Gastrocnemius medialis muscle architecture and physiological cross sectional area in adult males with Duchenne muscular dystrophy

Objectives: To describe muscle size and architecture of the gastrocnemius medialis (GM) muscle in eleven adult males with Duchenne Muscular Dystrophy (DMD, age 24.5±5.4 years), and a control group of eleven males without DMD (CTRL, age 22.1±0.9 years). Methods: GM anatomical cross sectional area (ACSA), volume (VOL), physiological cross sectional area (PCSA), fascicle length (Lf) and pennation angle (θ) were assessed using B-Mode Ultrasonography. GM ACSA was measured at 25, 50 and 75% of muscle length (Lm), from which VOL was calculated. At 50% of Lm, sagittal plane images were analysed to determine GM Lf and θ. GM PCSA was calculated as: VOL/Lf. The ratio of Lf and Lm was also calculated. Results: GM ACSA at 50% Lm, VOL and PCSA were smaller in DMD males compared to CTRL males by 36, 47 and 43%, respectively (P<0.01). There were no differences in Lf and θ. GM Lm was 29% shorter in DMD compared to CTRL. Lf/Lm was 29% longer in DMD (P<0.01). Conclusions: Unlike previous data in children with DMD, our results show significant atrophy in adult males with DMD, and no change in Lf or θ. The shorter Lm may have implications for joint flexibility

Bone health measured using quantitative ultrasonography in adult males with muscular dystrophy.

To compare muscle and bone health markers in adult males (aged 20-59 yrs) with and without muscular dystrophy (MD).Participants included 11 Fascioscapulohumeral (FSH), 11 Becker's (Be), 9 limb girdle (LG), 11 Duchenne (DMD), and 14 non-dystrophic controls (CTRL). Physical activity was assessed using Bone (BPAQ) and disability specific (PASIPD) questionnaires. Bone QUS provided T- and Z scores from the Distal Radius (DR) and Mid-shaft tibia (MST). Tibialis anterior cross sectional area (TAACSA) was measured using B-mode ultrasound. Grip strength was measured in all but DMD.Physical activity was lower in DMD, FSH and BeMD than CTRL (P<0.05), and lower in DMD than other MDs (P<0.01). T and Z scores were lower in DMD and Be than CTRL (DR, P<0.05); and lower in DMD than CTRL, LG, and FSH (MST, P<0.01). TAACSA and grip strength was 35-59% and 50-58% smaller in MD than CTRL, respectively (P<0.01). Within MD, BPAQ correlated with bone QUS measures (r=0.42-0.38, P<0.01). PASIPD correlated with grip strength (r=0.65, P<0.01) and TAACSA (r=0.46, P<0.01).Muscle size, strength, and bone health was lower in adult males with MD compared to adult males without MD, the extent of this is partially determined by physical activity

A New Approach to Age-Period-Cohort Analysis Using Partial Least Squares Regression: The Trend in Blood Pressure in the Glasgow Alumni Cohort

Due to a problem of identification, how to estimate the distinct effects of age, time period and cohort has been a controversial issue in the analysis of trends in health outcomes in epidemiology. In this study, we propose a novel approach, partial least squares (PLS) analysis, to separate the effects of age, period, and cohort. Our example for illustration is taken from the Glasgow Alumni cohort. A total of 15,322 students (11,755 men and 3,567 women) received medical screening at the Glasgow University between 1948 and 1968. The aim is to investigate the secular trends in blood pressure over 1925 and 1950 while taking into account the year of examination and age at examination. We excluded students born before 1925 or aged over 25 years at examination and those with missing values in confounders from the analyses, resulting in 12,546 and 12,516 students for analysis of systolic and diastolic blood pressure, respectively. PLS analysis shows that both systolic and diastolic blood pressure increased with students' age, and students born later had on average lower blood pressure (SBP: −0.17 mmHg/per year [95% confidence intervals: −0.19 to −0.15] for men and −0.25 [−0.28 to −0.22] for women; DBP: −0.14 [−0.15 to −0.13] for men; −0.09 [−0.11 to −0.07] for women). PLS also shows a decreasing trend in blood pressure over the examination period. As identification is not a problem for PLS, it provides a flexible modelling strategy for age-period-cohort analysis. More emphasis is then required to clarify the substantive and conceptual issues surrounding the definitions and interpretations of age, period and cohort effects

Measurement of b hadron lifetimes in exclusive decays containing a J/psi in p-pbar collisions at sqrt(s)=1.96TeV

We report on a measurement of $b$-hadron lifetimes in the fully reconstructed decay modes B^+ -->J/Psi K+, B^0 --> J/Psi K*, B^0 --> J/Psi Ks, and Lambda_b --> J/Psi Lambda using data corresponding to an integrated luminosity of 4.3 ${\rm fb}^{-1}$, collected by the CDF II detector at the Fermilab Tevatron. The measured lifetimes are $\tau$B^+ = $1.639 \pm 0.009 ({\rm stat}) \pm 0.009 {\rm (syst) ~ ps}$, $\tau$B^0 = $1.507 \pm 0.010 ({\rm stat}) \pm 0.008 {\rm (syst) ~ ps}$ and $\tau$Lambda_b = $1.537 \pm 0.045 ({\rm stat}) \pm 0.014 {\rm (syst) ~ ps}$. The lifetime ratios are $\tau$B^+/$\tau$B^0 = $1.088 \pm 0.009 ({\rm stat})\pm 0.004 ({\rm syst})$ and $\tau$Lambda_b/$\tau$B^0 = $1.020 \pm 0.030 ({\rm stat})\pm 0.008 ({\rm syst})$. These are the most precise determinations of these quantities from a single experiment.Comment: revised version. accepted for PRL publicatio

Measurement of ZZ production in leptonic final states at {\surd}s of 1.96 TeV at CDF

In this paper we present a precise measurement of the total ZZ production cross section in pp collisions at {\surd}s= 1.96 TeV, using data collected with the CDF II detector corresponding to an integrated luminosity of approximately 6 fb-1. The result is obtained by combining separate measurements in the four-charged (lll'l'), and two-charged-lepton and two-neutral-lepton (llvv) decay modes of the Z. The combined measured cross section for pp {\to} ZZ is 1.64^(+0.44)_(-0.38) pb. This is the most precise measurement of the ZZ production cross section in 1.96 TeV pp collisions to date.Comment: submitted to Phys. Rev. Let

A user's guide to the Encyclopedia of DNA elements (ENCODE)

The mission of the Encyclopedia of DNA Elements (ENCODE) Project is to enable the scientific and medical communities to interpret the human genome sequence and apply it to understand human biology and improve health. The ENCODE Consortium is integrating multiple technologies and approaches in a collective effort to discover and define the functional elements encoded in the human genome, including genes, transcripts, and transcriptional regulatory regions, together with their attendant chromatin states and DNA methylation patterns. In the process, standards to ensure high-quality data have been implemented, and novel algorithms have been developed to facilitate analysis. Data and derived results are made available through a freely accessible database. Here we provide an overview of the project and the resources it is generating and illustrate the application of ENCODE data to interpret the human genome

Search for High Mass Resonances Decaying to Muon Pairs in root s=1.96 TeV p(p)over-bar Collisions

We present a search for a new narrow, spin-1, high mass resonance decaying to mu(+)mu(-) + X, using a matrix-element-based likelihood and a simultaneous measurement of the resonance mass and production rate. In data with 4.6 fb(-1) of integrated luminosity collected by the CDF detector in p (p) over bar collisions at root s = 1960 GeV, the most likely signal cross section is consistent with zero at 16% confidence level. We therefore do not observe evidence for a high mass resonance and place limits on models predicting spin-1 resonances, including M > 1071 GeV/c(2) at 95% confidence level for a Z' boson with the same couplings to fermions as the Z boson

Measurement of b Hadron Lifetimes in Exclusive Decays Containing a J/Psi in p(p)over-bar Collisions at root s=1.96 TeV

We report on a measurement of b-hadron lifetimes in the fully reconstructed decay modes B+-> J/psi K+, B-0 -> J/psi K*(892)(0), B-0 -> J/psi K-s(0), and Lambda(0)(b)-> J/psi Lambda(0) using data corresponding to an integrated luminosity of 4.3 fb(-1), collected by the CDF II detector at the Fermilab Tevatron. The measured lifetimes are tau(B+)=[1.639 +/- 0.009(stat)+/- 0.009(syst)]ps, tau(B-0)=[1.507 +/- 0.010(stat)+/- 0.008(syst)]ps, and tau(Lambda(0)(b))=[1.537 +/- 0.045(stat)+/- 0.014(syst)]ps. The lifetime ratios are tau(B+)/tau(B-0)=[1.088 +/- 0.009(stat)+/- 0.004(syst)] and tau(Lambda(0)(b))/tau(B-0)=[1.020 +/- 0.030(stat)+/- 0.008(syst)]. These are the most precise determinations of these quantities from a single experiment

Accurate Relative Earthquake Hypocenters Reveal Structure of the Burma Subduction Zone

The Burma arc links the Himalaya to the Andaman-Sumatra trench, and comprehension of the geological features in the region is vital to understand the active tectonic processes in the area. Subduction on the Sumatra trench produced the devastating 2004 Sumatra earthquake (Mw ∼9:0), but the mechanisms accommodating relative India-Sundaland motion in Burma are still unknown. Previous seismological studies of the area use only earthquake catalog hypocenters, so structural details of subducted material remain poorly understood. Here, accurate relative hypocenters for 81 earthquakes are estimated using first arrivals picked from regional and teleseismic recordings. Depth determination is improved using measured travel-time differences between P onsets and depth phases (pP and sP). The results clearly illustrate a slab 21°-25° N dipping ∼25° at 40-80 km deep, ∼40° at 80-120 km deep, and ∼60° at 120-160 km deep, and its strike follows the Indo-Burman ranges. At latitudes &gt;25° N earthquakes become more shallow, and a diffuse picture of hypocenters with an east-west lateral discontinuity at depth is observed, indicating lateral deformation of the slab. Previous studies suggest there is a transition at ∼90 km deep from shallower strike-slip earthquakes to deeper thrust-type events. Here, accurate depth estimates, combined with confirmation of two Global Centroid Moment Tensor solutions using body-wave modeling, shows that thrust and strike-slip earthquakes both occur deeper than 100 km in the Burma arc