National genetic evaluation (system) of hanwoo (korean native cattle)

Hanwoo (Also known as Korean native cattle; Bos taurus coreanae) have been used for transportation and farming for a long time in South Korea. It has been about 30 yrs since Hanwoo improvement began in earnest as beef cattle for meat yield. The purpose of this study was to determine the trend of improvement as well as to estimate genetic parameters of the traits being used for seedstock selection based on the data collected from the past. Hanwoo proven bulls in South Korea are currently selected through performance and progeny tests. National Hanwoo genetic evaluations are implemented with yearling weight (YW), carcass weight (CW), eye muscle area (EMA), backfat thickness (BF) and marbling score (MS). Yearling weights and MS are used for selecting young bulls, and EMA, BF, and MS are used for selecting proven bulls. One individual per testing room was used for performance tests, and five individuals per room for progeny tests. Individuals tested were not allowed to graze pasture, but there was enough space for them to move around in the testing room. Feeds including roughages and minerals were fed ad libitum, and concentrates were provided at the rate of about 1.8% of individual weight. Overall means of the traits were 352.8±38.56 kg, 335.09±44.61 kg, 77.85±8.838 cm², 8.6±3.7 mm and 3.293±1.648 for YW, CW, EMA, BF and MS. Heritabilities estimated in this study were 0.30, 0.30, 0.42, 0.50 and 0.63 in YW, CW, EMA, BF and MS, respectively, which are similar to results from previous research. Yearling weight was 315.54 kg in 1998, and had increased to 355.06 kg in 2011, resulting in about 40 kg of improvement over 13 yrs. YW and CW have improved remarkably over the past 15 yrs. Breeding values between 1996 and 2000 decreased or did not change much, but have moved in a desirable direction since 2001. These improvements correspond with the substantial increase in use of animal models since the late 1990s in Korea. Hanwoo testing programs have practically contributed to the improvement in aspects of quality and quantity. In sum, the current selection system is good enough to accommodate circumstances where fewer sires are used on many more cows. Although progeny tests take longer and cost more, they seem to be appropriate under the circumstances of the domestic market with its higher requirement for better meat quality. Consequently, accumulative data collection, genetic evaluation model development, revision of selection indices, as well as cooperation among farms, associations, National Agricultural Cooperative Federation, universities, research institutes, and government agencies must be applied to the Hanwoo selection program. All these efforts will assist the domestic market to secure a competitive position against imported beef under Free Trade Agreement trade system and will provide farmers with higher profits as well as the public with a higher quality of beef.

A randomised, double-blind, parallel design, multi-institutional, non-inferiority phase IV trial of imidafenacin versus fesoterodine for overactive bladder

AIMS

Our objective was to compare the efficacy and safety of imidafenacin over fesoterodine in patients with overactive bladder (OAB).

METHODS

This study is a randomised, double-blind, parallel-group, fesoterodine-controlled study in patients with continuous OAB symptoms for ≥ 3 months, daily mean voiding frequency (DMVF) ≥ 8, and daily mean urgency or urgency incontinence frequency ≥ 2. A twice-daily 0.1 mg imidafenacin with placebo, or once-daily 4 mg fesoterodine with placebo were administered for 12 weeks. The primary efficacy end-point was the difference in DMVF at 12 weeks. The secondary efficacy end-points were differences in daily mean: (i) voiding frequency at 4 and 8 weeks; (ii) urgency frequency; (iii) urgency incontinence frequency; (iv) incontinence frequency; (v) nocturia frequency; and (vi) quality of life score. The variables for safety analysis were adverse events, vital signs, residual urine volume and clinical laboratory tests. An efficacy analysis was conducted in per-protocol patients and the safety analysis was conducted in all randomised patients.

RESULTS

The differences in DMVF at 12 weeks were -3.38 ± 3.63 and -2.45 ± 3.73 in the imidafenacin and fesoterodine groups, respectively, and the difference was not significant between the two groups. Imidafenacin was non-inferior to fesoterodine, and the lower limit of 95% two-sided confidence intervals was -0.53. The other six secondary end-points and variables for safety analysis showed no difference between the two groups.

CONCLUSIONS

Imidafenacin was non-inferior to fesoterodine in terms of efficacy, and showed no significant difference in terms of safety.

Moderate alcohol consumption enhances vaccine-induced responses in rhesus macaques

We have recently shown that chronic alcohol consumption in a rhesus macaque model of ethanol self-administration significantly modulates the serum cytokine profile. In this study, we extended these observations by investigating the impact of chronic ethanol exposure on the immune response to Modified Vaccinia Ankara (MVA). All animals were vaccinated with MVA before ethanol exposure to ethanol and then again after 7 months of 22 h/day of "open-access" drinking of 4% (w/v) ethanol. Our results indicate that animals whose blood ethanol concentration (BEC) chronically exceeded 80 mg/dl had lower CD4 and CD8 T cell proliferation as well as IgG responses following MVA booster than control animals. In contrast, relatively moderate drinkers whose BEC remained below 80 mg/ml exhibited more robust MVA-specific IgG and CD8 T cell responses than controls. To begin to uncover mechanisms underlying the differences in MVA-specific responses between the three groups, we analyzed plasma cytokine levels and microRNA expression in peripheral blood mononuclear cells following MVA booster. Our findings suggest that moderate ethanol consumption results in higher levels of antiviral cytokines and an expression profile of microRNAs linked to CD8 T cell differentiation. In summary, moderate alcohol consumption enhances recall vaccine responses, whereas chronic alcohol intoxication suppresses this response.

Erythrocyte sedimentation rate and anaemia are independent predictors of survival in patients with clear cell renal cell carcinoma

Background:

The 1997 international consensus conference on renal cell cancer (RCC) prognosis suggested erythrocyte sedimentation rate (ESR), alkaline phosphatase (ALP), and anaemia as prognostic biomarkers, but most studies reviewed were limited by small sample sizes.

Methods:

The Cox proportional hazards model was used to evaluate whether ESR, ALP, haemoglobin (Hb), and haematocrit (Hct) could predict survival outcomes in 1307 patients with clear cell RCC (ccRCC) who underwent nephrectomy during 1994–2008.

Results:

During a median follow-up of 43 months, we found that the patients with preoperative high levels of ESR, had a 2.10-fold (95% confidence interval (CI): 1.21–3.67) greater risk of dying from RCC compared with patients with low levels (normal range). Patients with preoperative anaemia, assessed by Hb and Hct, had a 3.11-fold (95% CI: 1.17–8.25) and 6.20-fold (95% CI: 2.30–16.72) greater risk of dying from other illnesses, respectively, compared with patients without anaemia. ALP levels were not associated with ccRCC patients' survival. These associations for ESR and anaemia were more pronounced in patients with body mass index (BMI) <25 compared with patients with BMI ⩾25 kg m⁻².

Conclusion:

Preoperative high ESR, but not ALP, was a significant predictor for cancer-specific survival among ccRCC patients. Anaemia increases the risk of death from other illness.

Divergent stress-induced neuroendocrine and behavioral responses prior to puberty

Following an acute stressor, pre-adolescent rats exhibit a protracted hormonal response compared to adults, while after repeated exposure to the same stressor (i.e., homotypic stress) prepubertal males fail to habituate like adults. Though the neurobehavioral implications of these changes are unknown, studying pubertal shifts in stress reactivity may help elucidate the mechanisms that underlie the increase in stress-related psychological and physiological disorders often observed during adolescence. Here, we investigated hormonal, behavioral, and neural responses of prepubertal (30d) and adult (77d) male rats before, during, or after acute stress (restraint), homotypic stress (repeated restraint) or heterotypic stress (repeated cold exposure followed by restraint). We found that prepubertal males exhibit prolonged corticosterone responses following acute and heterotypic stress, and higher adrenocorticotropic hormone and corticosterone responses after homotypic stress, compared to adults. Despite these significant age-dependent changes in hormonal responsiveness, we found that struggling behavior during restraint was similar at both ages, such that both prepubertal and adult animals exposed to homotypic stress struggled less than animals exposed to either acute or heterotypic stress. Across these different stress paradigms, we found greater neural activation, as indexed by FOS immunostaining, in the prepubertal compared to adult paraventricular nucleus of the hypothalamus, a nucleus integral for initiating the hormonal stress response. Interestingly, however, we did not find any influence of pubertal development on stress-induced activation of the posterior paraventricular thalamic nucleus, a brain region involved in experience-dependent changes in stress reactivity. Collectively, our data indicate that prepubertal and adult males display divergent hormonal, behavioral, and neural responses following a variety of stressful experiences, as well as a distinct dissociation between hormonal and behavioral reactivity in prepubertal males under homotypic conditions.

P5-13-19: Borderline Estrogen and Progesterone Receptor Expression and Efficacy of Anti-Estrogen Therapy Analyzed by Subpopulation Treatment Effect Pattern Plot Analysis

Background: The American Society of Clinical Oncology (ASCO) and the College of American Pathologists (CAP) recently recommended that estrogen receptor (ER) and progesterone receptor (PR) values be considered positive in the evaluation of breast cancer specimens if there are at least 1% positive tumor nuclei by immunohistochemisty (IHC) scoring. This change constitutes a lower cutoff value than the 5% or 10% widely used in the past and increases the number of patients that can now be treated with anti-estrogen therapy, a therapy which carries significant treatment efficacy and a favorable toxicity profile. Despite the new recommendation however, it remains unclear if patients whose tumors display borderline ER and/or PR expression truly benefit from anti-estrogen therapy.

Methods: We examined a total of 608 patient samples from the OHSU Knight Cancer Institute Breast Cancer Tissue Repository for which we have quantitative ER and PR information and their clinical outcome. Of those, 282 patients did not receive any systemic treatment and 165 received anti-estrogen therapy (the majority tamoxifen). Cytosolic steroid hormone receptors were quantitated by conventional steroid binding assay and Scatchard plot analysis or by enzyme-linked immunoassay system. For immunoassays, human estrogen receptor (ER) and progesterone receptor (PR) kits were obtained from Abbott Laboratories and assays were conducted according to manufacturer's specification. We performed subpopulation treatment effect pattern plot (STEPP) analysis to explore the presence of interaction between treatment effects and quantitative ER and PR levels. Clinical outcome used in this study includes 5-year overall survival and 5-year breast cancer free interval.

Results: Multi-variate analysis finds neither ER nor PR expression adjusted by treatment status is associated with either overall survival (P= 0.20, median follow up of 63 months) or breast cancer free interval (P= 0.82, median follow up of 60 months). For both ER and PR, there is no interaction between treatment outcome (5 year survival probability) and levels of hormone receptor expression based on Kaplan-Meier estimate (P=0.36 and P= 0.65, respectively). Patients with borderline ER expression appear to benefit from anti-estrogen therapy while patients with borderline PR expression appear to have worse outcome with anti-estrogen therapy.

Conclusions: Though descriptive in nature, our STEPP analysis provides support for the recommendation by ASCO and CAP to lower the cutoff for ER positivity in breast cancer specimens. There is overall no interaction between the level of hormone receptor and treatment benefit for all patients from low ER to high ER. Therefore, treatment will benefit all patients including those with low ER levels. Extending hormone therapies to the group of patients whose tumors express borderline PR values, however does not seem to confer therapeutic benefit. More study is needed to determine the benefits of offering anti-estrogen therapy to patients whose tumors express low PR.

Citation Information: Cancer Res 2011;71(24 Suppl):Abstract nr P5-13-19.

Cryptococcus gattii in the United States: clinical aspects of infection with an emerging pathogen

BACKGROUND

Cryptococcus gattii (Cg) has caused increasing infections in the US Pacific Northwest (PNW) since 2004. We describe this outbreak and compare clinical aspects of infection in the United States among patients infected with different Cg genotypes.

METHODS

Beginning in 2005, PNW state health departments conducted retrospective and prospective passive surveillance for Cg infections, including patient interviews and chart reviews; clinical isolates were genotyped at the US Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC). We examined symptom frequency and underlying conditions in US patients with Cg infection and modeled factors associated with death.

RESULTS

From 1 December 2004 to July 2011, 96 Cg infections were reported to the CDC. Eighty-three were in patients in or travelers to the PNW, 78 of which were genotypes VGIIa, VGIIb, or VGIIc (outbreak strains). Eighteen patients in and outside the PNW had other molecular type Cg infections (nonoutbreak strains). Patients with outbreak strain infections were more likely than those with nonoutbreak-strain infections to have preexisting conditions (86% vs 31%, respectively; P < .0001) and respiratory symptoms (75% vs 36%, respectively; P = .03) and less likely to have central nervous system (CNS) symptoms (37% vs 90%, respectively; P = .008). Preexisting conditions were associated with increased pneumonia risk and decreased risk of meningitis and CNS symptoms. Nineteen (33%) of 57 patients died. Past-year oral steroid use increased odds of death in multivariate analysis (P = .05).

CONCLUSIONS

Clinical differences may exist between outbreak-strain (VGIIa, VGIIb, and VGIIc) and nonoutbreak-strain Cg infections in the United States. Clinicians should have a low threshold for testing for Cg, particularly among patients with recent travel to the PNW.

Obesity is not an Independent Risk Factor for Adverse Perioperative and Long-Term Clinical Outcomes Following Open AAA Repair or EVAR

Objectives: Moderate (body mass index [BMI] ≥30) and morbid obesity (BMI ≥35) is increasing at an alarming rate in vascular surgery patients. The objective of this study was to determine the impact of obesity on perioperative and long-term clinical outcomes following open abdominal aortic aneurysm (AAA) repair or endovascular aneurysm repair (EVAR). Methods: This review includes patients that underwent open AAA repair (n = 403) or EVAR (n = 223) from 1999 to 2009. Specific patient characteristics such as comorbid diseases, medications, and body mass index (BMI) were assessed. Specific perioperative outcomes such as length of stay, myocardial infarctions, and mortality were reviewed. In addition, long-term outcomes such as rates of reintervention, permanent renal dysfunction, and mortality beyond 30 days were also assessed. Results: The incidence of obesity in open AAA patients was 25.3% (documented incidence 1.5%) and for EVAR was 24.6% (documented incidence 4%). Moderate and morbid obesity was associated with longer intensive care unit (ICU) admissions for both open AAA or EVAR patients ( P < .05). However, no significant differences in perioperative outcomes in terms of overall length of stay, myocardial infarction, acute renal failure, wound infections, or mortality were noted between obese and nonobese patients underoing open AAA repair or EVAR ( P > .05). Similarly, moderate and morbid obesity was not associated with significant differences in rates of reintervention, permanent renal dysfunction, and mortality beyond 30 days for patients undergoing open AAA repair or EVAR ( P > .05). Conclusions: The results of this study indicate that moderate and morbid obesity are not independently associated with adverse perioperative and long-term clinical outcomes for patients undergoing open AAA repair or EVAR. Therefore, either open AAA repair or EVAR can be accomplished safely in moderately obese and morbidly obese patients.

MRI of broken bioabsorbable crosspin fixation in hamstring graft reconstruction of the anterior cruciate ligament

PURPOSE

To report seven cases of broken bioabsorbable femoral crosspins identified by MRI in evaluation of hamstring grafts of the anterior cruciate ligament.

METHODS

Seven cases of broken bioabsorbable crosspins utilized in femoral fixation of ACL hamstring grafts were identified prospectively and retrospectively from our PACs database during a period from 9/1/08 to 8/31/09. All imaging was performed using 1.5 or 3.0 Tesla MRI and were evaluated for T2 signal within and surrounding the crosspin, osteolysis surrounding the fragments, displacement of fragments, and graft integrity. Time from surgery was also recorded.

RESULTS

Seven cases of hamstring grafts with broken bioabsorbable crosspins were imaged 4 months to 3 years following grafting. There was osteolysis surrounding the crosspin in all but one case in which the graft was intact but a pin fragment was displaced into the joint. One graft failed due to aseptic foreign-body reaction to the fixation with aggressive osteolysis at 9 months post surgery. In the remaining five, the ACL graft was either completely torn, partially torn, lax, or degenerative and frayed. Of these, the crosspins were broken and angulated with osteolysis surrounding the apex of the angulated fragment or demonstrated lateral extrusion of the peripheral fragment.

CONCLUSIONS

Bioabsorbable crosspins utilized in femoral fixation of hamstring graft reconstruction of the ACL may become fractured. While the natural history of osteo-integration of these devices as demonstrated by MRI has not been defined, osteolysis surrounding the fragments, extrusion or displacement of the fragments, and graft laxity or failure would suggest that these are abnormal findings that should be reported.

Pregabalin reduces post-operative pain after mastectomy: a double-blind, randomized, placebo-controlled study

BACKGROUND

Pregabalin is used for the treatment of neuropathic pain and has shown analgesic efficacy in post-operative pain. The aim of this randomized, double-blinded, placebo-controlled trial (Clinical Trials.gov ID NCT00938548) was to investigate the efficacy and safety of pregabalin for reducing post-operative pain in patients after mastectomy.

METHODS

Eighty-four women scheduled for elective mastectomy were randomly assigned to groups that received either pregabalin (75 mg) or placebo, 1 h before surgery and 12 h after the initial dose. Assessments of pain [verbal numerical rating scale (VNRS), at rest and with arm abduction] and side effects were performed at 1, 6, 24 and 48 h post-operatively. After discharge from the hospital, pain was assessed by telephone interview at post-operative 1 week and 1 month.

RESULTS

VNRS scores for pain at rest were lower in the pregabalin group (n=42) than the placebo group (n=42) at 1, 24 and 48 h post-operatively (P<0.05). VNRS scores for pain with arm abduction were lower in the pregabalin group (n=42) than the placebo group (n=42) at 1 and 24 h, and 1 week post-operatively (P<0.05). Incidences of side effects such as nausea and vomiting, headache, dizziness and blurred vision were similar in both groups.

CONCLUSION

Perioperative administration of pregabalin for a single day (75 mg twice daily) was easy, safe and effective in reducing post-operative pain in patients undergoing mastectomy.

The Effect of Self-Implantation on the Interdiffusion in Amorphous Si/Ge Multilayers

Artificial amorphous Si/Ge multilayers of equiatomic average composition with a repeat length around 60 Å have been prepared by ion beam sputtering. Implantation with 29Si led to a decrease in the intensity of the X-ray diffraction peaks arising from the composition modulation, which could be used for an accurate measurement of the implantation-induced mixing distance. Subsequent annealing showed no difference between the interdiffusivity in an implanted and unimplanted sample.

Orientational and Microstructural Evolution During Epitaxial Growth of Cu on Si(001) by Sputter Deposition

Epitaxial Cu thin films have been grown on H-terminated Si(OOl) substrates at room temperature by D.C. ion-beam sputter deposition in ultrahigh vacuum. The development of orientation and microstructure during epitaxial growth from the initial stages of Cu growth up to Cu thicknesses of few hundred nm has been investigated. Analysis by in-situ reflection high energy electron diffraction, thin film x-ray diffraction, and plan-view and cross-sectional transmission electron microscopy indicates that the films are well textured with Cu(001)∥ Si(001) and Cu[100]∥ Si[110]. Interestingly, it is found that a distribution of orientations occurs at the early stages of Cu epitaxy on Si(001) surface, and that a (001) texture emerges gradually with increasing Cu thickness. The effect of silicide formation and deposition conditions on the crystalline quality of Cu epitaxy is also discussed.

The Effect of Ion Implantation on the Interdiffusion in Si/Ge Amorphous Artificial Multilayers

Amorphous Si/Ge artificial multilayers have been implanted with Si and B at liquid nitrogen temperature, and partially ion mixed with Ar at different temperatures. In all cases, the square of the mixing length was found to be proportional to the dose. Annealing of Si-implanted samples showed that after relaxation the diffusivity appeared unaffected by the implantation process. Annealing of the B-implanted samples showed an enhancement of the diffusivity at the higher dose. The diffusive component of the square of the mixing length in the Ar-ion mixed samples has an Arrhenius-type temperature dependence, with an activation enthalpy of 0.22 eV.

Composition- and Temperature-Dependence of Ion Mixing in Amorphous Si/Ge Artificial Multilayers

Amorphous Si/Ge artificial multilayers with a repeat length of around 60A have been partially mixed with 1.5 MeV Ar+ ions at temperatures in the range 77–673K. The change in the intensity of the first X-ray diffraction peak resulting from the composition modulation is used to determine the mixing lengths. The diffusive component of the square of the mixing length, at a given dose, is independent of the dose rate and has an Arrhenius-type temperature dependence, with activation enthalpies between 0.19 and 0.22 eV, depending on the average composition.

Treatment outcome and safety of docetaxel as the third-line chemotherapy in advanced gastric cancer after progression or after failure of FOLFOX and FOLFIRI-based sequential chemotherapy

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Background: We performed multicenter retrospective study to evaluate the activity and the safety of a docetaxel as the third-line chemotherapy in advanced gastric cancer (AGC) patients who had undergone oxaliplatin (FOLFOX) and irinotecan (FOLFIRI)-based chemotherapy regimens.

Methods: Thirty-eight patients with AGC previously treated were eligible for this study. Patients received docetaxel 30 mg/m2 +/- cisplatin 30 mg/m2 IV on day 1, 8 or docetaxel 60 mg/m2 +/- cisplatin 60 mg/m2 IV on day 1 every 3 weeks until disease progression, and responses were assessed after every two cycles according to RECIST criteria and toxicity was evaluated by NCI-CTC.

Results: Thirty-two out of 38 patients were evaluable for response. A total of 95.1 cycles of chemotherapy (median 2, range 0.5–7) were administered. Relative dose intensities of docetaxel and cisplatin were 93.4% and 87.8%, respectively. The overall response rate was 15.6% and the disease control rate was 50%. With a median follow-up duration of 3.1 months (range 0.3-14.3 months), 36 patients had disease progression, and 34 patients had died at the time of analysis. The median progression-free survival was 1.8 months (95% CI, 1.3–2.3 months). The median overall survival was 3.1 months (95% CI, 2.3–3.9 months). Grade 3 or 4 hematologic toxicities included neutropenia in thirteen patients (38.3%), febrile neutropenia in four patients (11.7%). and thrombocytopenia in one patient (2.9%). Other grade 3 or 4 toxicities included neuropathy in three patients (8.8%) and mucositis in two patients (5.9%). There were three treatment-related deaths (8.8%) caused by infection associated with neutropenia.

Conclusions: Salvage docetaxel chemotherapy in AGC patients failed in oxaliplatin and irinotecan-based treatment is not recommend routinely. However, selected patients with good performance status and sufficient albumin levels may have derived some survival benefits from salvage chemotherapy.

No significant financial relationships to disclose.