ABCB1-C3435T polymorphism and breast cancer risk: A case-control study and a meta-analysis

Purpose: To investigate the association of ABCB1-C3435T transition with breast cancer risk which was followed by a meta-analysis. Methods: In a case-control study we collected blood samples from 290 women (including 150 breast cancer patients and 140 healthy controls). ABCB1-C3435T genotyping was performed by polymerase chain reaction-restriction fragment length polymorphism (PCR-RFLP) method. A meta-analysis was performed for a total of 13 eligible studies involving 5,835 cases and 8,178 controls. Results: The results of case-control study revealed a significant association between T allele (OR=1.770, 95%CI=1.236-2.535, p=0.002), CT genotype (OR=1.661, 95%CI=1.017-2.713, p=0.042), and TT genotype (OR=3.399, 95%C1=1.409-8.197, p=0.006) with breast cancer risk. Data from meta-analysis revealed a significant association between ABCB1-C3435T polymorphism and breast cancer risk in allelic (OR=1.243, 95%CI=1.079-1.432, p=0.003), co-dominant (OR=1.349, 95%CI=1.042-1.746, p=0.023), dominant (OR=1.204, 95%CI=1.019-1.422, p=0.029), and recessive (OR=1.226, 9S%C1-1.0U-1.488, p=0.039) models. Conclusions: The results suggest that the ABCB1-C3435T gene polymorphism might be a genetic risk factor and a potential biomarker for breast cancer

Effects of Synaptic and Myelin Plasticity on Learning in a Network of Kuramoto Phase Oscillators

Models of learning typically focus on synaptic plasticity. However, learning is the result of both synaptic and myelin plasticity. Specifically, synaptic changes often co-occur and interact with myelin changes, leading to complex dynamic interactions between these processes. Here, we investigate the implications of these interactions for the coupling behavior of a system of Kuramoto oscillators. To that end, we construct a fully connected, one-dimensional ring network of phase oscillators whose coupling strength (reflecting synaptic strength) as well as conduction velocity (reflecting myelination) are each regulated by a Hebbian learning rule. We evaluate the behavior of the system in terms of structural (pairwise connection strength and conduction velocity) and functional connectivity (local and global synchronization behavior). We find that for conditions in which a system limited to synaptic plasticity develops two distinct clusters both structurally and functionally, additional adaptive myelination allows for functional communication across these structural clusters. Hence, dynamic conduction velocity permits the functional integration of structurally segregated clusters. Our results confirm that network states following learning may be different when myelin plasticity is considered in addition to synaptic plasticity, pointing towards the relevance of integrating both factors in computational models of learning.Comment: 39 pages, 15 figures This work is submitted in Chaos: An Interdisciplinary Journal of Nonlinear Scienc

Purely radiative perfect fluids

We study `purely radiative' (div E = div H = 0) and geodesic perfect fluids with non-constant pressure and show that the Bianchi class A perfect fluids can be uniquely characterized --modulo the class of purely electric and (pseudo-)spherically symmetric universes-- as those models for which the magnetic and electric part of the Weyl tensor and the shear are simultaneously diagonalizable. For the case of constant pressure the same conclusion holds provided one also assumes that the fluid is irrotational.Comment: 12 pages, minor grammatical change

Fire Promotes Arsenic Mobilization and Rapid Arsenic(III) Formation in Soil via Thermal Alteration of Arsenic-Bearing Iron Oxides

Arsenic in oxic surface soils readily associates with Fe(III) oxide minerals such as ferrihydrite and goethite, predominantly as As(V). Fires are a common feature in many landscapes, creating high-temperature soil conditions which drive thermal transformation of these As(V)-bearing minerals. However, it is unknown whether fire-induced transformation of ferrihydrite and goethite can alter the mobility of As, or alter As(V) speciation (e.g., via pyrolysis induced electron-transfer generating the more mobile and toxic inorganic As(III) species). Here, we subject an organic-rich soil (∼15% organic C) mixed (4:1) with As(V)-bearing ferrihydrite and goethite (total As of 2.8–3.8 μmol g-1), to various temperatures (200–800°C) and heating durations (5–120 min) and examine the consequences for As and Fe via X-ray absorption spectroscopy, X-ray diffraction, 57Fe Mössbauer spectroscopy and selective extracts. We show that heating transformed both ferrihydrite and goethite to mainly maghemite at temperatures >400°C and tended to increase exchangeable surface-complexed As (AsEx) in ferrihydrite yet decrease AsEx in goethite. We demonstrate for the first time that ferrihydrite and goethite-bound As(V) can be rapidly reduced to As(III) during heating of organic-rich soil. Electrons were readily transferred to both Fe(III) and As(V), with reduction of As(V) to As(III) peaking at intermediate temperatures and time periods (maxima of ∼88% for ferrihydrite; ∼80% for goethite). Although As(III) formation was fast (within 5–10 min at temperatures >400°C), it was followed by partial re-oxidation to As(V) at higher temperatures and longer time intervals. Additionally, combusted As-bearing ferrihydrite and goethite soil-mixtures display greatly enhanced (2–3 orders of magnitude) mobilization of inorganic As(III)aq species upon re-wetting with water. Mobilization of As(III)aq was positively correlated with solid-phase As(III) formation and was greater for goethite than ferrihydrite. These findings challenge the current prevailing view that As(V) reduction to As(III) in soil is mainly limited to waterlogged conditions and suggest that moderate-temperature fires of short duration in oxic soils, may generate substantial labile As(III) species and lead to a pulse of As(III)aq mobilization upon initial rainfall and re-wetting. Further investigation is recommended to explore the consequences for arsenic cycling in fire-prone natural landscapes and agricultural systems which involve controlled-burn practices

Analytical composite performance models for Big Data applications

In the era of Big Data, whose digital industry is facing the massive growth of data size and development of data intensive software, more and more companies are moving to use new frameworks and paradigms capable of handling data at scale. The outstanding MapRe- duce (MR) paradigm and its implementation framework, Hadoop are among the most re- ferred ones, and basis for later and more advanced frameworks like Tez and Spark. Accurate prediction of the execution time of a Big Data application helps improving design time de- cisions, reduces over allocation charges, and assists budget management. In this regard, we propose analytical models based on the Stochastic Activity Networks (SANs) to accurately model the execution of MR, Tez and Spark applications in Hadoop environments governed by the YARN Capacity scheduler. We evaluate the accuracy of the proposed models over the TPC-DS industry benchmark across different configurations. Results obtained by numeri- cally solving analytical SAN models show an average error of 6% in estimating the execution time of an application compared to the data gathered from experiments and moreover the model evaluation time is lower than simulation time of state of the art solutions

Neuropathological and cerebrospinal fluid correlates of choroid plexus inflammation in progressive multiple sclerosis

Among the intrathecal inflammatory niches where compartmentalized inflammation persists and plays a pivotal role in progressive multiple sclerosis (MS), choroid plexus (CP) has recently received renewed attention. To better characterize the neuropathological/molecular correlates of CP in progressive MS and its potential link with other brain inflammatory compartments, such as perivascular spaces and leptomeninges, the levels, composition and phenotype of CP immune infiltration in lateral ventricles of the hippocampus were examined in 40 post-mortem pathologically confirmed MS and 10 healthy donors, using immunochemistry/immunofluorescence and in-situ sequencing. Significant inflammation was detected in the CP of 21 out of the 40 MS cases (52%). The degree of CP inflammation was found correlated with: number of CP macrophages (R: 0.878, p = 1.012 x 10-13) and high frequency of innate immune cells expressing the markers MHC-class II, CD163, CD209, CD11c, TREM2 and TSPO; perivascular inflammation (R: 0.509, p = 7.921 x 10-4), and less with meningeal inflammation (R: 0.365, p = 0.021); number of active lesions (R: 0.51, p: 3.524 x 10-5). However, it did not significantly correlate with any clinical/demographic characteristics of the examined population. In-situ sequencing analysis of gene expression in the CP of 3 representative MS cases and 3 controls revealed regulation of inflammatory pathways mainly related to 'type 2 immune response', 'defense to infections', 'antigen processing/presentation'. Analysis of 78 inflammatory molecules in paired post-mortem CSF, the levels of fibrinogen (R: 0.640, p = 8.752 x 10-6), PDGF-bb (R: 0.470, p = 0.002), CXCL13 (R: 0.428, p = 0.006) and IL15 (R: 0.327, p = 0.040) were correlated with extent of CP inflammation. Elevated fibrinogen and complement deposition were found in CP and in underlying subependymal periventricular areas, according to "surface-in" gradient associated with concomitant prominent microglia activation. CP inflammation, predominantly characterized by innate immunity, represents another key determinant of intrathecal, compartmentalised inflammation persisting in progressive MS, which may be possibly activated by fibrinogen and influence periventricular pathology, even without substantial association with clinical features

Unusual complications after occupational exposure to giant hogweed (Heracleum mantegazzianum): A case report

Exposure to giant hogweed brings about the risk of serious skin damage, usually in the form of phytophotodermatitis. Initially, skin changes are signaled by a burning sensation, followed by a vesiculobullous rash and long-term hyperpigmentation. Usually, skin disorders improve after the application of topical and oral corticosteroids. In extremely rare instances, full skin thickness burns or epidermal necrosis occur. The study presents a case of occupational exposure to hogweed, which resulted in extensive skin lesions leading to the disablement of a 27-year-old man. The principles of procedure to be followed when contact with giant hogweed is an occupational hazard are also outlined