Comparison of Strain in GaN-Based Blue Light-Emitting Diode Grown on Silicon(111) and Sapphire Substrates

We compare the strain states and device performances of GaN-based blue light-emitting diodes (LEDs) grown on Si(111) and sapphire substrates. The strain characteristics are investigated using micro-Raman spectroscopy and high-resolution transmission electron microscopy. These analyses reveal that GaN layer grown on Si has a residual tensile strain in contrast to a compressive strain for GaN on sapphire, and quantum wells (QWs) on GaN/Si experience reduced lattice mismatch than those of GaN/sapphire. When external quantum efficiencies of LED on sapphire and Si substrates are compared, the LED on Si shows better efficiency droop characteristics and this is attributed to a decrease in piezo-electric field strength in InGaN/GaN layers owing to reduced lattice mismatch.

Tevatron constraints on models of the Higgs boson with exotic spin and parity using decays to bottom-antibottom quark pairs

Combined constraints from the CDF and D0 Collaborations on models of the Higgs boson with exotic spin J and parity P are presented and compared with results obtained assuming the standard model value JP=0+. Both collaborations analyzed approximately 10  fb(-) of proton-antiproton collisions with a center-of-mass energy of 1.96 TeV collected at the Fermilab Tevatron. Two models predicting exotic Higgs bosons with JP=0- and JP=2+ are tested. The kinematic properties of exotic Higgs boson production in association with a vector boson differ from those predicted for the standard model Higgs boson. Upper limits at the 95% credibility level on the production rates of the exotic Higgs bosons, expressed as fractions of the standard model Higgs boson production rate, are set at 0.36 for both the JP=0- hypothesis and the JP=2+ hypothesis. If the production rate times the branching ratio to a bottom-antibottom pair is the same as that predicted for the standard model Higgs boson, then the exotic bosons are excluded with significances of 5.0 standard deviations and 4.9 standard deviations for the JP=0- and JP=2+ hypotheses, respectively.

Disseminated intravascular coagulation in Korean hemorrhagic fever

To investigate the nature and role of coagulation and complement alterations in the pathogenesis of Korean hemorrhagic fever (KHF), the profiles from the early stages in 27 male patients were serially evaluated. Evidence of disseminated intravascular coagulation (DIC) was observed in 14 of the 27 patients (51.8%) sometime during the course of the disease. The earlier the coagulation tests were performed, the more frequently the evidence of DIC was found. The mean serum C3 concentration was significantly decreased during the early stages, while serum C4 concentrations revealed no significant variation. A significant decrease of the serum C3 concentration, however, was found only in the group with DIC. Korean hemorrhagic fever (KHF) is an acute, systemic disease characterized by fever, hemorrhagic manifestations, and renal failure. This disease has been known to occur from the Pacific Ocean to the Baltic Sea under various synonyms and toponyms including epidemic hemorrhagic fever, hemorrhagic nephrosonephritis and hemorrhagic fever with renal syndrome. Recent investigations demonstrated the identity of these conditions described from Korea, the Soviet Union, Japan, and China. Nephropathia epidemica of Scandinavia was also revealed to have a close serological relation to this disease, but with antigenic differences. The etiologic agent was identified in 1978 by Lee et al., who isolated a viral antigen from a field mouse, Apodemus agrarius coreae, which is the natural reservoir of this disease in Korea. The KHF or Hantaan virus has been propagated in cell cultures and observed electronmicroscopically. In thin sections, the virus was detected within the cytoplasmic granular matrices (viroplasms) of the infected cells. Virus particles were spherical and had an extremely electron-dense core. Negative-contrast staining showed that the virus had an icosahedral structure and annular surface capsomeres. The morphology and morphogenesis of the virus were similar to those of the orbiviruses. The characteristic pathologic findings observed in fatal cases of KHF are congestion and hemorrhage of the renal medulla, hemorrhage in the right atrial wall of the heart, and hemorrhage and necrosis in the anterior lobe of the pituitary gland. The microscopic characteristics of these lesions consist of hemorrhage, coagulation necrosis, and mononuclear cell infiltration. The clinical course of typical KHF may be divided into five phases, each designated for a characteristic physiologic aberration; febrile, hypotensive, oliguric, diuretic, and convalescent.(ABSTRACT TRUNCATED AT 400 WORDS)

Constraints on models of the Higgs boson with exotic spin and parity using decays to bottom-antibottom quarks in the full CDF data set

A search for particles with the same mass and couplings as those of the standard model Higgs boson but different spin and parity quantum numbers is presented. We test two specific alternative Higgs boson hypotheses: a pseudoscalar Higgs boson with spin-parity J^{P}=0^{-} and a gravitonlike Higgs boson with J^{P}=2^{+}, assuming for both a mass of 125  GeV/c^{2}. We search for these exotic states produced in association with a vector boson and decaying into a bottom-antibottom quark pair. The vector boson is reconstructed through its decay into an electron or muon pair, or an electron or muon and a neutrino, or it is inferred from an imbalance in total transverse momentum. We use expected kinematic differences between events containing exotic Higgs bosons and those containing standard model Higgs bosons. The data were collected by the CDF experiment at the Tevatron proton-antiproton collider, operating at a center-of-mass energy of sqrt[s]=1.96  TeV, and correspond to an integrated luminosity of 9.45  fb^{-1}. We exclude deviations from the predictions of the standard model with a Higgs boson of mass 125  GeV/c^{2} at the level of 5 standard deviations, assuming signal strengths for exotic boson production equal to the prediction for the standard model Higgs boson, and set upper limits of approximately 30% relative to the standard model rate on the possible rate of production of each exotic state.

Novel alkali-tolerant GH10 endo-β-1,4-xylanase with broad substrate specificity from Microbacterium trichothecenolyticum HY-17, a gut bacterium of the mole cricket Gryllotalpa orientalis

The XylH gene (1,167-bp) encoding a novel hemicellulase (41,584 Da) was identified from the genome of Microbacterium trichothecenolyticum HY-17, a gastrointestinal bacterium of Gryllotalpa orientalis. The enzyme consisted of a single catalytic domain, which is 74% identical to that of an endo-β-1,4-xylanase (GH10) from Isoptericola variabilis 225. Unlike other endo-β- 1,4-xylanases from invertebrate-symbiotic bacteria, rXylH was an alkali-tolerant multifunctional enzyme possessing endo-β-1,4-xylanase activity together with β-1,3/β-1,4- glucanase activity, which exhibited its highest xylanolytic activity at pH 9.0 and 60°C, and was relatively stable within a broad pH range of 5.0-10.0. The susceptibilities of different xylosebased polysaccharides to the XylH were assessed to be as follows: oat spelts xylan > beechwood xylan > birchwood xylan > wheat arabinoxylan. rXylH was also able to readily cleave p-nitrophenyl (pNP) cellobioside and pNP-xylopyranoside, but did not hydrolyze other pNP-sugar derivatives, xylobiose, or hexose-based materials. Enzymatic hydrolysis of birchwood xylan resulted in the product composition of xylobiose (71.2%) and xylotriose (28.8%) as end products.

Anti-angiogenic effect of Nelumbo nucifera leaf extracts in human umbilical vein endothelial cells with antioxidant potential

Nelumbo nucifera Gaertn (Nymphaeaceae) has long been used as a traditional herb in Chinese, Japanese, Indian, and Korean medicinal practices since prehistoric times and flourishes today as the primary form of medicine. This study reports for the first time the potent ability of N. nucifera leaf extracts to inhibit vascular endothelial growth factor (VEGF)-induced angiogenesis in vitro and in vivo, as well as their antioxidant efficacy in various scavenging models and an analysis of their chemical composition. In vivo anti-angiogenic activity was evaluated in a chick chorioallantoic membrane (CAM) model using fertilized chicken eggs, in human umbilical vein endothelial cells (HUVECs) by using cell viability, cell proliferation and tube formation assays, and by determining intracellular reactive oxygen species (ROS) in vitro. The antioxidant efficacy of N. nucifera leaf extracts was determined in various scavenging models, including total phenolic and flavonoid content. The chemical composition of N. nucifera leaf extracts was determined by GC-MS analysis, which revealed the presence of different phytochemicals. The IC₅₀ values for the DPPH radical scavenging activities of water and methanol extracts were found to be 1699.47 and 514.36 μg ml⁻¹, and their total phenolic and flavonoid contents were 85.01 ± 2.32 and 147.63 ± 2.23 mg GAE g dry mass⁻¹ and 35.38 ± 1.32 and 41.86 ± 1.07 mg QA g dry mass⁻¹, respectively. N. nucifera leaf extracts (10–100 μg ml⁻¹) exhibited significant dose-dependent inhibition of VEGF-induced angiogenesis, as well as VEGF-induced proliferation and tube formation in HUVECs. In this study, N. nucifera leaf extracts displayed potent antioxidant and inhibitory effects on VEGF-induced angiogenesis. N. nucifera exerted an inhibitory effect on VEGF-induced proliferation and tube formation, as well as CAM angiogenesis in vivo. Moreover, N. nucifera leaf extracts significantly blocked VEGF-induced ROS production in HUVECs, confirming their possible anti-angiogenic mechanism.

Post-infectious bronchiolitis obliterans in children: CT features that predict responsiveness to pulse methylprednisolone

OBJECTIVE

Intravenous pulse methylprednisolone therapy (IPMT) is an important treatment option for post-infectious obliterative bronchiolitis (OB), although it must be used carefully and only in selected patients because of its drawbacks. This study evaluated whether CT and clinical features of children with post-infectious OB can predict their responsiveness to IPMT.

METHODS

We searched the medical records for patients (less than 18 years of age) who were diagnosed with post-infectious OB between January 2000 and December 2011. 17 children who received IPMT were included in this study. All underwent chest CT before and after IPMT. The radiological features seen on pre-treatment CT were recorded. The air-trapping area percentages on pre- and post-treatment CT images were determined. The nine patients who exhibited decreased air trapping on post-treatment CT scans relative to pre-treatment scans were classed as responders. The patient ages and time from initial pneumonia to IPMT were recorded.

RESULTS

All responders and only four non-responders had thickened bronchial walls before treatment (p = 0.029). The two groups did not differ significantly in terms of bronchiolitis, bronchiectasis or the extent of air trapping, although the responders had a significantly shorter median interval between initial pneumonia and IPMT (4 vs 50 months; p = 0.005) and were significantly younger (median, 2.0 vs 7.5 years; p = 0.048).

CONCLUSION

Immediate IPMT may improve the degree of air trapping in children with post-infectious OB if they show a thickened bronchial wall on CT.

ADVANCES IN KNOWLEDGE

Children with post-infectious OB may respond favourably to IPMT when pre-treatment CT indicates bronchial-wall thickening.

Systematic review with meta-analysis: prompt endoscopy as the initial management strategy for uninvestigated dyspepsia in Asia

BACKGROUND

Prompt endoscopy should be considered as an initial strategy for uninvestigated dyspepsia in the background of high prevalence of Helicobacter pylori infection and malignancy. However, with changes of disease patterns and dyspepsia definition, the prevalence of organic lesions at endoscopy in dyspepsia patients and the predictive values of alarm features and age for in malignancy remain unclear in Asian population.

AIMS

To evaluate the appropriateness of prompt endoscopy as an initial dyspepsia management strategy, we investigated the organic lesion detection rates in Asian dyspepsia patients as well as the diagnostic accuracies of alarm features and age thresholds for malignancy.

METHODS

Literature was retrieved from MEDLINE, PubMed, Embase, Cochrane Library and CINAHL Plus. The prevalence rates of organic lesions and young cancer patients among dyspeptic patients and the sensitivities, specificities, likelihood ratios and diagnostic odds ratio (DOR) of alarm features and ages were estimated. The summary receiver operating characteristic curve was constructed and the area under the curve (AUC) calculated. Subgroup, sensitivity and meta-regression analyses were performed.

RESULTS

Of the 18 included studies, 15 reported organic lesion detection rates, and six and five analysed the predictive values of alarm features and ages respectively. The overall malignancy detection rate was 1.3% (95% CI: 0.80-2.10). Among cancer patients, 17.8% (95% CI: 10.90-29.00) were younger than 45 years and 3.0% (95% CI: 2.50-3.50) were younger than 35 years. The diagnostic accuracy of alarm features for predicting malignancy was moderate (DOR: 4.87, 95% CI: 2.72-8.71; AUC = 0.74). The diagnostic accuracy at age >35 years (DOR: 9.41, 95% CI: 7.89-11.21; AUC = 0.82) was better than that at age >45 years (DOR: 3.50, 95% CI: 2.32-5.27; AUC = 0.70).

CONCLUSIONS

The malignancy detection rate and proportion of young cancer patients were high among Asian dyspepsia patients. Alarm features and age were of limited value for predicting malignancy, and prompt endoscopy should be considered as the initial strategy for dyspepsia in Asian populations. The optimal age threshold for endoscopy screening in Asia might be 35 years.

Tailor-made polyamide membranes for water desalination

Independent control of the extrinsic and intrinsic properties of the polyamide (PA) selective layer is essential for designing thin-film composite (TFC) membranes with performance characteristics required for water purification applications besides seawater desalination. Current commercial TFC membranes fabricated via the well-established interfacial polymerization (IP) approach yield materials that are far from ideal because their layer thickness, surface roughness, polymer chemistry, and network structure cannot be separately tailored. In this work, tailor-made PA-based desalination membranes based on molecular layer-by-layer (mLbL) assembly are presented. The mLbL technique enables the construction of an ultrathin and highly cross-linked PA selective layer in a precisely and independently controlled manner. The mLbL-assembled TFC membranes exhibit significant enhancements in performance compared to their IP-assembled counterparts. A maximum sodium chloride rejection of 98.2% is achieved along with over 2.5 times higher water flux than the IP-assembled counterpart. More importantly, this work demonstrates the broad applicability of mLbL in fabricating a variety of PA-based TFC membranes with nanoscale control of the selective layer thickness and roughness independent of the specific polyamide chemistry.

PCDHB14- and GABRB1-like nervous system developmental genes are altered during early neuronal differentiation of NCCIT cells treated with ethanol

Ethanol (EtOH) exposure during embryonic development causes dysfunction of the central nervous system (CNS). Here, we examined the effects of chronic EtOH on gene expression during early stages of neuronal differentiation. Human embryonic carcinoma (NCCIT) cells were differentiated into neuronal precursors/lineages in the presence or absence of EtOH and folic acid. Gene expression profiling and pathway analysis demonstrated that EtOH deregulates many genes and pathways that are involved in early brain development. EtOH exposure downregulated several important genes, such as PCDHB14, GABRB1, CTNND2, NAV3, RALDH1, and OPN5, which are involved in CNS development, synapse assembly, synaptic transmission, and neurotransmitter receptor activity. GeneGo pathway analysis revealed that the deregulated genes mapped to disease pathways that were relevant to fetal alcohol spectrum disorders (FASD, such as neurotic disorders, epilepsy, and alcohol-related disorders). In conclusion, these findings suggest that the impairment of the neurological system or suboptimal synapse formation resulting from EtOH exposure could underlie the neurodevelopmental disorders in individuals with FASD.

Rational molecular design of PEOlated ladder-structured polysilsesquioxane membranes for high performance CO2 removal

By selectively introducing PEO groups into the ladder-structured polysilsesquioxane, PEO crystallization was suppressed, allowing for the exceptional CO₂ separation performance.

Measurement of the single top quark production cross section and |Vtb| in events with one charged lepton, large missing transverse energy, and jets at CDF

We report a measurement of single top quark production in proton-antiproton collisions at a center-of-mass energy of sqrt[s]=1.96  TeV using a data set corresponding to 7.5  fb(-1) of integrated luminosity collected by the Collider Detector at Fermilab. We select events consistent with the single top quark decay process t→Wb→ℓνb by requiring the presence of an electron or muon, a large imbalance of transverse momentum indicating the presence of a neutrino, and two or three jets including at least one originating from a bottom quark. An artificial neural network is used to discriminate the signal from backgrounds. We measure a single top quark production cross section of 3.04(-0.53)(+0.57)  pb and set a lower limit on the magnitude of the coupling between the top quark and bottom quark |Vtb|>0.78 at the 95% credibility level.

Measurements of direct CP-violating asymmetries in charmless decays of bottom baryons

We report final measurements of direct CP-violating asymmetries in charmless decays of neutral bottom hadrons to pairs of charged hadrons with the upgraded Collider Detector at the Fermilab Tevatron. Using the complete √s=1.96  TeV proton-antiproton collisions data set, corresponding to 9.3  fb⁻¹ of integrated luminosity, we measure A(Λ(b)⁰→pπ⁻)=+0.06±0.07(stat)±0.03(syst) and A(Λ(b)⁰→pK⁻)=-0.10±0.08(stat)±0.04(syst), compatible with no asymmetry. In addition we measure the CP-violating asymmetries in B(s)⁰→K⁻π⁺ and B⁰→K⁺π⁻ decays to be A(B(s)⁰→K⁻π⁺)=+0.22±0.07(stat)±0.02(syst) and A(B⁰→K⁺π⁻)=-0.083±0.013(stat)±0.004(syst), respectively, which are significantly different from zero and consistent with current world averages.

Forced arterial suction thrombectomy with the penumbra reperfusion catheter in acute basilar artery occlusion: a retrospective comparison study in 2 Korean university hospitals

BACKGROUND AND PURPOSE

A performance of forced arterial suction thrombectomy was not reported for the treatment of acute basilar artery occlusion. This study compared revascularization performance between intra-arterial fibrinolytic treatment and forced arterial suction thrombectomy with a Penumbra reperfusion catheter in patients with acute basilar artery occlusion.

MATERIALS AND METHODS

Fifty-seven patients with acute basilar artery occlusion were treated with intra-arterial fibrinolysis (n = 25) or forced arterial suction thrombectomy (n = 32). Baseline characteristics, successful revascularization rate, and clinical outcomes were compared between the groups.

RESULTS

Baseline characteristics, the frequency of patients receiving intravenous recombinant tissue plasminogen activator, and mean time interval between symptom onset and femoral puncture did not differ between groups. The forced arterial suction thrombectomy group had a shorter procedure duration (75.5 minutes versus 113.3 minutes, P = .016) and higher successful revascularization rate (88% versus 60%, P = .017) than the fibrinolysis group. Fair outcome, indicated by a modified Rankin Scale 0-3, at 3 months was achieved in 34% of patients undergoing forced arterial suction thrombectomy and 8% of patients undergoing fibrinolysis (P = .019), and the mortality rate was significantly higher in the fibrinolysis group (25% versus 68%, P = .001). Multiple logistic regression analysis identified the forced arterial suction thrombectomy method as an independent predictor of fair outcome with adjustment for age, sex, initial NIHSS score, and the use of intravenous recombinant tissue plasminogen activator (odds ratio, 7.768; 95% CI, 1.246-48.416; P = .028).

CONCLUSIONS

In acute basilar artery occlusion, forced arterial suction thrombectomy demonstrated a higher revascularization rate and improved clinical outcome compared with traditional intra-arterial fibrinolysis. Further clinical trials with the newer Penumbra catheter are warranted.

Ground-state energy of the q-state Potts model: The minimum modularity

A wide range of interacting systems can be described by complex networks. A common feature of such networks is that they consist of several communities or modules, the degree of which may quantified as the modularity. However, even a random uncorrelated network, which has no obvious modular structure, has a finite modularity due to the quenched disorder. For this reason, the modularity of a given network is meaningful only when it is compared with that of a randomized network with the same degree distribution. In this context, it is important to calculate the modularity of a random uncorrelated network with an arbitrary degree distribution. The modularity of a random network has been calculated [Reichardt and Bornholdt, Phys. Rev. E 76, 015102 (2007)PLEEE81539-375510.1103/PhysRevE.76.015102]; however, this was limited to the case whereby the network was assumed to have only two communities, and it is evident that the modularity should be calculated in general with q(≥2) communities. Here we calculate the modularity for q communities by evaluating the ground-state energy of the q-state Potts Hamiltonian, based on replica symmetric solutions assuming that the mean degree is large. We found that the modularity is proportional to 〈sqrt[k]〉/〈k〉 regardless of q and that only the coefficient depends on q. In particular, when the degree distribution follows a power law, the modularity is proportional to 〈k〉^{-1/2}. Our analytical results are confirmed by comparison with numerical simulations. Therefore, our results can be used as reference values for real-world networks.

Extraction of optical constants using multiple reflections in the terahertz emitter-sample hybrid structure

To extract optical constants of nontransmitted samples in the terahertz (THz) spectral region, we employ a THz emitter-sample hybrid structure where THz pulses are generated at the emitter surface and multiply reflected at the interface between the THz emitter and the sample. Since each THz electric field profile appears well separated in a time domain, we could obtain the amplitude and phase spectra for each pulse from the Fourier transform, and determine the optical constants of the sample numerically based on the Fresnel equations. We applied this technique for doped semiconductors, and found that obtained optical constants are in good agreement with the values determined by using other conventional THz techniques.

Biocatalytic properties and substrate-binding ability of a modular GH10 β-1,4-xylanase from an insect-symbiotic bacterium, Streptomyces mexicanus HY-14

The gene (1350-bp) encoding a modular β-1,4-xylanase (XylU), which consists of an N-terminal catalytic GH10 domain and a C-terminal carbohydrate-binding module 2 (CBM 2), from Streptomyces mexicanus HY-14 was cloned and functionally characterized. The purified His-tagged recombinant enzyme (rXylU, 44.0 kDa) was capable of efficiently hydrolyze diverse xylosidic compounds, p-nitrophenyl-cellobioside, and p-nitrophenyl-xylopyranoside when incubated at pH 5.5 and 65°C. Especially, the specific activities (649.8 U/mg and 587.0 U/mg, respectively) of rXylU toward oat spelts xylan and beechwood xylan were relatively higher than those (<500.0 U/mg) of many other GH10 homologs toward the same substrates. The results of enzymatic degradation of birchwood xylan and xylooligosaccharides (xylotriose to xylohexaose) revealed that rXylU preferentially hydrolyzed the substrates to xylobiose (>75%) as the primary degradation product. Moreover, a small amount (4%<) of xylose was detected as the degradation product of the evaluated xylosidic substrates, indicating that rXylU was a peculiar GH10 β-1,4-xylanase with substrate specificity, which was different from its retaining homologs. A significant reduction of the binding ability of rXylU caused by deletion of the C-terminal CBM 2 to various insoluble substrates strongly suggested that the additional domain might considerably contribute to the enzyme-substrate interaction.

Search for bosonic superweakly interacting massive dark matter particles with the XMASS-I detector

Bosonic superweakly interacting massive particles (super-WIMPs) are a candidate for warm dark matter. With the absorption of such a boson by a xenon atom, these dark matter candidates would deposit an energy equivalent to their rest mass in the detector. This is the first direct detection experiment exploring the vector super-WIMPs in the mass range between 40 and 120 keV. With the use of 165.9 day of data, no significant excess above background was observed in the fiducial mass of 41 kg. The present limit for the vector super-WIMPs excludes the possibility that such particles constitute all of dark matter. The absence of a signal also provides the most stringent direct constraint on the coupling constant of pseudoscalar super-WIMPs to electrons. The unprecedented sensitivity was achieved exploiting the low background at a level 10(-4)  kg-1 keVee-1 day-1 in the detector.

Relationship between oxidative stress and bone mass in obesity and effects of berry supplementation on bone remodeling in obese male mice: an exploratory study

Berry consumption can prevent bone loss. However, the effects of different berries with distinct anthocyanin composition have not been thoroughly examined. The present study compared the effects of blueberry, blackberry, and black currant on bone health using a mouse model of diet-induced obesity. To investigate the effect of different berry supplements against a high-fat (HF) diet in vivo, 40 HF diet-induced obese (DIO) C57BL mice were assigned into four groups and fed a HF diet (35% w/w) with or without berry supplementation for 12 weeks (n=10). We measured adipose tissue mass (epididymal and retroperitoneal), plasma antioxidant, bone-related biomarkers, femur bone mineral density (BMD), and bone mineral content (proximal and distal). Adipose masses were negatively correlated with proximal BMD, but positively associated with plasma superoxide dismutase (SOD) concentrations (P<.001). Berry supplementation did not change the plasma ferric reducing antioxidant power, SOD, and insulin-like growth factor-1. However, the black currant group exhibited greater plasma alkaline phosphatase compared with the control group (P<.05). BMD in the distal epiphysis was significantly different between the blueberry and blackberry group (P<.05). However, berry supplementation did not affect bone mass compared with control. The present study demonstrates a negative relationship between fat mass and bone mass. In addition, our findings suggest that the anthocyanin composition of berries will affect bone turnover, warranting further research to investigate the underlying mechanisms.

Lithospermum erythrorhizon extract protects keratinocytes and fibroblasts against oxidative stress

Oxidative stress damages dermal and epidermal cells and degrades extracellular matrix proteins, such as collagen, ultimately leading to skin aging. The present study evaluated the potential protective effect of the aqueous methanolic extract obtained from Lithospermum erythrorhizon (LE) against oxidative stress, induced by H2O2 and ultraviolet (UV) irradiation, on human keratinocyte (HaCaT) and human dermal fibroblast-neonatal (HDF-n) cells. Exposure of cells to H2O2 or UVB irradiation markedly increased oxidative stress and reduced cell viability. However, pretreatment of cells with the LE extract not only increased cell viability (up to 84.5%), but also significantly decreased oxidative stress. Further, the LE extract downregulated the expression of matrix metalloproteinase-1, an endopeptidase that degrades extracellular matrix collagen. In contrast, treatment with the LE extract did not affect the expression of procollagen type 1 in HDF-n cells exposed to UVA irradiation. Thirteen phenolic compounds, including derivatives of shikonin and caffeic acid, were identified by ultrahigh-performance liquid chromatography-electrospray ionization-tandem mass spectrometry. These results suggest that LE-derived extracts may protect oxidative-stress-induced skin aging by inhibiting degradation of skin collagen, and that this protection may derive at least in part from the antioxidant phenolics present in these extracts. Further studies are warranted to determine the potential utility of LE-derived extracts in both therapeutic and cosmetic applications.

Measurement of the inclusive leptonic asymmetry in top-quark pairs that decay to two charged leptons at CDF

We measure the inclusive forward-backward asymmetry of the charged-lepton pseudorapidities from top-quark pairs produced in proton-antiproton collisions and decaying to final states that contain two charged leptons (electrons or muons). The data are collected with the Collider Detector at Fermilab and correspond to an integrated luminosity of 9.1 fb(-1). We measure the leptonic forward-backward asymmetry, A(FB)(ℓ), to be 0.072 ± 0.060 and the leptonic pair forward-backward asymmetry, A(FB)(ℓℓ), to be 0.076 ± 0.082. The measured values can be compared with the standard model predictions of A(FB)(ℓ) = 0.038 ± 0.003 and A(FB)(ℓℓ) = 0.048 ± 0.004, respectively. Additionally, we combine the A(FB)(ℓ) result with a previous determination from a final state with a single lepton and hadronic jets and obtain A(FB)(ℓ) = 0.090(-0.026)(+0.028).

The Expression of Melanogenic Proteins in Korean Skin after Ultraviolet Irradiation

For proper melanin production, several specific enzymes such as tyrosinase, tyrosinase-related protein 1 (TRP-1) and dopachrome tautomerase are required. Their expressions are increased after exposure to UVB. However, it is not known how long tyrosinase and TRP-1 activities continue after UV irradiation in vivo. The purpose of this study is to measure the changes in expressions of tyrosinase, TRP1, and MITF after exposure to UV on skin in a Korean population. We established an immunohistochemical staining protocol for specimens which were obtained from UV-irradiated skin in five healthy Korean males on the 2nd, 5th, 7th, 28th, and 56th days after UV irradiation. Tyrosinase, TRP-1, and MITF expressions increased until 7 days after UV irradiation and then dropped to the basal constitutive level 4 and 8 weeks later. Interestingly, tyrosinase increased prior to TRP-1. This study reveals the time-sequence of melanin-synthesized enzymes and provides important information for the clinical evaluation of the effectiveness of whitening agents.

Evidence for s-channel single-top-quark production in events with one charged lepton and two jets at CDF

We report evidence for s-channel single-top-quark production in proton-antiproton collisions at center-of-mass energy sqrt[s] = 1.96 TeV using a data set that corresponds to an integrated luminosity of 9.4 fb(-1) collected by the Collider Detector at Fermilab. We select events consistent with the s-channel process including two jets and one leptonically decaying W boson. The observed significance is 3.8 standard deviations with respect to the background-only prediction. Assuming a top-quark mass of 172.5 GeV/c(2), we measure the s-channel cross section to be 1.41(-0.42)(+0.44) pb.

Polyphenol-rich blackcurrant extract prevents inflammation in diet-induced obese mice

Obesity is closely associated with chronic, low-grade inflammation. We investigated if polyphenol-rich blackcurrant extract (BCE) can prevent inflammation in vivo. Male C57BL/6J mice were fed a modified AIN-93M control diet containing high fat/high cholesterol (16% fat, 0.25% cholesterol by weight) or the control diet supplemented with 0.1% BCE (wt/wt) for 12 weeks. In BCE-fed mice, the percentage of body weight and adipocyte size of the epididymal fat were significantly lower than those of control mice. There were fewer crown-like structures (CLS) with concomitant decreases in F4/80, cluster of differentiation 68 and inhibitor of nuclear factor κB kinase ε (IKKε) mRNA in the epididymal adipose of BCE-fed mice. F4/80 and IKKε mRNA levels were positively correlated with CLS number. In the skeletal muscle of mice fed with BCE, mRNA expression of genes involved in energy expenditure and mitochondrial biogenesis, including PPARα, PPARδ, UCP-2, UCP-3 and mitochondrial transcription factor A, were significantly increased. When splenocytes from BCE-fed mice were stimulated by lipopolysaccharides, tumor necrosis factor α and interleukin-1β mRNA were significantly lower than control splenocytes. Together, the results suggest that BCE supplementation decreases obesity-induced inflammation in adipose tissue and splenocytes, at least in part, by modulating energy metabolism in skeletal muscle.

Search for s-channel single-top-quark production in events with missing energy plus jets in pp collisions at sqrt[s] = 1.96 TeV

The first search for single-top-quark production from the exchange of an s-channel virtual W boson using events with an imbalance in the total transverse energy, b-tagged jets, and no identified leptons is presented. Assuming the electroweak production of top quarks of mass 172.5 GeV/c(2) in the s channel, a cross section of 1.12(-0.57)(+0.61) (stat+syst) pb with a significance of 1.9 standard deviations is measured. This measurement is combined with the result obtained from events with an imbalance in total transverse momentum, b-tagged jets, and exactly one identified lepton, yielding a cross section of 1.36(-0.32)(+0.37) (stat+syst) pb, with a significance of 4.2 standard deviations.

Observation of s-channel production of single top quarks at the Tevatron

We report the first observation of single-top-quark production in the s channel through the combination of the CDF and D0 measurements of the cross section in proton-antiproton collisions at a center-of-mass energy of 1.96 TeV. The data correspond to total integrated luminosities of up to 9.7 fb(-1) per experiment. The measured cross section is σ(s) = 1.29(-0.24)(+0.26) pb. The probability of observing a statistical fluctuation of the background to a cross section of the observed size or larger is 1.8 × 10(-10), corresponding to a significance of 6.3 standard deviations for the presence of an s-channel contribution to the production of single-top quarks.

Measurement of B(t→Wb)/B(t→Wq) in top-quark-pair decays using dilepton events and the full CDF Run II data set

We present a measurement of the ratio of the top-quark branching fractions R=B(t→Wb)/B(t→Wq), where q represents any quark flavor, in events with two charged leptons, imbalance in total transverse energy, and at least two jets. The measurement uses proton-antiproton collision data at center-of-mass energy 1.96 TeV, corresponding to an integrated luminosity of 8.7  fb^{-1} collected with the Collider Detector at Fermilab during Run II of the Tevatron. We measure R to be 0.87±0.07, and extract the magnitude of the top-bottom quark coupling to be |V_{tb}|=0.93±0.04, assuming three generations of quarks. Under these assumptions, a lower limit of |V_{tb}|>0.85(0.87) at 95% (90%) credibility level is set.

Staging accuracy of endoscopic ultrasound performed by nonexpert endosonographers in patients with resectable esophageal squamous cell carcinoma: is it possible?

The accuracy of endoscopic ultrasound (EUS) is operator-dependent. According to learning curve study, the accuracy of EUS T-staging for esophageal cancer has been reported to be greater in an investigator who had performed at least 100 EUS examinations. We determined comparative study regarding T-staging accuracy of EUS for esophageal squamous cell carcinoma between expert and nonexpert endoscopic ultrasonographers. We retrospectively identified 73 consecutive patients with esophageal squamous cell carcinoma who underwent EUS and endoscopic mucosal resection, endoscopic submucosal dissection, or surgery. EUS was performed by expert (Group 1) and nonexpert (Group 2) endoscopic ultrasonographers in multitertiary hospitals. Groups 1 and 2 were 37 and 36 patients during 2005-2011, respectively. Forty-two patients (57.5%) of the overall patients underwent surgical exploration. Correct endoscopic ultrasonographic T-staging of Group 1 was observed in 34 (91.9%) patients, while that of Group 2 was observed in 26 (72.2%) patients. And there was significant difference in correct endoscopic ultrasonographic T-staging between Group 1 and Group 2 (P = 0.035). The incorrect endoscopic ultrasonographic T-staging of Group 1 were three cases that were overstaging (8.1%), but in Group 2 there were seven overstaging (19.4%) and three understaging (8.3%). There was no significant difference in overstaging or understaging of incorrect endoscopic ultrasonographic T-staging between Group 1 and Group 2 (P = 0.528). This study first provides evidence that endoscopic ultrasonographic T-staging of nonexpert endoscopic ultrasonographers was inferior to be correct, compared with that of expert endoscopic ultrasonographers. EUS staging for esophageal cancer should be performed by expert endoscopic ultrasonographers to provide appropriate management strategy.

Rare bone diseases and their dental, oral, and craniofacial manifestations

Hereditary diseases affecting the skeleton are heterogeneous in etiology and severity. Though many of these conditions are individually rare, the total number of people affected is great. These disorders often include dental-oral-craniofacial (DOC) manifestations, but the combination of the rarity and lack of in-depth reporting often limit our understanding and ability to diagnose and treat affected individuals. In this review, we focus on dental, oral, and craniofacial manifestations of rare bone diseases. Discussed are defects in 4 key physiologic processes in bone/tooth formation that serve as models for the understanding of other diseases in the skeleton and DOC complex: progenitor cell differentiation (fibrous dysplasia), extracellular matrix production (osteogenesis imperfecta), mineralization (familial tumoral calcinosis/hyperostosis hyperphosphatemia syndrome, hypophosphatemic rickets, and hypophosphatasia), and bone resorption (Gorham-Stout disease). For each condition, we highlight causative mutations (when known), etiopathology in the skeleton and DOC complex, and treatments. By understanding how these 4 foci are subverted to cause disease, we aim to improve the identification of genetic, molecular, and/or biologic causes, diagnoses, and treatment of these and other rare bone conditions that may share underlying mechanisms of disease.

High-resolution impedance manometry facilitates assessment of pharyngeal residue and oropharyngeal dysphagic mechanisms

The utility of high-resolution impedance manometry (HRIM) for evaluating oropharyngeal dysphagia (OPD) has been investigated. These approaches are limited because of the sophisticated methodology. A method of transforming HRIM into a simple and useful diagnostic tool for evaluating OPD is needed. A videofluoroscopic swallowing study (VFSS) and HRIM were performed by independent blinded examiners in 26 consecutive healthy volunteers (12 men; median age, 56.5 years) and 10 OPD patients (five men; median age, 59.5 years). Upper esophageal sphincter (UES) relaxation parameters were measured using a standard HRIM protocol. Peristalsis and bolus transit of the pharyngoesophageal (PE) segment were assessed using an HRIM-modified protocol in which the catheter was pulled back 10 cm. PE bolus transits were evaluated with an impedance contour pattern (linear vs. stasis) method. A significant difference was observed between the manometric measures of healthy volunteers and OPD patients for only the duration of pharyngeal contraction (0.49 ± 0.19 vs. 0.76 ± 0.33 s, P = 0.04). The percentage agreement and kappa value for detecting pharyngeal residue between the VFSS and the impedance analysis were 100% and 1.00, respectively. HRIM allowed for comprehensive assessment of abnormal pharyngeal components that caused pharyngeal residue on VFSS in two patients; reduced base of the tongue versus weak pharyngeal contraction in one, and reduced relaxation of the UES versus reduced laryngeal elevation in the remaining patient. Our findings demonstrated that HRIM using a simple methodology (i.e., pull-back of the catheter) detected pharyngeal residue through a simple analysis of the impedance contour pattern (linear vs. stasis). Furthermore, HRIM facilitated a comprehensive assessment of OPD mechanisms and recognition of subtle abnormalities not yet visible to the naked eye on VFSS.

First search for exotic Z Boson decays into photons and neutral pions in hadron collisions

A search for forbidden and exotic Z boson decays in the diphoton mass spectrum is presented for the first time in hadron collisions, based on data corresponding to 10.0 fb(-1) of integrated luminosity from proton-antiproton collisions at √s = 1.96 TeV collected by the CDF experiment. No evidence of signal is observed, and 95% credibility level Bayesian upper limits are set on the branching ratios of decays of the Z boson to a photon and neutral pion (which is detected as a photon), a pair of photons, and a pair of neutral pions. The observed branching ratio limits are 2.01 × 10(-5) for Z → π(0)γ, 1.46 × 10(-5) for Z → γγ, and 1.52 × 10(-5) for Z → π(0)π(0). The Z → π(0)γ and Z → γγ limits improve the most stringent results from other experiments by factors of 2.6 and 3.6, respectively. The Z → π(0)π(0) branching ratio limit is the first experimental result on this decay.

Clinical characteristics predicting early clinical failure after 72 h of antibiotic treatment in women with community-onset acute pyelonephritis: a prospective multicentre study

In patients with community-onset acute pyelonephritis (CO-APN), assessing the risk factors for poor clinical response after 72 h of antibiotic treatment (early clinical failure) is important. The objectives of this study were to define those risk factors, and to assess whether early clinical failure influences mortality and treatment outcomes. We prospectively collected the clinical and microbiological data of women with CO-APN in South Korea from March 2010 to February 2012. The numbers of cases in the early clinical success and early clinical failure groups were 840 (79.1%) and 222 (20.9%), respectively. Final clinical failure and mortality were higher in the early clinical failure group than in the early clinical success group (14.9% vs 2.3%, p <0.001; 6.8% vs 0.1%, p 0.001, respectively). In a multiple logistic regression model, the risk factors for early clinical failure among the total 1062 patients were diabetes mellitus (OR 1.5; 95% CI 1.1-2.1), chronic liver diseases (OR 3.3; 95% CI 1.6-6.7), malignancy (OR 2.2; 95% CI 1.1-4.4), Pitt score ≥2 (OR 2.5; 95% CI 1.6-3.8), presence of azotaemia (OR 1.8; 95% CI 1.2-2.7), white blood cell count ≥20 000/mm(3) (OR 2.5; 95% CI 1.6-4.0), serum C-reactive protein level ≥20 mg/dL (OR 1.7; 95% CI 1.2-2.4), and history of antibiotic usage within the previous year (OR 1.5; 95% CI 1.1-2.2). Analysing the subgroup of 743 patients with CO-APN due to Enterobacteriaceae, fluoroquinolone resistance of the uropathogen was another factor associated with early clinical failure (OR 1.7; 95% CI 1.1-2.5). Simple variables of underlying diseases, previous antibiotic usage and initial laboratory test outcomes can be used to decide on the direction of treatment in CO-APN.

Ultrafine particles of Ulmus davidiana var. japonica induce apoptosis of gastric cancer cells via activation of caspase and endoplasmic reticulum stress

Small-sized particles are more suitable for targeted delivery and are therapeutically more effective than large-sized particles. In this study, we investigated the anticancer effects of ultrafine particles of Ulmus davidiana var. japonica (ufUJ) on human gastric cancer cell lines SNU-1, SNU-216, and SNU-484. ufUJ induced apoptosis by the proteolytic activation of caspase-9, caspase-6, and caspase-3 and cleavage of poly (ADP-ribose) polymerase. The expression levels of the endoplasmic reticulum stress-related protein BiP markedly increased after ufUJ treatment. BiP knockdown decreased ufUJ-induced cell death. ufUJ-induced apoptosis was inhibited by the caspase-3 inhibitor z-DEVD-fmk, caspase-6 inhibitor z-VEID-fmk, and caspase-9 inhibitor z-LEHD-fmk, and by siRNAs against caspases 3, 6, and 9. Gastric cancer cells did not show anchorage-independent growth in the presence of ufUJ. However, cells treated with caspase inhibitors showed an enhanced colony-forming ability. These findings may be helpful in the prevention of gastric cancer and in the development of functional foods.

INCB018424 induces apoptotic cell death through the suppression of pJAK1 in human colon cancer cells

Janus kinase (JAK) is one of the main upstream activators of signal transducers and activators of transcription (STAT) that are constitutively activated in various malignancies and are associated with cell growth, survival, and carcinogenesis. Here, we investigated the role of JAKs in colorectal cancer in order to develop effective therapeutic targets for INCB018424, which is the first JAK1/2 inhibitor to be approved by FDA. After examining the basal expression levels of phospho-JAK1 and phospho-JAK2, we measured the effects of INCB018424 on the phosphorylation of JAK1/2 using western blot analysis. Cell viability was determined using the trypan blue exclusion assay. The cell death mechanism was identified by the activation of caspase 3 using western blot and annexin V staining. The basal levels of phospho-JAK1 and phospho-JAK2 were cancer cell type dependent. Colorectal cancer cell lines that phosphorylate both JAK1 and JAK2 include DLD-1 and RKO. INCB018424 inactivates both JAK1 and JAK2 in DLD-1 cells but inactivates only JAK1 in RKO cells. Cell death was proportional to the inactivation of JAK1 but not JAK2. INCB018424 causes caspase-dependent cell death, which is prevented by treatment with z-VAD. The inhibition of JAK1 phosphorylation seemed sufficient to allow INCB018424-mediated apoptosis. JAK1 is a key molecule that is involved in colon cancer cell survival and the inhibition of JAK1 by INCB01424 results in caspase-dependent apoptosis in colorectal cancer cells. The use of selective JAK1 inhibitors could be an attractive therapy against colorectal cancer, but further clinical investigations are needed to test this possibility.

Abstract P1-08-35: Androgen receptor expression and changes in serum dehydroepiandrosterone sulfate levels in locally advanced breast cancer patients who received neoadjuvant chemotherapy

Purpose: The associations between androgen receptor (AR) expression, serum dehydroepiandrosterone-sulfate (DHEA-S) level and response to neoadjuvant chemotherapy (NCT) were investigated in locally advanced breast cancer patients who received NCT.

Methods: Between May 2008 and April 2013, a total of 346 patients underwent NCT mainly based on anthracycline with or without taxane regimens. Biomarkers including AR were immunohistochemically determined using biopsy specimens before NCT and tumors with ≥ 1% nuclear staining were considered positive for AR. Changes in serum DHEA-S levels before and after NCT were examined by chemiluminescent immunoassay (Access DHEA-S, Beckman Coulter, Inc., Brea, CA) in 205 (59.2%) patients. Pathologic complete response (pCR) was defined as the absence of residual invasive carcinomas in the surgical specimens of breast and lymph nodes. Breast cancer subtypes were categorized by immunohistochemistry of estrogen receptor (ER), progesterone receptor (PR), human epidermal growth factor receptor 2 (HER2), and Ki-67.

Results: Mean age at diagnosis was 49.7 years (range, 26–76). Clinical tumor size was ≥ 2cm in 243 (70.2%) patients and 318 (91.9%) showed node-positive disease at initial presentation. AR-positive tumor was determined in 195 (56.4%) patients and 95 (27.5%) achieved pCR after NCT. AR-negative tumors were significantly associated with grade III, ER-negative, PR-negative, HER2-negative, high Ki-67 index, and triple-negative subtype tumors. By univariate logistic regression analysis, AR-negative tumor showed significantly higher odds ratio of 1.650 (95% CI, 1.026–2.654; p-value, 0.039) for achievement of pCR. Nevertheless, not AR status but breast cancer subtype, longer duration of NCT and use of targeted agents remained to be significant for pCR by multivariate model. In the analysis of subgroup by breast cancer subtypes, AR-negative tumor was associated with pCR in 75 patients with the low proliferative luminal A subtype, while AR-positive tumor achieved higher pCR in 59 patients with the HER2-positive luminal B subtype. In 205 patients available for serum DHEA-S levels, there was no difference in DHEA-S between pCR and non-pCR groups, although a trend of decrease in DHEA-S after NCT was noted among postmenopausal AR-positive or luminal A subtype women who achieved pCR.

Conclusions: AR expression might predict pCR in locally advanced breast cancer patients who undergo NCT, but this implication could be different according to breast cancer subtypes. Clinical significance of changes in serum DHEA-S levels during NCT remains to be elucidated.

Citation Information: Cancer Res 2013;73(24 Suppl): Abstract nr P1-08-35.

Abstract PD6-8: Prognostic value of disseminated tumor cells according to ER/PR and HER2 status in non-metastatic breast cancer

Background: Disseminated tumor cells (DTCs) in the bone marrow from breast cancer patients have been reported as a prognostic factor. We evaluated prognostic value of DTCs in non-metastatic breast cancer according to ER/PR and HER2 status.

Methods: Bone marrow aspirates were obtained from 607 non-metastatic breast cancer patients at the time of primary surgery between 1999 and 2012. DTCs were identified via immunomagnetic enrichment followed by flow cytometry (IE/FC) using anti-EpCAM monoclonal antibody (mAb). The relation between high DTC count and clinical outcome was analyzed with ER/PR and HER2 status. Patients whose DTC count is in the above 80th percentile were considered as higher DTCs.

Results: Median and mean DTC count were 7.2 and 24.5 cells/mL and 80th percentile was 18.5 cells/mL. Higher DTC group (&gt; = 18.5 cells/mL) showed impaired disease free survival (DFS; P = .019, log-rank) after median follow-up of 59 months. This poorer outcome in higher DTC group was observed mainly in ER(-) patients and triple negative patients with lower DFS (P = .002 and 018) and overall survival (OS; P = .004 and .012). There was no significant survival difference in ER(+), HER2(+), or ER(+)/HER2(-) patients.

Conclusion: High DTCs in non-metastatic breast cancer is associated with poor clinical outcome, especially in ER(-) or triple negative patients. However, DTCs is not related with prognosis in other ER/HER2 status groups.

Citation Information: Cancer Res 2013;73(24 Suppl): Abstract nr PD6-8.

Abstract P2-10-03: Metastasis-associated in colon cancer 1 predicts poor outcomes in patients with breast cancer

Background: Metastasis-associated in colon cancer 1 (MACC1) plays a role in cancer invasion and metastasis through the upregulation of hepatocyte growth factor/mesenchymal epithelial transition-pathway, which is a known critical regulator of the mitogen-activated protein kinase (MAPK) cascades. However, the potential involvement of MACC1 in breast cancer has not been assessed.

Materials and Methods: To investigate whether MACC1 expression is a prognostic marker in breast cancer, we performed immunohistochemical staining for MACC1 expression in tissue microarrays consisting of 198 invasive breast carcinomas. To demonstrate the potential correlation between MACC1 and MAPK cascades, phospho-p44/42 MAPK (ERK1/2) expression was also analyzed.

Results: Expression of MACC1 was detected in 109 (55.1%) of 198 invasive breast carcinomas. MACC1 expression was significantly associated with several clinicopathologic parameters, including ER negativity (P &lt; 0.01), PR negativity (p &lt; 0.01), and HER-2 positivity (p &lt; 0.01). The rate of metastatic relapse was significantly higher in the MACC1-positive group (87.8%, 36/41) than in the MACC1-negative group (46.5%, 73/157) (p &lt; 0.001). MACC1 expression was significantly correlated with phospho-p44/42 MAPK expression (p &lt; 0.05). On univariate survival analysis, a significant association was observed between MACC1 expression and decreased disease-free survival (p &lt; 0.001) and overall survival (p = 0.001). On multivariate analysis, MACC1 expression was one of the statistically significant independent risk factors for disease-free survival (p = 0.001).

Conclusion: Our results suggest that MACC1 may serve as a new parameter for the prognostic prediction in patients with invasive breast carcinoma. MACC1 is likely to be involved in the regulation of MAPK cascades in invasive breast carcinoma.

Citation Information: Cancer Res 2013;73(24 Suppl): Abstract nr P2-10-03.

Observation of D⁰-D¯⁰ mixing using the CDF II detector

We measure the time dependence of the ratio of decay rates for D0→K(+)π(-) to the Cabibbo-favored decay D(0)→K(-)π(+). The charge conjugate decays are included. A signal of 3.3×10(4) D(*+)→π(+)D(0), D(0)→K(+)π(-) decays is obtained with D0 proper decay times between 0.75 and 10 mean D0 lifetimes. The data were recorded with the CDF II detector at the Fermilab Tevatron and correspond to an integrated luminosity of 9.6  fb(-1) for pp¯ collisions at √s=1.96  TeV. Assuming CP conservation, we search for D0-D¯0 mixing and measure the mixing parameters to be R(D)=(3.51±0.35)×10(-3), y'=(4.3±4.3)×10(-3), and x'2=(0.08±0.18)×10(-3). We report Bayesian probability intervals in the x'2-y' plane and find that the significance of excluding the no-mixing hypothesis is equivalent to 6.1 Gaussian standard deviations, providing the second observation of D0-D¯0 mixing from a single experiment.

Direct measurement of the total decay width of the top quark

We present a measurement of the total decay width of the top quark using events with top-antitop quark pair candidates reconstructed in the final state with one charged lepton and four or more hadronic jets. We use the full Tevatron run II data set of sqrt[s]=1.96  TeV proton-antiproton collisions recorded by the CDF II detector. The top quark mass and the mass of the hadronically decaying W boson are reconstructed for each event and compared with distributions derived from simulated signal and background samples to extract the top quark width (Γtop) and the energy scale of the calorimeter jets with in situ calibration. For a top quark mass Mtop=172.5  GeV/c2, we find 1.10<Γtop<4.05  GeV at 68% confidence level, which is in agreement with the standard model expectation of 1.3 GeV and is the most precise direct measurement of the top quark width to date.

Catechin-7-O-xyloside induces apoptosis via endoplasmic reticulum stress and mitochondrial dysfunction in human non-small cell lung carcinoma H1299 cells

The medicinal plant Ulmus davidiana var. japonica has significant potential as a cancer chemoprevention agent. Catechin-7-O-xyloside (C7Ox) was purified from ultrafine U. davidiana var. japonica ethanol extract. In the present study, we investigated the apoptotic effect of C7Ox in the non-small cell lung cancer (NSCLC) cell line H1299. C7Ox treatment induced cell death and decreased plasma membrane integrity, an event typical of apoptosis. C7Ox-induced apoptosis was associated with the proteolytic activation of caspase-6, cleavage of poly(ADP-ribose) polymerase (PARP) and loss of mitochondrial membrane potential. C7Ox also induced the endoplasmic reticulum (ER) stress-regulated pro-apoptotic transcription factor CHOP. The suppression of CHOP expression significantly decreased C7Ox-induced cell death, LDH leakage and caspase-6 activation. Antitumor effects, evaluated based on protracted tumor regression, were observed when nude-mice bearing H1299 xenografts were treated with C7Ox. C7Ox-induced tumor regression was accompanied by enhanced expression of CHOP mRNA. Our data suggest that C7Ox can trigger mitochondrial-mediated apoptosis, and that ER stress is critical for C7Ox-induced apoptosis in H1299 NSCLC cells.

Preferential location for arterial dissection presenting as golf-related stroke

SUMMARY

Golf-related stroke has not been systematically reviewed. The purpose of our study was to describe in detail this particular stroke syndrome. Seven patients were analyzed at a university hospital and 7 patients were reviewed from MEDLINE literature. General demographics, symptom onset, neurologic signs, radiologic findings, and outcome were investigated. A total of 14 patients including 7 patients from the MEDLINE search were analyzed; all were men, with a mean age of 46.9 ± 12.8 years. Symptom onset was classified as during the golf swing (n = 9), unknown (n = 3), and after playing golf (n = 2). Most patients (n = 12) showed involvement of the vertebral artery and 2 patients showed involvement of the internal carotid artery (P = .008). Nine dissections were found on the right side, 3 on the left side, and 2 were bilateral (P = .046). Twelve patients had extracranial involvement and 2 patients had intracranial involvement (P = .008). Seven patients returned to normal, 5 returned to independence, 1 had unknown status, and 1 died. The anatomic preference of golf-related craniocervical arterial dissection is associated with the extracranial and vertebrobasilar system with a right-sided tendency as the result of stereotypical rotational movement during a golf swing.

Measurement of the differential cross section dσ/d(cosθ(t)) for Top-Quark Pair Production in pp Collisions at sqrt[s] = 1.96 TeV

We report a measurement of the differential cross section dσ/d(cosθ(t)) for top-quark pair production as a function of the top-quark production angle in proton-antiproton collisions at sqrt[s] = 1.96 TeV. This measurement is performed using data collected with the CDF II detector at the Tevatron, corresponding to an integrated luminosity of 9.4 fb(-1). We employ the Legendre polynomials to characterize the shape of the differential cross section at the parton level. The observed Legendre coefficients are in good agreement with the prediction of the next-to-leading-order standard-model calculation, with the exception of an excess linear-term coefficient a(1) = 0.40 ± 0.12, compared to the standard-model prediction of a(1)=0.15(-0.03)(+0.07).