A Dutch Cross-sectional Population Survey to Explore Satisfaction of Women with their Breasts

BACKGROUND: Little is known about how satisfied women are with their breasts and which factors influence breast satisfaction. Therefore, the aim of this study was to elucidate this by collecting data on breast satisfaction from the general population in relation to age, body mass index, lifestyle, psychological, and physical well-being. METHOD: This study was a cross-sectional population survey performed in 2019 in the north of the Netherlands, among randomly selected women between 20 and 80 years. Breast satisfaction was measured in the 1334 participants with the preoperative reconstruction BREAST-Q module. Other applied questionnaires were the Hospital Anxiety and Depression Scale, Short Form Survey (SF-36), and a custom-made questionnaire on lifestyle and baseline characteristics. Representativeness was assessed by comparing the participants with Dutch normative data. Possible factors influencing “satisfaction with breasts” were analyzed using multivariate linear regression analyses. RESULTS: The median (IQR) BREAST-Q score for “satisfaction with breasts” was mediocre: 63 (58–79) on a 0–100 scale. Higher age and higher SF-36 scores had a positive effect on breast satisfaction (P < 0.001 and P < 0.001, respectively) and a higher body mass index, smoking and anxiety score greater than 8 were negatively associated (P < 0.001, P = 0.013 and P < 0.001 respectively, multivariate linear regression analyses). CONCLUSION: These data are the first European normative data and can serve as a reference in future population and patient-based studies regarding breast satisfaction

Towards a simplified technique for crack recognition in gearing systems

This paper presents a simple and effective method to identify and quantify the existence of cracks in the teeth roots of spur gears. The problem was numerically analyzed through finite element-based simulation with SolidWorks in the first part of this work. The computed tooth in-plane bending stiffness and natural frequency decreased considerably with an increase in the crack length, while the deformation followed an opposite trend. The numerical results were experimentally validated through a convenient and straightforward test rig developed for this purpose. The experimental results obtained from the modal analysis tests confirmed the previously obtained numerical results. A graphical representation of these parameters on a polar plot shows concentric circles with no particular sign from one tooth to another. However, in the presence of cracks in the vicinity of teeth roots, these circular patterns became deformed in the neighborhood of the teeth with defect, which provides a quick and easy visual check to detect a crack and quantify its extent

High resolution mapping of traits related to whole-plant transpiration under increasing evaporative demand in wheat

First published online: March 20, 2016Atmospheric vapor pressure deficit (VPD) is a key component of drought and has a strong influence on yields. Whole-plant transpiration rate (TR) response to increasing VPD has been linked to drought tolerance in wheat, but because of its challenging phenotyping, its genetic basis remains unexplored. Further, the genetic control of other key traits linked to daytime TR such as leaf area, stomata densities and - more recently - nocturnal transpiration remains unknown. Considering the presence of wheat phenology genes that can interfere with drought tolerance, the aim of this investigation was to identify at an enhanced resolution the genetic basis of the above traits while investigating the effects of phenology genes Ppd-D1 and Ppd-B1 Virtually all traits were highly heritable (heritabilities from 0.61 to 0.91) and a total of mostly trait-specific 68 QTL were detected. Six QTL were identified for TR response to VPD, with one QTL (QSLP.ucl-5A) individually explaining 25.4% of the genetic variance. This QTL harbored several genes previously reported to be involved in ABA signaling, interaction with DREB2A and root hydraulics. Surprisingly, nocturnal TR and stomata densities on both leaf sides were characterized by highly specific and robust QTL. In addition, negative correlations were found between TR and leaf area suggesting trade-offs between these traits. Further, Ppd-D1 had strong but opposite effects on these traits, suggesting an involvement in this trade-off. Overall, these findings revealed novel genetic resources while suggesting a more direct role of phenology genes in enhancing wheat drought tolerance.Rémy Schoppach, Julian D Taylor, Elisabeth Majerus, Elodie Claverie, Ute Baumann, Radoslaw Suchecki, Delphine Fleury and Walid Sado

Rho Kinase Inhibitors Block Melanoma Cell Migration and Inhibit Metastasis

There is an urgent need to identify new therapeutic opportunities for metastatic melanoma. Fragment-based screening has led to the discovery of orally available, ATP-competitive AKT kinase inhibitors, AT13148 and CCT129254. These compounds also inhibit the Rho-kinases ROCK 1 and ROCK 2 and we show they potently inhibit ROCK activity in melanoma cells in culture and in vivo. Treatment of melanoma cells with CCT129254 or AT13148 dramatically reduces cell invasion, impairing both “amoeboid-like” and mesenchymal-like modes of invasion in culture. Intravital imaging shows that CCT129254 or AT13148 treatment reduces the motility of melanoma cells in vivo. CCT129254 inhibits melanoma metastasis when administered 2 days after orthotopic intradermal injection of the cells, or when treatment starts after metastases have arisen. Mechanistically, our data suggest that inhibition of ROCK reduces the ability of melanoma cells to efficiently colonize the lungs. These results suggest that these novel inhibitors of ROCK may be beneficial in the treatment of metastasis

Temporal Dynamics and Impact of Climate Factors on the Incidence of Zoonotic Cutaneous Leishmaniasis in Central Tunisia

Old world cutaneous leishmaniasis is a vector-borne disease occurring in rural areas of developing countries. The main reservoirs are the rodents Psammomys obesus and Meriones shawi. Zoonotic Leishmania transmission cycle is maintained in the burrows of rodents where the sand fly Phlebotomus papatasi finds the ideal environment and source of blood meals. In the present study we showed seasonality of the incidence of disease during the same cycle with an inter-epidemic period ranging from 4 to 7 years. We evaluated the impact of climate variables (rainfall, humidity and temperature) on the incidence of zoonotic cutaneous leishmaniais in central Tunisia. We confirmed that the risk of disease is mainly influenced by the humidity related to the months of July to September during the same season and mean rainfall lagged by 12 to 14 months

Targeting Vascular NADPH Oxidase 1 Blocks Tumor Angiogenesis through a PPARα Mediated Mechanism

Reactive oxygen species, ROS, are regulators of endothelial cell migration, proliferation and survival, events critically involved in angiogenesis. Different isoforms of ROS-generating NOX enzymes are expressed in the vasculature and provide distinct signaling cues through differential localization and activation. We show that mice deficient in NOX1, but not NOX2 or NOX4, have impaired angiogenesis. NOX1 expression and activity is increased in primary mouse and human endothelial cells upon angiogenic stimulation. NOX1 silencing decreases endothelial cell migration and tube-like structure formation, through the inhibition of PPARα, a regulator of NF-κB. Administration of a novel NOX-specific inhibitor reduced angiogenesis and tumor growth in vivo in a PPARα dependent manner. In conclusion, vascular NOX1 is a critical mediator of angiogenesis and an attractive target for anti-angiogenic therapies