597 research outputs found
Risk factor-based screening compared to universal screening for gestational diabetes mellitus in marginalized Burman and Karen populations on the Thailand-Myanmar border: an observational cohort
Background: Gestational diabetes mellitus (GDM) contributes significantly to maternal and neonatal morbidity, but data from marginalized populations remains scarce. This study aims to compare risk-factor-based screening to universal testing for GDM among migrants along the Thailand-Myanmar border. Methods: From the prospective cohort (September 2016, February 2019), 374 healthy pregnant women completed a 75g oral glucose tolerance test (OGTT) at 24-32 weeks gestation. Fasting, one hour and two hour cut-offs were based on Hyperglycaemia and Adverse Pregnancy Outcomes (HAPO trial) criteria and cases were treated. The sensitivity and specificity of risk-factor-based screening criteria was calculated using OGTT as the gold standard. Risk factors included at least one positive finding among 10 criteria, e.g., obesity (body mass index (BMI) >/=27.5kg/m (2)), 1 (st) degree relative with diabetes etc. Adverse maternal and neonatal outcomes were compared by GDM status, and risk factors for GDM were explored. Results: GDM prevalence was 13.4% (50/374) (95% CI: 10.3-17.2). Risk-factors alone correctly identified 74.0% (37/50) OGTT positive cases: sensitivity 74.0% (59.7-85.4) and specificity 27.8% (3.0-33.0). Burman women accounted for 29.1% of the cohort population, but 38.0% of GDM cases. Percentiles for birthweight (p=0.004), head circumference (p=0.005), and weight-length ratio (p=0.010) were higher in newborns of GDM mothers compared with non-GDM, yet 21.7% (75/346) of newborns in the cohort were small-for-gestational age. In Burman women, overweight/obese BMI was associated with a significantly increased adjusted odds ratio 5.03 (95% CI: 1.43-17.64) for GDM compared to normal weight, whereas underweight and overweight/obese in Karen women were both associated with similarly elevated adjusted odds, approximately 2.4-fold (non-significant) for GDM. GDM diagnosis by OGTT was highest prior to peak rainfall. Conclusions: Risk-factor-based screening was not sufficiently sensitive or specific to be useful to diagnose GDM in this setting among a cohort of low-risk pregnant women. A two-step universal screening program has thus been implemented
Search for the decay
We performed a search for the decay with the
E391a detector at KEK. In the data accumulated in 2005, no event was observed
in the signal region. Based on the assumption of
proceeding via parity-violation, we obtained the single event sensitivity to be
, and set an upper limit on the branching ratio to
be at the 90% confidence level. This is a factor of 3.2
improvement compared to the previous results. The results of proceeding via parity-conservation were also presented in this paper
Experimental study of the decay
The first dedicated search for the rare neutral-kaon decay
has been carried out in the E391a experiment at the
KEK 12-GeV proton synchrotron. The final upper limit of 2.6 at
the 90% confidence level was set on the branching ratio for the decay.Comment: 23 pages, 27 figures, accepted for publication as a regular article
in Physical Review
Long-lived neutral-kaon flux measurement for the KOTO experiment
The KOTO ( at Tokai) experiment aims to observe the CP-violating rare
decay by using a long-lived neutral-kaon
beam produced by the 30 GeV proton beam at the Japan Proton Accelerator
Research Complex. The flux is an essential parameter for the measurement
of the branching fraction. Three neutral decay modes, , , and were used to
measure the flux in the beam line in the 2013 KOTO engineering run. A
Monte Carlo simulation was used to estimate the detector acceptance for these
decays. Agreement was found between the simulation model and the experimental
data, and the remaining systematic uncertainty was estimated at the 1.4\%
level. The flux was measured as per protons on a
66-mm-long Au target.Comment: 27 pages, 16 figures. To be appeared in Progress of Theoretical and
Experimental Physic
Improved KL->pi e nu Form Factor and Phase Space Integral with Reduced Model Uncertainty
Using the published KTeV sample of 2 million KL-> pi e nu decays and a new
form factor expansion with a rigorous bound on higher order terms, we present a
new determination of the KL->pi e nu form factor and phase space integral.
Compared to the previous KTeV result, the uncertainty in the new form factor
expansion is negligible and results in an overall uncertainty in the phase
space integral (IKe) that is a factor of two smaller: IKe = 0.15392 +- 0.00048
\.Comment: 3 pages, 2 figures, submitted to PRD Rapid Communicatio
Paraneoplastic thrombocytosis in ovarian cancer
<p>Background: The mechanisms of paraneoplastic thrombocytosis in ovarian cancer and the role that
platelets play in abetting cancer growth are unclear.</p>
<p>Methods: We analyzed clinical data on 619 patients with epithelial ovarian cancer to test associations between platelet counts and disease outcome. Human samples and mouse
models of epithelial ovarian cancer were used to explore the underlying mechanisms
of paraneoplastic thrombocytosis. The effects of platelets on tumor growth and angiogenesis were ascertained.</p>
<p>Results: Thrombocytosis was significantly associated with advanced disease and shortened
survival. Plasma levels of thrombopoietin and interleukin-6 were significantly elevated
in patients who had thrombocytosis as compared with those who did not. In mouse
models, increased hepatic thrombopoietin synthesis in response to tumor-derived
interleukin-6 was an underlying mechanism of paraneoplastic thrombocytosis. Tumorderived interleukin-6 and hepatic thrombopoietin were also linked to thrombocytosis
in patients. Silencing thrombopoietin and interleukin-6 abrogated thrombocytosis in
tumor-bearing mice. Anti–interleukin-6 antibody treatment significantly reduced platelet counts in tumor-bearing mice and in patients with epithelial ovarian cancer. In
addition, neutralizing interleukin-6 significantly enhanced the therapeutic efficacy of
paclitaxel in mouse models of epithelial ovarian cancer. The use of an antiplatelet
antibody to halve platelet counts in tumor-bearing mice significantly reduced tumor
growth and angiogenesis.</p>
<p>Conclusions: These findings support the existence of a paracrine circuit wherein increased production of thrombopoietic cytokines in tumor and host tissue leads to paraneoplastic
thrombocytosis, which fuels tumor growth. We speculate that countering paraneoplastic thrombocytosis either directly or indirectly by targeting these cytokines may have
therapeutic potential. </p>
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