Pregnancy-associated breast cancer: nationwide Dutch study confirms a discriminatory aggressive histopathologic profile

PURPOSE: Breast cancer is the most common type of malignancy in pregnant women, occurring approximately once in every 3000 pregnancies. Pregnancy-associated breast cancer (PABC) is commonly defined as breast cancer diagnosed during or within one year after pregnancy, and it accounts for up to 6.9% of all breast cancers in women younger than 45 years old. Whether these cancers arise before or during pregnancy, and whether they are stimulated by the high hormonal environment of pregnancy, is currently unknown. This study assesses the histopathological profile of PABC in a large Dutch population-based cohort. METHODS: We identified 744 patients with PABC (in this cohort defined as breast cancer diagnosed during or within 6 months after pregnancy) diagnosed between 1988 and 2019, in the nationwide Dutch Pathology Registry (PALGA). An age-matched PALGA cohort of unselected breast cancer patients (≤ 45 years), diagnosed between 2013 and 2016, was used as a control. Histopathologic features of both cohorts were compared. RESULTS: The median age of PABC patients was 34.3 years old (range 19-45 years) and most breast cancers were diagnosed during pregnancy (74.2%). As compared to age-matched controls, PABC patients had tumors of higher Bloom-Richardson grade (grade I: 1.5% vs. 12.4%, grade II: 16.9% vs. 31.3%, grade III: 80.3% vs. 39.5%, p < 0.0001). Furthermore, estrogen (ER)- and progesterone (PR)-receptor expression was less frequently reported positive (ER: 38.9% vs. 68.2% and PR: 33.9% vs. 59.0%, p < 0.0001), while a higher percentage of PABC tumors overexpressed HER2 (20.0% vs. 10.0%, p < 0.0001). The most observed intrinsic subtype in PABC was triple-negative breast cancer (38.3% vs. 22.0%, p < 0.0001), whereas hormone-driven cancers were significantly less diagnosed (37.9% vs. 67.3%, p < 0.0001). CONCLUSION: This study, based on a large population-based cohort of 744 PABC Dutch patients, underlines the more aggressive histopathologic profile compared to age-matched breast cancer patients ≤ 45 years. Further in-depth genetic analysis will be performed to unravel the origin of this discriminating phenotype. It definitely calls for timely detection and optimal treatment of this small but delicate subgroup of breast cancer patients

Improving prediction of response to neoadjuvant treatment in patients with breast cancer by combining liquid biopsies with multiparametric MRI: Protocol of the LIMA study-a multicentre prospective observational cohort study

Introduction The response to neoadjuvant chemotherapy (NAC) in breast cancer has important prognostic implications. Dynamic prediction of tumour regression by NAC may allow for adaption of the treatment plan before completion, or even before the start of treatment. Such predictions may help prevent overtreatment and related toxicity and correct for undertreatment with ineffective regimens. Current imaging methods are not able to fully predict the efficacy of NAC. To successfully improve response prediction, tumour biology and heterogeneity as well as treatment-induced changes have to be considered. In the LIMA study, multiparametric MRI will be combined with liquid biopsies. In addition to conventional clinical and pathological information, these methods may give complementary information at multiple time points during treatment. Aim To combine multiparametric MRI and liquid biopsies in patients with breast cancer to predict residual cancer burden (RCB) after NAC, in adjunct to standard clinico-pathological information. Predictions will be made before the start of NAC, approximately halfway during treatment and after completion of NAC. Methods In this multicentre prospective observational study we aim to enrol 100 patients. Multiparametric MRI will be performed prior to NAC, approximately halfway and after completion of NAC. Liquid biopsies will be obtained immediately prior to every cycle of chemotherapy and after completion of NAC. The primary endpoint is RCB in the surgical resection specimen following NAC. Collected data will primarily be analysed using multivariable techniques such as penalised regression techniques. Ethics and dissemination Medical Research Ethics Committee Utrecht has approved this study (NL67308.041.19). Informed consent will be obtained from each participant. All data are anonymised before publication. The findings of this study will be submitted to international peer-reviewed journals. Trial registration number NCT04223492

NOx control in coal combustion by combining biomass co-firing, oxygen enrichment and SNCR

There has been renewed interest in evaluating NOx emission control by selective non-catalytic reduction (SNCR) combined with biomass co-firing to meet impending enforcement of NOx emission limits for power generation plant. Oxygen enrichment for the concentration of CO 2 in the flue gas has been observed in this work to have benefits for NOx emission control. This paper presents new information on the effect of combining biomass co-firing with SNCR under various oxygen enriched and air-staging conditions performed in the 20 kW combustion facility. Biomass has a higher tendency to generate CO and produced better reductions in NO x emission with and without using SNCR. NO reduction of around 80% were attained using SNCR for 15% and 50% blending ratios of biomasses at 21% overall O2 concentration for unstaged combustion. Whereas, a range of 40-80% NO reductions were attained for coal (Russian Coal) and 15% co-fired biomasses with 3.1-5.5% overall O2 concentration at 22-31% levels of flame staging. Moreover, it was found that better NOx removal efficiency was attained for higher NOx emission baselines under both oxygen enriched and normal firing conditions. However, SNCR NOx control for both coal or coal-biomass blends was observed to produce higher NOx reductions during O2 enrichment, believed to be due to the self-sustained NOx reduction reactions. Hence, NOx control by SNCR, oxygen enriched co-firing in power station boilers would result in lower NOx emissions and higher CO2 concentration for efficient scrubbing with better carbon burnouts. © 2012 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved

Examining the validity of the Athlete Engagement Questionnaire (AEQ) within a Portuguese sport setting

Sport psychology literature suggests that understanding engagement levels is pivotal to promote positive sporting experiences among athletes. The purpose of this study was to examine the psychometric properties of the Athlete Engagement Questionnaire among Portuguese sport athletes. Two distinct samples of Portuguese athletes from different competitive levels were collected, and the results of a confirmatory factor analysis demonstrated a good fit of the model to the data. A review of the psychometric properties indicated that all factors showed good composite reliability, convergent validity, and discriminant validity. In addition, a multi-groups analysis showed the invariance of the model in two independent samples providing evidence of cross validity. Implications of these results for scholars and coaches are discussed and guidelines for future studies are suggested

Search for displaced vertices arising from decays of new heavy particles in 7 TeV pp collisions at ATLAS

We present the results of a search for new, heavy particles that decay at a significant distance from their production point into a final state containing charged hadrons in association with a high-momentum muon. The search is conducted in a pp-collision data sample with a center-of-mass energy of 7 TeV and an integrated luminosity of 33 pb^-1 collected in 2010 by the ATLAS detector operating at the Large Hadron Collider. Production of such particles is expected in various scenarios of physics beyond the standard model. We observe no signal and place limits on the production cross-section of supersymmetric particles in an R-parity-violating scenario as a function of the neutralino lifetime. Limits are presented for different squark and neutralino masses, enabling extension of the limits to a variety of other models.Comment: 8 pages plus author list (20 pages total), 8 figures, 1 table, final version to appear in Physics Letters

Measurement of the polarisation of W bosons produced with large transverse momentum in pp collisions at sqrt(s) = 7 TeV with the ATLAS experiment

This paper describes an analysis of the angular distribution of W->enu and W->munu decays, using data from pp collisions at sqrt(s) = 7 TeV recorded with the ATLAS detector at the LHC in 2010, corresponding to an integrated luminosity of about 35 pb^-1. Using the decay lepton transverse momentum and the missing transverse energy, the W decay angular distribution projected onto the transverse plane is obtained and analysed in terms of helicity fractions f0, fL and fR over two ranges of W transverse momentum (ptw): 35 < ptw < 50 GeV and ptw > 50 GeV. Good agreement is found with theoretical predictions. For ptw > 50 GeV, the values of f0 and fL-fR, averaged over charge and lepton flavour, are measured to be : f0 = 0.127 +/- 0.030 +/- 0.108 and fL-fR = 0.252 +/- 0.017 +/- 0.030, where the first uncertainties are statistical, and the second include all systematic effects.Comment: 19 pages plus author list (34 pages total), 9 figures, 11 tables, revised author list, matches European Journal of Physics C versio

Observation of a new chi_b state in radiative transitions to Upsilon(1S) and Upsilon(2S) at ATLAS

The chi_b(nP) quarkonium states are produced in proton-proton collisions at the Large Hadron Collider (LHC) at sqrt(s) = 7 TeV and recorded by the ATLAS detector. Using a data sample corresponding to an integrated luminosity of 4.4 fb^-1, these states are reconstructed through their radiative decays to Upsilon(1S,2S) with Upsilon->mu+mu-. In addition to the mass peaks corresponding to the decay modes chi_b(1P,2P)->Upsilon(1S)gamma, a new structure centered at a mass of 10.530+/-0.005 (stat.)+/-0.009 (syst.) GeV is also observed, in both the Upsilon(1S)gamma and Upsilon(2S)gamma decay modes. This is interpreted as the chi_b(3P) system.Comment: 5 pages plus author list (18 pages total), 2 figures, 1 table, corrected author list, matches final version in Physical Review Letter

Search for direct production of charginos and neutralinos in events with three leptons and missing transverse momentum in √s = 7 TeV pp collisions with the ATLAS detector

A search for the direct production of charginos and neutralinos in final states with three electrons or muons and missing transverse momentum is presented. The analysis is based on 4.7 fb−1 of proton–proton collision data delivered by the Large Hadron Collider and recorded with the ATLAS detector. Observations are consistent with Standard Model expectations in three signal regions that are either depleted or enriched in Z-boson decays. Upper limits at 95% confidence level are set in R-parity conserving phenomenological minimal supersymmetric models and in simplified models, significantly extending previous results

Measurement of the inclusive isolated prompt photon cross-section in pp collisions at sqrt(s)= 7 TeV using 35 pb-1 of ATLAS data

A measurement of the differential cross-section for the inclusive production of isolated prompt photons in pp collisions at a center-of-mass energy sqrt(s) = 7 TeV is presented. The measurement covers the pseudorapidity ranges |eta|<1.37 and 1.52<=|eta|<2.37 in the transverse energy range 45<=E_T<400GeV. The results are based on an integrated luminosity of 35 pb-1, collected with the ATLAS detector at the LHC. The yields of the signal photons are measured using a data-driven technique, based on the observed distribution of the hadronic energy in a narrow cone around the photon candidate and the photon selection criteria. The results are compared with next-to-leading order perturbative QCD calculations and found to be in good agreement over four orders of magnitude in cross-section.Comment: 7 pages plus author list (18 pages total), 2 figures, 4 tables, final version published in Physics Letters

Jet size dependence of single jet suppression in lead-lead collisions at sqrt(s(NN)) = 2.76 TeV with the ATLAS detector at the LHC

Measurements of inclusive jet suppression in heavy ion collisions at the LHC provide direct sensitivity to the physics of jet quenching. In a sample of lead-lead collisions at sqrt(s) = 2.76 TeV corresponding to an integrated luminosity of approximately 7 inverse microbarns, ATLAS has measured jets with a calorimeter over the pseudorapidity interval |eta| < 2.1 and over the transverse momentum range 38 < pT < 210 GeV. Jets were reconstructed using the anti-kt algorithm with values for the distance parameter that determines the nominal jet radius of R = 0.2, 0.3, 0.4 and 0.5. The centrality dependence of the jet yield is characterized by the jet "central-to-peripheral ratio," Rcp. Jet production is found to be suppressed by approximately a factor of two in the 10% most central collisions relative to peripheral collisions. Rcp varies smoothly with centrality as characterized by the number of participating nucleons. The observed suppression is only weakly dependent on jet radius and transverse momentum. These results provide the first direct measurement of inclusive jet suppression in heavy ion collisions and complement previous measurements of dijet transverse energy imbalance at the LHC.Comment: 15 pages plus author list (30 pages total), 8 figures, 2 tables, submitted to Physics Letters B. All figures including auxiliary figures are available at http://atlas.web.cern.ch/Atlas/GROUPS/PHYSICS/PAPERS/HION-2011-02