Characterization and Function of a Novel Welan Gum Lyase From Marine Sphingomonas sp. WG.

Welan gum, a kind of microbial exopolysaccharides, produced by the genus Sphingomonas, have great potential for application in many fields, such as the food industry, cement production, and enhanced oil recovery. But there are still challenges to reduce the cost, enhance the production and the quality. Herein, the bioinformatics analysis of WelR gene was preformed, and the characterization and function of WelR, welan gum lyase, from Sphingomonas sp. WG were investigated for the first time. The results indicated that 382nd (Asn), 383rd (Met), 494th (Asn), and 568th (Glu) were the key amino acid residues, and C-terminal amino acids were essential to keeping the stability of WelR. The optimal temperature and pH of the enzymatic activity were found to be 25°C and 7.4, respectively. And WelR was good low temperature resistance and alkali resistant. K+, Mg2+, Ca2+, Mn2+, and EDTA increased WelR activities, in contrast to Zn2+. Coupled with the change in glucose concentration and growth profile, the qRT-PCR results indicated that WelR may degrade welan gum existing in the culture to maintain bacterial metabolism when glucose was depleted. This work will lay a theoretical foundation to establish new strategies for the regulation of welan gum biosynthesis.

Taiwanese version of the M. D. Anderson symptom inventory: symptom assessment in cancer patients.

The purpose of this study was to validate the Taiwanese version of the M. D. Anderson Symptom Inventory (MDASI-T) in a sample of 556 Taiwanese patients with multiple diagnoses of cancer. The internal consistency Cronbach alpha was 0.89 for symptom severity items and 0.94 for interference items. The test-retest reliability was 0.97 for the severity composite score and 0.96 for the interference composite score over a 3-day interval in a sample of 12 patients. Construct validity was established by factor analysis, which revealed a two-factor structure. Concurrent validity was examined by correlating the MADSI-T scores and scores of the Medical Outcome Study 36-Item Short-Form Health Survey. Known-group validity was established by comparing MDASI-T scores between patients having low functional status and those having high functional status (Karnofsky Performance Status scores50, respectively) and between inpatients and outpatients. The MDASI-T's sensitivity (its ability to detect small differences in reporting variations) was examined by comparing the MDASI-T composite symptom scores and composite interference scores before, during, and one week after treatment in a sample of 20 breast cancer patients receiving chemotherapy. The MDASI-T is a reliable, valid, and sensitive instrument for measuring the severity and interference with daily life of cancer-related symptoms among Taiwanese cancer patients.

Validation of the Taiwanese version of the Brief Fatigue Inventory.

We validated the Taiwanese version of the Brief Fatigue Inventory (BFI-T) in a sample of 439 Taiwanese patients with multiple cancer diagnoses. Internal consistency was indicated by Cronbach alphas of 0.96 for fatigue-related severity and 0.95 for interference. Test-retest reliability was 0.89 for fatigue severity and 0.91 for interference. Factor analysis revealed a one-factor structure. Convergent validity was examined by correlating the BFI-T worst fatigue and fatigue severity composite scores with POMS vigor and fatigue subscales scores. Known-group validity was established by comparing BFI-T worst fatigue and severity composite scores between patients with low functional status and high functional status and between inpatients and outpatients. The BFI-T's sensitivity was examined by comparing BFI-T severity and interference composite scores before, during, and after chemotherapy treatment in a subsample of 20 breast cancer patients. The BFI-T is reliable, valid, and sensitive for measuring cancer-related fatigue severity and interference among Taiwanese cancer patients.