The Fruit Hull of Gleditsia sinensis

Lung cancer has substantial mortality worldwide, and chemotherapy is a routine regimen for the treatment of patients with lung cancer, despite undesirable effects such as drug resistance and chemotoxicity. Here, given a possible antitumor effect of the fruit hull of Gleditsia sinensis (FGS), we tested whether FGS enhances the effectiveness of cis-diammine dichloridoplatinum (II) (CDDP), a chemotherapeutic drug. We found that CDDP, when administered with FGS, significantly decreased the viability and increased the apoptosis and cell cycle arrest of Lewis lung carcinoma (LLC) cells, which were associated with the increase of p21 and decreases of cyclin D1 and CDK4. Concordantly, when combined with FGS, CDDP significantly reduced the volume and weight of tumors derived from LLC subcutaneously injected into C57BL/6 mice, with concomitant increases of phosphor-p53 and p21 in tumor tissue. Together, these results show that FGS could enhance the antitumor activity of CDDP, suggesting that FGS can be used as a complementary measure to enhance the efficacy of a chemotherapeutic agent such as CDDP

Moisture Content Prediction Below and Above Fiber Saturation Point by Partial Least Squares Regression Analysis on Near Infrared Absorption Spectra of Korean Pine

This study was performed to predict the surface moisture content of Korean pine (Pinus koraiensis) with low moisture content (approximately 0%) and high moisture content above the FSP using near IR spectroscopy. Near IR absorbance spectra of circular specimens were acquired at various moisture contents at 25°C. To enhance the precision of the regression model, mathematical preprocessing was performed by determining the three-point moving average and Norris second derivatives. After preprocessing, partial least squares regression was carried out to establish the surface moisture content prediction model. We divided the specimens into two groups based on their moisture contents. For the first group, which possessed moisture contents less than 30%, the R2 values and root mean squared error of prediction (RMSEP) of the model were 0.96 and 1.48, respectively. For the second group, which possessed moisture contents greater than 30%, the R2 values and RMSEP of the model were 0.94 and 4.88, respectively. For all moisture contents, the R2 and RMSEP were 0.96 and 5.15, respectively. As the range of moisture contents included in the prediction model was expanded, the error of the model increased. In addition, the peak positions of the water absorption band (1440 and 1930 nm) shifted to longer wavelengths at higher moisture contents

Efekti korišćenja astaksantina u ishrani na rast, pigmentaciju mišića i antioksidantne aktivnosti mlađi kalifornijske pastrmke (oncorhynchus mykiss)

This study was designed to test the effects of dietary astaxanthin on growth, muscle pigmentation, antioxidant activity and biochemical composition of juvenile rainbow trout (Oncorhynchus mykiss). Experimental diets were formulated to contain 50, 75 and 100 ppm astaxanthin (designed as AS50, AS75 and AS100). The diet without supplementation of astaxanthin was considered as the control diet. Each experimental diet was fed to three replicate groups of fish (18.5 g/fish) to visual satiation two times a day for 10 weeks. Growth performance and proximate composition of muscle of fish were not affected by dietary AS levels (P> 0.05). Total carotenoid concentration in the muscle of fish fed the AS50 diet was higher than that of fish fed the control diet, but no different to that of fish fed the AS75 and AS100 diets. The astaxanthin concentration in the muscle of fish fed AS50, AS75 and AS100 diets were higher than that of control diet. The redness (a*) of the muscle of fish fed AS50, AS75 and AS100 diets were higher than that of fish fed the control diet (P 0.05) nije uticao na performansu rasta i hemijski sastav mišića ribe. Ukupna koncentracija karotenoida u mišiću ribe koja je hranjena AS50 hranom bila je viša nego kod riba hranjenih kontrolnom hranom, ali nije bila drugačija od riba hranjenih AS75 i AS100 hranom. Koncentracija astaksantina u mišiću riba hranjenih AS50, AS75 i AS100 hranom bila je viša nego kod riba hranjenih kontrolnom hranom. Crvena boja (a*) mišića ribe koja je hranjena AS50, AS75 i AS100 hranom bila je jača nego kod ribe hranjene kontrolnom hranom (P< 0.05). Antioksidantna aktivnost DPPH, radikala hidroksila i alkila u plazmi i jetri riba nisu zavisili od nivoa astaksantina osim kod plazme koja je imala antioksidantnu aktivnost alkilnih radikala. Rezultati ove studije nagoveštavaju da se hrana koja sadrži 50 ppm astaksantina može koristiti da bi se poboljšala crvena boja mišične pigmentacije kod mlađi kalifornijske pastrmke

Favorable response to doxorubicin combination chemotherapy does not yield good clinical outcome in patients with metastatic breast cancer with triple-negative phenotype

<p>Abstract</p> <p>Background</p> <p>We analyzed the responses to first line treatment and clinical outcomes of metastatic breast cancer patients treated with palliative doxorubicin/cyclophosphamide (AC) according to molecular cancer subtype.</p> <p>Methods</p> <p>A retrospective analysis was performed for 110 metastatic breast cancer patients selected on the basis of palliative AC treatment and the availability of immunohistochemical data for estrogen receptor (ER), progesterone receptor (PR), and human epidermal growth factor receptor-2 (HER-2/neu) status.</p> <p>Results</p> <p>Of the 110 patients analyzed, 71 (64.5%) were hormone receptor positive (HR+), 14 (12.7%) were HER2+, and 25 (22.7%) were triple negative (TN). There were no differences in age, stage at diagnosis, total number of cycles of palliative chemotherapy, incidence of visceral metastasis, and metastatic sites with the exception of liver among breast cancer subtypes. The overall response rates to AC were 55.9% for the HR+ subgroup, 42.9% for the HER2+ subgroup, and 56.5% for the TN subgroup. The progression-free survival (PFS) in patients with HER2+ and TN were significantly shorter than in the HR+ (median PFS, 9.1 <it>vs </it>8.1 <it>vs </it>11.5 months, respectively; p = 0.0002). The overall survival (OS) was 25.4 months in the TN subgroup and 27.3 months in HER2+ subgroup. The median OS for these two groups was significantly shorter than for patients in the HR+ subgroup (median, 38.5 months; 95% CI, 30.1-46.9 months; p < 0.0001).</p> <p>Conclusions</p> <p>The response to palliative AC chemotherapy did not differ among breast cancer subtypes. Despite chemosensitivity for palliative AC, the TN subtype has a shorter overall survival than non-TN subtypes. Innovative treatment strategies should be developed to slow the course of disease.</p

History of Bioelectrical Study and the Electrophysiology of the Primo Vascular System

Background. Primo vascular system is a new anatomical structure whose research results have reported the possibility of a new circulatory system similar to the blood vascular system and cells. Electrophysiology, which measures and analyzes bioelectrical signals tissues and cells, is an important research area for investigating the function of tissues and cells. The bioelectrical study of the primo vascular system has been reported by using modern techniques since the early 1960s by Bonghan Kim. This paper reviews the research result of the electrophysiological study of the primo vascular system for the discussion of the circulatory function. We hope it would help to study the electrophysiology of the primo vascular system for researchers. This paper will use the following exchangeable expressions: Kyungrak system = Bonghan system = Bonghan circulatory system = primo vascular system = primo system; Bonghan corpuscle = primo node; Bonghan duct = primo vessel. We think that objective descriptions of reviewed papers are more important than unified expressions when citing the papers. That said, this paper will unify the expressions of the primo vascular system

Optical Shaping of Plasma Cavity for Controlled Laser Wakefield Acceleration

Laser wakefield accelerators rely on relativistically moving micron-sized plasma cavities that provide extremely high electric field >100GV/m. Here, we demonstrate transverse shaping of the plasma cavity to produce controlled sub-GeV electron beams, adopting laser pulses with an axially rotatable ellipse-shaped focal spot. We showed the control capability on electron self-injection, charge, and transverse profile of the electron beam by rotating the focal spot. We observed that the effect of the elliptical focal spot was imprinted in the profiles of the electron beams and the electron energy increased, as compared to the case of a circular focal spot. We performed 3D particle-in-cell (PIC) simulations which reproduced the experimental results and revealed dynamics of a new asymmetric self-injection process. This simple scheme offers a novel control method on laser wakefield acceleration to produce tailored electron beams and x-rays for various applications.Comment: 5 pages, 5 figure