Efficacy and safety of metformin plus low-dose temozolomide in patients with recurrent or refractory glioblastoma: a randomized, prospective, multicenter, double-blind, controlled, phase 2 trial (KNOG-1501 study).

Purpose: Glioblastoma (GBM) has a poor prognosis after standard treatment. Recently, metformin has been shown to have an antitumor effect on glioma cells. We performed the first randomized prospective phase II clinical trial to investigate the clinical efficacy and safety of metformin in patients with recurrent or refractory GBM treated with low-dose temozolomide.

Clinical Outcomes of Neoadjuvant Chemotherapy in Colorectal Cancer Patients With Synchronous Resectable Liver Metastasis: A Propensity Score Matching Analysis.

Purpose: The survival benefit of neoadjuvant chemotherapy (NAC) prior to surgical resection in colorectal cancer with liver metastases (CRCLM) patients remains controversial. The aim of this study was to compare overall outcome of CRCLM patients who underwent NAC followed by surgical resection versus surgical treatment first.

Methods: We retrospectively analyzed 429 patients with stage IV colorectal cancer with synchronous liver metastases who underwent simultaneous liver resection between January 2008 and December 2016.

Procarbazine and CCNU Chemotherapy for Recurrent Glioblastoma with MGMT Promoter Methylation.

Background: While procarbazine, CCNU (lomustine), and vincristine (PCV) has been an alternative chemotherapy option for malignant gliomas, it is worth investigating whether the combination of only procarbazine and CCNU is comparable because vincristine adds toxicity with uncertain benefit. The purpose of this study was to evaluate the feasibility of procarbazine and CCNU chemotherapy for recurrent glioblastoma multiforme (GBM) with O-methylguanine-DNA-methyltransferase (MGMT) promoter methylation.

Methods: Eight patients with recurrent GBM following concurrent chemoradiotherapy and temozolomide (TMZ) adjuvant therapy were enrolled in this trial; they received no other chemotherapeutic agents or target therapy.

Popliteal artery pseudoaneurysm after anterior cruciate ligament re-revision using a rigidfix cross pin.

Popliteal artery injury is a very rare complication of anterior cruciate ligament (ACL) reconstruction. The authors experienced a case of popliteal arterial pseudoaneurysm after re-revision of ACL reconstruction using Rigidfix for femoral tunnel fixation. Pseudoaneurysm was detected in knee magnetic resonance imaging, which caused pain, limit of motion, common peroneal nerve palsy, leg swelling and symptoms similar to compartment syndrome.

Acute simultaneous ruptures of the anterior cruciate ligament and patellar tendon.

Acute simultaneous rupture of the anterior cruciate ligament (ACL) and patellar tendon is a rare injury. We present a case report of a 32-year-old male patient with ruptured ACL and ipsilateral patellar tendon rupture sustained while playing baseball. Surgery was performed on the patellar tendon and the ACL simultaneously.

Overexpression of CD73 in epithelial ovarian carcinoma is associated with better prognosis, lower stage, better differentiation and lower regulatory T cell infiltration.

Objective: The purpose of the current study was to evaluate survival outcome according to the expression status of CD73 in patients with epithelial ovarian cancer.

Methods: A total of 167 patients with epithelial ovarian cancer were enrolled in the current study. For each patient, a retrospective review of medical records was conducted.

Facile fabrication of aligned doubly open-ended TiO2 nanotubes, via a selective etching process, for use in front-illuminated dye sensitized solar cells.

A simple selective etching process easily removed a 2nd anodized TiO(2) nanotubes (TNTs) layer from a physically stable 1st anodized TNTs layer to produce noncurling, freestanding, large-area aligned doubly open-ended TNTs. These TNTs were easily transferred to a conducting glass for use in fabricating front-illuminated dye sensitized solar cells.

Inhibitory effects of Ginkgo biloba extract on inflammatory mediator production by Porphyromonas gingivalis lipopolysaccharide in murine macrophages via Nrf-2 mediated heme oxygenase-1 signaling pathways.

Periodontitis is an oral chronic inflammatory disease that influences systemic diseases. Heme oxygenase-1 has several beneficial abilities through Nrf-2 regulation. Ginkgo biloba has been reported to have anti-inflammatory effects associated with heme oxygenase-1 (HO-1) expression.

Thermodynamic control over the competitive anchoring of N719 dye on nanocrystalline TiO2 for improving photoinduced electron generation.

TiO(2) electrodes, sensitized with the N719 dye at high immersion temperatures during the sensitization process, were found to have large fractions of weakly bound N719 on the electrode surface, which resulted in dye aggregation and decreased device longevity. These disadvantages were ameliorated using a low-temperature stearic acid (SA)-assisted anchoring method described here. The activation energy (ΔE(NS)(++)) and relative fraction of strongly bound N719 were twice as large as the respective values obtained without the use of SA.

A novel hole transport material for iodine-free solid state dye-sensitized solar cells.

A novel bis-EDOT-based monomer with ethylene glycol oligomers was synthesized and shown to exhibit strong ion solvation, good transport properties, and effective charge screening. These properties greatly improved J(SC) (4.2 to 7.

Dye-sensitized solar cells using polymer electrolytes based on poly(vinylidene fluoride-hexafluoro propylene) nanofibers by electrospinning method.

The dye-sensitized solar cell (DSSC) devices using polymer electrolytes based on electrospun poly(vinylidene fluoride-hexafluoro propylene) (PVDF-HFP) nanofibers were fabricated and investigated the photovoltaic performances. The electrospun PVDF-HFP nanofibers were prepared by various parameters such as; polymer concentrations, applied voltages, and tip to collector distances (TCD) by the electrospinning method. The open circuit voltage (V(OC)), short circuit current (J(SC)), fill factor (FF), and overall power conversion efficiency (eta) of DSSC devices using electro-spun PVDF-HFP nanofibers were 0.

N-linked oligosaccharide analysis of glycoprotein bands from isoelectric focusing gels.

Glycoproteins often display a complex isoelectric focusing profile because of the presence of negatively charged carbohydrates, such as sialic acid, phosphorylated mannose, and sulfated GalNAc. Until now, understanding the role of these charged carbohydrates in determining the isoelectric focusing profile has been limited to observing pattern shifts following complete removal of the sugars in question. We have developed a simple and sensitive method for analyzing N-linked oligosaccharides from the individual isoelectric focusing bands of a glycoprotein using recombinant human thyroid-stimulating hormone as a model system.

A mutation causing a reduced level of expression of six beta4-galactosyltransferase genes is the basis of the Lec19 CHO glycosylation mutant.

To identify factors required for the synthesis of complex glycans, we have isolated Chinese hamster ovary (CHO) cell mutants resistant to plant lectins. We previously identified Lec19 CHO cells as resistant to the Gal-binding lectins ricin, abrin, and modeccin and hypersensitive to the toxicity of other lectins that bind Gal, including L-PHA and E-PHA. Here we show that Lec19 cell extracts have a decreased ability to transfer Gal to simple sugar, oligosaccharide, and glycopeptide acceptors, particularly to biantennary, GlcNAc-terminated acceptors.

Antibodies that recognize bisected complex N-glycans on cell surface glycoproteins can be made in mice lacking N-acetylglucosaminyltransferase III.

The bisecting GlcNAc is transferred to complex or hybrid N-glycans by the action of N-acetylglucosaminyltransferase III (GlcNAc-TIII) encoded by the Mgat3 gene. CHO cells expressing mouse GlcNAc-TIII were shown by matrix-assisted laser desorption ionization (MALDI) mass spectrometry to produce mainly complex N-glycans with the predicted extra (bisecting) GlcNAc. In order to probe biological functions of the bisecting GlcNAc, antibodies that recognize this residue in the context of complex cell surface glycoconjugates were sought.