Genomic scan revealed KIT gene underlying white/gray plumage color in Chinese domestic geese.

Goose is an important type of domesticated poultry. The wild geese that are regarded as the ancestors of modern domestic geese present gray plumage. Domesticated, geese have both white and gray feathers. To elucidate the genetic mechanisms underlying the formation of white and gray plumage in geese, we resequenced the whole genome of 18 geese from six populations including white and gray goose breeds. The average sequencing depth per individual was 9.81× and the average genome coverage was 96.8%. A total of 346 genes were detected in the top 1% of FST scores of gray- and white-feathered geese, and a significant FST site was located in the intron region within the KIT gene, the 18 bp deletion in KIT having the strongest potential association with white feathers. It has been reported that a number of genes are associated with plumage colors in birds. However, no studies have identified the relationship between KIT and plumage color in birds at present, although the white coat can be attributed to mutations in KIT in some mammals. Our study showed that that KIT is a plausible candidate gene for white/gray plumage color in Chinese domestic geese.

[Discussion on stability of mixed standard application solution by volatilization organic compounds in workplace air].

Objective: To discuss the stability of mixed standard application solution by volatilization organic matter (benzene, toluene, xylene, ethylbenzene, acetone, butanone, Ethyl acetate, butyl ester, trichloroethylene) in workplace air. Methods: A total of 11 kinds volatilization organic compounds were separated by capillary chromatographic column, and detected with flame ionization detector. The stability of mixed standard application solution was judged by studying three paratemers during the placement period, such as the linear correlation coefficient of the standard curve, the relative response values of the highest and lowest concentration levels and the accuracy of the measured values of the quality control samples. Results: Within 187 days, the linear correlation coefficient of each compound was ≥0.999. The changes of relative response values at the highest and lowest concentration levels were both <10%; The measured values of toluene were all in the reference range. Conclusion: The mixed standard application solution is stable and reliable within 187 days of storage.

Mechanically controllable nonlinear dielectrics.

Strain-sensitive Ba x Sr1-x TiO3 perovskite systems are widely used because of their superior nonlinear dielectric behaviors. In this research, new heterostructures including paraelectric Ba0.5Sr0.5TiO3 (BSTO) and ferroelectric BaTiO3 (BTO) materials were epitaxially fabricated on flexible muscovite substrate. Through simple bending, the application of mechanical force can regulate the dielectric constant of BSTO from -77 to 36% and the channel current of BTO-based ferroelectric field effect transistor by two orders. The detailed mechanism was studied through the exploration of phase transition and determination of band structure. In addition, the phase-field simulations were implemented to provide theoretical support. This research opens a new avenue for mechanically controllable components based on high-quality oxide heteroepitaxy.

Higher thyroid-stimulating hormone levels in the first trimester are associated with gestational diabetes in a Chinese population.

AIM: To evaluate the relationship between maternal thyroid-stimulating hormone levels during the first trimester and gestational diabetes risk. METHODS: In Tianjin, China, 7258 women underwent a thyroid-stimulating hormone screening test within 12 gestational weeks and then had a glucose challenge test at 24-28 weeks of gestational age. The women with a glucose challenge test ≥7.8 mmol/l underwent a 75 g oral glucose tolerance test. Gestational diabetes was diagnosed following International Association of Diabetes and Pregnancy Study Group criteria. Restricted cubic spline analysis was performed to explore full-range risk associations of thyroid-stimulating hormone levels with gestational diabetes. Logistic regression was performed to obtain odds ratios and 95% confidence intervals. RESULTS: In all, 594 women (8.2%) had gestational diabetes. Among women with thyroid-stimulating hormone ≤3.2 mIU/l, a positive association between thyroid-stimulating hormone levels and gestational diabetes risk was found (adjusted OR: 1.13, 95% CI: 1.00-1.27). There was no relationship between thyroid-stimulating hormone levels and gestational diabetes risk in univariable and multivariable analyses among women with thyroid-stimulating hormone >3.2 mIU/l. In subgroup analyses, among women with thyroid-stimulating hormone ≤3.2 mIU/l and BMI ≥25 kg/m2 , the adjusted odds ratio for thyroid-stimulating hormone levels with gestational diabetes was enhanced to 1.25 (95% CI: 1.02-1.53). CONCLUSIONS: In pregnant Chinese women, thyroid-stimulating hormone levels even within normal range in the first trimester were positively related to gestational diabetes risk, especially for pre-pregnancy overweight/obese women.

Development and Validation of a Fall Prevention Knowledge Test.

Falls are a serious, persistent problem in hospitals. Ensuring that all hospital staff have adequate knowledge of how to prevent falls is the first step in prevention. We identified validated fall prevention knowledge tests (FPKTs) and planned to conduct a systematic literature review. When the review identified a lack of FPKTs, we developed and evaluated a FPKT, confirmed its conceptual framework, identified the content domain, drafted test items, devised the format, selected items for empirical examination, and conducted a psychometric evaluation. We randomly divided a 209-subject data set into test and validation samples to make item reduction decisions and examine reliability and validity. The typical respondent was a white, 42-year old female nurse with a bachelor's degree and 7 years' experience. Subjects were confident in their ability to prevent falls, rating themselves an 8 on a self-efficacy scale of 1 (not at all) to 10 (very). The 11-item FPKT scale (range 0-11) attained a tetrachoric coefficient of 0.73, confirming initial reliability. FPKT mean scores obtained before and after fall prevention education improved from 5.1 ± 1.8 to 6.6 ± 1.7. Statistically significant differences (paired t-test = 12.4, p < .001) confirmed validity. A robust way to assess nurses' knowledge of fall prevention is needed to inform effective educational programs. Addressing gaps in validated FPKTs provides an opportunity to inform and evaluate effective fall prevention programs. J Am Geriatr Soc 67:133-138, 2019.

Expression and clinical significance of miR-181a and miR-203 in systemic lupus erythematosus patients.

OBJECTIVE: MiR-181a plays a critical role in modulating T cell and B cell differentiation, as well as immune response. Its abnormal expression probably participates in the pathogenesis of systemic lupus erythematosus (SLE). MiR-203 is involved in regulating Toll-like receptor and inducing immune tolerance. Abnormal expression or function of miR-203 is related to multiple auto-immune diseases but its role in SLE remains unclear. This study, thus, investigated the serum level of miR-181a and miR-203, to analyze their roles in diagnosing and evaluating SLE. PATIENTS AND METHODS: SLE patients were recruited from our hospital, and divided into non-active and active SLE based on disease activity index, along with healthy individuals. qRT-PCR was used to quantify the serum miR-181a and miR-203 expression, and their correlation with clinical features. ROC was used to evaluate the diagnostic value on SLE, while survival curves were compared to show progression-free survival (PFS) between populations with high and low expression. RESULTS: SLE patients had significantly higher serum levels of miR-181a and lower miR-203, both of which were correlated with SLE activity. Expression levels of miR-181a and miR-203 were correlated with erythrocyte sedimentation rate, C reactive protein, anti-dsDNA antibody, complements, and SLEDAI score. Their expression levels had certain values in the differential diagnosis for active SLE (AUC=0.885 and 0.843). PFS in miR-181a high-expression individuals was lower than that in the low-miR-181 group (χ2=7.474, p=0.029). Whilst, miR-203 high-expression SLE patients had higher PFS than low-expression group (χ2=4.367, p=0.037). CONCLUSIONS: SLE patients had higher miR-181a and lower miR-203 expression, which thus may have critical implications in disease diagnosis and evaluation.

Insulin resistance in Alzheimer's disease (AD) mouse intestinal macrophages is mediated by activation of JNK.

OBJECTIVE: Alzheimer's disease (AD) has been considered as a metabolic disorder disease, which closely related to insulin signaling impairment. Therefore, identifying the potential mechanism of insulin resistance is important for AD treatment. MATERIALS AND METHODS: An APP/PS1 double transgenic AD mouse model was introduced to study insulin resistance in gut. The expressions of AD markers and key elements of insulin signaling were detected in ileum and intestinal macrophages of AD mice by immunohistochemistry. Furthermore, mouse intestinal macrophage cell line RAW264.7 was treated by Aß25-35 or Aß25-35 + insulin to explore the mechanism of insulin resistance in vitro. The expression of IR-ß and the activation of cell signaling related proteins (Insulin receptor substrate 1 (IRS1), protein kinase B (AKT) and c-Jun N-terminal kinase (JNK)) in Aß25-35-stimulated macrophages were performed via Western blotting. RESULTS: The expressions of IRS1, Aß and Tuj in AD mice ileum were significantly different from WT mice (p<0.05). Also, there were significant discrepancies in the expressions of ß2AR and eNOS in intestinal macrophages of two groups (p<0.05). After exposure to Aß25-35, cell proliferation rate (p<0.01) of macrophage and the levels of TNF-α (p<0.01) and Il-6 (p<0.01) was significant elevated and treatment with insulin could reverse these changes (p<0.05). The amount of IR-ß and the p-AKT/AKT ratio significantly decreased in Aß25-35-treated macrophages (p<0.01), while the ratios of p-IRS1/IRS1 and p-JNK/JNK significantly enlarged (p<0.01). Furthermore, all the changes caused by Aß25-35 treatment were attenuated by insulin addition. CONCLUSIONS: Activation of JNK pathway played an important role in insulin resistance of AD mice, suggesting that inhibition of JNK pathway might be a new strategy toward resolving insulin resistance related diseases, such as AD.

Structure-dependent behaviours of skin layers studied by atomic force microscopy.

The multilayer skin provides the physical resistance and strength against the environmental attacks, and consequently plays a significant role in maintaining the mammalian health. Currently, optical microscopy (OM) is the most common method for the research related to skin tissues while with the drawbacks including the possibility of changing the native morphology of the sample with the addition of the chemical or immunological staining and the restricted resolution of images for the direct observation of the tissue structures. To investigate if the function of each tissue is structure-dependent and the how the injured skin returns to the intact condition, we applied atomic force microscopy (AFM) on the sectioned mice-skin to reveal the tissue structures with a nanoscale resolution. From the outermost stratum to the inner layer of the skin tissue, the respectively laminated, fibrous, and brick-like structures were observed and corresponded to various functions. Due to the mechanical differences between the tissue constituents and their boundaries, the sizes and arrangements of the components were characterised and quantified by the mechanical mapping of AFM, which enabled the analytical comparisons between tissue layers. For the wound model, the skin tissues were examined with the initial formation of blood vessels and type-I collagen, which agreed with the stage of healing process estimated by OM but showed more detail information about the evolution of proteins among the skin. In conclusion, the characterisation of the components that consist of skin tissue by AFM enables the connection of the tissue function to the corresponded ultrastructure.

[Effect of inserted angle on the stability of loaded microscrews].

Objective: To evaluate the effect of different insertion angles on the osseointegration of loaded microscrews in beagle jaws. Methods: Forty-eight microscrews were inserted at four different angles (30°, 50°, 70° and 90°) into the interradicular zones between the mandibular first molar and third premolar in twelve beagles and the microscrews had been loaded with a force of 2 N immediately for 8 weeks. After microscrew-bone specimens fixed, the maximum output value (Fmax) of pull-out test was recorded and the histomorphological changes of hard tissue were observed. The bone-implant contact (BIC%) was quantitatively analyzed and the osseointegration of microscrew-bone interface was comprehensively evaluated. Results: Both Fmax and BIC% values of microscrews were influenced by the insertion angles. The maximum value of Fmax was (385±23) N in the group with 50° angle, and the minimum value was (198±16) N in the group with 30° angle(P <0.05). The maximum value of BIC% was (59.1±6.0)% in the group with 70° angle, and the minimum value was (30.2±3.2)% in the group with 30° angle (P <0.05). Histomorphology observation revealed that in peri-screws region, the various degree of bone remodeling was found in different angle samples. Conclusions: The insertion angles (50°and 70°) were favorable to the stability of the microscrew.

[Anatomy research of cervical laminoplasty with preservation of the posterior ligament complex.]

Objective: To evaluate the feasibility of cervical laminoplasty with preservation of the posterior ligament complex for enlarging the spinal canal. Methods: Six up-to-standard human corpse specimens were divided into two groups by simple randomization (start from C4 group, S4; start from C5 group, S5; 3 corpses in each group). Decompression operation of C3-C6 level was performed in a predetermined sequence by using the new procedure with preservation of the posterior ligament complex.The basic depth of spinal canal was measured with a depth gauge at fixed point after the right bone groove of single level was completed.The operation of the contralateral bone groove was continued, and then the spinal canal was measured again when the spinous process was pulled backward by using a tissue forceps until the ligament complex was just tight.Retreat value (RV) of vertebral lamina was obtained by calculating the difference between the two measurements.The earlier measured levels needed to be remeasured when the operation area increased by one level. Two independent sample and one-sample t test were used to analyze the measurement results. Results: RV of vertebral lamina was small after finishing the first level of the decompression operation [S4: (0.87±0.72) mm; S5: (1.83±0.29) mm], and the value reached its maximum after the completion of C3-C6 level.The overall average RVmaxs from C3 to C6 level were (2.37±0.52) mm, (4.27±0.78) mm, (3.73±0.93) mm and (2.16±0.77) mm, respectively.The overall average retreat rates (RR) were 17%±7%, 32%±9%, 29%±10% and 16%±6%, respectively. The overall average RVmax of C4 and C5 level reached or exceeded the decompression threshold value of 4 mm (t=0.839, -0.703, both P>0.05). The average RVmax of C4/C5 level was similar in the two groups (t=-1.204, 1.189, both P>0.05); however, the difference of average RVmax between C3 and C6 level was significant (t=-4.429, 4.196, both P<0.05). Conclusions: Cervical laminoplasty with preservation of the posterior ligament complex can enlarge the sagittal diameter of spinal canal and relieve the compression of spinal cord.In addition, RV of each level increases as the number of the operation level increases, and the ability of vertebral lamina to retreat is quite different from C3 to C6 level.The decompression effect in the middle of the operation area is better than that on the cranial and tail side.

Treatment of aging oily wastewater by demulsification/flocculation.

The aging oily wastewater (AOW) from Tarim oilfield in China was treated by demulsification/flocculation. A novel sewage treatment agent (YL-7) was developed using a cationic surfactant (LY) and flocculants (polydimethyl diallyl ammonium chloride (PDMDAAC)/polyaluminum chloride (PAC)). At an YL-7 dosage of 320 mg L(-1) at 323 K for 90 min, the oil content of AOW was reduced from 728.8 mg L(-1) to 23.7 mg L(-1), and oil removal efficiency reached 96.7%. Microorganism flocs (extracted from AOW) with high negative zeta potential enhanced the stability of oil/water emulsion. LY and PDMDAAC neutralized the negative charge on the oil droplet surface. PDMDAAC and PAC mainly bridged and swept flocs during the flocculation process. YL-7 was found to be a suitable sewage treatment agent in removing oil from AOW.

Metformin treatment of antipsychotic-induced dyslipidemia: an analysis of two randomized, placebo-controlled trials.

Dyslipidemia is one of the most common adverse effects in schizophrenia patients treated with antipsychotics. However, there are no established effective treatments. In this study, data were pooled from two randomized, placebo-controlled trials, which were originally designed to examine the efficacy of metformin in treating antipsychotic-induced weight gain and other metabolic abnormalities. In total, 201 schizophrenia patients with dyslipidemia after being treated with an antipsychotic were assigned to take 1000 mg day-1 metformin (n=103) or placebo (n=98) for 24 weeks, with evaluation at baseline, week 12 and week 24. The primary outcome was the low-density lipoprotein cholesterol (LDL-C) levels. After metformin treatment, the mean difference in the LDL-C value between metformin treatment and placebo was from 0.16 mmol l-1 at baseline to -0.86 mmol l-1 at the end of week 24, decreased by 1.02 mmol l-1 (P<0.0001); and 25.3% of patients in the metformin group had LDL-C ≥3.37 mmol l-1, which is significantly <64.8% in the placebo group (P<0.001) at week 24. Compared with the placebo, metformin treatment also have a significant effect on reducing weight, body mass index, insulin, insulin resistance index, total cholesterol and triglyceride, and increasing high-density lipoprotein cholesterol. The treatment effects on weight and insulin resistance appeared at week 12 and further improved at week 24, but the effects on improving dyslipidemia only significantly occurred at the end of week 24. We found that metformin treatment was effective in improving antipsychotic-induced dyslipidemia and insulin resistance, and the effects improving antipsychotic-induced insulin resistance appeared earlier than the reducing dyslipidemia.

Microwave-assisted extraction and purification of chlorogenic acid from by-products of Eucommia Ulmoides Oliver and its potential anti-tumor activity.

An efficient method for the rapid extraction, separation and purification of chlorogenic acid (CGA) from by-products of Eucommia Ulmoides Oliver (E. ulmoides) by microwave-assisted extraction (MAE) coupled with high-speed counter-current chromatography (HSCCC) was developed. The optimal MAE parameters were evaluated by response surface methodology (RSM), and they were extraction time of 12 min, microwave power of 420 W, ethanol concentration of 75 %, solvent/sample ratio of 30:1 (mL/g), yield of CGA reached 3.59 %. The crude extract was separated and purified directly by HSCCC using ethyl acetate-butyl alcohol-water (3:1:4, v/v) as the two-phase solvent system. The 14.5 mg of CGA with the purity of 98.7 % was obtained in one-step separation from 400 mg of crude extract. The chemical structure of CGA was verified with IR, ESI-MS analysis. Meanwhile, the purified CGA extract was evaluated by MTT assay and results indicate that CGA extract exhibited potential anti-tumor activity for AGS gastric cancer cell.

Mutagenicity of ZnO nanoparticles in mammalian cells: Role of physicochemical transformations under the aging process.

Zinc oxide nanoparticles (ZnO NPs) potentially undergo physicochemical transformation in the environment, which may lead to unexpected environmental and health risks. The "aging" process is essential for better understanding the toxicity and fate of NPs in the environment. However, the mutagenic effects of aged ZnO NPs are still unexplored. The present study focused on investigating the physicochemical transformation during aging process and clarifying the mutagenicity of naturally aged ZnO NPs in human-hamster hybrid (AL) cells. It was found that ZnO NPs underwent sophisticated physicochemical transformations with aging regardless of original morphology or size, such as the microstructural changes, the formation of hydrozincite (Zn5(CO3)2(OH)6) and the release of free zinc ions. Interestingly, the aged ZnO NPs were investigated to be able to result in much lower cytotoxicity while relatively high degree mutation than fresh ZnO NPs. With characterization of the soluble and insoluble fractions of aged ZnO NPs suspension, together with the control measurements using metal chelator (TPEN) and endocytosis inhibitor (Nystatin), it was revealed that the release of zinc ions and nanoparticle uptake made significantly different contributions to the mutagenicity of fresh and aged ZnO NPs. This study clearly demonstrated that the physicochemical transformation of ZnO NPs with aging plays important and comprehensive roles in the ZnO NPs-induced mutagenicity in mammalian cells.

Serotonin regulates osteoblast proliferation and function in vitro

The monoamine serotonin (5-hydroxytryptamine, 5-HT), a well-known neurotransmitter, also has important functions outside the central nervous system. The objective of this study was to investigate the role of 5-HT in the proliferation, differentiation, and function of osteoblasts in vitro. We treated rat primary calvarial osteoblasts with various concentrations of 5-HT (1 nM to 10 µM) and assessed the rate of osteoblast proliferation, expression levels of osteoblast-specific proteins and genes, and the ability to form mineralized nodules. Next, we detected which 5-HT receptor subtypes were expressed in rat osteoblasts at different stages of osteoblast differentiation. We found that 5-HT could inhibit osteoblast proliferation, differentiation, and mineralization at low concentrations, but this inhibitory effect was mitigated at relatively high concentrations. Six of the 5-HT receptor subtypes (5-HT1A, 5-HT1B, 5-HT1D, 5-HT2A, 5-HT2B, and 5-HT2C) were found to exist in rat osteoblasts. Of these, 5-HT2A and 5-HT1B receptors had the highest expression levels, at both early and late stages of differentiation. Our results indicated that 5-HT can regulate osteoblast proliferation and function in vitro.

Serotonin regulates osteoblast proliferation and function in vitro.

The monoamine serotonin (5-hydroxytryptamine, 5-HT), a well-known neurotransmitter, also has important functions outside the central nervous system. The objective of this study was to investigate the role of 5-HT in the proliferation, differentiation, and function of osteoblasts in vitro. We treated rat primary calvarial osteoblasts with various concentrations of 5-HT (1 nM to 10 µM) and assessed the rate of osteoblast proliferation, expression levels of osteoblast-specific proteins and genes, and the ability to form mineralized nodules. Next, we detected which 5-HT receptor subtypes were expressed in rat osteoblasts at different stages of osteoblast differentiation. We found that 5-HT could inhibit osteoblast proliferation, differentiation, and mineralization at low concentrations, but this inhibitory effect was mitigated at relatively high concentrations. Six of the 5-HT receptor subtypes (5-HT1A, 5-HT1B, 5-HT1D, 5-HT2A, 5-HT2B, and 5-HT2C) were found to exist in rat osteoblasts. Of these, 5-HT2A and 5-HT1B receptors had the highest expression levels, at both early and late stages of differentiation. Our results indicated that 5-HT can regulate osteoblast proliferation and function in vitro.

A functional polymorphism in the CYR61 (IGFBP10) gene is associated with prostate cancer risk.

BACKGROUND: CYR61 (cysteine-rich protein 61, also named IGFBP10) is a secreted signaling molecule that promotes angiogenesis and tumor growth. The goal of this study is to determine whether a functional polymorphism in the promoter region of the CYR61 gene (rs3753793) is associated with prostate cancer (PCa) risk and gene expression in Chinese patients. METHODS: A total of 665 patients diagnosed with PCa and 703 cancer-free controls were genotyped in this hospital-based case-control study, and 26 PCa tissue samples were evaluated for mRNA expression of CYR61 by real-time quantitative reverse-transcription PCR. RESULTS: Men carrying the G allele of rs3753793 (TG+GG) had significantly lower risk of PCa when compared with the TT genotype (odds ratio (OR) = 0.76, 95% confidence interval (CI) = 0.61-0.95). The association was generally more pronounced among subgroups of PCa patients with advanced stage (OR = 0.70, 95% CI = 0.53-0.94), Gleason score >7 (OR = 0.63, 95% CI = 0.46-0.86) and PSA>20 ng ml(-1) (OR = 0.68, 95% CI = 0.53-0.88). Prostate tumors derived from cases with the GT/GG genotypes had significantly lower levels of CYR61 mRNA when compared with cases with the TT genotypes (P = 0.02). CONCLUSIONS: Our results indicate that the genetic variation of rs3753793 in the CYR61 promoter may contribute to genetic predisposition to PCa and intra-tumor expression gene expression.

Latent tuberculosis infection treatment for prison inmates: a randomised controlled trial.

SETTING: A prison in northern Taiwan. OBJECTIVE: To compare safety and the completion rate of the 4-month daily rifampicin regimen (4R) vs. the standard 6-month daily isoniazid regimen (6H) for latent tuberculosis infection (LTBI) in prison inmates. DESIGN: This was an open-label randomised trial among human immunodeficiency virus negative male inmates. Inmates without active tuberculosis (TB) who tested positive for both the tuberculin skin test and QuantiFERON®-TB Gold In-Tube were eligible, but those with baseline glutamic pyruvic transaminase (GPT) levels ≥ 120 U/l, bilirubin levels ≥ 2.4 U/l or a platelet count < 150 k/mm(3) were excluded. The primary endpoint was any adverse event that resulted in discontinuation of LTBI treatment. RESULTS: Participants (n = 373; 14% hepatitis B surface antigen positive, 21% anti-hepatitis C virus [HCV] positive) were randomised (stratified by hepatitis B virus, HCV status and 2-year prison term) to receive either 4R or 6H under directly observed treatment. The 4R group (n = 190) was less likely to experience an adverse event leading to discontinuation of treatment (2% vs. 12%, P < 0.001 for all adverse events; 0% vs. 8%, P < 0.001 for hepatotoxicity), and more likely to complete LTBI treatment (86% vs. 78%, P = 0.041), compared with the 6H group (n = 183). CONCLUSIONS: 4R is safer and has a higher completion rate than 6H as treatment for LTBI among male prison inmates.