Incidence and familial clustering of infantile haemangiomas: a multicentre study.

BACKGROUND: The exact incidence of infantile haemangiomas (IH) in the Chinese population is still unknown. A positive family history of IH was considered as a risk factor for the development of IH. OBJECTIVES: This study aims to investigate the incidence of IH in the Chinese population and the mechanism of family history increases the risk for IH development. METHODS: A total of 2489 women and their newborns were enrolled in the prospective study. All newborns were followed up for 12 months to determine whether they developed IH. In addition, 213 IH probands and their 174 siblings were enrolled in the study. The incidence of IH in siblings of the IH probands was investigated. Information regarding risk factors for IH and demographic data were collected on all children. RESULTS: Of the 2572 newborns, 58 IH were identified in 56 (2.2%) newborns. The majority of IH were located on the trunk (46.6%). Siblings of the IH probands were at increased risk for the development of IH (P = 0.024, relative risk 2.451), and the occurrence of prenatal risk factors for IH(P = 0.003) compared with the general population. CONCLUSIONS: Our study showed that the incidence of IH is 2.2% in the Chinese population. Siblings of the individuals with IH were at increased risk for the development of IH may be related to the family clustering of prenatal risk factors for IH. Further exploration of the mechanisms and common features of these prenatal risk factors may help to disclose the origin and pathogenesis of IH.

Transcriptome characterization of HPG axis from Chinese sea perch Lateolabrax maculatus.

Here the transcriptome and differential gene expression in the adult brain and gonads of the Chinese sea perch Lateolabrax maculatus were reported. A total of 78 256 909 clean reads were generated from the adult brain, ovary and testis by using the Illumina HiSeq2000 platform and assembled into 274 909 contigs. A total of 31 683 unigenes were annotated based on sequence similarity and 20 702 unigenes were found to exhibit 8237 gene ontology terms and 3888 signal pathways. Transcripts of 26 623 unigenes were present in all of the tissues, whereas pairwise comparisons revealed that 671/367, 496/315 and 1668/580 unigenes were up-down regulated by at least two-fold between the brain and ovary, ovary and testis and brain and testis, respectively. Homology search led to the identification of reproduction-associated genes of the brain-gonad axis, including those involved in sex differentiation and maintenance. The data provided an integrated and comprehensive transcriptome resource for L. maculatus, which could be used for further research on hypothalamus-pituitary-gonad axis gene function, reproduction regulation and sex-biased gene expression.

Influence of psychological intervention on patients undergoing spinal anesthesia: a randomized trial.

OBJECTIVE: The aim of this study is to evaluate the effects of positive intervention on the anxiety and the physiological and psychological aspects among preoperative and post-surgical patients with spinal anesthesia. PATIENTS AND METHODS: A randomized trial was conducted with an intervention group (n=58) and a control group (n=59). In the intervention group, the patients were well-informed of the details during spinal anesthesia. Multiple methods were performed to control anxiety before surgery, and nurses were not allowed to discuss the condition during surgery. Anesthesiologists were invited to visit patients to avoid excessive anxiety. RESULTS: The intervention group showed lower scores of State-Trait Anxiety Inventory (STAI) (p<0.05) than the control group 24 hours post-operation. Physiological indices such as systolic blood pressure, low frequency (LF) power, high frequency (HF) power and ration of LF/HF showed better surgery recovery (p<0.05) than the control group. The length of post-anesthesia care unit stay was also significantly shortened in the intervention group (p=0.001) compared with the control group. Positive intervention may alleviate the anxiety in surgical patients receiving spinal anesthesia and improve the physiological and psychological outcomes clinically. CONCLUSIONS: Our results provide evidence indicating that proper intervention can be promoted clinically to improve the satisfaction and quality of life of patients undergoing spinal anesthesia.

Acoustic manipulation dynamics of levitated particle with screw-shaped reflecting surface.

Existing single-axis acoustic levitation devices with an axisymmetric reflector can manipulate particles in a variety of ways. However, the mechanism by which particles are suspended in a single-axis acoustic levitator with a non-axisymmetric reflector remains poorly understood. This work addresses this issue by proposing a novel single-axis ultrasonic levitator design that includes a flat plane emitter and a screw-plane reflector. The node positions of the standing wave formed in this levitator were predicted by calculating the Gor'kov potential according to a numerical model. The analysis results demonstrate that the nodes were distributed off-axis and their positions varied in a spiral manner when changing the distance between the emitter and reflector. Corresponding experiments based on the proposed design were also conducted, and the results indicated that the distance changes between the emitter and reflector could induce some spiral trajectories of a polyethylene-foam particle placed in the ultrasonic field. Moreover, the trajectory of the suspended particle was found to distribute along a conical surface centered on the central axis of this device. This work provides a new approach for ultrasonic particle manipulation by changing the geometry of the reflector.

Examination of the MSX1 gene in patients with Parkinson's disease.

BACKGROUND: Several genetic variants in transcription factor genes have been reported to be associated with Parkinson's disease (PD). The muscle segment homeobox drosophila homolog of 1 gene (MSX1) is a major upstream regulator of the dopaminergic neuronal subtype specification. AIMS OF THE STUDY: To determine whether genetic variation in the coding region of the MSX1 gene plays a role in the etiology of PD. METHODS: We searched for genetic variations in the coding region of the MSX1 gene in 202 patients with PD and 200 normal controls by PCR-single-strand conformation polymorphism (PCR-SSCP) and sequencing. RESULTS: No mutation in the MSX1 gene was identified in our cohort. CONCLUSIONS: Mutations in the coding region of the MSX1 gene play little or no role in the development of PD.

Adhesive growth of pancreatic islet cells on a polyglycolic acid fibrous scaffold.

BACKGROUND: The use of cultured pancreatic islet cells for diabetes treatment offers several advantages. In theory, cultured cells show greater purity and lower immunogenicity. However, cultured islet cells display a low survival rate in vitro. In the present study we grew islet cells on a polyglycolic acid (PGA) fibrous scaffold to promote cell adhesion, growth, and viability during prolonged culture. METHODS: Islets isolated from Wistar rat pancreata were digested with collagenase and purified by the Ficoll method. Cells were grown in culture with or without PGA scaffolds. Islet cell purity was determined using a dithizone stain; viability and survival rates were determined using an AO-PI stain. The insulin-secretion index was detected using radioimmunodetection and the growth on an adhesive scaffold analyzed using an inverted microscope and scanning electron microscope (SEM). RESULTS: In contrast to the scaffold-free control group, cells cultured on PGA scaffolds exhibited improved morphology, less cell death, and prolonged survival times. Cell viability and survival rates were significantly increased in scaffolded cells when compared to control cells (P < .05). Increased insulin secretion was observed in the culture solution of scaffolded cells following stimulation with low glucose (5.6 mmol/L) versus high glucose (16.7 mmol/L). The secretion indices of the two groups were significantly different (P < .05). Islet cell growth, as observed under SEM, was tightly circumvolute, adhesive, and three-dimensional. CONCLUSIONS: The present results demonstrated that islet cells can successfully grow and survive in culture on a PGA scaffold. These cells exhibited enhanced viability, survival, and insulin secretion.

SO2 removal with ferric sulfate solution.

The determination of the influence of the concentration of ferric sulfate solution on SO2 absorption was performed in this study. It was found that the SO2 absorption efficiency increased with increasing ferric concentration, and decreased with the acidity of the spraying solution. As the hydrolysis of ferric ions occurs in solution, the SO2 removal efficiency increased slowly with increasing Fe(III) concentration. Taking into account the hydrodynamic and mass transfer characteristics of the packed column, the enhancement factor (E) was found to depend on the concentration of the ferric ions and pH, which indicated that it could be used for the simulation or design of SO2 scrubbers.

A numerical simulation of acoustic field within liquids subject to three orthogonal ultrasounds.

When one beam of ultrasound propagates along a single direction in liquids, the cavitation effect is always confined to a limited volume close to the ultrasonic source. This greatly limits the application of power ultrasound in liquid processing and materials fabrication. In this study, a methodology for applying three orthogonal ultrasounds within liquids has been proposed. By solving the Helmholtz equation, the sound field distribution characteristics are investigated in 1D (one dimensional), 2D (two dimensional) and 3D (three dimensional) ultrasounds at their resonant frequencies, which show that the coherent interaction of three beams of ultrasounds is able to strikingly promote the sound pressure level and reinforce the mean acoustic energy density as compared with that in 1D case. Hence, the potential cavitation volume is enlarged remarkably. This opens new possibilities for the design and optimization of ultrasonic technology in fabricating materials.

Experimental destruction of substantia nigra initiated by Parkinson disease immunoglobulins.

BACKGROUND: Increased levels of free radicals and oxidative stress may contribute to the pathogenesis of substantia nigra (SN) injury in Parkinson disease (PD), but the initiating etiologic factors remain undefined in most cases. OBJECTIVE: To determine the potential importance of immune mechanisms in triggering or amplifying neuronal injury, we assayed serum samples from patients with PD to determine the ability of IgG to initiate relatively specific SN injury in vivo. METHODS: IgG purified from the serum of 5 patients with PD and 10 disease control (DC) patients was injected into the right side of the SN in adult rats. Coronal sections were cut from the whole brain at the level of the stereotaxic injections, stained for tyrosine hydroxylase and with cresyl violet, and cellular profiles were counted in identical brain regions at the injection and contralateral sides. The ratio of cell profile counts of the corresponding injected and uninjected regions was used as an internal standard. RESULTS: Four weeks following injection of IgG, a 50% decrease in tyrosine hydroxylase-positive cellular profiles was noted on the injected sides compared with the contralateral sides of the same animals. Similarly, applied DC IgG caused only an 18% decrease. Cresyl violet staining revealed a 35% decrease in neuronal profiles of PD IgG injected into the SN pars compacta compared with the contralateral uninjected side, whereas DC IgG caused a minimal 10% decrease. Even at 4 weeks after the PD IgG injections, perivascular inflammation and significant microglial infiltration were present near injured SN pars compacta neurons. No cytotoxic effects of PD IgG were noted in choline acetyltransferase-positive neurons after stereotaxic injections into the medial septal region. Absorption of PD IgG with mesencephalic membranes and protein A agarose gel beads removed cytotoxicity, while absorption with liver membranes did not change the cytotoxicity. CONCLUSIONS: Our data suggest that PD IgG can initiate a relatively specific inflammatory destruction of SN pars compacta neurons in vivo and demonstrate the potential relevance of immune mechanisms in PD.

Direct binding enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay (ELISA) for serum amyloid A (SAA).

A solid-phase, direct binding ELISA for serum amyloid A (SAA) proteins is described, in which noncovalent interactions of SAA with other plasma constituents are disrupted to permit direct coating of the wells of flexible polyvinyl chloride microtitration plates with an amount of SAA antigen proportional to its concentration in plasma. The wells are coated overnight at 60 degrees C with plasma diluted in 3 M potassium bromide and 0.1 M sodium bicarbonate. pH 9.6. The next day, any remaining sites on the wells are blocked by incubation for 1 h at ambient temperature with a 5% solution of dry milk solids and 0.05% Tween 20 in 0.02 M phosphate buffer, pH 7.4. The wells are rinsed and incubated for 90 min at 37 degrees C with polyclonal rabbit or rat anti-human SAA antiserum. Then, the wells are rinsed and incubated with goat anti-rabbit or rat IgG antiserum to which has been conjugated horseradish peroxidase. o-phenylenediamine and hydrogen peroxide substrates are added to the wells, color is allowed to develop, and sulfuric acid is added to stop the enzyme-catalyzed reaction. The amount of SAA coated to wells is quantified by absorbance at 490 nm. Four or more serial three-fold dilutions of plasma samples are assayed simultaneously on separate plates. Each plate contains a set of wells with identical concentrations of SAA standard protein diluted in decreasing concentrations of plasma proteins corresponding to the dilution of sample. The method can detect SAA concentrations in plasma samples ranging from 1 microgram/ml to greater than 1000 micrograms/ml. The method is suited to serial monitoring of SAA concentration in patients undergoing treatment for inflammatory conditions and to the quantitative analysis of large numbers of samples.

Experimental autoimmune nigral damage in guinea pigs.

An animal model of experimental autoimmune nigral damage (EAND) has been developed in guinea pigs by immunization with hybrid dopaminergic cells (MES 23.5). In such animals, loss of 40% of the substantia nigra (SN) neurons and damage to an additional 10% of SN neurons was associated with a 37-43% decrease of tyrosine hydroxylase (TH) activity and a 36% decrease of dopamine (DA) content in the nigral-striatum. Eight of the thirteen animals developed significant hypokinesia. The EAND model suggests that degeneration of dopaminergic neurons in SN can be caused by immune-mediated processes, which may help our understanding of the pathogenesis in Parkinson's disease.

Vimentin-crossreactive antibodies induce cell death in primary cultures of embryonic spinal cord.

Sera from guinea pigs inoculated with spinal cord gray matter were cytotoxic for embryonic day 14 (ED14) primary spinal cord cell cultures. All cell types including astroglia and neurons were affected. Immunoglobulin (IgG) from inoculated animals and biologically active complement proteins were both identified as necessary components for the observed cytotoxicity. Adsorption with cytoskeletal constituents removed the cytotoxic effect. Adsorption with purified vimentin substantially reduced cytotoxicity, while adsorption with glial fibrillary acid protein (GFAP) had no cytoprotective effects. Antiserum from vimentin-immunized guinea pigs was also toxic to spinal cord cell cultures. Antibody and complement-mediated toxicity appeared to result from interaction with vimentin bound to the surface of embryonic cultured glia and neurons, although interaction with a cross-reacting epitope could not be definitely excluded. Cytotoxic vimentin-directed antibody was not noted in control sera, and the presence of this antibody in guinea pig and human sera did not correlate with the clinicopathological state.

Multiwatt mid-IR output from a Nd:YALO laser pumped intracavity KTA OPO.

We have achieved 4.1W of 3.5-micron output from a non-critically phasematched (NCPM), type II, KTiOAsO4 (KTA) optical parametric oscillator (OPO) pumped within the cavity of a Q-switched diode-pumped Nd: YALO laser operating at 10kHz. We adopted the simplest configuration with a compact diode-pumped Nd: YALO module pumping the singly resonant KTA OPO. Besides 4.1W of 3.5um, 10.9W of 1.5 micron and 11.3W of 1-micron radiation were obtained simultaneously.

Modulation of septal cell activity by extracellular zinc.

Zinc released from axon terminals in the brain can interact with multiple membrane channels and receptors. However, the specific effects of these Zn(2+)-dependent interactions on physiological processes remains unclear. Because Zn(2+)-containing axon terminals are abundant in the septal region, we selected a septal cell line (SN56) to study the effects of Zn2+ on cell activity. Voltage-clamp recordings showed well-developed voltage-dependent Na+, Ca2+ and K+ currents. Micromolar concentrations of Zn2+ partially blocked Na+ and Ca2+ currents without affecting K+ currents. Current-clamp recordings showed that SN56 cells fire spontaneous and evoked action potentials. While most (> or = 83%) Na+ and Ca2+ currents were blocked with 1 microM tetrodotoxin (TTX) and 2 mM Co2+, action potentials persisted after either 1 microM TTX or 2 mM Co2+ application. In contrast, concentrations of Zn2+ (50-300 microM) that induced incomplete blockade (< or = 50%) of either Ca2+ and Na+ currents abolished action potential generation. These data show that simultaneous and partial blockade of Ca2+ and Na+ channels by Zn2+ inhibit SN56 cell activity. Because septal outputs extensively modulate the excitability of cortical and subcortical brain regions, Zn2+ inhibition of action potential generation in septal neurons could play an important physiological role in regulating brain activity.

Cell death induced by beta-amyloid 1-40 in MES 23.5 hybrid clone: the role of nitric oxide and NMDA-gated channel activation leading to apoptosis.

The molecular events associated with beta-amyloid-induced neuronal injury remain incompletely characterized. Using a substantia nigra/neuroblastoma hybrid cell line (MES 23.5) synthetic beta-amyloid 1-40 induced a time and dose-dependent apoptotic cell death which was characterized by cell shrinkage and fragmentation of DNA, and was inhibited by aurintricarboxylic acid (ATA), and cycloheximide (CHX). Following beta-amyloid 1-40 treatment, cyclic GMP, an index of NO synthesis, was increased in MES 23.5 cells. The NO scavenger hemoglobin, as well as the NO synthase inhibitors NG-monomethyl-L-arginine acetate (L-NMMA) and L-N5-(1-iminoethyl)ornithine hydrochloride (L-NI0) attenuated such increases. These same inhibitors and scavengers also significantly prevented cytotoxicity. beta-Amyloid also induced an early and transient increase in intracellular calcium as monitored with laser scanning confocal microscopy and Fluo-3 imaging. These induced calcium transients could be significantly blocked by the N-methyl-D-aspartic acid (NMDA) receptor antagonist MK-801. Pretreatment with MK-801 or removal of extracellular Ca2+ also reduced beta-amyloid-induced NO production and neurotoxicity. Furthermore, beta-amyloid neurotoxicity was greatly enhanced in the absence of Mg2+ or in the presence of glutamate or NMDA. These data suggest that beta-amyloid can lead to apoptotic cell death through a NO mediated process possibly triggered by Ca2+ entry through activated NMDA-gated channels.

Dynamics of acoustically levitated disk samples.

The acoustic levitation force on disk samples and the dynamics of large water drops in a planar standing wave are studied by solving the acoustic scattering problem through incorporating the boundary element method. The dependence of levitation force amplitude on the equivalent radius R of disks deviates seriously from the R3 law predicted by King's theory, and a larger force can be obtained for thin disks. When the disk aspect ratio gamma is larger than a critical value gamma(*) ( approximately 1.9 ) and the disk radius a is smaller than the critical value a(*) (gamma) , the levitation force per unit volume of the sample will increase with the enlargement of the disk. The acoustic levitation force on thin-disk samples ( gamma

Dependence of acoustic levitation capabilities on geometric parameters.

A two-cylinder model incorporating boundary element method simulations is developed, which builds up the relationship between the levitation capabilities and the geometric parameters of a single-axis acoustic levitator with reference to wavelength. This model proves to be successful in predicting resonant modes of the acoustic field and explaining axial symmetry deviation of the levitated samples near the reflector and emitter. Concave reflecting surfaces of a spherical cap, a paraboloid, and a hyperboloid of revolution are investigated systematically with regard to the dependence of the levitation force on the section radius R(b) and curvature radius R (or depth D) of the reflector. It is found that the levitation force can be remarkably enhanced by choosing an optimum value of R or D, and the possible degree of this enhancement for spherically curved reflectors is the largest. The degree of levitation force enhancement by this means can also be facilitated by enlarging R(b) and employing a lower resonant mode. The deviation of the sample near the reflector is found likely to occur in case of smaller R(b), larger D, and a higher resonant mode. The calculated dependence of levitation force on R, R(b), and the resonant mode is also verified by experiment and finally demonstrated to be in good agreement with experimental results, in which considerably a strong levitation force is achieved to levitate an iridium sphere which has the largest density of 22.6 g/cm(3).

Eutectic growth under acoustic levitation conditions.

Samples of Pb-Sn eutectic alloy with a high density of 8.5 x 10(3) kg/m(3) are levitated with a single-axis acoustic levitator, and containerlessly melted and then solidified in argon atmosphere. High undercoolings up to 38 K are obtained, which results in a microstructural transition of "lamellas-broken lamellas-dendrites." This transition is further investigated in the light of the coupled zone for eutectic growth and the effects of ultrasound. The breaking of regular eutectic lamellas and suppression of gravity-induced macrosegregation of (Pb) and (Sn) dendrites are explained by the complicated internal flow inside the levitated drop, which is jointly induced by the shape oscillation, bulk vibration and rotation of the levitated drop. The ultrasonic field is also found to drive forced surface vibration, which subsequently excites capillary ripples and catalyzes nucleation on the sample surface.

Acoustic levitation with self-adaptive flexible reflectors.

Two kinds of flexible reflectors are proposed and examined in this paper to improve the stability of single-axis acoustic levitator, especially in the case of levitating high-density and high-temperature samples. One kind is those with a deformable reflecting surface, and the other kind is those with an elastic support, both of which are self-adaptive to the change of acoustic radiation pressure. High-density materials such as iridium (density 22.6 gcm(-3)) are stably levitated at room temperature with a soft reflector made of colloid as well as a rigid reflector supported by a spring. In addition, the containerless melting and solidification of binary In-Bi eutectic alloy (melting point 345.8 K) and ternary Ag-Cu-Ge eutectic alloy (melting point 812 K) are successfully achieved by applying the elastically supported reflector with the assistance of a laser beam.