Galdosian Novels Adapted in Film and Television: 1970-1998

Thesis (PhD) - Indiana University, Spanish, 2007In twentieth-century filmmaking, most film critics agree that nineteenth-century novels had a special attraction for filmmakers because they established a national discourse or mythology and generated authoritative figures for their cultures. In the case of Spain, Galdós is a popular nineteenth-century author among filmmakers especially in the late twentieth century. In relation to twentieth-century Spanish history, Galdosian adaptations formulate the expressions of cultural critiques questioning the value and the meaning of the existing social order, such as women under patriarchal rule, and even representing national-historical concerns. My studies of three adaptations, Tristana (1970) by Luis Buñuel, Marianela (1972) by Angelino Fons, and Fortunata y Jacinta (1980) by Mario Camus, demonstrate that the adaptations establish oppositional discourses to the patriarchal order of society by means of formulating and underlining the novels' femininity used in various ways such as the subversion of female body's conventional concepts, the feminine narrative style, and the emphasis on female perspective and space. The last chapter, which is about the adaptation El abuelo (1998) by Garci, shows that the adaptation questions the conventional way of defining the nation's identity and suggests another way of formulating it through melodramatic structure and emotional effects. The fact that Galdosian novels were adapted during the most critical times in recent Spanish history indicates a national and cultural authority that Galdosian novels have. Therefore, studying literary adaptation can generate various ways to read novels, thus lending the novels cultural significance in a different period of time and through a different medium

Translocation of residual ethoprophos and tricyclazole from soil to spinach

The dissipation of ethoprophos and tricyclazole in soil and their translocation tendency to spinach were investigated. Prior to field trials, the analytical method for the determination of these pesticide residues was optimized and validated on soil and spinach. The field trial was conducted under greenhouse conditions for two different pretreatment periods with the pesticides. After treating with pesticides 30 (PBI-30) and 60 days (PBI-60) before seeding, soil samples were collected on different days for the dissipation study of soil. Spinach samples were harvested from the soil, and 50% and 100% mature spinach samples were collected. The initial amounts of ethoprophos residue in the PBI-60 and PBI-30 soils were 0.21 and 2.74 mg/kg, respectively, and these both decreased to less than 0.01 mg/kg on the day of spinach harvest. Similar initial residues of tricyclazole were observed in the PBI-60 (0.87 mg/kg) and PBI-30 soils (0.84 mg/kg), and these decreased to 0.44 and 0.34 mg/kg, respectively. The half-lives of ethoprophos in the soils were calculated as 7.6 and 4.8 days, respectively, while relatively long half-lives of 36.5 and 77.0 days were calculated for tricyclazole. According to the pesticide residue amounts in the spinach, the translocation rate from the soil to the spinach was determined. In the case of ethoprophos, the residual amount was already rapidly degraded in the soil, and the translocation rate could not be confirmed. On the other hand, for tricyclazole, it was confirmed that 1.19 to 1.61% of the residual amount in soil was transferred to spinach. According to these results, safe management guidelines for tricyclazole in soil were suggested considering the maximum residue limit on spinach.This work was supported by the Rural Development Administration (PJ0152772020)

Emphasis on Adipocyte Transformation: Anti-Inflammatory Agents to Prevent the Development of Cancer-Associated Adipocytes

Of the various cell types in the tumor microenvironment (TME), adipocytes undergo a dynamic transformation when activated by neighboring cancer cells. Although these adipocytes, known as cancer-associated adipocytes (CAAs), have been reported to play a crucial role in tumor progression, the factors that mediate their transformation remain elusive. In this review, we discuss the hypothesis that inflammatory signals involving NF-ĸB activation can induce lipolysis and adipocyte dedifferentiation. This provides a mechanistic understanding of CAA formation and introduces the concept of preventing adipocyte transformation via anti-inflammatory agents. Indeed, epidemiological studies indicate a higher efficacy of nonsteroidal anti-inflammatory drugs (NSAIDs) in obese patients with cancer, suggesting that NSAIDs can modulate the TME. Inhibition of cyclooxygenase-2 (COX-2) and prostaglandin production leads to the suppression of inflammatory signals such as NF-ĸB. Thus, we suggest the use of NSAIDs in cancer patients with metabolic disorders to prevent the transformation of TME components. Moreover, throughout this review, we attempt to expand our knowledge of CAA transformation to improve the clinical feasibility of targeting CAAs

Stepwise combined cell transplantation using mesenchymal stem cells and induced pluripotent stem cell-derived motor neuron progenitor cells in spinal cord injury

Abstract Background Spinal cord injury (SCI) is an intractable neurological disease in which functions cannot be permanently restored due to nerve damage. Stem cell therapy is a promising strategy for neuroregeneration after SCI. However, experimental evidence of its therapeutic effect in SCI is lacking. This study aimed to investigate the efficacy of transplanted cells using stepwise combined cell therapy with human mesenchymal stem cells (hMSC) and induced pluripotent stem cell (iPSC)-derived motor neuron progenitor cells (iMNP) in a rat model of SCI. Methods A contusive SCI model was developed in Sprague-Dawley rats using multicenter animal spinal cord injury study (MASCIS) impactor. Three protocols were designed and conducted as follows: (Subtopic 1) chronic SCI + iMNP, (Subtopic 2) acute SCI + multiple hMSC injections, and (Main topic) chronic SCI + stepwise combined cell therapy using multiple preemptive hMSC and iMNP. Neurite outgrowth was induced by coculturing hMSC and iPSC-derived motor neuron (iMN) on both two-dimensional (2D) and three-dimensional (3D) spheroid platforms during mature iMN differentiation in vitro. Results Stepwise combined cell therapy promoted mature motor neuron differentiation and axonal regeneration at the lesional site. In addition, stepwise combined cell therapy improved behavioral recovery and was more effective than single cell therapy alone. In vitro results showed that hMSC and iMN act synergistically and play a critical role in the induction of neurite outgrowth during iMN differentiation and maturation. Conclusions Our findings show that stepwise combined cell therapy can induce alterations in the microenvironment for effective cell therapy in SCI. The in vitro results suggest that co-culturing hMSC and iMN can synergistically promote induction of MN neurite outgrowth. Graphical Abstrac

Prognostic Value of Carcinoembryonic Antigen (CEA) and Carbohydrate Antigen 19-9 (CA 19-9) in Gallbladder Cancer; 65 IU/mL of CA 19-9 Is the New Cut-Off Value for Prognosis

Due to the lack of appropriate tumor markers with optimal cut-off values to predict the prognosis of gallbladder cancer (GBC), this study aimed to demonstrate the relationship between prognosis and the levels of carcinoembryonic antigen (CEA) and carbohydrate antigen 19-9 (CA 19-9), and to determine optimal thresholds. In total, 539 patients diagnosed with GBC were examined. The relationship between tumor marker levels and overall survival (OS) was analyzed. The C-tree method was used to suggest tumor marker thresholds, and multivariate analysis was conducted to identify prognostic factors for overall survival. The mean age of the patients was 65.3 years, and the 5-year overall survival rate in all patients was 68.9%. Following the C-tree method, the optimal cut-off value was set at 5 IU/mL for CEA and at 65 IU/mL for CA 19-9. Multivariate analysis revealed that age, CA 19-9 level, operative method, T stage, and N stage were significant prognostic factors for OS. Consequently, CA 19-9 had a stronger association with prognosis than CEA, and 65 IU/mL for CA 19-9 may be suggestive in evaluating the prognosis of GBC. Moreover, it could be an effective indicator for determining the surgical extent necessary and the need for adjuvant treatment

Divergence of the PIERCE1 expression between mice and humans as a p53 target gene.

PIERCE1, p53 induced expression 1 in Rb null cells, is a novel p53 target involved in the DNA damage response and cell cycle in mice. These facts prompted us to study the function of PIERCE1 with respect to p53-associated pathophysiology of cancer in humans. Unexpectedly, PIERCE1 did not respond to overexpression and activation of p53 in humans. In this study, we swapped p53 protein expression in human and mouse cells to find the clue of this difference between species. Human p53 expression in mouse cells upregulated PIERCE1 expression, suggesting that p53-responsive elements on the PIERCE1 promoter are crucial, but not the p53 protein itself. Indeed, in silico analyses of PIERCE1 promoters revealed that p53-responsive elements identified in mice are not conserved in humans. Consistently, chromatin immunoprecipitation-sequencing (ChIP-seq) analyses confirmed p53 enrichment against the PIERCE1 promoter region in mice, not in human cells. To complement the p53 study in mice, further promoter analyses suggested that the human PIERCE1 promoter is more similar to guinea pigs, lemurs, and dogs than to rodents. Taken together, our results confirm the differential responsiveness of PIERCE1 expression to p53 due to species differences in PIERCE1 promoters. The results also show partial dissimilarity after p53 induction between mice and humans

The Optimal Cutoff Value of Tumor Markers for Prognosis Prediction in Ampullary Cancer

Background: Carbohydrate antigen 19-9 (CA 19-9) is a representative tumor marker used for the diagnosis of pancreatic and biliary tract cancers. There are few published research results that can be applied to actual clinical practice for ampullary cancer (AC) alone. This study aimed to demonstrate the relationship between the prognosis of AC and the level of CA 19-9, and to determine the optimal thresholds. Methods: Patients who underwent curative resection (pancreaticoduodenectomy (PD) or pylorus preserving pancreaticoduodenectomy (PPPD)) for AC at the Seoul National University Hospital between January 2000 and December 2017 were enrolled. To determine the optimal cutoff values that could clearly stratify the survival outcome, the conditional inference tree (C-tree) method was used. After obtaining the optimal cutoff values, they were compared to the upper normal clinical limit of 36 U/mL for CA 19-9. Results In total, 385 patients were enrolled in this study. The median value of the tumor marker CA 19-9 was 18.6 U/mL. Using the C-tree method, 46 U/mL was determined to be the optimal cutoff value for CA 19-9. Histological differentiation, N stage, and adjuvant chemotherapy were significant predictors. CA 19-9 36 U/mL had marginal significance as a prognostic factor. In contrast, the new cutoff value, CA 19-9 46 U/mL, was found to be a statistically significant prognostic factor (HR: 1.37, p = 0.048). Conclusions: The new cutoff value of CA 19-9 46 U/mL may be used for evaluating the prognosis of AC. Therefore, it may be an effective indicator for determining treatment strategies such as surgical treatments and adjuvant chemotherapy

The incidence and clinical features of familial pancreatic cancer in Korea

© 2022 Japanese Society of Hepato-Biliary-Pancreatic SurgeryBackground: A history of familial pancreatic cancer (FPC) increases the incidence of pancreatic cancer (PC) among first-degree relatives. We aimed to determine the incidence of FPC and analyze its clinical characteristics. Methods: Between 2010 and 2014, 1159 patients with PC were included in the study. We evaluated the incidence of FPC, clinicopathological features, and survival prognosis between FPC and non-FPC patients. We further analyzed the clinical outcomes of 389 patients with PC who underwent curative-intent surgery. Results: Familial pancreatic cancer incidence was 3.1% (n = 36) among all patients with PC (n = 1159). FPC was diagnosed at an advanced clinical stage compared to non-FPC (P =.041). The tested variables and 5-year survival rate (5YSR) between FPC and non-FPC after propensity score matching had no differences (5YSR: 4.6% vs 2.6%, P =.834). Among PC patients who underwent curative-intent surgery (n = 389), FPC incidence was 1.8% (n = 7). FPC patients were older than non-FPC patients (75.3 ± 4.7 years vs 64.0 ± 9.9 years, P <.001). 5YSR tended to differ between FPC and non-FPC (14.3% vs 22.5%, P =.07) groups. Conclusion: Familial pancreatic cancer is diagnosed at an advanced stage, and FPC that has undergone resection is associated with older age or worse prognosis. A prospective nationwide pedigree registration system was required.N