4,504 research outputs found
Prevalence and clinical features of patients with concurrent HBsAg and antiâHBs: Evaluation of the hepatitis B research network cohort
The prevalence of concurrent HBsAg and antiâHBs in plasma of persons with chronic hepatitis B virus (HBV) infection is variable and its clinical significance enigmatic. We examined the prevalence and clinical and virological features of concurrent HBsAg and antiâHBs in children and adults with chronic HBV infection living in North America. A total of 1462 HBsAg positive participants in the Hepatitis B Research Network paediatric and adult cohorts were included (median age 41 (range 4â80) years, 48% female, 11% white, 13% black, 73% Asians). Only 18 (1.2%) were found to be antiâHBs positive (â„10Â mIU/mL) at initial study evaluation. Distributions of sex, race, HBV genotype and ALT were similar between participants with and without concurrent antiâHBs. Those who were antiâHBs positive appeared to be older (median age 50 vs 41Â years, PÂ =Â .06), have lower platelet counts (median 197 vs 222Â ĂÂ 103/mm3, PÂ =Â .07) and have higher prevalence of HBeAg (44% vs 26%, PÂ =Â .10). They also had lower HBsAg levels (median 2.0 vs 3.5Â log10 IU/mL, PÂ =Â .02). Testing of followâup samples after a median of 4Â years (range 1â6) in 12 of the 18 participants with initial concurrent antiâHBs showed antiâHBs became undetectable in 6, decreased to <10Â mIU/mL in 1 and remained positive in 5 participants. Two patients lost HBsAg during followâup. In conclusion, prevalence of concurrent HBsAg and antiâHBs was low at 1.2%, with antiâHBs disappearing in some during followâup, in this large cohort of racially diverse children and adults with chronic HBV infection living in North America. Presence of concurrent HBsAg and antiâHBs did not identify a specific phenotype of chronic hepatitis B, nor did it appear to affect clinical outcomes.Peer Reviewedhttp://deepblue.lib.umich.edu/bitstream/2027.42/156489/3/jvh13312.pdfhttp://deepblue.lib.umich.edu/bitstream/2027.42/156489/2/jvh13312-sup-0001-FigS1-S3.pdfhttp://deepblue.lib.umich.edu/bitstream/2027.42/156489/1/jvh13312_am.pd
The Fokker-Planck equation for bistable potential in the optimized expansion
The optimized expansion is used to formulate a systematic approximation
scheme to the probability distribution of a stochastic system. The first order
approximation for the one-dimensional system driven by noise in an anharmonic
potential is shown to agree well with the exact solution of the Fokker-Planck
equation. Even for a bistable system the whole period of evolution to
equilibrium is correctly described at various noise intensities.Comment: 12 pages, LATEX, 3 Postscript figures compressed an
Modelling radiation-induced cell cycle delays
Ionizing radiation is known to delay the cell cycle progression. In
particular after particle exposure significant delays have been observed and it
has been shown that the extent of delay affects the expression of damage such
as chromosome aberrations. Thus, to predict how cells respond to ionizing
radiation and to derive reliable estimates of radiation risks, information
about radiation-induced cell cycle perturbations is required. In the present
study we describe and apply a method for retrieval of information about the
time-course of all cell cycle phases from experimental data on the mitotic
index only. We study the progression of mammalian cells through the cell cycle
after exposure. The analysis reveals a prolonged block of damaged cells in the
G2 phase. Furthermore, by performing an error analysis on simulated data
valuable information for the design of experimental studies has been obtained.
The analysis showed that the number of cells analyzed in an experimental sample
should be at least 100 to obtain a relative error less than 20%.Comment: 19 pages, 11 figures, accepted for publication in Radiation and
Environmental Biophysic
The Mre11-Rad50-Nbs1 complex mediates activation of TopBP1 by ATM
The activation of ATR-ATRIP in response to double-stranded DNA breaks (DSBs) depends upon ATM in human cells and Xenopus egg extracts. One important aspect of this dependency involves regulation of TopBP1 by ATM. In Xenopus egg extracts, ATM associates with TopBP1 and thereupon phosphorylates it on S1131. This phosphorylation enhances the capacity of TopBP1 to activate the ATR-ATRIP complex. We show that TopBP1 also interacts with the Mre11-Rad50-Nbs1 (MRN) complex in egg extracts in a checkpoint-regulated manner. This interaction involves the Nbs1 subunit of the complex. ATM can no longer interact with TopBP1 in Nbs1-depleted egg extracts, which suggests that the MRN complex helps to bridge ATM and TopBP1 together. The association between TopBP1 and Nbs1 involves the first pair of BRCT repeats in TopBP1. In addition, the two tandem BRCT repeats of Nbs1 are required for this binding. Functional studies with mutated forms of TopBP1 and Nbs1 suggested that the BRCT-dependent association of these proteins is critical for a normal checkpoint response to DSBs. These findings suggest that the MRN complex is a crucial mediator in the process whereby ATM promotes the TopBP1-dependent activation of ATR-ATRIP in response to DSBs
A precision study of the fine tuning in the DiracNMSSM
Recently the DiracNMSSM has been proposed as a possible solution to reduce
the fine tuning in supersymmetry. We determine the degree of fine tuning needed
in the DiracNMSSM with and without non-universal gaugino masses and compare it
with the fine tuning in the GNMSSM. To apply reasonable cuts on the allowed
parameter regions we perform a precise calculation of the Higgs mass. In
addition, we include the limits from direct SUSY searches and dark matter
abundance. We find that both models are comparable in terms of fine tuning,
with the minimal fine tuning in the GNMSSM slightly smaller.Comment: 20 pages + appendices, 10 figure
Quasiparticle Description of the QCD Plasma, Comparison with Lattice Results at Finite T and Mu
We compare our 2+1 flavor, staggered QCD lattice results with a quasiparticle
picture. We determine the pressure, the energy density, the baryon density, the
speed of sound and the thermal masses as a function of T and . For the
available thermodynamic quantities the difference is a few percent between the
results of the two approaches. We also give the phase diagram on the --T
plane and estimate the critical chemical potential at vanishing temperature.Comment: 13 pages, 10 figure
Getting Genetic Ancestry Right for Science and Society
There is a scientific and ethical imperative to embrace a multidimensional,
continuous view of ancestry and move away from continental ancestry categorie
Radiation background with the CMS RPCs at the LHC
The Resistive Plate Chambers (RPCs) are employed in the CMS Experiment at the LHC as dedicated trigger system both in the barrel and in the endcap. This article presents results of the radiation background measurements performed with the 2011 and 2012 proton-proton collision data collected by CMS. Emphasis is given to the measurements of the background distribution inside the RPCs. The expected background rates during the future running of the LHC are estimated both from extrapolated measurements and from simulation
Iron bioavailability in two commercial cultivars of wheat: a comparison between wholegrain and white flour and the effects of nicotianamine and 2'-deoxymugineic acid on iron uptake into Caco-2 cells
Iron bioavailability in unleavened white and wholegrain bread made from two commercial wheat varieties was assessed by measuring ferritin production in Caco-2 cells. The breads were subjected to simulated gastrointestinal digestion and the digests applied to the Caco-2 cells. Although Riband grain contained a lower iron concentration than Rialto, iron bioavailability was higher. No iron was taken up by the cells from white bread made from Rialto flour or from wholegrain bread from either variety, but Riband white bread produced a small ferritin response. The results probably relate to differences in phytate content of the breads, although iron in soluble monoferric phytate was demonstrated to be bioavailable in the cell model. Nicotianamine, an iron chelator in plants involved in iron transport, was a more potent enhancer of iron uptake into Caco-2 cells than ascorbic acid or 2'-deoxymugineic acid, another metal chelator present in plants
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