Combined Analysis of Neutrino and Antineutrino Oscillations at T2K

T2K reports its first results in the search for CP violation in neutrino oscillations using appearance and disappearance channels for neutrino- and antineutrino-mode beams. The data include all runs from January 2010 to May 2016 and comprise 7.482×10^{20} protons on target in neutrino mode, which yielded in the far detector 32 e-like and 135  μ-like events, and 7.471×10^{20} protons on target in antineutrino mode, which yielded 4 e-like and 66  μ-like events. Reactor measurements of sin^{2}2θ_{13} have been used as an additional constraint. The one-dimensional confidence interval at 90% for the phase δ_{CP} spans the range (-3.13, -0.39) for normal mass ordering. The CP conservation hypothesis (δ_{CP}=0, π) is excluded at 90% C.L.

Parental Causal Explanations and Treatment Seeking in Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder: Perspectives From a Developing Nation Based on Process Theory

Introduction

Cultural factors have an important role in causal model of symptoms, threshold for treatment seeking and acceptability of professional help in ADHD.

Objectives and aims

To explore causal explanations and treatment seeking amongst parents of children with ADHD and understand these in context of a largely collectivistic culture as in India.

Methods

In-depth semi-structured interviews were conducted with 27 consenting parents; data interpreted using process theory.

Results

Initial reaction to psychiatric referral revealed themes of disbelief/surprise, feeling confused/offended and lag of 6–36 months to consultation. Parents most commonly attributed causality to psychosocial reasons (lack of motivation/volitional, inadequate disciplining), while few gave one or more biomedical explanations (epilepsy, brain damage, low birth weight, nutritional deficiency, maternal ill health, low intelligence) alone or with a psychosocial reason. Despite the initial reaction, all but 1 parent was relieved with medical explanation, accepted diagnosis, and perceived need for treatment. Most parents were willing to start/continue medication if doctor suggested so as “he/she would know the best”. All parents expressed that counseling was needed.

Conclusions

Initial reactions and delay in treatment seeking is understood in light of cultural attitudes towards mental illnesses and psychiatric consultation in developing nations. More importantly, despite initial reluctance, most parents accepted biomedical explanation and treatment. The doctor patient relationship modeled on a guru-chela relation of complete trust in authority can explain this process change. We conclude that cultural attitudes not only influence causal models and initial treatment seeking, but also modify process of help seeking.

Disclosure of interest

The authors have not supplied their declaration of competing interest.

Pleomorphic adenoma of nasal septum: A case report

Pleomorphic adenomas are the most common benign tumor of the major salivary glands. Other rare sites for the occurrence of pleomorphic adenoma have been described in the larynx, pharynx, nasal cavity, lacrimal glands and trachea. We report here a case of intranasal pleomorphic adenoma arising from the nasal septum causing nasal obstruction which was clinically diagnosed as papilloma. Histopathology confirmed the diagnosis of pleomorphic adenoma.

Respiratory health status is impaired in UK HIV-positive adults with virologically suppressed HIV infection

OBJECTIVES

We sought to evaluate whether people living with HIV (PLWH) using effective antiretroviral therapy (ART) have worse respiratory health status than similar HIV-negative individuals.

METHODS

We recruited 197 HIV-positive and 93 HIV-negative adults from HIV and sexual health clinics. They completed a questionnaire regarding risk factors for respiratory illness. Respiratory health status was assessed using the St George's Respiratory Questionnaire (SGRQ) and the Medical Research Council (MRC) breathlessness scale. Subjects underwent spirometry without bronchodilation.

RESULTS

PLWH had worse respiratory health status: the median SGRQ Total score was 12 [interquartile range (IQR) 6-25] in HIV-positive subjects vs. 6 (IQR 2-14) in HIV-negative subjects (P < 0.001); breathlessness was common in the HIV-positive group, where 47% compared with 24% had an MRC breathlessness score ≥ 2 (P = 0.001). Eighteen (11%) HIV-positive and seven (9%) HIV-negative participants had airflow obstruction. In multivariable analyses (adjusted for age, gender, smoking, body mass index and depression), HIV infection remained associated with higher SGRQ and MRC scores, with an adjusted fold-change in SGRQ Total score of 1.54 [95% confidence interval (CI) 1.14-2.09; P = 0.005] and adjusted odds ratio of having an MRC score of ≥ 2 of 2.45 (95% CI 1.15-5.20; P = 0.02). Similar findings were obtained when analyses were repeated including only HIV-positive participants with a viral load < 40 HIV-1 RNA copies/mL.

CONCLUSIONS

Despite effective ART, impaired respiratory health appears more common in HIV-positive adults, and has a significant impact on health-related quality of life.

Impact of Cognition and Clinical Factors on Functional Outcome in Patients with Bipolar Disorder

OBJECTIVE

To examine the role of different clinical variables and cognition on functional outcome in patients with bipolar disorder.

METHODS

A total of 61 euthymic patients with bipolar disorder and 30 healthy individuals were included in the study. The patients were divided into low functioning (n = 30) or high functioning (n = 31) subgroups based on functioning level measured by Global Assessment of Functioning Scale score. Groups were subjected to neurocognitive and clinical assessment.

RESULTS

Clinical variables differed significantly between low and high functioning patient groups, namely total number of episodes, depressive episodes, and time since the last episode. These variables were also correlated significantly with Global Assessment of Functioning Scale score. All 3 groups differed significantly for digit span backward test, verbal learning and memory test, Trail Making Test, and Stroop Colour Test. Digit span backward test, Trail Making Test, and Stroop Colour Test were significantly correlated with Global Assessment of Functioning Scale score.

CONCLUSIONS

Total episodes, depressive episodes, time since the last episode, and cognitive dysfunction correlated with poor functioning. Executive dysfunction was the strongest predictor of psychosocial outcome in euthymic bipolar patients. Long-term therapeutic interventions should target relapse prevention with special consideration given to depressive episodes and cognitive rehabilitation.

Prostate Cancer Metastatic to the Renal Allograft: A Case Report

Malignancy is a leading cause of morbidity and mortality in organ transplant recipients who receive immunosuppression. Cancers associated with viruses such as nonmelanotic skin cancer and Kaposi sarcoma occur in allograft recipients at rates that far exceed that in the general population. The increased risk and tumor type may depend not only on degree of immune system modulation but also on the type of organ transplanted. In kidney transplant recipients, the risk of cancers such as prostate and breast does not seem to be increased. However, these cancers tend to be advanced and aggressive. The management of these cancers is similar to the general population with the additional consideration for reduction in immunosuppression and conversion to sirolimus. Given the increased survival of both transplanted organs as well as organ recipients along with the increased number of older recipients, the diagnosis of prostate cancer in the older male organ recipient is increasing. The long-term outcomes using current treatment guidelines for prostate cancer in these individuals are not clear. We report a case of known localized prostate cancer in a renal transplant recipient presenting with metastasis diagnosed as tumor infiltration of the allograft. Our patient, upon initial diagnosis of cancer, opted for radiation with eventual androgen-deprivation therapy. This unusual site of prostate cancer spread heightens the need for awareness among providers as well as the need for further studies of the outcomes in these patients undergoing treatments designed using guidelines developed for those with normally functioning immunity.

Measurement of Coherent π^{+} Production in Low Energy Neutrino-Carbon Scattering

We report the first measurement of the flux-averaged cross section for charged current coherent π^{+} production on carbon for neutrino energies less than 1.5 GeV, and with a restriction on the final state phase space volume in the T2K near detector, ND280. Comparisons are made with predictions from the Rein-Sehgal coherent production model and the model by Alvarez-Ruso et al., the latter representing the first implementation of an instance of the new class of microscopic coherent models in a neutrino interaction Monte Carlo event generator. We observe a clear event excess above background, disagreeing with the null results reported by K2K and SciBooNE in a similar neutrino energy region. The measured flux-averaged cross sections are below those predicted by both the Rein-Sehgal and Alvarez-Ruso et al.

A Particle X-ray Temporal Diagnostic (PXTD) for studies of kinetic, multi-ion effects, and ion-electron equilibration rates in Inertial Confinement Fusion plasmas at OMEGA (invited)

A Particle X-ray Temporal Diagnostic (PXTD) has been implemented on OMEGA for simultaneous time-resolved measurements of several nuclear products as well as the x-ray continuum produced in High Energy Density Plasmas and Inertial Confinement Fusion implosions. The PXTD removes systematic timing uncertainties typically introduced by using multiple instruments, and it has been used to measure DD, DT, D³He, and T³He reaction histories and the emission history of the x-ray core continuum with relative timing uncertainties within ±10-20 ps. This enables, for the first time, accurate and simultaneous measurements of the x-ray emission histories, nuclear reaction histories, their time differences, and measurements of T_i(t) and T_e(t) from which an assessment of multiple-ion-fluid effects, kinetic effects during the shock-burn phase, and ion-electron equilibration rates can be made.

Population-based cohort study of variation in the use of emergency cholecystectomy for benign gallbladder diseases

Background

The aims of this prospective population-based cohort study were to identify the patient and hospital characteristics associated with emergency cholecystectomy, and the influences of these in determining variations between hospitals.

Methods

Data were collected for consecutive patients undergoing cholecystectomy in acute UK and Irish hospitals between 1 March and 1 May 2014. Potential explanatory variables influencing the performance of emergency cholecystectomy were analysed by means of multilevel, multivariable logistic regression modelling using a two-level hierarchical structure with patients (level 1) nested within hospitals (level 2).

Results

Data were collected on 4744 cholecystectomies from 165 hospitals. Increasing age, lower ASA fitness grade, biliary colic, the need for further imaging (magnetic retrograde cholangiopancreatography), endoscopic interventions (endoscopic retrograde cholangiopancreatography) and admission to a non-biliary centre significantly reduced the likelihood of an emergency cholecystectomy being performed. The multilevel model was used to calculate the probability of receiving an emergency cholecystectomy for a woman aged 40 years or over with an ASA grade of I or II and a BMI of at least 25·0 kg/m2, who presented with acute cholecystitis with an ultrasound scan showing a thick-walled gallbladder and a normal common bile duct. The mean predicted probability of receiving an emergency cholecystectomy was 0·52 (95 per cent c.i. 0·45 to 0·57). The predicted probabilities ranged from 0·02 to 0·95 across the 165 hospitals, demonstrating significant variation between hospitals.

Conclusion

Patients with similar characteristics presenting to different hospitals with acute gallbladder pathology do not receive comparable care.

Safety and Efficacy of Spinal Anaesthesia in Percutaneous Nephrolithotomy

INTRODUCTION

Renal stone is one of the common entities occurring in our population. There are different treatment modalities of stones; out of those percutaneous nephrolithotomy is one of the most popular and effective for the renal and upper tract stones. This study is based to compare the safety and efficacy of spinal anaesthesia and general anaesthesia in PCNL.

METHODS

In a randomized prospective study 60 patients were divided in two groups; group 1 (n=30) underwent PCNL in general anaesthesia and group 2 (n=30) underwent PCNL in spinal anaesthesia in prone position with the conventional technique. Demographic, operative data, post operative complications, patients' satisfaction rate and follow up complications were recorded and analyzed between two groups.

RESULTS

Mean age in group 1 was 39.10±12.45years and 36.10±14.18 in group 2 (P=0.100). Mean stone size in group 1 was 3.75±1.27cm and 3.23±1.36cm in group 2 (P=0.129).Similarly the operative time was 89.10 ± 49.38 min and 62.53±35.91 min in group 1 and group 2 respectively (P=0.042). There was no significant difference between the complications regarding the anaesthesia. Post operative nausea and vomiting were significantly higher in group 1 and headache in group 2 (p=<0.001). Overall patient satisfaction rate was higher in group 2 then in group 1 (p=0.01). Hospital stay in group 1 was 5.27±1.87 days and 4.53±1.88 days in group 2 (p = 0.07). Stone success rate was similar in each group (p =0.50).

CONCLUSIONS

Spinal anaesthesia is a safe and effective method in performing PCNL.

Chronic recurrent multifocal osteomyelitis (CRMO) - advancing the diagnosis

BACKGROUND

Chronic recurrent multifocal osteomyelitis (CRMO) is a little known inflammatory bone disease occurring primarily in children and adolescents. Delays in referral and diagnosis may lead to prolonged courses of antibiotics with in-patient care, unnecessary radiation exposure from multiple plain radiographs or bone scans and repeated surgery including bone biopsies. Children (aged < 18 years) diagnosed with CRMO between January 2005 and December 2012, reviewed at Bristol Royal Hospital for Children were included and all available data collected. Information regarding CRMO was sent to all orthopaedic surgeons in the region in 2009. The aim of the study was to examine the features of the cohort, to examine the length of time to diagnosis and to explore the criteria used for diagnosis with and without biopsy.

FINDINGS

Over an 8 year period, 41 patients were diagnosed with CRMO. Symptom onset occurred at a median of 9 years of age and time to diagnosis had a median of 15 months (range 0-92). Correlation coefficient analysis for time to diagnosis by year showed statistical significance with a decreasing trend. From the cohort data, diagnostic criteria were developed; applied retrospectively, 34 (83 %) children may have been diagnosed using the criteria, without a biopsy.

CONCLUSIONS

The data suggest that increasing knowledge of this condition may shorten time to diagnosis. Use of the Bristol diagnostic criteria by an experienced clinician may obviate the need for biopsy in some patients.

Isolated PTH Renal Resistance Pseudohypoparathyroidism 1b: A Rare Cause of Hypocalcemia

A case of Pseudohypoparathyroidism 1b is reported, who presented with signs and symptoms of hypocalcemia. Causes, diagnosis and management with new insight into genetic novel mutations in PHP are discussed. The objectives are to provide information regarding problems of Calcium balance, causes and making diagnosis of pseudohypoparathyroidism, learn complexities of PTH cellular interactions and calcium homeostasis and learn the genetic novel mutations of various types of PHP.

Measurement of Muon Antineutrino Oscillations with an Accelerator-Produced Off-Axis Beam

T2K reports its first measurements of the parameters governing the disappearance of ν[over ¯]_{μ} in an off-axis beam due to flavor change induced by neutrino oscillations. The quasimonochromatic ν[over ¯]_{μ} beam, produced with a peak energy of 0.6 GeV at J-PARC, is observed at the far detector Super-Kamiokande, 295 km away, where the ν[over ¯]_{μ} survival probability is expected to be minimal. Using a data set corresponding to 4.01×10^{20} protons on target, 34 fully contained μ-like events were observed. The best-fit oscillation parameters are sin^{2}(θ[over ¯]_{23})=0.45 and |Δm[over ¯]_{32}^{2}|=2.51×10^{-3}  eV^{2} with 68% confidence intervals of 0.38-0.64 and 2.26-2.80×10^{-3}  eV^{2}, respectively. These results are in agreement with existing antineutrino parameter measurements and also with the ν_{μ} disappearance parameters measured by T2K.

A clinical study to assess the pathological involvement of occult supraclavicular lymphnode metastasis in case of locally advanced operable breast carcinoma

PURPOSE

The prognosis of ipsilateral supraclavicular lymph node (SCLN) recurrence after early breast cancer appears to be worse than for other locoregional recurrences, but better than for distant metastases. Prophylactic radiotherapy (RT) to supraclavicular region decreases risk of ipsilateral SCLN recurrence. Currently, all patients with locally advanced breast cancer are considered high-risk for SCLN metastasis and treated with prophylactic RT. This study is carried out to identify risk factors associated with occult SCLN metastases in locally advanced breast cancer.

MATERIALS AND METHODS

Total 48 female patients of all ages presenting with locally advanced carcinoma of breast who were operable by protocol criteria were included in the study. All the patients underwent modified radical mastectomy with supraclavicular lymphnode dissection. The resected specimen was processed for the histopathological analysis.

RESULTS

Occult SCLN metastases are found in 25% (12/48) of the patients in this study. Eleven factors were identified and analyzed to know whether or not they are associated with SCLN metastasis. Of those only pathological N stage (7% for <pN3 vs and 52% for pN3 stage) and level axillary nodal involvement (7% for patients without Level III involvement and 52% for with Level III involvement) are significantly associated with high-risk for occult supraclavicular lymphnode metastasis. Other factors such as age, menopausal status, T stage, pathologic grade, lymphovascular invasion, extracapsular extension, hormone receptor, and Her2 neu receptor status are not associated with risk for SCLN metastasis.

CONCLUSION

Our study has shown that only high axillary disease burden in terms of more than 10 node positivity or more than 75% positive node out of total dissected nodes is associated with occult supraclavicular lymphnode metastasis breast cancer.

The development and evaluation of a community-based clinical diagnosis tool and treatment regimen for postpartum sepsis in Bangladesh and Pakistan

BACKGROUND

Postpartum sepsis accounts for most maternal deaths between three and seven days postpartum, when most mothers, even those who deliver in facilities, are at home. Case fatality rates for untreated women are very high. Newborns of ill women have substantially higher infection risk.

METHODS/DESIGN

The objectives of this study are to: (1) create, field-test and validate a tool for community health workers to improve diagnostic accuracy of suspected puerperal sepsis; (2) measure incidence and identify associated risk factors and; (3) describe etiologic agents responsible and antibacterial susceptibility patterns. This prospective cohort study builds on the Aetiology of Neonatal Infection in South Asia study in three sites: Sylhet, Bangladesh and Karachi and Matiari, Pakistan. Formative research determined local knowledge of symptoms and signs of postpartum sepsis, and a systematic literature review was conducted to design a diagnostic tool for community health workers to use during ten postpartum home visits. Suspected postpartum sepsis cases were referred to study physicians for independent assessment, which permitted validation of the tool. Clinical specimens, including urine, blood, and endometrial material, were collected for etiologic assessment and antibiotic sensitivity. All women with puerperal sepsis were given appropriate antibiotics.

DISCUSSION

This is the first large population-based study to expand community-based surveillance for diagnoses, referral and treatment of newborn sepsis to include maternal postpartum sepsis. Study activities will lead to development and validation of a diagnostic tool for use by community health workers in resource-poor countries. Understanding the epidemiology and microbiology of postpartum sepsis will inform prevention and treatment strategies and improve understanding of linkages between maternal and neonatal infections.

Beneficial effects of Bacopa monnieri extract on opioid induced toxicity

The present study examined the hepatotoxicity and nephrotoxicity of morphine and illicit street heroin and their amelioration by a standardized methanolic extract of Bacopa monnieri (L.) (mBME) in rats. Morphine or street heroin was administered at a dose of 20 mg/kg for 14 and 21 days. mBME (40 mg/kg) or ascorbic acid (50 mg/kg) was administered two hours before morphine or street heroin. High performance liquid chromatography (HPLC) was used for the standardization of bacoside-A major components in mBME. The antioxidant potential of mBME was evaluated by 2,2-diphenyl-1-picrylhydrazyl (DPPH) free radical scavenging assay. Administration of morphine and street heroin resulted in marked elevation of serum alanine aminotransferase (ALT), aspartate aminotransferase (AST) and creatinine. Histopathological changes induced by morphine and street heroin after 14 days were of reversible nature while treatment for 21 days was associated with irreversible changes. Pretreatment with mBME or ascorbic acid restored the elevation of serum ALT, AST and creatinine and protected liver and kidneys from the toxicological influence of morphine and street heroin. HPLC analysis showed that mBME contained bacoside-A major components i.e. bacoside-A₃ (37.5 μg/mg), bacopaside-II (4.62 μg/mg) and bacopasaponin-C (1.91 μg/mg). The EC₅₀ for the DPPH free radical scavenging assay revealed that mBME possessed strong antioxidant potential. These results concluded that as compared to morphine, street heroin was associated with severe biochemical and histopathological changes in the liver and kidneys. Bacopa monnieri having strong antioxidant potential may provide a beneficial herbal remedy for the efficient management of opioid related hepatotoxicity and nephrotoxicity.