1.12 Tb/s superchannel coherent PM-QPSK InP transmitter photonic integrated circuit (PIC)

In this work, a 10-wavelength, polarization-multiplexed, monolithically integrated InP coherent QPSK transmitter PIC is demonstrated to operate at 112 Gb/sec per wavelength and total chip superchannel bandwidth of 1.12 Tb/s. This demonstration suggests that increasing data capacity to multi-Tb/s per chip is possible and likely in the future.

3 T MRI of hepatocellular carcinomas in patients with cirrhosis: does T2-weighted imaging provide added value?

AIM

To assess whether T2-weighted imaging (T2WI) provides any added value for the detection of hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) in patients with cirrhosis, especially for lesions smaller than 2 cm.

MATERIALS AND METHODS

Sixty-five patients with cirrhosis underwent liver 3 T MRI. Images were qualitatively analysed independently by two observers in two separate sessions, including a dynamic enhanced session and a combination of dynamic and T2WI. The diagnostic accuracy was evaluated using the alternating free-response receiver operating characteristic. Sensitivity and positive predictive values were calculated for all HCCs and for the subgroup of HCCs that were smaller than 2 cm. Additionally, artefacts on T2WI were evaluated by two observers in consensus.

RESULTS

Ninety HCCs (>2 cm n = 36; ≤2 cm n = 54) were detected in 46 patients. For all HCCs and for lesions smaller than 2 cm, the sensitivities were significantly higher for the combined session than the dynamic session alone (p < 0.05). Conversely, for the Az and positive predictive values, there was no significant difference between the two sessions. For smaller HCC, 9% (5/54) and 7% (4/54) of the 54 HCCs were correctly interpreted by observers 1 and 2, respectively, only when T2WI was included. Three false-positive lesions (≤2 cm) were correctly diagnosed by one of the observers after combining T2WI. Conspicuity of only one large HCC was severely reduced by the artefacts from massive ascites.

CONCLUSION

At 3 T liver imaging, combining with T2WI can improve the sensitivity of detection of HCC compared with dynamic MRI alone by increasing observer confidence, especially for lesions smaller than 2 cm. Additionally, T2 image quality was not significantly affected by artefacts.

Associations between single-nucleotide polymorphisms (+45T>G, +276G>T, -11377C>G, -11391G>A) of adiponectin gene and type 2 diabetes mellitus: a systematic review and meta-analysis

AIMS/HYPOTHESIS

The associations between adiponectin polymorphisms and type 2 diabetes have been studied widely; however, results are inconsistent.

METHODS

We searched electronic literature databases and reference lists of relevant articles. A fixed or random effects model was used on the basis of heterogeneity. Sub-group and meta-regression analyses were conducted to explore the sources of heterogeneity.

RESULTS

There were no statistically significant associations between +45T>G (rs2241766), +276G>T (rs1501299), -11391G>A (rs17300539) and type 2 diabetes risk. However, for -11377C>G (rs266729), the pooled OR (95% CI) for G vs C allele was 1.07 (1.03-1.11, p = 0.001). Subgroup analysis by study design revealed that -11377C>G (rs266729) dominant model (CG+GG vs CC, p = 0.0008) and G vs C allele (p = 0.0004) might be associated with type 2 diabetes risk in population-based case-control studies. After stratification by ethnicity, we found that -11377C>G (rs266729) dominant model (CG+GG vs CC, p = 0.004) and G vs C allele (p = 0.001) might be associated with type 2 diabetes risk in white individuals. In individuals with a family history of diabetes, the presence of -11391G>A (rs17300539) dominant model (GA+AA vs GG) and A vs G allele might be associated with increased risk of type 2 diabetes.

CONCLUSIONS/INTERPRETATION

The presence of +45T>G (rs2241766), +276G>T (rs1501299) and -11391G>A (rs17300539) do not appear to influence the development of type 2 diabetes. However, G vs C allele of -11377C>G (rs266729) might be a risk factor for type 2 diabetes.

Effects of recipient oocyte age and interval from fusion to activation on development of buffalo (Bubalus bubalis) nuclear transfer embryos derived from fetal fibroblasts

The objective was to investigate the effect of recipient oocyte age and the interval from activation to fusion on developmental competence of buffalo nuclear transfer (NT) embryos. Buffalo oocytes matured in vitro for 22 h were enucleated by micromanipulation under the spindle view system, and a fetal fibroblast (pretreated with 0.1 μg/mL aphidicolin for 24 h, followed by culture for 48 h in 0.5% fetal bovine serum) was introduced into the enucleated oocyte, followed by electrofusion. Both oocytes and NT embryos were activated by exposure to 5 μM ionomycin for 5 min, followed by culture in 2 mM 6-dimethyl-aminopurine for 3 h. When oocytes matured in vitro for 28, 29, 30, 31, or 32 h were activated, more oocytes matured in vitro for 30 h developed into blastocysts in comparison with oocytes matured in vitro for 32 h (31.3 vs 19.9%, P < 0.05). When electrofusion was induced 27 h after the onset of oocyte maturation, the cleavage rate (78.0%) was higher than that of electrofusion induced at 28 h (67.2%, P < 0.05), and the blastocyst yield (18.1%) was higher (P < 0.05) than that of electrofusion induced at 25 or 26 h (7.4 and 8.5%, respectively). A higher proportion of NT embryos activated at 3 h after electrofusion developed to the blastocyst stage (18.6%) in comparison with NT embryos activated at 1 h (6.0%), 2 h (8.3%), or 4 h (10.6%) after fusion (P < 0.05). No recipient was pregnant 60 d after transfer of blastocysts developed from NT embryos activated at 1 h (0/8), 2 h (0/10), or 4 h (0/9) after fusion. However, 3 of 16 recipients were pregnant following transfer of blastocysts developed from the NT embryos activated at 3 h after fusion, and two of these recipients maintained pregnancy to term. We concluded that the developmental potential of buffalo NT embryos was related to recipient oocyte age and the interval from fusion to activation.

Exploration of the host haemostatic system by group A streptococcus: implications in searching for novel antimicrobial therapies

The haemostatic system is heavily involved in the host response to infection. A number of host haemostatic factors, notably plasminogen and fibrinogen have been reported to bind and interact with various bacterial proteins. This review summarises the roles of host haemostatic factors such as plasminogen, factor V and fibrinogen in host defence against group A streptococcus infection and discusses the potential of targeting the host haemostatic system for therapeutic intervention against infectious diseases.

Simvastatin exerts favourable effects on neointimal formation in a mouse model of vein graft

BACKGROUND

Simvastatin inhibits human saphenous vein neointima formation in human saphenous vein organ cultures. However, it is not known if simvastatin actually inhibits vein graft intima hyperplasia in vivo, and the underlying mechanisms behind that. In this study, we used a murine vein graft model to address these issues.

METHODS AND RESULTS

Vein grafting was performed among C57BL/6 J mice treated with low-dose (2 mg kg(-1)) or high-dose (20 mg kg(-1)) simvastatin or vehicle subcutaneously 72 h before and then daily after surgery. As compared to the vehicle, simvastatin dose-dependently significantly inhibited vein graft intima hyperplasia 4 weeks after surgeries. Immunohistochemistry studies suggested that vein graft neointima was mainly composed of vascular smooth muscle cells (VSMCs), and the rate of proliferating cell nuclear antigen (PCNA)-positive cells in the intima of vein grafts was significantly lower in simvastatin-treated groups than in control group. We isolated VSMC from mouse vena cava, simvastatin significantly reduced VSMC proliferation, and platelet-derived growth factor (PDGF)-induced VSMC migration in a dose-dependent manner.

CONCLUSION

Simvastatin inhibits neointima formation of mouse vein graft under normocholesterolaemic condition in vivo, the mechanisms might be associated with inhibitory effects of simvastatin on VSMC proliferation and migration.

Two novel HLA class I alleles, HLA-B*40:122 and HLA-B*40:127

The new alleles human leukocyte antigen (HLA)-B*40:122 and HLA-B*40:127 differs from B*40:02:01 and B*40:06:01:01 by a single nucleotide, respectively.

Part 5. Public health and air pollution in Asia (PAPA): a combined analysis of four studies of air pollution and mortality

BACKGROUND

In recent years, Asia has experienced rapid economic growth and a deteriorating environment caused by the increasing use of fossil fuels. Although the deleterious effects of air pollution from fossil-fuel combustion have been demonstrated in many Western nations, few comparable studies have been conducted in Asia. Time-series studies of daily mortality in Asian cities can contribute important new information to the existing body of knowledge about air pollution and health. Not only can these studies verify important health effects of air pollution in local regions in Asia, they can also help determine the relevance of existing air pollution studies to mortality and morbidity for policymaking and environmental controls. In addition, the studies can help identify factors that might modify associations between air pollution and health effects in various populations and environmental conditions. Collaborative multicity studies in Asia-especially when designed, conducted, and analyzed using a common protocol-will provide more robust air pollution effect estimates for the region as well as relevant, supportable estimates of local adverse health effects needed by environmental and public-health policymakers.

SPECIFIC OBJECTIVES

The Public Health and Air Pollution in Asia (PAPA*) project, sponsored by the Health Effects Institute, consisted of four studies designed to assess the effects of air pollution on mortality in four large Asian cities, namely Bangkok, in Thailand, and Hong Kong, Shanghai, and Wuhan, in China. In the PAPA project, a Common Protocol was developed based on methods developed and tested in NMMAPS, APHEA, and time-series studies in the literature to help ensure that the four studies could be compared with each other and with previous studies by following an established protocol. The Common Protocol (found at the end of this volume) is a set of prescriptive instructions developed for the studies and used by the investigators in each city. It is flexible enough to allow for adjustments in methods to optimize the fit of health-effects models to each city's data set. It provides the basis for generating reproducible results in each city and for meta-estimates from combined data. By establishing a common methodology, factors that might influence the differences in results from previous studies can more easily be explored. Administrative support was provided to ensure that the highest quality data were used in the analysis. It is anticipated that the PAPA results will contribute to the international scientific discussion of how to conduct and interpret time-series studies of air pollution and will stimulate the development of high-quality routine systems for recording daily deaths and hospital admissions for time-series analysis.

METHODS

Mortality data were retrieved from routine databases with underlying causes of death coded using the World Health Organization (WHO) International Classification of Diseases, 9th revision or 10th revision (ICD-9, ICD-10). Air quality measurements included nitrogen dioxide (NO2), sulfur dioxide (SO2), particulate matter with aerodynamic diameter < or = 10 microm (PM10), and ozone (O3) and were obtained from several fixed-site air monitoring stations that were located throughout the metropolitan areas of the four cities and that met the standards of procedures for quality assurance and quality control carried out by local government units in each city. Using the Common Protocol, an optimized core model was established for each city to assess the effects of each of the four air pollutants on daily mortality using generalized linear modeling with adjustments for time trend, seasonality, and other time-varying covariates by means of a natural-spline smoothing function. The models were adjusted to suit local situations by correcting for influenza activity, autocorrelation, and special weather conditions. Researchers in Hong Kong, for example, used influenza activity based on frequency of respiratory mortality; researchers in Hong Kong and Shanghai used autoregressive terms for daily outcomes at lag days; and researchers in Wuhan used additional smoothing for periods with extreme weather conditions.

RESULTS AND DISCUSSION

For mortality due to all natural (nonaccidental) causes at all ages, the effects of air pollutants per 10-microg/m3 increase in concentration was found to be higher in Bangkok than in the three Chinese cities, with the exception of the effect of NO2 in Wuhan. The magnitude of the effects for cardiovascular and respiratory mortality were generally higher than for all natural mortality at all ages. In addition, the effects associated with PM10 and O3 in all natural, cardiovascular; and respiratory mortality were found to be higher in Bangkok than in the three Chinese cities. The explanation for these three findings might be related to consistently higher daily mean temperatures in Bangkok, variations in average time spent outdoors by the susceptible populations, and the fact that less air conditioning is available and used in Bangkok than in the other cities. However, when pollutant concentrations were incorporated into the excess risk estimates through the use of interquartile range (IQR), the excess risk was more comparable across the four cities. We found that the increases in effects among older age groups were greater in Bangkok than in the other three cities. After excluding data on extremely high concentrations of PM10 in Bangkok, the effect estimate associated with PM10 concentrations decreased in Bangkok (suggesting a convex relationship between risk and PM10, where risk levels off at high concentrations) instead of increasing, as it did in the other cities. This leveling off of effect estimates at high concentrations might be related to differences in vulnerability and exposure of the population to air pollution as well as to the sources of the air pollutant. IMPLICATIONS OF THE STUDY: The PAPA project is the first coordinated Asian multicity air pollution study ever published; this signifies the beginning of an era of cooperation and collaboration in Asia, with the development of a common protocol for coordination, data management, and analysis. The results of the study demonstrated that air pollution in Asia is a significant public health burden, especially given the high concentrations of pollutants and high-density populations in major cities. When compared with the effect estimates reported in the research literature of North America and Western Europe, the study's effect estimates for PM10 were generally similar and the effect estimates for gaseous pollutants were relatively higher. In Bangkok, however, a tropical city where total exposures to outdoor pollution might be higher than in most other cities, the observed effects were greater than those reported in the previous (i.e., Western) studies. In general, the results suggested that, even though social and environmental conditions across Asia might vary, it is still generally appropriate to apply to Asia the effect estimates for other health outcomes from previous studies in the West. The results also strongly support the adoption of the global air quality guidelines recently announced by WHO.

The relationship between CAG repeat length polymorphism and infertility in Southern Chinese Han women

OBJECTIVE

To research the relationship between polymorphism of trinucleotide (CAG)n repeat alleles of the Exon 1 of androgen receptor gene and women with polycystic ovary syndrome (PCOS), or with endometriosis.

MATERIALS AND METHODS

One hundred and forty-one control women and 74 women with PCOS and with endometriosis were recruited. The (CAG)n repeat alleles were genotyped with 3100 genetic analyser. The repeat number and frequency distributions of (CAG)n alleles were compared and analyzed statistically.

RESULTS

The results showed that mean repeat number of the (CAG)n was significantly lower in women with PCOS than in controls (p<0.001). The mean repeat number of the (CAG)n was significantly different between infertile women with endometriosis (p<0.05). However, the differences between infertile women with PCOS and fertile women with PCOS was not significant (p>0.05).

CONCLUSIONS

These data indicated that (CAG)n repeat polymorphism have some influence, but have not a straight relationship in infertile women with PCOS and with endometriosis in this research population.

Identification of a novel HLA-C allele, C*12:10:02, in a Chinese individual

The new human leukocyte antigen (HLA) class I allele C*12:10:02 differs from C*12:02:03 by a non-synonymous mutation at codon 99 (TAT to TTT).