When atomic carbon is condensed on a surface at 77 K containing ammonia and water, glycine, N-methylglycine, alanine, beta-alanine, aspartic acid and serine are generated. It is postulated that these reactions may mimic those which occur when an extraterrestrial carbon atom condenses on a frozen surface coated with water and ammonia and may provide a route to extraterrestrial amino acids. Experiments designed to elucidate the mechanisms of amino acid formation under these conditions have been carried out.
Background: Hypertension is typically recognized in middle-aged and older adults but often overlooked in younger populations. Objective: We evaluated a mobile intervention for reducing blood pressure (BP) in college-age students for 28 days. Methods: Students with elevated BP or undiagnosed hypertension were assigned to an intervention or control group. All subjects completed baseline questionnaires and attended an educational session. For 28 days, intervention subjects sent their BP and motivation levels to the research team and completed assigned BP-reducing tasks. After 28 days, all subjects completed an exit interview. Results: We found a statistically significant decrease in BP in the intervention group only ( P = .001) but no statistical difference in sodium intake for either group. Mean hypertension knowledge increased in both groups but was only significant for the control group ( P = .001). Conclusions: The results provide preliminary data on BP reduction with greater impact on the intervention group.
Background: Immune checkpoint inhibitors have emerged as a promising therapeutic approach in different solid tumors, including hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC). Nonetheless, little is known about the immune-component of HCC or potential biomarkers of response to these therapies. Aims: To perform comprehensive characterization of the HCC immunological profile and to identify biomarkers to select immunotherapy candidates. Methods: We performed gene expression array deconvolution through non-negative matrix factorization in 228 resected HCCs. Characterization of the transcriptional landscape was conducted using >1,000 signatures representing distinct immune cells by gene set enrichment and nearest template prediction analyses. Presence of immune infiltration, tertiary lymphoid structure (TLS), PD-1 and PD-L1 immunostainings was investigated using immunohistochemistry. DNA methylation profile of 450K CpG sites was analyzed to identify those with significant differences for each group. Extensive validation of the immune classifier was performed in 728 independent HCC samples. Results: Overall, an immune-related subclass of HCC was identified in ~27% of patients. The immune subclass was characterized by gene signatures identifying immune cells (i.e. T cells, TLS, cytotox, p<0.001), signatures of response to immune checkpoint therapy (p<0.001), presence of high immune infiltration (p=0.01), TLS (≥5 foci, 19/51 vs 33/168, p=0.01) and PD-1 and PD-L1 protein expression (p<0.05). The methylation levels of 363 CpG sites in 192 immune response gene promoters were able to capture the Immune class (ANOVA, p<0.05, Δβ>0.2 Tukey test). Integration with HCC molecular classifications revealed significant enrichment of the Immune subclass with IFN and S1 (p<0.001) and exclusion of the CTNNB1 and S2 (p<0.001) subclasses. The immune class contains two distinct microenvironment-based types: A) Exhausted immune response type (~35%) characterized by stromal activation, T cell exhaustion signatures, and presence of immunosuppressive components such as TGFB, LGALS1, M2 macrophages and pathways able to recruit myeloid-derived-suppressor cells (FDR<0.01); and B) Active immune response type (~65%) characterized by overexpression of adaptive immune response genes and IFN signaling (p<0.001). Tumors within the active immune response type showed a trend towards better survival vs rest (p=0.07). Conclusions: Around 27% of HCC patients belong to the Immune class, characterized by activation of immune cells and signatures of response to immunotherapies. Within this subclass, two distinct types have been characterized by presenting active or exhausted immune responses, a feature that provides the rationale for precision medicine-based therapies. Note: This abstract was not presented at the meeting. Citation Format: Daniela Sia, Yang Jiao, Iris Martinez, Olga Kuchuk, Carlos Villacorta Martin, Manuel Castro de Moura, Juan Putra, Genis Camprecios, Swan Thung, Samuel Waxman, Vincenzo Mazzaferro, Manel Esteller, Augusto Villanueva, Josep Maria Llovet. Molecular characterization of the immune subclass of hepatocellualr carcinoma [abstract]. In: Proceedings of the American Association for Cancer Research Annual Meeting 2017; 2017 Apr 1-5; Washington, DC. Philadelphia (PA): AACR; Cancer Res 2017;77(13 Suppl):Abstract nr 2936. doi:10.1158/1538-7445.AM2017-2936
Background and Purpose: Hypertension is a known risk factor that accelerates and leads to cardiovascular disease. While it is often a risk factor recognized in middle-aged and older adults, it is overlooked in young adults. The purpose of this study was to (1) implement a mHealth intervention, the O ptimize B lood Pressure I mprovement ( MOBI LE) intervention, in college students, aged 18 to 29 years, with elevated blood pressure (BP); and (2) test its feasibility and impact on BP reduction (primary outcome) along with sodium intake and hypertension knowledge improvement (secondary outcomes) after 28 days. Methods: The pilot study used a two-arm, randomized controlled trial. Subjects in the intervention group were required to monitor their daily BP. We recruited full-time students who had regular access to a mobile smartphone with unlimited texting and elevated BP or undiagnosed hypertension stage I. We excluded students who were pregnant, lactating, planning to become pregnant during the study, taking antihypertensive medication, or diagnosed with a life-threatening illness or condition associated with hypertension. We conducted the formative phase before the intervention phase to assess the acceptability, engagement, and feasibility of the intervention motivational text messages. During the educational session for baseline data, all subjects completed a sociodemographic questionnaire, the Automated Self-Administered 24-Hour Dietary Assessment Tool (ASA24), and the Hypertension Knowledge-Level Scale. Following, all subjects’ height and weight were also collected to calculate body mass index. For 28 days, subjects in the intervention group provided their daily BP measurement using the Withings wireless BP cuff and their motivational levels (1 for low motivation, 3 for moderate motivation, and 5 for high motivation) to receive the appropriate text message. After 28 days, all subjects were scheduled for an exit interview to collect post intervention data along with an exit interview. The control group completed the educational session and exit interview only. Results: Twenty-nine participants (intervention: n = 15; control: n = 14) completed the study. We found a significant decrease in BP in the intervention group ( p = 0.001) while no statistical significance was found in the control group. Using the ASA24 to extract sodium intake, there was no statistical difference in sodium intake for intervention or control groups. The mean hypertension knowledge score increased in both groups after 28 days; however, the improvement was only significant for the control group ( p = 0.001). Conclusions: The results provided preliminary data on the effect of BP reduction in both groups with more impact on the intervention group. These promising findings warrant further examination of the intervention and its long-term effects.
scite is a Brooklyn-based organization that helps researchers better discover and understand research articles through Smart Citations–citations that display the context of the citation and describe whether the article provides supporting or contrasting evidence. scite is used by students and researchers from around the world and is funded in part by the National Science Foundation and the National Institute on Drug Abuse of the National Institutes of Health.
customersupport@researchsolutions.com
10624 S. Eastern Ave., Ste. A-614
Henderson, NV 89052, USA
This site is protected by reCAPTCHA and the Google Privacy Policy and Terms of Service apply.
Copyright © 2024 scite LLC. All rights reserved.
Made with 💙 for researchers
Part of the Research Solutions Family.