Prevalence and Anthropometric Risk of Metabolic Syndrome in Taiwanese Adolescents

Background. To evaluate the prevalence and the importance of anthropometric indexes on metabolic syndrome (MetS) among young adolescents in Taiwan. Methods. We conducted a cross sectional survey to obtain a representative sampling among Taipei adolescents in 2003, totally enrolled of 1,562 adolescents (764 boys and 798 girls) from age 11 to 15. We used modified NCEP-ATP III criteria to diagnose metabolic syndrome in young adolescents including: blood pressure ≧90th percentile, fasting glucose ≧90th, TG ≧ 90th, HDL-C ≦ 10th, and BMI or WC ≧ 90th according to age and gender specific recommendations. Results. The overall prevalence of MetS was 4.8% for boys and 3.9% for girls. BMI and WC were significantly associated with MetS for both boys and girls, even after adjusting for age, cigarette smoking, alcohol drinking and pubertal status. However, after further adjusting for BMI or WC, WC for boys (OR = 1.14, 95% CI = 1.05–1.24) and BMI for girls (OR = 1.36, 95% CI = 1.13–1.64) were significantly associated with MetS. Conclusions. Adolescents with abnormal BMI or waist circumference had 10 to 20 times higher odds of MetS when compared to normal subjects. Obesity, either general or central adiposity, may play an important role in the development of MetS among adolescents

Thawing plateau time indicating the duration of phase transition from ice to water is the strongest predictor for long-term durable pulmonary vein isolation after cryoballoon ablation for atrial fibrillation—Data from the index and repeat procedures

Introduction: This study aimed to clarify the relationship between the durability of pulmonary vein (PV) isolation and the time of phase transition from ice to water indicated by thawing plateau time in a cryoballoon ablation for atrial fibrillation (AF). Methods and results: In this retrospective study, 241 PVs from 71 patients who underwent a repeat AF ablation 526 (IQR: 412, 675) days after a cryoballoon ablation were analyzed. Reconnection was observed in 101 (41.9%) PVs of 53 patients (74.6%). Thawing plateau time (TimeTP) was defined as the time from 0°C to 10°C inside the balloon in the thawing period. Durable PV isolation was associated with significantly longer TimeTP compared with PV reconnection (26.0 vs. 11.0 s, P 25 s with a positive predictive value of 84.6% (sensitivity = 55.0%, specificity = 86.1%). In the analysis of multivariable logistic regression, location of PV reconnection (P < 0.01), TimeTP (P < 0.05) and thawing plateau integral (P < 0.01) were shown as independent predictors for durable PV isolation. Conclusion: TimeTP is an independent predictor for the durability of PV isolation, and it presents in a dose-proportional manner. TimeTP 25 s predicts durable PV isolation.publishedVersio

The impacts of contact force, power and application time on ablation effect indicated by serial measurements of impedance drop in both conventional and high-power short-duration ablation settings of atrial fibrillation

Background: This study aimed to clarify the interrelationship and additive effects of contact force (CF), power and application time in both conventional and high-power short-duration (HPSD) settings. Methods: Among 38 patients with paroxysmal atrial fibrillation who underwent first-time pulmonary vein isolation, 787 ablation points were collected at the beginning of the procedure at separate sites. Energy was applied for 60 s under power outputs of 25, 30 or 35 W (conventional group), or 10 s when using 50 W (HPSD group). An impedance drop (ID) of 10 Ω was regarded as a marker of adequate lesion formation. Results: ID ≥ 10 Ω could not be achieved with CF < 5 g under any power setting. With CF ≥ 5 g, ID could be enhanced by increasing power output or prolonging ablation time. ID for 30 and 35 W was greater than for 25 W (p < 0.05). Ablation with 35 W resulted in greater ID than with 30 W only when CF of 10–20 g was applied for 20–40 s (p < 0.05). Under the same power output, ID increased with CF level at different time points. The higher the CF, the shorter the time needed to reach ID of 10 Ω and maximal ID. ID correlated well with ablation index under each power, except for lower ID values at 25 W. ID with 50 W for 10 s was equivalent to that with 25 W for 40 s, but lower than that with 30 W for 40 s or 35 W for 30 s. Conclusions: CF of at least 5 g is required for adequate ablation effect. With CF ≥ 5g, CF, power output, and ablation time can compensate for each other. Time to reach maximal ablation effect can be shortened by increasing CF or power. The effect of HPSD ablation with 50 W for 10 s is equivalent to conventional ablation with 25 W for 40 s and 30–35 W for 20–30 s in terms of ID.publishedVersio

PiggyBac Transposon-Mediated Mutagenesis in Rats Reveals a Crucial Role of Bbx in Growth and Male Fertility

Bobby sox homolog (Bbx) is an evolutionally conserved gene, but its biological function remains elusive. Here, we characterized defects of Bbx mutant rats that were created by PiggyBac-mediated insertional mutagenesis. Smaller body size and male infertility were the two major phenotypes of homozygous Bbx mutants. Bbx expression profile analysis showed that Bbx was more highly expressed in the testis and pituitary gland than in other organs. Histology and hormonal gene expression analysis of control and Bbx-null pituitary glands showed that loss of Bbx appeared to be dispensable for pituitary histogenesis and the expression of major hormones. BBX was localized in the nuclei of postmeiotic spermatids and Sertoli cells in wild-type testes, but absent in mutant testes. An increased presence of aberrant multinuclear giant cells and apoptotic cells was observed in mutant seminiferous tubules. TUNEL-positive cells costained with CREM (round spermatid marker), but not PLZF (spermatogonia marker), gammaH2Ax (meiotic spermatocyte marker), or GATA4 (Sertoli cell marker). Finally, there were drastically reduced numbers and motility of epididymal sperm from Bbx-null rats. These results suggest that loss of BBX induces apoptosis of postmeiotic spermatids and results in spermiogenesis defects and infertility

Impacts of increasing typhoons on the structure and function of a subtropical forest: reflections of a changing climate

Due to their destructive and sporadic nature, it is often difficult to evaluate and predict the effects of typhoon on forest ecosystem patterns and processes. We used a 21-yr record of litterfall rates to explore the influence of typhoon frequency and intensity, along with other meteorological variables, on ecosystem dynamics in a subtropical rainforest. Over the past half century there has been an increasing frequency of strong typhoons (category 3; >49.6 m s-1; increase of 1.5 typhoons/decade) impacting the Fushan Experimental Forest, Taiwan. At Fushan strong typhoons drive total litterfall mass with an average of 1100 kg ha-1 litterfall typhoon-1. While mean typhoon season litterfall has been observed to vary by an order of magnitude, mean litterfall rates associated with annual leaf senescence vary by <20%. In response to increasing typhoon frequency, total annual litter mass increased gradually over the 21-year record following three major typhoons in 1994. Monthly maximum wind speed was predictive of monthly litterfall, yet the influence of precipitation and temperature was only evident in non-typhoon affected months. The response of this subtropical forest to strong typhoons suggests that increasing typhoon frequency has already shifted ecosystem structure and function (declining carbon sequestration and forest stature)

Genomic sequencing and analyses of Lymantria xylina multiple nucleopolyhedrovirus

<p>Abstract</p> <p>Background</p> <p>Outbreaks of the casuarina moth, <it>Lymantria xylina </it>Swinehoe (Lepidoptera: Lymantriidae), which is a very important forest pest in Taiwan, have occurred every five to 10 years. This moth has expanded its range of host plants to include more than 65 species of broadleaf trees. LyxyMNPV (<it>L. xylina </it>multiple nucleopolyhedrovirus) is highly virulent to the casuarina moth and has been investigated as a possible biopesticide for controlling this moth. LdMNPV-like virus has also been isolated from <it>Lymantria xylin</it>a larvae but LyxyMNPV was more virulent than LdMNPV-like virus both in NTU-LY and IPLB-LD-652Y cell lines. To better understand LyxyMNPV, the nucleotide sequence of the LyxyMNPV DNA genome was determined and analysed.</p> <p>Results</p> <p>The genome of LyxyMNPV consists of 156,344 bases, has a G+C content of 53.4% and contains 157 putative open reading frames (ORFs). The gene content and gene order of LyxyMNPV were similar to those of LdMNPV, with 151 ORFs identified as homologous to those reported in the LdMNPV genome. Two genes (Lyxy49 and Lyxy123) were homologous to other baculoviruses, and four unique LyxyMNPV ORFs (Lyxy11, Lyxy19, Lyxy130 and Lyxy131) were identified in the LyxyMNPV genome, including a <it>gag-like </it>gene that was not reported in baculoviruses. LdMNPV contains 23 ORFs that are absent in LyxyMNPV. Readily identifiable homologues of the gene <it>host range factor-1 </it>(<it>hrf-1</it>), which appears to be involved in the susceptibility of <it>L. dispar </it>to NPV infection, were not present in LyxyMNPV. Additionally, two putative <it>odv-e27 </it>homologues were identified in LyxyMNPV. The LyxyMNPV genome encoded 14 <it>bro </it>genes compared with 16 in LdMNPV, which occupied more than 8% of the LyxyMNPV genome. Thirteen homologous regions (<it>hr</it>s) were identified containing 48 repeated sequences composed of 30-bp imperfect palindromes. However, they differed in the relative positions, number of repeats and orientation in the genome compared to LdMNPV.</p> <p>Conclusion</p> <p>The gene parity plot analysis, percent identity of the gene homologues and a phylogenetic analysis suggested that LyxyMNPV is a Group II NPV that is most closely related to LdMNPV but with a highly distinct genomic organisation.</p

New Insights on 30 Dor B Revealed by High-Quality Multi-wavelength Observations

The supernova remnant (SNR) 30 Dor B is associated with the \ion{H}{2} region ionized by the OB association LH99. The complex interstellar environment has made it difficult to study the physical structure of this SNR. We have used Hubble Space Telescope H$\alpha$ images to identify SNR shocks and deep Chandra X-ray observations to detect faint diffuse emission. We find that 30 Dor B hosts three zones with very different X-ray surface brightnesses and nebular kinematics that are characteristic of SNRs in different interstellar environments and/or evolutionary stages. The ASKAP 888 MHz map of 30 Dor B shows counterparts to all X-ray emission features except the faint halo. The ASKAP 888 MHz and 1420 MHz observations are used to produce a spectral index map, but its interpretation is complicated by the background thermal emission and the pulsar PSR J0537$-$6910's flat spectral index. The stellar population in the vicinity of 30 Dor B indicates a continuous star formation in the past 8--10 Myr. The observed very massive stars in LH99 cannot be coeval with the progenitor of 30 Dor B's pulsar. Adopting the pulsar's spin-down timescale, 5000 yr, as the age of the SNR, the X-ray shell would be expanding at $\sim$4000 km\,s$^{-1}$ and the post-shock temperature would be 1--2 orders of magnitude higher than that indicated by the X-ray spectra. Thus, the bright central region of 30 Dor B and the X-ray shell requires two separate SN events, and the faint diffuse X-ray halo perhaps other older SN events