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Introduction: Febrile neutropenia (FN) is an oncologic emergency requiring immediate empiric antibiotic therapy. Although carboplatin plus etoposide combination chemotherapy is associated with a relatively high frequency of FN, the risk factors are unclear. Hence, this retrospective study aimed to identify predictive markers of carboplatin/etoposide-induced FN. Methods: We conducted a retrospective cohort analysis of patients with previously untreated small-cell lung cancer (SCLC) who received combination chemotherapy with carboplatin (area under the concentration curve: 5 mg/mL·min, day 1) and etoposide (80 or 100 mg/m2, days 1–3) between July 2007 and June 2022. FN was assessed during the 21 days after initiation of carboplatin and etoposide therapy according to the Japanese Society of Medical Oncology's definition. Fisher's exact test for categorical variables and Mann-Whitney U test for continuous variables were used to compare the two groups. Statistical significance was set at p values <0.05. Explanatory variables with p values <0.05 in the univariate analysis were included in the multivariate logistic regression analysis. Results: Among the 176 eligible patients, the incidence of FN during the first cycle of chemotherapy was 25.0% (44/176). Multivariate analysis revealed that co-administration of proton pump inhibitors (PPIs) or potassium-competitive acid blockers (PCABs) and body mass index (BMI) were significantly associated with FN (p = 0.0035 and 0.0011, respectively). Patients with both co-administration of PPIs or PCABs and a BMI ≤22.509 kg/m2 presented with significantly higher frequencies of FN compared with the other patients (13/24 [54.2%] vs. 31/152 [20.4%] patients; odds ratio: 4.56, 95% confidence interval: 1.70–12.48; p = 0.00147). Conclusion: Patients who received carboplatin plus etoposide for SCLC with co-administration of PPIs or PCABs and a BMI ≤22.509 kg/m2 more frequently present with FN than those without the two factors. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The effects of an AC electric field on ice nucleation temperature and nucleation rate were investigated by freezing distilled water while exposing it to varied AC electric field strengths and frequencies. To eliminate the influence of ion injections and electric field concentrations at a metal electrode surface on ice nucleation, distilled water filled in resin cuvettes are used as samples. The samples are exposed to AC electric field induced by parallel plate electrodes placed outside of the cuvettes. The cuvettes and parallel plate electrodes placed in a freezer with an inside temperature fixed at −15°C. The electric field strength in the sample is 2 or 7.5 kV/m and frequency varies from 50 Hz to 10 kHz. The ice nucleation temperature and the nucleation rate of distilled water increase with increasing the electric field strength and the frequency. © 2023 Institute of Electrical Engineer of Japan and Wiley Periodicals LLC. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In recent rallies for democracy by Thai youth, protesters appreciated the 1932 overthrow of absolute monarchy by the People's Party and the memory of anti-royalist Thai Prime Minister Phibun Songkram. On the other hand, since 2016, there have been royalist movements to wipe out all memory of him. Using Historical Institutionalism, this article traces the process of Phibun's return as army commander following the 1947 coup, accession as Prime Minister (for the second time) in April 1948, and the evocative memory of People's Party and Phibun in 2020 youth-led protests. The author paid particular attention to the meanings of rallies and leaflets. A closer look at Thai, Chinese, and English newspapers of the time reveals that many youth-led rallies were organized, and a great many leaflets were distributed. Youth-led rallying is still a common practice in Thai political activity today, and its origins are observed here. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: Foscarnet is an important drug for the treatment of cytomegalovirus infection in patients undergoing hematopoietic stem cell transplantation (HSCT). Foscarnet is often discontinued because of the development of acute kidney injury (AKI). Thus, the identification of factors leading to the development of AKI is beneficial. This study aimed to investigate the incidence of AKI and the factors influencing AKI development in HSCT patients treated with foscarnet. Methods: This was a retrospective observational study. Patients who underwent HSCT and received foscarnet at the Department of Hematology, Osaka City University Hospital, were identified from medical records. The patients were classified into AKI and non‐AKI groups, and the risk factors associated with AKI were evaluated. For continuous variables, receiver‐operating characteristic (ROC) curve analysis was used to calculate the optimal cutoff value. Results: Thirty‐five patients (47 cases) were assigned to the AKI (51.1%, 24/47) and non‐AKI groups (48.9%, 23/47). The AKI group had a significantly longer foscarnet administration period than the non‐AKI group (p = 0.049). The appropriate cutoff value for the foscarnet administration period using the ROC curve was 27 days. The incidence of AKI was significantly higher in cases who received foscarnet for more than 27 days (11/14, 78.6%) compared to those who received less than 27 days (13/33, 39.4%) (odds ratio: 5.64, 95% confidence interval 1.32–24.2, p = 0.024). Conclusion: The incidence of AKI was 51.1% in HSCT patients treated with foscarnet, and foscarnet administration for more than 27 days may be associated with the incidence of AKI. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: It is known that the area under the plasma concentration curve of nedaplatin (AUCNDP) is associated with the relative reduction ratio of platelets and that the AUCNDP is based on nedaplatin dose normalized by creatinine clearance (CrCL) (AUCdose/CrCL). Based on these relationships, in this retrospective study, we aimed to determine the unestablished doseNDP safe for patients with impaired renal function who received an initial combination chemotherapy with nedaplatin and 5-fluorouracil. Methods: We performed a retrospective cohort analysis of consecutive patients with esophageal cancer who received an initial combination chemotherapy with ≤ 90 mg m−2 day−1 of nedaplatin on day 1 and 800 mg m−2 day−1 of 5-fluorouracil on days 1–5. AUCdose/CrCL was estimated using the formula, 3.2134 × doseNDP/CrCL + 4.4185. Data obtained during the first 28 days following nedaplatin administration were analyzed to compare AUCdose/CrCL between the patients with and without grade ≥ 3 thrombocytopenia. Receiver-operating characteristic (ROC) curve analysis was performed to determine the optimal AUCdose/CrCL cutoff value. Results: Of the 136 patients included in this study, 8 (5.9%) presented with grade ≥ 3 thrombocytopenia. There were statistically significant differences in the AUCdose/CrCL between the patients with and those without grade ≥ 3 thrombocytopenia (11.79 vs. 10.09 µg h−1 mL−1; P = 0.00828). We found that the appropriate cutoff value for the AUCdose/CrCL using the ROC curve was 10.945 µg h−1 mL−1. Conclusions: Our results indicate that safe doseNDP should be estimated to satisfy the following formula: DoseNDP (mg) < CrCL × 2.031. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Chapter 2 describes the massacre in Bangkok on October 6, 1976, where a large number of student activists were killed by the police and right-wing groups. With the 2020 rise of student activism in Thailand, for the first time since the October 6, 1976 incident, the book I Moments of Silence i has gained more and more readers since the activists' reference to the incident. Current student activism has called for the reform of the monarchy, has been suppressed by police, and activists have been arrested for lèse-majesté (insulting monarchy). [Extracted from the article]

A compact inductive energy storage (IES) pulsed-power generator that is driven by a novel 13 kV silicon carbide (SiC)-MOSFET is developed and molded into a compact modified TO-268. In this article, the switching characteristics required for IES pulsed-power generator development are evaluated. The maximum slew rates at MOSFET turn-on and turn-off are 157 and 129 kV/μs, respectively, at an input voltage of 10 kV. The maximum current flow from the drain to the source terminal is limited to 128 A during short-circuit switching. The on-resistance between the drain and source terminals increases during the SiC-MOSFET's on state. It increases with the voltage and its minimum value is 1.07 Ω. These characteristics show that the device is suitable for use as an opening switch because of its low on-resistance and rapid large-current cutoff at high operating voltages. The characteristics of an IES pulsed-power generator composed of a SiC-MOSFET, a capacitor, and a pulsed transformer with a turn ratio of 5:15 are also evaluated. The output voltage peak and full width at half maximum reach 31.4 kV and 55 ns, respectively, at a charging voltage of 1100 V. The maximum energy transfer efficiency is 50.2% of the input energy with a load resistance of 2.5 kΩ. The results show that the MOSFET has excellent potential to support the development of a compact plasma generation system that offers better performance pulsed-power generators driven by semiconductor devices. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The influence of waveforms of the applied voltage on hydrogen production from methane reforming using dielectric barrier discharge (DBD) is investigated. Three types of high voltage power generators with different pulse shape with widths of $50~\mu \text{s}$ –250 ns and voltage rise speeds of $7.6\times \,\,10^{4}$ – $5.2\times 10^{10}$ V/s of sinusoidal, bipolar pulses, and a nanosecond pulse voltage are used to control the waveform. The energy efficiency for hydrogen production in the case of nanosecond pulse is approximately 0.9 g/kW $\cdot \text{h}$ , much higher than those of sinusoidal and bipolar pulses, with approximately 0.5 g/kW $\cdot \text{h}$. This is due to that the voltage rise speed by the short pulse is much higher than those using the sine wave and the bipolar pulse, and so the discharge by the short pulse is uniformly generated. The hydrogen production increases and the energy efficiency decreases slightly with increasing pulse repetition rate. The hydrogen production efficiency is independent of the gas pressure within the ranges from 0.12 to 0.16 MPa. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: Concomitant use of foscarnet and intravenous pentamidine can very frequently cause severe hypocalcemia. However, it is unknown whether aerosolized pentamidine has a similar adverse interaction with foscarnet. The present study was aimed at examining the safety profile of concomitantly used foscarnet and aerosolized pentamidine in patients receiving allogeneic hematopoietic stem cell transplantation. Methods: Data from allogeneic hematopoietic stem cell recipients who had been administered foscarnet therapy for over 7 days were analyzed. We compared electrolyte abnormalities and serum creatinine level between patients who received aerosolized pentamidine concomitantly and those who did not. Results: A total of 84 consecutive patients and 135 episodes of foscarnet therapy between May 2011 and April 2016 were evaluable. Of these 135 episodes, 25 episodes of therapy included concurrent therapy with 300 mg dose of aerosolized pentamidine once a month (pentamidine group) and 110 episodes did not (non‐pentamidine group). The incident rates of grade 3/4 hypocalcemia did not significantly differ between the pentamidine and non‐pentamidine groups (P =.207; 0/25 [0%] vs 10/110 [9.1%], respectively). In addition, we observed no significant difference in the incident rates of grade 3/4 serum creatinine increase between the two groups (P = 1.00; 0/25 [0%] vs 4/110 [3.6%], respectively). Conclusion: Our results suggest that the drug interactions between foscarnet and aerosolized pentamidine may not be clinically significant. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Purpose: The purpose of this study was to compare the efficacy of the pre-prescription of garenoxacin mesylate hydrate (GRNX) with that of moxifloxacin hydrochloride (MFLX) in the management of breast cancer patients with low-risk febrile neutropenia.Methods: Data from female patients who had been instructed to take previously prescribed oral GRNX or MFLX for 3 days during adjuvant and neoadjuvant chemotherapy if their body temperature exceeded 38 °C were analyzed. This study compared the effectiveness between these fluoroquinolones using a propensity score matching analysis.Results: The 330 patients received 1192 administrations of chemotherapy between May 2007 and April 2014 and 136 (41.2%) patients had a total of 212 (17.8%) febrile episodes. The frequencies of febrile episodes were 19.5% (113/579) and 16.2% (99/613) in the GRNX and MFLX groups, respectively. After propensity score matching, 384 episodes were matched in each group. Febrile events occurred in 80 and 56 cases in the GRNX and MFLX groups, respectively. Treatment success was identified in 80.0% (64/80) of cases in the GRNX group and 64.3% (36/56) of cases in the MFLX group (P = 0.0494). Additionally, the therapeutic use of granulocyte-colony stimulating factor was 6.3% (5/80) of cases in the GRNX group and 17.9% (10/56) of cases in the MFLX group (P = 0.0498). There were few differences in the frequency of adverse effects between the two groups.Conclusions: These results indicate that the pre-prescription of GRNX may be a more effective option for the management of low-risk febrile neutropenia during adjuvant and neoadjuvant chemotherapy for breast cancer. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The influence of the electric parameters, applied voltage, and pulse repetition rate on the energy efficiency for hydroxyl radical production from pulsed discharge inside of a bubble is investigated in this paper, as a possible application for waste water treatment. To evaluate the energy efficiency, indigo carmine, a common dye, is used as a chemical probe of hydroxyl radicals. Argon is injected into water through a vertically positioned glass tube, into which high-voltage wire electrode is placed to generate plasmas at low applied voltage. The energy efficiency increases with the decreasing pulse repetition rate and output voltage with the same indigo carmine concentration. The results show that the energy efficiency for the hydroxyl radical production increases with the decreasing amount of energy input into the solution per unit time because of the decrease in the recombination reaction of the hydroxyl radicals in the solution. The impedance between the electrodes decreases with the increasing output voltage, which increases the ohmic losses in the solution but does not contribute to the production of hydroxyl radicals. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

A nutrient solution treatment system using corona plasma is developed for practical use in hydroponics. A gas-liquid separated reactor and a high voltage power supply based on a 20 kHz inverter neon-transformer are developed to archive the treatment with high energy efficiency, a low initial cost and a low running cost. The performance of the system on bacteria inactivation in the nutrient solution is evaluated in a continuous treatment system operation. The results show that the standard plate count for background microflora and R. solanacearum is drastically reduced by the plasma treatment and is not detected after 8 days treatment. The nutrient solution is decontaminated by 4 log cycle with plasma treatment under the continuous operation condition. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Heat shock protein 72 (Hsp72) is a molecular chaperone that assists in the folding of nascent polypeptides and in the refolding of denatured proteins. In many cancers, Hsp72 is constitutively expressed at elevated levels, which can result in enhanced stress tolerance. Similarly, following treatment with anticancer drugs, Hsp72 binds to denatured proteins that may be essential for survival. We therefore hypothesized that Hsp72 client proteins may play a crucial role in drug resistance. Here, we aimed to identify proteins that are critical for oxaliplatin (OXA) resistance by analyzing human gastric cancer cell lines, as well as OXA-resistant cells via a mass spectrometry-based proteomic approach combined with affinity purification using anti-Hsp72 antibodies. Stromal cell-derived factor 2 (SDF-2) was identified as an Hsp72 client protein unique to OCUM-2M/OXA cells. SDF-2 was overexpressed in OXA-resistant cells and SDF-2 silencing promoted the apoptotic effects of OXA. Furthermore, Hsp72 prevented SDF-2 degradation in a chaperone activity-dependent manner. Together, our data demonstrate that Hsp72 protected SDF-2 to avoid OXA-induced cell death. We propose that inhibition of SDF-2 may comprise a novel therapeutic strategy to counteract OXA-resistant cancers. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

We aimed to isolate aerobic butanol-producing microorganisms from environmental samples as potential platform strains for butanol production. Soil samples collected were subjected to a semi-high-throughput screening strategy. A microorganism capable of producing butanol in high concentrations under aerobic conditions was isolated and identified as Bacillus species by 16S rDNA analysis. The growth and butanol production under both aerobic and anaerobic conditions of the isolated Bacillus sp. 15, together with a different composition of by-products, suggest different metabolic networks from the obligate anaerobes Clostridia. At 1 L scale fermentation with 0.2 L/Min of ariflow, butanol titer reached up to 10.38 g/L in a batch culture. The fermentation process of the isolate also occurred in two phases and the acidic condition is critical for butanol production. The butanol concentration was further improved to 12.3 g/L with minimized by-products using a microaerobic condition. With the above-mentioned distinct features, the isolated Bacillus sp. 15 is a suitable platform strain for further process development and metabolic engineering for butanol production. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Block copolymers of 2,2,6,6-tetramethyl-4-piperidyl methacrylate and glycidyl methacrylate were prepared by atom transfer radical polymerization. The block copolymer was immobilized on an indium-doped tin oxide substrate by simply coating the copolymer solution and annealing. The copolymer layers were efficiently converted to those of the corresponding 2,2,6,6-tetramethylpiperidin-1-oxy (TEMPO) polymer. The TEMPO layers were swelled with but not eluted into common electrolyte solutions such as acetonitrile and ethylene carbonate, and showed excellent electrochemically reversible redox cycling at 0.81 V vs. Ag/AgCl. The layer with the thickness of micron meters exhibited both a sufficient charge diffusivity (10 −10 cm 2 s −1 ) and a very large storage capacity (beyond 120 mC cm −2 ), which was applicable to a cathode of organic-based rechargeable devices. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Abstract: Angiogenesis and lymphangiogenesis play roles in malignant tumor progression, dissemination, and metastasis. ADAMTS1, a member of the matrix metalloproteinase family, is known to inhibit angiogenesis. Recombinant ADAMTS1 was shown to strongly inhibit angiogenesis. We investigated whether ADAMTS1 inhibited lymphangiogenesis in the present study. We examined cell proliferation and cell migration in normal human dermal lymphatic microvascular endothelial cells (HMVEC-dLy) transduced with or without adenoviral human ADAMTS1 gene therapy. We then examined the VEGFC/VEGFR3 signal transduction pathway in ADAMTS1-transduced HMVEC-dLy. Cell proliferation and tube formation in Matrigel were significantly lower with transduced ADAMTS1 than with control (non-transduced HMVEC-dLy). The phosphorylation of VEGFR3 was also attenuated by ADAMTS1 gene therapy in HMVEC-dLy. Immunoprecipitation assays revealed that ADAMTS1 formed a complex with VEGFC. Our results demonstrated that ADAMTS1 inhibited lymphangiogenesis in vitro. The data highlight the new function of ADAMTS1 in the regulation of lymphangiogenesis and the therapeutic potential of ADAMTS1 in cancer therapy. [Copyright &y& Elsevier]

Three hyper 2-propanol producing strains were isolated from Singapore environment using an enrichment step and a high through-put screening step. The analysis of the amplified 16S rDNA revealed that the isolates belonged to Clostridium species and they were named as Clostridium sp. BT10-1, Clostridium sp. M10-1 and Clostridium sp. PU31-4. At 1 L scale, the 2-propanol titer of these positive strains was 1.6-2.1 times of that of Clostridium beijerinckii NRRL B593, which is so far the most efficient natural 2-propanol producer. The highest 2-propanol titer was achieved by isolate BT10-6 and it was 5.26 g/L (87.5 mM). These three positive strains BT10-6, M10-1 and PU31-4 consumed glucose almost completely in 40-48 h and gave 2-propanol productivity at 0.132, 0.118 and 0.087 g/L/h, respectively, which is 3.0-4.6 times of 0.029 g/L/h given by C. beijerinckii NRRL B593. Butanol was also produced by these positive strains with a slightly lower butanol titer and higher butanol productivity, compared to butanol control strain C. beijerinckii NCIMB 8052. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This paper presents an empirical analysis of stochastic features of volatility in the Japanese stock price index, or TOPIX, using high-frequency data sampled every 5 min. The process of TOPIX is modeled by a stochastic differential equation with the time-homogeneous drift and diffusion coefficients. To avoid the risk of misspecification for the volatility function, which is defined by the squared diffusion coefficient, the local polynomial model is applied to the data, and then produced the estimates of the volatility function together with their confidence intervals. The result of the estimation suggests that the volatility function shows similar patterns for one period, but drastically changes for another. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Diurnal variations of fossil secondary organic carbon (SOC) and nonfossil SOC were determined for the first time using a combination of several carbonaceous aerosol measurement techniques, including radiocarbon (14C) determinations by accelerator mass spectrometry, and a receptor model (chemical mass balance, CMB) at a site downwind of Tokyo during the summer of 2007. Fossil SOC showed distinct diurnal variation with a maximum during daytime, whereas diurnal variation of nonfossil SOC was relatively small. This behavior was reproduced by a chemical transport model (CTM). However, the CTM underestimated the concentration of anthropogenic secondary organic aerosol (ASOA) by a factor of 4-7, suggesting that ASOA enhancement during daytime is not explained by production from volatile organic compounds that are traditionally considered major ASOA precursors. This result suggests that unidentified semivolatile organic compounds or multiphase chemistry may contribute largely to ASOA production. As our knowledge of production pathways of secondary organic aerosol (SOA) is still limited, diurnal variations of fossil and nonfossil SOC in our estimate give an important experimental constraint for future development of SOA models. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Water purification by streamer discharge using pulsed-power generator under a high-conductivity water containing pollutants has been investigated. A gas–liquid separated reactor was developed to treat highly conductive solution. A wire electrode was placed in the gas phase and a plane electrode was immersed in the water. A pulsed high voltage generated by six stacked Blumlein lines was applied to the wire electrode to generate streamer discharge in the gas phase, which propagated into the air bubble injected into the water. Indigo carmine solution was employed as a specimen. Natrium chloride was used to adjust the solution conductivity in the range from 10 to 30 000 \mu\S/cm. A solution with 30 000- \mu\S/cm conductivity was successfully decolorized with energy efficiency of 75 \mg/\W\cdot\h. Some species of gas such as air, oxygen, nitrogen, and argon were injected to clarify dominant reactions of the decolorization. The result showed that the ozone produced by gas-phase discharges mainly contributed to the decolorization of the solution. The decolorization rate depended on the chloride ion supplied from the natrium chloride by scavenging of hydroxyl radical and on the copper ion eluted from the plane electrode by redox reactions such as Fenton reactions. [ABSTRACT FROM PUBLISHER]

Pulsed electric fields (PEFs), which are generated by pulsed power technologies, are being tested for their applicability in food processing through protein conformational change and the poration of cell membranes. In this article, enzyme activity change and the permeabilization of agricultural products using pulsed power technologies are reviewed as novel, nonthermal food processes. Compact pulsed power systems have been developed with repetitive operation and moderate output power for application in food processing. Firstly, the compact pulsed power systems for the enzyme activity change and permeabilization are outlined. Exposure to electric fields affects hydrogen bonds in the secondary and tertiary structures of proteins; as a result, the protein conformation is induced to be changed. The conformational change induces an activity change in enzymes such as α-amylase and peroxidase. Secondly, the conformational change in proteins and the induced protein functional change are reviewed. The permeabilization of agricultural products is caused through the poration of cell membranes by applying PEFs produced by pulsed discharges. The permeabilization of cell membranes can be used for the extraction of nutrients and health-promoting agents such as polyphenols and vitamins. The electrical poration can also be used as a pre-treatment for food drying and blanching processes. Finally, the permeabilization of cell membranes and its applications in food processing are reviewed. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Continuous monitoring of the concentration of atmospheric particulate matter was carried out for 7 years by both gravimetric method and β-ray attenuation method (BAM) from a building rooftop in the Tokyo metropolitan area. The two methods showed a different tendency in each season: the data observed by BAM were higher than those by the gravimetric method in summer, and this difference was reversed in winter. The volatilization of ammonium salts accounted for only 30% of the difference between the monitoring methods in summer. Thus, we considered the differences in the water content measured by each method. The concentration difference between methods increased when relative humidity exceeded the deliquescence point of ammonium sulfate in summer, and the water content was estimated to be 30%. However, differences in relative humidity did not explain why the data obtained by the gravimetric method exceeded BAM data by 20–30% in winter. We found that the gravimetric measurements generally exceeded BAM measurements in winter if the ambient absolute humidity during particle collection was higher than the absolute humidity during sample weighing. The water content of atmospheric aerosols greatly influences their mass concentrations. Care must be taken when using mass concentration data for purposes such as evaluating health effects. [Copyright &y& Elsevier]

Abstract: To evaluate the influence of vehicle exhaust particles on the urban atmosphere, atmospheric aerosols collected in the general environment and at a trunk road sampling site in the Tokyo metropolitan area were analyzed for carbonaceous and ionic components. Samples were collected as fine (<2.1μm) and coarse particle (2.1–7.0μm) from April 2003 to March 2004 using low-volume Andersen sampler. The carbonaceous components were analyzed by a thermal method and a thermal/optical method. Elemental carbon (EC) determined by thermal method was higher than those by thermal/optical method, and slope of linear regression of the thermal method versus the thermal/optical method differed at both sampling points. These results suggested possible analytical artifacts, a difference in the composition of the carbonaceous components of the aerosols, or both. The EC concentrations in fine particles in the roadside were higher than in the general environment by 5μgm−3, and it was accounted for 68% of the difference of the mass concentration. The mass concentration reconstructed by the mass closure model using element analysis results corresponded more closely to the observed mass concentration in the general environment samples than in the roadside samples. It is suggested that the contribution of the organic compounds in the roadside particles was underestimated. Diesel vehicle emission control regulations implemented in October 2003 seem to have had an effect because there was a significant difference in the average concentration of suspended particulate matter and NO x before and after implementation of the regulations. Moreover, the EC/TC ratio has been decreasing over time. [Copyright &y& Elsevier]

Abstract: Long-term measurements of suspended particulate matter (SPM, <7μm), PMfine (<2.1μm), and PMcoarse (2.1–7μm) were obtained from a traffic-dominated site in Tokyo, Japan for the period 1994–2004 to evaluate the effects of emission reduction measures for motor-vehicle emissions. SPM decreased from 1996 forward, with all of the downward trend attributable to the PMfine fraction. Annual average PMcoarse was constant over the 10-yr period. From 1996 to 2004, PMfine decreased at a rate of 2.37μgm−3 yr−1 for PM2.1 mass. Most of this decrease was attributable to decreases in organic and elemental carbon. This decrease is consistent with fleet penetration of engines and fuels that complied with a stringent Japanese emission reduction limit which began to take effect in 1994. Sulfate and nitrate concentrations did not decrease over this period. Evidence of Asian dust storm contributions was found in elevated PMcoarse and water-soluble calcium levels during the spring. [Copyright &y& Elsevier]

The development of discharge inside a bubble in water is observed using high-speed gated ICCD cameras. A tungsten wire is inserted into a glass tube, which is immersed in water. Argon gas is injected into the glass tube through a solenoid valve to generate bubbles at the tip of the glass tube. The pulsed high voltage is generated using an inductive energy storage system pulsed power generator driven by a SI-thyristor. Two ICCD cameras with optical axes perpendicular to each other are used to take two orthogonal images, and an ICCD camera that is capable of taking 12 consecutive photographs used to evaluate the propagation velocity of the discharge. The discharge propagates into the bubble from the tip of the wire in the glass tube. Then, the discharge propagates along the bubble surface. The propagation velocity is almost independent of water conductivity and 2.7–3.6 × 105 m/s. The average maximum length of the discharge propagation decreases from approximately 8.9 to 5.4 mm with increasing water conductivity from 7 to 1000 μS/cm. Indigo carmine, a commonly used organic dye, was used as the chemical probe of the active species produced by the discharge inside the bubble. The amounts of indigo carmine decomposition with 120 min of treatment is 0.24–0.26 μmol and independent of water conductivity. Meanwhile, the energy efficiency for the indigo carmine decomposition in water decreases from 18 to 7.3 μmol/Wh with increasing water conductivity from 7 to 1000 μS/cm. The amount of hydrogen peroxide production by the treatment increases from 2.0 to 3.1 μmol with increasing the conductivity. These results show that the amount of active species consumed in loss reactions such as their recombination increases with decreasing length of discharge propagation. • The discharge inside argon bubble in water is observed using high speed gated ICCD cameras. • Discharge propagates along the bubble surface with the propagation velocity of 2.7–3.6 105 m/s. • Hydroxyl radical supply to water decreases with increasing conductivity because of increase of recombination reaction. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: Trifluridine/tipiracil (TAS-102) is an oral anticancer drug with adequate efficacy in unresectable colorectal cancer, but frequently also induces chemotherapy-induced nausea and vomiting (CINV). To investigate the occurrence of CINV and antiemetic therapy in patients with colorectal cancer treated with TAS-102 (JASCC-CINV 2001). Methods: We conducted a multicenter, prospective, observational study in patients with colorectal cancer who received TAS-102 without dose reduction for the first time. Primary endpoint was the incidence of vomiting during the overall period. Secondary endpoints were the incidence of nausea, significant nausea, anorexia, other adverse events (constipation, diarrhea, insomnia, fatigue, dysgeusia) and patient satisfaction. Patient diaries were used for primary and secondary endpoints. All adverse events were subjectively assessed using PRO-CTCAE ver 1.0. and CTCAE ver 5.0. Results: Data from 100 of the 119 enrolled patients were analyzed. The incidence of vomiting, nausea, and significant nausea was 13%, 67%, and 36%, respectively. The incidence of vomiting in patients with and without prophylactic antiemetic therapy were 20.8% and 10.5%, respectively. Prophylactic antiemetics were given to 24% of patients, of whom 70% received D2 antagonists. Multivariate Cox proportional hazards analysis showed that experience of CINV in previous treatment tended to be associated with vomiting (hazard ratio [HR]: 7.13, 95% confidence interval [CI]: 0.87–58.5, P = 0.07), whereas prophylactic antiemetic administration was not (HR: 1.61, 95 CI: 0.50–5.21, P = 0.43). With regard to patient satisfaction, the proportion of patients who were "very satisfied," "satisfied," "slightly satisfied" or "somewhat satisfied" was 81.8%. Conclusions: The low incidence of vomiting and high patient satisfaction suggest that TAS-102 does not require the use of uniform prophylactic antiemetic treatments. However, patients with the experience of CINV in previous treatment might require prophylactic antiemetic treatment. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The compact high-voltage power supply is developed for stimulation to promote fruiting body formation in cultivating L. edodes and Lyophyllum deeastesSing. mushrooms. A Cockcroft-Walton (C-W) circuit is employed to generate DC high-voltage from AC 100 V plug power for the compact, easy handling and high safety use in the hilly and mountainous area. The C-W circuit is connected to high-voltage coaxial cable which works for high-voltage transmission and for charging up as energy storage capacitor. The output voltage is around 50 kV with several microseconds pulse width. The dimension and weight of the developed power supply are 0.4 × 0.47 × 1 m3 and 8.1 kg, respectively. The effect of the high-voltage stimulation on enhancement of fruiting body formation is evaluated in cultivating L. edodes and Lyophyllum deeastesSing. mushrooms using the developed compact high-voltage power supply. The conventional Marx generator is also used for comparison in effect of high-voltage stimulation for fruiting body formation. L. edodes is cultivated with hosting to natural logs and the pulsed high voltage is applied to the cultivated natural logs. The substrate for Lyophyllum deeastes Sing. cultivation consists of sawdust. The results show that the fruiting body formation of mushrooms of L. edodes for four cultivation seasons and that of Lyophyllum deeastes Sing. for two seasons both increase approximately 1.3 times higher than control group in terms of the total weight. Although the input energy per a pulse is difference with the generators, the improvement of the fruit body yield mainly depends on the total input energy into the log. The effect for promotion on fruiting body formation by the developed compact high-voltage power supply is almost same that by the conventional Marx generator. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: Long-term cancer prognosis after initial surgical procedures is an unlikely endpoint for clinical trials. Medical claim databases may aid in addressing this issue regardless of limited information on disease and patient background. However, the long-term prognosis (especially regarding long-term care needs) following surgical procedures remains unclear. This study aimed to assess whether long-term outcomes, such as the exacerbation of long-term care needs and mortality, differ with surgical methods. Methods: Using a longitudinal study with linkage between medical claim and long-term care database, patients with primary colorectal cancer who underwent initial colonoscopies were identified through anonymized data in Japan (Shizuoka Kokuho Database, 2012–2018). Odds ratios (ORs) for long-term outcomes (long-term care needs and all-cause mortality during a 6.5-year follow-up period) were analyzed using logistic regression to compare laparoscopy and endoscopic surgery to laparotomy. Results: Overall, 3,744 primary colorectal cancer cases (822 laparotomies, 705 laparoscopies, and 2,217 endoscopic surgeries) were included. Compared to the laparotomy group, the crude OR for exacerbation of long-term care needs in the laparoscopic surgery group was 0.376 (95% confidence interval, 0.227, 0.624), while the OR for all-cause mortality was 0.22 (0.329, 0.532). Conclusion: This is the first study to analyze long-term prognosis after surgery for patients with colorectal cancer to combine medical and long-term needs data. As the national health insurance claim database rarely includes information on cancer stage and comorbidities, better prognosis on endoscopic surgery may need careful interpretation. Therefore, laparoscopy has superior outcomes in terms of long-term care needs and mortality compared to those of laparotomy. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The development of pulsed discharges inside a stationary air bubble in water was observed using an intensified charge-coupled device camera with high-speed gate. The discharges were ignited from a tungsten wire inserted into a glass tube, which was immersed in the purified water. The pulsed high voltage was applied to the wire by an inductive energy storage system pulsed-power generator. The streamer discharge was propagated into the bubble from the wire tip with a propagation velocity of 0.5 mm/ns. A back discharge was observed due to a charge accumulation on the water surface and the glass tube. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: The association between prior bevacizumab (BEV) therapy and ramucirumab (RAM)-induced proteinuria is not known. We aimed to investigate this association in patients with metastatic colorectal cancer (mCRC). Methods: mCRC patients who received folinic acid, fluorouracil, and irinotecan (FOLFIRI) plus RAM were divided into with and without prior BEV treatment groups. The cumulative incidence of grade 2–3 proteinuria and rate of RAM discontinuation within 6 months (6M) after RAM initiation were compared between the two groups. Results: We evaluated 245 patients. In the Fine-Gray subdistribution hazard model including prior BEV, age, sex, comorbidities, eGFR, proteinuria ≥ 2 + at baseline, and later line of RAM, prior BEV treatment contributed to proteinuria onset (P < 0.01). A shorter interval between final BEV and initial RAM increased the proteinuria risk; the adjusted odds ratios (95% confidence intervals) for the intervals of < 28 days, 28–55 days, and > 55 days (referring to prior BEV absence) were 2.60 (1.23–5.51), 1.51 (1.01–2.27), and 1.04 (0.76–1.44), respectively. The rate of RAM discontinuation for ≤ 6M due to anti-VEGF toxicities was significantly higher in the prior BEV treatment group compared with that in the no prior BEV treatment group (18% vs. 6%, P = 0.02). Second-line RAM discontinuation for ≤ 6M without progression resulted in shorter overall survival of 132 patients with prior BEV treatment (P < 0.01). Conclusion: Sequential FOLFIRI plus RAM after BEV failure, especially within 55 days, may exacerbate proteinuria. Its escalated anti-VEGF toxicity may negatively impact the overall survival. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Influence of pulsed electric field (PEF) on the drying rate of foods during the hot air drying process is investigated. Nine kinds of fruits and vegetables and two kinds of marine products are used as the samples, and changes in the weight of these samples during the process are evaluated. PEF is applied to the samples using parallel plate electrodes. The applied voltage ranges from 0.4 to 3 kV, and the input energy of the sample ranges from 1.5 to 115.5 J/g. The samples are dehydrated using a hot air dryer after the PEF treatment. The drying rate of leafy vegetables, apples, and wakame seaweed is accelerated by PEF. The results show that the moisture permeability of membrane can be improved by destroying the cell membrane by PEF. On the other hand, there is no effect on root vegetables because their hard tissues are hard to destroy. © 2020 Institute of Electrical Engineers of Japan. Published by John Wiley & Sons, Inc. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

SUMMARY Ethylene gas was decomposed using packed-bed type dielectric barrier discharge (PBDBD) plasma reactor to keep freshness of fruits. The ethylene gas was diluted with gas mixture of nitrogen, oxygen, and carbon dioxide as simulated gas in the transportation container. The PBDBD plasma was generated by a pulse switching power supply, which consisted of MOS-FET switching devices, capacitors, and pulse transformers. The Ag nanoparticle-loaded zeolite as catalyst has high activity and good performance for reduction of ozone and oxidizing carbon monoxide at room temperature. The Ag nanoparticle-loaded zeolite pellets enhanced ethylene removal efficiency and reduced ozone and carbon monoxide produced by the plasma treatment. It was confirmed that the carbon monoxide in the gas simulated dry air composition was oxidized using Ag nanoparticle-loaded zeolite with plasma treatment. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

A new Nocardiopsis species that degrades polylactic acid (PLA) was isolated from pig dung-based compost from a municipal composting facility in Japan. To obtain strains capable of efficient PLA degradation, the effect of non-enzymatic degradation of PLA was minimized by maintaining the temperature at or below 37 °C. Screening 15 animal waste-based compost samples, consisting of pig dung, cow dung, horse dung, or chicken droppings, revealed that compost derived from pig dung was most efficient for degradation of PLA films. Hence, pig waste-based compost was used to isolate PLA-degrading microorganisms by screening for PLA-degrading microorganisms in compost using an agar plate-based method in which an emulsifier was omitted to avoid selecting strains that assimilated the emulsifier instead of PLA in the medium. Repeated enrichment obtained six strains. The one that exhibited stable PLA degradation on agar plates was subjected to genomic analysis and identified as Nocardiopsis chromatogenes, an actinomycete. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The association between capecitabine efficacy and proton pump inhibitors (PPIs) is controversial. Here, we determined whether co-administration of PPIs affects the real-world effectiveness of capecitabine. This retrospective observational study included consecutive patients with stage II–III colorectal cancer (CRC) who received adjuvant capecitabine monotherapy or CapeOX (capecitabine and oxaliplatin) between January 2009 and December 2014 at nine participating institutions. The primary endpoint was the difference in relapse-free survival (RFS) between patients who received PPIs and those who did not and was estimated using the Kaplan–Meier method. Overall survival (OS) was the secondary endpoint. Multivariable analysis of RFS and OS was performed using a Cox proportional hazards model, propensity score adjustment, and inverse probability of treatment weighting (IPTW) analyses. Data from 606 patients were evaluated, 54 of whom had received a PPI. PPI-treated patients tended to have poorer RFS and OS than patients treated without PPIs. The hazard ratio for RFS with capecitabine monotherapy was 2.48 (95% confidence interval: 1.22–5.07). These results were consistent with sensitivity analyses performed using propensity score adjustment and IPTW methods. Co-administration of PPIs may reduce the effectiveness of capecitabine and negatively impact patients with stage II–III CRC. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Number concentrations and size-resolved chemical compositions of atmospheric particles at a roadside site in Kawasaki City, Japan, and a background site 200m away were measured in winter to estimate the atmospheric fate of nuclei-mode particles emitted from vehicles. Measurements with a scanning mobility particle sizer showed a sharp peak in nuclei-mode particles with a modal diameter of around 0.020μm at the roadside site; in contrast, no peak for nuclei-mode particles was observed at the background site. For chemical analysis, size-resolved particles were sampled by low-pressure impactors. Carbon analysis suggested that diesel exhaust particles contributed to both the roadside and background Stage 1 (S1; 0.030–0.060μm) particles. The ratios of organic carbon (OC) to total carbon (TC) increased for smaller particles, and were 28% and 51% for the roadside and the background S1 particles, respectively. It is likely that the OC/TC ratio for nuclei-mode particles was larger than for the S1 particles, and that OC was one of the major constituents of the nuclei-mode particles at the roadside site. From this result and the greater Kelvin effect for smaller particles, it is likely that nuclei-mode particles in the roadside atmosphere are more volatile than the S1 particles. Organic analysis of the size-resolved particles suggested that lubricating oil from vehicles affected the organic composition of both the roadside and background S1 particles, and that C33 n-alkane and more volatile organic compounds in the S1 particles partially evaporated in the atmosphere following the emission of the particles from diesel vehicles. It is likely that evaporation of the constituents (or possibly coagulation with pre-existing particles after shrinking by partial evaporation) of the nuclei-mode particles in the atmosphere was responsible for the absence of nuclei-mode particles in the background atmosphere. [Copyright &y& Elsevier]

• N 2 /Ar plasma induces active species of SO 3 , H, OH to form acid groups on GNPs. • The addition of Ar gas exerts a positive effect on improving the sulfonation performance. • The balance of physical/chemical effect is the crux for GLIP sulfonation chemistry. • GLIP-GNPs exhibited supreme recyclability (95.9%) in three cycle tests. The surface functionalization of graphene nanoplatelets catalysts (GNPs) with OH, COOH, and SO 3 H groups for cellulose hydrolysis was investigated via gas–liquid interfacial plasma (GLIP) sulfonation system under 1 M H 2 SO 4. The sulfonation chemistry of the GLIP process was examined under different gas ratios of N 2 /Ar (100%N 2 , 70%N 2 –30%Ar, 30%N 2 –70%Ar). The balance between plasma-induced physical activation and chemical reaction plays an essential part in the sulfonation performance. Experiments on acidic group determination and catalysis ability test demonstrated that the addition of 30% Ar to N 2 exerts a positive effect on enhancing the sulfonation activity and catalytic stability of GNPs. The 70%N 2 –30%Ar-GNPs shown higher total acid and sulfonic acid density of 5.56 and 0.45 mmol g−1, respectively. The optimized catalyst achieved a conversion rate of 41.5% with high glucose selectivity of 84.3%. Sulfonation of GNPs over traditional hydrothermal method under 18 M H 2 SO 4 at 200 °C for 24 h further reflected the "less hazardous" and "high efficiency" properties of GLIP sulfonation in 1 M H 2 SO 4 for 1 h. Significantly, the GLIP-GNPs also exhibited superior recyclability of 95.9% in 3 times cycle tests for cellulose hydrolysis, which is much higher than that of H-GNPs (49.5%). [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This study aimed to compare the impact of a pulsed electric field (PEF) with that of hot water (HW) and control (CONT) on subsequent drying rate, shrinkage, and quality parameters (degradation of l -ascorbic acid (L-AsA) and color) of spinach during hot air drying. PEF pre-treatment was conducted in 2.8 kV/cm of the electric field strength and 27.1 kJ/kg of the specific input energy. We found that the drying rate for PEF sample was increased compared with CONT and HW samples due to the inhibition of shrinkage during drying. Further, degradation of L-AsA and the surface color in PEF sample were significantly inhibited compared with HW sample, therefore we confirmed that PEF treatment could resolve the elution of water-soluble components caused by HW treatment. These findings showed that pre-treatment with PEF is suitable for reducing drying time and producing high-quality dried spinach. • Pulsed electric field was applied to drying of spinach as a pre-treatment. • The drying rate of treated samples increased in an early stage of drying. • Quality changes were inhibited compared with hot water pre-treatment. • The pulsed electric field treatment would contribute to produce high quality dried products. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Ethylene gas was decomposed using a dielectric barrier discharge (DBD) plasma reactor for the long-term preservation of fruits and vegetables with a focus on the influence of humidity on ethylene decomposition efficiency. DBD is actively used to produce nonthermal plasma, which is effective in converting C2H4 into CO2 and H2O, through an oxidization process with a high reaction rate because the nonthermal plasma in air contains a large number of chemically active species such as atomic oxygen radicals (O) and hydroxyl radicals (OH). This production of radicals depends on the level of humidity in the air. During the experiment, C2H4 gas was diluted by 200 ppm with an N2 and O2 gas mixture and was fed into the DBD reactor at a 3 L/min gas flow rate. The relative humidity (RH) of the gas was adjusted by the bubbling gas through water. The gas temperature was fixed at 25 °C. The experimental results showed that C2H4 decomposition efficiency was almost independent of RH. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In the microplasma generated by dielectric barrier discharge (DBD), a huge variety of discharge patterns are generated by self-organization. In this study, we experimentally observed variation in the hexagonal structures in capacity-coupled microgap DBD using a helium (He)/argon (Ar) mixture. The spatial distribution of the self-organized structure was revealed via a discharge experiment in which the equivalent barrier capacitance was continuously changed within the range of 56–1500 pF. The results demonstrate that the lattice spacing of the patterns can be continuously controlled within the range of 1.22–1.59 mm for an equivalent barrier capacitance of 56–172 pF. It is likely that an increase in external capacitance increases the discharge cell voltage. In contrast, the lattice constant remained unchanged with an increase in barrier capacitance within a range of 172–1500 pF. The lattice spacing of the patterns could be continuously controlled within a range of 0.66–0.74 mm for all He/Ar gas mixing ratios. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: Iron is required for the proliferation of cancer cells, and its depletion suppresses tumor growth. Eribulin mesylate (eribulin), a non-taxane microtubule inhibitor, disrupts the tumor microenvironment via vascular remodeling and obstruction of the epithelial-mesenchymal transition (EMT). Herein, we investigated the effects of the iron chelator on tumor-related properties of breast cancer cells and the effects of iron chelator plus eribulin on tumor growth in vivo.Methods: Two triple-negative breast cancer (TNBC) cell lines, MDA-MB-231 and BT-549, and one hormone-receptor positive breast cancer cell line, MCF-7, were used in our study. Cell proliferation, cell migration, cell cycle position, and gene expression were analyzed via MTT assays, wound-healing assays, flow cytometry, and quantitative real-time-polymerase chain reaction, respectively. For the in vivo experiments, mice with breast cancer xenografts were treated with the inhibitors, alone or together, and tumor volume was determined.Results: Iron chelator inhibited breast cancer cell proliferation and decreased the proportion of S-phase cells. Conversely, it induced hypoxia, angiogenesis, EMT, and immune checkpoints, as determined by quantifying the expression of marker mRNAs in MDA-MB-231 and MCF-7 cells. Eribulin suppressed the expression of the hypoxia and EMT related marker mRNAs in the presence of iron chelator. Iron chelator plus eribulin inhibited tumor growth in vivo to a greater extent than did either inhibitor alone.Conclusions: Although iron chelator induces oncogenic events (hypoxia, angiogenesis, EMT, and immune checkpoints), it may be an effective treatment for breast cancer when administered in combination with eribulin. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The tumor immune environment not only modulates the effects of immunotherapy, but also the effects of other anticancer drugs and treatment outcomes. These immune responses may be evaluated by measuring tumor-infiltrating lymphocytes (TILs), which has been frequently verified clinically. In the present study, the prediction of the therapeutic effect of endocrine therapy by TILs on stage IV breast cancer was clinically analyzed. Data from 40 patients who underwent endocrine therapy as the initial drug therapy for stage IV breast cancer were used. The correlation between TILs, evaluated according to standard methods, and prognosis, including the efficacy of endocrine therapy, was investigated retrospectively. Patients with ≥50% lymphocytic infiltration were considered to have lymphocyte-predominant breast cancer (LPBC). An analysis of outcomes revealed no difference in progression-free survival (PFS; P=0.171), time to treatment failure (TTF; P=0.054), or overall survival (OS; P=0.641) between the high TIL (>10%) and low TIL (≤10%) groups. Patients with LPBC (≥50%) exhibited a significant prolongation of PFS (P=0.005, log-rank), TTF (P=0.001) and OS (P=0.027) compared with non-LPBC patients. On receiver operating characteristics (ROC) curve analysis, better results were obtained with LPBCs [area under the curve (AUC)=0.700] than with TILs (AUC=0.606). The present findings suggest that a high level of lymphocytic infiltration in the tumor stroma may serve as a predictor of the therapeutic efficacy of endocrine therapy in patients with stage IV estrogen receptor-positive breast cancer. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: Invasion is often found during postoperative pathological examination of cases diagnosed as ductal carcinoma in situ (DCIS) by histological examinations such as core needle biopsy (CNB) or vacuum-assisted biopsy (VAB). A meta-analysis reported that 25.9% of invasive ductal carcinoma (IDC) cases are preoperatively diagnosed by CNB as DCIS. Risk factors for invasion have been studied by postoperative examination, but no factors have been found that could be obtained preoperatively from blood tests. In this study, we investigated factors predictive of invasion based on preoperative blood tests in patients diagnosed with DCIS by preoperative biopsy.Methods: In this study, 118 patients who were diagnosed with DCIS by preoperative biopsy were included. Biopsies were performed with 16-gauge CNB or VAB. Peripheral blood was obtained at the time of diagnosis. This study evaluated absolute platelet count, absolute lymphocyte count, lactate dehydrogenase, carcinoembryonic antigen, and cancer antigen 15-3 (CA15-3). The platelet-lymphocyte ratio (PLR) was calculated by dividing the absolute platelet count by the absolute lymphocyte count, and patients were grouped into high PLR (≥160.0) and low PLR (< 160.0) groups.Results: Invasion was found more frequently after surgery in pathologically high-grade cases than in pathologically not-high-grade cases (p = 0.015). The median PLR was 138.9 and 48 patients (40.7%) were classified into the high PLR group. The high PLR group was significantly more likely to have invasion detected by the postoperative pathology than the low PLR group (p = 0.018). In multivariate analysis of factors predictive of invasion in postoperative pathology, a high PLR (p = 0.006, odds ratio [OR] = 3.526) and biopsy method (VAB vs. CNB, p = 0.001, OR = 0.201) was an independent risk factor.Conclusions: The PLR may be a predictor of invasion in the postoperative pathology for patients diagnosed with DCIS by preoperative biopsy. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: A higher density of tumor-infiltrating lymphocytes (TILs) can lead to greater therapeutic effects and improved prognoses in cancer treatment. Similar results have been observed in breast cancer, particularly in triple-negative breast cancer (TNBC) and human epidermal growth factor receptor 2-enriched breast cancer. Calcium channel blockers (CCBs) are antihypertensive drugs (AHTs) that have also been reported to suppress the functions of T cells and macrophages. In this study, we evaluated TILs before pre-operative chemotherapy (POC) in breast cancer and retrospectively analyzed the correlation between CCBs and TILs or prognosis.Methods: Of the patients treated with POC, 338 who had evaluable TILs were enrolled in this study. The correlations among TILs were evaluated according to standard methods, and CCB use and prognosis were investigated retrospectively.Results: Before POC, 65 patients (19.2%) took AHTs (CCBs: 41/338, 12.1%). The TIL density was significantly lower among patients administered CCBs for the group of all patients and for patients with TNBC (p = 0.040, p = 0.009, respectively). Additionally, patients with TNBC who were administered CCBs showed significantly lower response rates for POC (p = 0.040). In all patients receiving POC, no significant differences in disease-free survival (DFS) or overall survival (OS) were observed in patients administered CCBs (p = 0.712, p = 0.478, log-rank tests, respectively). Furthermore, no significant differences were found, even in patients with TNBC (DFS: p = 0.441, OS: p = 0.727, log-rank tests, respectively).Conclusions: In patients with TNBC undergoing treatment for hypertension with CCBs, TILs in the needle biopsy specimens before treatment were significantly lower, and the response rate of POC was not sufficient. Thus, the immunosuppressive effects of CCBs may also affect the immune microenvironment. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: The lymphocyte-to-monocyte ratio (LMR) has been used as a parameter reflecting systemic inflammation in several tumors, and is reportedly associated with prognosis in cancer patients. In this study, we evaluated the predictive value of LMR for progression and chemosensitivity in breast cancer patients treated with preoperative chemotherapy.Methods: LMR was evaluated in 239 patients with breast cancer treated with neoadjuvant chemotherapy (NAC) with 5-fluorouracil, epirubicin, and cyclophosphamide, followed by weekly paclitaxel with or without trastuzumab, and subsequent curative surgery. The correlations between LMR and clinicopathological features, prognosis, and pathological complete response (pCR) rate of NAC were evaluated retrospectively. We also evaluated the predictive value of neutrophil-to-lymphocyte ratio (NLR), and compared the predictive values of LMR and NLR.Results: We set 6.00 as the cut-off level for LMR based on the receiver operating characteristic (ROC) curve. A total of 119 patients (49.8%) were classified in the high-LMR group and 120 (50.2%) were classified in the low-LMR group. The low-LMR group had significantly worse disease-free survival rate (DFS) in all patients (p = 0.005) and in triple-negative breast cancer patients (p = 0.006). However, there was no significant correlation between LMR and pCR. Multivariate analysis showed that low LMR was an independent risk factor for DFS (p = 0.008, hazard ratio = 2.245). However, there was no significant difference in DFS (p = 0.143, log-rank) between patients in the low- and high-NLR groups.Conclusions: LMR may be a useful prognostic marker in patients with breast cancer. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: Immune responses in a tumour microenvironment can be evaluated by analysing tumour-infiltrating lymphocyte (TIL) density; this has been verified in the clinical setting. Although there are many reports on TIL density in primary tumours, little is known about its density in recurrent tumours.Methods: Of 300 patients treated with neoadjuvant chemotherapy during the study period, 29 were considered for evaluation of TIL density in primary and recurrent tumours. We performed a retrospective analysis of the association between TIL density and prognosis.Results: TIL density was significantly lower in recurrent tumours than in primary tumours (P = 0.007). There was no correlation between post-recurrence survival and TIL density in core-needle biopsy specimens obtained from primary tumours (P = 0.837). However, patients with high TIL density in recurrent tumours had significantly better post-recurrence survival than did the corresponding group with low TIL density (P = 0.041). Multivariate analysis revealed that high TIL density contributed significantly towards improving post-recurrence survival in all patients (P = 0.035; hazard ratio, 0.167).Conclusions: In recurrent breast cancer, a decrease in TILs density was observed as compared to the primary tumour, and this affects the poor prognosis after relapse. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: Immune responses in a tumour microenvironment can be evaluated by analysing tumour-infiltrating lymphocyte (TIL) density; this has been verified in the clinical setting. Although there are many reports on TIL density in primary tumours, little is known about its density in recurrent tumours.Methods: Of 300 patients treated with neoadjuvant chemotherapy during the study period, 29 were considered for evaluation of TIL density in primary and recurrent tumours. We performed a retrospective analysis of the association between TIL density and prognosis.Results: TIL density was significantly lower in recurrent tumours than in primary tumours (P = 0.007). There was no correlation between post-recurrence survival and TIL density in core-needle biopsy specimens obtained from primary tumours (P = 0.837). However, patients with high TIL density in recurrent tumours had significantly better post-recurrence survival than did the corresponding group with low TIL density (P = 0.041). Multivariate analysis revealed that high TIL density contributed significantly towards improving post-recurrence survival in all patients (P = 0.035; hazard ratio, 0.167).Conclusions: In recurrent breast cancer, a decrease in TILs density was observed as compared to the primary tumour, and this affects the poor prognosis after relapse. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Purpose: Quality-of-life (QOL) has been reported to affect the prognosis of many types of cancer, and several studies used various QOL assessment tools to determine the relationship between QOL and cancer prognosis. In this study, QOL-Questionnaire for Cancer Patients Treated with Anti-Cancer Drugs-the Breast (QOL-ACD-B) was modified to be suitable for preoperative chemotherapy (POC) and was named the QOL-ACD-BP.Methods: A total of 300 patients were treated with POC after being diagnosed with breast cancer between February 2007 and December 2016 at our institute. We evaluated novel evaluation scale for QOL (QOL-ACD-BP) before and after POC in a retrospective manner.Results: In the multivariate analysis with overall survival, the high QOL before [p = 0.048, hazard ratio (HR) 0.441] or after POC (p = 0.030, HR 0.273) was an independent factor.Conclusion: Our study shows that QOL after POC may also affect prognosis and supported the importance of maintaining QOL in cancer treatment. In patients with breast cancer treated with POC, QOL-ACD-BP, which is a new QOL evaluation index, was found to be a useful tool for predicting the patients’ prognosis. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: The tumor immune environment not only modulates the effects of immunotherapy, but also the effects of other anticancer drugs and treatment outcomes. These immune responses can be evaluated with tumor-infiltrating lymphocytes (TILs), which has frequently been verified clinically. On the other hand, residual cancer burden (RCB) evaluation has been shown to be a useful predictor of survival after neoadjuvant chemotherapy (NAC). In this study, RCB and TILs evaluations were combined to produce an indicator that we have termed "RCB-TILs", and its clinical application to NAC for breast cancer was verified by subtype-stratified analysis.Methods: A total of 177 patients with breast cancer were treated with NAC. The correlation between RCB and TILs evaluated according to the standard method, and prognosis, including the efficacy of NAC, was investigated retrospectively. The RCB and TILs evaluations were combined to create the "RCB-TILs". Patients who were RCB-positive and had high TILs were considered RCB-TILs-positive, and all other combinations were RCB-TILs-negative.Results: On multivariable analysis, being RCB-TILs-positive was an independent factor for recurrence after NAC in all patients (p < 0.001, hazard ratio = 0.048), triple-negative breast cancer (TNBC) patients (p = 0.018, hazard ratio = 0.041), HER2-positive breast cancer (HER2BC) patients (p = 0.036, hazard ratio = 0.134), and hormone receptor-positive breast cancer (HRBC) patients (p = 0.002, hazard ratio = 0.081).Conclusions: The results of the present study suggest that RCB-TILs is a significant predictor for breast cancer recurrence after NAC and may be a more sensitive indicator than TILs alone. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]