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Background: Information about seasonal variation in the fatty acid (FA) composition of bulk tak milk and its relationship with dietary factors in Taiwan remains to be completed. This study aimed to determine the average FA composition of milk in different seasons and collect dietary information to investigate the relationship between dietary characteristics and lactation performance, including FA concentration in bulk tank milk. Methods: Bulk tank milk samples were collected monthly from 90 dairy farms across Taiwan for two years to capture seasonal variations. Additionally, 36 bulk tank milk samples from three farms were collected monthly from August 2022 to July 2023. Result: Milk production (kg/day), fat (%), crude protein (%), true protein (%), lactose (%) and solids-not-fat (%) were significantly higher in the cold season than in the hot and warm seasons (P<0.05) over the studied period. In contrast, somatic cell counts were significantly lower in the cold season than in the hot and warm seasons (P<0.05). Total saturated FA and C14:0 concentrations were significantly higher in the cold season than in the hot and warm seasons (P<0.05). In contrast, the C18:1 concentration was significantly higher in the hot and warm seasons than in the cold season (P<0.05). However, the C18:0 concentration did not differ significantly by season. Fat and FA concentrations varied significantly among three selected dairy farms (P<0.05). Milk fat only differed significantly between the three farms in the hot season, with Farm B having the lowest milk fat concentration (P<0.05). FA concentrations showed significant seasonal effects at all three farms. These results provide an overview of milk FA variation and identify the critical factors influencing variation in bulk tank milk fat and individual farm FA concentrations: dietary ether extract content and forage choice. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Abiu is a new, excellent, and rare fruit. The genetic diversity of 20 Abiu germplasm resources was determined using SCoT molecular marker technology. A total of 361 bands were amplified using 24 selected primers, including 309 polymorphic bands, with an average polymorphism ratio (PPB) of 85.60%. The number of alleles (Na) in the population was 1.9501, number of effective alleles (Ne) was 1.4659, gene diversity index (H) was 0.2806, and Shannon diversity index (I) was 0.4314, indicating high genetic diversity among the materials. The results of cluster analysis showed that the inter-specific genetic coefficient of 20 varieties of Abiu was between 0.53-0.76, and the results of principal component analysis were consistent with those of cluster analysis. The analysis of the population structure revealed that the 20 Abiu samples could be categorized into seven distinct groups. Of all the tested materials, 14 samples had diverse genetic backgrounds and complex genetic compositions, accounting for 70% of the tested materials, suggesting that the population genetics of the 20 samples had a rich genetic basis and complex and diverse sources. SCoT, which is an effective molecular marker, can be used to analyze the genetic diversity of the germplasm resources of Abiu. This study will be useful for the identification, collection, classification, protection, and evaluation of Abiu germplasm resources. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This article, published in the journal Ultrasound in Obstetrics & Gynecology, presents a study that aimed to construct a prediction model for adverse pregnancy outcomes in fetuses with umbilical artery thrombosis (UAT). The study included 182 singleton fetuses, of which 82 had UAT. Using the least absolute shrinkage and selection operator (LASSO) regression method, the researchers identified five predictive features, including a history of maternal diabetes, coagulation, umbilical artery pulsatility index (UA-PI), middle cerebral artery pulsatility index (MCA-PI), and ductus venosus pulsatility index (DV-PIV). The researchers constructed a nomogram prediction model based on these predictors, which accurately predicted the adverse pregnancy outcome of UAT. The study concludes that the multi-index prediction model for UAT is feasible and has good predictive value. [Extracted from the article]

This article, published in the journal "Ultrasound in Obstetrics & Gynecology," focuses on assessing brain volume and cortical development in fetuses with congenital aortic abnormalities (CAA). The study involved measuring fetal brain volume and sulcal measurements in routine prenatal examinations of fetuses at 18-40 weeks gestation. A total of 2584 normal fetuses were included as a reference group, and 235 fetuses with CAA were included in the study group. The results showed that fetuses with CAA had smaller frontal lobe volumes and differences in the measurements of the Sylvian fissure compared to the reference group. The study concludes that CAA can affect cerebral development, with more severe phenotypes showing more significant differences. [Extracted from the article]

Shunt reactors are important components for high-voltage and extra high voltage transmission systems with large line lengths. They are used to absorb excess reactive power generated by capacitive power on the lines when no-load or under-load occurs. In addition, they play an important role in balancing the reactive power on the system, avoiding overvoltage at the end of the lines, and maintaining voltage stability at the specified level. In this paper, an analytical method based on the theory of magnetic circuit model is used to compute the electromagnetic fields of shunt reactors and then a finite element method is applied to simulate magnetic field distributions, joule power losses, and copper losses in the magnetic circuit. In order to reduce magnetic flux and avoid magnetic circuit saturation, it is necessary to increase the reluctance of the magnetic circuit by adding air gaps in the iron core. The air gaps are arranged along the iron core to decrease the influence of flux fringing around the air gap on shunt reactors' total loss. Non-magnetic materials are often used at the air gaps to separate the iron cores. The ANSYS Electronics Desktop V19.R1 is used as a computation and simulation tool in this paper. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

To clarify the transformation of ammonium polyphosphate (APP) in acidic soil and its effect on soil phosphorus availability is prerequisite for the rational application of APP with different degrees of polymerization. The present study used industrial-grade monoammonium phosphate (MAP) as control, lateritic red soil and latosol were used as test soils, the soil culture experiments were conducted for 50 days. The effects of different fertilization treatments on soil availability and transformation of inorganic phosphorus forms in lateritic red soil and latosol were compared between three kinds of APP (APP1, APP2, APP3) with different degree of aggregation and APP3 with MAP (A3:M). Among them, APP1 (15-62-0) is ammonium polyphosphate mainly composed of low and middle polymer; APP2 (20- 43-0) is ammonium polyphosphate mainly composed of middle and high polymer; and APP3 (13-70-0) is evenly distributed. The results showed that (1) in lateritic red soil, the effect of APP1 alone was the best, while in latosol, the effect of A3:M on improving soil available phosphorus content was remarkable; (2) the available phosphorus content in lateritic red soil under fertilizer treatment was much higher than that in latosol; (3) the content of inorganic phosphorus in the two soil types were O-P > Fe-P > Al-P > Ca-P. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Virtual Production Systems (VPSs) are logically constructed by organizing production resources belonging to one or more physical manufacturing systems. VPSs can enhance the agility of manufacturing systems. However, an effective scheduling approach is required to cope with disturbance and changes to these systems. An adaptive production scheduling method is proposed. Object-oriented Petri nets with changeable structure (OPNs-CS) formulate the scheduling problem of VPSs. To resolve resource constraints in a VPS, the OPNs-CS is modified by introducing limited token available time and by revising the enabling and firing rules. The artificial intelligent heuristic search (A*) algorithm is modified and applied to generate the optimal or near optimal schedule. When a VPS encounters any disturbance, an estimate of the effects of the disturbance can be estimated by simulation on the OPNs-CS model. If the scheduling target (completion time) is not affected, rescheduling is not required. Whenever there is a change to the VPS, the TOPNs-CS model is updated to refresh VPS schedule. A case study is presented to demonstrate the procedures for applying the proposed scheduling approach. The given case study shows that the proposed approach is capable of scheduling a VPS dynamically in response to disturbances and changes are involved. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This paper presents a WWW (World Wide Web) based integrated product development platform for intelligent concurrent design and manufacturing of sheet metal parts. In order to achieve this platform, several major modules are discussed. These modules mainly include the structure of the WWW-based integrated product development platform, an information integration framework, a RTCAPP (real time computer aided process planning) module, a customer interface module, and a design/manufacturing knowledge-based module for supporting product design and manufacturing. This paper gives the structure of the information integration framework for concurrent design and manufacturing of sheet metal parts. An information integration framework, called 'step structure information framework' is proposed. The principles, called 'zero thickness and zero bend radius' are put forward, which can be used to abstract the geometric entities of sheet metal parts in order to facilitate product design and modelling. Finally, case studies are given. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The high-pressure strength of molybdenum (Mo) to 92 GPa has been studied by radial X-ray diffraction (RXRD) technique. The ratio of t/G is found to decrease above ∼24 GPa, showing the yield of Mo which is caused by plastic deformation at this pressure. Combined with high-pressure shear modulus, it was found that the differential stress corresponding to the yield of Mo at 24 GPa due to plastic deformation is 1.73 GPa. The second increase of t values occurs after ∼66 GPa, suggesting the strength of Mo with a differential stress of ∼1.93 GPa. In addition, the maximum difference stress of molybdenum at 87 GPa is 3.01 GPa. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Contents: Amniotic fluid is a rich source of multipotent mesenchymal stem cells (MSCs). Amniotic fluid stem cells (AFSCs) have become a new source of stem cells; they have low immunogenicity and are easily harvested. For this reason, they may be useful in clinical tissue engineering. Moreover, AFSCs have anti‐inflammatory properties and can repair tissues. This study evaluated the utility of AFSC injection to treat bilateral ovarian dystrophy in Holstein‐Friesian cows. Bovine AFSCs (BAFSCs) were collected at slaughter from Holstein‐Friesian cows during the third or fourth month of pregnancy and cultured in vitro. The BAFSCs began to show a fibroblast‐like morphology. They were positive for β‐integrin, CD44, CD73, CD106 and Oct4 and negative for CD34 and CD45. After induction, the cells differentiated into mesodermal lineages. Bilateral ovarian dystrophy was confirmed by ultrasonography in 16 lactating cows. The subsequent experiment lasted 15 weeks. Serum was collected weekly to analyse progesterone concentrations, and weekly ultrasonography recorded ovarian changes. Each cow was equipped with an automatic heat detection system to facilitate oestrus observation and breeding records. The progesterone concentration of two cows in the treatment group (25%) significantly increased during weeks 10–15. On ultrasonography, the treatment group demonstrated mature follicles after BAFSCs injection, and foetuses were visualized approximately 40 days after artificial insemination (AI). Oestrus rates in the control and treatment groups were 0% (0/8) and 50% (4/8), respectively; pregnancy rates were 0% (0/8) and 25% (2/8), respectively. Calves were successfully delivered in both cases of pregnancy. These results show that BAFSCs can alleviate bovine ovarian dystrophy and restore fertility. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Phosphorus is an essential nutrient for the growth of citrus plants. A pot experiment was conducted in greenhouse to investigate the citrus cultivars grafted on 10 rootstocks (Cuningmeng, Suanju, Suancheng, Honglimeng, Zhike, Goutoucheng, Xiangyuan, Hongju, Xiangcheng, and Zhicheng) in response to the different phosphorus treatments viz, low P (LP) = 0.01 mmol L-1, moderate P (MP) = 0.5 mmol L-1, high P (HP) = 1 mmol L-1) concentrations. All P concentrations were employed in pots containing Hoagland solution. The leaves, branch, root and total dry weight, and nitrogen, phosphorus, potassium and magnesium concentrations in the different plant parts were determined. Results showed that P application increased N, P, K and Mg content in different plant parts. With increasing P application, the root dry weight, branch dry weight, leaves dry weight, and total dry weight increased whilst low P treatment affected the P, K and Mg accumulation in root and ultimately plant growth. Moreover, low P concentrations also affected Mg content in leaves, that can lead to low plant photosynthesis and finally decreased the plant dry biomass [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Digital image correlation (DIC) is a widely used optical metrology for surface deformation measurement. In DIC, the square root of the mean square error (RMS error) and standard deviation error (SD error) are used as quantitative criteria in order to evaluate the accuracy and robustness of a DIC method\algorithm. However, RMS and SD error criteria are computed from prescribed and measured displacements, which indicates that the prescribed displacement fields must be precisely generated. Therefore, it is difficult to quantitatively evaluate the accuracy and robustness of an algorithm\method in practical DIC measurements because imposed displacements are unknown (that's why DIC measurements are needed). Moreover, the accuracy of DIC measurements highly relies on parameters selection, especially the selections of subset size and shape function. In practice, the subset size and shape function are usually selected according to experience because there are numerous factors (e.g. the quality of speckle image, local displacement field) and uncertainties (e.g. noise level, out-of-plane motion, illumination lighting fluctuation during image capturing) that affect the parameters selection, which makes it difficult to select optimal parameters based on previous works which mainly focused on theoretical deduction in ideal condition. In this paper, an error criterion for evaluating the accuracy of practical DIC measurements with unknown displacements is proposed. Numerical experiments are used to validate the effectiveness and feasibility of the proposed criterion for accuracy evaluation. It is concluded that the square root of the sum of squared forward and backward displacements difference (SFBD) error has a significant positive linear correlation with the widely used SD error in most practical DIC measurements where the mismatch between the frequently-used first- and second-order shape functions and the actual field is usually small. Also, an application of the proposed criterion is presented by real experiments for subset size and shape function selections, which verifies that the proposed error criterion can be effectively used for DIC parameters selection. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

BackgroundPatients with bipolar disorder (BD) frequently exhibit impulsive behaviors independent of their mood state, and trait impulsivity is increasingly recognized as a crucial BD biomarker. This study aimed to investigate structural correlates of trait impulsivity measured using the Barratt Impulsiveness Scale (BIS) in healthy controls (HCs) and patients with BD.MethodWe recruited 59 patients diagnosed with BD I or BD II (35.3 ± 8.5 years) and 56 age- and sex-matched HCs (33.9 ± 7.4 years). Participants underwent structural magnetic resonance imaging and clinical evaluations, and their BIS scores were evaluated. An automated surface-based method (FreeSurfer) was used to measure cortical thickness and generate thickness maps for each participant. Brain-wise regression analysis of the association between cortical thickness and BIS scores was performed separately for BD and HC groups by using a general linear model.ResultsPatients with BD obtained significantly higher BIS scores than HCs. In HCs, higher BIS scores were associated with a thinner cortex in the left inferior, middle and medial frontal cortices. By contrast, in BD patients, higher BIS scores were associated with a thicker cortex in the right insula. Patients with BD showed a thinner cortex than HCs in all these four structures.ConclusionsThe findings indicate that the left prefrontal cortex plays a cardinal role in trait impulsivity of healthy individuals. Patients with BD have a different structural correlate of trait impulsivity in the right insula. However, the use of various psychotropics in patients with BD may limit our interpretation of BD findings. [ABSTRACT FROM PUBLISHER]

Background Actinic keratosis ( AK) is one of the most common conditions treated by dermatologists in western countries. Studies have shown that AK prevalence in Europe, the U.S.A. and Australia is 4·5-60%. No data of AK prevalence in China has been reported. Objectives This study aimed to explore the prevalence of AK in patients visiting dermatologists in two hospitals in China. Methods This study was conducted in the dermatology departments of two teaching hospitals (Peking University First Hospital, Beijing, and Fourth Military Medical University, Xi'an). All records for 5 years between 2008 and 2012 with clinically or pathologically diagnosed AKs were collected from the pathological databases of both hospitals. Data from these records were used to calculate the prevalence of AKs among patients who were seen by dermatologists in these hospitals. To estimate the reliability of data from the previous database, a cross-sectional study was conducted simultaneously in the two hospitals from 15 October to 8 December in 2012 after all dermatologists in the two departments were retrained through intensive courses on recognizing AK clinically. Results The prevalence of total clinical AKs through 2008-2012 was 0·52% in 1 590 817 patient visits in the two hospitals. The yearly prevalence of clinical AKs was 0·30-1·20%. In the cross-sectional study, 72 437 clinical patients were screened and 76 patients (1·05%) were identified to have clinically recognized AK. Conclusions The overall prevalence of AKs in patients visiting dermatologists in the two hospitals in China was 0·52%, which is much lower than the prevalence in western countries. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Recent studies have revealed that the receptor activator of nuclear factor-kappa B ligand/RANK/osteoprotegerin (RANKL/RANK/OPG) system has an important role in vascular calcification, which is contributory to various cardiovascular diseases and intimately linked to the regulation of blood pressure. Therefore, we performed a case-control study to investigate the associations of 21 single-nucleotide polymorphisms (SNPs) in the TNFSF11, TNFRSF11A and TNFRSF11B genes in the RANKL/RANK/OPG system with hypertension and blood pressure in post-menopausal Chinese women. In this study, 503 hypertensive patients and 509 normal controls were recruited. Genotyping was performed using the high-throughput Sequenom genotyping platform. The results showed that two SNPs (rs6567270 and rs4603673) in the TNFRSF11A were associated with hypertension (P=0.010 and P=0.013, respectively) and systolic blood pressure (P=0.024 and P=0.023, respectively). One SNP (rs9646629) in the TNFRSF11A showed significant association with diastolic blood pressure (P=0.031). The results of this study suggest that TNFRSF11A but not TNFSF11 and TNFRSF11B genetic variation is associated with hypertension and blood pressure in Chinese women. The findings provide additional support for the genetic role of RANKL/RANK/OPG system in hypertension and blood pressure regulation. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Glioblastoma multiforme (GBM) is the most common malignant brain tumor in adults with a dismal prognosis. Current therapy of surgical removal combined with Temozolomide (TMZ) and radiation therapy only slightly prolongs the survival of GBM patients. Thus, it is essential to elucidate mechanism underlying its highly malignant properties in order to develop efficacious therapeutic regimens. In this study, we showed that progranulin (PGRN) was overexpressed in most GBM cell lines and the majority of human tumor samples. PGRN overexpression conferred GBM cells with tumorigenic properties and TMZ resistance by upregulating DNA repair (PARP, ATM, BRCA1, Rad51, XRCC1 and so on) and cancer stemness (CD133, CD44, ABCG2) genes, in part via an AP-1 transcription factor, specifically cFos/JunB. Curcumin, an AP-1 inhibitor, was also found to regulate PGRN promoter activity and expression including its downstream effectors aforementioned. These data suggested a feedforward loop between PGRN signaling and AP-1. PGRN depletion significantly decreased unlimited self-renewal and multilineage differentiation and the malignant properties of GBMs cells S1R1, and enhanced their vulnerability to TMZ. In addition, S1R1 depleted of PGRN also lost the ability to form tumor in an orthotopic xenograft mouse model. In conclusion, PGRN had a critical role in the pathogenesis and chemoresistance of GBM and functioned at the top of the hierarchy of cellular machinery that modulates both DNA repair pathways and cancer stemness. Our data suggest that a new strategy combining current regimens with compounds targeting PGRN/AP-1 loop like curcumin may significantly improve the therapeutic outcome of GBM. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Summary: Association between 22 single nucleotide polymorphisms (SNPs) in the TNFSF11, TNFRSF11A, and TNFRSF11B genes in the RANKL/RANK/OPG pathway with bone mineral density (BMD) in 881 post-menopausal women. Our results suggest that TNFSF11 and TNFRSF11A, but not TNFRSF11B, genetic polymorphisms influence BMD mainly in the femoral neck in post-menopausal Chinese women. Introduction: The aim of this study was to assess the relationship of polymorphisms in the TNFSF11, TNFRSF11A, and TNFRSF11B genes in the RANKL/RANK/OPG pathway with bone mineral density (BMD) in a cohort of Chinese post-menopausal women. Methods: A cross-sectional study was conducted in 881 post-menopausal women aged 50-89 years. All participants underwent lumbar spinal (LS) and femoral neck (FN) BMD evaluation by dual-energy X-ray absorptiometry. Twenty-two TNFSF11, TNFRSF11A, and TNFRSF11B SNPs were genotyped. We tested whether a single SNP or a haplotype was associated with BMD variations. Results: Two SNPs in the TNFSF11 gene (rs2277439 and rs2324851) and one in the TNFRSF11A gene (rs7239261) were found to be significantly associated with FN BMD ( p = 0.014, 0.013, and 0.047, respectively). Haplotype TGACGT of TNFSF11 rs9525641-rs2277439-rs2324851-rs2875459-rs2200287-rs9533166 was a genetic risk factor toward a lower FN BMD (beta = −0.1473; p = 0.01126). In contrary, haplotype TAGCGT of TNFSF11 rs9525641-rs2277439-rs2324851-rs2875459-rs2200287-rs9533166 was genetic protective factor for LS BMD (beta = 0.3923; p = 0.04917). Conclusions: Our findings suggest that TNFSF11 and TNFRSF11A, but not TNFRSF11B, genetic polymorphisms influence BMD mainly in the femoral neck in post-menopausal Chinese women. This contributes to the understanding of the role of genetic variation in this pathway in determining bone health. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Higher average daily gain, more lean meat yield and less fat yield of porcine carcass increase selling profits for animal producers. Myostatin ( MSTN), previously called GDF8, is a member of transforming growth factor-β ( TGF-β) superfamily. It is a negative regulator for both embryonic development and adult homeostasis of skeletal muscle. In this study, the genotypes of the previously described SNPs MSTN g.435 G> A and g.447 A> G SNPs in 66 Duroc pigs, 33 Landrace pigs, 180 Duroc × Landrace ( DL) pigs and 155 Duroc × Yorkshire × Landrace ( DYL) pigs were determined by Taqman SNP Genotyping Assays. For Duroc and Landrace pigs, MSTN g.435 GG/g.447 AA individual had greater backfat thickness (p < 0.05) than g.435 AA/g.447 GG individual, whereas MSTN g.435 AA/g.447 GG had greater meat (p < 0.05) and meat percentage (p < 0.05) than g.435 GA/g.447 AG individual. For DL and DYL pigs, the MSTN g.435 GG/g.447 AA animals were greater in backfat at ultrasound 10th rib (p < 0.05) and carcass 10th rib (p < 0.01) than g.435 AA/g.447 GG individual. The MSTN g.435 AA/g.447 GG individual also had higher values than g.435 GG/g.447 AA for anterior-end meat (p < 0.05), posterior-end meat (p < 0.01), total meat weight (p < 0.01) and meat percentage (p < 0.01). This study confirmed evidence that MSTN g.435 G> A and g.447 A> G affected carcass traits in pigs. The effects of the mutated alleles were additive with the maximal effects resulting from two copies of the mutated allele. Selection for MSTN g.435 A/g.447 G allele is expected to increase muscle of limb and total meat production and decrease backfat thickness. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Drug-drug interactions ( DDIs) may adversely affect the prevention and cure of diseases. The effects of three polyether ionophore antibiotics, salinomycin ( SAL), monensin ( MON), and maduramycin ( MAD) on the pharmacokinetics of florfenicol ( FFC) were investigated in broilers. The chickens were fed rations with or without SAL (60 mg/kg feeds), MON (120 mg/kg feeds), or MAD (5 mg/kg feeds) for 14 consecutive days. FFC was given to the chickens either intravenously (i.v.) or orally (p.o.) at a single dose of 30 mg/kg body weight. Blood samples were taken from each chicken at 0-24 h postadministration of FFC. The plasma concentration of FFC was detected by high-performance liquid chromatography. The plasma concentration of FFC decreased with i.v. or p.o. co-administration of SAL, MON, or MAD in broilers, implying occurrence of DDIs during the co-administration of FFC with these ionophores. Our findings suggest that more attention should be given to the use of FFC to treat bacterial infections in chickens supplemented with polyether ionophore antibiotics. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background The epidemiological and clinical characterization data of skin malignancies and premalignancies in Chinese population is scarce and inadequate. Objective To systematically investigate the clinical features and the trend of skin malignancies and premalignancies in 1420 Chinese cases. Methods A total of 1398 patients (presenting 1420 skin tumours) were included. Clinical and demographic information for every individual was collected, including age, age of onset, sex, lesion location, disease duration and tumour histology, which was analyzed for each type of skin tumours. Results The number of skin malignancies and premalignancies increased over time, with Basal cell carcinoma (BCC) as the most common type (30.5%). The majority of the patients were above 60 years of age both at onset and at diagnosis (52.8% and 62.9%, respectively), yet around one-third of patients were between 35-59 years (35.3% and 31.2%, respectively). Skin malignancies and premalignancies were mainly located in the head and neck (58.6%), followed by the trunk (18.3%) and the extremities (15.0%). Of all BCCs, nodular BCC was the most common histologic subtype (62.8%), while 15.8% were classified as aggressive subtypes. Malignant melanoma (MM) comprised the lowest proportion of 3.7%, with 75% located on extremities. The diagnostic accordance rates varied from 49.5% to 90.4%, with BCC being 67.9%. Conclusions The clinical features of skin malignancies and premalignancies in this study showed some similarities with those observed in Caucasian and other Asian populations, with several distinguished features in Chinese patients also being recognized. Closer attention to suspicious lesions in young and middle-aged people is needed. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background Alterations of the PTCH1 gene have been found to contribute to both familial and sporadic basal cell carcinoma (BCC), especially in Caucasian patients. Furthermore, the majority of PTCH1 gene mutations in sporadic BCCs in Caucasian patients carry ultraviolet (UV) signatures, suggesting the key role of UV light in BCC development. However, sporadic BCC in non-Caucasian population has a lower incidence, and the pathogenesis remains largely unknown. To date, there has been no mutation analysis on PTCH1 gene in Chinese patients with sporadic BCCs. Objective To investigate genetic alterations of the PTCH1 gene in Chinese sporadic BCCs. Methods Direct sequencing was used to screen for mutations in PTCH1 in 31 microdissected samples in Chinese sporadic BCCs. In addition, single nucleotide polymorphisms (SNPs) were studied for loss of heterozygosity (LOH). Results Nineteen PTCH1 mutations in 17 of the 31 BCCs (54.8%) were identified. SNP analysis revealed LOH of PTCH1 in 10 of 23 BCCs (43.5%). Interestingly, the majority of mutations identified (63.2%) were insertion/deletion, which was different from the results in Caucasian cases whose mutations are predominantly point mutations. Only two (10.5%) of the remaining seven mutations were UV-specific C → T transition or tandem CC → TT transitions. All mutations occurred evenly throughout the entire PTCH1 protein domain without a hot-spot detected. Conclusion Mutations and LOH in PTCH1 were also highly prevalent in Chinese sporadic BCCs. However, UV light plays a less role in causing these mutations, suggesting other potential mechanisms in the development of sporadic BCC in Chinese patients. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background and purpose: The clinical features of pituitary adenomas were retrospectively analyzed, focusing on the factors that contribute to the development of pituitary hemorrhage. Although many causes of pituitary adenoma hemorrhage have been identified, it is difficult to distinguish which conditions are truly causative. We determined the independent variables that contribute to pituitary hemorrhage in pituitary adenoma. Methods: Two hundred and eighty-eight consecutive patients diagnosed as pituitary adenoma were enrolled. These patients underwent tumor removal through endoscopic transsphenoidal approach. The subjects were divided into hemorrhagic and non-hemorrhagic groups, based on magnetic resonance images and histological findings. The predisposing factors were reviewed in the medical records for all patients. Univariate and multivariate analyses were performed to assess the relationships between variables of pituitary adenoma hemorrhage. Results: We investigated 81 patients in whom hemorrhage from pituitary adenoma occurred. The incidence of pituitary hemorrhage was 28.1% (81/288). The predisposing factors surveyed for pituitary hemorrhage were significantly associated with macroadenoma, non-functional adenomas, anticoagulation therapy, end-stage renal disease, dopamine agonist treatment, and underlying malignant disease (all P < 0.05). Sex, age, hypertension, diabetes mellitus, and previous radiation therapy were not related to pituitary hemorrhage. Conclusions: In this pooled cohort, the predisposing factors of pituitary adenoma characteristic for pituitary hemorrhage were macroadenoma and non-functional adenoma. Patients who received dopamine agonist and anticoagulation therapy are implicated as precipitating factors. Underlying end-stage renal disease and malignant disease are also factors that contribute to pituitary adenoma hemorrhage. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background. Autosomal recessive lamellar ichthyosis (LI) is a severe skin disorder characterized by generalized hyperkeratosis. Gene mutation in transglutaminase 1 ( TGM1), which mediates cross-links in the formation of the cell envelope during terminal differentiation of epidermis, has been identified as a cause of LI. Objectives. To determine mutations of TGM1 gene in three Chinese families with LI. Methods. The TGM1 gene was sequenced to identify disease-causing mutations in the three families with LI. One of the results was confirmed by using reverse transcriptase PCR and in situ hybridization. An in situ transglutaminase (TGase) 1 assay was performed to estimate TGase 1 activity in the patients’ skin. Results. Four novel mutations of keratinocyte TGase1 (Q203X, D254N, R687H and IVS4 + 1G→T) were found in the three families. No TGase 1 mRNA was detected in patient skin using RT-PCR and in situ hybridization, and the in situ TGase assay showed that there was no or decreased TGase 1 activity in patient skin. Conclusions. Our findings suggest that four novel mutations in TGM1 gene result in decrease or absence of TGase activity in the skin and, as a consequence, cause the phenotype of LI. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Tacrolimus has shown promising results in the treatment of various dermatological diseases, including hair loss. The direct effect of tacrolimus on hair follicles and its underlying mechanisms have rarely been investigated. In this study, we investigated the effects of topical tacrolimus on anagen in the hair cycle and on the expression of vascular endothelial growth factor (VEGF) and insulin-like growth factor-1 (IGF-1) mRNAs in mouse skin. Topical tacrolimus 0.1% ointment was applied to one side of the skin of depilated C57BL/6 mice. Skin samples from both sides were taken during the study. Vegf and Igf-1 mRNA were determined by quantitative RT-PCR. No obvious difference in skin colour, hair cycling or histological features was found between the treated and untreated skin, but the levels of Vegf mRNA and Igf-1 mRNA were markedly decreased in the treated skin in late anagen, compared with those in untreated skin. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Aim: Previous studies have shown that tenuigenin, a crude extract of Polygala tenuifolia Willd. that is commonly used in traditional Chinese herbal medicine for memory loss, can reduce the secretion of Aβ from cultured cells. However, the mechanism underlying this effect and the active compound derived from tenuigenin is unknown. In this study, a purified component of tenuigenin, tenuifolin, was examined and revealed to be an effective compound in vitro. Methods: Aβ secretion from three sets of COS-7 cells, each carrying a plasmid expressing a different form of APP was examined following the treatment with tenuifolin. Initially, tenuifolin was determined to have no inherent toxicity to either the transfected or wild type cells at the effective concentrations. Cells were then treated with 0.5–2.0 μg mL−1 tenuifolin for 12 h and their media were examined via an ELISA for Aβ1-40 and Aβ-42. Results: We found that treatment with 2.0 μg mL−1 tenuifolin significantly decreased Aβ secretion from COS-7 cells without altering the ratio of Aβ1-40 and Aβ-42. This effect is most probably due to inhibition of the β-site APP cleaving enzyme as Aβ secretion was not inhibited from cells expressing the C99 fragment. Conclusion: Tenuifolin is an effective compound from tenuigenin. We believe that this finding should lead the way for future experiments to determine the exact mechanism for tenuifolin’s effect on Aβ secretion. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Two new xanthone O-glycosides, polyhongkongenosides A (1) and B (2), together with four known xanthone glycosides, were isolated from the herbs of Polygala hongkongensis Hemsl. Their structures were elucidated on the basis of UV, IR, NMR, and MS spectral data. The antioxidant in vitro activities of 1-6 were determined by the scavenging activities against 1,1-diphenyl-2-picrylhydrazyl (DPPH) radicals and hydroxyl radicals and their reductive activities to Fe(3 + ). Mangiferin, one of the four known xanthone glycosides, showed potential scavenging effect on DPPH and hydroxy radicals and reductive activity to Fe(3 + ) with IC(50) values of 4.7, 13.9, 23.7 muM, respectively. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Netherton's syndrome is a rare autosomal recessive disorder caused by mutations of the SPINK5 gene, which encodes the lymphoepithelial Kazal-type-related inhibitor (LEKTI) protein. We observed microstructural changes and detected LEKTI activity and SPINK5 gene mutation in three Chinese patients with Netherton's syndrome. Decreased LEKTI activity was found in the skin of patients. Lamellar bodies and foci of electron-dense material were detected in the intercellular spaces of the stratum corneum. A novel homozygous splicing mutation of 1430 + 2 T→G was found in the SPINK5 gene in one proband. No mutation was found in the other family. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

A phylogenetic analysis of VP1 and VP4 nucleotide sequences of 52 recent CVA16 strains demonstrated two distinct CVA16 genogroups, A and B, with the prototype strain being the only member of genogroup A. CVA16 G-10, the prototype strain, showed a nucleotide difference of 27.7–30.2% and 19.9–25.2% in VP1 and VP4, respectively, in relation to other CVA16 strains, which formed two separate lineages in genogroup B with nucleotide variation of less than 13.4% and less than 16.3% in VP1 and VP4, respectively. Lineage 1 strains circulating before 2000 were later displaced by lineage 2 strains. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]