Showing papers by "Pusan National University published in 2008"

Efficacy and safety of golimumab in patients with ankylosing spondylitis: results of a randomized, double-blind, placebo-controlled, phase III trial.

Abstract: Objective To evaluate the efficacy and safety of golimumab in patients with ankylosing spondylitis (AS) in the GO-RAISE study. Methods Patients with active AS, a Bath AS Disease Activity Index (BASDAI) score > or =4, and a back pain score of > or =4 were randomly assigned in a 1.8:1.8:1 ratio to receive subcutaneous injections of golimumab (50 mg or 100 mg) or placebo every 4 weeks. The primary end point was the proportion of patients with at least 20% improvement in the ASsessment in AS (ASAS20) criteria at week 14. Results At randomization, 138, 140, and 78 patients were assigned to the 50-mg, 100-mg, and placebo groups, respectively. After 14 weeks, 59.4%, 60.0%, and 21.8% of patients, respectively, were ASAS20 responders (P or =1 adverse event, and 5.4% and 6.5% of patients, respectively, had > or =1 serious adverse event. Eight golimumab-treated patients and 1 placebo-treated patient had markedly abnormal liver enzyme values (> or =100% increase from baseline and a value >150 IU/liter), which were transient. Conclusion Golimumab was effective and well tolerated in a large cohort of patients with AS during a 24-week study period.

Use of a targeted oncolytic poxvirus, JX-594, in patients with refractory primary or metastatic liver cancer: a phase I trial

Abstract: Summary Background JX-594 is a targeted oncolytic poxvirus designed to selectively replicate in and destroy cancer cells with cell-cycle abnormalities and epidermal growth factor receptor (EGFR)- ras pathway activation. Direct oncolysis plus granulocyte-macrophage colony-stimulating factor (GM-CSF) expression also stimulates shutdown of tumour vasculature and antitumoral immunity. We aimed to assess intratumoral injection of JX-594 in patients with refractory primary or metastatic liver cancer. Methods Between Jan 4, 2006, and July 4, 2007, 14 patients with histologically confirmed refractory primary or metastatic liver tumours (up to 10·9 cm total diameter) that were amenable to image-guided intratumoral injections were enrolled into this non-comparative, open-label, phase I dose-escalation trial (standard 3×3 design; two to six patients for each dose with 12–18 estimated total patients). Patients received one of four doses of intratumoral JX-594 (10 8 plaque-forming units [pfu], 3×10 8 pfu, 10 9 pfu, or 3×10 9 pfu) every 3 weeks at Dong-A University Hospital (Busan, South Korea). Patients were monitored after treatment for at least 48 h in hospital and for at least 4 weeks as out-patients. Adverse event-monitoring according to the National Cancer Institute Common Toxicity Criteria (version 3) and standard laboratory toxicity grading for haematology, liver and renal function, coagulation studies, serum chemistry, and urinalysis were done. The primary aims were to ascertain the maximum-tolerated dose (MTD) and safety of JX-594 treatment. Data were also collected on pharmacokinetics, pharmacodynamics, and efficacy. Analysis was per protocol. This study is registered with ClinicalTrials.gov, number NCT00629759. Findings Of 22 patients with liver tumours who were assessed for eligibility, eight patients did not meet inclusion criteria. Therefore, 14 patients, including those with hepatocellular, colorectal, melanoma, and lung cancer, were enrolled. Patients were heavily pretreated (5·6 previous treatments, SD 2·8, range 2·0–12·0) and had large tumours (7·0 cm diameter, SD 2·7, range 1·8–10·9). Patients received a mean of 3·4 (SD 2·2, range 1·0–8·0) cycles of JX-594. All patients were evaluable for toxicity. All patients experienced grade I–III flu-like symptoms, and four had transient grade I–III dose-related thrombocytopenia. Grade III hyperbilirubinaemia was dose-limiting in both patients at the highest dose; the MTD was therefore 1×10 9 pfu. JX-594 replication-dependent dissemination in blood was shown, with resultant infection of non-injected tumour sites. GM-CSF expression resulted in grade I–III increases in neutrophil counts in four of six patients at the MTD. Tumour responses were shown in injected and non-injected tumours. Ten patients were radiographically evaluable for objective responses; non-evaluable patients had contraindications to contrast medium (n=2) or no post-treatment scans (n=2). According to Response Evaluation Criteria in Solid Tumors (RECIST), three patients had partial response, six had stable disease, and one had progressive disease. Interpretation Intratumoral injection of JX-594 into primary or metastatic liver tumours was generally well-tolerated. Direct hyperbilirubinaemia was the dose-limiting toxicity. Safety was acceptable in the context of JX-594 replication, GM-CSF expression, systemic dissemination, and JX-594 had anti-tumoral effects against several refractory carcinomas. Phase II trials are now underway. Funding Jennerex Biotherapeutics (San Francisco, CA, USA) and Green Cross Corporation (Giheung-Gu, Yongin, South Korea).

Turbulence and magnetic fields in the large-scale structure of the universe.

Abstract: The nature and origin of turbulence and magnetic fields in the intergalactic space are important problems that are yet to be understood. We propose a scenario in which turbulent-flow motions are induced via the cascade of the vorticity generated at cosmological shocks during the formation of the large-scale structure. The turbulence in turn amplifies weak seed magnetic fields of any origin. Supercomputer simulations show that the turbulence is subsonic inside clusters and groups of galaxies, whereas it is transonic or mildly supersonic in filaments. Based on a turbulence dynamo model, we then estimated that the average magnetic field strength would be a few microgauss (μG) inside clusters and groups, approximately 0.1 μG around clusters and groups, and approximately 10 nanogauss in filaments. Our model presents a physical mechanism that transfers the gravitational energy to the turbulence and magnetic field energies in the large-scale structure of the universe.

Electrochemical Sensors Based on Organic Conjugated Polymers

Abstract: Organic conjugated polymers (conducting polymers) have emerged as potentialcandidates for electrochemical sensors. Due to their straightforward preparation methods,unique properties, and stability in air, conducting polymers have been applied to energystorage, electrochemical devices, memory devices, chemical sensors, and electrocatalysts.Conducting polymers are also known to be compatible with biological molecules in aneutral aqueous solution. Thus, these are extensively used in the fabrication of accurate,fast, and inexpensive devices, such as biosensors and chemical sensors in the medicaldiagnostic laboratories. Conducting polymer-based electrochemical sensors and biosensorsplay an important role in the improvement of public health and environment because rapiddetection, high sensitivity, small size, and specificity are achievable for environmentalmonitoring and clinical diagnostics. In this review, we summarized the recent advances inconducting polymer-based electrochemical sensors, which covers chemical sensors(potentiometric, voltammetric, amperometric) and biosensors (enzyme based biosensors,immunosensors, DNA sensors).

Pion and kaon production in central Pb+Pb collisions at 20A and 30A GeV: Evidence for the onset of deconfinement

Abstract: Results on charged pion and kaon production in central Pb+Pb collisions at 20A and 30A GeV are presented and compared to data at lower and higher energies. Around 30A GeV a rapid change of the energy dependence for the yields of pions and kaons as well as for the shape of the transverse mass spectra is observed. The change is compatible with the prediction that the threshold for production of a state of deconfined matter at the early stage of the collisions is located at low CERN Super Proton Synchroton energies.

Stability analysis and optimal vaccination of an SIR epidemic model

Abstract: Almost all mathematical models of diseases start from the same basic premise: the population can be subdivided into a set of distinct classes dependent upon experience with respect to the relevant disease. Most of these models classify individuals as either a susceptible individual S, infected individual I or recovered individual R. This is called the susceptible-infected-recovered (SIR) model. In this paper, we describe an SIR epidemic model with three components; S, I and R. We describe our study of stability analysis theory to find the equilibria for the model. Next in order to achieve control of the disease, we consider a control problem relative to the SIR model. A percentage of the susceptible populations is vaccinated in this model. We show that an optimal control exists for the control problem and describe numerical simulations using the Runge-Kutta fourth order procedure. Finally, we describe a real example showing the efficiency of this optimal control.

Pulmonary Tuberculosis: Up-to-Date Imaging and Management

Abstract: OBJECTIVE. Pulmonary tuberculosis (TB) is a common worldwide infection and a medical and social problem causing high mortality and morbidity, especially in developing countries. The traditional imaging concept of primary and reactivation TB has been recently challenged, and radiologic features depend on the level of host immunity rather than the elapsed time after the infection. We aimed to elaborate the new concept of the diagnosis and treatment of pulmonary TB, to review the characteristic imaging findings of various forms of pulmonary TB, and to assess the role of CT in the diagnosis and management of pulmonary TB.CONCLUSION. Fast and more accurate TB testing such as bacterial DNA fingerprinting and whole-blood interferon-γ assay has been developed. Miliary or disseminated primary pattern or atypical manifestations of pulmonary TB are common in patients with impaired immunity. CT plays an important role in the detection of TB in patients in whom the chest radiograph is normal or inconclusive, in the de...

Mesenchymal Stem Cells Derived from Human Adipose Tissues Favor Tumor Cell Growth in vivo

Abstract: Mesenchymal stem cells (MSCs) have generated a great deal of interest in clinical situations, due principally to their potential use in regenerative medicine and tissue engineering applications. Ho...

Self-Organizing Map

Abstract: Ecological data are considered difficult to analyze because numerous biological and environmental factors are involved in ecological processes in a complex manner. The self-organizing map (SOM) has been an efficient alternative tool for analyzing ecological data without a priori knowledge. The unsupervised learning process was applied to provide a comprehensive view on ecological data through the use of ordination and classification. The SOM extracts information from multidimensional data and maps it onto two- or three-dimensional space. The network structure and learning algorithm are discussed to reveal the adaptive convergence of connection weights among computation nodes (i.e., neurons). Examples are provided to demonstrate the environmental impact gradient and sample unit clustering. SOM visualization is also presented to show profiles of the corresponding taxa and environmental variables.

Unusual magnetic order in the pseudogap region of the superconductor HgBa2CuO4+δ

Abstract: The pseudogap region of the phase diagram is an important unsolved puzzle in the field of high transition-temperature superconductivity. Li et al. report polarized neutron diffraction data that demonstrate that the characteristic temperature, T*, marks the onset of an unusual magnetic order, and hence a novel state of matter with broken time-reversal symmetry, for the model superconductor HgBa2CuO4+δ (Hg1201). The findings appear to rule out theories that regard T* as a crossover temperature rather than a phase transition temperature. Instead, they are consistent with the notion that many of the unusual properties arise from the presence of a quantum-critical point. The pseudogap region of the phase diagram is an important unsolved puzzle in the field of high-transition-temperature (high-Tc) superconductivity, characterized by anomalous physical properties1,2. There are open questions about the number of distinct phases and the possible presence of a quantum-critical point underneath the superconducting dome3,4,5. The picture has remained unclear because there has not been conclusive evidence for a new type of order. Neutron scattering measurements for YBa2Cu3O6+δ (YBCO) resulted in contradictory claims of no6,7 and weak8,9 magnetic order, and the interpretation of muon spin relaxation measurements on YBCO10,11 and of circularly polarized photoemission experiments on Bi2Sr2CaCu2O8+δ(refs 12, 13) has been controversial. Here we use polarized neutron diffraction to demonstrate for the model superconductor HgBa2CuO4+δ (Hg1201) that the characteristic temperature T* marks the onset of an unusual magnetic order. Together with recent results for YBCO14,15, this observation constitutes a demonstration of the universal existence of such a state. The findings appear to rule out theories that regard T* as a crossover temperature16,17,18 rather than a phase transition temperature19,20,21. Instead, they are consistent with a variant of previously proposed charge-current-loop order19,20 that involves apical oxygen orbitals22, and with the notion that many of the unusual properties arise from the presence of a quantum-critical point3,4,5,19.

Age-related changes in Drosophila midgut are associated with PVF2, a PDGF/VEGF-like growth factor

Abstract: Age-associated changes in stem cell populations have been implicated in age-related diseases, including cancer. However, little is known about the underlying molecular mechanisms that link aging to the modulation of adult stem cell populations. Drosophila midgut is an excellent model system for the study of stem cell renewal and aging. Here we describe an age-related increase in the number and activity of intestinal stem cells (ISCs) and progenitor cells in Drosophila midgut. We determined that oxidative stress, induced by paraquat treatment or loss of catalase function, mimicked the changes associated with aging in the midgut. Furthermore, we discovered an age-related increase in the expression of PVF2, a Drosophila homologue of human PDGF/VEGF, which was associated with and required for the age-related changes in midgut ISCs and progenitor cell populations. Taken together, our findings suggest that PDGF/VEGF may play a central role in age-related changes in ISCs and progenitor cell populations, which may contribute to aging and the development of cancer stem cells.

Centrality dependence of charged hadron and strange hadron elliptic flow from √SNN = 200 GeV Au+Au collisions

Abstract: We present STAR results on the elliptic flow upsilon(2) Of charged hadrons, strange and multistrange particles from,root s(NN) = 200 GeV Au+Au collisions at the BNL Relativistic Heavy Ion Collider (RHIC). The detailed study of the centrality dependence of upsilon(2) over a broad transverse momentum range is presented. Comparisons of different analysis methods are made in order to estimate systematic uncertainties. To discuss the nonflow effect, we have performed the first analysis Of upsilon(2) with the Lee-Yang zero method for K(S)(0) and A. In the relatively low PT region, P(T) <= 2 GeV/c, a scaling with m(T) - m is observed for identified hadrons in each centrality bin studied. However, we do not observe nu 2(p(T))) scaled by the participant eccentricity to be independent of centrality. At higher PT, 2 1 <= PT <= 6 GeV/c, V2 scales with quark number for all hadrons studied. For the multistrange hadron Omega, which does not suffer appreciable hadronic interactions, the values of upsilon(2) are consistent with both m(T) - m scaling at low p(T) and number-of-quark scaling at intermediate p(T). As a function ofcollision centrality, an increase of p(T)-integrated upsilon(2) scaled by the participant eccentricity has been observed, indicating a stronger collective flow in more central Au+Au collisions.

Direct Inhibition of GSK3β by the Phosphorylated Cytoplasmic Domain of LRP6 in Wnt/β-Catenin Signaling

Abstract: Wnt/β-catenin signaling plays a central role in development and is also involved in a diverse array of diseases. Binding of Wnts to the coreceptors Frizzled and LRP6/5 leads to phosphorylation of PPPSPxS motifs in the LRP6/5 intracellular region and the inhibition of GSK3β bound to the scaffold protein Axin. However, it remains unknown how GSK3β is specifically inhibited upon Wnt stimulation. Here, we show that overexpression of the intracellular region of LRP6 containing a Ser/Thr rich cluster and a PPPSPxS motif impairs the activity of GSK3β in cells. Synthetic peptides containing the PPPSPxS motif strongly inhibit GSK3β in vitro only when they are phosphorylated. Microinjection of these peptides into Xenopus embryos confirms that the phosphorylated PPPSPxS motif potentiates Wnt-induced second body axis formation. In addition, we show that the Ser/Thr rich cluster of LRP6 plays an important role in LRP6 binding to GSK3β. These observations demonstrate that phosphorylated LRP6/5 both recruits and directly inhibits GSK3β using two distinct portions of its cytoplasmic sequence, and suggest a novel mechanism of activation in this signaling pathway.

Application of biocathode in microbial fuel cells: cell performance and microbial community

Abstract: Instead of the utilization of artificial redox mediators or other catalysts, a biocathode has been applied in a two-chamber microbial fuel cell in this study, and the cell performance and microbial community were analyzed. After a 2-month startup, the microorganisms of each compartment in microbial fuel cell were well developed, and the output of microbial fuel cell increased and became stable gradually, in terms of electricity generation. At 20 ml/min flow rate of the cathodic influent, the maximum power density reached 19.53 W/m3, while the corresponding current and cell voltage were 15.36 mA and 223 mV at an external resistor of 14.9 Ω, respectively. With the development of microorganisms in both compartments, the internal resistance decreased from initial 40.2 to 14.0 Ω, too. Microbial community analysis demonstrated that five major groups of the clones were categorized among those 26 clone types derived from the cathode microorganisms. Betaproteobacteria was the most abundant division with 50.0% (37 of 74) of the sequenced clones in the cathode compartment, followed by 21.6% (16 of 74) Bacteroidetes, 9.5% (7 of 74) Alphaproteobacteria, 8.1% (6 of 74) Chlorobi, 4.1% (3 of 74) Deltaproteobacteria, 4.1% (3 of 74) Actinobacteria, and 2.6% (2 of 74) Gammaproteobacteria.