New SX Phoenicis Stars in the Globular Cluster M53

Through time-series CCD photometry of the metal-poor globular cluster M53, we have discovered eight new SX Phoenicis type stars (labeled from SXP1 to SXP8). All the new SX Phoenicis stars are located in the blue straggler star region of a color-magnitude diagram of M53. One of these stars (SXP2) is found to have very closely separated pulsation frequencies: $f_1/f_2 = 0.9595$ where $f_1$ and $f_2$ are primary and secondary frequencies. This may be due to excitation of non-radial modes. Six of these SX Phoenicis stars are considered to be pulsating in the fundamental mode. They show a tight linear correlation between the period and luminosity. We derive a period - luminosity relation for the fundamental mode for the period range of $-1.36 < Log P[d]< -1.15$ : $=-3.010(\pm0.262)Log P + 15.310(\pm0.048)$ with an rms scatter of 0.038, corresponding to $=-3.010 Log P - 1.070$ for an adopted distance modulus of $(m-M)_V=16.38$ (Harris 1996).Comment: 31 pages with 7 figures, accepted by the Astronomical Journal (scheduled June 2003

Small anisotropy of the lower critical field and s±s_\pm-wave two-gap feature in single crystal LiFeAs

The in- and out-of-plane lower critical fields and magnetic penetration depths for LiFeAs were examined. The anisotropy ratio $\gamma_{H_{c1}}(0)$ is smaller than the expected theoretical value, and increased slightly with increasing temperature from 0.6$T_c$ to $T_c$. This small degree of anisotropy was numerically confirmed by considering electron correlation effect. The temperature dependence of the penetration depths followed a power law($\sim$$T^n$) below 0.3$T_c$, with $n$$>$3.5 for both $\lambda_{ab}$ and $\lambda_c$. Based on theoretical studies of iron-based superconductors, these results suggest that the superconductivity of LiFeAs can be represented by an extended $s_\pm$-wave due to weak impurity scattering effect. And the magnitudes of the two gaps were also evaluted by fitting the superfluid density for both the in- and out-of-plane to the two-gap model. The estimated values for the two gaps are consistent with the results of angle resolved photoemission spectroscopy and specific heat experiments.Comment: 10 pages, 5 figure

Effect of renal Doppler ultrasound on the detection of nutcracker syndrome in children with hematuria

To assess the detection rate of nutcracker syndrome in children with isolated hematuria, renal Doppler ultrasound examinations were routinely performed on 216 consecutive children (176 microscopic hematuria and 40 gross hematuria). Renal Doppler ultrasound was also performed on 32 healthy normal children. The peak velocity (PV) was measured at the hilar portion of the left renal vein (LRV) and at the LRV between the aorta and the superior mesenteric artery. The PV at the aortomesenteric portion (P=0.003) and the PV ratios of the LRV (P=0.003) were significantly higher in children with hematuria than in normal children, while the PV at the hilar portion was not different. If a PV ratio of the LRV of at least 4.1 (the cut-off level set at the mean ±2 SD of the value for the normal children) was defined as abnormal, 72 cases (33.3%) in children with hematuria and no cases in normal children were diagnosed as having nutcracker syndrome. The prevalence of nutcracker syndrome is relatively high in children with isolated hematuria, and the inclusion of renal Doppler ultrasound as a screening examination has a substantial effect on the detection of nutcracker syndrome

The 'Harmonizing Optimal Strategy for Treatment of coronary artery stenosis - sAfety & effectiveneSS of drug-elUting stents & antiplatelet REgimen' (HOST-ASSURE) trial: study protocol for a randomized controlled trial

<p>Abstract</p> <p>Background</p> <p>Second-generation drug-eluting stents (DES) have raised the bar of clinical performance. These stents are mostly made from cobalt chromium alloy. A newer generation DES has been developed from platinum chromium alloy, but clinical data regarding the efficacy and safety of the platinum chromium-based everolimus-eluting stent (PtCr-EES) is limited, with no comparison data against the cobalt chromium-based zotarolimus-eluting stent (CoCr-ZES). In addition, an antiplatelet regimen is an integral component of medical therapy after percutaneous coronary intervention (PCI). A 1-week duration of doubling the dose of clopidogrel (double-dose antiplatelet therapy (DDAT)) was shown to improve outcome at 1 month compared with conventional dose in acute coronary syndrome (ACS) patients undergoing PCI. However in Asia, including Korea, the addition of cilostazol (triplet antiplatelet therapy (TAT)) is used more commonly than doubling the dose of clopidogrel in high-risk patients.</p> <p>Methods</p> <p>In the 'Harmonizing Optimal Strategy for Treatment of coronary artery stenosis - sAfety & effectiveneSS of drug-elUting stents & antiplatelet REgimen' (HOST-ASSURE) trial, approximately 3,750 patients are being prospectively and randomly assigned in a 2 × 2 factorial design according to the type of stent (PtCr-EES vs CoCr-ZES) and antiplatelet regimen (TAT vs DDAT). The first primary endpoint is target lesion failure at 1 year for the stent comparison, and the second primary endpoint is net clinical outcome at 1 month for comparison of antiplatelet therapy regimen.</p> <p>Discussion</p> <p>The HOST-ASSURE trial is the largest study yet performed to directly compare the efficacy and safety of the PtCr-EES versus CoCr-ZES in an 'all-comers' population. In addition, this study will also compare the clinical outcome of TAT versus DDAT for 1-month post PCI.</p> <p>Trial registration</p> <p>ClincalTrials.gov number <a href="http://www.clinicaltrials.gov/ct2/show/NCT01267734">NCT01267734</a>.</p

Aerosol Delivery of Small Hairpin Osteopontin Blocks Pulmonary Metastasis of Breast Cancer in Mice

Metastasis to the lung may be the final step in the breast cancer-related morbidity. Conventional therapies such as chemotherapy and surgery are somewhat successful, however, metastasis-related breast cancer morbidity remains high. Thus, a novel approach to prevent breast tumor metastasis is needed.Aerosol of lentivirus-based small hairpin osteopontin was delivered into mice with breast cancer twice a week for 1 or 2 months using a nose-only inhalation system. The effects of small hairpin osteopontin on breast cancer metastasis to the lung were evaluated using near infrared imaging as well as diverse molecular techniques. Aerosol-delivered small hairpin osteopontin significantly decreased the expression level of osteopontin and altered the expression of several important metastasis-related proteins in our murine breast cancer model.Aerosol-delivered small hairpin osteopontin blocked breast cancer metastasis. Our results showed that noninvasive targeting of pulmonary osteopontin or other specific genes responsible for cancer metastasis could be used as an effective therapeutic regimen for the treatment of metastatic epithelial tumors

Fungal diversity notes 929–1035: taxonomic and phylogenetic contributions on genera and species of fungi

This article is the ninth in the series of Fungal Diversity Notes, where 107 taxa distributed in three phyla, nine classes, 31 orders and 57 families are described and illustrated. Taxa described in the present study include 12 new genera, 74 new species, three new combinations, two reference specimens, a re-circumscription of the epitype, and 15 records of sexualasexual morph connections, new hosts and new geographical distributions. Twelve new genera comprise Brunneofusispora, Brunneomurispora, Liua, Lonicericola, Neoeutypella, Paratrimmatostroma, Parazalerion, Proliferophorum, Pseudoastrosphaeriellopsis, Septomelanconiella, Velebitea and Vicosamyces. Seventy-four new species are Agaricus memnonius, A. langensis, Aleurodiscus patagonicus, Amanita flavoalba, A. subtropicana, Amphisphaeria mangrovei, Baorangia major, Bartalinia kunmingensis, Brunneofusispora sinensis, Brunneomurispora lonicerae, Capronia camelliaeyunnanensis, Clavulina thindii, Coniochaeta simbalensis, Conlarium thailandense, Coprinus trigonosporus, Liua muriformis, Cyphellophora filicis, Cytospora ulmicola, Dacrymyces invisibilis, Dictyocheirospora metroxylonis, Distoseptispora thysanolaenae, Emericellopsis koreana, Galiicola baoshanensis, Hygrocybe lucida, Hypoxylon teeravasati, Hyweljonesia indica, Keissleriella caraganae, Lactarius olivaceopallidus, Lactifluus midnapurensis, Lembosia brigadeirensis, Leptosphaeria urticae, Lonicericola hyaloseptispora, Lophiotrema mucilaginosis, Marasmiellus bicoloripes, Marasmius indojasminodorus, Micropeltis phetchaburiensis, Mucor orantomantidis, Murilentithecium lonicerae, Neobambusicola brunnea, Neoeutypella baoshanensis, Neoroussoella heveae, Neosetophoma lonicerae, Ophiobolus malleolus, Parabambusicola thysanolaenae, Paratrimmatostroma kunmingensis, Parazalerion indica, Penicillium dokdoense, Peroneutypa mangrovei, Phaeosphaeria cycadis, Phanerochaete australosanguinea, Plectosphaerella kunmingensis, Plenodomus artemisiae, P. lijiangensis, Proliferophorum thailandicum, Pseudoastrosphaeriellopsis kaveriana, Pseudohelicomyces menglunicus, Pseudoplagiostoma mangiferae, Robillarda mangiferae, Roussoella elaeicola, Russula choptae, R. uttarakhandia, Septomelanconiella thailandica, Spencermartinsia acericola, Sphaerellopsis isthmospora, Thozetella lithocarpi, Trechispora echinospora, Tremellochaete atlantica, Trichoderma koreanum, T. pinicola, T. rugulosum, Velebitea chrysotexta, Vicosamyces venturisporus, Wojnowiciella kunmingensis and Zopfiella indica. Three new combinations are Baorangia rufomaculata, Lanmaoa pallidorosea and Wojnowiciella rosicola. The reference specimens of Canalisporium kenyense and Tamsiniella labiosa are designated. The epitype of Sarcopeziza sicula is re-circumscribed based on cyto- and histochemical analyses. The sexual-asexual morph connection of Plenodomus sinensis is reported from ferns and Cirsium for the first time. In addition, the new host records and country records are Amanita altipes, A. melleialba, Amarenomyces dactylidis, Chaetosphaeria panamensis, Coniella vitis, Coprinopsis kubickae, Dothiorella sarmentorum, Leptobacillium leptobactrum var. calidus, Muyocopron lithocarpi, Neoroussoella solani, Periconia cortaderiae, Phragmocamarosporium hederae, Sphaerellopsis paraphysata and Sphaeropsis eucalypticola

Empirical assessment of biases in cerebrospinal fluid biomarkers of Alzheimer's disease: an umbrella review and re-analysis of data from meta-analyses

OBJECTIVE: Alzheimer’s disease (AD) is a leading cause of years lived with disability in older age, and several cerebrospinal fluid (CSF) markers have been proposed in individual meta-analyses to be associated with AD but field-wide evaluation and scrutiny of the literature is not available. MATERIALS AND METHODS: We performed an umbrella review for the reported associations between CSF biomarkers and AD. Data from available meta-analyses were reanalyzed using both random and fixed effects models. We also estimated between-study heterogeneity, small-study effects, excess significance, and prediction interval. RESULTS: A total of 38 meta-analyses on CSF markers from 11 eligible articles were identified and reanalyzed. In 14 (36%) of the meta-analyses, the summary estimate and the results of the largest study showed non-concordant results in terms of statistical significance. Large heterogeneity (I2≥75%) was observed in 73% and small-study effects under Egger’s test were shown in 28% of CSF biomarkers. CONCLUSIONS: Our results suggest that there is an excess of statistically significant results and significant biases in the literature of CSF biomarkers for AD. Therefore, the results of CSF biomarkers should be interpreted with caution