Hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC)

We have measured the quantum efficiency (QE), GHz counting rate, jitter, and noise-equivalent power (NEP) of nanostructured NbN superconducting single-photon detectors (SSPDs) in the visible to infrared radiation range. Our 3.5-nm-thick and 100- to 200-nm-wide meander-type devices (total area 10×10μm2), operating at 4.2K, exhibit an experimental QE of up to 20% in the visible range and ∼10% at 1.3 to 1.55μm wavelength and are potentially sensitive up to midinfrared (∼10μm) radiation. The SSPD counting rate was measured to be above 2GHz with jitter <18ps, independent of the wavelength. The devices’ NEP varies from ∼10−17W∕Hz1∕2 for 1.55μm photons to ∼10−20W∕Hz1∕2 for visible radiation. Lowering the SSPD operating temperature to 2.3K significantly enhanced its performance, by increasing the QE to ∼20% and lowering the NEP level to ∼3×10−22W∕Hz1∕2, both measured at 1.26μm wavelength.

Melanoma has been shown to require arginine for growth, thus providing a potential Achilles' heel for therapeutic exploitation. Our investigations show that arginine depletion, using a recombinant form of human arginase I (rhArg), efficiently inhibits the growth of mammalian melanoma cell lines in vitro. These cell lines are consistently deficient in ornithine transcarbamylase (OTC) expression, correlating with their sensitivity to rhArg. Cell cycle distribution of A375 human melanoma cells treated with rhArg showed a remarkable dual-phase cell cycle arrest in S and G₂/M phases, in contrast to the G₂/M single-phase arrest observed with arginine deiminase (ADI), another arginine-degrading enzyme. rhArg and ADI both induced substantial apoptosis in A375 cells, accompanied by global modulation of cell cycle- and apoptosis-related transcription. Moreover, PEGylated rhArg dramatically inhibited the growth of A375 and B16 melanoma xenografts in vivo. Our results establish for the first time that (PEGylated) rhArg is a promising candidate for effective melanoma treatment, with fewer safety issues than ADI. Insight into the mechanism behind the antiproliferative activity of rhArg could inform us in designing combination therapies for future clinical trials.

No abstract

A total of nineteen metal-resistant and non-resistant bacteria from activated sludge treating both metal-contaminated industrial effluents and municipal wastewater were isolated and identified. These included both Gram-positive (e.g. Micrococcus) and Gram-negative (e.g. Pseudomonas) bacteria. The biosorption capacity of these strains for five different heavy metals (copper, nickel, zinc, lead and chromium) was determined at pH 5 and initial metal concentration 100 mg/L. Pseudomonas pseudoalcaligenes and Micrococcus luteus were found to be capable of removing significant amounts of copper and lead. Hence, they were selected for further investigations. Langmuir adsorption isotherms adequately represented the distribution of copper and lead for both species. The study of pH effect on metal removal for both species indicated that the metal biosorption increased with increasing pH from 2 to 6. The effect of competing cations on biosorption of P. pseudoalcaligenes was studied. Sulphuric acid (0.05 M) was the most efficient desorption medium among the eleven reagents tested. Over 90% of copper sorbed on the cells of M. luteus could be recovered by washing with 0.05 M sulphuric acid within five minutes. The biosorbent was used for at least five biosorption and desorption cycles without loss of copper removal capacity. Immobilization of M. luteus in 2% calcium alginate and 10% polyacrylamide gel beads increased copper uptake by 61%.