Stars are giant thermonuclear plasma furnaces that slowly fuse the lighter elements in the universe into heavier elements, releasing energy, and generating the pressure required to prevent collapse. ...To understand stars, we must rely on nuclear reaction rate data obtained, up to now, under conditions very different from those of stellar cores. Here we show thermonuclear measurements of the 2 H(d, n)3 He and 3 H(t,2n)4 He S-factors at a range of densities (1.2-16 g cm-3 ) and temperatures (2.1-5.4 keV) that allow us to test the conditions of the hydrogen-burning phase of main-sequence stars. The relevant conditions are created using inertial-confinement fusion implosions at the National Ignition Facility. Our data agree within uncertainty with previous accelerator-based measurements and establish this approach for future experiments to measure other reactions and to test plasma-nuclear effects present in stellar interiors, such as plasma electron screening, directly in the environments where they occur.
Abstract The purpose of this study was to determine the effect of orthognathic surgery on psychological status. The subjects were 119 patients (38 males and 81 females, mean age 25.5 ± 9.4 years) who ...underwent orthognathic surgery. They were divided into class III (84 patients), class II (20 patients), and class I (15 patients) groups according to the anteroposterior skeletal pattern, and they were also divided into an asymmetry group (51 patients) and a symmetry group (68 patients). We assessed psychological status using the Minnesota Multiphasic Personality Inventory (MMPI) before surgery and at more than 6 months after surgery. The MMPI scores for the depression, hysteria, psychasthenia, and social introversion scales were significantly higher than standard values before surgery, and the hypomania scale significantly lower. The cannot say scale, depression scale, and hysteria scale decreased significantly after surgery. A comparison of MMPI scores among the groups showed the depression scale in the class III group to be higher than those in the class I and II groups; there was no significant difference between the asymmetry and symmetry groups. In conclusion, orthognathic surgery has a positive influence on the psychological status of patients with jaw deformities, especially patients with skeletal class III malocclusion.
Summary
Hepatitis B surface antigen (HBsAg) reduction during nucleoside/nucleotide analogue (NA) therapy is slow and an alternative strategy for patients receiving ongoing NA to facilitate HBsAg ...reduction is required. We investigated whether switching to pegylated interferon (PEG‐IFN) after long‐term NA administration enhances HBsAg reduction. Forty‐nine patients who switched from long‐term NA to 48 weeks of PEG‐IFN alfa‐2a were studied. The mean duration of previous NA was 48 months (sequential group). A total of 147 patients who continued NA and matched for baseline characteristics were analysed for comparison (NA continuation group). The treatment response was defined as HBsAg reduction ≥1.0 logIU/mL at the end of PEG‐IFN. HBsAg reduction at week 48 was 0.81±1.1 logIU/mL in the sequential group, which was significantly higher than that in the NA continuation group (0.11±0.3 logIU/mL, P < .001). The treatment response was achieved in 29% and 2% of the sequential group and NA continuation group (P < .001), and the odds ratio of sequential therapy for the treatment response was 19 compared with the NA continuation (P < .001). In patients tested positive for hepatitis B e antigen (HBeAg), HBeAg seroconversion was higher in the sequential group (44% vs 8%, P < .001). In HBeAg‐negative patients, only patients in the sequential group achieved HBsAg loss. No patient needed to resume NA administration because of HBV DNA increase accompanied by alanine aminotransferase flares. In summary, sequential therapy with PEG‐IFN after long‐term NA enhances the reduction of HBsAg and may represent a treatment option to promote HBsAg loss.
Summary
High rates of sustained virologic response (SVR) has been achieved in Japanese patients with chronic hepatitis C virus (HCV) genotype (GT)1 and GT2 infection treated with ...ledipasvir/sofosbuvir (LDV/SOF) ±ribavirin (RBV) and SOF+RBV, respectively. We evaluated the effect of baseline HCV NS5A and NS5B resistance‐associated variants (RAVs) on treatment outcome and characterized variants at virologic failure.
Baseline deep sequencing for NS5A and NS5B genes was performed for all GT1 patients. Deep sequencing of NS5A (GT1 only) and NS5B (GT1 and GT2) was performed for patients who failed treatment or discontinued early with detectable HCV RNA (i.e., >25 IU/mL). In patients with HCV GT1 infection, 22.3% (GT1a: 2/11; GT1b: 74/330) had ≥1 baseline NS5A RAV. The most frequent NS5A RAVs in GT1b were Y93H (17.9%, 59/330) and L31M (2.4%, 8/330). Despite the presence of NS5A RAVs at baseline, 100% and 97% of patients achieved SVR12, compared with 100% and 99% for those with no NS5A RAVs with LDV/SOF and LDV/SOF+RBV, respectively. All patients with NS5B RAVs at baseline achieved SVR12. Of the 153 patients with GT2 infection (GT2a 60.1%, GT2b 39.9%), 3.3% (5/153) experienced viral relapse. No S282T or other NS5B RAVs were detected at baseline or relapse; no change in susceptibility to SOF or RBV was observed at relapse. In conclusion, LDV/SOF and SOF+RBV demonstrate a high barrier to resistance in Japanese patients with HCV GT1 and GT2 infection. The presence of baseline NS5A RAVs did not impact treatment outcome in GT1 Japanese patients treated with LDV/SOF for 12 weeks.
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