[Prenatal diagnosis of women with an adverse reproductive history using both traditional karyotyping and SNP-array].

Objective: To explore the occurrence of fetal chromosomal abnormalities among pregnant women with an adverse reproductive history using traditional karyotyping and single nucleotide polymorphism microarray (SNP-array) technology. Methods: Totally 94 in 2 163 (4.35%) cases of singleton pregnant women with an adverse reproductive history were performed amniocentesis in Jinhua Maternal and Child Health Care Hospital from June 2015 to June 2017. Traditional karyotyping and SNP-array were employed simultaneously for prenatal diagnosis, and the detection rates of the two methods were compared. Results: All of the 94 specimens were successfully analyzed, 11 cases were found with chromosomal anomaly, the overall detection rate was 11.7%(11/94). Seven (7.4%,7/94) abnormalities cases were detected by karyotyping, and 7(7.4%) by SNP-array. The karyotyping results of trisomy 21, and 45,X and the deletion of chromosome 13 were consistent with SNP-array. Only 3 (3.2%, 3/94) microdeletion/duplications (the sizes of duplications and deletions were between 422.4-1 708.4 kb) and 1 (1/4) loss of heterozygosity were detected by SNP-array, but were missed by karyotyping. Furthermore, 2 cases' copy number variation were found pathogenic gene related, while the other 2 were considered benign or variant of uncertain significance. Four cases (4/7) of abnormalities were detected by karyotyping, while confirmed balanced translocation and inversion by SNP-array. All patients were informed and chosen to continue the pregnancy. Conclusions: The rate of abnormal fetal chromosomes in pregnant women with an adverse reproductive history is still high. SNP-array is a new molecular genetic technique, and combined with use of traditional karyotyping, it could improve the detection rate of fetal chromosomal abnormalities and reduce abortion rate, thus providing a basis for genetic counseling and prenatal diagnosis.

Interaction between graphene and the surface of SiO2.

The interaction between graphene and a SiO(2) surface has been analyzed with first-principles DFT calculations by constructing the different configurations based on α-quartz and cristobalite structures. The fact that single-layer graphene can stay stably on a SiO(2) surface is explained based on a general consideration of the configuration structures of the SiO(2) surface. It is found that the oxygen defect in a SiO(2) surface can shift the Fermi level of graphene down which opens up the mechanism of the hole-doping effect of graphene adsorbed on a SiO(2) surface observed in a lot of experiments.

Carbon doped boron nitride cages as competitive candidates for hydrogen storage materials.

By the incorporation of C atoms into (BN)(12) fullerene, our theoretical investigation shows that carbon doped boron nitride cages (BNC) can achieve a high hydrogen storage amount of 7.43 wt%, and dehydrogenation of the corresponding BNC hydrides (BNC(H)) is thermodynamically favored for practical applications of hydrogen energy, making BNC competitive candidates for hydrogen storage materials.

The role of sp-hybridized atoms in carbon ferromagnetism: a spin-polarized density functional theory calculation.

We address the room-temperature (RT) carbon ferromagnetism by considering the magnetic states of low-dimensional carbons linked by sp-hybridized carbon atoms. Based on the spin-polarized density functional theory calculations, we find that the sp(*) orbitals of carbon atoms can bring magnetic moments into different carbon allotropes which may eventually give rise to the long-range ferromagnetic ordering at room temperature through an indirect carrier-mediated coupling mechanism. The fact that this indirect coupling is Fermi-level-dependent predicts that the individual magnetism of diverse carbon materials is governed by their chemical environments. This mechanism may help to illuminate the RT magnetic properties of carbon-based materials and to explore the new magnetic applications of carbon materials.

Feasibility of focused ultrasound therapy for recurrent cervicitis with high-risk human papillomavirus infection.

OBJECTIVE: To investigate the feasibility of focused ultrasound therapy for recurrent cervicitis with high-risk human papillomavirus (HR-HPV) infection. METHODS: This was a prospective clinical study, in which 20 patients with HR-HPV-positive recurrent cervicitis were enrolled. Focused ultrasound therapy was performed by one gynecologist. All patients were followed up for 6 months after ultrasound therapy. Telephone interviews, colposcopic examinations and Hybrid Capture II tests were performed to assess the safety and effectiveness of focused ultrasound therapy for HR-HPV-positive cervicitis. RESULTS: Ultrasound therapy was tolerated well, and no severe complications were observed in any patient. Vaginal discharge was found intermittently in 95% of patients. Without any intervention this disappeared 1 month after ultrasound therapy. Patients' symptoms were relieved significantly by ultrasound therapy, including 88.9% patients who had abundant leukorrhea, 80% who had pelvic pain and 87.5% who had postcoital bleeding. No colposcopic evidence of cervicitis remained postoperatively in 75% of patients, and cytological examination showed that the lesions had disappeared in 80% of patients. Follow-up HPV testing revealed that 75% of patients presented negative HR-HPV infection following treatment. CONCLUSIONS: Focused ultrasound therapy is feasible and effective in the treatment of patients with HR-HPV-positive cervicitis. It may provide a useful non-invasive treatment for recurrent cervicitis with HR-HPV infection.

First-principles study of the magnetization of oxygen-depleted In(2)O(3)(001) surfaces.

The origin of the magnetism in some oxide-based diluted magnetic semiconductors is still a puzzle. In this work, significantly ferromagnetic states of the oxygen-depleted In(2)O(3)(001) surfaces are investigated on the basis of first-principles density functional calculations. Our results show that the perfect oxygen-depleted surfaces are nonmagnetic; however, the surface states become ferromagnetic with the appearance of vacancies on the most outward In sites. The origin of the surface state magnetization can be explained using the Stoner model, and the exchange coupling between surfaces In s-p hybridization orbitals implies a ferromagnetic ground state. Our investigation gives a reasonable explanation for the source of the magnetism in oxygen-depleted In(2)O(3) nanostructures observed in previous experiments.

A first-principle analysis on the phase stabilities, chemical bonds and band gaps of wurtzite structure A(x)Zn(1-x)O alloys (A = Ca, Cd, Mg).

The phase stabilities and structural and electronic properties of three zinc-based oxide alloy systems (Ca(x)Zn(1-x)O, Cd(x)Zn(1-x)O and Mg(x)Zn(1-x)O) are studied by first-principle methods. We examine all alloy configurations in three 16-atom supercells (1 × 1 × 2 B1 phase structure, 2 × 2 × 1 and 2 × 1 × 2 B4 phase structures) and utilize symmetry of the bulk materials to reduce the amount of calculation. Taking into account the contribution of the alloy statistics, we have drawn the regions of phase stability for Ca(x)Zn(1-x)O (0.25

[Relationship between liver fibrosis criteria and syndrome-type of TCM in patients with non-alcoholic fatty liver].

OBJECTIVE: To explore the relationship between the liver fibrosis criteria and TCM Syndrome, type in the patients suffering from non-alcoholic fatty liver. METHODS: Seventy-nine patients with non-alcoholic fatty liver diagnosed by B ultrasonography were classified by TCM Syndrome Differentiation and their liver fibrosis criteria was determined and compared with those of the health subjects as control. RESULTS: Levels of procollagen III (PCIII), hyaluronic acid (HA), collagen IV (CIV) and laminin (LN) in the fatty liver group were significantly higher than those in the control group (P < 0.05, P < 0.01). In respect to the TCM Syndrome-types, PCIII, CIV and LN in patients of Phlegm-stasis combined type were significantly higher than those in patients of other two Syndrome-types (P < 0.05, P < 0.01), while HA was insignificantly different (P > 0.05). CONCLUSION: There was trend of liver fibrosis in fatty liver patients. It was indicated that the Phlegm-stasis combined Syndrome-type possibly was the main TCM pathologic factor of the increasing of fibrosis criteria for non-alcoholic fatty liver.