We examined the global incidence and mortality rates of liver cancer, and evaluated the association between incidence/mortality and socioeconomic development (Human Development Index HDI and Gross ...Domestic Product GDP) using linear regression analysis. The average annual percent change (AAPC) of the trends was evaluated from join-point regression analysis. The global incidence of liver cancer varied widely by nine-fold, and was negatively correlated with HDI (men: r = -0.232, p = 0.003; women: r = -0.369, p < 0.001) and GDP per capita (men: r = -0.164, p = 0.036; women: r = -0.212, p = 0.007). Its mortality showed a similarly negative correlation with both indices. The greatest incidence rise in men was observed in Poland (AAPC = 17.5, 95% C.I. = 5.6, 30.9) and Brazil (AAPC = 13.2, 95% C.I. = 5.9, 21.0), whereas Germany (AAPC = 6.6, 95% C.I = 2.0, 11.5) and Norway (AAPC = 6.5, 95% C.I. = 3.2, 10.0) had the greatest increase in women. The mortality rates paralleled the incidence rates in most countries. For mortality, Malta (AAPC = 11.5, 95% C.I. = 3.9, 19.8), Australia (AAPC = 6.8, 95% C.I. = 2.2, 11.5) and Norway (APCC = 5.6, 95% C.I. = 2.8, 8.5) reported the biggest increase among men; whilst Australia (AAPC = 13.4, 95% C.I. = 7.8, 19.4) and Singapore (AAPC = 7.7, 95% C.I. = 4.1, 11.5) showed the most prominent rise among women. These epidemiological data identified countries with potentially increasing trends of liver cancer for preventive actions.
Background
Prostate volume (PV) and its change rate are important for the progression of prostate disease, but studies on their estimates are inconsistent.
Objectives
To investigate whether age, ...prostate‐specific antigen (PSA), and other specific characteristics are associated with PV and its change rate.
Materials and Methods
A community‐based cohort study was conducted in a rural area of China among male residents aged 40–80 years. PV was estimated at baseline and at 4 years of follow‐up by trans‐abdominal ultrasound. Annual PV change rate (PVCR) was calculated as change in volume divided by time interval. Baseline characteristics, including age, serum PSA, and hormones, were evaluated. And their relationships with PV or PVCR were assessed with Pearson correlation and multivariate linear regression analyses.
Results
Totally, 462 participants completed the follow‐up with baseline PV (PV0) of 15.6 ± 5.5 ml. PV0 was highly correlated with age and PSA in pairwise correlations (Pearson r = 0.35 and 0.34, respectively, p < 0.01). Multivariate linear regression showed similar associations that PV0 tended to increase with age and PSA. The average PVCR was 0.7 ± 1.8 ml/year. In pairwise correlations, PVCR was inversely correlated with PV0 and positively correlated with PSA, while it was not significantly related to baseline age. Linear regression of PVCR on age and PSA in groups classified by PV0 quartile showed that age was not a significant estimator of PVCR, whereas PSA was. In each PV0 group, PVCR tended to increase with PSA.
Discussion and Conclusion
PV was positively associated with age and PSA, and it tended to grow faster in men with smaller baseline PV and higher PSA. PSA can be a valuable parameter for estimating both the size and the growth speed of prostate. Although age is associated with prostate enlargement, it does not appear to be related to the longitudinal change rate of PV.
A novel particle swarm optimization (PSO)-based algorithm for the traveling salesman problem (TSP) is presented. An uncertain searching strategy and a crossover eliminated technique are used to ...accelerate the convergence speed. Compared with the existing algorithms for solving TSP using swarm intelligence, it has been shown that the size of the solved problems could be increased by using the proposed algorithm.
Another PSO-based algorithm is proposed and applied to solve the generalized traveling salesman problem by employing the generalized chromosome. Two local search techniques are used to speed up the convergence. Numerical results show the effectiveness of the proposed algorithms.
A compositive synthesis of gel polymer electrolytes by blending poly(propylene carbonate) (PPC) into poly(vinylidene fluoride-hexafluoropropylene) (PVDF-HFP) as a polymer host is proposed. The ...blending polymer is produced by a facile solution casting method and ester groups of PPC are successful introduced into PVDF-HFP. The gel polymer electrolyte displays an excellent ion conductivity of 1.18 × 10−3 S cm−1, broad electrochemical window up to 4.8 V (vs. Li/Li+) and outstanding electrochemical stability within rechargeable lithium batteries at room temperature. The improvement of ion conductivity is attributed to the decrease of polymer crystallizability and the increase of micro pores. The strategy of blending is promising for the modification of PVDF-HFP electrolyte and foreground application in next-generation solid energy conversion devices.
beta decay of proton-rich nuclei plays an important role in exploring isospin mixing. The beta decay of P-26 at the proton drip line is studied using double-sided silicon strip detectors operating in ...conjunction with high-purity germanium detectors. The T = 2 isobaric analog state (IAS) at 13 055 keV and two new high-lying states at 13 380 and 11 912 keV in Si-26 are unambiguously identified through beta-delayed two-proton emission (beta 2p). Angular correlations of two protons emitted from Si-26 excited states populated by P-26 beta decay are measured, which suggests that the two protons are emitted mainly sequentially. We report the first observation of a strongly isospin-mixed doublet that deexcites mainly via two-proton decay. The isospin mixing matrix element between the Si-26 IAS and the nearby 13 380-keV state is determined to be 130(21) keV, and this result represents the strongest mixing, highest excitation energy, and largest level spacing of a doublet ever observed in beta-decay experiments.
Paroxysmal kinesigenic dyskinesias is a paroxysmal movement disorder characterized by recurrent, brief attacks of abnormal involuntary movements induced by sudden voluntary movements. Although ...several loci, including the pericentromeric region of chromosome 16, have been linked to paroxysmal kinesigenic dyskinesias, the causative gene has not yet been identified. Here, we identified proline-rich transmembrane protein 2 (PRRT2) as a causative gene of paroxysmal kinesigenic dyskinesias by using a combination of exome sequencing and linkage analysis. Genetic linkage mapping with 11 markers that encompassed the pericentromeric of chromosome 16 was performed in 27 members of two families with autosomal dominant paroxysmal kinesigenic dyskinesias. Then, the whole-exome sequencing was performed in three patients from these two families. By combining the defined linkage region (16p12.1-q12.1) and the results of exome sequencing, we identified an insertion mutation c.649_650InsC (p.P217fsX7) in one family and a nonsense mutation c.487C>T (p.Q163X) in another family. To confirm our findings, we sequenced the exons and flanking introns of PRRT2 in another three families with paroxysmal kinesigenic dyskinesias. The c.649_650InsC (p.P217fsX7) mutation was identified in two of these families, whereas a missense mutation, c.796C>T (R266W), was identified in another family with paroxysmal kinesigenic dyskinesias. All of these mutations completely co-segregated with the phenotype in each family. None of these mutations was identified in 500 normal unaffected individuals of matched geographical ancestry. Thus, we have identified PRRT2 as the first causative gene of paroxysmal kinesigenic dyskinesias, warranting further investigations to understand the pathogenesis of this disorder.
Solid-state fermentation has been used to improve the nutritive value of feed ingredients. In the present study, we investigated the effects of solid-state fermented wheat bran (FWB) on growth ...performance and apparent digestibility in broiler chickens. We measured the growth performance (ADFI, ADG, feed conversion, livability, and European performance efficiency factor) over 38 d in chicks fed a corn-soybean meal control diet (CON) or CON plus wet FWB (25 g/kg T1; 50 g/kg T2); or T1 plus 3 g/kg (T3); or T2 plus 6 g/kg (T4) soybean oil). The same diets were used to determine nutrient availability in chicks aged 20 d. Regression equations for AME and AMEn were obtained using 20-day-old chicks fed either the corn-soybean meal basal diet only or basal diet partially substituted with 50, 150, or 300 g/kg DM FWB. Diets containing 25 or 50 g/kg wet FBW did not affect the growth performance of broiler chickens, nor the apparent DM, energy, and nitrogen digestibility of the feeds, compared with the control diets (all P > 0.05). Further supplementation with oil did not improve the growth performance of broiler chickens compared with controls or chickens fed FBW. However, chickens fed diets containing soybean oil (T3 or T4) had lower (P = 0.005 and P = 0.040, respectively) apparent DM and energy digestibility than the control and FWB groups. The regression equations for AME and AMEn with the substitution of FWB produced values of 1,854.3 and 1,743.9 kcal/kg DM, respectively, and the equations were Y = 1854.3X + 52.7 (R2 = 0.971, n = 24, P < 0.001), and Y = 1743.9X + 44.6 (R2 = 0.978, n = 24, P < 0.001), respectively. Supplementation with wet FWB did not affect the growth performance of broiler chickens. Therefore, FWB is a suitable feed component for broilers.
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