Measurement of [Formula: see text] polarisation in [Formula: see text] collisions at [Formula: see text] = 7 TeV

The polarisation of prompt [Formula: see text] mesons is measured by performing an angular analysis of [Formula: see text] decays using proton-proton collision data, corresponding to an integrated luminosity of 1.0[Formula: see text], collected by the LHCb detector at a centre-of-mass energy of 7 TeV. The polarisation is measured in bins of transverse momentum [Formula: see text] and rapidity [Formula: see text] in the kinematic region [Formula: see text] and [Formula: see text], and is compared to theoretical models. No significant polarisation is observed.

Observation of photon polarization in the b→sγ transition

This Letter presents a study of the flavor-changing neutral current radiative B±→K±π∓π±γ decays performed using data collected in proton-proton collisions with the LHCb detector at 7 and 8 TeV center-of-mass energies. In this sample, corresponding to an integrated luminosity of 3  fb-1, nearly 14 000 signal events are reconstructed and selected, containing all possible intermediate resonances with a K±π∓π± final state in the [1.1,1.9]  GeV/c2 mass range. The distribution of the angle of the photon direction with respect to the plane defined by the final-state hadrons in their rest frame is studied in intervals of K±π∓π± mass and the asymmetry between the number of signal events found on each side of the plane is obtained. The first direct observation of the photon polarization in the b→sγ transition is reported with a significance of 5.2σ.

In vitro antifungal effect and inhibitory activity on biofilm formation of seven commercial mouthwashes

OBJECTIVE

To investigate the antifungal ability of seven over-the-counter mouthwashes against planktonic and sessile Candida albicans and Candida krusei.

MATERIALS AND METHODS

The seven mouthwashes studied were Listerine, compound chlorhexidine solution, povidone iodine solution (PV-I), cetylpyridinium chloride solution, Colgate Plax, Crest Prohealth Mouthwash, and NaHCO3 . The antifungal ability of each mouthwash against ATCC90028, ATCC6258, and 10 clinical C. albicans isolates was tested using disk diffusion tests, the broth microdilution method, and biofilm testing with two different XTT-reduction assays. Fluconazole was used as a positive control, and the experiments were performed in triplicate.

RESULTS

Chlorhexidine and cetylpyridinium chloride had the largest inhibition zones for ATCC90028 and ATCC6258 (18.6 ± 3.5 and 19 ± 1.6 mm, respectively). Cetylpyridinium chloride was the most effective at inhibiting all of the planktonic C. albicans strains and ATCC6258 with the minimum inhibitory concentration (MIC). As the maturity of the biofilms increased, the change in sessile cell MIC of the mouthwashes was much smaller than that of fluconazole. For the mature biofilms, chlorhexidine, PV-I, and cetylpyridinium chloride produced the greatest reductions in metabolism (60-80%).

CONCLUSION

Most of these seven mouthwashes had significant antifungal activity for both planktonic and sessile Candida species.

miR-625 suppresses tumour migration and invasion by targeting IGF2BP1 in hepatocellular carcinoma

Hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) is one of the most prevalent malignancies and the third leading cause of cancer-related deaths worldwide. Tumour metastasis is one of the major causes of high mortality. microRNAshave been implicated in HCC metastasis. In this study, we found that miR-625 was frequently downregulated in HCC samples. A decrease in miR-625 was significantly correlated with lymph node anddistance metastasis (P=0.013), the presence of portal venous invasion (P=0.036), tumor-node-metastasis (TNM) stage (P=0.027) and unfavourable overall survival (P=0.003). Compared with primary tumours, miR-625 expression was markedly reduced in portal venous metastatic tumours. Re-expression of miR-625 in HCC cells was remarkably effective in suppressing cell migration andinvasiveness in vitro and in vivo. Mechanistically, miR-625 was confirmed to downregulate IGF2 mRNA-binding protein 1(IGF2BP1) directly, the expression of which was inversely correlated with the level of miR-625 in HCC cell lines and tissues. High expression of IGF2BP1 was frequently found in HCC samples, and associated with poor prognosis. Knockdown of endogenous IGF2BP1 by siRNA exhibited similar effects as the overexpression of miR-625, whereas overexpression of IGF2BP1 (without the 3'-UTR) abrogated miR-625-mediated metastasis inhibition. Interference of the PTEN/HSP27 pathway contributed to miR-625-mediated metastasis inhibition. Taken together, our data suggest that miR-625 might function as an antimetastatic miRNA to have an important role in HCC progression by modulating the IGF2BP1/PTEN pathway. The newly identified miR-625/IGF2BP1 axis represents a new potential therapeutic target for HCC treatment.

Olfactory experience modulates immature neuron development in postnatal and adult guinea pig piriform cortex

Immature neurons expressing doublecortin (DCX+) are present around cortical layer II in various mammals including guinea pigs and humans, especially enriched in the paleocortex. However, little is known whether and how functional experience affects the development of this population of neurons. We attempted to explore a modulation by experience to layer II DCX+ cells in the primary olfactory cortex in postnatal and adult guinea pigs. Neonatal and 1-year-old guinea pigs were subjected to unilateral naris-occlusion, followed 1 and 2months later by morphometry of DCX+ cells in the piriform cortex. DCX+ somata and processes were reduced in the deprived relative to the non-deprived piriform cortex in both age groups at the two surviving time points. The number of DCX+ cells was decreased in the deprived side relative to internal control at 1 and 2months in the youths and at 2months in the adults post-occlusion. The mean somal area of DCX+ cells showed a trend of decrease in the deprived side relative to the internal control in the youths. In addition, DCX+ cells in the deprived side exhibited a lower frequency of colocalization with the neuron-specific nuclear antigen (NeuN) relative to counterparts. These results suggest that normal olfactory experience is required for the maintenance and development of DCX+ immature neurons in postnatal and adult guinea pig piriform cortex.

Hyperthyroid monkeys: a nonhuman primate model of experimental Graves' disease

Graves' disease (GD) is a common organ-specific autoimmune disease with the prevalence between 0.5 and 2% in women. Several lines of evidence indicate that the shed A-subunit rather than the full-length thyrotropin receptor (TSHR) is the autoantigen that triggers autoimmunity and leads to hyperthyroidism. We have for the first time induced GD in female rhesus monkeys, which exhibit greater similarity to patients with GD than previous rodent models. After final immunization, the monkeys injected with adenovirus expressing the A-subunit of TSHR (A-sub-Ad) showed some characteristics of GD. When compared with controls, all the test monkeys had significantly higher TSHR antibody levels, half of them had increased total thyroxine (T₄) and free T₄, and 50% developed goiter. To better understand the underlying mechanisms, quantitative studies on subpopulations of CD4+T helper cells were carried out. The data indicated that this GD model involved a mixed Th1 and Th2 response. Declined Treg proportions and increased Th17:Treg ratio are also observed. Our rhesus monkey model successfully mimicked GD in humans in many aspects. It would be a useful tool for furthering our understanding of the pathogenesis of GD and would potentially shorten the distance toward the prevention and treatment of this disease in human.

Hyponatraemia in cancer patients on an inpatient rehabilitation unit

This study identifies the incidence of hyponatraemia in cancer patients on an inpatient rehabilitation unit and examines the association between admission hyponatraemia and rehabilitation length of stay (LOS), functional outcome, and survival. After institutional review committee's approval, we retrospectively reviewed medical records of 295 consecutive patients who were admitted to this inpatient cancer rehabilitation unit between 27 January 2009 through 31 July 2010 in a tertiary cancer centre. The incidence of hyponatraemia in cancer patients admitted to our inpatient rehabilitation unit was 41.4%. Median rehabilitation LOS for patients with mild (Na 130-134 mEq/L) and moderate-severe (Na < 130 mEq/L) hyponatraemia was 11 and 15 days, respectively, which was significantly longer than patients with eunatraemia (10 days; P = 0.03). Functional Independence Measure gain for ambulation and transfers during inpatient rehabilitation stay was not significantly different between three different patient groups. We concluded that large portion of patients who require acute inpatient rehabilitation presented with hyponatraemia, which is associated with prolonged rehabilitation LOS. Whether aggressive management of hyponatraemia will shorten rehabilitation stay needs further study.

Chemotherapy with cisplatin or carboplatin in combination with etoposide for small-cell esophageal cancer: a systemic analysis of case series

Chemotherapy has been the first-choice treatment for small-cell esophageal cancer (SCEC), etoposide plus cisplatin or carboplatin (EP/CP) is the most commonly recommended chemotherapeutical strategy. However, the choice of chemotherapy in treating SCEC has not been validated by studies of large cohorts of cases because of the rarity of the malignancy, and the efficacy superiority of EP/CP over other chemotherapy combinations has not been confirmed. The present case series analysis was conducted to address the above issues. Reported studies of SCEC patients were retrieved. Case series with more than five patients were enrolled. Eight patients treated in our institute were also included as another case series. Data pertaining to clinical stages, treatment regimens, and survival time were collected and analyzed. Altogether, 19 SCEC case series were enrolled, including 164 male and 61 female patients with a median age of 63.5 years. The follow-up time ranged from 0.1 to 221 months (median 12.3 months). The median survival time (MST) was 19 months for limited disease (LD) patients (124 cases) and 9 months for extensive disease (ED) patients (88 cases) (P<0.001). For LD patients, MST was obviously prolonged by chemotherapeutical regimens (20 vs. 10 months, P<0.01), whereas this superiority was not proved in ED patients (10 vs. 10 months, P>0.05). EP/CP did not result in significantly longer MST, compared with that of the cases treated by other chemotherapy combinations (P>0.05, for either LD or ED cases). Chemotherapy prolongs the survival time of the LD SCEC patients, which indicates that chemotherapeutical treatment is effective for SCEC. EP/CP, as commonly recommended multidrug chemotherapy regimen, is not superior to other chemotherapy combinations.

Immune responses of chickens inoculated with recombinant Lactobacillus expressing the haemagglutinin of the avian influenza virus

AIMS

To develop a safe, effective and convenient vaccine for the prevention of highly pathogenic avian influenza (HPAI), we have successfully constructed a recombinant lactobacillus (LDL17-pH) that expresses the foreign HPAI protein, haemagglutinin 1 (HA1 ).

METHODS AND RESULTS

The mucosal and systemic immune responses that are triggered by LDL17-pH following the oral administration to 10-day-old chickens were evaluated. The results showed that LDL17-pH could significantly increase the specific anti-HA1 IgA antibody level in the mucosa and the anti-HA1 IgG level in sera. Tissues were isolated from trachea and Peyer's patches(PPs)and caecal tonsils of chickens, and gene expression was analysed via real-time quantitative PCR.

CONCLUSIONS

The results showed that LDL17-pH could significantly induce the specific anti-HA1 IgA antibody level in the trachea and intestine and the specific anti-HA1 IgG antibody level in the serum (P < 0·05). Additionally, LDL17-pH was in the capacity to induce the expression of cytokines IFN-γ, TLR-2 and AvBD-9 in the PPs and caecal tonsils. Most importantly, the chickens that were immunized with LDL17-pH were protected against lethal challenge of the H5N1 virus to some extent.

SIGNIFICANCE AND IMPACT OF THE STUDY

Therefore, LDL17-pH could be a promising oral vaccine candidate against HPAI.

Fast Prediction of Injection Pressure and Minimal Front Temperature for Injection Moulding

Fast prediction of injection pressure and minimal front temperature can usually be used to optimize the process parameters for injection moulding. In this paper, a fast strip analysis (FSA) model was presented on the basis of a geometric approximation method, which simplifies an original part to a rectangular edge-gated strip. The dimensions of the rectangular strip were calculated through the original part's geometric mesh by using graph theory. Subsequently, a finite difference method was employed to simulate a non-isothermal and unidirectional flow in the strip. Numerical examples show that although FSA model is an approximation method, its results are approximately identical to that of detailed CAE software, while the running time of the proposed model is several magnitudes less than that of CAE software.

Extracellular matrix metalloproteinase inducer is associated with severity of brain oedema following experimental subarachnoid haemorrhage in rats

OBJECTIVE

Brain oedema is a major cause of clinical deterioration and death following brain trauma; cellular mechanisms involved in its development remain elusive. This study investigated the role of extracellular matrix metalloproteinase inducer (EMMPRIN) in brain oedema.

METHODS

The monofilament puncture model was used to induce subarachnoid haemorrhage. Adult male Sprague-Dawley rats were divided into five groups (n = 20 per group): sham-operated, sacrificed immediately after surgery (sham group); sacrificed 12, 24 or 72 h after subarachnoid haemorrhage induction (SAH-12, SAH-24 and SAH-72 groups, respectively); treated with EMMPRIN inhibitor immediately after subarachnoid haemorrhage, sacrificed at 24 h (SAH-inhibition group). Mean brain water content, and EMMPRIN mRNA and protein levels, were determined.

RESULTS

Compared with the sham group, mean brain water content, EMMPRIN mRNA and protein levels in the SAH-12, SAH-24 and SAH-72 groups increased rapidly and significantly (maximal at 24 h). EMMPRIN inhibition significantly reduced mean brain water content and EMMPRIN mRNA and protein levels in the SAH-inhibition group, compared with the SAH-24 group.

CONCLUSIONS

EMMPRIN upregulation may be important in the formation of brain oedema; inhibition of EMMPRIN activity may provide a potential approach to reduce oedema after subarachnoid haemorrhage.

A comparison of the clinical characteristics of women with recurrent major depression with and without suicidal symptomatology

BACKGROUND

The relationship between recurrent major depression (MD) in women and suicidality is complex. We investigated the extent to which patients who suffered with various forms of suicidal symptomatology can be distinguished from those subjects without such symptoms.

METHOD

We examined the clinical features of the worst episode in 1970 Han Chinese women with recurrent DSM-IV MD between the ages of 30 and 60 years from across China. Student's t tests, and logistic and multiple logistic regression models were used to determine the association between suicidality and other clinical features of MD.

RESULTS

Suicidal symptomatology is significantly associated with a more severe form of MD, as indexed by both the number of episodes and number of MD symptoms. Patients reporting suicidal thoughts, plans or attempts experienced a significantly greater number of stressful life events. The depressive symptom most strongly associated with lifetime suicide attempt was feelings of worthlessness (odds ratio 4.25, 95% confidence interval 2.9-6.3). Excessive guilt, diminished concentration and impaired decision-making were also significantly associated with a suicide attempt.

CONCLUSIONS

This study contributes to the existing literature on risk factors for suicidal symptomatology in depressed women. Identifying specific depressive symptoms and co-morbid psychiatric disorders may help improve the clinical assessment of suicide risk in depressed patients. These findings could be helpful in identifying those who need more intense treatment strategies in order to prevent suicide.