Clinicopathologic features, treatment, and prognosis of pregnancy-associated breast cancer

PurposeTo identify the clinicopathological features, treatment, and prognosis of patients with breast cancer, who were diagnosed during and after pregnancy.MethodsWe searched for patients with pregnancy-associated breast cancer (PABC) using the big data query and analysis system of Peking Union Medical College Hospital from between January 1, 2013, and December 31, 2021, and matched each patient with two non-PABC patients by age at diagnosis, year at diagnosis, and tumor stage. The clinicopathologic features, treatment, and outcomes of breast cancer during pregnancy (BC-P) and breast cancer during the first-year post-partum (BC-PP) were examined retrospectively in two case-control studies.ResultsEighteen BC-P cases, 36 controls for BC-P cases, 62 BC-PP cases, and 124 controls for BC-PP cases were enrolled in our study. The expression of HER-2 and Ki-67 was higher in BC-PP cases than in its controls (P=0.01, 0.018, respectively). Patients with BC-PP were more likely to choose mastectomy than breast-conserving surgery (P=0.001). There were no significant differences in event-free survival (EFS) between patients with BC-P and BC-PP and their controls.ConclusionBC-P and BC-PP patients displayed adverse clinicopathological features in our population. However, when matched by age at diagnosis, year of diagnosis, and tumor stage, BC-P and BC-PP patients did not show inferior outcomes to controls, probably due to aggressive multimodality therapy

A BAHD acyltransferase contributes to the biosynthesis of both ethyl benzoate and methyl benzoate in the flowers of Lilium oriental hybrid ‘Siberia’

Lily is a popular flower worldwide due to its elegant appearance and pleasant fragrance. Floral volatiles of lily are predominated by monoterpenes and benzenoids. While a number of genes for monoterpene biosynthesis have been characterized, the molecular mechanism underlying floral benzenoid formation in lily remains unclear. Here, we report on the identification and characterization of a novel BAHD acyltransferase gene that contributes to the biosynthesis of two related floral scent benzoate esters, ethyl benzoate and methyl benzoate, in the scented Lilium oriental hybrid ‘Siberia’. The emission of both methyl benzoate and ethyl benzoate in L. ‘Siberia’ was found to be tepal-specific, floral development-regulated and rhythmic. Through transcriptome profiling and bioinformatic analysis, a BAHD acyltransferase gene designated LoAAT1 was identified as the top candidate gene for the production of ethyl benzoate. In vitro enzyme assays and substrate feeding assays provide substantial evidence that LoAAT1 is responsible for the biosynthesis of ethyl benzoate. It was interesting to note that in in vitro enzyme assay, LoAAT1 can also catalyze the formation of methyl benzoate, which is typically formed by the action of benzoic acid methyltransferase (BAMT). The lack of an expressed putative BAMT gene in the flower transcriptome of L. ‘Siberia’, together with biochemical and expression evidence, led us to conclude that LoAAT1 is also responsible for, or at least contributes to, the biosynthesis of the floral scent compound methyl benzoate. This is the first report that a member of the plant BAHD acyltransferase family contributes to the production of both ethyl benzoate and methyl benzoate, presenting a new mechanism for the biosynthesis of benzoate esters

Determinants of depression, problem behavior, and cognitive level of adolescents in China: Findings from a national, population-based cross-sectional study

IntroductionWe aimed to assess the associated factors for adolescent depression, problem behavior and cognitive level in China.MethodsA total of 2,584 adolescents aged from 10 to 15 years old in 2018 were included for analyses. Information on a comprehensive set of potential determinants was collected by the questionnaire, including demographic, health-, school- and family-related factors. Differences in average scores of depression, problem behavior, and cognitive level across subgroups were assessed by two independent sample t-tests and one-way analysis of variance (ANOVA). The clinical relevance among subgroups was assessed by the effect size. Multivariate linear regression models were applied to identify the statistically significant determinants.ResultsSchool-related factors and parental depressive status were strongly associated with depression. Low maternal education, poor/bad health of adolescents, high academic pressure, and parental depression were significantly associated with behavior problems. The socioeconomic factors, poor academic performance and father’s depression were significantly associated with adolescent cognitive level.DiscussionMultiple associated factors were identified for depression, problem behavior, and cognition of Chinese adolescents, which will provide insights into developing more targeted public health policies and interventions to improve their mental health

COVID-19 vaccination status, side effects, and perceptions among breast cancer survivors: a cross-sectional study in China

IntroductionBreast cancer is the most prevalent malignancy in patients with coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19). However, vaccination data of this population are limited.MethodsA cross-sectional study of COVID-19 vaccination was conducted in China. Multivariate logistic regression models were used to assess factors associated with COVID-19 vaccination status.ResultsOf 2,904 participants, 50.2% were vaccinated with acceptable side effects. Most of the participants received inactivated virus vaccines. The most common reason for vaccination was “fear of infection” (56.2%) and “workplace/government requirement” (33.1%). While the most common reason for nonvaccination was “worry that vaccines cause breast cancer progression or interfere with treatment” (72.9%) and “have concerns about side effects or safety” (39.6%). Patients who were employed (odds ratio, OR = 1.783, p = 0.015), had stage I disease at diagnosis (OR = 2.008, p = 0.019), thought vaccines could provide protection (OR = 1.774, p = 0.007), thought COVID-19 vaccines were safe, very safe, not safe, and very unsafe (OR = 2.074, p < 0.001; OR = 4.251, p < 0.001; OR = 2.075, p = 0.011; OR = 5.609, p = 0.003, respectively) were more likely to receive vaccination. Patients who were 1–3 years, 3–5 years, and more than 5 years after surgery (OR = 0.277, p < 0.001; OR = 0.277, p < 0.001, OR = 0.282, p < 0.001, respectively), had a history of food or drug allergies (OR = 0.579, p = 0.001), had recently undergone endocrine therapy (OR = 0.531, p < 0.001) were less likely to receive vaccination.ConclusionCOVID-19 vaccination gap exists in breast cancer survivors, which could be filled by raising awareness and increasing confidence in vaccine safety during cancer treatment, particularly for the unemployed individuals

DataSheet_1_Clinicopathologic features, treatment, and prognosis of pregnancy-associated breast cancer.docx

PurposeTo identify the clinicopathological features, treatment, and prognosis of patients with breast cancer, who were diagnosed during and after pregnancy.MethodsWe searched for patients with pregnancy-associated breast cancer (PABC) using the big data query and analysis system of Peking Union Medical College Hospital from between January 1, 2013, and December 31, 2021, and matched each patient with two non-PABC patients by age at diagnosis, year at diagnosis, and tumor stage. The clinicopathologic features, treatment, and outcomes of breast cancer during pregnancy (BC-P) and breast cancer during the first-year post-partum (BC-PP) were examined retrospectively in two case-control studies.ResultsEighteen BC-P cases, 36 controls for BC-P cases, 62 BC-PP cases, and 124 controls for BC-PP cases were enrolled in our study. The expression of HER-2 and Ki-67 was higher in BC-PP cases than in its controls (P=0.01, 0.018, respectively). Patients with BC-PP were more likely to choose mastectomy than breast-conserving surgery (P=0.001). There were no significant differences in event-free survival (EFS) between patients with BC-P and BC-PP and their controls.ConclusionBC-P and BC-PP patients displayed adverse clinicopathological features in our population. However, when matched by age at diagnosis, year of diagnosis, and tumor stage, BC-P and BC-PP patients did not show inferior outcomes to controls, probably due to aggressive multimodality therapy.</p

Additional file 1 of Lipid changes during endocrine therapy in early-stage breast cancer patients: A real-world study

Supplementary Material 1: Certificate of language-2023091

HS–SPME–GC–MS and Electronic Nose Reveal Differences in the Volatile Profiles of Hedychium Flowers

Floral fragrance is one of the most important characteristics of ornamental plants and plays a pivotal role in plant lifespan such as pollinator attraction, pest repelling, and protection against abiotic and biotic stresses. However, the precise determination of floral fragrance is limited. In the present study, the floral volatile compounds of six Hedychium accessions exhibiting from faint to highly fragrant were comparatively analyzed via gas chromatography–mass spectrometry (GC–MS) and Electronic nose (E-nose). A total of 42 volatile compounds were identified through GC–MS analysis, including monoterpenoids (18 compounds), sesquiterpenoids (12), benzenoids/phenylpropanoids (8), fatty acid derivatives (2), and others (2). In Hedychium coronarium ‘ZS’, H. forrestii ‘Gaoling’, H. ‘Jin’, H. ‘Caixia’, and H. ‘Zhaoxia’, monoterpenoids were abundant, while sesquiterpenoids were found in large quantities in H. coccineum ‘KMH’. Hierarchical clustering analysis (HCA) divided the 42 volatile compounds into four different groups (I, II, III, IV), and Spearman correlation analysis showed these compounds to have different degrees of correlation. The E-nose was able to group the different accessions in the principal component analysis (PCA) corresponding to scent intensity. Furthermore, the pattern-recognition findings confirmed that the E-nose data validated the GC–MS results. The partial least squares (PLS) analysis between floral volatile compounds and sensors suggested that specific sensors were highly sensitive to terpenoids. In short, the E-nose is proficient in discriminating Hedychium accessions of different volatile profiles in both quantitative and qualitative aspects, offering an accurate and rapid reference technique for future applications

Heterogeneous Uptake of N₂O₅ in Sand Dust and Urban Aerosols Observed during the Dry Season in Beijing

The uptake of dinitrogen pentoxide (N2O5) on aerosols affects the nocturnal removal of NOx and particulate nitrate formation in the atmosphere. This study investigates N2O5 uptake processes using field observations from an urban site in Beijing during April&#8211;May 2017, a period characterized by dry weather conditions. For the first time, a very large N2O5 uptake rate (k(N2O5) up to ~0.01 s&#8722;1) was observed during a sand storm event, and the uptake coefficient (&#947;(N2O5)) was estimated to be 0.044. The &#947;(N2O5) in urban air masses was also determined and exhibited moderate correlation (r = 0.68) with aerosol volume to surface ratio (Va/Sa), but little relation to aerosol water, nitrate, and chloride, a finding that contrasts with previous results. Several commonly used parameterizations of &#947;(N2O5) underestimated the field-derived &#947;(N2O5). A new parameterization is suggested for dry conditions, which considers the effect of Va/Sa, temperature, and relative humidity

Data_Sheet_2_COVID-19 vaccination status, side effects, and perceptions among breast cancer survivors: a cross-sectional study in China.PDF

IntroductionBreast cancer is the most prevalent malignancy in patients with coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19). However, vaccination data of this population are limited.MethodsA cross-sectional study of COVID-19 vaccination was conducted in China. Multivariate logistic regression models were used to assess factors associated with COVID-19 vaccination status.ResultsOf 2,904 participants, 50.2% were vaccinated with acceptable side effects. Most of the participants received inactivated virus vaccines. The most common reason for vaccination was “fear of infection” (56.2%) and “workplace/government requirement” (33.1%). While the most common reason for nonvaccination was “worry that vaccines cause breast cancer progression or interfere with treatment” (72.9%) and “have concerns about side effects or safety” (39.6%). Patients who were employed (odds ratio, OR = 1.783, p = 0.015), had stage I disease at diagnosis (OR = 2.008, p = 0.019), thought vaccines could provide protection (OR = 1.774, p = 0.007), thought COVID-19 vaccines were safe, very safe, not safe, and very unsafe (OR = 2.074, p ConclusionCOVID-19 vaccination gap exists in breast cancer survivors, which could be filled by raising awareness and increasing confidence in vaccine safety during cancer treatment, particularly for the unemployed individuals.</p