Prevalence of and risk factors for refractive error: a cross-sectional study in Han and Mongolian adults aged 40-80 years in Inner Mongolia, China.

OBJECTIVES: To assess the prevalence of and risk factors for refractive error (RE) in Han and Mongolian adults aged 40-80 years in Inner Mongolia in China and to identify ethnic differences in RE between these populations. METHODS: Our cross-sectional study is part of the China National Health Survey (CNHS). The age-adjusted prevalence of RE in Han and Mongolian adults aged 40-80 in Inner Mongolia were compared. A multivariable logistic regression model was used to identify risk factors. RESULTS: Among 2090 people, the age-adjusted prevalence of myopia (SE < -0.5D), hyperopia (SE > 0.5D), high myopia (SE < -6.0D) and astigmatism (cylinder ≥ 0.5D) were 29.4% (95% confidence interval (CI), 27.4-31.3%), 28.4% (95% CI, 26.4-30.5%), 3.6% (95% CI, 2.8-4.4%) and 65.9% (95% CI, 63.9-67.9%), respectively. The age-adjusted prevalence of myopia in the Han population was higher than that in the Mongolian population (31.8% vs. 23.0%, p < 0.001), but the prevalence of hyperopia was lower (25.8% vs. 35.3%, p = 0.002). In the multivariable logistic regression, ethnicity was associated with myopia (p = 0.001) and hyperopia (p = 0.001). Myopia was also associated with age, time spent in rural areas (p < 0.001) and middle/high school and undergraduate/graduate education levels (p = 0.027 and p < 0.001, respectively, compared with lower education levels). Additionally, age, height (p = 0.015) and pterygium (p = 0.014) were associated with hyperopia. CONCLUSIONS: Ethnicity is closely related to RE in Inner Mongolia in mainland China. Our study investigates differences in prevalence of and risk factors for RE between the Han and Mongolian populations, which could not be explained by differences in the risk factors investigated in this study.

[A cross-sectional study on dyslipidemia in migrants in Inner Mongolia Autonomous Region].

Objective: To investigate the prevalence of dyslipidemia in migrants in Inner Mongolia Autonomous Region. Methods: A stratified multi-stage cluster equal size sampling was performed among the migrants aged ≥18 years who were engaged in manufacturing, wholesale retail, accommodation and catering service, social service, construction and other and 1 501 migrants from five area in Inner Mongolia Autonomous Region was investigated by means of questionnaires survey, physical measurements and laboratory detection. Results: Complete data was obtained in 1 496 study subjects. The prevalence of dyslipidemia was 42.65% (638/1 496), the age-standardized prevalence was 42.05%; the prevalence of hypercholesterolemia, hypertriglyceridemia, combined hyperlipidemia and low high-density lipoprotein hyperlipidemia were 4.90% (73/1 491), 14.76% (220/1 491), 4.83% (72/1 496), 25.27% (378/1 496), respectively. Dyslipidemia characterized by high triglyceride (HTG) and low high-density lipoprotein cholesterol (LHDL-C) accounted for 81.97% (523/638). The prevalence of dyslipidemia and HTG/LHDL-C dyslipidemia were similar, which increased significantly with age in both females and males, but was significantly higher in males. The prevalence among migrants with other occupations was highest. The prevalence of HTG/LHDL-C dyslipidemia didn't significantly increase with the duration of migration. However, the prevalence of high TG and dyslipidemia increased significantly with the duration of migration, the prevalence of high TG in age group <45 years showed the same characteristics. Conclusions: The prevalence of dyslipidemia in migrants in Inner Mongolia was high, and the main form was HTG/LHDL-C dyslipidemia. The prevalence in males, the middle aged and aged as well as those with other occupations were high. Migrants with longer duration of migration had higher prevalence of dyslipidemia.

Effects of polymorphisms and haplotypes within the MSTN gene on duck growth trait.

Abstract 1. Polymorphisms of the duck MSTN gene were investigated in 413 individuals by DNA sequencing and polymerase chain reaction restriction fragment length polymorphism. Four single nucleotide polymorphisms (G129A, C324T, A981G and C1002A), with A981G and C1002A completely linked, were found in the coding region. 2. Association analysis showed that different genotypes of all the identified SNPs were significantly associated with duck growth rate from week 5, 6 and 2 for G129A, C324T and A981G (C1002A), respectively. The greatest difference in body weight was 180 g at week 9, 106 g at week 8 and 123 g at week 8, respectively, for the three SNP's. 3. Linkage disequilibrium (LD) analysis indicated that C324T, A981G and C1002A were in strong LD. Nine main diplotypes from the reconstructed five main haplotypes were observed, and different diplotypes were significantly associated with growth rate from week 1. Birds with the h1h1 diplotype exhibited the largest body weight from week 1 onwards. 4. It was concluded that the duck MSTN gene was associated with body weight and is an important candidate gene for duck growth. traits and marker-assisted selection.

Temporospatial expression of Dmrt1 in chicken urogenital system (Gallus gallus) using whole mount in situ hybridization.

Doublesex and mab-3-related transcription factor 1 (Dmrt1) is a Z-linked gene that putatively determines the phenotype of gonads in birds. The sex differential expression of Dmrt1 was examined using wholemount in situ hybridization (WISH) in the urogenital systems during embryogenesis. The results revealed that Dmrt1 showed dimorphic expression in chicken gonads, which increased from day 6.5 to day 10.5. The expression of Dmrt1 in male (ZZ) gonads was not twice as much as in female (ZW) gonads, suggesting the existence of other regulatory mechanisms in addition to Z chromosome dosage effect.

The role of toll-like receptors 2 and 4 in acute allograft rejection after liver transplantation.

Toll-like receptors (TLRs) are germline-encoded receptors expressed on antigen-presenting cells (APCs) that identify a variety of microbial and endogenous ligands and activate the innate immune responses to the presence of danger. However, their role in the development of allograft rejection after liver transplantation remains unknown. In this study, we used flow cytometry to assess TLR-4 and TLR-2 expression among circulating CD14+ monocytes in 64 liver transplant patients and 24 healthy volunteers. We demonstrated significantly higher TLR-2 and TLR-4 expression on circulating monocytes among conditioned liver transplantation recipients with acute rejection compared with those in clinically stable with normal liver function. Steroid pulse therapy significantly reduced the expression of TLR-4 and TLR-2 on the monocytes of recipients with acute rejection. Based on these data, we have suggested that activation of innate immunity in liver transplant recipients through TLR-4 and TLR-2 contributes to the development of acute allograft rejection after liver transplantation. The reduced expression of TLR-4 and TLR-2 may be one of the mechanisms by which steroid pulse therapy inhibits the development of acute rejection. Estimation of TLR expression on APCs may be predictive of in acute rejection after liver transplantation.

[Electrochemical behavior of ofloxacin at Pt/GC ion implantation modified electrode and its application].

AIM: To study the electrochemical behavior of ofloxacin at Pt/GC ion implantation modified electrode. METHODS: With Pt/GC ion implantation modified electrode as working electrode, the behavior of ofloxacin was studied by voltammetry in 0.40 mol.L-1 KCl solution. RESULTS: A sensitive reductive peak of ofloxacin was obtained by linear sweep voltammetry. The peak potential was -1.35 V (vs SCE). The peak current was proportional to the concentration of ofloxacin over the range of 1.0 x 10(-6)-3.0 x 10(-5) mol.L-1 with the detection limit of 5.0 x 10(-7) mol.L-1. The behavior of reduction wave was studied and applied to determination of ofloxacin in tablets. CONCLUSION: The reduction process was irreversible. The element composition, atomicity form and depth of distribution at the surface of Pt/GC electrode were determined by Auger electron spectroscopy (AES), X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy (XPS) and scanning electron microscope (SEM). The catalysis behavior and reaction mechanism at Pt/GC modified electrode was also studied.

[Effects of transtympanic lidocaine infusion on cochleas].

To investigate into the effects of transtympanic lidocaine infusion on the cochlea, 112 albino guinea pigs were studied by measuring CAP and examining the organ of Corti under optical and electronic microscopes. The changes included prolongation of CAP latency and elevation of threshold microscopeically, the lost OHC-SC of the organ of Corti near the round window. The severity varied with concentrations of lidocaine used. Changes of IHC-SC were slight. Under TEM, the significant changes were that the efferent synaptic spaces were widened and post-synaptic cisternae dilated, the mitochondria in OHC, IHC and their nerve endings became swelled and degenerated. The higher the concentration of lidocaine used, the more obvious the morphological damages were. The damages seemed to develop in 14 days.