The pathogenetic influence of I-parathyroid hormone on slipped capital femoral epiphysis. Towards a new etiologic approach?

The displacement of the femoral head along the upper femoral physis that occurs during adolescence or slipped capital femoral epiphysis (SCFE) is not a very common traumatic entity. Ever since Muller1 first described it in 1888, its symptoms, clinical manifestations, diagnosis, treatment and complications have been thoroughly described and studied. Nevertheless little progress has been accomplished as far as its etiology is concerned. In order to assess the potential pathologic influence of any parathyroid hormone (PTH) disturbances on the development of SCFE, we conducted a prospective clinical study with 14 patients, 7 boys and 7 girls (16 hips), suffering from SCFE (Group A). Another 5 patients who had been treated for SCFE a few years before the study, were used as a control group (Group B). We measured the level of I-PTH along with serum calcium (Ca) and phosphorus (P) levels. Furthermore, we checked all the necessary anthropometric characteristics of the patients (i.e., age, height, weight and sexual maturation). Each patient of Group A was categorized from grade I to grade V according to the progress of the slipping. The results showed an increased incidence of serum PTH level abnormalities (both decrease and increase) in Group A while Group B patients had normal results. The detected I-PTH serum level abnormalities were not in any pattern related to the Ca and P serum levels. We believe that a temporary parathyroid hormone disorder during the early years of adolescence may play a potentially significant role (along with other etiologic factors) in the development of SCFE.     

Supercritical carbon dioxide extraction of griseofulvin from the solid matrix obtained after solid-state fermentation

Globally there is an increasing concern to minimize the use of organic solvents, particularly the chlorinated ones because of their suspected human carcinogenicity. The use of ecofriendly carbon dioxide as an alternative to organic solvents would be appropriate in the perspective of green technology. Supercritical carbon dioxide (SC-CO(2)) extraction is suitable for extraction of nonpolar compound with molecular weights less than 400. Griseofulvin is an antifungal antibiotic having a molecular weight of 353, making it amenable to SC-CO(2) extraction. This work brings out the potential of supercritical carbon dioxide extraction (SCFE) for downstream processing of griseofulvin from the solid matrix obtained after solid-state fermentation (SSF). The optimized conditions for SCFE of griseofulvin from dried media after SSF were a flow rate of 0.4 L/min, temperature of 60 degrees C, and contact time of 90 min (30 min static + 60 min dynamic) at a pressure of 450-455 bar.     

三峡库区山区乡村功能多元化与坡耕地演变的耦合关系

探究快速城市化、工业化背景下,山区乡村功能多元化与坡耕地演变的耦合关系,对山区耕地保护和乡村可持续发展具有重要意义。从人地关系视角,构建了山区乡村功能多元化与坡耕地演变耦合关系测度模型,并以三峡库区奉节县为例,采用乡村功能评价、耦合协调度模型等方法,揭示其耦合关系及其驱动机制。结果表明:(1)奉节县各乡村功能均呈现发展的趋势,其中社会保障功能的发展最为明显,乡村功能综合指数呈现南北部增加、中部减少的特征,且南部增加幅度大于北部;(2)奉节县坡耕地占比呈现下降趋势,缓坡耕地减少最少,急陡坡耕地减少最多,呈现南部减少幅度小、北部减少幅度大的特征;(3)乡村功能多元化与缓坡耕地演变的耦合协调度呈下降的趋势,与陡坡耕地和急陡坡耕地的耦合协调度呈先降后升的趋势,其耦合响应类型可以归纳为可持续型、转型型、一致型和衰退型4种类型;(4)乡村功能多元化与坡耕地演变耦合变化主要受到自然、社会经济、政策等要素驱动,今后应当从发展生态农业、推行环境治理等方面来提高乡村功能发展与坡耕地利用之间的协调性。研究方法和研究结果可为其他山区坡耕地资源的优化利用、生态保护以及乡村可持续发展提供借鉴价值。     

A maximum-likelihood approach to fitting equilibrium models of microsatellite evolution

Here, we develop a new approach to Markov chain modeling of microsatellite evolution through polymerase slippage and introduce new models: a "constant-slippage-rate" model, in which there is no dependence of slippage rate on microsatellite length, as envisaged by Moran; and a "linear-with-constant" model, in which slippage rate increases linearly with microsatellite length, but the line of best fit is not constrained to go through the origin. We show how these and a linear no-constant model can be fitted to data hierarchically using maximum likelihood. This has advantages over previous methods in allowing statistical comparisons between models. When applied to a previously analyzed data set, the method allowed us to statistically establish that slippage rate increases with microsatellite length for dinucleotide microsatellites in humans, mice, and fruit flies, and suggested that no slippage occurs in very short microsatellites of one to four repeats. The suggestion that slippage rates are zero or close to zero for very short microsatellites of one to four repeats has important implications for understanding the mechanism of polymerase slippage.     

天然产物的超临界流体萃取

本文叙述了超临界流体萃取的基本原理、过程和近来在天然产物研究与开发方面的进展。     

三峡库区坡耕地利用转型及其社会经济-生态环境影响——以奉节县为例

探究典型生态脆弱区坡耕地利用转型及其对区域社会经济-生态环境的影响,对于合理利用山区坡耕地资源、实现社会经济-生态环境系统可持续发展具有重要意义。基于奉节县2000、2010、2020年土地利用数据,采用坡耕地利用形态转型测度、社会经济发展水平和生态环境质量评价等方法,揭示山区坡耕地利用转型的一般规律,综合定量探究坡耕地利用转型对区域社会经济、生态环境的影响,并测量对其耦合变化类型的驱动机理。结果表明：(1)2000—2020年奉节县坡耕地面积整体缩减,以廊道和边缘斑块坡耕地形态减少为主,减少的坡耕地主要向具有生态功能的林地和生态经济功能的园地转换;(2)社会经济发展水平和生态环境质量整体均呈增长趋势,且区域差异显著,前者呈“长江河谷区高—山区低”的分布格局,后者呈“长江河谷区低—山区高”的空间格局;(3)坡耕地利用转型对社会经济发展-生态环境质量耦合响应类型可以归纳为社会经济-生态环境同步发展型、社会经济发展-生态滞后型、社会经济滞后-生态恢复型、社会经济发展水平偏低型和生态环境质量偏低型5种;(4)社会经济-生态环境变化的各类型主要受到坡耕地利用强度、土地利用多样性、距县行政中心距...     

Distribution and abundance of microsatellites in the yeast genome can Be explained by a balance between slippage events and point mutations

We fit a Markov chain model of microsatellite evolution introduced by Kruglyak et al. to data on all di-, tri-, and tetranucleotide repeats in the yeast genome. Our results suggest that many features of the distribution of abundance and length of microsatellites can be explained by this simple model, which incorporates a competition between slippage events and base pair substitutions, with no need to invoke selection or constraints on the lengths. Our results provide some new information on slippage rates for individual repeat motifs, which suggest that AT-rich trinucleotide repeats have higher slippage rates. As our model predicts, we found that many repeats were adjacent to shorter repeats of the same motif. However, we also found a significant tendency of microsatellites of different motifs to cluster.     

Modeling the relationship between body weight and energy intake: A molecular diffusion-based approach

ABSTRACT: BACKGROUND: Body weight is at least partly controlled by the choices made by a human in response to external stimuli. Changes in body weight are mainly caused by energy intake. By analyzing the mechanisms involved in food intake, we considered that molecular diffusion plays an important role in body weight changes. We propose a model based on Fick's second law of diffusion to simulate the relationship between energy intake and body weight. RESULTS: This model was applied to food intake and body weight data recorded in humans; the model showed a good fit to the experimental data. This model was also effective in predicting future body weight. CONCLUSIONS: In conclusion, this model based on molecular diffusion provides a new insight into the body weight mechanisms.     

Convergence of body mass with aging: The longitudinal interrelationship of health, weight, and survival

There has been ongoing debate about the health risks associated with increased body weight among the elderly population. One issue has not been investigated thoroughly is that body weight changes over time, as both the reasons and results of, the development of chronic diseases and functional disabilities. Structural models have the ability to unravel the complicated simultaneous relationship between body weight, disability, and mortality along the aging process. Using longitudinal data from the Medicare Current Beneficiary Survey from 1992 to 2001, we constructed a structural model to estimate the longitudinal dynamic relationship between weight, chronic diseases, functional status, and mortality among the aging population. A simulation of an age cohort from 65 to 100 was conducted to show the changes in weight and health outcomes among the cohorts with different baseline weight based on the parameters estimated by the model. The elderly with normal weight at age 65 experience higher life expectancy and lower disability rates than the same age cohorts in other weight categories. The interesting prediction of our model is that the average body size of an elderly cohort will converge to the normal weight range through a process of survival, senescence, and behavioral adjustment.     

Osteopetrosis and Congenital Hypothyroidism Complicated by Slipped Capital Femoral Epiphysis

ObjectiveTo describe a 13-year-old girl with unilateral slipped capital femoral epiphysis (SCFE), who presented with an acute onset limp during follow-up for congenital hypothyroidism and osteopetrosis.MethodsWe present a case report detailing the patient’s history as well as clinical, laboratory, and imaging findings and discuss the related literature.ResultsThe patient had been diagnosed elsewhere with congenital hypothyroidism, and levothyroxine therapy was initiated when she was 20 days of age; however, adherence to the treatment was irregular. Both her weight and her height were below the 5th percentile, her breast development and pubic hair were consistent with Tanner stage 1, and she had mental retardation and atypical facies. Her gait was antalgic; no muscle atrophy or shortness in the affected leg was present. On laboratory investigation, thyroid function tests were concordant with primary hypothyroidism. Her bone age was estimated as 8 years. Dual-energy x-ray absorptiometry revealed increased bone mineral density. Radiographic studies disclosed striking opacity of the bones of the pelvis and sclerosis at the skull base. Computed tomography of the affected left lower limb showed a fragmented appearance of the capital femoral epiphysis and thickening and irregularities of the physis line on the left, consistent with SCFE.ConclusionWe underscore the possible facilitator role of osteopetrosis in the pathogenesis of SCFE, suggest the need to consider SCFE in the differential diagnosis when a lower extremity abnormality is detected in patients with congenital hypothyroidism or delayed puberty (or both), and emphasize this association with osteopetrosis.(Endocr Pract. 2010;16:646-649)     

Elevated basal slippage mutation rates among the Canidae

The remarkable responsiveness of dog morphology to selection is a testament to the mutability of mammals. The genetic sources of this morphological variation are largely unknown, but some portion is due to tandem repeat length variation in genes involved in development. Previous analysis of tandem repeats in coding regions of developmental genes revealed fewer interruptions in repeat sequences in dogs than in the orthologous repeats in humans, as well as higher levels of polymorphism, but the fragmentary nature of the available dog genome sequence thwarted attempts to distinguish between locus-specific and genome-wide origins of this disparity. Using whole-genome analyses of the human and recently completed dog genomes, we show that dogs possess a genome-wide increase in the basal germ-line slippage mutation rate. Building on the approach that gave rise to the initial observation in dogs, we sequenced 55 coding repeat regions in 42 species representing 10 major carnivore clades and found that a genome-wide elevated slippage mutation rate is a derived character shared by diverse wild canids, distinguishing them from other Carnivora. A similarly heightened slippage profile was also detected in rodents, another taxon exhibiting high diversity and rapid evolvability. The correlation of enhanced slippage rates with major evolutionary radiations suggests that the possession of a "slippery" genome may bestow on some taxa greater potential for rapid evolutionary change.     

Prepubertal onset of slipped capital femoral epiphysis associated with hypothyroidism: a case report and literature review

Background

Slipped capital femoral epiphysis (SCFE) is a common hip disorder characterized by displacement of the capital femoral epiphysis from the metaphysic through the femoral epiphyseal plate. SCFE usually occurs during puberty, with obesity a common risk factor. We experienced a rare case of SCFE associated with hypothyroidism in a prepubescent patient who was not obese.

Case presentation

The patient was an 8-year-old boy suffering from bilateral SCFE with hypothyroidism. The patient’s growth had started to slow at 4 years of age, and at 8 years he was of short stature. During his evaluation for SCFE management, primary hypothyroidism was diagnosed due to the presence of anti-thyroid peroxidase and anti-thyroglobulin antibodies. After the patient was treated for hypothyroidism, which improved his thyroid function, surgery was performed for bilateral SCFE.

Conclusions

Among the 42 patients with SCFE associated with hypothyroidism in the literature, most SCFE occurred during puberty or in adults with delayed epiphyseal closure. Only two patients (4.8%), including the present patient, were ≤9 years old. Although being overweight or obese is common for patients with SCFE associated with hypothyroidism (76.0%), it was not observed in the present case. Persistent hypothyroidism, however, may be a risk factor for SCFE even before puberty and without obesity.

     

Sensitization to alloxan-induced diabetes and pancreatic cell apoptosis in acatalasemic mice

Human acatalasemia may be a risk factor for the development of diabetes mellitus. However, the mechanism by which diabetes is induced is still poorly understood. The impact of catalase deficiency on the onset of diabetes has been studied in homozygous acatalasemic mutant mice or control wild-type mice by intraperitoneal injection of diabetogenic alloxan. The incidence of diabetes was higher in acatalasemic mice treated with a high dose (180 mg/kg body weight) of alloxan. A higher dose of alloxan accelerated severe atrophy of pancreatic islets and induced pancreatic β cell apoptosis in acatalasemic mice in comparison to wild-type mice. Catalase activity remained low in the acatalasemic pancreas without the significant compensatory up-regulation of glutathione peroxidase or superoxide dismutase. Furthermore, daily intraperitoneal injection of angiotensin II type 1 (AT1) receptor antagonist telmisartan (0.1 mg/kg body weight) prevented the development of alloxan-induced hyperglycemia in acatalasemic mice. This study suggests that catalase plays a crucial role in the defense against oxidative-stress-mediated pancreatic β cell death in an alloxan-induced diabetes mouse model. Treatment with telmisartan may prevent the onset of alloxan-induced diabetes even under acatalasemic conditions.     

Analysis of skeletal development on the basis of body mass and bone resorption

Regression analysis was utilized to define the relationships among body weight, whole skeleton bone resorption (3H-tetracycline method), and the development of skeletal mass. The results indicated that skeletal development (% body weight) of slowly growing, 24-week-old rats consisted of two major components, one directly (r = 0.985, P<0.001) and one inversely (r = 0.977, P<0.001) related to body weight. It was further noted that the skeletal resorption rate was inversely correlated to body weight (r = 0.879, P<0.05) and directly related to skeletal development (r = 0.865, P<0.05), suggesting that whole skeleton bone resorption and formation were highly correlated in the slowly growing animal. A third small component of skeletal development identified in the analysis of data from 24-week-old animals, showed no direct relationship to either body weight or resorptive activity. The model presented enables the separation of skeleton mass into major components which may represent mechanically and metabolically driven bone formation.     

The relationship between microsatellite slippage mutation rate and the number of repeat units

Microsatellite markers are widely used for genetic studies, but the relationship between microsatellite slippage mutation rate and the number of repeat units remains unclear. In this study, microsatellite distributions in the human genome are collected from public sequence databases. We observe that there is a threshold size for slippage mutations. We consider a model of microsatellite mutation consisting of point mutations and single stepwise slippage mutations. From two sets of equations based on two stochastic processes and equilibrium assumptions, we estimate microsatellite slippage mutation rates without assuming any relationship between microsatellite slippage mutation rate and the number of repeat units. We use the least squares method with constraints to estimate expansion and contraction mutation rates. The estimated slippage mutation rate increases exponentially as the number of repeat units increases. When slippage mutations happen, expansion occurs more frequently for short microsatellites and contraction occurs more frequently for long microsatellites. Our results agree with the length-dependent mutation pattern observed from experimental data, and they explain the scarcity of long microsatellites.     

Growth and body composition of mice selected for high body weight

To elucidate the influence of high body weight selection on body compositional relationships, the accumulation of lipid, protein, and ash was investigated in two lines of mice selected for high 42-day body weight (H lines) and an unselected foundation population (FP). The two H lines differed in population size and were designated as the high-large (HL) and high-small (HS) lines. Logistic body growth curves revealed that HL mice exhibited an accelerated growth rate and reached a higher mature body weight than FP or HS mice. Over the range of body weights examined, HL mice had more lipid, less protein, and less ash than FP or HS mice of the same sex and body weight. However, HL lipid accumulation (relative to body weight increase) was not accelerated in comparison to that of FP mice. This study suggests that the existing model of selection-mediated compositional changes requires expansion to account for the ability of high-growth selection to direct an acceleration of body growth without a correlated enhancement of the relative rate of fat accumulation.     

A model for the dynamics of human weight cycling

The resolution to lose weight by cognitive restraint of nutritional intake often leads to repeated bouts of weight loss and regain, a phenomenon known as weight cycling or “yo-yo dieting”. A simple mathematical model for weight cycling is presented. The model is based on a feedback of psychological nature by which a subject decides to reduce dietary intake once a threshold weight is exceeded. The analysis of the model indicates that sustained oscillations in body weight occur in a parameter range bounded by critical values. Only outside this range can body weight reach a stable steady state. The model provides a theoretical framework that captures key facets of weight cycling and suggests ways to control the phenomenon. The view that weight cycling represents self-sustained oscillations has indeed specific implications. In dynamical terms, to bring weight cycling to an end, parameter values should change in such a way as to induce the transition of body weight from sustained oscillations around an unstable steady state to a stable steady state. Maintaining weight under a critical value should prevent weight cycling and allow body weight to stabilize below the oscillatory range.     

Fluctuation of serum leptin level in rats after ovariectomy and the influence of estrogen supplement.

In order to understand the mechanism of increasing body fat in perimenopausal and postmenopausal women, an ovariectomy-induced obesity model was used to study the role of leptin. In this investigation, a long-term study lasted for 13 weeks was conducted to monitoring the change of serum leptin level in rats after the loss of estrogen, and also to examine the influence of estrogen replacement. The results showed that three weeks after the removal of ovaries the body weight of Ovx rats was already significantly higher than the other two groups, and continued to gain more weight thereafter. Accompanying with the significant weight gain was the changes in the serum leptin levels. The leptin concentration declined gradually during the first half of experimental period, dropping down to an almost undetectable level at week 7 (0.216+/-0.132 ng/ml). Subsequently, its concentration began to elevate, and by the end of experiment leptin level was significantly higher (3.182+/-0.936 ng/ml) than the value before the operation (0.818+/-0.242 ng/ml). This fluctuation of serum leptin level caused by ovariectomy was eliminated by the replacement of estrogen. The present data indicate that ovariectomy-induced weight gain is caused by the early drop in leptin level. The later rise in leptin production is connected to the increased body weight probably originated from a reduced sensitivity in leptin signal.     

Fold-back structures at the distal end influence DNA slippage at the proximal end during mononucleotide repeat expansions.

Polymerase slippage during DNA synthesis by the Klenow fragment of DNA polymerase across A, C, G and T repeats (30 bases) has been studied. Within minutes, duplexes that contain only repeats (30 bp) expand dramatically to several hundred base pairs long. Rate comparisons in a repeat duplex when one strand was expanded as against that when both strands were expanded suggest a model of migrating hairpin loops which in the latter case coalesce into a duplex. Moreover, slippage (at the proximal or 3'-end) is subject to positive and negative effects from the 5'-end (distal) of the same strand. Growing T and G strands generate T.A:T and G-G:C motif fold-back structures at the distal end that hamper slippage at the proximal end. On the other hand, growing tails at the distal end upon annealing with excess complementary template accentuates proximal slippage several-fold.     

广东瑶族青少年学生体表面积研究

研究瑶族青少年身高、体重及体表面积的生长发育状况, 为建立瑶族中小学生健康指标评价体系提供依据。采用Stevenson公式和胡咏梅公式计算每位学生的体表面积, 并求得7—18岁12个年龄组的男女学生的体表面积均数。结果显示: 瑶族青少年学生的身高、体重及体表面积随年龄增长而增长, 且其增长速度男女生均可分为匀速增长期、快速增长期、缓慢增长期3个不同时期; 男女生身高、体重及体表面积发育曲线均出现双交叉现象。两法统计的瑶族青少年的体表面积均随年龄增长而增长。胡咏梅法计算的体表面积大于Stevenson法(P<0.01)。