Photosynthetic Activities, Phytohormones, and Secondary Metabolites Induction in Plants by Prevailing Compost Residue.

Compost residue enriches soil health with the potential to enhance plant metabolism and hormonal balance, but has not yet been studied. A study was performed to determine how prevailing compost residue induces tomato ( 'Scotia') plant morpho-physiology, phytohormones, and secondary metabolites. Plants were grown in soils with a previous history of annual (AN) and biennial (BI) compost amendments.

Global use and outcomes of the hearWHO mHealth hearing test.

Objectives: The objective of this study was to examine the uptake, user characteristics, and performance of the free WHO smartphone hearing screening test () as a global hearing health promotion initiative.

Method: We retrospectively examined the data of 242 626 tests conducted by adults (> 18 years) on the app between February 2019 and May 2021. Test uptake was evaluated by country, WHO world region, test date, and demographics of age and gender.

Tumor suppressor immune gene therapy to reverse immunotherapy resistance.

Background: While immune checkpoint inhibitors are becoming a standard of care for multiple types of cancer, the majority of patients do not respond to this form of immunotherapy. New approaches are required to overcome resistance to immunotherapies.

Methods: We investigated the effects of adenoviral p53 (Ad-p53) gene therapy in combination with immune checkpoint inhibitors and selective IL2 or IL15 CD122/132 agonists in the aggressive B16F10 tumor model resistant to immunotherapies.

Analysis of Adenoviral p53 Gene Therapy Clinical Trials in Recurrent Head and Neck Squamous Cell Carcinoma.

Background: We conducted an analysis of previous adenoviral p53 (Ad-p53) treatment data in recurrent head and neck squamous cell carcinoma (HNSCC) patients to identify optimal Ad-p53 treatment methods for future clinical trials.

Methods: The analysis involved recurrent HNSCC patients treated with Ad-p53 for whom p53 genotyping and immunohistochemistry tumor biomarker studies had been performed (n = 70). Ad-p53 tumor treatment responses defined by RECIST 1.

An efficient approach for physical actions classification using surface EMG signals.

Physical actions classification of surface electromyography (sEMG) signal is required in applications like prosthesis, and robotic control etc. In this paper, tunable-Q factor wavelet transform (TQWT) based algorithm is proposed for the classification of physical actions such as clapping, hugging, bowing, handshaking, standing, running, jumping, waving, seating, and walking. sEMG signal is decomposed into sub-bands by TQWT.

Semi-continuous multi-step synthesis of lamivudine.

We report the first continuous flow synthesis of lamivudine, an antiretroviral drug used in the treatment of HIV/AIDS and hepatitis B. The key intermediate (5-acetoxy oxathiolane) was prepared by an integrated two step continuous flow process from l-menthyl glyoxalate hydrate in a single solvent, in 95% overall conversion. For the crucial glycosidation reaction, using pyridinium triflate as the novel catalyst, an improved conversion of 95% was obtained.

Phosphorylation of interleukin (IL)-24 is required for mediating its anti-cancer activity.

Interleukin (IL)-24 is a tumor suppressor/cytokine gene that undergoes post-translational modifications (PTMs). Glycosylation and ubiquitination are important for IL-24 protein stabilization and degradation respectively. Little is known about IL-24 protein phosphorylation and its role in IL-24-mediated anti-tumor activities.

A study to evaluate the effect of ratio of donor kidney weight to recipient body weight on renal graft function.

Aim And Objectives: To study the effect of the ratio of donor kidney weight (dkw) to recipient body weight (rbw) on short and long term graft function in live donor kidney transplant patients.

Materials And Methods: It was a prospective study of 79 live donor kidney transplant recipients. Patients were divided into three groups depending on the ratio of dkw in grams to rbw in kilograms.

Robotic assisted excision of retrovesical angiomyxoma in a male patient.

Angiomyxoma is a rare tumour found predominantly in pelvis of young females. Less than 150 cases have been reported, more than 90% in females and only few cases in males. Its surgical excision is a big challenge and usually leads to recurrence due to incomplete excision.

Heat-shock protein 90 inhibitors synergistically enhance melanoma differentiation-associated gene-7-mediated cell killing of human pancreatic carcinoma.

Pancreatic cancer is one of the intractable diseases and an effective therapeutic strategy is required to improve the prognosis. We examined possible antitumor effects of adenoviruses expressing melanoma differentiation-associated gene-7/interleukin-24 (Ad-mda-7) and a heat-shock protein 90 (Hsp90) inhibitor to human pancreatic carcinoma cells. Ad-mda-7 and an Hsp90 inhibitor, geldanamycin (GA), produced cytotoxic effects, and a combinatory use of Ad-mda-7 and GA further achieved synergistic effects.

Combination of asystole and sinus arrest with junctional escape rhythm seen in Takotsubo cardiomyopathy: A case report.

Takotsubo cardiomyopathy (TCM) is characterized by a transient depression of contractile function of mid and/or apical segments of the left ventricle with compensatory hyperkinesis of the basal segment. It leads to ballooning of the apex in systole, resembling an octopus trap, hence the name. There have been many different arrhythmias associated with TCM.

Expression of a murine homolog of apoptosis-inducing human IL-24/MDA-7 in murine tumors fails to induce apoptosis or produce anti-tumor effects.

Expression of human interleukin (IL)-24 in tumors achieved anti-tumor effects through apoptosis. IL-24 also induced secretion of proinflammatory cytokines, suggesting the role in immunity. We showed that murine IL-24 transcripts started from the second initiation codon and that expressed mIL-24 in tumors failed to induce apoptosis.

MDA-7 results in downregulation of AKT concomitant with apoptosis and cell cycle arrest in breast cancer cells.

The melanoma differentiation-associated gene-7 (mda-7) is a known mediator of apoptosis in cancer cells but not in normal cells. We hypothesized that MDA-7 interferes with the prosurvival signaling pathways that are commonly altered in cancer cells to induce growth arrest and apoptosis. We also identified the cell signaling pathways that are antagonized by MDA-7 leading to apoptosis.

Adenovirus-mediated interleukin (IL)-24 immunotherapy for cancer.

Interleukin-24 (IL-24) is a member of the IL-10 cytokine family. IL-24, also known as melanoma differentiation associated gene 7 (mda-7), is a unique cytokine in that it has cytokine properties and functions as a novel tumor suppressor gene. Studies by us and other investigators using viral and non-viral vectors have demonstrated IL-24 overexpression in human cancer cells inhibited tumor growth both in vitro and in vivo.

IL-24 is expressed during wound repair and inhibits TGFalpha-induced migration and proliferation of keratinocytes.

Interleukin (IL)-24 is the protein product of melanoma differentiation-associated gene 7 (MDA-7). Originally identified as a tumor suppressor molecule, MDA-7 was renamed IL-24 and classified as a cytokine because of its chromosomal location in the IL-10 locus, its mRNA expression in leukocytes, and its secretory sequence elements. We previously reported that IL-24 is expressed by cytokine-activated monocytes and T lymphocytes.

Biomarkers Predict p53 Gene Therapy Efficacy in Recurrent Squamous Cell Carcinoma of the Head and Neck.

PURPOSE: Most recurrent squamous cell carcinomas of the head and neck have a dysfunctional p53 tumor suppressor pathway contributing to treatment resistance. We hypothesized that tumor p53 biomarkers may predict the efficacy of normal p53 delivered by gene therapy in these patients. EXPERIMENTAL DESIGN: Tumor p53 biomarkers were evaluated in 116 patients, including 29 treated with methotrexate in a phase III randomized controlled trial.

Structural mapping of post-translational modifications in human interleukin-24: role of N-linked glycosylation and disulfide bonds in secretion and activity.

Human interleukin-24 (IL-24) is unique among the IL-10 superfamily as there is considerable evidence that it possesses multiple anti-cancer properties, including direct tumor cell cytotoxicity, helper T cell (TH1) immune stimulation, and anti-angiogenic activities. The primary sequence of human IL-24 differs from homologous cytokines, because it possesses three consensus N-linked glycosylation sites and the potential for a single disulfide bond. To address the significance of these modifications in human IL-24, we analyzed the relationship between post-translational modifications and the cytokine activity of the human IL-24 protein.

Interleukin-24 overcomes temozolomide resistance and enhances cell death by down-regulation of O6-methylguanine-DNA methyltransferase in human melanoma cells.

Melanoma is the most malignant of skin cancers, highly resistant to chemotherapy and radiotherapy. Temozolomide, a promising new derivative of dacarbazine, is currently being tested for treatment of metastatic melanoma. Resistance to alkylating agents such as temozolomide correlates with increased expression of DNA repair protein O6-methylguanine-DNA methyltransferase (MGMT).

Phase I study of adenovirus p53 administered by bronchoalveolar lavage in patients with bronchioloalveolar cell lung carcinoma: ECOG 6597.

Purpose: This pilot phase I trial evaluated the safety and maximum-tolerated dose of p53 gene transfer using an adenovirus vector (Ad-p53) delivered via bronchoalveolar lavage (BAL) to patients with bronchioloalveolar lung carcinoma (BAC).

Patients And Methods: Patients were initially administered two treatments of Ad-p53 to a single involved lobe, beginning at 2 x 10(9) viral particles (vp) per dose and escalated to a maximum of 2 x 10(12) vp. If a clinical benefit was seen and the treatment was well tolerated, additional doses could be administered to additional lobes.

Adenoviral endoplasmic reticulum-targeted mda-7/interleukin-24 vector enhances human cancer cell killing.

We developed several adenoviral vectors designed to target MDA-7 expression to different subcellular compartments [endoplasmic reticulum (ER), mitochondria, nucleus, and cytosol] and evaluated their ability to enhance apoptosis. Adenoviral ER-targeted mda-7/interleukin-24 vector (Ad-ER-mda7) selectively and effectively inhibited the growth and proliferation of lung (A549 and H1299) and esophageal (Seg1 and Bic1) cancer cells by enhancing cell killing. Both Ad-mda7 and Ad-ER-mda7 activated a novel pathway of ER stress-induced apoptosis characterized by unregulated expression of phosphorylated JNK, phosphorylated c-Jun, and phosphorylated RNA-dependent protein kinase.

Killing of human melanoma cells induced by activation of class I interferon-regulated signaling pathways via MDA-7/IL-24.

Restoration of the tumor-suppression function by gene transfer of the melanoma differentiation-associated gene 7 (MDA7)/interleukin 24 (IL-24) successfully induces apoptosis in melanoma tumors in vivo. To address the molecular mechanisms involved, we previously revealed that MDA7/IL-24 treatment of melanoma cells down-regulates interferon regulatory factor (IRF)-1 expression and concomitantly up-regulates IRF-2 expression, which competes with the activity of IRF-1 and reverses the induction of IRF-1-regulated inducible nitric oxide synthase (iNOS). Interferons (IFNs) influence melanoma cell survival by modulating apoptosis.

Development of Ad-mda7/IL-24-resistant lung cancer cell lines.

Many cancers can become resistant to repeated administration of even the most effective therapeutic agents. In developing adenoviral mda-7/IL-24 (Ad-mda-7/IL-24) therapy for lung cancer, we have anticipated this potential clinical problem by attempting to identify the molecular mechanisms of Ad-mda7/IL-24 resistance in several Ad-mda7/IL-24-resistant lung cancer cell lines that we have developed. For the present study, we established four Admda7- resistant cell lines by repeated selection of resistant clones of parental Ad-mda7-sensitive A549 cells: two lines (A549R1 and A549R2) resistant to both adenoviral vector and the mda-7 gene and two (A549R3 and A549R4) resistant to the therapeutic mda-7 gene only.

Cancer targeting using tumor suppressor genes.

Conventional cancer treatments include cytotoxic chemotherapies and radiotherapy, which result in significant collateral toxicities. The goal for future cancer treatments is to leverage improved understanding of cancer biology mechanisms and thereby develop targeted drugs that display exquisite tumor selectivity and avoid iatrogenic damage. In this review, we discuss the potential of tumor suppressor genes for development of cancer-selective drugs using the tumor suppressor p53 as an archetype.

mda-7/IL-24, novel anticancer cytokine: focus on bystander antitumor, radiosensitization and antiangiogenic properties and overview of the phase I clinical experience (Review).

Subtraction hybridization applied to a 'differentiation therapy' model of cancer employing human melanoma cells resulted in the cloning of melanoma differentiation associated gene-7/interleukin-24 (mda-7/IL-24). Initial studies confirm an inverse correlation between mda-7 expression and melanoma development and progression. Forced expression of mda-7 by means of a plasmid or via a replication incompetent adenovirus (Ad.