Clinical classification and gene mutation of Chinese probands with Charcot-Marie-Tooth disease Analysis of 57 cases

Charcot-Marie-Tooth （CMT） disease is the most common inherited peripheral neuropathic disorder. CMT is clinically and genetically heterogeneous. To date, 27 genes associated with the disease have been cloned. The present study carried out clinical classification according to clinical, electrophysiological and pathological features, conducted inheritance classification according to inheritance patterns, and performed mutation analysis of 13 CMT disease genes （PMP22, CX32, HSPB1, MNF2, MPZ, HSPB8, GDAP1, NFL, EGR2, SIMPLE, RAB7, LMNA, MTMR2） in 57 Chinese probands with CMT. Five cases of AD-CMT1 and 13 cases of sporadic CMT1 were diagnosed as CMT1A; five cases of X-CMT1, one case of X-CMT2 and one case of sporadic CMT1 were diagnosed as CMTXl; four cases of AD-CMT2 were diagnosed as CMT2F; one case of AD-CMT2 and one case of sporadic CMT2 were diagnosed as CMT2A2; one case of AD-CMT2 was diagnosed as CMT2L; one case of AD-CMT2 was diagnosed as CMT2J; one case of AR-CMT1 was diagnosed as CMT4A. Among the 57 CMT probands, seven genotypes were determined among 34 patients, with a detection rate of 59.6%. The results indicated that the clinical classification and inheritance classification are indispensable for selecting potential disease genes for mutation detection, and for efficient molecular diagnosis.

A novel transgenic mouse model of Chinese CharcotMarie-Tooth disease type 2L

We previously found that the K141N mutation in heat shock protein B8 （HSPB8） was responsible for Charcot-Marie-Tooth disease type 2L in a large Chinese family. The objective of the present study was to generate a transgenic mouse model bearing the K141N mutation in the human HSPB8 gene, and to determine whether this K141NHSPB8 transgenic mouse model would manifest the clinical phenotype of Charcot-Marie-Tooth disease type 2L, and consequently be suitable for use in studies of disease pathogenesis. Transgenic mice overexpressing K141N HSPB8 were generated using K141N mutant HSPB8 cDNA cloned into a pCAGGS plasmid driven by a human cytomegalovirus expression system. PCR and western blot analysis confirmed integration of the KI41NHSPB8 gene and widespread expression in tissues of the transgenic mice. The K141N HSPB8 transgenic mice exhibited decreased muscle strength in the hind limbs and impaired motor coordination, but no obvious sensory disturbance at 6 months of age by behavioral assessment. Electrophysiological analysis showed that the compound motor action potential amplitude in the sciatic nerve was significantly decreased, but motor nerve conduction velocity remained normal at 6 months of age. Pathological analysis of the sciatic nerve showed reduced myelinated fiber density, notable axonal edema and vacuolar degeneration in K141N HSPB8 transgenic mice, suggesting axonal involvement in the peripheral nerve damage in these animals. These findings indicate that the KI4mHSPB8 transgenic mouse successfully models Charcot-Marie-Tooth disease type 2L and can be used to study the pathogenesis of the disease.

Rapid genetic screening of Charcot-Marie-Tooth disease type 1A and hereditary neuropathy with liability to pressure palsies patients

We used the allele-specific PCR-double digestion method on peripheral myelin protein 22 （PMP22） to determine duplication and deletion mutations in the proband and family members of one family with Charcot-Marie-Tooth disease type 1 and one family with hereditary neuropathy with liability to pressure palsies. The proband and one subclinical family member from the Charcot-Marie-Tooth disease type 1 family had a PMP22 gene duplication; one patient from the hereditary neuropathy with liability to pressure palsies family had a PMP22 gene deletion. Electron microscopic analysis of ultrathin sections of the superficial peroneal nerve from the two probands demonstrated demyelination and myelin sheath hyperplasia, as well as an ＇onion-like＇ structure in the Charcot-Marie-Tooth disease type 1A patient. We observed an irregular thickened myelin sheath and ＇mouse-nibbled＇-Iike changes in the patient with hereditary neuropathy with liability to pressure palsies. In the Charcot-Marie-Tooth disease type 1A patient, nerve electrophysiological examination revealed moderate-to-severe reductions in the motor and sensory conduction velocities of the bilateral median nerve, ulnar nerve, tibial nerve, and sural nerve. Moreover, the compound muscle action potential amplitude was decreased. In the patient with hereditary neuropathy with liability to pressure palsies, the nerve conduction velocity of the bilateral tibial nerve and sural nerve was moderately reduced, and the nerve conduction velocity of the median nerve and ulnar nerve of both upper extremities was slightly reduced.

Optimal Control for Smokescreen Release Based on Numerical Simulation: Challenges and Theoretical Framework

This paper analyses the key issues and challenges of the smokescreen release optimal control under complex terrains and meteorological conditions, and proposes a dynamic model based theoretical framework that integrates the smoke release equipments, the release time, the release positions, different ways to release smoke and launch attacks, various terrains and meteorological conditions and other factors so as to determine the appropriate smokescreen release plans through the rapid inverse for various threats and battlefield environments and to conduct realtime simulation and evaluation. This paper provides a theoretical basis for the smokescreen release optimal control.

基于伴随方法的大气污染溯源

大气污染防治的核心是找准污染源头,厘清污染成因,实现靶向治理,提高控制效率.本文建立了全国空气质量高分辨率预报与污染控制决策支持系统(NARS,呐思系统),实现了气象与大气化学的监测、同化、预报、溯源、排放源反演和动态优化控制等大气污染闭环防控,可为大气污染防控提供一整套解决方案,其中所建立的CAMx伴随溯源模式,实现了排放源动态反演和网格化定量溯源,可快速定量追溯导致目标区域未来7天大气污染的排放源及其贡献率时空分布.针对2016年9月~2017年3月北京主城区PM_(2.5)集中污染时间段进行了排放源反演、气象场预报、空气质量预报和网格化溯源.与京津冀地区国控点监测结果进行了对比分析,结果表明污染过程、污染等级和污染物浓度预报的准确率分别为100%、88.8%和84.7%,预报值和监测值之间的相关系数为0.81.网格化溯源结果表明导致北京主城区PM_(2.5)污染的排放源基本来自于北京西南方向这一条大气污染物传输通道,北京本地、河北、天津及周边地区排放源对北京主城区PM_(2.5)浓度分别贡献了66%、29%、5%.就重污染过程而言,京津冀排放总量的19%导致了北京主城区80%的PM_(2.5)重度及以上污染,其中北京本地占京津冀排放总量的9%贡献63%、河北占京津冀排放总量的10%贡献17%.就整体污染天气而言,京津冀排放的26%导致了北京主城区80%的PM_(2.5)轻度以上污染,其中北京本地占京津冀排放总量的9%贡献61%、河北占排放总量的15%贡献18%,天津占排放总量的2%贡献1%.导致北京主城区PM_(2.5)污染的排放源主要分布在北京城区和南部区域、保定和石家庄所辖的部分区县,贡献排名前6位的区县均为北京辖区,贡献率合计为48%,前20个区县的总体贡献为73%.将动态反演排放源方法与调查排放清单相结合,应用伴随溯源模式对预报结果进行同步大气污染溯源,可为大气重污染应急控制找准控制对象,并进行损益评估,运用自然控制论,实现大气污染应急优化控制.