Dissipation of the Insecticide Cyantraniliprole and Its Metabolite IN-J9Z38 in Proso Millet during Cultivation.

The dissipation patterns of cyantraniliprole and its metabolite IN-J9Z38 were investigated using proso millet (Panicum miliaceum) under open-field conditions to establish a pre-harvest interval. A simple and sensitive analytical method was developed for analyzing residues using ultra-high performance liquid chromatography coupled with tandem mass spectrometry (UHPLC-MS/MS) for multiple reaction monitoring of target compounds. The analytical method was validated in terms of the instrumental limit of quantitation, method limit of quantitation, linearity, accuracy, and precision. The method was successfully applied to the analysis of cyantraniliprole and IN-J9Z38 residues in the field samples of four plots, which were treated twice with an oil dispersion formulation, according to the date of pesticide treatment before harvest. In the case of cyantraniliprole in grain and straw, there was a 91.1 and 89.1% decrease, respectively, from the initial residues (14-7 days) to the final plot (40-30 days before harvest). However, IN-J9Z38 gradually increased over time, indicating that cyantraniliprole transformed into IN-J9Z38 during cultivation. The biological half-lives of total cyantraniliprole were 11.3 and 9.4 days for grain and straw, respectively. The results obtained in this study will inform regulation and management of pesticide use for the minor crop proso millet.

Reversine induces cell cycle arrest and apoptosis via upregulation of the Fas and DR5 signaling pathways in human colorectal cancer cells.

Reversine, a 2,6­diamino­substituted purine analogue, has been reported to be effective in tumor suppression via induction of cell growth arrest and apoptosis of cancer cells. However, it remains unclear whether reversine exerts anticancer effects on human colorectal cancer cells. In the present study, in vitro experiments were conducted to investigate the anticancer properties of reversine in human colorectal cancer cells. The effect of reversine on human colorectal cancer cell lines, SW480 and HCT­116, was examined using a WST­1 cell viability assay, fluorescence microscopy, flow cytometry, DNA fragmentation, small interfering RNA (siRNA) and western blotting. Reversine treatment demonstrated cytotoxic activity in human colorectal cancer cells. It also induced apoptosis by activating poly(ADP­ribose) polymerase, caspase­3, ­7 and ­8, and increasing the levels of the pro­apoptotic protein second mitochondria­derived activator of caspase/direct inhibitor of apoptosis­binding protein with low pI. The pan­caspase inhibitor Z­VAD­FMK attenuated these reversine­induced apoptotic effects on human colorectal cancer cells. Additionally, reversine treatment induced cell cycle arrest in the subG1 and G2/M phases via increase in levels of p21, p27 and p57, and decrease in cyclin D1 levels. The expression of Fas and death receptor 5 (DR5) signaling proteins in SW480 and HCT116 cells was upregulated by reversine treatment. Reversine­induced apoptosis and cell cycle arrest were suppressed by inhibition of Fas and DR5 expression via siRNA. In conclusion, Reversine treatment suppressed tumor progression by the inhibition of cell proliferation, induction of cell cycle arrest and induction of apoptosis via upregulation of the Fas and DR5 signaling pathways in human colorectal cancer cells. The present study indicated that reversine may be used as a novel anticancer agent in human colorectal cancer.

Forkhead­box A1 regulates tumor cell growth and predicts prognosis in colorectal cancer.

Forkhead box A1 (FOXA1) functions as a tumor suppressor gene or an oncogene in various types of cancer; however, the distinct function of FOXA1 in colorectal cancer is unclear. The present study aimed to evaluate whether FOXA1 affects the oncogenic behavior of colorectal cancer cells, and to investigate its prognostic value in colorectal cancer. The impact of FOXA1 on tumor cell behavior was investigated using small interfering RNA and the pcDNA6­myc vector in human colorectal cancer cell lines. To investigate the role of FOXA1 in the progression of human colorectal cancer, an immunohistochemical technique was used to localize FOXA1 protein in paraffin­embedded tissue blocks obtained from 403 patients with colorectal cancer. Tumor cell apoptosis and proliferation were evaluated using a terminal deoxynucleotidyl transferase­mediated dUTP nick­end labeling assay and Ki­67 immunohistochemical staining, respectively. FOXA1 knockdown inhibited tumor cell invasion in colorectal cancer cells, and induced apoptosis and cell cycle arrest. FOXA1 knockdown activated cleaved caspase­poly (ADP­ribose) polymerase, upregulated the expression of p53 upregulated modulator of apoptosis, and downregulated BH3 interacting domain death agonist and myeloid cell leukemia­1, leading to the induction of apoptosis. FOXA1 knockdown increased the phosphorylation level of signal transducer and activator of tran-scription­3. By contrast, these results were reversed following the overexpression of FOXA1. The overexpression of FOXA1 was associated with differentiation, lymphovascular invasion, advanced tumor stage, depth of invasion, lymph node metastasis and poor survival rate. The mean Ki­67 labeling index value of FOXA1­positive tumors was significantly higher than that of FOXA1­negative tumors. However, no significant association was observed between the expression of FOXA1 and the mean apoptotic index value. These results indicate that FOXA1 is associated with tumor progression via the modulation of tumor cell survival in human colorectal cancer.

Acute obstructive cholangitis complicated by tumor migration after transarterial chemoembolization: a case report and literature review.

Intraductal tumor invasion of hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) is considered rare. Transarterial chemoembolization (TACE) is effective for tumor thrombus of HCC in the bile duct. However, a few cases of obstructive jaundice caused by migration of a tumor fragment after TACE have recently been reported. The aim of this study was to identify factors that affect tumor migration after TACE. At this writing, a review of the medical literature disclosed seven reported cases of biliary obstruction caused by migration of a necrotic tumor cast after TACE. We, herein, report on an additional case of acute obstructive cholangitis complicated by migration of a necrotic tumor cast after TACE for intrabile duct invasion of HCC, in a 71-year-old man. The tumor cast in the common bile duct was removed successfully using a basket during ERCP and was pathologically confirmed to be a completely necrotic fragment of HCC. The patient's symptoms showed dramatic improvement. In summary, physicians should be aware of acute obstructive cholangitis complicated by tumor migration in a patient undergoing TACE. We suggest that an intrabile duct invasion would be a major predisposing factor of tumor migration after TACE and drainage procedures such as ERCP or percutaneous transbiliary drainage could be effective treatment modalities in these patients.

The Shoulder Pain due to Metastatic Breast Cancer -A Case Report-.

A rotator cuff tear causes shoulder pain and limits movement of the shoulder joint. A chronic degenerative change or impingement is the reason for a rotator cuff tear. Diagnosis is made based on medical history and, physical and radiological examinations. Other causes of shoulder pain include calcific tendinitis, degenerative arthropathy, joint dislocation, fracture, and primary or metastatic neoplasm. However, metastatic cancer in the shoulder joint is difficult to diagnosis. We experienced a case in which a 46-year-old female patient complained of left shoulder pain and limited joint mobility, and these symptoms were due to metastatic breast cancer in the shoulder.

Reduction of propofol injection pain by utilizing the gate control theory.

BACKGROUND: Propofol is the most commonly using intravenous hypnotic for the induction and maintenance of general anesthesia. However, pain on propofol injection is a well known adverse event. Currently, acute and chronic pain can be controlled by utilizing the "gate control" theory. METHODS: Patients were randomized to receive lidocaine (0.5 mg/kg; Group L), touch on IV injection site (Group T), combination lidocaine (0.5 mg/kg) and touch on IV injection site (Group B), or normal saline (Group S) with venous occlusion for 1 minute, followed by administration of propofol (0.5 mg/kg) into the largest dorsal vein of the hand. Immediately after administering propofol, an investigator blinded to the group assignments asked the patient about pain at the injection site and assessed pain intensity using a 4-point verbal rating scale (0 = none, 1 = mild, 2 = moderate, 3 = severe). RESULTS: A significant decrease in the incidence of pain on propofol injection was achieved in group L (37%) and group B (23%) compared to either group T (80%) and group S (83%) (P < 0.001). But, the incidence of moderate and severe pain was significantly lower in group L (7%), group T (20%) and group B (0%) when compared to group S (53%) (P < 0.05). CONCLUSIONS: Light touch and rubbing reduced pain, although while, they did not reduce the incidence of pain, they reduced the intensity of pain. This method might be considered as an alternative to other treatments but may be contraindicated for use with other drugs.

Generalized infection following facet joint injection -A case report-.

Facet joints have been shown to be a source of chronic low back pain, and it is generally accepted in clinical practice that diagnostic and therapeutic facet joint injections are the most reliable technique for the treatment of facet joint pain, which is considered to be an easy and safe procedure. Serious complications and side effects are uncommon after facet joint injection. However, infectious complications including septic arthritis, epidural abscess, meningitis and endocarditis have been reported following facet joint injections. We report here the first case of death following lumbar facet joint injection due to generalized infection.

Optimal production of a novel endo-acting beta-1,4-xylanase cloned from Saccharophagus degradans 2-40 into Escherichia coli BL21(DE3).

To date, gene xyn10C from Saccharophagus degradans 2-40 has only been identified to encode a potential xylanase. In the present study, xyn10C was cloned and overexpressed in Escherichia coli BL21(DE3). The protein produced by xyn10C, Xyn10C, was expressed in a soluble active form and found to be an endotype beta-1,4-xylanase that preferentially produces xylobiose from xylan. Recombinant cell fermentation revealed that induction of the gene at low temperatures fostered expression of the recombinant xylanase with high volumetric and specific activities. Additionally, low growth rates were favorable for producing soluble active xylanase via a reduction in the formation of inclusion bodies. Furthermore, the optimal concentration of isopropyl-beta-D-thiogalactopyranoside for induction was found to be 100 microm after two hours of precultivation at 37 degrees C. Finally, enzyme production conducted using a fermentor with a working volume of 1.5-l resulted in slightly higher specific activities of xylanase when compared with the generation of enzymes in flasks with a working volume of 100ml.

Ethanol production from rice straw using optimized aqueous-ammonia soaking pretreatment and simultaneous saccharification and fermentation processes.

Rice straw was pretreated using aqueous-ammonia solution at moderate temperatures to enable production of the maximum amount of fermentable sugars from enzymatic hydrolysis. The effects of various operating variables including pretreatment temperature, pretreatment time, the concentration of ammonia and the solid-to-liquid ratio on the degree of lignin removal and the enzymatic digestibility were optimized using response surface methodology. The optimal reaction conditions, which resulted in an enzymatic digestibility of 71.1%, were found to be 69 degrees C, 10h and an ammonia concentration of 21% (w/w). The effects of different commercial cellulases and the additional effect of a non-cellulolytic enzyme, xylanase, were also evaluated. Additionally, simultaneous saccharification and fermentation was conducted with rice straw to assess the ethanol production yield and productivity.