BACKGROUND & AIMS: PURPOSE:The issue of unidentified volume expansion is well recognized as a cause for resistance to antihypertensive therapy. The aim of study is to identify contribution of negative fluid balance to hypertension control and impact on endothelial and cardiac functions among primary hypertensive patients who do not have kidney failure. MATERIALS AND METHODS:This is a prospective interventional study with one-year follow-up. Preceded by volume status measurements were performed by a body composition monitor (BCM), the patients were put on ambulatory blood pressure monitoring for 24 hours. Then, echocardiographic assessments and flow-mediated dilation (FMD) and carotid intima-media thickness (CIMT) measurements were completed. Patients in one of the two groups were kept negative hydrated during trial with diuretic treatment. RESULTS:At the end of one-year follow-up, patients in negative hydrated group were found to have significantly lower CIMT, left ventricle mass index, left ventricular end-diastolic diameter, mean systolic and diastolic BP, non-dipper patient ratio, and higher FMD. In negatively hydrated group, target organ damage significantly reduced during trial. CONCLUSIONS:The significance of negative hydration status with respect to blood pressure control, endothelial and cardiac functions within primary hypertensive patients who do not suffer from kidney failure has been demonstrated.

背景与目标：

BACKGROUND & AIMS: INTRODUCTION:Our objective was to assess the effects of miniscrews on interproximal alveolar bone density and adjacent gingival tissue health. METHODS:Forty-four titanium miniscrews were inserted between maxillary second premolars and first molars on both sides of the dentition in 22 consecutive patients (15 female, 7 male; ages, 14-24 years). A control area (between the maxillary first and second premolars) was also assessed. Both miniscrew (study) and control areas were monitored clinically and radiographically at different time points: before insertion of the miniscrews and at 1 month, 3 months, and 6 months after insertion. Software associated with a digital intraoral radiography machine was used to assess changes in alveolar bone density. Clinical gingival parameters of the study and control areas were also recorded. A repeated-measures analysis of variance and the Bonferroni post-hoc pairwise comparison tests were used to assess the changes at the different time points. RESULTS:Thirty-nine miniscrews were successful for the study duration. Male subjects had significantly (P <0.001) higher alveolar bone density than did the females at baseline. Alveolar bone density around the miniscrews increased significantly (P <0.001) between 3 and 6 months after insertion upon loading. Alveolar bone density of the control area did not change significantly during the experiment (P >0.05). The width of keratinized gingiva increased significantly (P <0.001) in the study and control areas after insertion of miniscrews and remained with no significant change throughout the study. CONCLUSIONS:Miniscrews increased the alveolar bone density significantly after 3 months of insertion and were not associated with detrimental effects on the adjacent gingival tissues.

背景与目标：

BACKGROUND & AIMS: OBJECTIVES:The precise role for intraventricular (IVT) antimicrobials in combination with systemic antibiotics in management of cerebrospinal fluid (CSF) diversion device-associated infections is uncertain. We evaluated our current practice, comparing dual therapy against systemic antimicrobials alone. METHODS:All adult patients with at least two consecutive CSF isolates who were treated for CSF diversion device-related infection over a 5-year period (2005-2010) were identified retrospectively. Clinical and laboratory parameters, microbiology, surgical and antimicrobial management, and treatment outcomes were analysed. RESULTS:Forty-eight patients were identified - 25 received IVT and systemic antibiotics (group A), and 23 systemic antibiotics alone (group B). Clinical features were similar between groups, as were causative organisms. CSF leucocyte counts differed slightly (A > B, p = 0.067) but no laboratory parameters differed significantly. Infected devices were generally revised (A = 92%, B = 91%). Mean times to CSF sterilisation and normalisation of CSF microscopy were significantly shorter for group A (p < 0.05 and p < 0.005 respectively), as was duration of hospital stay (p < 0.002) and required length of systemic antimicrobial therapy (p < 0.001). CONCLUSIONS:Our findings indicate that IVT antibiotics enhance clinical and microbiological recovery and should therefore be considered for patients with CSF infection associated with a CSF diversion device. We recommend further evaluation of this approach in a prospective, randomised, controlled trial.

背景与目标：

BACKGROUND & AIMS: :Deposition of alpha-synuclein (alphaS) aggregates inside brain cells is a pathological hallmark of several neurodegenerative diseases, including Parkinson's disease (PD), and dementia with Lewy bodies (DLB). Recently, extracellular alphaS was detected in cerebrospinal fluid (CSF) and plasma of humans. We investigated whether CSF influences alphaS aggregation in vitro using fluorescence spectroscopy with thioflavin S and electron microscopy. We found that CSF obtained from Alzheimer's disease (AD) and DLB patients enhanced the alphaS fibril formation compared with tauopathy and non-central nervous system disease. Thus, CSF of AD and DLB characterized by aggregation of Abeta or alphaS might promote falphaS formation.

背景与目标： : 脑细胞内 α-突触核蛋白 (alpha) 聚集体的沉积是几种神经退行性疾病的病理标志，包括帕金森氏病 (PD) 和路易体痴呆 (DLB)。最近，在人类的脑脊液 (CSF) 和血浆中检测到细胞外alpha。我们使用硫黄素S的荧光光谱法和电子显微镜研究了CSF是否会影响alpha的体外聚集。我们发现，与tauopathy和非中枢神经系统疾病相比，从阿尔茨海默氏病 (AD) 和DLB患者获得的CSF增强了alpha原纤维的形成。因此，以Abeta或alpha聚集为特征的AD和DLB的CSF可能会促进falpha的形成。

BACKGROUND & AIMS: PURPOSE:To identify the relationship between epidermal growth factor (EGF) concentration in human tears and clinical tear-flow parameters and how these vary with age and gender.

METHODS:Tear samples were collected with minimal stimulation from 68 healthy and asymptomatic adults (33 men, 35 women), aged 21-88 years. EGF concentrations were determined by sandwich enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay (ELISA) in 65 cases. Schirmer tests were performed without anesthesia, and the clearance of fluorescein from the tear film assessed. The Tear Function Index (TFI) was calculated from these values.

RESULTS:There were approximately equal numbers of male and female subjects with a similar age distribution for each gender (48 +/- 3 and 51 +/- 3 years, mean +/- SEM, respectively). Ninety percent of tear EGF concentrations were between 0.75 and 7.1 ng/ml. Tear EGF level correlated significantly with Schirmer I value, but not with age. Schirmer I value correlated with tear clearance [LN(TCR)] but not with age. Tear EGF concentrations were significantly higher for men (3.4 +/- 0.3 ng/ml) than for women (2.4 +/- 0.3 ng/ml; p = 0.043).

CONCLUSIONS:EGF concentrations is tear samples from normal humans were found to correlate with gender and Schirmer I value but not with tear clearance.

背景与目标： 目的 : 确定人眼泪中表皮生长因子 (EGF) 浓度与临床泪液流量参数之间的关系，以及这些参数随年龄和性别的变化。
方法 : 在最小的刺激下，从68名健康和无症状的成年人 (33名男性，35名女性) 收集了眼泪样本，年龄在21-88岁之间。用夹心酶联免疫吸附法 (ELISA) 测定65例患者的EGF浓度。在没有麻醉的情况下进行Schirmer测试，并评估了泪膜中荧光素的清除率。泪液功能指数 (TFI) 是根据这些值计算得出的。
结果 : 每个性别年龄分布相似的男性和女性受试者数量大致相等 (48/- 3岁和51/- 3岁，分别为平均值 +/- SEM)。90% 的泪液EGF浓度在0.75至7.1 ng/ml之间。泪液EGF水平与Schirmer I值显着相关，但与年龄无关。Schirmer I值与泪液清除率 [LN(TCR)] 相关，但与年龄无关。男性的泪液EGF浓度 (3.4/- 0.3 ng/ml) 显着高于女性 (2.4/- 0.3 ng/ml; p = 0.043)。
结论 :EGF浓度是正常人的泪液样本与性别和Schirmer I值相关，但与泪液清除率无关。

BACKGROUND & AIMS: :Cystic fibrosis (CF) airway disease arises from defective innate defenses, especially defective mucus clearance of microorganisms. Airway submucosal glands secrete most airway mucus, and CF airway glands do not secrete in response to VIP or forskolin. CFTR, the protein that is defective in CF, is expressed in glands, but immunocytochemistry finds the highest expression of CFTR in either the ciliated ducts or in the acini, depending on the antibodies used. CFTR is absolutely required for forskolin-mediated gland secretion; we used this finding to localize the origin of forskolin-stimulated, CFTR-dependent gland fluid secretion. We tested the hypothesis that secretion to forskolin might originate from the gland duct rather than or in addition to the acini. We ligated gland ducts at various points, stimulated the glands with forskolin, and monitored the regions of the glands that swelled. The results supported an acinar rather than ductal origin of secretion. We tracked particles in the mucus using Nomarski time-lapse imaging; particles originated in the acini and traveled toward the duct orifice. Estimated bulk flow accelerated in the acini and mucus tubules, consistent with fluid secretion in those regions, but was constant in the unbranched duct, consistent with a lack of fluid secretion or absorption by the ductal epithelium. We conclude that CFTR-dependent gland fluid secretion originates in the serous acini. The failure to observe either secretion or absorption from the CFTR and epithelial Na(+) channel (ENaC)-rich ciliated ducts is unexplained, but may indicate that this epithelium alters the composition rather than the volume of gland mucus.

背景与目标： : 囊性纤维化 (CF) 气道疾病源于先天防御缺陷，尤其是微生物的粘液清除缺陷。气道粘膜下腺体分泌大多数气道粘液，而CF气道腺体对VIP或forskolin不分泌。CFTR是CF中存在缺陷的蛋白质，在腺体中表达，但免疫细胞化学发现CFTR在纤毛导管或腺泡中表达最高，具体取决于所使用的抗体。CFTR是forskolin介导的腺体分泌绝对必需的; 我们使用这一发现来定位forskolin刺激的CFTR依赖性腺液分泌的起源。我们检验了以下假设: 毛喉素的分泌可能起源于腺管，而不是腺泡。我们在各个点结扎腺管，用forskolin刺激腺体，并监测肿胀的腺体区域。结果支持分泌的腺泡而不是导管起源。我们使用Nomarski延时成像技术跟踪了粘液中的颗粒; 颗粒起源于腺泡，并向导管口传播。估计的大量流量在腺泡和粘液小管中加速，与这些区域的液体分泌一致，但在无分支的导管中是恒定的，与导管上皮缺乏液体分泌或吸收相一致。我们得出结论，CFTR依赖性腺液分泌起源于浆液性腺泡。无法观察到CFTR和富含上皮Na () 通道 (ENaC) 的纤毛导管的分泌或吸收是无法解释的，但可能表明该上皮改变了腺体粘液的组成而不是体积。

BACKGROUND & AIMS: OBJECTIVE:The aim of this study was to assess the relative influence of age and edentulousness upon mandibular bone mineral density (BMD) in a sample of dentate and edentulous female subjects. STUDY DESIGN:Seventy-two patients (43-79 years of age; mean age, 62.5 years), of whom 49 were edentulous and 23 dentate, underwent dual x-ray energy absorptiometry (DXA) to determine the BMD of the body of mandible. Mandibular BMD was measured using DXA. The investigators independently determined rectangular regions of interest (ROIs) on the mandibular images, and the computer calculated the BMD of these specified regions. For the dentate patients, the ROIs were placed to exclude the roots of teeth. RESULTS:A linear multiple regression model was fitted to the dependent variable, mandibular body BMD, with age and whether the patient was edentulous or dentate being explanatory factors in the statistical model. The variable describing the dentate/edentulous state was not significant in the statistical model (P = .91). The model showed that age was significantly related negatively to the BMD of the mandibular body (P = .01). CONCLUSION:Age was a predictor of mandibular BMD but edentulousness was not.

背景与目标：

BACKGROUND & AIMS: :Platelet derived growth factor (PDGF) was identified as a powerful mitogenic growth factor which is released from activated platelets and has a marked activity as vasoconstrictor agent. In the present study we have measured cisternal cerebrospinal fluid (CSF) levels of PDGF in 72 patients operated on for intracranial aneurysm in order to verify whether it might be related to the clinical aspects of SAH with special regard to symptomatic vasospasm. CSF samples were obtained at surgery by cisternal puncture of the subarachnoid cistern the nearest to the aneurysm before aneurysm isolation and exclusion. The specimen were frozen in liquid nitrogen and stored at -80 degrees C until analysis. PDGF was measured using a commercially available reagent. Values are expressed as pg/ml of CSF. In 18 cases no radiological and clinical signs of SAH were detected and the mean cisternal CSF level of PDGF was 885.0 +/- 104.5 pg/ml; 20 patients were operated on between day 1 and 3 from the last SAH episode: mean cisternal CSF level of PDGF was 1917.5 +/- 459.4 pg/ml. In 34 patients treated with delayed surgery protocol, mean cisternal CSF level of PDGF was 995.3 +/- 73.8 pg/ml. Statistical analysis showed significant differences between groups (P: 0.011). In the subgroup of patients operated on within day 3 after SAH, 6 presented vasospasm and had mean cisternal CSF PDGF level which was significantly higher (P < 0.01) than in 14 patients without vasospasm. In the delayed "surgical" patients there was no significant difference in cisternal CSF levels of PDGF considering the occurrence of vasospasm. The results of the present study suggest that (a) after SAH there is a significant release of PDGF early after SAH and (b) higher levels of PDGF found in cisternal CSF of patients operated on within 72 hours after SAH may be predictive of symptomatic vasospasm.

背景与目标： : 血小板衍生生长因子 (PDGF) 被鉴定为一种强大的有丝分裂生长因子，可从活化的血小板中释放出来，并具有明显的血管收缩剂活性。在本研究中，我们测量了72例因颅内动脉瘤手术的患者的脑池脑脊液 (CSF) 水平，以验证其是否可能与SAH的临床方面有关，特别是与症状性血管痉挛有关。在手术中，在动脉瘤隔离和排除之前，通过最靠近动脉瘤的蛛网膜下池穿刺获得CSF样本。将样品冷冻在液氮中，并在-80 ℃ 下保存直到分析。使用市售试剂测量PDGF。值表示为pg/ml的CSF。18例未检测到SAH的放射学和临床体征，PDGF的平均池CSF水平为885.0/- 104.5 pg/ml; 20例患者在最后一次SAH发作的第1天至第3天进行了手术: PDGF的平均池脑脊液水平为1917.5 +/- 459.4 pg/ml。在接受延迟手术方案治疗的34例患者中，平均池脑脊液中PDGF水平为995.3 +/- 73.8 pg/ml。统计学分析显示组间差异有统计学意义 (P: 0.011)。在SAH后第3天内进行手术的患者亚组中，有6例出现血管痉挛，平均脑池CSF PDGF水平显着高于14例无血管痉挛的患者 (P <0.01)。在延迟的 “手术” 患者中，考虑到血管痉挛的发生，脑池CSF的PDGF水平没有显着差异。本研究的结果表明 (a) SAH后，SAH后早期PDGF显着释放，(b) SAH后72小时内手术的患者的池脑脊液中发现较高水平的PDGF可能是症状性血管痉挛的预测因素。

BACKGROUND & AIMS: :There is now considerable evidence that the insulin-like growth factors (IGFs) play an important role in the human ovary. It has also recently become apparent that the physiological activity of the IGFs is modulated by a number of specific binding proteins (IGFBPs). In order to understand the role of the IGFs in ovarian physiology, the presence and functions of these IGFBPs will need to be characterized. As an initial step towards this we have investigated the presence of the various binding proteins by Western ligand blotting and have measured the levels of one of them, IGFBP-1, in follicular fluid (FF) obtained from unstimulated dominant and cohort follicles in 19 normal women and in eight patients with polycystic and one with multicystic ovaries. In normal women, IGFBP-1 levels in dominant follicles were similar to matched serum levels but were significantly lower in cohort follicles. IGFBP-1 levels correlated with FF-volume (r = 0.58, P less than 0.001) and with paired serum levels (r = 0.63, P less than 0.001). In post-LH surge dominant follicles this relationship with serum levels no longer held and in three out of nine subjects FF levels were higher than in serum. Thus IGFBP-1 in normal human FF appears to be partly derived from the circulation but with additional local production in the larger developing dominant follicles. Western ligand blotting revealed five IGF-binding proteins in FF running parallel with those identified in serum, suggesting that the IGFBP species previously identified in serum may also be present in FF. The two bands in positions corresponding to the components of the large (150kDa) binding complex were, as in serum, the predominant forms and in most FF samples these were even more prominent than in the accompanying serum sample. This contrasts with previous studies in lymph which suggested that the 150kDa complex was largely retained in the circulation. All three small IGFBPs varied considerably between FF samples even within an individual; each IGFBP varied independently of the other IGFBPs. Our results demonstrate that at least four discrete IGFBPs are present in FF and suggest that each may be produced independently within the ovary.

背景与目标： : 现在有大量证据表明胰岛素样生长因子 (igf) 在人类卵巢中起重要作用。最近也很明显，igf的生理活性受许多特异性结合蛋白 (IGFBPs) 的调节。为了了解igf在卵巢生理中的作用，需要表征这些igfbp的存在和功能。作为实现这一目标的第一步，我们通过Western配体印迹研究了各种结合蛋白的存在，并测量了其中之一的水平，IGFBP-1，在19名正常妇女以及8名多囊卵巢患者和1名多囊卵巢患者的未刺激显性卵泡和队列卵泡中获得的卵泡液 (FF) 中。在正常女性中，优势卵泡中的IGFBP-1水平与匹配的血清水平相似，但队列卵泡中的水平显着降低。IGFBP-1水平与FF体积 (r = 0.58，P小于0.001) 和配对血清水平 (r = 0.63，P小于0.001) 相关。在LH激增后的优势卵泡中，这种与血清水平的关系不再存在，并且在9名受试者中，有3名FF水平高于血清。因此，正常人FF中的IGFBP-1似乎部分来自循环，但在较大的发育中的优势卵泡中具有额外的局部产量。Western配体印迹显示FF中的五个IGF结合蛋白与血清中鉴定的蛋白平行，这表明先前在血清中鉴定的IGFBP物种也可能存在于FF中。与血清中一样，与大 (150kDa) 结合复合物的成分相对应的两个条带是主要形式，在大多数FF样品中，这些条带甚至比伴随的血清样品更为突出。这与先前的淋巴研究相反，后者表明150kDa复合物在循环中大部分保留。即使在个人内部，所有三个小的IGFBP在FF样本之间也有很大差异; 每个IGFBP独立于其他IGFBP而变化。我们的结果表明，FF中至少存在四个离散的igfbp，并表明每个igfbp可以在卵巢内独立产生。

BACKGROUND & AIMS: BACKGROUND:Diagnosis of tuberculous meningitis (TBM) is difficult. Rapid confirmatory diagnosis is essential to initiate required therapy. There are very few published reports about the diagnostic significance of 65 kD heat shock protein (hsp) in TBM patients, which is present in a wide range of Mycobacterium tuberculosis species and elicits a cellular and humoral immune response. In the present study we have conducted a prospective evaluation for the demonstration of 65 kD hsp antigen in cerebrospinal fluid (CSF) of TBM patients, by indirect ELISA method using monoclonal antibodies (mAb) against the 65 kD hsp antigen, for the diagnosis of TBM. METHODS:A total of 160 CSF samples of different groups of patients (confirmed TBM {n = 18}, clinically suspected TBM {n = 62}, non TBM infectious meningitis {n = 35} and non-infectious neurological diseases {n = 45}) were analyzed by indirect ELISA method using mAb to 65 kD hsp antigen. The Kruskal Wallis test (Non-Parametric ANOVA) with the Dunnett post test was used for statistical analysis. RESULTS:The indirect ELISA method yielded 84% sensitivity and 90% specificity for the diagnosis of TBM using mAb to 65 kD hsp antigen. The mean absorbance value of 65 kD hsp antigen in TBM patients was [0.70 +/- 0.23 (0.23-1.29)], significantly higher than the non-TBM infectious meningitis group [0.32 +/- 0.14 (0.12-0.78), P < 0.001] and also higher than the non-infectious neurological disorders group [0.32 +/- 0.13 (0.20-0.78), P < 0.001]. A significant difference in the mean absorbance of 65 kD hsp antigen was noted in the CSF of culture-positive TBM patients [0.94 +/- 0.18 (0.54-1.29)] when compared with clinically suspected TBM patients [0.64 +/- 0.20 (0.23-0.98), P < 0.05]. CONCLUSION:The presence of 65 kD hsp antigen in the CSF of confirmed and suspected cases of TBM would indicate that the selected protein is specific to M. tuberculosis and could be considered as a diagnostic marker for TBM.

背景与目标：

BACKGROUND & AIMS: BACKGROUND:The relationship between bone health and adiposity and how it may be affected in people with chronic metabolic conditions is complex. METHODS:Seventeen women with type 1 diabetes mellitus (T1DM) and nine age-matched healthy women with a median age of 22.6 years (range, 17.4, 23.8) were studied by 3T MRI and MR spectroscopy to assess abdominal adiposity, tibial bone microarchitecture and vertebral bone marrow adiposity (BMA). Additional measures included DXA-based assessments of total body (TB), femoral neck (FN) and lumbar spine (LS) bone mineral density (BMD) and fat mass (FM). RESULTS:Although women with T1DM had similar BMI and BMA to the controls, they had higher visceral and subcutaneous adiposity on MRI (P<.05) and total body FM by DXA (P=.03). Overall, in the whole cohort, a clear inverse association was evident between BMA and BMD at all sites (P<.05). These associations remained significant after adjusting for age, BMI, FM and abdominal adiposity. In addition, visceral adiposity, but not subcutaneous adiposity, showed a positive association with BMA (r, .4, P=.03), and a negative association with total body BMD (r, .5, P=.02). Apparent trabecular separation as assessed by MRI showed an inverse association to total body BMD by DXA (r, -.4, P=.04). CONCLUSION:Irrespective of the presence of an underlying metabolic condition, young women display a negative relationship between MRI-measured BMA and DXA-based assessment of BMD. Furthermore, an association between BMA and visceral adiposity supports the notion of a common origin of these two fat depots.

背景与目标：

BACKGROUND & AIMS: BACKGROUND:The usefulness of clinical, radiological and pleural fluid analytical parameters for diagnosing malignant and paramalignant pleural effusion is not clearly stated. Hence this study aimed to identify possible predictor variables of diagnosing malignancy in pleural effusion of unknown aetiology. METHODS:Clinical, radiological and pleural fluid analytical parameters were obtained from consecutive patients who had suffered pleural effusion of unknown aetiology. They were classified into three groups according to their final diagnosis: malignant, paramalignant and benign pleural effusion. The CHAID (Chi-square automatic interaction detector) methodology was used to estimate the implication of the clinical, radiological and analytical variables in daily practice through decision trees. RESULTS:Of 71 patients, malignant (n = 31), paramalignant (n = 15) and benign (n = 25), smoking habit, dyspnoea, weight loss, radiological characteristics (mass, node, adenopathies and pleural thickening) and pleural fluid analytical parameters (pH and glucose) distinguished malignant and paramalignant pleural effusions (all with a p < 0.05). Decision tree 1 classified 77.8% of malignant and paramalignant pleural effusions in step 2. Decision tree 2 classified 83.3% of malignant pleural effusions in step 2, 73.3% of paramalignant pleural effusions and 91.7% of benign ones. CONCLUSIONS:The data herein suggest that the identified predictor values applied to tree diagrams, which required no extraordinary measures, have a higher rate of correct identification of malignant, paramalignant and benign effusions when compared to techniques available today and proved most useful for usual clinical practice. Future studies are still needed to further improve the classification of patients.

背景与目标：

BACKGROUND & AIMS: :A part of low density lipoproteins (LDL) isolated from the blood of healthy subjects and patients with coronary atherosclerosis bind to a Sepharose-linked Ricinus communis agglutinin, a lectin that interacts specifically with galactose residues. Bound LDL can be replaced by galactose, but not other saccharide constituents of the LDL molecule (mannose, glucose, N-acetylglucosamine, sialic acid). Bound LDL subfraction has a 2-3-fold lower content of sialic acid as compared with unbound LDL. The blood content of desialylated LDL in atherosclerotic patients was about 3-fold higher (1.5- to 6-fold) than in healthy subjects. Desialylated LDL induced a 2- to 4-fold more intensive accumulation of total cholesterol in cultured human aortic intimal cells. Unbound LDL had no effect on intracellular deposition of lipids. It is suggested that the subfraction of desialylated LDL may be responsible for the atherogenicity of LDL isolated from blood of atherosclerotic patients.

背景与目标： : 从健康受试者和冠状动脉粥样硬化患者的血液中分离出的一部分低密度脂蛋白 (LDL) 与琼脂糖连接的蓖麻凝集素结合，凝集素与半乳糖残基特异性相互作用。结合的LDL可以用半乳糖代替，但不能用LDL分子的其他糖类成分 (甘露糖，葡萄糖，N-乙酰葡萄糖胺，唾液酸) 代替。与未结合的LDL相比，结合的LDL亚组分的唾液酸含量低2-3倍。动脉粥样硬化患者的去唾液酸化LDL的血液含量比健康受试者高约3倍 (1.5至6倍)。去唾液酸化的LDL在培养的人主动脉内膜细胞中诱导了2至4倍的总胆固醇密集积累。未结合的LDL对脂质的细胞内沉积没有影响。建议去唾液酸化的LDL的亚组分可能是从动脉粥样硬化患者血液中分离出的LDL的致动脉粥样硬化性的原因。

BACKGROUND & AIMS: :The effects of ionisation density on the structure of the glow curve of LiF:Mg,Ti (TLD-100) are briefly reviewed and discussed within the framework of the spatially correlated TC/LC model and localised recombination. The effects of 'slow-cooling' on the structure of composite peak 5 following low-ionisation density beta/gamma irradiation are described and analysed in both 'slow-cooled' and 'normally cooled' samples. It is demonstrated that 'slow-cooling' using a cooling rate of 30 degrees C h(-1) increases the relative intensity of glow peak 5a to composite glow peak 5 from approximately 0.1 to approximately 2, thereby greatly improving the precision of measurement of the ratio 5a/5. The improved precision removes a hurdle impeding the development of the ionisation density discrimination properties of the peak 5a/5 nanodosimeter.

背景与目标： : 在空间相关的TC/LC模型和局部重组的框架内，简要回顾和讨论了电离密度对LiF:Mg，Ti (TLD-100) 辉光曲线结构的影响。在 “慢冷” 和 “正常冷却” 样品中描述并分析了低电离密度 β/γ 辐照后 “慢冷” 对复合峰5结构的影响。证明了使用30 °c h(-1) 的冷却速率的 “缓慢冷却” 将辉光峰5a与复合辉光峰5的相对强度从大约0.1增加到大约2，从而大大提高了比率5a/5的测量精度。提高的精度消除了阻碍峰5a/5纳米剂量计电离密度判别特性发展的障碍。

BACKGROUND & AIMS: :Proopiomelanocortin (POMC) is an important gene implicated in different functions, such as the stress response of the hypothalamus-pituitary-adrenal axis. The aim of the present study was to determine whether farming conditions, such as stocking density, can be considered a powerful stressor influencing in turn the growth rate in juvenile fish. Thus, POMC cDNA expression was investigated during adaptation to farming conditions in sole (Solea solea), as a model for studying the effects of rearing densities on stress response; different stocking densities (50, 100, and 250 animals/m(2)) were applied and, after 7 and 21 days, the fishes were examined for body weight and plasma cortisol levels as indicators of stress. In addition, proopiomelanocortin was cloned and sequenced from the brain of sole, allowing semi-quantitative RT-PCR to be performed to evaluate POMC mRNA expression in brain tissue. There was a significant increase in cortisol levels in fish reared at high stocking densities of 250/m(2) compared to fish reared at control densities of 100 and 50/m(2), in both experimental times, i.e., 7 and 21 days. The high stocking densities were also found to decrease the specific growth rate of fish. Moreover, it was demonstrated that the highest stocking density induced a significant decrease in sole POMC mRNA expression. It is concluded that POMC and cortisol are both involved in the stress response due to high rearing densities, during which cortisol may serve as a negative regulator of POMC.

背景与目标： : proopiomelanocaltin (POMC) 是涉及不同功能的重要基因，例如下丘脑-垂体-肾上腺轴的应激反应。本研究的目的是确定耕作条件 (例如放养密度) 是否可以被认为是影响幼鱼生长速度的强大压力源。因此，在sole (Solea solea) 的耕作条件适应过程中研究了POMC cDNA的表达，作为研究饲养密度对胁迫响应的影响的模型; 施用不同的放养密度 (50、100和250动物/m(2))，并在7天和21天后，检查了鱼类的体重和血浆皮质醇水平作为压力指标。此外，从鞋底的大脑中克隆并测序了前体黑皮素，从而可以进行半定量rt-pcr以评估脑组织中POMC mRNA的表达。在两个实验时间，即7天和21天，与以100和50/m(2) 的对照密度饲养的鱼相比，以250/m(2) 的高放养密度饲养的鱼的皮质醇水平显著增加。还发现高放养密度会降低鱼类的特定生长速度。此外，已证明最高的放养密度会导致sole POMC mRNA表达显着降低。结论是，由于高饲养密度，POMC和皮质醇都参与了应激反应，在此期间，皮质醇可能充当POMC的负调节剂。