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Background: Recently, klothohas been proposed as a link between cardiovascular diseases and premature aging, but the relationship between KLOTHOgenes and cardiovascular risk factors, especially glucose metabolism, in humans is unclear. Objectives: We investigate the relationship between polymorphisms G395A in promoter and C1818T in exon 4 of the KLOTHOgene with glucose metabolism and cardiovascular risk factors in Korean women. Material and methods: In 251 women (mean age 51.3±6.9 yr), body mass index (BMI), waist circumference, blood pressure, fasting plasma glucose, insulin and lipid profiles were measured. The genotyping of polymorphisms G395A in promoter and C1818T in exon 4 of the KLOTHOgene was performed by allelic discrimination using a 5′ nuclease polymerase chain reaction assay. Results: Allele frequencies of G395A polymorphism was 0.829 for the G allele and 0.171 for the A allele and allele frequencies of C1818T polymorphism were 0.804 for the C allele and 0.196 for the T allele, both of which were in compliance with Hardy-Weinberg equilibrium and the two polymorphisms were in linkage disequilibrium (D′=0.43, p<0.01). Mean systolic blood pressure was significantly higher in A allele carriers of G395A polymorphism compared with non-carriers, and the significance was persistent even after adjustment for age and BMI. Mean fasting plasma glucose was significantly higher in T allele carriers of C1818T polymorphism compared with non-carriers, and the significance was persistent even after adjustment for age and BMI. Subjects without any minor allele from either single nucleotide polymorphisms (SNP) had significantly lower mean values for systolic, diastolic blood pressure and fasting plasma glucose levels compared with subjects with both minor allele from either SNP. Conclusions: We observed that KLOTHOG395A polymorphism was associated with blood pressure and KLOTHOC1818T polymorphism was associated with glucose metabolism in Korean women. Further studies are needed to clarify this relationship.

Abstract. Electrorheological (ER) fluids show a rapid and reversible increase in viscosity when an electric field is applied. This is called the ER effect. The reason for the ER effect is the induction of an electric dipole in each particle, leading to the formation of clusters in the direction of the field, which resist fluid flow. Generally, the behavior of ER fluids has been modeled on those of Bingham plastics. However, there are some differences between Bingham plastics and ER fluids. The visualization of ER fluids is presented and ER effects of forming, growing, and breaking clusters are discussed. In the low-shear-rate area, the pressure drop is measured by two pressure sensors and the formation of ER particles is recorded with a video camera. The reason for the nonlinear behavior of ER fluids at low shear rate is explained through the results of the recording. As results, the behavior of ER fluids is nonlinear at low shear rate with an overshoot area because the strength of electric field causes clusters to form differently. The gap between electrodes becomes narrow because of the cluster layer occurrence near the electrodes under any conditions.

Mouse NIH 3T6 cells were coinfected with two strains of polyomavirus that differ only in the sequences of their 5' noncoding late leader exons. Polysomes were isolated at late times after infection and probed with oligonucleotides specific for each strain. Results indicate that the sequence of the late leader does not play a role in the translational efficiency of late polyomavirus messages.

This prospective study involved 27 patients who underwent dynamic infusion cavernosometry/cavernosography and color duplex Doppler ultrasound. Phase III dynamic infusion cavernosometry/cavernosography determination of cavernous artery systolic occlusion pressure and color duplex Doppler measurements of peak velocity flow were performed. Four subpopulations were defined: 1) normal cavernous artery systolic occlusion pressure and peak velocity flow, 2) abnormal systolic occlusion pressure and normal peak velocity flow, 3) normal systolic occlusion pressure and abnormal peak velocity flow, and 4) abnormal systolic occlusion pressure and peak velocity flow. Peak velocity flow significantly correlated with cavernous artery systolic occlusion pressure and, using a normal value of greater than 25 cm. per second, resulted in a sensitivity and specificity of 95%. The positive predictive value of an abnormal peak velocity flow was calculated to be 95%. We conclude that peak velocity flow is an effective, reliable and noninvasive means of evaluating corporeal arterial function in an office setting.