We succeed in measuring the oscillating force of cylindrical poly(N-isopropylacrylamide) gel having a side group of ruthenium tris(2,2‘-bipyridine) (Ru(bpy)3) accompanied with the periodic redox ...reaction of Ru(bpy)3 2+/3+, the Belousov−Zhabotinsky (BZ) reaction. The measurements are made for three gels with different diameters, 0.65, 1.17, and 1.88 mm, at 15 °C. It is found that the amplitude of oscillatory tensile stress of the reacting cylindrical gel with a diameter of 0.65 mm is much higher than the stress theoretically expected from the Donnan osmotic pressure. The amplitude is explained by an oscillatory change of the interaction parameter, χ, which might be induced by the hydration and dehydration of the chain due to the oscillatory charge density on the polymer chain. The oscillation behavior of the BZ reaction is found to be strongly dependent on the diameter of the gel. The staying period in the oxidative state and the period of the oscillation increase with a decrease in the diameter of the cylindrical gel.
The non-POU domain-containing octamer binding protein p54nrb/NONO is a multifunctional nuclear protein involved in RNA splicing, processing, and transcriptional regulation of nuclear hormone ...receptors. Through chromosome copy number analysis via whole-exome sequencing, we revealed amplification of the chromosome Xq11.22-q21.33 locus containing the androgen receptor (AR) and NONO genes in androgen-independent, castration-resistant prostate cancer (CRPC)-like LNCaP-SF cells. Moreover, NONO was frequently amplified and overexpressed in patients with CRPC. RNA sequencing data revealed that a truncated ephrin type-A receptor 6 (EPHA6) splice variant (EPHA6-001) was overexpressed in LNCaP-SF cells, and knockdown of NONO or EPHA6-001 prevented EPHA6-001 expression and reduced proliferation and invasion by LNCaP-SF cells grown under androgen deprivation conditions. Growth inhibition and differential splicing of EPHA6 mRNA by p54nrb/NONO were confirmed in gene silencing experiments in 22Rv1 PCa cells. Importantly, NONO knockdown in LNCaP-SF cells led to reduced tumor growth in castrated mice. These findings indicate that p54nrb/NONO is amplified and overexpressed in CRPC cells and clinical samples, and facilitates CRPC growth by mediating aberrant EPHA6 splicing. We therefore propose that p54nrb/NONO constitutes a novel and attractive therapeutic target for CRPC.
Background
The Response Evaluation Criteria in Solid Tumors (RECIST) was revised in 2009, based on a large dataset of 6512 patients from 16 trials. However, no gastric cancer patients were included ...in those data. The purpose of this study was to clarify the difference between RECIST version 1.0 and version 1.1 in advanced gastric cancer.
Methods
From 2004 to 2009, 129 consecutive patients with advanced gastric cancer received S-1 plus cisplatin as first-line treatment at the National Cancer Center Hospital East. Ninety-seven of these patients who had had baseline and post-treatment computed tomography scans performed were included in this study. Measurements of tumors were conducted retrospectively.
Results
At the baseline of first-line chemotherapy, 172 lymph nodes in 54 patients were considered to be candidate target lesions by RECIST version 1.0. However, only 38 % of the lymph nodes were classified as target lesions by RECIST version 1.1, with 47 % classified as non-target lesions and 15 % classified as non-pathological. By RECIST version 1.0, the proportion of patients with target lesions at the baseline of first-line chemotherapy was 67 % (65/97), and this percentage was significantly reduced according to RECIST version 1.1 (53 %; 51/97) (McNemar’s exact test,
P
< 0.001). The findings at the baseline of second-line chemotherapy were similar (reduced from 62 to 49 %; McNemar’s exact test,
P
= 0.002). Overall response rates of first-line chemotherapy were 52 % (34/65) according to RECIST version 1.0 and 55 % (28/51) according to version 1.1.
Conclusions
The revision of RECIST significantly reduced the proportion of patients classified with target lesions at the baselines of first-line and second-line chemotherapies. No obvious difference in overall response rates was observed.
The Changjiang (Yangtze) River plume has a direct impact on phytoplankton biomass in the East China Sea (ECS). The present study aimed to analyze the spatial distribution of depth-integrated ...chlorophyll a (Chl-a) concentrations from the surface to the euphotic depth (Ze; ∑ChlZe) using samples collected at 50 stations in the ECS during a cruise in June 2007. However, spatial coverage was limited because the Ze, obtained from radiometric measurement of the vertical diffuse attenuation of solar irradiance, was only available at the 20 daytime stations. To address this limitation, it was determined that Ze could be expressed empirically using the vertical means of Chl-a concentration, turbidity, and salinity in the euphotic zone. Using this relationship, the potential value of Ze at night-time or low-light stations was calculated, and a dataset of (∑ChlZe) for the entire research area was obtained. A low salinity surface water mass (LSSW) was identified on the eastern continental shelf (125.0°–126.5°E, 30.0°–31.0°N), probably part of the Yellow Sea Mixed Water, but clearly influenced by Changjiang Diluted Water (CDW) extending from the west. The Taiwan Current Warm Water mass (TCWW) was located to the south of the LSSW. Other oceanic water masses, including Kuroshio Surface Water, were located to the east of the LSSW. The means of the Ze and ∑ChlZe in the LSSW were significantly shallower and higher, respectively, compared with the TCWW and other oceanic water masses (p < 0.01). The present study suggests that the extension of the Changjiang River plume beyond the CDW affects the phytoplankton biomass on the eastern continental shelf of the ECS, more than 300 km from the river mouth.
Display omitted
•A unique empirical protocol for the estimation of euphotic depth (Ze) is developed.•Depth-integrated Chl-a from the surface to the Ze(∑ChlZe) is evaluated spatially.•The ∑ChlZe is higher within the river plume than outside the plume.•The impact of the plume extension on phytoplankton biomass is discussed.
The gut peptide hormone ghrelin induces appetite and exhibits an anti-inflammatory effect. Serial perioperative changes in ghrelin have been examined in several surgical procedures, but few in ...pancreatectomy. The present study analyzed perioperative changes in plasma ghrelin levels after pancreaduodenectomy (PD).
The study included 24 patients undergoing PD between May 2015 and January 2016 at Osaka University Hospital. Plasma ghrelin and interleukin-6 (IL-6) levels, as well as white blood cells (WBCs) and C-reactive protein (CRP), were measured preoperatively and on postoperative day (POD) 1, 3, 7, and 14 by enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay. The relationship between the individual ghrelin ratio relative to preoperative value (IGR) and the development of grade IIIa-V Clavien-Dindo (CD) complications was examined.
Twelve patients (50%) developed grade IIIa CD complications (n = 6 25% pancreatic fistula, n = 7 29% intraabdominal abscess, n = 3 13% post-pancreatectomy hemorrhage, n = 5 21% wound infection, and n = 1 4% lymphorrhea). The IGR on POD 1 was significantly lower (p = 0.014) in patients who developed the complications compared to those who did not, but no significant differences were found in terms of WBC, CRP, or IL-6 on POD 1. When the IGR cut-off was set to 82% by receiver operative curve analysis, the sensitivity was 83%, specificity 75% and area under the curve 0.80. The lower IGR group (≤82%) had more postoperative complications and longer hospital stay.
The IGR on POD 1 after PD is a useful marker for predicting postoperative complications.
Using the world’s largest magnetic suspension and balance system (MSBS) and a low-turbulence wind tunnel, we successfully measured the aerodynamic forces acting on a non-spinning women’s javelin. It ...was found that the drag and the lift increased as the angle of attack was increased up to 18°. The pitching moment increased for angles of attack up to about 9°, and then decreased, becoming negative above 12°, indicating nose-down rotation. We used a pseudo supporting rod to simulate a javelin attached to a support, as used in a conventional setup, and confirmed that this interferes with the javelin by creating differences between the aerodynamics forces acting on the javelin with and without the pseudo supporting rod.
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