Sample Collection Research Articles

Circadian phase in high school students: Weekday-weekend shifts and relationships to other sleep/circadian characteristics.

In a sample of high school students, (1) to characterize within-person changes in sleep and circadian characteristics from school nights to weekend nights, (2) to examine whether later circadian phase relates to weekday-weekend changes in sleep/circadian characteristics, and (3) to examine correlations between biological and proxy measures of circadian phase. Sample included 95 high school students reporting at least one drink of alcohol in their lifetime. Participants completed baseline self-report measures, wrist actigraphy for 8 days, and two overnight laboratory visits (Thursday and Sunday) for salivary melatonin sample collection. Circadian phase was calculated as the dim light melatonin onset (DLMO; 4 pg/mL threshold). Proxy circadian phase measures included the Composite Scale of Morningness (CSM), Munich Chronotype Questionnaire (MCTQ), and actigraphy-based midsleep. Other than nap duration, all examined actigraphy-based sleep characteristics, DLMO, and DLMO-sleep phase angles showed weekday-weekend differences (adjusted p-values <0.05). Later mean DLMO was associated with larger weekday-weekend changes in total sleep time (b=0.39, padjusted=0.010). CSM and actigraphy-based midsleep showed small-to-moderate (rho=~0.3) and moderate (rho=~0.5) correlations with DLMO, respectively, but chronotype based on the MCTQ was not correlated with DLMO. In the largest published sample to date, circadian phase substantially shifted from the school week to weekend, underscoring the "social jetlag" imposed by early school start times. Similarly, teens with the latest circadian phase exhibited the greatest weekend catch-up sleep. Finally, perhaps due to the instability of circadian phase in this context, self-reported proxies for circadian timing were poor approximations of biological circadian phase.

MUSET: Set of utilities for constructing abundance unitig matrices from sequencing data.

MUSET is a novel set of utilities designed to efficiently construct abundance unitig matrices from sequencing data. Unitig matrices extend the concept of k-mer matrices by merging overlapping k-mers that unambiguously belong to the same sequence. MUSET addresses the limitations of current software by integrating k-mer counting and unitig extraction to generate unitig matrices containing abundance values, as opposed to only presence-absence in previous tools. These matrices preserve variations between samples while reducing disk space and the number of rows compared to k-mer matrices. We evaluated MUSET's performance using datasets derived from a 618-GB collection of ancient oral sequencing samples, producing a filtered unitig matrix that records abundances in less than 10 hours and 20 GB memory. MUSET is open source and publicly available under the AGPL-3.0 licence in GitHub at https://github.com/CamilaDuitama/muset. Source code is implemented in C ++ and provided with kmat_tools, a collection of tools for processing k-mer matrices. Version v0.5.1 is available on Zenodo with DOI 10.5281/zenodo.14164801. Supplementary data are available at Bioinformatics online.

Early Detection Of Financial Crisis: Analysis Of Insurance Companies On The Indonesian Stock Exchange

This research aims to analyze the influence of Liquidity, Cash Flow, Institutional Ownership, Profits, and Independent Commissioners on Financial Distress in Insurance Companies. The unit of analysis is 15 insurance companies listed on the Indonesia Stock Exchange for the 2018-2021 period. The independent variables used in this research are Liquidity which is measured using the current ratio (CR), Cash Flow which is measured through operating activities, Institutional Ownership which is measured through the percentage of shares owned by institutional parties, Profit which is measured using profit before tax (EBT), and Independent Commissioners which are measured using the percentage of the number of independent commissioners. Meanwhile, the dependent variable is Financial distress which is measured using ICR (Interest Coverage Ratio). The sample collection method used by researchers is purposive sampling. The analytical method used is multiple linear regression analysis. The results of this research show that Liquidity, Cash Flow, Institutional Ownership, Profits, and Independent Commissioners have a significant influence on Financial Distress conditions.

Liquid Medication Dosing Errors: Comparison of a Ready-to-Use Vigabatrin Solution to Reconstituted Solutions of Vigabatrin Powder for Oral Solution.

Vigabatrin (VGB) is intended for use by caregivers of infants (1month to 2years old) diagnosed with infantile spasms (IS). Commercially available vigabatrin powders require caregiver reconstitution prior to oral administration. This study compared the ability of caregivers to accurately provide a targeted dose of vigabatrin using a ready-to-use (RTU) vigabatrin oral solution (VGB-RTU solution) and SABRIL® (vigabatrin)powder for oral solution, LundbeckLLC, (vigabatrin powder) without instruction from a healthcare professional. A crossover comparative usability study with 30 lay users (15 caregivers with vigabatrin powder experience and 15 oral-syringe/medication preparation naïve users) which required users to deliver a single dose of both VGB-RTU surrogate solution and vigabatrin powder to a sample collection bottle was performed. Doses were measured analytically with a primary endpoint to deliver doses within ± 10% of the target dose of 1125mg. All 30 participants administered VGB-RTU solution doses within ± 5% of the target, while only 23/30 of thevigabatrin powder doses were within ± 10%. All naïve users delivered vigabatrin doses using VGB-RTU solution within ± 5% of the target; whereas only 13/15 delivered doses within ± 10% for vigabatrin powder. All experienced vigabatrin users delivered calculated vigabatrin doses using VGB-RTU solution within ± 3%; whereas only 10/15 delivered doses within ± 10% for vigabatrin powder. Users were equally able to accurately deliver the prescribed volumes of both products. Calculated doses of VGB-RTU solution (mg) were significantly less variable (p < 0.0001) and more accurate (p < 0.01) than doses of vigabatrin powder. Caregivers delivered more accurate and less variable doses of the ready-to-use solution compared to solutions prepared from vigabatrin powders for oral solution. These differences were shown to be due to caregiver errors inreconstituting vigabatrin powders for oral solution.

Vaginal Seeding: Is There Any Positive Effect in Canine C-Sections?

This study aimed to scrutinize variations in the intestinal microbiota of neonatal dogs born through natural birth versus elective cesarean section, focusing on evaluating the influence of vaginal seeding on the microbiota of cesarean-born neonates. Samples were collected from cesarean-sectioned females before anesthesia and from naturally birthing females during prodrome signs, along with neonates at eight time points from birth to 15 days of age. In the cesarean section group, seeding was performed in half of the neonates (cesarean section seeding group; seeding consisted of gently rubbing the gauze, obtained from the mother’s vagina, onto the mouths, faces, and bodies of the newborns), while the other half underwent microbiological sample collection without seeding (cesarean section group). Another group (normal birth group) consisted of naturally born neonates. Microbiota analysis included counting for enterobacteria, Staphylococcus spp., and Streptococcus spp. The results suggested that vertical transmission played a crucial role, but the method of birth did not emerge as the primary determinant of observed differences. Under study conditions, vaginal seeding failed to effectively modulate the microbiota of neonates born through elective cesarean section. Further investigations into the gut–brain axis are suggested for understanding factors influencing the initial development of the canine intestinal microbiota in neonates born through different delivery routes.

Unbiased transcriptomic analysis of primary early-onset vs late-onset colorectal cancer.

228 Background: Colorectal cancer is the 3rd most diagnosed and 2nd leading cause of cancer death. Despite the decline in incidence late-onset colorectal cancer (LOCRC), there is an increase in early onset of colorectal cancer (EORC). Clinicopathologic examinations from single centers revealed left-sided and rectal enrichment, poorly differentiated, and higher stage at presentation. Genomic studies examining the potential germline mutations/variants for EOCRC demonstrated mixed results. Transcriptomic analysis of the EOCRC compared to LOCRC remains limited. We hypothesized that EOCRC present with enrichment in aggressive molecular signatures consisting of CMS4 and iCMS3 signatures. To understand the mechanism behind EOCRC, we performed an unbiased RNA-Seq analysis in age groups of 32-82 in 95 patients. Methods: We utilized RNA-Seq data from the Orien Network, a collaborative between 19 NCI/NCCN cancer centers. We identified 95 patients diagnosed with colorectal cancer ranging in age from 32-82 and undergone RNA-sequencing of their primary tumors. Clinicopathologic assessment were analogously performed. We collected unnormalized raw-count RNA-Seq data from these patients. To account for differences in sequencing depth across samples, raw counts were scaled using the Reads Per Million (RPM) formula. The scaled reads in RPM were then utilized to assess the Consensus Molecular Subtypes (CMS) classification through two distinct approaches: the R package CMScaller and a deconvolution analysis using the R package SpatialDecon with the iCMS gene signature. Differences in age at the sample collection across patients with different CMS classifications were assessed by performing two-tailed unpaired T-tests. Additionally, differential expression analysis between EOCRC and LOCRC patients, defined by the upper and lower quartiles of the patients’ ages at the sample collection, was conducted using the LIMMA R package. Results: Clinicopathologic assessment of the primary tumors revealed left-sided tumors with poorly differentiated phenotype. Differential gene expression analysis between EOCRC and LOCRC demonstrated no significant differences. Stratification of transcriptomic data by decades also did not reveal any significant differences. Furthermore, there were no differences in CMS or iCMS classifications between different age groups. Conclusions: The RNA-Seq analysis comparing EOCRC and LOCRC did not identify any differential gene expression patterns. There was no significant differences were observed in CMS or iCMS classifications. These findings suggest that EOCRC and LOCRC share similar tumor biology based on molecular phenotypes. This implies that the initiating events for the disease may occur earlier in life while triggering a same disease process. As such, the findings underscores the importance of considering preventive measures, including earlier colonoscopy screenings.

Concordance between human epidermal growth factor receptor 2 (HER2) status by immunohistochemistry (IHC) and next-generation sequencing (NGS) in tissue and blood samples from gastric and gastroesophageal junction cancers (GC/GEJC).

478 Background: An estimated 18% of patients (pts) with GC/GEJC have HER2-positive (HER2+; IHC 3+ or 2+/in situ hybridization–positive [ISH+]) tumors. Although IHC/ISH are the standard testing methods for determining HER2 positivity, NGS can identify HER2 ( ERBB2 ) amplification alongside other biomarkers. This study assessed the concordance of detecting HER2 amplification by tissue/plasma NGS with IHC/ISH HER2 status in pts with GC/GEJC. Methods: Pts were retrospectively identified in the Tempus database. The primary analysis assessed tissue and plasma NGS HER2 copy number (CN) concordance with a HER2+ (IHC 3+ or 2+/ISH+) or HER2− (IHC 0, 1+, or 2+/ISH−) status; NGS samples were collected in ≤30 days of the IHC sample collection date. HER2 amplification was defined as tissue CN ≥8 or plasma log2(CN) ≥0.5; additional amplifications were captured by manual inspection. A secondary analysis assessed the correlation between paired tissue and plasma HER2 log2(CN) in pts with plasma and tissue NGS samples collected ≤30 days apart. The secondary analysis included pts irrespective of IHC sample collection date. Results: Of 1578 pts with GC/GEJC and a curated IHC score evaluated in the primary analysis, 1507 and 305 pts underwent tissue and plasma NGS testing, respectively. Among pts with tissue and plasma NGS results, 902 (59%) and 201 (66%) had primary tumors of the stomach, respectively; all remaining pts had primary tumors of the cardia.According to IHC/ISH, 229 (15%) and 40 (13%) pts were HER2+ among those with tissue and plasma NGS testing, respectively. Of the pts identified as HER2 amplified by tissue and plasma NGS,95% and 92% were HER2+ by IHC/ISH, respectively. Positive percent agreement (PPA) of HER2 amplification by tissue and plasma NGS with IHC/ISH HER2+ status was 70% and 58%, respectively. Concordance rates by PPA, negative PA (NPA), and overall PA (OPA) are summarized in Table. In the secondary analysis, a positive correlation in NGS HER2 log2(CN) was observed in pts with paired tissue and plasma NGS (mutant variant allele frequency &gt;5%; R=0.85; P&lt;2.2e−16; n=307). Conclusions: Based on PPA, we observed moderate concordance between NGS HER2 amplification detection (plasma or tissue) and standard HER2 IHC assessment. NGS is not sufficient to detect all pts with HER2+ GC/GEJC. Further testing is warranted to determine if NGS testing could complement IHC/ISH in identifying pts who may benefit from HER2-directed therapies. IHC 3+ or 2+/ISH+ (HER2+), n IHC 0, 1+, or 2+/ISH− (HER2−), n Total Total 229 1120 Tissue HER2 amplified, n 160 8 168 Tissue HER2 not amplified, n 69 1112 1181 PPA: 69.9% NPA: 99.3% OPA: 94.3% IHC 3+ or 2+/ISH+ (HER2+), n IHC 0, 1+, or 2+/ISH − (HER2 − ), n Total Total 40 233 Plasma HER2 amplified, n 23 2 25 Plasma HER2 not amplified, n 17 231 248 PPA: 57.5% NPA: 99.1% OPA: 93.0%

Clinical relevance of tumor fraction assessment from circulating tumor DNA in metastatic colorectal cancer.

237 Background: Both tissue (TBx) and liquid (LBx) biopsies are indicated for detecting actionable alterations in metastatic colorectal cancer (mCRC). LBx is easier to obtain and often has faster turnaround time, but its informative results depend on the ctDNA tumor fraction (TF) content. We aimed to (1) evaluate the concordance between LBx and TBx in CRC; and (2) determine baseline lab and clinical factors associated with TF. Methods: CRC patients (pts) with both tissue and liquid Foundation Medicine comprehensive genomic profiling within an interval of up to 90 days between samples collection were analyzed. Positive percent agreement (PPA) and negative predictive value (NPV) for RAS (KRAS/NRAS) and BRAFV600E detection were calculated with tissue as reference. Clinical data was obtained by the US-wide de-identified Flatiron Health-Foundation Medicine real-world clinicogenomic CRC database, from ~280 cancer clinics (~800 sites of care) between 1/2011-12/2023. mCRC pts with LBx collected up to 60 days prior to therapy (Tx) start were analyzed for association between TF and baseline factors using logistic regression with TF≥1% as the binary outcome. Baseline factors include age, ECOG, race/ethnicity, line of therapy, practice type, metachronous vs. synchronous disease, tumor side, albumin, alkaline phosphatase (AP), serum creatinine, hemoglobin, lactate dehydrogenase (LDH), neutrophil-to-lymphocyte ratio, opioid and steroid pre-Tx. Foundation Medicine’s ctDNA TF is a composite algorithm prioritizing aneuploidy at higher levels to avoid germline signal and prioritizing variant allele frequency of canonical alterations at lower levels to maximize dynamic range. Results: A total of 402 pts had TBx and LBx (268 [67%] TF≥1% and 134 [33%] TF&lt;1%). Without accounting for TF, the overall PPA for RAS and BRAFV600E was 77% and 83%, and the NPV was 65% and 99%. In LBx with TF≥1%, the PPA for RAS and BRAFV600E was 99% and 100%, and NPV was 98% and 100%. In contrast, for TF&lt;1% samples, the PPA for RAS and BRAFV600E was 37% and 50%, and NPV was 57% and 97%. Of the 633 pts with LBx collected prior to Tx, 474 (75%) had TF≥1%. TF≥1% was independently associated with ECOG 1+ (odds ratio [OR]: 1.58, p=0.038), community oncology care site (OR: 2.58, p=0.002), elevated levels of AP (OR: 3.00, p&lt;0.001) and LDH (OR: 3.97,p=0.002). TF≥1% was less likely to occur in right-side tumors (OR: 0.53, p=0.012) and metachronous disease (OR: 0.48, p&lt;0.001). Conclusions: Approximately 70% of LBx samples from CRC pts have TF≥1%, with near-perfect concordance for RAS/BRAFV600E. For LBx with TF&lt;1%, interpretation of negative results can be challenging due to low tumor shedding, especially for RAS mutations, where 43% may be false negatives and a subsequent TBx will provide more confidence in the negative results. Clinical factors such as right-sided tumors and metachronous disease may help anticipate low TF and guide decisions to pursue TBx.

Transcriptomic insight into the underlying mechanism of induced molting on reproductive remodeling, performance and egg quality in laying hen.

This study aimed to clarify the reproductive remodeling mechanism in enhancing production performance and egg quality during the fasting-induced molting process of laying hens. A total of two-hundred and forty 380-days-old Jingfen No. 6 laying hens, with an average laying rate of 78% were divided into four replicates, with 60 hens in each replicate to receive a four-stage molt induction experiment. The stages encompassed the pre-molt stage (T1), the molt stage (T2), the recovery stage (T3), and the second peak-laying stage (T4). The egg-laying rate and egg quality were recorded during all stages, and sample collection (serum, magnum of oviduct, ovary) was conducted at the end of each stage. The length and index of oviduct, the number of hierarchical follicles, and serum reproductive hormone levels were further measured, followed by the transcriptomic sequencing process on the magnum of the oviduct and ovarian tissues at each stage. Results showed that the fasting treatment induced atrophy of the oviducts, the disappearance of large yellow follicles in the ovaries, and the decrease in serum reproductive hormone levels compared to the pre-molt stage. Transcriptomic analysis revealed that differentially expressed genes were notably enriched in cytokine-cytokine receptor interactions, cell adhesion molecules, and the arachidonic acid metabolism signaling pathway during the remodeling phases of oviduct and ovary tissues. Key candidate genes such as BMPR1B, NEGR1, VTN, and CHAD emerged as pivotal in influencing reproductive function remodeling in molt-treated chickens. Additionally, genes associated with steroid biosynthesis showed significant up-regulation in the ovaries of molted hens, correlating positively with egg-laying rates. Furthermore, genes related to collagen and laminin displayed significant positive associations with Albumen height and Haugh unit values. The results indicate that fasting interventions might modulate the remodeling of reproductive functions in laying hens by altering cytokine-cytokine receptor interactions, cell adhesion molecules, and arachidonic acid metabolic pathways. Enhanced ovarian steroid biosynthesis and up-regulation of gene expression, including oviductal collagens post-molting, are crucial for enhancing laying rates and egg quality. These findings could offer novel thinking for refining molting protocols.

Chemical and biological characterization of naturally aged GCP by using a rigorous sample collection protocol

Chemical and biological characterization of naturally aged GCP by using a rigorous sample collection protocol

Impact of shipbreaking industries on the Sitakunda coastal environment, Chattogram by analyzing water quality parameters.

Shipbreaking is an extremely profitable business; however, it simultaneously destroys the surrounding environment. The discharge of toxic chemicals and materials containing wastes is contaminating surrounding water. However, there is still no sufficient published information particularly focusing on shipbreaking yard (SBY) water quality. Therefore, this research was carried out by questionnaire survey among the workers following simple random sampling and purposive simple random sampling for water samples collection from SBY. Results showed that young energetic, experienced and courageous workers (20-35years) generally work in SBY. Most of the workers are illiterate except for a few graduate officials. The workers are provided in-yard small-scale treatment facilities for injuries which is not sufficient. The tested water parameters were as turbidity (276-640 JTU), pH (6.3-6.7) and EC (1850-3636μs/cm), while TSS (1925-4005), TDS (921-2150), chloride (543-1023), ferrous (1.4-34), DO (5.3-6.5), BOD (4.3-7.3), oil (30-7375), NH3 (0.75-2.27), lead (55-107), copper (29-58), cadmium (0.2-0.7), mercury (0.01-0.12), zinc (71-128), chromium (18-107) and arsenic (0.02-5.3) in mg/l unit in SBY. These findings indicate the potential water contamination by shipbreaking activities. Statistical analysis showed big F-value with small p-value in all studied water parameters, indicating significantly different. In addition, the water parameters in most of the sampling points in SBY crossed the Department of Environment (DoE) standards. Therefore, regular monitoring of DoE and strengthened government regulations with sufficient technical support to shipbreaking industries are recommended for mitigating water pollution and protecting the surrounding ecosystem.

Detection of necrotic enteritis risk through non-invasive monitoring of Clostridium perfringens in feces.

Necrotic enteritis (NE), caused by the gram-positive, anaerobic bacterium, Clostridium perfringens, results in an estimated $6 billion in annual economic losses to the global poultry industry. C. perfringens is part of the normal microflora of the poultry gastrointestinal tract, but damage to the intestinal epithelium can lead to increased cell proliferation and production of toxins which gives rise to disease. Conventional methods to diagnose NE are invasive and are typically performed after the disease has manifested. In a pen trial using a necrotic enteritis model, we demonstrate that non-invasive monitoring in feces can detect an increase in average C. perfringens counts that correlates with higher lesion scores and reduced body weight gain in birds with NE. This was achieved using a C. perfringens-specific fluorescence in situ hybridization (FISH) probe and a high throughput platform (PIPERTM) for concentrating, imaging, and automated counting of labeled cells. The assay detects all tested strains of C. perfringens while excluding closely related bacteria, including other Clostridium species commonly found in poultry feces. The counts by the PIPER assay show a linear log-log relationship with the counts obtained by conventional plating of spiked fecal samples. Furthermore, fecal samples can be stored for up to 72 h without a dramatic loss in C. perfringens detection on this platform using the recommended sample collection and storage conditions. This non-invasive assay could open new opportunities for early identification of NE risk as well as for quantifying intervention efficacy.

Abstract TP360: Increased kynurenine levels are associated with post-stroke infection after controlling for potential confounders

Introduction: Infections account for one-third of stroke deaths. Kynurenine pathway metabolites can modulate the immune response in other contexts. We previously reported a preliminary univariate analysis that showed only significantly elevated kynurenine concentrations among patients who developed a post-stroke infection (PSI), but no differences in other pathway metabolites. This study further characterizes the association between kynurenine and PSI. Methods: Using whole blood samples from acute ischemic stroke patients in the University of Colorado Emergency Medicine Specimen Bank, high throughput mass spectrometry determined kynurenine concentrations. Multivariable linear regression modeled the association between kynurenine and characteristics that could predispose patients to a PSI or alter kynurenine levels (age, sex, NIHSS score, time from sample collection to last known well, and a history of smoking, foley placement or mechanical ventilation, dysphagia, diabetes mellitus, immunosuppression, and chronic kidney disease). Multivariable logistic regression modeled the association between kynurenine and PSI while controlling for the above covariables. Results: Of 75 patients, 32% developed a PSI. Those without a PSI were similar in mean age (64.7+/-12.1years) and race (72.6% white) compared to those with a PSI (age: 69.5+/-13years; 58.3% white). However, patients varied in terms of sex (without PSI: 37.3% female; with PSI: 62.5% female; p=0.04), immunosuppression (without PSI: 5.9% immunosuppressed; with PSI: 20.8% immunosuppressed; p=0.05), and median NIHSS (without PSI: 3.3, IQR 3-7; with PSI: 6.5, IQR 6-7; p=0.03). Only age (point estimate 0.02, p=0.04) and history of chronic kidney disease (point estimate 7.57, p&lt;0.01) were significantly associated with elevated kynurenine concentrations in all stroke patients while controlling for covariables. The odds ratio of developing a PSI for every 1uM increase in kynurenine concentration was 3.46 (95% CI: 1.26 – 9.52). A history of immunosuppression was also associated with an increased odds of PSI (OR 13.21; 95% CI: 2.17-80.49). Conclusion: Elevated kynurenine concentrations are significantly associated with increased risk of PSI, even after controlling for known potential confounders. As expected, immunosuppression was also associated with increased odds of developing a PSI. Furthermore, age and chronic kidney disease in patients with acute ischemic stroke were associated with elevated kynurenine levels.

Natural history study of patients with pancreatic acinar cell carcinoma: A 3-year prospective longitudinal analysis.

764 Background: Pancreatic acinar cell carcinoma (PACC) is a rare exocrine tumor of the pancreas that comprises 0.2-2% of all pancreatic malignancies. There are no prospective randomized studies in this disease and most data about PACC comes from retrospective database analyses and case reports. Methods: The Cancer Moonshot-funded My Pediatric and Adult Rare Tumor (MyPART) network’s Rare Solid Tumor Natural History study (NCT03739827) is a prospective, single-institution observational study that enrolls patients of all ages with rare solid tumors (&lt;15 cases per 100,000 people per year), including PACC. Patients can participate remotely (field cohort) or visit the NIH for annual evaluations (in-person cohort). All participants complete medical and family histories, patient reported outcomes (PROs) measures, and provide saliva for DNA analysis. Relevant data such as clinical and family histories, surgical and molecular pathology, and imaging results are extracted from patient medical records and entered in the central study database. Archival tumor samples (when available) are analyzed using a 500+ gene panel (TruSight500, Illumina) and discussed in a molecular tumor board. Patients participating in the in-person cohort undergo additional evaluations including clinical examination, imaging studies, genetic counseling, and blood sample collection for clinical and research purposes (standard clinical labs, germline DNA/RNA, immune phenotypes, cytokines) as indicated. Results: From 09/2021 until 09/2024, 17 PACC patients (n=13 for the field cohort, n=4 for the in-person cohort) were accrued. The mean age of diagnosis is 64.7 (48-78) years, and the male to female ratio is 14:3. At the time of diagnosis, 6 patients had Stage I or II, 1 had Stage III, and 10 had Stage IV disease. The median follow-up time since accrual is 7.6 months, and 4 patients have died. No patients have been lost to follow-up. Of the 6 patients diagnosed with early-stage disease, 5 had surgery and all received adjuvant chemotherapy, while 1 patient is receiving neoadjuvant chemotherapy. Among the 9 patients diagnosed with advanced disease, 8 received platinum-based regimens as a first-line therapy. Tumor molecular profiling was available for 16 patients. The most common tumor mutations observed were in CDKN2A (29.4%), BRCA2 (29.4%), and SMAD4 (23.5%). Six patients received targeted therapies matched to their tumor molecular profile. Conclusions: The demographic profile of our cohort aligns with previous studies, with a mean age of diagnosis in the early-to-mid 60s and a high male to female ratio. Our cohort highlights a shift in first-line treatment to platinum-based therapies over the past decade. Many PACC tumors have targetable mutations found in molecular profiling, and the efficacy of matched therapy warrants further exploration. Clinical trial information: NCT03739827 .

Potential mechanism associated with post-heart transplantation diabetes mellitus in Chinese patients.

Post-transplantation diabetes mellitus (PTDM) is a common metabolic complication following heart transplantation, which not only leads to elevated microvascular morbidity, but also seriously affects graft function and recipient survival. However, the specific metabolites and underlying mechanisms are not yet fully understood. A total of 106 adult heart transplant recipients (56 PTDM and 50 non-PTDM) who followed for more than one year were enrolled in the study. The untargeted metabolomics was performed by ultra-high-performance liquid chromatography-tandem mass spectrometry (UHPLC-MS/MS). The demographic, clinical data and drug information were collected at the time of sample collection. PTDM patients were older (p=0.003), with higher BMI (p=0.010), higher triglyceride levels (TG, p=0.007), and a higher prevalence of hypertension (p=0.001) than non-PTDM. A total of 1174 metabolites were detected, of which 99 metabolites showed significantly differentially abundant (VIP>1, p<0.05, FC>1.5 or <0.67). KEGG functional enrichment analysis showed these differently expressed metabolites could be further enriched in ABC transporter, carbon metabolism, retrograde endocannabinoid signaling, phospholipase D signaling pathway. Compared with non-PTDM group, glutamate, diacylglycerol (DAG) and D-sorbitol were significantly changed in PTDM through metabolomics. These findings may provide a novel understanding of the pathological mechanism of PTDM and could be utilized to predict the development and progression of PTDM.

Trial in progress for a colorectal cancer detection blood test.

TPS306 Background: Blood-based biomarkers for cancer screening have garnered much anticipation in recent years. Current colorectal cancer screening methodologies such as colonoscopy and stool-based tests are plagued with low compliance rates. While scientific advancement calls for clinical trial recruitment from diverse backgrounds to ensure health equity, traditional clinical trial design has led to the underrepresentation of such populations, resulting in a gap in our understanding of disease conditions, preventative measures, and appropriate treatment across populations. Here, we describe an ongoing, decentralized, prospective sample collection clinical study, PROCEED-CRC, to develop a blood-based CRC screening test in an average-risk population. Methods: The primary endpoint of the study is to achieve the successful enrollment of up to 1500 evaluable patients. Key eligibility criteria include participants aged ≥40 years, planning to undergo an asymptomatic screening colonoscopy, willing to provide a blood sample within 120 days prior to a colonoscopy procedure, and an informed consent prior to participation in the study. Exclusion criteria include individuals who have had a prior malignancy, have undergone diagnostic colonoscopy in the past 9 years, or any other recent CRC screening tests, precancerous findings on recent colonoscopy, or are at high risk for CRC based on germline carrier status. Primary analysis would include summarizing the number and percentage of participants classified to have CRC, advanced adenoma, or non-advanced neoplasia. In order to reach a diverse study cohort that is representative of this average-risk US population aged over 45 years, we implemented several non-traditional recruitment outreach efforts, such as engaging a pharmacy provider to whom individuals may have previously consented to receive messages/notifications. Additional outreach efforts include digital advertisements and referral letters from healthcare professionals and community advocacy groups. Through these efforts, interested participants will have access to a link, a web address, or QR code to be screened for the study. After informed consent and enrollment, participants may schedule a blood draw via a mobile phlebotomy center based on their availability. Participants are considered evaluable if they meet the inclusion criteria, provide informed consent, provide an adequate blood draw, complete the screening colonoscopy within 120 days of the blood draw, and have medical records and pathology reports provided. The data from this study is expected to be completed in May 2025.

Influence of season, capture method, sample age and extraction protocols on the scale cortisol concentrations of three species of freshwater fish.

Scale cortisol concentration (SCC) is increasingly applied as a biomarker of chronic stress in fish, but knowledge gaps remain on how SCC is affected by the sampling season and method of fish capture, the time since sample collection, and the cortisol extraction protocol. Here, working with three freshwater fishes (common carp Cyprinus carpio, European chub Squalius cephalus and Northern pike Esox lucius), a robust extraction protocol was developed and then applied to identifying how scale cortisol levels can vary in fish populations according to aspects of the fish capture events. Across five scale cortisol extraction protocols, three provided relatively low yields, so their application would result in erroneously low SCC. Application of the extraction protocol providing the highest yields to scale samples indicated that fish sampled in winter have significantly lower SCC than those collected in spring and summer, while fish captured by angling have significantly lower SCC than fish collected from the same population by electric fishing. There were no significant differences in SCC measured from populations across 40 years, suggesting that archived scales potentially provide a valuable resource for measuring temporal changes in SCC. Future studies based on using scale cortisol for analyses of fish chronic stress should consider these issues in their study designs and evaluations to ensure measured differences in cortisol across time and space are due to differences in how the fish are responding to their environment rather than being an artefact of study design.

Protocol for the quantitative detection of mtDNA inthesupernatants of activated human naive CD8+ Tcells.

Here, we present a protocol for the quantitative characterization of human Tcell aging. We describe steps for sample collection; peripheral blood mononuclear cell (PBMC) isolation; and the enrichment, assessment, and activation of naive CD8+ Tcells. We then detail procedures for supernatant collection and quantification using the absolute copy number of mitochondrial DNA (mtDNA) released into the supernatants from in-vitro-activated naive CD8+ Tcells. We also apply this approach to predict the occurrence of lung adenocarcinoma in middle-aged populations. For complete details on the use and execution of this protocol, please refer to Jinetal.1.

Pengaruh Beauty Influencer, Persepsi Harga dan Brand Image terhadap keputusan pembelian Hand and Body Lotion Vaseline di DIY

This study aims to determine the influence of beauty influencers, price perceptions and brand image on purchasing decisions for Vaseline hand and body lotion (consumer case study in DIY). This study is a quantitative study, with data processing using SPSS version 25. The population in this study were consumers of Vaseline hand and body lotion aged 20-29 years, women and men in DIY. This study has a sample size of 100 people from the calculation results using the Solvin formula. Sample collection with simple random sampling where samples are taken randomly from the population. The findings in this study indicate that beauty influencers have a positive and significant effect on purchasing decisions, while price perceptions have a positive and significant effect on purchasing decisions and brand image has a positive and significant effect on purchasing decisions. While carried out simultaneously with beauty influencers, price perceptions and brand image have a positive and significant effect on purchasing decisions togethe.

Designing and Evaluating Circadian Experiments on Mouse Skin.

All skin layers and cutaneous appendages harbor a robust circadian clock, whose phase is under the influence of light through the central clock in the suprachiasmatic nucleus. The skin clock coordinates fundamental biological processes, including metabolism and stem cell activation. It also prominently modulates activity of skin-resident immune cells and the inflammatory response. Numerous diurnally regulated genes in the skin have been implicated in skin diseases in GWASs. Therefore, the mouse skin is a powerful model for understanding the diverse roles of circadian biology in maintaining tissue health and the initiation and propagation of disease states. When planning experiments to study the circadian biology of mouse skin, multiple technical and biological factors must be carefully considered. In this paper, we provide comprehensive guidance on the general circadian experimental design and associated housing for the mice. We highlight the importance of aligning sample collection with the desired hair cycle stage and animal age. We introduce methods to disrupt the clock in the skin, including altering light and feeding schedules as well as using transgenic mouse models. Finally, we discuss the use of transcriptomic data, both bulk and single cell, for circadian studies.