Timing of induction of labor in suspected macrosomia: retrospective cohort study, systematic review and meta-analysis.

OBJECTIVE: Large-for-gestational-age (LGA) is associated with several adverse maternal and neonatal outcomes. Although many studies have found that early induction of labor (eIOL) in LGA reduces the incidence of shoulder dystocia (SD), no current guidelines recommend this particular strategy, due to concerns about increased rates of cesarean delivery (CD) and neonatal complications. The purpose of this study was to assess whether the timing of IOL in LGA fetuses affects maternal and neonatal outcomes in a single center; and to combine these results with the evidence reported in the literature. METHODS: This study comprised two parts. The first was a retrospective cohort study that included: consecutive patients with singleton pregnancy, an estimated fetal weight (EFW) ≥90th percentile on ultrasound (US) between 35+0 and 39+0 weeks of gestation (WG), who were eligible for normal vaginal delivery. The second part was a systematic review of literature and meta-analysis that included the results of the first part as well as all previously reported studies that have compared IOL to expectant management in patients with LGA. The perinatal outcomes were CD, operative vaginal delivery (OVD), SD, brachial plexus palsy, anal sphincter injury, postpartum hemorrhage (PPH), APGAR score, umbilical arterial pH, neonatal intensive care unit (NICU) admission, use of continuous positive airway pressure (CPAP), intracranial hemorrhage (ICH), phototherapy, and bone fracture. RESULTS: Retrospective cohort: of the 547 patients, 329 (60.1%) were induced and 218 (39.9%) entered spontaneous labor. Following covariate balancing, CD was significantly higher in the IOL group in comparison to the spontaneous labor group. This difference only became apparent beyond 40WG (hazard ratio: 1.9, p=0.030). The difference between both groups for shoulder dystocia was not statistically significant. Systematic review and metanalysis: 17 studies were included in addition to our own results giving a total sample size of 111,300 participants. When IOL was performed <40+0WG, the risk for SD was significantly lower in the IOL group (OR: 0.64, 95%CI: 0.42-0.98, I2 =19%). There was no significant difference in CD rate between IOL and expectant management after pooling the results of these 17 studies. However, when removing the studies in which IOL was done exclusively before 40+0WG, the risk for CD in the remaining studies (IOL not exclusively <40+0WG) was significantly higher in the IOL group (odds ratio [OR]: 1.46, 95% confidence interval [95%CI]: 1.02-2.09, I2 =56%). There were no statistically significant differences between IOL and expectant management for the remaining perinatal outcomes. Nulliparity, history of CD, and low Bishop score but not methods of induction were independent risk factors for intrapartum CD in patients who were induced for LGA. CONCLUSION: Timing of IOL in patients with suspected macrosomia significantly impacts perinatal adverse outcomes. IOL has no impact on rates of SD but does increase CD when considered irrespective of gestational age, but it may decrease the risk of SD without increasing the risk of other adverse maternal outcomes, in particular cesarean section when performed before 40+0 WG. (GRADE: Low/Very low). This article is protected by copyright. All rights reserved.

[Correlations between the average Young's modulus and histopathological characteristics of papillary thyroid carcinoma].

Objective: To explore the histopathological factors affecting the stiffness of papillary thyroid carcinoma (PTC). Methods: Ninety-six patients with PTC confirmed by surgery and pathology in Shanxi Bethune Hospital from January 2019 to December 2020 were selected, including 101 nodules. Two-dimensional ultrasound and shear-wave elastography (SWE) were performed before surgery and the average Young's modulus (Emean) of PTC nodules were measured. Histopathological examinations on the nodules were conducted after surgery to decide the lesion size, number of lesions, calcification type, presence or absence of capsular and extracapsular invasion, degree of fibrosis, microvessel density, and number of tumor cells. The correlations between the lesion size, degree of fibrosis, microvessel density, and number of tumor cells and the Emean were analyzed. The Emeans of nodules with different numbers of lesions, presence or absence of capsular and extracapsular invasion, and different pathological calcification types were compared. The multiple linear regression analysis was used to evaluate the histopathological factors influencing the Emean. Results: The ranges of the lesion sizes, degrees of fibrosis, microvascular density, numbers of tumor cells, and the Emeans of the 101 investigated PTC nodules were (1.29±0.95) cm, (30.64±18.37)%, (101.64±30.7) vessels per high power field, (373.52±149.87) cells per high power field, and (36.47±19.62) kPa, respectively. Correlation analysis showed that the lesion size of PTC and the degree of fibrosis were positively correlated with the Emean (r=0.660, P＜0.001; r=0.789, P＜0.001), while the microvessel density was negatively correlated with the Emean (r=-0.198, P=0.047). The Emean of the group with capsular and extracapsular invasion was higher than that of the group without (P=0.014). There were statistical differences in the Emeans among different types of pathological calcification (P＜0.001). The multiple linear regression analysis showed that the lesion size (ß=0.325, P＜0.001), degree of fibrosis (ß=0.563, P＜0.001), psammoma bodies (ß=0.177, P=0.001), stromal calcification (ß=0.164, P=0.003), and mixed calcification of both psammoma bodies and stroma (ß=0.163, P=0.003) were independent influencing factors for the Emean. The degree of fibrosis had the greatest impact on the Emean. Conclusions: The Emean of PTC lesions was correlated with the histopathological characteristics of PTC. The lesion size, degree of fibrosis, and calcification had significant impact on the Emean, among which the degree of fibrosis had the greatest impact.

Valgus-varus deformity induced abnormal tissue metabolism, inflammatory damage and apoptosis in broilers.

1. This study explored the tissue metabolic status and the relationship with inflammation in valgus-valgus deformity (VVD) broilers with increasing age.2. Tissue and blood from VVD and healthy broilers were collected at two, four and five weeks old. A fully automated biochemical analyser, real-time PCR, HE staining and enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay were used to detect tissue metabolic indexes, mRNA levels of inflammation and apoptosis cytokines in immune organs, histological changes and serum inflammation and immune-related protein contents in VVD broilers.3. The results showed that VVD increased the levels of total protein, albumin, alanine aminotransferase at five weeks of age, aspartate aminotransferase, urea and creatine kinase in blood at two weeks of age. It upregulated the gene expression of inflammatory factors IL-1ß, IL-6, IL-8, TNF-α, NF-κB and TGF-ß and apoptotic factors FAS, Bcl-2, caspase-3 and 9 in immune organs; increased levels of serum proteins TNF-α, IL-1ß and IL-6 and decreased levels of serum immunoglobulins IgY and CD3+.4. In addition, with increasing age, IL-10 gene expression gradually increased in the BF and decreased in the spleen.5. In conclusion, VVD broilers have disorders of liver and kidney metabolism, inflammation and apoptosis of immune organs and increased levels of serum inflammatory factor proteins.

Genome-wide DNA methylation and transcriptome analyses reveal important epigenetic genes associated with valgus-varus deformity in broilers.

1. Valgus-varus deformity (VVD) is a common leg bone problem in broilers that causes serious economic losses to the breeding industry. The genetic aetiology of VVD is not clear, which restricts the genetic control of VVD.2. In this study, knee cartilage of 35-day-old VVD and normal broilers was sequenced by whole-genome bisulphite sequencing (WGBS). The unique whole-genome DNA methylation profile of VVD broilers was described, and the methylation data and transcription data were used for joint analysis.3. The mean methylation level of the VVD group was greater than that in the normal group. A total of 4315 differentially methylated regions (DMRs) were detected from methylation data, with the highest DMR density on chromosomes 25, 27, 31 and 33. DMRs were mainly located in introns, which accounted for more than 60%, followed by promoter and exon regions.4. A total of 2326 differentially methylated genes (DMGs) were identified from DMRs, including 1159 genes with upregulated DMRs, 936 genes with downregulated DMRs, and 231 genes with two types of DMRs.5. The ESPL1 gene may be an important epigenetic gene of VVD. The methylation of particular CpG17, CpG18 and CpG19 sites in the promoter region of the ESPL1 gene may hinder the binding of transcription factors and promoters and increase the expression of ESPL1.

Three novel structural variations at the major histocompatibility complex and IL12B predispose to psoriasis.

BACKGROUND: Structural variations (SVs; defined as DNA variants ≥ 50 base pairs) have been associated with various complex human diseases. However, research to screen the whole genome for SVs predisposing to psoriasis is lacking. OBJECTIVES: To investigate the association of SVs and psoriasis. METHODS: Using imputation, we performed a genome-wide screen of SVs on five independent cohorts with 45 386 participants from the Han Chinese population. Fine-mapping analysis, genetic interaction analysis and RNA expression analysis were conducted to explore the mechanism of SVs. RESULTS: In total, we obtained 4535 SVs and identified two novel deletions [esv3608550, odds ratio (OR) 2·73 (P < 2·00 × 10-308 ); esv3608542, OR 0·47 (P = 7·40 × 10-28 )] at 6q21·33 (major histocompatibility complex), one novel Alu element insertion [esv3607339; OR 1·22 (P = 1·18 × 10-35 )] at 5q33·3 (IL12B) and confirmed one previously reported deletion [esv3587563; OR 1·30 (P = 9·52 × 10-60 )] at 1q21·2 (late cornified envelope) for psoriasis. Fine-mapping analysis including single-nucleotide polymorphisms (SNPs) and small insertions/deletions revealed that esv3608550 and esv3608542 were independently associated with psoriasis, and a novel independent SNP [rs9378188; OR, 1·65 (P = 3·46 × 10-38 )] was identified at 6q21·33. By genetic interaction analysis and RNA expression analysis, we speculate that the association of two deletions at 6q21·33 with psoriasis might relate to their influence on the expression of HLA-C. CONCLUSIONS: We have constructed the most comprehensive SV map for psoriasis thus far and enriched the genetic architecture and pathogenesis of psoriasis, and highlight the non-negligible impact of SVs on complex diseases.

Two novel InDels within the promoter of SIRT1 are associated with growth traits in chickens.

1. The objectives of the present study were to elucidate the relationship between novel variations of the SIRT1 gene and chicken growth traits. In total, 1,429 chickens, including six breeds and a Gushi ×Anka F2 resource population, were genotyped using PCR-RFLP.2. Two novel InDels (c.-1552_-1553insCG and c.-450_-451delCG) in the promoter of the chicken SIRT1 gene were identified. An association study showed that c.-1552_-1553insCG was significantly correlated with growth traits and serum lipid indicators.3. The insertion genotype was most highly associated with body weight at day old, two- and four-week-old chickens, and with shank circumference at four and eight weeks of age. The wild type genotype at this site was most highly associated with serum lipid indicators.4. In contrast, c.-450_-451delCG was significantly correlated with muscle fibre diameter. The SIRT1 gene expression in chickens with different InDel genotypes was analysed and was significantly higher with heterozygous genotypes at both sites in muscle and fat tissue, relative to expression in chickens with the corresponding homozygous genotypes.5. The effects of different haplotypes on SIRT1 promoter activity showed that promoter activity depends on haplotype, with haplotype HapII exhibiting the highest activity.6. It was concluded that the SIRT1 gene is associated with chicken growth traits and that the two InDels influence SIRT1 promoter activity in chickens.

miR-181a-5p can inhibit the proliferation and promote the differentiation of chicken primary myoblasts.

1. Myoblast proliferation and differentiation is one of the most important biological processes in the development of skeletal muscle. MicroRNAs (miRNAs) play a crucial role in this process.2. In this study, the expression level of miR-181a-5p was detected, which found that miR-181a-5p was expressed differently in different tissues, different embryonic ages, and different differentiation stages of primary myoblasts in Gushi chickens.3. The effect of miR-181a-5p was further investigated on chicken primary myoblasts (CPMs). The results of cell counting kit-8 (CCK-8), 5-ethynyl-2'-deoxyuridine (EdU) and cell cycle showed that miR-181a-5p could inhibit the proliferation of CPM. The miR-181a-5p promoted the expression of MYOD, MYOG, and MYHC. MYHC protein immunofluorescence experiments showed that miR-181a-5p increased the area of myotubes.4. In total, 63 potential target genes of miR-181a-5p in mRNA transcriptome data analysis were identified. Functional enrichment analysis was performed on these target genes, and ASNS, SMYD1, and FOS were found to play regulatory roles in biological processes such as muscle development. It was speculated that miR-181a-5p played a role in myoblast development through these genes.5. In conclusion, miR-181a-5p can inhibit the proliferation of chicken myoblasts and promote the differentiation of chicken myoblasts. This study laid the foundation for further research on the regulatory mechanism of miR-181a-5p in the development of skeletal muscle and the formation of excellent meat quality traits in Gushi chicken.

A novel 27-bp indel in the intron region of the YBX3 gene is associated with growth traits in chickens.

1. The DNA/RNA binding protein YBX3 is associated with gene transcription, DNA repair, and the progression of various diseases and is highly conserved from bacteria to humans.2. The following experiment found a 27-bp insertion/deletion polymorphism in the intron region of the YBX3 gene through resequencing. In cross-designed, F2 resource groups, the indel was significantly associated with broiler weight and body size at 0, 2, 4, 6, 8, 10 and 12 weeks of age and several other traits (semi evisceration weight (SEW), evisceration weight (EW), semi evisceration rate (SER), evisceration rate (ER), head weight (HW), claw weight (CLW), wing weight (DWW), gizzard weight (GW), pancreas weight (PW), chest muscle weight (CMW), leg weight (LW), leg muscle weight (LMW), shedding weight (SW), carcase weight (CW) and pectoral area (PA)) (P < 0.05).3. The insertion-insertion (II) genotype was significantly associated with the greatest growth traits and carcase traits, whereas the values associated with the insertion-deletion (ID) genotype were the lowest in the F2 reciprocal cross chickens.4. The mutation sites were genotyped in 3611 individuals from 13 different chicken breeds and cross-designed F2 resource groups. The II genotype is the most important in commercial broilers, and the I allele frequency observed in these breeds was relatively high. However, there is still considerable potential in breeding dual-purpose chickens and commercial laying hens.5. The mRNA expression of the YBX3 gene in tissues from different breeds and developmental stages demonstrated that the 27-bp indel may affect the entire development process of poultry by affecting muscle development. These findings are beneficial for elucidating the function of the YBX3 gene and facilitating enhanced production in the chicken industry.

miR-30a-3p can inhibit the proliferation and promote the differentiation of chicken primary myoblasts.

1. Chicken muscle is an important factor in meat quality and its development is controlled by a complex regulatory network.2. The following study examined the expression of miR-30a-3p in Gushi chicken breast muscle tissue and found that it was differentially expressed at different embryonic stages, reaching a peak in the 14-day-old embryo (E14).3. The effect of miR-30a-3p on chicken primary myoblasts (CPMs) was explored. Results from both cell counting kit-8 (CCK-8) and 5-ethynyl-2'-deoxyuridine (EdU) showed that this can inhibit the proliferation of myoblasts, and through cell cycle experiments, the inhibition of myoblast proliferation was found, which may be due to G0/G1 arrest in the cell cycle.4. The effect of miR-30a-3p on the differentiation of myoblasts was studied. The results showed that miR-30a-3p can promote the expression of MYOD, myogenin (MYOG), and myosin heavy chain (MYHC) genes to promote the differentiation of myoblasts. Through MYHC protein immunofluorescence experiments, it was found that miR-30a-3p can effectively increase the area of myotubes.5. Finally, mRNA transcriptome data was analysed, which showed that miR-30a-3p has 51 potential target genes. Among them, forkhead box O3 (FOXO3), ankyrin repeat domain 1 (ANKRD1), and insulin-induced 1 (INSIG1) genes were differentially expressed at different developmental stages and were enriched in Gene Ontology (GO) terms, such as cell differentiation and cellular developmental process. The data showed that tyrosine 3-monooxygenase/tryptophan 5-monooxygenase activation protein gamma (YWHAG), BUB1 mitotic checkpoint serine/threonine kinase (BUB1), and growth arrest and DNA damage-inducible 45 (GADD45) genes were enriched in the cell cycle pathway.6. It can be speculated that miR-30a-3p plays roles through these genes in myoblast development. This research provides information for further improving knowledge of the chicken muscle development regulation network.

[Joinpoint regression analysis of the incidence trend of syphilis and gonorrhea among adolescents aged 10-19 in Liaoning Province from 2006 to 2020].

Joinpoint regression was used to analyze the trend of syphilis and gonorrhea incidence rate among 10-19 year old adolescents in Liaoning Province from 2006 to 2020. The syphilis and gonorrhea data in Liaoning Province were reported in the infectious disease monitoring system of China's disease prevention and control information system. From 2006 to 2020, a total of 7 721 cases of syphilis in 10-19 year old adolescents were reported in Liaoning Province, with an incidence rate about 0.90/100 000-22.13/100 000. The incidence rate of syphilis in women was higher than that in men. Adolescents infected with stage Ⅰ and stageⅡ syphilis accounted for 72.6%. There were 2 726 patients with gonorrhea, with an incidence rate about 1.29/100 000-10.74/100 000. The incidence rate of gonorrhea in men was higher than that in women. Joinpoint regression model analysis showed that the incidence of syphilis generally took 2012 as the inflection point. From 2006 to 2012, the average annual growth rate of syphilis incidence rate among adolescents was 67.30% (P<0.001). The average annual growth rate of syphilis incidence rate in adolescents from 2012 to 2020 was -0.02% (P=0.994).The overall incidence of gonorrhea incidence rate took 2015 as the inflection point. From 2006 to 2015, the average annual growth rate of juvenile gonorrhea incidence rate was 23.95% (P<0.001). The average annual growth rate of gonorrhea incidence rate in adolescents from 2015 to 2020 was 4.06% (P=0.492). Overall, from 2006 to 2020, the incidence rate of syphilis and gonorrhea among 10-19 year old adolescents in Liaoning Province increased slowly. The primary and secondary prevention strategies were significantly effective in reducing the risk of sexually transmitted diseases.

[Oligometastatic and oligoprogressive esophageal squamous cell carcinoma:clarifying conceptions and surgery perspectives].

The oligometastatic and oligoprogressive state has been a hot issue in cancer research. Its indolent tumor behavior, representing a novel therapeutic opportunity, has been identified as a clinical subtype in several malignancies. However, the clinical implications of the oligometastatic and oligoprogressive state in esophageal squamous cell carcinoma (ESCC) have not been thoroughly elucidated. There are still controversies regarding the existence of the oligometastatic state in ESCC, if the solitary regional lymph node metastasis should be viewed as oligoprogressive disease after esophagectomy, and the role of surgery and radiotherapy in ESCC oligometastatic disease. Despite many exciting contributions to the literature on these, further exploration is warranted. Thus, fostering the advance of research and scientific knowledge on the biological and prognostic characteristics scrupulously would facilitate personalizing treatment strategy for better outcomes.

Improved light extraction efficiency of AlGaN deep-ultraviolet light emitting diodes combining Ag-nanodots/Al reflective electrode with highly transparent p-type layer.

Enhancement of light extraction efficiency (LEE) of AlGaN-based deep-ultraviolet (DUV) light emitting diodes (LEDs) has been attempted by adopting Ag-nanodots/Al reflective electrodes on a highly transparent complex p-type layer. By thinning the p-GaN to several nm, highly DUV transparent p-type layer is achieved, making it meaningful for the application of reflective electrodes composed of Ag-nanodots and Al film to allow most light emitted upward to be reflected back to the sapphire side. By this approach, the maximum light output power and external quantum efficiency of the DUV-LEDs with optimized Ag nanodots/Al electrodes are severally increased by 52% and 58%, respectively, compared to those with traditional Ni/Au electrodes when the current is below 200 mA.

Anti-adipogenesis and metabolism-regulating effects of heat-inactivated Streptococcus thermophilus MN-ZLW-002.

Metabolic syndrome and obesity have become serious threats to public health worldwide. This study was conducted to evaluate the anti-adipogenesis and metabolism-regulating effects of heat-inactivated Streptococcus thermophilus MN-ZLW-002 (MN-ZLW-002), which can be used as a yogurt starter. In vitro study suggested that MN-ZLW-002 stimulated the RAW264.7 macrophages to produce significant amounts of interleukin (IL)-6, IL-10 and tumour necrosis factor (TNF)-α and induced intense phosphorylation of P38, p44/42 MAPK and nuclear factor κB. MN-ZLW-002-stimulated RAW264.7-conditioned medium (CM) notably suppressed the differentiation and adipogenesis of 3T3-L1 pre-adipocytes. The 12-week in vivo study suggested that orally administered MN-ZLW-002 significantly reduced the weight gain of mice caused by the high-fat diet (HFD) at weeks 3-8; decreased fasting blood glucose levels at week 4 and week 8; decreased serum total triglyceride level at week 12. MN-ZLW-002 also reduced serum IL-1ß and chemokine ligand 3 levels in the HFD-fed mice. These findings suggest that heat-inactivated MN-ZLW-002 can suppress adipocytes differentiation and lipid accumulation by regulating the immune response, possibly via the release of cytokines, particularly TNF-α; MN-ZLW-002 can improve metabolism-related indicators in the early stage of HFD intervention and regulate the related pro-inflammatory immune response.

Estrogen enhances the expression of a growth-associated long noncoding RNA in chicken liver via ERα.

1. The long noncoding RNA lncGLM is significantly differentially expressed in the livers of peak-laying hens compared with that in the livers of pre-laying hens, but its potential biological role and expression regulation are unclear.2. To explore the potential biological function of lncGLM, single nucleotide polymorphism (SNP) detection and association analysis were carried out in the Gushi×Anka F2 resource population.3. The tissues and spatiotemporal expression characteristics of lncGLM were analysed by real-time quantitative PCR. The effects of 17ß-oestradiol on the expression of lncGLM expression were analysed through in vitro and in vivo experiments.4. The results showed that a g.19069338 T > C SNP was present in lncGLM. Association analysis revealed that lncGLM was significantly associated with body slanting length at 12 weeks, body weight at 12 weeks, shank length at four weeks, chest depth at eight weeks, pelvic width at 12 weeks, eviscerated weight, head weight, pancreas weight, pectoralis weight, leg muscle weight, muscular stomach weight rate, pancreas weight rate, carcase weight, aspartate aminotransferase, creatinine and pectoral muscle water loss rate.5. The expression of lncGLM in the liver was higher than that in other sampled tissues. In addition, the expression of lncGLM in the liver was significantly higher in the peak-laying period than at the pre-laying period. Both in vitro and in vivo experiments showed that lncGLM expression was regulated by 17ß-oestradiol via oestrogen receptor alpha (ER-α). These results demonstrated that the chicken lncGLM gene is highly expressed in liver tissue and regulated by oestrogen through ER-α.

Enhanced silk yield in transgenic silkworm (Bombyx mori) via ectopic expression of BmGT1-L in the posterior silk gland.

The silkworm is an economically important insect producing plentiful silk fibre in the silk gland. In this study, we reported a cross-talk between the fat body, silk gland and midgut through a glycine-serine biosynthetic pathway in the silkworm. Amino acid sequence and functional domains of glycine transporter gene BmGT1-L were mapped. Our results indicated that BmGT1-L was specifically expressed in the midgut microvilli and persistently expressed during the feeding stages. RNA interference of BmGT1-L activated glycine biosynthesis, and BmGT1-L overexpression facilitated serine biosynthesis in the BmN4-SID1 cell. In addition, silkworms after FibH gene knock-out or silk gland extirpation showed markedly decreased BmGT1-L transcripts in the midgut and disturbed glycine-serine biosynthesis as silk yield decreased. Finally, BmGT1-L ectopic expression in the posterior silk gland promoted glycine biosynthesis, and enhanced silk yield via increasing fibroin synthesis. These results suggested that cross-talk between tissues can be used for enhancing silk yield in the silkworm.

Clostridium difficile infection and risk of Parkinson's disease: a Swedish population-based cohort study.

BACKGROUND AND PURPOSE: Gastrointestinal inflammation has been implicated in Parkinson's disease (PD). The aim of this study was to examine whether individuals with a history of Clostridium difficile infection (CDI) are at elevated risk of PD. METHODS: We performed a population-based cohort study using Swedish national register data. Adults aged ≥35 years were identified from the Swedish Population and Housing Census 1990 and followed during the period 1997-2013. Diagnoses of CDI and PD were extracted from the National Patient Register. Associations of CDI history with PD risk were estimated using Cox proportional hazards regression. We also explored whether the association differed by the source of CDI diagnosis (inpatient vs. outpatient), presence of recurrent infections, and pre-infection use of antibiotics. RESULTS: Amongst the study population (N = 4 670 423), 34 868 (0.75%) had a history of CDI. A total of 165 and 47 035 incident PD cases were identified from individuals with and without CDI history, respectively. Across the entire follow-up, a 16% elevation of PD risk was observed among the CDI group [hazard ratio 1.16, 95% confidence interval (CI)1.00-1.36], which was mainly driven by increased PD risk within the first 2 years after CDI diagnosis (hazard ratio 1.38, 95% CI 1.12-1.69). In longer follow-up, CDI was not associated with subsequent PD occurrence. This temporal pattern of CDI-PD associations was generally observed across all CDI subgroups. CONCLUSIONS: Clostridium difficile may be associated with an increased short-term PD risk, but this might be explained by reverse causation and/or surveillance bias. Our results do not imply that CDI history affects long-term PD risk.

Accurate detection of lameness in dairy cattle with computer vision: A new and individualized detection strategy based on the analysis of the supporting phase.

Lameness has a considerable influence on the welfare and health of dairy cows. Many attempts have been made to develop automatic lameness detection systems using computer vision technology. However, these detection methods are easily affected by the characteristics of individual cows, resulting in inaccurate detection of lameness. Therefore, this study explores an individualized lameness detection method for dairy cattle based on the supporting phase using computer vision. This approach is applied to eliminate the influence of the characteristics of individual cows and to detect lame cows and lame hooves. In this paper, the correlation coefficient between lameness and the supporting phase is calculated, a lameness detection algorithm based on the supporting phase is proposed, and the accuracy of the algorithm is verified. Additionally, the reliability of this method using computer vision technology is verified based on deep learning. One hundred naturally walking cows are selected from video data for analysis. The results show that the correlation between lameness and the supporting phase was 0.864; 96% of cows were correctly classified, and 93% of lame hooves were correctly detected using the supporting phase-based lameness detection algorithm. The mean average precision is 87.0%, and the number of frames per second is 83.3 when the Receptive Field Block Net Single Shot Detector deep learning network was used to detect the locations of cow hooves in the video. The results show that the supporting phase-based lameness detection method proposed in this paper can be used for the detection and classification of cow lameness and the detection of lame hooves with high accuracy. This approach eliminates the influence of individual cow characteristics and could be integrated into an automatic detection system and widely applied for the detection of cow lameness.

Association of growth traits with a structural variation downstream of the KCNJ11 gene: a large population-based study in chickens.

1. The potassium voltage-gated channel subfamily J member 11 gene (KCNJ11) is involved in the insulin secretion pathway. Studies have shown that mutation in this gene is associated with muscle weakness. The objective of the present study was to establish the association between KCNJ11 gene polymorphism and chicken growth performance and to analyse its expression pattern. 2. A novel 163-bp insertion/deletion (indel) polymorphism was identified in the region downstream of the KCNJ11 gene in 2330 individuals from ten populations by polymerase chain reaction (PCR). An F2 resource population was used to investigate the genetic effects of the chicken KCNJ11 gene. Association analysis showed that the indel was significantly associated with chicken growth traits and that the phenotypic value of the ins-ins (II) genotype is higher than that of the ins-del (ID) and del-del (DD) genotypes. 3. Gene expression for different genotypes showed that birds carrying the II allele had a higher expression level than the DD genotypes. Analysis of tissue and spatiotemporal expression patterns indicated that the KCNJ11 gene was highly expressed in muscle tissues, with the highest levels in muscle tissue at one week of age, and that a 10% crude protein diet reduced the expression of this gene, average daily gain and muscle fibre diameter. 4. The results suggested that this novel 163-bp indel has the potential to become a new target for marker-assisted selection.

[Mechanism of lncRNA-SRLR induced invasion and metastasis in U2OS osteosarcoma cells].

Objective: To explore the potential mechanism of sorafenib resistance associated long non-coding RNA (lncRNA-SRLR) promoted invasion and metastasis in U2OS osteosarcoma cells. Methods: We transfected U2OS cells with negative control lentivirus (LV-NC) or lncRNA-SRLR overexpressed lentivirus (LV-over/SRLR) particles. LV-NC and LV-over/SRLR stable transfected cells (U20S/NC and U20S/SRLR) were selected by primary cell culture medium containing puromycin. The mRNA expressions of lncRNA-SRLR and procollagen-lysine, procollagen-lysine 2-oxoglutarate 5-dioxygenase 2 (PLOD2) were detected by quantitative real-time polymerase chain reaction (qRT-PCR). The effect of lncRNA-SRLR on the invasion of U2OS cells were determined by wound-healing assay and Transwell migration assay. The effect of SRLR on the interleukin-6 (IL-6) secretion of U2OS cells was evaluated by enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay (ELISA) analysis. The subcellular distribution of SRLR in U2OS cells was detected by fluorescence in situ hybridization (FISH) analysis.The expression of PLOD2 in cells was detected by immunofluorescence (IF). The expressions of PLOD2 and focal adhesion kinase (FAK)/signal transducer and activator of transcription 3 (STAT3) signal pathway related proteins in U2OS/NC and U2OS/SRLR cells were detected by western blotting. Results: qRT-PCR assay showed that mRNA expressions of lncRNA-SRLR and PLOD2 in U2OS/SRLR cells were (3 964.97±0.05) and (2.77±0.11), respectively, significantly higher than those in U2OS/NC cells (P<0.001 or P<0.01). The results of wound-healing and Transwell migration assay showed that over-expression of SRLR markedly promoted the invasion ability of U2OS cells (P<0.05). The result of ELISA analysis showed that the IL-6 secretions in U2OS/NC or U2OS/SRLR cells were (125.38±11.22) pg/ml or (119.97±13.43) pg/ml, without statistical significance (P>0.05). The subcellular distribution assay revealed that lncRNA-SRLR is predominately located in the nucleus. The result of IF showed that compared with U2OS/NC cells, the expression of PLOD2 was up-regulated in U2OS/SRLR cells. The result of western blotting showed that over-expression of SRLR significantly increased the expression levels of PLOD2, phosphorylation (p)-FAK and p-STAT3 in U2OS cells (P<0.01). Conclusion: lncRNA-SRLR promotes invasion and metastasis of osteosarcoma by activating PLOD2-FAK/STAT3 signal axis.

[Mechanism of PLOD2 induced osimertinib resistance in non-small cell lung cancer HCC827 cells].

Objective: To investigate the effects of osimertinib on proliferation, migration and invasion of procollagen-lysine 2-oxoglutarate 5-dioxygenase 2 (PLOD2) overexpressing HCC827 cells and explore the potential mechanism of PLOD2 induced osimertinib resistance. Methods: We transfected HCC827 cells with LV-vector and LV-over/PLOD2. The expression of PLOD2 was detected by quantitative real time polymerase chain reaction (qRT-PCR) and western blotting. The effects of osimertinib on the proliferation of HCC827-vector and HCC827-PLOD2 cells were evaluated by 3-(4, 5-dimethyl-2-thiazolyl)-2, 5-diphenyl-2H tetrazolium bromide (MTT) assay. The effects of osimertinib on the migration and invasion of HCC827-vector and HCC827-PLOD2 cells were determined by Transwell assays. The expressions of E-cadherin and vimentin in cells were detected by immunofluorescence (IF). The expressions of epithelial-mesenchymal transition (EMT), FAK-PI3K/AKT and MAPK signal pathway related proteins were detected by western blotting. Results: The MTT assay showed that HCC827-PLOD2 cells were hyposensitive to osimertinib. The 50% inhibitory concentration (IC(50)) and resistance index of osimertinib for HCC827-PLOD2 cells was over 1 000 nmol/L and over 100, respectively. The result of wound healing assay showed that the migration distance of HCC827-PLOD2 was about (2.13±0.21) fold changes as that of HCC827-vector cells. The result of Transwell assay showed that the numbers of HCC827-PLOD2 passing through the matrix membrane were (212.78±10.43), significantly higher than (101.32±12.52) of HCC827-vector cells (P<0.01). The result of IF showed that compared with HCC827-vector cells, the expression of E-cadherin was down-regulated while vimentin was up-regulated in HCC827-PLOD2 cells. Osimertinb downregulated E-cadherin and upregulated vimentin expression in HCC827-vector cells but had limited effect in HCC827-PLOD2 cells. The result of western blotting showed that PLOD2 significantly increased vimentin expression level while decreased E-cadherin expression level. Osimertinib inhibited the expression of p-EGFR, but did not affect the expressions of PLOD2, p-FAK, p-AKT, p-ERK, vimentin and E-cadherin in HCC827-PLOD2 cells. Conclusion: PLOD2 confers resistance to osimertinib in HCC827 cells by regulating EMT, FAK-PI3K/AKT and MAPK signal pathways.