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IR reduced xenograft growth in intact mice without androgen modulation. Xenograft tumors of LAPC4 (A) and LNCaP (B) cells established in intact nude mice were exposed to sham (control) or 8Gy ionizing radiation (IR). Tumor size was longitudinally determined by caliper measurements. Graph shows relative tumor volumes normalized to the tumor size at the time of radiation.

Purpose: The current standard of care for patients with locally advanced prostate cancer is a combination of androgen deprivation and radiation therapy. Radiation is typically given with androgen suppression when testosterone levels are at their nadir. Recent reports have shown that androgen stimulation of androgen-deprived prostate cancer cells leads to formation of double-strand breaks (DSB). Here, we exploit this finding and investigate the extent and timing of androgen-induced DSBs and their effect on tumor growth following androgen stimulation in combination with ionizing radiation (IR).Experimental Design: Androgen-induced DNA damage was assessed by comet assays and γH2A.X foci formation. Effects of androgen stimulation and radiation were determined in vitro and in vivo with xenograft models.Results: We document that androgen treatment of androgen-deprived prostate cancer cell lines resulted in a dose- and time-dependent induction of widespread DSBs. Generation of these breaks was dependent on androgen receptor and topoisomerase II beta but not on cell-cycle progression. In vitro models demonstrated a synergistic interaction between IR and androgen stimulation when IR is given at a time point corresponding with high levels of androgen-induced DSB formation. Furthermore, in vivo studies showed a significant improvement in tumor growth delay when radiation was given shortly after androgen repletion in castrated mice.Conclusions: These results suggest a potential cooperative effect and improved tumor growth delay with androgen-induced DSBs and radiation with implications for improving the therapeutic index of prostate cancer radiation therapy. Clin Cancer Res; 22(13); 3310–9. ©2016 AACR.See related commentary by Chua and Bristow, p. 3124

Clonogenic survival of PC3 cells following IR and DHT treatments. Clonogenic survival fraction is shown for AR negative PC3 cells exposed to vehicle control, 100 nM DHT, 4 Gy of IR or the combination of both. NS, not significant.

DNA repair genes following androgen stimulation. Androgen-deprived LNCaP cells were exposed to vehicle or 100nM DHT for the indicated times and mRNA of classical AR-regulated genes (A) or DNA repair-related genes (B) were measured using qRT-PCR. mRNA levels are expressed relative to GAPDH expression and normalized to levels in androgen-deprived conditions.

Formation of androgen induced DSB requires AR and TOP2B.

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Injection of soft tissue fillers for esthetic purposes is considered a relatively simple, minimally invasive procedure.

Background Studies of outpatients with mild or moderate COVID-19 are uncommon. We studied: 1) association of symptoms with reverse transcriptase polymerase chain reaction (RT-PCR) test results; and 2) association of initial RT-PCR cycle threshold (Ct) in relation to duration of RT-PCR positivity in outpatients with mild or moderate COVID-19. Methods This was a cohort study of outpatients with confirmed COVID-19 and at least one symptom. Participants had repeat nasopharyngeal swabs and symptom checklists every 3–5 days until two consecutive RT-PCR tests were negative. RT-PCR tests were used to assess viral load. Antibody tests for COVID-19 were performed at 2 weeks, 4 weeks, and 8 weeks after symptom onset. Results Twenty-five patients (nine females) were enrolled, ranging in age from 19–58 (median age 28 years). All patients reported at least one symptom, with a median of six symptoms per patient. Symptoms persisted for 6–67 days (median duration 18 days). In all 25 patients, blood samples collected a median of 13 days after symptom onset were positive for SARS-CoV-2 antibodies in 15 (60%). After a median of 28 days following symptom onset, 23/23 patients with available samples tested positive for antibodies. The longest duration of positive RT-PCR test was 49 days from first positive PCR test (Mean = 27.4, SD = 12.5, Median = 24). Initial Ct was significantly associated with longer duration (β = -1.3, SE = 0.3, p Conclusions In mildly or moderately ill COVID-19 outpatients, RT-PCT tests remained positive for as long as 49 days and test positivity and symptom duration correlated with initial viral load.

To describe the behavior of non-melanoma skin cancer (NMSC) based on tumor's characteristics.A total of 219 of NMSC were analyzed via a retrospective medical chart review. The data obtained from each record included but was not limited to: number of Mohs micrographic surgery (MMS) stages required for tumor clearance, defect size, repair type and size according to the neoplasm's histopathologic subtype.The mean number of stages required to clear morpheaphorm/infiltrative and micronodular basal cell carcinomas (BCCs) (n= 34) was 2.03, while the nodular and superficial BCCs (n= 125) needed a mean of 1.56 stages (p value= .034). Of the tumors located on a high-risk zone, 59.6% required two or more stages to be cleared while 67.7% of the lesions on a non-high risk zone were cleared with one stage (p value = 0.001). Recurrent tumors required a mean 2.22 MMS stages to be cleared, whereas primary tumors required a mean 1.61 stages (p value= .006).Subclinical spread was seen in morpheaform/infiltrative and micronodular BCC histologic subtypes, recurrent tumors, and tumors in high-risk locations. These could help predict aggressive tumor behavior and optimize surgical planning.

Purpose: The current standard of care for patients with locally advanced prostate cancer is a combination of androgen deprivation and radiation therapy. Radiation is typically given with androgen suppression when testosterone levels are at their nadir. Recent reports have shown that androgen stimulation of androgen-deprived prostate cancer cells leads to formation of double-strand breaks (DSB). Here, we exploit this finding and investigate the extent and timing of androgen-induced DSBs and their effect on tumor growth following androgen stimulation in combination with ionizing radiation (IR). Experimental Design: Androgen-induced DNA damage was assessed by comet assays and γH2A.X foci formation. Effects of androgen stimulation and radiation were determined in vitro and in vivo with xenograft models. Results: We document that androgen treatment of androgen-deprived prostate cancer cell lines resulted in a dose- and time-dependent induction of widespread DSBs. Generation of these breaks was dependent on androgen receptor and topoisomerase II beta but not on cell-cycle progression. In vitro models demonstrated a synergistic interaction between IR and androgen stimulation when IR is given at a time point corresponding with high levels of androgen-induced DSB formation. Furthermore, in vivo studies showed a significant improvement in tumor growth delay when radiation was given shortly after androgen repletion in castrated mice. Conclusions: These results suggest a potential cooperative effect and improved tumor growth delay with androgen-induced DSBs and radiation with implications for improving the therapeutic index of prostate cancer radiation therapy. Clin Cancer Res; 22(13); 3310–9. ©2016 AACR. See related commentary by Chua and Bristow, p. 3124

Statistical data show that heterosexual transmission of AIDS among teenagers is a significant problem. The purpose of this study was to assess and compare the level of knowledge concerning HIV/AIDS among high school freshmen- and senior-level students and to determine the association between certain demographic variables and the students' knowledge level. A convenience sample of 169 freshmen and 274 senior high school students were surveyed at a local area high school (N = 443). A 49-item knowledge questionnaire, used by the high school district HIV/Abstinence program, and a demographic questionnaire developed by the investigators were used to collect the data. The findings revealed that both the freshmen and senior students had several misconceptions about HIV/AIDS, including the modes of transmission, the sure way of preventing the sexual transmission, donating blood, and the usual causes of death for people with AIDS. A comparison of the mean knowledge scores among freshmen and senior students indicated there was no significant difference among the two groups. The mean knowledge score of the seniors was significantly affected by whether they had received HIV/AIDS education. However, this was not the case for the freshmen. African American students, especially the female students, had significantly lower knowledge scores than other ethnic groups.

The measurement of NH4‐N in terrestrial and aquatic solutions by the commonly used automated indophenol‐blue method was compared to a new technique based on the conductimetric measurement of NH3. Average precision (2 times relative standard deviation) was 5.3% and 7.0% for the Ammonia‐Analyzer and Auto‐Analyzer, respectively. Average accuracy as determined from spike measurements was not statistically different between the Ammonia‐Analyzer (99.5%) and Auto‐Analyzer (96.2%). Although both methods predicted similar concentrations on the same sample set, the Ammonia‐Analyzer provides an alternative to NH4‐N measurement with fewer required reagents, and simpler instrumentation.