Adjuvant nivolumab, capecitabine or the combination in patients with residual triple-negative breast cancer: the OXEL randomized phase II study

Chemotherapy and immune checkpoint inhibitors have a role in the post-neoadjuvant setting in patients with triple-negative breast cancer (TNBC). However, the effects of nivolumab, a checkpoint inhibitor, capecitabine, or the combination in changing peripheral immunoscore (PIS) remains unclear. This open-label randomized phase II OXEL study (NCT03487666) aimed to assess the immunologic effects of nivolumab, capecitabine, or the combination in terms of the change in PIS (primary endpoint). Secondary endpoints included the presence of ctDNA, toxicity, clinical outcomes at 2-years and association of ctDNA and PIS with clinical outcomes. Forty-five women with TNBC and residual invasive disease after standard neoadjuvant chemotherapy were randomized to nivolumab, capecitabine, or the combination. Here we show that a combination of nivolumab plus capecitabine leads to a greater increase in PIS from baseline to week 6 (91%) compared with nivolumab (47%) or capecitabine (53%) alone (log-rank p = 0.08), meeting the pre-specified primary endpoint. In addition, the presence of circulating tumor DNA (ctDNA) is associated with disease recurrence, with no new safety signals in the combination arm. Our results provide efficacy and safety data on this combination in TNBC and support further development of PIS and ctDNA analyses to identify patients at high risk of recurrence.

Adjuvant nivolumab, capecitabine or the combination in patients with residual triple-negative breast cancer: the OXEL randomized phase II study

Chemotherapy and immune checkpoint inhibitors have a role in the post-neoadjuvant setting in patients with triple-negative breast cancer (TNBC). However, the effects of nivolumab, a checkpoint inhibitor, capecitabine, or the combination in changing peripheral immunoscore (PIS) remains unclear. This open-label randomized phase II OXEL study (NCT03487666) aimed to assess the immunologic effects of nivolumab, capecitabine, or the combination in terms of the change in PIS (primary endpoint). Secondary endpoints include the presence of ctDNA, toxicity, clinical outcomes at 2-years and association of ctDNA and PIS with clinical outcomes. Forty-five women with TNBC and residual invasive disease after standard neoadjuvant chemotherapy were randomized to nivolumab, capecitabine, or the combination. Here we show that a combination of nivolumab plus capecitabine leads to a greater increase in PIS from baseline to week 6 (91%) compared with nivolumab (47%) or capecitabine (53%) alone (log-rank p = 0.08), meeting the pre-specified primary endpoint. In addition, the presence of circulating tumor DNA (ctDNA) was associated with disease recurrence, with no new safety signals in the combination arm. Our results provide efficacy and safety data on this combination in TNBC and support further development of PIS and ctDNA analyses to identify patients at high risk of recurrence.

Lightning Characteristics Over Humid Regions and Arid Regions and Their Association With Aerosols Over Northern India

The association between aerosol and lightning has been investigated with long-term decadal data (2005-2014) for lightning, aerosol optical depth (AOD), relative humidity, and effective cloud droplet size. To understand the complex relationship between aerosol and lightning, two different regions with different climatic and weather conditions, a humid region R1 (22°-29° N, 89°-92° E) and an arid region R2 (23°-28° N, 70°-76° E) of northern India, were chosen for the study domain. The results show that lightning activity was observed to occur more over the humid region R1, i.e., 1141 days (1/3 of total days), than over the arid region R2, i.e., 740 days (1/5 of total days). Also, over the humid region R1, the highest lightning flash density was recorded as nearly 4.6 × 10^-4 flashes/km²/day observed for 18 days (1.5%); on the contrary, over the arid region R2, the maximum lightning flash density was observed to be 2.5 × 10^-4 flashes/km²/day and occurred for about 22 days (2.9%). The analysis shows that a nonlinear relationship exists between aerosol and lightning with a highly associated influence of relative humidity. A very significant positive and negative co-relation that varies with relative humidity has been observed between AOD and lightning for both humid and arid regions. This shows relative humidity is the key factor in determining the increase or decrease of lightning activity. This study also shows that the larger the cloud droplet size, the higher the relative humidity and vice versa. This study emphasizes that aerosol concentration in the atmosphere influences cloud microphysics by modulating the size of cloud droplets and thereby regulating the lightning frequency. The atmospheric humidity is the driving factor in deciding the positive or negative co-relationship between aerosol and lightning.

SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION

The online version contains supplementary material available at 10.1007/s00024-022-02981-6.

Abstract PD9-02: Peripheral immune subsets and circulating tumor DNA (ctDNA) in patients (pts) with residual triple negative breast cancer (TNBC) treated with adjuvant immunotherapy and/or chemotherapy (chemo): The OXEL study

Background: Poor clinical outcomes are noted in pts with TNBC who do not achieve a pathologic complete response (pCR). We characterized peripheral immune subsets and the role of minimal residual disease (MRD) detection via ctDNA in pts who participated in the OXEL study. Methods: OXEL (Opdivo® -XELoda ®) is a recently completed phase II open-label 3-arm randomized study of nivolumab (nivo), capecitabine (cape) or the combination as adjuvant therapy (tx) for pts with residual TNBC after appropriate neoadjuvant chemo. Residual disease was defined as ≥ 1.0 cm of primary tumor and/or nodal involvement. Eligible pts had completed definitive local tx. Pts were randomly assigned to nivo 360 mg iv q3wks x 6 (arm A); cape 1250mg/m2 po bid D1-D14 q3 wks x 6 (arm B); nivo 360mg iv q3wks + cape 1250mg/m2 po bid D1-D14 q3 wks x 6 (arm C). Peripheral blood mononuclear cells (PBMCs) and ctDNA were assessed at baseline (D1 of cycle 1), 6, and 12 wks and at time of recurrence, if applicable. PBMCs were stained with 30 markers and analyzed by flow cytometry to identify changes in 158 immune cell subsets at 6 wks, as a percent of total PBMCs. RaDaRTM, a deep sequencing based, tumor-informed personalized assay was utilized to detect the presence of ctDNA in plasma. Distant disease-free survival (DDFS) and overall survival (OS) were analyzed by the Kaplan-Meier method and Log-Rank test was used to compare DDFS and OS according to baseline MRD results. All pts will be followed for distant recurrence and survival for 3 yrs. Here we report the translational endpoints of the OXEL study. Clinical endpoints according to treatment received will be reported in a future analysis. Results: 45 pts were enrolled between 8/2018 and 6/2021. 29 (64%) were Caucasian and 14 (31%) were African American. Mean age at enrollment was 51 [+/- 12]. 93% of pts received a taxane-anthracycline containing neoadjuvant tx. 15 pts were randomized to each arm. DDFS probability at 1-yr and 2-yrs was 0.71 (+/- 0.07) and 0.66 (+/- 0.08) respectively. At 12 mos of median follow up, 13/45 pts (29%) experienced distant recurrence, none had local recurrence. 43 pts were evaluated for PBMC subsets. Changes in PBMC subsets at 6 wks were different amongst the arms; in arm A, reductions in NK subsets, including a 33% reduction in CD56dimCD16- cells, were observed, while in arm B, increases in naïve CD4+ T cells (+45%) and CD73+CD8+ T cells (+12%) and reductions in ki67+CD8+ T cells (-48%) were noted. In arm C, increases were observed in conventional dendritic cells (+36%), effector memory ki67+CD4+ T cells (+46%), and CD56dimCD16- NK cells (+29%). 33 pts underwent successful MRD analysis. 12/33 (36%) pts were MRD+ at baseline. 2/12 pts MRD+ at baseline subsequently cleared MRD, with undetectable ctDNA on future time points; neither patient has had recurrence to date. The remaining 10/12 MRD+ pts (83%) have experienced distance recurrence. 21/33 (64%) pts were ctDNA negative at baseline; 20/33 remained negative for all follow up timepoints. 10/11 pts experiencing distant recurrence were MRD+ at baseline, compared to 1/11 pt who became MRD+ at wk 6 post initiation of tx. At 12 mos of median follow-up, baseline MRD+ testing was significantly associated with an inferior DDFS ( p<0.0001 Log-rank test, median DDFS 4.0 mos vs. not reached) and OS (p=0.02 Log-rank test, median OS not reached for both groups). Results will be updated at the time of abstract presentation. Conclusions: Changes in PBMC subsets were associated with receipt of chemo and/or immunotherapy. Our results suggest that baseline MRD+ in pts without pCR is a poor prognostic factor. Future trials aiming to optimize adjuvant treatment with chemo and/or immunotherapy in residual TNBC should consider incorporating ctDNA as a selection marker of pts at higher risk of recurrence.

Citation Format: Filipa Lynce, Candace Mainor, Xue Geng, Greg Jones, Ilana Schlam, Hongkun Wang, Ute Feger, Renee Donahue, Nicole Toney, Caroline Jochems, Jeffrey Schlom, Christopher Gallagher, Rita Nanda, Deena Graham, Erica M Stringer-Reasor, Neelima Denduluri, Julie Collins, Asma A Dilawari, Ami Chitalia, Shruti Tiwari, Raquel Nunes, Rebecca Kaltman, Katia Khoury, Margaret Gatti-Mays, Sandra M Swain, Heather A. Parsons, Paula Pohlmann, Claudine Isaacs. Peripheral immune subsets and circulating tumor DNA (ctDNA) in patients (pts) with residual triple negative breast cancer (TNBC) treated with adjuvant immunotherapy and/or chemotherapy (chemo): The OXEL study [abstract]. In: Proceedings of the 2021 San Antonio Breast Cancer Symposium; 2021 Dec 7-10; San Antonio, TX. Philadelphia (PA): AACR; Cancer Res 2022;82(4 Suppl):Abstract nr PD9-02.

Fungal Planet description sheets: 1284-1382

Novel species of fungi described in this study include those from various countries as follows: Antartica, Cladosporium austrolitorale from coastal sea sand. Australia, Austroboletus yourkae on soil, Crepidotus innuopurpureus on dead wood, Curvularia stenotaphri from roots and leaves of Stenotaphrum secundatum and Thecaphora stajsicii from capsules of Oxalis radicosa. Belgium, Paraxerochrysium coryli (incl. Paraxerochrysium gen. nov.) from Corylus avellana. Brazil, Calvatia nordestina on soil, Didymella tabebuiicola from leaf spots on Tabebuia aurea, Fusarium subflagellisporum from hypertrophied floral and vegetative branches of Mangifera indica and Microdochium maculosum from living leaves of Digitaria insularis. Canada, Cuphophyllus bondii from a grassland. Croatia, Mollisia inferiseptata from a rotten Laurus nobilis trunk. Cyprus, Amanita exilis on calcareous soil. Czech Republic, Cytospora hippophaicola from wood of symptomatic Vaccinium corymbosum. Denmark, Lasiosphaeria deviata on pieces of wood and herbaceous debris. Dominican Republic, Calocybella goethei among grass on a lawn. France (Corsica), Inocybe corsica on wet ground. France (French Guiana), Trechispora patawaensis on decayed branch of unknown angiosperm tree and Trechispora subregularis on decayed log of unknown angiosperm tree. Germany, Paramicrothecium sambuci (incl. Paramicrothecium gen. nov.) on dead stems of Sambucus nigra. India, Aureobasidium microtermitis from the gut of a Microtermes sp. termite, Laccaria diospyricola on soil and Phylloporia tamilnadensis on branches of Catunaregam spinosa. Iran, Pythium serotinoosporum from soil under Prunus dulcis. Italy, Pluteus brunneovenosus on twigs of broadleaved trees on the ground. Japan, Heterophoma rehmanniae on leaves of Rehmannia glutinosa f. hueichingensis. Kazakhstan, Murispora kazachstanica from healthy roots of Triticum aestivum. Namibia, Caespitomonium euphorbiae (incl. Caespitomonium gen. nov.) from stems of an Euphorbia sp. Netherlands, Alfaria junci, Myrmecridium junci, Myrmecridium juncicola, Myrmecridium juncigenum, Ophioceras junci, Paradinemasporium junci (incl. Paradinemasporium gen. nov.), Phialoseptomonium junci, Sporidesmiella juncicola, Xenopyricularia junci and Zaanenomyces quadripartis (incl. Zaanenomyces gen. nov.), from dead culms of Juncus effusus, Cylindromonium everniae and Rhodoveronaea everniae from Evernia prunastri, Cyphellophora sambuci and Myrmecridium sambuci from Sambucus nigra, Kiflimonium junci, Sarocladium junci, Zaanenomyces moderatricis-academiae and Zaanenomyces versatilis from dead culms of Juncus inflexus, Microcera physciae from Physcia tenella, Myrmecridium dactylidis from dead culms of Dactylis glomerata, Neochalara spiraeae and Sporidesmium spiraeae from leaves of Spiraea japonica, Neofabraea salicina from Salix sp., Paradissoconium narthecii (incl. Paradissoconium gen. nov.) from dead leaves of Narthecium ossifragum, Polyscytalum vaccinii from Vaccinium myrtillus, Pseudosoloacrosporiella cryptomeriae (incl. Pseudosoloacrosporiella gen. nov.) from leaves of Cryptomeria japonica, Ramularia pararhabdospora from Plantago lanceolata, Sporidesmiella pini from needles of Pinus sylvestris and Xenoacrodontium juglandis (incl. Xenoacrodontium gen. nov. and Xenoacrodontiaceae fam. nov.) from Juglans regia. New Zealand, Cryptometrion metrosideri from twigs of Metrosideros sp., Coccomyces pycnophyllocladi from dead leaves of Phyllocladus alpinus, Hypoderma aliforme from fallen leaves Fuscopora solandri and Hypoderma subiculatum from dead leaves Phormium tenax. Norway, Neodevriesia kalakoutskii from permafrost and Variabilispora viridis from driftwood of Picea abies. Portugal, Entomortierella hereditatis from a biofilm covering a deteriorated limestone wall. Russia, Colpoma junipericola from needles of Juniperus sabina, Entoloma cinnamomeum on soil in grasslands, Entoloma verae on soil in grasslands, Hyphodermella pallidostraminea on a dry dead branch of Actinidia sp., Lepiota sayanensis on litter in a mixed forest, Papiliotrema horticola from Malus communis, Paramacroventuria ribis (incl. Paramacroventuria gen. nov.) from leaves of Ribes aureum and Paramyrothecium lathyri from leaves of Lathyrus tuberosus. South Africa, Harzia combreti from leaf litter of Combretum collinum ssp. sulvense, Penicillium xyleborini from Xyleborinus saxesenii, Phaeoisaria dalbergiae from bark of Dalbergia armata, Protocreopsis euphorbiae from leaf litter of Euphorbia ingens and Roigiella syzygii from twigs of Syzygium chordatum. Spain, Genea zamorana on sandy soil, Gymnopus nigrescens on Scleropodium touretii, Hesperomyces parexochomi on Parexochomus quadriplagiatus, Paraphoma variabilis from dung, Phaeococcomyces kinklidomatophilus from a blackened metal railing of an industrial warehouse and Tuber suaveolens in soil under Quercus faginea. Svalbard and Jan Mayen, Inocybe nivea associated with Salix polaris. Thailand, Biscogniauxia whalleyi on corticated wood. UK, Parasitella quercicola from Quercus robur. USA, Aspergillus arizonicus from indoor air in a hospital, Caeliomyces tampanus (incl. Caeliomyces gen. nov.) from office dust, Cippumomyces mortalis (incl. Cippumomyces gen. nov.) from a tombstone, Cylindrium desperesense from air in a store, Tetracoccosporium pseudoaerium from air sample in house, Toxicocladosporium glendoranum from air in a brick room, Toxicocladosporium losalamitosense from air in a classroom, Valsonectria portsmouthensis from air in men's locker room and Varicosporellopsis americana from sludge in a water reservoir. Vietnam, Entoloma kovalenkoi on rotten wood, Fusarium chuoi inside seed of Musa itinerans, Micropsalliota albofelina on soil in tropical evergreen mixed forests and Phytophthora docyniae from soil and roots of Docynia indica. Morphological and culture characteristics are supported by DNA barcodes. Citation: Crous PW, Osieck ER, Jurjević Ž, et al. 2021. Fungal Planet description sheets: 1284-1382. Persoonia 47: 178-374. https://doi.org/10.3767/persoonia.2021.47.06.

Fungal Planet description sheets: 1284-1382

Novel species of fungi described in this study include those from various countries as follows: Antartica, Cladosporium austrolitorale from coastal sea sand. Australia, Austroboletus yourkae on soil, Crepidotus innuopurpureus on dead wood, Curvularia stenotaphri from roots and leaves of Stenotaphrum secundatum and Thecaphora stajsicii from capsules of Oxalis radicosa. Belgium, Paraxerochrysium coryli (incl. Paraxerochrysium gen. nov.) from Corylus avellana. Brazil, Calvatia nordestina on soil, Didymella tabebuiicola from leaf spots on Tabebuia aurea, Fusarium subflagellisporum from hypertrophied floral and vegetative branches of Mangifera indica and Microdochium maculosum from living leaves of Digitaria insularis. Canada, Cuphophyllus bondii from a grassland. Croatia, Mollisia inferiseptata from a rotten Laurus nobilis trunk. Cyprus, Amanita exilis on calcareous soil. Czech Republic, Cytospora hippophaicola from wood of symptomatic Vaccinium corymbosum. Denmark, Lasiosphaeria deviata on pieces of wood and herbaceous debris. Dominican Republic, Calocybella goethei among grass on a lawn. France (Corsica), Inocybe corsica on wet ground. France (French Guiana), Trechispora patawaensis on decayed branch of unknown angiosperm tree and Trechispora subregularis on decayed log of unknown angiosperm tree. Germany, Paramicrothecium sambuci (incl. Paramicrothecium gen. nov.) on dead stems of Sambucus nigra. India, Aureobasidium microtermitis from the gut of a Microtermes sp. termite, Laccaria diospyricola on soil and Phylloporia tamilnadensis on branches of Catunaregam spinosa. Iran, Pythium serotinoosporum from soil under Prunus dulcis. Italy, Pluteus brunneovenosus on twigs of broadleaved trees on the ground. Japan, Heterophoma rehmanniae on leaves of Rehmannia glutinosa f. hueichingensis. Kazakhstan, Murispora kazachstanica from healthy roots of Triticum aestivum. Namibia, Caespitomonium euphorbiae (incl. Caespitomonium gen. nov.) from stems of an Euphorbia sp. Netherlands, Alfaria junci, Myrmecridium junci, Myrmecridium juncicola, Myrmecridium juncigenum, Ophioceras junci, Paradinemasporium junci (incl. Paradinemasporium gen. nov.), Phialoseptomonium junci, Sporidesmiella juncicola, Xenopyricularia junci and Zaanenomyces quadripartis (incl. Zaanenomyces gen. nov.), from dead culms of Juncus effusus, Cylindromonium everniae and Rhodoveronaea everniae from Evernia prunastri, Cyphellophora sambuci and Myrmecridium sambuci from Sambucus nigra, Kiflimonium junci, Sarocladium junci, Zaanenomyces moderatricis-academiae and Zaanenomyces versatilis from dead culms of Juncus inflexus, Microcera physciae from Physcia tenella, Myrmecridium dactylidis from dead culms of Dactylis glomerata, Neochalara spiraeae and Sporidesmium spiraeae from leaves of Spiraea japonica, Neofabraea salicina from Salix sp., Paradissoconium narthecii (incl. Paradissoconium gen. nov.) from dead leaves of Narthecium ossifragum, Polyscytalum vaccinii from Vaccinium myrtillus, Pseudosoloacrosporiella cryptomeriae (incl. Pseudosoloacrosporiella gen. nov.) from leaves of Cryptomeria japonica, Ramularia pararhabdospora from Plantago lanceolata, Sporidesmiella pini from needles of Pinus sylvestris and Xenoacrodontium juglandis (incl. Xenoacrodontium gen. nov. and Xenoacrodontiaceae fam. nov.) from Juglans regia. New Zealand, Cryptometrion metrosideri from twigs of Metrosideros sp., Coccomyces pycnophyllocladi from dead leaves of Phyllocladus alpinus, Hypoderma aliforme from fallen leaves Fuscopora solandri and Hypoderma subiculatum from dead leaves Phormium tenax. Norway, Neodevriesia kalakoutskii from permafrost and Variabilispora viridis from driftwood of Picea abies. Portugal, Entomortierella hereditatis from a biofilm covering a deteriorated limestone wall. Russia, Colpoma junipericola from needles of Juniperus sabina, Entoloma cinnamomeum on soil in grasslands, Entoloma verae on soil in grasslands, Hyphodermella pallidostraminea on a dry dead branch of Actinidia sp., Lepiota sayanensis on litter in a mixed forest, Papiliotrema horticola from Malus communis, Paramacroventuria ribis (incl. Paramacroventuria gen. nov.) from leaves of Ribes aureum and Paramyrothecium lathyri from leaves of Lathyrus tuberosus. South Africa, Harzia combreti from leaf litter of Combretum collinum ssp. sulvense, Penicillium xyleborini from Xyleborinus saxesenii, Phaeoisaria dalbergiae from bark of Dalbergia armata, Protocreopsis euphorbiae from leaf litter of Euphorbia ingens and Roigiella syzygii from twigs of Syzygium chordatum. Spain, Genea zamorana on sandy soil, Gymnopus nigrescens on Scleropodium touretii, Hesperomyces parexochomi on Parexochomus quadriplagiatus, Paraphoma variabilis from dung, Phaeococcomyces kinklidomatophilus from a blackened metal railing of an industrial warehouse and Tuber suaveolens in soil under Quercus faginea. Svalbard and Jan Mayen, Inocybe nivea associated with Salix polaris. Thailand, Biscogniauxia whalleyi on corticated wood. UK, Parasitella quercicola from Quercus robur. USA, Aspergillus arizonicus from indoor air in a hospital, Caeliomyces tampanus (incl. Caeliomyces gen. nov.) from office dust, Cippumomyces mortalis (incl. Cippumomyces gen. nov.) from a tombstone, Cylindrium desperesense from air in a store, Tetracoccosporium pseudoaerium from air sample in house, Toxicocladosporium glendoranum from air in a brick room, Toxicocladosporium losalamitosense from air in a classroom, Valsonectria portsmouthensis from air in men's locker room and Varicosporellopsis americana from sludge in a water reservoir. Vietnam, Entoloma kovalenkoi on rotten wood, Fusarium chuoi inside seed of Musa itinerans, Micropsalliota albofelina on soil in tropical evergreen mixed forests and Phytophthora docyniae from soil and roots of Docynia indica. Morphological and culture characteristics are supported by DNA barcodes. Citation: Crous PW, Osieck ER, Jurjević Ž, et al. 2021. Fungal Planet description sheets: 1284-1382. Persoonia 47: 178-374. https://doi.org/10.3767/persoonia.2021.47.06.

Novel deep transfer learning model for COVID-19 patient detection using X-ray chest images

Around the world, more than 250 countries are affected by the COVID-19 pandemic, which is caused by the severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2). This outbreak can be controlled only by the diagnosis of the COVID-19 infection in early stages. It is found that the radiographic images are ideal for the fastest diagnosis of COVID-19 infection. This paper proposes an ensemble model which detects the COVID-19 infection in the early stage with the use of chest X-ray images. The transfer learning enables to reuse the pretrained models. The ensemble learning integrates various transfer learning models, i.e., EfficientNet, GoogLeNet, and XceptionNet, to design the proposed model. These models can categorize patients as COVID-19 (+), pneumonia (+), tuberculosis (+), or healthy. The proposed model enhances the classifier's generalization ability for both binary and multiclass COVID-19 datasets. Two popular datasets are used to evaluate the performance of the proposed ensemble model. The comparative analysis validates that the proposed model outperforms the state-of-art models in terms of various performance metrics.

Comparative evidence support better antioxidant efficacy of mitochondrial-targeted (Mitoquinone) than cytosolic (Resveratrol) antioxidant in improving in-vitro sperm functions of cryopreserved buffalo (Bubalus bubalis) semen

The present study compared the effect of mitochondria-targeted (Mitoquinone, MitoQ) and untargeted cytosolic antioxidant (Resveratrol, RESV) supplementation on lipid peroxidation (LPO) and in-vitro sperm functions of cryopreserved buffalo bull semen. To optimize additive's concentration, sperm pellet obtained from twenty-four ejaculates was supplemented with different concentrations of MitoQ (20 nM, 100 nM, 200 nM); and RESV (10 μM, 25 μM, 50 μM) against control in the extender. The post-thaw sperm motility, livability, and membrane integrity were higher (P < 0.05) in 200 nM MitoQ and 50 μM RESV than other concentrations used. In another experiment, sperm pellet from thirty-two ejaculates was supplemented with 200 nM MitoQ and 50 μM RESV in the extender. Pre-freeze and post-thaw progressive motility and livability were higher (P < 0.05) in MitoQ (200 nM) than RESV (50 μM) treatment. MitoQ supplementation improved post-thaw membrane integrity (CFDA-PI) higher (P < 0.05) than RESV, however, hypo-osmotic swelling response observed no improvement with RESV treatment. Post-thaw LPO rate was lower (P < 0.05) and Bovine cervical mucus penetration was higher (P < 0.05) in MitoQ than RESV treatment. In post-thaw semen, MitoQ showed higher (P < 0.05) proportion of acrosome intact (FITC-PNA), live non-apoptotic (P < 0.01) sperm with a higher reduction (P < 0.05) in membrane scrambling. MitoQ improved (P < 0.01) proportion of sperm with high Mitochondrial Membrane Potential and low LPO (P < 0.01) than RESV treatment. In conclusion, improvement in post-thaw in-vitro sperm functions and cryo-tolerance was more evident in MitoQ than RESV supplemented buffalo bull semen. Our study provides a better strategy to mitigate oxidative stress by enhancing mitochondrial antioxidant system with targeted antioxidants than cytosolic antioxidant supplementation.

Does Scalp Cooling Have the Same Efficacy in Black Patients Receiving Chemotherapy for Breast Cancer?

LESSONS LEARNED

Despite U.S. Food and Drug Administration approval to reduce alopecia, data on efficacy of scalp cooling in Black patients with cancer are limited by lack of minority representation in prior clinical trials. Scalp cooling devices may have less efficacy in Black patients; additional studies are required to explore the possible causes for this, including hair texture and cap design.

BACKGROUND

The Paxman scalp cooling (SC) device is U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA)-approved for prevention of chemotherapy-induced alopecia. Studies report 50%-80% success rates and high patient satisfaction, yet there have been no studies of SC in Black patients. We conducted a phase II feasibility study of Paxman SC with a planned enrollment of 30 Black patients receiving chemotherapy for stage I-III breast cancer.

METHODS

Black patients who planned to receive at least four cycles of chemotherapy with non-anthracycline (NAC) or anthracycline (AC) regimens were eligible. Alopecia was assessed by trained oncology providers using the modified Dean scale (MDS) prior to each chemotherapy session. Distress related to alopecia was measured by the Chemotherapy Alopecia Distress Scale (CADS).

RESULTS

Fifteen patients enrolled in the intervention before the study was closed early because of lack of efficacy. Median MDS and CADS increased after SC, suggesting increased hair loss (p < .001) and alopecia distress (p = .04). Only one participant was successful in preventing significant hair loss; the majority stopped SC before chemotherapy completion because of grade 3 alopecia (>50% hair loss).

CONCLUSION

SC may not be efficacious in preventing alopecia in Black women. Differences in hair thickness, hair volume, and limitations of cooling cap design are possible contributing factors.

GW190521: A Binary Black Hole Merger with a Total Mass of 150 M_{⊙}

On May 21, 2019 at 03:02:29 UTC Advanced LIGO and Advanced Virgo observed a short duration gravitational-wave signal, GW190521, with a three-detector network signal-to-noise ratio of 14.7, and an estimated false-alarm rate of 1 in 4900 yr using a search sensitive to generic transients. If GW190521 is from a quasicircular binary inspiral, then the detected signal is consistent with the merger of two black holes with masses of 85_{-14}^{+21}  M_{⊙} and 66_{-18}^{+17}  M_{⊙} (90% credible intervals). We infer that the primary black hole mass lies within the gap produced by (pulsational) pair-instability supernova processes, with only a 0.32% probability of being below 65  M_{⊙}. We calculate the mass of the remnant to be 142_{-16}^{+28}  M_{⊙}, which can be considered an intermediate mass black hole (IMBH). The luminosity distance of the source is 5.3_{-2.6}^{+2.4}  Gpc, corresponding to a redshift of 0.82_{-0.34}^{+0.28}. The inferred rate of mergers similar to GW190521 is 0.13_{-0.11}^{+0.30}  Gpc^{-3} yr^{-1}.

Abstract P2-13-07: A lifestyle intervention program for obese breast cancer survivors using shared appointments, technology, and community partners in an underserved area

Introduction: Obesity is associated with a 41% increase in all-cause mortality in breast cancer survivors. The majority of patients treated for breast cancer at our center are obese and most patients are racial and ethnic minority women living in low-income neighborhoods. Numerous barriers exist for weight management and physical activity interventions in this patient population. We aimed to assess the feasibility of a lifestyle intervention in 30 obese breast cancer survivors using shared medical appointments and community partnerships. Methods: 30 patients with stage I-III breast cancer with a BMI ≥30 kg/m2 treated in the preceding 5 years were enrolled through medical oncology and breast surgery clinics. All participants were given a Fitbit® to monitor physical activity and a $25 grocery gift card for a shopping trip with a nutritionist. Participants were expected to attend at least 10 group shared medical appointments (SMA) offered weekly on-site. SMA included nutrition education, cooking instruction, exercise classes or survivorship lectures. We collected participant feedback on SMA. Initial study end points were feasibility of intervention delivery measured by number of SMA appointments and physical activity (steps) measured by Fitbit®. The study was divided in three phases. Phase I/II: patients were required to have baseline evaluations, attend 10 SMA, share Fitbit® information, and complete validated eating and health questionnaires (REAP-S and SF-36, respectively) at scheduled time intervals. In phase III, we provided participants with a binder with information on low-cost fitness and nutrition options in patient’s neighborhoods and awarded prizes for high-performing participants. Results: We enrolled 30/30 participants in less than 6 months from opening; 80% were African-American. Three enrolled subjects did not complete more than one SMA. Participants attended an average of 10.2 SMA; attendance ranged from 5-10 participants per session. 63% (n=19) of participants attended the required 10 or more of the required SMA sessions (average compliance with clinic appointments is 50-60%). Participants had an average of -0.18 kg weight loss; 43% (n=13) lost weight and 40% (n=12) gained weight during the intervention (5 participants lost to follow-up or did not have weight changes during intervention). The range of weight loss was 0.1 to 7 kg and weight gain 0.2 to 6.2 kg. Twenty-four participants had consistent Fitbit® steps recorded; 19 increased their average of daily steps and 7 decreased from baseline, however, the steps varied significantly week to week. At baseline, average daily steps was 3,977 (range 200 to 18,432; SD = 4,236 steps) and 5,526 (range 728 to 14,006; SD = 2437 steps) post- intervention. The number of participants who increased steps (n=19) was significantly greater than the number of participants who decreased steps (n=7; p=0.014). The total cost of the intervention was $150 per patient. Challenges to study implementation included collection of Fitbit® data at consistent intervals and the available times for offering SMA; these times precluded enrollment and compliance for patients who work during the day. Conclusions: Our pilot study of a low-cost lifestyle intervention program appears to be feasible and beneficial for obese patients in a largely underserved community. SMA contributed to compliance and had positive feedback; patients expressed high levels of interest and engagement in the intervention. After the intervention participants were motivated to continue with lifestyle modifications and formed a Facebook® page to maintain connections. In the future, the goal is to incorporate this program as part of our survivorship care and expand it to other malignancies and potentially to other sites.

Citation Format: Ilana Schlam, Princess Alintah, Christopher Gallagher, Marc Boisvert, Ami Chitalia, Shruti Tiwari, Patrick Martone, Chiranjeev Dash, Kristi Graves, Asma Dilawari. A lifestyle intervention program for obese breast cancer survivors using shared appointments, technology, and community partners in an underserved area [abstract]. In: Proceedings of the 2019 San Antonio Breast Cancer Symposium; 2019 Dec 10-14; San Antonio, TX. Philadelphia (PA): AACR; Cancer Res 2020;80(4 Suppl):Abstract nr P2-13-07.

Abstract P1-19-20: Safety of palbociclib in African American women with hormone receptor positive HER2 negative advanced breast cancer and benign ethnic neutropenia: PALINA study

Background: There are significant racial disparities in breast cancer outcomes between African American women (AAW) and Caucasian women (CW) in the US. It has been reported that AAW have more chemotherapy dose reductions than CW which results in worse clinical outcomes (Schneider BP et al. JCO Precis Oncol 2017). Given the high incidence of benign ethnic neutropenia (BEN) in AAW, we sought to evaluate the hematological safety of palbociclib in this group of patients. A polymorphism (SNP rs2814778 at chromosome 1q23.2) in the Duffy Antigen Receptor Chemokine (DARC) gene is implicated in the pathophysiology of BEN. AAW have been historically underrepresented in clinical trials including studies that led to the FDA approval of palbociclib. This diversity gap can compromise the generalizability of clinical trial results and further exacerbate minority health disparities.

Methods: PALINA is a phase II study that evaluated the hematological safety of palbociclib with endocrine therapy (ET) in 35 AAW with HR positive HER2 negative advanced breast cancer (ABC) and ANC ≥1,000 cells/mm3. Eligible patients were self-identified as African, African-American or Black, PS 0-2 and had not received a prior CDK4/6 inhibitor (CDK4/6i). Treatment included palbociclib 125mg daily for 21 days followed by 7 days off and either an aromatase inhibitor (AI) or fulvestrant per investigator discretion. Maximum time allowed on study was 12 months. Responding patients could continue palbociclib off trial. Presence of the Duffy null polymorphism as a predictive marker for neutrophil count was assessed at baseline. Metabolite and exosomal signature (proteins and RNA) of drug resistance were also evaluated at different time points and will be reported separately. Primary endpoint was the proportion of patients who completed planned oncologic therapy without the development of a hematological event defined as episodes of febrile neutropenia (FN) or treatment discontinuation due to neutropenia. A two-stage design was used to test if the completion rate of planned oncologic therapy without a hematological event was at least 80% versus if it was below 60%, with 80% power at a significance level of 5%.

Results: 35 women were enrolled from 5 different institutions. Mean age was 64 years (30-90). 9% (3/35) of patients had PS of 2. Visceral involvement was present in 51% (18/35) of patients; 60% (21/35) received an AI and 40% (14/35) received fulvestrant. Baseline median ANC was 3,100 (1,300-11,100) cells/mm3. None of the patients had FN or required discontinuation of therapy due to neutropenia. Grade 3 and 4 neutropenia were experienced by 46% (16/35) and 3% (1/35) of patients respectively. Dose delays occurred in 17 patients, and 13 patients required dose reduction (5 to 100mg and 8 to 75 mg). Clinical benefit rate (CR+PR+SD persisting for ≥6 months) was 70%. Of the 29 patients who have completed study participation, the median time on treatment was 280 days (14, 385) and 15 continued on commercial palbociclib. Last visit on study estimated for 10/2019. The Duffy polymorphism was evaluated in 94% (33/35) of patients. The Duffy null phenotype was present in 58% (19/33) of the patients. Lower baseline ANC (2,400 vs 4,300 cells/mm3, p0.006), grade 3 neutropenia (63.2 vs 21.4%, p0.003) and dose reductions (52.6 vs 7.1%, p0.009) were more common in patients with the Duffy null polymorphism.

Conclusion: This is the first trial specifically designed to evaluate the hematologic toxicity of a CDK4/6i in AAW. Although patients with the Duffy null phenotype had more dose reductions and treatment delays due to neutropenia, this did not result in episodes of FN or treatment discontinuation due to neutropenia. This analysis suggests that palbociclib with ET is safe in AAW including those with the Duffy null phenotype.

Citation Format: Filipa Lynce, Rebecca Zhuo, Matthew Blackburn, Christopher Gallagher, Olwen Hahn, Maysa Abu-Khalaf, Mahsa Mohebtash, Tianmin Wu, Paula Pohlmann, Asma Dilawari, Shruti Tiwari, Ami Chitalia, Robert Warren, Ming Tan, Ayesha Shajahan-Haq, Claudine Isaacs. Safety of palbociclib in African American women with hormone receptor positive HER2 negative advanced breast cancer and benign ethnic neutropenia: PALINA study [abstract]. In: Proceedings of the 2019 San Antonio Breast Cancer Symposium; 2019 Dec 10-14; San Antonio, TX. Philadelphia (PA): AACR; Cancer Res 2020;80(4 Suppl):Abstract nr P1-19-20.

Tunable Magnetoelastic Effects in Voltage-Controlled Exchange-Coupled Composite Multiferroic Microstructures

The magnetoelectric properties of exchange-coupled Ni/CoFeB-based composite multiferroic microstructures are investigated. The strength and sign of the magnetoelastic effect are found to be strongly correlated with the ratio between the thicknesses of two magnetostrictive materials. In cases where the thickness ratio deviates significantly from one, the magnetoelastic behavior of the multiferroic microstructures is dominated by the thicker layer, which contributes more strongly to the observed magnetoelastic effect. More symmetric structures with a thickness ratio equal to one show an emergent interfacial behavior which cannot be accounted for simply by summing up the magnetoelastic effects occurring in the two constituent layers. This aspect is clearly visible in the case of ultrathin bilayers, where the exchange coupling drastically affects the magnetic behavior of the Ni layer, making the Ni/CoFeB bilayer a promising next-generation synthetic magnetic system entirely. This study demonstrates the richness and high tunability of composite multiferroic systems based on coupled magnetic bilayers compared to their single magnetic layer counterparts. Furthermore, because of the compatibility of CoFeB with present magnetic tunnel junction-based spintronic technologies, the reported findings are expected to be of great interest for the development of ultralow-power magnetoelectric memory devices.

Increasing the Astrophysical Reach of the Advanced Virgo Detector via the Application of Squeezed Vacuum States of Light

Current interferometric gravitational-wave detectors are limited by quantum noise over a wide range of their measurement bandwidth. One method to overcome the quantum limit is the injection of squeezed vacuum states of light into the interferometer's dark port. Here, we report on the successful application of this quantum technology to improve the shot noise limited sensitivity of the Advanced Virgo gravitational-wave detector. A sensitivity enhancement of up to 3.2±0.1  dB beyond the shot noise limit is achieved. This nonclassical improvement corresponds to a 5%-8% increase of the binary neutron star horizon. The squeezing injection was fully automated and over the first 5 months of the third joint LIGO-Virgo observation run O3 squeezing was applied for more than 99% of the science time. During this period several gravitational-wave candidates have been recorded.

Spatial and Temporal Variation of Atmospheric Particulate Matter in Bangalore: A Technology-Intensive Region in India

All of India's megacities are experiencing acute air pollution problems due to the accelerated urbanization/industrialization and rapid economic growth. Nowadays, environmental pollution due to particulate matter is a major threat to human health and our regional air quality. Long-term air pollution data with the high spatial and temporal resolution are required to understand regional air quality and its effects on environmental degradation and human health. In view of the above, the particulate matter (PM_2.5: particles with diameters less than 2.5 μm and PM₁₀: particles with diameters less than 10 μm) were measured from January 2017 to March 2018 at five locations (PM₂.₅ at 3 sites and PM₁₀: at 2 sites) across the Bangalore city, India. The measured concentrations indicated that PM_2.5 and PM₁₀ concentrations in Bangalore exceeded the World Health Organization's air quality standards although the PM_2.5 values did meet the Indian National Ambient Air Quality Standards (NAAQS). The PM₁₀ NAAQS was exceeded at one site. Temporal patterns showed a strong evening peak at all sites and morning rush hour peaks of varying strength. Season peaks were observed in the winter or premonsoon seasons again with variations among the five sites. Lower pairwise correlation coefficients among the sites suggest that the PM sources were largely localized. The role of meteorological parameters (MP) was studied, and it was observed that MP play a vital role in the accumulation of PM_2.5. During calm wind condition (WS < 0.5 m/s), the concentrations of PM_2.5 has increased by 17%, indicating localized sources; however, in the case of PM₁₀, it was opposite. Annually, the highest concentrations of PM_2.5 (> 30 μg/ m³) and PM₁₀ (> 75 μg/m³) over receptor side were observed during lower wind speeds (< 2 knots), which indicate that the transportation does not play any crucial role in higher concentrations of PM over Bangalore.

Tests of General Relativity with GW170817

The recent discovery by Advanced LIGO and Advanced Virgo of a gravitational wave signal from a binary neutron star inspiral has enabled tests of general relativity (GR) with this new type of source. This source, for the first time, permits tests of strong-field dynamics of compact binaries in the presence of matter. In this Letter, we place constraints on the dipole radiation and possible deviations from GR in the post-Newtonian coefficients that govern the inspiral regime. Bounds on modified dispersion of gravitational waves are obtained; in combination with information from the observed electromagnetic counterpart we can also constrain effects due to large extra dimensions. Finally, the polarization content of the gravitational wave signal is studied. The results of all tests performed here show good agreement with GR.

Constraining the p-Mode-g-Mode Tidal Instability with GW170817

We analyze the impact of a proposed tidal instability coupling p modes and g modes within neutron stars on GW170817. This nonresonant instability transfers energy from the orbit of the binary to internal modes of the stars, accelerating the gravitational-wave driven inspiral. We model the impact of this instability on the phasing of the gravitational wave signal using three parameters per star: an overall amplitude, a saturation frequency, and a spectral index. Incorporating these additional parameters, we compute the Bayes factor (lnB_{!pg}^{pg}) comparing our p-g model to a standard one. We find that the observed signal is consistent with waveform models that neglect p-g effects, with lnB_{!pg}^{pg}=0.03_{-0.58}^{+0.70} (maximum a posteriori and 90% credible region). By injecting simulated signals that do not include p-g effects and recovering them with the p-g model, we show that there is a ≃50% probability of obtaining similar lnB_{!pg}^{pg} even when p-g effects are absent. We find that the p-g amplitude for 1.4  M_{⊙} neutron stars is constrained to less than a few tenths of the theoretical maximum, with maxima a posteriori near one-tenth this maximum and p-g saturation frequency ∼70  Hz. This suggests that there are less than a few hundred excited modes, assuming they all saturate by wave breaking. For comparison, theoretical upper bounds suggest ≲10^{3} modes saturate by wave breaking. Thus, the measured constraints only rule out extreme values of the p-g parameters. They also imply that the instability dissipates ≲10^{51}  erg over the entire inspiral, i.e., less than a few percent of the energy radiated as gravitational waves.

Search for Subsolar-Mass Ultracompact Binaries in Advanced LIGO's First Observing Run

We present the first Advanced LIGO and Advanced Virgo search for ultracompact binary systems with component masses between 0.2  M_{⊙}-1.0  M_{⊙} using data taken between September 12, 2015 and January 19, 2016. We find no viable gravitational wave candidates. Our null result constrains the coalescence rate of monochromatic (delta function) distributions of nonspinning (0.2  M_{⊙}, 0.2  M_{⊙}) ultracompact binaries to be less than 1.0×10^{6}  Gpc^{-3}  yr^{-1} and the coalescence rate of a similar distribution of (1.0  M_{⊙}, 1.0  M_{⊙}) ultracompact binaries to be less than 1.9×10^{4}  Gpc^{-3}  yr^{-1} (at 90% confidence). Neither black holes nor neutron stars are expected to form below ∼1  M_{⊙} through conventional stellar evolution, though it has been proposed that similarly low mass black holes could be formed primordially through density fluctuations in the early Universe and contribute to the dark matter density. The interpretation of our constraints in the primordial black hole dark matter paradigm is highly model dependent; however, under a particular primordial black hole binary formation scenario we constrain monochromatic primordial black hole populations of 0.2  M_{⊙} to be less than 33% of the total dark matter density and monochromatic populations of 1.0  M_{⊙} to be less than 5% of the dark matter density. The latter strengthens the presently placed bounds from microlensing surveys of massive compact halo objects (MACHOs) provided by the MACHO and EROS Collaborations.

GW170817: Measurements of Neutron Star Radii and Equation of State

On 17 August 2017, the LIGO and Virgo observatories made the first direct detection of gravitational waves from the coalescence of a neutron star binary system. The detection of this gravitational-wave signal, GW170817, offers a novel opportunity to directly probe the properties of matter at the extreme conditions found in the interior of these stars. The initial, minimal-assumption analysis of the LIGO and Virgo data placed constraints on the tidal effects of the coalescing bodies, which were then translated to constraints on neutron star radii. Here, we expand upon previous analyses by working under the hypothesis that both bodies were neutron stars that are described by the same equation of state and have spins within the range observed in Galactic binary neutron stars. Our analysis employs two methods: the use of equation-of-state-insensitive relations between various macroscopic properties of the neutron stars and the use of an efficient parametrization of the defining function p(ρ) of the equation of state itself. From the LIGO and Virgo data alone and the first method, we measure the two neutron star radii as R_{1}=10.8_{-1.7}^{+2.0}  km for the heavier star and R_{2}=10.7_{-1.5}^{+2.1}  km for the lighter star at the 90% credible level. If we additionally require that the equation of state supports neutron stars with masses larger than 1.97  M_{⊙} as required from electromagnetic observations and employ the equation-of-state parametrization, we further constrain R_{1}=11.9_{-1.4}^{+1.4}  km and R_{2}=11.9_{-1.4}^{+1.4}  km at the 90% credible level. Finally, we obtain constraints on p(ρ) at supranuclear densities, with pressure at twice nuclear saturation density measured at 3.5_{-1.7}^{+2.7}×10^{34}  dyn cm^{-2} at the 90% level.

Status of Advanced Virgo

The LIGO and the Virgo collaborations have recently announced the first detections of Gravitational Waves. Due to their weak amplitude, Gravitational Waves are expected to produce a very small effect on free-falling masses, which undergo a displacement of the order of 10-18 m for a Km-scale mutual distance. This discovery showed that interferometric detectors are suitable to reveal such a feeble effect, and therefore represent a new tool for astronomy, astrophysics and cosmology in the understanding of the Universe. To better reconstruct the position of the Gravitational Wave source and increase the signal-to-noise ratio of the events by means of multiple coincidence, a network of detectors is necessary. In the USA, the LIGO project has recently concluded its second Observation Run (O2) with a couple of twin 4 kilometer-long arms detectors which are placed in Washington State and Louisiana. Advanced VIRGO (AdV) is a 3 kilometer-long arms second generation interferometer situated in Cascina, near Pisa in Italy. The installation of AdV has been completed in 2016, and the first commissioning phase allowed to get to the target early-stage sensitivity, which was sufficient to join LIGO in the O2 scientific run. In this paper, the challenges of the commissioning of AdV will be presented, together with its current performances and future perspectives. Finally, in the last paragraph the latest discoveries that occurred after the ICNFP 2017 conference will be also described.

Search for Tensor, Vector, and Scalar Polarizations in the Stochastic Gravitational-Wave Background

The detection of gravitational waves with Advanced LIGO and Advanced Virgo has enabled novel tests of general relativity, including direct study of the polarization of gravitational waves. While general relativity allows for only two tensor gravitational-wave polarizations, general metric theories can additionally predict two vector and two scalar polarizations. The polarization of gravitational waves is encoded in the spectral shape of the stochastic gravitational-wave background, formed by the superposition of cosmological and individually unresolved astrophysical sources. Using data recorded by Advanced LIGO during its first observing run, we search for a stochastic background of generically polarized gravitational waves. We find no evidence for a background of any polarization, and place the first direct bounds on the contributions of vector and scalar polarizations to the stochastic background. Under log-uniform priors for the energy in each polarization, we limit the energy densities of tensor, vector, and scalar modes at 95% credibility to Ω_{0}^{T}<5.58×10^{-8}, Ω_{0}^{V}<6.35×10^{-8}, and Ω_{0}^{S}<1.08×10^{-7} at a reference frequency f_{0}=25  Hz.

GW170817: Implications for the Stochastic Gravitational-Wave Background from Compact Binary Coalescences

The LIGO Scientific and Virgo Collaborations have announced the event GW170817, the first detection of gravitational waves from the coalescence of two neutron stars. The merger rate of binary neutron stars estimated from this event suggests that distant, unresolvable binary neutron stars create a significant astrophysical stochastic gravitational-wave background. The binary neutron star component will add to the contribution from binary black holes, increasing the amplitude of the total astrophysical background relative to previous expectations. In the Advanced LIGO-Virgo frequency band most sensitive to stochastic backgrounds (near 25 Hz), we predict a total astrophysical background with amplitude Ω_{GW}(f=25  Hz)=1.8_{-1.3}^{+2.7}×10^{-9} with 90% confidence, compared with Ω_{GW}(f=25  Hz)=1.1_{-0.7}^{+1.2}×10^{-9} from binary black holes alone. Assuming the most probable rate for compact binary mergers, we find that the total background may be detectable with a signal-to-noise-ratio of 3 after 40 months of total observation time, based on the expected timeline for Advanced LIGO and Virgo to reach their design sensitivity.

Efficacy and toxicity of cetuximab with chemotherapy in recurrent and metastatic head and neck cancer: A prospective observational study

BACKGROUND

In squamous cell carcinoma of the head and neck (SCCHN), epidermal growth factor receptor is expressed at very high levels. Hence, we have done this study to assess the response and tolerability of cetuximab and platinum-based chemotherapy in recurrent and metastatic (R/M) head and neck squamous cell cancer (HNSCC) in view of paucity of data from the Indian subcontinent.

MATERIALS AND METHODS

In this prospective study, patients of R/M SCCHN were randomly enrolled from September 2012 to April 2015. Chemotherapy (cisplatin/carboplatin/5-fluorouracil) and cetuximab-based treatment were administered up to 6 cycles or unacceptable toxicity. The response rates (RRs), progression-free survival (PFS), and overall survival (OS) were analyzed.

RESULTS

In total, fifty patients were enrolled. The median age was 51.0 years. A total of 255 cycles of treatment were administered (median = 6 cycles/patient). Four patients (8.0%) experienced complete response and 21 (42.0%) experienced partial response. Twenty-one patients (42.0%) had stable disease and four patients (8.0%) experienced progressive disease. The disease control rate was 92.0%. Median PFS was 5.3 months (95% confidence interval [CI]: 4.52-6.14 months). Median OS was 9.933 months (95% CI: 8.58-11.28 months). There was statistically significant correlation between overall response and Eastern Cooperative Oncology Group performance status (P = 0.014), site of tumor (P = 0.027), and histological grade of tumor (P = 0.001). The main Grade 3/4 side effects seen were hematological in 44 (88%) and gastrointestinal in 28 (56%) patients.

CONCLUSIONS

The RR of cetuximab plus chemotherapy of> 45% and the promising PFS rates are strong arguments for clinically testing this combination and this treatment schedule further in R/M HNSCC.

Ambient black carbon particulate matter in the coal region of Dhanbad, India

Light-absorbing, atmospheric particles have gained greater attention in recent years because of their direct and indirect impacts on regional and global climate. Atmospheric black carbon (BC) aerosol is a leading climate warming agent, yet uncertainties in the global direct aerosol radiative forcing remain large. Based on a year of aerosol absorption measurements at seven wavelengths, BC concentrations were investigated in Dhanbad, the coal capital of India. Coal is routinely burned for cooking and residential heat as well as in small industries. The mean daily concentrations of ultraviolet-absorbing black carbon measured at 370nm (UVBC) and black carbon measured at 880nm (BC) were 9.8±5.7 and 6.5±3.8μgm^-3, respectively. The difference between UVBC and BC, Delta-C, is an indicator of biomass or residential coal burning and averaged 3.29±4.61μgm^-3. An alternative approach uses the Ǻngstrom Exponent (AE) to estimate the biomass/coal and traffic BC concentrations. Biomass/coal burning contributed ~87% and high temperature, fossil-fuel combustion contributed ~13% to the annual average BC concentration. The post-monsoon seasonal mean UVBC values were 10.9μgm^-3 and BC of 7.2μgm^-3. Potential source contribution function analysis showed that in the post-monsoon season, air masses came from the central and northwestern Indo-Gangetic Plains where there is extensive agricultural burning. The mean winter UVBC and BC concentrations were 15.0 and 10.1μgm^-3, respectively. These higher values were largely produced by local sources under poor dispersion conditions. The direct radiative forcing (DRF) due to UVBC and BC at the surface (SUR) and the top of the atmosphere (TOA) were calculated. The mean atmospheric heating rates due to UVBC and BC were estimated to be 1.40°Kday^-1 and 1.18°Kday^-1, respectively. This high heating rate may affect the monsoon circulation in this region.

First Search for Nontensorial Gravitational Waves from Known Pulsars

We present results from the first directed search for nontensorial gravitational waves. While general relativity allows for tensorial (plus and cross) modes only, a generic metric theory may, in principle, predict waves with up to six different polarizations. This analysis is sensitive to continuous signals of scalar, vector, or tensor polarizations, and does not rely on any specific theory of gravity. After searching data from the first observation run of the advanced LIGO detectors for signals at twice the rotational frequency of 200 known pulsars, we find no evidence of gravitational waves of any polarization. We report the first upper limits for scalar and vector strains, finding values comparable in magnitude to previously published limits for tensor strain. Our results may be translated into constraints on specific alternative theories of gravity.

Prospects for observing and localizing gravitational-wave transients with Advanced LIGO, Advanced Virgo and KAGRA

We present possible observing scenarios for the Advanced LIGO, Advanced Virgo and KAGRA gravitational-wave detectors over the next decade, with the intention of providing information to the astronomy community to facilitate planning for multi-messenger astronomy with gravitational waves. We estimate the sensitivity of the network to transient gravitational-wave signals, and study the capability of the network to determine the sky location of the source. We report our findings for gravitational-wave transients, with particular focus on gravitational-wave signals from the inspiral of binary neutron star systems, which are the most promising targets for multi-messenger astronomy. The ability to localize the sources of the detected signals depends on the geographical distribution of the detectors and their relative sensitivity, and [Formula: see text] credible regions can be as large as thousands of square degrees when only two sensitive detectors are operational. Determining the sky position of a significant fraction of detected signals to areas of 5-[Formula: see text] requires at least three detectors of sensitivity within a factor of [Formula: see text] of each other and with a broad frequency bandwidth. When all detectors, including KAGRA and the third LIGO detector in India, reach design sensitivity, a significant fraction of gravitational-wave signals will be localized to a few square degrees by gravitational-wave observations alone.

GW170817: Observation of Gravitational Waves from a Binary Neutron Star Inspiral

On August 17, 2017 at 12∶41:04 UTC the Advanced LIGO and Advanced Virgo gravitational-wave detectors made their first observation of a binary neutron star inspiral. The signal, GW170817, was detected with a combined signal-to-noise ratio of 32.4 and a false-alarm-rate estimate of less than one per 8.0×10^{4}  years. We infer the component masses of the binary to be between 0.86 and 2.26  M_{⊙}, in agreement with masses of known neutron stars. Restricting the component spins to the range inferred in binary neutron stars, we find the component masses to be in the range 1.17-1.60  M_{⊙}, with the total mass of the system 2.74_{-0.01}^{+0.04}M_{⊙}. The source was localized within a sky region of 28  deg^{2} (90% probability) and had a luminosity distance of 40_{-14}^{+8}  Mpc, the closest and most precisely localized gravitational-wave signal yet. The association with the γ-ray burst GRB 170817A, detected by Fermi-GBM 1.7 s after the coalescence, corroborates the hypothesis of a neutron star merger and provides the first direct evidence of a link between these mergers and short γ-ray bursts. Subsequent identification of transient counterparts across the electromagnetic spectrum in the same location further supports the interpretation of this event as a neutron star merger. This unprecedented joint gravitational and electromagnetic observation provides insight into astrophysics, dense matter, gravitation, and cosmology.

GW170814: A Three-Detector Observation of Gravitational Waves from a Binary Black Hole Coalescence

On August 14, 2017 at 10∶30:43 UTC, the Advanced Virgo detector and the two Advanced LIGO detectors coherently observed a transient gravitational-wave signal produced by the coalescence of two stellar mass black holes, with a false-alarm rate of ≲1 in 27 000 years. The signal was observed with a three-detector network matched-filter signal-to-noise ratio of 18. The inferred masses of the initial black holes are 30.5_{-3.0}^{+5.7}M_{⊙} and 25.3_{-4.2}^{+2.8}M_{⊙} (at the 90% credible level). The luminosity distance of the source is 540_{-210}^{+130}  Mpc, corresponding to a redshift of z=0.11_{-0.04}^{+0.03}. A network of three detectors improves the sky localization of the source, reducing the area of the 90% credible region from 1160   deg^{2} using only the two LIGO detectors to 60  deg^{2} using all three detectors. For the first time, we can test the nature of gravitational-wave polarizations from the antenna response of the LIGO-Virgo network, thus enabling a new class of phenomenological tests of gravity.

Identification of mega-environments and rice genotypes for general and specific adaptation to saline and alkaline stresses in India

In the present study, a total of 53 promising salt-tolerant genotypes were tested across 18 salt-affected diverse locations for three years. An attempt was made to identify ideal test locations and mega-environments using GGE biplot analysis. The CSSRI sodic environment was the most discriminating location in individual years as well as over the years and could be used to screen out unstable and salt-sensitive genotypes. Genotypes CSR36, CSR-2K-219, and CSR-2K-262 were found ideal across years. Overall, Genotypes CSR-2K-219, CSR-2K-262, and CSR-2K-242 were found superior and stable among all genotypes with higher mean yields. Different sets of genotypes emerged as winners in saline soils but not in sodic soils; however, Genotype CSR-2K-262 was the only genotype that was best under both saline and alkaline environments over the years. The lack of repeatable associations among locations and repeatable mega-environment groupings indicated the complexity of soil salinity. Hence, a multi-location and multi-year evaluation is indispensable for evaluating the test sites as well as identifying genotypes with consistently specific and wider adaptation to particular agro-climatic zones. The genotypes identified in the present study could be used for commercial cultivation across edaphically challenged areas for sustainable production.

Spectrum average cross section measurement of 183W (n, p)183Ta and 184W (n, p)184Ta reaction cross section in 252Cf(sf) neutron field

Neutron induced nuclear reactions are of prime importance for both fusion and fission nuclear reactor technology. Present work describes the first time measurement of spectrum average cross section of nuclear reactions ¹⁸³W(n,p)¹⁸³Ta and ¹⁸⁴W(n,p)¹⁸⁴Ta using ²⁵²Cf spontaneous fission neutron source. Standard neutron activation analysis (NAA) technique was used. The neutron spectra were calculated using Monte Carlo N Particle Code (MCNP). The effects of self-shielding and back scattering were taken into account by optimizing the detector modeling. These effects along with efficiency of detector were corrected for volume sample in the actual source-detector geometry. The measured data were compared with the previously measured data available in Exchange Format (EXFOR) data base and evaluated data using EMPIRE - 3.2.2.

GW170104: Observation of a 50-Solar-Mass Binary Black Hole Coalescence at Redshift 0.2

We describe the observation of GW170104, a gravitational-wave signal produced by the coalescence of a pair of stellar-mass black holes. The signal was measured on January 4, 2017 at 10∶11:58.6 UTC by the twin advanced detectors of the Laser Interferometer Gravitational-Wave Observatory during their second observing run, with a network signal-to-noise ratio of 13 and a false alarm rate less than 1 in 70 000 years. The inferred component black hole masses are 31.2_{-6.0}^{+8.4}M_{⊙} and 19.4_{-5.9}^{+5.3}M_{⊙} (at the 90% credible level). The black hole spins are best constrained through measurement of the effective inspiral spin parameter, a mass-weighted combination of the spin components perpendicular to the orbital plane, χ_{eff}=-0.12_{-0.30}^{+0.21}. This result implies that spin configurations with both component spins positively aligned with the orbital angular momentum are disfavored. The source luminosity distance is 880_{-390}^{+450}  Mpc corresponding to a redshift of z=0.18_{-0.07}^{+0.08}. We constrain the magnitude of modifications to the gravitational-wave dispersion relation and perform null tests of general relativity. Assuming that gravitons are dispersed in vacuum like massive particles, we bound the graviton mass to m_{g}≤7.7×10^{-23}  eV/c^{2}. In all cases, we find that GW170104 is consistent with general relativity.

Upper Limits on the Stochastic Gravitational-Wave Background from Advanced LIGO's First Observing Run

A wide variety of astrophysical and cosmological sources are expected to contribute to a stochastic gravitational-wave background. Following the observations of GW150914 and GW151226, the rate and mass of coalescing binary black holes appear to be greater than many previous expectations. As a result, the stochastic background from unresolved compact binary coalescences is expected to be particularly loud. We perform a search for the isotropic stochastic gravitational-wave background using data from Advanced Laser Interferometer Gravitational Wave Observatory's (aLIGO) first observing run. The data display no evidence of a stochastic gravitational-wave signal. We constrain the dimensionless energy density of gravitational waves to be Ω_{0}<1.7×10^{-7} with 95% confidence, assuming a flat energy density spectrum in the most sensitive part of the LIGO band (20-86 Hz). This is a factor of ∼33 times more sensitive than previous measurements. We also constrain arbitrary power-law spectra. Finally, we investigate the implications of this search for the background of binary black holes using an astrophysical model for the background.

Directional Limits on Persistent Gravitational Waves from Advanced LIGO's First Observing Run

We employ gravitational-wave radiometry to map the stochastic gravitational wave background expected from a variety of contributing mechanisms and test the assumption of isotropy using data from the Advanced Laser Interferometer Gravitational Wave Observatory's (aLIGO) first observing run. We also search for persistent gravitational waves from point sources with only minimal assumptions over the 20-1726 Hz frequency band. Finding no evidence of gravitational waves from either point sources or a stochastic background, we set limits at 90% confidence. For broadband point sources, we report upper limits on the gravitational wave energy flux per unit frequency in the range F_{α,Θ}(f)<(0.1-56)×10^{-8}    erg cm^{-2} s^{-1} Hz^{-1}(f/25  Hz)^{α-1} depending on the sky location Θ and the spectral power index α. For extended sources, we report upper limits on the fractional gravitational wave energy density required to close the Universe of Ω(f,Θ)<(0.39-7.6)×10^{-8}  sr^{-1}(f/25  Hz)^{α} depending on Θ and α. Directed searches for narrowband gravitational waves from astrophysically interesting objects (Scorpius X-1, Supernova 1987 A, and the Galactic Center) yield median frequency-dependent limits on strain amplitude of h_{0}<(6.7,5.5,  and  7.0)×10^{-25}, respectively, at the most sensitive detector frequencies between 130-175 Hz. This represents a mean improvement of a factor of 2 across the band compared to previous searches of this kind for these sky locations, considering the different quantities of strain constrained in each case.

Chemical characterization of rainwater at a high-altitude site "Nainital" in the central Himalayas, India

The present study investigates the chemical composition of rainwater (RW) from a high-altitude site "Nainital" (1958 m above msl) in the central Himalaya region, to understand the influence of local, regional, and long-range transport of pollutants. A total of 55 (2 in pre-monsoon and 53 in monsoon) RW samples were collected during the study period (June-September 2012) and were analyzed for major anions and cations using an ion chromatograph. The pH of precipitation events ranged from 4.95 to 6.50 (average 5.6 ± 0.3) was observed during the monsoon period (near to the acidic), whereas during the pre-monsoon, the pH was 6.25 ± 0.49 (alkaline) over the study region; it is due the mixture of anthropogenic as well as the natural chemical constituents. The average ionic concentration (sum of measured chemical constituents) was ∼3 times higher during the pre-monsoon (986 ± 101 μeq/1) compared to that in the monsoon season (373 ± 37 μeq/1). This is mainly due to the presence of more natural aerosols in the pre-monsoon season which is also reflected in the pH of rainwater (average 6.25 ± 0.50) as well as ionic concentration. The chemical composition suggests that Ca²⁺ was the major contributor (34%) among cations, followed by Na⁺ (10%), K⁺ (8%), and Mg²⁺ (9%), whereas Cl^-, NO₃^-, and SO₄^2- contributed ∼13, 11, and 9%, respectively, among anions. The average ratio of acidic species (SO₄^2-/NO₃^-) is 1.56, suggesting 61 and 39% contribution of SO₄^2- and NO₃^-, respectively, which is very close to the estimated contribution of H₂SO₄ (60-70%) and HNO₃ (30-40%) in the precipitation samples. Neutralization factors for Ca²⁺, Mg²⁺, and NH₄⁺ in RW at Nainital are 4.94, 1.21, and 0.37, respectively, indicating their crucial role in neutralization of acidic species. The non-sea-salt (NSS) contribution to total Ca²⁺, K⁺, and Mg²⁺ is estimated to be ∼98, 97, and 74%, respectively, suggesting the dominance of crustal sources for cations. In contrast, the NSS contribution to the total Cl^- and SO₄^2- is 16 and 69% indicating their anthropogenic origin, respectively. Principle component analysis also suggests that the first factor (i.e., natural sources, mainly dust, and sea-salts) accounts for ∼33% variance, whereas the second factor (i.e., fossil fuel and biomass burning) accounts for ∼18% variance of the measured ionic composition. The remaining contributions are attributed to the mixed emission sources and transport of pollutants from Indo-Gangetic Plain (IGP) and western parts of India. The results of the present study reveal a significant contribution of crustal and anthropogenic sources in the RW and neutralization processes in the central Himalaya.