Search for new phenomena in final states with an energetic jet and large missing transverse momentum in pp collisions at √ s = 8 TeV with the ATLAS detector

Results of a search for new phenomena in final states with an energetic jet and large missing transverse momentum are reported. The search uses 20.3 fb−1 of √ s = 8 TeV data collected in 2012 with the ATLAS detector at the LHC. Events are required to have at least one jet with pT > 120 GeV and no leptons. Nine signal regions are considered with increasing missing transverse momentum requirements between Emiss T > 150 GeV and Emiss T > 700 GeV. Good agreement is observed between the number of events in data and Standard Model expectations. The results are translated into exclusion limits on models with either large extra spatial dimensions, pair production of weakly interacting dark matter candidates, or production of very light gravitinos in a gauge-mediated supersymmetric model. In addition, limits on the production of an invisibly decaying Higgs-like boson leading to similar topologies in the final state are presente

The Effect of Intra-Abdominal Hypertension Incorporating Severe Acute Pancreatitis in a Porcine Model

Introduction: Abdominal compartment syndrome (ACS) and intra abdominal hypertension(IAH) are common clinical findings in patients with severe acute pancreatitis(SAP). It is thought that an increased intra abdominal pressure(IAP) is associated with poor prognosis in SAP patients. But the detailed effect of IAH/ACS on different organ system is not clear. The aim of this study was to assess the effect of SAP combined with IAH on hemodynamics, systemic oxygenation, and organ damage in a 12 h lasting porcine model

RAGE Expression in Human T Cells: A Link between Environmental Factors and Adaptive Immune Responses

The Receptor for Advanced Glycation Endproducts (RAGE) is a scavenger ligand that binds glycated endproducts as well as molecules released during cell death such as S100b and HMGB1. RAGE is expressed on antigen presenting cells where it may participate in activation of innate immune responses but its role in adaptive human immune responses has not been described. We have found that RAGE is expressed intracellularly in human T cells following TCR activation but constitutively on T cells from patients with diabetes. The levels of RAGE on T cells from patients with diabetes are not related to the level of glucose control. It co-localizes to the endosomes. Its expression increases in activated T cells from healthy control subjects but bystander cells also express RAGE after stimulation of the antigen specific T cells. RAGE ligands enhance RAGE expression. In patients with T1D, the level of RAGE expression decreases with T cell activation. RAGE+ T cells express higher levels of IL-17A, CD107a, and IL-5 than RAGE− cells from the same individual with T1D. Our studies have identified the expression of RAGE on adaptive immune cells and a role for this receptor and its ligands in modulating human immune responses

Oncolytic measles viruses encoding interferon β and the thyroidal sodium iodide symporter gene for mesothelioma virotherapy

Mesothelioma usually leads to death within 8–14 months of diagnosis. To increase the potency of oncolytic measles viruses (MVs) for mesothelioma therapy, we inserted the interferon β (IFNβ) gene alone or with the human thyroidal sodium iodide symporter (NIS) gene into attenuated MV of the Edmonston lineage. The corresponding mouse IFNβ (mIFNβ) viruses, MV-mIFNβ and MV-mIFNβ-NIS, successfully propagated in human mesothelioma cells, leading to intercellular fusion and cell death. High levels of mIFNβ were detected in the supernatants of the infected cells, and radioiodine uptake was substantial in the cells infected with MV-mIFNβ-NIS. MV with mIFNβ expression triggered CD68-positive immune cell infiltration 2–4 times higher than MV-GFP injected into the tumor site. The numbers of CD31-positive vascular endothelial cells within the tumor were decreased at day 7 after intratumoral injection of MV-mIFNβ or MV-mIFNβ-NIS, but not after MV-GFP and PBS administration. Immunohistochemical analysis showed that MV-mIFNβ changed the microenvironment of the mesothelioma by increasing innate immune cell infiltration and inhibiting tumor angiogenesis. Oncolytic MVs coding for IFNβ effectively retarded growth of human mesotheliomas and prolonged survival time in several mesothelioma tumor models. The results suggest that oncolytic MVs that code for IFNβ and NIS will be potent and versatile agents for the treatment of human mesothelioma

Transcriptome Analysis of H2O2-Treated Wheat Seedlings Reveals a H2O2-Responsive Fatty Acid Desaturase Gene Participating in Powdery Mildew Resistance

Hydrogen peroxide (H2O2) plays important roles in plant biotic and abiotic stress responses. However, the effect of H2O2 stress on the bread wheat transcriptome is still lacking. To investigate the cellular and metabolic responses triggered by H2O2, we performed an mRNA tag analysis of wheat seedlings under 10 mM H2O2 treatment for 6 hour in one powdery mildew (PM) resistant (PmA) and two susceptible (Cha and Han) lines. In total, 6,156, 6,875 and 3,276 transcripts were found to be differentially expressed in PmA, Han and Cha respectively. Among them, 260 genes exhibited consistent expression patterns in all three wheat lines and may represent a subset of basal H2O2 responsive genes that were associated with cell defense, signal transduction, photosynthesis, carbohydrate metabolism, lipid metabolism, redox homeostasis, and transport. Among genes specific to PmA, ‘transport’ activity was significantly enriched in Gene Ontology analysis. MapMan classification showed that, while both up- and down- regulations were observed for auxin, abscisic acid, and brassinolides signaling genes, the jasmonic acid and ethylene signaling pathway genes were all up-regulated, suggesting H2O2-enhanced JA/Et functions in PmA. To further study whether any of these genes were involved in wheat PM response, 19 H2O2-responsive putative defense related genes were assayed in wheat seedlings infected with Blumeria graminis f. sp. tritici (Bgt). Eight of these genes were found to be co-regulated by H2O2 and Bgt, among which a fatty acid desaturase gene TaFAD was then confirmed by virus induced gene silencing (VIGS) to be required for the PM resistance. Together, our data presents the first global picture of the wheat transcriptome under H2O2 stress and uncovers potential links between H2O2 and Bgt responses, hence providing important candidate genes for the PM resistance in wheat