Summary
Background
Up‐to‐date information regarding the recurrence rate of Helicobacter pylori (H. pylori) after eradication therapy is not available.
Aim
To evaluate the global recurrence rate ...following H. pylori eradication therapy and confirm its association with socioeconomic and sanitary conditions.
Methods
A systematic search of PubMed, EMBASE and the Cochrane library was performed to identify potentially relevant publications using the following keywords: “Helicobacter pylori” or “H. pylori” or “Hp” and “recurrence” or “recrudescence” or “reinfection” or “recurrent” or “recurred” or “re‐infect*” or “relapse*.”
Results
A total of 132 studies (53 934 patient‐years) were analysed. Each study was weighted according to the duration of patient‐years. The global annual recurrence, reinfection and recrudescence rate of H. pylori were 4.3% (95% CI, 4‐5), 3.1% (95% CI, 2‐5) and 2.2% (95% CI, 1‐3), respectively. The H. pylori recurrence rate was inversely related to the human development index (HDI) (ie, 3.1% 95% CI, 2‐4, 6.2% 95% CI, 4‐8 and 10.9% 95% CI, 6‐18 in countries with a very high, high and medium or low HDI) (P <.01) and directly related to H. pylori prevalence (10.9% 95% CI, 7‐16, 3.7% 95% CI, 3‐5, 3.4% 95% CI, 2‐5 and 1.6% 95% CI, 0.5‐3 in countries with a very high, high, medium or low local H. pylori prevalence) (P <.01). Global recurrence rates remained relatively stable between 1990s, 2000s and 2010s but varied across different regions (P <.05).
Conclusions
H. pylori recurrence remains a problem closely associated with socioeconomic and sanitary conditions. Methods to reduce recurrence in developing countries are needed.
Linked ContentThis article is linked to Willington and Gearry, and Roblin et al papers. To view these papers visit https://doi.org/10.1111/apt.14370 and https://doi.org/10.1111/apt.14385.
Metals with a high density of nanometre-scale twins have demonstrated simultaneous high strength and good ductility, attributed to the interaction between lattice dislocations and twin boundaries. ...Maximum strength was observed at a critical twin lamella spacing (∼15 nm) by mechanical testing; hence, an explanation of how twin lamella spacing influences dislocation behaviours is desired. Here, we report a transition of dislocation nucleation from steps on the twin boundaries to twin boundary/grain boundary junctions at a critical twin lamella spacing (12-37 nm), observed with in situ transmission electron microscopy. The local stress concentrations vary significantly with twin lamella spacing, thus resulting in a critical twin lamella spacing (∼18 nm) for the transition of dislocation nucleation. This agrees quantitatively with the mechanical test. These results demonstrate that by quantitatively analysing local stress concentrations, a direct relationship can be resolved between the microscopic dislocation activities and macroscopic mechanical properties of nanotwinned metals.
Laser wakefield accelerators promise to revolutionize many areas of accelerator science. However, one of the greatest challenges to their widespread adoption is the difficulty in control and ...optimization of the accelerator outputs due to coupling between input parameters and the dynamic evolution of the accelerating structure. Here, we use machine learning techniques to automate a 100 MeV-scale accelerator, which optimized its outputs by simultaneously varying up to six parameters including the spectral and spatial phase of the laser and the plasma density and length. Most notably, the model built by the algorithm enabled optimization of the laser evolution that might otherwise have been missed in single-variable scans. Subtle tuning of the laser pulse shape caused an 80% increase in electron beam charge, despite the pulse length changing by just 1%.
Arginine depletion is a putative target in hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC). HCC often lacks argininosuccinate synthetase, a citrulline to arginine-repleting enzyme. ADI-PEG 20 is a cloned arginine ...degrading enzyme—arginine deiminase—conjugated with polyethylene glycol. The goal of this study was to evaluate this agent as a potential novel therapeutic for HCC after first line systemic therapy.
Patients with histologically proven advanced HCC and Child-Pugh up to B7 with prior systemic therapy, were randomized 2 : 1 to ADI-PEG 20 18 mg/m2 versus placebo intramuscular injection weekly. The primary end point was overall survival (OS), with 93% power to detect a 4–5.6 months increase in median OS (one-sided α = 0.025). Secondary end points included progression-free survival, safety, and arginine correlatives.
A total of 635 patients were enrolled: median age 61, 82% male, 60% Asian, 52% hepatitis B, 26% hepatitis C, 76% stage IV, 91% Child-Pugh A, 70% progressed on sorafenib and 16% were intolerant. Median OS was 7.8 months for ADI-PEG 20 versus 7.4 for placebo (P = 0.88, HR = 1.02) and median progression-free survival 2.6 months versus 2.6 (P = 0.07, HR = 1.17). Grade 3 fatigue and decreased appetite occurred in <5% of patients. Two patients on ADI-PEG 20 had ≥grade 3 anaphylactic reaction. Death rate within 30 days of end of treatment was 15.2% on ADI-PEG 20 versus 10.4% on placebo, none related to therapy. Post hoc analyses of arginine assessment at 4, 8, 12 and 16 weeks, demonstrated a trend of improved OS for those with more prolonged arginine depletion.
ADI-PEG 20 monotherapy did not demonstrate an OS benefit in second line setting for HCC. It was well tolerated. Strategies to enhance prolonged arginine depletion and synergize the effect of ADI-PEG 20 are underway.
www.clinicaltrials.gov (NCT 01287585).
We provide a unified model for the soil‐water retention function, including the effect of bound and capillary waters for all types of soils, including clayey media. The model combines a ...CEC‐normalized isotherm describing the sorption of the bound water (and the filling of the trapped porosity) and the van Genuchten model to describe the capillary water sorption retention but ignore capillary condensation. For the CEC‐normalized isotherm, we tested both the BET and Freundlich isotherms, and we found that the Freundlich is more suitable than the BET isotherm in fitting the data. It is also easier to combine the Freundlich isotherm with the van Genuchten model. The new model accounts for (1) the different types of clay minerals, (2) the different types of ions sorbed in the Stern layer and on the basal planes of 2:1 clays, and (3) the pore size distribution. The model is validated with different data sets, including mixtures of kaolinite and bentonite. The model parameters include two exponents (the pore size exponent of the van Genuchten model and the exponent of the Freundlich isotherm), the capillary entry pressure, and two critical water contents. The first critical water content is the water content at saturation (porosity), and the second is the maximum water content associated with adsorption forces, including the trapped nonbound water.
Key Points
A new CEC- normalized Freundlich isotherm
Unified Freundlich and van Genuchten model for water retention
Validation made with a large set of experimental data
Rainfall-induced shallow landslides can seriously affect cultivations and infrastructures and cause human losses. A continuous monitoring of unsaturated soil hydrological properties is needed to ...understand the effects of pore water pressure and water content on shallow landslides triggering and slope safety factor. In this work, the impact of water content, pore water pressure and hydrological hysteresis on safety factor reconstruction is analyzed by applying two different models (Lu and Godt's and SLIP models) to a monitored slope located in Oltrepò Pavese (Northern Italy). A shallow landslide event in the studied slope during the monitoring allowed for identifying the triggering mechanism and modeling the safety factor changes. The conditions of instability mechanism develop in periods with frequent rainfalls: the uprising of a perched water table in the soil profile gets nil or positive pore water pressure, which, linked with the nil effective soil cohesion of some soil horizons, allows for the shallow landslide triggering. The safety factor trends correctly predicted unstable conditions (safety factor≤1.0) in correspondence of the shallow landslide triggering time on the basis of both water content and pore water pressure. A better prediction gets when the safety factor is modeled considering the hysteresis effects. Modeling the safety factor on the basis of water content can make a good assessment of shallow failures triggering conditions only for failures in unsaturated soils and for completely saturated soils. Instead, considering pore water pressure, it is possible estimating safety factor changes linked with the development of positive pore water pressures, which can be linked in some cases to shallow landslide development.
•Shallow landslide triggering mechanism was identified through field monitoring.•Test-site slope safety factor was modeled since monitored data.•Triggering moment was predicted since soil water content or pore water pressure.•Soil water content safety factor gets better considering the hydrological hysteresis.•Triggering conditions linked to positive pore water pressure cannot be identified since only soil water content.
To explore the characteristics of Helicobacter pylori resistance in China and the association between antibiotic resistance and several clinical factors.
H. pylori strains were collected from ...patients in 13 provinces or cities in China between 2010 and 2016. Demographic data including type of disease, geographic area, age, gender and isolation year were collected to analyse their association with antibiotic resistance. Antibiotic resistance was detected using the Etest test and the Kirby-Bauer disc diffusion method.
H. pylori were successfully cultured from 1117 patients. The prevalence of metronidazole, clarithromycin (CLA), azithromycin, levofloxacin (LEV), moxifloxacin, amoxicillin (AMO), tetracycline and rifampicin resistance was 78.2, 22.1, 23.3, 19.2, 17.2, 3.4, 1.9 and 1.5%, respectively. No resistance to furazolidone was observed. The resistance rates to LEV and moxifloxacin were higher in strains isolated from patients with gastritis compared to those with duodenal ulcer and among women. Compared to patients ≥40 years old, younger patients exhibited lower resistance rates to CLA, azithromycin, LEV and moxifloxacin. The resistance rates to CLA and AMO were higher in strains isolated more recently, and we also found that the prevalence of resistance to metronidazole, CLA, azithromycin and AMO were significantly different among different regions of China.
The resistance rates to metronidazole, CLA and LEV were high in China. Patient age, gender, disease and location were associated with the resistance of H. pylori to some antibiotics. Furazolidone, AMO and tetracycline are better choices for H. pylori treatment in China.
Abstract
A plant factory with artificial light is an effective system producing food to satisfy specific demands on yield, morphology, taste and nutrient accumulation in plants. All environmental ...factors inside a plant factory can be controlled without climate and location limitation. Light is one of the most important factors affecting plant growth and quality. By regulating light aspects, such as light intensity, light period, light quality, lighting position, and daily light integral, the growth and quality of the plants grown in a plant factory can be largely enhanced. As known, the initial and operating cost for a plant factory with artificial light is high, particularly the cost of electrical energy related to lighting. Identifying the optimal light environment that promotes plant growth and quality is critical for commercialization of plant factories. Recent researches have paid great attentions to the effects of light environment on the growth and morphology of leafy vegetables. On the other hand, the demand on functional plants that contain high concentration of bioactive compounds is increasing rapidly. Bioactive compounds in plants have been intensively studied to evaluate their effects on human health and many of them are proved to be clinically active against various types of diseases (e.g. anti-cancer effects). More and more people prefer to take health product derived from natural plants for disease prevention. Solutions to realize sustainable production of high quality functional/medicinal plants can be provided by developing environmental control technologies, such as light recipe, in plant factories. Aromatic herbs such as coriander; medicinal plants such as perilla and water spinach are subjected to different light conditions and root zone environments. Some bioactive compounds e.g. perillaldehyde and rosmarinic acid in perilla leaves; phenolic compounds and flavonoids, especially rutin and chlorogenic acid in coriander can be enhanced. The effects of each light aspect on plant growth vary with plant species and other environmental conditions, however, there are also some general trends that can be used to guide commercial application. This presentation introduces the basic of light and its effects on plant growth in plant factories, demonstrates research results that have been published in scientific journals, reports the current study on herbs and medicinal plants, and summarizes the general application of light in plant production.
Floral evolution in angiosperms is thought to be driven by pollinator‐mediated selection. Understanding flower integration and adaptation requires resolving the additive and nonadditive contributions ...of floral pollinator attraction and pollination efficiency traits to fitness components.
In this study, a flower manipulation experiment with a factorial design was used to study the adaptive significance of galea height (a putative attraction trait) and entrance width (a putative efficiency trait) in Aconitum gymnandrum Maxim. flowers. Simultaneously, phenotypic selection analysis was conducted to examine selection by pollinators on galea height, entrance width, nectar production and plant height.
Increased galea height increased the pollinator visitation rate, which confirmed its attractiveness function. Increasing floral entrance width by spreading the lower sepals increased the seed number per fruit without affecting pollinator visitation. This suggests a pollination efficiency role for the entrance width. The phenotypic selection analysis, however, did not provide evidence of pollinator‐mediated selection for either of these traist, but it did for plant height. According to the manipulation treatment and correlational selection results, the combined variation in galea height and entrance width of A. gymnandrum flowers did not have nonadditive effects on female reproductive success.
This study demonstrated the adaptive value of A. gymnandrum flowers through manipulation of an attractiveness trait and an efficiency trait. However, neither trait was associated with pollinator‐mediated selection. A combination of manipulating traits and determining current phenotypic selection could help to elucidate the mechanism of selection on floral traits involved in different functions and flower integration.
Flower traits of A. gymnandrum, including attracting and efficiency traits, can differentially affect pollinator visitation and seed production, but are not subject to current pollinator‐mediated selection.
We present an analysis of , O iii88, N ii122, and far-infrared (FIR) fine-structure line observations obtained with Herschel/PACS, for ∼240 local luminous infrared galaxies (LIRGs) in the Great ...Observatories All-sky LIRG Survey. We find pronounced declines ("deficits") of line-to-FIR continuum emission for N ii122, , and as a function of FIR color and infrared luminosity surface density, . The median electron density of the ionized gas in LIRGs, based on the N ii122/N ii205 ratio, is = 41 cm−3. We find that the dispersion in the deficit of LIRGs is attributed to a varying fractional contribution of photodissociation regions (PDRs) to the observed emission, f( ) = / , which increases from ∼60% to ∼95% in the warmest LIRGs. The / ratio is tightly correlated with the PDR gas kinetic temperature in sources where is not optically thick or self-absorbed. For each galaxy, we derive the average PDR hydrogen density, , and intensity of the interstellar radiation field, G, in units of and find G/ ratios of ∼0.1-50 cm3, with ULIRGs populating the upper end of the distribution. There is a relation between G/ and , showing a critical break at 5 × 1010 L kpc−2. Below , G/ remains constant, 0.32 cm3, and variations in are driven by the number density of star-forming regions within a galaxy, with no change in their PDR properties. Above , G/ increases rapidly with , signaling a departure from the typical PDR conditions found in normal star-forming galaxies toward more intense/harder radiation fields and compact geometries typical of starbursting sources.
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