Do serum vitamin D levels affect assisted reproductive outcomes and perinatal outcomes in young non-PCOS patients? A retrospective study.

PURPOSE: This study aimed to determine the influence of serum vitamin D levels on assisted reproductive and perinatal outcomes in young non-polycystic ovary syndrome (PCOS) patients. METHODS: A total of 3397 non-PCOS women under 35 years who underwent their first IVF/ICSI cycle at the Reproductive Medicine Center of the Third Affiliated Hospital of Zhengzhou University, from 2018 to 2019, were included. The women were categorized into two groups based on their serum 25(OH)D concentrations: deficient group [25(OH)D < 50 nmol/L] and non-deficient group [25(OH)D ≥ 50 nmol/L]. Ovulation induction results, clinical pregnancy rate, cumulative live birth rate (CLBR), and perinatal outcomes of both groups were compared. RESULTS: A total of 1113 non-PCOS women had successful pregnancies in their first completed IVF cycle. Comparison of laboratory results between the two groups revealed a significantly higher number of oocytes retrieved in the vitamin D-non-deficient group (15.2 ± 6.8 vs. 14.5 ± 6.7, p = 0.015). After controlling for confounding factors, there was no significant difference in the CLBR between the vitamin D-deficient group and the non-deficient group (71.0%, 1,973/2,778 vs. 69.0%, 427/619, p = 0.314, unadjusted). The prevalence of gestational diabetes mellitus (GDM) was higher in the vitamin D-deficient group than in the vitamin D-non-deficient group in both fresh-cycle singleton live births (3.8% vs. 1.2%) and twin live births (2.3% vs. 1.5%). CONCLUSION: This study demonstrated that vitamin D-deficient group had a lower number of oocytes retrieved than the non-deficient group and a higher prevalence of GDM, suggesting that vitamin D deficiency impacts assisted pregnancies and perinatal outcomes in infertile non-PCOS women. However, further studies are required to confirm these findings.

Preparation of Natural Plant Polyphenol Catechin Film for Structural Coloration of Silk Fabrics.

Traditional textile dyeing uses chemical pigments and dyes, which consumes a large amount of water and causes serious environmental pollution. Structural color is an essential means of achieving green dyeing of textiles, and thin-film interference is one of the principles of structural coloring. In the assembly of structural color films, it is necessary to introduce dark materials to suppress light scattering and improve the brightness of the fabric. In this study, the conditions for the generation of nanofilms of catechin (CC) at the gas-liquid interface were successfully investigated. At the same time, environmentally friendly colored silk fabrics were novelly prepared using polycatechin (PCC) structural color films. In addition, it was found that various structural colors were obtained on the surface of silk fabrics by adjusting the time. Meanwhile, the color fastness of the structural colored fabrics was improved by introducing polyvinylpyrrolidone (PVP) to form a strong hydrogen bond between the fabric and catechin. PCC film is uniform and smooth, with a special double-layer structure, and can be attached to the surface of silk fabrics, giving the fabrics special structural colors. Through the thin-film interference formed between the visible light and the PCC film, the silk fabrics obtain bright, controllable, and uniform structural colors. This method is easy to operate and provides a new way of thinking for environmental-protection-oriented coloring of fabrics.

USP36 plays an oncogenic role in colorectal cancer cells.

Cancer stem cells (CSCs) have emerged as crucial contributors to tumor relapse and chemoresistance, making them promising targets for treating cancers like colorectal cancer (CRC). However, the mechanisms governing CSC maintenance in CRC remain poorly characterized. In this study, we investigated the potential role of ubiquitin-specific protease 36 (USP36) in CRC. Our bioinformatic analysis revealed a significant upregulation of USP36 expression in CRC, and high USP36 levels were associated with poor prognosis in CRC patients. Furthermore, we observed an increase in USP36 expression in CRC cell lines. Knockdown of USP36 resulted in reduced viability, cell cycle arrest, increased apoptosis, and impaired migration and invasion in CRC cells. Additionally, the colony formation and sphere formation ability, as well as the expression of stem cell markers and pluripotent transcription factors, were substantially reduced in USP36-deficient CRC cells. These findings emphasize the role of USP36 as an oncogene in CRC, highlighting its potential as a therapeutic target for the treatment of CRC.

Prefrontal cortex functional connectivity changes during verbal fluency test in adults with short-term insomnia disorder: a functional near-infrared spectroscopy study.

Background: Individuals suffering from short-term insomnia disorder (SID) experience difficulties in falling or staying asleep, often leading to daytime fatigue and impaired concentration. However, the underlying mechanisms of SID remain unclear. This study aims to investigate the alterations in brain activation patterns and functional connectivity in patients with SID. Methods: The study enrolled a total of 31 adults diagnosed with SID and 31 healthy controls (HC). Functional near-infrared spectroscopy (fNIRS) was utilized to assess the concentrations of oxyhemoglobin (Oxy-Hb) and functional connectivity in the prefrontal cortex of each participant while performing the verbal fluency test (VFT) task. Results: In the VFT task, no significant difference was found between the SID group and the HC group in terms of integral values, centroid values, and mean Oxy-Hb variations. These findings suggest that both groups exhibit similar hemodynamic responses. However, the functional connectivity analysis revealed significant differences in inter-channel connectivity strength between the two groups. The SID group showed significantly lower average inter-channel connectivity strength compared to the HC group. Moreover, six channel pairs (right frontopolar cortex - left frontopolar cortex, left orbitofrontal cortex - left temporopolar cortex, left temporopolar cortex - left frontopolar cortex, left frontopolar cortex-Ch38, left frontopolar cortex - right pre-motor and supplementary motor cortex, and left frontopolar cortex - right dorsolateral prefrontal cortex) exhibited significantly higher connectivity strength in the HC group compared to the SID group (FDR corrected, p < 0.05). Specifically, channel 27 exhibited the highest frequency of significant connectivity across different channel pairs, occurring five times in total. The channel pair Ch27-Ch39, representing left frontopolar cortex and right dorsolateral prefrontal cortex, exhibited a negative correlation with PSQI scores (r = -0.422, p = 0.018). Conclusion: Our findings suggest that patients with SID may exhibit altered brain connectivity during the VFT task, as measured by fNIRS. These results provide valuable insights into the functional brain differences associated with SID. Further research is needed to validate and expand upon these findings.

Effect of age and sex on hematological and biochemical parameters in Chinese rhesus monkeys (Macaca mulatta) anesthetized with ketamine.

OBJECTIVE: Rhesus monkeys are increasingly used in biomedical research, which makes their hematological and biochemical parameters increasingly important in preclinical research. Since age and sex can influence blood parameters, establishing reference intervals for such parameters based on age and sex becomes along with identifying the effect of age and sex on those parameters. METHODS: A total of 1385 healthy Chinese rhesus monkeys (548 males and 837 females) anesthetized with ketamine were selected and segregated by age (six groups) and sex. A total of 21 hematological and 26 biochemical parameters were measured, and the effects of age and sex were analyzed. RESULTS: We established baseline indices for hematological and biochemical parameters based on age and sex, separately, and observed significant impacts of age, sex, and age-sex interactions on blood parameters. Among different age groups, significant differences were found in WBC, NEUT%, LYM%, EO%, LYM#, EO#, MCV, RDW-CV, PLT, MPV, PDW, PCT, TP, Alb, GLB, A/G, ALT, AST, ALP, TBIL, GGT, BUN, Cre, GLU, CK, TRIG, LDL, HCY, IL-6 FOL, Vit B12, VIT D-T, PTH, and AMH. Additionally, significant differences were observed in RBC, HGB, HCT, MPV, Alb, BUN, Cre, GLU, CHOL, TRIG, HDL, LDL, HCY, and VIT D-T between the two sexes. An age-sex interaction exerted a significant effect on WBC, NEUT#, MCV, MCHC, PDW, GLB, ALP, Cre, CHOL, TRIG, HDL, LDL, HCY, IL-6, Vit B12, VIT D-T. However, neither age, sex, and age-sex interactions exerted significant effects on MO%, MOMO#, MCH, RDW-SD, CRP, and CT. CONCLUSION: Our study investigated the blood parameters of rhesus monkeys to provide a reference basis for rhesus monkey-related scientific experimental research.

Analysis of cumulative live birth rate outcomes of three ovarian stimulation protocols in patients after laparoscopic cystectomy of ovarial endometrioma: a retrospective cohort study.

BACKGROUND: Previous studies have reported that after laparoscopic cystectomy of ovarial endometrioma, the ovarian response to gonadotropin (Gn) significantly decreased. However, for patients with diminished ovarian reserve (DOR) after ovarian surgery, how to choose the most appropriate controlled ovarian hyperstimulation protocol has not been concluded. Compared with the traditional agonist regimen, the gonadotropin (Gn)-releasing hormone (GnRH) antagonist, microstimulation, and progestin-primed ovarian stimulation (PPOS) protocols are simple to operate and have a shorter cycle, which are often used in patients with DOR. So the purpose of our study is to compare the assisted reproductive outcomes of these three controlled ovarian hyperstimulation protocols in patients with DOR following laparoscopic cystectomy of ovarial endometrioma. METHODS: In this retrospective cohort study, 89 patients with DOR who had undergone in vitro fertilisation/intracytoplasmic sperm injection at the Department of Reproductive Medicine at the Third Affiliated Hospital of Zhengzhou University from 1 to 2018 to 31 December 2020 were included. According to the controlled ovarian hyperstimulation protocols employed, the patients were divided into GnRH antagonist (38 patients), PPOS (27 patients), and microstimulation (24 patients) groups. The basic data and clinical outcomes of the three groups were compared. The main outcome measure was the cumulative live birth rate. RESULTS: No significant differences in the age of the female patients and their spouses and female patients' body mass index and basal endocrine levels (follicle-stimulating hormone and oestradiol) were noted among the three groups (P > 0.05). The GnRH antagonist group had higher antral follicle counts, greater endometrial thickness on the human chorionic Gn injection day, greater number of oocytes retrieved, and higher two pronuclear embryo counts than did the other two groups. However, the starting dosage of Gn was lower in the GnRH antagonist group than in the other two groups. The microstimulation group had a significantly higher oocyte output rate and high-quality embryo rate than did the other two groups (P < 0.05). No significant differences in the total dosage of Gn, cumulative pregnancy rate, cumulative live birth rate, viable embryo rate, and blastocyst formation rate were observed among the three groups (P > 0.05). CONCLUSION: In conclusion, for patients aged under 40 years who experienced DOR after laparoscopic cystectomy of ovarial endometrioma, GnRH antagonist protocol and PPOS protocol can obtain better ovulation induction outcomes and cumulative live birth rate than microstimulation protocol, and are more suitable ovulation induction protocols.

DFTNet: Dual-Path Feature Transfer Network for Weakly Supervised Medical Image Segmentation.

Medical image segmentation has long suffered from the problem of expensive labels. Acquiring pixel-level annotations is time-consuming, labor-intensive, and relies on extensive expert knowledge. Bounding box annotations, in contrast, are relatively easy to acquire. Thus, in this paper, we explore to segment images through a novel Dual-path Feature Transfer design with only bounding box annotations. Specifically, a Target-aware Reconstructor is proposed to extract target-related features by reconstructing the pixels within the bounding box through the channel and spatial attention module. Then, a sliding Feature Fusion and Transfer Module (FFTM) fuses the extracted features from Reconstructor and transfers them to guide the Segmentor for segmentation. Finally, we present the Confidence Ranking Loss (CRLoss) which dynamically assigns weights to the loss of each pixel based on the network's confidence. CRLoss mitigates the impact of inaccurate pseudo-labels on performance. Extensive experiments demonstrate that our proposed model achieves state-of-the-art performance on the Medical Segmentation Decathlon (MSD) Brain Tumour and PROMISE12 datasets.

Weakly supervised object localization with soft guidance and channel erasing for auto labelling in autonomous driving systems.

Automated driving systems (ADSs) conceive an efficient and safe way of driving. The safety of ADSs depends on a precise object detector that needs to be upgraded continuously facing various environments. Massive annotations are required to utilize collected images of surroundings through vehicles and accommodate new environments. Auto labelling is one approach to alleviate such dilemma. To this end, we propose a novel Weakly Supervised Object Localization (WSOL) method which can localize objects precisely without detection annotations. This paper proposed Soft Guidance Module (SGM), Channel Erasing Module (CEM) and incorporate them into a multi-flow framework allowing the two mutually beneficial. Finally, experiments and visualizations are performed to evaluate our method on Stanford Cars, ILSVRC 2016 and CUB-200-2011 datasets.

Optimization of Milk Substitutes for the Artificial Rearing of Chinese Tree Shrews (Tupaia belangeri chinensis).

The Chinese tree shrew (Tupaia belangeri chinensis) has the potential to replace the use of non-human primates in biomedical research. To increase the availability of this species, we have undertaken the ambitious task of establishing inbred lines of the Chinese tree shrew; however, we have been hindered by a low survival rate of inbred pups. Here, we report our artificial rearing (AR) of Chinese tree shrew pups using four different milk substitutes: the formula described by Tsang and Collins (milk TC) and three commercially available milk substitutes intended for possums (milk A and milk C) and for guinea pigs (milk B). We compared the effects of these milk substitutes and maternal milk on the daily milk consumption, growth performance, and survival of the pups. We also assessed the life span and reproductive performance of the F1 individuals given the best milk substitute as compared to the maternally reared (MR) pups. Milk B was found to be appropriate for AR. Pups fed with milk B had a high survival rate at the weaning age compared to those fed with the other milk substitutes. The AR pups fed with milk B had a life span similar to that of MR pups. AR females fed with milk B had an earlier age of the first reproduction, a larger number of litters, and a higher rate of survival of the offspring at the weaning age compared with the MR females. The successful optimization of a milk substitute for AR of Chinese tree shrew pups will undoubtedly facilitate the wide usage of this experimental animal.

Preparation of biomimetic non-iridescent structural color based on polystyrene-polycaffeic acid core-shell nanospheres.

Caffeic acid (CA), as a natural plant-derived polyphenol, has been widely used in surface coating technology in recent years due to its excellent properties. In this work, caffeic acid was introduced into the preparation of photonic band gap materials. By controlling the variables, a reasonable preparation method of polystyrene (PS) @polycaffeic (PCA)-Cu(ii) core-shell microspheres was achieved: 1 mmol L-1 cupric chloride anhydrous (CuCl2), 3 mmol L-1 sodium perborate tetrahydrate (NaBO3·4H2O), 2 mmol L-1 CA and 2 g L-1 polystyrene (PS) were reacted at 50 °C for 10 min to prepare PS@PCA-Cu(ii) core-shell microspheres through rapid oxidative polymerization of CA coated PS of different particle diameters. The amorphous photonic crystal structure was self-assembled through thermal assisted-gravity sedimentation, resulting in structural color nanomaterials with soft and uniform color, no angle dependence, stable mechanical fastness and excellent UV resistance.

Evaluation of Auto-Planning for Left-Side Breast Cancer After Breast-Conserving Surgery Based on Geometrical Relationship.

PURPOSE: This study aimed to evaluate (1) the performance of the Auto-Planning module embedded in the Pinnacle treatment planning system (TPS) with 30 left-side breast cancer plans and (2) the dose-distance correlations between dose-based patients and overlap volume histogram-based (OVH) patients. METHOD: A total of 30 patients with left-side breast cancer after breast-conserving surgery were enrolled in this study. The clinical manual-planning (MP) and the Auto-Planning (AP) plans were generated by Monaco and by the Auto-Planning module in Pinnacle respectively. The geometric information between organ at risk (OAR) and planning target volume (PTV) of each patient was described by the OVH. The AP and MP plans were ranked to compare with the geometry-based patients from OVH. The Pearson product-moment correlation coefficient (R) was used to describe the correlations between dose-based patients (APs and MPs) and geometry-based patients (OVH). Dosimetric differences between MP and AP plans were evaluated with statistical analysis. RESULT: The correlation coefficient (mean R = 0.71) indicated that the AP plans have a high correlation with geometry-based patients from OVH, whereas the correlation coefficient (mean R = 0.48) shows a weak correlation between MP plans and geometry-based patients. The dosimetric comparison revealed a statistically significant improvement in the ipsilateral lung V5Gy and V10Gy, and in the heart V5Gy of AP plans compared to MP plans, while statistical reduction was seen in PTV V107% for MP plans compared to AP plans. CONCLUSION: The overall results of AP plans were superior to MP plans. The dose distribution in AP plans was more consistent with the distance-dose relationship described by OVH. After eliminating the interference of human factors, the AP was able to provide more stable and objective plans for radiotherapy patients.

Detection and Prediction of Ovulation From Body Temperature Measured by an In-Ear Wearable Thermometer.

OBJECTIVE: We present a non-invasive wearable device for fertility monitoring and propose an effective and flexible statistical learning algorithm to detect and predict ovulation using data captured by this device. METHODS: The system consists of an earpiece, which measures the ear canal temperature every 5 min during night sleep hours, and a base station that transmits data to a smartphone application for analysis. We establish a data-cleaning protocol for data preprocessing and then fit a Hidden Markov Model (HMM) with two hidden states of high and low temperature to identify the more probable state of each time point via the predicted probabilities. Finally, a post-processing procedure is developed to incorporate biorhythm information to form a time-course biphasic profile for each subject. RESULTS: The performance of the proposed algorithms applied to data collected by the device are compared with traditional methods in terms of match rate with self-reported ovulation days confirmed with an ovulation test kit. Empirical study results from a group of 34 users yielded significant improvements over the traditional methods in terms of detection accuracy (with sensitivity 92.31%) and prediction power (23.07-31.55% higher). CONCLUSION: We demonstrated the feasibility for reliable ovulation detection and prediction with high-frequency temperature data collected by a non-invasive wearable device. SIGNIFICANCE: Traditional fertility monitoring methods are often either inaccurate or inconvenient. The wearable device and learning algorithm presented in this paper provide a user friendly and reliable platform for tracking ovulation, which may have a broad impact on both fertility research and real-world family planning.

Filling of Nanocarbon Particles in the Pores of Unburned Carbon and Its Application in Gasification Ash Separation.

The nanocarbon particles and diesel are used as hydrophobic solid particles and the liquid phrase to produce the mixture collector for the flotation separation of unburned carbon (UC) particles from gasification ash. Scanning electron microscopy/energy-dispersive spectrometry and mercury porosimeter measures were used to prove the filling of nanocarbon particles in the pores of UC particles. Mercury porosimeter results illustrate that the pores of the UC particles after the action of the mixture of nanocarbon particles and diesel are reduced compared with that after the action of diesel. The number of >4000 nm pore was significantly reduced, and the number of <250 nm pore nearly disappeared. The results of the flotation tests found that the use of the mixture of nanocarbon particles and diesel as a collector resulted in not only increasing the concentrate yield but also reducing the ash of the concentrate. Throughout this investigation, the filling of nanocarbon particles in the UC holes/pores plays an important role in the enhancement of flotation recovery of UC particles. The filled pores in the UC particle surface can increase the contact area between bubbles and UC particles, thereby increasing the adhesion of bubble-particles, reducing the probability of particle detachment, and ultimately improving the flotation recovery of UC.

Filtration and dewatering of the mixture of quartz and kaolinite in different proportions.

Fine minerals, such as silicate and clay minerals are difficult to filtrate and dewater in mineral processing industry. In this study, quartz and kaolinite particles were mixed in different proportions to investigate the filtration and dewatering behavior difference. Combined with the calculation of DLVO theory, the particles size of quartz flocs, kaolinite flocs and the flocs of quartz and kaolinite mixture under pH of 7 and 11 were analyzed by focused beam reflectance measurement (FBRM). In addition, the structure of quartz/kaolinite flocs and the filter cake porosity were analyzed by 3D-high solution X-ray microanalyser (3D-XRM). The mixture of 80% quartz and 20% kaolinite had the maximum filtration velocity. The DLVO theoretical analyses show that the interaction between the aluminum-oxygen surface of kaolinite and silicon-oxygen surface of kaolinite/quartz particles is an attractive force at pH of 7, but repulsion force at pH of 11. The FBRM tests found that quartz and kaolinite tended to form relative larger agglomerates at pH of 7 when compared to a pH of 11. The results of 3D-XRM showed the kaolinite flocs were surrounded by amounts of quartz particles at pH of 7, which formed many quartz-kaolinite agglomerates, and therefore the porosity of the cake was increased for the water to easily pass through, which finally sped up the filtration process. However, quartz and kaolinite were evenly dispersed and had no obvious aggregates phenomenon at pH of 11, and the filtration velocity was slow because the kaolinite filled in the gap between quartz particles, which reduced the porosity of filter cake.

TGF-ß1 affinity peptides incorporated within a chitosan sponge scaffold can significantly enhance cartilage regeneration.

Growth factors, such as TGF-ß and BMPs, play key roles in the chondrogenic differentiation of mesenchymal stem cells (MSCs) and cartilage regeneration in vivo. Nevertheless, there are some technical challenges in delivering exogenous growth factors in vivo, such as burst release and loss of bioactivity. In this study, TGF-ß1 affinity peptides were incorporated within porous chitosan scaffolds to enhance cartilage regeneration. Significant upregulation of gene expression levels of Sox9, Col II and AGG during chondrogenic differentiation of MSCs in vitro, were positively correlated with increasing amounts of TGF-ß1 affinity peptides incorporated within the chitosan scaffolds. The results of ectopic implantation of scaffolds in nude mice showed that incorporation of TGF-ß1 affinity peptides and preloading of TGF-ß1 synergistically enhanced ectopic cartilage formation at both high and low cell densities. Furthermore, in a rabbit osteochondral defect model, implantation of chitosan scaffolds incorporated with TGF-ß1 affinity peptides (CHI-PEP) could significantly promote cartilage regeneration, even in the absence of exogenous growth factors and seeded cells. Notably, inflammation and cartilage degeneration were markedly alleviated in the CHI-PEP group. Hence, incorporation of TGF-ß1 affinity peptide within the chitosan sponge scaffold significantly enhanced articular cartilage regeneration.

MicroRNA-29a functions as a potential tumor suppressor through directly targeting CDC42 in non-small cell lung cancer.

The expression and function of microRNA-29a (miR-29a) have been investigated in various types of cancer. In the present study, the expression, function and underlying molecular mechanism of miR-29a were investigated in non-small cell lung cancer (NSCLC). The expression level of miR-29a in NSCLC was determined using reverse transcription-quantitative polymerase chain reaction (RT-qPCR). Cell proliferation, migration and invasion ability were determined using Cell Counting Kit-8, cell migration and invasion assays, respectively. Bioinformatics analysis and dual-luciferase reporter assays were performed to determine whether cell division cycle 42 (CDC42) is a direct target gene of miR-29a. To assess CDC42 mRNA and protein expression following transfection with miR-29a, RT-qPCR and western blotting were performed. Following knockdown of CDC42, functional assays were performed to investigate the roles of CDC42 in NSCLC. The results demonstrated that miR-29a was downregulated in NSCLC and the decreased expression level of miR-29a was significantly associated with advanced tumor-node-metastasis classification and metastasis. In addition, upregulation of miR-29a inhibited cell proliferation, migration and invasion in NSCLC, whereas downregulation of miR-29a had the opposite effects. Furthermore, CDC42 was identified as a direct target gene of miR-29a in vitro. miR-29a was demonstrated to function as a tumor suppressor in NSCLC by directly targeting CDC42 and may be investigated further as a target therapy for NSCLC.

Pressure level required during prolonged cerebral perfusion time has no impact on neurological outcome: a propensity score analysis of 800 patients undergoing selective antegrade cerebral perfusion.

OBJECTIVES: Operating on the aortic arch is a surgical challenge involving various periods of circulatory arrest. Deep hypothermia is used to protect the brain. Selective antegrade cerebral perfusion (SACP) is employed to protect the brain and enable cerebral ischaemia time to be prolonged. However, there is no standardized SACP protocol. Our centre has performed flow- and pressure-controlled bilateral antegrade cerebral perfusion since 1999. The aim of this study was to investigate the potential relationship between perfusion pressure and neurological outcome, and to examine whether the selective application of higher cerebral perfusion pressure results in better neurological outcomes. METHODS: Prospectively recorded data of 800 patients undergoing selective cerebral perfusion during aortic surgery were collected. Using stratification, patients were clustered into three subgroups according to the postoperative neurological complication severity to assess any differences in antegrade cerebral perfusion pressure or flow. Furthermore, using the cluster analysis, a total of 50 patients were selected for a high cerebral perfusion group and another 51 patients for a low cerebral perfusion group. A propensity score was used to 're-randomize' the two groups to evaluate comparability. Finally, statistical analyses of the postoperative neurological outcome were performed. RESULTS: Flow-managed, pressure-controlled cerebral perfusion provided sufficient cerebral tissue perfusion. We observed no association between antegrade cerebral perfusion conditions and the rate of neurological complications after stratifying all patients in the three subgroups. There was no difference in the rate of neurological complication between the groups with high (mean: 79.61 ± 14.97 mmHg) versus low (mean: 53.64 ± 12.09 mmHg) selective cerebral perfusion pressure, either. CONCLUSIONS: We hereby present SACP data as a real-time curve, based on a large patient cohort containing a total of 800 patients. Our perfusion strategy employing a lower selective cerebral perfusion pressure (∼50 vs ∼80 mmHg) is not associated with a higher rate of neurological complications during aortic surgery. This finding demonstrates that this perfusion strategy is a safe protocol in a clinical setting for a large cohort.

The whole mitochondrial genome of the Cynomolgus macaque (Macaca fascicularis).

Macaca fascicularis, known as the long-tailed macaque, is widely distributed in southern of East Asia and Southeast Asia. It was one of the most commonly used non-human primates in biomedical research. Thus, to illustrate the maternal phylogenetic status of M. fascicularis in primates based on the whole mitochondrial DNA (mtDNA) genome and determine a reference sequence for future population genetic studies by taking mtDNA as molecular marker, in this study, the high quality whole mtDNA genome of M. fascicularis was amplified and sequenced. Our data showed that the whole mtDNA genome of M. fascicularis includes 16,571 base pairs (bps). Further phylogenetic analyses of M. fascicularis were performed by incorporating the 83 available whole mtDNA genomes belonging to 77 primate species with Tupaia belangeri as out-group. Our result supported that M. fascicularis belongs to Macaca. Cercopithecinae. Cercopithecidae. Anthropoidea. Primates, which has the closest genetic affinity with Macaca mulatta. In addition, the ancestral divergence between the tarsier and other primate species was supported with evidence from the whole mtDNA genomes.

Decision Making in Kidney Paired Donation Programs with Altruistic Donors.

In recent years, kidney paired donation (KPD) has been extended to include living non-directed or altruistic donors, in which an altruistic donor donates to the candidate of an incompatible donor-candidate pair with the understanding that the donor in that pair will further donate to the candidate of a second pair, and so on; such a process continues and thus forms an altruistic donor-initiated chain. In this paper, we propose a novel strategy to sequentially allocate the altruistic donor (or bridge donor) so as to maximize the expected utility; analogous to the way a computer plays chess, the idea is to evaluate different allocations for each altruistic donor (or bridge donor) by looking several moves ahead in a derived look-ahead search tree. Simulation studies are provided to illustrate and evaluate our proposed method.