Utility of palliative prognostic index and neutrophil-to-lymphocyte ratio in predicting prognosis of end-stage squamous cell carcinoma of head and neck.

BACKGROUND: The purpose of this study was to examine the factors influencing the prognosis of end-stage head and neck squamous cell carcinoma (HNSCC) and to develop a more useful prognostic index. PATIENTS AND METHODS: This retrospective observational study included 79 patients with end-stage HNSCC. Patients were grouped by patient factors and prognostic indicators, and overall survival from the start of Best Supportive Care was compared for each group. In addition, overall survival was compared between patients with palliative prognostic index (PPI) ≥6 and neutrophil-to-lymphocyte ratio (NLR) ≥10 and patients with PPI <6 or NLR <10. RESULTS: PPI ≥6 and NLR ≥10 were associated with significantly more frequent poor prognoses (p = 0.01 and p = 0.002, respectively). The median survival was 32 days in cases with PPI ≥6 and NLR ≥10, and 64 days for PPI <6 or NLR <10 (p < 0.001). CONCLUSION: The combination of PPI and NLR is a useful indicator for predicting the prognosis of patients with end-stage HNSCC.

Global harmonization of safety regulations for the use of industrial robots-permission of collaborative operation and a related study by JNIOSH.

In December 2013, the Japanese Ministry of Health, Labour and Welfare (MHLW) partially amended the safety regulations for use of industrial robots so that "collaborative operation" could be performed at Japanese worksites as allowed in the ISO standard for industrial robots. In order to show global harmonization of Japanese legislation on machinery safety and problems with applying ISO safety standards to Japanese worksites, this paper reports the progress of a research study which have been conducted in National Institute of Occupational Safety and Health, Japan from 2011 to the present at the request of MHLW to examine the necessity and effect of the amendment. In the first phase of this study, a questionnaire survey was conducted among domestic robot manufacturers and users. The obtained results revealed their potential demand for the collaborative operation and problems concerning their risk assessment and rule-based risk reduction. To solve the problems, we propose a method based on an investigation result of the regulatory framework for safety of machinery in the European Union. Furthermore, a model of robot system capable of demonstrating the collaborative operation and risk reduction measures which is being developed to support appropriate implementation of the amendment is also described.

Enzymatic fragmentation of carbohydrate moieties of radish arabinogalactan-protein and elucidation of the structures.

We investigated the structures of L-arabino-galactooligosaccharides released from the sugar moieties of a radish arabinogalactan-protein (AGP) by the action of exo-ß-(1→3)-galactanase. We detected a series of neutral ß-(1 → 6)-linked galactooligosaccharides forming branches of one to up to at least 19 consecutive Gal groups, together with corresponding acidic derivatives terminating in 4-O-methyl-glucuronic acid (4-Me-GlcA) at the non-reducing end. Some oligosaccharide chains of degree of polymerization (dp) higher than 3 for neutral, and 4 for acidic oligomers were modified with L-Araf residues. The acidic tetrasaccharide 4-Me-ß-GlcA-(1 → 6)[α-L-Araf-(1 → 3)]-ß-Gal-(1 → 6)-Gal was detected as an abundant L-Araf-containing oligosaccharide among these neutral and acidic oligomers. A pentasaccharide containing an additional L-Araf group attached to the L-Ara in the tetrasaccharide through an α-(1 → 5)-linkage was also found. We observed L-arabino-galactooligosaccharides substituted with single or disaccharide L-Araf units at different Gal residues along these neutral and acidic ß-(1 → 6)-galactooligosaccharide chains, indicating that these side chains are highly variable in length and substituted variously with L-Araf residues.

Molecular cloning and expression in Pichia pastoris of a Irpex lacteus exo-beta-(1-->3)-galactanase gene.

A gene encoding exo-beta-(1-->3)-galactanase from Irpex lacteus was cloned by reverse transcriptase-PCR. The deduced amino acid sequence showed high similarity with exo-beta-(1-->3)-galactanases from other sources. The molecular mass of the mature form was calculated to be 45,520 Da. The gene product expressed in Pichia pastoris specifically hydrolyzed beta-(1-->3)-galactooligosaccharides, as did other exo-beta-(1-->3)-galactanases. The recombinant enzyme showed high activity toward arabinogalactan-proteins (AGPs) from radish as well as beta-(1-->3)-galactan. Product analysis revealed that the enzyme released beta-(1-->6)-galactobiose, beta-(1-->6)-galactotriose, and alpha-L-arabinofuranosyl-(1-->3)-beta-galactosyl-(1-->6)-galactose together with Gal from beta-(1-->3)-galactans attached with and without beta-(1-->6)-galactosyl branches prepared from acacia gum. These results indicate that the exo-beta-(1-->3)-galactanase from I. lacteus efficiently hydrolyzes beta-(1-->3)-galactan main chains of AGPs by bypassing beta-(1-->6)-galactosyl side chains.