Prognostic Value of Myosteatosis and Creatinine-to-Cystatin C Ratio in Patients with Pancreatic Cancer Who Underwent Radical Surgery

BACKGROUND

Myosteatosis is correlated with poor prognosis in some malignancies. The creatinine-to-cystatin ratio (CCR) is revealed to predict gastric cancer prognosis. However, the prognostic abilities of CCR and the combination of CCR and myosteatosis in patients with pancreatic cancer (PC) who underwent radical surgery remains unclear.

METHODS

The retrospective cohort study included 215 patients with PC who underwent radical surgery (January 2016-October 2021). Clinicopathological and serological data were collected on admission. Myosteatosis and other body composition indices were assessed by using computed tomography. The cutoff value of CCR was determined by using the Youden index. Risk factors responsible for poor overall survival (OS) and disease-free survival (DFS) were determined by the Cox proportional hazards model.

RESULTS

The myosteatosis group included 104 patients (average age, 61.3 ± 9.1 years). The best cutoff value for CCR was 1.09. CCR ≤ 1.09 was an independent predictive biomarker inversely corelated with OS (P = 0.036). Myosteatosis was an independent risk factor associated with OS and DFS (P = 0.032 and P = 0.004, respectively). Patients with concomitant myosteatosis and CCR ≤ 1.09 had the worst OS (P = 0.016).

CONCLUSIONS

Myosteatosis and CCR are prognostic biomarkers for survival in PC patients who underwent radical surgery. Patients with the coexistence of myosteatosis and CCR ≤ 1.09 deserve more attention.

The predictive value of revised diastolic dysfunction in outcomes of liver transplantation: A propensity score matching analysis

Background

Diastolic dysfunction (DD), one of the earliest signs of cirrhotic cardiomyopathy (CCM), is included in the revised 2019 CCM criteria. Nonetheless, relevant research regarding the effects of revised DD on post-liver transplantation (LT) outcomes remains limited.

Methods

This retrospective study enrolled patients who underwent LT for decompensated cirrhosis, from January 2018 to March 2021. Patients were divided into DD and non-DD groups. Clinical data were collected. Patients were followed up with, for at least 1 year post-LT; cardiovascular adverse events (AEs) and survival status were recorded. Risk factors were identified using 1:2 propensity score matching (PSM), after adjusting for confounding factors. The caliper value was set to 0.02.

Results

Of 231 patients, 153 were diagnosed with DD (male, 81.8%; mean age, 51.5 ± 9.5 years). Nineteen patients with DD died within 1 year, post-LT. After PSM, 97 and 60 patients were diagnosed with and without DD, respectively. Patients with DD had longer intensive care unit (ICU) stays, higher perioperative cardiovascular AEs, and higher mortality rates than those without DD. In a multivariate analysis, interventricular septum (IVS), left atrial volume index (LAVI), and potassium levels were independent prognostic factors of perioperative cardiovascular AEs, while a decreased early diastolic mitral annular tissue velocity (e'), increased neutrophil-to-lymphocyte ratio (NLR) and tumor markers were predictors of mortality within 1 year post-LT after PSM (P < 0.05).

Conclusion

Cardiac DD may contribute to perioperative cardiovascular AEs and mortality post-LT. Clinicians should be aware of decompensated cirrhosis in patients with DD.

Differential metabolites in cirrhotic patients with hepatitis B and muscle mass loss

Background

Sarcopenia leads to complications (infections, hepatic encephalopathy and ascites) and poor overall survival in patients with cirrhosis, in which the phenotypic presentation is loss of muscle mass. This study aimed to reveal the metabolic profile and identify potential biomarkers in cirrhotic patients with hepatitis B virus and muscle mass loss.

Method

Twenty decompensated cirrhotic patients with HBV and muscle mass loss were designated Group S; 20 decompensated cirrhotic patients with HBV and normal muscle mass were designated Group NS; and 20 healthy people were designated Group H. Muscle mass loss was defined as the skeletal muscle mass index less than 46.96 cm²/m² for males and less than 32.46 cm²/m² for females. Gas chromatography-mass spectrometry was used to explore the distinct metabolites and pathways in the three groups.

Results

Thirty-seven metabolic products and 25 associated metabolic pathways were significantly different in the Group S patients from Group NS patients. Strong predictive value of 11 metabolites (inosine-5'-monophosphate, phosphoglycolic acid, D-fructose-6-phosphate, N-acetylglutamate, pyrophosphate, trehalose-6-phosphate, fumaric acid, citrulline, creatinine, (r)-3-hydroxybutyric acid, and 2-ketobutyric acid) were selected as potential biomarkers in Group S patients compared with Group NS patients. Two pathways may be associated with loss of muscle mass in patients with liver cirrhosis: amino acid metabolism and central carbon metabolism in cancer.

Conclusion

Seventy differential metabolites were identified in patients who have liver cirrhosis and loss of muscle mass compared with patients who have cirrhosis and normal muscle mass. Certain biomarkers might distinguish between muscle mass loss and normal muscle mass in HBV-related cirrhosis patients.

Yeast cell wall product enhanced intestinal IgA response and changed cecum microflora species after oral vaccination in chickens

The study was designed to explore the effect of a commercial yeast cell wall product (YP) on chicken intestinal IgA response and cecum microbiome after oral vaccination. Chickens were fed with YP during the experiments and orally immunized with live Newcastle disease virus (NDV) vaccine at 2 wk of age. Then, the animals were sacrificed, and samples were collected to measure the indicators of hemagglutination inhibition (HI), IgA response, IgA + cells, and cecum microbiome populations. The results showed that supplement of YP significantly enhanced serum NDV HI titer, intestinal NDV-specific secretory IgA, and intestinal IgA + cells. The sequencing results revealed that obviously increased relative abundance of Ruminococcaceae and decreased population of Bacteroidaceae in cecum were found in YP group. In summary, YP supplementation in diet enhanced intestinal IgA response to NDV vaccination by oral route and modulated the cecum microbiota to the advantage of the host in chickens.

Combined adjuvant effect of ginseng stem-leaf saponins and selenium on immune responses to a live bivalent vaccine of Newcastle disease virus and infectious bronchitis virus in chickens

Vaccination with a live bivalent vaccine of Newcastle disease virus (NDV) and infectious bronchitis virus (IBV) is a routine practice in poultry industry in China. This study was designed to evaluate ginseng stem-leaf saponins (GSLS) in combination with selenium (Se) for their adjuvant effect on the immune response to vaccination against NDV and IBV in chickens. A live bivalent vaccine of NDV and IBV was diluted in saline solution containing GSLS or Se or both and used to immunize chickens via a intraocular-and-intranasal route. Results showed that GSLS promoted significantly higher NDV- and IBV-specific antibody responses with the highest antibody response detected in GSLS-Se group. The increased antibody was capable of neutralizing NDV and IBV. In addition, GSLS-Se enhanced lymphocyte proliferation and production of IFN-γ and IL-4. More importantly GSLS-Se was found to promote early production and prolong the duration of the antibody responses. In order to improve the efficacy of vaccination in chicken flocks, the diluent containing GSLS-Se deserves further studies to evaluate its effect on other chicken vaccines.

Ginsenoside Rg1 enhanced immune responses to infectious bursal disease vaccine in chickens with oxidative stress induced by cyclophosphamide

This study was designed to evaluate the effect of oral administration of ginsenoside Rg1 on oxidative stress induced by cyclophosphamide in chickens. Ninety-six chickens were randomly divided into 4 groups, each consisting of 24 birds. Groups 2 and 3 received intramuscular injection of cyclophosphamide at 100 mg/kg body weight for 3 d to induce oxidative stress and immune suppression. Groups 1 and 4 were injected with saline in the same way as groups 2 and 3. Then chickens in group 3 were orally administrated Rg1 of 1 mg/kg body weight in drinking water for 7 d. After that, groups 1 to 3 were orally vaccinated with attenuated infectious bursal disease vaccine (Strain B87). Blood samples were collected for determination of infectious bursal disease virus-specific antibodies, cytokines, and oxidative parameters. Splenocytes were prepared for lymphocyte proliferation assay. The results showed that oral administration of ginsenoside Rg1 significantly enhanced specific antibody, IFN-γ, and IL-6 responses, and lymphocyte proliferation induced by concanavalin A and lipopolysaccharide in chickens injected with cyclophosphamide. Antioxidant activity of ginsenoside Rg1 was also observed in chickens by increased total antioxidant capacity, total superoxide dismutase, catalase, glutathione peroxidase, glutathione, ascorbic acid, and α-tocopherol, as well as decreased malondialdehyde and protein carbonyl. Therefore, oral administration of Rg1 was shown to improve the immune responses to infectious bursal disease vaccine in chickens suffering from oxidative stress.

Downregulation of hsa_circ_0000285 serves as a prognostic biomarker for bladder cancer and is involved in cisplatin resistance

Bladder cancer remains a very challenging disease to treat with the high rates of recurrence and progression associated with current therapies. Although the association between bladder cancer pathology and circRNAs remains undetermined, circRNAs signatures may be useful as prognostic and predictive factors and clinical tools for assessing disease state, treatment response and outcome. This study investigates if these circRNAs can be used as biomarkers for bladder cancer diagnosis and predicting treatment response. Herein, qPCR measured the expression of hsa_circRNA_100783, hsa_circ_0000285 and hsa_circRNA_100782 in bladder cancer tissues. It was established that sa_circ_0000285, but not hsa_circRNA_100782 and hsa_circRNA_10078, are significantly reduced in bladder cancer tissues and serum compared to adjacent tissues and healthy controls. Moreover, hsa_circ_0000285 expression was lower in cisplatin-resistant bladder cancer patients than in those who were cisplatin-sensitive. Here, hsa_circ_0000285 was associated with tumor size (p<0.001), differentiation (p<0.001), lymph node metastasis (p=0.038), distant metastasis (p=0.004) and TNM stage (p=0.013). Further analysis showed that hsa_circ_0000285 would be an independent prognostic factor for bladder cancer patient outcome. In conclusion, our study indicates hsa_circ_0000285 may be a novel biomarker for bladder cancer because of its involvement in bladder cancer chemo-sensitivity.

Oral administration of tea saponins to relive oxidative stress and immune suppression in chickens

The present study was designed to evaluate the effects of tea saponins on oxidative stress induced by cyclophosphamide in chickens. One hundred twenty chickens were randomly divided into 5 groups. Groups 3 to 4 received intramuscular injection of cyclophosphamide to induce oxidative stress and immunosuppression. After that, groups 2 and 4 were orally administered tea saponins in drinking water for 7 d. Then, groups 1 to 4 were immunized with a live, bivalent vaccine of Newcastle disease virus and infectious bronchitis virus. Blood samples were collected for analysis of oxidative parameters and specific antibody titers, and splenocytes were prepared for lymphocyte proliferative assay. The results showed that administration of tea saponins significantly increased total antioxidant capacity, total superoxide dismutase, catalase, glutathione peroxidase, glutathione, ascorbic acid, and α-tocopherol, and decreased malondialdehyde and protein carbonyl. Enhanced immune responses, such as lymphocyte proliferation induced by concanavalin A and lipopolysaccharides, and serum Newcastle disease virus- and infectious bronchitis virus-specific antibodies were also observed in chickens injected with or without cyclophosphamide. In addition, no side effects were found in chickens throughout the study. Therefore, tea saponins may be a potential agent to improve imunosuppression induced by oxidative stress in chickens.

Regulatory mechanism of miR-29 over TGF-β1 and COL1 in scar cells

OBJECTIVE

To study the regulatory mechanism of miR-29 over TGF-β1 and COL1 in scar cells.

PATIENTS AND METHODS

5 clinical cases of hypertrophic scar (HS) skin and adjacent normal skin tissues were separated into fibroblast for primary culture and subculture before being observed morphologically and standard HE staining under an ordinary optical microscope. RT-PCR method was applied to test the expression level of miR-29, TGF-β1, and COL1 mRNA. ELISA method was applied to test the expression level of extracellular matrix COL1, fibronectin (FN) and α-SMA. The miR-29 overexpression vector was built and transfected in vitro. RT-PCR method was applied to test related genes and ELISA method was applied to test the expression level of the extracellular matrix.

RESULTS

The color of karyon and cytoplasm of normal fibroblast were both light red, with little ECM. The color of karyon of scar fibroblast was blue. The cytoplasm was red of different degrees, with relatively much ECM, in deep blue color. Compared with that in the normal fibroblast group, the miR-29 mRNA in fibroblast in the scar group significantly decreased (p<0.05). The TGF-β1 and COL1 mRNA significantly increased (p<0.05). The COL1, FN and α-SMA level were significantly higher (p<0.05) than that in the normal group. These mRNAs levels in miR-29 overexpression group were lower than scar group but higher than the normal group.

CONCLUSIONS

The expression of miR-29 which regulates the expression of TGF-β1 and COL1 and increases the level of ECM significantly decreases in scar cells. This one suggests a mechanism of the formation of the scars through TGF-β1 and COL1.

Assessing the impact of a program for late surgical intervention in early-blind children

OBJECTIVE

Many blind children in the developing world are unable to obtain timely treatment due to lack of financial and medical resources. Can public health programs that identify and treat such children several years after the onset of blindness enhance their quality of life? The notion that visual development is subject to an early 'critical period' argues against this possibility. However, there are inadequate empirical data from humans on this issue. To address this need, we examined the quality of life of children living in India and who were treated for early-onset blindness (before one year of age), due to cataracts or corneal opacities.

STUDY DESIGN

Survey study.

METHODS

As part of an ongoing scientific effort named Project Prakash, we screened over 40,000 children in rural northern India to identify those suffering from early-onset blindness. They were provided eye surgeries in a tertiary care ophthalmic center in New Delhi. We subsequently surveyed 64 Prakash children, ranging in age from 5 to 22 years and obtained their responses on a multi-dimensional quality of life questionnaire.

RESULTS

Nearly all of the subjects indicated that their quality of life had improved after treatment. Children reported marked enhancement in their mobility, independence, and safety, and also in social integration. Surprisingly, we found no significant correlations between quality of life metrics and factors such as age at treatment, gender, time since treatment, and pre-surgery and post-surgery acuity.

CONCLUSIONS

A key question for public health policy makers is whether a program of surgical intervention for older blind children is likely to be beneficial, or if the resources are better spent on rehabilitation via vocational training and assistive devices. The marked improvements in quality of life we find in our data strongly argue for the provision of surgical care regardless of a child's age.

Differential characteristics and in vitro angiogenesis of bone marrow- and peripheral blood-derived endothelial progenitor cells: evidence from avian species

OBJECTIVES

This study was conducted to compare phenotypes and in vitro angiogenic capacity of putative endothelial progenitor cells (EPCs) derived from bone marrow (BM) and peripheral blood (PB), from an avian species.

MATERIALS AND METHODS

Mononuclear cells were isolated from chicken BM and PB (BMMNCs and PBMNCs) and cultured in EGM-2 medium. Cells at days 7-14 were used for the experiments. Expression of progenitor and endothelial markers, number of Dil-ac-LDL/lectin dual-positive cells and adipogenic and osteogenic differentiation were determined. Migration and in vitro angiogenic ability between BMMNC- and PBMNC-derived cells were compared.

RESULTS

PBMNCs developed typical EPC appearance, with initial spindle shape followed by a cobblestone form, whereas BMMNC-derived cells retained their constitutive spindle-like morphology throughout the study. Cells derived from both sources expressed CD133, CD31 and VEGFR-2, although PBMNCs-derived cells had lower CD133 expression. Nevertheless, number of Dil-ac-LDL/lectin dual-positive cells did not differ between groups. Adipogenic and osteogenic lineages were verified in BMMNC- but not in PBMNC-derived cells. PBMNC-derived cells formed tubular networks on Matrigel. However, BMMNC-derived cells formed few tube-like structures, which were not morphologically comparable to those developed by their counterparts.

CONCLUSION

Our results suggest that so called EPCs derived from BMMNCs are not 'true' EPCs, supporting previous findings on mammals that BM may not serve as an optimal isolation source of EPCs.

blaKPC and rmtB on a single plasmid in Enterobacter amnigenus and Klebsiella pneumoniae isolates from the same patient

Enterobacter amnigenus (EA76) and Klebsiella pneumoniae (KP76) isolates with multidrug-resistant (MDR) patterns were identified from the same patient in the neurosurgery department of our hospital. An outbreak of MDR K. pneumoniae had also occurred in this department. To characterize the resistance mechanism and molecular epidemiology of these isolates, sequential experiments including antimicrobial susceptibility testing, polymerase chain reaction (PCR), plasmid analysis, pulsed field gel electrophoresis (PFGE), and multilocus sequence typing (MLST) were performed. EA76 and KP76 were resistant to all of the antibiotics tested, except colistin and tigecycline. bla_KPC-2, bla_TEM-1, bla_SHV-12, bla_CTX-M-3, bla_CTX-M-14, and rmtB genes were identified in both isolates, with bla_KPC-2, bla_TEM-1, bla_CTX-M-14, and rmtB being co-carried on one plasmid in each isolate. Further analysis showed different restriction patterns between the two KPC-carrying plasmids. Of the 11 carbapenem-resistant isolates found in the outbreak, all were resistant to all of the β-lactams tested, with 63.64% (7/11) also exhibiting resistance to aminoglycosides and 72.73% (8/11) exhibiting resistance to quinolones. PCR analysis and molecular typing of the 11 K. pneumoniae strains revealed that the seven aminoglycoside-resistant isolates shared the same antibiotic-resistant gene pattern and identical or one-band-difference PFGE profiles relative to KP76. In addition, all of the eight aminoglycoside-resistant isolates, including KP76, belonged to the national epidemic clone ST11. The overall results indicate the emergence of E. amnigenus and outbreak of ST11 K. pneumoniae, with both co-harboring bla_KPC and rmtB genes on a single plasmid in our neurosurgery wards.

A novel obesity model: synphilin-1-induced hyperphagia and obesity in mice

Aims

The pathogenesis of obesity remains incompletely understood and the exploration of the role of novel proteins in obesity may provide important insights into its causes and treatments. Here we report a previously unidentified role for synphilin-1 in the controls of food intake and body weight. Synphilin-1, a cytoplasmic protein, was initially identified as an interaction partner of alpha-synuclein, and has implications in Parkinson's disease pathogenesis related to protein aggregation.

Subjects and methods

To study the in vivo role of synphilin-1, we characterized a human synphilin-1 transgenic mouse (SP1) by assessing synphilin-1 expression, plasma parameters, food intake and spontaneous activity to determine the major behavioral changes and their consequences in the development of the obesity phenotype.

Results

Expression of human synphilin-1 in brain neurons in SP1 mice resulted in increased food intake, body weight and body fat. SP1 mice also displayed hyperinsulinemia, hyperleptinemia and impaired glucose tolerance. Pair-feeding SP1 mice to amounts consumed by non-transgenic mice prevented the increased body weight, adiposity, hyperinsulinemia and hyperleptinemia demonstrating that these were all the consequences of increased food intake. Transgenic expression of synphilin-1 was enriched in hypothalamic nuclei involved in feeding control, and fasting induced elevated endogenous synphilin-1 levels at these sites, suggesting that synphilin-1 is an important player in the hypothalamic energy balance regulatory system.

Conclusion

These studies identify a novel function of synphilin-1 in controlling food intake and body weight, and may provide a unique obesity model for future studies of obesity pathogenesis and therapeutics.

Characterization of the feeding inhibition and neural activation produced by dorsomedial hypothalamic cholecystokinin administration

Within the dorsomedial hypothalamus (DMH), cholecystokinin (CCK) has been proposed to modulate neuropeptide Y (NPY) signaling to affect food intake. However, the neural circuitry underlying the actions of this CCK-NPY signaling system in the controls of food intake has yet to be determined. We sought to characterize the feeding inhibition and brain neural activation produced by CCK administration into the DMH of rats. We determined the time course of feeding inhibitory effects of exogenous DMH CCK, assessed NPY gene expression in the DMH in response to DMH CCK administration, and characterized c-Fos activation in the entire brain induced by CCK injection into the DMH using c-Fos like immunohistochemistry. We found that parenchymal injection of CCK into the DMH decreased food intake during the entire 22 h observation period, with a primary effect in the first 4 h, and down-regulated NPY gene expression in the DMH. c-Fos immunohistochemistry revealed that DMH CCK increased the number of c-Fos positive cells in the paraventricular nucleus (PVN), arcuate nucleus, suprachiasmatic nucleus and retrochiasmatic area as well as in the contralateral DMH. This pattern of activity is different from that produced by peripherally administered CCK which is short acting and primarily activates neurons in the nucleus of the solitary tract and area postrema, as well as the PVN and DMH. Together, these data suggest that DMH CCK plays an important role in the control of food intake, and does so by activating different pathways from those activated by peripheral CCK.

Possible role of hydrogen sulfide on the preservation of donor rat hearts

OBJECTIVE

The aim of this study was to observe the preservative effect of hydrogen sulfide (H2S) on donor rat hearts.

MATERIALS AND METHODS

The hearts of 24 Sprague-Dawley rats were perfused on a Langendorff perfusion column for 30 minutes. We calculated and recorded the left ventricular-developed pressure (LVDP), and positive and negative derivatives of left ventricular systolic pressure (LVSP; +dP/dt and -dP/dt). Hearts were then arrested and stored for 6 hours at 4 degrees C: group 1, Krebs-Henseleit (KH) solution; group 2, KH solution with 1 micromol/L NaHS; group 3, KH solution with 1 micromol/L NaHS and 10 micromol/L glibenclamide; group 4, St. Thomas II solution. Hearts were transferred back to the Langendorff column. After stabilizing for 30 minutes, LV performance was assessed as before. The donor hearts were kept for pathological study including myocardial water ratio, ATP content, and myocyte apoptosis index.

RESULTS

The recovery rates of +dp/dtmax, -dp/dtmax, and LVDP of groups 2 and 4 were much better than those of groups 1 and 3. The hearts contracted immediately after reperfusion in group 4. Ventricular fibrillation was seen before contraction in the other 3 groups, with the longest duration in group. No significant difference in myocardial water ratio was found. The ATP content was the highest in group 2. Apoptosis was observed in the 4 groups with the lowest apoptosis index in group 2.

CONCLUSIONS

H2S has a protective effect on rat donor hearts at the concentration of 1 micromol/L. The protective effect is better than that of St. Thomas II solution. The protective effect of H2S can be blocked by glibenclamide.

Genetic polymorphisms of CYP3A5 genes and concentration of the cyclosporine and tacrolimus

OBJECTIVE

CYP3A is the major enzyme responsible for metabolism of the calcineurin inhibitors cyclosporine (CsA) and tacrolimus. Our objective was to determine the relationship between genetic polymorphisms of CYP3A5 with respect to interindividual variability in CsA and tacrolimus pharmacokinetics.

METHODS

Kidney transplant recipients receiving CsA (n = 137) or tacrolimus (n = 30) were genotyped for CYP3A5*3 and *6 by a PCR/RFLP method. The patients were grouped according to the CYP3A5 genotype. Dose-adjusted trough levels were correlated with the corresponding genotype.

RESULTS

At 3, 6, and 12 months, the tacrolimus dose-adjusted trough levels (dose-adjusted C0) showed a statistically significant difference between the group of CYP3A5*3/*3 (n = 19) and the group of CYP3A5*1 allele carriers. The former was higher than the latter. The CsA dose-adjusted C0 and the actual C0 did not display a significant relation (P < .05) between the group of CYP3A5*3/*3 and the group of CYP3A5*1 allele carriers.

CONCLUSION

Patients with the CYP3A5*3/*3 genotype require less tacrolimus to reach target concentrations compared to those with the CYP3A5*1 allele.

Neurotransmitter dopamine applied in electrochemical determination of aluminum in drinking waters and biological samples

It was demonstrated that the decrease of the differential pulse voltammetric (DPV) anodic peak current of dopamine (3,4-dihydroxyphenylethylamine, DA) was linear with the increase of aluminum (Al) concentration. Under optimum experimental conditions (pH 4.6, 1.2 x 10(-3) M DA, and 0.04 M NaAc-HAc buffer solution), the linear range is 4.0 x 10(-7)-8.0 x 10(-5) M, the detection limit is 1.4 x 10(-7) M, and the relative standard deviation for 4 x 10(-5) M Al(III) is 3.5% (n=8). Many foreign species, especially some low-molecule-weight biological molecules, were chosen for interference testing. The proposed method was applied to the determination of Al in biological samples such as synthetic renal dialysate, Ringer's solution, human blood, cerebrospinal fluid of a patient, and urine of a diabetic patient. The corresponding recoveries were generally between 95 and 105%. The basic principle of the method was determined by examining Al complexed with DA. This results in the blockage of the electroactive sites on DA, followed eventually by the reduction of the electrochemical response of DA. This result was verified by examining the behavior of DA, both in the presence and absence of Al, using electrochemical, UV-Vis, Raman, and (13)C NMR spectroscopic methods.

Computer simulation of the distribution of aluminum speciation in soil solutions in equilibrium with the mineral phase imogolite

The speciation of aluminum (Al) is a critical issue when evaluating the environmental and biological significance of elevated Al concentrations in soil solutions caused by acidic precipitation. Numerous studies have revealed that, with increased concentrations of silica acid in soil, the activity of Al species in soil solutions is greatly modified by SiO(4)(2-). However, thus far there has been little thorough theoretical modeling of this subject. This paper reports a computer simulation of the distribution of Al speciation in soil solutions in equilibrium with the mineral phase imogolite based on a chemical equilibrium calculation. The unique characteristic associated with imogolite reported by previous researchers can be explained theoretically by the proposed model. The dissolved silica has a remarkable influence on Al speciation: increasing concentrations of silica acid may effectively inhibit the formation of polymeric alumino-hydroxo species, and, furthermore, detoxify Al toxicity to plants.

Leptin and its role in pregnancy and fetal development--an overview

Leptin is a hormone that is secreted by adipose cells in proportion to adipose mass, and therefore a low leptin level signifies depletion of energy stores. It has been proposed that leptin is one of the signals controlling sexual maturation. For example, humans and rodents lacking leptin fail to undergo complete puberty, while overexpression of leptin in mice causes early puberty. The placenta also produces leptin in human pregnancy, increasing the amount in the maternal circulation. The effects of the increased leptin levels during pregnancy are not clear. In contrast, the mouse placenta does not produce endocrinologically significant amounts of leptin. The mouse placenta does secrete a leptin-binding protein, the production of which correlates with a large increase in maternal leptin levels. The physiology of leptin during pregnancy and fetal development differs significantly between species, and is not well understood in any.

Normal faulting in central Tibet since at least 13.5 Myr ago

Tectonic models for the evolution of the Tibetan plateau interpret observed east-west thinning of the upper crust to be the result of either increased potential energy of elevated crust or geodynamic processes that may be unrelated to plateau formation. A key piece of information needed to evaluate these models is the timing of deformation within the plateau. The onset of normal faulting has been estimated to have commenced in southern Tibet between about 14 Myr ago and about 8 Myr ago and, in central Tibet, about 4 Myr ago. Here, however, we report a minimum age of approximately 13.5 Myr for the onset of graben formation in central Tibet, based on mineralization ages determined with Rb-Sr and 40Ar-39Ar data that post-date a major graben-bounding normal fault. These data, along with evidence for prolonged activity of normal faulting in this and other Tibetan grabens, support models that relate normal faulting to processes occurring beneath the plateau. Thinning of the upper crust is most plausibly the result of potential-energy increases resulting from spatially and temporally heterogeneous changes in thermal structure and density distribution within the crust and upper mantle beneath Tibet. This is supported by recent geophysical and geological data, which indicate that spatial heterogeneity exists in both the Tibetan crust and lithospheric mantle.

Speciation of aluminium(III) in natural waters using differential pulse voltammetry with a pyrocatechol violet-modified electrode

A differential pulse voltammetric (DPV) procedure is proposed for the speciation of aluminium in natural waters using Pyrocatechol Violet chemically modified electrodes (PCV-CMEs). This novel speciation idea is based on the selective determination of different AlIII forms under two pH conditions. The labile monomeric Al fraction (mainly inorganic Al) is analysed at pH 4.8 (0.20 mol dm(-3) NaOAc-HOAc) and the total monomeric Al fraction is analysed at pH 8.5 (0.20 mol dm(-3) NH3.H2O-NH4Cl). The difference is thought to be caused by the weak competition ability of PCV to sequester AlIII from AlIII-natural organic matter complexes. This sensitive and simple speciation method has been applied successfully to aluminium speciation in natural waters sampled from different regions of China. Five fractions are measured directly or indirectly: (i) labile monomeric Al; (ii) total monomeric Al; (iii) acid reactive Al; (iv) non-labile monomeric Al; and (v) acid soluble Al. The results are in satisfactory agreement with those obtained by Driscoll's 8-hydroxyquinoline extraction-ion exchange method.

A role for NPY overexpression in the dorsomedial hypothalamus in hyperphagia and obesity of OLETF rats

Otsuka Long-Evans Tokushima Fatty (OLETF) rats lacking CCK-A receptors are hyperphagic, obese, and diabetic. We have previously demonstrated that these rats have a peripheral satiety deficit resulting in increased meal size. To examine the potential role of hypothalamic pathways in the hyperphagia and obesity of OLETF rats, we compared patterns of hypothalamic neuropeptide Y (NPY), proopiomelanocortin (POMC), and leptin receptor mRNA expression in ad libitum-fed Long-Evans Tokushima (LETO) and OLETF rats and food-restricted OLETF rats that were pair-fed to the intake of LETO controls. Pair feeding OLETF rats prevented their increased body weight and elevated levels of plasma insulin and leptin and normalized their elevated POMC and decreased NPY mRNA expression in the arcuate nucleus. In contrast, NPY expression was upregulated in the dorsomedial hypothalamus (DMH) in pair-fed OLETF rats. A similar DMH NPY overexpression was evident in 5-wk-old preobese OLETF rats. These findings suggest a role for DMH NPY upregulation in the etiology of OLETF hyperphagia and obesity.

Association between low-density lipoprotein receptor-related protein gene, butyrylcholinesterase gene and Alzheimer' s disease in Chinese

OBJECTIVE

To research the relations between low-density lipoprotein receptor-related protein gene (LRP) polymorphism, butyrylcholinesterase gene (BchE) polymorphism and Alzheimer's disease (AD) in Chinese.

METHODS

The gene polymorphisms of LRP and BchE were genotyped in 38 AD cases and 40 controls with polymerase chain reaction-restriction fragment length polymorphism (PCR-RFLP) methods. AD groups were classified according to the LRP C/C genotype and compared with matched controls.

RESULTS

AD group had higher frequencies of C/C homozygote (81.69% vs 60.0%, P < 0.05) and of C allele (89.5% vs 76.3%, P < 0.05), with no significant difference between any of these LRP genotypes classified AD groups and their respective control groups.

CONCLUSIONS

A positive correlation was found between LRP gene polymorphism and AD, but not between BchE gene polymorphism and AD in Chinese AD cases.

Differential pulse voltammetric indirect determination of aluminium in drinking waters, blood, urine, hair, and medicament samples using L-dopa under alkaline conditions

The differential pulse voltammetric (DPV) indirect determination of aluminium using L-dopa under alkaline conditions on a glassy carbon working electrode was studied. The proposed method relies on the linear decrease of the DPV anodic peak current of L-dopa with increase in the concentration of aluminium added. Under the optimum experimental conditions (pH 8.5, 0.08 M NH4Cl-NH3.H2O buffer solution, and 4 x 10(-4) M L-dopa), the linear range is 2-18 x 10(-7) M AlIII. The detection limit is 7.6 x 10(-8) M and the relative standard deviation for 8 x 10(-7) M AlIII is 3.5% (n = 8). A number of foreign species were examined as potential interferents. The method was applied to the determination of aluminium in drinking waters, synthetic renal dialysate, sodium chloride injection, sucrafate, hydrothorax, blood, urine and hair samples. The physiological significance is discussed.

Cytokine production by in vitro processed and unprocessed haematopoietic cells

The studies described here demonstrate that in vitro processing of cells before extraction of RNA has a major effect on the number and type of cytokine transcripts present within MDS and leukemia cells. Transcripts for GM-CSF, a cytokine whose production by leukemia cells is believed to play an important role in the pathogenesis of leukemia, was not detectable in 12/13 unprocessed AML specimens, in 12/12 MDS specimens, or in 7/7 CML specimens but once detected in many specimens after processing. These data strongly suggest that leukemia cell production of GMCSF rarely occurs in vivo.

[Geostatistical analysis on spatial patterns of Aphis gossypii and Propylaca japonica]

The spatial construction and distribution of Aphis gossypii and Propylaca japonica at different period were investigated with geostatistics. The results showed that the semivariogram of Aphis gossypii was described by spherical model, indicating an aggregated spatial arrangement, the range was 8.21-10.81 m. The semivariograms of Propylaca japonica was fitted by spherical model too, also indicating an aggregated spatial arrangement, its range was 8.01-14.25 m. The amount and spatial distribution of Propylaca japonica was closely related to that of Aphis gossypii. It reveals that Propylaca japonica is dominant natural enemies of influencing population of Ahphis gossypii.

[Grey system analysis on dominant natural enemies influencing Aphis gosspyii population]

The populations of Aphis gosspyii and its natural enemies before cotton boll stage were investigated systematically in 1983, 1984, 1986, 1988, 1994 and 1995. The relationship between daily total predation of natural enemies and Aphis gosspyii population size was studied with the grey system theory and method, and the relational grade of various natural enemies to ideal superior natural enemies was analyzed. The results show that Propylaca japonica was the major natural enemy influencing Aphis gossypii, followed by Chrysopa septempunctata, then by Therdion octomaculatum and Erigonidium graminicola.

Marrow cytokine transcripts and the secondary hematologic disorders

A comparison was made of the cytokine transcripts in normal, monoclonal, MDS, and AML marrow aspirates. While both normal and monoclonal marrow aspirates contain transcripts for SCF, few MDS or AML marrow aspirates contain these transcripts. Similarly, IL1ra transcripts are found with reduced frequency in MDS and AML marrow aspirates. The fall in SCF transcripts between monoclonal and MDS marrow aspirates parallels the appearance of apoptosis and the reduced in vitro proliferative ability which are characteristics of MDS marrow aspirate cells. The frequent IL1beta production by MDS and AML marrow aspirate cells, with few marrow aspirates producing IL1ra transcripts, suggests that unbalanced IL1beta effects may contribute to the proliferative advantage of MDS and AML cells over their normal counterparts.

[Direct upconversion sensitization luminescence of Tm(0.1) Yb (10.9) oxyfluoride vitroceramincs]

This paper studied the direct upconversion sensitization luminescence of Tm (0.1) Yb (10.9) oxyfluoride vitroceramics pumped by 966 nm diode laser for the first time. We found that there are both strong 477 nm three-photon upconversion fluorescence of 1G4 --> 3H6 transition and 799.5 nm two-photon upconversion fluorescence of 3H4 --> 3H6 transition as well as weak upconversion fluorescence of 1D2 --> 3H6, 1Dz --> 3F4,1G4 --> 3F4 and 3F3 --> 3H6 transitions at 361 nm, 449.5 nm, 647.0 nm and (679.5, 698.5 nm), respectively.

[Expression of non-structural region 3 gene of the Chinese HGY and analysis of the antigenicity of the recombinant proteins]

OBJECTIVE

This study is to analyze the antigenicity of the NS3 proteins of Chinese HGV and their potential use in the serological diagnosis.

METHODS

All three gene fragments of NS3 region of Chinese HGV were cloned into the pRSET vectors to construct recombinant plasmids. In E. coli BL21, all three recombinant plasmids achieved a high expression level with induction of IPTG. The expressed products were analyzed with Western blot and ELISA.

RESULTS

The recombinant protein PA, P3 and P4 have a molecular weight of 42,000, 30,000 and 24,000, respectively. They all could react with HGV positive sera in Western blot and ELISA. Among them, the protein that covers the N terminal of NS3 region of HGV had a stronger reaction with HGV positive sera than the other two proteinsdid.

CONCLUSION

The N terminal in the NS3 region of Chinese HGV includes an dominant antigenic determinant, and its gene product has relatively strong antigenicity.

[Quantitative and objective evaluation of vocal function after vertical hemilaryngectomy]

The lately invented instrument, phono laryngograph, which can evaluate objectively vocal function, was used to determine separately in 30 normal adults and 30 patients with laryngeal carcinoma treated primarily by vertical hemilaryngectomy from 1984 to 1994. The results showed that mean air flow rate, intensity, MPT, have significant difference between surgical groups and normal group (P < 0.01). There is pitch difference between surgical groups and normal group (P < 0.05). We also found that the determined values have significant difference between postoperative two years and postoperative ten years groups (P < 0.01).

[An endometrium morphometry study on ovariectomized rats subjected to nilestriol and estradiol replalcement therapies]

This study was designed to evaluate the effect of estrogen on rat endometrium and compare the results of Nilestriol and Estradiol replacement therapies for preventing osteoporosis in ovariectomized rats. Forty 4-month old SD female rats were randomly divided into four groups, namely sham operation, bilateral ovariectomy, ovariectomy plus supplementary ethinyl estradiol (0.2 microgram/100 g B. W. qd x 5), and ovariectomy plus supplementary Nilestriol (0.15 mg/100 g B. W. once a week). Computerized image analyzer was used to evaluate the endomitrial pathological changes 10 weeks later. The results showed an atrophied endometrium in ovariectomized group, a slightly proliferative endometrium in Nilestriol treated group, and a markedly proliferative endometrium with local atypical hyperplasia in estradiol treated group. The difference between group 3 and group 4 in morphometry was significant (P < 0.5). These suggest the relative safety of Nilestriol replacement therapy for preventing menopausal osteoporosis.

[Indirect sensitized upconversion in Tm3+ and Yb3+ codoped non-crystal pentaphosphate]

We report the blue upconversion luminescence of Tm3+ and Yb3+ codoped non-crystal pentaphosphate pumped by -798nm laser diode. The samples were directly excited to 3F4 level of Tm3+ ion. Two energy transfer processes between Tm3+ and Yb3+ contribute mainly to the population of 1G4 level of Tm3+. Phonon plays an important role in the upconversion process.