Supercontinuum as a light source for miniaturized endoscopes.

In this work, we have successfully implemented supercontinuum based illumination through single fiber coupling. The integration of a single fiber illumination with a miniature CMOS sensor forms a very slim and powerful camera module for endoscopic imaging. A set of tests and in vivo animal experiments are conducted accordingly to characterize the corresponding illuminance, spectral profile, intensity distribution, and image quality. The key illumination parameters of the supercontinuum, including color rendering index (CRI: 72%~97%) and correlated color temperature (CCT: 3,100K~5,200K), are modified with external filters and compared with those from a LED light source (CRI~76% & CCT~6,500K). The very high spatial coherence of the supercontinuum allows high luminosity conduction through a single multimode fiber (core size~400µm), whose distal end tip is attached with a diffussion tip to broaden the solid angle of illumination (from less than 10° to more than 80°).

Increased risk of brain tumor in patients with Parkinson's disease: a nationwide cohort study in Taiwan.

OBJECTIVES: Parkinson's disease (PD) is a neurodegenerative disease. A decreased risk of cancer, except for melanoma, has been observed in patients with PD. The aim of this study was to evaluate the association between brain tumor and PD in a Taiwanese population. MATERIALS AND METHODS: We used data from the National Health Insurance program of Taiwan. The PD cohort contained 2998 patients, and each patient was frequency-matched, based on age and sex, with 4 people without PD, who were randomly selected from the general population. Cox's proportional hazard regression analysis was conducted to estimate the effects of PD on the risk of brain tumor. RESULTS: The risk of developing brain tumor was significantly higher in patients with PD than in those without PD (adjusted hazard ratio = 2.11; 95% confidence interval (CI) = 1.24-3.59), and benign brain tumor exhibited a particularly elevated risk of 2.16-fold (95% CI = 1.26-3.68). The hazard ratio (HR) for developing a benign brain tumor was higher in female patients with PD than in female patients without PD, with the risk being 2.65-fold (95% CI = 1.30-5.43). An analysis of the two age groups, 50-64 years and ≥65 years, showed that the HR of only the 50-64-year group was significantly higher between the PD and non-PD groups (HR = 2.77, 95% CI = 1.07-7.14). CONCLUSION: The present study showed that Taiwanese patients with PD are at a higher risk of developing brain tumor than the general population. The exact underlying etiologies require further investigation.

The relationship of family characteristics and bipolar disorder using causal-pie models.

Many family characteristics were reported to increase the risk of bipolar disorder (BPD). The development of BPD may be mediated through different pathways, involving diverse risk factor profiles. We evaluated the associations of family characteristics to build influential causal-pie models to estimate their contributions on the risk of developing BPD at the population level. We recruited 329 clinically diagnosed BPD patients and 202 healthy controls to collect information in parental psychopathology, parent-child relationship, and conflict within family. Other than logistic regression models, we applied causal-pie models to identify pathways involved with different family factors for BPD. The risk of BPD was significantly increased with parental depression, neurosis, anxiety, paternal substance use problems, and poor relationship with parents. Having a depressed mother further predicted early onset of BPD. Additionally, a greater risk for BPD was observed with higher numbers of paternal/maternal psychopathologies. Three significant risk profiles were identified for BPD, including paternal substance use problems (73.0%), maternal depression (17.6%), and through poor relationship with parents and conflict within the family (6.3%). Our findings demonstrate that different aspects of family characteristics elicit negative impacts on bipolar illness, which can be utilized to target specific factors to design and employ efficient intervention programs.

The TSC1 and TSC2 tumor suppressors are required for proper ER stress response and protect cells from ER stress-induced apoptosis.

Tuberous sclerosis complex (TSC)1 and TSC2 are tumor suppressors that inhibit cell growth and mutation of either gene causes benign tumors in multiple tissues. The TSC1 and TSC2 gene products form a functional complex that has GTPase-activating protein (GAP) activity toward Ras homolog enriched in brain (Rheb) to inhibit mammalian target of rapamycin complex 1 (mTORC1), which is constitutively activated in TSC mutant tumors. We found that cells with mutation in either TSC1 or TSC2 are hypersensitive to endoplasmic reticulum (ER) stress and undergo apoptosis. Although the TSC mutant cells show elevated eIF2α phosphorylation, an early ER stress response marker, at both basal and induced conditions, induction of other ER stress response markers, including ATF4, ATF6 and C/EBP homologous protein (CHOP), is severely compromised. The defects in ER stress response are restored by raptor knockdown but not by rapamycin treatment in the TSC mutant cells, indicating that a rapamycin-insensitive mTORC function is responsible for the defects in ER stress response. Consistently, activation of Rheb sensitizes cells to ER stress. Our data show an important role of TSC1/TSC2 and Rheb in unfolded protein response and cell survival. We speculate that an important physiological function of the TSC1/2 tumor suppressors is to protect cells from harmful conditions. These observations indicate a potential therapeutic application of using ER stress agents to selectively kill TSC1 or TSC2 mutant cells for TSC treatment.

Two novel mutations of the glycine receptor gene in a Taiwanese hyperekplexia family.

The authors report a Taiwanese family with autosomal recessive hyperekplexia. Two novel mutations, W96C (from the paternal allele) and R344X (from the maternal allele), which are located in exon 4 and exon 7 of the GLRA1 gene, were identified in this family. A series of electrophysiologic investigations were conducted in one of the probands, and the results suggest that the "startle center" is located subcortically.

Schizophrenic delusions in Seoul, Shanghai and Taipei: a transcultural study.

In this transcultural study of schizophrenic delusions among patients in Seoul, Shanghai and Taipei, we discovered that both the frequency and content of delusions differed among the three groups; and that these differences could perhaps be explained by varying sociocultural and political situations. Delusional themes that are sensitive to sociocultural or political situations include guilt, love/sex, religion, somatic damage, economy/business and politics. Delusions regarding longevity, love/sex, dysmorphophobia/dysosmophobia, religion or supernatural matters, and espionage/spy stories were most frequent in Seoul patients. Those in Taipei predominantly had delusions about possession, religion or supernatural matters, hypnotism, and mass media/computers. Shanghai patients often had delusions of poisons, being prickled by poisoned needles, their brain and viscera extracted and being a family member of political authorities.

Children's experience of violence in China and Korea: a transcultural study.

OBJECTIVE: There were two aims: First, to compare children's rates of being battered in home, by peers, and by teachers among students between China and Korea, and second, to identify particular risk factors for such violence. METHODS: Children in grades four through six in Shanghai (238 cases) and Yanji (245 cases) in China and Seoul (248 cases) and Kimpo (241 cases) in Korea were surveyed by questionnaire method. They were asked to complete the Straus' Conflict Tactics Scale and their frequencies in the three situations respectively, and other demographic items. RESULTS: Family violence during the last 1 year was experienced in 70.6% (minor 42.2%; serious 22.6%) of the children in China and 68.9% (minor 9.4%; serious 51.3%) of those in Korea. Experience rates of violence by peers were 42.7% (minor 25.7%; serious 13.7%) in China and 26.0% (minor 11.5%; serious 14.3%) in Korea. Finally, rates of corporal punishment by teachers were 51.1% (minor 28.0%; serious 4.1%) in China and 62.0% (minor 8.8%; serious 43.8%) in Korea. The most important and common risk factor for violence in one situation was the presence of violence in another situation. CONCLUSIONS: The findings indicate that the differences in children's overall experience rates were not particularly striking. However, Korean children experienced more severe forms of violence from family members and from teachers. Findings of risk factors clearly imply that there are children vulnerable to violence from multiple sources.

Polymeric diaquatetra-mu;-thiocyanato-manganese(II)mercury(II) bis(N,N-dimethylacetamide) solvate.

In the title complex, ¿[MnHg(SCN)(4)(H(2)O)(2)].2C(4)H(9)NO¿(n), each Mn atom is octahedrally coordinated to four equatorial thiocyanate N atoms and two axial water O atoms. The Mn atom and two O atoms lie on a twofold axis. Two kinds of crystallographically independent Hg atoms (denoted Hg1 and Hg2) are tetrahedrally coordinated with four thiocyanate S atoms and each Hg atom lies on a -4 axis. N,N-Dimethylacetamide molecules are connected to coordinated water molecules through hydrogen bonds. Each pair of Mn and Hg atoms is bridged via one thiocyanate ion. An Mn(2)Hg1Hg2(SCN)(4) 16-membered ring is formed as a unit and the four metal atoms are in a chair-form tetrahedral arrangement. The units are linked with one another and form infinite two-dimensional networks.

[Distribution of common symptoms in 2500 schizophrenics and their comparative analysis on the background of times and culture].

In the paper, the distribution of the common symptoms in 2,500 Schizophrenics was reported, including 1,600 cases in Shanghai Mental Health Center, 500 cases in Chuan Sha County Mental Hospital, 200 cases in Nan Hui County Mental Hospital in Shanghai and 200 cases in Su County Mental Hospital in An Hui province respectively. In the 2,500 cases, apart from 1,600 cases including 500 cases discharged from 1964 to 1965, and 500 cases discharged from 1984 to 1985 in Shanghai Mental Health Center, the rest was hospitalizing during 1988 to august of 1990. Among these patients, 67 symptoms were shown in which 47 symptoms were much common. There was the most significant difference in the 22 symptoms of the 23 much more common symptoms between 1960 and 1980s (P < 0.01). According to the comparison of the various cultural background, there was the most significant difference in 15 symptoms (P < 0.01).

[Clinical analysis in the main side effects of clozapine: enclosed 600 cases report].

The main side effects of 7921 hospitalized patients taken clozapine from July in 1980 to October in 1988 were investigated. In these cases, there were 600 patients with the main side effects caused by clozapine. They included 312 patients with leukocytosis (52.0%), 114 patients with leukopenia (19.0%), (included 16 patients with agranulocytosis), 53 patients with EEG abnormal (8.9%), 35 patients with fever (5.9%), 32 patients with EKG abnormal (5.3%), 14 patients with rash (2.3%), 12 patients with epileptic seizure (2.0%), 11 patients with posture hypotension (1.8%), 8 patients with paralytic intestinal obstruction (1.3%), 6 patients with SGPT raised (1.0%) and 3 patients with conscious disturbances (0.5%). The causes and treatments of the main side effects mentioned above were discussed.