Chromosomal microarray analysis (CMA) has been widely applied to genetic diagnosis in miscarriages in clinical practice. However, the prognostic value of CMA testing of products of conception (POCs) ...after the first clinical miscarriage remains unknown. The aim of this study was to evaluate the reproductive outcomes after embryonic genetic testing by CMA in SM couples.
In this retrospective study, a total of 1142 SM couples referred for embryonic genetic testing by CMA, and 1022 couples were successfully followed up after CMA.
Among 1130 cases without significant maternal cell contamination, pathogenic chromosomal abnormalities were detected in 680 cases (60.2%). The subsequent live birth rate did not differ significantly between couples with chromosomally abnormal and normal miscarriage (88.6% vs. 91.1%, p = .240), as well as the cumulative live birth rate (94.5% vs. 96.7%, p = .131). Couples with partial aneuploid miscarriage had a higher likelihood of spontaneous abortion both in the subsequent pregnancy (19.0% vs. 6.5%, p = .037) and cumulative pregnancies (19.0% vs. 6.8%, p = .044) when compared with couples with chromosomally normal miscarriage.
SM couples with chromosomally abnormal miscarriage manifested with a similar reproductive prognosis to couples with chromosomally normal miscarriage.
Key messages
CMA testing of POCs could provide an accurate genetic diagnosis for couples with SM.
The live birth rate of couples with partial aneuploid miscarriage was as high as couples with chromosomally normal miscarriage, despite a higher risk of adverse pregnancy event.
Among couples with the most common single aneuploid miscarriage, the cumulative live birth rates of couples with trisomy 16, sex chromosomal abnormalities and trisomy 22 were 94.1%, 95.8% and 84.0%, respectively.
TAL (transcriptional activator-like) effectors (TALEs) are DNA-binding proteins, containing a modular central domain that recognizes specific DNA sequences. Recently, the crystallographic studies of ...TALEs revealed the structure of DNA-recognition domain. In this article, molecular dynamics (MD) simulations are employed to study two crystal structures of an 11.5-repeat TALE, in the presence and absence of DNA, respectively. The simulated results indicate that the specific binding of RVDs (repeat-variable diresidues) with DNA leads to the markedly reduced fluctuations of tandem repeats, especially at the two ends. In the DNA-bound TALE system, the base-specific interaction is formed mainly by the residue at position 13 within a TAL repeat. Tandem repeats with weak RVDs are unfavorable for the TALE-DNA binding. These observations are consistent with experimental studies. By using principal component analysis (PCA), the dominant motions are open-close movements between the two ends of the superhelical structure in both DNA-free and DNA-bound TALE systems. The open-close movements are found to be critical for the recognition and binding of TALE-DNA based on the analysis of free energy landscape (FEL). The conformational analysis of DNA indicates that the 5' end of DNA target sequence has more remarkable structural deformability than the other sites. Meanwhile, the conformational change of DNA is likely associated with the specific interaction of TALE-DNA. We further suggest that the arrangement of N-terminal repeats with strong RVDs may help in the design of efficient TALEs. This study provides some new insights into the understanding of the TALE-DNA recognition mechanism.
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DOBA, IZUM, KILJ, NUK, PILJ, PNG, SAZU, SIK, UILJ, UKNU, UL, UM, UPUK
Type 2 diabetes mellitus (T2DM) and its attendant complications, such as diabetic nephropathy (DN), impose a significant societal and economic burden. The investigation of discovering potential ...biomarkers for T2DM and DN will facilitate the prediction and prevention of diabetes. Phospholipids (PLs) and their metabolisms are closely allied to nosogenesis and aggravation of T2DM and DN. The aim of this study is to characterize the human plasma phospholipids in T2DM and DN to identify potential biomarkers of T2DM and DN. Normal phase liquid chromatography coupled with time of flight mass spectrometry (NPLC–TOF/MS) was applied to the plasma phospholipids metabolic profiling of T2DM and DN. The plasma samples from control (n=30), T2DM subjects (n=30), and DN subjects (n=52) were collected and analyzed. The significant difference in metabolic profiling was observed between healthy control group and DM group as well as between control group and DN group by the help of partial least squares discriminant analysis (PLS-DA). PLS-DA and one-way analysis of variance (ANOVA) were successfully used to screen out potential biomarkers from complex mass spectrometry data. The identification of molecular components of potential biomarkers was performed on Ion trap-MS/MS. An external standard method was applied to quantitative analysis of potential biomarkers. As a result, 18 compounds in 7 PL classes with significant regulation in patients compared with healthy controls were regarded as potential biomarkers for T2DM or DN. Among them, 3 DM-specific biomarkers, 8 DN-specific biomarkers and 7 common biomarkers to DM and DN were identified. Ultimately, 2 novel biomarkers, i.e., PI C18:0/22:6 and SM dC18:0/20:2, can be used to discriminate healthy individuals, T2DM cases and DN cases from each other group.
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GEOZS, IJS, IMTLJ, KILJ, KISLJ, NUK, OILJ, PNG, SAZU, SBCE, SBJE, UL, UM, UPCLJ, UPUK, ZRSKP
As many schools remain closed during the COVID-19 pandemic, various courses have to be migrated online. Previous studies have showed that students’ satisfaction of the courses could reflect the ...quality of online learning, which is determined by students’ perception of online courses. Although the community of inquiry (CoI) framework provided an effective tool for measuring students’ perception in online learning, the mechanisms between the CoI and satisfaction, especially the role of academic emotion and self-regulation, still need to be investigated in the online context. The present study aimed to (1) explore the relationships among three elements of the CoI framework; and (2) explore the relationships between the CoI and satisfaction, as well as the mediating role of academic emotion and self-regulation. The data was collected from 461 university students who were taking online courses in China. The results of Structural Equation Modeling showed that teaching presence significantly and positively predicted social presence and cognitive presence; both positive and negative academic emotions played the mediating roles between teaching presence, social presence and satisfaction; self-regulation played the mediating role between teaching presence, cognitive presence and satisfaction. The present study provided empirical evidence for the dynamics among the CoI framework as well as mechanisms between CoI and satisfaction in the online education environment.
Respiratory syncytial virus (RSV) preferentially infects airway epithelial cells,which might be responsible for susceptibility to asthma; however, the underlying mechanism is not clear. This study ...determined the activation of lymphocytes and drift of helper T (Th) subsets induced by RSV-infected human bronchial epithelial cells (HBECs) in vitro. HBECs had prolonged infection with RSV, and lymphocytes isolated from human peripheral blood were co-cultured with RSV-infected HBECs. Four groups were established, as follows: lymphocytes (group L); lymphocytes infected with RSV (group RL); co-culture of lymphocytes with non-infected HBECs (group HL); and co-culture of lymphocytes with infected HBECs (group HRL). After co-culture with HBECs for 24 hours, lymphocytes were collected and the following were determined in the 4 groups: cell cycle status; apoptosis rate; and concentrations of IL-4, IFN-γ, and IL-17 in the supernatants. Cell cycle analysis for lymphocytes showed a significant increase in S phase cells, a decrease in G1 phase cells, and a higher apoptosis rate in group HRL compared with the other three groups. In group HRL, the levels of IL-4, IFN-γ, and IL-17 in supernatants were also higher than the other three groups. For further study, lymphocytes were individually treated with supernatants from non-infected and RSV-infected HBECs for 24 h. We showed that supernatants from RSV-infected HBECs induced the differentiation of Th2 and Th17 subsets, and suppressed the differentiation of Treg subsets. Our results showed that HBECs with prolonged RSV infection can induce lymphocyte proliferation and apoptosis, and enhance the release of cytokines by lymphocytes. Moreover, subset drift might be caused by RSV-infected HBECs.
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DOBA, IZUM, KILJ, NUK, PILJ, PNG, SAZU, SIK, UILJ, UKNU, UL, UM, UPUK
Abstract
Adult skeletal muscle regeneration is mainly driven by muscle stem cells (MuSCs), which are highly heterogeneous. Although recent studies have started to characterize the heterogeneity of ...MuSCs, whether a subset of cells with distinct exists within MuSCs remains unanswered. Here, we find that a population of MuSCs, marked by Gli1 expression, is required for muscle regeneration. The Gli1
+
MuSC population displays advantages in proliferation and differentiation both in vitro and in vivo. Depletion of this population leads to delayed muscle regeneration, while transplanted Gli1
+
MuSCs support muscle regeneration more effectively than Gli1− MuSCs. Further analysis reveals that even in the uninjured muscle, Gli1
+
MuSCs have elevated mTOR signaling activity, increased cell size and mitochondrial numbers compared to Gli1
−
MuSCs, indicating Gli1
+
MuSCs are displaying the features of primed MuSCs. Moreover, Gli1
+
MuSCs greatly contribute to the formation of G
Alert
cells after muscle injury. Collectively, our findings demonstrate that Gli1
+
MuSCs represents a distinct MuSC population which is more active in the homeostatic muscle and enters the cell cycle shortly after injury. This population functions as the tissue-resident sentinel that rapidly responds to injury and initiates muscle regeneration.
PSR J1119−6127 is a radio pulsar that behaved with magnetar-like bursts, and we performed a comprehensive investigation of this pulsar using the archival high-energy observations obtained after its ...outburst in 2016 July. After the 2016 outburst, specific regions on the neutron star (NS) surface were heated up to >0.3 and >1 keV from ∼0.2 keV. A hard nonthermal spectral component with a photon index <0.5 related to the magnetospheric emission can be resolved from the NuSTAR spectra above 10 keV. We find that the thermal emitting regions did not cool down and gradually shrank by about 20%-35% 4 months after the outburst. Hard X-ray pulsations were detected with NuSTAR immediately after the outburst at a 5 confidence level and with a background-subtracted pulsed fraction of 40% 10%. However, the signal became undetectable after a few days. Using Fermi data, we found that the gamma-ray emission in 0.5-300 GeV was suppressed along with the disappearance of the radio pulsations. This is likely caused by a reconfiguration of the magnetic field. We also discovered that the timing noise evolved dramatically, and the spin-down rate significantly increased after the 2016 glitch. We proposed that postoutburst temporal and spectral behaviors from radio to gamma-ray bands were caused by changes of the magnetosphere structure, pair plasma injection, and the shrinking emission sites on the NS.
ABSTRACT We report our measurements for the orbital and spin parameters of X 1822-371 using its X-ray partial eclipsing profile and pulsar timing from data collected by the Rossi X-ray Timing ...Explorer (RXTE). Four more X-ray eclipse times obtained by the RXTE 2011 observations were combined with historical records to trace the evolution of the orbital period. We found that a cubic ephemeris likely better describes the evolution of the X-ray eclipse times during a time span of about 34 years with a marginal second order derivative of s−1. Using the pulse arrival time delay technique, the orbital and spin parameters were obtained from RXTE observations from 1998 to 2011. The detected pulse periods show that the neutron star in X 1822-371 is continuously spun-up with a rate of s s−1. Although the evolution of the epoch of the mean longitude l = π/2 (i.e., Tπ/2) gives an orbital period derivative value consistent with that obtained from the quadratic ephemeris evaluated from the X-ray eclipse, the detected Tπ/2 values are significantly and systematically earlier than the corresponding expected X-ray eclipse times by 90 11 s. This deviation is probably caused by asymmetric X-ray emissions. We also attempted to constrain the mass and radius of the neutron star using the spin period change rate and concluded that the intrinsic luminosity of X 1822-371 is likely more than 1038 erg s−1.
The mineralogical and geochemical composition of sinters from the geothermal areas on the Tibetan Plateau was determined. They occur as siliceous, salty and calcareous sinters but biogenic siliceous ...sinters were also found. The analyses indicate that there are no distinct inter-element relationships between individual rare earth elements (REEs) and other elements. Formed from the same geothermal water, the mineralogical and chemical composition of the sinters is influenced by their genesis and formation conditions. The REE distributions depend on the origin of the sinters. Fe–Mn phases in sinters tend to scavenge more REEs from geothermal water. Neither the REE fractionation nor the Ce anomaly seems to be associated with Fe–Mn phases in the sinters. The fourth tetrads of some sinters display weak W-type (concave) effects. In contrast, the third tetrads present large effects in some sinters due to positive Gd anomalies. The origin of the positive Eu anomalies in some sinters seems to be caused by preferential dissolution of feldspars during water–rock interaction. The complexing ligands in geothermal water may contribute significantly to the fractionation of REEs in sinters. The dominant CO32− and HCO3− complexing in geothermal water favors enrichment of heavy REEs in calcareous sinters.
•Biogenic siliceous sinters were found on the Tibetan Plateau.•Lanthanide tetrad effects result in positive Gd anomaly.•Complexing ligands contribute to the fractionation of REEs in sinters.
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GEOZS, IJS, IMTLJ, KILJ, KISLJ, NUK, OILJ, PNG, SAZU, SBCE, SBJE, UL, UM, UPCLJ, UPUK
Hydrophobic SiO2/xGnP aerogel/CA–PA form-stable phase change material with high latent heat and thermal conductivity.
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•Hydrophobic SiO2 and SiO2/xGnP aerogels were prepared via ...surface modification.•SiO2/xGnP aerogels/CA–PA form-stable PCM were prepared by vacuum infiltration.•The compatibility between CA–PA and hydrophobic aerogels were improved.•The ΔH and the thermal conductivity of the form-stable PCM were greatly enhanced.•The form-stable PCM is suitable for building comfort control.
Hydrophobic modified silica/exfoliated graphite nanoplatelets aerogel (M-SiO2/xGnP) were successfully prepared via surface modification of silica/xGnP alcogel and followed by ambient pressure drying. Afterwards, form-stable PCMs in which capric–palmitic acids eutectic (CA–PA) was confined in the prepared aerogels were obtained by vacuum infiltration. Characterization of the prepared form-stable PCMs revealed that both the hydrophobic modification and the doping of xGnP could effectively improve the loading of CA–PA in the aerogel. The unmodified silica aerogel could not adsorb CA–PA, while the loading of CA–PA in the surface modified pure silica aerogel supported form-stable PCM and the unmodified silica/xGnP aerogel supported form-stable PCM were 24.2wt% and 44.4wt%, respectively. Besides, the hydrophobic modification and the doping of xGnP showed significant synergistic effect. The loading of CA–PA in the M-SiO2/xGnP supported form-stable PCM (FPCM/xGnP-20-48) could attain 78.9wt% when the M-SiO2/xGnP was obtained by modifying the alcogel with 20vol% trimethyl chlorosilane for 48h. The FPCM/xGnP-20-48 not only had high latent heat and good thermal reliability, but also exhibited significantly improved thermal conductivity and alleviated supercooling due to the effective thermal conductive network formed by xGnP and the promoted heterogeneous nucleation of CA–PA at interfaces with aerogel.
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GEOZS, IJS, IMTLJ, KILJ, KISLJ, NLZOH, NUK, OILJ, PNG, SAZU, SBCE, SBJE, UILJ, UL, UM, UPCLJ, UPUK, ZAGLJ, ZRSKP
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