A microglial activation cascade across cortical regions underlies secondary mechanical hypersensitivity to amputation

Neural mechanisms underlying amputation-related secondary pain are unclear. Using in vivo two-photon imaging, three-dimensional reconstruction, and fiber photometry recording, we show that a microglial activation cascade from the primary somatosensory cortex of forelimb (S1FL) to the primary somatosensory cortex of hindlimb (S1HL) mediates the disinhibition and subsequent hyperexcitation of glutamatergic neurons in the S1HL (S1HLGlu), which then drives secondary mechanical hypersensitivity development in ipsilateral hindpaws of mice with forepaw amputation. Forepaw amputation induces rapid S1FL microglial activation that further activates S1HL microglia via the CCL2-CCR2 signaling pathway. Increased engulfment of GABAergic presynapses by activated microglia stimulates S1HLGlu neuronal activity, ultimately leading to secondary mechanical hypersensitivity of hindpaws. It is widely believed direct neuronal projection drives interactions between distinct brain regions to prime specific behaviors. Our study reveals microglial interactions spanning different subregions of the somatosensory cortex to drive a maladaptive neuronal response underlying secondary mechanical hypersensitivity at non-injured sites.

[Construction of prediction model combined dual-energy CT quantitative parameters and conventional CT features for assessing the Ki-67 expression levels in invasive breast cancer]

Objective: To develop a model combined with dual-energy CT quantitative parameters and conventional CT features for evaluating the expression level of Ki-67 in invasive breast cancer. Methods: A total of 191 patients with histologically confirmed invasive breast cancer in Lishui Central Hospital from March 2019 to December 2020, were retrospectively enrolled, all of them were females, aged from 25 to 77 (53.2±11.3) years. All patients underwent preoperative non-contrast chest and contrast-enhanced Dual energy CT scans, and the normalized iodine concentration (NIC) of lesions on arterial and venous phase, spectral curve slope (λ_HU), and normalized effective atomic number (nZ_eff) were measured and calculated, and their conventional CT characteristics were assessed. According to the results of immunohistochemistry (IHC), the patients were divided into Ki-67 high expression group (n=129 patients) and low expression group (n=62 patients) level. The differences in clinical data, conventional CT characteristics and dual-energy CT quantitative parameters between the two groups were analyzed. The receiver operating characteristic curve (ROC) curve was conducted to assess the efficacy of each individual model and joint model in evaluating Ki-67 expression levels, and the area under the curve (AUC), sensitivity, specificity, and accuracy were calculated, respectively. Results: In the analysis of CT features, the longest diameter, shape and enhancement pattern of the tumor were significantly difference between the two groups (all P<0.05). The NIC, nZ_eff on the arterial phase and NIC, nZ_eff and λ_HU [M(Q₁,Q₃)] on the venous phase were higher in the high Ki-67 expression group compared to the low expression group [0.13 (0.12, 0.16) vs 0.11 (0.08, 0.14), 0.71 (0.70, 0.75) vs 0.70 (0.67, 0.72), 0.40 (0.32, 0.48) vs 0.23 (0.17, 0.32), 3.10 (2.58, 3.63) vs 2.86 (2.19, 3.48), 0.88 (0.85, 0.92) vs 0.85 (0.84, 0.86), all P<0.05]. The logistic regression model, which integrated significant conventional CT features and dual-energy CT quantitative parameters, demonstrated the highest diagnostic performance for assessing Ki-67 expression levels, with an AUC of 0.924, sensitivity of 88.37%, specificity of 83.87%, and accuracy of 86.91%; the AUC of the dual-energy CT parameter model was 0.908, sensitivity of 82.17%, specificity of 88.71%, and accuracy of 84.29%. Though the diagnostic efficacy was no significant difference (P=0.238), both models showed superior to the conventional CT feature model (all P<0.001). Conclusion: A dual-energy CT quantitative parameter combined with a conventional CT feature model was successfully constructed, which has a good evaluation performance on the expression level of Ki-67 in invasive breast cancer.

Efficient solid-state Raman yellow laser at 579.5 nm

A highly efficient diode-pumped Nd:YVO₄/KGW Raman yellow laser is developed to produce a 6.8 W yellow light at 579.5 nm accompanied by a 3.2 W Stokes wave at 1159 nm under an incident pump power of 30 W. The intracavity stimulated Raman scattering with the shift of 768cm^-1 is generated by setting the polarization of the fundamental wave along the N_g direction of an N_p-cut KGW crystal. The Nd:YVO₄ gain medium is coated as a cavity mirror to reduce the cavity losses for the fundamental wave. More importantly, the KGW crystal is specially coated to prevent the Stokes wave from propagating through the gain medium to minimize the cavity losses for the Stokes wave.

Roles of nurses and National Nurses Associations in combating COVID-19: Taiwan experience

As the COVID‐19 pandemic continues to expand worldwide, Taiwan has effectively contained the spread domestically and protected its citizens after registering its first case relatively early on 21 January 2020. Proactive preparedness and deployment by the national government, timely evidence and experience‐based judgements and decision‐making, information transparency, rapid response, and effective communication and measures have all been critical to combating COVID‐19 in Taiwan. Nurses play a pivotal role in providing direct health care as well as providing contact tracing and care for the quarantined clients and community care services. The Taiwan Nurses Association and other nurses’ associations serve a vital leadership role in advocating for nurses, raising public awareness, enhancing nursing’s professional profile, and sharing experiences via national and international platforms. The implications for nursing and health policy are that we need to well prepare for any unpredicted emerging pandemic in the future. Providing adequate personal protective equipment and safe staffing should be the highest priority for the governments and policymakers around the world to combat pandemic successfully.

[Prediction of short-term prognosis of hepatocellular carcinoma after TACE surgery based on MRI texture analysis technology]

Objective: To explore the feasibility of short-term efficacy prognosis prediction model for HCC patients undergoing transcatheter arterial chemoembolization (TACE) based on MRI-based radiomics technique. Methods: A total of 123 patients with liver cancer who received TACE treatment in Lishui Central Hospital from June 2016 to July 2018 were retrospectively collected, including 90 males and 33 females, with an average age of 24-83 (58±10) years. All the patients were pathologically confirmed as hepatocellular carcinoma and underwent MRI scan before surgery.All patients were followed up 3-4 months after TACE, and further divided into training group (n=85, 42 of which were effective and 43 cases were ineffective) and the validation group (n=38, 19 of which were effective and 19 were ineffective) according to the modified response evaluation criteria in solid tumors (mRECIST). There was no statistical difference in the general information between the two groups of patients, which was comparable. Then, preoperative T(2)WI images were used for radiomics analysis, texture parameters were screened based on R language, and short-term efficacy prediction model of TACE for training group and verification group was constructed. Results: T(2)WI image analysis of each patient received 396 different texture parameters, and further used Lasso dimensionality reduction and 10 times cross-validation screening to obtain 5 characteristic texture parameters, specifically stdDeviation, ClusterProminence_angle135_offset4, Correlation_angle135_offset4, Inertia_angle135_offset4, InverseDifferenceMoment_angle45_offset4. According to the above five texture parameters and their corresponding coefficient values, the corresponding radiomics scores (Radscore) were calculated, and the prediction models of the training group and the verification group were further constructed.It was found that the area under the ROC curve of the training group was 0.812 (95%CI: 0.722-0.901), the sensitivity and specificity were 83.7% and 69.0%, respectively. The area under the ROC curve of the validation group was 0.801 (95%CI:0.654-0.947), and the sensitivity and specificity were 89.5% and 63.2%, respectively. Conclusion: The constructed TACE prediction model in the present study has high prediction accuracy, sensitivity and specificity.The short-term efficacy prognosis prediction model for HCC based on MRI is constructed, stable and reliable.

Criterion for optimizing high-power acousto-optically Q-switched self-Raman yellow lasers with repetition rates up to 500 kHz

The criterion for optimizing the high-power acousto-optically ${Q}$Q-switched self-Raman yellow laser is originally explored for the repetition rate within 100-500 kHz. The minimum allowed value for the gate-open time is experimentally verified to be determined by the pulse buildup time. By using the minimum allowed gate-open time, the highest conversion efficiency can be achieved to raise the output power by approximately 20% in comparison with the conventional results. At a repetition rate of 200 kHz, the maximum output power at 588 nm can be up to 8.8 W at an incident pump power of 26 W. Furthermore, a practical formula is developed to accurately calculate the threshold pump power as a function of the gate-open time for a given repetition rate.

Compact efficient high-power triple-color Nd:YVO4 yellow-lime-green self-Raman lasers

A novel, to the best of our knowledge, approach is developed to realize a high-power compact efficient yellow-lime-green triple-color ${\rm Nd}:{{\rm YVO}_4}$Nd:YVO₄ self-Raman laser. The 588 nm yellow laser, the 559 nm lime laser, and the 532 nm green laser are converted from the 1064 nm fundamental wave and the 1176 nm Stokes Raman field. The simultaneous three-color operation is accomplished with three stages to step-by-step generate the 588 nm, 559 nm, and 532 nm lasers by using three different lithium triborate (LBO) crystals. By tuning the temperature of each individual LBO crystal, the 588 nm, 559 nm, and 532 nm output powers can be nearly the same and concurrently up to 2.4 W at the incident pump power of 30 W, corresponding to a conversion efficiency of 24% for the total output power.

[Percutaneous full-endoscopic removalof lumbar dumbbell tumors viatransforaminal approach]

Objective: To investigate the novel application and effectof Percutaneous Full-Endoscopic transforaminal approach for lumbar dumbbell tumors. Methods: A retrospective analysis of 12 cases of lumbar dumbbell tumors was conducted by Percutaneous full-endoscopic transforaminal approach in the Department of Neurosurgery, Fujian Medical University Union Hospital from Feb, 2018 to Jul, 2019. According to Eden classification, 5 cases in type Ⅲ and 7 cases in type Ⅳ. The Japanese Orthopaedic Association (JOA) score and Pain Visual analogue Scale (VAS) were used to compare the recovery of neurological function before and after surgery. Results: All the 12 tumors were completely removed in one stage. The pathological reports were all schwannomas (WHO grade Ⅰ). The VAS scores were significantly decreased compared with preoperative ones (P<0.001). The JOA scores were significantly improved without obvious complications and spinal instability. Median length of follow-up was 14 months with a range of 4 months to 20 months, there is no tumor recurrence and spinal instability. Conclusion: In the treatment of lumbar dumbbell spinal tumor, the full endoscopic transforaminal approach is a novel, safe and effective surgical procedure which removes the tumors intra-foramen and extra-foramen with less damage of spine, smaller possibility of instability and faster recovery.

Application of xenogeneic anti-canine distemper virus antibodies in treatment of canine distemper puppies

OBJECTIVE

The clinical feasibility of passive immunotherapy has not been demonstrated in dogs naturally infected with canine distemper. In this study, porcine anti-canine distemper virus IgG and F(ab')₂ antibody fragments were used to treat infected puppies.

METHODS

A total of 41 naturally infected puppies (age Äsix months) exhibiting severe respiratory signs, but lacking neurological signs, were enrolled in the study. Twenty-five puppies were treated with a combination of IgG or F(ab')₂ antibody fragments (Group 1) and supportive therapy and 16 puppies received routine supportive care only (Group 2).

RESULTS

The survival rate of dogs in Group 1 (19/25; 76%) was significantly higher than that in Group 2 (5/16; 31·3%) (P<0·05). During the therapy, 8 of the 25 dogs (32%) in Group 1 developed neurological signs versus 12 of the 16 dogs (75%) in Group 2 (P<0·05). Adverse reactions were limited to elevated body temperature in dogs that received IgG antibodies.

CLINICAL SIGNIFICANCE

Porcine anti-canine distemper virus antibodies improved survival in puppies affected with canine distemper with minimal adverse effects. Therefore, this therapy could be considered for treatment of endangered animal species infected with canine distemper virus.

Effects of long term treatment with high doses of odanacatib on bone mass, bone strength, and remodeling/modeling in newly ovariectomized monkeys

The objectives here were to evaluate the effects of odanacatib (ODN) at doses exceeding the clinical exposure on biomechanical properties of lumbar vertebrae (LV), hip and central femur (CF), and compare ODN to alendronate (ALN) on bone remodeling/modeling in ovariectomized (OVX) monkeys. Ten days post-surgery, animals were treated with vehicle (VEH), ODN-L (2mg/kg/day, p.o.), ODN-H (8/4mg/kg/day), or ALN (30μg/kg/week, s.c.) for 20months. An intact group was also included. ODN-L provided systemic exposures of 1.8-fold of clinical exposure. ODN-H started at 20-fold for 5.5months, and then reduced to 7.8-fold of clinical exposure, compared to ALN at approximated clinical exposure. From cross sectional analyses, LV density and peak load in ODN at both doses or ALN were not different from VEH or Intact. However, cortical thickness of femoral neck (FN) and CF in ODN were higher (21-34%, p<0.05) than VEH, due to smaller endocortical (Ec) perimeter of FN (10-11%; p<0.05) and CF (9-12%; ODN-L, p<0.05), and larger CF periosteal (Ps) perimeter (2-12%; ODN-H, p<0.001) versus VEH. ODN groups also showed slightly higher cortical porosity and Ps non-lamellar bone in CF. ODN-H treatment resulted in higher CF peak load (p<0.05) versus VEH. For all bone sites analyzed, a positive, linear relationship (r(2)=0.46-0.69, p<0.0001) of peak load to density or structural parameters was demonstrated. No treatment-related differences in the derived intrinsic strength properties were evidenced as compared between groups. ALN reduced all remodeling surfaces without affecting Ps modeling. Trabecular and intracortical remodeling were reduced in ODN groups, similar to ALN. Ec mineralizing surface in ODN-H trended to be lower than VEH by month 20, but Ec bone formation indices in ODN groups generally were not different from VEH. Ps modeling in ODN groups was significantly higher than other treatment groups. This study overall demonstrated the bone safety profile of ODN and its unique mechanism on cortical bone supporting the clinical application for osteoporosis treatment.

Mitochondrial dysfunction in resveratrol-induced apoptosis in QGY-7701 cells

This study aims to evaluate the cytotoxicity of resveratrol on QGY-7701 cells via a cell viability assay, and determine the cytological alterations and damages that result. Resveratrol was found to inhibit QGY-7701 cell growth and decrease their viability in a remarkably dose-dependent manner. Resveratrol exposure also induced an increase in Caspase-3 activity and a decrease in Bcl-2, which caused an increase in membrane permeability, and the opening of mitochondrial permeability transition pores and mitochondrial depolarization. Cellular ATP is thus exhausted, and apoptosis is induced via the change in mitochondrial membrane permeability and mitochondrial dysfunction.

House dust-mite allergen exposure is associated with serum specific IgE but not with respiratory outcomes

Exposure to house dust has been associated with asthma in adults, and this is commonly interpreted as a direct immunologic response to dust-mite allergens in those who are IgE sensitized to house dust-mite. Mattress house dust-mite concentrations were measured in a population-based sample of 2890 adults aged between 27 and 56 years living in 22 centers in 10 countries. Generalized linear mixed models were employed to explore the association of respiratory symptoms with house dust-mite concentrations, adjusting for individual and household confounders. There was no overall association of respiratory outcomes with measured house dust-mite concentrations, even in those who reported they had symptoms on exposure to dust and those who had physician-diagnosed asthma. However, there was a positive association of high serum specific IgE levels to HDM (>3.5 kUA /l) with mattress house dust-mite concentrations and a negative association of sensitization to cat with increasing house dust-mite concentrations. In conclusion, there was no evidence that respiratory symptoms in adults were associated with exposure to house dust-mite allergen in the mattress, but an association of house mite with strong sensitization was observed.

The impact of joint range of motion limitations on health-related quality of life in patients with haemophilia A: a prospective study

In patients with haemophilia A, repeated occurrences of haemarthrosis and synovitis lead to limitations in range of motion (ROM) of major joints. However, the effect of limitations in joint ROM on health-related quality of life (HRQOL) in these patients has not been studied previously. The aim of this study was to assess the impact of ROM limitations of 10 major joints (bilateral shoulders, elbows, hips, knees and ankles), combined with other possibly influential factors, on HRQOL in patients with haemophilia A. The ROM limitations in 13 movements and pain intensity of the 10 major joints were measured. The socio-demographic and clinical data were recorded. Short-Form 36 was used as the HRQOL measurement. Eighteen patients (mean age: 36.9 years) were included. Hip ROM limitations, knee ROM limitations and hip pain intensity predicted physical functioning scale (P < 0.001; adjusted R2 = 0.553). Shoulder ROM limitations and age predicted role limitation were due to emotional problems scale (P < 0.001; adjusted R2 = 0.373). Elbow ROM limitations and haemophilia severity predicted mental health scale (P = 0.001; adjusted R2 = 0.320). Hip ROM limitations predicted social functioning scale (P = 0.041; adjusted R2 = 0.091). Educational level and elbow ROM limitations predicted vitality scale (P < 0.001; adjusted R2 = 0.416). The ROM limitations of hip, knee, shoulder and elbow could be predictors for HRQOL in patients with haemophilia A. Improving ROM of major joints could be an appropriate treatment strategy to enhance HRQOL in these patients.

The predictive and prognostic significance of pre- and post-treatment topoisomerase IIα in anthracycline-based neoadjuvant chemotherapy for local advanced breast cancer

OBJECTIVE

To investigate the predictive and prognostic value of topoisomerase IIα (Topo IIα, Topo II) expression in the primary tumors and residual tumors of local advanced breast cancer (LABC) patients being treated with anthracycline-based neoadjuvant chemotherapy (NCT).

METHODS

The data from 283 LABC patients who had been treated with anthracycline-based neoadjuvant chemotherapy were collected. The expression of Topo IIα, HER-2 and other biomarkers was determined via immunohistochemical analysis in pre- and post-chemotherapy specimens. The status of pre-treatment biomarkers was correlated with the clinical response determined by the RECIST 1.1 criteria, whereas the post-treatment biomarkers were studied for prognostic value using the Cox model.

RESULTS

By analyzing the complete data from 99 patients, the co-expression of HER-2/Topo IIα was found to be significantly correlated with the clinical response to chemotherapy (Logistic regression P = 0.042). Notably, a 20% alteration in the Topo IIα status during neoadjuvant chemotherapy was found, which could also influence the sensitivity to treatment. With a survival analysis performed in 245 patients with residual tumors after NCT, node metastasis, HER-2 and Ki-67 were independent predictors of patient outcome. However, post-treatment Topo IIα expression demonstrated significant prognostic value in HER-2+ patients (P = 0.002). A relatively lower disease-free survival and overall survival was observed in HER-2+/Topo- patients (log rank P = 0.010 for DFS and P < 0.001 for OS).

CONCLUSION

Topo IIα, together with HER-2, might help to select for patients who could benefit from anthracycline-based neoadjuvant chemotherapy and identify non-complete responders at a higher risk of disease recurrence or death.

Abstract P3-01-05: The Role of Mammographic Calcification in the Neo-adjuvant Therapy of Breast Cancer Imaging Evaluation

Aim: To evaluate the relationship between malignant appearance of mammographic calcification and breast cancer pathological features, and to explore the predictive value of calcification appearances and morphology changes in neo-adjuvant setting.

Methods: 419 patients with operable breast cancer received neo-adjuvant therapy between 2008.2 and 2011.8 in Shanghai Cancer Hospital. Core needle biopsy was conducted before preoperative therapy to determine cancer and achieve pathological features. Mammogram (MG), ultrasound and breast MRI were routinely done prior to therapy and prior to surgical operation. We conducted a detailed analysis of MG images in patients with malignant calcification, recorded the morphology, distribution, range, density, diameter and number of the calcification.

Results: 419 patients enrolled, 108 patients (25.8%) showed malignant calcification in MG, 6 patients missed the first MG before therapy. 214 patients were Luminal A, 95 were Luminal B, 64 were Her2 positive and 46 were triple negative, the pCR rate was 14%, 30.5%, 53%, 43.5% respectively. Patients with malignant calcification have more ER positive (81.5% vs. 71.7%, p = 0.045) and HER2 positive (51.8% vs. 33%, p = 0.001) diseases. The pCR rate was 26% in patients with malignant calcification and 28% in patients without, p = 0.8.

Abstract P6-04-26: Tamoxifen may block estrogen induced secretion of certain cytokines to interrupt tumor associated macrophage infiltration in breast cancer

The role of tumor microenvironment during the initiation and progression of breast cancer is now realized to be of critical importance, both for understanding of the fundamental cancer biology and exploiting relatively new mechanism for breast cancer metastasis. Macrophage is a one of the most common components in the breast cancer microenvironment. Normally, the macrophage in tumor microenvironment is referred to tumor associated macrophage (TAM), which shares some attributes of alternatively activated macrophage. Many pre-clinical and clinical studies demonstrate an inverse correlation between TAM infiltration and patients' prognosis indicating a macrophage supporting role for tumor progression. It is well documented that selective patients with breast cancer can benefit from anti-estrogen therapy. However, the mechanisms involved are still not fully elucidated. Our previous study indicates that highly tumorigenic breast cancer cell line MDA-MB-231 can educate monocyte differentiation into alternatively activated macrophage, while weakly tumorigenic cell line MCF-7 (without estrogen supplementation) can not. In the present study, we explored the effects of estrogen and tamoxifen on the secreting of certain cytokines, which are required for monocyte chemotaxis and differentiation. Breast cancer cell lines with different estrogen receptor status were applied to estimate the level of cytokines (IL4, IL6, M-CSF, GM-CSF, and MCP-1) before and after cultured with 17β-estradiol, tamoxifen or both. We found that weakly invasive breast cancer cell lines (MCF-7, T47D, MDA-MB-468, and SKBR3) generally expressed lower levels of such cytokines compared with highly invasive breast cancer cell lines (MDA-MB-231, MDA-MB-231-BO, MDA-MB-231 HM, Bcap 37, BT549, and Hs578T) at baseline. However, the discrepancies could be compensated partially by exposure to 10nM 17β-estradiol in estrogen receptor (ER) positive cell lines (MCF-7 and T47D). Moreover, the compensation was substantially blocked by 2μM tamoxifen. On the contrary, tamoxifen, alone, didn't affect the secretion of such cytokines mentioned above in vitro. Based on these findings, we tentatively concluded that some patients with ER positive breast cancers benefiting from anti-estrogen therapy may partially attributes to blocking monocyte differentiation into TAM, which destroyed the tumor microenvironment. These findings suggest the future possibility of using TAM as a novel therapeutic target in patients with anti-estrogen resistance and primary triple-negative breast cancers (TNBC) with no effectively therapeutic measures nowadays, which are defined by lack of estrogen receptor, progesterone receptor and ERBB2 gene amplification, representing approximately 16% of all breast cancers.

Citation Information: Cancer Res 2012;72(24 Suppl):Abstract nr P6-04-26.

A fractal dimensional approach to successful evaluation of apical healing

AIM

To evaluate whether the initial healing of apical radiolucencies 1 year after root canal treatment could be quantitatively identified by the change in fractal dimension (FD) values for the eventually completely healed cases.

METHODOLOGY

Twenty-six patients with successful root canal treatment were recruited. All teeth were associated with complete healing either before or at 1 year following treatment (six of 26) or still undergoing healing at 1 year after treatment but completely healed thereafter (20 of 26). Two radiographs were selected for the same patient, one taken before treatment and the other taken 1 year after treatment. Eight regions of interests (ROIs) were selected from each radiograph, two as the experimental group located close to the infected root apex, two as the control group in the healthy bone and the other four in the healthy bone ensuring the image quality.

RESULTS

Based on the FD values of the four ROIs in the healthy bone, the two radiographs were confirmed to have been taken with similar projection angles and exposure. The FD values were shown to significantly increase (P = 0.006) and decrease (P = 0.000) around the root apex and the neighbouring region of the apical lesion, respectively.

CONCLUSION

Changes in fractal dimension values may serve as a necessary condition to quantitatively indicate the initial healing status 1 year after root canal treatment.

Bone healing response to a synthetic calcium sulfate/β-tricalcium phosphate graft material in a sheep vertebral body defect model

The introduction of a material able to promote osteogenesis and remodelling activity in a clinically relevant time frame in vertebroplasty and kyphoplasty procedures may have patient benefit. We report the in-vivo performance of a biphasic synthetic bone graft material (Genex Paste, Biocomposites, UK) [test material], composed of calcium sulfate and β-tricalcium phosphate, implanted into a sheep vertebral defect model. Cavities drilled into 4 adjacent vertebrae (L2 to L5) of 24 skeletally mature sheep were; (1) filled with the test material; (2) filled with commercially available polymethylmethacrylate [PMMA] cement; (3) remained empty [sham]. Analysis was performed immediately after implantation and at 8, 16, and 36 weeks post implantation. Sites were evaluated for bone growth with microCT analysis, histological examination, and mechanical testing under compression. The test material exhibited an improved tissue response over the PMMA, indicating a superior biological tolerance. MicroCT and histology indicated marked osteoregenerative capacity of the test material when compared with sham and the PMMA. The percentage of new bone formation was higher for the test material than sham at 16 and 36 weeks post implantation, with bone regeneration almost complete at 36 weeks in this group. Resorption of test material and the integration into new bone tissue were demonstrated. © 2012 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. J Biomed Mater Res Part B: Appl Biomater, 2012.

Respiratory health and endotoxin: associations and modification by CD14/-260 genotype

Exposure to endotoxin has been associated with increased respiratory symptoms and decrements in lung function in occupational settings but little is known about the health effects of domestic exposure in adults. Here, we describe the association of respiratory disease, immunoglobulin (Ig)E sensitisation, bronchial reactivity and lung function with mattress endotoxin levels in adults, and determine whether these associations are modified by polymorphisms in CD14. Endotoxin levels in mattress dust from a population-based sample of 972 adults were measured. Associations were examined using generalised linear mixed models, adjusting for individual and household confounders. Effect modification of these associations by CD14/-260 (rs2569190) was assessed. Mattress endotoxin levels varied from 0.1 to 402.6 EU · mg(-1). Although there was no overall association of lung function with endotoxin exposure, there was evidence that the association of forced expiratory volume in 1 s and forced vital capacity with endotoxin was modified by CD14/-260 genotype (p-value for interaction 0.005 and 0.013, respectively). There was no evidence that symptoms, IgE sensitisation or bronchial reactivity were associated with mattress endotoxin levels. In this large epidemiological study of adults, there was no evidence that mattress endotoxin level was associated with respiratory symptoms or IgE sensitisation but the association of lung function with endotoxin levels may be modified by CD14 genotype.

Acute disseminated encephalomyelitis that meets modified McDonald criteria for dissemination in space is associated with a high probability of conversion to multiple sclerosis in Taiwanese patients

BACKGROUND

Patients with acute disseminated encephalomyelitis (ADEM) may relapse and some may ultimately convert to multiple sclerosis (MS); however, no criteria that can predict MS conversion are available to date. Our aim was to describe the clinical and magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) features of patients with an initial ADEM attack and evaluate which MRI criteria can predict conversion to MS.

METHODS

We retrospectively reviewed the records of 36 patients diagnosed with ADEM. We determined clinical signs/symptoms, examined the cerebrospinal fluid (CSF), and performed brain MRI scans and compared the findings between patients who did and did not convert to MS.

RESULTS

Clinical signs/symptoms, and CSF analysis show no significant difference between the two groups. The rate of conversion to MS from ADEM in Taiwanese patients is low (11%) after a mean follow-up period of 28.36 months. Modified McDonald criteria were fulfilled in 19/36 patients: 21% (4/19) of those patients developed MS according to Poser criteria subsequently. Of the other patients (17/36) who did not fulfill these criteria, none converted to MS. (log rank test; P=0.027).

CONCLUSIONS

It is difficult to predict from initial clinical presentations to address which patients with ADEM will convert to MS. Patients with ADEM whose brain MRI findings met the modified McDonald criteria may have clinically isolated syndrome because they have a significantly higher probability of conversion to MS. In contrast, patients whose brain MRI findings did not meeting these criteria may be considered as having classic ADEM because they have a lower probability of conversion to MS.

Methylprednisolone reduces the rates of postextubation stridor and reintubation associated with attenuated cytokine responses in critically ill patients

BACKGROUND

Treatment with corticosteroids can reduce the incidence of postextubation stridor (PES) and reintubation in critically ill adult patients, but the mechanisms remain unknown.

METHODS

A randomized, controlled clinical trial was conducted in an adult medical and surgical Intensive Care Unit (ICU) of a teaching hospital. Seventy-one patients who had a cuff leak percentage <24% of tidal volume received either a bolus injection of methylprednisolone at 40 mg (treated group, n=38) or normal saline (placebo group, n=33) 4 h prior to a planned extubation. The cuff leak percentage was re-assessed 1 h and 4 h post-injection. Eighty patients who had a cuff leak percentage ≥ 24% served as a control group. Plasma concentrations of multiple cytokines and C-reactive protein (CRP) were measured at baseline, 4 h and 24 h after the intervention.

RESULTS

The incidences of PES (15.8% vs. 39.4%, P<0.05) and reintubation rate (7.9% vs. 30.3%, P<0.05) were lower in the treated group compared to the placebo group. The plasma concentrations of IL-4 and IL-10 increased while the levels of IL-6 and IL-8 decreased at 24 h in the treated group compared to the placebo group. No difference in CRP levels was observed between the treated and placebo groups.

CONCLUSION

A single injection of methylprednisolone at the dose used 4 h prior to planned extubation effectively reduced the incidence of PES and the reintubation rate. These beneficial effects were associated with the up-regulation of IL-4 and IL-10 and the down-regulation of IL-6 and IL-8 in the critically ill adult patients.

Disposition of asarone after intravenous administration to rabbits assessed using HPLC

A simple and sensitive high-performance liquid chromatography (HPLC) method for the determination of asarone in rabbit plasma has been developed. Up to 0·1 mL of plasma containing asarone was deproteinated by acetonitrile, which contained an internal standard (indomethacin). The supernatant was injected into a Nucleosil 7C18 column using acetonitrile-water-triethylamine (55:45:0·1 v/v, pH 5·4–5·5, adjusted with orthophosphoric acid) as the mobile phase and UV detection at 257 nm, followed by UV spectrum identification (between 200 and 380 nm) with a photodiode array detector. The method is rapid, easily reproduced, selective and sensitive. It was applied to pharmacokinetic studies of asarone in rabbit, after 5, 10, or 20 mg kg−1 intravenous administration. Rapid distribution followed by a slower elimination phase was observed from the plasma concentration–time curve. The plasma disposition at each dose fitted well to a two-compartment open model and the terminal disposition became much slower as the dose was increased, suggesting a nonlinear dose-dependent plasma asarone disposition.

First Report of Brown Ring Patch Caused by Waitea circinata var. circinata on Creeping Bentgrass in Arizona

A disease resembling brown ring (Waitea) patch was observed on a 'Dominant Extreme' creeping bentgrass (Agrostis stolonifera) green on a golf course in Maricopa County, Arizona in February 2010. The green was 17 months old and built with 95% sand and 5% peat moss. The superintendent reported seeing yellow rings, 12 to 16 cm in diameter, on several greens as early as 3 months postinstallation; the yellow rings developed into brown, necrotic rings. Symptoms started in the cool, cloudy, and moist conditions of December (5.0 to 6.7°C) and became persistent into the spring. Symptoms on the samples appeared to be yellowing of leaves and stems with the development of a dark, water-soaked appearance of the whole plant on older affected portions. The samples were incubated in a moist chamber at 22 to 25°C for 24 h. Foliar mycelium developed on the symptomatic leaves, and upon microscopic examination, the mycelium appeared to have the characteristics of Rhizoctonia spp.; i.e., a right-angled branching pattern, constriction of the hyphal branch near its point of origin, and the presence of a septum near the point of origin. The pathogen was recovered from chlorotic tissue by plating the symptomatic tissue on one-quarter-strength acidified potato dextrose agar (9.90 g of PDA and 11.26 g of granulated agar [Fisher, Lenexa, KS] and 600 ml of lactic acid [Sigma, St. Louis, MO] per liter of water) and incubating at ~27°C in light. A Rhizoctonia-like pathogen emerged from the tissue within 48 h and was tentatively identified as Waitea circinata var. circinata based on colony and bulbil morphology after 10 days of incubation (3). The recovered isolate was used for DNA extraction and subsequent amplification and sequencing of the rDNA internally transcribed spacer (ITS) region using ITS1F and ITS4 primers (2). The recovered sequence (HM807352) was compared with the National Center for Biotechnology Information (NCBI) nucleic acid database and was found to show 100% similarity to W. circinata var. circinata (FJ755879). To confirm pathogenicity, the isolate was used to fulfill Koch's postulates. The isolate was grown on autoclaved sand and corn meal (250 g of sand and 50 g of corn meal) for 4 weeks to produce inoculum. Eight grams of colonized sand and corn meal was broadcast on 4-week-old creeping bentgrass seedlings ('Penncross') planted in a 90:10 peat moss/sand mixture in 10-cm-diameter pots. There were three replications and the experiment was repeated twice. Negative controls consisted of plants inoculated with sand and corn meal only. Pots were maintained at 28 to 33°C in the greenhouse with ambient light. Within 4 days of inoculation, the plants showed chlorosis and necrosis, while noninoculated plants showed no symptoms. The pathogen was successfully reisolated from several plants from each replication using the method described above. This pathogen has been known to cause disease on annual and rough bluegrass (1,2) in the United States, but not confirmed as a pathogen on creeping bentgrass here. To our knowledge, this is the first report of brown ring patch on creeping bentgrass in Arizona. References: (1) C. M. Chen et al. Plant Dis. 91:1687, 2007. (2) K. de la Cerda et al. Plant Dis. 91:791, 2007. (3) T. Toda et al. Plant Dis. 89:536, 2005.

Identification of sex-specific polymorphic sequences in the goat amelogenin gene for embryo sexing

Amelogenin (AMEL) is a conserved gene located on the sex chromosomes of mammals. It is involved in the formation of enamel, which is the hard, white material that forms the protective outer layer of each tooth. In this study, we first cloned and determined the intron sequences of the goat AMELX and AMELY genes from female and male ear tissues. The polymorphic AMEL alleles were further analyzed by PCR-based RFLP and Southern blot hybridization analyses. Results showed that intron 5 nucleotide sequences of the goat AMELY gene contains multiple deletions/insertions and shares only 48.5% identity to intron 5 of the goat AMELX gene. Based on the polymorphic AMEL intron sequences, a set of sex-specific triplex primers was designed to PCR amplify a single fragment of 264 bp from the X chromosome of female goats and 2 fragments of 264 and 206 bp from the X and Y chromosomes, respectively, of male goats. An increased sensitivity for sex determination was reached with a single blastomere at the blastula stage isolated from goat embryos. A total of 43 goat embryos were used to estimate a 100% accuracy rate of this method confirmed by chromosomal karyotyping and live births. The embryo sexing technique has been successfully applied in different strains of goats including Alpine, Saanen, Nubian, and Taiwan goats.

Application of high-frequency ultrasound for the detection of surgical anatomy in the rodent abdomen

Rats are used extensively in abdominal disease research. To monitor disease progress in vivo, high-frequency ultrasound (HFU) can be a powerful tool for obtaining high-resolution images of biological tissues. However, there is a paucity of data regarding the correlation between rat anatomy and corresponding HFU images. Twenty-four adult male Sprague-Dawley (SD) rats underwent abdominal scans using HFU (40 MHz) surgical procedures to identify abdominal organs and major vessels as well as in situ scanning to confirm the imaging results. The results were compared with those of human abdominal organs in ultrasonographic scans. The rat liver, paired kidneys, stomach, intestines, and major blood vessels were identified by HFU and the ultrasonic morphologies of the liver and kidneys showed clear differences between rats and humans. Clinically relevant anatomical structures were identified using HFU imaging of the rat abdomen, and these structures were compared with the corresponding structures in humans. Increased knowledge with regard to identifying the anatomy of rat abdominal organs by ultrasound will allow scientists to conduct more detailed intra-abdominal research in rodents.

First Report of Brown Ring Patch Caused by Waitea circinata var. circinata on Poa annua in Wisconsin and Minnesota

In summer of 2008, two turfgrass samples were submitted to the Turfgrass Diagnostic Lab at the University of Wisconsin-Madison. The samples were from golf courses in Beaver Dam, WI on 12 June and Minneapolis, MN on 14 July. Both samples were collected from 40-year-old native soil putting greens mowed at 3.2 mm that had received annual sand topdressing since 1992. The putting greens were a mixture of approximately 75% annual bluegrass (Poa annua L.) and 25% creeping bentgrass (Agrostis stolonifera L.) Stand symptoms observed in the field were bright yellow, sunken rings that were approximately 5 cm thick and 15 to 35 cm in diameter. Some rings were incomplete, giving a scalloped appearance. Affected plants were severely chlorotic and lacked any discrete lesions or spots. Symptoms were more prominent on annual bluegrass than creeping bentgrass. Upon incubation of samples at room temperature in a moist chamber for 24 h, fungal mycelia with septations and right-angle branching were observed in the foliage and thatch layer. Two isolates were obtained from affected annual bluegrass in each sample. Isolations were performed by washing affected leaves in 0.5% NaOCl solution for 2 min, blotting the tissue dry, and plating the tissue on potato dextrose agar (PDA) amended with chloramphenicol (0.05 g/liter), streptomycin (0.05 g/liter), and tetracycline (0.05 g/liter). After incubation for 2 days at 23°C, isolates were transferred and maintained on PDA. All four isolates had multinucleate hyphae and displayed sclerotial characteristics similar to those reported for Waitea circinata var. circinata (2). Sequencing the ITS1F/ITS4-amplified rDNA internal transcribed spacer (ITS) region confirmed the isolates as W. circinata var. circinata, with ≥99% sequence similarity to published W. circinata var. circinata ITS sequences (GenBank Accession No. FJ755849) (1,2,4). To confirm pathogenicity, isolates were inoculated onto 6-week-old annual bluegrass (True Putt/DW184) grown in 10-cm-diameter pots containing calcined clay (Turface; Profile Products LLC., Buffalo Grove, IL). Two 4-mm-diameter agar plugs for each isolate were removed from the margins of 3-day-old colonies grown on PDA and placed near the soil surface to ensure contact with the lower leaf blades. Each isolate was placed in four separate pots to have four replicated tests per isolate, and four noninfested pots were utilized as negative controls. All pots were placed in moist chambers at 28°C with a 12-h light/dark cycle. Within 4 to 6 days, inoculated plants exhibited severe chlorosis and a minor amount of aerial mycelium was observed. Inoculated plants became necrotic after 15 to 20 days, while the noninoculated plants remained healthy. W. circinata var. circinata was reisolated from inoculated plants and its identity was confirmed by morphological and molecular characteristics. This pathogen was previously reported as a causal agent of brown ring patch of creeping bentgrass in Japan and annual bluegrass in the western United States (2,4). To our knowledge, this is the first report of brown ring patch in Minnesota and Wisconsin. Intensive fungicide practices are needed to control brown ring patch; therefore, this disease could have significant economic impact throughout the Upper Midwest (3). References: (1) C. M. Chen et al. Plant Dis. 93:906, 2009 (2) K. de la Cerda et al. Plant Dis. 91:791, 2007. (3) J. Kaminski and F. Wong. Golf Course Manage. 75(9):98, 2007. (4) T. Toda et al. Plant Dis. 89:536, 2005.

Leucinopine, a characteristic compound of some crown-gall tumors

An unusual compound has been found in crowngall tumors induced by those Agrobacterium tumefaciens strains that utilize neither octopine nor nopaline. The compound has been isolated and shown by proton and carbon-13 NMR spectroscopy and by synthesis to be N(2)-(1,3-dicarboxypropyl)-L-leucine, which also exists in a cyclized (i.e., lactam) form. This compound, which we name "leucinopine," was not detected in octopine tumors, nopaline tumors, or the tumors induced by A. tumefaciens strains 181 and EU6.

Mercury recovery from cold cathode fluorescent lamps using thermal desorption technology

Cold cathode fluorescent lamps (CCFLs) are globally used components of high technology products. A large amount of mercury in waste CCFLs is being recovered by thermal desorption technology in Taiwan. However, the complexity of the samples affects the thermal desorption efficiency and increases costs. This study identifies the mercury release behaviour of amalgam, phosphor and mercury-containing components as well as waste CCFLs by bench scale thermal desorption test. The results show that the mercury was released from amalgam and mercury/fluorescent powder from a real treatment plant at temperatures between 550 degrees C to 850 degrees C, which is much higher than from cinnabar at 300 degrees C to 380 degrees C and that of pure mercury, high pressure mercury lamps, and fluorescent tubes containing mercury/fluorescent-powder at 50 degrees C to 250 degrees C. In addition, the experiment also showed the mercury release peak of the mercury/fluorescent powders from a real treatment plant occurs at much higher temperatures than that of commercial phosphor at 50 degrees C to 200 degrees C. Thus, complete separation of the cracked CCFLs is necessary to effectively recover phosphor and mercury at low financial and energy cost.

Gastrocolic fistula: a rare complication of gastric carcinoma

Malignant gastrocolic fistula formation is a rare complication of gastric carcinoma. We report a cachectic 82-year-old woman who presented with upper abdominal pain, diarrhoea, loss of weight and loss of appetite. Further investigation of her symptoms revealed a gastrocolic fistula connecting the ulcerated tumour of the body of the stomach to the splenic flexure of the colon.

Analysis of the UCHL1 genetic variant in Parkinson's disease among Chinese

The inverse association of the functional ubiquitin carboxy-terminal hydrolase L1 (UCHL1) S18Y variant with Parkinson's disease (PD) among Caucasian populations has been debated. We conducted a large-scale analysis to investigate the age-of-onset effect of the UCHL1 variant in PD among ethnic Chinese. Individual data sets from 5 centers comprising a total of 4088 study subjects were analyzed. In the univariate analysis, only data from 1 center showed a trend towards a protective effect among young subjects. However, in the combined analysis, no significant association between the UCHL1 variant and PD was detected (A allele frequency 0.531 vs. 0.528, p=0.87, OR 1.01, 95% CI 0.92-1.1). Among subjects less than 60 years old, the OR is 0.99 (95% CI 0.84-1.16, p=0.88). A multivariate logistic regression analysis showed that family history, UCHL1 variant and the interaction of UCHL1 variant and age at onset (p=0.816) were not significantly associated with PD.

Treating high-mercury-containing lamps using full-scale thermal desorption technology

The mercury content in high-mercury-containing lamps are always between 400 mg/kg and 200,000 mg/kg. This concentration is much higher than the 260 mg/kg lower boundary recommended for the thermal desorption process suggested by the US Resource Conservation and Recovery Act. According to a Taiwan EPA survey, about 4,833,000 cold cathode fluorescent lamps (CCFLs), 486,000 ultraviolet lamps and 25,000 super high pressure mercury lamps (SHPs) have been disposed of in the industrial waste treatment system, producing 80, 92 and 9 kg-mercury/year through domestic treatment, offshore treatment and air emissions, respectively. To deal with this problem we set up a full-scale thermal desorption process to treat and recover the mercury from SHPs, fluorescent tube tailpipes, fluorescent tubes containing mercury-fluorescent powder, and CCFLs containing mercury-fluorescent powder and monitor the use of different pre-heating temperatures and desorption times. The experimental results reveal that the average thermal desorption efficiency of SHPs and fluorescent tube tailpipe were both 99.95%, while the average thermal desorption efficiencies of fluorescent tubes containing mercury-fluorescent powder were between 97% and 99%. In addition, a thermal desorption efficiency of only 69.37-93.39% was obtained after treating the CCFLs containing mercury-fluorescent powder. These differences in thermal desorption efficiency might be due to the complexity of the mercury compounds contained in the lamps. In general, the thermal desorption efficiency of lamps containing mercury-complex compounds increased with higher temperatures.

A new method for CE-EC determination of mercaptopurine (MP) in a PMMA biochip with on-chip gold nano-electrode ensemble (GNEE) working and decouple electrodes

This paper presents a new method for CE-EC determination of Mercaptopurine (MP), one of the most important medicines for inflammatory bowel disease (IBD) and acute lymphoblastic leukemia (ALL) treatment, in a PMMA-based microfluidic chip. A simple and reliable process for preparing the template of gold nanoelectrode ensemble (GNEE) and fabricating the integrated microfluidic chip is reported in the present study. The use of GNEE electrodes for both electric current decoupling and signal sensing in the proposed CE-EC chip not only enhances the signal response but also decreases the background noise during detection. Results show that a good detection limit of 100 nM for detecting mercaptopurine is achieved with the proposed method. In addition, the measured results also shows a good linear response between the detected CE-EC signals and the concentration of MP within the range of 100 nM-10 mM (R2 = 0.989). The proposed microchip device provides a novel and fast detection method for mercaptopurine analysis.

Is planned surgery important in sinonasal inverted papilloma?

OBJECTIVE

To evaluate which clinical characteristics of inverted papilloma (IP) can result easily in misdiagnosis by clinicians and to determine the recurrence rate of inverted papilloma depending on diagnosis confirmation pre-operatively, intra-operatively or post-operatively.

PATIENTS AND METHODS

Fifty-one patients were treated for IP and 47 patients attended regular post-operative follow-up appointments for at least one year (mean: 54 months).

RESULTS

The patients were assigned to 3 groups: group Ia, in which IP was not confirmed until the post-operative pathology findings; group Ib, in which IP was confirmed during the operation; and group II, in which IP was confirmed before the operation. There were nineteen (37%) patients in group Ia, nine patients (18%) in group Ib and twenty-three patients (45%) in group II. The recurrence rates for groups Ia, Ib and II were 33%, 11% and 5% respectively.

CONCLUSIONS

The initial presentation of bilateral sinonasal disease can easily lead the doctor into the misdiagnosis of IP. Bony erosion, remodelling, and a widening of the natural orifice of the sinuses on a CT scan are useful signs indicating IP. The correct diagnosis prior to surgery is a determinant of outcome. The use of frozen sections should, however, improve outcome as well. In this study we highlight the high prevalence and relatively low control rate of misdiagnosed IP (pathology undetermined pre-operatively) and hope to remind clinicians that early recognition of the tumour is most beneficial to patients.

Lethal sphenoid fungal sinusitis in an immunocompromised elderly patient

Sphenoid fungal balls are rare and typically indolent lesions, unless superinfected by bacteria or invasive to adjacent neurovascular structures. If the identification or treatment of underlying complications is delayed in an immunocompromised patient, a catastrophic outcome may result. We report the case of an elderly female patient with poorly controlled diabetes mellitus suffering from sphenoid fungal sinusitis that is complicated by cavernous sinus thrombophlebitis and carotid artery stenosis. In spite of reasonable diagnosis and therapy, the patient's general condition deteriorated and she eventually died. The clinical presentation, diagnosis, and treatment strategy are discussed.

Stress-related maternal factors during pregnancy in relation to childhood eczema: results from the LISA Study

BACKGROUND

Stress has been suggested to impact the onset and exacerbation of eczema and other atopic disorders. Whether early exposure to stress-related factors might exert long-term effects remains to be clarified.

OBJECTIVE

The objective of this study was to investigate whether stress-related maternal factors during pregnancy are associated with childhood eczema during the first 6 years of life.

METHODS

Data from 3004 children from a prospective German birth cohort study (LISA) were analyzed. Information from maternity certificates and questionnaire information on unwanted pregnancy were used to evaluate stress-related maternal factors during pregnancy. Prevalence data for physician-diagnosed eczema were available up to the age of 6 years.

RESULTS

Maternal factors during pregnancy were positively associated with childhood eczema in terms of cumulative prevalence up to the age of 2 years (adjusted odds ratio, 1.48; 95% confidence interval, 0.95-2.30) after adjusting for potential confounders. Beyond the second year no increased risk was observed.

CONCLUSIONS

The results of this study suggest that stress-related maternal factors during pregnancy are associated with an increased risk of childhood eczema during the first 2 years of life. The impact of postnatal stress such as parental divorce or separation on this association could not be clarified. Future studies should therefore further elucidate how prenatal and postnatal stress interact and whether prenatal stress might have a programming effect. If future studies confirm the findings of this study, reducing maternal stress during pregnancy might be a possible target in the primary prevention of eczema during childhood.

The role of dietary factors in chronic disease control in China

Using the dietary intake and chronic disease condition data of 39,843 adults aged over 18 years old from the 2002 National Nutrition and Health Survey in China (2002 CNHS) logistic regression analysis was applied to calculate the odd ratios (ORs) of hypertension, diabetes and dyslipidaemia for the various dietary patterns of the subjects. The higher percentage of energy intake from cereals was significantly associated with lower body mass index (BMI), lower total serum cholesterol (TC) and lower low density lipoprotein cholesterol (LDL-C), while it was significantly associated with lower risk of overweight/obesity, hypertension, high TC, high serum triglycerides (TG) and high LDL-C, but the prevalence of underweight was significantly higher in the cluster of subjects with cereal energy share more than 75%. The higher percentage of energy intake of fat was related to higher BMI, higher TC and higher LDL-C which were associated with a high risk of overweight/obesity, hypertension, TC and TG. The study confirmed the important role of dietary pattern in chronic disease control. In particular, an optimum energy contributed from cereals ranged from 55% to 65% of total dietary energy intake and dietary fat energy share no more than 30% which should be the focus of preventive measures.

Overview of obesity in Mainland China

This overview describes the study of obesity issues over the last 8 years in Mainland China. A disease risk-based body mass index classification for Chinese adults was developed and verified by the results of the 2002 China Nationwide Nutrition and Health Survey. Age and gender-specific BMI cut-offs for Chinese children and adolescents aged 7-18 years were also developed. As the first step in the obesity control effort, the public health implications of the prevalence of overweight and obesity were set out and publicized by the government of China. The overweight prevalence in 2002 was 22.8% and for obesity 7.1%, these having increased by 40.7% and 97.2%, respectively, since 1992. In children, dramatic increases in overweight/obesity have occurred with a two- to threefold increase in Beijing and Shanghai between 1985 and 1995; the prevalence of overweight plus obesity in 7- to 12-year-old boys approached 29% in 2000 and in girls 15-17%. The rapid development of overweight/obesity in China will undoubtedly push up the prevalence of chronic disease. The relative risk for adult hypertension and diabetes in the overweight and obese populations was 2-5 in 2002. In adolescents, the relative risk of hypertension in the overweight was 3.3 and in the obese 3.9, with a clustering of cardiovascular risk factors in the obese Chinese children of whom 90.5% had evidence of abdominal obesity. Even the overweight group had 15.8% with abdominal obesity. Based on the population attributable risks of overweight and obesity in 2002 and data on the direct medical costs of hypertension, diabetes, stroke and coronary heart disease, 25% of these comorbidity costs could be attributed to overweight and obesity. As the improvement in linear growth of young children is usually slower than their improvements in weight during the economic development of China, the long-term adult implications of having a problem of 'Stunted obesity' rather than simple obesity in young children are raised. Analysis of the associations between adult obesity with the individuals' fetal and early nutrition highlights the need for further investigation.

Winner-take-all neural networks using the highest threshold

In this paper, we propose a fast winner-take-all (WTA) neural network by dynamically accelerating the mutual inhibition among competitive neurons. The highest-threshold neural network (HITNET) with an accelerated factor is evolved from the general mean-based neural network (GEMNET), which adopts the mean of active neurons as the threshold of mutual inhibition. When the accelerated factor is optimally designed, the ideal HITNET statistically achieves the highest threshold for mutual inhibition. Both theoretical analyzes and simulation results demonstrate that the practical HITNET converges faster than the existing WTA networks for a large number of competitors.

Pelvic actinomycosis masquerading as an acute abdomen from a small bowel perforation

Pelvic actinomycosis is an extremely rare disease which may complicate long-term intrauterine contraceptive device (IUCD) use. Its timely recognition is important as clinical and radiological signs may mimic other intra-abdominal pathology and lead to radical and unnecessary surgery. We report a 50-year-old woman with pelvic actinomycosis resulting from a neglected intrauterine device, which was left in place for 20 years. The signs and symptoms at presentation were consistent with acute peritonitis from a perforated viscus. A perforated segment of the small bowel was suspected intraoperatively and resection was performed. The diagnosis was only revealed on subsequent histopathological examination of the surgical specimen. A high index of suspicion for this rare but devastating condition must be maintained in any woman with an IUCD and who presents with a surgical abdomen. Diligence in replacing IUCDs at recommended intervals and adherence to "missing threads" protocols may prevent these sequelae.

First Report of Waitea circinata var. circinata Causing Brown Ring Patch on Poa trivialis in California

Rough bluegrass (Poa trivialis L.) is a C3 (cool-season) turfgrass used on golf course putting greens. It is often used to overseed C4 (warm-season) turf for fall through early-summer use. In March 2007, at maximium daytime air temperatures of approximately 30 to 35°C, irregular, thin, yellow rings approximately 10 to 20 cm in diameter were reported on P. trivialis in putting greens from two golf courses in the Coachella Valley of southern California. Affected plants had a blight of the leaves and stems and a rot of the crown, with initial symptoms being a yellowing of the tissue followed by the development of a dark, water-soaked appearance of the whole plant. Plants turned reddish brown as the water-soaked tissue dessicated. A Rhizoctonia-like fungus was found to be colonizing the leaves, stems, and upper roots and thatch. Three isolates were obtained from the diseased turf samples. All were identified as Waitea circinata var. circinata based on colony morphology (2) and rDNA internal transcribed spacer (ITS) region sequences (1). The sequences of the three isolates were more than 99% similar to those of W. circinata var. circinata deposited in the NCBI database (1,2). To confirm pathogenicity, each isolate was inoculated onto 4-week-old P. trivialis (2 mg of seed per cm²) grown in 10-cm-diameter pots containing steam-sterilized UC-mix at 28°C. Five 8-mm-diameter plugs of each isolate were taken from 7-day-old cultures grown on potato dextrose agar (PDA) and placed in direct contact with the bases of the stems. The pots were then incubated in a moist chamber at 28°C. Five noncolonized PDA plugs were used as a negative control. Three pots were used for each of the three isolates and the check treatment. For all isolates, chlorosis of leaf and stems were observed 5 days after inoculation and the tissue appeared water soaked after 7 days with the production of abundant aerial mycelia being observed. All plants, except the negative controls, died after 10 days. W. circinata var. circinata was reisolated from symptomatic tissue from the inoculated plants. W. circinata var. circinata was previously reported as the causal agent of brown ring patch on creeping bentgrass (Agrostis palustris) in Japan (2) and as a pathogen of annual bluegrass (P. annua) in the United States (1). To our knowledge, this is the first report of W. circinata var. circinata infecting P. trivialis in California. References: (1) K. de la Cerda et al. Plant Dis. 91:791, 2007. (2) T. Toda et al. Plant Dis. 89:536, 2005.

Interleukin-1 alpha polymorphism has influence on late-onset sporadic Parkinson's disease in Taiwan

Inflammatory events may contribute to the pathogenesis of Parkinson's disease (PD) and interleukin 1 (IL-1) may exert both neurotoxic and neuroprotective effects. We conducted a case-control study in a cohort of 493 PD cases and 388 ethnically matched controls to investigate the association of IL-1alpha C-889T and IL-1beta C-511T polymorphisms with the risk of PD. No significant difference in the genotype distribution of the analyzed polymorphisms was found between PD and controls. However, after stratification by age, individuals over 70 years of age carrying IL-1alpha-889 C/T genotype demonstrated a significant decrease in risk of developing PD (OR = 0.44; 95% CI = 0.22-0.88, p = 0.021) and the decrease is strengthened by IL-1beta-511 T-carrying genotype (OR = 0.28; 95% CI = 0.11-0.71, p = 0.008). Our data suggest that IL-1alpha, acting synergistically with IL-1beta, plays role in PD susceptibility among Taiwanese people older than 70 years of age.

Mitochondrial DNA polymorphisms and the risk of Parkinson's disease in Taiwan

A critical role of mitochondrial dysfunction has been implicated in the pathogenesis of Parkinson's disease (PD). The association of mitochondrial DNA (mtDNA) polymorphisms 9055G/A, 10398G/A and 13708G/A with PD has been controversial. In this study we analyzed whether these three genetic polymorphisms are associated with PD in a cohort of 416 PD cases and 372 ethnically matched controls. The allele frequency distribution of any of these three analyzed polymorphisms was not significantly different between the cases and the controls. None of the six haplotypes derived influences risk of PD. Notably, after stratification by age, individuals over 70 years of age carrying the haplotype 9055G-10398A-13708G demonstrated a significant decrease in risk of developing PD (OR = 0.44, 95% CI = 0.24-0.80, p = 0.008). These results suggest that the mtDNA haplotype 9055G-10398A-13708G plays a role in PD susceptibility among Taiwanese people older than 70 years of age.

Association of tau haplotype-tagging polymorphisms with Parkinson's disease in diverse ethnic Parkinson's disease cohorts

BACKGROUND

The overlap in the clinical and pathological features of tauopathies and synucleinopathies raises the possibility that the tau protein may be important in Parkinson's disease (PD) pathogenesis. Several MAPT polymorphisms that define the tau H1 haplotype have been investigated for an association with PD with conflicting results; however, two meta-analyses support an association between haplotype H1 and PD.

METHODS

In this study, we recruited 508 patients and 611 healthy controls from Greek, Finnish and Taiwanese populations. We examined the possible genetic role of variation within MAPT in PD using haplotype-tagging single polymorphisms (SNPs) in these ethnically different PD populations.

RESULTS

We identified a moderate association at SNP rs3785883 in the Greek cohort for both allele and genotype frequency (p = 0.01, p = 0.05, respectively) as well as for SNP rs7521 (genotype p = 0.02) and rs242557 (p = 0.01 genotypic, p = 0.04 allelic) in the Finnish population. There were no significant differences in genotype or allele distribution between cases and controls in the Taiwanese cohort.

CONCLUSION

We failed to demonstrate a consistent association between the MAPT H1 haplotype (delineated by intron 9 ins/del) and PD in three ethnically diverse populations. However, the data presented here suggest that subhaplotypes of haplotype H1 may confer susceptibility to PD, and that either allelic heterogeneity or different haplotype composition explain the divergent haplotype results.

Fabrication and characterization of semicircular detection electrodes for contactless conductivity detector – CE microchips

This study uses simple and reliable microfabrication techniques to fabricate CE biochips, integrating a novel contactless conductivity detector in a miniaturized detection system in a microfluidic biochip. The off-channel electrodes are deposited around side channels by Au sputtering and patterned using a standard "lift-off" process. A vacuum fusion bonding process is employed to seal the lower substrate containing the microchannels and the electrodes to an upper glass cover plate. The variations in the capacitance between the semicircular detection electrodes in the side channels are measured as different samples and ions pass through the detection region of the CE separation channel. Samples of Rhodamine B, commercial sports drinks, mineral waters, and a red wine, respectively, are mixed in different buffer solutions, separated, and successfully detected using the developed device. The semicircular detection electrodes for the contactless conductivity detector have microscale dimensions and provide a valuable contribution to the realization of the lab-on-a-chip concept.