Collision metastasis from prostate adenocarcinoma and pancreatic ductal adenocarcinoma to a lung nodule

Introduction Prostate cancer and pancreatic cancer are often complex pathologies that affect millions of patients worldwide. However, the incidence of a distant collision metastasis of both malignancies remains a rare and often poorly documented incidence. Case presentation A 75-year-old male patient with past history of prostate cancer on maximal androgen blockade was recently diagnosed with pancreatic cancer for which he underwent radical surgical resection of pancreas with curative intent. A metastatic lung nodule was noted on surveillance CT imaging and, subsequently, biopsied. A diagnosis of collision metastasis from two distinct primary malignancies was histopathologically confirmed following immunohistochemical evaluation. Conclusion We report the first case of collision metastasis of prostate and pancreatic adenocarcinomata to a lung nodule to the best of our knowledge

Evaluation of the ADVIA (R) Centaur (TM) TSH-3 assay

An analytical evaluation of the thyroid stimulating hormone (TSH-3) assay on the Sayer ADVIA(R) Centaur(TM) immunoassay system was performed. General analytical requirements (linearity, resistance to typical interferences, absence of a carry-over effect) were fulfilled and reproducibility was satisfactory. Inter-assay coefficient of variation (CV) of a human serum pool with a concentration of 0.014 mU/l was 22.3%; at concentrations between 0.26 and 83 mU/l CV was below 6%. Method comparison study demonstrated close agreement of TSH results compared to those obtained with the Roche Elecsys(R) 2010 TSH assay (ADVIA Centaur = 1.08 x Elecsys - 0.18 mU/l; r = 0.987; n = 324). Handling and practicability of the ADVIA Centaur system proved to be convenient with a very high sample throughput. We conclude that the ADVIA Centaur TSH-3 assay meets requirements for clinical use

Characterization of food product innovation practices with reference to functional food product development in Singapore

Functional foods, being one of the major food categories of the global health and wellness market, are becoming a major focus of new product development (NPD) in the food industry. The development of functional foods is more complex than traditional food New Product Development (NPD), calling for a concerted effort from researchers and NPD experts to explore and understand the functional food product development (FFPD) process in more detail.  The current research in this field has reported that there is a need to evolve from a traditional NPD approach, towards an integrative and innovative approach involving cooperative networks and techniques of commercialization. However, there is little practical evidence on how much progress has been made to date.  Therefore, this research was designed to investigate the food product innovation process of food manufacturing in the Asia-Pacific region (Singapore) with reference to functional foods development. Results report on a comparative account of NPD practices between registered Singapore food companies that are doing some sort of functional food development (Group 1) and those that are not (Group 2). A significant difference (P<0.05) in the aims and mode of NPD between Group 1 and Group was observed. Further it was observed that food companies in Group 1 have significantly (P<0.05) more diverse external collaborations with broad aims to collaborate, in comparison with food companies in Group 2.  This is a positive step toward developing an external resource base, which is essential in developing functional foods. This attitude should be encouraged in future innovation polices as being critical to value-added food product innovations in Singapore.  Apart from these differences, food companies are still pursuing a traditional NPD approach (independent and closed NPD); with loose Intellectual Property protection practices irrespective of type of innovation activity. There is a need to create awareness among the stakeholders about the factors needed for developing unique and inimitable resources, and dynamic capabilities in food manufacturing

Variation of cultivated mungbean and wild vigna as revealed by random amplified polymorphic DNA markers

The genetic variation of nine varieties of cultivated mungbean (Vigna radiata) and three local populations of wild Vigna (V. trinervia) were evaluated in this study using RAPD markers. A total of 65 scorable DNA fragments ranging in size from 173-1,500 bp were obtained from the PCR amplification usingfive RAPD primers of which 95.38% were polymorphic. Cluster analysis revealed two major groups in which the first group consists of the nine varieties ofV. radiata, while the second group includes the three populations ofV. trinervia. This information is useful for plant breeders to make informed decisions in an effort to devise breeding or crossbreeding programmes for the development of the crop

Comparative analyses of seven algorithms for copy number variant identification from single nucleotide polymorphism arrays

10.1093/nar/gkq040Nucleic Acids Research389e105-NARH

Detection of pathological myopia by PAMELA with texture-based features through an SVM approach

10.1260/2040-2295.1.1.1Journal of Healthcare Engineering111-1

Fine particulate matter in the tropical environment: monsoonal effects, source apportionment, and health risk assessment

The health implications of PM2:5 in the tropical region of Southeast Asia (SEA) are significant as PM2:5 can pose serious health concerns. PM2:5 concentration and sources here are strongly influenced by changes in the monsoon regime from the south-west quadrant to the north-east quadrant in the region. In this work, PM2:5 samples were collected at a semi-urban area using a high-volume air sampler at different seasons on 24 h basis. Analysis of trace elements and water-soluble ions was performed using inductively coupled plasma mass spectroscopy (ICP-MS) and ion chromatography (IC), respectively. Apportionment analysis of PM2:5 was carried out using the United States Environmental Protection Agency (US EPA) positive matrix factorization (PMF) 5.0 and a mass closure model. We quantitatively characterized the health risks posed to human populations through the inhalation of selected heavy metals in PM2:5. 48% of the samples collected exceeded the World Health Organization (WHO) 24 h PM2:5 guideline but only 19% of the samples exceeded 24 h US EPA National Ambient Air Quality Standard (NAAQS). The PM2:5 concentration was slightly higher during the north-east monsoon compared to south-west monsoon. The main trace metals identified were As, Pb, Cd, Ni, Mn, V, and Cr while the main ions were SO

Cultivation and Complete Genome Sequencing of Gloeobacter kilaueensis sp. nov., from a Lava Cave in Kīlauea Caldera, Hawai'i

The ancestor of Gloeobacter violaceus PCC 7421T is believed to have diverged from that of all known cyanobacteria before the evolution of thylakoid membranes and plant plastids. The long and largely independent evolutionary history of G. violaceus presents an organism retaining ancestral features of early oxygenic photoautotrophs, and in whom cyanobacteria evolution can be investigated. No other Gloeobacter species has been described since the genus was established in 1974 (Rippka et al., Arch Microbiol 100:435). Gloeobacter affiliated ribosomal gene sequences have been reported in environmental DNA libraries, but only the type strain's genome has been sequenced. However, we report here the cultivation of a new Gloeobacter species, G. kilaueensis JS1T, from an epilithic biofilm in a lava cave in Kīlauea Caldera, Hawai'i. The strain's genome was sequenced from an enriched culture resembling a low-complexity metagenomic sample, using 9 kb paired-end 454 pyrosequences and 400 bp paired-end Illumina reads. The JS1T and G. violaceus PCC 7421T genomes have little gene synteny despite sharing 2842 orthologous genes; comparing the genomes shows they do not belong to the same species. Our results support establishing a new species to accommodate JS1T, for which we propose the name Gloeobacter kilaueensis sp. nov. Strain JS1T has been deposited in the American Type Culture Collection (BAA-2537), the Scottish Marine Institute's Culture Collection of Algae and Protozoa (CCAP 1431/1), and the Belgian Coordinated Collections of Microorganisms (ULC0316). The G. kilaueensis holotype has been deposited in the Algal Collection of the US National Herbarium (US# 217948). The JS1T genome sequence has been deposited in GenBank under accession number CP003587. The G+C content of the genome is 60.54 mol%. The complete genome sequence of G. kilaueensis JS1T may further understanding of cyanobacteria evolution, and the shift from anoxygenic to oxygenic photosynthesis. © 2013 Saw et al

Aldehyde dehydrogenase inhibition blocks mucosal fibrosis in human and mouse ocular scarring

Mucous membrane pemphigoid (MMP) is a systemic mucosal scarring disease, commonly causing blindness, for which there is no antifibrotic therapy. Aldehyde dehydrogenase (ALDH) family 1 is upregulated in both ocular MMP (OMMP) conjunctiva and cultured fibroblasts. Application of the ALDH metabolite, retinoic acid (RA), to normal human conjunctival fibroblasts in vitro induced a diseased phenotype. Conversely, application of ALDH inhibitors, including disulfiram, to OMMP fibroblasts in vitro restored their functionality to that of normal controls. ALDH1 is also upregulated in the mucosa of the mouse model of scarring allergic eye disease, used here as a surrogate for OMMP, in which topical application of disulfiram decreased fibrosis in vivo. These data suggest that progressive scarring in OMMP results from ALDH/RA fibroblast autoregulation, that the ALDH1 subfamily has a central role in immune-mediated ocular mucosal scarring, and that ALDH inhibition with disulfiram is a potential, and readily translatable, antifibrotic therapy