Search for CP Violation in Neutrino and Antineutrino Oscillations by the T2K Experiment with 2.2×10^{21} Protons on Target

The T2K experiment measures muon neutrino disappearance and electron neutrino appearance in accelerator-produced neutrino and antineutrino beams. With an exposure of 14.7(7.6)×10^{20} protons on target in the neutrino (antineutrino) mode, 89 ν_{e} candidates and seven anti-ν_{e} candidates are observed, while 67.5 and 9.0 are expected for δ_{CP}=0 and normal mass ordering. The obtained 2σ confidence interval for the CP-violating phase, δ_{CP}, does not include the CP-conserving cases (δ_{CP}=0, π). The best-fit values of other parameters are sin^{2}θ_{23}=0.526_{-0.036}^{+0.032} and Δm_{32}^{2}=2.463_{-0.070}^{+0.071}×10^{-3}  eV^{2}/c^{4}.

Dulaglutide decreases plasma aminotransferases in people with Type 2 diabetes in a pattern consistent with liver fat reduction: a post hoc analysis of the AWARD programme

AIMS

To evaluate the effects of dulaglutide vs placebo on liver and glycaemic/metabolic measurements in a population with Type 2 diabetes and in a subgroup with non-alcoholic fatty liver/non-alcoholic steatohepatitis.

METHODS

A total of 1499 participants from AWARD-1, AWARD-5, AWARD-8 and AWARD-9 clinical trials were included in this analysis (dulaglutide 1.5 mg, n=971 and placebo, n=528). Thresholds of alanine aminotransferase levels ≥30 IU/l in men and ≥19 IU/l in women were used to determine the subgroup who had non-alcoholic fatty liver/non-alcoholic steatohepatitis. Objectives included changes from baseline to 6 months in: (1) alanine aminotransferase, aspartate transaminase and gamma-glutamyl transpeptidase levels in the overall population and (2) alanine aminotransferase, aspartate transaminase, gamma-glutamyl transpeptidase and glycaemic/metabolic measurements (e.g. HbA_1c , fasting serum glucose, body weight, lipids and homeostatic model assessment) in the non-alcoholic fatty liver/non-alcoholic steatohepatitis subgroup.

RESULTS

In the overall population at 6 months, dulaglutide significantly reduced alanine aminotransferase, aspartate transaminase and gamma-glutamyl transpeptidase levels vs placebo [least squares mean treatment differences: -1.7 IU/l (95% CI -2.8, -0.6), P=0.003; -1.1 IU/l (95% CI -2.1, -0.1), P=0.037; -6.6 IU/l (95% CI -12.4, -0.8), P=0.025, respectively]. In the subgroup with non-alcoholic fatty liver/non-alcoholic steatohepatitis (alanine aminotransferase levels greater than or equal to the upper limit of normal), mean baseline liver enzyme values were 38.0 IU/l, 27.8 IU/l and 43.9 IU/l for alanine aminotransferase, aspartate transaminase and gamma-glutamyl transpeptidase, respectively. In this population, more pronounced reductions from baseline in alanine aminotransferase were observed with dulaglutide vs placebo (-8.8 IU/l vs -6.7 IU/l). In the subgroup of people with alanine aminotransferase levels less than the upper limit of normal, changes from baseline in alanine aminotransferase did not significantly differ between treatment groups (0.0 IU/l vs 0.7 IU/l).

CONCLUSIONS

Once-weekly dulaglutide improved alanine aminotransferase, aspartate transaminase and gamma-glutamyl transpeptidase levels compared with placebo in a pattern consistent with liver fat reductions. Our results add further weight to the notion that glucagon-like peptide-1 receptor agonists may provide benefit in lowering liver fat in addition to their other metabolic actions.

[Estimation on the health life expectancy of adults in Zhejiang province, 2016]

Objective: To estimate the health-adjusted life expectancy (HALE) of adults in Zhejiang province and evaluate the health status of the adults. Methods: This study was based on the mortality data collected from Zhejiang Chronic Disease Surveillance Information and Management System, and mortality rates from the underreporting survey and self-reported health data in 2016. Hierarchical Ordered Probit (HOPIT) model was used to estimate the severity-weighted prevalence of disability. Sullivan's method was used to calculate the HALE. Results: After adjustment by HOPIT model, the severity-weighted prevalence of disability increased significantly with age (χ(2)=5 795.81,P<0.001), and it was higher in females than in males (χ(2)=5 353.27, P<0.001). The life expectancy and self-evaluated HALE were 59.08 years and 48.68 years, respectively, in those aged ≥20 years, the difference was 10.40 years due to disability. The proportion of HALE loss due to disability in the total life expectancy was 17.61%, and it increased with age. HALE was higher in males than in females (49.21 years vs. 48.14 years), and in urban residents than in rural residents (49.92 years vs. 47.43 years). Conclusion: The proportion of loss of HALE in the total life expectancy in adults was high in Zhejiang, and it higher in males than in females, in urban residents than rural residents. Programs on improving health care in women and rural residents should be promoted.

Sphingosine-1-phosphate selectively activates vagal afferent C-fiber subtype in guinea pig esophagus

BACKGROUND

Activation and sensitization of visceral afferent nerves by inflammatory mediators play important roles in visceral nociception. Sphingosine-1-phosphate (S1P) is a lipid with intracellular and extracellular functions. Extracellularly, it can act as an autacoid via interactions with S1P receptors. The present study aims to determine the effect of S1P on esophageal vagal afferent nerve functions.

METHODS

Extracellular single-unit recordings were performed in ex vivo guinea pig esophageal-vagal preparations. The action potentials (APs) evoked by mechanical distension and chemical perfusions applied to the vagal afferent nerve endings in the esophagus were recorded at their intact neuronal cell bodies in either nodose or jugular ganglia. The effects of S1P and its receptor subtype agonists on vagal afferents were recorded and compared. The expression of S1P receptors (S1PR1-3) in esophageal-labeled vagal nodose and jugular neurons was studied by single-cell RT-PCR.

KEY RESULTS

Sphingosine-1-phosphate evoked AP discharges in almost all esophageal jugular but not nodose C-fibers without changing their responses to esophageal distension. Esophageal-labeled vagal nodose and jugular neurons highly expressed transcripts of S1PR1 and S1PR3. Agonists of S1PR1 and S1PR3 each partially mimicked S1P-induced effect in jugular C-fibers, suggesting that these receptors may contribute partially to S1P-induced activation effect on esophageal jugular C-fiber subtype.

CONCLUSIONS & INFERENCES

These data, for the first time, demonstrated a selective activation effect of S1P on vagal afferent nerve subtype in the gastrointestinal tract. This may help to better understand its role in visceral inflammatory nociception.

A Type 1 Diabetes Genetic Risk Score Predicts Progression of Islet Autoimmunity and Development of Type 1 Diabetes in Individuals at Risk

OBJECTIVE

We tested the ability of a type 1 diabetes (T1D) genetic risk score (GRS) to predict progression of islet autoimmunity and T1D in at-risk individuals.

RESEARCH DESIGN AND METHODS

We studied the 1,244 TrialNet Pathway to Prevention study participants (T1D patients' relatives without diabetes and with one or more positive autoantibodies) who were genotyped with Illumina ImmunoChip (median [range] age at initial autoantibody determination 11.1 years [1.2-51.8], 48% male, 80.5% non-Hispanic white, median follow-up 5.4 years). Of 291 participants with a single positive autoantibody at screening, 157 converted to multiple autoantibody positivity and 55 developed diabetes. Of 953 participants with multiple positive autoantibodies at screening, 419 developed diabetes. We calculated the T1D GRS from 30 T1D-associated single nucleotide polymorphisms. We used multivariable Cox regression models, time-dependent receiver operating characteristic curves, and area under the curve (AUC) measures to evaluate prognostic utility of T1D GRS, age, sex, Diabetes Prevention Trial-Type 1 (DPT-1) Risk Score, positive autoantibody number or type, HLA DR3/DR4-DQ8 status, and race/ethnicity. We used recursive partitioning analyses to identify cut points in continuous variables.

RESULTS

Higher T1D GRS significantly increased the rate of progression to T1D adjusting for DPT-1 Risk Score, age, number of positive autoantibodies, sex, and ethnicity (hazard ratio [HR] 1.29 for a 0.05 increase, 95% CI 1.06-1.6; P = 0.011). Progression to T1D was best predicted by a combined model with GRS, number of positive autoantibodies, DPT-1 Risk Score, and age (7-year time-integrated AUC = 0.79, 5-year AUC = 0.73). Higher GRS was significantly associated with increased progression rate from single to multiple positive autoantibodies after adjusting for age, autoantibody type, ethnicity, and sex (HR 2.27 for GRS >0.295, 95% CI 1.47-3.51; P = 0.0002).

CONCLUSIONS

The T1D GRS independently predicts progression to T1D and improves prediction along T1D stages in autoantibody-positive relatives.

[Treatment of subcutaneous fistula secondary to cerebrospinal fluid leakage in thoracic spinal stenosis cases]

OBJECTIVE

To investigate the treatment strategy for subcutaneous fistula secondary to cerebrospinal fluid leakage (CSFL) in thoracic spinal stenosis (TSS) cases.

METHODS

In the study, 186 CSFL cases diagnosed with TSS and operated in general spine group of Department of Orthopedics, Peking University Third Hospital from January 2005 to December 2014 were retrospectively reviewed, of which eleven had subcutaneous fistula secondary to CSFL and were regularly followed up. Treatment strategy for subcutaneous fistula depended on the severity of CSFL and the recovery rate of thoracic myelopathy. Japanese Orthopedic Association (JOA) score was utilized to evaluate the neurologic status of these patients preoperatively and postoperatively. Statistical analysis was conducted between preoperative and postoperative JOA scores.

RESULTS

All of the 11 patients were regularly followed up for at least 24 months. Six of them had ossification of the posterior longitudinal ligament (OPLL) combined with ossification of ligamentum flavum (OLF), all of them undertook "cave-in" 360° circumferential decompression of the spinal cord with instrumentation. Five cases had OLF only, and received En bloc resection of lamina and OLF and fixation. The follow-up period ranged from 30 months to 131 months, and averaged at (85±34) months. Preoperative symptoms lasted from 3 months to 8 years, and the median was 18 months. Drainages were placed for 2-6 days, and averaged at (4.2±1.1) days. Ten cases appeared with fever during the perioperative period, the maximum body temperature was (37.3-39.7) °C. Prolonged antibiotics were applied in two cases with high fever. Ten cases were treated with conservative methods, CSFL were completely absorbed during the follow-up time, of which compressive dressing was utilized in 8 cases, and punctures combined with compressive dressing were used in 2 cases. For only 1 case, conservative therapy failed and reoperation was required because of neurological deterioration arising from CSF pseudocyst. For these 11 cases, preoperative JOA score arose from (3.8±1.6) preoperatively to (8.9±1.2) at the end of the final follow-up, the recovery rate was 70.8%. No infection of wound or central nerve system were noticed, and neither were unhealing wound.

CONCLUSION

Most TSS cases with subcutaneous fistula secondary to CSFL could be cured by conservative methods, and reoperation is required only if myelopathy caused by cerebrospinal fluid pseudocyst is identified.

Microwave ablation combined with doxorubicin enhances cell death via promoting reactive oxygen species generation in breast cancer cells

PURPOSE

To evaluate the mechanism for enhancing cell death induced by microwave ablation (MWA) combined with doxorubicin treatment in breast cancer cells.

MATERIALS AND METHODS

Different temperatures of heat treatment were used to mimic the tumor affected by sublethal heat during MWA in vitro. Breast cancer cells were treated at 43°C and 45°C, with or without doxorubicin. Cell viability, apoptosis, and intracellular reactive oxygen species (ROS) were evaluated in MDA-MB-231 and SUM-1315 cells. Nude mice breast cancer models were randomly divided into control, MWA, doxorubicin, and combined treatment groups. Tumor apoptosis and DNA damage were evaluated in these groups.

RESULTS

The combined group had lower cell viability than the heat or doxorubicin group (all P<0.05), and enhanced apoptosis rate was observed in the combined group compared to others (all P<0.01) in MDA-MB-231 and SUM-1315. Increased capase3 (all P<0.01) and decreased Bcl-Xl (all P<0.01) were detected after combined therapy compared to single treated group in vitro. The raisedCaspase3 and DNA damage marker histone H2A.X induced by combined treatment were also approved in the nude mice models. Combined treatment promoted ROS generation compared to doxorubicin or MWA treatment (all P < 0.01). NF-κB expression in the combined group was higher than that of the single treatment group (all P<0.05). N-acetylcysteine (NAC), a ROS scavenger, partly restrained the combined treatment induced cell proliferation inhibition, Caspase3 and NF-κB compared to doxorubicin treatment (all P<0.05).

CONCLUSION

MWA combined with doxorubicin promote cell death via ROS induced cell apoptosis and DNA damage. Increasing ROS has potential for improving the efficiency of combined treatment.

[Incidence of fall related injury in people aged 50 and above and risk factors in 8 provinces in China: a cross-sectional study]

Objective: To estimate the incidence and distribution characteristics of fall related injury in people aged ≥50 years in 8 provinces in China and related physiological, psychological and social risk factors. Methods: Cross-sectional data were collected from adults aged ≥50 years participating in the World Health Organization (WHO) study on global ageing and adult health (SAGE) round 1 in China. Two-level hierarchical logistic model was used to identify the related factors for fall-related injury. All the models were stratified by living area (urban/rural). Results: Estimated incidence of fall related injury (road traffic injury was not included) was 3.2%. Ageing and multiple chronic conditions (OR=2.55, 95%CI: 1.41-4.64) was significantly associated with the incidence of fall related injury in urban area. In rural area, depression (OR=4.33, 95% CI: 2.52-7.42) and multiple chronic conditions (OR=2.46, 95%CI: 1.37-4.41) were associated with the incidence of fall related injury. Conclusions: This study estimated the incidence of fall related injury in adults aged ≥50 years in 8 provinces in China. A significant association between multiple chronic conditions and fall related injury were found in both urban and rural residents. Targeted measures should be taken for the prevention and control of chronic diseases in elderly population.

A paternal methyl donor-rich diet altered cognitive and neural functions in offspring mice

Dietary intake of methyl donors, such as folic acid and methionine, shows considerable intra-individual variation in human populations. While it is recognized that maternal departures from the optimum of dietary methyl donor intake can increase the risk for mental health issues and neurological disorders in offspring, it has not been explored whether paternal dietary methyl donor intake influences behavioral and cognitive functions in the next generation. Here, we report that elevated paternal dietary methyl donor intake in a mouse model, transiently applied prior to mating, resulted in offspring animals (methyl donor-rich diet (MD) F1 mice) with deficits in hippocampus-dependent learning and memory, impaired hippocampal synaptic plasticity and reduced hippocampal theta oscillations. Gene expression analyses revealed altered expression of the methionine adenosyltransferase Mat2a and BK channel subunit Kcnmb2, which was associated with changes in Kcnmb2 promoter methylation in MD F1 mice. Hippocampal overexpression of Kcnmb2 in MD F1 mice ameliorated altered spatial learning and memory, supporting a role of this BK channel subunit in the MD F1 behavioral phenotype. Behavioral and gene expression changes did not extend into the F2 offspring generation. Together, our data indicate that paternal dietary factors influence cognitive and neural functions in the offspring generation.

Systematic review and meta-analysis of the genetic association between protamine polymorphism and male infertility

While several previous studies have proposed an association between male infertility and protamine polymorphism, the reported findings have shown some inconsistency. To evaluate the potential association between the two most common single nucleotide polymorphisms (rs2301365 and rs1646022) in protamine and male infertility, we performed a meta-analysis involving 2713 cases and 2086 controls from 15 published case-controlled studies. Overall, our analysis showed significant associations between the specific protamine single-nucleotide polymorphism (rs2301365) and male infertility, and this association was indicated by all of the models we tested. Subgroup analysis revealed significant associations with a Caucasian background, PCR sequence, population-based, case size of > 150 and case size of < 150 subgroups. Similarly, significant associations were found between rs1646022 and male infertility in the hospital population and case size of < 200 subgroups. However, trial sequential analysis showed that the number of patients in the study did not reach optimal information size. Further studies with larger sample sizes are now warranted to clarify the potential roles of the two protamine polymorphisms in the pathogenesis of male infertility. This may help us to understand the precise molecular mechanisms underlying the effect of protamines upon male infertility.

Theoretical prediction of sandwiched two-dimensional phosphide binary compound sheets with tunable bandgaps and anisotropic physical properties

Atomic layers of GaP and InP binary compounds with unique anisotropic structural, electronic and mechanical properties have been predicted from first-principle molecular dynamics simulations. These new members of the phosphide binary compound family stabilize to a sandwiched two-dimensional (2D) crystalline structure with orthorhombic lattice symmetry and high buckling of 2.14 Å-2.46 Å. Their vibration modes are similar to those of phosphorene with six Raman active modes ranging from ∼80 cm-1 to 400 cm-1. The speeds of sound in their phonon dispersions reflect anisotropy in their elastic constants, which was further confirmed by their strong directional dependence of Young's moduli and effective nonlinear elastic moduli. They show wide bandgap semiconductor behavior with fundamental bandgaps of 2.89 eV for GaP and 2.59 eV for InP, respectively, even wider than their bulk counterparts. Such bandgaps were found to be tunable under strain. In particular, a direct-indirect bandgap transition was found under certain strains along zigzag or biaxial orientations, reflecting their promising applications in strain-induced bandgap engineering in nanoelectronics and photovoltaics. Feasible pathways to realize these novel 2D phosphide compounds are also proposed.

Enhanced antitumor efficacy through microwave ablation in combination with immune checkpoints blockade in breast cancer: A pre-clinical study in a murine model

PURPOSE

The purpose of this study was to investigate the therapeutic efficacy of the combination of microwave ablation (MWA) in combination with immune checkpoints blockade in the treatment of breast cancer using the 4T1 tumor-bearing mice model.

MATERIALS AND METHODS

We treated tumor-bearing mice with MWA, programmed cell death protein1 (PD-1) and cytotoxic T-lymphocyte-associated protein 4 (CTLA-4) blockade (P+C), MWA plus PD-1 and CTLA-4 blockade (combination therapy), or no-treatment. Survival time was evaluated with the Kaplan-Meyer method comparing survival curves by log-rank test. On day 15 after MWA, five mice from the combination therapy group received tumor rechallenge with 4T1 or CT26 cells and the volumes of rechallenge tumor were calculated every 5 days. Immune cells were identified by immunohistochemistry and flow cytometry, and the concentrations of plasma interferon-γ (IFN-γ) were identified by enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay (ELISA).

RESULTS

The combination therapy significantly prolonged tumor-bearing mice survival compared to no-treatment group, P+C group or MWA group (P<0.001, P<0.001 and P=0.01, respectively) and protected most surviving mice from 4T1 tumor rechallenge (P=0.002) but not CT26 tumor rechallenge (P=0.905). Both local and systemic CD8+ T-cell responses were induced by MWA (all P<0.05) and further augmented by subsequent administration of PD-1 and CTLA-4 blockade (all P<0.05). Plasma IFN-γ concentrations were significantly elevated in the combination therapy group compared to no-treatment group, P+C group or MWA group (P<0.001, P<0.001 and P=0.01, respectively).

CONCLUSION

MWA combined with immune checkpoints blockade could synergistically enhance antitumor efficacy with augmented specific immune responses, and the combination therapy is a promising approach to treat breast cancer.

Impact of a Brief Group Intervention to Enhance Parenting and the Home Learning Environment for Children Aged 6-36 Months: a Cluster Randomised Controlled Trial

This study evaluated the effectiveness of a group parenting intervention designed to strengthen the home learning environment of children from disadvantaged families. Two cluster randomised controlled superiority trials were conducted in parallel and delivered within existing services: a 6-week parenting group (51 locations randomised; 986 parents) for parents of infants (aged 6–12 months), and a 10-week facilitated playgroup (58 locations randomised; 1200 parents) for parents of toddlers (aged 12–36 months). Each trial had three conditions: intervention (smalltalk group-only); enhanced intervention with home coaching (smalltalk plus); and ‘standard’/usual practice controls. Parent-report and observational measures were collected at baseline, 12 and 32 weeks follow-up. Primary outcomes were parent verbal responsivity and home learning activities at 32 weeks. In the infant trial, there were no differences by trial arm for the primary outcomes at 32 weeks. In the toddler trial at 32-weeks, participants in the smalltalk group-only trial showed improvement compared to the standard program for parent verbal responsivity (effect size (ES) = 0.16; 95% CI 0.01, 0.36) and home learning activities (ES = 0.17; 95% CI 0.01, 0.38) but smalltalk plus did not. For the secondary outcomes in the infant trial, several initial differences favouring smalltalk plus were evident at 12 weeks, but not maintained to 32 weeks. For the toddler trial, differences in secondary outcomes favouring smalltalk plus were evident at 12 weeks and maintained to 32 weeks. These trials provide some evidence of the benefits of a parenting intervention focused on the home learning environment for parents of toddlers but not infants. Trial Registration: 8 September 2011; ACTRN12611000965909.

[Progress in research of thyroid carcinoma related gene mutation and epigenetics]

Thyroid cancer is one of the most common endocrine malignant tumors, and its molecular pathogenesis is also a process of multiple genes involved in many steps of carcinogenesis. With the development of molecular biology technology, a variety of related gene mutations and epigenetic phenomena have been found in thyroid cancer tissues. It is helpful to understand the latest progress in the research of the gene mutation and epigenetics of thyroid cancer for its early diagnosis, prevention and the development of targeted drugs.

Natural occurrence of deoxynivalenol and deoxynivalenol-3-glucoside in various wheat cultivars grown in Jiangsu province, China

Deoxynivalenol (DON) is a major mycotoxin found in wheat infected with Fusarium fungi. DON can be converted by plant detoxification into a form of ‘masked mycotoxin’ termed deoxynivalenol-3-glucoside (DON-3G). To recommend appropriate wheat cultivars for planting in order to reduce DON contamination in Jiangsu province, where a traditional Fusarium head blight (FHB) epidemic area is located in the lower reaches of Yangtze-Huaihe, we evaluated the capacity of various wheat cultivars to transform DON into DON-3G under field conditions. We collected and evaluated samples from 11 major wheat cultivars grown in 63 experimental stations in Jiangsu province in 2015 and 2016. All samples were contaminated with DON, with an average concentration of 2,087±112 and 2,601±126 µg/kg in 2015 and 2016, respectively. DON-3G was detected in 425 (96%) and 405 (97%) samples in 2015 and 2016, with an average concentration of 545±28 and 819±44 µg/kg, respectively. The DON-3G/DON ratio ranged from 5 to 84% (average, 30%) in 2015 and from 0 to 71% (average, 31%) in 2016. DON levels were highly correlated with DON-3G concentrations (P<0.01), and the FHB resistance of the wheat cultivars was proportional to their capacity to convert DON to DON-3G. Importantly, region, cultivar, and region × cultivar interaction all significantly affected DON and DON-3G concentrations and DON-3G/DON ratios. In general, FHB-resistant cultivars, such as Sumai 188 and Ningmai 13, had lower levels of DON and DON-3G than the others. However, additional factors, including the growing region and environmental variables, were important for wheat management when other wheat cultivars were evaluated.

[Feasibility analysis of predicting the risk of pancreatic fistula after pancreatoduodenectomy by preoperative CT]

Objective: To study the preoperative computed tomography (CT) data of patients with pancreaticoduodenectomy (PD) and to explore the effective of predicting the risk of postoperative pancreatic fistula (POPF). Methods: CT images of patients with PD were analyzed retrospectively from June 2010 to January 2017 in Zhengzhou University of People's Hospital. The pancreas index, pancreatic duct width, pancreas CT value, pancreas-spleen CT value, and pancreas thickness were collected. The relationship between the indicators and the POPF was determined, and the receiver operation characteristic (ROC) curve was calculated and the area under the curve (AUC) was evaluated. The maximum predictive performance of the critical value was determined by using the different cut-off values to calculate the Youden index and other indicators. Results: A total of 154 patients with PD were involved in the study and 27 (17.5%) had POPF. Seven indicators were significantly associated with POPF. The pancreas index had the largest AUC (AUC: 0.865, P<0.001) and pancreatic duct width (AUC: 0.834, P<0.001) also had a higher predictive value. The pancreatic duct (P<0.001) was significantly associated with POPF. Pancreas thickness, pancreas and spleen CT ratio, abdominal wall fat thickness, pancreas CT value, pancreatic abdominal aorta CT ratio and POPF were also related. Using 0.15 as the cut-off value, the sensitivity, specificity, Jordan index, and accuracy of pancreatic index were 83%, 86%, 0.69, and 0.88 respectively, with the highest performance prediction. Abdominal circumference, spleen CT value and other six indicators had no correlation with POPF. Conclusion: Analysis of preoperative CT indicators of patients can predict the risk of POPF in patients after PD. The pancreas index has the greatest predictive efficacy, while pancreatic duct width, pancreatic spleen density ratio and other indicators also associated with POPF.

Directional information flow in patients with Alzheimer's disease. A source-space resting-state MEG study

In a recent magnetoencephalography (MEG) study, we found posterior-to-anterior information flow over the cortex in higher frequency bands in healthy subjects, with a reversed pattern in the theta band. A disruption of information flow may underlie clinical symptoms in Alzheimer's disease (AD). In AD, highly connected regions (hubs) in posterior areas are mostly disrupted. We therefore hypothesized that in AD the information flow from these hub regions would be disturbed. We used resting-state MEG recordings from 27 early-onset AD patients and 26 healthy controls. Using beamformer-based virtual electrodes, we estimated neuronal oscillatory activity for 78 cortical regions of interest (ROIs) and 12 subcortical ROIs of the AAL atlas, and calculated the directed phase transfer entropy (dPTE) as a measure of information flow between these ROIs. Group differences were evaluated using permutation tests and, for the AD group, associations between dPTE and general cognition or CSF biomarkers were determined using Spearman correlation coefficients. We confirmed the previously reported posterior-to-anterior information flow in the higher frequency bands in the healthy controls, and found it to be disturbed in the beta band in AD. Most prominently, the information flow from the precuneus and the visual cortex, towards frontal and subcortical structures, was decreased in AD. These disruptions did not correlate with cognitive impairment or CSF biomarkers. We conclude that AD pathology may affect the flow of information between brain regions, particularly from posterior hub regions, and that changes in the information flow in the beta band indicate an aspect of the pathophysiological process in AD.

Galunisertib (LY2157299), a transforming growth factor-β receptor I kinase inhibitor, attenuates acute pancreatitis in rats

Galunisertib (LY2157299), a selective ATP-mimetic inhibitor of TGF-β receptor I (TGF-βRI), is the only known TGF-β pathway inhibitor. In the present study, we investigated the effect of galunisertib on taurocholate (TAC)-induced acute pancreatitis (AP) in rats, and the role of TGF-β and NF-κB signaling pathways. AP was induced by infusion of TAC into the pancreatic duct of Sprague-Dawley male rats (n=30). The rats (220±50 g) were administered galunisertib intragastrically [75 mg·kg^-1·day^-1 for 2 days (0 and 24 h)]. Serum IL-1β, IL-6, TNF-α, amylase (AMY), lipase (LIP), and myeloperoxidase (MPO) levels were measured by ELISA. NF-κB activity was detected by electrophoretic mobility shift assay (EMSA); NF-κBp65 and TGF-β1 proteins, as well as TGF-βRI and p-Smad2/3 proteins, were detected by western blot assay. Cell apoptosis was detected by TUNEL assay. H&E staining was used to evaluate the histopathological alterations of the pancreas. Galunisertib treatment attenuated the severity of AP and decreased the pancreatic histological score. In addition, number of apoptotic cells were significantly increased in the galunisertib-treated group (16.38±2.26) than in the AP group (8.14±1.27) and sham-operated group (1.82±0.73; P<0.05 and P<0.01, respectively). Galunisertib decreased the expression levels of TGF-βRI and p-Smad2/3 and inhibited NF-κB activation and p65 translocation compared with the sham-operated group. Furthermore, serum IL-1β, IL-6, TNF-α, AMY and LIP levels and tissue MPO activity were significantly decreased in the galunisertib-treated group. Our data demonstrate that galunisertib attenuates the severity of TAC-induced experimental AP in rats by inducing apoptosis in the pancreas, inhibiting the activation of TGF-β signals and NF-κB as well as the secretion of pro-inflammatory cytokines.

Cancer-FOXP3 directly activated CCL5 to recruit FOXP3+Treg cells in pancreatic ductal adenocarcinoma

Forkheadbox protein 3 (FOXP3), initially identified as a key transcription factor for regulatory T cells (Treg cells), was also expressed in many tumors including pancreatic ductal adenocarcinoma (PDAC). However, its role in PDAC progression remains elusive. In this study, we utilized 120 PDAC tissues after radical resection to detect cancer-FOXP3 and Treg cells by immunohistochemistry and evaluated clinical and pathological features of these patients. Cancer-FOXP3 was positively correlated with Treg cells accumulation in tumor tissues derived from PDAC patients. In addition, high cancer-FOXP3 expression was associated with increased tumor volumes and poor prognosis in PDAC especially combined with high levels of Treg cells. Overexpression of cancer-FOXP3 promoted the tumor growth in immunocompetent syngeneic mice but not in immunocompromised or Treg cell-depleted mice. Furthermore, CCL5 was directly trans-activated by cancer-FOXP3 and promoted the recruitment of Treg cells from peripheral blood to the tumor site in vitro and in vivo. This finding has been further reinforced by the evidence that Treg cells recruitment by cancer-FOXP3 was impaired by neutralization of CCL5, thereby inhibiting the growth of PDAC. In conclusion, cancer-FOXP3 serves as a prognostic biomarker and a crucial determinant of immunosuppressive microenvironment via recruiting Treg cells by directly trans-activating CCL5. Therefore, cancer-FOXP3 could be used to select patients with better response to CCL5/CCR5 blockade immunotherapy.

Negative pressure wound therapy inhibits inflammation and upregulates activating transcription factor-3 and downregulates nuclear factor-κB in diabetic patients with foot ulcerations

BACKGROUND

Negative pressure wound therapy (NPWT) is one of the most important treatments for diabetic foot, but the underlying mechanisms of its benefits still remain elusive. This study aims to evaluate the inflammatory signals involved in the effects of negative pressure therapy on diabetic foot ulcers.

METHODS

We enrolled 22 patients with diabetic foot ulceration, 11 treated with NPWT and the other 11 treated with traditional debridement. All patients were treated and observed for 1 week. Granulation tissues were harvested and analyzed in both groups, and then were histologically and immunohistochemically analyzed. Enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay, Western blot analysis, and real-time PCR were performed to evaluate the expression of interleukin-6 (IL-6), tumor necrosis factor α (TNF-α), inducible nitric oxide synthase (iNOS), nuclear factor-κB (NF-κB) p65, I_k B-α, and activating transcription factor-3 (ATF-3).

RESULTS

After 7 days of treatment, NPWT could obviously promote diabetic wound healing because of the mild inflammation and the dense cell-deposited matrix. Meanwhile, NPWT significantly decreased the expression of TNF-α, IL-6, and iNOS (all P < .05). The result of Western blotting and real-time PCR indicated that NPWT obviously decreased the level of I_k B-α and NF-κB p65, and increased the level of ATF-3 (all P < .05).

CONCLUSION

NPWT exerts an anti-inflammatory effect, possibly through the suppression of proinflammatory enzymes and cytokines resulting from I_k B-α inhibition and ATF-3 activation, which may prevent the activation of the NF-κB pathway in human diabetic foot wounds.

Combined Analysis of Neutrino and Antineutrino Oscillations at T2K

T2K reports its first results in the search for CP violation in neutrino oscillations using appearance and disappearance channels for neutrino- and antineutrino-mode beams. The data include all runs from January 2010 to May 2016 and comprise 7.482×10^{20} protons on target in neutrino mode, which yielded in the far detector 32 e-like and 135  μ-like events, and 7.471×10^{20} protons on target in antineutrino mode, which yielded 4 e-like and 66  μ-like events. Reactor measurements of sin^{2}2θ_{13} have been used as an additional constraint. The one-dimensional confidence interval at 90% for the phase δ_{CP} spans the range (-3.13, -0.39) for normal mass ordering. The CP conservation hypothesis (δ_{CP}=0, π) is excluded at 90% C.L.

[Road-side observational survey on 4 unlawful acts among electric bicycle riders in Zhejiang]

OBJECTIVE

To investigate the prevalence of key unlawful acts among electric bicycle riders and provide evidence for the development of specific interventions.

METHODS

A 4-day road-side survey was conducted in Jinhua, Zhejiang province, in 2013. The speed of electric bicycle was measured by speed measuring instrument and the unlawful acts of riders, such as reverse riding, running the red-light and carrying passengers, were observed with non-participatory way.

RESULTS

A total of 3 448 running electric bicycles were observed and the average speed was 26 km/h, the proportion of electric bicycle at the speed of ≥15 km/h was 87.06%. The average speed was highest during 10 am-11 am(30 km/h). the number of observed electric bicycle riders with unlawful acts of ' running the red-light','reverse riding' and ' carrying passengers' were 1 315, 656 and 1 877 respectively, and the estimated rate was 10.01%, 4.99% and 15.22%, respectively. More ' running the red-light','reverse riding' and ' carrying passengers' occurred during 7 am-8 am(14.59%)and 13 pm-14 pm(15.25%), 13 pm-14 pm(7.33%)and 17 pm-18 pm(7.63%), 6 am-7 am(32.44%)and 12 pm-13 pm(27.90%), respectively.

CONCLUSION

Overspeeding, carrying passengers, running the red-light, reverse riding were the key unlawful acts among electric bicycle riders. Targeted intervention should be carried out to reduce the prevalence of unlawful riding acts and the incidence of electric bicycle related injuries and deaths.

[Morbidity and mortality of malignant tumor in Zhejiang province, 2014]

OBJECTIVE

To analyze the morbidity and mortality of malignant tumor in Zhejiang province in 2014.

METHODS

The data were collected from Zhejiang provincial chronic disease surveillance system in 2014. The crude rate, age-standardized rate, cumulative rate(0-74 years old), cut rate(35-64 years old), age-specific and area-specific morbidity/mortality as well as the constitution of top 10 leading cancers were then calculated and analyzed. The age-standardized rate was calculated according to the standard population in China in 1982 and the Segi' s world standard population.

RESULTS

The crude morbidity was 348.80/100 000(370.74/100 000 in males and 326.51/100 000 in females). The age-standardized morbidity according to the standard population in China and according to world standard population were 168.84/100 000 and 217.23/100 000 respectively, the cumulative morbidity was 24.66% and the cut morbidity was 376.40/100 000. Age-specific morbidity in age group 0-34 years remained low; however, the morbidity increased obviously in age group ≥35 years, increased more rapidly in age group ≥50 years and finally reached the peak in age group 80-84 years(1 618.20/100 000). The morbidity of malignant tumor, age-standardized morbidity(China standard)and age-standardized morbidity(world standard)were 381.81/100 000, 185.15/100 000 and 236.27/100 000 respectively in urban area, and 330.23/100 000 , 159.47/100 000 and 206.29/100 000, respectively in rural area. The crude mortality was 189.08/100 000(248.57/100 000 in males, 128.72/100 000 in females), and the age-standardized mortality according to China population and world population were 97.56/100 000 and 135.54/100 000 respectively. The cumulative mortality was 15.08%, and the cut mortality was 162.75/100 000. Age-specific mortality increased in age group 45-49 years(92.29/1000 000)and reached the peak in age group ≥85 years(2 263.70/100 000). The mortality was higher in rural area(190.60/100 000)than in urban area(186.38/100 000). The leading cancers were lung cancer, colorectum cancer, thyroid cancer, stomach cancer and liver cancer, accounting for 58.64% of the total. Lung cancer, liver cancer, stomach cancer, colorectum cancer and esophagus cancer were the major cancers causing deaths, accounting for 70.72% of all the total.

CONCLUSION

The leading cancers were lung cancer, colorectum cancer, thyroid cancer, stomach cancer and liver cancer in Zhejiang in 2014, close attention should be paid to thyroid cancer in women. The disease burden of malignant tumor is increasing,it is necessary for health department to take effective measures to reduce the disease burden caused by malignant tumor.

Low levels of plasma galanin in obese subjects with hypertension

BACKGROUND

Obesity is strongly linked to increased blood pressure, which increases the risk of cardiovascular diseases. To our knowledge, little literature reported the information about galanin levels in obese individuals with hypertension. Therefore, the aim of this study was to investigate the possible involvement of galanin in the pathogenesis of obese subjects with hypertension.

METHODS

We measured body mass index and blood pressure of 38 obese patients with hypertension, 44 obese controls with normal blood pressure and 44 lean controls with normal blood pressure. Blood samples from all cases were collected at 8:00 a.m. after an overnight fast to determine the fasting plasma concentration of galanin, glucose, insulin, triglyceride, total cholesterol, high- and low-density lipoprotein cholesterol.

RESULTS

We found that plasma galanin levels were significantly decreased in obese patients with hypertension compared with the obese control group, whereas the galanin levels were significantly increased in obese controls compared with lean controls. Furthermore, in both obese groups the galanin levels were negatively correlative to diastolic blood pressure and positively correlative to insulin and triglyceride levels, but not to heart rate.

CONCLUSIONS

Low galanin levels were one of characters of obese patients with high blood pressure, and this levels may be taken as a novel biomarker to predict the development of high blood pressure in obese patients.

Formation mechanism of multilayer TiO2 nanotubes in HBF4 electrolyte

Multilayer anodic TiO₂ nanotubes with A-shaped sidewalls are first fabricated in HBF₄-containing electrolyte by a one-step galvanostatic anodization.

[Influence of data quality on early warning sensitivity of syndromic surveillance system based on medical institutions]

Objective: To evaluate the influence of data quality on the sensitivity of early warning syndromic surveillance system based on medical institutions in Qianjiang, Hubei province and explore the relationship between data quality and sensitivity of early warning of the system. Methods: The delay reporting rate and underreporting rate were calculated for the evaluation of the data quality. Data obtained from semi-synthetic simulated outbreak and area under the curve (AUC) were used in combination to test the sensitivity of early warning of various models and select the optimal model. Time-series generalized additive model (GAM) was used to analyze the curve fitting and threshold effect between data quality and early warning sensitivity of the system. Results: A total of 179 905 cases were reported from April 1, 2012 to January 31, 2014, in which 8 744 were not reported timely (16.45%). Averagely 416 reporting were delayed in each month. There were 2 566 cases which were underreported (4.83%). Compared with other early warning models, i.e. Cumulative Sum (CUSUM), Shewhart, Exponentially Weighted Moving Average (EWMA), Early Aberration Reporting System (EARS-3C), the MA model had the maximum area under the curve (AUC=0.93), and the difference was significant (P<0.001). The early warning sensitivity ranged from 84.89% to 97.25% during the operation period of the syndromic surveillance system. Underreporting had influence on early warning sensitivity, when underreporting rate was over 2.78%, the sensitivity would decrease obviously. No obvious associations were observed between the delay reporting rate and early warning sensitivity of the system. Conclusion: The data quality had influence on the early warning sensitivity of the syndromic surveillance system based on medical institution in Qianjiang. In the context of this study, underreporting had the main influence on the sensitivity of early warning.

Measurement of Coherent π^{+} Production in Low Energy Neutrino-Carbon Scattering

We report the first measurement of the flux-averaged cross section for charged current coherent π^{+} production on carbon for neutrino energies less than 1.5 GeV, and with a restriction on the final state phase space volume in the T2K near detector, ND280. Comparisons are made with predictions from the Rein-Sehgal coherent production model and the model by Alvarez-Ruso et al., the latter representing the first implementation of an instance of the new class of microscopic coherent models in a neutrino interaction Monte Carlo event generator. We observe a clear event excess above background, disagreeing with the null results reported by K2K and SciBooNE in a similar neutrino energy region. The measured flux-averaged cross sections are below those predicted by both the Rein-Sehgal and Alvarez-Ruso et al.