Measurement of the Positive Muon Anomalous Magnetic Moment to 0.46 ppm.

We present the first results of the Fermilab National Accelerator Laboratory (FNAL) Muon g-2 Experiment for the positive muon magnetic anomaly a_{µ}≡(g_{µ}-2)/2. The anomaly is determined from the precision measurements of two angular frequencies. Intensity variation of high-energy positrons from muon decays directly encodes the difference frequency ω_{a} between the spin-precession and cyclotron frequencies for polarized muons in a magnetic storage ring. The storage ring magnetic field is measured using nuclear magnetic resonance probes calibrated in terms of the equivalent proton spin precession frequency ω[over ˜]_{p}^{'} in a spherical water sample at 34.7 °C. The ratio ω_{a}/ω[over ˜]_{p}^{'}, together with known fundamental constants, determines a_{µ}(FNAL)=116 592 040(54)×10^{-11} (0.46 ppm). The result is 3.3 standard deviations greater than the standard model prediction and is in excellent agreement with the previous Brookhaven National Laboratory (BNL) E821 measurement. After combination with previous measurements of both µ^{+} and µ^{-}, the new experimental average of a_{µ}(Exp)=116 592 061(41)×10^{-11} (0.35 ppm) increases the tension between experiment and theory to 4.2 standard deviations.

Integration of imaging and molecular approaches in selective fetal reduction in twin pregnancies with one carrying a pathogenic genomic aberration.

BACKGROUND/PURPOSE: With the evolution of assisted fertility and prenatal diagnostic technology, the prevalence of multi-fetal pregnancy increased, followed by the demand for prenatal intervention if genomic aberration was detected. How to distinguish the affected foetus from the normal co-twin before selective fetal reduction is therefore challenging. OBJECTIVES: We retrospectively reviewed the cases of dichorionic twins at our centre during 2004-2018, where selective fetal reduction was requested because one foetus carried a pathogenic genomic aberration. Five cases were enrolled, including three foetuses with trisomy 21, one foetus with microduplication and one foetus with microdeletion disorders. METHOD: We labelled the affected foetus by prenatal ultrasound and rapid molecular tools. For the twins without discriminating sonographic features (e.g., the same gender and no distinct placentae), interphase fluorescence in situ hybridization, rapid microarray and short tandem repeat markers were applied to identify the affected foetus. RESULTS: Selective fetal reduction was allocated accurately for all individuals. Two cases delivered at term, while two delivered preterm, and one developed fetal loss of the co-twin. CONCLUSION: We proposed a working scheme of integrating imaging and molecular techniques to correctly identify the affected co-twin before selective fetal reduction to ensure the accuracy of the identification.

Quaternary ZnCdSeTe nanowires.

We report the growth of needle-like high density quaternary ZnCdSeTe nanowires on oxidized Si(100) substrate using vapor-liquid-solid mechanism by molecular beam epitaxy with an Au-based nanocatalyst. It was found that average length and average diameter of the nanowires were 1.3 microm and 91 nm, respectively. It was also found that the as-grown ZnCdSeTe nanowires exhibit mixture of cubic zinc-blende and hexagonal wurtzite structures. Energy depersive results indicate that composition ratio of our nanowire should be Zn0.87Cd0.13Se0.98Te0.02, which agrees excellently with the designated composition ratio of Zn0.87Cd0.13Se0.98Te0.02.

Statistical sensitivity estimates for oscillating electric dipole moment measurements in storage rings.

In this paper analytical expressions are derived to describe the spin motion of a particle in magnetic and electric fields in the presence of an axion field causing an oscillating electric dipole moment (EDM). These equations are used to estimate statistical sensitivities for axion searches at storage rings. The estimates obtained from the analytic expressions are compared to numerical estimates from simulations in Chang et al. (Phys Rev D 99(8):083002, 2019). A good agreement is found.

Developmentally controlled expression of immunoglobulin VH genes.

Although antibody diversity arises mainly from apparently random combinatorial and somatic mutational mechanisms acting upon a limited number of germline antibody genes, the antibody repertoire develops in an ordered fashion during mammalian ontogeny. A series of early pre-B and B-lymphocyte cell lines were examined to determine whether an ordered rearrangement of gene families of the variable region of immunoglobulin heavy chains (VH) may be the basis for the programmed development of the antibody response. The results indicated that the VH repertoire of fetal B-lineage cells is largely restricted to the VH 7183 gene family and that subsequent recruitment of additional VH gene families occurs during neonatal development. These results have important implications in understanding the ontogeny of immune function.

Congenital cutaneous mucinosis with spontaneous regression: an atypical cutaneous mucinosis of infancy?

The nomenclature and classification of cutaneous mucinosis is quite complex. An updated classification of idiopathic cutaneous mucinosis (lichen myxoedematosus), included three clinicopathological subsets: a generalized papular and sclerodermoid form, a localized papular form, and an atypical or intermediate form. Cutaneous mucinosis occurring in infancy is very rare. We report a 7-month-old boy with a history of multiple opalescent papules over his fingers and toes since birth. The lesions spontaneously regressed and became indiscernible after 5 years of clinical follow-up. The condition was similar to cutaneous mucinosis of infancy but was also unique because of its spontaneous regression and acral location.

Calcitonin promotes outgrowth of trophoblast cells on endometrial epithelial cells: involvement of calcium mobilization and protein kinase C activation.

Embryo implantation is a complex process that requires coordinated trophoblast-endometrial interactions. During implantation, trophoblast cells of the attached blastocyst penetrate the luminal epithelium of the endometrium before invasion into the endometrial stroma. Previous studies demonstrated that calcitonin was actively secreted by rat and human endometrial epithelial cells (EEC) during the implantation window and targeted disruption of endometrial calcitonin expression dramatically decreased embryo implantation rates; however, the role and signal transduction of calcitonin in trophoblast-endometrial interactions remained unclear and are therefore examined in this study. BeWo trophoblast and RL95-2 EEC lines were used because they preserve many properties of their respective normal tissues. We co-cultured BeWo trophoblast spheroids with RL95-2 EEC monolayers to mimic the blastocyst-endometrial interaction, and found that most spheroids quickly attached to EEC monolayers and then progressively expanded, with marked displacement of EEC adjacent to the outgrowing trophoblast cells. Interestingly, pretreatment of EEC monolayers with calcitonin before the addition of spheroids significantly enhanced trophoblast expansion on EEC monolayers. Cytosolic calcium (Ca(2+)) levels in EEC increased rapidly upon exposure to calcitonin, and blockade of Ca(2+) release by BAPTA-AM effectively prevented the promoting effect of calcitonin on trophoblast expansion on EEC. The Ca(2+)-dependent protein kinase C (PKC) was also activated in EEC after calcitonin treatment, and the PKC inhibitors staurosporine and calphostin C could completely abolish calcitonin-induced augmentation of trophoblast expansion on EEC. Our results suggest that calcitonin promotes trophoblastic displacement of EEC through calcium mobilization and PKC activation, thereby facilitating embryo implantation.

Anti-fas activating antibody enhances trophoblast outgrowth on endometrial epithelial cells by induction of P38 MAPK/JNK-mediated apoptosis.

In species with hemochorial placentation, such as the mouse and human, trophoblast cells of the implanting blastocyst induce apoptosis and displace endometrial epithelial cells (EEC) to cross the luminal epithelium of the endometrium. Since Fas and Fas ligand (FasL) are expressed in EEC and trophoblast cells respectively and mitogen-activated protein kinases (MAPKs) mediate Fas-induced apoptosis, the roles of Fas/FasL and MAPK signaling in trophoblast-EEC interactions were studied. By co-culturing BeWo trophoblast spheroids with RL95-2 EEC monolayers to mimic blastocyst-endometrial interactions, we found that trophoblast spheroid outgrowth on EEC was significantly enhanced by anti-Fas activating antibody. Since anti-Fas activating antibody had no effect on spheroid expansion on EEC-free culture surfaces, its enhancing effect on spheroid outgrowth on EEC may be mediated by acting on EEC to facilitate trophoblast-induced EEC apoptosis and displacement. Valyl-alanyl-aspartyl-[O-methyl]-fluoromethylketone (VAD-FMK) staining showed that the percentage of apoptotic EEC at the spheroid-EEC interface was markedly increased by anti-Fas activating antibody. Moreover, the pancaspase inhibitor benzyloxycarbonyl-VAD-FMK was able to suppress the enhancing effect of anti-Fas activating antibody on spheroid expansion on EEC. Upon anti-Fas activating antibody stimulation, both p38 MAPK and c-Jun NH(2)-terminal kinase (JNK) were activated. Furthermore, the anti-Fas activating antibody-enhanced EEC apoptosis and spheroid expansion on EEC were significantly inhibited by the p38 MAPK inhibitor SB203580 and JNK inhibitor SP600125. Our results establish that anti-Fas activating antibody could activate p38 MAPK and JNK to induce EEC apoptosis, thereby promoting trophoblast outgrowth on EEC.

The spectrum of the factor 8 (F8) defects in Taiwanese patients with haemophilia A.

Haemophilia A (HA) is an X-linked recessive bleeding disorder caused by various types of pathological defects in the factor VIII gene (F8), which encodes coagulation factor VIII (FVIII). To date, several studies on the spectra of F8 defects have been performed in Western populations, but similar studies in Asian races are scarce. Here, we report the distribution of the mutations within the F8 gene in 31 Taiwanese unrelated HA patients (19 severe and 10 moderate/mild males and two severe females). Of these, 12 (38.7%) and one (3.2%) severe males were genotyped with the recurrent IVS22 and IVS1 inversion, respectively, similar to that in general populations (IVS22: 40-50%; IVS1: 2-5%). The F8 defects in the remaining 18 inversion-negative patients cover a wide spectrum, in which 17 different mutations were identified (10 missense and three nonsense mutations, and two small and two large deletions). Eleven of these mutations are novel: seven caused missense substitutions and four resulted in truncated proteins. To assess the putative pathogenetic impacts of the newly amino acid substitutions, computer analyses were performed based on molecular 3D modelling. The degree of conservation in cross-species FVIIIs and the position in known functional FVIII regions were studied. The novel missense mutations found in our series all occurred at evolutionary conserved residues that may carry a functional importance in our analyses. The results of this study add the short list of Taiwanese/Chinese F8 mutations, and will enhance our understanding of the molecular basis of FVIII function and the mechanism underlying HA.

Modification of the measurement of the major variables in mandibular condylar fractures: angulation of sidewards displacement and shortening of the height of the ramus.

Our aim was to improve the accuracy of measurement of the angulation and the shortening of the height of the ramus in fractures of the mandibular condyle using modified methods. We analysed spiral computed tomography (CT) of 67 unilateral fractures with the OsiriX v 5.0 (©Pixmeo Sarl) and Mimics 19.0 (©2016 Materialise NV, Belgium) and analysed them with SPSS (version 24.0, IBM® SPSS®). Angulation was measured using both the traditional method and our modified method. The results showed significant difference (p = 0.0001), and the values measured with the traditional method were lower, which is consistent with geometric analysis. We repositioned the condylar fragment with computer-aided surgical simulation and measured the shortened ramus. We were unable to find a significant difference between these values and those measured with our modified method (p = 0.053), so the accuracy of the modified method is acceptable. The measurement of the height of the ramus by our modified method is applicable to patients with unilateral, and those with bilateral, fractures. The accuracy in measurement of the major variables of condylar fractures is acceptable in both theory and practice. On the basis of such accurate measurement, more prospective clinical study is needed to find out the most appropriate treatment for condylar fractures.

A high loading overland flow system: Impacts on soil characteristics, grass constituents, yields and nutrient removal.

The objectives of this paper are to determine effects of different grass species and their harvests on pollutant removal, elucidate impacts on soil characteristics and grass constituents, observe grass yield and quantify nutrient uptake by vegetation in an overland flow system (OLFS). Polluted creek water was applied to eight channels in the OLFS, which were planted with Paragrass, Nilegrass, Cattail, and Vetiver, with each two channels being randomly planted with a given grass species. The grass in one channel was harvested while that in the other channel was not. At a high rate of 27.8 m d(-1) hydraulic loading, the removal efficiencies of conventional pollutants such as BOD, COD, suspended solids (SS), and total coliforms in wastewater are not affected by the type of the grasses species, but those of nitrogen and phosphorus are affected by different species. Overall average removal efficiencies of BOD, COD, SS, ammonia, total nitrogen, total phosphorus and total coliforms through the OLFS are 42%, 48%, 78%, 47%, 40%, 33% and 89%, respectively. The concentration of nitrate, however, increases due to nitrification. Soil characteristics in OLFS have been changed significantly; specific conductivity, organic matter, exchangeable magnesium, extractable copper and zinc in soils all increase with time while pHs decrease. During the winter season, there is a significant accumulation of nitrate in grass with the subsequent reduction during the active growing season (Spring). The contents of nitrate and phosphorus in grass tissue are higher than those of grass in general pastureland, probably due to nutrient luxury uptake by grass. The overall grass yield, growth rate and nutrient uptake are quantified and implication of such high rate OLFS discussed.

Supercritical carbon dioxide extract exhibits enhanced antioxidant and anti-inflammatory activities of Physalis peruviana.

Physalis peruviana L. (PP) is a medicinal herb widely used in folk medicine. In this study, supercritical carbon dioxide (SFE-CO2) method was employed to obtain three different PP extracts, namely SCEPP-0, SCEPP-4 and SCEPP-5. The total flavonoid and phenol concentrations, as well as antioxidant and anti-inflammatory activities of these extracts were analyzed and compared with aqueous and ethanolic PP extracts. Among all the extracts tested, SCEPP-5 demonstrated the highest total flavonoid (234.63+/-9.61 mg/g) and phenol (90.80+/-2.21 mg/g) contents. At concentrations 0.1-30 microg/ml, SCEPP-5 also demonstrated the strongest superoxide anion scavenging activity and xanthine oxidase inhibitory effect. At 30 microg/ml, SCEPP-5 significantly prevented lipopolysaccharide (LPS; 1 microg/ml)-induced cell cytotoxicity in murine macrophage (Raw 264.7) cells. At 10-50 microg/ml, it also significantly inhibited LPS-induced NO release and PGE2 formation in a dose-dependent pattern. SCEPP-5 at 30 microg/ml remarkably blocked the LPS induction of inducible nitric oxide synthase (iNOS) and cyclooxygenase-2 (COX-2) expression. Taken together, these results suggest that SCEPP-5, an extract of SFE-CO2, displayed the strongest antioxidant and anti-inflammatory activities as compared to other extracts. Its protection against LPS-induced inflammation could be through the inhibition of iNOS and COX-2 expression.

Relationships between sleep quality, physical fitness and body mass index in college freshmen.

AIM: The aim of this study was to analyze the association between poor sleep quality with BMI and health-related physical fitness among college freshmen. METHODS: The participants were college freshmen enrolled in 2011. Sleep quality was assessed using the Pittsburgh Sleep Quality Index (PSQI). A global PSQI score of 5 and total sleep time (TST) of 7 hours were used to differentiate between poor and good sleepers. Various Body Mass Index (BMI) ranges were used to categorize groups of underweight, normal weight and overweight. Health-related fitness was measured by Sit-And-Reach, Curl-Up, and Run/Walk Tests. RESULTS: A substantial proportion of college students were affected by poor sleep quality. Significantly more females were poor sleepers and had a TST shorter than 7 hrs. No difference in the proportions of participants categorized based on BMI between male and female students. Males generally scored better on health-related physical fitness tests than females. All results of physical fitness tests were significantly correlated with BMI, sleep quality (global PSQI), and TST in both males and females. Pool sleepers were associated with a higher BMI and lower performance of physical fitness. TST was negatively associated with BMI and time length to complete 1600-m or 800-m Run/Walk Test, and positively correlated with the performance of Sit-And-Reach and Curl-Up Tests in both genders. CONCLUSION: Poorer sleep quality and decreased TST were associated with lower performance in health-related physical fitness assessment among college students. Health promotion and educational programs for young adults should emphasize the importance of sleep quality and TST.

Differences in the ratio of bioactive to immunoreactive serum luteinizing hormone during vasomotor flushes and hormonal therapy in postmenopausal women.

With the recognition of differences between serum bioactive (bio) and immunoreactive (i) LH concentrations in various clinical situations, we measured changes in the bio:i LH ratio in postmenopausal (PM) women in response to iv GnRH, during the vasomotor flush, and in response to both estrogen and progestin treatment. Bio LH was measured using the mouse interstitial cell assay and LER 907 as standard, with conversion to milliinternational units per ml (Second International Reference Preparation of human menopausal gonadotropin). In 22 PM women, aged 42-56 yr, serum bio LH [455 +/- 73 (+/- SE) mIU/ml] and the bio:i LH ratio (8.3 +/- 0.7) were significantly higher than in premenopausal women (25.5 +/- 5 mIU/ml and 1.5 +/- 0.2, respectively; P less than 0.002). In response to 150 micrograms iv GnRH, there was a greater rise in levels of iLH and bioLH in PM women than in premenopausal women, but there were no changes in the bio:i LH ratio after GnRH. During nine flushing episodes in three women, documented by digital temperature and iLH pulses, there was a significant increase in the bio:i LH ratio (P less than 0.001). After treatment of seven PM women for 2 months with 0.625 mg conjugated estrogens and seven other PM women with 150 mg im depomedroxyprogesterone acetate, vasomotor symptoms decreased significantly. Serum iLH did not change after treatment, but bio:i LH ratios decreased significantly, and 7 of 14 women had levels in the premenopausal range. These data suggest that bioLH and the bio:i LH ratio correlate better than iLH with symptomatology in PM women.

Assessment of the role of naturally acquired antibody levels to Plasmodium falciparum merozoite surface protein-1 in protecting Papua New Guinean children from malaria morbidity.

We investigated the prevalence and magnitude of naturally acquired humoral immune response to the major merozoite surface protein (MSP-1) in a malaria-endemic population in Papua New Guinea. A prospective longitudinal study in 0.5-15-year-old children was conducted for one year to examine the relationship between acquired immune response to MSP-1 and subsequent susceptibility to clinical disease. The prevalence and concentration of antibodies to both N-(195A) and C-terminal (BVp42) regions of MSP-1 as well as to the parasite-derived MSP-1 increased with age, with the highest prevalence and concentration of antibodies being detected for the parasite-derived MSP-1 molecule and the C-terminal region of MSP-1. As malaria morbidity decreases with age, a significant negative correlation was observed between antibody levels to both 195A and BVp42 and the incidence rate of clinical malaria. When age and past exposure were corrected for, only antibody concentrations against BVp42 and to a lesser extent parasite-derived MSP-1 were significantly associated with protection from clinical malaria and severe parasitemia. The reduction in the incidence rate of clinical malaria observed in individuals with high antibody concentration to MSP-1 may be due to antibodies directed against epitopes within the C-terminal region of MSP-1.

Pharmacokinetic and pharmacodynamic studies with 4'-epi-doxorubicin in nasopharyngeal carcinoma patients.

The plasma pharmacokinetic profile of 4'-epidoxorubicin (epirubicin) was investigated in 28 patients with nasopharyngeal carcinoma (NPC) after single i.v. rapid infusions. All patients had normal liver and renal functions. Plasma concentrations of the parent compound were specifically determined by a high-performance liquid chromatographic (HPLC) method, with UV detection at 254 nm. Plasma levels of the compound were fitted to a three-compartment open model; a triexponential decrease in plasma concentrations with a long terminal plasma half-life (44.8 +/- 21.2 h) was observed in 27 patients. The respective mean (+/- SD) serum concentration at 72 h and the AUC, plasma clearance, and terminal elimination rate constant in complete responders were 7.67 +/- 1.98 ng/ml, 4,002 +/- 3,080 ng.h/ml, 26.6 +/- 12.9 l/h.m2, and 0.009 +/- 0.007 l/h, whereas those in nonresponders were 4.96 +/- 1.8 ng/ml, 1.88 +/- 652.8 ng.h/ml, 44.4 +/- 15 l/h.m2, and 0.017 +/- 0.006 l/h, respectively; these differences were significant (P less than 0.05). Epirubicin produced a 52% response rate, including 6 patients with a complete response, 8 with a partial response, 11 with no change, and 2 with progressive disease. No relationship could be found between the various pharmacokinetic parameters and either leukopenia, age, or sex. These observations strongly suggest that plasma clearance may be one of the determining factors affecting the response or nonresponse of NPC patients to epirubicin, and a dose adjustment according to plasma clearance would probably increase the response rate.

Proximal slowing in carpal tunnel syndrome resulting from either conduction block or retrograde degeneration.

In the carpal tunnel syndrome (CTS), decreased conduction velocity (CV) of the median nerve in the forearm segment has been ascribed to an electrodiagnostic artefact rather than pathophysiological changes. Standard CV of the forearm segment is calculated by subtracting the distal latency, which may not represent an exact assessment of CV in the proximal median nerve. A new technique modified from the method of Stoehr et al. and Pease et al. can exactly measure CV over the forearm. Using this new technique, the forearm nerve action potentials (FNAP) amplitude and forearm nerve conduction velocity (FNCV) proximal to the wrist can be directly determined. Normal subjects and patients with CTS were studied by both the standard and the new FNAP methods. Patients were divided into subgroups according to the severity derived from standard electro-diagnostic findings. By comparing the normal control and patient subgroups, the results show that there was a significant decrease in FNAP amplitudes proportional to severity, but FNCV was reduced to a lesser extent. In addition, the standard forearm median motor CV (MMCV) correlated well with severity, but the reduced MMCV did not correlate with the decreased FNCV. These findings suggest that retrograde degeneration of the median nerve does exist in CTS; however, retrograde degeneration contributes little to the reduced forearm MMCV which substantially results from the block of faster conduction fibres at the wrist. Therefore, technique artefact plays a major role in causing the proximal slowing in the standard electrodiagnosis.

Acquired antibody levels to Plasmodium falciparum merozoite surface antigen 1 in residents of a highly endemic area of Papua New Guinea.

The prevalence and concentration of antibodies to a yeast-expressed N-terminal region (195A) and a baculo-virus-expressed C-terminal region (BVp42) of merozoite surface antigen 1 (MSA-1) were measured during a cross-sectional survey in the Wosera area of East Sepik Province, Papua New Guinea, in order to obtain baseline data on naturally acquired antibody response to this antigen in preparation for a vaccine trial. Overall, the seropositivity rate was 78% for 195A and 91% for BVp42. Although antibody prevalence to both molecules increased with age, higher antibody prevalence rates were observed for BVp42 in all age groups studied. In children, significant positive associations were found between parasite prevalence and antibody prevalence for both regions of MSA-1 and between spleen rates and anti-BVp42 antibody prevalence. Concentration of antibody against both regions increased significantly with age, but was always higher for BVp42. In children, antibody levels to both regions of MSA-1 were significantly higher in those infected (symptomatic and asymptomatic), while in adults no significant difference in antibody concentration was observed between those infected and those uninfected. However, enlarged spleens were associated with higher antibody concentration to both regions of MSA-1 in both children and adults. The C-terminal of MSA-1 appeared to be more recognized than the N-terminal, in terms of both antibody prevalence and concentration.