• Asian Pacific Journal of Cancer Prevention
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• v.15 no.22
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• pp.9945-9948
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• 2014

Background: The purpose of this study was to investigate Tim-3 expression on peripheral CD3-CD56+ natural killer (NK) cells and CD3+CD56+ natural killer T (NKT) cells in lung cancer patients. Materials and Methods: We analyzed Tim-3+CD3-CD56+ cells, Tim-3+CD3-$CD56^{dim}$ cells, Tim-3+CD3-$CD56^{bright}$ cells, and Tim-3+CD3+CD56+ cells in fresh peripheral blood from 79 lung cancer cases preoperatively and 53 healthy controls by flow cytometry. Postoperative blood samples were also analyzed from 21 members of the lung cancer patient cohort. Results: It was showed that expression of Tim-3 was significantly increased on CD3-CD56+ cells, CD3-$CD56^{dim}$ cells and CD3+CD56+ cells in lung cancer patients as compared to healthy controls (p=0.03, p=0.03 and p=0.04, respectively). When analyzing Tim-3 expression with cancer progression, results revealed more elevated Tim-3 expression in CD3-CD56+ cells, CD3-$CD56^{dim}$ cells and CD3+CD56+ cells in cases with advanced stages (III/IV) than those with stage I and II (p=0.02, p=0.04 and p=0.01, respectively). In addition, Tim-3 expression was significantly reduced on after surgical resection of the primary tumor (p<0.01). Conclusions: Tim-3 expression in natural killer cells from fresh peripheral blood may provide a useful indicator of disease progression of lung cancer. Furthermore, it was indicated that Tim-3 might be as a therapeutic target.

• Asian Pacific Journal of Cancer Prevention
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• v.15 no.1
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• pp.407-411
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• 2014

Objective: To observe local and systemic toxicity after sustained-release 5-fluorouracil (5-Fu) implantation in canine peritoneum and para-aortic abdominalis and the changes of drug concentration in the local implanted tissue with time. Methods: 300 mg sustained-release 5-Fu was implanted into canine peritoneum and para-aorta abdominalis. Samples were taken 3, 5, 7 and 10 days after implantation for assessment of changes and systemic reactions. High performance liquid chromatography was applied to detect the drug concentrations of peritoneal tissue at different distances from the implanted site, lymphatic tissue of para-aortic abdominalis, peripheral blood and portal venous blood. Results: 10 days after implantation, the drug concentrations in the peritoneum, lymphatic tissue and portal vein remained relatively high within 5 cm of the implanted site. There appeared inflammatory reaction in the local implanted tissue, but no visible pathological changes such as cell degeneration and necrosis, and systemic reaction like anorexia, nausea, vomiting and fever. Conclusions: Sustained-release 5-Fu implantation in canine peritoneum and para-aortic abdominalis can maintain a relatively high tumour-inhibiting concentration for a longer time in the local implanted area and portal vein, and has mild local and systemic reactions. Besides, it is safe and effective to prevent or treat recurrence of gastrointestinal tumours and liver metastasis.

• Journal of Microbiology and Biotechnology
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• v.23 no.11
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• pp.1586-1597
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• 2013

Energy-efficient metabolic responses were often noted in high-productive cultures. To better understand these metabolic responses, an investigation into the relationship between metabolic responses and energy regulation was conducted via a comparative analysis among cultures with different energy source supplies. Both glycolysis and glutaminolysis were studied through the kinetic analyses of major extracellular metabolites concerning the fast and slow cell growth stages, respectively, as well as the time-course profiles of intracellular metabolites. In three cultures showing distinct antibody productivities, the amino acid metabolism and energy state were further examined. Both the transition of lactate from production to consumption and steady intracellular pools of pyruvate and lactate were observed to be correlated with efficient energy regulation. In addition, an efficient utilization of amino acids as the replenishment for the TCA cycle was also found in the cultures with upregulated energy metabolism. It was further revealed that the inefficient energy regulation would cause low cell productivity based on the comparative analysis of cell growth and productivity in cultures having distinct energy regulation.

• Asian Pacific Journal of Cancer Prevention
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• v.16 no.2
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• pp.693-697
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• 2015

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.

• Asian Pacific Journal of Cancer Prevention
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• v.14 no.1
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• pp.393-398
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• 2013

Background: Many studies have investigated associations between the glutathione S-transferase M1 (GSTM1) null polymorphism and risk of prostate cancer, but the impact of GSTM1 in people who live in Asian countries is still unclear owing to inconsistencies across results. Methods: We searched the PubMed, Web of Science, Scopus, Ovid and CNKI databases for studies of associations between the GSTM1 null genotype and risk of prostate cancer in people who live in Asian countries, and estimated summary odds ratios (ORs) with 95% confidence intervals (95% CIs). Results: A total of 18 case-control studies with 2,172 cases and 3,258 controls were included in this meta-analysis, which showed the GSTM1 null genotype to be significantly associated with increased risk of prostate cancer in people who live in Asian countries (random-effects OR=1.74, 95% CI1.44-2.09, P<0.001). Similar results were found in East Asians (OR=1.41; 95% CI: 1.12-1.78; P=0.004) and Caucasians in Asia (OR=2.19; 95% CI: 1.85-2.60; P<0.001). No evidence of publication bias was observed. Conclusions: This meta-analysis of available data suggested that the GSTM1 null genotype does contribute to increased risk of prostate cancer in people who live in Asian countries.

• Asian Pacific Journal of Cancer Prevention
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• v.14 no.1
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• pp.315-320
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• 2013

Background: TGF-${\beta}$-activated kinase-1 (TAK1) has been found to be over-expressed in a variety of solid malignancies and related to tumor growth. The aim of this study was to evaluate the expression level of TAK1 in clear cell renal cell carcinoma (ccRCC) and assess its value as a novel prognostic marker. Methods: TAK1 mRNA was assessed in 51 paired ccRCC tissues and adjacent normal tissues (ADTs) by real-time PCR. Tissue TAK1 protein was also assessed in 91 ADTs and 177 samples of ccRCC immunohistochemically for evaluation of relationships with clinical characteristics. Results: RT-PCR showed that TAK1 RNA level was significantly higher in ccRCC tissues than in the paired ADTs and immunohistochemistry confirmed higher expression of TAK1 protein in ccRCC samples compared with ADTs. TAK1 protein expression in 177 ccRCC samples was significantly correlated with T stage, N classification, metastasis, recurrence and Fuhrman grade, but not age and gender. Patients with low TAK1 levels had a better survival outcome. TAK1 expression and N stage were independent prognosis factors for the overall survival of ccRCC patients. Conclusions: Overexpression of TAK1 predicts a poor prognosis in patients with ccRCC, so that TAK1 may serve as a novel prognostic marker.

• Journal of Electrochemical Science and Technology
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• v.11 no.4
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• pp.384-391
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• 2020

Due to its characteristics of light weight, high energy density, good safety, long service life, no memory effect, and environmental friendliness, lithium-ion batteries (LIBs) are widely used in various portable electronic products. The capacity and performance of LIBs largely depend on the performance of electrode materials. Therefore, the development of better positive and negative materials is the focus of current research. The application of metal organic framework materials (MOFs) derivatives in energy storage has attracted much attention and research. Using MOFs as precursors, porous metal oxides and porous carbon materials with controllable structure can be obtained. In this paper, rod-shaped Co-MOF-74 was grown on Ni Foam (NF) by hydrothermal method, and then Co-MOF-74/NF precursor was heat-treated to obtain rodshaped Co₃O₄/NF. Ni Foam was skeleton structured, which effectively relieved. The change of internal stress changes and destroys the structural volume of the electrode material and reduces the capacity attenuation. Co₃O₄/NF composite material has a specific discharge capacity of up to 1858 mA h/g for the first time, and a reversible capacity of up to 902.4 mA h/g at a current density of 200 mA/g, and has excellent rate and impedance performance. The synthesis strategy reported in this article opens the way to design high-performance electrodes for energy storage and electrochemical catalysis.

• Steel and Composite Structures
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• v.24 no.5
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• pp.549-559
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• 2017

As few multi-tower single-box multi-cell cable-stayed bridges with corrugated steel webs have been built, analysis is mostly achieved by combining single-girder model, beam grillage model and solid model in support of the design. However, such analysis methods usually suffer from major limitations in terms of the engineering applications: single-girder model fails to account for spatial effect such as shear lag effect of the box girder and the relevant effective girder width and eccentric load coefficient; owing to the approximation in the principle equivalence, the plane grillage model cannot accurately capture shear stress distribution and local stress state in both top and bottom flange of composite box girder; and solid model is difficult to be practically combined with the overall calculation. The usual effective width method fails to provide a uniform and accurate "effective length" (and the codes fail to provide a unified design approach at those circumstance) considering different shear lag effects resulting from dead load, prestress and cable tension in the construction. Therefore, a novel spatial grid model has been developed to account for shear lag effect. The theoretical principle of the proposed spatial grid model has been elaborated along with the relevant illustrations of modeling parameters of composite box girder with corrugated steel webs. Then typical transverse and longitudinal shear lag coefficient distribution pattern at the side-span and mid-span key cross sections have been analyzed and summarized to provide reference for similar bridges. The effectiveness and accuracy of spatial grid analysis methods has been finally validated through a practical cable-stayed bridge.

• Computers and Concrete
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• v.22 no.1
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• pp.63-70
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• 2018

The steel fiber reinforced concrete (SFRC) shows better performance under dynamic loading than conventional concrete in virtue of its good ductility. In this paper, a series of quasi-static experiments were carried out on the SFRC with volume fractions from 0 to 6%. The compressive strength increases by 38% while the tension strength increases by 106% when the fraction is 6.0%. The contact explosion tests were also performed on the ${\Phi}40{\times}6cm$ circular SFRC slabs of different volume fractions with 20 g RDX charges placed on their surfaces. The volume of spalling pit decreases rapidly with the increase of steel fiber fraction with a decline of 80% when the fraction is 6%, which is same as the crack density. Based on the experimental results, the fitting formulae are given, which can be used to predict individually the change tendencies of the blast crater volume, the spalling pit volume and the crack density in slabs with the increase of the steel fiber fraction. The new formulae of the thickness of damage region are established, whose predictions agree well with our test results and others. This is of great practical significance for experimental investigations and engineering applications.

• Asian Pacific Journal of Cancer Prevention
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• v.16 no.9
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• pp.3709-3713
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• 2015

Background: Many factors, including molecular ones, were demonstrated to be associated with long-term prognosis of hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC). Thus far, the expression and clinicopathologic and prognostic significance of the carboxyl terminus of Hsp70-interacting protein (CHIP) in B-type hepatitis virus (HBV)-related HCC remain unknown. Materials and Methods: CHIP expression was detected by immunohistochemical staining of surgical samples from 79 patients with HCC with HBsAg positivity. In addition, correlations with clinicopathologic parameters and patient survival were evaluated. Results: It was found that positive CHIP staining was observed in tumor, but not non-tumor, tissues. High expression of CHIP was significantly related to larger tumor size, with marginally significant associations noted for presence of portal vein invasion and higher serum a-fetoprotein level. In addition, univariate analysis showed that high CHIP expression was a powerful predictor for dismal overall and disease-free survival. However, independent prognostic implications of CHIP were not proven in multivariate Cox regression test. Conclusions: CHIP is overexpressed in HBV-related HCC and is associated with unfavorable biological behavior as well as poor prognosis. However, its prognostic role needs to be further validated.