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Abstract Carbon reduction is an important issue of global concern today, and with the construction industry accounting for a significant portion of global carbon emissions, carbon reduction research for the civil engineering industry is becoming increasingly important. The current research on carbon emission of buildings mainly focus on energy consumption, choice of building materials, and energy‐saving technologies. While different construction programs can affect the construction sequence and have a significant impact on carbon emissions, especially for ultra‐high‐rise steel structures. In this paper, carbon emission is introduced as the optimization objective, and a nodal optimization procedure based on carbon emission is given to explore the optimization scheme of ultra‐high‐rise steel structure construction based on carbon emission. Calculations using the carbon emission factor method were carried out to analyze the differences in carbon emissions between different construction schemes and to explore the impact of the method of carbon emission optimization. Results show that the combined lifting scheme can save 463.4 kg carbon emissions and reduce the number of lifts by 780 times.

Abstract Background The contribution of genetic variants to congenital heart defects (CHDs) has been investigated in many postnatal cohorts but described in few prenatal fetus cohorts. Overall, specific genetic variants especially copy number variants (CNVs) leading to CHDs are somewhat diverse among different prenatal cohort studies. In this study, a total of 1118 fetuses with confirmed CHDs were recruited from three units over a 5-year period, composing 961 of singleton pregnancies and 157 of twin pregnancies. We performed chromosomal microarray analysis on all cases to detect numerical chromosomal abnormalities (NCAs) and pathogenic/likely pathogenic CNVs (P/LP CNVs) and employed whole-exome sequencing for some cases without NCAs and P/LP CNVs to detect P/LP sequence variants (P/LP SVs). Results Overall, NCAs and P/LP CNVs were identified in 17.6% (197/1118) of cases, with NCA accounting for 9.1% (102/1118) and P/LP CNV for 8.5% (95/1118). Nonisolated CHDs showed a significantly higher frequency of NCA than isolated CHD (27.3% vs. 4.4%, p

Over the past few years, drones have been utilized in a wide range of applications. However, the illegal operation of drones may pose a series of security risks to sensitive areas such as airports and military bases. Hence, it is vital to develop an effective method of identifying drones to address the above issues. Existing drone classification methods based on radio frequency (RF) signals have low accuracy or a high computational cost. In this paper, we propose a novel RF signal image representation scheme that incorporates a convolutional neural network (CNN), named the frequency domain Gramian Angular Field with a CNN (FDGAF-CNN), to perform drone classification. Specifically, we first compute the time–frequency spectrum of raw RF signals based on short-time Fourier transform (STFT). Then, the 1D frequency spectrum series is encoded as 2D images using a modified GAF transform. Moreover, to further improve the recognition performance, the images obtained from different channels are fused to serve as the input of a CNN classifier. Finally, numerous experiments were conducted on the two available open-source DroneRF and DroneRFa datasets. The experimental results show that the proposed FDGAF-CNN can achieve a relatively high classification accuracy of 98.72% and 98.67% on the above two datasets, respectively, confirming the effectiveness and generalization ability of the proposed method.

Abstract Objectives To compare the clinical outcomes of different multifetal pregnancy reduction (MFPR) programs in dichorionic (DC) triplets, and explore the association between early ultrasound characteristics and co-twin death after potassium chloride (KCl) injection into one monochorionic (MC) twin. Methods We retrospectively reviewed the data of DC triplets who underwent MFPR at our center during 2012–2021. Patients were grouped as follows: intracardiac KCl injection into one MC twin (group A), intracardiac KCl injection into both MC twins simultaneously (group B), and reduction of the singleton fetus (group C) and pregnancy outcomes were compared. Logistic regression was used to determine whether ultrasound measurements at 11–13+6 weeks predicted co-twin death and the receiver operator characteristic (ROC) analysis was conducted to assess the predictive performance. Results Finally, we enrolled 184 patients. 153 cases were in group A, and 18, 13 cases were in group B and C respectively. Gestational age at the time of MFPR did not differ among the 3 groups (median: $$12^\frac67$$ 12 6 7 weeks). The survival rate was 89.6%, 88.9%, and 92.3% in group A, B, and C respectively, which was comparable among groups. Preterm birth was more common in group C (10/12, 83.3%). After KCl injection into one MC twin, co-twin death occurred in 86.3% cases (132/153) within 1 day; however, 3 patients had 2 live births each, with normal postnatal development. Intertwin nuchal translucency (NT) difference/discordance significantly predicted co-twin death within 1 day after MFPR, and the areas under the ROC curve were 0.694 and 0.689, respectively. Conclusions For MFPR in DC triplet pregnancies, reduction of the MC twins results in less preterm birth, and women with KCl injection into either one or both MC twins had similar outcomes. Large intertwin NT difference/discordance was associated with co-twin death within 1 day after KCl injection into one of the MC twins.

Protecting and stimulating rural vitality is a critical step towards driving rural revitalization and development; This study outlined the application of a measurement system that indexes rural vitality levels at the township scale and evaluates rural vitality in terms of potential regeneration, survivability, and development. This study combined the CRITIC weighting method, the TOPSIS pros and cons solution–distance method, and a vertical–horizontal comparison method to evaluate the rural vitality of 30 townships in Wuxi County, Chongqing. Using these results, this study divided the townships according to their type of rural development. A natural breakpoint method was used to visualize the spatial pattern of rural development levels.The research showed that: (1) The average value of the composite score of rural vitality in Wuxi County is 0.342, and more than half of the townships' composite vitality values are lower than the average value of the overall vitality, which leads to the conclusion that the overall level of rural vitality is low; (2) the comprehensive level of rural vitality in Wuxi County decreased from southwest to northeast, and showed local variations; (3) the degree of development within the study area was categorized as either dominant, comprehensive, or polarized, developmental deficiency type. This research argued that promoting the development of rural vitality in different villages requires careful scientific planning, detailed knowledge of individual geographic characteristics, and a clear rural development path that spans a range of spatial scales. Specific and specialized rural development strategies are thus required for each type of development.

Epigenetic regulation is an important entry point to study the pathogenesis of selective fetal growth restriction (sFGR), and an understanding of the role of long noncoding RNAs (lncRNAs) in sFGR is lacking. Our study aimed to investigate the potential role of a lncRNA, metastasis-associated lung adenocarcinoma transcript 1 (MALAT1), in sFGR using molecular biology experiments and gain- or loss-of-function assays. We found that the levels of MALAT1, ERRγ, and HSD17B1 were downregulated and that of miR-424 was upregulated in the placental shares of the smaller twins. Moreover, angiogenesis was impaired in the placental share of the smaller fetus and MALAT1 could regulate the paracrine effects of trophoblasts on endothelium angiogenesis and proliferation by regulating miR-424. In trophoblasts, MALAT1 could competitively bind to miR-424 to regulate the expression of ERRγ and HSD17B1, thus regulating trophoblast invasion and migration. MALAT1 overexpression could decrease apoptosis and promote proliferation, alleviating cell damage induced by hypoxia. Taken together, the downregulation of MALAT1 can reduce the expression of ERRγ and HSD17B1 by competitively binding to miR-424, impairing the proangiogenic effect of trophoblasts, trophoblast invasion and migration, and the ability of trophoblasts to compensate for hypoxia, which may be involved in the pathogenesis of sFGR through various aspects.

The seismic response of the large-space underground structure (LSUS) is significantly influenced by the physical properties of the surrounding soil media, while the soil owns a strong spatial variability. This study proposes a seismic response analysis process of the soil-LSUS interaction system is proposed, which can consider the characteristic of the spatially distributed soil properties. The proposed process begins with establishing the spatially random field model of the soil properties using the improved latent space method. Then, the model is calibrated based on the real data and Bayesian approach, and the realization of the random field is accomplished. Further, the soil-LSUS interaction finite element (FE) model is established, which incorporating the soil physical properties generated from the random field. Finally, the nonlinear time-history analysis of the soil-LSUS interaction FE model is conducted. As an illustration of the proposed process, a typical LSUS located in Guangzhou is selected as an example, and the seismic mitigation measure which the lead-filled steel tube damper (LFSTD) is installed between the intermediate column and the top beam is adopted for the LSUS. The influence of the spatial variability of soil properties on the seismic mitigation effect of the LSUS is investigated. Results indicate that the spatial variability of the soil properties can cause a minor influence on the force and deformation of the intermediate column and the energy dissipation ratio between the LFSTD and structure, while it can bring a significant influence on the maximum deformation and force and the shape of the hysteresis loop of the LFSTD.

The forkhead box O3 (foxo3) regulates the target genes expression involved in regulating cell cycle and biological metabolism. In the study, foxo3a and foxo3b of grass carp (Ctenopharyngodon idella) were cloned. The foxo3a cDNA have a complete open reading frame (ORF) spanning 1431 bp, which encodes a polypeptide of 476 amino acids. The foxo3b cDNA contains a complete ORF encompassing 1959 bp, encoding a protein consisting of 652 amino acid residues. The analysis of genetic codon preference and phylogenetic relationships revealed that the foxo3a and foxo3b genes in grass carp are closely related to the counterparts of Danio rerio and Megalobrama amblycephala. Tissue expression analysis showed that foxo3a expression reached the maximum in the brain while foxo3b expression in the muscle being the highest. Circadian expression pattern showed that, foxo3a expression presented a periodic upward trend from 3:00–9:00, 12:00–18:00 and 21:00–24:00, and the maximum level of foxo3b was detected at 9:00. Moreover, dietary regulation of foxo3a and foxo3b expression were performed in our research. In the feeding trial with different protein sources, the groups of fishmeal, rapeseed meal and soybean meal are in contrast to each other. Foxo3a expression was significantly higher in fish fed with rapeseed meal compared to those fed with soybean meal and fishmeal at 14th and 21st days of the experiment. Foxo3b expression was highest in the fishmeal group, followed by rapeseed meal, while it was lowest in soybean meal at 14th and 28th days. Analysis of the effect of dietary alanine-glutamine dipeptide on foxo3 expression in grass carp revealed that the expression of foxo3a gradually increased with increasing dietary Ala-Gln dipeptide concentration and reached its highest level at a concentration of 1.5%. Conversely, foxo3b expression significantly decreased when the dipeptide concentration reached 2%. The findings of this study may provide new insights into the molecular properties, spatiotemporal dynamics, and nutritional regulation of foxo3 in fish.

BackgroundTraditional Chinese Medicines have been used for thousands of years but without any sound empirical basis. One such preparation is the Qijudihuang pill (QP), a mixture of eight herbs, that has been used in China for the treatment of various conditions including age-related macular degeneration (AMD), the most common cause of blindness in the aged population. In order to explain the mechanism behind the effect of QP, we used an AMD model of high-fat diet (HFD) fed mice to investigate cholesterol homeostasis, oxidative stress, inflammation and gut microbiota.MethodsMice were randomly divided into three groups, one group was fed with control diet (CD), the other two groups were fed with high-fat-diet (HFD). One HFD group was treated with QP, both CD and the other HFD groups were treated with vehicles. Tissue samples were collected after the treatment. Cholesterol levels in retina, retinal pigment epithelium (RPE), liver and serum were determined using a commercial kit. The expression of enzymes involved in cholesterol metabolism, inflammation and oxidative stress was measured with qRT-PCR. Gut microbiota was analyzed using 16S rRNA sequencing.ResultsIn the majority of the lipid determinations, analytes were elevated by HFD but this was reversed by QP. Cholesterol metabolism including the enzymes of bile acid (BA) formation was suppressed by HFD but again this was reversed by QP. BAs play a major role in signaling between host and microbiome and this is disrupted by HFD resulting in major changes in the composition of colonic bacterial communities. Associated with these changes are predictions of the metabolic pathway complexity and abundance of individual pathways. These concerned substrate breakdowns, energy production and the biosynthesis of pro-inflammatory factors but were changed back to control characteristics by QP.ConclusionWe propose that the ability of QP to reverse these HFD-induced effects is related to mechanisms acting to lower cholesterol level, oxidative stress and inflammation, and to modulate gut microbiota.

Abiotic stimuli severely restrict the growth and development of plants, resulting in massive losses in the quality and yield of crops. Exploring genes that can improve crop tolerance to abiotic stress is important. In a previous study, we found that overexpression of the Arabidopsis nucleotide-binding domain leucine-rich repeat (NB-LRR) gene AtRPM1(D505V) increased disease resistance in rice. In this research, we found that AtRPM1(D505V) transgenic plants were more sensitive to abscisic acid (ABA) than wild type (WT) plants. Abiotic-stress resistance in AtRPM1(D505V) transgenic plants was investigated. We found that AtRPM1(D505V) transgenic plants exhibited improved resistance to drought and salt stress; the phonotype and survival rates of transgenic rice were better than WT plants. The expression of stress responsive genes including OsDREB2A, OsDREB2B, OsRD22, and OsRD29A were significantly upregulated in AtRPM1(D505V) overexpressed plants than in WT plants. Moreover, the activities of catalase (CAT), superoxide dismutase (SOD), and peroxidase (POD) were significantly increased in AtRPM1(D505V) overexpressed plants than in WT plants under drought and salt stress. Under cold stress, the expression of stress responsive genes and the activities of antioxidant enzymes in AtRPM1(D505V) transgenic plants were significantly lower than in WT plants. Our research demonstrated that AtRPM1(D505V) confers drought and salt resistance to transgenic rice. Therefore, AtRPM1(D505V) could act as a potential candidate gene to cultivate drought- and salt-tolerant plants.

Introduction: Fetal growth restriction (FGR) is a placenta-mediated pregnancy complication that predisposes fetuses to perinatal complications. Maternal plasma cell-free DNA harbors DNA originating from placental trophoblasts, which is promising for the prenatal diagnosis and prediction of pregnancy complications. Extrachromosomal circular DNA (eccDNA) is emerging as an ideal biomarker and target for several diseases.Methods: We utilized eccDNA sequencing and bioinformatic pipeline to investigate the characteristics and associations of eccDNA in placenta and maternal plasma, the role of placental eccDNA in the pathogenesis of FGR, and potential plasma eccDNA biomarkers of FGR.Results: Using our bioinformatics pipelines, we identified multi-chromosomal-fragment and single-fragment eccDNA in placenta, but almost exclusively single-fragment eccDNA in maternal plasma. Relative to that in plasma, eccDNA in placenta was larger and substantially more abundant in exons, untranslated regions, promoters, repetitive elements [short interspersed nuclear elements (SINEs)/Alu, SINEs/mammalian-wide interspersed repeats, long terminal repeats/endogenous retrovirus-like elements, and single recognition particle RNA], and transcription factor binding motifs. Placental multi-chromosomal-fragment eccDNA was enriched in confident enhancer regions predicted to pertain to genes in apoptosis, energy, cell growth, and autophagy pathways. Placental eccDNA–associated genes whose abundance differed between the FGR and control groups were associated with immunity-related gene ontology (GO) terms. The combined analysis of plasma and placental eccDNA–associated genes in the FGR and control groups led to the identification of potential biomarkers that were assigned to the GO terms of the epigenetic regulation of gene expression and nutrient-related processes, respectively.Conclusion: Together, our results highlight links between placenta functions and multi-chromosomal-fragment and single-fragment eccDNA. The integrative analysis of placental and plasma eccDNA confirmed the potential of these molecules as disease-specific biomarkers of FGR.

Objective: Copy number variations (CNVs) detected by high-resolution single nucleotide polymorphism microarrays (SNP arrays) have been associated with congenital heart defects (CHDs). The genetic mechanism underlying the development of CHDs remains unclear. Methods: High-resolution SNP arrays were used to detect CNVs and traditional chromosomal analyses, respectively, were carried out on 60 and 249 fetuses from gestational 12–37 weeks old, having isolated or complex CHDs that were diagnosed using prenatal ultrasound. Results: Twenty of the 60 fetuses (33.5%) had abnormalities, of which 23 CNVs (12 pathogenic, five probable pathogenic and six of undetermined significance) were detected by SNP arrays, and two distinct CNVs were present in three of these fetuses. In addition, in 39 patients with isolated congenital heart disease who had normal karyotypes, abnormal CNVs were present in 28.2% (11/39), and in patients with complex coronary artery disease, 19.0% (4/21) had abnormal karyotypes and 42.9% (9/21) had abnormal CNVs. In patients with complex coronary artery disease, 19.0% (4/21) had abnormal karyotypes and 42.9% (9/21) had abnormal CNVs. Conclusions: In conclusion, genome-wide high-resolution SNP array can improve the diagnostic rate and uncover additional pathogenic CNVs. The submicroscopic deletions and duplications of Online Mendelian Inheritance in Man (OMIM) genes found in this study have haploinsufficient (deletion) or triplosensitive (duplication) traits, which further clarify the etiology and inheritance of CHDs. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The administration of high-dose methylprednisolone (MP) for 24?48?h after traumatic spinal cord injury (SCI) has been shown to improve functional recovery. The known adverse effects of MP on skeletal muscle and the immune system, though, have raised clinically relevant safety concerns. However, the effect of MP administration on SCI-induced bone loss has not been evaluated to date. This study examined the adverse effects of high-dose MP administration on skeletal bone after acute SCI in rodents. Male rats underwent spinal cord transection at T3?T4, which was followed by an intravenous injection of MP and subsequent infusion of MP for 24?h. At 2 days, animals were euthanized and hindlimb bone samples were collected. MP significantly reduced bone mineral density (?6.7%) and induced deterioration of bone microstructure (trabecular bone volume/tissue volume, ?18.4%; trabecular number, ?19.4%) in the distal femur of SCI rats. MP significantly increased expression in the hindlimb bones of osteoclastic genes receptor activator of nuclear factor-?B ligand (RANKL; +402%), triiodothyronine receptor auxiliary protein (+32%), calcitonin receptor (+41%), and reduced osteoprotegerin/RANKL ratio (?72%) compared to those of SCI-vehicle animals. Collectively, 1 day of high-dose MP at a dose comparable to the dosing regimen prescribed to patients who qualify to receive this treatment approach with acute SCI increased loss of bone mass and integrity below the level of lesion than that of animals that had SCI alone, and was associated with further elevation in the expression of genes involved in pathways associated with osteoclastic bone resorption than that observed in SCI animals.

ABSTRACT Abaloparatide is a peptide analog of parathyroid hormone‐related protein (PTHrP 1–34) and was approved in 2017 as the second osteoanabolic peptide for treating osteoporosis. We previously showed that intermittent abaloparatide is equally as effective as PTH (1–34). This study was designed to compare the catabolic effects of PTH (1–34) and abaloparatide on bone in young female wild‐type mice. Two‐month‐old C57Bl/6J female mice were continuously infused with human PTH (1–34) or abaloparatide at 80 μg/kg BW/day or vehicle for 2 weeks. At euthanasia, DEXA‐PIXImus was performed to assess bone mineral density (BMD) in the whole body, femurs, tibiae, and vertebrae. Bone turnover marker levels were measured in sera, femurs were harvested for micro–computer tomography (μCT) analyses and histomorphometry, and tibiae were separated into cortical and trabecular fractions for gene expression analyses. Our results demonstrated that the infusion of abaloparatide resulted in a similar decrease in BMD as infused PTH (1–34) at all sites. μCT and histomorphometry analyses showed similar decreases in cortical bone thickness and BMD associated with an increase in bone turnover from the increased bone formation rate found by in vivo double labeling and serum P1NP and increased bone resorption as shown by osteoclast numbers and serum cross‐linked C‐telopeptide. Trabecular bone did not show major changes with either treatment. Osteoblastic gene expression analyses of trabecular and cortical bone revealed that infusion of PTH (1–34) or abaloparatide led to similar and different actions in genes of osteoblast differentiation and activity. As with intermittent and in vitro treatment, both infused PTH (1–34) and abaloparatide similarly regulated downstream genes of the PTHR1/SIK/HDAC4 pathway such as Sost and Mmp13 but differed for those of the PTHR1/SIK/CRTC pathway. Taken together, at the same dose, infused abaloparatide causes the same high bone turnover as infused PTH (1–34) with a net resorption in female wild‐type mice. © 2023 The Authors. JBMR Plus published by Wiley Periodicals LLC on behalf of American Society for Bone and Mineral Research.

Abstract Background Hydatidiform moles exhibit a distinctive gross appearance of multiple vesicles in the placenta. The advances in cytogenetic technologies have helped uncover novel entities of hydatidiform moles and enabled elaborate diagnoses. However, management of a vesicular placenta with a coexistent live fetus poses a bigger challenge beyond hydatidiform moles. Case presentation A 33-year-old woman was referred to our department for suspected hydatidiform mole coexistent with a live fetus at 24 weeks’ gestation. The patient had conceived through double embryo transplantation, and first-trimester ultrasonography displayed a single sac. Mid-trimester imaging findings of normal placenta parenchyma admixed with multiple vesicles and a single amniotic cavity with a fetus led to suspicion of a singleton partial molar pregnancy. After confirmation of a normal diploid by amniocentesis and close surveillance, the patient delivered a healthy neonate. Preliminary microscopic examination of the placenta failed to clarify the diagnosis until fluorescence in situ hybridization showed a majority of XXY sex chromosomes. The patient developed suspected choriocarcinoma and achieved remission for 5 months after chemotherapy, but relapsed with suspected intermediate trophoblastic tumor. Conclusion We report a rare case of twin pregnancy comprising a partial mole and a normal fetus that resembled a singleton partial molar pregnancy. Individualized care is important in conditions where a vesicular placenta coexists with a fetus. We strongly recommend ancillary examinations in addition to traditional morphologic assessment in such cases.

Abstract Background Haemolytic disease of the foetus and newborn (HDFN) is the most common aetiology of haemolytic anaemia and hyperbilirubinaemia in foetuses and neonates. Studies on the distribution of antibodies that cause haemolytic disease of the foetus (HDF) in China are limited, and the effects of multiple antibodies on the severity of HDF need further evaluation. Methods An observational cohort study from January 2005 to December 2019 was conducted in two hospitals affiliated with Sun Yat-sen University. Maternal red cell alloimmunization was identified by the Guangzhou Blood Centre. In total, 268 pregnant woman-foetus pairs were divided into four groups according to the type of maternal alloantibodies: anti-D, anti-D combined with other antibodies, other single-antibody and other multiple antibodies. The obstetric history, antibody characteristics, incidence of severe HDF and foetal outcomes were collected and compared. Logistic regression analysis of the risk factors for HDF and survival analysis of the severe HDF-free interval were conducted. Results Anti-D was the most common cause of HDF, followed by anti-M. No anti-K- or isolated anti-c-associated HDF was found. The incidence of severe HDF was higher in the group with anti-D combined with other antibodies than in the group with anti-D alone (P = 0.025), but no significant difference was found in haemoglobin level and reticulocyte count in the anaemic foetuses between these two groups. Foetuses in the other single-antibody group had a lower reticulocyte count (P = 0.007), more IUTs (P = 0.007) and an earlier onset of severe HDF (P = 0.012). The maximum antibody titre was significantly lower in the other single-antibody group than in the anti-D group (P

To resolve the problem of the super-long steel structures producing high-temperature stress on the lower concrete roof column section and improve the structure’s seismic performance, in this paper, we introduce a type of composite damped hinge bearing (CDHB). Firstly, this paper introduces the detailed construction of the CDHB and elaborates on its working principle. The mechanical properties of a CDHB have been tested, including the monotonic loading test on the whole bearing and the reciprocal loading test on the built-in dampers. The CDHB’s working performance, rotation performance, and energy consumption performance under tensile and compressive forces are also discussed in this paper. The study results show that: (1) Generally, the vertical deformation of the CDHB increases linearly with the increase of compressive and tensile forces, while it decreases with the increase of initial displacement. (2) Under vertical loading, the CDHB can reach a turning angle of 0.6 rad. The bearing is more likely to rotate with the increase in initial displacement. (3) The ultimate displacement, maximum damping force, damping constant, and damping coefficient of the built-in dampers are all stable.

Depression is a complex mental disorder, affecting approximately 280 million individuals globally. The pathobiology of depression is not fully understood, and the development of new treatments is urgently needed. Dihydromyricetin (DHM) is a natural flavanone, mainly distributed in Ampelopsis grossedentata. DHM has demonstrated a protective role against cardiovascular disease, diabetes, liver disease, cancer, kidney injury and neurodegenerative disorders. In the present study, we examined the protective effect of DHM against depression in a chronic depression mouse model induced by corticosterone (CORT). Animals exposed to CORT displayed depressive-like behaviors; DHM treatment reversed these behaviors. Network pharmacology analyses showed that DHM’s function against depression involved a wide range of targets and signaling pathways, among which the inflammation-linked targets and signaling pathways were critical. Western blotting showed that CORT-treated animals had significantly increased levels of the advanced glycation end product (AGE) and receptor of AGE (RAGE) in the hippocampus, implicating activation of the AGE-RAGE signaling pathway. Furthermore, enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay (ELISA) detected a marked increase in the production of proinflammatory cytokines, interleukin-1 beta (IL-1β), IL-6 and tumor necrosis factor-alpha (TNFα) in the hippocampus of CORT-treated mice. DHM administration significantly counteracted these CORT-induced changes. These findings suggest that protection against depression by DHM is mediated by suppression of neuroinflammation, predominantly via the AGE-RAGE signaling pathway.

Familial Rubinstein-Taybi syndrome (RSTS) with recurrent RSTS siblings and apparently unaffected parents is rare; such cases might result from parental somatic and/or germline mosaicism. Parental low-level (T (p.Gln1079*) in CREBBP in the siblings via trio whole-exome sequencing. High-depth next-generation sequencing (NGS) for the parents revealed a low-level (T (p.Gln1079*) non-sense variant did not trigger nonsense-mediated mRNA decay to reduce CREBBP mRNA levels. Transcriptome analysis revealed 151 downregulated mRNAs and 132 upregulated mRNAs between the patients and normal individuals. This study emphasizes that high-depth NGS using multiple specimens might be applied for a family with an affected sibling caused by an apparent CREBBP DNV to identify potential low-level parental mosaicism and provide an assessment of recurrence risk.

Depression, a mood disorder, affects one in fifteen adults, has multiple risk factors and is associated with complicated underlying pathological mechanisms. P-coumaric acid (p-CA), a phenolic acid, is widely distributed in vegetables, fruits and mushrooms. P-CA has demonstrated a protective role against oxidative stress and inflammation in various diseases, including cardiovascular disease, diabetes and cancer. In the current study, we investigated the protection of p-CA against depression and memory impairment in a corticosterone (CORT)-induced chronic depressive mouse model. CORT administration resulted in depression-like behaviors and memory impairment. P-CA treatment alleviated CORT-induced depression-related behaviors and memory impairment. Network pharmacology predicted that p-CA had multiple targets and mediated various signaling pathways, of which inflammation-associated targets and signaling pathways are predominant. Western blotting showed CORT-induced activation of the advanced glycation end product (AGE)-receptor of AGE (RAGE) (AGE-RAGE) signaling and increased expression of the proinflammatory cytokines interleukin-1 beta (IL-1β) and tumor necrosis factor-alpha (TNFα) in the hippocampus, while p-CA treatment inactivated AGE-RAGE signaling and decreased the levels of IL-1β and TNFα, suggesting that protection against depression and memory impairment by p-CA is mediated by the inhibition of inflammation, mainly via the AGE-RAGE signaling pathway. Our data suggest that p-CA treatment will benefit patients with depression.

In terms of sensing node’s energy and reporting channel’s bandwidth constrains problem for cooperative spectrum sensing in cognitive radio networks,an optimal quantizer design method based on distance criterion was proposed.First of all,the Bhattacharyya distance of received quantized data at the fusion center (FC) was calculated as performance criteria,the optimization mathematical model of the quantizer was constructed,and the optimum quantization thresholds were obtained by using particle swarm optimization algorithm.According to received sensing nodes’ quantized data at the FC,a log-likelihood ratio detector was constructed to decide the presence or absence of primary user signal,the upper bound to sensing performance of energy detector that without quantization was derived.Compared with the existing methods in literatures,the performance of proposed 3-bit quantization method approaches to the upper bound performance of energy detector,under the premise of obtaining comparable detection performance,the requirement of communication bandwidth is reduced.

Retinal diseases are a leading cause of visual loss and blindness, affecting a significant proportion of the population worldwide and having a detrimental impact on quality of life, with consequent economic burden. The retina is highly metabolically active, and a number of retinal diseases are associated with metabolic dysfunction. To better understand the pathogenesis underlying such retinopathies, new technology has been developed to elucidate the mechanism behind retinal diseases. Metabolomics is a relatively new “omics” technology, which has developed subsequent to genomics, transcriptomics, and proteomics. This new technology can provide qualitative and quantitative information about low-molecular-weight metabolites (M.W. < 1500 Da) in a given biological system, which shed light on the physiological or pathological state of a cell or tissue sample at a particular time point. In this article we provide an extensive review of the application of metabolomics to retinal diseases, with focus on age-related macular degeneration (AMD), diabetic retinopathy (DR), retinopathy of prematurity (ROP), glaucoma, and retinitis pigmentosa (RP).

Abstract Background Fetal femur length (FL) is an important biometric index in prenatal screening. The etiology of short femur is diverse, with some pathogenic causes leading to adverse outcomes. To improve the accuracy and practicability of diagnosis, we investigated the value of genetic analysis in prenatal diagnosis of short femur. Methods We examined chromosomal microarray analysis (CMA) (64 fetuses) and karyotyping (59 fetuses) data retrospectively for short femur without fetal growth restriction (FGR). Genetic testing was conducted for 15 fetuses. Results Karyotyping and CMA detected chromosomal aberrations at rates of 13.6% and 27.2%, respectively. Among fetuses with other abnormalities, detection rates were 21.0% higher with CMA than karyotyping. CMA identified chromosomal abnormalities in 36.4% of cases with a FL 2–4 standard deviations (SDs) below the gestational age (GA) mean. Abnormality detection by CMA reached 38.5% in the second trimester. Duplication of 12p, 16p13.1 deletion, and uniparental disomy 16 were identified by CMA in three cases of short femur. Gene sequencing detected clinically notable mutations in 12/15 fetuses, among which 9/12 fetuses had FLs >4 SDs below the GA mean. Conclusions CMA yielded a higher detection value than karyotyping in fetuses with other abnormalities or a FL 2–4 SDs below the GA mean during the second trimester. Gene sequencing should be performed when FL is >4 SDs below the mean.

Retinitis pigmentosa (RP) is a group of visual disorders caused by mutations in over 70 genes. RP is characterized by initial degeneration of rod cells and late cone cell death, regardless of genetic abnormality. Rod cells are the main consumers of oxygen in the retina, and after the death of rod cells, the cone cells have to endure high levels of oxygen, which in turn leads to oxidative damage and cone degeneration. Gypenosides (Gyp) are major dammarane-type saponins of Gynostemma pentaphyllum that are known to reduce oxidative stress and inflammation. In this project we assessed the protective effect of Gyp against cone cell death in the rpgrip1 mutant zebrafish, which recapitulate the classical pathological features found in RP patients. Rpgrip1 mutant zebrafish were treated with Gyp (50 µg/g body weight) from two-months post fertilization (mpf) until 6 mpf. Gyp treatment resulted in a significant decrease in cone cell death compared to that of untreated mutant zebrafish. A markedly low level of reactive oxygen species and increased expression of antioxidant genes were detected in Gyp-incubated mutant zebrafish eyes compared to that of untreated mutant zebrafish. Similarly, the activities of catalase and superoxide dismutase and the level of glutathione were significantly increased in Gyp-treated mutant zebrafish eyes compared to that of untreated mutant zebrafish. Gyp treatment also decreased endoplasmic reticulum stress in rpgrip1 mutant eyes. Expression of proinflammatory cytokines was also significantly decreased in Gyp-treated mutant zebrafish eyes compared to that of untreated mutant zebrafish. Network pharmacology analysis demonstrated that the promotion of cone cell survival by Gyp is possibly mediated by multiple hub genes and associated signalling pathways. These data suggest treatment with Gyp will benefit RP patients.