Quadrupole anisotropy in dihadron azimuthal correlations in central d+Au collisions at √(s(NN))=200 GeV

The PHENIX collaboration at the Relativistic Heavy Ion Collider (RHIC) reports measurements of azimuthal dihadron correlations near midrapidity in d+Au collisions at √(s(NN))=200 GeV. These measurements complement recent analyses by experiments at the Large Hadron Collider (LHC) involving central p+Pb collisions at √(s(NN))=5.02 TeV, which have indicated strong anisotropic long-range correlations in angular distributions of hadron pairs. The origin of these anisotropies is currently unknown. Various competing explanations include parton saturation and hydrodynamic flow. We observe qualitatively similar, but larger, anisotropies in d+Au collisions at RHIC compared to those seen in p+Pb collisions at the LHC. The larger extracted v2 values in d+Au are consistent with expectations from hydrodynamic calculations owing to the larger expected initial-state eccentricity compared with that from p+Pb collisions. When both are divided by an estimate of the initial-state eccentricity the scaled anisotropies follow a common trend with multiplicity that may extend to heavy ion data at RHIC and the LHC, where the anisotropies are widely thought to arise from hydrodynamic flow.

Nuclear modification of ψ', χc, and J/ψ production in d+Au collisions at sqrt[s(NN)]=200 GeV

We present results for three charmonia states (ψ', χc, and J/ψ) in d+Au collisions at |y|<0.35 and sqrt[s(NN)]=200  GeV. We find that the modification of the ψ' yield relative to that of the J/ψ scales approximately with charged particle multiplicity at midrapidity across p+A, d+Au, and A+A results from the Super Proton Synchrotron and the Relativistic Heavy Ion Collider. In large-impact-parameter collisions we observe a similar suppression for the ψ' and J/ψ, while in small-impact-parameter collisions the more weakly bound ψ' is more strongly suppressed. Owing to the short time spent traversing the Au nucleus, the larger ψ' suppression in central events is not explained by an increase of the nuclear absorption owing to meson formation time effects.

RETRACTED: Different bone mineral density in cervical and endometrial cancer

Objectives Patients with cervical cancer have lower bone mass than women without cancer, whereas women with endometrial cancer have higher bone mineral density (BMD) than control subjects, possibly due to the prevalence of high body-fat mass. The aim of this study was to compare BMD in patients with cervical cancer, endometrial cancer and controls. Methods We analyzed and compared spinal and femoral BMD in 130 patients with cervical cancer, 68 with endometrial cancer, and 140 age-matched menopausal female control subjects. We also compared serum calcium, phosphorus, total alkaline phosphatase, osteocalcin, and urinary deoxypyridinoline levels. Results Compared with the control group, T-scores for some lumbar vertebrae (L4), the femoral neck, and Ward's triangle were lower in patients with cervical cancer, whereas only L4 T-scores were significantly lower in patients with endometrial cancer. Deoxypyridinoline levels were significantly lower in women with endometrial cancer (p < 0.002) than in women with cervical cancer, but no other biochemical variables differed among groups. Conclusions Cervical cancer was associated with lower BMD, especially in femoral BMD, and may be a risk factor for secondary osteoporosis. However, endometrial cancer generally seemed to have no damaging effect on bone except at L4. A further larger follow-up study in more populations is required to clarify these findings.

Identification of biomarkers for preterm delivery in mid-trimester amniotic fluid

OBJECTIVE

We investigated whether the level of vascular endothelial growth factor (VEGF) and inflammatory markers in mid-trimester amniotic fluid have predictive value for spontaneous preterm birth in singleton pregnancy.

METHOD

Our subjects were 72 pregnant women who were undertaken with amniocentesis from 16 to 19 weeks of gestation. 36 cases were women with preterm delivery, and other 36 cases were matched women with full-term delivery. Stored amniotic fluid was investigated after the delivery. The levels of matrix metalloproteinases-8 (MMP-8), interleukin-6 (IL-6), C-reactive protein (CRP), and VEGF were measured by enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay (ELISA) and Western blot.

RESULTS

The levels of MMP-8 and IL-6 in preterm group were significantly higher than control group (5.76 ± 1.53 ng/ml vs 4.89 ± 1.77 ng/ml and 170.54 ± 55.69 pg/ml vs 141.92 ± 57.21 pg/ml, respectively) (p < 0.05). In terms of VEGF, the levels were elevated in preterm group (30.76 ± 4.06 pg/ml vs 22.36 ± 7.03 pg/ml) (p < 0.05).

CONCLUSION

This study suggests that elevated levels of IL-6 and MMP-8 in amniotic fluid at mid-trimester are predictive of preterm delivery, and that VEGF which is representative of angiogenesis can be a new and useful predictor of preterm delivery.

Probing nonperturbative QED with optimally focused laser pulses

We study nonperturbative pair production in intense, focused laser fields called e-dipole pulses. We address the conditions required, such as the quality of the vacuum, for reaching high intensities without initiating beam-depleting cascades, the number of pairs which can be created, and experimental detection of the created pairs. We find that e-dipole pulses offer an optimal method of investigating nonperturbative QED.

Botulinum toxin type A reconstituted in lidocaine with epinephrine for facial rejuvenation: results of a participant satisfaction survey

To assess the feasibility, safety, and lack of inferiority of reconstituting botulinum toxin type A (BTX-A) in 1% lidocaine hydrochloride with epinephrine 1:100,000, 181 participants were asked to complete a satisfaction survey 3 to 6 months after treatment with the reconstituted formulation for facial rejuvenation. The addition of lidocaine was believed to achieve an immediate paralyzing effect on the injected muscles, and the addition of epinephrine was hypothesized to minimize diffusion to adjacent muscles. Participants were treated in the areas of the forehead and glabella, as well as the orbicularis oculi, orbicularis oris, and procerus muscles, in varying doses (10-60 U). Fifty-eight percent (91/157) of participants reported being more satisfied with BTX-A reconstituted in 1% lidocaine with epinephrine 1:100,000, with 85.7% (78/91) of these participants reporting that the immediate results made the formulation superior; 35.7% (56/157) were indifferent and 6.4% (10/157) reported that the modified formulation did not work better. The injection of BTX-A reconstituted in 1% lidocaine with epinephrine 1:100,000 presented no increased adverse effects (AEs), no decrease in pharmacologic potency, immediate feedback to the clinician, and higher satisfaction for the participants who previously had been treated with BTX-A reconstituted in unpreserved saline. Botulinum toxin type A reconstituted in 1% lidocaine with epinephrine 1:100,000 may increase the duration and efficacy of this widely used toxin.

Hard two-body photodisintegration of 3He

We have measured cross sections for the γ(3)He → pd reaction at photon energies of 0.4-1.4 GeV and a center-of-mass angle of 90°. We observe dimensional scaling above 0.7 GeV at this center-of-mass angle. This is the first observation of dimensional scaling in the photodisintegration of a nucleus heavier than the deuteron.

Distinct patterns of C4d immunoreactivity in placentas with villitis of unknown etiology, cytomegaloviral placentitis, and infarct

C4d deposition is considered to be evidence of antibody-mediated rejection. This study was conducted to compare C4d immunoreactivity between villitis of unknown etiology (VUE) and cytomegaloviral placentitis. C4d immunohistochemistry was performed in cases with VUE (n = 16) and cytomegaloviral placentitis (n = 5). Distinct, linear C4d immunoreactivity along the syncytiotrophoblast was found in all VUE cases. In cytomegaloviral placentitis, the intensity of C4d immunoreactivity along the syncytiotrophoblast was not prominent, but cytoplasmic C4d immunoreactivity of villous cytotrophoblasts was frequently observed. Further screening of the cases with placental infarcts (n = 5) demonstrated prominent C4d immunoreactivity in the chorionic villi adjacent to the infarct. We report the characteristic co-localization of VUE and C4d immunoreactivity. The overall findings in this study strongly suggest that the complement activation is a common mechanism of diverse placental injuries associated with rejection, infection, and ischemia.

Molecular genetic, cardiac and neurodevelopmental findings in cases of prenatally diagnosed rhabdomyoma associated with tuberous sclerosis complex

OBJECTIVE

Rhabdomyoma is the most common type of cardiac tumor in fetuses and is often associated with tuberous sclerosis complex (TSC) with neurologic sequelae. The purpose of this study was to investigate the cardiac and neurodevelopmental outcomes of fetal rhabdomyoma.

METHODS

We reviewed the clinical characteristics of 23 cases of cardiac rhabdomyoma diagnosed prenatally by fetal echocardiography at the Asan Medical Center between January 1998 and December 2009. We also reviewed postnatal results of brain magnetic resonance imaging, echocardiography, renal ultrasound examination and molecular genetic analysis to confirm the presence of cardiac rhabdomyoma with or without TSC.

RESULTS

Among 23 cases, outcome data were available for 17 (73.9%) and six cases (26.1%) were lost to follow-up. The survival rate was 100.0% (17/17). Among the 17 cases with outcome data, spontaneous tumor regression occurred in eight (47.1%), and no change in tumor size and number was observed in the remaining nine cases (52.9%). There was no evidence of long-term cardiac dysfunction caused by persisting rhabdomyomas, regardless of tumor size. TSC was found in nine patients (52.9%), of whom five (55.6%) showed neurodevelopmental morbidity. We identified mutations in one of the TSC1 or TSC2 genes in four of nine TSC infants whose parents allowed us to perform molecular genetic analysis. Three of these (75.0%) were found to have neurologic impairment. Seven (77.8%) of nine TSC cases were non-familial.

CONCLUSIONS

The overall outcome of isolated cardiac rhabdomyoma appears to be favorable. We suggest that systematic postnatal evaluation of TSC be performed even in cases of cardiac rhabdomyoma without a family history of TSC. Molecular characterization of TSC1 and TSC2 might be helpful in predicting short- and long-term neurodevelopmental outcomes.

Identification and analysis of murine pancreatic islet enhancers

AIMS/HYPOTHESIS

The paucity of information on the epigenetic barriers that are blocking reprogramming protocols, and on what makes a beta cell unique, has hampered efforts to develop novel beta cell sources. Here, we aimed to identify enhancers in pancreatic islets, to understand their developmental ontologies, and to identify enhancers unique to islets to increase our understanding of islet-specific gene expression.

METHODS

We combined H3K4me1-based nucleosome predictions with pancreatic and duodenal homeobox 1 (PDX1), neurogenic differentiation 1 (NEUROD1), v-Maf musculoaponeurotic fibrosarcoma oncogene family, protein A (MAFA) and forkhead box A2 (FOXA2) occupancy data to identify enhancers in mouse islets.

RESULTS

We identified 22,223 putative enhancer loci in in vivo mouse islets. Our validation experiments suggest that nearly half of these loci are active in regulating islet gene expression, with the remaining regions probably poised for activity. We showed that these loci have at least nine developmental ontologies, and that islet enhancers predominately acquire H3K4me1 during differentiation. We next discriminated 1,799 enhancers unique to islets and showed that these islet-specific enhancers have reduced association with annotated genes, and identified a subset that are instead associated with novel islet-specific long non-coding RNAs (lncRNAs).

CONCLUSIONS/INTERPRETATIONS

Our results indicate that genes with islet-specific expression and function tend to have enhancers devoid of histone methylation marks or, less often, that are bivalent or repressed, in embryonic stem cells and liver. Further, we identify a subset of enhancers unique to islets that are associated with novel islet-specific genes and lncRNAs. We anticipate that these data will facilitate the development of novel sources of functional beta cell mass.

A multicenter, randomized, controlled trial testing the effects of acupuncture on allergic rhinitis

BACKGROUND

The aim of this study was to evaluate the efficacy and safety of acupuncture in the treatment for allergic rhinitis.

METHODS

This study was a multicenter, randomized, parallel-controlled study. Participants were randomized to either the active acupuncture, sham acupuncture, or waitlist groups. The active and sham acupuncture groups received acupuncture treatment three times per week for 4 weeks. In the sham group, minimal acupuncture at nonacupuncture points was used. The waitlist group did not receive any acupuncture treatment.

RESULTS

Of the 238 participants, 97, 94, and 47 individuals were assigned to the active acupuncture, sham acupuncture, and waitlist group, respectively. After the treatment, the difference in the total nasal symptom score (TNSS) was significantly reduced in the active acupuncture group compared with the sham acupuncture (difference: -1.03, 95% confidence interval [CI]: -1.96, -0.09, P = 0.03) and waitlist (difference: -2.49, 95% CI: -3.68, -1.29, P < 0.0001). The active acupuncture group exhibited a significant change in the total non-nasal symptom score (TNNSS) compared with the waitlist (difference: -0.78, 95% CI: -1.22, -0.34, P = 0.0002), but not the sham acupuncture group (difference; 0.15, 95% CI: -0.21, 0.5, P = 0.56). Both active and sham acupuncture treatments resulted in significant improvements in TNSS and TNNSS compared to baseline.

CONCLUSION

Active acupuncture showed a significantly greater effect on symptoms of allergic rhinitis than either sham acupuncture or no active treatment. The symptoms of allergic rhinitis decreased significantly after treatment in the both acupuncture and sham acupuncture groups. Acupuncture appears to be an effective and safe treatment for allergic rhinitis.

Osteoporosis drug therapy strategies in the setting of disease-modifying agents for autoimmune disease

The purpose of this systematic review is to evaluate the effects of methotrexate (MTX) and tumor necrosis factor-alpha (TNF-α) inhibitors on bone mineral properties in the clinical literature. A systematic review of the literature identifying relevant case reports, population-based studies, cohort studies, case control studies, and randomized controlled trials in Pubmed and Web of Science databases from inception to December 31, 2011 was conducted. The following keywords were used: "bone turnover," "bone mineral density," "TNF-α inhibitors," "infliximab," "adalimumab," "etanercept," and "MTX." The bibliographies of all retrieved studies were also reviewed to identify additional articles. Based on these results, a rational drug therapy strategy was suggested for treating osteoporosis in patients with inflammatory disease. MTX and TNF-α inhibitors do not appear to have an adverse effect on BMD in patients with inflammatory disease. Their negative effects on BMD and bone turnover in pre-clinical models appear to be outweighed by their anti-disease effects in clinical studies. Treatment with MTX or TNF-α inhibitors has no adverse effect on BMD in patients with inflammatory disease. Future studies will focus on developing optimal drug strategies when combining DMARDs with anti-osteoporotic agents in this patient population.

Increased Toll-like receptor (TLR) mRNA expression in monocytes is a feature of metabolic syndrome in adolescents

BACKGROUND

Metabolic syndrome (MetSyn) is diagnosed frequently in some but not all overweight adolescents. Chronic inflammation, as seen in obesity, is strongly associated with MetSyn.

OBJECTIVES

The aim of this pilot study was to assess the correlation between activation of the innate immune system and MetSyn, independent of body mass index (BMI), in a young population.

METHODS

We quantitatively measured both systemic pro-inflammatory cytokines and gene expression of Toll-like receptors (TLRs) and downstream cytokines in circulating monocytes obtained from nine adolescents with metabolic syndrome (Overwt-MetSyn) and eight BMI-matched controls (Overwt-Healthy).

RESULTS

The Overwt-MetSyn group demonstrated a significant elevation in expression of TLR2, TLR4, tumour necrosis factor-a (TNF a) and interleukin-6 (IL6) in peripheral monocytes, and increased circulating levels of TNF a and IL6 when compared with the Overwt-Healthy group. TLR2 (r = 0.78, P < 0.001), TLR4 (r = 0.57, P < 0.01) and TNF a (r = 0.61, P < 0.01) gene expression positively correlated with serum levels of TNF a.

CONCLUSIONS

Our study suggests that activation of the innate immune pathway via TLRs may be partially responsible for the increased systemic inflammation seen in adolescents with MetSyn.

Abstract P5-04-07: Epithelial-mesenchymal transition phenotype in breast cancers is associated with clinicopathologic factors indicating aggressive biologic behavior and poor clinical outcome

Epithelial-mesenchymal transition (EMT) is defined by the loss of epithelial characteristics and the acquisition of a mesenchymal phenotype. EMT in epithelial tumors is a reversible process and expected to be involved in invasion, metastasis and chemoresistance of cancer cells. EMT-inducing factors down-regulate E-cadherin and up-regulate extracellular matrix proteins such as fibronectin. Cancer tissue may display a wide spectrum of expression phenotypes of EMT-related proteins. However, little is known about the clinical significance of the different EMT phenotypes in breast cancers. We investigated expression pattern of EMT-related proteins, E-cadherin and fibronectin in 1,498 invasive breast carcinomas by using immunohistochemistry on tissue microarrays. EMT phenotypes were divided into complete type (E-cadherin-negative and fibronectin-positive); incomplete type, including hybrid (E-cadherin-positive and fibronectin-positive) and null (E-cadherin-negative and fibronectin-negative) types; and a wild type (E-cadherin-positive and fibronectin-negative). We correlated EMT phenotype with clinicopathologic characteristics and patients survival. Loss of E-cadherin was observed in 140 (9.3%) cases and fibronectin was expressed in cancer cells of 320 (21.4%) cases. Twenty three (1.5%) cases were categorized as complete type, 414 (27.6%) as incomplete type (hybrid type, 297; null type, 117), and 1,061 (70.8%) as wild type. Complete EMT phenotype was significantly associated with advanced pT stage, lymph node metastasis, high histological grade, and triple negativity (p &lt; 0.001). Overall survival and disease-free survival rates were significantly worse in the complete type, better in the incomplete type and best in the wild type (p = 0.002 and p &lt; 0.001, respectively). In multivariate Cox proportional hazard model analysis, the complete EMT phenotype was not an independent prognostic factor for both overall and disease-free survival. In conclusion, breast cancer patients with EMT phenotype showed less favorable outcomes than those with wild type as it was strongly associated with clinicopathologic factors indicating aggressive biologic behavior.

Citation Information: Cancer Res 2012;72(24 Suppl):Abstract nr P5-04-07.

Cold-nuclear-matter effects on heavy-quark production in d+Au collisions at sqrt[S(NN)]=200 GeV

The PHENIX experiment has measured electrons and positrons at midrapidity from the decays of hadrons containing charm and bottom quarks produced in d+Au and p+p collisions at sqrt[S(NN)]=200 GeV in the transverse-momentum range 0.85 ≤ p(T)(e) ≤ 8.5 GeV/c. In central d+Au collisions, the nuclear modification factor R(dA) at 1.5<p(T)<5 GeV/c displays evidence of enhancement of these electrons, relative to those produced in p+p collisions, and shows that the mass-dependent Cronin enhancement observed at the Relativistic Heavy Ion Collider extends to the heavy D meson family. A comparison with the neutral-pion data suggests that the difference in cold-nuclear-matter effects on light- and heavy-flavor mesons could contribute to the observed differences between the π(0) and heavy-flavor-electron nuclear modification factors R(AA).