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A pectin-based one-pot aqueous approach was reported to valorize coco coir into multifunctional biocomposites. These biocomposites were demonstrated to be effective hydroponic growth media.

It is well-known that obesity has an adverse impact on breast cancer prognosis; nonetheless, the prognostic role of abdominal obesity, especially its post-diagnosis change, has been understudied. This study aims to examine the prospective associations of general and abdominal obesity and their post-diagnosis changes with all-cause mortality, breast cancer-specific mortality, and breast cancer recurrence in Chinese breast cancer patients.From 2011 to 2014, 1460 Chinese breast cancer patients were recruited and followed up at 18, 36, and 60 months after diagnosis. Body mass index (BMI), waist-to-hip ratio (WHR), and their changes between baseline and 18-month follow-up were derived. Clinical records on diagnosis, treatment, and death were also obtained. In total, 1309 women who completed the 18-month follow-up were included for Cox regression analyses, stratified by follow-up periods.Within 18-48 months post-diagnosis, substantial WHR loss (5% or above) had reduced risk of all-cause (HR = 0.21 [95% CI 0.06-0.75]) and breast cancer-specific mortality (0.21 [0.06-0.77]) relative to stable WHR; whereas after 48 months post-diagnosis, substantial WHR gain showed elevated risks of all-cause mortality (2.67 [1.22-5.85])). Higher baseline WHR was also associated with both mortality outcomes. Nonetheless, no such associations were observed for BMI measures. Also, the effects of obesity measures on breast recurrence were less apparent.Abdominal obesity, rather than general obesity, was linked to worse survival in Chinese breast cancer patients. Prevention on abdominal obesity and waist gain following breast cancer diagnosis may have a beneficial effect on longer-term survival over and above conventional weight management. Waist assessment and abdominal obesity control should therefore be incorporated as a vital component of the evaluation and interventions of breast cancer prognosis.

In this paper, we report an in situ optical microscopy study of lateral growth of xenon (Xe) hydrate thin films on mica at sub-zero temperatures. The interactions between a solid surface and water molecules can strongly affect the alignment of water molecules and induce ice-like ordered structures within the water layer at the water-surface interface. Mica was chosen as a model surface to study the surface effect of hydrophilic sheet silicates on the lateral growth of Xe hydrate films. Under the experimental conditions, the lateral growth of Xe hydrate films was measured to be at an average rapid rate of ~200 μm/s and 400 μm/s under two different pressures of Xe. Mass transfer estimation of the Xe-water system revealed that the increasing trend of lateral film growth rates followed the increase in the net mass flux and aqueous solubility of Xe. However, as the supercooling temperature increased, the trend of lateral film growth rates attained a plateau region where little change in the rate was observed. This unique feature in the lateral film growth trend, the fast lateral growth kinetics, and the short induction time for hydrate film growth hinted at the assistance of the mica surface to aid the lateral growth process of Xe hydrate films at low Xe mass flux and at a low degree of subcooling. A mechanism based on the reported structured water layer at the interface on mica was proposed to rationalize a postulated surface-promotional effect of mica on the nucleation and lateral growth kinetics of Xe hydrate films.

Background Body weight management was an important component in breast cancer survivorship care. The present study described the change patterns of body weight and waist-to-hip ratio (WHR) during the first 5 years of survival, and investigated potential factors associated with very substantial changes. Patients and methods Based on a longitudinal cohort with 1462 Chinese women with breast cancer, anthropometric measurements including body weight, height, waist and hip circumferences were measured by trained interviewers following standard protocol at four time-points: baseline at study entry, 18-, 36- and 60-months follow up assessments (termed as T0, T1, T2 and T3, respectively). Body height was measured at baseline and body weight at cancer diagnosis were retrieved from medical record. Results Compared to weight at breast cancer diagnosis, the median weight change was − 0.5 kg, 0 kg, + 0.5 kg, and + 1 kg at T0, T1, T2 and T3, respectively. During the first 5 years of survival, the proportion of women who were obese have slightly increased. At 60-months after diagnosis, only 14.3% of women had weight gain by > 5 kg; and the percentage of women who had weight gain by > 10% was 10.7%. Nearly half of patients had abdominal obesity at study entry, and this proportion were gradually increased to nearly 70% at 60-months follow-up. Multivariate analysis indicated that older age, and frequent sports participation during the first 5 years of survival were related to lower risk of very substantial weight gain (> 10%) at 60-month follow-up; patients aged 40–49 years, having ≥2 comorbidities and ER negative were associated with less likelihood of very substantial WHR substantial increase (> 10%) at 60-month follow-up. Conclusion Weight gain was modest in Chinese breast cancer survivors during the first 5 years of survival, while central adiposity has become a contemporary public health issue. The incorporation of healthy weight and abdominal circumference patient education and management has a potential to improve cancer survivorship.

Yuanyuan Lei,1 Suzanne C Ho,2 Carol Kwok,3 Ashley C Cheng,3 Ka Li Cheung,1 Roselle Lee,1 Winnie Yeo1,4 1Department of Clinical Oncology, Prince of Wales Hospital, the Chinese University of Hong Kong, New Territories, Hong Kong SAR, People’s Republic of China; 2Division of Epidemiology, the Jockey Club School of Public Health and Primary Care, the Chinese University of Hong Kong, New Territories, Hong Kong SAR, People’s Republic of China; 3Department of Clinical Oncology, Princess Margaret Hospital, Hong Kong SAR, People’s Republic of China; 4Hong Kong Cancer Institute, State Key Laboratory in Oncology in South China, Faculty of Medicine, the Chinese University of Hong Kong, New Territories, Hong Kong SAR, People’s Republic of ChinaCorrespondence: Winnie YeoDepartment of Clinical Oncology, Prince of Wales Hospital, the Chinese University of Hong Kong, New Territories, Hong Kong SAR, People’s Republic of ChinaTel +86-852-26322118Fax +86-852-26487097Email winnieyeo@cuhk.edu.hkBackground: Evidence of the association between dietary pattern and outcomes of breast cancer was limited in Asian women, including Chinese.Patients and Methods: A prospective cohort study was initiated among Chinese breast cancer patients to investigate lifestyle habits and outcomes of breast cancer. At each follow-up, validated food frequency questionnaires (FFQ) were used to assess patients’ dietary intake. This study included 1226 patients with invasive early-stage breast cancer with detailed data at 18-month follow-up after cancer diagnosis. Factor analysis was used to derive dietary patterns, whereby two dietary patterns were identified. Cox proportional hazards models were used to investigate associations between dietary patterns and time to outcome, including breast cancer recurrence, overall mortality and breast cancer-specific mortality.Results: With a median follow-up time of 54.1 months, 165 patients had breast cancer recurrence and 98 deaths occurred. Two dietary patterns were identified: “Western dietary pattern” characterized by high intake of refined grains and cakes, red and processed meat and oil; “healthy dietary pattern” characterized by high consumption of vegetables and fruits. Participants in the highest tertile of “Western dietary pattern” did not have a higher risk of breast cancer recurrence (Ptrend = 0.89), overall mortality (Ptrend = 0.48) and breast cancer-specific mortality (Ptrend = 0.75). Similarly, a null association existed between “healthy dietary pattern” and outcomes of breast cancer.Conclusion: Neither dietary pattern was associated with risk of breast cancer recurrence, all-causes death or death from breast cancer. Prospective follow-up is still needed to further confirm the association between specific dietary pattern and outcomes of breast cancer.Keywords: breast cancer, dietary pattern, recurrence, mortality, Chinese women

OBJECTIVE This study assessed menopausal symptoms (MPS) after breast cancer in relation to quality of life (QoL) during the first 5 years of survival. METHODS An ongoing prospective study enrolled 1,462 Chinese women with early-stage breast cancer. They were longitudinally followed up at four time-points, namely baseline, 18-, 36-, and 60-month after diagnosis. At each follow-up, Menopause Rating Scale (MRS) and European Organization for Research and Treatment of Cancer Quality of Life Questionnaire Core 30 were used to assess MPS and QoL, respectively. RESULTS In total, 1,462, 1,289, 1,125, and 1,116 patients were included into the analyses at baseline, 18-, 36-, and 60-months, respectively. The percentages of patients with no or little, mild, moderate, and severe MPS at baseline were 31.8%, 30.0%, 30.4%, and 7.7%, respectively; the corresponding figures at 18-, 36-, and 60-month follow-up were similar. Using data from four follow-ups, Generalized Estimating Equations analyses showed that MPS was inversely associated with QoL. Higher MRS scores were related to lower QoL scores. For instance, every 1 point increase in MRS score was associated with a 1.5 point decrease in global health status/QoL score (P

This study aimed to investigate changes of QoL during the first 5 years of survival among disease-free Chinese breast cancer survivors.A prospective cohort study enrolled 1462 Chinese women with early-stage breast cancer, and longitudinally visited those patients at four time-points, namely baseline (T0), 18- (T1), 36- (T2), and 60-month (T3) after diagnosis. This study included 992 patients who were disease-free during the first 5 years of survival and who had completed QoL assessments at all four time-points.The score of global health status/QoL improved gradually (T1, T2, T3 T0; P 0.001 for overall comparisons). Social functioning score significantly improved when compared to that of T0 (T1, T2, T3 T0; P 0.001 for overall comparisons). In contrast, cognitive functioning score decreased (T0 T1, T2, T3; P 0.001 for overall comparisons). Scores of physical functioning, role functioning and emotional functioning showed a fluctuated picture, with the highest score achieved at T1. In symptoms profile, most of them scored lowest at T1 (best QoL). Multivariate analysis showed that several characteristics significantly correlated to changes in QoL from T0 to T3. For instance, patients with higher education had better recovery of physical functioning, role functioning, and social functioning.During the first 5 years of survival, patients' global health status/QoL improved over time, social functioning consistently improved, but cognitive functioning steadily deteriorated. Most of functioning domains and symptoms improved at 18-month follow-up, but such improvements were not maintained and even deteriorated at 36- and 60-month post-diagnosis. This study suggested that some interventions should be investigated during such period.

CeO2-Catalyzed esterification of CO2, a well-known greenhouse gas, with methanol has been widely recognized as a promising alternative method to produce dimethyl carbonate (DMC). Herein, we performed a comprehensive study of catalytic mechanisms underlying the formation of DMC from CO2 and methanol on both stoichiometric and reduced CeO2(111) and (110) surfaces. To this end, the saddle-point searching algorithm is employed. Specifically, using the monomethyl carbonate (MMC) as the key intermediate, a three-step Langmuir-Hinshelwood (LH) mechanism, including the formation and esterification of monomethyl carbonate and removal of water molecule, is identified for the catalytic DMC formation on either the reduced or the stoichiometric CeO2(111) and (110) surfaces. For both CeO2(111) and (110) surfaces, our study indicates that the presence of oxygen vacancies can markedly lower the activation energy barrier. Different rate-limiting steps are identified, however, for the reduced CeO2(111) and (110) surfaces. Successful identification of the rate-limiting step and the associated active CO2 species will provide atomic-level guidance on selection of metal-oxide-based catalysts toward direct synthesis of DMC from the green-house gas CO2 and methanol.

We report a study of the roles of gadolinium(III) (Gd3+) dopants in influencing the catalytic activity of gadolinium-doped ceria nanoparticles towards the pro-oxidation of hydrogen peroxide to hydroxyl radicals. These doped ceria nanoparticles with dopant concentrations of 0.6 wt.%, 3 wt.%, and 6 wt.% Gd3+ were synthesized using an ozone-mediated method for tuning their catalytic activities. The Gd dopants were found to foster an increase in the percentage of Ce3+ ions in the doped ceria nanoparticles. Our reaction kinetic study revealed that the relationship between the overall reaction rates and the Gd dopant concentrations in our doped materials followed a volcano-like trend. In contrast, the apparent activation energy values of these Gd-doped ceria nanoparticles were found to be positively associated with the concentrations of Gd dopants. The overall catalytic activity trend was attributed to the interplay between the promotion and degradation effects of the Gd dopants on the properties of doped ceria nanoparticles.

This study investigated the association between soy isoflavone intake and menopausal symptoms (MPS) among Chinese women with early stage breast cancer in a prospective cohort study. In an on-going prospective cohort study that involved 1462 Chinese women with early stage breast cancer, MPS were assessed at 18, 36 and 60 months after cancer diagnosis using the validated menopausal rating scale (MRS) questionnaire. Daily soy food intake for the previous 12 months was assessed at the same time using a validated food frequency questionnaire. The associations between MPS and soy isoflavone intake were evaluated in multivariable logistic regression analyses. The prevalence of MPS was almost the same during the first 60 months after cancer diagnosis, which were 64.5%, 65.2%, and 63.9% at 18, 36, and 60 months, respectively. Patients with MPS tended to be younger than those without MPS. The intake of soy isoflavones was not associated with the total score of MRS at 18-month follow-up [highest vs lowest tertile, odds ratio (OR) = 1.00, 95% CI 0.75–1.34]. Similarly, no significant association was noted at 36-month (OR = 1.25, 95% CI 0.92–1.69) and 60-month (OR = 1.21, 95% CI 0.84–1.74) follow-up. With regards to specific domain within MRS, the risk of symptoms presenting in somatic domain was higher among breast cancer patients who were in the highest tertile of soy isoflavone intake at 36 months post-diagnosis (OR = 1.44, 95% CI 1.07–1.94, P-trend = 0.02), compared with the lowest tertile, where a stronger significant association was noted among patients who were younger than 60 years (OR = 1.52, 95% CI 1.05–2.20, P-trend = 0.03) and pre-menopausal (OR = 3.81, 95% CI 1.85–8.11, P-trend

OBJECTIVE: The US screening and management guidelines for cervical cancer are based on the absolute risk of precancer estimated from large clinical cohorts and trials. Given the widespread transition toward screening with human papillomavirus (HPV) testing, it is important to assess which additional factors to include in clinical risk assessment to optimize management of HPV-infected women. MATERIALS AND METHODS: We analyzed data from HPV-infected women, ages 30-65 years, in the National Cancer Institute-Kaiser Permanente Northern California Persistence and Progression study. We estimated the influence of HPV risk group, cytology result, and selected cofactors on immediate risk of cervical intraepithelial neoplasia grade 3 or higher (CIN 3+) among 16,094 HPV-positive women. Cofactors considered included, age, race/ethnicity, income, smoking, and hormonal contraceptive use. RESULTS: Human papillomavirus risk group and cytology test result were strongly correlated with CIN 3+ risk. After considering cytology and HPV risk group, other cofactors (age, race/ethnicity, income, smoking, and hormonal contraceptive use) had minimal impact on CIN 3+ risk and did not change recommended management based on accepted risk thresholds. We had insufficient data to assess the impact of long-duration heavy smoking, parity, history of sexually transmitted infection, or immunosuppression. CONCLUSIONS: In our study at the Kaiser Permanente Northern California, the risk of CIN 3+ was determined mainly by HPV risk group and cytology results, with other cofactors having limited impact in adjusted analyses. This supports the use of HPV and cytology results in risk-based management guidelines.

Introduction: Black smokers have higher lung cancer risk, and develop cancer at earlier ages, than White smokers. It is unknown how much of this excess risk is due to race as a social construct, and how much is due to biological factors such as genetic ancestry. We examine the association of genetic ancestry with lung-cancer risk, controlling for lung-cancer risk factors and self-reported race/ethnicity, in the PLCO cancer screening trial. Methods: We used PLCO data on ever-smokers from 52,708 White smokers (2889 lung cancers) and 2585 Black smokers (206 lung cancers) with genetic ancestry determined by GRAF (https://github.com/ncbi/graf) on a set of 10,000 pre-selected fingerprinting variants. Percent ancestry for each of Europe, Africa, and East-Asia was determined for each person. Because percent ancestry is strongly associated with self-reported race/ethnicity, we also standardized the ancestry variables to have mean=0 and variance=1 for each self-reported race/ethnicity, to isolate the potential biological effect of genetic ancestry from self-reported race/ethnicity as a social construct. Because European and African ancestry are negatively correlated, we considered European minus African ancestry (EMAA) and European ancestry. We fit Cox models for time to lung cancer diagnosis, controlling for smoking history and other lung-cancer risk factors. Results: Self-reported White smokers averaged 98.1% European ancestry (standard-deviation(𝜎)=2.8%) and 0.8% (𝜎=1.7%) African ancestry, while self-reported Black smokers averaged 22.0% (𝜎=14%) European ancestry and 75.8% (𝜎=14%) African ancestry. Controlling for smoking history and all lung-cancer risk factors, standardized European ancestry was associated with increased lung-cancer risk (HR=1.13 per 1 race/ethnicity-specific standard-deviation increase in European ancestry, 95%CI: 1.02-1.25, p=0.02) that is partly counteracted by increasing EMAA (HR=0.95, 95%CI: 0.90-1.003, p=0.06). In this model, self-reported Black smokers also had increased lung-cancer risk versus self-reported White smokers (HR=1.56, 95%CI: 1.35-1.80, p Citation Format: Courtney D. Dill, Dontray Trump, Rebecca Landy, Li Cheung, Wen-Yi Huang, Sonja Berndt, Neal Freedman, Hormuzd Katki. Association of genetic ancestry with lung-cancer risk in White and Black ever-smokers [abstract]. In: Proceedings of the 15th AACR Conference on the Science of Cancer Health Disparities in Racial/Ethnic Minorities and the Medically Underserved; 2022 Sep 16-19; Philadelphia, PA. Philadelphia (PA): AACR; Cancer Epidemiol Biomarkers Prev 2022;31(1 Suppl):Abstract nr PR011.

Simple Summary Engaging in sports activities is strongly encouraged for cancer survivors. We aim to investigate the association between the level of sports activities participation post-diagnosis and quality of life (QoL) among Chinese women with early-stage breast cancer during the first five years of survival. Notably, we confirm in this work that regular participation in sports activities following cancer diagnosis may have a positive effect on patients’ QoL. Abstract Evidence about the association between the level of sports activities participation post-diagnosis and quality of life (QoL) among Chinese women with early-stage breast cancer is limited. A validated modified Chinese Baecke questionnaire was used to prospectively measure sports activities among a breast cancer cohort at four time-points: baseline and 18, 36, and 60 months after diagnosis (sports activities during the previous 12 months before each interview); QoL was measured at the same time. In total, 1289, 1125, and 1116 patients were included in the analyses at 18-, 36- and 60-month follow-up, respectively. The percentages of patients who belonged to no (0 metabolic equivalent of task (MET)-hours per week), low-level (

Background: Lignans intake has been suggested to affect breast cancer outcomes based on a few studies from the West. However, to date, the relationship of lignan consumption and breast cancer outcomes has not been investigated in Chinese patient population. Since the habitual intake of lignan and food sources for lignan may vary between different geographical population and ethnicities, it is necessary to develop a population-specific Food Frequency Questionnaire (FFQ) to enable the conduct of dietary lignan studies in Chinese patient population. The objective of this study is to validate a modified FFQ that could be utilized for assessing lignan intake in a Chinese population. Methods: 133 Hong Kong Chinese women with early-stage breast cancer who were participating in an on-going prospective cohort study (The Hong Kong New Territories East Cluster (NTEC)-Kowloon West Cluster (KWC) Breast Cancer Survival Study) were being consented into the present study; the NTEC-KWC study investigates the associations of phytoestrogens and other factors with breast cancer outcomes. 103 of the 133 patients completed all the study assessments and were included in the analysis; they underwent two face-to-face interviews during which they responded to a modified 130-item FFQ at 1-year apart (FFQ1, FFQ2). In addition, 12 monthly 24-hour dietary recalls (24-h DRs) were conducted through telephone during the same 1-year period. Total lignans intake from the FFQs and 24-h DRs, correlation coefficients and cross classification between the two FFQs and between FFQ and 24-h DR were examined. Results: Median intakes of total lignans for FFQ1, FFQ2 and 24-h DRs were 2.39, 2.15 and 1.36 mg/day, respectively. Both the energy-adjusted correlation coefficients between FFQ1 and FFQ2, and that between FFQ2 and 24-h DR were 0.59 for log-transformed lignans intake (p Conclusion: The 130-item FFQ has acceptable validity and reproducibility, and is a reasonable and useful instrument to assess dietary lignans intake among Hong Kong Chinese women with early-stage breast cancer. Funding: World Cancer Research Fund International (Grant Number WCRF 2010/249 and WCRF 2014/1197) Citation Format: Yiqian He, Yuan-Yuan Lei, Carol Kwok, Ashley Cheng, Ka-Li Cheung, Iris Lee, Roselle Lee, Suzanne Ho, Winnie Yeo. Validation of a Chinese-specific food frequency questionnaire for assessing dietary lignans intake among breast cancer patients in Hong Kong [abstract]. In: Proceedings of the 2019 San Antonio Breast Cancer Symposium; 2019 Dec 10-14; San Antonio, TX. Philadelphia (PA): AACR; Cancer Res 2020;80(4 Suppl):Abstract nr P2-13-19.

Recent increasing uses of ceria in research and industrial applications have fostered continuing developments of efficient routes to synthesize the material. Here we report our investigation of the effects and the mechanistic roles of lithium acetate to accelerate the growth of crystalline ceria nanoparticles in ozone-mediated synthesis. By increasing the mole ratio of the acetate to cerium nitrate in the reactions, the reaction yields of ceria nanoparticles were observed to increase from ca. 10% to up to over 90% by cerium content in 30 min reactions. Microscopy images and Raman spectra of the as-synthesized nanoparticles revealed that increasing the acetate additions led to a decrease in average particle size and size range but an increase in crystallinity. Through analyzing the organic by-products in the reaction mixtures, the acetate was inferred to base-catalyze the formation of acetals and cerium complexes and accelerate the formation of Ce–O–Ce bonds and hence the growth of ceria nanoparticles through alcohol-like condensation reactions.

Purpose Since Cantonese opera was inscribed on UNESCO’s Representative List of the Intangible Cultural Heritage of Humanity in 2009, the Chinese government has carried out different policies to “develop” Cantonese opera in Guangzhou. Through state-initiated reforms, the local performing art was homogenized, institutionalized and nationalized in many ways. In this process, the government authorities took the lead and the Cantonese opera music community was not involved in the decision making of the future of their own tradition. This paper aims to discuss this issue. Design/methodology/approach Based on intensive fieldwork conducted in 2011, the paper examines the meaning of heritage to the local music community, as the art form was recognized by UNESCO in 2009. Apart from studying the policies made by the government, this paper looks into the socio-political impact brought to the Cantonese opera music community from a bottom-up perspective. Findings Cantonese opera performances in Guangzhou as well as performers’ own social life changed drastically in recent years. Musicians faced a dilemma of whether to follow the government’s market-oriented plan or to preserve their traditional lifestyle with their own initiative. Originality/value This paper reveals the voices of the “voiceless” music community and investigates the consequences resulted by the heritagization of the art form to the music community.

Purpose Dietary intake and patients’ quality of life (QoL) are important supportive care issues in breast cancer survivorship. This study aimed to identify dietary pattern before and after breast cancer diagnosis. In addition, the association between dietary patterns and QoL were cross-sectionally and longitudinally investigated. Methods A breast cancer cohort which included 1462 Chinese women were longitudinally interviewed at four time-points, namely baseline, 18-, 36-, and 60 months after diagnosis. At each follow-up, validated food frequency questionnaires (FFQ) were used to assess patients’ dietary intake, and factor analysis was used to derive dietary patterns. European Organization for Research and Treatment of Cancer Quality of Life Questionnaire Core 30 (EORTC QLQ-C30) were used to measure QoL at each follow-up. This study included 1368, 1226, 1079 and 1095 patients with invasive disease who completed assessment at baseline, 18-, 36- and 60-month follow-up and had detailed data of dietary intake and QoL. Results Based on data obtained at 18-month follow-up, two major dietary patterns were identified: “grain and animal food pattern” and “vegetables and fruits pattern”. Similar dietary patterns were obtained at baseline, 36- and 60- month follow-up. Generalized Estimating Equations (GEE) were used to analyze the longitudinal associations between dietary patterns and QoL over the four follow-ups. High intake of grain and animal food was inversely associated with scores for role functioning (B = − 0.744; 95%CI − 0.147 to − 0.017), dyspnea (B = − 0.092; 95%CI − 0.092 to − 0.092) and constipation (B = − 1.355; 95%CI − 2.174 to − 0.536). Vegetables and fruits intake were positively associated with scores for global health status/QoL (B = 1.282; 95%CI 0.545–2.019), physical functioning (B = 0.545; 95%CI: 0.037–1.053), emotional functioning (B = 1.426; 95%CI 0.653–2.200) and cognitive functioning (B = 0.822; 95%CI 0.007–1.637), while inversely associated with scores for nausea and vomiting (B = − 0.382; 95%CI − 0.694 to − 0.071), dyspnea (B = − 0.570; 95%CI − 0.570 to − 0.570), insomnia (B = − 1.412; 95%CI − 2.647 to − 0.177), loss of appetite (B = − 0.722; 95%CI − 1.311 to − 0.132), constipation (B = − 2.028; 95%CI − 2.775 to − 1.281) and diarrhea (B = − 0.929; 95%CI − 1.481 to − 0.377). Conclusion This study suggested that high adherence to “grain and animal food pattern” or “vegetables and fruits pattern” was significantly associated with several aspects of QoL. For instance, vegetables and fruits pattern appears to have beneficial effect on global health status/QoL among Chinese breast cancer patients. Prospective follow-up data could further confirm whether a specific dietary pattern has impact on cancer outcomes.

BackgroundTo investigate the association between level of sports activities participation at post-diagnosis and quality of life (QoL) among Chinese women with early-stage breast cancer patients during the first five years of survival.MethodsA validated modified Chinese Baecke questionnaire was used to prospectively measure sports activities among a breast cancer cohort at four time-points: baseline (sports activities during the previous 12 months before cancer diagnosis), 18-, 36- and 60-month after diagnosis (sports activities during the previous 12 months before each interview); QoL was measured at the same time. ResultsIn total, 1289, 1125 and 1116 patients were included into the analyses at 18-, 36- and 60-month follow-up, respectively. The percentages of patients who belonged to no [0 metabolic equivalent of task (MET)-hours per week], low-level (

CeO2-Catalyzed esterification of CO2, a well-known greenhouse gas, with methanol has been widely recognized as a promising alternative method to produce dimethyl carbonate (DMC). Herein, we performed a comprehensive study of catalytic mechanisms underlying the formation of DMC from CO2 and methanol on both stoichiometric and reduced CeO2(111) and (110) surfaces. To this end, the saddle-point searching algorithm is employed. Specifically, using the monomethyl carbonate (MMC) as the key intermediate, a three-step Langmuir-Hinshelwood (LH) mechanism, including the formation and esterification of monomethyl carbonate and removal of water molecule, is identified for the catalytic DMC formation on either the reduced or the stoichiometric CeO2(111) and (110) surfaces. For both CeO2(111) and (110) surfaces, our study indicates that the presence of oxygen vacancies can markedly lower the activation energy barrier. Different rate-limiting steps are identified, however, for the reduced CeO2(111) and (110) surfaces. Successful identification of the rate-limiting step and the associated active CO2 species will provide atomic-level guidance on selection of metal-oxide-based catalysts toward direct synthesis of DMC from the green-house gas CO2 and methanol.

Soft materials such as gels, elastomers, and biological tissues have diverse applications in nature and technology due to their viscoelastic nature. These soft materials often exhibit complex rheology and display elastic and viscous characteristics when undergoing deformation. In recent years, fractional calculus has emerged as a promising tool to explain the viscoelastic behavior of soft materials. Scalar constants are primarily used to quantify viscoelastic elements such as springs and dashpots. However, in three-dimensional (3D) space, not all materials show the same elastic or viscoelastic properties in all directions, especially under elastic/viscoelastic wave propagation (or anisotropy). Though previously reported studies on viscoelastic models have explained a power-law decay of the memory functions, none of them explicitly explained the 3D complex modulus through a matrix notation. In this paper, we present a mathematical formulation that employs tensor algebra and fractional calculus to derive the 3D complex modulus of Kelvin–Voigt, Maxwell, and other arrangements of viscoelastic models. The 3D complex modulus provides information about the elastic wave propagation in a media and can be used to explain anisotropy in different viscoelastic materials. Additionally, an advanced formulation of the moduli can improve the modeling in finite element analysis of 3D viscoelastic materials where discretization is vital for studying media of asymmetric shapes. Finally, we demonstrated a polar decomposition method to visualize viscoelastic tensors using the Green–Christoffel tensor and surface plots to represent the degrees of anisotropy and viscoelasticity in the Fourier domain when the medium is probed by a time-harmonic homogeneous plane wave.

Purpose: Dietary intake and patients’ quality of life (QoL) are important supportive care issues in breast cancer survivorship. This study aimed to identify dietary pattern after breast cancer diagnosis. In addition, the association between dietary patterns and QoL were cross-sectionally investigated.Methods: A breast cancer cohort which included 1462 Chinese women were longitudinally interviewed at four time-points, namely baseline, 18-, 36-, and 60-months after diagnosis. At each follow-up, validated food frequency questionnaires (FFQ) were used to assess patients’ dietary intake, and principal component analysis was used to derive dietary patterns. European Organization for Research and Treatment of Cancer Quality of Life Questionnaire Core 30 (EORTC QLQ-C30) were used to measure QoL. This study included 1226 patients with invasive disease who completed assessment at 18-month follow-up and had detailed data of dietary intake and QoL. Results: Two major dietary patterns were identified: “grain and animal food pattern” and “vegetables and fruits pattern”. Multivariable linear regression analysis indicated that grain and animal food intake was inversely associated with score for fatigue (P = 0.010) and dyspnea (P = 0.024). Vegetables and fruits intake were positively associated with scores for global health status/QoL (P = 0.002), while inversely associated with score for loss of appetite (P = 0.040) and diarrhea (P = 0.009). Conclusion: This study suggested that high adherence to a vegetables and fruits pattern might have beneficial effect on QoL among Chinese breast cancer patients. Prospective follow-up data could further confirm whether a specific dietary pattern has impact on cancer outcomes.

Background: Body weight management was an important component in breast cancer survivorship care. The present study described the change patterns of body weight and waist-to-hip ratio (WHR) during the first five years of survival, and investigated potential factors associated with very substantial changes.Patients and methods: Based on a longitudinal cohort with 1462 Chinese women with breast cancer, anthropometric measurements including body weight, height, waist and hip circumferences were measured by trained interviewers following standard protocol at four time-points: baseline at study entry, 18-, 36- and 60-months follow up assessments (termed as T0, T1, T2 and T3, respectively). Body height was measured at baseline and body weight at cancer diagnosis were retrieved from medical record.Results: Compared to weight at breast cancer diagnosis, the median weight change was -0.5kg, 0kg, +0.5kg, and +1kg at T0, T1, T2 and T3, respectively. During the first five years of survival, the proportion of women who were obese have slightly increased. At 60-months after diagnosis, only 14.3% of women had weight gain by > 5kg; and the percentage of women who had weight gain by > 10% was 10.7%. Nearly half of patients had abdominal obesity at study entry, and this proportion were gradually increased to nearly 70% at 60-months follow-up. Multivariate analysis indicated that older age, frequent sports participation and having vegetables and fruits intake ≥ 400g/day were related to lower risk of very substantial weight gain (> 10%) at 60-months follow-up; patients aged 40-49 years, having ≥ 2 comorbidities, ER negative and having vegetables and fruits intake ≥ 400g/day were associated with less likelihood of very substantial WHR substantial increase (> 10%) at 60-months follow-up. Conclusion: Weight gain was modest in Chinese breast cancer survivors during the first five years of survival, while central adiposity has become a contemporary public health issue. The incorporation of healthy weight and abdominal circumference patient education and management has a potential to improve cancer survivorship.

Background There is concern that the estrogen-like effects of soy isoflavones may stimulate mammary tumor growth and interfere with the efficacy of breast cancer treatment. This study aimed to examine prospectively the associations of dietary soy isoflavone intake with all-cause mortality and breast cancer (BC) specific mortality and recurrence among BC survivors. Design The study included 1460 Chinese women with early-stage incident BC. Pre-diagnosis and early post-diagnosis soy food intakes were assessed at study entry, and at 18-month follow-up using validated soy food frequency questionnaire. Associations of soy isoflavone intake with prognostic outcomes within 48 months were examined using multivariable adjusted Cox proportional hazards models. Results We observed increasing pre-diagnosis and early post-diagnosis soy isoflavone intakes up to the third quartile (Q3) were associated with reductions for adverse prognostic outcomes. Relative to the lowest quartile (Q1), the hazard ratios (HRs) for all-cause mortality for pre-diagnosis and post-diagnosis Q3 intake were respectively 0.34 (95% CI, 0.16–0.74), and 0.44 (95% CI, 0.22–0.89). A similar risk reduction was observed for pre- and post-diagnosis intakes and BC-specific mortality when comparing Q3 versus Q1 with the respective HRs 0.36 (95% CI, 0.16–0.82), and 0.49 (95% CI, 0.23–1.01). Subgroup analyses showed more favourable prognostic outcomes in association with moderate soy intake among premenopausal women, those with triple negative cancer and recipients of tamoxifen treatment. Conclusion Moderate soy isoflavone intake was associated with favourable prognostic outcomes in Chinese early stage BC survivors.

Background Lignans intake has been suggested to have effects on breast cancer outcomes based on some studies from the West. However, the relationship of lignans consumption and breast cancer outcomes in Chinese population has not been investigated. The development of a culture-specific lignan food frequency questionnaire (LFFQ) is necessary in order to assess dietary lignans intake among Chinese breast cancer patients. This study was designed to validate a newly developed LFFQ to specially assess lignans intake among Chinese subjects. Methods The original study cohort consisted of 1,462 patients with early-stage breast cancer. 133 of these patients were recruited from the original study cohort; 103 of them completed all the assessments from 2015 to 2017 and were included in the present analysis. Two face-to-face interviews were conducted one year apart using a newly developed LFFQ (LFFQ1, LFFQ2). Twelve monthly 24-hour dietary recalls (24-h DRs) were conducted through telephone interview during the same 1-year period. Total lignans intake derived from the LFFQs and 24-h DRs, correlation coefficients and cross classification between the two LFFQs and between LFFQ and 24-h DR were examined. Results Median (IQR) intakes of total lignans for LFFQ1, LFFQ2 and 24-h DRs were 1.66 (1.17–2.15), 1.38 (1.01–2.01), and 0.97 (0.70–1.31) mg/day, respectively. The energy-adjusted validity between LFFQ2 and 24-h DRs was 0.67 (P P

Background: To compare change in level of physical activity between pre-and post- diagnosis of breast cancer in Chinese women.Methods: Based on an on-going prospective study consisting of a sample of Chinese women with breast cancer, a validated modified Chinese Baecke questionnaire was used to measure physical activity at baseline (12 months before cancer diagnosis), 18-, 36- and 60-months after diagnosis (over the previous 12 months before each interview). Results: In our cohort of 1462 Chinese women with a mean age of 52 years, the mean level of physical activity at post-diagnosis was 9.6 metabolic equivalent of task (MET)-hours/week, which was significantly higher than that at pre-diagnosis with mean level of 5.9 MET-hours/week (P < 0.001). The mean levels of physical activity at 18-, 36- and 60-months follow-up were 9.9, 9.8 and 9.3 MET-hours/week, respectively. There was no significant difference between any two of the three follow-ups at post-diagnosis. The proportions of participant who met World Cancer Research Fund/ American Institute for Cancer Research (WCRF/AICR) recommendation before and after cancer diagnosis were both low, being 20.7% and 35.1%, respectively. Compared to pre-diagnosis, most of the patients improved or had no change on level of physical activity at post-diagnosis, with the respective proportion being 48.2% and 43.8%. Conclusions: Adherence to current lifestyle recommendation for cancer survivors, Chinese women with breast cancer significantly increased level of physical activity level after cancer diagnosis, and such improvement was sustained to five years post-diagnosis. The proportion of patients who met the exercise recommendation for cancer survivors was still low. Encouraging patients on the importance of durable high level of physical activity in breast cancer survivorship is warranted.

Reactive oxygen species (ROS) are powerful oxidants generated in both biological systems and natural environments. Though enzyme-mimic activity and Fenton-like reactions have been postulated to explain how ceria nanoparticles and ROS are involved in the catalytic decomposition of hydrogen peroxide (H2O2), the corresponding reaction kinetics for this reaction have not yet been completely resolved. Here we present our investigation of the structure–activity relationship of ceria nanostructures for the generation of hydroxyl radicals through the catalytic decomposition of H2O2. Different nanostructured ceria including nanorods (NR), nanocubes (NC), and nanooctahedra (NO), together with commercial ceria, were examined to elucidate the relationship between the morphology and reaction kinetics. The initial relative production rates of hydroxyl radicals over different ceria nanostructures were determined using fluorescence measurements and were applied to obtain the apparent activation energy for their intrinsic activity comparisons. The activity trend of the order: ceria NR > ceria NC > ceria NO > commercial ceria was observed. This trend was rationalized and assessed using activity descriptive factors including the intensity ratio of Raman bands of vibration modes due to atomic defects, the percentage of surface Ce3+ content, and the average coordination number of oxygen anions surrounding each cerium cation in the ceria samples.

We report the growth of carbon dioxide (CO2) whiskers at low temperatures (−70 °C to −65 °C) and moderate pressure (4.4 to 1.0 bar). Their axial growth was assessed by optical video analysis. The identities of these whiskers were confirmed as CO2 solids by Raman spectroscopy. A vapor–solid growth mechanism was proposed based on the influence of the relative humidity on the growth.

Yuan-Yuan Lei,1 Suzanne C Ho,2 Ashley Cheng,3 Carol Kwok,3 Ka Li Cheung,1 Yi-Qian He,1 Chi-Kiu Iris Lee,1 Roselle Lee,1 Winnie Yeo1,4 1Department of Clinical Oncology, Prince of Wales Hospital, The Chinese University of Hong Kong, Shatin, New Territories, Hong Kong Special Administrative Region, China; 2Division of Epidemiology, The Jockey Club School of Public Health and Primary Care, The Chinese University of Hong Kong, Shatin, New Territories, Hong Kong Special Administrative Region, China; 3Department of Clinical Oncology, Princess Margaret Hospital, Kwai Chung, Hong Kong Special Administrative Region, China; 4Hong Kong Cancer Institute, State Key Laboratory in Oncology in South China, Faculty of Medicine, The Chinese University of Hong Kong, Shatin, New Territories, Hong Kong Special Administrative Region, China Background: The diagnosis of cancer can motivate patients to change their dietary habits. Evidence on changes in dietary intake before and after breast cancer diagnosis in Chinese women has been limited. Patients and methods: In an ongoing prospective cohort study which involved 1,462 Chinese women with early-stage breast cancer, validated food frequency questionnaire was used to assess prediagnostic dietary intake (using questionnaire to recall dietary intake before diagnosis, which completed at baseline, ie, 0–12 months after diagnosis) and postdiagnostic dietary intake at 18-month and 36-month follow-ups after diagnosis. This study quantitatively compared dietary intake across three time points before and after breast cancer diagnosis. Results: Breast cancer patients significantly and continuously increased vegetables and fruits consumption, from 4.54 servings/day at prediagnosis to 5.19 and 5.59 servings/day at 18-month and 36-month follow-ups postdiagnosis, respectively (each compared to baseline, P

Diisopropylammonium bromide (DIPAB) molecular ferroelectric crystals were synthesized and examined to exhibit a large electric polarization (∼23μC/cm2), a large dielectric constant in the α-phase. Although the PXRD pattern indicates that the α-DIPAB sample has an overall excellent crystallinity, our analysis of its FT-IR and Raman vibrational spectra suggests the presence of disorder in the synthesized crystals as indicated by the presence of broad features in the Raman spectrum. Using vdW+DF2 calculations, we identified the majority of vibrational modes in the experimental spectra and analyzed the ones due to Br-disorder. We found that the bromine (Br) deficiency strongly affects the electric properties of α-DIPAB. Particularly, the experimentally measured dielectric constant of α-DIPAB is large (∼20), whereas the DFT-based calculations of the ideal DIPAB give much smaller values (∼2-3). We find that Br-deficiency is responsible for large dielectric constant of the DIPAB crystal with calculated value of ∼15-20. Furthermore, we showed that the van der Waals forces have a slight effect on the structural parameters, only causing a small shift in the vibrational frequencies. The main vibrational features of the DIPAB crystal in the Raman spectrum were shown to be driven by covalent bonding in the DIPA molecules and hydrogen bonds between the molecules with Br.

An ion-moderated partition high-performance liquid chromatography method was developed for the separation and identification of common organic carbonates. The separation of organic carbonates was achieved on an ion exclusion column with an exchangeable hydrogen ion. An isocratic, aqueous mobile phase was used for elution and detection was performed with a refractive index detector. The developed method was validated for specificity, linearity, limits of detection and quantification, precision and accuracy. All calibration curves showed excellent linear regression (R2 > 0.9990) within the testing range. The limits of detection were 3.8-30.8 ppm for the analyzed carbonates. Improvements in the peak resolution of the chromatograms were achieved by decreasing the column temperature. Addition of the organic modifier, acetonitrile, to the eluent was found to have insignificant effects on the peak resolution. The developed method was demonstrated for analyzing organic carbonate components in the electrolyte system of a commercial lithium ion battery.

Fluorite-structured cerium oxide (ceria; CeO2−x, 0≤x

The direct conversion of carbon dioxide (CO 2 ) to organic carbonates such as dimethyl carbonate (DMC) is favored only at low temperatures. However, these reactions are typically conducted at high temperatures due to poor reaction kinetics. In this article, the reaction kinetics were experimentally investigated for the direct conversion of CO 2 and methanol to DMC using a ceria nanorod catalyst and were compared with those of a highly crystalline commercial ceria catalyst. The apparent activation energy for this reaction over our nanorod catalyst was determined to be 65 kJ/mol whereas that of a commercial ceria catalyst was measured to be 117 kJ/mol. The reaction rate law was found to be approximately first order with respect to both catalysts, with an apparent negative one reaction order with respect to methanol. These results were found to be consistent with a Langmuir–Hinshelwood type reaction mechanism where CO 2 and methanol adsorption occurs in separate reaction steps.

A hybrid catalyst composed of phosphotungstic acid coated cerium oxide nanoparticles was demonstrated to catalyze the one-pot conversion of cellobiose, the disaccharide unit of cellulose, to a monosaccharide mixture of glucose and mannose. A high % conversion of cellobiose (up to 99%) was achieved resulting in a yield of mannose up to 15.8%. The yield of mannose from a glucose starting material was 22.8%, exceeding those of previous cerium-based glucose epimerization catalysts. The components of the hybrid material were revealed to function synergistically via a two-step process. Cellobiose was hypothesized to be first hydrolyzed to glucose, which was subsequently epimerized to mannose by the cerium ions leached from the catalyst. The 13C NMR spectroscopic study suggested that the epimerization likely occurred by way of a 1,2-carbon shift reaction mechanism.

In this study we probe the electrocatalytic activity of Pt nanoparticles supported on ceria nanoparticles (NPs) and nanorods (NRs) in the ethanol oxidation reaction (EOR) in alkaline media. The goal of this study was to relate morphology, support structure and composition to the EOR catalytic activity by using in situ X-ray absorption fine structure (XAFS) studies. Cyclic voltammetry experiments showed that both ceria supported catalysts (NP vs. NR) had similar peak current densities at fast scan rates, however at slow scan rates, the ceria NR catalyst showed superior catalytic activity. In situ XAFS studies in KOH showed that both ceria supported catalysts had more electron density in their d-band (with the ceria NR having more electron density overall) than ceria - free Pt/Vulcan standard. However, in an ethanol solution the ceria NR catalyst had the least electron density. We propose that this change is due to the increased charge transfer efficiency between the ceria nanorod support and platinum. In the KOH solution, the increased electron density makes the platinum less electrophilic and hinders Pt-OH bond formation. In the EtOH solution, platinum's increased nucleophilicity facilitates the bond formation between Pt and the electron deficient carbon in ethanol which in turn withdraws the electron density from platinum and increases the white line intensity as observed in the XAS measurements.

Here we report our study of the electronic properties of [100]-textured gadolinium nitride (GdN) thin films synthesized using a chemical vapor deposition (CVD) method. The electronic properties of the films were investigated using photoemission and inverse photoemission spectroscopy coupled with computational modeling. Our density functional theory (DFT) calculations suggest that the theoretically predicted half-metallic electronic structure of GdN is likely due to its low density of states (DOS) at the Fermi level. These calculations are supported by our photoemission and inverse photoemission spectroscopic measurements which show a band gap for the prepared films of a few milli-electron volts, seemingly consistent with the predicted electronic structure. Additionally, the use of a CVD gallium nitride capping layer was found to decelerate the surface oxidation of our GdN samples.

Introduction: Singapore has 40,000 Persons with Dementia (PWD) and this is projected to reach 53,000 by 2020, and 187,000 by 2050. There is a need to support the community care of PWD vis-à-vis institutional care.Singapore’s Ministry of Health (MOH) funded theDementia Care Project (DCP) in St Luke’s Hospital (SLH) in 2013. SLH is a Community Hospital which provides inpatient and outpatient rehabilitation, respite care and home care services. DCP aims to deliver integrated care for PWDs and their caregivers through a mobile multidisciplinary team with holistic assessments, interventions and psychosocial support to meet the needs of PWDs and caregivers. Short description of practice change implemented: PWDs are recruited into the DCP which provides integrated and coordinated support for PWDs and their caregivers from inpatient and into the community. Roles are defined with the doctors focusing on diagnosis and pharmacological interventions; nurses conducting cognitive assessments and caregiver training; therapists teaching caregivers on engaging PWDs; social-workers providing psychosocial support and financial assistance; nursing trained care-coordinators monitoring PWDs after discharge and providing caregivers support in the homes. Monthly meetings to discuss patients, with regular interdisciplinary teachings are conducted to strengthen the integrative care model. Aim and theory of change: DCP aims to help PWDs remain well in the community after discharge, and to provide caregiver support. This is achieved through the holistic assessments and interventions by the multidisciplinary team in a coordinated manner.Targeted Population and Stakeholders: The target population, PWDs and their caregivers admitted into SLH. Stakeholders include the multidisciplinary DCP team and community service providers.Time Line: MOH funding for this project was from June 2013 and will end in April 2017.Highlights (Innovation, Impact and Outcomes) The DCP integrated care for PWD and their caregivers across disciplines, from inpatient, and into the community. Clear defined roles, patient-centred practice, regular multi-disciplinary discussions and training resulted in holistic management, client satisfaction, and good outcomes for PWDs. Comments on sustainability: The integrated mobile team concept allowed a wider reach with reduced funding and valued outcomes. Conclusions (Comprising Key findings) A total of 444 inpatients were recruited from June 2013 to Mar 2015.The DCP consistently achieved high caregiver satisfaction rate, with improvement in caregiver distress and in patients’ Modified Bartel Index. Year 1 Year 2 Year 3 Jun 13 to Mar 14 Apr 14 to Mar 15 April 15 to Mar 16No. of Inpatients recruited 143 162 139No. of Outpatient Medical Attendance 277 426 508Improvement in behaviours of PWD 67% 70% 63%(Neuro-psychiatry Inventory - NPI)Improvement in Caregiver Distress (NPI) 53% 67% 68%Modified Bartel Index (MBI) Improvement 78% 84% 78%Caregivers Satisfaction 95% 93% 95% Discussions / Lessons Learned: Clarity of roles, centred around the PWD, with efforts on coordinated care and learning is paramount for better outcomes. This model can support patients while in hospital and also in the community. This is necessary given the rising number of dementia patients in our future.