Aberrant DNA methylation plays a pivotal role in carcinogenesis and its mapping is likely to provide biomarkers for improved diagnostic and risk assessment in prostate cancer (PCa). We quantified and compared absolute methylation levels among 28 candidate genes in 48 PCa and 29 benign prostate hyperplasia (BPH) samples using the pyrosequencing (PSQ) method to identify genes with diagnostic and prognostic potential. RARB, HIN1, BCL2, GSTP1, CCND2, EGFR5, APC, RASSF1A, MDR1, NKX2-5, CDH13, DPYS, PTGS2, EDNRB, MAL, PDLIM4, HLAa, ESR1 and TIG1 were highly methylated in PCa compared to BPH (p < 0.001), while SERPINB5, CDH1, TWIST1, DAPK1, THRB, MCAM, SLIT2, CDKN2a and SFN were not. RARB methylation above 21% completely distinguished PCa from BPH. Separation based on methylation level of SFN, SLIT2 and SERPINB5 distinguished low and high Gleason score cancers, e.g. SFN and SERPINB5 together correctly classified 81% and 77% of high and low Gleason score cancers respectively. Several genes including CDH1 previously reported as methylation markers in PCa were not confirmed in our study. Increasing age was positively associated with gene methylation (p < 0.0001).Accurate quantitative measurement of gene methylation in PCa appears promising and further validation of genes like RARB, HIN1, BCL2, APC and GSTP1 is warranted for diagnostic potential and SFN, SLIT2 and SERPINB5 for prognostic potential.

Morphology evolution and anisotropic phase formation of the maleated polyethylene-layered silicate nanocomposites are investigated by using synchrotron small-angle X-ray scattering (SAXS), transmission electron microscopy (TEM), and polarized optical microscopy (POM). Despite favorable compatibility between polymer and organically modified layered silicates, the final morphology of the nanocomposite evolves via four stages: disordered exfoliation, ordered exfoliation, dual morphologies of intercalation and exfoliation, and intercalation in sequence with the content of silicate. The formation of the ordered exfoliation state is attributed to the steric interaction between anisotropic silicate plates. Particularly, the transition from exfoliation to intercalation provides us with the significant clue that the interaction between layer silicates gets dominant when the distance between them is smaller than a certain value. It is found that the silicate layers need larger layer spacing than 9 nm to avoid the attractive interaction between adjacent silicate layers and to keep the exfoliation state in this nanocomposite system. Additionally, the nanocomposite shows the optical anisotropy above 12 vol % clay due to the ordering of silicate layers. The optical anisotropy becomes stronger with the content of silicate.

Fascin is an actin-binding protein that provides mechanical support and cell motility, and involves cancer cell metastasis. We investigated fascin protein expression in gastric cancer and assessed their relationship with clinicopathologic parameters and survival rates. In addition, we researched galectin-3 protein expression to study fascin action mechanisms. We performed immunohistochemisty with fascin and galectin-3 antibodies in 471 gastric carcinomas, using tissue microarrays. Fascin was positive in 14.9% (70/471) of the samples, and fascin expression was related to worse survival rates (P < 0.001), high clinical stage (P < 0.001), high T stage (P < 0.001), nodal metastasis (P < 0.001), lymphovascular invasion (P= 0.001) and the intestinal type of Lauren classification (P= 0.015). Galectin-3 protein expression was positive in 83.9% (395/471) of the samples and was reversely correlated with fascin protein expression (P= 0.020). Galectin-3 expression was related to low clinical stage (P < 0.001), but not to survival rates in multivariate analysis. In multivariate analysis, fascin expression was related to worse survival rates (HR = 1.56, P= 0.036), and can be an independent poor prognostic factor in gastric cancer.

The purposes of the study are to estimate inbound tourism demand and to analyze the effect of the Korean Wave and Economic indicators on it. For these purposes, we examined the influence of Korean Wave, GDP, CPI and exchange rate on inbound tourism demand for foreign tourists from the USA, China, Japan and Hong Kong to Korea. In order to measure the Korean wave, the export amount of Hallyu related contents exported to each of the four countries is used. GDP means the GDP of each of the four countries. However, the CPI and the exchange rate are relative to Korea. Penal data on tourism demand, Korean Wave, and Economic indicators from 1997 to 2014 are collected for analysis. Through the various tests for panel analysis model selection, the best fit model proved to be a random effect model. As a result, Korean Wave, GDP, and exchange rate have a statistically significant impact on tourism demand. Therefore, it can be seen that the Korean Wave is one of the important factors for attracting foreign tourists to Korea in four countries. Also, the results show that overseas tourism increases when the economic income of the country is high and the exchange rate is favorable. However, CPI does not appear to have a statistically significant impact on tourism demand. This indicates that tourists are not overly concerned about the cost of the travel country when planning a trip.