Multi-channel search for squarks and gluinos in [Formula: see text]pp collisions with the ATLAS detector at the LHC

A search for supersymmetric particles in final states with zero, one, and two leptons, with and without jets identified as originating from b-quarks, in 4.7 fb-1 of [Formula: see text]pp collisions produced by the Large Hadron Collider and recorded by the ATLAS detector is presented. The search uses a set of variables carrying information on the event kinematics transverse and parallel to the beam line that are sensitive to several topologies expected in supersymmetry. Mutually exclusive final states are defined, allowing a combination of all channels to increase the search sensitivity. No deviation from the Standard Model expectation is observed. Upper limits at 95 % confidence level on visible cross-sections for the production of new particles are extracted. Results are interpreted in the context of the constrained minimal supersymmetric extension to the Standard Model and in supersymmetry-inspired models with diverse, high-multiplicity final states.

Effect of nifedipine on the expression of keratinocyte growth factor and its receptor in cocultured/monocultured fibroblasts and keratinocytes

BACKGROUND AND OBJECTIVE

Keratinocyte growth factor (KGF) and its receptor (KGFR) are involved in hyperplastic diseases. This study explored the effect of intercellular communication on KGF and KGFR in cocultured/monocultured gingival fibroblasts and keratinocytes following treatment with nifedipine.

MATERIAL AND METHODS

Human gingival fibroblasts and keratinocytes were monocultured and cocultured, respectively. MTT was used to investigate the effects of nifedipine on the proliferation of gingival fibroblasts and keratinocytes. Monoculture and coculture systems were treated with different concentrations (0, 0.2 or 20 μg/mL) of nifedipine, and the expression of KGF and KGFR mRNAs was examined by RT-PCR, whilst the secretion of KGF and the expression of KGFR on the membrane were analyzed using ELISA and flow cytometry, respectively.

RESULTS

Nifedipine (0, 0.2 and 20 μg/mL) had no influence on cell proliferation within 3 d. KGF and KGFR mRNAs were up-regulated, but only in the cocultures. In coculture, the secretion of KGF was significantly increased by nifedipine, while it was only significantly up-regulated by 20 μg/mL of nifedipine in monoculture. Moreover, the level of KGFR protein in the membrane was significantly increased by 20 μg/mL of nifedipine in monocultures, while it was significantly down-regulated by 20 μg/mL of nifedipine in cocultures.

CONCLUSION

The expression of KGF and KGFR are influenced by the interplay of gingival keratinocytes and fibroblasts. Epithelial keratinocytes and mesenchymal fibroblasts may interplay to dynamically regulate gene expression, which may have an effect on the gingival condition following treatment with nifedipine.

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Measurement of the [Formula: see text] production cross section in the tau + jets channel using the ATLAS detector

A measurement of the top quark pair production cross section in the final state with a hadronically decaying tau lepton and jets is presented. The analysis is based on proton-proton collision data recorded by the ATLAS experiment at the LHC, with a centre-of-mass energy of 7 TeV. The data sample corresponds to an integrated luminosity of 1.67 fb-1. The cross section is measured to be [Formula: see text] and is in agreement with other measurements and with the Standard Model prediction.

Jet energy resolution in proton-proton collisions at [Formula: see text] recorded in 2010 with the ATLAS detector

The measurement of the jet energy resolution is presented using data recorded with the ATLAS detector in proton-proton collisions at [Formula: see text]. The sample corresponds to an integrated luminosity of 35 pb-1. Jets are reconstructed from energy deposits measured by the calorimeters and calibrated using different jet calibration schemes. The jet energy resolution is measured with two different in situ methods which are found to be in agreement within uncertainties. The total uncertainties on these measurements range from 20 % to 10 % for jets within |y|<2.8 and with transverse momenta increasing from 30 GeV to 500 GeV. Overall, the Monte Carlo simulation of the jet energy resolution agrees with the data within 10 %.

The AAA+ ATPase RUVBL2 is a critical mediator of MLL-AF9 oncogenesis

The most frequent chromosomal translocations in pediatric acute myeloid leukemia affect the 11q23 locus and give rise to mixed lineage leukemia (MLL) fusion genes, MLL-AF9 being the most prevalent. The MLL-AF9 fusion gene has been shown to induce leukemia in both mouse and human models. In this study, we demonstrate that leukemogenic activity of MLL-AF9 requires RUVBL2 (RuvB-like 2), an AAA+ ATPase family member that functions in a wide range of cellular processes, including chromatin remodeling and transcriptional regulation. Expression of RUVBL2 was dependent on MLL-AF9, as it increased upon immortalization of human cord blood-derived hematopoietic progenitor cells with the fusion gene and decreased following loss of fusion gene expression in conditionally immortalized mouse cells. Short hairpin RNA-mediated silencing experiments demonstrated that both the immortalized human cells and the MLL-AF9-expressing human leukemia cell line THP-1 required RUVBL2 expression for proliferation and survival. Furthermore, inhibition of RUVBL2 expression in THP-1 cells led to reduced telomerase activity and clonogenic potential. These data were confirmed with a dominant-negative Walker B-mutated RUVBL2 construct. Taken together, these data suggest the possibility of targeting RUVBL2 as a potential therapeutic strategy for MLL-AF9-associated leukemia.

Soil moisture effect on bacterial and fungal community in Beilu River (Tibetan Plateau) permafrost soils with different vegetation types

AIM

This study investigated the effects of environmental variables on the bacterial and fungal communities of the Beilu River (on the Tibetan Plateau) permafrost soils with different vegetation types.

METHODS AND RESULTS

Microbial communities were sampled from meadow, steppe and desert steppe permafrost soils during May, June, August and November, and they were analysed by both pyrosequencing and the use of Biolog EcoPlates. The dominant bacterial and fungal phyla in meadow and steppe soils were Proteobacteria and Ascomycota, whereas Actinobacteria and Basidiomycota predominated in desert steppe soils. The bacterial communities in meadow soils degraded amines and amino acids very rapidly, while polymers were degraded rapidly by steppe communities. The RDA patterns showed that the microbial communities differed greatly between meadow, steppe and desert steppe, and they were related to variations in the soil moisture, C/N ratio and pH. A UniFrac analysis detected clear differences between the desert steppe bacterial community and others, and seasonal shifts were observed. The fungal UniFrac patterns differed significantly between meadow and steppe soils. There were significant correlations between the bacterial diversity (H') and soil moisture (r = 0.506) and C/N (r = 0.527). The fungal diversity (Hf') was significantly correlated with the soil pH (r = 0.541).

CONCLUSION

The soil moisture, C/N ratio and pH were important determinants of the microbial community structure in Beilu River permafrost soils.

SIGNIFICANCE AND IMPACT OF THE STUDY

These results may provide a useful baseline for predicting the variation in microbial communities in response to climate changes.

Measurement of Z boson production in Pb-Pb collisions at sqrt[s(NN)]=2.76 TeV with the ATLAS detector

The ATLAS experiment has observed 1995 Z boson candidates in data corresponding to 0.15  nb(-1) of integrated luminosity obtained in the 2011 LHC Pb+Pb run at sqrt[s(NN)]=2.76  TeV. The Z bosons are reconstructed via dielectron and dimuon decay channels, with a background contamination of less than 3%. Results from the two channels are consistent and are combined. Within the statistical and systematic uncertainties, the per-event Z boson yield is proportional to the number of binary collisions estimated by the Glauber model. The elliptic anisotropy of the azimuthal distribution of the Z boson with respect to the event plane is found to be consistent with zero.

Epitope recognition patterns of thyroglobulin antibody in sera from patients with Hashimoto's thyroiditis on different thyroid functional status

Thyroglobulin antibody (TgAb) is a diagnostic serological marker of Hashimoto's thyroiditis (HT). The pathogenesis of HT progression from euthyroidism to hypothyroidism is still not clear. Epitope recognition patterns of TgAb have been shown to be different in individuals who are euthyroid or who have clinical disease. The aim of our study was to investigate the role of thyroglobulin (Tg) epitope specificities in HT progression. Sera from 107 patients with newly diagnosed HT were collected and divided into three groups: patients with hypothyroidism (H, n = 39), subclinical hypothyroidism (sH, n = 31) and euthyroidism (Eu, n = 37). A panel of Tg murine monoclonal antibodies (mAb: PB2, 5E6, 1D4, 5F9, Tg6) and a hircine pAb (N15) were employed as the probe antibodies to define the antigenic determinants recognized by HT sera on competitive enzyme-linked immunosorbent assays (ELISAs). Eight of 39 sera samples in H and seven of 31 in sH inhibited PB2 binding, respectively, whereas none did in Eu. The ratio of sera samples, inhibiting PB2 binding in Eu, was significantly lower than that in H (P = 0.011) and in sH (P = 0.008). For N15, five of 39 sera samples in H, six of 31 in sH and 15 of 37 in Eu inhibited its binding, respectively. The ratio of sera samples, inhibiting N15 binding in Eu, was significantly higher than that in H (P = 0.013). Our study demonstrated that HT patients in different thyroid functional status exhibited different Tg epitope recognition patterns. Epitope patterns of TgAb might be used as a prediction marker of HT progression.

Search for dark matter candidates and large extra dimensions in events with a photon and missing transverse momentum in pp collision data at sqrt[s]=7 TeV with the ATLAS detector

Results of a search for new phenomena in events with an energetic photon and large missing transverse momentum in proton-proton collisions at sqrt[s] = 7 TeV are reported. Data collected by the ATLAS experiment at the LHC corresponding to an integrated luminosity of 4.6 fb(-1) are used. Good agreement is observed between the data and the standard model predictions. The results are translated into exclusion limits on models with large extra spatial dimensions and on pair production of weakly interacting dark matter candidates.

Decreased core muscle size is associated with worse patient survival following esophagectomy for cancer

Preoperative risk assessment, particularly for patient frailty, remains largely subjective. This study evaluated the relationship between core muscle size and patient outcomes following esophagectomy for malignancy. Using preoperative computed tomography scans in 230 subjects who had undergone transhiatal esophagectomy for cancer between 2001 and 2010, lean psoas area (LPA), measured at the fourth lumbar vertebra, was determined. Cox proportional hazards regression was employed to analyze overall survival (OS) and disease-free survival (DFS) adjusted for age, gender, and stage, and the Akaike information criterion was used to determine each covariate contribution to OS and DFS. Univariate analysis demonstrated that increasing LPA correlated with both OS (P = 0.017) and DFS (P = 0.038). In multivariate analysis controlling for patient and tumor characteristics, LPA correlated with OS and DFS in patients who had not received neoadjuvant treatment (n = 64), with higher LPA associated with improved OS and DFS. Moreover, LPA was of equivalent, or slightly higher importance than pathologic stage. These measures were not predictive among patients (n = 166) receiving neoadjuvant chemoradiation. Core muscle size appears to be an independent predictor of both OS and DFS, as significant as tumor stage, in patients following transhiatal esophagectomy. Changes in muscle mass related to preoperative treatment may confound this effect. Assessment of core muscle size may provide an additional objective measure for risk stratification prior to undergoing esophagectomy.

Preliminary Exploration on Anti-Fibrosis Effect of Kaempferol in Mice with Schistosoma Japonicum Infection

This study is to explore the effectiveness and mechanism of kaempferol on treatment of hepatic fibrosis induced by schistosoma egg. Thirty-six healthy male balb/c mice were randomly divided into 6 groups, including negative group, positive group, and 4 different dosages of kaempferol treatment groups. Each mouse was infected with 20 schistosoma Cercariae japonicum, except the ones in the negative group. Four weeks later, every infected mouse was administrated with 500mg/kg/day praziquantel for 2 days, and all kaempferol groups were followed by a 4-week administration of kaempferol with 5, 10, 15 and 20mg/kg/day respectively, while both control groups were administrated with normal saline. AH the mice were sacrificed on the 59th day after infection. The liver tissues were taken for Masson staining to detect collagen and real-time quantitative PCR to detect the mRNA expression of IL-13, collagen 1 and MMP-2. As a result, Masson stain showed that the optical density of the interested region in the positive group was significantly higher than that in the negative group (P<0.01), and the optical density in all kaempferol groups was significantly lower than that in the positive group (P<0.05 or P<0.01). Real-time PCR showed that the mRNA expression of IL-13 in the positive group was significantly higher than that in the negative group (P<0.01), and the expression of IL-13 in the 20mg/kg and 15mg/kg kaempferol groups was significantly lower than that in the positive group, respectively (P<0.05). The mRNA expression of collagen 1 in the positive group was significantly higher than that in the negative group (P<0.01), and mRNA expression of collagen 1 in the 20mg/kg kaempferol group was significantly lower than that in the positive group (P<0.05). There were no significant differences between the positive and negative groups on mRNA expression of MMP-2. The mRNA expression of MMP-2 in all kaempferol groups was significantly higher than that in the positive group (P<0.05 or P<0.01). In conclusion, kaempferol can ameliorate schistosoma egg-induced hepatic fibrosis via regulating the IL-13 signal pathway. Kaempferol is very likely to be an IL-13 targeted anti-fibrosis medicine.

Activity of Corilagin on Post-Parasiticide Liver Fibrosis in Schistosomiasis Animal Model

This study investigates the effects and possible molecular mechanisms of corilagin extraction on prevention of Schistosoma japonicum ova-induced granulomas and liver fibrosis. As a result, under a light microscope, when compared to a model group, the corilagin group showed smaller granulomas, less liver cell denaturation and less inflammatory cell infiltration, and the connective tissues were significantly decreased. By Masson staining, the liver sections from the corilagin group showed less collagen distributed around granulomas, decreased liver fibrosis in the portal tracts and less formed interlobular tissue. The expression of hydroxyproline, IL-13 in liver and GATA3 in spleen in the model group was significantly higher than that in the normal group (P<0.05 or 0.01), while the level of hydroxyproline, IL-13 and GATA3 in the corilagin group were significantly lower than that in the model group (P<0.05). In conclusion, corilagin extraction can decrease the level of Th2-associated profibrotic cytokine IL-13, and down-regulate the transcription of GATA3 mRNA in spleen cells, which alleviate the hepatic fibrosis caused by egg granuloma in Schistosoma japonicum infection.

Search for magnetic monopoles in sqrt[s]=7 TeV pp collisions with the ATLAS detector

This Letter presents a search for magnetic monopoles with the ATLAS detector at the CERN Large Hadron Collider using an integrated luminosity of 2.0  fb(-1) of pp collisions recorded at a center-of-mass energy of sqrt[s]=7  TeV. No event is found in the signal region, leading to an upper limit on the production cross section at 95% confidence level of 1.6/ϵ  fb for Dirac magnetic monopoles with the minimum unit magnetic charge and with mass between 200 GeV and 1500 GeV, where ϵ is the monopole reconstruction efficiency. The efficiency ϵ is high and uniform in the fiducial region given by pseudorapidity |η|<1.37 and transverse kinetic energy 600-700<E(kin)sinθ<1400  GeV. The minimum value of 700 GeV is for monopoles of mass 200 GeV, whereas the minimum value of 600 GeV is applicable for higher mass monopoles. Therefore, the upper limit on the production cross section at 95% confidence level is 2 fb in this fiducial region. Assuming the kinematic distributions from Drell-Yan pair production of spin-1/2 Dirac magnetic monopoles, the efficiency is in the range 1%-10%, leading to an upper limit on the cross section at 95% confidence level that varies from 145 fb to 16 fb for monopoles with mass between 200 GeV and 1200 GeV. This limit is weaker than the fiducial limit because most of these monopoles lie outside the fiducial region.

Effects of feeding corn naturally contaminated with aflatoxin B1 and B2 on hepatic functions of broilers

The purpose of this study was to evaluate the effects of feeding corn naturally contaminated with aflatoxin B(1) (AFB(1)) and aflatoxin B(2) (AFB(2)) on serum biochemical parameters, hepatic antioxidant enzyme activities, and pathological lesions of broilers. In total, 1,200 Cobb male broilers were randomly allocated into 5 treatments, with 8 replicates per treatment and 30 birds per replicate, in a 42-d experiment. The dietary treatments were as follows: control, 25, 50, 75, and 100% contaminated corn groups. Results showed that serum aspartate aminotransferase activity in the 75 and 100% contaminated groups were higher than that in the control group on d 21 (P < 0.05). Decreased content of hepatic total protein and increased activities of hepatic glutathione reductase and glutathione-S-transferase were observed as the percentage of contaminated corn increased (P < 0.05). The activity of superoxide dismutase and the content of hepatic malondialdehyde increased when the broilers were fed with more than 50% contaminated corn (P < 0.05). A reduction in glutathione peroxidase level was observed in the AFB(1)- and AFB(2)-contaminated groups on d 21 (P < 0.05). The average pathological lesion scores and apoptosis rate of liver cells increased as the concentration of dietary AFB(1) and AFB(2) increased. Ultrastructural changes were found in the livers of broilers fed 100% contaminated corn. In conclusion, diets containing AFB(1) and AFB(2) could induce pathological lesions in the livers, slightly change the serum biochemical parameters, and damage the hepatic antioxidant functions when the inclusion of AFB(1)- and AFB(2)-contaminated corn reached or exceeded 50%.

Abstract P2-04-07: Modeling orthotopic and metastatic progression of mammary tumors to evaluate the efficacy of TGF-β inhibitors in a pre-clinical setting

Preclinical models are elemental in understanding drug efficacy and safety in vivo. Many existing models of breast cancer metastasis use immune compromised animals and do not effectively characterize the differential stages of metastasis. Transforming growth factor-β (TGF-β) has been shown to be a major contributor in epithelial-mesenchymal transition and enhances various steps during metastasis.

The aim of this study is to develop mouse models of tumor metastasis using murine mammary cells in a syngeneic background. This will help illustrate the effect of TGF-β inhibitors on metastasis in an immune competent environment, and also allow determining the optimal time of drug administration. We demonstrate that TGF-β signaling has differential effects on a pair of murine mammary cell lines derived from PyMT tumors in C57Bl/6 mice. These cell lines represent luminal (Py 230) and basal (Py 8119) epithelial cell populations in the tumor. In vitro characterization revealed differences in viability, motility, and transcriptional and translational activation of Smad. Py 230 (clonal luminal) cells are growth inhibited and exhibit epithelial-mesenchymal transition on treatment with TGF-β, whereas Py 8119 (basal cells) are non-responsive to both effects. Furthermore, intra cardiac injections were performed using luciferase-GFP labeled PyMT cells in syngeneic background and animals were treated with either placebo or TβRI-KI (kinase inhibitor for TGF-β receptor I). Results from Py 8119 cell injections showed that TβRI-KI treatment enhanced bone and brain metastases. Further results will shed light on the effect of TβRI-KI during specific stages of metastasis progression.

Citation Information: Cancer Res 2012;72(24 Suppl):Abstract nr P2-04-07.