bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Making Sense of Studies That Claim Benefits of Frenotomy in the Absence of Classic Tongue-Tie
Authors: Douglas Pamela
Published: July 2017

By performing an in-depth analysis of one high profile example, this article aims to help breastfeeding support professionals understand the methodological flaws that characterize recent studies claiming to show the efficacy of frenotomy for the diagnoses of posterior tongue-tie and upper lip-tie. The example study does not address definitional confusion or control for the effects of the passage of time. It does not consider the effects of caring attention, validation, and lactation consultant support. It also does not consider the extensive research over the past three decades that has established that reflux in the first 6 months of life is benign, even though increased reflux frequency may correlate with unsettled infant behavior. The study authors relied on the hypothesis that reflux is caused by excessive air swallowing in infants with poor latch due to posterior tongue-tie and upper lip-tie, which lacks credible physiological mechanisms or supporting evidence. The authors’ claim that conducting a randomized controlled trial to investigate the efficacy of frenotomy would be unethical contradicts the basic principles of good science. This article argues that our breastfeeding women and their babies deserve the most rigorous scientific methods available, and acknowledgment of the biases inherent in less rigorous research, if we are to make appropriate decisions concerning intervention with frenotomy and to prevent unnecessary oral surgery.
Finding Freedom: Facilitating Postsecondary Pathways for Undocumented Students
Authors: Trivette Michael J. , English David J.
Published: July 2017

College access for undocumented students in the United States continues to be a politically contested issue in many states across the country. Whereas a growing number have created friendly admission policies, such as in-state tuition benefits, other states—like Georgia—impose restrictive guidelines that work to reduce the number of undocumented students enrolling in public higher education. Through analyzing 26 participant interviews, this study examined how Freedom University, a nonprofit organization, worked to help students further their dream of earning a college degree by creating a college-going climate and sharing social and cultural capital to educate students about their postsecondary opportunities.
Organizational Politics of Parental Engagement: The Intersections of School Reform, Anti-Immigration Policies, and Latinx Parent Organizing
Authors: Paredes Scribner Samantha M. , Fernández Erica
Published: July 2017

This article presents results from community-engaged research conducted with Latinx immigrant parents advocating for their students and themselves in and around an urban school engaged in multiple reforms, in a context affected by anti-immigrant policies and sentiments. The authors analyzed the intersection of organizing narratives related to formal school programs and activities of the parent group, examining the intersections, dissonances, and their micropolitical implications for authentic parental engagement. Results present elements of three distinct organizing narratives, as well as composite dialogues to demonstrate distinct narratives and the mechanisms by which parent interests are (re)positioned and/or evaded. This analysis reveals the ways in which the intersections of reform practices and local anti-immigration measures, which are disarticulated by school administrators, produce, at worst, mechanisms to marginalize immigrant parents and, at best, missed opportunities to authentically engage these parents.
Establishing Clinical Pharmacy Services With Prescribing Privileges in a Federally Qualified Health Center Primary Care Clinic
Authors: Jun Jeany K.
Published: July 2017

Objectives:

To describe the process and cost of establishing clinical pharmacy services with prescribing privileges in a federally qualified health center (FQHC) primary care clinic.

Setting:

The primary care clinic was located in a low-income area of Southern California and served patients with Medicaid and Medicare. The primary care clinic had preventive medicine and family medicine physicians, a family medicine residency program, behavioral health services, and a registered dietician.

Practice Innovation:

New clinical pharmacy services were established at this FQHC primary care clinic. The medication assistance program was a stepping stone to establish rapport with the physicians. Credentialing and privileging was implemented for clinical pharmacists. An open protocol collaborative practice agreement was developed to allow clinical pharmacists to manage ambulatory patients.

Results:

From August 2014 to June 2015, the clinical pharmacist interacted with 392 patients and spent 336 hours educating patients and providing disease state management. The pharmacist also provided consults to residents and providers. Diabetic patients made up 76% of all clinical pharmacy encounters. There were 86 face-to-face clinical pharmacy appointments with the pharmacist. The average time for clinical pharmacy appointments was 77 minutes.

Conclusion:

By describing ways to develop rapport with providers, how to credential and privilege pharmacists, and explain resources and costs of setting up a service, the hope is that more clinical pharmacists will be able to incorporate into independent or FQHC primary care clinics for improved management of ambulatory patients.
Josephus's Lands: Mining the Evolution in the Depiction of the Land of Israel in the Works of Josephus
Authors: Ben-Eliyahu Eyal
Published: July 2017

This article notes the disparities between the way Josephus depicts the extent of the borders of the Land of Israel in his different works, and shows the connection between the view of the borders he offers in each work to that work's nature, goals, and historical context, as well as to the author's personal life. When he wrote The Jewish Wars, Josephus sought to minimize Jewish territorial aspirations, but later, in Jewish Antiquities, Against Apion, and his autobiography, The Life, he expressed large-scale territorial hopes and visions. This article proposes that the different depictions of borders reflect changes, taking place over a lifetime, in the way Josephus viewed himself and his surroundings, as well as the political constellation under which he found himself at the time he composed each work.
Inter-organizational Collaboration and Partnerships in Health and Social Care
Authors: Jones Norah , Thomas Paul
Published: July 2017

Inter-agency collaboration in the public sector remains chronically difficult, especially in the field of health and social care services; yet governments understandably remain enthusiastic about it. This article critically examines the potential of networked collaboration, which involves IT to facilitate inter-organizational collaboration, with particular reference to health and social care services. Networked collaboration can be implemented by the use of social software such as blogs, wikis and online discussion groups, which have been designed for the purpose of communication and collaboration. As a result of technological innovations it is now possible to engage in synchronous (real time) interactions that are not limited by location. The role of virtual collaborative conference facilities offers open access to shared information in health and social services, a place for collaborative activities and discussion tools. What current developments in social software can do is to offer ways of facilitating and enabling the necessary partnerships in health and social care services to move forward by reducing some of the main barriers to communications between managers and professionals across organizational boundaries.
Investigation into the anisotropy of cross-grinding surface quality in C- and M-planes of sapphire
Authors: Wang Jinhu , Guo Bing , Zhao Qingliang , Zeng Zhaoqi , Zhai Wenjie , Chen Hongxu , Sun Jinxia
Published: July 2017

Sapphire is an important material for optical applications, but the anisotropy of key properties makes it difficult to obtain uniform ground surface. In this work, cross-grinding experiments were first conducted on C- and M-planes of sapphire to investigate the dependence of the ground surface quality on crystal orientation. Then, scratching tests were performed along the specific crystal orientations to explain the formation mechanism of the anisotropic grinding patterns. The results showed that the surface roughness distribution on C-plane is of a threefold symmetry, while one axis of symmetry for M-plane. The damage pits on C-plane possess lower aspect ratio than that on M-plane. By combining the scratching-induced fracture features with the contact-induced deformation theory of sapphire, it was found that the propagation of the primary cracks in sapphire is accompanied by activating different deformation systems. The material removal on C-plane is dominated by the shallow lateral cracks, which propagate parallel to the ground surface and result in shallow and wide pits. However, the deep lateral cracks play an important role on M-plane, which intersect with the ground surface and cause deep and dense defects. The non-uniformity of the ground surface is attributed to the appearance of radial cracks for C-plane, while it is associated with the number of the available deformation systems for M-plane.
Three-dimensional vibration of a ring with a noncircular cross-section on an elastic foundation
Authors: Liu Zhe , Zhou Fuqiang , Oertel Christian , Wei Yintao
Published: July 2017

The three-dimensional dynamic equations of a ring with a noncircular cross-section on an elastic foundation are obtained using the Hamilton variation principle. In contrast to the previous rings on elastic foundation model, the developed model incorporates both the in-plane and out-of-plane bend and the out-of-plane torsion in displacement fields. The errors in the derivation of the initial stress and the work of the internal pressure in previous rings on elastic foundation models have been corrected. The mode expansion was used to obtain the analytical solution of the natural frequency. The initial motivation is to develop a theoretical model for car tire dynamics. Therefore, to validate the proposed model, the in-plane and out-of-plane vibrations of a truck tire have been analyzed using the proposed method. To further verify the accuracy of the model, the results of the theoretical formula are compared with the finite element analysis and modal test, and good agreement can be found.
When Is Higher Neuroticism Protective Against Death? Findings From UK Biobank
Authors: Gale Catharine R. , Čukić Iva , Batty G. David , McIntosh Andrew M. , Weiss Alexander , Deary Ian J.
Published: July 2017

We examined the association between neuroticism and mortality in a sample of 321,456 people from UK Biobank and explored the influence of self-rated health on this relationship. After adjustment for age and sex, a 1- SD increment in neuroticism was associated with a 6% increase in all-cause mortality (hazard ratio = 1.06, 95% confidence interval = [1.03, 1.09]). After adjustment for other covariates, and, in particular, self-rated health, higher neuroticism was associated with an 8% reduction in all-cause mortality (hazard ratio = 0.92, 95% confidence interval = [0.89, 0.95]), as well as with reductions in mortality from cancer, cardiovascular disease, and respiratory disease, but not external causes. Further analyses revealed that higher neuroticism was associated with lower mortality only in those people with fair or poor self-rated health, and that higher scores on a facet of neuroticism related to worry and vulnerability were associated with lower mortality. Research into associations between personality facets and mortality may elucidate mechanisms underlying neuroticism’s covert protection against death.
Mesangial proliferative lupus nephritis with podocytopathy: a special entity of lupus nephritis
Authors: Wang S F , Chen Y H , Chen D Q , Liu Z Z , Xu F , Zeng C H , Hu W X
Published: July 2017

Mesangial proliferative lupus nephritis may coexist with podocytopathy, but its clinical-morphological features, treatment response and outcomes have not been compared with mesangial proliferative lupus nephritis without podocytopathy. In this study, 125 biopsies of lupus nephritis patients showing mesangial proliferation with mesangial immune deposits were collected and divided into podocytopathy group (defined as podocyte foot process effacement (FPE) >50% with nephrotic syndrome (NS)) and mesangial group (FPE ≤50%, or FPE >50% without NS). Mesangial proliferation and tubular- interstitial lesions were semi-quantitatively analyzed. We found that the incidence of renal involvement as the onset symptoms ( P < .001), nephrotic syndrome ( P < .001), acute kidney injury ( P < .001), the degree of acute tubular- interstitial lesions ( P < .001), and renal relapse (51.6% vs. 23.7%, P = .005) were significantly higher in the podocytopathy group than in the mesangial group. In contrast, the incidence of arthritis ( P < .001), fever ( P = .042), low serum C4 ( P = .008) and hematuria ( P = .033) was significantly lower in the podocytopathy group than in the mesangial group. No patients developed end stage renal disease or death during a median follow-up of 64 (interquartile range (IQR) 37–103) months in the podocytopathy group and 53 (IQR 30–83) months in the mesangial group. In conclusion, mesangial proliferative lupus nephritis with and without podocytopathy should be subdivided into two separate classes of lupus nephritis.
‘We are having a very enjoyable game’: Britain, sport and the South African War, 1899–1902
Authors: Donaldson Peter
Published: July 2017

This article explores the relationship between sport and war in Britain during the South African War, 1899–1902. Through extensive press coverage, as well as a spate of memoirs and novels, the British public was fed a regular diet of war stories and reportage in which athletic endeavour and organized games featured prominently. This contemporary literary material sheds light on the role sport was perceived to have played in the lives and work of the military personnel deployed in South Africa. It also, however, reveals a growing unease over an amateur-military tradition which equated sporting achievement with military prowess.
Operational Research and the British Bombing Offensive against Germany, 1941–1945: Calculating Choices in War
Authors: Bissonnette Victor
Published: July 2017

Operational research is a scientific discipline that appeared in Great Britain on the eve of the Second World War. Bomber Command’s Operational research section began its studies in September 1941, using civilian scientists to analyse the bombing operations. Two potentially conflicting goals were pursued, one intended to maximize the offensive power against Germany, the other striving to minimize bomber losses. This article uses the Operational research performed during the conflict to illustrate the choices made by Bomber Command between those two possibilities, concluding on a clear priority in favour of the offensive.
Relationship between moral distress and ethical climate with job satisfaction in nurses
Authors: Asgari Sharareh , Shafipour Vida , Taraghi Zohreh , Yazdani-Charati Jamshid
Published: July 2017

Background:

Moral distress and ethical climate are important issues in the workplace that appear to affect people’s quality of work life.

Objectives:

This study was conducted to determine the relationship of moral distress and ethical climate to job satisfaction in critical care nurses.

Materials and methods:

This descriptive-correlation study was conducted on 142 critical care nurses, selected from five social security hospitals in north Iran through census sampling. Data were collected using a demographic questionnaire, the Moral Distress Scale–Revised, the Olson’s Hospital Ethical Climate Survey, and the Brayfield and Rothe Job Satisfaction index.

Ethical considerations:

The research project was approved by the Ethics Committee of Mazandaran University of Medical Sciences and the Medical Deputy of the Social Security Organization.

Findings:

The mean scores obtained by the critical care nurses for moral distress, ethical climate, and job satisfaction were 87.02 ± 44.56, 3.51 ± 0.53, and 62.64 ± 9.39, respectively. Although no significant relationships were observed between moral distress and job satisfaction, the relationship between ethical climate and job satisfaction was statistically significant (p < 0.05).

Conclusion:

Identifying ethical stressors in the workplace and giving proper feedback to the authorities to eliminate these factors and improve the ethical climate in these workplaces can help enhance job satisfaction in nurses and lead to higher quality care.
Psychometrics of the Instrument Measuring Beliefs Related to Drug Abuse among Iranian College Students
Authors: Jalilian Farzad , Alavijeh Mehdi Mirzaei , Ahmadpanah Mohammad , Matin Behzad Karami , Ataee Mari , Eslami Ahmad Ali , Jouybari Touraj Ahmadi , Mahboubi Mohammad
Published: July 2017

Background:

Researchers in the field of drug abuse need standard instruments in order to investigate the underlying factors behind the inclination to use drugs in different groups of society so that they could be able to design preventive interventions based on those instruments. The aim of this study is psychometrics of the questionnaire of the beliefs related to drug abuse among Iranian male medical college students.

Methods:

This cross-sectional study was done on 425 male students who were randomly selected to participate voluntarily in the study conducted in two medical universities in Iran. The studied constructs included attitude, outcome expectation, outcome expectancies, self-control and subjective norms. Data were analyzed by SPSS software (ver. 21.0) and Amos software (ver. 21.0).

Results:

All of the loads of the exploratory factorial analysis were larger than 0.4. The calculated Kaiser–Meyer–Olkin (KMO) value was 0.906. Overall, five factors under investigation accounted for 61.15 per cent of the variance in the hypothesized model. Cronbach’s alpha for the measured constructs including attitude, outcome expectation, outcome expectancies, self-control and subjective norms were 0.92, 0.90, 0.91, 0.81 and 0.73, respectively.

Conclusion:

The investigated questionnaire is adequately reliable and valid for measurement of the constructs of attitude, outcome expectation, outcome expectancies, self-control and subjective norms for prediction of drug abuse among Iranian male medical college students.
Women Living with HIV/AIDS
Authors: Malik Anu , Dixit Shikha
Published: July 2017

The main aim of this review article is to outline the factors linked to vulnerability of women to HIV infection and to understand the challenges and possible management of HIV among women. The review is a theoretical endeavour to understand women’s experiences of living with HIV. This review primarily focuses on studies in the Indian set-up, but to further substantiate the arguments and describe the relevant concepts it also takes into account literature from other cultures.

On the basis of studies included in this article, it can be surmised that women are more susceptible to HIV due to cultural barriers, health vulnerabilities and social structures. They show less awareness about the treatment facilities, prevention strategies and perceived risk of infection. Women have to face numerous challenges after the infection, such as lack of social support, a higher level of stigma and discrimination, decreased quality of life, mental health issues and adverse coping. To prevent the spread of HIV among women as well as men, it is necessary to plan strategies which deal with empowerment of women, education and awareness regarding the vulnerabilities and knowledge and challenges of HIV infection. There is also a need to address the management of HIV among the infected and even those at risk. This article describes the possible interventions based on existing literature. The review also attempts to suggest certain future directions for the research.
Influence of Emotional Labour on Job Satisfaction among Employees of Private Hospitals
Authors: Kaur Sandeep , Malodia Luxmi
Published: July 2017

Background:

With globalization, world has become so competitive that every organization is cracking the hard nut to obtain the reward from this. Service sector has been working on the mantra that customer is the king.

Purpose:

The objective of this study is to find out the influence of emotional labour on job satisfaction among employees in selected private hospitals of Punjab. The data were collected from 586 employees through stratified random sampling.

Methods:

Dutch questionnaire on emotional labour (D-QEL) developed and validated by Näring, Briët & Brouwers (2007) and job satisfaction tool by Sharma and Tripathy (2010) were used to collect the data. Descriptive statistics was applied to check the level of emotional labour and job satisfaction, t-test and ANOVA were applied for testing hypothesis. Structural equation modelling was applied to find out the influence of emotional labour on job satisfaction.

Conclusions:

There was no significant difference in the level of emotional labour and job satisfaction for demographic variables such as age, gender, marital status, designations and years of experience. There was a significant influence of emotional labour on job satisfaction of the employees in selected private hospitals of Punjab. Emotional labour was negatively related with job satisfaction. Out of various dimensions of emotional labour: deep acting and emotional consonance had emerged as major cause of job satisfaction
Efficiency of Microfinance Institutions in India: A Stochastic Distance Function Approach
Authors: Kumar Nitin , Sensarma Rudra
Published: July 2017

We examine the efficiency–outreach debate in the context of Indian microfinance institutions (MFIs). We employ the stochastic distance function approach for 75 MFIs during 2004–2011. We find that there are significant inefficiency effects but efficiency is improving over time. Among the determinants of inefficiency, average loan balance per borrower and number of women borrowers appear to improve efficiency. This suggests that the efficiency–outreach debate is more nuanced than that presented in the literature and depends on the way outreach is defined. Profitability, size and leverage seem to increase efficiency, whereas age of the MFI is associated with higher inefficiency.

JEL Classification: G21, C51, C33

Disclaimer: The views expressed in the research article are solely of the authors and not of the organizations to which they belong. All the errors, omissions etc. if any, are the responsibility of the authors.
The Quest for Achieving Universal Social Protection in Nepal: Challenges and Opportunities
Authors: Sijapati Bandita
Published: July 2017

With the entry into the new millennium, social protection has emerged as a new priority for developing countries as well as international development institutions. Earlier, social protection programmes were considered unsuitable for developing countries, whereas recent years has seen a shift in the development paradigm with social protection policies now considered a key component of international poverty reduction strategies and a development instrument centred on the rights of the poor. Drawing from the experience of Nepal as a case study, this article seeks to examine the different approaches to social protection in the South Asian region, and also the challenges faced and issues remaining in providing a minimum level of social protection necessary for a decent living. The experience of Nepal is important because it marks a shift from social protection covering government pensioners only to one where the government is implementing a varied portfolio, despite high levels of poverty, political uncertainties, and low growth rates.
Knockdown of calponin 2 suppressed cell growth in gastric cancer cells
Authors: Hu Jianwei , Xie Wenjuan , Shang Lingyue , Yang Xi , Li Quanlin , Xu Meidong , Dou Jianming , Zhou Yiren , Niu Weixin , Wu Yanhua
Published: July 2017

Calponin family members are actin filament–associated regulatory proteins with distinct expression patterns. Previous studies on CNN2 (calponin 2) have demonstrated that CNN2 is expressed in a broad range of tissues and cell types, exhibiting potential regulatory roles in a number of cellular activities, including cell proliferation, cell migration, and platelet adhesion. In this work, we found that both messenger RNA and protein expression levels of CNN2 were remarkably upregulated in 60%–70% of gastric cancer tissues by comparison with those of neighboring non-tumorous mucosa. By utilizing specific shCNN2 (small hairpin RNA targeting CNN2), the potential role of CNN2 in regulating AGS gastric cancer cell growth was then further investigated. AGS cells infected with shCNN2 exhibited significantly decreased cell growth ability by comparison with control cells in vitro. Moreover, while there was no obvious difference in cell cycle distribution between two groups, enhanced cell apoptosis was detected in cells with reduced CNN2 expression. Consistently, caspase 3/7 activity was also remarkably activated upon shCNN2 lentivirus infection. Taken together, our results demonstrated that knockdown of endogenous CNN2 in AGS cells could significantly activate cell apoptosis pathway and therefore suppress cell growth in vitro. The deletion of CNN2 might be a potential therapeutic approach to inhibit aggressive growth of gastric cancer.
Influence of endoscopic sinus surgery on the quality of life of patients with early nasopharyngeal carcinoma and the analysis of prognosis-related factors
Authors: Si Yong-Feng , Lan Gui-Ping , Deng Zhuo-Xia , Weng Jing-Jin , Si Jin-Yuan , Qin Yang-Da , Huang Bo , Wang Yong-Li , Yang Yong , Qin Yin , Zhang Ben-Jian , Han Xing , Xiong Wei-Ming
Published: July 2017

The aim of this study is investigate the influence of endoscopic sinus surgery on the quality of life and prognosis of patients with early nasopharyngeal carcinoma. Patients initially diagnosed with early nasopharyngeal carcinoma and received surgical treatment were matched with nasopharyngeal carcinoma patients who received chemoradiotherapy at a ratio of 1:1, according to the following seven factors: gender, age, T staging, N staging, clinical staging, radiotherapy options, and chemotherapy options. Patients in the surgery group received endoscopic sinus surgery plus chemoradiotherapy, while subjects in the control group received chemoradiotherapy. The quality of life of patients before and after treatment was evaluated based on the FACT-H&N (Functional Assessment of Cancer Therapy-Head and Neck) and QLQ-H&N35 (Head and Neck Cancer Specific Module) questionnaires. In addition, overall survival and disease-free survival were compared between these two groups. The results showed overall survival was superior in the surgery group compared with the control group ( p = 0.007). However, the difference in disease-free survival between these two groups was not statistically significant ( p = 0.128). Furthermore, subgroup analysis revealed that for N0 patients, the effect of surgery combined with chemoradiotherapy on overall survival was superior to that of chemoradiotherapy ( p = 0.048); while for N1 patients, the difference in overall survival between these two groups was not statistically significant ( p = 0.065). For early nasopharyngeal carcinoma patients without lymph node metastasis, overall survival and disease-free survival in T1 patients were superior to those in T2 patients (χ2 = 4.403, p = 0.036; χ2 = 4.542, p = 0.033). At the end of treatment, the pain score was found to be significantly lower in the surgery group than in the chemoradiotherapy group ( p = 0.027). At 3 months and 1 year after treatment, dry mouth scores were significantly lower in the surgery group than in the chemoradiotherapy group ( p = 0.002, p = 0.026). These results demonstrated that the curative effect of surgery combined with chemoradiotherapy in the treatment of nasopharyngeal carcinoma was satisfactory and was particularly suitable for N0 patients.
RNA editing is induced by type I interferon in esophageal squamous cell carcinoma
Authors: Zhang Jinyao , Chen Zhaoli , Tang Zefang , Huang Jianbing , Hu Xueda , He Jie
Published: July 2017

In recent years, abnormal RNA editing has been shown to play an important role in the development of esophageal squamous cell carcinoma, as such abnormal editing is catalyzed by ADAR (adenosine deaminases acting on RNA). However, the regulatory mechanism of ADAR1 in esophageal squamous cell carcinomas remains largely unknown. In this study, we investigated ADAR1 expression and its association with RNA editing in esophageal squamous cell carcinomas. RNA sequencing applied to esophageal squamous cell carcinoma clinical samples showed that ADAR1 expression was correlated with the expression of STAT1, STAT2, and IRF9. In vitro experiments showed that the abundance of ADAR1 protein was associated with the induced activation of the JAK/STAT pathway by type I interferon. RNA sequencing results showed that treatment with type I interferon caused an increase in the number and degree of RNA editing in esophageal squamous cell carcinoma cell lines. In conclusion, the activation of the JAK/STAT pathway is a regulatory mechanism of ADAR1 expression and causes abnormal RNA editing profile in esophageal squamous cell carcinoma. This mechanism may serve as a new target for esophageal squamous cell carcinoma therapy.
Conjugation of gold nanoparticles and recombinant human endostatin modulates vascular normalization via interruption of anterior gradient 2–mediated angiogenesis
Authors: Pan Fan , Yang Wende , Li Wei , Yang Xiao-Yan , Liu Shuhao , Li Xin , Zhao Xiaoxu , Ding Hui , Qin Li , Pan Yunlong
Published: July 2017

Several studies have revealed the potential of normalizing tumor vessels in anti-angiogenic treatment. Recombinant human endostatin is an anti-angiogenic agent which has been applied in clinical tumor treatment. Our previous research indicated that gold nanoparticles could be a nanoparticle carrier for recombinant human endostatin delivery. The recombinant human endostatin–gold nanoparticle conjugates normalized vessels, which improved chemotherapy. However, the mechanism of recombinant human endostatin–gold nanoparticle–induced vascular normalization has not been explored. Anterior gradient 2 has been reported to be over-expressed in many malignant tumors and involved in tumor angiogenesis. To date, the precise efficacy of recombinant human endostatin–gold nanoparticles on anterior gradient 2–mediated angiogenesis or anterior gradient 2–related signaling cohort remained unknown. In this study, we aimed to explore whether recombinant human endostatin–gold nanoparticles could normalize vessels in metastatic colorectal cancer xenografts, and we further elucidated whether recombinant human endostatin–gold nanoparticles could interrupt anterior gradient 2–induced angiogenesis. In vivo, it was indicated that recombinant human endostatin–gold nanoparticles increased pericyte expression while inhibit vascular endothelial growth factor receptor 2 and anterior gradient 2 expression in metastatic colorectal cancer xenografts. In vitro, we uncovered that recombinant human endostatin–gold nanoparticles reduced cell migration and tube formation induced by anterior gradient 2 in human umbilical vein endothelial cells. Treatment with recombinant human endostatin–gold nanoparticles attenuated anterior gradient 2–mediated activation of MMP2, cMyc, VE-cadherin, phosphorylation of p38, and extracellular signal–regulated protein kinases 1 and 2 (ERK1/2) in human umbilical vein endothelial cells. Our findings demonstrated recombinant human endostatin–gold nanoparticles might normalize vessels by interfering anterior gradient 2–mediated angiogenesis in metastatic colorectal cancer.
MicroRNA-613 is downregulated in HCMV-positive glioblastoma and inhibits tumour progression by targeting arginase-2
Authors: Wang Yan , Zhao Peng , Qian Dongmeng , Hu Ming , Zhang Li , Shi Hailei , Wang Bin
Published: July 2017

Glioblastoma is the most common and malignant tumour that occurs primarily in nervous system and has a high morbidity. Research on glioblastoma has recently focused on human cytomegalovirus, belonging to the beta subfamily of Herpesviridae that plays crucial roles in cancer development and progression. This study aimed to investigate the role of human cytomegalovirus–associated microRNA-613 in glioblastoma. In this study, we demonstrate that microRNA-613 expression was frequently reduced in human cytomegalovirus–positive glioblastoma specimens/cells compared with human cytomegalovirus–negative glioblastoma tissue/cells, and a significant correlation was observed between the reduction in microRNA-613 expression and the presence of unfavourable variables, including tumour size (p = 0.0118), World Health Organization stage (p = 0.0169), the overall survival (p = 0.0107) and disease-free (p = 0.0159) survival of patients. Overexpression of microRNA-613 in the glioblastoma cell lines U87 and U251 retarded cell growth and induced cell apoptosis. Upregulation of microRNA-613 inhibited glioblastoma cell clone formation, invasion and migration. Furthermore, we demonstrated that arginase-2 was directly regulated by microRNA-613 and played an essential role in mediating the biological effects of microRNA-613 in glioblastoma. Re-expression of arginase-2 markedly reversed the inhibitory properties of microRNA-613 in glioblastoma cells. Taken together, our data provide compelling evidence that human cytomegalovirus reduced the level of microRNA-613 which functions as an anti-onco-miRNA in glioblastoma, primarily by downregulating the expression of arginase-2.
PPFIA1 is upregulated in liver metastasis of breast cancer and is a potential poor prognostic indicator of metastatic relapse
Authors: Yang Jing , Wu Ning-Ni , Huang De-Jia , Luo Yao-Chang , Huang Jun-Zhen , He Hai-Yuan , Lu Hai-Lin , Song Wen-Ling
Published: July 2017

Although the oncogenic role of PPFIA1 (liprin-α1) in breast cancer has been reported, whether its dysregulation is associated with metastasis risk or survival outcomes in breast cancer patients is not clear. Our primary data showed that PPFIA1 expression was significantly higher in liver metastatic breast tumors than in the primary tumors. Then, we tried to pool previous annotated genomic data to assess the prognostic value of PPFIA1 in distant metastasis–free survival, the risk of metastatic relapse, and metastatic relapse–free survival in breast cancer patients by data mining in two large databases, Kaplan–Meier plotter and bc-GenExMiner 4.0. Results from Kaplan–Meier plotter showed that although high PPFIA1 expression was generally associated with decreased distant metastasis–free survival in estrogen receptor+ patients, subgroup analysis only confirmed significant association in estrogen receptor+/N− (nodal negative) group (median survival, high PPFIA1 group vs low PPFIA1 cohort: 191.21 vs 236.22 months; hazard ratio: 2.23, 95% confidence interval: 1.42–3.5, p < 0.001), but not in estrogen receptor+/N+ (nodal positive) group (hazard ratio: 1.63, 95% confidence interval: 0.88–3.03, p = 0.12). In estrogen receptor− patients, there was no association between PPFIA1 expression and distant metastasis–free survival, no matter in Nm (nodal status mixed), N−, or N+ subgroups. In bc-GenExMiner 4.0, Nottingham Prognostic Index– and Adjuvant! Online–adjusted analysis validated the independent prognostic value of PPFIA1 in metastatic risks in estrogen receptor+/N− patients. Based on these findings, we infer that high PPFIA1 expression might be an independent prognostic indicator of increased metastatic relapse risk in patients with estrogen receptor+/N− breast cancer, but not in estrogen receptor+/N+ or estrogen receptor− patients.
Inhibitory effect of Par-4 combined with cisplatin on human Wilms’ tumor cells
Authors: Wang Jun , Li Yunjie , Ma Fangfang , Zhou Huifeng , Ding Rong , Lu Binbin , Zou Li , Li Junxia , Lu Rugang
Published: July 2017

Wilms’ tumor is associated with a high treatment success rate, but there is still a risk of recurrence. Cisplatin, which is one of the chemotherapeutic agents used for its treatment, is associated with a very high rate of resistance. Par-4 (prostate apoptosis response 4) is a tumor suppressor, which is capable of sensitizing tumor cells to chemotherapy. Therefore, the aim of this study was to determine whether combined treatment with Par-4 and cisplatin is effective for inhibiting growth of Wilms’ tumor. Wilms’ tumor and control cell samples were collected and analyzed by immunofluorescence assay and immunohistochemistry. Total proteins extracted from cultured cells were analyzed using western blotting and flow cytometry. In addition, a mouse xenograft model was established. We discovered significantly low expression of Par-4 in the tumor tissue, which was positively correlated with high expression of GRP78 (glucose-regulated protein 78). In addition, we found that ectopic Par-4 co-localized with cell surface GRP78 and induced high expression of the endoplasmic reticulum proteins ATF4 and BAX, which activated the endoplasmic reticulum apoptosis pathway. Moreover, treatment with ectopic Par-4 and cisplatin suppressed xenograft growth in nude mice. In conclusion, our results showed that Par-4 overexpression and cisplatin had a synergistic effect on SK-NEP-1 cells, as a result of which cell growth was inhibited and cellular apoptosis was induced. Thus, in vitro and in vivo upregulation of Par-4 expression is indispensable for the trafficking of GRP78 to the cell membrane and subsequent apoptosis of cancer cells.
Evaluation of the antitumor activity of platinum nanoparticles in the treatment of hepatocellular carcinoma induced in rats
Authors: Medhat Amina , Mansour Somaya , El-sonbaty Sawsan , Kandil Eman , Mahmoud Mustafa
Published: July 2017

This study aimed to evaluate the antitumor activity of platinum nanoparticles compared with cis-platin both in vitro and in vivo in the treatment of hepatocellular carcinoma induced in rats. The treatment efficacy of platinum nanoparticles was evaluated by measuring antioxidant activities against oxidative stress caused by diethylnitrosamine in liver tissue. The measurements included reduced glutathione content and superoxide dismutase activity, as well as malondialdehyde level. Liver function tests were also determined, in addition to the evaluation of serum alpha-fetoprotein, caspase-3, and cytochrome c in liver tissue. Total RNA extraction from liver tissue samples was also done for the relative quantification of B-cell lymphoma 2, matrix metallopeptidase 9, and tumor protein p53 genes. Histopathological examination was also performed for liver tissue. Results showed that platinum nanoparticles are more potent than cis-platin in treatment of hepatocellular carcinoma induced by diethylnitrosamine in rats as it ameliorated the investigated parameters toward normal control animals. These findings were well appreciated with histopathological studies of diethylnitrosamine group treated with platinum nanoparticles, suggesting that platinum nanoparticles can serve as a good therapeutic agent for the treatment of hepatocellular carcinoma which should attract further studies.
EMP3 is induced by TWIST1/2 and regulates epithelial-to-mesenchymal transition of gastric cancer cells
Authors: Han Ming , Xu Wanpeng
Published: July 2017

In this study, we aimed to explore new downstream effectors of TWIST1/2 in inducing epithelial-to-mesenchymal transition in gastric cancer. Bioinformatic data mining was performed using data in The Cancer Genome Atlas Stomach Adenocarcinoma. Survival curves were generated using Kaplan–Meier plotter. Gastric cancer cell lines (AGS and SGC-7901) were used as in vitro cell model to investigate the regulative effect of TWIST1/2 on epithelial membrane protein 3 expression and the progression of epithelial-to-mesenchymal transition. Results showed that TWIST1 and TWIST2 are usually co-upregulated in patients with primary gastric cancer. High TWIST1 expression is associated with worse overall survival (hazard ratio = 1.26; 95% confidence interval = 1.06–1.49; p = 0.007) and also worse first progression-free survival (hazard ratio = 1.47; 95% confidence interval = 1.18–1.82; p < 0.0001). Similarly, high TWIST2 expression is associated with unfavorable overall survival (hazard ratio = 1.71; 95% confidence interval = 1.32–2.22; p < 0.0001) and progression-free survival (hazard ratio = 1.99; 95% confidence interval = 1.45–2.72; p < 0.0001). Epithelial membrane protein 3 is negatively correlated to CDH1 expression (Pearson’s r = −0.46) but is positively correlated to VIM expression (Pearson’s r = 0.83). Knockdown of epithelial membrane protein 3 significantly increased E-cadherin but significantly decreased Vimentin expression in AGS cells. Gastric cancer patients with metastasis have significantly higher epithelial membrane protein 3 expression than the cases without metastasis. In addition, high epithelial membrane protein 3 expression is associated with worse overall survival (hazard ratio = 2.59; 95% confidence interval = 2.06–3.26; p < 0.0001) and also worse progression-free survival (hazard ratio = 2.21; 95% confidence interval = 1.78–2.74; p < 0.0001). In conclusion, epithelial membrane protein 3 is a downstream effector of TWIST1/2 in inducing epithelial-to-mesenchymal transition in gastric cancer. Epithelial membrane protein 3 upregulation might be associated with gastric cancer metastasis and is a potential indicator of unfavorable overall survival and progression-free survival in gastric cancer patients.
Changes in the expression of genes involved in cell cycle regulation and the relative telomere length in the process of canceration induced by omethoate
Authors: Duan Xiaoran , Yang Yongli , Wang Sihua , Feng Xiaolei , Wang Tuanwei , Wang Pengpeng , Liu Suxiang , Li Lei , Yao Wu , Cui Liuxin , Wang Wei
Published: July 2017

Organophosphorous pesticides (OPs), with high efficiency, broad-spectrum and low residue, are widely used in China. Omethoate is a broad category of organophosphorous pesticides and is more domestically utilized which has chronic toxic effect on human health caused by long-term, low-dose exposure to Ops, recently its potential genotoxicity has attracted wide attention which can cause chromosomal DNA damage. Thus, the aim of this study is screen susceptible biomarkers and explore the mechanism of canceration induced by omethoate. 180 long-term organophosphorus pesticide–exposed workers and 115 healthy controls were recruited. Quantitative polymerase chain reaction method was applied to determine the relative telomere length in peripheral lymphocyte DNA as well as p53 and p21 gene expression levels. Genetic polymorphisms were determined by the polymerase chain reaction–restriction fragment length polymorphism method. Multiple linear regression was conducted to explore the effects of exposure, expression levels, and polymorphisms in genes on the telomere length. The results showed the relative telomere lengths in the exposure group were significantly longer than that in the control group. The messenger RNA expression levels of p53 and p21 in exposure group were significantly lower than that in the control group; telomere lengths of the CA genotype individuals of p21 rs1801270 polymorphism locus were significantly longer than that of the CC genotype in the control group that were estimated using the Bonferroni method; and bivariate correlation analysis showed that the messenger RNA expression level of gene p53 was negatively correlated with telomere length, and the messenger RNA expression level of gene p21 was positively correlated with telomere length. Multivariate analysis found that p53 messenger RNA and p21 messenger RNA had an impact on telomere length. These results demonstrated that the messenger RNA expression levels of p53 and p21 may have a relationship with the changes in telomere length induced by omethoate and provided strong evidence for the mechanism of canceration induced by poison.
High expression of SLC34A2 is a favorable prognostic marker in lung adenocarcinoma patients
Authors: Zhang Zhaoxuan , Ye Shan , Zhang Min , Wu Jing , Yan Hong , Li Xiaojie , He Jie
Published: July 2017

Dysregulation of SLC34A2 (NaPi2b) in tumors has attracted wide attention, but its expression and function in non–small cell lung cancer remains unclear. By examining its expression in lung adenocarcinoma and correlation to patient outcome, we aimed to explore its prognostic and therapeutic values in this deadly disease. Overall, 175 cases of lung adenocarcinoma sample were included in this study. Histological subtyping of them was diagnosed according to standards of the International Association for the Study of Lung Cancer/American Thoracic Society/European Respiratory Society in 2011. Protein expression of SLC34A2 and anaplastic lymphoma kinase in these samples was determined by immunohistochemistry. Epidermal growth factor receptor mutations were examined using amplification refractory mutation system. Statistical analysis was performed using software of Pearson’s correlation coefficient. High expression of SLC34A2 was identified in about 2/3 patients and correlated with significantly better patient’s overall survival. Epidermal growth factor receptor mutations were detected in about 53% of patients with no statistically significant difference to patient’s overall survival. Anaplastic lymphoma kinase rearrangement was found in 8 out of 175 patients, harboring this abnormality leads to shorter overall survival. No correlation has been found between SLC34A2 expression and epidermal growth factor receptor mutation or anaplastic lymphoma kinase rearrangements in lung adenocarcinoma. High expression of SLC34A2 is present in about 3/4 lung adenocarcinoma samples and predicts better outcome. Since it is a membrane protein, antibody-based drugs targeting this marker might bring new resolution to this deadly disease.
Prevalence of Self-Treatment Practice and Related Factors Among Workers Aged 15 to 60 Years in Chi Linh Town, Hai Duong Province, Vietnam
Authors: Quynh Nguyen Thuy , Tran Thi Thu Thuy , Le Thi Vui , Quyen Thi Tu Bui , Trinh Van Hung , Tran Huu Bich
Published: July 2017

Self-treatment is particularly prevalent in Vietnam. However, the prevalence of this practice among the working population is unclear. This study aims to describe the prevalence of self-treatment and related factors among workers aged 15 to 60 years in the suburban area of Chi Linh, Hai Duong, Vietnam. Secondary data of 3128 respondents was retrieved from the CHILILAB HDSS 2016 survey for analysis using logistic regression with a significance level of .05. Results show that 47.5% of respondents treated themselves at least once during one previous year. While rural residence and the presence of acute health symptoms and chronic diseases significantly associate with the choice of self-treatment among all investigated workers, lower education level and health insurance status only significantly relate to this practice among the formally employed workers. The findings imply the need for specific measures to manage self-treatment practices among different groups of workers.