Prognostic role of genetic biomarkers in clinical progression of prostate cancer

The aim of this study was to analyze the use of 12 single-nucleotide polymorphisms in genes ELAC2, RNASEL and MSR1 as biomarkers for prostate cancer (PCa) detection and progression, as well as perform a genetic classification of high-risk patients. A cohort of 451 men (235 patients and 216 controls) was studied. We calculated means of regression analysis using clinical values (stage, prostate-specific antigen, Gleason score and progression) in patients and controls at the basal stage and after a follow-up of 72 months. Significantly different allele frequencies between patients and controls were observed for rs1904577 and rs918 (MSR1 gene) and for rs17552022 and rs5030739 (ELAC2). We found evidence of increased risk for PCa in rs486907 and rs2127565 in variants AA and CC, respectively. In addition, rs627928 (TT–GT), rs486907 (AG) and rs3747531 (CG–CC) were associated with low tumor aggressiveness. Some had a weak linkage, such as rs1904577 and rs2127565, rs4792311 and rs17552022, and rs1904577 and rs918. Our study provides the proof-of-principle that some of the genetic variants (such as rs486907, rs627928 and rs2127565) in genes RNASEL, MSR1 and ELAC2 can be used as predictors of aggressiveness and progression of PCa. In the future, clinical use of these biomarkers, in combination with current ones, could potentially reduce the rate of unnecessary biopsies and specific treatments.     

Three‐State Single‐Molecule Naphthalenediimide Switch: Integration of a Pendant Redox Unit for Conductance Tuning

We studied charge transport through core‐substituted naphthalenediimide (NDI) single‐molecule junctions using the electrochemical STM‐based break‐junction technique in combination with DFT calculations. Conductance switching among three well‐defined states was demonstrated by electrochemically controlling the redox state of the pendent diimide unit of the molecule in an ionic liquid. The electrical conductances of the dianion and neutral states differ by more than one order of magnitude. The potential‐dependence of the charge‐transport characteristics of the NDI molecules was confirmed by DFT calculations, which account for electrochemical double‐layer effects on the conductance of the NDI junctions. This study suggests that integration of a pendant redox unit with strong coupling to a molecular backbone enables the tuning of charge transport through single‐molecule devices by controlling their redox states.     

An improved Couette high shear viscometer

Summary The advantages of theCouette-type concentric cylinder viscometer have been cited for making viscosity measurements at high shear rates. Significant improvements in theBarber design are described which have resulted in the development of an instrument which can make measurements under laminar shear conditions at over several decades of shear rate. The range is over twice that of previous instruments demonstrating the achievement of shear rates to above 1 000 000 sec^–1, and with minimum viscous heating and over a temperature range of over 100°C.

---

Zusammenfassung Nachdem auf die Vorteile desCouette-Viskosimeters für Viskositätsmessungen bei hohen Schergeschwindigkeiten hingewiesen worden ist, werden wesentliche Verbesserungen des Geräts nachBarber beschrieben, die zur Entwicklung eines Instruments geführt haben, das Messungen unter laminaren Scherbedingungen über mehrere Dekaden der Schergeschwindigkeit erlaubt. Der Bereich ist mehr als doppelt so groß wie bei früher beschriebenen Instrumenten und reicht bis über 10⁶ sec^–1. Dabei tritt nur eine geringe viskose Erwärmung auf, und es kann noch bei Temperaturen von mehr als 100°C gemessen werden.

---

---

With 4 figures and 2 tables     

Zero-free neighborhoods around the unit circle for Kac polynomials

Periodica Mathematica Hungarica - In this paper, we study how the roots of the Kac polynomials $$W_n(z) = \sum _{k=0}^{n-1} \xi _k z^k$$ concentrate around the unit circle when the coefficients of...     

Advanced simulation of conductance histograms validated through channel-sensitive experiments on indium nanojunctions

We demonstrate a self-contained methodology for predicting conductance histograms of atomic and molecular junctions. Fast classical molecular-dynamics simulations are combined with accurate density functional theory calculations predicting both quantum transport properties and molecular-dynamics force field parameters. The methodology is confronted with experiments on atomic-sized indium nanojunctions. Beside conductance histograms the distribution of individual channel transmission eigenvalues is also determined by fitting the superconducting subgap features in the I-V curves. The remarkable agreement in the evolution of the channel transmissions demonstrates that the simulated ruptures are able to reproduce a realistic statistical ensemble of contact configurations, whereas simulations on selected ideal geometries show strong deviations from the experimental observations.