Correspondence between the electronic structure and phase separation in a K-doped FeSe system

Phase separated potassium intercalated FeSe thin films have been synthesized by pulsed laser deposition. The coexistence of FeSe phase and 245 phase was investigated both by x-ray photoemission spectroscopy (XPS) and x-ray diffraction. The volume ratio of these two phases is sensitive to temperatures and amount of extra potassium dosing. The XPS and ultraviolet photoelectron spectroscopy results indicated that these two phases shows the different hybridization strength between adjacent Fe layer and Se layer. We infer that the layered electronic structure is the necessary condition of superconductivity in potassium-doped FeSe system, and the phase separation is driven by competition between quasi-2D and 3D bonding mode within FeSe layer. Similar competition may also be able to interpret the phase seperation in K _x Fe_2-y Se₂ bulk single crystal.

[The 455th case: swollen leg, jaundice and mental disturbance]

A 17-year-old young man with a history of swollen leg and intermittent jaundice was presented to Peking Union Medical College Hospital with acute fever and mental disturbance. He developed deep venous thrombosis, acute myocardial infarction and plantar skin necrosis during the past four years, and was presented with an acute episode of fever, thrombocytopenia, acute kidney injury, acute myocardial infarction, mental disturbance, and obstructive jaundice. Laboratory tests showed schistocytes on peripheral blood smear.High titer of antiphospholipid antibodies was detected.Strikingly, the activity of a disintegrin and metalloprotease with a thrombospondin type 1 motif, member 13 (ADAMTS13)was significantly decreased without the production of inhibitors. Images indicated stenosis of the common bile duct, common hepatic duct, and cystic duct, which caused dilation of bile ducts and the gall bladder. Corticosteroids and anticoagulation therapy were effective at first, but the disease relapsedonce the corticosteroids tapered down. Plasma exchange was administrated for 17 times, which was effective temporarily during this episode. Methylprednisolone pulse therapy, intravenous immunoglobulin, rituximab, anticoagulation therapy, and bile drainage, were all tried but still could not control the disease. The patient's family agreed to withdraw treatment after he developed septic shock.

Development and Evaluation of a Loop-Mediated Isothermal Amplification (Lamp) Assay for the Detection of Haemonchus contortus in Goat Fecal Samples

Haemonchus contortus is one of the most significant strongylid nematodes infecting small ruminants, and it causes great economic losses to the livestock industry worldwide. Accurate diagnosis of H. contortus is crucial to control strategies. Traditional microscopic examinations are the most common methods for the diagnosis of H. contortus , but they are time-consuming and inaccurate. Molecular methods based on PCR are more accurate, but need expensive machines usually only used in the laboratory. Loop-mediated isothermal amplification (LAMP) is a rapid, simple, specific, and sensitive method that has been widely used to detect viruses, bacteria, and parasites. In the present study, a LAMP method targeting ribosomal ITS-2 gene for detection of the H. contortus in goat fecal samples has been established. The established LAMP method was H. contortus specific, and the sensitivity of LAMP was the same as that of the H. contortus species-specific PCR, with the lowest DNA level detected as being 1 pg. Examination of the clinical samples indicated that the positive rate of LAMP was higher than that of PCR, but no statistical difference was observed between LAMP and PCR (χ² = 17.991, P = 0.053). In conclusion, a LAMP assay with a high specificity and a good sensitivity has been developed to detect H. contortus infection in goats. The established LAMP assay is useful for clinical diagnosis of H. contortus .

[Prostaglandins and optic papilla blood flow]

Recent studies found that peripapillary microcirculation was damaged in glaucoma patients, indicating that blood flow in the optic nerve head is important in the pathogenesis of glaucoma. Effects of different antiglaucoma drugs on optic papilla blood flow deserve attention. Prostaglandins is the first line antiglaucoma drug. The experimental and clinical studies on the potential of prostaglandins to modify the blood flow in the optic papilla and related mechanisms are reviewed in this article. Effects of ocular blood flow increase on the treatment of glaucoma require further investigations. (Chin J Ophthalmol, 2017, 53: 73-76).

[The clinical manifestations and thrombotic risk factors in primary antiphospholipid syndrome]

OBJECTIVE

To investigate the clinical characteristics in patients with primary antiphospholipid syndrome (PAPS) and to identify potential predictors of thrombotic events.

METHODS

A total of 107 patients with PAPS were enrolled in our study, who were admitted in Peking Union Medical College Hospital from January 2004 to December 2014. Demographic data, age at onset, disease duration, past history of hypertension and regular cigarette smoking, clinical manifestations, imaging characteristics, management and prognosis were retrospectively collected. Bivariate statistical analysis and logistical regression test were performed to compare the discrepancy between patients with or without thromboembolic events.

RESULTS

In 107 patients, there were 65 female and 42 male patients, with mean age (39.8±15.8) years old, median disease duration 10.5 (2.0, 48.0) months. A total of 72(67.3%) patients reported episodes of thromboembolic events, including 72 venous thromboses and 29 arterial thromboses. The most frequent venous thromboses were deep vein thromboses (35.5%), pulmonary embolism the second common (29.9%), with cranial venous sinus thromboses the following (8.4%). In arterial thromboembolic events, the incidence of transient ischemic attack (TIA) and ischemic stoke was the highest(14.0%), embolism of lower extremities the second (6.5%), and 4 patients (3.7%) with acute myocardial infarction. Sixty seven patients(62.6%)had positive lupus anticoagulant, 60 patients(56.1%)with positive anticardiolipin antibody, 32 patients(29.9%, 32/74) with positive β2 glycoprotein Ⅰ(β2GPⅠ). Forty patients(37.4%)had double positive antibodies, while 19 cases(17.8%)with triple positive. In logistical regression, aging (per 10 years) and hypocomplementemia were significantly related to venous thrombosis (OR=1.421, 95%CI 1.066-1.894, P<0.05, and OR=6.435, 95%CI 1.374-30.130, P<0.05, respectively). Cigarette smoking and triple positive antibodies were independent risk factors of arterial thrombosis (OR=3.996, 95%CI 1.079-14.795, P<0.05 and OR=3.166, 95%CI 1.102-9.097, P<0.05, respectively).

CONCLUSION

APS is an autoimmune disorder characterized by recurrent arterial and venous thromboembolic events. Venous thromboembolism is more common than the arterial. Age and hypocomplementemia are predictors of venous thromboembolism; while smoking and triple positive antibodies are independent risk factors of arterial thromboembolism.

[Microcirculation of optic nerve head and glaucoma]

Glaucoma is a leading cause of irreversible blindness world widely. The pathogenesis of glaucoma is still not fully understood. It is proposed that the microcirculation of optic nerve head (ONH) may play an important role in glaucomatous optic neuropathy, but the hypothesis is still lack of direct evidence. In this review, we summarized the technical developments in ONH blood flow examination and findings on relationship between decreased ONH microcirculation and glaucoma. These evidences implicate that damaged ONH microcirculation involves in pathogenesis of glaucoma. (Chin J Ophthalmol, 2016, 52: 466-470).

[A meta-analysis of totally percutaneous access versus open femoral exposure for endovascular aortic aneurysm repair]

Objective: This study was aim to compare the efficacy and safety of percutaneous access and open femoral exposure for endovascular aortic aneurysm repair. Methods: Eligible studies were searched from PubMed, Embase, and Corchrane databases published in English from January 1999 to December 2015. Data extracted from each study were synthesized into overall odds ratios (OR) for technical success rates and complications. The outcomes on technical success rates and complications of both totally percutaneous access and open femoral exposure group were compared. Results: After a systematic review of English language articles, ten studies including 1 504 patients were eligible for the Meta-analysis. The technical success rates of the percutaneous endovascular aortic aneurysm repair (PEVAR) group was 95.1%, close to that of femoral exposure (FE) group (97.5%). The difference did not show significantly (OR=0.57, 95% CI: 0.31-1.04, P>0.05). However, the incidence of total postoperative complications in PEVAR group was 8%, significantly lower than that in FE group (15.9%) (OR=0.52, 95% CI: 0.37-0.42, P<0.01). Conclusion: PEVAR is associated with a similar technical success rate and lower complication incidence rate comparing with FE. Therefore, it could be as a preferred approach of endovascular aortic aneurysm repair.

[A cross-sectional study of moderate or severe visual impairment and blindness in residents with type 2 diabetes living in Xinjing Town, Shanghai]

Objective: To investigate the prevalence, underlying causes and risk factors of moderate or severe visual impairment and blindness in a population with type 2 diabetes in Xinjing Town, Shanghai, China. Methods: A cross-sectional survey among local Han adult residents, who were previously diagnosed as type 2 diabetes, was conducted between October 2014 and January 2015. The survey was preceded by a pilot study; operational methods were refined and quality assurance evaluation was carried out. The best corrected visual acuity was recorded and classified following the modified World Health Organization grading system. Assigned ophthalmic doctors assured the leading causes of every blind or visually impaired eye. Binary logistic regression analysis was used to determine the related factors of blindness and moderate or severe visual impairment. Results: A total of 2 216 type 2 diabetic residents were enrolled, and 166 eyes (3.7%, 166/4 432) were blind. Cataract was the leading cause of blindness (39.8%); macular degeneration (18.0%) and eyeball atrophy (11.4%) were the second and third leading causes of blindness, respectively. Moderate or severe visual impairment was found in 376 eyes (8.5%, 376/4 432), and the most frequent cause was cataract (65.7%), followed by diabetic retinopathy (9.8%) and macular degeneration (9.4% ). Older age, female gender, earlier onset diabetes and a lower spherical equivalent in the better eye were associated with best corrected visual acuity<20/63 in the better eye. Conclusion: The prevalences of moderate or severe visual impairment and blindness in our population with type 2 diabetes were high. (Chin J Ophthalmol, 2016, 52: 825-830).

First results from solid state neutral particle analyzer on experimental advanced superconducting tokamak

Full function integrated, compact solid state neutral particle analyzers (ssNPA) based on absolute extreme ultraviolet silicon photodiode have been successfully implemented on the experimental advanced superconducting tokamak to measure energetic particle. The ssNPA system has been operated in advanced current mode with fast temporal and spatial resolution capabilities, with both active and passive charge exchange measurements. It is found that the ssNPA flux signals are increased substantially with neutral beam injection (NBI). The horizontal active array responds to modulated NBI beam promptly, while weaker change is presented on passive array. Compared to near-perpendicular beam, near-tangential beam brings more passive ssNPA flux and a broader profile, while no clear difference is observed on active ssNPA flux and its profile. Significantly enhanced intensities on some ssNPA channels have been observed during ion cyclotron resonant heating.

[The 451(th) case: intermittent rash, fever and headache]

A 29-year-old woman was admitted to the Department of Rheumatology, Peking Union Medical College Hospital due to intermittent rashes, fever and headache. Palpable purpura were symmetrically distributed on the extremities and trunk. Other manifestations included headache with nausea and vomiting. Elevated white blood cell (WBC) count, platelet (PLT) count, erythrocyte sedimentation rate (ESR) and C-reactive protein were the main laboratory findings. Antinuclear antibodies and antineutrophil cytoplasmic antibodies were negative. Examination of the cerebrospinal fluid (CSF) revealed high intracranial pressure, while routine cytology and biochemical tests of CSF were normal. Head MRI scan and PET-CT did not detect remarkable findings. A diagnosis of systemic vasculitis was confirmed by the biopsy of skin lesion which showed inflammatory infiltration of the muscular vessel wall. Combination therapy of corticosteroids and cyclophosphamide lead to a rapid improvement in clinical symptoms and laboratory parameters. The patient was in stable remission till 6 month follow-up.

Flavonoids, Antioxidant Activity and Aroma Compounds Analysis from Different Kinds of Tartary Buckwheat Tea

The rutin, quercetin concentrations, antioxidant activity, and aroma compounds in different commercial tartary buckwheat tea were analyzed in our study. Results revealed that the materials and the processing protocol affected the chemical composition and activity of tartary buckwheat tea. Rutin and quercetin concentrations, antioxidant activity were significantly different in various kinds of tartary buckwheat tea, where the whole bran tea and the whole plant tea had the lower rutin, but higher quercetin concentrations and higher antioxidant activity. The whole embryo tea had the converse results. There was strong correlation between quercetin concentration and antioxidant activity (r>0.98, P<0.05). Meanwhile, Twenty eight different aroma compounds in tartary buckwheat tea were identified by gas chromatography-mass spectrometry. Those compounds were mainly composed of pyrazine, aldehydes, fatty acids and ketones. The main type of aroma compounds in different tartary buckwheat tea were similar, but their relative contents were different. The implications to the quality control of buckwheat tea were extensively discussed.

Color tunable electroluminescence and resistance switching from a ZnO-nanorod-TaOx-p-GaN heterojunction

Well-aligned ZnO nanorods have been prepared on p-GaN-sapphire using a vapor phase transport (VPT) technique. A thin sputtered layer of TaOx is employed as the intermediate layer and an n-ZnO-TaOx-p-GaN heterojunction device has been achieved. The current transport of the heterojunction exhibited a typical resistance switching behavior, which originated from the filament forming and breaking in the TaOx layer. Color controllable electroluminescence (EL) was observed from the biased heterojunction at room temperature. Bluish-white wide band emission is achieved from the forward biased device in both the high resistance and low resistance states, while red emission can only be observed for the reverse biased device in the low resistance state. The correlation between the EL and resistance switching has been analyzed in-depth based on the interface band diagram of the heterojunction.

Comparative transcriptome analysis of Nile tilapia (Oreochromis niloticus) in response to alkalinity stress

To identify genes of potential importance to alkalinity tolerance, RNA sequencing (RNA-Seq) was performed to survey gill transcriptome profiles from freshwater (FW) and alkaline water (AW) exposed Nile tilapia (Oreochromis niloticus). A total of 22,724,036 (AW)/16,461,040 (FW) single-end reads were generated in which 20,304,348 (AW)/14,681,290 (FW) reads (90.0/89.72%) were aligned to the reference genome. Differential expression analysis revealed 302 up-regulated and 193 down-regulated genes between AW- and FW-exposed fish. These differentially expressed genes were enriched in several Gene Ontology (GO) terms related to "stress response", "heme binding", and "carbonate dehydratase activity". Meanwhile, significant KEGG pathways were enriched in energy metabolism, including nitrogen and sulfur metabolism. These results demonstrate the response of Nile tilapia exposed to alkaline-water and might provide valuable information to further understand the molecular mechanisms of adaptation of fish to alkaline environments.

Edge multi-energy soft x-ray diagnostic in Experimental Advanced Superconducting Tokamak

A multi-energy soft x-ray (ME-SXR) diagnostic has been built for electron temperature profile in the edge plasma region in Experimental Advanced Superconducting Tokamak (EAST) after two rounds of campaigns. Originally, five preamplifiers were mounted inside the EAST vacuum vessel chamber attached to five vertically stacked compact diode arrays. A custom mechanical structure was designed to protect the detectors and electronics under constraints of the tangential field of view for plasma edge and the allocation of space. In the next experiment, the mechanical structure was redesigned with a barrel structure to absolutely isolate it from the vacuum vessel. Multiple shielding structures were mounted at the pinhole head to protect the metal foils from lithium coating. The pre-amplifiers were moved to the outside of the vacuum chamber to avoid introducing interference. Twisted copper cooling tube was embedded into the back-shell near the diode to limit the temperature of the preamplifiers and diode arrays during vacuum vessel baking when the temperature reached 150 °C. Electron temperature profiles were reconstructed from ME-SXR measurements using neural networks.

Polymorphisms and DNA methylation level in the CpG site of the GHR1 gene associated with mRNA expression, growth traits and hormone level of half-smooth tongue sole (Cynoglossus semilaevis)

The objectives of the present study were to estimate the GHR1 gene mutations and methylation status of CpGs, and whether those mutations and methylation were involved in the regulation of GHR1 gene expression, hormone level and growth traits in half-smooth tongue sole (Cynoglossus semilaevis). Identification of single-nucleotide polymorphisms was performed on 43 male fish. Through polymerase chain reaction-single-strand conformation polymorphism and sequencing, two SNPs were found. SNP1 [c.G1357A (p.Val376Ile)] creating one CpG site located in exon 8 was named L1 locus, and SNP2 (c.G1479A) located in exon 9 was named L2 locus. Individuals were divided into three genotypes, AA, AG and GG according to L1 locus (GG genotype had one more CpG site because of the mutation), and into two genotypes, AA- and GG-based on L2 locus. The results showed that only L1 locus was significantly associated with body weight (P < 0.01), gonad weight (P ≤ 0.05), triiodothyronine (T3) level (P ≤ 0.05) and mRNA expression (P < 0.01). At L1 locus, newly created CpG site in GG genotype was highly methylated (93.3 %), while there was no difference of methylation level in the other two CpG sites among three genotypes. AA genotype and AG genotype having higher T3 level were significantly different (P ≤ 0.05) from GG genotype. There were significant differences among body weights of AA, AG and GG genotypes (P < 0.01). Gonad weights of AA genotype and AG genotype were significantly lower than GG genotype. The GHR1 mRNA expression of GG genotype was significantly lower than AA and AG genotypes (P < 0.01). These implied that mutations and methylation status of GHR1 gene might influence the hormone level, growth traits and gene expression in male half-smooth tongue sole and the L1 locus could be regarded as a potential candidate genetic and epigenetic marker in half-smooth tongue sole selection.

One-dimensional single-crystalline bismuth oxide micro/nanoribbons: morphology-controlled synthesis and luminescent properties

Based on a facile vapor-phase transport method without any catalyst and template, one-dimensional single-crystalline bismuth oxide (Bi2O3) micro/nanoribbons were fabricated on silicon substrates in large quantities and morphology-controlled fabrication of Bi2O3 was achieved from a single precursor. The widths of Bi2O3 ribbons varied from 0.2 to 20 microm depending on the deposition temperatures. The thickness was in the range of 0.1-2 microm and the length reached several hundred micrometers and even millimeter range. The detailed composition and structural analysis confirmed the single-crystalline nature of alpha-Bi2O3 micro/nanoribbons with monoclinic structure. The photoluminescence spectrum of a single Bi2O3 ribbon showed a broadband emission from 450 to 750 nm in the visible region, consisting two peaks located at 589 and 697 nm which were primarily originated from the impurity ions and crystal defects. A self-catalyzed vapor-solid model was proposed to account for the growth mechanism of Bi2O3 ribbons with different morphologies.

An indirect ELISA for detection of Theileria sergenti antibodies in water buffalo using a recombinant major piroplasm surface protein

In this study we investigated the prevalence and enzootic potential of Theileria spp. in water buffalo in the Hubei province in China. An indirect ELISA based on a recombinant major piroplasma surface protein was developed. The complete ORF of the 33-kDa major piroplasma surface protein (p33) was obtained from Theileria sergenti genomic DNA by PCR, cloned into the pET-28(a) vector and expressed in E. coli as a His-fusion protein. Then the recombinant p33 (rp33) was purified and used as the antigen to develop an iELISA. Specificity test showed that there was no cross-reaction with Babesia orientalis, Schistosoma japonicum, Anaplasma marginale and Toxoplasma gondii. 178 water buffaloes raised in different locations in Hubei province in China were detected by this iELISA, all samples were also examined by PCR and microscopy at the same time. The iELISA result showed a higher positive rate (27.5%) than PCR (22.5%) and microscopy (12.9%). This result indicated that the iELISA is a suitable method for the diagnosis of T. sergenti infection and could be used in serological surveys to map out the prevalence of the disease.

Large anisotropy in colossal magnetoresistance of charge orbital ordered epitaxial Sm(0.5)Ca(0.5)MnO(3) films

We investigated the structure and magnetotransport properties of Sm(0.5)Ca(0.5)MnO(3) (SCMO) films epitaxially grown on (011)-oriented SrTiO(3) substrates, which exhibited clear charge/orbital ordering transition. A significant anisotropy of ∼1000 in the colossal magnetoresistance (CMR) effect was observed in the films with a thickness between 50 and 80 nm, which was distinctly different from the basically isotropic CMR effect in bulk SCMO. The large anisotropy in the CMR can be ascribed to the intrinsic asymmetric strain in the film, which plays an important role in tuning the spin-orbit coupling in manganite films. The origin of the peculiar CMR effect is discussed.

Carvedilol reduces myocardial no-reflow by decreasing endothelin-1 via activation of the ATP-sensitive K+ channel

It has been verified that carvedilol can attenuate myocardial no-reflow. However, the effects of carvedilol on adenosine triphosphate-sensitive K+ (KATP) channel and endothelin-1 (ET-1) are unknown. Forty mini-swines were randomized into 5 study groups: 8 control, 8 carvedilol pretreatment, 8 glibenclamide (KATP channel blocker)-treated, 8 carvedilol and glibenclamide-pre-treated and 8 sham-operated. An acute myocardial infarction(AMI) and reperfusion model was created with a three-hour occlusion of the left anterior descending coronary artery followed by one-hour reperfusion. Compared with the control group, carvedilol significantly decreased the area of no-reflow (myocardial contrast echocardiography: from 78.5±4.5% to 24.9±4.1%, pathological means: from 82.3±1.9% to 25.8±4.3% of ligation area, respectively; all p < 0.01) and reduced necrosis size from 98.5±1.3% to 74.4±4.7% of ligation area, p < 0.05). It also decreased plasma ET-1 and myocardial tissue ET-1. However, glibenclamide abrogated the protective effect of carvedilol. The beneficial effect of carvedilol on myocardial no-reflow could be due to its effect on ET-1 via the activation of the KATP channel.

Cholinergic mechanisms of cutaneous active vasodilation during heat stress in cystic fibrosis

To test the hypothesis that cutaneous active vasodilation in heat stress is mediated by a redundant cholinergic cotransmitter system, we examined the effects of atropine on skin blood flow (SkBF) increases during heat stress in persons with (CF) and without cystic fibrosis (non-CF). Vasoactive intestinal peptide (VIP) has been implicated as a mediator of cutaneous vasodilation in heat stress. VIP-containing cutaneous neurons are sparse in CF, yet SkBF increases during heat stress are normal. In CF, augmented ACh release or muscarinic receptor sensitivity could compensate for decreased VIP; if so, active vasodilation would be attenuated by atropine in CF relative to non-CF. Atropine was administered into skin by iontophoresis in seven CF and seven matched non-CF subjects. SkBF was monitored by laser-Doppler flowmetry (LDF) at atropine treated and untreated sites. Blood pressure [mean arterial pressure (MAP)] was monitored (Finapres), and cutaneous vascular conductance was calculated (CVC = LDF/MAP). The protocol began with a normothermic period followed by a 3-min cold stress and 30-45 min of heat stress. Finally, LDF sites were warmed to 42 degrees C to effect maximal vasodilation. CVC was normalized to its site-specific maximum. During heat stress, CVC increased in both CF and non-CF (P < 0.01). CVC increases were attenuated by atropine in both groups (P < 0.01); however, the responses did not differ between groups (P = 0.99). We conclude that in CF there is not greater dependence on redundant cholinergic mechanisms for cutaneous active vasodilation than in non-CF.