Probing High Reheating Temperature Scenarios at the LHC with Long-Lived Staus

We investigate the possibility of probing high reheating temperature scenarios at the LHC, in supersymmetric models where the gravitino is the lightest supersymmetric particle, and the stau is the next-to-lightest supersymmetric particle. In such scenarios, the big-bang nucleosynthesis and the gravitino abundance give a severe upper bound on the gluino mass. We find that, if the reheating temperature is \sim 10^8 GeV or higher, the scenarios can be tested at the LHC with an integrated luminosity of O(1 fb^{-1}) at \sqrt{s}=7 TeV in most of the parameter space.Comment: 17 pages, 5 figures, minor modification

Dietary fiber showed no preventive effect against colon and rectal cancers in Japanese with low fat intake: an analysis from the results of nutrition surveys from 23 Japanese prefectures

BACKGROUND: Since Fuchs' report in 1999, the reported protective effect of dietary fiber from colorectal carcinogenesis has led many researchers to question its real benefit. The aim of this study is to evaluate the association between diet, especially dietary fiber and fat and colorectal cancer in Japan. METHODS: A multiple regression analysis (using the stepwise variable selection method) was performed using the standardized mortality ratios (SMRs) of colon and rectal cancer in 23 Japanese prefectures as objective variables and dietary fiber, nutrients and food groups as explanatory variables. RESULTS: As for colon cancer, the standardized partial correlation coefficients were positively significant for fat (1,13, P = 0.000), seaweeds (0.41, P = 0.026) and beans (0.45, P = 0.017) and were negatively significant for vitamin A (-0.63, P = 0.003), vitamin C (-0.42, P = 0.019) and yellow-green vegetables (-0.37, P = 0.046). For rectal cancer, the standardized partial correlation coefficient in fat (0.60, P = 0.002) was positively significant. Dietary fiber was not found to have a significant relationship with either colon or rectal cancers. CONCLUSIONS: This study failed to show any protective effect of dietary fiber in subjects with a low fat intake (Japanese) in this analysis, which supports Fuchs' findings in subjects with a high fat intake (US Americans)

Predicting the Biological Effects of Human Salivary Gland Tumour Cells for Scanned 4He-, 12C-, 16O-, and 20Ne-Ion Beams Using an SOI Microdosimeter

Experimental microdosimetry along with the microdosimetric kinetic (MK) model can be utilized to predict the biological effects of ions. To predict the relative biological effectiveness (RBE) of ions and the survival fraction (SF) of human salivary gland tumour (HSGc-C5) cells, microdosimetric quantities measured by a silicon-on-insulator (SOI) MicroPlus-mushroom microdosimeter along the spread-out Bragg peak (SOBP) delivered by pencil beam scanning of 4He, 12C, 16O, and 20Ne ions were used. The MK model parameters of HSGc-C5 cells were obtained from the best fit of the calculated SF for the different linear energy transfer (LET) of these ions and the formerly reported in vitro SF for the same LET and ions used for calculations. For a cube-shaped target of 10 × 10 × 6 cm3, treatment plans for 4He, 12C, 16O, and 20Ne ions were produced with proprietary treatment planning software (TPS) aiming for 10% SF of HSGc-C5 cells over the target volume and were delivered to a polymethyl methacrylate (PMMA) phantom. Afterwards, the saturation-corrected dose-mean lineal energy derived based on the measured microdosimetry spectra, along with the physical dose at various depths in PMMA phantoms, was used for the estimation of the SF, RBE, and RBE-weighted dose using the MK model. The predicted SF, RBE, and the RBE-weighted dose agreed with what was planned by the TPS within 3% at most depths for these ions.publishedVersio

A case of placenta percreta with massive hemorrhage during cesarean section

We describe a case of a 39-year-old woman diagnosed with placenta percreta complicated by massive hemorrhage during a cesarean section. At 27 weeks of gestation, she underwent an emergency cesarean section under general anesthesia for vaginal bleeding and an intrauterine infection. Soon after delivery, a massive hemorrhage was encountered while attempting to separate the placenta percreta from the bladder wall. Although total abdominal hysterectomy and partial cystectomy were performed, massive hemorrhaging persisted. Bleeding was finally controlled following bilateral internal iliac artery embolization. We used a cell salvage device and a rapid infuser for hemodynamics stabilization. Total blood loss was 47,000 mL, and anesthesia time was 12 h and 47 min. The patient was discharged on the 32nd postoperative day without major complications. Placenta accreta can be associated with life-threatening hemorrhage and it is vital to plan accordingly preoperatively

Different physiology of interferon-α/-γ in models of liver regeneration in the rat

Liver regeneration may take place after liver injury through replication of hepatocytes or hepatic progenitor cells called oval cells. Interferons (IFN) are natural cytokines with pleiotrophic effects including antiviral and antiproliferative actions. No data are yet available on the physiology and cellular source of natural IFNs during liver regeneration. To address this issue, we have analyzed the levels and biologic activities of IFN-α/IFN-γ in two models of partial hepatectomy. After 2/3rd partial hepatectomy (PH), hepatic levels of IFN-α and IFN-γ declined transiently in contrast to a transient increase of the IFN-γ serum level. After administration of 2-acetylaminofluorene and partial hepatectomy (AAF/PH model), however, both IFN-α and IFN-γ expression were up-regulated in regenerating livers. Again, the IFN-γ serum level was transiently increased. Whereas hepatic IFN-γ was up-regulated early (day 1–5), but not significantly, in the AAF/PH model, IFN-α was significantly up-regulated at later time points in parallel to the peak of oval cell proliferation (days 7–9). Biological activity of IFN-α was shown by activation of IFN-α-specific signal transduction and induction of IFN-α specific-gene expression. We found a significant infiltration of the liver with inflammatory monocyte-like mononuclear phagocytes (MNP) concomitant to the frequency of oval cells. We localized IFN-α production only in MNPs, but not in oval cells. These events were not observed in normal liver regeneration after standard PH. We conclude that IFN-γ functions as an acute-phase cytokine in both models of liver regeneration and may constitute a systemic component of liver regeneration. IFN-α was increased only in the AAF/PH model, and was associated with proliferation of oval cells. However, oval cells seem not to be the source of IFN-α. Instead, inflammatory MNP infiltrating AAF/PH-treated livers produce IFN-α. These inflammatory MNPs may be involved in the regulation of the oval cell compartment through local expression of cytokines, including IFN-α

Combination therapy with PEG-IFN-α and 5-FU inhibits HepG2 tumour cell growth in nude mice by apoptosis of p53

When the tumour suppressor p53 is activated by DNA damage, it stimulates the transcription of its target genes, which then induce cell cycle arrest or apoptosis. Here, we examined the role p53 plays in the antitumour effect of combination treatment with pegylated interferon (PEG-IFN)-α and 5-fluorouracil (5-FU), which has been shown to effectively treat advanced hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC). Nude mice were injected subcutaneously with cultured HepG2 cells, in which p53 is functional. They were treated a week later with PEG-IFN and/or 5-FU for 7 weeks, after which we measured and examined their tumours. Combination groups showed significantly lower tumour volumes and higher tumour cell apoptosis than the other groups. Combination treatment and PEG-IFN monotherapy also significantly elevated the p53 protein and mRNA levels in the tumour but only combination treatment increased the degree of p53 phosphorylation at serine46 and induced p53-regulated apoptosis-inducing protein 1 (p53AIP1) expression. The antitumour effects of combination treatment is due in part to the elevation by PEG-IFN of p53 protein and mRNA expression and in part to the DNA damage that is generated by 5-FU, which induces p53 serine46 phosphorylation, which in turn upregulates p53AIP1 expression

p53-paralog DNp73 oncogene is repressed by IFNα/STAT2 through the recruitment of the Ezh2 polycomb group transcriptional repressor

The DNp73 proteins act as trans-repressors of p53 and p73-dependent transcription and exert both anti-apoptotic activity and pro-proliferative activity. DNp73s are frequently up-regulated in a variety of human cancers, including human hepatocellular carcinomas (HCCs). Increased levels of DNp73 proteins confer to HCC cells resistance to apoptosis and, irrespective to p53 status, a chemoresistant phenotype. Here, we show that interferon (IFN)α down-regulates DNp73 expression in primary human hepatocytes (PHHs) and HCC cell lines. IFNα has been used as pro-apoptotic agent in the treatment of malignancies and there is increasing evidence of IFNα effectiveness in HCC treatment and prevention of recurrence. The precise mechanisms by which class I IFNs exert their anti-proliferative and anti-tumor activity remain unclear. IFNα binding to its receptor activates multiple intracellular signaling cascades regulating the transcription of numerous direct target genes through the recruitment of a complex comprising of STAT1, STAT2 and IFN regulatory factor (IRF)9 to their promoters. We found that, in response to IFNα, the P2p73 promoter undergoes substantial chromatin remodeling. Histone deacetylases (HDACs) replace histone acetyl transferases. STAT2 is recruited onto the endogenous P2p73 promoter together with the polycomb group protein Ezh2, leading to increased H3K27 methylation and transcriptional repression. The reduction of DNp73 levels by IFNα is paralleled by an increased susceptibility to IFNα-triggered apoptosis of Huh7 hepatoma cells. Our results show, for the first time, that IFN-stimulated gene factor 3 recruitment may serve both in activating and repressing gene expression and identify the down-regulation of DNp73 as an additional mechanism to counteract the chemoresistance of liver cancer cells

Seasonality of Suicidal Behavior

A seasonal suicide peak in spring is highly replicated, but its specific cause is unknown. We reviewed the literature on suicide risk factors which can be associated with seasonal variation of suicide rates, assessing published articles from 1979 to 2011. Such risk factors include environmental determinants, including physical, chemical, and biological factors. We also summarized the influence of potential demographic and clinical characteristics such as age, gender, month of birth, socioeconomic status, methods of prior suicide attempt, and comorbid psychiatric and medical diseases. Comprehensive evaluation of risk factors which could be linked to the seasonal variation in suicide is important, not only to identify the major driving force for the seasonality of suicide, but also could lead to better suicide prevention in general