Liquid biopsy for diagnosing epithelial ovarian cancer: quantification of cell-free DNA and p53 mutational analysis.

Objective: To isolate and quantify cell-free DNA, analysis for p53 mutations, and correlation with tumor burden in women with epithelial ovarian cancer compared with benign and borderline epithelial ovarian tumors.

Methods: In this case-control study, plasma samples of eligible women collected 1 hour before surgery and based on final histopathology, women with epithelial ovarian cancer recruited as cases and borderline, and benign ovarian tumors as controls. Cell-free DNA extracted from plasma serum and quantified using Nanodrop Spectrophotometer.

Scottish Open Fractures of Tibia (SOFT) audit; a multi-centre retrospective review of ortho-plastic management of tibial shaft fractures at major trauma centres (MTCs) in Scotland.

Aims: Open fractures of the tibia are associated with significant complications, for which attempts have been made to standardise and optimise their management. In the UK, this standard is the British Orthopaedic Association Standards for Trauma (BOAST) guidelines. The Scottish Open Fracture of Tibia (SOFT) Audit is a national review of open tibial shaft fractures across all four Scottish Trauma Networks, which aims to provide a definite review of ortho-plastic care for open tibial shaft fractures in Scotland.

Ectopic expression of DNMT3L in human trophoblast stem cells restores features of the placental methylome.

The placental DNA methylation landscape is unique, with widespread partially methylated domains (PMDs). The placental "methylome" is conserved across mammals, a shared feature of many cancers, and extensively studied for links with pregnancy complications. Human trophoblast stem cells (hTSCs) offer exciting potential for functional studies to better understand this epigenetic feature; however, whether the hTSC epigenome recapitulates primary trophoblast remains unclear.

Deconstruction of Alkali Lignin and Lignocellulosic Substrates by DY1 Isolated from Rotten Wood.

The present study reports the ability of a fungal isolate DY1, obtained from rotten wood, to degrade alkali lignin (AL) and lignocelluloses in an efficient manner. The efficiency of degradation was monitored by measuring the percentage of decolorization and utilizing GC-MS for identifying degradation products at different time intervals (10, 20, 30, and 40 days). The optimal degradation of alkali lignin (AL) was achieved at 0.