Molecular genetic study of novel biomarkers for early diagnosis of oral squamous cell carcinoma

Objectives: Early detection and treatment of an oral squamous cell carcinoma (OSCC) is critical because of its rapid growth, frequent lymph-node metastasis, and poor prognosis. However, no clinically-valuable methods of early diagnosis exist, and genetic analysis of OSCCs has yielded no biomarkers. Study D esign: We investigated the expression of genes associated with inflammation in OSCCs via a quantitative reverse transcriptase polymerase chain reaction (qRT-PCR) analysis of microarray data. Tumor and normal tissues from five patients with an OSCC were used for microarray analysis. Differentially-expressed genes, identified using permutation, local pooled error (LPE), t-tests, and significance analysis of microarrays (SAM), were selected as candidate genetic markers. Results: Two groups corresponding to tissue identity were evident, implying that their differentially-expressed genes represented biological differences between tissues. Fifteen genes were identified using the Student’s paired t-test ( p< 0.05) and the SAM, with a false discovery rate of less than 0.02. Based on gene expression, these 15 genes can be used to classify an OSCC. A genetic analysis of functional networks and ontologies, validated by using a qRT-PCR analysis of the tissue samples, identified four genes, ADAM15, CDC7, IL12RB2 and TNFRSF8, that demonstrated excellent concordance with the microarray data. Conclusions: Our study demonstrated that four genes (ADAM15, CDC7, IL12RB2 and TNFRSF8) had potential as novel biomarkers for the diagnosis and the treatment of an OSCC

The Mildly Elevated Serum Bilirubin Level is Negatively Associated with the Incidence of End Stage Renal Disease in Patients with IgA Nephropathy

Oxidative stress plays various roles in the development and progression of IgA nephropathy, while bilirubin is known as a potent antioxidant. We therefore hypothesized that serum bilirubin would be associated with renal prognosis in IgA nephropathy. The study subjects comprised 1,458 adult patients with primary IgA nephropathy in Korea. We grouped patients according to the following quartile levels of bilirubin: <0.4 mg/dL (Q1), 0.4-0.5 mg/dL (Q2), 0.6-0.7 mg/dL (Q3), and >0.8 mg/dL (Q4). The outcome data were obtained from the Korean Registry of end-stage renal disease (ESRD). Eighty patients (5.5%) contracted ESRD during a mean follow-up period of 44.9 months. The ESRD incidences were 10.7% in Q1, 8.2% in Q2, 2.8% in Q3, and 2.8% in Q4 (p<0.001). The relative risk of ESRD compared to that in Q1 was 0.307 (95% confidence interval [CI], 0.126-0.751) in Q3 and 0.315 (95% CI, 0.130-0.765) in Q4. The differences of ESRD incidence were greater in subgroups of males and of patients aged 35 yr or more, with serum albumin 4.0 g/dL or more, with normotension, with eGFR 60 mL/min/1.73 m2 or more, and with proteinuria less then 3+ by dipstick test. In conclusion, higher bilirubin level was negatively associated with ESRD incidence in IgA nephropathy

Prognostic significance of CD44s expression in resected non-small cell lung cancer

<p>Abstract</p> <p>Background</p> <p>CD44s is a cell adhesion molecule known to mediate cellular adhesion to the extracellular matrix, a prerequisite for tumor cell migration. CD44s plays an important role in invasion and metastasis of various cancers. In the present study, we sought to determine whether CD44s is involved in clinical outcomes of patients with resected non-small cell lung cancer (NSCLC).</p> <p>Methods</p> <p>Using immunohistochemical staining, we investigated CD44s protein expression using tissue array specimens from 159 patients with resected NSCLC (adenocarcinoma (AC; <it>n </it>= 82) and squamous cell carcinoma (SCC; <it>n </it>= 77). Additionally, the immunoreactivity of cyclooxygenase (COX)-2 was also studied. The clinicopathological implications of these molecules were analyzed statistically.</p> <p>Results</p> <p>High CD44s expression was detected more frequently in NSCLC patients with SCC (66/72; 91.7%) than in those with AC histology (<it>P <</it>0.001). Additionally, high CD44s expression was significant correlated with more advanced regional lymph node metastasis (<it>P </it>= 0.021). In multivariate analysis of survival in NSCLC patients with AC histology, significant predictors were lymph node metastasis status (<it>P </it>< 0.001), high-grade tumor differentiation (<it>P = </it>0.046), and high CD44s expression (<it>P = </it>0.014). For NSCLC patients with SCC histology, the significant predictor was a more advanced tumor stage (<it>P = </it>0.015). No significant association was found between CD44s and clinical outcome (<it>P </it>= 0.311).</p> <p>Conclusions</p> <p>High CD44s expression was a negative prognostic marker with significance in patients with resected NSCLC, particularly those with AC histology, and was independent of tumor stage.</p

Effects of the surface contact on the uncertainty in indentation yield strength: Surface roughness and angular misalignment

We suggest a method for accurately estimating the uncertainty of indentation yield strength determined from the modified Meyer relation as a mathematical function of the measurement, taking into account Type A and Type B uncertainty. Using this method, we quantitatively compared the expanded uncertainty level of the yield strength as measured by instrumented indentation testing (IIT) and uniaxial tensile testing, and propose a dominant measurand that affects the final expanded uncertainty of the indentation yield strength. To interpret the difference in uncertainty between IIT and uniaxial tensile testing, we investigated the effect of the major sources of uncertainty in the IIT system: sample surface roughness and angular misalignment between the surface normal of the sample and the symmetric axis of the indenter. The surface roughness was controlled using 400-, 1000- and 2000-grit paper and the misalignment angle ranged over 0 degrees, 1 degrees and 2 degrees. Acceptable surface roughness and standard uncertainty of misalignment angle are proposed that give the IIT similar uncertainty to uniaxial tensile testing.Web of Science2561510150

Simultaneous etching and transfer-Free multilayer graphene sheets derived from C60 thin films

Despite the advantage of chemical vapor deposition (CVD) for realization of large area epitaxial growth of graphene on transition metal catalysts, both etching and transfer process of CVD-grown graphene sheets still remain a big challenge. Here we demonstrate the formation of multilayer graphene (MLG) sheets tailored from C60 thin films on the top of Si/Ni substrate without etching and transfer steps based on Ni films. This self-assembled process separates the MLG sheets from the conductive Ni catalyst, embarking a possibility for direct characterizations of MLG sheets. The fine-tuned C60 films (30 nm) are transformed into approximately 17 MLG sheets, thus making it large-area MLG sheets for a variety of direct applications. © 2018 The Korean Society of Industrial and Engineering Chemistry. Published by Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.11sciekc

Revealing the Extent of Pesticide Runoff to the Surface Water in Agricultural Watersheds

Pesticides are beneficial in protecting crops from pests and improving agricultural productivity; however, concerns on pesticide pollution in water have increased due to their indiscriminate use and lack of adequate regulations. Many studies have focused on the risks of pesticides considering the limited number and types of pesticide residues in crops and soils, and duration, and very few have focused on surface water throughout the year. Therefore, this study comprehensively identified 308 pesticides in surface water samples collected monthly over one year in the Saemangeum Basin, Korea. Both targeted and non-targeted analyses were used to identify 171 and 24 pesticides, respectively. Results highlight the extensive extent of pesticide contamination. Among the quantified pesticides, bromobutide and pretilachlor consistently exhibited high concentrations and risk levels, as indicated by their elevated risk quotient (RQ) values. Seasonal variations in pesticide concentrations revealed distinct patterns with intensified herbicide use during summer and increased insecticide concentrations during autumn. This study highlights the presence, distribution, and associated ecological risks of pesticides in surface waters, emphasizing the necessity of comprehensive monitoring and regulatory measures to protect aquatic ecosystems. The high RQ values identified for specific pesticides underscore the urgent need to implement effective strategies to mitigate these environmental risks