A Rare 3D Porous Inorganic-Organic Hybrid Polyoxometalate Framework Based on a Cubic Polyoxoniobate-Cupric-Complex Cage with a High Water Vapor Adsorption Capacity.

A rare 3D porous inorganic-organic polyoxoniobate framework based on the cubic polyoxoniobate-cupric-complex cage {[Cu(en)]@{[Cu(en)(trz)](NbO)}} (), has been successfully synthesized by a hydrothermal method. The cubic cages are connected with 4-(tetrazol-5-yl)pyridine to form a 1D pillar-like chain structure, and every 1D pillar-like chain is further linked with four adjacent pillar-like chains by the [Cu(en)] complex to form a 3D porous inorganic-organic polyoxoniobate framework with 4-connected CdSO-type topology. To our knowledge, it is the first time that three different types of organic ligands are simultaneously introduced into one polyoxoniobate.

Early Start Of Tenofovir Treatment Achieves Better Viral Suppression In Pregnant Women With A High HBV Viral Load: A Real-World Prospective Study.

Purpose: To investigate whether tenofovir disoproxil fumarate (TDF) treatment that started from the second trimester had an advantage over TDF treatment that started from the third trimester.

Patients And Methods: Twenty 35-year-old pregnant women with hepatitis B virus (HBV) DNA >2×106 IU/mL were prospectively enrolled in this study. All participants were divided into two subgroups: the second trimester group who started TDF treatment at 24-27 weeks and the third trimester group who started TDF treatment at 28-30 weeks.

Inorganic-Organic Hybrid Polyoxoniobates: Polyoxoniobate Metal Complex Cage and Cage Framework.

The combination of polyoxoniobates (PONbs) with 3d metal ions, azoles, and organoamines is a general synthetic procedure for making unprecedented PONb metal complex cage materials, including discrete molecular cages and extended cage frameworks. By this method, the first two PONb metal complex cages K @{[Cu (OH) (H O) (en) (trz) ][Nb O (OH) (H O) ] } and [Cu(en) ]@{[Cu (en) (trz) ] (Nb O )} have been made. The former exhibits a huge tetrahedral cage with more than 120 metal centers, which is the largest inorganic-organic hybrid PONb known to date.

The efficiency and safety of trastuzumab and lapatinib added to neoadjuvant chemotherapy in Her2-positive breast cancer patients: a randomized meta-analysis.

Background: The addition of human epidermal growth factor receptor 2 (Her2) therapies to neoadjuvant chemotherapy (NAC) during treatment of Her2-positive breast cancer has been proposed as an effective way to improve the prognosis. However, the treatment outcomes of adding trastuzumab, lapatinib, or both to NAC were not unequivocal in randomized clinical trials. Based on these data, a meta-analysis was performed.

Curcumin-targeting pericellular serine protease matriptase role in suppression of prostate cancer cell invasion, tumor growth, and metastasis.

Curcumin has been shown to possess potent chemopreventive and antitumor effects on prostate cancer. However, the molecular mechanism involved in curcumin's ability to suppress prostate cancer cell invasion, tumor growth, and metastasis is not yet well understood. In this study, we have shown that curcumin can suppress epidermal growth factor (EGF)- stimulated and heregulin-stimulated PC-3 cell invasion, as well as androgen-induced LNCaP cell invasion.

Performance characteristics of a combined hepatitis C virus core antigen and anti-hepatitis C virus antibody test in different patient groups.

We evaluated the performance of a hepatitis C virus (HCV) antigen/antibody combination test [Murex HCV Antigen/Antibody Combination Test (Murex Ag/Ab test)] by comparing it with the current third-generation HCV antibody enzyme immunoassay (anti-HCV). A total of 403 serum samples were consecutively collected from four patient groups: healthy controls (n=100); HCV-infected patients (HCV group, n=102); Human immunodeficiency virus (HIV)/HCV-infected patients (HIV/HCV group, n=100); and patients with uremia (uremia group, n=101). Performances were evaluated for the Murex Ag/Ab, anti-HCV, and HCV RNA in the HIV/HCV and uremia patient groups.

Human leukocyte antigen alleles and the response to pegylated interferon/ribavirin therapy in chronic hepatitis C patients.

Human leukocyte antigens (HLAs) may play a role in the clinical evolution of hepatitis C virus (HCV) infection. The present study was aimed at elucidating the association between the HLA loci and responses to combination therapy with pegylated interferon-alpha 2a (PEG-IFN) and ribavirin in Taiwanese. We enrolled a total of 208 treatment-naïve Taiwanese chronic hepatitis C (CHC) patients treated with combination therapy.

Comparison of clinical application of the Abbott HBV PCR kit and the VERSANT HBV DNA 3.0 test to measure serum hepatitis B virus DNA in Taiwanese patients.

With an estimated 350-400 million people worldwide chronically infected with hepatitis B virus (HBV), and the subsequent serious complications caused by liver damage including cirrhosis, liver failure, and hepatocellular carcinoma, HBV infection remains a global health issue, particularly in Taiwan, an HBV-hyperendemic area. Sensitive and accurate quantification of HBV DNA is necessary to monitor patients with chronic hepatitis B who are receiving antiviral therapy to determine treatment response and adapt therapy. We evaluated and compared the clinical performance of two HBV DNA assays based on different technologies: the RealArt HBV PCR Kit (Abbott HBV DNA PCR kit, real-time polymerase chain reaction assay, detection limit: 27 IU/mL) and the VERSANT bDNA 3.

Performance characteristics of two real-time PCR assays for quantification of hepatitis B virus DNA.

Detection and quantification for hepatitis B virus (HBV) DNA has been an essential tool in the clinical setting. We aimed to assess clinical performance of the RealArt HBV TM PCR (RealArt) assay and the COBAS TaqMan HBV (COBAS) assay. Serum levels of HBV DNA in 146 treatment-naïve chronic HBV (CHB) Taiwanese patients (118 males, 47 HBeAg + ; mean age, 34.

Performance characteristics of a real-time RT-PCR assay for quantification of hepatitis C virus RNA in patients with genotype 1 and 2 infections.

Background: Polymerase chain reaction (PCR) methods play an essential role in providing data relating to diagnosis, monitoring and treatment of hepatitis C virus (HCV) infection. The real-time reverse transcription PCR (RT-PCR) assay is an established and promising tool in terms of quantifying HCV RNA for clinical application. This study aimed to evaluate the performance characteristics of a real-time RT-PCR-based test in a clinical setting.