Measurement of the Zgamma --> nunu[over ]gamma production cross section and limits on anomalous ZZgamma and Zgammagamma couplings in pp[over] collisions at sqrt[s] = 1.96 TeV

We present the first observation of the Zgamma --> nunu[over ]gamma process at the Fermilab Tevatron at 5.1 standard deviations significance, based on 3.6 fb;{-1} of integrated luminosity collected with the D0 detector at the Fermilab Tevatron pp[over ] Collider at sqrt[s] = 1.96 TeV. The measured Zgamma production cross section multiplied by the branching fraction of Z --> nunu[over] is 32 +/- 9(stat + syst) +/-2 (lumi) fb for the photon E_{T} > 90 GeV. It is in agreement with the standard model prediction of 39 +/- 4 fb. We set limits on anomalous trilinear Zgammagamma and ZZgamma gauge boson couplings, most of which are the most restrictive to date.

Incidence, annualized cost, and utilization burden in patients with metastatic renal cell carcinoma

e17529

Background: Data on burden of metastatic renal cell carcinoma (MRCC) is scarce. The objectives of this study are to examine the incidence of MRCC and the cost and utilization burden of MRCC over time. Methods: Administrative claims data from a large, US managed care plan were used to identify commercially insured and Medicare enrollees with newly diagnosed MRCC during 01/01/03–12/31/07 and continuous enrollment 12 months prior to and at least 90 days after MRCC diagnosis. Mean (median) costs and utilization during the follow-up period were annualized. Costs were 2007 CPI-adjusted. Results: 1,427 patients were identified with newly diagnosed MRCC (average age: 62.4 years 62.6% male). The annual incidence of MRCC in the managed care plan population was 3.4, 3.8, 2.9, 3.3, and 4.4 per 100,000 enrollees in 2003 through 2007, respectively. The mean (median) annual number of ambulatory visits per patient increased among patients diagnosed in 2003 to those diagnosed in 2007, from 44.9 (33.2) to 63.7 (54.8). Mean (median) annual medical costs per patient increased by year of diagnosis from $70,797 ($33,031) in 2003 to $92,521 ($48,117) in 2007. Pharmacy costs (excluding costs for medications delivered in medical settings) increased from $5,651 ($2,004) to $13,290 ($3,609), and were approximately 7.4%-14.3% of total costs during the time period. Conclusions: This study showed an apparent slight increase in MRCC incidence rates and revealed that treatment costs and health care utilization per patient increased substantially from 2003–2007 among members of this US managed care plan. The increases in health care utilization and cost suggest the evolution in treatment options over time as more therapies become available.

No significant financial relationships to disclose.

Evaluation of aldehyde dehydrogenase 1 (ALDH1) as a marker of non-small cell lung cancer (NSCLC) stem cells (SCs) and correlation with prognosis

11105

Background: ALDH1 is a cytosolic enzyme responsible for oxidizing intracellular aldehydes, and conversion of retinol to retinoic acid in SCs. ALDH1 has been previously demonstrated to be a marker for SCs in breast cancer (Ginestier C, et al., Cell Stem Cell. 2007 Nov; 1(5):555–67). The Aldefluor assay is based on conversion of a synthetic substrate BAAA, when passively infused into cytosol, to brightly fluorescent BAA by ALDH1. Combined with fluorescence-activated cell sorting (FACS), it has been used successfully in hematopoietic and breast cancer SCs isolation. ALDH1 is also found in NSCLC. We hypothesized that ALDH1 would be a marker for NSCLC SCs and a potential prognostic marker. Methods: NSCLC SCs were isolated from human NSCLC cell lines using the Aldefluor assay and FACS. ALDH1-positive cells were analyzed extensively for SC characteristics. ALDH1 expression in 303 NSCLC biopsy specimens from three independent cohorts of NSCLC patients was then analyzed by immunohistochemisty (IHC) using an ALDH1 antibody (Santa Cruz Biotechnology) and commercially available negative controls. Results: Isolated cancer cells with high ALDH1 activity displayed cancer SCs features, including capacities for proliferation, self-renewal, differentiation; resistance to chemotherapeutic agents including cisplatin, vinorelbine, gemcitabine and docetaxel; expression of the SC surface marker CD133, and high invasiveness. ALDH1-positive cells generated tumors in vivo recapitulating heterogeneity of parental cells. Xenograft tumors derived from ALDH1-positive cells (103 each) were 36±2.9 mm3 on average in size, with some of the cells having lost ALDH1 expression. Xenograft tumors derived from ALDH1-negative cells (105 each) were 4 mm3 on average in size, without ALDH1 reactivation. Statistical analysis of quantitative IHC and clinical data showed ALDH1 expression was correlated with higher stage and grade of NSCLC (p = 0.02). Expression of ALDH1 in stage I NSCLC patients was linked to decreased 5 year cancer-specific survival (62% vs. 96%, p = 0.006) and overall survival (32% vs. 72%, p = 0.009). Conclusions: 1. ALDH1 is a NSCLC SC-associated tumor marker. 2. ALDH1 expression is a negative prognostic marker in early stage NSCLC.

No significant financial relationships to disclose.

Survival and association with time to treatment change in patients with metastatic renal cell carcinoma

e16160

Background: Metastatic renal cell carcinoma (MRCC) is associated with high mortality rates. The objectives of this study are to examine survival rates among patients using targeted therapies (Sunitinib, Sorafenib) for MRCC and the association of time to treatment change with survival. Methods: Administrative claims data from a large, US managed care plan were used to identify commercially insured and Medicare patients with newly diagnosed MRCC from 01/01/03–12/31/07 and continuous enrollment for 12 months prior to and at least 90 days after MRCC diagnosis. Survival from earliest evidence of targeted therapy (TT) was assessed through 9/16/2008. Treatment change was defined as stopping TT, switching TT or the addition of other treatments for MRCC. Results: 253 patients were identified with newly diagnosed MRCC (average age: 60.5 years; 71.5% male) who also received TT. Mean (median) survival time from initiation of therapy was 533 (507) days. A majority of those on TT (n = 205, 81.0%) experienced treatment change within 6 months after initiating the therapy; two-thirds within 30 days of therapy initiation. Unadjusted survival rates increased significantly with longer time to change in treatment (p=0.0075), with a mean survival time of 437 days for those with treatment change within 30 days and 724 days among those with treatment change 5–6 months post therapy initiation. Conclusions: Early treatment changes are associated with shorter survival times. High rates of early treatment changes indicate inadequacies in currently available targeted therapies for MRCC patients.

No significant financial relationships to disclose.

Search for charged higgs bosons decaying into top and bottom quarks in pp[over ] collisions

We describe a search for production of a charged Higgs boson, qq[over ];{'}-->H;{+}, reconstructed in the tb[over ] final state in the mass range 180< or =M_{H;{+}}< or =300 GeV. The search was undertaken at the Fermilab Tevatron collider with a center-of-mass energy sqrt[s]=1.96 TeV and uses 0.9 fb;{-1} of data collected with the D0 detector. We find no evidence for charged Higgs boson production and set upper limits on the production cross section in the types I, II, and III two-Higgs-doublet models (2HDMs). An excluded region in the (M_{H;{+}}, tanbeta) plane for type I 2HDM is presented.

Measurement of gamma+b+X and gamma+c+X Production Cross Sections in pp[over ] Collisions at sqrt[s]=1.96 TeV

First measurements of the differential cross sections d;{3}sigma/(dp_{T};{gamma}dy;{gamma}dy;{jet}) for the inclusive production of a photon in association with a heavy quark (b, c) jet are presented, covering photon transverse momenta 30<p_{T};{gamma}<150 GeV, photon rapidities |y;{gamma}|<1.0, jet rapidities |y;{jet}|<0.8, and jet transverse momenta p_{T};{jet}>15 GeV. The results are based on an integrated luminosity of 1 fb;{-1} in pp[over ] collisions at sqrt[s]=1.96 TeV recorded with the D0 detector at the Fermilab Tevatron Collider. The results are compared with next-to-leading order perturbative QCD predictions.

Synchronisation mechanisms of circadian rhythms in the suprachiasmatic nucleus

In mammals, the suprachiasmatic nucleus (SCN) of the hypothalamus is considered as the master circadian pacemaker. Each cell in the SCN contains an autonomous molecular clock, and the SCN is composed of multiple single-cell circadian oscillators. The fundamental question is how the individual cellular oscillators, expressing a wide range of periods, interact and assemble to create an integrated pacemaker that can govern behavioural and physiological rhythmicity and be reset by environmental light. The key is that the heterogeneous network formed by the cellular clocks within the SCN must synchronise to maintain timekeeping activity. To study the synchronisation mechanisms and the circadian rhythm generation, we propose a model based on the structural and functional heterogeneity of the SCN. The model is a heterogeneous network of circadian oscillators in which individual oscillators are self-sustained. The authors show that the dorsomedial region can smooth the periodic light-dark (LD) signal curve and affect its wave form. The authors also study the rhythmic process of the circadian oscillators under the effect of the daily LD cycle, including three courses: information afferent inputs, oscillation and information efferent outputs. The numerical simulations are also given to demonstrate the theoretical results.

The vascular actions of insulin control its delivery to muscle and regulate the rate-limiting step in skeletal muscle insulin action

Evidence suggests that insulin delivery to skeletal muscle interstitium is the rate-limiting step in insulin-stimulated muscle glucose uptake and that this process is impaired by insulin resistance. In this review we examine the basis for the hypothesis that insulin acts on the vasculature at three discrete steps to enhance its own delivery to muscle: (1) relaxation of resistance vessels to increase total blood flow; (2) relaxation of pre-capillary arterioles to increase the microvascular exchange surface perfused within skeletal muscle (microvascular recruitment); and (3) the trans-endothelial transport (TET) of insulin. Insulin can relax resistance vessels and increase blood flow to skeletal muscle. However, there is controversy as to whether this occurs at physiological concentrations of, and exposure times to, insulin. The microvasculature is recruited more quickly and at lower insulin concentrations than are needed to increase total blood flow, a finding consistent with a physiological role for insulin in muscle insulin delivery. Microvascular recruitment is impaired by obesity, diabetes and nitric oxide synthase inhibitors. Insulin TET is a third potential site for regulating insulin delivery. This is underscored by the consistent finding that steady-state insulin concentrations in plasma are approximately twice those in muscle interstitium. Recent in vivo and in vitro findings suggest that insulin traverses the vascular endothelium via a trans-cellular, receptor-mediated pathway, and emerging data indicate that insulin acts on the endothelium to facilitate its own TET. Thus, muscle insulin delivery, which is rate-limiting for its metabolic action, is itself regulated by insulin at multiple steps. These findings highlight the need to further understand the role of the vascular actions of insulin in metabolic regulation.

A genome screen of 35 bipolar affective disorder pedigrees provides significant evidence for a susceptibility locus on chromosome 15q25-26

Bipolar affective disorder is a heritable, relatively common, severe mood disorder with lifetime prevalence up to 4%. We report the results of a genome-wide linkage analysis conducted on a cohort of 35 Australian bipolar disorder families which identified evidence of significant linkage on chromosome 15q25-26 and suggestive evidence of linkage on chromosomes 4q, 6q and 13q. Subsequent fine-mapping of the chromosome 15q markers, using allele frequencies calculated from our cohort, gave significant results with a maximum two-point LOD score of 3.38 and multipoint LOD score of 4.58 for marker D15S130. Haplotype analysis based on pedigree-specific, identical-by-descent allele sharing, supported the location of a bipolar susceptibility gene within the Z(max-1) linkage confidence interval of 17 cM, or 6.2 Mb, between markers D15S979 and D15S816. Non-parametric and affecteds-only linkage analysis further verified the linkage signal in this region. A maximum NPL score of 3.38 (P=0.0008) obtained at 107.16 cM (near D15S130), and a maximum two-point LOD score of 2.97 obtained at marker D15S1004 (affecteds only), support the original genome-wide findings on chromosome 15q. These results are consistent with four independent positive linkage studies of mood and psychotic disorders, and raise the possibility that a common gene for susceptibility to bipolar disorder, and other psychiatric disorders may lie in this chromosome 15q25-26 region.

[Humoral immune response in mice to hybrid nucleic acid vaccines containing Plasmodium falciparum merozoite surface protein 1 block 17-based gene]

AIM

To analyse the humoral immune response in mice to nucleic acid vaccines (VR1012/HG-MSP1-17 for intracellular expression or VR1012/TPA/HG-MSP-17 for secretion) containing Plasmodium falciparum merozoite surface protein 1 (MSP1) 17 block gene and gene fragment of several T cell epitopes from MSA1, MSA2, RESA, IL-1 and TT.

METHODS

BALB/c or C57BL/6 mice received three times intramuscular immunization with 200 micrograms/100 microliters or 100 micrograms/100 microliters of VR1012/HG-MSP1-17 or VR1012/TPA/HG-MSP1-17 per mouse each time. Anti-HG or anti-MSP1-17 antibodies were monitored by indirect ELISA.

RESULTS

BALB/c and C57BL/6 mice immunized with 100 micrograms/100 microliters of VR1012/HG-MSP1-17 per mouse raised significantly anti-HG and anti-MSP1-17 antibodies, but the levels of antibodies were not high. BALB/c mice immunized with 200 micrograms/100 microliters of VR1012/HG-MSP1-17 per mouse raised higher anti-HG antibodies but not anti-MSP1-17 antibodies. BALB/c mice immunized with 200 micrograms/100 microliters of VR1012/TPA/HG-MSP1-17 per mouse raised low level of anti-HG antibodies only.

CONCLUSION

VR1012/HG-MSP1-17 is more immunogenic than VR1012/TPA/HG-MSP1-17.

Search for long-lived charged massive particles with the D0 detector

We search for long-lived charged massive particles using 1.1 fb;{-1} of data collected by the D0 detector at the Fermilab Tevatron pp[over ] Collider. Time-of-flight information is used to search for pair produced long-lived tau sleptons, gauginolike charginos, and Higgsino-like charginos. We find no evidence of a signal and set 95% C.L. cross section upper limits for staus, which vary from 0.31 to 0.04 pb for stau masses between 60 and 300 GeV. We also set lower mass limits of 206 GeV (171 GeV) for pair produced charged gauginos (Higgsinos).

Evidence of WW and WZ production with lepton + jets final states in pp collisions at square root s=1.96 TeV

We present first evidence for WW+WZ production in lepton + jets final states at a hadron collider. The data correspond to 1.07 fb-1 of integrated luminosity collected with the D0 detector at the Fermilab Tevatron in pp collisions at square root s=1.96 TeV. The observed cross section for WW+WZ production is 20.2+/-4.5 pb, consistent with the standard model and more precise than previous measurements in fully leptonic final states. The probability that background fluctuations alone produce this excess is <5.4 x 10-6, which corresponds to a significance of 4.4 standard deviations.