Abstracts from the 8th International Conference on cGMP Generators, Effectors and Therapeutic Implications

This work was supported by a restricted research grant of Bayer AG

Retrospective evaluation of whole exome and genome mutation calls in 746 cancer samples

Funder: NCI U24CA211006Abstract: The Cancer Genome Atlas (TCGA) and International Cancer Genome Consortium (ICGC) curated consensus somatic mutation calls using whole exome sequencing (WES) and whole genome sequencing (WGS), respectively. Here, as part of the ICGC/TCGA Pan-Cancer Analysis of Whole Genomes (PCAWG) Consortium, which aggregated whole genome sequencing data from 2,658 cancers across 38 tumour types, we compare WES and WGS side-by-side from 746 TCGA samples, finding that ~80% of mutations overlap in covered exonic regions. We estimate that low variant allele fraction (VAF < 15%) and clonal heterogeneity contribute up to 68% of private WGS mutations and 71% of private WES mutations. We observe that ~30% of private WGS mutations trace to mutations identified by a single variant caller in WES consensus efforts. WGS captures both ~50% more variation in exonic regions and un-observed mutations in loci with variable GC-content. Together, our analysis highlights technological divergences between two reproducible somatic variant detection efforts

Robot-assisted nephroureterectomy for upper urinary tract urothelial carcinoma without intraoperative reposition or redocking

The gold standard for treatment of upper urinary tract urothelial carcinoma remains nephroureterectomy with the ipsilateral bladder cuff excision. With the introduction of robot system, robot-assisted surgery has become popular in the management of urological malignancies. We report a single institute experience of robot-assisted nephroureterectomy (RANU) for the treatment of upper urinary tract urothelial carcinoma (UC) without re-docking the robot system or reposition of the patient. The perioperative and oncologic outcomes are discussed

Compound floods in Hong Kong: Hazards, triggers, and socio-economic consequences

Study region: Hong Kong is a megalopolis located on the southeast coast of China. Study focus: Megalopolis located in low-lying coastal areas such as Hong Kong is especially vulnerable to compound flood risks from multiple flood drivers (e.g., heavy rainstorms and extreme sea levels). Using long-term hydrological observations and socio-economic data, this study aims to reveal the risks, causes and socio-economic impacts of compound floods from precipitation and sea level in Hong Kong. New hydrological insights for the region: We find that the most extreme sea levels are mostly accompanied by heavy precipitation and thus lead to compound floods, while the most extreme precipitation events are less likely to coincide with extreme sea levels. TCs are the major trigger of compound floods with fractional contributions ranging from 48.8% to 83.8% in the gauges. Typhoon Wanda (1962) triggered the most severe compound flood with a joint return period of 178 years which is much shorter than the return period (>10,000 years) without the consideration of the dependence between the extremes. During the past decades, Hong Kong has experienced an increase in compound flood hazards, which is mainly attributed to the mean sea level rise. Socio-economic data reveals that TCs associated with compound floods are more destructive than TCs that induced single-type floods, highlighting the urgent need to establish a multi-hazard flood risk management strategy

A Novel Graphene Oxide Wrapped Na2Fe2(SO4)3/C Cathode Composite for Long Life and High Energy Density Sodium-Ion Batteries

The cathode materials in the Na-ion battery system are always the key issue obstructing wider application because of their relatively low specific capacity and low energy density. A graphene oxide (GO) wrapped composite, Na2Fe2(SO4)3@C@GO, is fabricated via a simple freeze-drying method. The as-prepared material can deliver a 3.8 V platform with discharge capacity of 107.9 mAh g−1at 0.1 C (1 C = 120 mA g−1) as well as offering capacity retention above 90% at a discharge rate of 0.2 C after 300 cycles. The well-constructed carbon network provides fast electron transfer rates, and thus, higher power density also can be achieved (75.1 mAh g−1at 10 C). The interface contribution of GO and Na2Fe2(SO4)3is recognized and studied via density function theory calculation. The Na storage mechanism is also investigated through in situ synchrotron X-ray diffraction, and pseudocapacitance contributions are also demonstrated. The diffusion coefficient of Na+ions is around 10−12-10−10.8cm2s−1during cycling. The higher working voltage of this composite is mainly ascribed to the larger electronegativity of the element S. The research indicates that this well-constructed composite would be a competitive candidate as a cathode material for Na-ion batteries