Elevated Perioperative Transaminase Level Predicts Intrahepatic Recurrence in Hepatitis B-related Hepatocellular Carcinoma After Curative Hepatectomy

OBJECTIVEWe aimed to evaluate the role of elevated perioperative alanine aminotransferase (ALT) as a surrogate marker of hepatitis activity in determining the risk of recurrence and survival in hepatitis B-related hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) after curative hepatectomy.METHODSA retrospective review of the hepatectomy database was performed and 142 patients were found who had hepatitis B-related HCC from January 2001 to March 2006. Their ALT levels preoperatively and 1 month, 3 months, and 6 months postoperatively were recorded. The risk factors for recurrence and prognostic factors of survival were analysed.RESULTSAn elevated perioperative ALT level (p = 0.021), multiple tumour nodules in the resected specimen (p < 0.001), and a tumour size greater than 5 cm (p = 0.001) were significant independent risk factors for tumour recurrence. The latter two factors were also independent prognostic factors for overall survival and disease-free survival. An elevated ALT level was an independent prognostic factor for disease-free survival (p = 0.025).CONCLUSIONAn elevated perioperative ALT level, which reflects increased hepatitis activity, is an independent risk factor for intrahepatic recurrence of hepatitis B-related HCC. It is also associated with a poorer disease-free survival rate

Parental Influence on Child and Adolescent Physical Activity Level: A Meta-Analysis

Parents are often regarded as one of the significant social agents who are important to the participation of physical activity (PA) among children and adolescents. However, within the literature, the relationships between parental influences and child and adolescent PA have been inconclusive and discordant. The purpose of this meta-analysis was to quantify and synthesize the associations between parental social influences (positive parental influence, punishment, and discouragement) and the PA level of children and adolescents. Through a systematic literature search using PsycINFO, Web of Science, PubMed, ProQuest, and SPORTDiscus databases, we identified 112 eligible studies and subsequently extracted 741 effect sizes for our analysis. Multilevel meta-analysis showed that the corrected zero-order correlation of positive parental influence was positive and statistically significant, r = 0.202, SE = 0.014, t = 14.975, p \u3c 0.001, 95% confidence interval (CI) = [0.176, 0.228]. Further moderation analysis also found that this was significantly moderated by parental gender (maternal vs. paternal), respondent of influence measure (parent-reported vs. child-reported), and type of PA measure (subjective vs. objective). The corrected zero-order correlations of negative parental influences (i.e., punishment and discouragement) were not statistically significant, and no significant moderation effects were observed. The findings of our meta-analysis showed that children and adolescents had higher PA levels when their parents supported PA participation by exerting positive social influence. Punishment and discouragement against PA by parents did not appear to be significantly associated with the PA level of children and adolescents. The findings of negative parental social influence were mixed and required further investigations

Immunolocalization of chloride transporters to gill epithelia of euryhaline teleosts with opposite salinity-induced Na+/K+-ATPase responses

Opposite patterns of branchial Na+/K+-ATPase (NKA) responses were found in euryhaline milkfish (Chanos chanos) and pufferfish (Tetraodon nigroviridis) upon salinity challenge. Because the electrochemical gradient established by NKA is thought to be the driving force for transcellular Cl- transport in fish gills, the aim of this study was to explore whether the differential patterns of NKA responses found in milkfish and pufferfish would lead to distinct distribution of Cl- transporters in their gill epithelial cells indicating different Cl- transport mechanisms. In this study, immunolocalization of various Cl- transport proteins, including Na+/K+/2Cl(-) cotransporter (NKCC), cystic fibrosis transmembrane conductance regulator (CFTR), anion exchanger 1 (AE1), and chloride channel 3 (ClC-3), were double stained with NKA, the basolateral marker of branchial mitochondrion-rich cells (MRCs), to reveal the localization of these transporter proteins in gill MRC of FW- or SW-acclimated milkfish and pufferfish. Confocal microscopic observations showed that the localization of these transport proteins in the gill MRCs of the two studied species were similar. However, the number of gill NKA-immunoreactive (IR) cells in milkfish and pufferfish exhibited to vary with environmental salinities. An increase in the number of NKA-IR cells should lead to the elevation of NKA activity in FW milkfish and SW pufferfish. Taken together, the opposite branchial NKA responses observed in milkfish and pufferfish upon salinity challenge could be attributed to alterations in the number of NKA-IR cells. Furthermore, the localization of these Cl- transporters in gill MRCs of the two studied species was identical. It depicted the two studied euryhaline species possess the similar Cl- transport mechanisms in gills

TNF-α and TNF-β Gene Polymorphism in Saudi Rheumatoid Arthritis Patients

Background Tumor necrosis factor (TNF)-α and -β are cytokines with a wide range of inflammatory, apoptotic and immunomodulatory activities. TNF-α promoter –308 G < A polymorphism has been reported to be associated with rheumatoid arthritis (RA) with inconsistent results. Objective The aim of this study is to elucidate a possible association of TNF-α (G–308A) and TNF-β (A+252G) polymorphisms with the susceptibility of RA in Saudi patients. Patients and Methods This case control study consisted of 232 Saudi subjects including 106 RA patients and 126 matched controls. Genomic DNA was extracted using QIAamp R DNA mini kit (Qiagen CA, USA). TNF-α and TNF-β genes were amplified using Arms primers. Results The frequencies of TNF-α (–308) allele G and genotype GG were significantly higher in RA patients as compared to controls while allele A and genotype AA were predominant in control group. On the other hand the frequency of TNF-β (+252) GG and AA genotypes were significantly higher in RA patients as compared to controls while GA genotype was predominant in controls. It was inferred that genotype GG positive individuals at position –308 of TNF-α were susceptible to RA while genotype AA might has a protective effect on RA susceptibility in Saudis. Whereas GG and AA genotype of TNF-β at +252 position might exert additive susceptibility to RA and GA might be refractory. However, there was no significant association between duration of morning stiffness, RF positivity and number of joints involved and distribution of alleles/genotypes of TNF-α (–308) or TNF-β (+252) polymorphism. It may be concluded that the TNF-α (–308) and TNF-β (+252) polymorphisms might influence the susceptibility to RA in Saudi population. These results might have prognostic value for future clinical observations

Spin-3/2 Nucleon and Delta Baryons in Lattice QCD

We present first results for masses of spin-3/2 N and Delta baryons in lattice QCD using Fat-Link Irrelevant Clover (FLIC) fermions. Spin-3/2 interpolating fields providing overlap with both spin-3/2 and spin-1/2 states are considered. In the isospin-1/2 sector, we observe, after appropriate spin and parity projection, a strong signal for the J^P=3/2^- state together with a weak but discernible signal for the 3/2^+ state with a mass splitting near that observed experimentally. We also find good agreement between the 1/2^+/- masses and earlier nucleon mass simulations with the standard spin-1/2 interpolating field. For the isospin-3/2 Delta states, clear mass splittings are observed between the various 1/2^+/- and 3/2^+/- channels, with the calculated level orderings in good agreement with those observed empirically.Comment: 17 pages, 8 figures, 2 table

Tyrosine phosphorylation profiling in FGF-2 stimulated human embryonic stem cells

10.1371/journal.pone.0017538PLoS ONE63

Excited Baryons in Lattice QCD

We present first results for the masses of positive and negative parity excited baryons calculated in lattice QCD using an O(a^2)-improved gluon action and a fat-link irrelevant clover (FLIC) fermion action in which only the irrelevant operators are constructed with APE-smeared links. The results are in agreement with earlier calculations of N^* resonances using improved actions and exhibit a clear mass splitting between the nucleon and its chiral partner. An correlation matrix analysis reveals two low-lying J^P=(1/2)^- states with a small mass splitting. The study of different Lambda interpolating fields suggests a similar splitting between the lowest two Lambda1/2^- octet states. However, the empirical mass suppression of the Lambda^*(1405) is not evident in these quenched QCD simulations, suggesting a potentially important role for the meson cloud of the Lambda^*(1405) and/or a need for more exotic interpolating fields.Comment: Correlation matrix analysis performed. Increased to 400 configurations. 22 pages, 13 figures, 15 table

Epidemiology of invasive fungal diseases among patients with haematological disorders in the Asia-Pacific: a prospective observational study

AbstractWe conducted a 2-year multicentre prospective observational study to determine the epidemiology of and mortality associated with invasive fungal diseases (IFDs) among patients with haematological disorders in Asia. Eleven institutions from 8 countries/regions participated, with 412 subjects (28.2% possible, 38.3% probable and 33.5% proven IFDs) recruited. The epidemiology of IFDs in participating institutions was similar to Western centres, with Aspergillus spp. (65.9%) or Candida spp. (26.7%) causing the majority of probable and proven IFDs. The overall 30-day mortality was 22.1%. Progressive haematological disorder (odds ratio [OR] 5.192), invasive candidiasis (OR 3.679), and chronic renal disease (OR 6.677) were independently associated with mortality