The effects and mechanisms of heat stress on mammalian oocyte and embryo development.

The sum of nonspecific physiological responses exhibited by mammals in response to the disruption of thermal balance caused by high-temperature environments is referred to as heat stress (HS). HS affects the normal development of mammalian oocyte and embryos and leads to significant economic losses. Therefore, it is of great importance to gain a deep understanding of the mechanisms underlying the effects of HS on oocyte and embryonic development and to explore strategies for mitigating or preventing its detrimental impacts in the livestock industry. This article provides an overview of the negative effects of HS on mammalian oocyte growth, granulosa cell maturation and function, and embryonic development. It summarizes the mechanisms by which HS affects embryonic development, including generation of reactive oxygen species (ROS), endocrine disruption, the heat shock system, mitochondrial autophagy, and molecular-level alterations. Furthermore, it discusses various measures to ameliorate the effects of HS, such as antioxidant use, enhancement of mitochondrial function, gene editing, cultivating varieties possessing heat-resistant genes, and optimizing the animals'rearing environment. This article serves as a valuable reference for better understanding the relationship between HS and mammalian embryonic development as well as for improving the development of mammalian embryos and economic benefits under HS conditions in livestock production.

[Efficacy of venetoclax-based induction regimen in newly diagnosed pediatric acute myeloid leukemia].

Objective: To explore the efficacy of venetoclax-based induction regimen for children with newly diagnosed acute myeloid leukemia (AML). Methods: Children with newly diagnosed AML in Beijing Children's Hospital Affiliated to Capital Medical University and Baoding Hospital Affliliated to Capital Medical University from November 2019 and December 2023 were prospectively included. The patients were divided into DAH group (daunorubicin, cytarabine and homoharringtonine) and VAH group (venetoclax, cytarabine and homoharringtonine) according to induction regimen. The clinical data of the children were collected, the clinical characteristics and induced remission rate between the two groups were compared, and multivariate logistic regression was used to analyze the related factors affecting the induced remission rate. Results: A total of 135 patients were enrolled, including 96 cases in the DAH group (54 males and 42 females), aged [M (Q1, Q3)] 6.4 (3.9, 11.6) years and 39 cases in the VAH group (26 males and 13 females), aged 8.0 (6.2, 13.2) years. Among patients initially diagnosed with low-medium risk AML, the morphologic complete remission rates were 94.7% (18/19) in the VAH group and 84.4% (38/45) in the DAH group, respectively, and the negativity conversion rates of minirnal residual disease (MRD) were 57.9% (11/19) and 46.7% (21/45), respectively, with no statistically difference (all P>0.05). Among patients initially diagnoised with high-risk AML, the morphologic complete remission rates in the VAH group was higher than that in the DAH group [95.0% (19/20) vs 70.6% (36/51), P=0.027], and negativity conversion rates of MRD were 45.0% (9/20) and 33.3% (17/51), respectively, with no statistically difference (P=0.359). The induction regimen (venetoclax, cytarabine and homoharringtonin) was beneficial to morphological remission (OR=0.126, 95%CI: 0.025-0.629). FLT3 mutation was not conducive to morphological remission (OR=5.832, 95%CI: 1.778-19.124) and negative MRD (OR=4.166, 95%CI: 1.396-12.433). Conclusion: Venetoclax-based induction regimen is more effective than traditional chemotherapy regimen for newly diagnosed pediatric AML.

[The value of a nomogram for predicting the outcome of intracerebral hemorrhage based on clinical characteristics and diffusion-weighted imaging of hyperintense lesions].

Objective: To investigate the value of a nomogram predicting the outcome of intracerebral hemorrhage (ICH) based on clinical characteristics and diffusion-weighted imaging (DWI) of hyperintense lesions. Methods: A case-control study. Consecutive patients, aged 30-88(59±13) years old, with ICH were recruited at the Stroke Center of Zhengzhou People's Hospital from January 2018 to August 2021. Patients were divided into a group with DWI lesions and a group without DWI lesions depending on whether there were DWI hyperintense lesions distant from the hematoma. Prognosis was evaluated at 90 days via the modified Rankin Scale (mRS). Univariate and multivariable logistic regression models were used to identify independent predictors of a poor ICH outcome (mRS score≥4), and a nomogram model was developed. The performance of the nomogram was validated via the area under the receiver operating characteristic curve (AUC) and a calibration chart. Results: Of the 303 patients included in the study, 24.8% presented with DWI lesions; 17.5% with asymptomatic DWI lesions and 7.3% with symptomatic DWI lesions. Poor outcomes were significantly more frequent in the group with DWI lesions than in the group without DWI lesions (χ2=21.32, P<0.001). In multivariable regression analysis, age [odds ratio (OR)=1.032, 95% confidence interval (CI) 1.002-1.063, P=0.035], hematoma volume (OR=1.050, 95%CI 1.011-1.090, P=0.012), hematoma location (OR=3.839, 95%CI 1.248-11.805, P=0.019), DWI lesions (OR=3.955, 95%CI 1.906-8.206, P<0.001), and baseline NIHSS scores (OR=1.102, 95%CI 1.038-1.170, P=0.001) were independent predictors of a poor outcome. In subgroup analysis patients with asymptomatic DWI lesions had a 3-fold greater risk of a poor outcome compared to those without DWI lesions (OR=3.135, 95%CI 1.382-7.112, P=0.006), and patients with symptomatic DWI lesions had a 7-fold greater risk of a poor outcome compared to those without DWI lesions (OR=7.126, 95%CI 2.279-22.277, P=0.001). A nomogram model was established based on the independent predictors for a poor outcome. The AUC of the nomogram was 0.846 (95%CI 0.795-0.898), and a calibration chart indicated good consistency between values predicted by the nomogram and actual observed values. Conclusions: DWI lesions are an independent risk factor for a poor outcome in patients with ICH-particularly symptomatic DWI lesions. A nomogram model based on clinical characteristics and DWI lesions exhibited good efficacy when predicting the outcome of ICH.

[Overexpression of NAT10 induced platinum drugs resistance in breast cancer cell].

Objective: To observe the platinum drugs resistance effect of N-acetyltransferase 10 (NAT10) overexpression in breast cancer cell line and elucidate the underlining mechanisms. Methods: The experiment was divided into wild-type (MCF-7 wild-type cells without any treatment) group, NAT10 overexpression group (H-NAT10 plasmid transfected into MCF-7 cells) and NAT10 knockdown group (SH-NAT10 plasmid transfected into MCF-7 cells). The invasion was detected by Transwell array, the interaction between NAT10 and PARP1 was detected by co-immunoprecipitation. The impact of NAT10 overexpression or knockdown on the acetylation level of PARP1 and its half-life was also determined. Immunostaining and IP array were used to detect the recruitment of DNA damage repair protein by acetylated PARP1. Flow cytometry was used to detect the cell apoptosis. Results: Transwell invasion assay showed that the number of cell invasion was 483.00±46.90 in the NAT10 overexpression group, 469.00±40.50 in the NAT10 knockdown group, and 445.00±35.50 in the MCF-7 wild-type cells, and the differences were not statistically significant (P>0.05). In the presence of 10 µmol/L oxaliplatin, the number of cell invasion was 502.00±45.60 in the NAT10 overexpression group and 105.00±20.50 in the NAT10 knockdown group, both statistically significant (P<0.05) compared with 219.00±31.50 in wild-type cells. In the presence of 10 µmol/L oxaliplatin, NAT10 overexpression enhanced the binding of PARP1 to NAT10 compared with wild-type cells, whereas the use of the NAT10 inhibitor Remodelin inhibited the mutual binding of the two. Overexpression of NAT10 induced PARP1 acetylation followed by increased PARP1 binding to XRCC1, and knockdown of NAT10 expression reduced PARP1 binding to XRCC1. Overexpression of NAT10 enhanced PARP1 binding to LIG3, while knockdown of NAT10 expression decreased PARP1 binding to LIG3. In 10 µmol/L oxaliplatin-treated cells, the γH2AX expression level was 0.38±0.02 in NAT10 overexpressing cells and 1.36±0.15 in NAT10 knockdown cells, both statistically significant (P<0.05) compared with 1.00±0.00 in wild-type cells. In 10 µmol/L oxaliplatin treated cells, the apoptosis rate was (6.54±0.68)% in the NAT10 overexpression group and (12.98±2.54)% in the NAT10 knockdown group, both of which were statistically significant (P<0.05) compared with (9.67±0.37)% in wild-type cells. Conclusion: NAT10 overexpression enhances the binding of NAT10 to PARP1 and promotes the acetylation of PARP1, which in turn prolongs the half-life of PARP1, thus enhancing PARP1 recruitment of DNA damage repair related proteins to the damage sites, promoting DNA damage repair and ultimately the survival of breast cancer cells.

Changes in the hepatitis B surface antibody in childhood acute lymphocytic leukaemia survivors after treatment with the CCLG-ALL 2008 protocol.

Antibody levels after hepatitis B virus (HBV) vaccination may be affected by suppression of the immune system due to cancer therapy. As such, childhood acute lymphocytic leukaemia (ALL) survivors are at risk of HBV infection due to immunosuppression secondary to chemotherapy. However, the hepatitis B surface antibody (HBsAb)-seropositive rate of childhood ALL survivors after chemotherapy is unknown, and the need to revaccinate HBsAb-seronegative ALL survivors is not appreciated in China. To assess the changes in HBsAb before and after chemotherapy, we retrospectively analyzed clinical data from 547 patients treated with the Chinese Children Leukaemia Group (CCLG)-ALL 2008 protocol from 1 April 2008 to 30 August 2019. The results revealed that 416 patients (76·1%) were HBsAb-seropositive at diagnosis, and at the time of the cessation of chemotherapy, 177 patients (32·4%) were HBsAb-seropositive and 370 patients (67·6%) were HBsAb-seronegative. Interestingly, 11 patients who were HBsAb-seronegative at diagnosis converted to seropositive at the time of the cessation of chemotherapy. HBsAb titres were decreased after chemotherapy (P < 0·0001). Further, patients with higher HBsAb titres at diagnosis were more likely to maintain protective antibody titres at the completion of chemotherapy (P < 0·0001). The loss of antibody was more remarkable in younger patients (≤ 10 years) both at diagnosis (P = 0·009) and at the completion of chemotherapy (P = 0·006). In summary, this study showed that 67·6% of patients were HBsAb-seronegative at the time of the cessation of chemotherapy, which indicates that ALL survivors are at high risk of HBV. As a result, HBV revaccination after chemotherapy should be highly valued in ALL survivors.

[Effect of serum potassium level on renal function progression in stage â ¢-â ¤ chronic kidney disease patients without dialysis].

Objective: To investigate the effect of serum potassium level and hyperkalemia on the renal function decline in chronic kidney disease (CKD) patients. Methods: The clinical data at baseline and follow-up in stage Ⅲ-Ⅴ CKD patients without dialysis who were followed up for more than one year in Tianjin First Central Hospital from May 2015 to June 2019 and Teikyo University School of Medicine from January 2008 to July 2013 were retrospectively collected. All patients were divided into stable group (337 cases), slow progression group (337 cases) and rapid progression group (338 cases) according to the tertile of estimated glomerular filtration rate (eGFR) slope (the annual average percentage of eGFR decline). Multivariate logistic regression analysis models were used to evaluate the correlations of baseline serum potassium or time-averaged serum potassium level with CKD rapid progression. Results: Three hundred and forty-three cases from Tianjin First Central Hospital and 669 cases from Teikyo University School of Medicine were included in the study, and 635 cases (62.7%) were male. The average age was (61±14) years old and the average eGFR decline slope was 4.0%/year. The levels of baseline serum potassium and time-averaged serum potassium of patients in the slow progression group [(4.47±0.52) and (4.51±0.43) mmo/L] and rapid progression group [(4.62±0.62) and (4.76±0.48) mmo/L] were higher than those in the stable group [(4.37±0.49) and (4.38±0.37) mmo/L] (both P<0.05). Meanwhile, 24.6% (83/338) of the patients in the rapid progression group had hyperkalemia at baseline (serum potassium ≥5.0 mmol/L) and 34.9% (118/338) of the patients had time-averaged serum potassium ≥5.0 mmol/L, which were higher than those in the stable group [10.7% (36/337) and 6.5% (22/337)] (both P<0.001). Multivariate logistic regression analysis showed that compared with the stable group, baseline serum potassium (OR=1.843, 95%CI: 1.051-3.234) and time-averaged serum potassium (OR=2.495, 95%CI: 1.040-5.987) were correlated with the rapid progression of CKD. Time-averaged serum potassium ≥5.0 mmol/L was the independent influencing factor for rapid progression of CKD. Conclusions: During the follow-up period, the average level of serum potassium in stage Ⅲ-Ⅴ CKD patients should be controlled under 5.0 mmol/L, which may reduce the risk of rapid decline of renal function.

[Endovascular recanalization of symptomatic non-acute intracranial arterial occlusion: a single center case series].

Objective: To investigate the feasibility and safety of endovascular recanalization for symptomatic non-acute intracranial arterial occlusion (NAICO). Methods: Twenty-five consecutive patients who underwent endovascular recanalization for NAICO between January 2017 and October 2019 at Department of Neurosurgery, Beijing Hospital were retrospectively reviewed.There were 20 males and 5 females, aged (60.5±11.0) years (range: 41 to 73 years).The preoperative modified Rankin score(M(Q(R))) was 2 (2.5)(range: 1 to 5).The occlusion time was 40 (54)days (range: 17 to 570 days).The demographic data were collected. The initial procedural results, including the rate of successful recanalization, periprocedural complications and data pertaining to angiographic and clinical follow-up were recorded. Results: Recanalization was successful in 20 of 27 occlusive lesions of 25 patients. Intraoperative complications occurred in 3 cases, including vascular perforation in 1 case, arterial dissection in 1 case, and perforator occlusion occurred in 1 case. The incidence of permanent complications was 3.7% (1/27). All 25 patients underwent clinical follow-up, with a median period of 8 months (range: 1 to 33 months), and 23 patients with improved or stable modified Rankin scale. One patient developed new ischemic symptoms 2 months after discharge, and 1 patient died of complications of bed rest.The results of the angiography follow-up (median 4 months, range: 2 days to 9 months) showed that reocclusion occurred in 5 of all 20 successfully recanalized patients. Conclusions: Endovascular recanalization for symptomatic NAICO is feasible, relatively safe, and efficacious in highly selected cases. However, further larger scale pilot studies are needed to determine the efficacy and long-term outcome associated with this treatment.

[Preliminary application of drug-coated balloon in patients with symptomatic intracranial vertebrobasilar artery stenosis].

Objective: To explore the safety and short-term efficacy of drug-coated balloon (DCB) angioplasty for patients with symptomatic intracranial vertebrobasilar artery stenosis. Methods: Sixteen patients with symptomatic intracranial vertebrobasilar artery stenosis who received DCB angioplasty from September 2018 to December 2019 at Department of Neurosurgery, Beijing Hospital were retrospectively reviewed. There were 15 males and 1 female, aged (63.1±9.2) years (range: 48 to 77 years). Patients' demographics, lesions characteristics, complications, clinical and imaging follow-up data were collected and analyzed. Results: A total of 19 symptomatic intracranial vertebrobasilar artery stenosis were successfully treated with DCB.The degree of stenosis of lesion was 75% (20%) (M(Q(R))) before operation and 0 (20%) after operation. One posterior circulation stroke due to perforator artery occlusion happened in peri-procedural period.With a mean imaging follow-up time of 5.5 months, there was no restenosis occurred. Within a mean clinical follow-up period of 6.3 months, no new symptoms happened. Conclusion: For patients with symptomatic intracranial vertebrobasilar artery stenosis, DCB angioplasty seems relatively high safety with satisfactory short-term clinical and imaging outcomes.

Aclidinium bromide inhibits human glioma cell proliferation, migration and invasion and promotes apoptosis via the PI3K/AKT signaling pathway.

This study investigates the anti-cancer potential of Aclidinium bromide (INN) in glioblastoma. Glioblastoma cell lines U251 and U87 were treated with INN and its effects on cell migration and invasion were assessed by transwell migration and invasion assays., The effects of INN on proliferation and apoptosis were detected by CCK-8 kit and flow cytometry, and Western blotting determined anti-apoptotic proteins and signaling pathway changes. The results show that INN effectively suppressed proliferation, migration and invasion and induced apoptosis in U251 and U87 cells, respectively. Furthermore, the expression levels of the Bcl-2 anti-apoptotic protein was significantly decreased while Bax and caspase-3 expression were both increased in glioblastoma cells (all, p<0.05). Moreover, INN inactivated the PI3K/AKT signaling pathway by down-regulating the level of p-AKT, p-mTOR, P70 and CyclinD1 (all, p<0.05). In conclusion, our data suggests that INN could provide novel anticancer therapy in the treatment of glioblastoma.

[Combined application of multi-parameter semiquantitative Alberta stroke program early CT score to assess infarction severity in acute ischemic stroke].

Objective: To explore the significance of multi-parameter semiquantitative Alberta Stroke Program Early CT Score (ASPECTS) in detecting core infarction in acute ischemic stroke (AIS) patients. Methods: Twenty-one consecutive AIS patients from Beijing Hospital were retrospectively reviewed in this study from August 2016 to August 2017. All the patients presented within 6 hours since symptom onset.All the patients underwent one-stop dynamic whole brain 4D CTA-CTP scan before treatments (intravenous thrombolysis, mechanical thrombectomy, or other endovascular recanalization). MRI scan was performed in all patients 3 to 7 days after initial administration. Multi-parameter ASPECTS was calculated on the affected hemisphere regarding noncontrast CT (NCCT) map, cerebral blood flow (CBF) map, cerebral blood volume (CBV) map, mean transit time (MTT) map and MRI-DWI map by subtracting 1 point from 10 for any abnormalities visually detected. The evaluative consistency and diagnostic efficiency were analyzed by Pearson's χ(2) test, kappa identity test, and Kendall's coefficient of concordance using IBM SPSS statistics 22.0 software. Results: Compared with DWI-ASPECTS or follow-up NCCT-ASPECTS, CBV-ASPECTS had the best performance on both the kappa identity test (kappa coefficient κ=0.74)and Kendall's coefficient of concordance (τ=0.70). All the values of sensitivity (77.8%), specificity (95.5%), positive likelihood ratio (17.27) and AUC(0.87)were the highest in CBV-ASPECTS, followed by dMTT-ASPECTS. Meanwhile, the misdiagnosis rate (4.5%), missed diagnosis rate (22.2%) and negative likelihood ratio were the lowest in CBV-ASPECTS, followed by dMTT-ASPECTS. dMTT-ASPECTS had the same specificity(95.5%) as CBV-ASPECTS did and it could reveal the infarction in the areas where CBV map showed normal. NCCT-ASPECTS had the lowest sensitivity (64.7%) and highest missed diagnosis rate (35.3%). The misdiagnosis rate of CBF-ASPECTS was the highest (25.2%) and AUC was the lowest (0.76). Conclusions: Multi-parameter semiquantitative ASPECTS may predict the infarction accurately in AIS patients. Compared with the single parameter of NCCT-ASPECTS, this new method may have better detectability and diagnostic performance.

[Sole angioplasty with tiny balloon for high-risk complex symptomatic intracranial atherosclerotic stenosis].

Objective: To explore the safety and short-term efficacy of sole angioplasty with tiny balloon for symptomatic intracranial atherosclerotic stenosis (ICAS) patients with complex lesions refractory. Methods: Consecutive 11 patients with complex ICAS lesions treated by sole angioplasty with tiny balloon (diameter≤2 mm) from September 2016 to November 2017 at Department of Neurosurgery, Beijing Hospital were retrospectively reviewed. Patients' demographics, lesions characteristics, procedures, complications, and clinical and imaging follow-up data were collected. There were 6 male and 5 female patients with mean age of 63.6 years (range: 45 to 77 years). Clinical manifestations were transient ischemia attack (TIA) in 4 cases, progressive ischemic stroke in 3 cases, recurrent stroke in 3 cases, and 1 case for preparation of scheduled radical resection of colon cancer. ICAS locations were middle cerebral artery M1 segment in 5 cases, M2 segment in 1 case, anterior cerebral artery A1 segment in 2 cases, and intracranial vertebral artery in 3 cases. Mean degree of ICAS stenosis was 92%. Lesion morphology was type A in 3 cases, B in 4 cases and C in 4 cases by Mori classification. Forward flow by modified thrombolysis in cerebral infarction (mTICI) was grade 1 to 2a in 8 cases, 2b in 3 cases. Collateral compensation grading was grade 2 in 5 cases, grade 3 in 6 cases. Results: Technique success rate was 10/11, peri-procedural complication rate was 1/11. Post-procedural forward flow in all cases had been enhanced and 10 cases obtained mTICI 2b to 3. Ten patients got favorable outcomes (modified Rankin score 0 to 2) at discharge. With a mean clinical follow-up time of 5.4 months, 1 patient was found to have TIA recurrence. With a mean clinical follow-up time of 7.4 months, 1 patient was found to have TIA recurrence. Eight in 11 cases obtained imaging follow-up during 3 months, and none restenosis was found. Conclusion: For symptomatic ICAS complex lesions, sole angioplasty with tiny balloon demonstrates relatively high safety with satisfactory short-term clinical and imaging results.

[Study of correlation between carotid artery tortuosity and atherosclerotic carotid artery stenosis].

Objective: To investigate the correlation between carotid artery tortuosity and atherosclerotic carotid artery stenosis. Methods: A total of 73 patients who underwent carotid computed tomography angiography with unilateral atherosclerotic carotid artery stenosis at Department of Neurosurgery of Beijing Hospital from January 2011 to June 2016 were retrospectively reviewed. There were 51 males and 22 females ranging from 48 to 90 years old, the average age was (65.9±9.5) years. There were 38 patients with carotid stenosis in the left carotid artery and 35 in the right, the stenosis degree of carotid artery ranged from 30% to 90% with the median was 44.0% (25.5%). According to the degree of carotid artery stenosis, the patients were classified into mild stenosis group and moderate/severe stenosis group. There were 43 patients in the mild stenosis group with an average stenosis degree of (37.5±5.4)%, there were 30 patients in moderate/severe stenosis group with an average stenosis degree of (65.6±10.9)%. The carotid artery (CCA) tortuosity, extracranial internal carotid artery (EICA) tortuosity and CCA-ICA bifurcation tortuosity were quantified by measuring the CCA tortuosity index, EICA tortuosity index and the internal carotid artery (ICA) angle, respectively. Comparison of diseased and normal carotid arteries was performed using t test or Wilcoxon signed-ranked test. Results: There were no statistically significant differences in CCA tortuosity index (Z=-0.584, P=0.559), ICA angle (t=0.278, P=0.781), and EICA tortuosity index (Z=-0.377, P=0.706) between diseased and normal carotid arteries in 73 patients. The diseased carotid arteries showed larger ICA angles (39.0° (19.0°) vs. 30.0° (15.0°)) (Z=-2.439, P=0.015) in the mild stenosis group, but smaller ICA angles ((31.5±11.7)° vs. (39.1±16.2)°) (t=-2.529, P=0.017) in the moderate/severe stenosis group, compared with the contralateral normal carotid arteries. There was no statistically significant difference in CCA (Z=-0.720, P=0.472; Z=-0.013, P=0.990) and EICA tortuosity index (Z=-0.349, P=0.727; Z=-0.114, P=0.909) between diseased and normal carotid arteries. Conclusions: Compared with normal carotid arteries, carotid arteries with mild atherosclerotic stenosis demonstrate a more tortuous CCA-ICA bifurcation, while those with moderate/severe stenosis demonstrate a straighter CCA-ICA bifurcation. There is no correlation between CCA, EICA tortuosity and carotid artery stenosis.

Mechanism of serum miR-21 in the pathogenesis of familial and triple negative breast cancer.

The aim of this study was to clarify the mechanism of miR-21 in familial and triple-negative breast cancer (TNBC) by exploring the expression of serum miR-21. The sera were collected from healthy women at high risk of breast cancer. miR-39 was employed as the external reference, and real-time fluorescence quantitative PCR was used to detect the expression of serum miR-21 in 77 subjects. The miR-21 expression of the familial breast cancer group, TNBC group, and breast cancer high risk group were significantly higher than those in the normal control group and other breast cancer groups (P less than 0.01). A high serum miR-21 expression level was associated with lymph node metastasis and Ki67 expression (P less than 0.01). Serum miR-21 was closely associated with TNBC and familial breast cancer, and its expression was associated with genetic expression, degree of malignancy, and prognosis.

Apodized waveguide arrays induced by photorefractive nonlinear surface waves.

A new type of nonlinear waveguides, photorefractive surface optical waveguides is suggested, which can be induced by photorefractive surface waves on the boundary of photorefractive crystal. The disturbed refractive index distribution of such waveguides behaves as a periodic lattice with apodized envelope, thus we call them photorefractive surface apodized waveguide arrays. Moreover, the dispersion relation and corresponding modes are analyzed. It is very interesting that the dispersion curves of index-guided modes and Bragg-guided modes couple and intertwine with each other, and anti-crossings instead of crossings between them hence generate some mini-gaps. Moreover there exists a type of extraordinary modes constituted by the splice of index-guided modes and Bragg-guided modes.

Associations of miRNA polymorphisms and expression levels with breast cancer risk in the Chinese population.

Single-nucleotide polymorphisms in microRNAs (miRNAs) may dramatically affect gene expression and subsequently alter individual susceptibility to cancer, and thus has become a research hotspot for many cancer types, including breast cancer. We recruited 321 breast cancer patients and 290 controls in our study. Four established miRNA single-nucleotide polymorphisms (mir-499 rs3746444 A>G; miR-27a rs895819 A>G; miR-196a2 rs11614913 T>C; miR-146a rs2910164 G/C) were detected using Taqman assays. Mature miRNA expression, allele distribution, and the association with clinical features were further analyzed. Our results showed that the miR146a rs2910164 G/C polymorphism was associated with an elevated risk of breast cancer (odds ratio = 1.85, 95% confidence interval = 1.03-3.32; P < 0.05). Compared with the ancestral T allele in miR-196a2 rs11614913, the variant C allele was consistently associated with an increased risk of breast cancer (odds ratio = 2.20, 95% confidence interval = 1.19-4.09, P < 0.01) and clinical pathological type (P < 0.01). miR-27a rs895819 A>G and miR-499 rs3746444 A>G were not associated with breast cancer risk. Analysis of mature miRNA expression confirmed that the variant C allele in miR146a rs2910164 and miR-196a2 rs11614913 dramatically inhibited production of their mature products. Our results suggested that miR-146a rs2910164 G>C and miR-196a2 rs11614913 T>C may be biomarkers for predicting breast cancer risk in the Chinese population.

A case of synovial chondromatosis of the knee with 87 free bodies and review of literature.

BACKGROUND: Synovial chondromatosis is a non-malignant synovial disorder characterized by the presence of cartilage formation within the synovial membrane, leading to the emergence of multiple cartilaginous nodules that may be either attached or unattached. The presence of this anatomical feature is frequently observed in articulations such as the knee, hip, elbow, and ankle. CASE REPORT: In this study, we present a case of synovial chondromatosis in the knee joint of a healthy male in his early 60s. Notably, the patient exhibited the simultaneous presence of 87 large loose bodies. The occurrence of a substantial quantity of unattached entities of notable dimensions within the joint is highly uncommon. CONCLUSIONS: The patient had several synovial chondromas, a rare disease. Synovial chondromatosis is a benign disorder; however, growing synovium can cause pyogenic cartilage nodules. Most loose bodies in joints can abrade and degenerate articular cartilage, causing long-term discomfort. Thus, an early-stage procedure to remove loose bodies and carefully excise synovial tissue is necessary to treat this condition.

[Clinical characteristics and prognosis of 28 cases of infant acute lymphoblastic leukemia].

Objective: To analyze the clinical characteristics and prognosis of patients with infant acute lymphoblastic leukemia (IALL). Methods: A retrospective cohort study.Clinical data, treatment and prognosis of 28 cases of IALL who have been treated at Beijing Children's Hospital, Capital Medical University and Baoding Children's Hospital from October 2013 to May 2023 were analyzed retrospectively. Based on the results of fluorescence in situ hybridization (FISH), all patients were divided into KMT2A gene rearrangement (KMT2A-R) positive group and KMT2A-R negative group. The prognosis of two groups were compared. Kaplan-Meier method and Log-Rank test were used to analyze the survival of the patients. Results: Among 28 cases of IALL, there were 10 males and 18 females, with the onset age of 10.9 (9.4,11.8) months. In terms of immune classification, 25 cases were B-ALL (89%), while the remaining 3 cases were T-ALL (11%). Most infant B-ALL showed pro-B lymphocyte phenotype (16/25,64%). A total of 22 cases (79%) obtained chromosome karyotype results, of which 7 were normal karyotypes, no complex karyotypes and 15 were abnormal karyotypes were found. Among abnormal karyotypes, there were 4 cases of t (9; 11), 2 cases of t (4; 11), 2 cases of t (11; 19), 1 case of t (1; 11) and 6 cases of other abnormal karyotypes. A total of 19 cases (68%) were positive for KMT2A-R detected by FISH. The KMT2A fusion gene was detected by real-time PCR in 16 cases (57%). A total of 24 patients completed standardized induction chemotherapy and were able to undergo efficacy evaluation, 23 cases (96%) achieved complete remission through induction chemotherapy, 4 cases (17%) died of relapse. The 5-year event free survival rate (EFS) was (46±13)%, and the 5-year overall survival rate (OS) was (73±10)%.The survival time was 31.3 (3.3, 62.5) months. There was no significant statistical difference in 5-year EFS ((46±14)% vs. (61±18)%) and 5-year OS ((64±13)% vs. (86±13)%) between the KMT2A-R positive group (15 cases) and the KMT2A-R negative group (9 cases) (χ2=1.88, 1.47, P=0.170, 0.224). Conclusions: Most IALL patients were accompanied by KMT2A-R. They had poor tolerance to traditional chemotherapy, the relapse rate during treatment was high and the prognosis was poor.

Isolation and characterization of new polymorphic microsatellite markers from the cuttlefish Sepiella maindroni (Cephalopoda; Sepiidae).

Fifteen new polymorphic microsatellite loci were developed for the cuttlefish Sepiella maindroni. In 32 individuals from a wild population of coastal Ningde, Fujian Province, China, the number of alleles at these loci varied between 2 and 12, with an average of 5.86. The mean observed and expected heterozygosities were 0.6917 and 0.5993, respectively. Among these polymorphic microsatellite loci, 4 (SM2, SM19, SM40, and SM81) significantly deviated from Hardy-Weinberg equilibrium after sequential Bonferroni's correction. All of them were in linkage equilibrium. These microsatellite loci would be useful for evaluating the effect of releasing on extant S. maindroni populations as well as for investigating genetic diversity and population structure of this species.

Development of new polymorphic microsatellite markers in topmouth culter (Culter alburnus) and determination of their applicability in Culter mongolicus.

Fifteen new polymorphic microsatellite markers were developed for Culter alburnus. In 32 individuals representing a wild population of the Danjiangkou Reservoir, Hubei, China, the number of alleles at these loci varied between 2 and 10, with an average of 5.5. The average observed and expected heterozygosities were 0.664 and 0.681, respectively. The polymorphism information content of 11 loci was more than 0.5 whereas that of the other 4 loci was less than 0.5 but more than 0.25. In addition, the genomes of 30 C. mongolicus individuals were successfully amplified with these primer pairs, indicating that the primer pairs were applicable for the related species, C. mongolicus.