An Axis between the Long Non-Coding RNA HOXA11-AS and NQOs Enhances Metastatic Ability in Oral Squamous Cell Carcinoma

Long non-coding RNAs (lncRNAs) play critical roles in human cancers. HOXA11 anti-sense RNA (HOXA11-AS) is an lncRNA belonging to the homeobox (HOX) gene cluster that promotes liver metastasis in human colon cancer. However, its role and mechanism of action in human oral squamous cell carcinoma (OSCC) are unclear. In this study, we investigated HOXA11-AS expression and function in human OSCC tissues and cell lines, as well as a mouse model of OSCC. Our analyses showed that HOXA11-AS expression in human OSCC cases correlates with lymph node metastasis, nicotinamide adenine dinucleotide (NAD)(P)H: quinone oxidoreductase 1 (NQO1) upregulation, and dihydronicotinamide riboside (NRH): quinone oxidoreductase 2 (NQO2) downregulation. Using the human OSCC cell lines HSC3 and HSC4, we demonstrate that HOXA11-AS promotes NQO1 expression by sponging microRNA-494. In contrast, HOXA11-AS recruits zeste homolog 2 (EZH2) to the NQO2 promoter to suppress its expression via the trimethylation of H3K27. The upregulation of NQO1 enzymatic activity by HOXA11-AS results in the consumption of flavin adenine dinucleotide (FAD), which reduces FAD-requiring glyceraldehyde-3-phosphate dehydrogenase (GAPDH) activity and suppresses glycolysis. However, our analyses show that lactic acid fermentation levels are preserved by glutaminolysis due to increased malic enzyme-1 expression, promoting enhanced proliferation, invasion, survival, and drug resistance. In contrast, suppression of NQO2 expression reduces the consumption of NRH via NQO2 enzymatic activity and increases NAD levels, which promotes enhanced stemness and metastatic potential. In mouse tumor models, knockdown of HOXA11-AS markedly suppressed tumor growth and lung metastasis. From these findings, targeting HOXA11-AS may strongly suppress high-grade OSCC by regulating both NQO1 and NQO2.     

Factors related to delayed treatment and posttreatment symptom severity in Taiwanese patients with benign prostatic hyperplasia

We evaluated the sociodemographic and clinical factors of delayed treatment and posttreatment symptom severity in outpatients with benign prostatic hyperplasia (BPH). The study included 146 BPH patients treated at the National Taiwan University Hospital in early 1997. All patients were treated with alpha-adrenergic antagonists or finasteride for at least 2 weeks. A questionnaire based on Andersen's Health Behavior Model was used to assess various sociodemographic features, while the pre- and posttreatment symptoms severity was rated according to the International Prostate Symptom Score (IPSS). Multiple logistic regression was used to assess the associations of these factors with delayed treatment and posttreatment symptom severity. Subjects who had recently quit smoking or were blue-collar workers tended to delay treatment, while those who chose a medical center as the care provider for chronic diseases tended to be less likely to delay treatment. However, none of these associations were statistically significant. No enabling factors (income, insurance) or need factors (symptom scores) evaluated were associated with delayed treatment. Predisposing factors associated with higher posttreatment symptom severity were delayed treatment (over 12 months) (adjusted odds ratio [OR]: 2.67, 95% confidence interval [CI]: 1.16-6.16), quitting smoking (adjusted OR: 4.47, 95% CI: 1.34-14.94), and having never smoked (adjusted OR: 3.73, 95% CI: 1.15-12.11). Subjects with severe pretreatment symptoms were far more likely than subjects with mild pretreatment symptoms to have severe symptoms after treatment (adjusted OR: 52.69, 95% CI: 54.46-621.90). Our findings, though based on a limited number of subjects, suggest sociodemographic factors rather than objective clinical attributes (prostate specific antigen level, prostate volume, and urodynamic results) are associated with delayed treatment in Taiwanese men with BPH. Both pretreatment symptom severity and sociodemographic factors are related to posttreatment symptom severity.     

Mathematical Analogies Between First-Order Digital and Analog Phase-Locked Loops

This concise paper provides an exact analysis of the phase error statistics of a first-order digital phase-locked loop (DPLL) by soloing the chapman-Kolmogorov equation using the method of moments. Both time independent and time dependent solutions are presented. In addition, the parameters which characterize the performance of a DPLL are identified with those of an analog phase-locked loop (APLL). It is Shown under what design parameter conditions the solution provided herein for a DPLL is equivalent to that obtained by applying the Fokker-Planck equation to the analysis of an APLL. Numerical comparisons are provided for specific parameter ranges of interest in practice.     

Action site of bisphenol A as metabolic disruptor lies in the tryptophan-nicotinamide conversion pathway

We have reported that the administration of bisphenol A to rats reduces the conversion ratio of tryptophan to nicotinamide. In the present paper, we show that bisphenol A, a monomer of polycarbonate plastics, inhibits the enzyme activity of kynurenine 3-hydroxylase. Namely, the conversion ratio of tryptophan to nicotinamide is reduced through the inhibition of kynurenine 3-hydroxylase activity by bisphenol A.     

Preparation of nanocomposite for optical application using ZnTe nanoparticles and a zero-birefringence polymer

Surface-modified ZnTe nanoparticles were mixed in a zero-birefringence polymer matrix. Transmission electron microscopy images revealed that aggregates of ZnTe nanoparticles with a diameter of ∼20 nm were uniformly dispersed in the polymer. The transmittance of ZnTe nanocomposites rapidly decreased at wavelengths shorter than the critical wavelength corresponding to the band gap of ZnTe nanoparticles, an effect which became significant as the volume fraction of particles increased. In this way, the optical characteristic of ZnTe nanoparticles was added to the polymer. The intrinsic zero-birefringence was confirmed in the heat-drawn ZnTe nanocomposites. As the ZnTe nanocomposites were left in air, a lowering of transmittance was observed. This was due to the oxidation of Zn and the resultant deposition of Te in the ZnTe nanocomposite, as the light absorption of Te is significant. The formation of oxygen non-permeable SiO₂ films onto the ZnTe nanocomposite by the sol-gel method was useful in preventing oxidation so that the decrement of transmittance decreased from 47.2% to 14.9% at 530 nm near the ZnTe band gap.     

Performance Measures for Phase-Locked Loops--A Tutorial

This paper discusses the principle of operation of a phaselocked loop using a vector diagram approach. From this diagram the acquisition, tracking, and frequency stability performance measures are introduced without the need of a loop mathematical model and associated loop analysis. Designers of phase-lock technology should find this tutorial discussion useful in understanding and writing specifications to meet system performance and testing requirements. On the other hand, users should find this discussion useful in interfacing with phase-locked loop designers. Additionally, those who wish to obtain an oveview of the phase-lock technical parlance should also find this paper of interest.     

Cross-cultural differences in children's use of decision rules: A comparison between Japan and Australia.

Tested the hypothesis that children in collectivist and individualist cultures would differ in the decision rules used for the distribution of rewards between a majority and minority in the group. A decision game was developed for classroom administration in primary schools. 149 12-yr-olds in Osaka, Japan, and 162 12-yr-olds in Adelaide, Australia, were assigned randomly to a large group (majority) or to a small group (minority) in the classroom. They were told that only 1 group—large group or small group—could obtain chocolate rewards on each trial. Ss were asked to indicate how many chances (out of 6 trials) each group should have to obtain the rewards in a hypothetical game and in a real-life game. Ss then completed a social attitudes questionnaire assessing attitudes toward group loyalty and personal interests, acceptance of various decision rules for resolving competing interests in a group, and beliefs about people's willingness to be helpful and altruistic. Results show that in the real-life game, in both the majority and minority conditions, Japanese Ss were more likely to adopt an "equal-say" rule, while Australian Ss tended to use decision rules that followed self-interest and favored their own group. Findings support the hypothesis. (17 ref) (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2010 APA, all rights reserved)     

New Results on Mean Time-to-First-Slip for a First-Order Loop

Approximate results are derived from a new expression for the mean time-to-first-slip for a first-order loop with arbitrary periodic equivalent phase detector characteristic in the presence of frequency detuning. They are accurate for loop signal-to-noise ratios greater than 3 dB or less than 0 dB. The approximations found serve to provide insight into the mean first slip time dependence on the shape of the equivalent phase detector characteristic and the frequency detuning, and dependence on loop parameters. The new expression itself is also of theoretical interest, since it allows one to explicitly express the stationary phase error probability density function and probability current in terms of the mean first slip time. This sheds further light on the interconnections between the conventional modulo-2π approach and the renewal theory approach to the Fokker-Planck method. Extensions to nonperidic equivalent phase detector characteristics are also considered.