Pharmacogenomics of drug efficacy in the interferon treatment of chronic hepatitis C using classification algorithms

Chronic hepatitis C (CHC) patients often stop pursuing interferon-alfa and ribavirin (IFN-alfa/RBV) treatment because of the high cost and associated adverse effects. It is highly desirable, both clinically and economically, to establish tools to distinguish responders from nonresponders and to predict possible outcomes of the IFN-alfa/RBV treatments. Single nucleotide polymorphisms (SNPs) can be used to understand the relationship between genetic inheritance and IFN-alfa/RBV therapeutic response. The aim in this study was to establish a predictive model based on a pharmacogenomic approach. Our study population comprised Taiwanese patients with CHC who were recruited from multiple sites in Taiwan. The genotyping data was generated in the high-throughput genomics lab of Vita Genomics, Inc. With the wrapper-based feature selection approach, we employed multilayer feedforward neural network (MFNN) and logistic regression as a basis for comparisons. Our data revealed that the MFNN models were superior to the logistic regression model. The MFNN approach provides an efficient way to develop a tool for distinguishing responders from nonresponders prior to treatments. Our preliminary results demonstrated that the MFNN algorithm is effective for deriving models for pharmacogenomics studies and for providing the link from clinical factors such as SNPs to the responsiveness of IFN-alfa/RBV in clinical association studies in pharmacogenomics

Laparoscopic Gastric Wedge Resection and Prophylactic Antireflux Surgery for a Submucosal Tumor of Gastroesophageal Junction

A laparoscopic wedge resection for a submucosal tumor, which is close to the gastroesophageal junction, is technically challenging. This can be a dilemma to both patients and surgeons when the tumor margin involves the gastroesophageal junction because a wedge resection in this situation might result in a deformity of the gastroesophageal junction or an injury to the lower esophageal sphincter, which ultimately results in lifelong gastroesophageal reflux disease. The patient was a 42 year-old male, whose preoperative endoscopic ultrasonographic finding did not rule out a gastrointestinal stromal tumor. He underwent a laparoscopic gastric wedge resection and prophylactic anterior partial fundoplication (Dor) and was discharged from hospital on the fifth postoperative day without any complications. There were no symptoms of reflux 5 months after surgery. A laparoscopic wedge resection and prophylactic anti-reflux surgery might be a good surgical option for a submucosal tumor at the gastroesophageal junction

Rapid Growth of Galactic Supermassive Black Holes through Accreting Giant Molecular Clouds during Major Mergers of their Host Galaxies

Understanding the formation of the supermassive black holes (SMBHs) present in the centers of galaxies is a crucial topic in modern astrophysics. Observations have detected the SMBHs with mass $M$ of $10^{9}\, \rm M_\odot$ in the high-redshift galaxies with $\rm z\sim7$. However, how SMBHs grew to such huge masses within the first billion years after the big bang remains elusive. One possible explanation is that SMBHs grow quickly through the frequent mergers of galaxies, which provides sustainable gas to maintain rapid growth. This study presents the hydrodynamics simulations of the SMBHs' growth with their host galaxies using the GIZMO code. In contrast to previous simulations, we have developed a giant molecular cloud (GMC) model by separating molecular-gas particles from the atomic-gas particles and then evolving them independently. During major mergers, we show that the more massive molecular gas particles cloud bear stronger dynamical friction. Consequently, GMCs are substantially accreted onto the galactic centers that grow SMBHs from $\sim 10^{7}$ $\rm M_\odot$ to $\sim 10^{9}\, \rm M_\odot$ within $300$ Myr, explaining the rapid growth of SMBHs, and this accretion also triggers a violent starburst at the galactic center. Furthermore, we examine the impact of minor mergers on the bulge of a Milky-Way-like galaxy and find that the size and mass of the bulge can increase from $0.92$ kpc to $1.9$ kpc and from $4.7\times 10^{10}\, \rm M_\odot$ to $7\times 10^{10}\, \rm M_\odot$.Comment: 17 pages, 9 figures. Accepted for publication in Ap

N-Terminal Acetylation-Targeted N-End Rule Proteolytic System: The Ac/N-End Rule Pathway

Although N-terminal acetylation (Nt-acetylation) is a pervasive protein modification in eukaryotes, its general functions in a majority of proteins are poorly understood. In 2010, it was discovered that Nt-acetylation creates a specific protein degradation signal that is targeted by a new class of the N-end rule proteolytic system, called the Ac/N-end rule pathway. Here, we review recent advances in our understanding of the mechanism and biological functions of the Ac/N-end rule pathway, and its crosstalk with the Arg/N-end rule pathway (the classical N-end rule pathway).112011Ysciescopuskc

Sport, Maoism and the Beijing Olympics

The development of sports in China since the 19th nineteenth century has been influenced to varying degrees by imperialism, nationalism, Maoism, and postcolonial thinking. This paper explores these ideologies and political practices connected with sport during this time from three angles: Mao’s early thought thinking on regarding physical culture and sport; the development of sports under Mao’s socialism and the Cultural Revolution; and China’s breakthrough in the post-Mao era. In sum, sport remains connected over time with the idea of « imagined Olympians » and of a response to the « Sick Man complex. » TFinally, he advent of postcolonial thought has opened the possibility of more diverse understandings of sports in China

Sport, Maoism and the Beijing Olympics

The development of sports in China since the 19th nineteenth century has been influenced to varying degrees by imperialism, nationalism, Maoism, and postcolonial thinking. This paper explores these ideologies and political practices connected with sport during this time from three angles: Mao’s early thought thinking on regarding physical culture and sport; the development of sports under Mao’s socialism and the Cultural Revolution; and China’s breakthrough in the post-Mao era. In sum, sport remains connected over time with the idea of « imagined Olympians » and of a response to the « Sick Man complex. » TFinally, he advent of postcolonial thought has opened the possibility of more diverse understandings of sports in China

Sport, maoïsme et jeux Olympiques de Pékin

La tenue des jeux Olympiques à Pékin a soulevé de nombreux débats concernant les relations entre le sport et la politique. Le développement du sport en Chine, depuis la fin du XIXe siècle, a été influencé à des degrés différents par l’impérialisme, la pensée nationaliste et la pensée maoïste. Cet article propose donc d’explorer les idéologies et pratiques politiques en relation au sport au cours du siècle passé, en privilégiant trois angles : les débuts de la pensée de Mao au sujet de la culture physique et du sport ; le développement du sport sous le socialisme maoïste et pendant la Révolution culturelle ; l’ouverture et les prouesses de la Chine postmaoïste. Nous verrons ainsi que le développement du sport demeure jusqu’à présent attaché à l’idée d’« olympiens imaginaires » et vu comme une solution au « complexe de l’homme malade ». Enfin, nous expliquerons comment la pensée postcoloniale permet une compréhension plus large de la notion de sport en Chine

Vertex functions for d-wave mesons in the light-front approach

While the light-front quark model (LFQM) is employed to calculate hadronic transition matrix elements, the vertex functions must be pre-determined. In this work we derive the vertex functions for all d-wave states in this model. Especially, since both of $^3D_1$ and $^3S_1$ are $1^{--}$ mesons, the Lorentz structures of their vertex functions are the same. Thus when one needs to study the processes where $^3D_1$ is involved, all the corresponding formulas for $^3S_1$ states can be directly applied, only the coefficient of the vertex function should be replaced by that for $^3D_1$. The results would be useful for studying the newly observed resonances which are supposed to be d-wave mesons and furthermore the possible 2S-1D mixing in $\psi'$ with the LFQM.Comment: 12 pages, 2 figures, some typos corrected and more discussions added. Accepted by EPJ