High-brightness beam tests of the very high frequency gun at the Advanced Photo-injector EXperiment test facility at the Lawrence Berkeley National Laboratory

The very-high-frequency gun (VHF-Gun) is a new concept photo-injector developed and built at the Lawrence Berkeley National Laboratory (LBNL) for generating high-brightness electron beams capable of driving X-ray free electron lasers (FELs) at MHz-class repetition rates. The gun that purposely uses established and mature radiofrequency and mechanical technologies has demonstrated over the last many years the capability of reliably operating in continuous wave mode at the design accelerating fields and required vacuum and mechanical performance. The results of VHF-Gun technology demonstration were reported elsewhere [Sannibale et al., Phys. Rev. Spec. Top.-Accel. Beams 15, 103501 (2012)]; here in this paper, we provide and analyze examples of the experimental results of the first high-brightness beam tests performed at the Advanced Photo-injector EXperiment test facility at LBNL that demonstrated the gun capability of delivering the beam quality required for driving high repetition rate X-ray FELs.

Abstract P6-13-04: Estrogen-alone based hormone replacement therapy (HRT) reduces breast cancer (BrCa) incidence and mortality whereas estrogen plus progestin Provera based HRT increases both BrCa incidence and BrCa mortality: A comparative analysis of Women's Health Initiative trials

OBJECTIVE: To quantitate breast cancer incidence (BrCa-I) and mortality (BrCa-M) outcome differences between the two Women's Health Initiative (WHI) HRT trials,1,2 the ratio of hazards was calculated for estrogen-alone based hormone replacement therapy (E-HRT) vs. placebo (P), and E + progestin Provera (ProgProv) combination HRT vs. P trials.

METHODS: Hazard ratios (HR) of BrCa-I and BrCa-M and 95% confidence intervals (CI) were obtained from both WHI HRT trials. Subsequently, to compare BrCa outcomes between E-HRT vs. E + ProgProv, the ratios of HRs between the trials (HR1/HR2) were estimated separately for i. BrCa-I all women, ii. BrCa-I low Gail score (Gail score <1.75*), and iii. BrCa-M. The 95% CI was derived through logarithmic transformation of the 95% CI originally reported.

RESULTS:

Outcome Comparison, the two WHI HRT randomized trials. Ratio of Hazards, BrCa Incidence and BrCa mortality E-HRT vs. P, HR1 (95% CI)E-HRT + ProgProv vs. P, HR2 (95% CI)HR1/HR2 (95% CI)pBrCa-I All Woman10.77 (0.62-0.95)1.25 (1.07-1.46)0.62 (0.47-0.80)0.0004BrCa-I Low Gail Score* (Gail score <1.75)10.65 (0.50-0.86)1.24 (1.01-1.51)0.53 (0.38-0.74)0.0002BrCa-M20.55 (0.33-0.92)1.44 (0.97-2.15)0.38 (0.20-0.75)0.004*Gail score <1.75; HRs calculated from Reference 1, Figure 3

CONCLUSIONS: Our calculations show that the different outcomes between the two WHI HRT trials, estimated as ratio of hazards, are highly significant on statistical basis, both for BrCa incidence and for BrCa mortality. These findings highlight the potential carcinogenic impact of ProgProv and the major public health benefits of HRT based on E alone.

REFERENCES:

1. Anderson GL, Chlebowski RT, Aragaki AK, et al. Conjugated equine oestrogen and breast cancer incidence and mortality in postmenopausal women with hysterectomy: extended follow-up of the Women's Health Initiative randomised placebo-controlled trial. The Lancet Oncology 2012;13:476-86.

2. Manson JE, Aragaki AK, Rossouw JE, et al. Menopausal Hormone Therapy and Long-term All-Cause and Cause-Specific Mortality: The Women's Health Initiative Randomized Trials. JAMA 2017;318:927-38.

Citation Format: Ragaz J, Qian H, Wong H, Wilson KS, Shakeraneh S, Spinelli JJ. Estrogen-alone based hormone replacement therapy (HRT) reduces breast cancer (BrCa) incidence and mortality whereas estrogen plus progestin Provera based HRT increases both BrCa incidence and BrCa mortality: A comparative analysis of Women's Health Initiative trials [abstract]. In: Proceedings of the 2018 San Antonio Breast Cancer Symposium; 2018 Dec 4-8; San Antonio, TX. Philadelphia (PA): AACR; Cancer Res 2019;79(4 Suppl):Abstract nr P6-13-04.

Abstract P6-13-06: Estrogen-based hormone replacement [HRT] therapy is substantially more effective than tamoxifen in reducing breast cancer mortality and breast cancer case fatality ratio: Emergence of a new paradigm

OBJECTIVE: To compare, in the setting of breast cancer (BrCa) prevention, the impact of estrogen-based hormone replacement therapy (E-HRT) vs. tamoxifen (TAM) on breast cancer mortality (BrCa-M) and breast cancer case fatality ratio (BrCa-CFR), by analyzing data from the Women's Health Initiative Trial 2 (WHI HRT Trial 2, E-HRT vs. placebo [P])1 and the International Breast Cancer Intervention Study 1 (IBIS-1), TAM vs. P.2

METHODS: Hazard ratios (HR) and confidence intervals (CI) for BrCa incidence and mortality were extracted from the original WHI HRT Trial 2 and IBIS-1 trials.1,2 BrCa-CFRs were estimated by dividing the mortality HR by the incidence HR. Subsequently, to compare E-HRT vs. TAM outcomes, the ratios of HRs (HR1/HR2) between the two trials were estimated separately for BrCa-M and BrCa-CFR. The 95% CI was derived through logarithmic transformation of the 95% CI originally reported.

RESULTS:

Mortality and Case Fatality Outcomes: Impact of E-HRT versus TAM, expressed as ratio of HRs E-HRT vs. Placebo, HR1TAM vs. Placebo, HR2HR1/HR2pMortality0.55 (0.33-0.92)1.19 (0.68-2.10)0.46 (0.22-0.99)0.046Case Fatality0.70 (0.40-1.20)1.68 (0.93-3.01)0.42 (0.18-0.94)0.040

CONCLUSIONS: While acknowledging between-trial comparisons including eligibility differences, E-HRT yields significant reductions in BrCa mortality and case fatality as compared with TAM (54% and 58% respectively). These unexpected breast cancer mortality reductions represent major public health gains, additional to the already known superiority of E-HRT over TAM in terms of skeletal fracture rates and Alzheimer's dementia mortality reduction, and, in women entering menopause, also of cardiac and all-cause mortality reductions.

REFERENCES:

1. Manson JE, Aragaki AK, Rossouw JE, et al. Menopausal Hormone Therapy and Long-term All-Cause and Cause-Specific Mortality: The Women's Health Initiative Randomized Trials. JAMA 2017;318:927-38.

2. Cuzick J, Sestak I, Cawthorn S, et al. Tamoxifen for prevention of breast cancer: extended long-term follow-up of the IBIS-I breast cancer prevention trial. The Lancet Oncology 2015;16:67-75.

Citation Format: Ragaz J, Shakeraneh S, Qian H, Wilson KS, Wong H, Spinelli JJ. Estrogen-based hormone replacement [HRT] therapy is substantially more effective than tamoxifen in reducing breast cancer mortality and breast cancer case fatality ratio: Emergence of a new paradigm [abstract]. In: Proceedings of the 2018 San Antonio Breast Cancer Symposium; 2018 Dec 4-8; San Antonio, TX. Philadelphia (PA): AACR; Cancer Res 2019;79(4 Suppl):Abstract nr P6-13-06.

Passive Ballistic Microbunching of Nonultrarelativistic Electron Bunches Using Electromagnetic Wakefields in Dielectric-Lined Waveguides

Temporally modulated electron beams have a wide array of applications ranging from the generation of coherently enhanced electromagnetic radiation to the resonant excitation of electromagnetic wakefields in advanced-accelerator concepts. Likewise producing low-energy ultrashort microbunches could be useful for ultrafast electron diffraction and new accelerator-based light-source concepts. In this Letter we propose and experimentally demonstrate a passive microbunching technique capable of forming a picosecond bunch train at ∼6  MeV. The method relies on the excitation of electromagnetic wakefields as the beam propagates through a dielectric-lined waveguide. Owing to the nonultrarelativistic nature of the beam, the induced energy modulation eventually converts into a density modulation as the beam travels in a following free-space drift. The modulated beam is further accelerated to ∼20  MeV while preserving the imparted density modulation.

Surgical management and outcomes of duodenal gastrointestinal stromal tumors

BACKGROUND AND STUDY AIMS

This retrospective study purports to examine these characteristics and compare the surgical procedures available and appropriate for the treatment of patients affected by duodenal GISTs.

PATIENTS AND METHODS

A retrospective examination of reports and studies carried out between May 2012 and March 2017, and covering patients with primary GISTs of the duodenum was performed using modules from the SPSS package. Comparisons of treatment effects resulting from the administration of two differential methods of surgical treatment namely pancreaticoduodenectomy (PD), and limited resection (LR), were effected on the reports of the GIST patients thus selected.

RESULTS

Out of these 62 patients who had undergone resection of duodenal GISTs, 47 (76%) had limited resection (LR) and 15 (24%) underwent pancreaticoduodenectomy (PD). In Multivariate analyses, tumor size was an independent predictive factor for recurrence (p=0.008). ASA, tumor size, and PD were independent and significant prognostic factors on OS (p=0.021, p=0.024, and p=0.030, respectively). In the very low and low risk group, and high-risk group, there were no significant differences in the RFS (recurrence-free survival) and OS (overall survival) between the LR and PD groups.

CONCLUSIONS

When technically feasible, LR should be given due consideration as a reliable and curative option for duodenal GISTs achieving satisfactory RFS and OS.

Constraints on Sub-GeV Dark-Matter-Electron Scattering from the DarkSide-50 Experiment

We present new constraints on sub-GeV dark-matter particles scattering off electrons based on 6780.0 kg d of data collected with the DarkSide-50 dual-phase argon time projection chamber. This analysis uses electroluminescence signals due to ionized electrons extracted from the liquid argon target. The detector has a very high trigger probability for these signals, allowing for an analysis threshold of three extracted electrons, or approximately 0.05 keVee. We calculate the expected recoil spectra for dark matter-electron scattering in argon and, under the assumption of momentum-independent scattering, improve upon existing limits from XENON10 for dark-matter particles with masses between 30 and 100  MeV/c^{2}.

Low-Mass Dark Matter Search with the DarkSide-50 Experiment

We present the results of a search for dark matter weakly interacting massive particles (WIMPs) in the mass range below 20  GeV/c^{2} using a target of low-radioactivity argon with a 6786.0 kg d exposure. The data were obtained using the DarkSide-50 apparatus at Laboratori Nazionali del Gran Sasso. The analysis is based on the ionization signal, for which the DarkSide-50 time projection chamber is fully efficient at 0.1  keVee. The observed rate in the detector at 0.5  keVee is about 1.5  event/keVee/kg/d and is almost entirely accounted for by known background sources. We obtain a 90% C.L. exclusion limit above 1.8  GeV/c^{2} for the spin-independent cross section of dark matter WIMPs on nucleons, extending the exclusion region for dark matter below previous limits in the range 1.8-6  GeV/c^{2}.

Capturing intracellular oncogenic microRNAs with self-assembled DNA nanostructures for microRNA-based cancer therapy

Aberrantly overexpressed oncogenic microRNAs (miRNAs, miRs) are excellent targets for therapeutic interventions.

Aberrantly overexpressed oncogenic microRNAs (miRNAs, miRs) are excellent targets for therapeutic interventions. Nevertheless, thus far, little progress has been made in developing miRNA-based drugs and techniques for clinical applications, especially for overexpressed miRNAs. In this study, we demonstrate that self-assembled DNA nanostructures bearing multiple DNA sequences that are complementary to a target miRNA can effectively capture the overexpressed oncogenic miRNA and subsequently inhibit cancer cell proliferation. Specifically, a DNA nanotube structure that carries functional DNA segments (single-stranded, duplex and hairpin forms) was designed and synthesized to capture two well-known overexpressed miRNAs, miR-21 and miR-155. It was found that all three DNA nanotubes significantly reduced both miRNA levels and inhibited cancer cell growth. Moreover, the capture efficiency was highly concentration dependent and was associated with the structural design of the DNA nanotube. These results demonstrate that through careful design, programmable DNA nanostructures can hijack the natural cellular machinery and can serve as nucleic acid drugs themselves. The concept of using self-assembled DNA nanostructures to disrupt the intracellular machinery for therapeutic purposes opens a new paradigm for exploiting self-assembled DNA nanostructures for miRNA-based anticancer therapy.

[Diagnostic Value of Postmortem CT Angiography in Coronary Atherosclerosis]

OBJECTIVES

To explore the application value of postmortem computed tomography （CT） angiography on diagnosis of coronary atherosclerotic stenosis degree.

METHODS

Based on the previous experimental results, the postmortem CT angiography device of human isolated heart was improved. Different coronary atherosclerotic stenosis degree of sudden death cases was selected. Before the cardiac anatomy, hearts were removed out completely and CT angiography was performed immediately. The CT angiography results were compared with histopathological findings. Meanwhile, the advantages and disadvantages of the angiography device before and after improvement were compared.

RESULTS

The improved angiography device of isolated heart could get better imaging results. The postmortem CT angiography results had high consistency with the histopathological findings on diagnosis of coronary atherosclerotic stenosis degree. And the coronary artery lesions could be revealed more objectively and vividly by 3D reconstruction technology. However, CT angiography could only be used to examine the pathological changes of blood vessels, which might have some limitations on the diagnosis of cause of death.

CONCLUSIONS

Postmortem CT angiography can be used as an additional method for the conventional autopsy in the cases of coronary atherosclerosis.

Esculetin Attenuates the Growth of Lung Cancer by Downregulating Wnt Targeted Genes and Suppressing NF-κB

INTRODUCTION

Esculetin was identified to inhibit cell proliferation and induce apoptosis or cell cycle arrest in several cancer cell lines. However, the effect of esculetin on lung cancer remains elusive.

METHODS

The anti-proliferative role of esculetin in murine Lewis lung carcinoma (LLC) cells was evaluated by 3-(4,5-dimethylthiazol-2yl)-2,5-diphenyl-2H-tetrazolium bromide (MTT) and colony formation assays. BALB/c mice were subcutaneously injected with LLC cells to investigate the inhibitory effect of esculetin on the growth of lung cancer xenograft. Invasive ability was detected in esculetin treated and untreated LLC cells by transwell assay. The association between esculetin and Wnt/β-catenin signaling, as well as nuclear factor kappa-light-chain-enhancer of activated B cells (NF-κB), was confirmed by testing the expression of c-myc, Cyclin D1 and NF-κB using Western blot.

RESULTS

Esculetin treatment in LLC cells led to significant decrease of cell proliferation in a time- and dose-dependent manner. After injection of LLC cells into mice, reduced size and weight of tumors were observed in esculetin treated mice compared to untreated mice. However, no difference in cell invasion was observed between the treated and untreated LLC cells. Notably decreased expression of c-myc, Cyclin D1 and NF-κB were observed in LLC cells with esculetin treatment compared to untreated cells.

CONCLUSION

Esculetin plays an inhibitory role in the growth of lung cancer by down-regulating c-myc, Cyclin D1 and NF-κB.

Relationship between physical activity and hip pain in persons with and without cam or pincer morphology: a population-based case-control study

OBJECTIVES

The purpose of the study was to determine if physical activity (PA) is a risk factor for persistent or recurrent hip pain in young and middle-aged persons with and without radiographic findings of cam or pincer morphology (CPM).

METHODS

A population sample of persons aged 20-49 with (cases) and without (controls) hip pain in Metro Vancouver, Canada, was selected through random digit dialing (RDD). Self-reported PA was expressed as average energy expenditure (MET-hours) per year, over lifetime. CPM was defined as alpha angle >55°, lateral centre edge angle (LCE) >40°, or positive cross-over sign.

RESULTS

Data were obtained for 500 subjects, 269 cases and 231 controls. Prevalence of radiographic CPM was 49% in the cases and 44% in the controls. In a logistic regression model adjusted for age, gender and CPM, total lifetime PA, including occupational, domestic and recreational activities, was significantly associated with hip pain (Odds ratio (OR) 1.30 per 1000 MET-hours, 95% CI 1.15-1.38). The effect of total PA was observed in those with CPM (1.44, 1.17-1.78) and without CPM (1.23, 1.04-1.45). For domestic activities, the association was seen only in those with CPM (significant interaction). When PA was categorized into quartiles, higher levels of PA were associated with a greater risk of pain.

CONCLUSIONS

PA, as measured by average energy expenditure over lifetime is a risk factor for hip pain in young and middle-aged persons. For some activities, the risk is likely increased in persons with radiographic evidence of CPM.

Alteration of plasma cytokines in patients with active epilepsy

OBJECTIVE

Emerging evidence suggests that inflammatory cytokines are involved in pathophysiology of epilepsy. However, possible interaction between the cytokines and active epilepsy remains unclear. This study aimed to interictal and postictal plasma cytokines in active epilepsy patients.

MATERIALS AND METHODS

We enrolled 48 patients with active epilepsy and 30 healthy adults and measured postictal and interictal interleukin-1β (IL-1β), interleukin-6 (IL-6), tumor necrosis factor-alpha (TNF-α), interferon gamma (IFN-γ), interleukin-10 (IL-10), and interleukin-17A (IL-17A) concentrations in peripheral blood by enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay (ELISA).

RESULTS

We found postictal and interictal concentrations of IL-6, IL-17A, and IFN-γ were significantly elevated in epilepsy patients compared with healthy controls. There were no significant postictal and interictal alterations of IL-1β, IL-6, TNF-α, IFN-γ, IL-10, and IL-17A in patients with generalized seizures compared to those with partial seizures, in carbamazepine (CBZ)-treated patients compared to valproic acid (VPA)-treated patients or in temporal lobe epilepsy (TLE) patients compared to extra-temporal lobe epilepsy (eTLE) patients. Furthermore, multivariate linear regression analysis revealed that interictal IL-17A concentration positively correlated with National Hospital Seizure Severity Scale (NHS3) scores (B=0.092, P=.007) and seizure frequency (B=0.045, P=.000). Interictal IFN-γ concentration was also showed positively correlation with seizure frequency (B=0.019, P=.004).

CONCLUSIONS

Our data suggest that postictal and interictal various inflammatory cytokines are elevated in plasma of active epilepsy patients. Furthermore, interictal IL-17A and IFN-γ may predict seizure severity.

CCAT1 expressed in malignant and pre-malignant human gastric tissues

CCAT1 has been reported to implicate in various human malignancies. However, its expression in the oncogenesis of gastric cancer (GC) remains unknown. Quantitative reverse transcription (RT)-qPCR assay was performed to detect the expression of CCAT1 in 68cases of GC tissues,paired tumor-proximal gastric mucosa and normal gastric mucosa, 19 cases of gastric intraepithelial neoplasia (GIN), and the sera of these 68 GC patients and 22 healthy volunteers. And the relationship between CCAT1 and clinicopathologic features of GC patients were analyzed. Inthe present study, we found that CCAT1 expression was significantly abnormally deregulated in GC tissues (185.43 ± 21.37), GIN tissues (121.30 ± 43.61), tumor-proximal mucosa (8.9 ± 1.21), and normal mucosa (1.5 ± 0.55). CCAT1 wasalso overexpressed in the sera of GC patients (47.40 ± 6.60) compared with healthy controls (0.62 ± 0.06; p < 0.001). And high CCAT1 expression in GC tissues was associated with high tumor burden, including larger tumor size, lymphatic metastasis and advanced TNM stage (all p < 0.05). These results reveal that CCAT1 is a detectable biomarkerforgastric cancertumorigenesis and may be utilized as adiagnosticand prognosticindicator.

Using exposure bands for rapid decision making in the RISK21 tiered exposure assessment

The ILSI Health and Environmental Sciences Institute (HESI) Risk Assessment in the Twenty-first Century (RISK21) project was initiated to address and catalyze improvements in human health risk assessment. RISK21 is a problem formulation-based conceptual roadmap and risk matrix visualization tool, facilitating transparent evaluation of both hazard and exposure components. The RISK21 roadmap is exposure-driven, that is, exposure is used as the second step (after problem formulation) to define and focus the assessment. This paper describes the exposure tiers of the RISK21 matrix and the approaches to adapt readily available information to more quickly inform exposure at a screening level. In particular, exposure look-up tables were developed from available exposure tools (European Centre for Ecotoxicology and Toxicology of Chemicals (ECETOC) Targeted Risk Assessment (TRA) for worker exposure, ECETOC TRA, European Solvents Industry Group (ESIG) Generic Exposure Scenario (GES) Risk and Exposure Tool (EGRET) for consumer exposure, and USEtox^® for indirect exposure to humans via the environment) and were tested in a hypothetical mosquito bed netting case study. A detailed WHO risk assessment for a similar mosquito net use served as a benchmark for the performance of the RISK21 approach. The case study demonstrated that the screening methodologies provided suitable conservative exposure estimates for risk assessment. The results of this effort showed that the RISK21 approach is useful for defining future assessment efforts, focusing assessment activities and visualizing results.

Protecting microRNAs from RNase degradation with steric DNA nanostructures

A DNA nanostructure bearing a “Shuriken” shape is designed to deliver, protect and activate microRNA-145 functionality in human colorectal cancer cells. This novel DNA nanostructure enabled therapeutic platform greatly suppresses cancer cell proliferation and tumor growth.

Tumor suppressive microRNAs are potent molecules that might cure cancer, one day. Despite the many advanced strategies for delivery of these microRNAs to the cell, there are few therapeutic microRNAs in clinical use. Progress in microRNA bioapplications is hindered by a high vulnerability of exogeneous microRNA molecules to RNase degradation that occurs in extra- and intracellular physiological conditions. In this proof-of-concept study, we use a programmable self-assembled DNA nanostructure bearing a “shuriken” shape to not only deliver but more importantly protect a tumor suppressive microRNA-145 for a sufficiently long time to exert its therapeutic effect in human colorectal cancer cells. Our DNA nanostructure harbored complementary sequences that can hybridize with the microRNA cargo. This brings the microRNA–DNA duplex very close to the core structure such that the microRNA cargo becomes sterically shielded from RNase's degradative activity. Our novel DNA nanostructure based protector concept removes the degradative bottleneck that may plague other nucleic acid delivery strategies and presents a new paradigm towards exploiting these microRNAs for anti-cancer therapy.