The association of metabolic health obesity with incidence of carotid artery plaque in Chinese adults

Background and aimsWe aimed to evaluate the association between different obese phenotypes with carotid artery plaque (CAP) event.Method and resultsThe current retrospective cohort study was performed in 32,778 Chinese adults (19,221 men and 13,557 women, aged 41.9 ± 11.0 years). Obese phenotypes were assessed based on baseline body mass index (<24.0 vs. ≥24.0 kg/m²) and metabolic characteristics (health vs. unhealth). All the participants were further classified into four groups: metabolic health and normal weight (MHNW), metabolic unhealth and normal weight (MUHNW), metabolic health and overweight (MHO), and metabolic unhealth and overweight (MUHO). Ultrasound B-mode imaging was annually performed to evaluate CAP throughout the study. We have identified 2142 CAP cases during 5-year follow-up. Comparing with the MHNW group, the hazard ratios for the risk of incident CAP was 2.44 (95% CI:1.92 and 3.09) for the MUHNW group, 1.52 (95% CI:1.06 and 2.18) for the MHO group, and 1.8 (95% CI:1.4 and 2.33) for the MUHO group. The association was more pronounced in young adults (<65 y) than that in aged adults (≥65 y). Sensitivity analysis generated similar results with the main analysis.ConclusionMUHNW, MHO, and MUHO were associated with the risk of CAP.     

A comparative study for the isolation of exogenous trace DNA from fingernails

Often fingernails from a victim or suspect involved in a physical assault, such as murder or sexual assault, are submitted to crime laboratories for DNA testing of foreign/exogenous biological material; however, very few studies have been conducted comparing the effectiveness of different sampling methods on the removal of foreign/exogenous DNA while minimizing the fingernail endogenous DNA. In this study three different sampling methods (swabbing, PBS soak, and PrepFiler® lysis buffer soak) were compared in order to identify one that minimizes the amount of endogenous DNA removed and maximizes the amount of foreign/exogenous male DNA removed. The samples were processed using the Tecan HIDEVO150 robot in order to reduce analyst time and the DNA mixtures were interpreted using the probabilistic genotyping software STRmix™. For each sampling method the quantity of male DNA, the mixture proportions, the number of foreign/exogenous male alleles detected, the amount of DNA degradation, and the discrimination power via the likelihood ratio obtained for the foreign/exogenous male DNA donor were determined and compared. The PrepFiler® lysis buffer soak and swabbing sampling methods appear to be equally effective at removing foreign/exogenous DNA from fingernails; however, the lysis buffer soak sampling method extracts more female endogenous DNA from the fingernail and the female DNA is degraded. Marginally higher likelihood ratios were obtained for the swab samples versus the PrepFiler® lysis buffer soak samples; therefore, it was determined that the swabbing sampling method was the best sampling method for the recovery of foreign exogenous DNA from fingernails while minimizing the amount of endogenous DNA removed.     

The human milk oligosaccharides are not affected by pasteurization and freeze-drying

Objectives: Human milk oligosaccharides (HMOs) are known as important factors in neurologic and immunologic development of neonates. Moreover, freeze-drying seems to be a promising storage method to improve the processes of human milk banks. However, the effects of pasteurization and freeze-drying on HMOs were not evaluated yet. The purpose of this study is to analyze and compare the HMOs profiles of human milk collected before and after the pasteurization and freeze-drying.

Methods: Totally nine fresh human milk samples were collected from three healthy mothers at the first, second, and third week after delivery. The samples were treated with Holder pasteurization and freeze-drying. HMOs profiles were analyzed by matrix-assisted laser desorption/ionization (MALDI) time-of-flight/time-of-flight (TOF/TOF) mass spectrometry and compared between samples collected before and after the treatments.

Results: Human milk samples showed significantly different HMO patterns between mothers. However, HMOs were not affected by lactation periods within 3 weeks after delivery (r²?=?0.972–0.999, p?r²?=?0.989–0.999, p?Conclusion: HMO patterns were found not to be affected by pasteurization and freeze-drying of donor milks. We hope that introducing freeze-drying to the human milk banks would be encouraged by the present study. However, the storage length without composition changes of HMOs after freeze-drying needs to be evaluated in the further studies.     

Improved pairwise kinship analysis using massively parallel sequencing

In the present study, 67 individuals from two families were analyzed to explore the efficacy of the ForenSeq^™ DNA Signature Prep Kit for pairwise kinship analysis. Six types of pairwise relationships including 81 parent-offspring, 60 full siblings, 48 grandparent-grandchildren, 147 uncle/aunt-nephew/nieces, 97 first cousins and 190 non-relatives were generated from these two families and the corresponding likelihood ratio (LR) was calculated using either sequence-based or length-based STR genotype data (i.e., LR_sequence and LR_length). In addition, 10,000 pairs of different relationships were simulated to estimate the system powers of the STRs and SNPs in this panel. The results showed that 54, 9 and 5 additional alleles were observed based on sequence for 27 autosomal STRs, 24 Y-STRs and 7 X-STRs, respectively, compared to those based on length information and 11 novel alleles were identified. Five mutations were found for 58 STRs in 81 parent-offspring but no mutations were observed for SNPs. For 27 autosomal STR loci, the LRs were increased from 9.20, 7.87, 2.01, 2.07, 0.42 for log₁₀LR_length to 11.52, 10.12, 2.61, 2.60, 0.52 for log₁₀LR_sequence for paternity index (PI), full siblings index (FSI), grandparent-grandchild index (GI), uncle/aunt-nephew/niece index (UNI) and first cousins index (FCI), respectively. PI values for 94 SNPs separated more than those of 27 STRs if two individuals were non parent-offspring relatives. For the simulation study, the effectiveness was 1 for the parent-offspring relationship at the thresholds of t₁ = − 4 and t₂ = 4 and was 0.9998 for full siblings (t₁ = − 2, t₂ = 2). With an error rate of 0.42%, 93.02% of second degree relatives could be identified at the thresholds of t₁ = − 1 and t₂ = 1. However, the effectiveness was only 0.4300 for first cousins with a relatively high error rate of 2.68% (t₁ = − 1, t₂ = 1). In conclusion, STR typing according to the sequence information is more polymorphic, which increases the discrimination power for kinship testing. Compared to these 27 STR markers, 94 SNP markers in this panel have advantages in paternity testing especially when mutated STRs are involved or when a relative is an alleged parent. This panel is powerful enough to resolve paternity and full sibling testing. Most of the second degree relationships could be identified with low error rate while more markers are still needed for first cousins testing.     

Feasibility and safety of irreversible electroporation (IRE) in patients with small renal masses: Results of a prospective study

Background

Irreversible electroporation (IRE) has the potential to overcome limitations of thermal ablation, enabling small renal mass (SRM) ablation near vital structures.

Intraneural angioleiomyoma of the median nerve presenting as a forearm mass: A case report

Angioleiomyoma is a solitary form of leiomyoma which is typically encountered in the subcutis. They are mostly seen in lower extremities, and the upper extremity is the second most common location for these lesions. There are only a few reports about the presence of an angioleiomyoma within a peripheral nerve in the upper extremity. Here we report a 56-year-old male patient who was referred to our clinic after an attempt was made for removal of a forearm mass at another institution. The lesion was encased within the median nerve and there was an unusual hypervascularity around the tumor with numerous vessels entering the lesion. Removal of the tumor without apparent damage to nerve fascicles was possible. Histopathological examination of the excision material revealed an intraneural angioleiomyoma. Following surgery, the patient was free of any functional deficits and no evidence of recurrence was observed at one year follow-up. There is no data regarding recurrence in intraneural lesions due to the lack of a large series. It would not be wrong to recommend spare grossly uninvolved fascicles if the nerve in question is not expendable.     

Physical fitness in relation to later body composition in pre-school children

Objectives

Although physical fitness is considered a marker of health in youth, little is known whether physical fitness in pre-school age is related to later body composition. Thus, this study investigated (i) associations of physical fitness at 4.5 years of age with body composition 12 months later and (ii) whether improvements in physical fitness during the 12-month follow-up were associated with changes in body composition.