The chromatin remodeler ERCC6 and the histone chaperone NAP1 are involved in apurinic/apyrimidinic endonuclease-mediated DNA repair

During base excision repair (BER), the apurinic or apyrimidinic (AP) site serves as an intermediate product following base excision. In plants, APE-redox protein (ARP) represents the major AP site of cleavage activity. Despite the well-established understanding that the nucleosomal structure acts as a barrier to various DNA-templated processes, the regulatory mechanisms underlying BER at the chromatin level remain elusive, especially in plants. In this study, we identified plant chromatin remodeler Excision Repair Cross-Complementing protein group 6 (ERCC6) and histone chaperone Nucleosome Assembly Protein 1 (NAP1) as interacting proteins with ARP. The catalytic ATPase domain of ERCC6 facilitates its interaction with both ARP and NAP1. Additionally, ERCC6 and NAP1 synergistically contribute to nucleosome sliding and exposure of hindered endonuclease cleavage sites. Loss-of-function mutations in Arabidopsis (Arabidopsis thaliana) ERCC6 or NAP1 resulted in arp-dependent plant hypersensitivity to 5-fluorouracil (5-FU), a toxic agent inducing BER, and the accumulation of AP sites. Furthermore, similar protein interactions are also found in yeast cells, suggesting a conserved recruitment mechanism employed by the AP endonuclease to overcome chromatin barriers during BER progression.

Prediction of knee pain improvement over two years for knee osteoarthritis using a dynamic nomogram based on MRI-derived radiomics: a proof-of-concept study

OBJECTIVES

To develop and validate a nomogram to detect improved knee pain in osteoarthritis (OA) by integrating magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) radiomics signature of subchondral bone and clinical characteristics.

METHODS

Participants were selected from the Vitamin D Effects on Osteoarthritis (VIDEO) study. The primary outcome was 20% improvement of knee pain score over 2 years in participants administrated either vitamin D or placebo. Radiomics features of subchondral bone and clinical characteristics from 216 participants were extracted and analyzed. The participants were randomly split into the training and validation cohorts at a ratio of 8:2. Least absolute shrinkage and selection operator (LASSO) regression was used to select features and generate radiomics signatures. The optimal radiomics signature and clinical indicators were fitted into a nomogram using multivariable logistic regression model.

RESULTS

The nomogram showed favorable discrimination performance [AUC_training, 0.79 (95% CI: 0.72-0.79), AUC_validation, 0.83 (95% CI: 0.70-0.96)] as well as a good calibration. Additional contributing value of fusion radiomics signature to the nomogram was statistically significant (NRI, 0.23; IDI, 0.14, P < 0.001 in training cohort and NRI, 0.29; IDI, 0.18, P < 0.05 in validating cohort). Decision curve analysis confirmed the clinical usefulness of nomogram.

CONCLUSION

The radiomics-based nomogram comprising the MR radiomics signature and clinical variables achieves a favorable predictive efficacy and accuracy in differentiating improvement in knee pain among OA patients. This proof-of-concept study provides a promising way to predict clinically meaningful outcomes.

Arabidopsis γ-H2A.X-INTERACTING PROTEIN participates in DNA damage response and safeguards chromatin stability

Upon the occurrence of DNA double strand breaks (DSB), the proximal histone variant H2A.X is phosphorylated as γ-H2A.X, a critical signal for consequent DSB signaling and repair pathways. Although γ-H2A.X-triggered DNA damage response (DDR) has been well-characterized in yeast and animals, the corresponding pathways in plant DDR are less well understood. Here, we show that an Arabidopsis protein γ-H2A.X-INTERACTING PROTEIN (XIP) can interact with γ-H2A.X. Its C-terminal dual-BRCT-like domain contributes to its specific interaction with γ-H2A.X. XIP-deficient seedlings display smaller meristems, inhibited growth, and higher sensitivity to DSB-inducing treatment. Loss-of-function in XIP causes transcriptome changes mimicking wild-type plants subject to replicative or genotoxic stresses. After genotoxic bleomycin treatment, more proteins with upregulated phosphorylation modifications, more DNA fragments and cell death were found in xip mutants. Moreover, XIP physically interacts with RAD51, the key recombinase in homologous recombination (HR), and somatic HR frequency is significantly reduced in xip mutants. Collectively, XIP participates in plant response to DSB and contributes to chromatin stability.

Histone modification and chromatin remodeling in plant response to pathogens

As sessile organisms, plants are constantly exposed to changing environments frequently under diverse stresses. Invasion by pathogens, including virus, bacterial and fungal infections, can severely impede plant growth and development, causing important yield loss and thus challenging food/feed security worldwide. During evolution, plants have adapted complex systems, including coordinated global gene expression networks, to defend against pathogen attacks. In recent years, growing evidences indicate that pathogen infections can trigger local and global epigenetic changes that reprogram the transcription of plant defense genes, which in turn helps plants to fight against pathogens. Here, we summarize up plant defense pathways and epigenetic mechanisms and we review in depth current knowledge's about histone modifications and chromatin-remodeling factors found in the epigenetic regulation of plant response to biotic stresses. It is anticipated that epigenetic mechanisms may be explorable in the design of tools to generate stress-resistant plant varieties.

Synovitis mediates the association between bone marrow lesions and knee pain in osteoarthritis: data from the Foundation for the National Institute of Health (FNIH) Osteoarthritis Biomarkers Consortium

OBJECTIVES

Although subchondral bone marrow lesions (BMLs) and synovitis have been well acknowledged as important sources of pain in knee osteoarthritis (KOA), it is unclear if synovitis plays the mediating role in the relationship between BMLs and knee pain.

METHODS

We analyzed 600 subjects with magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) in the Foundation for National Institutes of Health Osteoarthritis Biomarkers Consortium (FNIH) cohort at baseline and 24-month. BMLs and synovitis were measured according to the MRI Osteoarthritis Knee Score (MOAKS) scoring system. BMLs were scored in five subregions. A summary synovitis score of effusion and Hoffa-synovitis was calculated. Knee pain was evaluated using the Western Ontario and McMaster Universities Osteoarthritis Index (WOMAC). Linear regression models were applied to analyze the natural direct effect (NDE) of BMLs and synovitis with knee pain, respectively, and natural indirect effect (NIE) mediated by synovitis.

RESULTS

590 participants (58.8% females, with a mean age of 61.5) were included in the present analyses. For NDE, knee pain was cross-sectionally associated with medial femorotibial BMLs (β = 0.23, 95% CI: 0.09, 0.38) and synovitis (β = 0.40, 95% CI: 0.20, 0.60). Longitudinal associations retained significant [medial femorotibial BMLs (β = 0.37, 95% CI: 0.21, 0.53); synovitis (β = 0.72, 95% CI: 0.45, 0.99)]. In the NIE analyses, synovitis mediated the association between medial femorotibial BML and knee pain at baseline (β = 0.051, 95% CI: 0.01, 0.09) and over 24 months (β = 0.079, 95% CI: 0.023, 0.15), with the mediating proportion of 17.8% and 22.4%, respectively.

CONCLUSION

Synovitis partially mediates the association between medial femorotibial BMLs and knee pain.

Arabidopsis CHROMATIN REMODELING 19 acts as a transcriptional repressor and contributes to plant pathogen resistance

Chromatin remodelers act in an ATP-dependent manner to modulate chromatin structure and thus genome function. Here, we report that the Arabidopsis (Arabidopsis thaliana) remodeler CHROMATIN REMODELING19 (CHR19) is enriched in gene body regions, and its depletion causes massive changes in nucleosome position and occupancy in the genome. Consistent with these changes, an in vitro assay verified that CHR19 can utilize ATP to slide nucleosomes. A variety of inducible genes, including several important genes in the salicylic acid (SA) and jasmonic acid (JA) pathways, were transcriptionally upregulated in the chr19 mutant under normal growth conditions, indicative of a role of CHR19 in transcriptional repression. In addition, the chr19 mutation triggered higher susceptibility to the JA pathway-defended necrotrophic fungal pathogen Botrytis cinerea, but did not affect the growth of the SA pathway-defended hemibiotrophic bacterial pathogen Pseudomonas syringae pv. tomato DC3000. Expression of CHR19 was tissue-specific and inhibited specifically by SA treatment. Such inhibition significantly decreased the local chromatin enrichment of CHR19 at the associated SA pathway genes, which resulted in their full activation upon SA treatment. Overall, our findings clarify CHR19 to be a novel regulator acting at the chromatin level to impact the transcription of genes underlying plant resistance to different pathogens.

Three-Phase Equilibrium Calculations of Water/Hydrocarbon/Nonhydrocarbon Systems Based on the Equation of State (EOS) in Thermal Processes

A simple and novel approach is proposed to represent the mutual solubility of water and hydrocarbon components based on equations of state at high temperatures in thermal recovery processes. Sϕreide and Whitson modifications are applied to the Peng-Robinson (PR) equation of state (EOS) so that all components, including the water component, can exist in all phases, reasonably representing gas solubility in water and water solubility in hydrocarbon phases. We propose an algorithm to assign binary interaction parameters (BIPs) for aqueous and nonaqueous phases. The water vapor pressure helps select initial K-values for stability analysis so that the aqueous phase can be split out first if present. The algorithm is tested by a wide range of variations in pressure, temperature, and composition. The results show the robustness of the algorithm and the effects of temperature and overall water mole fraction on phase behaviors in steam flooding processes.

The interactions between MRI-detected osteophytes and bone marrow lesions or effusion-synovitis on knee symptom progression: an exploratory study

OBJECTIVES

To investigate the longitudinal association between MRI-detected osteophyte scores and progression of knee symptoms, and whether the association was modified in the presence of bone marrow lesions (BMLs) or effusion-synovitis.

METHODS

Data from Vitamin D Effects on Osteoarthritis (VIDEO) study, a randomized, double-blinded and placebo-controlled clinical trial in symptomatic knee osteoarthritis (OA) patients, were analyzed as an exploratory study. Western Ontario and McMaster Universities Osteoarthritis Index (WOMAC) was used to assess knee symptoms. Osteophytes, BMLs and effusion-synovitis were measured using MRI.

RESULTS

334 participants with MRI information and WOMAC score (baseline and follow-up) were included in the analyses, with 24.3% of them having knee pain increased 2 years later. Statistically significant interactions were found between MRI-detected osteophytes and BMLs or effusion-synovitis on increased knee symptoms. In participants with BMLs, higher baseline scores of MRI-detected osteophytes in most compartments were significantly associated with increased total knee pain, weight-bearing pain, stiffness, and physical dysfunction, after adjustment for age, sex, body mass index, intervention and effusion-synovitis. In participants with effusion-synovitis, higher baseline scores of MRI-detected osteophytes in almost all the compartments were significantly associated with increased total knee pain, weight-bearing pain, stiffness, and physical dysfunction, after adjustment for age, sex, body mass index, intervention and BMLs. In contrast, MRI-detected osteophyte scores were generally not associated with knee symptom progression in participants without baseline BMLs or effusion-synovitis.

CONCLUSIONS

MRI-detected OPs are associated with increased total knee pain, weight-bearing knee pain, stiffness and physical dysfunction in participants presenting BMLs or effusion-synovitis, but not in participants lacking BMLs or effusion-synovitis. This suggests they could interact with bone or synovial abnormalities to induce symptoms in knee OA.

The ChinaHighPM10 dataset: generation, validation, and spatiotemporal variations from 2015 to 2019 across China

Respirable particles with aerodynamic diameters ≤ 10 µm (PM₁₀) have important impacts on the atmospheric environment and human health. Available PM₁₀ datasets have coarse spatial resolutions, limiting their applications, especially at the city level. A tree-based ensemble learning model, which accounts for spatiotemporal information (i.e., space-time extremely randomized trees, denoted as the STET model), is designed to estimate near-surface PM₁₀ concentrations. The 1-km resolution Multi-Angle Implementation of Atmospheric Correction (MAIAC) aerosol product and auxiliary factors, including meteorology, land-use cover, surface elevation, population distribution, and pollutant emissions, are used in the STET model to generate the high-resolution (1 km) and high-quality PM₁₀ dataset for China (i.e., ChinaHighPM₁₀) from 2015 to 2019. The product has an out-of-sample (out-of-station) cross-validation coefficient of determination (CV-R²) of 0.86 (0.82) and a root-mean-square error (RMSE) of 24.28 (27.07) μg/m³, outperforming most widely used models from previous related studies. High levels of PM₁₀ concentration occurred in northwest China (e.g., the Tarim Basin) and the Northern China Plain. Overall, PM₁₀ concentrations had a significant declining trend of 5.81 μg/m³ per year (p < 0.001) over the past five years in China, especially in three key urban agglomerations. The ChinaHighPM₁₀ dataset is potentially useful for future small- and medium-scale air pollution studies by virtue of its higher spatial resolution and overall accuracy.

Hydrolysis of food waste by hot water extraction and subsequent Rhizopus fermentation to fumaric acid

Food waste is considered a serious global societal problem. How to degrade of food waste in a green and effective way has been to a hot topic. In this work, a method with hot water extraction pretreatment of food waste was investigated and optimized. Under the optimal conditions, more than half of the solid food waste could be transferred to soluble sugars. Meanwhile, in order to improve the tolerance of Rhizopus arrhizus on the food waste hydrolysate, UV combined with chemical mutagenesis were carried out, and a mutant of Rhizopus RH-7-13-807 was obtained. With the mutant strain, the yield of fumaric acid fermented from food waste increased to 1.8 times compared with the original strain, and 23.94 g/L fumaric acid was obtained from the fermentation. Besides, the COD of food waste was evaluated for the degradation of food waste by the Rhizopus RH-7-13-807. The process would decrease the quantity of food waste to be disposed of, and benefit the environment.

lncRNA DGCR 5/miR‑27a‑3p/BNIP3 promotes cell apoptosis in pancreatic cancer by regulating the p38 MAPK pathway

Long non‑coding RNA (lncRNA) DGCR5 has been identified as a tumor suppressor in several types of cancer. However, its biological functions in pancreatic cancer (PaCa) have not yet been fully elucidated. The present study was designed to investigate the role of lncRNA DGCR5 in the regulation of PaCa cell apoptosis. For this purpose, lncRNA DGCR5, miR‑27a‑3p and Bcl‑2/adenovirus E1B‑19kDa‑interacting protein 3 (BNIP3) expression levels were examined by reverse transcription‑quantitative (RT‑qPCR) and western blot analysis, respectively. RNA pull‑down assay was used to verify DGCR5 as a target of miR‑27a‑3p and dual luciferase reporter assay was used to clarify whether miR‑27a‑3p targets the BNIP3 3' UTR. In addition, PaCa cell apoptosis was assessed by flow cytometry. Recombinant plasmids and cell transfection were performed to modulate the endogenous expression of related genes. Thereafter, the role of DGCR5 in PaCa was analyzed using a nude mouse model of PaCa. lncRNA DGCR5 was found to be downregulated in PaCa tissues and cells. DGCR5 functioned as a decoy of miR‑27a‑3p, and BNIP3 was negatively regulated by miR‑27a‑3p. Following the transfection of DGCR5 plasmid into PaCa cells, the expression of miR‑27a‑3p was downregulated, and this downregulation was reversed following transfection with miR‑27a‑3p mimic. In addition, DGCR5 regulated the BNIP3 and p38 MAPK pathways via miR‑27a‑3p and promoted PaCa cell apoptosis via the miR‑27a‑3p/BNIP3 pathway. The results of in vivo experiments also indicated the positive effects of DGCR5 on a nude mouse model of PaCa. On the whole, the findings of the present study indicate that lncRNA DGCR5 upregulates the BNIP3 and p38 MAPK pathways via miR‑27a‑3p to promote PaCa cell apoptosis, thereby attenuating PaCa development.

Activities of Chromatin Remodeling Factors and Histone Chaperones and Their Effects in Root Apical Meristem Development

Eukaryotic genes are packaged into dynamic but stable chromatin structures to deal with transcriptional reprogramming and inheritance during development. Chromatin remodeling factors and histone chaperones are epigenetic factors that target nucleosomes and/or histones to establish and maintain proper chromatin structures during critical physiological processes such as DNA replication and transcriptional modulation. Root apical meristems are vital for plant root development. Regarding the well-characterized transcription factors involved in stem cell proliferation and differentiation, there is increasing evidence of the functional implications of epigenetic regulation in root apical meristem development. In this review, we focus on the activities of chromatin remodeling factors and histone chaperones in the root apical meristems of the model plant species Arabidopsis and rice.

The use of a single ammonium acidic salt towards simple green co-precipitation synthesis for Mn4+-activated fluorides

Simply using acidic salt NH₄HF₂ contributes to the green co-precipitation synthesis of Mn⁴⁺-doped fluorides for W-LED applications.

Satellite-Derived 1-km-Resolution PM1 Concentrations from 2014 to 2018 across China

Particulate matter with aerodynamic diameters ≤1 μm (PM₁) has a greater impact on the human health but has been less studied due to fewer ground observations. This study attempts to improve the retrieval accuracy and spatial resolution of satellite-based PM₁ estimates using the new ground-based monitoring network in China. Therefore, a space-time extremely randomized trees (STET) model is first developed to estimate PM₁ concentrations at a 1 km spatial resolution from 2014 to 2018 across mainland China. The STET model can derive daily PM₁ concentrations with an average across-validation coefficient of determination of 0.77, a low root-mean-square error of 14.6 μg/m³, and a mean absolute error of 8.9 μg/m³. PM₁ concentrations are generally low in most areas of China, except for the North China Plain and Sichuan Basin where intense human activities and poor natural conditions are prevalent, especially in winter. Moreover, PM₁ pollution has greatly decreased over the past 5 years, benefiting from emission control in China. The STET model, incorporating the spatiotemporal information, shows superior performance in PM₁ estimates relative to previous studies. This high-resolution and high-quality PM₁ data set in China (i.e., ChinaHighPM₁) can be greatly useful for air pollution studies in medium- or small-scale areas.

Efficient In-Cloud Removal of Aerosols by Deep Convection

Convective systems dominate the vertical transport of aerosols and trace gases. The most recent in situ aerosol measurements presented here show that the concentrations of primary aerosols including sea salt and black carbon drop by factors of 10 to 10,000 from the surface to the upper troposphere. In this study we show that the default convective transport scheme in the National Science Foundation/Department of Energy Community Earth System Model results in a high bias of 10-1,000 times the measured aerosol mass for black carbon and sea salt in the middle and upper troposphere. A modified transport scheme, which considers aerosol activation from entrained air above the cloud base and aerosol-cloud interaction associated with convection, dramatically improves model agreement with in situ measurements suggesting that deep convection can efficiently remove primary aerosols. We suggest that models that fail to consider secondary activation may overestimate black carbon's radiative forcing by a factor of 2.

Prevalence of BRCA1/2 large genomic rearrangements in Chinese women with sporadic triple-negative or familial breast cancer

The prevalence of BRCA1/2 large genomic rearrangements (LGRs) and their underlying mechanisms have not been fully evaluated in Chinese women with breast cancer. In this study, we determined the prevalence of BRCA1/2 LGRs in 834 patients with familial breast cancer (FBC) and 660 patients with sporadic triple-negative breast cancer (TNBC) who were negative for BRCA1/2 small-range mutations using the multiplex ligation-dependent probe amplification method. We found that 20 index patients (2.4%) in the FBC group carried a BRCA1 or BRCA2 LGR, and the frequencies of BRCA1 and BRCA2 LGRs were 1.6% and 0.8%, respectively. Seven index patients (1.1%) carried a BRCA1 LGR in 660 sporadic TNBC patients, whereas no BRCA2 LGRs were found in these patients. Among the BRCA1/2 LGRs, 48.1% (13/27) were novel, and the breakpoints of the majority of the LGRs were identified. ΨBRCA1-mediated homologous recombination (HR) and Alu-mediated HR/non-homologous end-joining (NHEJ) accounted for 40% and 30% of the BRCA1 LGRs, respectively. Alu-mediated HR accounted for 71.4% of the BRCA2 LGRs, and the remaining one-third was generated through Long interspersed nuclear elements (LINE)-mediated NHEJ. Our findings suggest that both FBC patients and sporadic TNBC patients should be tested for BRCA1/2 LGRs.

Transurethral fluorescence cystoscopy guidance for total resection of bladder tumor

The purpose of this work is to investigate the total resection of bladder tumor under transurethral fluorescence cystoscopy. Nineteen patients with bladder tumor, from which we resected a total of 26 tumors, including 16 single tumors with diameters of 0.5~2 cm, were enrolled in the study. All tumors were located in the posterior wall or neck of the bladder. For the surgery, the size and location of tumors in the bladder were observed by fluorescence cystoscopy. Then, plasma electrocision was used to cut the full-thickness of the bladder to the fat outside of the bladder along the near-end of the tumor, then along the left and right side of bladder (to the far-end), and the full-thickness of the tumor was resected. Finally, the far-end tumor was removed and the full-thickness of the bladder at the bottom was completely resected. All operations were completed successfully within 10-40 min. There was little bleeding during surgery and no secondary bleeding after surgery. Tumor staging found 17 patients at T1 stage (20 tumors) and 2 patients at T2 stage (6 tumors). Patients were followed up for 6~12 months without any recurrence. We show here that total resection of bladder tumor can be accomplished under transurethral fluorescence cystoscopy and preventative resection can be conducted on the suspicious bladder wall with precision to eliminate tumor residue that promotes recurrence.

[Impact of the response of primary tumor to preoperative chemotherapy and anti-HER2 therapy on survival of HER2-positive breast cancer patients]

OBJECTIVE

To study the impact of anti-HER2 therapy and response of primary tumor on distant disease free survival (DDFS) of the patients with HER2-positive breast cancer.

METHODS

The clinical data of the patients with HER2-positive breast cancer treated with neoadjuvant systemic therapy were analyzed retrospectively.

RESULTS

Patients treated with preoperative anti-HER2 therapy and chemotherapy had a significant improved pathological complete response (pCR) rate (48.4%) compared with those treated with preoperative chemotherapy (17.2%) (P=0.000). The median follow-up period was 62(6-160) months. The 5-year DDFS in patients with anti-HER2 therapy and patients without anti-HER2 therapy was 93.5% and 83.3% respectively (P=0.006). The 5-year DDFS in patients achieving a pCR and patients not achieving a pCR was 94.7% and 82.6% respectively(P=0.001). Among patients achieving a pCR, anti-HER2 therapy did not improve DDFS significantly (P=0.960). Benefits of anti-HER2 therapy in DDFS among patients without a pCR achieved statistical significance (P=0.028).

CONCLUSIONS

Combination of neoadjuvant anti-HER2 therapy and chemotherapy resulted in a higher pCR rate in HER2-overexpressing primary breast cancer. Patients treated with neoadjuvant systemic therapy who achieved a pCR have excellent outcome regardless of whether they received anti-HER2 therapy.

Use of Alkaline Phosphatase Staining to Differentiate Canine Osteosarcoma from Other Vimentin-positive Tumors

Aspiration of lytic bone lesions is an excellent diagnostic test in the initial evaluation of primary bone neoplasia. However, cytologically, it can be difficult to differentiate osteosarcoma (OSA) from other bone neoplasms, including fibrosarcoma, chondrosarcoma, synovial cell sarcoma, and plasma cell myeloma. The purpose of this study is to determine the sensitivity and specificity of alkaline phosphatase (ALP) staining to differentiate OSA from other tumors that express vimentin by immunocytochemistry or immunohistochemistry. ALP is a hydrolytic enzyme present in multiple tissues including liver, kidney, intestine, placenta, and bone. Hypothetically, neoplasms actively producing bone should be specifically positive for ALP staining. Unstained, cytologic specimens were incubated for 8-10 minutes with nitroblue tetrazolium chloride/5-bromo-4-chloro-3-indolyl phosphate toluidine salt-phosphatase substrate. A positive reaction stains the membrane of the cells gray to black. Samples were counterstained with a Romanowsky's stain to determine whether the sample was of representative cellularity. A total of 61 vimentin-positive neoplasms have been evaluated and confirmed histopathologically. Tumors that expressed vimentin and were positive for ALP included 33 OSAs, one multilobular tumor of bone, one amelanotic melanoma, and one chondrosarcoma. Tumors that expressed vimentin and were negative for ALP included chondrosarcomas (three of four), multiple fibrosarcomas, and multiple synovial cell sarcomas. The sensitivity is 100%, and the specificity is 89%. In conclusion, ALP appears to be a highly sensitive and fairly specific marker in the diagnosis of OSA.

Abstract P6-10-04: Factors determining underutilization of core biopsy prior to breast surgery

BACKGROUND:

The American College of Surgeons National Accreditation Program for Breast Centers, Standard 2.9, requires a palpation-guided or image-guided needle biopsy as the initial diagnostic approach for breast cancer rather than an open biopsy. In replacing excisional biopsies, this minimally invasive technique demonstrates accuracy and precision in determining tumor characteristics and allows for more optimal breast cancer care. Recent studies have suggested that needle biopsy is underused in the United States. In a recently published analysis of U.S. Medicare data from 2003-2007, needle biopsy was used in 68.4% of all patients with breast cancer surgery. In this single-institution study, we analyzed the utilization of image-guided preoperative breast biopsies and which patient and system related factors contributed to the underutilization of image-guided breast biopsies and clinical outcomes.

MATERIALS AND METHODS:

In this retrospective study, we analyzed all breast cancer cases diagnosed over a four year period at Mount Sinai Medical Center (MSMC) from January 1, 2009 to December 31, 2013 (n=485). We performed a detailed chart review of the surgical cases that did not meet breast biopsy standards to identify contributing patient and surgeon level factors. Descriptive statistics and univariate analysis were used to characterize breast biopsy patterns and outcomes as well as delineate the associations between patient and surgical covariates with needle biopsy receipt.

RESULTS:

Needle biopsy was used in 86% (n=419) of all breast cancer surgeries. The median age for the cohort of patients without needle biopsy was 68.0 years (range 35-94). There was no significant variation in utilization of needle biopsy by race or surgeon. The proportion of patients without needle biopsy decreased significantly over time from 2009-2013. The most common reason for the lack of preoperative breast biopsy was the surgeon's preference to proceed with surgery because of very suspicious imaging studies (including mammograms and MRI) (n=9). There were an additional nine cases where the biopsy was attempted but was non-diagnostic. The most common patient-related factors for lack of needle biopsy were advanced age, use of anticoagulation and noncompliance due to a psychiatric diagnosis and patient discomfort. Other factors identified include lack of surgeon consultation before biopsy, biopsy of axillary lymph nodes as a means of diagnosis and patient's inpatient status.

CONCLUSIONS:

In this single institution, the rate of needle biopsy for breast cancer diagnosis was above national benchmarks. The most common reason for lack of a preoperative breast biopsy was the surgeon's preference to proceed with surgery because of very suspicious imaging studies. Patients with advanced age, psychiatric history, and inpatient workup were also more likely to lack a preoperative breast biopsy.

Citation Format: Fan T, Paramo J, Mesko T, Poppiti R, Ruiz A, Rodriguez E. Factors determining underutilization of core biopsy prior to breast surgery. [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 P6-10-04.

Long non-coding RNA HOTTIP promotes tumor growth and inhibits cell apoptosis in lung cancer

Lung cancer is one of the leading causes of cancer-related deaths worldwide. Early diagnosis is the best defense against this threat and is therefore of vital importance. In this study, we investigated the role of long non-coding RNA HOTTIP in the tumor growth of lung cancer. Initially, we found that expression of HOTTIP was significantly elevated in 20 cases of lung cancer. HOTTIP was also differentially expressed in a consecutive of lung cancer cell lines. Furthermore, specific shRNA against HOTTIP was employed to deplete expression of HOTTIP in A549 cells and NCI-H446 cells. After successfully depletion of HOTTIP, cell proliferation and colony formation were significantly inhibited in vitro. Tumor growth in vivo was also suppressed after depletion of HOTTIP in a mouse model of lung cancer. Moreover, depletion of HOTTIP caused cell cycle arrest in G0/G1 phase and induced significant cell apoptosis. Cell cycle regulators Cdc25C, Cyclin B1 and Cyclin D1 were decreased upon depletion of HOTTIP. Pro-apoptotic factor Bad was up-regulated, whereas anti-apoptotic factors Bcl-2 and Bcl-xL were down-regulated after HOTTIP ablation. These data suggest that lncRNA HOTTIP contributes to tumor growth in vivo and in vitro and inhibits cell apoptosis in lung cancer.

Evaluations of tropospheric aerosol properties simulated by the community earth system model with a sectional aerosol microphysics scheme

A sectional aerosol model (CARMA) has been developed and coupled with the Community Earth System Model (CESM1). Aerosol microphysics, radiative properties, and interactions with clouds are simulated in the size-resolving model. The model described here uses 20 particle size bins for each aerosol component including freshly nucleated sulfate particles, as well as mixed particles containing sulfate, primary organics, black carbon, dust, and sea salt. The model also includes five types of bulk secondary organic aerosols with four volatility bins. The overall cost of CESM1-CARMA is approximately ∼2.6 times as much computer time as the standard three-mode aerosol model in CESM1 (CESM1-MAM3) and twice as much computer time as the seven-mode aerosol model in CESM1 (CESM1-MAM7) using similar gas phase chemistry codes. Aerosol spatial-temporal distributions are simulated and compared with a large set of observations from satellites, ground-based measurements, and airborne field campaigns. Simulated annual average aerosol optical depths are lower than MODIS/MISR satellite observations and AERONET observations by ∼32%. This difference is within the uncertainty of the satellite observations. CESM1/CARMA reproduces sulfate aerosol mass within 8%, organic aerosol mass within 20%, and black carbon aerosol mass within 50% compared with a multiyear average of the IMPROVE/EPA data over United States, but differences vary considerably at individual locations. Other data sets show similar levels of comparison with model simulations. The model suggests that in addition to sulfate, organic aerosols also significantly contribute to aerosol mass in the tropical UTLS, which is consistent with limited data.

Prevalence of BRCA1 mutations and responses to neoadjuvant chemotherapy among BRCA1 carriers and non-carriers with triple-negative breast cancer

BACKGROUND

The frequency of BRCA1 germline mutations among Chinese women with triple-negative breast cancer is unclear, and the association between BRCA1 mutations and the response to neoadjuvant chemotherapy in women with triple-negative breast cancer has not been determined.

PATIENTS AND METHODS

Nine hundred and fifty-six triple-negative breast cancer patients were treated at our institute between 2003 and 2012; we tested the BRCA1/2 mutations for 956 patients and 953 patients in this cohort, respectively. Among the 956 patients, 652 patients received neoadjuvant chemotherapy.

RESULTS

In this cohort, 7.1% (68/956) and 2.3% (22/953) of patients carried a BRCA1 or BRCA2 mutation, respectively. The BRCA1/2 mutation rates were 10.5% and 3.0% among the patients who were diagnosed at or before the age of 50 in this cohort, respectively. The pCR (pathologic complete response) rate was 31.6% in the 652 patients who received neoadjuvant chemotherapy. BRCA1 carriers had a significantly higher pCR rate than non-carriers (BRCA1 carriers versus non-carriers, 53.8% versus 29.7%, P < 0.001). Among women treated with anthracycline with or without taxane regimens, the pCR rate was 57.1% for BRCA1 carriers, 29.0% for non-carriers (P < 0.001); among women treated with taxane regimens, the pCR rate was 40.0% for BRCA1 carriers, 32.9% for non-carriers (P = 0.73). At a median follow-up of 43 months, the recurrence-free survival was similar between BRCA1 carriers and non-carriers among the 947 patients of this study (adjusted hazard ratio = 0.92; 95% confidence interval: 0.45-1.90; P = 0.82).

CONCLUSIONS

Chinese women with triple-negative breast cancer who are diagnosed at or before age of 50 are candidates for BRCA1 genetic testing. Among triple-negative breast cancer patients, BRCA1 carriers are more likely to respond to neoadjuvant anthracycline-based regimens than are non-carriers.

Regulation of c-fos expression by the dopamine D1-D2 receptor heteromer

The dopamine D1 and D2 receptors form the D1-D2 receptor heteromer in a subset of neurons and couple to the Gq protein to regulate intracellular calcium signaling. In the present study the effect of D1-D2 heteromer activation and disruption on neuronal activation in the rat brain was mapped. This was accomplished using the dopamine agonist SKF 83959 to activate the D1-D2 heteromer in combination with a TAT-D1 disrupting peptide we developed, and which has been shown to disrupt the D1/D2 receptor interaction and antagonize D1-D2 heteromer-induced cell signaling and behavior. Acute SKF 83959 administration to rats induced significant c-fos expression in the nucleus accumbens that was significantly inhibited by TAT-D1 pretreatment. No effects of SKF 83959 were seen in caudate putamen. D1-D2 heteromer disruption by TAT-D1 did not have any effects in any striatal subregions, but induced significant c-fos immunoreactivity in a number of cortical regions including the orbitofrontal cortex, prelimbic and infralimbic cortices and piriform cortex. The induction of c-fos by TAT-D1 was also evident in the anterior olfactory nucleus, as well as the lateral habenula and thalamic nuclei. These findings show for the first time that the D1-D2 heteromer can differentially regulate c-fos expression in a region-dependent manner either through its activation or through tonic inhibition of neuronal activity.

Neutron measurements from beam-target reactions at the ELISE neutral beam test facility

Measurements of 2.5 MeV neutron emission from beam-target reactions performed at the ELISE neutral beam test facility are presented in this paper. The measurements are used to study the penetration of a deuterium beam in a copper dump, based on the observation of the time evolution of the neutron counting rate from beam-target reactions with a liquid scintillation detector. A calculation based on a local mixing model of deuterium deposition in the target up to a concentration of 20% at saturation is used to evaluate the expected neutron yield for comparison with data. The results are of relevance to understand neutron emission associated to beam penetration in a solid target, with applications to diagnostic systems for the SPIDER and MITICA Neutral Beam Injection prototypes.

Second generation fusion neutron time-of-flight spectrometer at optimized rate for fully digital data acquisition

The progress on high-rate event recording of data is taken as starting point to revisit the design of fusion neutron spectrometers based on the TOF (time-of-flight) technique. The study performed was aimed at how such instruments for optimized rate (TOFOR) can be further developed to enhance the plasma diagnostic capabilities based on measurement of the 2.5 MeV dd neutron emission from D plasmas, especially the weak spectral components that depend on discrimination of extraneous events. This paper describes a design (TOFOR II) adapted for use with digital wave form recording of all detector pulses providing information on both amplitude (pulse height) and timing. The results of simulations are presented and the performance enhancement is assessed in comparison to the present.

MicroRNA-21 regulates T-cell apoptosis by directly targeting the tumor suppressor gene Tipe2

MicroRNAs (MiRs) are short noncoding RNAs that can regulate gene expression. It has been reported that miR-21 suppresses apoptosis in activated T cells, but the molecular mechanism remains undefined. Tumor suppressor Tipe2 (or tumor necrosis factor-α-induced protein 8 (TNFAIP8)-like 2 (TNFAIP8L2)) is a newly identified anti-inflammatory protein of the TNFAIP8 family that is essential for maintaining immune homeostasis. We report here that miR-21 is a direct target of nuclear factor-κB and could regulate Tipe2 expression in a Tipe2 coding region-dependent manner. In activated T cells and macrophages, Tipe2 expression was markedly downregulated, whereas miR-21 expression was upregulated. Importantly, Tipe2-deficient T cells were significantly less sensitive to apoptosis. Conversely, overexpression of Tipe2 in EL-4 T cells increased their susceptibility to activation-induced apoptosis. Therefore, Tipe2 provides a molecular bridge between miR-21 and cell apoptosis; miR-21 suppresses apoptosis in activated T cells at least in part through directly targeting tumor suppressor gene Tipe2.

Experience with the treatment of testicular yolk sac tumor in children: a report of 14 cases

OBJECTIVE

This paper discusses the optimal treatment for testicular yolk sac tumor at stage I in children.

PATIENTS AND METHODS

Fourteen children with testicular yolk sac tumor (including 10 cases of stage I and 4 cases of stage II) underwent high ligation of internal spermatic cord vein and orchiectomy. Among these, seven cases of stage I were below 1 year of age. Retroperitoneal lymph node dissection without postoperative systemic chemotherapy was implemented in 9 cases (5 cases of stage I and 4 cases of stage II), and only one was positive.

RESULTS

Among the 12 cases followed, 9 cases were alive (of these, 5 children < 1 year old, in stage I, underwent high ligation of internal spermatic cord vein and orchiectomy, with a survival time of 25 months to 10 years and 4 cases with radical retroperitoneal lymph node dissection). Three cases older than 1 year died of retroperitoneal lymph node and lung metastases.

CONCLUSIONS

For the high ligation of internal spermatic cord vein, orchiectomy is a kind of simple and effective treatment for children younger than 1 year with stage I, without recurrence and metastases. However, attention to the accuracy of staging and close observation are important aspects of the treatment.

Displacement of the lumpectomy cavity defined by surgical clips and seroma based on 4D-CT scan for external-beam partial breast irradiation after breast-conserving surgery: a comparative study

OBJECTIVE

To compare the displacements of the lumpectomy cavity delineated by the surgical clips and the seroma based on four-dimensional CT (4D-CT) for external-beam partial breast irradiation (EB-PBI) after breast-conserving surgery (BCS).

METHODS

14 breast cancer patients after BCS were recruited for EB-PBI and undertook 4D-CT simulation. On the 10 sets of the 4D-CT images, all the surgical clips in the cavity were delineated. The gross tumour volume (GTV) formed by the clips, the seroma, and both the clips and the seroma were defined as GTVc, GTVs and GTVc+s, respectively. The displacements of the centre of mass (COM) of the clips, GTVc, GTVs, GTVc+s and the selected clips in the three-dimensional (3D) directions were recorded and compared.

RESULTS

In the left-right, anterior-posterior and superior-inferior directions, the displacements were 2.20, 1.80 and 2.70 mm for the clip COM; 0.90, 1.05 and 1.20 mm for GTVc; 0.80, 1.05 and 0.80 mm for GTVs; and 0.90, 1.20 and 1.40 mm for GTVc+s, respectively. In the 3D directions, the displacements of the clip COM were greater than the GTVc, GTVs, GTVc+s, and the displacements of the clip COM, GTVc+s, GTVc and GTVs were significantly greater than the displacements of the selected clips (p<0.05).

CONCLUSION

The displacements of the clip COM were greater than that of the GTVc, GTVs, GTVc+s and the four selected clips. The optimal internal target volume should be defined based on the boundary displacements.

ADVANCES IN KNOWLEDGE

When the GTV was delineated using the clips and/or the seroma, there was displacement difference between the lumpectomy cavity centre and the boundary for the EB-PBI. The optimal internal target volume should be defined based on the boundary displacements of the lumpectomy cavity.

Comparison of patient-specific internal gross tumor volume for radiation treatment of primary esophageal cancer based separately on three-dimensional and four-dimensional computed tomography images

To compare the target volume, position and matching index of the patient-specific internal gross tumor volume (IGTV) based on three-dimensional (3D) and four-dimensional (4D) computed tomography (CT) images for primary esophageal cancer. Twenty-nine patients with primary thoracic esophageal cancer underwent 3DCT and 4DCT scans during free breathing. IGTVs were constructed using three approaches: combining the gross target volumes from the 10 respiratory phases of the 4DCT dataset to produce IGTV10 ; IGTV2 was acquired by combining the two extreme phases; and IGTV3D was created from the 3DCT-based gross target volume by enlarging the 95th percentile of motion in each direction measured by the 4DCT. 0.16 cm lateral (LR), 0.14 cm anteroposterior (AP) and 0.29 cm superoinferior (SI) in the upper; 0.18 cm LR, 0.10 cm AP and 0.63 cm SI in the middle; and 0.40 cm LR, 0.58 cm AP and 0.82 cm in the lower thoracic esophagus could account for 95% of respiratory-induced tumor motion. The centroid position shift between IGTV10 and IGTV2 was all below 0.10 cm, and less than 0.20 cm between IGTV10 and IGTV3D . IGTV10 was bigger than IGTV2 ; the mean value of matching index for IGTV2 to IGTV10 was 0.87 ± 0.05, 0.85 ± 0.06 and 0.83 ± 0.05 for upper, middle and distal thoracic esophageal tumors, respectively, and just 0.57 ± 0.11, 0.56 ± 0.13 and 0.40 ± 0.03 between IGTV3D and IGTV10 . 4DCT-based IGTV10 is a reasonable patient-specific IGTV for primary thoracic esophageal cancer, and IGTV2 is considered as an acceptable alternative to IGTV10 . However, it seems unreasonable to use IGTV3D substitute IGTV10 .

Promoter methylation of BRCA1 in triple-negative breast cancer predicts sensitivity to adjuvant chemotherapy

BACKGROUND

BRCA1 function is inactivated through BRCA1 promoter methylation in a substantial number of triple-negative breast cancers. We investigated the impact of BRCA1-methylation status on the efficacy of adjuvant chemotherapy in patients with triple-negative breast cancer or with non-triple-negative breast cancer.

METHODS

BRCA1 promoter methylation was assessed in 1163 unselected breast cancer patients. Methylation was evaluated using a methylation-specific PCR (MSP) assay.

RESULTS

In the subgroup of 167 triple-negative breast cancer patients who received adjuvant chemotherapy, patients with BRCA1-methylated tumors had a superior 10-year disease-free survival (DFS)(78% versus 55%, P = 0.009) and 10-year disease-specific survival (DSS) (85% versus 69%, P = 0.024) than those with BRCA1-unmethylated tumors, and BRCA1 methylation was an independent favorable predictor of DFS and DSS in a multivariate analysis in this subgroup [DFS: hazard ratio (HR) = 0.45; 95% confidence interval (CI) 0.24-0.84; P = 0.019; DSS: HR = 0.43; 95% CI = 0.19-0.95; P = 0.044]. In contrast, in 675 non-triple-negative breast cancer patients who received adjuvant chemotherapy, BRCA1 methylation was an unfavorable predictor of DFS and DSS in univariate analysis (DFS: HR = 1.56; 95% CI 1.16-2.12; P = 0.003; DSS: HR = 1.53; 95% CI = 1.05-2.21; P = 0.026).

CONCLUSIONS

Triple-negative breast cancer patients with BRCA1-methylated tumors are sensitive to adjuvant chemotherapy and have a favorable survival compared with patients with BRCA1-unmethylated triple-negative tumors.