Efficacy of pegylated interferon α2a in patients without HBeAg loss after the withdrawal of long-term lamivudine therapy

BACKGROUND: Improving the HBe seroconversion rate of patients without HBeAg loss after long-term lamivudine therapy has become an urgent clinical problem that we have to face. Unfortunately, there is no consensus on the mananement of these patients. The aim of this study was to evaluate the efficacy of pegylated interferon (PEG-IFN) α2a in patients without HBeAg loss after the withdrawal of long-term lamivudine therapy. METHODS: Fifty patients with chronic hepatitis B without the loss of HBeAg after ≥96 weeks of lamivudine treatment were enrolled to withdraw from treatment to induce a biochemical breakthrough. Patients who achieved a biochemical breakthrough within 24 weeks received 48-weeks of PEG-IFN α2a therapy, and were then assessed during a subsequent 24-week follow-up period. RESULTS: Forty-three (86.0%) patients achieved a biochemical breakthrough within 24 weeks of lamivudine withdrawal. The rates of combined response (both undetectable HBV DNA and HBeAg loss) and HBsAg loss were alone 51.2% and 20.9%, respectively after 48 weeks of PEG-IFN α2a therapy, and 44.2% and 18.6%, respectively, at 24 weeks after treatment cessation. The end-of-treatment combined response rate was 65.4% among patients with a baseline HBsAg <20,000 IU/mL, which was significantly higher than 29.4% of patients with HBsAg ≥20,000 IU/mL (P=0.031). For patients with HBsAg levels <1,500 IU/mL at 12 and 24 weeks therapy, the end-of-treatment combined response rate was 68.2% and 69.0%, which were both significantly higher than patients with HBsAg ≥1,500 IU/mL (33.3% and 14.3%; P=0.048 and 0.001). The end-of-treatment combined response rate was significantly higher among patients with HBV DNA<10(5) copies/mL (76.2%) compared to patients with HBV DNA ≥10(5) copies/mL (27.3%) after 24 weeks of therapy (P=0.004). CONCLUSION: Retreatment with PEG-IFN α2a was effective and safe for patients without HBeAg loss after the withdrawal of long-term lamivudine therapy. HBsAg levels at the baseline, 12 and 24 weeks of therapy, and HBV DNA levels at 24 weeks of therapy, can predict the effect of PEG-IFN α2a after 48 weeks of therapy

Thermal conductivity of deformed carbon nanotubes

We investigate the thermal conductivity of four types of deformed carbon nanotubes by using the nonequilibrium molecular dynamics method. It is reported that various deformations have different influence on the thermal properties of carbon nanotubes. For the bending carbon nanotubes, the thermal conductivity is independent on the bending angle. However, the thermal conductivity increases lightly with XY-distortion and decreases rapidly with Z-distortion. The thermal conductivity does not change with the screw ratio before the breaking of carbon nanotubes but decreases sharply after the critical screw ratio.Comment: 6figure

Method of determining cosmological parameter ranges with samples of candles with an intrinsic distribution

In this paper, the effect of the intrinsic distribution of cosmological candles is investigated. We find that, in the case of a narrow distribution, the deviation of the observed modulus of sources from the expected central value could be estimated within a ceratin range. We thus introduce a lower and upper limits of $\chi ^{2}$, $\chi_{\min}^{2}$ and $\chi_{\max}^{2}$, to estimate cosmological parameters by applying the conventional minimizing $\chi ^{2}$ method. We apply this method to a gamma-ray burst (GRB) sample as well as to a combined sample including this GRB sample and an SN Ia sample. Our analysis shows that: a) in the case of assuming an intrinsic distribution of candles of the GRB sample, the effect of the distribution is obvious and should not be neglected; b) taking into account this effect would lead to a poorer constraint of the cosmological parameter ranges. The analysis suggests that in the attempt of constraining the cosmological model with current GRB samples, the results tend to be worse than what previously thought if the mentioned intrinsic distribution does exist.Comment: 6 pages,4 figures,1 tables.Data updated. Main conclusion unchange

Melatonin reverses type 2 diabetes-induced cognitive deficits via attenuation of oxidative/nitrosative stress and NF-κB-mediated neuroinflammation in rat hippocampus

Purpose: To evaluate the protective effect of melatonin on diabetes-induced cognitive dysfunction. Methods: Rats were fed a high-fat diet + streptozotocin (HFD + STZ) for 15 weeks to induce type 2 diabetes (HFD + STZ group). At the end of the 15-week induction of diabetes, cognitive function in the diabetic rats was estimated using a Morris water maze and an object recognition task. Next, the diabetic rats were treated with melatonin (10 mg/ kg, po) for 3 weeks. Thereafter, cognitive function was reevaluated in the melatonin-treated diabetic rats (melatonin group). Results: There was a significant (p &lt; 0.01) decrease in the serum glucose and insulin in melatonintreated diabetes type 2 rats compared with that of diabetes type 2 rats exposed to only HFD + STZ. Treatment with melatonin (10 mg/kg, po) for 3 weeks in diabetic type 2 rats also caused a significant increase (p &lt; 0.01) in the time spent in the target quadrant and preference index in diabetic rats compared with the HFD + STZ group. There were significant decreases in reactive oxygen species (ROS), oxido-nitrosative stress markers, including thiobarbituric acid reactive substances (TBARS), nitrite, and depleted glutathione (GSH) level in the hippocampus of melatonin-treated group, compared with the HFD + STZ-treated group. Moreover, the melatonin-treated group showed significant inhibition of nuclear factor kappa-light-chain-enhancer of activated B cells (NF-κB) and reduction in the levels of proinflammatory cytokines. Conclusion: The results demonstrate that melatonin prevents cognitive dysfunction in type 2 diabetic rats by attenuating oxido-nitrosative stress and NF-κB-mediated neuroinflammation. This effect suggests that melatonin may be useful for the management of cognitive dysfunction in patients suffering from diabetes. Keywords: Cognitive dysfunction, Melatonin, Neuroinflammation, Nuclear factor kappa-light-chainenhancer of activated B cells (NF-κB), Oxido-nitrosative stress, Type 2 diabete

4,6-Dimethyl-2-(naphthalen-1-yl)pyrimidine

The asymmetric unit of the title compound, C16H14N2, contains two independent mol­ecules in which the dihedral angles between the pyrimidine and naphthaline rings are 38.20 (5) and 39.35 (5)°. Inter­molecular C—H⋯π contacts and π–π stacking inter­actions [centroid–centroid distances = 3.766 (1) and 3.792 (1) Å] are present in the crystal structure

Report on grade assessment situation of the 12 prevention and control center pilot in Sichuan Province

目的  了解疾病预防控制机构（简称疾控机构）能力建设、经费保障、运行管理等情况，探索全省疾控等级评审方法和程序。方法  组织专家按照统一的评审标准对12家试点单位在政策环境、基础条件、疾病预防控制、检验检测、健康危害相关因素、信息化建设等7大类38个指标167个参数进行现场评审。结果  机构得分最高是自贡市，考核内容得分率较低的是检验检测和健康危害因素监测与控制，创建过程中各级政府对疾控机构在人、财、物方面均有不同程度的投入，A类和B类项目开展率有所增加，制定了疾控机构三级两等的评审标准。结论  疾控机构等级评审是疾控机构标准化建设和发展的有力抓手，通过评审能发现短板、弥补不足，增强政府在卫生防病方面的主体责任意识。Objective: To understand the situation of ability construction, funds guarantee, operation management of disease control agency, trying to figure out assessment method and program for prevention and control center. Methods: According to the unified standard, evaluation experts were organized to evaluate 12 pilot units. The assessment include 7 categories, 38 indicators and 167 parameters:  the policy environment, basic conditions, disease prevention and control, inspection, health relative factors, information construction, etc. Results: Zigong scored highest in all instituions. Inspection and health hazards monitoring and control scored lower in all categories.  In the process of setting up, all levels of government have different input on personnel, property and goods to prevention and control center. The development rate of type A and type B project increased. The classification standards were produced. Conclusion: Grade assessment is important to construction and development standardization of disease control agency. The assessment can find the weakness, make up the deficiency, strengthen responsibility consciousness of the government