Comparison of the therapeutic effects of continuous hyperthermic peritoneal perfusion with systemic intravenous chemotherapy

Purpose: To compare the effectiveness and safety of intravenous cisplatin (DDP) and 5-fluorouracil (5-FU) alone or in combination with continuous hyperthermic peritoneal perfusion (CHPP) for the treatment of malignant ascites.Methods: In the study, 124 patients with tumour-induced malignant ascites were assign to test and control groups according to the sequence of their hospital visits. Patients in the test group were treated with intravenous DDP and 5-FU combined with CHPP, whereas patients in the control group were only treated with DDP and 5-FU. The treatments in both groups lasted for 4 weeks. Thereafter, treatment efficacy, remission of abdominal distension, ascites, Karnofsky Performance Scale (KPS) score, and incidence of adverse reactions were compared between the two groups.Results: The overall response rates of the test and control groups were 85.50 (53/62) and 35.50 % (22/62), respectively, and the difference was significant (p < 0.05). Patients in the test group showed significant reduction in abdominal distension and markedly reduced ascites compared to the controls. The improvement in KPS score was superior in the test group (p < 0.05). No treatment-associated complications, such as intestinal adhesions or obstruction and grade III or IV toxic and side reactions, were found in either group. The incidence of adverse reactions was lower in the test group than in the controls.Conclusion: Chemotherapy in combination with CHPP is safe and effective for patients with advanced malignant tumours and ascites should be promoted clinically.Keywords: Malignant ascites, Continuous hyperthermic peritoneal perfusion, Systemic intravenous chemotherap

1-Metilciklopropen ublažava oštećenja mahuna tijekom skladištenja pri niskim temperaturama povećanjem učinka antioksidacijskog sustava stanične zaštite

Research background. Chilling injury is a major disorder affecting the quality of tropical and subtropical vegetables during low temperature storage. Snap bean (Phaseolus vulgaris L.) is sensitive to chilling injury. The main purpose of the present study is to investigate the alleviating effects of 1-methylcyclopropene (1-MCP) on chilling injury of snap bean. In addition, the related mechanisms were also detected from the perspective of the changes of antioxidant defense system. Experimental approach. Snap beans were exposed to different volume fractions of 1-MCP. After 24 h of treatment, snap beans were stored at 4 °C for up to 14 days. Chilling injury index, electrolyte leakage, titratable acidity and total soluble solids were determined. Contents of chlorophyll, ascorbic acid and malondialdehyde were assessed. The total antioxidant capacity, Fe(II) ion chelating capacity, scavenging capacities on free radicals and activities of antioxidant enzymes were detected. Total phenol content and activities of related metabolic enzymes were also determined. Results and conclusions. 1-MCP treatment reduced chilling injury index, electrolyte leakage rate and malondialdehyde content of snap beans. The amounts of total soluble solids, titratable acid, ascorbic acid and total chlorophyll in 1-MCP-treated snap beans were significantly higher than those of control. The snap beans treated with 1-MCP showed stronger total antioxidant capacity and metal chelating activity. The 1-MCP treatment enhanced scavenging effects of snap beans on superoxide, hydroxyl and 1,1-diphenyl-2-trinitrophenylhydrazine radicals. The activities of peroxidase, ascorbate peroxidase, superoxide dismutase and catalase in 1-MCP-treated group were higher than of control. The treatment also enhanced the accumulation of phenolic compounds in snap beans by regulating the activities of phenol-metabolizing enzymes such as shikimate dehydrogenase, phenylalanine ammonia lyase enzyme, cinnamic acid 4-hydroxylase and polyphenol oxidase. In conclusion, with the mechanism that involves the activation of enzymatic and non-enzymatic antioxidant systems, 1-MCP has the ability to avoid chilling injury of snap bean. Novelty and scientific contribution. This study gives insights into whether 1-MCP can regulate postharvest cold resistance in vegetables by enhancing the enzymatic antioxidant system and inducing the accumulation of non-enzymatic antioxidants. Considering the results, 1-MCP treatment could be an effective method to alleviate postharvest chilling injury of snap beans during low temperature storage.Pozadina istraživanja. Oštećenje ploda tijekom skladištenja pri niskim temperaturama jedan je od primarnih uzroka smanjenja kakvoće tropskog i suptropskog povrća. Grah (Phaseolus vulgaris L.) je osjetljiv na oštećenja pri niskim temperaturama. Stoga je glavna svrha ovoga rada bila ispitati ublažavajući učinak 1-metilciklopropena na oštećenja mahuna pri niskim temperaturama. Osim toga, utvrđeni su mehanizmi promjene obrambenog antioksidacijskog sustava. Eksperimentalni pristup. Mahune su izložene različitim volumnim udjelima 1-metilciklopropena tijekom 24 sata. Nakon toga su uzorci mahuna skladišteni pri 4 °C do 14 dana. Mjereni su sljedeći parametri: indeks oštećenja pri niskim temperaturama, gubitak elektrolita, titracijska kiselost i udjel ukupnih topljivih tvari. Osim toga, utvrđeni su udjeli klorofila, askorbinske kiseline i malondialdehida. Određeni su ukupni antioksidacijski učinak, sposobnost keliranja Fe(II) iona, sposobnost uklanjanja reaktivnih kisikovih spojeva i aktivnost antioksidacijskih enzima. Također su određeni ukupni udjel fenola i s njima povezana metabolička aktivnost enzima. Rezultati i zaključci. Nakon obrade 1-metilciklopropenom smanjili su se indeks oštećenja pri niskim temperaturama, gubitak elektrolita i udjel malondialdehida u mahunama. Količine ukupnih topljivih suhih tvari, titracijske kiselosti, askorbinske kiseline i ukupnog klorofila u mahunama izloženim 1-metilciklopropenu bile su znatno veće nego u kontrolnom uzorku. Tretirane mahune imale su veću ukupnu antioksidacijsku aktivnost i sposobnost keliranja metala. Obradom 1-metilciklopropenom povećala se sposobnost uklanjanja radikala superoksida, hidroksila i 1,1-difenil-2-trinitrofenilhidrazina u mahunama. Aktivnosti peroksidaze, askorbat peroksidaze, superoksid dismutaze i katalaze bile su veće u tretiranim nego u kontrolnim uzorcima. Osim toga, obradom se povećalo nakupljanje fenolnih spojeva zbog regulacije enzima koji sudjeluju u metabolizmu fenola, kao što su šikimat-dehidrogenaza, fenilalanin amonijak-liaza, p-kumarinska kiselina i polifenol-oksidaza. Možemo zaključiti da 1-metilciklopropen može spriječiti oštećenje mahuna pri niskim temperaturama aktivacijom enzimskih i neenzimskih antioksidacijskih sustava. Novina i znanstveni doprinos. Ovaj rad daje uvid u mogućnost regulacije otpornosti povrća na niske temperature tijekom skladištenja poboljšanjem enzimskog antioksidacijskog sustava pomoću 1-metilciklopropena te nakupljanjem neenzimskih antioksidanasa. Dobiveni rezultati pokazuju da bi obrada 1-metilciklopropenom mogla biti učinkovita metoda ublažavanja oštećenja pri niskim temperaturama tijekom skladištenja graha

Brugia malayi Excreted/Secreted Proteins at the Host/Parasite Interface: Stage- and Gender-Specific Proteomic Profiling

Relatively little is known about the filarial proteins that interact with the human host. Although the filarial genome has recently been completed, protein profiles have been limited to only a few recombinants or purified proteins of interest. Here, we describe a large-scale proteomic analysis using microcapillary reverse-phase liquid chromatography-tandem-mass spectrometry to identify the excretory-secretory (ES) products of the L3, L3 to L4 molting ES, adult male, adult female, and microfilarial stages of the filarial parasite Brugia malayi. The analysis of the ES products from adult male, adult female, microfilariae (Mf), L3, and molting L3 larvae identified 852 proteins. Annotation suggests that the functional and component distribution was very similar across each of the stages studied; however, the Mf contributed a higher proportion to the total number of identified proteins than the other stages. Of the 852 proteins identified in the ES, only 229 had previous confirmatory expressed sequence tags (ESTs) in the available databases. Moreover, this analysis was able to confirm the presence of 274 “hypothetical” proteins inferred from gene prediction algorithms applied to the B. malayi (Bm) genome. Not surprisingly, the majority (160/274) of these “hypothetical” proteins were predicted to be secreted by Signal IP and/or SecretomeP 2.0 analysis. Of major interest is the abundance of previously characterized immunomodulatory proteins such as ES-62 (leucyl aminopeptidase), MIF-1, SERPIN, glutathione peroxidase, and galectin in the ES of microfilariae (and Mf-containing adult females) compared to the adult males. In addition, searching the ES protein spectra against the Wolbachia database resulted in the identification of 90 Wolbachia-specific proteins, most of which were metabolic enzymes that have not been shown to be immunogenic. This proteomic analysis extends our knowledge of the ES and provides insight into the host–parasite interaction

Jet energy measurement with the ATLAS detector in proton-proton collisions at root s=7 TeV

The jet energy scale and its systematic uncertainty are determined for jets measured with the ATLAS detector at the LHC in proton-proton collision data at a centre-of-mass energy of √s = 7TeV corresponding to an integrated luminosity of 38 pb-1. Jets are reconstructed with the anti-kt algorithm with distance parameters R=0. 4 or R=0. 6. Jet energy and angle corrections are determined from Monte Carlo simulations to calibrate jets with transverse momenta pT≥20 GeV and pseudorapidities {pipe}η{pipe}<4. 5. The jet energy systematic uncertainty is estimated using the single isolated hadron response measured in situ and in test-beams, exploiting the transverse momentum balance between central and forward jets in events with dijet topologies and studying systematic variations in Monte Carlo simulations. The jet energy uncertainty is less than 2. 5 % in the central calorimeter region ({pipe}η{pipe}<0. 8) for jets with 60≤pT<800 GeV, and is maximally 14 % for pT<30 GeV in the most forward region 3. 2≤{pipe}η{pipe}<4. 5. The jet energy is validated for jet transverse momenta up to 1 TeV to the level of a few percent using several in situ techniques by comparing a well-known reference such as the recoiling photon pT, the sum of the transverse momenta of tracks associated to the jet, or a system of low-pT jets recoiling against a high-pT jet. More sophisticated jet calibration schemes are presented based on calorimeter cell energy density weighting or hadronic properties of jets, aiming for an improved jet energy resolution and a reduced flavour dependence of the jet response. The systematic uncertainty of the jet energy determined from a combination of in situ techniques is consistent with the one derived from single hadron response measurements over a wide kinematic range. The nominal corrections and uncertainties are derived for isolated jets in an inclusive sample of high-pT jets. Special cases such as event topologies with close-by jets, or selections of samples with an enhanced content of jets originating from light quarks, heavy quarks or gluons are also discussed and the corresponding uncertainties are determined. © 2013 CERN for the benefit of the ATLAS collaboration

Search for the neutral Higgs bosons of the minimal supersymmetric standard model in pp collisions at root s=7 TeV with the ATLAS detector

A search for neutral Higgs bosons of the Minimal Supersymmetric Standard Model (MSSM) is reported. The analysis is based on a sample of proton-proton collisions at a centre-of-mass energy of 7TeV recorded with the ATLAS detector at the Large Hadron Collider. The data were recorded in 2011 and correspond to an integrated luminosity of 4.7 fb-1 to 4.8 fb-1. Higgs boson decays into oppositely-charged muon or τ lepton pairs are considered for final states requiring either the presence or absence of b-jets. No statistically significant excess over the expected background is observed and exclusion limits at the 95% confidence level are derived. The exclusion limits are for the production cross-section of a generic neutral Higgs boson, φ, as a function of the Higgs boson mass and for h/A/H production in the MSSM as a function of the parameters mA and tan β in the mhmax scenario for mA in the range of 90GeV to 500 GeV. Copyright CERN

Search for R-parity-violating supersymmetry in events with four or more leptons in sqrt(s) =7 TeV pp collisions with the ATLAS detector

A search for new phenomena in final states with four or more leptons (electrons or muons) is presented. The analysis is based on 4.7 fb−1 of $\sqrt{s}=7\;\mathrm{TeV}$ proton-proton collisions delivered by the Large Hadron Collider and recorded with the ATLAS detector. Observations are consistent with Standard Model expectations in two signal regions: one that requires moderate values of missing transverse momentum and another that requires large effective mass. The results are interpreted in a simplified model of R-parity-violating supersymmetry in which a 95% CL exclusion region is set for charged wino masses up to 540 GeV. In an R-parity-violating MSUGRA/CMSSM model, values of m 1/2 up to 820 GeV are excluded for 10 < tan β < 40

Search for high-mass resonances decaying to dilepton final states in pp collisions at s√=7 TeV with the ATLAS detector

The ATLAS detector at the Large Hadron Collider is used to search for high-mass resonances decaying to an electron-positron pair or a muon-antimuon pair. The search is sensitive to heavy neutral Z′ gauge bosons, Randall-Sundrum gravitons, Z * bosons, techni-mesons, Kaluza-Klein Z/γ bosons, and bosons predicted by Torsion models. Results are presented based on an analysis of pp collisions at a center-of-mass energy of 7 TeV corresponding to an integrated luminosity of 4.9 fb−1 in the e + e − channel and 5.0 fb−1 in the μ + μ −channel. A Z ′ boson with Standard Model-like couplings is excluded at 95 % confidence level for masses below 2.22 TeV. A Randall-Sundrum graviton with coupling k/MPl=0.1 is excluded at 95 % confidence level for masses below 2.16 TeV. Limits on the other models are also presented, including Technicolor and Minimal Z′ Models

Upregulation of Circulating PD-L1/PD-1 Is Associated with Poor Post-Cryoablation Prognosis in Patients with HBV-Related Hepatocellular Carcinoma

BACKGROUND: The programmed cell death-1 receptor/programmed cell death-1 ligand (PD-1/PD-L1) pathway plays a crucial role in tumor evasion from host immunity. This study was designed to evaluate the association between circulating PD-L1/PD-1 and prognosis after cryoablation in patients with HBV-related hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC). METHODOLOGY/PRINCIPAL FINDINGS: In the present study, 141 HBV-related HCC patients were enrolled and of those 109 patients received cryoablation. Circulating PD-L1/PD-1 expression was tested by flow cytometry, and 23 patients were simultaneously evaluated for intratumoral PD-L1 expression by immunohistochemical staining. Circulating PD-1/PD-L1 expression was associated with severity of diseases in patients with HCC, and the circulating PD-L1 expression was closely correlated with intratumoral PD-L1 expression. Of the clinical parameters, PD-1/PD-L1 expression was associated with tumor size, blood vessel invasion and BCLC staging. Moreover, PD-1/PD-L1 expression dropped after cryoablation while being elevated at the time of tumor recurrence. Patients with higher expression of circulating PD-L1, as well as circulating PD-1, had a significantly shorter overall survival and tumor-free survival than those with lower expression. Multivariate analysis confirmed that circulating PD-L1 could serve as an independent predictor of overall survival and tumor-recurrence survival in HCC patients after cryoablation. CONCLUSIONS/SIGNIFICANCE: Upregulation of circulating PD-L1/PD-1 is associated with poor post-cryoablation prognosis in patients with HBV-related hepatocellular carcinoma

Standing waves for acoustic levitation

Standing waves are the most popular method to achieve acoustic trapping. Particles with greater acoustic impedance than the propagation medium will be trapped at the pressure nodes of a standing wave. Acoustic trapping can be used to hold particles of various materials and sizes, without the need of a close-loop controlling system. Acoustic levitation is a helpful and versatile tool for biomaterials and chemistry, with applications in spectroscopy and lab-on-a-droplet procedures. In this chapter, multiple methods are presented to simulate the acoustic field generated by one or multiple emitters. From the acoustic field, models such as the Gor'kov potential or the Flux Integral are applied to calculate the force exerted on the levitated particles. The position and angle of the acoustic emitters play a fundamental role, thus we analyse commonly used configurations such as emitter and reflector, two opposed emitters, or arrangements using phased arrays