Search results for "asta"

In Metastatic Non-small cell Lung Cancer Platinum-Based Treated Patients, Herbal Treatment Improves the Quality of Life. A Prospective Randomized Con…

2017

Background: According to clinical experience, Traditional Chinese Medicine (TCM) herbs added to platinum-based therapy (PBT) improve the Quality of Life (QOL) in metastatic non-small cell lung cancer (NSCLC) patients, but this must be prospectively validated.Patients and Methods: Based on clinical impressions regarding the effect of adding TCM herbs to platinum-based chemotherapy, we anticipated that 2 × 21 patients would be sufficient to obtain significant results with an α < 0.05 and power (1 - β) of 90%. To be on the safe side, we enrolled at least 28 patients in each group. In a prospective randomized controlled trial, 61 uniquely defined consecutive patients (PBT+PLACEBO, N = 32; PB…

Roles of NGAL and MMP-9 in the tumor microenvironment and sensitivity to targeted therapy.

2016

Various, diverse molecules contribute to the tumor microenvironment and influence invasion and metastasis. In this review, the roles of neutrophil gelatinase-associated lipocalin (NGAL) and matrix metalloproteinase-9 (MMP-9) in the tumor microenvironment and sensitivity to therapy will be discussed. The lipocalin family of proteins has many important functions. For example when NGAL forms a complex with MMP-9 it increases its stability which is important in cancer metastasis. Small hydrophobic molecules are bound by NGAL which can alter their entry into and efflux from cells. Iron transport and storage are also influenced by NGAL activity. Regulation of iron levels is important for survival…

Steatohepatitis Impairs T-cell-Directed Immunotherapies Against Liver Tumors in Mice.

2019

Background & Aims Nonalcoholic steatohepatitis causes loss of hepatic CD4+ T cells and promotes tumor growth. The liver is the most common site of distant metastases from a variety of malignancies, many of which respond to immunotherapy. We investigated the effects of steatohepatitis on the efficacy of immunotherapeutic agents against liver tumors in mice. Methods Steatohepatitis was induced by feeding C57BL/6NCrl or BALB/c AnNCr mice a methionine and choline–deficient diet or a choline-deficient l-amino acid–defined diet. Mice were given intrahepatic or subcutaneous injections of B16 melanoma and CT26 colon cancer cells, followed by intravenous injections of M30-RNA vaccine (M30) or intrap…

Centrosome amplification mediates small extracellular vesicles secretion via lysosome disruption

2020

SummaryBidirectional communication between cells and their surrounding environment is critical in both normal and pathological settings. Extracellular vesicles (EVs), which facilitate the horizontal transfer of molecules between cells, are recognized as an important constituent of cell-cell communication. In cancer, alterations in EV secretion contribute to the growth and metastasis of tumor cells. However, the mechanisms underlying these changes remain largely unknown. Here, we show that centrosome amplification is associated with and sufficient to promote small extracellular vesicle (SEV) secretion in pancreatic cancer cells. This is a direct result due of lysosomal dysfunction, caused by…

2019

Mammalian fetuin-A and fetuin-B are abundant serum proteins with pleiotropic functions. Fetuin-B is a highly selective and potent inhibitor of metallopeptidases (MPs) of the astacin family, which includes ovastacin in mammals. By inhibiting ovastacin, fetuin-B is essential for female fertility. The crystal structure of fetuin-B was determined unbound and in complex with archetypal astacin, and it was found that the inhibitor has tandem cystatin-type modules (CY1 and CY2). They are connected by an exposed linker with a rigid, disulfide-linked `CPDCP-trunk', and are followed by a C-terminal region (CTR) with little regular secondary structure. The CPDCP-trunk and a hairpin of CY2 form a bipar…

Upgrades of the GANDALPH photodetachment detector towards the determination of the electron affinity of astatine

2020

The Gothenburg ANion Detector for Affinity measurements by Laser PHotodetachment (GANDALPH) has recently been built for measurements of electron affinities (EA) of radioisotopes. A first measurement campaign is aimed towards the determination of the EA of astatine, the rarest naturally occurring element on earth. In this work we present several upgrades of GANDALPH which have been implemented in order to facilitate EA measurements of radioisotopes where only low intensity ion beams (< 1pA) can be produced.

Narratives of Burnout and Recovery from an Agency Perspective : A Two-Year Longitudinal Study

2017

Abstract Purpose To provide knowledge about the recovery process during rehabilitation and two years later by exploring the manifestation of agency and spheres of meaning in the narratives of participants in a national rehabilitation course. Material and methods The subjects of the study were four participants in a national rehabilitation course, whose burnout levels had decreased between the initial and follow-up periods of the course. Semi-structured interviews on two occasions and an electronic questionnaire 1.5 years post rehabilitation comprised the main material. In addition, the BBI -15 (Bergen Burnout Indicator) and DEPS-screen were used. Results Thematic narrative analysis revealed…

‘It has given me this kind of courage…’: the significance of CLIL in forming a positive target language self-concept

2019

This article sets out to broaden the understanding of foreign language self-concept in CLIL context. The few existing studies on self-concept in CLIL have been quantitative and provided somewhat discrepant results, highlighting the need for approaching the topic qualitatively. The data of the present study are in-depth interviews with 24 former Finnish CLIL pupils who retrospectively reflected on their CLIL experiences. The participants had received English-medium CLIL for nine years during their comprehensive school in the 1990s. The data were analyzed qualitatively using thematic analysis. The participants generally felt that CLIL had had a significant role in contributing to their very p…

“Do you understand (me)?” negotiating mutual understanding by using gaze and environmentally coupled gestures between two deaf signing participants

2020

Abstract In this paper we explore the use of multimodal and multilingual semiotic resources in interactions between two deaf signing participants, a researcher and an asylum seeker. The focus is on the use of gaze and environmentally coupled gestures. Drawing on multimodal analysis and linguistic ethnography, we demonstrate how gaze and environmentally coupled gestures are effective semiotic resources for reaching mutual understanding. The study provides insight into the challenges and opportunities (deaf) asylum seekers, researchers, and employees of reception centres or the state may encounter because of the asymmetrical language competencies. Our concern is that such asymmetrical situati…

Photochemical mineralization of terrigenous DOC to dissolved inorganic carbon in ocean

2018

When terrigenous dissolved organic carbon (tDOC) rich in chromophoric dissolved organic matter (tCDOM) enters the ocean, solar radiation mineralizes it partially into dissolved inorganic carbon (DIC). This study addresses the amount and the rates of DIC photoproduction from tDOC and the area of ocean required to photomineralize tDOC. We collected water samples from 10 major rivers, mixed them with artificial seawater, and irradiated them with simulated solar radiation to measure DIC photoproduction and the photobleaching of tCDOM. The linear relationship between DIC photoproduction and tCDOM photobleaching was used to estimate the amount of photoproduced DIC from the tCDOM fluxes of the stu…