A prospective comparative study of prophylactic or therapeutic use of lamivudine for chemotherapy-associated hepatitis B (HBV) reactivation in nowhodgkin's lymphoma (NHL) patients

[[abstract]]Background and Aims: Lamivudine is effective to prevent HBV reactivation for HBV carriers who undergo chemotherapy. However, the best timing of prescribing lamivudine remains unclear. Methods: HBV carriers with newly diagnosed NHL were randomized to either prophylactic (P) or therapeutic (T) lamivudine treatment. Group P patients started lamivudine from day 1 of the first course of CHOP chemotherapy until 2 months after completion of chemotherapy. Group T patients received CHOP chemotherapy alone and started lamivudine treat- ment only if serum ALT elevated to greater than 1.5-fold of upper normal limit (ULN). The primary endpoint was incidence of HBV reactivation during and within 12 months after chemotherapy. The clinical course of group T patients was compared with that of an identical group of NHL patients who had been prospectively followed-up for the natural course of HBV reactivation (Hepatology 2003; 37: 1320). Results: Baseline characteristics between group P (n=26) and group T (n=25) patients were similar, except that more group T patients had positive HBeAg (2 vs. 8, p = 0.04) and HBVDNA > 1,000,000 copiesimL (3 vs. 9, p=0.05). During chemotherapy, group P patients had fewer HBV reactivation ( I 1.5% vs. 56%, p = 0.001), HBV-related hepati- tis (7.7% vs. 44%, p=0.004), and severe hepatitis (ALT more than 10-fold ULN) (0 vs. 32%, p=0.002). No hepatitis-related death was observed during protocol treatment. After completion of chemotherapy, the incidence of HBV reactivation did not differ between the two groups. However, 3 patients, all in group P, died of HBV reactivation-related hepatitis, 4.8-7.3 months after protocol treatment. Prophylactic lamivudine use and baseline HBVDNA level were independent predictors of HBV reactivation. Therapeutic use of lamivudine neither reduced the severity of HBV-related hepatitis nor changed the patterns of HBV reactivation, compared with those in the historical group. Conclusion: The duration of lamivudine prophylaxis, which can reduce the incidence and severity of HBV reactivation and hepatitis during chemotherapy, may have to be no less than 8 months after completion of chemotherapy. Therapeutic use of lamivudine, started when ALT ele- vation was noted, does not appear to change the natural course of HBV reactivation

MOESM1 of Histone H3K9 and H4 Acetylations and Transcription Facilitate the Initial CENP-AHCP−3 Deposition and De Novo Centromere Establishment in Caenorhabditis elegans Artificial Chromosomes

Additional file 1: Fig. 1. Propagated AC construction and AC transmission rate in progeny. (A) Schematic diagram of the experimental set up to construct first-generation ACs for imaging and propagated ACs by selecting the Roller phenotype after co-injection of a mixture of p64xLacO plasmid and pRF4 plasmid. The transmission rate of Roller progeny was measured in multiple F1 lines in either GFP::LacI- and GFP::LacI::HDA-1-tethering strains. (B) Bar graph showing the percentage of Roller progeny produced by each Roller worm derived from 4 different F1 lines in GFP::LacI- or GFP::LacI::HDA-1-tethering strain. The number of worms (n) analyzed in each line was indicated

Phosphorus activators contribute to legacy phosphorus availability in agricultural soils: A review.

Phosphorus (P) is one of the most limiting macronutrients for crop productivity and P deficiency is a common phenomenon in agricultural soils worldwide. Despite long-term application of phosphate fertilizers to increase crop yields, P availability is often low, due to the high affinity of phosphate for the soil solid phase. It has been suggested that the accumulated (surplus) P in agricultural soils is sufficient to sustain crop yields worldwide for about 100years. In this paper, we try to clear up the potential for making use of legacy P in soils for crop growth potentially alleviating the global P resource shortage. Specifically, we try to clear up the potential of soil "P activators" for releasing fixed P. P activators accelerate and strengthen process which transform P into bio-available forms via a range of chemical reactions and biological interactions. They include phosphate solubilizing microorganisms, phosphatase enzymes and enzyme activators, low molecular weight organic acids, humic acids, lignin, crop residues, biochar and zeolites. Although reported performance is variable, there is growing evidence that P activators can promote the release of phosphate from soil and, hence, have potential for mitigating the impending global P crisis. Further basic and applied research is required to better understand the mechanisms of interaction of P activators with natural soils and to maximize activator efficacy

Factors influencing approval of teaching projects, 2016–2022.

Factors influencing approval of teaching projects, 2016–2022.</p

Results of multivariate ordered logistic regression analysis of the factors influencing the approval of teaching projects in 2016–2022.

Results of multivariate ordered logistic regression analysis of the factors influencing the approval of teaching projects in 2016–2022.</p

Surface Structure of Zigzag SnO₂ Nanobelts

SnO₂ nanobelts are attracting much attention for their promising applications in gas-sensing nanodevices. However, at present, too little is known on the surface structure and charge of these as-grown nanostructures. Herein, the surfaces of zigzag rutile SnO₂ nanobelts are investigated at atomic scale using the recently developed negative spherical-aberration imaging technique in an aberration-corrected transmission electron microscope. It is found that most of the {101} surfaces of zigzag SnO₂ nanobelts, synthesized by a solid−vapor process, are reduced surfaces terminated by Sn atoms, and the Sn-terminated surface is a nonpolar surface, i.e., electrostatically stable termination

Information form for those involved in teaching and learning projects 2016–2022.

Information form for those involved in teaching and learning projects 2016–2022.</p

Distribution of research content of education and training topics 2016–2022.

Distribution of research content of education and training topics 2016–2022.</p

Subangstrom Profile Imaging of Relaxed ZnO(101̅0) Surfaces

Relaxation is a most basic structural behavior of free surfaces, however, direct observation of surface relaxation remains challenging in atomic-scale. Herein, single-crystalline nanoislands formed in situ on ZnO nanowires and nanobelts are characterized using aberration-corrected transmission electron microscopy combined with ab initio calculations. For the first time, displacements of both Zn and O atoms in the fresh (101̅0) facets are quantified to accuracies of several picometers and the under-surface distributions of contractions and rotations of Zn–O bonds are directly measured, which unambiguously verify the theoretically predicted relaxation of ZnO (101̅0) free surfaces. Finally, the surface relaxation is directly correlated with the size effects of electromechanical properties (e.g., elastic modulus and spontaneous polarization) in ZnO nanowires

MOESM5 of Histone H3K9 and H4 Acetylations and Transcription Facilitate the Initial CENP-AHCP−3 Deposition and De Novo Centromere Establishment in Caenorhabditis elegans Artificial Chromosomes

Additional file 5: Fig. 5. The effects of GFP::LacI::HDA-1 on ACs is specific to the deacetylase enzymatic activity of HDA-1. (A) Immunofluorescence of H3K9ac on first-generation ACs at different cell stages and endogenous chromosomes in GFP::LacI- and GFP::LacI::HDA-1(H145A) mutant-tethering strains. Cropped images containing ACs and endogenous chromosomes (Endo Chr.) were shown. Embryos were stained with antibody against H3K9ac (red), antibody against LacI (green) and DAPI (blue), shown separately and merged. Scale bar represents 1 μm for both ACs and endogenous chromosomes. Quantification of IF signals. Histone modification signals were normalized with DAPI signals, and the average normalized histone modification signal intensity was calculated. The number of cells (n) analyzed was indicated. Error bars indicate 95% confidence interval (CI) for the mean. NS means not significant by t test. Black arcs show comparisons between GFP::LacI- and GFP::LacI::HDA-1(H145A) mutant-tethering strain at the same cell stage. The data for GFP::LacI-tethering strain are the same as in Fig. 1C. (B) Immunofluorescence of H4ac on first-generation ACs at different cell stages and endogenous chromosomes in GFP::LacI- and GFP::LacI::HDA-1(H145A) mutant-tethering strains. Cropped images containing ACs and endogenous chromosomes (Endo Chr.) were shown. Embryos were stained with antibody against H4ac (red), antibody against LacI (green) and DAPI (blue), shown separately and merged. Scale bar represents 1 μm for both ACs and endogenous chromosomes. Quantification of IF signals. Histone modification signals were normalized with DAPI signals, and the average normalized histone modification signal intensity was calculated. The number of cells (n) analyzed was indicated. Error bars indicate 95% confidence interval (CI) for the mean. NS means not significant. Black arcs show comparisons between GFP::LacI- and GFP::LacI::HDA-1(H145A) mutant-tethering strains at the same cell stage. The data for GFP::LacI-tethering strain are the same as in Fig. 1D