PDZ-RhoGEF ubiquitination by Cullin3–KLHL20 controls neurotrophin-induced neurite outgrowth

Ubiquitin-dependent degradation of PDZ-RhoGEF restricts RhoA activity to facilitate neurite outgrowth

Recent work on sprite spectrum in Taiwan

campaigns in Taiwan. We first introduce two types of spectroimagers, the slit and slitless types, and discuss their advantages and shortcomings. Next we explore the instrument development and procedures undertaken for this study. In 2006, a slit spectroimager was installed for a sprite campaign and on 15 August of that year, two sprite spectra were recorded using the slit spectroimager along with seven sprites, one halo, one ELVES emission and two jets. By the end of 2015, a slitless spectroimager had been successfully constructed and was ready to conduct additional investigations. On 7 May 2016, a sprite spectrum was recorded using the slitless spectroimager. Following an examination of the calibrations (comprising detection region field of view, wavelength calibration, and response curve), data analysis, and additional calibrations (comprising elevation and azimuthal angles, atmospheric transmittance, and theoretical wavelength calculations) performed in this study, we present the results from our observed sprite spectra using the slit and slitless spectroimagers

A Multi-Institutional Phase II Study of the Efficacy and Tolerability of Lapatinib in Patients with Advanced Hepatocellular Carcinomas

Hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) is on the rise worldwide. HCC responds poorly to chemotherapy. Lapatinib is an inhibitor of EGFR and HER2/NEU both implicated in hepatocarcinogenesis. This trial was designed to determine the safety and efficacy of lapatinib in HCC

Association Between Acid-Sensing Ion Channel 3 Gene Variants and Balance Impairment in People With Mild Traumatic Brain Injury

Introduction: Dizziness and balance impairment are common symptoms of mild traumatic brain injury (mTBI). Acid-sensing ion channel 3 (ASIC3) is expressed in the vestibular and proprioceptive systems and associated with balance functions. However, whether the genetic variants of ASIC3 are associated with people who suffer dizziness and balance impairment after mTBI remained unknown.Materials and methods: A total of 200 people with mTBI and 109 non-mTBI controls were recruited. Dizziness, balance functions, and the ability to perform daily activities were assessed by Dizziness Handicap Inventory (DHI), and objective balance functions were investigated by the postural stability test. Three diseases-related genetic variants of ASIC3 were determined through polymerase chain reaction and followed by restriction fragment length polymorphism. The Student's t-test and Mann-Whitney U-test were used for normal and abnormal distributed data, respectively. The regression was applied to adjust gender and age. The normality of continuous data was evaluated by Shapiro-Wilk test.Results: In the mTBI people, the rs2288645-A allele carriers exhibited a significantly worse physical domain DHI score (A-allele carriers: 11.39 ± 8.42, non-A carriers: 8.76 ± 7.87, p = 0.03). The rs4148855-GTC deletion carriers an exhibited significantly worse overall postural stability (GTC deletion carriers: 0.53 ± 0.33, non-carriers: 0.46 ± 0.20, p = 0.03). In the controls, rs2288646-A allele carriers were significant worse in the medial-to-lateral postural stability (A-allele carriers: 0.31 ± 0.17, non-A carriers: 0.21 ± 0.10, p = 0.01).Conclusion: The present study demonstrated that ASIC3 genetic variants were associated with certain aspects of balance functions and dizziness questionnaires in people of mTBI and non-mTBI. It provides a possible evidence that ASIC3 could be a new target for the management of the balancing disorders. However, further investigations are warranted to elucidate the underlying mechanisms and clinical significance

Women with endometriosis have higher comorbidities: Analysis of domestic data in Taiwan

AbstractEndometriosis, defined by the presence of viable extrauterine endometrial glands and stroma, can grow or bleed cyclically, and possesses characteristics including a destructive, invasive, and metastatic nature. Since endometriosis may result in pelvic inflammation, adhesion, chronic pain, and infertility, and can progress to biologically malignant tumors, it is a long-term major health issue in women of reproductive age. In this review, we analyze the Taiwan domestic research addressing associations between endometriosis and other diseases. Concerning malignant tumors, we identified four studies on the links between endometriosis and ovarian cancer, one on breast cancer, two on endometrial cancer, one on colorectal cancer, and one on other malignancies, as well as one on associations between endometriosis and irritable bowel syndrome, one on links with migraine headache, three on links with pelvic inflammatory diseases, four on links with infertility, four on links with obesity, four on links with chronic liver disease, four on links with rheumatoid arthritis, four on links with chronic renal disease, five on links with diabetes mellitus, and five on links with cardiovascular diseases (hypertension, hyperlipidemia, etc.). The data available to date support that women with endometriosis might be at risk of some chronic illnesses and certain malignancies, although we consider the evidence for some comorbidities to be of low quality, for example, the association between colon cancer and adenomyosis/endometriosis. We still believe that the risk of comorbidity might be higher in women with endometriosis than that we supposed before. More research is needed to determine whether women with endometriosis are really at risk of these comorbidities

Stilbene derivatives as new cancer therapeutic agents

Stilbene derivatives exhibit killing and suppression of growth activity against a variety of cancer cells, and are effective at suppressing tumor growth in vivo. The stilbene derivatives may be used in the treatment of diseases characterized by cell hyperproliferation including human malignancies and non-malignant diseases such as liver cirrhosis. Stilbenes may also disrupt abnormal vessels in tumor to achieve vascular disrupting effect to suppress tumor growth. Water soluble pro-drug forms of stilbene derivatives are particularly useful in suppressing tumor growth in vivo

Functional Dissection of the XpsN (GspC) Protein of the Xanthomonas campestris pv. campestris Type II Secretion Machinery

Type II secretion machinery is composed of 12 to 15 proteins for translocating extracellular proteins across the outer membrane. XpsL, XpsM, and XpsN are components of such machinery in the plant pathogen Xanthomonas campestris pv. campestris. All are bitopic cytoplasmic-membrane proteins, each with a large C-terminal periplasmic domain. They have been demonstrated to form a dissociable ternary complex. By analyzing the C-terminally truncated XpsN and PhoA fusions, we discovered that truncation of the C-terminal 103 residues produced a functional protein, albeit present below detectable levels. Furthermore, just the first 46 residues, encompassing the membrane-spanning sequence (residues 10 to 32), are sufficient to keep XpsL and XpsM at normal abundance. XpsN46(His(6)), synthesized in Escherichia coli, is able to associate in a membrane-mixing experiment with the XpsL-XpsM complex preassembled in X. campestris pv. campestris. The XpsN N-terminal 46 residues are apparently sufficient not only for maintaining XpsL and XpsM at normal levels but also for their stable association. The membrane-spanning sequence of XpsN was not replaceable by that of TetA. However, coimmunoprecipitation with XpsL and XpsM was observed for XpsN97::PhoA, but not XpsN46::PhoA. Only XpsN97::PhoA is dominant negative. Single alanine substitutions for three charged residues within the region between residues 47 and 97 made the protein nonfunctional. In addition, the R78A mutant XpsN protein was pulled down by XpsL-XpsM(His(6)) immobilized on an Ni-nitrilotriacetic acid column to a lesser extent than the wild-type XpsN. Therefore, in addition to the N-terminal 46 residues, the region between residues 47 and 97 of XpsN probably also plays an important role in interaction with XpsL-XpsM