Analysis of genetic diversity and genetic structure of Qinchuan cattle conservation population using whole-genome resequencing.

In the conservation of livestock and poultry resources, population genetic diversity and genetic structure of the conservation population are important factors affecting the effectiveness of conservation. In this study, whole-genome resequencing technology was used to detect genomic variation in 100 Qinchuan cattle (30 bulls and 70 cows). By analyzing population genetic diversity, runs of homozygosity (ROH) distribution features, kinship relationships, and family structure, the conservation effectiveness of Qinchuan cattle was comprehensively evaluated. The results showed that a total of 20,968,017 high-quality SNPs were detected in 100 Qinchuan cattle, the average minimum allele frequency was 0.191±0.124, the average polymorphic information content was 0.279±0.131, and the average observed heterozygosity was 0.275±0.131, the average expected heterozygosity is 0.279±0.131, indicating that the genetic diversity of the Qinchuan cattle conservation population is relatively rich. The average identity by state (IBS) distance of the Qinchuan conservation population was 0.243±0.020, with a value of 0.242±0.021 for the bulls. The results of the kinship G-matrix were consistent with the results of the IBS distance matrix, both showing that some individuals in the conservation population had close kinship. A total of 8258 genomic ROH were detected in 100 Qinchuan cattle, with a total length of 9.64 GB. The average length of ROH fragments was 1.167±1.203 Mb, 69.35% of the ROH were short ROH with a length of 0.5~1 Mb, and the average total length of ROH per individual was 96.40 Mb. The average inbreeding coefficient based on ROH was 0.039±0.039, with a value of 0.044±0.035 for the bulls, indicating that some bulls had a certain degree of inbreeding accumulation. The results of the phylogenetic tree combined with kinship analysis showed that the individuals in the Qinchuan cattle conservation population could be divided into eight families, including seven families with bulls and one family without bulls. This study demonstrated that the genetic diversity of the Qinchuan conservation population is relatively rich, with no significant inbreeding accumulation, but there is a risk of inbreeding among some individuals. Therefore, it is necessary to strengthen selection and mating to ensure the sustainable development of Qinchuan cattle resources.

Effects of Bone Marrow Mesenchymal Stem Cells on Myelin Repair and Emotional Changes of a Cuprizone-Induced Demyelination Model.

BACKGROUND: Multiple sclerosis (MS) is an autoimmune disease for which bone marrow mesenchymal stem cells (BM-MSCs) have become one of the most promising tools for treatment. Cuprizone(CPZ) induces demyelination in the central nervous system and its use has established a demyelination sheath animal model which is particularly suitable for studying the effects of BM-MSCs on the remyelination and mood improvement of a demyelinating model mice. METHODS: 70 C57BL/6 male mice were selected and divided into 4 groups: the normal control (n = 20), chronic demyelination (n = 20), myelin repair (n = 15) and cell-treated groups (n = 15). Mice in the normal control group were given a normal diet; the chronic demyelination group mice were given a 0.2% CPZ mixed diet for 14 weeks, mice in the myelin repair and cell-treated groups mice were given a 0.2% CPZ diet for 12 weeks and normal diet for 2 weeks, while the cell-treated group mice were injected with BM-MSCs from the 13th week. The cuprizone-induced demyelination model was successfully established and BM-MSCs extracted, behavioural changes of the mice were detected by open field test, elevated plus maze test and tail suspension test, demyelination and repair of the corpus callosum and astrocyte changes were observed by immunofluorescence and electron microscopy and the concentrations of monoamine neurotransmitters and their metabolites detected by enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay (ELISA) and high performance liquid chromatography-electrochemistry (HPLC-ECD). RESULTS: Results suggest BM-MSCs were successfully extracted and cultured, and migrated to the demyelinating area of brain tissue after cell transplantation. Compared with the normal control group, the mice in the chronic demyelination group showed obvious anxiety and depression behaviours (p < 0.05); compared with the chronic demyelination group, the anxiety and depression behaviours of the cell-treated group mice were improved (p < 0.05); compared with the normal control group, the demyelination of the corpus callosum region of the chronic demyelination group mice was significant (p < 0.01), while the myelin sheath of the cell-treated and myelin repair groups was repaired when compared with the chronic demyelination group (p < 0.05), and the cell-treated group had a more significant effect than the myelin repair group (p < 0.05). Compared with the normal control group, the number of astrocytes in the corpus callosum of the chronic demyelination group mice was significantly increased (p < 0.01), and the expression of glial fibrillary acidic protein (GFAP) in the cell-treated group was lower than that in the chronic demyelination and myelin repair groups (p < 0.05); the serum concentrations of norepinephrine (NE), 5-hydroxytryptamine (5-HT) and 5-Hydroxyindole-3-acetic acid (5-HIAA) between the normal control and the chronic demyelination groups were significantly different (p < 0.05). CONCLUSIONS: The CPZ-induced model can be used as an experimental carrier for MS combined with anxiety and depression, and BM-MSC transplantation promotes the repair of myelin sheath and the recovery of emotional disorders in the model.

Correlation of OCTN2 with the chemosensitivity of prostate cancer cells to oxaliplatin / 中国药房

OBJECTIVE To study the correlation of novel organic cation transporter 2 （OCTN2） with the chemosensitivity of prostate cancer cells to oxaliplatin. METHODS Tumor samples of patients receiving radical prostatectomy were collected， and OCTN2 protein was detected with immunohistochemistry； the primary cells of the specimen were cultivated to obtain prostate cancer cell line. Inductively coupled plasma mass spectrometry was used to detect the uptake of low concentration （0.1 μmol/L） of oxaliplatin by cancer cells. Real-time PCR and Western blot were used to detect the mRNA and protein expressions of OCTN2 in cancer cells； the prostate cancer cells with the highest and lowest expression of OCTN2 protein were selected， and IC50 of oxaliplatin to prostate cancer cells was analyzed by ATP-TCA method. The inhibitory rate of plasma peak concentration of oxaliplatin （50 μmol/L） to prostate cancer cells was detected by MTT assay. Spearman method was used to analyze the relationship of the uptake of oxaliplatin by prostate cancer cells with inhibitory rate of oxaliplatin to prostate cancer cells and 505916443@qq.com mRNA expressions of OCTN2. RESULTS OCTN2 was located on the membrane of cancer cells， and the uptake of zjdtztougao@163.com oxaliplatin by cancer cells was 0.283±0.264 （n＝12）mRNA and protein expression of OCTN2 varied significantly among different cancer cells. The sensitivity of cancer cells with high expression of OCTN2 to oxaliplatin （IC50 of 4.61 μmol/L） was higher than that of cancer cells with lower expression of OCTN2 （IC50 of 26.23 μmol/L）. The inhibitory rate of oxaliplatin to cancer cells was （25.4±10.8）% （n＝12）. There was a correlation between the uptake of oxaliplatin by prostate cancer cells and the inhibition rate of oxaliplatin to prostate cancer cells and mRNA expression of OCTN2 （P＜0.05）. CONCLUSIONS High-expressed OCTN2 may promote the uptake of oxaliplatin by prostate cancer cells， and its expression can serve as a reference for predicting the sensitivity of prostate cancer cells to oxaliplatin chemotherapy.

[Influencing Factors of Diabetes Mellitus on Abdominal Aortic Aneurysm Diameter and Biochemical Parameters].

Objective To investigate the effect of diabetes mellitus and hypoglycemic treatment on the diameter and biochemical parameters of abdominal aortic aneurysm (AAA).Methods A case-control study was conducted to retrospectively analyze the clinical data of AAA patients in Peking Union Medical College Hospital from 2015 to 2021.The AAA patients were classified into a group with diabetes mellitus (n=53) and a group without diabetes mellitus (n=104),and the biochemical parameters and aneurysm diameter were compared between the two groups.According to the aneurysm diameter,they were further classified into a small and medium abdominal aortic aneurysm group (SMAAA group,n=85) and a large abdominal aortic aneurysm group (LAAA group,n=72),and the biochemical parameters between the two groups were compared.Results Among the 157 cases with AAA,the incidence of hypertension in the group without diabetes mellitus was higher than that in the group with diabetes mellitus (χ2=8.147,P=0.004).The aneurysm diameter,homocysteine,and D-dimer in the group with diabetes mellitus were lower than those in the group without diabetes mellitus (t=-3.148,P=0.002;U=-1.503,P=0.013;U=-3.002,P=0.003).The aneurysm diameter and D-dimer in the SMAAA group were lower than those in the LAAA group (t=-14.406,P<0.001;U=-0.388,P<0.001).Multivariate Logistic regression analysis showed that diabetes mellitus (OR=0.477,95%CI=0.238-0.955,P=0.037) and hypoglycemic treatment (OR=0.477,95%CI=0.238-0.955,P=0.037) did not increase the risk of AAA enlargement.Conclusion Diabetes mellitus and hypoglycemic therapy may affect the growth rate of AAA by lowering D-dimer and inflammatory indexes.

Genome-wide detection of selective signals for fecundity traits in goats (Capra hircus).

Fecundity in livestock is an economically important complex quantitative trait that is influenced by both genetics and the environment. However, the underlying genetic mechanism of reproductive performance in goats has not been well investigated. To investigate the genomic basis of fecundity in goats, genomic sequencing data of the Jining grey goat (a high prolificacy breed in China) were collected, as well as data for other commonly available goat breeds, and a mass of genomic variants were generated after variation calling. We screened the Jining grey goat (20 individuals) using a selective sweep with the Asian wild goat population (5 individuals), and potential candidate genes were proposed, such as STIM1, ESR1, LRRC14B and SLC9A3. Among, STIM1 is a most promising one associated with high reproductive capacity. When compared to Chinese domestic goats with low fecundity (17 individuals), the genes including MLLT10, SPIRE2, TCF25, ZNF276 and FANCA were screened, and the SPIRE2 gene was thought to be associated with fecundity traits. Meanwhile, the functional enrichment of these candidate genes revealed that they were involved in biological processes of mammary gland morphogenesis, uterus development, gastrulation, mesoderm morphogenesis and formation, and blood vessel development, which might undergo natural or artificial selection during reproductive trait formation in goats. Thus, our findings could enrich the genetic basis of reproductive trait selection during goat domestication, which may serve to improve goat breeding practices.

Genome-wide association study identifies quantitative trait loci affecting cattle temperament.

Cattle temperament is an interesting trait due to its correlation with production efficiency, labor safety, and animal welfare. To date, however, its genetic basis is not clearly understood. Here, we performed a genome-wide association study for a series of temperament traits in cattle, assessed with via open field and novel object tests, using autosomal single nucleotide polymorphisms (SNPs) derived from the whole-genome sequence. We identified 37 and 29 genome-wide significant loci in the open field and novel object tests, respectively. Gene set analysis revealed the most significant pathway was the neuroactive ligand-receptor interaction pathway, which may be essential for emotional control in cattle. Analysis of the expression levels of 18 tissue-specific genes based on transcriptomic data showed enrichment in the brain, with some candidate genes involved in psychiatric and neurodegenerative diseases in humans. Based on principal component analysis, the first principal component explained the largest variance in the open field and novel object test data, and the most significant loci were assigned to SORCS3 and SESTD1, respectively. Our findings should help facilitate cattle breeding for sound temperament by pyramiding favorable alleles to further improve cattle production.

Feasibility of full-endoscopic posterolateral odontoidectomy / 西安交通大学学报(医学版)

【Objective】 To investigate the feasibility of full-endoscopic posterolateral odontoidectomy through morphological analysis and cadaver specimen surgery. 【Methods】 We collected the DICOM data of 20 normal cervical CT patients （10 males and 10 females） from the PACS Image Library of our hospital. The Mimics software was used for cervical CT reconstruction and anatomical measurements were made to measure the maximum sagittal diameter， coronal diameter and height of the odontoid process. The C1 lateral mass could provide the maximum working height and width of endoscopic operation with a diameter of 7 mm， as well as the angle between the anchor point of C1 lateral mass and the notch on both sides of the odontoid process. The feasibility of endoscopic surgery was analyzed based on the measured data. The fresh frozen corpse was used for the operation in prone position under the guidance of C-arm. Kirschner wire was anchored at the midpoint of the lower surface of the C1 lateral mass. Part of the C1 lateral mass was removed by the grinding drill and endoscopic tools， and then the odontoid process and adjacent ligaments were removed. 【Results】 The maximum sagittal diameter， coronal diameter and height of the odontoid process were （11.73±0.74）mm， （10.97±0.71）mm and （14.51±0.91）mm， respectively. The working height and width of the C1 lateral mass were （13.53±0.57）mm and （10.00±1.27）mm， respectively. The angle between the anchor point and the double-edge notch of the odontoid process was （28.3±3.1）°， with no statistical difference between the male and female patients （P>0.05）. All the measurements met the requirements of 7 mm endoscopic implantation and surgical operation， and the space for swing could be provided for complete or partial removal of the odontoid process to meet the requirements of ventral spinal decompression. In cadaver surgery， a fully endoscopic posterolateral approach enabled complete removal of the odontoid process by grinding part of the C1 lateral mass. Postoperative cervical CT confirmed that the odontoid process had been completely resected， and there were no signs of dural sac or vertebral artery injury. 【Conclusion】 The odontoid process can be completely resected through a posterolateral endoscopic approach via the lateral mass approach of C1， providing a new surgical method for clinical odontoidectomy to decompress the spinal cord in craniovertebral junction.

Mitochondrial genomes from modern and ancient Turano-Mongolian cattle reveal an ancient diversity of taurine maternal lineages in East Asia.

Turano-Mongolian cattle are a group of taurine cattle from Northern and Eastern Asia with distinct morphological traits, which are known for their ability to tolerate harsh environments, such as the Asian steppe and the Tibetan plateau. Through the analysis of 170 mitogenomes from ten modern breeds, two sub-lineages within T3 (T3119 and T3055) were identified as specific of Turano-Mongolian cattle. These two T3 sub-lineages, together with the previously identified T4, were also present in six Neolithic samples, dated to ~3900 years BP, which might represent the earliest domestic taurine stocks from Southwest Asia. The rare haplogroup Q, found in three Tibetan cattle, testifies for the legacy of ancient migrations from Southwest Asia and suggests that the isolated Tibetan Plateau preserved unique prehistoric genetic resources. These findings confirm the geographic substructure of Turano-Mongolian cattle breeds, which have been shaped by ancient migrations and geographic barriers.

Single-cell transcriptome landscape of ovarian cells during primordial follicle assembly in mice.

Primordial follicle assembly in the mouse occurs during perinatal ages and largely determines the ovarian reserve that will be available to support the reproductive life span. The development of primordial follicles is controlled by a complex network of interactions between oocytes and ovarian somatic cells that remain poorly understood. In the present research, using single-cell RNA sequencing performed over a time series on murine ovaries, coupled with several bioinformatics analyses, the complete dynamic genetic programs of germ and granulosa cells from E16.5 to postnatal day (PD) 3 were reported. Along with confirming the previously reported expression of genes by germ cells and granulosa cells, our analyses identified 5 distinct cell clusters associated with germ cells and 6 with granulosa cells. Consequently, several new genes expressed at significant levels at each investigated stage were assigned. By building single-cell pseudotemporal trajectories, 3 states and 1 branch point of fate transition for the germ cells were revealed, as well as for the granulosa cells. Moreover, Gene Ontology (GO) term enrichment enabled identification of the biological process most represented in germ cells and granulosa cells or common to both cell types at each specific stage, and the interactions of germ cells and granulosa cells basing on known and novel pathway were presented. Finally, by using single-cell regulatory network inference and clustering (SCENIC) algorithm, we were able to establish a network of regulons that can be postulated as likely candidates for sustaining germ cell-specific transcription programs throughout the period of investigation. Above all, this study provides the whole transcriptome landscape of ovarian cells and unearths new insights during primordial follicle assembly in mice.

Selection signatures of Fuzhong Buffalo based on whole-genome sequences.

BACKGROUND: Fuzhong buffalo, a native breed of Guangxi Zhuang Autonomous Region, is traditionally used as a draft animal to provide farm power in the rice cultivation. In addition, the Fuzhong buffalo also prepared for the bullfighting festival organized by the locals. The detection of the selective signatures in its genome can help in elucidating the selection mechanisms in its stamina and muscle development of a draft animal. RESULTS: In this study, we analyzed 27 whole genomes of buffalo (including 15 Fuzhong buffalo genomes and 12 published buffalo genomes from Upper Yangtze region). The ZHp, ZFst, π-Ratio, and XP-EHH statistics were used to identify the candidate signatures of positive selection in Fuzhong buffalo. Our results detected a set of candidate genes involving in the pathways and GO terms associated with the response to exercise (e.g., ALDOA, STAT3, AKT2, EIF4E2, CACNA2D2, TCF4, CDH2), immunity (e.g., PTPN22, NKX2-3, PIK3R1, ITK, TMEM173), nervous system (e.g., PTPN21, ROBO1, HOMER1, MAGI2, SLC1A3, NRG3, SNAP47, CTNNA2, ADGRL3). In addition, we also identified several genes related to production and growth traits (e.g., PHLPP1, PRKN, MACF1, UCN3, RALGAPA1, PHKB, PKD1L). Our results depicted several pathways, GO terms, and candidate genes to be associated with response to exercise, immunity, nervous system, and growth traits. CONCLUSIONS: The selective sweep analysis of the Fuzhong buffalo demonstrated positive selection pressure on potential target genes involved in behavior, immunity, and growth traits, etc. Our findings provided a valuable resource for future research on buffalo breeding and an insight into the mechanisms of artificial selection.

Genomic Signatures of Selection Associated With Litter Size Trait in Jining Gray Goat.

Litter size (LS), an important economic trait in livestock, is so complicate that involves many aspects of reproduction, the underlying mechanism of which particularly in goat has always been scanty. To uncover the genetic basis of LS, the genomic sequence of Jining Gray goat groups (one famous breed for high prolificacy in China) with LS 1, 2, and 3 for firstborn was analyzed, obtaining 563.67 Gb sequence data and a total of 31,864,651 high-quality single nucleotide polymorphisms loci were identified. Particularly, the increased heterozygosity in higher LS groups, and large continuous homozygous segments associated with lower LS group had been uncovered. Through an integrated analysis of three popular methods for detecting selective sweeps (Fst, nucleotide diversity, and Tajima's D statistic), 111 selected regions and 42 genes associated with LS were scanned genome wide. The candidate genes with highest selective signatures included KIT, KCNH7, and KMT2E in LS2 and PAK1, PRKAA1, and SMAD9 in LS3 group, respectively. Meanwhile, functional terms of programmed cell death involved in cell development and regulation of insulin receptor signaling pathway were mostly enriched with 42 candidate genes, which also included reproduction related terms of steroid metabolic process and cellular response to hormone stimulus. In conclusion, our study identified novel candidate genes involving in regulation of LS in goat, which expand our understanding of genetic fundament of reproductive ability, and the novel insights regarding to LS would be potentially applied to improve reproductive performance.

Accuracy for cytological evaluation in the detection of breast cancer among patients with pathologic nipple discharge: a PRISMA-compliant meta-analysis.

BACKGROUND: Nipple discharge cytology is a simple non-invasive method that may provide valuable information for detecting underlying malignancy. Several studies have investigated the diagnostic value of cytology in breast cancer patients with pathological nipple discharge, but the results have been highly variable. Herein we presented a systematic review and meta-analysis of published studies pertaining to the diagnostic capacity of nipple discharge cytology in patients with breast cancer. METHODS: A systematic literature search was performed (Medline/PubMed, Embase, Cochrane Library databases, and Google Scholar) to identify studies that investigated the diagnostic capacity of cytology with regard to breast cancer in patients with pathologic nipple discharge. Two independent researchers identified articles that assessed the sensitivity and specificity of cytological evaluation for breast cancer detection in patients with pathologic nipple discharge published between January 2000 and October 2018. Articles were only included in the meta-analysis if they met predetermined criteria. The characteristics of each study and the data they yielded were summarized. Quality assessment of all articles included was performed using the Methodological Index for Non-randomized Studies Criteria (MINORS) and the Quality Assessment of Diagnostic Accuracy Study 2 (QUADAS-2). Heterogeneity was tested via Cochran Q test and the I statistic using Stata 12.0 and Meta-DiSc 1.4 software, and meta-analysis was performed. RESULTS: A total of 286 articles were identified, of which 12 articles including a total of 1476 patients were deemed eligible for inclusion in the meta-analysis. A random-effects model assessing the capacity of nipple discharge cytology to predict breast cancer yielded pooled sensitivity 63% (95% confidence interval [CI]: 53%-72%), specificity 95% (95% CI: 87%-98%), positive likelihood ratio 12.35 (95% CI: 4.87-31.34), and negative likelihood ratio 0.39 (95% CI: 0.30-0.50). The diagnostic odds ratio was 31.88 (95% CI: 11.30-89.98). The area under the summary receiver operating characteristic curve was 0.79 (95% CI: 0.75-0.82). CONCLUSION: The current meta-analysis suggests that nipple discharge cytology is a useful diagnostic modality for detection of breast cancer in patients with pathological nipple discharge, with moderate sensitivity and high specificity.

An EZ-Diffusion Model Analysis of Attentional Ability in Patients With Retinal Pigmentosa.

Retinitis pigmentosa (RP) is characterized by visual acuity decrease and visual field loss. However, the impact of visual field loss on the cognitive performance of RP patients remains unknown. In the present study, in order to understand whether and how RP affects spatial processing and attentional function, one spatial processing task and three attentional tasks were conducted on RP patients and healthy controls. In addition, an EZ-diffusion model was performed for further data analysis with four parameters, mean decision time, non-decision time, drift rate, and boundary separation. It was found that in the spatial processing task, compared with the control group, the RP group exhibited a slower response speed in large and medium visual eccentricities, and slower drift rate for the large stimulus, which is strongly verified by the significant linear correlation between the visual field eccentricity with both reaction time (p = 0.047) and non-decision time (p = 0.043) in RP patients. In the attentional orienting task and the attentional switching task, RP exerted a reduction of speed and an increase of non-decision time on every condition, with a decrease of drift rate in the orienting task and boundary separation in the switching task. In addition, the switching cost for large stimulus was observed in the control group but not in the RP group. The stop-signal task demonstrated similar inhibition function between the two groups. These findings implied that RP exerted the impairment of spatial cognition correlated with the visual field eccentricity, mainly in the peripheral visual field. Moreover, specific to the peripheral visual field, RP patients had deficits in the attentional orienting and flexibility but not in the attentional inhibition.

Copy number variation of MYLK4 gene and its growth traits of Capra hircus (goat).

Copy number variation (CNV) is a form of genetic variation caused by genome rearrangement, with abnormal fragments ranging from 50 bp to Mb. And, CNV is closely related to disease, growth and reproductive shape of livestock. As a member of myosin light chain kinase (MYLK) family with serine/threonine specificity, MYLK4 belongs to an enzyme encoded by MYLK4 gene. Although MYLK4 is a recognized kinase, its function has yet to be revealed in subsequent studies. This study aims to analyze CNV and genetic effects of MYLK4 gene in goats. We used qPCR to detect CNV of MYLK4 gene in African Nubian goat (n = 32), Guizhou black goat (n = 196) and Guizhou white goat (n = 95), respectively, and correlated CNV data of MYLK4 gene with goat growth traits in Chinese goats. The results showed that the effect of MYLK4 gene CNV on body weight, body length and body height of goats had significantly different (p < 0.05, Q < 0.05), in which CNV showed better growth traits in type of deletion. Therefore, CNV of MYLK4 gene can be used as a molecular marker for assisted selection of goat growth traits, which provides a theoretical basis for the genetic improvement of goat breeds in China.

Exploring genotype-phenotype relationships of the CRABP2 gene on growth traits in beef cattle.

Cellular retinoic acid binding protein 2 (CRABP2) is essential to myoblast differentiation. However, there was no report about the function of CRABP2 gene in cattle. This study explored the association of CRABP2 gene polymorphisms with growth traits in cattle breeds by several methods, such as DNA sequencing, PCR, PCR-RFLP and forced PCR-RFLP. Two sequence variants were determined. There were 621 individuals in six cattle breeds from China for the experiment, and three breeds were used to test validation of polymorphisms and extent of linkage disequilibrium (LD). The results showed that both SNPs (SNP1, g.2458 G > T, SNP2, g.3878 G > A) were in intron1. Two SNPs were in low linkage disequilibrium. Association analysis suggested that SNP1 had the significant difference on growth traits with body height, height at hip cross and body slanting length (P < .05), while SNP2 showed a significant difference in growth traits with body height, height at hip cross and body slanting length(P < .05). The results of this investigation displayed that the CRABP2 gene is an available candidate gene and may be used for breed selection and conservation.

Determination of genetic effects of SERPINA3 on important growth traits in beef cattle.

Serine protease inhibitor protein 3 (serpin peptidase inhibitor, clade A, member 3, SERPINA3) is a member of the serpin superfamily, probably related to the yield and quality of muscle. This study focuses on the relationship between SERPINA3 gene polymorphism and growth traits in beef cattle. The study first uses sequencing pooled DNA samples (Pool-Seq), PCR-RFLP and Tetra-primer ARMS-PCR techniques to determine the genetic polymorphisms of SERPINA3 in 765 beef cattle. Then, the polymorphic loci were correlated with the growth characters of cattle. Five SNPs (SNP1:A-648G, SNP2:T6496A, SNP3:G2495A, SNP4:T2595A, SNP5:A2615G) were found, located in the promoter, introns 5 and SNP 3, 4, 5 were in exons 2, respectively. The observed He was from 0.44 to 0.5, Ne were approaching 2 (1.78 to 2.00). The maximum and minimum PIC (polymorphism information content) values were 0.37 and 0.34, respectively. The association analysis results showed that the SNPs had a significant height in the chest girth and body length. (p < 0.05 or p < 0.01). This will provide important information for the rapid breeding of Chinese yellow cattle and the establishment of a molecular genetic marker database.

Integrative analysis of APOL3 gene CNV for adult cattle stature.

Copy number variations (CNVs) have been identified as another important structural variation of genome. In recent years, a large amount of CNVRs have been identified in humans and animals. However, association and dosage effects studies of CNVs are very limited. Apolipoprotein L3 (APOL3) gene plays a central role in modulating gene transcription and is located within a CNVR that encompasses quantitative trait locis (QTLs) for economic traits like meat quality. Herein, we analyzed the CNV polymorphism of APOL3 in 421 individuals from five distinct cattle breeds, and then correlated their genotypes with growth traits. Association analysis revealed that the APOL3 CNV was significantly associated with hip height and cannon circumference of Xianan (XN) cattle (P < .01), and visibly associated with body slanting length and hucklebone width of Pinan (PN) cattle (P < .05). Overall, the data provide evidence for the functional role of APOL3 CNV and a basis for future applications in cattle breeding.

Detection of InDel variations within seven candidate genes and their associations with phenotypic traits in three cattle breeds.

The Xinjiang brown cattle, Red steppe cattle, and Yunling cattle are indigenous cultivated cattle breeds in Chinese frontier provinces, and they produce high-grade beef and milk products, however, their genetic diversity in many important genes related to excellent meat and milk production is still unknown. Our previous studies have found that several candidate genes (e.g., SREBP1c and PAX7) were associated with bovine economically important phenotypic traits, but none has been reported in the above-mentioned three cattle breeds. Since the InDel (insertion/deletion) marker becomes a useful tool applied in the animal molecular breeding, herein, we firstly found that the InDel variations of seven candidate genes in these cattle. Results showed that the genotypic and allelic distributions of these seven genes were remarkably different among these three cattle (p < 0.05 or p < 0.01). Furthermore, the InDel variations of SREBP1c and PAX7 genes were significantly associated with eight phenotypic traits in Xinjiang brown cattle (p < 0.05 or p < 0.01), respectively, suggesting that they can become the useful DNA markers.

Endoscopy-assisted percutaneous unilateral atlantoaxial screw non-fusion fixation of type II odontoid fracture in elderly patients / 中华创伤杂志

Objective:To investigate the early outcome of endoscopy-assisted percutaneous non-fusion fixation of unilateral C 1 lateral mass screw and C 2 pedicle screw in treatment of type II odontoid fracture in elderly patients. Methods:A retrospective case series study was conducted to analyze clinical data of 12 elderly patients with type II odontoid fracture admitted to Second Affiliated Hospital of Chongqing Medical University from July 2016 to September 2018. There were 5 males and 7 females, aged 66-89 years [(75.2±6.7)years]. American Society of Anesthesiologists (ASA) scores for all patients were greater than 2 points. Ten patients were classified to Grade E and the other two were classified to Grade D by American Spinal Injury Association (ASIA) scale scores. All patients underwent endoscopy-assisted percutaneous non-fusion fixation of unilateral C 1 lateral mass screw and C 2 pedicle screw. The operation time, intraoperative blood loss, hospital stays, intraoperative and postoperative complications were collected. The Neck Disability Index (NDI) scores and ASIA scale scores were compared preoperatively and 6 weeks postoperatively. The visual analogue scales (VAS) were recorded preoperatively, 6 weeks, 3, 6, 9 and 12 months postoperatively. Fracture healing was followed up postoperatively. Results:Operation time was 98-169 minutes [(123.2±17.7)minutes]. Intraoperative blood loss was 20-40 ml [(30.0±7.1)ml]. Hospital stays were 6-9 days [(7.3±0.7)days]. No neurovascular injury was observed intraoperatively and postoperatively. The NDI were 8%-30%[(19.3±6.3)%] 6 weeks postoperatively, significantly lower than 19%-45%[(33.1±9.9)%] preoperatively( P<0.05). All patients' ASIA scale scores reached grade E postoperatively. The VAS constantly decreased from 6-9 points [(7.8±0.9)points] preoperatively to 1-3 points [(1.8±0.6)points] 12 months postoperatively ( P<0.05). All the patients achieved bone healing after 4-11 months [(7.3±2.1)months]. Conclusion:For type II odontoid fracture in elderly patients, endoscopy-assisted percutaneous unilateral atlantoaxial screw non-fusion fixation can relieve pain and achieve rapid recovery of neck function and bone healing.