Experimental measurement of the 12C+16O fusion cross sections at astrophysical energies

The total cross sections of the 12C+16O fusion have been experimentally determined at low energies to investigate the role of this reaction during late stellar evolution burning phases. A high-intensity oxygen beam was produced by the 5MV pelletron accelerator at the University of Notre Dame impinging on a thick ultra-pure graphite target. Protons and γ-rays were measured simultaneously in the center-of-mass energy range from 3.64 to 5.01 MeV, using strip silicon and HPGe detectors. Statistical model calculations were employed to interpret the experimental results. A new broad resonance-like structure is observed for the 12C+16O reaction, and a decreasing trend of its S-factor towards low energies is found.

[Accelerated transepithelial corneal collagen cross-linking for progressive keratoconus with a thin cornea: one-year results]

Objective: To evaluate the clinical results of keratoconic eyes with a thin cornea treated with accelerated transepithelial corneal collagen cross-linking (A-TE-CXL) within 1 year. Methods: Nineteen eyes of 19 patients with progressive keratoconus with a minimum corneal thickness from 380 μm to 420 μm (including the epithelium) were included in this prospective, nonrandomized clinical study and treated with A-TE-CXL. Scoring of pain and foreign body sensation, slit lamp examination, uncorrected visual acuity, best corrected distance visual acuity, corneal topography, anterior segment optical coherence tomography, in vivo corneal confocal microscopy and endothelial cell count were assessed before surgery and at 1, 3, 6 and 12 months postoperatively. Paired t test was applied for statistical analysis. Results: Mild pain and moderate foreign body sensation were reported by most patients within postoperative 24 hours, but rapidly disappeared on day 2. Extremely mild epithelial damage was observed within postoperative 24 hours, and the epithelium fully recovered on day 2. Improvement of visual acuity was recorded at 3 and 12 months. Pentacam corneal topography revealed a significant reduction of the thickness of the thinnest location from(395.2±13.8)μm preoperatively to (378.9±17.1)μm at 1 month postoperatively (t=2.982, P<0.01). Front curvature values were reduced postoperatively. K(MAX) was significantly decreased at 12 months (55.67±4.91) compared with (57.35±5.54) preoperatively, while K2 was also significantly decreased at 12 months (52.18±3.70) compared with (52.70±3.56) preoperatively (K(MAX), t=3.044, P<0.01. K2, t=2.384, P<0.05) . Within 1 month postoperatively, optical coherence tomography exhibited an increase of reflectance with a demarcation line in the anterior stroma. In vivo confocal microscopy also showed significant thickening and increased connections of collagen fibers with a maximal depth at about 90 to 120 μm. The corneal endothelial cell density remained stable (t=0.692, P>0.05). None of the patients showed postoperative complications such as corneal infection, scarring and ulceration. Conclusions: Within 1 year postoperatively, A-TE-CXL was effective and safe for the management of progressive keratoconus with a thin cornea. A-TE-CXL showed the advantages of very short time consuming in surgery, rapid recovery and very few complications, and had the potential to become a valid alternative for the treatment of keratoconus. (Chin J Ophthalmol, 2017, 53: 694-700).

[Soft-tissue angiosarcoma with pulmonary metastases: case report and literature review]

Objective: To investigate the differential diagnosis between pulmonary metastases from soft-tissue angiosarcoma and primary pulmonary angiosarcoma. Methods: A case of soft-tissue angiosarcoma with pulmonary metastases was reported and related literatures were reviewed. Results: A 39 year-old man complaining of hemoptysis, cough, and sputum for 10 months was admitted to our hospital in September 2013. He was initially diagnosed as having primary pulmonary angiosarcoma after wedge-resection biopsy of the lung. After 22 months since onset, he felt discomfort in his leg, which led to the confirmative diagnosis of soft-tissue angiosarcoma of the leg with multiple pulmonary metastases by a full-body PET/CT scan and core needle biopsy of the leg. Twenty-three articles concerning primary pulmonary angiosarcoma with complete records of history, treatment and follow-up of patients were included in the literature review. A total of 26 patients were reported in these articles, including 18 males, 8 females, age 19-85 years, average (52±18) years. Primary pulmonary angiosarcoma was mainly manifested as single or multiple pulmonary nodules or masses, with or without ground glass opacity. In our case, chest CT showed multiple thin-wall cysts and ground glass opacities, and recurrent spontaneous pneumothorax, which had never been reported in literatures on primary pulmonary angiosarcoma. Conclusions: Pulmonary metastases from soft-tissue angiosarcoma differed from primary pulmonary lesions in terms of chest imaging, with the former usually showing thin-wall cysts and pneumothorax. A full-body PET-CT was essential for differential diagnosis between primary and metastatic pulmonary angiosarcoma.

A case of IgG4-related retroperitoneal fibrosis with multiple involvement

To increase awareness of IgG4-related retroperitoneal fibrosis (IgG4-RRPF) and reduce clinical misdiagnosis. We report a 79-year-old man with multiple organs involvement of IgG4-RRPF, who developed right lower extremity edema, hemoptysis and fever. The abdomen computed tomography (CT) scan image showed lymph nodes enlargement. The positron emission tomography/CT scan image showed pancreatic malignancy with multiple nodal lymph node metastasis, lung fibroblast proliferation, and right lung apex bullae. The chest CT scan image showed pulmonary multiple lymph nodes with calcification in the mediastinum. Posterior peritoneum magnetic resonance imaging showed the body and tail of the pancreas parenchymatous mass. The serum IgG4 concentration was high. The fibrous connective tissue with IgG4-positive plasma cells infiltration in the left supraclavicular lymph node biopsy was found. Fiberoptic bronchoscopy showed diffuse alveolar hemorrhage, and the transbronchial lung biopsy found no cancer cells. The patient was treated with glucocorticoids and immunosuppressive agents. After 2 months treatment, the patient showed rapid improvement. This is a case of IgG4-RRPF with multiple organs involvement. Glucocorticoid is the first-line treatment.

Determination of the Spin and Parity of the Z_{c}(3900)

The spin and parity of the Z_{c}(3900)^{±} state are determined to be J^{P}=1^{+} with a statistical significance larger than 7σ over other quantum numbers in a partial wave analysis of the process e^{+}e^{-}→π^{+}π^{-}J/ψ. We use a data sample of 1.92  fb^{-1} accumulated at sqrt[s]=4.23 and 4.26 GeV with the BESIII experiment. When parametrizing the Z_{c}(3900)^{±} with a Flatté-like formula, we determine its pole mass M_{pole}=(3881.2±4.2_{stat}±52.7_{syst})  MeV/c^{2} and pole width Γ_{pole}=(51.8±4.6_{stat}±36.0_{syst})  MeV. We also measure cross sections for the process e^{+}e^{-}→Z_{c}(3900)^{+}π^{-}+c.c.→J/ψπ^{+}π^{-} and determine an upper limit at the 90% confidence level for the process e^{+}e^{-}→Z_{c}(4020)^{+}π^{-}+c.c.→J/ψπ^{+}π^{-}.

Pharmacokinetics and tissue distribution of enrofloxacin after single intramuscular injection in Pacific white shrimp

The pharmacokinetic properties and tissue distribution of enrofloxacin (EF) were investigated after single intramuscular (i.m.) dose of 10 mg/kg body weight (b.w.) in Pacific white shrimp at 22 to 25°C. EF and its metabolite ciprofloxacin (CF) were determined by high-performance liquid chromatography. After i.m. administration, EF was absorbed quickly, and the peak of EF concentration (C_max ) reached at first time point in hemolymph. The volume of distribution V_d(area) of EF was 3.84 L/kg, indicating that the distribution of EF was good. The area under the concentration-time curve (AUC) of EF was 90.1 and 274.2 μg hr/ml in muscle and hepatopancreas, respectively, which was higher than 75.8 μg hr/ml in hemolymph. The EF elimination was slow in muscle and hepatopancreas with the half-life (T_1/2β ) of 52.3 and 75.8 hr, respectively. CF, the mainly metabolite of EF, was detected in hemolymph, muscle and hepatopancreas. The C_max was 0.030, 0.013 and 0.218 μg/ml, respectively. Based on a minimum inhibitory concentration (MIC) of 0.006-0.032 μg/ml for susceptible strains, EF i.m. injected at a dose 10 mg/kg could be efficacious against common pathogenic bacteria of Pacific white shrimp.

Substrate independent approach for synthesis of graphene platelet networks

Graphene platelet networks (GPNs) comprised of randomly oriented graphene flakes two to three atomic layers thick are synthesized using a novel plasma-based approach. The approach uses a substrate capable of withstanding synthesis temperatures around 800 °C, but is fully independent of the substrate material. The synthesis occurs directly on the substrate surface without the necessity of any additional steps. GPNs were synthesized on various substrate materials including silicon (Si), thermally oxidized Si (SiO₂), molybdenum (Mo), nickel (Ni) and copper (Cu), nickel-chromium (NiCr) alloy and alumina ceramics (Al₂O₃). The mismatch between the atomic structures of sp² honeycomb carbon networks and the substrate material is fully eliminated shortly after the synthesis initiation, namely when about 100 nm thick deposits are formed on the substrate. GPN structures synthesized on a substrate at a temperature of about 800 °C are significantly more porous in comparison to the much denser packed amorphous carbon deposits synthesized at lower temperatures. The method proposed here can potentially revolutionize the area of electrochemical energy storage by offering a single-step direct approach for the manufacture of graphene-based electrodes for non-Faradaic supercapacitors. Mass production can be achieved using this method if a roll-to-roll system is utilized.

Designing ultrabroadband absorbers based on Bloch theorem and optical topological transition

In this Letter, we propose a method to design ultrabroadband near-perfect absorbers, consisting of a periodic dielectric-metal multilayer. In the method, the Bloch theorem and optical topological transition (OTT) of iso-frequency surfaces are employed to manipulate the start and end of the near-perfect spectral absorption band, respectively. Moreover, we design and fabricate an ultrabroadband near-perfect absorber utilizing the proposed method. The average absorption of the designed absorber is ∼95% in the focused visible and near-infrared range (0.4-2 μm). This omnidirectional and polarization-independent near-perfect absorber is promising for solar energy harvesting, emissivity control, and thermal imaging.

[Role of bone marrow tyrosine kinase on chromosome X in the production of pro-inflammatory cytokines from mouse mononuclear-macrophages RAW264.7 induced by endotoxin/lipopolysaccharide and its mechanism]

Objective: To investigate the role of bone marrow tyrosine kinase on chromosome X (BMX) in the production of tumor necrosis factor α (TNF-α) and interleukin-1β (IL-1β) from mouse mononuclear-macrophages induced by endotoxin/lipopolysaccharide (LPS) and its related mechanism. Methods: Mouse mononuclear-macrophages RAW264.7 were inoculated in 6-well plates and routinely cultured for the following experiments. (1) Cells were collected and divided into blank control group, LPS control group, and 75, 750, 7 500, 75 000 nmol/L BMX-IN-1 pretreatment groups according to the random number table, with 8 wells in each group. Cells in blank control group were routinely cultured for 25 h. Cells in LPS control group were routinely cultured for 24 h and stimulated by LPS in the final mass concentration (the same below) of 0.1 μg/mL for 1 h. Cells in the latter 4 groups were pretreated with BMX-IN-1 in the final molarity (the same below) of 75, 750, 7 500, 75 000 nmol/L for 24 h and stimulated by 0.1 μg/mL LPS for 1 h. The mRNA expression of TNF-α of cells in each group was determined by real-time fluorescent quantitative reverse transcription polymerase chain reaction (RT-PCR) to screen the optimum concentration of BMX-IN-1. (2) Cells were collected and divided into LPS control group and 2, 4, 8, 12, 18 h BMX-IN-1 pretreatment groups according to the random number table, with 8 wells in each group. Cells in LPS control group were stimulated by 0.1 μg/mL LPS for 1 h. Cells in the latter 5 groups were pretreated with optimum concentration of BMX-IN-1 for 2, 4, 8, 12, 18 h respectively and stimulated by 0.1 μg/mL LPS for 1 h. The mRNA expression of TNF-α of cells in each group was determined by real-time fluorescent quantitative RT-PCR to screen the optimum time for BMX-IN-1 pre-treatment. (3) Cells were collected and divided into blank control group, BMX-IN-1 control group, LPS control group, and BMX-IN-1+ LPS group according to the random number table, with 16 wells in each group. Cells in blank control group were routinely cultured for the optimum time plus 1 h. Cells in BMX-IN-1 control group were pretreated with BMX-IN-1 in the optimum concentration for the optimum time and then routinely cultured for 1 h. Cells in LPS control group were routinely cultured for the optimum time and then stimulated by 0.1 μg/mL LPS for 1 h. Cells in BMX-IN-1+ LPS group were pretreated with BMX-IN-1 in the optimum concentration for the optimum time and then stimulated by 0.1 μg/mL LPS for 1 h. The mRNA expressions of TNF-α and IL-1β were determined by real-time fluorescent quantitative RT-PCR, and the activity of BMX and p38 mitogen-activated protein kinase (MAPK) were determined by Western blotting, with 8 samples in each determination. Data were processed with one-way analysis of variance and LSD test. Results: (1) Compared with that in blank control group, the mRNA expression of TNF-α of cells was significantly increased in the other 5 groups (with P values below 0.01). Compared with that in LPS control group, the mRNA expression of TNF-α of cells was decreased in each BMX-IN-1 pretreatment group, but only the mRNA expression of TNF-α of cells in 75 000 nmol/L BMX-IN-1 pretreatment group was significantly decreased (P<0.05). The optimum concentration of BMX-IN-1 was 75 000 nmol/L. (2) Compared with that in LPS control group, the mRNA expression of TNF-α of cells was not significantly changed in 2 and 4 h BMX-IN-1 pretreatment groups (with P values above 0.05) but significantly decreased in 8, 12, and 18 h BMX-IN-1 pretreatment groups (P<0.05 or P<0.01). The mRNA expression of TNF-α of cells in 12 h BMX-IN-1 pretreatment group was the lowest. The optimum time for BMX-IN-1 pre-treatment was 12 h. (3) The mRNA expressions of TNF-α and IL-1β of cells in BMX-IN-1 control group were 0.97±0.13 and 0.98±0.06, respectively, which were similar to 1.00 of blank control group (with P values above 0.05). The mRNA expressions of TNF-α and IL-1β of cells in LPS control group were 2.97±0.17 and 3.07±0.60, respectively, while those in BMX-IN-1+ LPS group were 2.31±0.94 and 2.55±0.73, respectively, with the 4 values significantly higher than those in blank control group (with P values below 0.01). The mRNA expressions of TNF-α and IL-1β of cells in BMX-IN-1+ LPS group were significantly lower than those in LPS control group (with P values below 0.05). The activity values of BMX and p38MAPK of cells in BMX-IN-1 control group were 0.95±0.19 and 0.98±0.18, respectively, which were close to 1.00±0.14 and 1.00±0.22 of blank control group (with P values above 0.05). The activity values of BMX and p38MAPK of cells in LPS control group were 1.98±0.33 and 2.05±0.34, respectively, which were significantly higher than those of blank control group (with P values below 0.01). The activity values of BMX and p38MAPK of cells in BMX-IN-1+ LPS group were 1.00±0.17 and 1.67±0.27, respectively, which were obviously lower than those of LPS control group (P<0.05 or P<0.01). Conclusions: BMX can increase the production of pro-inflammatory cytokines TNF-α and IL-1β from mouse mononuclear-macrophages induced by LPS, which may be associated with the activation of the p38MAPK pathway by BMX.

Observation of Λ_{c}^{+}→nK_{S}^{0}π^{+}

We report the first direct measurement of decays of the Λ_{c}^{+} baryon involving the neutron. The analysis is performed using 567  pb^{-1} of e^{+}e^{-} collision data collected at sqrt[s]=4.599  GeV with the BESIII detector at the BEPCII collider. We observe the decay Λ_{c}^{+}→nK_{S}^{0}π^{+} and measure the absolute branching fraction to be B(Λ_{c}^{+}→nK_{S}^{0}π^{+})=[1.82±0.23(stat)±0.11(syst)]%. A comparison to B[Λ_{c}^{+}→p(K[over ¯]π)^{0}] provides an important test of isospin symmetry and final state interactions.

Precise Measurement of the e^{+}e^{-}→π^{+}π^{-}J/ψ Cross Section at Center-of-Mass Energies from 3.77 to 4.60 GeV

The cross section for the process e^{+}e^{-}→π^{+}π^{-}J/ψ is measured precisely at center-of-mass energies from 3.77 to 4.60 GeV using 9  fb^{-1} of data collected with the BESIII detector operating at the BEPCII storage ring. Two resonant structures are observed in a fit to the cross section. The first resonance has a mass of (4222.0±3.1±1.4)  MeV/c^{2} and a width of (44.1±4.3±2.0)  MeV, while the second one has a mass of (4320.0±10.4±7.0)  MeV/c^{2} and a width of (101.4_{-19.7}^{+25.3}±10.2)  MeV, where the first errors are statistical and second ones are systematic. The first resonance agrees with the Y(4260) resonance reported by previous experiments. The precision of its resonant parameters is improved significantly. The second resonance is observed in e^{+}e^{-}→π^{+}π^{-}J/ψ for the first time. The statistical significance of this resonance is estimated to be larger than 7.6σ. The mass and width of the second resonance agree with the Y(4360) resonance reported by the BABAR and Belle experiments within errors. Finally, the Y(4008) resonance previously observed by the Belle experiment is not confirmed in the description of the BESIII data.

Evidence of Two Resonant Structures in e^{+}e^{-}→π^{+}π^{-}h_{c}

The cross sections of e^{+}e^{-}→π^{+}π^{-}h_{c} at center-of-mass energies from 3.896 to 4.600 GeV are measured using data samples collected with the BESIII detector operating at the Beijing Electron Positron Collider. The cross sections are found to be of the same order of magnitude as those of e^{+}e^{-}→π^{+}π^{-}J/ψ and e^{+}e^{-}→π^{+}π^{-}ψ(2S), but the line shape is inconsistent with the Y states observed in the latter two modes. Two structures are observed in the e^{+}e^{-}→π^{+}π^{-}h_{c} cross sections around 4.22 and 4.39  GeV/c^{2}, which we call Y(4220) and Y(4390), respectively. A fit with a coherent sum of two Breit-Wigner functions results in a mass of (4218.4_{-4.5}^{+5.5}±0.9)  MeV/c^{2} and a width of (66.0_{-8.3}^{+12.3}±0.4)  MeV for the Y(4220), and a mass of (4391.5_{-6.8}^{+6.3}±1.0)  MeV/c^{2} and a width of (139.5_{-20.6}^{+16.2}±0.6)  MeV for the Y(4390), where the first uncertainties are statistical and the second ones systematic. The statistical significance of Y(4220) and Y(4390) is 10σ over one structure assumption.

Enhancing the thermostability of α-L-rhamnosidase from Aspergillus terreus and the enzymatic conversion of rutin to isoquercitrin by adding sorbitol

Background

Thermally stable α-L-rhamnosidase with cleaving terminal α-L-rhamnose activity has great potential in industrial application. Therefore, it is necessary to find a proper method to improve the thermal stability of α-L-rhamnosidase.

Results

In this study, addition of sorbitol has been found to increase the thermostability of α-L-rhamnosidase from Aspergillus terreus at temperatures ranging from 65 °C to 80 °C. Half-life and activation free energy with addition of 2.0 M sorbitol at 70 °C were increased by 17.2-fold, 8.2 kJ/mol, respectively. The analyses of the results of fluorescence spectroscopy and CD have indicated that sorbitol helped to protect the tertiary and secondary structure of α-L-rhamnosidase. Moreover, the isoquercitrin yield increased from 60.01 to 96.43% with the addition of 1.5 M of sorbitol at 70 °C.

Conclusion

Our findings provide an effective approach for enhancing the thermostability of α-L-rhamnosidase from Aspergillus terreus, which makes it a good candidate for industrial processes of isoquercitrin preparation.

Electronic supplementary material

The online version of this article (doi:10.1186/s12896-017-0342-9) contains supplementary material, which is available to authorized users.

Amplitude Analysis of the Decays η^{'}→π^{+}π^{-}π^{0} and η^{'}→π^{0}π^{0}π^{0}

Based on a sample of 1.31×10^{9}  J/ψ events collected with the BESIII detector, an amplitude analysis of the isospin-violating decays η^{'}→π^{+}π^{-}π^{0} and η^{'}→π^{0}π^{0}π^{0} is performed. A significant P-wave contribution from η^{'}→ρ^{±}π^{∓} is observed for the first time in η^{'}→π^{+}π^{-}π^{0}. The branching fraction is determined to be B(η^{'}→ρ^{±}π^{∓})=(7.44±0.60±1.26±1.84)×10^{-4}, where the first uncertainty is statistical, the second systematic, and the third model dependent. In addition to the nonresonant S-wave component, there is a significant σ meson component. The branching fractions of the combined S-wave components are determined to be B(η^{'}→π^{+}π^{-}π^{0})_{S}=(37.63±0.77±2.22±4.48)×10^{-4} and B(η^{'}→π^{0}π^{0}π^{0})=(35.22±0.82±2.54)×10^{-4}, respectively. The latter one is consistent with previous BESIII measurements.

Frailty in Relation to the Risk of Alzheimer's Disease, Dementia, and Death in Older Chinese Adults: A Seven-Year Prospective Study

OBJECTIVES

To explore the relationship of general health decline assessed by frailty and risk of dementia and Alzheimer's disease (AD).

DESIGN

A seven-year prospective cohort study.

SETTING

Secondary analysis of data from the Beijing Longitudinal Study on Aging.

PARTICIPANTS

Urban and rural community-dwelling people aged 60 and older at baseline.

MEASUREMENTS

Frailty was quantified using the deficit accumulation-based frailty index (FI), constructed from 40 health deficits at baseline. Dementia was diagnosed by DSM-IIIR. AD and vascular dementia (VaD) were diagnosed by NINCDS-ADRDA and NINDS-AIREN. The relationships between frailty and the risk of dementia, AD and death were evaluated through multivariable models.

RESULTS

Of 2788 participants at baseline (1997), 171 (11.1%) reported a history of dementia. In seven years, 351 people developed dementia (13%: 223 AD and 128 other types of dementia) and 813 died (29%). After adjustment for age, sex, education, and baseline cognition, baseline frailty status significantly associated with Alzheimer's disease and dementia and death. For each deficit accumulated, the odds ratio of death increased by 5.7%, and the odds ratio of dementia increased by 2.9% (p < 0.001).

CONCLUSION

Frailty was associated with Alzheimer's disease and dementia over a seven years period. Frailty index might facilitate the identification of older adults at high risk of dementia for the application of the most effective, targeted prevention strategies.

Poly(lactic acid)-Mass production, processing, industrial applications, and end of life

Global awareness of material sustainability has increased the demand for bio-based polymers like poly(lactic acid) (PLA), which are seen as a desirable alternative to fossil-based polymers because they have less environmental impact. PLA is an aliphatic polyester, primarily produced by industrial polycondensation of lactic acid and/or ring-opening polymerization of lactide. Melt processing is the main technique used for mass production of PLA products for the medical, textile, plasticulture, and packaging industries. To fulfill additional desirable product properties and extend product use, PLA has been blended with other resins or compounded with different fillers such as fibers, and micro- and nanoparticles. This paper presents a review of the current status of PLA mass production, processing techniques and current applications, and also covers the methods to tailor PLA properties, the main PLA degradation reactions, PLA products' end-of-life scenarios and the environmental footprint of this unique polymer.

Measurement of Singly Cabibbo Suppressed Decays Λ_{c}^{+}→pπ^{+}π^{-} and Λ_{c}^{+}→pK^{+}K^{-}

Using 567  pb^{-1} of data collected with the BESIII detector at a center-of-mass energy of sqrt[s]=4.599  GeV, near the Λ_{c}^{+}Λ[over ¯]_{c}^{-} threshold, we study the singly Cabibbo-suppressed decays Λ_{c}^{+}→pπ^{+}π^{-} and Λ_{c}^{+}→pK^{+}K^{-}. By normalizing with respect to the Cabibbo-favored decay Λ_{c}^{+}→pK^{-}π^{+}, we obtain ratios of branching fractions: [B(Λ_{c}^{+}→pπ^{+}π^{-})/B(Λ_{c}^{+}→pK^{-}π^{+})]=(6.70±0.48±0.25)%, [B(Λ_{c}^{+}→pϕ)/B(Λ_{c}^{+}→pK^{-}π^{+})]=(1.81±0.33±0.13)%, and [B(Λ_{c}^{+}→pK^{+}K_{non-ϕ}^{-})/B(Λ_{c}^{+}→pK^{-}π^{+})]=(9.36±2.22±0.71)×10^{-3}, where the uncertainties are statistical and systematic, respectively. The absolute branching fractions are also presented. Among these measurements, the decay Λ_{c}^{+}→pπ^{+}π^{-} is observed for the first time, and the precision of the branching fraction for Λ_{c}^{+}→pK^{+}K_{non-ϕ}^{-} and Λ_{c}^{+}→pϕ is significantly improved.

Patients' knowledge about symptoms and adequate behaviour during acute myocardial infarction and its impact on delay time: Findings from the multicentre MEDEA Study

OBJECTIVE

We aimed to assess whether patients' knowledge about acute myocardial infarction (AMI) has an impact on the prehospital delay-time.

METHODS

This investigation was based on 486 AMI patients who participated in the cross-sectional Munich-Examination-of-Delay-in-Patients-Experiencing-Acute-Myocardial-Infarction (MEDEA) study. A modified German-version of the ACS-Response-Index Questionnaire was used. Multivariate logistic-regression models were used to identify factors associated with knowledge-level as well as the impact of knowledge-level on delay-time.

RESULTS

High AMI-knowledge shortened median delay-time in men (168[92-509] vs. 276[117-1519] mins, p=0.0069), and in women (189[101-601] vs. 262[107-951]mins, p=0.34). Almost half-of-patients (n=284,58%) demonstrated high AMI-knowledge. High-knowledge were independently associated with male-gender (OR=1.47[1.17-1.85]) and General-Practitioner as a knowledge-source (OR=1.42[1.14-1.77]). Old-age (OR=0.87[0.86-0.89]) and previous AMI-history/stent-placement (OR=0.65[0.46-0.93]) were significantly associated with lower-knowledge. Although the majority (476,98%) correctly recognized at least one AMI-symptom, 69(14.2%) patients correctly identified all AMI-symptoms. Additionally, one-in-three believed that heart-attack is always accompanied with severe chest-pain. Elderly-patients and women were more likely to be less-knowledgeable about atypical-symptoms (p=0.006), present with atypical AMI-presentation (p<0.001) and subsequently experience protracted delay-times (p<0.001).

CONCLUSIONS

Knowledge of AMI-symptoms remains to be substandard, especially knowledge of atypical-symptoms. Knowledge is essential to reduce delay-times, but it is not a panacea, since it is not sufficient alone to optimize prehospital delay-times.

Metabolic Engineering of Escherichia coli for Astragalin Biosynthesis

Astragalin (kaempferol 3-O-glucoside) is used as a standard to assess the quality of Radix astragali and has exhibited a number of biological properties. In this work, we screened several UDP-dependent glycosyltransferases (UGT) for their potential as efficient biocatalysts for astragalin synthesis. The highest astragalin production with 285 mg/L was detected in the recombinant strain expressing UGT from Arabidopis thaliana (AtUGT78D2). To further improve astragalin production, an efficient UDP-glucose synthesis pathway was reconstructed in the recombinant strain by introducing sucrose permease, sucrose phosphorylase, and uridylyltransferase. On the basis of those results, a recombinant strain, BL21-II, was constructed to produce astragalin. By optimizing conversion conditions, astragalin production was increased from 570 to 1708 mg/L. The production was scaled up using a fed-batch fermentation, and maximal astragalin production was 3600 mg/L, with a specific productivity of 150 mg/L/h after 24 h incubation and a corresponding molar conversion of 91.9%, the highest yield reported to date.

Short-term and long-term effect of diaphragm biofeedback training in gastroesophageal reflux disease: an open-label, pilot, randomized trial

This study investigated the effectiveness of diaphragm biofeedback training (DBT) for patients with gastroesophageal reflux disease (GERD). A total of 40 patients with GERD treated at the Peking Union Medical College Hospital between September 2004 and July 2006 were randomized to receive DBT and rabeprazole proton pump inhibitor (PPI) or rabeprazole alone. The DBT + rabeprazole group received DBT during the 8-week initial treatment; the rabeprazole group did not. During the 6-month follow up, all patients took acid suppression according to their reflux symptoms, and the patients in the DBT + rabeprazole group were required to continue DBT. The primary outcome (used for power analysis) was the amount of acid suppression used at 6 months. Secondary outcomes were reflux symptoms, health-related quality of life (HRQL), and esophageal motility differences after the 8-week treatment compared with baseline. Acid suppression usage significantly decreased in the DBT + rabeprazole group compared with the rabeprazole group at 6 months (P < 0.05). At 8 weeks, reflux symptoms and GERD-HRQL were significantly improved in both groups (P < 0.05), without difference between them. Crural diaphragm tension (CDT) and gastroesophageal junction pressure (GEJP) significantly increased in the DBT + rabeprazole group (P < 0.05), but without change in lower esophageal sphincter (LES) pressure. There was no significant change in CDT, GEJP, and LES pressure compared with baseline in the rabeprazole group. In conclusion, long-term DBT could reduce acid suppression usage by enhancing the anti-reflux barrier, providing a non-pharmacological maintenance therapy and reducing medical costs for patients with GERD.

Observation of an Anomalous Line Shape of the η^{'}π^{+}π^{-} Mass Spectrum near the pp[over ¯] Mass Threshold in J/ψ→γη^{'}π^{+}π^{-}

Using 1.09×10^{9} J/ψ events collected by the BESIII experiment in 2012, we study the J/ψ→γη^{'}π^{+}π^{-} process and observe a significant abrupt change in the slope of the η^{'}π^{+}π^{-} invariant mass distribution at the proton-antiproton (pp[over ¯]) mass threshold. We use two models to characterize the η^{'}π^{+}π^{-} line shape around 1.85  GeV/c^{2}: one that explicitly incorporates the opening of a decay threshold in the mass spectrum (Flatté formula), and another that is the coherent sum of two resonant amplitudes. Both fits show almost equally good agreement with data, and suggest the existence of either a broad state around 1.85  GeV/c^{2} with strong couplings to the pp[over ¯] final states or a narrow state just below the pp[over ¯] mass threshold. Although we cannot distinguish between the fits, either one supports the existence of a pp[over ¯] moleculelike state or bound state with greater than 7σ significance.

Observation of h_{c} Radiative Decay h_{c}→γη^{'} and Evidence for h_{c}→γη

A search for radiative decays of the P-wave spin singlet charmonium resonance h_{c} is performed based on 4.48×10^{8} ψ^{'} events collected with the BESIII detector operating at the BEPCII storage ring. Events of the reaction channels h_{c}→γη^{'} and γη are observed with a statistical significance of 8.4σ and 4.0σ, respectively, for the first time. The branching fractions of h_{c}→γη^{'} and h_{c}→γη are measured to be B(h_{c}→γη^{'})=(1.52±0.27±0.29)×10^{-3} and B(h_{c}→γη)=(4.7±1.5±1.4)×10^{-4}, respectively, where the first errors are statistical and the second are systematic uncertainties.

The correlation between miR-200c and the severity of interstitial lung disease associated with different connective tissue diseases

OBJECTIVES

To explore the correlation between microRNA (miR)-200c and the severity of interstitial lung disease (ILD) associated with connective tissue diseases (CTDs).

METHOD

We recruited 218 patients with CTDs who were evaluated with high-resolution computed tomography (HRCT) and the pulmonary function test (PFT). Peripheral blood mononuclear cells (PBMCs) were acquired from 23 patients with systemic sclerosis (SSc), 29 with dermatomyositis/polymyositis (DM/PM), 30 with primary Sjögren's syndrome (pSS), 47 with rheumatoid arthritis (RA), and 23 normal controls to detect the expression level of miR-200c by quantitative reverse transcription polymerase chain reaction (QRT-PCR). miR-200c levels were compared among the different disease groups, between the group with ILD (CTD+ILD) and the group without ILD (CTD-ILD), and between mild and severe ILD groups. Forced vital capacity (FVC) and forced expiratory volume in 1 s (FEV1) were compared among the different CTD groups and the different CTD+ILD groups.

RESULTS

The miR-200c level in the SSc group was significantly higher than in the DM/PM, pSS, and RA groups, and the levels in the DM/PM and pSS groups were significantly higher than in the RA group. The level of miR-200c in the CTD+ILD group was significantly higher than in the CTD-ILD group, and the level in the severe ILD group was significantly higher than in the mild ILD group. FVC and FEV1 were significantly different among the different CTD groups, and among the different CTD+ILD groups. There was a negative correlation between the level of miR-200c and FVC and FEV1.

CONCLUSIONS

The level of miR-200c was positively correlated with the severity of ILD, and miR-200c in PBMCs could be a biomarker of the severity of ILD in CTDs.

The incidence and economic burden of injuries in Jiangxi, China

OBJECTIVES

This study estimated the incidence, direct medical and non-medical costs, and productivity losses due to morbidity and mortality across multiple strata for injuries that occurred in Jiangxi, China.

STUDY DESIGN

Cross-sectional study.

METHODS

Data came from the Jiangxi injury survey, a provincially-representative, population-based sample of 100,010 households. The major economic costs of injuries were divided into direct costs and indirect costs. Direct costs encompass medical costs and direct non-medical costs. Indirect costs refer to the productivity losses due to injury-related morbidity and mortality.

RESULTS

In 2005, about one of 18 residents in Jiangxi, China, experienced an injury. Overall, fall, animal bite, and road traffic crash (RTC) injuries accounted for more than 66% of all injuries, while fall, RTC, drowning, and self-harm injuries accounted for 80% of fatal injuries. Average cost per case for a fatal injury was 163,389 RMB ($20,171) for lost productivity and 2800 RMB ($346) in direct medical & non-medical costs. A non-fatal injury resulting in hospitalisation or permanent disability on average caused 5221 RMB ($643) in direct costs and 18,437 RMB ($2276) in lost productivity and, an additional loss of three school days. A non-hospitalised non-fatal injury on average caused 303 ($37) RMB in direct costs and 491 RMB ($61) in lost productivity and, an additional loss of 0.5 school days.

CONCLUSIONS

The unequivocal evidence of the substantial health and financial burden of injuries indicates to Chinese policy makers that more research and efforts are needed to find efficacious and cost-effective interventions targeting injury.

Spontaneous intracranial hypotension following epidural anesthesia: a case report

We report a case of refractory spontaneous intracranial hypotension (SIH) following epidural anesthesia. In this case, typical clinical symptoms and concomitant use of regional anesthesia led to the misdiagnosis of SIH as post-dural puncture headache (PDPH). A 56-year-old man received a successful appendectomy under epidural anesthesia performed at a T11-T12 intravertebral space. About 20 h later, the patient started complaining about orthostatic headache when getting up from his lying position, then a PDPH was diagnosed. However, the patient did not respond well to conservative treatment. Three months later, the first epidural blood patch was performed at the L3-L4 level, however, the patient still had an orthostatic headache. Five days later, spine magnetic resonance imaging showed multiple meningeal diverticulum in the cervicothoracic junction, and computerized tomography myelography demonstrated a C5-C6 spinal dural tear suggesting cerebrospinal fluid leaks. Finally, the patient was diagnosed as SIH and received a second epidural blood patch at the T2-T3 level and responded with improvements in symptomatology. The patient was then discharged, and at a 2-year follow-up, he had fully recovered except for some remaining neck stiffness. This case illustrates that SIH was misdiagnosed as PDPH because of the common clinical symptoms and potentially confounding events (epidural/spinal anesthesia and assumption that it was a case of PDPH). It is important to carefully observe patients in such conditions and promptly conduct suitable diagnostic tests. For a successful treatment of SIH, a timely epidural blood patch should be considered as soon as the diagnosis is established.

Enhancing immune responses of EV71 VP1 DNA vaccine by co-inoculating plasmid IL-12 or GM-CSF expressing vector in mice

Enterovirus 71 (EV71) is a major causative viral agent for large outbreaks of hand, foot, and mouth disease in children and infants, yet there is no vaccine or effective antiviral treatment for severe EV71 infection. The immunogenicity of EV71 VP1 DNA vaccine and the immunoregulatory activity of interleukin-12 (IL-12) or granulocyte-monocyte colony stimulating factor (GM-CSF) were investigated. DNA vaccine plasmids, pcDNA-VP1, pcDNA-IL-12 and pcDNA-GM-CSF were constructed and inoculated into BALB/c mice with or without pcDNA-IL-12 or pcDNA-GM-CSF by intramuscular injection. Cellular and humoral immune responses were assessed by indirect ELISA, lymphocyte proliferation assays, cytokine release assay and FACS. The VP1 DNA vaccine had good immunogenicity and can induce specific humoral and cellular immunity in BALB/c mice, while IL-2 or GM-CSF plays an immunoadjuvant role and enhances specific immune responses. This study provides a frame of reference for the design of DNA vaccines against EV71.

Seasonal variation of pheophorbide a and flavonoid in different organs of two Carpinus species and its correlation with immunosuppressive activity

The genus Carpinus of Betulaceae is the most widely distributed in the European landscape. This study reports a comparative study based on the pheophorbide a and flavonoid content from the two main species of the genus Carpinus, Carpinus betulus and Carpinus turczaninowii, respectively, in Nanjing, China. The pheophorbide a and flavonoid content depends on the organ, species, and season. HPLC analysis showed that the pheophorbide a and flavonoid levels were the highest in May and June, respectively, from the leaves of C. betulus 'Fastigiata.' In contrast, the content of pheophorbide a and flavonoid in the stems of C. betulus 'Fastigiata' or in other species was low. The immunosuppressive effects of the ethyl acetate extracts and methanol extracts from the two Carpinus species were also evaluated. The ethyl acetate extracts of C. betulus 'Fastigiata' in May and the methanol extracts of C. betulus 'Fastigiata' in June showed better immunosuppressive activity than in other seasons, which coincided with the content of pheophorbide a and flavonoid, respectively. Our findings indicated that C. betulus 'Fastigiata' can serve as a medicinal plant against inflammation because of its pheophorbide a and flavonoid content.

IgE and FcεRI are highly expressed on innate cells in psoriasis

BACKGROUND

Although elevated serum IgE levels have been reported in psoriasis, the role of IgE in psoriasis still needs to be clarified.

OBJECTIVES

To analyse serum total IgE levels in addition to the presence and distribution of IgE and FcεRI in psoriatic lesions, and to investigate alteration of IgE and FcεRI after successful systemic treatment.

METHODS

Total serum IgE levels were determined using enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay. The expression and localization of IgE and FcεRI was investigated using immunohistochemistry and double immunofluorescence.

RESULTS

Elevated total serum IgE levels were found in 39% of patients with psoriasis. The levels of total serum IgE were significantly higher in male patients compared with female patients. Furthermore, total serum IgE levels decreased after successful systemic treatment. A positive correlation between IgE+ and FcεRI+ cells and a significant increase of these cells was found in psoriatic lesions when compared with normal skin. Interestingly, IgE+ and FcεRI+ cells decreased significantly after successful therapy with ustekinumab. IgE and FcεRI were coexpressed on mast cells, epidermal Langerhans cells, dermal dendritic cells, macrophages and a small number of neutrophils.

CONCLUSIONS

IgE might participate in the development of psoriasis by activating FcεRI-bearing cells.

Preoperative serum α-fetoprotein and prognosis after hepatectomy for hepatocellular carcinoma

Background

While the majority of studies report that a raised serum α-fetoprotein (AFP) level before operation is associated with a high risk of recurrence and death in patients who undergo hepatectomy for hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC), results are conflicting. The aim of this study was to assess the prognostic value of AFP.

Methods

Serum AFP levels were measured in patients with hepatitis-associated HCC who underwent hepatectomy between 1995 and 2012. Kaplan–Meier and multivariable analyses were performed to identify risk factors for overall and disease-free survival. Univariable and multivariable Cox proportional hazards regression was used to evaluate the predictive value of AFP. Receiver operating characteristic (ROC) curves were generated to identify the AFP level that had the highest accuracy in discriminating between survivors and non-survivors.

Results

Some 376 patients with hepatitis B virus (HBV)-associated HCC were included in the study. The overall survival rate was 58·8 per cent in patients with an AFP level of 400 ng/ml or less compared with 40·4 per cent for those with a level exceeding 400 ng/ml (P = 0·001). AFP concentration above 400 ng/ml was an independent risk factor for shorter disease-free and overall survival after surgery. ROC analysis indicated that the optimal cut-off values for AFP varied for different subtypes of HCC. The sensitivity and specificity were lower with areas under the ROC curve of less than 0·600. An AFP level greater than 400 ng/ml was not sensitive enough to predict the prognosis in patients with an HCC diameter smaller than 3 cm.

Conclusion

A serum AFP level above 400 ng/ml predicts poor overall and recurrence-free survival after hepatectomy in patients with HBV-associated HCC. AFP is not a strong prognostic marker given its poor discriminatory power, with low sensitivity and specificity.