Academia Sinica

About: Academia Sinica is a facility organization based out in Taipei, Taiwan. It is known for research contribution in the topics: Population & Gene. The organization has 52086 authors who have published 65998 publications receiving 1728114 citations. The organization is also known as: Central Research Academy.

Suppressed π0 Production at Large Transverse Momentum in Central Au + Au Collisions at √sNN = 200 GeV

Abstract: Transverse momentum spectra of neutral pions in the range 1 < p_T < 10 GeV/c have been measured at mid-rapidity by the PHENIX experiment at RHIC in Au+Au collisions at sqrt(s_NN) = 200 GeV. The pi^0 multiplicity in central reactions is significantly below the yields measured at the same sqrt(s_NN) in peripheral Au+Au and p+p reactions scaled by the number of nucleon-nucleon collisions. For the most central bin, the suppression factor is ~2.5 at p_T = 2 GeV/c and increases to ~4-5 at p_T ~= 4 GeV/c. At larger p_T, the suppression remains constant within errors. The deficit is already apparent in semi-peripheral reactions and increases smoothly with centrality.

Pretreatment Epidermal Growth Factor Receptor (EGFR) T790M Mutation Predicts Shorter EGFR Tyrosine Kinase Inhibitor Response Duration in Patients With Non–Small-Cell Lung Cancer

Abstract: Purpose Patients with non–small-cell lung cancer (NSCLC) with epidermal growth factor receptor (EGFR)– activating mutations have excellent response to EGFR tyrosine kinase inhibitors (TKIs), but T790M mutation accounts for most TKI drug resistance. This study used highly sensitive methods to detect T790M before and after TKI therapy and investigated the association of T790M and its mutation frequencies with clinical outcome. Patients and Methods Direct sequencing, matrix-assisted laser desorption ionization–time of flight mass spectrometry (MALDI-TOF MS) and next-generation sequencing (NGS) were used to assess T790M in the following two cohorts of patients with NSCLC: TKI-naive patients (n 107) and TKI-treated patients (n 85). Results were correlated with TKI treatment response and survival. Results MALDI-TOF MS was highly sensitive in detecting and quantifying the frequency of EGFRactivating mutations and T790M (detection limits, 0.4% to 2.2%). MALDI-TOF MS identified more T790M than direct sequencing in TKI-naive patients with NSCLC (27 of 107 patients, 25.2% v three of 107 patients, 2.8%, respectively; P .001) and in TKI-treated patients (before TKI: 23 of 73 patients, 31.5% v two of 73 patients, 2.7%, respectively; P .001; and after TKI: 10 of 12 patients, 83.3% v four of 12 patients, 33.3%, respectively; P .0143). The EGFR mutations and their frequencies were confirmed by NGS. T790M was an independent predictor of decreased progression-free survival (PFS) in patients with NSCLC who received TKI treatment (P .05, multivariate Cox regression). Conclusion T790M may not be a rare event before or after TKI therapy in patients with NSCLC with EGFR-activating mutations. The pretreatment T790M mutation was associated with shorter PFS with EGFR TKI therapy in patients with NSCLC. J Clin Oncol 30:433-440. © 2012 by American Society of Clinical Oncology

Planck 2013 results. XXIV. Constraints on primordial non-Gaussianity

Abstract: The Planck nominal mission cosmic microwave background (CMB) maps yield unprecedented constraints on primordial non-Gaussianity (NG). Using three optimal bispectrum estimators, separable template-fitting (KSW), binned, and modal, we obtain consistent values for the primordial local, equilateral, and orthogonal bispectrum amplitudes, quoting as our final result fNLlocal = 2.7 ± 5.8, fNLequil = -42 ± 75, and fNLorth = -25 ± 39 (68% CL statistical). Non-Gaussianity is detected in the data; using skew-Cl statistics we find a nonzero bispectrum from residual point sources, and the integrated-Sachs-Wolfe-lensing bispectrum at a level expected in the ΛCDM scenario. The results are based on comprehensive cross-validation of these estimators on Gaussian and non-Gaussian simulations, are stable across component separation techniques, pass an extensive suite of tests, and are confirmed by skew-Cl, wavelet bispectrum and Minkowski functional estimators. Beyond estimates of individual shape amplitudes, we present model-independent, three-dimensional reconstructions of the Planck CMB bispectrum and thus derive constraints on early-Universe scenarios that generate primordial NG, including general single-field models of inflation, excited initial states (non-Bunch-Davies vacua), and directionally-dependent vector models. We provide an initial survey of scale-dependent feature and resonance models. These results bound both general single-field and multi-field model parameter ranges, such as the speed of sound, cs ≥ 0.02 (95% CL), in an effective field theory parametrization, and the curvaton decay fraction rD ≥ 0.15 (95% CL). The Planck data significantly limit the viable parameter space of the ekpyrotic/cyclic scenarios. The amplitude of the four-point function in the local model τNL< 2800 (95% CL). Taken together, these constraints represent the highest precision tests to date of physical mechanisms for the origin of cosmic structure.

Chronic Hepatitis C Virus Infection Increases Mortality From Hepatic and Extrahepatic Diseases: A Community-Based Long-Term Prospective Study

Abstract: Background The study aimed to evaluate the risk of hepatitis C virus (HCV) infection on hepatic and extrahepatic deaths. Methods A cohort of 23 820 adults aged 30-65 years old were enrolled during 1991-1992. The seromarkers hepatitis B surface antigen (HBsAg), anti-HCV, and serum HCV RNA levels at study entry were tested. The vital status was ascertained through computerized linkage with national death certification profiles from 1991 to 2008. Results There were 19,636 HBsAg-seronegatives, including 18,541 anti-HCV seronegatives and 1095 anti-HCV seropositives. Among anti-HCV seropositives, 69.4% had detectable serum HCV RNA levels. There were 2394 deaths that occurred during an average follow-up period of 16.2 years. Compared with anti-HCV seronegatives, anti-HCV seropositives had higher mortality from both hepatic and extrahepatic diseases, showing multivariate-adjusted hazard ratio (95% confidence interval) of 1.89 (1.66-2.15) for all causes of death; 12.48 (9.34-16.66) for hepatic diseases; 1.35 (1.15-1.57) for extrahepatic diseases; 1.50 (1.10-2.03) for circulatory diseases; 2.77 (1.49-5.15) for nephritis, nephrotic syndrome, and nephrosis; 4.08 (1.38-12.08) for esophageal cancer; 4.19 (1.18-14.94) for prostate cancer; and 8.22 (1.36-49.66) for thyroid cancer. Anti-HCV seropositives with detectable HCV RNA levels had significantly higher mortality from hepatic and extrahepatic diseases than anti-HCV seropositives with undetectable HCV RNA. Conclusions Monitoring HCV RNA in anti-HCV seropositives is essential for the prediction of mortality associated with hepatitis C.

New insights into fish ion regulation and mitochondrion-rich cells

Abstract: Compared to terrestrial animals, fish have to cope with more-challenging osmotic and ionic gradients from aquatic environments with diverse salinities, ion compositions, and pH values. Gills, a unique and highly studied organ in research on fish osmoregulation and ionoregulation, provide an excellent model to study the regulatory mechanisms of ion transport. The present review introduces and discusses some recent advances in relevant issues of teleost gill ion transport and functions of gill ionocytes. Based on accumulating evidence, a conclusive model of NaCl secretion in gills of euryhaline teleosts has been established. Interpretations of results of studies on freshwater fish gill Na+/Cl- uptake mechanisms are still being debated compared with those for NaCl secretion. Current models for Na+/Cl- uptake are proposed based on studies in traditionally used model species. Many reported inconsistencies are claimed to be due to differences among species, various experimental designs, or acclimation conditions. Having the benefit of advanced techniques in molecular/cellular biology, functional genomics, and model animals, several new notions have recently been raised concerning relevant issues of Na+/Cl- uptake pathways. Several new windows have been opened particularly in terms of molecular mechanisms of ionocyte differentiation and energy metabolite transport between gill cells during environmental challenge.