Evidence for the appearance of atmospheric tau neutrinos in super-Kamiokande

Super-Kamiokande atmospheric neutrino data were fit with an unbinned maximum likelihood method to search for the appearance of tau leptons resulting from the interactions of oscillation-generated tau neutrinos in the detector. Relative to the expectation of unity, the tau normalization is found to be 1.42 ± 0.35(stat)(-0.12)(+0.14)(syst) excluding the no-tau-appearance hypothesis, for which the normalization would be zero, at the 3.8σ level. We estimate that 180.1 ± 44.3(stat)(-15.2)(+17.8) (syst) tau leptons were produced in the 22.5 kton fiducial volume of the detector by tau neutrinos during the 2806 day running period. In future analyses, this large sample of selected tau events will allow the study of charged current tau neutrino interaction physics with oscillation produced tau neutrinos.

Decontamination of outdoor school swimming pools in Fukushima after the nuclear accident in March 2011

Because of radioactive fallout resulting from the Fukushima Daiichi Nuclear Power Plant (NPP) accident, water discharge from many outdoor swimming pools in Fukushima was suspended out of concern that radiocesium in the pool water would flow into farmlands. The Japan Atomic Energy Agency has reviewed the existing flocculation method for decontaminating pool water and established a practical decontamination method by demonstrating the process at eight pools in Fukushima. In this method, zeolite powder and a flocculant are used for capturing radiocesium present in pool water. The supernatant is discharged if the radiocesium concentration is less than the targeted level. The radioactive residue is collected and stored in a temporary storage space. Radioactivity concentration in water is measured with a NaI(Tl) or Ge detector installed near the pool. The demonstration results showed that the pool water in which the radiocesium concentration was more than a few hundred Bq L was readily purified by the method, and the radiocesium concentration was reduced to less than 100 Bq L. The ambient dose rates around the temporary storage space were slightly elevated; however, the total increase was up to 30% of the background dose rates when the residue was shielded with sandbags.

Co-expression of multiple cytokines and their receptors in primary clear cell sarcoma of the pubic bone with features of a small round cell tumor

We present the case of an 81-year-old man with primary clear cell sarcoma (CCS) of the pubic bone with an associated aggressive clinical course. The patient's laboratory tests showed marked leukocytosis, elevated levels of C-reactive protein and multiple cytokines, including interleukin-6 (IL-6) and granulocyte colony-stimulating factor (G-CSF). Histological examination showed monomorphic small cells predominantly arranged as a diffuse sheet with morphological features of a small round cell tumor (SRCT). Immunohistochemical staining indicated that the tumor cells were positive for HMB45, S100, Melan A, IL-6, IL-6 receptor, G-CSF, and G-CSF receptor and negative for cytokeratin (AE1/AE3) and epithelial membrane antigen. To the best of our knowledge, this is the first case report of aggressive primary CCS of the pubic bone with features of SRCT showing the production and co-expression of multiple cytokines and their receptors. Thus, we suggest that proliferation through an IL-6- and G-CSF-associated autocrine mechanism may play an important role in the aggressive clinical course and poor prognosis of some CCSs showing features of SRCT.

Search for differences in oscillation parameters for atmospheric neutrinos and antineutrinos at Super-Kamiokande

We present a search for differences in the oscillations of antineutrinos and neutrinos in the Super-Kamiokande-I, -II, and -III atmospheric neutrino sample. Under a two-flavor disappearance model with separate mixing parameters between neutrinos and antineutrinos, we find no evidence for a difference in oscillation parameters. Best-fit antineutrino mixing is found to be at (Δm2,sin2 2θ)=(2.0×10(-3)  eV2, 1.0) and is consistent with the overall Super-K measurement.

Specific activity of cyclin-dependent kinase I is a new potential predictor of tumour recurrence in stage II colon cancer

Background:

There are no established biomarkers to identify tumour recurrence in stage II colon cancer. As shown previously, the enzymatic activity of the cyclin-dependent kinases 1 and 2 (CDK1 and CDK2) predicts outcome in breast cancer. Therefore, we investigated whether CDK activity identifies tumour recurrence in colon cancer.

Methods:

In all, 254 patients with completely resected (R0) UICC stage II colon cancer were analysed retrospectively from two independent cohorts from Munich (Germany) and Leiden (Netherlands). None of the patients received adjuvant treatment. Development of distant metastasis was observed in 27 patients (median follow-up: 86 months). Protein expression and activity of CDKs were measured on fresh-frozen tumour samples.

Results:

Specific activity (SA) of CDK1 (CDK1SA), but not CDK2, significantly predicted distant metastasis (concordance index=0.69, 95% confidence interval (CI): 0.55–0.79, P=0.036). Cutoff derivation by maximum log-rank statistics yielded a threshold of CDK1SA at 11 (SA units, P=0.029). Accordingly, 59% of patients were classified as high-risk (CDK1SA ⩾11). Cox proportional hazard analysis revealed CDK1SA as independent prognostic variable (hazard ratio=6.2, 95% CI: 1.44–26.9, P=0.012). Moreover, CKD1SA was significantly elevated in microsatellite-stable tumours.

Conclusion:

Specific activity of CDK1 is a promising biomarker for metastasis risk in stage II colon cancer.

Recurrence risk score based on the specific activity of CDK1 and CDK2 predicts response to neoadjuvant paclitaxel followed by 5-fluorouracil, epirubicin and cyclophosphamide in breast cancers

BACKGROUND

We established the cell cycle profiling (C2P) assay for specific activity (SA; activity/expression) of cyclin-dependent kinases (CDKs). C2P risk score (C2P-RS) based on CDK1 and CDK2 SAs was significantly associated with relapse in breast cancer (BC). This study was conducted to investigate the predictive value of C2P-RS for neoadjuvant chemotherapy (NAC).

PATIENTS AND METHODS

Among 124 eligible patients, 122 were treated with weekly paclitaxel followed by 5-fluorouracil, epirubicin and cyclophosphamide (P-FEC) and 2 were treated with paclitaxel monotherapy. C2P-RS was determined via C2P using frozen biopsy samples before NAC.

RESULTS

Negative estrogen receptor (ER), negative progesterone receptor (PR), positive human epidermal growth factor receptor 2 (HER2), high Ki-67 expression and intermediate + high C2P-RS were significantly associated with high pathological complete response (pCR) rates compared with positive ER (30% versus 9%), positive PR (25% versus 6%), negative HER2 (34% versus 11%), low Ki-67 expression (24% versus 7%) or low C2P-RS (24% versus 9%), respectively. The combination of C2P-RS and Ki-67 had a stronger impact on pCR than each parameter alone, and a multivariate analysis showed that the combination was an independent predictor of pCR (odds ratio 3.3, 95% confidence interval 1.1-9.5).

CONCLUSIONS

C2P-RS was significantly associated with pCR after P-FEC and may be a useful predictor for chemotherapy in BCs.

Indication of electron neutrino appearance from an accelerator-produced off-axis muon neutrino beam

The T2K experiment observes indications of ν(μ) → ν(e) appearance in data accumulated with 1.43×10(20) protons on target. Six events pass all selection criteria at the far detector. In a three-flavor neutrino oscillation scenario with |Δm(23)(2)| = 2.4×10(-3)  eV(2), sin(2)2θ(23) = 1 and sin(2)2θ(13) = 0, the expected number of such events is 1.5±0.3(syst). Under this hypothesis, the probability to observe six or more candidate events is 7×10(-3), equivalent to 2.5σ significance. At 90% C.L., the data are consistent with 0.03(0.04) < sin(2)2θ(13) < 0.28(0.34) for δ(CP) = 0 and a normal (inverted) hierarchy.

EGFR gene amplification is related to adverse clinical outcomes in cervical squamous cell carcinoma, making the EGFR pathway a novel therapeutic target

Background:

The aim of this study was to investigate the patterns of epidermal growth factor receptor (EGFR) overexpression, EGFR gene amplification, and the presence of activating mutations in the tyrosine kinase domain of this gene in squamous cell carcinomas and adenocarcinomas/adenosquamous carcinomas of the uterine cervix.

Methods:

The EGFR expression, amplification, and mutation in cervical carcinomas were assessed by immunohistochemistry, fluorescence in situ hybridisation, and PCR–SSCP, respectively, and correlated with clinical data collected by a retrospective chart review. A functional assessment was performed by inactivating EGFR in cervical cancer cells with the potent inhibitor AG1478.

Results:

Immunohistochemical analysis revealed that 6 out of 59 (10.2%) cervical squamous cell carcinomas showed significant amplification of the EGFR locus, whereas none of the 52 adeno/adenosquamous cell carcinomas had detectable EGFR amplification (P<0.05). The EGFR amplification significantly correlated with shorter overall survival (P=0.001) in cervical squamous cell carcinomas. Multivariate analysis showed that EGFR gene amplification was an independent prognostic factor for overall survival (P=0.011). None of the squamous cell carcinomas (0%: 0 out of 32) had detectable oncogenic mutations in EGFR exons 18 through 21. The frequencies of KRAS and BRAF mutations were very low in both squamous and adeno/adenosquamous cell carcinomas. Sensitivity of cervical cancer cells to AG1478 depended on the presence of EGFR overexpression. AG1478-induced EGFR inactivation in cell lines with EGFR overexpression significantly suppressed tumour development and progression in a mouse xenograft model.

Conclusion:

Our data suggest that EGFR signalling is important in a subset of cervical squamous cell carcinomas and that anti-EGFR therapy may benefit patients who carry the 7p11.2 amplicon in their tumours.

Changes in beef sensory traits as somatic-cell-cloned Japanese black steers increased in age from 20 to 30 months

Changes in sensory traits of longissimus muscle (LM) from 20-30-month-old cattle were investigated using somatic cell clones of Japanese black steers slaughtered at 20-, 25- and 30-months-old (n=3, 4 and 4 respectively). The fat content of LM samples at 20, 25 and 30 months were 23.7, 38.7 and 41.1%, respectively. Soluble collagen content and collagen solubility at 20 months was greater than at 25 and 30 months. In terms of sensory traits, initial tenderness and juiciness at 25 months was greater than at 20 months, and fattiness at 25 and 30 months was greater than at 20 months. These results demonstrate that the changes in physicochemical traits of beef accompanying the differences in slaughter age affect the sensory traits although the desirable effects of the sensory traits do not continue throughout the entire fattening period.

Use of CDK1 and CDK2 activity to predict renal cell cancer recurrence

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Background: We established original methods enabling simultaneous analysis of protein expressions and kinase activities of the CDK (cyclin-dependent kinase) molecules in lysate of tumor tissue in a clinical setting (C2P technology, Ishihara et al: Biochim Biophys Acta. 1741; 226-233, 2005). The clinical utility of the technology was first evaluated in breast cancer, and combination analysis of CDK1 and CDK2 activity was shown to be a significant prognostic indicator for relapse (Kim et al. Ann Oncol. 19;68-72,2009). The objective of our study is to evaluate the efficacy of CDK1 and CDK2 activity as a prognostic marker in human renal cell carcinoma (RCC).

Methods: Surgical specimens were obtained from 115 patients with RCC without metastasis. These patients were selected randomly for this study. Protein expression and kinase activity of CDKs and cyclins were analyzed using a newly developed assay system. The system to measure the CDK specific activity (SA) is named C2Ps (Sysmex, Kobe, Japan). We then examined the specific activities of CDK1 and CDK2 and calculated CDK2/CDK1 ratio in RCC. Also, risk score (RS) was examined as described in previous study (JGH van Nes et al: Br J Cancer. 100; 494-500, 2009). Cut off value was calculated by ROC analysis.

Results: 115 cases were tested, though 32 cases were excluded of low sample quality (30 cases) and of assay failure (2 cases). 83 cases were analyzed. They included 63 male and 20 female patients, ranging in age from 19 to 83 years. At a median follow up of 33 months (1-109M), tumor with low CDK2/CDK1 ratio showed significantly better 5-year progression-free survival (PFS) than those with high CDK2/CDK1 ratio (91.2% vs. 51.6%, p=0.0016). Also, RS enabled the classification of RCCs into high-risk and low-risk groups, patients with tumors classified as low RS showed better PFS than patients with tumors with high RS (88.9% vs. 63.9%, p=0.0488).

Conclusions: CDK1 specific activity of tumors and the CDK2 specific activity are both associated with recurrence and prognosis. Analysis of cyclin-dependent kinase activity in the clinical setting could be a powerful approach for predicting cancer recurrence and prognosis in RCC after surgery and has potential for use as a routine laboratory test.

No significant financial relationships to disclose.

Modeling of Neptunium(V) Sorption Behavior onto Iron-Containing Minerals

Sorption behaviors of neptunium (V) on naturally-occurring magnetite (Fe3O4) and goethite (α-FeOOH) in 0.1M NaN03electrolyte solution under aerobic conditions were interpreted using the surface complexation model (SCM). The surface properties of these materials were experimentally investigated by C02-free potentiometric titration, and SCM parameters for the constant capacitance model, such as protonation/deprotonation constants of the surface hydroxyl group, were determined. The number of negatively charged sorption sites of goethite rapidly increased with the increase of the bulk solution pH compared with that of magnetite and this tendency was similar to the pH dependence of neptunium sorption. This implies that the neptunyl cation, NpO2+, plays a dominant role in possible sorption reactions. Assuming that the dominant surface complex is XO-NpO2, modeling by means of SCM was carried out, and the results were found to agree with experimental data.

Abstract P2-09-29: Cyclin-Dependent Kinase-Based Risk Score Predicts Both Clinical and Pathological Response to Neoadjuvant Paclitaxel Followed by FEC in Early Breast Cancers

Background: We have reported that breast tumors with a high ratio of cyclin-dependent kinase (CDK) 2 to CDK 1 are associated with high tumor cell proliferation and poor clinical outcome in Japanese. In addition, we have developed risk score based on CDK2/1 ratio (CDK-RS), and have demonstrated a high risk group showed a significantly poor prognosis in Hollanders (van Nes, et al: Br J C 2009: 100: 494). The aim of the present study is to evaluate the correlation of CDK-RS with response to neoadjuvant paclitaxel followed by fluorouracil + epirubicin + cyclophosphamide (FEC) in breast cancers.

Material and Methods: Of 131 primary breast cancer patients (age: 25-73y, mean: 51.7y), 126 were treated with paclitaxel (80 mg/m2, weekly) for 12 cycles followed by FEC (500/75/500 mg/m2, q3w) for four cycles and 5 were treated with paclitaxel-monotherapy (5 — 29 cycles) in the NAC or primary chemotherapy setting. Frozen tumor tissues were obtained from core needle biopsy before NAC, and CDK-RS was determined by the Cell Cycle Profiling (C2P) assay as previously reported. Clinical response was evaluated with MRI before NAC and after paclitaxel and FEC. Patients were classified into responders showing ≥80 % in reduction rates and non-responders showing &lt; 80 %. Pathological CR (pCR) was defined as no residual invasive foci and no axillary lymph node metastasis. Results: Patients characteristics were as follows: menopausal status: pre-47%, post-53%; Stage: II 68%, III 27%, IV 7%; Tumor size (cm): ≥5 cm 73%, &gt; 5 cm 27%; histologic grade (HG): I 16%, II 60%, III 24%; ER: (+) 56%, (-) 44%; PR: (+) 39%, (-) 61%; HER2: (+) 28%, (-) 72%. Of 131 patients, 22 (18%) attained pCR but 100 (82%) did not pCR (9 were excluded from evaluation of pathologic response because of stage IV diseases, no operations, and not available pathologic examination). In CDK-RS, 47% of 131 tumors were classified into high, 17% intermediate, and 37% low. In combination with high + intermediate risk score groups, that group had a tendency to show high HG (grade 2 or 3) (87% vs 78%), ER negativity (49% vs 35%), and PR negativity (65% vs 54%) compared with a low risk group, but their differences were not statistically significant. Tumors in the high + intermediate group were significantly more likely to show clinical response after the completion of not only paclitaxel (52% vs 27%, p=0.006) but also FEC (75% vs 52%, p=0.011) as well as to show pCR (24% vs 9%, p=0.037) compared with a low risk score group. In univariate analysis, CDK-RS showed a significant correlation with pCR (high + intermediate vs low, Odds ratio 4.03, 95%CI 1.03 — 10.3, p=0.045).

Discussion: CDK-RS in tumor samples before NAC is significantly associated with clinical and pathological response to paclitaxel followed by FEC. Thus CDK-RS seems to be a novel and useful predictive factor for paclitaxel — FEC in breast cancers.

Citation Information: Cancer Res 2010;70(24 Suppl):Abstract nr P2-09-29.

Effective diffusivity of neptunium and plutonium in granite from Inada, Ibaraki, Japan under anaerobic conditions

The effective diffusivities of neptunium and plutonium in Inada granite have been determined using the through–diffusion method. Experiments were performed under anaerobic conditions in the presence of carbonate. The actinides are expected to be present as carbonato or carbonatohydroxo complexes. Effective diffusivity (De) obtained were (4.0 ± 1.5) × 10−13m2s−1for neptunium and (2.0 ± 1.6) × 10−13m2s−1for plutonium. Effective diffusivities of neptunium and plutonium in granite were estimated based on the pore diffusion model and compared with the experimentally obtained values.