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BackgroundAdvanced maternal aging has become a worldwide public health issue that contributes to female fertility decline and significant risk to embryo development. Despite transcriptional and epigenetic alterations reported in oocyte maturation and development, the dynamics of gene expression and DNA dynamics associated with aging remain elusive. Here we generated simultaneous transcriptome and methylome profiles of mouse oocytes during aging and maturation at single-cell and single-base resolution to examine key biological processes and identify the key targets for novel treatment options.ResultsWe report the dynamics in transcriptome and DNA methylome in mouse oocytes during maternal aging and oocyte maturation. Age-associated gene expression changes showed mitochondrial dysfunction in GV oocytes and defects of chromosome segregation and spindle assembly in MII oocytes. EIF2 signaling protein synthesis pathway was also impaired during aged oocyte maturation. Moreover, distinctive DNA methylation patterns were demonstrated during maternal aging in GV and MII oocytes. A positive correlation between gene expression and methylation in gene body was characterized. Furthermore, we identified several promising biomarkers, including IL-7, to assess oocyte quality, which are potential therapeutic targets for improve oocyte maturation. More importantly, we built the first mouse oocyte maturation and age prediction model using transcriptome data and validated its feasibility in published data.ConclusionsThis work provides a better understanding of molecular and cellular mechanisms during mouse oocyte aging, points a new direction of oocyte quality assessment, and paves the way for developing novel treatments to improve oocyte maturation and quality in the future.

SUMMARYToxocariasis is a very prevalent zoonotic disease worldwide. Recently, investigators have focused more on Toxocara spp. seroprevalence in humans. Information regarding Toxocara seroprevalence in people from different ethnic backgrounds in China is limited. For this study, blood samples were collected from a total of 802 Han, 520 Korean, 303 Manchu, and 217 Mongol subjects from Jilin and Shandong provinces. The overall Toxocara seroprevalence was 16·07% (14·21% Han, 20·58% Korean, 11·22% Manchu, 18·89% Mongol). Living in suburban or rural areas, having dogs at home, exposure to soil, and consumption of raw/undercooked meat were risk factors for Toxocara infection. Exposure to soil was identified as the major risk factor for Toxocara seropositivity in all of the tested ethnicities. To the best of our knowledge, this is the first report concerning Toxocara infection in Manchus and Mongols in China. The present study provided baseline data for effective prevention strategies of toxocariasis in northeast China and recommends improvements in personal hygiene standards to achieve this goal.

Foamed propellants based on polymer bonded nitramine explosives show high burning rates due to their porous structure and showed great potential for combustible cartridge case. Thus, the in-depth study of the co-combustion behavior of the foamed propellant and matching propellant is necessary. In this paper, closed bomb tests were used to study the co-combustion performance of nitramine propellant (RGD7) and surface coated nitramine propellant (SC-RGD7) mixed with foamed propellant. The influence of foamed propellant’s proportion in mixed charges on the combustion behavior was studied and analysed. It was found that the maximum dynamic vivacity and the value of B at maximum dynamic vivacity of mixed charge increased with the increase of added foamed propellant, resulting in better combustion progressivity. Meanwhile, the ignition delay of foamed propellant influenced the first stage of combustion, and the penetration combustion of foamed propellant influence the middle stage.

Summary Background Clearance of hepatitis B surface antigen (HBsAg) indicates clinical control of hepatitis B virus (HBV) infection. However, little is known about the impact of viral genomic variations on HBsAg loss. Methods We explored the association between viral genomic factors and HBsAg loss in 2121HBeAg-negative patients. HBV pre-core stop codon (1896) and basal core promoter (BCP) (1762/1764) sequences were determined in patients with HBV DNA ≥200 IU/mL (N = 1693). The effect of HBV genotype on HBsAg loss was further validated in the whole cohort of 3445 HBsAg carriers. Results The cumulative lifetime (age 28–75 years) incidence of HBsAg loss was 50.4% in 2121 HBeAg-negative patients. We found that genotype C, but not pre-core stop codon or BCP mutants, was associated with HBsAg loss. Compared to genotype B patients, genotype C patients had higher lifetime chance of HBsAg loss, with hazard ratio of 1.8 (95% confidence interval: 1.4–2.4). Multivariable analysis showed that male sex, elevated ALT levels, lower serum HBV DNA and HBsAg levels, and genotype C infection were associated with higher chance of HBsAg loss independently. We then performed sensitivity analysis, which re-included HBeAg-positive, cirrhotic and treatment-experienced patients, and confirmed the robustness of our results in 3445 HBsAg carriers. Conclusion Genotype C infection, compared to genotype B, is associated with a higher lifetime chance of HBsAg loss in Asian HBV carriers.

BACKGROUND Fibrosis-4 index (FIB-4) is a surrogate marker for hepatic fibrosis in hepatitis B virus (HBV) carriers. AIM To investigate whether FIB-4 index stratifies the risks of adverse liver events. METHODS A total of 2075 treatment-naive, noncirrhotic the patients with chronic HBV infection were included. Most of them (82.1%) were HBeAg-negative patients and their baseline FIB-4 levels were explored to stratify the risks of cirrhosis, cirrhosis-related complications and liver-related mortality. RESULTS During a mean follow-up period of 15.47 years, we found a higher baseline FIB-4 index was associated with increased incidence rates of cirrhosis in addition to the common host and viral factors. Patients with FIB-4 >1.29, compared to those with FIB-4

Background: There has been an increasing rate of synchronous bilateral breast cancers, mainly because of the increased morbidity, improved detection abilities, better prognosis and higher life expectancy of breast cancer patients. However, evidences in the literature regarding the risk factors of bilateral breast cancers are scare, and the survival of synchronous bilateral breast cancers still remain controversies. The purpose of the present study is to investigate the risk factors and prognosis of bilateral breast cancers in a Chinese cohort. Methods: The present study included 181 patients with synchronous bilateral breast cancer and 10,831 patients with unilateral breast cancer treated in Fudan University Shanghai Cancer Center between Jan 2007 and Dec 2012. Patients with metastases or inflammatory diseases, or metachronous bilateral breast cancer (after 6 months of first cancer) were excluded. Age of the cases, family history, menopausal status, histology types, pathological stages, types of accompanied benign lesions, and patterns of surgeries and adjuvant therapies were examined to investigate the risk factors of bilateral breast cancers. Results: Patients with synchronous bilateral breast cancer were significantly elder than those with unilateral breast cancer (mean age 53 yrs vs. 51yrs, p Conclusion: The rate of synchronous bilateral breast cancer was higher in patients with sclerosing adenosis or lobular carcinoma component. The prognosis for early-stage synchronous bilateral breast cancer was similar to those with early-stage unilateral breast cancer. However, among patients with N3 disease or previously received neoadjuvant therapy, synchronous bilateral cohort was associated to worse survival compared with unilateral cohort. Citation Information: Cancer Res 2013;73(24 Suppl): Abstract nr P5-13-09.

SUMMARYA cross-sectional study was conducted from June 2013 to August 2015 to determine the seroprevalence and possible risk factors for humanToxoplasma gondiiinfection in Korean, Manchu, Mongol and Han ethnic groups in eastern and northeastern China. A total of 1842 serum samples, including Han (n= 802), Korean (n= 520), Manchu (n= 303) and Mongol (n= 217) groups, were analysed using enzyme-linked immunoassays to detect IgG and IgMT. gondiiantibodies. The overallT. gondiiIgG and IgM seroprevalences were 13·79% and 1·25%, respectively. Of these groups, Mongol ethnicity had the highestT. gondiiseroprevalence (20·74%, 45/217), followed by Korean ethnicity (16·54%, 86/520), Manchu ethnicity (13·86%, 42/303) and Han ethnicity (11·35%, 98/802). Multiple analysis showed that the consumption of raw vegetables and fruits, the consumption of raw/undercooked meat and the source of drinking water were significantly associated withT. gondiiinfection in the Han group. Likewise, having a cat at home was identified as being associated withT. gondiiinfection in the Korean, Manchu and Mongol groups. Moreover, the consumption of raw/undercooked meat was identified as another predictor ofT. gondiiseropositivity in the Mongol group. The results of this survey indicate thatT. gondiiinfection is prevalent in Korean, Manchu, Mongol and Han ethnic groups in the study region. Therefore, it is essential to implement integrated strategies with efficient management measures to prevent and controlT. gondiiinfection in this region of China. Moreover, this is the first report ofT. gondiiinfection in Korean, Manchu, and Mongol ethnic groups in eastern and northeastern China.

Nontuberculous mycobacteria are ubiquitous in outside environment and animals. As for nontuberculous mycobacteria infection, there is only limited information in humans regarding infection and the subsequent immune response, especially for Mycobacterium neoaurum. Here, haematoxylin-eosin and Ziehl-Neelsen staining were used to observe pathological changes and detect acid-fast bacilli in organ samples in mouse model. Flow cytometry and quantitative real-time polymerase chain reaction were performed to analyze the contribution of Th1, Th17 and Tregs to the host immune response. M. neoaurum caused chronic infection in mice, resulting in infiltrates with large aggregates of inflammatory cells, especially macrophages, in lung tissues. Our results indicated that 72% of CD4+ T cells appeared in the early days of infection, which was followed by a decrease to 47% by day 32, and then a rise to 76% by day 56. Moreover, we found higher frequency of IFN-g-producing CD4+ T cells and elevated mRNA expression of the transcription factor T-bet in the lungs; however, we observed lower mRNA expression of the transcription factor RORgt and lower frequency of IL-17-producing CD4+ T cells. A transient relative decrease in the number of Treg cells was observed in the lungs; however, the number of Tregs did not change significantly between the first and last day following infection. Thus, M. neoaurum causes chronic infection in C57BL/6 mice, with Th1, Th17, and Tregs playing a prominent role in the host response. The present study may lay the basis for further studies on the mechanisms underlying infection with nontuberculous mycobacteria.

SUMMARY Aims: The association between inhaled corticosteroid (ICS) use and pulmonary tuberculosis (TB) development is uncertain. We conducted a population-based case–control study to investigate whether ICS use increases the risk of developing TB. Methods: Tuberculosis patients aged 18 years and older were identified using the National Health Insurance Research Database (NHIRD) in Taiwan between 2002 and 2010. Each TB patient was frequency matched to four control patients according to age, sex and index year. We retrospectively followed up the medications and comorbid medical conditions for the 5 years prior to the index date. We calculated the odds ratios (ORs) and 95% confidence intervals (CIs) of TB development using multiple logistic regression models. Results: Most of the study participants were men (68.7%), and the mean age among the 8091 TB patients and 32,364 comparison participants was 61.3 18.6 years. After adjusting for potential covariates, ICS use caused a 2.04-fold increased risk of developing TB (adjusted OR: 2.04, 95% CI: 1.78–2.33). When considering dose-response and adjusting for potential covariates, ICS and oral corticosteroids (OCS) use remained independent risk factors and exhibited a dose-response relationship of TB development. The multiplicative increased risk of TB was also significant in patients using ICS and OCS compared with patients not using ICS and OCS (adjusted OR: 4.31, 95% CI: 3.39–5.49). Previous TB history exhibited the greatest risk of TB development among the comorbidities (adjusted OR: 8.50, 95% CI: 7.52–9.61). Conclusion: Long-term ICS use may increase the risk of TB. What’s known  Long-term oral steroids (OCS) and disease-modifying anti-rheumatic drugs increase the risk of pulmonary tuberculosis (TB).

Objective: The aim of this study was to evaluate whether High Resolution Ultrasound (US) along with Fine Needle Aspiration Cytology (FNAC) can provide the surgeon with adequate preoperative information for masses in the submandibular triangle.Subjects and methods: Eighty-two consecutive patients with suspected masses of the submandibular triangle had US with guided FNAC (49 patients) and final histological correlation (47 patients).Results: Compared to final histology, US had a sensitivity of 97%, specificity 83%, positive predictive value 91% and a negative predictive value of 95% while FNAC had sensitivity of 100%, specificity 90%, positive predictive value 94% and negative predictive value of 100%.Conclusion: US combined with a FNAC is an ideal initial investigation for evaluating masses in submandibular area. It is quick, inexpensive, easily available, and provides the surgeon with relevant information preoperatively obviating the need for further expensive imaging.

In recent years, mutations in glucocerebrosidase gene (GBA), which encodes the lysosomal enzyme glucocerebrosidase (GCase) deficient in Gaucher disease (GD), were found to be the most widespread genetic for the development of Parkinson disease.In this work, we investigated the possibility of a biological linkage between GCase and alpha-synuclein.siRNA was used to knockdown the GBA, then the related proteins such as alpha-synuclein were detected, additionally, the mutations of GBA were also detected. We also provide evidence that a mouse model of Gaucher disease (GBAD409H/D409H) to detect the gene types of GBA.The results showed functional knockdown (KD) of GBA in neuroblastoma cells culture causes a significant accumulation of alpha-synuclein and alpha-synuclein-mediated neurotoxicity. Furthermore, KD of GBA in rat primary neurons expressing the A53T mutation of alpha-synuclein, decreases cell viability. In addition, we observed that overexpression of several GBA mutants (N370S, L444P, D409H, D409V) significantly raised human alpha-syn levels of vector control. Glucosylceramide (GlcCer), the GCase substrate, influenced formation of purified a-syn by stabilizing soluble oligomeric intermediates. We also provide evidence that a mouse model of Gaucher disease (GBAD409H/D409H) exhibited alpha-syn aggregates in substantia nigra, cortex and hippocampus regions. ELISA analysis showed a significant rise in membrane-associated α-syn and western blot analysis showed that two forms of alpha-syn oligomers were present in brain homogenates from the hippocampus D409H mice.These studies support the contention that both WT and mutant GBA can cause Parkinson disease-like alpha-synuclein pathology.

In the past decade, Mn rich Ni-Mn based alloys have attained considerable attention due to their abundant physics and potential application as multifunctional materials. In this paper, polycrystalline Ni50Mn38−xPdxSn12 (x = 0, 2, 4, 6) Heusler alloys have been prepared, and the martensitic phase transformation (MPT) together with the shape memory effect and the magnetocaloric effect has been investigated. The experimental result indicates that the MPT evidently shifts to a lower temperature with increase of Pd substitution for Mn atoms, which can be attributed to the weakness of the hybridization between the Ni atom and excess Mn on the Sn site rather than the electron concentration. The physics properties study focused on the sample of Ni50Mn34Pd4Sn12 shows a good two-way shape memory behavior, and the maximum value of strain Δ L/L reaches about 0.13% during the MPT. The small of both entropy change Δ ST and magnetostrain can be ascribed to the inconspicuous influence of magnetic field induced MPT.

Various artificial multilayers consisting of Y0.5Gd0.5Ba2Cu3O7−δ (YGdBCO) superconducting films were built up on an oxide buffered Hastelloy substrate using the low-fluorine metallorganic deposition method (MOD). Microscopic and superconducting performances are studied on composite YGdBCO multilayer films with and without alternate ultrathin layers of Ag, which comparatively demonstrates the Ag doping effects in such architectures. X-ray diffraction and scanning electron microscopy imply that the growth thermodynamic parameters of the YGdBCO are modified, resulting in a better c-axis orientation and a higher in-plane texture, as well as a superior surface, and finally give rise to great improvement of superconducting performance. To understand the above Ag doping effects further, the critical Gibbs free energy ΔG*(r) on nucleation of MOD-YGdBCO films on the biaxially textured buffer layers is analyzed with respect to the additions of Ag, which shows the competition between a-axis and c-axis growths subject to supersaturation. As a consequence, Ag additions may reduce the supersaturation at the growth interfaces, and hence give rise to a wider window of c-axis nucleation.

Thermal decomposition of YBa2Cu3O7-δ (YBCO) films derived by diethanolamine (DEA)-modified trifluoroacetic acid-metal organic deposition (TFA-MOD) was investigated with respect to the understanding of the correlation between the stress releasing and rapid decomposition. It is revealed that the evaporation of DEA and the decomposition of precursor films occur simultaneously. A pyrolysis time as 20 seconds is optimal to keep the proper amount of DEA which prevents the films from severe stress during the pyrolysis. Then smooth surface of resultant films appears. In case of a pyrolysis time longer than 40 s, cracks emerge in the films accompanied with complete evaporation of DEA and appearance of Cu-rich particles, while films with pyrolysis time shorter than 10s is excessively soft, with large amount of DEA and TFA remaining in the film, implying insufficient pyrolysis.

First culture results are presented from four major experiments (lasting up to 478 days) on the commercially important squid species, Loligo forbesi Steenstrup, Details are provided on eggs, hatching, feeding, growth, survival, behaviour and sexual maturation. Best survival during the critical first 75 days was 15%. The hatchlings (up to 4.9mm mantle length, ML) are the largest among the genus Loligo, and the largest squid grown was a male 155mm ML and 124g. First schooling was observed only 40–50 days post-hatching. Spawning was not achieved although males reached maturity, females had maturing ova and mating was observed. The largest giant axon measured was 425μm in diameter (from a female 130mm ML), a size suitable for most biomedical applications. Laboratory data suggest a 2-year life cycle compared to fishery data which suggest a 1-year cycle.

The complete larval development, consisting of two zoeal stages and a megalopa, and the first crab stage is described for the shallow-water western Atlantic spider crab Microphrys bicornutus. Data from laboratory cultures indicate that the species can complete its planktonic development in less than a week, and is able to attain first crab stage in as few as 10 days. The zoeal stages of M. bicornutus show a great many similarities to known zoeae in other genera within the subfamily Mithracinae, including species of the American genus Mithrax, and to Mucrocoeloma, and to a lesser extent the Indo-West Pacific genera Tiarinia and Micippa. Morphological features shared among both the zoeal and megalopal stages of the various mithracine genera are compared, and phylogenetic relationships within Microphrys, Mithrax, and Macrocoeloma are proposed.

1. Larvae of an oxyrhynchous crab, Parthenope (Platylambrus) serrata (H. Milne Edwards), were successfully reared in the laboratory from hatching to the second crab stage on a diet of Artemia nauplii. Six zoeal stages, one megalopa and the first crab stage are described and illustrated.2. Two series of larvae were reared at each of two temperatures, 20° and 25° C. The salinity ranged between 34 and 37%. The mortality of the first zoeal stage reduced the initial population to less than half. The first crab stage was attained in approximately 30 days at 25° C, and in 45 days at 20° C, after hatching. The first zoeal stage and the megalopal stage showed more prolonged mean duration than intermediate stages and the pattern of mean duration was similar in both 20° and 25° C.3. The major characteristics of four species of parthenopid first zoeae of known parentage are tabulated for comparison. The major distinctive characters of Parthenope larvae are presence of rostral, dorsal and lateral spines on the carapac...