Profiling temporal changes in bovine milk lactoferrin glycosylation using lectin microarrays.

The bovine milk glycoprotein bovine lactoferrin (bLF) has a variety of biological activities related to its constituent glycans. However, little is known about bLF's oligosaccharide structural changes over the course of lactation. BLF was isolated at 13 time points during the first three months of lactation from three individual cows and glycosylation changes were profiled by lectin microarrays.

Blood brain barrier is impermeable to solutes and permeable to water after experimental pediatric cardiac arrest.

Pediatric asphyxial cardiac arrest (CA) results in unfavorable neurological outcome in most survivors. Development of neuroprotective therapies is contingent upon understanding the permeability of intravenously delivered medications through the blood brain barrier (BBB). In a model of pediatric CA we sought to characterize BBB permeability to small and large molecular weight substances.

Twelve-year experience of radioembolization for colorectal hepatic metastases in 214 patients: survival by era and chemotherapy.

Purpose: The aim of this study was to analyze the safety, treatment characteristics and survival outcomes of Yttrium-90 (Y90) radioembolization for unresectable colorectal carcinoma (CRC) liver metastases refractory to standard of care therapy.

Methods: A total of 214 patients with CRC metastases were treated with Y90 radioembolization over 12 years. Toxicity was assessed using National Cancer Institute common terminology criteria.

Rationale of transcatheter intra-arterial therapies of hepatic cancers.

Transcatheter, intra-arterial therapies for primary and metastatic hepatic malignancies comprise angiographically guided procedures that provide for the administration of tumoricidal agents directly to liver tumors. These locoregional therapies have demonstrated encouraging clinical outcomes for liver tumors that are otherwise not amenable or not responsive to standard surgical or systemic treatments. This article provides a review of transcatheter therapies for hepatic cancers and reported clinical outcomes.

Fumarylacetoacetate hydrolase deficient pigs are a novel large animal model of metabolic liver disease.

Hereditary tyrosinemia type I (HT1) is caused by deficiency in fumarylacetoacetate hydrolase (FAH), an enzyme that catalyzes the last step of tyrosine metabolism. The most severe form of the disease presents acutely during infancy, and is characterized by severe liver involvement, most commonly resulting in death if untreated. Generation of FAH(+/-) pigs was previously accomplished by adeno-associated virus-mediated gene knockout in fibroblasts and somatic cell nuclear transfer.

In vitro assessment of marine Bacillus for use as livestock probiotics.

Six antimicrobial-producing seaweed-derived Bacillus strains were evaluated in vitro as animal probiotics, in comparison to two Bacillus from an EU-authorized animal probiotic product. Antimicrobial activity was demonstrated on solid media against porcine Salmonella and E. coli.

A PCNA-derived cell permeable peptide selectively inhibits neuroblastoma cell growth.

Proliferating cell nuclear antigen (PCNA), through its interaction with various proteins involved in DNA synthesis, cell cycle regulation, and DNA repair, plays a central role in maintaining genome stability. We previously reported a novel cancer associated PCNA isoform (dubbed caPCNA), which was significantly expressed in a broad range of cancer cells and tumor tissues, but not in non-malignant cells. We found that the caPCNA-specific antigenic site lies between L126 and Y133, a region within the interconnector domain of PCNA that is known to be a major binding site for many of PCNA's interacting proteins.

Unresectable solitary hepatocellular carcinoma not amenable to radiofrequency ablation: multicenter radiology-pathology correlation and survival of radiation segmentectomy.

Unlabelled: Resection and radiofrequency ablation (RFA) are treatment options for hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) <3 cm; there is interest in expanding the role of ablation to 3-5 cm. RFA is considered high-risk when the lesion is in close proximity to critical structures. Combining microcatheter technology and the localized emission properties of Y90, highly selective radioembolization is a possible alternative to RFA in such cases.

Chemoradiation of hepatic malignancies: prospective, phase 1 study of full-dose capecitabine with escalating doses of yttrium-90 radioembolization.

Purpose: Radiosensitizing chemotherapy improves the outcomes in comparison with radiation alone for gastrointestinal cancers. The delivery of radiation therapy with yttrium90 ((90)Y) radioembolization, in combination with the radiosensitizing chemotherapeutic agent capecitabine, provides the opportunity to enhance the effects of radiation on hepatic malignancies. This phase 1 study sought to determine the maximum tolerated dose (MTD) of (90)Y plus capecitabine in patients with cholangiocarcinoma or liver metastases confined to the liver.

A comparative study of free oligosaccharides in the milk of domestic animals.

The present study was conducted to obtain a comprehensive overview of oligosaccharides present in the milk of a variety of important domestic animals including cows, goats, sheep, pigs, horses and dromedary camels. Using an analytical workflow that included ultra-performance liquid chromatography-hydrophilic interaction liquid chromatography with fluorescence detection coupled to quadrupole time-of-flight MS, detailed oligosaccharide libraries were established. The partial or full characterisation of the neutral/fucosylated, phosphorylated and sialylated structures was facilitated by sequencing with linkage- and sugar-specific exoglycosidases.

Comparative study of staging systems for hepatocellular carcinoma in 428 patients treated with radioembolization.

Purpose: To compare the utility of different staging systems and analyze independent predictors of survival in patients with hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) treated with yttrium-90 ((90)Y) radioembolization.

Materials And Methods: During the period 2004-2011, 428 patients with HCC were treated with (90)Y radioembolization. All patients were staged prospectively by the following staging systems: Child-Turcotte-Pugh (CTP), United Network for Organ Sharing, Barcelona Clinic Liver Cancer (BCLC), Okuda classification, Cancer of the Liver Italian Program (CLIP), Groupe d'Etude et de Traitement du Carcinome Hepatocellulaire, Chinese University Prognostic Index, and Japan Integrated Staging.

Comparative functional genomics of Lactobacillus spp. reveals possible mechanisms for specialization of vaginal lactobacilli to their environment.

Lactobacilli are found in a wide variety of habitats. Four species, Lactobacillus crispatus, L. gasseri, L.

Daily temporal dynamics of vaginal microbiota before, during and after episodes of bacterial vaginosis.

Background: Bacterial vaginosis (BV) is a common gynecologic diagnosis characterized by dysbiosis of the vaginal microbiota. It is often accompanied by vaginal symptoms such as odor and discharge, but can be asymptomatic. Despite over 50 years of research, the etiology of BV is not well understood, which is a major impediment to treatment and prevention of BV.

Structural and functional characteristics of bovine milk protein glycosylation.

Most secreted and cell membrane proteins in mammals are glycosylated. Many of these glycoproteins are also prevalent in milk and play key roles in the biomodulatory properties of milk and ultimately in determining milk's nutritional quality. Although a significant amount of information exists on the types and roles of free oligosaccharides in milk, very little is known about the glycans associated with milk glycoproteins, in particular, the biological properties that are linked to their presence.

Size-controlled self-assembly of superparamagnetic polymersomes.

We report the size-controlled self-assembly of polymersomes through the cooperative self-assembly of nanoparticles and amphiphilic polymers. Polymersomes densely packed with magnetic nanoparticles in the polymersome membrane (magneto-polymersome) were fabricated with a series of different sized iron oxide nanoparticles. The distribution of nanoparticles in a polymersome membrane was size-dependent; while small nanoparticles were dispersed in a polymer bilayer, large particles formed a well-ordered superstructure at the interface between the inner and outer layer of a bilayer membrane.

Enhanced versus automated urinalysis for screening of urinary tract infections in children in the emergency department.

Background: Urinary tract infections (UTI) are the most common serious bacterial infection in febrile infants. Urinalysis (UA) is a screening test for preliminary diagnosis of UTI. UA can be performed manually or using automated techniques.

Polymersomes and Multicompartment Polymersomes Formed by the Interfacial Self-Assembly of Gold Nanoparticles and Amphiphilic Polymers.

Here, we report the formation of polymer vesicles (polymersomes) uniformly decorated with gold nanoparticles (AuNPs) through the interfacial self-assembly of 11-mercapto-1-undecanol (MUL)-stabilized AuNPs and two prototypical amphiphilic polymers (i.e., polystyrene--poly(acrylic acid) (PS--PAA), poly(ethylene oxide)--polylactide (PEO--PLA)).

Prostaglandin D2 toxicity in primary neurons is mediated through its bioactive cyclopentenone metabolites.

Prostaglandin D2 (PGD2) is the most abundant prostaglandin in brain but its effect on neuronal cell death is complex and not completely understood. PGD2 may modulate neuronal cell death via activation of DP receptors or its metabolism to the cyclopentenone prostaglandins (CyPGs) PGJ2, Δ(12)-PGJ2 and 15-deoxy-Δ(12,14)-PGJ2, inducing cell death independently of prostaglandin receptors. This study aims to elucidate the effect of PGD2 on neuronal cell death and its underlying mechanisms.

Preparation and characterization of DNA block copolymer assemblies loaded with nanoparticles.

We have recently developed a universal procedure to functionalize inorganic nanoparticles with a dense layer of DNA through the self-assembly of DNA block copolymers and nanoparticles. This functionalization strategy allows one to combine the useful physical properties of inorganic nanoparticle with the enhanced DNA binding properties that originate from the high surface DNA density. In particular, the hybrid nanostructures exhibit orders of magnitude higher binding constants than regular DNA strands.

Error-promoting DNA synthesis in ovarian cancer cells.

Objective: The objective of this study is to determine whether an altered DNA replication process is responsible for some of genetic damage observed in ovarian cancer.

Methods: The replication fidelity of the DNA synthetic process was evaluated in both malignant and non-malignant human ovarian cells. The types of replication errors produced were identified.

Radiation lobectomy: time-dependent analysis of future liver remnant volume in unresectable liver cancer as a bridge to resection.

Background & Aims: Portal vein embolization (PVE) is a standard technique for patients not amenable to liver resection due to small future liver remnant ratio (FLR). Radiation lobectomy (RL) with (90)Y-loaded microspheres (Y90) is hypothesized to induce comparable volumetric changes in liver lobes, while potentially controlling the liver tumor and limiting tumor progression in the untreated lobe. We aimed at testing this concept by performing a comprehensive time-dependent analysis of liver volumes following radioembolization.

Cancer concepts and principles: primer for the interventional oncologist-part II.

This is the second of a two-part overview of the fundamentals of oncology for interventional radiologists. The first part focused on clinical trials, basic statistics, assessment of response, and overall concepts in oncology. This second part aims to review the methods of tumor characterization; principles of the oncology specialties, including medical, surgical, radiation, and interventional oncology; and current treatment paradigms for the most common cancers encountered in interventional oncology, along with the levels of evidence that guide these treatments.