A review of permanent marking for radiotherapy in the UK.

INTRODUCTION: This paper presents the results of a survey of the routine use of permanent marks for radiotherapy in the UK. This was undertaken to provide an overview of current practice. Permanent marks are a somewhat invasive procedure, and should be subject to scrutiny and judicious application. METHOD: The authors reviewed the literature on international radiotherapy permanent marking practice. Common themes that emerged were the psychology of permanent marking and ink-type considerations, current practice and training, and safety. These were used to develop a questionnaire in order to form an overview of the use of marks nationally, and to identify any recurrent issues. The questionnaire also sought information regarding locations and numbers of permanent marks used for common treatment sites. The survey was sent to 71 departments in the UK using email. RESULTS: 70% of departments responded. 62% of departments reported patients who had refused permanent marks. The reasons for refusal varied. India or drawing ink was used in 49 of the 51 departments (96%). The most common teaching method of tattooing involved combined observation and verbal coaching. Most departments had a written procedure for tattooing, but some did not. Although sharps injuries were rare, they were documented. CONCLUSION: Most departments in the UK had encountered patient refusal of permanent marks, with breast patients representing the largest group which declined. There is variation in practice throughout the UK, and the equipment used is not specialised for tattooing purposes. Sharps injuries, although rare, do occur, and training methods are not consistent. IMPLICATIONS FOR PRACTICE: The requirement for national guidelines is posited. Further investigation into the need for permanent marks in an era of state-of-the-art imaging technology is also required.

The impact of LHC jet data on the MMHT PDF fit at NNLO.

We investigate the impact of the high precision ATLAS and CMS 7 TeV measurements of inclusive jet production on the MMHT global PDF analysis at next-to-next-to-leading order (NNLO). This is made possible by the recent completion of the long-term project to calculate the NNLO corrections to the hard cross section. We find that a good description of the ATLAS data is not possible with the default treatment of experimental systematic errors, and propose a simplified solution that retains the dominant physical information of the data. We then investigate the fit quality and the impact on the gluon PDF central value and uncertainty when the ATLAS and CMS data are included in a MMHT fit. We consider both common choices for the factorization and renormalization scale, namely the inclusive jet transverse momentum, p ⊥ , and the leading jet p ⊥ , as well as the different jet radii for which the ATLAS and CMS data are made available. We find that the impact of these data on the gluon is relatively insensitive to these inputs, in particular the scale choice, while the inclusion of NNLO corrections tends to improve the data description somewhat and has a qualitatively similar though not identical impact on the gluon in comparison to NLO.

Jupiter's interior and deep atmosphere: The initial pole-to-pole passes with the Juno spacecraft.

On 27 August 2016, the Juno spacecraft acquired science observations of Jupiter, passing less than 5000 kilometers above the equatorial cloud tops. Images of Jupiter's poles show a chaotic scene, unlike Saturn's poles. Microwave sounding reveals weather features at pressures deeper than 100 bars, dominated by an ammonia-rich, narrow low-latitude plume resembling a deeper, wider version of Earth's Hadley cell. Near-infrared mapping reveals the relative humidity within prominent downwelling regions. Juno's measured gravity field differs substantially from the last available estimate and is one order of magnitude more precise. This has implications for the distribution of heavy elements in the interior, including the existence and mass of Jupiter's core. The observed magnetic field exhibits smaller spatial variations than expected, indicative of a rich harmonic content.

Jupiter's magnetosphere and aurorae observed by the Juno spacecraft during its first polar orbits.

The Juno spacecraft acquired direct observations of the jovian magnetosphere and auroral emissions from a vantage point above the poles. Juno's capture orbit spanned the jovian magnetosphere from bow shock to the planet, providing magnetic field, charged particle, and wave phenomena context for Juno's passage over the poles and traverse of Jupiter's hazardous inner radiation belts. Juno's energetic particle and plasma detectors measured electrons precipitating in the polar regions, exciting intense aurorae, observed simultaneously by the ultraviolet and infrared imaging spectrographs. Juno transited beneath the most intense parts of the radiation belts, passed about 4000 kilometers above the cloud tops at closest approach, well inside the jovian rings, and recorded the electrical signatures of high-velocity impacts with small particles as it traversed the equator.

MicroRNA-645 is an oncogenic regulator in colon cancer.

Despite advances in early diagnosis and the development of molecularly targeted therapy, curative treatment of colon cancer once it has metastasized is yet to be accomplished. This is closely associated with deregulated CRC cell proliferation and resistance to apoptosis. Here we reveal that upregulation of microRNA-645 (miR-645) through DNA copy number gain is responsible for enhanced proliferation and resistance to apoptosis in colon cancer. MiR-645 was upregulated in most colon cancer tissues related to adjacent normal mucosa. This appeared to be associated with amplification of a section of chromosome 20q13.13, where miR-645 is located. Inhibition of miR-645 reduced proliferation and enhanced sensitivity to apoptosis triggered by the chemotherapeutic drugs 5-fluorouracil and cisplatin in CRC cells, and retarded colon cancer xenograft growth. Conversely, overexpression of miR-645 in normal colon epithelial cells enhanced proliferation and triggered anchorage-independent cell growth. Although SRY-related HMG-box 30 (SOX30) was identified as a miR-645 target, its expression was only partially affected by miR-645, suggesting that miR-645 is a fine-tuning mechanism of SOX30 expression. Moreover, overexpression of SOX30 only moderately inhibited promotion of CRC cell proliferation by miR-645, indicating that miR-645 may have more targets that contribute to its pro-proliferation effect in colon cancer. Together, this study reveals that miR-645 can regulate oncogenesis in colon cancer with SOX30 being one of its targets.

Using data mining to predict success in a weight loss trial.

BACKGROUND: Traditional methods for predicting weight loss success use regression approaches, which make the assumption that the relationships between the independent and dependent (or logit of the dependent) variable are linear. The aim of the present study was to investigate the relationship between common demographic and early weight loss variables to predict weight loss success at 12 months without making this assumption. METHODS: Data mining methods (decision trees, generalised additive models and multivariate adaptive regression splines), in addition to logistic regression, were employed to predict: (i) weight loss success (defined as ≥5%) at the end of a 12-month dietary intervention using demographic variables [body mass index (BMI), sex and age]; percentage weight loss at 1 month; and (iii) the difference between actual and predicted weight loss using an energy balance model. The methods were compared by assessing model parsimony and the area under the curve (AUC). RESULTS: The decision tree provided the most clinically useful model and had a good accuracy (AUC 0.720 95% confidence interval = 0.600-0.840). Percentage weight loss at 1 month (≥0.75%) was the strongest predictor for successful weight loss. Within those individuals losing ≥0.75%, individuals with a BMI (≥27 kg m-2 ) were more likely to be successful than those with a BMI between 25 and 27 kg m-2 . CONCLUSIONS: Data mining methods can provide a more accurate way of assessing relationships when conventional assumptions are not met. In the present study, a decision tree provided the most parsimonious model. Given that early weight loss cannot be predicted before randomisation, incorporating this information into a post randomisation trial design may give better weight loss results.

Erratum: Excitation of Chirping Whistler Waves in a Laboratory Plasma [Phys. Rev. Lett. 114, 245002 (2015)].

This corrects the article DOI: 10.1103/PhysRevLett.114.245002.

Charm and beauty quark masses in the MMHT2014 global PDF analysis.

We investigate the variation in the MMHT2014 PDFs when we allow the heavy-quark masses [Formula: see text] and [Formula: see text] to vary away from their default values. We make PDF sets available in steps of [Formula: see text] and [Formula: see text], and present the variation in the PDFs and in the predictions. We examine the comparison to the HERA data on charm and beauty structure functions and note that in each case the heavy-quark data, and the inclusive data, have a slight preference for lower masses than our default values. We provide PDF sets with three and four active quark flavours, as well as the standard value of five flavours. We use the pole mass definition of the quark masses, as in the default MMHT2014 analysis, but briefly comment on the [Formula: see text] definition.

Circulating CD36+ microparticles are not altered by docosahexaenoic or eicosapentaenoic acid supplementation.

BACKGROUND AND AIMS: Circulating microparticles (MP) are the source of a plasma derived form of the scavenger receptor CD36, termed soluble (s)CD36, the levels of which correlate with markers of atherosclerosis and risk of cardiovascular disease. Long chain n-3 polyunsaturated fatty acids have cardioprotective effects that we have previously reported to be gender specific. The aim of this study was to determine if dietary docosahexaenoic acid (DHA) and/or eicosapentaenoic acid (EPA) supplementation affect circulating CD36 + MP levels, and if this occurs differentially in healthy men and women. METHODS AND RESULTS: Participants (43M, 51F) aged 39.6 ± 1.7 years received 4 weeks of daily supplementation with DHA rich (200 mg EPA; 1000 mg DHA), EPA rich (1000 mg EPA; 200 mg DHA), or placebo (sunola) oil in a double-blinded, randomised, placebo controlled trial. Plasma CD36 + MP were enumerated by flow cytometry and differences between genders and treatments were evaluated by Student's or paired t-test and one way ANOVA. Males and females had similar levels of CD36 + MP at baseline (mean = 1018 ± 325 vs 980 ± 318; p = 0.577) and these were not significantly changed after DHA (M, p = 0.571; F, p = 0.444) or EPA (M, p = 0.361; F, p = 0.901) supplementation. Likewise, the overall percent change in these levels were not different between supplemented cohorts compared to placebo when all participants were combined (% change in CD36 + MP: DHA = 5.7 ± 37.5, EPA = -3.4 ± 35.4, placebo = -11.5 ± 32.9; p = 0.158) or stratified by gender (M, DHA = -2.6 ± 30.6, EPA = -15.1 ± 20.1, placebo = -21.4 ± 28.7, p = 0.187; F, DHA = 11.7 ± 41.5, EPA = 6.8 ± 42.9, placebo = -2.8 ± 34.7, p = 0.552). CONCLUSION: The cardioprotective effects of DHA and EPA do not act through a CD36 + MP mechanism.

The impact of the final HERA combined data on PDFs obtained from a global fit.

We investigate the effect of including the HERA run I + II combined cross section data on the MMHT2014 PDFs. We present the fit quality within the context of the global fit and when only the HERA data are included. We examine the changes in both the central values and the uncertainties in the PDFs. We find that the prediction for the data is good, and only relatively small improvements in [Formula: see text] and changes in the PDFs are obtained with a refit at both NLO and NNLO. PDF uncertainties are slightly reduced. There is a small dependence of the fit quality on the value of [Formula: see text]. This can be improved by phenomenologically motived corrections to [Formula: see text] which parametrically are largely in the form of higher-twist type contributions.

INPP4B is an oncogenic regulator in human colon cancer.

Inositol polyphosphate 4-phosphatase type II (INPP4B) negatively regulates phosphatidylinositol 3-kinase signaling and is a tumor suppressor in some types of cancers. However, we have found that it is frequently upregulated in human colon cancer cells. Here we show that silencing of INPP4B blocks activation of Akt and serum- and glucocorticoid-regulated kinase 3 (SGK3), inhibits colon cancer cell proliferation and retards colon cancer xenograft growth. Conversely, overexpression of INPP4B increases proliferation and triggers anchorage-independent growth of normal colon epithelial cells. Moreover, we demonstrate that the effect of INPP4B on Akt and SGK3 is associated with inactivation of phosphate and tensin homolog through its protein phosphatase activity and that the increase in INPP4B is due to Ets-1-mediated transcriptional upregulation in colon cancer cells. Collectively, these results suggest that INPP4B may function as an oncogenic driver in colon cancer, with potential implications for targeting INPP4B as a novel approach to treat this disease.

Uncertainties on [Formula: see text] in the MMHT2014 global PDF analysis and implications for SM predictions.

We investigate the uncertainty in the strong coupling [Formula: see text] when allowing it to be a free parameter in the recent MMHT global analyses of deep-inelastic and related hard scattering data that was undertaken to determine the parton distribution functions (PDFs) of the proton. The analysis uses the standard framework of leading twist fixed-order collinear factorisation in the [Formula: see text] scheme. We study the constraints on [Formula: see text] coming from individual data sets by repeating the NNLO and NLO fits spanning the range 0.108 to 0.128 in units of 0.001, making all PDFs sets available. The inclusion of the cross section for inclusive [Formula: see text] production allows us to explore the correlation between the mass [Formula: see text] of the top quark and [Formula: see text]. We find that the best-fit values are [Formula: see text] and [Formula: see text] at NLO and NNLO, respectively, with the central values changing to [Formula: see text] and 0.1178 when the world average of [Formula: see text] is used as a data point. We investigate the interplay between the uncertainties on [Formula: see text] and on the PDFs. In particular we calculate the cross sections for key processes at the LHC and show how the uncertainties from the PDFs and from [Formula: see text] can be provided independently and be combined.

Excitation of Chirping Whistler Waves in a Laboratory Plasma.

Whistler mode chorus emissions with a characteristic frequency chirp are important magnetospheric waves, responsible for the acceleration of outer radiation belt electrons to relativistic energies and also for the scattering loss of these electrons into the atmosphere. Here, we report on the first laboratory experiment where whistler waves exhibiting fast frequency chirping have been artificially produced using a beam of energetic electrons launched into a cold plasma. Frequency chirps are only observed for a narrow range of plasma and beam parameters, and show a strong dependence on beam density, plasma density, and magnetic field gradient. Broadband whistler waves similar to magnetospheric hiss are also observed, and the parameter ranges for each emission are quantified.

Parton distributions in the LHC era: MMHT 2014 PDFs.

We present LO, NLO and NNLO sets of parton distribution functions (PDFs) of the proton determined from global analyses of the available hard scattering data. These MMHT2014 PDFs supersede the 'MSTW2008' parton sets, but they are obtained within the same basic framework. We include a variety of new data sets, from the LHC, updated Tevatron data and the HERA combined H1 and ZEUS data on the total and charm structure functions. We also improve the theoretical framework of the previous analysis. These new PDFs are compared to the 'MSTW2008' parton sets. In most cases the PDFs, and the predictions, are within one standard deviation of those of MSTW2008. The major changes are the [Formula: see text] valence quark difference at small [Formula: see text] due to an improved parameterisation and, to a lesser extent, the strange quark PDF due to the effect of certain LHC data and a better treatment of the [Formula: see text] branching ratio. We compare our MMHT PDF sets with those of other collaborations; in particular with the NNPDF3.0 sets, which are contemporary with the present analysis.

Spatially resolved transient dynamics of charge density waves in NbSe(3).

We have developed methods for acquiring temporally and spatially resolved spectrograms of the velocity of sliding charge-density waves (CDWs), allowing unprecedented access to CDW dynamics. Complex transients arising from the interplay between elastic and plastic processes occur when the driving field direction is reversed. A transient spectral component due to shear elasticity can be unambiguously identified, and allows the most direct determination to date of the CDW's shear elastic modulus. Near current contacts, initially elastic displacements are followed by an elastic-to-plastic transition. A simple model provides a semiquantitative account of many aspects of these transients.

An impenetrable barrier to ultrarelativistic electrons in the Van Allen radiation belts.

Early observations indicated that the Earth's Van Allen radiation belts could be separated into an inner zone dominated by high-energy protons and an outer zone dominated by high-energy electrons. Subsequent studies showed that electrons of moderate energy (less than about one megaelectronvolt) often populate both zones, with a deep 'slot' region largely devoid of particles between them. There is a region of dense cold plasma around the Earth known as the plasmasphere, the outer boundary of which is called the plasmapause. The two-belt radiation structure was explained as arising from strong electron interactions with plasmaspheric hiss just inside the plasmapause boundary, with the inner edge of the outer radiation zone corresponding to the minimum plasmapause location. Recent observations have revealed unexpected radiation belt morphology, especially at ultrarelativistic kinetic energies (more than five megaelectronvolts). Here we analyse an extended data set that reveals an exceedingly sharp inner boundary for the ultrarelativistic electrons. Additional, concurrently measured data reveal that this barrier to inward electron radial transport does not arise because of a physical boundary within the Earth's intrinsic magnetic field, and that inward radial diffusion is unlikely to be inhibited by scattering by electromagnetic transmitter wave fields. Rather, we suggest that exceptionally slow natural inward radial diffusion combined with weak, but persistent, wave-particle pitch angle scattering deep inside the Earth's plasmasphere can combine to create an almost impenetrable barrier through which the most energetic Van Allen belt electrons cannot migrate.

Correcting for surface topography in X-ray fluorescence imaging.

Samples with non-planar surfaces present challenges for X-ray fluorescence imaging analysis. Here, approximations are derived to describe the modulation of fluorescence signals by surface angles and topography, and suggestions are made for reducing this effect. A correction procedure is developed that is effective for trace element analysis of samples having a uniform matrix, and requires only a fluorescence map from a single detector. This procedure is applied to fluorescence maps from an incised gypsum tablet.

Patellar ligament rupture in the dog: repair methods and patient outcomes in 43 cases.

The medical records of dogs receiving surgery for unilateral patellar ligament rupture between 1999 and 2012 at 12 multidisciplinary referral centres were reviewed. Forty-three cases were identified; 26 were traumatic in origin; almost one-third were iatrogenic, of which over three-quarters occurred as a complication following surgical stabilisation of patellar luxation. Treatment involved primary reapposition of the ligament (36 cases). The repair was protected by circumpatellar and/or transpatellar loop(s) of orthopaedic wire, nylon, polypropylene or polydioxanone suture (34 cases). Wire loops were more likely to require surgical removal compared with loops of other materials (P=0.0014). The stifle joint was immobilised postoperatively by the applications of a transarticular external skeletal fixator (taESF) in 17 cases and by external coaptation (EC) in 8 cases; in 18 cases, no postoperative joint immobilisation was provided. Complications specific to the method of immobilisation occurred in seven of the cases with taESF and six of the cases with EC. Revision surgery to address failure of repair was required in five cases. Outcome was classified as acceptable or good in over three-quarters of the cases (31/40) and poor in less than a quarter (9/40). These data highlight patellar ligament rupture as a complication of surgical stabilisation of patellar luxation.

Direct detection of resonant electron pitch angle scattering by whistler waves in a laboratory plasma.

Resonant interactions between energetic electrons and whistler mode waves are an essential ingredient in the space environment, and in particular in controlling the dynamic variability of Earth's natural radiation belts, which is a topic of extreme interest at the moment. Although the theory describing resonant wave-particle interaction has been present for several decades, it has not been hitherto tested in a controlled laboratory setting. In the present Letter we report on the first laboratory experiment to directly detect resonant pitch angle scattering of energetic (∼keV) electrons due to whistler mode waves. We show that the whistler mode wave deflects energetic electrons at precisely the predicted resonant energy, and that varying both the maximum beam energy, and the wave frequency, alters the energetic electron beam very close to the resonant energy.

Weight loss effects from vegetable intake: a 12-month randomised controlled trial.

BACKGROUND/OBJECTIVES: Direct evidence for the effects of vegetable intake on weight loss is qualified. The study aimed to assess the effect of higher vegetable consumption on weight loss. SUBJECTS/METHODS: A single blind parallel controlled trial was conducted with 120 overweight adults (mean body mass index=29.98 kg/m(2)) randomised to two energy deficit healthy diet advice groups differing only by doubling the serving (portion) sizes of vegetables in the comparator group. Data were analysed as intention-to-treat using a linear mixed model. Spearmans rho bivariate was used to explore relationships between percentage energy from vegetables and weight loss. RESULTS: After 12 months, the study sample lost 6.5±5.2 kg (P<0.001 time) with no difference between groups (P>0.05 interaction). Both groups increased vegetable intake and lost weight in the first 3 months, and the change in weight was significantly correlated with higher proportions of energy consumed as vegetables (rho=-0.217, P=0.024). Fasting glucose, insulin and triglyceride levels decreased (P<0.001 time) and high-density lipoprotein cholesterol levels increased (P<0.001 time), with no difference between groups. Weight loss was sustained for 12 months by both groups, but the comparator group reported greater hunger satisfaction (P=0.005). CONCLUSIONS: Advice to consume a healthy low-energy diet leads to sustained weight loss, with reductions in cardiovascular disease risk factors regardless of an emphasis on more vegetables. In the short term, consuming a higher proportion of the dietary energy as vegetables may support a greater weight loss and the dietary pattern appears sustainable.