Osiris17 is essential for stable integrin localization and function during insect wing epithelia remodeling

The dynamic adhesion between cells and their extracellular matrix is essential for the development and function of organs. During insect wing development, two epithelial sheets contact each other at their basal sites through the interaction of βPS integrins with the extracellular matrix. We report that Osiris17 contributes to the maintenance of βPS integrins localization and function in developing wing of Drosophila and locust. In flies with reduced Osiris17 expression the epithelia sheets fail to maintain the integrity of basal cytoplasmic junctional bridges and basal adhesion. In contrast to the continuous basal integrin localization in control wings, this localization is disrupted during late stages of wing development in Osiris17 depleted flies. In addition, the subcellular localization revealed that Osiris17 co-localizes with the endosomal markers Rab5 and Rab11. This observation suggests an involvement of Osiris17 in endosomal recycling of integrins. Indeed, Osiris17 depletion reduced the numbers of Rab5 and Rab11 positive endosomes. Moreover, overexpression of Osiris17 increased co-localization of Rab5 and βPS integrins and partially rescued the detachment phenotype in flies with reduced βPS integrins. Taken together, our data suggest that Osiris17 is an endosome related protein that contributes to epithelial remodeling and morphogenesis by assisting basal integrins localization in insects.

[A case of acute poisoning of typhonium giganteum engler]

Unicorn lotus is a plant tuber in the araceae family, which has therapeutic effects such as dispelling cold and dampness, dispelling wind and phlegm, and treating stroke. However, acute poisoning of fresh Unicorn lotus has been rarely reported domestically and internationally. This article reports a case of poisoning caused by chewing unicorn lotus. The patient experienced numbness in the lips, swelling and rupture of the oral cavity, continuous salivation, difficulty swallowing and obvious burning sensation in the throat, accompanied by shortness of breath and mild hypoxemia. After receiving comprehensive treatments such as oxygen therapy, electrocardiographic monitoring, cleaning of necrotic oral mucosa, anti infection, inhibition of oral salivary secretion, and nutritional support, the patient finally recovered and was discharged.

[HVPG minimally invasive era: exploration based on forearm venous approach]

Objective: The transjugular or transfemoral approach is used as a common method for hepatic venous pressure gradient (HVPG) measurement in current practice. This study aims to confirm the safety and effectiveness of measuring HVPG via the forearm venous approach. Methods: Prospective recruitment was conducted for patients with cirrhosis who underwent HVPG measurement via the forearm venous approach at six hospitals in China and Japan from September 2020 to December 2020. Patients' clinical baseline information and HVPG measurement data were collected. The right median cubital vein or basilic vein approach for all enrolled patients was selected. The HVPG standard process was used to measure pressure. Research data were analyzed using SPSS 22.0 statistical software. Quantitative data were used to represent medians (interquartile ranges), while qualitative data were used to represent frequency and rates. The correlation between two sets of data was analyzed using Pearson correlation analysis. Results: A total of 43 cases were enrolled in this study. Of these, 41 (95.3%) successfully underwent HVPG measurement via the forearm venous approach. None of the patients had any serious complications. The median operation time for HVPG detection via forearm vein was 18.0 minutes (12.3~38.8 minutes). This study confirmed that HVPG was positively closely related to Child-Pugh score (r = 0.47, P = 0.002), albumin-bilirubin score (r = 0.37, P = 0.001), Lok index (r = 0.36, P = 0.02), liver stiffness (r = 0.58, P = 0.01), and spleen stiffness (r = 0.77, P = 0.01), while negatively correlated with albumin (r = -0.42, P = 0.006). Conclusion: The results of this multi-centre retrospective study suggest that HVPG measurement via the forearm venous approach is safe and feasible.

First Measurement of Hard Exclusive π^{-}Δ^{++} Electroproduction Beam-Spin Asymmetries off the Proton

The polarized cross-section ratio σ_{LT^{'}}/σ_{0} from hard exclusive π^{-}Δ^{++} electroproduction off an unpolarized hydrogen target has been extracted based on beam-spin asymmetry measurements using a 10.2  GeV/10.6  GeV incident electron beam and the CLAS12 spectrometer at Jefferson Lab. The study, which provides the first observation of this channel in the deep-inelastic regime, focuses on very forward-pion kinematics in the valence regime, and photon virtualities ranging from 1.5  GeV^{2} up to 7  GeV^{2}. The reaction provides a novel access to the d-quark content of the nucleon and to p→Δ^{++} transition generalized parton distributions. A comparison to existing results for hard exclusive π^{+}n and π^{0}p electroproduction is provided, which shows a clear impact of the excitation mechanism, encoded in transition generalized parton distributions, on the asymmetry.

First CLAS12 Measurement of Deeply Virtual Compton Scattering Beam-Spin Asymmetries in the Extended Valence Region

Deeply virtual Compton scattering (DVCS) allows one to probe generalized parton distributions describing the 3D structure of the nucleon. We report the first measurement of the DVCS beam-spin asymmetry using the CLAS12 spectrometer with a 10.2 and 10.6 GeV electron beam scattering from unpolarized protons. The results greatly extend the Q^{2} and Bjorken-x phase space beyond the existing data in the valence region and provide 1600 new data points measured with unprecedented statistical uncertainty, setting new, tight constraints for future phenomenological studies.

First Measurement of Λ Electroproduction off Nuclei in the Current and Target Fragmentation Regions

We report results of Λ hyperon production in semi-inclusive deep-inelastic scattering off deuterium, carbon, iron, and lead targets obtained with the CLAS detector and the Continuous Electron Beam Accelerator Facility 5.014 GeV electron beam. These results represent the first measurements of the Λ multiplicity ratio and transverse momentum broadening as a function of the energy fraction (z) in the current and target fragmentation regions. The multiplicity ratio exhibits a strong suppression at high z and an enhancement at low z. The measured transverse momentum broadening is an order of magnitude greater than that seen for light mesons. This indicates that the propagating entity interacts very strongly with the nuclear medium, which suggests that propagation of diquark configurations in the nuclear medium takes place at least part of the time, even at high z. The trends of these results are qualitatively described by the Giessen Boltzmann-Uehling-Uhlenbeck transport model, particularly for the multiplicity ratios. These observations will potentially open a new era of studies of the structure of the nucleon as well as of strange baryons.

Observation of Correlations between Spin and Transverse Momenta in Back-to-Back Dihadron Production at CLAS12

We report the first measurements of deep inelastic scattering spin-dependent azimuthal asymmetries in back-to-back dihadron electroproduction in the deep inelastic scattering process. In this reaction, two hadrons are produced in opposite hemispheres along the z axis in the virtual photon-target nucleon center-of-mass frame, with the first hadron produced in the current-fragmentation region and the second in the target-fragmentation region. The data were taken with longitudinally polarized electron beams of 10.2 and 10.6 GeV incident on an unpolarized liquid-hydrogen target using the CLAS12 spectrometer at Jefferson Lab. Observed nonzero sinΔϕ modulations in ep→e^{'}pπ^{+}X events, where Δϕ is the difference of the azimuthal angles of the proton and pion in the virtual photon and target nucleon center-of-mass frame, indicate that correlations between the spin and transverse momenta of hadrons produced in the target- and current-fragmentation regions may be significant. The measured beam-spin asymmetries provide a first access in dihadron production to a previously unexplored leading-twist spin- and transverse-momentum-dependent fracture function. The fracture functions describe the hadronization of the target remnant after the hard scattering of a virtual photon off a quark in the target particle and provide a new avenue for studying nucleonic structure and hadronization.

Observation of Azimuth-Dependent Suppression of Hadron Pairs in Electron Scattering off Nuclei

We present the first measurement of dihadron angular correlations in electron-nucleus scattering. The data were taken with the CLAS detector and a 5.0 GeV electron beam incident on deuterium, carbon, iron, and lead targets. Relative to deuterium, the nuclear yields of charged-pion pairs show a strong suppression for azimuthally opposite pairs, no suppression for azimuthally nearby pairs, and an enhancement of pairs with large invariant mass. These effects grow with increased nuclear size. The data are qualitatively described by the gibuu model, which suggests that hadrons form near the nuclear surface and undergo multiple scattering in nuclei.These results show that angular correlation studies can open a new way to elucidate how hadrons form and interact inside nuclei.

[Status of HVPG clinical application in China in 2021]

Objective: The investigation and research on the application status of Hepatic Venous Pressure Gradient (HVPG) is very important to understand the real situation and future development of this technology in China. Methods: This study comprehensively investigated the basic situation of HVPG technology in China, including hospital distribution, hospital level, annual number of cases, catheters used, average cost, indications and existing problems. Results: According to the survey, there were 70 hospitals in China carrying out HVPG technology in 2021, distributed in 28 provinces (autonomous regions and municipalities directly under the central Government). A total of 4 398 cases of HVPG were performed in all the surveyed hospitals in 2021, of which 2 291 cases (52.1%) were tested by HVPG alone. The average cost of HVPG detection was (5 617.2±2 079.4) yuan. 96.3% of the teams completed HVPG detection with balloon method, and most of the teams used thrombectomy balloon catheter (80.3%). Conclusion: Through this investigation, the status of domestic clinical application of HVPG has been clarified, and it has been confirmed that many domestic medical institutions have mastered this technology, but it still needs to continue to promote and popularize HVPG technology in the future.

Proton Compton Scattering from Linearly Polarized Gamma Rays

Differential cross sections for Compton scattering from the proton have been measured at scattering angles of 55°, 90°, and 125° in the laboratory frame using quasimonoenergetic linearly (circularly) polarized photon beams with a weighted mean energy value of 83.4 MeV (81.3 MeV). These measurements were performed at the High Intensity Gamma-Ray Source facility at the Triangle Universities Nuclear Laboratory. The results are compared to previous measurements and are interpreted in the chiral effective field theory framework to extract the electromagnetic dipole polarizabilities of the proton, which gives α_{E1}^{p}=13.8±1.2_{stat}±0.1_{BSR}±0.3_{theo},β_{M1}^{p}=0.2∓1.2_{stat}±0.1_{BSR}∓0.3_{theo} in units of 10^{-4}  fm^{3}.

Improved Λp Elastic Scattering Cross Sections between 0.9 and 2.0 GeV/c as a Main Ingredient of the Neutron Star Equation of State

Strange matter is believed to exist in the cores of neutron stars based on simple kinematics. If this is true, then hyperon-nucleon interactions will play a significant part in the neutron star equation of state. Yet, compared to other elastic scattering processes, there is very little data on Λ-N scattering. This experiment utilized the CEBAF Large Acceptance Spectrometer (CLAS) detector to study the Λp→Λp elastic scattering cross section in the incident Λ momentum range 0.9-2.0  GeV/c. These are the first data on this reaction since the 1970s. The new cross sections have significantly better accuracy and precision than the existing world data, and the techniques developed here can also be used in future experiments.

First Measurement of Timelike Compton Scattering

We present the first measurement of the timelike Compton scattering process, γp→p^{'}γ^{*}(γ^{*}→e^{+}e^{-}), obtained with the CLAS12 detector at Jefferson Lab. The photon beam polarization and the decay lepton angular asymmetries are reported in the range of timelike photon virtualities 2.25<Q^{'2}<9  GeV^{2}, squared momentum transferred 0.1<-t<0.8  GeV^{2}, and average total center-of-mass energy squared s=14.5  GeV^{2}. The photon beam polarization asymmetry, similar to the beam-spin asymmetry in deep virtual Compton scattering, is sensitive to the imaginary part of the Compton form factors and provides a way to test the universality of the generalized parton distributions. The angular asymmetry of the decay leptons accesses the real part of the Compton form factors and thus the D-term in the parametrization of the generalized parton distributions.

[Use of fibrinolytics and deoxyribonuclease in patients with pleural infection]

Just over a decade ago, it was widely accepted that intrapleural instillation of fibrinolytics was ineffective in treatment of pleural infection. Due to the accumulation of clinical study evidence, an expert team from several countries developed an international consensus and recommended that tissue plasminogen activator and deoxyribonuclease should be instilled intrapleurally at the same time as the initial treatment, or as a follow-up treatment after surgery for pleural infection. The recommended dosages are as follows: tissue plasminogen activator 10 mg, twice a day, deoxyribonuclease 5 mg, twice a day. The future researches should focus on optimizing the tissue plasminogen activator and deoxyribonuclease schemes and developing more effective fibrinolytics.

Photoproduction of the f_{2}(1270) Meson Using the CLAS Detector

The quark structure of the f_{2}(1270) meson has, for many years, been assumed to be a pure quark-antiquark (qq[over ¯]) resonance with quantum numbers J^{PC}=2^{++}. Recently, it was proposed that the f_{2}(1270) is a molecular state made from the attractive interaction of two ρ mesons. Such a state would be expected to decay strongly to final states with charged pions due to the dominant decay ρ→π^{+}π^{-}, whereas decay to two neutral pions would likely be suppressed. Here, we measure for the first time the reaction γp→π^{0}π^{0}p, using the CEBAF Large Acceptance Spectrometer detector at Jefferson Lab for incident beam energies between 3.6 and 5.4 GeV. Differential cross sections, dσ/dt, for f_{2}(1270) photoproduction are extracted with good precision due to low backgrounds and are compared to theoretical calculations.

Beam Spin Asymmetry in Semi-Inclusive Electroproduction of Hadron Pairs

A first measurement of the longitudinal beam spin asymmetry A_{LU} in the semi-inclusive electroproduction of pairs of charged pions is reported. A_{LU} is a higher-twist observable and offers the cleanest access to the nucleon twist-3 parton distribution function e(x). Data have been collected in the Hall-B at Jefferson Lab by impinging a 5.498-GeV electron beam on a liquid-hydrogen target, and reconstructing the scattered electron and the pion pair with the CLAS detector. One-dimensional projections of the A_{LU}^{sinϕ_{R}} moments are extracted for the kinematic variables of interest in the valence quark region. The understanding of dihadron production is essential for the interpretation of observables in single-hadron production in semi-inclusive DIS, and pioneering measurements of single-spin asymmetries in dihadron production open a new avenue in studies of QCD dynamics.

Extraction of Beam-Spin Asymmetries from the Hard Exclusive π^{+} Channel off Protons in a Wide Range of Kinematics

We have measured beam-spin asymmetries to extract the sinϕ moment A_{LU}^{sinϕ} from the hard exclusive e[over →]p→e^{'}nπ^{+} reaction above the resonance region, for the first time with nearly full coverage from forward to backward angles in the center of mass. The A_{LU}^{sinϕ} moment has been measured up to 6.6  GeV^{2} in -t, covering the kinematic regimes of generalized parton distributions (GPD) and baryon-to-meson transition distribution amplitudes (TDA) at the same time. The experimental results in very forward kinematics demonstrate the sensitivity to chiral-odd and chiral-even GPDs. In very backward kinematics where the TDA framework is applicable, we found A_{LU}^{sinϕ} to be negative, while a sign change was observed near 90° in the center of mass. The unique results presented in this Letter will provide critical constraints to establish reaction mechanisms that can help to further develop the GPD and TDA frameworks.

[New advances in targeted therapy for breast cancer]

Objective: Breast cancer is a kind of malignant tumor which seriously endangers women's health. With the development of molecular biology technology and the further understanding of pathogenesis, the treatment of breast cancer has entered a new era of molecular targeted therapy, and has been making new progress. At present, molecular targeted drugs for the treatment of breast cancer keep emerging, mainly including endocrine therapy targeting estrogen and progesterone receptor (ER/PR), targeted drugs treatment for epidermal growth factor receptor-2 (HER-2); phosphatidylinositol 3 kinase (PI3K)/Akt/mammalian target of rapamycin (mTOR) pathway inhibitors, anti-angiogenic drugs, poly (ADP-ribose) polymerase (PARP) inhibitors for BRCA1/2 mutations, cyclin-dependent kinases (CDK) 4/6 inhibitors, etc. Because some signal pathway abnormalities may occur in different molecular types of breast cancer, the same targeted drugs are cross-used in different types.

[miR-455 Inhibits HepG2 Cell Proliferation and Promotes Apoptosis by Targeting RhoC]

Hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) is a common malignancy worldwide with poor prognosis and high mortality. The aberrant expression or alteration of microRNAs (miRNAs) contributes to the development and progression of cancer. Studies have shown that miR-455 plays a regulatory role in the development of HCC. Therefore, in the present study, the role of miR-455 was analyzed in HepG2 cells proliferation and apoptosis using MTT and flow cytometry methods. Binding sites were predicted by bioinformatics and luciferase assay was used to verify the target relationship between miR-455 and RhoC-encoding gene RHOC. After that, the effects of miR-455 on RHOC and its product RhoC, were explored by qPCR and Western blotting. As PTEN is a key tumor suppressor gene in HCC, and Bcl-2 and Caspase 3 are important indication of apoptosis, expression levels of PTEN, Bcl2 and Caspase 3 proteins were determined in cells overexpressing RhoC. We show that miR-455 promotes HepG2 cells apoptosis and inhibits proliferation. Bioinformatics analysis and luciferase assay indicate that specific recognition sites for miR-455 are within the RhoC 3'-UTR. Luciferase activity was significantly lower in the cells co-transfected with miR-455 mimics and RhoC-WT (p < 0.01) as compared to that in control cells, pointing that RHOC gene is, indeed, targeted by miR-455. RHOC mRNA was significantly reduced after miR-455 transfection in HepG2 cells. In addition, we show that RhoC could activate the HCC cells proliferation ability and inhibit apoptosis rate (p < 0.01), and decrease expression of PTEN and Caspase 3 (p < 0.01), while upregulating levels of Bcl2. In conclusion, our study indicates that miR-455 plays a suppressive role in HCC development by targeting RhoC-encoding mRNA.

A small proton charge radius from an electron-proton scattering experiment

Elastic electron-proton scattering (e-p) and the spectroscopy of hydrogen atoms are the two methods traditionally used to determine the proton charge radius, r_p. In 2010, a new method using muonic hydrogen atoms¹ found a substantial discrepancy compared with previous results², which became known as the 'proton radius puzzle'. Despite experimental and theoretical efforts, the puzzle remains unresolved. In fact, there is a discrepancy between the two most recent spectroscopic measurements conducted on ordinary hydrogen^3,4. Here we report on the proton charge radius experiment at Jefferson Laboratory (PRad), a high-precision e-p experiment that was established after the discrepancy was identified. We used a magnetic-spectrometer-free method along with a windowless hydrogen gas target, which overcame several limitations of previous e-p experiments and enabled measurements at very small forward-scattering angles. Our result, r_p = 0.831 ± 0.007_stat ± 0.012_syst femtometres, is smaller than the most recent high-precision e-p measurement⁵ and 2.7 standard deviations smaller than the average of all e-p experimental results⁶. The smaller r_p we have now measured supports the value found by two previous muonic hydrogen experiments^1,7. In addition, our finding agrees with the revised value (announced in 2019) for the Rydberg constant⁸-one of the most accurately evaluated fundamental constants in physics.

Exploring the Structure of the Bound Proton with Deeply Virtual Compton Scattering

In the past two decades, deeply virtual Compton scattering of electrons has been successfully used to advance our knowledge of the partonic structure of the free proton and investigate correlations between the transverse position and the longitudinal momentum of quarks inside the nucleon. Meanwhile, the structure of bound nucleons in nuclei has been studied in inclusive deep-inelastic lepton scattering experiments off nuclear targets, showing a significant difference in longitudinal momentum distribution of quarks inside the bound nucleon, known as the EMC effect. In this Letter, we report the first beam spin asymmetry (BSA) measurement of exclusive deeply virtual Compton scattering off a proton bound in ^{4}He. The data used here were accumulated using a 6 GeV longitudinally polarized electron beam incident on a pressurized ^{4}He gaseous target placed within the CLAS spectrometer in Hall-B at the Thomas Jefferson National Accelerator Facility. The azimuthal angle (ϕ) dependence of the BSA was studied in a wide range of virtual photon and scattered proton kinematics. The Q^{2}, x_{B}, and t dependencies of the BSA on the bound proton are compared with those on the free proton. In the whole kinematical region of our measurements, the BSA on the bound proton is smaller by 20% to 40%, indicating possible medium modification of its partonic structure.

Direct Observation of Proton-Neutron Short-Range Correlation Dominance in Heavy Nuclei

We measured the triple coincidence A(e,e^{'}np) and A(e,e^{'}pp) reactions on carbon, aluminum, iron, and lead targets at Q^{2}>1.5  (GeV/c)^{2}, x_{B}>1.1 and missing momentum >400  MeV/c. This was the first direct measurement of both proton-proton (pp) and neutron-proton (np) short-range correlated (SRC) pair knockout from heavy asymmetric nuclei. For all measured nuclei, the average proton-proton (pp) to neutron-proton (np) reduced cross-section ratio is about 6%, in agreement with previous indirect measurements. Correcting for single-charge exchange effects decreased the SRC pairs ratio to ∼3%, which is lower than previous results. Comparisons to theoretical generalized contact formalism (GCF) cross-section calculations show good agreement using both phenomenological and chiral nucleon-nucleon potentials, favoring a lower pp to np pair ratio. The ability of the GCF calculation to describe the experimental data using either phenomenological or chiral potentials suggests possible reduction of scale and scheme dependence in cross-section ratios. Our results also support the high-resolution description of high-momentum states being predominantly due to nucleons in SRC pairs.

First Measurements of the Double-Polarization Observables F, P, and H in ω Photoproduction off Transversely Polarized Protons in the N^{*} Resonance Region

First measurements of double-polarization observables in ω photoproduction off the proton are presented using transverse target polarization and data from the CEBAF Large Acceptance Spectrometer (CLAS) FROST experiment at Jefferson Lab. The beam-target asymmetry F has been measured using circularly polarized, tagged photons in the energy range 1200-2700 MeV, and the beam-target asymmetries H and P have been measured using linearly polarized, tagged photons in the energy range 1200-2000 MeV. These measurements significantly increase the database on polarization observables. The results are included in two partial-wave analyses and reveal significant contributions from several nucleon (N^{*}) resonances. In particular, contributions from new N^{*} resonances listed in the Review of Particle Properties are observed, which aid in reaching the goal of mapping out the nucleon resonance spectrum.

[Clinical value of (125)I radioactive seed implantation plus transcatheter arterial chemoembolization combined with radiofrequency ablation in treating patient with sub-capsular hepatocellular carcinoma]

Objective: To analyze the clinical efficacy and safety of (125)I radioactive seed implantation in the treatment of sub-capsular hepatocellular carcinoma (sub-HCC) with sequential radiofrequency ablation and transcatheter arterial chemoembolization (TACE). Methods: The clinical data of 76 cases with advanced HCC with sub-capsular nodules including 68 males and 8 females, with an average age of (58±9) years, ranging from 33 to 78 years, enrolled in Lishui Central Hospital from January 2010 to December 2016 were collected.The average maximum diameter of tumor is (5.7±2.3) cm, ranging from 3.1 cm to 12.0 cm.The patients were divided into TACE+ RFA group and (125)I + TACE+ RFA group with 38 cases in each group.The overall survival (OS) and progression free survival(PFS) were calculated.The clinical efficiency and adverse events were evaluated. Results: The disease control rate were 84.2%(32/38) in (125)I + TACE+ RFA group and 63.2% (24/38) in TACE+ RFA group, χ(2)=4.34, P= 0.04.The median PFS were 18 months in (125)I + TACE+ RFA group and 11 months in TACE+ RFA group, χ(2)=4.84, P=0.03.The FPS cumulative rate in (125)I + TACE+ RFA group were higher than that in TACE+ RFA group at 6 months (94.7%±3.6% vs 81.3%±6.4%, Z=24.1>2.58, P=0.00), 1 year (89.2%±5.1% vs 40.7%±8.3%, Z=13.3>2.58, P=0.00) and 2 year (55.9%±8.6% vs 29.6%±8.2%, Z=7.2>2.58, P=0.00). The median OS were 42 months in (125)I + TACE+ RFA group and 30 months in TACE+ RFA group, χ(2)=4.76, P=0.029.The survival cumulative rate in (125)I+ TACE+ RFA group were higher than that in TACE+ RFA group at 1 year (92.1%±4.4% vs 83.8%±6.1%, Z=23.5>2.58, P=0.00), 2 year (75.8%±7.0% vs 59.8%±8.4%, Z=12.43>2.58, P=0.00), 3 year (59.0%±8.2% vs 41.7%±8.9%, Z=8.3>2.58, P=0.00), 5 year (34.2%±8.2% vs 18.2%±8.1%, Z=5.5>2.58, P=0.00). In addition, there was no statistical difference in liver function and complications between TACE+ RFA group and (125)I+ TACE+ RFA group. Conclusion: (125)I radioactive seed implantation plus TACE combined with RFA treatment is an effective and safe treatment for sub-capsular hepatocellular carcinoma.

Center of Mass Motion of Short-Range Correlated Nucleon Pairs studied via the A(e,e^{'}pp) Reaction

Short-range correlated (SRC) nucleon pairs are a vital part of the nucleus, accounting for almost all nucleons with momentum greater than the Fermi momentum (k_{F}). A fundamental characteristic of SRC pairs is having large relative momenta as compared to k_{F}, and smaller center of mass (c.m.) which indicates a small separation distance between the nucleons in the pair. Determining the c.m. momentum distribution of SRC pairs is essential for understanding their formation process. We report here on the extraction of the c.m. motion of proton-proton (pp) SRC pairs in carbon and, for the first time in heavier and ansymetric nuclei: aluminum, iron, and lead, from measurements of the A(e,e^{'}pp) reaction. We find that the pair c.m. motion for these nuclei can be described by a three-dimensional Gaussian with a narrow width ranging from 140 to 170  MeV/c, approximately consistent with the sum of two mean-field nucleon momenta. Comparison with calculations appears to show that the SRC pairs are formed from mean-field nucleons in specific quantum states.

[Effect of transcatheter arterial chemoembolization combined with thymosin alpha 1 on the autophagy of immune cells from advanced hepatocellular carcinoma]

Objective: To investigate the effect of transcatheter arterial chemoembolization(TACE)combined with thymosin alpha1(Tα1)on the autophagy of immune cells from advanced hepatocellular carcinoma. Methods: A total of 30 patients with advanced liver cancer enrolled in Lishui Central Hospital from September 2015 to June 2016 were collected in this study. The average age of patients was 16-75(56±12) years. All patients were treated with TACE after enrolled in hospital in a week. Patients were divided into TACE group and TACE+ Tα1 treatment group(15 cases in each group). Patients in TACE group received a conventional treatment, without any immunotherapy, while the TACE+ Tα1 treatment group accepted TACE following a subcutaneously injection of 1.6 mg Tα1 twice a week for 4 weeks. Flow cytometry was used to detect the T cell subsets in two groups both before and after TACE treatment for 1, 4 weeks and at 3 months follow-up. Peripheral blood mononuclear cells (PBMC) were isolated by density gradient centrifugation. The expression of Beclin-1, LC3 protein and mRNA were detected by Western blot (WB) and PCR respectively. Results: There was no statistical difference of the percentage of CD3(+) , CD4(+) , CD8(+) T cell subsets and Beclin-1, LC3 protein and mRNA expression between the two groups before TACE treatment (P>0.05). The percentage of CD3(+) , CD4(+) , CD8(+) T cell subsets in TACE+ Tα1 group at 1 week post-TACE treatment (58.45%±16.34%, 38.33%±15.16%, 27.31%±12.54%), at 4 weeks post-TACE treatment (62.38%±18.62%, 43.19%±13.86%, 29.54%±10.33%) and 3 months follow-up (64.15%±13.76%, 41.28%±14.65%, 29.38%±15.65%) were statistically higher than those in TACE group at 1 week post-TACE treatment (53.71%±11.17%, 32.12%±10.53%, 24.45%±13.72%) at 4 weeks post-TACE treatment (52.12%±14.26%, 31.16%±15.43%, 23.39%±15.33%) and 3 months follow-up (54.28%±13.15%, 32.17%±14.98%, 24.34%±14.12%) (P<0.05). The Beclin-1, LC3 protein and mRNA expression in TACE+ Tα1 group at 1 week post-TACE treatment (protein: 0.57±0.08, 2.26±0.36, mRNA: 0.62±0.11, 2.69±0.27), at 4 weeks post-TACE treatment (protein: 0.66±0.09, 3.11±0.45, mRNA: 0.78±0.13, 3.43±0.61) were higher than those in TACE group at 1 week post-TACE treatment (protein: 0.45±0.16, 1.43±0.30, mRNA: 0.52±0.15, 1.15±0.37), at 4 weeks post-TACE treatment (protein: 0.51±0.13, 1.81±0.35, mRNA: 0.56±0.10, 1.98±0.41) ( P<0.05). But there was no statistically significant difference in the expression of Beclin-1 and LC3 in two groups at 3 months follow-up (P>0.05). Conclusions: TACE combined with Tα1 significantly increase the level of autophagy in the immune cells of patients with advanced primary hepatocellular carcinoma.

[The role of FOXO3a-Bim signaling in triptolide induced bladder cancer T24 cells apoptosis]

Objective: To investigate the role of FOXO3a-Bim signaling in triptolide induced bladder cancer T24 cells apoptosis. Methods: T24 cells were used and divided into control group, triptolide group(50 nmol/L), MK2206 group(50 nmol/L triptolide+ 5 μmol/L MK2206), FOXO3a-siRNA group(50 nmol/L triptolide+ 100 nmol/L FOXO3a-siRNA), Bim-siRNA group (50 nmol/L triptolide+ 100 nmol/L Bim-siRNA). MTT assay was used to analyze the cells growth inhibition.Annexin V/PI staining was implemented to detect cell apoptosis rate, the expression of p-Akt, Akt, p-FOXO3a, FOXO3a, Bim, Bax.Cleaved-caspase 3 was analyzed by Western blot. Results: After treatment with triptolide 25, 50, 100, 250 nmol/L, the cell growth inhibition rates at 24 hours(17%±9%, 24%±5%, 43%±8%, 61%±8%), 48 hours (20%±7%, 34%±6%, 56%±7%, 74%±5%) and 72 hours(32%±8%, 41%±7%, 69%±7%, 84%±3%) were significantly higher than control group respectively.The IC(50) at 24, 48, 72 hours were (113±10), (91±8), (68±5) nmol/L; the cell apoptosis rates at 24 hours (10%±4%, 15%±5%, 29%±8%, 46%±8%), 48 hours (16%±5%, 24%±6%, 40%±7%, 55%±9%) and 72 hours (27%±4%, 38%±5%, 50%±9%, 65%±8%) were significantly increased (P<0.05). Western blot showed that triptolide reduced the expression of p-Akt, p-FOXO3a and increased the expression of Bim, Bax, cleaved-caspase 3.The cell inhibition rate in Triptolide group (30%±8%) was significantly higher than that in the control group (P<0.05) and the rates in MK2206 group (54% ±6%), FOXO3a-siRNA group (18%±7%) and Bim-siRNA group (11%±6%) were also higher than the control group.Compared with the triptolide group, the inhibition rate in MK2206 group was significantly increased, but decreased in FOXO3a-siRNA group and Bim-siRNA group(P<0.05). Conclusion: Triptolide induces T24 cells apoptosis through FOXO3a-Bim signaling pathway.

[Effect comparison of ultrasound-guided lower extremity nerve block and spinal anesthesia in ankle surgery]

Objective: To compare the anesthesia effect between ultrasound-guided lower extremity nerve block and spinal anesthesia in ankle surgery. Methods: Upon the approval of institutional Ethics Committee and informed consent, 80 patients American Society of Anesthesiology (ASA)Ⅰ-Ⅱaged 18-70 yr, undergoing ankle surgery from December 2014 to May 2015 in the Fifth Affiliated Hospital of Wen Zhou Medical College, were randomly divided by random numbers into two groups (n=40): nerve block group (group N) and spinal anesthesia (group S). The group N was combined with ultrasound-guided femoral nerve, obturator nerve, lateral femoral cutaneous nerve and sacral plexus block; group S was selected spinal anesthesia in the gap of L3-L4. Times of anesthesia procedure (T_r), sensory block (T_fb), motor block (T_mb), duration of sensory block (T_fr) and duration of motor block (T_mr) were recorded. The incidence of hypotension within 30 min after anesthesia and 24 hours postoperatively analgesic were also recorded. The effect of anesthesia was evaluated. Results: The T_r, T_fb, T_mb, T_fr and T_mr in group N and group S were (15.0±1.5), (11.2±1.2), (13.4±1.4), (816.0±112.9), (432.0±138.9)min and (8.7±1.2), (2.3±0.6), (3.8±1.1), (436.7±130.5), (320.0±34.6)min, respectively. T_r, T_fb, T_mb, T_fr and T_mr in group N were significantly longer than that in group S (t=20.742, 41.945, 34.101, 13.901, 4.948, all P<0.05). There was no significant difference in the incidences of hypotension within 30 min after anesthesia (0 vs 7.5%, P>0.05). The incidence of 24 hours postoperatively analgesic in group N were significantly lower than that in group S (45.0% vs 77.5%, P<0.05). Compared with group S, there was no significant difference in the percentage of anesthetic effect reached gradeⅠ(95% vs 100%, P>0.05) in group N. Conclusion: Ultrasound-guided nerve block could be safe and effective in patients undergoing ankle surgery, and postoperative analgesia time of nerve block is longer than that of spinal anesthesia.

Measurement of the Q^{2} Dependence of the Deuteron Spin Structure Function g_{1} and its Moments at Low Q^{2} with CLAS

We measured the g_{1} spin structure function of the deuteron at low Q^{2}, where QCD can be approximated with chiral perturbation theory (χPT). The data cover the resonance region, up to an invariant mass of W≈1.9  GeV. The generalized Gerasimov-Drell-Hearn sum, the moment Γ_{1}^{d} and the spin polarizability γ_{0}^{d} are precisely determined down to a minimum Q^{2} of 0.02  GeV^{2} for the first time, about 2.5 times lower than that of previous data. We compare them to several χPT calculations and models. These results are the first in a program of benchmark measurements of polarization observables in the χPT domain.

First Exclusive Measurement of Deeply Virtual Compton Scattering off ^{4}He: Toward the 3D Tomography of Nuclei

We report on the first measurement of the beam-spin asymmetry in the exclusive process of coherent deeply virtual Compton scattering off a nucleus. The experiment uses the 6 GeV electron beam from the Continuous Electron Beam Accelerator Facility (CEBAF) accelerator at Jefferson Lab incident on a pressurized ^{4}He gaseous target placed in front of the CEBAF Large Acceptance Spectrometer (CLAS). The scattered electron is detected by CLAS and the photon by a dedicated electromagnetic calorimeter at forward angles. To ensure the exclusivity of the process, a specially designed radial time projection chamber is used to detect the recoiling ^{4}He nuclei. We measure beam-spin asymmetries larger than those observed on the free proton in the same kinematic domain. From these, we are able to extract, in a model-independent way, the real and imaginary parts of the only ^{4}He Compton form factor, H_{A}. This first measurement of coherent deeply virtual Compton scattering on the ^{4}He nucleus, with a fully exclusive final state via nuclear recoil tagging, leads the way toward 3D imaging of the partonic structure of nuclei.

Beam-Target Helicity Asymmetry for γ[over →]n[over →]→π^{-}p in the N^{*} Resonance Region

We report the first beam-target double-polarization asymmetries in the γ+n(p)→π^{-}+p(p) reaction spanning the nucleon resonance region from invariant mass W=1500 to 2300 MeV. Circularly polarized photons and longitudinally polarized deuterons in solid hydrogen deuteride (HD) have been used with the CEBAF Large Acceptance Spectrometer (CLAS) at Jefferson Lab. The exclusive final state has been extracted using three very different analyses that show excellent agreement, and these have been used to deduce the E polarization observable for an effective neutron target. These results have been incorporated into new partial wave analyses and have led to significant revisions for several γnN^{*} resonance photocouplings.

[Association between ultrasound screening frequency and mortality in patients with hepatocellular carcinoma]

Objective: To discuss the association between ultrasound screening frequency and total mortality in patients with HCC before diagnosing HCC, and explore the optimal ultrasound screening frequency for HCC high-risk groups. Methods: Retrospectively collected clinical data of 615 cases of liver cirrhosis who developed to HCC from January 1, 2010 to December 31, 2015. Before diagnosing HCC, all patients were divided into five groups according to ultrasound screening frequency: 0-6, 7-12, 13-24, 25-36 months and not screened within 3 years (never screened). The chance to receive curative therapy, 5-year cumulative mortalities and independent factors of mortality in patients with HCC were analyzed. Results: Chances to receive curative therapy among the 0-6, 7-12, 13-24, 25-36 months and never screened groups were 38.2%, 27.2%, 25.4%, 23.8% and 19.7%, respectively (P<0.05). The 5-year overall mortality rates were 76.4%, 77.7%, 79.3%, 82.5% and 84.6%, respectively. Compared with 0-6 months, the adjusted OR of mortality for the other groups were 1.112, 1.235, 1.305 and 1.451, respectively (all P<0.05). Multivariate analysis showed that ultrasound screening frequency, curative treatment and Child-Pugh (class A/B) were the factors to affect long-term survival in patients with HCC (all P<0.05). Conclusion: For HCC high-risk groups, optimal ultrasound screening frequency is within 6 months, and high-frequency ultrasound screening can increase the chance of receiving curative treatment, reduce total mortality, and improve overall survival.

[Efficacy analysis of radiofrequency ablation combined with 125I seed for multiple nodular hepatocellular carcinoma]

OBJECTIVE

To investigate the clinical efficacy of radiofrequency ablation(RFA)combined with (125)I seed in patients with multiple nodular hepatocellular carcinoma(HCC).

METHODS

The clinical data of 47 patients with multiple nodular HCC confirmed clinically or pathologically in the Fifth Affiliated Hospital of Wenzhou Medical University between January 2009 and September 2014 were retrospectively analyzed. All patients were divided into two groups depending on treatment: RFA group(n=29); RFA combined with (125)I seed group(n=18). Survival time was estimated with the Kaplan-Meier analysis. The survival curve was compared by Log-rank test.

RESULTS

The clinical data and tumor situation of patients between two groups did not show significant differences. The follow-up time ranged from 2 to 55 months. At the end of the study, the median progression-free survival of two groups were 18 months and 11 months, and the differences were statistically significant(P=0.036). The overall survival rates in RFA combined with (125)I seed group at 1, 2, and 3 years (94.4%, 78.0%, 66.8%, respectively) were higher than those in RFA group (88.5%, 68.6%, 57.1%, respectively). However, the differences between the two groups were not statistically significant(P=0.554).

CONCLUSIONS

For multiple nodular HCC, RFA combined with (125)I seed can prolong progression-free survival, have an advantage in local control rate, and is better than single RFA at short-term curative effect.However, its long-term outcomes should be further explored by a large-sample, multi-center and randomized trial.

Cross Sections for the Exclusive Photon Electroproduction on the Proton and Generalized Parton Distributions

Unpolarized and beam-polarized fourfold cross sections (d^{4}σ/dQ^{2}dx_{B}dtdϕ) for the ep→e^{'}p^{'}γ reaction were measured using the CLAS detector and the 5.75-GeV polarized electron beam of the Jefferson Lab accelerator, for 110 (Q^{2},x_{B},t) bins over the widest phase space ever explored in the valence-quark region. Several models of generalized parton distributions (GPDs) describe the data well at most of our kinematics. This increases our confidence that we understand the GPD H, expected to be the dominant contributor to these observables. Through a leading-twist extraction of Compton form factors, these results support the model predictions of a larger nucleon size at lower quark-momentum fraction x_{B}.

Towards a resolution of the proton form factor problem: new electron and positron scattering data

There is a significant discrepancy between the values of the proton electric form factor, G(E)(p), extracted using unpolarized and polarized electron scattering. Calculations predict that small two-photon exchange (TPE) contributions can significantly affect the extraction of G(E)(p) from the unpolarized electron-proton cross sections. We determined the TPE contribution by measuring the ratio of positron-proton to electron-proton elastic scattering cross sections using a simultaneous, tertiary electron-positron beam incident on a liquid hydrogen target and detecting the scattered particles in the Jefferson Lab CLAS detector. This novel technique allowed us to cover a wide range in virtual photon polarization (ϵ) and momentum transfer (Q(2)) simultaneously, as well as to cancel luminosity-related systematic errors. The cross section ratio increases with decreasing ϵ at Q(2)=1.45  GeV(2). This measurement is consistent with the size of the form factor discrepancy at Q(2)≈1.75  GeV(2) and with hadronic calculations including nucleon and Δ intermediate states, which have been shown to resolve the discrepancy up to 2-3  GeV(2).

Effects of plant roots on the hydraulic performance during the clogging process in mesocosm vertical flow constructed wetlands

The aim of this study was to evaluate the effects of plant roots (Typha angustifolia roots) on the hydraulic performance during the clogging process from the perspective of time and space distributions in mesocosm vertical flow-constructed wetlands with coarse sand matrix. For this purpose, a pair of lab-scale experiments was conducted to compare planted and unplanted systems by measuring the effective porosity and hydraulic conductivity of the substrate within different operation periods. Furthermore, the flow pattern of the clogging process in the planted and unplanted wetland systems were evaluated by their hydraulic performance (e.g., mean residence time, short circuiting, volumetric efficiency, number of continuously stirred tank reactors, and hydraulic efficiency factor) in salt tracer experiments. The results showed that the flow conditions would change in different clogging stages, which indicated that plants played different roles related to time and space. In the early clogging stages, plant roots restricted the flow of water, while in the middle and later clogging stages, especially the later stage, growing roots opened new pore spaces in the substrate. The roots played an important role in affecting the hydraulic performance in the upper layer (0-30 cm) where the sand matrix had a larger root volume fraction. Finally, the causes of the controversy over plant roots' effects on clogging were discussed. The results helped further understand the effects of plant roots on hydraulic performance during the clogging process.

Strangeness suppression of qq creation observed in exclusive reactions

We measured the ratios of electroproduction cross sections from a proton target for three exclusive meson-baryon final states: ΛK(+), pπ(0), and nπ(+), with the CLAS detector at Jefferson Lab. Using a simple model of quark hadronization, we extract qq creation probabilities for the first time in exclusive two-body production, in which only a single qq pair is created. We observe a sizable suppression of strange quark-antiquark pairs compared to nonstrange pairs, similar to that seen in high-energy production.

Antialcoholic liver activity of whey fermented by Lactobacillus casei isolated from koumiss

Whey fermented liquid (WFL) was studied for its hepatoprotective effects by using chronic alcohol-induced mice. Whey fermented liquid, prepared by inoculating whey with 4% (vol/vol) Lactobacillus casei and then incubating at 41°C for 8h, was used to orally treat alcohol-induced mice at 3 dosages for 5 wk. Ethanol consumption significantly reduced the activity of superoxide dismutase and glutathione peroxidase, while lowering glutathione content and increasing levels of aspartate aminotransferase, alanine aminotransferase, total triglyceride, malondialdehyde, and cytochrome P450 2E1. Treatment with WFL significantly attenuated the increased levels of alanine aminotransferase, aspartate aminotransferase, triglyceride, and cytochrome P450 2E1, while decreasing superoxide dismutase, glutathione peroxidase, malondialdehyde, and glutathione levels. Pathological changes in the livers of mice who had ingested alcohol were improved by the administration of WFL. These results suggest that WFL may exert a protective effect against alcoholic liver disease by increasing antioxidant activity, which supports the use of WFL as an antialcoholic liver disease treatment.

Hard two-body photodisintegration of 3He

We have measured cross sections for the γ(3)He → pd reaction at photon energies of 0.4-1.4 GeV and a center-of-mass angle of 90°. We observe dimensional scaling above 0.7 GeV at this center-of-mass angle. This is the first observation of dimensional scaling in the photodisintegration of a nucleus heavier than the deuteron.

Measurement of exclusive π(0) electroproduction structure functions and their relationship to transverse generalized parton distributions

Exclusive π(0) electroproduction at a beam energy of 5.75 GeV has been measured with the Jefferson Lab CLAS spectrometer. Differential cross sections were measured at more than 1800 kinematic values in Q(2), x(B), t, and ϕ(π), in the Q(2) range from 1.0 to 4.6  GeV(2), -t up to 2  GeV(2), and x(B) from 0.1 to 0.58. Structure functions σ(T)+ϵσ(L), σ(TT), and σ(LT) were extracted as functions of t for each of 17 combinations of Q(2) and x(B). The data were compared directly with two handbag-based calculations including both longitudinal and transversity generalized parton distributions (GPDs). Inclusion of only longitudinal GPDs very strongly underestimates σ(T)+ϵσ(L) and fails to account for σ(TT) and σ(LT), while inclusion of transversity GPDs brings the calculations into substantially better agreement with the data. There is very strong sensitivity to the relative contributions of nucleon helicity-flip and helicity nonflip processes. The results confirm that exclusive π(0) electroproduction offers direct experimental access to the transversity GPDs.

Growth and characterization of bamboo-shaped carbon nanotubes using nanocluster-assembled ZnO:Co thin films as catalyst

Bamboo-shaped carbon nanotubes (CNTs) had been successfully fabricated by a plasma enhanced chemical vapor deposition method, in which nanocluster-assembled ZnO:Co thin film was used as catalyst. It was found that bamboo-shaped CNTs were generally grown in a direction perpendicularly to the substrate surface with the tops of CNTs dominated by the droplet-like catalyst covered by the carbon layer. The diameter of CNTs was ranged from 20-50 nm. High resolution of TEM image showed that the typical CNT had a multi-walled structure with an inner core presented. The ordered graphite layers were inclined to an axis of CNT about 18 degrees and the interlayer space of a CNT was about 0.35 nm. Two peaks in Raman spectrum at 1586 cm(-1) and 1372 cm(-1) were identified as G-band and D-band for graphite, respectively. The results showed that catalyst based on ZnO:Co thin films could be used for the growth of CNTs with bamboo-shaped structure.

Variations in fuel use in the flight muscles of wing-dimorphic Gryllus firmus and implications for morph-specific dispersal

Although a considerable amount of information is available on tradeoffs in wing-polymorphic insects, only limited data are available on the relationship between flight and biochemical variation within species. In the current study, we compared the biochemical basis in the dorsolongitudinal flight muscle of the wing-dimorphic sand cricket, Gryllus firmus Scudder, with respect to tradeoffs in energy resources related to morph-specific flight, including glycogen, trehalose, and triglycerides. Our results show that levels of glycogen and trehalose in long-winged adults (LW[f]) were significantly higher before dispersal, on days 5 and 7. Considering that this is the period during which long-winged adults are flight-capable, these results suggest that both glycogen and trehalose are important to flight. However, levels of triglycerides in short-winged crickets (SW) were higher than in long-winged crickets, suggesting that triglycerides are not directly related to initial flight. In SW adults, triglyceride content on days 5 and 7 was significantly higher just before lights off than at the same time on day 1 or at any other time after lights on all other days. This suggests that triglycerides are probably related to reproductive behaviors, such as mating and oviposition, in the SW morph. In addition, flight muscle water content was significantly lower in the LW(f) morph than in the SW morph.

Real-time imaging and detection of intracranial haemorrhage by electrical impedance tomography in a piglet model

The aim of this study was to use electrical impedance tomography (EIT) to detect and image acute intracranial haemorrhage (ICH) in an animal model. Blood was infused into the frontal lobe of the brains of anaesthetized piglets and impedance was measured using 16 electrodes placed in a circle on the scalp. The EIT images were constructed using a filtered back-projection algorithm. The mean of all the pixel intensities within a region of interest--the mean resistivity value (MRV)--was used to evaluate the relative impedance changes in the target region. A symmetrical index (SI), reflecting the relative impedance on both sides of the brain, was also calculated. Changes in MRV and SI were associated with the injection of blood, demonstrating that EIT can successfully detect ICH in this animal model. The unique features of EIT may be beneficial for diagnosing ICH early in patients after cranial surgery, thereby reducing the risk of complications and mortality.

Improved tolerance of maize (Zea mays L.) to heavy metals by colonization of a dark septate endophyte (DSE) Exophiala pisciphila

Dark septate endophytes (DSE) are ubiquitous and abundant in stressful environments including heavy metal (HM) stress. However, our knowledge about the roles of DSE in improving HM tolerance of their host plants is poor. In this study, maize (Zea mays L.) was inoculated with a HM tolerant DSE strain Exophiala pisciphila H93 in lead (Pb), zinc (Zn), and cadmium (Cd) contaminated soils. E. pisciphila H93 successfully colonized and formed typical DSE structures in the inoculated maize roots. Colonization of E. pisciphila H93 alleviated the deleterious effects of excessive HM supplements and promoted the growth of maize (roots and shoots) under HM stress conditions, though it significantly decreased the biomass of inoculated maize under no HM stress. Further analysis showed that the colonization of E. pisciphila H93 improved the tolerance of maize to HM by restricting the translocation of HM ions from roots to shoots. This study demonstrated that under higher HM stress, such a mutual symbiosis between E. pisciphila and its host (maize) may be an efficient strategy to survive in the stressful environments.

Measurement of single- and double-spin asymmetries in deep inelastic pion electroproduction with a longitudinally polarized target

We report the first measurement of the transverse momentum dependence of double-spin asymmetries in semi-inclusive production of pions in deep-inelastic scattering off the longitudinally polarized proton. Data have been obtained using a polarized electron beam of 5.7 GeV with the CLAS detector at the Jefferson Lab (JLab). Modulations of single spin asymmetries over the azimuthal angle between lepton scattering and hadron production planes ϕ have been measured over a wide kinematic range in Bjorken x and virtual photon squared four-momentum Q2. A significant nonzero sin2ϕ single spin asymmetry was observed for the first time indicating strong spin-orbit correlations for transversely polarized quarks in the longitudinally polarized proton.

Treatment of Symptomatic Intracranial Atherosclerotic Stenosis with a Normal-Sized Gateway™ Balloon and Wingspan™ Stent

The safety and performance of angioplasty using a normal-sized Gateway™ balloon and Wingspan™ stent for intracranial atherosclerotic stenosis were assessed. Seventy-two patients with intracranial stenosis (≥ 50%) were treated using an undersized (group U) or normal-sized (group N) Gateway™ balloon and a Wingspan™ stent. All patients were successfully stented. Stenosis improved from 74.2% before treatment to 23.8% immediately after treatment in group U and from 70.9% to 20.1% in group N. The two groups had similar rates of major periprocedural neurological complications (9.0% overall), none of which led to death. Residual stenosis at follow-up was 40.8% and 32.5% in groups U and N, respectively. In-stent re-stenosis (ISR) was significantly less frequent in group N (22.0%) than in group U (33.3%). It is concluded that use of a normal-sized Gateway™ balloon and Wingspan™ stent appears to be safe, to have a high rate of technical success, good immediate post-operative results and a low ISR rate.

Tensor correlations measured in 3He(e,e' pp)n

We have measured the 3He(e,e' pp)n reaction at an incident energy of 4.7 GeV over a wide kinematic range. We identified spectator correlated pp and pn nucleon pairs by using kinematic cuts and measured their relative and total momentum distributions. This is the first measurement of the ratio of pp to pn pairs as a function of pair total momentum p(tot). For pair relative momenta between 0.3 and 0.5  GeV/c, the ratio is very small at low p(tot) and rises to approximately 0.5 at large p(tot). This shows the dominance of tensor over central correlations at this relative momentum.

Absorption of the ω and ϕ mesons in nuclei

Because of their long lifetimes, the ω and ϕ mesons are the ideal candidates for the study of possible modifications of the in-medium meson-nucleon interaction through their absorption inside the nucleus. During the E01-112 experiment at the Thomas Jefferson National Accelerator Facility, the mesons were photoproduced from 2H, C, Ti, Fe, and Pb targets. This Letter reports the first measurement of the ratio of nuclear transparencies for the e+e- channel. The ratios indicate larger in-medium widths compared with what have been reported in other reaction channels. The absorption of the ω meson is stronger than that reported by the CBELSA-TAPS experiment and cannot be explained by recent theoretical models.

Ferrous chelator 2,2'-dipyridyl attenuates cerebral vasospasm after experimental subarachnoid haemorrhage in rabbits

The effect of 2,2'-dipyridyl (DP) on cerebral vasospasm was investigated in a double-injection rabbit model of subarachnoid haemorrhage (SAH). Thirty-six animals were divided between four groups: control (sham-operated), SAH (model alone), SAH + DP (the SAH model in which DP dissolved in dimethyl sulphoxide [DMSO] was injected once daily for 5 days into the cisterna magna), and SAH + DMSO (the SAH model in which DMSO [vehicle] was injected daily for 5 days). There were significant differences in the basilar artery luminal area, wall thickness, neurological deficit score and vasospasm index between the SAH + DP and SAH groups. There was a significant negative correlation between arterial luminal area and arterial wall thickness, and also between the neurological deficit score and vasospasm index. Cells that were positive for terminal deoxynucleotidyl transferase-mediated deoxyuridine triphosphate nick end-labelling (TUNEL) and p53 expression were significantly increased in the SAH + DMSO and SAH groups, but not in the SAH + DP group, versus controls. Thus, DP may attenuate cerebral vasospasm after SAH by suppressing p53-induced apoptosis in the cerebral vessels.

Precise measurement of the neutron magnetic form factor G(M)n in the few-GeV2 region

The neutron elastic magnetic form factor was extracted from quasielastic electron scattering on deuterium over the range Q;{2}=1.0-4.8 GeV2 with the CLAS detector at Jefferson Lab. High precision was achieved with a ratio technique and a simultaneous in situ calibration of the neutron detection efficiency. Neutrons were detected with electromagnetic calorimeters and time-of-flight scintillators at two beam energies. The dipole parametrization gives a good description of the data.

Search for the photoexcitation of exotic mesons in the pi+pi+pi- system

A search for exotic mesons in the pi;{+}pi;{+}pi;{-} system photoproduced by the charge exchange reaction gammap-->pi;{+}pi;{+}pi;{-}(n) was carried out by the CLAS Collaboration at Jefferson Lab. A tagged-photon beam with energies in the 4.8 to 5.4 GeV range, produced through bremsstrahlung from a 5.744 GeV electron beam, was incident on a liquid-hydrogen target. A partial wave analysis was performed on a sample of 83 000 events, the highest such statistics to date in this reaction at these energies. The main objective of this study was to look for the photoproduction of an exotic J;{PC}=1;{-+} resonant state in the 1 to 2 GeV mass range. Our partial wave analysis shows production of the a_{2}(1320) and the pi_{2}(1670) mesons, but no evidence for the a_{1}(1260), nor the pi_{1}(1600) exotic state at the expected levels. An upper limit of 13.5 nb is determined for the exotic pi_{1}(1600) cross section, less than 2% of the a_{2}(1320) production.