[Development of the scale of knowledge, attitude, and behavior of lifestyle intervention in a diabetes high-risk population]

OBJECTIVE

To establish a scale of knowledge, attitude, and behavior of lifestyle interventions among a population at high risk of diabetes with good cultural adaptability, validity, and reliability.

METHODS

The original item pool was formed based on a literature review, group discussions, and interviews with experts. We used the Delphi method to determine core items of the scale (30 cases in the first round and 26 cases in the second round, respectively). We invited 30 experts from clinical medicine, nursing, preventive medicine, health education, and community diabetes prevention and control to completed expert consultation tables. For each item, experts were asked to provide an importance score, the judgment basis, and a familiarity score. We analyzed the positive coefficient, authoritative coefficient, degree of concentration, and harmonious coefficient, to determine the selected items. Using face-to-face questionnaire surveys, 31 participants at high risk of diabetes were selected for the pilot study. We analyzed understanding of the scale's content and presentation and corrected the scale based on the analysis.

RESULTS

We received 26 and 23 inquiry forms, respectively, in two rounds of consultation. Responses rates of the two rounds were 87% and 88%. The scores of authoritative coefficients were 0.79 ± 0.14 and 0.87 ± 0.10. The score of total scale in the first consultation was 4.32±0.25, the coefficient of variation was 0.06, and the coefficient of concordance was 0.163; in the second consultation, these were 4.58±0.21, 0.05, 0.150, respectively. In the first consultation, 22 experts proposed amendments and made suggestions, a rate of 85% (22/26). After the second round, 30 items were included in the final scale. In the pilot study, 13 males and 18 females with high risk of diabetes were interviewed. Average age of the population was (62.24 ± 10.23) years. The time to complete the survey was (9.35 ± 2.71) minutes. After the pilot study was completed, the order of the items was adjusted to ensure a reasonable and logical scale.

CONCLUSION

We developed the scale of knowledge, attitude, and behavior of lifestyle intervention in a diabetes high-risk population, using the Delphi method and a pilot study. Overall, the findings indicate that input from experts during development facilitates achievement of satisfactory concentration and coordination levels, and the use of this scale will produce credible results.

[Research and application: scale of knowledge, attitude, and behavior of lifestyle intervention in a diabetes high-risk population]

There is a large population at high risk for diabetes in China, and there has been a dramatic increase in the incidence of diabetes in the country over the past 30 years. Interventions targeting the individual risk factors of diabetes can effectively prevent diabetes; these include factors such as an unhealthy diet, lack of physical activity, overweight, and obesity, among others. Evaluation of related knowledge, attitudes, and behaviors before and after intervention using appropriate scales can measure population demands and the effectiveness of interventions. Scientificity and practicability are basic requirements of scale development. The theoretical basis and measuring items of a scale should be consistent with the theory of behavior change and should measure the content of interventions in a standardized and detailed manner to produce good validity, reliability, and acceptability. The scale of knowledge, attitude, and behavior of lifestyle intervention in a diabetes high-risk population is a tool for demand evaluation and effect evaluation of lifestyle intervention that has good validity and reliability. Established by the National Center for Chronic and Noncommunicable Disease Control and Prevention, its use can help to decrease the Chinese population at high risk for diabetes through targeted and scientifically sound lifestyle interventions. Future development of intervention evaluation scales for useing in high-risk populations should consider new factors and characteristics of the different populations, to develop new scales and modify or simplify existing ones, as well as to extend the measurement dimensions to barriers and supporting environment for behaviors change.

Effect of cardiopulmonary bypass on leukocyte activation: changes in membrane-bound elastase on neutrophils

Background: Neutrophil elastase is known to be released from the activated leukocytes as a result of cardiopulmonary bypass (CPB). However, its biological effect on organ injury is questionable because it is quickly bound by natural proteinase inhibitors (PIs). Recently, membrane-bound elastase (MBE) was found to be able to resist the PIs’ process and, thus, is biologically more active. This paper studies the effect of CPB on the kinetic change of MBE and its possible link to postoperative inflammation and organ function.

Method: Ten consecutive patients undergoing elective coronary artery bypass grafting (CABG) surgery with CPB were recruited into the study. Blood samples were taken before sternotomy, after aortic declamping, at the end of CPB, three and six hours after CPB and on the first postoperative day. MBE was determined by substrate assay from isolated neutrophils. Inflammation and organ function markers were determined according to routine laboratory methods.

Results: MBE slightly increased after aortic declamping, while it significantly increased and reached its peak at the end of CPB; it returned to its preoperative level on the first postoperative day. In contrast to lung sequestration of neutrophils, there was no transpulmonary gradient of MBE between left and right atria after aortic declamping. Neither MBE nor total MBE activity was positively correlated with postoperative inflammation markers such as blood lactate and C-reactive protein and organ function markers such as creatine phosphokinase and alanine aminotransferase.

Conclusions: CPB induces increased MBE expression on neutrophils with its peak at the end of CPB. Lack of association between neutrophil MBE and clinical markers suggests that multiple systems might be involved in the post-CPB inflammatory reaction and organ dysfunction.

Dual-wavelength passively Q-switched Nd:GYSGG laser by tungsten disulfide saturable absorber

A dual-wavelength passively Q-switched Nd:GYSGG laser using vacuum evaporating tungsten disulfide (WS₂) as a saturable absorber was demonstrated for the first time to the best of our knowledge. The WS₂ saturable absorber was prepared simply by evaporating nanometer WS₂ powders onto a quartz substrate in a vacuum. By inserting the WS₂ saturable absorber into the laser cavity, stable Q-switched laser operation was achieved with a maximum average output power of 367 mW, a pulse repetition rate of 70.7 kHz, the shortest pulse width of 591 ns, and pulse energy of about 1.05 μJ. By vacuum evaporation method, a high-quality WS₂ saturable absorber can be produced, and it seems to be a suitable method for fabrication of 2D transition metal dichalcogenides.

Receptor for advanced glycation end-products (RAGE) is overexpressed in human osteosarcoma and promotes the proliferation of osteosarcoma U-2OS cells in vitro

Osteosarcoma (OS) is an aggressive cancer of the long bones, and usually affects children and young adults. The receptor for advanced glycation end-products (RAGE) has recently been recognized as an oncogenic receptor that binds to different ligands, and promotes the progression of various cancers. However, little is known about the association between RAGE and the pathogenesis of OS. In this study, we first examined the expression of RAGE in OS tissues using immunohistochemical staining, western blotting, and reverse transcription quantitative polymerase chain reaction. We then determined the influence of the overexpressed RAGE on the proliferation of U-2OS cells in vitro. The results showed that RAGE was overexpressed in OS tissues compared with peritumor tissues, at both the mRNA and protein levels, and there was a significant association between overexpressed RAGE and clinicopathological characteristics, such as clinical stage and distant metastasis. Moreover, the overexpression of RAGE in U-2OS cells significantly promoted their proliferation in vitro. In conclusion, this study indicated that RAGE is overexpressed in OS tissue and promotes the proliferation of U-2OS cells. These data imply that RAGE promotes the growth of OS, and is a potential diagnostic biomarker and therapeutic target for the disorder.

Corrigendum PKR and HMGB1 expression and function in rheumatoid arthritis - Genet. Mol. Res. 14 (4): 17864-17870

Published online: December 22, 2015 (DOI: 10.4238/2015.December.22.11). Corrected after publication: June 3, 2016 (DOI: 10.4238/gmr.150267861). The correction is only in the name of the last author and should be: W.J. Wang, S.J. Yin and R.Q. Guo.

Sagittal alignment of the spine-pelvis-lower extremity axis in patients with severe knee osteoarthritis: A radiographic study

Objectives

Normal sagittal spine-pelvis-lower extremity alignment is crucial in humans for maintaining an ergonomic upright standing posture, and pathogenesis in any segment leads to poor balance. The present study aimed to investigate how this sagittal alignment can be affected by severe knee osteoarthritis (KOA), and whether associated changes corresponded with symptoms of lower back pain (LBP) in this patient population.

Methods

Lateral radiograph films in an upright standing position were obtained from 59 patients with severe KOA and 58 asymptomatic controls free from KOA. Sagittal alignment of the spine, pelvis, hip and proximal femur was quantified by measuring several radiographic parameters. Global balance was accessed according to the relative position of the C7 plumb line to the sacrum and femoral heads. The presence of chronic LBP was documented. Comparisons between the two groups were carried by independent samples t-tests or chi-squared test.

Results

Patients with severe KOA showed significant backward femoral inclination (FI), hip flexion, forward spinal inclination, and higher prevalence of global imbalance (27.1% versus 3.4%, p < 0.001) compared with controls. In addition, patients with FI of 10° (n = 23) showed reduced lumbar lordosis and significant forward spinal inclination compared with controls, whereas those with FI > 10° (n = 36) presented with significant pelvic anteversion and hip flexion. A total of 39 patients with KOA (66.1%) suffered from LBP. There was no significant difference in sagittal alignment between KOA patients with and without LBP.

Conclusions

The sagittal alignment of spine-pelvis-lower extremity axis was significantly influenced by severe KOA. The lumbar spine served as the primary source of compensation, while hip flexion and pelvic anteversion increased for further compensation. Changes in sagittal alignment may not be involved in the pathogenesis of LBP in this patient population.

Cite this article: W. J. Wang, F. Liu, Y.W. Zhu, M.H. Sun, Y. Qiu, W. J. Weng. Sagittal alignment of the spine-pelvis-lower extremity axis in patients with severe knee osteoarthritis: A radiographic study. Bone Joint Res 2016;5:198–205. DOI:10.1302/2046-3758.55.2000538.

PKR and HMGB1 expression and function in rheumatoid arthritis

The pathogenesis of rheumatoid arthritis (RA) is characterized by inflammation. We aimed to examine the roles of double-stranded RNA-activated protein kinase (PKR) and high-mobility group box chromosomal protein 1 (HMGB1) in a rat model of RA. Male SD rats were divided into three groups: control, RA model, and intervention (RA model plus treatment). The model of RA was made by injecting Freund's adjuvant into the posterior right limb of the rat and the intervention group received a PKR-specific inhibitor C16 after RA modeling. The degree of limb swelling was measured following RA modeling and intervention. In addition, plasma levels of HMGB1 were determined using ELISA. The mRNA and protein levels of PKR and HMGB1 were detected in rat synovium using quantitative PCR and western blot, respectively. The degree of limb swelling in the RA model was increased compared to control, while it was decreased in the intervention model compared to the RA model. Plasma HMGB1 levels in the model group were significantly higher compared to the control group but were lower in the intervention group compared to the model group. PKR and HMGB1 protein and mRNA levels in the rat synovium were elevated in the model group and markedly reduced in the intervention group. Increased levels of PKR and HMGB1 in synovium or blood appear to be involved in the occurrence and development of RA in a rat model. Selective inhibition of PKR improves the symptoms of RA, perhaps by inhibiting the release of HMGB1.

Genetic differentiation of Octopus minor (Mollusca, Cephalopoda) off the northern coast of China as revealed by amplified fragment length polymorphisms

Octopus minor (Sasaki, 1920) is an economically important cephalopod that is found in the northern coastal waters of China. In this study, we investigated genetic differentiation in fishery populations using amplified fragment length polymorphisms (AFLPs). A total of 150 individuals were collected from five locations: Dalian (DL), Yan-tai (YT), Qingdao (QD), Lianyungang (LY), and Zhoushan (ZS), and 243 reproducible bands were amplified using five AFLP primer combinations. The percentage of polymorphic bands ranged from 53.33 to 76.08%. Nei's genetic identity ranged from 0.9139 to 0.9713, and the genetic distance ranged from 0.0291 to 0.0900. A phylogenetic tree was constructed using the unweighted pair group method with arithmetic mean, based on the genetic distance. The DL and YT populations originated from one clade, while the QD, LY, and ZS populations originated from another. The results indicate that the O. minor stock consisted of two genetic populations with an overall significantly analogous FST value (0.1088, P < 0.05). Most of the variance was within populations. These findings will be important for more sustainable octopus fisheries, so that this marine resource can be conserved for its long-term utilization.

Short communication: Changes in fluorescence intensity induced by soybean soluble polysaccharide-milk protein interactions during acidification

Interactions between stabilizer and milk protein are believed to influence the stabilizing behavior of the milk system. We investigated changes in fluorescence intensity induced by interactions of soybean soluble polysaccharide (SSPS) and milk protein (Mp) during acidification. The fluorescence intensity (If) of Mp increased as pH decreased from 6.8 to 5.2. Compared with Mp alone, If of SSPS-Mp mixtures increased as the pH decreased from 6.8 to 5.2. We found that the If of the SSPS-Mp mixture decreased in a pH range from 5.2 to 3.6, which indicated a change in the polarity microenvironment around the Trp residues. We also found that the maximum emission wavelength (λmax) shifted from 337 to 330nm as pH decreased from 6.8 to 3.6, in further support of SSPS interacting with the polar portion of Mp during acidification. Furthermore, an excited monomeric molecule (pyrene exciplex) was found as a ground-state pyrene formed and a broad band was shown at about 450nm. The intensity ratio of the first peak to the third peak (I1:I3) of Mp increased slightly, and the ratio of intensity of pyrene exciplex to monomer (Ie:Im) decreased because pyrene molecules were located in a less hydrophobic microenvironment during acidification. However, the ratio of I1:I3 decreased clearly at pH below 5.6 and the ratio of Ie:Im showed the opposite trend in the SSPS-Mp mixture. Changes in intrinsic and exogenous fluorescence intensity confirmed that interactions of SSPS and Mp could change the polarity of the microenvironment and that SSPS probably interacted with the polar portion of Mp. These results could give insight into the behavior of stabilizers in acid milk products.

Correlation between chromosomal polymorphisms and male infertility in a Northeast Chinese population

The aim of this study was to evaluate the correlation between chromosomal polymorphisms and male infertility. The patients were diagnosed with azoospermia or oligospermiaby a semen analysis. Chromosomal analysis was performed on peripheral blood lymphocytes obtained from the patients, with standard G-banding and C-banding. Y chromosome microdeletions were detected by multiplex polymerase chain reaction (PCR) amplification. The parents of 35 polymorphic probands were also subjected to chromosomal analysis, and their detailed reproductive histories were surveyed. The frequency of autosomal polymorphisms did not differ significantly among the infertile patients and fertile control individuals. The frequency of the Yqh-variant increased with the decrease in sperm count; this appeared at a significantly higher frequency in the azoospermia group (57.2 vs 24.3 vs 0%). The results of PCR amplification indicated that 32.14% of the patients with Yqh ± had microdeletions in the Y chromosome. The parents of the probands with the same chromosomal polymorphisms as the probands (among the 35 recalled families) did not show any adverse reproductive history. We observed no significant correlations between autosomal polymorphisms and male infertility. However, we observed a significant increase in the frequency of Yqh- in the azoospermic patients. This may be attributed to Y chromosome microdeletions, although the association between Y chromosome microdeletions and Y chromosome variants remains to be elucidated.

Correlation between interleukin-6 expression in articular cartilage bone and osteoarthritis

This study aimed to investigate the expressional profile of interleukin-6 (IL-6) in articular cartilage bone of osteoarthritis (OA) patients and its correlation with OA. A total of 30 articular cartilage bone samples from knee OA patients, which were collected by knee arthroscopy or articular surgery, comprised the study group, and 30 samples of normal articular cartilage tissue comprised the control group. Both mRNA (messenger ribonucleic acid) and protein levels of IL-6 and matrix metalloproteinase-9 (MMP-9) were measured and compared, and a correlation analysis was performed between the two. The integral optical density (IOD) values of MMP-9 and IL-6 proteins in the study group were 9.21 ± 3.22 and 8.94 ± 3.17, respectively; these were significantly higher (P < 0.05) than those in the control group at 3.14 ± 1.48 and 6.64 ± 1.53, respectively. The IOD values of mRNA transcripts for MMP-9 and IL-6 in the study group were 8.31 ± 2.28 and 8.78 ± 3.43, respectively; these were significantly higher than the values in the control group at 3.52 ± 1.37 and 5.21 ± 1.72 (P < 0.05), respectively. Further, the correlation analysis revealed significantly positive relationships for both protein (r = 0.434, P = 0.001) and mRNA (r = 0.413, P = 0.002) levels between MMP-9 and IL-6. In conclusion, articular cartilage tissues in knee OA patients have higher levels of MMP-9 and IL-6 expression, and these may play a synergistic role in OA pathogenesis.

Novel VN/C nanocomposites as methanol-tolerant oxygen reduction electrocatalyst in alkaline electrolyte

A novel VN/C nanostructure consisting of VN nanoparticles and graphite-dominant carbon layers is synthesized by nitridation of V₂O₅ using melamine as reductant under inert atmosphere. High crystalline VN nanoparticles are observed to be uniformly distributed in carbon layers with an average size of ca13.45 nm. Moreover, the electrocatalytic performance of VN/C towards oxygen reduction reaction (ORR) in alkaline electrolyte is fascinating. The results show that VN/C has a considerable ORR activity, including a 75 percent value of the diffusion-limited current density and a 0.11 V smaller value about the onset potential with respect to Pt/C catalyst. Moreover, the excellent methanol-tolerance performance of VN/C has also been verified with 3 M methanol. Combined with the competitive prices, this VN/C nanocomposite can serve as an appropriate non-precious methanol-tolerant ORR catalyst for alkaline fuel cells.

Distribution-free Inference of Zero-inated Binomial Data for Longitudinal Studies

Count reponses with structural zeros are very common in medical and psychosocial research, especially in alcohol and HIV research, and the zero-inflated poisson (ZIP) and zero-inflated negative binomial (ZINB) models are widely used for modeling such outcomes. However, as alcohol drinking outcomes such as days of drinkings are counts within a given period, their distributions are bounded above by an upper limit (total days in the period) and thus inherently follow a binomial or zero-inflated binomial (ZIB) distribution, rather than a Poisson or zero-inflated Poisson (ZIP) distribution, in the presence of structural zeros. In this paper, we develop a new semiparametric approach for modeling zero-inflated binomial (ZIB)-like count responses for cross-sectional as well as longitudinal data. We illustrate this approach with both simulated and real study data.

Molecular characterization, expression, and immunological response analysis of the TWEAK and APRIL genes in grass carp, Ctenopharyngodon idella

TWEAK and APRIL are important members of the TNF superfamily, which play a crucial role in several diseases. Here, we describe the identification of grass carp (Ctenopharyngodon idella) homologs of TWEAK and APRIL (designated gcTWEAK and gcAPRIL, respectively) and their response to Aeromonas hydrophila and Aquareovirus infection. The gcTWEAK cDNA sequence contains 2273 bases with an open reading frame of 753 bases encoding 250-amino acid residues. The gcTWEAK protein contains a predicted transmembrane domain, a putative furin protease cleavage site, 3 conserved cysteine residues, and a typical TNF homology domain. The gcAPRIL cDNA sequence contains 1408 bases with an open reading frame of 747 bases encoding 248-amino acid residues. The gcAPRIL protein contains a predicted transmembrane domain, a putative furin protease cleavage site, 2 conserved cysteine residues, and a typical TNF homology domain corresponding to other, known APRIL homologs. Reverse transcription-polymerase chain reaction analysis shows that both gcTWEAK and gcAPRIL transcripts are predominantly expressed in the skin, spleen, and head kidney, and they are significantly upregulated in most immune tissues by A. hydrophila and Aquareovirus infections. Our results demonstrate that liver is the most responsive tissue against bacterial infection, whereas gill is the most responsive tissue against viral infection. The association of increased gcTWEAK and gcAPRIL expression after bacterial and viral infections suggests that they play a potentially important role in the immune system of fish.

Catheter-directed thrombolysis in the treatment of acute deep venous thrombosis: a meta-analysis

We performed a meta-analysis for systematic evaluation of the status quo of catheter thrombolysis for the treatment of acute lower limb deep vein thrombosis in China. We searched the China Biomedical bibliographic database (CBM), China National Knowledge Infrastructure (CNKI), Weipu full-text electronic journals, Wanfang full-text database, and Medline (1990 through June 2011) for clinical randomized controlled trials of catheter-directed thrombolysis and superficial venous thrombolysis to compare their efficacies for the treatment of acute deep vein thrombosis. The results were analyzed by using the Cochrane-recommended RevMan 4.2 software package, and the odds ratio (OR) was used as the combined measure of efficacy. The search retrieved 8 randomized controlled trials, and meta-analysis using the total rate of effective treatment as the clinical observation index found that the combined OR for the catheter thrombolysis group versus the superficial venous thrombolysis group was significant (P < 0.01; OR = 11.78; 95% confidence interval = 6.99-19.87). In conclusion, the meta-analysis indicated that catheter thrombolysis was more effective than superficial venous thrombolysis for the treatment of acute deep vein thrombosis in the lower limb in Chinese individuals. However, the included trials were only of medium quality, so more rational and scientific clinical trials are needed to validate this conclusion.

Effects of soybean small peptides on rumen fermentation and on intestinal and total tract digestion of luxi yellow cattle

Four Luxi beef cattle (400±10 kg) fitted with ruminal, duodenal and ileal cannulas were used in a 4×4 Latin square to assess the effects of soybean small peptide (SSP) infusion on rumen fermentation, diet digestion and flow of nutrient in the gastrointestinal tract. The ruminal infusion of SSP was 0 (control), 100, 200 and 300 g/d. Ruminal SSP infusion linearly (p<0.01) and quadratically (p<0.01) increased microbial protein synthesis and rumen ammonia-N concentration. Concentrations of total volatile fatty acid were linearly increased (p = 0.029) by infusion SSP. Rumen samples were obtained for analysis of microbial ecology by real-time PCR. Populations of rumen Butyrivibrio fibrisolvens, Streptococcus bovis, Ciliate protozoa, Ruminococcus flavefaciens, and Prevotella ruminicola were expressed as a proportion of total Rumen bacterial 16S ribosomal deoxyribonucleic acid (rDNA). Butyrivibrio fibrisolvens populations which related to total bacterial 16S rDNA were increased (p<0.05), while Streptococcus bovis populations were linearly (p = 0.049) and quadratically (p = 0.020) decreased by infusion of SSP. Apparent rumen digestibility of DM and NDF were (Q, p<0.05; L, p<0.05) increased with infusion SSP. Total tract digestion of DM, OM and NDF were linearly (p<0.01) and quadratically (p<0.01) increased by infusing SSP. The flow of total amino acids (AA), essential amino acids (EAA) and individual amino acids were linearly (p<0.01) and quadratically (p<0.01) increased with infusion SSP. The digestibility of Lysine was quadratically (p = 0.033) increased and apparent degradability of Arginine was linearly (p = 0.032) and quadratically (p = 0.042) increased with infusion SSP. The results indicated that infusion SSP could improve nutrient digestion, ruminal fermentation and AA availability.

The serum level of C-reactive protein in patients undergoing GnRH agonist protocols for in vitro fertilization cycle

BACKGROUND

The synchronization of the uterus and mature eggs at the molecular level is the key factor in embryo transfer, and the regulation of synchronization depends on a variety of cytokines. C-reactive protein (CRP), as the first acute phase reaction protein, is involved in the entire process of embryo transfer. The study is designed to investigate the correlation among CRP, sex hormone, controlled ovarian hyperstimulation (COH) cycle, and pregnancy outcome.

MATERIALS AND METHODS

Ninety-two patients who accepted in vitro fertilization (IVF) treatment cycles because of tubal factor were included in the study. Seventy treated cases were included to complete final analysis with the full set of results. Respectively on the second day of the menstruation (Day-2) in gonadotropin-releasing hormone agonist (GnRH-a) short program treatment, on the morning in human chorionic gonadotropin (hCG) treatment (Day-hCG) and the embryo transplant day (Day-ET), plasma CRP level was tested by enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay (ELISA). The correlativity among CRP level, sex hormone, COH, and pregnancy outcome was analyzed by statistical methods.

RESULTS

In the short program GnRH-a of 70 cases, there was no relationship between serum CRP level and the infertility age, gonadotropin (Gn) dosage, number of oocytes retrieved, the number of normal fertilization, and sex hormone. In the short program of GnRH-a, the change of serum CRP levels in Day-2, Day-hCG, Day-ET: serum CRP in Day-2 < Day-hCG < Day-ET and the level of serum CRP gradually increased in Day-2, Day-hCG, and Day-ET in both the pregnant group and non-pregnant group. In non-pregnant group, the ratio of hCG/D2 and ET/hCG-day were significantly higher than the pregnant group. The area under receiver operating characteristic (ROC) curve was 0.806, indicating the accuracy of diagnostic tests is medium, the authors chose the point which presents the ratio of CRP in Day-ET to Day-hCG which was less than 1.752 as a predictor of treatment outcome, the sensitivity of the experiment was 77.8%, and the specificity 75%.

CONCLUSION

CRP as a sensitive inflammatory marker, CRP ratio of Day-ET/Day-hCG could be a predictor of treatment outcome by ROC curve analysis in COH program.

Sorafenib combined with transarterial chemoembolization for the treatment of advanced hepatocellular carcinoma: a large-scale multicenter study of 222 patients

BACKGROUND

Data on the efficacy and safety of sorafenib in combination with transarterial chemoembolization (TACE) in patients with advanced hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) are lacking.

PATIENTS AND METHODS

In this multicenter retrospective study, 222 consecutive HCC patients receiving combination therapy were enrolled between June 2008 and July 2011.

RESULTS

Chronic hepatitis B was the predominant cause of HCC (86%). Eighty percent patients were at Barcelona Clinic Liver Cancer (BCLC) stage C, and 86% patients were in Child-Pugh (CP) A class. The overall median survival was 12 months (95% CI 10.1-13.9). The overall incidence of adverse events (AEs) was 87%. In 177 BCLC-C patients, performance status, the number of HCC nodules, Child-Pugh score and macrovascular invasion were significantly associated with overall survival (OS) and were included in the final risk scores (R), where R = 5 × (vascular invasion: 0 if no, 1 yes) + 6 × (CP: 0 if A, 1 if B) + 7 × (no. of lesions: 0 if 1-2, 1 ≥3) + 8 × ( Eastern Cooperative Oncology Group, ECOG: 0 if 0, 1 ≥1).

CONCLUSIONS

Sorafenib in combination with TACE should be considered a safe and effective therapy for advanced HCC. Further validation of the new subgroup of BCLC-C stage is warranted in an independent patient cohort.

Cognitive dysfunction after off-pump versus on-pump coronary artery bypass surgery: a meta-analysis

OBJECTIVE

A meta-analysis to compare the incidence of postoperative cognitive dysfunction (POCD) following off-pump coronary artery bypass grafting (OPCAB) versus after conventional coronary artery bypass grafting (CABG).

METHODS

A systematic search of the Medline(®), EMBASE(®) and Cochrane Library databases was performed to identify randomized controlled trials published until the end of November 2011. Data were analysed using RevMan version 5.0 software.

RESULTS

The literature search identified 13 randomized controlled trials which included a total of 2326 cases. Meta-analysis found that the incidence of POCD was significantly higher following CABG than after OPCAB during the perioperative period (1-2 weeks) and at 3 months postsurgery. There were no significant between-group differences at 6 or 12 months postsurgery.

CONCLUSIONS

Compared with CABG, OPCAB was found to be associated with a reduced incidence of early-stage POCD. Caution must be taken when interpreting these findings because of limitations in the available data.

Oral FTY720 administration induces immune tolerance and inhibits early development of atherosclerosis in apolipoprotein E-deficient mice

Orally administered immunomodulatory drugs have recently demonstrated the ability to induce an oral tolerance via inhibition of effector T cells and induction of certain subsets of regulatory T cells (Tregs) which have the potential to prevent several autoimmune diseases. In the present study, we hypothesized that short-term, low-dose, oral FTY720 administration may induce latency-associated peptide (LAP) Tregs and CD4(+) Foxp3(+) Tregs in atherogenesis, potentially resulting in remission of early development of atherosclerosis in apolipoprotein E-deficient (APOE(-/-)) mice. FTY720 was orally administered to APOE(-/-) mice 4 weeks of age on a high-cholesterol diet and atherosclerosis was assessed at 8 weeks of age. Oral administration of FTY720 significantly reduced atherosclerotic lesion formation compared with control mice. We observed a significant increase in LAP(+) and Foxp3(+) cells in the CD4+T-cell population of FTY720-treated mice in association with increased production of the anti-inflammatory cytokine transforming growth factor-β (TGF-β) as well as suppressed T-helper type 1 immune responses. Our findings reveal that short-term, low-dose oral FTY720 treatment had great benefits in inhibiting early development of atherosclerosis in mice via induction of a regulatory T-cell response and inhibition of effector T responses. These findings suggest that oral immune modulation may represent an attractive therapeutic approach to atherosclerosis.

Breaking the speed limits of phase-change memory

Phase-change random-access memory (PCRAM) is one of the leading candidates for next-generation data-storage devices, but the trade-off between crystallization (writing) speed and amorphous-phase stability (data retention) presents a key challenge. We control the crystallization kinetics of a phase-change material by applying a constant low voltage via prestructural ordering (incubation) effects. A crystallization speed of 500 picoseconds was achieved, as well as high-speed reversible switching using 500-picosecond pulses. Ab initio molecular dynamics simulations reveal the phase-change kinetics in PCRAM devices and the structural origin of the incubation-assisted increase in crystallization speed. This paves the way for achieving a broadly applicable memory device, capable of nonvolatile operations beyond gigahertz data-transfer rates.

A dual-cathode electro-Fenton oxidation coupled with anodic oxidation system used for 4-nitrophenol degradation

The degradation of 4-nitrophenol was investigated using a novel electrochemical oxidation system, in which the anodic oxidation at Ti/SnO(2)-Sb(2)O(5)-IrO(2) electrode and the electro-Fenton oxidation with two cathodes were involved. In this system, gas diffusion electrode (GDE) was used to generate H(2)O(2) by O(2) reduction and graphite electrode was employed for the reduction of Fe(3+) regenerating Fe(2+). When the potential values of GDE and graphite cathode were controlled at -0.80 and -0.10 V/SCE respectively, the optimum Fe(2+) concentration for 4-nitrophenol degradation was about 0.10mM, much lower than the concentration of 0.25 mM obtained in the single-cathode system. Due to the combination of electro-Fenton oxidation and anodic oxidation, an effective degradation and a high mineralization current efficiency (MCE) were achieved. After 600 min treatment, 74.5% of the original TOC was removed by the dual-cathode oxidation system. Moreover, it was confirmed that 57.0% of the original nitrogen could be removed in gaseous form from the simulated wastewater. These results indicate that this electrochemical oxidation process might provide an alternative for the degradation of organic pollutants.

One-step route to wurtzite-structured ZnS thin nanorods in pure ethylenediamine or mixed solvent

In the paper, we report one-step synthesis of novel wurtzite-structured ZnS three dimensional architectures assembled from thin nanorods in mixed solvent of ethylenediamine (en) and ethylene glycol, and wurtzite ZnS nanorods in a pure en solvent, both adopting Zn(CH3COO)2 x 2H2O and (NH2)2CS as raw materials. X-ray diffraction, scanning electron microscopy, transmission electron microscopy, high-resolution transmission electron microscopy and selected area electron diffraction were applied to characterize the samples. It was found that the volume ratio of solvents and the concentration of (NH2)2CS played important roles in the formation of wurtzite-structured ZnS nanorods, and the thin wurtzite ZnS nanorods with mean diameter of 6 nm were successfully synthesized. The optical absorption edges of the thin ZnS nanorods were found to be blue-shifted compared with that of the bulk ZnS due to the quantum confinement effect.

Randomized clinical trial to compare the effects of preoperative oral carbohydrate versus placebo on insulin resistance after colorectal surgery

Background

Preoperative oral carbohydrate (OCH) reduces postoperative insulin resistance (PIR). This randomized trial investigated whether this effect is related to insulin-induced activation of the phosphatidylinositol 3-kinase (PI3K)/protein kinase B (PKB) signalling pathway.

Methods

Patients with colorectal cancer scheduled for elective open resection were randomly assigned to preoperative OCH, fasting or placebo. Preoperative general well-being, insulin resistance before and immediately after surgery, and postoperative expression of PI3K, PKB, protein tyrosine kinase (PTK) and glucose transporter 4 (GLUT4) in rectus abdominis muscle were evaluated.

Results

Patient and operative characteristics did not differ between groups. Subjective well-being was significantly better in OCH and placebo groups than in the fasting group, primarily because of reduced thirst (P = 0·005) and hunger (P = 0·041). PIR was significantly greater in fasting and placebo groups (P &lt; 0·010). By the end of surgery, muscle PTK activity as well as PI3K and PKB levels were significantly increased in the OCH group compared with values in fasting and placebo groups (P &lt; 0·050), but GLUT4 expression was unaffected.

Conclusion

PIR involves the PI3K/PKB signalling pathway. Preoperative OCH intake improves preoperative subjective feelings of hunger and thirst compared with fasting, while attenuating PIR by stimulation of the PI3K/PKB pathway. Registration number: NCT00755729 (http://www.clinicaltrials.gov).

SELDI-TOF-MS-based serum proteomic screening in combination with CT scan distinguishes renal cell carcinoma from benign renal tumors and healthy persons

In order to identify the proteomic differences between renal cell carcinoma (RCC) and benign renal tumors, we analyzed 168 serum samples from 65 RCC patients, 34 patients with benign renal tumors, and 69 healthy persons using the IMAC-Cu2+ ProteinChip system by surface enhanced laser desorption/ionization mass spectrometry technology. Two decision trees were generated by Biomarker Pattern software to distinguish between RCC versus healthy and RCC versus patients with benign tumors, respectively. Although the sensitivity and specificity of the RCC vs. healthy decision tree were 97.6% and 95.7%, respectively, it could not be used to distinguish RCC from benign renal tumors. The sensitivity of a blind test process using RCC, benign tumors and healthy persons were 92%. The specificity of the test process was 35.3% for benign tumors and 95.5% for healthy persons. The sensitivity and specificity of the RCC-Benign tumors decision tree were 85.7% and 95.5%, respectively. The blind test process using RCC, benign tumors and healthy persons also showed significant results. The sensitivity was 90.0%. The specificity was 95.7% for healthy persons and 90.0% for benign tumors. Combining these data with the results of CT scanning, the sensitivity can be improved over the use of either CT and decision tree analysis and the specificity may reach 100%. Two peaks with molecular masses of 3887.11 Da and 11079.8 Da were detected that are potentially useful for the diagnosis or screening of RCC. It was found that these two peaks can be used, not only to distinguish the RCC vs. healthy cases, but also to distinguish RCC from benign renal tumors. In combination with CT scanning, the sensitivity and specificity of the diagnosis of renal tumors can be improved. However, the decision tree constructed for RCC and healthy persons may not present good specificity for use in distinguishing malignant from benign renal tumors.

Malignancies associated with dermatomyositis and polymyositis in Taiwan: a nationwide population-based study

BACKGROUND

Previous studies showed that idiopathic inflammatory myopathies (IIM) carried an increased risk of cancers. However, no large-scale study of IIM has been conducted in the Chinese population.

OBJECTIVES

We sought to delineate the association of IIM and various cancer types from a nationwide database in Taiwan.

METHODS

We analysed the published national data from records of National Health Insurance claims. Cases of dermatomyositis (DM) and polymyositis (PM) from 2000 to 2005 and cancers registered in the catastrophic illness profile from 1997 to 2006 were collected. A nationally representative cohort of 1,000,000 enrollees was included for comparison.

RESULTS

In total, 136 patients (12.8%) among 1059 cases of DM and 46 persons (7.0%) among 661 cases of PM carried internal malignancies. Patients with DM tended to have cancers of nasopharynx, lung and breast. On the other hand, patients with PM tended to have breast, uterine cervix and lung cancers. Compared with the general population, DM gave a 10-fold increased risk for cancers, in which a 66-fold increased risk for nasopharyngeal carcinoma and a 31-fold increased risk for lung cancer were the two most significant. For patients with PM, a 6-fold increased risk for cancer was observed. Juvenile DM had a 16-fold increased risk for haematopoietic or lymphoid malignancy. Two thirds of comorbid malignancies were detected shortly after the diagnoses of IIM, within a mean of 1-2 years. Overall, younger patients with IIM carried the highest risk for malignancies, especially those in their twenties and thirties.

CONCLUSIONS

This is the first large-scale study to report the associated malignancies and the cancer risk of IIM in Taiwan.

First Report of Powdery Mildew Caused by Oidium neolycopersici on Tomato in China

Tomato powdery mildew can cause remarkable reduction in fruit size and quality (4). In March of 2008, powdery mildew appeared as circular, white colonies on leaves, petioles, and stems of tomato plants grown in greenhouses in Shangqiu, Henan Province, China. The pathogenic fungus had unbranched conidiophores with an average length of 58.4 μm and width of 5.1 μm. Conidia were hyaline, elliptical, and were borne singly. Average length and width of conidia were 30.6 and 15.1 μm, respectively. Germ tubes were straight and formed at the ends or very close to the ends of conidia. Chasmothecium was not found in the collected samples. Different tomato cultivars and species, including Lycopersicon esculentum Mill (cvs. Moneymaker, Micro-Tom, Zaofen, Fenguo, and Zhongza series), L. peruvianum cv. LA2172, and L. hirsutum cv. G1.1560, were inoculated with a conidial suspension with a concentration of 5 × 10⁴ conidia/ml. Plants developed powdery mildew symptoms as early as 4 days after inoculation. Susceptible symptoms developed on all L. esculentum cultivars, while L. peruvianum LA2172 and L. hirsutum G1.1560 displayed complete resistance, which is similar to the results of Bai et al 2004 (1) and Lindhout and Pet 1990 (3). Morphological characteristics of the pathogen on susceptible genotypes were similar to those from naturally infected plants. On the basis of the characteristics of the asexual stage, the pathogen was identified as an isolate of Oidium neolycopersici L. Kiss, which was confirmed by internal transcribed spacer (ITS) sequence analysis. PCR amplification and sequencing of the ITS region were performed with primers ITS1 and ITS4. The nucleotide sequence was assigned GenBank Accession No. EU486992, which had a 100% homology with 10 ITS sequences of O. neolycopersici in GenBank (Accession Nos. EU047559 to 047568) (2). In Asia, the spread of this pathogen has been recently reported in Japan (2). To our knowledge, this is the first report of tomato powdery mildew in China. Voucher specimens are available at the Specimen Center in the Department of Life Science, Shangqiu Normal University. References: (1) Y. Bai et al. Mol. Plant-Microbe. Interact. 18:354, 2005. (2) T. Jankovics et al. Phytopathology 98:529, 2008. (3) P. Lindhout and G. Pet. Tomato Gen. Coop. Rep. 40:19, 1990. (4) J. M. Whipps et al. Plant Pathol. 47:36, 1998.

The genomic sequence and biological properties of Pennisetum mosaic virus, a novel monocot-infecting potyvirus

The complete nucleotide sequences of two isolates of Pennisetum mosaic virus (PenMV) were determined. The viral genome comprised 9,611 nucleotides (nt) excluding the 3'-terminal poly(A) sequence, with the capacity of encoding a single polyprotein of 3,065 amino acids. The large open reading frame is flanked by a 172-nt 5'-untranslated region (UTR) and a 244-nt 3'-UTR. Sequence comparisons and phylogenetic analyses of the complete genome and polyproteins suggest that PenMV is closely related to other monocot potyviruses such as Maize dwarf mosaic virus, Sorghum mosaic virus and Sugarcane mosaic virus (SCMV), and thus represents a distinct potyvirus within the SCMV subgroup. The host range of PenMV is limited to Gramineae, and the virus naturally infects maize, sorghum and some wild grasses, causing mosaic symptoms on the leaves. This virus could be transmitted by both mechanical inoculation and by at least four species of aphids.

Effects of dietary methionine and lysine sources on nutrient digestion, nitrogen utilization, and duodenal amino acid flow in growing goats

This study investigated the effects of supplementation of various sources of Met and Lys on nutrient digestion, N utilization, and duodenal AA flows in growing goats. Four 4-mo-old Liuyang Black wether goats were used in a 4 x 4 Latin square experiment and were assigned to 4 dietary treatments: (1) control, (2) control + lipid-coated Met-Zn chelate and Lys-Mn chelate (PML), (3) control + Met-Zn chelate and Lys-Mn chelate (CML), and (4) control + dl-Met, l-Lys-HCl, ZnSO(4).7H(2)O, and MnSO(4).H(2)O (FML). Compared with control, PML reduced (P < 0.05) ruminal NH(3) concentration, urinary N excretion, and plasma urea N concentration and increased (P < 0.05) the activity of ruminal endo-1,4-beta-d-glucanase and beta-glucosidase, the duodenal flow of N, N retention (g/d as well as % of absorbed N), the duodenal flows of Met, Lys, His, Val, and total essential AA, and plasma concentrations of Lys, Val, Phe, and total essential AA. Supplementing Zn-Met and Mn-Lys chelates had similar (P > 0.05) but lesser effects on these measures compared with PML, and the effects on most of the measures were not statistically significant (P > 0.05) when compared with control. Supplementing free-form Met and Lys had no effects compared with control (P > 0.05). The results indicate that lipid coating and chelating of AA provide a protection, and to a lesser extent by only chelating, of the AA from microbial degradation in the rumen and possibly has effects on rumen fermentation, which increases MP supply. This technology could improve productive performance and be of potential benefit to ruminant production if cost-effective products are developed.

Cytokine gene polymorphisms in Chinese patients with psoriasis

BACKGROUND

Previous studies have shown that cytokine gene polymorphisms may confer susceptibility to psoriasis.

OBJECTIVES

To determine whether genetic polymorphisms of the cytokine genes might influence the development of psoriasis in Chinese patients in Taiwan.

METHODS

DNA samples were obtained from 170 patients with psoriasis vulgaris (PV), 102 patients with psoriatic arthritis (PsA) and 210 control subjects. Using direct sequencing and microsatellite genotyping, we examined 28 polymorphisms in 11 cytokine genes including the interleukin (IL)-1alpha, IL-1beta, IL-1 receptor antagonist, IL-4, IL-8, IL-10, IL-12B, IL-13, tumour necrosis factor (TNF)-alpha, TNF-beta and interferon-gamma genes. Genotypes of HLA-Cw*0602, killer cell immunoglobulin-like receptor (KIR) genes and major histocompatibility complex class I chain-related gene A (MICA) were also determined in patients with PsA.

RESULTS

The patients with PV were more likely to carry the +4496G allele of the IL-12B gene (59.4% vs. 49.3%, P = 0.0067, P(c) = 0.033). However, no significantly different allelic and genotypic distributions of the other analysed genes including IL-1beta, TNF-alpha, TNF-beta, KIR genes and MICA were found between the PV/PsA patients and controls. Moreover, no association was observed with disease onset, gender, peripheral arthritis or joint erosion. With regards to HLA-Cw*0602, its allele frequency was significantly increased in patients with early-onset PV (25.3% vs. 4.8%, P < 10(-7)), but not in patients with PsA.

CONCLUSIONS

The IL-12B gene polymorphism conferred a risk for PV in our Chinese population, although the effect was more minor than that of HLA-Cw*0602. Cw*0602, KIR2DS1/S2 and MICA-A9 were unlikely to be risk alleles in our patients with PsA. The other analysed genetic polymorphisms of cytokine genes do not appear to be associated with susceptibility to PV and PsA in Chinese patients in Taiwan.

Attitudes of dental and medical students in their first and final years of undergraduate study to oral health behaviour

OBJECTIVE

To compare differences in attitude to oral health behaviour amongst medical and dental students when they were in years 1 and 5 of University study respectively.

METHODS

Medical and dental students of Peking University in Beijing, China were invited to take part in this study. The original version of the Hiroshima University-Dental Behavioural Inventory (HU-DBI) was written in Japanese. After testing the validity of both English and Chinese versions, the revised Chinese version of the HU-DBI was administered to new medical and dental students. In their final year of University study, the same questionnaire was again administered.

RESULTS

Significant differences were found for 13 of 21 items, reflecting an improvement in oral health attitudes and behaviour in final year dental students when compared with the time they were entrants. This difference was not found to be significant in the sample of medical students.

CONCLUSIONS

There were significant differences in oral health attitudes and behaviours in dental students between entrance to University and the final year of their study. The same was not found to be true for medical students.

Psoriasis vulgaris in Chinese individuals is associated withPSORS1C3andCDSNgenes

BACKGROUND

Besides the HLA-Cw*0602 allele, the psoriasis susceptibility 1 candidate 3 (PSORS1C3) and corneodesmosin (CDSN) genes are two probable psoriasis susceptibility genes in the PSORS1 locus. The -79C, -26C and +246A alleles of the PSORS1C3 gene, the CDSN*971T allele, CDSN*TTC (619T-1236T-1243C) and CDSN*5 (619T-1240G-1243C) are strongly associated with psoriasis in the caucasian population. Until now, no haplotype study of the PSORS1C3 and CDSN genes has been documented in Chinese patients with psoriasis vulgaris.

OBJECTIVES

We aimed to determine whether genetic polymorphisms of the PSORS1C3 and CDSN genes were associated with an increased risk of psoriasis vulgaris in Chinese patients in Taiwan.

METHODS

We investigated the PSORS1C3 and CDSN genes for disease association by direct sequencing in 178 patients with psoriasis vulgaris and 203 control subjects. Genotyping for HLA-Cw*0602, alpha-helix coiled-coil rod homologue (HCR) gene and single nucleotide polymorphism (SNP) n.9 was also carried out using a sequence-based typing method.

RESULTS

The PSORS1C3*582A allele, an SNP in the 3'-untranslated region of the PSORS1C3 gene, was a major psoriasis vulgaris susceptibility allele in the Chinese population, and the association was much stronger in patients with early-onset psoriasis vulgaris (22.3% vs. 6.9%, odds ratio = 3.87, P(c) =0.0000072). The frequencies of CDSN*TTC and CDSN*971T were also significantly increased in patients with early-onset psoriasis vulgaris. Moreover, PSORS1C3*582A, SNP n.9*C, Cw*0602 and HCR*WWCC were in near complete linkage disequilibrium (LD) with each other; in contrast, the LD with the CDSN gene was not so strong. SNP n.9*C-Cw*0602-PSORS1C3*582A-HCR*WWCC was a major susceptibility haplotype in patients with early-onset psoriasis vulgaris (P < 10(-7)) and this risk haplotype also carried CDSN*TTC and CDSN*971T.

CONCLUSIONS

The PSORS1C3 and CDSN genes are important psoriasis susceptibility genes in Chinese patients with psoriasis vulgaris.

No association of cytokine gene polymorphisms in Chinese patients with atopic dermatitis

BACKGROUND

Atopic dermatitis (AD) is a common chronically relapsing skin disease associated with the activation of T-helper 2 cells. Recent studies have shown that polymorphisms in the genes for interleukin (IL)-4, the IL-4 receptor, IL-13, and signal transducer and activator 6 (STAT6) may contribute to susceptibility of AD. To date, no cytokine gene polymorphism study has been conducted on Chinese patients with AD.

AIMS

To determine whether genetic polymorphisms of the cytokine genes might influence the development of AD.

METHODS

DNA samples were obtained from 94 patients and 186 control subjects. Using direct sequencing and microsatellite genotyping, we examined 22 polymorphisms in eight cytokine genes including the genes for IL-4, -10, -12B and -13, the IL-4 receptor, tumour necrosis factor (TNF)-alpha, STAT6, and interferon (IFN)-gamma.

RESULTS

No significantly different allelic and genotypic distributions of the cytokine gene polymorphisms could be found between patients and controls. Moreover, no association was observed with disease onset, gender, the presence of elevated serum total IgE level or blood eosinophilia.

CONCLUSION

Our study suggests that the analysed genetic polymorphisms of cytokine genes do not appear to be associated with AD susceptibility in our Chinese population.

A study of PSORS1C1 gene polymorphisms in Chinese patients with psoriasis

BACKGROUND

Although genetic analyses have identified the HLA-Cw*0602 allele as the major risk allele for chronic plaque psoriasis in various ethnic groups, it has been proposed that the association of Cw*0602 is due to linkage disequilibrium and that other nearby genes are involved in susceptibility to psoriasis. The psoriasis susceptibility 1 candidate 1 (PSORS1C1, formerly SEEK1) gene, located 127 kb telomeric to the HLA-C locus, is considered to be one of the potential candidate genes of psoriasis. Up to the present, no association study of the PSORS1C1 gene has been conducted on Chinese patients with psoriasis.

OBJECTIVES

We aimed to determine whether the genetic polymorphisms of the PSORS1C1 gene were associated with an increased risk of psoriasis in Chinese patients.

METHODS

We investigated the PSORS1C1 gene for disease association by direct sequencing of the PSORS1C1 gene in 143 Chinese patients with chronic plaque psoriasis and 188 control subjects. Genotyping for HLA-Cw*0602 and the alpha-helix coiled-coil rod homologue (C6orf18, formerly HCR) gene was also carried out using a sequence-based typing method.

RESULTS

We identified 10 single nucleotide polymorphisms (SNPs) on the PSORS1C1 gene in our subjects; four of these SNPs cause amino acid change. We also detected poly(C) repeat variants from nucleotide positions 386-392 (poly(C)6-8). The poly(C) repeat polymorphisms cause a frame shift mutation. Another poly(C) repeat variant was also found at nucleotide positions 748-751. No significantly different allelic distributions of the PSORS1C1 SNPs or poly(C) repeat polymorphisms could be found between the patients with chronic plaque psoriasis and controls after correction for multiple testing. However, a significant increase of the Cw*0602 allele and tryptophan-tryptophan allele of the C6orf18 gene (HCR*WW) was found in patients with early onset psoriasis (21.9% vs. 4.8%, P < 10(-7)). Haplotype-based association analysis also showed a susceptibility haplotype carrying Cw*0602 and HCR*WW alleles in early onset Chinese patients.

CONCLUSIONS

Our results indicate that the PSORS1C1 gene might not play an important role in the causation of chronic plaque psoriasis in Chinese people.

Cytokine gene polymorphisms in bullous pemphigoid in a Chinese population

BACKGROUND

Bullous pemphigoid (BP) is an autoimmune bullous disease mostly associated with autoantibodies to the hemidesmosomal BP autoantigens BP180 and BP230. High levels of interleukin (IL)-1beta, IL-4, IL-5, IL-6, IL-8, IL-10, IL-13, tumour necrosis factor (TNF)-alpha and interferon (IFN)-gamma have been detected in skin lesions or sera of patients with BP. Cytokine gene polymorphisms may affect cytokine production and contribute to susceptibility to autoimmune diseases. Until now, no cytokine gene polymorphism study has been conducted on patients with BP.

OBJECTIVES

We aimed to determine whether the genetic polymorphisms of the cytokine genes might influence the development of BP.

METHODS

DNA samples were obtained from 96 BP patients and 174 control subjects. Using direct sequencing and microsatellite genotyping, we examined 23 polymorphisms in 11 cytokine genes including the IL-1alpha, IL-1beta, IL-1 receptor antagonist, IL-4, IL-6, IL-8, IL-10, IL-13, IL-4 receptor, TNF-alpha and IFN-gamma genes.

RESULTS

Although the BP patients were more likely to carry the -511T and -31C alleles of the IL-1beta gene (P = 0.04), the significance disappeared after correction for multiple testing (Pc). There was complete linkage disequilibrium between the -511T and -31C alleles of the IL-1beta gene. In female patients with BP, the associations with IL-1beta (-511T) and (-31C) alleles were much stronger (68% vs. 40.6%, odds ratio = 3.11, Pc = 0.006). No significantly different allelic and genotypic distributions of other cytokine gene polymorphisms could be found between the patients with BP and controls. Moreover, no association with the extent of disease involvement (localized or generalized) was observed.

CONCLUSIONS

The IL-1beta (-511) and (-31) polymorphisms were significantly associated with BP in women. The other genetic polymorphisms of cytokine genes that we analysed do not appear to be associated with BP susceptibility in our Chinese population.

Attentional modulation of electrophysiological activity in auditory cortex for unattended sounds within multistream auditory environments

In three experiments, we addressed the issue of attention effects on unattended sound processing when one auditory stream is selected from three potential streams, creating a simple model of the cocktail party situation. We recorded event-related brain potentials (ERPs) to determine the way in which unattended, task-irrelevant sounds were stored in auditory memory (i.e., as one integrated stream or as two distinct streams). Subjects were instructed to ignore all the sounds and attend to a visual task or to selectively attend to a subset of the sounds and perform a task with the sounds (Experiments 1 and 2). A third (behavioral) experiment was conducted to test whether global pattern violations (used in Experiments 1 and 2) were perceptible when the sounds were segregated. We found that the mismatch negativity ERP component, an index of auditory change detection, was evoked by infrequent pattern violations occurring in the unattended sounds when all the sounds were ignored, but not when attention was focused on a subset of the sounds. The results demonstrate that multiple unattended sound streams can segregate by frequency range but that selectively attending to a subset of the sounds can modify the extent to which the unattended sounds are processed. These results are consistent with models in animal and human studies showing that attentional control can limit the processing of unattended input in favor of attended sensory inputs, thereby facilitating the ability to achieve behavioral goals.

Analysis of the human and ape foot during bipedal standing with implications for the evolution of the foot

The ratio of the power arm (the distance from the heel to the talocrural joint) to the load arm (that from the talocrural joint to the distal head of the metatarsals), or RPL, differs markedly between the human and ape foot. The arches are relatively higher in the human foot in comparison with those in apes. This study evaluates the effect of these two differences on biomechanical effectiveness during bipedal standing, estimating the forces acting across the talocrural and tarsometatarsal joints, and attempts to identify which type of foot is optimal for bipedal standing. A simple model of the foot musculoskeletal system was built to represent the geometric and force relationships in the foot during bipedal standing, and measurements for a variety of human and ape feet applied. The results show that: (1) an RPL of around 40% (as is the case in the human foot) minimizes required muscle force at the talocrural joint; (2) the presence of an high arch in the human foot reduces forces in the plantar musculature and aponeurosis; and (3) the human foot has a lower total of force in joints and muscles than do the ape feet. These results indicate that the proportions of the human foot, and the height of the medial arch are indeed better optimized for bipedal standing than those of apes, further suggesting that their current state is to some extent the product of positive selection for enhanced bipedal standing during the evolution of the foot.

Covalent immobilization of chitosan and heparin on PLGA surface

Chitosan and heparin were covalently immobilized onto a poly(lactic acid-co-glycolic acid) (PLGA) surface using N-(3-dimethylaminopropyl)-N'-ethylcarbodiimide (EDC), N-hydroxysuccinimide (NHS) in a 2-morpholinoethane sulfonic acid (MES) buffer system. The properties of the modified PLGA surface and the control were investigated by water contact angle measurement and electron spectroscopy for chemical analysis (ESCA). The water contact angle of the modified film was greatly decreased and the element content on the surface of the films changed correspondingly. Platelet adhesion assay showed that blood compatibility of the chitosan/heparin modified film was improved while hepatocyte culture indicated that the cell compatibility of the modified film was enhanced.

Stresses Exerted in the Hindlimb Muscles of Common Chimpanzees (Pan troglodytes) during Bipedal Locomotion

Recent studies have indicated that chimpanzee bipedality is mechanically inefficient and dynamically unlike that of humans, thus undermining the chimpanzee analogy for mechanical aspects of the early evolution of hominid bipedalism. This paper continues this theme by measuring the forces and stresses engendered by the muscles during bipedal locomotion, for an untrained chimpanzee and for data from chimpanzees which have been encouraged to walk bipedally, presented in the literature. Peak stresses in the triceps surae were lower for the untrained chimpanzee than for the trained subjects because during the late stance phase, when peak ankle moments occur, the centre of pressure of the ground reaction force on the foot of the untrained chimpanzee stayed close to the ankle joint. In contrast, for the trained subjects it moved closer to the toes, as in human bipedalism. Quadriceps and hip extensor stresses are approximately 30% larger for the untrained chimpanzee than for the trained subjects, because the trained chimpanzees walked with a more erect posture. These results may reflect the way in which muscles can develop in response to training, since research on humans has shown that muscle physiological cross-sectional area increases as a result of exercise, resulting in smaller stresses for a given muscle force. During a slow walk, untrained chimpanzees were found to exert far greater muscle stresses than humans do when running at moderate speed, particularly in the muscles that extend the hip, because of the bent-hip, bent-knee posture.

A study of cytokeratin profiles in localized cutaneous amyloids

The major component of localized cutaneous amyloids may be derived from cytokeratin (CK). However, the CK profiles of primary cutaneous amyloidosis (PCA) and secondary cutaneous amyloidosis (SCA) remain obscure. Paraffin-embedded sections of skin tissue from 64 patients with PCA, 111 with SCA and 3 with systemic amyloidosis were analyzed immunohistochemically using 12 different polyclonal or monoclonal anti-CK antibodies (34betaE12, MNF116, LP34, AE1/AE3, anti-CK1, CK5, CK6, CK7, CK10, CK14, CK16 and CK17). In addition, frozen skin tissues from 12 patients with PCA were analyzed for comparison with the paraffin-embedded tissue. In all 64 PCA paraffin sections, the amyloid deposits were immunopositive for anti-CK5 antibody and 34betaE12. In all 12 frozen sections of PCA, the amyloid deposits were immunopositive for anti-CK5 antibody, 34betaE12, MNF116 and LP34, and seven (58.3%), three (25%) and one (8.3%) were immunopositive for anti-CK1, CK14, and CK10 antibodies, respectively. In all SCA sections, the amyloid deposits were immunopositive for CK5 and 34betaE12. In addition, MNF116 immunolabeled amyloids of all sections from patients with basal cell carcinoma and trichoepithelioma, and MNF116 and LP34 immunolabeled amyloids of sections from patients with porokeratosis. Our results indicate that CK5 is the major CK present in the amyloid deposits of PCA and SCA, and "amyloid-K" is mainly derived from basal keratinocytes.

Using improved neural network model to analyze RSP, NOx and NO2 levels in urban air in Mong Kok, Hong Kong

As the health impact of air pollutants existing in ambient addresses much attention in recent years, forecasting of air pollutant parameters becomes an important and popular topic in environmental science. Airborne pollution is a serious, and will be a major problem in Hong Kong within the next few years. In Hong Kong, Respirable Suspended Particulate (RSP) and Nitrogen Oxides NOx and NO2 are major air pollutants due to the dominant diesel fuel usage by public transportation and heavy vehicles. Hence, the investigation and prediction of the influence and the tendency of these pollutants are of significance to public and the city image. The multi-layer perceptron (MLP) neural network is regarded as a reliable and cost-effective method to achieve such tasks. The works presented here involve developing an improved neural network model, which combines the principal component analysis (PCA) technique and the radial basis function (RBF) network, and forecasting the pollutant levels and tendencies based in the recorded data. In the study, the PCA is firstly used to reduce and orthogonalize the original input variables (data), these treated variables are then used as new input vectors in RBF neural network model established for forecasting the pollutant tendencies. Comparing with the general neural network models, the proposed model possesses simpler network architecture, faster training speed, and more satisfactory predicting performance. This improved model is evaluated by using hourly time series of RSP, NOx and NO2 concentrations collected at Mong Kok Roadside Gaseous Monitory Station in Hong Kong during the year 2000. By comparing the predicted RSP. NOx and NO2 concentrations with the actual data of these pollutants recorded at the monitory station, the effectiveness of the proposed model has been proven. Therefore, in authors' opinion, the model presented in the paper is a potential tool in forecasting air quality parameters and has advantages over the traditional neural network methods.

Size and power required for motion with implication for the evolution of early hominids

The fossil record of early hominids (early human ancestors) suggests that their stature and weight had a tendency to increase, but their robusticity (the proportion of radius to length) to decrease. Using a simple musculo-skeletal model, this paper explores possible relationships between size, power required for motion (PRM) and cycle-time, deriving relationships which indicate that PRM per unit of mass and velocity is proportional to robusticity, but inversely proportional to stature. The results derived appear to be in general agreement with published data from physiological experiments. If the material properties of early hominids were similar to those of modern humans and the achievement of minimum PRM was the selective criterion, human stature might tend to increase slightly in human evolution (and, if selective pressures are not removed, might do so in the future but at lower rate). If mobility and stability under loading are the selective criteria, however, human size should not substantially increase in the future.

Crosslinked collagen/chitosan matrix for artificial livers

Matrices composed of collagen and chitosan may create an appropriate environment for the regeneration of livers. In this study, we have prepared, characterized and evaluated a new collagen/chitosan matrix (CCM). The CCM was made by using crosslinking agent 1-ethyl-3-(3-dimethylaminopropyl)-carbodiimide (EDC) in N-hydroxysuccinimide (NHS) and a 2-morpholinoethane sulfonic acid (MES) buffer system. The chemical characteristics were evaluated by Fourier-transformed infrared (FTIR) spectroscopy and X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy (XPS). The mechanical strength was measured by tensile tests. The platelet deposition and hepatocyte culture experiments show that CCM has excellent blood and cell compatibility. The results suggest that the CCM is a promising candidate matrix for implantable bioartificial livers.

SPR1 gene near HLA-C is unlikely to be a psoriasis susceptibility gene

Although genetics analyses have identified the HLA-Cw6 allele to be the major risk allele for psoriasis vulgaris (PV) in many racial groups, it has been proposed that other putative genes near the HLA-C locus are involved in PV susceptibility and that the association of Cw6 is a result of linkage disequilibrium. The SPR1 gene, a predicted gene located 128 kb telomeric to the HLA-C locus, is considered to be one potential candidate gene of PV. Until now, no association study of the SPR1 gene has been conducted on psoriasis patients. We investigated the SPR1 gene for disease association by direct sequencing of the SPR1 gene in 116 Chinese patients with PV and 116 normal subjects. Genotyping for HLA-Cw6 was also carried out using polymerase chain reaction/restriction fragment length polymorphism. Significant increase of the HLA-Cw6 allele was found in psoriasis patients (32.8% vs. 13.8%, P = 0.001). We found that the SPR1 gene is a highly polymorphic gene containing 13 single nucleotide polymorphisms (SNPs), two of which have not been previously reported, and four SNPs cause amino acid change. No significantly different allelic distribution of 13 SPR1 SNPs could be found between the patients with PV and controls after correction for multiple testing. If the frequencies of SPR1 SNPs were compared between the early onset psoriatics and control subjects, early onset patients were more likely to have G allele at position 988 (60% vs. 35.3%, P = 0.001). However, the significance disappeared upon stratification for the Cw6 status. Haplotype-based association analysis showed two susceptibility haplotypes (types 8 and 19) in early onset psoriasis patients. Nonetheless, the significance also disappeared after stratification of the Cw6 status. Our results suggest that HLA-Cw6 remains the major risk allele in Chinese psoriatics, and that the SPR1 gene might not play an important role in the causation of PV.

Energy transformation during erect and 'bent-hip, bent-knee' walking by humans with implications for the evolution of bipedalism

We have previously reported that predictive dynamic modeling suggests that the 'bent-hip, bent-knee' gait, which some attribute to Australopithecus afarensis AL-288-1, would have been much more expensive in mechanical terms for this hominid than an upright gait. Normal walking by modern adult humans owes much of its efficiency to conservation of energy by transformation between its potential and kinetic states. These findings suggest the question if, and to what extent, energy transformation exists in 'bent-hip, bent-knee' gait. This study calculates energy transformation in humans walking upright, at three different speeds, and walking 'bent-hip, bent-knee'. Kinematic data were gathered from video sequences and kinetic (ground reaction force) data from synchronous forceplate measurement. Applying Newtonian mechanics to our experimental data, the fluctuations of kinetic and potential energy in the body centre of mass were obtained and the effects of energy transformation evaluated and compared. In erect walking the fluctuations of two forms of energy are indeed largely out-of-phase, so that energy transformation occurs and total energy is conserved. In 'bent-hip, bent-knee' walking, however, the fluctuations of the kinetic and potential energy are much more in-phase, so that energy transformation occurs to a much lesser extent. Among all modes of walking the highest energy recovery is obtained in subjectively 'comfortable' walking, the next highest in subjectively 'fast' or 'slow' walking, and the least lowest in 'bent-hip, bent-knee' walking. The results imply that if 'bent-hip, bent-knee' gait was indeed habitually practiced by early bipedal hominids, a very substantial (and in our view as yet unidentified) selective advantage would have had to accrue, to offset the selective disadvantages of 'bent-hip, bent-knee' gait in terms of energy transformation.