Evidence for CP violation in B0-->J/psipi0 decays

We present measurements of the branching fraction and time-dependent CP asymmetries in B0-->J/psipi0 decays based on 466 x 10(6) Upsilon(4S)-->BB over events collected with the BABAR detector at the SLAC PEP-II asymmetric-energy B factory. We measure the CP asymmetry parameters S= -1.23+/-0.21(stat)+/-0.04(syst) and C= -0.20+/-0.19(stat)+/-0.03(syst), where the measured value of (S, C) is 4.0 standard deviations from (0, 0) including systematic uncertainties. The branching fraction is determined to be B(B0-->J/psipi0)=[1.69+/-0.14(stat)+/-0.07(syst)]x10(-5).

Natriuretic Peptides, Antidiuretic Hormone and Hyponatraemia after Acute Craniocerebral Injury

We investigated the physiological mechanisms involved in central hyponatraemia in patients with acute craniocerebral injury (ACI). We measured blood concentrations of natriuretic peptides, antidiuretic hormone (ADH), and endogenous digitalis-like substance (EDLS), blood and urine sodium concentrations, and the plasma and urine osmolality in 68 patients with ACI and 24 healthy control subjects. A total of 27 ACI patients were hyponatraemic and the majority of these had grievous or severely grievous craniocerebral injuries. Blood concentrations of EDLS and ADH in hyponatraemic ACI patients were significantly higher compared with normonatraemic ACI patients and control subjects. Blood EDLS and sodium concentrations were negatively correlated with each other, whereas EDLS was positively correlated with urine sodium concentration and with urine osmotic pressure. Hyponatraemic ACI patients require different treatment based on the cause of their central hyponatraemia, so it is important to undertake a comprehensive analysis of each patient's physiological status.

Measurement of the decay B(-) ---> D(*0)e(-)nu[overline](e)

Using 226 x 10(6) BB[overline] events recorded on the Upsilon(4S) resonance with the BABAR detector at the SLAC e(+)e(-) PEP-II storage rings, we reconstruct B(-) ---> D(*0)e(-)nu[overline](e) decays using the decay chain D(*0) --> D(0)pi(0) and D(0)-->K(-)pi(+). From the dependence of their differential rate on w, the dot product of the four velocities of B(-) and D(*0), and using the form factor description by Caprini et al. with the parameters F(1) and rhoA(1)(2), we obtain the results rhoA(1)(2) = 1.16+/-0.06+/-0.08, F(1)|V(cb)|=(35.9+/-0.6+/-1.4) x 10(-3), and B(B(-) --> D(*0)e(-)nu[overline](e))=(5.56+/-0.08+/-0.41)%.

The relationship between admission blood glucose levels and hospital mortality

AIMS/HYPOTHESIS

The purpose of this study was to examine the relationship between blood glucose level (BGL) on admission with mortality rates among patients admitted to hospital through the Emergency Department.

METHODS

In a prospective observational study, BGLs were routinely measured on 6,187 consecutive patients requiring blood testing and admitted through the Emergency Department of a tertiary referral hospital. These measurements were matched against demographic data and hospital mortality rates.

RESULTS

Overall in-hospital mortality was 4.8%. Admission BGL was an independent predictor of mortality (HR 1.04 per 1 mmol/l increase, 95% CI 1.02-1.06, p=0.02). There was a significant interaction between diabetes status and increasing BGL on mortality (p<0.001), with higher BGLs being associated with greater mortality among non-diabetic than among diabetic patients. Among non-diabetic patients, the lowest mortality rate (3.0%) was in people with a BGL of 4.0-5.9 mmol/l. Compared with this group, patients with a BGL of 8.0-9.9 mmol/l had increased mortality rate (7.6%, HR 1.56, 95% CI 1.03-2.35, p=0.04, after adjustment for age and sex). The risk increased further at higher glucose levels. In the cohort with diagnosed diabetes, the increase in mortality rates at higher BGL bands was not significant.

CONCLUSIONS/INTERPRETATION

Among people who do not have diabetes, even modest degrees of hyperglycaemia on hospital admission are associated with increased mortality.

Articular cartilage metabolism in patients with Kashin-Beck Disease: an endemic osteoarthropathy in China

OBJECTIVE

The objective of this study was to investigate CD44 and proteoglycan metabolism in patients suffering from Kashin-Beck Disease (KBD), an endemic osteoarthropathy that affects 2.5 million of 30 million people living in the KBD regions of China.

METHODS

Immunohistochemical analyses of cluster of differentiation-44 (CD44), BC-13 and 3-B-3(-) expression were performed in cartilage sections harvested from KBD and normal patients. In addition, the serum levels of soluble CD44 (sCD44), interleukin-1beta (IL-1beta), tumor necrosis factor-alpha (TNF-alpha) and matrix metalloproteinase-1 were determined using a sandwich enzyme linked immunosorbent assay.

RESULTS

Hematoxylin & eosin and toluidine blue staining indicated that there was cell necrosis and proteoglycan loss in cartilage from both KBD children and adult cartilage. Strong immunohistochemical staining for CD44, BC-13 and 3-B-3(-) occurred in the majority of adult KBD patients and most KBD children. Furthermore, statistically significant elevated levels of sCD44, IL-1beta and TNF-alpha were found in the sera of both adult and child KBD patients when compared to the levels of normal adult and child controls. Interestingly, IL-1beta and TNF-alpha serum levels were all high in normal children from KBD regions when compared to normal children from non-KBD regions suggesting that unidentified factors (e.g., a genetic predisposition) may protect some people from KBD pathology.

CONCLUSION

Our results demonstrate that altered CD44, IL-1beta and TNF-alpha metabolism occurs in the pathogenesis of KBD and there is an increased aggrecanase-generated proteoglycan loss from KBD adult and child cartilage. These primary metabolic changes are likely to be significant contributing factor causing pathological joint formation and instability that leads to secondary osteoarthritis in KBD patients.

Analysis of the DPYD gene implicated in 5-fluorouracil catabolism in Chinese cancer patients

BACKGROUND AND OBJECTIVE

5-fluorouracil (5-FU) is still a widely used anticancer drug. More than 85% of the 5-FU administered is catabolized by dihydropyrimidine dehydrogenase (DPD) in the liver. However, mutations in the DPD gene have been found to be associated with low DPD activity causing severe complications. The purpose of this study was to determine the mutation frequency of four exons in Chinese cancer patients and the relationship between genotype and DPD activity.

METHODS

Samples from 142 cancer patients were investigated in this study. The DPD activity was determined by reversed-phase HPLC. Exons 2, 13, 14 and 18 were amplified by polymerase chain reaction (PCR), sequenced and analysed from both sense and antisense directions. Nonparametric one-sample Kolmogorov-Smirnov test was used for distribution analysis; two independent samples t-test and one-way anova was performed for two groups and three groups analyses, respectively.

RESULTS AND DISCUSSION

Plasma-DPD activities in the 142 cancer patients followed a Gaussian distribution. The mean plasma-DPD activity in women was lower than that in men (P = 0.006). Four mutations, 85T>C(DPYD*9A), 1627A>G(DPYD*5), 1896T>C and 2194G>A(DPYD*6), were found in the 142 cancer patients. The following mutations reported by others were not detected: 61C>T, 62G>A, 74A>G, 1601G>A(DPYD*4), 1679T>G(DPYD*13), 1714C>G, 1897delC(DPYD*3) and IVS 14 + 1G>A. No significant correlation was found between three mutations [85T>C(DPYD*9A), 1627A>G (DPYD*5) and 1896T>C], and DPD activity was found.

CONCLUSION

No clear correlation between the mutations studied and DPD activity could be established in this study. However, larger-scale prospective studies are needed to better assess the reported genotype-phenotype correlations.

Estimation of the detection probability for Yangtze finless porpoises (Neophocaena phocaenoides asiaeorientalis) with a passive acoustic method

Yangtze finless porpoises were surveyed by using simultaneous visual and acoustical methods from 6 November to 13 December 2006. Two research vessels towed stereo acoustic data loggers, which were used to store the intensity and sound source direction of the high frequency sonar signals produced by finless porpoises at detection ranges up to 300 m on each side of the vessel. Simple stereo beam forming allowed the separation of distinct biosonar sound source, which enabled us to count the number of vocalizing porpoises. Acoustically, 204 porpoises were detected from one vessel and 199 from the other vessel in the same section of the Yangtze River. Visually, 163 and 162 porpoises were detected from two vessels within 300 m of the vessel track. The calculated detection probability using acoustic method was approximately twice that for visual detection for each vessel. The difference in detection probabilities between the two methods was caused by the large number of single individuals that were missed by visual observers. However, the sizes of large groups were underestimated by using the acoustic methods. Acoustic and visual observations complemented each other in the accurate detection of porpoises. The use of simple, relatively inexpensive acoustic monitoring systems should enhance population surveys of free-ranging, echolocating odontocetes.

An antibiotic complex from Lysobacter enzymogenes strain C3: antimicrobial activity and role in plant disease control

Lysobacter enzymogenes C3 is a bacterial biological control agent that exhibits antagonism against multiple fungal pathogens. Its antifungal activity was attributed in part to lytic enzymes. In this study, a heat-stable antifungal factor (HSAF), an antibiotic complex consisting of dihydromaltophilin and structurally related macrocyclic lactams, was found to be responsible for antagonism by C3 against fungi and oomycetes in culture. HSAF in purified form exhibited inhibitory activity against a wide range of fungal and oomycetes species in vitro, inhibiting spore germination, and disrupting hyphal polarity in sensitive fungi. When applied to tall fescue leaves as a partially-purified extract, HSAF at 25 mug/ml and higher inhibited germination of conidia of Bipolaris sorokiniana compared with the control. Although application of HSAF at 12.5 mug/ml did not reduce the incidence of conidial germination, it inhibited appressorium formation and suppressed Bipolaris leaf spot development. Two mutant strains of C3 (K19 and DeltaNRPS) that were disrupted in different domains in the hybrid polyketide synthase-nonribosomal peptide synthetase gene for HSAF biosynthesis and had lost the ability to produce HSAF were compared with the wild-type strain for biological control efficacy against Bipolaris leaf spot on tall fescue and Fusarium head blight, caused by Fusarium graminearum, on wheat. Both mutant strains exhibited decreased capacity to reduce the incidence and severity of Bipolaris leaf spot compared with C3. In contrast, the mutant strains were as efficacious as the wild-type strain in reducing the severity of Fusarium head blight. Thus, HSAF appears to be a mechanism for biological control by strain C3 against some, but not all, plant pathogenic fungi.

Essential role of toxin A in C. difficile 027 and reference strain supernatant-mediated disruption of Caco-2 intestinal epithelial barrier function

Clostridium difficile induces mucosal inflammation via secreted toxins A and B and initial interactions between the toxins and intestinal epithelial cells (which lead to loss of barrier function) are believed to be important in disease pathogenesis. Secreted toxin-specific antibodies may inhibit such interactions. Using the Caco-2 epithelial cell line, we have investigated the use of an anti-toxin A monoclonal antibody (ATAA) in providing protection against toxin A-mediated disruption of epithelial barrier function (assessed by measurement of transepithelial electrical resistance and luminal to basolateral flux of labelled dextran). In contrast to free antibody, ATAA conjugated to sepharose beads was more effective in neutralizing the activity of purified toxin A. Sepharose bead-conjugated ATAA was subsequently used to investigate the contribution of toxin A in epithelial injury mediated by C. difficile supernatant samples (containing toxins A, B and other products). Loss of barrier function mediated by apical application of supernatant samples of reference and epidemic 027 strains of C. difficile was abrogated by neutralization of toxin A. However, this was not the case when the supernatant samples were applied to the basal surface of epithelial monolayers. In conclusion, our studies have shown that (i) sepharose bead-conjugated ATAA is more effective in neutralizing toxin A than free antibody and (ii) when the apical (luminal) surface of epithelial monolayers is exposed to the secretory products of reference and 027 strains of C. difficile, toxin A is required for the initial injury that leads to loss of barrier function.

Liposome vectors for in vivo gene delivery

Gene therapy with nonviral, cationic liposome-based vectors has demonstrated promising results in a variety of in vivo models and some clinical trials. In contrast to viral vectors, cationic liposome-based vectors usually induce just mild inflammatory reactions, making them suitable for repeated injections in animals. This unit describes the preparation and delivery of two liposome-based vectors Gene therapy with nonviral, cationic liposome-based vectors has demonstrated promising results in a variety of in vivo models.