Analysis of prognostic factors and construction of prognostic models for triple-positive breast cancer.

Objective: By identifying the clinicopathological characteristics and prognostic influences of patients with triple-positive breast cancer (TPBC) at Xijing Hospital in China compared with those in the United States, this study aims to construct a nomogram model to forecast the overall survival rate (OS) of TPBC patients. Method: The Surveillance, Epidemiology, and End Results (SEER) database was used to screen 5769 patients as the training cohort, and 191 patients from Xijing Hospital were used as the validation cohort. Cox risk-proportional model was applied to select variables and the nomogram model was constructed based on the training cohort. The performance of the model was evaluated by calculating the C-index and generating calibration plots in the training and validation cohorts. Results: Cox multifactorial analysis showed that age, chemotherapy, radiotherapy, M-stage, T-stage, N-stage, and the mode of surgery were all independent risk factors for the prognosis of TPBC patients (all P<0.05). With this premise, the nomogram model was constructed and evaluated. The C-index value of the nomogram model was 0.830 in the training group and 0.914 in the validation group. Moreover, both the calibration and ROC curves for the proposed model exhibited reliable performance, and the clinical decision curve analysis showed that the proposed model can bring clinical benefits. Conclusions: The constructed nomogram can accurately predict individual survival probabilities and may serve as a clinical decision support tool for clinicians to optimize treatment in individuals.

4,4'-Dimethoxybenzhydryl substituent augments performance of bis(imino)pyridine cobalt-based catalysts in ethylene polymerization.

A series of cobalt complexes with bis(imino)pyridine derivatives featuring unsymmetrical substitution with bulky groups has been synthesized and characterized. The molecular structures of two representatives have been determined by the single-crystal X-ray diffraction study, revealing distorted tetrahedral geometry with different degrees of steric hindrance imparted by the two inequivalent aryl groups attached to the imine nitrogen atoms. On activation with either MAO or MMAO, these complexes display high activity toward ethylene polymerization, reaching 8.71 × 106 g of PE (mol of Co)-1 h-1 at 60 °C and produce polyethylene of high molecular weight (M w = 5.27 × 105 g mol-1) and low dispersity. The presence of the methoxy-substituent noticeably enhances the activity of the cobalt catalyst and increases the molecular weight of the resultant polyethylene.

Simulation and practice of particle inertial focusing in 3D-printed serpentine microfluidic chips via commercial 3D-printers.

Inertial focusing of particles in serpentine microfluidic chips has been studied over the past decade. Here, a study to investigate the particle inertial focusing in 3D-printed serpentine microfluidic chips was conducted by simulation and practice. A test model was designed and printed using four commercial 3D-printers. Commercial inkjet 3D-printers have shown the best printing channel resolution of up to 0.1 mm. The force analysis of particle inertial focusing in 3D-printed microfluidic chips with large cross-sectional channels was discussed. Important parameters such as the channel curvature and flow velocity were studied by simulation. The optimal channel curvature and flow velocity are 5.9 mm and 480 µL min-1 (Re: 29.8 and De: 4.49) in the 3D-printed microfluidic chips with 0.2 mm × 0.4 mm cross-sectional channels. Under these optimal conditions, particles were well focused in the middle of the channel. Furthermore, two kinds of cancer cells were focused in these 3D-printed serpentine microfluidic chips under the optimal conditions. We envision that this improved study would provide helpful insights into simulating particle inertial focusing in 3D-printed microfluidic chips and promoting 3D-printed microfluidic chips to commercial production.

Achieving polydispersive HDPE by N,N,N-Co precatalysts appended with N-2,4-bis(di(4-methoxyphenyl)methyl)-6-methylphenyl.

A family of unsymmetrical 2-(2,4-bis(di(4-methoxyphenyl)methyl)-6-MeC6H2N)-6-(1-(arylimino)ethyl)pyridine-cobalt dichloride complexes has been synthesized and characterized by NMR spectroscopy, FT-IR spectroscopy and elemental analysis as well as single crystal X-ray diffraction for Co2 and Co4. Activated with either MAO or MMAO, all the cobalt precatalysts displayed high activities toward ethylene polymerization and produced highly linear polyethylenes with high molecular weights as well as wide polydispersities; for example, the performance using Co1/MAO at 50 °C reached 9.17 × 106 g PE (mol of Co)-1 h-1 with the production polyethylene of molecular weight as high as M w = 3.14 × 105 g mol-1, T m = 134.3 °C besides its wide polydispersity of M w/M n of 54.6. Besides the terminal vinyl group of the resultant polyethylenes, it is rare for a late-transition metal catalyst to achieve highly linear polyethylenes with not only wide polydispersity but also high molecular weights, being similar to high-density polyethylenes produced using Phillips catalyst.

Intercalation pseudo-capacitance behavior of few-layered molybdenum sulfide in various electrolytes.

The insertion and de-insertion of ions in layered materials are important processes during the energy storage. The investigation on the preparation and electrochemical properties of layered materials attracts a lot of attention. Here, few-layered MoS2 nanosheets are prepared by solvothermally treating ammonium tetrathiomolybdate ((NH4)2MoS4) in the presence of hydrazine and cetyltrimethylammonium bromide (CTAB). The structure and electrochemical properties of few-layered MoS2 have been characterized and explored in detail. The results show that ions intercalation causes an interlayer spacing change of the obtained MoS2, and that the prepared few-layered MoS2 exhibits fairly good specific capacitance (330.8 F g-1 at 2.0 A g-1), a high rate capability (specific capacitance can still retain 256 F g-1 at 40 A g-1) and good cycle stability (capacitance can retain 88.8 % over 5000 cycles). Furthermore, different from most of the current literatures in which MoS2's capacitance is generally attributed to electric double-layer capacitance, the relationships between current responses and scan rates uncover that few-layered MoS2's capacitance mainly comes from intercalation pseudo capacitance. The result of this work predicts that few layered-MoS2 can be developed as a promising electrode material for energy storage.

Association between BRCA1 polymorphisms rs799917 and rs1799966 and breast cancer risk: a meta-analysis.

BACKGROUND: Several studies have reported correlations between BRCA1 polymorphisms rs799917 and rs1799966 with the risk of breast cancer (BC). However, this relationship remains controversial. METHODS: We conducted a meta-analysis of seven studies to assess the associations between BRCA1 rs799917 and rs1799966 and BC risk, with the aim of more accurately determining the potential correlation. Odds ratios (ORs) and 95% confidence intervals (CIs) were estimated to evaluate the correlation of rs799917 and rs1799966 with BC risk. RESULTS: There was no overall correlation between BRCA1 rs799917 and BC risk (TT vs CC: OR = 0.87, 95% CI = 0.66-1.16; CT vs CC: OR = 1.02, 95% CI = 0.89-1.15; dominant model: OR = 0.99, 95% CI = 0.88-1.11; recessive model: OR = 0.87, 95% CI = 0.65-1.16). Subgroup analysis by ethnicity also revealed no significant correlation between rs799917 and BC risk in either Asians or Caucasians. There was also no significant association between BRCA1 rs1799966 and BC risk (GG vs AA: OR = 0.70, 95% CI = 0.33-1.47; AG vs AA: OR = 0.68, 95% CI = 0.35-1.30; dominant model: OR = 0.76, 95% CI = 0.49-1.06; recessive model: OR = 0.82, 95% CI = 0.49-1.36). CONCLUSION: BRCA1polymorphisms rs799917 and rs1799966 were not significantly associated with BC risk in this meta-analysis.

Rapid Detection of Melamine in Milk Using Immunological Separation and Surface Enhanced Raman Spectroscopy.

We integrated immunological separation and surface-enhanced Raman spectroscopy (SERS) to detect melamine in milk. Antimelamine was produced by New Zealand white rabbits following the injection with melamine hapten-ovalbumin immunogen. Melamine was separated from milk by binding to the converted protein G-antimelamine complex. After releasing antimelamine and melamine from the complex, the eluents were deposited directly onto the silver dendrite SERS-active substrate for spectral collection. Multivariate statistical analysis including unsupervised principal component analysis and supervised soft independent modeling of class analogy validated the feasibility of applying this method to detect trace levels of melamine in milk. The limit of detection can be as low as 0.79×10(-3) mmol/L. The overall analysis can be completed in 20 min, thus, it is a high-throughput technique to screen for melamine in milk samples.

The overexpression membrane type 1 matrix metalloproteinase is associated with the progression and prognosis in breast cancer.

Membrane type 1 matrix metalloproteinase (MT1-MMP) has been demonstrated to play an important role in tumor progression. The aim of the present study was to analyze the expression of MT1-MMP in breast cancer and its correlation with clinicopathologic characteristics, including the survival of breast cancer patients. In our results, MT-MMP1 was up-expressed in breast cancer tissues compared with ductal hyperplasia tissues in microarray data (GSE2429). MT1-MMP mRNA and protein expression was markedly higher in breast cancer tissues than in normal breast tissues (P=0.005 and P=0.037, respectively). Using immunohistochemistry, high levels of MT1-MMP protein were positively correlated with the status of clinical stage (I-II vs. III-IV; P=0.043), lymph node metastasis (absence vs. presence; P=0.024), and distant metastasis (No vs. Yes; P=0.017) of breast cancer patients. Patients with higher MT1-MMP expression had a significantly shorter overall survival time than did patients with low MT1-MMP expression. Multivariate analysis indicated that the level of MT1-MMP expression was an independent prognostic indicator (P<0.001) for the survival of patients with breast cancer. In conclusions, MT1-MMP plays an important role on breast cancer aggressiveness and prognosis and may act as a promising target for prognostic prediction.

Three dysregulated microRNAs in serum as novel biomarkers for gastric cancer screening.

Gastric cancer (GC) is one of the most threatening diseases. The symptoms of GC are complex and hard to detect, which also contribute to the poor prognosis of GC. Besides, the current diagnosis for GC is expensive and invasive. Thus, a fast, noninvasive biomarker is urgently needed for GC screening. MicroRNAs (miRNAs) are small noncoding RNAs, which are involved in a great variety of pathological processes, particularly carcinogenesis. MiRNAs are stable in gastric juice, plasma as well as serum, which facilitate it to be a promising biomarker for cancer. In this study, we selected three novel miRNAs, i.e., miR-233, miR-16, and miR-100, to investigate their potential diagnostic value in GC screening. A total of 50 GC patients and 47 healthy controls were involved in this study. Blood serum samples were collected; RNAs were extracted and normalized with U6 snRNA as the internal control; qRT-PCR was performed for relative expression of target miRNAs. Levels of miRNAs expression were compared by Student's t test for the comparison between two groups, and one-way ANOVA was used for multiple comparisons. The expression of miR-223, miR-16, and miR-100 was all significantly higher in GC patients than controls (all P < 0.001). All the tested miRNAs were manifested to be valuable biomarkers for GC. Relative expression of these miRNAs was significantly correlated with clinical characteristics of GC patients, such as TNM stage (P = 0.036 for miR-223; P < 0.001 for miR-100), metastatic status (P = 0.045 for miR-223; P = 0.031 for miR-16; P = 0.006 for miR-100), tumor size (P = 0.042 for miR-223; P = 0.031 for miR-16; P < 0.001 for miR-100), and differentiation grade (P = 0.036 for miR-223; P = 0.030 for miR-16; P = 0.034 for miR-100). However, in T classification, which considered both tumor size and direct extent of primary tumor, the difference in target miRNAs expression was not significant. In summary, we confirmed the diagnostic value of serum miR-223, miR-16, and miR-100 in GC. Significantly elevated expression of the three miRNAs was also observed in advanced GC patients, which suggested their availability in cancer staging.

Subanesthetic isoflurane reduces zymosan-induced inflammation in murine Kupffer cells by inhibiting ROS-activated p38 MAPK/NF-κB signaling.

Volatile anesthetic isoflurane (ISO) has immunomodulatory effects. The fungal component zymosan (ZY) induces inflammation through toll-like receptor 2 or dectin-1 signaling. We investigated the molecular actions of subanesthetic (0.7%) ISO against ZY-induced inflammatory activation in murine Kupffer cells (KCs), which are known as the resident macrophages within the liver. We observed that ISO reduced ZY-induced cyclooxygenase 2 upregulation and prostaglandin E2 release, as determined by western blot and radioimmunoassay, respectively. ISO also reduced the production of tumor necrosis factor-α, interleukin-1ß, IL-6, high-mobility group box-1, macrophage inflammatory protein-1α, macrophage inflammatory protein-2, and monocyte chemoattractant protein-1 as assessed by enzyme-linked immunosorbent assays. ISO blocked the ZY-induced nuclear translocation and DNA-binding activity of nuclear factor- (NF)-κB p65. Moreover, ISO attenuated ZY-induced p38 mitogen-activated protein kinase (MAPK) activation partly by scavenging reactive oxygen species (ROS); the interregulation that ROS activated p38 MAPK followed by NF-κB activation was crucial for the ZY-induced inflammatory responses in KCs. An in vivo study by peritoneal injection of ZY into BALB/C mice confirmed the anti-inflammatory properties of 0.7% ISO against ZY in KCs. These results suggest that ISO ameliorates ZY-induced inflammatory responses in murine KCs by inhibiting the interconnected ROS/p38 MAPK/NF-κB signaling pathways.

Patchouli alcohol dampens lipopolysaccharide induced mastitis in mice.

Patchouli alcohol (PA), a tricyclic sesquiterpene isolated from Pogostemonis Herba, has been known to exhibit antioxidant, anti-inflammatory, and other important therapeutic activities. The aim of this study was to investigate the effects of PA on LPS-induced mastitis in vivo and the possible mechanism. The mouse model of mastitis was induced by injection of LPS through the duct of mammary gland. Mice were pretreated with dexamethasone or PA 1 h before and 12 h after induction of LPS. The myeloperoxidase activity and inflammatory cytokines production in mammary tissues were determined. The effects of PA on NF-κB signal pathways were analyzed by Western blotting. The results showed that PA inhibited the LPS-induced TNF-α, IL-6, and IL-1ß production in a dose manner. It was also observed that PA attenuated mammary histopathologic changes. Furthermore, Western blot analysis showed that PA could inhibit the phosphorylation of NF-κB and IκB induced by LPS. These results indicate that PA inhibits NF-κB signaling pathways to attenuate inflammatory injury induced by LPS. PA may be a potent therapeutic reagent for the prevention of mastitis.

Protein imprinted ionic liquid polymer on the surface of multiwall carbon nanotubes with high binding capacity for lysozyme.

In this research, ionic liquid as functional monomer to prepare molecularly imprinted polymers for protein recognition was for the first time demonstrated, in which, 1-vinyl-3-butylimidazolium chloride was selected as functional monomer, acrylamide as co-functional monomer and lysozyme (Lyz) as template protein to synthesize imprinted polymers on the surface of multiwall carbon nanotubes in aqueous medium. The results indicated that ionic liquid was helpful to improve binding capacity of imprinted polymers, which had a maximum binding capacity of 763.36 mg/g in the optimum adsorption conditions. The prepared imprinted polymers had a fast adsorption rate and a much higher adsorption capacity than the corresponding non-imprinted polymers, with the difference in adsorption capacity up to 258.31 mg/g. The obtained polymer was evaluated by Lyz, bovine serum albumin (BSA), bovine hemoglobin (BHb), equine myoglobin (MB) and cytochrome c (Cyt c). The selectivity factor (ß) for Lyz/BSA, Lyz/Mb, Lyz/BHb, and Lyz/Cyt c were 7.17, 2.12, 1.76 and 1.57, respectively, indicating the imprinted polymers had a good selectivity. Easy preparation of the imprinted polymers as well as high ability and selectivity to adsorb template proteins makes this polymer attractive and broadly applicable in biomacromolecular separation, biotechnology and sensors.

A subanesthetic dose of isoflurane during postconditioning ameliorates zymosan-induced neutrophil inflammation lung injury and mortality in mice.

Anesthetic isoflurane (ISO) has immunomodulatory effects. In the present study, we investigated whether a subanesthetic dose of ISO (0.7%) protected against zymosan (ZY) induced inflammatory responses in the murine lung and isolated neutrophils. At 1 and 6 hrs after ZY administration intraperitoneally, ISO was inhaled for 1 hr, and 24 hrs later, lung inflammation and injury were assessed. We found that ISO improved the survival rate of mice and mitigated lung injury as characterized by the histopathology, wet-to-dry weight ratio, protein leakage, and lung function index. ISO significantly attenuated ZY-induced lung neutrophil recruitment and inflammation. This was suggested by the downregulation of (a) endothelial adhesion molecule expression and myeloperoxidase (MPO) activity in lung tissue and polymorphonuclear neutrophils (b) chemokines, and (c) proinflammatory cytokines in BALF. Furthermore, ZY-induced nuclear translocation and DNA-binding activity of NF- κ B p65 were also reduced by ISO. ISO treatment inhibited iNOS expression and activity, as well as subsequent nitric oxide generation. Consistent with these in vivo observations, in vitro studies confirmed that ISO blocked NF- κ B and iNOS activation in primary mouse neutrophils challenged by ZY. These results provide evidence that 0.7% ISO ameliorates inflammatory responses in ZY-treated mouse lung and primary neutrophils.

Palliative surgery for primary sarcoma in the abdominal aorta: A case report and review of the literature.

Primary sarcoma of the aorta is extremely rare and accounts for <1% of all sarcomas. The present study describes the case of a 45-year-old male who presented with lower limb and abdominal pain. Abdominal computed tomography (CT) and magnetic resonance (MR) arteriography revealed a tumor that extended from the infrarenal aorta to the aortic bifurcation. The external and internal iliac arteries were occluded by the tumor incursion. Palliative surgery was performed for the sarcoma since the patient refused a radical resection. To improve the blood supply to the lower limbs, an axillary bifemoral bypass was established. Following the surgery, the pain was significantly reduced. However, the patient succumbed due to extensive metastasis 6 months after this surgery. Aortic sarcoma is an extremely rare disease with a poor prognosis. A diagnosis at a relatively early stage is necessary for a longer survival time. Radical surgery is the most significant treatment. Patients at advanced stages should consider palliative surgery in order to improve their quality of life.

Steroidal saponin of Trillium tschonoskii. Reverses multidrug resistance of hepatocellular carcinoma.

Combating with multidrug resistance (MDR) is a major part of hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) chemotherapy. Steroidal saponin from Trillium tschonoskii (TTS) could be a potential weapon. We found TTS could reverse the MDR in HCC cells and significantly enhance chemosensitization. TTS inhibited HepG2 and R-HepG2 cells survival in a dose-dependent manner by 75% and 76%, respectively (p<0.01), as well as colony formation 77% and 81% (p<0.01). Moreover, TTS induced sensitization of R-HepG2 to anti-cancer drugs, indicated by significantly reduced IC50. On the other hand, TTS suppressed expression of P-glucoprotein in MDR HCC cells, and thereby increased accumulation of doxorubicin from 126 ng/10(5)cells to 752 ng/10(5)cells (p<0.01). TTS also repressed expression of many other MDR genes, such as MRP1, MRP2, MRP3, MRP5, MVP and GST-π. In vivo, TTS dose-dependently reduced R-HepG2 cells xenografts tumour formation by inhibiting tumour cells proliferation in mice. Consistence with in vitro finding, TTS induced R-HepG2 sensitization to doxorubicin and therefore reduced tumour formation in vivo.

Prognostic significance of USP22 as an oncogene in papillary thyroid carcinoma.

Ubiquitin-specific protease 22 (USP22), a novel deubiquitinating enzyme, has been associated with metastasis, therapy resistance, and cell cycle progression. The purpose of this study was to investigate the expression level of USP22 in papillary thyroid carcinoma (PTC) samples and to evaluate its clinical significance in PTC patients. USP22 expression was examined in 30 fresh PTC tissues and paired adjacent noncancerous tissues by real-time quantitative RT-PCR. Immunohistochemistry for USP22 was performed on additional 156 PTC tissues. The clinical significance of USP22 expression was analyzed. We found that the expression levels of USP22 mRNA and protein in PTC tissues were both significantly higher than those in noncancerous tissues. Clinicopathological analysis showed that USP22 expression was significantly correlated with tumor size (p=0.036), extracapsular invasion (p=0.012), multifocality (p=0.014), lymph node metastasis (p=0.022), distant metastasis (p=0.005), and TNM stage (p=0.002). The Kaplan-Meier survival curves revealed that USP22 expression was associated with poor prognosis in PTC patients. USP22 expression was an independent prognostic marker of overall patient survival in a multivariate analysis. Our findings suggest that USP22 is an independent predictor of poor prognosis of PTC patients.

Metal (Mg, Fe, Co, Zr and Ti) complexes derived from aminosilyl substituted aminopyridinato ligand: synthesis, structures and ethylene polymerization behaviors of the group 4 complexes.

Lithium N-[(N,N-dimethylamino)dimethylsilyl]-2-pyridylamidate (2) was prepared from the reaction of new compound N-[(N,N-dimethylamino)dimethylsilyl]-2-pyridylamine (1) and LiBu(n). Treatment of the lithium salt (2) with an equal equivalent of MgBr(2)(THF)(2), FeCl(2) and CoCl(2) afforded the corresponding dinuclear complexes , , and , in which metal atoms possess similar trigonal bipyramidal geometries and each ligand functions as a bimetallic bridging binding aminopyridinato moiety with N-donation from the dimethylamino group. While the stoichiometric reaction of with ZrCl(4) gave the mononuclear zirconium complex (6); the seven coordinated zirconium atom adopts a distorted pentagonal bipyramid geometry and the ligand acts as monoanionic η(2)-aminopyridinato moiety with the pendant arm coordinated via N(CH(3))(2). The reaction of with one equivalent of TiCl(4)(THF)(2) produced the interesting dinuclear titanium complex (7) owing to the elimination of a (N,N-dimethylamino)dimethylsilyl group from the original ligand, and the two titanium centers present different coordination geometries. The molecular structures of the crystalline metal complexes have been confirmed by X-ray single crystal diffraction analysis. Upon activation with methylaluminoxane (MAO), both complexes and exhibited moderate catalytic activities toward ethylene polymerization and produced high molecular weight polyethylenes with broad molecular weight distributions.

Application of colour Doppler in encircling constriction of the superficial femoral vein in primary deep venous insufficiency of the lower limbs.

1. The aim of the present study was to evaluate the clinical value of colour Doppler application in encircling constriction of the superficial femoral vein in deep vein insufficiency. 2. A total of 87 patients with primary deep venous insufficiency (PDVI) using ascending venography were randomly divided into group A (44 patients) and group B (43 patients). All patients underwent encircling constriction of the superficial femoral vein, high ligation and ablation of the great saphenous vein and perforator vein. The duration of venous reflux at operation was monitored with colour Doppler in group A (but not group B) to evaluate the immediate effects. Clinical grading and scoring of the clinical, etiological, anatomical, pathophysiological (CEAP) classification system were used to evaluate the follow-up curative effect. 3. In four cases from group A, completely destroyed valves were identified at the time of operation and autografting of the vein segment with a valve was carried out. The intraoperative examination of colour Doppler in group A showed a much shorter duration of vein reflux after the encircling constriction procedure than the presurgery condition. According to the results of CEAP grading, the success rate of group A (95.0%, 38/40) was significantly higher than that of group B (76.7%, 33/43). Postoperative clinical scores were markedly lower than preoperative scores in both groups A and B. 4. In conclusion, our data suggest that application of colour Doppler in encircling constriction of superficial femoral vein might enhance surgical pertinence and improve surgical effect for PDVI.

Rectal carcinoma metastatic to the male breast after 7 years: case report.

BACKGROUND: Colorectal cancer metastasis to a mammary location is very rare. CASE REPORT: A 38-year-old male, who had undergone anterior resection of an advanced rectal carcinoma 7 years earlier, presented with a right mammary mass. Core needle biopsy of the mass indicated cytology consistent with breast adenocarcinoma. After neoadjuvant chemotherapy and modified radical mastectomy, pathology identified the mass as rectal carcinoma. CONCLUSION: The authors highlight the difficulty of making an accurate diagnosis of rectal cancer metastasis to the breast of a male.

Mononuclear titanium compounds based on the silyl-linked bis(amidinate) ligand: synthesis, characterization and ethylene polymerization.

The mononuclear silyl-linked bis(amidinate) titanium compound 2 was prepared by salt metathesis of 1 and TiCl(4)(thf)(2). Alkylation of 2 with methyllithium gave analogue 3. Both 2 and 3 exhibited a configuration similar to ansa-metallocene and showed good activity towards ethylene polymerization after activation with MAO.