A multicenter study of fetal chromosomal abnormalities in Chinese women of advanced maternal age

AbstractObjectiveThis study aimed to determine the rates of different fetal chromosomal abnormalities among women of advanced maternal age in China and to discuss the possible misdiagnosis risks of newer molecular techniques, for selection of appropriate prenatal screening and diagnostic technologies.Materials and MethodsSecond trimester amniocentesis and fetal karyotype results of 46,258 women were retrospectively reviewed. All women were ≥ 35 years old with singleton pregnancies. The rates of clinically significant chromosomal abnormalities (CSCAs), incidence of chromosomal abnormalities, and correlations with age were determined.ResultsFrom 2001 to 2010, the proportion of women of advanced maternal age undergoing prenatal diagnosis increased from 20% to 46%. The mean age was 37.4 years (range, 35–46 years). A total of 708 cases of CSCAs, with a rate of 1.53% were found. Trisomy 21 was the most common single chromosome abnormality and accounted for 55.9% of all CSCAs with an incidence of 0.86%. Trisomy 13, trisomy 18, and trisomy 21, the most common chromosome autosomal aneuploidies, accounted for 73.6% of all CSCAs, with a rate of 1.13%. As a group, the most common chromosomal aneuploidies (13/18/21/X/Y) accounted for 93.9% of all abnormalities, with a rate of 1.44%. The incidence of trisomy 21, trisomy 13/18/21 as a group, and 13/18/21/X/Y as a group was significantly greater in women aged 39 years and older (p < 0.001), but was not different between women aged 35 years, 36 years, 37 years, and 38 years.ConclusionThese findings may assist in genetic counseling of advanced maternal age pregnant women, and provide a basis for the selection of prenatal screening and diagnostic technologies

Mucosal-Associated Invariant T Cells Improve Nonalcoholic Fatty Liver Disease Through Regulating Macrophage Polarization

Mucosal-associated invariant T (MAIT) cells, a novel population of innate-like lymphocytes, have been involved in various inflammatory and autoimmune diseases. However, their role in the development of nonalcoholic fatty liver disease (NAFLD) remains unclear. In this study, we investigated the alterations of phenotype and immunological function of MAIT cells in NAFLD. Analysis of PBMCs in 60 patients with NAFLD and 48 healthy controls (HC) revealed that circulating MAIT cell frequency decreased in NAFLD, especially in the patients with higher serum levels of γ-glutamyl transferase or total triglyceride. Functional alterations of circulating MAIT cells were also detected in NAFLD patients, such as the increased production of IL-4 whereas the decreased production of IFN-γ and TNF-α. Furthermore, elevated expression of CXCR6 was observed in circulating MAIT cells of patients. Meanwhile, we found an increased number of MAIT cells in the livers of NAFLD, and the number was even greater in patients with higher NAFLD activity score. Moreover, activated MAIT cells induced monocytes/macrophages differentiation into M2 phenotype in vitro. Additionally, MAIT cells were enriched and displayed Th2 type cytokines profile in livers of wild type mice fed with methionine and choline deficient diet (MCD). Notably, mice deficient of MAIT cells exhibited more severe hepatic steatosis and inflammation upon MCD, accompanied with more CD11c+ proinflammatory macrophages (M1) and less CD206+ anti-inflammatory macrophages (M2) in livers. Our results indicate that MAIT cells protect against inflammation in NAFLD through producing regulatory cytokines and inducing anti-inflammatory macrophage polarization, which may provide novel therapeutic strategies for NAFLD

STRUKTURA ŠUPLJINA I SVOJSTVA LEŽIŠTA U VULKANSKIM STIJENAMA KARBONSKE FORMACIJE BATAMAJINEJŠAN U PODRUČJU ŠUANGĐINGZI, ISTOČNI DIO BAZENA JUNGGAR (ZAPADNA KINA)

Junggar Basin is one of the largest sedimentary basins in Northwest China. Carboniferous oil and gas fields have been found in different areas in the eastern part of the Junggar Basin on a large scale, indicating that the Carboniferous rocks of the Junggar Basin have a huge potential for oil and gas exploration. This study focuses on the Batamayineishan Formation in the eastern part of the Junggar Basin, which contains volcanic rocks and pyroclastic rocks, aiming to investigate the reservoir characteristics and to identify the formation mechanism of the rocks of this formation. The majority of the existent reservoir space in the volcanic rocks of the Batamayineishan Formation is dominated by secondary pores and fractures. Using the methods of petrography, pressure-controlled mercury injection (PMI), and electron probe microanalysis (EPMA), the reservoir characteristics and diagenetic history of the volcanic rocks of the Batamayineishan Formation in the Shuangjingzi area were studied. A theoretical framework is established to provide favorable guidance for exploring Carboniferous volcanic rocks in the Junggar Basin. The results of mercury injection indicate that the average pore throat radius and porosity of the volcanic rocks are 0.068 µm and 6.62%, respectively. Permeability remains stable and does not show a significant change with an increase in porosity. Despite the high porosity, the permeability is relatively low, reflecting isolated and non-connected primary pores. The average value of permeability is relatively low (0.424×10-3 µm2), which typically suggests narrow micro-throats. Primary gas pores fill and develop amygdales on a large scale. In addition, the dissolution pores developed by dissolution and alteration also compensated for the decrease in the original gas pore volume.Bazen Junggar jedan je od najvećih taložnih bazena u sjeverozapadnoj Kini. Karbonska ležišta nafte i plina otkrivena su u različitim dijelovima na istoku toga bazena te pokazuju kako karbonske stijene i dalje imaju velik potencijal za istraživanje ugljikovodika. Studija je usmjerena na istočni dio toga bazena i formaciju Batamajinejšan, koja je izgrađena od vulkanskih i piroklastičnih stijena. Istražena su njihova ležišna svojstva i način oblikovanja tih stijena. Najveći dio ležišnoga volumena obilježen je sekundarnom šupljikavošću i pukotinama. Tijekom istraživanja korištene su petrografske metode, utiskivanje volumena žive pod kontroliranim tlakom, mikroanaliza elektronskom sondom. Na taj su način ispi tana dijagenetska povijest i svojstva vulkanita formacije Batamajinejšan. Time je postavljen teorijski okvir svih istraživanja karbonskih vulkanskih stijena u tome bazenu. Utiskivanjem žive izračunan je prosječni promjer šupljina od 0,068 µm i šupljikavost 6,62 %, međutim propusnost je općenito niska (0,424 × 10-3 µm2) jer je dominantno rezultat male primarne, efektivne šupljikavosti te se znatno ne mijenja s povećanjem ukupne šupljikavosti, koja i dalje upućuje na mikropore. Sekundarna šupljikavost također je oblikovana i otapanjem, što je, uz pukotine, povećalo dostupan volumen za nakupljanje plina

A new genus and two new species of oonopid spiders from Tibet, China (Araneae, Oonopidae)

A new genus, Paramolotra Tong & Li, gen. nov., including two new species, Paramolotra pome Tong & Li, sp. nov. (♂♀) and Paramolotra metok Tong & Li, sp. nov. (♂♀), is described from Tibet, China. Morphological descriptions and photographic illustrations of the two new species are given

Chemical Sensing and Analysis with Optical Nanostructures

Nanostructures and nanomaterials, especially plasmonic nanostructures, often show optical properties that conventional materials lack and can manipulate light, as well as various light–matter interactions, in both their near-field and far-field regions with a high efficiency. Thanks to these unique properties, not only can they be used to enhance the sensitivity of chemical sensing and analysis techniques, but they also provide a solution for designing new sensing devices and simplifying the design of analytical instruments. The earliest applications of optical nanostructures are surface-enhanced spectroscopies. With the help of the resonance field enhancement of plasmonic nanostructures, molecular signals, such as Raman, infrared absorption, and fluorescence can be significantly enhanced, and even single-molecule analysis can be realized. Moreover, the resonant field enhancements of plasmonic nanostructures are often associated with other effects, such as optical forces, resonance shifts, and photothermal effects. Using these properties, label-free plasmonic sensors, nano-optical tweezers, and plasmonic matrix-assisted laser desorption/ionization have also been demonstrated in the past two decades. In the last few years, the research on optical nanostructures has gradually expanded to non-periodic 2D array structures, namely metasurfaces. With the help of metasurfaces, light can be arbitrarily manipulated, leading to many new possibilities for developing miniaturized integrated intelligent sensing and analysis systems. In this review, we discuss the applications of optical nanostructures in chemical sensing and analysis from both theoretical and practical aspects, aiming at a concise and unified framework for this field

Two new species of the spider genus Sinamma Lin & Li, 2014 (Araneae, Tetrablemmidae) from Guangdong Province, China

Cheng, Weihua, Ren, Lingshu, Tong, Yanfeng, Bian, Dongju, Li, Shuqiang (2022): Two new species of the spider genus Sinamma Lin & Li, 2014 (Araneae, Tetrablemmidae) from Guangdong Province, China. Zootaxa 5091 (3): 443-454, DOI: https://doi.org/10.11646/zootaxa.5091.3.