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Self-expanding metallic stents (SEMS) are considered the treatment of choice for the palliation of dysphagia and fistulas in inoperable esophageal neoplasms. However, the safety of SEMSs in patients who received or who will be submitted to radiotherapy (RT) is uncertain. The study aimed to evaluate the impact of RT on adverse events (AEs) in patients with esophageal cancer with SEMSs. This is a retrospective study conducted at a tertiary cancer hospital from 2009 to 2018. We collected information regarding RT, the histological type of the tumor, the model of SEMSs and AEs after stent placement. Three hundred twenty-three patients with malignant stenosis or fistula were treated with SEMSs. The predominant histological type was squamous cell carcinoma (79.6%). A total of 282 partially covered and 41 fully covered SEMSs were inserted. Of the 323 patients, 182 did not received RT, 118 received RT before SEMS placement and 23 after. Comparing the group that received RT before stent insertion with the group that did not, the first one presented a higher frequency of severe pain (9/118 7.6% vs. 3/182 1.6%; P = 0.02). The group treated with RT after stent placement had a higher risk of global AEs (13/23 56.5% vs. 63/182 34.6%; P = 0.019), ingrowth/overgrowth (6/23 26.1% vs. 21/182 11.5%; P = 0.045) and gastroesophageal reflux (2/23 8.7% vs. 2/182 1.1%; P = 0.034). Treatment with RT before stent placement in patients with inoperable esophageal neoplasm prolongs survival and is associated with an increased risk of severe chest pain. Treatment with RT of patients with an esophageal stent increases the frequency of minor, not life-threatening AEs.

In Malignant Hilar Biliary Stricture (MHBS) palliative biliary drainage is a frequent strategy, improving the quality of life, reducing pruritus, loss of appetite and relieving cholangitis. The endoscopic approach is an effective, although challenging procedure. This study aimed to evaluate technical and clinical success rates of biliary drainage by ERCP. This is a retrospective study including all patients with MHBS referred to Instituto do Cancer do Hospital de São Paulo (ICESP) submitted to biliary drainage by ERCP, between January 2010 and December 2017. Multivariable logistic regression was performed to evaluate predictors of clinical failure, as total bilirubin levels, Bismuth classification, number of hepatic sectors drained and presence of cholangitis. In total, 82 patients presenting unresectable MHBS were included in this study. 58.5% female and 41.5% male, with a mean age of 60±13 years. Bismuth classification grades II, IIIA, IIIB and IV were noted in 23.2%, 15.9%, 14.6% and 46.3%, respectively. Technical and clinical success was achieved in 92.7% and 53.7% respectively. At multivariable logistic-regression analyses, Bismuth IV strictures were related to higher clinical failure rates when compared to other strictures levels, with an Odds Ratio of 5.8 (95% CI 1.28‒20.88). In conclusion, endoscopic biliary drainage for malignant hilar biliary stricture had a high technical success but suboptimal clinical success rate. Proximal strictures (Bismuth IV) were associated with poor drainage outcomes.

In Fig. 1c of this Article, the x-axis scale was inadvertently duplicated from Fig. 1b. The original Article has been corrected online.

Background and aim Gastric peroral endoscopic pyloromyotomy (G-POEM) is a new therapeutic option for refractory gastroparesis (GP). A systematic review and meta-analysis was conducted to assess the effectiveness of G-POEM in refractory GP. For the quality of evidence, we used the Grading of Recommendations Assessment, Development and Evaluation (GRADE) criteria. Methods We performed a literature search using MEDLINE, Embase, Cochrane library, LILACS and the Science citation index for studies related to G-POEM from the inception of its technique through January 2019. We selected studies that analyzed the gastroparesis cardinal symptom index (GCSI) and 4-hour solid-phase gastric emptying scintigraphy (GES) before and after the procedure to verify the efficacy of G-POEM, the main outcome measured. An analysis was performed using RevMan 5.3. Results Ten studies comprising 281 patients were included in this systematic review. The pooled mean difference in GCSI following the procedure was 1.76 (95 % CI: [1.43, 2.08], I2 = 72 %). We also performed GCSI subgroup analysis by follow-up duration that showed a pooled mean difference of 1.84 (95 % CI: [1.57, 2.12], I2 = 71 %). The pooled mean difference in GES after the procedure was 26.28 (95 % CI: [19.74, 32.83], I2 = 87 %), corresponding to a significant drop in percentage values of the gastric retention 4-hour scintigraphy. Conclusion This meta-analysis demonstrates that G-POEM is effective and shows promising outcomes in the clinical response and gastric emptying scintigraphy for gastroparesis. Therefore, it should be considered in the management of refractory gastroparesis.

This study aimed to investigate load distribution and forearm muscle activity from strong to weak grip strength, using a cylindrical device (Grip Sensor). We invited 15 students and measured the pressure distribution and forearm muscle activity during grip tasks at 25%, 50%, 75%, and 100% maximum voluntary force (MVF). Pressure data from the Grip Sensor were assigned to seven anatomical regions; the sum of the data from the seven regions (Total force) and proportionate load distribution for each grip task were calculated. Electromyography recorded activity in the extensor carpi radialis longus (ECRL), flexor carpi radialis (FCR), extensor carpi ulnaris (ECU) and flexor carpi ulnaris (FCU) muscles. Forearm muscle activity increased significantly with grip strength (p 0.05). The load proportion corresponding to the thumb did not significantly change with increasing strength. On the other hand, the fingertip ratio significantly decreased, and the palm ratio significantly increased with increasing strength (p 0.05). The Grip Sensor showed a shift in the load distribution in the hand from fingertips to palm as grip strength increased. This result indicates that more detailed evaluations of hand function may be possible.

The fundamental building blocks of the proton, quarks and gluons, have been known for decades. However, we still have an incomplete theoretical and experimental understanding of how these particles and their dynamics give rise to the quantum bound state of the proton and its physical properties, such as for example its spin. The two up and the single down quarks that comprise the proton in the simplest picture account only for a few percent of the proton mass, the bulk of which is in the form of quark kinetic and potential energy and gluon energy from the strong force. An essential feature of this force, as described by quantum chromodynamics, is its ability to create matter-antimatter quark pairs inside the proton that exist only for a very short time. Their fleeting existence makes the antimatter quarks within protons difficult to study, but their existence is discernible in reactions where a matter-antimatter quark pair annihilates. In this picture of quark-antiquark creation by the strong force, the probability distributions as a function of momentum for the presence of up and down antimatter quarks should be nearly identical, since their masses are quite similar and small compared to the mass of the proton. In the present manuscript, we show evidence from muon pair production measurements that these distributions are significantly different, with more abundant down antimatter quarks than up antimatter quarks over a wide range of momentum. These results revive interest in several proposed mechanisms as the origin of this antimatter asymmetry in the proton that had been disfavored by the previous results and point to the future measurements that can distinguish between these mechanisms., 10 pages, 5 figures, 5 tables; Matches published version

Background: Survival outcomes are poor for patients with metastatic urothelial carcinoma who receive standard, first-line, platinum-based chemotherapy. We assessed the overall survival of patients who received durvalumab (a PD-L1 inhibitor), with or without tremelimumab (a CTLA-4 inhibitor), as a first-line treatment for metastatic urothelial carcinoma. Methods: DANUBE is an open-label, randomised, controlled, phase 3 trial in patients with untreated, unresectable, locally advanced or metastatic urothelial carcinoma, conducted at 224 academic research centres, hospitals, and oncology clinics in 23 countries. Eligible patients were aged 18 years or older with an Eastern Cooperative Oncology Group performance status of 0 or 1. We randomly assigned patients (1:1:1) to receive durvalumab monotherapy (1500 mg) administered intravenously every 4 weeks; durvalumab (1500 mg) plus tremelimumab (75 mg) administered intravenously every 4 weeks for up to four doses, followed by durvalumab maintenance (1500 mg) every 4 weeks; or standard-of-care chemotherapy (gemcitabine plus cisplatin or gemcitabine plus carboplatin, depending on cisplatin eligibility) administered intravenously for up to six cycles. Randomisation was done through an interactive voice–web response system, with stratification by cisplatin eligibility, PD-L1 status, and presence or absence of liver metastases, lung metastases, or both. The coprimary endpoints were overall survival compared between the durvalumab monotherapy versus chemotherapy groups in the population of patients with high PD-L1 expression (the high PD-L1 population) and between the durvalumab plus tremelimumab versus chemotherapy groups in the intention-to-treat population (all randomly assigned patients). The study has completed enrolment and the final analysis of overall survival is reported. The trial is registered with ClinicalTrials.gov, NCT02516241, and the EU Clinical Trials Register, EudraCT number 2015-001633-24. Findings: Between Nov 24, 2015, and March 21, 2017, we randomly assigned 1032 patients to receive durvalumab (n=346), durvalumab plus tremelimumab (n=342), or chemotherapy (n=344). At data cutoff (Jan 27, 2020), median follow-up for survival was 41·2 months (IQR 37·9–43·2) for all patients. In the high PD-L1 population, median overall survival was 14·4 months (95% CI 10·4–17·3) in the durvalumab monotherapy group (n=209) versus 12·1 months (10·4–15·0) in the chemotherapy group (n=207; hazard ratio 0·89, 95% CI 0·71–1·11; p=0·30). In the intention-to-treat population, median overall survival was 15·1 months (13·1–18·0) in the durvalumab plus tremelimumab group versus 12·1 months (10·9–14·0) in the chemotherapy group (0·85, 95% CI 0·72–1·02; p=0·075). In the safety population, grade 3 or 4 treatment-related adverse events occurred in 47 (14%) of 345 patients in the durvalumab group, 93 (27%) of 340 patients in the durvalumab plus tremelimumab group, and in 188 (60%) of 313 patients in the chemotherapy group. The most common grade 3 or 4 treatment-related adverse event was increased lipase in the durvalumab group (seven [2%] of 345 patients) and in the durvalumab plus tremelimumab group (16 [5%] of 340 patients), and neutropenia in the chemotherapy group (66 [21%] of 313 patients). Serious treatment-related adverse events occurred in 30 (9%) of 345 patients in the durvalumab group, 78 (23%) of 340 patients in the durvalumab plus tremelimumab group, and 50 (16%) of 313 patients in the chemotherapy group. Deaths due to study drug toxicity were reported in two (1%) patients in the durvalumab group (acute hepatic failure and hepatitis), two (1%) patients in the durvalumab plus tremelimumab group (septic shock and pneumonitis), and one (

The Heavy Photon Search (HPS) is an experiment to search for a hidden sector photon, aka a heavy photon or dark photon, in fixed target electroproduction at the Thomas Jefferson National Accelerator Facility (JLab). The HPS experiment searches for the e$^+$e$^-$ decay of the heavy photon with bump hunt and detached vertex strategies using a compact, large acceptance forward spectrometer, consisting of a silicon microstrip detector (SVT) for tracking and vertexing, and a PbWO$_4$ electromagnetic calorimeter for energy measurement and fast triggering. To achieve large acceptance and good vertexing resolution, the first layer of silicon detectors is placed just 10 cm downstream of the target with the sensor edges only 500 $\mu$m above and below the beam. Placing the SVT in such close proximity to the beam puts stringent requirements on the beam profile and beam position stability. As part of an approved engineering run, HPS took data in 2015 and 2016 at 1.05 GeV and 2.3 GeV beam energies, respectively. This paper describes the beam line and its performance during that data taking.

Percutaneous endoscopic gastrostomy (PEG) in head and neck cancer (HNC) patients is associated with higher complication and mortality rates when compared to a general patient population. The pull technique is still the preferred technique worldwide but it has some limitations. The aim of this study is to compare the pull and introducer PEG techniques in patients with HNC.This study is based on a retrospective analysis of a prospectively collected database of 309 patients with HNC who underwent PEG in the Cancer Institute of São Paulo.The procedure was performed with the standard endoscope in 205 patients and the introducer technique was used in 137 patients. There was one procedure-related mortality. Age, sex and albumin level were similar in both groups. However in the introducer technique group, patients had a higher tumor stage, a lower Karnofsky status, and presented more frequently with tracheostomy and trismus. Overall, major, minor, immediate and late complications and 30-day mortality rates were similar but the introducer technique group presented more minor bleeding and tube dysfunctions.The push and introducer PEG techniques seem to be both safe and effective but present different complication profiles. The choice of PEG technique in patients with HNC should be made individually.

Although the proton was discovered about 100 years ago, its spin structure still remains a mystery. Recent studies suggest that the orbital angular momentum of sea quarks could significantly contribute to the proton's spin. The SeaQuest experiment, which recently completed data collection, probed the unpolarized light quark sea distributions of the proton using the Drell-Yan process. Its successor, the SpinQuest (E1039), will access the $\bar{u}$ and $\bar{d}$ Sivers functions using polarized NH$_3$ and ND$_3$ targets. A non-zero Sivers asymmetry, observed in SpinQuest, would be a strong indication of non-zero sea-quark orbital angular momentum. The SpinQuest experiment can also probe the sea quark's transversity distribution, which is relevant for the determination of proton's tensor charge. Recent study suggests that sea-quarks might contribute significantly to deuteron's tensor polarized structure functions. This can be further probed in SpinQuest using tensor polarized ND$_3$ target. The current status and future plan of the experiment are presented.

Author(s): Aidala, CA; Arrington, JR; Ayuso, C; Bowen, BM; Bowen, ML; Bowling, KL; Brown, AW; Brown, CN; Byrd, R; Carlisle, RE; Chang, T; Chang, WC; Chen, A; Chen, JY; Christian, DC; Chu, X; Dannowitz, BP; Daugherity, M; Diefenthaler, M; Dove, J; Durandet, C; El Fassi, L; Erdos, E; Fox, DM; Geesaman, DF; Gilman, R; Goto, Y; Guo, L; Guo, R; Hague, T; Hicks, CR; Holt, RJ; Isenhower, D; Jiang, X; Katich, JM; Kerns, BM; Kinney, ER; Kitts, ND; Klein, A; Kleinjan, D; Kras, J; Kudo, Y; Lin, PJ; Liu, D; Liu, K; Liu, MX; Lorenzon, W; Makins, NCR; Martinez, JD; McClellan, RE; McDonald, B; McGaughey, PL; McNease, SE; Medeiros, MM; Miller, B; Miller, AJ; Miyasaka, S; Miyachi, Y; Mooney, IA; Morton, DH; Nadim, B; Nagai, K; Nakahara, K; Nakano, K; Nara, S; Obata, S; Peng, JC; Prasad, S; Puckett, AJR; Ramson, BJ; Raymond, RS; Reimer, PE; Rubin, JG; Salinas, R; Sanftl, F; Sawada, S; Sawada, T; Scott, MBC; Selensky, LE; Shibata, TA; Shiu, S; Su, D; Tadepalli, AS; Teo, M; Tice, BG | Abstract: The SeaQuest spectrometer at Fermilab was designed to detect oppositely-charged pairs of muons (dimuons) produced by interactions between a 120 GeV proton beam and liquid hydrogen, liquid deuterium and solid nuclear targets. The primary physics program uses the Drell–Yan process to probe antiquark distributions in the target nucleon. The spectrometer consists of a target system, two dipole magnets and four detector stations. The upstream magnet is a closed-aperture solid iron magnet which also serves as the beam dump, while the second magnet is an open aperture magnet. Each of the detector stations consists of scintillator hodoscopes and a high-resolution tracking device. The FPGA-based trigger compares the hodoscope signals to a set of pre-programmed roads to determine if the event contains oppositely-signed, high-mass muon pairs.

The Heavy Photon Search experiment took its first data in a 2015 engineering run using a 1.056 GeV, 50 nA electron beam provided by CEBAF at the Thomas Jefferson National Accelerator Facility, searching for a prompt, electroproduced dark photon with a mass between 19 and 81 MeV/c2. A search for a resonance in the e+e- invariant mass distribution, using 1.7 days (1170 nb-1) of data, showed no evidence of dark photon decays above the large QED background, confirming earlier searches and demonstrating the full functionality of the experiment. Upper limits on the square of the coupling of the dark photon to the standard model photon are set at the level of 6×10-6. Future runs with higher luminosity will explore new territory.

Silicon detectors have been widely used in high energy physics (HEP) experiments. The outstanding properties of silicon detectors include radiation hardness, small material budget, fine spatial resolution, high speed and low cost. Here we report initial results of using a single-bit Monolithic Active Pixel Sensor (MAPS), a leading candidate for the next generation trackers in high luminosity colliders, for hard X-ray imaging. The MAPS responses to X-ray with different energies are obtained and compared with simulation. The observed cluster sizes are larger than that predicted by the Continuous Slowing Down Approximation (CSDA) model, indicating that the charge diffusion process might play an important in the MAPS response to low energy electrons. This work paves the way towards multiple layer ultrafast silicon sensor applications in synchrotrons and XFEL beamlines.

This Technical Memorandum (TM) summarizes the Fermilab Test Beam Faciltiy (FTBF) operations for FY2019. It is one of a series of annual publications intended to gather information in one place. This TM discusses the experiments performed at the Test Beam from November 2018 to July 2019. The experiments are listed in Table 1. Each experiment wrote a summary that was edited for clarity and is included in this report.

Preparation of two-dimensional (2-D) materials prepared by the reactions at interfaces is introduced as soft solution processes. Two-dimensional supramolecular covalent adlayers or nanofilms with higher structures have been constructed from simple aromatic building block molecules under ambient conditions by thermodynamic self-assembly using the reversible Schiff-base coupling reaction. On-site recrystallization has been proposed as a straightforward method to produce large 2-D nanosheets of crystalline surface-anchored metal–organic coordination frameworks (SURMOF). The Cu(I)-catalyzed Huisgen click reaction at oil–water interfaces has been used to form various polymeric nanofilms including Janus type nanofilms at the interface.

Background. Management of pharyngoesophageal stenosis (PES) in patients after head and neck cancer (HNC) treatment remains a challenge. It is not uncommon that PES is refractory to dilation sessions. This study aimed at evaluating the efficacy of Mitomycin C (MMC) endoscopic injection for the treatment of refractory pharyngoesophageal stenosis. Patients and methods. This is a prospective study in patients with dysphagia following head and neck cancer treatment, without evidence suggestive of tumor recurrence, and refractory to endoscopic treatment. These patients were submitted to endoscopic dilation of the stenotic segment with thermoplastic bougies, followed by injection of MMC. We repeated the endoscopic sessions every three weeks. Results. From January 2015 to May 2015, we treated 13 patients with PES. Three patients were initially enrolled in the study for refractory stricture. We observed adverse events in all of them, with intense neck pain and ulcer development, justifying the interruption of the trial. Conclusion. The repeated injection in the short interval of MMC in refractory PES is not recommended, because it resulted in serious adverse events.

Background and aims Endoscopic ultrasound-guided biliary drainage (EUS-BD) has emerged as an alternative in cases of endoscopic retrograde cholangiopancreatography (ERCP) failure. Two types of EUS-BD methods for achieving biliary drainage when ERCP fails are choledochoduodenostomy (CDS) or hepaticogastrostomy (HGS). However, there is no consensus if one approach is better than the other. Therefore, we conducted a systematic review and meta-analysis to evaluate these 2 main EUS-BD methods. Methods We searched MEDLINE, Embase, Scopus, Cochrane database, LILACS from inception through April 8, 2017, using the following search terms in various combinations: biliary drainage, biliary stent, transluminal biliary drainage, choledochoduodenostomy, hepaticogastrostomy, endoscopic ultrasound-guided biliary drainage. We selected studies comparing CDS and HGS in patients with malignant biliary obstruction with ERCP failure. Pooled odds ratio (OR) were calculated for technical success, clinical success, and adverse events and difference of means calculated for duration of procedure and survival after procedure. Results A total of 10 studies with 434 patients were included in the meta-analysis: 208 underwent biliary drainage via HGS and the remaining 226 via CDS. The technical success for CDS and HGS was 94.1% and 93.7%, respectively, pooled OR=0.96 [95% confidence interval (CI)=0.39-2.33, I=0%]. Clinical success was 88.5% in CDS and 84.5% in HGS, pooled OR=0.76 (95% CI=0.42-1.35, I=17%). There was no difference for adverse events OR=0.97 (95% CI=0.60-1.56), I=37%. CDS was about 2 minutes faster with a pooled difference in means of was -2.69 (95% CI=-4.44 to -0.95). Conclusion EUS-CDS and EUS-HGS have equal efficacy and safety, and are both associated with a very high technical and clinical success. The choice of approach may be selected based on patient anatomy.

The Heavy Photon Search (HPS), an experiment to search for a hidden sector photon in fixed target electroproduction, is preparing for installation at the Thomas Jefferson National Accelerator Facility (JLab) in the Fall of 2014. As the first stage of this project, the HPS Test Run apparatus was constructed and operated in 2012 to demonstrate the experiment's technical feasibility and to confirm that the trigger rates and occupancies are as expected. This paper describes the HPS Test Run apparatus and readout electronics and its performance. In this setting, a heavy photon can be identified as a narrow peak in the e$^+$e$^-$ invariant mass spectrum, above the trident background or as a narrow invariant mass peak with a decay vertex displaced from the production target, so charged particle tracking and vertexing are needed for its detection. In the HPS Test Run, charged particles are measured with a compact forward silicon microstrip tracker inside a dipole magnet. Electromagnetic showers are detected in a PbW0$_{4}$ crystal calorimeter situated behind the magnet, and are used to trigger the experiment and identify electrons and positrons. Both detectors are placed close to the beam line and split top-bottom. This arrangement provides sensitivity to low-mass heavy photons, allows clear passage of the unscattered beam, and avoids the spray of degraded electrons coming from the target. The discrimination between prompt and displaced e$^+$e$^-$ pairs requires the first layer of silicon sensors be placed only 10~cm downstream of the target. The expected signal is small, and the trident background huge, so the experiment requires very large statistics. Accordingly, the HPS Test Run utilizes high-rate readout and data acquisition electronics and a fast trigger to exploit the essentially 100% duty cycle of the CEBAF accelerator at JLab., Comment: Revised version to match published version, 16 pages, 18 figures, published in Nuclear Instruments and Methods in Physics Research Section A, editor: Per Hansson Adrian

Endoscopic submucosal dissection (ESD) and transanal endoscopic microsurgery (TEM) are minimally invasive procedures that can be used to treat early rectal cancer. The aim of this study was to compare clinical efficacy between ESD and TEM for the treatment of early rectal cancer. Between July 2008 and August 2011, 24 patients with early rectal cancers were treated by ESD (11) or TEM (13) at the Cancer Institute of Sao Paulo University Medical School (Sao Paulo, Brazil). Data were analyzed retrospectively according to database and pathological reports, with respect to en bloc resection rate, local recurrence, complications, histological diagnosis, procedure time and length of hospital stay. En bloc resection rates with free margins were achieved in 81.8 % of patients in the ESD group and 84.6 % of patients in the TEM group (p = 0.40). Mean tumor size was 64.6 ± 57.9 mm in the ESD group and 43.9 ± 30.7 mm in the TEM group (p = 0.13). Two patients in the TEM group and one patient in the ESD group had a local recurrence. The mean procedure time was 133 ± 94.8 min in the ESD group and 150 ± 66.3 min in the TEM group (p = 0.69). Mean hospital stay was 3.8 ± 3.3 days in the ESD group and 4.08 ± 1.7 days in the TEM group (p = 0.81). This was a non-randomized clinical trial with a small sample size and selection bias in treatment options. ESD and TEM are both safe and effective for the treatment of early rectal cancer.

Background and Aims Surveillance programs of patients with head and neck cancer (HNC) detect synchronous or metachronous esophageal squamous cell carcinoma (ESCC) in up to 15% of patients. Noninvasive, probe-based confocal laser endomicroscopy (pCLE) technique may improve the diagnosis allowing acquisition of high-resolution in vivo images at the cellular and microvascular levels. The aim of this study was to evaluate the accuracy of pCLE for the differential diagnosis of nonneoplastic and neoplastic Lugol-unstained esophageal lesions in patients with HNC. Methods Twenty-seven patients with HNC who exhibited Lugol-unstained esophageal lesions at surveillance endoscopy were prospectively included for pCLE. Diagnostic pCLE was followed by subsequent biopsies or endoscopic resection of suspected lesions. A senior pathologist was blinded to the pCLE results. Results Patients mean age was 59 years (SD = 8.8) and 70.4% were men. All patients were smokers, and 22 patients (81.5%) had a history of alcohol consumption. The locations of HNC were oral cavity (n = 13), larynx (n = 10), and pharynx (n = 4). Thirty-seven lesions in 27 patients were studied. The final diagnoses were ESCC in 17 patients and benign lesions in 20 patients. Sensitivity, specificity, and accuracy of pCLE for the histologic diagnosis of ESCC in patients with HNC were 94.1%, 90.0%, and 91.9%, respectively. Conclusions First, pCLE is highly accurate for real-time histology of Lugol-unstained esophageal lesions in patients with HNC. Second, pCLE may alter the management of patients under surveillance for ESCC, guiding biopsies and endoscopic resection, avoiding further diagnostic workup or therapy of benign lesions.

BACKGROUND: In this study, the inductive effect of salinity on nitrite accumulation in a down-flow hanging sponge (DHS) reactor, developed as a novel and cost-effective wastewater treatment process, was evaluated by conducting a long-term continuous experiment lasting more than 1400 days. RESULTS: The influent salinity was controlled by adding NaCl at concentrations ranging from 0 to 25 g Cl− L−1. The effluent nitrite increased with increases in salinity, i.e. the fraction of nitrite to total nitrogen in the effluent increased from 1.6% at 0 g Cl− L−1 to 87.6% at 25 g Cl− L−1. Fluorescence in situ hybridization (FISH) analysis revealed that as salinity increased, the nitrifying bacterial community in the DHS changed markedly at the species level. In particular, the dominant nitrite-oxidizing bacteria changed from Nitrospira-sublineage I at 0 g Cl− L−1 to Nitrobacter spp. at 15 g Cl− L−1. At 25 g Cl− L−1, no nitrite-oxidizing bacteria were detected. CONCLUSION: Our findings suggest that the DHS reactor is suitable for cost-effective nitrite production processes and that salinity control using NaCl is an effective method for inducing nitrite accumulation. Copyright © 2012 Society of Chemical Industry

In noncentrosymmetric materials, the relativistic effect extensively modifies the energy band of magnons as well as that of electrons. With use of microfabricated microwave antennae, we have demonstrated that the propagation of magnons with large momentum is nonreciprocal in a noncentrosymmetric ferromagnet ${\mathrm{LiFe}}_{5}{\mathrm{O}}_{8}$. The nonreciprocity is clearly explained by the effect of the asymmetric magnon band originating from the relativistic Dzyaloshinskii-Moriya interaction. This result may pave a new path to designing a magnonic device based on the relativistic band engineering.