The role of aristolochic acid in the etiology of Balkan endemic nephropathy (BEN) and associated upper urothelial carcinoma (UUC) was recently confirmed. The aim of this study was to determine the marker(s) specific for BEN-associated UUC. A total of 82 patients with UUC (38 from the BEN region and 44 control tumors) were included in the study. The Ki-67 index in BEN tumors correlated with the ...

The signaling mechanisms that allow the conversion of a growth cone into a mature and stable synapse are yet to be completely understood. Ubiquitination plays key regulatory roles in synaptic development and may be involved in this process. Previous studies identified the Drosophila ubiquitin conjugase bendless (ben) to be important for central synapse formation, but the precise role it plays h...

Despite broad investigations into the possible role of genetic factors, environmental agents and immune mechanisms, the etiology of Balkan endemic nephropathy (BEN) is only partially understood. An increased incidence of upper urothelial cancer in patients with BEN and in populations from endemic settlements has been demonstrated. Genetic studies have landed support for genetic predisposition t...

Abstract BACKGROUND Adequate treatment options are limited for patients with meningiomas once they have exhausted surgery and radiation. As our molecular understanding of their progression has improved, CDK, FAK, RAF/MEK pathways emerged as potential avenues therapeutic intervention. However, patient-derived cell xenograft models difficult to establish, presenting a challenge in preclinical tes...

Balkan endemic nephropathy (BEN) is found in certain rural areas of the Balkans and affects at least 25,000 inhabitants. Of the many hypotheses on BEN, the Aristolochia hypothesis has recently gained ground substantiated by the investigations on aristolochic acid nephropathy (AAN). On both clinical and morphological grounds, AAN is very similar to BEN. That exposure to aristolochic acid (AA) of...

BICEP2 observations, interpreted most simply, suggest an era of inflation with energy densities of order (1016GeV)4, not far below the Planck density. However, models of TeV gravity with large extra dimensions might allow a very different interpretation involving much more modest energy scales. We discuss the viability of inflation in such models, and conclude that existing scenarios do not pro...

Due to their non-toxic nature, biodegradability and production from renewable resources, research has shown an increasing interest in the use of biosurfactants in a wide variety of applications. This paper reviews the characterization of rhamnolipid and sophorolipid biosurfactants based on their hydrophilicity/hydrophobicity and their ability to form microemulsions with a range of oils without ...