Search

Unmanned surface vehicles (USVs) often operate in real-world environments with long voyage distances and complex routes. The use of a single-grid map model presents challenges, such as the high computational costs for high-resolution maps and loss of environmental information for low-resolution maps. This article proposes an environmental modeling method using a hybrid map that combines topology units and grids. The approach involves calibrating key nodes based on the watershed skeleton line, constructing a topology map using these nodes, decomposing the original map into unit maps, converting each unit map into a grid map, and creating a hybrid map environment model that comprises topology maps, unit map sets, and grid map sets. Then, the article introduces an improved genetic algorithm, called Genetic Algorithm with Feedback (FGA), to address path planning in hybrid maps. Experimental results demonstrate that FGA has better computational efficiency than other algorithms in similar experimental environments. In hybrid maps, path planning with FGA reduces the path lengths and time consumption, and the paths are more logical, smooth, and continuous. These findings contribute to enhancing the quality of path planning and the practical value of USVs.

Abstract To reduce mutual coupling of an improved nested array (INA), the authors propose an augmented improved nested array (AINA) by splitting the dense subarray of the INA into two parts and rearranging one of them on the right side of the last element in the INA, which enhances the number of unique lags in difference coarray and reduces the number of element pairs with small separations. The closed‐form expressions for the physical element locations, the range of consecutive lags and the number of unique lags are derived for any given element number. It is indicated that the AINA possesses higher degrees of freedom and less mutual coupling than the common sparse arrays. Numerical simulations verify the superiority of the proposed configuration.

Background Current study was to evaluate the association of hypertensive and hypertension phenotypes in hypertensive populations. Methods Patients with primary hypertension and without any uric acid (UA)-lowering treatment were enrolled. Baseline characteristics including office blood pressure (OBP), 24 h ambulatory blood pressure (ABP), and serum UA (SUA) were measured. According to SUA, patients were divided into normal SUA and hyperuricemia groups. Based on OBP and 24 h-ABP, hypertension phenotypes were classified as controlled hypertension (CH), white-coat uncontrolled hypertension (WCUH), masked uncontrolled hypertension (MUCH), and sustained uncontrolled hypertension (SUCH). Results Compared to patients with normal SUA (n = 336), patients with hyperuricemia (n = 284) were older and more likely to be men, obese, physically inactive, and have a higher prevalence of diabetes. C-reactive protein (CRP) level was higher in patients with hyperuricemia. The prevalence of CH, WCUH, and MUCH was similar between these two groups. However, the prevalence of SUCH was higher in patients with hyperuricemia than patients with normal SUA. Linear regression analysis indicated that increased SUA was significantly associated with 24 h-systolic BP and daytime-systolic BP. Normal SUA was served as the reference group, and presence of hyperuricemia was associated with higher odds of SUCH (odds ratio 1.46 and 95% confidence interval 1.27–1.93) after adjusted for potential covariates including age, male gender, obesity, diabetes, CRP, and antihypertensive drugs. Conclusion In hypertensive patients without UA-lowering treatment, presence of hyperuricemia was associated with higher odds of SUCH. Future studies are needed to evaluate whether lowering SUA can help to improve 24 h-ABP control.

Fiber-optic Cherenkov radiation (FOCR) is a promising nonlinear process that is widely used for nonlinear wavelength conversion. In this study, an all-fiber 920-nm femtosecond pulse source is experimentally demonstrated by using Cherenkov radiation. The 4-nJ 150-fs 1550-nm amplified seed pulse source ensures highly efficient 920-nm pulse generation. Cherenkov radiation is stimulated by inputting the high-energy ultrashort pulse to a highly nonlinear fiber. The dispersion values of the highly nonlinear fiber (HNLF) are carefully chosen to generate CR pulses at 920 nm. The generated pulse has a 150-pJ single pulse energy and a 232-fs pulse duration. The typical 30-nm bandwidth can support a sub-50-fs transform-limited pulse duration. The pump current can be adjusted to tune the central wavelength of the pulse source over 905-930 nm. This very simple approach can generate 920-nm femtosecond pulses. The wavelength range is useful for a wide range of applications, such as two-photon microscopy (TPM) in bio-imaging and so on.

The quality of unmanned surface vehicle (USV) local path planning directly affects its safety and autonomy performance. The USV local path planning might easily be trapped into local optima. The swarm intelligence optimization algorithm is a novel and effective method to solve the path-planning problem. Aiming to address this problem, a hybrid bacterial foraging optimization algorithm with a simulated annealing mechanism is proposed. The proposed algorithm preserves a three-layer nested structure, and a simulated annealing mechanism is incorporated into the outermost nested dispersal operator. The proposed algorithm can effectively escape the local optima. Convention on the International Regulations for Preventing Collisions at Sea (COLREGs) rules and dynamic obstacles are considered as the constraints for the proposed algorithm to design different obstacle avoidance strategies for USVs. The coastal port is selected as the working environment of the USV in the visual test platform. The experimental results show the USV can successfully avoid the various obstacles in the coastal port, and efficiently plan collision-free paths.

Abstract Background The aim of this study was to compare radiotherapy plans for Stage I-II nasal natural killer/T-cell lymphoma (NNKTL) using helical tomotherapy (HT), volumetric-modulated arc therapy (VMAT), Fixed-Field intensity-modulated radiotherapy (IMRT), and three-dimensional conformal radiotherapy (3D-CRT). Methods Eight patents with Stage I-II NNKTL treated with IMRT were re-planned for HT, VMAT (two full arcs), and 3D-CRT. The quality of target coverage, the exposure of normal tissue and the efficiency of radiation delivery were analyzed. Results HT showed significant improvement over IMRT in terms of D98%, cold spot volume and homogeneity index (HI) of planning target volume (PTV). VMAT provided best dose uniformity (p = 0.000) to PTV, while HT had best dose homogeneity among the four radiotherapy techniques (p = 0.000) to PTV. VMAT obviously reduced treatment time (p = 0.010; 0.000) compared to HT and IMRT. Mean dose of left and right optic nerve was significantly reduced by IMRT compared to HT (19.86%, p = 0.000; 21.40%, p = 0.002) and VMAT (8.97%, p = 0.002; 9.35%, p = 0.001), and maximum dose of left lens of VMAT increased over the HT (36.25%, p = 0.043) and IMRT (40.65%, p = 0.001). Conclusion The unexpected results show that both HT and VMAT can achieve higher conformal treatment plans while getting worse organs at risk (OARs) sparing than IMRT for patients with Stage I-II NNKTL. VMAT requires the shortest delivery time, and IMRT delivers the lowest dose to most OARs. The results could provide guidance for selecting proper radiation technologies for different cases.

Abstract Forty-nine patients with stage IIb cervical cancer were included to investigate the changes in bladder volume in response to different approaches to maintaining consistent bladder filling. The impacts of age (P age), water consumption (P wat ), and body mass index (BMI, P bmi ) on the mean urinary inflow rate (v tot ) were analysed. The bladder volume (BV) increased linearly over time. A large variation in v tot among individuals was observed, ranging from 0.19 to 5.13 ml/min. The v tot was correlated with P age (R = −0.53, p = 0.01) and P wat (R = 0.84, p = 0.00), and no correlation between v tot and P bmi was found (p > 0.05). Therefore, v tot could be parameterized using two methods: multivariable linear regression and iterative fitting. There was no statistically significant difference between the two methods. The model accuracy was successfully assessed with several validation tests for patients with good compliance (79.2% of all patients), and the proportion of radiotherapy (RT) fractions with zero wait time (one ultrasound (US) scan) increased from 6.5% to 41.2%. The optimal US scanning number and RT time could be provided using this model. This adaptive RT approach could reduce patient discomfort caused by holding onto urine and reduce technician labour as well as cost.

Clonal integration of defense or stress signal induced systemic resistance in leaf of interconnected ramets. However, similar effects of stress signal in root are poorly understood within clonal network. Clonal fragments of Centella asiaticas with first-young, second-mature, third-old and fourth-oldest ramets were used to investigate transportation or sharing of stress signal among interconnected ramets suffering from low water availability. Compared with control, oxidative stress in root of the first-young, second-mature and third-old ramets was significantly alleviated by exogenous ABA application to the fourth-oldest ramets as well as enhancement of antioxidant enzyme (SOD, POD, CAT and APX) activities and osmoregulation ability. Surface area and volume in root of the first-young ramets were significantly increased and total length in root of the third-old ramets was significantly decreased. POD activity in root of the fourth-oldest and third-old ramets was significantly enhanced by exogenous ABA application to the first-young ramets. Meanwhile, total length and surface area in root of the fourth-oldest and third-old ramets were significantly decreased. Ratio of belowground to aboveground biomass in the whole clonal fragments was significantly increased by exogenous ABA application to the fourth-oldest or first-young ramets. It is suggested that transportation or sharing of stress signal may induce systemic resistance in root of interconnected ramets. Specially, transportation or sharing of stress signal against phloem flow was observed in the experiment. Possible explanation is that rapid recovery of foliar photosynthesis in first-young ramets subjected to exogenous ABA application can partially reverse phloem flow within clonal network. Thus, our experiment provides insight into ecological implication on clonal integration of stress signal. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Different nutrient supply brings about changes in leaf stoichiometry, which may affect growth rate and primary production of plants. Invasion of alien plants is a severe threat to biodiversity and ecosystem worldwide. A pot experiment was conducted by using three stoloniferous alien plants Wedelia trilobata, Alternanther philoxeroides and Hydrocotyle vulgaris to investigate effects of nutrient supply on their leaf stoichiometry and relative growth rate. Different nitrogen or phosphorus supply was applied in the experiment (N1:1 mmol L-1, N2:4 mmol L-1, and N3:8 mmol L-1, P1:0.15 mmol L-1, P2:0.6 mmol L-1 and P3:1.2 mmol L-1). Nitrogen and phosphorus concentrations in leaves of the three alien plants significantly increased with increase of nitrogen supply. With increase of phosphorus supply, nitrogen or phosphorus concentration of leaf was complex among the three alien plants. N:P ratio in leaf of the three alien plants subjected to different levels of nutrient supply was various. A positive correlation between relative growth rate and N:P ratio of the leaf is observed in W. trilobata and A. philoxeroides suffering from N-limitation. A similar pattern was not observed in Hydrocotyle vulgaris. We tentatively concluded that correlations between relative growth rate and N: P ratio of the leaf could be affected by species as well as nutrient supply. It is suggested that human activities, invasive history, local abundance of species et al maybe play an important role in the invasion of alien plants as well as relative growth rate. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Aim: Chronic skin disease (CSD) often has devastating effects on the physiological, psychological and social aspects of patients, who must adapt to them. However, it is not clear how patients adapt, especially with regard to their psychosocial adaptation (PSA). This research explored a theoretical model of PSA among people with CSD. Design: Following constructivist grounded theory methodology, a qualitative study was undertaken between August 2018 and June 2019. Methods: Observation and semi‐structured interview were conducted with included participants (n=19). Data were iteratively coded and analyzed by constant comparison following the key stages of initial, focused, axial and theoretical coding until saturation was achieved. Results: When individuals face the impacts of disease, they try to adjust to adapt it. The findings showed the core category (self‐cognitive) and the contributing categories (impacts of chronic skin disease, contextual factors, physiological experiences, psychological experiences, social experiences, and positive and negative psychosocial adaptations) of the PSA among people with CSD. The process of PSA among people with CSD was not linear throughout the disease and was instead entwined within a set of complexes (contextual factors‐experience) interactions. The consequences of PSA included positive and negative aspects. The theoretical model of PSA among people with CSD will provide us with information needed to develop accurate assessment and effective intervention strategies. Understanding that PSA among people with CSD is a complex, dynamic, and interactional process may provide evidence for further assessing and meeting the needs of people. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Objective: Despite the proven benefits of adjuvant endocrine therapy, adherence to oral endocrine therapy in breast cancer treatment is a substantial problem. The aim of this study was to assess adherence to adjuvant endocrine therapy by women in China for the first 5 years, and to identify its influencing factors. Methods: Stratified sampling method was adopted to select 1875 cases of breast cancer patients for cross‐sectional telephone follow‐up. Compliance to medications was assessed using the Morisky Medication Adherence Scale. Status of endocrine therapy was assessed using nine additional questions. Binomial regression was used when assessing the factors associated with persistence, multinomial regression models were used to assess factors associated with compliance. Results: Of 888 patients who started adjuvant endocrine therapy, 769(86.6%) persisted and 119 (13.4%) discontinued. 760 patients who completed Morisky Medication Adherence Scale, the compliance was 7.4% low, 42% medium, and 50.6% high. The type of medication, duration of medication and side effects had an impact both on persistence and compliance. Age, history of radiotherapy and caregivers only had an impact on persistence. Conclusions: Medication adherence was affected by many factors. Special attention and interventions should be given to women taking tamoxifen in the 2nd to 3rd year of medication, and aromatase inhibitors in the 1st to 2nd year. Further prospective design studies are needed to explore effective measures to improve medication adherence of women with breast cancer treated by endocrine therapy. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Copyright of Journal of Advanced Nursing (John Wiley & Sons, Inc.) is the property of John Wiley & Sons, Inc. and its content may not be copied or emailed to multiple sites or posted to a listserv without the copyright holder's express written permission. However, users may print, download, or email articles for individual use. This abstract may be abridged. No warranty is given about the accuracy of the copy. Users should refer to the original published version of the material for the full abstract. (Copyright applies to all Abstracts.)

Background. Acute myocardial infarction (AMI) is a common disease with high morbidity and mortality around the world. The aim of this research was to determine the differentially expressed genes (DEGs), which may serve as potential therapeutic targets or new biomarkers in AMI. Methods. From the Gene Expression Omnibus (GEO) database, three gene expression profiles (GSE775, GSE19322, and GSE97494) were downloaded. To identify the DEGs, integrated bioinformatics analysis and robust rank aggregation (RRA) method were applied. These DEGs were performed through Gene Ontology (GO) and Kyoto Encyclopedia of Genes and Genomes (KEGG) pathway analyses by using Clusterprofiler package. In order to explore the correlation between these DEGs, the interaction network of protein-protein internet (PPI) was constructed using the STRING database. Utilizing the MCODE plug-in of Cytoscape, the module analysis was performed. Utilizing the cytoHubba plug-in, the hub genes were screened out. Results. 57 DEGs in total were identified, including 2 down- and 55 upregulated genes. These DEGs were mainly enriched in cytokine-cytokine receptor interaction, chemokine signaling pathway, TNF signaling pathway, and so on. The module analysis filtered out 18 key genes, including Cxcl5, Arg1, Cxcl1, Spp1, Selp, Ptx3, Tnfaip6, Mmp8, Serpine1, Ptgs2, Il6, Il1r2, Il1b, Ccl3, Ccr1, Hmox1, Cxcl2, and Ccl2. Ccr1 was the most fundamental gene in PPI network. 4 hub genes in total were identified, including Cxcl1, Cxcl2, Cxcl5, and Mmp8. Conclusion. This study may provide credible molecular biomarkers in terms of screening, diagnosis, and prognosis for AMI. Meanwhile, it also serves as a basis for exploring new therapeutic target for AMI. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

We report the coexistence of nonvolatile resistive and magnetization switching in Pt/NiO/ Nb:SrTiO3 heterostructures. These structures exhibit bipolar resistive switching (RS) behavior with multilevel RS characteristics, a maximum RS ratio of 105, and stable endurance properties. Under simple application of voltage pulses, the saturation magnetization of the NiO layer increases by up to three times in the different resistance states. This electrical modulation of both the resistive and magnetization switching properties is attributed to the migration of oxygen vacancies and charge trapping and detrapping at the heterojunction interface. Our results provide a pathway towards the electrical switching of both resistance and magnetization, which is likely to be useful for RS and magnetic multifunctional device applications. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Copyright of Canadian Journal of Plant Science is the property of Canadian Science Publishing and its content may not be copied or emailed to multiple sites or posted to a listserv without the copyright holder's express written permission. However, users may print, download, or email articles for individual use. This abstract may be abridged. No warranty is given about the accuracy of the copy. Users should refer to the original published version of the material for the full abstract. (Copyright applies to all Abstracts.)

Copyright of Canadian Journal of Plant Science is the property of Canadian Science Publishing and its content may not be copied or emailed to multiple sites or posted to a listserv without the copyright holder's express written permission. However, users may print, download, or email articles for individual use. This abstract may be abridged. No warranty is given about the accuracy of the copy. Users should refer to the original published version of the material for the full abstract. (Copyright applies to all Abstracts.)

Herbaceous peony (Paeonia lactiflora Pall.) is an excellent material for studying the formation of flower colour because of its abundant colour. The full-length cDNA of a UDP-glucose: Flavonoid 5-O-glucosyltransferase gene (UF5GT) containing 1629 bp nucleotides was obtained from P. lactiflora. The expression patterns of nine related anthocyanin biosynthetic genes (PlPSY, PlCHS, PlCHI, PlF3H, PlF3'H, PlDFR, PlANS, PlUF3GT and PlUF5GT) in diurnal variation petals showed that their expression peaks were basically at 15:00 and the expression patterns were consistent with the trend of sampling conditions except individual gene. And the highest expression levels were in PlCHS, PlDFR and PlUF3GT, which could be the candidates to regulate P. lactiflora flower colour by means of genetic engineering [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

During the initial phase of chronic hepatitis B virus (HBV) infection, serum HBV DNA levels are high. Contrarily, fibrosis, cirrhosis and hepatocellular carcinoma have been found in patients with lower serum HBV DNA levels. The aim of this study is to clarify HBV DNA level dynamics of serum apportioned by the same hepatic parenchyma cell volume (HPCV) in hepatic fibrosis stages 1–4 during the natural history of chronic hepatitis B. Serum HBV DNA levels were evaluated by real-time polymerase chain reaction. Further, serum HBV DNA levels were apportioned by and compared with the same HPCV in hepatic fibrosis stages 1–4, respectively. Serum HBV DNA levels were 8.91 × 106 ± 4.37 × 101, 8.13 × 106 ± 7.41 × 101, 9.55 × 105 ± 1.02 × 102, and 4.07 × 105 ± 7.24 × 101 copies/ml, respectively; there were differences among hepatic fibrosis stages 1–4 (p < 0.021–0.000). However, serum HBV DNA levels apportioned by the same volume of hepatic parenchyma cells in hepatic fibrosis stages 1–4 were 3.47 × 1010 ± 8.71 × 102, 1.02 × 1011 ± 9.55 × 102, 1.41 × 1010 ± 2.57 × 103, and 3.72 × 1010 ± 3.02 × 103 with HPCV proportions 65.9, 62.7, 58.9, and 53.3%, respectively; there were no differences among hepatic fibrosis stages 1–4 (p > 0.203–0.967).Following the progression of hepatic fibrosis from stage 1 to 4, ongoing decline of HPCV is responsible for a declining trend of serum HBV DNA levels. Copyright © 2008 S. Karger AG, Basel [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Abstract Colorectal cancer (CRC) is a prevalent malignant tumor of the digestive tract. Circular RNAs may play important roles in the progression of CRC. In this study, we investigated the roles and mechanisms of action of circ‐MALAT1 in CRC. Gene expression and protein abundance were determined using qRT‐PCR and western blot, respectively. Cell proliferation and migration were assessed by MTT, clone formation, and wound‐healing assays. The interactions among the long non‐coding RNA metastasis‐associated lung adenocarcinoma transcript 1 (circ‐MALAT1), miR‐506‐3p, and lysine acetyltransferase 6B (KAT6B) were predicted using the StarBase software and confirmed by the luciferase activity assay. Circ‐MALAT1 and KAT6B were upregulated, while miR‐506‐3p was downregulated in CRC cells. We validated that knocking down of circ‐MALAT1 suppressed proliferation, migration, and epithelial–mesenchymal transition (EMT) of CRC cells, and these effects were abolished by miR‐506‐3p downregulation or KAT6B sufficiency. Our study suggests that circ‐MALAT1 could sponge miR‐506‐3p to regulate the expression of KAT6B. Moreover, KAT6B sufficiency could neutralize miR‐506‐3p‐dependent growth arrest, migration, and EMT. Circ‐MALAT1 promotes cell proliferation, migration, and EMT of CRC cells via the miR‐506‐3p/KAT6B axis, thereby acting as a novel potential therapeutic target for the treatment of colorectal cancer.

Abstract The random matrix (RM) model is a typical extended object-modeling method that has been widely used in extended object tracking. However, existing RM-based filters usually assume that the measurements follow a Gaussian distribution, which may lead to a decrease in accuracy when the filter is applied to the lidar system. In this paper, a new observation model used to modify an RM smoother by considering the characteristics of 2D LiDAR data is proposed. Simulation results show that the proposed method achieves a better performance than the original RM tracker in a 2D lidar system.

Abstract Aim Chronic skin disease (CSD) often has devastating effects on the physiological, psychological and social aspects of patients, who must adapt to them. However, it is not clear how patients adapt, especially with regard to their psychosocial adaptation (PSA). This research explored a theoretical model of PSA among people with CSD. Design Following constructivist grounded theory methodology, a qualitative study was undertaken between August 2018 and June 2019. Methods Observation and semi‐structured interview were conducted with included participants (n=19). Data were iteratively coded and analyzed by constant comparison following the key stages of initial, focused, axial and theoretical coding until saturation was achieved. Results When individuals face the impacts of disease, they try to adjust to adapt it. The findings showed the core category (self‐cognitive) and the contributing categories (impacts of chronic skin disease, contextual factors, physiological experiences, psychological experiences, social experiences, and positive and negative psychosocial adaptations) of the PSA among people with CSD. The process of PSA among people with CSD was not linear throughout the disease and was instead entwined within a set of complexes (contextual factors‐experience) interactions. The consequences of PSA included positive and negative aspects. The theoretical model of PSA among people with CSD will provide us with information needed to develop accurate assessment and effective intervention strategies. Understanding that PSA among people with CSD is a complex, dynamic, and interactional process may provide evidence for further assessing and meeting the needs of people.

BackgroundDeveloping effective approaches for postoperative delirium has been hampered due to the lack of a pathophysiologically similar animal model to offer insights into the pathogenesis. The study, therefore, aimed to develop a delirium-like mouse model and explore the underlying mechanism.MethodsThe three cycles of 10-min clamp following 5-min reopening of the superior mesenteric artery (SMA) were performed in adult male C57BL/6 mice to induce a delirium-like phenotype. Composite Z score calculated based on the results of Open Field, Y Maze and Buried Food Tests was employed to assess the delirium phenotype in mice. Microglia activities were monitored by immunofluorescence staining and comprehensive morphological analysis. Systemic administration of minocycline (MINO), IL-6 antibody or IL-6 neutralizing antibody, was applied to manipulate microglia. The expressions of Indoleamine 2,3-dioxygenase-1 (IDO-1) and quinolinic acid (QUIN) were examined by RT-PCR and High-Performance Liquid Chromatography/Mass Spectrometry, respectively. Cytokines were measured using fluorescence activated cell sorting method.ResultsThe repeated ischemia/reperfusion (I/R) surgery caused significant anxiety (P < 0.05) and cognition decline in working memory and orientation (P < 0.05) in mice at postoperative 24 h. The composite Z score, indicating an overall disturbance of brain function, fluctuated over 24 h after I/R surgery (P < 0.001). Immunofluorescent staining showed that the percentage of microglia in the basolateral amygdala (BLA) (P < 0.05) was reactivated after I/R surgery and was negatively correlated with dwell time at Y maze (R = −0.759, P = 0.035). Inhibiting microglia activities by MINO reduced QUIN productions (P < 0.01) that improved cognitive deficits (P < 0.05). The peripheral IL-6 might cause IL-6 elevation in the BLA. Systemic administration of IL-6 antibodies suppressed I/R-induced IL-6 elevations (P < 0.05), microglial reactivations (P < 0.05), IDO-1 expressions (P < 0.01), and neuroactive metabolite QUIN productions (P < 0.05) in the BLA, resulting in a recovery of cognitive deficits (P < 0.05). Injection of IL-6 exerted opposite effects.ConclusionThe repeated intestinal I/R surgery-induced mouse model is a simple and reproducible one of postoperative delirium. Peripheral IL-6-associated microglial QUIN elevations in the BLA contributed to cognitive dysfunction in the model of postoperative delirium.

Abstract Background Metastatic castration-resistant prostate cancer (CRPC) is the leading cause of death among men diagnosed with prostate cancer. Piperlongumine (PL) is a novel potential anticancer agent that has been demonstrated to exhibit anticancer efficacy against prostate cancer cells. However, the effects of PL on DNA damage and repair against CRPC have remained unclear. The aim of this study was to further explore the anticancer activity and mechanisms of action of PL against CRPC in terms of DNA damage and repair processes. Methods The effect of PL on CRPC was evaluated by MTT assay, long-term cell proliferation, reactive oxygen species assay, western blot assay, flow cytometry assay (annexin V/PI staining), β-gal staining assay and DAPI staining assay. The capacity of PL to inhibit the invasion and migration of CRPC cells was assessed by scratch-wound assay, cell adhesion assay, transwell assay and immunofluorescence (IF) assay. The effect of PL on DNA damage and repair was determined via IF assay and comet assay. Results The results showed that PL exhibited stronger anticancer activity against CRPC compared to that of taxol, cisplatin (DDP), doxorubicin (Dox), or 5-Fluorouracil (5-FU), with fewer side effects in normal cells. Importantly, PL treatment significantly decreased cell adhesion to the extracellular matrix and inhibited the migration of CRPC cells through affecting the expression and distribution of focal adhesion kinase (FAK), leading to concentration-dependent inhibition of CRPC cell proliferation and concomitantly increased cell death. Moreover, PL treatment triggered persistent DNA damage and provoked strong DNA damage responses in CRPC cells. Conclusion Collectively, our findings demonstrate that PL potently inhibited proliferation, migration, and invasion of CRPC cells and that these potent anticancer effects were potentially achieved via triggering persistent DNA damage in CRPC cells.

Abstract Objective Despite the proven benefits of adjuvant endocrine therapy, adherence to oral endocrine therapy in breast cancer treatment is a substantial problem. The aim of this study was to assess adherence to adjuvant endocrine therapy by women in China for the first 5 years, and to identify its influencing factors. Methods Stratified sampling method was adopted to select 1875 cases of breast cancer patients for cross‐sectional telephone follow‐up. Compliance to medications was assessed using the Morisky Medication Adherence Scale. Status of endocrine therapy was assessed using nine additional questions. Binomial regression was used when assessing the factors associated with persistence, multinomial regression models were used to assess factors associated with compliance. Results Of 888 patients who started adjuvant endocrine therapy, 769(86.6%) persisted and 119 (13.4%) discontinued. 760 patients who completed Morisky Medication Adherence Scale, the compliance was 7.4% low, 42% medium, and 50.6% high. The type of medication, duration of medication and side effects had an impact both on persistence and compliance. Age, history of radiotherapy and caregivers only had an impact on persistence. Conclusions Medication adherence was affected by many factors. Special attention and interventions should be given to women taking tamoxifen in the 2nd to 3rd year of medication, and aromatase inhibitors in the 1st to 2nd year. Further prospective design studies are needed to explore effective measures to improve medication adherence of women with breast cancer treated by endocrine therapy.