[The analysis of systemic concomitant disease in sudden deafness patients]

Objective:To investigate the clinical characteristics of patients with underlying disease in sudden deafness.Method:One hundred and seventy-three inpatients suffered from sudden deafness were included in this study. We analyzed the underlying disease of these patients retrospectively.Result:The underlying disease of sudden deafness patients mainly include atherosclerosis risk factors (hypertension, diabetes, hyperlipemia, hyperhomocystinemia, hyperuricemia) 79.8%, cervical vertebra disease 26.6%, ear disease 19.1%, thyroid disease 13.9%.Conclusion:The characteristics of underlying disease may plays a crucial role in pathogenesis and treatment in sudden deafness patients.

Iodine-131 treatment of thyroid cancer cells leads to suppression of cell proliferation followed by induction of cell apoptosis and cell cycle arrest by regulation of B-cell translocation gene 2-mediated JNK/NF-κB pathways

Iodine-131 (¹³¹I) is widely used for the treatment of thyroid-related diseases. This study aimed to investigate the expression of p53 and BTG2 genes following ¹³¹I therapy in thyroid cancer cell line SW579 and the possible underlying mechanism. SW579 human thyroid squamous carcinoma cells were cultured and treated with ¹³¹I. They were then assessed for ¹³¹I uptake, cell viability, apoptosis, cell cycle arrest, p53 expression, and BTG2 gene expression. SW579 cells were transfected with BTG2 siRNA, p53 siRNA and siNC and were then examined for the same aforementioned parameters. When treated with a JNK inhibitor of SP600125 and ¹³¹I or with a NF-κB inhibitor of BMS-345541 and ¹³¹I, non-transfected SW579 cells were assessed in JNK/NFκB pathways. It was observed that ¹³¹I significantly inhibited cell proliferation, promoted cell apoptosis and cell cycle arrest. Both BTG2 and p53 expression were enhanced in a dose-dependent manner. An increase in cell viability by up-regulation in Bcl2 gene, a decrease in apoptosis by enhanced CDK2 gene expression and a decrease in cell cycle arrest at G₀/G₁ phase were also observed in SW579 cell lines transfected with silenced BTG2 gene. When treated with SP600125 and ¹³¹I, the non-transfected SW579 cell lines significantly inhibited JNK pathway, NF-κB pathway and the expression of BTG2. However, when treated with BMS-345541 and ¹³¹I, only the NF-κB pathway was suppressed. ¹³¹I suppressed cell proliferation, induced cell apoptosis, and promoted cell cycle arrest of thyroid cancer cells by up-regulating B-cell translocation gene 2-mediated activation of JNK/NF-κB pathways.

[Outcome of treatment of Y chromosome AZFc microdeletion patients]

OBJECTIVE

To discuss the treatment options for patients with azoospermia factor (AZF) c microdeletion on Y chromosome.

METHODS

One hundred and eighty three patients, who were diagnosed as AZFc microdeletion on Y chromosome in Peking University Third Hospital, were recruited in our study. In order to get better treatment option for this kind of patients, we retrospectively analyzed their clinic data including the treatment process and pregnancy outcome and found out the characteristics of their semen.

RESULTS

Among the 183 patients, sperms can be found in ejaculated semen in 105 patients (57.4%, 105/183). One hundred and three patients (98.1%, 103/105) were diagnosed as severe or extremely severe oligospermia. Regular medication was given to 98 patients, 6 patients (6.1%, 6/98) of which got natural pregnancy. The other 99 patients who have sperms in their semen received intracytoplasmic sperm injection (ICSI), 68 patients (68.7%, 68/99) of which got pregnancy. Seventy eight patients were diagnosed as azoospermia among all the 183 patients. Forty nine patients received testicular sperm aspiration (TESA), and 21 patients choose to receive micro-TESE directly. Among the 49 patients with TESA, sperms were retrieved in 17 patients (34.7%, 17/49), and sperms were not retrieved in 32 patients (65.3%, 32/49), of which 12 patients (37.5%, 12/32) gave up treatment and 20 patients (62.5%, 20/32) choose micro-TESE. Among the 41 patients who choose to receive micro-TESE, operation has been done on 19 patients, of which 11 patients (57.9%, 11/19) got sperms. Among the 11 patients, TESA has been done on 6 patients before micro-TESE, of which 4 patients (66.6%, 4/6) got sperms. ICSI has already been done on 7 azoospermia AZFc microdeletion patients who underwent micro-TESE, of which 4 patients (57.1%, 4/7) get pregnancy.

CONCLUSION

AZFc microdeletion patients who had sperms were always diagnosed as severe or extremely severe oligospermia. ICSI was their first choice instead of drug therapy. For AZFc microdeletion patients who were diagnosed as azoospermia, TESA was one of their choices, however, the success rate is not high. Micro-TESE is still possible to get sperms even after the failure of TESA. Therefore, we may choose micro-TESE instead of TESA in some azoospermia patients in order to reduce surgical trauma on patients.

[Outcome of treatment of Y chromosome AZFc microdeletion patients]

OBJECTIVE

To discuss the treatment options for patients with azoospermia factor (AZF) c microdeletion on Y chromosome.

METHODS

One hundred and eighty three patients, who were diagnosed as AZFc microdeletion on Y chromosome in Peking University Third Hospital, were recruited in our study. In order to get better treatment option for this kind of patients, we retrospectively analyzed their clinic data including the treatment process and pregnancy outcome and found out the characteristics of their semen.

RESULTS

Among the 183 patients, sperms can be found in ejaculated semen in 105 patients (57.4%, 105/183). One hundred and three patients (98.1%, 103/105) were diagnosed as severe or extremely severe oligospermia. Regular medication was given to 98 patients, 6 patients (6.1%, 6/98) of which got natural pregnancy. The other 99 patients who have sperms in their semen received intracytoplasmic sperm injection (ICSI), 68 patients (68.7%, 68/99) of which got pregnancy. Seventy eight patients were diagnosed as azoospermia among all the 183 patients. Forty nine patients received testicular sperm aspiration (TESA), and 21 patients choose to receive micro-TESE directly. Among the 49 patients with TESA, sperms were retrieved in 17 patients (34.7%, 17/49), and sperms were not retrieved in 32 patients (65.3%, 32/49), of which 12 patients (37.5%, 12/32) gave up treatment and 20 patients (62.5%, 20/32) choose micro-TESE. Among the 41 patients who choose to receive micro-TESE, operation has been done on 19 patients, of which 11 patients (57.9%, 11/19) got sperms. Among the 11 patients, TESA has been done on 6 patients before micro-TESE, of which 4 patients (66.6%, 4/6) got sperms. ICSI has already been done on 7 azoospermia AZFc microdeletion patients who underwent micro-TESE, of which 4 patients (57.1%, 4/7) get pregnancy.

CONCLUSION

AZFc microdeletion patients who had sperms were always diagnosed as severe or extremely severe oligospermia. ICSI was their first choice instead of drug therapy. For AZFc microdeletion patients who were diagnosed as azoospermia, TESA was one of their choices, however, the success rate is not high. Micro-TESE is still possible to get sperms even after the failure of TESA. Therefore, we may choose micro-TESE instead of TESA in some azoospermia patients in order to reduce surgical trauma on patients.

Coexistence and interaction of vector and bound vector solitons in a dispersion-managed fiber laser mode locked by graphene

We report on the experimental observation of vector and bound vector solitons in a fiber laser passively mode locked by graphene. Localized interactions between vector solitons, vector soliton with bound vector solitons, and vector soliton with a bunch of vector solitons are experimentally investigated. We show that depending on the soliton interactions, various stable and dynamic multiple vector soliton states could be formed.

The singlet excited state of BODIPY promoted aerobic cross-dehydrogenative-coupling reactions under visible light

We disclose for the first time that the singlet excited state (¹PS*) of BODIPY rather than triplet excited state (³PS*) can drive C–H bond activation to form C–C and C–P bonds smoothly upon irradiation by visible light.

Initial conditions for dark soliton generation in normal-dispersion fiber lasers

We report results of numerical simulations on the various initial conditions for dark soliton generation in an all-normal-dispersion fiber laser. All the dark solitons generated are odd dark solitons. Differently from the dark soliton generation in fibers, where an arbitrary dip could evolve into a dark soliton, it is found that the dark soliton can originate only from an initial dip with a certain parameter requirement. A bright pulse with either a hyperbolic secant square, Gaussian, or Lorentz profile can be developed into a dark soliton, provided that the parameters of the initial bright pulse are selected. Dark solitons can be generated in fiber lasers only if there is a phase jump, and this phase jump can be maintained and evolve to π during the pulse evolution.

280 GHz dark soliton fiber laser

We report on an ultrahigh repetition rate dark soliton fiber laser. We show both numerically and experimentally that by taking advantage of the cavity self-induced modulation instability and the dark soliton formation in a net normal dispersion cavity fiber laser, stable ultrahigh repetition rate dark soliton trains can be formed in a dispersion-managed cavity fiber laser. Stable dark soliton trains with a repetition rate as high as ∼280  GHz have been generated in our experiment. Numerical simulations have shown that the effective gain bandwidth limitation plays an important role on the stabilization of the formed dark solitons in the laser.

A review of artificial pancreas technologies with an emphasis on bi-hormonal therapy

Since the discovery of insulin, great progress has been made to improve the accuracy and safety of automated insulin delivery systems to help patients with type 1 diabetes achieve their treatment goals without causing hypoglycaemia. In recent years, bioengineering technology has greatly advanced diabetes management, with the development of blood glucose meters, continuous glucose monitors, insulin pumps and control systems for automatic delivery of one or more hormones. New insulin analogues have improved subcutaneous absorption characteristics, but do not completely eliminate the risk of hypoglycaemia. Insulin effect is counteracted by glucagon in non-diabetic individuals, while glucagon secretion in those with type 1 diabetes is impaired. The use of glucagon in the artificial pancreas is therefore a logical and feasible option for preventing and treating hypoglycaemia. However, commercially available glucagon is not stable in aqueous solution for long periods, forming potentially cytotoxic fibrils that aggregate quickly. Therefore, a more stable formulation of glucagon is needed for long-term use and storage in a bi-hormonal pump. In addition, a model of glucagon action in type 1 diabetes is lacking, further limiting the inclusion of glucagon into systems employing model-assisted control. As a result, although several investigators have been working to help develop bi-hormonal systems for patients with type 1 diabetes, most continue to utilize single hormone systems employing only insulin. This article seeks to focus on the attributes of glucagon and its use in bi-hormonal systems.

Dissipative soliton operation of an ytterbium-doped fiber laser mode locked with atomic multilayer graphene

Mode locking of an ytterbium-doped fiber laser with atomic multilayer graphene is, to the best of our knowledge, experimentally demonstrated for the first time. Dissipative solitons with duration of 580 ps at 1069.8 nm were generated. Since graphene can also be used to mode lock erbium-doped fiber lasers, our result shows that graphene indeed has wavelength-independent saturable absorption, which could be exploited to mode lock fiber lasers with various operating wavelengths.

Dissipative soliton trapping in normal dispersion-fiber lasers

We report on the dissipative soliton (DS) trapping in a fiber ring laser mode locked with a semiconductor saturable absorber mirror and operated in normal dispersion regime. It was shown that despite the fact that a DS is strongly frequency chirped, two DSs formed along the two orthogonal polarization directions of a birefringent cavity fiber laser can incoherently couple and travel with the same group velocity in the laser. Numerical simulations have well confirmed the experimental observations.

Vector dark domain wall solitons in a fiber ring laser

We observe a novel type of vector dark soliton in a fiber ring laser. The vector dark soliton consists of stable localized structures separating the two orthogonal linear polarization eigenstates of the laser emission and is visible only when the total laser emission is measured. Numerical simulations based on the coupled complex Ginzburg-Landau equations have well reproduced the results of the experimental observation.

Coexistence of polarization-locked and polarization-rotating vector solitons in a fiber laser with SESAM

We report the experimental observation of the coexistence of polarization-locked vector solitons (PLVSs) and polarization-rotating vector solitons (PRVSs) in a fiber laser mode locked with a semiconductor saturable absorber mirror. It was found experimentally that interaction between the PLVSs in a fiber laser could lead to formation of bound states of PRVSs. Moreover, the bound PRVSs as a unit have the same group velocity as that of the PLVSs in the cavity.

Large energy mode locking of an erbium-doped fiber laser with atomic layer graphene

We report on large energy pulse generation in an erbium-doped fiber laser passively mode-locked with atomic layer graphene. Stable mode locked pulses with single pulse energy up to 7.3 nJ and pulse width of 415 fs have been directly generated from the laser. Our results show that atomic layer graphene could be a promising saturable absorber for large energy mode locking.

Gain dispersion for dissipative soliton generation in all-normal-dispersion fiber lasers

Properties of dissipative solitons generated in all-normal-dispersion fiber lasers through the gain dispersion effect are numerically studied by using a pulse-tracing technique that considers interaction between gain saturation, gain dispersion, cavity dispersion, fiber Kerr nonlinearity, and cavity boundary conditions. The numerical results qualitatively match with experimental observations and show that the finite gain bandwidth, together with the pump power, determines the properties of the generated dissipative solitons, which further dictates the performance of the pulse compression.

C-band single-longitudinal mode lanthanum co-doped bismuth based erbium doped fiber ring laser

We propose and demonstrate a stable, tunable and narrow linewidth C-band lanthanum co-doped bismuth based erbium doped fiber (EDF) ring laser with single longitudinal mode (SLM) operation. A free space thin film filter acts as a wavelength discriminative component selecting a few oscillating modes while a Lyot filter formed by a polarization maintaining (PM) fiber and a linear polarizer further discriminates and selects SLM efficiently. A power stability of < or = 0.05 dB, central wavelength variation of < or = 0.02 nm, a side-mode suppression ratio (SMSR) of at least > 43 dB, and a linewidth of about 1.3 kHz have been experimentally demonstrated.

Multi-wavelength dissipative soliton operation of an erbium-doped fiber laser

We report on the generation of multi-wavelength dissipative soliton (DS) in an all normal dispersion fiber laser passively mode-locked with a semiconductor saturable absorber mirror (SESAM). We show that depending on the strength of the cavity birefringence, stable single-, dual- and triple-wavelength DSs can be formed in the laser. The multi-wavelength soliton operation of the laser was experimentally investigated, and the formation mechanisms of the multi-wavelength DSs are discussed.

Bunch of restless vector solitons in a fiber laser with SESAM

We report on the experimental observation of a novel form of vector soliton interaction in a fiber laser mode-locked with SESAM. Several vector solitons bunch in the cavity and move as a unit with the cavity repetition rate. However, inside the bunch the vector solitons make repeatedly contractive and repulsive motions, resembling the contraction and extension of a spring. The number of vector solitons in the bunch is controllable by changing the pump power. In addition, polarization rotation locking and period doubling bifurcation of the vector soliton bunch are also experimentally observed.

Dissipative soliton resonance in an all-normal-dispersion erbium-doped fiber laser

We report on the generation of 281.2 nJ mode locked pulses directly from an erbium-doped fiber laser mode-locked with the nonlinear polarization rotation technique. We show that apart from the conventional dissipative soliton operation, an all-normal-dispersion fiber laser can also emit square-profile dissipative solitons whose energy could increase to a very large value without pulse breaking.

Observation of spectral enhancement in a soliton fiber laser with fiber Bragg grating

We demonstrate that soliton generation in a fiber laser containing a fiber Bragg grating exhibits spectral enhancement near the Bragg resonance wavelength. The Bragg grating leads to a spectral hole on the soliton spectrum while the observed enhancement is always located at the long wavelength side of the Bragg resonance.

Dissipative vector solitons in a dispersionmanaged cavity fiber laser with net positive cavity dispersion

We report on the experimental observation of gain-guided vector solitons (GGVSs) in a dispersion-managed fiber laser mode-locked with a semiconductor saturable absorber mirror (SESAM). Both the frequency-locked and phase-locked GGVS were observed. In addition, formation of multiple GGVSs and GGVS harmonic mode-locking were also experimentally revealed. Numerical simulations confirmed the GGVS formation in the fiber lasers.