and 30,215 mRNAs. Coding-non-coding gene co-expression (CNC) networks were constructed and gene set enrichment analysis (GSEA) was performed to identify lncRNAs with potential functions in organ-specific metastasis. Levels of two representative lncRNAs and one representative mRNA, RP5-1014O16.1, lincRNA-TSPAN8 and TSPAN8, were further detected in HCC cell lines with differing metastasis potential by qRT-PCR. Results: Using microarray data, we identified 1,482 lncRNAs and 1,629 mRNAs that were differentially expressed (${\geq}1.5$ fold-change) between the two HCC cell lines. The most upregulated lncRNAs in H2 were RP11-672F9.1, RP5-1014O16.1, and RP11-501G6.1, while the most downregulated ones were lincRNA-TSPAN8, lincRNA-CALCA, C14orf132, NCRNA00173, and CR613944. The most upregulated mRNAs in H2 were C15orf48, PSG2, and PSG8, while the most downregulated ones were CALCB, CD81, CD24, TSPAN8, and SOST. Among them, lincRNA-TSPAN8 and TSPAN8 were found highly expressed in high lung metastatic potential HCC cells, while lowly expressed in no or low lung metastatic potential HCC cells. RP5-1014O16.1 was highly expressed in high lymphatic metastatic potential HCC cell lines, while lowly expressed in no lymphatic metastatic potential HCC cell lines. Conclusions: We provide the first detailed description of lncRNA expression profiles related to organ-specific metastasis in HCC. We demonstrated that a large number of lncRNAs may play important roles in driving HCC cells to metastasize to different sites; these lncRNAs may provide novel molecular biomarkers and offer a new basis for combating metastasis in HCC cases.

SIMPLE SYNTHESIS OF UNIFORM α-Fe2O3 MICROSPHERES WITH EXCELLENT PHOTOCATALYTIC PERFORMANCE USING POLY (N-VINYL-2-PYRROLIDONE)

TING-TING ZHANG,TING-TING GUO,ZHI-PING WU,SI-WEI YANG,ZHOU-FENG WANG,FANG LIAO 성균관대학교(자연과학캠퍼스) 성균나노과학기술원 2013 NANO Vol.8 No.5

In this paper, a new simple approach has been developed for the preparation of α-Fe2O3 microspheres by a facile hydrothermal method using PVP as a surfactant. Uniform α-Fe2O3 microspheres could be routinely synthesized through solvothermal approach by controlling the PVP/FeCl3⋅6H2O ratio. The as-obtained α-Fe2O3 microspheres exhibit high efficiency on the decolorization of RhB aqueous solution in the presence of H2O2 at room temperature.

Elimination of Mother-to-Infant Transmission of Hepatitis B Virus: 35 Years of Experience

Fang-Ting Lu,Yen-Hsuan Ni 대한소아소화기영양학회 2020 Pediatric gastroenterology, hepatology & nutrition Vol.23 No.4

Chronic hepatitis B viral (HBV) infection remains a major health threat, especially in high-prevalence areas. Most infants infected by mother-to-infant HBV transmission become chronic carriers. In Taiwan, many important preventive interventions have been implemented to block the perinatal transmission of HBV in the past 35 years. The first nationwide universal HBV vaccination program was launched in Taiwan in July 1984. The three-dose HBV vaccine completion rate reached 98.1% in 2018. The prevalence of Hepatitis B surface antigen (HBsAg) decreased from 9.8% in pre-vaccinated period in 1984 to 0.5% in the vaccinated cohort in 2014. The incidence of hepatocellular carcinoma in children aged 6–9 years significantly declined from 0.52 to 0.13 per 100,000 children born before and after 1984, respectively. Furthermore, we have performed a maternal HBV screening program during pregnancy since 1984, with the screening rate peaked at 93% in 2012. The HBsAg- and HBeAg-seropositive rate in pregnant women declined from 13.4% and 6.4% in 1984–1985 to 5.9% and 1.0% in 2016, respectively. To closely control perinatal HBV infection, we have administered hepatitis B immunoglobulin immediately after birth and checked the serum level of HBsAg and anti-HBs in high-risk babies born to HBsAg-seropositive mothers, irrespective of their HBeAg status, since July 2019. We have also adopted short-term antiviral treatments such as tenofovir 300 mg daily in the third trimester for highly viremic mothers and reduced the perinatal infection rates from 10.7 to 1.5%. Through all these efforts, we expect to meet the global goal of eliminating HBV infection by 2030.

miR-638 is a new biomarker for outcome prediction of non-small cell lung cancer patients receiving chemotherapy

Fang Wang,Jian-fang Lou,Yan Cao,Xin-hui Shi,Peng Wang,Jian Xu,Er-fu Xie,Ting Xu,Rui-hong Sun,Jianyu Rao,Pu-wen Huang,Shi-yang Pan,Hong Wang 생화학분자생물학회 2015 Experimental and molecular medicine Vol.47 No.-

MicroRNAs (miRNAs), a class of small non-coding RNAs, mediate gene expression by either cleaving target mRNAs or inhibiting their translation. They have key roles in the tumorigenesis of several cancers, including non-small cell lung cancer (NSCLC). The aim of this study was to investigate the clinical significance of miR-638 in the evaluation of NSCLC patient prognosis in response to chemotherapy. First, we detected miR-638 expression levels in vitro in the culture supernatants of the NSCLC cell line SPC-A1 treated with cisplatin, as well as the apoptosis rates of SPC-A1. Second, serum miR-638 expression levels were detected in vivo by using nude mice xenograft models bearing SPC-A1 with and without cisplatin treatment. In the clinic, the serum miR-638 levels of 200 cases of NSCLC patients before and after chemotherapy were determined by quantitative real-time PCR, and the associations of clinicopathological features with miR-638 expression patterns after chemotherapy were analyzed. Our data helped in demonstrating that cisplatin induced apoptosis of the SPC-A1 cells in a dose- and time-dependent manner accompanied by increased miR-638 expression levels in the culture supernatants. In vivo data further revealed that cisplatin induced miR-638 upregulation in the serum derived from mice xenograft models, and in NSCLC patient sera, miR-638 expression patterns after chemotherapy significantly correlated with lymph node metastasis. Moreover, survival analyses revealed that patients who had increased miR-638 levels after chemotherapy showed significantly longer survival time than those who had decreased miR-638 levels. Our findings suggest that serum miR-638 levels are associated with the survival of NSCLC patients and may be considered a potential independent predictor for NSCLC prognosis.

Bacterial Fruit Rot of Apricot Caused by Burkholderia cepacia in China

Fang, Yuan,Li, Bin,Wang, Fang,Liu, Baoping,Wu, Zhiyi,Su, Ting,Qiu, Wen,Xie, Guanlin The Korean Society of Plant Pathology 2009 Plant Pathology Journal Vol.25 No.4

An unreported disease of apricot was observed in orchards in Zhejiang province, China. Symptoms started as water soaked lesions on the fruit surface. Later, water-soaked areas developed and spread to the entire fruit, resulting in soft rot of the whole fruit. The causal organism isolated from symptomatic fruits was identified as Burkholderia cepacia based on its biochemical and physiological characteristics and confirmed by the cellular fatty acid composition and Biolog data as well as 16S rRNA gene sequence analysis. The bacterial isolates caused similar symptoms when inoculated onto fruits of apricot. In addition, European plum, Japanese plum, nectarine and kiwifruit were susceptible to the B. cepacia pathogen. However, the B. cepacia pathogen failed to cause any visible symptoms when it was inoculated onto 16 other fruits. This is the first report of a bacterial disease of apricot caused by B. cepacia in China.

To stay or leave: a multiple-case study of the retention of native English-speaking teachers in Taiwan

Fang, Ting,Wang, Li-Yi,Lin, Tzu-Bin,Huang, Chia-Kai 서울대학교 교육연구소 2022 Asia Pacific Education Review Vol.23 No.2

The spread of English as a global language has contributed to the trend of recruiting native English-speaking teachers (NESTs) through government-funded schemes around the world, particularly in East Asia. In Taiwan, the NEST scheme has been recently expanded because of the national policy for a bilingual Taiwan in 2030. However, the NEST scheme in Taiwan has the strictest selection criteria and the least attractive incentives in the region. As these unfavorable conditions could affect the recruitment and effectiveness of the NEST scheme, this study explored the advantages and challenges perceived by NEST participants through in-depth interviews with 24 NESTs working in Taiwanese public schools to identify the factors that could influence their attrition and retention. It was found that most advantages were associated with the participants’ schools, such as the provision of resources and a sense of achievement, rather than from outside the schools. However, most of the perceived challenges also occurred inside the schools, such as the lack of collaboration with colleagues and class sizes. These findings suggested that the issues and agendas at the participating schools had the greatest influence on NEST decisions to stay or leave Taiwan. The implications for policymakers and school leaders are discussed and relevant suggestions are made.

Whole-genome bisulfite sequencing identified the key role of the Src family tyrosine kinases and related genes in systemic lupus erythematosus

Fang Ting,Liu Suyi,Chen Liying,Ren Yating,Lu Dingqi,Yao Xinyi,Hong Tao,Zhang Xvfeng,Xie Zhimin,Yang Kepeng,Wang Xinchang 한국유전학회 2023 Genes & Genomics Vol.45 No.9

Background As a multisystemic autoimmune illness, the basic mechanisms behind the pathophysiology of systemic lupus erythematosus (SLE) remain poorly understood. Objective We aimed to investigate the possible significance of SLE’s DNA methylation and gain further insight into potential SLE-related biomarkers and therapeutic targets. Methods We used whole genome bisulfite sequencing (WGBS) method to analyze DNA methylation in 4 SLE patients and 4 healthy people. Results 702 differentially methylated regions (DMRs) were identified, and 480 DMR-associated genes were annotated. We found the majority of the DMR-associated elements were enriched in repeat and gene bodies. The top 10 hub genes identified were LCK, FYB, PTK2B, LYN, CTNNB1, MAPK1, GNAQ, PRKCA, ABL1, and CD247. Compared to the control group, LCK and PTK2B had considerably decreased levels of mRNA expression in the SLE group. Receiver operating characteristic (ROC) curve suggested that LCK and PTK2B may be potential candidate biomarkers to predict SLE. Conclusions Our study improved comprehension of the DNA methylation patterns of SLE and identified potential biomarkers and therapeutic targets for SLE.

Structure and Thermal-enhanced Magnetic Properties of Mn4C Melt-spun Ribbons with Varied Stoichiometry

Ting-Ting Qi,Ping-Zhan Si,Fang Cheng,Zhi-Rui Wang,Hong-Liang Ge,Qiong Wu,Jihoon Park,Chul-Jin Choi 한국자기학회 2023 Journal of Magnetics Vol.28 No.1

Cubic perovskite-type Mn4C is difficult to prepare for its metastable characteristics. In this work, we have obtained high-purity Mn4C successfully by using melt-spinning method. The effects of stoichiometry on the structure and magnetic properties of the samples were studied systematically. We found that x = -0.1 is the optimum composition for the formation of the cubic perovskite phase in Mn4+xC during rapid quenching. Most Mn4+xC melt-spun ribbons with x other than -0.1 are composed of Mn23C6, α-Mn, and Mn4C, while the fraction of different phase in Mn4+xC ribbons varies with x. The Curie temperature of Mn4+xC ribbons increases slightly with decreasing x, which may affect the lattice parameters of cubic Mn4C and thus the Mn-Mn exchange interactions. The magnetization of Mn4+xC (x = -0.1 and 0) increases with increasing temperature in high-temperature region while the onset temperature for such behavior is dependent on the fraction of Mn4C in the samples.

Elimination of Mother-to-Infant Transmission of Hepatitis B Virus: 35 Years of Experience

Lu, Fang-Ting,Ni, Yen-Hsuan The Korean Society of Pediatric Gastroenterology 2020 Pediatric gastroenterology, hepatology & nutrition Vol.23 No.4

Chronic hepatitis B viral (HBV) infection remains a major health threat, especially in high-prevalence areas. Most infants infected by mother-to-infant HBV transmission become chronic carriers. In Taiwan, many important preventive interventions have been implemented to block the perinatal transmission of HBV in the past 35 years. The first nationwide universal HBV vaccination program was launched in Taiwan in July 1984. The three-dose HBV vaccine completion rate reached 98.1% in 2018. The prevalence of Hepatitis B surface antigen (HBsAg) decreased from 9.8% in pre-vaccinated period in 1984 to 0.5% in the vaccinated cohort in 2014. The incidence of hepatocellular carcinoma in children aged 6-9 years significantly declined from 0.52 to 0.13 per 100,000 children born before and after 1984, respectively. Furthermore, we have performed a maternal HBV screening program during pregnancy since 1984, with the screening rate peaked at 93% in 2012. The HBsAg- and HBeAg-seropositive rate in pregnant women declined from 13.4% and 6.4% in 1984-1985 to 5.9% and 1.0% in 2016, respectively. To closely control perinatal HBV infection, we have administered hepatitis B immunoglobulin immediately after birth and checked the serum level of HBsAg and anti-HBs in high-risk babies born to HBsAg-seropositive mothers, irrespective of their HBeAg status, since July 2019. We have also adopted short-term antiviral treatments such as tenofovir 300 mg daily in the third trimester for highly viremic mothers and reduced the perinatal infection rates from 10.7 to 1.5%. Through all these efforts, we expect to meet the global goal of eliminating HBV infection by 2030.

Factors Influencing the Working Hours of Various Nursing A ctivities in Surgical Clinical Pathway

Szu-Ting Fang,Miaofen Yen,Tsyr En Lin 한국간호과학회 2009 한국간호과학회 학술대회 Vol.2009 No.10