Nano liquid metal for the preparation of a thermally conductive and electrically insulating material with high stability

Dielectric materials typically demonstrate poor thermal conductivity, which limits their application in emerging technologies in integrated circuits, computer chips, light-emitting diode lamps, and other electronic packaging areas. Using liquid metal microdroplets as inclusions to develop thermal interface materials has been shown to effectively improve thermal pathways, but this type of material may become electroconductive with the application of a concentrated compressive stress. In this study, an isotropic nano-liquid metal thermally-conductive and electrically-insulating material (nLM-THEM) is developed by combining a modified polymer and well-dispersed nanoparticles, achieving an ∼50× increase in thermal conductivity over the base polymer. In addition, the thermal conductivity of nLM-THEMs exhibits no significant change with varying humidity and a stable anti-corrosion effect even in direct contact with aluminum. More importantly, nLM-THEMs demonstrate a stable electrical insulating property upon compressive stress, while conventional micro-LM-THEMs exude liquid metal. This exceptional combination of thermal and electrical insulation properties is enabled by the interconnection of uniform and spherical liquid metal nanoparticles to create more thermally-conductive pathways, and surfactant modified nanoparticles ensure excellent electric insulation. Moreover, this material can achieve passive heat exchange through rapid heat dissipation, which demonstrates its great application potential in the electronic packaging area.

Compared to liquid metal (LM) microdroplets based thermally conductive materials (micro-LM-THEMs), nano LM-THEMs (nLM-THEMs) presents a more stable electric insulating property even upon stress, achieving ~50-fold thermal conductivity over base polymer.

Upgraded flowing liquid lithium limiter for improving Li coverage uniformity and erosion resistance in EAST device

We report on design and technology improvements for a flowing liquid lithium (FLiLi) limiter inserted into auxiliary heated discharges in the experimental advanced superconducting tokamak device. In order to enhance Li coverage uniformity and erosion resistance, a new liquid Li distributor with homogenous channels was implemented. In addition, two independent electromagnetic pumps and a new horizontal capillary structure contributed to an improvement in the observed Li flow uniformity (from 30% in the previous FLiLi design to >80% in this FLiLi design). To improve limiter surface erosion resistance, hot isostatic press technology was applied, which improved the thermal contact between thin stainless steel protective layers covering the Cu heat sink. The thickness of the stainless steel layer was increased from 0.1 mm to 0.5 mm, which also helped macroscopic erosion resilience. Despite the high auxiliary heating power up to 4.5 MW, no Li bursts were recorded from FLiLi, underscoring the improved performance of this new design.

Association between neoadjuvant chemoradiation and survival for patients with locally advanced rectal cancer

AIM

To examine the overall survival differences for the following neoadjuvant therapy modalities - no therapy, chemotherapy alone, radiation alone and chemoradiation - in a large cohort of patients with locally advanced rectal cancer.

METHOD

Adults with clinical Stage II and III rectal adenocarcinoma were selected from the National Cancer Database and grouped by type of neoadjuvant therapy received: no therapy, chemotherapy only, radiotherapy only or chemoradiation. Multivariable regression methods were used to compare adjusted differences in perioperative outcomes and overall survival.

RESULTS

Among 32 978 patients included, 9714 (29.5%) received no neoadjuvant therapy, 890 (2.7%) chemotherapy only, 1170 (3.5%) radiotherapy only and 21 204 (64.3%) chemoradiation. Compared with no therapy, chemotherapy or radiotherapy alone were not associated with any adjusted differences in surgical margin positivity, permanent colostomy rate or overall survival (all P > 0.05). With adjustment, neoadjuvant chemoradiation vs no therapy was associated with a lower likelihood of surgical margin positivity (OR 0.74, P < 0.001), decreased rate of permanent colostomy (OR 0.77, P < 0.001) and overall survival [hazard ratio (HR) 0.79, P < 0.001]. When compared with chemotherapy or radiotherapy alone, chemoradiation remained associated with improved overall survival (vs chemotherapy alone HR 0.83, P = 0.04; vs radiotherapy alone HR 0.83, P < 0.019).

CONCLUSION

Neoadjuvant chemoradiation, not chemotherapy or radiotherapy alone, is important for sphincter preservation, R0 resection and survival for patients with locally advanced rectal cancer. Despite this finding, one-third of patients in the United States with locally advanced rectal cancer fail to receive stage-appropriate chemoradiation.

Dijet imbalance measurements in Au+Au and pp collisions at sqrt[s_{NN}]=200 GeV at STAR

We report the first dijet transverse momentum asymmetry measurements from Au+Au and pp collisions at RHIC. The two highest-energy back-to-back jets reconstructed from fragments with transverse momenta above 2  GeV/c display a significantly higher momentum imbalance in heavy-ion collisions than in the pp reference. When reexamined with correlated soft particles included, we observe that these dijets then exhibit a unique new feature-momentum balance is restored to that observed in pp for a jet resolution parameter of R=0.4, while rebalancing is not attained with a smaller value of R=0.2.

CT coronary angiography findings in non-atherosclerotic coronary artery diseases

Non-atherosclerotic coronary artery diseases are being increasingly recognised as causes of acute coronary events. Invasive coronary angiography frequently fails to identify the abnormalities in the proximal course of coronary arteries and coronary wall, while computed tomography coronary angiography (CTCA) allows for acquisition of more detailed information. CTCA serves as a reliable method for evaluating patients with non-atherosclerotic coronary artery diseases. The purpose of this article is to provide an overview of non-atherosclerotic abnormalities that may be demonstrated on CTCA.

[Effect of different mechanical loading on the expression of Notch signaling pathways in growing rabbits' condylar cartilage]

Objective: To investigate the effect of different mechanical loading on the expression of Notch-1, Notch-3, Jagged-1 and Delta-like-1 in growing rabbits' condylar cartilage. Methods: Sixty-four ten-days-old rabbits were randomly divided into experimental and control groups. The rabbits in the experimental groups were fed on a powder diet, while the control groups were fed on a solid diet. The animals were sacrificed after 2, 4, 6 and 8 weeks. Notch-1, Notch-3, Jagged-1 and Delta-like-1 gene and protein expressions were examined by HE, immunohistochemistry, Western blotting and quantitative real-time PCR. Results: At 2, 4, 6, 8 weeks, the anterior part of condylar cartilage in solid diet groups ([318.1±4.3], [342.4±2.6], [364.2±3.2], [380.7±6.0] mm, respectively) were thicker than those in powder diet groups ([275.4±2.6], [301.1±2.0], [322.3±3.3], [366.5±8.4] mm, respectively) (P<0.05). There was no significant difference between the two groups in the middle part (P>0.05). From 2 to 6 weeks, the posterior part of cartilage in solid diet groups ([444.1±1.5], [451.1±0.3], [476.4±5.7] mm, respectively) was thinner than those in power diet groups ([470.4±2.7], [494.3±2.9], [512.3±5.7] mm, respectively) (P<0.05). At 6 weeks, there were more mRNA expressions of Notch-3, Jagged-1 and Delta-like-1 in solid diet group than in power diet group (P<0.05). The Notch-1 protein could be found in all layers of condylar cartilage, especially in the surface of hypertrophic zone. The expressions of Notch-1, Notch-3, and Delta-like-1 protein were increased from 2 to 6 weeks, and decreased at 8 weeks. In solid diet groups, the protein expressions of Notch-1 (at 2, 4, 6, 8 weeks), Notch-3 (at 2, 4, 6 weeks), Jagged-1 (at 2, 4, 6 weeks) and Delta-like-1 (at 4, 6, 8 weeks) were greater than in power diet groups (P<0.05). Conclusions: Low masticatory loading may delay or inhibit the development of condylar cartilage and its growing factors such as Notch-1, Notch-3, Jagged-1 and Delta-like-1. Appropriate masticatory loading plays an important role in normal development of the condyle.

Hepatic cyclooxygenase-2 overexpression induced spontaneous hepatocellular carcinoma formation in mice

Cyclooxygenase (COX)-2 is upregulated in hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC). However, the direct causative effect of COX-2 in spontaneous HCC formation remains unknown. We thus investigate the role and molecular pathogenesis of COX-2 in HCC by using liver-specific COX-2 transgenic (TG) mice. We found spontaneous HCC formation with elevated inflammatory infiltrates and neovessels in male TG mice (3/21, 14.3%), but not in any of male WT mice (0/19). Reduced representation bisulfite sequencing (RRBS) and gene expression microarrays were performed in the HCC tumor and non-HCC liver tissues to investigate the molecular mechanisms of COX-2-driven HCC. By RRBS, DNA promoter hypermethylation was identified in HCC from TG mice. Induction of promoter hypermethylation was associated with reduced tet methylcytosine dioxygenase 1 (TET1) expression by COX-2. TET1 could catalyze the conversion of 5-methylcytosine into 5-hydroxymethylcytosine (5hmC) and prevents DNA hypermethylation. In keeping with this, loss of 5hmC was demonstrated in COX-2-induced HCC. Consistently, COX-2 overexpression in human HCC cell lines could reduce both TET1 expression and 5hmc levels. Integrative analyses of DNA methylation and gene expression profiles further identified significantly downregulated genes including LTBP1, ADCY5 and PRKCZ by promoter methylation in COX-2-induced HCC. Reduced expression of LTBP1, ADCY5 and PRKCZ by promoter hypermethylation was further validated in human HCCs. Bio-functional investigation revealed that LTBP1 inhibited cell proliferation in HCC cell lines, suggesting its potential role as a tumor suppressor in HCC. Gene expression microarrays revealed that signaling cascades (AKT (protein kinase B), STK33 (Serine/Threonine kinase 33) and MTOR (mechanistic target of rapamycin) pathways) were enriched in COX-2-induced HCC. In conclusion, this study demonstrated for the first time that enhanced COX-2 expression in hepatocytes is sufficient to induce HCC through inducing promoter hypermethylation by reducing TET1, silencing tumor-suppressive genes and activating key oncogenic pathways. Inhibition of COX-2 represents a mechanism-based target for HCC prevention.

Hypoxia promotes epithelial-mesenchymal transition of hepatocellular carcinoma cells via inducing Twist1 expression

OBJECTIVE

To investigate whether hypoxia microenvironment induced hepatocellular carcinoma cells SMMC-7721 epithelial-mesenchymal transition (EMT) and to explore the underlying molecular mechanism.

MATERIALS AND METHODS

In this study, SMMC-7721 cells were cultured under normoxia and hypoxia conditions, respectively. RT-PCR and Western blot were used to monitor the expression level of EMT-related markers, E-cadherin, and vimentin, as well as hypoxia inducible factor-1α (HIF-1α) and Twist1. Then we performed the transwell invasion assays to detect the ability of cell invasion.

RESULTS

The results demonstrated that hypoxia micro-environment could induce hepatocellular carcinoma cells SMMC-7721 EMT and enhance the cell invasion ability. Furthermore, knockdown of Twist1 by using specific siRNA could reverse hypoxia-induced EMT process.

CONCLUSIONS

Hypoxia promotes hepatocellular carcinoma cells SMMC-7721 EMT by upregulating the expression of Twist1.

[Application of exfoliated cells in early diagnosis of oral cancer]

Exfoliative cytology is a simple and non-invasive examination method that is easily accepted by the patient. A number of new techniques are used to further increase the accuracy of sample collecting. It is widely used in the detection of cervical, oral cavity and various coelom exfoliated cells. This article reviews the development of exfoliative cytology in oral cancer diagnosis. It is realized that the qualitative and quantitative analysis of cancer and precancerous lesions, through DNA quantitative analysis to calculate DNA index (DI value), multiple parameter analysis and statistical modeling calculation to evaluate oral cancer risk index (OCRI) of the patient has great significance in cancer screening, early diagnosis and prognosis review, especially in the field of oral cancer.

Refractive index and temperature sensitivity characterization of excessively tilted fiber grating

We have investigated experimentally and numerically the temperature and refractive index (RI) sensitivity characteristics of excessively tilted fiber gratings (Ex-TFGs) in detail. Both results have shown that the temperature and RI sensitivities of Ex-TFGs are mode order dependent. For temperature sensitivity, the higher order cladding mode of Ex-TFG exhibited lower temperature sensitivity, quantitatively, the temperature sensitivities of TM cladding modes at the resonance wavelength around 1550nm are 9pm/°C, 6.8pm/°C, 5.6pm/°C and, 4pm/°C for cladding mode 28th, 31st, 35th, 40th, respectively, indicating the overall temperature sensitivity of Ex-TFGs were lower than that of normal FBGs. The SRI sensing results have shown that the RI sensitivity of Ex-TFG at the special index value could be improved by choosing the cladding mode with effective index close to the refractive index of the detecting medium. The SRI sensitivities at the effective mode index were 2250nm/RIU at 1.408, 864nm/RIU at 1.395, 1536nm/RIU at 1.380 and 1360nm/RIU at 1.355, for the cladding mode of 28th, 31st, 35th, 43rd, respectively. The experimental results have also shown the SRI sensitivity of Ex-TFG was increasing with increasing of the resonance wavelength.

Abstract OT3-02-01: POSITIVE: A study evaluating pregnancy and disease outcome and safety of interrupting endocrine therapy for young women with endocrine-responsive breast cancer who desire pregnancy (IBCSG 48-14/BIG 8-13)

Background

Young breast cancer (BC) patients often face the disease before completing their family planning. The best available retrospective evidence suggests that pregnancy after BC does not negatively impact disease outcomes in patients with endocrine-responsive BC and is safe for offspring. However, given the possibility of prolonged adjuvant endocrine therapy (ET) (5-10 yrs), it is not feasible to wait until completion of therapy in many of these women and thus there is a need to explore the safety of temporary interruption of ET to allow pregnancy. To date, no prospective study has been conducted in young women attempting future pregnancy.

Trial Design

Young patients with endocrine-responsive early BC and pregnancy desire will interrupt ET for up to 2 yrs to attempt pregnancy. As resumption of menses and conception depends on many factors, e.g. patient's age and adjuvant treatment received, the 2-yr interruption period is approximate, intended to include treatment wash-out (3 mos) conception (∼3-6 mos), delivery (∼9 mos), breast feeding (∼6 mos). Patients will be strongly advised to resume ET as soon as pregnancy attempts are concluded and to complete the planned 5-10 yrs ET.

Major Eligibility Criteria

* Histologically-proven stage I-III endocrine-responsive BC.

* Age ≥ 18 and ≤ 42 years at enrollment.

* Adjuvant ET (SERM alone, GnRH analogue plus SERM or AI) for ≥18 mos but ≤30 mos, stopped within 1 mo prior to enrollment.

* Patient wishes to become pregnant.

* Premenopausal status at BC diagnosis.

Specific Aim

To assess the risk of BC relapse associated with temporary interruption of ET to permit pregnancy and to evaluate pregnancy success and offspring outcome.

Statistical Methods

A true risk of BC recurrence of 2% per year is assumed for patients who do not interrupt ET. With 500 patients enrolled in 4.0 yrs and an additional 1.6 yrs of follow up, there will be approximately 1600 patient-yrs of follow up and a median follow up of approximately 3 yrs at the time of the primary analysis, anticipated to occur 5.6 yrs after enrolment of the first patient. If the true risk of BC recurrence is 2% per yr, we anticipate 31 BC recurrences and an estimated 3-yr breast cancer free interval (BCFI) event of 5.6% (95% CI 4.0% to 7.9%).

Translational Research will investigate different ovarian function and uterine parameters; and circulating tumour DNA. FFPE tissue of the primary tumour will be collected to integrate different parameters related to biology of BC arising in young women. All material will be banked centrally.

Psycho-oncological Companion Study on fertility concerns, psychological well-being and decisional conflicts is mandatory in the US and open to interested centers elsewhere.

Accrual: Target: 500; Actual: 39 (30 Apr 2016)

Psycho-oncological Companion Study Accrual: Target: 200; Actual: 29 (30 Apr 2016)

Contact Information

POSITIVE is conducted and sponsored by the International Breast Cancer Study Group. The Alliance for Clinical Trials in Oncology is the US sponsor for NCTN network. Contact Monica Ruggeri, IBCSG Coordinating Center, monica.ruggeri@ibcsg.org, or Trial Coordinators at ibcsg48_positive@fstrf.org.

Citation Format: Pagani O, Partridge AH, Azim Jr. HA, Peccatori F, Ruggeri M, Sun Z. POSITIVE: A study evaluating pregnancy and disease outcome and safety of interrupting endocrine therapy for young women with endocrine-responsive breast cancer who desire pregnancy (IBCSG 48-14/BIG 8-13) [abstract]. In: Proceedings of the 2016 San Antonio Breast Cancer Symposium; 2016 Dec 6-10; San Antonio, TX. Philadelphia (PA): AACR; Cancer Res 2017;77(4 Suppl):Abstract nr OT3-02-01.

Abstract P5-15-05: Randomized phase II study evaluating different schedules of nab-paclitaxel in metastatic breast cancer (MBC): Results of the SNAP study

Background

Longer chemotherapy (CT) duration is associated with a significant improvement in progression-free survival (PFS) and a moderate, but significant improvement in overall survival (OS) in MBC patients (pts). Prolonged CT administration, however, must be weighed against the side effects of continuous CT delivery. The SNAP trial was designed to improve the tolerability of prolonged CT by studying alternative treatment schedules.

Methods

The SNAP trial enrolled 258 women from April 2013 to Aug 2015. Eligibility criteria included HER2- MBC, no prior CT for advanced disease, measurable and/or non-measurable disease.

All eligible pts were randomized to one of three arms. Pts received the same induction chemotherapy consisting of 3 cycles of nab-Paclitaxel given days 1,8,15 Q28, followed by one of the three maintenance therapy schedules. Originally, the dose of the induction chemotherapy was 150 mg/m2, but this was reduced to 125 mg/m2 following the first safety review of 48 treated pts. The three schedules of nab-Paclitaxel used as maintenance therapy were (Arm A) nab-Paclitaxel 150 mg/m2 d 1,15 Q28; (Arm B) nab-Paclitaxel 100 mg/m2 d 1,8,15 Q28; (Arm C) nab-Paclitaxel 75 mg/m2 d 1,8,15,22 Q28.

The primary objective is to evaluate the efficacy of three nab-Paclitaxel regimens as measured by progression-free survival (PFS), using the historical reference of PFS (based on AVADO study) of docetaxel for first-line treatment of metastatic breast cancer. Each of the three regimens is compared to the historic 7-month median PFS to determine whether any of the three regimens are worthy of further investigation. Secondary endpoints include tolerability, feasibility, response rate, OS and QoL.

Results

Two-hundred-fifty-eight pts have been randomised and 255 are available for primary endpoint evaluation. At 18.2 months' median follow-up, 182 PFS events and 85 deaths have been observed. Median PFS was 7.9 months (90%CI 6.8-8.4) in Arm A, 9.0 months (90%CI 8.1-10.9) in Arm B and 8.5 (90%CI 6.7-9.5) in Arm C. PFS in Arm B was significantly longer than the historic PFS of first-line docetaxel (one-sided log-rank p=0.03).

As expected, neurotoxicity was the most frequent adverse event. In the induction phase, grade≥2 sensory neuropathy was reported in 14.8% of pts at the starting dose of 150 mg/m2 and 7.5% at the starting dose of 125 mg/m2; grade≥3 sensory neuropathy occurred in 2.5% and 0% of the pts, respectively. In the maintenance phase, grade≥2 sensory neuropathy was reported in 37.9% of pts in Arm A, 36.1% in Arm B and 31.2% in Arm C; grade≥3 sensory neuropathy occurred in 9.1%, 5.6% and 6.6% of the pts, respectively.

199 pts started the maintenance phase. The median number of maintenance cycles was 3, 4, and 5, respectively. Stopping maintenance for reasons other than objective progression occurred in 41%, 58%, and 53%, respectively.

Conclusion

The SNAP trial indicates that alternative maintenance chemotherapy schedules with reduced doses after a short term induction phase at conventional doses are feasible and significantly more active than the historical PFS of docetaxel in the first line treatment of advanced breast cancer.

Citation Format: Gennari A, Sun Z, Hasler-Strub U, Colleoni M, Kennedy J, von Moos R, Cortes J, Vidal M, Hennessy B, Walshe J, Amillano Parraga K, Morales Murrillo S, Pagani O, Barbeaux A, Borstnar S, Rabaglio M, Maibach R, Regan MM, Jerusalem G. Randomized phase II study evaluating different schedules of nab-paclitaxel in metastatic breast cancer (MBC): Results of the SNAP study [abstract]. In: Proceedings of the 2016 San Antonio Breast Cancer Symposium; 2016 Dec 6-10; San Antonio, TX. Philadelphia (PA): AACR; Cancer Res 2017;77(4 Suppl):Abstract nr P5-15-05.

Maternal fluoride exposure during gestation and lactation decreased learning and memory ability, and glutamate receptor mRNA expressions of mouse pups

Previous investigations demonstrated that high fluoride (F) exposure may adversely affect the neurodevelopment and learning and memory ability. However, whether maternal F exposure during gestation and lactation can influence the learning, memory ability, and glutamate receptor expressions of offspring has not yet been elucidated. Hence, in the present study, maternal mice were exposed to F (25, 50, or 100 mg/L sodium fluoride (NaF) in drinking water) during gestation and lactation. Results showed that exposure to 100 mg/L NaF significantly enhanced the number of total arm entries and working memory errors of offspring in the radial arm maze test compared to the control group. However, no difference was observed in open-field behaviors. For the subtypes of glutamate receptors in hippocampus, expression of GluR2 mRNA was significantly reduced by 25, 50, and 100 mg/L NaF. Besides, F exposure also suppressed the expression of NR2A, NR2B, and mGluR2 mRNA levels in a dose-dependent manner, where NR2A was significantly suppressed by 50 mg/L NaF and NR2B and mGluR2 by 100 mg/L NaF. However, no significant changes were observed in GluR1 and mGluR5 mRNA expression levels. Collectively, these findings suggested that F can pass through the cord blood and breast milk and may have deleterious impact on learning and memory of the mouse pups, which was mediated by reduced mRNA expression of glutamate receptor subunits.

Serum Proteomics Analysis in Rats of Immunosuppression Induced by Chronic Stress

The immune system can be damaged by chronic stress. However, for this process, the involved molecular alterations and their regulatory roles played in immunosuppression still remain unclear. This study was aimed to identify the differences in serum protein expressions that are closely associated with the effect of chronic stress on immune function. Serum protein levels of rats in control group and chronic stress group were measured by iTRAQ analysis. Subsequently, among the 121 differentially expressed proteins screened between the two groups, 46 proteins were upregulated (>1.5-fold, P < 0.05), while 75 proteins were downregulated (<0.67-fold, P < 0.05). Bioinformatics analysis revealed that most of the differentially expressed proteins were in relation with the metabolic, cellular, response stimulus and immune system processes. The significantly differential expression of ceruloplasmin, haptoglobin, catalase and peroxiredoxin-1 were picked out for reconfirmation by ELISA analysis. The results were consistent with those obtained by iTRAQ. What is more, the roles of above-mentioned four proteins, apolipoprotein B-100 and heat-shock protein 90 in immunosuppression induced by chronic stress were discussed. Taken together, these findings may provide a new insight into better understanding the molecular mechanisms of immunosuppression induced by chronic stress.

Charge-Dependent Directed Flow in Cu+Au Collisions at sqrt[s_{NN}]=200 GeV

We present the first measurement of charge-dependent directed flow in Cu+Au collisions at sqrt[s_{NN}]=200  GeV. The results are presented as a function of the particle transverse momentum and pseudorapidity for different centralities. A finite difference between the directed flow of positive and negative charged particles is observed that qualitatively agrees with the expectations from the effects of the initial strong electric field between two colliding ions with different nuclear charges. The measured difference in directed flow is much smaller than that obtained from the parton-hadron-string-dynamics model, which suggests that most of the electric charges, i.e., quarks and antiquarks, have not yet been created during the lifetime of the strong electric field, which is of the order of, or less than, 1  fm/c.

Joint Association of Obesity and Hypertension with Disability in the Elderly-- A Community-Based Study of Residents in Shanghai, China

BACKGROUND

Although both obesity and hypertension are known risk factors for disability, the joint association of obesity and hypertension with risk of disability is unknown. This paper is aim to examine the joint association of obesity and hypertension with risk of disability.

METHODS

Cross-sectional study with 8060 elderly community-dwelling individuals participating in the survey initiated by Shanghai Health and Family Planning Commission from March to September 2013. Obesity was measured using the body mass index (BMI) in World Health Organization (WHO) Asia criteria. Hypertension, based on the doctor's diagnosis, was obtained through face-to-face interview. Disability was measured using the self-reported physical self-maintenance scale (PSMS) and the instrumental activities of daily living (IADL) scale developed by Lawton and Brody.

RESULTS

A total of 8.97% of participants reported ADL disability, and 15.18% for IADL disability. After adjusting social demographics and chronic conditions, the risk of ADL disability was progressively greater in obese persons with hypertension (OR=1.40, 95% CI=1.05-1.89), underweight persons without hypertension (OR=2.05, 95% CI=1.29-3.25), and underweight persons with hypertension (OR=2.14, 95% CI=1.36-3.36). For IADL disability, only underweight persons with hypertension were significantly associated (OR=1.65, 95% CI=1.23-2.21).

CONCLUSIONS

Low or extremely high BMI, independent of its metabolic consequences, is a risk factor for disability among the elderly. Simple hypertension wasn't significantly associated with disability. In addition, having hypertension significantly increased the risk of ADL disability in obese individuals and IADL disability in underweight individuals.

Effects of tai chi exercise on bone health in perimenopausal and postmenopausal women: a systematic review and meta-analysis

Tai chi exercise may have positive effects on bone health in perimenopausal and postmenopausal women. This systematic review is the first to summarize evidence to clarify the efficacy of tai chi exercise in bone health. The benefits of tai chi exercise on bone health remain unclear; further studies are needed. Emerging randomized controlled trials (RCTs) exploring the efficacy of tai chi exercise on bone health among older women, but yielded inconclusive results. Our objective is to conduct a systematic review to evaluate evidence from RCTs to clarify the efficacy of tai chi exercise on bone mineral density (BMD), and bone turnover markers (BTM) in perimenopausal and postmenopausal women. Six electronic databases were searched, and reference lists of systematic reviews and identified studies from the search strategy were also screened. We included all RCTs that investigate tai chi exercise for bone health in perimenopausal and postmenopausal women. Data selection, extraction, and evaluation of risk of bias were performed independently by two reviewers. Ten trials detailed in 11 articles were included. Six of the 11 studies reported positive outcomes on bone health. Results of our meta-analysis showed a significant effect of tai chi exercise on BMD change at the spine compared with no treatment in perimenopausal and postmenopausal women. When tai chi exercise combined with a calcium supplement was compared with the calcium supplement alone, the result of BMD change at the spine showed no significant effect. Because the measurable effect observed was minimal, and due to the low quality of methodology of the studies, we conclude that the result is of limited reliability. Tai chi exercise may have benefits on bone health in perimenopausal and postmenopausal women, but the evidence is sometimes weak, poor, and inconsistent. Consequently, only limited conclusions can be drawn regarding the efficacy of tai chi exercise on bone health. Further well designed studies with low risk of bias are needed.

Serum 25-hydroxyvitamin D predicts early recurrent stroke in ischemic stroke patients

BACKGROUND AND AIM

This study was conducted to determine 25-hydroxyvitamin D [25(OH) D] levels in serum, and to investigate their associations with stroke recurrence events in a 3-month follow-up study in Chinese patients with first-ever ischemic stroke.

METHODS AND RESULTS

From February 2014 to September 2015, consecutive first-ever ischemic stroke patients admitted to the Department of Emergency of our hospital were identified. Serum 25(OH) D levels were measured at admission. We followed the participants for a median of 3 months (range, 2.5-3.5 months) using a standard questionnaire. We used logistic regression models to assess the relationship between 25(OH) levels and risk of recurrent stroke. In this study, 349 ischemic stroke patients were included and completed follow-up. Thirty-seven patients (10.6%) had a stroke recurrence. Serum 25(OH) D levels in patients with recurrent stroke were significantly lower as compared with those in patients without recurrent stroke [9.9 (IQR, 7.9-14.8) ng/mL vs. 17.9 (IQR, 13.4-23.4) ng/mL; P < 0.001). After adjusting for traditional risk factors, serum 25(OH) D levels were negatively associated with the stroke recurrence (OR, 0.897; 95% CI, 0.848-0.950; P < 0.001). Compared with the first quartile of serum 25(OH) D levels, the second quartile OR for recurrent stroke was 0.466 (95% CI, 0.308-707; P = 0.006). For the third and fourth quartiles, it was 0.248 (95% CI, 0.100-0.618; P = 0.001) and 0.173 (95% CI, 0.062-0.482; P < 0.001), respectively.

CONCLUSIONS

Our findings suggest that reduced serum levels of 25(OH) D can predict the risk of early stroke recurrence in patients with first-ever ischemic stroke.

Analysis of pecan cultivars Mahan and Western in East China

Pecan (Carya illinoensis) has been introduced to East China for over one hundred years, but its planting is still only occurring at a small scale. The key limiting factor is its low yield. To enhance the yield pecan in East China, two pecan cultivars, Mahan and Western, were examined. Twenty traits describing phasic development, yield, nut quality, and cultural practice were investigated. We found that pecan cultivar Mahan gives a higher yield and nut quality than cultivar Western. We recommend interplanting of cultivar Pawnee to act as a pollinator tree. Appropriate cultivation practices that can be implemented to enhance fruit yield of cultivars Mahan and Western include soil-applied paclobutrazol (PBZ) at certain concentrations, pinching, and supplementary pollination. For example, the addition of 1.25 g/m² of PBZ inhibits pecan branch growth and stimulates short bearing branches, which promotes fruit yield. We found that soil-applied PBZ reached optimal performance 82 days after application. A pinching length of 40 cm resulted in a fruit yield increase. In addition, grafting and transplantation may promote male flowering, but delays female flowering. These cultural practices may provide insights that can be used to improve pecan cultivation in East China.

Buccally impacted maxillary canines increase the likelihood of root separation in adjacent first premolars

OBJECTIVE

To investigate the influence of maxillary impacted canines on the root morphology of adjacent premolars in a Chinese population.

SUBJECTS AND METHODS

A sample of 370 Chinese subjects with maxillary canine impaction and 370 control subjects were collected in this study. CBCT data of all subjects were collected and analyzed. The prevalence of separate-rooted maxillary premolars was compared between subjects with and without impacted canines. Then, the prevalence of separate-rooted maxillary premolars was compared between subjects with buccal canine impaction (BIC) and those with palatal impaction (PIC).

RESULTS

The prevalence of separate-rooted first premolars was significantly higher in the canine impaction group (P = 0.046), but the prevalence of separate-rooted second premolars was not different (P = 0.780). Furthermore, a significant higher prevalence of first premolar root separation was found on the impacted site in the BIC subgroup (P < 0.001), but not in the PIC subgroup (P = 0.508). Also, the prevalence of separate-rooted first premolars in the BIC subgroup was significantly higher than that of the control group (P = 0.008), but not so for the PIC subgroup (P = 0.097).

CONCLUSIONS

Buccally impacted maxillary canines are associated with an increased prevalence of root separation in the adjacent maxillary first premolars. This is likely because that buccally impacted canines encroach on the space needed for root development of the first premolars.

Mandibular distraction osteogenesis assisted by cell-based tissue engineering: a systematic review

OBJECTIVES

To review the advances and limitations of recent investigations on mandibular distraction osteogenesis (MDO) assisted by mesenchymal stem cell (MSC) transplantation.

MATERIALS AND METHODS

Following the preferred reporting items for systematic reviews and meta-analysis (PRISMA) guidelines, the PubMed, Scopus, and Cochrane electronic databases were systematically searched and screened from their inception through August 2014. Searching terms included the following: 'distraction osteogenesis', 'mandible OR mandibular OR jaw', and 'cells', without any other limitations.

RESULTS

Nineteen studies meeting the eligibility criteria were selected from 227 published articles and used for qualitative synthesis. Fifteen of the studies used small animal models (rats or rabbits), while the other four used large animal models (dogs, pigs or sheep). Among these studies, large variations exist in MDO protocol, cell transplantation time, route and quantity, as well as methodology of outcome assessment. Additionally, all studies had certain biases. Nevertheless, the majority of studies found that MSC transplantation enhanced MDO bone regeneration.

CONCLUSION

Evidence from animal studies indicates that MDO may be enhanced by mesenchymal stem cell transplantation, but many questions related to animal models, MDO protocols, and cell transplantation remain to be investigated.

Mutations in the mevalonate pathway genes in Chinese patients with porokeratosis

BACKGROUND

Porokeratosis (PK, MIM 175800) is a chronic autosomal dominant cutaneous keratinization disorder, which has a wide variety of clinical manifestations.

OBJECTIVES

We analysed the molecular basis of 10 families and 12 sporadic cases with different subtypes of porokeratosis in the Chinese population.

METHODS

Genomic DNA was extracted from peripheral blood samples. Mutation screening was performed by direct sequencing of exons and flanking intron-exon boundaries for the entire coding region of four mevalonate pathway genes and SLC17A9 gene.

RESULTS

We detected three novel mutations and seven previously described mutations by direct sequence analysis of the PCR products. Mutations p.Phe249Ser and p.Asn292Ser in mevalonate decarboxylase (MVD) were the most common mutations in this PK cohort; their presence was 27.3% and 13.6% respectively.

CONCLUSIONS

This study extended the mutation spectrum of PK in the Chinese Han population and provided further evidence for the genetic basis of PK. We first identified MVD simultaneously responsible for porokeratosis palmaris et plantaris disseminate development and confirmed the genotype-phenotype correlations.

Autism and Schizophrenia: Intestinal Disorders

We examined Dohan's hypothesis that schizophrenia is associated with the absorption of "exorphins" contained in gluten and casein. In addition, because of the work of Reichelt et al. (Reichelt, K.L., Saelid, G., Lindback, J. and Orbeck, H. (1986) Biological Psychiatry 21:1279-1290) and Rodriguez et al. (Rodriguez, Trav, A.L., Barreiro Marin, R, Galvez, Borrero, I.M., del Olmo Romero-Nieva, F. and Diaz Alvarez, A. (1994) Journal of Nervous and Mental Disease Aug; 182(8): 478-479), we carried out similar studies on a group of children with autism. In both syndromes we found similar patterns of peptide containing peaks (Ninhydrin positive) after molecular screening with Sephadex G-15. Immunoglobulin assay of IgA and IgG against gliadin and casein in serum was done. High titer IgG antibodies to gliadin were found in 87% of autistic and 86% of schizophrenic patients and high titer IgG antibodies to bovine casein were found in 90% of autistic and in 93% of schizophrenic patients. High titer IgA antibodies to gluten or casein were found in 30% of children with autism while in schizophrenic patients 86% had elevated IgA antibodies to gluten and 67% to casein; some normal children and adults have these antibodies but only in trace amounts. When schizophrenic patients were treated with dialysis or a gluten-casein free diet, or both (Cade, R., Wagemaker, H., Privette, R.M., Fregly, M., Rogers, J. and Orlando, J. (1990) Psychiatry: A World Prespective 1: 494-500) peptiduria and Brief Psychiatric Rating Scores fell while abnormal behavior diminished. A gluten-casein free diet was accompanied by improvement in 81% of autistic children within 3 months in most of the behavior categories. Our data provide support for the proposal that many patients with schizophrenia or autism suffer due to absorption of exorphins formed in the intestine from incomplete digestion of gluten and casein.

Chimeric Allografts Induced by Short-Term Treatment With Stem Cell Mobilizing Agents Result in Long-Term Kidney Transplant Survival Without Immunosuppression: II, Study in Miniature Swine

Transplantation is now lifesaving therapy for patients with end-stage organ failure but requires lifelong immunosuppression with resultant morbidity. Current immunosuppressive strategies inhibit T cell activation and prevent donor-recipient engagement. Therefore, it is not surprising that few host cells are demonstrated in donor grafts. However, our recent small animal studies found large numbers of recipient stem cells present after transplantation and pharmacological mobilization, resulting in a chimeric, repopulated organ. We now confirm these findings in a well-characterized large animal preclinical model. Here, we show that AMD3100 and FK506 mobilization of endogenous stem cells immediately post kidney transplantation combined with repeat therapy at 1, 2, and 3 months led to drug-free long-term survival in maximally immunologically mismatched swine. Three long-term recipients have stable chimeric transplants, preserved antidonor skin graft responses, and normal serum creatinine levels despite withdrawal of all medication for 3 years.

Outbreak Investigation of NADC30-Like PRRSV in South-East China

Epidemiological outbreak investigations were conducted on NADC30-like porcine reproductive and respiratory syndrome virus (PRRSV) to investigate the prevalence of the disease in south-east China in 2015. Two more provinces were found to have NADC30-like PRRSV circulating besides previously reported six provinces. Phylogenetic analysis showed that these virus isolates were clustered in an independent branch and shared high nucleotide similarity to NADC30, a type 2 PRRSV that has been isolated in Unite States in 2008. One NADC30-like PRRSV strain from Henan province was successfully isolated on porcine alveolar macrophages and was tested on 6-week-old specific pathogen-free pigs for pathogenic study. The virus-inoculated pigs showed typical PRRSV clinical symptoms, but all pigs survived throughout the study with a period of 14 days. At necropsy, the lungs of infected pigs developed PRRSV-specific interstitial pneumonia, and virus antigen was detected in lung samples. Therefore, our results indicated NADC30-like PRRSV has widely spread in China and could cause clinical disease on pigs.

Elevational sensitivity in an Asian 'hotspot': moth diversity across elevational gradients in tropical, sub-tropical and sub-alpine China

South-western China is widely acknowledged as a biodiversity ‘hotspot’: there are high levels of diversity and endemism, and many environments are under significant anthropogenic threats not least climate warming. Here, we explore diversity and compare response patterns of moth assemblages among three elevational gradients established within different climatic bioregions - tropical rain forest, sub-tropical evergreen broad-leaved forest and sub-alpine coniferous forest in Yunnan Province, China. We hypothesised that tropical assemblages would be more elevationally stratified than temperate assemblages, and tropical species would be more elevationally restricted than those in the temperate zone. Contrary to our hypothesis, the moth fauna was more sensitive to elevational differences within the temperate transect, followed by sub-tropical and tropical transects. Moths in the cooler and more seasonal temperate sub-alpine gradient showed stronger elevation-decay beta diversity patterns, and more species were restricted to particular elevational ranges. Our study suggests that moth assemblages are under threat from future climate change and sub-alpine rather than tropical faunas may be the most sensitive to climate change. These results improve our understanding of China’s biodiversity and can be used to monitor future changes to herbivore assemblages in a ‘hotspot’ of biodiversity.

Inhibiting NADPH oxidase protects against long-term memory impairment induced by neonatal sevoflurane exposure in mice

BACKGROUND

Neonatal exposure to anaesthetics such as sevoflurane has been reported to result in behavioural deficits in rodents. However, while oxidative injury is thought to play an underlying pathological role, the mechanisms of neurotoxicity remain unclear. In the present study, we investigated whether the NADPH oxidase inhibitor apocynin protects against long-term memory impairment produced by neonatal sevoflurane exposure in mice.

METHODS

Postnatal day six mice were divided into four groups; (1) non-anaesthesia, (2) intraperitoneal apocynin (50 mg kg(-1)) treatment, (3) 3% sevoflurane exposure for 6 h, and (4) apocynin treatment combined with sevoflurane exposure. Superoxide concentrations and NADPH oxidase expression in the brain were determined using dihydroethidium fluorescence and immunoblotting, respectively. Cleaved caspase-3 immunoblotting was used for the detection of apoptosis, and cytochrome c immunoblotting was performed to evaluate mitochondrial function. Long-term cognitive impairment was evaluated using the fear conditioning test in adulthood.

RESULTS

Sevoflurane exposure increased concentrations of superoxide (109%) and the NADPH oxidase subunit p22phox (39%) in the brain, and apocynin abolished these increases. Neonatal sevoflurane exposure caused learning deficits in adulthood. Apocynin also maintained long-term memory function in mice given neonatal sevoflurane exposure, and it reduced apoptosis and decreased cytochrome c concentrations in the brains of these mice.

CONCLUSIONS

Apocynin reduces neuronal apoptosis and protects against long-term memory impairment in mice, neonatally exposed to sevoflurane by reducing superoxide concentrations. These findings suggest that NADPH oxidase inhibitors may protect against cognitive dysfunction resulting from neonatal anaesthesia.

The prevalence and heterogeneity of prehypertension: a meta-analysis and meta-regression of published literature worldwide

Objective

Prehypertension appears to be a precursor of hypertension and has been recognised as a major risk factor for cardiovascular disease (CVD). Recognition of prehypertension provides important opportunities for preventing hypertension and CVD. We aimed to investigate the world-wide prevalence and heterogeneity of prehypertension.

Methods

We performed a meta-analysis of cross-sectional studies worldwide that reported the prevalence of prehypertension. We searched for publications between January 1966 and November 2010, using PubMed, Ovid and the Cochrane Library, with the keyword ‘prehypertension’, supplemented by a manual search of references from recent reviews and relevant published original studies. Pooled prevalence of prehypertension was calculated using random-effects models. Heterogeneity was investigated by subgroup analysis and meta-regression. Twenty-two articles met our inclusion criteria, with a total sample of 242 322 individuals.

Results

The overall pooled prevalence of prehypertension was 38%. Significant heterogeneity across estimates of prevalence was observed (p = 0.000, I² = 99.9%). The prevalence rose as the sample size increased, and was higher among men than women (41 vs 34%). The non-Asian population was more likely to be prehypertensive than Asian individuals (42 vs 36%). A high prevalence of 47% was observed among the black African population in the non-Asian subgroup. The inception year of the surveys was the only source of heterogeneity we found by meta-regressional analysis (p = 0.06).

Conclusion

These results indicate that the prevalence of prehypertension was relatively high, particularly among males. Although more attention has been paid to this segment of the population since 2003, additional practical and reasonable steps should be taken to prevent and treat prehypertension.

Identification of candidate genes for chicken early- and late-feathering

Previous studies suggest that prolactin receptor (Prlr) is a potential causative gene for chicken early- (EF) and late-feathering (LF) phenotypes. In this study, we evaluated candidate genes for this trait and determined the expression of 3 genes, including Prlr, sperm flagellar protein 2 (Spef2), and their fusion gene, in the skins of one-day-old EF and LF chicks using RT-qPCR. Data indicated that Prlr expression in the skin did not show significant difference between EF and LF chicks, suggesting Prlr may not be a suitable candidate gene. In contrast, Spef2 expression in the skin displayed a significant difference between EF and LF chicks (P < 0.01), suggesting that Spef2 may be a good candidate gene for chicken feathering. Moreover, dPrlr/dSpef2, the fusion gene, was also a good candidate gene as it was expressed only in LF chicks. However, the expression of the fusion gene was much lower than that of Prlr Additionally, using strand-specific primers, we found that the fusion gene was transcribed in 2 directions (one from dPrlr promoter, another from dSpef2 promoter), which could result in the formation of a double strand RNA. In conclusion, both Spef2 and the fusion gene are good candidate genes for chicken feathering, but Prlr is not. The research on the function and regulation of the candidate genes will help elucidate the molecular basis of the chicken feathering trait.

Measurement of the Transverse Single-Spin Asymmetry in p^{↑}+p→W^{±}/Z^{0} at RHIC

We present the measurement of the transverse single-spin asymmetry of weak boson production in transversely polarized proton-proton collisions at sqrt[s]=500  GeV by the STAR experiment at RHIC. The measured observable is sensitive to the Sivers function, one of the transverse-momentum-dependent parton distribution functions, which is predicted to have the opposite sign in proton-proton collisions from that observed in deep inelastic lepton-proton scattering. These data provide the first experimental investigation of the nonuniversality of the Sivers function, fundamental to our understanding of QCD.

[Analysis of 8-hydroxy-2'-deoxyguanosine in human urine by ultra-high performance liquid chromatography mass spectrometer method]

OBJECTIVE

To develop an ultra-high performance liquid chromatography mass spectrometer method for the rapid determination of 8-hydroxy-2'-deoxyguanosine (8-OHdG) in human urines.

METHODS

8-OHdG standard solution with the concentration from 0.01 to 0.1 μg/ml was formulated. The solution was implanted into ion source with a rate of 7 μl/min, the mass-to-charge ratio of parent ion and product ions, and ion mass to charge ratio was identified. The mass spectrum parameters of each Ion pairs, such as DP, EP and EXP, were gradually optimized. The urine sample with a concentration of 10.0 μg/L was detected, and the pH of the sample was adjusted using 1 mol/L ammonium formate and formic acid solution with a volume ratio of 5∶1, 4∶1, 3∶1, 2∶1, and 1∶1. It was tested using three different polarity of SPE, i.e.: HLB, MCX, and MAX. The elution effect of methanol and water mixture with the proportion of 90∶10, 80∶20, 50: 50, 20: 80, and 10: 90 were tested, and then acetonitrile and water mixture with the proportion of 90∶10, 80∶20, 50∶50, 20∶80, 10∶90 were also tested. The standard curve was constructed using the ratio of a standard series application fluid concentration to corresponding compounds quantitative ion liquid concentration of the peak area. The detection limit was determined as 3 times of the signal to noise ratio corresponding to the concentration of 8-OHdG, and the quantitative lower limit was determined as 10 times of the signal to noise ratio corresponding to the concentration of 8-OHdG. The blank urine spiked recovery method was used to evaluate the precision and recovery rate.

RESULTS

The mass to charge ratio of parent ion was 284.1 and the product ions was 168.1, 140.1, 123.0, and 112.0, respectively. The collision voltage of quantitative ion-pair 284.1/168.1 was 18 V, the 284.1/140.1 collision voltage was 42 V, the 284.1/123.0 collision voltage was 48 V, and the 284.1/112.0 collision voltage was 53 V. The recovery rate was the highest (87.9%-104.3%) when the pH of urine was adjusted by a 10 ml 1 mol/L ammonium formate solution, 2 ml of formic acid, 88 ml of water are mixed with the sample solution volume ratio of 1∶5, and then purified with 3 ml of methanol and 3 ml water activated HLB extraction column. Within 1.0-100.0 μg/L concentration range, 8-OHdG standard application solution test results showed a good linear relationship. The regression equation was y= 1.25x+0.74, and the correlation coefficient was r=0.999 5. The detection limit was 0.2 μg/L, and the limit of quantification was 0.7 μg/L. The method of recovery rate was in the range of 87.9% to 104.3%, the precision was in the range from 1.5% to 3.7% and inter-assay precision was in the range from 1.6% to 5.4%.

CONCLUSION

The method developed in this study had high sensitivity, good precision and accuracy, and a wide range of testing concentrations.

Beam Energy Dependence of the Third Harmonic of Azimuthal Correlations in Au+Au Collisions at RHIC

We present results from a harmonic decomposition of two-particle azimuthal correlations measured with the STAR detector in Au+Au collisions for energies ranging from sqrt[s_{NN}]=7.7 to 200 GeV. The third harmonic v_{3}^{2}{2}=⟨cos3(ϕ_{1}-ϕ_{2})⟩, where ϕ_{1}-ϕ_{2} is the angular difference in azimuth, is studied as a function of the pseudorapidity difference between particle pairs Δη=η_{1}-η_{2}. Nonzero v_{3}^{2}{2} is directly related to the previously observed large-Δη narrow-Δϕ ridge correlations and has been shown in models to be sensitive to the existence of a low viscosity quark gluon plasma phase. For sufficiently central collisions, v_{3}^{2}{2} persist down to an energy of 7.7 GeV, suggesting that quark gluon plasma may be created even in these low energy collisions. In peripheral collisions at these low energies, however, v_{3}^{2}{2} is consistent with zero. When scaled by the pseudorapidity density of charged-particle multiplicity per participating nucleon pair, v_{3}^{2}{2} for central collisions shows a minimum near sqrt[s_{NN}]=20  GeV.

Evolution of High-Temperature Superconductivity from a Low-T_{c} Phase Tuned by Carrier Concentration in FeSe Thin Flakes

We report the evolution of superconductivity in an FeSe thin flake with systematically regulated carrier concentrations by the liquid-gating technique. With electron doping tuned by the gate voltage, high-temperature superconductivity with an onset at 48 K can be achieved in an FeSe thin flake with T_{c} less than 10 K. This is the first time such high temperature superconductivity in FeSe is achieved without either an epitaxial interface or external pressure, and it definitely proves that the simple electron-doping process is able to induce high-temperature superconductivity with T_{c}^{onset} as high as 48 K in bulk FeSe. Intriguingly, our data also indicate that the superconductivity is suddenly changed from a low-T_{c} phase to a high-T_{c} phase with a Lifshitz transition at a certain carrier concentration. These results help to build a unified picture to understand the high-temperature superconductivity among all FeSe-derived superconductors and shed light on the further pursuit of a higher T_{c} in these materials.

Abstract OT2-01-08: POSITIVE: A study evaluating pregnancy and disease outcome and safety of interrupting endocrine therapy for young women with endocrine responsive breast cancer who desire pregnancy (IBCSG 48-14/BIG 8-13)

Background

Young breast cancer (BC) patients often face the disease before completing their family planning. The best available retrospective evidence suggests that pregnancy after BC does not negatively impact disease outcome in patients with endocrine sensitive BC and is safe for the offspring. However, given the need for prolonged adjuvant endocrine therapy for 5-10 years, it is not feasible to wait until completion of therapy in most of these women and thus there is a need to explore the safety of temporary interruption of endocrine therapy to allow pregnancy. To date, no definitive prospective study has been conducted in young women desiring future pregnancy.

Trial Design

Young patients with endocrine responsive early BC and pregnancy desire will interrupt endocrine treatment for up to 2 yrs to attempt pregnancy. As resumption of menses and conception depends on many factors, e.g. patient's age and adjuvant treatment received, the 2-yr interruption period is approximate, intended to include treatment wash-out (3 mos) conception (∼3-6 mos), delivery (∼9 mos), breast feeding (∼6 mos). Patients will be strongly advised to resume ET as soon as pregnancy attempts are concluded, and to complete 5-10 yrs ET at the local investigator discretion.

Major Eligibility Criteria

-Histologically-proven stage I-III endocrine-responsive BC.

-Age ≥ 18 and ≤ 42 years at enrollment.

-Adjuvant endocrine therapy (SERM alone, GnRH analogue plus SERM or AI) for ≥18 months but ≤30 months, stopped within 1 month prior to enrollment.

-Patient wishes to become pregnant.

-Premenopausal status at BC diagnosis.

Specific Aim

To assess the risk of BC relapse associated with temporary interruption of ET to permit pregnancy and to evaluate pregnancy success.

Statistical Methods

A true risk of BC recurrence of 2% per year is assumed for patients who do not interrupt endocrine treatment. With 500 patients enrolled in 4.0 yrs and an additional 1.6 yrs of follow up, there will be approximately 1600 patient-yrs of follow up and a median follow up of approximately 3 yrs at the time of the primary analysis, anticipated to occur 5.6 yrs after enrollment of the first patient. If the true risk of BC recurrence is 2% per yr, we anticipate 31 BC recurrences and an estimated 3-yr breast cancer free interval (BCFI) failure of 5.6% (95% CI 4.0% to 7.9%).

Translational Research will investigate different ovarian function parameters; uterine evaluation; and circulating tumor DNA. FFPE tissue of the primary tumor will be collected to integrate different parameters related to biology of BC arising in young women. All material will be banked centrally.

Psycho-oncological Companion Study on fertility concerns, psychological well-being and decisional conflicts is mandatory in the United States and open to interested centers elsewhere.

Accrual: Target: 500; Actual: 4 (31 May 2015)

Contact Information

POSITIVE is conducted and sponsored by the International Breast Cancer Study Group. Alliance for Clinical Trials in Oncology is US sponsor for NCTN network. Contact Trial Coordinators at ibcsg48_positive@fstrf.org.

Citation Format: Pagani O, Partridge A, Azim Jr HA, Peccatori FA, Ruggeri M, Sun Z. POSITIVE: A study evaluating pregnancy and disease outcome and safety of interrupting endocrine therapy for young women with endocrine responsive breast cancer who desire pregnancy (IBCSG 48-14/BIG 8-13). [abstract]. In: Proceedings of the Thirty-Eighth Annual CTRC-AACR San Antonio Breast Cancer Symposium: 2015 Dec 8-12; San Antonio, TX. Philadelphia (PA): AACR; Cancer Res 2016;76(4 Suppl):Abstract nr OT2-01-08.

Long non-coding antisense RNA KRT7-AS is activated in gastric cancers and supports cancer cell progression by increasing KRT7 expression

Alterations in long non-coding RNAs (lncRNAs) are associated with human carcinogenesis. One group of lncRNAs, which are antisense in orientation to coding mRNAs (ASs), have been recently described in cancers but are poorly understood. We sought to identify ASs involved in human gastric cancer (GC) and to elucidate their mechanisms of action in carcinogenesis. We performed massively parallel RNA sequencing in GCs and matched normal tissues, as well as in GC-derived and normal gastric epithelial cell lines. One AS, designated Homo sapiens keratin 7 (KRT7-AS), was selected due to its marked upregulation and concordant expression with its cognate sense counterpart, KRT7, in GC tissues and cell lines. KRT7-AS formed an RNA-RNA hybrid with KRT7 and controlled KRT7 expression at both the mRNA and the post-transcriptional levels. Moreover, forced overexpression of the KRT7-overlapping region (OL) of KRT7-AS (but not its non-KRT7-OL portions) increased keratin 7 protein levels in cells. Finally, forced overexpression of full-length KRT7-AS or OL KRT7-AS (but not its non-KRT7-OL regions) promoted GC cell proliferation and migration. We conclude that lncRNA KRT7-AS promotes GC, at least in part, by increasing KRT7 expression.

Centrality and Transverse Momentum Dependence of Elliptic Flow of Multistrange Hadrons and ϕ Meson in Au+Au Collisions at √[sNN]=200 GeV

We present high precision measurements of elliptic flow near midrapidity (|y|<1.0) for multistrange hadrons and ϕ meson as a function of centrality and transverse momentum in Au+Au collisions at center of mass energy √[sNN]=200  GeV. We observe that the transverse momentum dependence of ϕ and Ω v2 is similar to that of π and p, respectively, which may indicate that the heavier strange quark flows as strongly as the lighter up and down quarks. This observation constitutes a clear piece of evidence for the development of partonic collectivity in heavy-ion collisions at the top RHIC energy. Number of constituent quark scaling is found to hold within statistical uncertainty for both 0%-30% and 30%-80% collision centrality. There is an indication of the breakdown of previously observed mass ordering between ϕ and proton v2 at low transverse momentum in the 0%-30% centrality range, possibly indicating late hadronic interactions affecting the proton v2.