Integrating genomics and transcriptomics to identify candidate genes for high-altitude adaptation and egg production in Nixi chicken.

1. This study combined genome-wide selection signal analysis with RNA-sequencing to identify candidate genes associated with high altitude adaptation and egg production performance in Nixi chickens (NXC).2. Based on the whole-genome data from 20 NXC (♂:10; ♀:10), the population selection signal was analysed by sliding window analysis. The selected genes were screened by combination with the population differentiation statistic (FST). The sequence diversity statistic (θπ). RNA-seq was performed on the ovarian tissues of NXC (n = 6) and Lohmann laying hens (n = 6) to analyse the differentially expressed genes (DEGs) between the two groups. The functional enrichment analysis of the selected genes and differentially expressed genes was performed.3. There were 742 genes under strong positive selection and 509 differentially expressed genes screened in NXC. Integrated analysis of the genome and transcriptome revealing 26 overlapping genes. The candidate genes for adaptation to a high-altitude environment, as well as for egg production, disease resistance, vision and pigmentation in NXC were preliminarily screened.4. The results provided theoretical guidance for further research on the genetic resource protection and utilisation of NXC.

Deep learning for the early identification of periodontitis: a retrospective, multicentre study.

AIM: To develop a deep-learning model to help general dental practitioners diagnose periodontitis accurately and at an early stage. MATERIALS AND METHODS: First, the panoramic radiographs (PARs) from the Second Affiliated Hospital of Nanchang University were input into the convolutional neural network (CNN) architecture to establish the PAR-CNN model for healthy controls and periodontitis patients. Then, the PARs from the Affiliated Hospital of Jiangxi University of Traditional Chinese Medicine were included in the second testing set to validate the effectiveness of the model with data from two centres. Heat maps were produced using a gradient-weighted class activation mapping method to visualise the regions of interest of the model. The accuracy and time required to read the PARs were compared between the model, periodontal experts, and general dental practitioners. Areas under the receiver operating characteristic curve (AUCs) were used to evaluate the performance of the model. RESULTS: The AUC of the PAR-CNN model was 0.843, and the AUC of the second test set was 0.793. The heat map showed that the regions of interest predicted by the model were periodontitis bone lesions. The accuracy of the model, periodontal experts, and general dental practitioners was 0.800, 0.813, and 0.693, respectively. The time required to read each PAR by periodontal experts (6.042 ± 1.148 seconds) and general dental practitioners (13.105 ± 3.153 seconds), which was significantly longer than the time required by the model (0.027 ± 0.002 seconds). CONCLUSION: The ability of the CNN model to diagnose periodontitis approached the level of periodontal experts. Deep-learning methods can assist general dental practitioners to diagnose periodontitis quickly and accurately.

Observation of a Strongly Isospin-Mixed Doublet in

ß decay of proton-rich nuclei plays an important role in exploring isospin mixing. The ß decay of ^{26}P at the proton drip line is studied using double-sided silicon strip detectors operating in conjunction with high-purity germanium detectors. The T=2 isobaric analog state (IAS) at 13 055 keV and two new high-lying states at 13 380 and 11 912 keV in ^{26}Si are unambiguously identified through ß-delayed two-proton emission (ß2p). Angular correlations of two protons emitted from ^{26}Si excited states populated by ^{26}P ß decay are measured, which suggests that the two protons are emitted mainly sequentially. We report the first observation of a strongly isospin-mixed doublet that deexcites mainly via two-proton decay. The isospin mixing matrix element between the ^{26}Si IAS and the nearby 13 380-keV state is determined to be 130(21) keV, and this result represents the strongest mixing, highest excitation energy, and largest level spacing of a doublet ever observed in ß-decay experiments.

Moisture retention of glycerin solutions with various concentrations: a comparative study.

Various methods of evaluating a humectant's moisture retention have unique mechanisms. Hence, for designing advanced or efficient ingredients of cosmetic products, a clear understanding of differences among methods is required. The aim of this study was to analyze the moisture-retention capacity of glycerin, a common ingredient in cosmetic products. Specifically, this study applied gravimetric analysis, transepidermal water loss (TEWL) analysis, and differential scanning calorimetry (DSC) to examine the evaporation of glycerin solutions of different concentrations. The results revealed that the moisture-retention capacity of glycerin increased with the glycerin concentration from 0 to 60 wt%, and glycerin at concentration of 60-70 wt% did not exhibit weight change during the evaporation process. When the glycerin concentration exceeded 70 wt%, moisture sorption occurred in the glycerin solution. Furthermore, the results revealed a deviation between the evaporation rates measured using gravimetric analysis and those measured using TEWL analysis. However, normalizing the results of these analyses yielded the relative evaporation rates to water, which were consistent between these two analyses. DSC thermograms further confirmed the consistent results and identified two hydrated water microstructures (nonfreezable water and free water) in the glycerin solutions, which explained why the measured evaporation rate decreased with the glycerin concentration. These findings can be applied to prove the moisture-retention capacity of a humectant in cosmetic products by different measuring methods.

Gene mapping reveals the association between tyrosine protein kinase Abl1 and the silk yield of Bombyx mori.

The Z chromosome of the silkworm contains a major gene that influences silk yield. This major locus on chromosome Z accounts for 35.10% of the phenotypic variance. The location and identification of the gene have been a focus of silkworm genetics research. Unfortunately, identification of this gene has been difficult. We used extreme phenotype subpopulations and selected from a backcross population, BC1 M, which was obtained using the high-yield strain 872B and the low-yield strain IS-Dazao as parents, for mapping the gene on the chromosome Z. The candidate region was narrowed down to 134 kb at the tip of the chromosome. BmAbl1 in this region correlated with silk gland development by spatiotemporal expression analysis. This gene was differentially expressed in the posterior silk glands of the high- and low-yield strains. In BmAbl1, an insertion-deletion (indel) within the 10th exonic region and an SNP within the 6th intronic region were detected and shown to be associated with cocoon shell weight in 84 Bombyx mori strains with different yields. Nucleotide diversity analysis of BmAbl1 and its 50 kb flanking regions indicated that BmAbl1 has experienced strong artificial selection during silkworm domestication. This study is the first to identify the genes controlling silk yield in the major QTL of the Z chromosome using forward genetics.

Effect of Ageratina adenophora on hepatic and pulmonic pathological lesions in horses.

The effect of Ageratina adenophora on pathological characteristics of the liver and lungs as well as serum biochemical parameters in horses were investigated. Ten horses without ingestion history of Ageratina adenophora were classified into the control group, and 10 poisoned but survived horses with 3 months ingestion history were set as the case group. Results showed that serum AST, ALT, ALP, magnesium and phosphorus were elevated significantly, while creatinine was decreased remarkably. Hematoxylin and eosin staining of liver tissues showed diffuse swelling or destruction of hepatocytes, narrowing or atrophy of the hepatic sinusoids, and little lymphocytic infiltration; lung tissues presented destroyed alveoli and inflammatory cell infiltration.

Poor sleep is associated with higher blood pressure and uterine artery pulsatility index in pregnancy: a prospective cohort study.

OBJECTIVE: To elucidate the association between sleep disturbances and blood pressure as well as uterine artery Doppler during pregnancy in women with no pre-existing hypertension. DESIGN: Prospective cohort study. SETTING: Outpatient specialist clinics at KK Women's and Children's Hospital, Singapore. POPULATION: Women with viable singleton pregnancies confirmed by ultrasonography at less than 14 weeks of amenorrhoea at first visit. METHODS: In all, 926 subjects were recruited for this study in the outpatient specialist clinics at KK Women's and Children's Hospital, Singapore, between 1 September 2010 and 31 August 2014. They were followed up throughout pregnancy with sleep quality, blood pressure and uterine artery Doppler assessed at each visit. MAIN OUTCOME MEASURES: Sleep quality, blood pressure and uterine artery Doppler. RESULTS: Sleep progressively worsened as pregnancy advanced. Shorter sleep duration and poorer sleep efficiency were associated with higher blood pressure, especially in the first trimester. Mixed model analysis demonstrated an overall positive association between sleep quality represented by Pittsburgh Sleep Quality Index (PSQI) score and diastolic blood pressure (DBP) (P < 0.001) and mean arterial pressure (MAP) (P = 0.005) during pregnancy after considering all trimesters. Sleep duration was found to be negatively associated with both systolic blood pressure (SBP) (P = 0.029) and DBP (P = 0.002), whereas sleep efficiency was negatively correlated with DBP (P = 0.002) only. Overall poor sleep during pregnancy was also found to be associated with a higher uterine artery pulsatility index. CONCLUSION: Our prospective study demonstrated that poor sleep quality is significantly associated with higher blood pressure and uterine artery pulsatility index during pregnancy. TWEETABLE ABSTRACT: Poor sleep quality is significantly associated with higher blood pressure and higher uterine artery pulsatility index during pregnancy.

[The role of nitric oxide in the inhibitory effects of exogenous hydrogen sulfide on rat colonic smooth muscle contraction].

Objective: To investigate the role of nitric oxide (NO) in hydrogen sulfide (H(2)S)-induced inhibition upon colonic smooth muscle contraction. Methods: Immunohistochemistry was applied to observe the distribution of H(2)S-producing enzymes CBS and CSE in adult male Wistar rats. Organ bath system was used to observe the spontaneous contraction of colonic smooth muscle. Patch clamp technique was applied to record currents of L-type calcium channel (I(Ca,L)) in smooth muscle cells. Results: Specific immunoreactivity for CSE and CBS was observed in mucosa, smooth muscle and enteric plexus of rat proximal colon. NaHS elicited relaxation in a concentration-dependent manner upon muscle contraction in the presence of tetrodotoxin. The NaHS IC(50) of LM was 917.6 µmol/L (95% CI: 776.3-1 085 µmol/L, n=6) and the NaHS IC(50) of CM was 730.4 µmol/L (95% CI: 592.2-900.8 µmol/L, n=6). The SNP-induced relaxation in muscle strips was partially reversed by NaHS (P<0.05). Instead, the relaxation caused by NaHS was decreased by the sGC inhibitor ODQ but affected neither by NO precursor L-arginine, the NO inhibitor L-NNA nor the competitive cGMP antagonist PET-cGMP. NaHS (100 µmol/L) increased I(Ca,L) while NaHS (300 µmol/L) decreased the peak I(Ca,L) with modifying the ion channel characteristics (P<0.05). Conclusions: Exogenous hydrogen sulfide might have a dual effect on colonic motility and its inhibitory effect might be independent of NO signaling system. L-type calcium channel may play an important role during the process of H(2)S modulating colonic contraction.

[Suggestions for thoracic surgery clinical practice in non-epidemic area of 2019 coronavirus disease].

In this paper, the mechanism of destroying human alveolar epithelial cells and pulmonary tissue by 2019 novel coronavirus (2019-nCoV) was discussed firstly. There may be multiple mechanisms including killing directly the target cells and hyperinflammatory responses. Secondly, the clinical features, CT imaging, short-term and long-term pulmonary function damage of the 2019 coronavirus disease (COVID-19) was analyzed. Finally, some suggestions for thoracic surgery clinical practice in non-epidemic area during and after the epidemic of COVID-19 were provided, to help all the thoracic surgery patients receive active and effective treatment.

[Feasibility of echocardiography-guided repeated intraventricular blood sampling in mice].

Objective: To investigate the feasibility of echocardiography-guided closed-chest repeated intraventricular blood sampling in mice, and to clarify the maximum blood volume that can be collected by this method, and whether the method can be used for long-term repeated blood collection in mice. Methods: Twenty-four male C57BL/6J mice (10-14 weeks old) were divided into the terminal experiment group (n=4, for investigating the maximum blood amount that could be sampled at one time), the repeated 0.5 ml blood collection group (n=10, sampling 0.5 ml whole blood each time, once every two days for consecutive 4 weeks), and the repeated 0.75 ml blood collection group (n=10, sampling 0.75 ml whole blood each time, once every two days for consecutive 4 weeks). High-frequency echocardiography was used to display the largest section of the left ventricle, guiding the insulin syringe needle through the thorax into the left ventricle for blood collection. In the repeated 0.5 ml blood collection group, echocardiography was used to detect the cardiac structure and function before blood collection, three minutes after blood collection, and one week after the last (the 14th) blood collection. Results: We successfully performed echocardiography-guided closed-chest intraventricular blood sampling, with an average operating time (88±19)s per mouse, and a maximum blood volume (1.43±0.11)ml per mouse. In the repeated 0.5 ml blood collection group, heart rate, left ventricular ejection fraction, left ventricular fractional shortening, left ventricular end-diastolic dimension and left ventricular posterior wall end-diastolic thickness remained uncganged before the first blood collection and after 4 weeks of repeated blood collection (all P>0.05). No death in the repeated 0.5 ml blood collection group. However, in the 0.75 ml blood collection group, two mice died before the end point. Conclusions: The echocardiography-guided closed-chest intraventricular blood sampling is a safe, minimally invasive, convenient and efficient method, and can be used repeatedly for long-term blood collection in mice.

Differences of the immune cell landscape between normal and tumor tissue in human prostate.

BACKGROUND: Over the past few decades, immunological checkpoint therapy has been an increasingly prominent strategy in the treatment of tumors, including prostate cancer (PC). There are few systematic studies of the phenotypic of tumor-infiltrating immune cells in PC tissues. METHODS: CIBERSORT is an analytical tool for estimating the abundance of member cell types in mixed cell population by gene expression data. Herein, we analyzed different levels of tumor-infiltrating immunity cells in normal tissue compared with PC using CIBERSORT. RESULTS: The results showed that proportion of M1 macrophages and resting mast cells presented significant differences in prostate tumor than these normal tissues. A higher proportion of resting mast cells was associated with a worse outcome and M1 macrophages was associated with a favorable outcome. Moreover, the radiotherapy and targeted molecular therapy can affect the immune infiltration of M1 macrophages and resting mast cells. CONCLUSIONS: Resting mast cells and M1 macrophages has an important role in the prognosis of prostate cancer. Our data provides valuable information about the future treatment of PC.

[rmIL-33-stimulated nuocytes promote allergic inflammation in mouse model of allergic rhinitis].

Objective:The study aimed to investigate the role of nuocytes in allergic rhinitis （AR） murine models. Method:After intranasal administration of recombinant （rm） interleukin （IL）-33 in BALB/c mice, nuocytes were sorted and purified from the mouse nasal-associated lymphoid tissue （NALT）. Then, we examined the response of nuocytes to rmIL-33 in vitro. After a murine model of AR was established using ovalbumin, we adoptively transferred the cultured NALT-derived nuocytes to mice models, and determined allergic responses in them. Result:rmIL-33 expanded nuocytes in NALT of mice compared with AR mice （t=3.66, P<0.01）, and increased production of IL-13 from these cells in vitro in comparison with unstimulated nuocytes （t=19.90, P<0.000 1）. After adoptive transfer of nuocytes, sneezing （t=9.89, P<0.000 1） ,numbers of eosinophils（t=8.17, P<0.000 1）, concentrations of IL-13 （t=40.47, P<0.000 1） and IL-33 （t=19.89, P<0.000 1） in nasal lavage fluid were all enhanced when compared with AR mice. Conclusion:Nuocytes promote allergic inflammation in a murine model of AR.

The protective effects of Berberine and Hesperidin on inflammatory factor-stimulating cardiac fibroblasts.

OBJECTIVE: The previous work has shown that Berberine and Hesperidin have beneficial effects on cardiovascular diseases. However, the underlying mechanisms remain unknown. This study aimed to investigate the effect of Berberine and Hesperidin on inflammatory cytokine secretion, proliferation, differentiation, and collagen synthesis of cardiac fibroblasts stimulated by the transforming growth factor-ß1 (TGF-ß1), and the potential of these drugs to regulate the Notch1 signaling pathway. PATIENTS AND METHODS: Neonatal rat primary cardiac fibroblasts were stimulated with 5 ng/mL TGF-ß1 as model (TGF) group. In the Berberine (TGF+B) group cells were given TGF-ß1, along with 1.25/2.5/5/10 mg/L Berberine, while the Hesperidin (TGF+H) group was treated with TGF-ß1 and 12.5/25/50/100 µmmol/L Hesperidin. Cellular proliferation, differentiation, and collagen synthesis were evaluated. The role of the Notch1 signaling pathway in the protective effects of Berberine and Hesperidin was analyzed by using γ-secretase inhibitor (DAPT) to block the Notch1 pathway. RESULTS: 5/10 mg/L Berberine intervention could noticeably decrease both TGF-ß1 and IL-1ß levels, 25/50/100 µmol/L Hesperidin could reduce IL-1ß secretion from TGF-ß1 stimulated cardiac fibroblasts. Both Berberine and Hesperidin decreased the expression of α-SMA and cell viability in a concentration-dependent manner; however, the apoptosis of cardiac fibroblasts was not influenced. 10 mg/L Berberine or at least 50 µmol/L Hesperidin could noticeably decrease MMP-1 expression, and at least 5 mg/L Berberine or 100 µmol/L Hesperidin could markedly reduce MMP-9 expression. Using DAPT to block Notch1 signaling could reverse the protective effects of Berberine and Hesperidin. CONCLUSIONS: Berberine and Hesperidin can reduce the secretion of inflammatory cytokines, differentiation, and proliferation, and increase the collagen synthesis of cardiac fibroblasts stimulated by TGF-ß1 via the Notch1 signaling pathway.

[Differentiation of naive T cells into Th2 cells induced by nuocyte cells in mice with allergic rhinitis].

Objective:The aim of this study is to examine whether nuocytes induced differentiation of primary T cells into Th2 cells in AR mice in vitro. Method:A murine model of AR on the background of BALB/c was established using ovalbumin, and nuocytes were sorted and purified from the mouse nasal associated lymphoid tissue (NALT) and cultured in vitro. Then, we assessed the expression of IL-4 in these cells. Mouse peripheral blood mononuclear cells were isolated and Th2 cells and T cells were isolated for in vitro culture, and the percentage of T cells in Th2 cells was detected. Then, NALT-derived nuocyte cells cultured in vitro were added to the above-mentioned mouse T cell culture medium for co-culture. Result:Numbers of sneezing, nasal rubbing and eosinophils in nasal lavage fluid were all enhanced in AR mice compared to normal ones. We used flow cytometry analysis to identify nuocytes from mice NALT as CD3CD4CD8CD19CD11bCD11cFcεR1 (lineage)-ICOS+, and also found that the cells expressed IL-4, and its protein and mRNA were all increased in AR mice versus normal mice. After nuocytes were co-cultured with T-cell cultures, we determined the percentage of Th2 cells in total T cells, and found that the percentage was increased significantly. Conclusion:nuocyte cells may induce the differentiation of primary T cells into Th2 cells in AR mice through IL-4 pathway.

[Application of transperineal pelvic floor ultrasonography in the diagnosis of female stress urinary incontinence].

Objective: To explore the application of transperineal pelvic floor ultrasonography in the diagnosis of female stress urinary incontinence(SUI). Methods: From March 2017 to December 2017, 60 patients diagnosed with SUI by department of gynecology, Xiangya Hospital of Central South University were selected as the case group, and 30 cases of normal women in the same period were selected as the control group. All subjects in both groups were examined by transperineal pelvic floor ultrasonography, that is, to be measured the bladder neck descent(BND), the urethral inclination angle(UIA), the posterior urethrovesical angle(PUVA) and the levator hiatus area(LHA) in resting state and during Valsalva maneuver. Results: (1)The differences in the measured values of the two groups were statistically significant(P<0.05). (2)The receiver operating characteristic curve(ROC) was used to find the cut-off values of SUI: when BND>31.5 mm; in Valsalva state, UIA>33.5°, PUVA>150.5° and LHA>20.6 cm2, with their sensitivity of 77.6%, 71.4%, 68.3% and 61.4%, respectively; the specificity of 68.9%, 74.6%, 73.9% and 78.0%, respectively. The area under the curve(AUC) were 0.753, 0.812, 0.721 and 0.712, respectively, when combined analysis of these indexes, reaching to 0.912. Conclusions: (1) Transperineal pelvic floor ultrasonography has a certain diagnostic value for SUI. (2)Combined analysis of various ultrasonic parameters can significantly improve the diagnostic efficiency of SUI.

Pathogenicity characteristics of Enterococcus faecium from diseased black bears.

The death of several black bears at the black bear breeding base in Yunnan Pingbian Daweishan is a matter of concern. Multiple black bears exhibited decreased appetite or unusual waste, and some were soporific or suffered from vomiting and anhelation. In order to ascertain the cause of death, 16S rDNA gene sequencing and phylogenetic analysis was performed on bacteria isolated from tissue samples obtained from dead bears. The biochemical characteristics of the isolated bacteria were subsequently analyzed using different biochemical test systems. The bacteria can decompose glucose, but it cannot produce gas. The fermentation study of sucrose, lactose, trehalose, glycerol and mannitol yielded positive results; while it was unable to decompose urea or ODC (ornithine decarboxylase). Basic Local Alignment Search Tool (BLAST) analysis of a ~1500-bp DNA product amplified from the 16S rDNA of the bacterial isolate revealed that Enterococcus faecium from black bears is highly similar to other E. faecium isolates in the National Center for Biotechnology Information (NCBI) database, and the highest sequence similarity (99%) was with the reference strain. In addition, mice infected with the E. faecium isolate succumbed to severe damage to the lungs, liver, spleen, myocardium, and kidney tissues. In summary, the isolated E. faecium from dead black bears induced pathological changes in mice.

Expressions and correlation analysis of HIF-1α, survivin and VEGF in patients with hepatocarcinoma.

OBJECTIVE: To investigate the expressions of HIF-1α, surviving, and VEGF in patients with hepatocarcinoma as well as the correlation analysis among them. PATIENTS AND METHODS: 65 patients, who were admitted to our hospital and diagnosed as hepatocarcinoma from January 2014 to October 2015, were selected as hepatocarcinoma group, while 50 healthy cases that do not have hepatocarcinoma were selected as normal control group. The expression levels of HIF-1α, surviving, and VEGF in hepatocarcinoma tissues of hepatocarcinoma group and normal liver tissues of control group were detected by immunohistochemical (SP) staining method; then, the correlation among them was explored. The expression levels of HIF-1α, surviving, and VEGF protein in hepatocarcinoma tissues and corresponding normal tissues were detected by Western blot. RESULTS: The positive expression rate of HIF-1α, surviving, and VEGF in hepatocarcinoma tissues of hepatocarcinoma group was respectively 46.2%, 55.4%, and 61.5%, significantly higher than that in cancer adjacent normal liver tissues of control group which was 2%, 2%, and 2%, and the differences were statistically significant (p<0.05). The expressions of HIF-1α, surviving, and VEGF in hepatocarcinoma tissues of patients with hepatocarcinoma were correlated with clinical stage, tumor differentiation degree and extrahepatic metastasis (p<0.05), but were not related to gender and tumor size (p>0.05). By Spearman rank correlation analysis, it could be seen that HIF-1α expression was positively correlated with VEGF protein expression in hepatocarcinoma tissues (r=0.683, p<0.05). Survivin expression was positively correlated with VEGF protein expression (r=0.717, p<0.05). There was no significant correlation between HIF-1α expression and survivin expression (p>0.05). The relative quantitative value of HIF-1α, surviving, and VEGF in hepatocarcinoma tissues of hepatocarcinoma group was respectively 3.04±0.23, 2.26±0.31, and 2.57±0.36, significantly higher than that in cancer adjacent liver tissues of control group which was 1.07±0.17, 1.31±0.27, and 1.42±0.43, and the differences were statistically significant (p<0.05). From Western blot electrophoresis scanning, it could be seen that the expressions of HIF-1α, surviving, and VEGF in hepatocarcinoma tissues were higher than those in cancer adjacent normal liver tissues. CONCLUSIONS: The expressions of HIF-1α, surviving, and VEGF played important roles in the occurrence, invasion, and metastasis of hepatocarcinoma. In hepatocarcinoma tissues, HIF-1α, and survivin protein expression was positively correlated with VEGF expression, but survivin protein was not related to HIF-1α expression, which indicated that HIF-1α and survivin may inhibit the apoptosis of hepatocarcinoma cells and promote tumor angiogenesis by up-regulating the expression of VEGF protein, thus accelerating the occurrence and development of hepatocarcinoma.

[Exploring a new method for superimposition of pre-treatment and post-treatment mandibular digital dental casts in adults].

OBJECTIVE: To explore a cone beam computed tomography (CBCT)-independent method for mandibular digital dental cast superimposition to evaluate three-dimensional (3D) mandibular tooth movement after orthodontic treatment in adults, and to evaluate the accuracy of this method. METHODS: Fifteen post-extraction orthodontic treatment adults from the Department of Orthodontics, Peking University School and Hospital of Stomatology were included. All the patients had four first premolars extracted, and were treated with straight wire appliance. The pre- and post-treatment plaster dental casts and craniofacial CBCT scans were obtained. The plaster dental casts were transferred to digital dental casts by 3D laser scanning, and lateral cephalograms were created from the craniofacial CBCT scans by orthogonal projection. The lateral cephalogram-based mandibular digital dental cast superimposition was achieved by sequential maxillary dental cast superimposition registered on the palatal stable region, occlusal transfer, and adjustment of mandibular rotation and translation obtained from lateral cephalogram superimposition. The accuracy of the lateral cephalogram-based mandibular digital dental cast superimposition method was evaluated with the CBCT-based mandibular digital dental cast superimposition method as the standard reference. After mandibular digital dental cast superimposition using both methods, 3D coordinate system was established, and 3D displacements of the lower bilateral first molars, canines and central incisors were measured. Differences between the two superimposition methods in tooth displacement measurements were assessed using the paired t-test with the level of statistical significance set at P<0.05. RESULTS: No significant differences were found between the lateral cephalogram-based and CBCT-based mandibular digital dental cast superimposition methods in 3D displacements of the lower first molars, and sagittal and vertical displacements of the canines and central incisors; transverse displacements of the canines and central incisors differed by (0.3±0.5) mm with statistical significance. CONCLUSION: The lateral cephalogram-based mandibular digital dental cast superimposition method has the similar accuracy as the CBCT-based mandibular digital dental cast superimposition method in 3D evaluation of mandibular orthodontic tooth displacement, except for minor differences for the transverse displacements of anterior teeth. This method is applicable to adult patients with conventional orthodontic treatment records, especially the previous precious orthodontic data in the absence of CBCT scans.

A serine protease homologue Bombyx mori scarface induces a short and fat body shape in silkworm.

Body shape is one of the most prominent and basic characteristics of any organism. In insects, abundant variations in body shape can be observed both within and amongst species. However, the molecular mechanism underlying body shape fine-tuning is very complex and has been largely unknown until now. In the silkworm Bombyx mori, the tubby (tub) mutant has an abnormal short fat body shape and the abdomen of tub larvae expands to form a fusiform body shape. Morphological investigation revealed that the body length was shorter and the body width was wider than that of the Dazao strain. Thus, this mutant is a good model for studying the molecular mechanisms of body shape fine-tuning. Using positional cloning, we identified a gene encoding the serine protease homologue, B. mori scarface (Bmscarface), which is associated with the tub phenotype. Sequence analysis revealed a specific 312-bp deletion from an exon of Bmscarface in the tub strain. In addition, recombination was not observed between the tub and Bmscarface loci. Moreover, RNA interference of Bmscarface resulted in the tub-like phenotype. These results indicate that Bmscarface is responsible for the tub mutant phenotype. This is the first study to report that mutation of a serine protease homologue can induce an abnormal body shape in insects.