• Journal of Bio-Environment Control
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• v.22 no.2
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• pp.81-86
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• 2013

This experiment was carried out to select white asparagus varieties suitable for shading culture in greenhouse. Eight white and one green varieties were tested. Seeds were sown in 72-cell trays in a glasshouse on 24 Dec. 2008 and the seedlings were transplanted in a P.E house on 22 May 2009. Planting distances were 30 cm apart in a raw and 125 cm between the raws. For white asparagus production, small tunnel ($210cm{\times}160cm$) was established inside the P.E house, and covered with black and white P.E film (0.1 mm) on 5 March 2010. Days to sprouting took 5 days in 'Ravel' variety and took 16 to 18 days in 'Backlim', 'Horlim', 'Herkolim' varieties. The number of spear was highest in 'Ravel' with 6 and lowest in 'Backlim' with 3.7. The spear weight was heaviest in 'Herkolim' with 25.6 g and lightest in 'Ravel' with 15.6 g. The highest total yield was in 'Herkolim' with 296 kg/10a, followed by 'Super welcome' with 275 kg/10a and lowest in 'Rapsody' with 176 kg/10a. Marketable yields in 'Super welcome' and 'Herkolim' were 241 kg/10a and 239 kg/10a, respectively, and the yield was lowest in 'Rapsody' with 139 kg/10a. The L grade (over 20 g of spear weight) was highest in 'Herkolim'. Accordingly, 'Herkolim' was the most suitable white asparagus variety among the tested varieties for shading cultivation in greenhouse.

• Journal of Yeungnam Medical Science
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• v.28 no.1
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• pp.31-44
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• 2011

Background: The optimal timing of treatment with EGFR-tyrosine kinase inhibitors (EGFR-TKI) in NSCLC patients has not yet been determined. Methods: We separated 228 patients with advanced /metastatic NSCLC treated with gefitinib into an early gefitinib group (patients who received gefitinib as first- or second-line treatment) and a delayed gefitinib group (patients who received gefitinib as third or fourth-line treatment) and attempted to determine whether the timing of gefitinib treatment affected clinical outcomes. Results: Median overall survival (OS), progression free survival (PFS), and median OS from first-line treatment of advanced/metastatic disease (OSt) for 111 patients in the early gefitinib group were 6.2 months, 3.3 months, and 11.6 months. However, median OS, PFS, and OSt for 84 patients in the delayed gefitinib group were 7.8 months, 2.3 months, and 22.7 months. No differences in OS and PFS were observed between the 2 groups. However, OSt was significantly longer in the delayed gefitnib group. Timing of gefitinib therapy was one of the independent predictors of OSt. Hb ${\geq}$ 10 g/dl, and having never smoked, and ECOG performance status ${\leq}1$ were independent predictors of better PFS. Conclusion：Deferral of gefitinib therapy in patientswith advanced ormetastatic NSCLC may be preferable if they are able to tolerate chemotherapy.

• Asian Pacific Journal of Cancer Prevention
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• v.16 no.3
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• pp.1001-1006
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• 2015

Background: With development and application of new and effective anti-cancer drugs, the median survival post-progression (SPP) is often prolonged, and the role of the median SPP on surrogacy performance should be considered. To evaluate the impact of the median SPP on the correlation between progression-free survival (PFS) and overall survival (OS), we performed simulations for treatment of four types of cancer, advanced gastric cancer (AGC), metastatic colorectal cancer (MCC), glioblastoma (GBM), and advanced non-small-cell lung cancer (ANSCLC). Materials and Methods: The effects of the median SPP on the statistical properties of OS and the correlation between PFS and OS were assessed. Further, comparisons were made between the surrogacy performance based on real data from meta-analyses and simulation results with similar scenarios. Results: The probability of a significant gain in OS and HR for OS was decreased by an increase of the SPP/OS ratio or by a decrease of observed treatment benefit for PFS. Similarly, for each of the four types of cancer, the correlation between PFS and OS was reduced as the median SPP increased from 2 to 12 months. Except for ANSCLC, for which the median SPP was equal to the true value, the simulated correlation between PFS and OS was consistent with the values derived from meta-analyses for the other three kinds of cancer. Further, for these three types of cancer, when the median SPP was controlled at a designated level (i.e., < 4 months for AGC, < 12 months for MCC, and <6 months for GBM), the correlation between PFS and OS was strong; and the power of OS reached 34.9% at the minimum. Conclusions: PFS is an acceptable surrogate endpoint for OS under the condition of controlling SPPs for AGC, MCC, and GBM at their limit levels; a similar conclusion cannot be made for ANSCLC.

• Asian Pacific Journal of Cancer Prevention
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• v.14 no.5
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• pp.2717-2722
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• 2013

Background: The objective of this research is the computed axial tomography (CT) imaging grading of radiation induced pneumonitis (RP) and its correlation with clinical and radiotherapeutic parameters. Materials and Methods: The chest CT films of 20 patients with non-small cell lung cancer who have undergone threedimensional conformal radiation therapy were reviewed. The proposed CT grading of RP is supported on solely radiological diagnosis criteria and distinguishes five grades. The manifestation of RP was also correlated with any positive pre-existing chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD) history, smoking history, the FEV1 value, and the dosimetric variable V20. Results: The CT grading of RP was as follows: 3 patients (15%) presented with ground glass opacity (grade 1), 9 patients (45%) were classified as grade 2, 7 patients (35%) presented with focal consolidation, with or without elements of fibrosis (grade 3), and only one patient (5%) presented with opacity with accompanying atelectasis and loss of pulmonary volume (grade 4). Both univariate and multivariate analysis revealed as prognostic factors for the radiological grading of RP the reduction of FEV1 and the V20 (P=0.026 and P=0.003, respectively). There was also a significant (P<0.001) correlation of radiological grading of RP with FEV1 and V20 (spearman rho 0.92 and 0.93, respectively). Conclusions: The high correlation of the proposed radiological grading with the FEV1 and the V20 is giving a satisfactory clinical validity. Although the proposed grading scale seems relevant to clinical practice, further studies are needed for the confirmation of its validity and reliability.

• Asian Pacific Journal of Cancer Prevention
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• v.14 no.9
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• pp.5275-5279
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• 2013

Background: The XRCC1 (X-ray repair cross complimenting group-I) gene in BER (base excision repair) pathway is essential for DNA repair process. Polymorphisms in this gene are associated with variations in the repair efficiency which might predispose individuals to development of various cancers. Two variants of XRCC1gene (at codon 399), Gln/Gln and Arg/Gln, have been shown to be related to lowered DNA repair capacity and increased genomic instability in multiple studies. Hence our investigation focused on genotyping these variants to correlate with other multiple risk factors in lung cancer (NSCLC) patients since we hypothesized that these variants of the XRCC1 gene might influence disease susceptibility. Materials and Methods: We examined the frequency of the polymorphism in one hundred cases and an almost equal number of controls after recording their demographics with a structured questionnaire. Genomic DNA from blood samples was extracted for PCR studies, followed by RFLP to determine the variants. The significance of the data was statistically analyzed. Results: The three genotypes in cases and controls were Arg/Arg (40% and 54.45%); Gln/Gln (19% and 9.90%), and Arg/Gln (41.0% and 35.64%) respectively. Among these 3 genotypes, we found Gln/Gln and Arg/Gln to show association with lung cancer. Correlating these genotypes with several parameters, we also found that these two variants were associated with risk in males (p<0.05) and with smoking habits (p<0.05). In females Arg/Gln genotype showed association with stage of the disease (p=0.04). This is the first report in South Indian scenario where Arg399Gln genotypes were found to be associated with stage of the disease in females. Conclusions: It is concluded that XRCC1 genotypes Gln/Gln and Arg/Gln may influence cancer susceptibility in patients with smoking habits and these functional SNPs in XRCC1 gene may act as attractive candidate biomarkers in lung cancer for diagnosis and prognosis.

• Molecules and Cells
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• v.39 no.2
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• pp.103-110
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• 2016

As a degenerative joint disease, osteoarthritis (OA) constitutes a major cause of disability that seriously affects the quality of life of a large population of people worldwide. However, effective treatment that can successfully reverse OA progression is lacking until now. The present study aimed to determine whether two small non-coding RNAs miR-29a and miR-140, which are significantly down-regulated in OA, can be applied together as potential therapeutic targets for OA treatment. MiRNA synergy score was used to screen the miRNA pairs that potentially synergistically regulate OA. An in vitro model of OA was established by treating murine chondrocytes with IL-$1{\beta}$. Transfection of miR-29a and miR-140 via plasmids was investigated on chondrocyte proliferation and expression of nine genes such as ADAMTS4, ADAMTS5, ACAN, COL2A1, COL10A1, MMP1, MMP3, MMP13 and TIMP metallopeptidase inhibitor 1 (TIMP1). Western blotting was used to determine the protein expression level of MMP13 and TIMP1, and ELISA was used to detect the content of type II collagen. Combined use of miR-29a and miR-140 successfully reversed the destructive effect of IL-$1{\beta}$ on chondrocyte proliferation, and notably affected the MMP13 and TIMP1 gene expression that regulates extracellular matrix. Although co-transfection of miR-29a and miR-140 did not show a synergistic effect on MMP13 protein expression and type II collagen release, but both of them can significantly suppress the protein abundance of MMP13 and restore the type II collagen release in IL-$1{\beta}$ treated chondrocytes. Compared with single miRNA transfection, cotransfection of both miRNAs exceedingly abrogated the suppressed the protein production of TIMP1 caused by IL-$1{\beta}$, thereby suggesting potent synergistic action. These results provided1novel insights into the important function of miRNAs' collaboration in OA pathological development. The reduced MMP13, and enhanced TIMP1 protein production and type II collagen release also implies that miR-29a and miR-140 combination treatment may be a possible treatment for OA.

• Journal of Chest Surgery
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• v.44 no.2
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• pp.169-177
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• 2011

Background: Video-assisted thoracic surgery (VATS) lobectomy has been performed with increasing frequency over the last decade. However, there is still controversy as to its indications, safety, and feasibility. Especially regarding lung cancer surgery, it is not certain whether it can reduce local recurrences and improve overall survival. Materials and Methods: We retrospectively reviewed 1,067 cases of VATS lobectomy performed between 2003 and 2009, including the indications, postoperative morbidity, mortality, recurrence, and survival rate. Results: One thousand and sixty seven patients underwent VATS lobectomy for the following indications: non-small cell lung cancer (NSCLC) (n=832), carcinoid tumors (n=12), metastatic lung cancer (n=48), and benign or other diseases (n=175). There were 63 cases (5.9%) of conversion to open thoracotomy during VATS lobectomy. One hundred thirty one (15.7%) of the 832 NSCLC patients experienced pathologic upstaging postoperatively. The hospital mortality rate was 0.84% (9 patients), and all of them died of acute respiratory distress syndrome. One hundred forty-nine patients (14.0%) experienced postoperative complications. The median follow-up was 22.9 months for patients with NSCLC. During follow-up, 120 patients had a recurrence and 55 patients died. For patients with pathologic stage I, the overall survival rate and disease-free survival rate at 3 years was $92.2{\pm}1.5%$ and $86.2{\pm}1.9%$, respectively. For patients with pathologic stage II disease, the overall survival rate and disease-free survival rate at 3 years was $79.2{\pm}6.5%$ and $61.9{\pm}6.6%$, respectively. Conclusion: Our results suggest that VATS lobectomy is a technically feasible and safe operation, which can be applied to various lung diseases. In patients with early-stage lung cancer, excellent survival can be also achieved.

• Applied Microscopy
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• v.40 no.2
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• pp.101-108
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• 2010

Vitex negundo is an aromatic plant which releases a unique scent due to the presence of essential oil stored presumably within glandular trichomes. The focus of this research was to study developmental patterns of glandular trichomes in Vitex negundo leaves using electron microscopy. There are two types of glandular trichomes which develop on the leaf epidermis of Vitex negundo, peltate glandular type (PT) and capitate glandular type (CT). Structural features differ significantly depending on size and density, formation of secretory cavity, plastid, etc during developmental stages. In young leaves, undifferentiated PTs are densely distributed in the upper epidermis, but are not externally exposed in the lower epidermis because they are covered by non-glandular simple trichomes. Upon leaf development, PTs and CTs show clear structural differentiation in the upper and lower epidermis. PTs are composed of up to eight head cells (ca. 35~40 ${\mu}m$) and one stalk cell (ca. 5 ${\mu}m$), while CTs are composed of four head cells (ca. 10~15 ${\mu}m$) and 1~2 stalk cells (ca. 10 ${\mu}m$). Although secretory cavities develop on the secretory head cells, their size, structure, and formation proceed very differently depending on trichome type. In early development of PT, a large cavity with numerous secretory vesicles form rapidly from the head cells. In CT, however, only a small secretory cavity is formed, slowly relative to PT, without secretory vesicles. The PTs are considered to play an important role in releasing the aromatic components of Vitex negundo.

• Molecules and Cells
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• v.20 no.3
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• pp.315-324
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• 2005

Pain is an unpleasant sensation experienced when tissues are damaged. Thus, pain sensation in some way protects body from imminent threat or injury. Peripheral sensory nerves innervated to peripheral tissues initially respond to multiple forms of noxious or strong stimuli, such as heat, mechanical and chemical stimuli. In response to these stimuli, electrical signals for conducting the nociceptive neural signals through axons are generated. These action potentials are then conveyed to specific areas in the spinal cord and in the brain. Sensory afferent fibers are heterogeneous in many aspects. For example, sensory nerves are classified as $A{\alpha}$, $-{\beta}$, $-{\delta}$ and C-fibers according to their diameter and degree of myelination. It is widely accepted that small sensory fibers tend to respond to vigorous or noxious stimuli and related to nociception. Thus these fibers are specifically called nociceptors. Most of nociceptors respond to noxious mechanical stimuli and heat. In addition, these sensory fibers also respond to chemical stimuli [Davis et al. (1993)] such as capsaicin. Thus, nociceptors are considered polymodal. Recent advance in research on ion channels in sensory neurons reveals molecular mechanisms underlying how various types of stimuli can be transduced to neural signals transmitted to the brain for pain perception. In particular, electrophysiological studies on ion channels characterize biophysical properties of ion channels in sensory neurons. Furthermore, molecular biology leads to identification of genetic structures as well as molecular properties of ion channels in sensory neurons. These ion channels are expressed in axon terminals as well as in cell soma. When these channels are activated, inward currents or outward currents are generated, which will lead to depolarization or hyperpolarization of the membrane causing increased or decreased excitability of sensory neurons. In order to depolarize the membrane of nerve terminals, either inward currents should be generated or outward currents should be inhibited. So far, many cationic channels that are responsible for the excitation of sensory neurons are introduced recently. Activation of these channels in sensory neurons is evidently critical to the generation of nociceptive signals. The main channels responsible for inward membrane currents in nociceptors are voltage-activated sodium and calcium channels, while outward current is carried mainly by potassium ions. In addition, activation of non-selective cation channels is also responsible for the excitation of sensory neurons. Thus, excitability of neurons can be controlled by regulating expression or by modulating activity of these channels.

• Molecules and Cells
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• v.20 no.2
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• pp.235-240
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• 2005

Extracts of pine needles (Pinus densiflora Sieb. et Zucc.) have diverse physiological and pharmacological actions. In this study we show that pine needle extract alters pacemaker currents in interstitial cells of Cajal (ICC) by modulating ATP-sensitive $K^+$ channels and that this effect is mediated by prostaglandins. In whole cell patches at $30^{\circ}C$, ICC generated spontaneous pacemaker potentials in the current clamp mode (I = 0), and inward currents (pacemaker currents) in the voltage clamp mode at a holding potential of -70 mV. Pine needle extract hyperpolarized the membrane potential, and in voltage clamp mode decreased both the frequency and amplitude of the pacemaker currents, and increased the resting currents in the outward direction. It also inhibited the pacemaker currents in a dose-dependent manner. Because the effects of pine needle extract on pacemaker currents were the same as those of pinacidil (an ATP-sensitive $K^+$ channel opener) we tested the effect of glibenclamide (an ATP-sensitive $K^+$ channels blocker) on ICC exposed to pine needle extract. The effects of pine needle extract on pacemaker currents were blocked by glibenclamide. To see whether production of prostaglandins (PGs) is involved in the inhibitory effect of pine needle extract on pacemaker currents, we tested the effects of naproxen, a non-selective cyclooxygenase (COX-1 and COX-2) inhibitor, and AH6809, a prostaglandin EP1 and EP2 receptor antagonist. Naproxen and AH6809 blocked the inhibitory effects of pine needle extract on ICC. These results indicate that pine needle extract inhibits the pacemaker currents of ICC by activating ATP-sensitive $K^+$ channels via the production of PGs.