Association between S100B Levels and Long-Term Outcome after Aneurysmal Subarachnoid Hemorrhage: Systematic Review and Pooled Analysis

S100 calcium binding protein B (S100B), a well-studied marker for neurologic injury, has been suggested as a candidate for predicting outcome after subarachnoid hemorrhage. We performed a pooled analysis summarizing the associations between S100B protein in serum and cerebrospinal fluid (CSF) with radiographic vasospasm, delayed ischemic neurologic deficit (DIND), delayed cerebral infarction, and Glasgow Outcome Scale (GOS) outcome. A literature search using PubMed, the Cochrane Library, and the EMBASE databases was performed to identify relevant studies published up to May 2015. The weighted Stouffer’s Z method was used to perform a pooled analysis of outcome measures with greater than three studies. A total of 13 studies were included in this review. Higher serum S100B level was found to be associated with cerebral infarction as diagnosed by CT (p_adj = 3.1 x 10⁻⁴) and worse GOS outcome (p_adj = 5.5 x 10⁻¹¹). There was no association found between serum and CSF S100B with radiographic vasospasm or DIND. S100B is a potential prognostic marker for aSAH outcome.     

Short-Term Effect of Temperature on Daily Emergency Visits for Acute Myocardial Infarction with Threshold Temperatures

Background

The relationship between temperature and myocardial infarction has not been fully explained. In this study, we identified the threshold temperature and examined the relationship between temperature and emergency admissions due to MI in Korea.

Methods

Poisson generalized additive model analyses were used to assess the short-term effects of temperature (mean, maximum, minimum, diurnal) on MI emergency visits, after controlling for meteorological variable and air pollution (PM10, NO₂). We defined the threshold temperature when the inflection point showed a statistically significant difference in the regression coefficients of the generalized additive models (GAMs) analysis. The analysis was performed on the following subgroups: geographical region, gender, age (<75 years or ≥75 years), and MI status (STEMI or non-STEMI).

Results

The threshold temperatures during heat exposure were for the maximum temperature as 25.5–31.5°C and for the mean temperature as 27.5–28.5°C. The threshold temperatures during cold exposure were for the minimum temperature as −2.5–1.5°C. Relative risks (RRs) of emergency visits above hot temperature thresholds ranged from 1.02 to 1.30 and those below cold temperature thresholds ranged from 1.01 to 1.05. We also observed increased RRs ranged from 1.02 to 1.65 of emergency visits when temperatures changes on a single day or on successive days.

Conclusions

We found a relationship between temperature and MI occurrence during both heat and cold exposure at the threshold temperature. Diurnal temperature or temperature change on successive days also increased MI risk.     

Adolescent Self-Organization and Adult Smoking and Drinking over Fifty Years of Follow-Up: The British 1946 Birth Cohort

Variations in markers of adolescent self-organization predict a range of economic and health-related outcomes in general population studies. Using a population-based birth cohort study we investigated associations between adolescent self-organization and two common factors over adulthood influencing health, smoking and alcohol consumption. The MRC National Survey of Health and Development (the British 1946 birth cohort) was used to test associations between a dimensional measure of adolescent self-organization derived from teacher ratings, and summary longitudinal measures of smoking and alcohol consumption over the ensuing five decades. Multinomial regression models were adjusted for sex, adolescent emotional and conduct problems, occupational social class of origin, childhood cognition, educational attainment and adult occupational social class. With all covariates adjusted, higher adolescent self-organization was associated with fewer smoking pack years, although not with quitting; there was no association with alcohol consumption across adulthood (none or heavy compared with light to moderate). Adolescent self-organization appears to be protective against smoking, but not against heavy alcohol consumption. Interpretation of this differential effect should be embedded in an understanding of the social and sociodemographic context in which these health behaviours occur over time.     

植物MYB蛋白与其靶定DNA结合位点之间的相互作用

MYB转录因子是植物转录因子中最大的家族之一,在植物生长发育和对环境胁迫的应激反应中发挥重要作用。MYB蛋白通过识别和结合特定的DNA序列调控靶基因的表达,进而发挥其多样性的作用。近几十年来,MYB蛋白与其靶定DNA结合位点之间的相互作用研究取得了很大的进展。主要综述了植物MYB蛋白与DNA的结合特性及其DNA结合位点的序列特异性,并对检测蛋白质与DNA之间相互作用的新兴技术做了简要阐述。     

Effect of phenolic compounds on abscisic acid-induced stomatal movement: Structure – activity relationship

Application of abscisic acid (ABA) brings about stomatal closure within 30 min in epidermal peels of Vicia faba . A number of phenolic compounds antagonise the effect of ABA. Derivatives of benzoic acid, cinnamic acid, coumarin and flavonoids have been studied in order to establish structure – activity relationship. Derivatives of benzoic acid reverse the ABA effects. Coumarin, esculetin and three hydro derivatives of cinnamic acid fail to show the anti-ABA activity. Thus, the presence of parahydroxyl group and double bond in the side chain is necessary for anti-ABA activity.     

β‐Cell Function and Insulin Sensitivity in Adolescents From an OGTT

Given the increase in the incidence of insulin resistance, obesity, and type 2 diabetes in children and adolescents, it would be of paramount importance to assess quantitative indices of insulin secretion and action during a physiological perturbation, such as a meal or an oral glucose‐tolerance test (OGTT). A minimal model method is proposed to measure quantitative indices of insulin secretion and action in adolescents from an oral test. A 7 h, 21‐sample OGTT was performed in 11 adolescents. The C‐peptide minimal model was identified on C‐peptide and glucose data to quantify indices of β‐cell function: static φ_s and dynamic φ_d responsivity to glucose from which total responsivity φ was also measured. The glucose minimal model was identified on glucose and insulin data to estimate insulin sensitivity, S_I, which was compared to a reference measure, S_I^ref, provided by a tracer method. Disposition indices, which adjust insulin secretion for insulin action, were then calculated. Indices of β‐cell function were φ_s = 51.35 ± 8.89 × 10^?9min^?1, φ_d = 1,392 ± 258 × 10^?9, and φ = 82.09 ± 17.70 × 10^?9min^?1. Insulin sensitivity was S_I = 14.19 ± 2.73 × 10^?4, not significantly different from S_I^ref = 14.96 ± 3.04 × 10^?4 dl/kg·min per µU/ml, and well correlated: r = 0.98, P < 0.0001, thus indicating that S_I can be accurately measured from an oral test. Disposition indices were DI_s = 1,040 ± 201 × 10^?14 dl/kg/min² per pmol/l, DI_d = 33,178 ± 10,720 × 10^?14 dl/kg/min per pmol/l, DI = 1,844 ± 522 × 10^?14 dl/kg/min² per pmol/l. Virtually the same minimal model assessment was obtained with a reduced 3 h, 9‐sample protocol. OGTT interpreted with C‐peptide and glucose minimal model has the potential to provide novel insight regarding the regulation of glucose metabolism in adolescents, and to evaluate the effect of obesity and interventions such as diet and exercise.     

Prolonged blood pressure reduction by orally active renin inhibitor RO 42-5892 in essential hypertension.

OBJECTIVE--To investigate the effects of a novel specific renin inhibitor, RO 42-5892, with high affinity for human renin (Ki = 0.5 x 10(-9) mol/l), on plasma renin activity and angiotensin II concentration and on 24 hour ambulatory blood pressure in essential hypertension. DESIGN--Exploratory study in which active treatment was preceded by placebo. SETTING--Inpatient unit of teaching hospital. PATIENTS--Nine men with uncomplicated essential hypertension who had a normal sodium intake. INTERVENTIONS--Two single intravenous doses of RO 42-5892 (100 and 1,000 micrograms/kg in 10 minutes) given to six patients and one single oral dose (600 mg) given to the three others as well as to three of the patients who also received the two intravenous doses. RESULTS--With both intravenous and oral doses renin activity fell in 10 minutes to undetectably low values, while angiotensin II concentration fell overall by 80-90% with intravenous dosing and by 30-40% after the oral dose. Angiotensin II concentration was back to baseline four hours after the low and six hours after the high intravenous dose and remained low for at least eight hours after the oral dose. Blood pressure fell rapidly both after low and high intravenous doses and after the oral dose and remained low for hours. With the high intravenous dose the daytime (0900-2230), night time (2300-0600), and next morning (0630-0830) systolic blood pressures were significantly (p less than 0.05) lowered by 12.5 (95% confidence interval 5.6 to 19.7), 12.2 (5.4 to 19.3), and 10.7 (3.2 to 18.5) mm Hg respectively, and daytime diastolic pressure was lowered by 9.3 (2.2 to 16.8) mmHg. With the oral dose daytime, night time, and next morning systolic blood pressures were lowered by 10.3 (5.5 to 15.4), 10.5 (4.2 to 17.2), and 9.7 (4.0 to 15.6) mm Hg, and daytime and night time diastolic pressures were lowered by 5.8 (0.9 to 11.0) and 6.0 (0.3-12) mm Hg respectively. CONCLUSIONS--The effect of the inhibitor on blood pressure was maintained over a longer period than its effect on angiotensin II. RO 42-5892 is orally active and has a prolonged antihypertensive effect in patients who did not have sodium depletion. This prolonged effect seems to be independent, at least in part, of the suppression of circulating angiotensin II.