4-Acetylantroquinonol B Suppresses Prostate Cancer Growth and Angiogenesis via a VEGF/PI3K/ERK/mTOR-Dependent Signaling Pathway in Subcutaneous Xenograft and In Vivo Angiogenesis Models.

Prostate cancer is a major cause of cancer-related mortality in men in developed countries. The compound, 4-acetylantroquinonol B (4AAQB), is isolated from (commonly known as Niu-Chang-Chih), which has been shown to inhibit cancer growth. However, the anticancer activity of 4AAQB has not previously been examined in prostate cancer.

Comparison of different en bloc holmium laser enucleation of the prostate techniques to reduce the rate of postoperative transient urinary incontinence.

Objective: To investigate postoperative risk factors for transient urinary incontinence (TUI) after different en bloc holmium laser enucleation of the prostate (HoLEP) techniques.

Methods: We retrospectively analyzed 169 consecutive patients who underwent HoLEP using the original en bloc technique (n = 41), en bloc with early mucosal strip detachment technique (n = 72), and three horseshoe-shaped incisions technique (n = 56) to treat bladder outlet obstruction from January 2017 to October 2019. Preoperative variables and surgical quality indexes were compared between the groups.

Preoperative predictors of enucleation time during en bloc 'no-touch' holmium laser enucleation of the prostate.

Background: To evaluate preoperative predictors of enucleation time during en bloc 'no-touch' holmium laser enucleation of the prostate (HoLEP) METHODS: We enrolled 135 patients with symptomatic benign prostatic hyperplasia (BPH) treated with en bloc 'no-touch' HoLEP from July 2017 to March 2019 by a single surgeon. Preoperative, perioperative, and postoperative clinical variables were examined. Stepwise linear regression was performed to determine clinical variables associated with enucleation times.

Congenital bilateral absence of the vas deferens (CBAVD) with bilaterally present seminal vesicles.

Congenital bilateral absence of the vas deferens (CBAVD) is a rare obstructive anomaly contributing to male factor infertility. Various congenital anomalies associated with CBAVD involve the seminal vesicles and epididymis. Physical examinations are often not reliable.

A low-damage plasma surface modification method of stacked graphene bilayers for configurable wettability and electrical properties.

In this work, we study surface functionalization effects of artificially stacked graphene bilayers (ASGBs) to control its wetting properties via low-damage plasma. The ASGBs were prepared on a SiO/Si substrate by stacking two monolayer graphene, which was grown by chemical vapor deposition. As a result, the low-damage plasma functionalization of ASGBs could hold both the key characteristics of surface functionalization and electrical transport properties of graphene sheets.

MCP1-Induced Epithelial-Mesenchymal Transition in Head and Neck Cancer by AKT Activation.

Aim: To explore whether monocyte chemotactic protein-1 (MCP1) is associated with the epithelial-mesenchymal transition (EMT) and neck metastases in head and neck cancer (HNC).

Materials And Methods: MCP1 and its related protein were evaluated using western blotting, and a migration assay for HNC cell lines. Thirty-five patients with HNC were recruited for the evaluation of MCP1 expression and pathologically-proven neck metastases from their tissue specimens.

2-Halogenoimidazolium salt catalyzed aza-Diels-Alder reaction through halogen-bond formation.

2-Halogenoimidazolium salts are found to catalyze aza-Diels-Alder reaction of aldimines with Danishefsky diene in an efficient manner. Comparative studies and titration experiments support the formation of halogen bonding between imines and catalysts.

The association of hospital spending intensity and cancer outcomes: a population-based study in an Asian country.

Background: Different results are reported for the relationship between regional variation in medical spending and disease prognosis for acute illness and for cancer. Our objective was to investigate the association between hospital medical care spending intensity and mortality rates in cancer patients.

Methods: A total of 80,597 patients with incident cancer diagnosed in 2002 were identified from the National Health Insurance Research Database of Taiwan, Republic of China.

Monocyte chemotactic protein 1 (MCP-1) modulates pro-survival signaling to promote progression of head and neck squamous cell carcinoma.

Background: Monocyte chemotactic protein-1 (MCP-1) recruits monocytes and macrophages to inflammation sites, and inflammatory infiltration correlates with the progression of head and neck squamous cell carcinoma (HNSCC). This study aims to determine whether MCP-1 expression is related to HNSCC malignancy and patient survival. We also investigated the relationship between MCP-1 expression and the phosphorylation state of the pro-survival pathway factors Akt, ERK, and STAT3.

Oxidative dimerization of (hetero)aromatic amines utilizing t-BuOI leading to (hetero)aromatic azo compounds: scope and mechanistic studies.

A straightforward synthetic method of both symmetric and unsymmetric aromatic azo compounds through an efficient and cross-selective oxidative dimerization of aromatic amines using tert-butyl hypoiodite (t-BuOI) under metal-free and mild conditions has been developed. This method was also found applicable to the synthesis of heteroaromatic azo compounds. The spectroscopic study indicates the involvement of N,N-diiodoanilines in the oxidative reaction as the key intermediate.

Disparities in oral cancer survival among mentally ill patients.

Background: Many studies have reported excess cancer mortality in patients with mental illness. However, scant studies evaluated the differences in cancer treatment and its impact on survival rates among mentally ill patients. Oral cancer is one of the ten most common cancers in the world.

The APE1 Asp/Asp genotype and the combination of APE1 Asp/Asp and hOGG1-Cys variants are associated with increased p53 mutation in non-small cell lung cancer.

Background: The hOGG1 Ser326Cys polymorphism is associated with lung cancer risk, but there are limited data regarding an association between the APE1 Asp148Glu polymorphism and lung cancer. Biological evidence shows that the hOGG1-Cys allele results in less DNA repair activity; however, this is not associated with p53 mutation in lung cancer. Therefore, we investigated whether an interaction between hOGG1 and APE1 is associated with the frequency of p53 mutation in lung cancer.

Expression status of ribonucleotide reductase small subunits hRRM2/p53R2 as prognostic biomarkers in stage I and II non-small cell lung cancer.

Overexpression of ribonucleotide reductase M2 (hRRM2) and p53-dependent RR small subunit (p53R2) has been correlated with tumor malignancy and progression in several types of cancer. The aim of this study was to determine the association of p53R2/hRRM2 expression with clinicopathological characteristics of stage I and II non-small cell lung cancer (NSCLC). Immunohistochemistry was conducted on a tissue array that included 92 samples.