InDels within caprine IGF2BP1 intron 2 and the 3'-untranslated regions are associated with goat growth traits

Insulin-like growth factor 2 mRNA binding protein 1 (IGF2BP1) is involved in the Hedgehog pathway and has been shown to regulate the RNA stability of several growth-related target genes. It is located in a quantitative trait locus showing a strong association with traits related to body size in ducks. Fibroblast growth factor receptor 1 (FGFR1) also participates in Hedgehog signaling pathways and has been reported to be associated with organic growth and development. FGFR1-knockout mice have been shown to have severe postnatal growth defects, including an approximately 50% reduction in body weight and bone mass. Meanwhile, nonsense-mediated mRNA decay factor (SMG6) can maintain genomic stability, which is associated with organic growth and development. Therefore, we hypothesized that IGF2BP1, FGFR1 and SMG6 genes may play important roles in the growth traits of goats. In this study, the existence of two insertion/deletion (InDel) variants within IGF2BP1, one InDel within FGFR1 and two InDels within SMG6 was verified and their correlation with growth traits was analyzed in 2429 female Shaanbei white cashmere goats. Results showed both the 15 bp InDel in intron 2 and the 5 bp InDel in the 3' regulatory region within IGF2BP1 were significantly associated with growth traits (P < 0.05) and goats with the combinatorial homozygous insertion genotypes of these two loci had the highest body weight (P = 0.046). The other InDels within FGFR1 and SMG6 were not obviously associated with growth traits (P > 0.05). Therefore, the two InDels in IGF2BP1 were vital mutations affecting goat growth traits.

[Analysis on the value of Taki Mototate's Ruhanbunko]

Ruhanbunko() is an anthology of the famous Japanese doctor Taki Mototane(). The book has 94 articles written between 1895 and 1827.Its content involved more than 400 doctors and literati both in China and Japan, also more than 190 books. Taki Mototane explored many aspects of the medical field in Ruhanbunko. His essays characterized as plenty, conclusive and preciseness.Besides, Taki Mototane discussed both theory and practice problems.The book has very high value of literature, clinical diagnosis and treatment research. Meanwhile, the poems and essays of Taki Mototane in the book and the epitaphs written for the doctors are also valuable medical historical materials.

[Short term effect of PM(2.5) on cardiovascular mortality in residents in Changping district, Beijing]

Objective: To make a quantitative evaluation on the short term effect of particulate matter with aerodynamic diameter no more than 2.5 μm (PM(2.5)) on cumulative excess mortality rate (CER) and years of life lost (YLL) in residents in Changping district of Beijing. Methods: The death data in local residents, daily mortality, meteorology data and air pollution data (PM(2.5), SO(2) and NO(2) concentrations) in Changping from 2014 to 2017 were collected. Distributed lag non-linear model was used to assess the age and gender specific cumulative lag effects of PM(2.5) on cardiovascular CER and daily YLL in Changping. Results: The effects of PM(2.5) on cardiovascular CER and YLL were obvious on lag 7 days and lag 9 days, respectively, peaking on day 14, and lasting for 21 days. On lag0-21 days, for a 10 μg/m(3) increase in PM(2.5), the population based CER of cardiovascular disease death was 0.021% (95%CI: 0.004%-0.038%), and the YLL was 1.47 (95%CI: 0.23-2.70) years. Greater PM(2.5) effect were observed in males and the elderly. Conclusion: PM(2.5) increased the risk of cardiovascular disease death and YLL.

The Expression of PRL-3 Correlates With Chromosomal Instability in Colon Cancer and Thyroid Cancer

Background: Phosphatase of regenerating liver (PRL-3) promotes cell invasiveness, but its role in genomic integrity remains unknown. We have reported that PRL-3 recruits to telomeric DNA by RAP1/TRF2 protein. Overexpression of PRL-3 in colon cancer cells and primary fibroblasts promotes structural abnormalities of telomere, telomere deprotection, DNA damage response, chromosomal instability. Aim: To substantiate the previous results and further assess the physiologic relevance of PRL-3 in tumorigenesis, also to explore the prediction role PRL-3 in clinical patients. We detected the expression of PRL-3, telomere length, H3K9me and p-H2AX in the colon cancer and thyroid cancer samples. Methods: We collected 273 colorectal cancer patients and stained with PRL-3 antibody and counterstained with HE. Semiquantitative scoring was performed. Microscopic analysis was done by 2 of the authors. Tissues-chips were obtained from Alenabio (Th802a, thyroid). Results: We retrospectively analyzed a cohort of colorectal cancer tissues (n = 269) stained with anti-PRL-3 (clone 3B6). Although the majority of mitotic cells were bipolar, more multipolar mitoses, an indicator of chromosomal missegregation and chromosomal instability, was observed in PRL-3 positive tissues than in negative tissues (Fig 1A). Also in the PRL-3 positive tissues, more anaphase bridges were detected ( Fig 1A ). These results suggest that PRL-3 levels positively correlate with chromosomal instability in colon cancer tissues. Next, we analyzed 12 freshly dissected colon cancer tissues, with WI38 control and PRL-3-overexpressing cells as reference samples. We detected varying levels of PRL-3 proteins in these tissues, and the level of stably overexpressed PRL-3 in WI38 cells was comparable to some of these tissues. An inverse correlation between PRL-3 and telomere length was revealed, while PRL-3 showed positive correlations with gamma-H2AX and H3K9me3 ( Fig 1B ). We also performed quantitative FISH (qFISH) analysis of telomere length and immunohistochemical staining of PRL-3 with thyroid tissue chips containing 80 samples. We found decreased telomere staining in adenocarcinoma tissues (n = 40) with positive PRL-3 expression, particularly in those of stage I (n = 23) ( Fig 1C ). No correlation was observed in thyroid adenoma (n = 40) or stage II/III/IV adenocarcinoma (n = 17) ( Fig 1C ). With the same thyroid tissue-chip, we evaluated association between PRL-3 and senescence. In stage I thyroid adenocarcinoma tissues, positive staining of PRL-3 correlated with positive H3K9me3 staining, but such correlation was not observed in thyroid adenoma or Stage II/III/IV adenocarcinoma ( Fig 1D ). Conclusion: These results raise the possibility that PRL-3-promoted telomere deprotection and senescence are early events during the development and progression of cancer. Our results uncover a novel role of PRL-3 in tumor development through its adverse impact on telomere homeostasis.[Figure: see text]

Genome-wide association study confirms that the chromosome Z harbours a region responsible for rumplessness in Hongshan chickens

Rumplessness in Hongshan chickens has been reported as a novel sex-linked characteristic. Re-sequencing data suggest that a pseudogene on the Z chromosome, LOC431648, is affiliated with this phenotype. In this study, we chose 23 rumpless and 25 normal Hongshan chickens to localize the potential variation by means of a genome-wide association study using a high density microarray. A region on the Z chromosome was found to be closely associated with rumplessness in Hongshan chickens. The region, located in gene LINGO2, was approximately 3 Mb away from pseudogene LOC431648. The function of this gene has not yet been studied in birds. Differential expression of the candidate genes in the tail feather follicles was not detected by q-PCR, which suggests that the rumplessness trait could be attributed to other genetic mechanisms.

[Implement of multimodal navigation-based virtual reality in the needle biopsy of intracranial eloquent lesions]

Objective: To investigate the clinical value of multimodal navigation-based virtual reality (MNVR) in the needle biopsy of intracranial eloquent lesions. Methods: From January 2016 to January 2017, 20 patients with intracranial deep-seated lesions involving eloquent brain areas underwent MNVR-aided needle biopsy at Department of Neurosurgery, People's Liberation Army General Hospital. Preoperatively, MNVR was used to propose and revise the biopsy planning. Intraoperatively, navigation helped trajectory avoid the eloquent structures. Intraoperative MRI (iMRI) was performed to prove the biopsy accuracy and detect the intraoperative complications. Perioperative neurological status, iMRI findings, intraoprative complications, surgical outcome and pathological diagnosis were recorded. Wilcoxon rank-sum test was conducted to compare the preoperative and postoperative neurological scores. Results: MNVR helped revised 45%(9/20) initial biopsy trajectories, which would probably injury the nearby eloquent structures. Navigation helped biopsy trajectories spare the eloquent structures during the operation. No statistical difference was found between postoperative and preoperative neurological status, despite all the lesions were adjacent to eloquent areas. Additionally, 20 patients totally received 21 iMRI scanning. iMRI helped revise incorrect biopsy site in one case and detected intraoperative hemorrhage in another case, both of cases were treated immediately and effectively. No MNVR related adverse events and complications occurred. Conclusions: MNVR-aided needle biopsy of intracranial eloquent lesions is a safe, novel and efficient biopsy modality. This technique is helpful to reduce the incidence of surgery related neurological deficits.

Genomic variation in Pekin duck populations developed in three different countries as revealed by whole-genome data

It is well known that both British and American Pekin ducks originated from China. However, the populations differ substantially in production performance, but the genetic changes involved are still poorly understood. Herein, we sequenced 24 individual Pekin ducks (eight from each population) with an average sequencing depth of more than 45× for each population (mean coverage of 6.29 per individual). Among these populations from three different countries, we identified a large number of SNPs and indels as well as many unique population variants, which can be used as population-specific molecular markers. Genomic comparisons among the three duck populations revealed many candidate genes as well as pathways and Gene Ontology categories that are putatively associated with meat yield in the British population, growth in the American population and brain development in all three populations. These findings will enable a better understanding of the artificial selection history of Pekin ducks and provide a valuable resource for future research on the breeding of this species.

[Effects of Honokiol on proliferation, migration and invasion in nasopharyngeal carcinoma cells]

Objective:To investigate the effects of Honokiol on proliferation, migration and invasion in nasopharyngeal carcinoma cell line CNE-1 and to explore the possible mechanism.Method:Cell viability was assessed using MTT in CNE-1 cells treated with different concentrations of Honokio (0, 20, 40, 80 and 160 μmol/L). Cell migration and invasion were analyzed by wound healing and Transwell assay. The protein expression of PTEN, p-Akt and p-mTOR were determined by Western Blot. Result:MTT assay showed that Honokiol decreased CNE-1 cell viability in a concentration dependent manner. The maximal inhibitory effects reached at 80 μmol/L. The ability of CNE-1 cell migration and invasion were significantly inhibited after Honokiol treatment. Moreover, western blotting revealed that Honokiol treatment resulted in an increase of PTEN protein expression and a decrease of p-Akt and p-mTOR expression.Conclusion:Honokiol inhibits nasopharyngeal carcinoma cell line CNE-1 proliferation, migration and invasion via inactivation of PTEN/PI3k/Akt signaling pathway.

Obstetrical correlates and perinatal consequences of neonatal hypoglycemia in term infants

OBJECTIVE

To determine independent perinatal and intrapartum factors associated with neonatal hypoglycemia.

METHOD

Of singleton pregnancies delivered at term in 2013; 318 (3.8%) neonates diagnosed with hypoglycemia were compared to 7955 (96.2%) neonate controls with regression analysis.

RESULTS

Regression analysis showed that independent prenatal factors were multiparity (odds-ratio [OR] = 1.61), gestational age (OR = 0.68), gestational diabetes (OR = 0.22), macrosomia (OR = 4.87), small for gestational age neonate [SGA] (OR = 6.83) and admission cervical dilation (OR = 0.79). For intrapartum factors, only cesarean section (OR = 1.57) and last cervical dilation (OR = 0.92) were independently significantly associated with neonatal hypoglycemia. For biologically plausible risk factors, independent factors were cesarean section (OR = 4.18), gentamycin/clindamycin in labor (OR = 5.35), gestational age (OR = 0.59) and macrosomia (OR = 5.62). Mothers of babies with neonatal hypoglycemia had more blood loss and longer hospital stays, while neonates with hypoglycemia had worse umbilical cord gases, more neonatal hypoxic conditions, neonatal morbidities and NICU admissions.

CONCLUSION

Diabetes was protective of neonatal hypoglycemia, which may be explained by optimum maternal glucose management; nevertheless macrosomia was independently predictive of neonatal hypoglycemia. Cesarean section and decreasing gestational age were the most consistent independent risk factors followed by treatment for chorioamnionitis and SGA. Further studies to evaluate these observations and develop preventive strategies are warranted.

A Randomized Trial on the Efficacy of Prophylactic Active Drainage in Prevention of Complications after Pancreaticoduodenectomy

BACKGROUND AND AIMS

This randomized controlled trial was conducted to examine whether prophylactic active drainage decreases morbidity associated with pancreati-coduodenectomy.

MATERIAL AND METHODS

A prospective, randomized controlled trial was conducted between April 2010 and May 2015 when 160 consecutive patients following elective pancreaticoduodenectomy were randomized intraoperatively to either prophylactic active drainage group or conventional passive drainage group. The main objectives were the incidence of postoperative pancreatic fistula and the associated clinical outcomes.

RESULTS

There were 82 patients in the active drain group and 78 patients in the passive drain group. The overall pancreatic fistula rate occurred similarly in the two groups (11.0% (9/82) vs 14.1% (11/78), p = 0.360). Grade C pancreatic fistula in active drain group was significantly less than that in passive drain group (0% (0/82) vs 6.4% (5/78), p = 0.026). The mean postoperative hospital stay and parenteral nutrition support time in active drainage group were shorter than those in passive drainage group (12.6 days vs 14.5 days, p = 0.037; 6.9 days vs 8.6 days, p = 0.047, respectively).

CONCLUSION

Prophylactic active drainage reveals significant reduction in severity of complications associated with pancreatic fistula and might be recommended as an alternative for patients with high risk of developing serious pancreatic fistula after pancreaticoduodenectomy.

Identification of candidate genes for chicken early- and late-feathering

Previous studies suggest that prolactin receptor (Prlr) is a potential causative gene for chicken early- (EF) and late-feathering (LF) phenotypes. In this study, we evaluated candidate genes for this trait and determined the expression of 3 genes, including Prlr, sperm flagellar protein 2 (Spef2), and their fusion gene, in the skins of one-day-old EF and LF chicks using RT-qPCR. Data indicated that Prlr expression in the skin did not show significant difference between EF and LF chicks, suggesting Prlr may not be a suitable candidate gene. In contrast, Spef2 expression in the skin displayed a significant difference between EF and LF chicks (P < 0.01), suggesting that Spef2 may be a good candidate gene for chicken feathering. Moreover, dPrlr/dSpef2, the fusion gene, was also a good candidate gene as it was expressed only in LF chicks. However, the expression of the fusion gene was much lower than that of Prlr Additionally, using strand-specific primers, we found that the fusion gene was transcribed in 2 directions (one from dPrlr promoter, another from dSpef2 promoter), which could result in the formation of a double strand RNA. In conclusion, both Spef2 and the fusion gene are good candidate genes for chicken feathering, but Prlr is not. The research on the function and regulation of the candidate genes will help elucidate the molecular basis of the chicken feathering trait.

Endovascular occlusion of primary major pelvic arteriovenous fistula using patent ductus arteriosus occluder

The aim of the present study was to investigate the effects and safety of a patent ductus arteriosus occluder (PDAO) in the management of major abdominal arteriovenous fistula. A 56-year-old man was admitted into our hospital, presenting with impeded defecation and claudication. Computed tomographic angiography (CTA) was conducted upon admission, which revealed an aneurysm-like lesion, with the left internal iliac artery as its feeding artery. Super-selective embolization treatment was accomplished using a single PDAO. The results of the CTA at follow-up showed no recanalization of the lesion and that a PDAO was at the site. The patient had no pelvic ischemia complications.