Study on development of forensic blood substitute: Focusing on bloodstain pattern analysis.

Bloodstain pattern analysis, one of the areas of forensic science, is performed to analyze the physical characteristics of bloodstains, including their size, shape, and distribution, to reconstruct a crime scene. A bloodstain pattern analyst should obtain through experiments and education the capabilities to both understand the generation mechanisms of bloodstains and identify the characteristics of the bloodstains. Experiments and education about bloodstain pattern analysis are carried out by using human blood taken from subjects, animal blood (porcine or bovine) supplied from butcheries, and blood substitute products developed in other countries.

A Nine-Gene Signature for Predicting the Response to Preoperative Chemoradiotherapy in Patients with Locally Advanced Rectal Cancer.

Preoperative chemoradiotherapy (PCRT) and subsequent surgery is the standard multimodal treatment for locally advanced rectal cancer (LARC), albeit PCRT response varies among the individuals. This creates a dire necessity to identify a predictive model to forecast treatment response outcomes and identify patients who would benefit from PCRT. In this study, we performed a gene expression study using formalin-fixed paraffin-embedded (FFPE) tumor biopsy samples from 156 LARC patients (training cohort = 60; validation cohort = 96); we identified the nine-gene signature (, , , , , , , , and ) that distinctively differentiated responders from non-responders in the training cohort (accuracy = 86.

Validation of the OncoHepa test, a multigene expression profile test, and the tumor marker-volume score to predict postresection outcome in small solitary hepatocellular carcinomas.

Purpose: OncoHepa test is a multigene expression profile test developed for assessment of hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) prognosis. Multiplication of α-FP, des-γ-carboxy prothrombin (DCP) and tumor volume (TV) gives the α-FP-DCP-volume (ADV) score, which is also developed for assessment of HCC prognosis.

Methods: The predictive powers of OncoHepa test and ADV score were validated in 35 patients who underwent curative hepatic resection for naïve solitary HCCs ≤5 cm.

EpCAM as a Predictive Marker of Tumor Recurrence and Survival in Patients Who Underwent Surgical Resection for Hepatocellular Carcinoma.

Background/aim: Epithelial cell adhesion molecule (EpCAM) is expressed in hepatic progenitor cells and hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC), and is considered a marker of liver cancer stem cells.

Materials And Methods: A total of 262 patients were enrolled who had undergone surgical resection for HCC, with immunohistochemical staining results for EpCAM. The immunohistochemical expression of EpCAM and other stemness-related markers was evaluated as prognosticators of tumor recurrence and survival in patients who underwent surgical resection for HCC.

Application of 3D Laser Scanner to Forensic Engineering.

In the case of building collapses and overturned structures, a three-dimensional (3D) collapse or overturn model is required to reconstruct the accident. As construction sites become increasingly complex and large, 3D laser scanning is sometimes the best tool to accurately document and store the site conditions. This case report presents one case of a structure collapse and one case of an overturned crane reconstructed by a 3D laser scanner.

Isolation and characterization of self-fertile suppressors from the sterile nsdD deletion mutant of Aspergillus nidulans.

To identify downstream and/or interactive factors of the nsdD gene, which encodes a positive regulator of sexual development of Aspergillus nidulans, suppressor mutants displaying a self-fertile phenotype were isolated from a sterile nsdD deletion mutant. At least five different loci (sndA-E) were identified and genetically analyzed. In the nsdD (+) background, most of the suppressors showed a marked increment of sexual development, even under the stress conditions that normally inhibited sexual development.

Protein-bound polysaccharide from Phellinus linteus inhibits tumor growth, invasion, and angiogenesis and alters Wnt/β-catenin in SW480 human colon cancer cells.

Background: Polysaccharides extracted from the Phellinus linteus (PL) mushroom are known to possess anti-tumor effects. However, the molecular mechanisms responsible for the anti-tumor properties of PL remain to be explored. Experiments were carried out to unravel the anticancer effects of PL.

Anti-inflammatory activity of constituents from Glechoma hederacea var. longituba.

Rosmarinic acid, its analogues, and a phenolic compound were obtained from G. hederacea var. longituba.

New sesquiterpene lactones from Glechoma hederacea L. and their cytotoxic effects on human cancer cell lines.

Three new sesquiterpene lactones, 1 α,10 β-epoxy-4-hydroxy-glechoma-5-en-olide (1), 1 β,10 α-epoxy-4,8-dihydroxy-glechoma-5-en-olide (2), and 1 β,10 α;4 α,5 β-diepoxy-8-methoxy-glechoman-8 α,12-olide (3), were isolated from the whole plant of Glechoma hederacea, together with four known sesquiterpene lactones. The structures of the three new sesquiterpene lactones were determined by spectroscopic evidence. Cytotoxic effects of the isolated compounds were examined against MDA-MB-231 (breast), HCT116 (colon), SW620 (colon), and DU145 (prostate) human cancer cell lines.

Vitexin, orientin and other flavonoids from Spirodela polyrhiza inhibit adipogenesis in 3T3-L1 cells.

To investigate the adipogenesis inhibitory effect on lipid accumulation, 3T3-L1 cells were treated with fractions and isolated flavonoids of Spirodela polyrhiza. An ethanol extract of S. polyrhiza was fractionated into three fractions.

Lanostane triterpenes from Ganoderma lucidum suppress the adipogenesis in 3T3-L1 cells through down-regulation of SREBP-1c.

Several lanostane triterpenes [butyl ganoderate A (1), butyl ganoderate B (2), butyl lucidenate N (3), and butyl lucidenate A (4)] bearing a butyl ester side chain from the fruiting bodies of Ganoderma lucidum exhibited considerable inhibitory effects on adipogenesis in 3T3-L1 cells. The inhibitory mechanism of 1 and 3 on adipogenesis in 3T3-L1 cells was investigated; we found that the mRNA and protein expression levels of SREBP-1c were reduced by treatment with 1 and 3 versus the untreated control. Furthermore, compounds 1 and 3 suppressed the mRNA expression levels of FAS and ACC.

Effect of lanostane triterpenes from the fruiting bodies of Ganoderma lucidum on adipocyte differentiation in 3T3-L1 cells.

Two new lanostane triterpenes, methyl lucidenate N ( 1) and T-butyl lucidenate B ( 2), were isolated from the fruiting bodies of GANODERMA LUCIDUM together with five known compounds ( 3- 7). The structures of the two new triterpenes were established as methyl 3 β,7 β-dihydroxy-4,4,14 α-trimethyl-11,15-dioxo-5 α-chol-8-en-24-oate ( 1) and T-butyl 7 β,12 β-dihydroxy-4,4,14 α-trimethyl-3,11,15-trioxo-5 α-chol-8-en-24-oate ( 2) by extensive spectroscopic studies and chemical evidence. The effect of the isolated compounds ( 1- 7) on triglyceride (TG) accumulation, an indicator of adipocyte differentiation, during the differentiation of 3T3-L1 preadipocytes was examined.

Lanostane triterpenes from the fruiting bodies of Ganoderma lucidum and their inhibitory effects on adipocyte differentiation in 3T3-L1 Cells.

Four new lanostane triterpenes, butyl ganoderate A (1), butyl ganoderate B (2), butyl lucidenate N (3), and butyl lucidenate A (4), were isolated from the fruiting bodies of Ganoderma lucidum together with 14 known compounds (5-18). The structures of the new triterpenes were established by extensive spectroscopic studies and chemical evidence. In addition, the inhibitory effect of isolated compounds on adipocyte differentiation in 3T3-L1 cells was examined.