Improving Aptamer Affinity and Determining Sequence-Activity Relationships via Motif-SELEX.

The affinity of nucleic acid aptamers isolated via Systematic Evolution of Ligands by Exponential Enrichment (SELEX) is often limited because the entire potential sequence space cannot be screened. In this study, we introduce Motif-SELEX, a novel method that enables the optimization of existing underperforming aptamers by generating libraries that broadly represent both the sequence and length variations of the parent sequence. This approach enables the isolation of sequences with improved affinity without the biases and limitations of traditional mutagenesis methods like doped SELEX and error-prone PCR.

Long-term outcomes of bilateral salpingo-oophorectomy in women with personal history of breast cancer.

Objectives: To investigate the association between bilateral salpingo-oophorectomy (BSO) and long-term health outcomes in women with a personal history of breast cancer.

Methods And Analysis: We used data on women diagnosed with invasive breast cancer between 1995 and 2019 from the National Cancer Registration Dataset (NCRD) in England. The data were linked to the Hospital Episode Statistics-Admitted Patient Care dataset to identify BSO delivery.

A protocol for the assessment of uroflowmeters.

Uroflowmetry plays an important role in the investigation of patients with lower urinary tract symptoms. We were required to assess a newly developed uroflowmeter. We thus aimed to produce a standardised protocol to test the accuracy and filtering of any new uroflowmeter.

Synthesis and Characterization of Solvated and Base-Free Cerium(III) Mixed-Sandwich Complexes.

A series of solvated complexes: [(CH)Ln(CMeR)(DME)] Ln = La, R = -Me; () Ln = Ce, R = -Me, -SiMe, -H; (, , ), [(dbCOT)Ln(CMe)(DME)] (), (dbCOT = dibenzocyclooctadienide; Ln = Ce, La), [(dbCOT)Ce(CMeH)(DME)] () and [(hdcCOT)Ce(CMe)(DME)] () (hdcCOT = hexahydrodicyclopentacyclooctatetraenide) and base-free mixed-sandwich complexes [(CH)Ce(CMe)] (), [(CH)Ce(CMeH) () and [(hdcCOT)Ce(CMe)] () of the early lanthanide metals cerium and lanthanum comprising variable cyclopentadienide (Cp) and cyclooctatetraenide (COT) ligands is described. To evaluate the effect of cyclopentadienide and cyclooctatetraenide ligands on the characteristics of these complexes, their solid-state structural, electrochemical, and photophysical properties were studied and accompanied by theoretical calculations. To further evaluate the effect of ligands on the topology of the complexes and the reducing properties of the complexes, syntheses of several base-free congeners were pursued, which led to isolation of the first base-free monomeric and polymeric Ce(III) mixed-sandwich compounds.

Second Primary Cancer Risks After Breast Cancer in and Pathogenic Variant Carriers.

Purpose: Second primary cancer (SPC) risks after breast cancer (BC) in pathogenic variant (PV) carriers are uncertain. We estimated relative and absolute risks using a novel linkage of genetic testing data to population-scale National Disease Registration Service and Hospital Episode Statistics electronic health records.

Methods: We followed 25,811 females and 480 males diagnosed with BC and tested for germline PVs in NHS Clinical Genetics centers in England between 1995 and 2019 until SPC diagnosis, death, migration, contralateral breast/ovarian surgery plus 1 year, or the 31st of December 2020.