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Purpose: Smoking is a modifiable lifestyle factor that has not been established as a prostate cancer risk factor, nor emphasized in prostate cancer prevention. Studies have shown that African American (AA) smokers have a poorer cancer prognosis than European Americans (EAs), while having a lower prevalence of heavy smoking. We examined the relationship between cigarette smoking and prostate cancer aggressiveness and assessed racial differences in smoking habits on the probability of high-aggressive prostate cancer. Methods: Using data from the North Carolina-Louisiana Prostate Cancer Project (n = 1,279), prostate cancer aggressiveness was defined as high or low based on Gleason scores, serum prostate-specific antigen levels, and tumor stage. Cigarette smoking was categorized as current, former, or never smokers. Multivariable logistic regression was used to estimate adjusted odds ratios (OR) and 95% confidence intervals (CI). Results: Self-reported current (OR = 1.99; 95% CI 1.30–3.06) smoking was associated with high-aggressive prostate cancer relative to never smokers. When stratified by self-reported race, the odds of having high-aggressive cancer increased among AA current (OR = 3.58; 95% CI 2.04–6.28) and former smokers (OR = 2.21; 95% CI 1.38–3.53) compared to AA never smokers, but the odds were diminished among the EA stratum (Pself-reported race x smoking status = 0.003). Conclusion: Cigarette smoking is associated with prostate cancer aggressiveness, a relationship modulated by self-reported race. Future research is needed to investigate types of cigarettes smoked and metabolic differences that may be contributing to the racial disparities observed. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The Chinese Loess Plateau (CLP) plays a vital role as an ecological barrier in maintaining the hydrological and climatic conditions of the Yellow River Basin, preventing desertification, and preserving biodiversity. Conducting a systematic analysis and assessment of the saturated hydrological conductivity (Ksat) on the Loess Plateau is crucial for modeling and simulating processes like surface runoff and solute migration. However, due to the uncertainty in detecting the saturated hydraulic conductivity, there are very few regional spatial analyses of the saturated hydraulic conductivity of the CLP. The research results show that the Campbell model is more suitable for the CLP than others. Spatially, Ksat gradually decreases from northwest to southeast. The Ksat in the surface layer (0 cm) was significantly larger than that at the lower soil depths, and the Ksat variability of each soil layer was moderate. Moran;s I decreased as the lag distance increased; this indicated a positive spatial correlation between Ksat and the correlation gradually decreasing with distance. The scattered points are mainly located in the first quadrant, so the local spatial auto-correlation characteristics of the Ksat in this area are clustered with high values. The Ksat for different land cover on the CLP increases in the order grassland > forest land > agricultural land and increases with elevation. This study improves our understanding of land resources and ecological environment management in the CLP. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

We prove the existence of a triple , where is a class of finite groups consisting of groups of odd order which is complete (i.e., closed under subgroups, homomorphic images, and extensions), is a finite simple group, is an -maximal subgroup in , and is not pronormal in . [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Nonlinear interactions of spin-waves and their quanta, magnons, have emerged as prominent candidates for interference-based technology, ranging from quantum transduction to antiferromagnetic spintronics. Yet magnon multiplication in the terahertz (THz) spectral region represents a major challenge. Intense, resonant magnetic fields from THz pulse-pairs with controllable phases and amplitudes enable high order THz magnon multiplication, distinct from non-resonant nonlinearities such as the high harmonic generation by below-band gap electric fields. Here, we demonstrate exceptionally high-order THz nonlinear magnonics. It manifests as 7th-order spin-wave-mixing and 6th harmonic magnon generation in an antiferromagnetic orthoferrite. We use THz two-dimensional coherent spectroscopy to achieve high-sensitivity detection of nonlinear magnon interactions up to six-magnon quanta in strongly-driven many-magnon correlated states. The high-order magnon multiplication, supported by classical and quantum spin simulations, elucidates the significance of four-fold magnetic anisotropy and Dzyaloshinskii-Moriya symmetry breaking. Moreover, our results shed light on the potential quantum fluctuation properties inherent in nonlinear magnons. The authors demonstrate high-order terahertz nonlinear magnonics using two-dimensional coherent spectroscopy, revealing the emergence of seventh-order spin-wave mixing and sixth harmonic magnon generation within an antiferromagnetic orthoferrite. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Objectives: Changes in the oral cavity can reflect other changes throughout the body. This study aimed to investigate the association of dental caries with muscle mass, muscle strength, and sarcopenia, and also to describe the microbial diversity, composition, and community structure of severe dental caries and sarcopenia. Design: Cross-sectional study based on a Chinese population aged from 50 to 85 years. Setting: Communities from Lanxi City, Zhejiang Province, China. Participants: A total of 1,442 participants aged from 50 to 85 years from a general community (62.8% women; median age 61.0 [interquartile range: 55.0, 68.0]). Measurements: Dental caries was assessed by the decayed, missing, and filled teeth (DMFT) index. Sarcopenia was defined as the presence of both low muscle mass (assessed by dual-energy X-ray absorptiometry scanning) and low muscle strength (assessed by handgrip strength). Multivariate logistic regression models were used to analyze the association of dental caries with muscle mass, muscle strength, and sarcopenia. Fecal samples underwent 16S rRNA profiling to evaluate the diversity and composition of the gut microbiota in patients with severe dental caries and/or sarcopenia. Results: In the fully adjusted logistic models, dental caries was positively associated with low muscle strength (DMFT ≥ 7: OR, 1.61; 95% CI, 1.25–2.06), and sarcopenia (DMFT ≥ 7: OR, 1.51; 95% CI, 1.01–2.26), but not low muscle mass. Severe dental caries was positively associated with higher alpha-diversity indices (richness, chao1, and ACE, all p < 0.05) and associated with beta-diversity based on Bray-Curtis distance (p = 0.006). The severe dental caries group and the sarcopenia group overlapped with 11 depleted and 13 enriched genera. Conclusion: Dental caries was positively associated with low muscle strength and sarcopenia but not muscle mass, and this association was more pronounced in male individuals. Significant differences were observed in gut microbiota composition both in severe dental caries and sarcopenia, and there was an overlap of the genera features. Future longitudinal studies are needed to clarify causal relationships. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In order to design a cancer prevention promotion program in the region, suggestions were solicited at a medical center. We hypothesized that a majority would be native to state, and would be able to articulate about the barriers that may exist. Through online survey and focus groups, suggestions were sought, and the knowledge and the compliance with cancer prevention recommendations were assessed to determine the participants' qualifications as potential educators. Sixty-five point two percent of participants (n = 1018) graduated from high school in Arkansas. The most commonly given suggestions were to provide education to increase awareness, to use social media for promotion, to improve access, and to reduce costs. Self-reported adherence rates to breast, cervical, and colorectal cancer screening were 82.6% (n = 954), 75.8% (n = 541), and 76.7% (n = 453), respectively. Having a personal history of cancer significantly increased colorectal cancer screening uptake (p = 0.04), but paradoxically decreased mammography uptake (p = 0.007). Salary of $40,000 and more and having a Bachelor's degree or higher were associated with higher compliance of Papanicolaou test only (p = 0.007 and p = 0.001, respectively). A majority (67.7%, n = 1056) of respondents expressed willingness to contribute to promoting cancer prevention measures, and 38.3% (n = 559) were willing to participate in focus groups. However, only 6.3% (n = 35) actually participated. The participants' knowledge and compliance appeared to be sufficient, but their follow through in focus group participation was poor. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Educational print materials for young women breast cancer survivors (YBCS) are supplemental tools used in patient teaching. However, the readability of the text coupled with how well YBCS understand or act upon the material are rarely explored. The purpose of this study was to assess the readability, understandability, and actionability of commonly distributed breast cancer survivorship print materials. We used an environmental scan approach to obtain a sample of breast cancer survivorship print materials available in outpatient oncology clinics in the central region of a largely rural Southern state. The readability analyses were completed using the Flesch-Kincaid (F-K), Fry Graph Readability Formula (Fry), and Simple Measure of Gobbledygook (SMOG). Understandability and actionability were analyzed using Patient Education Materials Assessment Tool for Printable Materials (PEMAT-P). The environmental scan resulted in a final sample of 14 materials. The mean readability of the majority of survivorship materials was "difficult," but the majority scored above the recommended 70% in both understandability and actionability. The importance of understandability and actionability may outweigh readability results in cancer education survivorship material. While reading grade level cannot be dismissed all together, we surmise that patient behavior may hinge more on other factors such as understandability and actionability. Personalized teaching accompanying print material may help YBCS comprehend key messages and promote acting upon specific tasks. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Purpose: To examine associations between recreational and occupational physical activity and prostate cancer aggressiveness in a population-based, case-only, incident prostate cancer study. Methods: Data were analyzed from the cross-sectional North Carolina-Louisiana Prostate Cancer Project of African-American (n = 1,023) and European-American (n = 1,079) men newly diagnosed with prostate cancer (CaP). High-aggressive CaP was defined as Gleason sum ≥ 8, or prostate-specific antigen > 20 ng/ml, or Gleason sum ≥ 7 and clinical stage T3–T4. Metabolic equivalent tasks (MET) were estimated from self-reported recreational physical activity in the year prior to diagnosis assessed retrospectively via a validated questionnaire and from occupational physical activity based on job titles. Associations between physical activity variables and high-aggressive prostate cancer were estimated using logistic regression to calculate odds ratios (ORs) and 95% confidence intervals (CIs), adjusting for multiple confounders. Results: There was suggestive evidence that walking for 75–150 min/week for exercise is associated with lower odds of high-aggressive prostate cancer compared to no walking (OR = 0.69, 95% CI 0.47–1.01). Physical activity at the current job was associated with 24% lower odds of high-aggressive prostate cancer (highest vs. lowest tertile OR = 0.76, 95% CI 0.56–1.04). However, total MET-h/week of recreational physical activity and accumulation of high-level physical activity at the longest-held job were not associated with high-aggressive prostate cancer. Results did not vary by race. Conclusions: The odds of high-aggressive prostate cancer were lower among men who walk for exercise and those engaged in occupations with high activity levels. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This paper combines the broad learning method with signal detection to realize weak pulse signal detection under the chaotic background. First, based on the short-term predictability and sensitivity to small perturbations of chaotic signals, the phase space reconstruction of the observed signals is carried out. Second, the robust manifold width adaptive detection (RMWAD) model is constructed to obtain the one-step prediction error, and then, we could realize adaptive detection of weak pulse signals by using one-step prediction error and hypothesis test. Finally, we evaluate detection performance by Receiver Operating Characteristic curve, precision rate, recall rate, accuracy rate and F1 score. Simulation experiments shows that the RMWAD model could effectively detect weak pulse signals under the chaotic background, and the model has better detection performance than the broad learning system (BLS), back propagation (BP) neural network model, Extreme Gradient Boosting (XGB) model and support vector regression (SVR) model. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Compact oxide scale at a high speed steel (HSS) work roll surface during hot rolling process can act as an effective solid lubricant and a protective layer for better product surface quality. In this study, considering practical hot rolling process time, microstructure and surface roughness of three oxide scales on a HSS work roll have been systematically characterized with a help of scanning electron microscopy (SEM), atomic force microscopy (AFM), and transmission electron microscopy (TEM). It has been found that growth of the oxide scale follows a parabolic rate law and the dominant oxide phase is hematite. In addition, surface roughness increases dramatically when the oxidation time is less than 30 min and then changes slightly, when the HSS specimens were isothermally oxidized at 600 °C in a dry air. Residual stress evolutions with oxidation time have also been examined in details using X-ray diffraction (XRD) method. Measurement of microhardness at the HSS specimen surface revealed that development of defects and decrease of compressive residual stress in the oxide layer lead to a slight decrease in the microhardness. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: Frailty is a common geriatric syndrome in old people. It remains controversial whether Mediterranean diet could prevent old people from developing into frailty. The aim of this study is to summarize the relevant studies and assess the effectiveness of adherence to Mediterranean diet on frailty in old people.Method: A systematic search of MEDLINE, EMBASE and Cochrane Central Register of Controlled Trials was conducted to identify all relevant studies up to Oct 2017. We included studies regarding the associations between adherence to Mediterranean diet and risk of frailty among elders. A meta-analysis was performed to explore the effects of Mediterranean diet on frailty.Results: Six studies matched the inclusion criteria, of which five were prospective and one was cross-sectional. A total of 10,210 participants from the five prospective cohort studies were included to perform the meta-analyses. In comparison with lowest adherence to Mediterranean diet, elders with highest adherence to Mediterranean diet were significantly associated with lower risk of frailty in the future (RR= 0.56, 95% CI=0.36-0.89, p=0.015). Furthermore, the pooled estimates from four studies performed among participants in western countries (European and North American) showed that higher adherence to Mediterranean diet was associated with a 52% reduced risk of frailty (RR= 0.48, 95% CI=0.32-0.72, p<0.001). However, one study showed no association between Mediterranean diet and frailty among Asian elders (RR=1.06, 95% CI=0.83-1.36, p=0.638).Conclusion: A higher adherence to Mediterranean diet is associated with a lower risk of frailty in old people. Meanwhile, the benefits may be more obvious among elders from western countries. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Pacific Islanders face many health disparities, including higher rates of cardiovascular disease, cancer, obesity, and diabetes compared to other racial and ethnic groups. Specifically, the Marshallese population suffers disproportionately from type 2 diabetes, with rates 400% higher than the general US population. As part of an ongoing community-based participatory research (CBPR) partnership, 148 participants were recruited for a study examining genetic variants to better understand diabetes. Participants provided a saliva specimen in an Oragene® DNA self-collection kit. Each participant provided approximately 2 mL volume of saliva and was asked qualitative questions about their experience. The study yielded a recruitment rate of 95.5%. Among the 148 persons who participated, 143 (96.6%) agreed to be contacted for future studies; 142 (95.9%) agreed to have their samples used for future IRB-approved studies; and 144 (97.3%) gave permission for the researchers to link information from this study to other studies in which they had participated. Qualitative responses showed that the majority of participants were willing to participate because of their desire to contribute to the health of their community and to understand the genetic influence related to diabetes. This study demonstrates willingness to participate in genetic research among Marshallese living in Arkansas. Willingness was likely enhanced because the feasibility study was part of a larger CBPR effort. This study is important to community stakeholders who have voiced a desire to collaboratively conduct genetic research related to diabetes, perinatal outcomes, and cancer. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: Sepsis is the most frequent cause of systemic inflammatory response syndrome (SIRS). Procalcitonin (PCT) and C-reactive protein (CRP) are well-known predictors of sepsis. Serum PCT levels are associated with blood culture positivity in patients with sepsis, but the magnitude of elevation of PCT and CRP levels at the onset of sepsis is unknown in Gram-negative (GN) bacteremia and in Gram-positive (GP) bacteremia. Aims: To evaluate the PCT and CRP levels in 72 h at the onset of sepsis in GN and GP bacteremia. Methods: We retrospectively analyzed the data from 648 blood-positive specimens from three integrated teaching hospitals in Xiamen, China. One hundred and forty-seven adult patients with sepsis within 72 h enrolled in the study. Serum PCT and CRP level were assessed according GN or GP bacteremia. Results: A total of 147 (22.68 %) patients were eligible for inclusion in the study, including 56 GP sepsis and 91 GN sepsis. PCT, but not CRP levels, was significantly higher in patients in the GP group than in the GN group (23.64 vs 6.18 ng/mL, p < 0.001). The area under the receiver-operating characteristic (ROC) curve of PCT was 0.73 (95 % confidence interval 0.65-0.81) and that under the ROC curve of CRP was 0.52 (95 % confidence interval 0.43-0.62). A positive predictive value of 72.5 % and a negative predictive value of 67.9 % were achieved with a PCT cutoff value of 2.1 ng/ml. Conclusion: Serum PCT levels are higher in GN sepsis than GP sepsis in 72 h. There are not differences in CRP. The separation of PCT and CRP phenomenon is helpful for early diagnosis of GP sepsis. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Objectives: Results from previous studies have been inconsistent on the association between selenium and hypertension, and very few studies on this subject have focused on the elderly population. The purpose of this study is to examine the relationship between selenium level and hypertension in a rural elderly Chinese cohort. Design: A longitudinal study was implemented and data were analyzed using logistic regression models and Cox proportional hazards regression model adjusting for potential confounders. The associations between selenium level and prevalent hypertension at baseline and between selenium and incident hypertension were examined. Setting: Community-based setting in four rural areas in China. Subjects: A total of 2000 elderly aged 65 years and over (mean 71.9±5.6 years) participated in this study. Measurements: Nail selenium levels were measured in all subjects at baseline. Blood pressure measures and self-reported hypertension history were collected at baseline, 2.5 years and 7 years later. Hypertension was defined as systolic blood pressure 140 mmHg or higher, diastolic blood pressure 90 mmHg or higher, or reported use of anti-hypertensive medication. Results: The rate of baseline hypertension was 63.50% in this cohort and the mean nail selenium level is 0.413±0.183µg/g. Multi-covariate adjusted cross-sectional analyses indicated that higher selenium level was associated with higher blood pressure measures at baseline and higher rates of hypertension. For the 635 participants with normal blood pressure at baseline, 360 had developed hypertension during follow-up. The incidence rate for hypertension was 45.83%, 52.27%, 62.50%, 70.48%, and 62.79% from the first selenium quintile to the fifth quintile respectively. Comparing to the lowest quintile group, the hazard ratios were 1.41 (95%CI: 1.03 to1.94), 1.93 (95%CI: 1.40 to 2.67), 2.35 (95%CI: 1.69 to 3.26) and 1.94 (95%CI: 1.36 to 22.77) for the second selenium quintile to the fifth quintile respectively. Conclusions: Our findings suggest that high selenium may play a harmful role in the development of hypertension. Future studies are needed to confirm our findings and to elucidate a plausible biological mechanism. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Purpose: Heat stress stimulation can cause various injuries in human umbilical vein endothelial cells (HUVEC), including apoptotic cell death and an increase in cell permeability. Propofol (PPF), a commonly used anesthetic, is known to have an important role in antioxidation as well as organ protection. Therefore, our aim is to evaluate the protective effects of PPF on heat stress (HS)-induced oxidative stress injury and its possible mechanism of action. Methods: For HS + PPF, cells were treated with propofol followed by 2 h heat stress at 43 °C and then 4 h incubation under normal conditions. For propofol treatment, HUVEC were cultured in serum-free Dulbecco's modified Eagle medium supplemented with 0, 10, 25, or 50 μM propofol for 6 h under normal conditions. Results: During the study, we found that, in HS-induced cellular damage, the protective effect of propofol was related closely with its antioxidation properties. We further revealed that heat stress significantly reduced the level of manganese superoxide demutase (MnSOD) and Cu/Zn SOD, but that propofol could inhibit the reduction of MnSOD only. Transfection of HUVEC with MnSOD small interfering RNA (siRNA) markedly decreased the expression of MnSOD, and the protective effect of propofol in the MnSOD siRNA clones was significantly reduced. Conclusion: Propofol protected the heat stress-injured cells, at least partly, through upregulating MnSOD expression, effectively reducing the direct or indirect cell damage caused by oxidative stress. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

A pyridinecarboxaldimine grafted to silica-coated magnetic nanoparticles was prepared. The structure and magnetic properties of the functionalized magnetic silica nanoparticles were identified by TEM, FT-IR, XRD, elemental analysis, and vibrating sample magnetometer (VSM). The supported pyridinecarboxaldimine as chelating ligand in combination with CuBr and 2,2,6,6-tetramethyl-1-piperadoxyl (TEMPO) exhibited efficient catalytic performance in the aerobic oxidation of primary alcohols to aldehydes. The functionalized magnetic silica nanoparticles could be easily recovered using an external magnetic field and reused for at least 6 times with low reduction in its performance in the aerobic oxidation of benzyl alcohol. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: The mortality/morbidity of patients can be used to evaluate the quality of a trauma care, which can be influenced by incidence of discharge against medical advice (DAMA). Objective: This study was to investigate annual changes of mortality/morbidity and DAMA of trauma patients in one Chinese Intensive Care Unit (ICU) in 9 years. Methods: A retrospective analysis of data [age, Injury Severity Score (ISS), Acute Physiology and Chronic Health Evaluation II (APACHE II), Glasgow Coma Scale (GCS), mortality rate, and DAMA] was performed with trauma patients admitted in the emergency ICU of the Second Affiliated Hospital of Zhejiang University from 2003 to 2011. Results: The rate of total mortality (in-hospital death and dying at discharge) was 6.9 % and the rate of DAMA (deterioration at discharge and improvement at discharge) was 6.6 %. The mortality rate was significantly decreased from 11.1 to 4.6 %, and the rate of deterioration at discharge was increased from 2.8 to 6.4 %. Among the three periods (2003-2005, 2006-2008, and 2009-2011), the age and APACHE II score of patients in total death, deterioration at discharge, and death plus deterioration at discharge groups were highest in the period 2009-2011, whereas the GCS was statistically lower in all groups except in the deterioration at discharge group. Conclusion: The medical quality of trauma care has been improved through gradual improvement of instruments and trained medical staffs. The rate of deterioration at discharge was increased, especially in elder patient group. The DAMA had a significant impact on the accurate assessment of trauma care, which should be paid more attention on its potential roles in the future. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

By using monolayer graphene as saturable absorber, a passively Q-switched Tm:LuAG laser with high efficiency at 2 μm is demonstrated. At the incident pump power of 5.8 W, pulses with duration of 235 ns and maximum average output power of 873 mW were obtained at a repetition rate of 72 kHz. This is, to the best of our knowledge, the highest average output power, as well as the narrowest pulse width, ever obtained among graphene-based passively Q-switched solid-state bulk lasers at 2 μm regime. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

By simultaneously using a multi-walled carbon nanotube (MWCNT) and a monolayer graphene saturable absorber (SA) in the cavity, a laser-diode-pumped dual-loss-modulated passively Q-switched Tm:LuAG laser at 2 μm is demonstrated for the first time. In comparison with the singly passively Q-switched laser with MWCNT or monolayer graphene SA, the doubly passively Q-switched laser with both MWCNT and monolayer graphene SA can generate shorter pulse width and higher peak power. A maximum pulse width compression ratio of 2.8 and a highest peak power enhancement factor of 4 were obtained at the incident pump power of 5.8 W, respectively. The experimental results show that the dual-loss modulation is an efficient method to compress the pulse widths and improve the peak powers of the Q-switched lasers at 2 μm. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Critically ill patients are frequently at risk of sepsis or inflammatory conditions. Procalcitonin (PCT) is a biomarker for critically ill patients to differentiate sepsis from non-infectious triggers of the systemic inflammatory response syndrome. It has been recently shown that PCT is a valuable tool to guide antibiotic treatment in patients with bacteria infections. However, PCT is also less than a universal and perfect biomarker, and its physiologic role remains unknown. An increase in PCT is associated not only with localized bacterial infection, but also with non-infectious disease or other microbial infections. Numerous studies have suggested that use of PCT would reduce patients' exposure to antibiotics; however, the use of PCT-guided management of antibiotics strategy needs further study to validate their safety in daily practice in ICU settings. Data supporting this concept from randomized trials are still required. Future studies should focus on PCT kinetics. On the other hand, the need for biologic role of PCT shall be highlighted. Immunoneutralization of PCT will likely be a therapeutic approach for human sepsis only if its physiologic effects are elaborated. The aim of this review is to summarize and discuss the current evidence for PCT in a series of clinical settings. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Looking for potentially positive outcomes is one way that people cope with stressful events. In two studies, we examined perceived 'silver linings' after the 2005 Hurricanes Katrina and Rita among indirectly affected adults. In Study 1, middle-aged (ages 47-64 years), older (ages 65-89 years), and oldest-old (ages 90-95 years) adults in the Louisiana Healthy Aging Study (LHAS) responded to an open-ended question on perceived silver linings in a longitudinal assessment carried out during the immediate impact (1 to 4 months after landfall) and post-disaster recovery phase (6 to 14 months post-storm). Qualitative grounded theory methods were employed to analyze these narrative data. Team-based coding yielded three core themes: (1) learning experience and better preparedness for future disasters, (2) having improved cities (Baton Rouge and New Orleans), and (3) an increase in 'Good Samaritan' acts such as strangers helping one another. Responses were similar across age groups, although older adults were the least likely to report positive outcomes. Study 2 was a conceptual replication using a different sample of adults (ages 31 to 82 years) tested at least 5 years after the storms. A learning experience and preparedness core theme replicated Study 1's findings while improved social cohesion amongst family and friends emerged as a new core theme in Study 2. These data indicate that identifying lessons learned and potentially positive outcomes are psychological reactions that may facilitate post-disaster coping and foster resilience for indirectly affected adults in the years after disaster. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Dapper homolog (DACT) 2 is one of the Dact gene family members, which are important modulators of Wnt signaling pathway. We aim to clarify its epigenetic inactivation, biological function and clinical implication in colon cancer. DACT2 was silenced in five out of eight colon cancer cell lines, but robustly expressed in normal colon tissues. The loss of DACT2 expression was regulated by promoter hypermethylation. Restoring DACT2 expression in colon cancer cell lines suppressed tumor cell growth by inducing cell apoptosis and inhibiting cell proliferation both in vitro and in vivo. Moreover, DACT2 overexpression effectively reduced lung metastasis of colon cancer cells in nude mice. These effects by DACT2 were attributed to inhibition of Wnt/β-catenin signaling. Reexpression of DACT2 significantly suppressed the transcriptional activity of both wild-type β-catenin and degradation-resistant form mutant β-catenin (S33Y). DACT2 could actively shuttle into and out of nuclei, with its predominant steady-state localization in the cytoplasm dependent on its nuclear export signal. Co-immunoprecipitation results indicated that DACT2 strongly associated β-catenin as well as lymphoid enhancer-binding factor 1 (LEF1) and directly disrupted the formation of the β-catenin-LEF1 complex in the nucleus. Whereas in the cytoplasm, DACT2 restored junctional localization of E-cadherin-β-catenin complexes and prevented β-catenin nuclear translocation through direct interaction with β-catenin. DACT2 methylation was detected in 43.3% (29/67) of colon cancer tissues, but none in normal controls. Multivariate analysis revealed that patients with DACT2 methylation had a significant decrease in overall survival (P=0.006). Kaplan-Meier survival curves showed that DACT2 methylation was significantly associated with shortened survival in stage I-III colon cancer patients. In conclusion, DACT2 acts as a functional tumor suppressor in colon cancer through inhibiting Wnt/β-catenin signaling. Its methylation at early stages of colon carcinogenesis is an independent prognostic factor. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

SIPA1 (signal-induced proliferation-associated protein 1) is a GTPase activation protein that can catalyze the hydrolysis of Rap1 bound GTP to GDP. Recently attention has been paid to a potential role for SIPA1 in cancer metastasis; however, the underlying mechanism of how changes in SIPA1 levels may lead to increased metastasis remains poorly understood. In this study, we showed that SIPA1 was mainly localized to the nuclei in highly invasive breast cancer tumor tissue and MDA-MB-231 cells. Knockdown of SIPA1 in MDA-MB-231 altered cell morphology and cell proliferation ability. Furthermore, this study is the first to establish that nuclear SIPA1 can interact with the integrin β1 promoter and activate its transcription; this interaction appears to be important for SIPA1-dependent MDA-MB-231 cell adhesion and invasion. We also demonstrated that the phosphorylation of FAK, Akt and the expression of MMP9, downstream signaling molecules of integrin β1, were decreased upon SIPA1 knockdown, and MDA-MB-231 cell invasion was impaired. Taken together, these results suggest nuclear SIPA1 contributes to breast cancer cell invasion through the regulation of integrin β1 signaling. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Leprosy is a chronic infectious and neurological disease that is caused by infection of Mycobacterium leprae (M. leprae). A recent genome-wide association study indicated a suggestive association of LRRK2 genetic variant rs1873613 with leprosy in Chinese population. To validate this association and further identify potential causal variants of LRRK2 with leprosy, we genotyped 13 LRRK2 variants in 548 leprosy patients and 1078 healthy individuals from Yunnan Province and (re-)analyzed 3225 Han Chinese across China. Variants rs1427267, rs3761863, rs1873613, rs732374 and rs7298930 were significantly associated with leprosy per se and/or paucibacillary leprosy (PB). Haplotype A-G-A-C-A was significantly associated with leprosy per se (P=0.018) and PB (P=0.020). Overexpression of the protective allele (Thr2397) of rs3761863 in HEK293 cells led to a significantly increased nuclear factor of activated T-cells' activity compared with allele Met2397 after lipopolysaccharides stimulation. Allele Thr2397 could attenuate 1-methyl-4-phenyl-1, 2, 3, 6-tetrahydropyridine-induced autophagic activity in U251 cells. These data suggest that the protective effect of LRRK2 variant p.M2397T on leprosy might be mediated by increasing immune response and decreasing neurotoxicity after M. leprae loading. Our findings confirm that LRRK2 is a susceptible gene to leprosy in Han Chinese population. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Twin-roll strip casting is an effective technology to produce magnesium alloy strips economically. The aim of this work is to propose suitable (optimized) process parameters for manufacturing AZ61 strips using the twin-roll strip casting technology. Experiments on twin-roll strip casting of an AZ61 magnesium alloy were carried out. Temperature fields, fluid flow fields, and stress fields accompanying the process were simulated using thermal-fluid and thermal-mechanical finite element methods. The effects of casting speed and pouring temperature on temperature fields, fluid flow fields, and stress fields during the process were analyzed. It was found that the optimum pouring temperature should be in the range 690∼715 °C and the optimum casting speed in the range 2.3 and 2.5 m/min. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In this paper, we present a diode-pumped continuous-wave tunable and Q-switched Tm:SSO laser with a semiconductor saturable absorber mirror. In continuous-wave regime, a maximum output power of 340 mW at 1,980.7 nm was obtained. With a quartz plate, wavelength-tunable continuous-wave operation was achieved from 1,922 to 2,020 nm. In Q-switched regime, a maximum output pulse energy of 14.7 μJ under a repetition rate of 800 Hz and a minimum pulse width of 7.6 μs corresponding to a repetition rate of 8.8 kHz around 1,974.4 nm were obtained from the passively Q-switched Tm:SSO laser. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background/Objectives:Observational studies relating 25-hydroxyvitamin D (25(OH)D) and pregnancy outcomes have reported conflicting results. The aim was to assess maternal 25(OH)D status and its association with pregnancy outcomes. A prospective observational study was carried out in Guangzhou city (23 ºN), China.Subjects/Methods:Pregnant women (n=2960) and healthy controls (n=100) were recruited at a teaching hospital. Maternal 25(OH)D levels were measured at 16-20-week gestation. The pregnant women, if met inclusion and exclusion criteria, were enrolled in further analysis for pregnancy outcomes (n=1953).Results:Mean serum 25(OH)D in pregnant women was 27.03±7.92 ng/ml. In total, 18.9 and 48.6% of pregnant women had low (25(OH)D less than or equal to 20 ng/ml) and medium level (25(OH)D 21-29 ng/ml) of vitamin D, respectively. 25(OH)D was highest in summer and lowest in winter, which showed a positive correlation with temperature (R=0.942) and calcium (R=0.074). Most maternal outcomes (premature rupture of membranes break, polyhydramnios, oligohydramnios, pre-eclampsia, cesarean section), fetal outcomes (spontaneous abortions, medically induced labor, fetal death, fetal distress, fetal growth restriction) and neonatal outcomes (malformations, birth weight and height, low birth weight, macrosomia, small-for-gestational age, score of Apgar 1′,5′, asphyxia of newborn) were not significantly different between groups, but prevalence of gestational diabetes (adjusted odds ratio (OR) 1.017; 95% confidence interval (CI) 1.002-1.033) and preterm delivery (adjusted OR 1.038; 95% CI 1.018-1.059) in high level group (25(OH)D ⩾30 ng/ml) was higher than that in low and medium level groups.Conclusions:The prevalence of low level of vitamin D (serum 25OHD ⩽20 ng/ml) was 18.9% among pregnant women in southern China. There were no significant differences in most adverse pregnancy outcomes among pregnant women with different levels of vitamin D at 16-20-week gestation except for higher prevalence of gestational diabetes and preterm delivery in women with high level of vitamin D, possibly related to the older age and higher body mass index of this group. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Synovial sarcoma is a deadly malignancy with limited sensitivity to traditional cytotoxic chemotherapy. SS18-SSX fusion oncogene expression characterizes human synovial sarcomas and drives oncogenesis in a mouse model. Elevated expression of BCL2 is considered a consistent feature of the synovial sarcoma expression profile. Our objective was to evaluate the expression of apoptotic pathway members in synovial sarcomas and interrogate the impact of modulating SS18-SSX expression on this pathway. We show in human and murine synovial sarcoma cells that SS18-SSX increases BCL2 expression, but represses other anti-apoptotic genes, including MCL1 and BCL2A1. This repression is achieved by directly suppressing expression via binding through activating transcription factor 2 (ATF2) to the cyclic adenosine monophosphate (AMP) response element (CRE) in the promoters of these genes and recruiting TLE1/Groucho. The suppression of these two anti-apoptotic pathways silences the typical routes by which other tumors evade BH3-domain peptidomimetic pharmacotherapy. We show that mouse and human synovial sarcoma cells are sensitive in vitro to ABT-263, a BH3-peptidomimetic, much more than the other tested cancer cell lines. ABT-263 also enhances the sensitivity of these cells to doxorubicin, a traditional cytotoxic chemotherapy used for synovial sarcoma. We also demonstrate the capacity of ABT-263 to stunt synovial sarcomagenesis in vivo in a genetic mouse model. These data recommend pursuit of BH3-peptidomimetic pharmacotherapy in human synovial sarcomas. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This study considers the multiple scattering of vertical shear waves (SV-waves) by a cluster of nanosized cylindrical holes. When the radius of the holes shrinks to nanometers, surface effects play an important role in their mechanical performance, and the surface elasticity theory is adopted to analyze diffraction phenomena. By using the displacement potential method and wave functions expansion method, the scattering fields around the holes are derived. Both the dynamic stress concentration around the holes and the scattering cross section are calculated to illustrate the effect of surface effects on the multiple scattering of an SV-wave. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The forkhead box transcription factor FoxP3 controls the development and function of CD4+CD25+ regulatory T (Treg) cell. FoxP3 modulates gene expression in Treg cells by multiple epigenetic mechanisms that are not clearly defined. We identified FoxP3-interacting proteins in human T cells by co-immunoprecipitation/MS. We discovered that FoxP3 interacted with linker histone H1.5 via the leucine zipper (LZ) domain. Two independent IPEX patient-derived single residue mutations in the LZ of FoxP3 both abrogated its interaction with H1.5. Functionally, FoxP3 and H1.5 cooperatively repressed interleukin-2 (IL-2) expression in human T cells; and silencing of H1.5 expression inhibited the ability of FoxP3 to suppress IL-2 expression. We show that FoxP3 specifically enhanced H1.5 association at the IL-2 promoter, but reduce its association at the CTLA4 promoter, correlated with higher or lower histone acetylation of the respective promoters. Finally, silencing of H1.5 expression in human Treg cells impaired the Treg function to suppress target T cells. We conclude that FoxP3 interacts with H1.5 to alter its binding to target genes to modulate their expression and to program Treg function. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Yb3+-doped crystals were grown by the Czochralski method from (Gd0.5Y0.5)2SiO5 melt employing seeds cut out from single crystals of Yb:Gd2SiO5 and Yb:Y2SiO5. XRD analysis revealed that the structure of the solid solution crystals grown is consistent with the structure of the seed, namely C2/c for the Yb:Y2SiO5 seed and P21/c for the Yb:Gd2SiO5 seed. Optical absorption spectra, emission spectra and luminescence decay curves were recorded at 10 K and 300 K. Analysis of gathered spectroscopic data made it possible to evaluate radiative transition rates for the 2F5/2 multiplet of Yb3+ in the two structures and to assess crystal field splitting of multiplets involved in radiative transitions. It has been concluded that transition intensities and relaxation dynamics of Yb3+ in the systems studied are similar but the intensity distribution of emission and absorption bands depends significantly on the system structure. This feature, combined with inhomogeneous broadening of spectral lines, may be advantageous for the tailoring of lasers employing ytterbium-doped crystals for specific applications. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

A crystal plasticity finite element model has been developed to study the effect of friction between the die wall and the billet on texture evolution during equal channel angular pressing of an aluminum single crystal. Four cases with different coefficients of friction μ = 0, 0.05, 0.1, and 0.15 have been simulated. It has been found that the friction of μ = 0.05 and 0.1 can capture the major texture features shown in the experimental results, and μ = 0.05 predicts a slightly better texture than μ = 0.1. The frictional condition significantly affects texture evolution in the region between 1/2 and 3/4 of the billet thickness from the top surface. It can be attributed to the effect of friction on the corner gap and the distribution of stresses in the die corner. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Synovial sarcoma is a high-grade soft tissue malignancy, for which current cytotoxic chemotherapies provide limited benefit. Although histone deacetylase (HDAC) inhibitors are known to suppress synovial sarcoma in vitro and in vivo, the exact mechanism is not clear. In this study, we report a central role of the transcription factor, early growth response-1 (EGR1), in the regulation of HDAC inhibitor-induced apoptotic cell death in synovial sarcoma. The SS18-SSX oncoprotein, characteristic of synovial sarcoma, maintains EGR1 expression at low levels, whereas it is significantly increased after HDAC inhibitor treatment. On the contrary, EGR1 knockdown leads to a decrease in HDAC inhibitor-induced apoptosis. Moreover, we find that under these conditions phosphatase and tensin homolog deleted in chromosome 10 (PTEN) is upregulated and this occurs through direct binding of EGR1 to an element upstream of the PTEN promoter. Using a combination of gain- and loss-of-function approaches, we show that EGR1 modulation of PTEN contributes to HDAC inhibitor-induced apoptosis in synovial sarcoma. Finally, restoration of EGR1 or PTEN expression is sufficient to induce synovial sarcoma cell death. Taken together, our findings indicate that SS18-SSX-mediated attenuation of an EGR1–PTEN network regulates synovial sarcoma cell survival, and that HDAC inhibitor-mediated apoptosis operates at least in part through reactivation of this pathway. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The combined toxicity of lead (Pb) and nine phenols were measured. The result indicated that the combined toxicity is not only dependent on the Pb concentrations but also on the positions of substituted groups of phenols. Quantitative structure–activity relationship equations were built from the combined toxicity and physico-chemical descriptors of phenols in the different Pb concentrations. The combined toxicity was related to water solubility and the third order molecular connectivity index (3 X) in low Pb concentration, to solute excess molar refractivity ( E) and ionization constant (p Ka) in medium Pb concentration and to dipolarity/polarizability ( S) in high Pb concentration. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Shiga toxin 2 (Stx2)-converting bacteriophages ca n infect and lysogenized other bacteria in vivo and in vitro, and thus contribute to the genotypic heterogeneity of infected host. However, the global transcription patterns accompanying the lysogenic infection of Escherichia coli coli host have not been clearly resolved. In this study, we compared the gene expression profiles of Stx2 phage ΦMin27(Δstx::cat) converted and naïve E. coli MG1655 hosts using microarray analyses. It was identified that conversion by ΦMin27(Δstx::cat) had a direct effect on the global expression of bacterial host genes as 166 genes were found to be differentially expressed (104 up-regulated and 62 down-regulated). These genes were predominantly responsible for bacterial central metabolism, transport and transcription. It was shown that in addition to the down-regulation of genes involved in synthesis of Thi an d protein transporters, expression of genes associated with bacterial energy production (e.g., fadABDEHIJL, aceK and acnA) were also suppressed. Conversely, a significantly larger number of genes were up-regulated, including transport genes, flagellar synthesis genes ( fliDESTZ) and acid resistant genes (e.g., gadEW, hdeABD and adiY). Our study also discovered conversion of ΦMin27(Δstx::cat) could change host physiological character. The converted cells had increased acid tolerance at low pH and promoted swimming motility on semisolid agar surface compared to the uninfected bacterial host. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The solid solution of (1-x)BiFeO3-xDyFeO3 was prepared by solid state reactions in the form of ceramics. The effects of chemical modification by means of aliovalent ionic substitution of Ti4+ for Fe3+ on the structure and dielectric properties were investigated. A morphotropic phase boundary bridging the perovskite rhombohedral phase and the orthoferrite orthorhombic phase was identified at x around 0.1. The chemical modification was found to stabilize the perovsite phase. The dielectric performance of the solid solution was improved by the substitution of Ti4+ for Fe3+, which decreased the electric conductivity by reducing oxygen vacancies, as evidenced by the decrease in loss tangent values. Magnetic hysteresis and large saturated magnetization (0.5 μB/f.u.) were realized in 0.92BiFeO3-0.08DyFeO3 with 2% substitution of Ti4+ for Fe3+, which is believed to arise from the disruption of the spiral spin modulation after structural modification, and the interaction between the spins of the Dy3+ and Fe3+ at low temperatures which decouples the antiferromagnetic order between the Fe3+ ions. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Absorption, photoluminescence and cw-lasing properties of a novel Na+-codoped Yb3+:CaF2 laser crystal are investigated in the temperature range from 10 K to 290 K. Cryogenic cooling leads to the disappearance of the ground-state absorption in the spectral region above 1000 nm and a substantial increase of emission and absorption cross-sections. A particular advantage of the Yb3+, Na+-codoped CaF2 crystal lies in the possibility of a direct pumping in the vicinity of the zero phonon line while nearly perfectly avoiding an overlap with the stimulated emission. Further advantages of the low-temperature operation are demonstrated by achieving a close to the theoretical limit slope efficiency of 92% in a cw-laser operation with an output coupler of 28%. By seeding stretched pulses from a femtosecond Yb fiber oscillator into a cryogenically cooled DPSS Yb3+, Na+:CaF2 regenerative amplifier, we obtain >3-mJ pulses at a 1-kHz repetition rate with a spectral bandwidth exceeding 12 nm. The pulses are compressed with a single grating compressor to 173 fs as verified by SHG FROG. Shaping of the spectral amplitude of the seed and active control of the higher-order phase is shown to be crucial for obtaining sub-200-fs pulses at multi-mJ energies. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

We aimed to demonstrate the feasibility and efficacy of intra-muscular transplantation of human skeletal myoblasts (hSkMs) for attenuation of hyperglycaemia and improvement of insulin sensitivity using a mouse model of type 2 diabetes mellitus. KK Cg-Ay/J mice, aged 12 to 14 weeks, underwent an initial intraperitoneal glucose tolerance test (GTT) and were divided into the following groups: KK control group, basal medium (M199) only; KK myoblast group, with hSkM transplantation; KK fibroblast group, with human fibroblast transplantation. Non-diabetic C57BL mice were used as an additional normal control and also had hSkM transplantation. Cells were transplanted intra-muscularly into the skeletal muscles of the mice. All animals were treated with ciclosporin for 6 weeks only. HbA1c and fasting GTT, as well as serum adiponectin, cholesterol, insulin and triacylglycerol were studied. Immunohistochemistry studies showed extensive survival of the transplanted hSkMs in the skeletal muscles at 12 weeks, with nuclei of the hSkMs integrated into the host muscle fibres. Repeat GTT showed a significant decrease in glucose concentrations in the KK myoblast group compared with the KK control and KK fibroblast groups. The KK myoblast group also had reduced mean HbA1c, cholesterol, insulin and triacylglycerol, and increased adiponectin compared with the KK control and KK fibroblast groups. C57BL mice showed no change in glucose homeostasis after hSkM transplant. Human skeletal myoblast transplantation attenuated hyperglycaemia and hyperinsulinaemia and improved glucose tolerance in the KK mouse. This novel approach of improving muscle insulin resistance may be a potential alternative treatment for type 2 diabetes mellitus. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Introduction: The effect of different treatment strategies of atrial fibrillation on left atrial (LA) size has not been compared in lone paroxysmal atrial fibrillation. The objective of the present study was to evaluate the evolution of LA size over time in patients who underwent different treatment interventions.Methods and Results: Two hundred forty patients with lone paroxysmal atrial fibrillation were assigned to four groups. The circumferential pulmonary vein ablation (CPVA) group (n = 60) was treated with CPVA, segmental pulmonary vein isolation (SPVI) group (n = 60) with SPVI, AMIO group (n = 60) with amiodarone alone, and AMIO + LO group (n = 60) with amiodarone plus losartan. LA diameter was measured with transthoracic echocardiogram at baseline, 3, 6, 9, and 12 months after the interventions. In the CPVA group, LA size at third, sixth, ninth, and 12th month had a significant decrease than that at baseline and in the other three groups. LA size in patients with atrial fibrillation recurrence in the four groups was significant higher than that in patients with no atrial fibrillation recurrence (P = 0.002-0.001).Conclusion: The results suggested that a shortened LA size is not consistent with improved sinus rhythm maintenance. Although maintenance of sinus rhythm is not the only factor in determining shrinking or enlargement of the left atrium, inhibiting or eliminating activity of the pulmonary vein is very important for paroxysmal atrial fibrillation. Atrial fibrillation recurrence is a main factor contributing to enlargement of the LA. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Caveolin-1 (Cav-1) plays an important role in modulating cellular signalling, but its role in metastasis is not well defined. A significant reduction in Cav-1 levels was detected in lymph node metastases as compared with primary tumour of head and neck squamous cell carcinoma (HNSCC) specimens (P<0.0001), confirming the downregulation of Cav-1 observed in a highly metastatic M4 cell lines derived from our orthotopic xenograft model. To investigate the function of Cav-1 in metastasis of HNSCC, we compared stable clones of M4 cells carrying human cav-1 cDNA (CavS) with cells expressing an empty vector (EV) in vitro and in the orthotopic xenograft model. Overexpression of Cav-1 suppressed growth of the CavS tumours compared with the EV tumours. The incidence of lung metastases was significantly lower in animals carrying CavS tumours than those with EV tumours (P=0.03). In vitro, CavS cells displayed reduced cell growth, invasion, and increased anoikis compared with EV cells. In CavS cells, Cav-1 formed complex with integrin beta1 and Src. Further application of integrin beta1 neutralising antibody or Src inhibitor PP2 to EV cells illustrated similar phenotypes as CavS cells, suggesting that Cav-1 may play an inhibitory role in tumorigenesis and lung metastasis through regulating integrin beta1- and Src-mediated cell-cell and cell-matrix interactions. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The−216G/T, −191C/A, intron 1 and Arg497Lys epidermal growth factor receptor (EGFR) polymorphisms were evaluated in 92 advanced non-small-cell lung cancer patients treated with gefitinib, an EGFR tyrosine-kinase inhibitor. Improved progression free survival (PFS) was found in patients homozygous for the shorter lengths of intron 1 polymorphism (S/S; S=16 or fewer CA repeats; log-rank test (LRT) P=0.03) and for patients carrying any T allele of the −216G/T polymorphism (LRT, P=0.005). When considered together, patients with intron 1 S/S genotype and at least one T allele of −216G/T had improved PFS (LRT P=0.0006; adjusted hazard ratio (AHR), 0.60 (95% confidence interval, 0.36–0.98)) and overall survival (LRT P=0.02; AHR, 0.60 (0.36–1.00)) when compared with all others. The T allele of −216G/T was also associated with significantly higher rates of stable disease/partial response (P=0.01) and a significantly higher risk of treatment-related rash/diarrhea (P=0.004, multivariate model). EGFR intron 1 and –216G/T polymorphisms influence clinical outcomes in gefitinib-treated non-small-cell lung cancer patients.The Pharmacogenomics Journal (2008) 8, 129–138; doi:10.1038/sj.tpj.6500444; published online 20 March 2007 [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]