Role of microRNAs in fluoropyrimidine-related toxicity: what we know.

Although more than half a century has passed since the discovery of fluoropyrimidines, they are still used in the treatment of many types of cancer, and it is estimated that annually two million patients undergo fluoropyrimidine-based chemotherapy. The toxicity resulting from the use of fluoropyrimidines affects about 30-40% of patients, which in some cases may prove to be lethal. The key player in fluoropyrimidine toxicity is DPD activity, and patients with deficits are more likely to develop significant adverse events. In addition to genotyping DPYD variants associated with DPD deficiency, overexpression of miR-27 has also been shown to be a predictive factor for fluoropyrimidine toxicity. This review aims to relate what we know so far about the involvement of miRNA in fluoropyrimidine toxicity and to open new perspectives in this field.

Spin-torque-induced dynamics at fine-split frequencies in nano-oscillators with two stacked vortices.

The gyrotropic rotation around the equilibrium position constitutes the fundamental excitation of magnetic vortices in nanostructures. The frequency of this mode varies with material and sample geometry, but is independent of the vortex handedness and its core direction. Here, we demonstrate that this degeneracy is lifted in a spin-torque oscillator containing two vortices stacked on top of each other. When driven by spin-polarized currents, such devices exhibit a set of dynamic modes with discretely split frequencies, each corresponding to a specific combination of vorticities and relative core polarities. The fine splitting occurs even in the absence of external fields, demonstrating that such devices can function as zero-field, multi-channel, nano-oscillators for communication technologies. It also facilitates the detection of the relative core polarization and allows for the eight non-degenerate configurations to be distinguished electrically, which may enable the design of multi-state memory devices based on double-vortex nanopillars.

Influence of fruit consumption and fluoride application on the prevalence of caries and erosion in vegetarians--a controlled clinical trial.

BACKGROUND/OBJECTIVES: Caries and erosion are common diseases of the dental hard tissues. The influence of vegetarianism on the development of caries and erosion has scarcely been investigated in the past. The aim of the present study was to evaluate the influence of fruit consumption and topical fluoride application on the prevalence of caries and erosion in vegetarians. SUBJECTS/METHODS: In 100 vegetarians and 100 nonvegetarians, a dental examination was performed. The indices for decayed, missing, filled teeth (DMFT) and surfaces (DMFS) were determined. DMFT and DMFS were subdivided into decayed teeth (DT), filled teeth (FT), decayed surfaces (DS) and filled surfaces (FS). In addition, the hygiene index and the number of teeth with dental erosion (DE), root caries (RC) and overhanging restoration margins (ORM) were recorded. A questionnaire assessed patients' eating habits, frequency of oral hygiene, dentist visits and topical fluoride application. For statistical analysis, unpaired t-test, Mann-Whitney test and Pearson's chi-square test were applied. RESULTS: Vegetarians had significantly more DT (P<0.001), DS (P<0.001), more teeth with DE (P=0.026), RC (P=0.002) and ORM (P<0.001) than nonvegetarians. Daily consumption of fruits was significantly more prevalent (P<0.001), and topical fluoride application was less prevalent (P<0.001) in vegetarians compared with nonvegetarians. In particular, fluoride-containing toothpaste (P<0.001) and table salt (P=0.039) were less frequently used in vegetarians. CONCLUSION: The presented data suggest that vegetarians have an increased risk for caries and erosion. Topical fluoride application was shown to be effective in preventing caries, but not in preventing erosion.

Spin torque-generated magnetic droplet solitons.

Dissipative solitons have been reported in a wide range of nonlinear systems, but the observation of their magnetic analog has been experimentally challenging. Using spin transfer torque underneath a nanocontact on a magnetic thin film with perpendicular magnetic anisotropy (PMA), we have observed the generation of dissipative magnetic droplet solitons and report on their rich dynamical properties. Micromagnetic simulations identify a wide range of automodulation frequencies, including droplet oscillatory motion, droplet "spinning," and droplet "breather" states. The droplet can be controlled by using both current and magnetic fields and is expected to have applications in spintronics, magnonics, and PMA-based domain-wall devices.