Oral microbial community analysis of the patients in the progression of liver cancer.

Liver disease has been reported to associate with oral microbiota. This study aimed to identify the salivary microbial structure in liver disease patients and determine whether the disease progression influence the bacterial composition. 16S rDNA high-throughput sequencing and bioinformatic analysis were used to examine oral bacterial diversity in the different status of hepatitis patients including 6 patients with Hepatitis B (Y), 6 patients with Hepatitis B Cirrhosis (YY) and 6 patients with liver cancer (C), and 6 healthy controls (T). Phylogenetic analysis revealed that the genera of Streptococcus, Prevotella, Actinomyces, Veillonella and Neisseria are predominant genus in the saliva of Y, YY, C patients and T group. Lautropia, Abiotrophia and Veillonella were enriched in Y patients, while Treponema, Selenomonas and Oribacterium were also existed in YY patients. Haemophilus, Porphyromonas and Filifactor had high abundance in C patients. The genera of Moryella, Leptotrichia, Lactobacillus, Dialister, Serratia, Enterococcus and Actinobacillus were decreased in all patient samples compared with healthy control samples which may be used for treatment of liver disease. Diversity analyses showed decreased diversity of salivary bacterial communities was discovered in the progress of the liver disease. These findings identified the oral microbiota dysbiosis in liver disease, which may providing available information and possible diagnostic biomarkers for liver patients.

A randomized Phase III trial of neoadjuvant recombinant human endostatin, docetaxel and epirubicin as first-line therapy for patients with breast cancer (CBCRT01).

To further assess the efficacy and safety of recombinant human endostatin (rh-endostatin), a Phase III, multicenter, prospective, randomized, controlled clinical trial was conducted. Patients to be treated with neoadjuvant docetaxel and epirubicin (DE) or DE plus rh-endostatin (DEE) were eligible for this trial. The primary endpoint was clinical/pathological response. Secondary endpoints included adverse events and quality of life (QOL). Finally, 803 patients were enrolled and randomly assigned to receive DE (n = 402) or DEE (n = 401) regimen. After three cycles of neoadjuvant therapy, "complete response" achieved in 14.2% of patients in DEE group versus 6.7% in DE group, "partial response" achieved in 76.8% versus 71.1%, while "stable disease" in 6.0% versus 18.9%, "progressive disease" in 3.0% versus 3.2% of patients. The rate of objective response in DEE and DE group was 91.0% and 77.9%, respectively (p < 0.001). In spite of a relatively higher pathological complete response achieved following the combination therapy, no significant difference was found between two arms. Adverse events were mostly of Grades 1-2. No significant difference in adverse event and QOL was found between the two arms. In conclusion, the combination of chemotherapy and rh-endostatin achieved better outcomes than chemotherapy alone, and thus can be considered as a promising therapeutic strategy for breast cancer.

Combined effects of reproductive and hormone factors and obesity on the prevalence of knee osteoarthritis and knee pain among middle-aged or older Chinese women: a cross-sectional study.

BACKGROUND: Knee osteoarthritis (KOA) is one form of degenerative arthritis that results from the breakdown of cartilage and underlying bone. The prevalence of KOA is considerably higher in women than in men; however, the reason for this difference has not been thoroughly elucidated to date. The aim of the present study was to estimate the effects of reproductive and hormone factors and obesity on KOA prevalence among Chinese women. METHODS: The cross-sectional study included 7510 women with a mean age of 62.6 ± 8.6 years. Knee pain was defined as pain or aching stiffness on most days for at least 1 month during the past 12 months or persistent pain or aching stiffness within the past week. Clinical KOA was diagnosed based on both pain complaints and a Kellgren-Lawrence grade ≥ 2 X-ray radiograph of at least one knee. RESULTS: Oral contraceptives use (OR 1.18, 1.05-1.34), ≥3 pregnancies (1.38, 1.20-1.60), and postmenopausal hormone replacement therapy (HT) (1.59, 1.23-2.06) were positively associated with knee pain, while oral contraceptives use (1.28, 1.04-1.57), and HT (1.79, 1.21-2.65) were positively associated with clinical KOA. Obesity and oral contraceptives use showed additive and multiplicative effects on knee pain. The OR for knee pain among women with a BMI ≥24 kg/m2 and oral contraceptives use was 2.00 (1.68-2.38) compared with women with a BMI < 24 kg/m2 and no oral contraceptives use. CONCLUSIONS: A high number of pregnancies, oral contraceptives use, and HT are independent risk factors for KOA, and the effects of reproductive and hormone factors on KOA may be increased by obesity.

The effects and mechanisms of SLC34A2 on maintaining stem cell-like phenotypes in CD147+ breast cancer stem cells.

The cancer stem cell (CSC) hypothesis has gained significant recognition in describing tumorigenesis. Identification of the factors critical to development of breast cancer stem cells (BCSCs) may provide insight into the improvement of effective therapies against breast cancer. In this study, we aim to investigate the biological function of SLC34A2 in affecting the stem cell-like phenotypes in BCSCs and its underlying mechanisms. We demonstrated that CD147+ cells from breast cancer tissue samples and cell lines possessed BCSC-like features, including the ability of self-renewal in vitro, differentiation, and tumorigenic potential in vivo. Flow cytometry analysis showed the presence of a variable fraction of CD147+ cells in 9 of 10 tumor samples. Significantly, SLC34A2 expression in CD147+ BCSCs was enhanced compared with that in differentiated adherent progeny of CD147+ BCSCs and adherently cultured cell line cells. In breast cancer patient cohorts, SLC34A2 expression was found increased in 9 of 10 tumor samples. By using lentiviral-based approach, si-SLC34A2-transduced CD147+ BCSCs showed decreased ability of sphere formation, cell viability in vitro, and tumorigenicity in vivo, which suggested the essential role of SLC34A2 in CD147+ BCSCs. Furthermore, PI3K/AKT pathway and SOX2 were found necessary to maintain the stemness of CD147+ BCSCs by using LY294002 or lentiviral-si-SOX2. Finally, we indicated that SLC34A2 could regulate SOX2 to maintain the stem cell-like features in CD147+ BCSCs through PI3K/AKT pathway. Therefore, our report identifies a novel role of SLC34A2 in BCSCs' state regulation and establishes a rationale for targeting the SLC34A2/PI3K/AKT/SOX2 signaling pathway for breast cancer therapy.

Gelatin microspheres containing calcitonin gene-related peptide or substance P repair bone defects in osteoporotic rabbits.

OBJECTIVES: To investigate the therapeutic effect of gelatin microspheres containing different concentrations of calcitonin gene-related peptide (CGRP) or substance P on repairing bone defects in a rabbit osteoporosis model. RESULTS: Gelatin microspheres containing different concentrations of CGRP or substance P promoted osteogenesis after 3 months in a rabbit osteoporotic bone defective model. From micro-computed tomography imaging results, 10 nM CGRP was optimal for increasing the trabecular number and decreasing the trabecular bone separation degree; similar effects were observed with the microspheres containing 1 µM substance P. Histological analysis showed that the gelatin microspheres containing CGRP or substance P, regardless of the concentration, effectively promoted osteogenesis, and the highest effect was achieved in the groups containing 1 µM CGRP or 1 µM substance P. CONCLUSIONS: Gelatin microspheres containing CGRP or substance P effectively promoted osteogenesis in a rabbit osteoporotic bone defect model dose-dependently, though their effects in repairing human alveolar ridge defects still need further investigation.

Prognostic significance of USP22 as an oncogene in papillary thyroid carcinoma.

Ubiquitin-specific protease 22 (USP22), a novel deubiquitinating enzyme, has been associated with metastasis, therapy resistance, and cell cycle progression. The purpose of this study was to investigate the expression level of USP22 in papillary thyroid carcinoma (PTC) samples and to evaluate its clinical significance in PTC patients. USP22 expression was examined in 30 fresh PTC tissues and paired adjacent noncancerous tissues by real-time quantitative RT-PCR. Immunohistochemistry for USP22 was performed on additional 156 PTC tissues. The clinical significance of USP22 expression was analyzed. We found that the expression levels of USP22 mRNA and protein in PTC tissues were both significantly higher than those in noncancerous tissues. Clinicopathological analysis showed that USP22 expression was significantly correlated with tumor size (p=0.036), extracapsular invasion (p=0.012), multifocality (p=0.014), lymph node metastasis (p=0.022), distant metastasis (p=0.005), and TNM stage (p=0.002). The Kaplan-Meier survival curves revealed that USP22 expression was associated with poor prognosis in PTC patients. USP22 expression was an independent prognostic marker of overall patient survival in a multivariate analysis. Our findings suggest that USP22 is an independent predictor of poor prognosis of PTC patients.

Neoadjuvant rh-endostatin, docetaxel and epirubicin for breast cancer: efficacy and safety in a prospective, randomized, phase II study.

BACKGROUND: Recombinant human endostatin (rh-endostatin) is a novel antiangiogenesis drug developed in China. Previous experiments have shown that rh-endostatin can inhibit the proliferation and migration of endothelial cells and some types of tumor cells. In this study, we evaluated the efficacy and safety profiles of combination therapy of rh-endostatin and neoadjuvant chemotherapy for breast cancer patients in a prospective, randomized, controlled, phase II trial. METHODS: Sixty-eight patients with core-biopsy confirmed breast cancer were allocated randomly to two groups to receive 3 cycles of intravenous administration of either neoadjuvant DE (docetaxel: 75 mg/m2, d1, epirubicin: 75 mg/m2, d1, every 3 weeks), or neoadjuvant DE combined with rh-endostatin (7.5 mg/m2, d1-d14, every 3 weeks). The primary end point was clinical response based upon Response Evaluation Criteria in Solid Tumors, and the secondary end point was safety and quality of life. RESULTS: All patients were assessable for toxicity and 64 (94.2%) were assessable for efficacy evaluation. The objective response rate was 67.7% for chemotherapy (n = 31) and 90.9% for rh-endostatin plus chemotherapy (n = 33) (P = 0.021). A retrospective subset analysis revealed that rh-endostatin was more effective in premenopausal patients and patients with ECOG score of zero (P = 0.002 and P = 0.049, respectively). Five patients in the rh-endostatin plus chemotherapy arm achieved pathologic complete response compared with 2 in the chemotherapy arm (P = 0.428). No significant difference was identified in quality of life score and side effects (P > 0.05). CONCLUSION: The combination of rh-endostatin with chemotherapy produced a higher tumor response rate without increasing toxicity in breast cancer patients. TRIAL REGISTRATION: ClinicalTrials.gov Identifier, NCT00604435.

Dynamic contrast-enhanced MR imaging in a phase â ¡ study on neoadjuvant chemotherapy combining Rh-endostatin with docetaxel and epirubicin for locally advanced breast cancer.

BACKGROUND: Anti-angiogenesis is a promising therapeutic strategy for locally advanced breast cancer. We performed this phase II trial to evaluate the anti-angiogenesis and anti-tumor effect of rh-endostatin combined with docetaxel and epirubicin in patients with locally advanced breast cancer by dynamic contrast-enhanced magnetic resonance imaging in 70 previously untreated locally advanced breast cancer patients. METHODS: The study population was randomly assigned to neoadjuvant chemotherapy with docetaxel and epirubicin (neoadjuvant chemotherapy group) or neoadjuvant chemotherapy combining rh-endostatin with docetaxel and epirubicin (neoadjuvant chemotherapy+rh-endostatin group). The anti-angiogenic and anti-tumor effects of both regimens were evaluated by serial dynamic contrast-enhanced magnetic resonance imaging and microvessel density measurements after final surgery. RESULTS: The results suggested a higher clinical objective response (90.9% vs. 67.7%, P = 0.021) and greater reductions in tumor size (67.2% vs. 55.9%, P = 0.000), Ki-67 proliferation index (32.79% vs. 12.47%, P = 0.000), tumor signal enhanced ratio (64% vs. 48%, P = 0.018), and K(trans) (67% vs. 39%, P = 0.026) in neoadjuvant chemotherapy+rh-endostatin group than those in neoadjuvant chemotherapy group. In addition, the microvessel density value in the neoadjuvant chemotherapy+rh-endostatin group was significantly lower than in the neoadjuvant chemotherapy group (18.67 ± 6.53 vs. 36.05 ± 9.64, P = 0.000). Moreover, the microvessel density value was significantly correlated with K(trans) after neoadjuvant chemotherapy+rh-endostatin treatment (r=0.88, P = 0.00). CONCLUSIONS: The neoadjuvant chemotherapy+rh-endostatin treatment significantly repressed angiogenesis in locally advanced breast cancer and synergistically enhanced the anti-tumor effect of neoadjuvant chemotherapy. Serial dynamic contrast-enhanced magnetic resonance imaging data including reductions in tumor size and K(trans), could provide non-invasive evaluation for chemotherapeutic efficacy and, consequently, optimization of individual chemotherapy for locally advanced breast cancer patients.

A subanesthetic dose of isoflurane during postconditioning ameliorates zymosan-induced neutrophil inflammation lung injury and mortality in mice.

Anesthetic isoflurane (ISO) has immunomodulatory effects. In the present study, we investigated whether a subanesthetic dose of ISO (0.7%) protected against zymosan (ZY) induced inflammatory responses in the murine lung and isolated neutrophils. At 1 and 6 hrs after ZY administration intraperitoneally, ISO was inhaled for 1 hr, and 24 hrs later, lung inflammation and injury were assessed. We found that ISO improved the survival rate of mice and mitigated lung injury as characterized by the histopathology, wet-to-dry weight ratio, protein leakage, and lung function index. ISO significantly attenuated ZY-induced lung neutrophil recruitment and inflammation. This was suggested by the downregulation of (a) endothelial adhesion molecule expression and myeloperoxidase (MPO) activity in lung tissue and polymorphonuclear neutrophils (b) chemokines, and (c) proinflammatory cytokines in BALF. Furthermore, ZY-induced nuclear translocation and DNA-binding activity of NF- κ B p65 were also reduced by ISO. ISO treatment inhibited iNOS expression and activity, as well as subsequent nitric oxide generation. Consistent with these in vivo observations, in vitro studies confirmed that ISO blocked NF- κ B and iNOS activation in primary mouse neutrophils challenged by ZY. These results provide evidence that 0.7% ISO ameliorates inflammatory responses in ZY-treated mouse lung and primary neutrophils.

Microscopic Mechanism of Proton Transfer in Pure Water under Ambient Conditions.

Water molecules and the associated proton transfer (PT) are prevalent in chemical and biological systems and have been a hot research topic. Spectroscopic characterization and ab initio molecular dynamics (AIMD) simulations have previously revealed insights into acidic and basic liquids. Presumably, the situation in the acidic/basic solution is not necessarily the same as in pure water; in addition, the autoionization constant for water is only 10-14 under ambient conditions, making the study of PT in pure water challenging. To overcome this issue, we modeled periodic water box systems containing 1000 molecules for tens of nanoseconds based on a neural network potential (NNP) with quantum mechanical accuracy. The NNP was generated by training a dataset containing the energies and atomic forces of 17 075 configurations of periodic water box systems, and these data points were calculated at the MP2 level that considers electron correlation effects. We found that the size of the system and the duration of the simulation have a significant impact on the convergence of the results. With these factors considered, our simulations showed that hydronium (H3O+) and hydroxide (OH-) ions in water have distinct hydration structures, thermodynamic and kinetic properties, e.g., the longer-lasting and more stable hydrated structure of OH- ions than that of H3O+, as well as a significantly higher free energy barrier for the OH--associated PT than that of H3O+, leading the two to exhibit completely different PT behaviors. Given these characteristics, we further found that PT via OH- ions tends not to occur multiple times or between many molecules. In contrast, PT via H3O+ can synergistically occur among multiple molecules and prefers to adopt a cyclic pattern among three water molecules, while it occurs mostly in a chain pattern when more water molecules are involved. Therefore, our studies provide a detailed and solid microscopic explanation for the PT process in pure water.

A clinical study of a laser fluorescence device for the detection of approximal caries in primary molars.

OBJECTIVE: To evaluate the efficacy of laser fluorescence (LF) device in detecting approximal caries in primary molars. METHODS: Two hundred and sixteen primary molars from 96 children were inspected visually to identify possible caries with contact approximal surfaces. Target molars and their contralateral molars were examined using bitewing radiographs (BR) and LF. Depending on the examination findings, invasive treatments were performed on molars to identify the presence of cavitation. RESULTS: Of 256 surfaces evaluated from 216 primary molars, 128 were intact, 39 had white spots, and 89 had cavities. At the white-spot threshold, sensitivity and specificity, respectively, were 2.56% and 94.87% for visual inspection (VI); 64.10% and 97.43% for BR; and 56.41% and 94.87% for LF. At the cavity threshold, sensitivity and specificity, respectively, were 70.79% and 95.51% for VI; 97.75% and 93.26% for BR; and 92.14% and 97.75% for LF. Significant differences between intact surfaces and white spots, and white spots and cavities were shown through LF readings. CONCLUSIONS: Both LF and BR can detect cavitations on approximal surfaces of primary molars. LF could be an alternative to radiographs in detecting approximal caries in primary molars.

[Combination of recombinant human endostatin and neoadjuvant chemotherapy for breast cancer].

OBJECTIVE: Recombinant human endostatin (rh-Endostatin), a protein modified by an additional nine-amino acid sequence to the N-terminal of endostatin, is a novel antiangiogenesis drug developed in China. The preclinical data suggested that it can inhibit proliferation and migration not only in endothelial cells, but also in some types of tumor cells. Theoretically, antiangiogenesis drugs should also be effective in the therapy of other solid tumors, including breast cancer. Here a prospective, randomized, controlled, phase II trial of combining rh-Endostatin and neoadjuvant chemotherapy was performed to evaluate its efficacy and safety profiles in patients with breast cancer. METHODS: A total of 68 patients with pathologically confirmed breast cancer were randomly assigned to receive the neoadjuvant DE regimen (docetaxel: 75 mg/m(2), d1, epirubicin: 75 mg/m(2), d1) every 3 weeks with or without rh-Endostatin (7.5 mg/m(2), d1-d14). Surgical resection was performed after 3 cycles of neoadjuvant treatment. The primary end-points were objective response rate (ORR) and pathological complete response rate (PCRR) while the secondary end-points quality of life (QOL) and toxicity. RESULTS: Among all of them, 64 were assessable for efficacy and 68 for toxicity. The ORRs were 90.9% (30/33) and 67.7% (21/31) in the combination and control groups respectively (P = 0.021). The stratification analysis showed that rh-Endostatin was more effective in the treatment of pre-menopausal and Eastern Cooperative Oncology Group (ECOG) = 0 patients (P < 0.05). The PCRRs were 15.2% (5/33) and 6.5% (2/31) in the combination and control groups respectively (P = 0.428). No significant difference was identified in QOL score and side effects (P > 0.05). CONCLUSIONS: Compared with DE regimen alone, the combination of rh-Endostatin with DE chemotherapy may achieve a higher ORR with no increased toxicity in breast cancer patients. Thus it can be utilized safely and effectively in the neoadjuvant treatment of breast cancer.

[Serum level of MMP-2 in early breast cancer and its correlation with circulating tumor cells].

OBJECTIVE: To explore the serum levels of MMP-2 in early breast cancer and its clinical significance and correlation with the circulating tumor cells in the patients. METHODS: The serum levels of MMP-2 in breast fibroadenoma (n = 10) and breast cancer (n = 72) were detected by enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay (ELISA). And CK19 mRNA was measured by quantitative reverse transcription-polymerase chain reaction in blood as an index of circulating tumor cells in the patients. RESULTS: The serum level of MMP-2 in breast cancer was significantly higher than that in breast fibroadenoma (12.24 vs 2.21 µg/L, P = 0.003). Subgroup analysis showed that the serum levels of MMP-2 were higher in HER-2 positive patients than those in HER-2 negative ones (16.77 vs 10.02 µg/L, P = 0.022). CK19 mRNA was found in blood samples from 30 cases of breast cancer and the positive rate was 41.7%. However, it was not detected in the patients with breast fibroadenoma. The mean levels of serum MMP-2 were (15.48 ± 2.02) and (7.16 ± 1.55) µg/L in CK19 positive and negative patients respectively. Significant difference existed between two groups (P = 0.013). CONCLUSION: The serum level of MMP-2 in early breast cancer is closely correlated with blood micrometastasis. And its high level may be an important contributing factor for the metastasis of breast cancer.

The significance of expression of autophagy-related gene Beclin, Bcl-2, and Bax in breast cancer tissues.

The purpose of this study was to detect the expression of autophagy-related gene Beclin1 and apoptosis-related genes Bcl-2 and Bax in breast cancer tissues, to investigate their relationship and significance to the occurrence and development of breast cancer, and to provide an experimental basis for the biological treatment of breast cancer in the future. Human breast cancer tissues and relatively healthy breast tissue adjacent to the tumor were collected during surgical resection. By using RT-PCR and western blot, the mRNA and protein expressions of Beclin1, Bcl-2, and Bax were detected in the breast cancer tissues and the relatively healthy, adjacent tissues. The correlations of these expressions with the occurrence, development, and clinicopathology of breast cancer were analyzed. The mRNA and protein expressions of Beclin1 and Bcl-2 in breast cancer tissues were significantly lower than those in the relatively healthy, adjacent breast tissues (p < 0.05); the lower the degree of tumor differentiation, the lower the mRNA and protein expressions of Beclin1 and Bcl-2 (p < 0.05); the mRNA and protein expressions of Beclin1 and Bcl-2 in breast cancer tissues from patients positive for lymph node metastasis were significantly lower than those negative for lymph node metastasis (p < 0.05); the mRNA and protein expressions of Beclin1 and Bcl-2 in breast cancer tissues from patients positive for distant metastasis were significantly lower than those negative for distant metastasis (p < 0.05); the mRNA and protein expressions of Beclin1 and Bcl-2 in breast cancer tissues from patients positive for ki67 were significantly lower than those negative for ki67 (p < 0.05). The mRNA and protein expressions of Bax were different from those of Beclin1 and Bcl-2. In breast cancer tissues, the mRNA and protein expressions of Bax were up-regulated (p < 0.05); the lower the degree of tumor differentiation, the higher the mRNA and protein expressions of Bax (p < 0.05); the mRNA and protein expressions of Bax in breast cancer tissues from patients positive for lymph node metastasis were significantly higher than those negative for lymph node metastasis (p < 0.05); and the mRNA and protein expressions of Bax in breast cancer tissues from patients positive for distant metastasis were significantly higher than those in patients negative for distant metastasis (p < 0.05). However, the mRNA and protein expressions of these three genes were not correlated with patient age, tumor size, progesterone receptor positivity, or human epidermal growth factor positivity (p > 0.05). The correlation of Bcl-2 and Bax mRNA with Beclin1 mRNA expressed in breast cancer tissues were both statistically significant (p < 0.05). The activity change of autophagy and apoptosis is associated with the tumorigenesis and tumor progression of breast cancer. The joint detection of these three genes (Beclin1, Bcl-2, and Bax) contributes to the early diagnosis of and predicts prognosis for breast cancer, and this also provides an experimental basis for the biological therapy of breast cancer.

Application of colour Doppler in encircling constriction of the superficial femoral vein in primary deep venous insufficiency of the lower limbs.

1. The aim of the present study was to evaluate the clinical value of colour Doppler application in encircling constriction of the superficial femoral vein in deep vein insufficiency. 2. A total of 87 patients with primary deep venous insufficiency (PDVI) using ascending venography were randomly divided into group A (44 patients) and group B (43 patients). All patients underwent encircling constriction of the superficial femoral vein, high ligation and ablation of the great saphenous vein and perforator vein. The duration of venous reflux at operation was monitored with colour Doppler in group A (but not group B) to evaluate the immediate effects. Clinical grading and scoring of the clinical, etiological, anatomical, pathophysiological (CEAP) classification system were used to evaluate the follow-up curative effect. 3. In four cases from group A, completely destroyed valves were identified at the time of operation and autografting of the vein segment with a valve was carried out. The intraoperative examination of colour Doppler in group A showed a much shorter duration of vein reflux after the encircling constriction procedure than the presurgery condition. According to the results of CEAP grading, the success rate of group A (95.0%, 38/40) was significantly higher than that of group B (76.7%, 33/43). Postoperative clinical scores were markedly lower than preoperative scores in both groups A and B. 4. In conclusion, our data suggest that application of colour Doppler in encircling constriction of superficial femoral vein might enhance surgical pertinence and improve surgical effect for PDVI.

Rectal carcinoma metastatic to the male breast after 7 years: case report.

BACKGROUND: Colorectal cancer metastasis to a mammary location is very rare. CASE REPORT: A 38-year-old male, who had undergone anterior resection of an advanced rectal carcinoma 7 years earlier, presented with a right mammary mass. Core needle biopsy of the mass indicated cytology consistent with breast adenocarcinoma. After neoadjuvant chemotherapy and modified radical mastectomy, pathology identified the mass as rectal carcinoma. CONCLUSION: The authors highlight the difficulty of making an accurate diagnosis of rectal cancer metastasis to the breast of a male.

Maternal vitamin D intake during pregnancy and risk of asthma and wheeze in children: a systematic review and meta-analysis of observational studies.

Aims: To summarize the relationship between vitamin D and infant asthma or wheeze.Materials and methods: We used PubMed and Embase to search articles through July 2017 with selection criteria for relevant studies. Random-effect models were used to pool the results of included studies.Results: Ten articles with 14 independent reports of 2073 incident cases of asthma and 1875 cases of wheeze among 23 030 pairs of mother and child were included in our meta-analysis. Compared to those who did not take vitamin D, the mothers who had vitamin D supplementation during pregnancy stage could reduce the risk of asthma or wheeze in infants. The combined odds ratio of infant wheeze was 0.65 (95% CI = 0.54-0.79) and asthma was 0.78 (95% CI = 0.69-0.89). The results almost did not change in the subgroup analyses.Conclusions: It suggests that increasing maternal vitamin D intake during pregnancy might have a protective effect on suffering from wheeze and asthma for children.

Awareness of and Preferences for Preexposure Prophylaxis (PrEP) among MSM at High Risk of HIV Infection in Southern China: Findings from the T2T Study.

This study is aimed at investigating the awareness of and preferences for oral and long-acting injectable HIV preexposure prophylaxis (PrEP) and their associated factors among men who have sex with men (MSM) at high risk of HIV infection in southern China. A cross-sectional survey was conducted among 603 MSM who were recruited through a cohort study called the T2T Study at three sexual health clinics in Guangzhou, Shenzhen, and Wuxi, China, from 2017 to 2018. We collected information on HIV-negative participants' awareness of and willingness to use PrEP and its potential correlations. Univariate and multivariate logistic regressions were used for data analyses. A total of 550 HIV-negative MSM were enrolled in the study. Less than half of at-risk MSM (43.1%) had heard of PrEP before, and the rate of overall willingness to use PrEP was 65.8%, while MSM were more willing to use daily oral PrEP than long-acting injectable- (LAI-) PrEP (62.2% vs. 38.5%). MSM who had university degrees or above (aOR = 1.55, 95% CI: 1.01-2.37), used condoms during last anal sex (1.52, 1.01-2.29), and tested 3 times or more for HIV (2.45, 1.10-5.47) were more likely to be aware of PrEP. MSM who had use of gay dating apps (1.51, 1.02-2.23), ever participated in HIV- or sexually transmitted disease (STD-) related studies (1.91, 1.24-2.94), and had heard of PrEP (3.06, 2.06-4.54) were more willing to use any regimen of PrEP. MSM at high risk of HIV infection had low awareness of PrEP and moderate willingness to use PrEP. Further studies of the implementation and promotion of PrEP targeting at-risk MSM should be performed.

Prospective study on combination of electrical impedance scanning and ultrasound in estimating risk of development of breast cancer in young women.

Based on cost-effective ratio, there has not yet been imaging methods suitable for breast cancer screening in young women. The aim of this study was to evaluate the sensitivity and specificity of the combination of electrical impedance scanning (EIS) and ultrasound in identifying breast cancer for young women, to calculate relative risks, and to determine whether there has been some more accurate imaging method used in early detection of breast cancer in young women. A prospective and multicenter clinical study was conducted in young women aged 45 years and under. The young women (583 cases) scheduled for mammary biopsy underwent EIS and ultrasound, respectively. EIS and ultrasound results were compared with final histopathology results. Study end points included sensitivities and specificities of EIS, ultrasound and the combination method, as well as relative probability of breast cancer of positive patients detected by the combination of EIS and ultrasound. Of the 583 cases, 143 were diagnosed with breast cancer. The sensitivities of EIS, ultrasound and the combination method were 86.7% (124/143), 72% (103/143), and 93.7% (134/143); the specificities were 72.9% (321/440), 82.5% (363/440), and 64.1% (282/440), and the relative possibilities of breast cancer for the positive young women detected by EIS, ultrasound, and the combination method were 8.67, 5.77, and 14.84, respectively. The combination of EIS and ultrasound is likely to become an applicable method for early detection of breast cancer in young women.

Micromechanism Study of Strengthening Effect of Copper on Gold Thiosulfate Leaching.

To study the effect of copper on gold thiosulfate leaching, the gold dissolution of three different sample powders (gold, gold/copper, and gold/copper oxide) in a solution of 5 mM Cu2+, 0.4 M ammonia, and 0.1 M thiosulfate was studied. Scanning electron microscopy analysis showed no sulfur passivation on the gold surface, and there were more prominent corrosion pits on the gold surfaces of samples that were ground with copper or copper oxide. The Evans diagrams showed that copper and copper oxide can promote both the anode and cathode processes of gold dissolution. Based on first principle simulations, copper and copper oxide exhibited the ability to disrupt the stability of gold surface atoms and cause different degrees of relaxation. Both copper and copper oxide reduce the d-band center of the gold surface atoms and the adsorption between gold and thiosulfate. In addition, the bond length of the S-S bond of thiosulfate adsorbed onto the gold surface was longer when copper or copper oxide were not present. According to the change in the potential surface energy, the energy barriers for gold atom dissolution from gold, gold/copper, and gold/copper oxide surfaces were 1.79, 0.72, and 1.01 eV, respectively.