More expression of BDNF associates with lung squamous cell carcinoma and is critical to the proliferation and invasion of lung cancer cells

BACKGROUND: Brain-derived neurotrophic factor (BDNF) has been reported to promote tumorigenesis and progression in several human malignancies. The purpose of this study was to explore the function of BDNF in lung squamous cell carcinoma (SCC) and adenocarcinoma (ADC). METHODS: The expression of BDNF was examined in 110 samples of lung SCC and ADC by immunohistochemistry. The protein level of BDNF was examined in 25 lung SCC or ADC samples and paired non-tumors by western blot. BDNF expression was also evaluated in human bronchial epithelial cells (HBE) and 4 lung cancer cell lines using western blot. Three BDNF mRNA variants containing exons IV, VI and IX were evaluated in HBE, two SCC (SK, LK2) and two ADC (A549, LTE) cell lines by RT-PCR. The expression and secretion of BDNF were also determined in cells using western blot and ELISA. Then the shRNA specific for BDNF was transfected into LK2 or A549 cells to further elucidate the BDNF knockdown on cell proliferation, apoptosis and invasion, which were confirmed by MTT, flow cytometry and transwell examinations. RESULTS: 71.8 % (79 out of 110) of lung SCC and ADC samples were detected positive BDNF, and high expression of BDNF was significantly correlated with histological type and T stage. Compared with non-tumorous counterparts, BDNF was apparently overexpressed in SCC and ADC tissues. In cell studies, the extensive expression and secretion of BDNF were demonstrated in lung cancer cells compared with HBE cells. Interestingly, the expressions of BDNF mRNA variant IV and VI were identical in all cells examined. However, more expression of BDNF mRNA variant IX was found in SK and LK2 cells. The apoptotic cells were increased, and the cell proliferation and invasion were both attenuated once the expression of BDNF was inhibited. When retreated by rhBDNF, BDNF knockdown cells showed less apoptotic or more proliferative and invasive. CONCLUSIONS: Our data show that BDNF probably facilitates the tumorigenesis of lung SCC and ADC. The expression of BDNF mRNA variant IX is probably more helpful to the upregulation of BDNF in SCC, and intervening the production of BDNF could be a possible strategy to lung cancer therapy

A survey of a cappella sacred music for mixed choir of Josef Rheinberger

Josef Rheinberger (1839-1901) was a prolific composer in the nineteenth century. Motivated by his belief as a devout Catholic, Rheinberger composed numerous sacred music pieces for different voices, categories, instrumental accompaniments, and functions. He is classified as a “classical romanticist” and composed his music in a contemporary Romantic music idiom with Classical elements. It is a pity that the a cappella sacred music that Rheinberger composed for mixed choir did not gain much attention--most of his works did not fit the liturgical requirement of the Roman Catholic Church and were heavily criticized by the Cecilians. The analyses in this thesis unveil the aesthetic nature of Rheinberger’s a cappella sacred music for mixed choir. Firstly, his works are short and accessible for general choirs. Secondly, he composed his sacred music with traditional harmony, and he created variety under the scope of balanced structures. Overall Rheinberger crafted his works with many well-conceived details. I hope this thesis will serve as a foundational reference for Rheinberger’s a cappella sacred music for mixed choir and raise an interest in his music

Assessing the spatial distribution of methadone clinic clients and their access to treatment

Using Geographic Information System (GIS), the spatial distribution of methadone clinic clients and their utilization of a treatment service in Hong Kong was analysed. A majority (93.7%) of the 63 methadone users recruited were residing in the same district, of which 84.1% spent not more than 15 minutes for traveling. Walking (55.6%) was the commonest transport mode followed by cycling (30.2%). There was no distance decay effect on traveling time, but an association between distance and transport selection could be demonstrated. The residence locations displayed a compact distribution, merging with the general population without any evidence of clustering. Though the distribution of methadone users could have been shaped by the location of clinic, it can also be concluded that methadone clinics at convenient locations are needed if maintenance is a key determinant of service effectiveness

Prosodic Correspondence in Tone Sandhi

[[abstract]]Correspondence in OT is a relation between pairs of forms. The correspondence relation is originally proposed to stand between underlying and surface forms (i.e., Input-Output correspondence) but is later extended to relations between the reduplicant and its base (i.e., Base-Reduplicant correspondence) and between morphosyntactically related outputs (i.e., Output-Output correspondence). Drawing evidence from tone sandhi in Mandarin (Cheng 1973a; Hsiao 1991; Shih 1986; Hung 1987; Zhang Z. 1988; Zhang N. 1997; Chen 2000; Lin 2000a, 2000b, 2000c; among others) and Sixian-Hakka (Hsu 1996, Hsiao 2000), this paper argues that the correspondence relation should be extended to stand between outputs that are related in the prosodic structures. Prosodic units have long been observed to play crucial roles in speech production/comprehension (Speer et al 1989, Shattuk-Hufnagel and Turk 1996, Gerken 1996b) as well as in phonology (Selkirk 1984a, 1984b, 1986; Nespor and Vogel 1986; Shih 1986; Hsiao 1991, 1995). Prosodic structures are cognitively real units; therefore, forms related in the prosodic structures should be capable for correspondence evaluation. Since Selkirk (1986), it is generally agreed that prosodic structures, though sensitive to the morphosyntactic structures of the language, are by no means isomorphic to them. Therefore, in the prosodic correspondence model proposed, the prosodically related output forms evaluated for correspondence are not necessarily morphosyntactically related. The paper is organized as below: §2 examines Mandarin tone sandhi and argues that tone sandhi in Mandarin can be analyzed easiest if tonal outputs which are prosodically related rather than morphosyntactically related are evaluated for correspondence. The prosodic correspondence model is proposed in §2.5. §3 examines Sixian-Hakka tone sandhi which reinforces the need for prosodic correspondence. §4 proposes prosodic constraints to account for tone sandhi domains of Sixian-Hakka and Mandarin. §5 concludes the paper.[[fileno]]204_JA07_2005_v1_p229[[department]]語言學研究

Central Arctic Ocean Fisheries Agreement: China’s role and implications for sustainable Arctic governance

The opening of the Arctic Ocean has prompted the signing of the Agreement to Prevent Unregulated High Seas Fisheries in the Central Arctic Ocean (CAOF Agreement) by 10 parties, including the five Arctic Ocean coastal states and the world’s leading distant-water fishing states. The negotiation process, initiated by the United States, progressed in two stages: the “A5 process” and the “A5+5 process”. The CAOF Agreement sets a precedent for cooperation between Arctic and non-Arctic states in managing Arctic high seas resources. It also incorporates several innovative management approaches for Arctic fisheries, such as the precautionary approach, ecosystem-based management, and state-of-the-art scientific knowledge as the basis for decision-making. Since 2015, China has actively participated in the negotiation and implementation of the CAOF Agreement. This article carefully analyzes the background and progressiveness of the CAOF Agreement and examines the responsibility that all state parties share concerning the sustainable use of marine living resources in the Central Arctic Ocean. The article also reviews China’s interests and engagement in the Arctic region, with particular attention to its participation in the CAOF Agreement. Finally, the article concludes by discussing China’s role and implications for sustainable Arctic governance and its broader implications for evolving international environmental and ocean governance

RESEARCH ON THE MARKETING AND PUBLIC RELATIONS EFFECT AND SPORT EVENT SATISFACTION OF THE TAIPEI 2017 UNIVERSIADE

The purpose of this study is to investigate the spectators’ marketing and public relations and sport event satisfaction with their participation in the Taipei 2017 Universiade. Meanwhile, based on the comparison of different personal background variables, this study compares the attractiveness and satisfaction of the spectators’ marketing and public relations recognition, marketing and public relations attitude, event planning and sport event services. A random sampling method is adopted in this study. Among spectators, university students of the Taipei 2017 Universiade are selected. A total of 700 questionnaires are distributed and 680 valid questionnaires are collected. The effective recovery rate is 97.14%. The research tool of this study is “Satisfaction scale of marketing and public relations effect and sport event satisfaction of the Taipei 2017 Universiade”. This study uses statistical methods such as descriptive statistics, independent sample t-tests, and so forth. The results of this study are: (1) In the Taipei 2017 Universiade, spectators have the highest attractiveness with “Internet” in “media tools” of marketing and public relations recognition, followed by the factor of “TV”; (2) In “marketing and public relations attitude” of the Taipei 2017 Universiade, “marketing and public relations present efforts and earnest of Taiwan” ranks the highest, followed by “marketing and public relations are impressed”; (3) In “sport event services” of the Taipei 2017 Universiade, “auditorium” ranks the highest, followed by “broadcast notification”; (4) There is no significant difference in the attractiveness and satisfaction among spectators with different personal background for “marketing and public relations recognition”, “marketing and public relations attitude”, and “sport event services” in the Taipei 2017 Universiade.  Article visualizations

Efficacy and safety of nanohybrids comprising silver nanoparticles and silicate clay for controlling Salmonella infection

Developing effective and safe drugs is imperative for replacing antibiotics and controlling multidrug-resistant microbes. Nanoscale silicate platelet (NSP) and its nanohybrid, silver nanoparticle/NSP (AgNP/NSP), have been developed, and the nanohybrids show a strong and general antibacterial activity in vitro. Here, their efficacy for protecting Salmonella-infected chicks from fatality and septicemia was evaluated. Both orally administrated NSP and AgNP/NSP, but not AgNPs alone, effectively reduced the systemic Salmonella infection and mortality. In addition, quantitative Ag analyses demonstrated that Ag deposition from AgNP/NSP in the intestines was less than that from conventional AgNPs, indicating that the presence of NSP for immobilizing AgNPs reduced Ag accumulation in tissue and improved the safety of AgNPs. These in vivo results illustrated that both NSP and AgNP/NSP nanohybrid represent potential agents for controlling enteric bacterial infections