Dijet imbalance measurements in Au+Au and pp collisions at sqrt[s_{NN}]=200 GeV at STAR

We report the first dijet transverse momentum asymmetry measurements from Au+Au and pp collisions at RHIC. The two highest-energy back-to-back jets reconstructed from fragments with transverse momenta above 2  GeV/c display a significantly higher momentum imbalance in heavy-ion collisions than in the pp reference. When reexamined with correlated soft particles included, we observe that these dijets then exhibit a unique new feature-momentum balance is restored to that observed in pp for a jet resolution parameter of R=0.4, while rebalancing is not attained with a smaller value of R=0.2.

CD137 is a Useful Marker for Identifying CD4+ T Cell Responses to Mycobacterium tuberculosis

Upregulation of CD137 on recently activated CD8⁺ T cells has been used to identify rare viral and tumour antigen-specific T cells from the peripheral blood. We aimed to evaluate the accuracy of CD137 for identifying Mycobacterium tuberculosis (Mtb)-reactive CD4⁺ T cells in the peripheral blood of infected individuals by flow cytometry and to investigate the characteristics of these CD137⁺ CD4⁺ T cells. We initially enrolled 31 active tuberculosis (TB) patients, 31 individuals with latent TB infection (LTBI) and 25 healthy donors. The intracellular CD137 and interferon-γ (IFN-γ) production by CD4⁺ T cells was simultaneously detected under unstimulated and CFP10-stimulated (culture filtrate protein 10, a Mtb-specific antigen) conditions. In unstimulated CD4⁺ T cells, we found that the CD137 expression in the TB group was significantly higher than that in the LTBI group. Stimulation with CFP10 largely increased the CD4⁺ T cell CD137 expression in both the TB and LTBI groups. After CFP10 stimulation, the frequency of CD137⁺ CD4⁺ T cells was higher than that of IFN-γ⁺ CD4⁺ T cells in both the TB and LTBI groups. Most of the CFP10-activated IFN-γ-secreting cells were CD137-positive, but only a small fraction of the CD137-positive cells expressed IFN-γ. An additional 20 patients with TB were enrolled to characterize the CD45RO⁺ CCR7⁺ , CD45RO⁺ CCR7^- and CD45RO^- subsets in the CD137⁺ CD4⁺ T cell populations. The Mtb-specific CD137⁺ CD4⁺ T cells were mainly identified as having an effector memory phenotype. In conclusion, CD137 is a useful marker that can be used for identifying Mtb-reactive CD4⁺ T cells by flow cytometry.

Bioinformatics analysis of RNA-seq data revealed critical genes in colon adenocarcinoma

OBJECTIVE

RNA-seq data of colon adenocarcinoma (COAD) were analyzed with bioinformatics tools to discover critical genes in the disease. Relevant small molecule drugs, transcription factors (TFs) and microRNAs (miRNAs) were also investigated.

MATERIALS AND METHODS

RNA-seq data of COAD were downloaded from The Cancer Genome Atlas (TCGA). Differential analysis was performed with package edgeR. False positive discovery (FDR) < 0.05 and |log2 (fold change)|>1 were set as the cut-offs to screen out differentially expressed genes (DEGs). Gene coexpression network was constructed with package Ebcoexpress. GO enrichment analysis was performed for the DEGs in the gene coexpression network with DAVID. Kyoto Encyclopedia of Genes and Genomes (KEGG) pathway enrichment analysis was also performed for the genes with KOBASS 2.0. Modules were identified with MCODE of Cytoscape. Relevant small molecules drugs were predicted by Connectivity map. Relevant miRNAs and TFs were searched by WebGestalt.

RESULTS

A total of 457 DEGs, including 255 up-regulated and 202 down-regulated genes, were identified from 437 COAD and 39 control samples. A gene coexpression network was constructed containing 40 DEGs and 101 edges. The genes were mainly associated with collagen fibril organization, extracellular matrix organization and translation. Two modules were identified from the gene coexpression network, which were implicated in muscle contraction and extracellular matrix organization, respectively. Several critical genes were disclosed, such as MYH11, COL5A2 and ribosomal proteins. Nine relevant small molecule drugs were identified, such as scriptaid and STOCK1N-35874. Accordingly, a total of 17 TFs and 10 miRNAs related to COAD were acquired, such as ETS2, NFAT, AP4, miR-124A, MiR-9, miR-96 and let-7.

CONCLUSIONS

Several critical genes and relevant drugs, TFs and miRNAs were revealed in COAD. These findings could advance the understanding of the disease and benefit therapy development.

Measurement of D^{0} Azimuthal Anisotropy at Midrapidity in Au+Au Collisions at sqrt[s_{NN}]=200 GeV

We report the first measurement of the elliptic anisotropy (v_{2}) of the charm meson D^{0} at midrapidity (|y|<1) in Au+Au collisions at sqrt[s_{NN}]=200  GeV. The measurement was conducted by the STAR experiment at RHIC utilizing a new high-resolution silicon tracker. The measured D^{0} v_{2} in 0%-80% centrality Au+Au collisions can be described by a viscous hydrodynamic calculation for a transverse momentum (p_{T}) of less than 4  GeV/c. The D^{0} v_{2} as a function of transverse kinetic energy (m_{T}-m_{0}, where m_{T}=sqrt[p_{T}^{2}+m_{0}^{2}]) is consistent with that of light mesons in 10%-40% centrality Au+Au collisions. These results suggest that charm quarks have achieved local thermal equilibrium with the medium created in such collisions. Several theoretical models, with the temperature-dependent, dimensionless charm spatial diffusion coefficient (2πTD_{s}) in the range of ∼2-12, are able to simultaneously reproduce our D^{0} v_{2} result and our previously published results for the D^{0} nuclear modification factor.

[Analysis of incidence and mortality for upper digestive tract cancers and results of early detection and treatment program in Feicheng, Shandong Province]

Objective: To investigate the trend of esophageal and stomach cancer incidence and mortality in Feicheng during 2000 to 2013, and to evaluate the effects of the national project of screening for upper digestive tract cancers from 2006 to 2015 in Feicheng. Methods: We collected 26 569 cases, which were coded of C15 and C16 in the 10th edition of international classification of diseases (ICD) during the period of 2000-2013. The data came from cancer registration system of Feicheng, Shandong Province, China. These cases already covered 21 679 882 person-year. The annual percent change (APC) of incidence and mortalit were analyzed. The risk factors of upper gastrointestinal cancer were investigated and evaluated for people aging 40-69 in three street offices and eleven townships of Feicheng, and endoscopic screening was conducted among people who was in high risk. The corresponding data were used to analyze the early detection project of upper gastrointestinal cancer screening and early diagnosis, with the index of detection rate, early diagnosis rate, early treatment rate and other indicators. Result: There were 26 569 new cases of esophageal cancer and gastric cancer occurred in Feicheng from 2000 to 2013. The incidence of esophageal cancer gradually increased since 2000 with 76.06 per 100 000 people (575/756 005) and reached the peak in 2010 with incidence rate of 118.76 per 100 000 people (852/717 429), with the annual percent change at about 4.3% (95%CI: 2.7%-5.9%) and showed a downward trend after then but has no significance, with APC about-7.1% (95%CI:-15.8%-2.5%). The incidence of gastric cancer was increased from 2000 with an incidence rate of 37.70 per 100 000 people (285/756 005) to 2013 with an incidence rate of 54.59 per 100 000 (538/985 512), with an annual percent change of about 3.3% (95%CI: 2.1%-4.5%). Esophageal cancer and gastric cancer mortality showed a relatively stable trend during 2000 to 2013, esophageal cancer with APC about 0.1% (95%CI: -1.3%-1.5%) and stomach cancer with APC about 0.8% (95%CI: -0.5%-2.0%). From 2006 to 2015, 58 579 residents aged 40-69 years old participated cancer screening project covered 206 105 populations in Feicheng. There were 1 124 invasive cancers and in situ cases from upper digestive tract were detected, with the detective rate at 1.92%. Among those cases, 941 cases were in early stage with the early diagnosis rate of 83.72%, and about 88.97% of detected patients received appropriate treatment after diagnosis. Conclusion: The incidence of esophageal cancer and gastric cancer with a very high level of incidence and mortality, this made the prevention and control situation was still very serious. The project of cancer screening, early diagnosis and treatment on upper digestive tract cancers in Feicheng plays a positive role on cancer control.

Abstract P2-07-08: Neuroleptics in breast cancer risk

This abstract was not presented at the symposium.

Charge-Dependent Directed Flow in Cu+Au Collisions at sqrt[s_{NN}]=200 GeV

We present the first measurement of charge-dependent directed flow in Cu+Au collisions at sqrt[s_{NN}]=200  GeV. The results are presented as a function of the particle transverse momentum and pseudorapidity for different centralities. A finite difference between the directed flow of positive and negative charged particles is observed that qualitatively agrees with the expectations from the effects of the initial strong electric field between two colliding ions with different nuclear charges. The measured difference in directed flow is much smaller than that obtained from the parton-hadron-string-dynamics model, which suggests that most of the electric charges, i.e., quarks and antiquarks, have not yet been created during the lifetime of the strong electric field, which is of the order of, or less than, 1  fm/c.

Genetic diversity and phylogeographic structure of Bactrian camels shown by mitochondrial sequence variations

The Bactrian camel includes various domestic (Camelus bactrianus) and wild (Camelus ferus) breeds that are important for transportation and for their nutritional value. However, there is a lack of extensive information on their genetic diversity and phylogeographic structure. Here, we studied these parameters by examining an 809‐bp mtDNA fragment from 113 individuals, representing 11 domestic breeds, one wild breed and two hybrid individuals. We found 15 different haplotypes, and the phylogenetic analysis suggests that domestic and wild Bactrian camels have two distinct lineages. The analysis of molecular variance placed most of the genetic variance (90.14%, P < 0.01) between wild and domestic camel lineages, suggesting that domestic and wild Bactrian camel do not have the same maternal origin. The analysis of domestic Bactrian camels from different geographical locations found there was no significant genetic divergence in China, Russia and Mongolia. This suggests a strong gene flow due to wide movement of domestic Bactrian camels.

Molecular phylogeny of the Bactrian camel based on mitochondrial Cytochrome b gene sequences

The Bactrian camel is an important domesticated animal providing milk, meat, and other products in desert countries. In this study, 111 individuals representing 11 domestic Bactrian camel breeds from China, Mongolia, Russia, and one wild Bactrian camel group from Mongolia were selected for the preparation of mitochondrial DNA. The 1140-bp fragments of the cytochrome b gene (Cytb) were amplified by polymerase chain reaction and sequenced directly. Sequences of the 92 domestic and 19 wild Bactrian camel samples were analyzed with DNASTAR, and a phylogenic tree was constructed using MEGA. The analysis revealed sixteen haplotypes among the samples that were divided into two haplogroups: a domestic haplogroup (H1-H13, H15, and H16) and a wild haplogroup (H14). Haplotype diversity values were from 0.356 in the HosZogdort, to 0.889 in the Sunit Bactrian camel breed. The Sunit breed displayed the highest nucleotide diversity value (0.00115), and the HosZogdort breed had the lowest value (0.00031). All domestic Bactrian camels formed a single monophyletic lineage that is the sister group to wild Bactrian camels, a finding consistent with a single domestication event and independent maternal inheritance since domestication. In addition, the most common mitochondrial haplotypes (H1, H3, and H4) were shared between Chinese, Mongolian, and Russian domestic Bactrian camels, which indicated that there was no distinguishing geographic structure among the domestic breeds from these three regions. These findings provide important insights into patterns of relatedness among Bactrian camels from the Chinese, Mongolian, and Russian regions.

[Preventive effects of ulinastatin on acute respiratory distress syndrome]

OBJECTIVE

To explore the effect of ulinastatin on prevention of acute respiratory distress syndrome (ARDS).

METHODS

A prospective multicentral cohort study was conducted. The patients from three intensive care units (ICUs) of grade A tertiary hospitals in Beijing and a ICU of grade A tertiary hospitals in Cangzhou from January 2012 to December 2014, included 77 ARDS at-risk patients with ulinastatin treatment and 108 ARDS at-risk patients without ulinastatin treatment (control) were eligible. Both groups received normal treatment; additionally, the intervention group received 600 000 units of ulinastatin via intravenous infusion for 5 days. The control group received the same amount of saline via intravenous infusion for 5 days. Venous blood human neutrophil elastase (HNE) and peptidase inhibitor 3 (PI3) levels were measured on days 1, 3, and 7, respectively. Other outcomes included acute physiology and chronic health evaluation scoring II (APACHE II), body temperature, respiratory rate, heart rate, mean arterial pressure, white blood cell counts, PaO₂/FiO₂, ARDS incident, mechanical ventilation time, ICU treatment and hospitalization duration, 28 days mortality.

RESULTS

The PI3 levels showed no statistical difference on day 1, but significant differences on day 3 and day 7 between the two groups (P<0.01). HNE/PI3 ratio showed no statistical difference on day 1, but significant differences on day 3 and day 7 (P<0.05). PaO₂/FiO₂ was significantly higher in ulinastatin group on day 3 and day 7 (P<0.05). The incident rate for ulinastatin group was 15.58%, lower than that for the control group (33.33%), and the difference was statistically significant (P<0.05). The mechanical ventilation time and ICU treatment time in ulinastatin group was shorter than that in the control group, and the difference was statistically significant (P<0.05). There were no significant effects in other factors.

CONCLUSION

Increased dose of ulinastatin can recover the balance of HNE and its antagonist, lower the HNE's damage to lungs, and further reduce the ARDS incident rate.

LXW7 ameliorates focal cerebral ischemia injury and attenuates inflammatory responses in activated microglia in rats

Inflammation plays a pivotal role in ischemic stroke, when activated microglia release excessive pro-inflammatory mediators. The inhibition of integrin αvβ3 improves outcomes in rat focal cerebral ischemia models. However, the mechanisms by which microglia are neuroprotective remain unclear. This study evaluated whether post-ischemic treatment with another integrin αvβ3 inhibitor, the cyclic arginine-glycine-aspartic acid (RGD) peptide-cGRGDdvc (LXW7), alleviates cerebral ischemic injury. The anti-inflammatory effect of LXW7 in activated microglia within rat focal cerebral ischemia models was examined. A total of 108 Sprague-Dawley rats (250–280 g) were subjected to middle cerebral artery occlusion (MCAO). After 2 h, the rats were given an intravenous injection of LXW7 (100 μg/kg) or phosphate-buffered saline (PBS). Neurological scores, infarct volumes, brain water content (BWC) and histology alterations were determined. The expressions of pro-inflammatory cytokines [tumor necrosis factor-alpha (TNF-α) and interleukin-1 beta (IL-1β)], and Iba1-positive activated microglia, within peri-ischemic brain tissue, were assessed with ELISA, western blot and immunofluorescence staining. Infarct volumes and BWC were significantly lower in LXW7-treated rats compared to those in the MCAO + PBS (control) group. The LXW7 treatment lowered the expression of pro-inflammatory cytokines. There was a reduction of Iba1-positive activated microglia, and the TNF-α and IL-1β expressions were attenuated. However, there was no difference in the Zea Longa scores between the ischemia and LXW7 groups. The results suggest that LXW7 protected against focal cerebral ischemia and attenuated inflammation in activated microglia. LXW7 may be neuroprotective during acute MCAO-induced brain damage and microglia-related neurodegenerative diseases.

Testosterone replacement therapy improves health-related quality of life for patients with late-onset hypogonadism: a meta-analysis of randomized controlled trials

Although testosterone replacement therapy can restore serum testosterone concentrations to normal level in late-onset hypogonadism patients, whether it can improve patients' quality of life remains uncertain. Therefore, we perform a meta-analysis of randomized controlled trials on this issue. Five randomized controlled trials total 1,212 patients were included. Fixed-effect model was used to calculate the weighted mean difference of score of Aging Males' Symptom rating scale. Our result reveals that testosterone replacement therapy improves patients' health-related quality of life in terms of the decrease in the AMS total score [WMD = -2.96 (-4.21, -1.71), p < .00001] and the psychological [WMD = -0.89 (-1.41, -0.37), p = .0008], somatic [WMD = -0.89 (-1.41, -0.37), p = .0008] and sexual [WMD = -1.29 (-1.75, -0.83), p < .00001] subscale score.

Role of 5-HT1A receptor in insular cortex mediating stress - induced visceral sensory dysfunction

BACKGROUND

5-HT1A receptors (HTR1As) in the insular cortex are thought to be related with the generation of stress-induced functional gastrointestinal disorders (FGIDs), but its mechanism is not clear. Visceral hypersensitivity is one important pathophysiological mechanism of FGIDs. This study aimed to explore the role of HTR1As in mediating stress-induced visceral hypersensitivity and its mechanism in the insular cortex.

METHODS

Visceral hypersensitivity rat model was established by water avoidance stress (WAS) and the visceral sensitivity was measured by electromyogram. The activities of HTR1As were regulated by microinjecting the HTR1A agonist and antagonist into the insular cortex. The expression levels of 5-HT, HTR1A, N-methyl-d-aspartic acid receptor subtype 2B (NR2B) and c-fos were observed by RT-PCR, Western Blot and immunohistochemical staining.

KEY RESULTS

In WAS rats, the expression levels of 5-HT and HTR1As in the insular cortex were significantly lower (p < 0.05) than that in sham WAS and normal rats, but the levels of c-fos and NR2B were significantly higher (p < 0.05). After microinjecting HTR1As agonist into the insular cortex of WAS rats, the visceral sensitivity and the expression levels of NR2B and c-fos in insular cortex significantly decreased (p < 0.05).

CONCLUSIONS & INFERENCES

The HTR1As-NR2B signal pathway of insular cortex plays an important role in regulating stress-induced visceral hypersensitivity.

Decreased epithelial and plasma miR-181b-5p expression associates with airway eosinophilic inflammation in asthma

BACKGROUND

Airway eosinophilic inflammation is a pivotal feature of asthma. Epithelial cells play critical roles in airway eosinophilia. We hypothesized that epithelial microRNAs (miRNAs) are involved in airway eosinophilia.

OBJECTIVE

This study investigated the associations between epithelial and plasma miR-181b-5p and airway eosinophilic inflammation, and the possible mechanism by which miR-181b-5p participates in eosinophilic inflammation.

METHODS

Epithelial miRNAs expression was profiled by miRNA array in eight subjects with asthma and four healthy controls. Epithelial miR-181b-5p expression was confirmed by quantitative PCR in the subjects for array experiment and another cohort including 21 subjects with asthma and 10 controls. Plasma miR-181b-5p was determined by quantitative PCR in 72 subjects with asthma and 35 controls. Correlation assays between epithelial and plasma miR-181b-5p expression and airway eosinophilia were performed. The target of miR-181b-5p, SPP1, was predicted by online algorithms and verified in BEAS-2B cells. The role of miR-181b-5p in epithelial proinflammatory cytokine expression was examined in an in vitro system.

RESULTS

Epithelial miR-181b-5p expression was decreased in subjects with asthma. Epithelial miR-181b-5p levels were inversely correlated with sputum and bronchial submucosal eosinophilia. Plasma miR-181b-5p was decreased and correlated with epithelial miR-181b-5p in subjects with asthma. There was a strong inverse correlation between plasma miR-181b-5p and airway eosinophilia in subjects with asthma. Plasma miR-181b-5p was increased after inhaled corticosteroids treatment. We verified that SPP1 is a target of miR-181b-5p. In human bronchial epithelial cells, miR-181b-5p regulated IL-13-induced IL-1β and CCL11 expression by targeting SPP1. Dexamethasone restored IL-13-induced miR-181b-5p down-regulation and suppressed IL-13-induced SPP1, IL-1β and CCL11 expression.

CONCLUSIONS AND CLINICAL RELEVANCE

Epithelial and plasma miR-181b-5p are potential biomarkers for airway eosinophilia in asthma. MiR-181b-5p may participate in eosinophilic airway inflammation by regulating proinflammatory cytokines expression via targeting SPP1.

Measurement of the Transverse Single-Spin Asymmetry in p^{↑}+p→W^{±}/Z^{0} at RHIC

We present the measurement of the transverse single-spin asymmetry of weak boson production in transversely polarized proton-proton collisions at sqrt[s]=500  GeV by the STAR experiment at RHIC. The measured observable is sensitive to the Sivers function, one of the transverse-momentum-dependent parton distribution functions, which is predicted to have the opposite sign in proton-proton collisions from that observed in deep inelastic lepton-proton scattering. These data provide the first experimental investigation of the nonuniversality of the Sivers function, fundamental to our understanding of QCD.

Beam Energy Dependence of the Third Harmonic of Azimuthal Correlations in Au+Au Collisions at RHIC

We present results from a harmonic decomposition of two-particle azimuthal correlations measured with the STAR detector in Au+Au collisions for energies ranging from sqrt[s_{NN}]=7.7 to 200 GeV. The third harmonic v_{3}^{2}{2}=⟨cos3(ϕ_{1}-ϕ_{2})⟩, where ϕ_{1}-ϕ_{2} is the angular difference in azimuth, is studied as a function of the pseudorapidity difference between particle pairs Δη=η_{1}-η_{2}. Nonzero v_{3}^{2}{2} is directly related to the previously observed large-Δη narrow-Δϕ ridge correlations and has been shown in models to be sensitive to the existence of a low viscosity quark gluon plasma phase. For sufficiently central collisions, v_{3}^{2}{2} persist down to an energy of 7.7 GeV, suggesting that quark gluon plasma may be created even in these low energy collisions. In peripheral collisions at these low energies, however, v_{3}^{2}{2} is consistent with zero. When scaled by the pseudorapidity density of charged-particle multiplicity per participating nucleon pair, v_{3}^{2}{2} for central collisions shows a minimum near sqrt[s_{NN}]=20  GeV.

[Efficiency of integrin αvβ3 inhibitor Cilengitide in acute cerebral ischemia in rats]

OBJECTIVE

To explore the effect of the integrin αvβ3 inhibitor Cilengitide on the blood brain barrier (BBB) permeability, brain edema, neuronal cell apoptosis and the relation with the vascular endothelial growth factor (VEGF)expression in acute cerebral ischemia rats.

METHODS

A rat focal cerebral ischemia/reperfusion model was established by middle cerebral artery occlusion. Rats with middle cerebral artery occlusion, in accordance with the random number table, were divided into four groups: (1) the rats in Cilengitide group A (n=30) were treated with Cilengitide at a dose of 100 μg/kg; (2) the rats in Cilengitide group B (n=28) were treated with Cilengitide at a dose of 200 μg/kg; (3) the rats in sham group (n=31), without inserting thread into middle cerebral artery, were treated with normal saline; (4) the rats in control group (n=27) were treated with normal saline.All rats were treated with Cilengitide or saline 1 hour after infarction, given reperfusion 2 hours after infarction and were sacrificed 22 hours after reperfusion.The brain-water content was measured by dry/wet weight method. The permeability of BBB was measured by quantifying Evans Blue. The infarction volume was measured by 2, 3, 5-tripheyl tetrazolium Chloride (TTC) staining. Expression level of VEGF, P-Flk, Cleaved-Caspase-3 was measured by immunohistochemistry and Western blot, respectively.The neuronal cell apoptosis was evaluated by terminal deoxynucleotidyl transferased UTP nick end labeling (TUNEL).

RESULTS

Compared with Control group, treatment groups with cilengitide at the dose of 100 μg/kg and 200 μg/kg reduced brain-water content [(80.8±1.1)% vs (84.8±1.4)%, (81.0±1.4)% vs (84.8±1.4)%, P<0.05], reduced exudation of Evans blue[(9.2±1.1) μg/g vs (12.2±0.8) μg/g, (8.6±0.6) μg/g vs (12.2±0.8) g/g, P<0.05], reduced infarction volume[(31.9±4.9) mm(3) vs(43.0±2.2) mm(3), (29.2±3.5) mm(3) vs(43.0±2.2) mm(3), P<0.05] , reduced neuronal cell apoptosis [(36±4)vs(69±6)、(35±3)vs (69±6), P<0.05]. Compared with sham group, Cilengitide group A and Cilengitide group B had lower brain-water content, permeability of BBB, infarction volume, expression level of VEGF, P-Flk, Cleaved-Caspase-3 and neuronal cell apoptosis (P<0.05). When Cilengitide group A was compared with Cilengitide group B, there were no significant differences in brain-water content, permeability of BBB, infarction volume, expression level of VEGF, P-Flk, Cleaved-Caspase-3 and neuronal cell apoptosis (P>0.05).

CONCLUSION

The integrin αvβ3 inhibitor Cilengitide improves outcomes in the MCAO model by preserving the blood-brain barrier, attenuating brain edema and inhibiting neuronal cell apoptosis, which may occur in a VEGF-and VEGF-receptor-dependent manner, with the same efficacy between Cilengitide 100 μg/kg and 200 μg/kg after 23 hours treatment.

[Preventive effects of ulinastatin on acute respiratory distress syndrome]

OBJECTIVE

To explore the effect of ulinastatin on prevention of acute respiratory distress syndrome (ARDS).

METHODS

A prospective multicentral cohort study was conducted. The patients from three intensive care units (ICUs) of grade A tertiary hospitals in Beijing and a ICU of grade A tertiary hospitals in Cangzhou from January 2012 to December 2014, included 77 ARDS at-risk patients with ulinastatin treatment and 108 ARDS at-risk patients without ulinastatin treatment (control) were eligible. Both groups received normal treatment; additionally, the intervention group received 600 000 units of ulinastatin via intravenous infusion for 5 days. The control group received the same amount of saline via intravenous infusion for 5 days. Venous blood human neutrophil elastase (HNE) and peptidase inhibitor 3 (PI3) levels were measured on days 1, 3, and 7, respectively. Other outcomes included acute physiology and chronic health evaluation scoring II (APACHE II), body temperature, respiratory rate, heart rate, mean arterial pressure, white blood cell counts, PaO2/FiO2, ARDS incident, mechanical ventilation time, ICU treatment and hospitalization duration, 28 days mortality.

RESULTS

The PI3 levels showed no statistical difference on day 1, but significant differences on day 3 and day 7 between the two groups (P<0.01). HNE/PI3 ratio showed no statistical difference on day 1, but significant differences on day 3 and day 7 (P<0.05). PaO2/FiO2 was significantly higher in ulinastatin group on day 3 and day 7 (P<0.05). The incident rate for ulinastatin group was 15.58%, lower than that for the control group (33.33%), and the difference was statistically significant (P<0.05). The mechanical ventilation time and ICU treatment time in ulinastatin group was shorter than that in the control group, and the difference was statistically significant (P<0.05). There were no significant effects in other factors.

CONCLUSION

Increased dose of ulinastatin can recover the balance of HNE and its antagonist, lower the HNE's damage to lungs, and further reduce the ARDS incident rate.

Centrality and Transverse Momentum Dependence of Elliptic Flow of Multistrange Hadrons and ϕ Meson in Au+Au Collisions at √[sNN]=200 GeV

We present high precision measurements of elliptic flow near midrapidity (|y|<1.0) for multistrange hadrons and ϕ meson as a function of centrality and transverse momentum in Au+Au collisions at center of mass energy √[sNN]=200  GeV. We observe that the transverse momentum dependence of ϕ and Ω v2 is similar to that of π and p, respectively, which may indicate that the heavier strange quark flows as strongly as the lighter up and down quarks. This observation constitutes a clear piece of evidence for the development of partonic collectivity in heavy-ion collisions at the top RHIC energy. Number of constituent quark scaling is found to hold within statistical uncertainty for both 0%-30% and 30%-80% collision centrality. There is an indication of the breakdown of previously observed mass ordering between ϕ and proton v2 at low transverse momentum in the 0%-30% centrality range, possibly indicating late hadronic interactions affecting the proton v2.

Observation of Transverse Spin-Dependent Azimuthal Correlations of Charged Pion Pairs in p^{↑}+p at sqrt[s]=200 GeV

We report the observation of transverse polarization-dependent azimuthal correlations in charged pion pair production with the STAR experiment in p^{↑}+p collisions at RHIC. These correlations directly probe quark transversity distributions. We measure signals in excess of 5 standard deviations at high transverse momenta, at high pseudorapidities η>0.5, and for pair masses around the mass of the ρ meson. This is the first direct transversity measurement in p+p collisions.

Azimuthal Anisotropy in U+U and Au+Au Collisions at RHIC

Collisions between prolate uranium nuclei are used to study how particle production and azimuthal anisotropies depend on initial geometry in heavy-ion collisions. We report the two- and four-particle cumulants, v_{2}{2} and v_{2}{4}, for charged hadrons from U+U collisions at sqrt[s_{NN}]=193  GeV and Au+Au collisions at sqrt[s_{NN}]=200  GeV. Nearly fully overlapping collisions are selected based on the energy deposited by spectators in zero degree calorimeters (ZDCs). Within this sample, the observed dependence of v_{2}{2} on multiplicity demonstrates that ZDC information combined with multiplicity can preferentially select different overlap configurations in U+U collisions. We also show that v_{2} vs multiplicity can be better described by models, such as gluon saturation or quark participant models, that eliminate the dependence of the multiplicity on the number of binary nucleon-nucleon collisions.