Search for muon-neutrino to electron-neutrino transitions in MINOS

This Letter reports on a search for nu(mu) --> nu(e) transitions by the MINOS experiment based on a 3.14x10(20) protons-on-target exposure in the Fermilab NuMI beam. We observe 35 events in the Far Detector with a background of 27+/-5(stat)+/-2(syst) events predicted by the measurements in the Near Detector. If interpreted in terms of nu(mu) --> nu(e) oscillations, this 1.5sigma excess of events is consistent with sin2(2theta(13)) comparable to the CHOOZ limit when |Delta m2|=2.43x10(-3) eV2 and sin2(2theta(23))=1.0 are assumed.

A practical method for quantifying atherosclerotic lesions in rabbits

The rabbit has been widely used for the study of human atherosclerosis; however, the method for analysis of the atherosclerotic lesions has not been standardized between laboratories. The present study reports a practical method for quantifying the changes that occur in aortic atherosclerosis of rabbits. Male Japanese white rabbits were fed with either a standard chow or a diet containing 10% fat and 0.3% cholesterol for 16 weeks. Plasma concentrations of glucose, insulin, total cholesterol, triglycerides and high-density lipoprotein were measured. Aortic atherosclerotic lesions were assessed in quantitative fashion using an image analysis system that measured (1) the gross area of the entire aorta affected by atherosclerosis as defined by Sudan IV staining, (2) the microscopical intimal lesion defined by the elastic van Gieson stain and (3) the infiltration of macrophages and smooth muscle cell proliferation as determined immunohistochemically. The rabbits developed severe aortic atherosclerosis without apparent abnormality of glucose metabolism. The quantitative method described here will be useful for the further investigation of atherosclerosis in rabbits.

A review of the role of assistive technology for people with dementia in the hours of darkness

Assistive Technology (AT) has been utilized to support people with dementia (PwD) and their carers in the home. Such support can extend the time that PwD can remain safely at home and reduce the burden on the tertiary healthcare sector. Technology can assist people in the hours of darkness as well as during the day. The objective of this literature review is to evaluate reported healthcare technologies appropriate to night time care. This paper summarises and categorises the current evidence base. In all, 131 abstracts were returned from a database search, yielding fifty four relevant papers which were considered in detail. While night-time specific studies identified very few papers (4 papers, 7%), most of the more general AT findings could be adopted to benefit night-time assistance. Studies have used technology for prompting and reminding as loss of time and forgetfulness are major problems; for monitoring daily activities in a sensor enriched environment and utilised location aware technologies to provide information to enhance safety. Technology also supports a range of therapies to alleviate symptoms. Therapies include the delivery of music and familial pictures for reminiscing, the use of light therapy to enhance wellbeing and the provision of mental tasks to stimulate the brain and maintain activity levels.

Christmas: Years Like This. Ingested foreign bodies and societal wealth: three year observational study of swallowed coins

OBJECTIVE

To examine the relation between coins ingested by children and the Dow Jones Industrial Average.

DESIGN

Observational study. Main outcome measures Total value of coins ingested and number of incidents of coins versus other objects swallowed, measured before and after the stock market crash of October 2008.

RESULTS

Eighteen objects, including 11 coins, were ingested (NASDAQ (numismatic and sundry detritus acquired) composite of 18). The total value of the 11 coins swallowed was $1.03 (FTSE 100 (fraction of the US$ or 100 cents) index of 103). The pecuniary extraction ratio (PE ratio) was 0.57 (9/16). Comparing values for a period before and after October 2008, the mean monthly NASDAQ composite (0.41 (SD 0.67) v 0.5 (0.85), P=0.75), FTSE 100 index in cents (2.3 (6.8) v 3.1 (7.8), P=0.77), and PE ratio (0.54 (0.52) v 0.66 (0.29), P=0.50) did not change. The mean end-of-month closing value of the Dow Jones, however, decreased significantly (12 537 (841.4) v 8388 (699.8), P<0.001)

CONCLUSION

There was no detectable difference in the total value of coins ingested, or ratio of coins to other objects swallowed, before or after a massive stock market crash.

Thermoelectric effect across the metal-insulator domain walls in VO2 microbeams

We report on measurements of Seebeck effect in single-crystal VO(2) microbeams across their metal-insulator phase transition. One-dimensionally aligned metal-insulator domain walls were reversibly created and eliminated along single VO(2) beams by varying temperature, which allows for accurate extraction of the net contribution to the Seebeck effect from these domain walls. We observed significantly lower Seebeck coefficient in the metal-insulator coexisting regime than predicted by a linear combination of contributions from the insulator and metal domains. This indicates that the net contribution of the domain walls has an opposite sign from that of the insulator and metal phases separately. Possible origins that may be responsible for this unexpected effect were discussed in the context of complications in this correlated electron material.

Surface-stabilized nonferromagnetic ordering of a layered ferromagnetic manganite

An outstanding question regarding the probing or possible device applications of correlated electronic materials (CEMs) with layered structure is the extent to which their bulk and surface properties differ or not. The broken translational symmetry at the surface can lead to distinct functionality due to the charge, lattice, orbital, and spin coupling. Here we report on the case of bilayered manganites with hole doping levels corresponding to bulk ferromagnetic order. We find that, although the hole doping level is measured to be the same as in the bulk, the surface layer is not ferromagnetic. Further, our low-energy electron diffraction and x-ray measurements show that there is a c-axis collapse in the outermost layer. Bulk theoretical calculations reveal that, even at fixed doping level, the relaxation of the Jahn-Teller distortion at the surface is consistent with the stabilization of an A-type antiferromagnetic state.

Strain engineering and one-dimensional organization of metal-insulator domains in single-crystal vanadium dioxide beams

Correlated electron materials can undergo a variety of phase transitions, including superconductivity, the metal-insulator transition and colossal magnetoresistance. Moreover, multiple physical phases or domains with dimensions of nanometres to micrometres can coexist in these materials at temperatures where a pure phase is expected. Making use of the properties of correlated electron materials in device applications will require the ability to control domain structures and phase transitions in these materials. Lattice strain has been shown to cause the coexistence of metallic and insulating phases in the Mott insulator VO(2). Here, we show that we can nucleate and manipulate ordered arrays of metallic and insulating domains along single-crystal beams of VO(2) by continuously tuning the strain over a wide range of values. The Mott transition between a low-temperature insulating phase and a high-temperature metallic phase usually occurs at 341 K in VO(2), but the active control of strain allows us to reduce this transition temperature to room temperature. In addition to device applications, the ability to control the phase structure of VO(2) with strain could lead to a deeper understanding of the correlated electron materials in general.

Signature of checkerboard fluctuations in the phonon spectra of a possible polaronic metal La1.2Sr1.8Mn2O7

Charge carriers in low-doped semiconductors may distort the atomic lattice around them and through this interaction form so-called small polarons. High carrier concentrations on the other hand can lead to short-range ordered polarons (large polarons) and even to a long-range charge and orbital order. These ordered systems should be insulating with a large electrical resistivity. However, recently a polaronic pseudogap was found in a metallic phase of La(2-2x)Sr(1+2x)Mn(2)O(7) (ref. 7). This layered manganite is famous for colossal magnetoresistance associated with a phase transition from this low-temperature metallic phase to a high-temperature insulating phase. Broad charge-order peaks due to large polarons in the insulating phase disappear when La(2-2x)Sr(1+2x)Mn(2)O(7) becomes metallic. Investigating how polaronic features survive in the metallic phase, here we report the results of inelastic neutron scattering measurements showing that inside the metallic phase polarons remain as fluctuations that strongly broaden and soften certain phonons near the wavevectors where the charge-order peaks appeared in the insulating phase. Our findings imply that polaronic signatures in metals may generally come from a competing insulating charge-ordered phase. Our findings are highly relevant to cuprate superconductors with both a pseudogap and a similar phonon effect associated with a competing stripe order.

Magnetic correlations in the extended kagome YBaCo4O7 probed by single-crystal neutron scattering

We have studied the frustrated system YBaCo4O7.0 generally described as an alternating stacking of kagome and triangular layers of magnetic ions on a trigonal lattice, by single-crystal neutron diffraction experiments above the Néel ordering transition. Experimental data reveal pronounced magnetic diffuse scattering, which is successfully modeled by direct Monte Carlo simulations. Long-range magnetic correlations are found along the c axis, due to the presence of corner-sharing bipyramids, creating quasi-one-dimensional order at finite temperature. In contrast, in the kagome layers (ab plane), the spin-spin correlation function, displaying a short-range 120 degrees configuration, decays rapidly as typically found in spin liquids. YBaCo4O7 experimentally realizes a new class of two-dimensional frustrated systems where the strong out-of-plane coupling does not lift the in-plane degeneracy, but instead acts as an external "field."

Gamow-Teller strength distributions in 48Sc by the 48Ca(p,n) and 48Ti(n,p) reactions and two-neutrino double-beta decay nuclear matrix elements

The double-differential cross sections for the 48Ca(p,n) and 48Ti(n,p) reactions were measured at 300 MeV. A multipole decomposition technique was applied to the spectra to extract the Gamow-Teller (GT) components. The integrated GT strengths up to an excitation energy of 30 MeV in 48Sc are 15.3+/-2.2 and 2.8+/-0.3 in the (p,n) and (n,p) spectra, respectively. In the (n,p) spectra additional GT strengths were found above 8 MeV where shell models within the fp shell-model space predict almost no GT strengths, suggesting that the present shell-model description of the nuclear matrix element of the two-neutrino double-beta decay is incomplete.

Testosterone, sex hormone-binding globulin and free androgen index among adult women: chronological and ovarian aging

BACKGROUND

In this study, levels and rates of change in total testosterone (T), sex hormone-binding globulin (SHBG) and free androgen index (FAI) were related to chronological age and to the final menstrual period (FMP) as an indicator of ovarian aging.

METHODS

Data were annually acquired over a 15-year period in 629 women of the Michigan Bone Health and Metabolism Study cohort. Data were censored for hormone therapy use. Endogenous androgen patterns over time were described with stochastic processes and bootstrapping.

RESULTS

With ovarian aging, T levels rose from a mean of 18 ng/dl commencing 10 years prior to the FMP to 27 ng/dl at the FMP. Over the 20-year period encompassing the FMP, modeled mean SHBG levels changed from 58 to 34 nM and the FAI ratio increased from 1.6 to 2.9 in a non-linear manner. With chronological aging, total T levels increased (P < 0.0001) from 43 to 50 years, but not thereafter. SHBG declined steadily with age with a modestly greater rate of change between 49 and 54 years. The FAI increased from 1.3 to 2.5 from 34 to 58 years.

CONCLUSIONS

T increased from approximately age 40 until the FMP whereas SHBG had rate of change patterns reflecting both chronological and ovarian aging components. These data provide new insight into the endogenous androgen patterns at mid-life.

Phase II study of darinaparsin in patients with advanced hepatocellular carcinoma

e15630

Background: Inorganic arsenic has reported activity in advanced hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) in Asia, yet its efficacy is limited by liver toxicity. Darinaparsin is a novel organic arsenic that is capable of reaching higher intracellular concentration in cells with decreased toxicity compared to inorganic arsenic. It is highly active as a single agent in HCC cell lines and animal tumor models. We conducted a multi-center phase II study with darinaparsin in patients with advanced HCC. Methods: Eligibility criteria included unresectable or metastatic measurable HCC, up to two prior systemic treatments, ECOG performance status ≤2, Child Pugh Class A or B and adequate organ functions. Darinaparsin was given at 420 mg/m2 intravenously administered over 60 minutes through a central line, twice weekly at least 72 hours apart for three weeks followed by one-week rest in a four-week cycle. The primary end point of the study was response rate. A Simon two-stage design was used to assess the efficacy of darinaparsin and the study would be terminated if no responses were observed after the first stage. Results: The planned 15 patients of the first stage were enrolled: median age = 60 (35 - 79). M/F = 14/1, ECOG performance status 0/1= 4/11, Child Pugh class A/B = 11/4. Seven patients received prior systemic chemotherapies. No objective responses were observed. Three patients had stable disease. The median number of cycles on study per patient was 2 (1–6). The median progression free survival and overall survival were 55 days (95% confidence interval: 50 - 59) and 190 days (95% confidence interval: 93–227), respectively. Treatment was well tolerated. No treatment related hospitalizations or deaths occurred. Treatment related grade 1–2 toxicities included nausea/vomiting (31%), fatigue (23%), anorexia (15%) and diarrhea (15%). Grade 3 anorexia, wheezing, agitation, right upper quadrant pain and SGPT were observed in 1 patient each (8%), 1 patient experienced grade 4 hypoglycemia (8%). Conclusions: Darinaparsin was safely administered with tolerable toxicity profiles in HCC patients. However, it has shown no objective responses in HCC and this trial was terminated as planned after the first stage of efficacy analysis.

[Table: see text]

Mitogenic effect contributes to increased virulence of Streptococcus suis sequence type 7 to cause streptococcal toxic shock-like syndrome

Streptococcus suis serotype 2 sequence type 7 strains emerged in 1996 and caused a streptococcal toxic shock-like syndrome in 1998 and 2005 in China. Evidence indicated that the virulence of S. suis sequence type 7 had increased, but the mechanism was unknown. The sequence type 7 strain SC84, isolated from a patient with streptococcal toxic shock-like syndrome during the Sichuan outbreak, and the sequence type 1 strain 31533, a typical highly pathogenic strain isolated from a diseased pig, were used in comparative studies. In this study we show the mechanisms underlying cytokine production differed between the two types of strains. The S. suis sequence type 7 strain SC84 possesses a stronger capacity to stimulate T cells, naive T cells and peripheral blood mononuclear cell proliferation than does S. suis sequence type 1 strain 31533. The T cell response to both strains was dependent upon the presence of antigen-presenting cells. Histo-incompatible antigen-presenting cells were sufficient to provide the accessory signals to naive T cell stimulated by the two strains, indicating that both sequence type 7 and 1 strains possess mitogens; however, the mitogenic effect was different. Therefore, we propose that the difference in the mitogenic effect of sequence type 7 strain SC84 compared with the sequence type 1 strain 31533 of S. suis may be associated with the clinical, epidemiological and microbiological difference, where the ST 7 strains have a larger mitogenic effect.

KLF4 gene expression is inhibited by the notch signaling pathway that controls goblet cell differentiation in mouse gastrointestinal tract

In Kruppel-like factor (KLF)-4-deficient mice, colonic goblet cell numbers are significantly reduced. Goblet cell development is regulated by the Notch signaling pathway. The aim of this study was to examine whether Notch represses KLF4 expression to regulate goblet cell differentiation. We first detected that KLF4 gene expression was upregulated in a human progastrin-overexpressing mouse model where goblet cell hyperplasia has been observed. We then found that mice treated with a gamma-secretase inhibitor (compound E, 10 micromol/kg) for 24 h, which inhibits the Notch signaling pathway, had significantly increased KLF4 mRNA levels in small intestine and colon, accompanied by an increased number of KLF4-expressing cells at the bottom of crypts in small intestine and colon. In a colon cancer cell line (HCT116 cells), KLF4 promoter activity was inhibited by a constitutively active form of Notch1 (ICN1) by transient cotransfection assays. This inhibition was significantly compromised by a dominant-negative RBPjk, a repressive mediator of the Notch signaling pathway. An ICN1-responsive element was then mapped in the human KLF4 promoter between -151 and -122 nucleotides upstream of the transcriptional start site. It was also found that an intact ICN1-responsive element is required for ICN1 to inhibit KLF4 promoter activity by transient cotransfection assays. Our findings thus reveal a possible mechanism by which KLF4 is inhibited by Notch, which controls goblet cell differentiation in mouse gastrointestinal tract.