Surgical excision promotes tumor growth and metastasis by promoting expression of MMP-9 and VEGF in a breast cancer model

Surgery is still the main curative therapeutic modality for breast cancer. Although surgery often results in the successful removal of the primary tumor, its process could increase the risk of metastases of residual cancer cells. Understanding of the connection between breast cancer metastasis and surgical wound will lead to the establishment of a proper treatment strategy for postoperative cancer patient. Aim: To study the influence of surgical procedure on the metastasis of primary breast cancer. Methods: We established MDA-MB-435 human breast cancer xenograft model. Levels of Pro-matrix metalloproteinase 9 (Pro-MMP-9) and vascular endothelial growth factor (VEGF) in host serum and tumors were tested at different time points with ELISA and zymography and correlated to tumor growth and postoperative metastasis. Results: Our study demonstrated surgical wound had promoting effect on tumor growth and pulmonary metastasis of human breast cells, if tumor cells remain in bodies. This effect might be related to the postoperative interaction of cancer and host cells, which resulted in expression of Pro-MMP-9. Surgical process could also increase the VEGF expression in tumor tissues. Conclusions: Surgical wound-produced host Pro-MMP-9 and tumor cell VEGF might be important mediators leading to metastasis of residual breast cancer after surgery.Хирургическое лечение до сих пор остается главным терапевтическим подходом при лечении больных раком молочной железы. Хотя хирургическое удаление опухоли в большинстве случаев достаточно эффективно, в то же время оно может увеличить риск метастазирования остаточных опухолевых клеток. Понимание связи между метастазированием при раке молочной железы и операционной раной позволит выбрать наилучшую стратегию постоперационного лечения. Цель: определить влияние хирургического вмешательства на метастазирование опухоли. Методы: была создана модель рака молочной железы человека в виде ксенотрансплантата MDA-MB-435. Уровень Pro-матричной металлопротеиназы 9 (Pro-MMP-9) и фактора роста эндотелия сосудов (VEGF) в сыворотке реципиента и опухолях оценивались в разные временные промежутки методом ELISA и зимографии. При этом определяли наличие корелляции между этими показа- и зимографии. При этом определяли наличие корелляции между этими показа и зимографии. При этом определяли наличие корелляции между этими показателями, ростом опухоли и постоперационными метастазами. Результаты: было показано, что операционная рана способствует росту опухоли молочной железы и ее метастазированию в легкие в случае, когда при удалении опухоли в ране остаются опухолевые клетки. Это может быть связано с постоперационным взаимодействием опухолевых и окружающих их нормальных клеток, которое приводит к экспрессии Pro-MMP-9. Удаление опухоли может также способствовать увеличению экспрессии VEGF опухолевыми клетками. Выводы: Pro-MMP-9, экспрессируемый нормальными клетками, окружающими постоперационную рану, а также VEGF, продуцируемый опухолевыми клетками, могут быть важными медиаторами метастазирования остаточных опухолевых клеток после хирургического вмешательства

Multiple superconducting gap and anisotropic spin fluctuations in iron arsenides: Comparison with nickel analog

We present extensive 75As NMR and NQR data on the superconducting arsenides PrFeAs0.89F0.11 (Tc=45 K), LaFeAsO0.92F0.08 (Tc=27 K), LiFeAs (Tc = 17 K) and Ba0.72K0.28Fe2As2 (Tc = 31.5 K) single crystal, and compare with the nickel analog LaNiAsO0.9F0.1 (Tc=4.0 K) . In contrast to LaNiAsO0.9F0.1 where the superconducting gap is shown to be isotropic, the spin lattice relaxation rate 1/T1 in the Fe-arsenides decreases below Tc with no coherence peak and shows a step-wise variation at low temperatures. The Knight shift decreases below Tc and shows a step-wise T variation as well. These results indicate spinsinglet superconductivity with multiple gaps in the Fe-arsenides. The Fe antiferromagnetic spin fluctuations are anisotropic and weaker compared to underdoped copper-oxides or cobalt-oxide superconductors, while there is no significant electron correlations in LaNiAsO0.9F0.1. We will discuss the implications of these results and highlight the importance of the Fermi surface topology.Comment: 6 pages, 11 figure

Metal-insulator transition in the one-dimensional Holstein model at half filling

We study the one-dimensional Holstein model with spin-1/2 electrons at half-filling. Ground state properties are calculated for long chains with great accuracy using the density matrix renormalization group method and extrapolated to the thermodynamic limit. We show that for small electron-phonon coupling or large phonon frequency, the insulating Peierls ground state predicted by mean-field theory is destroyed by quantum lattice fluctuations and that the system remains in a metallic phase with a non-degenerate ground state and power-law electronic and phononic correlations. When the electron-phonon coupling becomes large or the phonon frequency small, the system undergoes a transition to an insulating Peierls phase with a two-fold degenerate ground state, long-range charge-density-wave order, a dimerized lattice structure, and a gap in the electronic excitation spectrum.Comment: 6 pages (LaTex), 10 eps figure

Generalized second law of thermodynamics in f(T) gravity

We investigate the validity of the generalized second law (GSL) of gravitational thermodynamics in the framework of f(T) modified teleparallel gravity. We consider a spatially flat FRW universe containing only the pressureless matter. The boundary of the universe is assumed to be enclosed by the Hubble horizon. For two viable f(T) models containing $f(T)=T+\mu_1{(-T)}^n$ and $f(T)=T-\mu_2 T(1-e^{\beta\frac{T_0}{T}})$, we first calculate the effective equation of state and deceleration parameters. Then, we investigate the null and strong energy conditions and conclude that a sudden future singularity appears in both models. Furthermore, using a cosmographic analysis we check the viability of two models. Finally, we examine the validity of the GSL and find that for both models it is satisfied from the early times to the present epoch. But in the future, the GSL is violated for the special ranges of the torsion scalar T.Comment: 16 pages, 10 figures, accepted by JCAP 201

Validation of “Care of the Dying Evaluation” in emergency medicine (CODEEM): pilot phase of End-of-life Management Protocol Offered Within Emergency Room (EMPOWER) study

Background: An increasing number of patients who present to emergency departments are at their endof-life phase and have significant palliative care needs such as in symptom control for pain and dyspnoea. Evaluating quality of care provided is imperative, yet there is no suitable tool validated in the emergency and Asian settings. We aim to examine the face and construct validity, and reliability of a newly developed questionnaire, Care of the Dying Evaluation - Emergency Medicine, for measuring the quality of end-of-life care in an Asian emergency context. Methods: A mixed methods pilot study was conducted. Participants composed of the next-of-kin to thirty dying patients who presented to the emergency departments of three public hospitals in Singapore. Qualitative evaluation, using cognitive "think-aloud" interviews, and quantitative analysis were employed. Percentage agreement and κ statistic were measured to evaluate temporal stability of the questionnaire. Cronbach's α and item-total correlations were used to assess internal consistency within the constructs. Confirmatory factor analysis was performed for construct validity. Results: All participants reported clear understanding of the questionnaire with no ambiguity; a minority felt the questions caused emotional distress (7/30, 23.3%). The questions showed moderate to good testretest reliability. Internal consistencies within the constructs were good for "ENVIRONMENT" and "CARE", and moderate for "COMMUNICATION". Factor loadings range from 0.40 to 0.99. Conclusions: The Care of the Dying Evaluation - Emergency Medicine questionnaire may be valid and reliable for use in an Asian emergency setting. Our prospective multicentre study using this evaluation tool may provide more insight on the quality of care rendered to dying patients and identify areas for improvement. Trial registration: ClinicalTrials.gov (NCT03906747)

Thermodynamics of cosmological horizons in f(T)f(T) gravity

We explore thermodynamics of the apparent horizon in $f(T)$ gravity with both equilibrium and non-equilibrium descriptions. We find the same dual equilibrium/non-equilibrium formulation for $f(T)$ as for $f(R)$ gravity. In particular, we show that the second law of thermodynamics can be satisfied for the universe with the same temperature of the outside and inside the apparent horizon.Comment: 18 pages, no figure, version accepted for publication in JCA

Effects of marital/dependency status on reenlistment behavior of second-term enlisted females.

This thesis investigates the relationship of reenlistment decisions of second-term enlisted women in the military to their marital and dependent status, using individual-level data from the 1985 DoD Survey of Officer and Enlisted Personnel. Actual reenlistment status (December 1988) of each survey respondent was merged with the data set. Logit analysis was used to estimate the likelihood of a respondent choosing to reenlist given her set of individual characteristics. Separate logit models were estimated for the following groups of second-term personnel: single women without children, single women with children, married women without children, and married women with children. Certain variables affected all groups similarly (pay grade, minority status, perception of civilian job alternatives). Others exerted differential impact on subgroups (job satisfaction, traditionality of job). Results illustrated differential reenlistment behavior based upon the presence of children. Results may be used to target reenlistment incentives for specified marital/dependent status groups.http://archive.org/details/effectsofmarital00edwaLieutenant, United States NavyApproved for public release; distribution is unlimited

Search for jet extinction in the inclusive jet-pT spectrum from proton-proton collisions at s=8 TeV

Published by the American Physical Society under the terms of the Creative Commons Attribution 3.0 License. Further distribution of this work must maintain attribution to the author(s) and the published articles title, journal citation, and DOI.The first search at the LHC for the extinction of QCD jet production is presented, using data collected with the CMS detector corresponding to an integrated luminosity of 10.7  fb−1 of proton-proton collisions at a center-of-mass energy of 8 TeV. The extinction model studied in this analysis is motivated by the search for signatures of strong gravity at the TeV scale (terascale gravity) and assumes the existence of string couplings in the strong-coupling limit. In this limit, the string model predicts the suppression of all high-transverse-momentum standard model processes, including jet production, beyond a certain energy scale. To test this prediction, the measured transverse-momentum spectrum is compared to the theoretical prediction of the standard model. No significant deficit of events is found at high transverse momentum. A 95% confidence level lower limit of 3.3 TeV is set on the extinction mass scale

Repositioning of the global epicentre of non-optimal cholesterol

High blood cholesterol is typically considered a feature of wealthy western countries1,2. However, dietary and behavioural determinants of blood cholesterol are changing rapidly throughout the world3 and countries are using lipid-lowering medications at varying rates. These changes can have distinct effects on the levels of high-density lipoprotein (HDL) cholesterol and non-HDL cholesterol, which have different effects on human health4,5. However, the trends of HDL and non-HDL cholesterol levels over time have not been previously reported in a global analysis. Here we pooled 1,127 population-based studies that measured blood lipids in 102.6 million individuals aged 18 years and older to estimate trends from 1980 to 2018 in mean total, non-HDL and HDL cholesterol levels for 200 countries. Globally, there was little change in total or non-HDL cholesterol from 1980 to 2018. This was a net effect of increases in low- and middle-income countries, especially in east and southeast Asia, and decreases in high-income western countries, especially those in northwestern Europe, and in central and eastern Europe. As a result, countries with the highest level of non-HDL cholesterol—which is a marker of cardiovascular risk—changed from those in western Europe such as Belgium, Finland, Greenland, Iceland, Norway, Sweden, Switzerland and Malta in 1980 to those in Asia and the Pacific, such as Tokelau, Malaysia, The Philippines and Thailand. In 2017, high non-HDL cholesterol was responsible for an estimated 3.9 million (95% credible interval 3.7 million–4.2 million) worldwide deaths, half of which occurred in east, southeast and south Asia. The global repositioning of lipid-related risk, with non-optimal cholesterol shifting from a distinct feature of high-income countries in northwestern Europe, north America and Australasia to one that affects countries in east and southeast Asia and Oceania should motivate the use of population-based policies and personal interventions to improve nutrition and enhance access to treatment throughout the world.</p