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We explore the feasibility of using FOS and JUN gene expression and ATR-FTIR for diagnosis of thyroid cancer. For the study, 38 samples (6 non-neoplastic (NN), 10 papillary thyroid carcinoma (PTC), 7 follicular thyroid carcinoma (FTC), and 15 benign tumors (BT) were subjected to RNA extraction followed by quantitative real time PCR (qRT-PCR) and 30 samples (5 NN, 9 PTC, 5 FTC, and 11 benign) were used for Attenuated Total Reflectance – Fourier Transform Infrared (ATR-FTIR) followed by multivariate analysis. We found FOS and JUN expression in malignant tumor samples to be significantly lower than NN and benign. ATR-FTIR after multivariate analysis could identify the difficult to diagnose PTC with 93% efficiency. Overall, results suggest the diagnostic potential of molecular biology techniques combined with ATR-FTIR spectroscopy in differentiated thyroid carcinomas (PTC and FTC) and benign tumors.

Differential sensitivities to the cell wall stress caused by Congo red (CR) have been observed in many fungal species. In this study, the tolerances and sensitivities to CR was studied with an assorted collection of fungal species from three phylogenetic classes: Sordariomycetes, Dothideomycetes, and Eurotiomycetes, three orders, and eight families. These grouped into different ecological niches, such as insect pathogens, plant pathogens, saprotrophs, and mycoparasitics. The saprotroph Aspergillus niger and the mycoparasite Trichoderma atroviride stood out as the most resistant species to cell wall stress caused by CR, followed by the plant pathogenic fungi, a mycoparasite, and other saprotrophs. The insect pathogens had low tolerance to CR. The insect pathogens Metarhizium acridum and Cordyceps fumosorosea were the most sensitive to CR. In conclusion, Congo red tolerance may reflect ecological niche, accordingly, the tolerances of the fungal species to Congo red were closely aligned with their ecology.

Survival of entomopathogenic fungi under solar ultraviolet (UV) radiation is paramount to the success of biological control of insect pests and disease vectors. The mutagenic compound 4-nitroquinoline 1-oxide (4-NQO) is often used to mimic the biological effects of UV radiation on organisms. Therefore, we asked whether tolerance to 4-NQO could predict tolerance to UV radiation in thirty isolates of entomopathogenic fungi and one isolate of a xerophilic fungus. A dendrogram obtained from cluster analyses based on the 50 and 90 % inhibitory concentrations (IC50 and IC90, respectively) divided the fungal isolates into six clusters numbered consecutively based on their tolerance to 4-NQO. Cluster 6 contained species with highest tolerance to 4-NQO (IC50 > 4.7 μM), including Mariannaea pruinosa, Lecanicillium aphanocladii, and Torrubiella homopterorum. Cluster 1 contained species least tolerant to 4-NQO (IC50

The low survival of insect-pathogenic fungi when used for insect control in agriculture is mainly due to the deleterious effects of ultraviolet radiation and heat from solar irradiation. In this study, conidia of 15 species of entomopathogenic fungi were exposed to simulated full-spectrum solar radiation emitted by a Xenon Test Chamber Q-SUN XE-3-HC 340S (Q-LAB® Corporation, Westlake, OH, USA), which very closely simulates full-spectrum solar radiation. A dendrogram obtained from cluster analyses, based on lethal time 50 % and 90 % calculated by Probit analyses, separated the fungi into three clusters: cluster 3 contains species with highest tolerance to simulated full-spectrum solar radiation, included Metarhizium acridum, Cladosporium herbarum, and Trichothecium roseum with LT50 > 200 min irradiation. Cluster 2 contains eight species with moderate UV tolerance: Aschersonia aleyrodis, Isaria fumosorosea, Mariannaea pruinosa, Metarhizium anisopliae, Metarhizium brunneum, Metarhizium robertsii, Simplicillium lanosoniveum, and Torrubiella homopterorum with LT50 between 120 and 150 min irradiation. The four species in cluster 1 had the lowest UV tolerance: Lecanicillium aphanocladii, Beauveria bassiana, Tolypocladium cylindrosporum, and Tolypocladium inflatum with LT50

Background Approximately 70% of cervical carcinoma cases show the presence of high-risk Human Papilloma Virus (HPV), especially HPV-16 and HPV-18, and can be used to stratify high risk patients from low risk and healthy. Currently, molecular biology techniques such as polymerase chain reaction (PCR) are used to identify the presence of virus in patient samples. While the methodology is highly sensitive, it is labor intensive and time-consuming. Alternative techniques, such as vibrational spectroscopy, has been suggested as a possible rapid alternative. Therefore, in this study, we evaluate the efficiency of cervical fluid Fourier Transform Infrared spectroscopy (FTIR) in patient risk stratification informed by PCR. Methods Cervical fluid samples (n = 91) were obtained from patients who have undergone routine Papanicolaou (Pap) test. Viral genome was identified and classified as high/low-risk by PCR-Restriction Fragment Length Polymorphism (PCR-RFLP). FTIR spectra were acquired from samples identified by PCR-RFLP as No-HPV (n = 10), high-risk HPV (n = 7), and low-risk HPV (n = 7). Results Of the 91 samples, was detected the viral genome by PCR in 36 samples. Of these 36 samples, nine samples were identified to contain high-risk HPV (HR-HPV) and nine samples were found to have low-risk HPV (LR-HPV). The FTIR spectra acquired from No-HPV, LR-HPV, and HR-HPV showed differences in 1069, 1437, 1555, 1647, 2840, 2919, and 3287 cm-1 bands. Principal Component Analysis (PCA) showed distinct clusters for No-HPV and HR-HPV and No-HPV and LR-HPV, but there was significant overlap in the clusters of HR-HPV and LR-HPV. PCA-Linear Discriminant Analysis (PC-LDA) after Leave One Out Cross Validation (LOOCV) classified No-HPV from HR-HPV and No-HPV from LR-HPV with 100% efficiency in the 1400-1800 cm-1 spectral range. LOOCV classifications for LR-HPV and HR-HPV from each other were 71 and 75%, respectively, in the 2800-3400 cm-1 spectral range. Conclusions The results highlight the high sensitivity of PCR-RFLP in HPV identification and show that FTIR can classify samples identified as healthy, low, and high-risk samples by PCR-RFLP. General significance We show the possibility of using FTIR for initial cervical cancer risk stratification followed by detailed PCR-RFLP investigations for suspect cases., Highlights • Molecular biology showed high sensitivity and specificity in HPV detection compared with cytological analysis. • PCR-RFLP technique identify high-risk variants of HPV can significantly assist in the prevention of cervical cancer. • PC-LDA and LOOCV classified normal from high-risk HPV and normal from low-risk HPV with 100% efficiency. • FTIR can be used for initial cervical cancer risk stratification followed by more detailed investigations by PCR-RFLP.

Thyroid cancer has become in recent years the most common endocrine malignancy. Among its different types, papillary thyroid carcinoma (PTC) has the highest incidence. PTC is slow growing, but shows a high rate of lymph node metastasis. Tissue biochemical characterization and identification of molecular markers can facilitate stratification of patients into those requiring surgical assessment of lymph nodes and patients for whom this surgical procedure is unnecessary; thus, leading to a more accurate prognosis. To this end, the study aimed to predict lymph node metastasis by Attenuated Total Reflectance - Fourier transform infrared (ATR-FTIR) spectroscopy of primary PTC tumors. Another objective of the study was to determine whether CCNA1, CDKN1C, FOS, HSPA5, JUN, KSR1, MAP2K6, MAPK8IP2 and SFN gene expression in primary PTC tumors could be used as predictive markers of lymph node metastasis. Three PTC with lymph node involvement (PTC+), six PTC without lymph node involvement (PTC-), and five normal (N) thyroid tissues were used for FTIR spectroscopy analysis; while 18 PTC+, 17 PTC-, and 6 N samples were used for molecular analysis by real-time quantitative PCR (RT-qPCR). FTIR spectral analysis revealed changes in phosphate groups possibly associated with nucleic acid (1236 cm−1), and protein/lipids (1452, 2924, 3821 cm−1) in PTC + compared to PTC-, and multivariate analysis could distinguish the two groups. Molecular analysis showed significant increase in CDKN1C gene expression in PTC + compared to PTC-. Being a cell growth regulator, increased CDKN1C provides some supporting evidence to the FTIR spectroscopy based finding of increased nucleic acids in PTC+. Thus, the study suggests the possibility of using FTIR spectroscopy and CDKN1C expression for predicting metastasis using primary tumor alone.