Weight Gain during Neoadjuvant Chemotherapy is Associated with Worse Outcome among the Patients with Operable Breast Cancer

Qiong Fang,Jiahui Huang,Lu Gan,Kunwei Shen,Xiaosong Chen,Beiwen Wu 한국유방암학회 2019 Journal of breast cancer Vol.22 No.3

Purpose: This study was aimed at identifying the influence of initial weight and weight change during neoadjuvant chemotherapy (NAC) on pathologic complete response (pCR) and long-term survival in Chinese patients with operable breast cancer. Methods: We conducted a retrospective study using data from 409 female patients who received NAC for stage II or III breast cancer and had complete record of body mass index (BMI) before and after NAC. BMI of < 25 kg/m2 was categorized as normal weight/underweight (NW/UW); 25.0–29.9 kg/m2 was categorized as overweight (OW); ≥30 kg/m2 was categorized as obese (OB). BMI change was defined as the difference in BMI between day 1 of the first cycle of NAC and the day before surgery. A BMI gain or loss of > 2 kg/m2 following NAC was considered to be significant, else was considered stable. The study end points included pCR rates, disease-free survival (DFS), and overall survival (OS). Results: The median follow-up time was 43.2 (8.9–93.6) months. The average BMI was 23.40 ± 3.04 kg/m2 before NAC and 23.66 ± 3.02 kg/m2 after NAC (t = −3.604, p < 0.001). The pCR rate was 25.3% in the NW/UW group and 24.1% in the OW/OB group (p = 0.811), and was similar between the BMI-gain (23.3%) and the BMI-stable/loss (25.1%) groups (p = 0.787). Initial BMI was an independent prognostic factor for DFS (hazard ratio, 1.69; 95% confidence interval [CI], 1.13–2.53; p = 0.011) but not for OS, while BMI-gain was an independent prognostic factor for both DFS (hazard ratio, 2.09; 95% CI, 1.28–3.42; p = 0.003) and OS (hazard ratio, 1.97; 95% CI, 1.04–3.74; p = 0.039). Conclusion: BMI increased after NAC in Chinese breast cancer patients. Initial BMI and BMI change during NAC were not associated with pCR but were reversely associated with survival.

Prognosis of Eight Chinese Cases of Primary Vaginal Yolk Sac Tumor with a Review of the Literature

Tang, Qiong-Lan,Jiang, Xue-Feng,Yuan, Xiao-Ping,Liu, Yong,Zhang, Lin,Tang, Xiao-Feng,Zhou, Jia-Jia,Li, Hai-Gang,Fang, Jian-Pei,Xue, Lin Asian Pacific Journal of Cancer Prevention 2014 Asian Pacific journal of cancer prevention Vol.15 No.21

Background: Primary vaginal yolk sac tumor is a rare malignancy in the pediatric population, and a diagnostic challenge and appropriate initial treatment remains unsolved. The aim of this study was to investigate the clinicopathologic features, treatment and prognosis of this tumor. Materials and Methods: Eight cases of primary vaginal yolk sac tumor were reported with a literature review. Results: There were 4 pure yolk sac tumor cases and four mixed germ cell tumors containing yolk sac tumor element, including two cases with embryonal carcinoma and two cases with embryonal carcinoma and dysgerminoma. Partial vaginectomy was performed in four cases and all patients received chemotherapy. 85 cases in literatures were reviewed and 9 cases were misdiagnosed. Follow-up data was available in 77 cases and 5-year overall survival rate was 87.6%. 5-year survival rate of biopsy with chemotherapy, conservative surgery with chemotherapy and radical surgery with chemotherapy was 91.1%, 100% and 28.6%, respectively (p<0.001). Compared to cases without relapse or metastasis after initial treatment, patients with relapse or metastasis had a shorter overall survival (35.6% vs 96.6%, p<0.001). Conclusions: Mixed germ cell tumor containing yolk sac tumor element was not uncommon and partial vaginectomy may be a good choice for primary vaginal mixed yolk sac tumor type to eradicate local tumor cells and provide complete information for pathological diagnosis and postoperative adjuvant therapy.

A Web-based Survey of Marital Quality and Job Satisfaction among Chinese Nurses

Yan-Qiong Ouyang,Wen-Bin Zhou,Zhen-Fang Xiong,Rong Wang,Sharon R. Redding 한국간호과학회 2019 Asian Nursing Research Vol.13 No.3

Purpose: This study aimed to use a web-based survey to investigate the correlation between job satisfaction and marital quality and to identify the association of demographics with job satisfaction and marital quality. Methods: Married nurses (N = 2,296) completed the questionnaires. Correlations and linear regression analyses were carried out. Results: Both marital quality and job satisfaction were relatively low. Additionally, marital quality was positively correlated with job satisfaction. Age, marital status (in years) and average daily hours spent with spouse had positive impact on job satisfaction. Multiple linear regression analyses showed that age, monthly income, average daily hours spent with spouse and marital quality were positively associated with job satisfaction. Conclusion: Because of the shifts nurses working, there is little time for nurses to spend with their spouses and family. It is recommended that hospital leaders could provide more flexibility with nurses’ shift choices so nurses can arrange their work-life balance better. Other considerations like reducing workload and reducing working hours should be promoted as options. Nurse managers could offer counseling services including strategies to cope with the balance between work and life. This effort could improve job satisfaction and reduce the rate of turnover of nurses.

Synthesis, characterization, and antioxidant activity in vitro of selenium‑Euryale ferox Salisb. polysaccharide

Dong Fang,Zheng Hu-Zhe,Jeong Woo-Sik,Chung Shin-Kyo,Qu Zhong-Yuan,Zou Xiang,Liu Chen,Xiang Qiong,Feng Feng 한국응용생명화학회 2021 Applied Biological Chemistry (Appl Biol Chem) Vol.64 No.S

In order to obtain and explore selenide composed of selenium and polysaccharide, three parameters were selected to optimize the synthesis process of selenium-Euryale ferox Salisb. polysaccharide (Se-ESPS) by Box-Behnken design. Furthermore, ESPS-B1 separated from ESPS was selenitized to Se-ESPS-B1 by the optimal synthesis process, then the characterization, and antioxidant activity in vitro of Se-ESPS-B1 were explored. The result manifested that the Se content of Se-ESPS was (2.915 ± 0.03) mg/g according to the optimal synthesis process of Se-ESPS (reaction time at 5 h, reaction temperature at 81 ℃, weight ratio of Na2SeO3 to ESPS at 0.9 g/g). A series of detection results indicated that the characterizations of Se-ESPS-B1 were apparently distinguished from that of ESPS-B1. Moreover, the antioxidant experiments in vitro demonstrated that Se-ESPS-B1 could exert antioxidant activity by scavenging DPPH, ABTS,·OH, and increasing reduction ability. In conclusion, the synthesis process is an effective approach to harvest seleniumpolysaccharide, and Se-ESPS-B1 may be utilized as a potential antioxidant or selenium nutritional supplement.

Polarity-enhanced Gas-Sensing Performance of Au-Loaded ZnO Nanospindles Synthesized via Precipitation and Microwave Irradiation

Yan Li,Tan Lv,Fang-Xian Zhao,Xiao-xue Lian,Yun-ling Zou,Qiong Wang 대한금속·재료학회 2016 ELECTRONIC MATERIALS LETTERS Vol.12 No.3

Loading noble metal and exploring suitable morphology to achieveexcellent gas-sensing performance is very crucial for the fabrication ofgas sensors. We have successfully synthesized Au-loaded ZnO (Au/ZnO) nanospindles (NSs) through a really facile procedure involving aprecipitation and subsequent microwave irradiation. The as-preparedproducts have been characterized by X-ray diffraction (XRD), scanningelectron microscope (SEM). The formation and gas-sensing mechanismof Au/ZnO NSs were discussed. The SEM micrographs revealed aninteresting morphological evolution of the Au/ZnO NSs with Auloadingcontent ranging from 0 at. % to 7 at. %. The nanostructures wereemployed for gas-sensing measurement toward various gases. Itindicated that the Au/ZnO NSs based sensor showed a highly enhancedresponse (226.81) to 400 ppm acetone gas at a relatively low workingtemperature (270°C), and exhibited a fast response (1 s) and recoveryspeed (10 s). The highly enhanced acetone gas sensitivity of Au/ZnONSs based sensor could be attributed to its enhanced polarity owing tothe peculiar morphology, Schottcky barriers, as well as catalytic effect ofAu NPs.

Efficacy of Taxane-Based Regimens in a First-line Setting for Recurrent and/or Metastatic Chinese Patients with Esophageal Cancer

Jiang, Chang,Liao, Fang-Xin,Rong, Yu-Ming,Yang, Qiong,Yin, Chen-Xi,He, Wen-Zhuo,Cai, Xiu-Yu,Guo, Gui-Fang,Qiu, Hui-Juan,Chen, Xu-Xian,Zhang, Bei,Xia, Liang-Ping Asian Pacific Journal of Cancer Prevention 2014 Asian Pacific journal of cancer prevention Vol.15 No.13

Objective: To compare the efficacy of taxane-based regimens in the first line setting retrospectively in Chinese patients with recurrent and/or metastatic esophageal cancer. Methods: We analyzed 102 recurrent and/or metastatic esophageal cancer patients who received taxanes-based regimens in a first-line setting from January 2009 to December 2013. Sixteen (15.7%) patients were administered Nab-PTX based chemotherapy and 86 patients (84.3%) received paclitaxel (PTX) or docetaxel (DTX) based chemotherapy. Patients in the PTX/DTX group could be further divided into TP (71 patients) and TPF (15 patients) groups. Results: The objective response rate (ORR) of all patients was 20.6%, and the disease control rate (DCR) was 67.6%. The median overall survival (OS) was 10.5 months (95% CI 10.1-16.4) and the median progression-free survival (PFS) was 6.04 months (95% CI 5.09-7.91). The DCR was higher in the TPF group than the TP group (93.3% vs. 59.1%; p = 0.015 ). There were no significant differences in ORR, OS, and PFS among Nab-PTX, TPF and TP groups. Conclusions: The three regimens of Nab-PTX based, TP and TPF proved active in a first line setting of Chinese patients with recurrent and/or metastatic esophageal cancer, and should thus be regarded as alternative treatments.

Human Telomerase Gene and High-Risk Human Papillomavirus Infection are Related to Cervical Intraepithelial Neoplasia

Zhao, Xu-Ye,Cui, Yongm,Jiang, Shu-Fang,Liu, Ke-Jun,Han, Hai-Qiong,Liu, Xiao-Su,Li, Yali Asian Pacific Journal of Cancer Prevention 2015 Asian Pacific journal of cancer prevention Vol.16 No.2

Our aims were to evaluate the clinical performance of human telomerase RNA gene component (hTERC gene) amplification assay with high-risk human papillomavirus (HR-HPV) DNA test of Hybrid Capture 2 DNA test (HC2), for the detection of high grade cervical precancerous lesions and cancer (CIN 2+). In addition, the association shown between hTERC gene amplification and HPV DNA test positive in women with and without cervical neoplasia was assessed. There were 92 women who underwent cytology, HR-HPV DNA test, hTERC gene amplification test, colposcopy and biopsy. We compared the clinical performance of hTERC gene test along with HR-HPV DNA test of women with colposcopy and routine screening. The samples were histology-confirmed high-grade cervical intraepithelial neoplasia (CIN 2) or worse (CIN2+) as the positive criterion. The test of hTERC gene showed the hTERC gene amplification positivity increased with the severity of histological abnormality and cytological abnormality. The test of hTERC gene showed higher specificity than HR-HPV DNA test for high-grade lesions (84.4% versus 50%) and also higher positive predictive value (90.4% versus 76.5%). Our results predicted that hTERC gene amplification demonstrated more specific performance for predicting the risk of progression and offer a strong potential as a tool for triage in cervical cancer screening, with the limited sensitive as HR-HPV DNA test.

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.

Cardioprotective effect of ginsenoside Rb1 via regulating metabolomics profiling and AMP-activated protein kinase-dependent mitophagy

Jingui Hu,Ling Zhang,Fei Fu,Qiong Lai,Lu Zhang,Tao Liu,Boyang Yu,Junping Kou,Fang Li 고려인삼학회 2022 Journal of Ginseng Research Vol.46 No.2

Background: Ginsenoside Rb1, a bioactive component isolated from the Panax ginseng, acts as a remedy to prevent myocardial injury. However, it is obscure whether the cardioprotective functions of Rb1 are related to the regulation of endogenous metabolites, and its potential molecular mechanism still needs further clarification, especially from a comprehensive metabolomics profiling perspective. Methods: The mice model of acute myocardial ischemia (AMI) and oxygen glucose deprivation (OGD)-induced cardiomyocytes injury were applied to explore the protective effect and mechanism of Rb1. Meanwhile, the comprehensive metabolomics profiling was conducted by high-performance liquid chromatography and quadrupole time-of-flight mass spectrometry (HPLC-Q/TOF-MS) and a tandem liquid chromatography and mass spectrometry (LC-MS). Results: Rb1 treatment profoundly reduced the infarct size and attenuated myocardial injury. The metabolic network map of 65 differential endogenous metabolites was constructed and provided a new inspiration for the treatment of AMI by Rb1, which was mainly associated with mitophagy. In vivo and in vitro experiments, Rb1 was found to improve mitochondrial morphology, mitochondrial function and promote mitophagy. Interestingly, the mitophagy inhibitor partly attenuated the cardioprotective effect of Rb1. Additionally, Rb1 markedly facilitated the phosphorylation of AMP-activated protein kinase a (AMPKa), and AMPK inhibition partially weakened the role of Rb1 in promoting mitophagy. Conclusions: Ginsenoside Rb1 protects acute myocardial ischemia injury through promoting mitophagy via AMPKa phosphorylation, which might lay the foundation for the further application of Rb1 in cardiovascular diseases.

Incidence, Survival and Prevalence of Esophageal and Gastric Cancer in Linzhou City from 2003 to 2009

Liu, Shu-Zheng,Wang, Bing,Zhang, Fang,Chen, Qiong,Yu, Liang,Cheng, Lan-Ping,Sun, Xi-Bin,Duan, Guang-Cai Asian Pacific Journal of Cancer Prevention 2013 Asian Pacific journal of cancer prevention Vol.14 No.10

This study describes recent trends in incidence, survival and prevalence of subgroups of esophageal and gastric cancer in Linzhou city between 2003 and 2009. Data of esophageal and gastric cancer for the period of interest were extracted from the Linzhou Cancer Registry. Using information on tumor morphology or anatomical site, data were divided into six groups; esophageal squamous cell carcinoma, esophageal adenocarcinoma, other and unspecified types of esophageal cancer, and cardia, non-cardia, and unspecified anatomical site of stomach cancer. Incidence, survival and prevalence rates for each of the six cancer groups were calculated. The majority of esophageal cancers were squamous cell carcinomas (82%). Cardiac cancer was the major gastric cancer group (64%). The incidence of esophageal squamous cell carcinoma and gastric cardiac cancer increased between 2003 and 2009. Both esophageal and gastric cancer had a higher incidence in males compared with females. Overall survival was poor in all sub-groups with 1 year survival ranging from 45.9 to 65.6% and 5 year survival ranging from 14.7 to 30.5%. Prevalence of esophageal squamous cell carcinoma and gastric cardiac cancer was high (accounting for 80% overall). An increased focus on prevention and early diagnosis, especially in esophageal squamous cell carcinoma and gastric cardiac cancer, is required.