University Research Fund Research Articles

Side Effects and Efficacy of Immunotherapy.

Modern immunotherapy based on immune checkpoint inhibitors is an innovative treatment, which is already used in the treatment of a number of malignancies, and many other checkpoint inhibitors have been investigated in clinical trials. Monoclonal antibodies against CTLA-4 (cytotoxic T-lymphocyte antigen-4) and PD-1 (programmed cell death-1) or PD-L1 (programmed cell death-1 ligand) are the most commonly used agents. The side effects of these treatments are similar in nature to those of autoimmune diseases. Recently, increasing evidence has indicated that some adverse effects of immunotherapy are associated with the beneficial effect of this treatment. The aim of this review was to summarize current knowledge of the association between the adverse effects of checkpoint inhibitors and the outcomes of patients treated with this therapy. The association between the effect of immunotherapy and the occurrence of adverse reactions has been identified in a number of studies. It has been best documented in patients with malignant melanoma, non-small cell lung cancer, and renal cell carcinoma. Many studies published so far are limited by the relatively low number of patients and their retrospective design, leaving many questions still unanswered. This work was supported by the National Sustainability Program I (NPU I) Nr. LO1503 provided by the Ministry of Education Youth and Sports of the Czech Republic and by the Charles University Research Fund (Progres Q39) and by the European Regional Development Fund-Project „Application of Modern Technologies in Medicine and Industry” (No. CZ.02.1.01/0.0/0.0/17_048/0007280). The authors declare they have no potential conflicts of interest concerning drugs, products, or services used in the study. The Editorial Board declares that the manuscript met the ICMJE recommendation for biomedical papers. Submitted: 3. 11. 2019 Accepted: 8. 12. 2019.

Correction to: Optimizing Pueraria candollei var. mirifica cell suspension culture for prolonged maintenance and decreased variation of isoflavonoid from single cell lines

The Acknowledgements section in the original article was incomplete. The complete section is shown below. Acknowledgements This research was supported by Rachadapisek Sompote Fund for Postdoctoral Fellowship and for New Faculty Member Chulalongkorn University, Bangkok and Thailand Research Fund Project No. MRG5680090. TM was a recipient of the Research assistant scholarship from the Graduate School, Chulalongkorn University.

The Color of Money: Federal vs. Industry Funding of University Research

U.S. universities have experienced a shift in research funding away from federal and towards private industry sources. This paper evaluates whether the source of funding – federal or private industry – is relevant for commercialization of research outputs. We link person-level grant data from 22 universities to patent and career outcomes (including IRS W-2 records). To identify a causal effect, we exploit individual-level variation in exposure to narrow federal R&D programs stemming from pre-existing field specialization. We instrument for the researcher’s funding sources with aggregate supply shocks to federal funding within these narrow fields. The results show that a higher share of federal funding reduces patenting and the chances of joining an incumbent firm, while increasing the chances of high- tech entrepreneurship and of remaining employed in academia. A decline in the federal share of funding is offset by an increase in the private share of funding, which has opposite effects. We conclude that the incentives of private funders to appropriate research outputs have important implications for the trajectory of university researcher careers and intellectual property.

Prevalence of Benign Pathology after Partial Nephrectomy for Suspected Renal Tumor: A Systematic Review and Meta-Analysis

Background: Although radiologic imaging has evolved to detect small renal masses, malignant etiologies cannot be fully differentiated by preoperative imaging. Moreover, the growing incidence of small renal masses has inevitably increased the number of partial nephrectomies (PN), resulting in increases in benign pathology findings following PN. However, there have been discrepancies in the reported percentages of benign masses removed by PN. The aim of this study was to investigate the overall prevalence of benign pathology after PN and identify predictive factors for benign pathology after PN. Methods: Three electronic databases, including PUBMED, EMBASE, and the Cochrane Library, were screened for this systematic review (1993 through January 2019). The primary outcome was the prevalence of benign pathology after PN. Investigation of the moderating factors included the origin of study, the publication year, the gender proportion, the average size of the renal mass, the clinical stage, and procedure types, including robotic-assisted laparoscopic partial nephrectomy (RAPN), open partial nephrectomy (OPN), and laparoscopic partial nephrectomy (LPN). Findings: There were 144 studies included in the final analysis, which was comprised of 79 observational studies (n = 37,300) and 65 comparative studies (n = 18,552). The overall prevalence rate of benign pathology after PN was 0.19 (95% CI: 0.18 – 0.21). For observational studies, the prevalence rate was 0.21 (95% CI: 0.18 – 0.23), whereas for the comparative studies, the prevalence was 0.18 (95% CI: 0.17 – 0.20). According to the procedure types, the prevalence rate of benign pathology was 0.17 (95% CI: 0.15 – 0.19), 0.24 (95% CI: 0.22 – 0.27), and 0.16 (95% CI: 0.15 – 0.18) in OPN, LPN, and RAPN, respectively. The significant moderating factors were gender proportion, publication year, the origin of the study, and procedure types (p = 0.001, < 0.001, < 0.001, and < 0.001, respectively). The three most common benign pathology types were oncocytoma, angiomyolypoma, and renal cysts (44.50%, 30.20%, and 10.99%, respectively). Interpretation: The overall prevalence rate of benign pathology after PN was 0.19. Predictive factors for benign pathology after PN were female sex, studies published before 2010, studies originating from Western areas, and laparoscopic procedure types. Funding Statement: This work was supported by the Soonchunhyang University Research Fund. Declaration of Interests: All other authors declare no competing interests. Ethical Approval Statement: Not required.

A Single Dose of Local IL-12 Promotes Anti-Tumor Effect of Anti-EGFRvIII-CAR-T Cells in a Syngeneic Murine Model of Glioblastoma

Abstract Background Glioblastoma multiforme (GBM) is one of the most devastating brain tumors with poor prognosis and high mortality. Immunotherapy with chimeric antigen receptor (CAR) T cells is gaining attention as a promising strategy to treat this disease. An ideal candidate to target with CAR T cells is the tumor specific variant III of the epidermal growth factor receptor (EGFRvIII), which represents a mutation found in more than 30% of glioblastoma patients. However, anti-EGFRvIII-CAR modified T cell therapy has shown only limited effects in GBM patients, in all likelihood due to the immunosuppressive microenvironment that CAR T cells encounter in the tumor microenvironment (TME) of gliomas. To make gliomas susceptible to CAR T cell therapy, combinatorial approaches to convert the TME are required. Methods Mice received 5Gy TBI on day 15 post implantation, followed by intra-tumoral injection of IL-12:Fc on day 20 and infusion of EGFRvIII-directed CAR or non-transduced T cells on day 21. To perform functional analysis, we adopted high-parametric flow-cytometric characterization of the TME using 23 independent parameters 8 days after CAR T cells injection. We utilized unsupervised validated clustering approaches (FlowSOM and CellCNN) to discriminate between different cell populations. Results Here, we demonstrate that the combination of a single dose of local IL-12 with anti-EGFRvIII-CAR T cells synergizes to increase long-term survival in a syngeneic mouse model of GBM. IL-12 not only boosted the pro-inflammatory and cytotoxic activity of anti-EGFRvIII-CAR T cells, but also induced a complete remodelling of the tumor microenvironment (TME) with strong endogenous anti-tumor immune T cell responses. These findings highlight the capacity of IL-12 to induce an immunologically “cold” tumor such as GMB to acquire responsiveness to CAR T cells therapy. Conclusion This study demonstrates the capacity of IL-12 as local “adjuvant” therapy to boost the efficacy of CAR T cells and to awake the endogenous anti-tumor T cell responses. Legal entity responsible for the study University of Zurich. Funding University Research Priority Project and Advanced T-cell Engineered for Cancer Therapy. Disclosure M. Pule: Honoraria (self), Honoraria (institution): Autolus LTD. All other authors have declared no conflicts of interest.

Research on the Problems Existing in the Budget and Final Accounts of Longitudinal Scientific Research Funds in Colleges and Universities

In recent years, with the all-round development of education and various scientific research work in colleges and universities in China, the funds for longitudinal scientific research in colleges and universities have been increased. In the stage of acceptance and audit inspection of longitudinal scientific research projects, the problem of budget and final accounts is more serious, among which is a prominent deviation problem. Therefore, the relevant management departments should stress the analysis of each problem in the budget and final accounts of longitudinal scientific research funds in colleges and universities at present. Based on budgeting, project optimization, subject control and other aspects, departments should focus on solving various problems and realize the optimal allocation of longitudinal scientific research funds in colleges and universities.

Research on the Problems Existing in the Budget and Final Accounts of Longitudinal Scientific Research Funds in Colleges and Universities

Research on the Problems Existing in the Budget and Final Accounts of Longitudinal Scientific Research Funds in Colleges and Universities

Role of molecular markers in glioblastoma patients of Pakistan

Abstract Background Glioma is the most common primary brain malignancy with a largely unknown pathogenesis, although complex genetic abnormalities are thought to contribute to disease development. Several independent studies have investigated the expression of Epidermal Growth Factor Receptor (EGFR), Cyclooxygenase 2 (COX-2), p53 and Cyclin D1 in gliomas. However, conflicting evidence exists for expression and prognostic significance of these markers in glioma. Furthermore, no work relating to these genes has been performed on the glioma population of Pakistan. Our objective was to investigate the expression and prognostic significance of molecular markers p53, EGFR, COX-2 and Cyclin D1 in glioma in the Pakistani population. Methods Immunohistochemistry of markers p53, EGFR, COX-2 and Cyclin D1 was performed on 100 formalin-fixed paraffin-embedded specimens of patients diagnosed and treated atAga Khan University Hospital, Karachi, Pakistan. Expression was correlated with patient clinicopathological characteristics and overall survival. Results The prevalence of expression of Cyclin D1, EGFR, COX-2, and p53 was 57%, 52%, 54% and 39%, respectively. p53 and EGFR expression were positively correlated with younger and older age respectively. Chi squared test revealed a significant association between EGFR and Cyclin D1, with EGFR expression decreasing with increasing strength of Cyclin D1 staining. Only patient age was found to be a significant predictor for overall survival. Conclusions There is a relatively low prevalence of COX-2 and EGFR in the Pakistani population as compared to published literature. We also observed a correlation between EGFR and Cyclin D1 expression. The use of these biomarkers as targets for personalized therapies is worth investigating in the Pakistani population. Legal entity responsible for the study Aga Khan University, Karachi, Pakistan. Funding University Research Council, Aga Khan University, Karachi, Pakistan. Disclosure All authors have declared no conflicts of interest.

The Influence of Ketogenic Diets on Psoriasiform-Like Skin Inflammation

The Influence of Ketogenic Diets on Psoriasiform-Like Skin Inflammation

1994P - Low LATS2 expression is associated with poor prognosis in non small cell lung cancer

BackgroundLarge tumor suppressor kinase 2 (LATS2) is one of the core components in the Hippo signaling pathway, and it functions as a tumor suppressor associated with regulating tumor cell proliferation and apoptosis. Dysregulated LATS2 expression has been reported in various human cancers. The purpose of this study is to explore LATS2 expression and its clinicopathological significance in non-small cell lung cancer (NSCLC) and its subtypes. MethodsWe examined LATS2 protein expression by immunohistochemistry in 184 resected NSCLC specimens on tissue microarray. We also reviewed the clinical data and performed a clinicopathological analysis. ResultsOf 184 lung cancer specimens, 40 (21.7%) showed low LATS2 expression. Low LATS2 expression was significantly correlated with disease recurrence (p=0.047) and low LATS2 expression had a tendency of poor prognostic clinicopathological features including large tumor size, the presence of vascular and lymphatic invasion and distant metastasis. The low LATS2 expression group showed a statistically poorer overall survival (OS) (p=0.004) and disease-free survival (DFS) (p=0.014) than did the high expression group in Kaplan-Meier analysis with log-rank test. In multivariate analysis with the Cox proportional hazards model, downregulated LATS2 expression in NSCLC was an independent prognostic factor of poor OS and DFS. Furthermore, we evaluated the prognostic significance of LATS2 expression in two major subtypes of NSCLC, squamous cell carcinoma and adenocarcinoma, using the Kaplan-Meier curves with log-rank test. In both squamous cell carcinoma and adenocarcinoma, low LATS2 expression group showed worse prognosis than high LATS2 expression group (OS (p=0.144), DFS (p=0.022) in squamous cell carcinoma and OS (p=0.045), DFS (p=0.271) in adenocarcinoma). ConclusionsIn conclusion, we demonstrated that downregulated LATS2 expression may predict aggressive biologic behavior and a worse prognosis in NSCLC and we also suggested the possibility of LATS2 as a therapeutic target in both squamous cell carcinoma and adenocarcinoma of the lung. Legal entity responsible for the studyThe authors. FundingSoonchunhyang University Research Fund. DisclosureAll authors have declared no conflicts of interest.

P5530The low expression of circulating microRNA-19a represents an additional mortality risk in stable patients with vascular disease

Abstract Background Secondary prevention of atherosclerotic vascular diseases represents a cascade of procedures to reduce the risk of future fatal and non-fatal cardiovascular events. We sought to determine whether the expression of selected microRNAs influenced mortality of stable chronic cardiovascular patients. Methods The plasma concentrations of five selected microRNAs (miR-1, miR-19, miR-126, miR-133 and miR-223) were quantified in 826 patients (mean age 65.2 years) with stable vascular disease (6–36 months after acute coronary syndrome, coronary revascularization or first-ever ischemic stroke). All-cause and cardiovascular mortality rates were followed during our prospective study. Results Low expression (bottom quartile) of all five miRNAs was associated with a significant increase in five-year all-cause death, even when adjusted for conventional risk factors, treatment, raised troponin I and brain natriuretic protein levels [hazard risk ratios (HRRs) were as follows: miR-1, 1.65 (95% CI: 1.16–2.35); miR-19a, 2.27 (95% CI: 1.59–3.23); miR-126, 1.64 (95% CI: 1.15–2.33); miR-133a, 1.46 (95% CI: 1.01–2.12) and miR-223, 2.05 (95% CI: 1.45–2.91)]. Nearly similar results were found if using five-year cardiovascular mortality as the outcome. However, if entering all five miRNAs (along with other covariates) into a single regression model, only low miR-19a remained a significant mortality predictor; and only in patients with coronary artery disease [3.00 (95% CI: 1.77–5.08)], but not in post-stroke patients [1.63 (95% CI: 0.94–2.86)]. Conclusions In stable chronic coronary artery disease patients, low miR-19a expression was associated with a substantial increase in mortality risk independently of other conventional cardiovascular risk factors. Acknowledgement/Funding Health Development Agency of the Czech Ministry of Health [project 17-29520A], Charles University Research Fund (PROGRES, project Q39)

P3672Effects of inhaled nitrite in addition to sildenafil in thalassemia patients with pulmonary hypertension

Abstract Background Pulmonary hypertension is the major morbidity and mortality in patients with thalassemia. Recent studies have found that inhaled nebulized nitrite can significantly decrease pulmonary pressure in immediate response, but data are needed to determine its clinical benefits. Methods We conducted a multicenter, randomized, double-blind, placebo-controlled trial including thalassemia patients with symptomatic pulmonary hypertension, diagnosed by right heart catheterization and were currently treated with sildenafil. Patients continued the optimum dose of sildenafil and were randomly assigned into 2 groups; the treatment group and the control group. The treatment group was given 30 mg of inhaled nebulized nitrite twice a day for 3 months while the control group was given inhaled normal saline. The outcomes were the improvement of clinical and echocardiographic parameters at 1 and 3 months. Results A total of 12 patients were recruited, 5 were assigned to the treatment group and 7 to the control group. The median of sildenafil in both group were 60 mg/day. Treatment with the inhaled nebulized nitrite in addition to sildenafil significantly reduced the mean pulmonary artery pressure at 3 months when compared to placebo (median −7.30 mmHg in treatment group vs +2.30 mmHg in control group, P=0.016). In the treatment group, the median 6-minute walk distance was significantly increased from 380 m to 427 m. at 1 month (P=0.043) but there was no significant difference in the median change of 6-minute walk distance when compared to control group at 3 months (+48 m. in treatment group vs +17.5 m. in control group, P=0.286). No significant difference in NT-proBNP change between the two groups was detected. There were no hypotension or other major adverse effects in the treatment group. Clinical and Echoparemeters Outcome Conclusions The addition of inhaled nebulized nitrite to sildenafil can decrease mean pulmonary pressure and has a tendency to improve six minutes walk distance in thalassemia patients with pulmonary hypertension. Acknowledgement/Funding Cooley's anemia foundation, Mahidol university research funding

1890P - Ultra-sensitive detection of circulating tumor DNA identifies patients in high risk of recurrence in early stages melanoma

BackgroundUp to 70% of patients with resected high-risk melanoma develop disease recurrence within 5 years. Adjuvant immunotherapy or targeted therapy can reduce the recurrence rate below approximately 60%; however, it is at the cost of possible toxicity including long-term side effects. We hypothesize that detection of plasma-derived circulating tumor DNA (ctDNA) from patients with resected melanoma can identify patients in high-risk of disease recurrence. MethodsWe developed an ultrasensitive and specific droplet digital PCR – based method (Bio-Rad) to detect BRAFV600E-mutated ctDNA in pre-amplified cell-free DNA with sensitivity up to 1 mutant copy in the wild-type background. Plasma samples from patients with surgically resectable melanoma and BRAFV600E mutation in tumor tissue were collected on the day of surgery and during follow-up visits for BRAFV600E ctDNA detection. Results were correlated with clinical outcomes. ResultsTotal of 23 patients with resectable melanoma (stage 1, n=7; stage 2, n=9; stage 3, n=6; stage 0, n=1) with BRAFV600E mutation in tumor tissue were enrolled. BRAFV600E-mutated ctDNA was detected in 11 (48%) patients before surgery and in 8 (35%) patients after surgery. Patients with ctDNA in samples collected after surgery had more disease recurrences (4/8, 50% vs. 0/11, 0%; P=0.02) and shorter disease-free survival than patients without ctDNA in samples collected after surgery (P=0.03). ConclusionsOur early data demonstrate that ultrasensitive droplet digital PCR method can detect ctDNA in patients with resectable melanoma and that patients with detectable ctDNA in blood samples collected after surgery have superior disease-free survival. Legal entity responsible for the studyThe authors. FundingThe Sabine Family Foundation (Filip Janku), the Sheikh Khalifa Al Nahyan Ben Zayed Institute for Personalized Cancer Therapy (Filip Janku), the Institution Research Grant MD Anderson (Filip Janku), Rising Tide Foundation for Cancer Research (Filip Janku), the National Institute of Health through MD Anderson Cancer Center (P30 CA016672), MH CZ—DRO (Faculty Hospital Plzen—FNPl, 00669806), by the Charles University Research Fund (Progres Q39), and by the National Sustainability Program I (NPU I) Nr. LO1503 provided by the Ministry of Education Youth and Sports of the Czech Republic. DisclosureF. Janku: Research grant / Funding (institution): Novartis; Research grant / Funding (institution): Genentech; Research grant / Funding (institution): BioMed Valley Discoveries; Research grant / Funding (institution): Astellas; Research grant / Funding (institution): Agios; Research grant / Funding (institution): Plexxikon; Advisory / Consultancy, Research grant / Funding (institution): Deciphera; Research grant / Funding (institution): Piqur; Research grant / Funding (institution): Symphogen; Research grant / Funding (institution): BMS; Research grant / Funding (institution): Asana; Advisory / Consultancy: Guardant Health; Advisory / Consultancy: IFM Therapeutics; Advisory / Consultancy: Synlogic; Advisory / Consultancy, Shareholder / Stockholder / Stock options: Trovagene; Advisory / Consultancy: Immunomet; Non-remunerated activity/ies, instrument loan: BioRad. All other authors have declared no conflicts of interest.

The Influence of Personal and Organizational Factors on Researchers’ Attitudes towards Sustainable Research Productivity in Saudi Universities

Purpose: This paper studies organisational and personal factors affecting the behaviour of academic staff in Saudi universities. It seeks to investigate the beliefs of academic staff regarding the use of ICT and other factors to enhance the productivity of their scientific research. Also, this study aims to improve the sustainability of publication in Saudi universities. ICT includes using the library system for accessing research repository databases such as Science Direct, Web of Science, Scopus, etc. and other factors. The authors also developed the Importance Performance Map Analysis (IPMA) for these factors in order to provide guidelines for Saudi universities to build university systems to manage and measure the research productivity of academic staff. In summary, this research identifies factors critical to enhancing research productivity in Saudi universities. This will help to improve the sustainability of publication in Saudi universities. By enhancing the sustainability of publication, the reputation of Saudi universities will be improved and the reputation of academic staff in Saudi universities. As well the sustainability of publication will assist the promote of Saudi academic staff. Approach: This paper analysed 200 papers related to the enhancement of research productivity from various research databases such as Science Direct, IEEE and Scopus. We included the usage of ICT in research analysis, university policy, university research funding and the number of publications published by academic staff. The authors used different databases and systematic literature reviews (SLR) to find the most important factors which could improve research productivity in universities. An online questionnaire answered by 375 academic staff from four developing Saudi universities that are Taif University, Taibah University, Jeddah University, Hail University—was used to determine the relationship between information technology factors and research performance together with other factors such as university policy, international collaboration, research funding and job satisfaction. In this study, we used SmartPLS v3 to analyse the results from the questionnaires. Findings: The results show that personal factors such as personal use of ICT and organisational factors such as job satisfaction, university policy, IT funding, international collaboration and the level of ICT use in the university have positive effects on scientific research productivity among academic staff at Saudi universities. Those results are based on the beliefs of academic staff regarding the use of information technology for research purposes and other factors. This paper finds that university policy recorded an importance of 0.523, job satisfaction was 0.224, international collaboration was 0.103, personal use of ICT was 0.102, the level of using ICT in the university was 0.074 and the importance of ICT funding was –0.156. Also, the results from SmartPLS show that university policy has a 0.215 effect size on research performance, job satisfaction has a 0.045 effect size on research performance, international collaboration has a 0.009 effect size on research performance, personal use of ICT has a 0.011 effect size on research performance, a university’s use of ICT has a 0.006 effect size on research performance and ICT funding has a 0.014 effect size on the research performance of academic staff in Saudi universities. These results will help to improve the sustainability of publication in Saudi universities in order to enhance the universities’ rankings and the reputation of academic staff. Sustainability is a target for any organization, both for profit-making entities or non-profit organizations such as universities. This means that Saudi universities should enhance the sustainability of their publication. In order to achieves the goals of higher education institutions. Originality: No study has investigated the factors affecting the performance of academic staff in Arab countries, especially in Saudi universities. Therefore, the originality of this study resides in being the first study to investigate the impact of researchers’ attitudes to enhancing the research productivity performance of researchers in Saudi universities. Also, it is one of the few studies which discusses sustainability in Saudi universities.

Financiamento à pesquisa: a vantagem competitiva analisada sob a ótica da Visão Baseada em Recursos

As universidades se encontram em um ambiente competitivo, por isso o objetivo deste artigo foi analisar recursos que podem ser fonte de vantagem competitiva, para a obtenção de fundos de financiamento à pesquisa nas universidades públicas federais da região sul do Brasil. Por meio de entrevistas semiestruturadas, com professores/pesquisadores de quatro universidades públicas foram analisados e encontrados os seguintes recursos que na percepção dos entrevistados geram vantagem competitiva, a) Pesquisadores; b) Relacionamentos do pesquisador; c) Estrutura de suporte à pesquisa; d) Reputação da Universidade; e) Avaliação da CAPES; f) Relacionamentos da universidade; e g) Estrutura física da Universidade. Tomando-se como base a RBV para análise da vantagem competitiva conclui-se que o pesquisador e seu know-how é fundamental para obter financiamento, pois de acordo com sua habilidade e capacidade, há maiores chances da obtenção de financiamento para realização das pesquisas; a existência de estrutura de suporte à pesquisa - suporte técnico e operacional ao pesquisador oferecida pela universidade - possibilita ao pesquisador dedicar mais tempo para a pesquisa e não para detalhes operacionais; os relacionamentos, seja dos pesquisadores ou das universidades, ampliam a fronteira na qual podem buscar recursos; a reputação da universidade e a avaliação da CAPES são recursos que se relacionam, pois a melhor reputação da universidade pode estar associada à melhor avaliação da CAPES, possibilitando que os pesquisadores tenham mais facilidade ao acesso de fontes de financiamento. Todos esses recursos geram algum tipo de vantagem competitiva aos pesquisadores. No entanto, com relação a estrutura física, nesse contexto, não observou-se indícios de que poderia gerar vantagem competitiva.

Investigating Interdisciplinary Practice: Methodological Challenges (Introduction)

Investigating Interdisciplinary Practice: Methodological Challenges (Introduction)

Comparison of Radical Scavenging Capacities of Eleven Sargassum Species Grown off the Korean Coast (P06-082-19)

ObjectivesSargassum (S) species, a marine brown alga consumed in Asian countries, have various health benefits, such as improving the conditions of cardiovascular disease, osteoarthritis, and hypopigmentation. And these benefits are associated with their strong antioxidant capacities. However, antioxidant capacities of S. species have not been thoroughly explored and compared. Therefore, the purpose of this study was to compare the antioxidant capacities of eleven S. species grown off the Korean coast. MethodsEthanol extracts of eleven S. Species (S. hemiphyllum, S. coreanum, S. horneri, S. Confusum, S. siliquastrum, S. miyabei, S. Serratifolium, S. filicinum, S. Micracanthum, S. macrocarpum, and S. yendoi) provided by National Marine Biodiversity Institute of Korea were evaporated. The powdered samples were dissolved in 80% methanol as 100 mg/L to measure ABTS, DPPH, and superoxide radical scavenging activities. For the ABTS and DPPH radical scavenging capacities, the antioxidant capacities were expressed as mg vitamin C equivalent antioxidant capacity (VCEAC)/100 mg. For the superoxide radical scavenging capacity, inhibition rate of superoxide radical generation (%) was calculated. ResultsAmong eleven species, four showed notable radical scavenging capacities including S. miyabei, S. hemiphyllum, S. filicinum, and S. serratifolium. For DPPH radical scavenging capacity, S. miyabei showed the greatest antioxidant capacity (193.6 mg VCEAC/100 mg) followed by S. hemiphyllum, (137.9), S. filicinum (78.2), and S. serratifolium (75.4). For ABTS radical scavenging capacity, S. hemiphyllum showed the greatest capacity as 205.7 mg VCEAC/100 mg followed by S. miyabei (186.2), S. filicinum (140.1), and S. serratifolium (99.5). S. hemiphyllum inhibited about 52% of superoxide radical generation followed by S. miyabei (43.7%), S. filicinum (40.4%) and S. serratifolium (34.8%). Vitamin C as positive control inhibited 34.7% of superoxide radical generation. ConclusionsOur results exhibited that various S. species showed different antioxidant capacities, indicating the different compositions and proportions of antioxidant compounds in the species. Therefore, further study is warranted to investigate bioactive compounds of the S. species based on our screening. Funding SourcesThis research was supported by the Pukyong National University Research Fund (2018).

Adaptation to Amino Acid Kinetics and Urea Production in Adult Cats (Felis catus) Fed Below Their Protein Requirement (P09-008-19)

ObjectivesCats are obligate carnivores that evolved eating meat-based diets and have high requirements for amino acids (AA). However, little is known about how they regulate AA metabolism, especially at intakes below their requirement. This study was undertaken to examine the effect of dietary protein level above and below their requirement on urea production and AA metabolism in cats. MethodsCats (n = 18) were allocated to three treatments (7.5, 15, or 40% ME intake as crude protein), fed at maintenance for 3 wk, and then fitted with saphanous and cephalic vein catheters. On the following day, they received primed continuous infusions of [13C]bicarbonate, [1-13C]Leu and [15N2]urea from 0 to 120, 120 to 480 and 0 to 480 min, respectively. Cats were fed hourly during infusion and Leu entry rate from diet was calculated. Breath was sampled at 0, 100, 110, 120, 440, 460, and 480 min to measure 13CO2, with blood sampled at 0, 440, 460, and 480 min to measure 13C enrichments in Leu and ketoisocaproate, and [15N2]urea. ResultsValues for non-oxidative Leu disposal (NOLD, an indicator of protein synthesis), Leu rate of appearance in plasma (Ra, an indicator of protein degradation), Leu oxidation, and urea production rate (an indicator of net protein catabolism) are shown in Table 1. There were no differences in any measurements in cats fed at (15%) or below (7.5%) their requirement for protein. However, those fed with 7.5% of ME intake as crude protein had numerically lowest rates of whole body AA catabolism and oxidation, whereas, Leu Ra was numerically greatest. ConclusionsUsing Leu kinetics to trace AA metabolism, there did not seem to be a difference between cats fed at or below their requirement for protein. This may indicate that cats are able to adapt to dietary protein content more than what was previously believed. Funding SourcesMassey University Research Fund, and the McGeorge Research Fund Supporting Tables, Images and/or Graphs▪

Analysis of Total Antioxidant Capacities of Various Seaweeds Grown off the Korean Coast (P06-110-19)

ObjectivesIt has been a long time since seaweeds have been used for food ingredients in Asian countries. Recently, a body of research has revealed the health benefits of bioactive compounds in seaweeds, especially their antioxidant capacities. Although numerous seaweeds inhabit in the ocean, only a small percentage has been explored for functional food. Therefore, the purpose of this study was to analyze the antioxidant capacities of various seaweeds grown off the Korean coast to screen for the potential functional food sources. MethodsTen ethanol extracts of Korean seaweeds were provided by the National Marine Biodiversity Institute of Korea, which included Scytosiphon gracilis, Scytosiphon lomentaria, Sargassum muticum, Sargassum confusum, Petrospongium rugosum, Sargassum fusiforme, Petalonia fascia, Sargassum nigrifolium, Ishige foliacea, and Myelophycus simplex. Hundred mg/L of samples in 80% methanol was used to measure their ABTS, DPPH, and superoxide radical scavenging activities. Mg vitamin C equivalent antioxidant capacity (VCEAC)/100 mg was used to express the ABTS and DPPH radical scavenging capacities. For the superoxide radical scavenging capacity, inhibition rate of superoxide radical generation (%) was calculated. ResultsAmong the ten seaweeds, S. nigrifolium and I. foliacea exhibited the most significant radical scavenging capacities. DPPH radical scavenging capacities of I. foliacea and S. nigrifolium were 122.4 mg VCEAC/100 mg and 95.8 mg VCEAC/100 mg, respectively. For ABTS radical scavenging capacity, I. foliacea exhibited 178.5 mg VCEAC/100 mg, followed by S. nigrifolium as 80.9 mg VCEAC/100 mg. I. foliacea inhibited about 68% of superoxide radical generation followed by S. nigrifolium (40.6%) while vitamin C as positive control inhibited about 28.9% of superoxide radical generation. The antioxidant capacities measured by the three assays were positively correlated with each other. ConclusionsThe current study explored total antioxidant capacities of various Korean seaweeds and found I. foliacea and S. nigrifolium as the most potential antioxidant-rich food resources. Further research would be warranted to investigate bioactive compounds from S. nigrifolium and I. foliacea. Funding SourcesThis work was supported by the Pukyong National University Research Fund in 2018.

The Use of Traditional Risk Factors to Identify Children at Risk of Prediabetes May Miss Children in Some Ethnic Groups (P11-122-19)

ObjectivesTo explore indicators of T2DM risk in a multi-ethnic group of children, using HbA1c as the dependent variable. MethodsThis data was from a subset of the 730 children recruited for the Children’s Bone Study, a cross-sectional study of 8–11 year-old children in Auckland, New Zealand. Glycated haemoglobin (HbA1c) was measured from a finger-prick blood test (Roche Cobas). Anthropometry included weight, height, waist-to-height ratio (WtHR) and percentage body fat (%BF). Ethnicity, gender, age, and physical activity (PA) were assessed by questionnaires completed by the parents or guardians. Regression analysis was used to explore which independent variables best predicted variance in HbA1c. ResultsWhen children (n = 451, 10.4 + 0.6 years, 45% male) were classified by glycaemic status, 71 (15.7%) had HbA1c levels indicative of prediabetes (> 39mmol/mol), with Pacific (n = 29, 27.4%) and South Asian (n = 13, 29.5%) children, more likely to be prediabetic compared to European children (n = 10, 6.3%) (P < 0.001). WtHR and %BF together with South Asian and Pacific Island ethnicity were the most significant risk factors for elevated HbA1c and prediabetes. However, a normal %BF was still observed in 35% of children with HbA1c > 39mmol/mol, although the majority of Pacific children were in the at risk group. ConclusionsSouth Asian and Pacific Island adults are at high risk of T2DM compared with the total New Zealand population. The prevalence of elevated HbA1c in children of these ethnicities suggests that the risk is present early in life, supporting the need for early identification and interventions in childhood to halt the progression to T2DM. Funding SourcesMassey University Research Fund.