Meta-analysis of the efficacy and safety of bronchial thermoplasty in patients with moderate-to-severe persistent asthma

This meta-analysis assessed the efficacy and safety of a novel intervention for asthma, bronchial thermoplasty (BT), in patients with moderate-to-severe persistent asthma. An electronic literature search identified three randomized controlled trials (RCT) of BT that recruited 421 patients in total. Outcomes of interest were the Asthma Quality of Life Questionnaire (AQLQ) score, morning peak expiratory flow (PEF), tolerability and safety. Compared with standard medications and sham BT treatment, BT significantly improved AQLQ scores and PEF from baseline to the end of the trials. There were more respiratory adverse events and hospitalizations for adverse respiratory events with BT than with medications or sham treatment during the treatment period, but most events resolved, on average, within a week. This effect of BT treatment was not seen during the posttreatment period. Additional long-term RCT are required to confirm whether BT provides benefit to patients with moderate-to-severe persistent asthma.

Characterization of a novel variant allele, HLA-C*07:01:19, identified in a Chinese Han individual

The novel HLA-C*07:01:19 allele differs from the closest allele C*07:01:01 by a single nucleotide change at coding sequence nucleotide 738 G>A (codon 222 GAG>GAA) in exon 4.

Measurement of the inclusive jet cross section in pp collisions at √s = 7 TeV

The inclusive jet cross section is measured in pp collisions with a center-of-mass energy of 7 TeV at the Large Hadron Collider using the CMS experiment. The data sample corresponds to an integrated luminosity of 34 pb(-1). The measurement is made for jet transverse momenta in the range 18-1100 GeV and for absolute values of rapidity less than 3. The measured cross section extends to the highest values of jet p(T) ever observed and, within the experimental and theoretical uncertainties, is generally in agreement with next-to-leading-order perturbative QCD predictions.

Evaluation of the performance of breast cancer cell line–derived multigene predictors of chemotherapy response in multiple clinical trials

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Background: While various multi-gene predictors (MGPs) of chemotherapy response have been developed based on cancer patient primary tissues or cancer cell-lines, the accuracy and consistency of these predictors remain a concern in clinical validation studies. In this study we developed four unique MGPs for chemotherapy response from breast cancer cell lines and performed a systematic evaluation of the performance of these MGPs using data from five distinct clinical trials.

Methods: Forty-six immortalized breast cancer cell-lines were exposed to various concentrations of drug combinations [paclitaxel, 5-fluorouracil, doxorubicin, cyclophosphamide (TFAC); 5-fluorouracil, doxorubicin, cyclophosphamide (FAC); 5-fluorouracil, epirubicin, cyclophosphamide (FEC) and epirubicin, cyclophosphamide (EC)] using an in vitro chemosensitivity assay. Utilizing publicly available breast cancer cell-line microarray data, genes highly associated with in vitro chemosensitivity were selected as candidate MGPs. Five independent and publicly available clinical trials were used for validation. In three of these clinical trials patients were treated by TFAC, while EC, FAC or FEC were used in the other two trials. All five studies involved neoadjuvant chemotherapy treatment, and pathologic complete response (pCR) was used as the endpoint. The association of MGPs with pCR was assessed using receiver-operator curve (ROC) analysis and area under the ROC (AUC) was used to evaluate the performance of prediction.

Results: In five independent clinical trials, the MGPs predicted patient pCR to EC, FAC/FEC and three TFAC treatments with an AUC of, 0.671, 0.632, 0.735, 0.738 and 0.647 respectively.

Conclusions: In the five independent clinical trials in which patients were treated by various chemotherapy agents, the performance of MGPs is promising. These results demonstrate the feasibility of using breast cancer cell-line derived MGPs to predict breast cancer patients’ chemotherapy responses.

Glutathione S-transferase M1 and T1 polymorphisms and cervical cancer risk: a meta-analysis

There were some studies on the associations between Glutathione S-transferase M1 (GSTM1) and Glutathione S-transferase T1 (GSTT1) polymorphisms and cervical cancer (CC) risk, but the results were inconsistent. Thus, a meta-analysis was performed. The electronic databases PubMed, Science Direct, CBM, and CNKI were searched for possible studies. Finally, 16 studies (1,627 cases and 2,161 controls) were included. For the GSTM1 and GSTT1 polymorphisms, the unadjusted odds ratios (OR) and 95% confidence intervals (95% CI) from each study were used to estimate summary OR. Subgroup analyses by ethnicity and histological type of CC were also performed. For the GSTM1 polymorphism, the null genotype of GSTM1 was associated with an increased CC risk in total population (OR=1.32, 95% CI=1.06-1.66). Similar association was found in Asians (OR=1.47, 95% CI=1.11-1.94), but not in Caucasians (OR=0.96, 95% CI=0.73-1.27). For the GSTT1 polymorphism, the null genotype of GSTT1 was not statistically significantly associated with CC risk in total population (OR=1.36, 95% CI=0.97-1.90). This result was also found in Asians (OR=1.27, 95% CI=0.87-1.85) and Caucasians (OR=1.09, 95% CI= 0.66-1.79), but not in Latinos (OR=4.58, 95% CI= 2.04-10.28). For the GSTM1/GSTT1 interaction analysis, the dual null genotypes of GSTM1/GSTT1 were significantly associated with increased CC risk in total population (OR=1.77, 95% CI= 1.14-2.75), and all the six studies were from Asia. For subgroup analyses by histological type of CC, the three aspects of the analyses above were all not significantly associated with CC risk in squamous cell carcinoma and adenocarcinoma, respectively. The null genotype of GSTM1 and the dual null genotypes of GSTM1/GSTT1 were risk factors in CC, and the null genotype of GSTT1 was not associated with CC risk.

Search for three-jet resonances in pp collisions at square root(s)=7 TeV

A search for three-jet hadronic resonance production in pp collisions at a center-of-mass energy of 7 TeV has been conducted by the CMS Collaboration at the LHC, using a data sample corresponding to an integrated luminosity of 35  pb(-1). Events with high jet multiplicity and a large scalar sum of jet transverse momenta are analyzed using a signature-based approach. The number of expected standard model background events is found to be in good agreement with the observed events. Limits on the cross section times branching ratio are set in a model of gluino pair production with an R-parity-violating decay to three quarks, and the data rule out such particles within the mass range of 200 to 280  GeV/c2.

Chloropicrin emissions after shank injection: two-dimensional analytical and numerical model simulations of different source methods and field measurements

Understanding the control mechanisms of fumigant movement in soil is a fundamental step for developing management strategies to reduce atmospheric emissions. Most soil fumigants including chloropicrin (CP) are applied by shank injection, and the application process often leaves vertical soil fractures that would potentially cause preferential fumigant movement and increased emissions. This potential transport pathway was evaluated by comparing cumulative emissions and soil air concentrations of CP from direct field measurements with those predicted using analytical and numerical models after assuming either point or rectangle sources for the injected CP. Results clearly showed that shank-injected CP, when treated as vertical rectangle sources, produced cumulative emission losses similar to the field measurements. Treating the shanked CP as point sources caused approximately 50% underprediction than the field measurements. The study also demonstrated that fumigant cumulative emissions can be predicted, with reasonable accuracy, using either analytical or numerical simulations.

Measurement of the t-channel single top quark production cross section in pp collisions at √s=7 TeV

Electroweak production of the top quark is measured for the first time in pp collisions at √=7  TeV, using a data set collected with the CMS detector at the LHC and corresponding to an integrated luminosity of 36  pb⁻¹. With an event selection optimized for t-channel production, two complementary analyses are performed. The first one exploits the special angular properties of the signal, together with background estimates from the data. The second approach uses a multivariate analysis technique to probe the compatibility with signal topology expected from electroweak top-quark production. The combined measurement of the cross section is 83.6±29.8(stat+syst)±3.3(lumi)  pb, consistent with the standard model expectation.

Long-term response to galantamine in relation to short-term efficacy data: pooled analysis in patients with mild to moderate Alzheimer's disease

Background:

This analysis aimed to identify an operational, clinically relevant definition of response achieved in short-term clinical trials to support the identification of patients with Alzheimer’s disease (AD) who would benefit most from long-term galantamine therapy.

Methods:

Data were analyzed from 6 randomized placebo-controlled trials of up to 6 months’ duration, which included patients with mild to moderate AD receiving maintenance doses of galantamine 16-24 mg/day, and from 12 open-label extensions (galantamine 24 mg/day maintenance therapy). Assessments included changes from baseline in the 11-item AD Assessment Scale-Cognitive subscale (ADAS-Cog 11).

Results:

Pooled analysis of the 5-6 month trial data showed that at the trial endpoint (2-5 months after reaching maintenance doses), the proportions of galantamine- (n=1,173) versus placebo-treated patients (n=801) with probable AD categorized according to “improved”, “stable” or “non-rapid decline” criteria, were 45.8% versus 27.2%, 59.5% versus 37.1%, and 87.6% versus 69.7%, respectively (observed cases analysis), whilst changes in ADAS-Cog 11 scores versus baseline were -4.9, -4.7 and -2.9 points, respectively, for “improved”, “stable” and “non-rapid decline” galantamine-treated patients (-1.5 points for galantamine recipients overall). “Improved” or “stable” galantamine-treated patients displayed mean improvement in ADAS-Cog 11 scores over baseline until 18 months after starting treatment, and attenuated deterioration thereafter; for galantamine-treated patients exhibiting “non-rapid decline”, mean ADAS-Cog 11 score returned to baseline after approximately 12 months.

Conclusions:

Patients who demonstrate improvement, stability, or limited cognitive decline 2-5 months after reaching maintenance doses of galantamine are more likely to experience continued benefit from long-term galantamine therapy.

Characterization and polymorphic analysis of 4.5 kb genomic full-length HLA-C in the Chinese Han population

This study used long-range polymerase chain reaction to sequence 4.5 or 4.3 kb of genomic DNA covering human leukocyte antigen C (HLA-C) and its flanks in 45 Chinese Han subjects to better characterize variation in the gene in a single population. Sequences of 35 HLA-C alleles were obtained from the population, including major alleles of 13 lineages of HLA-C. Four novel alleles, C*03:04:01:02, C*04:01:01:03, C*08:22, and C*17:01:01:02, were identified, and complete full-length sequences of 18 HLA-C alleles were obtained for the first time. All sequences herein reported also represent extensions through the promoter region and the 3'-untranslated region. Fourteen 5'-nucleotide sequences and 14 3'-nucleotide sequences were detected outside the coding region. In total, 316 single-nucleotide polymorphisms unequally distributed in HLA-C subregions were observed. In addition to exons 2 and 3, nucleotide variability was found to be particularly high in exon 5, which encodes the transmembrane region. The differentiation of the C*07 and C*17 lineages in this region accounts for the high variability. The congruence of phylogeny across most regions of the gene suggests that gene conversion or recombination has not markedly influenced divergence between lineages in the evolution of HLA-C.

Investigation of photocatalytic activities over Bi₂WO₆/ZnWO₄ composite under UV light and its photoinduced charge transfer properties

Bi(2)WO(6)/ZnWO(4) composite photocatalysts have been successfully synthesized by a facile hydrothermal process. The catalysts were characterized by powder X-ray diffraction (XRD), transmission electron microcopy (TEM), and UV-vis diffuse reflectance spectrum (DRS). The results show that Bi(2)WO(6) nanoparticles grow on the primary ZnWO(4) nanorods. The Bi(2)WO(6)/ZnWO(4) composites have better UV light photocatalytic activities compared to single ZnWO(4) nanorods. Furthermore, the photoinduced charge transfer properties of Bi(2)WO(6)/ZnWO(4) composites were investigated by means of transient photovoltage (TPV) technique in detail. The interconnected interface of Bi(2)WO(6)/ZnWO(4) composites led to the low recombination ratios of photoinduced electron-hole pairs and enhanced photocatalytic activities.

Radiation dose in coronary artery angiography with 320-detector row CT and its diagnostic accuracy: comparison with 64-detector row CT

AIM

The aim of this study was the comparison of image quality, diagnostic accuracy and radiation dose of ECG-gated volume scan mode of 320-detector row CT with 64-detector row CT.

METHODS

A hundred and twenty patients receiving coronary artery CT angiography (CTA) were divided into two groups. Sixty patients in Group A underwent 64-detector row CTA; for the remainder, Group B, 320-detector row CT was used. Conventional coronary angiography was then performed in all patients. In Group B, patients with a pulse <65 beat/min underwent a prospective ECG-gated volume scan using a 70-80% R-R phase window and 1-beat, whereas a 30-80% R-R phase window, 2-beat CT was performed in patients with a pulse >65 beat/min.

RESULTS

In Group A, 247 vessels and 920 segments were assessed; in Group B, 242 and 906. In 320-detector row CTA, the coronary stenosis diagnosis' specificities were 98%, 96%, and 95% at the segmental, vessel, and patient levels, respectively (98%, 94%, and 92% in 64-detector row CTA); the negative predictive values were 99%, 98%, and 100% (98%, 97%, and 95% in 64-detector row CTA). There was no significant difference in specificity or negative predictive values between the groups. The average effective radiation dose in Group B was lower than in Group A (P<0.001). In Group B, the dose for 48 patients with 70-80% R-R phase window, 1-beat scan, was lower than for the remaining 12 patients (30-80% R-R phase window, 2-beat) (P<0.001).

CONCLUSION

The 320-detector CT reduces the radiation exposure by approximately 80% compared with 64-detector CT, with similar diagnostic accuracy and image quality.

Indications of suppression of excited Υ states in Pb-Pb collisions at √(s(NN))=2.76 TeV

A comparison of the relative yields of Υ resonances in the μ(+)μ(-) decay channel in Pb-Pb and pp collisions at a center-of-mass energy per nucleon pair of 2.76 TeV is performed with data collected with the CMS detector at the LHC. Using muons of transverse momentum above 4  GeV/c and pseudorapidity below 2.4, the double ratio of the Υ(2S) and Υ(3S) excited states to the Υ(1S) ground state in Pb-Pb and pp collisions, [Υ(2S+3S)/Υ(1S)](Pb-Pb)/[Υ(2S+3S)/Υ(1S)](pp), is found to be 0.31(-0.15)(+0.19)(stat)±0.03(syst). The probability to obtain the measured value, or lower, if the true double ratio is unity, is calculated to be less than 1%.