Multi-marker approach using procalcitonin, presepsin, galectin-3, and soluble suppression of tumorigenicity 2 for the prediction of mortality in sepsis

Background: Biomarker could be objective and reliable tools to predict mortality in sepsis. We explored the prognostic utilities of emerging biomarkers in septic patients and questioned whether adding biomarkers to the clinical variables would improve the prediction of mortality in sepsis. Methods: This retrospective study included 157 septic patients (112 patients with sepsis; 45 patients with septic shock). Procalcitonin (PCT), presepsin, galectin-3, and soluble suppression of tumorigenicity 2 (sST2) concentrations were analyzed in relation to the 30-day all-cause mortality. Their value added on top of Sequential (Sepsis-related) Organ Failure Assessment (SOFA) score, high-sensitivity C-reactive protein, and white blood cells was also analyzed. Results: PCT could not predict 30-day mortality. Univariate hazard ratio [HR with 95% confidence interval (CI)] of the other dichotomized variables was: 1.33 (0.55–3.194) for presepsin; 7.87 (2.29–26.96) for galectin-3; 1.55 (0.71–3.38) for sST2; and 2.18 (1.01–4.75) for SOFA score. The risk of 30-day mortality increased stepwise as the number of biomarkers above optimal cutoff values increased, and the highest risk was observed when all four biomarkers and SOFA score increased (HR = 14.5). Multi-marker approach predicted 30-day mortality better than SOFA score [area under the curves (95% CI), 0.769 (0.695–0.833) vs. 0.615 (0.535–0.692)]. In reclassification analyses, adding biomarkers to clinical variables improved the prediction of mortality. Conclusion: This study demonstrated a possible prognostic utility of PCT, presepsin, galectin-3, and sST2 in sepsis. Multi-marker approach could be beneficial for an optimized management of patients with sepsis

Efficacy of two different self-expanding nitinol stents for atherosclerotic femoropopliteal arterial disease (SENS-FP trial): study protocol for a randomized controlled trial

BACKGROUND: There have been few randomized control trials comparing the incidence of stent fracture and primary patency among different self-expanding nitinol stents to date. The SMART™ CONTROL stent (Cordis Corp, Miami Lakes, Florida, United States) has a peak-to-valley bridge and inline interconnection, whereas the COMPLETE™-SE stent (Medtronic Vascular, Santa Rosa, California, United States) crowns have been configured to minimize crown-to-crown interaction, increasing the stent's flexibility without compromising radial strength. Further, the 2011 ESC (European society of cardiology) guidelines recommend that dual antiplatelet therapy with aspirin and a thienopyridine such as clopidogrel should be administered for at least one month after infrainguinal bare metal stent implantation. Cilostazol has been reported to reduce intimal hyperplasia and subsequent repeat revascularization. To date, there has been no randomized study comparing the safety and efficacy of two different antiplatelet regimens, clopidogrel and cilostazol, following successful femoropopliteal stenting. METHODS/DESIGN: The primary purpose of our study is to examine the incidence of stent fracture and primary patency between two different major representative self-expanding nitinol stents (SMART™ CONTROL versus COMPLETE™-SE) in stenotic or occlusive femoropopliteal arterial lesion. The secondary purpose is to examine whether there is any difference in efficacy and safety between aspirin plus clopidogrel versus aspirin plus cilostazol for one month following stent implantation in femoropopliteal lesions. This is a prospective, randomized, multicenter trial to assess the efficacy of the COMPLETE™-SE versus SMART™ CONTROL stent for provisional stenting after balloon angioplasty in femoropopliteal arterial lesions. The study design is a 2x2 randomization design and a total of 346 patients will be enrolled. The primary endpoint of this study is the rate of binary restenosis in the treated segment at 12 months after intervention as determined by catheter angiography or duplex ultrasound. DISCUSSION: This trial will provide powerful insight into whether the design of the COMPLETE™-SE stent is more fracture-resistant or effective in preventing restenosis compared with the SMART™ CONTROL stent. Also, it will determine the efficacy and safety of aspirin plus clopidogrel versus aspirin plus cilostazol in patients undergoing stent implantation in femoropopliteal lesions. TRIAL REGISTRATION: Registered on 2 April 2012 with the National Institutes of Health Clinical Trials Registry (ClinicalTrials.gov identifier# NCT01570803)

Search for the decay B+→K‾∗0K∗+B^+\rightarrow\overline{K}{}^{*0}K^{*+} at Belle

We report a search for the rare charmless decay $B^+\rightarrow\overline{K}{}^{*0}K^{*+}$ using a data sample of $772\times10^6$ $B\bar{B}$ pairs collected at the $\Upsilon(4S)$ resonance with the Belle detector at the KEKB asymmetric-energy $e^+e^-$ collider. No statistically significant signal is found and a 90% confidence-level upper limit is set on the decay branching fraction as $\mathcal{B}(B^+\rightarrow\overline{K}{}^{*0}K^{*+}) <1.31\times 10^{-6}$.Comment: 8 pages, 3 figures, submitted to PRD(RC

First Observation of Radiative B^0 -> \phi K^0 \gamma Decays and Measurements of Their Time-Dependent CP Violation

We report the first observation of the radiative decay B^0 -> \phi K^0 \gamma using a data sample of 772 x 10^6 B B-bar pairs collected at the \Upsilon(4S) resonance with the Belle detector at the KEKB asymmetric-energy e^+e^- collider. We observe a signal of 37+/-8 events with a significance of 5.4 standard deviations including systematic uncertainties. The measured branching fraction is ${\cal B}(B^0 -> \phi K^0 \gamma) = (2.74\pm 0.60 \pm 0.32) \times 10^{-6}$, where the uncertainties are statistical and systematic, respectively. We also report the first measurements of time-dependent CP violation parameters: ${\mathcal S}_{\phi K_S^0 \gamma} = +0.74^{+0.72}_{-1.05} (stat)^{+0.10}_{-0.24} (syst)$ and ${\mathcal A}_{\phi K_S^0 \gamma} = +0.35 +/- 0.58 (stat)^{+0.23}_{-0.10} (syst)$. Furthermore, we measure ${\mathcal B}(B^+ -> \phi K^+ \gamma) = (2.48 +/- 0.30 +/- 0.24) x 10^{-6}$, ${\mathcal A}_{CP} = -0.03 +/- 0.11 +/- 0.08$ and find that the signal is concentrated in the M_{\phi K} mass region near threshold.Comment: 6 pages, 3 figures, Modified version is to be published in PRD(RC

Measurements of the Υ(10860)\Upsilon(10860) and Υ(11020)\Upsilon(11020) resonances via σ(e+e−→Υ(nS)π+π−)\sigma(e^+e^-\rightarrow\Upsilon(n{\rm S})\pi^+\pi^-)

We report new measurements of the total cross sections for $e^+e^-\to \Upsilon(n{\rm S})\pi^+\pi^-$ ($n$ = 1, 2, 3) and $e^+e^-\to b\bar b$ from a high-luminosity fine scan of the region $\sqrt{s} = 10.63$-$11.05$ GeV with the Belle detector. We observe that the $\Upsilon(n{\rm S})\pi^+\pi^-$ spectra have little or no non-resonant component and extract from them the masses and widths of $\Upsilon(10860)$ and $\Upsilon(11020)$ and their relative phase. We find $M_{10860}=(10891.1\pm3.2^{+0.6}_{-1.7})$ MeV/$c^2$ and $\Gamma_{10860}=(53.7^{+7.1}_{-5.6}\,^{+1.3}_{-5.4})$ MeV and report first measurements $M_{11020}=(10987.5^{+6.4}_{-2.5}\,^{+9.0}_{-2.1})$ MeV/$c^2$, $\Gamma_{11020}=(61^{+9}_{-19}\,^{+2}_{-20})$ MeV, and $\phi_{\rm 11020}-\phi_{\rm 10860} = (-1.0\pm0.4\,^{+1.4}_{-0.1})$ rad.Comment: University of Cincinnati preprint UCHEP-15-01, submitted to Physical Review D - Rapid Communication

Observation of B0→pΛˉD(∗)−B^{0} \rightarrow p\bar{\Lambda} D^{(*)-}

We report the first observation of the decays $B^0 \rightarrow p\bar{\Lambda} D^{(*)-}$. The data sample of $711$ fb$^{-1}$ used in this analysis corresponds to $772$ million $B\bar{B}$ pairs, collected at the $\Upsilon(4S)$ resonance by the Belle detector at the KEKB asymmetric-energy $e^{+}e^{-}$ collider. We observe $19.8\sigma$ and $10.8\sigma$ excesses of events for the two decay modes and measure the branching fractions of $B^0 \rightarrow p\bar{\Lambda} D^{-}$ and $B^0 \rightarrow p\bar{\Lambda} D^{*-}$ to be $(25.1\pm2.6\pm3.5)\times10^{-6}$ and $(33.6\pm6.3\pm4.4)\times10^{-6}$, respectively, where the first uncertainties are statistical and the second are systematic. These results are not compatible with the predictions based on the generalized factorization approach. In addition, a threshold enhancement in the di-baryon ($p\bar{\Lambda}$) system is observed, consistent with that observed in similar $B$ decays.Comment: 16 pages, 3 figures and 3 tables, submitted to PR

Study of e+e- => B(*) B(*)-bar pi+- at sqrt(s)=10.866 GeV

We report the analysis of the three-body e+e- => B B-bar pi, B B*-bar pi, and B* B*-bar pi processes, including the first observation of the Zb+-(10610) =>[B B*-bar+c.c.]+- and Zb+-(10650) => [B*B*-bar]+- transitions. We measure visible cross sections for the three-body production of sigma_vis(e+e- => [B B*-bar+c.c.]+-pi-+=(11.2+-1.0(stat.)+-1.2(syst.)) pb and sigma_vis(e+e- => [B*B*-bar]+-pi-+)=(5.61+-0.73(stat.)+-0.66(syst.)) pb and set a 90% C.L. upper limit of sigma_vis(e+e- => [BB-bar]+-pi-+)<2.1 pb. The results are based on a 121.4 1/fb data sample collected with the Belle detector at a center-of-mass energy near the Y(5S) peak.Comment: 8 pages, 2 figure

Search for B+ -> l+ nu gamma decays with hadronic tagging using the full Belle data sample

We search for the decay B+ -> l+ nu gamma with l+ = e+ or mu+ using the full Belle data set of 772 x 10^6 BBbar pairs, collected at the Y(4S) resonance with the Belle detector at the KEKB asymmetric-energy e+e- collider. We reconstruct one B meson in a hadronic decay mode and search for the B+ -> l+ nu gamma decay in the remainder of the event. We observe no significant signal within the phase space of E_gamma^sig > 1 GeV and obtain upper limits of BR(B+ -> e+ nu gamma) mu+ nu gamma) l+ nu gamma) < 3.5 x 10^-6 at 90 % credibility level.Comment: Submitted to Phys. Rev.

Study of π0\pi^0 pair production in single-tag two-photon collisions

We report a measurement of the differential cross section of $\pi^0$ pair production in single-tag two-photon collisions, $\gamma^* \gamma \to \pi^0 \pi^0$, in $e^+ e^-$ scattering. The cross section is measured for $Q^2$ up to 30 GeV$^2$, where $Q^2$ is the negative of the invariant mass squared of the tagged photon, in the kinematic range 0.5 GeV < W < 2.1 GeV and $|\cos \theta^*|$ < 1.0 for the total energy and pion scattering angle, respectively, in the $\gamma^* \gamma$ center-of-mass system. The results are based on a data sample of 759 fb$^{-1}$ collected with the Belle detector at the KEKB asymmetric-energy $e^+ e^-$ collider. The transition form factor of the $f_0(980)$ and that of the $f_2(1270)$ with the helicity-0, -1, and -2 components separately are measured for the first time and are compared with theoretical calculations.Comment: 36 pages, 37 figures, 11 tables, Belle Preprint 2015-15, KEK Preprint 2015-2