Best practice in the treatment of advanced squamous cell lung cancer.

The management of advanced stage nonsmall cell lung cancer (NSCLC) has been altered by the recognition of histology-based treatment and the use of targeted therapy. Whilst outcomes have improved with adenocarcinoma, treatment options are still limited in advanced stage squamous cell lung cancer. With advances in the molecular characterization of squamous cell cancers (SCCs), new potential targets have been identified.

Deregulation of the FOXM1 target gene network and its coregulatory partners in oesophageal adenocarcinoma.

Background: Survival rates for oesophageal adenocarcinoma (OAC) remain disappointingly poor and current conventional treatment modalities have minimal impact on long-term survival. This is partly due to a lack of understanding of the molecular changes that occur in this disease. Previous studies have indicated that the transcription factor FOXM1 is commonly upregulated in this cancer type but the impact of this overexpression on gene expression in the context of OAC is largely unknown.

BOB CAT: A Large-Scale Review and Delphi Consensus for Management of Barrett's Esophagus With No Dysplasia, Indefinite for, or Low-Grade Dysplasia.

Objectives: Barrett's esophagus (BE) is a common premalignant lesion for which surveillance is recommended. This strategy is limited by considerable variations in clinical practice. We conducted an international, multidisciplinary, systematic search and evidence-based review of BE and provided consensus recommendations for clinical use in patients with nondysplastic, indefinite, and low-grade dysplasia (LGD).

Assessing youth offenders in a non-Western context: The predictive validity of the YLS/CMI ratings.

Empirical support for the usage of the Youth Level of Service measures has been reported in studies conducted in the North America, United Kingdom, and Australia. Recent meta-analytic studies on the Youth Level of Service/Case Management Inventory (YLS/CMI) have revealed that the measure has modest to moderate predictive validity for general recidivism, but there are very few studies on the predictive validity of the YLS/CMI ratings for recidivism in non-Western contexts. This study examined the predictive validity of the YLS/CMI 2.

Quantum ratchet in two-dimensional semiconductors with Rashba spin-orbit interaction.

Ratchet is a device that produces direct current of particles when driven by an unbiased force. We demonstrate a simple scattering quantum ratchet based on an asymmetrical quantum tunneling effect in two-dimensional electron gas with Rashba spin-orbit interaction (R2DEG). We consider the tunneling of electrons across a square potential barrier sandwiched by interface scattering potentials of unequal strengths on its either sides.

Tailored chondroitin sulfate glycomimetics a tunable multivalent scaffold for potentiating NGF/TrkA-induced neurogenesis.

The challenges inherent in the synthesis of large glycosaminoglycan (GAG) polysaccharides have made chemically accessible multivalent glycoligands a valuable tool in the field of GAG mimetics. However, the difficulty of positioning sulfated sugar motifs at desired sites has hindered efforts to precisely tailor their biofunctions. Here, we achieved precise orientation of sulfated disaccharide motifs by taking advantage of a structurally well-defined polyproline scaffold, and describe systematic explorations into the importance of the spatial arrangement of sulfated sugars along the scaffold backbone in designing multivalent glycoligands.

Improvement over time in outcomes for patients undergoing endoscopic therapy for Barrett's oesophagus-related neoplasia: 6-year experience from the first 500 patients treated in the UK patient registry.

Background: Barrett's oesophagus (BE) is a pre-malignant condition leading to oesophageal adenocarcinoma (OAC). Treatment of neoplasia at an early stage is desirable. Combined endoscopic mucosal resection (EMR) followed by radiofrequency ablation (RFA) is an alternative to surgery for patients with BE-related neoplasia.

Polymorphisms near TBX5 and GDF7 are associated with increased risk for Barrett's esophagus.

Background & Aims: Barrett's esophagus (BE) increases the risk of esophageal adenocarcinoma (EAC). We found the risk to be BE has been associated with single nucleotide polymorphisms (SNPs) on chromosome 6p21 (within the HLA region) and on 16q23, where the closest protein-coding gene is FOXF1. Subsequently, the Barrett's and Esophageal Adenocarcinoma Consortium (BEACON) identified risk loci for BE and esophageal adenocarcinoma near CRTC1 and BARX1, and within 100 kb of FOXP1.

Toehold-mediated internal control to probe the near-field interaction between the metallic nanoparticle and the fluorophore.

Metallic nanoparticles (MNPs) are known to alter the emission of vicinal fluorophores through the near-field interaction, leading to either fluorescence quenching or enhancement. Much ambiguity remains in the experimental outcome of such a near-field interaction, particularly for bulk colloidal solution. It is hypothesized that the strong far-field interference from the inner filter effect of the MNPs could mask the true near-field MNP-fluorophore interaction significantly.

Polymorphisms of MTHFR and susceptibility to oesophageal adenocarcinoma in a Caucasian United Kingdom population.

Aim: To identify if methylene tetra-hydrofolatereductase (MTHFR) C677T polymorphisms are associated with oesophageal adenocarcinomas in a Caucasian population and to test whether folic acid and homocysteine levels are linked with cancer risk.

Methods: A case control study comprising of 58 non cancer and 48 cancer patients, MTHFR C667T genotyping was made and serum folate, homocysteine and vitamin B12 levels were made. Tumour stage, differentiation and survival was recorded.

Esophageal capsule endoscopy is a useful tool in patients with hemophilia.

Esophageal capsule endoscopy (ECE) is considered to be an alternative to conventional esophagogastroduodenoscopy (EGD); however, its indications continue to expand. This report presents results from the use of ECE in patients with hemophilia at a tertiary referral academic center over a 7-year period. A total of 16 patients with hemophilia, who were all at risk of new-variant Creutzfeldt-Jakob disease due to previous treatment with UK plasma-derived pooled blood products, underwent a total of 28 ECE examinations.

iTRAQ quantitative clinical proteomics revealed role of Na(+)K(+)-ATPase and its correlation with deamidation in vascular dementia.

Dementia is a major public health burden characterized by impaired cognition and loss of function. There are limited treatment options due to inadequate understanding of its pathophysiology and underlying causative mechanisms. Discovery-driven iTRAQ-based quantitative proteomics techniques were applied on frozen brain samples to profile the proteome from vascular dementia (VaD) and age-matched nondementia controls to elucidate the perturbed pathways contributing to pathophysiology of VaD.

Construction and validation of a regulatory network for pluripotency and self-renewal of mouse embryonic stem cells.

A 30-node signed and directed network responsible for self-renewal and pluripotency of mouse embryonic stem cells (mESCs) was extracted from several ChIP-Seq and knockdown followed by expression prior studies. The underlying regulatory logic among network components was then learned using the initial network topology and single cell gene expression measurements from mESCs cultured in serum/LIF or serum-free 2i/LIF conditions. Comparing the learned network regulatory logic derived from cells cultured in serum/LIF vs.

Engineering self-contained DNA circuit for proximity recognition and localized signal amplification of target biomolecules.

Biomolecular interactions have important cellular implications, however, a simple method for the sensing of such proximal events is lacking in the current molecular toolbox. We designed a dynamic DNA circuit capable of recognizing targets in close proximity to initiate a pre-programmed signal transduction process resulting in localized signal amplification. The entire circuit was engineered to be self-contained, i.

Differential perceptions of quality of life (QoL) in community-dwelling persons with mild-to-moderate dementia.

Background: Discordance between patient- and caregiver-reported quality of life (QoL) is well recognized. This study sought to (i) identify predictors of discrepancy between patient- and caregiver-rated QoL amongst community-dwelling persons with mild-to-moderate dementia, and (ii) differentiate between patients who systematically rate their QoL lower versus those who rate their QoL higher relative to their caregiver ratings.

Methods: We recruited 165 patient-caregiver dyads with mild-to-moderate dementia.

Influence of extraction conditions on antioxidant properties of passion fruit (Passiflora edulis) peel.

Background: As a by-product of tropical fruit juice industry, passion fruit peel is a valuable functional food. It is rich in antioxidants. To determine its potential antioxidant properties of passion fruit peel, this study aimed to evaluate the effect of extraction conditions on total phenolic content and antioxidant activity.

A workplace email-linked website intervention for modifying cancer-related dietary and lifestyle risk factors: rationale, design and baseline findings.

Introduction: The use of email and website as channels for workplace health information delivery is not fully explored. This study aims to describe the rationale, design, and baseline findings of an email-linked website intervention to improve modifiable cancer risk factors.

Methods: Employees of a Malaysian public university were recruited by systematic random sampling and randomised into an intervention (n = 174) or control group (n = 165).

Immunohistochemical assessment of NY-ESO-1 expression in esophageal adenocarcinoma resection specimens.

Aim: To assess NY-ESO-1 expression in a cohort of esophageal adenocarcinomas.

Methods: A retrospective search of our tissue archive for esophageal resection specimens containing esophageal adenocarcinoma was performed, for cases which had previously been reported for diagnostic purposes, using the systematised nomenclature of human and veterinary medicine coding system. Original haematoxylin and eosin stained sections were reviewed, using light microscopy, to confirm classification and tumour differentiation.

Chiral-like tunneling of electrons in two-dimensional semiconductors with Rashba spin-orbit coupling.

The unusual tunneling effects of massless chiral fermions (mCF) and massive chiral fermions (MCF) in a single layer graphene and bilayer graphene represent some of the most bizarre quantum transport phenomena in condensed matter system. Here we show that in a two-dimensional semiconductor with Rashba spin-orbit coupling (R2DEG), the real-spin chiral-like tunneling of electrons at normal incidence simultaneously exhibits features of mCF and MCF. The parabolic branch of opposite spin in R2DEG crosses at a Dirac-like point and has a band turning point.

Combinatorial bead-based peptide libraries improved for rapid and robust screenings.

In pursuit of utilizing combinatorial peptide libraries on beads, rapid and robust screening is one of the key steps for the success of high-throughput process. We have introduced improved structural features that greatly facilitate a MALDI-MS/MS-based sequencing, associated with easy and fast synthesis and analysis of such libraries. Whilst commonly used MS-based analysis involves in sophisticated procedures such as ladder synthesis, encoding tags are not required in our MS/MS-based sequencing platform.

Using seemingly unnecessary illustrations to improve the diagnostic usefulness of descriptions in taxonomy-a case study on Perochaeta orientalis (Diptera, Sepsidae).

Many species descriptions, especially older ones, consist mostly of text and have few illustrations. Only the most conspicuous morphological features needed for species diagnosis and delimitation at the time of description are illustrated. Such descriptions can quickly become inadequate when new species or characters are discovered.