Note: Determination of effective gas diffusion coefficients of stainless steel films with differently shaped holes using a Loschmidt diffusion cell

In this work, an in-house made Loschmidt diffusion cell is used to measure the effective O(2)-N(2) diffusion coefficients through four porous samples of different simple pore structures. One-dimensional through-plane mass diffusion theory is applied to process the experimental data. It is found that both bulk diffusion coefficient and the effective gas diffusion coefficients of the samples can then be precisely determined, and the measured bulk one is in good agreement with the literature value. Numerical computation of three-dimensional mass diffusion through the samples is performed to calculate the effective gas diffusion coefficients. The comparison between the measured and calculated coefficient values shows that if the gas diffusion through a sample is dominated by one-dimensional diffusion, which is determined by the pore structure of the sample, these two values are consistent, and the sample can be used as a standard sample to test a gas diffusion measurement system.

Features of leprosy transmission in pocket villages at low endemic situation in China

To study the characteristics of leprosy transmission at low endemic situation and to analyze the reason why transmission still existed. A retrospective study was carried out on transmission of leprosy in thirteen leprosy high endemic villages in Wenshan district, Yunnan Province, China. A special questionnaire was designed for collecting the data. A total of 47 patients have been registered in 13 villages since 1991. Among them, 25 (53.2%) were leprosy household patients. The proportion of BI positivity was 57.4% (27). The average delay time from disease onset to diagnosis of leprosy was 12 +/- 7.9 months with a range of 1-36 months. The interval between 2 cases being detected in each village was in a range of 0.5 to 5.5 years. Many secondary patients occurred continuously after an 'index case' and they developed leprosy within the delay time of the disease of former patients. The authors here also reviewed some literature on chemoprophylaxis and discussed the importance. Most patients could not be detected at the early stage. It may be necessary of considering the chemoprophylaxis strategy among close contacts of leprosy to stop transmission in leprosy pocket areas.

Self-Organized Ni Nanocrystal Embedded in BaTiO3 Epitaxial Film

Ni nanocrystals (NCs) were embedded in BaTiO3 epitaxial films using the laser molecular beam epitaxy. The processes involving the self-organization of Ni NCs and the epitaxial growth of BaTiO3 were discussed. With the in situ monitoring of reflection high-energy electron diffraction, the nanocomposite films were engineered controllably by the fine alternation of the self-organization of Ni NCs and the epitaxial growth of BaTiO3. The transmission electron microscopy and the X-ray diffraction characterization confirmed that the composite film consists of the Ni NCs layers alternating with the (001)/(100)-oriented epitaxial BaTiO3 separation layers.

Dynamics of microRNA-mediated motifs

In the past, most research on gene regulation has focused on transcriptional regulation and post-translational regulation. Recently, the post-transcriptional regulation by small non-coding RNAs has drawn much attention. This mode of regulation was found in both prokaryotes and eukaryotes. In this study, the authors integrate transcriptional and post-transcriptional regulation into four different kinds of microRNA-mediated motifs and investigate the mechanism of microRNAs regulation from the viewpoints of dynamics. Theoretical analysis and numerical simulations show that all the four motifs exhibit strong robustness to external and stochastic perturbations.

A composite scoring of genotypes discriminates coronary heart disease risk beyond conventional risk factors in the Boston Puerto Rican Health Study

BACKGROUND AND AIMS

Using a genetic predisposition score (GPS), integrating the additive associations of a set of single nucleotide polymorphisms (SNPs) with CHD, we examined the consequences of the joint presence of a high GPS and conventional risk factors (CRFs).

METHODS AND RESULTS

We studied 11 SNPs at eight loci in 197 participants with prior CHD and 524 CHD-free subjects from the Boston Puerto Rican Health Study. Each polymorphism contributed 1 unit (high-risk allele homozygous), 0.5 units (heterozygous) and 0 units (low-risk allele homozygous) to the GPS. Odds ratio (OR) of CHD for those at high risk because of GPS (>5) and simultaneous presence of CRFs were estimated, compared with subjects at low risk, for both measurements. The mean score was higher in participants with prior CHD than those CHD-free (P=0.015), and the OR for CHD with a GPS>5 was 2.90 (P<0.001).The joint presence of a high GPS and each CRF was associated with higher risk of CHD. Compared to participants with high GPS, those with low GPS (<or=5) were protected against CHD even if they were smokers (OR=0.44), heavy drinkers (OR=0.43), displayed low physical activity (OR=0.35), had hypertension (OR=0.52) or hyperlipidemia (OR=0.34) (P values ranging from 0.004 to 0.023).

CONCLUSION

A simple genetic score of 11 polymorphisms may identify those subjects at increased risk of CHD beyond conventional risk factors.

Meta-analysis: the effect and adverse events of Lactobacilli versus placebo in maintenance therapy for Crohn disease

BACKGROUND

Lactobacilli are used in an attempt to maintain remission for Crohn disease. The aim of this study was to evaluate the efficacy and adverse events of Lactobacilli compared with placebo in maintenance therapy for Crohn disease.

METHODS

We searched MEDLINE, EMBASE, the Cochrane Controlled Trials Register, OVID and BIOSIS. All randomized trials comparing Lactobacilli with placebo in maintenance therapy for Crohn disease were included.

RESULTS

Six randomized controlled trials with a total of 359 participants met the inclusion criteria. From the meta-analyses, the relative risk (RR) of clinical relapse rate was 1.15 (95% confidence interval (CI) 0.90-1.48) comparing Lactobacilli with placebo and RR of endoscopic relapse rate was 1.31 (95%CI 0.57-3.00). Subgroup analyses showed RR for clinical relapse rates of Lactobacilli versus placebo was 0.99 (95%CI 0.76-1.29) in adults, 1.85 (95%CI 1.00-3.41) in children, 1.68 (95%CI 1.07-2.64) in Lactobacillus rhamnosus strain GG and 0.91 (95%CI 0.68-1.23) in Lactobacillus johnsonii respectively. The pooled RR of adverse events was 0.83 (95%CI 0.61-1.12).

CONCLUSION

Our meta-analysis suggests that compared with placebo, administration of L. rhamnosus strain GG as maintenance therapy may increase the relapse rates of Crohn disease. L. johnsonii is inefficacious in reducing the incidence of relapse.

Analysis of protein profiles in human epithelial ovarian cancer tissues by proteomic technology

BACKGROUND

Screening in ovarian cancer is progressively finding out candidate genes and proteins which may work as screening biomarkers and play a role in tumor progression. We examined the protein expression patterns of ovarian cancer tissues using two-dimensional gel electrophoresis (2-DE) and matrix-assisted laser desorption/ionization-time of fight mass spectrometry (MALDI-TOF MS).

METHODS

Tissues from 36 ovarian cancers and 20 normal ovaries were examined by 2-DE. The images of silver stained gels were analyzed by ImageMaster 2D Elite. The peptide mixtures, after in-gel digestion, were determined by MALDI-TOF MS for fingerprinting. The de-isotope tryptic peptide profiles were matched by using the Mascot search engine based on the entire NCBI and Swiss-Prot protein databases. Western/dot blots were then applied to verify the findings.

RESULTS

In ovarian cancer, 12 proteins that showed differential expressions were identified unequivocally. Among these proteins, five proteins (galectin-1, cathepsin B, ubiquitin carboxy-terminal hydrolase L1, HLA class II antigen DRB1-11 and heat shock protein 27) were up-regulated and seven proteins (cellular retinol-binding protein, transthyretin, SH3 binding glutamic-rich-like protein, tubulin-specific chaperone A, DJ-1, gamma-actin and tropomyosin 4) were down-regulated.

CONCLUSION

The present study is the first to report the up-regulation of ubiquitin carboxy-terminal hydrolase L1 and the down-regulation of SH3 binding glutamic-rich-like protein, tubulin-specific chaperone A, and tropomyosin 4 in human ovarian cancer tissues. Further cloning and functional analysis of these salient proteins will provide more information on their pathophysiologic roles in ovarian cancer.

The effect of a novel intergenic polymorphism (rs11774572) on HDL-cholesterol concentrations depends on TaqIB polymorphism in the cholesterol ester transfer protein gene

BACKGROUND AND AIMS

Several genes have been shown to individually affect plasma lipoprotein metabolism in humans. Studies on gene-gene interactions could offer more insight into how genes affect lipid metabolism and may be useful in predicting lipid concentrations. We tested for gene-gene interactions between TaqIB SNP in the cholesterol ester transfer protein (CETP) and three novel single nucleotide polymorphisms (SNPs), namely rs11774572, rs7819412 and rs6995374 for their effect on metabolic syndrome (MetS) components and related traits.

METHODS AND RESULTS

The aforementioned SNPs were genotyped in 1002 subjects who participated in the Genetics of Lipid Lowering Drugs and Diet Network (GOLDN) study. Lipids were measured by standard procedures and lipoprotein subfractions, by proton nuclear magnetic resonance spectroscopy. Polymorphism rs11774572 was significantly associated with MetS (P=0.020), mainly driven by the association of the C allele with lower HDL-C (P=0.043) and higher triglycerides (P=0.049) and insulin (P=0.040) concentrations than TT subjects. A significant interaction between SNPs rs11774572 and CETP-TaqIB SNPs was found for HDL-C concentrations (P=0.006) and for HDL (P=0.008) and LDL particle sizes (P=0.009), small LDL (P=0.004), and VLDL concentrations (P=0.021), in which TT homozygotes displayed higher HDL-C concentrations and for HDL and LDL particle sizes, and lower small LDL and VLDL concentrations than C carriers, if they were CETP B2 allele carriers (P values ranging from <0.001 to 0.001).

CONCLUSIONS

The rs11774572 polymorphism may play a role in the dyslipidemia that characterizes MetS. The interaction between rs11774572 and CETP-TaqIB SNPs on HDL-C concentrations provides some insights into the underlying mechanisms.

A longitudinal Raman microspectroscopic study of osteoporosis induced by spinal cord injury

INTRODUCTION

A longitudinal study was established to investigate bone compositional information in spinal cord injury (SCI) rat model.

METHODS

Raman spectroscopy was applied to detect the distal femur and humeri of SCI, sham-operated (SO), and age-matched control (CON) male Sprague-Dawley (SD) rats at first, second, third, and fifth weeks after surgery. One-way ANOVA and Tukey's HSD post hoc multiple comparison tests were used to analyze the longitudinal data of mineral to matrix ratio and carbonate substitution.

RESULTS

Relative mineral decrease was found in SCI group by more than 20% in femur and approximately 12% in humeri compared with CON group. No significant changes in carbonate substitution were observed.

CONCLUSIONS

Severe bone loss in the early stage of SCI was confirmed by a continuous decrease of the mineral to collagen matrix ratio. The decrease in the humeri suggested hormone level variations might participate in the etiology of SCI-induced osteoporosis.

Use of short echo time two-dimensional 1H-magnetic resonance spectroscopy in temporal lobe epilepsy with negative magnetic resonance imaging findings

We evaluated short echo time two-dimensional 1H magnetic resonance spectroscopy (2D-1HMRS) with the point-resolved spatial selection (PRESS) protocol in temporal lobe epilepsy (TLE) patients with negative magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) findings and described the characteristics of 2D-(1)HMRS in the epileptic focus. Thirty-eight TLE patients with negative conventional MRI findings and 10 healthy controls were studied by 2D-1HMRS. A 128-channel prolonged video-electroencephalographic (EEG) method was used as the standard for epileptogenic focus localization to evaluate N-acetyl aspartate/(choline + creatine + phosphocreatine) (NAA/[Cho + Cr-PCr]), glutamate + glutamine/creatine (Glx/Cr-PCr) and myo-inositol/Cr-PCr ratios in patients with negative MRI findings. The 2D-1HMRS showed that 32/38 patients and all healthy controls had stable baselines and good signal-to-noise ratios. Compared with the healthy controls, 32 patients showed abnormal NAA/(Cho + Cr-PCr) ratios in the hippocampus and, in 25 of these patients, focus lateralization agreed with the EEG. It is concluded that short echo time 2D-1HMRS with the PRESS protocol can help find abnormalities in lateralization of temporal epilepsy in patients with negative MRI findings.

Granulocyte-macrophage colony-stimulating factor enhances wound healing in diabetes via upregulation of proinflammatory cytokines

BACKGROUND

Chronic ulceration, especially in diabetes, remains a substantial clinical problem. Exogenous granulocyte-macrophage colony-stimulating factor (GM-CSF) is efficacious in the treatment of chronic wound healing in both animal models and patients, but its role in diabetic wounds remains to be explored. Objectives Using a diabetic mouse model, to investigate the role of GM-CSF in wound healing.

METHODS

Clinical observation, histopathology, immunohistochemistry and cytokine assays.

RESULTS

There was a significant reduction (50%) in GM-CSF production in the wounds of the diabetics compared with nondiabetics. Exogenous GM-CSF substantially enhanced the wound healing in diabetic mice, accompanied by increased interleukin-6 and monocyte chemoattractant protein-1 production. The elevated cytokines correlated with increased neovascularization, and infiltration of macrophages and neutrophils. GM-CSF showed no beneficial effects in nondiabetic wound healing.

CONCLUSIONS

Our results provide useful guidelines for the clinical management of chronic ulceration in diabetes.

Stress failure plays a major role in the development of high-altitude pulmonary oedema in rats

Hypoxia and exertion are considered as the two main factors in the development of high-altitude pulmonary oedema (HAPE), however its pathophysiology remains unclear. Therefore, we established a model in which 32 Sprague-Dawley rats were randomly assigned to normoxic rest, hypoxic rest, normoxic exercise and hypoxic exercise. An altitude of 4,700 m was simulated using hypobaric hypoxia, while exercise consisted 48 h walk with 15-20 min breaks every 4 h. Arterial blood gas, bronchoalveolar lavage (BAL), lung wet-to-dry weight (W/D) ratio and histological measurements were conducted on each animal. In rats exercising in hypoxia, BAL protein and lung W/D ratio were significantly increased but no changes in BAL leukotriene B(4) and immunoglobulin M were observed. In the same group, lung histology showed typical haemorrhagic lung oedema and disruption of both alveolar epithelium and capillary endothelium while hypoxia or exertion alone only induced slight endothelium and epithelium swelling/disruption. Our study established a direct link between histological and physiological evidence of HAPE-like symptoms and we demonstrated that hypoxia and exertion can synergistically induce HAPE-like symptoms in Sprague-Dawley rats without inducing lung inflammation. We therefore propose that alveolar epithelium and capillary endothelium stress failure play a major role in the development of HAPE.

Cyclo-linopeptide A methanol solvate

Crystals of the title compound, C₅₇H₈₅N₉O₉·CH₄O, the methanol solvate of a nine peptide polypeptide, cyclo-(Pro-Pro-Phe-Phe-Leu-Ile-Ile-Leu-Val), were obtained after separation of the cyclic peptide from flax oil. The cyclo­linopeptide A (CLP-A) mol­ecules are linked in chains along the a axis by N—H⋯O hydrogen bonds. Each methanol O atom is hydrogen bonded to one O atom and two N—H groups in the same CLP-A mol­ecule. There are a total of eight hydrogen bonds in each CLP-A–MeOH unit.

Effects of anserine on the renal sympathetic nerve activity and blood pressure in urethane-anesthetized rats

Previous studies have demonstrated that central injection of L-carnosine (beta-alynyl-L-histidine), dipeptide synthesized in mammalian muscles, affects renal sympathetic nerve activity (RSNA) and blood pressure (BP) in anesthetized rats. In the present study, using urethane-anesthetized rats, we examined the dose-dependent effects of intravenous (IV) injection of various doses of anserine, dipeptide of similar structure to L-carnosine, on RSNA, BP and heart rate (HR). We found that injection of a low dose of anserine (1 microg) significantly suppressed RSNA, BP and HR. Conversely, a high dose (1000 microg) of anserine significantly elevated RSNA, BP and HR. Pretreatment with lateral cerebral ventricular (LCV) injection of thioperamide, a histaminergic H(3)-receptor antagonist, eliminated the effects of a low dose of anserine on RSNA, BP and HR. LCV injection of diphenhydramine, a histaminergic H(1)-receptor antagonist, abolished the effects of a high dose of anserine on RSNA, BP and HR. These findings suggest that anserine affects RSNA, BP and HR in a dose-dependent manner, and that the histaminergic nerve may be involved in the dose-different effects of anserine in rats.