A new forward calorimeter (FoCal) covering 3.4<η<5.8 is being developed as a possible detector upgrade of the ALICE experiment at LHC . FoCal will be a unique detector with a Si+W electromagnetic ...calorimeter (FoCal-E) and a conventional sampling hadronic calorimeter (FoCal-H), and the installation of and data taking with FoCal are expected during the LHC Long Shutdown 3 (in 2025-2027) and Run 4 (in 2027–2029), respectively. A prototype module, called “mini-FoCal”, was built and tested in 2018. 60 silicon pad sensors were used to produce 20 layers in total with a size of 281.0 mm by 96.0 mm and a thickness of 5.5 mm. The first beam test with the mini-FoCal was carried out at the CERN PS and SPS complexes in 2018. Electromagnetic shower signals were successfully measured in addition to the MIP peak for calibration. A good signal-to-noise ratio was confirmed and the energy resolution of the mini-FoCal was estimated to be ΔE/E=4.1%±0.5% for a positron beam with an energy of 150 GeV . Following the beam tests, the mini-FoCal was temporarily placed in the ALICE cavern to study its performance under realistic experimental conditions over one month, and preliminary results are presented.
Abstract Cortical bone thickness (CBT) was evaluated at mini-implant placement sites in 65 orthodontic patients and was found to be directly proportional to the success rate of the mini-implant. The ...success rate of the mini-implant was significantly greater at sites with CBT ≥ 1.0 mm. To examine the biomechanical effects of CBT, finite element models were made for CBT from 0.5 to 1.5 mm, at 0.25-mm intervals. Cortical bone models without cancellous bone were constructed to examine the biomechanical influence on cortical bone after cancellous bone resorption. CBT influenced the stresses in the cancellous bone, but could not directly influence the stresses in the cortical bone. For CBT < 1 mm, the cancellous bone models exhibited von Mises stresses exceeding 6 MPa, and the cortical bone models without cancellous bone showed von Mises stresses exceeding 28 MPa. Greater CBT values were associated with higher mini-implant success rates. This morphometric study and mathematical simulation verify that a clinical CBT threshold of 1 mm improves the success rate of mini-implants.
Full text
Available for:
GEOZS, IJS, IMTLJ, KILJ, KISLJ, NUK, OILJ, PNG, SAZU, SBCE, SBJE, UL, UM, UPCLJ, UPUK
To examine patterns of intravenous (IV) iron use across 12 countries from 1999 to 2011.
Trends in iron use are described among 32 192 hemodialysis (HD) patients in the Dialysis Outcomes and Practice ...Patterns Study. Adjusted associations of IV iron dose with serum ferritin and transferrin saturation (TSAT) values were also studied.
IV iron was administered to 50% of patients over 4 months in 1999, increasing to 71% during 2009-11, with increasing use in most countries. Among patients receiving IV iron, the mean monthly dose increased from 232 ± 167 to 281 ± 211 mg. Most countries used 3 to 4 doses/month, but Canada used about 2 doses/month, Italy increased from 3 to almost 6 doses/month and Germany used 5 to 6 doses/month. The USA and most European countries predominantly used iron sucrose and sodium ferric gluconate. A significant use of iron dextran was limited to Canada and France; iron polymaltose was used in Australia and New Zealand; and Japan used ferric oxide saccharate, chondroitin polysulfate iron complex and cideferron. Ferritin values rose in most countries: 22% of patients had ≥ 800 ng/mL in the recent years of study. TSAT levels increased to a lesser degree over time. Japan had much lower IV iron dosing and ferritin levels, but similar TSAT levels. In adjusted analyses, serum ferritin and TSAT levels increased signifcantly by 14 ng/mL and 0.16%, respectively, for every 100 mg/month higher mean monthly iron dose.
IV iron prescription patterns varied between countries and changed over time from 1999 to 2011. IV iron use and dose increased in most countries, with notable increases in ferritin but not TSAT levels. With rising cumulative IV iron doses, studies of the effects of changing IV iron dosing and other anemia management practices on clinical outcomes should be a high priority.
Background. Malnutrition is a common complication in haemodialysis patients. Recently, the Geriatric Nutritional Risk Index (GNRI) has been reported as a simple and accurate tool to assess ...nutritional status of haemodialysis patients. Our objective was to examine the association between GNRI and mortality in chronic haemodialysis patients. Methods. We examined the GNRI of 490 maintenance haemodialysis patients (60 ± 12 years, 293 males and 197 females) and followed up these patients for 60 months. Predictors for all-cause death were examined using Kaplan–Meier analysis and Cox proportional analyses. Results. The GNRI was 98.0 ± 6.0, and was significantly and negatively correlated with age and haemodialysis duration. During the 60-month follow-up period, 129 patients died. According to the highest positive likelihood and risk ratios, the cutoff value of GNRI for mortality was set at 90. Kaplan–Meier analysis revealed that patients with a GNRI <90 (n = 50) had a significantly lower survival rate, compared to those with GNRI ≥90 (n = 440) (log-rank test, P < 0.0001). Multivariate Cox proportional hazards analyses demonstrated that GNRI was a significant predictor for mortality hazard ratio (HR) 0.962, 95% confidence interval (CI) 0.931–0.995, P < 0.05, after adjustment for age, gender, C-reactive protein, presence of diabetes and haemodialysis duration. Conclusions. These results demonstrated that GNRI is a significant predictor for mortality in haemodialysis patients. The simple method of GNRI is considered to be a clinically useful marker for the assessment of nutritional status in haemodialysis patients.
Summary
Denosumab treatment of osteoporotic patients, except those with severe renal insufficiency, reduced cCa levels. Low baseline cCa, low estimated glomerular filtration rate, and high bone ...turnover increased the risk of lower cCa, while increasing bone mineral density. Pretreatment with antiresorptive agents was beneficial in reducing the risk of hypocalcemia.
Introduction
Although denosumab-induced hypocalcemia has been frequently observed in patients with chronic kidney disease (CKD) stages 4–5D being treated with denosumab for osteoporosis, few studies have assessed the risk factors for serum-corrected calcium (cCa) reductions in patients with non-severe renal insufficiency. This study assessed the risk factors for reduced cCa concentration following denosumab administration and analyzed factors predictive of changes in bone mineral density (BMD).
Methods
Seventy-seven osteoporotic patients, not including those with CKD stages 4–5D, were treated with 60 mg denosumab once every 6 months. Biochemical parameters and BMD were analyzed from prior to the initial dose until 1 month after the second dose.
Results
Following the first administration of denosumab, cCa levels decreased, reaching a minimum on day 7. Multiple linear regression analyses showed that baseline cCa, estimated glomerular filtration rate (eGFR) < 60 mL/min/1.73 m
2
, tartrate-resistant acid phosphatase-5b (TRACP-5b), and bone alkaline phosphatase (BAP) or pretreatment with antiresorptive agents were significant factors independently associated with the absolute reduction in cCa from baseline to day 7 (ΔcCa
0–7 days
). ΔcCa
0–7 days
after the second dose of denosumab was significantly lower than that after the first dose. After 6 months of denosumab treatment, both LS-BMD and FN-BMD significantly increased from baseline. LS-BMD and FN-BMD correlated significantly with baseline TRACP-5b or BAP and eGFR, respectively.
Conclusions
Both low eGFR and high bone turnover were independent risk factors for denosumab-induced cCa decrement, and for increases in BMD. Pretreatment with antiresorptive agents may reduce the risk of hypocalcemia.
Full text
Available for:
EMUNI, FIS, FZAB, GEOZS, GIS, IJS, IMTLJ, KILJ, KISLJ, MFDPS, NLZOH, NUK, OILJ, PNG, SAZU, SBCE, SBJE, SBMB, SBNM, UKNU, UL, UM, UPUK, VKSCE, ZAGLJ
The sheet resistance (Rsk) underneath ohmic Au-electrodes on hydrogen-terminated surface-conductive diamond (001) surfaces was examined by a special current-voltage measurement. It has been found ...that Rsk is about ~200 times larger than the sheet resistance, Rsh, in the open areas without Au-electrodes. The specific contact resistance, RC, of ohmic Au-electrodes on H-terminated surface-conductive diamonds as determined by linear transmission line models must be corrected accordingly. As the results of this, RC is suggested to be of the order of 1×10−3–1×10−4Ωcm2.
Display omitted
•Au ohmic-contact on hydrogen-terminated p-type surface conductive layer (SCL) of diamond is not well understood.•The sheet resistance underneath Au ohmic-contact on hydrogen-terminated p-type SCL of diamond is not characterized at all.•It is characterized by a special method of I-V measurement.•It is found that the sheet resistance underneath Au ohmic-contact is about 200 times larger than that of the open areas.•The specific contact resistance as determined by TLM is corrected to be the orders of 10−3~10−4Ωcm2.
Full text
Available for:
GEOZS, IJS, IMTLJ, KILJ, KISLJ, NUK, OILJ, PNG, SAZU, SBCE, SBJE, UL, UM, UPCLJ, UPUK, ZRSKP
•A novel method measuring DNA methylation using next generation sequencing was established.•The highly quantitative method can analyze approximately 100,000CpG sites in the dog genome.•Thousands of ...CpG sites were found to be abnormally methylated in canine lymphoma cell lines.
DNA methylation is the conversion of cytosine to 5-methylcytosine, leading to changes in the interactions between DNA and proteins. Methylation of cytosine-guanine (CpG) islands (CGIs) is associated with gene expression silencing of the involved promoter. Although studies focussing on global changes or a few single loci in DNA methylation have been performed in dogs with certain diseases, genome-wide analysis of DNA methylation is required to prospectively identify specific regions with DNA methylation change. The hypothesis of this study was that next-generation sequencing with methylation-specific signatures created by sequential digestion of genomic DNA with SmaI and XmaI enzymes can provide quantitative information on methylation levels. Using blood from healthy dogs and cells obtained from canine lymphoma cell lines, approximately 100,000CpG sites across the dog genome were analysed with the novel method established in this study. CpG sites in CGIs broadly were shown to be either methylated or unmethylated in normal blood, while CpG sites not within CpG islands (NCGIs) were largely methylated. Thousands of CpG sites in lymphoma cell lines were found to gain methylation at normally unmethylated CGI sites and lose methylation at normally methylated NCGI sites. These hypermethylated CpG sites are located at promoter regions of hundreds of genes, such as TWIST2 and TLX3. In addition, genes annotated with ‘Homeobox’ and ‘DNA-binding’ characteristics have hypermethylated CpG sites in their promoter CGIs. Genome-wide quantitative DNA methylation analysis is a sensitive method that is likely to be suitable for studies of DNA methylation changes in cancer, as well as other common diseases in dogs.
Full text
Available for:
GEOZS, IJS, IMTLJ, KILJ, KISLJ, NLZOH, NUK, OILJ, PNG, SAZU, SBCE, SBJE, UL, UM, UPCLJ, UPUK, ZRSKP
Summary
Serum undercarboxylated osteocalcin (ucOC)/intact osteocalcin (iOC) ratio increased >1.0 in the patients undergoing hemodialysis, particularly in those with high bone turnover state. ...Consequently, serum ucOC/iOC ratio might lose its significance as a bone metabolic marker to indicate vitamin K deficiency in hemodialysis patients.
Introduction
Serum intact osteocalcin (iOC), undercarboxylated OC (ucOC), and the ucOC/iOC ratio are considered clinically relevant indices in pre-dialysis chronic kidney disease (CKD) and hemodialysis (HD) patients, despite their accumulation in uremic serum.
Methods
Serum iOC and ucOC were measured along with serum intact parathyroid hormone (iPTH), bone alkaline phosphatase (BAP), and tartrate-resistant acid phosphatase (TRACP)-5b in 89 pre-dialysis CKD and 189 HD patients.
Results
Serum iOC and ucOC showed significantly negative correlations with estimated glomerular filtration rate in pre-dialysis CKD patients, although serum ucOC/iOC ratio did not correlate. Serum ucOC was significantly greater in HD patients than in pre-dialysis CKD patients, while serum iOC did not differ significantly, resulting in serum ucOC/iOC ratio >1.0 in 135 (71.4 %) out of 189 HD patients. HD patients with high serum ucOC/iOC ratio (>1.0) had a significantly younger age and significantly higher values of body mass index, serum creatinine, albumin, phosphate, iPTH, and TRACP-5b than those with low ucOC/iOC ratio (≤1.0). The baseline iPTH and P1NP correlated with the changes of the ucOC/iOC ratio during the 2 days of the inter-dialytic period. Multivariate analysis showed that log ucOC/iOC in HD patients was significantly associated with log iPTH, log BAP, or log TRACP-5b.
Conclusions
Serum ucOC/iOC ratio >1.0 was observed in as high as 71.4 % of HD patients, preferentially with high bone turnover state, in comparison with pre-dialysis CKD patients. These data suggested that serum ucOC/iOC ratio might lose its significance as a bone metabolic marker to indicate vitamin K deficiency in HD patients.
Full text
Available for:
EMUNI, FIS, FZAB, GEOZS, GIS, IJS, IMTLJ, KILJ, KISLJ, MFDPS, NLZOH, NUK, OILJ, PNG, SAZU, SBCE, SBJE, SBMB, SBNM, UKNU, UL, UM, UPUK, VKSCE, ZAGLJ
Based on the relative expression of CD11c and CD1a, we previously identified subsets of dendritic cells (DCs) or DC precursors in human peripheral blood. A CD1a(+)/CD11c(+) population (CD11c(+) DCs), ...also called myeloid DCs, is an immediate precursor of Langerhans cells, whereas a CD1a(-)/CD11c(-) population (CD11c(-) DCs), sometimes called lymphoid DCs but better known as plasmacytoid DCs, is composed of type I IFN (IFN-alpha beta)-producing cells. Here, we investigate the effects of IFN-alpha beta and IFN-gamma as well as other cytokines on CD11c(+) and CD11c(-) DC subsets, directly isolated from the peripheral blood, instead of in vitro-generated DCs. IFN-gamma and IFN-alpha, rather than GM-CSF, were the most potent cytokines for enhancing the maturation of CD11c(+) DCs. Incubation of CD11c(+) DCs with IFN-gamma also resulted in increased IL-12 production, and this IL-12 allowed DCs to increase Th1 responses by alloreactive T cells. In contrast, IFN-alpha did not induce IL-12 but, rather, augmented IL-10 production. IFN-alpha-primed matured CD11c(+) DCs induced IL-10-producing regulatory T cells; however, this process was independent of the DC-derived IL-10. On the other hand, IFN-alpha by itself neither matured CD11c(-) DCs nor altered the polarization of responding T cells, although this cytokine was a potent survival factor for CD11c(-) DCs. Unlike IFN-alpha, IL-3 was a potent survival factor and induced the maturation of CD11c(-) DCs. The IL-3-primed CD11c(-) DCs activated T cells to produce IL-10, IFN-gamma, and IL-4. Thus, CD11c(+) and CD11c(-) DC subsets play distinct roles in the cytokine network, especially their responses to IFNs.
PDF
