Pathological Changes Following Neoadjuvant Endocrine Therapy (NAET): A Multicentre Study of 391 Breast Cancers.

Oestrogen receptor (ER)-positive breast cancer (BC) is generally well responsive to endocrine therapy. Neoadjuvant endocrine therapy (NAET) is increasingly being used for downstaging ER-positive tumours. This study aims to analyse the effect of NAET on a well-characterised cohort of ER-positive BC with particular emphasis on receptor expression.

Impacts of divalent cations (Mg and Ca) on PFAS bioaccumulation in freshwater macroinvertebrates representing different foraging modes.

Per- and polyfluoroalkyl substances (PFAS) have extensively contaminated freshwater aquatic ecosystems where they can be transported in water and partition to sediment and biota. In this paper, three freshwater benthic macroinvertebrates with different foraging modes were exposed to environmentally relevant concentrations of eight perfluoroalkyl carboxylates (PFCA), three perfluoroalkyl sulfonates (PFSA), and three fluorotelomer sulfonates (FTS) at varying divalent cation concentrations of magnesium (Mg) and calcium (Ca). Divalent cations can impact PFAS partitioning to solids, especially to sediments, at higher concentrations.

Bioaccumulation of per- and polyfluoroalkyl substances by freshwater benthic macroinvertebrates: Impact of species and sediment organic carbon content.

Per- and polyfluoroalkyl substances (PFAS) in aquatic environments have caused global concern due to their persistence, toxicity, and potential bioaccumulation of some compounds. As an important compartment of the aquatic ecosystem, sediment properties impact PFAS partitioning between aqueous and solid phases, but little is known about the influence of sediment organic carbon content on PFAS bioaccumulation in benthic organisms. In this study, three freshwater benthic macroinvertebrates - worms (Lumbriculus variegatus), mussels (Elliptio complanata) and snails (Physella acuta) - were exposed for 28 days to PFAS spiked synthetic sediment equilibrated with a synthetic surface water.

Exposure pathways and bioaccumulation of per- and polyfluoroalkyl substances in freshwater aquatic ecosystems: Key considerations.

Due to the bioaccumulative behavior, toxicity, and recalcitrance to degradation, per- and polyfluoroalkyl substances (PFAS) are a focus for many researchers investigating freshwater aquatic ecosystems. PFAS are a diverse set of chemicals that accumulate and transport quite differently in the environment depending on the length of their fluoroalkyl chains and their functional groups. This diversity in PFAS chemical characteristics combined with varying environmental factors also impact the bioaccumulation of these compounds in different organisms.

Morphological and molecular changes following neoadjuvant endocrine therapy of oestrogen receptor-positive breast cancer: implications for clinical practice.

Aims: Neoadjuvant endocrine therapy (NAET) is used in the management of oestrogen receptor (ER)-positive breast cancer. The optimal method for histological assessment of response and the effect of NAET on the tumour morphology, grade and molecular profile remain unclear. The aim of this study is to investigate the NAET effect on tumour type, grade and molecular profile by analysing a well-characterised cohort of breast cancer samples in a single large UK tertiary referral centre, and to provide guidance on the pathological assessment of those lesions to inform adjuvant management and prognosis.

Synchronous versus sequential chemo-radiotherapy in patients with early stage breast cancer (SECRAB): A randomised, phase III, trial.

Background: The optimal sequence of adjuvant chemotherapy and radiotherapy for breast cancer is unknown. SECRAB assesses whether local control can be improved without increased toxicity.

Methods: SECRAB was a prospective, open-label, multi-centre, phase III trial comparing synchronous to sequential chemo-radiotherapy, conducted in 48 UK centres.

Radiotherapy for the Palliation of Advanced Sarcomas-The Effectiveness of Radiotherapy in Providing Symptomatic Improvement for Advanced Sarcomas in a Single Centre Cohort.

Sarcomas are rare and heterogeneous tumours with a large proportion of patients requiring palliative intervention. They are regarded as relatively radioresistant and therefore achieving good palliation with radiation may require larger doses than for more common solid tumour types. Limited data is available regarding appropriate palliative radiotherapy dose fractionation.

Exposure to synthetic hydraulic fracturing waste influences the mucosal bacterial community structure of the brook trout () epidermis.

Production of natural gas using unconventional technologies has risen as demand for alternative fuels has increased. Impacts on the environment from waste generated from these processes are largely unexplored. In particular, the outcomes of organismal exposure to hydraulic fracturing waste have not been rigorously evaluated.

Analyses of 202 plastid genomes elucidate the phylogeny of Solanum section Petota.

Our paper analyzes full plastid DNA sequence data of 202 wild and cultivated diploid potatoes, Solanum section Petota, to explore its phylogenetic utility compared to prior analyses of the same accessions using genome-wide nuclear SNPs, and plastid DNA restriction site data. The present plastid analysis discovered the same major clades as the nuclear data but with some substantial differences in topology within the clades. The considerably larger plastid and nuclear data sets add phylogenetic resolution within the prior plastid DNA restriction site data, highlight plastid/nuclear incongruence that supports hypotheses of hybridization/introgression to help explain the taxonomic difficulty in the section.

The prevalence of nonlinearity and detection of ecological breakpoints across a land use gradient in streams.

Human activities can alter aquatic ecosystems through the input of nutrients and carbon, but there is increasing evidence that these pressures induce nonlinear ecological responses. Nonlinear relationships can contain breakpoints where there is an unexpected change in an ecological response to an environmental driver, which may result in ecological regime shifts. We investigated the occurrence of nonlinearity and breakpoints in relationships between total dissolved nitrogen (TDN), total dissolved phosphorus (TDP), and total dissolved carbon (DOC) concentrations and ecological responses in streams with varying land uses.

Tracing anthropogenic inputs in stream foods webs with stable carbon and nitrogen isotope systematics along an agricultural gradient.

Stable carbon (13C) and nitrogen isotopes (15N) are useful tools in determining the presence of agricultural influences in freshwater ecosystems. Here we examined δ15N and δ13C signatures in nitrate, fish, and mussel tissues, from rivers in Southern Ontario, Canada, that vary in their catchment proportion of agriculture land use, nutrients and organic matter quality. We found comparatively 15N-enriched δ15N values in animal tissues and dissolved nitrates, relative to expected values characterized by natural sources.

Dexamethasone-related adrenal insufficiency in patients with brain and skull base tumours.

Purpose: This study aimed to evaluate the prevalence of glucocorticoid-induced adrenal insufficiency in a cohort of patients with brain and skull base tumours and to identify factors which may predict its occurrence.

Methods: Patients with brain or skull base tumours attending for a short synacthen test (SST) (adrenocorticotropin hormone (ACTH) stimulation test) at a single institution over a 3-year period were retrospectively identified. Baseline demographics and dexamethasone exposure were examined.

Survival is influenced by approaches to local treatment of Ewing sarcoma within an international randomised controlled trial: analysis of EICESS-92.

Background: Two national clinical trial groups, United Kingdom Children's Cancer and Leukaemia Group (CCLG) and the German Paediatric Oncology and Haematology Group (GPOH) together undertook a randomised trial, EICESS-92, which addressed chemotherapy options for Ewing's sarcoma. We sought the causes of unexpected survival differences between the study groups.

Methods: 647 patients were randomised.

Greatly reduced phylogenetic structure in the cultivated potato clade (Solanum section Petota pro parte).

Premise Of The Study: The species boundaries of wild and cultivated potatoes are controversial, with most of the taxonomic problems in the cultivated potato clade. We here provide the first in-depth phylogenetic study of the cultivated potato clade to explore possible causes of these problems.

Methods: We examined 131 diploid accessions, using 12 nuclear orthologs, producing an aligned data set of 14,072 DNA characters, 2171 of which are parsimony-informative.

Genomic Analyses Yield Markers for Identifying Agronomically Important Genes in Potato.

Wild potato species have substantial phenotypic and physiological diversity. Here, we report a comprehensive assessment of wild and cultivated potato species based on genomic analyses of 201 accessions of Solanum section Petota. We sequenced the genomes of these 201 accessions and identified 6 487 006 high-quality single nucleotide polymorphisms (SNPs) from 167 accessions in clade 4 of Solanum section Petota, including 146 wild and 21 cultivated diploid potato accessions with a broad geographic distribution.

Levels of Intra-specific AFLP Diversity in Tuber-Bearing Potato Species with Different Breeding Systems and Ploidy Levels.

DNA-based marker analysis of plant genebank material has become a useful tool in the evaluation of levels of genetic diversity and for the informed use and maintenance of germplasm. In this study, we quantify levels of amplified fragment length polymorphism (AFLP) in representative accessions of wild and cultivated potato species of differing geographic origin, ploidy, and breeding system. We generated 449 polymorphic AFLP fragments in 619 plants, representing multiple plants (16-23) from 17 accessions of 14 potato taxa as well as single plants sampled from available accessions (from 3 to 56) of the same 14 taxa.

Entire plastid phylogeny of the carrot genus (, Apiaceae): Concordance with nuclear data and mitochondrial and nuclear DNA insertions to the plastid.

Premise Of The Study: We explored the phylogenetic utility of entire plastid DNA sequences in and compared the results with prior phylogenetic results using plastid and nuclear DNA sequences.

Methods: We used Illumina sequencing to obtain full plastid sequences of 37 accessions of 20 taxa and outgroups, analyzed the data with phylogenetic methods, and examined evidence for mitochondrial DNA transfer to the plastid (MP).

Key Results: Our phylogenetic trees of the entire data set were highly resolved, with 100% bootstrap support for most of the external and many of the internal clades, except for the clade of and its most closely related species .

Linear accelerator radiosurgery for arteriovenous malformations: Updated literature review.

Arteriovenous malformations (AVMs) are the leading causing of intra-cerebral haemorrhage. Stereotactic radiosurgery (SRS) is an established treatment for arteriovenous malformations (AVM) and commonly delivered using Gamma Knife within dedicated radiosurgery units. Linear accelerator (LINAC) SRS is increasingly available however debate remains over whether it offers an equivalent outcome.

Genotyping-by-sequencing provides the discriminating power to investigate the subspecies of Daucus carota (Apiaceae).

Background: The majority of the subspecies of Daucus carota have not yet been discriminated clearly by various molecular or morphological methods and hence their phylogeny and classification remains unresolved. Recent studies using 94 nuclear orthologs and morphological characters, and studies employing other molecular approaches were unable to distinguish clearly many of the subspecies. Fertile intercrosses among traditionally recognized subspecies are well documented.

Cognitive and Social Functioning Deficits after Anti-N-Methyl-D-Aspartate Receptor Encephalitis: An Exploratory Case Series.

Background: Anti-N-methyl-D-aspartate receptor (NMDAR) encephalitis is a recently described life-threatening autoimmune disorder associated with a characteristic multi-stage neuropsychiatric syndrome. Although it is known that the majority of patients experience neuropsychological disturbance post-treatment, some aspects of the cognitive profile remain unclear.

Methods: This study sought to investigate patterns of cognitive functioning in a sample of anti-NMDAR encephalitis patients.

A high-quality carrot genome assembly provides new insights into carotenoid accumulation and asterid genome evolution.

We report a high-quality chromosome-scale assembly and analysis of the carrot (Daucus carota) genome, the first sequenced genome to include a comparative evolutionary analysis among members of the euasterid II clade. We characterized two new polyploidization events, both occurring after the divergence of carrot from members of the Asterales order, clarifying the evolutionary scenario before and after radiation of the two main asterid clades. Large- and small-scale lineage-specific duplications have contributed to the expansion of gene families, including those with roles in flowering time, defense response, flavor, and pigment accumulation.

Solanum clarum and S. morelliforme as Novel Model Species for Studies of Epiphytism.

The natural history of epiphytic plant species has been extensively studied. However, little is known about the physiology and genetics of epiphytism. This is due to difficulties associated with growing epiphytic plants and the lack of tools for genomics studies and genetic manipulations.