Radiomics signature: A potential biomarker for the prediction of MGMT promoter methylation in glioblastoma.

Background: In glioblastoma (GBM), promoter methylation of the DNA repair gene O-methylguanine-DNA methyltransferase (MGMT) is associated with beneficial chemotherapy.

Purpose/hypothesis: To analyze radiomics features for utilizing the full potential of medical imaging as biomarkers of MGMT promoter methylation.

Study Type: Retrospective.

Experimental and modelling characterisation of adjustable hollow Micro-needle delivery systems.

Background: Hollow micro-needles have been used increasingly less in practice because the infusion into the skin is limited by the tissue resistance to flow. The relationship between the infusion flow rate and tissue resistance pressure is not clear.

Methods: A custom-made, hollow micro-needle system was used in this study.

Sensitization of ASIC3 by proteinase-activated receptor 2 signaling contributes to acidosis-induced nociception.

Background: Tissue acidosis and inflammatory mediators play critical roles in pain. Pro-inflammatory agents trypsin and tryptase cleave and activate proteinase-activated receptor 2 (PAR) expressed on sensory nerves, which is involved in peripheral mechanisms of inflammation and pain. Extracellular acidosis activates acid-sensing ion channel 3 (ASIC3) to trigger pain sensation.

The association between the baseline bone resorption marker CTX and incident dysglycemia after 4 years.

Bone is an endocrine organ involved in modulating glucose homeostasis. The role of the bone formation marker osteocalcin (OCN) in predicting diabetes was reported, but with conflicting results. No study has explored the association between baseline bone resorption activity and incident diabetes or prediabetes during follow-up.

CUL4A overexpression as an independent adverse prognosticator in intrahepatic cholangiocarcinoma.

Background: CUL4A has been known for its oncogenic properties in various human cancers. However, its role in intrahepatic cholangiocarcinoma (iCCA) has not been explored.

Methods: We retrospectively investigated 105 iCCA cases from a single medical institution.

Two pairs of unusual melibiose and raffinose esters from Scrophularia ningpoensis.

A pair of unusual melibiose esters (1α/1β) and a pair of unusual raffinose esters (2α/2β), were isolated from Scrophularia ningpoensis. Structures of them were established by detailed spectroscopic analyses to be 6-O-(E)-cinnamoyl-α-d-galactopyranosyl-(1→6)-α(β)-d-glucopyranose (1α/1β) and 6-O-(E)/(Z)-cinnamoyl-α-d-galactopyranosyl-(1→6)-α-d-glucopyranosyl-(1→2)-β-d-fructofuranose (2α/2β), respectively. All these compounds were evaluated for antifouling activity against the settlement of Balanus amphitrite larvae, along with the cytotoxic effect against the proliferation of HeLa cell lines.

Dihydromyricetin ameliorates atherosclerosis in LDL receptor deficient mice.

Background And Aims: Dihydromyricetin, the most abundant flavonoid in Ampelopsis grossedentata, exerts numerous pharmacological activities, including anti-inflammatory, antioxidant, hepatoprotective, and lipid regulatory activities; however, its protective effect against atherosclerosis remains poorly understood. The aim of the present study was to evaluate the effects of dihydromyricetin on high fat diet (HFD)-induced atherosclerosis using LDL receptor deficient (LDLr) mice.

Methods: Blood samples were collected for determination of serum lipid profiles, oxidized LDL (ox-LDL) and pro-inflammatory cytokines.

ER stress dependent microparticles derived from smooth muscle cells promote endothelial dysfunction during thoracic aortic aneurysm and dissection.

The degeneration of vascular smooth muscle cell(s) (SMC) is one of the key features of thoracic aortic aneurysm and dissection (TAAD). We and others have shown that elevated endoplasmic reticulum (ER) stress causes SMC loss and TAAD formation, however, the mechanism of how SMC dysfunction contributes to intimal damage, leading to TAAD, remains to be explored. In the present study, assay demonstrated that elevated mechanical stretch (18% elongation, 3600 cycles/h) stimulated the ER stress response and microparticle(s) (MP) production from both SMC and endothelial cell(s) (EC) in a time-dependent manner.

Coevolution with pollinating resin midges led to resin-filled nurseries in the androecia, gynoecia and tepals of Kadsura (Schisandraceae).

Background And Aims: Resin is a defence against herbivores and a floral reward in a few African and South American species whose bee pollinators collect it for nest construction. Here we describe a new role for floral resin from the Asian genus Kadsura (Schisandraceae). Kadsura tepals tightly cover a globe formed by carpels (in females) or near-fused stamens with fleshy connectives (in male flowers of most, but not all species).

Overexpressed Fatty Acid Synthase in Gastrointestinal Stromal Tumors: Targeting a Progression-Associated Metabolic Driver Enhances the Antitumor Effect of Imatinib.

In gastrointestinal stromal tumors (GIST), lipid-metabolizing enzymes remain underexplored, including fatty acid synthase (FASN). Forty GISTs were quantitated for mRNA abundance. FASN immunoexpression was informative in 350 GISTs, including 213 with known genotypes.

Does hysteroscopy worsen prognosis in women with type II endometrial carcinoma?

Background: Prior studies evaluating the impact of hysteroscopy on outcomes in endometrial cancer have predominantly evaluated type I tumors. We sought to evaluate whether hysteroscopy worsens prognosis in type II endometrial cancer.

Methods: A retrospective cohort analysis of 140 patients from two institutions with type II endometrial cancer was performed.

Nitrile-hydrolyzing enzyme from Meyerozyma guilliermondii and its potential in biosynthesis of 3-hydroxypropionic acid.

3-Hydroxypropionic acid (3-HP) is an important platform chemical in organic synthesis. Traditionally, 3-HP was produced by chemical methods and fermentation process. In this work, a novel enzymatic method was developed for green synthesis of 3-HP.

Identification and characterization of a novel diacylglycerol acyltransferase gene from Mortierella alpina.

Objectives: To clone and express a diacylglycerol acyltransferase (DGAT) gene from Mortierella alpina in Saccharomyces cerevisiae and characterize oil production and fatty acid composition of the resulting recombinant RESULTS: A new, full-length cDNA, putatively encoding a DGAT, was cloned from M. alpina. We subsequently cloned the gene, except the transmembrane-encoding region, termed MaDGAT, its molecular mass was 31.

PLCB4 copy gain and PLCß4 overexpression in primary gastrointestinal stromal tumors: Integrative characterization of a lipid-catabolizing enzyme associated with worse disease-free survival.

To explore the implications of lipid catabolism-associated genes in gastrointestinal stromal tumors, we reappraised transcriptomic and genomic datasets and identified copy-gained and differentially upregulated PLCB4 gene associated with tumor progression. On full sections, PLCB4 mRNA abundance and PLCß4 immunoexpression were validated in 70 cases. On tissue microarrays, PLCB4 gene copies and PLCß4 immunoexpression were both informative in 350 cases with KIT/PDGFRA/BRAF genotypes noted in 213.

Screening specific polypeptides of breast cancer stem cells from a phage display random peptide library.

The present study aimed to identify polypeptides that specifically bond to breast cancer stem cells from a phage display random 12 peptide library, in addition to the affinity and specificity of polypeptides. A phage display random 12 peptide library was screened using breast cancer stem cells as targets isolated from the MDA-MB-231 cell line using the serum-free culture technique with hs578bst and MDA-MB-231 cells as subtract-screening cells. Positive and specific binding clones were amplified and sent for sequencing.

Cerebral blood flow and its connectivity features of auditory verbal hallucinations in schizophrenia: A perfusion study.

The goal of the study was to investigate cerebral blood flow (CBF) and its connectivity (an across-subject covariance measure) patterns of schizophrenia (SZ) patients with auditory verbal hallucinations (AVHs). A total of demographically matched 25 SZ patients with AVHs, 25 without AVHs, and 25 healthy controls (HCs) underwent resting state perfusion imaging using a pulsed arterial spin labeling sequence. CBF and its connectivity were analyzed and then CBF topological properties were calculated.

SET and MYND Domain-Containing Protein 3 (SMYD3) Polymorphism as a Risk Factor for Susceptibility and Poor Prognosis in Ovarian Cancer.

BACKGROUND We investigated the relationship of the polymorphisms of SET and MYND domain-containing protein 3 (SMYD3) with risk and prognosis of ovarian cancer. MATERIAL AND METHODS The polymerase chain reaction (PCR) amplification method was applied to detect the polymorphisms of variable number of tandem repeats (VNTR) in the SMYD3 gene promoter region for 156 patients with ovarian cancer (case group) and 174 healthy people (control group). Quantitative reverse transcription polymerase chain reaction and Western blot were applied to detect SMYD3 mRNA and protein expressions.

Fear Erasure Facilitated by Immature Inhibitory Neuron Transplantation.

Transplantation of embryonic γ-aminobutyric acid (GABA)ergic neurons has been shown to modify disease phenotypes in rodent models of neurologic and psychiatric disorders. However, whether transplanted interneurons modulate fear memory remains largely unclear. Here, we report that transplantation of embryonic interneurons into the amygdala does not alter host fear memory formation.

Binding interaction of ramipril with bovine serum albumin (BSA): Insights from multi-spectroscopy and molecular docking methods.

The binding interaction between a typical angiotensin-converting enzyme inhibitor (ACEI), ramipril, and a transport protein, bovine serum albumin (BSA), was studied in vitro using UV-vis absorption spectroscopy, steady-state fluorescence spectroscopic titration, synchronous fluorescence spectroscopy, three dimensional fluorescence spectroscopy, circular dichroism and molecular docking under the imitated physiological conditions (pH=7.4). The experimental results suggested that the intrinsic fluorescence of BSA was quenched by ramipril thought a static quenching mechanism, indicating that the stable ramipril-BSA complex was formed by the intermolecular interaction.

The negative conversion of high-risk human papillomavirus and its performance in surveillance of cervical cancer after treatment: a retrospective study.

Purpose: To determine the negative conversion regularity of high-risk human papillomavirus (HR-HPV) and to evaluate the prognostic implications of HR-HPV testing in patients with cervical cancer after treatment.

Methods: A retrospective post-treatment analysis of 173 patients with cervical cancer was performed from January 2011 to December 2012. Patients who had HR-HPV infection before treatment were included.

Co-existing ligneous conjunctivitis and IgG4-related disease.

Herein, we elucidate that ligneous conjunctivitis (LC) was proved as an IgG4-related disease (IgG4-RD) by a series of pathologic studies from primary and recurrent episodes of an LC patient. LC was diagnosed based on clinical presentation and pathological appearance; furthermore, combined with serological examination and immunohistochemical study, the case also conformed to the diagnosis of IgG4-RD. The IgG4-RD, broadly discussed in recent times, is an idiopathic disease entity with tissue fibrosis possibly involving multiple organs.

Combined spectroscopies and molecular docking approach to characterizing the binding interaction of enalapril with bovine serum albumin.

The binding interaction between bovine serum albumin (BSA) and enalapril (ENPL) at the imitated physiological conditions (pH = 7.4) was investigated using UV-vis absorption spectroscopy (UV-vis), fluorescence emission spectroscopy (FES), synchronous fluorescence spectroscopy (SFS), Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy (FT-IR), circular dichroism (CD) and molecular docking methods. It can be deduced from the experimental results from the steady-state fluorescence spectroscopic titration that the intrinsic BSA fluorescence quenching mechanism induced by ENPL is static quenching, based on the decrease in the BSA quenching constants in the presence of ENPL with increase in temperature and BSA quenching rates >10  L mol  sec .

Vegetarian diet reduces the risk of hypertension independent of abdominal obesity and inflammation: a prospective study.

Objectives: A vegetarian diet may prevent elevation of blood pressures and lower the risk for hypertension through lower degrees of obesity, inflammation, and insulin resistance. This study investigated the association between a vegetarian diet and hypertension incidence in a cohort of Taiwanese adult nonsmokers and examined whether this association was mediated through inflammation, abdominal obesity, or insulin resistance (using fasting glucose as a proxy).

Methods: This matched cohort study was from the 1994-2008 MJ Health Screening Database.

Anterior Cingulate Cortico-Hippocampal Dysconnectivity in Unaffected Relatives of Schizophrenia Patients: A Stochastic Dynamic Causal Modeling Study.

Familial risk plays a significant role in the etiology of schizophrenia (SZ). Many studies using neuroimaging have demonstrated structural and functional alterations in relatives of SZ patients, with significant results found in diverse brain regions involving the anterior cingulate cortex (ACC), caudate, dorsolateral prefrontal cortex (DLPFC), and hippocampus. This study investigated whether unaffected relatives of first episode SZ differ from healthy controls (HCs) in effective connectivity measures among these regions.