Epidemiology of gastroschisis: A population-based study in California from 1995 to 2012.

BackgroundAlthough the incidence of gastroschisis is increasing, risk factors are not clearly identified.MethodsUsing the Linked Birth Database from the California Office of Statewide Health Planning and Development from 1995 to 2012, patients with gastroschisis were identified by ICD-9 diagnosis/procedure code or birth certificate designation. Logistic regressions examined demographics, birth factors, and maternal exposures on risk of gastroschisis.ResultsThe prevalence of gastroschisis was 2.7 cases per 10,000 live births. Patients with gastroschisis had no difference in fetal exposure to alcohol (p = 0.609), narcotics (p = 0.072), hallucinogenics (p = 0.239), or cocaine (p = 0.777), but had higher exposure to unspecified/other noxious substances (OR 3.27, p = 0.040; OR 2.02, p = 0.002). Gastroschisis was associated with low/very low birthweight (OR 5.08-16.21, p < 0.001) and preterm birth (OR 3.26-10.0, p < 0.001). Multivariable analysis showed lower risk in black (OR 0.44, p < 0.001), Asian/Pacific Islander (OR 0.76, p = 0.003), and Hispanic patients (OR 0.72, p < 0.001) compared to white patients. Risk was higher in rural areas (OR 1.24-1.76, p = 0.001). Compared to women age < 20, risk decreased with advancing maternal age (OR 0.49-OR 0.03, p < 0.001). Patients with gastroschisis had increased total charges ($336,270 vs.$9012, p < 0.001) and length of stay (38.1 vs. 2.9 days, p < 0.001). Mortality was 4.6%.ConclusionsThis is the largest population-based study summarizing current epidemiology of gastroschisis in California.Type of studyRetrospective comparative cohort study.Level of evidenceIII

The NAD(P)H oxidase homolog Nox4 modulates insulin-stimulated generation of H\u3csub\u3e2\u3c/sub\u3e0\u3csub\u3e2\u3c/sub\u3e and plays an integral role in insulin signal transduction

Insulin stimulation of target cells elicits a burst of H2O2 that enhances tyrosine phosphorylation of the insulin receptor and its cellular substrate proteins as well as distal signaling events in the insulin action cascade. The molecular mechanism coupling the insulin receptor with the cellular oxidant-generating apparatus has not been elucidated. Using reverse transcription-PCR and Northern blot analyses, we found that Nox4, a homolog of gp91phox, the phagocytic NAD(P)H oxidase catalytic subunit, is prominently expressed in insulin-sensitive adipose cells. Adenovirus-mediated expression of Nox4 deletion constructs lacking NAD(P)H or FAD/NAD(P)H cofactor binding domains acted in a dominant-negative fashion in differentiated 3T3-L1 adipocytes and attenuated insulin-stimulated H2O2 generation, insulin receptor (IR) and IRS-1 tyrosine phosphorylation, activation of downstream serine kinases, and glucose uptake. Transfection of specific small interfering RNA oligonucleotides reduced Nox4 protein abundance and also inhibited the insulin signaling cascade. Overexpression of Nox4 also significantly reversed the inhibition of insulin-stimulated IR tyrosine phosphorylation induced by coexpression of PTP1B by inhibiting PTP1B catalytic activity. These data suggest that Nox4 provides a novel link between the IR and the generation of cellular reactive oxygen species that enhance insulin signal transduction, at least in part via the oxidative inhibition of cellular protein-tyrosine phosphatases (PTPases), including PTP1B, a PTPase that has been previously implicated in the regulation of insulin action

The role of anastasis in the regeneration of the Drosophila melanogaster wing disc

Apoptosis is the process of highly regulated programmed cell death that utilizes caspase-3 to initiate the executioner phase of apoptosis. However, under certain circumstances, cells are able to survive its activation through a process called “anastasis”. Anastasis has been documented to occur in several cell lines and in Drosophila melanogaster. However, the purpose of anastasis and how it is regulated are currently unknown. In Drosophila, anastasis can be visualized using a previously created biosensor, CasExpress, that permanently marks cells that have survived caspase-3 activation with GFP. CasExpress can detect anastasis in Drosophila wing disc during normal development. Since Drosophila wing discs have been used as a model for studying regeneration, it would be beneficial to use this model to investigate if anastasis occurs during tissue regeneration. Using the CasExpress system, we found that anastasis occurs during regeneration in response to reaper-induced tissue damage. To determine if anastasis is required for regeneration, overexpression of reaper in cells that have undergone caspase-3 activation results in a decrease in the number of CasExpress positive cells. We found that the removal of cells that survive caspase-3 activation during tissue ablation does not manifest in a significant change in wing size, possibly due to the incomplete killing of anastatic cells. To start unraveling how anastasis is regulated, CasExpress was utilized in screening the requirement of several genes known to function in wound healing

Understanding the Gap between Website Value and Consumer Shopping Orientation: An Application of Task-Technology Fit Theory to Online shopping Values

Value judgments, such as functional, emotional, utilitarian, and hedonic values have received considerable attention in recent years. However, research on these interrelationships has been somewhat limited in online shopping, particularly in regards to the gap between website values versus consumer shopping orientations. The purpose of this research is to propose and empirically test a conceptual framework that incorporates the interrelationships of website values, shopping satisfaction, and repurchase intention into framework and validate them in a B2C online shopping context. Specifically, we examine the moderating role of consumer shopping orientations in the impact of website values on shopping satisfaction. Our results suggest that the impact of website values on shopping satisfaction is negatively moderated by consumer shopping orientations. Therefore, functional and emotional values are probably necessary but are an insufficient precondition for cultivating shopping satisfaction. Moreover, consumer hedonic orientation plays a slightly higher influence on shopping satisfaction than utilitarian orientation. Understanding these factors can provide direction for planning website features as well as consumer desired values that will increase shopping satisfaction and repurchase intention