High-Precision Determination of g Factors and Masses of ^{20}Ne^{9+} and ^{22}Ne^{9+}

We present the measurements of individual bound electron g factors of ^{20}Ne^{9+} and ^{22}Ne^{9+} on the relative level of 0.1 parts per billion. The comparison with theory represents the most stringent test of bound-state QED in strong electric fields. A dedicated mass measurement results in m(^{20}Ne)=19.992 440 168 77(9)  u, which improves the current literature value by a factor of 18, disagrees by 4 standard deviations, and represents the most precisely measured mass value in atomic mass units. Together, these measurements yield an electron mass on the relative level of 0.1 ppb with m_{e}=5.485 799 090 99(59)×10^{-4}  u as well as a factor of seven improved m(^{22}Ne)=21.991 385 098 2(26)  u.

Stringent test of QED with hydrogen-like tin

Inner-shell electrons naturally sense the electric field close to the nucleus, which can reach extreme values beyond 1015 V cm-1 for the innermost electrons1. Especially in few-electron, highly charged ions, the interaction with the electromagnetic fields can be accurately calculated within quantum electrodynamics (QED), rendering these ions good candidates to test the validity of QED in strong fields. Consequently, their Lamb shifts were intensively studied in the past several decades2,3. Another approach is the measurement of gyromagnetic factors (g factors) in highly charged ions4-7. However, so far, either experimental accuracy or small field strength in low-Z ions5,6 limited the stringency of these QED tests. Here we report on our high-precision, high-field test of QED in hydrogen-like 118Sn49+. The highly charged ions were produced with the Heidelberg electron beam ion trap (EBIT)8 and injected into the ALPHATRAP Penning-trap setup9, in which the bound-electron g factor was measured with a precision of 0.5 parts per billion (ppb). For comparison, we present state-of-the-art theory calculations, which together test the underlying QED to about 0.012%, yielding a stringent test in the strong-field regime. With this measurement, we challenge the best tests by means of the Lamb shift and, with anticipated advances in the g-factor theory, surpass them by more than an order of magnitude.

Diminished humoral and cellular responses to SARS-CoV-2 vaccines in patients with chronic lymphocytic leukemia

Previous studies have demonstrated low rates of seroconversion to severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2) messenger RNA (mRNA) vaccines in patients with chronic lymphocytic leukemia (CLL). In this national collaboration of 11 cancer centers in the United States, we aimed to further characterize and understand vaccine-induced immune responses, including T-cell responses, and the impact of CLL therapeutics (#NCT04852822). Eligible patients were enrolled in 2 cohorts (1) at the time of initial vaccination and (2) at the time of booster vaccination. The serologic response rates (anti-S) from 210 patients in the initial vaccination cohort and 117 in the booster vaccination cohort were 56% (95% confidence interval [CI], 50-63) and 68% (95% CI, 60-77), respectively. Compared with patients not on therapy, those receiving B-cell-directed therapy were less likely to seroconvert (odds ratio [OR], 0.27; 95% CI, 0.15-0.49). Persistence of response was observed at 6 months; anti-S titers increased with the administration of booster vaccinations. In the initial vaccination cohort, positive correlations were observed between the quantitative serologic response and CD4 T-cell response for the Wuhan variant and, to a lesser degree, for the Omicron variant (Spearman P = 0.45 Wuhan; P = 0.25 Omicron). In the booster vaccination cohort, positive correlations were observed between serologic responses and CD4 T-cell responses for both variants (P = 0.58 Wuhan; P = 0.57 Omicron) and to a lesser degree for CD8 T-cell responses (P = 0.33 Wuhan; P = 0.22 Omicron). Although no deaths from coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) have been reported after booster vaccinations, patients should use caution as newer variants emerge and escape vaccine-induced immunity. This trial was registered at www.clinicaltrials.gov as #NCT04852822.

Sensitive and high-accuracy detection of Salmonella based on CRISPR/Cas12a combined with recombinase polymerase amplification

Salmonella is a crucial food-borne pathogen causing food poisoning, leading to severe public health events. Here, we developed a technique by integrating recombinase polymerase amplification with CRISPR-LbCas12a and employing two targets with engineered crRNA for detection of Salmonella (RPA-LbCas12a-TTECDS). Our findings revealed that this novel method rapidly detects trace Salmonella in food through fluorescence intensity and provides a template for other food-borne pathogen detection methods. Further, crRNA was optimized to increase detection sensitivity. Double targets were used to enhance the detection accuracy, reaching the level of qPCR, which was superior to fluorescent RPA. The RPA-LbCas12a-TTECDS system specifically detected Salmonella levels as low as 50 CFU per ml at 37°C in 1 h. In summary, a simple, rapid, sensitive and high accuracy detection technique based on CRISPR-Cas12a was created for Salmonella detection without complicated equipment.

The impact of B-cell-directed therapy on SARS-CoV-2 vaccine efficacy in chronic lymphocytic leukaemia

Prior reports evaluating SARS-CoV-2 vaccine efficacy in chronic lymphocytic leukaemia (CLL) used semiquantitative measurements of anti-S to evaluate immunity; however, neutralization assays were used to assess functional immunity in the trials leading to vaccine approval. Here, we identified decreased rates of seroconversion in vaccinated CLL patients and lower anti-S levels compared to healthy controls. Notably, we demonstrated similar results with the Roche anti-S assay and neutralization activity. Durable responses were seen at six months; augmentation with boosters was possible in responding patients. Absence of normal B cells, frequently seen in patients receiving Bruton tyrosine kinase and B-cell lymphoma 2 inhibitors, was a strong predictor of lack of seroconversion.

[Effects of programmed death receptor-1 antibody in patients with hepatitis B-associated liver cancer]

Objective: To investigate the effect of programmed death receptor (PD)-1 antibody therapy in patients with hepatitis B-associated liver cancer. Methods: Data of 29 chronically infected HBV patients with liver cancer who received PD-1 antibody combined with tyrosine kinase inhibitor in the Department of Infectious Diseases of the Fifth Medical Center of PLA General Hospital from March 2020 to January 2021 were selected. At the same time, all of the above-mentioned hepatitis B virus (HBV) patients were treated with nucleos(t)ide analogues. Patients clinical diagnostic data, laboratory test results, tumor response and the incidence of adverse reactions were collected retrospectively to understand the overall safety, therapeutic anti-tumor effect, HBV changes condition and the correlation between HBV changes and anti-tumor PD-1 antibody efficacy, high viral load treatment condition, and HBV reactivation safety issues. Statistical analysis was performed by non-parametric rank sum test. Results: Therapeutic anti-tumor effect and safety profile were good in patients. The complete remission rate was reached 27.6%. Adverse reactions were mostly mild, and the incidence of serious adverse reactions was low. After 12 weeks of follow-up, HBV DNA and hepatitis B surface antigen (HBsAg) was quantitatively decreased (P < 0.05). HBV DNA and HBsAg were decreased more significantly in patients with progressive disease (PD), stable disease (SD) and partial response (PR) (P < 0.05). Five patients with HBV DNA ≥ 10(4) IU/ml had responded well to the tumor treatment without serious adverse reactions. One patient had a slight increase in HBV DNA and alanine aminotransferase, while there was no HBV reactivation and correlated liver damage. Conclusion: Patients with HBV-associated liver cancer who received combined therapy have good anti-tumor efficacy and safety profile. PD-1 treatment has a certain effect on HBV. Compared with non-responders, patients with tumor response have better antiviral treatment efficacy. The safety of treatment in patients with high viral load is manageable, and there are no safety issues related to HBV reactivation.

First Observation of the Directed Flow of D^{0} and D^{0}[over ¯] in Au+Au Collisions at sqrt[s_{NN}]=200 GeV

We report the first measurement of rapidity-odd directed flow (v_{1}) for D^{0} and D^{0}[over ¯] mesons at midrapidity (|y|<0.8) in Au+Au collisions at sqrt[s_{NN}]=200  GeV using the STAR detector at the Relativistic Heavy Ion Collider. In 10-80% Au+Au collisions, the slope of the v_{1} rapidity dependence (dv_{1}/dy), averaged over D^{0} and D^{0}[over ¯] mesons, is -0.080±0.017(stat)±0.016(syst) for transverse momentum p_{T} above 1.5  GeV/c. The absolute value of D^{0} meson dv_{1}/dy is about 25 times larger than that for charged kaons, with 3.4σ significance. These data give a unique insight into the initial tilt of the produced matter, and offer constraints on the geometric and transport parameters of the hot QCD medium created in relativistic heavy-ion collisions.

Polarization of Λ (Λ[over ¯]) Hyperons along the Beam Direction in Au+Au Collisions at sqrt[s_{NN}]=200 GeV

The Λ (Λ[over ¯]) hyperon polarization along the beam direction has been measured in Au+Au collisions at sqrt[s_{NN}]=200  GeV, for the first time in heavy-ion collisions. The polarization dependence on the hyperons' emission angle relative to the elliptic flow plane exhibits a second harmonic sine modulation, indicating a quadrupole pattern of the vorticity component along the beam direction, expected due to elliptic flow. The polarization is found to increase in more peripheral collisions, and shows no strong transverse momentum (p_{T}) dependence at p_{T} greater than 1  GeV/c. The magnitude of the signal is about 5 times smaller than those predicted by hydrodynamic and multiphase transport models; the observed phase of the emission angle dependence is also opposite to these model predictions. In contrast, the kinematic vorticity calculations in the blast-wave model tuned to reproduce particle spectra, elliptic flow, and the azimuthal dependence of the Gaussian source radii measured with the Hanbury Brown-Twiss intensity interferometry technique reproduce well the modulation phase measured in the data and capture the centrality and transverse momentum dependence of the polarization signal.

Observation of Excess J/ψ Yield at Very Low Transverse Momenta in Au+Au Collisions at sqrt[s_{NN}]=200 GeV and U+U Collisions at sqrt[s_{NN}]=193 GeV

We report on the first measurements of J/ψ production at very low transverse momentum (p_{T}<0.2  GeV/c) in hadronic Au+Au collisions at sqrt[s_{NN}]=200  GeV and U+U collisions at sqrt[s_{NN}]=193  GeV. Remarkably, the inferred nuclear modification factor of J/ψ at midrapidity in Au+Au (U+U) collisions reaches about 24 (52) for p_{T}<0.05  GeV/c in the 60%-80% collision centrality class. This noteworthy enhancement cannot be explained by hadronic production accompanied by cold and hot medium effects. In addition, the dN/dt distribution of J/ψ for the very low p_{T} range is presented for the first time. The distribution is consistent with that expected from the Au nucleus and shows a hint of interference. Comparison of the measurements to theoretical calculations of coherent production shows that the excess yield can be described reasonably well and reveals a partial disruption of coherent production in semicentral collisions, perhaps due to the violent hadronic interactions. Incorporating theoretical calculations, the results strongly suggest that the dramatic enhancement of J/ψ yield observed at extremely low p_{T} originates from coherent photon-nucleus interactions. In particular, coherently produced J/ψ's in violent hadronic collisions may provide a novel probe of the quark-gluon plasma.

g Factor of Boronlike Argon ^{40}Ar^{13+}

We have measured the ground-state g factor of boronlike argon ^{40}Ar^{13+} with a fractional uncertainty of 1.4×10^{-9} with a single ion in the newly developed Alphatrap double Penning-trap setup. The value of g=0.663 648 455 32(93) obtained here is in agreement with our theoretical prediction of 0.663 648 12(58). The latter is obtained accounting for quantum electrodynamics, electron correlation, and nuclear effects within the state-of-the-art theoretical methods. Our experimental result distinguishes between existing predictions that are in disagreement, and lays the foundations for an independent determination of the fine-structure constant.

Azimuthal Harmonics in Small and Large Collision Systems at RHIC Top Energies

The first (v_{1}^{fluc}), second (v_{2}), and third (v_{3}) harmonic coefficients of the azimuthal particle distribution at midrapidity are extracted for charged hadrons and studied as a function of transverse momentum (p_{T}) and mean charged particle multiplicity density ⟨N_{ch}⟩ in U+U (sqrt[s_{NN}]=193  GeV), Au+Au, Cu+Au, Cu+Cu, d+Au, and p+Au collisions at sqrt[s_{NN}]=200  GeV with the STAR detector. For the same ⟨N_{ch}⟩, the v_{1}^{fluc} and v_{3} coefficients are observed to be independent of the collision system, while v_{2} exhibits such a scaling only when normalized by the initial-state eccentricity (ϵ_{2}). The data also show that ln(v_{2}/ϵ_{2}) scales linearly with ⟨N_{ch}⟩^{-1/3}. These measurements provide insight into initial-geometry fluctuations and the role of viscous hydrodynamic attenuation on v_{n} from small to large collision systems.

Low-p_{T} e^{+}e^{-} Pair Production in Au+Au Collisions at sqrt[s_{NN}]=200 GeV and U+U Collisions at sqrt[s_{NN}]=193 GeV at STAR

We report first measurements of e^{+}e^{-} pair production in the mass region 0.4<M_{ee}<2.6  GeV/c^{2} at low transverse momentum (p_{T}<0.15  GeV/c) in noncentral Au+Au collisions at sqrt[s_{NN}]=200  GeV and U+U collisions at sqrt[s_{NN}]=193  GeV. Significant enhancement factors, expressed as ratios of data over known hadronic contributions, are observed in the 40%-80% centrality of these collisions. The excess yields peak distinctly at low p_{T} with a width (sqrt[⟨p_{T}^{2}⟩]) between 40 and 60  MeV/c. The absolute cross section of the excess depends weakly on centrality, while those from a theoretical model calculation incorporating an in-medium broadened ρ spectral function and radiation from a quark gluon plasma or hadronic cocktail contributions increase dramatically with an increasing number of participant nucleons. Model calculations of photon-photon interactions generated by the initial projectile and target nuclei describe the observed excess yields but fail to reproduce the p_{T}^{2} distributions.

[Clinical features of community-acquired bloodstream infection due to Gram-negative bacilli in patients with liver cirrhosis]

Objective: o investigate the features of pathogenic bacteria for community-acquired bloodstream infection due to Gram-negative bacilli in patients with liver cirrhosis and optimal therapeutic strategy. Methods: A retrospective analysis was performed for the clinical data of patients with liver cirrhosis who were admitted to 302 Hospital of PLA due to community-acquired bloodstream infection from January 2010 to December 2015, and a statistical analysis was performed for their clinical features, pathogenic bacteria, and results of drug sensitivity test. The Pearson chi-square test was used for comparison of rates, and the Wilcoxon rank sum test was used for comparison of ranked data. Results: A total of 240 patients (including 178 male patients) with liver cirrhosis caused by various reasons were enrolled, with a mean age of 51.7 ± 11.1 years, an overall clinical remission rate of 80.42%, and an ineffective/mortality rate of 19.58%. The patients who used sensitive antibiotics within 12 hours after the onset of community-acquired bloodstream infection achieved a significantly higher improvement rate than those who used such drugs at more than 12 hours after onset (88.2% vs 58.1%, P < 0.001). The improvement rate achieved by the application of sensitive antibiotics at more than 12 hours after onset decreased with the increase in the Child-Pugh grade (P < 0.05). A total of 245 strains of Gram-negative bacilli were isolated, among which the six most common ones were 135 strains of Escherichia coli (55.1%), 62 strains of Klebsiella pneumoniae (25.3%), 16 strains of Aeromonas (6.5%), 4 strains of non-typhoidal Salmonella (1.6%), 3 strains of Enterobacter cloacae (1.2%), and 2 strains of Acinetobacter baumannii (0.8%). These Gram-negative bacilli had the highest sensitivity to meropenem (98.5%), followed by imipenem (97.9%), amikacin (97.5%), piperacillin/tazobactam (94.7%), cefmetazole (93.7%), and cefoperazone/sulbactam (93%). Different bacteria had different sensitivities to antibiotics. Conclusion: Once community-acquired bloodstream infection occurs in patients with liver cirrhosis, highly sensitive antibiotics should be used as early as possible. Cefoperazone/sulbactam, piperacillin/tazobactam, imipenem, and meropenem can be used as first-line empirical antibiotics, and drug combination should be considered when necessary.

Correlation of Physical Exam Findings with Fever in Patients with Skin and Soft Tissue Infections

Introduction

The objectives of this study were to determine the prevalence of fever in adult ED patients with skin and soft tissue infections (SSTI) and to determine which, if any, physical exam, radiograph and laboratory test findings were associated with fever.

Methods

We conducted a prospective, observational study at an urban county trauma center of adults who presented to the ED for evaluation of suspected SSTI. ED providers measured area of erythema and induration using a tape measure, and completed data sheets indicating comorbid conditions and the presence or absence of physical exam findings. Fever was defined as any recorded temperature ≥ 38°C during the first six hours of ED evaluation.

Results

Of the 734 patients enrolled, 96 (13.1%) had fever. Physical and laboratory exam findings associated with the presence of a fever in multivariable logistic regression were the area of erythema, particularly the largest quartile of area of erythema, 144 – 5,000 cm², (odd ratio [OR] = 2.9; 95% confidence interval [CI] [1.6 – 5.2]) and leukocytosis (OR = 4.4, 95% CI [2.7 – 7.0]). Bullae, necrosis, streaks, adenopathy, and bone involvement on imaging were not associated with fever.

Conclusion

Fever is uncommon in patients presenting to the ED for evaluation of suspected SSTI. Area of erythema and leukocytosis were associated with fever and should be considered in future decision rules for the evaluation and treatment of SSTI.

A one-step DNA sequencing strategy to HLA type hematopoietic stem cell donors at recruitment - rethinking typing strategies

In order to reduce the time required to identify a match for unrelated donor hematopoietic stem cell transplantation, a one-step DNA sequencing strategy was employed at the time of recruitment. The impact of this strategy on human leukocyte antigen (HLA) typing resolution and the effect of current registry requirements on resolution and coding of assignments were evaluated. Sanger-based DNA sequencing was used to obtain diploid exons 2 and 3 HLA-A, -B and -C assignments of 2747 unrelated African American and 1822 European American volunteers at recruitment. The results demonstrate the high resolution of the approach and challenge several aspects of the current registry typing strategy. Of the 46% of African American and 74% of European American individuals whose HLA typing resulted in alternative genotypes, the majority (≥93%) was predicted to have only a single 'common' genotype among the alternatives. The common practice of adding secondary assays to resolve alternative genotype assignments that include more than two antigen groups was also evaluated. While the percentage of assignments with greater than two antigen groups reached as high as 21% (HLA-A in European Americans), only 1.8% of individuals at most carried two common genotypes encompassing three antigen groups. The assignment of (National Marrow Donor Program) NMDP-designated allele codes to the one-pass results reduced the resolution substantially and introduced genotypes that were not included in the laboratory's assignments. We suggest the alternative strategy of using the exons 2-3 diploid nucleotide sequence as the assignment submitted to the registry with the added benefit of immortalizing the assignment in time regardless of the introduction of novel alleles. To keep pace with current donor selection criteria and with the increasing number of new alleles, it is time to rethink our recruitment typing strategies.

Extensive haplotype diversity in African American mothers and their cord blood units

HLA-A, -B, -C, -DRB1, -DQB1 assignments were obtained for 374 pairs of African American mothers and their umbilical cord blood units (CBU) by DNA sequencing. An algorithm developed by the National Marrow Donor Program was used to assign 1122 haplotypes by segregation. Seventy percent of the haplotypes carried assignments at all five loci. In the remainder, alleles at various loci, most often DQB1 in 48% of the haplotypes with a missing assignment, could not be assigned due to sharing of both alleles by mother and CBU. There were 652 haplotypes carrying a unique combination of alleles at the five loci; the majority (74%) were singletons. Novel B∼C and DRB1~DQB1 associations were observed. The results show the genetic diversity in this population and provide validation for a publically available tool for pedigree analysis. Our observations underscore the need for procurement of increased numbers of units in the national cord blood inventory in order to identify matching donors for all patients requiring hematopoietic stem cell transplantation.

Astragaloside IV protects against ischemia reperfusion in a murine model of orthotopic liver transplantation

AIM

The aim of this study was to determine whether Astragaloside IV (AST-IV) inhibited the transcriptional activity of nuclear factor-κB (NF-κB), attenuating liver transplant ischemia-reperfusion injury (IRI).

METHODS

Sprague Dawley (SD) rats were randomly divided into 2 groups: donors given AST-IV (1.5 mL; 100 μg/mL, intravenous [IV]) 1 hour before surgery (n = 32), versus controls treated with 1.5 mL physiological saline (n = 32). Orthotropic liver transplantation was performed according to the Kamada technique. Eight animals in each group were followed for seven days after surgery to assess survival. The remaining hosts in each group were divided into 3 subgroups (n = 8) to be examined at 3, 6, and 24 hours after portal vein reperfusion. We analyzed levels of alanine aminotransferase (ALT), tumor necrosis factor (TNF)-α, and NF-κB transcriptional activity and performed a morphological study of liver tissues, NF-κB, and glucocorticoid receptor (GR) expression in Kupffer cells (KCs).

RESULTS

Pretreatment with AST-IV significantly improved survival rates and liver function, attenuating liver parenchymal cell damage by down-regulating TNF-α levels and NF-κB expressions, inhibiting NF-κB transcriptional activity, up-regulating GR expression.

CONCLUSION

AST-IV attenuated hepatic IRI by inhibiting NF-κB transcriptional activity. The mechanism may relate to up-regulation of GR expression.

Four-locus high-resolution HLA typing in a sample of Mexican Americans

Mexicans are the most common minority population of the United States. From a sample of 553 bone marrow donor registrants of self-described Mexican ancestry, human leukocyte antigen (HLA) loci A, C, B and DRB1 were typed by high resolution sequence based typing (SBT) methods. A total of 47, 34, 76 and 46 distinct alleles at A, C, B and DRB1 respectively were identified, including 3 new alleles. The four-locus haplotype frequency distribution was extremely skewed with only 53.9% of 1106 chromosomes present with more than one estimated copy. Haplotypes of Native American origin were identified. These data form an initial basis for determining the requirements for an adequate donor pool for stem cell transplantation in this population.

HLA-A, -B, -C, and -DRB1 allele and haplotype frequencies distinguish Eastern European Americans from the general European American population

Sequence-based typing was used to identify human leukocyte antigen (HLA)-A, -B, -C, and -DRB1 alleles from 558 consecutively recruited US volunteers with Eastern European ancestry for an unrelated hematopoietic stem cell registry. Four of 31 HLA-A alleles, 29 HLA-C alleles, 59 HLA-B alleles, and 42 HLA-DRB1 alleles identified (A*0325, B*440204, Cw*0332, and *0732N) are novel. The HLA-A*02010101g allele was observed at a frequency of 0.28. Two-, three-, and four-locus haplotypes were estimated using the expectation-maximization algorithm. The highest frequency extended haplotypes (A*010101g-Cw*070101g-B*0801g-DRB1*0301 and A*03010101g-Cw*0702-B*0702-DRB1*1501) were observed at frequencies of 0.04 and 0.03, respectively. Linkage disequilibrium values (Dij') of the constituent two-locus haplotypes were highly significant for both extended haplotypes (P values were less than 8 x 10(-10)) but were consistently higher for the more frequent haplotype. Balancing selection was inferred to be acting on all the four loci, with the strongest evidence of balancing selection observed for the HLA-C locus. Comparisons of the A-C-B haplotypes and DRB1 frequencies in this population with those for African, European, and western Asian populations showed high degrees of identity with Czech, Polish, and Slovenian populations and significant differences from the general European American population.

Identification of nine new HLA class I alleles in volunteers from the Singapore stem cell donor registries

Based on unusual probe hybridization patterns, two human leukocyte antigen (HLA)-A, five HLA-B, and two HLA-C alleles (A*240208, A*3211Q; B*1822, B*3938Q, B*4606, B*4607N, B*5139; Cw*0321, Cw*0734) were identified in individuals from the Singapore Bone Marrow Donor Program and Singapore Cord Blood Bank. Eight of the nine alleles encode amino acid substitutions altering the antigen-binding region including three alleles with changes altering a cysteine at codon 164 (A*3211Q, B*3938Q, B*4607N). This substitution either eliminates a key disulfide bond or results in a stop codon, both likely affecting the expression of the HLA molecules. Only one allele (A*240208) carries a synonymous substitution.

HLA-A, -B, -C, -DRB1 allele and haplotype frequencies in an African American population

Sequence-based typing was used to identify human leukocyte antigen (HLA)-A, -B, -C, and -DRB1 alleles from 564 consecutively recruited African American volunteers for an unrelated hematopoietic stem cell registry. The number of known alleles identified at each locus was 42 for HLA-A, HLA-B 67, HLA-C 33, and HLA-DRB1 44. Six novel alleles (A*260104, A*7411, Cw*0813, Cw*1608, Cw*1704, and DRB1*130502) not observed in the initial sequence-specific oligonucleotide probe testing were characterized. The action of balancing selection, shaping more 'even' than expected allele frequency distributions, was inferred for all four loci and significantly so for the HLA-A and DRB1 loci. Two-, three-, and four-locus haplotypes were estimated using the expectation maximization algorithm. Comparisons with other populations from Africa and Europe suggest that the degree of European admixture in the African American population described here is lower than that in other African American populations previously reported, although HLA-A:B haplotype frequencies similar to those in previous studies of African American individuals were also noted.

Twenty-three novel HLA-B alleles identified during intermediate-resolution testing

Twenty-three novel human leukocyte antigen-B alleles are described: B*070204, *0738, *0742, *0821, *130202, *1312, *1575, *1598, *1599, *270507, *2728, *350104, *3558, *3811, *3931, *3932, *4045, *4107, *420501, *4812, *510106, *5520, and *5616. Thirteen of the variants are single-nucleotide substitutions from their most homologous allele, eight resulting in amino acid changes (B*0742, *1312, *1598, *1599, *3558, *3931, *4107, and *5616) and five with silent substitutions (B*070204, *130202, *270507, *350104, and *510106). Three alleles (B*0738, *4812, and *5520) differ by five nucleotide changes, altering four amino acids. The remaining seven alleles differ from their most similar alleles by two to three nucleotides, altering from one to two amino acids.

Neuropeptide Y regulates recurrent mossy fiber synaptic transmission less effectively in mice than in rats: Correlation with Y2 receptor plasticity

A unique feature of temporal lobe epilepsy is the formation of recurrent excitatory connections among granule cells of the dentate gyrus as a result of mossy fiber sprouting. This novel circuit contributes to a reduced threshold for granule cell synchronization. In the rat, activity of the recurrent mossy fiber pathway is restrained by the neoexpression and spontaneous release of neuropeptide Y (NPY). NPY inhibits glutamate release tonically through activation of presynaptic Y2 receptors. In the present study, the effects of endogenous and applied NPY were investigated in C57Bl/6 mice that had experienced pilocarpine-induced status epilepticus and subsequently developed a robust recurrent mossy fiber pathway. Whole cell patch clamp recordings made from dentate granule cells in hippocampal slices demonstrated that, as in rats, applied NPY inhibits recurrent mossy fiber synaptic transmission, the Y2 receptor antagonist (S)-N2-[[1-[2-[4-[(R,S)-5,11-dihydro-6(6H)-oxodibenz[b,e]azepin-11-yl]-1-piperazinyl]-2-oxoethyl]cyclopentyl]acetyl]-N-[2-[1,2-dihydro-3,5(4H)-dioxo-1,2-diphenyl-3H-1,2,4-triazol-4-yl]ethyl]-argininamide (BIIE0246) blocks its action and BIIE0246 enhances synaptic transmission when applied by itself. Y5 receptor agonists had no significant effect. Thus spontaneous release of NPY tonically inhibits synaptic transmission in mice and its effects are mediated by Y2 receptor activation. However, both NPY and BIIE0246 were much less effective in mice than in rats, despite apparently equivalent expression of NPY in the recurrent mossy fibers. Immunohistochemistry indicated greater expression of Y2 receptors in the mossy fiber pathway of normal mice than of normal rats. Pilocarpine-induced status epilepticus markedly reduced the immunoreactivity of mouse mossy fibers, but increased the immunoreactivity of rat mossy fibers. Mossy fiber growth into the inner portion of the dentate molecular layer was associated with increased Y2 receptor immunoreactivity in rat, but not in mouse. These contrasting receptor changes can explain the quantitatively different effects of endogenously released and applied NPY on recurrent mossy fiber transmission in mice and rats.

Strategies for evaluating B*18 allelic diversity by sequence-based typing applied to studies of a population from Singapore and African-Americans

Strategies to resolve B*18 alleles which carry a deletion in intron 1 close to the 5' end of exon 2 relative to other HLA-B alleles or a null allele mutation in exon 1 and to resolve ambiguities among allele combinations including B*18 are described. B*18 allele frequencies from volunteer donors recruited for two hematopoietic stem cell registries show the presence of two alleles, B*180101 and B*1802, in a population from Singapore and only B*180101 in African-Americans.

[Evaluation of the arterial phase of biphase enhanced SCT in the diagnosis of small HCC]

OBJECTIVE

To evaluate the value of the arterial phase (AP) of biphase enhanced SCT in the diagnosis of small HCC and investigate the criteria, initial time, ending time and duration of AP.

METHODS

From May 1995 to March 1999, patients with small HCC proved by surgicopathology including 49 cases (N = 53) in the 1st group, 148 cases (N = 186) in the 2nd group and 52 cases (N = 52)n in the 3rd group were collected. Biphase dynamic enhanced SCT scans were performed in all patients of three groups and additional single-level dynamic scans only done in the 3rd group. The detectability, diagnostic accuracy of the lesions and enhancement of the lesion in AP were analyzed statistically. In addition, the initial time, ending time and duration of AP were measured.

RESULTS

The results of the 1st group showed the detectability of small HCC was 88.68% in AP and 90.57% in both phases, higher than those by US. Markedly enhanced lesion in AP accounted for 76% and 78% in the 2nd and 3rd groups respectively. The initial, ending and duration times of AP measured on single-level dynamic scans were 16.9 s, 39.6 s and 22.7 s in average respectively.

CONCLUSION

The biphase dynamic SCT especially its arterial phase appears to be very valuable in diagnosing small HCCs. In light of short duration of AP, understanding and strict control of AP is obviously imperative.

Characterization of the carboxyl-terminal domain of the rat glucose-dependent insulinotropic polypeptide (GIP) receptor. A role for serines 426 and 427 in regulating the rate of internalization

Glucose-dependent insulinotropic polypeptide (GIP) is a gastrointestinal hormone involved in the regulation of insulin secretion. In non-insulin-dependent diabetes mellitus insulin responses to GIP are blunted, possibly due to altered signal transduction or reduced receptor number. Site-directed mutagenesis was used to construct truncated GIP receptors to study the importance of the carboxyl-terminal tail (CT) in binding, signaling, and receptor internalization. Receptors truncated at amino acids 425, 418, and 405, expressed in COS-7 or CHO-K1 cells, exhibited similar binding to wild type receptors. GIP-dependent cAMP production with the 405 mutant was decreased in COS-7 cells. Maximal cAMP production in CHO-K1 cells was reduced with all truncated forms. Binding was undetectable with a receptor truncated at amino acid 400; increasing tail length by adding 5 alanines restored binding and signaling. Mutants produced by alanine scanning of residues 394-401, adjacent to transmembrane domain 7, were all functional. CT truncation by 30 or more amino acids, mutation of serines 426/427, singly or combined, or complete CT serine knockout all reduced receptor internalization rate. The majority of the GIP receptor CT is therefore not required for signaling, a minimum chain length of approximately 405 amino acids is needed for receptor expression, and serines 426 and 427 are important for regulating rate of receptor internalization.

[Effects of taurine and extraction of cristata L on serum Zn, Cu and Ca in rats]

Forty rats fed with basic diets were randomly divided into 4 groups. NG group were fed with basic diets. The other three groups were fed with high fat diets. The rats in TA group and EC group were given TA 100 mg/kg or EC 100 mg/kg each day respectively in addition to high fat diet for 8 weeks. The results showed that taurine and extraction of cristata L not only increased the level of red cell SOD and the content of serum Zn (P < 0.05), but also decreased the contents of TC, MDA in the wall of artery and decreased the level of serum LDH significantly (P < 0.05 or P < 0.01). TA and EC increased significantly the content of serum Cu and decreased the ratio of serum Cu to Zn in the high fat diet rats (P < 0.01), and decreased the contents of serum Ca also. The results indicate that TA and EC may play some role in lipid metabolism and inhibit atherosclerosis by regulating the levels of Zn, Cu and Ca in rats.

Cloning and functional analysis of C. elegans 7B2

The neuroendocrine protein 7B2 is a binding protein for the prohormone convertase 2 (PC2) and is required for the intracellular conversion of proPC2 to active PC2. Both full-length 7B2 and its carboxy-terminal 31-residue peptide (CT peptide) are capable of potent inhibition of PC2; the 7B2 protein thus regulates both the biosynthesis and the activity of PC2. Vertebrate 7B2s are highly conserved (92%-97% homology), and thus, species comparison has not been informative in assessing the crucial protein domains responsible for bioactivity. We here report the cloning of the Caenorhabditis elegans 7B2 protein. Although weakly conserved with the vertebrate sequences (23% similarity with mouse 7B2), C. elegans 7B2 contains the signature PPNPCP motif as well as a highly conserved heptapeptide within the CT peptide. In in vitro assays, C. elegans 7B2 possessed significant inhibitory activity against recombinant vertebrate PC2 (IC50 130 nM), and in two functional tests, the amino-terminal domain of C. elegans 7B2 facilitated the activation of proPC2. We conclude that despite low amino acid conservation overall, both functional domains within 7B2 have been conserved between the C. elegans and the vertebrate proteins.

Differential inhibition of inflammatory cytokine release from cultured alveolar macrophages from smokers and non-smokers by NO2

Human alveolar macrophages (AMs) obtained from smokers and non-smokers by bronchoalveolar lavage (BAL) were subjected to various concentrations of NO2 in an inverted monolayer exposure model. Culture supernatants were collected 4 h after the exposure and assayed for secreted TNF-alpha, IL-1 beta, IL-8 and MIP-1 alpha. The steady state levels of the mRNAs for these cytokines were also analysed in the cells. The adherence of BAL cells to plastic prior to exposure to the gas elevated the steady state mRNA levels of all four cytokines tested in smoker's cells and that of TNF-alpha and IL-1 beta, but not IL-8 (MIP-1 alpha not tested), in non-smoker's cells. Interestingly, adherent cells from non-smokers released circa 15-, 3-, 1.5- and 3-fold the amounts of IL-1 beta, IL-8, TNF-alpha and MIP-1 alpha, respectively, than smoker's cells during control incubation or exposure to air. A 20 min exposure to NO2 (5 or 20 p.p.m.) did not increase the secretion of any of the cytokines from either cell type. In contrast, NO2 caused a concentration-dependent inhibition of the secretion of all cytokines except IL-1 beta from smoker's cells. Additionally, NO2 greatly diminished the release of all cytokines in response to further treatment with lipopolysaccharide (LPS). In contrast, only the secretion of TNF-alpha from non-smoker's cells was inhibited by the gas in a concentration-dependent manner, whilst LPS-induced secretion of the cytokines was not affected by the gas. The steady state levels of the respective mRNAs for each of the cytokines were not significantly affected in smoker's cells by exposure to NO2, except for a negative, dose-dependent trend in the case of TNF-alpha. Nitrogen dioxide also failed to elevate the levels of the mRNAs in non-smoker's cells but, again, tended to diminish the levels, particularly of IL-1 beta mRNA. However, exposure to the gas inhibited LPS-induced accumulation of cytokine mRNAs in smoker's cells only. The data suggest that macrophage-derived cytokine mediators of the sepsis response may not play a role in the generation of NO2-induced inflammation in the human lung. Conversely, the gas seems to non-specifically inhibit the release and/or production of cytokines, particularly from smoker's cells, at the post-transcriptional level, and impairs the ability of the cells to increase the transcription and release of the cytokines in response to bacterial LPS. The fact that NO2 seriously impaired the already diminished capacity of smoker's cells to release several important pro-inflammatory cytokines, both under control conditions and in response to LPS, strongly suggest that the inhalation of NO2 in cigarette smoke may contribute to impairing host defence against infection in the lung.

Direct exposure to nitrogen dioxide fails to induce the expression of some inflammatory cytokines in an IC-21 murine macrophage cell model

Biologically-active molecules secreted from alveolar macrophages, such as cytokines, have been proposed to be involved in the induction of pulmonary toxicity and inflammation in response to the inhalation of oxidant gas pollutants such as NO2 and O3. Despite this, mechanistic studies are hampered by the difficulty in obtaining control macrophages from human subjects, and the intrinsic variability of such primary cells. It is, thus, of importance to develop alternative models for such studies. Here, we have characterised expression kinetics of the mRNAs for tumour necrosis factor-alpha (TNF-alpha), interleukin-1 beta (IL-1 beta), macrophage inflammatory protein-1 alpha (MIP-1 alpha) and macrophage inflammatory protein-1 beta (MIP-1 beta) in confluent cultures of the murine IC-21 macrophage line in response to LPS. The secretion of TNF-alpha protein into the medium, assayed by L-929 cell bioassay, closely followed the expression of its mRNA in response to the LPS stimulus. In contrast to LPS, the exposure of IC-21 cells to either air or various concentrations of NO2 in air between 2 and 20 ppm, in an inverted plate exposure model, failed to induce the expression of any of the cytokine mRNAs probed. We conclude that the IC-21 cell line may represent a suitable model for studying the role of stimulated cytokine gene expression in inflammation and that the early events in the pulmonary inflammatory response to the inhalation of NO2 do not involve stimulated release of TNF-alpha, IL-1 beta or MIP-1 alpha/MIP-1 beta from macrophages.

The cytoprotective roles of ascorbate and glutathione against nitrogen dioxide toxicity in human endothelial cells

The depletion of human umbilical vein endothelial (HUVE) cell glutathione with buthionine sulfoximine or with sulfur amino acid-free medium potentiated the sub-lethal (3H-deoxyglucose release) and lethal (lactate dehydrogenase release) cytotoxicity responses of the cells to direct exposure to NO2 over the range 2-20 ppm. When control cells, or glutathione-depleted cells, were either pre-loaded with ascorbate (intracellular ascorbate), or washed with ascorbate-containing medium just before exposure (extracellular ascorbate), the cells were fully protected from NO2-dependent toxicity. Concomitant with these exposures, NO2 caused dose-dependent depletions of both glutathione and ascorbate. Further, it was noted that the depletion of the intracellular ascorbate pool was accelerated in these glutathione depleted cells. Conversely, loading ascorbate into the cells significantly diminished NO2-dependent depletion of intracellular GSH. In contrast to affecting the acute cytotoxicity response of the HUVE cells to NO2, ascorbate supplementation of the medium of cells exposed to NO2 at clonal density facilitated considerable protection to the colony-forming efficiency of the cells. We conclude that both ascorbate and glutathione play important protective roles in defending HUVE cells from the toxicity of NO2 under direct exposure conditions. The results also strengthen the premise that ascorbate and glutathione co-operate in the antioxidative protection of cellular viability.

Cytotoxicity of NO2 gas to cultured human and murine cells in an inverted monolayer exposure system

We report the development of an optimised exposure system for the exposure of inverted cell cultures to NO2, which presents several advantages over conventional, right-side-up exposure systems. Firstly, the cells may be directly exposed to NO2 in the gas phase for up to 1 h, without the interposition of an aqueous layer. Secondly, the chamber system allows simple and precise control of the gas concentration during the exposure. Finally, the system allows the simultaneous exposure of large numbers of cells under sterile conditions, facilitating further culture of the cells after the exposure period. We report the application of this system to a comparative study of the toxicity of NO2 in three different cell types involved in the circuit of the inflammatory response, the IC-21 murine macrophage line, the A-549 human pulmonary type II-like epithelial cell line and human umbilical vein endothelial cells. As little as 2 ppm NO2 for 20 min reduced colony-forming efficiency of HUVE cells and A-549 cells and A-549 cells to 35% and 78% of their air controls, respectively. Exposure to 5 ppm NO2 for 1 h increased lactate dehydrogenase release of HUVE cells, IC-21 macrophages and A-549 cells from 7.9% to 21.6%, 5.7% to 10.9% and 2.0% to 3.4%, respectively, whilst 10 ppm NO2 for 1 h lowered cellular glutathione in HUVE cells, IC-21 cells and A-549 cells from 35.2 nmol/mg to 23.3 nmol/mg, from 45.0 nmol/mg to 31.0 nmol/mg and from 86.4 nmol/mg to 69.2 nmol/mg, respectively. Of the cell types tested it was shown that HUVE cells and IC-21 cells were equally sensitive to the toxicity of NO2, whilst A-549 cells displayed considerable resistance, perhaps due to the considerably higher levels of glutathione in this cell line. Further, a comparison of the sensitivity of HUVE cells to NO2, using several modes of exposure (inverted and right-side-up (either rocked or static)) and the assay of lactate dehydrogenase and [3H]deoxyglucose release, revealed that the present inverted exposure technique potentiated the acute cytotoxicity of the gas.

Individual, culture-specific alterations in the human endothelial glutathione system: relationships to oxidant toxicity

In this communication we report on the effects of serial passage of human umbilical vein endothelial cells on the levels of GSH and activities of selenium-dependent GSH peroxidase (SeGSHpx) and GSSG reductase (GSSGred) in confluent monolayers of human umbilical vein endothelial cells derived from 4 individual donors. The mean levels of GSH in confluent monolayers of individual human umbilical vein endothelial cells batches fell from an average of 35 nmol/mg protein to 16 nmol/mg protein from primary culture to the third passage, with little interindividual variation noted. Simultaneously, the mean activities of SeGSHpx and GSSGred remained unaltered during serial culture, again with little interindividual variation noted. However, serial passage of the cells from different individuals did not affect the sensitivity of the cells to sublethal injury induced by H2O2 (10 or 100 microM), as judged by the stimulated release of (3H)-deoxyglucose. When these GSH-dependent parameters were assayed during the coarse of the growth of an individual passage of cells, GSH levels declined following trypsinisation, but the activities of SeGSHpx and GSSGred remained essentially unaltered, when the data were standardised to cell number. On the other hand, standardisation of these data to cell protein revealed decreases in all three parameters following trypsinisation, indicating the introduction of artefacts into the data and the unsuitability of this standardisation procedure. For the first four hours following plating, all of the GSH-dependent parameters remained essentially unaltered, but began increasing thereafter.(ABSTRACT TRUNCATED AT 250 WORDS)