Array comparative genomic hybridization screening in IVF significantly reduces number of embryos available for cryopreservation

Liu, Jiaen,Sills, E. Scott,Yang, Zhihong,Salem, Shala A.,Rahil, Tayyab,Collins, Gary S.,Liu, Xiaohong,Salem, Rifaat D. The Korean Society for Reproductive Medicine 2012 Clinical and Experimental Reproductive Medicine Vol.39 No.2

Objective: During IVF, non-transferred embryos are usually selected for cryopreservation on the basis of morphological criteria. This investigation evaluated an application for array comparative genomic hybridization (aCGH) in assessment of surplus embryos prior to cryopreservation. Methods: First-time IVF patients undergoing elective single embryo transfer and having at least one extra non-transferred embryo suitable for cryopreservation were offered enrollment in the study. Patients were randomized into two groups: Patients in group A (n=55) had embryos assessed first by morphology and then by aCGH, performed on cells obtained from trophectoderm biopsy on post-fertilization d5. Only euploid embryos were designated for cryopreservation. Patients in group B (n=48) had embryos assessed by morphology alone, with only good morphology embryos considered suitable for cryopreservation. Results: Among biopsied embryos in group A (n=425), euploidy was confirmed in 226 (53.1%). After fresh single embryo transfer, 64 (28.3%) surplus euploid embryos were cryopreserved for 51 patients (92.7%). In group B, 389 good morphology blastocysts were identified and a single top quality blastocyst was selected for fresh transfer. All group B patients (48/48) had at least one blastocyst remaining for cryopreservation. A total of 157 (40.4%) blastocysts were frozen in this group, a significantly larger proportion than was cryopreserved in group A (p=0.017, by chi-squared analysis). Conclusion: While aCGH and subsequent frozen embryo transfer are currently used to screen embryos, this is the first investigation to quantify the impact of aCGH specifically on embryo cryopreservation. Incorporation of aCGH screening significantly reduced the total number of cryopreserved blastocysts compared to when suitability for freezing was determined by morphology only. IVF patients should be counseled that the benefits of aCGH screening will likely come at the cost of sharply limiting the number of surplus embryos available for cryopreservation.

Vitamin D Is Required for IFN- -Mediated Antimicrobial Activity of Human Macrophages

Fabri, M.,Stenger, S.,Shin, D.-M.,Yuk, J.-M.,Liu, P. T.,Realegeno, S.,Lee, H.-M.,Krutzik, S. R.,Schenk, M.,Sieling, P. A.,Teles, R.,Montoya, D.,Iyer, S. S.,Bruns, H.,Lewinsohn, D. M.,Hollis, B. W.,Hew American Association for the Advancement of Scienc 2011 Science translational medicine Vol.3 No.104

<P>Control of tuberculosis worldwide depends on our understanding of human immune mechanisms, which combat the infection. Acquired T cell responses are critical for host defense against microbial pathogens, yet the mechanisms by which they act in humans remain unclear. We report that T cells, by the release of interferon-γ (IFN-γ), induce autophagy, phagosomal maturation, the production of antimicrobial peptides such as cathelicidin, and antimicrobial activity against Mycobacterium tuberculosis in human macrophages via a vitamin D-dependent pathway. IFN-γ induced the antimicrobial pathway in human macrophages cultured in vitamin D-sufficient sera, but not in sera from African-Americans that have lower amounts of vitamin D and who are more susceptible to tuberculosis. In vitro supplementation of vitamin D-deficient serum with 25-hydroxyvitamin D3 restored IFN-γ-induced antimicrobial peptide expression, autophagy, phagosome-lysosome fusion, and antimicrobial activity. These results suggest a mechanism in which vitamin D is required for acquired immunity to overcome the ability of intracellular pathogens to evade macrophage-mediated antimicrobial responses. The present findings underscore the importance of adequate amounts of vitamin D in all human populations for sustaining both innate and acquired immunity against infection.</P>

Investigation of PCR-RFLPs within Major Histocompatibility Complex B-G Genes Using Two Restriction Enzymes in Eight Breeds of Chinese Indigenous Chickens

R. F. Xu,K. Li,G. H. Chen,B. Y. Z. Qiang,D. L. Mo,B. Fan,C. C. Li,M. Yu,M. J. Zhu,T. A. Xiong,B. Liu 아세아·태평양축산학회 2005 Animal Bioscience Vol.18 No.7

New polymorphism of major histocompatibility complex B-G genes was investigated by amplification and digestion of a 401bp fragment including intron 1 and exon 2 using polymerase chain reaction-restriction fragment length polymorphism (PCRRFLP) technique with two restriction enzymes of Msp I and Tas I in eight breeds of Chinese indigenous chickens and one exotic breed. In the fragment region of the gene, three novel single nucleotide polymorphisms (SNPs) were detected at the two restriction sites. We found the transition of two nucleotides of A294G and T295C occurred at Tas I restriction site, and consequently led to a nonsynonymous substitution of asparagine into serine at position 54 within the deduced amino acid sequence of immunoglobulin variableregion- like domain encoded by the exon 2 of B-G gene. It was observed at rare frequency that a single mutation of A294G occurring at the site, also caused an identical substitution of amino acid, asparagine 54-to-serine, to that we described previously. And the transversion of G319C at Msp I site led to a non-synonymous substitution, glutamine 62-to-histidine. The new alleles and allele frequencies identified by the PCR-RFLP method with the two enzymes were characterized, of which the allele A and B frequencies at Msp I and Tas I loci were given disequilibrium distribution either in the eight Chinese local breeds or in the exotic breed. By comparison, allele A at Msp I locus tended to be dominant, while, the allele B at Tas I locus tended to be dominant in all of the breeds analyzed. In Tibetan chickens, the preliminary association analysis revealed that no significant difference was observed between the different genotypes identified at the Msp I and Tas I loci and the laying performance traits, respectively.

Trichloroethylene induces dopaminergic neurodegeneration in Fisher 344 rats

Liu, Mei,Choi, Dong-Young,Hunter, Randy L.,Pandya, Jignesh D.,Cass, Wayne A.,Sullivan, Patrick G.,Kim, Hyoung-Chun,Gash, Don M.,Bing, Guoying Blackwell Publishing Ltd 2010 Journal of Neurochemistry Vol.112 No.3

<P><I>J. Neurochem.</I> (2010) <B>112</B>, 773–783.</P><P>Abstract</P><P>Trichloroethylene, a chlorinated solvent widely used as a degreasing agent, is a common environmental contaminant. Emerging evidence suggests that chronic exposure to trichloroethylene may contribute to the development of Parkinson’s disease. The purpose of this study was to determine if selective loss of nigrostriatal dopaminergic neurons could be reproduced by systemic exposure of adult Fisher 344 rats to trichloroethylene. In our experiments, oral administration of trichloroethylene induced a significant loss of dopaminergic neurons in the substantia nigra pars compacta in a dose-dependent manner, whereas the number of both cholinergic and GABAergic neurons were not decreased in the striatum. There was a robust decline in striatal levels of 3, 4-dihydroxyphenylacetic acid without a significant depletion of striatal dopamine. Rats treated with trichloroethylene showed defects in rotarod behavior test. We also found a significantly reduced mitochondrial complex I activity with elevated oxidative stress markers and activated microglia in the nigral area. In addition, we observed intracellular &agr;-synuclein accumulation in the dorsal motor nucleus of the vagus nerve, with some in nigral neurons, but little in neurons of cerebral cortex. Overall, our animal model exhibits some important features of Parkinsonism, and further supports that trichloroethylene may be an environmental risk factors for Parkinson’s disease.</P>

A novel photoanode with high flexibility for fiber-shaped dye sensitized solar cells

Liu, G.,Gao, X.,Wang, H.,Kim, A. Y.,Zhao, Z.,Lee, J.,Zou, D. Royal Society of Chemistry 2016 Journal of Materials Chemistry A Vol.4 No.16

<P>A completely flexible fiber-shaped dye sensitized solar cell has been truly realized for the first time, due to a novel photoanode with a TiO2 micron-cone-nanowire array structure prepared by a simple two-step process. The TiO2 micron-cone array, made using an electrochemical method, is used as a frame for a novel photoanode, with its roots sinking deep down into a Ti wire substrate. The TiO2 nanowire array is coated onto the TiO2 micron-cone surface by a hydrothermal reaction to form a dye-adsorption layer to the enhance power conversion efficiency of the novel device. With a high dye-adsorption capacity and strong combination between the TiO2 micron-cone and Ti substrate, the minimum bending radius of the photoanode could reach 0.45 mm, and 96.6% retention of the initial conversion efficiency was obtained after bending 100 times.</P>

Anti-Enteric Neuronal Antibodies and the Irritable Bowel Syndrome

( Jackie D Wood ),( Su Mei Liu ),( Douglas A Drossman ),( Yehuda Ringel ),( William E Whitehead ) 대한소화기기능성질환·운동학회 (구 대한소화관운동학회) 2012 Journal of Neurogastroenterology and Motility (JNM Vol.18 No.1

Background/Aims Functional gastrointestinal disorders are those in which no abnormal metabolic or physical processes, which can account for the symptoms, can be identified. The irritable bowel syndrome (IBS) is a significant functional disorder, which affects 10-20 percent of the population worldwide. Predominant symptoms of IBS are abnormal defecation associated with abdominal pain, both of which may be exacerbated by psychogenic stress. Our study was designed to test a hypothesis that symptoms in a subset of patients with a diagnosis of IBS are associated with an autoimmune degenerative neuropathy in the enteric nervous system. Methods Serum was collected from Rome II-IBS patients and controls at the University of North Carolina Functional Gastrointestinal Diseases Center. Assay procedures were immunohistochemical localization of antibody binding to enteric neurons and human protein microarray assay for antigens recognized by antibodies in the sera. Results Eighty-seven percent of IBS sera and 59% of control sera contained anti-enteric neuronal antibodies. Antibody immunostaining was seen in the nucleus and cytoplasm of neurons in the enteric nervous system. Protein microarray analysis detected antibody reactivity for autoantigens in serum with anti-enteric neuronal antibodies and no reactivity for the same autoantigens in samples not containing anti-enteric neuronal antibodies in our immunostaining assay. Antibodies in sera from IBS patients recognized only 3 antigens out of an 8,000 immunoprotein array. The 3 antigens were: (1) a nondescript ribonucleoprotein (RNP-complex); (2) small nuclear ribonuclear polypeptide A; and (3) Ro-5,200 kDa. Conclusions Results of the present study suggest that symptoms in a subset of IBS patients might be a reflection of enteric neuronal dam - age or loss, caused by circulating anti-enteric autoimmune antibodies. (J Neurogastroenterol Motil 2012;18:78-85)

Increased risk of lung cancer in individuals with a family history of the disease: A pooled analysis from the International Lung Cancer Consortium

Cote, M.L.,Liu, M.,Bonassi, S.,Neri, M.,Schwartz, A.G.,Christiani, D.C.,Spitz, M.R.,Muscat, J.E.,Rennert, G.,Aben, K.K.,Andrew, A.S.,Bencko, V.,Bickeboller, H.,Boffetta, P.,Brennan, P.,Brenner, H.,Due Pergamon Press 2012 European journal of cancer Vol.48 No.13

Background and methods: Familial aggregation of lung cancer exists after accounting for cigarette smoking. However, the extent to which family history affects risk by smoking status, histology, relative type and ethnicity is not well described. This pooled analysis included 24 case-control studies in the International Lung Cancer Consortium. Each study collected age of onset/interview, gender, race/ethnicity, cigarette smoking, histology and first-degree family history of lung cancer. Data from 24,380 lung cancer cases and 23,305 healthy controls were analysed. Unconditional logistic regression models and generalised estimating equations were used to estimate odds ratios and 95% confidence intervals. Results: Individuals with a first-degree relative with lung cancer had a 1.51-fold increase in the risk of lung cancer, after adjustment for smoking and other potential confounders (95% CI: 1.39, 1.63). The association was strongest for those with a family history in a sibling, after adjustment (odds ratios (OR)=1.82, 95% CI: 1.62, 2.05). No modifying effect by histologic type was found. Never smokers showed a lower association with positive familial history of lung cancer (OR=1.25, 95% CI: 1.03, 1.52), slightly stronger for those with an affected sibling (OR=1.44, 95% CI: 1.07, 1.93), after adjustment. Conclusions: The occurrence of lung cancer among never smokers and similar magnitudes of the effect of family history on lung cancer risk across histological types suggests familial aggregation of lung cancer is independent of those risks associated with cigarette smoking. While the role of genetic variation in the aetiology of lung cancer remains to be fully characterised, family history assessment is immediately available and those with a positive history represent a higher risk group.

Ferromagnetism in Zn_1–<i>x</i>Mn_<i>x</i>O Nanoparticles Prepared by Ball Milling

Manh, T. V.,Phan, T. L.,Lee, B. W.,Liu, Chunli,Ho, T. A.,Thanh, T. D.,Vuong, N. M.,Yu, S. C. IEEE 2015 IEEE transactions on magnetics Vol.51 No.11

<P>Previous studies pointed out that ferromagnetism in Mn-doped ZnO was related to exchange interactions between Mn ions mediated by lattice defects. This means that it is possible to modify a Mn-doped ZnO paramagnet to a ferromagnet by creating lattice defects in it. The present work starts from a paramagnetic Zn0.98Mn0.02O sample prepared by solid-state reaction and then creates more defects upon mechanical milling. By changing the milling time (t(m)) from 0.5 to 20 h, we produced nanocrystalline (NC) samples with average crystallite sizes (d) ranging from 30 to 157 nm. The d decrease generated lattice strain and defects. This broadens and blurs the lines of Raman scattering and electron spin resonance (ESR) spectra. Interestingly, magnetization studies versus magnetic field revealed the samples with d <= 150 nm exhibiting room-temperature ferromagnetic (FM) order. The FM order became largest as d = 72 nm, corresponding to a saturation magnetization of M-s approximate to 0.006 emu/g. Apart from this d value, M-s would be gradually decreased. X-ray absorption fine structure (XAFS) spectra revealed a coexistence of Mn2+ and Mn3+ ions in the samples. Their concentration ratio was slightly changed with decreasing d, due to the slight shift of the absorption edge. With the features of Fourier-transformed XAFS and ESR spectra, we believe that ferromagnetism in the NC samples is related to oxygen vacancies residing on the surface of nanoparticles. Local lattice distortions can lead to zinc interstitials for the samples d < 72 nm, which decreases M-s.</P>

Interfacial orientation and misorientation relationships in nanolamellar Cu/Nb composites using transmission-electron-microscope-based orientation and phase mapping

Liu, X.,Nuhfer, N.T.,Rollett, A.D.,Sinha, S.,Lee, S.B.,Carpenter, J.S.,LeDonne, J.E.,Darbal, A.,Barmak, K. Elsevier Science 2014 Acta materialia Vol.64 No.-

A transmission-electron-microscope-based orientation mapping technique that makes use of beam precession to achieve near-kinematical conditions was used to map the phase and crystal orientations in nanolamellar Cu/Nb composites with average layer thicknesses of 86, 30 and 18nm. Maps of high quality and reliability were obtained by comparing the recorded diffraction patterns with pre-calculated templates. Particular care was taken in optimizing the dewarping parameters and in calibrating the frames of reference. Layers with thicknesses as low as 4nm were successfully mapped. Heterophase interface plane and character distributions (HIPD and HICD, respectively) of Cu and Nb phases from the samples were determined from the orientation maps. In addition, local orientation relation stereograms of the Cu/Nb interfaces were calculated, and these revealed the detailed layer-to-layer texture information. The results are in agreement with previously reported neutron-diffraction-based and precession-electron-diffraction-based measurements on an accumulated roll bonding (ARB)-fabricated Cu/Nb sample with an average layer thickness of 30nm as well as scanning-electron-microscope-based electron backscattered diffraction HIPD/HICD plots of ARB-fabricated Cu/Nb samples with layer thicknesses between 200 and 600nm.

An Integrated TCGA Pan-Cancer Clinical Data Resource to Drive High-Quality Survival Outcome Analytics

Liu, Jianfang,Lichtenberg, Tara,Hoadley, Katherine A.,Poisson, Laila M.,Lazar, Alexander J.,Cherniack, Andrew D.,Kovatich, Albert J.,Benz, Christopher C.,Levine, Douglas A.,Lee, Adrian V.,Omberg, Lars Elsevier 2018 Cell Vol.173 No.2

<P><B>Summary</B></P> <P>For a decade, The Cancer Genome Atlas (TCGA) program collected clinicopathologic annotation data along with multi-platform molecular profiles of more than 11,000 human tumors across 33 different cancer types. TCGA clinical data contain key features representing the democratized nature of the data collection process. To ensure proper use of this large clinical dataset associated with genomic features, we developed a standardized dataset named the TCGA Pan-Cancer Clinical Data Resource (TCGA-CDR), which includes four major clinical outcome endpoints. In addition to detailing major challenges and statistical limitations encountered during the effort of integrating the acquired clinical data, we present a summary that includes endpoint usage recommendations for each cancer type. These TCGA-CDR findings appear to be consistent with cancer genomics studies independent of the TCGA effort and provide opportunities for investigating cancer biology using clinical correlates at an unprecedented scale.</P> <P><B>Highlights</B></P> <P> <UL> <LI> Generation of TCGA Clinical Data Resource for 11,160 patients over 33 cancer types </LI> <LI> Analysis of clinical outcome endpoints with usage recommendations for each cancer </LI> <LI> Demonstration of data validity and utility for large-scale translational research </LI> </UL> </P> <P><B>Graphical Abstract</B></P> <P>[DISPLAY OMISSION]</P>