Analysis of Differentially Expressed Proteins in Self-Paired Sera of Advanced Non-small Cell Lung Cancer Patients Responsive to Gefin

Background and objective All the advanced NSCLC patients that received EGFR-TKI therapy will eventually relapse after a period of efficacy. The aim of this study is to investigate the serum biomarkers as potential predictive factors for the efficacy of epidermal growth factor receptor (EGFR) tyrosine kinase inhibitor (TKI) targeted therapy in advanced non-small cell lung cancer. Methods Twenty self-paired serum samples were collected from 9 advanced NSCLC patients that evaluated as disease control (SD or PR) after gefinitib therapy, at the time points of before and after gefinitib treatment but 2 weeks before being evaluated as disease progress. All samples were pre-separated by WCX microbeads, and then detected on the MALDI-TOF-MS platform of Bruker AutoflexTM. ClinProTools (Version: 2.1) was used to analyze the differentially expressed proteins. Results There were 7 protein peaks (m/z), 3242.09, 8 690.36, 2 952.64, 3 224.04, 1 450.51, 1 887.8 and 3 935.73 found statistically differentially expressed between the self-paired samples. Three proteins (3 242.09, 2 952.64 and 3 224.04) were down-regulated and four proteins (8 690.36, 1 450.51, 1 887.8 and 3 935.73) up-regulated in gefinitib treated sera. Conclusion The data here suggest that several specific protein peaks might indicate gefinitib resistance, yet the identities of these proteins and the mechanisms underlying the responsiveness to gefinitib treatment need further investigation

Fusion of EML4 and ALK is associated with development of lung adenocarcinomas lacking EGFR and KRAS mutations and is correlated with ALK expression

<p>Abstract</p> <p>Background</p> <p>The anaplastic lymphoma kinase (<it>ALK</it>) gene is frequently involved in translocations that lead to gene fusions in a variety of human malignancies, including lymphoma and lung cancer. Fusion partners of <it>ALK </it>include <it>NPM</it>, <it>EML4</it>, <it>TPM3</it>, <it>ATIC</it>, <it>TFG</it>, <it>CARS</it>, and <it>CLTC</it>. Characterization of ALK fusion patterns and their resulting clinicopathological profiles could be of great benefit in better understanding the biology of lung cancer.</p> <p>Results</p> <p>RACE-coupled PCR sequencing was used to assess <it>ALK </it>fusions in a cohort of 103 non-small cell lung carcinoma (NSCLC) patients. Within this cohort, the <it>EML4</it>-<it>ALK </it>fusion gene was identified in 12 tumors (11.6%). Further analysis revealed that <it>EML4</it>-<it>ALK </it>was present at a frequency of 16.13% (10/62) in patients with adenocarcinomas, 19.23% (10/52) in never-smokers, and 42.80% (9/21) in patients with adenocarcinomas lacking <it>EGFR </it>and <it>KRAS </it>mutations. The <it>EML4</it>-<it>ALK </it>fusion was associated with non-smokers (<it>P </it>= 0.03), younger age of onset (<it>P </it>= 0.03), and adenocarcinomas without <it>EGFR</it>/<it>KRAS </it>mutations (<it>P </it>= 0.04). A trend towards improved survival was observed for patients with the <it>EML4</it>-<it>ALK </it>fusion, although it was not statistically significant (<it>P </it>= 0.20). Concurrent deletion in <it>EGFR </it>exon 19 and fusion of <it>EML4</it>-<it>ALK </it>was identified for the first time in a Chinese female patient with an adenocarcinoma. Analysis of ALK expression revealed that ALK mRNA levels were higher in tumors positive for the <it>EML</it>-<it>ALK </it>fusion than in negative tumors (normalized intensity of 21.99 vs. 0.45, respectively; <it>P </it>= 0.0018). However, expression of EML4 did not differ between the groups.</p> <p>Conclusions</p> <p>The <it>EML4</it>-<it>ALK </it>fusion gene was present at a high frequency in Chinese NSCLC patients, particularly in those with adenocarcinomas lacking <it>EGFR</it>/<it>KRAS </it>mutations. The <it>EML4</it>-<it>ALK </it>fusion appears to be tightly associated with ALK mRNA expression levels. RACE-coupled PCR sequencing is a highly sensitive method that could be used clinically for the identification of <it>EML4</it>-<it>ALK</it>-positive patients.</p

Could the wild population of Large Yellow Croaker Larimichthys crocea (Richardson) in China be restored? A case study in Guanjingyang, Fujian, China

Over 90% of the world's fisheries have been fully exploited or over-fished. Included is the large yellow croaker (Larimichthys crocea), an important commercial fish species in China whose population was nearly depleted prior to the 1980s. Although overfishing and natural resources collapse present a daunting issue, some studies indicate that improved management strategies could aid in natural stock restoration to prevent depletion. We developed an integrated assessment method grounded on an ecosystem-based approach and deigned an integrated index with three key aspects of habitat suitability, natural population status and government & social interventions, to evaluate the potential restoration capacity of the species in a designated “national aquatic germplasm resource protected area” in Guanjinyang based on a data set spanning 1987 to 2015. The results show that although restoration efforts on research and rehabilitation have increased greatly since late 1990s, the effectiveness stays moderate and the natural population remains near depletion

Investigation of Dual-phase Nanocrystalline Ni-Cu Electrodeposits

Ni-Cu alloys are employed on a large scale in the marine industry due to their excellent corrosion resistance in natural sea water. In an effort to enhance the erosion resistance of these alloys as well, nanocrystalline Ni-Cu specimens were synthesized by electrodeposition. However, surface and bulk characterization revealed an unexpected macrostructure that displayed separate Ni- and Cu-rich phases. Detailed characterization showed significant differences between the two phases in terms of chemical composition, grain size distribution, and localization of bulk defects. Furthermore, inhomogeneity of this electrodeposit in terms of hardness was found as well, hindering the application of such electrodeposits in industry. The formation of this macrostructure was investigated through assessing key characterization results, and a formation mechanism is postulated which is related to the diffusion-controlled deposition of uncomplexed Cu species, due to inadequate stability of complexing agents in the electrolyte. Some steps to eliminate this undesirable macrostructure are proposed.M.A.S

Estimation of Gross Domestic Product Using Multi-Sensor Remote Sensing Data: A Case Study in Zhejiang Province, East China

There exists a spatial mismatch between socioeconomic data, such as Gross Domestic Product (GDP), and physical and environmental datasets. This study provides a dasymetric approach for GDP estimation at a fine scale by combining the Defense Meteorological Satellite Program Operational Linescan System (DMSP/OLS) nighttime imagery, enhanced vegetation index (EVI), and land cover data. Despite the advantages of DMSP/OLS nighttime imagery in estimating human activities, its drawbacks, including coarse resolution, overglow, and saturation effects, limit its application. Hence, high-resolution EVI data were integrated with DMSP/OLS in this study to create a Human Settlement Index (HSI) for estimating the GDP of secondary and tertiary industries. The GDP of the primary industry was then estimated on the basis of land cover data, and the area with the GDP of the primary industry was classified by a threshold technique (DN ≤ 8). The regression model for GDP distribution estimation was implemented in Zhejiang Province in southeast China, and a GDP density map was generated at a resolution of 250 m × 250 m. Compared with the outcome of taking DMSP/OLS as a unique parameter, estimation errors obviously decreased. This study offers a low-cost and accurate approach for rapidly estimating high-resolution GDP distribution to construct an important database for the government when formulating developmental strategies

Legislative Documents

Also, variously referred to as: House bills; House documents; House legislative documents; legislative documents; General Court documents

Carotenoid-Derived Flavor Precursors from Averrhoa carambola Fresh Fruit

The fruit of Averrhoa carambola L. (Oxalidaceae), commonly known as star fruit or carambola, is popular in tropical and subtropical regions. Carotenoid-derived components, mainly C13- and C15-norisoprenoids, contribute greatly to the flavor of star fruit. Previously reported norisoprenoids were tentatively identified by GC-MS analysis after enzymatic hydrolysis. To gain accurate information about glycosidically bound flavor precursors in star fruit, a phytochemical study was conducted, which led to the isolation of 16 carotenoid derivatives&mdash;One new C13-norisoprenoid glucoside, (5R,6S,7E,9R)-5,6,9-trihydroxy-7-megastigmene 9-O-&beta;-d-glucoside (1); one new C15-norisoprenoid, (6S,7E,10S)-&Delta;9,15-10-hydroxyabscisic alcohol (11); and 14 known ones, of which 12 were in glucoside form. The structures of the two new compounds were elucidated on the basis of extensive spectroscopic data analysis and chemical reaction. Compound 11 was a rare C15-norisoprenoid with a double bond between C-9 and C-15, and its possible biogenetic pathway was proposed. The known compounds were identified by comparison of their mass and nuclear magnetic resonance (NMR) data with those reported in the literature. The structure identification of one new (1) and seven known (3&ndash;7, 9, and 10) C13-norisoprenoid glucosides from the genus Averrhoa for the first time enriches the knowledge of carotenoid-derived flavor precursors in star fruit

Indoor Positioning Method Based on Wireless Signal

In view of the problems of traditional wireless indoor positioning technologies such as errors and a low positioning accuracy that cannot reach the application level required by hospital indoor positioning, this study proposes a hospital indoor positioning method based on wireless signals. This study firstly analyzes the principles of hospital indoor positioning, verifies the reliability and accuracy of the collected data using Gaussian distribution, P-P plot and Q-Q plot, and finally analyzes the collected data using the least square fitting algorithm to obtain a fitting wave attenuation model, which is then applied to the indoor positioning system. Experiments show that this method can reduce the error of indoor positioning in hospitals, and improve the repeatability and measurement accuracy of indoor positioning in hospitals.</span