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Background: Beta-catenin is a key nuclear effector of Wnt signaling which could be antagonized by dickkopf-1 (DKK1). Beta-catenin and DKK1 are involved in a variety of biological processes; however, their expression in the placenta with severe preeclampsia (PE) has not been elucidated. This study was aimed to detect the localization and compare the expression of beta-catenin and DKK1 in normal and preeclamptic placenta. Methods: Sixty pregnant women who underwent cesarean section were enrolled in this study, including 30 healthy pregnant women in the control group and 30 preeclamptic women in the severe PE group. Real-time polymerase chain reaction (real-time-PCR) and western blot were employed to detect the beta-catenin and DKK1 mRNA and protein expression levels, respectively, and their locations were evaluated by immunohistochemistry (IHC). Results: Our results indicated that beta-catenin and DKK1 were expressed predominantly in the syncytiotrophoblast and the extravillous trophoblast (EVT). The beta-catenin mRNA and protein expressions were significantly decreased, whereas the DKK1 significantly increased in preeclamptic placental tissues compared to normal placental controls. Conclusions: In conclusion, decreased beta-catenin expression, as well as DKK1 over-expression might be associated with the process of the pathogenesis of PE. Further studies would elucidate their exact roles in the pathogenesis of PE. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: Peroxisome biogenesis disorder 14B (PBD14B) is an autosomal recessive peroxisome biogenesis disorder characterized clinically by mild intellectual disability, congenital cataracts, progressive hearing loss, and polyneuropathy peroxisome biogenesis disorders are genetically heterogeneous group of disorders caused by biallelic mutations in peroxin (PEX) genes. Methodology/Laboratory Examination: DNA of the family was extracted and sequenced by whole exome sequencing. The results were validated with Sanger sequencing analyzed with Bioinformatics software. Results: Sequencing result showed that the patient has carried a homozygous variant of c.277C>T of the PEX11B gene. The patient's brother has carried a homozygous variant of c.277C>T of the PEX11B gene and their variants of c.277C>T of the PEX11B gene were inherited, respectively, from his mother and father. Discussion and Conclusion: The homozygous variant of c.277C>T of the PEX11B gene probably underlie the disease in this child and her brother. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: Many individuals diagnosed with lung cancer suffer from tremendous pain, and it is crucial to implement more effective measures to assist these patients in alleviating their pain. The present study utilizes a meta-analysis to evaluate the safety and efficacy of acupuncture combined with opioids for treating lung cancer-related pain in patients., Methods: We have searched 8 electronic databases: The Cochrane Library, PubMed, Embase, Web of Science, China National Knowledge Infrastructure, China Science and Technology Journal Database, Wanfang Database, and SinoMed. We included all randomized controlled trials of acupuncture combined with opioids for lung cancer-related pain in adults. We observed the main outcome indicators, including pain relief rates, numeric rating scale scores, and adverse events. Two researchers independently conducted literature screening, literature data extraction, and assessment of bias risk in the literature quality. Any disagreements were resolved through discussions between the 2 researchers or consultations with a third researcher. The risk of bias in the included studies was assessed using the revised risk of bias assessment tool. The overall quality of evidence for each outcome was evaluated using Grading of Recommendations, Assessment, Development and Evaluations., Results: We retrieved 812 lung cancer patients from 11 trials. The study showed that compared to opioids alone, the combination of acupuncture and opioids significantly reduced numeric rating scale scores, increased pain relief rates, and decreased the occurrence of side effects., Conclusion: The current evidence indicates that combining acupuncture with opioid analgesics is superior to using opioid analgesics alone for managing lung cancer-related pain. Additionally, this combination therapy has fewer adverse reactions., Competing Interests: The authors have no funding and conflicts of interest to disclose., (Copyright © 2024 the Author(s). Published by Wolters Kluwer Health, Inc.)

Recently, novel algorithms and enhanced computational capabilities have created unprecedented opportunities to precisely determine the geometric structures of clusters through theoretical calculations. In this study, we extensively investigated and characterized the geometric arrangements of the carbon clusters C n ( n = 2-60), employing the efficient ABCluster algorithm in conjunction with the gradient-corrected PBE and higher-accuracy B3LYP hybrid functional in density functional theory (DFT). New structures and a discernible structural growth pattern have been discovered. We observed a distinct preference in carbon clusters that transform from the linear chains ( n = 2-9) to closed single-ring and planar structures ( n = 10-27) and finally evolve to carbon cages ( n = 28-60). A shortcut to construct the cage clusters was unveiled by inserting or rotating specific atoms within a distinct structural unit. The research results obtained from combining ABCluster with DFT calculations offer valuable new insights into the growth mechanisms and evolutionary trajectories of carbon clusters, providing a crucial theoretical framework for the development of innovative carbon-based materials and their potential applications.

Objective: To report on a case of maternally derived 45,X mosaicism detected by non-invasive prenatal testing (NIPT)., Methods: Fetal sex chromosomal abnormality was detected by NIPT. Maternally derived 45,X mosaicism was confirmed by chromosome karyotype analysis. Fetal sex chromosome aneuploidy was detected by amniotic fluid chromosome microarray analysis., Results: A maternal 45,X mosaicism was diagnosed. The fetus was confirmed to be normal., Conclusion: Maternal 45,X masaicism can be diagnosed by NIPT.

Objective: To investigate the prevalence of overweight and obesity in Shanghai adults, and explore their associations with dietary patterns., Methods: Food frequency questionnaire information of 1535 adults aged > or = 18 years old were collected by multi-stage cluster random sampling method, and used for the identification of overweight and obesity based on the criteria from Working Group On Obesity In China. Factor analysis was applied to determine major dietary patterns that may potentially associated with overweight and obesity., Results: Four dietary patterns were identified, namely "western food" pattern, "high protein and calcium" pattern, "fruits and snacks" pattern, "stapple food and vegetables" pattern. Whether or not controlling the confounding factors of age, gender and degree of education, a positively association was found between "stapple food and vegetables" pattern and obesity by logistic analysis (before adjustment, OR = 2.76 between the upper (Q4) and lower (Q1) quartile, P < 0.01, after adjustment, OR = 2.67 between Q4 and Q1, P < 0.01). The Q4 group of "stapple food and vegetables" pattern had higher proportion of carbohydrates that contributed to total energy than the Q1 group (43.9% vs. 34.3%, P < 0.01). The Q4 group of "stapple food and vegetables" pattern had higher energy intake of 1.96 - fold than the Q1 group., Conclusion: "Stapple food and vegetables" pattern may be a risk factor for obesity.

Background: Beta-catenin is a key nuclear effector of Wnt signaling which could be antagonized by dickkopf-1(DKK1). Beta-catenin and DKK1 are involved in a variety of biological processes; however, their expression in the placenta with severe preeclampsia (PE) has not been elucidated. This study was aimed to detect the localization and compare the expression of beta-catenin and DKK1 in normal and preeclamptic placenta., Methods: Sixty pregnant women who underwent cesarean section were enrolled in this study, including 30 healthy pregnant women in the control group and 30 preeclamptic women in the severe PE group. Real-time polymerase chain reaction (real-time-PCR) and western blot were employed to detect the beta-catenin and DKK1 mRNA and protein expression levels, respectively, and their locations were evaluated by immunohistochemistry (IHC)., Results: Our results indicated that beta-catenin and DKK1 were expressed predominantly in the syncytiotrophoblast and the extravillous trophoblast (EVT). The beta-catenin mRNA and protein expressions were significantly decreased, whereas the DKK1 significantly increased in preeclamptic placental tissues compared to normal placental controls., Conclusions: In conclusion, decreased beta-catenin expression, as well as DKK1 over-expression might be associated with the process of the pathogenesis of PE. Further studies would elucidate their exact roles in the pathogenesis of PE.

Objective: To investigate the prevalence of overweight and obesity in primary school students from Wenzhou City in Zhejiang Province, and to explore their relative risk factors., Methods: Multi-stage stratified cluster sampling method was used to select 9035 children from the primary schools in Wenzhou City for the anthropometric measurements. 369 obesity cases and their paired controls of 389 children were chosen based on the large sample investigation. Diet and lifestyle factors were investigated in the nested case-control study for following logistic regression analyses., Results: The overall prevalence of overweight and obesity was 11.2% and 6.4%, respectively. Male group had higher prevalence than female (P < 0.05). High frequency of vegetable intake, milk and dairy products intake, more physical activity were the benefit factors for preventing obesity (multi-variable logistic regression analysis, OR = 0.770, 0.821, 0.697 and 0.567, P = 0.033, 0.037, 0.017 and 0.008, respectively), whereas longer sedentary behavior was the risk factor of obesity (OR = 1.583, P = 0.003)., Conclusions: The prevalence of both overweight and obesity in students from the primary schools were high in Wenzhou city, and were highly related to the diet habit and physical activity.

To analyze the polymorphism of TAP gene and the shared rates of alleles between mothers and their infants in Chinese patients with pre-eclampsia, TAP1 and TAP2 genotyping was performed by the amplification refractory mutation system-polymerase chain reaction (ARMS-PCR) in 42 patients, 106 normal pregnant women, and their neonates. The allelic frequency of TAP and the alleles shared in maternal-fetus were compared and analyzed in the two groups. Our results showed that, with totally eight alleles of TAP1 and TAP2 examined in the samples, no significant difference was found in allelic frequencies between pre-eclampsia group and control group, as well as between mothers and their neonates. Similar finding was obtained in the comparison with shared alleles. In conclusion, our results do not support a role for the polymorphisms of TAP in the etiology of pre-eclampsia.

The activity of the NK cells in patients with preeclampsia was studied to investigate the pathogenesis of preeclampsia. By using MTT and 51Cr releasing technique, the proliferation and killing ability of the NK cells in maternal and umbilical blood from preeclampsia patients (n = 18) and normal third trimester pregnant women (n = 18) were detected. The NK-92 cell line was as the positive control. The results showed that the NK cell counts of umbilical blood in preeclampsia patients and normal third trimester pregnant women were significantly greater than those of maternal blood (both P<0.05). Compared with that in normal third trimester pregnant women, the proliferative ability of the NK cells in preeclampsia patients was apparently increased (P<0.05). Compared with that in maternal blood, the proliferative ability of the NK cells in umbilical blood from both preeclampsia patients and normal third trimester pregnant women was dramatically increased. The killing ability of the NK cells in preeclampsia patients was significantly higher than that in normal third trimester pregnant women (P <0.05). It was suggested that both number and function of the NK cells in preeclampsia women were increased, and that in umbilical blood was greater than that in maternal blood, speculating that the function of the NK cells may affect the maintenance of the maternal and fetal immune tolerance during pregnancy.