Towards detection of early response in neoadjuvant chemotherapy of breast cancer using Bayesian intravoxel incoherent motion

Copyright \ua9 2023 Cheung, Wu, Senn, Sharma, McGoldrick, Gagliardi, Husain, Masannat and He. Introduction: The early identification of good responders to neoadjuvant chemotherapy (NACT) holds a significant potential in the optimal treatment of breast cancer. A recent Bayesian approach has been postulated to improve the accuracy of the intravoxel incoherent motion (IVIM) model for clinical translation. This study examined the prediction and early sensitivity of Bayesian IVIM to NACT response. Materials and methods: Seventeen female patients with breast cancer were scanned at baseline and 16 patients were scanned after Cycle 1. Tissue diffusion and perfusion from Bayesian IVIM were calculated at baseline with percentage change at Cycle 1 computed with reference to baseline. Cellular proliferative activity marker Ki-67 was obtained semi-quantitatively with percentage change at excision computed with reference to core biopsy. Results: The perfusion fraction showed a significant difference (p = 0.042) in percentage change between responder groups at Cycle 1, with a decrease in good responders [−7.98% (−19.47–1.73), n = 7] and an increase in poor responders [10.04% (5.09–28.93), n = 9]. There was a significant correlation between percentage change in perfusion fraction and percentage change in Ki-67 (p = 0.042). Tissue diffusion and pseudodiffusion showed no significant difference in percentage change between groups at Cycle 1, nor was there a significant correlation against percentage change in Ki-67. Perfusion fraction, tissue diffusion, and pseudodiffusion showed no significant difference between groups at baseline, nor was there a significant correlation against Ki-67 from core biopsy. Conclusion: The alteration in tumour perfusion fraction from the Bayesian IVIM model, in association with cellular proliferation, showed early sensitivity to good responders in NACT. Clinical trial registration: https://clinicaltrials.gov/ct2/show/NCT03501394, identifier NCT03501394

Efficient Spin-Orbit Torques in an Antiferromagnetic Insulator with Tilted Easy Plane

Electrical manipulation of spin textures inside antiferromagnets represents a new opportunity for developing spintronics with superior speed and high device density. Injecting spin currents into antiferromagnets and realizing efficient spin-orbit-torque-induced switching is however still challenging due to the complicated interactions from different sublattices. Meanwhile, because of the diminishing magnetic susceptibility, the nature and the magnitude of current-induced magnetic dynamics remain poorly characterized in antiferromagnets, whereas spurious effects further complicate experimental interpretations. In this work, by growing a thin film antiferromagnetic insulator, {\alpha}-Fe2O3, along its non-basal plane orientation, we realize a configuration where an injected spin current can robustly rotate the N\'eel vector within the tilted easy plane, with an efficiency comparable to that of classical ferromagnets. The spin-orbit torque effect stands out among other competing mechanisms and leads to clear switching dynamics. Thanks to this new mechanism, in contrast to the usually employed orthogonal switching geometry, we achieve bipolar antiferromagnetic switching by applying positive and negative currents along the same channel, a geometry that is more practical for device applications. By enabling efficient spin-orbit torque control on the antiferromagnetic ordering, the tilted easy plane geometry introduces a new platform for quantitatively understanding switching and oscillation dynamics in antiferromagnets.Comment: 21 pages, 5 figure

Overexpression of human wild-type FUS causes progressive motor neuron degeneration in an age- and dose-dependent fashion

Amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (ALS) and frontotemporal lobar degeneration (FTLD) are relentlessly progressive neurodegenerative disorders with overlapping clinical, genetic and pathological features. Cytoplasmic inclusions of fused in sarcoma (FUS) are the hallmark of several forms of FTLD and ALS patients with mutations in the FUS gene. FUS is a multifunctional, predominantly nuclear, DNA and RNA binding protein. Here, we report that transgenic mice overexpressing wild-type human FUS develop an aggressive phenotype with an early onset tremor followed by progressive hind limb paralysis and death by 12 weeks in homozygous animals. Large motor neurons were lost from the spinal cord accompanied by neurophysiological evidence of denervation and focal muscle atrophy. Surviving motor neurons in the spinal cord had greatly increased cytoplasmic expression of FUS, with globular and skein-like FUS-positive and ubiquitin-negative inclusions associated with astroglial and microglial reactivity. Cytoplasmic FUS inclusions were also detected in the brain of transgenic mice without apparent neuronal loss and little astroglial or microglial activation. Hemizygous FUS overexpressing mice showed no evidence of a motor phenotype or pathology. These findings recapitulate several pathological features seen in human ALS and FTLD patients, and suggest that overexpression of wild-type FUS in vulnerable neurons may be one of the root causes of disease. Furthermore, these mice will provide a new model to study disease mechanism, and test therapies

Proximal ulna stress fracture and stress reaction of the proximal radius associated with the use of crutches: a case report and literature review

We report a case of complete stress fracture of the ulna and stress reaction of the radius resulting from the use of crutches in an overweight patient with severe lower extremity arthritis. Plain radiograph showed an undisplaced complete fracture of the proximal metaphysis of the ulna. Magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) was performed to exclude a pathological cause in view of the unusual fracture site, which confirmed the plain radiographic findings and additionally demonstrated a stress reaction in the proximal radius. There are three cases of stress fracture of the ulnar diaphysis resulting from the use of crutches reported previously in the English literature and a further case of bilaterally symmetrical ulnar diaphysial fracture reported in the Danish literature. We report the first case of ulnar metaphysis stress fracture with concomitant stress reaction of the radius

First Measurement of Coherent Elastic Neutrino-Nucleus Scattering on Argon

We report the first measurement of coherent elastic neutrino-nucleus scattering (\cevns) on argon using a liquid argon detector at the Oak Ridge National Laboratory Spallation Neutron Source. Two independent analyses prefer \cevns over the background-only null hypothesis with greater than $3\sigma$ significance. The measured cross section, averaged over the incident neutrino flux, is (2.2 $\pm$ 0.7) $\times$10$^{-39}$ cm$^2$ -- consistent with the standard model prediction. The neutron-number dependence of this result, together with that from our previous measurement on CsI, confirms the existence of the \cevns process and provides improved constraints on non-standard neutrino interactions.Comment: 8 pages, 5 figures with 2 pages, 6 figures supplementary material V3: fixes to figs 3,4 V4: fix typo in table 1, V5: replaced missing appendix, V6: fix Eq 1, new fig 3, V7 final version, updated with final revision

How Do Price Minimizing Behaviors Impact Smoking Cessation? Findings from the International Tobacco Control (ITC) Four Country Survey

This paper examines how price minimizing behaviors impact efforts to stop smoking. Data on 4,988 participants from the International Tobacco Control Policy Evaluation (ITC) Four-Country Survey who were smokers at baseline (wave 5) and interviewed at a 1 year follow-up were used. We examined whether price minimizing behaviors at baseline predicted: (1) cessation, (2) quit attempts, and (3) successful quit attempts at one year follow up using multivariate logistic regression modeling. A subset analysis included 3,387 participants who were current smokers at waves 5 and 6 and were followed through wave 7 to explore effects of changing purchase patterns on cessation. Statistical tests for interaction were performed to examine the joint effect of SES and price/tax avoidance behaviors on cessation outcomes. Smokers who engaged in any price/tax avoidance behaviors were 28% less likely to report cessation. Persons using low/untaxed sources were less likely to quit at follow up, those purchasing cartons were less likely to make quit attempts and quit, and those using discount cigarettes were less likely to succeed, conditional on making attempts. Respondents who utilized multiple behaviors simultaneously were less likely to make quit attempts and to succeed. SES did not modify the effects of price minimizing behaviors on cessation outcomes. The data from this paper indicate that the availability of lower priced cigarette alternatives may attenuate public health efforts aimed at to reduce reducing smoking prevalence through price and tax increases among all SES groups

Covered in stigma? The impact of differing levels of Islamic head‐covering on explicit and implicit biases toward Muslim women

Given the prominence of Muslim veils—in particular the hijab and full‐face veil—in public discourse concerning the place of Muslims in Western society, we examined their impact on non‐Muslims’ responses at both explicit and implicit levels. Results revealed that responses were more negative toward any veil compared with no veil, and more negative toward the full‐face veil relative to the hijab: for emotions felt toward veiled women (Study 1), for non‐affective attitudinal responses (Study 2), and for implicit negative attitudes revealed through response latency measures (Studies 3a and 3b). Finally, we manipulated the perceived reasons for wearing a veil, finding that exposure to positive reasons for wearing a veil led to better predicted and imagined contact (Study 4). Practical and theoretical implications are discussed

Spontaneous bilateral distal ulna fracture: an unusual complication in a rheumatoid patient

Bilateral ulna stress fractures are extremely rare. Patients with rheumatoid arthritis have osteopenic bone secondary to a variety of causes. We report a case of bilateral stress fractures of the ulna in an elderly patient with rheumatoid arthritis, and literature on this condition is reviewed. Prompt recognition and activity modification are essential to treat this rare injury. Recovery can take up to 12 weeks