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Langerhans cells (LCs) are considered to be responsible for the immunologic presentation of tumor-associated antigens and play a role in the elimination of neoplastic clones. Ultraviolet light B can cause dysfunction and loss of LCs. Both the number and dendritic morphology of LCs are known to be diminished in squamous cell carcinomas from sun-exposed skin. The effects of arsenics on LCs are unknown. Using an OKT-6 monoclonal antibody to stain intraepithelial LCs, we compared their number and morphology in Bowen's lesions and in the perilesional skin from sun-protected sites in ten patients with chronic arsenicism. There was a significant reduction in the numbers of LCs in the Bowen's lesions as compared to the perilesional skin specimens. Loss of dendrites was observed in all Bowen's lesions and in seven of the perilesional skin specimens. Ultrastructurally, the LCs showed an absence of dendrites, but the Birbeck granules were preserved. Since the specimens were not from sun-exposed skin in our study, the findings may be related to chronic arsenic intoxication. The morphologic alteration of LCs observed in the perilesional skin further suggests an arsenic-related systemic dysfunction of the LCs, which in turn may contribute to the development of skin cancers in these patients.

A buried grating structure with a selectively grown absorptive InGaAsP layer was fabricated and characterized by scanning electron microscopy and photoluminescence. The InP corrugation was etched by introducing a SiO2 mask that was more stable than a conventional photoresist mask during the etching process. Moreover, the corrugation was efficaciously preserved during the selective growth of the absorptive layer with the SiO2 mask. Though this absorptive layer was only selectively grown on the concave region of the corrugation, it has a high intensity around the peak wavelength in comparison with that of InGaAlAs multiple quantum well, which was grown on the buried grating structure.

Growth charts of children in Shanghai County were constructed in 1975 using data collected from an anthropometric study of 4234 children in 9 primary and 9 middle schools. The study was conducted by the County Health and Anti-Epidemic Station. A 2nd study was planned 10 years after the first but because of rapid development progress in agricultural production and improved living conditions of recent years it became apparent that the original growth standards might no longer be applicable. Therefore the 2nd study was conducted over the May 16-June 16 1981 period with support from the Shanhai County Bureau of Education. At that time anthropometric measurements were performed on 8099 children mainly in the same 9 primary and 9 middle schools. The schools were located in communes towns and rural areas growing mostly vegetables or grains and cottons. Data collected included height weight chest circumference and sitting height. Mean heights and weights of both sexes from 7-17 years in the 1981 study were greater in most age groups compared to those in the 1975 study. The increase in average height between 1975 and 1981 for boys ranges from 1.28-4.77 and for girls from 1.21-5.70 cm depending on age group. Similarly increases in average weights for boys range from 0.19-2.70 kg and for girls 0.27-3.19 kg. The increases between 1975 and 1981 in body weight for boys and girls were greatest for those in their adolescent growth spurt periods. Comparing the results from children living in 3 different localities children residing in towns had higher values for heights and weights than those residing in rural areas. Children residing in the vegetable growing areas (which have higher per capita incomes) were a little taller and heavier than children in the grain and cotton growing areas. The mean values in the 1981 study in Shanghai County were higher than those from a 1979 study in 7 rural counties of Greater Shanghai but lower than those from urban areas in the 1979 study. The mean height values for Shanghai County in 1981 for those aged 7-17 years were lower than the 50th percentile figures from data the Fels Research Institute collected in the U.S. during the 1929-1975 period.

The immunofluorescent localization of associated antigen of anti-human nasopharyngeal carcinoma (NPC) cell monoclonal antibody (McAb) was performed in different tissues (NPC, non-NPC tumor, chronic inflammation of nasopharyngeal mucosa, adult normal tissue and embryo tissue) with 5 control experiments. McAb (CN-1, Cs-C1) was produced by Department of Microbiology of our college and all the specimens were confirmed by pathology. The results revealed that Cs-C1 antigen was mainly found on the surface of NPC cells with a positive rate of 80.3%. Majority of the positive cells showed yellow-greenish linear fluorescence surrounding the cell membrane while some cells manifested granular fluorescence. In addition, Cs-C1 antigen was also found in a few embryo tissues, epithelial cells of the normal gastric mucosa and cells of the gastric cancer. It is suggested that Cs-C1 antigen be a kind of molecular structure, being gradually produced or increased in quantity during carcinogenesis, and belong to the tumor associated antigen. Cs-C1 antigen could be important in the study of carcinogenic mechanism of NPC cells and valuable to clinical immunodiagnosis.

This study investigated the effect of chromium picolinate supplementation on growth performance, carcass characteristics and lipid metabolism of growing-finishing pigs. Sixty Landrace ✕ Yorkshire ✕ Duroc (LYD) pigs with a mean initial body weight of 46·65 (s.e. 6·72) kg were randomly allocated into three groups with two replicates. They were supplemented with 0 , 200, or 400 μg/kg (ppb) chromium in the organic form of chromium picolinate for 90 days. Supplementation with chromium picolinate in the pigs’ ration improved their growth performance, enhanced average daily gain (P< 0·05), and increased their food consumption, especially in the 200 ppb group (P> 0·05). Chromium picolinate supplementation also improved carcass characteristics, as the average back fat thickness was reduced and the loin-eye area was enhanced (P< 0·05). The serum chromium concentration in the chromium picolinate supplemented groups was approximately twice that of the controls (P< 0·05). Supplementation with chromium also markedly reduced serum total cholesterol, triacylglycerol (TG) and urea concentrations in the pig serum (P< 0·05). Serum insulin was significantly decreased in the 400 ppb group, while serum glucose was decreased in the 200 ppb group (P< 0·05). Very low density lipoprotein (VLDL) was reduced and low density lipoprotein (LDL) was increased in the chromium supplementation group. Meanwhile, the high density lipoprotein-cholesterol and VLDL-cholesterol were markedly increased, while LDL-cholesterol was significantly diminished (P< 0·05) in the 200 ppb group. The adipocyte diameter and volume in the chromium-supplemented groups tended to be larger than in the control (P= 0·07). In vitro studies indicated that incorporation of [u,14C]glucose into total lipids (P< 0·05) was increased by chromium supplementation. However, there were no lipolysis differences among the groups (P> 0·05). The carcasses of the pigs that received the chromium supplemented ration contained less oleic acid (C18 : 1) and total unsaturated fatty acids (P< 0·05). On the other hand, the total saturated fatty acid content was higher than that of the controls (P< 0·05). Results in this study demonstrate that chromium picolinate supplementation in pigs has several beneficial effects.