Estimation of the genetic parameters of sheep growth traits based on machine vision acquisition.

In the realm of animal phenotyping, manual measurements are frequently utilised. While machine-generated data show potential for enhancing high-throughput breeding, additional research and validation are imperative before incorporating them into genetic evaluation processes. This research presents a method for managing meat sheep and collecting data, utilising the Sheep Data Recorder system for data input and the Sheep Body Size Collector system for image capture. The study aimed to investigate the genetic parameter changes of growth traits in Ujumqin sheep by comparing machine-generated measurements with manual measurements. The dataset consisted of 552 data points from the offspring of 75 breeding rams and 399 breeding ewes. Six distinct random regression models were assessed to pinpoint the most suitable model for estimating genetic parameters linked to growth traits. These models were distinguished based on the inclusion or exclusion of maternal genetic effects, maternal permanent environmental effects, and covariance between maternal and direct genetic effects. Fixed factors such as individual age, individual sex, and ewe age were taken into account in the analysis. The genetic parameters for the yearling growth traits of Ujumqin sheep were calculated using ASReml software. The Akaike information criterion, the Bayesian information criterion, and fivefold cross-validation were employed to identify the optimal model. Research findings indicate that the most accurate models for manually measured data revealed heritability estimates of 0.12 ± 0.15 for BW, 0.05 ± 0.07 for body slanting length, 0.03 ± 0.07 for withers height, 0.15 ± 0.12 for hip height, 0.11 ± 0.11 for chest depth, 0.13 ± 0.13 for shoulder width, and 0.53 ± 0.15 for chest circumference. The optimal models for machine-predicted data showed heritability estimates of 0.1 ± 0.09 for body slanting length, 0.14 ± 0.12 for withers height, 0.55 ± 0.15 for hip height, 0.34 ± 0.15 for chest depth, 0.26 ± 0.15 for shoulder width, and 0.47 ± 0.16 for chest circumference. In manually measured data, genetic correlations ranged from 0.35 to 0.99, while phenotypic correlations ranged from 0.07 to 0.90. In machine data, genetic correlations ranged from -0.05 to 0.99, while phenotypic correlations ranged from 0.03 to 0.84. The results suggest that machine-based estimations may lead to an overestimation of heritability, but this discrepancy does not impact the selection of breeding models.

[Advance of the use of auricular othosis in congenital ear deformities].

Congenital ear deformities are common diseases in infants and can be effectively corrected by ear molding. However, the current knowledge about the auricular othosis is still insufficiency. As the new type of ear correction system has been produced, non-surgical correction of ear deformities is increasingly popular. To promote and standardize its clinical application, here, we reviewed the advanced publications associated with neonatal ear molding, focusing on auricular deformities classification, incidence rate, self-healing rate, as well as pathological mechanism. The review also included various auricular othosis materials, treatment opportunity, cure rate and complications.

Prognostic value of long non-coding RNA HOST2 expression and its tumor-promotive function in human osteosarcoma.

OBJECTIVE: Aberrant expression of long noncoding RNA (lncRNA) is associated with carcinogenesis of various tumors. The aim of current study was to explore the clinical significance and biological function of long non-coding RNA HOST2 (lnc-HOST2) in patients with osteosarcoma. PATIENTS AND METHODS: The expression of lnc-HOST2 was detected by quantitative Real-time PCR (qRT-PCR) in 163 osteosarcoma specimens and matched the normal tissues. The significance of lnc-HOST2 as a prognostic factor as well as its relationship with survival was determined. The effects of lnc-HOST2 expression on the biological behavior of osteosarcoma cells were investigated by MTT and flow cytometry. qRT-PCR and Western blot were used to evaluate the mRNA and protein expression of apoptosis-related factors. RESULTS: The expression levels of lnc-HOST2 in osteosarcoma tissues were significantly higher than those in corresponding noncancerous bone tissues (p < 0.01). Statistical assay indicated that the expression level of lnc-HOST2 was positively correlated with tumor stage (p = 0.003) and distant metastasis (p = 0.000). Furthermore, Kaplan-Meier analysis suggested that patients with high lnc-HOST2 showed poorer overall survival than those with low lnc-HOST2 (p = 0.000). The univariate and multivariate analysis further revealed that lnc-HOST2 expression was an independent prognostic factor for overall survival. Then, functionally, down-regulation of lnc-HOST2 suppressed proliferation and induced cell apoptosis in osteosarcoma cells. Notably, we confirmed that up-regulation of lnc-HOST2 led to Bcl-2 downregulation and Bax upregulation in osteosarcoma cells. CONCLUSIONS: We provided the first evidence that lnc-HOST2 may serve as a novel prognostic marker in osteosarcoma. Further, targeting lnc-HOST2 may represent an attractive target therapy for osteosarcoma.

Fabrication of high-efficiency and low-stray-light grating by inductively coupled plasma(ICP) etching-polishing method.

Gratings with stray light of 4.99 × 10-7-5.67 × 10-7 and efficiency of 93%-95% in a wavelength range of 1592 nm-1632 nm on Si-surface-modification SiC, fused silica and BK7 have been fabricated by the method of ICP etching-polishing. The CHF3 and SF6 plasma were used to etch a preliminary grating profile. Ar and O2 plasma with low energy were then used to polish the grating to acquire low surface roughness and groove profiles closer to the ideal profiles. The morphologies of the gratings were characterized by AFM. The efficiencies and stray light were measured quantitatively by self-developed equipment. These results show that the ICP etching-polishing method is a promising candidate for production of good quality gratings into common optical materials.

Effect of epristeride on the expression of IGF-1 and TGF-beta receptors in androgen-induced castrated rat prostate.

The development of benign prostatic hyperplasia (BPH) is an androgen-dependent process that may be mediated by a number of locally produced growth factors. Among them, insulin-like growth factor 1 (IGF-1) and transforming growth factor beta (TGF beta) are thought important in regulating prostate growth and homeostasis, and their expression undergoes changes in proliferative prostatic disease. Epristeride, a 5 alpha-reductase inhibitor, is an effective drug in the treatment of BPH, inducing regressive changes in the prostate. This study was designed to assess the effects of epristeride on expression of these two factors at mRNA and protein levels in castrated rats maintained with exogenous testosterone. Epristeride treatment caused significant reduction in ventral prostate weight in a dose-dependent manner. There was a positive correlation between IGF-1 mRNA expression and ventral prostate weight and an inverse correlation between TGF-beta 1 mRNA expression and ventral prostate weight. Immunohistochemistry showed strong IGF-1 receptor immunoreactivity in the prostatic epithelial cells of untreated animals. In situ hybridization demonstrated high levels of IGF-1 mRNA expression both in the prostatic stromal and epithelial cells of untreated rats. In treated rats, both IGF-1 receptor protein and IGF-1 mRNA levels decreased significantly, and IGF-1 mRNA was mainly expressed in prostatic stromal cells. Weak expression of TGF beta receptors at the protein level and TGF beta at the mRNA level were found in the prostatic hyperplastic epithelial cells of untreated rats. In treated animals, intense T beta RII immunoreactivity was observed in epithelial cells, and a higher level of TGF beta mRNA was observed in both epithelial cells and stromal cells compared with control animals. In our opinion, the effect of epristeride on rat prostatic atrophy might be mediated via local growth factor(s).

Reversible long-term toxicity of epristeride in beagle dogs.

Epristeride (17beta-N-t-butylcarboxamide-androst-3, 5-diene-3-carboxylic acid) is an uncompetitive inhibitor of steroid 5alpha-reductase, the enzyme that converts testosterone to dihydrotestosterone (DHT), and has been shown to retard the growth of hyperplastic prostates. The objective of the current investigation was to research the toxic effects of epristeride and to demonstrate its reversible. In the experiment, 18 beagle dogs (male, about 6 months old) were used and divided into six groups, with each group containing three dogs. Groups A and B were placebo-treated for 180 and 240 days, Groups C and D were treated with 10 and 100 mg/kg epristeride for 180 days, and Groups E and F were treated with 10 and 100 mg/kg epristeride for 180 days and then were placebo-treated for 60 days (total 240 days), respectively. Routine analyses were performed at the 1st, 30th, 90th, 180th, and 240th days, and the dogs were autopsied at the 180th or 240th day for systemic examination and measured for relative DNA content in single prostatic epithelial cells. Each prostate was fixed with 4% Formalin, embedded in paraffin, sectioned at 6 micron, and immunohistochemically stained for assaying the relative content (transmittance) of prostatic specific antigen (PSA) and DHT (%) with a microspectrophotometer at 650-nm wavelength. The results were that 180 days of toxicity with epristeride (100 mg/kg) on interstitial cells of testes and DNA in prostatic epithelial cells couldn't reverse during 60 days of convalescence and that the DHT and PSA levels in the gland, the volume of the gland, glandular epithelial cell height, and acinar luminal area could reverse to normal during the same convalescence. To our knowledge this is the first study documenting the toxicity of epristeride. It is necessary to further study the molecular and clinical toxicity of epristeride.

[Intraoperative lymph nodes dissection guided by preoperative endoscopical injection of mitomycin C absorbed activated carbon (MMC-CH40) at pericancerous gastric mural in patients with gastric cancer].

22 patients with gastric cancer underwent preoperative endoscopical MMC-CH injection before radical resection. Lymph nodes resected in MMC-CH40 group averaged 47.0 vs. 28.1 in the control group (P < 0.05). Positive nodes were found 15 of 22 cases (68%) in MMC-CH40 group vs. 22 out of 26 cases (77%) in the control group (P > 0.05). Positive nodes totalled up to 166 of all 1033 dissected in the former (16%) vs. 162 of 730 (23%) in the latter (P < 0.01). Positive nodes found in 15 of 22 cases in MMC-CH40 group averaged 11.07 per lymph-node-metastasized patient vs. 7.36 in the control group (P < 0.01). The results showed that this procedure is of assistance to thorough dissection of lymph node during surgery.

[Lack of mutagenicity and teratogenicity of 16-methylene-17 alpha-acetoxy-19-norprogesterone].

16-Methylene-17 alpha-acetoxy-19-norprogesterone (ST-1435) is a new antifertility agent. ST-1435 silastic capsule was implanted sc in the nuchal region of rats on d 6 of gestation at 75, 300, and 600 mg.kg-1. The rats were killed on d 20. In comparison with the control, the treated groups showed no significant differences in maternal body weights, number of corpora lutea, and the development of embryos and fetuses. The number of dead fetuses decreased and live fetuses increased slightly. ST-1435 did not affect the frequency of micronucleated polychromatic erythrocytes, nor induce chromosomal aberrations in cultured CHL cells, or increase the revertants of Salmonella typhimurium TA97, TA98, TA100, and TA102 in Ames test. The results suggested that ST-1435 had neither teratogenicity nor mutagenicity.

[Effects of 10-hydroxycamptothecin on induced chromosome aberrations in Chinese hamster ovary cells and micronuclei in mouse bone marrow and fetal liver].

10-Hydroxycamptothecin (HC) is a new antitumor principle isolated from Camptotheca acuminata indigenous to China. The genetic toxicity of HC was assessed by mouse bone marrow and transplacental micronucleus test as well as Chinese hamster ovary cell chromosomal aberrations. All of these tests showed positive results. The highest rate of chromosomal aberrations was 83% at 0.125 microgram/ml for 48 h. The number of micronucleated polychromatic erythrocytes in bone marrow of mice was remarkably increased in 19.8% cells at 12.5 mg/kg for 24 h. The micronucleus formation was most often seen at 16 h after im HC in fetal liver and 24 h in maternal bone marrow. The peaks were 36 +/- 19 and 31 +/- 10%, respectively. The results from in vivo and in vitro suggest HC is a mutagen, furthermore, a transplacental mutagen in mouse.

[Gastroscopic mucosal biopsy and carbon ink injection marking for determination of resection line on the gastric wall in stomach cancer].

Gastroscopic mucosal biopsies and carbon ink injection marking were performed in 31 patients with gastric cancer before operation. The resection line of gastric wall was determined during operation according to the marked points. The method, dose, site, and opportunity of ink injection were studied. The results were: 1. None of these 31 patients had positive biopsies from cancer free areas. None of the resected specimens showed deep cancer infiltration beyond the site of carbon ink injection. This method is significant in recognizing the extent of intramucosal cancer infiltration; 2. None of the 31 patients marked by ink injection had residual cancer on the resected line whereas 8-10% of those unmarked had a positive margin. This result indicates that this method is significant in avoiding residual cancer on the resection line; and 3. Before surgery, the home-made carbon ink was satisfactory. The optimum dose for an ideal ink point was 0.05-0.1 ml/point which would give a marking of 0.5-1.5 cm in diameter on the serosa. The ink point was clearly shown on the anterior wall but less satisfactorily on the lesser curvature of the stomach. Injection performed as early as the fifth week before operation was valid.