REpeated AutoLogous Infusions of STem cells In Cirrhosis (REALISTIC): a multicentre, phase II, open-label, randomised controlled trial of repeated autologous infusions of granulocyte colony-stimulating factor (GCSF) mobilised CD133+ bone marrow stem cells in patients with cirrhosis. A study protocol for a randomised controlled trial.

Introduction: Liver disease mortality and morbidity are rapidly rising and liver transplantation is limited by organ availability. Small scale human studies have shown that stem cell therapy is safe and feasible and has suggested clinical benefit. No published studies have yet examined the effect of stem cell therapy in a randomised controlled trial and evaluated the effect of repeated therapy.

An integrative approach identified genes associated with drug response in gastric cancer.

Gastric cancer (GC) is the second leading cause of global cancer mortality worldwide. However, the molecular mechanism underlying its carcinogenesis and drug resistance is not well understood. To identify novel functionally important genes that were differentially expressed due to combinations of genetic and epigenetic changes, we analyzed datasets containing genome-wide mRNA expression, DNA copy number alterations and DNA methylation status from 154 primary GC samples and 47 matched non-neoplastic mucosa tissues from Asian patients.

The discordance between HbA1c and glucose tolerance testing for the postpartum exclusion of diabetes following gestational diabetes.

Aims: To assess the concordance between the HbA1c and the oral glucose tolerance test (OGTT) for the diagnosis of diabetes and prediabetes following gestational diabetes (GDM) in an ethnically diverse population.

Methods: Women with GDM underwent a concurrent OGTT and HbA1c test 6-12 weeks postpartum.

Results: There were 114 women with GDM who had a 75 g 2-h OGTT and HbA1c at 9.

microRNAs in breast cancer: regulatory roles governing the hallmarks of cancer.

A large number of etiological factors and the complexity of breast cancers present challenges for prevention and treatment. Recently, the emergence of microRNAs (miRNAs) as cancer biomarkers has added an extra dimension to the 'molecular signatures' of breast cancer. Bioinformatic analyses indicate that each miRNA can regulate hundreds of target genes and could serve functionally as 'oncogenes' or 'tumour suppressor' genes, and co-ordinate multiple cellular processes relevant to cancer progression.

Methods for using 3-D ultrasound speckle tracking in biaxial mechanical testing of biological tissue samples.

Being multilayered and anisotropic, biological tissues such as cardiac and arterial walls are structurally complex, making the full assessment and understanding of their mechanical behavior challenging. Current standard mechanical testing uses surface markers to track tissue deformations and does not provide deformation data below the surface. In the study described here, we found that combining mechanical testing with 3-D ultrasound speckle tracking could overcome this limitation.

Challenges of clinical trial design for targeted agents against pediatric leukemias.

The past 40 years have seen significant improvements in both event-free and overall survival for children with acute lymphoblastic and acute myeloid leukemia (ALL and AML, respectively). Serial national and international clinical trials have optimized the use of conventional chemotherapeutic drugs and, along with improvements in supportive care that have enabled the delivery of more intensive regimens, have been responsible for the major improvements in patient outcome seen over the past few decades. However, the benefits of dose intensification have likely now been maximized, and over the same period, the identification of new cytotoxic drugs has been limited.

Maturational conversion of dendritic early endosomes and their roles in L1-mediated axon growth.

The function of endosomes is intricately linked to cellular function in all cell types, including neurons. Intriguingly, neurons express cell type-specific proteins that localize to endosomes, but little is known about how these neuronal proteins interface with canonical endosomes and ubiquitously expressed endosomal components, such as EEA1 (Early Endosomal Antigen 1). NEEP21 (Neuronal Early Endosomal Protein 21 kDa) localizes to somatodendritic endosomes, and downregulation of NEEP21 perturbs the correct trafficking of multiple receptors, including glutamate receptors (GluA2) during LTP and amyloidogenic processing of βAPP.

Identification of novel peroxisome proliferator-activated receptor-gamma (PPARγ) agonists using molecular modeling method.

Peroxisome proliferator-activated receptor-gamma (PPARγ) plays a critical role in lipid and glucose homeostasis. It is the target of many drug discovery studies, because of its role in various disease states including diabetes and cancer. Thiazolidinediones, a synthetic class of agents that work by activation of PPARγ, have been used extensively as insulin-sensitizers for the management of type 2 diabetes.

SPHK1 regulates proliferation and survival responses in triple-negative breast cancer.

Triple-negative breast cancer (TNBC) is characterized by unique aggressive behavior and lack of targeted therapies. Among the various molecular subtypes of breast cancer, it was observed that TNBCs express elevated levels of sphingosine kinase 1 (SPHK1) compared to other breast tumor subtypes. High levels of SPHK1 gene expression correlated with poor overall and progression- free survival, as well as poor response to Doxorubicin-based treatment.

Mandarin version of the Leeds Dyspepsia Questionnaire: A valid instrument for assessing symptoms in Asians.

Objective: To develop and validate a Mandarin version of the Leeds Dyspepsia Questionnaire (M-LDQ) in Asian patients with dyspepsia.

Methods: The M-LDQ was developed according to standardized methods. The validity, internal consistency, test-retest reliability and responsiveness of the instrument were evaluated in both primary and secondary care patients.

Reed-Sternberg cell-derived lymphotoxin-α activates endothelial cells to enhance T-cell recruitment in classical Hodgkin lymphoma.

It is known that cells within the inflammatory background in classical Hodgkin lymphoma (cHL) provide signals essential for the continual survival of the neoplastic Hodgkin and Reed-Sternberg (HRS) cells. However, the mechanisms underlying the recruitment of this inflammatory infiltrate into the involved lymph nodes are less well understood. In this study, we show in vitro that HRS cells secrete lymphotoxin-α (LTα) which acts on endothelial cells to upregulate the expression of adhesion molecules that are important for T cell recruitment.

Prolonged effectiveness of coronary artery bypass surgery versus drug-eluting stents in diabetics with multi-vessel disease: an updated systematic review and meta-analysis.

Background: Currently, the appropriateness of percutaneous coronary intervention (PCI) using drug-eluting stents (DES) versus coronary artery bypass grafting (CABG) for patients with diabetes (DM) and multi-vessel disease (MVD) is uncertain due to limited evidence from few randomised controlled trials (RCTs). We aimed to compare the clinical effectiveness of CABG versus PCI-DES in DM-MVD patients using an evidence-based approach.

Methods: A systematic review and meta-analyses were conducted to compare the risk of all-cause mortality, myocardial infarction (MI), repeat revascularisation, cerebrovascular events (CVE), and major adverse cardiac or cerebrovascular events (MACCE).

DEAD-box helicase DP103 defines metastatic potential of human breast cancers.

Despite advancement in breast cancer treatment, 30% of patients with early breast cancers experience relapse with distant metastasis. It is a challenge to identify patients at risk for relapse; therefore, the identification of markers and therapeutic targets for metastatic breast cancers is imperative. Here, we identified DP103 as a biomarker and metastasis-driving oncogene in human breast cancers and determined that DP103 elevates matrix metallopeptidase 9 (MMP9) levels, which are associated with metastasis and invasion through activation of NF-κB.

Feasibility of treating aged polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons (PAHs)-contaminated soils using ethyl lactate-based Fenton treatment via parametric and kinetic studies.

This study focuses on the feasibility of treating aged polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons (PAHs)-contaminated soils using ethyl lactate (EL)-based Fenton treatment via a combination of parametric and kinetic studies. An optimised operating condition was observed at 66.7 M H2O2 with H2O2/Fe(2+) of 40:1 for low soil organic carbon (SOC) content and mildly acidic soil (pH 6.

Novel method of measuring valvular regurgitation using three-dimensional nonlinear curve fitting of Doppler signals within the flow convergence zone.

Mitral valve regurgitation (MR) is among the most prevalent and significant valve problems in the Western world. Echocardiography plays a significant role in the diagnosis of degenerative valve disease. However, a simple and accurate means of quantifying MR has eluded both the technical and clinical ultrasound communities.

Early life exposure to fructose and offspring phenotype: implications for long term metabolic homeostasis.

The consumption of artificially sweetened processed foods, particularly high in fructose or high fructose corn syrup, has increased significantly in the past few decades. As such, interest into the long term outcomes of consuming high levels of fructose has increased significantly, particularly when the exposure is early in life. Epidemiological and experimental evidence has linked fructose consumption to the metabolic syndrome and associated comorbidities-implicating fructose as a potential factor in the obesity epidemic.

Vitamin D supplementation and the effects on glucose metabolism during pregnancy: a randomized controlled trial.

Objective: Vitamin D deficiency in pregnancy is associated with an increased risk of gestational diabetes mellitus (GDM) and neonatal vitamin D deficiency. We conducted a double-blind, randomized controlled trial of low-dose (LD) versus high-dose (HD) vitamin D supplementation to investigate the effects of vitamin D supplementation on glucose metabolism during pregnancy.

Research Design And Methods: Women with plasma 25-hydroxyvitamin D (25OHD) levels <32 ng/mL before 20 weeks' gestation were randomized to oral vitamin D3 at 5,000 IU daily (HD) (n = 89) or the recommended pregnancy dose of 400 IU daily (LD) (n = 90) until delivery.

Impact of socioeconomic status and rurality on early outcomes and mid-term survival after CABG: insights from a multicentre registry.

Background: We examined whether socioeconomic status and rurality influenced outcomes after coronary surgery.

Methods: We identified 14,150 patients undergoing isolated coronary surgery. Socioeconomic and rurality data was obtained from the Australian Bureau of Statistics and linked to patients' postcodes.

Solution-processed Ga-doped ZnO nanorod arrays as electron acceptors in organic solar cells.

This paper reports the utilization of ZnO nanorod arrays (NRAs) doped with various concentrations of Ga (0, 0.5, 1, 2, and 3 at %) as electron acceptors in organic solar cells. The donor, poly(3-hexylthiophene) (P3HT), was spin coated onto Ga-doped ZnO NRAs that were grown on fluorine-doped tin oxide (FTO) substrates, followed by the deposition of a Ag electrode by a magnetron sputtering method.

Barium Levels in Soils and Centella asiatica.

In this study, Centella asiatica and surface soils were collected from 12 sampling sites in Peninsular Malaysia, and the barium (Ba) concentrations were determined. The Ba concentration [μg/g dry weight (dw)] was 63.72 to 382.

Sphingosine kinase 1 promotes malignant progression in colon cancer and independently predicts survival of patients with colon cancer by competing risk approach in South asian population.

Objectives: Sphingosine kinase 1 (SphK1) phosphorylates the membrane sphingolipid, sphingosine, to sphingosine-1-phosphate (S1P), an oncogenic mediator, which drives tumor cell growth and survival. Although SphK1 has gained increasing prominence as an oncogenic determinant in several cancers, its potential as a therapeutic target in colon cancer remains uncertain. We investigated the clinical relevance of SphK1 expression in colon cancer as well as its inhibitory effects in vitro.

The formation of proximal and distal definitive endoderm populations in culture requires p38 MAPK activity.

Endoderm formation in the mammal is a complex process with two lineages forming during the first weeks of development, the primitive (or extraembryonic) endoderm, which is specified in the blastocyst, and the definitive endoderm that forms later, at gastrulation, as one of the germ layers of the embryo proper. Fate mapping evidence suggests that the definitive endoderm arises as two waves, which potentially reflect two distinct cell populations. Early primitive ectoderm-like (EPL) cell differentiation has been used successfully to identify and characterise mechanisms regulating molecular gastrulation and lineage choice during differentiation.

Characterization of the vessel geometry, flow mechanics and wall shear stress in the great arteries of wildtype prenatal mouse.

Introduction: Abnormal fluid mechanical environment in the pre-natal cardiovascular system is hypothesized to play a significant role in causing structural heart malformations. It is thus important to improve our understanding of the prenatal cardiovascular fluid mechanical environment at multiple developmental time-points and vascular morphologies. We present such a study on fetal great arteries on the wildtype mouse from embryonic day 14.