Heparin-LL37 complexes are less cytotoxic for human dental pulp cells and have undiminished antimicrobial and LPS-neutralizing abilities

AIM

To investigate whether glycosaminoglycans (GAGs) binding to high-dose LL37 eliminates its cytotoxicity to dental pulp cells (hDPCs) whilst retaining undiminished antimicrobial and LPS-neutralizing abilities.

METHODOLOGY

hDPCs were stimulated with varying concentrations of LL37, and their cell viability was analysed by MTT. Then, high-dose LL37 (10 μmol L^-1 ) was bound to varying concentrations of three GAGs, heparin, chondroitin sulphate and hyaluronic acid, and their cytotoxic effects on hDPCs and antimicrobial effects were evaluated and compared. Furthermore, the LPS-neutralizing ability of heparin (5 μg mL^-1 )-LL37 (10 μmol L^-1 ) complexes, which were found to be less cytotoxic for hDPCs with undiminished antimicrobial ability, was investigated. Statistical analysis was performed using one-way analysis of variance (anova), followed by Dunnett's test. P values below 0.05 were considered significant.

RESULTS

LL37 significantly reduced the cell viability of hDPCs in a dose-dependent manner (P < 0.01). LL37 (10 μmol L^-1 ) binding to heparin within a limited concentration range (2~6 μg mL^-1 ) eliminated the cytotoxicity for hDPCs (P < 0.01) whilst exerting potent antimicrobial effects against Streptococcus mutans, Streptococcus sobrinus, Streptococcus salivarius, Aggegatibacter actinomycetemcomitans and Escherichia coli. LL37 (10 μmol L^-1 ) binding to chondroitin sulphate exhibited similar functions (P < 0.01); however, the effective chondroitin sulphate concentration was highly restricted (3 μg mL^-1 ). LL37 (10 μmol L^-1 ) binding to hyaluronic acid was unable to abrogate the cytotoxicity of LL37 even at higher concentrations (10 and 100 μg mL^-1 ). Moreover, exogenous addition of LPS dose-dependently reduced the amount of LL37 precipitated with the heparin-LL37 agarose beads (P < 0.01), and the released LL37 simultaneously neutralized the pro-inflammatory ability of LPS in macrophages (P < 0.01).

CONCLUSIONS

Heparin-LL37 complexes generated at suitable concentration ratios are easy to make, are less cytotoxic and are broad-range antimicrobial materials that can neutralize LPS by providing LL37 in accordance with the amount of free LPS. They may be a potential treatment to save dental pulp tissue from the acute inflammation exacerbated by invading bacteria and the LPS they release.

Direct Measurement of the Cosmic-Ray Proton Spectrum from 50 GeV to 10 TeV with the Calorimetric Electron Telescope on the International Space Station

In this paper, we present the analysis and results of a direct measurement of the cosmic-ray proton spectrum with the CALET instrument onboard the International Space Station, including the detailed assessment of systematic uncertainties. The observation period used in this analysis is from October 13, 2015 to August 31, 2018 (1054 days). We have achieved the very wide energy range necessary to carry out measurements of the spectrum from 50 GeV to 10 TeV covering, for the first time in space, with a single instrument the whole energy interval previously investigated in most cases in separate subranges by magnetic spectrometers (BESS-TeV, PAMELA, and AMS-02) and calorimetric instruments (ATIC, CREAM, and NUCLEON). The observed spectrum is consistent with AMS-02 but extends to nearly an order of magnitude higher energy, showing a very smooth transition of the power-law spectral index from -2.81±0.03 (50-500 GeV) neglecting solar modulation effects (or -2.87±0.06 including solar modulation effects in the lower energy region) to -2.56±0.04 (1-10 TeV), thereby confirming the existence of spectral hardening and providing evidence of a deviation from a single power law by more than 3σ.

Comparative effectiveness of gastric bypass versus gastric banding on acute care use for cardiovascular disease in adults with obesity

BACKGROUND AND AIMS

Gastric bypass is known to have larger effects on weight and metabolism than gastric banding. However, scarce data exist as to whether the differences are translated into differential risks of cardiovascular disease (CVD)-related morbidities. The objective was to examine whether adults with obesity and CVD who underwent gastric bypass have a lower rate of acute care use (emergency department [ED] visit or unplanned hospitalization) for CVD than those with gastric banding.

METHODS AND RESULTS

We performed a comparative effectiveness study of gastric bypass versus banding among adults with obesity and CVD who underwent either surgery, using population-based [ED] and inpatient samples in California, Florida, and Nebraska from 2005 through 2011. The primary outcome was acute care use for CVD during a two-year postoperative period. We constructed negative binomial regression models to compare the event rate during sequential 6-month periods, using gastric banding group as the reference. We identified 11,229 adults with obesity and CVD who underwent gastric bypass and 3896 adults who had gastric banding. Patients with gastric bypass had significantly lower rate of the outcome compared to those with banding in the 7-12 months postoperative period (adjusted rate ratio [aRR] 0.77; 95% confidence interval [CI], 0.61-0.98; P = 0.03). The significant reduction in the rate persisted during 13-18 months (aRR 0.71; 95% CI, 0.57-0.90; P = 0.005) and 19-24 months (aRR 0.66; 95% CI, 0.52-0.82; P < 0.001) after bariatric surgery.

CONCLUSION

In this population-based comparative effectiveness study of adults with obesity and CVD, the rate of acute care use for CVD was lower after gastric bypass compared to gastric banding.

Subjective Evaluation of Denture Adhesives: A Multicenter Randomized Controlled Trial

INTRODUCTION

Many reports show that denture adhesives improve the retention and stability of dentures. However, few randomized controlled trials have examined the effects of denture adhesives.

OBJECTIVE

This 10-center randomized controlled trial with parallel groups involving 200 edentulous patients wearing complete dentures aimed to evaluate the effects of short-term use of cream and powder denture adhesives.

METHODS

Patients were allocated into 2 cream- and powder-type adhesive groups and 1 control group. Intervention groups were treated with the 2 adhesives (1 each), and the control group received saline solution. Adhesive or control was applied to the denture-mucosal surface for 4 d, and data at baseline and after day 4 of intervention (i.e., 8 meals) were obtained. Patient satisfaction was evaluated with a 100-mm visual analog scale. Oral health-related quality of life was measured with the Japanese version of the Oral Health Impact Profile for Edentulous Patients. Perceived chewing ability was evaluated by a questionnaire regarding ease of chewing and swallowing food. Between-group comparisons were performed with Kruskal-Wallis tests with the Mann-Whitney U test adjusted by Bonferroni correction. Within-group comparisons of pre- and postintervention measurements were performed with the Wilcoxon signed-rank test. Intention-to-treat analysis was also performed.

RESULTS

Between-group comparisons showed no significant differences for general satisfaction or Oral Health Impact Profile for Edentulous Patients. However, significant differences in satisfaction with various denture functions with cream- and powder-type adhesives were seen in pre- and postintervention comparisons (P < 0.05). Significant differences were also observed for perceived chewing ability of hard foods (P < 0.05).

CONCLUSION

These results suggest that although denture adhesives do not invariably improve denture function, they do affect subjective evaluations and possibly chewing of hard foods. Therefore, the effects of denture adhesive use are insufficient to resolve any fundamental dissatisfaction with dentures ( ClinicalTrials.gov NCT01712802 ).

KNOWLEDGE TRANSFER STATEMENT

The results of this study suggest that denture adhesives should be applied under certain conditions; however, an appropriate diagnosis is important before application. These practice-based data provide information to establish evidence-based guidelines for applying denture adhesives.

Intervals between bone mineral density testing with dual-energy X-ray absorptiometry scans in clinical practice

Intervals between dual-energy X-ray absorptiometry (DXA) scans were evaluated in a large cohort of typical clinical practice. Intensive DXA scanning (intervals < 23 months) decreased substantially, from 16.7% in 2006 to 6.7% in 2015.

INTRODUCTION

Serial dual-energy X-ray absorptiometry (DXA) measurements are suggested for patients at high risk of fractures. However, little is known about how often DXA testing occurs in clinical practice.

METHODS

We examined time intervals between DXA testing for monitoring purpose at two academic medical centers in the US between 2004 and 2017. The primary outcome was the presence of testing intervals < 23 months (termed "intensive DXA testing"). A generalized linear mixed model was used to evaluate the association between selected patient-level clinical factors and intensive DXA testing.

RESULTS

Forty-nine thousand four hundred ninety-four DXA tests from 20,200 patients were analyzed. The mean time interval between scans was 36 ± 21 months. Only 11.1% of the repeated DXA testing met the criterion for intensive testing. The percentage of intensive DXA testing dropped from 16.7% in 2006 to 6.7% in 2015 (p for trend < 0.001). After adjusting for age, gender, number of outpatient visits, and calendar year, correlates of intensive DXA testing included a baseline T-score < -2.5 at any anatomic site (OR, 4.8; 95%CI, 4.0-5.7), active use of drugs for osteoporosis (OR, 1.6; 95%CI, 1.3-1.9), and active use of glucocorticoids (OR, 1.3; 95%CI, 1.2-1.4).

CONCLUSIONS

The predictors of intensive DXA testing suggest that this practice is used preferentially in patients with multiple risk factors and to monitor the response to pharmacotherapy. However, intensive DXA testing has become less common in real-world clinical practice over the last decade. Further studies are required to better define the optimal use of bone mineral density testing in this vulnerable population.

Abstract PD1-04: Nuclear localization of intracellular domain of LDL receptor-related protein 1B predicts poor outcome in breast cancer; putative relation to NEAT1 mediated mammary gland carcinogenesis

Background:Low-density lipoprotein receptor-related protein 1B(LRP1B) is thought to have a pleiotropic biological function. Notably, intracellular domain of LRP1B is released and transported to nucleus in a γ-secretase dependent fashion; however, pathological property, which is driven by nuclear transport of intracellular domain of LRP1B is largely unclear. In this study, we aimed to unravel the pathological significance of nuclear localization of intracellular domain of LRP1B in mammary gland carcinogenesis. Aims: We examine the clinical significance of LRP1B for breast cancer and we clarify mechanism of nuclear localization of LRP1B in invasive ductal carcinoma. Methods: Immunohistochemical staining using newly generated antibodies to intracellular domain of LRP1B was used to determine LRP1B expression in 92 invasive ductal carcinomas of the breast. The clinicopathological significance including prognosis value was statistically analyzed. Doxycycline dependent nuclear expression of intracellular domain of LAP1B was established in cultured breast cancer cells. Subsequently, a series of in vitro experiments were performed to explore the role of nuclear localized intracellular domain of LRP1B in cultured breast cancer cells. Comprehensive microarray-based analysis followed by quantitative RT-PCR and chromatin immunoprecipitation assay was performed to know the altered molecular signature induced by nuclear localized intracellular domain of LRP1B. Results: Non-tumorous mammary duct epithelial cells did not exhibit LRP1B staining, whereas different degrees of LRP1B immunoreactivity were observed in 75 of 92 invasive ductal carcinoma of the breast. LRP1B immunoreactivity was found in surface membrane and cytoplasm of 60 of 92(65.2%) invasive ductal carcinoma cells, whereas it was detected in nucleus of 15 of 92(16.3%)cancer cells. Interestingly, nuclear LRP1B immunoreactivity was significantly associated with poor prognosis of the patients, especially with luminal A type breast cancers. Notably, nuclear localized intracellular domain of LRP1B significantly related to status of nodal metastasis in luminal A type breast cancers. Enforced nuclear expression significantly increased Matrigel invasion activity in MCF-7 luminal A breast cancer cells without affecting cell growth. Notably, nuclear expression of intracellular domain of LRP1B decreased transcription of LRP1B. Comprehensive microarray-based analysis demonstrated that nuclear expression of intracellular domain of LRP1B significantly increased the expression of long non-coding RNA nuclear paraspeckle assembly transcript1(NEAT1), which facilitates breast cancer invasion with poor survival. Conclusions: Present findings indicated that nuclear localized intracellular domain of LTP1B promoted breast cancer progression with a poor prognostic value, possible through NEAT1 pathway. Nuclear transport of intracellular domain of LRP1B could be a therapeutic target for breast cancer patients.

Citation Format: Asano Y, Futamura M, Takeuchi T, Yoshida K. Nuclear localization of intracellular domain of LDL receptor-related protein 1B predicts poor outcome in breast cancer; putative relation to NEAT1 mediated mammary gland carcinogenesis [abstract]. In: Proceedings of the 2018 San Antonio Breast Cancer Symposium; 2018 Dec 4-8; San Antonio, TX. Philadelphia (PA): AACR; Cancer Res 2019;79(4 Suppl):Abstract nr PD1-04.

Abstract P3-06-04: Clonal evolution of non-malignant proliferative lesions into breast cancers

[Introduction] Non-malignant proliferative lesions in the breast have been implicated in the development of invasive breast cancer. Previous studies showed that adjacent atypical proliferative lesions and breast cancers shared common genetic alterations, suggesting that these evolved from the same ancestral cell. However, the clonal structure of atypical proliferative lesions and their clonal dynamics during progression to cancer are poorly understood. In this study, we compared genetic profiles (with and without pathogenic germline mutations) of normal mammary ducts, non-malignant proliferative lesions, and cancer tissues from the same patients to illustrate the clonal evolution of cancer from a non-malignant epithelial cell.

[Methods] Multiple samples were collected from different proliferative lesions within the cancer-borne breast, including invasive cancers, using micro-dissection from formalin-fixed, paraffin-embedded surgical specimens. Somatic mutations and copy number alterations (CNAs) were then evaluated by whole exome sequencing.

[Results] We analyzed a total of 34 samples from 5 premenopausal females carrying estrogen receptor-positive cancers, where the samples were obtained from normal ducts (N = 6), non-atypical (N = 1) and atypical (N = 8) proliferative lesions, and non-invasive (N = 16) and invasive (N = 3) cancers. The number of somatic mutations per sample ranged from 1 to 276 and increased with disease progression, regardless of the germline mutation status. Two cases with bilateral cancers had a pathogenic germline mutation of either BRCA2 or TP53, where no somatic mutations or CNAs were shared by individual proliferative lesions, suggesting multifocal independent cancerous evolutions. By contrast, in the remaining three unilateral cases, no pathogenic germline mutations were detected, but all proliferative lesions, which were separated by a distance of 7-25 mm, shared one or more driver alterations, such as an AKT1 mutation (UID: KU01), concurrent 1q gain and 16q loss (der(1;16)) (UID: KU02), and a GATA3 mutation and der(1;16) (UID: KU03), while harboring private mutations and/or CNAs of their own. The phylogenetic analysis based on the number of shared mutations predicted an early origin of these founder mutations, which frequently predated decades before the onset of cancer.

[Conclusions] Our results suggest that early breast cancer development is shaped by the evolution of multiple precancerous clones. These clones are originated from a common ancestor that acquired a founder mutation long before the onset of cancer, followed by branching evolution of multiple clones that acquired additional driver mutations of their own, from which an invasive cancer ultimately develops. In hereditary cases, this process is thought to be substantially promoted multi-focally from within the entire breasts by a germline mutation shared by all mammary cells, frequently resulting in bilateral and/or multifocal breast cancers. Our findings provide unique insight into the early development of breast cancer.

Citation Format: Nishimura T, Yoshida K, Kawata Y, Takeuchi Y, Kakiuchi N, Shiozawa Y, Aoki K, Hirata M, Kataoka TR, Sakurai T, Baba S, Shiraishi Y, Chiba K, Takeuchi K, Haga H, Miyano S, Toi M, Ogawa S. Clonal evolution of non-malignant proliferative lesions into breast cancers [abstract]. In: Proceedings of the 2018 San Antonio Breast Cancer Symposium; 2018 Dec 4-8; San Antonio, TX. Philadelphia (PA): AACR; Cancer Res 2019;79(4 Suppl):Abstract nr P3-06-04.

Abstract P3-09-04: Possible role of p53/Mieap-regulated mitochondrial quality control as a tumor suppressor in human breast cancer

[Background] In sporadic breast cancers, the most important gene is p53, given that it is a tumor suppressor gene and mutated in greater than 50% of human cancers. According to previous reports, p53 is also mutated in approximately 20–40% of breast cancers. Recent data from the cancer genome atlas (TCGA) revealed that 37% of breast cancer specimens had alterations in p53-particularly, 72% in (human epidermal growth factor) HER2-rich and 80% of basal-like breast cancer cases—indicating that it is a critical driver of tumor development even in breast cancer. p53 is clinically very important not only because of its high mutation rate but also because mutation is associated with more aggressive disease and worse overall survival. Mitochondria-eating protein (Mieap) is a p53-target gene that plays an important role in mitochondrial quality control. Mieap has been reported to have a critical role in tumorsuppression of colorectal cancer. Here, we investigated the role of Mieap as a tumorsuppressor in breast cancer. [Marerial and methods] We overexpressed Mieap using the constructed adenovirus in breast cancer cell lines such as MCF-7, SK-BR-3, and MDA-MB-231 cells. The percentages of cells in different cell cycle phases (subG1, G1, S, and G2/M) were determined using FACS analysis and also caspase activities (Caspase, 3/7, 9) were measured. Cleaved PARP, which is a marker of cells undergoing apoptosis, was detected by western blot. For in vivo experiments, we examined the expression of Mieap using surgical specimens (invasive ductal carcinomas (IDCs): 75, ductal carcinoma in situ (DCIS): 27, fibroadenomas (FAs): 18) by immunohistochemistry. Next, we performed methylation-specific PCR (MSP) for Mieap, NIX, and BNIP3 promoters and p53-mutation search using 46 samples that were cryopreserved, among 75 IDC cases used for immunohistochemistry. These studies were approved by the central ethics committee of Gifu University.[Results] The enforced-expression of exogenous Mieap in breast cancer cells induced caspase-dependent apoptosis, with activation of both caspase-3/7 and caspase-9. Immunohistochemistry revealed endogenous Mieap in the cytoplasm in 24/75 (32%) invasive ductal carcinomas (IDCs), 15/27 (55.6%) cases of ductal carcinoma in situ (DCIS), and 16/18 (88.9%) fibroadenomas (FAs) (IDC vs DCIS; p = 0.0389, DCIS vs FA; p = 0.0234, IDC vs FA; p &lt; 0.0001). In IDCs, the Mieap promoter was methylated in 6/46 (13%) cases whereas p53 was mutated in 6/46 (13%) cases. Therefore, the p53/Mieap-regulated mitochondrial quality control pathway was inactivated in 12/46 IDCs (26.1%). Interestingly, all of the tumors derived from the 12 patients with the Mieap-promoter methylation or p53 mutation pathologically exhibited more aggressive and malignant phenotype of breast cancers, resulting in significantly shorter disease-free survival (DFS) (p = 0.021). [Conclusion]These results indicate that p53/Mieap-regulated mitochondrial quality control has a critical role in tumor suppression of breast cancer, possibly in part, through mitochondrial apoptotic pathway.

Citation Format: Futamura M, Gaowa S, Arakawa H, Yoshida K. Possible role of p53/Mieap-regulated mitochondrial quality control as a tumor suppressor in human breast cancer [abstract]. In: Proceedings of the 2018 San Antonio Breast Cancer Symposium; 2018 Dec 4-8; San Antonio, TX. Philadelphia (PA): AACR; Cancer Res 2019;79(4 Suppl):Abstract nr P3-09-04.

The CALorimetric Electron Telescope (CALET) on the International Space Station: Results from the First Two Years of Operation

The CALorimetric Electron Telescope (CALET) space experiment, which has been developed by Japan in collaboration with Italy and the United States, is a high-energy astroparticle physics mission on the International Space Station (ISS). The primary goals of the CALET mission include investigation of possible nearby sources of high-energy electrons, detailed study of galactic cosmic-ray acceleration and propagation, and search for dark matter signatures. With a long-term observation onboard the ISS, the CALET experiment measures the flux of cosmic-ray electrons (including positrons) up to 20 TeV, gamma-rays to 10 TeV, and nuclei up to 1,000 TeV based on its charge separation capability from Z = 1 to 40. Since the start of science operation in mid-October, 2015, a continuous observation has been maintained without any major interruptions. The number of triggered events over 10 GeV is nearly 20 million per month. By using the data obtained during the first two-years, here we present a summary of the CALET observations: 1) Electron+positron energy spectrum, 2) Nuclei analysis, 3) Gamma-ray observation with a characterization of the on-orbit performance. The search results for the electromagnetic counterparts of LIGO/Virgo gravitational wave events are also discussed.

Thermal behavior, structure, dynamic properties of aqueous glycine solutions confined in mesoporous silica MCM-41 investigated by x-ray diffraction and quasi-elastic neutron scattering

Differential scanning calorimetry, X-ray diffraction, and quasi-elastic neutron scattering (QENS) measurements of aqueous glycine solutions confined in mesoporous silica (MCM-41) were performed at different glycine concentrations, pH, and loading ratio (=mass of glycine solution/mass of dry MCM-41) in the temperature range from 305 to 180 K to discuss the confinement effect on the thermal behavior, the structure, and the dynamic properties of the solutions. The freezing points of the confined glycine solutions decreased, compared with those of the bulk solutions. The corresponding exothermic peak due to ice formation became broader with an increase in the glycine concentration. By subtracting X-ray diffraction patterns of dry MCM-41 from those of glycine solution-loaded MCM-41, information about the structure of the confined glycine solutions was obtained. The radial distribution functions of the confined glycine solutions showed that the peaks assigned to the interaction between glycine molecules and the surface silanol (Si-OH) groups of MCM-41 at pH = 5 were observed, in contrast to the case at pH = 2. The QENS data on H/D substituted aqueous glycine solutions gave the translational diffusion coefficients and the residence time of glycine and water molecules confined in MCM-41 individually. The activation energy of the diffusion coefficient of a glycine molecule at pH = 5 was larger than that at pH = 2. These results imply that glycine molecules locate near the pore surface of MCM-41 due to the formation of hydrogen bonding between glycine molecules and the silanol group of the MCM-41 wall at pH = 5.

Magic Nature of Neutrons in ^{54}Ca: First Mass Measurements of ^{55-57}Ca

We perform the first direct mass measurements of neutron-rich calcium isotopes beyond neutron number 34 at the RIKEN Radioactive Isotope Beam Factory by using the time-of-flight magnetic-rigidity technique. The atomic mass excesses of ^{55-57}Ca are determined for the first time to be -18650(160), -13510(250), and -7370(990)  keV, respectively. We examine the emergence of neutron magicity at N=34 based on the new atomic masses. The new masses provide experimental evidence for the appearance of a sizable energy gap between the neutron 2p_{1/2} and 1f_{5/2} orbitals in ^{54}Ca, comparable to the gap between the neutron 2p_{3/2} and 2p_{1/2} orbitals in ^{52}Ca. For the ^{56}Ca nucleus, an open-shell property in neutrons is suggested.

Discovery of ^{60}Ca and Implications For the Stability of ^{70}Ca

The discovery of the important neutron-rich nucleus _{20}^{60}Ca_{40} and seven others near the limits of nuclear stability is reported from the fragmentation of a 345  MeV/u ^{70}Zn projectile beam on ^{9}Be targets at the radioactive ion-beam factory of the RIKEN Nishina Center. The produced fragments were analyzed and unambiguously identified using the BigRIPS two-stage in-flight separator. The eight new neutron-rich nuclei discovered, ^{47}P, ^{49}S, ^{52}Cl, ^{54}Ar, ^{57}K, ^{59,60}Ca, and ^{62}Sc, are the most neutron-rich isotopes of the respective elements. In addition, one event consistent with ^{59}K was registered. The results are compared with the drip lines predicted by a variety of mass models and it is found that the models in best agreement with the observed limits of existence in the explored region tend to predict the even-mass Ca isotopes to be bound out to at least ^{70}Ca.

Extended Measurement of the Cosmic-Ray Electron and Positron Spectrum from 11 GeV to 4.8 TeV with the Calorimetric Electron Telescope on the International Space Station

Extended results on the cosmic-ray electron + positron spectrum from 11 GeV to 4.8 TeV are presented based on observations with the Calorimetric Electron Telescope (CALET) on the International Space Station utilizing the data up to November 2017. The analysis uses the full detector acceptance at high energies, approximately doubling the statistics compared to the previous result. CALET is an all-calorimetric instrument with a total thickness of 30 X_{0} at normal incidence and fine imaging capability, designed to achieve large proton rejection and excellent energy resolution well into the TeV energy region. The observed energy spectrum in the region below 1 TeV shows good agreement with Alpha Magnetic Spectrometer (AMS-02) data. In the energy region below ∼300  GeV, CALET's spectral index is found to be consistent with the AMS-02, Fermi Large Area Telescope (Fermi-LAT), and Dark Matter Particle Explorer (DAMPE), while from 300 to 600 GeV the spectrum is significantly softer than the spectra from the latter two experiments. The absolute flux of CALET is consistent with other experiments at around a few tens of GeV. However, it is lower than those of DAMPE and Fermi-LAT with the difference increasing up to several hundred GeV. The observed energy spectrum above ∼1  TeV suggests a flux suppression consistent within the errors with the results of DAMPE, while CALET does not observe any significant evidence for a narrow spectral feature in the energy region around 1.4 TeV. Our measured all-electron flux, including statistical errors and a detailed breakdown of the systematic errors, is tabulated in the Supplemental Material in order to allow more refined spectral analyses based on our data.

Significant morphological change in osteoarthritic hips identified over 6-12 months using statistical shape modelling

OBJECTIVE

Predicting who will develop osteoarthritis, assessing how rapidly their disease will progress and monitoring early responses to treatment are key to the development of therapeutic agents able to treat this crippling disease and to their future clinical use. Statistical Shape Modelling (SSM) enables quantification of variations in multiple geometric measures describing the whole hip joint to be considered in concert. This prospective study evaluates the responsiveness of SSM to changes in hip-shape within 1 year.

METHODS

Sixty-two people, mean age 67.1 yrs, were recruited. Dual-energy X-ray Absorptiometry images were taken at three timepoints (baseline, 6 and 12 months). Based on Kellgren-Lawrence grading (KLG) of their baseline images, subjects were classified into control/doubtful OA: KLG < 1 in both hips; moderate OA: KLG = 2; and severe OA: KLG ≥ 3 in their most severe hip. Morphology was quantified using SSM and changes in shape were assessed using generalised estimating equations. Standardized response means (SRMs) were calculated for the first and second 6 month periods, then the full 12 months.

RESULTS

Disease severity ranged from KLG0-KLG4 in the 124 hips assessed at baseline. Three SSM modes (Modes 1, 3 and 4) were associated with OA severity. Across the whole cohort, SRM magnitudes ranged from 0.16 to 0.63. The greatest subgroup SRM (magnitude 0.91) was observed over 12 months in those subjects with moderate OA (KLG2).

CONCLUSIONS

We have demonstrated that SSM can capture changes in hip shape over 6 and 12 months across the entire hip joint providing a sensitive measure of hip OA progression.

Excitation of the Isovector Spin Monopole Resonance via the Exothermic ^{90}Zr(^{12}N,^{12}C) Reaction at 175 MeV/u

The (^{12}N, ^{12}C) charge-exchange reaction at 175  MeV/u was developed as a novel probe for studying the isovector spin giant monopole resonance (IVSMR), whose properties are important for better understanding the bulk properties of nuclei and asymmetric nuclear matter. This probe, now available through the production of ^{12}N as a secondary rare-isotope beam, is exothermic, is strongly absorbed at the surface of the target nucleus, and provides selectivity for spin-transfer excitations. All three properties enhance the excitation of the IVSMR compared to other, primarily light-ion, probes, which have been used to study the IVSMR thus far. The ^{90}Zr(^{12}N,^{12}C) reaction was measured and the excitation energy spectra up to about 70 MeV for both the spin-transfer and non-spin-transfer channels were deduced separately by tagging the decay by γ emission from the ^{12}C ejectile. Besides the well-known Gamow-Teller and isobaric analog transitions, a clear signature of the IVSMR was identified. By comparing with the results from light-ion reactions on the same target nucleus and theoretical predictions, the suitability of this new probe for studying the IVSMR was confirmed.

Astrochemical evolution along star formation: Overview of the IRAM Large Program ASAI

Evidence is mounting that the small bodies of our Solar System, such as comets and asteroids, have at least partially inherited their chemical composition from the first phases of the Solar System formation. It then appears that the molecular complexity of these small bodies is most likely related to the earliest stages of star formation. It is therefore important to characterize and to understand how the chemical evolution changes with solar-type protostellar evolution. We present here the Large Program "Astrochemical Surveys At IRAM" (ASAI). Its goal is to carry out unbiased millimeter line surveys between 80 and 272 GHz of a sample of ten template sources, which fully cover the first stages of the formation process of solar-type stars, from prestellar cores to the late protostellar phase. In this article, we present an overview of the surveys and results obtained from the analysis of the 3 mm band observations. The number of detected main isotopic species barely varies with the evolutionary stage and is found to be very similar to that of massive star-forming regions. The molecular content in O- and C- bearing species allows us to define two chemical classes of envelopes, whose composition is dominated by either a) a rich content in O-rich complex organic molecules, associated with hot corino sources, or b) a rich content in hydrocarbons, typical of Warm Carbon Chain Chemistry sources. Overall, a high chemical richness is found to be present already in the initial phases of solar-type star formation.