Angiosarcomas account for a mere 2–3% of adult soft tissue sarcomas, with an overall poor outcome. Depending on the primary site, angiosarcomas have distinct prognosis. Primary hepatic angiosarcomas ...(PHAs) are much rare tumors, with worse prognosis compared with other angiosarcomas. PHA is reported to be associated with vinyl chloride, but the majority of patients were still with unknown etiology. As PHA lacks specific symptoms, signs, or images, pathological diagnosis is necessary. The review summarizes 25 articles published from January 2000 to December 2012, including 64 cases of PHA with detailed information. Survival curves are estimated using the Kaplan–Meier method by SPSS 21.0. We find that the median survival time is 5 months; local excision alone or combination with adjuvant therapy is the optimal choice, with median survival time of 17 months. In addition, liver transplant is abandoned for high recurrence rate; emergent transcatheter arterial embolization is thought to be an efficient method for controlling intra‐abdominal bleeding; and transcatheter arterial chemoembolization and chemotherapy may be helpful in improving survival.
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BFBNIB, FZAB, GIS, IJS, KILJ, NLZOH, NUK, OILJ, SAZU, SBCE, SBMB, UL, UM, UPUK
Members of the diffusible signal factor (DSF) family are a novel class of quorum sensing (QS) signals in diverse Gram-negative bacteria. Although previous studies have identified RpfF as a key enzyme ...for the biosynthesis of DSF family signals, many questions in their biosynthesis remain to be addressed. In this study with the phytopathogen Xanthomonas campestris pv. campestris (Xcc), we show that Xcc produces four DSF-family signals (DSF, BDSF, CDSF and IDSF) during cell culture, and that IDSF is a new functional signal characterized as cis-10-methyl-2-dodecenoic acid. Using a range of defined media, we further demonstrate that Xcc mainly produces BDSF in the presence of carbohydrates; leucine and valine are the primary precursor for DSF biosynthesis; isoleucine is the primary precursor for IDSF biosynthesis. Furthermore, our biochemical analyses show that the key DSF synthase RpfF has both thioesterase and dehydratase activities, and uses 3-hydroxydedecanoyl-ACP as a substrate to produce BDSF. Finally, our results show that the classic fatty acid synthesis elongation cycle is required for the biosynthesis of DSF-family signals. Taken all together, these findings establish a general biosynthetic pathway for the DSF-family quorum sensing signals.
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IZUM, KILJ, NUK, PILJ, PNG, SAZU, UL, UM, UPUK
Because of limitations in the current understanding of the exact pathogenesis of tendinopathy, and the lack of an optimal experimental model, effective therapy for the disease is currently ...unavailable. This study aims to prove that repression of oxidative stress modulates the differentiation of tendon-derived cells (TDCs) sustaining excessive tensile strains, and proposes a novel bioreactor capable of applying differential tensile strains to cultured cells simultaneously. TDCs, including tendon-derived stem cells, tenoblasts, tenocytes, and fibroblasts, were isolated from the patellar tendons of Sprague‒Dawley rats. Cyclic uniaxial stretching with 4% or 8% strain at 0.5 Hz for 8 h was applied to TDCs. TDCs subjected to 8% strain were treated with epigallocatechin gallate (EGCG), piracetam, or no medication. Genes representing non-tenocyte lineage (
,
, and
) and type I and type III collagen were analyzed by quantitative polymerase chain reaction. The 8% strain group showed increased expression of non-tenocyte lineage genes and type III/type I collagen ratios compared with the control and 4% strain groups, and the increased expression was ameliorated with addition of EGCG and piracetam. The model developed in this work could be applied to future research on the pathophysiology of tendinopathy and development of treatment options for the disease. Repression of oxidative stress diminishes the expression of genes indicating aberrant differentiation in a rat cell model, which indicates potential therapeutic intervention of tendinopathy, the often relentlessly degenerate condition.
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IZUM, KILJ, NUK, PILJ, PNG, SAZU, UL, UM, UPUK
Porous redox-active polyamide hybrid films have been successfully prepared to enhance the electrochromic (EC) properties in this report comparing with salt-caused porous films and hybrid films ...obtained via in situ sol–gel reaction of hydroxyl groups and zirconium dioxide (ZrO2). With the assistance of porous and hybrid structures, the diffusion rate of counterions between electrolyte and EC species could be effectively increased, and the charges could be delivered and stored between the donor–acceptor system constructed by the organic–inorganic hybrid during the electrochemical process. Furthermore, there would be a synergistic effect while combining the porous structure and hybrid system together, which can improve the EC behaviors much more obviously; that is, the enhancement of porous hybrid films is more than that of porous films and hybrid films individually. For further application, the porous hybrid films were fabricated into devices, which exhibit a lower oxidation potential (from 1.07 to 0.94 V) and shorter switching response time (from 81.3 to 9.7 s for coloring time and from 44.7 to 20.8 s for bleaching time) with good electrochemical stability. Consequently, these results indicate that the EC properties could be enhanced and improved dramatically by the facile approach of merging the porous structure and hybrid system.
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IJS, KILJ, NUK, PNG, UL, UM
Frailty is a common geriatric syndrome related to multiple adverse outcomes. Sex differences in its prevalence and impact on mortality remain incompletely understood.
This study was conducted with ...data from the I-Lan Longitudinal Aging Study, in which community-dwelling subjects aged > 50 years without coronary artery disease or diabetes were enrolled. Sex disparities in phenotypically defined frailty and sex-morality predictor interactions were evaluated. Sex- and frailty-stratified analyses of mortality were performed.
The sample comprised 1371 subjects (51.4% women, median age 61 years). The median follow-up period was 6.3 (interquartile range, 5.8-7.0) years. The frailty prevalence did not differ between men (5.3%) and women (5.8%). Frail individuals were older and less educated and had poorer renal function than did non-frail individuals. Body composition trends differed between sexes, regardless of frailty. Relative to non-frail men, frail men had significantly lower body mass indices (BMIs; 24.5 vs. 23.4 kg/m
, p = 0.04) and relative appendicular skeletal muscle masses (7.87 vs. 7.05 kg/m
, p < 0.001). Frail women had significantly higher BMIs (25.2 vs. 23.9 kg/m
, p = 0.02) and waist circumferences (88 vs. 80 cm, p < 0.001) than did non-frail women. Frailty was an independent mortality predictor for men only hazard ratio (95% confidence interval) = 3.395 (1.809-6.371), p
= 0.03.
Frailty reflected poorer health in men than in women in the present cohort. This study revealed sex disparities in the impact of frailty on mortality among relatively healthy community-dwelling older adults.
Background/purpose
Frailty is a common clinical syndrome among the elderly; however, it is frequently neglected in patients with hematological malignancies, especially among the Asian population. ...This study is aimed to evaluate the prevalence and effect of frailty on survival outcomes in elderly Asian patients with B‐cell lymphoma.
Methods
We prospectively enrolled 76 consecutive patients with age ≥ 65 years and newly diagnosed B‐cell lymphoma and were receiving immunochemotherapy in a medical center in Taiwan between August 2016 and December 2017. The frailty of all patients was assessed using a comprehensive geriatric assessment (CGA) within 7 days before immunochemotherapy.
Results
Twenty‐seven patients (36%) were allocated to the frail group based on CGA. With a median follow‐up duration of 26.5 (range, 1.7–39.8) months, the 1‐ and 2‐year survival rates were 68% and 58%, respectively, for all group of patients. In patients in the non‐frail group, the 1‐year and 2‐year survival rates were 81% and 71%, respectively, compared to 44% and 33%, respectively, in the frail group (hazard ratio HR, 3.57, 95% confidence interval CI, 1.74–7.30; p = 0.001). Age ≥ 75years (adjusted HR 2.57, 95% CI 1.02–6.47, p = 0.045), presence of B‐symptoms (adjusted HR 2.43, 95% CI 1.05–5.60, p = 0.038), and frailty (adjusted HR 3.03, 95% CI 1.29–7.11, p = 0.011) were independent prognostic factors in the multivariate analysis.
Conclusion
Frailty significantly influenced the survival outcome as an independent prognostic factor in elderly patients with B‐cell lymphoma undergoing immunochemotherapy. Pretreatment frailty assessment is critical to assist clinicians and patients with B‐cell lymphoma with prognosis prediction and counseling on an appropriate treatment goal.
Frailty is a common clinical syndrome among the elderly; however, it is frequently neglected in patients with hematological malignancies, especially among the Asian population. This is the first study to evaluate the prevalence rate and effect of frailty on survival outcome in elderly patients undergoing immunochemotherapy for the treatment of B‐cell lymphoma in Taiwan. This study found a negative association between the numbers of geriatric dimensional impairment and survival outcome. Pretreatment frailty assessment is essential to assist clinicians and patients with B‐cell lymphoma with prognosis prediction and counseling on an appropriate treatment goal.
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FZAB, GIS, IJS, IZUM, KILJ, NLZOH, NUK, OILJ, PILJ, PNG, SAZU, SBCE, SBMB, UL, UM, UPUK
Betaine-homocysteine S-methyltransferase (BHMT) uses betaine to catalyze the conversion of homocysteine (Hcy) to methionine. There are common genetic polymorphisms in the BHMT gene in humans that can ...alter its enzymatic activity. We generated the first Bhmt−/− mouse to model the functional effects of mutations that result in reduced BHMT activity. Deletion of Bhmt resulted in a 6-fold increase (p < 0.01) in hepatic and an 8-fold increase (p < 0.01) in plasma total Hcy concentrations. Deletion of Bhmt resulted in a 43% reduction in hepatic S-adenosylmethionine (AdoMet) (p < 0.01) and a 3-fold increase in hepatic S-adenosylhomocysteine (AdoHcy) (p < 0.01) concentrations, resulting in a 75% reduction in methylation potential (AdoMet:AdoHcy) (p < 0.01). Bhmt−/− mice accumulated betaine in most tissues, including a 21-fold increase in the liver concentration compared with wild type (WT) (p < 0.01). These mice had lower concentrations of choline, phosphocholine, glycerophosphocholine, phosphatidylcholine, and sphingomyelin in several tissues. At 5 weeks of age, Bhmt−/− mice had 36% lower total hepatic phospholipid concentrations and a 6-fold increase in hepatic triacyglycerol concentrations compared with WT (p < 0.01), which was due to a decrease in the secretion of very low density lipoproteins. At 1 year of age, 64% of Bhmt−/− mice had visible hepatic tumors. Histopathological analysis revealed that Bhmt−/− mice developed hepatocellular carcinoma or carcinoma precursors. These results indicate that BHMT has an important role in Hcy, choline, and one-carbon homeostasis. A lack of Bhmt also affects susceptibility to fatty liver and hepatocellular carcinoma. We suggest that functional polymorphisms in BHMT that significantly reduce activity may have similar effects in humans.
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GEOZS, IJS, IMTLJ, KILJ, KISLJ, NLZOH, NUK, OILJ, PNG, SAZU, SBCE, SBJE, UILJ, UL, UM, UPCLJ, UPUK, ZAGLJ, ZRSKP
Dopant‐induced phenomena: Doping with sodium ions can stimulate the formation of monodisperse ultrathin La2O2S nanoplates with tunable self‐assembled superstructures (see picture) and robust ...fluorescence in surfactant solutions by creating oxygen vacancies in the host lattice during sulfurization reactions.
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BFBNIB, FZAB, GIS, IJS, KILJ, NLZOH, NUK, OILJ, SAZU, SBCE, SBMB, UL, UM, UPUK
The critical velocity for particle deposition in cold spraying is a key parameter, which depends not only on the material type, but also the particle temperature and oxidation condition. The ...dependency of deposition efficiency of cold spray Cu particles on the particle temperature and surface oxidation was examined. The effect of particle surface oxide scales on the interfacial microstructure and adhesive strength of the cold-sprayed Cu coatings was investigated. The results show that the deposition efficiency significantly increases with increasing the gas temperature but decreases with augmenting the oxygen content of the starting powder. The oxide inclusions at the interfaces between the deposited particles inhibit the effective bonding of fresh metals and remarkably lower the bond strength of the deposited Cu coatings on steel.
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GEOZS, IJS, IMTLJ, KILJ, KISLJ, NUK, OILJ, PNG, SAZU, SBCE, SBJE, UL, UM, UPCLJ, UPUK
Acarbose and voglibose are the most widely used diabetes drugs as glycosidase inhibitors. In this study, the use of these two inhibitors significantly increased the content of starch in large ...intestine, and altered the concentration of short-chain fatty acids (SCFAs) by affecting the intestinal microbiota. However, there are some differences in the intestinal microbiome of the two groups of mice, mainly in bacteria such as Bacteroidaceae bacteroides and Desulfovibrionaceae desulfovibrio. The productions of acetate and propionate in caecum in voglibose group were significantly higher than those in acarbose group and two kinds of glycosidase inhibitors were close in the production of butyrate in caecum. The Tax4Fun analysis based on Kyoto Encyclopedia of Genes and Genomes (KEGG) data indicated that different productions of acetate and propionate between acarbose group and voglibose group may be related to 2-oxoisovalerate dehydrogenase and pyruvate oxidase. In addition, in-vitro experiments suggested that voglibose had less effect on epithelial cells than acarbose after direct stimulation. According to the recent researches of SCFAs produced by intestinal microbiota, our comparative study shown higher concentration of these beneficial fatty acids in the lumen of voglibose-treated mice, which implied a lower level of inflammation.
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