Ultrafast X-Ray Diffraction Visualization of B1-B2 Phase Transition in KCl under Shock Compression

The classical B1(NaCl)↔B2(CsCl) transitions have been considered as a model for general structural phase transformations, and resolving corresponding phase transition mechanisms under high strain rate shock compression is critical to a fundamental understanding of phase transition dynamics. Here, we use subnanosecond synchrotron x-ray diffraction to visualize the lattice response of single-crystal KCl to planar shock compression. Complete B1-B2 orientation relations are revealed for KCl under shock compression along ⟨100⟩_{B1} and ⟨110⟩_{B1}; the orientation relations and transition mechanisms are anisotropic and can be described with the standard and modified Watanabe-Tokonami-Morimoto model, respectively, both involving interlayer sliding and intralayer ion rearrangement. The current study also establishes a paradigm for investigating solid-solid phase transitions under dynamic extremes with ultrafast synchrotron x-ray diffraction.

[Directed differentiation of porcine induced pluripotent stem cells into forebrain GABAergic neuron progenitors]

OBJECTIVE

To establish an efficient protocol for directed differentiation of miniature-swine induced pluripotent stem cells (iPSCs) into GABAergic progenitors in a chemically defined system.

OBJECTIVE

We adopted a two-stage protocol for inducing the differentiation of porcine iPSCs. In the first stage, embryoid bodies (EBs) derived from porcine iPSCs after 3 days of suspension culture were induced in neural induction medium (containing SB431542, DMH1 and FGF2) till day 12 to differentiate into primitive neuroepithelia cells (NECs). In the second stage, the primitive NECs were induced in neural induction medium (containing Pur and B27) to obtain neural rosettes, which further differentiated into GABAergic neuron progenitors on day 21. After labeling with CM-DiI, the progenitor cells were stereotactically transplanted into the substantia nigra (SN) of 6-OHDA-lesioned PD model rats, and the cell survival, migration and differentiation in vivo were observed.

OBJECTIVE

Porcine iPSCs could be passaged stably on the feeder cell layer and expressed the pluripotent stem cell markers OCT4, Nanog, SSEA1and TRA-160. Karyotype analysis demonstrated the absence of contamination by cells from other species. On day 12 of induced differentiation, the cells formed adherent colonies containing NECs in the form of neural rosettes, which expressed the neuroepithelial markers PAX6, SOX2 and Nestin and the neurite marker beta Ⅲ Tubulin (Tuj1). After induction for 21 days, the NECs differentiated into GABAergic neural progenitors highly expressing NKX2.1 and FOXG1. Eight weeks after transplantation, the iPSCs-iGABA progeniters survived in the striatum of the PD rats, where they differentiate into GABAergic neurons and TH+ neurons and significantly improved dyskinesia of the rats.

OBJECTIVE

The miniature-swine iPSCsderived GABA progenitors may serve as promising donor cells for neural grafting for treatment of neurodegenerative diseases.

[Survey on tobacco use and associated factors in population in Shandong province, 2016-2017]

Objective: To understand the status of tobacco use and related influencing factors in population in Shandong province. Methods: Stratified multi-stage cluster sampling was used to select respondents from 216 villages (communities) of 36 districts (counties) in Shandong province. Influencing factors on smoking were analyzed by logistic regression model. Results: The adequate sample size was 6 271 participants. After complex weighted, the current smoking prevalence was 23.93%,45.58% in males and 1.18% in females. The Public's smoking rates varied widely among different groups in the population. 45-64 age group had the highest smoking rate (25.07%). Smoking rates were substantially different in education levels, with the highest in junior high school (28.94%). The rate was higher in the rural area (24.98%) than that in the urban areas (23.08%). The average daily smoking rate was 20.23%. The average age of initiating smoking was 21.21 years. The average daily cigarette intake was 16.31 cigarettes. Among all the former and current smokers, the quitting rate was 20.79%. Multiple logistic regression model analysis showed that gender, age, occupation, region, and health knowledge score were correlated with smoking behavior. The current smoking rate of men was much higher than that of women (OR=49.625, 95%CI: 37.832-65.093). The current smoking rate in 45-64 age group was higher than that in the 15-24 age group (OR=1.830, 95%CI: 1.048-3.194). The current smoking rate of medical (OR=0.403, 95%CI: 0.187-0.866) and retired personnel (OR=0.648, 95%CI: 0.481-0.873) were lower than those engaging in agriculture, forestry, animal husbandry and the fishery ,respectively. The prevalence of residents living in the central part showed lower rate on current smoking than that in the eastern region (OR=0.724, 95%CI: 0.606-0.865). The current smoking prevalence of smoke hazard in 1-3 score group was higher than that in the group with 4-6 score (OR=1.432, 95%CI: 1.240-1.654). Conclusions: Smoking rate in adults in Shandong remained stable and at a high level. Comprehensive intervention measures such as tobacco control and health education should be carried out to reduce the smoking rate.

[Preparation of doxorubicin-loaded metallic organic nanoparticles and their effect for enhancing efficacy of high-intensity focused ultrasound therapy in tumor-bearing mice]

OBJECTIVE

To prepare metallic organic nanoparticles that produce synergistic effect in high-intensity focused ultrasound (HIFU) therapy of tumors.

OBJECTIVE

Glucose oxidase (GOD), MnO₂, ferric iron (Fe³⁺) and doxorubicin (DOX) were self-assembled by physical adsorption with previously prepared manganese dioxide (MnO₂) nanoparticles to obtain GOD-MnO₂-Fe³⁺-DOX nanoparticles (GMFD NPs). HepG2 tumor-bearing nude mouse models were given intravenous injections of normal saline or GMFD NPs followed 4 h later by HIFU at the acoustic power of 90 W with a total treatment time of 3 s. The changes of tumor gray value before and after HIFU irradiation were observed and 24 h after HIFU irradiation, coagulation necrosis in the tumor tissues was examined; the histological changes of the tumor tissues were observed with HE staining.

OBJECTIVE

We successfully prepared GMFD NPs, which had an average particle size of 131.23±0.84 nm with a surface potential of 21.87±1.72 mV. GMFD NPs, with a drug loading rate of 40.18%, was capable of releasing more than 77.2% of the loaded DOX within 4 h in acidic environment. In the tumor-bearing mouse models, HIFU irradiation following GMFD NP injection, as compared with saline injection, resulted in significantly enhanced gray value of the tumor (25.5±4.5 vs 18.7±3.9, P=0.04) and greater volume of coagulation necrosis (105.80 ± 1.21 mm³ vs 38.02 ± 0.34 mm³). The energy efficiency factor (EEF) was significantly lower in GMFD NPs group than in saline group (1.79 vs 4.97, P < 0.001).

OBJECTIVE

GMFD NPs prepared in this study can enhance tumor ablation efficacy of HIFU and release DOX for further treatment of the residual tumor tissue in mice.

Heavy metal(loid)s in sewage sludge in China: concentrations and spatial-temporal variations

Sewage sludge (SS) production in China has increased rapidly, accompanying the fast expansion of its sewage treatment capacity. Heavy metals (HMs) in SS have been a great concern, hampering the utilization and disposal of SS. In this study, heavy metal (HM) contents in SS from throughout China were determined. The median values of HMs in SS decreased in the order Zn > Cu > Cr > Pb > Ni > As > Hg > Cd. The general attainment rates of HMs in SS are satisfying (> 90%). Combining the present data with those obtained from references, spatial distributions and temporal trends of HMs in SS were analyzed. Depending on the specific HM element, the spatial variation trend might be decreasing trends from south to north and from east to west of China. The element-specific hot spots of SS with relatively high HM contents were identified. Analysis of the historical data in different time intervals reviewed obvious decreasing trends in HM contents of SS in China, indicating the well implementation of more and more stringent environmental regulations.

[Clinical study of dienogest in the treatment of refractory endometriosis-associated pain]

Objective: To evaluate the efficacy and safety of dienogest (DNG) in the treatment of refractory endometriosis-associated pain (REAP). Methods: In this study, REAP was defined according to the following criteria: (1) the pain duration was ≥12 months and visual analogue scale (VAS)≥60 mm; (2) the previous treatments with over two medicines like oral contraceptives and levonorgestrel-releasing intrauterine system failed to achieve satisfactory relief of pain, with VAS reduction less than 50%; with gonadotropin-releasing hormone agonist or mifepristone, the pain could be controlled temporarily, but it recurred after discontinuation of medicines; (3) the pain could not be relieved by surgery or even repeated surgeries. In the present study, 48 patients with REAP were treated with DNG 2 mg/day orally and the clinical outcomes were retrospectively analyzed. The VAS scores, levels of CA₁₂₅, estradiol, FSH, LH and changes in the size of endometriotic lesions before and after treatment were compared respectively. The side effects were also analyzed. Results: The average duration of DNG treatment was (20.1±12.8) months. After 3 months of medication, the VAS score was significantly reduced from (77.9±15.8) mm to (20.8±10.7) mm (P<0.01), and CA₁₂₅ level was significantly reduced from (95±139) kU/L to (38±45) kU/L (P<0.05). The effects were maintained with continuation of DNG treatment. Endometriotic lesions tended to shrink, after 12 months of DNG treatment, the size of ovarian endometriomas was reduced significantly from (3.1±1.0) cm to (1.9±1.2) cm (P<0.05). The mean level of estradiol was maintained at 124.82-221.04 pmol/L and levels of FSH and LH did not change significantly during the treatment. The major side effect was irregular bleeding (75%, 36/48). Conclusions: DNG could effectively relieve REAP and is a well-tolerated therapy. It may supply an alternative option for patients with REAP.

SP rTaTME: initial clinical experience with single-port robotic transanal total mesorectal excision (SP rTaTME)

BACKGROUND

The technical difficulty and steep learning curve of transanal total mesorectal excision (taTME) has limited widespread adoption. The single-port (SP) daVinci robot is designed to facilitate single-incision and natural-orifice transluminal endoscopic surgery (NOTES). This paper describes the first clinical experience of single-port robotic taTME (SP rTaTME).

METHODS

This was a prospective study on consecutive patients with rectal cancer who underwent SP rTaTME proctosigmoidectomy with handsewn coloanal anastomosis in December 2018 and January 2019. The primary outcome was technical feasibility of the procedure. The secondary outcomes include blood loss, intraoperative complications, length of hospital stay, quality of the TME specimen, short- and long-term morbidity and mortality, as well as short-term oncologic follow -up.

RESULTS

There were two patients, a 48-year-old male and a 38-year-old female. Both operations were completed successfully without complications or conversion. Estimated blood loss was 200 mL and 130 mL. In both cases the TME was completed transanally using the SP robot. In the first patient, the abdominal portion was completed through an abdominal single-incision; in the second patient the operation was entirely performed transanally as a pure NOTES procedure. In both cases, the final pathology report showed a complete TME with negative margins. Patients were discharged on postoperative day 3 and 4,respectively. There was no long-term morbidity or mortality.

CONCLUSIONS

SP rTaTME is feasible and can be safely performed. It provides excellent optics and dexterity to work in a limited space. Future studies are required to further define the safety profile and the ultimate utility of the SP robot for taTME.

MicroRNA-133a-5p inhibiting metastatic capacity of renal clear cell carcinoma through regulating MON2

OBJECTIVE

We aimed at analyzing the correlation between microRNA-133a-5p expression and clinical pathological parameters in patients with clear cell renal cell carcinoma (ccRCC) and exploring the mechanism by which microRNA-133a-5p affects the biological behavior of ccRCC cells.

PATIENTS AND METHODS

MicroRNA-133a-5p expression in ccRCC tissues and cell lines were examined by quantitative real-time polymerase chain reaction (qRT-PCR), and the relationship between ATG14 expression and clinicopathological parameters of ccRCC patients was analyzed. A control group (NC mimic) and a microRNA-133a-5p overexpression group (microRNA-133a-5p mimic) were set in the ccRCC cell lines ACHN and 786-O, respectively. The impacts of microRNA-133a-5p on the proliferation and invasion of ccRCC cells were evaluated through performing Cell Counting Kit-8 (CCK-8) and transwell tests, respectively. We further explored the interaction between microRNA-133a-5p and its downstream target gene WNK2 by bioinformatics analysis and Luciferase assay.

RESULTS

Both in ccRCC tissues and cell lines, microRNA-133a-5p showed a significantly reduced expression, which could be used to predict poor prognosis of ccRCC patients. Upregulation of microRNA-133a-5p markedly blunted the proliferation and migratory capacities of HCC cells. Bioinformatics analysis suggested that microRNA-133a-5p can target MON2. In addition, qPCR assay indicated an increased expression of MON2 in ccRCC cell lines and tissues, which was negatively correlated with microRNA-133a-5p. Finally, in vitro cell reverse experiments suggested that overexpression of MON2 counteracted the inhibitory effects of overexpression of microRNA-133a-5p on the proliferation and metastatic capacity of ccRCC.

CONCLUSIONS

This study suggests that the reduced expression of microRNA-133a-5p in ccRCC tissue specimens can predict poor prognosis of ccRCC patients. At the same time, microRNA-133a-5p may suppress the proliferation capacity and metastasis of ccRCC cells by acting on MON2.

Pulsed Microfluid Force-Based On-Chip Modular Fabrication for Liver Lobule-Like 3D Cellular Models

In vitro three-dimensional (3D) cellular models with native tissue-like architectures and functions have potential as alternatives to human tissues in regenerative medicine and drug discovery. However, it is difficult to replicate liver constructs that mimic in vivo microenvironments using current approaches in tissue engineering because of the vessel-embedded 3D structure and complex cell distribution of the liver. This paper reports a pulsed microflow-based on-chip 3D assembly method to construct 3D liver lobule-like models that replicate the spatial structure and functions of the liver lobule. The heterogeneous cell-laden assembly units with hierarchical cell distribution are fabricated through multistep photopatterning of different cell-laden hydrogels. Through fluid force interaction by pulsed microflow, the hierarchical assembly units are driven to a stack, layer by layer, and thus spatially assemble into 3D cellular models in the closed liquid chamber of the assembly chip. The 3D models with liver lobule-like hexagonal morphology and radial cell distribution allow the dynamic perfusion culture to maintain high cell viability and functional expression during long-term culture in vitro. These results demonstrate that the fabricated 3D liver lobule-like models are promising for drug testing and the study of individual diagnoses and treatments.

Empirical method for rapid quantification of intrinsic fluorescence signals of key metabolic probes from optical spectra measured on tissue-mimicking turbid medium

SIGNIFICANCE

Optical fluorescence spectroscopy technique has been explored extensively to quantify both glucose uptake and mitochondrial metabolism with proper fluorescent probes in small tumor models in vivo. However, it remains a great challenge to rapidly quantify the intrinsic metabolic fluorophores from the optically measured fluorescence spectra that contain significant distortions due to tissue absorption and scattering.

AIM

To enable rapid spectral data processing and quantify the in vivo metabolic parameters in real-time, we present an empirical ratio-metric method for rapid fluorescence spectra attenuation correction with high accuracy.

APPROACH

A first-order approximation of intrinsic fluorescence spectra can be obtained by dividing the fluorescence spectra by diffuse reflectance spectra with some variable powers. We further developed this approximation for rapid extraction of intrinsic key metabolic probes (2-NBDG for glucose uptake and TMRE for mitochondrial function) by dividing the distorted fluorescence spectra by diffuse reflectance intensities recorded at excitation and emission peak with a pair of system-dependent powers. Tissue-mimicking phantom studies were conducted to evaluate the method.

RESULTS

The tissue-mimicking phantom studies demonstrated that our empirical method could quantify the key intrinsic metabolic probes in near real-time with an average percent error of ∼5  %  .

CONCLUSIONS

An empirical method was demonstrated for rapid quantification of key metabolic probes from fluorescence spectra measured on a tissue-mimicking turbid medium. The proposed method will potentially facilitate real-time monitoring of key metabolic parameters of tumor models in vivo using optical spectroscopy, which will significantly advance translational cancer research.

Diffuse photon remission from thick opaque media of the high absorption/scattering ratio beyond what is accountable by the Kubelka-Munk function

The Kubelka-Munk (KM) theory of diffuse photon remission from opaque media is widely applied to quality-control processes. Recent works based on radiative transfer revealed that the KM function as the backbone parameter of the method may saturate at strong absorption to cause the KM approach to be unfit to predict the change of diffuse reflectance from the medium at strong absorption. We demonstrate by empirical means based on Monte Carlo results that diffuse photon remission from a strong-absorbing medium depends simply upon the absorption/scattering ratio when evaluated over a large area centered at the point of illumination differing in geometry from those convenient for the KM approach. Our empirical prediction gives ∼11% mean errors of the diffuse photon remission from thick opaque medium having an absorption coefficient ranging 0.001 to up to 1000 times stronger than the reduced-scattering coefficient. A slight modification to the KM function in terms of the absorption weighting and absorption-scattering coupling for use within the KM approach also noticeably improves the prediction of diffuse photon remission from thick opaque medium of strong absorption. Our empirical model and the KM approach using the modified KM function were compared against measurements from a thick opaque medium, of which the absorption coefficient was changed over four orders of magnitude.

Observation of a Near-Threshold Structure in the K^{+} Recoil-Mass Spectra in e^{+}e^{-}→K^{+}(D_{s}^{-}D^{*0}+D_{s}^{*-}D^{0})

We report a study of the processes of e^{+}e^{-}→K^{+}D_{s}^{-}D^{*0} and K^{+}D_{s}^{*-}D^{0} based on e^{+}e^{-} annihilation samples collected with the BESIII detector operating at BEPCII at five center-of-mass energies ranging from 4.628 to 4.698 GeV with a total integrated luminosity of 3.7  fb^{-1}. An excess of events over the known contributions of the conventional charmed mesons is observed near the D_{s}^{-}D^{*0} and D_{s}^{*-}D^{0} mass thresholds in the K^{+} recoil-mass spectrum for events collected at sqrt[s]=4.681  GeV. The structure matches a mass-dependent-width Breit-Wigner line shape, whose pole mass and width are determined as (3982.5_{-2.6}^{+1.8}±2.1)  MeV/c^{2} and (12.8_{-4.4}^{+5.3}±3.0)  MeV, respectively. The first uncertainties are statistical and the second are systematic. The significance of the resonance hypothesis is estimated to be 5.3  σ over the contributions only from the conventional charmed mesons. This is the first candidate for a charged hidden-charm tetraquark with strangeness, decaying into D_{s}^{-}D^{*0} and D_{s}^{*-}D^{0}. However, the properties of the excess need further exploration with more statistics.

Model-Independent Determination of the Spin of the Ω^{-} and Its Polarization Alignment in ψ(3686)→Ω^{-}Ω[over ¯]^{+}

We present an analysis of the process ψ(3686)→Ω^{-}Ω[over ¯]^{+} (Ω^{-}→K^{-}Λ, Ω[over ¯]^{+}→K^{+}Λ[over ¯], Λ→pπ^{-}, Λ[over ¯]→p[over ¯]π^{+}) based on a dataset of 448×10^{6}  ψ(3686) decays collected with the BESIII detector at the BEPCII electron-positron collider. The helicity amplitudes for the process ψ(3686)→Ω^{-}Ω[over ¯]^{+} and the decay parameters of the subsequent decay Ω^{-}→K^{-}Λ (Ω[over ¯]^{+}→K^{+}Λ[over ¯]) are measured for the first time by a fit to the angular distribution of the complete decay chain, and the spin of the Ω^{-} is determined to be 3/2 for the first time since its discovery more than 50 years ago.

Soft X-ray and ENA Imaging of the Earth's Dayside Magnetosphere

The LEXI and SMILE missions will provide soft X-ray images of the Earth's magnetosheath and cusps after their anticipated launch in 2023 and 2024, respectively. The IBEX mission showed the potential of an Energetic Neutral Atom (ENA) instrument to image dayside magnetosheath and cusps, albeit over the long hours required to raster an image with a single pixel imager. Thus, it is timely to discuss the two imaging techniques and relevant science topics. We simulate soft X-ray and low-ENA images that might be observed by a virtual spacecraft during two interesting solar wind scenarios: a southward turning of the interplanetary magnetic field and a sudden enhancement of the solar wind dynamic pressure. We employ the OpenGGCM global magnetohydrodynamics model and a simple exospheric neutral density model for these calculations. Both the magnetosheath and the cusps generate strong soft X-rays and ENA signals that can be used to extract the locations and motions of the bow shock and magnetopause. Magnetopause erosion corresponds closely to the enhancement of dayside reconnection rate obtained from the OpenGGCM model, indicating that images can be used to understand global-scale magnetopause reconnection. When dayside imagers are installed with high-ENA inner-magnetosphere and FUV/UV aurora imagers, we can trace the solar wind energy flow from the bow shock to the magnetosphere and then to the ionosphere in a self-standing manner without relying upon other observatories. Soft X-ray and/or ENA imagers can also unveil the dayside exosphere density structure and its response to space weather.

Leaching behavior and transformation of total mercury and methylmercury from raw and lime-conditioned sewage sludge under simulated rain

Mercury (Hg) that leaches from municipal sewage sludge (MSS) landfill under natural rain is of increasing concern. The column leaching experiments were conducted to investigate the leaching characteristics of total mercury (THg) and methylmercury (MeHg) as well as pH, total organic carbon (TOC), and total suspended solids (TSS) in the raw sludge (RS) and lime-conditioned sludge (LCS) under simulated rain with different acidities (pH 6.5 and 2.9). Results showed the release of MeHg in the leachates presented different patterns from THg. And the final amounts of MeHg in the MSS columns were 1.49 (RS at pH = 6.5), 1.88 (RS at 2.9), 1.97 (LCS at pH = 6.5), and 2.06 times (LCS at pH = 2.9) higher than the initial amounts, suggesting methylation of inorganic Hg (IHg) occurred in the leaching process. The leaching efficiencies of THg and MeHg in RS was lower than that in LCS, indicating lime was more favorable for the release of THg and MeHg. And lower values of pH of the simulated rain promoted the release of THg and MeHg from RS while the opposite was true for LCS. This study provides a better understanding of the release and biogeochemical transformations of Hg in MSS.

Correlation between Sarcopenia and Arteriosclerosis in Elderly Community Dwellers: A Multicenter Study

BACKGROUND

Evidence suggests that arteriosclerosis and sarcopenia (decreased muscle mass) share some of their many causes. However, after controlling for confounding factors, it is unclear whether the presence of arteriosclerosis correlates with sarcopenia.

OBJECTIVES

The aim of this paper is to explore whether sarcopenia is associated with arteriosclerosis.

DESIGN

A multicenter cross-sectional community-based study.

MATERIALS AND METHODS

A total of 2511 elderly subjects from six Chinese community health service centers in Anhui province were surveyed through an e-health promotion system to collect basic data and measurements of brachial-ankle pulse wave (baPWV), body composition, and handgrip strength (HGS). Pearson's correlation and binary logistic regression analyses were performed to identify associations between sarcopenia and high baPWV.

RESULTS

The prevalence rates of sarcopenia were 12.9% in men and 15.3% in women according to the 2019 standard of Asian Working Group for Sarcopenia. Among subjects with high baPWV, the proportion of sarcopenia was higher compared to those with normal baPWV (men: 17.7% vs. 3.7%; women: 20.4% vs. 4.9%, both p<0.001). Binary logistic regression analysis revealed that sarcopenia was associated with high baPWV (p<0.0001, odds ratio=1.619) after adjusting for confounding factors. HGS slightly and negatively correlated with baPWV (-0.19 in men and -0.18 in women).

CONCLUSIONS

The intertwined pathophysiological mechanisms shared by arteriosclerosis and sarcopenia are potential targets for future interventions to reduce morbimortality in subjects with both disorders. Upcoming prospective studies and clinical trials are expected to advance these findings.

Efficacy of utidelone plus capecitabine versus capecitabine for heavily pretreated, anthracycline- and taxane-refractory metastatic breast cancer: final analysis of overall survival in a phase III randomised controlled trial

BACKGROUND

Primary analysis of the phase III trial BG01-1323L demonstrated that utidelone plus capecitabine significantly improved progression-free survival (PFS) and overall response rate (ORR) versus capecitabine alone in heavily-pretreated patients with metastatic breast cancer (MBC). Here, we report the final overall survival (OS) analysis and updates of other endpoints.

PATIENTS AND METHODS

In total, 405 patients were randomised 2:1 to receive utidelone (30 mg/m² IV daily, days 1-5, over 90 min) plus capecitabine (1000 mg/m² orally b.i.d., days 1-14) or capecitabine alone (1250 mg/m² orally b.i.d., days 1-14) every 21 days. The secondary endpoint, OS, was estimated using the Kaplan-Meier product-limit approach at a two-sided alpha level of 0.05 after the prespecified 310 death events had been reached. Exploratory analyses of the primary endpoint, PFS, and the secondary endpoint, ORR, were also done. Safety was analysed in patients who had at least one dose of study drug.

RESULTS

At the final OS analysis, the median duration of follow-up was 19.6 months in the utidelone plus capecitabine group and 15.4 months in the capecitabine alone group. In the intention-to-treat population, 313 deaths had occurred at data cut-off, 203 of 270 patients in the combination group and 110 of 135 in the monotherapy group. Median OS in the combination group was 19.8 months compared with 16.0 months in the monotherapy group [hazard ratio (HR) = 0.75, 95% confidence intervals (CI) 0.59-0.94, P = 0.0142]. The updated analysis of PFS and ORR showed that the combination therapy remained superior to monotherapy. Safety results were similar to those previously reported with respect to incidence, severity and specificity. No late-emerging toxicities or new safety concerns occurred.

CONCLUSIONS

For heavily-pretreated, anthracycline- and taxane-resistant MBC patients, utidelone plus capecitabine significantly improved OS versus capecitabine alone. These results support the use of utidelone plus capecitabine as a novel therapeutic regimen for patients with MBC.

Arabidopsis glucose-sensitive mutant 3 affects ABA biosynthesis and sensitivity during early seedling development

In plants, glucose (Glc) plays pivotal roles in development and stress responses mainly by supplying fuel for growth and regulating expression of genes essential for crosstalk with hormonal, oxidative, and defense signaling. However, the complicated relationship between Glc and plant hormones is still not very clear. In this study, gsm3 (glucose-sensitive mutant 3), an Arabidopsis mutant with Glc-sensitive phenotype, was identified. Compared to wild type, the cotyledon expansion rate of gsm3 was significantly decreased under the condition of 4.5% Glc. Fluridone was able to rescue the Glc-induced defects of gsm3 in cotyledon expansion. AAO3 and ABI4 are key genes involved in abscisic acid (ABA) biosynthesis and signaling transduction, respectively. We found that inactivation of AAO3 or ABI4 in gsm3 background led to reduced sensitivity to Glc. These results indicated that increased ABA synthesis resulted in the sensitivity of gsm3 to Glc. Moreover, our results indicated that gsm3 mutant accumulated more ROS, which made it more sensitive to the application of exogenous H₂O₂. Overall, GSM3 plays an important role in Glc-ABA signaling cascade during seed germination and early seedling growth.