Bortezomib was well tolerated but showed limited clinical activity against metastatic breast cancer when used as a single agent. The future development of this agent for the treatment of breast cancer should be guided by in vivo models that optimize activity in combination with other antitumor agents.

The lasers used were a XeCl laser operating at 308 nm, s pulse » 30 ns (Lambda Physik, EMG 201 MSC), and an Nd:yttrium aluminum garnet (YAG) laser, operating at the second harmonic, k = 532 nm, s pulse » 5 ns (B. M. Industries, Serie 5000).Experimental Methods: For the macroscopic mechanical actuation of the films, the laser beams were weakly focused onto the front surface of the film so that the entire surface area of the film was homogeneously irradiated (spot area: 1.5 mm 2.5 mm). A digital camera, placed at an angle of~85 to the normal to the surface, was used for monitoring the bending of the films.In the fluorescence experiments, the UV laser beam was weakly focused almost perpendicularly onto the sample in a 1.2 mm diameter spot using a quartz spherical lens (f = +500 mm). The green laser beam was also weakly focused onto exactly the same area where the UV beam is focused, almost perpendicularly to the sample. Irradiation of the samples was performed in ambient atmosphere. The fluorescence of the stable trans MC photoproducts was probed by excitation with laser pulses of 532 nm of very low fluence (F laser £ 4 mJ cm ±2 ). Photoproduct formation by the probe beam was negligible, and all recorded fluorescence can be assumed to derive exclusively from photoproducts formed by the preceding pump laser pulses. A relatively long delay (of the order of several seconds) between the pump and probe pulses was employed for ensuring that the fast-formed, metastable isomers had turned into the final/stable isomers. On the other hand, the monitoring of the metastable photoproducts was achieved by collecting the emission signals from the samples with zero delay with respect to the pump laser pulses.The induced emission was collected by an optical fiber placed nearly perpendicular to the substrate and~1±2 cm from its surface. An x±y micrometer ensured accurate positioning of the optical fiber relative to the irradiated spot. The light from the fiber was spectrally analyzed in a 20 cm grating spectrograph and recorded by a gated optical multichannel analyzer (OMA III system, EG&G PARC Model 1406). A gate time value of 1 ls was applied. Highly Efficient UV Organic Light-Emitting Devices Based on Bi(9,9-diarylfluorene)s** By Teng-Chih Chao, Yu-Ting Lin, Chen-Yu Yang, Tsung Shi Hung, Hung-Chieh Chou, Chung-Chih Wu,* and Ken-Tsung Wong*The rapid advancement of organic light-emitting devices (OLEDs) in recent years has extended the emission wavelengths over the whole visible range and has enabled realization of full-color OLED displays. Extending the emission of OLEDs into even shorter ultraviolet wavelengths, however, has not progressed as well, although compact and efficient UV emitters would find many uses in biological/fluorescent sensors, [1±2] in full-color displays by generating blue-to-red emission through pumping luminescent materials, [3] or in high-density information storage devices. [4±6] In addition, wide-gap materials are also of increasing importance in triplet emitters for electrophosphorescence. [7±9] In th...

The drumstick tree (Moringa oleifera Lam.) is a perennial crop that has gained popularity in certain developing countries for its high-nutrition content and adaptability to arid and semi-arid environments. Here we report a high-quality draft genome sequence of M. oleifera. This assembly represents 91.78% of the estimated genome size and contains 19,465 protein-coding genes. Comparative genomic analysis between M. oleifera and related woody plant genomes helps clarify the general evolution of this species, while the identification of several species-specific gene families and positively selected genes in M. oleifera may help identify genes related to M. oleifera's high protein content, fast-growth, heat and stress tolerance. This reference genome greatly extends the basic research on M. oleifera, and may further promote applying genomics to enhanced breeding and improvement of M. oleifera. genome, drumstick tree, Moringa oleiferaCitation:

BackgroundThe presence of peripheral circulating tumor cells indicates the possible existence of a tumor in vivo; however, low numbers of circulating tumor cells (CTCs) can be detected in peripheral blood of healthy individuals as well as patients with benign tumors. It is not known whether peripheral CTC counts differ between patients with benign colorectal disease and those with colorectal cancer.MethodsComparative analysis of preoperative peripheral circulating tumor cells counts was completed in patients with benign colorectal disease (colorectal polyps) and non-metastatic cancer of the colon and rectum.ResultsThe results of this analysis showed that patients with colorectal cancer had higher CTC counts than patients with colorectal polyps (3.47 ± 0.32/3.2 ml vs 1.49 ± 0.2/3.2 ml, P < 0.001). Colorectal cancer patients with tumors of the sigmoid colon displayed the highest CTC counts (4.87 ± 0.95/3.2 ml), followed by those with tumors of the rectum (3.73 ± 0.54/3.2 ml), ascending colon (3.5 ± 0.63/3.2 ml), transverse colon (2.4 ± 0.68/3.2 ml), and descending colon (2.08 ± 0.46/3.2 ml). Colorectal polyp patients with polyps in the rectum showed the highest CTC counts (2.2 ± 0.77/3.2 ml), followed by those with polyps in the ascending colon (1.82 ± 0.54/3.2 ml), sigmoid colon (1.38 ± 0.25/3.2 ml), transverse colon (0.75 ± 0.25/3.2 ml), and descending colon (0.33 ± 0.21/3.2 ml). The differences in CTC counts suggest that anatomical location of colorectal tumors may affect blood vessel metastasis. Meanwhile, patients with moderately differentiated and poorly differentiated tumors displayed higher peripheral blood CTC counts compared to those with well-differentiated tumors (P < 0.001). This result suggests that the type of tissue differentiation of colorectal tumors may act as another factor that affects blood vessel metastasis.ConclusionsCirculating tumor cells can be detected in the peripheral blood of colorectal cancer patients as well as patients with colorectal polyps. The differences in CTC counts suggest that anatomical location and the type of tissue differentiation of colorectal tumors may affect blood vessel metastasis.

The shape, size, density, and porosity of fluidized nanoparticle agglomerates (FNPAs) at the bottom of a fluidized bed were studied, the internal microscopic structures were revealed by the transmission electron microscopy observation of slices of the solidified FNPAs, and the drag coefficients were measured by the settling experiments. The results show that the distributions of diameter, density, and porosity all follow the Gaussian distribution. They have a similar hierarchical structure to FNPAs in the middle and upper parts of the bed. Primary nanoparticles connect to form aggregates of a few hundred nanometers, which then form simple agglomerates of several micrometers. The total porosities of FNPAs are in the range of 0.92−0.99, and the porosities between simple agglomerates, ε s,out , are in the range of 0.44−0.93. The values of the drag ratio, Ω, are larger than 1, around 1, and lower than 1 when values of ε s,out are in the ranges of ≤0.58, 0.58−0.77, and >0.77, respectively.

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The aim of this study was to investigate the effects and possible mechanisms of ghrelin receptor (GHS-R) deficiency on gastric motility in GHS-R deficient (Ghsr-/-) mice. Ghsr-/- and control (Ghsr+/+) mice were genotyped by PCR. The percentage of gastric emptying (GE%) was calculated following the intraperitoneal adminis-tration of ghrelin. In vitro, the contractile response of smooth muscle strips to ghrelin and electrical field stimulation (EFS) and the intraluminal pressure change of isolated stomach to carbachol were observed in an organ bath. The staining of nerve cells in the gastric muscle layer was performed by immunofluorescence. Delayed gastric emptying was observed in the Ghsr-/- mice; ghrelin enhanced the GE% in the Ghsr+/+ mice but had no effect on the GE% in the Ghsr-/- mice. In vitro, the response of the strips to ghrelin and EFS and the intraluminal pressure change to cabarchol was reduced in the Ghsr-/- mice. GHS-Rs were predominantly expressed on nerve cells in gastric muscle layers. The number of nerve cells was observed to be decreased in the Ghsr-/- mice. The delayed gastric emptying may relate to the loss of GHS-Rs and the reduction in the number of nerve cells in the gastric muscle layers of the GHS-R-deficient mice.

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