Risk of major mental disorders in the offspring of parents with migraine.

Background: Migraine has been associated with mental disorders, however whether parental migraine is associated with an increased risk of major mental disorders (MMDs) in offspring has not been investigated. We aimed to examine the risk of the development of MMDs in the offspring of parents with migraine compared with those of parents without migraine.

Methods: This study used data derived from the Taiwan National Health Insurance Research Database.

The Association between Human Epididymis Secretory Protein 4 and Metabolic Syndrome.

Individuals with metabolic syndrome (MetS) are known to have an increased risk of carcinogenesis. Human epididymis protein 4 (HE4) is a tumor marker and prognostic factor for epithelial ovarian carcinoma (EOC) patients. However, no studies have evaluated the association between MetS and HE4 levels.

Relationships between white blood cell count and insulin resistance, glucose effectiveness, and first- and second-phase insulin secretion in young adults.

The Increasing prevalence of type 2 diabetes mellitus (T2DM) has been observed in younger adults. Insulin resistance [IR], decreased first-, second-phase insulin secretion, and glucose effectiveness (GE) (IR, first phase insulin secretion [FPIS], second phase insulin secretion [SPIS], and GE), denoted as diabetes factors (DF), are core for developing T2DM. A body of evidence has shown that inflammation contributes to the development of diabetes.

Are the Different Diabetes Subgroups Correlated With All-Cause, Cancer-Related, and Cardiovascular-Related Mortality?

Context: Numerous studies have shown that cardiovascular disease (CVD) represents the most important cause of mortality among people with diabetes mellitus (DM). However, no studies have evaluated the risk of CVD-related mortality among different DM subgroups.

Objective: We aimed to examine all-cause, CVD-related, and cancer-related mortality for different DM subgroups.

Predictors of abnormality in thallium myocardial perfusion scans for type 2 diabetes.

Type 2 diabetes mellitus (T2DM) increases coronary artery disease (CAD) risk. In this study, we used T2DM clinical variables to predict abnormality in thallium-201 myocardial perfusion scans (Th-201 scans). These clinical variables were summed stress score (SSS), summed rest score, and summed difference score (SDS), with data obtained from 368 male and 428 female participants with T2DM.

Effect of body mass index on diabetogenesis factors at a fixed fasting plasma glucose level.

Aim: The present study evaluated the relative influence of body mass index (BMI) on insulin resistance (IR), first-phase insulin secretion (FPIS), second-phase insulin secretion (SPIS), and glucose effectiveness (GE) at a fixed fasting plasma glucose level in an older ethnic Chinese population.

Methods: In total, 265 individuals aged 60 years with a fasting plasma glucose level of 5.56 mmol/L were enrolled.

Presence of Modic type 1 change increases risk of postoperative pyogenic discitis following decompression surgery for lumbar canal stenosis.

Study Design: Multicenter retrospective study.

Background: Postoperative surgical site infection is one of the most serious complications following spine surgery. Previous studies do not appear to have investigated pyogenic discitis following lumbar laminectomy without discectomy.

Identification of Impaired Second-Phase Insulin Secretion in Various Degrees of Glucose Tolerance in a Chinese Population.

Aim: Impaired insulin sensitivity and insulin secretion (ISEC) are major pathophysiologies of type 2 diabetes (T2DM). ISEC has two phases: the first and second phases (second ISEC). In this study, we derived equations to identify patients with second ISEC deficiency (ISEC-D).

Identification of Normal Blood Pressure in Different Age Group.

The concept of using single criterion of normal blood pressure with systolic blood pressure (SBP) < 140 mmHg and diastolic blood pressure (DBP) < 90 mmHg for all ages is still disputable. The aim of the study is to identify the cutoff value of normotension in different age and sex groups.Totally, 127,922 (63,724 men and 64,198 women) were enrolled for the analysis.

Phasic dysfunction of dopamine transmission in Tourette's syndrome evaluated with 99mTc TRODAT-1 imaging.

This study investigated the complex dysregulation of the dopaminergic neurotransmitter system in Tourette's syndrome (TS) patients challenged with methylphenidate (MPH). Eight drug-naïve male patients (aged 21-25 years) who met DSM-IV criteria for TS and had a mean disease severity of 25 on the Yale Global Tic Severity Scale were recruited. Brain (99m)TC TRODAT-1 dopamine transporter (DAT) single photon emission computed tomography (SPECT) was performed 5 days before, and 2 h after 10 mg of orally administered MPH.

Multiple signals required for cyclic AMP-responsive element binding protein (CREB) binding protein interaction induced by CD3/CD28 costimulation.

The optimal activation of cAMP-responsive element binding protein (CREB), similar to the full activation of T lymphocytes, requires the stimulation of both CD3 and CD28. Using a reporter system to detect interaction of CREB and CREB-binding protein (CBP), in this study we found that CREB binds to CBP only by engagement of both CD3 and CD28. CD3/CD28-promoted CREB-CBP interaction was dependent on p38 mitogen-activated protein kinase (MAPK) and calcium/calmodulin-dependent protein kinase (CaMK) IV in addition to the previously identified extracellular signal-regulated kinase pathway.

[Propofol potentiates the neuromuscular blocking effects of vecuronium in man].

The possible interaction between vecuronium and propofol has been investigated in 40 healthy (ASA I-II) patients. They were randomly allocated to two groups according to the method of anesthesia; continuous propofol infusion group (propofol) and droperidol and fentanyl group (control). The electromyographic response of abductor digiti minimi was monitored at 20-s interval after train-of-four stimulations of the ulnar nerve.

The antiapoptotic gene mcl-1 is up-regulated by the phosphatidylinositol 3-kinase/Akt signaling pathway through a transcription factor complex containing CREB.

mcl-1 is an immediate-early gene activated by the granulocyte-macrophage colony-stimulating factor (GM-CSF) and interleukin 3 (IL-3) signaling pathways and plays an important role in the viability response of these cytokines. In this study, we demonstrated that cytokine stimulation of mcl-1 mRNA and protein expression were attenuated by pretreatment of cells with phosphatidylinositol 3-kinase (PI3-K) inhibitors. Reporter gene assays further showed that the PI3-K/Akt signaling pathway was involved in IL-3 activation of mcl-1 gene transcription.

A pure, monolayer culture of Merkel cells from sinus hair follicles of the rat.

Merkel cells, mechanoreceptor cells in the skin, were dissociated from sinus hair follicles of the whisker pads of newborn rats, and cultured in a serum-free medium. Based on the uptake of quinacrine, a specific fluorescence marking dye, more than 90% of the cells in culture were identified as Merkel cells. During monolayer culture on a poly-L-lysine-coated coverglass surface, Merkel cells exhibited a flat round morphology and often extended thin lamellae on their fringe.