Crystallization and preliminary X-ray crystallographic analysis of PAS factor from Vibrio vulnificus.

Plasmid Achromobacter secretion (PAS) factor is a putative secretion factor that induces the secretion of periplasmic proteins. PAS factor from Vibrio vulnificus was crystallized at 294 K by the hanging drop vapor-diffusion method. It was isolated as a monomer during the purification procedures.

Benign retroperitoneal schwannoma: surgical consideration.

Schwannoma, which arises from the neural sheath of peripheral nerves, is the most common benign tumor in the retroperitoneum in adults. Complete excision is the treatment of choice for retroperitoneal schwannoma. During surgery, it seems to be unnecessary to identify the small peripheral nerve from which it develops.

Crystal structure and functional studies reveal that PAS factor from Vibrio vulnificus is a novel member of the saposin-fold family.

PAS factor is a novel putative bacterial secretion factor thought to induce secretion of periplasmic proteins. We solved the crystal structure of PAS factor from Vibrio vulnificus at 1.8A resolution and found it to be comprised of five alpha helices that form an antiparallel bundle with an up-and-down topology, and to adopt the saposin-fold characteristic of a family of proteins that bind to membranes and lipids.

IMVP-16/Pd followed by high-dose chemotherapy and autologous stem cell transplantation as a salvage therapy for refractory or relapsed peripheral T-cell lymphomas.

The present study aimed to analyse the treatment outcome of IMVP-16/Pd (ifosfamide, methotrexate, etoposide and prednisone) followed by high-dose chemotherapy and autologous stem cell transplantation (HDC/ASCT) for patients with peripheral T-cell lymphomas (PTCLs) who were previously treated with CHOP. Since 1995, 32 PTCL patients were treated with IMPV-16/Pd. Nine of 32 patients achieved a response (5 demonstrating complete response (CR) and 4 partial response), with an overall response rate of 28.

Effects of SV40 T antigen transduction on human corneal endothelial cell wound healing in vitro.

Objective: The aim of this study was to investigate the endothelial wound healing effects of SV40 large T and small t antigen transduction on cultured human corneal endothelial cells (HCEC).

Methods: Human corneal endothelial cells were infected with either mock solution, Ad green fluorescent protein (GFP), or Ad SV40 T/t antigen/GFP, then mechanically wounded 48 h later. The endothelial wound healing rate was quantified by an analysis of the photographs taken every 12 h after wounding.

Production of a thermostable archaeal superoxide reductase in plant cells.

Pyrococcus furiosus superoxide reductase (SOR) is a thermostable archaeal enzyme that reduces superoxide without producing oxygen. When produced as a fusion protein with the green fluorescent protein in plant cells, P. furiosus SOR is located in the cytosol and nucleus.

Flower-shaped ZnO nanostructures obtained by cyclic feeding chemical vapour deposition: structural and optical properties.

Flower-shaped ZnO nanostructures were grown on Si(100) and Si(111) substrates by cyclic feeding chemical vapour deposition without the use of a metal catalyst. The structures obtained on the Si(100) substrate exhibited triangle-shaped leaves with lengths and diameters in the ranges 300-400 and 90-130 nm, respectively. Uniformly shaped leaves with hexagonal facets originating from one centre were observed on the flower-shaped structures grown on the Si(111) substrate.

Adjuvant chemotherapy with 5-fluorouracil and cisplatin in lymph node-positive thoracic esophageal squamous cell carcinoma.

Background: In this study we explored the effectiveness of adjuvant chemotherapy in node-positive, resected thoracic esophageal squamous cell carcinoma patients.

Methods: A prospective study of postoperative chemotherapy in N1 esophageal cancer patients who received curative resection was conducted and compared with the historical control group in regard to recurrence rate, patterns of failure, disease-free survival rate, and overall survival rate. The postoperative chemotherapy consisted of cisplatin (60 mg/m2 intravenously) and 5-fluorouracil (1,000 mg/m2 per day) in a continuous infusion for 4 days.

Structural mechanism for sterol sensing and transport by OSBP-related proteins.

The oxysterol-binding-protein (OSBP)-related proteins (ORPs) are conserved from yeast to humans, and are implicated in the regulation of sterol homeostasis and in signal transduction pathways. Here we report the structure of the full-length yeast ORP Osh4 (also known as Kes1) at 1.5-1.

An observational study suggesting clinical benefit for adjuvant postoperative chemoradiation in a population of over 500 cases after gastric resection with D2 nodal dissection for adenocarcinoma of the stomach.

Purpose: The role of adjuvant chemoradiotherapy (CRT) in D2-resected gastric-cancer patients has not been defined yet. We investigated the effect of postoperative chemoradiotherapy on the relapse rate and survival rate of patients with D2-resected gastric cancer.

Methods And Materials: From August 1995 to April 2001, 544 patients received postoperative CRT after curative D2 resection.

Docetaxel plus epirubicin as first-line chemotherapy in MBC (KCSG 01-10-05): phase II trial and the predictive values of circulating HER2 extracellular domain and vascular endothelial growth factor.

The anthracyclines and taxanes are considered to be the most active drugs in metastatic breast cancer (MBC). We conducted a multicenter phase II study to evaluate the efficacy and tolerability of the docetaxel plus epirubicin combination chemotherapy as first-line treatment in MBC and performed a prospective assessment of the predictive values of circulating HER2 extracellular domain (ECD) and vascular endothelial growth factor (VEGF). Docetaxel 75 mg/m(2) and epirubicin 75 mg/m(2) were given intravenously every 3 weeks.

Curcumin inhibits interferon-alpha induced NF-kappaB and COX-2 in human A549 non-small cell lung cancer cells.

The A549 cells, non-small cell lung cancer cell line from human, were resistant to interferon (IFN)-alpha treatment. The IFN-alpha-treated A549 cells showed increase in protein expression levels of NF-kappaB and COX-2. IFN-alpha induced NF-kappaB binding activity within 30 min and this increased binding activity was markedly suppressed with inclusion of curcumin.

STAT1 and Nmi are downstream targets of Ets-1 transcription factor in MCF-7 human breast cancer cell.

Ets-1 is a cellular homologue of the product of the viral ets oncogene of the E26 virus, and it functions as a tissue-specific transcription factor. It plays an important role in cell proliferation, differentiation, lymphoid cell development, transformation, angiogenesis, and apoptosis. Ets-1 controls the expression of critical genes involved in these processes by binding to ets binding sites present in the transcriptional regulatory regions.

Extranodal nasal type NK/T-cell lymphoma: elucidating clinical prognostic factors for risk-based stratification of therapy.

The purpose of this study was to define distinctive clinical features of "nasal" and "nasal-type" NK/T cell lymphomas by assessing prognostic factors. The anatomic definition of extranasal NK/T cell lymphoma has been vague resulting in variable definitions of extranasal sites by different groups. We analysed the clinical behavior of 90 NK/T cell lymphoma patients and attempted to elucidate the prognostic factors for risk-based stratification of therapy.

Characterization and comparative analysis of Arabidopsis phosphatidylinositol phosphate 5-kinase 10 reveals differences in Arabidopsis and human phosphatidylinositol phosphate kinases.

Arabidopsis phosphatidylinositol phosphate (PtdInsP) kinase 10 (AtPIPK10; At4g01190) is shown to be a functional enzyme of the subfamily A, type I AtPtdInsP kinases. It is biochemically distinct from AtPIPK1 (At1g21980), the only other previously characterized AtPtdInsP kinase which is of the B subfamily. AtPIPK10 has the same K(m), but a 10-fold lower V(max) than AtPIPK1 and it is insensitive to phosphatidic acid.

Extramammary Paget's disease of penis and scrotum.

Objectives: To make clear the uncertainty of the clinical outcome of extramammary Paget's disease (EMPD). Penile and scrotal involvement of EMPD is exceedingly rare, and only small series or case reports have been reported.

Methods: From 1995 to 2003, 36 patients with penile and scrotal EMPD were treated and followed up.

Salvage chemotherapy with irinotecan, 5-fluorouracil and leucovorin for taxane- and cisplatin-refractory, metastatic gastric cancer.

We performed a phase II study of combination chemotherapy with irinotecan, 5-fluorouracil (5-FU) and leucovorin in metastatic gastric cancer patients who were previously treated with taxane and cisplatin, to evaluate the antitumour activity and toxicity of the combination chemotherapy. The metastatic gastric adenocarcinoma patients who were previously treated with taxane and cisplatin combination as first line, and had at least one measurable lesion, 0-2 ECOG performance status and adequate organ functions, were considered eligible. They received irinotecan (150 mg m(-2), day 1) and leucovorin (100 mg m(-2), day 1), followed by continuous infusion of 5-FU (1000 mg m(-2) day(-1), days 1 and 2) every 2 weeks.

A method to generate soft shadows using a layered depth image and warping.

We present an image-based method for propagating area light illumination through a Layered Depth Image (LDI) to generate soft shadows from opaque and nonrefractive transparent objects. In our approach, using the depth peeling technique, we render an LDI from a reference light sample on a planar light source. Light illumination of all pixels in an LDI is then determined for all the other sample points via warping, an image-based rendering technique, which approximates ray tracing in our method.

Phase II study of irinotecan, 5-fluorouracil and leucovorin as first-line therapy for advanced colorectal cancer.

Background: We evaluated the efficacy and tolerability of a modified biweekly irinotecan, 5-fluorouracil and leucovorin regimen (modified Douillard regimen) as the first-line therapy in patients with advanced colorectal cancer.

Methods: A total of 80 patients (41 male, 39 female) with recurrent or metastatic colorectal cancer were enrolled between April 2001 and December 2003. The treatment cycle consisted of irinotecan 150 mg/m(2) as a 90 min infusion on day 1, leucovorin 20 mg/m(2) intravenous bolus, immediately followed by a 48 h continuous infusion of 5-fluorouracil 3000 mg/m(2) on day 1.

Ultrasonographic detection of occult cancer in patients after surgical therapy for breast cancer.

Objective: The purpose of this study was to investigate the efficacy of ultrasonography in detecting an occult malignancy after surgery for breast cancer and to assess the imaging and clinical findings associated with a recurrence.

Methods: During a 4-year period, 3329 bilateral whole-breast ultrasonographic examinations were performed to detect occult malignancies clinically and mammographically in 1968 asymptomatic patients after breast cancer surgery. All questionable lesions were confirmed with ultrasonographically guided intervention.

Differential impact of low temperature on fatty acid unsaturation and lipoxygenase activity in figleaf gourd and cucumber roots.

Previous studies show that low temperature strongly induces suberin layers in the roots of chilling-sensitive cucumber plants, while in contrast, low temperature produces a much weaker induction of suberin layers in the roots of the chilling-tolerant figleaf gourd [S.H. Lee, G.

Somatic VHL alteration and its impact on prognosis in patients with clear cell renal cell carcinoma.

Somatic inactivation of the von Hippel-Lindau (VHL) gene is the most frequent genetic event observed in clear cell renal cell carcinoma (CC-RCC). However, the prognostic relevance of somatic VHL alteration and its target, hypoxia inducible factor (HIF)-1alpha has not been defined. We investigated the genetic changes in the VHL gene and HIF-1alpha and studied their clinical implications in patients with sporadic CC-RCC.

SKN1, a novel plant defensin-sensitivity gene in Saccharomyces cerevisiae, is implicated in sphingolipid biosynthesis.

The antifungal plant defensin DmAMP1 interacts with the fungal sphingolipid mannosyl diinositolphosphoryl ceramide (M(IP)(2)C) and induces fungal growth inhibition. We have identified SKN1, besides the M(IP)(2)C-biosynthesis gene IPT1, as a novel DmAMP1-sensitivity gene in Saccharomyces cerevisiae. SKN1 was previously shown to be a KRE6 homologue, which is involved in beta-1,6-glucan biosynthesis.

Mitomycin-C and capecitabine as third-line chemotherapy in patients with advanced colorectal cancer: a phase II study.

Purpose: The aim of this study was to investigate the therapeutic value and safety of third-line treatment with mitomycin-C (MMC) and capecitabine (Xeloda) in patients with advanced colorectal cancer pretreated with combination regimens including 5-fluorouracil (5-FU), folinic acid (FA) and irinotecan (CPT-11) or 5-FU, FA and oxaliplatin (L-OHP).

Patients And Methods: A total of 21 patients (M/F 16/5, median age 60.0 years) with advanced colorectal cancer, all of whom had developed progressive disease while receiving or within 6 months of discontinuing two sequential chemotherapy lines with 5-FU, FA and CPT-11 or 5-FU, FA and L-OHP, were accrued to this study.