The Role of Solution Aggregation Property toward High-Efficiency Non-Fullerene Organic Photovoltaic Cells

In organic photovoltaic cells, the solution-aggregation effect (SAE) is long considered a critical factor in achieving high power-conversion efficiencies for polymer donor (PD)/non-fullerene acceptor (NFA) blend systems. However, the underlying mechanism has yet to be fully understood. Herein, based on an extensive study of blends consisting of the representative 2D-benzodithiophene-based PDs and acceptor-donor-acceptor-type NFAs, it is demonstrated that SAE shows a strong correlation with the aggregation kinetics during solidification, and the aggregation competition between PD and NFA determines the phase separation of blend film and thus the photovoltaic performance. PDs with strong SAEs enable earlier aggregation evolutions than NFAs, resulting in well-known polymer-templated fibrillar network structures and superior PCEs. With the weakening of PDs' aggregation effects, NFAs, showing stronger tendencies to aggregate, tend to form oversized domains, leading to significantly reduced external quantum efficiencies and fill factors. These trends reveal the importance of matching SAE between PD and NFA. The aggregation abilities of various materials are further evaluated and the aggregation ability/photovoltaic parameter diagrams of 64 PD/NFA combinations are provided. This work proposes a guiding criteria and facile approach to match efficient PD/NFA systems.

Turning Nonemissive CsPb2Br5 Crystals into High-Performance Scintillators through Alkali Metal Doping

X-ray scintillators have utility in radiation detection, therapy, and imaging. Various materials, such as halide perovskites, organic illuminators, and metal clusters, have been developed to replace conventional scintillators due to their ease of fabrication, improved performance, and adaptability. However, they suffer from self-absorption, chemical instability, and weak X-ray stopping power. Addressing these limitations, we employ alkali metal doping to turn nonemissive CsPb2Br5 into scintillators. Introducing alkali metal dopants causes lattice distortion and enhances electron-phonon coupling, which creates transient potential energy wells capable of trapping photogenerated or X-ray-generated electrons and holes to form self-trapped excitons. These self-trapped excitons undergo radiative recombination, resulting in a photoluminescence quantum yield of 55.92%. The CsPb2Br5-based X-ray scintillator offers strong X-ray stopping power, high resistance to self-absorption, and enhanced stability when exposed to the atmosphere, chemical solvents, and intense irradiation. It exhibits a detection limit of 162.3 nGyair s-1 and an imaging resolution of 21 lp mm-1.

Predicting Radiation Esophagitis using 18F-FAPI-04 PET/CT in Patients with LA-ESCC Treated with Concurrent Chemoradiotherapy

PURPOSE/OBJECTIVE(S)

This prospective study examined whether 18F-FAPI-04 PET/CT can predict the development and severity of radiation esophagitis (RE) in patients with locally advanced esophageal squamous cell carcinoma (LA-ESCC) treated with concurrent chemoradiotherapy.

MATERIALS/METHODS

From June 2021 to March 2022, images were prospectively collected from LA-ESCC patients who underwent 18F-FAPI-04 PET/CT examinations before and during radiotherapy. The development of RE was evaluated weekly according to Radiation Therapy Oncology Group criterion. The target-to-background ratio in blood (TBRblood) was analyzed at each time point and correlated with the onset and severity of RE. Factors that predicted RE were identified by multivariate logistic analyses.

RESULTS

Thirty patients (median age, 66.5 years [interquartile range: 56¨C71 years]; 22 men) were evaluated. Significantly higher TBRblood (during radiotherapy, mean: 3.06 vs 7.11, P = 0.003) and change in TBRblood compared with pre-RT (ΔTBRblood, mean: 0.67 vs 4.81, P = 0.002) were observed in patients with RE than patients without RE. Those with grade 3 RE had a significantly higher TBRblood (during radiotherapy, mean: 4.55 vs 9.66, P = 0.003) and ΔTBRblood (mean: 2.16 vs 7.50, P = 0.003) compared with those with RE

CONCLUSION

The ΔTBRblood on 18F-FAPI-04 PET/CT may be effective at identifying patients at risk for the development of RE, especially grade 3 RE.

Collapse

Key Words Collapse

MESH Headings Collapse

Grants Collapse

Affiliation(s)

X Hu Department of Radiology, Shandong Cancer Hospital and Institute, Shandong First Medical University, Shandong Academy of Medical Sciences, Jinan, Shandong, China
C Han Department of Surgery II, Breast Cancer Center, Shandong Cancer Hospital and Institute, Jinan, Shandong, China
M Zhang 1.Department of Radiology, Shandong Cancer Hospital and Institute, Shandong First Medical University, Shandong Academy of Medical Sciences, Jinan, Shandong, China. 2.Cheeloo College of Medicine, Shandong University, Jinan, China
Z Mu Department of Pathology, Shandong Cancer Hospital and Institute, Shandong First Medical University, Shandong Academy of Medical Sciences, Jinan, Shandong, China
Z Fu Shandong Cancer Hospital and Institute, Jinan, China
J Ren Department of PET/CT Center, Shandong Cancer Hospital and Institute, Shandong First Medical University, Shandong Academy of Medical Sciences, Jinan, China
K Qiao Cheeloo College of Medicine, Shandong University, Jinan, Shandong, China
J Jia Cheeloo College of Medicine, Shandong University, Jinan, Shandong, China 2. Department of Radiology, Shandong Cancer Hospital and Institute, Shandong First Medical University, Shandong Academy of Medical Sciences, Jinan, Shandong, China
J Yu Shandong Cancer Hospital, Shandong University, Jinan, Shandong, China
S Yuan Cheeloo College of Medicine, Shandong University, Jinan, Shandong, China
Y Wei Shandong Cancer Hospital and Institute, Shandong First Medical University and Shandong Academy of Medical Sciences, Jinan, China

Collapse

Isotopic Control of the Boron-Vacancy Spin Defect in Hexagonal Boron Nitride

We report on electron spin resonance (ESR) spectroscopy of boron-vacancy (V_{B}^{-}) centers hosted in isotopically engineered hexagonal boron nitride (hBN) crystals. We first show that isotopic purification of hBN with ^{15}N yields a simplified and well-resolved hyperfine structure of V_{B}^{-} centers, while purification with ^{10}B leads to narrower ESR linewidths. These results establish isotopically purified h^{10}B^{15}N crystals as the optimal host material for future use of V_{B}^{-} spin defects in quantum technologies. Capitalizing on these findings, we then demonstrate optically induced polarization of ^{15}N nuclei in h^{10}B^{15}N, whose mechanism relies on electron-nuclear spin mixing in the V_{B}^{-} ground state. This work opens up new prospects for future developments of spin-based quantum sensors and simulators on a two-dimensional material platform.

Accumulation of dissolved organic matter in the transition from fresh to aged seasonal snow in an industrial city in NE China

Dissolved organic matter (DOM) plays a significant role in the reduction of snow albedo and the acceleration of snowmelt, but its accumulation in snow remains poorly understood. This study investigated the accumulation of DOM in seasonal snow including its accumulation rate, molecular characteristics, and biological and chemical processing. Sixteen snow samples of both fresh and aged snow were collected at one-day interval in Changchun, a typical industrial city in NE China. The snow DOM contents increased linearly with accumulation time at a rate of 30.3 μg L^-1 d^-1. The optical properties, including fluorescence intensity and optical absorption coefficient, of snowmelt increased exponentially with time owing to the rapid accumulation of terrestrial humic-like fluorophores through snow-soil exchange and deposition of soil-derived substances. Fourier transform-ion cyclotron resonance-mass spectrometry highlighted the properties of DOM at a molecular level, indicating that compounds derived from underlying soil and vascular plants make the largest contribution to DOM. Microbe-derived compounds contribute 35.5 % to the DOM pool. Degrees of saturation and oxidation increase slightly after accumulation, with the impacts of photo- and bio-chemistry on DOM molecules being non-negligible. This study provides a new perspective concerning the accumulation and fate of organic contaminants in snow ecosystems.

Chinese patients with type 2 diabetes mellitus and nonalcoholic fatty liver disease have lower serum osteocalcin levels compared to individuals with type 2 diabetes mellitus and no liver disease: a single-center cross-sectional study

PURPOSE

Osteocalcin may benefit nonalcoholic fatty liver disease (NAFLD). The present study aimed to explore the levels of serum osteocalcin in NAFLD in patients with type 2 diabetes mellitus (T2DM).

METHODS

In total, 1026 inpatients diagnosed with T2DM were enrolled in the study. NAFLD was defined according to the working definition of the revised guidelines for the management of NAFLD published by the Chinese Liver Disease Association, and confirmed by abdominal ultrasonography.

RESULTS

The current study found a NAFLD prevalence of 54% in the T2DM population. Subjects with NAFLD had lower concentrations of osteocalcin (8.28-13.99 ng/mL vs. 8.80-16.25 ng/mL, P = 0.001) but similar vitamin D, parathyroid hormone, beta-C-terminal telopeptide of type I collagen and procollagen type 1 N-peptide levels. Osteocalcin levels (OR: 0.956; 95% CI 0.926-0.987) were significantly associated with NAFLD. When all significant clinical indicators were analyzed together, increased BMI (OR: 1.120; 95% CI 1.065-1.178), fasting C-peptide (OR: 1.270; 95% CI 1.089-1.481) and triglycerides (OR: 1.661; 95% CI 1.284-2.148) were associated with a greater risk of NAFLD, while older age (OR: 0.967; 95% CI 0.948-0.986) and high osteocalcin levels (OR: 0.935; 95% CI 0.902-0.969) were related with a decreased risk of NAFLD. For every additional unit of osteocalcin, the patients received 7% deduced odds of NAFLD.

CONCLUSION

Low osteocalcin levels were associated with an increased risk for NAFLD in patients with T2DM.

Shared and Unshared Feature Extraction in Major Depression During Music Listening Using Constrained Tensor Factorization

Ongoing electroencephalography (EEG) signals are recorded as a mixture of stimulus-elicited EEG, spontaneous EEG and noises, which poses a huge challenge to current data analyzing techniques, especially when different groups of participants are expected to have common or highly correlated brain activities and some individual dynamics. In this study, we proposed a data-driven shared and unshared feature extraction framework based on nonnegative and coupled tensor factorization, which aims to conduct group-level analysis for the EEG signals from major depression disorder (MDD) patients and healthy controls (HC) when freely listening to music. Constrained tensor factorization not only preserves the multilinear structure of the data, but also considers the common and individual components between the data. The proposed framework, combined with music information retrieval, correlation analysis, and hierarchical clustering, facilitated the simultaneous extraction of shared and unshared spatio-temporal-spectral feature patterns between/in MDD and HC groups. Finally, we obtained two shared feature patterns between MDD and HC groups, and obtained totally three individual feature patterns from HC and MDD groups. The results showed that the MDD and HC groups triggered similar brain dynamics when listening to music, but at the same time, MDD patients also brought some changes in brain oscillatory network characteristics along with music perception. These changes may provide some basis for the clinical diagnosis and the treatment of MDD patients.

Study of the Effect Epidermal Growth Factor Nanoparticles in the Treatment of Diabetic Rat Ulcer Skin and Regeneration

This study's objective is to analyze the effect of epidermal growth factor (EGF) nanoparticles on the healing of diabetic skin wounds and also, simultaneously, to investigate the mechanism of EGF nanoparticles to promote healing. In this manuscript, EGF nanoparticles were prepared, and also the drug loading rate of EGF nanoparticles was measured. In the meantime, a diabetic skin wound model was prepared with the use of rats. Then, the rats were split into four groups: EGF nanogroup, EGF group, empty particle group, and control group. Additionally, the results indicate that this study was successful in preparing EGF nanoparticles with a stable performance, and the drug was released for 24 hours. The wound healing in the EGF nanoparticle group was quicker than that in the EGF group. Furthermore, the area of EGF receptor-positive cells in the wound surface of the EGF nanogroup was higher than that of the EGF group, with the results demonstrating that EGF nanoparticles upregulated the expression of EGF receptors in wound surface cells, promoted wound surface healing, and had better efficacy than EGF.

Myosin18B predicts favorable prognosis of cutaneous squamous-cell carcinoma

BACKGROUND

Myosin18 family, including Myosin18A (MYO18A) and Myosin18B (MYO18B), are newly-identified Myosins in Myosin superfamily. The expression and function of Myosin18 family in cancer progression is still controversial, and in cutaneous squamous-cell carcinoma (cSCC) is totally unknown.

OBJECTIVE

To investigate the expression and prognostic significance of Myosin18 family in cSCC.

METHODS

In this study, the expressions of MYO18 family, including MYO18A and MYO18B were detected in six pairs of cSCCs and corresponding normal tissues with qRT-PCR. MYO18A and MYO18B expressions and intracellular locations in 80 cSCCs were detected with immunohistochemistry. The clinical significance was evaluated by analyzing the correlation between MYO18 family and clinicopathological factors. The prognostic significance of MYO18 family was estimated by univariate analysis with log-rank test, and by multivariate analysis by Cox-regression model.

RESULTS

The percentages of high MYO18A and MYO18B in cSCC were 43.75% and 36.25%, respectively. High expression of MYO18A (P = 0.035) and MYO18B (P = 0.032) were both associated with less tumor size. MYO18A had no significant influence on sSCC prognosis (P = 0.686), but low expression of MYO18B was proved to be significantly associated with poor outcome of cSCC (P = 0.014). MYO18B was confirmed as an independent prognostic biomarker of cSCC (P = 0.002), indicating the favorable outcome.

CONCLUSION

The expression of MYO18B was an independent prognostic biomarker of cSCC, predicting the favorable prognosis independently. Investigating the expression of MYO18B can help stratify the subset of high-risk cSCC patients for more potent treatment and post-operational surveillance.

lncRNA EZR‑AS1 knockdown represses proliferation, migration and invasion of cSCC via the PI3K/AKT signaling pathway

Although long non-coding RNAs (lncRNAs) have been implicated in various human cancer types, the role of lncRNA ezrin antisense RNA 1 (EZR-AS1) in cutaneous squamous cell carcinoma (cSCC) remains unclear. The present study aimed to investigate the effect of lncRNAEZR-AS1 on cSCC and identify the underlying molecular mechanisms. EZR-AS1 expression was measured in cSCC tissue and cells detected using reverse transcription-quantitative PCR. Gain-of-function assays were performed in A431 cells, which have a relatively low expression of EZR-AS1, while loss-of-function assays were performed in SCC13 and SCL-1 colon cancer cells, which have a relatively high expression of EZR-AS1. Cell viability, proliferation, migration, invasion and apoptosis were assessed using MTT, plate cloning, wound healing, Transwell and flow cytometry assays, respectively. EZR-AS1 mRNA expression levels were significantly upregulated in cSCC tissues and cells compared with adjacent healthy tissues and HaCaT cells, respectively. Compared with the small interfering RNA (si)-negative control (NC) group, si-EZR-AS1 significantly inhibited SCC13 and SCL-1 cell proliferation, migration and invasion, but promoted cell apoptosis. By contrast, compared with the pc-NC group, EZR-AS1 overexpression significantly enhanced A431 cell proliferation, migration and invasion, but inhibited cell apoptosis. Moreover, focal adhesion kinase (FAK) was identified as a target of EZR-AS1, and EZR-AS1 knockdown significantly decreased FAK expression compared with the si-NC group. Moreover, EZR-AS1 knockdown significantly downregulated the protein expression levels of phosphorylated (p)-PI3K/PI3K and p-AKT/AKT in cSCC cells compared with the si-NC group. The PI3K agonist 740Y-P significantly reversed si-EZR-AS1-mediated effects on SCC13 and SCL-1 cell proliferation, migration, invasion and apoptosis. In conclusion, the present study demonstrated that si-EZR-AS1 inhibited cSCC cell proliferation, migration and invasion, and promoted cell apoptosis, potentially via regulating the PI3K/AKT signaling pathway. Therefore, the present study provided novel insights into the diagnosis and treatment of cSCC.

A cross-sectional study on associations of physical symptoms, health self-efficacy, and suicidal ideation among Chinese hospitalized cancer patients

BACKGROUND

Epidemiological studies have shown increased risk of suicide in cancer patients compared with the general population. The present study aimed to examine the association between physical symptoms and suicidal ideation in Chinese hospitalized cancer patients and test the modifying effect of health self-efficacy on the association.

METHODS

A cross-sectional study was conducted with 544 hospitalized cancer patients in two general hospitals in northeast China via face-to-face interviews. Suicidal ideation was measured by using the first four items on the Yale Evaluation of Suicidality scale and then dichotomized into a positive and negative score. Multivariate logistic regression analyses were conducted to examine the impacts of physical symptoms, health self-efficacy, and their interactions on suicidal ideation.

RESULTS

The suicidal ideation rate was 26.3% in the enrolled cancer patients. Logistic regression showed that insomnia (aOR = 1.84, 95% CI 1.13 to 3.00, p = 0.015) and lack of appetite (aOR = 2.14, 95% CI 1.26 to 3.64, p = 0.005) were significantly associated with suicidal ideation. Low health self-efficacy had a marginally significant exaggerating effect on the association between pain and suicidal ideation (aOR = 2.77, 95% CI 0.99 to 7.74, p = 0.053), after adjusting for significant socio-demographics, clinical characteristics, and depression.

CONCLUSIONS

These findings demonstrate significant associations between physical symptoms (insomnia and/or lack of appetite) and suicidal ideation and highlight the potential modifying role of health self-efficacy in the identification and prevention of suicide among cancer patients.

Identification of species and sources of atmospheric chromophores by fluorescence excitation-emission matrix with parallel factor analysis

It is essential to fully understand the physicochemical properties and sources of atmospheric chromophores to evaluate their impacts on environmental quality and global climate. Three-dimensional excitation-emission matrix (EEM) fluorescence spectroscopy is an important method for directly characterizing the occurrences, origins, and chemical behaviors of atmospheric chromophores. However, there is still a lack of adequate information on the sources and chemical structures of EEM-defined chromophores. This situation limits the extensive application of the EEM method in the study of atmospheric chromophores. Under these adverse conditions, this work uses the analysis of EEM data by the parallel factor (PARAFAC) analysis model and a comprehensive comparison of the types and abundances of different chromophores in different aerosol samples (combustion source samples, secondary organic aerosols, and ambient aerosols) to demonstrate that the EEM method can distinguish among different chromophore types and aerosol sources. Indeed, approximately half of all fluorescent substances can be attributed to specific chemicals and sources. These findings provide an important basis for the study of the sources and chemical processes of atmospheric chromophores by the EEM approach.

Mechanism of anti-inflammatory effects of volatile compounds of Ai pian based on network pharmacology, in vivo animal experiments, and GC-MS

Ai pian (AP) is a well-known Miao national herb with resuscitative effects. However, pharmacological and clinical applications of AP are limited because its precise molecular mechanism remains unclear. This study was conducted to evaluate the anti-inflammatory activities of the volatile compounds of AP in in vivo animal models and determine the molecular mechanism underlying the anti-inflammatory effects based on network pharmacology and molecular docking. We performed gas chromatography-mass spectrometric analysis of volatile compounds with chemometric methods, including hierarchical clustering analysis and principal component analysis, to identify AP from different origins. Mouse models of xylene-induced ear edema were used to examine the in vivo anti-inflammatory activities of AP with cotton ball-granulation test. The mechanism of AP was determined by network pharmacology analysis and molecular docking. Significant differences in chemical constituents and percentage contents were observed among different habitats. We found that AP exerted potent anti-inflammatory effect, and that multiple targets and pathways were involved in this effect. These results provided a foundation for further comprehensive development and application of AP from Miao national herb.

Study on the oxidation potential of the water-soluble components of ambient PM2.5 over Xi'an, China: Pollution levels, source apportionment and transport pathways

Reactive oxygen species (ROS) are a class of substances that are of general concern in terms of human health and are used to represent the oxidation potential (OP) of the atmosphere. In this study, the ROS levels in 116 daily fine particulate matter (PM_2.5) samples taken over Xi'an in 2017 were measured with the dithiothreitol (DTT) method. The sources of DTTv (volume-based DTT consumption) in PM_2.5 as well as their contributions were identified by both positive matrix factorization (PMF) and multiple linear regression (MLR) based on the measured chemical species in particulate matter (PM). The results showed that the yearly average DTTv over Xi'an was 0.53 nmol/min/m³ (0.19-1.10 nmol/min/m³). The highest DTTv level occurred in winter, followed by spring, summer and autumn. DTTv was the most strongly correlated with the water-soluble organic carbon (WSOC; r = 0.85), but the effects of WSOC on DTTv were very limited. SO₂, NO₂, CO, elemental carbon (EC) and K⁺ (r > 0.64) had moderate correlations with DTTv and were moderately related to environmentally persistent free radicals (EPFRs) (r = 0.56). The linear mixed-effects model showed that pollutants originating from incomplete combustion had greater effects on DTTv than those from complete combustion. Source apportionment results from PMF showed that motor vehicle emissions (27.4%), secondary sulfates (21.6%) and coal combustion sources (18.8%) were more important contributors to the DTTv in PM_2.5 than dust sources (8.4%), metal processing (4.9%), industrial emissions (11.3%) and secondary nitrates (7.5%). The PMF results for the DTTv were consistent with the MLR results, which verified that both PMF and MLR are feasible methods for source apportionment of PM_2.5 as well as specific species such as ROS and EPFRs. Backward trajectory clusters showed that the dominant cluster groups were local and regional transport, while the OP of the PM_2.5 over Xi'an was affected more by long-range transport than by local transport. As stated above, the improvement of atmospheric oxidation potential require not only regional efforts but also large-scale joint cooperation. Furthermore, this study on the OP of PM as well as the specific source information provides important guidance for health effect research.

Degradation of SDBS in water solutions using plasma in gas-liquid interface discharge: Performance, byproduct formation and toxicity evaluation

Sodium Dodecyl Benzene Sulfonate (SDBS) is a major anionic surfactant and is widely used in the detergent industry. The large amount of SDBS discharged into water bodies can cause eutrophication of water bodies and produce toxic effects in aquatic organisms. In this study, the degradation of SDBS and variation in toxicity during the plasma treatment process were evaluated using gas-liquid interface discharge. The experimental results showed that SDBS could be removed effectively after discharge for 8 min at an initial concentration of 30 mg/L. The SDBS removal could be fitted by the first-order kinetic model. The plasma voltage and initial pH had great effects on the removal of SDBS. At the same voltage, SDBS could be removed faster under alkaline conditions. Compared to ozonation, much higher SDBS and TOC removal performance was achieved by plasma treatment. HO, which was mainly derived from the reaction of H₂O₂ and ozone in the solutions, played a major role in the oxidation process. The toxicity evaluation showed that plasma treatment could reduce the acute toxicity effectively initially, and also indicated that the formed intermediates of formate, oxalate, malonate and sulfate had no negative effects. However, further treatment caused an increase in toxicity, which was mainly correlated with the excessive residual H₂O₂ formed during the plasma process. This study indicated that while applying plasma treatment, the conditions should be optimized comprehensively to maintain a low H₂O₂ residual in the effluent.

Source apportionment of environmentally persistent free radicals (EPFRs) in PM2.5 over Xi'an, China

Environmentally persistent free radicals (EPFRs) have recently attracted considerable attention as a new type of environmental risk substance due to their potential health effects. However, the sources and contributions of EPFRs in PM_2.5 are not yet clear. Therefore, this study reports the sources of EPFRs in PM_2.5 based on chemical analysis and positive matrix factorization (PMF). Daily PM_2.5 samples (116) were collected in Xi'an city from April 4 to December 29, 2017, and were quantitatively analyzed for EPFRs and other chemical constituents. The PMF model revealed contributions from five main sources of EPFRs in PM_2.5 (dust sources, coal combustion, secondary nitrates, industrial emissions and motor vehicle emissions). Coal combustion, motor vehicle emissions and dust sources are the top three contributors to EPFRs (76.12% in total). Coal combustion is highly important for PM_2.5 (35.10%) and EPFRs (16.75%). A high dust source contribution to EPFRs in spring may be due to dust storm events. Motor vehicle emissions are the top contributor to EPFRs, with a mean percentage of 32.13%. Secondary nitrates barely contributes to EPFRs (3.42%), indicating an EPFR origin from primary emissions rather than secondary inorganic reactions. Industrial emissions contribute less to PM_2.5 (4.31%) than to EPFRs (11.71%), which implies that fossil fuels contains many high-molecular-weight organics that could emit EPFRs. Integrating the PMF results with meteorological data revealed that atmospheric pollutants emitted in Xi'an city center could be transported to the sampling site by southern winds. These results suggest the need for further studies on the public health effects of EPFRs and can be used to help formulate source control measures to reduce the potential health risks posed by EPFRs in PM_2.5.

Identification of fishy odor causing compounds produced by Ochromonas sp. and Cryptomonas ovate with gas chromatography-olfactometry and comprehensive two-dimensional gas chromatography

Disgusting fishy odor problems have become a major concern in drinking water quality, and are commonly related to algal proliferation in source water. Unlike the typical musty/earthy odorants 2-methylisoborneol (MIB) and geosmin, identification of the corresponding fishy odorants is still a big challenge. In this study, two species of fishy-odor-producing algae, Ochromonas sp. and Cryptomonas ovate, were cultured to explore the odor production characteristics and typical odorants. When algae were ruptured in the stationary and decline phases, fishy odor intensities of 4 to 8 characterized by FPA were produced. However, some frequently reported aldehydes that could cause fishy odor, including n-hexanal, 2-octenal, heptanal, 2,4-heptanal and 2,4-decadienal, were not detected in either of the cultured algae. The possible fishy odor-causing compounds were further identified by combining gas chromatography-olfactometry (GC-O/MS) and comprehensive two-dimensional gas chromatography (GC × GC-TOFMS) using retention indices (RIs). From GC-O/MS analysis, twelve and six olfactometry peaks with various odor characteristics were identified in Ochromonas sp. and Cryptomonas ovate, respectively, of which three and two olfactometry peaks showed fishy odor characteristics. 2-Nonenal, 2,4-octadienal, fluorene and 2-tetradecanone were identified as fishy odorants in Ochromonas sp., and 1-octen-3-ol, 6-methyl-5-hepten-2-one, 1-octen-3-one, 2-nonenal and 2,4-octadienal were identified in Cryptomonas ovate. Other identified compounds, including butyl butanoate (fragrant odor), ionone (fragrant odor), bis (2-chloroisopropyl) ether (chemical odor) etc., did not show fishy features. Therefore, the fishy odor might be a synthetic and comprehensive odor, which resulted from the combination of different odorants and their synergistic effects. The results of this study will be helpful for understanding fishy odor problems, which will provide support for fishy odor management and control in the drinking water industry.

Phenotypic analysis of atopic dermatitis in children aged 1-12 months: elaboration of novel diagnostic criteria for infants in China and estimation of prevalence

BACKGROUND

Atopic dermatitis (AD) is the most common skin disorder in infancy. However, the diagnosis and definite significance of infantile AD remains a debated issue.

OBJECTIVE

To analyse the phenotypes of AD in infancy, to establish diagnostic criteria and to estimate the prevalence of this condition in China.

METHODS

This is a multicentric study, in which 12 locations were chosen from different metropolitan areas of China. Following careful and complete history-taking and skin examination, the definite diagnosis of AD was made and the severity based on the SCORAD index was determined by local experienced dermatologists. Based on the detailed phenotyping, the major and representative clinical features of infantile AD were selected to establish the diagnostic criteria and evaluate their diagnostic efficacy.

RESULTS

A total of 5967 infants were included in this study. The overall point prevalence of AD was 30.48%. The infantile AD developed as early as at the second month of life, and its incidence peaked in the third month of life at 40.81%. The proportion of mild, moderate and severe AD was 67.40%, 30.57% and 2.03%, respectively. The most commonly seen manifestations in the infantile AD were facial dermatitis (72.07%), xerosis (42.72%) and scalp dermatitis (27.93%). We established the novel diagnostic criteria of infants, which included: (i) onset after 2 weeks of birth; (ii) pruritus and/or irritability and sleeplessness comparable with lesions; and (iii) all two items above with one of the following items can reach a diagnosis of AD: (i) eczematous lesions distributed on cheeks and/or scalp and/or extensor limbs, and (ii) eczematous lesions on any other parts of body accompanied by xerosis.

CONCLUSIONS

In China, the prevalence of AD in infancy is 30.48% according to clinical diagnosis of dermatologists. The novel Chinese diagnostic criteria for AD in infants show a higher sensitivity and comparable specificity.

[Characteristics of Carbonaceous Aerosol Pollution in PM2.5 in Xi'an]

Mass concentration, seasonal variation and sources of organic carbon (OC), element carbon (EC), methanol-soluble organic carbon (MSOC), and seven carbon components (OC1-4, EC1-3) were detected by thermal-optical analysis of 353 PM_2.5 samples in Xi'an in 2017. The results show that the average mass concentrations of OC, EC, and MSOC were (17.56±11.83), (4.08±2.95) and (11.10±6.77) μg·m^-3, respectively. The seasonal trend of the OC concentration follows the order winter > spring > summer > autumn. The seasonal trend in EC concentration follows the order winter > spring≈autumn > summer. The average MSOC/OC value is 0.64±0.20. The highest value is observed in winter and the lowest in summer. The correlation between OC and EC is good in spring (r²=0.76), but the correlation is poor in winter (r²=0.43). These results indicate that the source of the carbon aerosols was different. The content of secondary organic aerosols was estimated by the EC tracing method. The average mass concentration of SOC accounted for 51.9%, 38.4%, 37.3% and 44.0% of OC in spring, summer, autumn, and winter, respectively. The main sources of carbonaceous aerosols were analyzed by principal component analysis. The results show that carbonaceous aerosols originate mainly from coal and vehicle emissions in Xi'an.

Characteristics of environmentally persistent free radicals in PM2.5: Concentrations, species and sources in Xi'an, Northwestern China

Environmentally persistent free radicals (EPFRs) are a new class of environmental risk substances that can stably exist in atmospheric particles and pose a potential threat to human health. In this study, electron paramagnetic resonance (EPR) spectroscopy was used to study the concentration levels, species characteristics, and sources of EPFRs in PM_2.5 in Xi'an in 2017. The results showed that the concentrations of EPFRs in PM_2.5 in Xi'an in 2017 ranged from 9.8 × 10¹¹ to 6.9 × 10¹⁴ spins/m³. The highest concentration of EPFRs occurred in winter when the average concentration was 2.1 × 10¹⁴ spins/m³. The lowest concentration of EPFRs occurred in autumn when the average concentration was 7.0 × 10¹³ spins/m³. According to the annual average atmospheric concentration of EPFRs, the amount of EPFRs inhaled by people in Xi'an is equivalent to approximately 5 cigarettes per person per day and approximately 23 cigarettes per person per day in winter when haze occurs. The results of the study on the EPFR characteristics show that the EPFRs in PM_2.5 in Xi'an are mainly C-center organic radicals that are primarily non-decaying types, accounting for approximately 75% and 85% of total concentration of EPFRs in autumn and winter, respectively. Finally, a correlation analysis was used to explore the origins of EPFRs in PM_2.5. Significant positive correlations were found between EPFRs and SO₂, NO₂ and the thermally derived OC3 and OC4 carbonaceous components. The results suggested that coal-fired and traffic may be important sources of EPFRs in PM_2.5 in Xi'an. In addition, EPFRs are significantly positively correlated with O₃ in summer, suggesting that some EPFRs may also originate from secondary processes. This study provides important basic data and evidence for further assessments of the potential health risks of EPFRs in PM_2.5 and the development of effective air pollution control measures.

Enhanced health risks from exposure to environmentally persistent free radicals and the oxidative stress of PM2.5 from Asian dust storms in Erenhot, Zhangbei and Jinan, China

Asian dust storms can increase the level of atmospheric pollution over regions downwind of dust storms and may have adverse health effects on residents along the sandstorm transmission route. This study was the first to report the concentration levels, properties and possible sources of environmentally persistent free radicals (EPFRs) and oxidative potential in atmospheric PM_2.5 at the three sites of Erenhot, Zhangbei, and Jinan along the transport route of Asian dust storms during the occurrence of Asian dust storms in the spring of 2016. Under non-sandstorm weather conditions, the average EPFR concentrations at the three sites were Zhangbei>Jinan>Erenhot, while the PM-induced oxidative potential levels were Erenhot>Jinan>Zhangbei. The PM_2.5 concentration increased significantly during dust storm events, and the total atmospheric concentration of EPFRs (spins/m³) and total oxidation potential (a.u./m³) of PM_2.5 simultaneously increased. However, the EPFR concentration in PM_2.5 (spins/g) and the unit mass of the PM oxidation potential (a.u./g) were significantly reduced. Electron paramagnetic resonance analysis combined with backward trajectory analysis and MODIS products showed that Asian dust storms can carry EPFRs over long distances. Correlation analysis showed that the atmospheric concentrations of EPFRs were positively correlated with elemental carbon (EC) for the Zhangbei and Jinan samples but were not significantly correlated with EC for the Erenhot samples, indicating that combustion may be an important source of EPFRs for the Zhangbei and Jinan samples. In contrast, the EPFRs in the Erenhot samples were more affected by dust/sand. The EPFR concentration levels showed a significant positive correlation with the oxidation potentials for the Erenhot and Zhangbei samples and showed negative correlations for the Jinan samples, suggesting that the EPFRs in the Erenhot and Zhangbei samples may provide an important contribution to the oxidative stress in PM_2.5. In contrast, the oxidation potential for the Jinan samples was mainly caused by substances other than EPFRs. This study presents a basic understanding of the potential health effects of Asian dust storms, and this information can be used to assess the health risks of Asian dust storms in future studies.

Dominant Fraction of EPFRs from Nonsolvent-Extractable Organic Matter in Fine Particulates over Xi'an, China

To understand the nature and possible sources of environmentally persistent free radicals (EPFRs) in atmospheric aerosols, the present study used a solvent extraction method to fractionate aerosol components with different polarities and solvent resistance in fine particulate matter (PM_2.5) from Xi'an, China. The characteristics of EPFRs, that is., their concentration, type and lifetime, were obtained based on their electron paramagnetic resonance spectra. The results showed that the EPFRs in the PM_2.5 samples were carbon-centered with a nearby heteroatom ( g = 2.0031) and had a long half-life of more than 3 years. Nearly all of the extractable EPFRs were detected in the water-insoluble organic fraction and showed characteristics indicating that may contain oxygen-centered radical ( g = 2.0038). Most of the total EPFRs in the PM_2.5 were derived from solvent-resistant organic matter (88%), which likely consisted of graphene oxide analogues. The results suggest that previous studies may have missed the major proportion of EPFRs in atmospheric particulates if they only focused on solvent-extractable or metallic oxide-formed EPFRs. Our results showed that the EPFR concentration was significantly and positively correlated with the elemental carbon and NO₂ concentrations, suggesting that traffic emissions may be an important source of EPFRs in PM_2.5 over Xi'an.

Bioinformatics Analysis on Molecular Mechanism of Green Tea Compound Epigallocatechin-3-Gallate Against Ovarian Cancer

Epigallocatechin‐3‐gallate (EGCG) is the most abundant and biologically active catechin in green tea, and it exerts multiple effects in humans through mechanisms that remain to be clarified. The present study used bioinformatics to identify possible mechanisms by which EGCG reduces the risk of ovarian cancer. Possible human protein targets of EGCG were identified in the PubChem database, possible human gene targets were identified in the National Center for Biotechnology Information database, and then both sets of targets were analyzed using Ingenuity Pathway Analysis (IPA). The results suggest that signaling proteins affected by EGCG in ovarian cancer, which include JUN, FADD, NFKB1, Bcl‐2, HIF1α, and MMP, are involved primarily in cell cycle, cellular assembly and organization, DNA replication, etc. These results identify several specific proteins and pathways that may be affected by EGCG in ovarian cancer, and they illustrate the power of integrative informatics and chemical fragment analysis for focusing mechanistic studies.

Abstract P1-01-05: Prognostic values of circulating tumor cells (CTC) and cancer associated macrophage-like cells (CAML) enumerations in metastatic breast cancer: The role for innate immunity in the metastatic process

Background: The enumeration of circulating tumor cells (CTCs) using the CellSearch assay is a well-established prognostic and predictive marker for metastatic breast cancer (MBC). However, additional prognostic markers are lacking in patients with ≥ 5 CTCs in 7.5 ml of blood. Tumor-associated macrophages (TAMs) are derived from circulating monocytes or tissue-resident macrophages. TAMs have a controversial role in metastasis and anti-tumor processes. Recent studies showed that circulating cancer associated macrophage-like cells (CAMLs) are specialized phagocytic myeloid cells and found in the peripheral blood of patients with solid tumors including breast cancer, but not in healthy individuals. The presence of CAMLs may indicate the activation of innate immunity in cancer patients. The function and prognostic value of CAMLs in MBC is unknown. In the current study, we measured CTCs and CAMLs on the CellSearch™ platform and investigated their prognostic values in MBC.

Methods: Peripheral blood samples from 127 stages IV breast cancer patients were collected at baseline before starting first-line therapy. The detection and enumeration of CTCs and CAMLs in 7.5 ml blood sample were performed on the CellSearch™ system. CTCs were identified by cytokeratins (CK-8, 18, and 19) positive and CD45 negative staining. CAMLs were defined by positive staining for cytokeratins and CD45 (Adams et al, PNAS, 111(9):3514-9, 2014). CTCs and CAMLs enumeration in associations with the progression-free survival (PFS) and overall survival (OS) of patients were evaluated using Kaplan Meier curves and Cox proportional hazards modeling.

Results: The image review of CAMLs by using CellSearch analysis showed heterogeneous morphological phenotypes. CAMLs are large cells presenting enlarged nuclei or multiple individual nuclei, and both cytokeratin and CD45 positive with diffused cytoplasmic staining. Among the 127 MBC patients, 38 (29.9%) had elevated CTCs (≥5 CTCs), and 21 (16.5%) had at least one CAML detected. Patients with CAMLs had a significantly increased PFS (p=0.0374) and OS (p=0.0042), compared to patients without CAMLs at baseline. Patients with elevated baseline CTCs and CAMLs had worse PFS with a hazard ratio (HR) of 4.04 (95% CI 2.16 -7.56, P<0.0001), compared to patients with < 5 CTCs and without CAMLs. The combined analysis of baseline CTCs enumeration and CAMLs showed similar effect on patient OS. Compared to patients with < 5 CTCs and without CAMLs, patients with < 5 CTCs and with CAMLs, patients with ≥ 5 CTCs and without CAMLs, and patients with ≥ 5 CTCs and with CAMLs, had an increasing trend of death risk, with an HR of 2.66 (95% CI 0.53-13.21), 6.14 (2.10-17.92), and 9.13 (3.05-27.37), respectively (p for trend<0.0001).

Conclusion: Baseline enumerations of both individual CTCs and CAMLs are feasible and increase our ability to accurately predict outcome in MBC patients. Evaluation of CAMLs in peripheral blood may be a marker of innate immunity and provide additional prognostic values for MBC.

Citation Format: Mu Z, Wang C, Ye Z, Rossi G, Austin L, Yang H, Cristofanilli M. Prognostic values of circulating tumor cells (CTC) and cancer associated macrophage-like cells (CAML) enumerations in metastatic breast cancer: The role for innate immunity in the metastatic process [abstract]. In: Proceedings of the 2016 San Antonio Breast Cancer Symposium; 2016 Dec 6-10; San Antonio, TX. Philadelphia (PA): AACR; Cancer Res 2017;77(4 Suppl):Abstract nr P1-01-05.

[The study of atmospheric particulate matters and IFN-γDNA methylation in CD4⁺ T cells from patients with AR children]

Objective:To investigate the possible effects of meteorological and environmental factors on AR of children and IFN-γgene specific DNA methylation levels in CD4⁺ T cells of patients with AR. Method:Undergoing follow-up on 35 pediatric AR patients (6-12 years). Data on daily sulfur dioxide (SO₂), nitrogen dioxide (NO₂), particulate matter of diameter smaller than 10 micrometer (PM-10) and particulate matter of diameter smaller than 2.5 micrometer (PM2.5), the average of ozone (O₃) per 8 hours was available as average values derived from the data of 6 state controlled monitoring stations distributed across Pudong district, Shanghai. We quantified IFN-γ (interferon-γ) gene specific DNA methylation levels in CD4⁺ T cells from 35 patients with AR and 30 healthy controls. mRNA levels of IFN-γ gene were measured by real-time reverse transcriptase-PCR. Methods of personal exposure assessment of PM2.5 and PM10 were measured. Result:Compared with control, IFN-γ promoter region was hypermethylated in AR CD4⁺ T cells (P<0.05). Of all observed CpG sites in IFN-γ promoter region, there were significant differences in CpG⁻²⁹⁹, CpG⁺¹¹⁹, CpG⁺¹⁶⁸ (P=0.004, P=0.029, P=0.035). IFN-γ mRNA expression was significantly increase in CD4⁺ T cells (P<0.05). The level of IFN-γ mRNA expression was negatively correlated to mean level of methylation in IFN-γ promoter region. After adjusting, level of long exposure PM2.5 was positively correlated with level of methylation in IFN-γ promoter region. Conclusion:Level of methylation in IFN-γ promoter region may be affected by long exposure PM2.5.

Pre-attentive dysfunction of musical processing in major depressive disorder: A mismatch negativity study

BACKGROUND

Deficits of pre-attentive information processing have been frequently found in patients with major depressive disorder, nevertheless the results are quite inconsistent due to clinical heterogeneity and methodological difference. Cognitive processing of music is a useful tool for investigating human cognition and its underlying brain mechanisms. Although general auditory processing and perception of musical sound are hampered in patients with MDD, whether the deficits in musical processing begin from pre-attentive stage is not well investigated yet. The present study aimed to investigate the MMN of musical sound in patients with MDD.

METHOD

MMN responses to different musical features were compared in 20 patients with MDD and 20 age-matched healthy controls. The multi-feature paradigm was used to examine automatic change detection of six different musical sound features (pitch, timbre, location, intensity, slide, rhythm) in a complex musical context. Severity of depression and co-morbid anxiety were evaluated using the Hamilton Rating Scale of Depression (HRSD-17) and the Hamilton Anxiety Rating Scale (HAMA).

RESULTS

MMNs were obtained with all deviants. The timbre-MMN was significantly larger in MDD patients than in healthy controls, while the other deviants (pitch, location, intensity, slide and rhythm) elicited similar MMN across groups. For MDD patients, the amplitudes and latencies of MMNs did not correlate with severity of depression or co-morbid anxiety.

LIMITATIONS

The sample size in this study is relatively small.

CONCLUSION

Patients with MDD do not perform at the same level as controls in automatic change detection of timbre. This dysfunction is considered to be a trait-dependent feature of MDD.

Abstract P6-18-01: Novel genetic susceptibility loci for inflammatory breast cancer identified by whole exome sequencing

Background: Inflammatory breast cancer (IBC) is an extremely aggressive form of locally advanced breast cancer that affects approximately 5% of breast cancer patients. The prognosis of IBC patients is remarkably poor, with a three-year survival rate of approximately 30% compared to 60% for non-IBC breast cancer patients. The etiology of IBC is largely unknown. A few risk factors have been reported such as body mass index (BMI) and educational level. Prior evidence has also implicated genetic components in IBC etiology. For instance, the reported familial cases and racial incidence disparity of IBC patients, as well as the fact IBC patients typically have a younger age onset than non-IBC patients, all indicated the possible involvement of genetic factors. Nevertheless, as yet no genetic epidemiological study has been reported to evaluate IBC genetic predisposition.

Methods: To test the hypothesis that genetic variants and mutations may affect IBC susceptibility, we performed whole exome sequencing in a pilot case-control study that contained 70 IBC cases and 119 unrelated cancer-free controls. Sequencing data were de-multiplexed, filtered, assessed for various quality control metrics, mapped to reference genome and annotated. Comprehensive single variant-based, gene-centered, and pathway-based analyses were conducted to identify variants, genes, and pathways that may be involved in IBC predisposition.

Results: We obtained &gt; 50x on-target sequencing coverage of the whole exome in &gt; 90% of the patients. In single variant analysis, we identified six variants reaching genome-wide significance. Four variants were encoded by genes that have been implicated in breast cancer development including MALAT1, MAP3K9, POLR3B, and FIP1L1. Two variants were encoded by novel genes that have not been related to breast cancer, including CCDC30 and LINC01565. Two types of analyses based on a gene-centered strategy identified top genes such as SLC39A4, CDHR1, AP5Z1, GNB3, ITGA10, etc. However, possibly due to the limited sample size, none of these genes reached genome-wide significance. Ingenuity Pathway Analysis (IPA), using the complete list of significant genes identified by each of these analyses all reported "cancer" as the highest possible disorder associated with these genes, demonstrating the biological plausibility of our findings. Moreover, canonical pathways such as IL4 signaling, glycogen degradation, epithelial adherence junction signaling, and CCR3 signaling in eosinophils were among the top pathways that were found involved in IBC predisposition.

Conclusion: Overall, we provided novel preliminary evidence that genetic variants are potentially associated with the risk of developing IBC. We are currently conducting validation studies with larger sample sizes are warranted to confirm these findings and identify additional genetic susceptibility loci.

Citation Format: Ye Z, Li B, Wang C, Zhong X, Wei Q, Mu Z, Austin L, Jaslow R, Avery T, Palazzo J, Biederman L, Yang H, Cristofanilli M, IBC Inflammatory Breast Cancer International Consortium. Novel genetic susceptibility loci for inflammatory breast cancer identified by whole exome sequencing. [abstract]. In: Proceedings of the Thirty-Eighth Annual CTRC-AACR San Antonio Breast Cancer Symposium: 2015 Dec 8-12; San Antonio, TX. Philadelphia (PA): AACR; Cancer Res 2016;76(4 Suppl):Abstract nr P6-18-01.

Abstract P2-08-09: Prognostic values of circulating tumor cell (CTC) enumeration and their clusters in advanced breast cancer

Background The enumeration of circulating tumor cells (CTCs) has been proven to have prognostic values in several solid tumors including breast cancer. It has been established that a cut-off of 5 CTCs in 7.5 ml of blood may significantly differentiate breast cancer patients with favorable and unfavorable survival. However, CTC enumeration has not been shown to further predict the prognosis in those patients with more than 5 CTCs in 7.5 ml of blood. There are several recent in vitro and in vivo studies suggesting that clusters of CTC can be identified in blood and those clusters may play an important role in tumor progression and metastasis. Few clinical studies have been reported to enumerate CTC clusters and evaluate their prognostic values. In the current study, we hypothesize that the enumeration of CTC clusters play an important role in the prognostication of advanced breast cancer patients by providing additional predictive performance independent of CTC enumeration.

Methods In an ongoing study of blood-based breast cancer biomarkers, we enrolled 114 patients with stages III and IV breast cancer. Among them, 68 patients had inflammatory breast cancer (IBC), an extremely aggressive form of breast cancer with a much lower survival rate than non-IBC breast cancer patients. The number of single CTCs and CTC clusters (two or more CTCs bound together) in 7.5 ml blood sample were counted using the CellSearch™ system (Janssen Diagnostic) at baseline study entry, and their associations with the progression-free survival (PFS) of patients were evaluated using Kaplan Meier curves and Cox proportional hazards modeling.

Results Baseline CTCs were detected in 67 (58.77%) patients. Thirty-five (30.70%) and 19 patients (16.67%) had elevated CTCs (≥5 CTCs/7.5 mL) and clusters, respectively. IBC patients had a slightly higher percentage of cluster (17.65%) compared to non-IBC patients (15.22%). Patients with elevated baseline CTC and cluster had worse PFS (log rank P, 0.0009 and 0.0035, respectively). Compared to patients with &lt; 5 CTC and without cluster, those patients with elevated CTC without cluster, and those with elevated CTC with cluster had an increasingly higher risk of disease progression with an hazard ratio [HR] of 1.93 (95% confidence interval [CI] 1.01-3.67) and 2.91 (1.54-5.50), respectively (P for trend = 0.001). Moreover, the combined analysis of baseline CTC and cluster enumerations showed similar effect when the analysis was restricted to IBC patients (HR 3.03, 95% CI 1.34-6.86).

Conclusion Baseline enumerations of both individual CTCs and CTC clusters predict PFS in advanced stage breast cancer patients. CTC clusters provide further prognostic value in patients with elevated CTC and their molecular characterizations may provide novel insights into the metastasis process.

Citation Format: Ye Z, Mu Z, Wang C, Palazzo JP, Biederman L, Li B, Jaslow R, Avery T, Austin L, Yang H, Cristofanilli M. Prognostic values of circulating tumor cell (CTC) enumeration and their clusters in advanced breast cancer. [abstract]. In: Proceedings of the Thirty-Eighth Annual CTRC-AACR San Antonio Breast Cancer Symposium: 2015 Dec 8-12; San Antonio, TX. Philadelphia (PA): AACR; Cancer Res 2016;76(4 Suppl):Abstract nr P2-08-09.

Abstract P2-02-14: Detection and characterization of CTCs isolated by ScreenCell®-Filtration in metastatic breast cancer

Background: Circulating Tumor cells (CTCs) detection has prognostic and predictive implications in patients with metastatic breast cancer (MBC). Genomic and phenotypic analysis of CTCs hold enormous promise as blood-based molecular characterization and monitoring disease progression and treatment benefit with a strong potential to be translated into more individualized targeted treatments. FDA-approved CellSearch™ detection allows only enumeration of CTCs expressing EpCAM without molecular characterization. CTCs represent very heterogeneous populations of tumorigenic cancer cells and some subpopulations have undergone epithelial-Mesenchymal transition (EMT), which is associated metastasis process and an unfavourable outcome. EpCAM-based enrichment technique has failed to detect EMT subpopulations due to the decreased expression or loss of epithelial markers. Non-EpCAM-based approaches are needed for identifying EMT CTCs. The ScreenCell® devices are single-use and low-cost innovative devices that use a filter for enrichment-free isolation of CTCs by a two-steps combining size-based separation and staining using different markers. The DEPArray™ system is the ideal downstream isolation system to collect single or pooled CTCs for molecular and genetic analysis. In this study, we evaluated the feasibility of achieving CTCs detection/enumeration using ScreenCell® filtration followed by single cell isolation with the DEPArray™ in MBC patients.

Methods: The first part of the study consisted in evaluating CTCs detection/enumeration in 30 patients with stage III and stage IV breast cancer. 3 mL of whole blood in an EDTA or Transfix tubes was collected and processed on the ScreenCell® Cyto device following the instructions of the supplier. CTCs were stained with cytokeratin (CK-8, 18, and 19), leukocyte antigen (CD45), and a nuclear dye (DAPI) and counted under fluorescence microscope. CTCs were identified as positive staining for CK and DAPI and negative staining for CD45 (CK+/DAPI+CD45-). In the second part, After enrichment, CTCs were stained with CK, CD45, and DAPI and sorted with DEPArray™ Platform (Silicon Biosystems, Inc). Single CTCs were collected and the DNA of each single CTCs was amplified with Ampli1™ WGA kit, and the genome integrity index (GII) was assessed by Ampli1™ QC kit (Silicon Biosystems, Inc). Library was constructed and whole exome sequencing (WES) of DNA mutations was conducted.

Results: Twenty patient samples had CTCs detected (66.7%), the number of CTCs was 1 to 347 per 3.0 ml of whole blood. CTC-clusters were detected in 7 patient samples (23.3%). Single CTCs were collected on DEPArray™ platform after enrichment with ScreenCell filtration. GII was confirmed with the presence of short, medium, and long DNA fragments (3 to 4 PCR bands) in the WGA library by PCR-based assay. All collected CTCs showed high GII as measured by Ampli1™ QC kit (GII ≥ 3) for WES of DNA mutations. The data analysis of WES results is under processing.

Conclusions: ScreenCell® filtration is simple and effective devices to isolate CTCs and identify CTC-clusters. Isolation of single cells for molecular analysis using the combination of ScreenCell® filtration and DEPArray™ Platform is feasible for genetic characterization of CTCs.

Citation Format: Mu Z, Benali-Furet N, Uzan G, Ye Z, Austin L, Wang C, Nguyen1 T, Avery T, Jaslow R, Yang H, Cristofanilli M. Detection and characterization of CTCs isolated by ScreenCell®-Filtration in metastatic breast cancer. [abstract]. In: Proceedings of the Thirty-Eighth Annual CTRC-AACR San Antonio Breast Cancer Symposium: 2015 Dec 8-12; San Antonio, TX. Philadelphia (PA): AACR; Cancer Res 2016;76(4 Suppl):Abstract nr P2-02-14.

Abstract P2-02-11: Detection of activating estrogen receptor 1 (ESR1) mutation on single circulating tumor cells from metastatic breast cancer patients

Background: 65% of primary breast cancers express the estrogen receptor α (ERα) and the mainstay of treatment are therapies that result in selective estrogen receptor modulation (SERM) of estrogen deprivation (aromatase inhibitors, AIs). Even thought endocrine therapy resulted in reduced recurrence and mortality, a significant portion of patients relapse with a metastatic disease and subsequently progress while of therapy for advanced disease (endocrine resistance). Recent evidence showed that activating hot spot mutation in the ligand binding domain of the ERα are acquired on treatment (frequency of 20%) and can drive resistance to endocrine therapy. Circulating tumor cells (CTCs) provide a non-invasive accessible source of tumor material and the molecular profiling of these rare cells might lead to insight on disease progression and therapeutic strategies. These features suggest that the detection of ESR1 mutation on single CTC may be a useful biomarker for therapy guidance.

Purpose: Investigate the incidence and heterogeneity of ESR1 mutational status within single CTCs isolated from individual metastatic breast cancer patients (mBCs), combining the FDA approved CellSearch® system for enumeration of CTCs with the DEPArrayTM technologies.

Methods: CTCs were enriched and enumerate by CellSearch® in 7.5 ml blood samples collected from 21 mBCs according to standard protocol. Each CTC-enriched sample with at least 20 CTCs was recovered from Veridex cartridge and loaded into the DEPArrayTM A300K chip, since the DEPArrayTM analyzed only the 66% of the sample volume loaded, according to the manufacturer's instructions. The chip scanning was performed by automated fluorescence microscope. The loaded cells were recovered as single cell and subdivided in tree different group: Cytokeratin (CK) positive ( Dapi+, CK+, ER-, CD45-); ER positive (Dapi+, ER+, CK+, CD45-); White Blood cells (WBCs) (Dapi+, CD45+, CK-, ER-). Single CTCs and WBCs were then submitted to whole genome amplification (WGA) using the Single Cell WGA kit (Yikon Genomics) according the manufacturer's instructions. Detection of target 14 ESR1 hot spot mutations was performed on ABI PRISM® 3700 genetic analyzer by target Sanger sequencing.

Results: 3 out of 21 mBCs with ≥20 CTCs were sorted and a total of 65 cells were recovered. WGA and ESR1 mutational status were performed on a total of 25 cells (respectively 11 ER+, 6 CK+ and 8 WBCs). In 1 of the 3 patients, that failed 2 lines of chemotherapy and previous single agent endocrine therapy, molecular heterogeneity was detected among its ER+ cells. 4 of 5 ER+ cells were heterozygote for the Y537S while one cell was homozygous, maybe due to a loss of heterozygosity. Y537S is one of the most common mutations that leads to a ligand independent ER transcriptional activity that does not respond to endocrine manipulation. No mutations were reported in all the CK+ and WBC cells analyzed.

Conclusions: This study demonstrates the feasibility of a non-invasive approach based on liquid biopsy in mBCs. Evaluation of ER status and early identification of ESR1 mutation in ER+ CTCs might allow to predict effect of the endocrine therapies and switching to other treatments before the emergence of metastatic disease.

Citation Format: Paolillo C, Mu Z, Austin L, Nguyen T, Capoluongo E, Fortina P, Cristofanilli M. Detection of activating estrogen receptor 1 (ESR1) mutation on single circulating tumor cells from metastatic breast cancer patients. [abstract]. In: Proceedings of the Thirty-Eighth Annual CTRC-AACR San Antonio Breast Cancer Symposium: 2015 Dec 8-12; San Antonio, TX. Philadelphia (PA): AACR; Cancer Res 2016;76(4 Suppl):Abstract nr P2-02-11.

[Preparation of cobalt oxide mesoporous metallic oxide-clay composites and their catalytic performance in the oxidation of benzene]

Laponite clays composited with alumina, ceria and zirconia etc. were prepared using polyoxocations or simple metal ions as precursors, and then cobalt oxide was loaded onto them to obtain the catalysts. The results showed that compared with laponite clays, the as-prepared laponite had wide range of pore size distribution and increased pore volume. The pore volumes of laponite clays composited with alumina and ceria were more than 0.75 cm3 · g(-1). N2 isotherm type was maintained after Co3O4 loading, however, the N2 adsorption decreased with the increase of Co3 O4 loading, indicating the decrease of pore volume, which was caused by the blockage of metallic oxide/clay composites support. Furthermore, dispersion and catalytic performance of the catalysts were significantly influenced by the composited metallic elements. It was shown that according to the diffraction peak half-width of 311 crystal facet and scherrer equation, when the Co loading was 21.3% at laponite clays composited with Fe, Zr, Ce, Al, the average sizes of Co3O4 were 17.2, 16.0, 16.5 and 18.0 nm, respectively. Alumina composited clay with 21.3% Co loading showed high catalytic activity, the complete conversion temperature of benzene was 350°C. Among metallic oxide/laponite composites, the ZrO composited laponite with 21.3% Co loading exhibited the best catalytic performance, which could completely convert benzene at 310°C.

Effects of tetra-arsenic tetra-sulfide on BXSB lupus-prone mice: a pilot study

Systemic lupus erythematosus (SLE) is an autoimmune disease of uncertain etiology that affects multiple tissues and organs. Arsenic trioxide (ATO) has been used in lupus-prone mice with a regulatory effect on immune abnormality. Tetra-arsenic tetra-sulfide (As4S4), a traditional Chinese medicine, is effective on acute promyelocytic leukemia with mild side effects than ATO. In this study, a pilot study was performed to investigate the effects and the mechanism of As4S4 on the lupus-prone BXSB mice. Improvement of monocytosis (p<0.05) in spleen and decreased serum interleukin-6 (IL-6) (p=0.0277) were observed with As4S4 treatment. As4S4-treated mice exhibited amelioration of skin, liver and renal disease with mild side effects. Histological analysis revealed that As4S4 suppressed immune complex deposition, mesangial proliferation and inflammatory cell infiltration in kidney and liver. Our study support that As4S4 selectively suppresses cutaneous lupus and nephritis in BXSB mice and might be a potential treatment for SLE.

Abstract P3-01-05: Metabolomic analysis of breast cancer cell lines: Clues to the metabolic fingerprint of inflammatory breast cancer

BACKGROUND: Inflammatory breast cancer (IBC) is an aggressive type of advanced breast cancer with a poor prognosis and lower survival rate. IBC is characterized by peculiar clinical and biological features and resistance to standard treatments. IBC has shown the capacity to spread early through lymphatic channels and blood vessels causing the specific inflammatory signs. Currently, there are no specific therapeutic options for IBC patients because of very few molecular alterations associated with IBC. Thus, there is an unmet need to identify distinguished features of IBC that differentiate the disease from non-inflammatory breast cancer (nIBC). Metabolomic analysis of cancer cells holds the promise to identify unique chemical fingerprints of important cellular processes. In this study we investigated the global biochemical profiles of IBC and nIBC cells.

METHODS: Three IBC cell lines, SUM190, SUM149, FC-IBC-02, and three nIBC cell lines, MCF-7, MDA-MB-231, MDA-MB-468, with five replicates for each cell line, were analyzed in this study. Metabolomic profiling analysis was performed by Metabolon, Inc (Durham, NC) on the gas chromatography/mass spectroscopy and ultrahigh performance liquid chromatography/mass spectroscopy platforms as previously described (Proc. Natl. Acad. Sci. U. S. A. 108, 3270-3275, 2011). A total of 347 metabolites were detected. Welch's two-sample t-test was used to identify biochemicals that differed significantly between experimental groups (p≤0.001), as well as those approaching significance (0.001&lt;p&lt;0.05).

RESULTS: Comparison of global biochemical profiles for IBC and nIBC cell lines revealed numerous statistically changed metabolites at a p-value threshold of p&lt;0.001. Statistical comparisons also revealed a clear metabolic separation of samples due to cell line differences. Several biochemical pathways emerged as being commonly altered across all IBC cell lines compared to all nIBC cell lines. Notable observations include alterations in inflammatory signaling, energy metabolism, and cell proliferation. Signatures of inflammation were elevated and inflammatory signaling pathways showed activation in IBC cell lines. In energy metabolism, the cellular energy for IBC cells appeared to be derived from amino acid catabolism to a greater extent than in nIBC cells. Furthermore, fatty acids was significantly elevated in IBC cell lines, that may indicate a reduced cellular proliferation and increased glycogen storage in IBC cells. Moreover, an altered methylation and glutathione metabolism were shown in IBC cell lines.

CONCLUSIONS: Our study is the first to demonstrate difference of metabolic profiles between IBC and nIBC cells. Future studies comparing global biochemical profiles in tissue biopsy and blood from IBC and nIBC patients may help to confirm the relevance of these findings in cell lines. Metabolic targets may provide more effective and specific therapeutic strategy for the treatment of IBC patients.

Citation Information: Cancer Res 2013;73(24 Suppl): Abstract nr P3-01-05.

Impaired nuclear translocation of glucocorticoid receptors: novel findings from psoriatic epidermal keratinocytes

Psoriasis is a chronic proliferative skin disease and is usually treated with topical glucocorticoids, which act through the glucocorticoid receptor (GR), a component of the physiological systems essential for immune responses, differentiation, and homeostasis. To investigate the possible role of GR in the pathogenesis of psoriasis, normal and psoriatic lesional skin were recruited. Firstly, the immunolocalization of GR in the skin and cultured epidermal keratinocytes were determined by immunofluorescence. In normal skin and cultured human epidermal keratinocytes, intracellular GR is localized in the nuclei, while in psoriatic skin and cultured keratinocytes, GR is in the cytoplasm. Next, we investigated possible factors associated with the cytoplasmic distribution. We found that VEGF and IFN-γ led to impaired nuclear translocation of GR through p53 and microtubule-inhibitor, vincristine, and inhibited nuclear uptake of GR in normal keratinocytes. In addition to dexamethasone, interleukin (IL)-13 was also able to transfer GR into nuclei of psoriatic keratinocytes. Furthermore, discontinuation of dexamethasone induced cytoplasmic retention of GR in normal keratinocytes. In contrast, energy depletion of normal epidermal keratinocytes did not change the nuclear distribution of GR. To confirm our findings in vivo, an imiquimod-induced psoriasis-like skin mouse model was included. IL-13 ameliorated (but vincristine exacerbated) the skin lesions on the mouse. Taken together, our findings define that impaired nuclear translocation of GR is associated with VEGF, IFN-γ, p53, and microtubule. Therapeutic strategies designed to accumulate GR in the nucleus, such as IL-13, may be beneficial for the therapy of psoriasis.

Abstract P6-02-05: A novel culturing 3-D model to evaluate the role of tumor microenvironment in IBC

Introduction: Inflammatory breast cancer (IBC) is a highly aggressive form of breast cancer associated with extremely poor outcomes. The clinical and pathological characteristics of the disease are the peculiar invasion of the dermal lymphatics as tumor emboli and the development of early recurrences. We aimed to establish a 3D model to evaluate the role of tumor microenvironment.

Methods: We used human tumor-associated fibroblasts (or fibroblasts derived from metastatic skin) from IBC patients to build a multilayer extracellular matrix structure which effectively mimics aspects of the mesenchymal microenvironment of IBCs. Using this in vivo-like microenvironment we proceeded to test both matrix effects upon IBC's phenotypes and IBC modifications upon the cell-derived 3D matrices.

We seeded the IBC cells into the matrix and cultured for 3 days, then tested the characterization markers cancer cells and ECM e.g. Phalloidin, E-cadherin, Ki67, α5β1 integrin and fibronectin by immunofluorescence and the expression of E-cadherin and vimentin as marker of epithelial-mesenchymal transition (EMT) by western blot.

Results: We divided six IBC cell lines into 2 groups depending on the phenotypes acquired when cultured in the IBC fibroblast-derived ECM. SUM149 (EGF receptor positive and aggressive phenotype), BR016 and LG018 (harvested from patient's pleural effusions) presented a single cell organization with a spindle-like or mesenchymal type (as opposed to cluster) morphology. In comparison, SUM190 (HER2 positive and non aggressive tumorigenesis), MDA-IBC-3 and FC-IBC-02 (abstracted from patient's pleural effusion) presented a phenotype resembling mammospheres or in vivo emboli. Moreover, this last group of cells showed a peculiar capability for ECM modifications which greatly differed from the ECM modifications that were apparent following 3 day culturing of the above mentioned group represented by SUM149. In addition, proliferation measurements by Ki67 expression demonstrated a significant increased in 3D culture for SUM149, BR016 and LG018 compared with that in 2D culture, while no differences in proliferation were observed in the other three cell lines. Moreover, the expression of E-cadherin known to be upregulated in IBC tumors was increased in all cancer cells when seeded into the human fibroblast-derived 3D matrix indicating a potential role of the microenvironment in promoting proliferation, growth and invasion.

Conclusion: The present study demonstrated the establishment of a novel IBC stromal 3D model using extracellular matrix produced from human fibroblasts of patients with advanced IBC. We showed a dynamic interaction between cancer cells and the microenvironment and potential sorting of IBC cells into two discrete groups which also correlate with their aggressive behaviors in vivo. We believe that these system may serve to predict levels of IBC tumorigenesis. We will proceed to further study the two identified responsive phenotypes with the goal of uncovering mechanisms of IBC tumor-stromal interactions and better understand ECM influences upon IBC development and progression. The ultimate goal will be to use the system to study IBC biology and better design drugs that will specifically affect the newly identified phenotypes.

Citation Information: Cancer Res 2012;72(24 Suppl):Abstract nr P6-02-05.

P4-03-06: Development and Comparative Characterization of Metastasis in Newly Developed Pre-Clinical Models of Inflammatory Breast Cancer

Background: Inflammatory breast cancer (IBC) is the most metastatic variant of breast cancer. It is associated with a poor survival rate (40% 5-year survival) despite appropriate multidisciplinary care. For such an aggressive type of cancer, IBC has been understudied, in part due to the lack of adequate numbers of cell lines and mouse models that recapitulate the human disease. To expand our understanding of IBC, we have obtained all of the previously developed and characterized IBC cell lines and models including Mary-X, SUM149, SUM190, KPL-4, MDA-IBC-3 and have developed two new IBC models, designated as FC-IBC01 and FC-IBC02, using tumor cells derived from pleural effusion of IBC patients.

Materials and Methods: Each of these IBC cell lines has been luciferase (LUC)-tagged, allowing the growth of orthotopic injection or subcutaneous implantation to be evaluated by bioluminescent imaging (BLI). Alternatively, the LUC-tagged IBC cells can by injected via either intra-cardiac or intravenous route of delivery, which promotes rapid tumor colonization, resulting in both visceral and skeletal metastasis. Growth of IBC tumors can then be monitored immediately using BLI, thus eliminating the lag time needed for the physical detection of palpable tumors. BLI imaging also allows for monitoring of the kinetics and location of development of metastatic lesions. Whole transcriptome analysis was performed on IBC cell lines and xenograft tissues to define the heterogeneity of IBC as a distinct variant of breast cancer

Results: These models have allowed us to identify micro-metastatic foci in multiple sites distant from the IBC primary tumor in each of these models of IBC and allow the quantitation of anti-tumor and anti-metastatic effects of targeted therapeutics as single agents as well as the potential synergy of combinations of agents. As an example, injection of LUC-tagged IBC cell lines such as SUM149-Luc, into the left ventricle of NOD.Cg-Prkdcscid Il2rgtm1Wjl/SzJ mice allows the metastatic tumor burden to be monitored longitudinally by whole animal BLI, which can be validated at necropsy and by immunohistochemical analysis. Whole transcriptome analysis of pre-clinical models of IBC reflect the molecular subtypes observed in IBC patients, with the majority of IBC models being of the basal like, luminal B and Her2 amplified. Discussion: First time analysis of known and newly developed pre-clinical models of IBC allows a more complete analysis of IBC as a distinct variant of breast cancer. Furthermore, these approaches allow rapid evaluation of the promising targeted therapeutics identified based on whole transcriptome analysis of both IBC patient tumors and pre-clinical models developed from IBC patients. We believe that this extensive collection of LUC-tagged IBC cell lines is an invaluable tool for IBC research since the cell lines encompass the broad spectrum of IBC heterogeneity.

Citation Information: Cancer Res 2011;71(24 Suppl):Abstract nr P4-03-06.

P2-05-04: Mapping the Specific Gene Families Activated in the Lymphangiogenesis and Vasculogenic Mimicry Exhibited by Inflammatory Breast Cancer

Background: Inflammatory breast cancer (IBC) is the most metastatic variant of locally advanced breast cancer. Although IBC is diagnosed less commonly than other types of breast cancer, it is extremely aggressive, and accounts for a disproportionate number of breast cancer related deaths annually. IBC exhibits very specific patterns of lymphangiogenesis and vasculogenic mimicry, however detailed studies of the genes and proteins involved in these angiogenic processes are lacking. This study performed whole unbiased gene transcription studies with validation by protein arrays using all available pre-clinical cell lines and in vivo xenograft models of IBC, including a new model of IBC, FC-IBC01, which exhibits lymphovascular invasion, to identify the specific pathways involved in the distinctive angiogenesis observed in IBC.

Materials and Methods: Real-time quantitative RT-PCR, cDNA microarray gene profiling, immunofluorescence with confocal imaging and protein arrays were used to examine differential expression of specific angiogenic gene families including VEGFA,B,C,D, VEGF Receptor genes, and ANG/TIE genes linked to angiogenesis and lymphangiogenesis.

Results: Activity of the matrix metalloproteinase, MMP-2, is required for IBC tumor cells to undergo vasculogenic mimicry (VM), which is associated with a loss of TIMP-2, a well known inhibitor of angiogenesis. Therapeutics that target MMP activity can successfully inhibit this VM. Furthermore, pre-clinical models of IBC that form IBC tumor emboli exhibit lymphovascular invasion that is associated with distinct patterns of expression of genes that encode for distinct receptor tyrosine kinases that may represent important therapeutic targets for IBC.

Discussion: Identification of the distinct angiogenic pathways that are activated in IBC provides insight into the therapeutic targets that may abrogate the distinct lymphovascular invasion and vasculogenic mimicry that are linked to the aggressive metastasis of IBC.

Citation Information: Cancer Res 2011;71(24 Suppl):Abstract nr P2-05-04.

Catalytic oxidation of benzene over nanostructured porous Co3O4-CeO2 composite catalysts

Mesostructured Co3O4-CeO2 composite was found to be an effective catalytic material for the complete oxidation of benzene. The Co3O4-CeO2 catalysts with different Co/Ce ratios (mol/mol) were prepared via the nanocasting method and the mesostructure was replicated from two-dimensional (2D) hexagonal SBA-15 and three-dimensional (3D) cubic KIT-6 silicas, respectively. All the obtained Co3O4-CeO2 catalysts exhibited the similar symmetry with the parent silicas and well ordered mesostructures. The Co3O4-CeO2 catalysts with 2D mesostructure showed lower catalytic activities than the corresponding 3D materials. The Co3O4-CeO2 catalyst nanocasted from KIT-6 and with the Co/Ce ratio of 16/1 possessed the best catalytic benzene oxidation activity due to larger quantities of surface hydroxyl groups and surface oxygenated species. The mesostructured Co3O4-CeO2 material thus shows great potential as a promising eco-environmental catalyst for benzene effective elimination.