A novel non-chemically amplified resist based on polystyrene-iodonium derivatives for electron beam lithography.

To break the resolution limitation of traditional resists, more work is needed on non-chemically amplified resists (non-CARs). Non-CARs based on iodonium salt modified polystyrene (PS-I) were prepared with controllable molecular weight and structure. The properties of the resist can be adjusted by the uploading of iodonium salts on the polymer chain, the materials with a higher proportion of iodonium salts show better lithography performance. By comparing contrast curves and quality of the lithographic patterns, the optimum developing condition of 4-methyl-2-pentanone and ethyl alcohol (v:v = 1:7) was selected. The high-resolution stripes of 15 nm half-pitch (HP) can be achieved by PS-I0.58in e-beam lithography (EBL). PS-I0.58shows the advanced lithography performance in the patterns of 16 nm HP and 18 nm HP stripes with low line edge roughness (3.0 nm and 2.4 nm). The resist shows excellent potential for further pattern transfer, the etch selectivity of resist PS-I0.58to the silicon was close to 12:1. The lithographic mechanism of PS-I was investigated by experimental and theoretical calculation, which indicates the polarity of materials changes results in the solubility switch. This work provides a new option and useful guidelines for the development of high-resolution resist.

A novel quantitative method to evaluate lumbar disc degeneration: MRI histogram analysis.

PURPOSE: This study aimed to use MRI histogram analysis to routine MRI sequences to evaluate lumbar disc degeneration (LDD), illustrate the correlation between this novel method and the traditional Pfirrmann classification method, and more importantly, perform comprehensive agreement analysis of MRI histogram analysis in various situations to evaluate its objectivity and stability. METHODS: Lumbar MRI images from 133 subjects were included in this study. LDD was classified into grades by Pfirrmann classification and was measured as peak separation value by MRI histogram analysis. Correlation analysis between the two methods was performed and cutoff values were determined. In addition, the agreement analysis of peak separation value was performed by intraclass correlation coefficient (ICC) in four scenarios, including inter-resolution, inter-observer, inter-regions of interest (ROI) and inter-slice. RESULTS: Peak separation values were strongly correlated with Pfirrmann grades (r = - 0.847). The inter-resolution agreements of peak separation value between original image resolution of 2304 × 2304 and compressed image resolutions (1152 × 1152, 576 × 576, 288 × 288) were good to excellent (ICCs were 0.916, 0.876 and 0.822), except 144 × 144 was moderate (ICC = 533). The agreements of inter-observer (ICC = 0.982) and inter-ROI (ICC = 0.915) were excellent. Compared with the mid-sagittal slice, the inter-slice agreements were good for the first adjacent slices (ICCs were 0.826 and 0.844), and moderate to good for the second adjacent slices (ICC = 0.733 and 0.753). CONCLUSION: MRI histogram analysis, used in routine MRI sequences, demonstrated a strong correlation with Pfirrmann classification and good agreements in various scenarios, expanding the range of application and providing an effective, objective and quantitative tool to evaluate LDD.

Cold-resistant performance and the promoted development of functional community with flexible metabolic patterns in a Biofilm Bio-Nutrient Removal (BBNR) system amended with supplementary carbon source for phosphorus recovery.

The need for recovery of phosphorus (P) from wastewater has accelerated the retrofitting of existing bio-nutrient removal (BNR) processes into bio-nutrient removal-phosphorus recovery processes (BNR-PR). A periodical carbon source supplement is needed to facilitate the P-recovery. But the impact of this amendment on the cold resistances of the reactor and the functional microorganisms (for nitrogen and phosphorus (P) removal/recovery) are still unknown. This study presents the performances of a biofilm BNR process with a carbon source regulated the P recovery (BBNR-CPR) process operating at different temperatures. When the temperature was decreased from 25 ± 1 °C to 6 ± 1 °C, the system total nitrogen and total phosphorus removals and the corresponding kinetic coefficients decreased moderately. The indicative genes of the phosphorus-accumulating organisms (e.g., Thauera spp. and Candidatus Accumulibacter spp.) increased significantly. An increase of Nitrosomonas spp. genes aligned to polyhydroxyalkanoates (PHAs), glycine, and extracellular polymeric substance synthesis were observed, which was probably related to cold resistance. The results provide a new vision for understanding the advantages of P recovery-targeted carbon source supplementation for constructing a new type of cold-resistant BBNR-CPR processes.

Ten years' trend analysis for Taiwanese youth high school students' health behaviors.

PURPOSE: To delineate the 10 years' trend regarding Taiwanese adolescents' health perspectives and compare the differences of six adolescent health aspects between Taiwan and the U.S. METHODS: The anonymous structured questionnaire was done every other year with representative sampling methods as Youth Risk Behavior Surveillance System in the United States. Twenty-one questions from six health aspects were extracted for further analysis. Multivariate regression analysis was performed to delineate the relationship among protective factors and risk-taking behaviors, respectively. RESULTS: Overall, 22,419 adolescents were recruited. There were decreasing trend in terms of risk-taking behaviors, such as early contact to pornography (< age 16) (70.6%-60.9%), early cigarette use (< age 13) (20.7%-14.0%), and seriously considering suicide (36.0%-17.8%). There was an increasing trend in behaviors harmful to health: current alcohol drinkers (18.9%-23.4%), and staying up late every day (15.2%-18.5%). Multivariate regression analysis after adjusting gender and grade; it disclosed an increasing trend in protective assets, such as having multiple intimate friends (75.8%-79.3%), satisfaction to body weight and body shape (31.5%-36.1% and 34.5%-40.7%), as well as always wearing a helmet while riding a bike (1.8%-3.0%). CONCLUSION: We should continuously monitor the health status trend of the adolescents to provide them with a healthier environment and well-being.

Extrarenal Wilms tumor with hypertension and dilated cardiomyopathy in an infant: A report of an unusual case.

While Wilms tumors are the most frequently detected kidney cancer type in children, extrarenal Wilms tumors (ERWTs) remain rare. This report is the first to describe hypertension and dilated cardiomyopathy in a patient with an ERWT. A 6-month-old male infant presented with an abdominal mass and paroxysmal hypertension; echocardiography revealed dilated cardiomyopathy with an ejection fraction of 34%, as well as substantially increased plasma renin activity. Pathology yielded a definitive diagnosis of ERWT. Cardiac function and blood pressure gradually returned to normal after tumorectomy. The early diagnosis of such a tumor together with efficient oncologic treatment are vital to optimal patient outcomes.

Pattern of anatomic disorder and surgical management of anorectal prolapse in anorectal malformation.

AIM: Due to the paucity of data and controversy regarding the etiology and surgical approach for managing anorectal prolapse (ARP) after anorectoplasty, we sought to investigate the underlying anatomic disorder and the surgical outcome in managing this challenging complication. METHODS: We performed a retrospective study on 83 patients with ARP related to anorectal malformations (ARM). Logistic regression analyses were performed to detect the risk factors for the ARP severity. Surgical procedures were stratified according to identified anatomical abnormalities and surgical outcomes were analyzed. RESULTS: 50 patients (62.7%) had high-type ARM. The original anorectoplasty had a higher rate of ARP in laparoscopic-assisted anorectoplasty (n = 49, 59.0%) versus posterior sagittal anorectoplasty (n = 11, 13.3%). ARP was associated with rectal fat hyperplasia (67.5%), dilated muscular tunnel (79.5%), longitudinal muscle (LM) discontinuity (16.9%), rectal dilation (22.9%), mislocated anus (7.2%), and excessive mobile mesorectum (3.6%). Based on the ARP severity, the patients were divided into a severe group (Group 1, n = 38) and a moderate group (Group 2, n = 45). Binary logistic regression analysis showed that hyperplasia rectal fat (OR 4.55, 95% CI 1.16-17.84), rectal dilation (OR 4.21, 95% CI 1.05-16.94), and high-type ARM (OR 2.90, 95% CI 1.14-7.39) were independent risk factors for the development of severe ARP. Complications after stratified surgical repair included wound infection in six patients (7.2%), anal stenosis in one patient (1.2%), and ARP recurrence in two patients (2.4%). Twenty-six patients without colostomy before prolapse repair were followed up for 2 to 12 years. All the patients maintained voluntary bowel movements. Following ARP repair, there was an overall higher rate of no soiling or grade 1 soiling (88.5 vs. 65.4%), but 3 of 12 patients with grade 2 constipation were upgraded to grade 3. CONCLUSION: Our study shows that ARM-related anorectal prolapse is associated with excessive rectum, hyperplasia of rectal fat, mobile mesorectum, loose muscular tunnel, LM discontinuity, and anal mislocation. Surgical repair with techniques stratified according to the patients' underlying risk factors is effective to prevent recurrence and improve the soiling continence.

A Novel Based-Network Strategy to Identify Phytochemicals from Radix Salviae Miltiorrhizae (Danshen) for Treating Alzheimer's Disease.

Alzheimer's disease (AD) is a common age-related neurodegenerative disease that strikes millions worldwide. Herein, we demonstrate a new approach based on network target to identify anti-AD compounds from Danshen. Network pharmacology and molecular docking were employed to establish the DS-AD network, which mainly involved apoptosis of neuron cells. Then network scoring was confirmed via Connectivity Map analysis. M308 (Danshenxinkun D) was an anti-AD candidate with a high score (p < 0.01). Furthermore, we conducted ex vivo experiments with H2O2-treated PC12 cells to verify the neuroprotective effect of Salvia miltiorrhiza-containing plasma (SMP), and UPLC-Q-TOF/MS and RT-qPCR were performed to demonstrate the anti-AD activity of M308 from SMP. Results revealed that SMP could enhance cell viability and level of acetylcholine. AO/EB staining and Mitochondrial membrane potential (MMP) analysis showed that SMP significantly suppressed apoptosis, which may be due to anti-oxidative stress activity. Moreover, the effects of M308 and SMP on expressions of PSEN1, DRD2, and APP mRNA were consistent, and M308 can significantly reverse the expression of PSEN1 and DRD2 mRNA in H2O2-treated PC12 cells. The strategy based on the network could be employed to identify anti-AD compounds from Chinese herbs. Notably, M308 stands out as a promising anti-AD candidate for development.

Biliary atresia in twins'population: a retrospective multicenter study in mainland China.

AIM: We evaluated the demographic of biliary atresia (BA) children from twins family and aimed to investigated what it can add to the twins' literature and our understanding of the disease. METHODS: This study contains 11 medical centers in mainland China and the medical record of twins with BA was retrospectively analyzed from January 2012 to December 2018. Follow-up was carried out by out-patient review and questionnaire. RESULTS: The study included 19 twin pairs in whom there was discordance for BA. Sixteen (84.2%) affected twin underwent Kasai Procedure (KP); median age at KP was 78 (49-168) days. There were ten affected twins that became jaundice-free at 3 months post-KP, and eight occurred with different degrees of cholangitis post-KP. Six affected twins received Liver Transplantation (LT) successfully. The 2 year native liver survival rate and the 2 year overall survival rate of affected twins were 61.1 and 94.4%, respectively. There were three affected monozygotic (MZ) twins and one healthy co-twin with BA-associated congenital malformations, all of which were cardiac malformations. The number of virus infection of affected MZ twins was significantly more (p = 0.04) than affected dizygotic (DZ) twin. CONCLUSIONS: Discordance for BA in 19 pairs of twins supported that BA may be related to genetic phenotype or penetrance. The difference in genetic background between MZ and DZ affects the susceptibility of the host to virus infection. High acceptance of KP (84.2%) in our study implied a high motivation for treatment for twins with BA. Delays of KP (78 days) in affected twin may be related to the postnatal gradual onset and the late diagnosis.

[Risk factors of death in newborns with congenital diaphragmatic hernia].

Objective:To investigate risk factors of death in newborns with congenital diaphragmatic hernia (CDH). Method:A total of 126 newborns with CDH from June 2012 to September 2018 were enrolled. Concomitant malformations were recorded by descriptive analysis. Newborns received surgical treatment (n=120) for CDH were divided into survival group and fatal group. The risk factors of death were analyzed by univariate and multivariate logistic regression and the ROC curve with generated with relevant variables. Result:There were 55 CDH newborns with concomitant malformations (43.7%), including 20 cases (15.9%) with multi-malformation. Logistic regression analysis showed that premature rupture of membranes (PROM), postoperative atelectasis, long duration of postoperative mechanical ventilation, postoperative high oxygenation index (OI) were related to death (all P<0.05), and the delayed surgery was a protective factor (P<0.05). In ROC analysis of postoperative OI in predicting death, the area under the curve (AUC) was 0.841, with the cutoff value of 5.74, the sensibility and specificity of OI was 81.0% and 75.0%, respectively(P<0.01). Conclusions:Newborns with CDH have a high rate of malformations. The risk factors of death were PROM, postoperative atelectasis, postoperative long duration of mechanical ventilation and higher postoperative OI, and delayed surgery may reduce mortality.

[Experience in treatment of complex congenital intestinal atresia in children].

OBJECTIVE: To summarize experience in the treatment of complex congenital intestinal atresia in children, so as to investigate the key points and effect of the operation. METHODS: Medical notes of 49 children with complex intestinal atresia treated between January 2012 and January 2018 were reviewed. The information of age, sex, age at operation, full-term or premature, birth weight, clinical manifestation, auxiliary examination, preliminary diagnosis, treatment process, discharge diagnosis, pathological results and prognosis of patients were analyzed. RESULTS: All patients underwent surgical treatment, including 42 cases with laparotomy (85.7%) and 7 with laparoscopic surgery (14.3%); 1 case undergoing laparoscopic surgery was converted to laparotomy due to meconium peritonitis. The mean operation time was (147±43) min (70-270 min); the mean fasting time after surgery was (8±3) d (4-16 d); the mean parenteral nutrition time was (12±6) d (3-30 d). Eleven cases were discharged against medical after operation and lost to follow-up. Among rest 38 children, 1 child (2.6%) received intestinal resection and ostomy five days after operation due to gastrointestinal perforation; 1 child (2.6%) received conservative treatment one month later due to adhered intestinal obstruction and left hospital with cure; 1 child (2.6%) received enterodialysis and ileostomy eight days after operation due to anastomotic leak, and received the operation for the closure of fistula after three months; 4 children had complications including fluid and electrolyte disorders, anemia, hypoproteinemia and so on, and recovered after conservative treatments. Postoperative follow-up showed that 1 child with duodenal atresia had lower body weight at 6 month after operation, but the body weight returned to normal when the child was one year old; 1 child with preterm labor of 32 weeks was treated with enteral nutrition, and gradually restored the normal diet after 6 months. Growth retardation was not observed in other children. CONCLUSIONS: With active treatment and reservation of normal bowel tube as much as possible during the operation, the prognosis of children with complex intestinal atresia is usually favorable.

[Thoracoscopic repair of congenital diaphragmatic hernia in neonates: a report of 47 cases].

OBJECTIVE: To review the application of thoracoscopic repair for treatment of congenital diaphragmatic hernia in neonates, so as to improve the cure rate. METHODS: Clinical data of 47 neonates with congenital diaphragmatic hernia receiving thoracoscopic repair from June 2012 to June 2017 were reviewed. The admission age, gestational age, birth weight, timing of diagnosis, hernia location, clinical manifestation, surgical timing, surgical method, operation time, postoperative mechanical ventilation time of patients were analyzed. RESULTS: There were 42 cases of left diaphragmatic hernia and 5 cases of right diaphragmatic hernia. Thirteen cases were diagnosed prenatally. Primary diaphragmatic repair was successfully accomplished under thoracoscope in 45 neonates without perioperative complications, while 2 patients were converted to open surgery. The average operation time was (63±13) min (42-150 min), the average blood loss was (3.0±1.7) mL (1.0-9.0 mL), and the average postoperative mechanical ventilation time was (3.9±1.4) d (2.0-11.0 d). Two patients died and the treatment was withdrawn in 3 patients with an overall cure rate of 89.4% (42/47). CONCLUSIONS: Thoracoscopic repair is effective and can be used as first-choice treatment of diaphragmatic hernia in neonates.

Difference of efficacy between Laparoscopic Modified Soave operation and Open Radical Resection in the treatment of Hirschsprung's disease.

OBJECTIVE: To analyze and compare the efficacy of laparoscopic modified Soave operation and open radical resection in the treatment of Hirschsprung's disease. METHODS: Two hundred and sixteen children who suffered from Hirschsprung's disease and were admitted into the hospital from June 2015 to December 2016 were selected as research subjects. They were grouped into an observation group in which patients were treated by laparoscopic modified Soave operation and open radical resection and a control group in which patients were treated by open radical resection. The clinical efficacy and complications of the two groups were observed, and the defecation function was also evaluated. RESULTS: Operation indicators such as the operation time, time to recovery of intestine peristalsis, intraoperative blood loss and pain score of the observation group were superior to those of the control group, and the difference had statistical significance (P<0.05). The mean arterial pressure (MAP) and heart rate (HR) of the observation group were lower than those of the control group at all time points after operation, and the difference suggested statistical significance (P<0.05). The postoperative complications of the observation group were less than those of the control group. The follow-up results demonstrated that the excellent and good rate of Kelly score of the observation group was 81.5%, higher than 61.1% in the control group. CONCLUSION: Laparoscopic modified Soave operation has definite efficacy in the treatment of Hirschsprung's disease, and the treatment is featured by high safety and few complications, which is beneficial to the recovery of defecation function; hence laparoscopic modified Soave operation is worth clinical promotion.

Dydrogesterone has no effect on uterine fibroids when used to prevent miscarriage in pregnant women with uterine fibroids.

OBJECTIVES: To analyse the effect of dydrogesterone use during pregnancy on uterine fibroids, pregnancy complications, and pregnancy outcome. MATERIAL AND METHODS: In all, 372 pregnant women with uterine fibroids who were treated at the Affiliated Provincial Hospital of Shandong University were included in this study. Thirty-three of these women received dydrogesterone and constituted the treatment group, and the 27 women who were found to have uterine fibroids during the first trimester but did not receive intervention to prevent miscarriage composed the control group. The changes in uterine fibroids before and after pregnancy and the pregnancy complications were recorded; immunohistochemistry was used to detect the expression of progesterone receptor (PR) and proliferation- and apoptosis-related proteins in the uterine fibroid tissue. RESULTS: No significant difference was observed in the change in uterine fibroid volume during pregnancy between the treatment group and the control group (p > 0.05). The percentage of uterine fibroids with red degeneration was lower in the treatment group than in the control group, but the difference was not statistically significant. No significant difference was observed in newborn weight, height, Apgar score, threatened miscarriage, or premature birth, among other characteristics, between the two groups (p > 0.05). Immunohistochemistry showed no significant difference in the expression of PR, cyclinD1, insulin-like growth factor (IGF1), or B-cell lymphoma 2 (Bcl2) between the two groups. CONCLUSIONS: The use of dydrogesterone during pregnancy has no significant effect on uterine fibroids, pregnancy progression, or pregnancy outcomes in pregnant patients with uterine fibroids.

State- and frequency-dependence in autonomic rebalance mediated by intradermal auricular electroacupuncture stimulation.

Background: Vagus nerve stimulation (VNS) improves diseases such as refractory epilepsy and treatment-resistant depression, likely by rebalancing the autonomic nervous system (ANS). Intradermal auricular electro-acupuncture stimulation (iaES) produces similar effects. The aim of this study was to determine the effects of different iaES frequencies on the parasympathetic and sympathetic divisions in different states of ANS imbalance. Methods: We measured heart rate variability (HRV) and heart rate (HR) of non-modeled (normal) rats with the treatment of various frequencies to determine the optimal iaES frequency. The optimized iaES frequency was then applied to ANS imbalance model rats to elucidate its effects. Results: 30 Hz and 100 Hz iaES clearly affected HRV and HR in normal rats. 30 Hz iaES increased HRV, and decreased HR. 100 Hz iaES decreased HRV, and increased HR. In sympathetic excited state rats, 30 Hz iaES increased HRV. 100 Hz iaES increased HRV, and decreased HR. In parasympathetic excited state rats, 30 Hz and 100 Hz iaES decreased HRV. In sympathetic inhibited state rats, 30 Hz iaES decreased HRV, while 100 Hz iaES decreased HR. In parasympathetic inhibited rats, 30 Hz iaES decreased HR and 100 Hz iaES increased HRV. Conclusion: 30 Hz and 100 Hz iaES contribute to ANS rebalance by increasing vagal and sympathetic activity with different amplifications. The 30 Hz iaES exhibited positive effects in all the imbalanced states. 100 Hz iaES suppressed the sympathetic arm in sympathetic excitation and sympathetic/parasympathetic inhibition and suppressed the vagal arm and promoted the sympathetic arm in parasympathetic excitation and normal states.

PIVKA-II combined with alpha-fetoprotein for the diagnostic value of hepatic tumors in children: a multicenter, prospective observational study.

BACKGROUND: To investigate whether protein induced by vitamin K antagonist-II (PIVKA-II) combined with alpha-fetoprotein (AFP) can improve the diagnostic and differential diagnostic accuracy of childhood hepatic tumors. METHODS: A multi-center prospective observational study was performed at nine regional institutions around China. Children with hepatic mass (Group T) were divided into hepatoblastoma group (Group THB) and hemangioendothelioma group (Group THE), children with extrahepatic abdominal mass (Group C). Peripheral blood was collected from each patient prior to surgery or chemotherapy. The area under the curve (AUROC) was used to evaluate the diagnostic efficiency of PIVKA-II and the combined tumor markers with AFP. RESULTS: The mean levels of PIVKA-II and AFP were both significantly higher in Group T than Group C (p = 0.001, p < 0.001), in Group THB than Group THE (p = 0.018, p = 0.013) and in advanced HB than non-advanced HB (p = 0.001, p = 0.021). For the diagnosis of childhood hepatic tumors, AUROC of PIVKA-II (cut-off value 32.6 mAU/mL) and AFP (cut-off value 120 ng/mL) was 0.867 and 0.857. The differential diagnostic value of PIVKA-II and AFP in hepatoblastoma from hemangioendothelioma was further assessed, AUROC of PIVKA-II (cut-off value 47.1mAU/mL) and AFP (cut-off value 560 ng/mL) was 0.876 and 0.743. The combined markers showed higher AUROC (0.891, 0.895 respectively) than PIVKA-II or AFP alone. CONCLUSIONS: The serum level of PIVKA-II was significantly higher in children with hepatic tumors, especially those with malignant tumors. The combination of PIVKA-II with AFP further increased the diagnostic performance. TRIAL REGISTRATION: Clinical Trials, NCT03645655. Registered 20 August 2018, https://www. CLINICALTRIALS: gov/ct2/show/NCT03645655 .

Practice guideline on ovarian tissue cryopreservation and transplantation in the prevention and treatment of iatrogenic premature ovarian insufficiency.

Premature ovarian insufficiency (POI) refers to the decline of ovarian function before the age of 40. POI causes a reduction in or loss of female fertility, accompanied by different degrees of menopausal symptoms, which increases the risk of chronic diseases related to early menopause and seriously affects patients' quality of life and health. It is conservatively estimated that at least one million prepubertal girls and women of reproductive age in China are at risk of iatrogenic POI caused by radiotherapy and chemotherapy every year. With the development of medical technology and the breakthrough of scientific and technological advances, preventing and treating iatrogenic POI have become possible. International and national guidelines consider cryopreserved ovarian tissue transplantation to be the most promising method of preserving the ovarian function and fertility of prepubertal girls and women of reproductive age who cannot delay radiotherapy and chemotherapy. In order to guide the clinical application of ovarian tissue cryopreservation and transplantation technology in China, the Guideline Working Group finally included 14 scientific questions and 18 recommendations through a questionnaire survey, field investigation, and consultation of a large number of Chinese and English literature databases in order to provide a reference for colleagues in clinical practice.

Elucidating the role of ubiquitination and deubiquitination in osteoarthritis progression.

Osteoarthritis is non-inflammatory degenerative joint arthritis, which exacerbates disability in elder persons. The molecular mechanisms of osteoarthritis are elusive. Ubiquitination, one type of post-translational modifications, has been demonstrated to accelerate or ameliorate the development and progression of osteoarthritis via targeting specific proteins for ubiquitination and determining protein stability and localization. Ubiquitination process can be reversed by a class of deubiquitinases via deubiquitination. In this review, we summarize the current knowledge regarding the multifaceted role of E3 ubiquitin ligases in the pathogenesis of osteoarthritis. We also describe the molecular insight of deubiquitinases into osteoarthritis processes. Moreover, we highlight the multiple compounds that target E3 ubiquitin ligases or deubiquitinases to influence osteoarthritis progression. We discuss the challenge and future perspectives via modulation of E3 ubiquitin ligases and deubiquitinases expression for enhancement of the therapeutic efficacy in osteoarthritis patients. We conclude that modulating ubiquitination and deubiquitination could alleviate the osteoarthritis pathogenesis to achieve the better treatment outcomes in osteoarthritis patients.

Ovarian tissue cryopreservation in the pediatric with rare diseases- experience from China's first and the largest ovarian tissue cryobank.

Background: There is limited information about the efficacy of ovarian tissue cryopreservation (OTC) in children. In the present study, we report eight patients with rare diseases who underwent OTC in China's first and largest ovarian tissue cryobank. Procedure: Data from girls with rare diseases who underwent OTC between September 2020 and November 2022 were retrospectively analyzed. We also compared the number of cryopreserved cortex pieces, follicle number, and AMH in those with rare diseases and age-matched children with non-rare diseases who also underwent OTC in our cryobank. Results: The median age of the children was 5.88 ± 3.52 (range 2-13) years old. Unilateral oophorectomy was undertaken via laparoscopy in all of the children. The diseases in the 8 patients were: 4 mucopolysaccharidoses (MPS I two cases, IVA two cases), 1 Diamond-Blackfan anemia (DBA), 1 Fanconi anemia (FA), 1 hyperimmunoglobulin E syndrome (HIES), 1 Niemann-Pick disease. The number of cryopreserved cortex pieces was 17.13 ± 6.36, and the follicle count per 2 mm biopsy was 447.38 ± 524.35. No significant difference in age, the count of cryopreserved cortex pieces, follicle number per 2 mm biopsy, and AMH level was seen between the 20 children with non-rare diseases and those with rare diseases. Conclusions: The reports help practitioners counsel girls with rare diseases about fertility preservation. The demand for OTC in pediatrics will likely grow as a standard of care.

Forecasting greenhouse gas emissions with the new information priority generalized accumulative grey model.

Air pollution and other environmental problems caused by excessive emissions of greenhouse gases have become a comprehensive problem requiring joint global treatment. To consider the characteristics of different regions and different countries in terms of greenhouse gas emissions for accurate prediction, a new information priority generalized accumulative grey model (NIPGAGM(1,1,k)) is proposed. The new model maintains the structure of the traditional grey model and the basic result characteristics of its features. This research further deduces the calculation formulas of the model's time response sequence and parameter estimation. Furthermore, an optimization model is established to search the parameters using a detailed optimization algorithm. The optimization value of the new model is determined by the intelligent optimization algorithm. Then, the new model is applied to the greenhouse gas emission prediction of the Shanghai Cooperation Organization (SCO) member states. The numerical results are compared with those of existing models. Finally, according to the forecast results of greenhouse gas emissions in these regions, reasonable suggestions for clean energy production are proposed.

Ovarian tissue cryopreservation for a 3-year-old girl with Mosaic Turner syndrome in China: First case report and literature review.

Background: Although it cannot be predicted accurately which young females will develop premature ovarian insufficiency (POI) following chemotherapy or irradiation, patients at high risk of POI should be offered ovarian tissue cryopreservation (OTC). Our ovarian tissue cryobank is the first center in China. OTC was firstly performed on a 3-year-old girl with mosaic Turner syndrome (TS) in China. We report this case and present a literature review about TS girls' fertility preservation (FP). Case presentation: Karyotype analysis of umbilical cord blood showed that the girl was diagnosed with TS, 45,X [19]/46,XX [81]. The girl was a 3-year-old girl when her parents would like OTC to preserve fertility. No abnormality was found in the reproductive system, abdominal and cardiac ultrasound, spinal X-ray, and bone age. She was treated with growth hormone (GH) one year ago because of her short stature. GH has been discontinued now. Because of the high risk of POI, OTC was planned. The hormone level before OTC was FSH 4.27 IU/L, LH 0.00 IU/L, E2 < 11.80 pg/ml, AMH 1.06 ng/ml. Pelvic ultrasound showed that the size of the bilateral ovaries was 1.6 cm×0.7-0.8 cm, no enlarged follicles were found, and the maximum diameter of follicles was 0.2-0.37 cm. Ovarian tissue for OTC was taken from the whole right ovary by laparoscopic surgery, and the antral follicles could be seen in ovarian tissue preparation. Sixteen ovarian cortical slices were cryopreserved by slow freezing, with an average of 1380 follicles in round cortical tissue with a diameter of 2 mm, and the follicular density was about 440/mm3. The ovarian tissue from 10 children with non-TS was cryopreserved in our center, the median age was 5 (range 2-8) years old, and the median number of follicles was 766 (range 163-2250) per 2 mm biopsy. The follicles number in this girl were within normal range. Conclusion: TS patients should be evaluated early in childhood to benefit from FP. For highly selected young females with mosaic TS, if the endocrine evaluation does not indicate POI and other health problems do not rule out future pregnancy, it seems reasonable to consider OTC as an FP option.