How do forms and characteristics of Asian public housing neighbourhoods affect dementia risk among senior population? A cross-sectional study in Hong Kong

BACKGROUND

Public housing estate is a key determinant of community health risk in American/European cities. However, how forms/characteristics of compact/hilly public housing's neighbourhoods affect dementia among Asian seniors was underestimated.

DESIGN

This was a cross-sectional study.

METHODS

A total of 2,077 seniors living in Hong Kong's public housing estates were included. Dementia was measured by a Cantonese version of Montreal - Cognitive Assessment. Built environment was measured based on three dimensions (greenery, walkability, accessibility), including 11 metrics. Circular buffers (without walking paths) and service areas (considering walking paths) with two-dimensional/three-dimensional (terrain) adjustment were applied to quantify forms/characteristics of neighbourhoods. Two spatial buffers were applied: immediate distance (200 m) and walkable distance (500 m). Exposure-by-exposure regressions were applied to evaluate the associations between form/characteristics of neighbourhood and dementia.

RESULTS

Forms/characteristics without considering walking paths may overestimate health benefits from built environment. For circular buffers, higher percentage of building coverage, higher land use mix and more community/transportation/leisure facilities were negatively associated with dementia. All measures of greenery were positively associated with dementia. For service areas, measures of walkability and accessibility became insignificant except more community facilities at the immediate distance. Furthermore, terrain effect was insignificant when it was compared with the impacts of walking paths.

CONCLUSION

Dementia among seniors in hilly public housing estates was negatively associated with neighbourhood's walkability and accessibility and was influenced by walking paths. For healthy ageing, improved forms/characteristics of public housing neighbourhoods should include more accessible spaces and community facilities along walking paths for physical activities and basic daily needs.

Association between awareness of vulnerability and disaster preparedness in an infrastructure-resilient city: a population-based study

OBJECTIVES

Factors associated with an individual's awareness of vulnerability can be modified by the infrastructure of a city. These factors may impact disaster preparedness among local populations in an infrastructure-resilient city, which further influences the health risks of various population subgroups.

STUDY DESIGN

This was a population-based study.

METHODS

Four population subgroups, which have previously been reported to be related to awareness of vulnerability (i.e. past experiences, sociodemographic deprivation, poor housing conditions and family medical needs), were analysed for their impacts on disaster preparedness. Validated population-based phone interviews (n = 856) were conducted in Hong Kong. Three types of disaster preparedness were studied: (1) physical preparedness; (2) social preparedness; and (3) education preparedness.

RESULTS

Previous experience of social hazards, accidental hazards and epidemics increased disaster preparedness among the local population. Specifically, experiences of accidental hazards and social hazards were positively associated with physical preparedness (odds ratios 1.626, 95% confidence interval [95% CI] 1.215, 2.172) and 1.501 [95% CI 1.114, 2.024], respectively). However, experiences of natural hazards did not increase preparedness, even in Hong Kong, which is a city with high 'disaster resilience' because of its well-developed infrastructure. Moreover, individuals with a low educational level or low income had lower education preparedness, unmarried individuals had lower social preparedness, and poor housing conditions of non-private-housing households had negative associations with education preparedness. These findings partially align with local disaster responses to the 2018 Typhoon Mangkhut, the 2019 social unrest and the 2020 COVID-19 pandemic, all of which were observed after the 2018 survey reported in this study.

CONCLUSIONS

Social and environmental interventions should be targeted to marginalised subpopulations through location-based community strategies to encourage increased environmental knowledge and participation in disaster preparedness activities.

Solvent-Free Synthesis of CuO/HKUST-1 Composite and Its Photocatalytic Application

A metal-organic framework (MOF) is one kind of crystalline microporous material and is increasingly used as a host of catalytically active guests. Nanostructured materials supported on MOFs have presented enhanced catalytic activity and stability. Templates or several steps are essential to the synthesis of MOF composites. Simple and effective MOF synthesis methods are still challenging. Nanosized copper oxide particles in MOF composites, described as nanosized CuO@HKUST-1, were prepared by a facile solvent-free reaction. These series of CuO@HKUST-1 composites exhibited excellent photocatalytic activity for production of hydrogen and methylene blue (MB) degradation under visible light. This synthesis method provides an effective way to fabricate MOF-related nanocomposite catalysts.

Influence of Urban Green Space and Facility Accessibility on Exercise and Healthy Diet in Hong Kong

Background A cross-sectional study using a convenience sampling method was conducted to understand how green space and accessibility of common public open spaces in compact urban areas affect physical activity and healthy diets of residents. Methods A total of 554 residents completed a structured questionnaire on quality of life, physical activity level and healthy eating practice. Particularly, categories of physical activity and durations were obtained by using the short form Chinese International Physical Activity Questionnaire (IPAQ-C), then the Metabolic Equivalent of Task (MET)-minutes/week was calculated using the formulae (walking minutes × walking days × 3.3) + (moderate-intensity activity minutes × moderate days × 4.0) + (vigorous-intensity activity minutes × vigorous-intensity days × 8.0). The percentage of green space was calculated based on a spatial buffer with a 500 m radius from participants' geocoded addresses using a SPOT ('Satellite Pour l'Observation de la Terre' in French) satellite image-derived vegetation dataset. Parks, promenade and sports facilities were examples of open spaces. Results The sampled population who lived with green space averaged 10.11% ± 7.95% (ranged 1.56-32.90%), with the majority (90%) performing physical activities at medium and high levels. MET-minutes/week was significantly associated (Pearson r = 0.092; p < 0.05) with the green space percentage. Relatively active residents commonly used open spaces within the district for performing exercise, in particular, parks and promenades were mostly used by older residents, while sports facilities by the younger groups at age 25-44 and <25 years. Conclusions Current findings suggested promotion of exercise could be achieved by the design or redesign of built environment to include more parks accessible to the residents with the increase of vegetation.

A Solvent-Free Synthesis of Lignin-Derived Renewable Carbon with Tunable Porosity for Supercapacitor Electrodes

Synthesis of multiphase materials from lignin, a biorefinery coproduct, offers limited success owing to the inherent difficulty in controlling dispersion of these renewable hyperbranched macromolecules in the product or its intermediates. Effective use of the chemically reactive functionalities in lignin, however, enables tuning morphologies of the materials. Here, we bind lignin oligomers with a rubbery macromolecule followed by thermal crosslinking to form a carbon precursor with phase contrasted morphology at submicron scale. The solvent-free mixing is conducted in a high-shear melt mixer. With this, the carbon precursor is further modified with potassium hydroxide for a single-step carbonization to yield activated carbon with tunable pore structure. A typical precursor with 90 % lignin yields porous carbon with 2120 m²  g^-1 surface area and supercapacitor with 215 F g^-1 capacitance. The results show a simple route towards manufacturing carbon-based energy-storage materials, eliminating the need for conventional template synthesis.

Ultrastructure and Enzymatic Hydrolysis of Deuterated Switchgrass

Neutron scattering of deuterated plants can provide fundamental insight into the structure of lignocellulosics in plant cell walls and its deconstruction by pretreatment and enzymes. Such plants need to be characterized for any alterations to lignocellulosic structure caused by growth in deuterated media. Here we show that glucose yields from enzymatic hydrolysis at lower enzyme loading were 35% and 30% for untreated deuterated and protiated switchgrass, respectively. Lignin content was 4% higher in deuterated switchgrass but there were no significant lignin structural differences. Transmission electron microscopy showed differences in lignin distribution and packing of fibers in the cell walls that apparently increased surface area of cellulose in deuterated switchgrass, increasing cellulose accessibility and lowering its recalcitrance. These differences in lignification were likely caused by abiotic stress due to growth in deuterated media.

Periorbital erythema and swelling as a presenting sign of lupus erythematosus in tertiary referral centers and literature review

Background Cutaneous lupus erythematosus (CLE) includes a broad range of dermatologic manifestations. Periorbital involvement, however, is a relatively rare clinical presentation of CLE. Objectives This clinical study aimed to investigate the characteristics of this unique presentation of CLE in tertiary medical centers. Methods We enrolled patients with periorbital erythema and swelling as the presenting sign of lupus erythematosus, from January 2003 to November 2017, using the data of 553 pathologically proven CLE cases from the registration database of the Chang Gung Memorial Hospitals in Taiwan. Results We enrolled a total of 25 patients. The mean age was 46.7 years and 68% of the patients were female. Most of the patients (84.0%) presented with unilateral involvement, with the left orbit involved in 15 patients (60%); the upper eyelid was the most frequently involved (72%). Mean duration between the onset of clinical manifestations and the diagnosis of CLE was approximately 59 weeks. Nineteen patients had been previously misdiagnosed. All patients had features compatible with CLE on histopathological examination. In contrast, laboratory analysis of the autoimmune profile often revealed negative results, including those for antinuclear antibodies (25%). Notably, anti-SSA/SSB (45.5%) showed the highest positive rate. During follow-up, six patients developed systemic lupus erythematosus (SLE) and two patients developed Sjögren syndrome. Conclusions The diagnosis of CLE presenting as periorbital erythema and swelling is often delayed because of clinical mimicry and the high proportion of negative results on autoantibody tests. Increased clinical suspicion and prompt histopathological examination are crucial for early diagnosis. Moreover, one-fourth of the patients ultimately developed SLE, which highlights the importance of clinical awareness.

Nanoporous Boron Nitride as Exceptionally Thermally Stable Adsorbent: Role in Efficient Separation of Light Hydrocarbons

In this work, nanoporous boron nitride sample was synthesized with a Brunauer-Emmett-Teller (BET) surface area of 1360 m²/g and particle size 5-7 μm. The boron nitride was characterized with X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy (XPS), X-ray diffraction (XRD), and electron microscopy (TEM and SEM). Thermogravimetric analysis (TGA) under nitrogen and air and subsequent analysis with XPS and XRD suggested that its structure is stable in air up to 800 °C and in nitrogen up to 1050 °C, which is higher than most of the common adsorbents reported so far. Nitrogen and hydrocarbon adsorption at 298 K and pressure up to 1 bar suggested that all hydrocarbon adsorption amounts were higher than that of nitrogen and the adsorbed amount of hydrocarbon increases with an increase in its molecular weight. The kinetics of adsorption data suggested that adsorption becomes slower with the increase in molecular weight of hydrocarbons. The equilibrium data suggested that that boron nitride is selective to paraffins in a paraffin-olefin mixture and hence may act as an "olefin generator". The ideal adsorbed solution theory (IAST)-based selectivity for CH₄/N₂, C₂H₆/CH₄, and C₃H₈/C₃H₆ was very high and probably higher than the majority of adsorbents reported in the literature. IAST-based calculations were also employed to simulate the binary mixture adsorption data for the gas pairs of CH₄/N₂, C₂H₆/CH₄, C₂H₆/C₂H₄, and C₃H₈/C₃H₆. Finally, a simple mathematical model was employed to simulate the breakthrough behavior of the above-mentioned four gas pairs in a dynamic column experiment. The overall results suggest that nanoporous boron nitride can be used as a potential adsorbent for light hydrocarbon separation.

Cell-mediated immunity in human acute leukemia

The general cell-mediated immunological reactivity of patients with acute leukemia has been found to be intact, although it may be depressed by extensive disease or by chemotherapy. Patients with acute leukemia also have cellular immune reactivity against tumor associated antigens, as measured by skin tests for delayed hypersensitivity, lymphocyte stimulation, and 51Cr release cytotoxicity. Skin reactions to autologous and allogeneic crude membrane extracts of blast cells correlated with disease state, positive in many patients in remission and negative in most patients in relapse. Extracts of human lymphoid tissue culture cell lines derived from lymphomas or leukemia also gave positive reactions in patients with acute leukemia, and also in patients with lymphoma and nasopharyngeal carcinoma. The antigens detected in the skin tests with the lymphoid cell lines appear to be different from those associated with Epstein-Barr virus (EBV) and from those detected in the 51Cr release assay. Evidence is presented which suggests a complex variety of antigens on blast cells and on the cell lines. Although leukemia associated antigens were also detected by lymphocyte stimulation and by cytotoxicity assays, the results did not correlate with the skin tests nor with each other. The possible use of these assays for monitoring the chemotherapy and immunotherapy of acute leukemia patients is discussed.

Brucellosis in a renal transplant recipient

Brucellosis is one of the most common systemic zoonotic diseases transmitted by consumption of unpasteurized dairy products or by occupational contact with infected animals. Brucellosis is rare in renal transplant recipients. Only 3 cases have been reported in the literature. We report a case of brucellosis with hematologic and hepatobiliary complications in a patient 3 years after renal transplantation. The mean time from transplantation to the diagnosis of brucellosis in these 4 reported patients was 5.1 years (range 17 months to 13 years). All patients had fever and constitutional symptoms, and all attained clinical cure after combination antibiotic therapy. Given the small number of patients, further study is needed to identify the characteristics of brucellosis in renal transplant recipients. Drug interactions and acute renal failure developed in our patient during antibiotic treatment. Therefore, we should monitor the levels of immunosuppressive agents frequently. Several studies have shown in vitro susceptibilities of Brucella melitensis to tigecycline. In our patient, fever finally subsided after tigecycline administration. The minimum inhibitory concentration of tigecycline using Etest was 0.094 μg/mL. Tigecycline may be a potential option for treatment of brucellosis in the setting of transplantation.

Evidence for neurotrophic factors associating with TRPV1 gene expression in the inflamed human esophagus

BACKGROUND

Transient receptor potential vanilloid-1 (TRPV1) receptor has been implicated in the mechanism of acid induced inflammation in gastro-esophageal reflux disease (GERD). It has been demonstrated that the increase in nerve growth factor (NGF) and glial derived neurotrophic factor (GDNF) was associated with the increased expression of TRPV1. We aimed to determine whether expression of TRPV1 was increased in severe inflamed human esophagus, and to test the hypothesis whether the expression of TRPV1 was mediated by neurotrophic factors such as NGF and GDNF.

METHODS

We compared biopsies taken from the distal esophagus of 15 patients with erosive GERD, 16 asymptomatic patients (AP), and 10 healthy controls. We assessed the biopsies with reverse transcription polymerase chain reaction (RT-PCR) and real-time quantitative polymerase chain reaction (qPCR) for TRPV1, NGF, and GDNF. Immunohistochemical analysis of TRPV1 protein expression was also determined.

KEY RESULTS

Transient receptor potential vanilloid-1 mRNA level and its protein expression were significantly greater in patients with erosive esophagitis than AP (P < 0.001) and healthy controls (P < 0.001). Nerve growth factor and GDNF gene levels in the esophageal mucosa were also significantly increased in patients with erosive esophagitis compared with AP and healthy controls (all P < 0.001). Transient receptor potential vanilloid-1 mRNA correlated well with NGF (r = 0.61, P < 0.001) and GDNF (r = 0.58, P < 0.001).

CONCLUSIONS & INFERENCES

These results support the association of NGF and GDNF in the up-regulation of TRPV1 receptors in patients with erosive esophagitis.

Caffeic acid phenethyl ester inhibits arterial smooth muscle cell proliferation and migration in vitro and in vivo using a local delivery system

Over the last two decades, significant advances have been made in percutaneous coronary intervention (PCI) for the treatment of atherosclerotic plaques. However, restenosis after PCI still challenges both vascular biologists and interventional cardiologists. In this study, we found that caffeic acid phenethyl ester (CAPE) displayed an inhibitory effect on human coronary smooth muscle cell (HCSMC) growth and migration. Flow cytometry analysis showed that the ratio of S phase increased after exposing cells to CAPE for 48-72 h. Pretreatment of cells with CAPE significantly suppressed Cyclin E, CDK2, Cyclin A, and proliferating-cell nuclear antibody expression. We demonstrated that CAPE inhibited AKT 1 and MEK1/2 activation. Using a local infusion system, CAPE was able to regress the intima thickening of the iliac artery in rabbits after balloon injury. The percentage of intimal thickening decreased significantly to 55.0 +/- 0.12 in the group after local CAPE infusion compared to the group after saline infusion (98.3 +/- 0.41%). In conclusion, CAPE can inhibit the proliferation and migration of HCSMCs by inducing cell cycle arrest. Decreased cell cycle genes and associated signaling pathway target gene expression may mediate anti-proliferative and anti-migration effects of CAPE. Furthermore, CAPE prevents intima thickening in rabbits after balloon angioplasty. These results indicate that CAPE may have therapeutic relevance for the prevention of restenosis during PCI in the treatment of coronary artery diseases.

Cortactin overexpression in the esophageal squamous cell carcinoma and its involvement in the carcinogenesis

The aim of this study is to examine whether dysregulated expression of cortactin occurs in esophageal squamous cell carcinoma (ESCC) and is involved in the development of ESCCs. An immunohistochemistry study for cortactin expression was performed on 46 pairs of surgically resected non-tumor and ESCC tumor tissues and murine tumors of esophagi induced by a carcinogen. The results show increased cortactin expression in 20 and in 22 to a lesser extent, out of a total 46 ESCC tumor tissues. Increased cortactin was also detected in the premalignant lesions, the early stage dysplasia and carcinoma in situ, of ESCC tumor tissues. Differential polymerase chain reaction results showed slight increases in the EMS1 gene only in two of 10 ESCC tumor tissues, suggesting that EMS1 gene amplification is not the only mechanism for cortactin overexpression. In the mouse model induced by treatment with 4-nitroquinoline 1-oxide and arecoline, increased cortactin was detected in the epithelia with hyperkeratosis, papillomas, and ESCCs with invasion into the submucosa, respectively. Overall, we observed cortactin overexpression in early and late stages of human ESCCs and carcinogen-induced murine ESCCs, suggesting a role for cortactin in esophageal carcinogenesis.

Diagnostic value of combining bilateral electrocochleography results for unilateral Ménière's disease

We defined 'an interaural difference in the summating potential/action potential (SP/AP) ratio from the ipsilateral hearing-impaired side to the contralateral normal-hearing side of > or =0.15' as a positive result for a novel 'relative criterion' for the diagnosis of unilateral Ménière's disease. A uniform result could be derived only between a positive ECoG result and the side of disease in 78.7% subjects by conventional absolute criterion (SP/AP > or =0.42). By adding the relative criterion, we found that the diagnostic value increased greatly in specificity (91.2%) and increased slightly in positive predictive rate (79.2%), but decreased greatly in sensitivity (28.8%) and decreased slightly in negative predictive rate (52.5%). In addition, we verified which ear had the disease in all positive cases.

Effects of sex, age and hearing asymmetry on the interaural differences of auditory brainstem responses

Healthy patients with asymmetric sensorineural hearing loss who had received examination of auditory brainstem responses (ABR) were gathered for retrospective analysis. The effects of sex, age and hearing asymmetry on the interaural differences of ipsilateral ABR were determined by multivariant linear regression. Our results showed that the interaural differences of ABR wave III and wave V latencies were significantly affected by hearing asymmetry but not by sex or age. However, in female subjects younger than 50 years, differences of III-V intervals could be negatively correlated with hearing asymmetry. We suggest that plasticity in the auditory brainstem in younger females might account for asymmetrical peripheral hearing in this group.

Hyperactivation of mammalian sperm

Mammalian sperm commonly show hyperactivated motility just before fertilization. The movement of hyperactivated sperm appears different in fluids of different viscosity and elasticity and in different species, but basically it involves an increase in flagellar bend amplitude and, usually, beat asymmetry. Hyperactivation may be critical to the success of fertilization, because it enhances the ability of sperm to detach from the wall of the oviduct, to move around in the labyrinthine lumen of the oviduct, to penetrate mucous substances and, finally, to penetrate the zona pellucida of the oocyte. Presumably, a signal or signals exist in the oviduct to initiate hyperactivation at the appropriate time; however, none have yet been identified with certainty. While the signal transduction cascade regulating hyperactivation remains to be completely described, it is clear that calcium ions interact with the axoneme of the flagellum to switch on hyperactivation. Although hyperactivation often occurs during the process of capacitation, divergent pathways regulate the two events.

The effect of paclitaxel on gene expression and activity of arylamine N-acetyltransferase and DNA-2-aminofluorene adduct formation in human leukemia HL-60 cells

N-Acetylation is recognized as the first step in arylamine metabolism. The enzyme responsible for N-acetylation is called arylamine N-acetyltransferase (NAT),which uses acetyl coenzyme A as the acetyl group donor. Paclitaxel has been shown to exhibit antineoplastic and anticancer activity. In this study, paclitaxel was selected to determine the inhibition of arylamine N-acetyltransferase activity, gene expression (NAT mRNA) and DNA-2-aminofluorene adduct formation in human leukemia HL-60 cell line. Paclitaxel (0.01-l microM) did decrease the level of NAT mRNA in a dose-dependent manner. The results demonstrated that paclitaxel inhibited NAT activity and DNA-2-aminofluorene adduct formation in human leukemia HL-60 cells in a dose-dependent manner. Using standard steady-state kinetic analysis, it was demonstrated that paclitaxel was a possible uncompetitive inhibitor to NAT activity in cytosols based on the decrease in apparent values of K(m) and V(max). This report is the first demonstration that paclitaxel affected human leukemia HL-60 cells NAT activity and DNA-2-aminofluorene adduct formation.

The effect of paclitaxel on 2-aminofluorene-DNA adducts formation and arylamine N-acetyltransferase activity and gene expression in human lung tumor cells (A549)

In this study, paclitaxel was used to determine inhibition of arylamine N-acetyltransferase (NAT) activity, gene expression and 2-aminofluorene-DNA adduct formation in a human lung tumor cell line (A549). The activity of NAT was measured by HPLC assaying for the amounts of N-acetyl-2-aminofluorene (2-AAF) and remaining 2-aminofluorene (2-AF). Human lung tumor cell cytosols and intact cells were used for examining NAT activity and carcinogen-DNA adduct formation. The results demonstrated that NAT activity, gene expression (NAT1 mRNA) and 2-AF-DNA adduct formation in human lung tumor cells were inhibited and decreased by paclitaxel in a dose-dependent manner. The effects of paclitaxel on the values of the apparent Km and Vmax of NAT from human lung tumor cells were also determined in both examined systems. The result also indicated that paclitaxel decreased the apparent values of Km and Vmax from human lung tumor cells in both cytosol and intact cells. Thus, paclitaxel is an uncompetitive inhibitor to NAT enzyme.

Novel transmembrane GTPase of non-small cell lung cancer identified by mRNA differential display

The technique of differential display was used previously to profile the gene expression patterns of non-small cell lung cancer, and several genes differentially expressed were thus identified. In this report, we demonstrate that a DNA fragment of 347-bp length, up-regulated in tumor tissues, showed 100% sequence similarity to human cDNA FLJ20693 for a 370-residue protein. The gene product of cDNA FLJ20693 was postulated to be a shorter isoform of transmembrane GTPase, termed TG370, based upon the results of searching for sequence homology. The nucleotide sequence alignment also indicated that the cDNA FLJ20693 and the cDNA for 741-residue human mitofusin 1 (TG741) possibly resulted from the event of alternative splicing from which a 127-bp region was retained in the latter. Analysis of the genome sequence confirmed the speculation that both cDNAs were mapped to the same chromosomal position composing of 18 exons, of which the 127-bp region of TG741 constituted exon 11. The alternative splicing in all lung cancer cell lines was also observed to occur nearly in all tissue specimens examined. The up-regulated expression of transmembrane GTPase was subsequently found in tumor tissues from at least five of seven non-small cell lung cancer patients. Also, a distinct PCR product was initially detected in cell line H520, and further sequence analysis identified the presence of the 86-bp region mapped to the genome sequence immediately followed by exon 10. To evaluate the retention of 86-bp region, it was found that, besides the predicted 486-bp product, an unexpected 332-bp product was concomitantly observed and identified as the result of exon 8 deletion. The expression and subcellular localization of the full-length TG741 and other shorter isoforms were detected by flow cytometry using three polyclonal antibodies. It was concluded that the full-length TG741 located at plasma membrane with its NH(2)-terminal domain exposed extracellularly and the shorter isoforms retained at cytosol. Finally, the up-regulation of transmembrane GTPase in tumor tissues was further illustrated using immunohistochemical staining.

An inositol 1,4,5-trisphosphate receptor-gated intracellular Ca(2+) store is involved in regulating sperm hyperactivated motility

Hyperactivated motility, a swimming pattern displayed by mammalian sperm in the oviduct around the time of ovulation, is essential to fertilization. Ca(2+) has been shown to be crucial for the initiation and maintenance of hyperactivated motility. Nevertheless, how Ca(2+) reaches the axoneme in the core of the flagellum to switch on hyperactivation is unknown. Ca(2+)-releasing agents were used to determine whether an intracellular store provides Ca(2+) to the axoneme. Hyperactivation was induced immediately in bull sperm by thapsigargin, caffeine, and thimerosal. The responses were dose-dependent and were induced in both capacitated and uncapacitated sperm. When external Ca(2+) was buffered below 50 nM with 1,2-bis(2-aminophenoxy)ethane-N,N,N',N'-tetraacetic acid, the response to caffeine was significantly reduced; however, the responses to thapsigargin and thimerosal were not affected. This indicates caffeine-induced hyperactivation depends on external Ca(2+) influx, whereas hyperactivation by thapsigargin and thimerosal do not. Acrosome reactions were not induced by these treatments; therefore, an acrosomal store was probably not involved. Indirect immunofluorescence labeling showed type I inositol 1,4,5-trisphosphate receptors (IP(3)R) in the acrosome and neck region, but no ryanodine receptors (RyR) were found using anti-RyR antibodies or BODIPY FL-X ryanodine. These data indicate that there is an IP(3)R-gated Ca(2+) store in the neck region of sperm that regulates hyperactivated motility.

Hyperactivation of mammalian spermatozoa: function and regulation

Hyperactivation is a movement pattern observed in spermatozoa at the site and time of fertilization in mammals. It may be critical to the success of fertilization, because it enhances the ability of spermatozoa to detach from the wall of the oviduct, to move around in the labyrinthine lumen of the oviduct, to penetrate mucous substances and, finally, to penetrate the zona pellucida of the oocyte. The movement of hyperactivated spermatozoa appears different under different physical conditions and in different species, but basically it involves an increase in flagellar bend amplitude and beat asymmetry. Presumably, there is a signal or signals in the oviduct to initiate hyperactivation at the appropriate time; however, none has yet been identified. There is evidence that the source of the signal is follicular fluid, yet spermatozoa are known to hyperactivate before ovulation would release the fluid into the oviduct. Although the signal transduction cascade regulating hyperactivation remains to be described completely, it is clear that calcium ions interact with the axoneme of the flagellum to switch on hyperactivation. The process may also involve increases in intracellular cAMP, which at least is required to support motility in general. Although hyperactivation usually occurs during capacitation, the two events are regulated by different pathways.

Gene expression profiling of an arteriogenic impotence model

Penile arterial insufficiency is one of the most common causes of ED. We have established a traumatic arteriogenic insufficiency rat model by the ligation of the pudendal arteries. To simulate both acute and chronic traumatic injuries, five ligation periods (6 h, 3 days, 7 days, 3 weeks, and 6 weeks) were chosen. By electrostimulation of the cavernous nerve, the intracavernous pressure was determined to be between 20 and 40-cm H(2)O for the ligated rats compared to around 100-cm H(2)O for the control rats. The erectile tissue in the corpus cavernosum of these rats was then subjected to microarray analysis, in which an array that contains cDNA fragments representing 1176 rat genes was used. The results demonstrated that normal rat corpus cavernosum expressed approximately 200 genes at detectable levels and that ligation produced differential expression of approximately 25 genes, depending on the duration of ligation. The most highly ligation-induced gene was apolipoprotein D (ApoD), with peak expression in the 3- and 7-day ligated rats. Three of the insulin-like growth factor binding proteins (IGFBP-1, 3, and 5) were upregulated in all ligated rats. IGFBP-6, which was one of the most highly expressed genes in the normal corpus cavernosum, was down-regulated in all ligated rats. Cysteine proteases of the cathepsin family were also differentially expressed between control and ligated rats, with cathepsin K being down-regulated most. A few genes were upregulated only in the 6-week ligated rats, including angiotensin-converting enzyme. Finally, VEGF, whose induction has been identified in many other ischemic tissues, was not induced in corpus cavernous tissue of ligated rats.

The role of lymphadenectomy in the radical nephrectomy for renal cell carcinoma

BACKGROUND

The value of lymphadenectomy in the management of renal cell carcinoma (RCC) remains controversial. Most would agree that lymphadenectomy (LD) provides accurate pathologic staging for prognostic data. The question remains whether there is any significant therapeutic benefit from extensive lymph node dissection with radical nephrectomy. The aim of this study was to compare outcomes in sampled lymphadenectomy (SLD) and extensive lymphadenectomy (ELD) with radical nephrectomy for RCC.

METHODS

One hundred and thirty-seven patients with RCC were enrolled in this study from Oct. 1982 to Dec. 1996. Eighty-one patients received radical nephrectomy with SLD (stage I: 43, II: 16, III: 22). Fifty-six patients received radical nephrectomy with ELD (stage I: 30, II: 11, III: 15).

RESULTS

The mean number of lymph nodes removed by SLD was 4 (ranged from 1 to 8). The mean number of lymph nodes removed by ELD was 16.1 (ranged from 9 to 32). Overall 5-year survivals for SLD in stages I, II and III were 98%, 80% and 38%, respectively. Overall 5-year survivals for ELD in stages I, II and III were 92%, 84% and 40%, respectively.

CONCLUSIONS

There is no significant therapeutic benefit from ELD in patients with RCC receiving radical nephrectomy.

Overexpression of dihydrodiol dehydrogenase as a prognostic marker of non-small cell lung cancer

By using mRNA differential display to examine specimens of non-small cell lung cancer (NSCLC), we have identified overexpression of dihydrodiol dehydrogenase (DDH) that was not detected in the corresponding normal lung tissue. Normally DDH is associated with catalysis of polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons (PAHs) in the liver; in NSCLC cells, DDH expression would implicate an association with disease progression. In this study we investigated the prognostic significance of DDH expression in patients with NSCLC. By using immunohistochemistry, we measured DDH expression in 381 patients with NSCLC. The relationship between DDH expression and clinicopathological parameters (age, gender, smoking history, mitotic index, histological type, stage, cell differentiation, and lymphovascular invasion) was analyzed by chi2 analysis. Survival curves were plotted with the method of Kaplan-Meier, and statistical difference of survivals between different groups was compared by a log-rank test. Our results showed that DDH overexpression could be detected in 317 (83.2%) of 381 pathological sections and in 77.9% (60 of 77) of metastatic lymph nodes. Expression of DDH was confirmed by immunoblotting. Compared with patients with DDH overexpression in tumors, patients with low DDH expression had significantly lower incidence of early tumor recurrence and distant organ metastasis (46.7 versus 29.7%; P = 0.045). Interestingly, survival was also significantly better in patients with low DDH expression than in those with DDH overexpression (P = 0.0017). Using univariate analysis, we correlated three important factors, DDH overexpression, tumor stages, and gender, with poor prognosis for NSCLC patients. Nevertheless, biological function and involvement of DDH in the disease progression of NSCLC require additional studies.

Effects of berberine on arylamine N-acetyltransferase activity and 2-aminofluorene-DNA adduct formation in human leukemia cells

Berberine is an alkaloid occurring in the plant genera Berberis and Coptis. Although berberine had been demonstrated to have antineoplastic function by inhibiting DNA-synthesis in activated lymphocytes, there is no available information to address berberine affects on human leukemia cell N-acetyltransferase (NAT) activity and 2-aminofluorene (AF)-DNA adduct formation. Thus, berberine was tested for inhibition of arylamine NAT activity and AF-DNA adduct formation in human leukemia cells. The NAT activity was measured by a high performance liquid chromatography assaying for the amounts of N-acetyl-2-aminofluorene (AAF) and N-acetyl-p-aminobenzoic acid (N-Ac-PABA) and the remaining AF and p-aminobenzoic acid (PABA). The NAT activity and AF-DNA adduct formation in human leukemia cells were inhibited by berberine in a dose-dependent manner, i.e. the higher the concentration of berberine, the higher the inhibition of NAT activity and AF-DNA adduct. The data also indicate that berberine decreased the apparent values of Km and Vmax from human leukemia cells in both cytosol and intact cells.

Renal cell carcinoma metastasized to the ureteral stump

A rare case of ureteral stump metastasis 3 months after nephrectomy for a renal cell carcinoma is presented. A 62-year-old female had undergone right radical nephrectomy 3 months earlier because of renal cell carcinoma in our hospital, and she came back due to gross hematuria. Cystoscopy revealed a papillary mass with a vascular pedicle protruding from the right ureteral orifice. Transurethral resection of the bladder tumor over right ureteral orifice was performed and the pathologic result showed clear cell adenocarcinoma, which argued in favor of a metastatic lesion from the previous renal cell carcinoma. Ureterectomy and a bladder cuff excision were then adopted for this patient, but no residual tumor was found over the remaining ureter. Nevertheless, the patient died of cancer 36 months after the event of ureteral stump metastasis.

Effects of ellagic acid by oral administration on N-acetylation and metabolism of 2-aminofluorene in rat brain tissues

Numerous studies have demonstrated that the Acetyl Coenzyme A-dependent arylamine NAT enzyme exist in many tissues of experimental animals including humans, and that NAT has been shown to be exist in mouse brain tissue. Increased NAT activity levels are associated with increased sensitivity to the mutagenic effects of arylamine carcinogens. Attenuation of liver NAT activity is related to breast and bladder cancer processes. Therefore, the effects of ellagic acid (EA) on the in vitro and in vivo N-acetylation of 2-aminofluorene (AF) were investigated in cerebrum, cerebellum and pineal gland tissues from male Sprague-Dawley rats. For in vitro examination, cytosols with or without EA (0.5-500 microM) co-treatment decreased 7-72%, 15-63% and 10-78% of AF acetylation for cerebrum, cerebellum and pineal gland tissues, respectively. For in vivo examination, EA and AF at the same time treated groups with all 3 examined tissues did show significant differences (the changes of total amounts of AF and AF metabolites based on the Anova analysis) when compared to the ones without EA cotreatment rats. The pretreatment of male rats with EA (10 mg/kg) 24 hr prior to the administration of AF (50 mg/kg) (one day of EA administration suffice to induce large changes in phase II enzyme activity) resulted in a 76% decrease in total AF and metabolites in pineal gland but did not show significant differences in cerebrum and cerebellum tissues. This is the first demonstration to show that EA decreases the N-acetylation of carcinogens in rat brain tissues.

The expression of cytokeratin 18 in transitional cell carcinoma comparing with hepatoma

The epithelium in kidneys and urinary bladders contain CK18 as in liver cells. The modulation of cytokeratin 18 during tumor transformation in hepatoma had been previously recognized through a series of biochemical and immunological approaches. A 14 KD hepatoma related molecules was found in the previous studies. We would like to utilize the hepatoma transformation model to study the changes in CK18 in transitional cell carcinoma, using immunoblotting and western blotting techniques. The result is that transitional cell carcinoma retain their CK18 molecule. Furthermore, CK18 related molecules similar to those seen in hepatoma also present in transitional cell carcinoma. The conclusions are transitional cell carcinoma contains CK18 related proteins similar to those seen in hepatoma tissues. We suggest that this element would be responsible for the change during the malignant transformation processes.

Effects of methamphetamine on trauma patients: a cause of severe metabolic acidosis?

OBJECTIVE

Presentation of a trauma patient with severe unexplained metabolic acidosis, possibly attributable to the vasoconstrictive properties of smokable "crystal" methamphetamine. In addition, a review of trauma registry data was undertaken to determine the effects of methamphetamine on trauma patients.

DESIGN

Case report and retrospective case-control study.

SETTING

Urban tertiary teaching hospital.

PATIENTS

Two controls were obtained for each case controlling for age, Injury Severity Score, and mechanism of injury. Patients > or =16 yrs of age with a urine toxicology screen positive for methamphetamine were included.

MEASUREMENTS AND MAIN RESULTS

Data were obtained from the trauma registry for the period of January 1994 to June 1995. Trauma patients using methamphetamine had a significantly lower blood alcohol level compared with the control group. Otherwise, there were no significant differences detected in vital signs, laboratory values, procedures, treatment, or outcome between the two groups. Details regarding one patient who presented with severe life-threatening acidosis are presented.

CONCLUSIONS

Trauma patients with recent use of smokable methamphetamine may present with severe acidosis requiring urgent attention and treatment. This acidosis may exaggerate the severity of the actual injury. However, urine testing for methamphetamine does not identify patients who may harbor this acidosis.

Begg appliance management of a moderately crowded Angle Class 11 Division 2 malocclusion

A case is presented that shows Begg appliance management of an Angle Class II division 2 malocclusion. The judicious use of anchorage bends and Class II elastics enabled the successful treatment of the poor posterior and anterior relationships, at the same time addressing the chief complaint of crooked front teeth.

Three-dimensional structure of the Golgi apparatus in mouse spermatids: a scanning electron microscopic study

In this study, the three-dimensional organization of the Golgi apparatus in mouse spermatids was elucidated by preparing testicular tissue with the osmium-DMSO-osmium method and examining it by stereo-scanning electron microscopy. The cis-most saccule was found to be a regular network of anastomotic membranous tubules covered by a single cisterna of ER. The trans-Golgi network was seen to be composed of irregular saccules perforated by pores at the edge. It appears that the anastomosing trans-Golgi network breaks down into strings of connected vesicles which arise from the edge of the saccules during the cap phase of spermiogenesis. Many apparently individual vesicles seen in thin sections through the trans-Golgi network are actually joined in continuous strings. This was the first time that these structures could be visualized directly without three-dimensional image reconstruction. By correlating the morphology of the Golgi apparatus with the stage of acrosome formation, the Golgi cisternae were found to change dynamically in a cis-trans direction from fenestrated saccules to continuous strings of vesicles, which finally dissipated as transport vesicles at the trans aspect. This suggests that the hypothetical model of cisternal maturation, which dictates that cargo moves through the Golgi apparatus without leaving the cisternal lumen and the secretion occurs by progressive maturation of the Golgi cisternae as they move in the cis-trans direction, may be applicable to acrosome formation.

Structure-reactivity relationships for the inhibition mechanism at the second alkyl-chain-binding site of cholesterol esterase and lipase

Alkyl-N-phenyl carbamates (2-8) (see Figure 1), alkyl-N-phenyl thiocarbamates (9-15), 2,2'-biphenyl-2-ol-2'-N-substituted carbamates (16-23), and 2, 2'-biphenyl-2-N-octadecylcarbamate-2'-N-substituted carbamates (24-31) are prepared and evaluated for their inhibition effects on porcine pancreatic cholesterol esterase and Pseudomona species lipase. All inhibitors are characterized as transient or pseudo substrate inhibitors for both enzymes. Both enzymes are not protected from inhibition and further inactivated by carbamates 2-8 and thiocarbamates 9-15 in the presence of trifluoroacetophenone. Therefore, carbamates 2-8 and thiocarbamates 9-15 are exceptions for active site binding inhibitors and are probably the second alkyl-chain binding-site-directed inhibitors for both enzymes. The inhibition data for carbamates 2-8 and thiocarbamates 9-15 are correlated with the steric constant, E(s), and the hydrophobicity constant, pi; however, the inhibition data are not correlated with the Taft substituent constant, sigma. A comparison of the inhibition data for carbamates 2-8 and thiocarbamates 9-15 toward both enzymes indicates that thiocarbamates 9-15 are more potent inhibitors than carbamates 2-8. A comparison of the inhibition data for cholesterol esterase and Pseudomona species lipase by carbamates 2-8 or thiocarbamates 9-15 indicates that cholesterol esterase is more sensitive to the E(s) and pi values than Pseudomona species lipase. The negative slope values for the logarithms of inhibition data for Pseudomona species lipase by carbamates 2-8 and thiocarbamates 9-15 versus E(s) and pi indicate that the second alkyl-chain-binding site of Pseudomona species lipase is huge, hydrophilic, compared to that of cholesterol esterase, and prefers to interact with a bulky, hydrophilic inhibitor rather than a small, hydrophobic one. On the contrary, the second alkyl-chain-binding site of cholesterol esterase prefers to bind to a small, hydrophobic inhibitor. Both enzymes are protected from inhibition by carbamates 16-23 in the presence of trifluoroacetophenone. Therefore, carbamates 16-23 are characterized as the alkyl chain binding site, esteratic site oxyanion active site directed pseudo substrate inhibitors for both enzymes. Both enzyme inhibition data for carbamates 16-22 are well-correlated with sigma alone. The negative rho values for these correlations indicate that the serine residue of both enzymes and carbamates 16-22 forms the tetrahedral species with more positive charges than inhibitors and the enzymes and follow the formation of the carbamyl enzymes with more positive charges than the tetrahedral species. Carbamates 24-31 are also exceptions for active site binding inhibitors and probably the second alkyl chain binding site-directed inhibitors for both enzymes. However, the enzyme inhibition constants for carbamates 24-31 are correlated with values of sigma, E(s), and pi. The negative rho values for these correlations indicate that both enzymes and carbamates 24-31 form the tetrahedral species with more positive charges than inhibitors and the enzymes and follow the formation of the carbamyl enzymes with more positive charges than those tetrahedral species. Therefore, carbamates 24-31 may bind to both the active sites and the second alkyl chain binding site and follow the evacuation of the active sites. A comparison of the rho values for cholesterol esterase and Pseudomona species lipase by carbamates 24-31 indicates that cholesterol esterase is much more sensitive to the sigma values than Pseudomona species lipase. The negative sensitivity values, delta, for the cholesterol esterase inhibitions by carbamates 24-31 indicate that the enzyme prefers to bind to a bulky carbamyl group rather than bind to a small one. The hydrophobicity of carbamates 24-31 does not play a major role in both enzyme inhibitions.

Protein structure and gene cloning of Syncephalastrum racemosum nuclease

The complete amino acid sequence of the fungus Syncephalastrum racemosum (Sr-) nuclease has been delineated on the basis of protein sequencing of the intact protein and its protease-digested peptides. The resulting 250-residue sequence shows a carbohydrate side chain attached at Asn134 and two half-cystine residues (Cys242 and Cys247) cross-linked to form a small disulphide loop. On the basis of the sequence of Sr-nuclease, a computer search in the sequence database yielded 60% and 48% positional identities with the sequences of Cunninghamella echinulata nuclease C1 and yeast mitochondria nuclease respectively, and very little similarity to those of several known mammalian DNases I. Sequence alignment of the three similar nucleases reveals that the single small disulphide loop is unchanged but the carbohydrate attachment in Sr-nuclease is absent from the other two nucleases. Alignment also shows a highly conserved region harbouring Sr-nuclease His85, which is assigned as one of the essential residues in the active site. The cDNA encoding Sr-nuclease was amplified by using reverse transcriptase-mediated PCR with degenerate primers based on its amino acid sequence. Subsequently, specific primers were synthesized for use in the 3' and 5' rapid amplification of cDNA ends (RACE). Direct sequencing of the RACE products led to the deduction of a 1.1 kb cDNA sequence for Sr-nuclease. The cDNA contains an open reading frame of 320 amino acid residues including a 70-residue putative signal peptide and the 250-residue mature protein. Finally, the recombinant Sr-nuclease was expressed in Escherichia coli strain BL21(DE3) in which the recombinant protein, after solubilization with detergent and renaturation, showed both DNase and RNase activities. The assignment of His85 to the active site was further supported by evidence that the mutant protein Sr-nuclease (H85A), in which His85 was replaced by Ala, was not able to degrade DNA or RNA.

Effects of the garlic compounds diallyl sulphide and diallyl disulphide on arylamine N-acetyltransferase activity in Klebsiella pneumoniae

Arylamine N-acetyltransferase (NAT) activities with 2-aminofluorene (2-AF) were determined in the bacterium Klebsiella pneumoniae. Cytosols or suspensions of K. pneumoniae with or without specific concentrations of diallyl sulphide (DAS) or diallyl disulphide (DADS) as co-treatment showed different percentages of 2-AF acetylation. The data indicated that there was decreased NAT activity associated with increased levels of DAS or DADS in K. pneumoniae. In growth studies on K. pneumoniae it was demonstrated that DAS or DADS elicited a dose-dependent bacteriocide effect on K. pneumoniae. For the cytosol examinations, the apparent values of Km and Vmax were 0.96+/-0.09 mM and 7.87+/-0.79 nmol min(-1) mg(-1) protein, respectively, for 2-AF. However, when DAS or DADS was added to the reaction mixtures, the apparent values of Km and Vmax were 0.16+/-0.04 mM and 0.99+/-0.16 nmol min(-1) mg(-1) protein with DAS, respectively, and 0.14+/-0.18 mM and 0.85+/-0.10 nmol min(-1) mg(-1) protein with DADS, respectively, for 2-AF. For the intact bacteria examination, the apparent values of Km and Vmax were 0.57+/-0.06 mM and 2.00+/-0.14 nmol min(-1) per 10x10(10) CFU, respectively, for 2-AF. However, when DAS or DADS was added to the reaction mixtures, the apparent of values of Km and Vmax were 0.41+/-0.04 mM and 1.30+/-0.10 nmol min(-1) per 10x10(10) CFU with DAS, respectively, and 0.34+/-0.04 mM and 1.08+/-0.08 nmol min(-1) per 10x10(10) CFU with DADS, respectively, for 2-AF. This report is the first demonstration to show that the garlic components DAS and DADS would affect K. pneumoniae growth and NAT activity.

Conformationally restricted carbamate inhibitors of horse serum butyrylcholinesterase

Conformationally restricted carbamate inhibitors, exo-2-norbornyl-N-butylcarbamate (1), endo-2-norbornyl-N-butylcarbamate (2), l-adamantyl-N-butylcarbamate (3), and 2-adamantyl-N-butylcarbamate (4) as active site-directed irreversible inhibitors of horse serum butyrylcholinesterase are investigated for values of the dissociation constant (KI), the carbamylation constant (k2), and the bimolecular rate constant (ki). Compound 1 is the most potent inhibitor of the enzyme and the values of KI and ki are 20 nM and 1.1 x 10(5) M-1sec-1, respectively.

Purification, characterization and complete amino acid sequence of nuclease C1 from Cunninghamella echinulata var. echinulata

It is known, from the zymogram method of nuclease activity assay, that the crude extracts of Cunninghamella echinulata var. echinulata contained at least three distinct extracellular nucleases. Among them, the major form was 30 kDa in molecular mass and termed nuclease C1. In this report, nuclease C1 was purified to apparent homogeneity by chromatography on Cibacron blue-3GA, phenyl-Sepharose 4B and HiTrap Heparin. Nuclease C1 acquired enzymatic activity in the presence of Mn2+ or Mg2+ and was inhibited by EDTA. The activity was maximal at pH 7-8.5. The primary structure of nuclease C1 was completely determined using enzymatic digestion and gene cloning. The N-terminal 49 residues of nuclease C1 were first elucidated from a tryptic digest. Two degenerate upstream primers were subsequently designed to amplify the cDNA encoding nuclease C1. The resulting protein sequence of nuclease C1 was shown to be composed of 252 residues. It was intriguing to find that the protein sequence of nuclease C1 showed significant similarities with the sequences of the mitochondrial nucleases of Saccharomyces cerevisiae (44% identity) and Schizosaccharomyces pombe (42% identity). Residue His87 of nuclease C1 was postulated to be located at the active site from sequence similarity with secreted nuclease from Serratia marcescens.

Single-column purification of syncephapepsin--an aspartic proteinase from Syncephalastrum racemosum

Syncephapepsin is a fungal aspartic proteinase from Syncephalastrum racemosum. By using the property of syncephapepsin after having increased activity at higher temperature, two rapid purification protocols were developed. In the former case, a crude extract was initially diluted fivefold with an activity assay buffer and heated at 50 degrees C overnight. In this situation, syncephapepsin would digest most of the proteins that the crude extract contained. Subsequently, syncephapepsin of the crude extract was precipitated from 50 to 70% of ammonium sulfate and the preparation was then directly applied to the Superdex 200 HR FPLC column. In this manner, syncephapepsin was rapidly purified to apparent homogeneity within 24 h. In this report, an alternative method of purification is also provided. Compared with the procedure mentioned above, the heating step was proceeded after FPLC chromatography through which the same result was obtained. Using cytochrome c and RNase A as substrates, the cleavage sites of both substrates were identified by HPLC peptide mapping. The results showed that syncephapepsin had a broad specificity. Residues recognized to be cleaved were primarily those of trypsin and chymotrypsin and Lys was the most susceptible.

Purification and characterization of tilapia (Oreochromis mossambicus) deoxyribonuclease I--primary structure and cDNA sequence

DNase I of tilapia (Oreochromis mossambicus) was purified to homogeneity. Tilapia DNase I is most active at pH 8.5 with Mg2+ as activator. The Ca2+/Mg2+ pair has a synergistic effect on activation. The enzyme is readily inactivated by heating above 55 degrees C, but is not inactivated by trypsin or 2-mercaptoethanol under alkaline conditions, with or without CaCl2. Its isoelectric point is 6.0. The 258-amino-acid sequence of tilapia DNase I was derived from overlapping sequences of tryptic, chymotryptic and CNBr peptides. The purified enzyme has two variants differing by a single Lys-->Arg mutation at position 125. The polypeptide chain has one disulfide bridge and one carbohydrate side chain. By mass spectrometry, the purified enzyme shows many molecular mass forms differing by Lys/Arg substitution and sugar-chain length. The major form has a molecular mass of 30,914 Da. A 1061-bp nucleotide sequence for the cDNA of tilapia DNase I, obtained by gene cloning and DNA sequencing, contains an ORF coding for a putative 26-residue transmembrane peptide and the mature DNase I polypeptide.

Identification of a fungal protein of Syncephalastrum racemosum as aspartic proteinase

During purification of fungal deoxyribonuclease (DNase) from Syncephalastrum racemosum, a protein which was functionally unknown and persistently existed in the DNase-containing fractions through chromatography over DEAE-cellulose, hydroxylapatite, and phenyl-Sepharose was identified. The protein was finally separated from DNase after affinity chromatography on a cibacron blue-Sepharose column and purified to apparent homogeneity after gel chromatography on a Superdex 200 HR column. Ten tryptic peptides of this protein were isolated and sequenced. Searching in the sequence data bank with the aid of the computer program PC/Gene, we found that this protein was highly homologous to aspartic proteinases, such as pepsin and rhizopuspepsin. Because of its fungal origin and because the protein indeed showed catalytic cleavage on peptide bonds of bovine serum albumin, RNase, and carbonic anhydrase, we termed this protein syncephapepsin. The molecular weight of syncephapepsin is 38,000 daltons, based on gel filtration and sodium dodecyl sulfate-polyacrylamide electrophoresis.

Colon perforation, bilateral pneumothoraces, pneumopericardium, pneumomediastinum, and subcutaneous emphysema complicating endoscopic polypectomy: anatomic and management considerations

A case of colonoscopic polypectomy complicated by perforation, pneumoperitoneum, bilateral pneumothoraces, pneumopericardium, pneumomediastinum, and subcutaneous emphysema is presented. The anatomic basis for the various clinical presentations of extraluminal air following colonoscopy as well as the option of conservative therapy of select cases of perforation is discussed.

Electronic and local anesthesia: a clinical comparison for operative procedures

The comfort on administration and effectiveness of electronic and local anesthesia for operative procedures, as perceived by clinicians and patients, were compared based on a 5-point Lickert scale, and a survey to solicit patient's feedback on the use of electronic anesthesia was conducted. Thirty patients, who required restorations on similar teeth bilaterally, and 10 clinicians were involved in the study. The two teeth in each patient were randomly restored under either electronic or local anesthesia. Administration of electronic anesthesia was perceived to be significantly more comfortable than that of local anesthesia, by both clinicians and patients. Local anesthesia was perceived to be significantly more effective by both evaluator groups, but 93.3% of the patients still preferred electronic anesthesia and would use it again. Minor after effects in some patients included redness of skin and briefly lingering sensation. All patients found electronic anesthesia easy to use, and most of the patients (93.3%) thought that the system was good to excellent.

Prognostic factors of primary aldosteronism

BACKGROUND

Primary aldosteronism (PA) is a rare but potentially curable cause of hypertension. Between October 1982 and November 1994, 30 patients of PA received unilateral adrenalectomy with a long-term follow up (mean:60.3 months). Nineteen (63.3%) cases were cured (Group 1); 11(36.7%) cases were improved (Group 2). The purpose of this study was to determine prognostic factors after surgery in patients with PA.

METHODS

A retrospective analysis was performed regarding age and sex of the patients, duration of hypertension, family history of hypertension, preoperative blood pressure, plasma aldosterone concentration (PAC), plasma renin activity (PRA) and efficacy of spironolactone on blood pressure between both groups. End-organs (including kidney, heart, retina and brain) involvement was evaluated and compared. Adrenalectomy and renal biopsy specimen for pathology were similarly evaluated.

RESULTS

The duration of hypertension was longer in Group 2 than in Group 1 (8.18 +/- 4.94 vs 5.21 +/- 4.24 years). The efficacy of spironolactone on blood pressure (BP) was positive in 81.8% of Group 1 and 16.7% of Group 2. Adrenal cortical adenoma in 24 cases with a cure rate of 70.8% (17/24) and adrenal cortical macronodular hyperplasia in 6 cases with a cure rate of 33.3% (2/6) were noted. Group 2 had more end-organs involvement than Group 1. The severity of histopathological change of the renal biopsy was similar.

CONCLUSIONS

This study suggests that preoperative response of blood pressure to spironolactone administration predicts the postoperative prognosis of hypertension in patient with PA. Long duration of hypertension and involvement of two or more end-organs were poor prognostic factors. Excellent results can be achieved by unilateral adrenalectomy in adrenal cortical adenoma and fair results, in adrenal cortical macronodular hyperplasia.

[Community-based cervical cancer screening in seven townships in Taiwan]

Cervical cancer is the leading malignant neoplasm in women in Taiwan. In order to compare the validity of various cervical neoplasia screening methods, estimate the prevalence of low- and high-grade squamous intraepithelial lesions (LSIL and HSIL), and identify risk factors for LSIL and HSIL, a community-based cervical neoplasia screening program was implemented in Sanchi, Chutung, Potzu, Kaohsu, Makung, Huhsi, and Paihsa townships, Taiwan. Both cervical smears and cervicograms were used for the screening of cervical neoplasia. Subjects who had positive cervical smears, cervicogram, or both, were further confirmed by colposcopy-guided biopsy. A total of 10,628 married women aged 30 to 64 years were recruited from seven study townships which gave a response rate of 25.2%. Among 667 subjects who screened positive, 555 (82%) underwent colposcopy-guided biopsy. The age-adjusted prevalence was 3.4% for LSIL and 1.7% for HSIL. The biopsy-confirmed rates for cervical smear-detected LSIL and HSIL were 62.8% and 80.6%, respectively; while 56.6% of minor lesions and 22.2% of major lesions identified by cervicogram were biopsy-confirmed as LSIL and HSIL, respectively. The sensitivity of detecting LSIL was higher for cervicograms (79.3%) than for cervical smears (16.7%), and cervicograms had a lower sensitivity in detecting HSIL (48.4%) than cervical smears (90.0%). Multiple logistic regression analysis showed a striking geographical variation in prevalence of LSIL and HSIL. The prevalence of LSIL decreased with the increase in age, and increased with the duration of taking oral contraceptives. The prevalence of HSIL increased with the parity and the duration of taking oral contraceptives and was also significantly associated with the history of cervical cancer among mother and sisters. It is suggested that improvements in the participation rate of cervical neoplasia screening would promote women's health in Taiwan.

Bowel perforation--a fatal complication following renal transplantation: a report of two cases

From May 1983 to January 1993, 162 patients received renal transplantation at Taichung Veterans General Hospital. Two patients developed bowel perforation after this surgery. One was proved at 21 days and another, at 13 days after renal transplantation. Both patients died as a direct result of the perforation. From a review of literature, the average incidence is 2.7%, and the average mortality rate is 56.5%. Because of this high mortality rate, a high clinical suspicion, prompt and adequate surgical intervention, reduction of immunosuppressive agents and effective antibiotic coverage should contribute to a decline in mortality.