Objectives Use three-dimensional (3D) facial laser scanned images from children with fetal alcohol syndrome (FAS) and controls to develop an automated diagnosis technique that can reliably and accurately identify individuals prenatally exposed to alcohol. Methods A detailed dysmorphology evaluation, history of prenatal alcohol exposure, and 3D facial laser scans were obtained from 149 individuals (86 FAS; 63 Control) recruited from two study sites (Cape Town, South Africa and Helsinki, Finland). Computer graphics, machine learning, and pattern recognition techniques were used to automatically identify a set of facial features that best discriminated individuals with FAS from controls in each sample. Results An automated feature detection and analysis technique was developed and applied to the two study populations. A unique set of facial regions and features were identified for each population that accurately discriminated FAS and control faces without any human intervention. Conclusion Our results demonstrate that computer algorithms can be used to automatically detect facial features that can discriminate FAS and control faces.

Background: The presence of microvascular invasion (MVI) in intrahepatic cholangiocarcinoma (ICC) is a significant adverse prognostic factor. This study sought to investigate the correlation between preoperative imaging parameters and MVI in ICC. Methods: A total of 108 patients with surgically resected single ICC tumors (34 MVI-positive and 74 MVI-negative lesions) who underwent MRI examination, including T1WI, T2WI, DWI, and dynamic enhancement imaging, were enrolled in this retrospective study. The following qualitative and quantitative characteristics were evaluated: tumor morphology, signal features on T1WI and T2WI, intrahepatic duct dilatation, hepatic capsule retraction, target sign on DWI, dynamic enhancement pattern, arterial phase enhancement pattern, dot−/band-like enhancement inside the tumor, visible vessel penetration inside the tumor (hepatic artery, portal vein, or hepatic vein), integrity of the enhancement edge of the arterial phase, peripheral hepatic enhancement, tumor size, maximum enhancement edge thickness, arterial edge enhancement ratio, and delayed phase enhancement ratio. Other clinicopathological features were also used to predict and evaluate MVI in ICC. Chi-square test, Fisher's exact test, and independent ttest were used for univariate analysis to determine the relationships among the presence of MVI and these MR parameters. Logistic regression analysis was used to identify predictors of MVI among these MR parameters. Results: Among MRI characteristics, tumor morphology, intrahepatic duct dilatation, arterial phase enhancement pattern, visible hepatic artery penetration sign, maximum diameter of the tumor and the arterial phase edge enhancement ratio were correlated with MVI (P = 0.007, 0.003, 0.008, 0.000, 0.003, and 0.002, respectively). Furthermore, higher CA19-9 levels (≥37 U/ml) and pathological tumor grade III were also related to MVI (P = 0.014 and 0.004, respectively). However, multivariate logistic regression analysis demonstrated that none of the parameters were independent risk factors for the diagnosis of MVI in ICCs. Conclusion: For the preoperative prediction of MVI in ICC, six qualitative and quantitative data obtained on preoperative MRI, as well as one tumorigenic marker and the pathological tumor grade, were statistically significant. More research is needed to identify MR characteristics that can be used as independent risk factors.

Abstract. The prevalence of metabolic syndrome and cardiovascular disease is increasing due to increases in the consumption of high fat diets (HFDs) and the epidemic of obesity. In the present study, it was hypothesized that swimming exercise may prevent HFD-induced impairment of aortic function and that these changes are associated with reduction of oxidative stress, proinflammatory adipokines/cytokines. Male, 6-week-old C57BL/6J mice were fed a 60% lipid composition HFD with or without swimming exercise (90 min/swim and 2 swims/day) for 16 weeks. Exercise training prevented HFD-induced increases in visceral fat weight, total cholesterol and triglycerides. Furthermore, exercise training improved HFD-impaired aortic endothelium-dependent dilation that was associated with reduction of oxidative stress, leptin, resistin, monocyte chemoattractant protein 1, interleukin (IL)6 and IL8. In addition, exercise inhibited HFD-induced vascular endothelial growth factor expression in gastrocnemius skeletal muscle. These data demonstrate that swimming exercise prevents aortic tissue oxidative stress, inflammation and vascular dysfunction in HFD-induced obesity.

The effects of pretreatment with androgen or thyroid hormone on androgen-induced proliferation of granular convoluted tubular cells (GCT cells) in the submandibular glands of ovariectomized female BALB/c or C57BL/6 mice were investigated. The proliferation of GCT cells was estimated by their labeling index. Daily injections of 5 alpha-dihydrotestosterone (DHT) (100 micrograms/mouse/day) caused a transient increase in the labeling index of GCT cells of ovariectomized 60-day-old BALB/c mice during the first four injections, but injections of thyroxine (T4) (15 micrograms/mouse/day) did not. On the other hand, both DHT and T4 increased the esteroprotease activity, a marker of the differentiation of GCT cells, time dependently. Injections of DHT into ovariectomized 102-day-old BALB/c mice also caused a transient increase in the labeling index of GCT cells. However, pretreatment of ovariectomized 60-day-old BALB/c mice with DHT for 4 or 14 days completely abolished the DHT-induced increase in the labeling index of 102-day-old mice, and pretreatment with T4 for 14 days reduced this increase. Pretreatment with DHT or T4 for 14 days did not affect the DHT-induced increase in esteroprotease activity. Pretreatment of ovariectomized 60-day-old C57BL/6 mice with DHT for 14 days also completely abolished the DHT-induced increase in the labeling index of GCT cells at the age of 102 days, but pretreatment with T4 for 14 days did not affect the increase.(ABSTRACT TRUNCATED AT 250 WORDS)

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Background The mechanism of body growth in mammals is poorly understood. Here, we investigated the regulatory networks involved in body growth through transcriptomic analysis of pituitary and epiphyseal tissues of smaller sized Debao ponies and Mongolian horses at the juvenile and adult stages. Results We found that growth hormone receptor (GHR) was expressed at low levels in long bones, although growth hormone (GH) was highly expressed in Debao ponies compared with Mongolian horses. Moreover, significant downregulated of the GHR pathway components m-RAS and ATF3 was found in juvenile ponies, which slowed the proliferation of bone osteocytes. However, WNT2 and PLCβ2 were obviously upregulated in juvenile Debao ponies, which led to premature mineralization of the bone extracellular matrix. Furthermore, we found that the WNT/Ca2+ pathway may be responsible for regulating body growth. GHR was demonstrated by q-PCR and Western blot analyses to be expressed at low levels in long bones of Debao ponies. Treatment with WNT antagonistI decreased the expression of WNT pathway components (P < 0.05) in vitro. Transduction of ATDC5 cells with a GHR-RNAi lentiviral vector decreased the expression of the GHR pathway components (P < 0.05). Additionally, the expression of the IGF-1 gene in the liver was lower in Debao ponies than in Mongolian horses at the juvenile and adult stages. Detection of plasma hormone concentrations showed that Debao ponies expressed higher levels of IGF-1 as juveniles and higher levels of GH as adults than Mongolian horses, indicating that the hormone regulation in Debao ponies differs from that in Mongolian horses. Conclusion Our work provides insights into the genetic regulation of short stature growth in mammals and can provide useful information for the development of therapeutic strategies for small size.

Background: The mechanism of body growth in mammal s is poorly understood. Here, we report the regulat ory networks involv ed in body growth through analyzing transcriptomes of pituitary and epiphyseal tissues of Debao pon ies and Mongolian horse s at juvenile and adult stages . Results: We found that Growth hornome receptor ( GHR ) was expressed little in long bones though Growth hornome ( GH ) w as highly expressed in Debao pon ies compared with Mongolian horses. Moreover, m -RAS and ATF3 , involved in the GHR pathway , were found to be significant ly downreg ulated in juvenile pon ies , which slowed the proliferation of bone osteocytes. However, WNT2 and PLCβ2 were obviously upregulated in juvenile Debao ponies, which led to premature mineralization of bone extracellular matrix. Furthermore, we found that the WNT/Ca 2+ pathway may be responsible for the regulation of body growth . W e then demonstrated that GHR was lack ing in long bone s of Debao ponies using RT-qPCR and Western blot. Treatment with WNT antagonist 1 decrease d expression of the WNT pathway (P ≤ 0.05) in vitro. The transduction of ATDC5 cells with GHR-RNAi lentivirus decrease d expression of the GHR pathway (P ≤ 0.05). Additionally, detection of plasma hormone concentration s showed that the pon ies had higher levels of IGF-1 as juvenile s and GH in adulthood than Mongolian horse s , indicating that the hormone regulation in Debao pon ies differ s from that in Mongolian horse s . Conclusion: Our work provides an insight into the genetic regulation for dwarf growth in mammals and a reference for therapeutic strategy for dwarfism.

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