CCR6 Is a Predicting Biomarker of Radiosensitivity and Potential Target of Radiosensitization in Rectal Cancer

Hui Chang,Jia-wang Wei,Ya-lan Tao,Pei-rong Ding,Yun-fei Xia,Yuan-hong Gao,Wei-wei Xiao 대한암학회 2018 Cancer Research and Treatment Vol.50 No.4

Purpose This study aimed to explore the functions and mechanisms of C-C motif chemokine receptor 6 (CCR6), a gene associated with progression and metastasis of colorectal cancer (CRC), in radiosensitivity of rectal cancer (RC). Materials and Methods RNA sequencing and immunohistochemical analysis on CCR6 expression were performed in pretreatment tissues of RC patients exhibiting different therapeutic effects of radiotherapy. Colonogenic survival assay was conducted in different CRC cell lines to assess their radiosensitivity. And the impact of CCR6 expression on radiosensitivity was validated through RNA interference. The DNA damage repair (DDR) abilities of cell lines with different CCR6 expression were evaluated through immunofluorescence-based H2AX quantification. Results The CCR6 mRNA level was higher in patients without pathologic complete remission (pCR) than in those with pCR (fold changed, 2.11; p=0.004). High-level expression of CCR6 protein was more common in the bad responders than in the good responders (76.3% vs. 37.5%, p < 0.001). The CRC cell lines with higher CCR6 expression (LoVo and sw480) appeared to be more radioresistant, compared with the sw620 cell line which had lower CCR6 expression. CCR6 knockdown made the LoVo cells more sensitive to ionizing radiation (sensitization enhancement ratio, 1.738; p < 0.001), and decreased their DDR efficiency. Conclusion CCR6 might affect the RC radiosensitivity through DDR process. These findings supported CCR6 as a predicting biomarker of radiosensitivity and a potential target of radiosensitization for RC patients.

A Population-based Case-control Study on Risk Factors for Gastric Cardia Cancer in Rural Areas of Linzhou

Sun, Chang-Qing,Chang, Yu-Bo,Cui, Ling-Ling,Chen, Jia-Jun,Sun, Nan,Zhang, Wei-Jie,Jia, Xiao-Can,Tian, Yuan,Dai, Li-Ping Asian Pacific Journal of Cancer Prevention 2013 Asian Pacific journal of cancer prevention Vol.14 No.5

Gastric cancer is the second most common cause of cancer-related deaths in the world. Although certain dietary factors and lifestyles have been suggested to be associated with gastric carcinogenesis, there have been few investigations focusing on rural areas. A case-control study was therefore carried out to investigate the risk factors of gastric cardia cancer (GCC) in rural areas of Linzhou. A total of 470 newly diagnosed cases of GCC and 470 healthy controls were included. Face-to-face interviews were conducted, using a uniform questionnaire containing questions on demographics, per capita income, living habits, dietary habits and family history of tumors. The relationship between putative risk factors and GCC was assessed by odds ratios (OR) and their 95% confidence intervals (95%CI) derived from conditional logistic regression model by the COXREG command using SPSS 12.00. Multivariate logistic regression analysis was used to evaluate simultaneously the effects of multiple factors and other potential confounding factors. Multivariate logistic analysis showed that smoking (OR=1.939, 95%CI:1.097-3.426), alcohol drinking (OR=2.360, 95%CI: 1.292-4.311), hot food consumption (OR=2.034, 95%CI: 1.507-2.745), fast eating (OR=1.616, 95%CI: 1.171-2.230), mouldy food (OR=4.564, 95%CI: 2.682-7.767), leftover food (OR=1.881. 95%CI: 1.324-2.671), and family history of tumor (OR=2.831, 95%CI: 1.588-5.050) were risk factors for GCC. High per capita income (OR=0.709, 95%CI: 0.533-0.942), high education level (OR=0.354, 95%CI: 0.163-0.765), consumption of fresh fruits (OR=0.186, 95%CI: 0.111-0.311) and vegetables (OR=0.243, 95%CI: 0.142-0.415), and high BMI (OR=0.367, 95%CI: 0.242-0.557) were protective factors for GCC. Our data indicate that unhealthy lifestyle and dietary habits might be important contributors to GCC in this population.

Medicinal Chemistry : ARTICLE ; Regulation of T-cell activation and migration by the kinase TBK1 during neuroinflammation

( Jia Yi Yu ),( Xiao Fei Zhou ),( Mi Kyoung Chang ),( Mako Nakaya ),( Jae Hoon Chang ),( Yi Chuan Xiao ),( J. William Lindsey ),( Stephanie Dorta Estremera ),( Wei Cao ),( Anna Zal ),( Tomasz Zal ),( 영남대학교 약품개발연구소 2015 영남대학교 약품개발연구소 연구업적집 Vol.25 No.-

Development of an immune or autoimmune response involves T-cell activation in lymphoid organs and subsequent migration to peripheral tissues. Here we show that T-cell-specific ablation of the kinase TBK1 promotes T-cell activation but causes retention of effector T cells in the draininglumph node in a neuroinflammatory autoimmunity model,experimental autoimmune encephalomyelitis (EAE).Atolder ager,the T-cell-conditional TBK1-knockout mice also spontaneously accumulate T cells with activated phenotype.TBK1 contrlos the activation of AKT and its downsream kinase m TIORC1 by a mechanism involving TBK1-stimulated AKT ubiquitination and degradation. The deregulated AKT-mTORC1 signalling in turn contributes to enhanced T-cell activation and impaired effector T-cell egress from draining lymph nodes. Treatment of mice with a small-molecule inhibitor fo TBK1 inhibits EAE induction. These results suggest a role for TBK1 in regulating T-cell migration and establish TBK1 as a regulator of the AKT-mTORC1 signalling axis.

Professionals’ experiences and attitudes toward use of Traditional Chinese Medicine in hospice palliative inpatient care units: A multicenter survey in Taiwan

Yu-Jia Lin,Hsiao-Ting Chang,Ming-Hwai Lin,Ru-Yih Chen,Ping-Jen Chen,Wen-Yuan Lin,Jyh-Gang Hsieh,Ying-Wei Wang,Chung-Chieh Hu,Yi-Sheng Liou,Tai-Yuan Chiu,Chun-Yi Tu,Yi-Jen Wang,Bo-Ren Cheng,Tzeng-Ji Ch 한국한의학연구원 2021 Integrative Medicine Research Vol.10 No.2

Background: Medical staff may have difficulties in using conventional medicine to manage symptoms among terminally ill patients, including adverse effects of the treatment. Traditional Chinese medicine (TCM) is regarded as a complementary or alternative medicine, and has been increasingly used in the field of palliative medicine in recent years. This study aimed to investigate the experiences of and attitudes toward using TCM among palliative care professionals, and to provide preliminary information about its use in palliative care. Methods: This was a cross-sectional survey study conducted in eight inpatient hospice wards in Taiwan between December 2014 and February 2016. The questionnaire was self-administered, and was analyzed with descriptive statistics including Pearson’s Chi-square test and Fisher’s exact test. Results: A total of 251 palliative care professionals responded to the questionnaire, of whom 89.7% and 88.9% believed that the use of TCM could improve the physical symptoms and quality of life in terminally ill patients, respectively. Overall, 59.8%, of respondents suggested that TCM had rare side effects, and 58.2% were worried that TCM could affect the liver and kidney function of patients. In total, 89.7% and 88.0% of professionals agreed there were no suitable clinical practice guidelines and educational programs, respectively, for TCM use in palliative care. Conclusions: Most of the respondents agreed there was insufficient knowledge, skills-training, and continuing education on the use of TCM in terminally ill patients in Taiwan. These results show that to address patient safety considerations, guidelines about use of TCM in palliative care should be established.

Loss of DBC2 Expression is an Early and Progressive Event in the Development of Lung Adenocarcinoma

Dong, Wei,Meng, Long,Shen, Hong-Chang,Du, Jia-Jun Asian Pacific Journal of Cancer Prevention 2012 Asian Pacific journal of cancer prevention Vol.13 No.5

Purpose: DBC2 (Deleted in Breast Cancer 2) has been indicated to be a tumor suppressor gene in many cancers including lung adenocarcinoma recently. In this study, we aimed to explore the expression status of DBC2 in different subtypes of lung adenocarcinoma (from pre-invasive to invasive lesions), and to determine if downregulation becomes more marked with pathological progression. Methods: We collected 172 tissue samples from different subtypes of lung adenocarcinoma and investigated the frequency of DBC2 loss by immunohistochemistry. Results: Our results indicated that DBC2 downregulation is a relatively frequent event in lung adenocarcinoma. Moreover, as the adenocarcinoma subtype turns to be more invasive, more downregulation occurred. Conclusion: We conclude that loss of DBC2 expression is an early and progressive event in the pathogenesis of lung adenocarcinoma. Positive DBC2 immunohistochemistry may become an indicator for early stage disease and better prognosis of lung adenocarcinomas.

Anti-Wear and Friction Properties of Nanoparticles as Additives in the Lithium Grease

Ho Chang,Chou-Wei Lan,Chih-Hao Chen,Mu-Jung Kao,Jia-Bin Guo 한국정밀공학회 2014 International Journal of Precision Engineering and Vol. No.

TiO2/CuO nano-particles were dispersed into lithium grease to improve the lubricating properties of the greases. Then, the processof sliding friction was tested. The friction force of the contact interface between a ball and a flat surface with TiO2/CuO nano-greasewas measured for a ball on a flat sliding wear tester. The worn surface was examined by a surface roughness tester and scanningelectron microscopy (SEM). The tested lithium grease was synthesized with 0.5wt.%, 1.0wt.%, 1.5wt.% and 2.0wt.% TiO2/CuO nanoparticles. Results indicate that the TiO2/CuO nano-particle additives can improve the wear resistance of lithium grease and decreasethe friction coefficient. In addition, the results show that a 1.0 wt% content of TiO2 nano-particles is the most efficient in reducingfriction and wear, and can significantly reduce the friction coefficient of the rubbing interface by about 40%, according to the frictiontests. The wear of the lithium grease with a 2.0wt.% content of CuO nano-particles added can reduce wear about by 60% incomparison with lithium grease. Furthermore, the SEM analysis results demonstrate that the addition of tribo-film forms and TiO2/CuO nano-particles on the worn surface is responsible for the decrease in friction and wear.

Distinctions Between Clinicopathological Factors and Prognosis of Alpha-fetoprotein Negative and Positive Hepatocelluar Carcinoma Patients

Xu, Jia,Liu, Chang,Zhou, Lei,Tian, Feng,Tai, Ming-Hui,Wei, Ji-Chao,Qu, Kai,Meng, Fan-Di,Zhang, Ling-Qiang,Wang, Zhi-Xin,Zhang, Jing-Yao,Chang, Hu-Lin,Liu, Si-Nan,Xu, Xin-Shen,Song, Yan-Zhou,Liu, Jun,Z Asian Pacific Journal of Cancer Prevention 2012 Asian Pacific journal of cancer prevention Vol.13 No.2

Serum alpha-fetoprotein (AFP) is a significant marker for clinical diagnosis and prognosis evaluation in hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) patients. However, some proportion of liver cancer patients are AFP-negative (AFP ${\leq}$20ng/ml). In order to study the differences between clinicopathological factors and prognosis of alpha-fetoprotein negative and positive patients, a total of 114 cases (41 AFP-negative and 73 AFP-positive) were selected for our research. By systematically statistical analysis, the results demonstrated that compared with AFP-negative patients, AFP-positive examples were more likely to feature cirrhosis nodules, non-complete neoplasm capsules, and a poor Edmondson-steiner grade. Furthermore, AFP-negative patients demonstrated a favorable long-term prognosis. By univariate analysis and multivariate analysis with Cox's proportional hazards model, multiple tumors were found to be independent risk factors for worse survival of AFP negative patients; however, less tumor-free margins, multiple tumors and Edmondson-steiner grades III/IV, proved to be independent risk factors leading to a poor prognosis of AFP positive cases. Finally, we can infer that high levels of AFP signify a highly malignant tumor and unfavorable prognosis.

Half Load-Cycle Worked Dual SEPIC Single-Stage Inverter

Rong Chen,Jia-Sheng Zhang,Wei Liu,Chang-Ming Zheng 대한전기학회 2016 Journal of Electrical Engineering & Technology Vol.11 No.1

The two-stage converter is widely used in traditional DC/AC inverter. It has several disadvantages such as complex topology, large volume and high loss. In order to overcome these shortcomings, a novel half load-cycle worked dual SEPIC single-stage inverter, which is based on the analysis of the relationship between input and output voltages of SEPIC converters operating in the discontinuous conduction mode (DCM), is presented in this paper. The traditional single-stage inverter has remarkable advantages in small and medium power applications, but it can’t realize boost DC/AC output directly. Besides one pre-boost DC/DC converter is needed between the DC source and the traditional single-stage inverter. A novel DC/AC inverter without pre-boost DC/DC converter, which is comprised of two SEPIC converters, is studied. The output of dual SEPIC converters is connected with anti-parallel and half load-cycle control is used to realize boost and buck DC/AC output directly and work properly, whatever the DC input voltage is higher or lower than the AC output voltage. The working principle, parameter selection and the control strategy of the inverters are analyzed in this paper. Simulation and experiment results verify the feasibility of the new inverter.

An Improved Symmetrically-Graded Doped-Channel Heterostructure Field-Effect Transistor

Ke-Hua Su,Wei-Chou Hsu,Chang-Luen Wu,Ching-Sung Lee,Po-Jung Hu,Yeong-Jia Chen,Yu-Shyan Lin 한국물리학회 2007 THE JOURNAL OF THE KOREAN PHYSICAL SOCIETY Vol.50 No.6

A new heterostructure field-effect transistor with an InGaAs symmetrically-graded doped-channel (SGDC) structure has been successfully investigated. The channel design demonstrated a reduced Coulomb scattering phenomenon by confining the conduction electrons away from the channel/spacer interface. Consequently, a higher current density, a higher breakdown voltage, a wider gate-voltage swing, a higher transconductance, a higher threshold voltage, and improved microwave and power characteristics were achieved by using the SGDC structure, as compared to those of conventional doped-channel devices. Besides, the AlGaAs/GaAs superlattice buffer structure was used to improve the high-temperature threshold-voltage characteristics.

Preparation and sinterability of submicron titanium carbide powders synthesized with phenolic resin as carbon source by carbothermal reduction

Huijuan Qiu,Hongkang Wei,Shifeng Ren,Lingjun Sun,Jia Li,Zihan Wang,Lin Zhao,Chang-an Wang,Zhipeng Xie 한양대학교 청정에너지연구소 2024 Journal of Ceramic Processing Research Vol.25 No.2

Titanium carbide powders were synthesized under an argon atmosphere using titanium dioxide and pyrolysis carbon derivedfrom pyrolyzed phenolic resin as raw materials. The effects of synthesis temperature, holding time, and C/Ti molar ratio onthe phase composition and morphology of the synthesized powders were investigated. The results show that the pyrolyzedphenolic resin at 1000 ℃ is a carbon source composed of amorphous and crystalline carbon. Increasing the C/Ti molar ratio ofthe mixed powder can reduce the content of titanium oxide impurity, indicating the improvement in the purity of TiC powder. In addition, the C/Ti molar ratio can also significantly affect the morphology of the synthesized TiC powders. SEM and EDSresults exhibit that the atomic content on the surface of TiC particles is closely correlated with the atomic distribution on thesurface of the particles. TiC powder with a median particle size of 384 nm could be synthesized at 1500 ℃ for 30 min at the C/Ti molar ratio of 2.3:1. In addition, the sinterability of the synthesized TiC powder was preliminarily discussed. The hardnessand fracture toughness of the TiC ceramic sintered at 2000 ℃ under 40 MPa with a dwell time of 2 h are 15.92 GPa and 3.22MPa·m1/2, respectively.