Application of whole exome sequencing in fetal cases with skeletal abnormalities.

Objectives: To investigate the role of whole exome sequencing (WES) technology in fetuses with skeletal abnormalities (SKA) for establishing an appropriate clinical diagnosis and treatment path.

Methods: From April 2019 to August 2020, eight special families were enrolled into the study. Their fetuses showed abnormal SKA by ultrasonic testing during pregnancy, but it is inconsistent with the normal results identified by chromosomal microarray analysis (CMA) of amniotic fluid or abortion.

[Genetic analysis of a rare fetus with mandibulofacial dysostosis Guion-Almeida type].

Objective: To delineate the clinical and genetic features of a fetus with micrognathia, low-set ears, microtia, polyhydramnios and anechoic stomach by ultrasonography.

Methods: Whole exome sequencing (WES) was carried out to detect genetic variant in the fetus, for which routine chromosomal karyotyping and chromosomal microarray analysis (CMA) yielded no positive finding. Candidate variants were verified by Sanger sequencing and bioinformatic analysis.

An Improved Cuckoo Search Optimization Algorithm for the Problem of Chaotic Systems Parameter Estimation.

This paper proposes an improved cuckoo search (ICS) algorithm to establish the parameters of chaotic systems. In order to improve the optimization capability of the basic cuckoo search (CS) algorithm, the orthogonal design and simulated annealing operation are incorporated in the CS algorithm to enhance the exploitation search ability. Then the proposed algorithm is used to establish parameters of the Lorenz chaotic system and Chen chaotic system under the noiseless and noise condition, respectively.

Forecasting nonlinear chaotic time series with function expression method based on an improved genetic-simulated annealing algorithm.

The paper proposes a novel function expression method to forecast chaotic time series, using an improved genetic-simulated annealing (IGSA) algorithm to establish the optimum function expression that describes the behavior of time series. In order to deal with the weakness associated with the genetic algorithm, the proposed algorithm incorporates the simulated annealing operation which has the strong local search ability into the genetic algorithm to enhance the performance of optimization; besides, the fitness function and genetic operators are also improved. Finally, the method is applied to the chaotic time series of Quadratic and Rossler maps for validation.

[Prenatal ultrasonic manifestation and clinical significance of fetal hemivertebra].

Objective: To explore the manifestation and clinical significance of prenatal ultrasound diagnosis of fetal hemivertebra.

Methods: In the study, 27 fetals with hemivertebras (proven by post-natal X-ray, CT or MR) were examined by prenatal ultrasound and MR in Women & Children's Hospital, Ningbo, Zhejiang. Two-dimensional and three-dimensional prenatal ultrasonic manifestations were retrospective analyzed and compared with the prenatal MR diagnoses, the post-natal X-ray, CT, MR examinations.

Parameter estimation for chaotic systems using a hybrid adaptive cuckoo search with simulated annealing algorithm.

This paper introduces a novel hybrid optimization algorithm to establish the parameters of chaotic systems. In order to deal with the weaknesses of the traditional cuckoo search algorithm, the proposed adaptive cuckoo search with simulated annealing algorithm is presented, which incorporates the adaptive parameters adjusting operation and the simulated annealing operation in the cuckoo search algorithm. Normally, the parameters of the cuckoo search algorithm are kept constant that may result in decreasing the efficiency of the algorithm.