Quantitative image analysis of intra-tumoral bFGF level as a molecular marker of paclitaxel resistance

<p>Abstract</p> <p>Background</p> <p>The role of basic fibroblast growth factor (bFGF) in chemoresistance is controversial; some studies showed a relationship between higher bFGF level and chemoresistance while other studies showed the opposite finding. The goal of the present study was to quantify bFGF levels in archived tumor tissues, and to determine its relationship with chemosensitivity.</p> <p>Methods</p> <p>We established an image analysis-based method to quantify and convert the immunostaining intensity of intra-tumor bFGF to concentrations; this was accomplished by generating standard curves using human xenograft tumors as the renewable tissue source for simultaneous image analysis and ELISA. The relationships between bFGF concentrations and tumor chemosensitivity of patient tumors (n = 87) to paclitaxel were evaluated using linear regression analysis.</p> <p>Results</p> <p>The image analysis results were compared to our previous results obtained using a conventional, semi-quantitative visual scoring method. While both analyses indicated an inverse relationship between bFGF level and tumor sensitivity to paclitaxel, the image analysis method, by providing bFGF levels in individual tumors and therefore more data points (87 numerical values as opposed to four groups of staining intensities), further enabled the quantitative analysis of the relationship in subgroups of tumors with different pathobiological properties. The results show significant correlation between bFGF level and tumor sensitivity to the antiproliferation effect, but not the apoptotic effect, of paclitaxel. We further found stronger correlations of bFGF level and paclitaxel sensitivity in four tumor subgroups (high stage, positive p53 staining, negative aFGF staining, containing higher-than-median bFGF level), compared to all other groups. These findings suggest that the relationship between intra-tumoral bFGF level and paclitaxel sensitivity was context-dependent, which may explain the previous contradictory findings on the merit of using plasma or urine bFGF level as a prognostic indicator.</p> <p>Conclusion</p> <p>The present study established a quantitative image analysis method that enabled the measurement of intratumoral bFGF level in archived tissues. The ability to quantify a potential biomarker provided the opportunity to study the relationship between the biomarker and chemosensitivity in tumor subgroups and thereby enabled hypothesis generation for additional translational research.</p

Pseudoscalar mixing in J/psi and psi(2S) decay

Based on the branching fractions of J/psi(psi(2S))-> VP from different collaborations, the pseudoscalar mixing is extensively discussed with a well established phenomenological model. The mixing angle is determined to be -14 degree by fitting to the new world average if only quark content is considered. After taking into account the gluonic content in eta and eta prime simultaneously, the investigation shows that eta favors only consisting of light quarks, while the gluonic content of eta prime is Z_{eta prime}^2=0.30\pm0.24.Comment: 8 page

Neutrino decay as a possible interpretation to the MiniBooNE observation with unparticle scenario

In a new measurement on neutrino oscillation $\nu_{\mu}\to\nu_e$, the MiniBooNE Collaboration observes an excess of electron-like events at low energy and the phenomenon may demand an explanation which obviously is beyond the oscillation picuture. We propose that heavier neutrino $\nu_2$ decaying into a lighter one $\nu_1$ via the transition process $\nu_{\mu}\to \nu_e+X$ where $X$ denotes any light products, could be a natural mechanism. The theoretical model we employ here is the unparticle scenario established by Georgi. We have studied two particular modes \nu_\mu\to \nu_e+\Un and $\nu_\mu\to \nu_e+\bar\nu_e+\nu_e$. Unfortunately, the number coming out from the computation is too small to explain the observation. Moreover, our results are consistent with the cosmology constraint on the neutrino lifetime and the theoretical estimation made by other groups, therefore we can conclude that even though neutrino decay seems plausible in this case, it indeed cannot be the source of the peak at lower energy observed by the MiniBooNE collaboration and there should be other mechanisms responsible for the phenomenon.Comment: 14 pages, conclusions are changed; published version for EPJ

Thermodynamic Geometry of black hole in the deformed Horava-Lifshitz gravity

We investigate the thermodynamic geometry and phase transition of Kehagias-Sfetsos black hole in the deformed Horava-Lifshitz gravity with coupling constant $\lambda=1$. The phase transition in black hole thermodynamics is thought to be associated with the divergence of the capacities. And the structures of these divergent points are studied. We also find that the thermodynamic curvature produced by the Ruppeiner metric is positive definite for all $r_+ > r_-$ and is divergence at $\eta_2=0$ corresponded to the divergent points of $C_{\Phi}$ and $C_T$. These results suggest that the microstructure of the black hole has an effective repulsive interaction, which is very similar to the ideal gas of fermions. These may shine some light on the microstructure of the black hole.Comment: 5 pages, 3 figure

Extraordinary strain hardening from dislocation loops in defect-free Al nanocubes

The interaction of crystalline defects leads to strain hardening in bulk metals. Metals with high stacking fault energy (SFE), such as aluminum, tend to have low strain hardening rates due to an inability to form stacking faults and deformation twins. Here, we use in situ SEM mechanical compressions to find that colloidally synthesized defect-free 114 nm Al nanocubes combine a high linear strain hardening rate of 4.1 GPa with a high strength of 1.1 GPa. These nanocubes have a 3 nm self-passivating oxide layer that has a large influence on mechanical behavior and the accumulation of dislocation structures. Post-compression TEM imaging reveals stable prismatic dislocation loops and the absence of stacking faults. MD simulations relate the formation of dislocation loops and strain hardening to the surface oxide. These results indicate that slight modifications to surface and interfacial properties can induce enormous changes to mechanical properties in high SFE metals.Comment: 10 pages, 7 figure

Pair production of the T-odd leptons at the LHC

The T-odd leptons predicted by the littlest $Higgs$ model with T-parity can be pair produced via the subprocesses $gg\to \ell^{+}_{H}\ell^{-}_{H}$, $q\bar{q}\to \ell^{+}_{H}\ell^{-}_{H}$, $\gamma\gamma\to \ell^{+}_{H}\ell^{-}_{H}$ and $VV \to \ell^{+}_{H}\ell^{-}_{H}$ ($V$=$W$ or $Z$) at the $CERN$ Large Hadron Collider $(LHC)$. We estimate the hadronic production cross sections for all of these processes and give a simply phenomenology analysis. We find that the cross sections for most of the above processes are very small. However, the value of the cross section for the $Drell-Yan$ process $q\bar{q}\to \ell^{+}_{H}\ell^{-}_{H}$ can reach $270fb$.Comment: 12 pages, 2 figure