Effect of in-situ biochemical modification on the synthesis, structure, and function of xanthan gum based bacterial cellulose generated from Tieguanyin oolong tea residue hydrolysate

The effect of in-situ biochemical modification on the synthesis, structure, and function of xanthan gum based bacterial cellulose generated from Tieguanyin oolong tea residue hydrolysate was evaluated for the first time. This modification could overcome the inhibitory effect of the hydrolysate and the bacterial cellulose yield with 0.6% xanthan gum addition increased by 260.8% compared with that without xanthan gum addition. Bacterial cellulose and xanthan gum were combined by the in-situ modification and the alteration of fermentation medium rheological properties by xanthan gum addition might be beneficial for their combination. The average diameter of the bacterial cellulose microfibrils was increased by the modification, and it had a great influence on the crystalline structure of the bacterial cellulose. Additionally, both the water absorption and texture properties of the bacterial cellulose was strengthened by the modification. Overall, this modification showed great potential for efficient and effective xanthan gum based bacterial cellulose production.

Research progress and challenges in stem cell therapy for diabetic foot: Bibliometric analysis and perspectives

BACKGROUND

Stem cell therapy has shown great potential for treating diabetic foot (DF).

AIM

To conduct a bibliometric analysis of studies on the use of stem cell therapy for DF over the past two decades, with the aim of depicting the current global research landscape, identifying the most influential research hotspots, and providing insights for future research directions.

METHODS

We searched the Web of Science Core Collection database for all relevant studies on the use of stem cell therapy in DF. Bibliometric analysis was carried out using CiteSpace, VOSviewer, and R (4.3.1) to identify the most notable studies.

RESULTS

A search was conducted to identify publications related to the use of stem cells for DF treatment. A total of 542 articles published from 2000 to 2023 were identified. The United States had published the most papers on this subject. In this field, Iran's Shahid Beheshti University Medical Sciences demonstrated the highest productivity. Furthermore, Dr. Bayat from the same university has been an outstanding researcher in this field. Stem Cell Research & Therapy is the journal with the highest number of publications in this field. The main keywords were "diabetic foot ulcers," "wound healing," and "angiogenesis."

CONCLUSION

This study systematically illustrated the advances in the use of stem cell therapy to treat DF over the past 23 years. Current research findings suggested that the hotspots in this field include stem cell dressings, exosomes, wound healing, and adipose-derived stem cells. Future research should also focus on the clinical translation of stem cell therapies for DF.

[Distribution characteristics of plasma renin concentration in patients with aldosterone-producing adenoma]

Objective: To analyze the distribution characteristics of plasma renin concentration (PRC) in patients with aldosterone-producing adenoma (APA) and its impact on diagnosis. Methods: In this retrospective case series, clinical data from 200 patients with APA (80 men and 120 women; mean age 45.6 years) in the First Affiliated Hospital of Chongqing Medical University from November 2013 to January 2022 were evaluated. PRC was determined by automated chemiluminescence immunoassay. The distribution characteristics of PRC were analyzed, and 8.2 mU/L was used as the low renin cutoff to evaluate whether renin was suppressed. Results: The median PRC was 1.6 mU/L (range, 0.4-41.5 mU/L). There were 116 patients with APA with PRC of ≤2 mU/L, 41 patients with 2<PRC≤4 mU/L. PRC was not suppressed (PRC>8.2 mU/L) in 8.0% (16/200) of the patients with APA. And PRC was not suppressed in 2.5% (5/200) of the patients with APA, resulting in a primary aldosteronism negative screening outcome. Conclusions: Although most patients with APA have low PRC, there are a small number (8%) of patients whose PRC has not been fully suppressed, which can lead to missed diagnoses during primary aldosteronism screening. While primary aldosteronism is highly suspected, further investigations are required to determine the diagnosis, even if PRC is not fully suppressed at screening.

Design and Fabrication of a C-Band Dielectric Resonator Antenna with Novel Temperature-Stable Ce(Nb1-xVx)NbO4 (x = 0-0.4) Microwave Ceramics

Vanadium(V)-substituted cerium niobate [Ce(Nb1-xVx)O4, CNVx] ceramics were prepared to explore their structure-microwave (MW) property relations and application in C-band dielectric resonator antennas (DRAs). X-ray diffraction and Raman spectroscopy revealed that CNVx (0.0 ≤ x ≤ 0.4) ceramics exhibited a ferroelastic phase transition at a critical content of V (xc = 0.3) from a monoclinic fergusonite structure to a tetragonal scheelite structure (TF-S), which decreased in temperature as a function of x according to thermal expansion analysis. Optimum microwave dielectric performance was obtained for CNV0.3 with permittivity (εr) of ∼16.81, microwave quality factor (Qf) of ∼41 300 GHz (at ∼8.7 GHz), and temperature coefficient of the resonant frequency (TCF) of ∼ -3.5 ppm/°C. εr is dominated by Ce-O phonon absorption in the microwave band; Qf is mainly determined by the porosity, grain size, and proximity of TF-S; and TCF is controlled by the structural distortions associated with TF-S. Terahertz (THz) (0.20-2.00 THz, εr ∼ 12.52 ± 0.70, and tan δ ∼ 0.39 ± 0.17) and infrared measurements are consistent, demonstrating that CNVx (0.0 ≤ x ≤ 0.4) ceramics are effective in the sub-millimeter as well as MW regime. A cylindrical DRA prototype antenna fabricated from CNV0.3 resonated at 7.02 GHz (|S11| = -28.8 dB), matching simulations, with >90% radiation efficiency and 3.34-5.93 dB gain.

Targets and Effective Constituents of ZhiziBaipi Decoction for Treating Damp-Heat Jaundice Syndrome Based on Chinmedomics Coupled with UPLC-MS/MS

Background: Damp-heat jaundice syndrome (DHJS) is a diagnostic model of traditional Chinese medicine (TCM) that refers to jaundice caused by damp-heat pathogen invasion. DHJS is the most common clinical manifestation of TCM, with yellow skin, yellow eyes and anorexia. ZhiziBaipi Decoction (ZBD) is a classic TCM formula that is effective at treating DHJS and various liver diseases. However, the effective components of ZBD in the context of DHJS and the underlying mechanism are unclear.

Purpose: This study of ZBD using the DHJS rat model aimed to elucidate the pathobiology of DHJS and the metabolic targets of therapeutic ZBD, construct the network relationship between the components of ZBD and endogenous biomarkers, and clarify the underlying mechanism of ZBD in preventing and treating DHJS.

Methods: Using chinmedomics as the core strategy, an animal model was generated, and the therapeutic effect of ZBD was evaluated based on behavioral, histopathological and biochemical indicators. Metabonomics tools were used to identify biomarkers of DHJS, TCM-based serum pharmacochemistry was used to analyze the effective constituents of ZBD, and chinmedomics technology was used to identify ZBD components highly related to DHJS biomarkers.

Results: A total of 42 biomarkers were preliminarily identified, and ZBD significantly affected the levels of 29 of these biomarkers. A total of 59 compounds in ZBD were characterized in vivo. According to chinmedomics analysis, the highly correlated components found in blood were isoformononetin, 3-O-feruloylquinic acid, glycyrrhizic acid, oxyberberine, obaculactone and five metabolites.

Conclusions: Chinmedomics combined with UPLC-MS/MS was used to study the targets and effective constituents of ZBD for the treatment of DHJS.

[Q-markers of Yuquan Capsules based on serum pharmacochemistry of Chinese medicine]

This study analyzed the quality markers(Q-markers) of Yuquan Capsules(YQC) based on serum pharmacochemistry of Chinese medicine and detected the components and metabolites of YQC absorbed into the blood by UPLC-Q-TOF-MS and UNIFI systems. As a result, 32 components of YQC were detected, including 17 prototype components and 15 metabolized components. Among them, 12 prototype components(ginsenoside Rh_2, genistein, formononetin, puerarin, daidzein, schizandrin A, schizandrin B, schizandrin C, schizandrol A, schizandrol B, gomisin D, and ononin) and 12 metabolized components(ginsenoside Rg_1, ginsenoside Rg_2, ginsenoside Rg_3, ginsenoside Ro, 3'-methoxypuerarin, daidzin, astragaloside Ⅱ, astragaloside Ⅳ, glycyrrhizic acid, liquiritigenin, isoliquiritin, and verbascoside) showed inhibitory effects and pharmacological activities against diabetes, and these 24 blood-entering components against diabetes were identified as Q-markers of YQC.

Alterations in the Gut Microbiota and Their Metabolites in Colorectal Cancer: Recent Progress and Future Prospects

Colorectal cancer (CRC) is a leading cause of cancer morbidity and mortality worldwide. The etiology and pathogenesis of CRC remain unclear. A growing body of evidence suggests dysbiosis of gut bacteria can contribute to the occurrence and development of CRC by generating harmful metabolites and changing host physiological processes. Metabolomics, a systems biology method, will systematically study the changes in metabolites in the physiological processes of the body, eventually playing a significant role in the detection of metabolic biomarkers and improving disease diagnosis and treatment. Metabolomics, in particular, has been highly beneficial in tracking microbially derived metabolites, which has substantially advanced our comprehension of host-microbiota metabolic interactions in CRC. This paper has briefly compiled recent research progress of the alterations of intestinal flora and its metabolites associated with CRC and the application of association analysis of metabolomics and gut microbiome in the diagnosis, prevention, and treatment of CRC; furthermore, we discuss the prospects for the problems and development direction of this association analysis in the study of CRC. Gut microbiota and their metabolites influence the progression and causation of CRC, and the association analysis of metabolomics and gut microbiome will provide novel strategies for the prevention, diagnosis, and therapy of CRC.

Design of a Sub-6 GHz Dielectric Resonator Antenna with Novel Temperature-Stabilized (Sm1-xBix)NbO4 (x = 0-0.15) Microwave Dielectric Ceramics

Microwave dielectric ceramics exhibiting a low dielectric constant (ε_r), high quality factor (Q × f), and thermal stability, specifically in an ultrawide temperature range (from -40 to +120 °C), have attracted much attention. In addition, the development of 5G communication has caused an urgent demand for electronic devices, such as dielectric resonant antennas. Hence, the feasibility of optimizing the dielectric properties of the SmNbO₄ (SN) ceramics by substituting Bi³⁺ ions at the A site was studied. The permittivity principally hinges on the contribution of Sm/Bi-O to phonon absorption in the microwave range, while the reduced sintering temperature results in a smaller grain size and slightly lower Q × f value. The expanded and distorted crystal cell indicates that Bi³⁺ doping effectively regulates the temperature coefficient of resonant frequency (TCF) by adjusting the strains (causing the distorted monoclinic structure) of monoclinic fergusonite besides correlating with the permittivity. Moreover, a larger A-site radius facilitates the acquisition of near-zero TCF values. Notably, the (Sm_0.875Bi_0.125)NbO₄ (SB_0.125N) ceramic with ε_r ≈ 21.9, Q × f ≈ 38 300 GHz (at ∼8.0 GHz), and two different near-zero TCF values of -9.0 (from -40 to +60 °C) and -6.6 ppm/°C (from +60 to +120 °C), respectively, were obtained in the microwave band. A simultaneous increase in the phase transition temperature (T_c) and coefficients of thermal expansion (CTEs) by A-site substitution provides the possibility for promising thermal barrier coating (TBC) materials. Then, a cylindrical dielectric resonator antenna (CDRA) with a resonance at 4.86 GHz and bandwidth of 870 MHz was fabricated by the SB_0.125N specimen. The exceptional performance shows that the SB_0.125N material is a possible candidate for the sub-6 GHz antenna owing to the advantages of low loss and stable temperature.

Effect of acupressure combined with Yinzhihuang granules on neonatal jaundice: a systematic review and meta-analysis of randomized controlled trials

BACKGROUND

With the improvement of living standards in recent years, people are paying increasing attention to neonatal jaundice. Yinzhihuang granule is a common Chinese herbal drug for the treatment of neonatal jaundice. The aim of this paper was to study the efficacy of acupressure-assisted Yinzhihuang granule in the treatment of neonatal jaundice by meta-analysis.

METHODS

We performed a search in the databases of PubMed, Embase, Cochrane Library, Chinese Journal Full-text Database (CNKI), VIP, Wanfang Science and Technology Journal Full-text Database, and Chinese Biomedical Literature Search Database (CBM) for articles on the therapeutic effect of acupressure-assisted Yinzhihuang granule on neonatal jaundice from database establishment to October 2021. The software Endnote X9 was used to check and eliminate the articles, screen the articles according to the required inclusion and exclusion criteria, extract the data, and perform quality evaluation according to the risk of bias tool of Cochrane Collaboration. The software Stata 15.1 and RevMan 5.3 were used to record the data, and a meta-analysis was performed on the effective rate of acupressure-assisted Yinzhihuang granule in the treatment of neonatal jaundice, according to serum total bilirubin values after treatment and duration of jaundice. And show the efficacy of Yinzhihuang particles through these results. The reliability of the results was assessed by sensitivity analysis. Funnel plots were used to test the publication bias of the articles.

RESULTS

A total of 3 articles were included. The results of meta-analysis showed that when acupressure-assisted Yinzhihuang granule was used to treat neonatal jaundice, the effective rate of the test group was not significantly different from that in the control group; the serum total bilirubin level in the test group was significantly lower than that in the control group after treatment; the duration of jaundice in the test group was significantly shorter than that in the control group.

DISCUSSION

Acupressure combined with Yinzhihuang granule is effective in treating neonatal jaundice, which has a positive effect on reducing the level of serum total bilirubin and reducing the duration of jaundice.

Deep-LIBRA: An artificial-intelligence method for robust quantification of breast density with independent validation in breast cancer risk assessment

Breast density is an important risk factor for breast cancer that also affects the specificity and sensitivity of screening mammography. Current federal legislation mandates reporting of breast density for all women undergoing breast cancer screening. Clinically, breast density is assessed visually using the American College of Radiology Breast Imaging Reporting And Data System (BI-RADS) scale. Here, we introduce an artificial intelligence (AI) method to estimate breast density from digital mammograms. Our method leverages deep learning using two convolutional neural network architectures to accurately segment the breast area. An AI algorithm combining superpixel generation and radiomic machine learning is then applied to differentiate dense from non-dense tissue regions within the breast, from which breast density is estimated. Our method was trained and validated on a multi-racial, multi-institutional dataset of 15,661 images (4,437 women), and then tested on an independent matched case-control dataset of 6368 digital mammograms (414 cases; 1178 controls) for both breast density estimation and case-control discrimination. On the independent dataset, breast percent density (PD) estimates from Deep-LIBRA and an expert reader were strongly correlated (Spearman correlation coefficient = 0.90). Moreover, in a model adjusted for age and BMI, Deep-LIBRA yielded a higher case-control discrimination performance (area under the ROC curve, AUC = 0.612 [95% confidence interval (CI): 0.584, 0.640]) compared to four other widely-used research and commercial breast density assessment methods (AUCs = 0.528 to 0.599). Our results suggest a strong agreement of breast density estimates between Deep-LIBRA and gold-standard assessment by an expert reader, as well as improved performance in breast cancer risk assessment over state-of-the-art open-source and commercial methods.

Abstract 2600: Deep-LIBRA: An artificial intelligence approach for fully-automated assessment of breast density in digital mammography

Accurate estimation of mammographic breast density could aid in augmenting breast cancer risk assessment for women undergoing breast screening with full-field digital mammography (FFDM). Breast density can be estimated from FFDM and is most commonly assessed in the clinic by visual grading into one of the four categories defined by the American College of Radiology BI-RADS. However, BI-RADS density assessment is highly subjective and does not provide a quantitative, continuous measure of percent density (PD), which would allow for more refined risk stratification and assessment of density changes. Here, we introduce Deep-LIBRA, an artificial intelligence (AI) tool for fully-automated assessment of breast PD from FFDM images. Two key modules form the core of Deep-LIBRA: 1) an implementation of a modified U-Net architecture for breast segmentation and 2) a radiomic machine learning module that performs PD estimation within the segmented breast region. To develop and validate Deep-LIBRA, raw (i.e., "For Processing") FFDM images (Selenia Dimensions, Hologic Inc.) acquired at two breast cancer screening practices were retrospectively analyzed. For the breast segmentation module, we used a total of 12,100 FFDM studies from 2,200 individual women and a 90%-10% split-sample training-validation approach, using the Dice coefficient to evaluate the accuracy of Deep-LIBRA versus ground-truth manual breast segmentation. For the PD estimation module we used a total of 3,304 FFDM images from 1,652 individual women; manual PD scores obtained with the widely used Cumulus software were used as the "gold standard" in a three-fold cross-validation setting to assess the accuracy of Deep-LIBRA in PD estimation. PD estimates from Deep-LIBRA were also compared with breast density estimates from the commercially available Volpara software. Breast segmentation had a Dice coefficient of 95.31% when compared to ground-truth manual breast segmentation in the validation set. Deep-LIBRA average differences from ground-truth PD scores in the three cross-validation folds were 4.91%, 4.65%, and 4.22%, while Volpara had corresponding average differences of 6.20%, 6.01%, and 5.94%. Deep-LIBRA PD scores were also significantly different from Volpara PD (t-test p-value &lt; 0.001 in all three folds). Preliminary evaluation results show that Deep-LIBRA is a promising AI approach for accurately assessing PD from FFDM images.

Citation Format: Omid Haji Maghsoudi, Scott Christopher, Aimilia Gastounioti, Lauren Pantalone, Fang-Fang Wu, Eric A. Cohen, Winham Stacey, Emily F. Conant, Celine Vachon, Despina Kontos. Deep-LIBRA: An artificial intelligence approach for fully-automated assessment of breast density in digital mammography [abstract]. In: Proceedings of the American Association for Cancer Research Annual Meeting 2021; 2021 Apr 10-15 and May 17-21. Philadelphia (PA): AACR; Cancer Res 2021;81(13_Suppl):Abstract nr 2600.

Efficacy of berberine in treatment of rheumatoid arthritis: From multiple targets to therapeutic potential

Rheumatoid arthritis is a systemic autoimmune disorder involved in persistent synovial inflammation. Berberine is a nature-derived alkaloid compound with multiple pharmacological activities in different pathologies, including RA. Recent experimental studies have clarified several determinant cellular and molecular targets of BBR in RA, and provided novel evidence supporting the promising therapeutic potential of BBR to combat RA. In this review, we recapitulate the therapeutic potential of BBR and its mechanism of action in ameliorating RA, and discuss the modulation of gut microbiota by BBR during RA. Collectively, BBR might be a promising lead drug with multi-functional activities for the therapeutic strategy of RA.

Whether cognitive behavioral therapy is effective for Alzheimer's disease: A protocol for systematic review and network meta-analysis

BACKGROUND

Alzheimer disease (AD) is a progressive neurodegenerative disease characterized by impaired memory and cognitive judgment. It is the leading cause of dementia in the elderly, and its high morbidity and mortality have also brought a significant social burden. So far, there is no method can completely cure Alzheimer's dementia, but there are many non-drug treatments that have been praised by people, especially the cognitive behavioral therapy proposed in recent years. The main purpose of this article is to evaluate the effect of cognitive behavioral therapy on the cognitive function improvement of patients with Alzheimer's dementia.

METHODS

We did a network meta-analysis to identify both direct and indirect evidence in relevant studies. A systematic literature search will be performed in the Cochrane Library, PubMed, and EMBASE from inception to October 2020. We extracted the relevant information from these trials with a predefined data extraction sheet and assessed the risk of bias with the Cochrane risk of bias tool.The outcomes investigated were Mini-Mental State Examination and AD Assessment Scale-Cognitive section scores. We did a pair-wise meta-analysis using the fixed-effects model and then did a random-effects network meta-analysis within a Bayesian framework. The = the Assessment of Multiple Systematic Reviews-2 scale, Preferred Reporting Items for Systematic Reviews and Meta-Analyses scale and Grading of Recommendations Assessment, Development and Evaluation were used to assess the quality and evidence grade of the literature. General characteristics of the eligible randomized controlled trials will be summarized and described. Meanwhile, The ADDIS software will be used to perform the network meta-analysis, and the result figures will be generated by STATA 15.0 software.

RESULTS

Using the draft search strategy of databases and after screening,7 randomized controlled trials met the a priori criteria and were included. This network mate-analysis will be published in a peer-reviewed journal.

CONCLUSION

Our study will provide evidence for cognitive behavioral intervention in AD patients. And provide recommendations and guidelines for the clinic.

PROTOCOL REGISTRATION

INPLASY2020110052.

Association of mammographic density measures and breast cancer "intrinsic" molecular subtypes

PURPOSE

We evaluated the association of percent mammographic density (PMD), absolute dense area (DA), and non-dense area (NDA) with risk of "intrinsic" molecular breast cancer (BC) subtypes.

METHODS

We pooled 3492 invasive BC and 10,148 controls across six studies with density measures from prediagnostic, digitized film-screen mammograms. We classified BC tumors into subtypes [63% Luminal A, 21% Luminal B, 5% HER2 expressing, and 11% as triple negative (TN)] using information on estrogen receptor (ER), progesterone receptor (PR), human epidermal growth factor receptor 2 (HER2), and tumor grade. We used polytomous logistic regression to calculate odds ratio (OR) and 95% confidence intervals (CI) for density measures (per SD) across the subtypes compared to controls, adjusting for age, body mass index and study, and examined differences by age group.

RESULTS

All density measures were similarly associated with BC risk across subtypes. Significant interaction of PMD by age (P = 0.001) was observed for Luminal A tumors, with stronger effect sizes seen for younger women < 45 years (OR = 1.69 per SD PMD) relative to women of older ages (OR = 1.53, ages 65-74, OR = 1.44 ages 75 +). Similar but opposite trends were seen for NDA by age for risk of Luminal A: risk for women: < 45 years (OR = 0.71 per SD NDA) was lower than older women (OR = 0.83 and OR = 0.84 for ages 65-74 and 75 + , respectively) (P < 0.001). Although not significant, similar patterns of associations were seen by age for TN cancers.

CONCLUSIONS

Mammographic density measures were associated with risk of all "intrinsic" molecular subtypes. However, findings of significant interactions between age and density measures may have implications for subtype-specific risk models.

Magnetic brain stimulation using iron oxide nanoparticle-mediated selective treatment of the left prelimbic cortex as a novel strategy to rapidly improve depressive-like symptoms in mice

Magnetic brain stimulation has greatly contributed to the advancement of neuroscience. However, challenges remain in the power of penetration and precision of magnetic stimulation, especially in small animals. Here, a novel combined magnetic stimulation system (c-MSS) was established for brain stimulation in mice. The c-MSS uses a mild magnetic pulse sequence and injection of superparamagnetic iron oxide (SPIO) nanodrugs to elevate local cortical susceptibility. After imaging of the SPIO nanoparticles in the left prelimbic (PrL) cortex in mice, we determined their safety and physical characteristics. Depressive-like behavior was established in mice using a chronic unpredictable mild stress (CUMS) model. SPIO nanodrugs were then delivered precisely to the left PrL cortex using in situ injection. A 0.1 T magnetic field (adjustable frequency) was used for magnetic stimulation (5 min/session, two sessions daily). Biomarkers representing therapeutic effects were measured before and after c-MSS intervention. Results showed that c-MSS rapidly improved depressive-like symptoms in CUMS mice after stimulation with a 10 Hz field for 5 d, combined with increased brain-derived neurotrophic factor (BDNF) and inactivation of hypothalamic-pituitary-adrenal (HPA) axis function, which enhanced neuronal activity due to SPIO nanoparticle-mediated effects. The c-MSS was safe and effective, representing a novel approach in the selective stimulation of arbitrary cortical targets in small animals, playing a bioelectric role in neural circuit regulation, including antidepressant effects in CUMS mice. This expands the potential applications of magnetic stimulation and progresses brain research towards clinical application.

Longitudinal Changes in Volumetric Breast Density in Healthy Women across the Menopausal Transition

BACKGROUND

Mammographic breast density declines during menopause. We assessed changes in volumetric breast density across the menopausal transition and factors that influence these changes.

METHODS

Women without a history of breast cancer, who had full field digital mammograms during both pre- and postmenopausal periods, at least 2 years apart, were sampled from four facilities within the San Francisco Mammography Registry from 2007 to 2013. Dense breast volume (DV) was assessed using Volpara on mammograms across the time period. Annualized change in DV from pre- to postmenopause was estimated using linear mixed models adjusted for covariates and per-woman random effects. Multiplicative interactions were evaluated between premenopausal risk factors and time to determine whether these covariates modified the annualized changes.

RESULTS

Among the 2,586 eligible women, 1,802 had one premenopausal and one postmenopausal mammogram, 628 had an additional perimenopausal mammogram, and 156 had two perimenopausal mammograms. Women experienced an annualized decrease in DV [-2.2 cm³ (95% confidence interval, -2.7 to -1.7)] over the menopausal transition. Declines were greater among women with a premenopausal DV above the median (54 cm³) versus below (DV, -3.5 cm³ vs. -1.0 cm³; P < 0.0001). Other breast cancer risk factors, including race, body mass index, family history, alcohol, and postmenopausal hormone therapy, had no effect on change in DV over the menopausal transition.

CONCLUSIONS

High premenopausal DV was a strong predictor of greater reductions in DV across the menopausal transition.

IMPACT

We found that few factors other than premenopausal density influence changes in DV across the menopausal transition, limiting targeted prevention efforts.

Edaravone attenuates traumatic brain injury through anti-inflammatory and anti-oxidative modulation

Traumatic brain injury (TBI) is among the leading causes of irreversible neurological damage and death worldwide. The aim of the present study was to investigate whether edaravone (EDA) had a neuroprotective effect on TBI as well as to identify the potential mechanism. Results demonstrated that EDA suppressed inflammatory and oxidative responses in mice following TBI. This was evidenced by a reduction in glutathione peroxidase, interleukin 6, tumor necrosis factor-α and hydrogen peroxide levels, in addition to an increase in hemeoxygenase-1, quinone oxidoreductase 1 and superoxide dismutase levels, thereby mitigating neurofunctional deficits, cell apoptosis and structural damage. EDA prevented the transfer of NF-κB protein from the cytoplasm to the nucleus, whilst promoting the expression of nuclear factor erythroid 2-related factor 2 (Nrf2) protein in mice following TBI. These results indicated that EDA exerted neuroprotective effects, including impeding neurofunctional deficits, cell apoptosis and structural damage, in mice with TBI, potentially via suppression of NF-κB-mediated inflammatory activation and promotion of the Nrf2 antioxidant pathway.

Gut microbiota as important modulator of metabolism in health and disease

The human gastrointestinal tract colonizes a large number of microbial microflora, forms a host-microbiota co-metabolism structure with the host to participate in various metabolic processes in the human body, and plays a major role in the host immune response. In addition, the dysbiosis of intestinal microbial homeostasis is closely related to many diseases. Thus, an in-depth understanding of the relationship between them is of importance for disease pathogenesis, prevention and treatment. The combined use of metagenomics, transcriptomics, proteomics and metabolomics techniques for the analysis of gut microbiota can reveal the relationship between microbiota and the host in many ways, which has become a hot topic of analysis in recent years. This review describes the mechanism of co-metabolites in host health, including short-chain fatty acids (SCFA) and bile acid metabolism. The metabolic role of gut microbiota in obesity, liver diseases, gastrointestinal diseases and other diseases is also summarized, and the research methods for multi-omics combined application on gut microbiota are summarized. According to the studies of the interaction mechanism between gut microbiota and the host, we have a better understanding of the use of intestinal microflora in the treatment of related diseases. It is hoped that the gut microbiota can be utilized to maintain human health, providing a reference for future research.

Isoliquiritigenin Provides Protection and Attenuates Oxidative Stress-Induced Injuries via the Nrf2-ARE Signaling Pathway After Traumatic Brain Injury

Traumatic brain injury (TBI) is a serious public health and medical problem worldwide. Oxidative stress plays a vital role in the pathogenesis of TBI. Nuclear factor erythroid 2-related factor 2 (Nrf2), an important factor in the cellular defense against oxidative stress, is activated following TBI. In this study, the protective effects of Isoliquiritigenin (ILG), a promising antioxidant stress drug, was evaluated as a protective agent against TBI. In a mouse model of controlled cortical impact Injury, we found that the ILG administration reduced the Garcia neuroscore, injury histopathology, brain water content, cerebral vascular permeability, the expression of cleaved caspase3, aquaporin-4, glial fibrillary acidic protein and the increased the expression of neurofilament light chain protein, indicating the protective effects against TBI in vivo. ILG treatment after TBI also restored the oxidative stress and promoted the Nrf2 protein transfer from the cytoplasm to the nucleus. We then used Nrf2-/- mice to test the protective effect of Nrf2 during ILG treatment of TBI. Our findings indicated that Nrf2-/- mice had greater brain injury and oxidative stress than wild-type (WT) mice and ILG was less effective at inhibiting oxidative stress and repairing the brain injury than in the WT mice. In vitro studies in SY5Y cells under oxygen glucose deprivation/re-oxygenation stimulation yielded results that were consistent with those obtained in vivo showing that ILG promotes Nrf2 protein transfer from the cytoplasm to the nucleus. Taken together, our findings demonstrate that Nrf2 is an important protective factor against TBI-induced injuries, which indicates that the protective effects of ILG are mediated by inhibiting oxidative stress after TBI via a mechanism that involves the promotion of Nrf2 protein transfer from the cytoplasm to the nucleus.

Isoliquiritigenin protects against blood‑brain barrier damage and inhibits the secretion of pro-inflammatory cytokines in mice after traumatic brain injury

Traumatic brain injury (TBI) caused by an external mechanical force acting on the brain is a serious neurological condition. Inflammation plays an important role in prolonging secondary tissue injury after TBI, leading to neuronal cell death and dysfunction. Isoliquiritigenin (ILG) is a flavonoid monomer with anti-inflammatory characteristic. Thus, we had investigated the potential protective effects of ILG on TBI-induced injuries and identified the mechanisms underlying it. Here, we have demonstrated that ILG preserves blood brain barrier (BBB) integrity in vivo, suppresses the activation of microglia and inflammatory responses in mice after TBI, consequently leading to neurofunctional deficits, brain oedema, structural damage, and macrophage infiltration. In vitro, ILG exerts anti-inflammatory effect, and upregulates tight junction proteins 120‑β‑catenin and occludin in SH‑SY5Y cells under oxygen glucose deprivation/reoxygenation (OGD/D) condition. Additionally, we found that PI3K/AKT/GSK‑3β signalling pathway is involved in ILG treatment for TBI. To further confirm it, we had used SC79 (ethyl 2‑amino‑6‑chloro‑4‑(1‑cyano‑2‑ethoxy‑2‑oxoethyl)‑4H‑chromene‑3‑carboxylate), an Akt specific activator, to activate Akt, we found that SC79 partially reduces the protective effect of ILG for TBI. Overall, our current study reveals the neuroprotective role of ILG on TBI-induced BBB damage, downregulated tight junction proteins via PI3K/AKT/GSK‑3β signalling pathway. Furthermore, ILG suppresses the secretion of pro-inflammatory cytokines after TBI through inhibiting the PI3K/AKT/GSK‑3β/NF‑κB signalling pathway. Our findings suggest that GSK‑3β is a key regulatory factor during TBI-induced secretion of inflammatory cytokines, neuronal apoptosis and destruction of BBB.

Does mammographic density mediate risk factor associations with breast cancer? An analysis by tumor characteristics

BACKGROUND

Though mammographic density (MD) has been proposed as an intermediate marker of breast cancer risk, few studies have examined whether the associations between breast cancer risk factors and risk are mediated by MD, particularly by tumor characteristics.

METHODS

Our study population included 3392 cases (1105 premenopausal) and 8882 (3192 premenopausal) controls from four case-control studies. For established risk factors, we estimated the percent of the total risk factor association with breast cancer that was mediated by percent MD (secondarily, by dense area and non-dense area) for invasive breast cancer as well as for subtypes defined by the estrogen receptor (ER+/ER-), progesterone receptor (PR+/PR-), and HER2 (HER2+/HER2-). Analyses were conducted separately in pre- and postmenopausal women.

RESULTS

Positive associations between prior breast biopsy and risk of invasive breast cancer as well as all subtypes were partially mediated by percent MD in pre- and postmenopausal women (percent mediated = 11-27%, p ≤ 0.02). In postmenopausal women, nulliparity and hormone therapy use were positively associated with invasive, ER+ , PR+ , and HER2- breast cancer; percent MD partially mediated these associations (percent mediated ≥ 31%, p ≤ 0.02). Further, among postmenopausal women, percent MD partially mediated the positive association between later age at first birth and invasive as well as ER+ breast cancer (percent mediated = 16%, p ≤ 0.05).

CONCLUSION

Percent MD partially mediated the associations between breast biopsy, nulliparity, age at first birth, and hormone therapy with risk of breast cancer, particularly among postmenopausal women, suggesting that these risk factors at least partially influence breast cancer risk through changes in breast tissue composition.

Spatial learning and memory impairments are associated with increased neuronal activity in 5XFAD mouse as measured by manganese-enhanced magnetic resonance imaging

Dysfunction of neuronal activity is a major and early contributor to cognitive impairment in Alzheimer's disease (AD). To investigate neuronal activity alterations at early stage of AD, we encompassed behavioral testing and in vivo manganese-enhanced magnetic resonance imaging (MEMRI) in 5XFAD mice at early ages (1-, 2-, 3- and 5-month). The 5XFAD model over-express human amyloid precursor protein (APP) and presenilin 1 (PS1) harboring five familial AD mutations, which have a high APP expression correlating with a high burden and an accelerated accumulation of the 42 amino acid species of amyloid-β. In the Morris water maze, 5XFAD mice showed longer escape latency and poorer memory retention. In the MEMRI, 5XFAD mice showed increased signal intensity in the brain regions involved in spatial cognition, including the entorhinal cortex, the hippocampus, the retrosplenial cortex and the caudate putamen. Of note, the observed alterations in spatial cognition were associated with increased MEMRI signal intensity. These findings indicate that aberrant increased basal neuronal activity may contribute to the spatial cognitive function impairment at early stage of AD, and may further suggest the potential use of MEMRI to predict cognitive impairments. Early intervention that targets aberrant neuronal activity may be crucial to prevent cognitive impairment.

Intervertebral Foramen Injection of Ozone Relieves Mechanical Allodynia and Enhances Analgesic Effect of Gabapentin in Animal Model of Neuropathic Pain

BACKGROUND

In a 5-year follow-up study in a hospital in southern China, it was shown that intervertebral foramen (IVF) injection of ozone at the involved segmental levels could significantly alleviate paroxysmal spontaneous pain and mechanical allodynia in patients with chronic, intractable postherpetic neuralgia (PHN) and improve the quality of life. However, so far no proof-of-concept studies in animals have been available.

OBJECTIVE

This study was designed to investigate whether IVF ozone has an analgesic effect on animal models of neuropathic and inflammatory pain.

STUDY DESIGN

Experimental trial in rats.

SETTING

Institute for Biomedical Sciences of Pain.

METHODS

By IVF injection, a volume of 50 µl containing 30 µg/mL ozone-oxygen mixture or 50 µl air was carried out on male Sprague-Dawley rats of naïve, inflammatory pain states produced by injections of either bee venom or complete Freud's adjuvant, and neuropathic pain state produced by spared nerve injury, respectively. The effects of IVF ozone on pain-related behaviors were evaluated for 2 weeks or one month. Then combined use of gabapentin (100 mg/1 kg body weight) with IVF ozone was evaluated in rats with neuropathic pain by intraperitoneal administration 5 days after the ozone treatment. Finally, the analgesic effects of another 4 drugs, AMD3100 (a CXCR4 antagonist), A-803467 (a selective Nav1.8 blocker), rapamycin (the mTOR inhibitor), and MGCD0103 (a selective histone deacetylase inhibitor) were evaluated for long term through IVF injection, respectively.

RESULTS

(1) IVF injection of ozone at L4-5 was only effective in suppression of mechanical allodynia in rats with neuropathic pain but not with inflammatory pain; (2) the analgesic effects of IVF ozone lasted much longer (> 14 days) than other selective molecular target drugs (< 48 hours) inhibiting or antagonizing at Nav1.8 (A-803467), CXCR4 (AMD3100), mTOR (rapamycin), and histone deacetylase (MGCD0103); (3) combined use of systemic gabapentin and IVF ozone produced a synergistic analgesic effect in rats with neuropathic pain.

LIMITATIONS

Evaluation of the possible analgesic effects of the intraplantar injection of ozone was not performed.

CONCLUSIONS

In the present study, we provided a line of evidence for the first time that IVF injection of ozone selectively relieved neuropathic pain but not inflammatory pain, and enhanced the analgesic effect of gabapentin.

KEY WORDS

Chronic pain, neuropathic pain, inflammatory pain, ozone therapy, interventional therapy, gabapentin, spared nerve injury, bee venom, complete Freud's adjuvant.

Uncoupling protein 2 modulation of the NLRP3 inflammasome in astrocytes and its implications in depression

Mitochondrial uncoupling protein 2 (UCP2) has been well characterized to control the production of reactive oxygen species (ROS) and astrocytes are the major cells responsible for the ROS production and the inflammatory responses in the brain. However, the function of UCP2 in astrocytes and the contribution of astrocytic UCP2 to depression remain undefined. Herein, we demonstrated that UCP2 knockout (KO) mice displayed aggravated depressive-like behaviors, impaired neurogenesis, and enhanced loss of astrocytes in the chronic mild stress (CMS)-induced anhedonia model of depression. We further found that UCP2 ablation significantly enhanced the activation of the nod-like receptor protein 3 (NLRP3) inflammasome in the hippocampus and in astrocytes. Furthermore, UCP2 deficiency promoted the injury of mitochondria, the generation of ROS and the physical association between thioredoxin-interacting protein (TXNIP) and NLRP3 in astrocytes. Moreover, transiently expressing exogenous UCP2 partially rescued the deleterious effects of UCP2 ablation on the astrocytes. These data indicate that UCP2 negatively regulates the activation of NLRP3 inflammasome and inhibited the ROS-TXNIP-NLRP3 pathway in astrocytes. Collectively, our findings reveal that UCP2 regulates inflammation responses in astrocytes and plays an important role in the pathogenesis of depression and that UCP2 may be a promising therapeutic target for depression.

Ethanol Increases Mechanical Pain Sensitivity in Rats via Activation of GABAA Receptors in Medial Prefrontal Cortex

Ethanol is widely known for its ability to cause dramatic changes in emotion, social cognition, and behavior following systemic administration in humans. Human neuroimaging studies suggest that alcohol dependence and chronic pain may share common mechanisms through amygdala-medial prefrontal cortex (mPFC) interactions. However, whether acute administration of ethanol in the mPFC can modulate pain perception is unknown. Here we showed that bilateral microinjections of ethanol into the prelimbic and infralimbic areas of the mPFC lowered the bilateral mechanical pain threshold for 48 h without influencing thermal pain sensitivity in adult rats. However, bilateral microinjections of artificial cerebrospinal fluid into the mPFC or bilateral microinjections of ethanol into the dorsolateral PFC (also termed as motor cortex area 1 in Paxinos and Watson's atlas of The Rat Brain. Elsevier Academic Press, Amsterdam, 2005) failed to do so, suggesting regional selectivity of the effects of ethanol. Moreover, bilateral microinjections of ethanol did not change the expression of either pro-apoptotic (caspase-3 and Bax) or anti-apoptotic (Bcl-2) proteins, suggesting that the dose was safe and validating the method used in the current study. To determine whether γ-aminobutyric acid A (GABAA) receptors are involved in mediating the ethanol effects, muscimol, a selective GABAA receptor agonist, or bicuculline, a selective GABAA receptor antagonist, was administered alone or co-administered with ethanol through the same route into the bilateral mPFC. The results showed that muscimol mimicked the effects of ethanol while bicuculline completely reversed the effects of ethanol and muscimol. In conclusion, ethanol increases mechanical pain sensitivity through activation of GABAA receptors in the mPFC of rats.

[The effect of CPAP therapy on dizziness]

Objective:To implore the effect of continuous positive airway pressure (CPAP) therapy on dizziness patients and its mechanism. Method:Seventy-five dizziness patients were enrolled. All patients accepted polysomnographic test, dizziness handicap inventory, Pitsburgh sleep quality index and Epworth sleepiness scale before and after CPAP therapy. Patients were divided into two groups according to a polysomnographic test: OSAHS group (AHI≥15) and without OSAHS group (AHI<15); divided into three groups according to dizziness handicap inventory score: mild dizziness group (0<DHI≤30), moderate dizziness group (30<DHI≤60), severe dizziness group (60<DHI≤100); divided into three groups according to therapy time: 0-<3 months group, 3-<6 months group, 6-12 months group; divided into four groups according to age: youngth group (age<45), middle age group (45-<60), younger old group (60-<75) and old group (≥75). Result:①There was a significant difference in all dizziness patients before and after CPAP therapy according DHI (P<0.01). ②The effectiveness of CPAP therapy between OSAHS group and without OSAHS group has no difference (P>0.05), but CPAP therapy could ameliorate sleep disorder of the OSAHS group. ③Different levels of dizziness had no impact on improving DHI during CPAP therapy. However, the effect on sleep improvement decreased when patients had heavier dizziness. ④Treating by CPAP after three months could significantly improve patients dizziness (P<0.01). ⑤The dizziness of the patients in younger old group and old group have significant improvement after CPAP therapy (P<0.01). However, only younger old group has better sleep. Conclusion:CPAP therapy could dramatically improve dizziness in patients with sleep disorders.

Abstract IA22: Mammographic density: A risk factor for all breast cancers or only specific subtypes?

Gene expression profiling has identified molecular subtypes that classify invasive breast cancers into distinct categories that vary in their clinical behavior and response to treatment. These subtypes highlight the many possible biologically and clinically distinct types of breast cancer. Immunohistochemical (IHC) staining of tumor sections using antibody panels has been used as a surrogate for the molecular subtypes identified through gene expression profiling, resulting in a set of intrinsic molecular subtypes. Given the heterogeneity within breast cancer, one might expect that different risk factors influence specific subtypes of breast cancer through various etiologic pathways. We evaluated whether percent mammographic density (MD), the proportion of fibroglandular or white tissue on a mammogram and one of the strongest and most consistent risk factors for breast cancer, is associated equally with all intrinsic molecular subtypes.

Data were pooled from six cohort or case-control studies including 3389 women with invasive breast cancer and 9860 without, who underwent screening mammography. Percent MD was assessed from digitized film-screen mammograms (for cases, at a median 4 years prior to diagnosis) using a computer-assisted threshold technique, and categorized as 0-10%, 11-25%, 26-50% and 51%+. Receptor status was abstracted from clinical pathology records and supplemented by IHC staining of tumor sections or microarrays. With estrogen receptor (ER), progesterone receptor (PR) and human epidermal growth factor receptor (HER2) information, we classified tumors into the intrinsic molecular subtypes: Luminal A ( ER+ and/or PR+ and HER2- and grade 1 or 2), Luminal B (ER+ and/or PR+ and HER2+ or Luminal A and grade 3), HER2 expressing (HER2+/ER-/PR-) and triple negative (ER-/PR-/HER2-). For cancers found to be triple negative (TN), we also stained for epidermal growth factor receptor (EGFR) and cytokeratins (CK) 5/6 to differentiate basal-like tumors (positive for EGFR and/or CK 5/6) from the unclassifieds (negative on both EGFR and CK 5/6). We used polytomous logistic regression to calculate the odds (OR) of each of the intrinsic subtypes of breast cancer by categories of percent MD, adjusting for age, BMI and study. Contrasts were constructed and tested within the polytomous model framework to investigate differences in the strength of association of percent MD across subtypes.

On average, cases were slightly older (56.4 years [SD=11.3]) than controls (55.8 [10.9]). Of the 3389 invasive breast cancer cases, 2146 (63%) were classified as Luminal A, 709 (21%) as Luminal B, 169 (5%) as HER-2 expressing, and 365(11%) as triple negative (TN). Of the TN tumors, 203 had tumor tissue available and were evaluated for CK 5/6 and EGFR, with 167 (82%) classified as basal-like and 36 (18%) as unclassified. Percent (%) MD was associated with breast cancer risk across all intrinsic subtypes. For Luminal A, compared to women with 11-25% MD (reference), women with 0-10% MD had a reduced risk of breast cancer (OR=0.64 [95% confidence interval (CI): 0.55, 0.74]) while women with 26-50% MD had an OR=1.5 (1.3,1.7) and women with 51%+ MD had the highest risk, OR=2.4 (2.0, 2.8). Similar associations were seen for Luminal B, HER2 expressing, and TN across percent MD categories. The small differences among the percent MD-breast cancer associations observed for the different subtypes were not statistically significant, either when comparing the four (Luminal A, Luminal B, HER-2 expressing and TN; p=0.61) or five categories of subtypes (Luminal A, Luminal B, HER-2 expressing, basal-like, unclassified; p=0.66).

Our results suggest percent MD is a risk factor for all intrinsic molecular subtypes. Additional study is needed to examine whether these results hold for younger and older aged women. Understanding the importance of mammographic density measures for subtypes of breast cancer has significance for development of subtype-specific risk models.

Citation Format: Celine Vachon, Rulla Tamimi, Yunn-Yi Chen, Christopher Scott, Kimberly Bertrand, Matthew Jensen, Daniel Visscher, Aaron Norman, Fergus Couch, John Shepherd, Bo Fan, Fang-Fang Wu, Lin Ma, Andrew Beck, Steve Cummings, V. Shane Pankratz, Karla Kerlikowske. Mammographic density: A risk factor for all breast cancers or only specific subtypes? [abstract]. In: Proceedings of the Eighth AACR Conference on The Science of Health Disparities in Racial/Ethnic Minorities and the Medically Underserved; Nov 13-16, 2015; Atlanta, GA. Philadelphia (PA): AACR; Cancer Epidemiol Biomarkers Prev 2016;25(3 Suppl):Abstract nr IA22.

Loading-rate-independent delay of catastrophic avalanches in a bulk metallic glass

The plastic flow of bulk metallic glasses (BMGs) is characterized by intermittent bursts of avalanches, and this trend results in disastrous failures of BMGs. In the present work, a double-side-notched BMG specimen is designed, which exhibits chaotic plastic flows consisting of several catastrophic avalanches under the applied loading. The disastrous shear avalanches have, then, been delayed by forming a stable plastic-flow stage in the specimens with tailored distances between the bottoms of the notches, where the distribution of a complex stress field is acquired. Differing from the conventional compressive testing results, such a delaying process is independent of loading rate. The statistical analysis shows that in the specimens with delayed catastrophic failures, the plastic flow can evolve to a critical dynamics, making the catastrophic failure more predictable than the ones with chaotic plastic flows. The findings are of significance in understanding the plastic-flow mechanisms in BMGs and controlling the avalanches in relating solids.

Changed Synaptic Plasticity in Neural Circuits of Depressive-Like and Escitalopram-Treated Rats

BACKGROUND

Although progress has been made in the detection and characterization of neural plasticity in depression, it has not been fully understood in individual synaptic changes in the neural circuits under chronic stress and antidepressant treatment.

METHODS

Using electron microscopy and Western-blot analyses, the present study quantitatively examined the changes in the Gray's Type I synaptic ultrastructures and the expression of synapse-associated proteins in the key brain regions of rats' depressive-related neural circuit after chronic unpredicted mild stress and/or escitalopram administration. Meanwhile, their depressive behaviors were also determined by several tests.

RESULTS

The Type I synapses underwent considerable remodeling after chronic unpredicted mild stress, which resulted in the changed width of the synaptic cleft, length of the active zone, postsynaptic density thickness, and/or synaptic curvature in the subregions of medial prefrontal cortex and hippocampus, as well as the basolateral amygdaloid nucleus of the amygdala, accompanied by changed expression of several synapse-associated proteins. Chronic escitalopram administration significantly changed the above alternations in the chronic unpredicted mild stress rats but had little effect on normal controls. Also, there was a positive correlation between the locomotor activity and the maximal synaptic postsynaptic density thickness in the stratum radiatum of the Cornu Ammonis 1 region and a negative correlation between the sucrose preference and the length of the active zone in the basolateral amygdaloid nucleus region in chronic unpredicted mild stress rats.

CONCLUSION

These findings strongly indicate that chronic stress and escitalopram can alter synaptic plasticity in the neural circuits, and the remodeled synaptic ultrastructure was correlated with the rats' depressive behaviors, suggesting a therapeutic target for further exploration.

Dense and nondense mammographic area and risk of breast cancer by age and tumor characteristics

BACKGROUND

Mammographic density (MD) is a strong breast cancer risk factor. We previously reported associations of percent mammographic density (PMD) with larger and node-positive tumors across all ages, and estrogen receptor (ER)-negative status among women ages <55 years. To provide insight into these associations, we examined the components of PMD [dense area (DA) and nondense area (NDA)] with breast cancer subtypes.

METHODS

Data were pooled from six studies including 4,095 breast cancers and 8,558 controls. DA and NDA were assessed from digitized film-screen mammograms and standardized across studies. Breast cancer odds by density phenotypes and age according to histopathologic characteristics and receptor status were calculated using polytomous logistic regression.

RESULTS

DA was associated with increased breast cancer risk [OR for quartiles: 0.65, 1.00 (Ref), 1.22, 1.55; P(trend) <0.001] and NDA was associated with decreased risk [ORs for quartiles: 1.39, 1.00 (Ref), 0.88, 0.72; P(trend) <0.001] across all ages and invasive tumor characteristics. There were significant trends in the magnitude of associations of both DA and NDA with breast cancer by increasing tumor size (P(trend) < 0.001) but no differences by nodal status. Among women <55 years, DA was more strongly associated with increased risk of ER(+) versus ER(-) tumors (P(het) = 0.02), while NDA was more strongly associated with decreased risk of ER(-) versus ER(+) tumors (P(het) = 0.03).

CONCLUSIONS

DA and NDA have differential associations with ER(+) versus ER(-) tumors that vary by age.

IMPACT

DA and NDA are important to consider when developing age- and subtype-specific risk models.

Identification of a locus characteristic of male individuals of buffalo grass [Buchloe dactyloides (Nutt.) Engelm.] by using an RAPD marker

Buffalo grass [Buchloe dactyloides (Nutt.) Engelm.] plants can be either male, female, or hermaphrodite (monoecious). As there is no morphological difference in the early vegetative growth of these three classes of plants, it is worthwhile to use molecular biological methods to attempt to identify the sex of a plant at this early growth period. In this study, we identified 23 plants that had a stable sex for over at least 3 years. Of these, 9 were male plants, 10 were female plants, and 4 were hermaphrodites. Screening of 300 RAPD primers identified a primer, namely S211 (5'-ttccccgcga-3'), which is capable of identifying male plants. The specific fragment was cloned, sequenced, and submitted to the GenBank database (accession No. JN982469). When used to identify the sex of 188 plants during their first growing season, the S211 primer correctly identified 85.8% of all male plants. Our results showed that the S211 primer can identify the male, and in doing so, it facilitates buffalo grass breeding work.

Mammographic breast density response to aromatase inhibition

PURPOSE

Mammographic breast density (MBD) is decreased by tamoxifen, but the effect of aromatase inhibitors is less clear.

EXPERIMENTAL DESIGN

We enrolled early-stage postmenopausal patients with breast cancer initiating adjuvant aromatase inhibitor therapy and ascertained mammograms before and at an average 10 months of aromatase inhibitor therapy. We matched cases to healthy postmenopausal women (controls) from a large mammography screening cohort on age, baseline body mass index, baseline MBD, and interval between mammograms. We estimated change in MBD using a computer-assisted thresholding program (Cumulus) and compared differences between cases and matched controls.

RESULTS

In predominantly White women (96%), we found 14% of the 387 eligible cases had a MBD reduction of at least 5% after an average of 10 months of aromatase inhibitor therapy. MBD reductions were associated with higher baseline MBD, aromatase inhibitor use for more than 12 months, and prior postmenopausal hormone use. Comparing each case with her matched control, there was no evidence of an association of change in MBD with aromatase inhibitor therapy [median case-control difference among 369 pairs was -0.1% (10th and 90th percentile: -5.9%, 5.2%) P = 0.51]. Case-control differences were similar by type of aromatase inhibitor (P's 0.41 and 0.56); prior use of postmenopausal hormones (P = 0.85); baseline MBD (P = 0.55); and length of aromatase inhibitor therapy (P = 0.08).

CONCLUSIONS

In postmenopausal women treated with aromatase inhibitors, 14% of cases had a MBD reduction of more than 5%, but these decreases did not differ from matched controls. These data suggest that MBD is not a clinically useful biomarker for predicting the value of aromatase inhibitor therapy in White postmenopausal women.

The influence of mammogram acquisition on the mammographic density and breast cancer association in the Mayo Mammography Health Study cohort

Introduction

Mammographic density is a strong risk factor for breast cancer. Image acquisition technique varies across mammograms to limit radiation and produce a clinically useful image. We examined whether acquisition technique parameters at the time of mammography were associated with mammographic density and whether the acquisition parameters confounded the density and breast cancer association.

Methods

We examined this question within the Mayo Mammography Health Study (MMHS) cohort, comprised of 19,924 women (51.2% of eligible) seen in the Mayo Clinic mammography screening practice from 2003 to 2006. A case-cohort design, comprising 318 incident breast cancers diagnosed through December 2009 and a random subcohort of 2,259, was used to examine potential confounding of mammogram acquisition technique parameters (x-ray tube voltage peak (kVp), milliampere-seconds (mAs), thickness and compression force) on the density and breast cancer association. The Breast Imaging Reporting and Data System four-category tissue composition measure (BI-RADS) and percent density (PD) (Cumulus program) were estimated from screen-film mammograms at time of enrollment. Spearman correlation coefficients (r) and means (standard deviations) were used to examine the relationship of density measures with acquisition parameters. Hazard ratios (HR) and C-statistics were estimated using Cox proportional hazards regression, adjusting for age, menopausal status, body mass index and postmenopausal hormones. A change in the HR of at least 15% indicated confounding.

Results

Adjusted PD and BI-RADS density were associated with breast cancer (p-trends < 0.001), with a 3 to 4-fold increased risk in the extremely dense vs. fatty BI-RADS categories (HR: 3.0, 95% CI, 1.7 - 5.1) and the ≥ 25% vs. ≤ 5% PD categories (HR: 3.8, 95% CI, 2.5 - 5.9). Of the acquisition parameters, kVp was not correlated with PD (r = 0.04, p = 0.07). Although thickness (r = -0.27, p < 0.001), compression force (r = -0.16, p < 0.001), and mAs (r = -0.06, p = 0.008) were inversely correlated with PD, they did not confound the PD or BI-RADS associations with breast cancer and their inclusion did not improve discriminatory accuracy. Results were similar for associations of dense and non-dense area with breast cancer.

Conclusions

We confirmed a strong association between mammographic density and breast cancer risk that was not confounded by mammogram acquisition technique.

Female early adult depression results in detrimental impacts on the behavioral performance and brain development in offspring

AIMS

The present study was to understand whether early adult depressive females implicated their offspring.

METHODS

Seven-week-old female mice were subject to chronic mild stress (CMS) to establish the animal model of depression. The behavioral performance of their offspring were tested via neonatal reflexes tests, hole-board test, and morris water maze test in different ages. Astrocyte number, hippocampal volume, and neurogenesis were analyzed via immunohistochemical blotting. Glucocorticoid receptor (GR) expression and serum cortisol levels were measured by western blotting and ELISA.

RESULTS

Female depressive mice had normal fertility, but their offspring had lowered neonatal survival rate and body weight from neonatal period to early adulthood. The offspring of female depressive mice exhibited the impairments of neonatal reflex attainment and memory, but had higher emotionality as adults. Furthermore, the astrocyte number, hippocampal volume, and neurogenesis were reduced in the offspring. However, the expressions of GR were increased in the hippocampus of offspring.

CONCLUSION

This study reveals that female early adult depressive mice have normal reproductive ability, but make long-term detrimental impacts on the behavioral performance and brain development of their offspring.

A randomized study of urgent computed tomography-based hematoma puncture and aspiration in the emergency department and subsequent evacuation using craniectomy versus craniectomy only

OBJECT

When treating patients with a spontaneous supratentorial massive (≥ 70 ml) intracerebral hemorrhage (ICH), the results of surgery are gloomy. A worsening pupil response has been observed in patients preoperatively, despite blood pressure control and diuretic administration. Because open surgery needs time for decompression to occur, the authors conducted a prospective randomized study to determine whether patients who have suffered a massive ICH can benefit from a more urgently performed decompressive procedure.

METHODS

Overall, 36 eligible patients admitted 6 or fewer hours post-ictus were enrolled in the study. In Group A, 12 patients underwent CT-based hematoma puncture and partial aspiration in the emergency department (ED) and subsequent evacuation via a craniectomy; in Group B, 24 patients underwent hematoma evacuation via a craniectomy only. Pupil responses were categorized into 5 grades (Grade 0, bilaterally fixed; Grade 1, unilaterally fixed with the fixed pupil > 7 mm; Grade 2, unilaterally fixed with the fixed pupil ≤ 7 mm; Grade 3, a unilaterally sluggish response; and Grade 4, a bilaterally brisk response). Grades were obtained on admission, at surgical decompression (defined as the point at which liquid hematoma began to flow out in Group A and at dural opening in Group B), and at completion of craniectomy. The Barthel Scale was used to assess survivors' functional outcome at 12 months. Comparisons were made between Groups A and B. Logistic regression analysis was used to evaluate the positive likelihood ratio of all variables for survival and function (Barthel Scale score of ≥ 35 at 12 months).

RESULTS

Decompressive surgery was undertaken approximately 60 minutes earlier in Group A than B. A worsening pupil reflex before decompression was observed in no Group A patient and in 9 Group B patients. At the time of decompression pupil response was better in Group A than B (p < 0.05). Although only approximately one-third of the hematoma volume documented on initial CT scanning had been drained before the craniectomy in Group A, when partial aspiration was followed by craniectomy, better pupil-response results were obtained in Group A at the completion of craniectomy, and survival rate and 12-month Barthel Scale score were better as well (p < 0.05). Logistic regression analysis revealed that one variable, a minimum pupil grade of 3 at the time of decompression, had the highest predictive value for survival at 12 months (8.0, 95% CI 2.0-32.0), and a pupil grade of 4 at the same time was the most valuable predictor of a Barthel Scale score of 35 or greater at 12 months (15.0, 95% CI 1.9-120.9).

CONCLUSIONS

Patients with massive spontaneous supratentorial ICHs may benefit from more urgent surgical decompression. The results of logistic regression analysis implied that, to improve long-term functional outcome, decompression should be performed in patients before herniation occurs. Due to the fact that most of these patients have signs of herniation when presenting to the ED and because conventional surgical decompression requires time to take effect, this combination of surgical treatment provides a feasible and effective surgical option.

A novel automated mammographic density measure and breast cancer risk

BACKGROUND

Mammographic breast density is a strong breast cancer risk factor but is not used in the clinical setting, partly because of a lack of standardization and automation. We developed an automated and objective measurement of the grayscale value variation within a mammogram, evaluated its association with breast cancer, and compared its performance with that of percent density (PD).

METHODS

Three clinic-based studies were included: a case-cohort study of 217 breast cancer case subjects and 2094 non-case subjects and two case-control studies comprising 928 case subjects and 1039 control subjects and 246 case subjects and 516 control subjects, respectively. Percent density was estimated from digitized mammograms using the computer-assisted Cumulus thresholding program, and variation was estimated from an automated algorithm. We estimated hazards ratios (HRs), odds ratios (ORs), the area under the receiver operating characteristic curve (AUC), and 95% confidence intervals (CIs) using Cox proportional hazards models for the cohort and logistic regression for case-control studies, with adjustment for age and body mass index. We performed a meta-analysis using random study effects to obtain pooled estimates of the associations between the two mammographic measures and breast cancer. All statistical tests were two-sided.

RESULTS

The variation measure was statistically significantly associated with the risk of breast cancer in all three studies (highest vs lowest quartile: HR = 2.0 [95% CI = 1.3 to 3.1]; OR = 2.7 [95% CI = 2.1 to 3.6]; OR = 2.4 [95% CI = 1.4 to 3.9]; [corrected] all P (trend) < .001). [corrected]. The risk estimates and AUCs for the variation measure were similar to [corrected] those for percent density (AUCs for variation = 0.60-0.62 and [corrected] AUCs for percent density = 0.61-0.65). [corrected]. A meta-analysis of the three studies demonstrated similar associations [corrected] between variation and breast cancer (highest vs lowest quartile: RR = 1.8, 95% CI = 1.4 to 2.3) and [corrected] percent density and breast cancer (highest vs lowest quartile: RR = 2.3, 95% CI = 1.9 to 2.9).

CONCLUSION

The association between the automated variation measure and the risk of breast cancer is at least as strong as that for percent density. Efforts to further evaluate and translate the variation measure to the clinical setting are warranted.

Observation of electron-antineutrino disappearance at Daya Bay

The Daya Bay Reactor Neutrino Experiment has measured a nonzero value for the neutrino mixing angle θ(13) with a significance of 5.2 standard deviations. Antineutrinos from six 2.9 GWth reactors were detected in six antineutrino detectors deployed in two near (flux-weighted baseline 470 m and 576 m) and one far (1648 m) underground experimental halls. With a 43,000 ton-GWth-day live-time exposure in 55 days, 10,416 (80,376) electron-antineutrino candidates were detected at the far hall (near halls). The ratio of the observed to expected number of antineutrinos at the far hall is R=0.940±0.011(stat.)±0.004(syst.). A rate-only analysis finds sin(2)2θ(13)=0.092±0.016(stat.)±0.005(syst.) in a three-neutrino framework.

Safety and efficacy of symptom-driven CT decision rule in fully conscious paediatric patients with symptoms after mild closed head trauma

OBJECTS

The aim of the authors is to derive a safe, effective and feasible symptom-driven CT rule in fully conscious children ≥3 years with symptoms after head trauma, based on time-framed clinical course, radiological findings, outcome measures and prognosis of patients.

METHODS

Fully conscious but symptomatic children ≥3 years after head injury (1997-2010) with CT performance ≤2 h since injury were included in the study. Additional exclusion criteria were set for patient selection. Evolution of clinical symptoms of patients in 24 h since injury was the focus in current study. Clinical data were extracted from standardised medical records on admission and observation charts.

RESULTS

Data of 1897 eligible cases were retrospectively reviewed. Traumatic brain injury (TBI) was revealed radiologically in 73 cases (3.8%). Eight cases underwent surgery. Recursive partitioning analysis identified the following factors in the CT rule: any delayed headache commenced between 4 and 10 h since injury; significantly worsening headaches present between 2 and 12 h since injury; vomiting between 6 and 12 h since injury; and headache without significant changes persisted ≥12 h since injury. It has a sensitivity of 100% (95% CI 95.0% to 100.0%) and specificity of 72.1% (95% CI 70.0% to 74.1%) to predict cases with TBI.

CONCLUSIONS

A symptom-driven CT rule has been derived to identify cases at high risk of having TBI in fully conscious, but symptomatic children with mild closed head injury. To be practical, an additional observation rule is added.

No evidence for association of inherited variation in genes involved in mitosis and percent mammographic density

Introduction

Increased mammographic breast density is one of the strongest risk factors for breast cancer. While two-thirds of the variation in mammographic density appears to be genetically influenced, few variants have been identified. We examined the association of inherited variation in genes from pathways that mediate cell division with percent mammographic density (PMD) adjusted for age, body mass index (BMI) and postmenopausal hormones, in two studies of healthy postmenopausal women.

Methods

We investigated 2,058 single nucleotide polymorphisms (SNPs) in 378 genes involved in regulation of mitosis for associations with adjusted PMD among 484 unaffected postmenopausal controls (without breast cancer) from the Mayo Clinic Breast Cancer Study (MCBCS) and replicated the findings in postmenopausal controls (n = 726) from the Singapore and Sweden Breast Cancer Study (SASBAC) study. PMD was assessed in both studies by a computer-thresholding method (Cumulus) and linear regression approaches were used to assess the association of SNPs and PMD, adjusted for age, BMI and postmenopausal hormones. A P-value threshold of 4.2 × 10^-5 based on a Bonferroni correction of effective number of independent tests was used for statistical significance. Further, a pathway-level analysis was conducted of all 378 genes using the self-contained gene-set analysis method GLOSSI.

Results

A variant in PRPF4, rs10733604, was significantly associated with adjusted PMD in the MCBCS (P = 2.7 × 10^-7), otherwise, no single SNP was associated with PMD. Additionally, the pathway analysis provided no evidence of enrichment in the number of associations observed between SNPs in the mitotic genes and PMD (P = 0.60). We evaluated rs10733604 (PRPF4), and 73 other SNPs at P < 0.05 from 51 genes in the SASBAC study. There was no evidence of an association of rs10733604 (PRPF4) with adjusted PMD in SASBAC (P = 0.23). There were, however, consistent associations (P < 0.05) of variants at the putative locus, LOC375190, Aurora B kinase (AURKB), and Mini-chromosome maintenance complex component 3 (MCM3) with adjusted PMD, although these were not statistically significant.

Conclusions

Our findings do not support a role of inherited variation in genes involved in regulation of cell division and adjusted percent mammographic density in postmenopausal women.

P5-08-03: How Reader's Training, Software, and Image Formats Impact Percent Dense Area Measures

BACKGROUND: Mammographic percent dense area, the percent ratio of dense to total breast area in a mammogram, is one of the strongest measures of a woman's risk of breast cancer. However, systematic differences have been observed between readers and mammography technologies (film and digital) that could cause clinically inconsistent associations with risk. The purpose of this study was to evaluate inter- and intra-reproducibility of percent dense area between readers and between film and digital technologies.

METHODS: One hundred digitized film mammograms were randomly selected with 25 films in each of quartile of percent density and read by two readers at two different sites (Mayo Clinic and UCSF). The readers had extensive experience and were also jointly trained at university of Toronto using Cumulus software. After training, all films were read twice with at least one year between duplicate readings. The Mayo clinic reading used Cumulus while UCSF used custom semiautomatic software to estimate total and dense tissue area. In addition, digitized films and unprocessed full field digital mammograms of the same women were assessed by one reader. The time between the film and digital acquisitions ranged from nine to twenty-four months. Interclass correlation coefficient (ICC) was calculated for each comparison.

RESULTS: The intra- and inter-observer ICCs, consistency for film images, were 0.96 (UCSF) and 0.97 (Mayo), and 0.96 (UCSF vs. Mayo). We found ICC between film and digital mammograms for percent dense area was 0.88. The digital mammogram had 9% significantly higher total breast area and 5% significantly lower percent density area compared to film.

CONCLUSIONS: Similarly trained readers had a high reproducibility regardless of the software used. Our results suggest centralized reader training should enable pooling of film breast density results from different clinics. However, pooling film and digital results would need careful calibration due to lower measured percent dense areas than on film.

Citation Information: Cancer Res 2011;71(24 Suppl):Abstract nr P5-08-03.

[Influence of ecological restoration of riparian zone on water quality of Zhuanhe River in Beijing]

The ecological effects of restoration of flood lands and banks in the Zhuanhe River of Beijing are discussed. From July to September in 2009, water samples were periodically collected in the 13 chosen sample sites, and the concentrations of nutrients and dissolved oxygen (DO) were measured and analyzed. The results showed that there were obvious seasonal variations in the concentrations of ammonia nitrogen (NH4(+) -N), nitrate nitrogen (NO3(-) -N), total phosphorus (TP), and DO in the Zhuanhe River. The increase of domestic sewage with rising water consumption in mid and late July and early August resulted in the great increase of NH4(+) -N and TP concentrations. The NO3(-) -N concentration was controlled by the seasonal variations of precipitation and surface runoff. In the higher precipitation seasons, it depended on the interval time between two rainfalls just before the sample; in the lower precipitation seasons, it depended on the time from last rainfall or the interval time between two rainfalls just before the sample. DO concentration was due to the relationship between oxygen release in photosynthesis and oxygen consumption in decomposition of organic matter in the river, which was controlled by phenological periods of hydrophytes. It also served to slight changes of NO3(-) -N and NH4(+) -N concentration. As a whole, the Zhuanhe River was not eutrophicated, but reducing the concentration of NH4(+) -N in early August and that of NO3(-) -N in the wet seasons was still the key to improve water quality. The NO3(-) -N and NH4(+) -N concentrations were lower where the amount of hydrophytes was relatively large. In the growing seasons, the stronger growth and larger coverage of hydrophytes led to the lower TP and higher DO concentration in the river; while in the late growing period, much more litters contributed to the higher TP and lower DO concentration. In both periods, Calamus affected more than Scirpus tabernaemontani. Concentrations of NO3(-) -N, NH4(+) -N and TP near vertical cement banks were generally higher than those near stone banks blended with clay. The curved river bank could enhance the DO concentration, and reduce the NO3(-) -N and NH4(+) -N concentrations within a certain range. Moreover, land use types surrounding the river also greatly affected the water quality. In brief, besides human activities, such factors as existence, type, abundance and biomass of hydrophytes, bank material, and shape of river banks (curved or straight) had great effects on water quality in the Zhuanhe River.

Superelongation and atomic chain formation in nanosized metallic glass

Bulk metallic glasses are brittle and fail with no plastic strain at room temperature once shear bands propagate. How do metallic glasses deform when the size is less than that of shear bands? Here we show that Al90Fe5Ce5 metallic glass with a size <20  nm can be extremely elongated to ∼200%. Remarkably, even an atomic chain was formed after sample necking, which was never observed in metallic glasses. The unexpected ductility may originate from the fast surface diffusion and the absence of shear band formation, and may guide the development of ductile metallic glasses for engineering applications.

An automated approach for estimation of breast density

Breast density is a strong risk factor for breast cancer; however, no standard assessment method exists. An automated breast density method was modified and compared with a semi-automated, user-assisted thresholding method (Cumulus method) and the Breast Imaging Reporting and Data System four-category tissue composition measure for their ability to predict future breast cancer risk. The three estimation methods were evaluated in a matched breast cancer case-control (n = 372 and n = 713, respectively) study at the Mayo Clinic using digitized film mammograms. Mammograms from the craniocaudal view of the noncancerous breast were acquired on average 7 years before diagnosis. Two controls with no previous history of breast cancer from the screening practice were matched to each case on age, number of previous screening mammograms, final screening exam date, menopausal status at this date, interval between earliest and latest available mammograms, and residence. Both Pearson linear correlation (R) and Spearman rank correlation (r) coefficients were used for comparing the three methods as appropriate. Conditional logistic regression was used to estimate the risk for breast cancer (odds ratios and 95% confidence intervals) associated with the quartiles of percent breast density (automated breast density method, Cumulus method) or Breast Imaging Reporting and Data System categories. The area under the receiver operator characteristic curve was estimated and used to compare the discriminatory capabilities of each approach. The continuous measures (automated breast density method and Cumulus method) were highly correlated with each other (R = 0.70) but less with Breast Imaging Reporting and Data System (r = 0.49 for automated breast density method and r = 0.57 for Cumulus method). Risk estimates associated with the lowest to highest quartiles of automated breast density method were greater in magnitude [odds ratios: 1.0 (reference), 2.3, 3.0, 5.2; P trend < 0.001] than the corresponding quartiles for the Cumulus method [odds ratios: 1.0 (reference), 1.7, 2.1, and 3.8; P trend < 0.001] and Breast Imaging Reporting and Data System [odds ratios: 1.0 (reference), 1.6, 1.5, 2.6; P trend < 0.001] method. However, all methods similarly discriminated between case and control status; areas under the receiver operator characteristic curve were 0.64, 0.63, and 0.61 for automated breast density method, Cumulus method, and Breast Imaging Reporting and Data System, respectively. The automated breast density method is a viable option for quantitatively assessing breast density from digitized film mammograms.

Alcohol intake in adolescence and mammographic density

Adolescent exposures may be important in the development of breast cancer later in life. We examined the association of adolescent alcohol consumption and adult mammographic density, a strong risk factor for breast cancer. Women within the Minnesota Breast Cancer Family Cohort with detailed mammogram and risk factor information (n = 1,893) formed our sample. Breast cancer cases were excluded. Adolescent alcohol consumption (before age 18) was solicited through a mailed questionnaire. Percent density (PD) was estimated using the computer-assisted thresholding program, Cumulus. Statistical analyses were performed using linear mixed effect models. Women who reported ever drinking alcohol before age 18 (n = 390; 21%) had a higher unadjusted PD than women who never drank during adolescence (mu(unadj) = 26.5% vs. 22.2%), but this difference disappeared with adjustment for risk factors for mammographic density (mu(adj) = 21.0% vs. 21.2%, p = 0.94). Adult PD was not associated with age at initiation, amount of alcohol consumed at one sitting or frequency of alcohol use before age 18. The lack of differences was seen across strata of menopausal status. There was suggestion of higher PD among heavy and more frequent drinkers (24.0%, 95% CI 21.1-26.8%) compared to lighter (21.3%, 95% CI 20.3-22.3%) and never drinkers (21.4%, 95% CI 20.9-21.9%) and also among regular adolescent drinkers who were daily or weekly adult drinkers (25.0%, 95% CI 23.0-27.0%) compared to less regular drinkers in these 2 time periods (23.0-23.4%). However, these associations were not statistically significant (p = 0.27 and p = 0.22, respectively). In summary, there was no evidence that adolescent alcohol use was associated with large and persistent effects on adult PD.