Relationship between the G75A polymorphism in the apolipoprotein A1 (ApoA1) gene and the lipid regulatory effects of pravastatin in patients with hyperlipidemia

In this study, we investigated the relationship between the G75A polymorphism in the apolipoprotein A1 (ApoA1) gene and the lipid regulatory effect of pravastatin in patients with hyperlipidemia. A total of 179 patients were divided into two groups: the pravastatin (N = 97) and policosanol (N = 82) treatment groups. The total cholesterol (TC), triglyceride, low-density lipoprotein (LDL-c), high-density lipoprotein, ApoA, and ApoB concentrations in the serum were measured using an automatic biochemical analyzer before and after treatment for 12 weeks. The genotypes of the ApoA1 G75A SNP were detected by polymerase chain reaction-restriction fragment length polymorphism, and were subsequently statistically analyzed. Pravastatin treatment induced a significant decrease in the TC, LDL-c, and ApoB levels in patients expressing the ApoA1 AA+GA genotype (P < 0.05), and not in those expressing the GG genotype (P > 0.05). However, policosanol treatment induced a non-significant decrease in the serum TC levels (P > 0.05) and a significant decrease in the ApoB levels (P < 0.05), and did not induce a decrease in the LDL-c (P > 0.05) levels in patients with the AA+GA genotype. Policosanol also induced a significant decrease in the TC and LDL-c levels in patients with the GG genotype (P < 0.05). The various genotypes of the ApoA1 G75A SNP influence the efficacy of lipid regulation by pravastatin and policosanol in patients with hyperlipidemia.

Clinical Significance and Characteristic Clinical Differences of Cytolytic Vaginosis in Recurrent Vulvovaginitis

AIM

The study aimed to evaluate whether cytolytic vaginosis (CV) has important clinical implications for recurrent vulvovaginitis and to identify clinical differences between CV and vulvovaginal candidosis (VVC).

METHODS

Medical histories, physical examinations and laboratory findings were used to diagnose and assess the prevalence rates of various vulvovaginal infections among 536 women with recurrent vulvovaginitis. Chi-square and Fisher exact tests were used to compare age, menstrual cycle phase at episode onset, symptoms/signs of infection and discharge characteristics between CV and VVC with single infection.

RESULTS

Among the 484 women with a single-infection recurrent vulvovaginitis, the prevalence of CV (n = 143; 26.7%) was second only to VVC (n = 196; 36.6%). CV symptoms occurred predominantly during the ovulatory and luteal phases. Meanwhile, VVC episodes were not concentrated premenstrually, but rather occurred throughout the menstrual cycle. Significant differences were found in the vaginal pH, discharge characteristics and frequency of inflammatory symptoms between the 2 groups.

CONCLUSIONS

CV is clinically important, because it is a common cause of recurrent vulvovaginitis. To distinguish CV from VVC, gynecologists should consider the patient's medical history, physical and laboratory findings, vaginal pH and vaginal discharge characteristics.

Complexities of Gut Microbiome Dysbiosis in the Context of HIV Infection and Antiretroviral Therapy

Human immunodeficiency virus (HIV) infection is associated with an altered gut microbiome that is not consistently restored with effective antiretroviral therapy (ART). Interpretation of the specific microbiome changes observed during HIV infection is complicated by factors like population, sample type, and ART-each of which may have dramatic effects on gut bacteria. Understanding how these factors shape the microbiome during HIV infection (which we refer to as the HIV-associated microbiome) is critical for defining its role in HIV disease, and for developing therapies that restore gut health during infection.

Influence of 5% dextrose volume on amphotericin B deoxycholate preparation

OBJECTIVES

Preparation of amphotericin B deoxycholate (AmB-d) in different volumes of 5% dextrose (D5W) was studied to investigate a interesting phenomenon that AmB-d was easy to bring pipe blockage when diluted in 500 ml but not in 50 ml.

METHODS

AmB-d (25 mg/vial) in 50 ml, 250 ml or 500 ml D5W was prepared. Fluids were collected before and after infusion, then were assayed by validated high-performance liquid chromatography (HPLC) method. Light obscuration assay was used to detect the particles in transfusions.

KEY FINDINGS

pH values of different volumes of D5W were all about 3.7, which was lower than the requirement of AmB-d package insert (pH > 4.2). The number of insoluble particles >10 μm/25 μm in 25 mg/500 ml infusions exceeded China Pharmacopoeia limit. Filters in 25 mg/500 ml infusion set were full of AmB-d after dripping slowly for 6 h, and 331.3 ml solution was left in the bottles and only 11.3% of AmB-d could flow out. Whereas the AmB-d infusion consists of 25 mg/50 ml, 25 mg/250 ml and 50 mg/500 ml could meet with China Pharmacopoeia standards, and they flowed out easily and completely.

CONCLUSIONS

In practice, 25 mg/250 ml and 50 mg/500 ml would be more suitable for clinical use, rather than 25 mg/500 ml. We provided a convenient method for AmB-d preparation.

Genetic and Environmental Regulation on Longitudinal Change of Metabolic Phenotypes in Danish and Chinese Adult Twins

OBJECTIVE

The rate of change in metabolic phenotypes can be highly indicative of metabolic disorders and disorder-related modifications. We analyzed data from longitudinal twin studies on multiple metabolic phenotypes in Danish and Chinese twins representing two populations of distinct ethnic, cultural, social-economic backgrounds and geographical environments.

MATERIALS AND METHODS

The study covered a relatively large sample of 502 pairs of Danish adult twins followed up for a long period of 12 years with a mean age at intake of 38 years (range: 18-65) and a total of 181 Chinese adult twin pairs traced for about 7 years with a mean baseline age of 39.5 years (range: 23-64). The classical twin models were fitted to the longitudinal change in each phenotype (Δphenotype) to estimate the genetic and environmental contributions to the variation in Δphenotype.

RESULTS

Moderate to high contributions by the unique environment were estimated for all phenotypes in both Danish (from 0.51 for low density lipoprotein cholesterol up to 0.72 for triglycerides) and Chinese (from 0.41 for triglycerides up to 0.73 for diastolic blood pressure) twins; low to moderate genetic components were estimated for long-term change in most of the phenotypes in Danish twins except for triglycerides and hip circumference. Compared with Danish twins, the Chinese twins tended to have higher genetic control over the longitudinal changes in lipids (except high density lipoprotein cholesterol) and glucose, higher unique environmental contribution to blood pressure but no genetic contribution to longitudinal change in body mass traits.

CONCLUSION

Our results emphasize the major contribution of unique environment to the observed intra-individual variation in all metabolic phenotypes in both samples, and meanwhile reveal differential patterns of genetic and common environmental regulation on changes over time in metabolic phenotypes across the two samples.

Analysis of biochemical compounds and differentially expressed genes of the anthocyanin biosynthetic pathway in variegated peach flowers

Variegated plants are highly valuable in the floricultural market, yet the genetic mechanism underlying this attractive phenomenon has not been completely elucidated. In this study, we identified and measured different compounds in pink and white flower petals of peach (Prunus persica) by high-performance liquid chromatography and liquid chromatography/mass spectrometry analyses. No cyanidin-based or pelargonidin-based compounds were detected in white petals, but high levels of these compounds were found in pink petals. Additionally, we sequenced and analyzed the expression of six key structural genes in the anthocyanin biosynthesis pathway (CHI, CHS, DFR, F3'H, ANS, and UFGT) in both white and pink petals. Quantitative real-time polymerase chain reaction revealed all six genes to be expressed at greatly reduced levels in white flower petals, relative to pink. No allelic variations were found in the transcribed sequences. However, alignment of transcribed and genomic sequences of the ANS gene detected alternative splicing, resulting in transcripts of 1.071 and 942 bp. Only the longer transcript was observed in white flower petals. Since ANS is the key intermediate enzyme catalyzing the colorless leucopelargonidin and leucocyanidin to substrates required for completion of anthocyanin biosynthesis, the ANS gene is implicated in flower color variegation and should be explored in future studies. This article, together with a previous transcriptome study, elucidates the mechanism underlying peach flower color variegation in terms of the key structural genes involved in anthocyanin biosynthesis.

Hypertension-mediated enhancement of JNK activation in association with endoplasmic reticulum stress in rat model hippocampus with cerebral ischemia-reperfusion

Acute brain ischemia can induce the activation of c-Jun N-terminal kinases (JNKs). Hypertension is a critical etiology for brain ischemia. We identified the effects of hypertension on the activation of JNK as well as its impact on SP600125, a JNK inhibitor, during endoplasmic reticulum stress (ERS) in the hippocampus using a rat model. Transient whole-brain ischemia was induced by 4-vessel occlusion (bilateral vertebral and bilateral common carotid arteries) in normal and spontaneous hypertensive rats. SP600125 (0.05 mg/kg, iv) was administered 30 min before ischemia. Morphological changes in hippocampal nerve cells were observed by cresyl violet staining. Phosphorylation of JNK, and expression levels of CHOP and GPR78, markers for ERS, were detected by western blot at 1, 6, 24, and 48 h, and neurological outcomes were measured using an eight-arm radial maze 48 h after ischemia. Hypertension apparently aggravated impairment of memory function, decreased the density of surviving neurons, increased phosphorylation of JNK, and enhanced CHOP expression, but reduced GPR78 levels in hippocampal tissues following brain ischemia. SP600125 alleviated neurological dysfunction, improved neuron survival, decreased phosphorylation of JNK and levels of CHOP, but increased expression of GPR78 in rats with hypertension during cerebral ischemia by inhibition of ERS.

ApoG2 inhibits the antiapoptotic protein, Mcl‑1, and induces mitochondria‑dependent apoptosis in human colorectal cancer cells

Colorectal cancer (CRC) is a worldwide malignancy of high incidence and mortality. At present, there is a lack of effective drugs against CRC. The B‑cell leukemia/lymphoma 2 (Bcl‑2) protein family members are considered to be closely associated with tumorigenesis and the chemoresistance of CRC. As a novel gossypol derivative targeting antiapoptotic proteins of the Bcl‑2 family, apogossypolone (ApoG2) exhibits antitumor properties in various cancer types, although its effects against CRC remain to be fully elucidated. In the present study, the cytotoxicity of ApoG2 in vitro on CRC cells was investigated, with the aim of elucidating the underlying mechanism. Using an MTT assay, ApoG2 was revealed to inhibit the growth of the HT29, SW480 and HCT116 CRC cell lines in a dose‑ and a time‑dependent manner. Hoechst staining revealed that ApoG2 induced CRC cell apoptosis, marked by morphological changes, including cell shrinkage and nuclear fragmentation. Flow cytometric analysis also detected a higher apoptotic ratio following treatment with ApoG2. The ratio was dependent upon the concentration of ApoG2, which the cells were exposed to, and the duration of the exposure. Western blot analysis and immunoprecipitation experiments revealed that ApoG2 treatment led to the downregulation of the protein expression of Mcl‑1, and the interruption of the binding of Mcl‑1 to the protein Bax. Furthermore, treatment with ApoG2 led to the release of cytochrome c into the cytoplasm and the activation of caspases 3 and 7. The present study revealed that ApoG2 inhibited the proliferation of the CRC cell lines through mitochondrial signaling pathway‑dependent apoptosis, which may be associated with the disruption of the function of the Mcl‑1 protein by ApoG2.

Gene, environment and cognitive function: a Chinese twin ageing study

BACKGROUND

the genetic and environmental contributions to cognitive function in the old people have been well addressed for the Western populations using twin modelling showing moderate to high heritability. No similar study has been conducted in the world largest and rapidly ageing Chinese population living under distinct environmental condition as the Western populations.

OBJECTIVE

this study aims to explore the genetic and environmental impact on normal cognitive ageing in the Chinese twins.

DESIGN/SETTING

cognitive function was measured on 384 complete twin pairs with median age of 50 years for seven cognitive measurements including visuospatial, linguistic skills, naming, memory, attention, abstraction and orientation abilities. Data were analysed by fitting univariate and bivariate twin models to estimate the genetic and environmental components in the variance and co-variance of the cognitive assessments.

RESULTS

intra-pair correlation on cognitive measurements was low to moderate in monozygotic twins (0.23-0.41, overall 0.42) and low in dizygotic twins (0.05-0.30, overall 0.31) with the former higher than the latter for each item. Estimate for heritability was moderate for overall cognitive function (0.44, 95% CI: 0.34-0.53) and low to moderate for visuospatial, naming, attention and orientation abilities ranging from 0.28 to 0.38. No genetic contribution was estimated to linguistic skill, abstraction and memory which instead were under low to moderate control by shared environmental factors accounting for 23-33% of the total variances. In contrast, all cognitive performances showed moderate to high influences by the unique environmental factors.

CONCLUSIONS

genetic factor and common family environment have a limited contribution to cognitive function in the Chinese adults. Individual unique environment is likely to play a major role in determining the levels of cognitive performance.

Cytological Diagnoses of Adenocarcinoma in situ of the Cervix: Common Misdiagnoses

OBJECTIVE

In routine screening, glandular lesions have high false-negative and false-positive rates. Our study sought to improve the cytological diagnoses and differentiation of glandular lesions.

STUDY DESIGN

A total of 24 cytology slides were retrospectively reviewed. Among these slides, 15 were confirmed via histology to have varying amounts of adenocarcinoma in situ (AIS) components. The other 9 cytology slides exhibited AIS mimics that had been originally considered to be AIS or atypical glandular cells (AGCs) and were selected for differentiation from AIS.

RESULTS

Overall, 12 of the 15 cytological slides exhibited significant atypical glandular features that met the criteria for AIS. However, the original cytological diagnoses included 2 cases of AIS, 3 AGCs-favor neoplasia (AGC-FN), 2 AGCs, 1 case that was not otherwise specified (AGC-NOS), 1 NILM (negative for intraepithelial lesion and malignancy), 3 HSILs (high-grade squamous intraepithelial lesions), and 2 ASC-Hs (atypical squamous cells, cannot exclude HSIL). The latter 9 cytological slides were subsequently histologically confirmed to be 2 metaplasias, 2 reactive lesions, 1 decidual change, 3 serous adenocarcinomas, and 1 SCNEC (small-cell neuroendocrine carcinoma).

CONCLUSION

Cytological screening will be valuable for identifying glandular lesions as effectively as squamous lesions if the doubly high false rates can be decreased.

HEAT-INDUCED TAS1 TARGET1 Mediates Thermotolerance via HEAT STRESS TRANSCRIPTION FACTOR A1a-Directed Pathways in Arabidopsis

Many heat stress transcription factors (Hsfs) and heat shock proteins (Hsps) have been identified to play important roles in the heat tolerance of plants. However, many of the key factors mediating the heat response pathways remain unknown. Here, we report that two genes, which are targets of TAS1 (trans-acting siRNA precursor 1)-derived small interfering RNAs that we named HEAT-INDUCED TAS1 TARGET1 (HTT1) and HTT2, are involved in thermotolerance. Microarray analysis revealed that the HTT1 and HTT2 genes were highly upregulated in Arabidopsis thaliana seedlings in response to heat shock. Overexpression of TAS1a, whose trans-acting small interfering RNAs target the HTT genes, elevated accumulation of TAS1-siRNAs and reduced expression levels of the HTT genes, causing weaker thermotolerance. By contrast, overexpression of HTT1 and HTT2 upregulated several Hsf genes, leading to stronger thermotolerance. In heat-tolerant plants overexpressing HsfA1a, the HTT genes were upregulated, especially at high temperatures. Meanwhile, HsfA1a directly activated HTT1 and HTT2 through binding to their promoters. HTT1 interacted with the heat shock proteins Hsp70-14 and Hsp40 and NUCLEAR FACTOR Y, SUBUNIT C2. Taken together, these results suggest that HTT1 mediates thermotolerance pathways because it is targeted by TAS1a, mainly activated by HsfA1a, and acts as cofactor of Hsp70-14 complexes.

Predictors of adverse pregnancy outcomes in women infected with HIV in Latin America and the Caribbean: a cohort study

OBJECTIVE

To examine maternal characteristics associated with adverse pregnancy outcomes among women infected with HIV.

DESIGN

Prospective cohort study.

SETTING

Multiple sites in Latin America and the Caribbean.

POPULATION

Women infected with HIV enrolled in the Perinatal (2002-2007) and the Longitudinal Study in Latin American Countries (LILAC; 2008-2012) studies of the Eunice Kennedy Shriver National Institute of Child Health and Human Development (NICHD) International Site Development Initiative (NISDI).

METHODS

Frequencies of adverse pregnancy outcomes assessed among pregnancies. Risk factors investigated by logistic regression analysis.

MAIN OUTCOME MEASURES

Adverse pregnancy outcomes, including preterm delivery (PT), low birthweight (LBW), small for gestational age (SGA), stillbirth (SB), and neonatal death.

RESULTS

Among 1512 women, 1.9% (95% confidence interval, 95% CI, 1.3-2.7) of singleton pregnancies resulted in a stillbirth and 32.9% (95% CI 30.6-35.4) had at least one adverse pregnancy outcome. Of 1483 singleton live births, 19.8% (95% CI 17.8-21.9) were PT, 14.2% (95% CI 12.5-16.1) were LBW, 12.6% (95% CI 10.9-14.4) were SGA, and 0.4% (95% CI 0.2-0.9) of infants died within 28 days of birth. Multivariable logistic regression modelling indicated that the following risk factors increased the probability of having one or more adverse pregnancy outcomes: lower maternal body mass index at delivery (odds ratio, OR, 2.2; 95% CI 1.4-3.5), hospitalisation during pregnancy (OR 3.3; 95% CI 2.0-5.3), hypertension during pregnancy (OR 2.7; 95% CI 1.5-4.8), antiretroviral use at conception (OR 1.4; 95% CI 1.0-1.9), and tobacco use during pregnancy (OR 1.7; 95% CI 1.3-2.2). The results of fitting multivariable logistic regression models for PT, LBW, SGA, and SB are also reported.

CONCLUSIONS

Women infected with HIV had a relatively high occurrence of adverse pregnancy outcomes, and some maternal risk factors were associated with these adverse pregnancy outcomes. Interventions targeting modifiable risk factors should be evaluated further.

Pretreatment Epstein-Barr virus DNA load and cumulative cisplatin dose intensity affect long-term outcome of nasopharyngeal carcinoma treated with concurrent chemotherapy: experience of an institute in an endemic area

BACKGROUND

We retrospectively compared the long-term efficacy of concurrent chemoradiotherapy (CCRT) regimens (docetaxel vs. cisplatin), total dose intensity of cisplatin (> 200 vs. ≤ 200 mg/m2) and pretreatment plasma levels of Epstein-Barr virus (EBV) DNA for nasopharyngeal carcinoma (NPC), and investigated the prognostic factors.

METHODS

We enrolled 214 patients diagnosed with NPC and treated with CCRT. 41 patients received weekly docetaxel and 173 weekly cisplatin. 62 received cumulative cisplatin of ≤ 200 mg/m2 and 111, > 200 mg/m2. Pretreatment levels of EBV DNA were available for 155 patients.

RESULTS

Patients receiving concurrent weekly docetaxel and cisplatin had similar 5-year rates for overall survival (OS) (p = 0.306), progression-free survival (PFS) (p = 0.133), distant failure-free survival (DFS) (p = 0.110), and locoregional failure-free survival (LFS) (p = 0.452). Cumulative cisplatin of > 200 mg/m2 improved the 5-year rates of PFS (p = 0.018) and DFS (p = 0.042) significantly in comparison with cumulative cisplatin of ≤ 200 mg/m2. EBV DNA levels of ≥ 1,500 copies/ml was closely associated with poor DFS (p = 0.011), PFS (p = 0.006), and OS (p = 0.004).

CONCLUSIONS

Weekly cisplatin was well tolerated in CCRT, during which cumulative cisplatin of > 200 mg/m2 improved PFS and DFS. The long-term efficacy of concurrent docetaxel was similar to that of concurrent cisplatin. The EBV DNA level was the most significant prognostic factor.

Towards stable silicon nanoarray hybrid solar cells

Silicon nanoarray hybrid solar cells benefit from the ease of fabrication and the cost-effectiveness of the hybrid structure, and represent a new research focus towards the utilization of solar energy. However, hybrid solar cells composed of both inorganic and organic components suffer from the notorious stability issue, which has to be tackled before the hybrid solar cells could become a viable alternative for harvesting solar energy. Here we show that Si nanoarray/PEDOT:PSS hybrid solar cells with improved stability can be fabricated via eliminating the water inclusion in the initial formation of the heterojunction between Si nanoarray and PEDOT:PSS. The Si nanoarray hybrid solar cells are stable against rapid degradation in the atmosphere environment for several months without encapsulation. This finding paves the way towards the real-world applications of Si nanoarray hybrid solar cells.

Genetic investigation into ethnic disparity in polycystic ovarian syndrome

Polycystic ovarian syndrome is universally the most common endocrinopathy in women of reproductive age. It is characterized by composite clinical phenotypes reflecting the reproductive impact of ovarian dysfunction (androgen excess, oligo-/anovulation, polycystic ovary) and metabolic abnormalities (insulin resistance, obesity) with widely varying symptoms among the affected. Studies have shown a clear pattern of disparity in clinical manifestations of its component phenotypes across ethnic populations. Recent genetic association studies suggested differential genetic background that could contribute to the observed ethnic disparity. We summarize the current status in genetic studies of the disorder in different populations with a focus on ethnicity. Especially, we highlight and discuss the applications of recent developments in DNA sequencing, global transcriptional and epigenetic profiling that could help to unravel the molecular basis of the interethnic difference in the pathogenesis of the syndrome. It is hoped that identification and characterization of population-specific structural genetic and functional genomic patterns could help to not only deepen our understanding of the aetiology but also develop more efficient strategies for treatment and prevention of polycystic ovarian syndrome.

Heritability of eleven metabolic phenotypes in Danish and Chinese twins: a cross-population comparison

OBJECTIVES

A twin-based comparative study on the genetic influences in metabolic endophenotypes in two populations of substantial ethnic, environmental, and cultural differences was performed.

DESIGN AND METHODS

Data on 11 metabolic phenotypes including anthropometric measures, blood glucose, and lipids levels as well as blood pressure were available from 756 pairs of Danish twins (309 monozygotic and 447 dizygotic twin pairs) with a mean age of 38 years (range: 18-67) and from 325 pairs of Chinese twins (183 monozygotic and 142 dizygotic twin pairs) with a mean age of 40.5 years (range: 18-69). Twin modeling was performed on full and nested models with the best fitting models selected.

RESULTS

Heritability estimates were compared between Danish and Chinese samples to identify differential genetic influences on each of the phenotypes. Except for hip circumference, all other body measures exhibited similar heritability patterns in the two samples with body weight showing only a slight difference. Higher genetic influences were estimated for fasting blood glucose level in Chinese twins, whereas the Danish twins showed more genetic regulation over most lipids phenotypes. Systolic blood pressure was more genetically controlled in Danish than in Chinese twins.

CONCLUSIONS

Metabolic endophenotypes show disparity in their genetic determinants in populations under distinct environmental conditions.

Multimodal nonlinear optical microscopy improves the accuracy of early diagnosis of squamous intraepithelial neoplasia

We explore diagnostic utility of a multicolor excitation multimodal nonlinear optical (NLO) microscopy for noninvasive detection of squamous epithelial precancer in vivo. The 7,12-dimenthylbenz(a)anthracene treated hamster cheek pouch was used as an animal model of carcinogenesis. The NLO microscope system employed was equipped with the ability to collect multiple tissue endogenous NLO signals such as two-photon excited fluorescence of keratin, nicotinamide adenine dinucleotide, collagen, and tryptophan, and second harmonic generation of collagen in spectral and time domains simultaneously. A total of 34 (11 controlled and 23 treated) Golden Syrian hamsters with 62 in vivo spatially distinct measurement sites were assessed in this study. High-resolution label-free NLO images were acquired from stratum corneum, stratum granulosum-stratum basale, and stroma for all tissue measurement sites. A total of nine and eight features from 745 and 600 nm excitation wavelengths, respectively, involving tissue structural and intrinsic biochemical properties were found to contain significant diagnostic information for precancers detection (p<0.05). Particularly, 600 nm excited tryptophan fluorescence signals emanating from stratum corneum was revealed to provide remarkable diagnostic utility. Multivariate statistical techniques confirmed the integration of diagnostically significant features from multicolor excitation wavelengths yielded improved diagnostic accuracy as compared to using the individual wavelength alone.

In vivo detection of Hirschsprung's disease by optical coherence tomography in rats

Hirschsprung's disease (HSCR) is a developmental intestinal obstruction, which is often diagnosed with a repeated biopsy. Optical coherence tomography (OCT) is a noninvasive, real-time imaging modality. This study aims to investigate the feasibility of diagnosis of HSCR, the targeted biopsies of suspicious tissues and the location of operative treatment using OCT. An HSCR Sprague-Dawley (SD) rat model (benzalkonium chloride-treated (BAC-treated)) was used. Colon tissues with BAC-treated and without BAC-treated were imaged using OCT. To establish OCT criteria for identification of HSCR, OCT images were compared with corresponding histology images and muscle layer thickness was measured. Furthermore, attenuation coefficients of OCT signals were calculated to illustrate the differences between tissues with BAC-treated and without BAC-treated. Our results show that OCT images of colon tissues with HSCR are well correlated with histology images. In comparison with a muscle layer without HSCR, the thickness of muscle layer with HSCR is increased significantly. The muscle layer in colon tissues with HSCR for 6 weeks had a higher attenuation coefficient than those without HSCR. However, the attenuation coefficient of those with HSCR for 3 weeks had no obvious change. In conclusion, the study demonstrates for the first time that OCT has the potential for diagnosis, biopsy and location of HSCR in vivo.

Twelve cases of neuroendocrine carcinomas of the uterine cervix: cytology, histopathology and discussion of their histogenesis

OBJECTIVE

Neuroendocrine carcinoma (NEC) of the uterine cervix is a highly aggressive type of tumor. Therefore, recognition of its cytology and histopathology is important for early diagnosis.

STUDY DESIGN

We report 6 cases of small-cell and 6 cases of large-cell NEC of the uterine cervix, including 5 cytology slides. AE1/3, CEA, p63, p16, CD56, chromogranin and synaptophysin were detected.

RESULTS

Two cytology slides of small-cell NEC showed sheet-like clusters. The tumor cells were uniformly small, with finely granular chromatin, scant cytoplasm and absent nucleoli. Three large-cell NEC smears showed palisading, molding and abortive rosettes with prominent eosinophilic nucleoli. The tumor cells had either abundant cytoplasm or no cytoplasm at all. The histopathology analysis indicated a transition from dysplasia glands or adenocarcinoma in situ glands to NEC in 6 cases.

CONCLUSION

Cervical cytology of NEC has many unique characteristics, distinct from the characteristics of other lesions. We also demonstrated a hypothesis of the histogenesis of some NECs.

Combination of oncolytic adenovirus and endostatin inhibits human retinoblastoma in an in vivo mouse model

There is a critical need for new paradigms in retinoblastoma (RB) treatment that would more efficiently inhibit tumor growth while sparing the vision of patients. Oncolytic adenoviruses with the ability to selectively replicate and kill tumor cells are a promising strategy for cancer gene therapy. Exploration of a novel targeting strategy for RB utilizing combined oncolytic adenovirus and anti-angiogenesis therapy was applied over the course of the current study with positive results. The oncolytic adenoviruses Ad-E2F1 p-E1A and Ad-TERT p-E1 were constructed. The E1 region was regulated by the E2F-1 promoter or the human telomerase reverse transcriptase (hTERT) promoter, respectively. Effects on both replication and promotion of enhanced green fluorescent protein (EGFP) expression were observed in the replication-defective adenovirus Ad-EGFP in diverse cancer cell lines, HXO-RB44, Y79, Hep3B, NCIH460, MCF-7 and HLF. The cancer cell death induced by these agents was also explored. The in situ RB model demonstrated that mice with tumors treated with the oncolytic adenovirus and replication-defective adenovirus Ad-endostatin exhibited notable cancer cell death. This anticancer effect was further examined by stereo microscope, and the survival rate of experimental mice was determined. Both Ad-E2F1 p-E1A and Ad-TERT p-E1 replicated specifically in cancer cells in vitro and promoted EGFP expression in Ad-EGFP, although Ad-E2F1 p-E1A demonstrated superior EGFP promotion activity than Ad-TERT p-E1. In Hep3B, NCIH460 and MCF-7 cells, the number of Ad-TERT p-E1 copies was observed to exceed of the number of Ad-E2F1 p-E1A copies by a minimum of 10-fold. Furthermore, Ad-TERT p-E1 demonstrated significantly superior oncolytic effects in the RB mouse model, and Ad-endostatin effectively suppressed tumor growth and extended the overall lifespan of subjects; however, the Ad-E2F1 p-E1A was clearly less effective in attaining these goals. Most notably, the antitumor effect and survival rate of subjects in the combined Ad-TERT p-E1 + Ad-endostatin group were higher than those treated with either single Ad-TERT p-E1 (p=0.097, p=0.022, respectively) or Ad-endostatin (p=0.037, p=0.006, respectively). In conclusion, application of transcription factor E2F-1 and human telomerase reverse transcriptase (hTERT) promoters to control E1 offer some guarantee that not only is RB gene therapy effective, but it is also safe. Combination therapy using the oncolytic adenovirus Ad-TERT p-E1 and replication-defective adenovirus Ad-endostatin demonstrates desirable oncolysis in the in situ RB mouse model. Additionally, E1B19K is important in the RB tumor suppression effect of oncolytic adenoviruses.

Genome-wide linkage and association scans for pulse pressure in Chinese twins

Elevated pulse pressure (PP) is associated with cardiovascular disorders and mortality in various populations. The genetic influence on PP has been confirmed by heritability estimates using related individuals. Recently, efforts have been made by mapping genes that are linked to the phenotype. We report the results of our gene mapping studies conducted in the Chinese population in mainland China. The genome-wide linkage and association scans were carried out on 63 middle-aged dizygotic twin pairs using high-density markers. The linkage analysis identified three significant linkage peaks (all with a single point P<1e(-05)) on chromosome 11 (LOD core 4.06 at 30.5 cM), chromosome 12 (LOD score 3.97 at 100.7 cM) and chromosome 18 (LOD score 4.01 at 70.7 cM), with the last two peaks closely overlapping with linkage peaks reported by two American studies. Multiple regions with suggestive linkages were identified, with many of the peaks overlapping with published linkage regions. The genome-wide association analysis detected a suggestive association on chromosome 4 (rs17031508, P<8.34e(-08)) located within a wide region of suggestive linkage. Our results provide some evidence for genetic linkages and associations with PP in the Chinese population. Further investigation is warranted to replicate the findings and to explore the susceptibility loci or genes for PP.

Familial aggregation and heritability of insomnia in a community-based study

BACKGROUND

Emerging data suggested a significant familial aggregation of insomnia. We aimed to clarify the familial aggregation and heritability of insomnia disorder by using structural clinical interviews for the ascertainment of insomnia and psychiatric disorders in a community-based sample.

METHODS

Seventy-five adolescents with insomnia and their 180 first degree relatives, together with 141 age- and sex-matched non-insomnia controls and their 382 first degree relatives, were recruited. Each subject underwent a structured clinical interview and completed a series of psychometric inventories. The rates of insomnia disorder among the first degree relatives were employed to analyze familial aggregation. Heritability of insomnia was analyzed by SOLAR program as based on father-mother-offspring trios.

RESULTS

Our study confirmed a significant familial aggregation of insomnia with a first degree relatives' recurrence risk of 2.33 for current insomnia and 2.82 for lifetime insomnia, respectively. The heritability±SE of current and lifetime insomnia disorder was 0.48±0.13 and 0.61±0.11 (p<0.001), respectively, which were higher than insomnia symptoms as estimated by the Insomnia Severity Inventory (h(2)±SE=0.27±0.09) and the Pittsburgh Sleep Quality Index (h(2)±SE=0.30±0.11). After exclusion of comorbid psychiatric disorders, the heritability for current and lifetime primary insomnia was 0.45±0.17 (p=0.007) and 0.58±0.21 (p=0.004), respectively.

CONCLUSIONS

Our study demonstrates a significant familial aggregation with a high heritability of insomnia disorder. The strong heritability of insomnia persists despite the exclusion of psychiatric disorders. Further molecular genetic investigation of insomnia is indicated.

Micro-Raman spectroscopy study of the effect of Mid-Ultraviolet radiation on erythrocyte membrane

Mid-Ultraviolet (UVB) has a significant influence on human health. In this study, human erythrocytes were exposed to UVB to investigate the effects of UVB radiation on erythrocytes membrane. And Micro-Raman spectroscopy was employed to detect the damage. Principal component analysis (PCA) was used to classify the control erythrocytes and the irradiated erythrocytes. Results showed that the erythrocytes membrane was damaged by Mid-Ultraviolet (UVB) radiation. The intensity of the Raman peaks at 1126 cm(-1) and 1082 cm(-1) were used to calculate the Longitudinal Order-Parameters in Chains (S(trans)) which can present the liquidity and ionic permeability of erythrocyte membrane. After UVB radiation for 30 min, both the liquidity and ionic permeability decreased. At the same time, the intensity of the peaks at 1302 cm(-1) (α-helix), 1254 cm(-1) (random coil), 1452 cm(-1) and 1430 cm(-1) (CH(2)/CH(3) stretch) have also changed which indicated the membrane protein also been damaged by UVB. In the whole process of radiation, the more UVB radiation dose the more damage on the erythrocyte membrane.

High-resolution genome-wide linkage mapping identifies susceptibility loci for BMI in the Chinese population

The genetic loci affecting the commonly used BMI have been intensively investigated using linkage approaches in multiple populations. This study aims at performing the first genome-wide linkage scan on BMI in the Chinese population in mainland China with hypothesis that heterogeneity in genetic linkage could exist in different ethnic populations. BMI was measured from 126 dizygotic twins in Qingdao municipality who were genotyped using high-resolution Affymetrix Genome-Wide Human SNP arrays containing about 1 million single-nucleotide polymorphisms (SNPs). Nonparametric linkage analysis was performed with Merlin software package for linkage analysis using variance components approach for quantitative trait loci mapping. We identified a strong linkage peak at the end of chromosome 7 (7q36 at 186 cM) with a lod score of 4.06 which overlaps with that reported by a large multicenter study in western countries. Multiple loci showing suggestive linkage were found on chromosome 1 (lod score 2.38 at 242 cM), chromosome 8 (2.48 at 95 cM), and chromosome 14 (2.2 at 89.4 cM). The strong linkage identified in the Chinese subjects that is consistent with that found in populations of European origin could suggest the existence of evolutionarily preserved genetic mechanisms for BMI whereas the multiple suggestive loci could represent genetic effect from gene-environment interaction as a result of population-specific environmental adaptation.

HYL1 controls the miR156-mediated juvenile phase of vegetative growth

HYL1 is an important regulator of microRNA (miRNA) biogenesis. A loss-of-function mutation of HYL1 causes the reduced accumulation of some miRNAs but fails to display the miRNA-deficient phenotypes of these miRNAs. In Arabidopsis, miR156 mediates phase transition through repression of SQUAMOSA PROMOTER-BINDING PROTEIN-LIKE (SPL) genes. However, it remains unknown whether, and if so how, HYL1 enables phase transition through miR156. This study showed that a loss-of-function mutation of the HYL1 gene caused defects in the timing of the juvenile phase. In the primary leaves of hyl1-2 mutants, abaxial trichomes were generated prematurely, the leaf blades elongated, and the blade base angles enlarged, as is observed for adult leaves. In hyl1-2 p35S::miR156a and hyl1-2 spl9-4 spl15-1 plants, increased accumulation of miR156a and repressed expression of the SPL genes were concomitant with a complete or partial rescue of the hyl1-2 phenotype in phase defects. In contrast, overexpression of the SPL9 gene in hyl1-2 mutants led to total disappearance of the juvenile phase. Moreover, HYL1 prevented the premature accumulation of adult-related transcripts in the primary leaves. Taken together, these results suggest that HYL1 controls the expression levels of miR156-targeted SPL genes and enables plants to undergo the juvenile phase, an important and critical step during plant development to ensure maximum growth and productivity.

Long-term outcomes and predictors of chronic insomnia: a prospective study in Hong Kong Chinese adults

OBJECTIVES

We aimed to determine the longitudinal course and outcome of chronic insomnia in a five-year prospective study in Hong Kong Chinese adults.

METHODS

Two thousand three hundred and sixteen middle-aged adults (53.3% females, 46.3 ± 5.1 years old at follow-up) were recruited at baseline and follow-up. Participants were divided into three groups: non-insomnia, insomnia symptoms, and insomnia syndrome (insomnia symptoms plus daytime symptoms). Upper airway inflammatory diseases, mental problems, and medical problems were additionally assessed at follow up.

RESULTS

The incidence of insomnia (symptoms and syndrome) was 5.9%. The persistence rate of insomnia syndrome was 42.7% for insomnia syndrome and 28.2% for insomnia symptoms. New incidence of insomnia was associated with younger age, unemployment, and daytime symptoms, while persistence of insomnia was associated with female sex, lower education level, and daytime symptoms at the baseline (p<0.05). Baseline insomnia syndrome was significantly associated with upper airway inflammatory diseases (including asthma and laryngopharyngitis; adjusted OR=1.97-17.9), mental problems, and medical conditions (including arthritis, psychiatric disorders, chronic pain, and gastroesophageal reflux disease; AOR=2.29-3.77), whereas baseline insomnia symptoms were associated with poor mental health (AOR=2.43), psychiatric disorders (AOR=2.39), and chronic pain (AOR=2.95).

CONCLUSIONS

Chronic insomnia is a common problem with considerable persistence and incidence rates among middle-aged Chinese adults. Insomnia syndrome has a higher persistence rate with more mental and medical comorbidities when compared with insomnia symptoms without daytime consequences.

Insomnia, sleep quality, pain, and somatic symptoms: sex differences and shared genetic components

This study investigated the sex differences, and the shared genetic and environmental factors underlying the associations of sleep disturbances (insomnia and sleep quality) with pain and somatic symptoms in both adolescents and middle-aged adults. We recruited 259 adolescents (69 with current insomnia) and their parents (256 middle-aged adults, 78 with current insomnia). Insomnia severity and sleep quality were measured by the Insomnia Severity Inventory (ISI) and Pittsburgh Sleep Quality Index (PSQI), respectively. Pain and somatic symptoms were measured by the Somatic Symptom Inventory and Visual Analogue Scale for overall pain. Subjects with insomnia scored higher on all measures of pain and somatic symptoms than non-insomnia patients, in both adolescents and adults (P<.001). Both pain and somatic measures were associated with ISI and PSQI scores after controlling for age, sex, depressive and anxiety symptoms. There was an interaction effect between insomnia and female sex on pain and somatic symptoms (P<.05), especially in adults. Pain and somatic symptoms ran in family with moderate heritability (range h(2)=0.15-0.42). The phenotypic associations of ISI and PSQI with pain and somatic measures were both contributed by genetic (range p(G)=0.41-0.96) and environmental (range p(E)=0.27-0.40) factors with a major genetic contribution. In summary, insomnia and poor sleep quality are closely associated with pain and somatic symptoms. Insomnia seems to modulate the sex differences in pain and somatic symptoms, especially in the adult population. A shared genetic predisposition might underlie the associations of insomnia and sleep quality with pain and somatic symptoms.

Gender-specific patterns in age-related decline in general health among Danish and Chinese: a cross-national comparative study

AIM

Studies carried out in Western populations have shown age-related changes in multiple health domains together with gender-specific patterns. By focusing on five health domains, self-rated health, hand grip strength, sit-to-stand test, cognitive performance and depression, we examined the age trajectories in general health in a cross-sectional Chinese sample representing the world's largest ethnic population and compare with Danish data that represent Western populations in developed countries.

METHODS

Multiple regression models were fitted to compare patterns across genders and populations together with gender- and population-specific patterns in age-related decline.

RESULTS

Better self-rated health for males than for females was observed in both countries, and Danes reported better health than the Chinese for both genders. For hand grip strength, significant gender differences were shown across countries and significant population differences observed in Danish and Chinese males. There was no population difference in sit-to-stand time across genders. Female Danes outperformed males in cognitive performance. No significant gender differences in depression were observed in both populations.

CONCLUSION

Our cross population analysis identified significant gender and population differences suggesting endogenous biological, physical and social environmental determinants in age-related decline in general health.

Diagnostic value of nonlinear optical signals from collagen matrix in the detection of epithelial precancer

During precancer development in epithelium, neoplastic cells remodel the underlying stroma, for example, the basement membrane, capillaries, fibroblasts, and extracellular matrix. The purpose of this study is to investigate the relationship between the nonlinear optical signals from the collagen matrix in stroma and the progression of early epithelial carcinogenesis. Two-photon excited fluorescence (TPEF) and second harmonic generation (SHG) signals were measured from the stroma of hamster oral cheek pouch in vivo. We found that three features, including the intensity ratio of TPEF over SHG, the spatial frequency distribution, and the texture feature of SHG images, provide the quantitative identification of epithelial precancer at different pathologic stages. We demonstrated that the combination of all three features by using a support vector machine algorithm can significantly improve the accuracy in the detection of epithelial precancer.

[Glassy cell carcinoma of cervix: a clinicopathologic analysis of 5 cases]

OBJECTIVE

To investigate the clinicopathological characteristics, histological diagnosis, immunohistochemistry and prognosis of cervical glassy cell carcinoma (GCC).

METHODS

The clinical characteristics, cytology, histology and immunohistochemistry were analyzed in 5 cases of GCC.

RESULTS

The average age of the five patients was 34.4 years (31 - 41 years). Abnormal vaginal bleeding and/or watery discharge were clinical presentations. One case was complicated with pregnancy and another one had a seven-year history of using contraceptives. All patients had an obvious mass in the cervix. Characteristic morphological features of GCC were present in 2 cases. Morphologically, the tumors consisted of clusters of tumor cells with distinct cell bounders, a large amount of eosinophilic granules in the cytoplasm imparting ground glass appearance, and thin nuclear membrane and prominent nucleoli. Nuclear enlargement and multinucleation were frequently noted. Mitosis and apoptosis were common. Numerous eosinophils and plasma cells were present in the stroma. Immunohistochemically, GCC expressed markers for both squamous cell carcinoma (p63 and CK34βE12) and adenocarcinoma (CAM5.2, MUC1, MUC2 and CEA). Ki-67 proliferation index was high (≥ 70%). All the five patients were treated with radical hysterectomy, followed by radiation and chemotherapy. The tumor-free survival time ranged from 25 days to 33 months.

CONCLUSIONS

GCC is a distinct variant of adenosquamous carcinoma of the cervix with high proliferation index and expression of markers of both squamous cell carcinoma and adenocarcinoma. The tumor has characteristic cytological and histological features.

Genetic and environmental dissections of sub-phenotypes of metabolic syndrome in the Chinese population: a twin-based heritability study

OBJECTIVE

We perform a comprehensive heritability study on multiple phenotypes related to metabolic syndrome using Chinese twins to assess the genetic and environmental effects in determining the variation and covariation of the phenotypes in the Chinese population.

METHODS

The studied sample contains 654 twins collected in the Qingdao municipality. A total of 10 phenotypes covering anthropometric measurements, plasma glucose levels, lipids, blood pressures etc. were examined. Univariate and bivariate structural equation models were fitted for assessing the genetic and environmental contributions.

RESULTS

The AE model combining additive genetic (A) and unique environmental (E) factors produced the best fit for all phenotypes except for triglyceride. Modest to high heritability estimates were obtained in univariate analysis ranging from 0.5 for total cholesterol to 0.78 for weight. The bivariate model estimated high genetic correlations between systolic and diastolic blood pressures, between total cholesterol and low density lipoprotein cholesterol, modest genetic correlations between BMI and blood pressures. No significant common environmental correlation was found between any pair of the phenotypes.

CONCLUSIONS

Our results showed significant genetic contributions to the sub-phenotypes of metabolic syndrome. Although pleiotropic genetic control may exist for some physiologically similar phenotypes, our results do not support a common genetic mechanism among the phenotypes covered in our study.

Time-dependent theoretical model for terahertz wave detector using a parametric process

We have presented a time-dependent theoretical model to describe the time behavior of a quasi-monochromatic nanosecond terahertz detector reported by Guo et al. [Appl. Phys. Lett. 93, 021106 (2008)]. The temporal input-output characteristic of the detector is investigated numerically by taking the system parameters close to the experimental ones, and the calculated pulse width for the incident terahertz wave agrees well with the experimental one. Our results demonstrate that the energy and width of an output idler wave pulse are proportional to those of the incident terahertz wave pulse. This study provides a strict theoretical basis and could be used to guide the design and optimization for the highly sensitive coherent terahertz detector.

Power assessment for genetic association study of human longevity using offspring of long-lived subjects

Recently, an indirect genetic association approach that compares genotype frequencies in offspring of long-lived subjects and offspring from random families has been introduced to study gene-longevity associations. Although the indirect genetic association has certain advantages over the direct association approach that compares genotype frequency between centenarians and young controls, the power has been of concern. This paper reports a power study performed on the indirect approach using computer simulation. We perform our simulation study by introducing the current Danish population life table and the proportional hazard model for generating individual lifespan. Family genotype data is generated using a genetic linkage program for given SNP allele frequency. Power is estimated by setting the type I error rate at 0.05 and by calculating the Armitage's chi-squared test statistic for 200 replicate samples for each setting of the specified allele risk and frequency parameters under different modes of inheritance and for different sample sizes. The indirect genetic association analysis is a valid approach for studying gene-longevity association, but the sample size requirement is about 3-4 time larger than the direct approach. It also has low power in detecting non-additive effect genes. Indirect genetic association using offspring from families with both parents as nonagenarians is nearly as powerful as using offspring from families with one centenarian parent. In conclusion, the indirect design can be a good choice for studying longevity in comparison with other alternatives, when relatively large sample size is available.

IMP3 is a novel prognostic marker that correlates with colon cancer progression and pathogenesis

BACKGROUND

Insulin-like growth factor-II mRNA-binding protein 3 (IMP3) plays a vital role in carcinogenesis; however, its significance and prognostic value in colon cancer remain unclear.

METHODS

In this study, a tissue microarray (TMA) containing 203 samples of primary colon cancer was assessed for IMP3 expression by immunohistochemistry. The TMA included 66 lymph node metastasis (LNM) samples. The mRNA and protein expression levels of IMP3 were evaluated by reverse transcription-PCR and Western blot analysis, respectively.

RESULTS

Cytoplasmic immunoreactivity of IMP3 was significantly higher in LNM (93%) than in primary colon cancer (65%) or normal mucosa (3.9%). Increased IMP3 levels were significantly correlated with higher clinical stage, T classification, LNM, presence of distant metastasis, and Ki-67 positivity. IMP3 was up-regulated in colon cancer compared with paired normal colonic mucosa. IMP3 expression was associated with an 11-fold increased risk of distant metastases (hazard ratio (HR) 10.7; 95% confidence interval (CI) 3.3-34.5; P < 0.0001). Patients with IMP3-positive localized tumors had lower 5-year disease-free survival (DFS) (HR 2.87; 95% CI 1.65-4.98; P < 0.0001) and overall survival (OS) (HR 4.2; 95% CI 2.51-10.17; P < 0.0001) than those with IMP3-negative tumors. Multivariate survival analysis showed that IMP3 was an independent prognostic marker for DFS (HR 1.92; 95% CI 1.06-3.47; P = 0.03) and OS (HR 2.37; 95% CI 1.2-4.7; P = 0.014).

CONCLUSIONS

IMP3 may play an important role in colon cancer progression and could serve as a prognostic biomarker to identify patients at risk of developing metastasis or recurrence after colonectomy.

[Expression of survivin, caspase-3 in oral precancerous lesions and oral squamous-cell carcinoma]

OBJECTIVE

To investigate the roles of surviving and caspase-3 in the development of oral cancer.

METHODS

Archival tissue sections of 17 oral squamous cell carcinoma (OSCC), 28 oral leukoplakia with dysplasia, 10 normal oral mucosa were obtained from Capital Medical University School of Stomatology for immunohistochemical staining of markers of survivin and caspase-3. The cell apoptosis was detected with terminal deoxynucleotidyl transferase-mediated nucleotide shift enzyme (TdT) mediated d-UTP end labeling (TUNEL). Positively stained cells were counted and analyzed statistically to determine potential relationship between survivin, caspase-3 and cell apoptosis.

RESULTS

The expression of survivin was faint or negative in normal epithelial cells. The average positive rate of survivin was (1.05 ± 1.21)% in control group and (21.89 ± 10.45)% in OSCC. Caspase-3 was expressed in all the normal mucosa,but it obviously down-regulated in dysplasia and OSCC. The apoptosis index (AI) decreased from (0.89 ± 0.46)% in normal mucosa to (0.21 ± 0.12)% in OSCC.

CONCLUSIONS

Both survivin and caspase-3 are associated with carcinogenesis of the oral mucosa. Survivin may restrain cell apoptosis by inhibiting caspase-3.

Validation of a new REM sleep behavior disorder questionnaire (RBDQ-HK)

OBJECTIVES

There are limited screening instruments for diagnosis of REM sleep behavior disorder (RBD) and none for quantifying the severity of disease. We aimed to validate a 13-item self-reported RBD questionnaire (RBDQ-HK) for diagnostic and monitoring purposes.

METHODS

Based on ICSD-II and our previous clinical and empirical work, the RBDQ-HK questionnaire was designed and administered in patients attending university-affiliated sleep clinic and psychiatric out-patient clinic, and subjects from the general population. ROC curve and exploratory factor analysis were employed to evaluate the scale, which had a score ranging from 0 to 100.

RESULTS

One hundred and seven RBD patients [mean age 62.6 (15.5) years; male 70.1%] and 107 control subjects [mean age 55.3 (9.0) years, male 57.9%] completed the questionnaire. The diagnoses of all the study subjects were independently ascertained by clinical interview and PSG. RBD patients had a significantly higher total RBDQ-HK score [mean (s.d.): 32.1 (16.1), range 3-71] than the control group [9.5 (10.2), range 0-55] (p<0.005). The RBDQ-HK demonstrated robust psychometric properties with moderate sensitivity (82.2%), specificity (86.9%), positive predictive value (PPV; 86.3%), and negative predictive value (NPV; 83.0%), high internal consistency and test-retest reliability. Exploratory factor analysis revealed two components (dream-related and behavioral factors) that corresponded to the essential clinical features of RBD. The best cut-off for total score (range 0-100) was at 18/19 and the best cut-off for factor 2 (behavioral factors including sleep talking, shouting, limb movements and sleep-related injuries, range 0-70) was at 7/8.

CONCLUSIONS

The RBDQ-HK has satisfactory validity and reliability as a measure of clinical RBD symptoms and severity. It may serve as an effective tool for diagnosis and evaluation of the disease course to facilitate future clinical and research studies.

Microsatellite primer resource for Populus developed from the mapped sequence scaffolds of the Nisqually-1 genome

In this study, 148 428 simple sequence repeat (SSR) primer pairs were designed from the unambiguously mapped sequence scaffolds of the Nisqually-1 genome. The physical position of the priming sites were identified along each of the 19 Populus chromosomes, and it was specified whether the priming sequences belong to intronic, intergenic, exonic or UTR regions. A subset of 150 SSR loci were amplified and a high amplification success rate (72%) was obtained in P. tremuloides, which belongs to a divergent subgenus of Populus relative to Nisqually-1. PCR reactions showed that the amplification success rate of exonic primer pairs was much higher than that of the intronic/intergenic primer pairs. Applying ANOVA and regression analyses to the flanking sequences of microsatellites, the repeat lengths, the GC contents of the repeats, the repeat motif numbers, the repeat motif length and the base composition of the repeat motif, it was determined that only the base composition of the repeat motif and the repeat motif length significantly affect the microsatellite variability in P. tremuloides samples. The SSR primer resource developed in this study provides a database for selecting highly transferable SSR markers with known physical position in the Populus genome and provides a comprehensive genetic tool to extend the genome sequence of Nisqually-1 to genetic studies in different Populus species.

Deformation induced microtwins and stacking faults in aluminum single crystal

Microtwins and stacking faults in plastically deformed aluminum single crystal were successfully observed by high-resolution transmission electron microscope. The occurrence of these microtwins and stacking faults is directly related to the specially designed crystallographic orientation, because they were not observed in pure aluminum single crystal or polycrystal before. Based on the new finding above, we propose a universal dislocation-based model to judge the preference or not for the nucleation of deformation twins and stacking faults in various face-centered-cubic metals in terms of the critical stress for dislocation glide or twinning by considering the intrinsic factors, such as stacking fault energy, crystallographic orientation, and grain size. The new finding of deformation induced microtwins and stacking faults in aluminum single crystal and the proposed model should be of interest to a broad community.

Correlation between NDRG1 and PTEN expression in endometrial carcinoma

N-myc Downstream-Regulated Gene 1 (NDRG1) is known as a differentiation-related gene that plays important roles in cell differentiation, organ formation, and embryonic development. NDRG1 has recently been shown to be associated with carcinogenesis and tumor progression in a wide variety of tumors. Phosphatase and tensin homolog deleted from chromosome (PTEN), a phosphatase and tensin homolog located on chromosome 10, is shown to be a tumor suppressor and is often mutated or deleted in various tumor cells, particularly in endometrial carcinoma. Using an immunohistochemical approach, we investigated the expression of NDRG1 and PTEN in normal endometrium, atypical hyperplasia, and endometrial carcinoma. All tumor tissues harvested in this study were derived from endometrioid carcinoma Type I, that were estrogen-related. Our results demonstrate that the expression of NDRG1 was up-regulated in 5/40 (12.5%), 18/34 (52.94%), and 86/103 (83.5%) normal endometrium, atypical hyperplasia, and endometrial carcinoma cases, respectively (P < 0.01), while in 6/40 (15%), 20/34 (58.82%), and 89/103 (86.41%) normal endometrium, atypical hyperplasia, and endometrial carcinoma cases, respectively. PTEN expression was significantly decreased (P < 0.01). Statistical analyzes demonstrated a positive correlation between NDRG1 up-regulation and PTEN down-regulation (P < 0.01). The expression of NDRG1 had no correlation with the differentiation degree of the tumor cells, lymph-node metastasis, and/or abdominal cavity implantation (P > 0.05). Our results indicated that development of endometrial carcinoma is associated with an overexpression of NDRG1 and the loss of PTEN expression. Identification of changes in the NDRG1 and PTEN expression may be a significant diagnostic tool for the early detection of endometrial carcinoma.

N-myc downstream-regulated gene 1 as a downregulated target gene of PTEN in the controlling of tumourigenesis in endometrioid carcinoma

BACKGROUND & OBJECTIVE

Mutation/deletion of PTEN has been known to be involved in the development of many cancers including endometrial carcinoma. NDRG1 (N-myc downstream-regulated gene 1) is reported to be associated with tumourigenesis. PTEN expression has been shown to be correlated with NDRG1 in both prostate and breast cancer. In this study, we explored the possibility that PTEN alteration may cause carcinogenesis of endometrioid carcinoma by regulating the expression of the NDRG1 gene.

METHODS

Tissue blocks of 103 patients with pathologically confirmed endometrioid carcinoma were included. All the carcinoma tissues were accompanied with varied degree of necrosis. Using two-step method and avidin-biotin peroxidase complex immunohistochemistry method, the correlation of the two genes expression in ischaemic area and the relationship of NDRG1 expression between ischaemic and non-ischaemic area in endometrioid carcinomas was evaluated.

RESULTS

PTEN alteration and NDRG1 expressions were significantly increased in the ischaemic area of endometrioid carcinoma compared with their expressions in the normal endometrium respectively (P<0.001, P<0.001). A positive correlation was found between PTEN alteration and NDRG1 expression in the ischaemic area of endometrioid carcinoma.

INTERPRETATION & CONCLUSION

We suggest that NDRG1 may be an important candidate gene in facilitating endometrium carcinogenesis in the adaptation of hypoxia for survival. Alteration of PTEN may upregulate NDRG1 expression, which plays an important role in the process leading to endometrial carcinogenesis.

Retrospective analysis of main and interaction effects in genetic association studies of human complex traits

Background

The etiology of multifactorial human diseases involves complex interactions between numerous environmental factors and alleles of many genes. Efficient statistical tools are demanded in identifying the genetic and environmental variants that affect the risk of disease development. This paper introduces a retrospective polytomous logistic regression model to measure both the main and interaction effects in genetic association studies of human discrete and continuous complex traits. In this model, combinations of genotypes at two interacting loci or of environmental exposure and genotypes at one locus are treated as nominal outcomes of which the proportions are modeled as a function of the disease trait assigning both main and interaction effects and with no assumption of normality in the trait distribution. Performance of our method in detecting interaction effect is compared with that of the case-only model.

Results

Results from our simulation study indicate that our retrospective model exhibits high power in capturing even relatively small effect with reasonable sample sizes. Application of our method to data from an association study on the catalase -262C/T promoter polymorphism and aging phenotypes detected significant main and interaction effects for age-group and allele T on individual's cognitive functioning and produced consistent results in estimating the interaction effect as compared with the popular case-only model.

Conclusion

The retrospective polytomous logistic regression model can be used as a convenient tool for assessing both main and interaction effects in genetic association studies of human multifactorial diseases involving genetic and non-genetic factors as well as categorical or continuous traits.

Population pharmacokinetics of mycophenolic acid in senile Chinese kidney transplant recipients

To explore the pharmacokinetic characteristics of mycophenolic acid (MPA) among elderly Chinese kidney transplant recipients, we enrolled 24 patients over 60 years old (65.6 +/- 3.6) as the (Gs) group and 24 patients of 39.6 +/- 14.3 years old as a control group (Ga). Venous blood samples were taken at 0 (predose), 0.5, 1, 1.5, 2, 3, 4, 6, 8, 10, and 12 hours after the morning dose of mycophenolate mofetil at 10 to 12 weeks posttransplant. Plasma MPA concentrations were measured by a validated high-performance liquid chromatography method. Within 6-month posttransplant follow-up, there had not been an acute rejection episode when five elderly and one other adult experienced severe adverse events (SAEs), such as pneumonia and leukocytopenia. MPA area under the curve (AUC) in Gs was significantly lower than that among Ga (P < .05), while there was no significant difference in predose, peak concentrations, or peak times (P > .05). The concentration-time curve of Gs showed a bipeak pattern in five patients (20.8%) during the early stage (2 to 4 hours postdose). AUC in the subgroup of Gs with SAEs (n = 5) was significantly higher than that of elderly subjects without SAEs (n = 19) (P = .042). When Gs were subdivided at a cutting AUC point of 25 mug/mL, the SAE incidence was significantly higher in the subgroup with a higher AUC than than those with the lower AUC (P = .047). Through multiple stepwise regression, we obtained a minimal model to estimate MPA AUC of elderly recipients: AUC = 3.0410 + 9.8588 x C(0) + 0.5963 x C(0.5) + 2.5612 x C(3) (R(2) = .893).

Valsartan treatment reverses erectile dysfunction in diabetic rats

In order to investigate the effect of angiotensin receptor blockage (ARB) for the treatment on diabetic erectile dysfunction (ED), we used male Sprague-Dawley rats injected with 65 mg/kg streptozotocin to induce diabetes mellitus. The diabetic rats with ED were selected by hypodermic injection of apomorphine (APO) after 8 weeks of model setting. All rats were divided into four groups: G1 (normal control rats), G2 (diabetic rats treated with normal saline), G3 (diabetic rats treated with valsartan) and G4 (diabetic rats treated with spironolactone). After treatment with drugs for 8 weeks, the rate of erection for each group was evaluated after the injection of APO. The intracavernous pressure (ICP) of each rat was then recorded before and after the electrostimulation of the major pelvic ganglion. The rates of erection and the ICP after electrostimulation for diabetic rats treated with valsartan were significantly higher than that in diabetic rats treated with normal saline and spironolactone. The ARB may be an effective therapy for diabetics with ED.

A combined DNA vaccine-prime, BCG-boost strategy results in better protection against Mycobacterium bovis challenge

In this study, we demonstrated that calves vaccinated with a combined DNA vaccine encoding Ag85B, MPT- 64, and MPT-83 antigens from the Mycobacterium tuberculosis for the priming and subsequently boosting with BCG prior to experimental challenge with virulent Mycobacterium bovis (M. bovis) resulted in improved immune responses over immunizing. Vaccination with the combined DNA/BCG induced higher levels of antigen- specific gamma interferon (IFN-gamma) in whole-blood cultures 4 weeks after final vaccination and the level of antigen-specific IFN-gamma in response to Ag85, MPT-64, and MPT-83 were still higher 4 weeks after challenge when compared to the combined DNA group. There was a significant bias toward induction of CD4+ T cells rather than CD8+ T cells responses, and the mean percentage of CD4+ T cells was increased about 2.6-fold in peripheral blood mononuclear cells (PBMC) cultures in DNA prime-BCG boost vaccination when compared to the nonvaccinated group. In addition, DNA prime-BCG boost vaccination resulted in stronger humoral immune responses, and the levels of the specific antibodies to three antigens were increased two- to 32- fold when compared to the combined DNA group. Vaccination with the combined DNA/BCG induced a high level of protection against an intratracheal challenge with virulent M. bovis, based on a significant enhancement of six pathological and microbiological parameters of protection compared to the nonvaccinated group. Finally, the combined DNA/BCG increased the protective efficacy by more than 10-100-fold as measured by reduced CFU counts in the lungs from calves challenged with M. bovis compared to the combined DNA and BCG groups. These results suggest that use of the prime-boost strategy offers better protection against bovine tuberculosis than does the combined DNA vaccines and BCG.

Haplotype association analysis of human disease traits using genotype data of unrelated individuals

Haplotype inference has become an important part of human genetic data analysis due to its functional and statistical advantages over the single-locus approach in linkage disequilibrium mapping. Different statistical methods have been proposed for detecting haplotype - disease associations using unphased multi-locus genotype data, ranging from the early approach by the simple gene-counting method to the recent work using the generalized linear model. However, these methods are either confined to case - control design or unable to yield unbiased point and interval estimates of haplotype effects. Based on the popular logistic regression model, we present a new approach for haplotype association analysis of human disease traits. Using haplotype-based parameterization, our model infers the effects of specific haplotypes (point estimation) and constructs confidence interval for the risks of haplotypes (interval estimation). Based on the estimated parameters, the model calculates haplotype frequency conditional on the trait value for both discrete and continuous traits. Moreover, our model provides an overall significance level for the association between the disease trait and a group or all of the haplotypes. Featured by the direct maximization in haplotype estimation, our method also facilitates a computer simulation approach for correcting the significance level of individual haplotype to adjust for multiple testing. We show, by applying the model to an empirical data set, that our method based on the well-known logistic regression model is a useful tool for haplotype association analysis of human disease traits.

Evidence for p-type doping of InN

The first evidence of successful p-type doping of InN is presented. It is shown that InN:Mg films consist of a p-type bulk region with a thin n-type inversion layer at the surface that prevents electrical contact to the bulk. Capacitance-voltage measurements indicate a net concentration of ionized acceptors below the -type surface. Irradiation with 2 MeV He+ ions is used to convert the bulk of InN:Mg from p to n-type, at which point photoluminescence is recovered. The conversion is well explained by a model assuming two parallel conducting layers (the surface and the bulk) in the films.