Formation and local symmetry of the Holstein polaron in the t-J model

published_or_final_versio

Spleen tyrosine kinase: a crucial player and potential therapeutic target in renal disease

Spleen tyrosine kinase (Syk), a 72 kDa cytoplasmic non-receptor protein-tyrosine kinase, plays an important role in signal transduction in a variety of cell types. Ever since its discovery in the early 1990s, there has been accumulating evidence to suggest a pathogenic role of Syk in various allergic disorders, autoimmune diseases and malignancies. Additionally, there is emerging data from both pre-clinical and clinical studies that Syk is implicated in the pathogenesis of proliferative glomerulonephritis, including anti-glomerular basement membrane (anti-GBM) disease, ANCA-associated glomerulonephritis (AAGN), lupus nephritis (LN), and immunoglobulin A nephropathy (IgAN). Moreover, recent animal studies have shed light on the importance of Syk in mediating acute renal allograft rejection, Epstein Barr virus (EBV)-associated post-transplant lymphoproliferative disease (PTLD) and kidney fibrosis. Fostamatinib, an oral Syk inhibitor, has undergone clinical testing in rheumatoid arthritis (RA), refractory immune thrombocytopenic purpura (ITP), leukemia, and lymphoma. The recent STOP-IgAN trial showed that the addition of non-selective immunosuppressive therapy to intensive supportive care did not improve clinical outcomes in high-risk IgAN patients. A Syk-targeted approach may be beneficial and is currently being evaluated in a phase II randomized controlled trial. In this review, we will discuss the pathogenic role of Syk and potential use of Syk inhibitor in a variety of renal diseases

Maternal contribution to ultrasound fetal measurements at mid‑pregnancy

Background: Maternal variables are known contributors to fetal variables and can be assessed during pregnancy.Objective: To assess maternal contribution to some mid‑pregnancy fetal ultrasound measurements.Materials and Methods: A prospective study involving 87 pregnant women scanned at 18–23 weeks of pregnancy was carried out. The fetal measurements were head circumference (HC), abdominal circumference (AC), femur length (FL), and biparietal diameter (BPD) while the maternal variables were age, parity, height, weight, and BMI.Results: There were intercorrelations between some maternal and fetal variables respectively. Parity correlated significantly with all the ultrasound fetal measurements (P <.05), but the association vanished with partial correlation (P >.05). Significant correlation between parity and age remained the same with simple and partial correlations (P < 0.01). Canonical correlation analysis gave four sets of canonical variables; however, none was statistically significant. Regressing fetal parameters against parity through parent‑fetus regression procedure gave significant model fit (P < 0.05), but low r2 value suggesting that variations in parity did not explain much of the variations observed in the fetal ultrasound measurements (3.9% < r2 < 6.7%). The generated models revealed HC having the highest standardized regression coefficient (b = 5.07; P <.05) while FL had the least (b = 1.08; P <.05).Conclusion: The results suggested that parity contributed significantly to fetal ultrasound measurements at mid‑pregnancy while maternal height, weight, and BMI made no significant impact.Key words: Correlation; fetal; maternal; regression; ultrasound scan

Morphometric Study of the Skull of the Greater Cane Rat (Thryonomys swinderianus, Temmnick)

This study was designed to investigate some morphometric characteristics of the skull of the Greater cane rat (GCR) involving 30 morphometric parameters. A total of 10 adult GCR were used for this study comprising of both sexes (5 males and 5 females). Student t-test was used to analyze the values obtained and to determine differences between the sexes. Morphological features were found in the zygomatic bone which occurred as a large and thick bone on both ends. From 30 parameters analyzed, 12 were statistically significant (p≤ 0.05) between both sexes, confirming the presence of sexual dimorphism in the skull of this rodent. This study provided baseline research data on the typology of the skull of the GCR.KEYWORDS: Greater cane rat, morphometry, skull, sexual dimorphism, craniometry

Omura’s whales (Balaenoptera omurai) off northwest Madagascar: ecology, behaviour and conservation needs

The Omura’s whale (Balaenoptera omurai) was described as a new species in 2003 and then soon after as an ancient lineage basal to a Bryde’s/sei whale clade. Currently known only from whaling and stranding specimens primarily from the western Pacific and eastern Indian Oceans, there exist no confirmed field observations or ecological/behavioural data. Here we present, to our knowledge, the first genetically confirmed documentation of living Omura’s whales including descriptions of basic ecology and behaviour from northwestern Madagascar. Species identification was confirmed through molecular phylogenetic analyses of biopsies collected from 18 adult animals. All individuals shared a single haplotype in a 402 bp sequence of mtDNA control region, suggesting low diversity and a potentially small population. Sightings of 44 groups indicated preference for shallow-water shelf habitat with sea surface temperature between 27.4°C and 30.2°C. Frequent observations were made of lunge feeding, possibly on zooplankton. Observations of four mothers with young calves, and recordings of a song-like vocalization probably indicate reproductive behaviour. Social organization consisted of loose aggregations of predominantly unassociated single individuals spatially and temporally clustered. Photographic recapture of a female re-sighted the following year with a young calf suggests site fidelity or a resident population. Our results demonstrate that the species is a tropical whale without segregation of feeding and breeding habitat, and is probably non-migratory; our data extend the range of this poorly studied whale into the western Indian Ocean. Exclusive range restriction to tropical waters is rare among baleen whale species, except for the various forms of Bryde’s whales and Omura’s whales. Thus, the discovery of a tractable population of Omura’s whales in the tropics presents an opportunity for understanding the ecological factors driving potential convergence of life-history patterns with the distantly related Bryde’s whales

BCR-ABL mutational studies for predicting the response of patients with chronic myeloid leukaemia to second-generation tyrosine kinase inhibitors after imatinib fail

Imatinib is the standard treatment for chronic myeloid leukaemia. BCR-ABL kinase domain mutation is the commonest mechanism implicated in imatinib resistance. In in-vitro studies, kinase domain mutations are variably resistant to second-line agents. We performed BCR-ABL kinase domain mutational studies in 25 patients in five institutions who failed imatinib and were treated with either nilotinib or dasatinib, to see if their mutational status would predict their clinical responses. Kinase domain mutations involving 11 amino acid substitutions were found in 12 (48%) patients. Most patients showed single kinase domain mutations. There was some concordance between reported drug sensitivity patterns and patient responses. Discordant responses could be related to drug dosage variations and unknown BCR-ABL independent mechanisms. The response prediction for patients with multiple kinase domain mutations was challenging and their mutational patterns could change after tyrosine kinase inhibitor therapy. Although BCR-ABL kinase domain mutational analysis has limitations as a means of predicting the clinical response to second-line tyrosine kinase inhibitors, it helps inform therapy decisions in the management of chronic myeloid leukaemia after imatinib failure.published_or_final_versio

Prevalence of antibiotic-resistant intestinal flora in patients undergoing transrectal ultrasonography-guided prostate biopsy (TRUS-Bx) and its implication for clinical practice: preliminary results

Oral (Free Paper) Session I - Prostate Cancer: Diagnosis to Treatment: OP.1-2香港泌尿外科學會OBJECTIVE: An important factor determining the choice of antibiotic for TRUS-Bx prophylaxis and treatment of post-biopsy infection is the prevalence of quinolone-resistant and ESBL-producing organisms in the rectum of patients undergoing this procedure. We aim to determine these prevalence values in patients undergoing TRUS-Bx and to study their correlation with the microbiological data of patients ...published_or_final_versionThe 17th Annual Scientific Meeting of the Hong Kong Urological Association, Hong Kong, 6 November 2011. In Program Book, 2011, p. 3

Randomized phase III KEYNOTE-045 trial of pembrolizumab versus paclitaxel, docetaxel, or vinflunine in recurrent advanced urothelial cancer: results of >2 years of follow-up.

BackgroundNovel second-line treatments are needed for patients with advanced urothelial cancer (UC). Interim analysis of the phase III KEYNOTE-045 study showed a superior overall survival (OS) benefit of pembrolizumab, a programmed death 1 inhibitor, versus chemotherapy in patients with advanced UC that progressed on platinum-based chemotherapy. Here we report the long-term safety and efficacy outcomes of KEYNOTE-045.Patients and methodsAdult patients with histologically/cytologically confirmed UC whose disease progressed after first-line, platinum-containing chemotherapy were enrolled. Patients were randomly assigned 1 : 1 to receive pembrolizumab [200 mg every 3 weeks (Q3W)] or investigator's choice of paclitaxel (175 mg/m2 Q3W), docetaxel (75 mg/m2 Q3W), or vinflunine (320 mg/m2 Q3W). Primary end points were OS and progression-free survival (PFS) per Response Evaluation Criteria in Solid Tumors, version 1.1 (RECIST v1.1) by blinded independent central radiology review (BICR). A key secondary end point was objective response rate per RECIST v1.1 by BICR.ResultsA total of 542 patients were enrolled (pembrolizumab, n = 270; chemotherapy, n = 272). Median follow-up as of 26 October 2017 was 27.7 months. Median 1- and 2-year OS rates were higher with pembrolizumab (44.2% and 26.9%, respectively) than chemotherapy (29.8% and 14.3%, respectively). PFS rates did not differ between treatment arms; however, 1- and 2-year PFS rates were higher with pembrolizumab. The objective response rate was also higher with pembrolizumab (21.1% versus 11.0%). Median duration of response to pembrolizumab was not reached (range 1.6+ to 30.0+ months) versus chemotherapy (4.4 months; range 1.4+ to 29.9+ months). Pembrolizumab had lower rates of any grade (62.0% versus 90.6%) and grade ≥3 (16.5% versus 50.2%) treatment-related adverse events than chemotherapy.ConclusionsLong-term results (>2 years' follow-up) were consistent with those of previously reported analyses, demonstrating continued clinical benefit of pembrolizumab over chemotherapy for efficacy and safety for treatment of locally advanced/metastatic, platinum-refractory UC.Trial registrationClinicalTrials.gov: NCT02256436

Survey of Hypertension in Dhaka, Bangladesh: Changing Prescribing Patterns

Purpose: To assess changes in the prescribing pattern of antihypertensive drugs and lifestyle factors associated with hypertensive patients in Dhaka, Bangladesh.Methods: A cross-sectional study was conducted among 50 hypertensive patients in various heart disease hospitals and the consulting rooms of 10 cardiologists in the city of Dhaka to determine changes in prescribing patterns of antihypertensive drugs. Respondents were distributed more or less equally between males and the females.Results: Female patients aged 30 to 40 years (8 %) as well as male patients aged 50 to 60 years (54 %) and 60 to 70 years (12 %) were prone to hypertension. However, patients of both sexes whose age ranged from 40 to 50 (40 %) and 50 to 60 (36 %) were more prone to hypertension. It was observed that 46 % of the patients were overweight. A majority of the patients had diabetes with hypertension (28 %). Moreover, most of the patients (80 %) did not indulge in any physical exercise and were non-smokers but had a family history of hypertension. Combined antihypertensive drugs, especially thiazide diuretics with angiotensin II receptor blockers, calcium antagonists, and angiotensin-converting enzyme (ACE) inhibitors were the first choice of drugs by physicians. The prescribing rate of β-blockers (28.36 %) and combined antihypertensive preparations (40 %) was higher than that of older antihypertensives, viz loop diuretics, propranolol and enalapril.Conclusion: Combination therapy is favored by all doctors who compared with the past prescribing practice of a single medication for hypertension.Keywords: Hypertension, Prescribing pattern, Antihypertensive drugs, Lifestyle factors, Family histor

High Energy Neutrino Astronomy: Towards Kilometer-Scale Detectors

Of all high-energy particles, only neutrinos can directly convey astronomical information from the edge of the universe---and from deep inside the most cataclysmic high-energy processes. Copiously produced in high-energy collisions, travelling at the velocity of light, and not deflected by magnetic fields, neutrinos meet the basic requirements for astronomy. Their unique advantage arises from a fundamental property: they are affected only by the weakest of nature's forces (but for gravity) and are therefore essentially unabsorbed as they travel cosmological distances between their origin and us. Many of the outstanding mysteries of astrophysics may be hidden from our sight at all wavelengths of the electromagnetic spectrum because of absorption by matter and radiation between us and the source. For example, the hot dense regions that form the central engines of stars and galaxies are opaque to photons. In other cases, such as supernova remnants, gamma ray bursters, and active galaxies, all of which may involve compact objects or black holes at their cores, the precise origin of the high-energy photons emerging from their surface regions is uncertain. Therefore, data obtained through a variety of observational windows---and especially through direct observations with neutrinos---may be of cardinal importance. In this talk, the scientific goals of high energy neutrino astronomy and the technical aspects of water and ice Cherenkov detectors are examined, and future experimental possibilities, including a kilometer-square deep ice neutrino telescope, are explored.Comment: 13 pages, Latex, 6 postscript figures, uses aipproc.sty and epsf.sty. Talk presented at the International Symposium on High Energy Gamma Ray Astronomy, Heidelberg, June 200