Risk factors for basal cell carcinoma of the skin in men: results from the health professionals follow-up study.

The authors examined the relation of constitutional factors and sun exposure to risk of basal cell carcinoma of the skin (BCC) in a prospective cohort of 44,591 predominantly Caucasian US male health professionals, 40-75 years of age and free of cancer at enrollment in 1986. During 8 years of follow-up, 3,273 cases of self-reported BCC were documented. The following variables were each associated with an elevated risk of BCC: having red hair; green, hazel, or blue eyes; a tendency to sunburn; and north European ancestry. The lifetime number of blistering sunburns was also positively associated with BCC risk (p trend < 0.0001). Compared with men who as teenagers had been outside less than once a week, men who had been outside weekly (relative risk (RR) = 1.30; 95% confidence interval (CI): 1.14, 1.47) and daily (RR = 1.42; 95% CI: 1.24, 1.63) had an elevated risk of BCC. Living in a region of residence with high solar radiation as an adult was also associated with an increased risk of BCC (RR = 1.48; 95% CI: 1.36, 1.60), whereas living in such a region only in childhood did not increase BCC risk. These results confirm the role of constitutional factors and suggest that adult sun exposure increases BCC risk.     

Climate, traffic-related air pollutants, and asthma prevalence in middle-school children in taiwan

This study compared the prevalence of asthma with climate and air pollutant data to determine the relationship between asthma prevalence and these factors. We conducted a nationwide survey of respiratory illness and symptoms in middle-school students in Taiwan. Lifetime prevalences of physician-diagnosed asthma and of typical symptoms of asthma were compared to air monitoring station data for temperature, relative humidity, sulfur dioxide, nitrogen oxides, ozone, carbon monoxide, and particulate matter with aerodynamic diameter [less than/equal to] 10 microm (PM(10)). A total of 331,686 nonsmoking children attended schools located within 2 km of 55 stations. Asthma prevalence rates adjusted for age, history of atopic eczema, and parental education were associated with nonsummer (June-August) temperature, winter (January-March) humidity, and traffic-related air pollution, especially carbon monoxide and nitrogen oxides, for both girls and boys. Nonsummer temperature, winter humidity, and traffic-related air pollution, especially carbon monoxide and nitrogen oxides, were positively associated with the prevalence of asthma in middle-school students in Taiwan.     

Jasmine green tea epicatechins are hypolipidemic in hamsters (Mesocricetus auratus) fed a high fat diet.

These studies were designed to test the hypolipidemic activity of green tea epicatechins (GTE) isolated from jasmine green tea. In Experiment 1, three groups of hamsters were given a semisynthetic diet containing 200 g lard/kg and 1 g cholesterol/kg for 4 wk. The control group received distilled water, and the other two groups received either 15 g/L green tea water extract (GTWE) or 5.0 g/L GTE solution. Both the GTWE and GTE groups had lower concentrations of serum total cholesterol (TC) and triacylglycerols (TG) than the controls (P < 0.05). In Experiment 2, four groups of hamsters received tap water as the drinking fluid, but they were given the same high fat and cholesterol diet supplemented with 0 (control), 1.1, 3.4 or 5.7 g GTE/kg diet. The hypolipidemic effect of jasmine GTE was dose dependent. In Experiment 3, the time-course of changes in serum TC and TG was monitored in hamsters given the high fat diet supplemented with 5.7 g GTE/kg in comparison with that of controls. The hypolipidemic effects of dietary GTE were evident after feeding for 2 wk. Dietary supplementation of GTE did not affect liver fatty acid synthase. However, GTE-supplemented hamsters had higher fecal excretions of total fatty acids, neutral sterols and acidic sterols compared with the control group. In Experiment 4, hamsters were fed nonpurified diet; the control group drank distilled water, and the GTE group drank distilled water containing 5.0 g GTE/L. No differences in activities of 3-hydroxy-3-methyl glutaryl coenzyme A reductase and intestinal acyl CoA:cholesterol acyltransferase were observed. This study suggests that the hypolipidemic activity of GTE is not due to inhibition of synthesis of cholesterol or fatty acid but is most likely mediated by its influence on absorption of dietary fat and cholesterol.     

Association between indoor and outdoor air pollution and adolescent asthma from 1995 to 1996 in Taiwan

The study aim was to estimate the contribution of indoor and outdoor air pollution to the 1-year prevalence of adolescent asthma after personal susceptibility and other potential risk factors were taken into account. A large-scaled cross-sectional study was conducted among 165,173 high school students aged 11 to 16 years in the different communities of Kaohsiung and Pintong in Taiwan, from October 1995 to June 1996. Each student and his/her parents participating in the study completed a video and a written International Study of Asthma and Allergies in Childhood (ISAAC) questionnaire about symptoms of wheezing and allergies, passive smoking, and demographic variables. After adjustment for potential confounders, adolescents exposed to cigarette smoking (odds ratio = 1.29, 95% confidence interval (CI), 1.17-1.42) and environmental tobacco smoke (odds ratio = 1.08, 95% CI, 1.05-1.12) were found to suffer from asthma at an increased frequency. We observed a statistically significant association between outdoor air pollution and asthma, after controlling for potential confound variables. Total suspended particulate, nitrogen dioxide, carbon monoxide, ozone, and airborne dust particles all displayed an independent association with asthma, respectively. There were no selection biases in this community-based study, which provides evidence that passive smoking and long-term, high average outdoor air pollution are independent risk factors of asthma.     

Nuclear import of the Drosophila Rel protein Dorsal is regulated by phosphorylation

In Drosophila, dorsal-ventral polarity is determined by a maternally encoded signal transduction pathway that culminates in the graded nuclear localization of the Rel protein, Dorsal. Dorsal is retained in the cytoplasm by the IkappaB protein, Cactus. Signal-dependent phosphorylation of Cactus results in the degradation of Cactus and the nuclear targeting of Dorsal. We present an in-depth study of the functional importance of Dorsal phosphorylation. We find that Dorsal is phosphorylated by the ventral signal while associated with Cactus, and that Dorsal phosphorylation is essential for its nuclear import. In vivo phospholabeling of Dorsal is limited to serine residues in both ovaries and early embryos. A protein bearing mutations in six conserved serines abolishes Dorsal activity, is constitutively cytoplasmic, and appears to eliminate Dorsal phosphorylation, but still interacts with Cactus. Two individual serine-to-alanine mutations produce unexpected results. In a wild-type signaling background, a mutation in the highly conserved PKA site (S312) produces only a weak loss-of-function; however, it completely destabilizes the protein in a cactus mutant background. Significantly, the phosphorylation of another completely conserved serine (S317) regulates the high level of nuclear import found in ventral cells. We conclude that the formation of a wild-type Dorsal nuclear gradient requires the phosphorylation of both Cactus and Dorsal. The strong conservation of the serines suggests that phosphorylation of other Rel proteins is essential for their proper nuclear targeting.     

Modeling of occupant dynamics during automobile rear-end impacts

Procedures for studying the dynamic response of the occupant within a rear-end impacted vehicle are presented. Most of the researches in the impact analysis were performed by experimental approach and this costs a lot of time and money. Especially, the repeatability is very hard to produce in a destructive condition. Most of all, the analytic parameters can be investigated are limited by the experimental approach. By using numerical techniques, this research employs Kane's equation and Huston's method to develop a simulated system with visual graphic output to observe the rear-end impact response. According to the simulated results, at a constant seatback angle the maximum acceleration values of head and chest increased with the increasing of impact velocity. Furthermore, at a constant impact velocity the relative rotation angle of a passenger's head to chest decreased with the increasing of initial seatback angle.     

A nerve growth factor from the venom of Chinese cobra (Naja naja atra) and its effects on male reproductive system in rats

A nerve growth factor (NGF) was isolated from the venom of Chinese cobra (Naja naja atra) by ion exchange chromatography, gel filtration and fast protein liquid chromatography (FPLC). The N-terminal sequence of 22 amino acid residues was identical with other NGFs previously purified from the venom of the same genus. The NGF monomer molecular weight was estimated to be 13,500 by reducing SDS-PAGE and the isoelectric point was determined to be 7.2 by isoelectric focusing electrophoresis. NGF improved the epididymal sperm motility of male rats and increased the pregnancy rate and fetus number of mated female rats. The serum levels of luteinizing hormone (LH) and follicle stimulating hormone (FSH) of male rats administrated NGF + gossypol was lower than that of male rats administrated gossypol. Histological sections of testes and epididymides showed that NGF reduced the destructive effects of gossypol on rat testes.     

PCNA和C—erbB—2在喉癌中的表达以及临床意义

用免疫组化ＳＰ法对６３例喉鳞状细胞癌的ＰＣＮＡ和Ｃ－ｅｒｂＢ－２进行原位检测,并随访了５年的生存情况。结果表明,ＰＣＮＡ指数越高,病理分级越差（Ｐ＜０．０１）,５年生存率越低（Ｐ＜０．０５）,颈淋巴结转移率越高（Ｐ＜０．０５）。而Ｃ－ｅｒｂＢ－２表达阳性率与病理分级、５年生存率及颈淋巴结转移率无关。ＰＣＮＡ和Ｃ－ｅｒｂＢ－２之间无相关性。提示ＰＣＮＡ指数与喉癌恶性程度、５年生存率、颈淋巴结转移率密切相关,在喉癌中检测ＰＣＮＡ较Ｃ－ｅｒｂＢ－２更有意义。     

可生物降解共聚膜修复兔桡骨节段性缺损

目的：探讨在引导性骨再生中生物降解材料聚已内酯（ｐｏｌｙ ε ｃａｐｒｏｌａｃｔｏｎｅ, Ｐ Ｃ Ｌ）和聚乳酸（ｐｏｌｙ ｌａｃｔｉｃ ａｃｉｄ, Ｐ Ｌ Ａ）共聚物的作用及其生物相容性和生物降解性。方法：采用兔桡骨中段１２ ｃｍ节段性骨缺损（保留骨膜）动物模型,共２４只分两组进行对照研究,每组１２只,双侧处理方法相同, Ａ组骨缺损区用膜包绕骨缺损区, Ｂ 组为空白对照。分别于３、６、１２周后处死,进行 Ｘ 线、大体、组织学及电镜观察,检测生化及免疫指标。结果：实验组（ Ａ）骨生长明显优于对照组（ Ｂ）;材料呈明显的降解趋势;血清中 Ｃａ、 Ｐ、 Ｉｇ Ｇ、 Ｉｇ Ｍ 、 Ｃ４值与正常及空白对照均无明显差异。结论：生物降解材料（ Ｐ Ｃ Ｌ／ Ｐ Ｌ Ａ）在引导骨性组织再生中有良好的屏障作用,促进骨缺损的愈合。证明新型骨生物降解材料有良好的生物降解性和生物相容性。     

超声心动图对扩张性心肌病患者左室舒张功能的评价

为评价超声心动图对扩张性心肌病（ＤＣＭ）患者左室舒张功能的诊断价值。方法：用超声心动图 和放射性核素显像（ＲＮＶ）对２０例ＤＣＭ患者和２０例同龄正常人的左室舒张功能进行对照分析。结果：ＤＣＭ组左室 舒张功能ＲＮＶ指标峰充盈率（ＰＦＲ）明显降低,同对照组比较差异有显著性（Ｐ＜０．０５）;超声指标二尖瓣血流频谱早 期充盈峰速度（νＥ）、晚期充盈峰速度（νＡ）、νＡ／νＥ等参数同对照组比较无明显差异（Ｐ＞０．０５）,表现为“正常”。结 论：超声心动图舒张功能指标νＥ、νＡ、νＡ／νＥ不能真实反映ＤＣＭ患者的左室舒张功能。