TC2N inhibits distant metastasis and stemness of breast cancer via blocking fatty acid synthesis.

Background: Tandem C2 domains, nuclear (TC2N) is a C2 domain-containing protein that belongs to the carboxyl-terminal type (C-type) tandem C2 protein family, and acts as an oncogenic driver in several cancers. Previously, we preliminarily reported that TC2N mediates the PI3K-Akt signaling pathway to inhibit tumor growth of breast cancer (BC) cells. Beyond that, its precise biological functions and detailed molecular mechanisms in BC development and progression are not fully understood.

An Enhanced Tree Routing Based on Reinforcement Learning in Wireless Sensor Networks.

In wireless sensor networks, tree-based routing can achieve a low control overhead and high responsiveness by eliminating the path search and avoiding the use of extensive broadcast messages. However, existing approaches face difficulty in finding an optimal parent node, owing to conflicting performance metrics such as reliability, latency, and energy efficiency. To strike a balance between these multiple objectives, in this paper, we revisit a classic problem of finding an optimal parent node in a tree topology.

Long-term exposure to low levels of okadaic acid accelerates cell cycle progression in colonic epithelial cells via p53 and Jak/Stat3 signaling pathways.

As a major component of diarrheic shellfish poisoning (DSP) toxins, okadaic acid (OA) is widely distributed worldwide, and causes a series of serious public health problems. In colon tissue, previous studies have shown that high doses of OA can affect various intracellular processes, including destroy intercellular communication at gap junctions, induce cell apoptosis and trigger cell cycle arrest. However, there is a scarcity of studies on the effect and mechanism of action of low doses of OA in colonic tissues.

CJ14939, a Novel JAK Inhibitor, Increases Oxaliplatin-induced Cell Death Through JAK/STAT Pathway in Colorectal Cancer.

Background/aim: Colorectal cancer is reported to have the highest mortality rate among human malignancies. Although many research results for the treatment of colorectal cancer have been reported, there is no suitable treatment when resistance has developed. Therefore, it is necessary to develop new therapeutic agents.

An automated COVID-19 triage pipeline using artificial intelligence based on chest radiographs and clinical data.

While COVID-19 diagnosis and prognosis artificial intelligence models exist, very few can be implemented for practical use given their high risk of bias. We aimed to develop a diagnosis model that addresses notable shortcomings of prior studies, integrating it into a fully automated triage pipeline that examines chest radiographs for the presence, severity, and progression of COVID-19 pneumonia. Scans were collected using the DICOM Image Analysis and Archive, a system that communicates with a hospital's image repository.

Determination of a novel photosensitizer sinoporphyrin sodium in human plasma by ultra-performance liquid chromatography-tandem mass spectrometry.

Sinoporphyrin sodium (DVDMS) is a new photosensitizer (PS) and it is used in photodynamic therapy (PDT) against tumor. In this paper, a simple, rapid and specific ultra-performance liquid chromatography-tandem mass spectrometry (UPLC-MS/MS) method for the quantitation of DVDMS in human plasma was developed. The analytes were extracted from plasma samples using liquid-liquid extraction (LLE) after addition of testosterone (internal standard) and chromatographed on an AQUITY UPLC Protein BEH C column (50 × 2.

A Meta-Regression Analysis of Utility Weights for Breast Cancer: The Power of Patients' Experience.

To summarize utility estimates of breast cancer and to assess the relative impacts of study characteristics on predicting breast cancer utilities. We searched Medline, Embase, RISS, and KoreaMed from January 1996 to April 2019 to find literature reporting utilities for breast cancer. Thirty-five articles were identified, reporting 224 utilities.

Executive function and its relation to anatomical connectome in homosexual and heterosexual men.

Background: Sexual orientation has been suggested to affect executive function, of which the neurobiological basis is still largely unknown. In this study, we explored the interrelationship between neuropsychological characteristics in homosexual and heterosexual men and their anatomical connectome by graph theoretical analysis.

Methods: Fifty-three homosexual and 47 heterosexual males underwent diffusion tensor magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) and neuropsychological assessments.

Are Recently Evaluated Drugs More Likely to Receive Positive Reimbursement Recommendations in South Korea? 11-year Experience of the South Korean Positive List System.

Purpose: The South Korean government in 2014 introduced various policies to enhance accessibility of pharmaceuticals. This study sought to examine whether positive reimbursement recommendations of pharmaceuticals have increased since 2014.

Methods: Industry submissions evaluated from January 2007 to December 2018 were identified, and characteristics relevant to reimbursement recommendations were extracted.

Inhibition of JAK1/2 can overcome EGFR-TKI resistance in human NSCLC.

Non-small lung cancer (NSCLC) is the most common cancer in the world. The epidermal growth factor receptor (EGFR) gene is mutated in approximately 10% of lung cancer cases in the US and 50% of lung cancer in Asia. The representative target therapeutic agent, erlotinib (EGFR tyrosine kinase inhibitor; EGFR TKI), is effective in inactivating EGFR in lung cancer patients.

Development of an LC-MS/MS method for quantitative analysis of Chlorogenic acid in human plasma and its application to a pharmacokinetic study in Chinese patients with advanced solid tumor.

A simple and specific, rapid resolution liquid chromatography-tandem mass spectrometry (LC-MS/MS) method was developed and validated for determination of chlorogenic acid in human plasma using neochlorogenic acid as the internal standard. Plasma samples were precipitated with methanol and separated on a Zorbax C18 column (50 × 2.1 mm, i.

Clinical Safety and Efficacy of Autologous Bone Marrow-Derived Mesenchymal Stem Cell Transplantation in Sensorineural Hearing Loss Patients.

Stem cell transplantation represents a promising therapy for several degenerating and necrotic diseases. In several animal studies, we could find hearing restoration after inoculation of the mesenchymal stem cells' as well as mesenchymal stem cells' differentiation of hair cells and spiral ganglion. But until now, no clinical study has been reported directly for the human being.

Human breast cancer cells display different sensitivities to ABT-263 based on the level of survivin.

ABT-263 (navitoclax), a Bcl-2 family protein inhibitor, was clinically tested as an anti-cancer agent. However, the clinical trials were limited given the occurrence of resistance to monotherapy in breast cancer cells. Our study investigates the mechanisms for overcoming navitoclax resistance by combining it with an mTOR inhibitor to indirectly target survivin.

Sulfatinib, a novel kinase inhibitor, in patients with advanced solid tumors: results from a phase I study.

Sulfatinib is a small molecule kinase inhibitor that targets tumor angiogenesis and immune modulation. This phase I study (NCT02133157) investigated the safety, pharmacokinetic characteristics, and preliminary anti-tumor activity of sulfatinib in patients with advanced solid tumors. The study included a dose-escalation phase (50-350 mg/day, 28-day cycle) with a Fibonacci (3+3) design, and a tumor-specific expansion phase investigating the tumor response to treatment.

GSK-3β-mediated fatty acid synthesis enhances epithelial to mesenchymal transition of TLR4-activated colorectal cancer cells through regulation of TAp63.

Glycogen synthase kinase-3β (GSK-3β) in cancer cells is a critical regulatory component of both cellular metabolism and epithelial-mesenchymal transition (EMT) processes via regulation of the β-catenin/E-cadherin and phosphoinositide 3-kinase (PI3K)/AKT signaling pathway. Lipogenesis of cancer cells also plays a critical role in survival and metastasis. We investigated the role of GSK-3β-mediated intracellular fatty acid synthesis to control EMT in TLR4-activated colorectal cancer cells and the underlying regulatory mechanism.

Melatonin Attenuates Noise Stress-induced Gastrointestinal Motility Disorder and Gastric Stress Ulcer: Role of Gastrointestinal Hormones and Oxidative Stress in Rats.

Background/aims: There are increasing evidences for gastrointestinal motility disorder (GIMD) and gastric stress ulcer induced by noise stress. The present study was to investigate the reversed effect of melatonin on GIMD and gastric stress ulcer induced by noise stress and potential mechanism.

Methods: Noise stress was induced on rats, and melatonin (15 mg/kg) was administered to rats by intraperitoneal injection.

[Isolation and degradation characteristics of PCB-degrading strain].

A new PCB-degrading bacterial strain named PS-11 was isolated from soil contaminated with PCBs by enrichment culture. The strain was identified as Stenotrophomonas maltophilia according to the results of the analyses of 16S rDNA sequence. It was observed that the degradation rate of PCB52 by strain PS-11 was 31.

Inhibitory role for D-alanylation of wall teichoic acid in activation of insect Toll pathway by peptidoglycan of Staphylococcus aureus.

Pathogenic bacteria mitigate host immunity to establish infections, but the mechanism of this bacterial action has not been fully elucidated. To search for cell wall components that modulate innate immune responses in host organisms, we examined Staphylococcus aureus mutants, which were deficient in components of the cell wall, for pathogenicity in Drosophila. A mutation of dltA, which is responsible for the D-alanylation of teichoic acids, brought about an increase in the survival rate of adult flies that had received a septic infection with the bacteria.

Structural basis for the recognition of lysozyme by MliC, a periplasmic lysozyme inhibitor in Gram-negative bacteria.

Lysozymes are an important component of the innate immune system of animals that hydrolyze peptidoglycan, the major bacterial cell wall constituent. Many bacteria have contrived various means of dealing with this bactericidal enzyme, one of which is to produce lysozyme inhibitors. Recently, a novel family of bacterial lysozyme inhibitors was identified in various Gram-negative bacteria, named MliC (membrane bound lysozyme inhibitor of C-type lysozyme).