East Asian Festival : SUNY Brockport, Spring 1991 : Proceedings, Lecture Series Presented by Asian Studies Faculty.

Includes papers by The College at Brockport faculty member Oh-Kon Cho (Dept. of Theatre), emerita Kazumi Nakano (Dept. of Mathematics), and former faculty member Sue Kenworthy (Dept. of Educational Administration).https://digitalcommons.brockport.edu/bookshelf/1288/thumbnail.jp

Adenovirus-mediated transfection of caspase-8 sensitizes hepatocellular carcinoma to TRAIL- and chemotherapeutic agent-induced cell death

AbstractCaspase-8 belongs to the cysteine protease family and is known to be activated at the initial step in the cascade of TRAIL-induced apoptosis. The activation of procaspase-8 can be blocked by a relatively large amount of c-FLIP, which renders resistance to death receptor-mediated apoptosis in many types of cancer cells. To ask if extrinsic over-expression of caspase-8 contributes to the induction of apoptosis, we introduced the caspase-8 gene into HCC cells using an adenoviral (Adv) vector (Adv-Casp8). We demonstrated that Adv-Casp8 increased expression of active forms of caspase-8 in MOI-dependent manner. A large amount of Adv-Casp8 (MOI of 50) induced apoptosis significantly in HCC cells and resulted in downregulation of c-FLIP (in SK-Hep1, HLE, and HepG2 cells), XIAP, survivin, and Bcl-xL (in HLE cells) and dynamic release of cytochrome c and Smac from the mitochondria into the cytosol. On the other hand, a small amount of Adv-Casp8 (MOI of 10) causes a slight but detectable increase in the level of apoptosis with only a small effect on anti-apoptotic proteins and mitochondrial activation. However, small amounts of Adv-Casp8 augmented TRAIL- or chemotherapeutic agent-induced cell death (with an MOI of 10 or 20, respectively). These results suggest both that exogenous over-expression of caspase-8 by Adv-Casp8 may be essential for induction of HCC cell death and that the combination of Adv-Casp8 and TRAIL or chemotherapeutic agents could provide a useful strategy for treatment of HCC

Improvement of JPEG compression efficiency using information hiding and image restoration

The application of information hiding to image compression is investigated to improve compression efficiency for JPEG color images. In the proposed method, entropy-coded DCT coefficients of chrominance components are embedded into DCT coefficients of the luminance component. To recover an image in the face of the degradation caused by compression and embedding, an image restoration method is also applied. Experiments show that the use of both information hiding and image restoration is most effective to improve compression efficiency

Issues in the vaccination recommendation for nursing students : consideration from an image research by the Semantic Differential Method

背景：看護学生に対して小児感染症とB型肝炎の免疫抗体価を検査し，免疫を持たない感染症について予防接種の指導を行った．しかし，予防接種が必要であると認識しながらも，実際に予防接種を受けるという行動に結びついた学生は少なかった．そこで，予防接種に対する態度を規定する要因を明らかにするためにイメージ調査を行い，予防接種を推奨する上での課題を明らかにした． 方法：看護学生１０４名を対象とした．集合質問紙調査法により予防接種の指導前後と長期休暇をはさんだ２ヵ月後に予防接種などに関するイメージ調査を行った．イメージ調査にはSD法（Semantic Differential Method）を用い，コンセプトは「予防注射」，「看護師」，「私」，「風疹」，「B型肝炎」の６つとした． 結果：予防注射に対するイメージについて指導前と指導後で比較すると「安い－高い」，「簡便な－面倒な」はマイナスの方向に有意に変化した（p＜０．０１）．「看護師」と「私」のイメージを比較すると，「健康な－病弱な」（p＜０．０１），「抵抗力がある－無防備な」（p＜０．０１）は「看護師」の方が有意にプラスイメージで，逆に「病気にならない－病気になる」（p＜０．０１），「安全な－危険な」は「私」の方が有意にプラスイメージであった．学生は看護師よりも病気にならず安全と感じ，同時に，看護師は学生よりも健康で抵抗力があるが病気になりやすいと矛盾した論理をもっていた．「私」についてのイメージは指導の前後で変化しなかった． 結論：接種率を向上させるためには，受診方法の改善や費用の助成等を行って，予防接種についてのハードルを低くし，環境面からアプローチする必要がある．また，学生は自分が免疫を持たないことを認知しながらも，自己の健康を過信し，自己矛盾を抱えていた．学生が自分自身の健康に対する意識を変え，自己矛盾に気づくよう教育することが今後の課題である．Background : An investigation of immune antibody titer against pediatric infectious diseases and hepatitis B was conducted to nursing students. They were then instructed to vaccinate against communicable diseases they were not yet immunized against. Although they recognized the importance of vaccination, only few actually vaccinated themselves. Consequently, an image research was conducted to find factors determining the attitude toward vaccination. This has clarified issues in vaccination recommendation. Methods : Group questionnaire surveys were conducted to the subjects of 104 nursing students before and after an instruction on vaccination and after 2 months sandwiching vacation. For an image research, the Semantic Differential Method was employed, setting five concepts of : Vaccination, Nurse, Self, Rubella, and Hepatitis B. Results : In the comparison of images to vaccination before and after the instruction, the responses to the questions, “Cheap-Expensive” and “Simple-Complicating,” changed significantly in a negative direction, （p＜ 0.01）after the instruction. Between the concepts of “Nurse” and “Self,” the responses to “Healthy-Sickly” （p ＜0.01）and “Resistant-Vulnerable”,（p＜0.01）were positive in “Nurse”, whereas the responses to “Uneasily sickened-Easily sickened” （p＜0.01） and “Safe-Risky” were positive in “Self.” This represented a contradiction in the subjects’ logic : while the students thought they were uneasily sickened and felt safer than nurses, nurses were seen as healthier and more resistant then the students but easily sickened. Their images toward “Self” did not change from before to after the instruction. Conclusion : The enhancement of vaccination rate requires an environmental approach to the barrier to vaccination, for example, by improving consultation methods and by financial support. Furthermore, the nursing students represented self- contradiction ; although they realized they lacked certain immunity, they were overconfident about their health. What remains to be seen is the education to enable them to change their attitude toward their own health and realize their self- contradiction

Life-threatening acute acalculous cholecystitis in a patient with renal cell carcinoma treated by sunitinib: a case report

<p>Abstract</p> <p>Introduction</p> <p>Sunitinib, an oral multitargeted tyrosine kinase inhibitor, is widely used in the treatment of renal cell carcinoma and gastrointestinal stromal tumor and has had a variety of adverse events. However, sunitinib-related acute cholecystitis has been reported in only two patients with gastrointestinal stromal tumor and renal cell carcinoma (clear cell subtype).</p> <p>Case presentation</p> <p>A 75-year-old Japanese woman with a right sided abdominal swelling was referred to our hospital. Computed tomography (CT) showed a hypervascular bulky tumor in her right kidney, suggesting right renal cell carcinoma in clinical T4N0M0. Although sunitinib therapy was started as neoadjuvant chemotherapy, during the fourth week of the first cycle, she developed acute acalculous cholecystitis and disseminated intravascular coagulation associated with sunitinib. Sunitinib therapy was discontinued immediately and she recovered after subsequent treatment with antibiotics and gabexate mesilate followed by percutaneous cholecystostomy. Cholecystectomy and right radical nephrectomy were performed and pathological examination showed that her renal tumor was a chromophobe renal cell carcinoma (pT2) with necrosis. Inflammation and ischemia were observed in the gallbladder wall, which was compatible with acute acalculous cholecystitis. There has been no evidence of disease recurrence for more than six months.</p> <p>Conclusion</p> <p>We described the third case of sunitinib-related acute cholecystitis in a patient with chromophobe renal cell carcinoma. Attention is required to sunitinib-related acute cholecystitis which, while uncommon, could be life-threatening.</p

Polycomb-Mediated Loss of miR-31 Activates NIK-Dependent NF-κB Pathway in Adult T Cell Leukemia and Other Cancers

SummaryConstitutive NF-κB activation has causative roles in adult T cell leukemia (ATL) caused by HTLV-1 and other cancers. Here, we report a pathway involving Polycomb-mediated miRNA silencing and NF-κB activation. We determine the miRNA signatures and reveal miR-31 loss in primary ATL cells. MiR-31 negatively regulates the noncanonical NF-κB pathway by targeting NF-κB inducing kinase (NIK). Loss of miR-31 therefore triggers oncogenic signaling. In ATL cells, miR-31 level is epigenetically regulated, and aberrant upregulation of Polycomb proteins contribute to miR-31 downregulation in an epigenetic fashion, leading to activation of NF-κB and apoptosis resistance. Furthermore, this emerging circuit operates in other cancers and receptor-initiated NF-κB cascade. Our findings provide a perspective involving the epigenetic program, inflammatory responses, and oncogenic signaling

Effects of transcutaneous electrical nerve stimulation on physical symptoms in advanced cancer patients receiving palliative care

Transcutaneous electrical nerve stimulation (TENS) is primarily used for pain, butmight be useful for various other physical symptoms, including nausea, fatigue,dyspnea, and constipation. However, few studies have used TENS for treating thephysical symptoms of patients with advanced cancer. In this crossover trial, we assessthe effects of TENS on pain and other physical symptoms in 20 in-patients withadvanced cancer receiving palliative care. For 5-day phases between wash out periodsof 5 days, patients received TENS or non-TENS. TENS was delivered at four points: thecenter of the back for mainly nausea and dyspnea, on the back at the same dermatomallevel as the origin of the pain (100 Hz), and on both ankle joints for constipation (10Hz). The intensity of pain and the total opioid dose used during phases were recorded.Physical symptoms were evaluated using the European Organization for Research andTreatment of Cancer (EORTC) Quality of Life Questionnaire Core 15 Palliative Care(QLQ-C15-PAL). Hematological and biochemical data were recorded before and afterthe TENS phase. The average pain and total number of opioid rescue doses weresignificantly reduced by TENS. TENS tended to improve nausea and appetite loss, butnot constipation. There were no effects on hematological and biochemical parameters.Use of TENS could safely improve pain, nausea, and appetite loss in patients withadvanced cancer. Although it cannot be used as a substitute for opioids and otherpharmaceutical treatment, it may be useful to support palliative care

Organoids with cancer stem cell-like properties secrete exosomes and HSP90 in a 3D nanoenvironment

Ability to form cellular aggregations such as tumorspheres and spheroids have been used as a morphological marker of malignant cancer cells and in particular cancer stem cells (CSC). However, the common definition of the types of cellular aggregation formed by cancer cells has not been available. We examined morphologies of 67 cell lines cultured on three dimensional morphology enhancing NanoCulture Plates (NCP) and classified the types of cellular aggregates that form. Among the 67 cell lines, 49 cell lines formed spheres or spheroids, 8 cell lines formed grape-like aggregation (GLA), 8 cell lines formed other types of aggregation, and 3 cell lines formed monolayer sheets. Seven GLA-forming cell lines were derived from adenocarcinoma among the 8 lines. A neuroendocrine adenocarcinoma cell line PC-3 formed asymmetric GLA with ductal structures on the NCPs and rapidly growing asymmetric tumors that metastasized to lymph nodes in immunocompromised mice. In contrast, another adenocarcinoma cell line DU-145 formed spheroids in vitro and spheroid-like tumors in vivo that did not metastasize to lymph nodes until day 50 after transplantation. Culture in the 3D nanoenvironment and in a defined stem cell medium enabled the neuroendocrine adenocarcinoma cells to form slowly growing large organoids that expressed multiple stem cell markers, neuroendocrine markers, intercellular adhesion molecules, and oncogenes in vitro. In contrast, the more commonly used 2D serum-contained environment reduced intercellular adhesion and induced mesenchymal transition and promoted rapid growth of the cells. In addition, the 3D stemness nanoenvironment promoted secretion of HSP90 and EpCAM-exosomes, a marker of CSC phenotype, from the neuroendocrine organoids. These findings indicate that the NCP-based 3D environment enables cells to form stem cell tumoroids with multipotency and model more accurately the in vivo tumor status at the levels of morphology and gene expression