A Novel Method for the Measurement of Retinal Arteriolar Bifurcation

INTRODUCTION

The purpose of this research was to develop protocols for evaluating the bifurcation parameters of retinal arteriole and establish a reference range of normal values.

METHODS

In this retrospective study, we measured a total of 1314 retinal arteriolar bifurcations from 100 fundus photographs. We selected 200 from these bifurcations for testing inter-measurer and inter-method agreement. Additionally, we calculated the normal reference range for retinal arteriolar bifurcation parameters and analyzed the effects of gender, age, and anatomical features on retinal arteriolar bifurcation.

RESULTS

The measurement method proposed in this study has demonstrated nearly perfect consistency among different measurers, with interclass correlation coefficient (ICC) for all bifurcation parameters of retinal arteriole exceeding 0.95. Among healthy individuals, the retinal arteriolar caliber was narrowest in young adults and increased in children, teenagers, and the elderly; retinal arteriolar caliber was greater in females than in males; and the diameter of the inferior temporal branch exceeded that of the superior temporal branch. The angle between the two branches of retinal arteriolar bifurcation was also greater in females than in males. When using the center of the optic disc as a reference point, the angle between the two branches of the retinal arteriole at the proximal or distal ends increased. In contrast, the estimated optimum theoretical values of retinal arteriolar bifurcation were not affected by these factors.

CONCLUSIONS

The method for the measurement of retinal arteriolar bifurcation in this study was highly accurate and reproducible. The diameter and branching angle of the retinal arteriolar bifurcation were more susceptible to the influence of gender, age, and anatomical features. In comparison, the estimated optimum theoretical values of retinal arteriolar bifurcation were relatively stable. Video available for this article.

Associations between abdominal obesity indices with hypertension in type 2 diabetes mellitus: Chinese visceral adiposity index

PURPOSE

This research was performed to evaluate the relationship between hypertension (HTN) and abdominal obesity index in patients with type 2 diabetes mellitus (T2DM).

METHODS

Totally 1657 participants with T2DM (mean age 54 ± 12 years; 38.02% female) were enrolled. They were divided into the groups of HTN (n = 775) and non-HTN (n = 882). Anthropometric and biochemical indicators were measured and collected. A bioelectrical impedance analyzer was used to measure visceral and subcutaneous fat areas.

RESULTS

Compared with the HTN group, the non-HTN group had a lower level of Chinese visceral adiposity index (CVAI) (p < 0.001). Meanwhile, among tertiles of CVAI, as CVAI increased, the proportion of patients with HTN increased, which was 33.51%, 44.30%, and 62.50%, respectively. CVAI was shown to have a significant positive correlation with HTN. (r = 0.258, p < 0.001). CVAI was independently related to an elevated risk of HTN by binary logistic regression analyses, and the OR was (95% CI) 1.013 (1.010-1.016, p < 0.001) after adjustment. The area under the receiver operating characteristic curve (AUC) of CVAI predicted HTN in T2DM patients was greater than those of other abdominal obesity indices (p < 0.001).

CONCLUSION

We found that CVAI was highly positively correlated with HTN in T2DM. Compared with other indices of abdominal obesity, such as WC, BMI, WHR, VAI, and LAP, the CVAI showed superior discriminative ability in T2DM complicated with HTN. Therefore, more attention should be paid to CVAI in T2DM.

Phaco-goniosynechialysis versus phaco-trabeculectomy in patients with refractory primary angle-closure glaucoma: a comparative study

PURPOSE

To compare the effects of phacoemulsification with intraocular lens implantation (phaco) combined with goniosynechialysis (phaco + GSL) versus phaco with trabeculectomy (phaco + trab) for the management of primary angle-closure glaucoma (PACG) refractory to peripheral anterior synechiae (PAS) of over 180°.

METHODS

This retrospective study followed 77 eyes of 77 patients for at least 6 months. Intraocular pressure (IOP), best-corrected visual acuity (BCVA), number of glaucoma drugs, and PAS were recorded at the preoperative baseline and evaluated at each postoperative follow-up visit. The National Eye Institute Visual Functioning Questionnaire-25 (NEI VFQ-25) was administered to patients enrolled in this study. Pearson's correlation analysis and multivariate linear analysis were performed to identify factors influencing changes in NEI VFQ-25 scores and to identify factors associated with increases in NEI VFQ-25 scores after the operation.

RESULTS

In total, seventy-seven eyes were included (43 with phaco + GSL and 34 with phaco + trab). Comparing preoperative baseline and month 6 after surgery measurements revealed that both groups found significant improvements in IOP, PAS, BCVA and the number of glaucoma drugs (P < 0.05). Baseline NEI VFQ-25 scores were similar in the two groups, but there was a significant difference in postoperative NEI VFQ-25 scores (74.47 ± 10.39 in phaco + GSL vs. 69.57 ± 8.54 in phaco + trab, P = 0.048 < 0.05), and the phaco + GSL group had better scores at the time of the last follow-up. The change in preoperative scores and the number of glaucoma drugs was significantly correlated with postoperative scores in the phaco + GSL group.

CONCLUSION

Phaco + GSL treatment is as safe and effective as phaco + trab for refractory PACG patients, and patients' subjective experience improved significantly after phaco + GSL surgery.

DeepFundus: A flow-cytometry-like image quality classifier for boosting the whole life cycle of medical artificial intelligence

Medical artificial intelligence (AI) has been moving from the research phase to clinical implementation. However, most AI-based models are mainly built using high-quality images preprocessed in the laboratory, which is not representative of real-world settings. This dataset bias proves a major driver of AI system dysfunction. Inspired by the design of flow cytometry, DeepFundus, a deep-learning-based fundus image classifier, is developed to provide automated and multidimensional image sorting to address this data quality gap. DeepFundus achieves areas under the receiver operating characteristic curves (AUCs) over 0.9 in image classification concerning overall quality, clinical quality factors, and structural quality analysis on both the internal test and national validation datasets. Additionally, DeepFundus can be integrated into both model development and clinical application of AI diagnostics to significantly enhance model performance for detecting multiple retinopathies. DeepFundus can be used to construct a data-driven paradigm for improving the entire life cycle of medical AI practice.

Identification of a linear epitope in the capsid protein of goose astrovirus with monoclonal antibody

Goose astrovirus (GoAstV) is a novel avastrovirus that typically causes gosling gout and results in 2 to 20% mortality. GoAstV capsid protein is the sole structural protein, which is responsible for viral attachment, assembly, maturation as well as eliciting host antibodies. However, the epitopes within capsid protein have not been well studied. In this study, a monoclonal antibody, named 1D7, was generated against GoAstV capsid protein by hybridoma technology. Western blot results showed that this MAb could react with recombinant capsid protein expressed in E. coli. Also, it recognized the precursor of capsid protein, VP90 and VP70, in GoAstV-infected cells. Besides, excellent specificity of MAb 1D7 was further demonstrated in indirect immunofluorescence assay and immunohistochemical analysis. Epitope mapping results revealed that MAb 1D7 recognized the epitope 33QKVY 36 within Cap protein. Sequence alignment indicated that 33QKVY 36 is a conserved epitope among the isolates of goose astrovirus type 2 (GoAstV-2), suggesting the potential for its use in GoAstV-2 specific diagnostic assay. These findings may provide some insight into a function of the GoAstV capsid protein and further contribute to the development of diagnostic methods for GoAstV infection.

Comparable postoperative myopic shift in eyes with retinal vascular diseases and vitreomacular interface diseases after phacovitrectomy

PURPOSE

To compare the predictive refractive error (PRE) of intraocular lens (IOL) power between retinal vascular and vitreomacular interface diseases after phacovitrectomy.

METHODS

We retrospectively reviewed patients who underwent phacovitrectomy for various retinal diseases. Patients with retinal vascular diseases and vitreomacular interface diseases were included in group A and group B, respectively. Age- and gender-matched senile cataract patients with phacoemulsification were set as controls. The mean PRE and absolute value of refractive error (ARE) among different groups were compared. The associated risk factors with ARE were also analyzed in the univariate and multivariate analyses.

RESULTS

In total, 106 patients (Group A), 108 patients (Group B), and 110 patients as controls were included. The PRE in Group A (- 0.35 ± 0.83D) and Group B (- 0.53 ± 0.74D) were more myopic compared to the control group (- 0.11 ± 0.58D) (p < 0.05). The ARE in Group A (0.70 ± 0.57D) and Group B (0.75 ± 0.51D) were significantly higher compared to the control group (0.47 ± 0.35D) (p < 0.05). There were no significant differences in the PRE and ARE values between the two study groups (p = 0.267 and 0.861, respectively). There were no significant differences of the PRE and ARE in the eyes with silicone oil tamponade (- 0.63 ± 0.75D, 0.81 ± 0.54D) and gas tamponade (- 0.42 ± 0.83D, 0.74 ± 0.56D) (p = 0.693 and 0.988, respectively). In the multivariate model, preoperative LogMAR visual acuity (β = 0.162, 95%CI = 0.113-0.211, p < 0.001), mean corneal curvature (β = 0.105, 95% CI = 0.074-0.135, p < 0.001), and age (β = 0.012, 95% CI = 0.005-0.019, p = 0.001) were all positively correlated with the ARE.

CONCLUSIONS

Postoperative myopic shift after phacovitrectomy may be comparable in retinal vascular diseases and vitreomacular interface diseases, no matter the gas or silicone oil tamponade. Older age, steeper corneal curvature, and worse preoperative visual acuity could produce more prediction errors.

Neutrophil-to-lymphocyte ratio (NLR), platelet-to-lymphocyte ratio (PLR) are more prominent in retinal artery occlusion (RAO) compared to retinal vein occlusion (RVO)

Aim

To evaluate the association between the value of neutrophil to lymphocyte ratio (NLR), platelet to lymphocyte ratio (PLR), monocyte to high-density lipoprotein ratio (MHR) and the development of retinal artery occlusion (RAO) and retinal vein occlusion (RVO).

Methods

This retrospective study assessed 41 RAO, 50 RVO and 50 control (age and gender matched senile cataract) participants. The NLR, PLR and MHR parameters of patients’ peripheral blood were analyzed. A receiver operating characteristics (ROC) curve analysis and the best cutoff value were used to specify the predictive value of NLR, PLR and MHR in RAO and RVO.

Results

The NLR, PLR and MHR were significantly higher in RAO group compared to the control group (p<0.001, p<0.001 and p = 0.008; respectively). The NLR, PLR and MHR were also significantly higher in the RVO group compared to the control group (p<0.001, p = 0.001 and p = 0.012, respectively). The NLR and PLR were significantly higher in the RAO group compared to the RVO group (p<0.001 and p = 0.022, respectively). The optimal cut-off value of NLR to predict RAO was >2.99, with 90.2% sensitivity and 100% specificity. The PLR to predict RAO was > 145.52, with 75.6% sensitivity and 80.0% specificity.

Conclusion

Higher NLR, PLR and MHR are related to the occurrence of RAO and RVO. NLR and PLR are more prominent in RAO compared to RVO.

Factors Associated with Macular Staphyloma Area on Ultra-widefield Fundus Images

Purpose

To assess the feasibility of applying ultra-widefield fundus (UWF) images for macular staphyloma area (MSA) measurement and investigate the associated factors with MSA.

Methods

This is a retrospective study. MSA was measured by UWF imaging. Central foveal thickness, subfoveal choroidal thickness, subfoveal scleral thickness were measured on spectral domain optical coherence tomography. Intraclass correlation coefficients of MSA measurement would be evaluated. Multiple linear regression analysis was used to analyze the associated factors with MSA.

Results

In total, 135 eyes of 92 patients were enrolled. The mean age was 64.73 ± 10.84 years. Mean MSA on UWF image was 279.67 ± 71.70 mm². Intraclass correlation coefficients of MSA measurement was 0.965 (95% confidence interval [CI], 0.946 to 0.977; p < 0.001). In the multiple linear regression analysis, after adjusting for subfoveal choroidal thickness, best-corrected visual acuity, central foveal thickness, and subfoveal scleral thickness, the factors independently related to MSA were axial length (β = 8.352; 95% CI, 3.306 to 13.398; p = 0.001), sex (β = −26.673; 95% CI, −51.759 to −1.586; p = 0.037), age (β = 1.184; 95% CI, 0.020 to 2.348; p = 0.046).

Conclusions

It is feasible to measure MSA on UWF image. Female, longer axial length, and older age may indicate larger MSA.

Genetic characterization and clinical characteristics of bovine viral diarrhea viruses in cattle herds of Heilongjiang province, China

BACKGROUND

Heilongjiang province is the main cattle-producing area in China, and molecular epidemiological studies of bovine viral diarrhea viruses (BVDV) in cattle have not been performed in the province.

AIMS

The objective of this research was to determine the genetic and clinical characteristics of BVDV in cattle.

METHODS

Fifty-three BVDV-positive clinical samples were collected from 22 cattle farms in Heilongjiang, and the 5´-untranslated region (5´-UTR) was used to carry out a phylogenetic analysis of the viruses.

RESULTS

The similarity of the 5´-UTR sequences among these BVDVs was 84.2%-100%, and the phylogenetic analysis showed that all viruses belong to the BVDV-1 species, which is classified into five subtypes: BVDV-1b (47.17%, n=25), 1c (15.09%, n=8), 1d (16.98%, n=9), 1 m (3.77%, n=2), and 1o (16.98%, n=9). The statistical results showed that the BVDV-1b subtype had a positive correlation with gastrointestinal disease (P<0.05; 95% CI: 1.19 to 3.34). There were up to three or four BVDV-1 subtypes in some dairy cattle farms, but farms with a single subtype were prevalent (5/10).

CONCLUSION

BVDV-1b is predominant in cattle herds of Heilongjiang province, China, and shows a positive correlation with gastrointestinal disease. BVDV-1o was found for the first time in Chinese cattle, which increased the complex distribution of BVDV-1 subtypes in cattle herds of China.

Corneal Nerves Alteration Associated with Corneal Complications after Pars Plana Vitrectomy

Purpose

To evaluate the effect of corneal nerves assessment on predicting corneal complications following pars plana vitrectomy (PPV).

Methods

In this prospective single-center cohort study, 94 patients (94 eyes) received PPV, and were divided into postoperative groups with and without corneal complications. All eyes had corneal nerve fiber length (CNFL), corneal nerve fiber density, and branch density of corneal nerve fibers assessed and calculated with Image J preoperatively. Multivariate logistic regression analysis was used to identify corneal nerve fiber parameters that correlated to post-operative corneal complications. Receiver operator characteristic curve analysis was performed to identify the optimal cut-off point of the corneal fibers’ parameters for predicting corneal complications after PPV.

Results

Eleven eyes (11.70%) developed corneal complications at 1 week after PPV. There was significant difference between CNFL (19.44 ± 6.88 vs. 26.84 ± 7.53, p = 0.003), corneal nerve fiber density (28.82 ± 9.91 vs. 37.10 ± 10.16, p = 0.013) and branch density of corneal nerve fibers (55.84 ± 21.08 vs. 82.04 ± 31.89, p = 0.01) in two groups, respectively. Receiver operator characteristic analysis showed that the optimal cutoff value of CNFL to predict corneal complications following PPV was <26.495 mm/mm².

Conclusions

The decrease of CNFL may predict corneal complications following PPV. Regular preoperative corneal confocal microscopy test in PPV patients could be considered.

Long-term inhibition of UCHL1 decreases hypertension and retinopathy in spontaneously hypertensive rats

OBJECTIVE

To investigate the role of the deubiquitinase ubiquitin C-terminal hydrolase L1 (UCHL1) in hypertension and retinopathy in the spontaneously hypertensive rat (SHR).

METHODS

Wistar-Kyoto (WKY) rats and SHRs were administered the UCHL1 inhibitor LDN57444 (20 μg/kg/day) for 4 months. Pathological changes were detected with hematoxylin and eosin, immunofluorescence, and dihydroethidium staining. The mRNA and protein expression of UCHL1 were examined by real-time PCR and immunoblotting analysis.

RESULTS

At 6 months of age, SHRs showed significantly increased mRNA and protein levels of UCHL1 in the retina compared with WKY rats. Moreover, SHRs exhibited significantly increased central retinal thickness, inflammation, and reactive oxygen species production compared with WKY rats, and these effects were markedly attenuated by systemic administration of the UCHL1 inhibitor LDN57444. The beneficial effects of LDN57444 were possibly associated with reduced blood pressure and the inactivation of several signaling pathways.

CONCLUSION

UCHL1 is involved in hypertension and retinopathy in SHRs, suggesting that UCHL1 may be used as a potential therapeutic target for treating hypertensive retinopathy.

Accuracy of intraocular lens calculation formulas in cataract patients with steep corneal curvature

OBJECTIVE

To compare the accuracy of five kinds of intraocular lens calculation formulas (SRK/T, Haigis, Hoffer Q, Holladay and Barrett Universal Ⅱ) in cataract patients with steep curvature cornea ≥ 46.0 diopters.

METHODS

This is a retrospective study of cataract phacoemulsification combined with intraocular lens implantation in patients with steep curvature cornea (corneal curvature ≥ 46D). The refractive prediction errors of IOL power calculation formulas (SRK/T, Haigis, Holladay, Hoffer Q, and Barrett Universal II) using User Group for Laser Interference Biometry (ULIB) constants were evaluated and compared. Objective refraction results were assessed at one month postoperatively. According to axial length (AL), all patients were divided into three groups: short AL group (<22mm), normal AL group (>22 to ≤24.5mm) and long AL group (>24.5mm). Calculate the refractive error and absolute refractive error (AE) between the actual postoperative refractive power and the predicted postoperative refractive power. The covariance analysis was used for the comparison of five formulas in each group. The correlation between the absolute refractive error and AL from every formula were analyzed by Pearson correlation test, respectively.

RESULT

Total 112 eyes of 83 cataract patients with steep curvature cornea were collected. The anterior chamber depth (ACD) was a covariate in the short AL group in the covariance analysis of absolute refractive error (P<0.001). The SRK/T and Holladay formula had the lowest mean absolute error (MAE) (0.47D), there were statistically significant differences in MAE between the five formulas for short AL group (P = 0.024). The anterior chamber depth had no significant correlation in the five calculation formulas in the normal AL group and long AL group (P = 0.521, P = 0.609 respectively). In the normal AL group, there was no significant difference in MAE between the five calculation formulas (P = 0.609). In the long AL group, Barrett Universal II formula had the lowest MAE (0.35), and there were statistically significant differences in MAE between the five formulas (P = 0.012). Over the entire AL range, the Barrett Universal II formula had the lowest MAE and the highest percentage of eyes within ± 0.50 D, ± 1.00 D, and ± 1.50 D (69.6%, 93.8%, and 98.2% respectively).

CONCLUSION

Compared to SRK/T, Haigis, Hoffer Q, and Holladay, Barrett Universal Ⅱ formula is more accurate in predicting the IOL power in the cataract patients with steep curvature cornea ≥ 46.0 diopters.

Exploring the effect of hypertension on retinal microvasculature using deep learning on East Asian population

Hypertension is the leading risk factor of cardiovascular disease and has profound effects on both the structure and function of the microvasculature. Abnormalities of the retinal vasculature may reflect the degree of microvascular damage due to hypertension, and these changes can be detected with fundus photographs. This study aimed to use deep learning technique that can detect subclinical features appearing below the threshold of a human observer to explore the effect of hypertension on morphological features of retinal microvasculature. We collected 2012 retinal photographs which included 1007 from patients with a diagnosis of hypertension and 1005 from normotensive control. By method of vessel segmentation, we removed interference information other than retinal vasculature and contained only morphological information about blood vessels. Using these segmented images, we trained a small convolutional neural networks (CNN) classification model and used a deep learning technique called Gradient-weighted Class Activation Mapping (Grad-CAM) to generate heat maps for the class “hypertension”. Our model achieved an accuracy of 60.94%, a specificity of 51.54%, a precision of 59.27%, and a recall of 70.48%. The AUC was 0.6506. In the heat maps for the class “hypertension”, red patchy areas were mainly distributed on or around arterial/venous bifurcations. This indicated that the model has identified these regions as being the most important for predicting hypertension. Our study suggested that the effect of hypertension on retinal microvascular morphology mainly occurred at branching of vessels. The change of the branching pattern of retinal vessels was probably the most significant in response to elevated blood pressure.

ZNF424 Induces Apoptosis and Inhibits Proliferation in Lung Carcinoma Cells

Background:

Previously, we showed that the Zinc finger-containing transcription factor ZNF424 inhibits p21 transcription, which has been widely associated with various cancers. However, because the roles of ZNF424 in tumorigenesis have not been characterized, we correlated ZNF424 expression with tumorigenesis in lung cancer.

Results:

The present immunohistochemical analyses show significantly lower ZNF424 expression levels in 43 of 60 lung cancer tissues compared with adjacent tissues. Moreover, flow cytometry assays indicated that overexpression of ZNF424 induces apoptosis in A549 human lung carcinoma cells, and overexpression of ZNF424 significantly increases numbers of G1 phase cells and decreases numbers of S phase cells, suggesting that ZNF424 inhibits proliferation. Western Blot analyses show that overexpression of ZNF424 decreases protein expression levels of the mitogen-activated protein kinase (MAPK) signaling proteins P-P38 and P-ERK in A549 cells.

Conclusion:

These are the first data to associate ZNF424 with tumorigenesis and demonstrate an inhibitory role in lung cancer, indicating the potential of ZNF424 expression as a diagnostic marker of lung tumorigenesis.

Role of Zebrafish fhl1A in Satellite Cell and Skeletal Muscle Development

Background:

Four-and-a-half LIM domains protein 1 (FHL1) mutations are associated with human myopathies. However, the function of this protein in skeletal development remains unclear.

Methods:

Whole-mount in situ hybridization and embryo immunostaining were performed.

Results:

Zebrafish Fhl1A is the homologue of human FHL1. We showed that fhl1A knockdown causes defective skeletal muscle development, while injection with fhl1A mRNA largely recovered the muscle development in these fhl1A morphants. We also demonstrated that fhl1A knockdown decreases the number of satellite cells. This decrease in satellite cells and the emergence of skeletal muscle abnormalities were associated with alterations in the gene expression of myoD, pax7, mef2ca and skMLCK. We also demonstrated that fhl1A expression and retinoic acid (RA) signalling caused similar skeletal muscle development phenotypes. Moreover, when treated with exogenous RA, endogenous fhl1A expression in skeletal muscles was robust. When treated with DEAB, an RA signalling inhibitor which inhibits the activity of retinaldehyde dehydrogenase, fhl1A was downregulated.

Conclusion:

fhl1A functions as an activator in regulating the number of satellite cells and in skeletal muscle development. The role of fhl1A in skeletal myogenesis is regulated by RA signaling.

Endothelial Cells Exposed to Fluid Shear Stress Support Diffusion Based Maturation of Adult Neural Progenitor Cells

Introduction

The neural stem cell (NSC) niche is a highly complex cellular and biochemical milieu supporting proliferating NSCs and neural progenitor cells (NPCs) with close apposition to the vasculature, primarily comprised of endothelial cells (ECs). Current in vitro models of the niche incorporate EC-derived factors, but do not reflect the physiologically relevant hemodynamic state of the ECs or the spatial resolution observed between cells within the niche.

Methods

In this work, we developed a novel in vitro model of the niche that (1) incorporates ECs cultured with fluid shear stress and (2) fosters paracrine cytokine gradients between ECs and NSCs in a spatiotemporal configuration mimicking the cytoarchitecture of the subventricular niche. A modified cone and plate viscometer was used to generate a shear stress of 10 dynes cm^-2 for ECs cultured on a membrane, while statically cultured NPCs are 10 or 1000 μm below the ECs.

Results

NPCs cultured within 10 μm of dynamic ECs exhibit increased PSA-NCAM⁺ and OLIG2⁺ cells compared to progenitors in all other culture regimes and the hemodynamic EC phenotype results in distinct progeny phenotypes. This co-culture regime yields greater release of pro-neurogenic factors, suggesting a potential mechanism for the observed progenitor maturation.

Conclusions

Based on these results, models incorporating ECs exposed to shear stress allow for paracrine signaling gradients and regulate NPC lineage progression with appropriate niche spatial resolution occurring at 10 μm. This model could be used to evaluate cellular or pharmacological interactions within the healthy, diseased, or aged brain.

Bone marrow sFRP5 level is negatively associated with bone formation markers

Secreted frizzled-related protein 5 (sFRP5) level in bone marrow environment is inversely correlated with bone formation markers, suggesting that it decreases bone mass by inhibiting bone formation. Besides, it functions in a local fashion when regulating bone metabolism. sFRP5 may be a target when developing anti-osteoporotic agents.

INTRODUCTION

The purpose of the study is to investigate the relationship between bone marrow sFRP5 level and bone turnover state.

METHODS

Eighty-three total knee arthroplasty patients were enrolled in this study. Data were collected prospectively and reviewed retrospectively. Lumbar spine and femoral neck bone mineral density (BMD), marrow adipose tissue (MAT) sFRP5 messenger RNA (mRNA) expression level, sFRP5 concentrations in marrow fluid and serum, concentrations of bone formation and resorption markers were measured for each participant.

RESULTS

Marrow fluid sFRP5 concentration was positively correlated with both MAT sFRP5 expression (p = 0.040) and serum sFRP5 concentration (p = 0.043). Significantly positive correlation existed between MAT sFRP5 expression level and BMD (p < 0.05). Marrow fluid sFRP5 concentration had a moderate but not significant positive association with BMD. MAT sFRP5 was negatively related to serum bone formation markers including N-terminal propeptide of type 1 procollagen (P1NP) (p = 0.011), osteocalcin (OC), and alkaline phosphatase (ALP). Marrow fluid and serum sFRP5 concentrations also had mild negative correlations with bone formation markers but reached no significance. There was no significant correlation between bone resorption marker β-crosslaps (β-CTX) and sFRP5. The mRNA expression level of MAT sFRP5 was positively related with those of MAT leptin, peroxisome proliferator-activated receptor-γ (PPARγ), and adiponectin, and its correlation with leptin was statistically significant (p = 0.026).

CONCLUSIONS

Bone marrow sFRP5 level is closely correlated with BMD and bone formation markers. sFRP5 may be a potential negative regulator of bone mass by inhibiting bone formation. It may exert its effects on bone metabolism in a paracrine, rather than endocrine manner.

Contrast agent distribution in microvascular damage of infarcted pig myocardium

Purpose: We determined whether reperfusion damage was sufficient to allow extravasation of a large molecular weight contrast agent into infarcted pig myocardium.

Material and Methods: Five pig hearts were subjected to in situ occlusion of the left anterior descending coronary artery (2 h) followed by reperfusion (1 h). The hearts were excised and perfused in the Langendorff mode for ex vivo MR imaging. Polylysine-Gd-DTPA (50,000 Da) and Gd-DTPA (500-700 Da) were injected into the aorta (alternately) and followed by measurements of T1 relaxation and mean transit time (MTT).

Results: In the normal myocardium, MTT of Gd-DTPA (56.8±23.2 s) was significantly ( p=0.02) longer than that of polylysine-Gd-DTPA (29.0±7 s). However, both normal and infarcted myocardium showed similar MTT (29.0±7.0 vs. 28.0±5.0 s, p&gt;0.05) when using polylysine-Gd-DTPA.

Conclusion: The results indicate that the permeability of capillaries to polylysine-Gd-DTPA was not significantly higher in infarcted regions of the myocardium compared to normal tissue. However, infarcted myocardium displayed an increased permeability to the small molecular weight Gd-DTPA. We conclude that microvascular damage may not be sufficient to allow the extravasation of polylysine-Gd-DTPA in infarcted myocardium.

Cardiac Specific Overexpression of hHole Attenuates Isoproterenol-Induced Hypertrophic Remodeling through Inhibition of Extracellular Signal-Regulated Kinases (ERKs) Signalling

The human Hole gene (hHole) encodes a six-transmembrane protein with 319- amino acids. Our previous study showed that hHole was strongly expressed in adult heart and may act as a suppressor of extracellular signal-regulated kinases (ERKs), overactivation of which contributed to pathological cardiac hypertrophy. In this study, it was observed that Hole expression was up-regulated in murine hypertrophic hearts. In a cardiac specific transgenic mouse model, it was observed that overexpression of hHole specifically in heart attenuated cardiac hypertrophy and fibrosis induced by isoproterenol (ISO), with blunted transcriptions of ERK1/2, total ERK1/2 proteins and phosphorylated ERK1/2 (p-ERK1/2) levels. Furthermore, overexpression of hHole in mice by hydrodynamic tail-vein injection with hHole plamids also inhibited cardiac hypertrophy induced by ISO. Our work identified hHole as a novel repressor of cardiac hypertrophy, and provided new insights into the possible target for the prevention or treatment of cardiac diseases.

Isolation and characterization of microsatellite loci in Branchiostoma belcheri Gray (Amphioxus)

Branchiostoma belcheri Gray is a second-class, nationally protected protochordate in China. We developed 10 novel polymorphic sites in B. belcheri, which were examined using a population of 30 wild individuals from Xiamen, China. The polymorphism information content ranged between 0.141 and 0.681, and the number of alleles varied from 2 to 5. The expected and observed heterozygosities varied between 0.1528 and 0.6920, and between 0.1429 and 0.5000, respectively. These novel microsatellite markers will facilitate the genetic analysis and protection of wild B. belcheri individuals, and the possible re-stocking of the species in the long-term.

Isolation and characterization of microsatellite markers of sea cucumber Stichopus horrens

Curry fish (Stichopus horrens) is a tropical holothurian species and is widely distributed in the India-West Pacific. In the present study, 9 polymorphic microsatellite loci were isolated and characterized for S. horrens. These loci were tested in 30 individuals from Hainan Island in China. The number of alleles ranged from 2 to 5. The polymorphism information content ranged from 0.348-0.584. The levels of observed and expected heterozygosities varied from 0.1500-0.8000 and from 0.2014-0.5000, respectively. Most loci were in Hardy-Weinberg equilibrium, except HCS1-27 and HCS2-7, after sequential Bonferroni's correction, and no significant linkage disequilibrium was detected for any pairwise combination of loci. These polymorphic microsatellite loci will be useful for studying population structure and conservation strategy design for S. horrens.

Development and characterization of new microsatellite markers of Fenneropenaeus penicillatus

Thirteen new polymorphic microsatellite markers in Fenneropenaeus penicillatus were isolated and characterized. The polymorphism of the thirteen microsatellite markers was tested by 30 individuals from Lianjiang, China. It showed that the number of al-leles per locus ranged from 3 to 6 and the Polymorphism Information Content (PIC) was from 0.324 to 0.706. The observed and expected heterozygosities were 0.3217-0.8023 and 0.1977-0.6783, respectively. Only one loci (LJ-19) deviated significantly from Hardy-Weinberg equilibrium (HWE) (P < 0.00385) after Bonferroni correction, while the other twelve markers were in HWE after Bonferroni correction (P > 0.00385). The thirteen polymorphic microsatellite markers could pro-vide more genetic data for further research on cultivation and recovery of F. penicillatus.

Isolation and characterization of polymorphic microsatellite loci in the sea cucumber Holothuria scabra

The sea cucumber Holothuria scabra is an endangered species. In this study, nine new polymorphic microsatellite loci were developed and tested in 30 individuals. The number of alleles ranged from 2 to 5, and the observed and expected heterozygosities ranged from 0.1200 to 0.7391 and from 0.2408 to 0.5983, respectively. No loci significantly deviated from the Hardy-Weinberg equilibrium af-ter a Bonferroni correction, and no significant linkage disequilibrium was found between pairs of loci. These polymorphic microsatellite loci will be useful in studying the genetic diversity of H. scabra and its conservation.

Screening the first set of polymorphic microsatellite loci in Lunella coronata granulata (Turbinidae)

Lunella coronata granulata, from the family Turbini-dae, is an economically important species. The first set of 10 poly-morphic microsatellite loci was screened from L. coronata granulata, and 30 individuals were used to analyze the degree of polymorphism in these loci. The level of observed and expected heterozygosity was 0.0667-0.7333 and 0.0644-0.6628, respectively. The polymorphism information content varied from 0.305 to 0.559. Eight loci were in Hardy-Weinberg equilibrium (HWE) (P > 0.05), while two loci devi-ated significantly from the HWE after Bonferroni's correction (P < 0.005). The isolated microsatellite loci can be utilized in studies of population genetic analysis and they provide important genetic mark-ers for construction of genetic linkage maps and genetic breeding of L. coronata granulata resources.

Development and characterization of microsatellite loci in Megalonibea fusca

Megalonibea fusca is a commercially important large edible fish. In this study, the first set of 10 polymorphic microsatellite loci for M. fusca was developed and characterized. The number of alleles per locus ranged from two to five, with the observed and expected heterozygosities ranging from 0.0667 to 0.7667, and from 0.0644 to 0.5828, respectively. Most of the loci were in Hardy-Weinberg equilibrium (P > 0.05), except for two loci (Mf25 and Mf30) after a Bonferroni's correction (P < 0.005). These informative microsatellite markers will be useful in further studies of the population and conservation genetics of this species.

Isolation and characterization of novel polymorphic microsatellite loci in Atrina vexillum Born (Pinnidae)

The pen shell, Atrina vexillum Born, is an edible shellfish that is widely consumed in the Asia-Pacific region. In this study, 11 polymorphic microsatellite loci were isolated from A. vexillum, and 30 wild individuals were used to evaluate the degree of polymorphism of these markers. The number of alleles per locus ranged from 3 to 8. The polymorphism information content varied from 0.199 to 0.831. The observed and expected heterozygosities were 0.1000-0.8667 and 0.1244-0.8356, respectively. Two loci deviated significantly from the Hardy-Weinberg equilibrium (HWE) after a Bonferroni correction, while the other nine loci were at HWE. These microsatellite loci will be useful in further studies on population genetic analyses, and will provide important genetic data for the conservation and recovery of A. vexillum.

Isolation of new polymorphic microsatellite markers from the marbled rockfish Sebastiscus marmoratus

The marbled rockfish, Sebastiscus marmoratus, is an important commercially near-shore fish that inhabits the beach rocky bottom from Japan to the South China Sea. Eleven polymorphic microsatellite loci were developed from S. marmoratus and were used to identify polymorphisms in 30 samples from a wild population. The allele locus number ranged from 2 to 7. Polymorphism data content ranged from 0.032 to 0.751. The observed and expected heterozygosity levels were 0.0333-0.9667 and 0.0328-0.7675, respectively. Two loci, Smd1-112 and Smd2-80, deviated from Hardy-Weinberg equilibrium. These polymorphic microsatellite markers will facilitate further studies of genetic diversity and genetic differentiation of S. marmoratus.

Development and characterization of polymorphic microsatellite loci in the sea cucumber Holothuria leucospilota

Holothuria leucospilota is a tropical holothurian species that is widely distributed in the tropical and sub-tropical India-Western Pacific Region. Eight polymorphic microsatellite loci were developed from H. leucospilota by using the protocol fast isolation by amplified fragment length polymorphism of sequences containing repeats and tested in 30 individuals from Hainan Island in China. The number of alleles was 2-6 and polymorphism information content ranged from 0.371-0.694. The levels of expected and observed heterozygosities varied from 0.3913-0.6701 and from 0.1154-0.7000, respectively. No significant linkage disequilibrium was detected for any pairwise combination of loci. Only loci YZHS1-42 deviated from Hardy-Weinberg equilibrium. These polymorphic microsatellite loci may be useful for germplasm conservation of H. leucospilota.

Isolation and characterization of novel microsatellite markers for molecular genetic diversity in Siganus fuscescens

The rabbitfish Siganus fuscescens is an economically valuable species that is widely distributed throughout the estuaries, intertidal, and offshore coasts of the Indo-Pacific and eastern Mediterranean. Ten novel microsatellite loci from the genome of S. fuscescens were developed using the fast isolation protocol with amplified fragment length polymorphism of sequences containing repeats. Polymorphisms in these 10 microsatellite markers were determined from 32 wild individuals. The number of alleles per locus and the polymorphism information content ranged from 2 to 5 and from 0.059 to 0.668, respectively. The observed and expected heterozygosities varied from 0.063 to 0.781 and from 0.062 to 0.731, respectively. Although 1 locus (LZY-X7, P < 0.005) showed significant deviation from the Hardy-Weinberg equilibrium, no deviations were detected in the other 9 loci. These microsatellite loci may be useful for further population genetic studies, conservation studies, population structure assessment, and linkage map construction of S. fuscescens.

Screening and characterization of new microsatellite markers in Fenneropenaeus penicillatus

Fenneropenaeus penicillatus, with high protein and low fat, is a commercially important aquatic product in China. Microsatellite loci were developed according to the protocol of fast isolation by amplified fragment length polymorphism of sequences containing repeats. Eight new polymorphic microsatellite markers for F. penicillatus were identified, and 32 wild individuals were used to evaluate the degree of polymorphism of these markers. The polymorphism information content ranged from 0.2703 to 0.7598, and the number of alleles per locus varied from 3 to 6. The observed and expected heterozygosities were 0.1613-0.5556 and 0.2347-0.7387, respectively. No significant deviations from Hardy-Weinberg equilibrium (P > 0.00625) were detected. These polymorphic microsatellite loci will be useful to study the genetic diversity and population structure of F. penicillatus.

Regulation of signal transducer and activator of transcription 3 and apoptotic pathways by betaine attenuates isoproterenol-induced acute myocardial injury in rats

The present study was designed to investigate the cardioprotective effects of betaine on acute myocardial ischemia induced experimentally in rats focusing on regulation of signal transducer and activator of transcription 3 (STAT3) and apoptotic pathways as the potential mechanism underlying the drug effect. Male Sprague Dawley rats were treated with betaine (100, 200, and 400 mg/kg) orally for 40 days. Acute myocardial ischemic injury was induced in rats by subcutaneous injection of isoproterenol (85 mg/kg), for two consecutive days. Serum cardiac marker enzyme, histopathological variables and expression of protein levels were analyzed. Oral administration of betaine (200 and 400 mg/kg) significantly reduced the level of cardiac marker enzyme in the serum and prevented left ventricular remodeling. Western blot analysis showed that isoproterenol-induced phosphorylation of STAT3 was maintained or further enhanced by betaine treatment in myocardium. Furthermore, betaine (200 and 400 mg/kg) treatment increased the ventricular expression of Bcl-2 and reduced the level of Bax, therefore causing a significant increase in the ratio of Bcl-2/Bax. The protective role of betaine on myocardial damage was further confirmed by histopathological examination. In summary, our results showed that betaine pretreatment attenuated isoproterenol-induced acute myocardial ischemia via the regulation of STAT3 and apoptotic pathways.

Characterization of new microsatellite markers of Siganus fuscescens (Siganidae)

Siganus fuscescens, which is a small commercially important marine fish, is wildly distributed in shallow waters throughout the tropical and subtropical Indo-Pacific and Eastern Mediterranean regions. It is part of a group known as rabbitfish. Fifteen new polymorphic microsatellite markers for S. fuscescens were identified, and 32 wild individuals were used to evaluate the degree of polymorphism of these markers. The number of alleles per locus ranged from 2 to 12, and the polymorphism information content ranged from 0.210 to 0.849. The observed and expected heterozygosities were 0.142-0.808 and 0.225-0.853, respectively. Although significant deviations from Hardy-Weinberg equilibrium were detected at 2 loci (Sf1-37-2 and Sf1-47), no significant deviations were detected at the other 13 loci. These microsatellite markers will provide a useful tool for studies on genetic diversity and differentiation of S. fuscescens.

Blank Design and Fiber Orientation Distribution During Compression Molding of GMT

Glass mat thermoplastics (GMT) have the superior property/price ratio, they can be used in many industrial aspects. In this paper, through a 100mm-deep mold, the glass mat distribution, fiber orientation and mechanical properties of the part were studied under different blank designs. In conclusion, (1) Blank design has effect on the mat distribution and fiber orientation, and finally on the mechanical properties of the part. To a part, there is an optimum blank design, which will not greatly decrease the mechanical properties of the sheets in the final part. (2) In compression molding, interlaminar slippage, blank ejection and resin solidification result in mat distribution and fiber orientation.

Characterization of eight novel microsatellite markers in the green-lipped mussel Perna viridis (Mytilidae)

The green lipped mussel, also known as the Asian green mussel (Perna viridis) is a fast reproducing and valuable food source, but it is also considered an invasive species and can clog and damage pipes and marine equipment. Eight novel polymorphic microsatellite loci for P. viridis were isolated and characterized. Microsatellite polymorphism was evaluated in 30 individuals collected from Xiamen, China. The number of alleles per locus and the polymorphism information content ranged from 2 to 5 and from 0.3092 to 0.7031, respectively. The observed and expected heterozygosities were 0.1538-0.8400 and 0.1448-0.6833, respectively. The loci identified in this study could provide a useful tool for the genetic population structure analysis of P. viridis.

Analysis of the causes and types of traumatic spinal cord injury based on 561 cases in China from 2001 to 2010

OBJECTIVES

A remarkable increase in traumatic spinal cord injury (TSCI) morbidity has occurred in China from 2001 to 2010 due to rapid industrial and economic development; this increase seriously threatens public health. The current study investigated the major causes and severity of TSCI in 561 hospitalized TSCI patients who came from all over China to the General Hospital of Chinese People's Armed Police Forces.

METHODS

Information (including each patient's age, gender, time and cause of injury and severity of spinal cord injury (SCI, complete or incomplete)) regarding 561 hospitalized TSCI patients whose injuries occurred between 2001 and 2010 was retrospectively analyzed.

RESULTS

Among the 561 patients, the youngest was 9 months old and the oldest was 67 years old; the average patient age was 34.74 ± 12.24 years. The sex ratio was 4.1:1 (male:female). The injuries were primarily caused by transportation accidents (51.2%), falling from a height (23.9%), tamping (8.6%), stumbling (8.0%), stabbing (3.0%) and crushing (1.8%). Although no statistically significant associations were observed between the different injury causes and severity of the injury, a statistically significant association was observed between the different injury causes and levels of the lesion.

CONCLUSION

Transportation accidents, falling from a height, tamping, stumbling, stabbing and crushing are the most common causes of TSCI. No statistically significant relationships were observed between certain injury causes and either complete or incomplete injury. However, different injury causes usually led to different levels of the lesion. No statistical differences were observed between the levels of the lesion and either complete or incomplete injury.