SARS-CoV-2 Omicron Variant, Lineage BA.1, Is Associated with Lower Viral Load in Nasopharyngeal Samples Compared to Delta Variant.

Objectives: High viral load in upper respiratory tract specimens observed for Delta cases might contribute to its increased infectivity compared to the other variant. However, it is not yet documented if the Omicron variant's enhanced infectivity is also related to a higher viral load. Our aim was to determine if the Omicron variant's spread is also related to higher viral loads compared to the Delta variant.

Development and Validation of a Prediction Model of Overall Survival in High-Risk Neuroblastoma Using Mechanistic Modeling of Metastasis.

Prognosis of high-risk neuroblastoma (HRNB) remains poor despite multimodal therapies. Better prediction of survival could help to refine patient stratification and better tailor treatments. We established a mechanistic model of metastasis in HRNB relying on two processes: growth and dissemination relying on two patient-specific parameters: the dissemination rate μ and the minimal visible lesion size S.

The 12 base pair duplication/insertion alteration could be a regulatory mutation.

A wide array of mutations now numbering more than 200 have been identified in the BRCA1 gene, one of the two breast cancer susceptibility genes identified so far. In addition, there have been several variants described but it is not known if they really represent functionally significant mutations of the BRCA1 gene. We report evidence to show that the duplication/ insertion of 12 base pairs in intron 20 could have a real effect on expression of the BRCA1 gene, although it was also present in 1% of our control population.

Dynamic mosaicism involving an unstable supernumerary der(22) chromosome in cat eye syndrome.

We have studied a girl, her sister and her mother who had a supernumerary marker chromosome in mosaicism. The marker was studied by cytogenetic methods and non-isotopic in situ hybridization with the single D22S9 DNA probe which maps to 22q11. The supernumerary chromosome was derived from a chromosome 22 and it did not present the same morphology in all the cells.