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Background: Krüppel-like 11 factor (KLF11) gene mutation has been implicated in the pathogenesis of maturity onset diabetes of the young type 7 (MODY7). Recently, this potential correlation has been questioned, suggesting the need for more comprehensive diagnostic approaches. Methods: The proband is a 30-years-old male who underwent next-generation sequencing (NGS). This was followed by whole-exon sequencing of the proband and his parents to screen for KLF11 variants. Results: A heterozygous KLF11 mutation c.793G>A (p.Glu265Lys) was identified in the proband and his non-diabetic mother. Conclusions: The novel KLF11 mutation documented in this study might exhibit incomplete penetrance in relation to impaired glucose tolerance, which could also contribute to the argument against the necessity of including KLF11 genetic testing for MODY diagnosis. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Herein, a selective and efficient CO2-mediated Z to E isomerization of enamides is reported. Notably, CO2 acts as a promoter to form the key reaction intermediate. This protocol provides a novel method for the selective isomerization of enamides under mild conditions with moderate to excellent yields. The method exhibits a broad substrate scope, including late-stage modification of biorelevant molecules. Mechanistic insights by means of cyclic voltammetry (CV) and density functional theory (DFT) calculation offer evidence that the reaction is promoted by the intermediate via unconventional C-centered mode. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Ageratina adenophora can enhance its invasive ability by using beneficial rhizosphere bacteria. Bacillus cereus is able to promote plant growth and provide a positive feedback effect to A. adenophora. However, the interaction between A. adenophora and B. cereus under the influence of native polyphagous insect feeding is still unclear. In this study, Eupatorium lindleyanum, a local species closely related to A. adenophora, was used as a control, aimed to compare the content of B. cereus in the roots of A. adenophora and rhizosphere soil after different densities of Aphis gossypii feeding, and then investigated the variations in the population of A. gossypii and soil characteristics after the addition of B. cereus. The result showed that B. cereus content in the rhizosphere soil and root of A. adenophora increased significantly under A. gossypii feeding compared with local plants, which also led to the change of a-diversity and b-diversity of the bacterial community, as well as the increase in nitrate nitrogen (NO3-N) content. The addition of B.cereus in the soil could also inhibit the population growth of A. gossypii on A. adenophora and increase the content of ammonium nitrogen (NH4+-N) in the soil. Our research demonstrated that B. cereus enhances the ability of A. adenophora to resist natural enemy by increasing soil ammonium nitrogen (NH4+-N) and accumulating other beneficial bacteria, which means that rhizosphere microorganisms help invasive plants defend themselves against local natural enemies by regulating the soil environment. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: The selection of Marek's disease (MD)-resistant breeds in Partridge Shank chicken, a popular local chicken breed in Henan Province of China, has practical value. We hypothesized that the two polymorphic sites (rs14527240 located in SMOC1 and GGaluGA156129 located in PTPN3) related to MD resistance in White Leghorn chickens are also applicable to Partridge Shank chickens. Methods: In this experiment, we screened 10 live hens and 2 live roosters with the double GG genotype by genotyping the two sites from 6500 Partridge Shank chickens. Nineteen one-day-old chicks with the double GG genotype were obtained by artificial insemination. Seventy-two one-day-old chickens (19 from the population expansion test and 53 randomly selected from chicken farms) were injected with 2000 plaque-forming units of the Md5 virus strain. After 100 days of infection, all chickens were examined by pathological anatomical examination, histological sectioning, genotyping, and a quantitative polymerase chain reaction of SMOC1 and PTPN3. Results: There was only one site (rs14527240 located in SMOC1) associated with MD in Partridge Shank chickens (p < 0.05), but the GG genotype of SMOC1 in Partridge Shank chickens indicated susceptibility to MD. SMOC1 expression in MD-susceptible chickens was also significantly higher than that in MDresistant chickens (p < 0.05). Conclusion: Therefore, the MD resistance sites selected from White Leghorn chickens were not completely suitable for Partridge Shank chickens, but they can be used as a reference. This study indicated that SMOC1 plays an important role in screening for MD resistance in poultry. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

A wideband magneto-electric (ME) dipole with characteristics of dual-circular polarization is presented in this paper. The proposed antenna is composed of four horizontal radiation patches, four pairs of vertical radiation patches, a ground plane, a pair of wideband feeding networks, and novel crossed feeding structures which work as wideband 3-stage impedance matching transitions. The feeding networks which contain a Wilkinson power divider and a coupled-line phase shifter are printed on the bottom of the ground plane, and they can provide stable two-way output wideband signals with quadrature-phase. The proposed antenna works as a ME dipole with a wide operation bandwidth of 53.2% (S11 < −10 dB, and Axial Ratio (AR) < 3 dB) from 1.71 GHz to 2.95 GHz for right-hand circular polarization (RHCP) and 62% from 1.7 GHz to 3.25 GHz for left-hand circular polarization (LHCP), respectively. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Retinal degeneration (RD) refers to a group of blinding retinopathies leading to the progressive photoreceptor demise and vision loss. Treatments against this debilitating disease are urgently needed. Intraocular delivery of exosomes represents an innovative therapeutic strategy against RD. In this study, we aimed to determine whether the subretinal delivery of RPE-derived exosomes (RPE-Exos) can prevent the photoreceptor death in RD. RD was induced in C57BL6 mice by MNU administration. These MNU administered mice received a single subretinal injection of RPE-Exos. Two weeks later, the RPE-Exos induced effects were evaluated via functional, morphological, and behavior examinations. Subretinal delivery of RPE-Exos efficiently ameliorates the visual function impairments, and alleviated the structural damages in the retina of MNU administered mice. Moreover, RPE-Exos exert beneficial effects on the electrical response of the inner retinal circuits. Treatment with RPE-Exos suppressed the expression levels of inflammatory factors, and mitigated the oxidative damage, indicating that subretinal delivery of RPE-Exos constructed a cytoprotective microenvironment in the retina of MNU administered mice. Our data suggest that RPE-Exos have therapeutic effects against the visual impairments and photoreceptor death. These findings will enrich our knowledge of RPE-Exos, and highlight the discovery of a promising medication for RD. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Objective: To assess the value of pleural effusion volume (PEV) quantified on chest computed tomography (CT) in patients with early stage acute pancreatitis (AP). Methods: Data of PEV, and C-reactive protein (CRP) levels as well as Ranson, bedside index of severity in acute pancreatitis (BISAP), Marshall, acute physiology and chronic health evaluation II (APACHE II), CT severity index (CTSI), and extra-pancreatic inflammation on computed tomography (EPIC) scores in patients with AP were collected. Duration of hospitalization, severity of AP, infection, procedure, intensive care unit (ICU) admission, organ failure, or death were included as the outcome parameters. Results: In 465 patients, the mean PEV was 98.8 ± 113.2 mL. PEV showed strong and significant correlations with the CRP levels, duration of hospitalization as well as the Ranson, BISAP, Marshall, APACHE II, CTSI, and EPIC scores (p<.05). PEV demonstrated significant accuracy in predicting severity, infection, procedure, ICU admission, organ failure, and death (p<.05). Conclusion: PEV quantified on chest CT positively associated with the duration of hospitalization, CRP levels, Ranson, BISAP, Marshall, APACHE II, CTSI, and EPIC scores. It can be a reliable radiologic biomarker in predicting severity and clinical outcomes of AP. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Objectives This study aims to summarise the features and trends of thyroid carcinoma in the past two decades in China. Design, setting and participants Clinical data obtained from 10 798 patients treated by thyroidectomy from 1994 to 2015 at the Department of General Surgery of the People's Liberation Army General Hospital, Beijing, China were retrospectively analysed. Outcome measures Incidence and histopathological features of thyroid cancer were compared and the risk factors for local lymph node metastasis analysed. Results Our data indicated a significant increase in the detection of thyroid cancer (from 16.8% to 69.8%, p<0.01). Among the 5235 thyroid cancer cases, papillary thyroid carcinoma (PTC) was the most common histotype, accounting for 95.1% of all malignancies over the 22-year period. Among the 4979 PTCs, micro-PTCs (mPTC) with the largest diameter =10 mm has gradually become the dominant form, and its percentage in PTCs has increased from 13.3% in the biennial period of 1994-1995 to 51.2% in 2010-2011. Furthermore, the size of the tumour has decreased significantly from 2.3±1.1 cm in 1994 to 1.2±0.9 cm in the largest diameter (p<0.01), while the average age at diagnosis and female dominance remained unchanged during the period. Logistic regression showed that tumour nodules>1 cm and male gender were the main risk factors for local lymph node metastasis (LNM), whereas patients over 45 years had lower risk. Conclusions During the 22-year period, an increased detection of thyroid cancer, particularly mPTC, was found while the occurrence of LNM decreased. Our results suggest that the current preoperative diagnosis and risk stratification are adequate, supporting the published guidelines for the diagnosis of thyroid cancer. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

One of the central problems in object recognition is to develop appropriate representations for the objects in images. The authors present a novel approach for image representation that is based on graphs. In the proposed image graph, each node represents a patch and edges are added between neighbouring nodes. First, class-specific match-set graphs are generated by matching the image graphs that are in the same categories, and the multi-image matching problem is solved by applying a seed-expansion strategy. Then, the matches between the match-set graphs and an image graph are considered to be the object patches in the image. Finally, the features extracted from these patches are used for the image representation. Extensive experiments are conducted to demonstrate that their approach can obtain state-of-the-art results on several challenging datasets. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Introduction The cortisol/ACTH ratio was supposed to be helpful in the screening of subclinical hypercortisolism (SHC) in the published literatures. This study assessed the cortisol/ ACTH ratio in patients with adrenal incidentaloma (AI) confirmed to have SHC and investigated its role for screening SCS in patients with AI. Methods This descriptive retrospective study included 183 patients with AIs [45 with SHC and 138 with non-functional adenoma (NFA)]. Cortisol and ACTH levels were measured at 8:00, 16:00, and 0:00, and the cortisol/ACTH ratio was calculated. ROC curve was used to evaluate efficacy of the cortisol/ ACTH ratio, explore the best cut-off value and its corresponding sensitivity and specificity. Results The cortisol/ACTH ratios at all time points were significantly higher in the SHC group than the NFA group (P < 0.05) and were significantly correlated with serum cortisol levels after the 1-mg dexamethasone suppression test (DST). Area Under the Curve (AUC) of the cortisol/ACTH ratio at 0:00 and midnight serum cortisol levels were 0.893 (0.843–0.943) and 0.831 (0.765–0.806), respectively. A cortisol/ ACTH ratio at 0:00 cut-off of 32.18 nM/pM showed a sensitivity of 100 % and specificity of 39.1 %. The optimal cutoff was 68.83 nM/pM (sensitivity 86.7 %, specificity 75.4 %). Conclusions Patients with SHC have a higher cortisol/ACTH ratio than those with NFAs. The cortisol/ACTH ratio is significantly correlated with serum cortisol after the 1-mg DST. The diagnostic performance of the cortisol/ACTH ratio at 0:00 is superior to midnight serum cortisol. Therefore, the cortisol/ACTH ratio at 0:00 may be a reliable parameter for SHC screening in patient with AI. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Aim. To investigate the clinical and endocrinological characteristics of patients with adrenal incidentaloma (AI). Materials and Methods. This retrospective study enrolled 1941 AI patients hospitalized at the Department of Endocrinology, Chinese PLA General Hospital, Beijing, China, between January 1997 and December 2016. The patient gender, age at visits, imaging features, functional status, and histological results were analyzed. Results. Of the 1941 patients, 984 (50.70%) were men. The median age was 52 years (interquartile range: 44-69 years). 140 cases had bilateral AI. Endocrine evaluation showed that 1411 (72.69%) patients had nonfunctional tumor, 152 (7.83%) had subclinical Cushing syndrome (SCS), and 82 (4.33%) had primary hyperaldosteronism. A total of 925 patients underwent operation for removal of 496 cortical adenomas (53.62%), 15 adrenal cortical carcinomas (1.62%), and 172 pheochromocytomas (18.59%). The bilateral group had a higher proportion of SCS (18.57% versus 7.10%, P < 0 001, P = 0 006). A mass size of 46mm was of great value in distinguishing malignant tumors from the benign tumors, with sensitivity of 88.2% and specificity of 95.5%. Conclusions. We reported the baseline demographic and clinical characteristics of patients with AI in a large series from a single center in China. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Aims: Analyze the clinical applicability of glucose metabolism indexes and continuous glucose monitoring data on the qualitative diagnosis of insulinoma. Methods: Involve 22 patients with insulinoma (insulinoma group), 11 patients with hypoglycemia (hypoglycemia group) and 31 people with normal glucose tolerance (control group). HbA1c, fasting blood glucose (FBG), insulin (FINS) and C-peptide (FCP) was tested. Using CGMS to monitor the blood glucose for three consecutive days and selecting the monitoring data of 24 h thereof, figuring out, with the aid of EasyGV Version 9.0, the mean glucose (MG), the standard deviation (SD) of blood glucose, CONGA (continuous overall net glycemic action), J-Index, LI (Lability Index), LBGI (Low Blood Glucose Index), HBGI (High Blood Glucose Index), GRADE (glycaemic risk assessment diabetes equation), MAGE (mean aplitude of glycaemic excursions), M value, MAG (mean absolute glucose). Results: (1) FBG and LBG of insulinoma group are lower than those of control group and those of hypoglycemia group while FINS and FCP of insulinoma group are markedly higher than those of the other two groups; (2) the MG and CONGA of insulinoma group are lower than those of control group and its indexes like ST, LI, LBGI, GRADE, MAGE, M value and MAG are higher than those of control group; there are differences between the indexes of insulinoma group and those of hypoglycemia group in CONGA (lower than that of hypoglycemia group), LBGI (higher than that of hypoglycemia group), and M value (higher than that of hypoglycemia group). By drawing the ROC curve and calculating Youden index, the cut-off values of LBGI, M value, CONGA are respectively as 4.06, 7.79, 4.38, and the best index of differential diagnosis is LBGI. Conclusion: Continuous glucose monitoring data can be used to diagnose insulinoma and blood glucose fluctuation indicators such as LBGI, M value, CONGA might be useful to identify insulinoma. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In the present study, the case of a female patient with pseudo-hermaphrodism caused by an androgen-producing adrenocortical tumor is presented, and the possible mechanism is investigated. The expression of the luteinizing hormone/human chorionic gonadotrophin (LH/hCG) receptor in tumor tissues and normal adrenal tissues was analyzed using immunohistochemistry. Furthermore, the activities of 3β-hydroxysteroid dehydrogenase 2 (HSD2), cytochrome P450 17α-hydroxylase (CYP17) and 17β-hydroxysteroid dehydrogenase 3 (HSD3) enzymes were measured using enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay, and the expression levels of 3β-HSD2, 17β-HSD3, CYP17 and LH/hCG receptor mRNA were determined by quantitative polymerase chain reaction (qPCR). Immunohistochemical staining for the LH/hCG receptor was negative in the tumor tissue and positive in the normal adrenal tissue. The activities of 3β-HSD2 and CYP17 in the tumor tissue were higher than those in the normal tissue (P<0.01), whereas the activity of 17β-HSD3 was lower (P<0.01). The mRNA levels of 3β-HSD2 and CYP17 were higher (P<0.01) and the levels of 17β-HSD3 and LH/hCG receptor were lower (P<0.01) in the tumor tissue compared with those of the normal tissue. In conclusion, in the present study, a rare case of virilization by an androgen-producing adrenocortical tumor is present. The results indicate that it may be associated with increased activities of 3β-HSD2 and CYP17 but not with the expression of the LH/hCG receptor. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Aim: To investigate the effect of telmisartan on the lipometabolisms and the proinflammatory factors secreted from 3T3-L1 adipocytes and to explore the possible mechanisms.Materials and Methods: Telmisartan was applied to interfere with mature 3T3-L1 adipocytes. The culture's free fatty acids, interleukin 6 (IL-6) and tumor necrosis factor α (TNFα) were evaluated. Oil Red O staining was used to determine the adipogenesis of 3T3-L1 adipocytes. (18)F-FDG uptake levels corrected for protein content were determined by cellular radioactivity. The total RNA was isolated for hybridization experimentation in the microarray.Results: Telmisartan reduced lipid storage and increased (18)F-FDG uptake in a dose-dependent manner, reduced the levels of IL-6 and TNFα and increased those of free fatty acids. One hundred and fifty-seven differentially expressed genes were found by microarray. The mitogen-activated protein kinase (MAPK) signaling pathway involved in the secretion of proinflammatory factor and lipid metabolisms was affected by telmisartan. The expression of endothelial nitric oxide synthetase gene 3 (Nos3) and carnitine palmitoyl transferase 1α (CPT1α) was up-regulated by telmisartan.Conclusions: Telmisartan affected lipometabolisms and the proinflammatory factors secreted from adipocytes. Nos3, CPT1α and the MAPK pathway being affected by telmisartan may be the underlying cause of the improvement in lipid metabolisms and secretion of proinflammatory factors of differentiated 3T3-L1 adipocytes. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Epigenetic regulation of neuropeptide genes associated with central appetite control plays an important part in the development of nutritional programming. While proopiomelanocortin (POMC) is critical in appetite control, the molecular mechanism of methylation-related regulation of POMC remains unclear. Based on the report that the proximal specificity protein 1 (Sp1) binding site in POMC promoter is crucial for the leptin-mediated activation of POMC, the methylation of this site was investigated in this study in both cultured cells and postnatal mice reared by the dams with dietary supplementation of conjugated linoleic acids (CLAs). The change of milk composition made the offspring undergo the increase of food intake, suppression of POMC, attenuation of Sp1-promoter interaction, and the hypermethylation of cytosine guanine (CpG) dinucleotides at -100 and -103 within the Sp1 binding site of POMC promoter, which may be associated with the decrease of hypothalamic Sp1 and/or plasma S-adenosylhomocystein. In cultured cells, the methylation of the -100 CpG dinucleotides of the POMC promoter blocked both the formation of Sp1-promoter complex and the leptin-induced activation of POMC. In addition, a catch-up growth and adult metabolic changes like adult hyperglycemia and insulin resistance were observed in these postnatal pups, suggesting that this CLA-mediated hypermethylation may contribute, at least in part, to the metabolic disorders. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Due to the lack of an appropriate animal model, few studies have addressed the integration of visual and vestibular information in the visual system. Using a mouse model with a visual defect (retinal degeneration fast, rdf), we have verified that the prepositus hypoglossal nucleus (PrH) and the Kooy cap of the inferior olive medial nucleus (IOK) are key regions in which visual and vestibular information integrate. Although the integration regions were identified, the precise mechanisms of integration require further investigation. The rdf mice and wild-type Kunming mice were randomly assigned to experimental and control subgroups, respectively. Mice in the experimental groups were exposed to rotary motion for 30 min three times at 24-h intervals, whereas mice in the control groups were not exposed to rotary motion. Differences in the number of calcitonin gene-related peptide positive (CGRP-positive) and choline acetyltransferase positive (ChAT-positive) neurons in the vestibular-related nucleus populations of two types of mice were determined. After rotatory stimulus, the number of CGRP-positive and ChAT-positive neurons in the PrH and the IOK was significantly less in rdf mice compared with that in wild-type mice. There were differences in the number of CGRP-positive and ChAT-positive neurons in the other vestibular-related regions, but the differences were not significant, except the difference in the number of ChAT-positive neurons in the medial vestibular nucleus. The expression patterns of CGRP and ChAT were similar to that of Fos in the vestibular-related regions in the two types of mice after rotatory stimulus. The number of CGRP-positive and ChAT-positive neurons and the number of active nerve cells were consistent in those regions in the two types of mice after rotary stimulus. Therefore, we speculated that CGRP and Ach generated and released by neurons in the PrH and the IOK may play roles in the sensory integration of visual and vestibular information in mice. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Recently, a new method called the local polynomial periodogram-Hough transform (LHT) was proposed for linear frequency modulated (LFM) signal detection. In this letter, a closed-form expression of the output signal-to-noise ratio is derived for the LHT, showing that the method exhibits a threshold effect for LFM signal detection. Comparisons with the pseudo-Wigner-Hough transform (PWHT) show that the threshold of the LHT is lower (better) than that of the PWHT. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Objective: Pituitary stalk interruption syndrome (PSIS) is characterized by the absence of pituitary stalk, pituitary hypoplasia, and ectopic posterior pituitary. Due to the rarity of PSIS, clinical data are limited, especially in Chinese people. Herein, we analyzed the clinical characteristics of patients diagnosed with PSIS from our center over 10 years. Patients and Methods: We retrospectively analyzed the clinical manifestations and laboratory and MRI findings in 55 patients with PSIS. Results: Of the 55 patients with PSIS, 48 (87.3%) were male. The average age was 19.766.7 years and there was no familial case. A history of breech delivery was documented in 40 of 45 patients (88.9%) and 19 of 55 patients (34.5%) had a history of dystocia. Short stature was found in 47 of 55 patients (85.5%) and bone age delayed 7.2665.37 years. Secondary sex characteristics were poor or undeveloped in most patients. The prevalence of deficiencies in growth hormone, gonadotropins, corticotropin, and thyrotropin were 100%, 95.8%, 81.8%, 76.3%, respectively. Hyperprolactinemia was found in 36.4% of patients. Three or more pituitary hormone deficiencies were found in 92.7% of the patients. All patients had normal posterior pituitary function and absent pituitary stalk on imaging. The average height of anterior pituitary was 28 mm, documented anterior pituitary hypoplasia. Midline abnormalities were presented in 9.1% of patients. Conclusions: The clinical features of our Chinese PSIS patients seem to be different from other reported patients in regarding to the higher degree of hypopituitarism and lower prevalence of midline defects. In addition, our patients were older at the time of case detection and the bone age was markedly delayed. We also had no cases of familial PSIS. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: Soluble leptin receptor (OBRe), one of several leptin receptor isoforms, is the only bona fide leptin binding protein in plasma. Our earlier studies demonstrated that OBRe modulates leptin levels in circulation. Both clinical and in vitro studies have shown that OBRe expression is inversely correlated to body weight and leptin levels. However, it is not clear whether OBRe plays an active role, either in collaboration with leptin or independently, in the maintenance of body weight. Methodology/Principal Findings: To investigate the function of OBRe in the regulation of energy homeostasis, we generated transgenic mice that express OBRe under the control of human serum amyloid P (hSAP) component gene promoter. The transgene led to approximately doubling of OBRe in circulation in the transgenic mice than in wild type control mice. Transgenic mice exhibited lower body weight at 4 weeks of age, and slower rate of weight gain when compared with control mice. Furthermore, transgenic mice had lower body fat content. Indirect calorimetry revealed that transgenic mice had reduced food intake, increased basal metabolic rate, and increased lipid oxidation, which could account for the differences in body weight and body fat content. Transgenic mice also showed higher total circulating leptin, with the majority of it being in the bound form, while the amount of free leptin is comparable between transgenic and control mice. Conclusions: These results are consistent with the role of OBRe as a leptin binding protein in regulating leptin's bioavailability and activity. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Homocysteine is a predictor of vascular disease and may have an important role in diabetes. In this study, we examined the effects of folic acid and methylcobalamin supplementation on changes in homocysteine (Hcy) levels and homocysteine thiolactonase/paraoxonase (HTase/PON) activity in a short-term trial. Ninety patients with type 2 diabetes were randomly divided into three groups: Group I received no vitamin supplementation, group II received 5 mg/day folic acid (orally), group III received folic acid (5 mg/day) in combination with methylcobalamin (500 μg/day; intramuscularly, on prescription). All patients were treated for 2 weeks. Plasma Hcy, HTase/PON activity, vitamin B12, and folic acid were measured before and after supplementation in each group. In addition, forty healthy (nondiabetic) controls were enrolled. Serum HTase/PON activity was significantly higher in diabetics compared with controls, plasma Hcy levels were significantly lower ( P<0.05). After vitamin supplementation there was a significant reduction in plasma Hcy levels. The mean percentage reduction in Hcy was 2.75% in group I, 14% in group II and 37.3% in group III. There was a significant inverse correlation between the changes in HTase/PON activity and Hcy levels ( r=−0.29, P=0.004). A 2.72% increase in HTase/PON activity was seen in group I, an 8.03% increase was detected when folic acid was given in group II ( P<0.001), and a 17.59% increase in HTase/PON activity was seen in group III ( P<0.001). Short-term oral folic acid (5 mg/day) supplementation with or without methylcobalamin appeared to be an effective approach to decrease Hcy levels and increase HTase/PON activity in patients with type 2 diabetes. A decrease in plasma Hcy levels may partly account for the elevation of serum HTase/PON activity. This could be a novel mechanism to protect against vascular diabetic complications. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Fair exchange of digital signatures is an important tool for signing digital contracts, e-payment and other electronic commerce actions. An ID-based scheme of fair exchange of digital signature is proposed in this paper. The protocol relies on a trusted third party, but is “optimistic”, in that the third party is only needed in cases where one player attempts to cheat or simply crashes. The proposed scheme has properties of short signature, low computation and verification cost. It can realize exchange of digital signatures fairly and efficiently. A key feature of our scheme is that it is identity-based, which needs no certificates and has a simple key management. To our best knowledge, this is the first identity-based scheme of fair exchange of digital signatures. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

STAT3 is a ubiquitous transcription factor that is indispensable during early embryogenesis. To study the functions of STAT3 postnatally, we generated conditional STAT3-deficient mice. To that end, STAT3[sup lox/lox] mice were crossed with mice expressing Cre under the control of rat insulin II gene promoter (RIP-Cre mice). Immunohistochemical and Western blot analyses showed that STAT3 is deleted from β cells in the islets of Langerhans. Genomic DNA PCR revealed that STAT3 deletion also occurred in the hypothalamus. Hypothalamic Cre expression was further confirmed by crossing RIP-Cre/STAT3[sup lox/lox] mice with the ROSA26 Cre reporter strain and staining for lacZ activity. Double immunohistochemical staining confirmed that deletion of STAT3 occurred in leptin receptor (OB-Rb isoform)-positive neurons. RIP-Cre/STAT3[sup lox/lox] mice are mildly hyperglycemic and hyperinsulinemic at the time of weaning, become hyperphagic immediately after weaning, and exhibit impaired glucose tolerance. Body weight, body fat, and mRNA and protein levels of leptin are all significantly increased in RIP-Cre/STAT3[sup lox/lox] mice. Administration of recombinant leptin by intracerebroventricular infusion failed to cause complete loss of body fat in RIP-Cre/STAT3[sup lox/lox] mice. Transplantation of wild-type islets into RIP-Cre/STAT3[sup lox/lox] mice also failed to decrease adiposity or to correct other abnormalities in these mice. These data thus suggest that loss of STAT3 in the hypothalamus caused by RIP-Cre action likely interferes with normal body weight homeostasis and glucose metabolism. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]