Failure patterns and survival outcomes in triple negative breast cancer (TNBC): a 15 year comparison of 448 non-Hispanic black and white women

Purpose: Triple negative breast cancer (TNBC) is a distinct subtype of breast cancer with unique pathologic, molecular and clinical behavior. It occurs more frequently in young blacks and has been reported to have a shorter disease-free interval. We undertook this study to analyze the demographic characteristics, failure patterns, and survival outcomes in this disease. Methods: A total of 448 non-Hispanic black and white women were identified over a 15 year period from 1996 to 2011. Demographic and clinical information including age, race, menopausal status, stage, tumor characteristics, and treatments were collected. Fisher’s exact test and multivariable Cox regression were used to compare failure patterns and survival outcomes between races. Results: 49 % (n = 223) were black. 59 % patients were between 41 and 60 years, with 18 % ≤40 years. 57 % were premenopausal and 89 % had grade 3 tumors. Stage II (47 %) was most frequent stage at diagnosis followed by stage III (28 %). 32 % had lymphovascular invasion. Adjusting for age, stage, and grade, there was no difference in survival outcomes (OS, DFS, LFFS, and DFFS) between the two races. 62 (14 %) patients failed locally either in ipsilateral breast or chest wall, and 19 (4 %) failed in the regional lymphatics. Lung (18 %) was the most frequent distant failure site with <12 % each failing in brain, liver and bones. Conclusion: Failure patterns and survival outcomes did not differ by race in this large collection of TNBC cases. Lung was the predominate site of distant failure followed by brain, bone, and liver. Few patients failed in the regional lymphatics

Application of headspace solid-phase microextraction and gas chromatography for the analysis of furfural in crude palm oil

Processing of vegetative material containing pentoses has been shown to result in the formation of furfural. Furfural exhibits a spectrophotometric absorption peak at 518 nm when complexed with aniline acetate. Headspace solid-phase microextraction (HS-SPME) method has been successfully used to confirm the presence of furfural in crude palm oil (CPO). Solid phase microextraction (SPME) fiber composed of divinylbenzene/Carboxen/polydimethylsiloxane (DVB/PDMS/CAR) was used to absorb the volatiles in the headspace of the oil. The isolated compounds from the fiber was desorbed and separated on a capillary polar column of a gas chromatograph. Response surface methodology (RSM) was used to optimize the SPME fiber condition for maximum absorption of furfural from CPO. The optimized temperature and time for furfural extraction onto the SPME fiber are 70 °C for 40 min. Oils obtained from the mill were found to contain between 2 and 13% furfural

Analysis of farmers’ adaptation strategies to climate change in cocoa production in Kwara State

Changing climate and weather patterns are predicted to have severe negative impacts on food production, food security and natural resources in the immediate and coming years. Climate change alters the  development of cocoa pods, insect pests and pathogens which translate into lower crop yields and impact farm income. This study examined the climate change adaptation strategies of farmers on cocoa production practices. A multi-stage random sampling procedure was used to select 60 cocoa farmers from three out of eight Local Government Areas (LGAs) producing cocoa in Kwara State. Interview schedule was used in data collection and analyzed with descriptive statistics and correlation analysis. The results reveal that 60.7% of the farmers were male. Majority (59.9%) of the farmers were between middle and old age with farming experience of 21-30 years and farm size of mainly between 0.4-2.7 hectares. Most farmers (85%) observed an extension beyond the normal dry months of November to February. This situation could have some implications on cocoa production. The main climate change strategies adopted by farmers include praying for rain (86.7%), use of improved varieties, (81.7%), climate prediction (76.7%), changes in cropping pattern and agro-forestry (75% each), control of soil erosion (73.3%) and fertilizer application (60%). Inadequate irrigation, 41.7% and crop diversification, 36.7%; constituted minor strategies. The cocoa production practices still adopted were weeding, 98.3%; seedling planting, 96.7%; insect pest and diseases control, 95%; bush clearing, 93.3%; fermentation and drying, 91.7%; tree felling, 88.4%; pruning, 85% and burning before planting, 70%. However, Pearson product moment correlation coefficient (PPMC) showed that a significant relationship existed between age of cocoa farm (0.016) and cocoa production practices at P&lt; 0.05. Cocoa farmers’ climate change strategies (0.121) were not statistically related with cocoa production practices at P&lt; 0.05. Most of the strategies and practices currently used by farmers should be improved upon to ensure appropriate agronomic practices and adaptation to changes in climate.Keywords: Climate change, adaptation, cocoa production practices, farmer

Use of High-Flow Nasal Cannulas in Saudi’s Neonatal Level III Intensive Care Units: A Nationwide Questionnaire Study

Objective . To describe heated humidified high-flow nasal cannulas (HHHFNC) utilization in level III neonatal intensive care units (NICUs) in Saudi Arabia. Methods . A prospective cross-sectional study using an electronic web-based questionnaire. The survey targeted level III NICUs hospitals using HHHFNCs, covering HHHFNC availability, protocols, patient characteristics, and indications. It also collected opinions on the benefits of HHHFNCs compared to nasal continuous positive airway pressure (nCPAP). Results . Out of 47 government-level III neonatal intensive care units, 35 (74%) responded to the survey. Among the included units, 46% had guidelines for HHHFNC use. Additionally, 51% reported using HHHFNC in infants of all gestational ages. The primary indication for HHHFNC use was weaning off nCPAP (34%), with 60% of the respondents noting its advantages for kangaroo care and breastfeeding. Conclusion . HHHFNC are increasingly prevalent in NICUs in Saudi Arabia. However, there remain no clear policies or guidelines regarding their use in preterm infants