Specific Investigation of Sample Handling Effects on Protease Activities and Absolute Serum Concentrations of Various Putative Peptidome Cancer Biomarkers

# The Author(s) 2010. This article is published with open access at Springerlink.com Introduction In the search for novel cancer biomarkers, various proteolytically derived peptides have been proposed to exhibit cancer or cancer-type specificity. As these peptides are presumably also generated after sample collection by tumor-specific proteases, extensive investigatio

Ground states with cluster structures in a frustrated Heisenberg chain

We examine the ground state of a Heisenberg model with arbitrary spin S on a one-dimensional lattice composed of diamond-shaped units. A unit includes two types of antiferromagnetic exchange interactions which frustrate each other. The system undergoes phase changes when the ratio $\lambda$ between the exchange parameters varies. In some phases, strong frustration leads to larger local structures or clusters of spins than a dimer. We prove for arbitrary S that there exists a phase with four-spin cluster states, which was previously found numerically for a special value of $\lambda$ in the S=1/2 case. For S=1/2 we show that there are three ground state phases and determine their boundaries.Comment: 4 pages, uses revtex.sty, 2 figures available on request from [email protected], to be published in J. Phys.: Cond. Mat

Nodular Regenerative Hyperplasia Secondary to Neoadjuvant Chemotherapy for Colorectal Liver Metastases

Liver resection is the only curative treatment for patients with colorectal liver metastases (CLMs). Neoadjuvant chemotherapy can improve resectability but has a potential harmful effect on the nontumorous liver. Patients with chemotherapy-induced hepatic injury undergoing liver surgery have higher risks of post-resectional morbidity. We present two cases of patients without pre-existent liver disease treated with oxaliplatin-based chemotherapy followed by surgical resection of their CLMs. Their intra-operative liver specimen showed morphologic abnormalities characteristic of nodular regenerative hyperplasia (NRH). NRH led to portal hypertension in both patients that resulted in deleterious post-resectional complications and death of one patient. Interestingly, the other patient underwent two repeat nonanatomic liver resections because of recurrent CLMs. The intra-operative liver specimen still showed signs of NRH and sinusoidal congestion, but the post-resectional courses were uneventful. Nevertheless, caution is recommended in patients with suspected NRH. Careful volumetric analysis should guide the operative strategy. When future remnant liver volume is regarded insufficient, portal vein embolization or restrictive surgery should be considered

A survey of spectral models of gravity coupled to matter

This is a survey of the historical development of the Spectral Standard Model and beyond, starting with the ground breaking paper of Alain Connes in 1988 where he observed that there is a link between Higgs fields and finite noncommutative spaces. We present the important contributions that helped in the search and identification of the noncommutative space that characterizes the fine structure of space-time. The nature and properties of the noncommutative space are arrived at by independent routes and show the uniqueness of the Spectral Standard Model at low energies and the Pati-Salam unification model at high energies.Comment: An appendix is added to include scalar potential analysis for a Pati-Salam model. 58 Page

Regulation of histone H3K4 tri-methylation and PAF complex recruitment by the Ccr4-Not complex

Efficient transcription is linked to modification of chromatin. For instance, tri-methylation of lysine 4 on histone H3 (H3K4) strongly correlates with transcriptional activity and is regulated by the Bur1/2 kinase complex. We found that the evolutionarily conserved Ccr4-Not complex is involved in establishing H3K4 tri-methylation in Saccharomyces cerevisiae. We observed synthetic lethal interactions of Ccr4-Not components with BUR1 and BUR2. Further analysis indicated that the genes encoding the Not-proteins are essential for efficient regulation of H3K4me3, but not H3K4me1/2, H3K36me2 or H3K79me2/3 levels. Moreover, regulation of H3K4me3 levels by NOT4 is independent of defects in RNA polymerase II loading. We found NOT4 to be important for ubiquitylation of histone H2B via recruitment of the PAF complex, but not for recruitment or activation of the Bur1/2 complex. These results suggest a mechanism in which the Ccr4-Not complex functions parallel to or downstream of the Bur1/2 kinase to facilitate H3K4me3 via PAF complex recruitment

Sampling Local Fungal Diversity in an Undergraduate Laboratory using DNA Barcoding

Traditional methods for fungal species identification require diagnostic morphological characters and are often limited by the availability of fresh fruiting bodies and local identification resources. DNA barcoding offers an additional method of species identification and is rapidly developing as a critical tool in fungal taxonomy. As an exercise in an undergraduate biology course, we identified 9 specimens collected from the Hendrix College campus in Conway, Arkansas, USA to the genus or species level using morphology. We report that DNA barcoding targeting the internal transcribed spacer (ITS) region supported several of our taxonomic determinations and we were able to contribute 5 ITS sequences to GenBank that were supported by vouchered collection information. We suggest that small-scale barcoding projects are possible and that they have value for documenting fungal diversity

Affective Man-Machine Interface: Unveiling human emotions through biosignals

As is known for centuries, humans exhibit an electrical profile. This profile is altered through various psychological and physiological processes, which can be measured through biosignals; e.g., electromyography (EMG) and electrodermal activity (EDA). These biosignals can reveal our emotions and, as such, can serve as an advanced man-machine interface (MMI) for empathic consumer products. However, such a MMI requires the correct classification of biosignals to emotion classes. This chapter starts with an introduction on biosignals for emotion detection. Next, a state-of-the-art review is presented on automatic emotion classification. Moreover, guidelines are presented for affective MMI. Subsequently, a research is presented that explores the use of EDA and three facial EMG signals to determine neutral, positive, negative, and mixed emotions, using recordings of 21 people. A range of techniques is tested, which resulted in a generic framework for automated emotion classification with up to 61.31% correct classification of the four emotion classes, without the need of personal profiles. Among various other directives for future research, the results emphasize the need for parallel processing of multiple biosignals

Temperley-Lieb Words as Valence-Bond Ground States

Based on the Temperley--Lieb algebra we define a class of one-dimensional Hamiltonians with nearest and next-nearest neighbour interactions. Using the regular representation we give ground states of this model as words of the algebra. Two point correlation functions can be computed employing the Temperley--Lieb relations. Choosing a spin-1/2 representation of the algebra we obtain a generalization of the (q-deformed) Majumdar--Ghosh model. The ground states become valence-bond states.Comment: 9 Pages, LaTeX (with included style files

Exercise conditioning in old mice improves skeletal muscle regeneration

Skeletal muscle possesses the ability to regenerate after injury, but this ability is impaired or delayed with aging. Regardless of age, muscle retains the ability to positively respond to stimuli, such as exercise. We examined whether exercise is able to improve regenerative response in skeletal muscle of aged mice. Twenty‐two‐month‐old male C57Bl/6J mice (n = 20) underwent an 8‐wk progressive exercise training protocol [old exercised (O‐Ex) group]. An old sedentary (O‐Sed) and a sedentary young control (Y‐Ctl) group were included. Animals were subjected to injections of cardiotoxin into the tibialis anterior muscle. The tibialis anterior were harvested before [O‐Ex/O‐Sed/ Y‐Ctl control (CTL); n = 6], 10 d (O‐Ex/O‐Sed/Y‐Ctl d 10; n = 8), and 28 d (O‐Ex/O‐Sed/Y‐Ctl d 28; n = 6) postinjection. Average fiber cross‐sectional area was reduced in all groups at d 10 (CTL: O‐Ex: 2499 ± 140; O‐Sed: 2320 ± 165; Y‐Ctl: 2474 ± 269; d 10: O‐Ex: 1191 ± 100; O‐Sed: 1125 ± 99; Y‐Ctl: 1481 ± 167 μm2; P 0.05). Satellite cell content was greater at CTL in O‐Ex (2.6 ± 0.4 satellite cells/100 fibers) compared with O‐Sed (1.0 ± 0.1% satellite cells/100 fibers; P < 0.05). Exercise conditioning appears to improve ability of skeletal muscle to regenerate after injury in aged mice.—Joanisse, S., Nederveen, J. P., Baker, J. M., Snijders, T., Iacono, C., Parise, G. Exercise conditioning in old mice improves skeletal muscle regeneration. FASEB J. 30, 3256–3268 (2016)

Metamagnetism in the XXZ model with next-to-nearest-neighbor coupling

We investigate groundstate energies and magnetization curves in the one dimensional XXZ-model with next to nearest neighbour coupling $\alpha>0$ and anisotropy $\Delta$ ($-1 \le \Delta \le 1$) at T=0. In between the familiar ferro- and antiferromagnetic phase we find a transition region -- called metamagnetic phase -- where the magnetization curve is discontinuous at a critical field $B_c(\alpha,\Delta)$.Comment: LaTeX file (text) + 5 PS files (5 figures