[Feasibility of a single-port thoracoscopy-assisted five-step laparoscopic procedure via transabdominal diaphragmatic approach for No.111 lymphadenectomy in patients with Siewert type II esophageal gastric junction adenocarcinoma]

Objective: We aimed to explore the feasibility of a single-port thoracoscopy- assisted five-step laparoscopic procedure via transabdominal diaphragmatic(TD) approach(abbreviated as five-step maneuver) for No.111 lymphadenectomy in patients with Siewert type II esophageal gastric junction adenocarcinoma (AEG). Methods: This was a descriptive case series study. The inclusion criteria were as follows: (1) age 18-80 years; (2) diagnosis of Siewert type II AEG; (3) clinical tumor stage cT2-4aNanyM0; (4) meeting indications of the transthoracic single-port assisted laparoscopic five-step procedure incorporating lower mediastinal lymph node dissection via a TD approach; (5) Eastern Cooperative Oncology Group performance status (ECOG PS) 0-1; and (6) American Society of Anesthesiologists classification I, II, or III. The exclusion criteria included previous esophageal or gastric surgery, other cancers within the previous 5 years, pregnancy or lactation, and serious medical conditions. We retrospectively collected and analyzed the clinical data of 17 patients (age [mean ± SD], [63.6±11.9] years; and 12 men) who met the inclusion criteria in the Guangdong Provincial Hospital of Chinese Medicine from January 2022 to September 2022. No.111 lymphadenectomy was performed using five-step maneuver as follows: superior to the diaphragm, starting caudad to the pericardium, along the direction of the cardio-phrenic angle and ending at the upper part of the cardio-phrenic angle, right to the right pleura and left to the fibrous pericardium , completely exposing the cardio-phrenic angle. The primary outcome includes the numbers of harvested and of positive No.111 lymph nodes. Results: Seventeen patients (3 proximal gastrectomy and 14 total gastrectomy) had undergone the five-step maneuver including lower mediastinal lymphadenectomy without conversion to laparotomy or thoracotomy and all had achieved R0 resection with no perioperative deaths. The total operative time was (268.2±32.9) minutes, and the lower mediastinal lymph node dissection time was (34.0±6.0) minutes. The median estimated blood loss was 50 (20-350) ml. A median of 7 (2-17) mediastinal lymph nodes and 2(0-6) No. 111 lymph nodes were harvested. No. 111 lymph node metastasis was identified in 1 patient. The time to first flatus occurred 3 (2-4) days postoperatively and thoracic drainage was used for 7 (4-15) days. The median postoperative hospital stay was 9 (6-16) days. One patient had a chylous fistula that resolved with conservative treatment. No serious complications occurred in any patient. Conclusion: The single-port thoracoscopy-assisted five-step laparoscopic procedure via a TD approach can facilitate No. 111 lymphadenectomy with few complications.

Infection Characteristics and Physical Prevention Strategy of Panax notoginseng Round Spot Disease Caused by Mycocentrospora acerina

Panax notoginseng round spot disease (PRSD), caused by Mycocentrospora acerina, is the main leaf disease occurring in cultured P. notoginseng. Aiming to find a safe and efficient control method for PRSD, we studied the disease characteristics of PRSD and the optimal growth conditions of M. acerina and evaluated the efficacy of rain-shelter cultivation in PRSD control. Moreover, we described M. acerina based on morphological characterization and molecular analyses (ITS, ACT, LSU, and TEF-1α). The optimum temperature for M. acerina conidial germination was found to be 14 to 22°C. Furthermore, leaf surface wetness for at least 4 h is required for conidial germination, and conidia can successfully infect P. notoginseng when the leaf wetness lasts for more than 8 h. Additionally, rainwater splashing determines the conidial transfection distance, which is less than 2 m. Finally, our study revealed that rain-shelter cultivation is an effective and simple physical prevention strategy to control PRSD, with an average efficacy of up to 100%.

A Rare Case of Amyloidoma of the Chest Wall Presented with Fever of Unknown Origin

Amyloidoma of the chest wall is an uncommon entity, consisting of a solitary tumor-like deposit of amyloid. Until now, while rarely reported, it was mostly presented with back pain and swelling. Here, we report the first case of a chest wall amyloidoma initially presented with fever of unknown origin. Due to the rarity of the lesion as a primary entity, protein electrophoresis and long-term follow-up are required. In addition, patients undergoing long-term hemodialysis are particularly at risk for such acquired amyloidosis. However, soft-tissue tumors, considered as amyloidoma, is also rare in patients with long-term hemodialysis. For patients with a fever of unknown primary origin, clinicians should keep amyloidoma in mind, especially in high-risk populations.

[Efficacy observation of the caudal-medial approach combined with "page-turning" middle lymphadenectomy in the laparoscopic right hemicolectomy]

Objective: To investigate the safety and feasibility of caudal-medial approach combined with "page-turning" middle lymphadenectomy in the laparoscopic right hemicolectomy. Methods: A descriptive cohort study was conducted. Clinical data of 35 patients who underwent laparoscopic radical right hemicolectomy using caudal-medial approach combined with "page-turning" middle lymphadenectomy at Department of Gastrointestinal Surgery, Guangdong Hospital of Chinese Medicine from April 2018 to May 2020 were retrospectively analyzed. All operations were performed consecutively by the same surgeon. The caudal-medial approach was used to dissect the right Toldt's fascia and the anterior pancreaticoduodenal space in a caudal-to-cranial and medial-to-lateral manner guided by the duodenum. The "page-turning" middle lymphadenectomy was used to dissect the mesocolon along the superior mesenteric vein with ileocolic vein, Henle's trunk and pancreas exposed preferentially. Results: All the 35 patients completed the operation successfully, and there was no damage and bleeding of superior mesenteric vessels and their branches. The operative time was (186.9±46.2) minutes, and the blood loss was 50 (10-200) ml. The first time to flatus was (2.1±0.6) days, and the time to fluid intake was (2.5±0.8) days. The postoperative hospital stay was 6 (3-18) d. The overall morbidity of postoperative complication was 8.6% (3/35), including grade II in 1 cases (2.8%) and grade IIIa in 2 case (5.7%) according to the Clavien-Dindo grading standard. The total number of lymph node dissected was 30.2±5.6, and the positive lymph node was 0 (0-7). Tumor staging revealed 5 cases of stage I, 18 cases of stage II, 11 cases of stage III, and 1 case of stage IVA. In this study, the median follow-up time was 15 (4-29) months. One patient died due to cerebrovascular accident 12 months after surgery, and no tumor recurrence or metastasis was observed in all other patients. Conclusions: Laparoscopic radical right hemicolectomy using caudal-medial approach combined with "page-turning" middle lymphadenectomy is safe and feasible. The anterior pancreaticoduodenal space is preferentially mobilized, which reduces the difficulty of central vascular dissection.

[Comparison of the accuracy of predicting prognosis of brain function in patients after cardiopulmonary cerebral resuscitation with two kinds of electroencephalogram techniques combined with neuron-specific enolase]

Objective: To compare the accuracy of electroencephalography (EEG) grading or amplitude-integrated electroencephalography (aEEG) grading combined with NSE in predicting brain function prognosis after cardiopulmonary cerebral resuscitation (CPR) in adults. Methods: The patients who were admitted to Fujian Medical University Union Hospital after CPR from January 2015 to June 2019 were enrolled. Demographic data, Glasgow coma scale (GCS), blood neuron specific enolase (NSE), EEG grading and aEEG grading were collected. The main clinical outcome was the prognosis of brain function (Glasgow-Pittsburgh cerebral performance category, CPC) in patients at 3 months after CPR. Accordingly, the patients were divided into two groups: favorable prognosis group and poor prognosis group, and relevant parameters were compared between the two groups. The predictive ability of EEG grading or aEEG grading combined with NSE for brain function prognosis was evaluated by receiver operating characteristic (ROC) curve. Results: A total of 57 patients were enrolled, with 34 males and 23 females. The average age was (65±19) years old. In terms of Young EEG scales, there was 16 grade 1 cases (28.1%), 24 grade 2-5 cases (42.1%) and 17 grade 6 cases (29.8%), respectively. As for aEEG grading, there was 11 grade Ⅰ cases (19.3%), 25 grade Ⅱ cases (43.9%) and 21 grade Ⅲ cases (36.8%), respectively. There was no significant difference of age, sex, length of stay between the two groups (all P>0.05). However, there was significant difference of EEG grading scale, aEEG grading, GCS grading and NSE between the two groups (all P<0.05). The area under curve (AUC) of NSE, EEG grading and aEEG grading for predicting brain function prognosis was 0.81, 0.82 and 0.85, respectively (all P<0.01). In aEEG grading combined with NSE group, the AUC of was 0.92, and the optimal cut-off point was 4.5, with a sensitivity of 95.8% and a specificity of 79.0%. In EEG grading combined with NSE group, the AUC was 0.90, and the optimal cut-off point was 3.6, with a sensitivity of 92.1% and a specificity of 77.0%. Conclusions: aEEG grading combined with NSE is more accurate in predicting prognosis in patients with cardiopulmonary cerebral resuscitation when compared to EEG grading. Considering its feasibility, aEEG grading combined with NSE is more suitable for clinical application.

Low oxygen pressure synthesis of NdNiO3-δ nanowires by electrospinning

Synthesis of RNiO3 (R = rare earth) nanowires can be interesting as building blocks with potential applications in optoelectronic devices. Here, we describe the synthesis and characterization of NdNiO3-δ (NNO) nanowires produced by electrospinning technique via polymeric precursor solution at relatively low temperature and oxygen pressure. These NNO nanowires were characterized by x-ray diffraction (XRD), x-ray photodetection spectroscopy (XPS), Field Emission Scanning Electron Microscopy (Fe-SEM), Magnetization (M(T)) and electrical resistance (R(T)) measurements. SEM images revealed a granular nanowire microstructure of NNO nanostructures, with a distribution of nanowire diameters ranging from 50 to 150 nm. The NNO nanowires also exhibit granular characteristics with an average grain diameter of  40 nm. The x-ray diffraction patterns of the NNO nanowires indicated that these samples exhibited a high degree of crystallinity and their Bragg reflections can be indexed to an orthorhombic-distorted (Pbnm symmetry) perovskite structure. The crystalline structure seems to be slightly texturized in some Bragg directions and with a slightly strained crystallite. M(T) and R(T) measurement as a function of temperature curves show that these NNO samples present a metal-insulator (MI) transition close to T MI  ∼ 198 K, which is usually observed in NNO thin films and bulk samples. The nanostructured shape and these experimental observations can be promising in designing new electronic devices using this strongly correlated oxide.

[Effects of parental rearing patterns and their consistency on the emotional and behavioral problems of preschool children]

Objective: To explore the effect of parental rearing patterns and their consistency on the emotional and behavioral problems of preschool children. Methods: From October to November 2017, 27 987 children aged 3 to 6 years old from 109 kindergartens in 11 cities of Hubei, Anhui and Jiangsu Provinces were selected by using the cluster sampling method. A total of 27 200 valid questionnaires which were completed by subjects' parents were collected. The emotional and behavioral problems of preschool children were collected by "strengths and difficulties questionnaire" and the parental rearing patterns were evaluated by the "Parental Behavior Scale". The differences in emotional and behavioral abnormality rates of preschool children with different characteristics were analyzed; with emotional and behavioral problems as dependent variables and parental support/participation and compulsion/hostility as independent variables, the multivariate logistic regression model was used to analyze the effect of parental rearing patterns and their consistency on the emotional and behavioral problems of preschool children. Results: The age of children was (4.35±0.96) years old, and 51.4% of children were 13 975 males. There were 24 634 (90.6%) urban children and 17 916 (65.9%) only children. Both parents with strong support/participation accounted for 14.9%, and those with poor support/participation accounted for 11.9%; both parents with strong compulsion/hostility accounted for 15.2%, and those with low compulsion/hostility accounted for 11.3%. The rates of emotional symptoms, conduct behavior, hyperactive behavior, peer interaction, total difficulty score, and abnormal prosocial behavior of preschool children were 9.5%, 9.5%, 18.2%, 24.5%, 11.2%, and 10.2%, respectively. The multivariate logistic regression model analysis showed that after adjusting for gender, only child, living area, family economic status, mother's age and education level, father's education level, and other factors, compared with fathers/mothers with strong support/participation and low compulsion/hostility and parents with strong support/participation and low compulsion/hostility, preschool children who had fathers/mothers with poor support/participation and strong compulsion/hostility or parents with poor support/participation and strong compulsion/hostility were more likely to have emotional symptoms, conduct behavior, hyperactive behavior, peer interaction, total difficulty score, and abnormal prosocial behavior (P<0.05). Conclusions: Parental rearing patterns and their consistency are related to the emotional and behavioral problems of preschool children.

[Effects of chronic intermittent hypoxia on hepatic function and protective mechanism of adiponectin in rats]

Objective: To explore the effect of chronic intermittent hypoxia (CIH) on rats hepatic function, and the protective mechanism of adiponectin (Ad). Methods: Sixty healthy male wistar rats were randomly divided into 4 groups: normal control (NC), NC+ Ad, CIH, and CIH+ Ad groups with 15 rats in each. The rats in CIH and CIH+ Ad groups were exposed to an intermittent hypoxic chamber 8 hours per day for 4 months. Meanwhile, the rats in both the NC and NC + Ad groups were housed with normal pressure air. The rats in the NC+ Ad and CIH+ Ad groups were additionally treated with an intravenous injection of Ad (10 μg), twice a week for 4 months. At the end of experiment, comparison among groups was made about plasma levels of aspartate amino transferase (AST), alanine amino transferase (ALT), degrees of endoplasmic reticulum stress (ERS) and mitochondrium associated cellular apoptosis. Results: No significant difference was detected in all items between NC and NC+ Ad groups (all P>0.05). Plasma hepatic enzyme levels of AST and ALT were significantly higher in CIH group [(319±21) and (113±9) U/L] than those in NC group [(178±19) and (51±9) U/L] and NC+ Ad group [(175±16) and (52±8) U/L] (all P<0.05). Compared NC with NC+ Ad group, there was more remarkable ERS and mitochondrial injury associated cellular apoptosis in hepatic tissues of CIH group. Such pathological changes were less obvious in CIH+ Ad group than in CIH group (all P<0.05). Conclusion: CIH can induce hepatic injury in rats, while Ad supplement may play a protective role possibly through inhibition of ERS and associated pathways of cellular apoptosis.

[Disaster and reconstruction of Chinese Railways Health Career during 1937-1949]

China railways medical career expereniced serious disaster because of Japanese aggressors destorying in Anti-Japanse time. Longhai, zhegan and Xianggui Railways Bureaus carried out the ongoing struggle in the front and rear of War.After the war, state railways health career had began to recover and rebuild, General Hospital as the core of the health administration system and the main railway hospitals had been rebuilt in each railways ministry in 1949, and these were a certain degree of development, but still a gap compared with pre-war.

[On the epidemic of cholera and its prevention and control by the railway authorities in 1932]

In 1932, the epidemic of cholera in China was serious, spreading to all provinces nationwide, causing heavy casualties. In order to prevent cholera epidemics spread along the railway line, the National Government Ministry of Railways and the local railway administration had taken all countermeasures, including the promulgation of epidemic prevention laws and regulations, quarantine, isolated check-up, disinfection, vaccination and even interruption of traffic. The measures of railway authorities had achieved a certain success. In August 1932, cholera epidemic began to subside gradually.

Cigarette smoke induces mucin hypersecretion and inflammatory response through the p66shc adaptor protein-mediated mechanism in human bronchial epithelial cells

The p66Shc adaptor protein is a newly recognized mediator of mitochondrial dysfunction and might play a role in cigarette smoke (CS)-induced airway epithelial cell injury. CS can induce an excessive amount of reactive oxygen species (ROS) generation, which can cause mitochondrial depolarization and injury through the oxidative stress-mediated Serine36 phosphorylation of p66Shc. The excessive production of ROS can trigger an inflammatory response and mucin hypersecretion by enhancing the transcriptional activity of pro-inflammatory cytokines and mucin genes. Therefore, we speculate that p66Shc plays an essential role in airway epithelial cell injury and the process of mucin generation in CS-induced chronic inflammatory airway diseases. Our present study focuses on the role of p66Shc in ROS generation, and on the resulting mitochondrial dysfunction, inflammatory response and mucus hypersecretion in CS-stimulated human bronchial epithelial cells (16HBE). We found that CS disturbed the mitochondrial function by increasing the level of phosphorylated p66Shc in these cells and that the effects were significantly reduced by silencing p66Shc. Conversely, the ectopic overexpression of wild-type p66Shc enhanced these effects. We also found that high levels of ROS inhibited FOXO3a transcriptional activity, which led to NF-κB activation. Subsequently, activated NF-κB promoted pro-inflammatory cytokine production and mucin hypersecretion. Thus, manipulating p66Shc might offer a new therapeutic modality with which to treat chronic inflammatory airway diseases.

Observation of a Neutral Charmoniumlike State Z_{c}(4025)^{0} in e^{+}e^{-}→(D^{*}D[over ¯]^{*})^{0}π^{0}

We report a study of the process e^{+}e^{-}→(D^{*}D[over ¯]^{*})^{0}π^{0} using e^{+}e^{-} collision data samples with integrated luminosities of 1092 pb^{-1} at sqrt[s]=4.23 GeV and 826 pb^{-1} at sqrt[s]=4.26 GeV collected with the BESIII detector at the BEPCII storage ring. We observe a new neutral structure near the (D^{*}D[over ¯]^{*})^{0} mass threshold in the π^{0} recoil mass spectrum, which we denote as Z_{c}(4025)^{0}. Assuming a Breit-Wigner line shape, its pole mass and pole width are determined to be (4025.5_{-4.7}^{+2.0}±3.1) MeV/c^{2} and (23.0±6.0±1.0) MeV, respectively. The Born cross sections of e^{+}e^{-}→Z_{c}(4025)^{0}π^{0}→(D^{*}D[over ¯]^{*})^{0}π^{0} are measured to be (61.6±8.2±9.0) pb at sqrt[s]=4.23 GeV and (43.4±8.0±5.4) pb at sqrt[s]=4.26 GeV. The first uncertainties are statistical and the second are systematic.

Observation of Z_{c}(3900)^{0} in e^{+}e^{-}→π^{0}π^{0}J/ψ

Using a data sample collected with the BESIII detector operating at the BEPCII storage ring, we observe a new neutral state Z_{c}(3900)^{0} with a significance of 10.4σ. The mass and width are measured to be 3894.8±2.3±3.2  MeV/c^{2} and 29.6±8.2±8.2  MeV, respectively, where the first error is statistical and the second systematic. The Born cross section for e^{+}e^{-}→π^{0}π^{0}J/ψ and the fraction of it attributable to π^{0}Z_{c}(3900)^{0}→π^{0}π^{0}J/ψ in the range E_{c.m.}=4.19-4.42  GeV are also determined. We interpret this state as the neutral partner of the four-quark candidate Z_{c}(3900)^{±}.

Observation and Spin-Parity Determination of the X(1835) in J/ψ→γK_{S}^{0}K_{S}^{0}η

We report an observation of the process J/ψ→γX(1835)→γK_{S}^{0}K_{S}^{0}η at low K_{S}^{0}K_{S}^{0} mass with a statistical significance larger than 12.9σ using a data sample of 1.31×10^{9} J/ψ events collected with the BESIII detector. In this region of phase space the K_{S}^{0}K_{S}^{0} system is dominantly produced through the f_{0}(980). By performing a partial wave analysis, we determine the spin parity of the X(1835) to be J^{PC}=0^{-+}. The mass and width of the observed X(1835) are 1844±9(stat)_{-25}^{+16}(syst)  MeV/c^{2} and 192_{-17}^{+20}(stat)_{-43}^{+62}(syst)  MeV, respectively, which are consistent with the results obtained by BESIII in the channel J/ψ→γπ^{+}π^{-}η^{'}.

Observation of the ψ(1 3D2) State in e+e-→π+π-γχc1 at BESIII

We report the observation of the X(3823) state in the process e+e-→π+π-X(3823)→π+π-γχc1 with a statistical significance of 6.2σ, in data samples at center-of-mass energies sqrt[s]=4.230, 4.260, 4.360, 4.420, and 4.600 GeV collected with the BESIII detector at the BEPCII electron positron collider. The measured mass of the X(3823) state is (3821.7±1.3±0.7)  MeV/c2, where the first error is statistical and the second systematic, and the width is less than 16 MeV at the 90% confidence level. The products of the Born cross sections for e+e-→π+π-X(3823) and the branching ratio B[X(3823)→γχc1,c2] are also measured. These measurements are in good agreement with the assignment of the X(3823) state as the ψ(1 3D2) charmonium state.

Study of e(+)e(-)→ωχ(cJ) at center of mass energies from 4.21 to 4.42 GeV

Based on data samples collected with the BESIII detector at the BEPCII collider at nine center of mass energies from 4.21 to 4.42 GeV, we search for the production of e^{+}e^{-}→ωχ_{cJ} (J=0, 1, 2). The process e^{+}e^{-}→ωχ_{c0} is observed for the first time, and the Born cross sections at sqrt[s]=4.23 and 4.26 GeV are measured to be (55.4±6.0±5.9) and (23.7±5.3±3.5)  pb, respectively, where the first uncertainties are statistical and the second are systematic. The ωχ_{c0} signals at the other seven energies and the e^{+}e^{-}→ωχ_{c1} and ωχ_{c2} signals are not significant, and the upper limits on the cross sections are determined. By examining the ωχ_{c0} cross section as a function of center of mass energy, we find that it is inconsistent with the line shape of the Y(4260) observed in e^{+}e^{-}→π^{+}π^{-}J/ψ. Assuming the ωχ_{c0} signals come from a single resonance, we extract the mass and width of the resonance to be (4230±8±6)  MeV/c^{2} and (38±12±2)  MeV, respectively, and the statistical significance is more than 9σ.

Observation of e(+)e(-)→π(0)π(0)hc and a neutral charmoniumlike structure Zc(4020)(0)

Using data collected with the BESIII detector operating at the Beijing Electron Positron Collider at center-of-mass energies of sqrt[s]=4.23, 4.26, and 4.36 GeV, we observe e(+)e(-)→π(0)π(0)hc for the first time. The Born cross sections are measured and found to be about half of those of e(+)e(-)→π(+)π(-)hc within less than 2σ. In the π(0)hc mass spectrum, a structure at 4.02  GeV/c(2) is found. It is most likely to be the neutral isospin partner of the Zc(4020)(±) observed in the process of e(+)e(-)→π(+)π(-)hc being found. A fit to the π(0)hc invariant mass spectrum, with the width of the Zc(4020)(0) fixed to that of its charged isospin partner and possible interferences with non-Zc(4020)(0) amplitudes neglected, gives a mass of (4023.9±2.2±3.8)  MeV/c(2) for the Zc(4020)(0), where the first error is statistical and the second systematic.

Observation of η'→π+ π π+ π- and η'→π+π- π0 π0

Using a sample of 1.3 × 10(9)  J/ψ events collected with the BESIII detector, we report the first observation of η(')→π(+)π(-)π(+)π(-) and η(')→π(+)π(-)π(0)π(0). The measured branching fractions are B(η(')→π(+)π(-)π(+)π(-)) = [8.53 ± 0.69(stat.) ± 0.64(syst.)]×10(-5) and B(η(')→π(+)π(-)π(0) π(0)) = [1.82 ± 0.35(stat.) ± 0.18(syst.)] × 10(-4), which are consistent with theoretical predictions based on a combination of chiral perturbation theory and vector-meson dominance.

Immunoglobulin levels in Bull terriers suffering from lethal acrodermatitis

An enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay, developed by one the authors (Huang, 1993) was used to measure immunoglobulin levels in previously stored plasma samples from eight dogs suffering from lethal acrodermatitis (LAD) and 10 normal Bull terriers. The aim of the study was to document plasma immunoglobulin levels and to determine if dogs suffering from LAD had low IgA levels. The results showed that dogs suffering from LAD had normal IgG and IgM levels but significantly lower IgA levels than the control group. This finding may in part explain the frequent occurrence of microbial infections recorded in dogs suffering from LAD.

Tbx19, a tissue-selective regulator of POMC gene expression

Pituitary cell types arise in a temporally and spatially specific fashion, in response to combinatorial actions of transcription factors induced by transient signaling gradients. The critical transcriptional determinants of the two pituitary cell types that express the pro-opiomelanocortin (POMC) gene, the anterior lobe corticotropes, producing adrenocorticotropin, and the intermediate lobe melanotropes, producing melanocyte-stimulating hormone (MSH alpha), have remained unknown. Here, we report that a member of the T-box gene family, Tbx19, which is expressed only in the rostral ventral diencephalon and pituitary gland, commencing on e11.5, marks pituitary cells that will subsequently express the POMC gene and is capable of altering progression of ventral cell types and inducing adrenocorticotropin in rostral tip cells. It is suggested that Tbx19, depending on the presence of synergizing transcription factors, can activate POMC gene expression and repress the alpha glycoprotein subunit and thyroid-stimulating hormone beta promoters.

[Study of EEG approximate entrophy in different brain functional states]

AIM

The approximate entrophy was applied to study EEG in different brain functional states.

METHODS

EEG were recorded in 40 cases healthy volunteers, who are in five functions states (1. resting conscious with eye-close. 2. resting conscious with eye-opened. 3. closed eyes and listening pure tone. 4. staring at picture. 5. closed eyes and counting numbers). ApEn were calculated in these EEG.

RESULTS

The ApEn of frontal was the highest and ApEn of occipital was the lowest in resting conscious with eye-closed. ApEn in every brain area were higher than that in resting conscious with eye-opened. ApEn were changed in different physiological functions. Variation of frontal EEG ApEn value were highest.

CONCLUSIONS

The ApEn may reflect characteristic of EEG non-linear dynamical. It is a stable parameter. The dates of its requirement were fewer. It may be a useful parameter in studying EEG time series.

Tumor promotion of N-nitroso-N-(3-keto-1, 2-butanediol)-3'-nitrotyramine derived from nitrosation of Maillard reaction product in CD-1 mice

N-Nitroso-N-(3-keto-1,2-butanediol)-3'-nitrotyramine (NO-NTA) is a product of a model browning system generated in the presence of sodium nitrite. Our previous study showed that NO-NTA had genotoxicity and proved to be an initiator and promoter on mouse C3H10T1/2 cells. In this study, a two-stage skin carcinogenesis protocol was used to promote CD-1 mouse skin carcinogenesis using NO-NTA. Twice weekly, for 38 weeks, topical application of NO-NTA at the concentration of 250 nmol to mice previously initiated with benzo(a)pyrene (BaP) caused 90% tumor incidence. However, no tumors were observed in mice treated with BaP or treated with NO-NTA alone. The NO-NTA-promoted tumors that were observed histologically in mice showed well-differentiated squamous cell carcinoma with invasion into the subcutaneous region. Application of the same amount of NO-NTA not only caused significant induction of hyperplasia but also epidermal ornithine decarboxylase (ODC) activity. Treatment of mouse skin (1 cm(2)) with various amounts of NO-NTA (10, 50, or 250 nmol) caused production of hydrogen peroxide by 1.63-, 1.91-, and 2. 38-fold, respectively, and marked induction of myeloperoxidase (MPO) by 21-, 39-, and 61-fold. These results indicate that NO-NTA is a new tumor promoter and may induce tumor promotion by oxidant stress in CD-1 mouse skin.

Regulation of the pancreatic islet-specific gene BETA2 (neuroD) by neurogenin 3

The BETA2 (neuroD) gene is expressed in endocrine cells during pancreas development and is essential for proper islet morphogenesis. The objective of this study is to identify potential upstream regulators of the BETA2 gene during pancreas development. We demonstrated that the expression of neurogenin 3 (ngn3), an islet- and neuron-specific basic-helix-loop-helix transcription factor, partially overlaps that of BETA2 during early mouse development. More importantly, overexpression of ngn3 can induce the ectopic expression of BETA2 in Xenopus embryos and stimulate the endogenous RNA of BETA2 in endocrine cell lines. Furthermore, overexpression of ngn3 could cause a dose-dependent activation on the 1.0-kb BETA2 promoter in islet-derived cell lines. Deletion and mutation analyses revealed that two proximal E box sequences, E1 and E3, could bind to ngn3-E47 heterodimer and mediate ngn3 activation. Based on these results, we hypothesize that ngn3 is involved in activating the expression of BETA2 at an early stage of islet cell differentiation through the E boxes in the BETA2 promoter.

Transcription factors involved in pancreatic islet development

The endocrine pancreas is an organ of enormous importance, since its dysfunction causes diabetes, one of the most common human diseases in the world. Regulation of pancreatic endocrine cell determination and differentiation requires a unique set of transcription factors, including basic helix-loop-helix and homeodomain-containing proteins. The physiological role of individual transcription factor has been characterized by gene disruption in the mouse. The results indicate that these genes are not only involved in tissue-specific activation of downstream target genes for islet-specific hormones, but also critical for the proper islet morphogenesis. Future elucidation of the genetic relationship of these genes will lead to a better understanding of the molecular mechanisms controlling endocrine pancreas formation and will contribute to the development of new therapeutic approaches to diabetes.

Effects of ear type, sex, age, body weight, and climate on temperatures in the external acoustic meatus of dogs

OBJECTIVE

To investigate effects of ear type, sex, age, body weight, and ambient climatic conditions on external acoustic meatus (external ear canal) temperatures in dogs.

ANIMALS

650 dogs without clinical signs of ear disease.

PROCEDURE

Dogs were assigned to 5 groups on the basis of auricular conformation and amount of hair in the external ear canal and 4 groups on the basis of body weight or age. External ear canal temperatures (EECT) were measured, using an infrared thermometer. Mean EECT determined for each group were compared to evaluate effects of ear type, age, weight, and sex, and EECT measured at different ambient temperatures and humidities were compared to determine climatic effects.

RESULTS

Dogs with hirsute ear canals had significantly lower EECT than dogs with hairless ear canals, whereas significant differences were not detected between dogs with erect and pendulous auricles. Dogs < 6 years old had higher EECT than older dogs, and dogs that weighed < 6 kg had lower EECT than larger dogs. External ear canal temperatures measured when ambient temperatures were < 25 C were less than those measured at warmer temperatures. Sex and relative humidity did not affect EECT CONCLUSIONS AND CLINICAL RELEVANCE: EECT of dogs without ear disease were affected by weight and age, amount of hair in the external ear canal, and ambient temperature. However, hirsute ears had lower, not higher, EECT than hairless ears, suggesting that EECT may play less of a role in the development of otitis externa than believed.

Iatrogenic hyperadrenocorticism in 28 dogs

Twenty-eight dogs with iatrogenic hyperadrenocorticism were studied. The most common clinical signs were cutaneous lesions (27/28), polydipsia (21/28), polyuria (19/28), and lethargy (16/28). The most predominant findings on biochemical profile were elevated alkaline phosphatase (ALP, 15/28) and alanine transferase (ALT, 14/28); hypercholesterolemia (14/28); elevated aspartate transferase (AST, 12/28); and elevated triglycerides (12/18). Baseline cortisol levels of all 28 dogs were at the lower end of the reference range and exhibited suppressed or no response to adrenocorticotropic hormone (ACTH) stimulation. The mean time for each dog to show initial improvement of clinical signs after corticosteroid withdrawal was six weeks, with another mean time of 12 weeks to demonstrate complete remission.

Promotional effect of N-nitroso-N-(3-keto-1,2-butanediol)-3'-nitrotyramine (a nitrosated Maillard reaction product) in mouse fibroblast cells

N-Nitroso-N-(3-keto-1,2-butanediol)-3'-nitrotyramine (NO-NTA) is a product of model browning system generated in the presence of sodium nitrite. The chemical structure of this compound has been confirmed by UV, mass and nuclear magnetic resonance, and infrared spectroscopy in our previous study. A two-stage transformation protocol was used to chemically transform the mouse embryo fibroblasts C3H10T1/2 cells. To initiate transformation, the cells were treated with benzo[a]pyrene (BaP) (0.1 mg/ml), and NO-NTA (0.01, 0.1 and 1 mg/ml) was employed subsequently to complete the transformation process. Malignant transformed foci were formed in BaP-initiated and NO-NTA promoted C3H10T1/2 cells after 8 wk. Cells treated with NO-NTA alone failed to induce transformation. However, cells initiated with BaP and promoted by cells initiated with BaP and promoted by NO-NTA demonstrated oncogenic properties. Cell lines transformed with NO-NTA-transformed colonies exhibited enhanced growth rate, anchorage independence and tumorigenicity in animals relative to parent cells. These results indicate that NO-NTA is a new tumour promoter and may induce tumour promotion by two-stage oncogenesis. Further studies on the mechanism of action of NO-NTA are now in progress.

Use of infrared thermometry and effect of otitis externa on external ear canal temperature in dogs

OBJECTIVE

To compare infrared thermometry with rectal thermometry as a method of assessing core body temperature in dogs and to assess the effect of otitis externa on external ear canal temperature (EECT).

DESIGN

Prospective study.

ANIMALS

650 dogs without history or clinical signs of otitis externa and 85 dogs with recurrent or chronic otitis externa.

PROCEDURE

Rectal temperature was measured, using a mercury thermometer. External ear canal temperature was measured, using an infrared tympanic thermometer.

RESULTS

Measurements of body temperature at the 2 sites did not agree. Sensitivity and specificity of infrared thermometry in detecting fever, as determined by rectal thermometry, were 69.7 and 84.6%, respectively. Use of methods to predict rectal temperature from EECT did not improve the accuracy of infrared thermometry. Otitis externa significantly influenced EECT.

CLINICAL IMPLICATIONS

Use of infrared thermometry as a replacement for rectal thermometry in assessing core body temperature in dogs was unsatisfactory. The 2 methods for measuring body temperature were not interchangeable in dogs.

Diabetes, defective pancreatic morphogenesis, and abnormal enteroendocrine differentiation in BETA2/neuroD-deficient mice

Candidate transcription factors involved in pancreatic endocrine development have been isolated using insulin gene regulation as a paradigm. The cell-type restricted basic helix-loop-helix (bHLH) gene, BETA2/NeuroD, expressed in pancreatic endocrine cells, the intestine, and the brain, activates insulin gene transcription and can induce neurons to differentiate. To understand the importance of BETA2 in pancreatic endocrine cell differentiation, mice lacking a functional BETA2 gene were generated by gene targeting experiments. Mice carrying a targeted disruption of the BETA2 gene developed severe diabetes and died perinatally. Homozygous BETA2 null mice had a striking reduction in the number of insulin-producing beta cells and failed to develop mature islets. Islet morphogenesis appeared to be arrested between E14.5 and E17.5, a period characterized by major expansion of the beta cell population. The presence of severe diabetes in these mice suggests that proper islet structure plays an important role in blood glucose homeostasis. In addition, secretin- and cholecystokinin-producing enteroendocrine cells failed to develop in the absence of BETA2. The absence of these two pancreatic secretagogs may explain the abnormal cellular polarity and inability to secrete zymogen granules in pancreatic acinar exocrine cells. The nervous system appeared to develop normally, despite abundant expression of BETA2 in differentiating neurons. Thus, BETA2 is critical for the normal development of several specialized cell types arising from the gut endoderm.

Mechanism and computer simulation of a new robot hand for potential use as an artificial hand

A prosthetic hand is essential to provide rehabilitation for individuals who lose a hand. A prosthetic hand serves two purposes: cosmetic and functional. In this paper, a prototype of the artificial hand with an emphasis on the functionality purpose is presented. A new mechanism, the NTU-Hand (NTU-Hand, patent number 107115, Taiwan, R.O.C.), which has 5 fingers with 17 degrees of freedom, has been designed and fabricated in our laboratory. Due to the special design of the mechanism, the hand has an uncoupled configuration in which each finger and joint are all individually driven. The size of the hand is almost the same as a human hand. All actuators, mechanical parts, and sensors are on the hand. The compact design makes it feasible to adapt the hand to the injured wrist. A computer simulation with three-dimensional graphics was also built to evaluate the manipulative range of the artificial hand. From the results of this simulation, the relationship between the hand and the grasped object in a specific viewpoint can be obtained.

Effects of dietary nucleoside-nucleotide mixture on memory in aged and young memory deficient mice

Intestinal mucosa, bone marrow hematopoietic cells and brain have limited capacity for the de novo synthesis of nucleosides (NSs) and nucleotides (NTs). Whereas the role of dietary NS and NT in the former two tissues is known, it is not known in the brain. Therefore we studied the effect of dietary NS and NT mixture on memory in aged mice (Experiment 1) and young memory deficient mice (Experiment 2). Memory retention was studied by step-through type passive avoidance performance (maximum 180 seconds). In Experiment 1 aged (7 month old) senescence accelerated mice (SAM) were fed 20% casein diet (control) or this diet supplemented with 0.5% NS/NT mixture for 12 weeks. Memory was studied 1, 2 and 3 days after the electric shock (punishment). In Experiment 2, young (1 month old) memory deficient mice (Dull mice) and normal mice (ddY mice) were fed the same diets as those in Experiment 1 for 12 weeks. Memory retention was studied 1 and 3 days after the punishment. In the aged SAM the average time of avoidance and also the percentages of successful memory 2 and 3 days after the punishment were significantly higher in the NS/NT diet group than the control diet group (P < 0.05). In the Dull mice percentage of successful memory was higher in the NS/NT diet group than in the control group 3 days after the punishment, however, such an effect was not observed in the normal mice. These results suggest that insufficient endogenous supply of NSs and NTs may be responsible for the factor of memory deficiency with aging or of genetical memory deficiency, which can be improved by the dietary administration of NSs and NTs.

BETA3, a novel helix-loop-helix protein, can act as a negative regulator of BETA2 and MyoD-responsive genes

Using degenerate PCR cloning we have identified a novel basic helix-loop-helix (bHLH) transcription factor, BETA3, from a hamster insulin tumor (HIT) cell cDNA library. Sequence analysis revealed that this factor belongs to the class B bHLH family and has the highest degree of homology with another bHLH transcription factor recently isolated in our laboratory, BETA2 (neuroD) (J. E. Lee, S. M. Hollenberg, L. Snider, D. L. Turner, N. Lipnick, and H. Weintraub, Science 268:836-844, 1995; F. J. Naya, C. M. M. Stellrecht, and M.-J. Tsai, Genes Dev. 8:1009-1019, 1995). BETA2 is a brain- and pancreatic-islet-specific bHLH transcription factor and is largely responsible for the tissue-specific expression of the insulin gene. BETA3 was found to be tissue restricted, with the highest levels of expression in HIT, lung, kidney, and brain cells. Surprisingly, despite the homology between BETA2 and BETA3 and its intact basic region, BETA3 is unable to bind the insulin E box in bandshift analysis as a homodimer or as a heterodimer with the class A bHLH factors E12, E47, or BETA1. Instead, BETA3 inhibited both the E47 homodimer and the E47/BETA2 heterodimer binding to the insulin E box. In addition, BETA3 greatly repressed the BETA2/E47 induction of the insulin enhancer in HIT cells as well as the MyoD/E47 induction of a muscle-specific E box in the myoblast cell line C2C12. In contrast, expression of BETA3 had no significant effect on the GAL4-VP16 transcriptional activity. Immunoprecipitation analysis demonstrates that the mechanism of repression is via direct protein-protein interaction, presumably by heterodimerization between BETA3 and class A bHLH factors.

N-Nitroso-N-(3-keto-1,2-butanediol)-3'-nitrotyramine. A new genotoxic agent derived from the reaction of tyrosine and glucose in the presence of sodium nitrite

N-Nitroso-N-(3-keto-1,2-butanediol)-3'-nitrotyramine (NO-NTA) is a product of a model browning system in the presence of sodium nitrite. In this study, the chemical structure is confirmed by spectral studies, including UV, mass spectrometry, nuclear magnetic resonance and infrared spectroscopy. NO-NTA is strongly genotoxic to the rat hepatocyte and is moderately cytotoxic to mouse C3H10T1/2 cells. Results obtained in this study indicate that NO-NTA inflicted DNA damage through the formation of a DNA adduct. In addition, C3H10T1/2 cells were treated with NO-NTA and, following addition of 12-O-tetradecanoylphorbol-13-acetate (TPA) as promotor, the increase of transformed foci indicated that NO-NTA could possibly be an initiator [corrected] of TPA tumor promotion. A transformed cell line from NO-NTA initiated and TPA promoted foci increased saturation density and growth ability in soft agar reactive to the control line. These results suggest that the formation of a genotoxic agent of nitroso-derivatives may take place in a nitrite-containing food system during processing and cooking.

[Clinical study on acute cerebral hemorrhage with zhong feng I, II oral liquor]

The 120 patients with acute cerebral hemorrhage were divided into two groups: tested group and control group. The tested group were treated with Zhong Feng I oral liquor (acute stage), Zhong Feng II oral liquor (convalescent stage) and Western medicine, the control group were treated with Western medicine alone. The results showed that: the course of acute stage, and the time for restoring consciousness and the time for eliminating high intracranial pressure were shorter in tested group than those in control group; The mortality and rate of causing disability lowered. The rate of intracranial hemorrhage absorption was promoted in tested group (81.67%) than that in control group (58.37%), P < 0.01; The efficacy in various aspects was superior than that of control.

Mechanism of drug release from an acrylic polymer-wax matrix tablet

An acrylic polymer-wax matrix system was evaluated for oral sustained-release tablets of diphenhydramine HCl. A desirable release profile of diphenhydramine was achieved by incorporating Eudragit L in a carnauba wax matrix. In this polymer-wax system, carnauba wax maintained the integrity of the matrix, whereas Eudragit L slowly eroded in the matrix as the drug was released. Thus, the area-to-volume ratio of the tablet remained constant over the duration of the drug release. In vitro drug release studies were conducted at physiological pHs that exist in the gastrointestinal tract. Drug release rates decreased as the polymer:drug ratio increased from 1:2 to 2:1. The drug release rate was faster in pH 7.5 phosphate buffer than in 0.1 N HCl solution. The drug release from these polymer-wax matrices is described by a combination diffusion/erosion mechanism. Based on the typical pH encountered in intestinal fluids, complete dissolution of the drug and polymer at pH 7.5 in 8-10 h would ensure good bioavailability of the drug following oral administration.

Effects of fatty acids on the growth and composition of Malassezia pachydermatis and their relevance to canine otitis externa

Malassezia pachydermatis is one of the many infective agents involved in canine otitis externa. Two major phenotypes (large and small colony types), which had different fatty acid compositions, were found among strains of M pachydermatis isolated from canine ears or skin. The large-colony type contained palmitic, stearic, oleic and linoleic acids, whereas the small-colony type contained myristic, palmitic, stearic, linoleic acids and five other unidentified fatty acids. Exogenous saturated fatty acids in the medium had no effect on the growth of a large colony strain but oleic and linoleic acids were mycostatic. Adding fatty acids to the medium changed the fatty acid composition of the strain. Saturated fatty acids were incorporated as such into the cell, but the unsaturated fatty acids caused complex changes in composition, including the appearance of a new fatty acid. It is suggested that these changes in the fatty acid composition of M pachydermatis could explain the mycostatic effect of unsaturated fatty acids like oleic and linoleic acids at least in vitro.

[Merkel cell carcinoma: report of three cases]

Merkel cell carcinoma is a primary cutaneous neuroendocrine carcinoma occurring commonly in the head and neck of middle-aged and elderly patients. While not very rare, this disease has never been reported in Taiwan. We report the clinical and pathologic features of three patients with Merkel cell carcinoma. The patients included one male (aged 56) and two females (aged 70, 80). The primary sites of the tumors were the hand in one patient and the head and neck in two. Two patients had regional lymph node metastasis. Case 1 had concurrent chronic arsenicalism with multiple Bowen's disease and squamous cell carcinoma of the skin. Histopathology revealed tumor cell infiltration throughout the dermis. In two cases, the tumor cells were small, round and non-cohesive, like lymphocytic infiltrates. In Case 3, however, they were large, oval and formed in nests. The tumor cells were keratin (AE1), neuron-specific enolase and chromogranin positive by immunohistochemical staining. Electronmicroscopy in Case 1 revealed a few cytoplasmic intermediate filaments and neurosecretory granules. Therapy consisted of radiation in 2 patients and surgery in 1; one died during radiotherapy, the other two survived and showed no signs of recurrence at 10 and 21 months.

Preparation of microspheres of water-soluble pharmaceuticals

An emulsion-solvent evaporation procedure involving the dispersion of an alcoholic solution of an active in liquid paraffin was used to prepare microspheres of water-soluble pharmaceuticals using ethylcellulose as a carrier. The effects of surfactant, plasticizer, drug loading, and agitation speed on drug release rate from the microspheres were evaluated. The release rates of water-soluble drugs from microspheres, ranging from 100 and 500 microns in diameter, were sustained over an extended time and were found to be related to the ratio of drug to polymer in the final product.

Dyphylline prodrugs: plasma hydrolysis and dyphylline release in rabbits

Ester hydrolysis of prodrugs of dyphylline [7-(2,3-dihydroxypropyl)theophylline] followed first-order kinetics in both human and rabbit plasma. Rate constants were estimated by linear regression analysis of initial conversion rates, determined at different initial prodrug concentrations. Release of dyphylline from different prodrugs was 1.3 to 13 times faster in rabbit plasma than human plasma. However, relative rates of drug release (lability order) followed the same patterns in rabbit and human plasma. Dyphylline concentrations in rabbit plasma were extended slightly following intravenous administration of dyphylline 2',3'-dipivaloate. Oral dosing of the prodrug in rabbits greatly sustained plasma dyphylline concentrations.

Generic tolbutamide tablet dissolution: intralot and interlot variation

Dissolution profiles for 62 lots of tolbutamide tablets from six manufacturers have been characterized using the USP paddle-stirrer apparatus. Results of paddle-stirrer dissolution for percent drug dissolved at 10, 20, and 30 min correlated well (r2 = 0.7444) with results from the USP rotating-basket test for 39 lots of tolbutamide. Interlot and intralot variability in tolbutamide dissolution was highly dependent on the manufacturer. For one product, the intralot range (for six paddle-stirred tablets) of percent drug dissolved after 30 min was 50-68% while the maximum interlot range for mean dissolution was 58-104%. One lot failed to meet both the rotating-basket and the paddle-stirrer dissolution specifications. Tablet response to aging at 60, 75, and 98% relative humidity over time was also highly manufacturer specific. The innovator's product repeatedly dissolved well when fresh or aged at all humidities. Dissolution from some generic tablets was dramatically depressed by humidity aging, even after only 3 d. Pretreatment of tablets with simulated gastric fluid modified the dissolution profile of one poorly dissolving lot of tablets. Results indicate that manufacturing quality control is highly variable among tolbutamide tablets.

Semisynthetic deoxyharringtonine for treating leukemia in mice and humans

The effects of two varieties of semisynthetic deoxyharringtonine on the tumor mass and survival time of mice with murine leukemia were evaluated. Compared to untreated control mice, the survival time of those with murine leukemia increased by 146% (L7212) and 68% (L615) after treatment. The LD50 for deoxyharringtonine variants DH4.8 and DH was determined to be 322 +/- 9 mg/kg and 71 +/- 1 mg/kg, respectively. Seventeen patients were then treated with either DH or DH4.8; 11% achieved complete remission, 23% achieved partial remission, and an additional 35% had markedly lower leukocyte levels after treatment. Side effects were minimal. It was concluded that deoxyharringtonine is an effective anti-leukemic agent.