Characterization of Epidermal Function in Individuals with Primary Cutaneous Amyloidosis.

Purpose: To compare epidermal biophysical properties, indicators of epidermal function, in individuals with and without primary cutaneous amyloidosis (PCA). Patients and Methods: This study incorporated 189 patients with PCA and 166 healthy individuals. The GPSkin Barrier was employed to measure transepidermal water loss (TEWL) rates and hydration levels of the stratum corneum. The Sebumeter and the Skin pH Meter were utilized to determine the skin surface's sebum content and pH, respectively. The severity of pruritus in participants was evaluated using the visual analog scale (VAS). Results: Compared to the control group without PCA, individuals with PCA displayed a notable increase in skin surface pH and TEWL and a decrease in the hydration levels of the stratum corneum (p<0.0001 for all parameters). Additionally, the sebum content was markedly lower in those with PCA than in the controls (p<0.0001). Of particular note, both TEWL and skin surface pH at the lesion sites on the back and the shin were more elevated in lichenoid amyloidosis (LA) and in macular amyloidosis (MA), whereas hydration levels of the stratum corneum and sebum levels were diminished in LA compared to MA (p<0.05). In conclusion, both hydration levels of the stratum corneum and sebum content exhibited an inverse relationship with pruritus severity, whereas TEWL and skin surface pH demonstrated a positive correlation with pruritus intensity. Conclusion: The function of the epidermis is compromised in individuals diagnosed with PCA. However, the mechanisms underlying these changes await further investigation.

Coordination of growth and drought responses by GA-ABA signaling in rice.

The drought caused by global warming seriously affects the crop growth and agricultural production. Plants have evolved distinct strategies to cope with the drought environment. Under drought stress, energy and resources should be diverted from growth toward stress management. However, the molecular mechanism underlying coordination of growth and drought response remains largely elusive. Here, we discovered that most of the gibberellin (GA) metabolic genes were regulated by water scarcity in rice, leading to the lower GA contents and hence inhibited plant growth. Low GA contents resulted in the accumulation of more GA signaling negative regulator SLENDER RICE 1, which inhibited the degradation of abscisic acid (ABA) receptor PYL10 by competitively binding to the co-activator of anaphase-promoting complex TAD1, resulting in the enhanced ABA response and drought tolerance. These results elucidate the synergistic regulation of crop growth inhibition and promotion of drought tolerance and survival, and provide useful genetic resource in breeding improvement of crop drought resistance.

Validation of diagnostic criteria for atopic dermatitis and proposal of novel diagnostic criteria for adult and elderly Chinese populations: a multicentre, prospective, clinical setting-based study.

BACKGROUND: A previous validation study showed a very low sensitivity and higher specificity associated with Hanifin and Rajka criteria (H&R) and the UK Working Party criteria (UKWP) in diagnosing AD vs. the Chinese criteria of atopic dermatitis (AD) for children (CCAD). However, their diagnostic efficacy in adult and elderly Chinese populations remains unknown. OBJECTIVES: To validate the diagnostic efficacy of three sets of AD criteria in adult and elderly Chinese populations in a hospital setting. METHODS: A total of 1034 patients (aged 19-95 years) from five university hospital dermatological clinics were recruited. Medical history, dermatological examination, AD diagnosis and evaluation of AD severity were done by dermatologists. Each patient was investigated by two dermatologist panels, one to establish a clinical diagnosis, and the other to identify and record the major or minor signs of H&R criteria, UKWP criteria and CCAD. Taking clinical diagnosis as the reference, the diagnostic efficacy of three sets of diagnostic criteria was evaluated. The χ2 test or rank sum test were used for between-groups comparisons. RESULTS: CCAD had a higher sensitivity (84.0%), especially among mild and moderate cases of AD (72.7% and 90.3%, respectively), than the H&R (58.0%; P < 0.001) and UKWP criteria (56.0%; P < 0.001) in diagnosing AD. The specificity of CCAD (92.7%) was slightly lower than the H&R (97.3%; P < 0.001) or UKWP criteria (97.4%; P < 0.001). The CCAD had the highest Youden index (0.77), accuracy rate (0.90) and Kappa value (0.76) of the three sets of diagnostic criteria. CONCLUSIONS: Consistent with results in a population of Chinese children, although the H&R and UKWP criteria had a high specificity for diagnosing AD, their low sensitivity limited their use in adult and elderly Chinese patients. Based on the high sensitivity and favourable diagnostic efficacy, the CCAD is proposed for AD diagnosis in adult and elderly Chinese populations, especially for cases of mild and moderate AD.

Natural variation of Alfin-like family affects seed size and drought tolerance in rice.

The Alfin-like (AL) family is a group of small plant-specific transcriptional factors involved in abiotic stresses in dicotyledon. In an early study, we found an AL gene in rice that was associated with grain yield under drought stress. However, little information is known about the AL family in rice. In this study, AL genes in the rice genome were identified, and the OsAL proteins were found to locate in the nucleus and have no transcriptional self-activation activity. The expression of the OsALs was regulated by different environmental stimulations and plant hormones. Association and domestication analysis revealed that natural variation of most OsALs was significantly associated with yield traits, drought resistance and divergence in grain size in indica and japonica rice varieties. Hap1 of OsAL7.1 and Hap7 of OsAL11 were favorable haplotypes of seed weight and germination under osmotic stress. Furthermore, osal7.1 and osal11 mutants have larger seeds and are more sensitive to abscisic acid and mannitol during germination stage. Overexpressing of OsAL7.1 and OsAL11 in rice weakened the tolerance to drought in the adult stage. Thus, our work provides informative knowledge for exploring and harnessing haplotype diversity of OsALs to improve yield stability under drought stress.

An Experimental Study on Enhancing Microbial Desulfurization of Sulfide Ores Using Ultrasonic Treatment.

Ultrasonic technology is being increasingly explored in minerals processing. In this paper, ultrasonic treatment was introduced as a novel method for microbial desulfurization of sulfide ores. A Box-Behnken experiment was performed to find the best combination of factor levels for the following experiments; consequently, the combination of factor levels at the maximum 5-day average desulfurization rate at 20 g of ore was a particle size of 120-140 mesh, a shaker speed of 175 rpm, and a dosage of 111 mL of bacterial solution. Under these conditions, a microbial desulfurization experiment of sulfide ores by ultrasonic treatment was carried out, and the effect of the particle size, the ultrasonic action time, and the ultrasonic power were investigated. Results indicated that the ultrasonic effect was not significant for ore samples with larger particle sizes, and the appropriate increase in ultrasonic action time was beneficial to the improvement of desulfurization rate, but the effect showed a decreasing trend when it exceeded 50 min, and the best desulfurization effect was achieved when the power was 300 W. This study demonstrated that the effect of microbial desulfurization can be greatly enhanced by ultrasonic treatment.

One-step enzyme-free detection of the miRNA let-7a via twin-stage signal amplification.

MicroRNAs (miRNAs) play a significant role in diverse biological processes. The abnormal expression of miRNAs is related to the development of cancers and various diseases. It is of great importance to sensitively and accurately detect miRNAs for early disease diagnosis and treatment. Here, a new fluorescence strategy was initially proposed for the enzyme-free sensing of let-7a by combining the strand displacement reaction (SDR) with the hybridization chain reaction (HCR). The sensor was successfully applied to the detection of the let-7a gene with a wide linear range from 25 pM to 250 nM and a limit of detection (LOD) of 9.01 pM. The fluorescence intensity has a good linear relationship with the logarithm of the target concentration. In addition, the biosensor allowed for the highly sensitive detection of the target genes even in complex human serum samples. With simple operation yet improved detection capability for let-7a, the developed fluorescent biosensor thus shows great potential for early clinical diagnosis as well as biological research.

Qualitative and quantitative assessment of related substances in the Compound Ketoconazole and Clobetasol Propionate Cream by HPLC-TOF-MS and HPLC.

Related substances in pharmaceutical formulations are associated with their safety, efficacy and stability. However, there is no overall study already published on the assessment of related substances in the Compound Ketoconazole and Clobetasol Propionate Cream. In this work, a reliable HPLC-TOF-MS qualitative method was developed for the analysis of related substances in this preparation with a quick and easy extraction procedure. Besides the active pharmaceutical ingredients, two compounds named ketoconazole impurity B' optical isomer and ketoconazole impurity E were identified. Furthermore, a new HPLC method for qualitative and quantitative assessment on related substances and degradation products, which were found in the stability test, was established and validated. The single standard to determine multi-components method was applied in the quantitative analysis, which was an effective way for reducing cost and improving accuracy. This study can provide a creative idea for routine analysis of quality control of the Compound Ketoconazole and Clobetasol Propionate Cream.

Strigolactone promotes cytokinin degradation through transcriptional activation of CYTOKININ OXIDASE/DEHYDROGENASE 9 in rice.

Strigolactones (SLs), a group of terpenoid lactones derived from carotenoids, are plant hormones that control numerous aspects of plant development. Although the framework of SL signaling that the repressor DWARF 53 (D53) could be SL-dependently degraded via the SL receptor D14 and F-box protein D3 has been established, the downstream response genes to SLs remain to be elucidated. Here we show that the cytokinin (CK) content is dramatically increased in shoot bases of the rice SL signaling mutant d53 By examining transcript levels of all the CK metabolism-related genes after treatment with SL analog GR24, we identified CYTOKININ OXIDASE/DEHYDROGENASE 9 (OsCKX9) as a primary response gene significantly up-regulated within 1 h of treatment in the wild type but not in d53 We also found that OsCKX9 functions as a cytosolic and nuclear dual-localized CK catabolic enzyme, and that the overexpression of OsCKX9 suppresses the browning of d53 calli. Both the CRISPR/Cas9-generated OsCKX9 mutants and OsCKX9-overexpressing transgenic plants showed significant increases in tiller number and decreases in plant height and panicle size, suggesting that the homeostasis of OsCKX9 plays a critical role in regulating rice shoot architecture. Moreover, we identified the CK-inducible rice type-A response regulator OsRR5 as the secondary SL-responsive gene, whose expression is significantly repressed after 4 h of GR24 treatment in the wild type but not in osckx9 These findings reveal a comprehensive plant hormone cross-talk in which SL can induce the expression of OsCKX9 to down-regulate CK content, which in turn triggers the response of downstream genes.

SLR1 inhibits MOC1 degradation to coordinate tiller number and plant height in rice.

The breeding of cereals with altered gibberellin (GA) signaling propelled the 'Green Revolution' by generating semidwarf plants with increased tiller number. The mechanism by which GAs promote shoot height has been studied extensively, but it is not known what causes the inverse relationship between plant height and tiller number. Here we show that rice tiller number regulator MONOCULM 1 (MOC1) is protected from degradation by binding to the DELLA protein SLENDER RICE 1 (SLR1). GAs trigger the degradation of SLR1, leading to stem elongation and also to the degradation of MOC1, and hence a decrease in tiller number. This discovery provides a molecular explanation for the coordinated control of plant height and tiller number in rice by GAs, SLR1 and MOC1.

Degradation of MONOCULM 1 by APC/C(TAD1) regulates rice tillering.

A rice tiller is a specialized grain-bearing branch that contributes greatly to grain yield. The MONOCULM 1 (MOC1) gene is the first identified key regulator controlling rice tiller number; however, the underlying mechanism remains to be elucidated. Here we report a novel rice gene, Tillering and Dwarf 1 (TAD1), which encodes a co-activator of the anaphase-promoting complex (APC/C), a multi-subunit E3 ligase. Although the elucidation of co-activators and individual subunits of plant APC/C involved in regulating plant development have emerged recently, the understanding of whether and how this large cell-cycle machinery controls plant development is still very limited. Our study demonstrates that TAD1 interacts with MOC1, forms a complex with OsAPC10 and functions as a co-activator of APC/C to target MOC1 for degradation in a cell-cycle-dependent manner. Our findings uncovered a new mechanism underlying shoot branching and shed light on the understanding of how the cell-cycle machinery regulates plant architecture.

Genome-wide screen for individual identification SNPs (IISNPs) and the confirmation of six of them in Han Chinese with pyrosequencing technology.

Single nucleotide polymorphisms (SNPs) offer promise to forensic DNA analysts, but it remains uncertain whether a panel of individual identification SNPs can be as informative as the Combined DNA Index System short tandem repeats. Based on the highly accurate and publicly available HapMap SNP database (r21a) and a minor allele frequency cutoff of >or=0.45, we completed a genome-wide screen through 3,905,819 SNPs with internally modified computer programs and identified 1439 SNPs with high heterozygosity and low F(st) values among four populations (Utah Caucasian, Han Chinese, Tokyo Japanese, and Nigerian Yoruba). Using pyrosequencing technology, we studied six loci in a relatively large group of samples to determine whether these loci were as informative as the HapMap data suggest. These SNPs performed as expected in the Han Chinese in terms of heterozygosity and F(st). The 1439 identified SNPs should provide a comprehensive and reliable set of loci for identity and relationship testing.

Criminal behavior among persons with schizophrenia in rural China.

OBJECTIVE: This study is to explore the prevalence and risk factors for self-reported criminal behavior among persons with schizophrenia in rural China. METHODS: We used data from a 14-year prospective follow-up study (1994-2008) of criminal behavior among a cohort (N=510) of persons with schizophrenia in Xinjin County, China. RESULTS: The rate of criminal behavior was 10.0% among persons with schizophrenia in a rural community during the follow-up period. Bivariate analyses showed that the risk of criminal behavior was significantly associated with being male, unmarried, previous violent behavior, homelessness, no family caregivers, and high scores on measures of total symptoms of illness. In multivariate logistic regression analyses being male and previous violent behavior were identified as independent predictors of increased criminal behavior in persons with schizophrenia in the follow-up period. CONCLUSIONS: Criminal behavior is a common phenomenon among patients with schizophrenia in rural China. The findings of the risk factors for criminal behavior should be considered in planning mental health interventions for high-risk patients and their families.

No association between vitamin D receptor polymorphisms and coronary artery disease in a Chinese population.

The clinical features suggest that genetic factors may have a strong influence on susceptibility to coronary artery disease (CAD). The aim of this study was to investigate the association between FokI (rs2228570) and BsmI (rs1544410) of the vitamin D receptor (VDR) gene polymorphisms and patients with CAD in a Chinese population. One hundred and fifty-two CAD patients and 212 healthy controls were genotyped for the FokI and BsmI polymorphisms in VDR gene using polymerase chain reaction-restriction fragment length polymorphism. No significant differences were observed in the genotype and allele frequencies of the FokI and BsmI polymorphisms between the cases and controls (For FokI: odds ratio = 1.11, 95% confidence interval 0.83-1.50; for BsmI: odds ratio = 0.74, 95% confidence interval 0.44-1.23). There was no significant difference in the genotype distribution or the allele frequencies of VDR FokI and BsmI between two groups in a Chinese population.

[A study on the zero-stress state of rabbit artery after intragastric administration of ethanol].

To investigate the effect of ethanol on the zero-stress state of rabbit artery, a rabbit animal model of blood ethanol concentration gradient was established by intragastric administration of ethanol (IGAE). The blood ethanol concentration of each group was measured. The zero-stress state characterized by opening angle was observed by an image processing system. The results revealed that the blood ethanol concentration of each group increased after IGAE. The magnitude of the blood ethanol concentration came to the peak at 1.5-2 h after IGAE. The opening angle decreased with the increase of the magnitude of blood ethanol concentration and the opening angle in each group. These findings suggest that the zero-stress state of the rabbit artery has close relationship with ethanol concentration.

Scanning electron microscopic observation of erythrocytes and endothelial cells of electrified death rabbits.

To investigate the evidence of electrified death without electric mark, four animal models were developed, which were electrified to death without electric mark left, contrasted with four non-electrified to death models. Erythrocyte and endothelium of aorta and pulmonary artery were observed by scanning electron microscope. It was suggested that some pores can only be seen on the surface of erythrocytes and endothelial cells of aorta and pulmonary artery of those death models group two electrified. However, there were no pores were found on the erythrocytes and endothelial cells of aorta and pulmonary artery of the non-electrified group and normal control group animals. This study indicates that the perforation phenomena might be supposed to diagnose the electrified death cases that no electric mark is left.

[An experimental study on the changes in the biomechanical characters of rat thoracic aorta].

The changes in biomechanics of rat thoracic aorta at different post mortem interval (PMI) (0-7 d) were observed when it was stretched in one direction. Some significant changes were disclosed by statistical analyses. Maximum stretch, maximum strain and maximum energy showed a significant relationship with PMI, the coefficients of determination being 0.822, 0.716 and 0.669 respectively, P < 0.001. The stretch experiment of thoracic aorta may be a novel method to determine PMI.

[The expressions of HSP 70 mRNA and c-fos mRNA in the skeletal muscle and cardiac muscle of rabbits by electrocuted].

OBJECTIVE: To study the changes of HSP 70 mRNA and c-fos mRNA expression and to find a method to differentiate antemortem from postmortem electrocution. METHODS: Fifteen New Zealand rabbits were randomly divided into three groups, the antemortem electrocution group, the postmortem electrocution group, and the control group. Each group consists of five rabbits. The levels of HSP 70 mRNA and c-fos mRNA in skeletal muscle and cardiac muscle were examined with quantitative fluorescent RT-PCR. RESULTS: The levels of HSP 70 mRNA and c-fos mRNA in the antemortem electrocution group increased significantly (P<0.05), compared with that of the postmortem electrocution group. CONCLUSION: The changes of HSP 70 mRNA and c-fos mRNA expression in skeletal muscle and cardiac muscle can be used as an indicator to distinguish antemortem from postmortem electrocution.

[A forensic pathological study of eighty-two cases of adrenal hemorrhage].

OBJECTIVE: To analyze the relationship between adrenal hemorrhage and the cause of death, age and gender. METHODS: Eighty-two cases of adrenal hemorrhage were statistically analyzed. RESULTS: Adrenal hemorrhage occurred mostly in cases of sudden death, infection, trauma and asphyxia. Male had more chance than female to have adrenal hemorrhage. Adrenal hemorrhage caused by sudden death, trauma and poisoning was more frequently seen in young adults, whereas adrenal hemorrhage in children as well as in fetus and newborns was often caused by infection as well as sudden death and asphyxia respectively. Adrenal hemorrhage caused by sudden death and asphyxia was mainly located in medulla, while the infection usually induced hemorrhage in cortex. Adrenal hemorrhage caused by trauma showed an equal opportunity in either the cortex or medulla. CONCLUSION: Our data indicate that adrenal hemorrhage might provide some clues in searching for the cause of death.

Endothelial cell membrane perforation of aorta and pulmonary artery in the electrocution victims.

Some electrocution deaths occur without detectable current marks on the skin, making forensic examination to determine the true cause of death more difficult. Because arterial thrombosis was a frequent finding in victims of electrocution, we investigated injury to the endothelium of the aorta and pulmonary artery with a scanning electron microscope in five cases of death known to be caused by electrocution. We found large pores on the surface of endothelial cells of the aorta and pulmonary artery in those who died of electrocution, but no endothelial membrane perforation was found in those who died of cardiac diseases. These findings were present within 12h after death. Therefore, scanning electron microscopic evidence of endothelial perforation in the aorta and pulmonary artery could be a useful marker to identify electrocution for those victims without detectable current marks on the skin.

[Correlation between postmortem intervals and the changes of electrical conductivity in vitreous humor in rabbits after death].

OBJECTIVE: To investigate the correlation between postmortem interval (PMI) and the changes of electrical conductivity in vitreous humor in rabbits after death. METHODS: The changes of electrical conductivity in vitreous humor in rabbits were measured using the conductivity meter under 30 degrees C during 0-48 hours and 20 degrees C during 0-120 hours after death. RESULTS: Electrical conductivity in vitreous humor in rabbits increased gradually under 30 degrees C and 20 degrees C from 0 to 48 hours and from 0-120 hours after death. The formulae of the relationship between PMI and conductivity under 30 degrees C and 20 degrees C were obtained by statistical analysis and the correlation coefficients were 0.970 and 0.983 (both P < 0.01), respectively. CONCLUSION: The increase of electrical conductivity in vitreous humor in rabbits after death may be used as the relatively objective parameter for PMI estimation.