High Resolution Proton NMR Spectroscopy of Multiple Sclerosis Lesions

Abstract: Tissue from postmortem multiple sclerosis and normal control brains was extracted with perchloric acid and analysed using proton NMR spectroscopy. The content of N -acetyl-derived groups (the sum of N -acetylaspartate, acetate, and N -acetylaspartylglutamate) was decreased in multiple sclerosis plaques compared with normal control white matter (mean, 4.36 vs. 6.64 µmol/g wet weight). In normal appearing white matter adjacent to plaques a corresponding decrease was seen, with no change in white matter distant from plaques. A decrease in the content of total creatine was observed in multiple sclerosis plaques in comparison with normal control white matter (mean, 4.64 vs. 6.56 µmol/g wet weight), which correlated strongly with the decrease in N -acetyl-derived groups. No changes in other metabolites such as total choline or myo -inositol were seen. The decreases in content of N -acetyl-derived groups are in agreement with observations from in vivo proton NMR spectroscopy in multiple sclerosis patients. The decrease in total creatine is in contrast to most of the observations made in vivo where total creatine is assumed to be unchanged and metabolite levels are often expressed as a total creatine ratio. The use of a total creatine ratio in vivo could lead to an underestimation of reductions in N -acetylaspartate and an apparent increase in other metabolites in the multiple sclerosis lesion.     

Merkel cell tumor of the back detected during pregnancy

Merkel cell tumor is an unusual, aggressive malignancy of skin that has been considered to be derived from cutaneous Merkel cells. We are reporting a case of Merkel cell tumor overlying the left scapula with metastases to the thoracic spine and pleura. The tumor was found incidentally in a 23-year-old pregnant black woman. The tumor recurred locally 5 months after initial wide excision. Subsequently, a second wide excision of the recurrent tumor with ipsilateral axillary dissection was performed. The course of the disease was complicated by local recurrence and formation of distant metastases to pleura and spine. At the end-stage of the disease, the patient was found to have a cardiac murmur, and echocardiography revealed a mass in the anterior wall of the right ventricle that was suspicious for a metastatic lesion. The patient expired from extensive distant metastases 23 months after diagnosis.     

The model and algorithm of distributing cooperation profits among operators of urban rail transit under PPP pattern

The financing channels, investors and operators of urban rail transit are becoming more and more diversified, and public private partnership pattern has been increasingly suggested in financing and investment field of urban rail transit in China. The diversification of investors of urban rail transit will no doubt lead to the diversification of operators of urban rail transit network. To legitimately distribute the cooperation profits among operators, a model is developed based on passenger’s path choice behavior by considering travel period, travel time, transfer convenience and the comprehensive proportion of different service types provided by operators. In accordance with the features of urban rail transit network and origin-destination (OD) pairs of transferring among lines of different operators, a scheme of improved rail transit network is proposed. On the basis of the algorithm of breadth-first search and depth-first search, an algorithm of searching effective paths based on backtracking and traversing along the shortest path is established by considering the factor of transfer. Taking the example of Shenzhen’s rail transit network, three typical OD pairs are selected to measure and calculate, compare and analyze by six different conditions. The result shows that travel period, travel time, transfer convenience, and service types provided by operators exert great influence on the distribution of cooperation profits. Therefore, it is advisable to comprehensively consider all of these factors to improve the accuracy of cooperation profits distribution. Moreover, the proposed algorithm can search effective paths efficiently.     

Body Image Change in Obese and Overweight Persons Enrolled in Weight Loss Intervention Programs: A Systematic Review and Meta-Analysis

To report the results of a systematic review and meta-analysis examining whether weight loss interventions improve body image in obese/overweight individuals. Medline, Current Contents, and the Cochrane database were searched to identify studies involving obese/overweight adults who were enrolled in weight loss interventions in which body image was quantitatively assessed. Outcomes assessed were changes in body shape concern, body size dissatisfaction, and body satisfaction (intervention vs comparator/control group). Seven studies were included in the systematic review (4 in the meta-analysis). All but 1 study involved female participants only. The type of weight loss intervention varied between studies as did the type of control/comparator group. In 3 studies, there was no significant difference in body image outcomes, whereas in 4 studies, improvement in body image was significantly more pronounced in the intervention vs the control/comparator group. Meta-analysis revealed that improvements in body shape concern (standardized difference: -0.52; 95% confidence interval [CI]: -1.04 to 0.00), body size dissatisfaction (standardized difference: -0.66; 95% CI: -0.88 to -0.45), and body satisfaction (standardized difference: 0.74; 95% CI: 0.09 to 1.38) significantly favored the intervention over the comparator/control group (P<0.05). The results of this systematic review/meta-analysis lend support to the notion that weight loss interventions may improve body image. This is a noteworthy finding that has clear clinical applicability because body image affects psychological well-being and the ability of an individual to maintain weight loss. Future research should determine which weigh loss interventions are associated with optimal improvements in body image and maintenance of weight loss.     

Morpho-anatomical and physiological responses to waterlogging stress in different barley (<Emphasis Type="Italic">Hordeum vulgare</Emphasis> L.) genotypes

Waterlogging is one of the major stresses limiting crop production worldwide. The understanding of the mechanisms of plant adaptations to waterlogging stress helps improve plant tolerance to stress. In this study, physiological responses and morpho-anatomical adaptations of seven different barley genotypes were investigated under waterlogging stress. The results showed that the waterlogging-tolerant varieties (TX9425, Yerong, TF58) showed less reduction in plant height, SPAD (soil–plant analyses development analyses) value, tillers, shoot and root biomasses than did the waterlogging-sensitive varieties (Franklin, Naso Nijo, TF57). Under waterlogging stress condition, the tolerant genotypes also showed a much larger number of adventitious roots than did the sensitive genotypes. More intercellular spaces and better integrated chloroplast membrane structures were observed in the leaves of the waterlogging-tolerant cultivars, which is likely due to increased ethylene content, decreased ABA content and less accumulation of O₂^.?. The ability to form new adventitious roots and intercellular spaces in shoots can also be used as selection criteria in breeding barley for waterlogging tolerance.