Application of an Antioxidant Response Element-Nuclear Factor Erythroid 2 Luciferase Assay for Assessing the Skin Sensitization Potential of Agrochemicals.

The skin sensitization potential of agrochemicals can be assessed using laboratory methods such as the keratinocyte activation assay so that their use in regulatory toxicology might replace experimental animal testing. Here, we evaluated the skin sensitization potential of 11 agrochemicals by using an antioxidant response element-nuclear factor erythroid 2 luciferase assay in KeratinoSens and LuSens cells and applying a skin sensitization adverse outcome pathway (AOP). The KeratinoSens and LuSens assays consistently evaluated the skin sensitization potential of 10/11 agrochemicals with reference to animal testing databases. Benomyl, pretilachlor, fluazinam, terbufos, butachlor, and carbosulfan were correctly detected as sensitizers, and glufosinate ammonium, oxiadiazon, tebuconazole, and etofenprox were correctly detected as non-sensitizers. For diazinon, the skin sensitizing potential was positive in the KeratinoSens assay but not in the LuSens assay. These results suggest that the evaluation of in vitro skin sensitization using the AOP mechanism can be applied to assess active agrochemicals.

Evaluation of transdermal exposure of phthalates in children's products.

In this study, 16 children's products with the highest detection potential of phthalates were selected, and a phthalate assay and transdermal delivery analysis (NIER, US EPA Wipe [stress condition], US EPA Wipe [physiological condition], and US EPA Hand Wipe) were conducted with these products. The content of 6 controlled phthalates (DBP, BBP, DEHP, DNOP, DINP, and DIDP) was measured and most products contained more phthalates than the regulated guidelines (a total content of 6 phthalates to be ≤0.1%). For transdermal delivery, all items were found to be lower in the NIER transdermal delivery test method compared to the US EPA Hand Wipe (stress condition and physiological condition) transdermal delivery test method. For the US EPA Hand Wipe (stress condition and physiological condition) transdermal delivery test method, a similar result was observed, except for DINP. The average daily dose (ADD) estimated by determining the exposure algorithm for each transdermal delivery test method was highest in mats with a large contacting surface area and a long exposure time in the respective test methods. Conclusively, there was a difference between the NIER transdermal delivery test method and the US EPA Wipe transdermal delivery test method.

The Mediating Roles of Happiness and Cohesion in the Relationship between Employee Volunteerism and Job Performance.

This study investigated the mediating effects of happiness and cohesion in the relationship between employee volunteerism, in-role behavior, and helping behavior. The study surveyed 312 full-time employees in South Korea, and regression analyses and the bootstrapping method were used to test the hypotheses. The study found happiness and cohesion to mediate the relationships between employee volunteerism and in-role and helping behavior. The findings suggest that employee volunteerism can promote a healthy working environment through increased feelings of happiness and cohesion as well as by improving performance behaviors.

Decreased blood pressure associated with in-vehicle exposure to carbon monoxide in Korean volunteers.

BACKGROUND: Carbon monoxide (CO) is one of the primary components of emissions from light-duty vehicles, and reportedly comprises 77% of all pollutants emitted in terms of concentration. Exposure to CO aggravates cardiovascular disease and causes other health disorders. The study was aimed to assess the negative effects by injecting different amounts of CO concentration directly to human volunteers boarding in the car. METHODS: Human volunteers were exposed to CO concentrations of 0, 33.2, and 72.4 ppm, respectively during the first test and 0, 30.3, and 48.8 ppm respectively during the second test while seated in the car. The volunteers were exposed to each concentration for approximately 45 min. After exposure, blood pressure measurement, blood collection (carboxyhemoglobin [COHb] analysis), medical interview, echocardiography test, and cognitive reaction test were performed. RESULT: In patients who were exposed to a mean concentration of CO for 72.4 ± 1.4 ppm during the first exposure test and 48.8 ± 3.7 ppm during the second exposure test, the COHb level exceeded 2%. Moreover, the diastolic blood pressure was decreased while increasing in CO concentration after exposure. The medical interview findings showed that the degree of fatigue was increased and the degree of concentration was reduced when the exposed concentration of CO was increased. CONCLUSION: Although the study had a limited sample size, we found that even a low concentration of CO flowing into a car could have a negative influence on human health, such as change of blood pressure and degree of fatigue.

Antimicrobial Effects of 7,8-Dihydroxy-6-Methoxycoumarin and 7-Hydroxy-6-Methoxycoumarin Analogues against Foodborne Pathogens and the Antimicrobial Mechanisms Associated with Membrane Permeability.

The antimicrobial effects of 7,8-dihydroxy-6-methoxycoumarin and 7-hydroxy-6-methoxycoumarin isolated from Fraxinus rhynchophylla bark and of their structural analogues were determined in an attempt to develop natural antimicrobial agents against the foodborne pathogens Escherichia coli, Bacillus cereus, Staphylococcus intermedius, and Listeria monocytogenes. To elucidate the relationship between structure and antimicrobial activity for the coumarin analogues, isolated constituents and their structural analogues were evaluated against foodborne pathogens. Based on the culture plate inhibition zones and MICs, 6,7-dimethoxycoumarin, 7,8-dihydroxy-6-methoxycoumarin, 7-hydroxy-6-methoxycoumarin, and 7-methoxycoumarin, containing a methoxy functional group on the coumarin skeleton, had the notable antimicrobial activity against foodborne pathogens. However, 7-hydroxycoumarin and 6,7-dihydroxycoumarin, which contained a hydroxyl functional group on the coumarin skeleton, had no antimicrobial activity against these pathogens. An increase in cell membrane permeability was confirmed by electron microscopy observations, and release of extracellular ATP and cell constituents followed treatment with the ethyl acetate fraction of F. rhynchophylla extract. These findings indicate that F. rhynchophylla extract and coumarin analogues have potential for use as antimicrobial agents against foodborne pathogens and that the antimicrobial mechanisms are associated with the loss of cell membrane integrity.

Relation of rice intake and biomarkers of cadmium for general population in Korea.

Environmental exposure to cadmium can cause renal damage. Foods containing cadmium are generally regarded as the main environmental sources of human exposure to cadmium. In this study, foods that are ingested in large amounts, including rice and other types of food with a high concentration of cadmium, were investigated to determine the correlation between the foods' cadmium content and biomarkers. The datasets required for this study, including blood cadmium concentration, biomarker concentration, and data on the amount of consumption by food item, were obtained from KNHNES. Furthermore, data on food groups with high daily exposure to hazardous amounts of cadmium were obtained by monitoring raw food sources from 2010 to 2012. The investigation was then followed by correlation analysis, which was performed to assess the relationship between the amount of rice consumption and cadmium concentration. The Pearson coefficient analysis on the relationship between the amount of food consumption and the biomarker showed that the correlation between foods' cadmium content and blood cadmium and that of between foods' cadmium content and other biomarkers were confirmed as statistically significant in the case of the cadmium content of white rice, while, in the case of brown rice, it was confirmed by a few biomarkers.

Inhibitory Potential of Constituents from Osmanthus fragrans and Structural Analogues Against Advanced Glycation End Products, α-Amylase, α-Glucosidase, and Oxidative Stress.

Inhibition of α-amylase and α-glucosidase, advanced glycation end products (AGEs) formation, and oxidative stress by isolated active constituents of Osmanthus fragrans flowers (9,12-octadecadienoic acid and 4-(2,6,6-trimethyl-1-cyclohexenyl)-3-buten-2-one) and their structural analogues were evaluated. 9,12-Octadecadienoic acid was 10.02 and 22.21 times more active against α-amylase and α-glucosidase, respectively, than acarbose and ascorbic acid, followed by 9,12,15-octadecatrienoic acid, 9-octadecenoic acid, 4-(2,6,6-trimethyl-1-cyclohexenyl)-3-buten-2-one, 4-(2,6,6-trimethyl-2-cyclohexenyl)-3-buten-2-one, 1-heptadecanecarboxylic acid, and 1-pentadecanecarboxylic acid. Concerning the inhibition of AGEs formation, similar with data for 2,2'-diphenyl-1-picrylhydrazl radical scavenging activities, 9,12-octadecadienoic acid was 3.54 times more active than aminoguanidine, followed by 9,12,15-octadecatrienoic acid, and 9-octadecenoic acid. These results indicate that 4-(2,6,6-trimethyl-1-cyclohexenyl)-3-buten-2-one, 9,12-octadecadienoic acid and their analogues inhibit α-amylase and α-glucosidase, AGEs formation, and oxidative stress have potential value in alleviating diabetic pathological conditions.

YAP/TAZ-Mediated Upregulation of GAB2 Leads to Increased Sensitivity to Growth Factor-Induced Activation of the PI3K Pathway.

The transcription regulators YAP and TAZ function as effectors of the HIPPO signaling cascade, critical for organismal development, cell growth, and cellular reprogramming, and YAP/TAZ is commonly misregulated in human cancers. The precise mechanism by which aberrant YAP/TAZ promotes tumor growth remains unclear. The HIPPO tumor suppressor pathway phosphorylates YAP and TAZ, resulting in cytosolic sequestration with subsequent degradation. Here, we report that the PI3K/AKT pathway, which is critically involved in the pathophysiology of endometrial cancer, interacts with the HIPPO pathway at multiple levels. Strikingly, coordinate knockdown of YAP and TAZ, mimicking activation of the HIPPO pathway, markedly decreased both constitutive and growth factor-induced PI3K pathway activation by decreasing levels of the GAB2 linker molecule in endometrial cancer lines. Furthermore, targeting YAP/TAZ decreased endometrial cancer tumor growth in vivo In addition, YAP and TAZ total and phosphoprotein levels correlated with clinical characteristics and outcomes in endometrial cancer. Thus, YAP and TAZ, which are inhibited by the HIPPO tumor suppressor pathway, modify PI3K/AKT pathway signaling in endometrial cancer. The cross-talk between these key pathways identifies potential new biomarkers and therapeutic targets in endometrial cancer. Cancer Res; 77(7); 1637-48. ©2017 AACR.

The Effects of Tonsillectomy Education Using Smartphone Text Message for Mothers and Children Undergoing Tonsillectomy: A Randomized Controlled Trial.

BACKGROUND: Tonsillectomy is the most common type of surgical procedure performed in preschool children. Due to short period of hospitalization, mothers are expected to manage their children's care at home. However, they are rarely provided with sufficient information about postoperative management. This study aims to determine the effectiveness of providing caregivers with information on tonsillectomy care by smartphone text messaging in increasing their mothers' knowledge, reducing the anxiety, and improving the sick-role behavior of pediatric tonsillectomy patients. MATERIALS AND METHODS: A sample of 61 pediatric patients and their mothers was recruited. Participants were randomly assigned into either the experimental group (n = 27) or the control group (n = 34). The control group was given information about the tonsillectomy by conventional textual and verbal means, whereas the experimental group received the same information in the form of 10 text messages during the period from hospitalization to their first follow-up visits. RESULTS: Results of mixed design, two-way analysis of variance indicated significant interaction effects between time points and groups for mothers' knowledge (F = 4.26, p = 0.043) and children's anxiety (F = 3.32; p = 0.037). Thus, the results do support the effectiveness of tonsillectomy education using smartphone text messaging in increasing mothers' knowledge and reducing children's anxiety. CONCLUSIONS: These results can be applied to preoperative and postoperative interventions for children not only for tonsillectomy but also for many other operations. The development of various educational programs using smartphone text messaging for postoperative patient management would also be valuable.

Protein profiling identifies mTOR pathway modulation and cytostatic effects of Pim kinase inhibitor, AZD1208, in acute myeloid leukemia.

Pim kinases phosphorylate and regulate a number of key acute myeloid leukemia (AML) cell survival proteins, and Pim inhibitors have recently entered clinical trial for hematological malignancies. AZD1208 is a small molecule pan-Pim kinase inhibitor and AZD1208 treatment resulted in growth inhibition and cell size reduction in AML cell lines including FLT3-WT (OCI-AML-3, KG-1a, and MOLM-16) and FLT3-ITD mutated (MOLM-13 and MV-4-11). There was limited apoptosis induction (<10% increase) in the AML cell lines evaluated with up to 3 µM AZD1208 for 24 h, suggesting that growth inhibition is not through apoptosis induction. Using reverse phase protein array (RPPA) and immunoblot analysis, we identified that AZD1208 resulted in suppression of mTOR signaling, including inhibition of protein phosphorylation of mTOR (Ser2448), p70S6K (Thr389), S6 (Ser235/236), and 4E-BP1 (Ser65). Consistent with mTOR inhibition, there was also a reduction in protein synthesis that correlated with cell size reduction and growth inhibition with AZD1208; our study provides insights into the mechanism of AZD1208.

Representative levels of blood lead, mercury, and urinary cadmium in youth: Korean Environmental Health Survey in Children and Adolescents (KorEHS-C), 2012-2014.

BACKGROUND: This study examined levels of blood lead and mercury, and urinary cadmium, and associated sociodemographic factors in 3-18 year-old Korean children and adolescents. MATERIALS AND METHODS: We used the nationally representative Korean Environmental Health Survey in Children and Adolescents data for 2012-2014 and identified 2388 children and adolescents aged 3-18 years. The median and 95th percentile exposure biomarker levels with 95% confidence intervals (CIs) were calculated. Multivariate regression analyses were performed on log transformed exposure biomarker levels adjusted for age, sex, area, household income, and father's education level. The median exposure biomarker levels were compared with data from Germany, the US, and Canada, as well as the levels of Korean children measured at different times. RESULTS: The median levels of blood lead and mercury, as well as urinary cadmium were 1.23µg/dL, 1.80µg/L, and 0.40µg/L (95% CIs, 1.21-1.25, 1.77-1.83, and 0.39-0.41, respectively). The blood lead levels were significantly higher in boys and younger children (p<0.0001) and children with less educated fathers (p=0.004) after adjusting for covariates. Urinary cadmium level increased with age (p<0.0001). The median levels of blood mercury and urinary cadmium were much higher in Korean children and adolescents than those in their peers in Germany, the US, and Canada. Blood lead levels tended to decrease with increasing age and divergence between the sexes, particularly in the early teen years. Median levels of blood lead and urinary cadmium decreased since 2010. CONCLUSION: Sociodemographic factors, including age, sex, and father's education level were associated with environmental exposure to heavy metals in Korean children and adolescents. These biomonitoring data are valuable for ongoing surveillance of environmental exposure in this vulnerable population.

Acaricidal and Insecticidal Activities of Essential Oils against a Stored-Food Mite and Stored-Grain Insects.

Twenty plant-derived oils were evaluated for their acaricidal and insecticidal activities against Sitotroga cerealella, Sitophilus oryzae, Sitophilus zeamais, and Tyrophagus putrescentiae adults, by using the fumigant and filter paper diffusion methods. Responses varied with bioassay systems, insect or mite species, plant oils, and exposure time. Based on the 50% lethal dose (LD50) values against S. oryzae and S. zeamais in the fumigant bioassay, Anethum graveolens oil (4.12 and 1.12 µg/cm(3), respectively) induced the highest mortality, followed by Achillea millefolium (21.92 and 14.91 µg/cm(3)) and Eucalyptus dives (28.02 and 24.02 µg/cm(3)) oils, respectively. The most toxic oil based on the 50% lethal concentration values against T. putrescentiae was E. dives (3.13 µg/cm(3)), followed by Melaleuca leucadendron (3.93 µg/cm(3)) and Leptospermum pertersonii (4.41 µg/cm(3)). Neroli birgard oil (1.70 µg/cm(3)) was the most toxic based on the LD50 values against S. cerealella, followed by Citrus aurantium (1.80 µg/cm(3)) and Artemisia vulgaris (1.81 µg/cm(3)). The insecticidal and acaricidal activities of the plant oils in the filter paper diffusion bioassay were similar to those in the fumigant bioassay. In comparison, A. millefolium, A. graveolens, and E. dives oils were more effective against S. oryzae and S. zeamais in the fumigant bioassay than in the contact bioassay. These results indicate that the insecticidal activity of the three plant oils against S. oryzae and S. zeamais may be due to their fumigant action. Acaricidal activities of the A. millefolium, A. graveolens, and E. dives oils against T. putrescentiae were 2.62, 1.11, and 122 times higher than that of benzyl benzoate in the contact bioassay. These results indicate that A. millefolium, A. graveolens, and E. dives oils have potential for development as agents to control stored-grain insects and mites.

Integrative Protein-Based Prognostic Model for Early-Stage Endometrioid Endometrial Cancer.

PURPOSE: Endometrioid endometrial carcinoma (EEC) is the major histologic type of endometrial cancer, the most prevalent gynecologic malignancy in the United States. EEC recurrence or metastasis is associated with a poor prognosis. Early-stage EEC is generally curable, but a subset has high risk of recurrence or metastasis. Prognosis estimation for early-stage EEC mainly relies on clinicopathologic characteristics, but is unreliable. We aimed to identify patients with high-risk early-stage EEC who are most likely to benefit from more extensive surgery and adjuvant therapy by building a prognostic model that integrates clinical variables and protein markers. EXPERIMENTAL DESIGN: We used two large, independent early-stage EEC datasets as training (n = 183) and validation cohorts (n = 333), and generated the levels of 186 proteins and phosphoproteins using reverse-phase protein arrays. By applying an initial filtering and the elastic net to the training samples, we developed a prognostic model for overall survival containing two clinical variables and 18 protein markers and optimized the risk group classification. RESULTS: The Kaplan-Meier survival analyses in the validation cohort confirmed an improved discriminating power of our prognostic model for patients with early-stage EEC over key clinical variables (log-rank test, P = 0.565 for disease stage, 0.567 for tumor grade, and 1.3 × 10(-4) for the integrative model). Compared with clinical variables (stage, grade, and patient age), only the risk groups defined by the integrative model were consistently significant in both univariate and multivariate analyses across both cohorts. CONCLUSIONS: Our prognostic model is potentially of high clinical value for stratifying patients with early-stage EEC and improving their treatment strategies.

Antimicrobial activities of active component isolated from Lawsonia inermis leaves and structure-activity relationships of its analogues against food-borne bacteria.

The antimicrobial activities of Lawsonia inermis leaf extract and 2-hydroxy-1,4-naphthoquinone analogues against food-borne bacteria. The antimicrobial activities of five fractions derived from the methanol extract of Lawsonia inermis leaves were evaluated against 7 food-borne bacteria. 2-Hydroxy-1,4-naphthoquinone was isolated by chromatographic analyses. 2-Hydroxy-1,4-naphthoquinone showed the strong activities against Bacillus cereus, Listeria monocytogenes, Salmonella enterica, Shigella sonnei, Staphylococcus epidermidis, and S. intermedius, but exerted no growth-inhibitory activities against S. typhimurium. The antimicrobial activities of the 2-hydroxy-1,4-naphthoquinone analogues were tested against 7 food-borne bacteria to establish structure-activity relationships. Hydroxyl (2-hydroxy-1,4-naphthoquinone and 5-hydroxy-1,4-naphthoquinone), methoxy (2-methoxy-1,4-naphthoquinone), and methyl (2-methyl-1,4-naphthoquinone, and 5-hydroxy-2-methyl-1,4-naphthoquinone) functional groups on the 1,4-naphthoquinone skeleton possessed potent activities, whereas bromo (2-bromo-1,4-naphthoquinone and 2,3-dibromo-1,4-naphthoquione) and chloro (2,3-dichloro-1,4-naphthoquinone) exhibited no activity against 7 food-borne bacteria. The L. inermis leaf extract and 2-hydroxy-1,4-naphthoquinone analogues should be useful as natural antimicrobial agents against food-borne bacteria.

Evaluation of benzaldehyde derivatives from Morinda officinalis as anti-mite agents with dual function as acaricide and mite indicator.

Severe fever with thrombocytopenia syndrome (SFTS) is an emerging infectious disease caused by SFTS virus with 12-30% fatality rate. Despite severity of the disease, any medication or treatment for SFTS has not developed yet. One approach to prevent SFTS spreading is to control the arthropod vector carrying SFTS virus. We report that 2-methylbenzaldehyde analogues from M. officinalis have a dual function as acaricide against Dermatophagoides spp. and Haemaphysalis longicornis and indicator (color change) against Dermatophagoides spp. Based on the LD50 values, 2,4,5-trimethylbenzaldehyde (0.21, 0.19, and 0.68 µg/cm(3)) had the highest fumigant activity against D. farinae, D. pteronyssinus, and H. longicornis, followed by 2,3-dimethylbenzaldehyde (0.46, 0.44, and 0.79 µg/cm(3)), 2,4-dimethylbenzaldehyde (0.66, 0.59, and 0.95 µg/cm(3)), 2,5-dimethylbenzaldehyde (0.65, 0.68, and 0.88 µg/cm(3)), 2-methylbenzaldehyde (0.95, 0.87, and 1.28 µg/cm(3)), 3-methylbenzaldehyde (0.99, 0.93, and 1.38 µg/cm(3)), 4-methylbenzaldehyde (1.17, 1.15, and 3.67 µg/cm(3)), and M. officinalis oil (7.05, 7.00, and 19.70 µg/cm(3)). Furthermore, color alteration of Dermatophagoides spp. was shown to be induced, from colorless to dark brown, by the treatment of 2,3-dihydroxybenzaldehyde. These finding indicated that 2-methylbenzaldehyde analogues could be developed as functional agent associated with the arthropod vector of SFTS virus and allergen.

House-plant placement for indoor air purification and health benefits on asthmatics.

OBJECTIVES: Some plants were placed in indoor locations frequented by asthmatics in order to evaluate the quality of indoor air and examine the health benefits to asthmatics. METHODS: The present study classified the participants into two groups: households of continuation and households of withdrawal by a quasi-experimental design. The households of continuation spent the two observation terms with indoor plants, whereas the households of withdrawal passed the former observation terms with indoor plants and went through the latter observation term without any indoor plants. RESULTS: The household of continuation showed a continual decrease in the indoor concentrations of volatile organic compounds (VOCs) during the entire observation period, but the household of withdrawal performed an increase in the indoor concentrations of VOCs, except formaldehyde and toluene during the latter observation term after the decrease during the former observation term. Peak expiratory flow rate (PEFR) increased in the households of continuation with the value of 13.9 L/min in the morning and 20.6 L/ min in the evening, but decreased in the households of withdrawal with the value of -24.7 L/min in the morning and -30.2 L/min in the evening in the first experimental season. All of the households exhibited a decrease in the value of PEFR in the second experimental season. CONCLUSIONS: Limitations to the generalizability of findings regarding the presence of plants indoors can be seen as a more general expression of such a benefit of human-environment relations.

Acaricidal activity of constituents derived from peppermint oil against Tyrophagus putrescentiae.

The acaricidal activities of peppermint oil and menthol isomers against mites in stored food were evaluated using fumigant and contact bioassays and were compared with the activity of benzyl benzoate as a synthetic acaricide. Based on the 50% lethal dose (LD50) values against Tyrophagus putrescentiae in the fumigant bioassay, menthol (0.96 µg/cm(2)) was approximately 12.18 times more effective than benzyl benzoate (11.70 µg/cm(2)), followed by (+)-neomenthol (1.33 µg/cm(2)), (-)-menthol (1.60 µg/cm(2)), and (+)-menthol (1.90 µg/cm(2)). In the filter paper bioassay, menthol (0.55 µg/cm(2)) was about 15.18 times more active than benzyl benzoate (8.35 µg/cm(2)), followed by (-)-menthol (0.84 µg/cm(2)), (+)-menthol (0.92 µg/cm(2)), and (+)-neomenthol (1.72 µg/cm(2)). However, (+)-isomenthol did not exhibit any acaricidal activity against T. putrescentiae in the fumigant and filter paper bioassays. These results indicate that peppermint oil and menthol isomers could be effective natural acaricides for managing mites in stored food.

Lateral geniculate body evoked potentials elicited by visual and electrical stimulation.

PURPOSE: Blind individuals who have photoreceptor loss are known to perceive phosphenes with electrical stimulation of their remaining retinal ganglion cells. We proposed that implantable lateral geniculate body (LGB) stimulus electrode arrays could be used to generate phosphene vision. We attempted to refine the basic reference of the electrical evoked potentials (EEPs) elicited by microelectrical stimulations of the optic nerve, optic tract and LGB of a domestic pig, and then compared it to visual evoked potentials (VEPs) elicited by short-flash stimuli. METHODS: For visual function measurement, VEPs in response to short-flash stimuli on the left eye of the domestic pig were assessed over the visual cortex at position Oz with the reference electrode at Fz. After anesthesia, linearly configured platinum wire electrodes were inserted into the optic nerve, optic track and LGB. To determine the optimal stimulus current, EEPs were recorded repeatedly with controlling the pulse and power. The threshold of current and charge density to elicit EEPs at 0.3 ms pulse duration was about ±10 µA. RESULTS: Our experimental results showed that visual cortex activity can be effectively evoked by stimulation of the optic nerve, optic tract and LGB using penetrating electrodes. The latency of P1 was more shortened as the electrical stimulation was closer to LGB. The EEPs of two-channel in the visual cortex demonstrated a similar pattern with stimulation of different spots of the stimulating electrodes. We found that the LGB-stimulated EEP pattern was very similar to the simultaneously generated VEP on the control side, although implicit time deferred. CONCLUSIONS: EEPs and VEPs derived from visual-system stimulation were compared. The LGB-stimulated EEP wave demonstrated a similar pattern to the VEP waveform except implicit time, indicating prosthetic-based electrical stimulation of the LGB could be utilized for the blind to perceive vision of phosphenes.

A pan-cancer proteomic perspective on The Cancer Genome Atlas.

Protein levels and function are poorly predicted by genomic and transcriptomic analysis of patient tumours. Therefore, direct study of the functional proteome has the potential to provide a wealth of information that complements and extends genomic, epigenomic and transcriptomic analysis in The Cancer Genome Atlas (TCGA) projects. Here we use reverse-phase protein arrays to analyse 3,467 patient samples from 11 TCGA 'Pan-Cancer' diseases, using 181 high-quality antibodies that target 128 total proteins and 53 post-translationally modified proteins. The resultant proteomic data are integrated with genomic and transcriptomic analyses of the same samples to identify commonalities, differences, emergent pathways and network biology within and across tumour lineages. In addition, tissue-specific signals are reduced computationally to enhance biomarker and target discovery spanning multiple tumour lineages. This integrative analysis, with an emphasis on pathways and potentially actionable proteins, provides a framework for determining the prognostic, predictive and therapeutic relevance of the functional proteome.