Clinical Relevance of CDH1 and CDH13 DNA-Methylation in Serum of Cervical Cancer Patients

This study was designed to investigate the DNA-methylation status of E-cadherin (CDH1) and H-cadherin (CDH13) in serum samples of cervical cancer patients and control patients with no malignant diseases and to evaluate the clinical utility of these markers. DNA-methylation status of CDH1 and CDH13 was analyzed by means of MethyLight-technology in serum samples from 49 cervical cancer patients and 40 patients with diseases other than cancer. To compare this methylation analysis with another technique, we analyzed the samples with a denaturing high performance liquid chromatography (DHPLC) PCR-method. The specificity and sensitivity of CDH1 DNA-methylation measured by MethyLight was 75% and 55%, and for CDH13 DNA-methylation 95% and 10%. We identified a specificity of 92.5% and a sensitivity of only 27% for the CDH1 DHPLC-PCR analysis. Multivariate analysis showed that serum CDH1 methylation-positive patients had a 7.8-fold risk for death (95% CI: 2.2-27.7; p = 0.001) and a 92.8-fold risk for relapse (95% CI: 3.9-2207.1; p = 0.005). We concluded that the serological detection of CDH1 and CDH13 DNA-hypermethylation is not an ideal diagnostic tool due to low diagnostic specificity and sensitivity. However, it was validated that CDH1 methylation analysis in serum samples may be of potential use as a prognostic marker for cervical cancer patients.     

Synthesis, Phase Characterization, and Properties of Chemical Solution-Deposited Nickel Manganite Thermistor Thin Films

Nickel manganite spinel thin films prepared by chemical solution deposition exhibit negative temperature coefficient of resistance (TCR) values between −3.3 and −4.5%/K. In contrast to bulk thermistors, dense films could be prepared completely within the spinel phase field. Thus, decomposition into the NiO phase and a Mn-rich spinel, which is problematic in bulk ceramics, is minimized in thin films. For films prepared outside of the single-phase field, phase separation cannot always be detected using X-ray diffraction. In such cases, transmission electron microscopy is useful in identifying decomposition. It is found that the lattice parameters for films with compositions ranging between Mn/(Mn+Ni)=0.14 and 0.77 are smaller than the values reported for nickel manganite spinels, suggesting cation deficiency. Single-phase spinel films are compared with single-phase bixbyite films synthesized between 630° and 930°C. The bixbyite phase exhibits lower TCR and lower resistivity (TCR=−3.1 to −3.3%/K and resistivity values=400–1600 Ω·cm) compared with spinel (TCR=−3.6 to −4.1%/K and resistivity values=3500–21 000 Ω·cm). Composite films (achieved by controlling the pyrolysis to create a low local p O₂ during annealing) show intermediate values (TCR=−3.0 to −3.8%/K and resistivity values=470–6600 Ω·cm).     

Musculoskeletal, visual and psychosocial stress in VDU operators before and after multidisciplinary ergonomic interventions. A 6 years prospective study—Part II

A prospective epidemiological field study covering a 2 years period has earlier been published (Appl. Ergon. (1998) 29(5) 335). The study has a parallel group design with two intervention groups (T and S) and one control group (C) of Visual Display Unit (VDU) operators. The present paper covers the period from 2 to 6 years of the study. After 3.5 years, the C group got the same intervention in terms of new lighting system, new workplaces and at last an optometric examination and corrections if needed. The C group reported a significant reduction in visual discomfort after interventions while the two groups (T and S) continued to report significant reduction of visual discomfort after 6 years. By supporting the forearm on the table top, the C group reported significant reduction of shoulder and neck pain while the T group reported significant reduction in shoulder and back pain after 6 years. Organizational and psychosocial factors at work and outside work did not show any significant changes during the study period.     

An emulsion preparation for novel micro-porous polymeric hemi-shells

A modified oil-in-water (O/W) emulsion process was developed to produce novel micro-porous hemi-spherical polycaprolactone (PCL) micro-particles called “hemi-shells”. By addition of a porogen such as sodium bicarbonate (NaHCO₃) into the PCL-dichloromethane (DCM) oil phase and emulsification in an acidic polyvinyl alcohol (PVA) aqueous phase, micro-porous hemi-shells formed as solvent evaporated. CO₂ gas evolution from the porogen created particles with an externally micro-porous shell and a large internal cavity. The hemi-shells were characterized by SEM and optical microscopy. The number-average particle yield in the 50-200 μm range was 84%. The number-average hemi-shell yield in the same size range was 41%. These novel micro-particles have potential applications in tissue engineering and drug delivery.     

K‐12 Outreach: Identifying the Broader Impacts of Four Outreach Projects

Over the last four years, a series of outreach programs have been offered through the Colorado School of Mines to middle school teachers from eleven school districts in the State of Colorado in the United States. Each of these programs is designed to illustrate through hands‐on activities the application of mathematics to science and engineering. Each also has an academic year follow‐up such that a faculty member, an expert teacher, or a graduate student assists the teachers in the classroom. An expected outcome of this effort is the improvement of instruction in mathematics and science in the participating middle schools; an unexpected outcome has been the impact of these projects on the culture of the participating schools, both middle schools and university. Based on our assessment efforts, this article describes the qualitative and quantitative outcomes of this sequence of projects on middle school students, teachers, graduate students, professors, and college curriculum.     

Laboratory Investigation of Mean Drag in a Random Array of Rigid, Emergent Cylinders

This paper investigates the drag exerted by randomly distributed, rigid, emergent circular cylinders of uniform diameter d. Laboratory measurements are presented for solid volume fraction ? = 0.091, 0.15, 0.20, 0.27, and 0.35 and cylinder Reynolds number Rep ≡ Upd/ν = 25 to 685, where Up=temporally and cross-sectionally averaged pore velocity and ν=kinematic viscosity. These ranges coincide with conditions in aquatic plant canopies. The temporally and cross-sectionally averaged drag coefficient, CD, decreased with increasing Rep and increased with increasing ? under the flow conditions investigated. The dimensionless ratio of the mean drag per unit cylinder length 〈〉H to the product of the viscosity, μ, and Up exhibits a linear Rep dependence of the form 〈〉H/(μUp) = α0+α1Rep, consistent with Ergun’s formulation for packed columns. In the range of experimental conditions, α1 increases monotonically with ?. In contrast, α0 is constant within uncertainty for 0.15 ? ? ? 0.35, which suggests that viscous drag per unit cylinder length is independent of ? in this range.     

Heartwood of Cupressus lusitanica, C. macrocarpa, Leyland and Ovens cypress and prediction of its durability using near-infrared spectroscopy

The heartwood of plantation-grown Cupressus lusitanica, C. macrocarpa, Leyland and Ovens cypress (×Cuprocyparis leylandii and ×C. ovensii) from trials in New Zealand, was evaluated using breast height increment cores and in vitro decay tests with fungal cultures to determine the variation in the heartwood content and natural durability, and its prediction using near-infrared (NIR) spectroscopy. The increment core measurements showed the length of the cores was strongly influenced by the stocking and site, but the heartwood content and weight loss with decay testing were strongly influenced by species and genotype. The heartwood content was consistently high for C. macrocarpa, but varied widely for C. lusitanica, and the Leyland and Ovens cypress clones. The weight loss was similar for the species and cypress clones, with the heartwood classified as very durable and durable, but there were differences in the distributions of less durable heartwood. The NIR calibration models of mass loss with fungal decay testing had ratios of prediction to deviation (RPD) of 1.0–1.3, which suggests the models could be used to segregate the heartwood for high and low values of natural durability.     

High surface area nanostructured tubes prepared by dissolution of ALD-coated electrospun fibers

Novel nanostructured and high surface area tubular materials were produced combining electrospinning and atomic layer deposition processes with the removal of polymeric template via dissolution. The dissolution process changed the structure of the tube walls, and the smooth atomic layer deposition coating was transformed into a highly complex, coral-like structure. This material, which we have called “nanocoral,” has a relatively high surface area, 323 m² g⁻¹, due to the interconnected cavities formed after the removal of the template. This kind of material has important potential applications, for example, in the fields of catalysts and filtration.