Cisplatin overcomes radiotherapy resistance in OCT4-expressing head and neck squamous cell carcinoma

Objectives: Cisplatin is combined with radiotherapy for advanced head and neck squamous cell carcinoma (HNSCC). While providing a beneficial effect on survival, it also causes side effects and thus is an important target when considering treatment de-escalation. Currently, there are no biomarkers to predict its patient-selective therapeutic utility. In this study, we examined the role of the stem cell factor OCT4 as a potential biomarker to help clinicians stratify HNSCC patients between radiotherapy and chemoradiotherapy.Materials and methods: OCT4 immunohistochemical staining of a population-validated tissue microarray (PV-TMA) (n = 166) representative of a standard HNSCC patients was carried out, and 5-year survival was analyzed. The results were validated using ex vivo drug sensitivity analysis of HNSCC tumor samples, and further cross-validated in independent oropharyngeal (n = 118), nasopharyngeal (n = 170), and vulvar carcinoma (n = 95) clinical datasets. In vitro, genetically modified, patient-derived HNSCC cells were used.Results: OCT4 expression in HNSCC tumors was associated with radioresistance. However, combination therapy with cisplatin was found to overcome thisradioresistance in OCT4-expressing HNSCC tumors. The results were validated by using several independent patient cohorts. Furthermore, CRISPRa-based OCT4 overexpression in the HNSCC cell line resulted in apoptosis resistance, and cisplatin was found to downregulate OCT4 protein expression in vitro. Ex vivo drug sensitivity analysis of HNSCC tumors confirmed the association between OCT4 expression and cisplatin sensitivity.Conclusion: This study introduces OCT4 immunohistochemistry as a simple and cost-effective diagnostic approach for clinical practice to identify HNSCC patients benefitting from radiosensitization by cisplatin using either full or reduced dosing.</p

Superconductivity in Fullerides

Experimental studies of superconductivity properties of fullerides are briefly reviewed. Theoretical calculations of the electron-phonon coupling, in particular for the intramolecular phonons, are discussed extensively. The calculations are compared with coupling constants deduced from a number of different experimental techniques. It is discussed why the A_3 C_60 are not Mott-Hubbard insulators, in spite of the large Coulomb interaction. Estimates of the Coulomb pseudopotential $\mu^*$, describing the effect of the Coulomb repulsion on the superconductivity, as well as possible electronic mechanisms for the superconductivity are reviewed. The calculation of various properties within the Migdal-Eliashberg theory and attempts to go beyond this theory are described.Comment: 33 pages, latex2e, revtex using rmp style, 15 figures, submitted to Review of Modern Physics, more information at http://radix2.mpi-stuttgart.mpg.de/fullerene/fullerene.htm

Evaluating housing quality, health and safety using an Internet-based data collection and response system: a cross-sectional study

<p>Abstract</p> <p>Background</p> <p>Typically housing and health surveys are not integrated together and therefore are not representative of population health or national housing stocks. In addition, the existing channels for distributing information about housing and health issues to the general public are limited. The aim of this study was to develop a data collection and response system that would allow us to assess the Finnish housing stock from the points of view of quality, health and safety, and also to provide a tool to distribute information about important housing health and safety issues.</p> <p>Methods</p> <p>The data collection and response system was tested with a sample of 3000 adults (one per household), who were randomly selected from the Finnish Population Register Centre. Spatial information about the exact location of the residences (i.e. coordinates) was included in the database inquiry. People could participate either by completing and returning a paper questionnaire or by completing the same questionnaire via the Internet. The respondents did not receive any compensation for their time in completing the questionnaire.</p> <p>Results</p> <p>This article describes the data collection and response system and presents the main results of the population-based testing of the system. A total of 1312 people (response rate 44%) answered the questionnaire, though only 80 answered via the Internet. A third of the respondents had indicated they wanted feedback. Albeit a majority (>90%) of the respondents reported being satisfied or quite satisfied with their residence, there were a number of prevalent housing issues identified that can be related to health and safety.</p> <p>Conclusions</p> <p>The collected database can be used to evaluate the quality of the housing stock in terms of occupant health and safety, and to model its association with occupant health and well-being. However, it must be noted that all the health outcomes gathered in this study are self-reported. A follow-up study is needed to evaluate whether the occupants acted on the feedback they received. Relying solely on an Internet-based questionnaire for collecting data would not appear to provide an adequate response rate for random population-based surveys at this point in time.</p

FTIR MAGNETO-OPTIC SPECTRA OF THE Se2Se_{2}, TeSe, and Te2Te_{2} MOLECULES IN RARE-GAS MATRICES AT 4K.

$^{1}$ D. J. Greenwood and R. F. Barrow, J. Phys. B: At. Mol. Phys. 9. 2123 (1976) and references given there; G. D. Brabson and L. Andrews, J. Phys. Chem. 96, 9172 (1992).Author Institution: Department of Chemistry, University of FloridaThe zero-field splittings $^{3}\Sigma(1X_{2})-{^{3}}\Sigma(0X_{1})$ in the ground states of the three diatomic molecules $Se_{2}$, TeSe, and $Te_{3}$ have been observed in infrared absorption in neon, argon, and krypton matrices at $4K{^{1}}$ The magnetic-dipole character of these transitions was verified by the broadening effects of applied magnetic fields of up to 4T. The relative matrix shifts and Zeeman effects are discussed

INFRARED SPECTRA OF Si2,Ge2,Sn2Si_{2}, Ge_{2}, Sn_{2}, SiGe, and SiSn MOLECULES IN RARE-GAS MATRICES ELECTRONIC TRANSITIONS AND MAGNETIC EFFECTS

1. T. N. Kitsopoulos, C.J. Chick, Y. Chao, D.M. Neumark , J. Chem. Phys. 95, 1441 (1991); C.W. Bauschlicher, JR. and S.R. Langhoff, J. Chem. Phys. 87, 2919 (1987); K. Balasubramanian, J. Mol. Spectr. 123, 228 (1987); F.L. J. Sefyani, J. Schamps, and J.M. DeLaval, J. Mol, Spectra. 162, 269 (1993).Author Institution: Department of Chemistry, University of FloridaAbsorption spectra of these molecules, observed between 200 and $4800 cm^{-1}$ in neon and argon matrices at 4K were assigned to the lowest $3^\Pi-X^{3}\Sigma^{-}$ electronic transition.1 In all five cases, the Franck -Condon envelope of vibrational bands allowed $T_{oo}, \omega_{e}^{\prime}, \omega_{e}^{\prime}, x_{e}^{\prime}$ to be determined, A Zeeman effect on this, transition was detected in magnetic fields up to 4T. The transition from case (a) to case (c) is considered as the spin-orbit coupling increases from $Si_{2}$ to $Sn_{2}$

ELECTRONIC GROUND STATE OF THE ZrO+ZrO^{+} MOLECULE

$^{1}$ J. G. Phillips and S. P. Davis, Astrophys. J. 234, 393 (1979).Author Institution: Department of Chemistry, University of FloridaArgon matrices at 4K containing laser-vaporized zirconium metal were studied via electron spin resonance spectroscopy Signals exhibiting $^{91}Zr (I = 5/2)$ hyperfine structure were assigned to a $^{2}\Sigma$ ground state of the $ZrO^{+}$ molecule. This assignment is consistent with the $X^{2}\Sigma$ ground states of isoelectronic YO and ZrN and with the $^{2}\Pi{^{2}}\Sigma$ electronic transition of $ZrO^{+}$ analyzed by Phillips and $Davis.^{1}

FAR-INFRARED SPECTRA OF SMALL GALLIUM ARSENIDE MOLECULES: GaAs, GaAs2,Ga2GaAs_{2}, Ga_{2}As, and GaAs3GaAs_{3}

$^{1}$ L. Lou. P. Nordlander, and R. E. Smalley, J. Chem. Phys. 97. 1858 (1992).Author Institution: Department of Chemistry, University of FloridaGallium arsenide molecules, prepared by laser vaporization of gallium arsenide crystals, have been trapped in Ar and Kr matrices condensed on a gold surface cooled to 4K. Far-infrared spectra will be discussed, along with vibrational assignments and geometries