Effect of biochars pyrolyzed in N2 and CO2, and feedstock on microbial community in metal(loid)s contaminated soils

Little is known about the effects of applying amendments on soil for immobilizing metal(loid)s on the soil microbial community. Alterations in the microbial community were examined after incubation of treated contaminated soils. One soil was contaminated with Pb and As, a second soil with Cd and Zn. Red pepper stalk (RPS) and biochars produced from RPS in either N2 atmosphere (RPSN) or CO2 atmosphere (RPSC) were applied at a rate of 2.5% to the two soils and incubated for 30 days. Bacterial communities of control and treated soils were characterized by sequencing 16S rRNA genes using the Illumina MiSeq sequencing. In both soils, bacterial richness increased in the amended soils, though somewhat differently between the treatments. Evenness values decreased significantly, and the final overall diversities were reduced. The neutralization of pH, reduced available concentrations of Pb or Cd, and supplementation of available carbon and surface area could be possible factors affecting the community changes. Biochar amendments caused the soil bacterial communities to become more similar than those in the not amended soils. The bacterial community structures at the phylum and genus levels showed that amendment addition might restore the normal bacterial community of soils, and cause soil bacterial communities in contaminated soils to normalize and stabilize

MYC and BCL2 overexpression is associated with a higher class of Memorial Sloan-Kettering Cancer Center prognostic model and poor clinical outcome in primary diffuse large B-cell lymphoma of the central nervous system

Table S1. Correlation of BCL6 expression and clinicopathological variables; Table S2. MYC translocation and copy number change in MYC positive cases. (DOCX 24 kb

Clinical factors affecting progression-free survival with crizotinib in ALK-positive non-small cell lung cancer

Background/Aims: Although crizotinib is standard chemotherapy for advanced anaplastic lymphoma kinase (ALK)-positive non-small cell lung cancer (NSCLC), clinical factors affecting progression-free survival (PFS) have not been reported. The purpose of this study was to identify clinical factors affecting PFS of crizotinib and develop a prognostic model for advanced ALK-positive NSCLC. Methods: Clinicopathologic features of patients enrolled in PROFILE 1001, 1005, 1007, and 1014 (training cohort) were reviewed. We conducted multivariate Cox analysis for PFS and overall survival (OS) in the training cohort (n = 159) and generated a proportional hazards model based on significant clinicopathologic factors, and then validated the model in an independent validation cohort (n = 40). Results: In the training cohort, the objective response rate was 81.5%. Median PFS and OS from the start of crizotinib were 12.4 and 31.3 months, respectively. Multivariate Cox analysis showed poor performance status, number of metastatic organs (>= 3), and no response to crizotinib independently associated shorter PFS. Based on a score derived from these three factors, median PFS and OS of patients with one or two factors were significantly shorter compared to those without these factors (median PFS, 22.4 months vs. 10.5 months vs. 6.5 months; median OS, not reached vs. 29.1 months vs. 11.8 months, respectively; p < 0.001 for each group). This model also had validated in an independent validation cohort. Conclusions: Performance status, number of metastatic organs, and response to crizotinib affected PFS of crizotinib in ALK-positive NSCLC. Based on these factors, we developed a simple and useful prediction model for PFS.

In vitro and in vivo assessments of an optimal polyblend composition of polycaprolactone/gelatin nanofibrous scaffolds for Achilles tendon tissue engineering

In this study, we manufactured various ratios of polycaprolactone (PCL)/gelatin (GE) highly aligned electrospun nanofibrous scaffolds (ENs) to investigate the effects of polymer ratio on tenogenic differentiation activity. For biological assessments, the cell proliferation rate was optimal in the PCL/GE (9:1) group. Interestingly, however, the tenogenic differentiation rate was best for the PCL/GE (7:3) group. From our outcomes, we established that a poly-blending mix of PCL/GE (7:3) is a promising ratio for tenogenic differentiation. Thus, our findings may provide for an effective mesh to promote tenogenic differentiation of ENs in future tendon tissue engineering applications.This work was supported by the Bio & Medical Technology Development Program of the National Research Foundation (NRF) & funded by the Korean government (MSIP&MOHW) (No. 2017M3A9E4048170)

O2-tolerant CO dehydrogenase via tunnel redesign for the removal of CO from industrial flue gas

Ni???Fe carbon monoxide dehydrogenases (CODHs) are nearly diffusion-limited biocatalysts that oxidize CO. Their O2 sensitivity, however, is a major drawback for industrial applications. Here we compare the structures of a fast CODH with a high O2 sensitivity (ChCODH-II) and a slower CODH with a lower O2 sensitivity (ChCODH-IV) (Ch, Carboxydothermus hydrogenoformans). Some variants obtained by simple point mutations of the bottleneck residue (A559) in the gas tunnel showed 61???148-fold decreases in O2 sensitivity while maintaining high turnover rates. The variant structure A559W showed obstruction of one gas tunnel, and molecular dynamics supported the locked position of the mutated side chain in the tunnel. The variant was exposed to different gas mixtures, from simple synthetic gas to sophisticated real flue from a steel mill. Its catalytic properties remained unchanged, even at high O2 levels, and the efficiency was maintained for multiple cycles of CO detoxification/regeneration

Causes and effects of 2008 financial crisis

Beginning in the mid 2007’s the US financial market started to slide into the “worst financial crisis since the Great Depression of the early 1930’s” (Thakor, 2015: p.156). The domino effect of several events and occasions were leading first to a countrywide recession in the USA then later spreading globally. In the following this term paper will deal with the main causes and effects of 2008 financial crisis. Unlike other topics in literature there is no consensus about the question of guilt in this sense. Among economists there are different approaches to explain the main causes of the financial crisis

Effect of Dieckol, a Component of Ecklonia cava, on the Promotion of Hair Growth

This study was conducted to evaluate the effect of Ecklonia cava, a marine alga native to Jeju Island in Korea, on the promotion of hair growth. When vibrissa follicles were cultured in the presence of E. cava enzymatic extract (which contains more than 35% of dieckol) for 21 days, E. cava enzymatic extract increased hair-fiber length. In addition, after topical application of the 0.5% E. cava enzymatic extract onto the back of C57BL/6 mice, anagen progression of the hair-shaft was induced. The treatment with E. cava enzymatic extract resulted in the proliferation of immortalized vibrissa dermal papilla cells (DPC). Especially, dieckol, among the isolated compounds from the E. cava enzymatic extract, showed activity that increased the proliferation of DPC. When NIH3T3 fibroblasts were treated with the E. cava enzymatic extract and the isolated compounds from the E. cava enzymatic extract, the E. cava enzymatic extract increased the proliferation of NIH3T3 fibroblasts, but the isolated compounds such as eckol, dieckol, phloroglucinol and triphlorethol-A did not affect the proliferation of NIH3T3 fibroblasts. On the other hand, the E. cava enzymatic extract and dieckol significantly inhibited 5α-reductase activity. These results suggest that dieckol from E. cava can stimulate hair growth by the proliferation of DPC and/or the inhibition of 5α-reductase activity

Modified FOLFOX-6 chemotherapy in advanced gastric cancer: Results of phase II study and comprehensive analysis of polymorphisms as a predictive and prognostic marker

<p>Abstract</p> <p>Background</p> <p>The objective of this study was to evaluate the efficacy and toxicity of infusional 5-fluorouracil (5-FU), folinic acid and oxaliplatin (modified FOLFOX-6) in patients with advanced gastric cancer (AGC), as first-line palliative combination chemotherapy. We also analyzed the predictive or prognostic value of germline polymorphisms of candidate genes associated with 5-FU and oxaliplatin.</p> <p>Methods</p> <p>Seventy-three patients were administered a 2 hour infusion of oxaliplatin (100 mg/m²) and folinic acid (100 mg/m²) followed by a 46 hour continuous infusion of 5-FU (2,400 mg/m²). Genomic DNA from the patients' peripheral blood mononuclear cells was extracted. Ten polymorphisms within five genes were investigated including TS, GSTP, ERCC, XPD and XRCC.</p> <p>Results</p> <p>The overall response rate (RR) was 43.8%. Median time to progression (TTP) and overall survival (OS) were 6.0 months and 12.6 months, respectively. Toxicities were generally tolerable and manageable. The RR was significantly higher in patients with a 6-bp deletion homozygote (-6 bp/-6 bp) in TS-3'UTR (55.0% <it>vs</it>. 30.3% in +6 bp/+6 bp or +6 bp/-6 bp, <it>p </it>= 0.034), and C/A or A/A in XPD156 (52.0% <it>vs</it>. 26.1% in C/C, <it>p </it>= 0.038). The -6 bp/-6 bp in TS-3'UTR was significantly associated with a prolonged TTP and OS. In a multivariate analysis, the 6-bp deletion in TS-3'UTR was identified as an independent prognostic marker of TTP (hazard ratio = 0.561, <it>p </it>= 0.032).</p> <p>Conclusion</p> <p>Modified FOLFOX-6 chemotherapy appears to be active and well tolerated as first line chemotherapy in AGC patients. The 6-bp deletion in TS-3'UTR might be a candidate to select patients who are likely to benefit from 5-FU based modified FOLFOX-6 in future large scale trial.</p