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Clinical, therapeutic and prognostic differences between male and female patients with breast cancer—a comparison of 2510 men and 307,634 women in a registry-based study in Germany
No full textPurpose
The aim of the present study was to compare patient, tumor characteristics and prognostic factors as well as diagnostics and therapies between men and women with breast cancer. The rates of primary distant metastases, contralateral second tumors, overall survival (OS), recurrence, and recurrence-free survival (RFS) were analyzed and compared between men and women.
Methods
This retrospective cohort study included patient data from 18 clinical cancer registries in Germany (2000–2018). Differences in risk factors and short-term endpoints were analyzed via univariable and multivariable binary logistic regression analyses. OS, RFS, and the rate of subsequent second tumors were examined via Kaplan‒Meier, univariable and multivariable Cox regression methods.
Results
Compared with women, male patients with breast cancer presented a significantly greater risk of unfavorable prognostic factors, such as advanced stage, lymphatic invasion, and more primary distant metastases. While sentinel lymph node biopsy and HER-2 testing were comparable, treatment rates for men were 9.5–29.0% lower than those for women. In multivariable analyses, men had a 1.32-fold increased risk of death (95% CI 1.24–1.41; p < 0.001). The risk of recurrence/mortality was significantly increased by a factor of 1.531 (95% CI 1.43–1.65; p < 0.001). Adjustment for therapy in a multivariable regression model did not significantly affect the risk of death. Nevertheless, men had a survival benefit from systemic therapies comparable to that of women.
Conclusion
Neither patient and tumor characteristics nor differences in therapy could completely explain the difference in mortality between men and women. Differences in lifestyle or biological factors could play a role
Ocrelizumab as first-line therapy in highly active relapsing-remitting multiple sclerosis
No full textIn recent years, early use of highly effective disease modifying immunotherapies in relapsing-remitting multiple sclerosis (RRMS) demonstrated superior efficacy in preventing disability progression. For this study, we investigated ocrelizumab as first line therapy of RRMS in a monocentric, retrospective study. In our outpatient clinic, ocrelizumab was administered as first-line therapy in 33 patients with an anticipated highly active disease course. Patients were re-evaluated clinically every 6 months and at least annually with cranial magnetic resonance imaging (MRI), with a mean follow-up period of 27 months. Subgroup analyses were conducted based on age, sex, disease duration, and disability as measured by EDSS at initiation of therapy. Ocrelizumab therapy was administered within the first year of diagnosis. The median EDSS at the time of ocrelizumab initiation was 2.5, with male patients showing higher disability compared to the females. The annualized relapse rate (ARR) decreased from 2.24 to 0.058 during the observation period. EDSS remained stable throughout the therapy period for the entire cohort. Starting treatment earlier and at a lower initial EDSS correlated with a better outcome. Gender and age had no impact on the therapeutic efficacy. The most common infusion related reactions included fatigue (25 %) and headaches (9 %). Mild infections occurred in 21 % of patients. These data highlight the role of ocrelizumab as an effective first-line therapeutic approach for patients with highly active RRMS
Fecal Arachidonic Acid: A Potential Biomarker for Inflammatory Bowel Disease Severity
No full textArachidonic acid levels are elevated in the colonic mucosa of patients with inflammatory bowel disease (IBD). Fecal metabolites are emerging as valuable diagnostic tools for IBD. This study aimed to investigate associations between 31 fecal fatty acids, including arachidonic acid, to identify potential correlations with disease severity. Among the 31 fatty acids analyzed in feces, dihomo-γ-linolenic acid, arachidonic acid, and adrenic acid were significantly increased in patients with IBD compared to controls. In contrast, levels of linoleic acid and γ-linolenic acid, the precursors of arachidonic acid, were similar between both groups. No significant differences in fatty acid levels were observed between patients with Crohn’s disease and ulcerative colitis. Arachidonic acid and adrenic acid levels positively correlated with fecal calprotectin, a clinically established marker of IBD severity, but showed no association with stool consistency or the Gastrointestinal Symptom Rating Scale. This suggests that these fatty acids are linked to disease severity rather than disease-related symptoms. Current IBD-specific medications had no significant impact on the fecal levels of any of the 31 fatty acids. In summary, this study demonstrates elevated fecal levels of dihomo-γ-linolenic acid, arachidonic acid, and adrenic acid in IBD patients. Normal levels of precursor fatty acids suggest that impaired downstream metabolism may contribute to the accumulation of these n-6 polyunsaturated fatty acids
Voluntary Forgetting of (Presumably) Untrustworthy News: The Case of List‐Method Directed Forgetting
No full textResearch on list-method directed forgetting (LMDF) shows that previously encountered material can be voluntarily forgotten. Here, we examined LMDF of news contents. Experiment 1 found that a first set of news headlines from a supposedly untrustworthy source could be voluntarily forgotten, which benefited memory for a second set of news headlines from a supposedly trustworthy source. Experiment 2 used fictitious news reports as study materials and also found intact voluntary forgetting for Set 1 as well as a benefit for Set 2. Moreover, Experiment 2 clarified that the results were not affected by whether the news source for Set 1 was characterized as trustworthy or untrustworthy. News contents can be voluntarily forgotten, but whether this curtails the spread of untrustworthy information may depend on an individual's goals and motivation. Future work is needed to better understand how voluntary forgetting operates in applied settings
Fast and compact four-quadrant CEP detection with f-2f polarization interferometry
No full textThe carrier-envelope phase (φCEP) of few-cycle light pulses is of crucial importance for strong-field light-matter interaction on subcycle time scales. Standard f-2f interferometry rapidly records beat notes defined by the carrier-envelope offset frequency (fCEO), but measuring φCEP at a high bandwidth is more involved. Here, we introduce f-2f polarization interferometry, which unambiguously measures φCEP over a range of 2π at the detection speed of the implemented photodiodes. It relies on evaluating the polarization state of the spectral overlap of a traditional f-2f interferometer with linear optical components and balanced photodiodes. In the first implementation, we detect φCEP modulations with a read-out rate of up to 60 kHz. Our scheme promises single-shot φCEP detection at intrinsic oscillator repetition rates in the MHz regime. It can be used in a wide range of ultrafast experiments, from φCEP stabilization and phase tagging to selective high-harmonic generation and precise lightwave control of electron motion
A high‐throughput and sensitive method for food preference assays in the argentine ant
No full textBACKGROUND
Insects pose significant challenges in both pest management and ecological conservation. Often, the most effective strategy is employing toxicant-laced baits, which also must be designed to specifically attract and be preferred by the targeted species for optimal species-specific effectiveness. However, traditional methods for measuring bait preference are either noncomparative, meaning that most animals only ever taste one bait, or suffer from methodological or conceptual limitations. Here we demonstrate the value of direct comparison food preference assays using the invasive and pest ant Linepithema humile (Mayr, 1868) as a model.
RESULTS
We compare the food preference sensitivity of noncomparative (one visit to a food source) and sequential comparative (visiting one type of food then another) assays at detecting low levels of aversive quinine in sucrose solution. We then introduce and test a novel dual-choice feeder method for simultaneous comparative evaluation of bait preferences, testing its effectiveness in discerning between foods with varying quinine or sucrose levels. The nonsequential assay could not detect aversion to 1.25 mm quinine in 1 m sucrose, yet the sequential comparative approach detected aversion to quinine levels as low as 0.94 mm. The novel dual feeder method approach could detect aversion to quinine levels as low as 0.31 mm, and also preference for 1 m sucrose over 0.75 m sucrose.
CONCLUSION
The dual-feeder method combines the sensitivity of comparative evaluation with high throughput, ease of use and avoidance of interpretational issues. This innovative approach offers a promising tool for rapid and sensitive testing of bait solutions, contributing to the development of targeted control strategies. The method also could be easily extended to other ant species. © 2025 The Author(s). Pest Management Science published by John Wiley & Sons Ltd on behalf of Society of Chemical Industry
Is the tail of the pancreas always tumor-infiltrated when macroscopically affected during cytoreductive surgery? A clinicopathological study and experience from a high-volume center
Get PDFBackground
Distal pancreatic resection during cytoreductive surgery (CRS) and hyperthermic intraperitoneal chemotherapy (HIPEC) is rare, with limited knowledge available. Therefore, a retrospective observational study was conducted using the data registry of a single institution to identify patients that underwent distal pancreatic resection during CRS + HIPEC.
Methods
All resected pancreatic specimens were examined for invasive parenchymal tumor infiltration. Pre-, peri-, and postoperative variables and their associations were analyzed.
Results
Over a period of more than a decade, 31 of 1275 patients (2.43%) underwent distal pancreatic resection as part of CRS. Infiltration of the pancreatic parenchyma was confirmed in almost one-third (29.03%) of the cases. Postoperative pancreatic fistulas occurred in 25.81% of patients (87.5% Grade B; 12.5% Grade C). The need for distal pancreatic resection was closely related to tumor burden in the left upper abdomen, with 87% of patients requiring peritonectomy of the left upper abdomen in addition to visceral resection. Pancreatic infiltration (n = 9/31) was diagnosed in 3 cases of gastric carcinoma, 2 cases of colorectal carcinoma, 2 cases of primary peritoneal carcinoma, 1 case of ovarian carcinoma, and 1 case of mucinous appendiceal carcinoma. Postoperative pancreatic fistulas were more frequently associated with primary tumors of the large intestine (87.50% vs. 30.43%; P = 0.0094), and a tendentiously longer total hospital stay was required for the “with pancreatic fistula” group (32.50 ± 19.93 days vs. 21.78 ± 10.14 days), with no impact on patient survival.
Conclusions
Accepting a slightly increased morbidity, distal pancreatic resection is a reasonable approach to achieve complete macroscopic tumor resection. Nonetheless, our study shows that apparent tumor invasion is histologically rare in cases with favorable tumor biology, such as low-grade pseudomyxoma peritonei. Therefore, pancreatic resection should be avoided in cases of mucinous tumors to prevent fistula formation
18F-FDG PET/CT for the diagnosis of septic shoulder arthritis: metabolic uptake pattern and diagnostic performance
No full textBackground
Septic arthritis (SA), although rare, is a critical joint-threatening emergency. The shoulder, being the third most common site after knee and hip joints, is predominantly affected by hematogenous spread of infection. 2-deoxy-2-[18F]fluoro-D-glucose (F-18-FDG) positron emission tomography (PET)/computed tomography (CT) has shown promise in identifying infectious foci and modifying treatment plans. This study aims to differentiate the metabolic patterns of septic shoulder arthritis (SSA) from various stages of shoulder osteoarthritis (OA) using F-18-FDG PET/CT and assess its diagnostic performance.
Methods
We retrospectively included subsequent patients diagnosed with SSA between November 2017 and October 2023, who had undergone whole-body F-18-FDG PET/CT scans within 2 weeks before and after diagnosis. The control group included noninfected contralateral shoulder joints and patients who underwent F-18-FDG PET/CT for malignant melanoma staging without evidence of acute infections. Visual and quantitative analyses of F-18-FDG uptake, measured as maximum standardized uptake value (SUVmax), were conducted. OA severity was categorized using the Kellgren and Lawrence system. To establish a cut-off for SSA, a ratio of joint uptake to liver uptake of 18F-FDG was calculated using the SUVmax of the shoulder joint and liver. Intraobserver and interobserver reliability were assessed through repeated measurements.
Results
Of 150 shoulders, 149 were included in the study: 13 into the experimental group with confirmed SA and 136 into the control group. One shoulder was excluded from the control group due to metastasis. Thirteen shoulders had confirmed SA. In the control group, F-18-FDG uptake measured by SUVmax increased significantly with OA severity (P = .001). SSA exhibited markedly higher F-18-FDG uptake compared to controls (P < .001). Visual intensity assessments corroborated these findings (P < .001). For a cut-off value of 1 for the joint-liver-ratio, sensitivity, specificity, positive predictive value, and negative predictive value for distinguishing between SSA and OA were 92.3%, 80.9%, 31.6%, and 99.1%, respectively. Interobserver and intraobserver reliability were moderate to high. The intraclass correlation coefficients for standardized uptake value measurements in the total shoulder were 0.994 and 0.996, respectively, while Cohen’s kappa coefficients for visual analysis were 0.570 and 0.891.
Conclusion
F-18-FDG PET/CT effectively differentiates SSA from varying stages of OA. The SUVmax in liver can be used as a cut-off value with high sensitivity and specificity. A negative F-18-FDG PET/CT excludes SSA
Impact of Preprocessing on Classification Results of Eye-Tracking-Data
No full textEye-tracking data provides valuable insights into human behavior, but its noisy and unstable nature necessitates robust preprocessing for accurate analysis. This study evaluates a tailored preprocessing pipeline designed to enhance machine learning classifier performance. Unlike prior research focusing on isolated preprocessing steps, this work systematically combines and compares techniques, including missing value imputation, outlier handling, and normalization, specifically optimized for eye-tracking data. The pipeline's impact is tested on classification accuracy, particularly in detecting academic dishonesty. By experimenting with diverse methods for handling missing data, outliers, and feature scaling, we assess their combined effects on classifier performance. A Random Forest classifier is utilized due to its proven effectiveness in prior studies \cite{nurwulan_random_2020}. This research not only builds on earlier findings but extends them by optimizing each preprocessing step. Results show a well-designed pipeline significantly enhances classification accuracy, offering insights into optimal preprocessing techniques for behavioral prediction tasks