Ultralight vector dark matter search using data from the KAGRA O3GK run

Among the various candidates for dark matter (DM), ultralight vector DM can be probed by laser interferometric gravitational wave detectors through the measurement of oscillating length changes in the arm cavities. In this context, KAGRA has a unique feature due to differing compositions of its mirrors, enhancing the signal of vector DM in the length change in the auxiliary channels. Here we present the result of a search for U(1)B−L gauge boson DM using the KAGRA data from auxiliary length channels during the first joint observation run together with GEO600. By applying our search pipeline, which takes into account the stochastic nature of ultralight DM, upper bounds on the coupling strength between the U(1)B−L gauge boson and ordinary matter are obtained for a range of DM masses. While our constraints are less stringent than those derived from previous experiments, this study demonstrates the applicability of our method to the lower-mass vector DM search, which is made difficult in this measurement by the short observation time compared to the auto-correlation time scale of DM

Emerging and Reemerging Parasitic Diseases in Taiwan: A Retrospective Study of Clinical Case Reports in 2001~2018

Emerging and re-emerging parasitic diseases can cause significant economic burdens at national and global levels. However, governments often underestimate or ignore these diseases, especially in developed countries. This retrospective, case-oriented study analyzed parasitic diseases reported in Taiwan between 2001 and 2018. One hundred and thirty-two eligible clinical profiles of Taiwanese patients obtained from the NCBI, Scopus, Google Scholar, and Web of Science databases and local journals according to age, sex, source of infection, symptoms, risk factors, and geographical regions were analyzed. The analysis results showed that the number/frequency of cases caused by nematodes (46.97%) or protozoa (37.88%) was significantly higher than that of trematodes (9.85%) or cestodes (5.30%) (p p p p p < 0.001). The present study showed that emerging/reemerging parasitic infections continue to be of great concern to the lives and health of Taiwanese citizens and, if ignored, will threaten the health of the Taiwanese people; therefore, the delineation of preventive measures by health authorities is urgently warranted

Emerging and Reemerging Parasitic Diseases in Taiwan: A Retrospective Study of Clinical Case Reports in 2001~2018

Emerging and re-emerging parasitic diseases can cause significant economic burdens at national and global levels. However, governments often underestimate or ignore these diseases, especially in developed countries. This retrospective, case-oriented study analyzed parasitic diseases reported in Taiwan between 2001 and 2018. One hundred and thirty-two eligible clinical profiles of Taiwanese patients obtained from the NCBI, Scopus, Google Scholar, and Web of Science databases and local journals according to age, sex, source of infection, symptoms, risk factors, and geographical regions were analyzed. The analysis results showed that the number/frequency of cases caused by nematodes (46.97%) or protozoa (37.88%) was significantly higher than that of trematodes (9.85%) or cestodes (5.30%) (p < 0.0001). Northern Taiwan (46.97%) had a significantly higher rate than Southern Taiwan (33.33%), Central Taiwan (8.33%), and Eastern Taiwan (5.30%) (p < 0.05). The 15–65 age group (68.94%) had a significantly higher rate than the 65–90 age group (22.73%) and the 0–15 age group (8.33%) (p < 0.0001). Males (70.46%) had a significantly higher number/frequency of cases than females (29.54%) (p < 0.0001). People who acquired the infection through the food/soil route (32.58%) or who had a low immune status (32.58%) had a higher rate than travel-related infections (15.15%) (p < 0.001). The present study showed that emerging/reemerging parasitic infections continue to be of great concern to the lives and health of Taiwanese citizens and, if ignored, will threaten the health of the Taiwanese people; therefore, the delineation of preventive measures by health authorities is urgently warranted

On the physical properties of In(2)O(3) films grown on (0001) sapphire substrates by atomic layer deposition

The properties of In(2)O(3) films grown on (0001) plane sapphire substrates by atomic layer deposition using trimethylindium and nitrous oxide were investigated. Using x-ray diffraction and scanning and transmission electron microscopies, In(2)O(3) films were found to deposit on sapphire substrates with their (222) planes parallel to the (0001) planes of sapphire. It was found that there were twin structures inside the In(2)O(3) film with twin boundaries along the {11 (2) over bar} planes. Most In(2)O(3) films deposited on thermally annealed low-temperature-In(2)O(3) buffer-layer-coated substrates exhibited high optical transmittance, low electron concentration, and high electron mobility. The best In(2)O(3) film achieved shows an average transmittance of similar to 90% in the visible regime with electron concentration and mobility being similar to 2 x 10(16) cm(-3) and similar to 60 cm(2)/V s, respectively, at room temperature. (C) 2011 American Vacuum Society. [DOI: 10.1116/1.3549146

Baicalein Induces G₂/M Cell Cycle Arrest Associated with ROS Generation and CHK2 Activation in Highly Invasive Human Ovarian Cancer Cells

Ovarian cancer is a lethal gynecological cancer because drug resistance often results in treatment failure. The CHK2, a tumor suppressor, is considered to be an important molecular target in ovarian cancer due to its role in DNA repair. Dysfunctional CHK2 impairs DNA damage-induced checkpoints, reduces apoptosis, and confers resistance to chemotherapeutic drugs and radiation therapy in ovarian cancer cells. This provides a basis for finding new effective agents targeting CHK2 upregulation or activation to treat or prevent the progression of advanced ovarian cancer. Here, the results show that baicalein (5,6,7-trihydroxyflavone) treatment inhibits the growth of highly invasive ovarian cancer cells, and that baicalein-induced growth inhibition is mediated by the cell cycle arrest in the G2/M phase. Baicalein-induced G2/M phase arrest is associated with an increased reactive oxygen species (ROS) production, DNA damage, and CHK2 upregulation and activation. Thus, baicalein modulates the expression of DNA damage response proteins and G2/M phase regulatory molecules. Blockade of CHK2 activation by CHK2 inhibitors protects cells from baicalein-mediated G2/M cell cycle arrest. All the results suggest that baicalein has another novel growth inhibitory effect on highly invasive ovarian cancer cells, which is partly related to G2/M cell cycle arrest through the ROS-mediated DNA breakage damage and CHK2 activation. Collectively, our findings provide a molecular basis for the potential of baicalein as an adjuvant therapeutic agent in the treatment of metastatic ovarian cancer

Molecular mechanisms for Pb removal by Cyanidiales: a potential biomaterial applied in thermo-acidic conditions

Thermoacidophilic Cyanidiales are capable to survive in extreme environments (20–56 °C; pH 0.5–5.0) with concentrated metals, allowing them to serve as promising green materials applied in metal remediation. It is the first attempt to determine the capacity and related mechanisms for Pb(II) ions sorption on three Cyanidiales genera: Galdieria maximum (Gm), Cyanidioschyzon merolae (Cm), and Cyanidium caldarium (Cc) in relation to changes in Pb speciation obtained from Pb LIII-edge X-ray absorption, organic functional groups, and protein secondary structures derived from synchrotron-based Fourier-transform infrared spectroscopy. Three-dimensional images of Cyanidiales were collected using Transmission X-ray microscopy. Lead tolerance on Cyanidiales was modulated according to four mechanisms: the defense line provide by polysaccharide, the inorganic Pb-PO4 precipitation, the organic Pb complexation concomitant with the transport to cell vacuoles, and the specific thiol-Pb chelation involved in disruption of protein secondary structures. Despite Cyanidiales generally performed all mechanisms against Pb toxicity, individual defense responses were highlighted by specific Cyanidiales species. The redistribution of Pb-polysaccharide species and inorganic Pb-PO4 precipitates toward organic complexation promoted Pb(II) ions sorption capacity of Cyanidiales, accounting for the almost eight-timehttps greater sorbed Pb (298.4 mg g−1) on Cc in comparison to Gm. The knowledge provided here could improve the application of the Cyanidiales in environmental remediation as an innovative green technology

Maximizing Benefits from Maintenance Pemetrexed with Stereotactic Ablative Radiotherapy in Oligoprogressive Non-Squamous Non-Small Cell Lung Cancer

Maintenance pemetrexed offers survival benefit with well-tolerated toxicities for advanced non-squamous non-small cell lung cancer (NSCLC). We present 3 consecutively enrolled patients with advanced non-squamous NSCLC, receiving stereotactic ablative radiotherapy (SABR) for oligoprogressive disease during maintenance pemetrexed. All of them had sustained local control of thoracic oligoprogression after the SABR, while maintenance pemetrexed were kept for additionally long progression-free interval. SABR targeting oligoprogression with continued pemetrexed is an effective and safe approach to extend exposure of maintenance pemetrexed, thus maximizing the benefit from it

Clinical and genetic characterization of NIPA1 mutations in a Taiwanese cohort with hereditary spastic paraplegia

Abstract Objective NIPA1 mutations have been implicated in hereditary spastic paraplegia (HSP) as the cause of spastic paraplegia type 6 (SPG6). The aim of this study was to investigate the clinical and genetic features of SPG6 in a Taiwanese HSP cohort. Methods We screened 242 unrelated Taiwanese patients with HSP for NIPA1 mutations. The clinical features of patients with a NIPA1 mutation were analyzed. Minigene‐based splicing assay, RT‐PCR analysis on the patients' RNA, and cell‐based protein expression study were utilized to assess the effects of the mutations on splicing and protein expression. Results Two patients were identified to carry a different heterozygous NIPA1 mutation. The two mutations, c.316G>A and c.316G>C, are located in the 3′ end of NIPA1 exon 3 near the exon–intron boundary and putatively lead to the same amino acid substitution, p.G106R. The patient harboring NIPA1 c.316G>A manifested spastic paraplegia, epilepsy and schizophrenia since age 17 years, whereas the individual carrying NIPA1 c.316G>C had pure HSP since age 12 years. We reviewed literature and found that epilepsy was present in multiple individuals with NIPA1 c.316G>A but none with NIPA1 c.316G>C. Functional studies demonstrated that both mutations did not affect splicing, but only the c.316G>A mutation was associated with a significantly reduced NIPA1 protein expression. Interpretation SPG6 accounted for 0.8% of HSP cases in the Taiwanese cohort. The NIPA1 c.316G>A and c.316G>C mutations are associated with adolescent‐onset complex and pure form HSP, respectively. The different effects on protein expression of the two mutations may be associated with their phenotypic discrepancy