Measurement of the Target-Normal Single-Spin Asymmetry in Quasielastic Scattering from the Reaction (3)He(↑)(e,e')

We report the first measurement of the target single-spin asymmetry, A(y), in quasielastic scattering from the inclusive reaction (3)He(↑)(e,e') on a (3)He gas target polarized normal to the lepton scattering plane. Assuming time-reversal invariance, this asymmetry is strictly zero for one-photon exchange. A nonzero A(y) can arise from the interference between the one- and two-photon exchange processes which is sensitive to the details of the substructure of the nucleon. An experiment recently completed at Jefferson Lab yielded asymmetries with high statistical precision at Q(2)=0.13, 0.46, and 0.97  GeV(2). These measurements demonstrate, for the first time, that the (3)He asymmetry is clearly nonzero and negative at the 4σ-9σ level. Using measured proton-to-(3)He cross-section ratios and the effective polarization approximation, neutron asymmetries of -(1-3)% were obtained. The neutron asymmetry at high Q(2) is related to moments of the generalized parton distributions (GPDs). Our measured neutron asymmetry at Q(2)=0.97  GeV(2) agrees well with a prediction based on two-photon exchange using a GPD model and thus provides a new, independent constraint on these distributions.

Dimedone Derivative {2-[(4-Hydroxy-phenylamino)- methylene]-5,5-dimethyl-cyclohexane-1,3-dione} Plays an Important Role in Breast Cancer Treatment

Purpose: To investigate the effect of 2-[(4-hydroxy-phenylamino)-methylene]-5,5-dimethyl-cyclohex (HPDH) on mammary carcinogenesis induced by 7,12-dimethylbenz(a)anthracene in female Sprague Dawley rats.Methods: Among three groups of rats (50 each) used in the study, the control group was fed standard diet alone, ibuprofen group received standard diet containing 1200 mg/kg ibuprofen while HPDH group was administered standard diet containing 1200 mg/kg HPDH. The treatment was for 10 days for all the groups. All the animals received 20 mg of DMBA intragastrically by gavage. Clinical parameters for the rats were recorded weekly. Micrometer caliper was used to measure the diameter of all the tumors at the end of the experiment and tumor volume calculated. Histological evaluation was performed using  hematoxylin and eosin (H&E) staining. High performance liquid chromatography (HPLC) was used to determine the level of HPDH and ibuprofen in the serum of the animals.Results: The data revealed a significant decrease in the number of rats with mammary tumor, number of tumors/rat and tumor volume by 54, 72 and 75 %, respectively, in HPDH group compared to control group. The ibuprofen- treated rats also showed significant decrease in the number of rats with tumor, number of tumors/rat and tumor volume by 43, 55, and 59 %, respectively. Treatment of rats with HPDH increased the latency period of tumor induction significantly (p < 0.005). Median detection period (50 % of tumors) was 92, 83 and 56 days, respectively, in HPDH, ibuprofen and control groups, respectively, after DMBA induction.Conclusion: These results demonstrate that HPDH possesses strong chemopreventive activity against mammary carcinogenesis.Keywords: Carcinogenesis, Mammary tumor, Median detection period, Tumor, Latency period, Chemopreventive activity, Ibuprofen

Internal herniation due to an omphalomesenteric duct cyst in a 69-year-old man

Previous abdominal surgery is the most common cause of mechanical small bowel obstruction. However, in patients with no history of abdominal surgery, the diagnosis and treatment of mechanical small bowel obstruction is difficult. A persistent omphalomesenteric duct remnant is a rare finding that typically presents in the pediatric population and is extremely rare in patients aged > 60 years. In the present report, we describe the case of an omphalomesenteric duct cyst causing small bowel obstruction in a 69-year-old man with no history of a surgical procedure.

Downregulation of microRNA-362-3p and microRNA-329 promotes tumor progression in human breast cancer

p130Cas regulates cancer progression by driving tyrosine receptor kinase signaling. Tight regulation of p130Cas expression is necessary for survival, apoptosis, and maintenance of cell motility in various cell types. Several studies revealed that transcriptional and post-translational control of p130Cas are important for maintenance of its expression and activity. To explore novel regulatory mechanisms of p130Cas expression, we studied the effect of microRNAs (miRs) on p130Cas expression in human breast cancer MCF7 cells. Here, we provide experimental evidence that miR-362-3p and miR-329 perform a tumor-suppressive function and their expression is downregulated in human breast cancer. miR-362-3p and miR-329 inhibited cellular proliferation, migration, and invasion, thereby suppressing tumor growth, by downregulating p130Cas. Ectopic expression of p130Cas attenuated the inhibitory effects of the two miRs on tumor progression. Relative expression levels of miR-362-3p/329 and p130Cas between normal and breast cancer correlated inversely; miR-362-3p/329 expression was decreased, whereas that of p130Cas increased in breast cancers. Furthermore, we showed that downregulation of miR-362-3p and miR-329 was caused by differential DNA methylation of miR genes. Enhanced DNA methylation (according to methylation-specific PCR) was responsible for downregulation of miR-362-3p and miR-329 in breast cancer. Taken together, these findings point to a novel role for miR-362-3p and miR-329 as tumor suppressors; the miR-362-3p/miR-329-p130Cas axis seemingly has a crucial role in breast cancer progression. Thus, modulation of miR-362-3p/miR-329 may be a novel therapeutic strategy against breast cancer.

Effect of hemodynamics on the recurrence of posterior communicating artery aneurysm: a computational fluid dynamics simulation study

AIM

To compare the hemodynamic characteristics of posterior communicating artery aneurysm before and after embolization and investigate its relationship with aneurysm recurrence using a computational fluid dynamics simulation study.

METHODS

Thirteen patients undergone embolization of posterior communicating artery aneurysm between January 2008 and February 2010 were enrolled and divided into recurrent and recovered group according to their follow-up angiographic data. Aneurysm models were established using three-dimensional cerebral angiography data collected before and after embolization. Preoperative and postoperative hemodynamic modalities at aneurysm neck region were analyzed with computational fluid dynamics software using the finite element algorithm. In this study, computational models were set according to transcranial Doppler pulsatile flow, and the part of aneurysm occluded by spring coil is completely independent of the blood flow.

RESULTS

In recurrent group, peak systolic wall shear stress and blood flow velocity at the aneurysm neck region were significant increased after the embolization. On the contrary, in recovered group peak systolic wall shear stress and blood flow velocity were significantly reduced after the embolization. The recurrent group also had higher post-embolization peak systolic wall shear stress and blood flow velocity than the recovered group.

CONCLUSION

High wall shear stress and blood flow velocity after embolization at the neck region of posterior communicating artery aneurysm may promote early aneurysm recurrence.

Genomic alterations in head and neck squamous cell carcinoma determined by cancer gene-targeted sequencing

BACKGROUND

To determine genomic alterations in head and neck squamous cell carcinoma (HNSCC) using formalin-fixed, paraffin-embedded (FFPE) tumors obtained through routine clinical practice, selected cancer-related genes were evaluated and compared with alterations seen in frozen tumors obtained through research studies.

PATIENTS AND METHODS

DNA samples obtained from 252 FFPE HNSCC were analyzed using next-generation sequencing-based (NGS) clinical assay to determine sequence and copy number variations in 236 cancer-related genes plus 47 introns from 19 genes frequently rearranged in cancer. Human papillomavirus (HPV) status was determined by presence of the HPV DNA sequence in all samples and corroborated with high-risk HPV in situ hybridization (ISH) and p16 immunohistochemical (IHC) staining in a subset of tumors. Sequencing data from 399 frozen tumors in The Cancer Genome Atlas and University of Chicago public datasets were analyzed for comparison.

RESULTS

Among 252 FFPE HNSCC, 84 (33%) were HPV positive and 168 (67%) were HPV negative by sequencing. A subset of 40 tumors with HPV ISH and p16 IHC results showed complete concordance with NGS-derived HPV status. The most common genes with genomic alterations were PIK3CA and PTEN in HPV-positive tumors and TP53 and CDKN2A/B in HPV-negative tumors. In the pathway analysis, the PI3K pathway in HPV-positive tumors and DNA repair-p53 and cell cycle pathways in HPV-negative tumors were frequently altered. The HPV-positive oropharynx and HPV-positive nasal cavity/paranasal sinus carcinoma shared similar mutational profiles.

CONCLUSION

The genomic profile of FFPE HNSCC tumors obtained through routine clinical practice is comparable with frozen tumors studied in research setting, demonstrating the feasibility of comprehensive genomic profiling in a clinical setting. However, the clinical significance of these genomic alterations requires further investigation through application of these genomic profiles as integral biomarkers in clinical trials.

Comparison of streamlined liner of the pharynx airway (SLIPA ™) and laryngeal mask airway: a systematic review and meta-analysis

We performed a systematic review to compare the efficacy and safety of the streamlined liner of the pharynx airway and laryngeal mask airway used in adults during general anaesthesia. We included 14 studies with studies with 1273 patients in total. There was no evidence of a difference between the two devices in insertion success rate on the first attempt (13 studies, 1143 patients), insertion time (seven studies, 576 patients), ease of insertion (five studies, 466 patients), oropharyngeal leak pressure (eight studies, 771 patients) and the quality of the fibreoptic view of the larynx through the device (three studies, 281 patients). The relative risk (95% CI) of bloodstaining of the device (nine studies, 859 patients) was 2.09 (1.46-3.00) for the streamlined liner of the pharynx airway compared with the laryngeal mask airway. Other adverse events were comparable. Subgroup analysis suggested that the insertion by novice users might be faster and more successful with the streamlined liner of the pharynx airway than the laryngeal mask airway; however, this was from only two studies and 186 patients. The method of size selection of the streamlined liner of the pharynx airway device might also affect the speed of insertion: choosing according to the width of the patient's thyroid cartilage, rather than height, may produce better results.

CpG oligonucleotides and Astragalus polysaccharides are effective adjuvants in cultures of avian bone-marrow-derived dendritic cells

1. The potential use of CpG oligodeoxynucleotides and/or Astragalus polysaccharide (APS) as adjuvants for the culture of chicken bone-marrow-derived dendritic cells (chBM-DCs) was investigated. 2. Chicken dendritic cells (DCs) were isolated and cultured in the presence of recombinant chicken granulocyte-macrophage colony-stimulating factor (GM-CSF) and interleukin (IL)-4. The chBM-DC displayed typical DC morphology and expressed DC surface markers (MHC-II and CD11c). 3. Cultured chBM-DC showed effective T-cell activation in vitro, based on a mixed lymphocyte response (MLR). Flow cytometry analysis showed an increased proportion of cells expressing CD40 and CD80 in the APS-stimulated culture, compared to the control culture. In the MLR, the APS- and CpG-stimulated chBM-DC could activate T-cells more than control chBM-DC. Real-time PCR assays showed that CpG can activate the TLR21 and an inflammatory response, while APS just reduced the expression of IRF-3. 4. The results demonstrated that in vitro the adjuvant CpG can stimulate chBM-DC to mature by activation of the TLR-signalling pathway, whereas the adjuvant APS stimulates maturation of chBM-DC in vitro to a lesser degree and by another mechanism.

Development of Hypertension Management Mobile Application based on Clinical Practice Guidelines

This study aims to develop and evaluate a mobile application for hypertension management based on Clinical Practice Guidelines. The application was developed according to Web-Roadmap methodology. In planning phase, we defined the tasks and product of each phase, selected clinical practice guidelines and extracted intervention items for hypertension management. In analysis phase, we analysed intervention items and made data dictionary, rules, use-case diagram, hypertension management ontology and tailored recommendations for the application. In design phase, we developed an entity-relations diagram, algorithm, and user interface and coded them in the implementation phase. In evaluation phase, first, the knowledge-base was evaluated for its accuracy by experts and they proposed three more detailed recommendations, which were added to the application. Second, mobile heuristics were evaluated. The evaluators pointed out 33 usability-related problems on mobile heuristics items. Out of these, three problems were solved by reflecting evaluators' comments.

Competition between electron doping and short-range scattering in hydrogenated bilayer graphene on hexagonal boron nitride

We studied the electron doping of bilayer graphene (BLG) on hexagonal boron nitride (h-BN) by dissociative H₂ adsorption.

Measurement of double-polarization asymmetries in the quasielastic (3)He[→](e[→],e(')d) process

We present a precise measurement of double-polarization asymmetries in the ^{3}He[over →](e[over →],e^{'}d) reaction. This particular process is a uniquely sensitive probe of hadron dynamics in ^{3}He and the structure of the underlying electromagnetic currents. The measurements have been performed in and around quasielastic kinematics at Q^{2}=0.25(GeV/c)^{2} for missing momenta up to 270  MeV/c. The asymmetries are in fair agreement with the state-of-the-art calculations in terms of their functional dependencies on p_{m} and ω, but are systematically offset. Beyond the region of the quasielastic peak, the discrepancies become even more pronounced. Thus, our measurements have been able to reveal deficiencies in the most sophisticated calculations of the three-body nuclear system, and indicate that further refinement in the treatment of their two-and/or three-body dynamics is required.

A retrospective study to assess the relative value of peripheral blood, bone marrow aspirate and biopsy morphology, immunohistochemical stains, and flow cytometric analysis in the diagnosis of chronic B cell lymphoproliferative neoplasms

INTRODUCTION

The successful diagnosis of chronic B cell lymphoproliferative neoplasms (B-CLPN) requires the integration of multiple parameters, beginning with clinical information, CBC data, and morphology review. Immunophenotyping is essential and genetic testing may also be necessary. However, the relative value of each specimen or ancillary study in the diagnosis and classification has not been systematically established. We have performed a blinded retrospective review to assess what in our laboratory was the relative value of each specimen type and ancillary study in the diagnostic workup of B-CLPN.

METHODS

A total of 185 cases of PB, BM, spleen and lymph nodes were analyzed for relative value of morphology, IHC, flow cytometry study in the diagnosis of B-CLPN.

RESULTS

'High yield' specimen was identified in most B-CLPN categories, which was highly predictive of the final WHO diagnosis.

CONCLUSION

The goal of this retrospective study was to attempt to assess what was the relative value of morphology, immunophenotype, and molecular/cytogenetic study in various sites in the overall diagnostic process in our institution. We investigated the utility of the 'high yield' specimens in achieving the correct final diagnosis. In our study, some B-CLPNs notably splenic marginal zone lymphoma and hairy cell leukemia variant, required all studies for a 'best fit' type of diagnosis. In other cases, the morphology of a single specimen type was highly predictive of the final diagnosis, although confirmatory studies are recommended for definitive diagnosis.

A 3'-UTR KRAS-variant is associated with cisplatin resistance in patients with recurrent and/or metastatic head and neck squamous cell carcinoma

BACKGROUND

A germline mutation in the 3'-untranslated region of KRAS (rs61764370, KRAS-variant: TG/GG) has previously been associated with altered patient outcome and drug resistance/sensitivity in various cancers. We examined the prognostic and predictive significance of this variant in recurrent/metastatic (R/M) head and neck squamous cell carcinoma (HNSCC).

PATIENTS AND METHODS

We conducted a retrospective study of 103 HNSCCs collected from three completed clinical trials. KRAS-variant genotyping was conducted for these samples and 8 HNSCC cell lines. p16 expression was determined in a subset of 26 oropharynx tumors by immunohistochemistry. Microarray analysis was also utilized to elucidate differentially expressed genes between KRAS-variant and non-variant tumors. Drug sensitivity in cell lines was evaluated to confirm clinical findings.

RESULTS

KRAS-variant status was determined in 95/103 (92%) of the HNSCC tumor samples and the allelic frequency of TG/GG was 32% (30/95). Three of the HNSCC cell lines (3/8) studied had the KRAS-variant. No association between KRAS-variant status and p16 expression was observed in the oropharynx subset (Fisher's exact test, P = 1.0). With respect to patient outcome, patients with the KRAS-variant had poor progression-free survival when treated with cisplatin (log-rank P = 0.002). Conversely, KRAS-variant patients appeared to experience some improvement in disease control when cetuximab was added to their platinum-based regimen (log-rank P = 0.04).

CONCLUSIONS

The TG/GG rs61764370 KRAS-variant is a potential predictive biomarker for poor platinum response in R/M HNSCC patients.

CLINICAL TRIAL REGISTRATION NUMBERS

NCT00503997, NCT00425750, NCT00003809.

Probing the repulsive core of the nucleon-nucleon interaction via the (4)He(e,e'pN) triple-coincidence reaction

We studied simultaneously the (4)He(e,e'p), (4)He(e,e'pp), and (4)He(e,e'pn) reactions at Q(2)=2(GeV/c)(2) and x(B)>1, for an (e,e'p) missing-momentum range of 400 to 830  MeV/c. The knocked-out proton was detected in coincidence with a proton or neutron recoiling almost back to back to the missing momentum, leaving the residual A=2 system at low excitation energy. These data were used to identify two-nucleon short-range correlated pairs and to deduce their isospin structure as a function of missing momentum, in a region where the nucleon-nucleon (NN) force is expected to change from predominantly tensor to repulsive. The abundance of neutron-proton pairs is reduced as the nucleon momentum increases beyond ∼500  MeV/c. The extracted fraction of proton-proton pairs is small and almost independent of the missing momentum. Our data are compared with calculations of two-nucleon momentum distributions in (4)He and discussed in the context of probing the elusive repulsive component of the NN force.

Pneumocephalus following the minimally invasive hematoma aspiration and thrombolysis for ICH

INTRODUCTION

The objective of this study was to clarify whether pneumocephalus occurred and affected the outcome following minimally invasive hematoma aspiration and thrombolysis for intracerebral hemorrhage (ICH).

MATERIALS AND METHODS

A prospective case note review on all ICH patients treated with the micro-invasive procedure presenting to our division from 2006 to 2011 was conducted. Demographic, clinical, and outcome data were documented; head CT scans were applied postoperatively to identify the intracranial air collection. The ICH victims with pneumocephalus were included into Group A and the others into Group B. A multi-variant analysis was performed between Groups A and B to examine the effect of pneumocephalus on the prognosis.

RESULTS

Data were collected on a total of 134 cases in this study, among whom 72.38% developed pneumocephalus postoperatively. No significant difference was demonstrated in terms of the preoperative and postoperative hematoma volume, Glasgow Coma Scale (GCS) score, middle line shift (MLS), and 30-day mortality rate between Groups A and B, respectively. Moreover, the long-term outcome rated by GCS of these two groups was also similar. Logistic regression analysis indicated double-needle puncture be an independent risk factor for both postoperative pneumocephalus (OR, 2.478; 95% CI, 1.010-6.080; P = 0.045) and its degree (OR, 11.84; 95%CI, 4.141-30.208; P < 0.001).

CONCLUSION

The present study shows that pneumocephalus is common following the minimally invasive hematoma aspiration and thrombolysis for ICH but may not affect the outcome. And double-needle puncture may be the risk factor for pneumocephalus.

MARCH5-mediated quality control on acetylated Mfn1 facilitates mitochondrial homeostasis and cell survival

Mitochondrial dynamics and quality control have a central role in the maintenance of cellular integrity. Mitochondrial ubiquitin ligase membrane-associated RING-CH (MARCH5) regulates mitochondrial dynamics. Here, we show that mitochondrial adaptation to stress is driven by MARCH5-dependent quality control on acetylated Mfn1. Under mitochondrial stress conditions, levels of Mfn1 were elevated twofold and depletion of Mfn1 sensitized these cells to apoptotic death. Interestingly, overexpression of Mfn1 also promoted cell death in these cells, indicating that a fine tuning of Mfn1 levels is necessary for cell survival. MARCH5 binds Mfn1 and the MARCH5-dependent Mfn1 ubiquitylation was significantly elevated under mitochondrial stress conditions along with an increase in acetylated Mfn1. The acetylation-deficient K491R mutant of Mfn1 showed weak interaction with MARCH5 as well as reduced ubiquitylation. Neither was observed in the acetylation mimetic K491Q mutant. In addition, MARCH5-knockout mouse embryonic fibroblast and MARCH5(H43W)-expressing HeLa cells lacking ubiquitin ligase activity experienced rapid cell death upon mitochondrial stress. Taken together, a fine balance of Mfn1 levels is maintained by MARCH5-mediated quality control on acetylated Mfn1, which is crucial for cell survival under mitochondria stress conditions.

Lower serum uric acid levels in cerebral amyloid angiopathy: a pilot study

Cerebral amyloid angiopathy (CAA) is a common degenerative disease presenting intracerebral hemorrhage (ICH) in older people. Uric acid (UA) is a natural antioxidant, and may have a beneficial role in neurodegenerative diseases. Nevertheless, the role of UA in CAA remains unknown. In the present study, we compared serum UA levels in CAA-associated ICH patients (n = 82) and age/sex-matched controls (n = 82). Serum UA levels in possible CAA were significantly decreased when compared with healthy controls (232.68 ± 77.70 vs. 309.42 ± 59.83 μmol/L; p < 0.001). Furthermore, UA levels in patients clinically diagnosed as probable CAA were significantly lower than those in patients diagnosed as possible CAA (193.06 ± 56.98 vs. 232.68 ± 77.70 μmol/L; p = 0.014). These differences were still significant after adjusting for renal function and dyslipidemia (p < 0.001 and p = 0.002, respectively). However, there were no associations between serum UA levels and the distribution of hemorrhagic lesion, as well as neurological impairment. Our observations indicate that serum UA levels were decreased in CAA patients. UA might play a neuroprotective role in CAA and serve as a potential biomarker for reflecting the severity of Aβ deposition.

Olea europaea Linn. Fruit Pulp Extract Protects against Carbon Tetrachloride-induced Hepatic Damage in Mice

The present study we investigated the hepatoprotective effects of Olea europaea fruit pulp extract against carbon tetrachloride-induced hepatic damage in experimental mice. Further we explored the antioxidant potential of the extract to substantiate the hepatoprotective properties. Biochemical parameters were analyzed in the serum of experimental mice using respective diagnostic kits. Antioxidant activities were measured following alkyl and hydroxyl radical scavenging assays. Compared with control groups, administration of the extract to carbon tetrachloride-treated mice significantly reduced the elevated serum levels of alanine aminotransferase, aspartate aminotransferase, and alkaline phosphatase. The carbon tetrachloride-treated morphological changes in hepatocyte architecture were also reversed by extract pretreatment. Further, the carbon tetrachloride-treated increased serum cholesterol levels such as triglyceride and low density/very low-density lipoprotein in the liver were reversed in acute and chronic carbon tetrachloride-treated mice. The extract was also found to significantly increase the serum level of high-density lipoproteins in carbon tetrachloride-treated mice. Furthermore, the extract showed significant in vitro antioxidant actions by scavenging the alkyl and hydroxyl free radicals, substantiating its use in hepatoprotection. The concentration of the extract necessary for 50% inhibition of alkyl and hydroxyl radicals was 72.41 and 52.24 μg/ml, respectively. In conclusion, data from our study suggest that Olea europaea fruit pulp extract could prevent carbon tetrachloride-treated acute and chronic liver degeneration and attenuated the lipid levels elevated by carbon tetrachloride. The hepatoprotective activity exhibited by Olea europaea extract might possibly be through its antioxidant defense mechanisms.

Hepatoprotective Effect of Houttuynia cordata Thunb Extract against Carbon Tetrachloride-induced Hepatic Damage in Mice

Houttuynia cordata Thunb (Saururaceae) is a traditional medicinal herb used to treat several disease symptoms. The present study was focused on the hepatoprotective effects of H. cordata ethyl acetate extract in experimental mice. Further the antioxidant potential of the extract was also evaluated to substantiate its hepatoprotective properties. Carbon tetrachloride-induced hepatic damage in mice was used to measure the serum biochemical parameters. Morphological changes in hepatocyte architecture were studied by haematoxylin and eosin staining. In vitro alkyl and hydroxyl free radical scavenging assays were performed to evaluate the antioxidant effect. Administration of H. cordata extract significantly reduced the elevated serum levels and regulated the altered levels of serum cholesterol in carbon tetrachloride-treated mice (P<0.05). The morphological changes in hepatocyte architecture were also reversed by H. cordata treatment. Further, the extract showed significant antioxidant actions by scavenging the alkyl and hydroxyl free radicals. The concentration of the extract necessary for 50% scavenging of alkyl and hydroxyl radicals was 15.5 and 410 μg/ml, respectively. H. cordata extract exhibited significant hepatoprotective property in carbon tetrachloride-induced hepatotoxicity in mice. The strong antioxidant activities possessed by the extract might be responsible for such actions.

Cross-sectional and dynamic change of serum metabolite profiling for Hepatitis B-related acute-on-chronic liver failure by UPLC/MS

Summary Acute-on-chronic liver failure(ACLF) is an increasingly recognized entity encompassing an acute deterioration of liver function and results in the failure of one or more organs with high short-term mortality. The focus of this study was to discover noninvasive and reliable biomarkers for the diagnosis and prognosis of hepatitis B-related ACLF. Ultra-performance liquid chromatography-mass spectrometry (UPLC/MS) was used to analyse serum metabolites of 28 patients with hepatitis B-related ACLF, 35 patients with Child-Pugh A cirrhosis, 30 patients with chronic hepatitis B and 35 healthy volunteers (HS). Characteristic metabolites were screened, identified and dynamically tracked to investigate their value for diagnosis and prognosis. After comparing serum metabolic profile of hepatitis B-related ACLF and Child-Pugh A cirrhosis, 99 characteristic metabolites were selected, and 38 of them were identified. Dynamic tracking model demonstrated that 17 metabolites were related to prognosis of hepatitis B-related ACLF, and there were also 11 metabolites which improved with treatment in the survival group. The correlations between these characteristic metabolites and the model for end-stage liver disease score were strong. These observations contributed to the investigation of the mechanisms of hepatitis B-related ACLF manifestation and progression on the metabolic level, and they provided information for the identification of biomarkers for the diagnosis and prognosis of hepatitis B-related ACLF.

Spontaneous intracerebral hemorrhage in CADASIL

BACKGROUND

Cerebral autosomal dominant arteriopathy with subcortical infarcts and leukoencephalopathy (CADASIL) is a rare hereditary small vascular disease and its mainly clinical manifestations are ischemic events. Spontaneous intracerebral hemorrhage (ICH) involvement in patients with CADASIL is extremely uncommon.

CASE REPORT

A 46-year-old normotensive Chinese man developed a large hematoma in the left basal ganglia after he was diagnosed with CADASIL 2 months ago, the patient did not take any antithrombotics. Susceptibility weighted imaging at pre-ICH showed multiple cerebral microbleeds (CMBs) in the bilateral basal ganglia. He experienced migraine at about 10 months post-ICH. To our knowledge, this is the first report of ICH in CADASIL patients with Arg90Cys mutation in exon 3.

DISCUSSION AND CONCLUSIONS

ICH should be considered when evaluating new attacks in CADASIL patients. Thus, MRI screening for CMBs might be helpful in predicting the risk of ICH and guiding antithrombotic therapy. In addition, strict control of hypertension and cautious use of antithrombotics may be important in this context.

Phylogenetic distinction of iNOS and IDO function in mesenchymal stem cell-mediated immunosuppression in mammalian species

Mammalian mesenchymal stem cells (MSCs) have been shown to be strongly immunosuppressive in both animal disease models and human clinical trials. We have reported that the key molecule mediating immunosuppression by MSCs is species dependent: indoleamine 2,3-dioxygenase (IDO) in human and inducible nitric oxide synthase (iNOS) in mouse. In the present study, we isolated MSCs from several mammalian species, each of a different genus, and investigated the involvement of IDO and iNOS during MSC-mediated immunosuppression. The characterization of MSCs from different species was by adherence to tissue culture plastic, morphology, specific marker expression, and differentiation potential. On the basis of the inducibility of IDO and iNOS by inflammatory cytokines in MSCs, the tested mammalian species fall into two distinct groups: IDO utilizers and iNOS utilizers. MSCs from monkey, pig, and human employ IDO to suppress immune responses, whereas MSCs from mouse, rat, rabbit, and hamster utilize iNOS. Interestingly, based on the limited number of species tested, the iNOS-utilizing species all belong to the phylogenetic clade, Glires. Although the evolutionary significance of this divergence is not known, we believe that this study provides critical guidance for choosing appropriate animal models for preclinical studies of MSCs.

Measurements of parity-violating asymmetries in electron-deuteron scattering in the nucleon resonance region

We report on parity-violating asymmetries in the nucleon resonance region measured using inclusive inelastic scattering of 5-6 GeV longitudinally polarized electrons off an unpolarized deuterium target. These results are the first parity-violating asymmetry data in the resonance region beyond the Δ(1232). They provide a verification of quark-hadron duality-the equivalence of the quark- and hadron-based pictures of the nucleon-at the (10-15)% level in this electroweak observable, which is dominated by contributions from the nucleon electroweak γZ interference structure functions. In addition, the results provide constraints on nucleon resonance models relevant for calculating background corrections to elastic parity-violating electron scattering measurements.

Application and a proposed modification of the 2010 McDonald criteria for the diagnosis of multiple sclerosis in a Canadian cohort of patients with clinically isolated syndromes

Background:

The 2005 and 2010 McDonald criteria utilize magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) to provide evidence of disease dissemination in space (DIS) and time (DIT) for the diagnosis of multiple sclerosis (MS) in patients who have clinically isolated syndromes (CIS).

Methods:

Data from 109 CIS patients not satisfying the 2005 criteria at entry into a randomized controlled minocycline trial were analyzed to determine the proportion who would have been diagnosed with MS at screening based on 2010 criteria. The impact of including symptomatic, as well as asymptomatic, MRI lesions to confirm DIT was also explored.

Results:

Thirty percent (33/109) of patients, retrospectively, met the 2010 criteria for a diagnosis of MS at baseline. When both symptomatic and asymptomatic lesions were used to confirm DIT, three additional patients met the 2010 criteria. There was a significant 10.1% increase in the proportion of patients who met the 2010 DIS criteria, compared with the 2005 DIS criteria; however, two patients satisfied the 2005 DIS but not 2010 DIS criteria.

Conclusion:

Using 2010 McDonald criteria, 30% of the CIS patients could be diagnosed with MS using a single MRI scan. Inclusion of symptomatic lesions in the DIT criteria further increases this proportion to 33%.