Methionine deprivation suppresses triple-negative breast cancer metastasis in vitro and in vivo

Nutrient deprivation strategies have been proposed as an adjuvant therapy for cancer cells due to their increased metabolic demand. We examined the specific inhibitory effects of amino acid deprivation on the metastatic phenotypes of the human triple-negative breast cancer (TNBC) cell lines MDA-MB-231 and Hs 578T, as well as the orthotopic 4T1 mouse TNBC tumor model. Among the 10 essential amino acids tested, methionine deprivation elicited the strongest inhibitory effects on the migration and invasion of these cancer cells. Methionine deprivation reduced the phosphorylation of focal adhesion kinase, as well as the activity and mRNA expression of matrix metalloproteinases MMP-2 and MMP-9, two major markers of metastasis, while increasing the mRNA expression of tissue inhibitor of metalloproteinase 1 in MDA-MB-231 cells. Furthermore, methionine restriction downregulated the metastasis-related factor urokinase plasminogen activatior and upregulated plasminogen activator inhibitor 1 mRNA expression. Animals on the methionine-deprived diet showed lower lung metastasis rates compared to mice on the control diet. Taken together, these results suggest that methionine restriction could provide a potential nutritional strategy for more effective cancer therapy

Diagnostic Benefit of Thyroglobulin Measurement in Fine-Needle Aspiration for Diagnosing Metastatic Cervical Lymph Nodes from Papillary Thyroid Cancer: Correlations with US Features

Objective: Our goals were to determine the added value of fine-needle aspiration biopsy (FNAB)-thyroglobulin (Tg) measurements over FNAB-cytology alone for diagnosing metastatic nodes, and to determine whether the ultrasound features of lymph nodes can be used to identify lymph nodes that may benefit from FNAB-Tg measurement in patients with papillary thyroid cancer. Materials and Methods: We retrospectively evaluated 76 surgically proven cervical lymph nodes. Twenty-nine patients were awaiting surgery and 18 patients had undergone thyroid surgery for papillary thyroid cancer. Ultrasound-guided FNAB and Tg measurements were performed and the ultrasound features were evaluated. Results: The accuracies, sensitivities, and specificities of FNAB-cytology, FNAB-Tg, and combined FNAB-Tg/cytology were 90%, 80%, and 100%; 92%, 95%, and 90%; and 93%, 96%, and 90%, respectively. The diagnostic sensitivity of FNAB-Tg for metastatic nodes was significantly higher than that of FNAB-cytology (p = 0.011). Furthermore, combined FNAB-Tg/cytology significantly increased sensitivity (p = 0.002) and accuracy (p = 0.03) as compared with FNAB-cytology. Conclusion: Combined FNAB-Tg/cytology is significantly more sensitive and accurate at detecting metastatic nodes than FNAB-cytology alone. FNAB-Tg was better at diagnosing metastases in small lymph nodes

Geometric matching algorithms for two realistic terrains

We consider a geometric matching of two realistic terrains, each of which is modeled as a piecewise-linear bivariate function. For two realistic terrains f and g where the domain of g is relatively larger than that of f, we seek to find a translated copy f' of f such that the domain of f' is a sub-domain of g and the L-infinity or the L-1 distance of f' and g restricted to the domain of f' is minimized. In this paper, we show a tight bound on the number of different combinatorial structures that f and g can have under translation in their projections on the xy-plane. We give a deterministic algorithm and a randomized one that compute an optimal translation of f with respect to g under L-infinity metric. We also give a deterministic algorithm that computes an optimal translation of f with respect to g under L-1 metric. (C) 2018 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.110sciescopu

Design and test results on a 45-kW pulsed power modulator for a 1.5-MW magnetron application of KSTAR LHCD

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Effect of Laser Power on the Recrystallization Temperature of an Additively Manufactured IN718

Over the past few decades, there has been much research on additive manufacturing in both the academic and the industrial spheres to overcome the limitations of conventional manufacturing methods, thereby enabling the production of complex designs for improved performance. To achieve this purpose, it is crucial to meticulously set suitable laser parameters within the context of microstructural characteristics, including type and fraction of defects, texture development, residual stress, and grain size, etc. In the present study, we focused on recrystallization behavior, a type of relaxation process for accumulated thermal stress during the L-PBF process, as a function of laser power applied on the L-PBF process. The laser power has significant effects on the amount of recrystallized grain, directly related to the recrystallization temperature. Within the range of laser power used in this study, a downward trend was observed in the recrystallization temperature as the laser power increased from 370 W to 390 W. This trend suggests that higher laser power leads to a faster cooling rate, influenced by the volume of melt pool as well as the amount of heat dissipation from the melt pool, resulting in higher thermal stress during the process

Thermal irritation of teeth during dental treatment procedures

While it is reasonably well known that certain dental procedures increase the temperature of the tooth's surface, of greater interest is their potential damaging effect on the pulp and tooth-supporting tissues. Previous studies have investigated the responses of the pulp, periodontal ligament, and alveolar bone to thermal irritation and the temperature at which thermal damage is initiated. There are also many in vitro studies that have measured the temperature increase of the pulp and tooth-supporting tissues during restorative and endodontic procedures. This review article provides an overview of studies measuring temperature increases in tooth structures during several restorative and endodontic procedures, and proposes clinical guidelines for reducing potential thermal hazards to the pulp and supporting tissues