Self-perception of body weight among high school students in Taipei, Taiwan

Self-perception of body weight and other weight-related factors were assessed among 2665 Taipei, Taiwan high school students. A high percent of the girls (70.7%) and boys (42.2%) reported that they were too fat and these percentages were much higher than those reported by U.S. students in a recent Youth Risk Behavior Survey. In addition, only 13.2% of girls and 22.0% of boys reported being completely satisfied with their weight and the level of dissatisfaction with weight appeared to be greater than among U.S. students. Yet, in comparison to U.S. students, the Taiwanese students were considerably less likely than their U.S. counterparts to engage in weight management practices (e.g., dieting, eating less food, using diet pills). Taiwanese students with a self-perception of being too fat were more likely than those with perceptions of being just right or too thin to engage in weight management practices, to be dissatisfied with their weight, feel that they were unattractive, estimate that their same-sex peers were trying to lose weight, and have a higher body mass index. The findings from this study showed a relationship between self-perception of body size and engaging in weight control behaviors was consistent with other research. It suggested that self-perception of body weight, more so than objective weight status, was predictive of weight loss behavior and also negative psychological outcomes associated with poor body weight image. As a result, self-perception of weight may be an important point of focus for the design and implementation of clinical and public health initiatives targeted at this adolescent population as well as others.     

The potent role of graft-derived NKR-P1+TCRalphabeta+ T (NKT) cells in the spontaneous acceptance of rat liver allografts

BACKGROUND: The mechanism involved in the spontaneous acceptance of liver allografts in some rat strain combinations remains unclear. Immunoregulatory NKR-P1TCRalphabetaT (NKT) cells primarily produce IL-4 and IFN-gamma, and enhance the polarization of immune responses to Th2 and Th1, respectively. The aim of this study was to clarify the role of graft-derived NKT cells in inducing the spontaneous acceptance of rat orthotopic liver transplantation (OLTx) METHODS: The experimental groups were divided as follows: Group 1, BN to LEW "low responder (acceptor)" combination; Group 2, DA to LEW "high responder (rejector)" combination; na?ve BN (Group 3) or LEW recipients (Group 4) with liver allografts from irradiated BN donors. The recipients had liver allografts from irradiated donors reconstituted from the following cell populations 24 hr before harvesting, spleen cells (SPCs, Group 5), IgSPCs (Group 6), IgNKR-P1SPCs (Group 7), and IgTCRabSPCs (Group 8) RESULTS: In Group 1, the percent of graft-derived NKT cells harvested on day 7 posttransplant were significantly higher than in Group 2. In the case of BN liver allografts that had been irradiated and reconstituted with cell populations including NKT cells (Groups 5 and 6), the mean graft survival (MST) was extended to 39.2+/-5.7 and 38.8+/-8.0 days, respectively. In contrast, when NKT cells were excluded (Groups 7 and 8), the grafts were acutely rejected within MST of 17.8+/-4.0 and 18.8+/-7.7 days, respectively. The concentrations of IL-10 and TGF-beta, but not IL-4 in IgGICs culture supernatants were predominant in the acceptor, whereas those with IFN-gamma predominated in the rejector. CONCLUSIONS: Graft-derived NKT cells might be responsible for spontaneous acceptance in the rat OLTx.     

凋亡相关基因FAS及其配体FASL基因单核苷酸多态与大肠癌风险

目的凋亡相关基因FAS及其配体FASL系统与肿瘤发生关系密切。本研究主要探讨FAS-1377G／A和FASL-844T／C多态与大肠癌风险的关系。方法采用聚合酶链反应（PCR）和限制性片段长度多态性（RFLP）分析方法,检测了382例大肠癌患者和648例配对的正常对照者FAS-1377G／A和FASL-844T／C多态基因型,比较不同基因型与大肠癌发生的关系。结果与FAS-1377GG基因型和FASL-844TT基因型者相比,FAS-1377AA基因型和FASL-844CC基因型携带者罹患大肠癌的风险分别增加了64．0％（95％CI,1．11～2．44）和69．0％（95％CI,1．03～2．78）。同时,我们发现这两个多态在大肠癌发生过程中存在明显的基因-基因交互作用,同时携带FAS-1377AA和FASL-844CC基因型者发生大肠癌的风险是同时携带FAS-1377GG／GA和FASL-844TT／TC基因型者的3．6倍（95％CI,2．09～3．60）。结论凋亡相关基因FAS-1377G／A及其配体FASL-844T／C多态可能是中国人大肠癌的遗传易感因素。     

Study on the effects of Guiqi Oral Liquid in promoting recovery of hematopoiesis in acute irradiation injured mice

Objective: To explore the effects and possible mechanisms of Guiqi Oral Liquid (GQOL) on the recovery of hematopoiesis in acute irradiation injured mice.Methods: The acute irradiation injured mice were randomly divided into 2 groups: the treated group and the control group, and also a normal control group was set up with 6 mice in it receiving no treatment. After the mice in the former two groups were irradiated by 6.0 Gy⁶⁰Coγ-ray, every one of them was given 0. 4 ml GQOL or saline in equal volume through a gastric tube twice a day for 14 days. On the 4th, 8th and 14th day after irradiation, the bone marrow mononuclear cells (BMMNC) and megakaryocytes in bone marrow tissues of the mice were counted, the proportion of hematopoietic tissues (by area) was measured, and the expression of adhesion molecules, CD44 and CD54, in bone marrow were estimated by immunochemistry. The colony forming unit of spleen (CFU-S) in the mice were counted on the 8th day after irradiation.Results: On the 4th, 8th, 14th day after irradiation, the count of BMMNC and megakaryocyte, and the proportion of hematopoietic tissues in the treated group were higher than those in the control group (P<0.01 orP<0.05). CD44 and CD54 expression in the treated group were higher than those in the control group on the 4th and 8th day (P<0.01), but near normal on the 14th day (P<0.01). On the 8th day, CFU-S count in the treated group was higher than that in the control group (P<0.01).Conclusion: GQOL can regulate the expression of adhesion molecules, CD44 and CD54, in the bone marrow of the acute irradiation injured mice, which may be one of the mechanisms of GQOL in accelerating the early phase hematopoiesis recovery of mice. Supported by the National Natural Science Foundation of China (No. 39870926)     

Comparison of Cd, Cu, and Zn toxic effects on four marine phytoplankton by pulse-amplitude-modulated fluorometry

The toxic effects of Cd, Cu, and Zn on four different marine phytoplankton, Dunaliella tertiolecta, Prorocentrum minimum, Synechococcus sp., and Thalassiosira weissflogii, were examined by comparing the cell-specific growth rate, pulse-amplitude-modulated (PAM) parameters (maximum photosystem II quantum yield phiM and operational quantum yield phi'M, chlorophyll a content, and cellular metal concentration, over a 96-h period. The calculated no-observed-effect concentration (NOEC) based on both cell-specific growth rate and two PAM parameters (phiM and phi'M) were mostly identical. Thus, these PAM parameters and cell-specific growth rate were comparable in their sensitivities as the biomarkers for trace metal toxicity to marine phytoplankton. The cyanobacteria Synechococcus sp. was the most sensitive species among the four algal species tested because of its higher cell surface to volume ratio. The toxicity of the three tested metals followed the order of Cd > Cu > Zn based on the cellular metal concentration of the four algae at the NOEC. The cellular metal bioaccumulation followed the same Freundlich isotherm for each metal regardless of the algal species, indicating that the metal accumulation was a nonmetabolic process under high ambient metal concentrations and that the cell surface metal binding was comparable among the different species. For all the algae examined in our study, the bioaccumulation potentials of Cu and Zn were similar to each other, while the Cd bioaccumulation was much lower under environmentally realistic metal concentration.     

宫颈机能不全孕妇行宫颈环扎术的时间对妊娠结局的影响

目的:探讨不同妊娠周数时行宫颈环扎术对治疗宫颈机能不全的疗效。方法:回顾性分析宫颈机能不全而行U字型宫颈环扎术的29例患者的妊娠结局,分析母儿预后与手术时间的关系。以妊娠18周为界,分成两组:A组,妊娠12～18周时手术,16例;B组,大于妊娠18周手术,13例。比较两组间早产、胎膜早破及宫腔感染率的差异。结果:A组的早产、胎膜早破及宫腔感染率分别为6.25%、12.50%和0%;B组分别为23.08%、30.77%和15.38%;两组相比差异显著(P<0.05)。结论:宫颈机能不全病人,妊娠18周前行U字型宫颈环扎术是较理想的手术时机。     

Associations of physique with the socioeconomic factors of family and regional origin in Chinese university students

Objectives The purpose of this study is to define and clarify the causes of differences in physique between urban students and rural students in China. Methods Subjects are 2,524 students (male, 838; female, 1686) who entered K University in Shanghai in September, 2001. The data used in this study is based upon K university’s Yearly Health Check Record and Students’ Family Condition Record. Correlation analysis, analysis of variance (ANOVA) and analysis of covariance (ANCOVA) were applied to analyze the relationships between physique and gross family income, family income per capita, latitude, air temperature, precipitation or altitude. Results Urban students’ height and weight are significantly greater than rural students’ in both males and females. Both male students and female students are significantly taller and heavier in accordance with per capita increases in students’ family income. The height and weight of male and female students whose parents are peasant farmers are least. With regard to the relationship between physique and urban-rural factors, the F value decreases clearly when family income per capita is taken as a covariate, while the F values slightly decrease also when factors of latitude etc. are taken as covariates. The main cause of differing family income is occupational difference between urban areas and rural ones. Conclusion Students born in urban areas are taller and heavier than those born in rural areas. The main cause of these differences is family income per capita. The main cause of variations in family income is the income difference in occupations.     

1996至2000年全国先天性腹裂畸形监测资料分析

目的对1996至2000年全国先天性腹裂畸形的变化趋势以及流行病学特征进行分析.方法 1996至2000年全国31个省、自治区、直辖市(不包括香港、澳门特别行政区和台湾省)的450～466所县级以上医院参加全国出生缺陷监测,监测对象为孕满28周以上出生的围产儿,最大诊断期限为生后7 d.结果 1996至2000年全国共监测2 218 616例新生婴儿,其中腹裂畸形患儿569例.全国的腹裂总发生率为2.56/万,城市的发生率为1.98/万,农村的发生率为3.93/万;男性的发生率为2.15/万,女性的发生率为2.64/万,差异均有统计学意义.1996至2000年间腹裂的发生率无上升趋势.腹裂的发生率孕母<20岁年龄组是25～29岁年龄组的5.4倍,但1996至2000年期间孕母年龄<20岁组的围产儿腹裂发生率没有出现上升趋势(P>0.05).腹裂畸形围产期产前诊断比例为41.46%.27.44%腹裂畸形为多发畸形.围产期腹裂畸形的死亡率为74.69%.结论 1996至2000年我国腹裂畸形没有出现上升趋势.孕母年龄<20岁是围产儿腹裂发生的危险因素.我国腹裂畸形围产期死亡高.     

Interferon-alpha as a mediator of polyinosinic:polycytidylic acid-induced type 1 diabetes

A number of studies and clinical case reports have implicated interferon (IFN)-alpha as a potential mediator of type 1 diabetes pathogenesis. Administration of polyinosinic:polycytidylic acid (poly I:C), a mimic of viral double-stranded RNA, induces diabetes in C57BL/6 mice expressing the B7.1 costimulatory molecule in islets. We investigated the potential role of IFN-alpha in this disease model. The quantitative correlation between IFN-alpha levels and time to diabetes, diabetes prevention with anti-IFN-alpha antibody, and ability of IFN-alpha itself to induce diabetes are consistent with the hypothesis that poly I:C in this model acts by induction of IFN-alpha in a genetically susceptible host. Numerous recent studies highlight the importance of the innate immune system and toll receptors in determining adaptive immune responses, and we speculate that for type 1 diabetes, viral and other environmental factors may act through induction of IFNs.     

Chronic mild hyperhomocysteinemia induces aortic endothelial dysfunction but does not elevate arterial pressure in rats

Mild hyperhomocysteinemia is prevalent in the general population and has been linked to endothelial dysfunction and high arterial pressure (AP) in clinical studies. The present study was designed to determine whether a rise in AP was induced by mild hyperhomocysteinemia and whether the potential rise in AP is secondary or prior to endothelial dysfunction. Experiments were performed in a rat model of mild hyperhomocysteinemia induced by oral administration of homocysteine for 1-4 months. Aortic endothelial dysfunction was observed 2 months after homocysteine treatment while endothelium-independent vasodilation was normal. In parallel, homocysteine treatment increased phenylephrine-induced contraction in aortas with endothelium, but did not modify the contraction in aortas without endothelium, suggesting a decrease of basal NO production. In conscious unrestrained rats, AP was not significantly different 1, 2, 3 and 4 months after homocysteine treatment. In correlation, endothelial function of a resistance vessel (mesenteric artery), mainly non-NO nonprostanoid factor mediated, was preserved, indicating that homocysteine treatment only affected the NO pathway. In conclusion, mild hyperhomocysteinemia alone is not sufficient to elevate arterial blood pressure, at least in the rat model. Aortic endothelial dysfunction produced by mild hyperhomocysteinemia is independent of hemodynamic factors.