Chemical Composition of Miscanthus sinensis var. purpurascens Flower Absolute and Its Beneficial Effects on Skin Wound Healing and Melanogenesis-Related Cell Activities

Miscanthus sinensis var. purpurascens (MSP, flame grass) is found in Korea, Japan, and China, and its biological activities include anti-cancer, detoxifying, vasodilatory, antipyretic, and diuretic effects. However, no study has investigated the effects of MSP on skin-related biological activities. In this study, we explored the effects of the absolute extracted from the MSP flowers (MSPFAb) on skin wound healing- and whitening-related responses in keratinocytes or melanocytes. MSPFAb contained 6 components and induced the proliferation, migration, and syntheses of type I and IV collagens in keratinocytes. MSPFAb also increased the phosphorylations of serine/threonine-specific protein kinase, p38 mitogen-activated protein kinase, and extracellular signal-regulated kinase1/2 in keratinocytes. In addition, treatment with MSPFAb decreased serum-induced melanoma cell proliferation and inhibited tyrosinase activity and melanin contents in α-MSH-stimulated melanoma cells. Taken together, this study indicates MSPFAb may promote wound healing- and whitening-associated activities in dermal cells, and suggests that it has potential use as a wound healing and skin whitening agent.     

Human Neurocysticercosis Case and an Endemic Focus of Taenia solium in Lao PDR

A male patient with neurocysticercosis was identified in Montai Village, Xay District, Oudomxay Province, Lao PDR in February 2004. He had a history of diagnosis for neurocysticercosis by a CT scan in Thailand after an onset of epileptic seizure in 1993. A pig in the same district was found to contain Taenia solium metacestodes (=cysticerci); the slaughtered pig body contained more than 2,000 cysticerci. In addition to morphological identification, molecular identification was also performed on the cysticerci by DNA sequencing analysis of the mitochondrial cox1 gene; they were confirmed as T. solium metacestodes. The patient is regarded as an indigenous case of neurocysticercosis infected in an endemic focus of T. solium taeniasis/cysticercosis in Oudomxay Province, Lao PDR.     

Psychological test performance of different personality types on Sharav days in artificial air ionisation

440 subjects were tested in a microclimate enriched with small negative ions. 225 subjects were tested on Sharav days, whereas 215 tested on regular days served as controls. It was hypothesized: (a) that test performance on Sharav days could be similar to that of the control group due to the ionized climate, and (b) that the improved performance would be different for subjects high or low on neuroticism and extraversion. Results showed that the performance of the Sharav groups was considerably similar to that of their controls. It was further found that on Sharav days subjects high on neuroticism scored worse than controls on non-verbal intelligence, whereas extraverts performed worse on substitution tests. A possible underlying mechanism is discussed.     

Cytology of 2N pollen formation and pollen morphology in diploid lotus tenuis (fabaceae)

Two genotypes of Lotus tenuis Waldst & Kit. ex Willd. PI 204882, a diploid (2n = 2x = 12), were identified as producing 2n pollen (maximum = 6%). The objectives of this research were: (1) to determine the mechanism(s) of 2n pollen formation in the L. tenuis genotypes and (2) to morphologically describe n and 2n pollen using light and scanning electron microscopy. Meiotic studies revealed that 2n pollen resulted from tripolar spindles during anaphase II of microsporogenesis. The 2n pollen germinated well, although abnormal pollen tubes were observed. The genetic constitution of 2n pollen resulting from tripolar spindles is equivalent to first division restitution (FDR) of meiosis. Fresh and air-dried pollen samples exhibited differences in size and shape under light and scanning electron microscopy. The size of diploid (2n) pollen was larger than that of haploid (1n) pollen. Normal haploid (1n) pollen was globose-prolate in shape, while diploid (2n) pollen was tetrahedral in shape.     

The effect of defect size on the stress concentration and fracture characteristics for a tubular torsional model with a transverse hole

The maximum stress location and crack resistance of a tubular torsional model with varying transverse circular defects were determined by the use of experimental and global-local finite element modeling techniques. The experimental results showed that the reduction in torsional strength was inversely proportional to defect size. In addition, the maximum stress location around the defect was closely related to the normalized defect diameter. By measuring the shifted angle associated with each defect ratio, a linear relationship, delta theta = -6.28 + 0.55*(d/D), was determined. Finite element results indicated that the stress concentration factor, Kg, for a single-cortex defect is similar to that of a double-cortex defect of identical dimension. Application of the strain energy density (SED) theory proposed by Sih and Oliveira Faria (Fracture Mechanics Methodology, Martinus Nijhoff, The Hague, 1984), indicated that the fracture toughness, KIC, for large defects was greater than that for small defects. This implies that tubular structures with large defects have a greater resistance to crack initiation and growth.     

Identification of genetic defects underlying FVII deficiency in 10 patients belonging to eight unrelated families of the North provinces from Tunisia

ABSTRACT: Inherited factor VII (FVII) deficiency is a rare disorder characterized by a bleeding phenotype varying from mild to severe. To date, more than 200 mutations have been described along the F7 gene encoding for FVII. The aim of this study was the identification of genetic defects underlying FVII deficiency in 10 patients belonging to eight unrelated families of the North provinces from Tunisia. Mutation detection was performed by sequencing the whole F7 gene coding region, exon-intron boundaries and about 400 bp of the promoter region. We identified 5 mutations in five unrelated families; the novel p.F328Y mutation and the reported mutations: p.R304Q, p.M298I, IVS1aG > A and nt1005C > T. For the remaining 5 patients we didn't identified any mutations using PCR/Sequencing protocol. In conclusion, this study represents the first comprehensive molecular series of FVII deficiency affected patients in Tunisia from the North. We will try in the future to continue the molecular study for Tunisian patients from Center and South provinces in order to have a complete idea about the FVII deficiency mutational profile in our country. Virtual slides The virtual slide(s) for this article can be found here: http://www.diagnosticpathology.diagnomx.eu/vs/1288044089753085.