[Comparison of clinical effects of endoscopic thyroidectomy using the modified gasless transsubclavian approach and traditional open surgery for cN0 unilateral papillary thyroid carcinoma].

Objective: To compare the clinical effects of endoscopic thyroidectomy using a modified gasless transsubclavian approach and the traditional neck approach for unilateral papillary thyroid carcinoma (cN0). Methods: The clinical data of 135 patients with cN0 papillary thyroid carcinoma who underwent unilateral thyroidectomy in the Department of Thyroid Surgery, the First Hospital of Jilin University from October 2020 to November 2022 were retrospectively analyzed. There were 37 males and 98 females, aging (43.2±8.8) years (range: 21 to 59 years). There were 51 cases using the modified gasless transsubclavian approach (TS group) and 84 cases using the traditional neck approach (TN group). Comparative analyses were performed between the operative results of the 2 groups by t-test, Wilcoxon rank sum test, and χ2 test. Results: All endoscopic operations were successfully completed without conversion to the traditional neck approach. Compared to the TN group, the TS group had a longer operation time (M(IQR)) (73.5 (22.5) minutes vs. 90.0 (30.0) minutes, Z=-5.831, P<0.01), more postoperative drainage (60 (25) ml vs. 95 (45) ml, Z=-6.275, P<0.01), higher hospitalization costs (22 687 (3 488) yuan vs. 26 652 (2 431) yuan, Z=-6.944, P<0.01), and a higher rate of parathyroid autotransplantation (15.5% (13/84) vs. 60.8% (31/51), χ2=29.651, P<0.01). There was no significant difference in the total exposure rate of the central compartment, postoperative hospitalization time, the number of dissected lymph nodes, the number of metastatic lymph nodes, C-reactive protein ratio before and after operation, and preoperative and postoperative parathyroid hormone (all P>0.05). Conclusion: Endoscopic thyroidectomy using the modified gasless transsubclavian approach is safe for cN0 papillary thyroid carcinoma, with longer operating time, more postoperative drainage, higher hospitalization costs, and more difficulty in preserving the inferior parathyroid gland in situ compared to traditional open surgery.

[Discussion on how to optimize active surveillance for low-risk papillary thyroid microcarcinoma in China].

Active surveillance, as a first-line treatment strategy for low-risk papillary thyroid microcarcinoma, has been recommended by guidelines worldwide. However, active surveillance has not been widely accepted by doctors and patients in China. In view of the huge challenges faced by active surveillance, doctors should improve their understanding of the "low risk" of papillary thyroid micropapillary cancer, identify some intermediate or high-risk cases, be familiar with the criteria and methods of diagnosis for disease progression, and timely turn patients with disease progression into more active treatment strategies. By analyzing the long-term cost-effectiveness of active surveillance, it is clear that medical expense is only one cost form of medical activities, and the health cost (thyroid removal and surgical complications) paid by patients due to"over-diagnosis and over-treatment" is the most important. Moreover, the weakening of the patients' social function caused by surgical procedures is a more hidden and far-reaching cost. The formulation of health economic policies (including medical insurance) should promote the adjustment of diagnosis and treatment behavior to the direction which is conducive to the long-term life and treatment of patients, improving the overall health level of society and reducing the overall cost. At the same time, doctors should stimulate the subjective initiative of patients, help them fully understand the impact of various treatment methods on their psychological and physical status, support patients psychologically, and strengthen their confidence in implementing active surveillance. By strengthening multi-disciplinary treatment team and system support, doctors can achieve risk stratification of papillary thyroid microcarcinoma, accurate judgment of disease progress, timely counseling for psychological problems, and long-term adherence to active surveillance. Improving the treatment level of advanced thyroid cancer is the key point of improve the prognosis. It is important to promote the development of active surveillance for low-risk papillary thyroid microcarcinoma. In the future, it is necessary to carry out multi-center prospective research and accumulate research evidence for promoting the standardization process of active surveillance. Standardized active surveillance will certainly benefit specific papillary thyroid microcarcinoma patients.

[LncRNA ASB16-AS1 regulates the proliferation, migration and invasion of esophageal cancer cells by targeting miR-1258].

Objective: To investigate the effects of long-chain non-coding RNA ASB16 antisense RNA1 (ASB16-AS1) on the proliferation, migration and invasion of esophageal cancer cells by targeting microRNA (miR )-1258. Methods: Forty pairs of esophageal cancer tissues and matched adjacent tissues (distance of tumor margin>3 cm) resected in Xinxiang Central Hospital from May 2016 to July 2017 were collected. Real-time quantitative reverse transcription polymerase chain reaction (qRT-PCR) was used to detect the expressions of ASB16-AS1 and miR-1258 in esophageal cancer tissues and adjacent tissues. The small interfering RNA negative control (si-NC), ASB16-AS1 small interfering RNA (si-ASB16-AS1), miR-negative control mimics (miR-NC), miR-1258 mimics (miR-1258), si-ASB16-AS1 and anti-miR-NC, si-ASB16-AS1 and anti-miR-1258, si-ASB16-AS1 and anti-miR-1258 were transfected into Eca109 cells, respectively. Methyl thiazolyl tetrazolium (MTT) was utilized to detect the cell viability. Transwell assays were applied to detect cell migration and invasion. Double luciferase reporting experiment and qRT-PCR were used to confirm the relationship between ASB16-AS1 and miR-1258. Results: The expression levels of ASB16-AS1 and miR-1258 in esophageal cancer tissues were 2.95±0.27 and 0.62±0.06, respectively. Compared with 1.00±0.06 and 1.00±0.07 in adjacent tissues, the difference was statistically significant (P<0.05). The cell viability of the si-NC group at 48 h and 72 h were 0.81±0.07 and 1.15±0.11, while those of si-ASB16-AS1 group were 0.46±0.04 and 0.62±0.06 (P<0.05). The numbers of cell migration and invasion in the si-NC group were 86.32±8.24 and 71.29±7.15, respectively, while those of si-ASB16-AS1 group were 43.22±4.31 and 32.36±3.58, respectively, the differences were statistically significant (P<0.05). The cell viability of the miR-NC group at 48 h and 72 h were 0.84±0.08, 1.18±0.12, while those of miR-1258 group were 0.55±0.05, 0.71±0.07 (P<0.05). The migration and invasion numbers of the miR-NC group were (83.15±8.31) and (75.33±7.51), while those of miR-1258 group were (49.58±4.23) and (38.42±3.84), respectively, the differences were statistically significant (P<0.05). The cell viability of the si-ASB16-AS1+ anti-miR-NC group at 48 h and 72 h were 0.45±0.04, 0.61±0.06, while those of si-ASB16-AS1+ anti-miR-1258 group were 0.72±0.07, 0.98±0.08; The migration and invasion numbers of cells in the si-ASB16-AS1+ anti-miR-NC group were 44.36±4.41 and 31.69±3.85, respectively, while those of si-ASB16-AS1+ anti-miR-1258 group were 72.65±7.27 and 61.22±6.14, respectively, and the differences were statistically significant (P<0.05). ASB16-AS1 targeted negative regulation of miR-1258 expression. Conclusions: ASB16-AS1 upregulates in esophageal cancer. ASB16-AS1 promotes the proliferation, migration and invasion of esophageal cancer cells by targeting miR-1258.

Realizing Magnetoelectric Coupling with Hydrogen Intercalation.

Materials with a coexistence of magnetic and ferroelectric order (i.e., multiferroics) provide an efficient route for the control of magnetism by electric fields. Unfortunately, a long-sought room temperature multiferroic with strongly coupled ferroelectric and ferromagnetic (or ferrimagnetic) orderings is still lacking. Here, we propose that hydrogen intercalation in antiferromagnetic transition-metal oxides is a promising way to realize multiferroics with strong magnetoelectric coupling. Taking brownmillerite SrCoO_{2.5} as an example, we show that hydrogen intercalated SrCoO_{2.5} displays strong ferrimagnetism and large electric polarization in which the hydroxide acts as a new knob to simultaneously control the magnetization and polarization at room temperature. We expect that ion intercalation will become a general way to design magnetoelectric and spintronic functional materials.

Pressure Induced Stripe-Order Antiferromagnetism and First-Order Phase Transition in FeSe.

To elucidate the magnetic structure and the origin of the nematicity in FeSe, we perform a high-pressure ^{77}Se NMR study on FeSe single crystals. We find a suppression of the structural transition temperature with pressure up to about 2 GPa from the anisotropy of the Knight shift. Above 2 GPa, a stripe-order antiferromagnetism that breaks the spatial fourfold rotational symmetry is determined by the NMR spectra under different field orientations and with temperatures down to 50 mK. The magnetic phase transition is revealed to be first-order type, implying the existence of a concomitant structural transition via a spin-lattice coupling. Stripe-type spin fluctuations are observed at high temperatures, and remain strong with pressure. These results provide clear evidence for strong coupling between nematicity and magnetism in FeSe, and therefore support a universal scenario of magnetic driven nematicity in iron-based superconductors.

Clinical analysis of 137 cases of ultrasound-guided positioning for resection of non-palpable breast masses.

OBJECTIVE: The aim of this study was to evaluate the clinical value of ultrasound-guided resection of non-palpable breast masses. MATERIALS AND METHODS: One hundred thirty-seven cases of non palpable breast mass patients who underwent surgical treatment from June 2007 to June 2012 were enrolled in this study. All patients were found with breast masses in mammography or ultrasound, and underwent preoperative routine ultrasound-guided wire positioning. RESULTS: One hundred fifty-eight lesions underwent ultrasound positioning accurate resection, of which 34 cases (21.5%) were malignant, including 26 cases (16.5%) of intraductal carcinoma, four cases (2.5%) of infiltrating ductal carcinoma, and three cases (1.9%) of invasive lobular carcinoma. Thirteen patients underwent modified radical mastectomy, and 21 cases (61.8%) underwent breast conservation operation. All patients were followed up for six to 53 months, only one patient had pulmonary metastasis after two years, and there was no local recurrence. CONCLUSION: Resection of non-palpable breast masses with preoperative ultrasound-guided positioning has advantages of accurate positioning and simple operation and is of great significance for early diagnosis and treatment of breast cancer.

The p53 codon 72 polymorphism in Mongolian patients with bladder cancer / Монголын Анагаах Ухаан

IntroductionThe p53 gene is frequently mutated in various forms of human cancers. The p53 signaling pathway isactivated by endogenous and exogenous stress signals and induces growth arrest, cellular senescenceand apoptosis. A common polymorphism occurs at codon 72 of the p53 has been demonstrated that itmight be associated with bladder cancer risk. However, results of researches related to this topic werecontroversial and more investigations and samples size needed.GoalTo evaluate TP53 Arg72Pro polymorphism in Mongolian patients with bladder cancer.Materials and MethodWe evaluated TP53 Arg72Pro polymorphism in DNA samples from 82 patients with bladder cancerand 82 age and gender matched healthy subjects using polymerase chain reaction-based restrictionfragment length polymorphism. All enrolments of this study were Mongolians. The association betweeneach genotype of TP53 Arg72Pro and bladder cancer risk was examined by the odds ratio and 95%confi dence interval, using logistic regression analysis. The early age onset of bladder cancer patientswas also evaluated among different genotypes of TP53 Arg72Pro.ResultsThe proportion of the polymorphism of TP53 Arg72Pro were RR 53.7% (n=44); PR 34.1% (n=28); andPP 12.2% (n=10) in the bladder cancer patients, whereas RR 52.4% (n=43); PR 28% (n=23); and PP19.6% (n=16) in healthy controls. The PR genotype increased the risk of bladder cancer (OR1.189;95% CI 0.42-0.75; p=0.997) in Mongolian people, whereas PP genotype protected from the cancer(OR=0.610; 95% CI 0.22-0.44, p=0.998) compared to the RR, respectively, however signifi cance isweak. Moreover, there was no association between each genotype of TP53 Arg72Pro (RR=52; PR=54;PP=58) and early onset of bladder cancer in the Mongolian population.Conclusion: Our result indicates that the PR genotype tends to increase the risk of bladder canceramong Mongolians. RR genotype of TP53 Arg72Pro is more prevalent among Mongolians.

Predicting a ferrimagnetic phase of Zn(2)FeOsO(6) with strong magnetoelectric coupling.

Multiferroic materials, in which ferroelectric and magnetic ordering coexist, are of practical interest for the development of novel memory devices that allow for electrical writing and nondestructive magnetic readout operation. The great challenge is to create room temperature multiferroic materials with strongly coupled ferroelectric and ferromagnetic (or ferrimagnetic) orderings. BiFeO_{3} is the most heavily investigated single-phase multiferroic to date due to the coexistence of its magnetic order and ferroelectric order at room temperature. However, there is no net magnetic moment in the cycloidal (antiferromagneticlike) magnetic state of bulk BiFeO_{3}, which severely limits its realistic applications in electric field controlled memory devices. Here, we predict that LiNbO_{3}-type Zn_{2}FeOsO_{6} is a new multiferroic with properties superior to BiFeO_{3}. First, there are strong ferroelectricity and strong ferrimagnetism at room temperature in Zn_{2}FeOsO_{6}. Second, the easy plane of the spontaneous magnetization can be switched by an external electric field, evidencing the strong magnetoelectric coupling existing in this system. Our results suggest that ferrimagnetic 3d-5d LiNbO_{3}-type material may therefore be used to achieve voltage control of magnetism in future memory devices.

First Report of Cherry Stem Rot and Leaf Necrosis Disease Caused by Phytophthora nicotianae in Yantai, China.

Cherry (Cerasus avium (Linn.) Moench) is the third most economically important fruit in Yantai, Shandong Province, China. In August 2012, brown spots or necrosis on cherry seedling leaves, with an incidence of 8.2 to 34.3%, were observed in some fields of cherry seedlings in Yantai. Our survey indicated that the economic losses could reach up to 15.3% if disease conditions, such as a cool rainy summer season, were favorable. Conspicuous watery lesions on the stems turned to brown streaks; the leaves all wilted; and finally the plants collapsed. Diseased stem and leaf samples were surface-disinfected in 1% sodium hypochlorite for 1 min, rinsed three times in sterile water, which was absorbed with filter paper, and then transferred to 10% V8 juice agar medium containing 50 µg/ml ampicillin and 5 µg/ml carbendazim (1). The plates were incubated at 22°C in the dark for 5 days. The colonies consisted of white, loose, fluffy aerial mycelia. Eight isolates were obtained, and all were identified as Phytophthora nicotianae based on morphological characteristics and the sequence of the internal transcribed spacer (ITS) region of rDNA. The sporangia were ovoid/spherical, obturbinate with rounded bases and prominent papillae that were 37.5 to 62.5 × 30 to 50 µm (average 46.4 × 37.8 µm, n = 100) in size, with an average length-to-breadth ratio of 1.2. Chlamydospores were terminal, intercalary, and measured 19 to 42 µm (average 30.4 µm), which is typical of P. nicotianae (2). The genomic DNA of the eight isolates was extracted from mycelia. The ITS region of all eight isolates was amplified using primers ITS1 and ITS4, producing specific products that were directly sequenced. The sequence of a representative isolate P1401 (895 bp) was submitted to GenBank (Accession No. KJ754387). It was 100% similar to P. nicotianae strains NV-20T and TARI 22073 (KC768775 and GU111667). To confirm the pathogenicity, at least 10 cherry leaves and new stems were inoculated with mycelial plugs (5 × 5 mm) from each isolate. Necrosis of leaves and stems was observed 4 and 7 days after inoculation, respectively. No symptoms were observed on the control leaves and stems that were inoculated with blank agar plugs. P. nicotianae was re-isolated from the infected leaves, and the ITS sequence was analyzed to confirm its identity. Phytophthora species, such as P. cambivora, P. megasperma, and P. drechsleri, had been previously isolated from cherry (3), but to the best of our knowledge this is the first report of stem rot and leaf necrosis disease caused by P. nicotianae on cherry. Since the economic loss caused by this disease could reach 15% if an outbreak occurred in a rainy summer, control measures should be implemented. References: (1) Y. Balci et al. Mycol. Res. 112:906, 2008. (2) D. C. Erwin and O. K. Ribeiro. Phytophthora Diseases Worldwide. The American Phytopathological Society, St Paul, MN, 1996. (2) S. M. Mircetich and M. E. Matheron. Phytopathology 66:549, 1976.

Arecoline inhibits interleukin-2 secretion in Jurkat cells by decreasing the expression of alpha7-nicotinic acetylcholine receptors and prostaglandin E2.

The purpose of the present study was to explore the effect of arecoline on phytohemagglutinin (PHA)-stimulated interleukin-2 (IL-2) secretion, the expression of alpha7-nicotinic acetylcholine receptors (α7-nAChRs), prostaglandin E2(PGE2) protein, and IL-2 mRNA in human lymphocyte cells (Jurkat cell line). The IL-2 and PGE2 were determined by enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay (ELISA). The expressions of phosphorylated extracellular signal-regulated kinase (ERK) and α7-nAChRs were determined by Western blotting. The level of IL-2 mRNA was determined by reverse-transcriptase polymerase chain reaction (RT-PCR). Arecoline, in a dose-dependent manner, significantly decreased IL-2 and PGE2 secretion by Jurkat cells incubated with 0 or 5 µg/ml 5 µg/ml PHA. PGE2 also significantly inhibited IL-2 secretion by Jurkat cells in a dose-dependent manner. In addition, reduced expression of PHA-induced ERK phosphorylation was observed in Jurkat cells treated with arecoline. PHA-enhanced IL-2 mRNA expression was also inhibited by arecoline. These results imply that arecoline inhibits the release of PGE2 and PHA-induced IL-2 secretion by Jurkat cells and that these effects seem to occur, at least in part, either through the attenuation of ERK in conjunction with a decrease of PHA-induced IL-2 mRNA expression. These results imply that arecoline inhibits the protein expression of α7-nAChRs , the release of PGE2 and PHA-induced IL-2 secretion by Jurkat cells.

Simultaneous optimization of spin fluctuations and superconductivity under pressure in an iron-based superconductor.

We present a high-pressure NMR study of the overdoped iron pnictide superconductor NaFe0.94Co0.06As. The low-energy antiferromagnetic spin fluctuations in the normal state, manifest as the Curie-Weiss upturn in the spin-lattice relaxation rate 1/(75)T1T, first increase strongly with pressure but fall again at P>Popt=2.2 GPa. Neither long-ranged magnetic order nor a structural phase transition is encountered up to 2.5 GPa. The superconducting transition temperature Tc shows a pressure dependence identical to the spin fluctuations. Our observations demonstrate that magnetic correlations and superconductivity are optimized simultaneously as a function of the electronic structure, thereby supporting very strongly a magnetic origin of superconductivity.

Role of serum- and glucocorticoid-inducible kinase-1 in regulating torsion-induced apoptosis in rats.

Serum- and glucocorticoid-inducible kinase-1 (SGK1) is a serine/threonine protein kinase that responds to various stimuli and mediates cell survival. Although it is known that testicular torsion leads to testicular damage and male infertility, the role of SGK1 in torsion remains unclear. This study investigated whether torsion-induced apoptosis is associated with changes in phosphoinositide-dependent protein kinase-1 (PDK1), SGK1 and forkhead transcription factor FOXO3a expression and/or phosphorylation in rats. Sprague-Dawley rats were divided into four groups: sham (control), 1, 2 and 4 h of unilateral torsion. Bilateral testes, testicular interstitial fluid (TIF) and blood samples were collected immediately after torsion. Our results revealed that SGK1 protein and mRNA were abundantly present in testes and were induced by 2 h of torsion, but that phosphorylation of SGK1, PDK1 and FOXO3a decreased simultaneously. After 2 h of torsion, the testosterone secretion capacity of the primary Leydig cells and testicular interstitial cells (TICs) was impaired and apoptotic spermatogonia and TICs were observed; in addition, the mean seminiferous tubular diameter was decreased. Torsion increased plasma corticosterone levels, but decreased plasma luteinizing hormone and testosterone levels. However, the testosterone levels of the TIF in the ipsilateral testes were significantly enhanced after 2 h of torsion, but suppressed in the contralateral testes. This animal study suggests that PDK1, SGK1 and FOXO3a are involved in torsion-induced apoptosis and that medical therapy should be performed as early as 2 h after the occurrence of torsion to prevent further damage.

Barriers to mental health treatment: results from the National Comorbidity Survey Replication.

BACKGROUND: The aim was to examine barriers to initiation and continuation of treatment among individuals with common mental disorders in the US general population. METHOD: Respondents in the National Comorbidity Survey Replication with common 12-month DSM-IV mood, anxiety, substance, impulse control and childhood disorders were asked about perceived need for treatment, structural barriers and attitudinal/evaluative barriers to initiation and continuation of treatment. RESULTS: Low perceived need was reported by 44.8% of respondents with a disorder who did not seek treatment. Desire to handle the problem on one's own was the most common reason among respondents with perceived need both for not seeking treatment (72.6%) and for dropping out of treatment (42.2%). Attitudinal/evaluative factors were much more important than structural barriers both to initiating (97.4% v. 22.2%) and to continuing (81.9% v. 31.8%) of treatment. Reasons for not seeking treatment varied with illness severity. Low perceived need was a more common reason for not seeking treatment among individuals with mild (57.0%) than moderate (39.3%) or severe (25.9%) disorders, whereas structural and attitudinal/evaluative barriers were more common among respondents with more severe conditions. CONCLUSIONS: Low perceived need and attitudinal/evaluative barriers are the major barriers to treatment seeking and staying in treatment among individuals with common mental disorders. Efforts to increase treatment seeking and reduce treatment drop-out need to take these barriers into consideration as well as to recognize that barriers differ as a function of sociodemographic and clinical characteristics.

Involvement of cyclooxygenase 2 and prostagladin E(2) in the effects of insulin on gastric emptying in male rats.

Delayed gastric emptying in patients with both type 1 and type 2 diabetes mellitus (DM) occurs in approximately 50% of these patients. However, the role and the action mechanism of insulin on gastrointestinal (GI) motility are still unclear. The purpose of the present study was to investigate the involvement of cyclooxygenase-2 (COX-2) and prostaglandin E(2) in the effects of insulin on gastric emptying in male rats. The normal and streptozotocin (STZ)-pretreated rats were injected intraperitoneally with or without insulin, atropine and specific muscarinic receptor antagonists before examination of measurement of gastric emptying, spontaneous contractile activity of smooth muscle strips, plasma cholecystokinin (CCK), and prostaglandin E(2) (PGE(2)) analysis. Protein expression of COX-2 and insulin receptors (IRs) were analyzed by the technique of western blot. Acute different doses of insulin accelerated gastric emptying. Atropine interrupted the insulin effect on gastric emptying, and muscarnic M1/M3 receptor antagonists interrupted the insulin-reversed gastric emptying in normal and DM rats. Besides, we observed the expression of (IRs) in GI and found that IR was changed under the insulin and DM treatment, and was also different between STZ-pretreated rats and hyperglycemic rats. Expression of COX-2 in stomach was decreased in DM rats but restored by insulin. The COX inhibitor, indomethacin, decreased the gastric emptying which was induced or reversed by insulin in normal and DM rats, respectively. PGE(2) production in stomach corresponded to the COX-2 expression. The contraction of GI smooth muscle stimulated by PGE(2) was increased in insulin-pretreated normal and DM rats. We conclude that insulin changed the expression of IRs in stomach in DM rats. The delayed GI motility in diabetes was at least in part due to the COX-2 and PGE(2) pathway which associated with decreasing COX-2 and diminishing PGE(2) production in stomach. The attenuation of PGE(2) production was employed for the index of the reduction of smooth muscle contraction in stomach in diabetes. Insulin stimulated the smooth muscle contraction through the IRs and COX-2 expression plus PGE(2) production in rat stomach as well as reversed the delayed gastric emptying via the nervous actions of muscarinic M1 and M3 receptors in DM rats.

Oxytocin receptor expressed on the smooth muscle mediates the excitatory effect of oxytocin on gastric motility in rats.

The aim of this study was to localize oxytocin receptor (OTR) in the stomach and to investigate the effect of OT on gastric motility in rats. Western blot and immunohistochemistry methods were used to localize OTR in stomach. The motility of stomach was recorded in vivo (recording of the intragastric pressure), in vitro (recording of the contraction of muscle strips) and on isolated smooth muscle cells. OTR was expressed on cells of both circular and longitudinal muscle of stomach. Systemic administration of OT induced an early transient decrease and a subsequent increase on intragastric pressure. Devazepide (1 mg kg(-1), i.v.), a cholecystokinin-1 (CCK(1)) receptor antagonist, completely abolished the transient response but did not influence the subsequent one. OT (10(-9)-10(-6) mol L(-1)) dose-dependently increased the contraction of the muscle strips of gastric body, antrum, and pyloric sphincter, and decreased the average cell length of isolated smooth muscle cells. Tetrodotoxin and atropine did not influence the effect of OT on muscle strips. Pretreatment with atosiban, an OTR antagonist, inhibited the spontaneous contraction of muscle strips and abolished the excitatory effect of OT on the muscle strips and the isolated cells. These results suggest that the OTR is expressed on the smooth muscle of the stomach and mediates excitatory effect of OT on gastric motility.

The 'hot cross bun' sign in the patients with spinocerebellar ataxia.

BACKGROUND AND PURPOSE: The 'hot cross bun' sign (HCBS), typically seen in the patients with multiple system atrophy, refers to a cruciform hyperintensity in the pons on T2-weighted MRI. Little is known about its pathological basis and prevalence in other degenerative cerebellar diseases and healthy population. We investigate the frequency of HCBS in the patients with spinocerebellar ataxia (SCA) and healthy controls. METHODS: The presence of HCBS on T2-weighted axial MRIs from 138 SCA patients (three SCA1, 35 SCA2, 76 SCA3, 18 SCA6, one SCA7, three SCA8, and two SCA17) and 102 healthy controls was evaluated retrospectively. RESULTS: The overall prevalence of HCBS in the SCA patients is 8.7%, but the frequency varies in different subtypes: 25.7% in SCA2, 1.3% in SCA3, and none in SCA6 or healthy controls. Notably, one patient with SCA7 and one with SCA8 were also found to have HCBS. CONCLUSIONS: The differential list of HCBS should be expanded to include SCA7 and SCA8. The elucidation of frequency of HCBS in various SCA subtypes may help prioritize the genetic testing in late-onset dominant ataxia.

Impairment in role functioning in mental and chronic medical disorders in the United States: results from the National Comorbidity Survey Replication.

This study presents national data on the comparative role impairments of common mental and chronic medical disorders in the general population. These data come from the National Comorbidity Survey Replication, a nationally representative household survey. Disorder-specific role impairment was assessed with the Sheehan Disability Scales, a multidimensional instrument that asked respondents to attribute impairment to particular conditions. Overall impairment was significantly higher for mental than chronic medical disorders in 74% of pair-wise comparisons between the two groups of conditions, and severe impairment was reported by a significantly higher portion of persons with mental disorders (42.0%) than chronic medical disorders (24.4%). However, treatment was provided for a significantly lower proportion of mental (21.4%) than chronic medical (58.2%) disorders. Although mental disorders were associated with comparable or higher impairment than chronic medical conditions in all domains of function, they showed different patterns of deficits; whereas chronic medical disorders were most likely to be associated with impairment in domains of work and home functioning, mental disorders were most commonly associated with problems in social and close-relation domains. Comorbidity between chronic medical and mental disorders significantly increased the reported impairment associated with each type of disorder. The results indicate a serious mismatch between a high degree of impairment and a low rate of treatment for mental disorders in the United States. Efforts to reduce disability will need to address the disproportionate burden and distinct patterns of deficits of mental disorders and the potentially synergistic impact of comorbid mental and chronic medical disorders.

Benzodiazepine use and mortality of incident dialysis patients in the United States.

Benzodiazepines and other omega-receptor agonists are frequently used for sleep and anxiety disorders. We studied the rates, correlates, and safety of individual benzodiazepines and zolpidem use from the records of 3690 patients in a national cohort of Dialysis Morbidity and Mortality Study Wave 2 data. We assessed drug utilization and an association between drug use and all-cause mortality. Overall, 14% of incident dialysis patients used a benzodiazepine or zolpidem. Women, Caucasians, current smokers, and patients with chronic obstructive pulmonary disease were more likely to use these drugs, whereas patients with cerebrovascular disease were less likely to use these drugs. In adjusted analyses, benzodiazepine or zolpidem use was associated with a 15% higher mortality rate. Chronic obstructive pulmonary disease significantly modified this association, suggesting that these patients were at higher risk. No association was found between benzodiazepine use and greater risk for hip fracture. We conclude that benzodiazepine or zolpidem use is common in incident dialysis patients and may be associated with greater mortality. Further studies are needed to elucidate the safety of these drugs in the dialysis population, which may lead to cautious and restrictive utilization of omega-receptor agonists in dialysis patients.

Downregulation of progesterone biosynthesis in rat granulosa cells by adlay (Coix lachryma-jobi L. var. ma-yuen Stapf.) bran extracts.

Adlay (Coix lachryma-jobi L. var. ma-yuen Stapf.) has long been used as a traditional Chinese medicine for dysfunctions of the endocrine system and inflammation conditions. However, the effect of adlay seed on the endocrine system has not yet been reported. In the present study, the effects and the mechanisms of methanolic extract of adlay bran (ABM) on progesterone synthesis in rat granulosa cell were studied. ABM was further partitioned with different solvents including water, 1-butanol, ethyl acetate and n-hexane. Four subfractions named ABM-Wa (water fraction), ABM-Bu (1-butanol fraction), ABM-EA (ethyl acetate fraction) and ABM-Hex (n-hexane fraction) were obtained. ABM-Bu was further fractionated using Diaion HP-20 resin column chromatography with gradient elution. Granulosa cells were prepared from pregnant mare serum gonadotropin-primed immature female rats and challenged with different reagents including human chorionic gonadotropin (hCG 0.5 IU/ml), forskolin (10 microM), 8-bromo-adenosine-3',5'-cyclic monophosphate (8-Br-cAMP, 1 mM), A23187 (10 microM), phorbol 12-myristate 13-acetate (PMA, 0.01 microM), 25-OH-cholesterol (0.1-10 microM) and pregnenolone (0.1-10 microM) in the presence or absence of ABM-Bu (100 microg/ml). The functions of steroidogenic enzyme including protein expression of the steroidogenic acute regulatory protein (StAR) and cytochrome P450 side-chain cleavage enzyme (P450scc) protein were investigated. Expressions of both P450scc and StAR mRNA have also been explored. We found that ABM decreased progesterone production via an inhibition on (1) the cAMP-PKA and PKC signal transduction pathway, (2) P450scc and 3beta-hydroxysteroid dehydrogenase (3beta-HSD) enzyme activity, (3) P450scc and StAR protein and mRNA expressions and (4) the phosphorylation of ERK1/2 in rat granulosa cells.

An immune signalling kinase AaMEK3 from mosquitoes: cDNA cloning and characterization.

In mammals, the mitogen-activated protein (MAP) kinase pathway is one of the four major signalling systems that respond to stress and inflammatory stimuli. A full-length cDNA corresponding to Aedes aegypti MAP kinase kinase 3 (AaMEK3) was cloned and sequenced. It is 1.7 kb and contains an open reading frame of 334 amino acids and eleven conserved kinase domains, including signatures of a putative serine/threonine kinase active site and an ATP binding site. The messenger (mRNA) and protein expression levels of AaMEK3 are enhanced post bacterial inoculation. The in vitro kinase activity assay reveals that (1) AaMEK3 is not autophosphorylated but can phosphorylate myelin basic protein successfully, and (2) it is slightly enhanced by lipopolysaccharide stimulation. This suggests that AaMEK3 may be involved in mosquito immune signalling.