Auto-focusing and self-healing of symmetric odd-Pearcey Gauss beams

In this study, a new, to the best of our knowledge, form of odd-Pearcey Gauss beams with peculiar characteristics is presented. Compared with the Pearcey beam, the odd-Pearcey Gauss beam is symmetrical about the origin. At the initial stages, the odd-Pearcey Gauss beam propagates with a main central lobe and some residual spots that autofocus to the center, and then splits into two off-axis parabolic lobes after the autofocus finishes. Furthermore, we also introduce the soft well function to investigate the propagation profiles of the odd-Pearcey Gauss beams passing through it with different calibers and discuss the influence of the Gaussian waist width towards the focal distance and the propagation form of the odd-Pearcey Gauss beam. We also enumerate some potential and possible applications based on its peculiar characteristics.

THU0427 SHOULD FEBUXOSTAT-RESISTANCE BE ADDED TO CRITERIA FOR REFRACTORY GOUT? A PRELIMINARY STUDY

Background:

Refractory gout manifests as recurrent flares, chronic arthritis and progressive tophaceous deposits. Febuxostat is a widely-used potent serum urate-lowering reagent, but some gout patients cannot achieve target serum uric acid (sUA) after they used this reagent.

Objectives:

To determine whether febuxostat-resistance should be a criterion for refractory gout, characteristics of gout patients who were resistance to febuxostat or allopurinol were compared.

Methods:

This study was performed from December 2015 to December 2019. Medical records of gout patients who met the 2015 gout classification criteria [1] and undertook febuxostat (febuxostat group) or allopurinol (allopurinol group) urate-lowing therapy (ULT) were assessed. Dose of ULT was adjusted till sUA was below 6 mg/dL and 5 mg/dL for patients with urate deposition. We screened gout patients who had contraindication or history of failure to normalize sUA for≥ 3 months of treatment with the maximum medically appropriate febuxostat (febuxostat-resistance) or allopurinol (allopurinol-resistance) dose as defined by physicians. Furthermore, these screened patients met the traditional criteria of refractory gout except therapeutic reaction [2].Demography and clinical characteristics were recorded. Features between febuxostat-resistance and allopurinol-resistance patients were compared.

Results:

(1) Of 683 gout patients who were included, 516 and 167 of them used febuxostat or allopurinol. (2) Age (41.92±11.58 vs. 42.26±9.41 years), Male gender (97.50% vs. 97.01%), duration of gout (5.78±4.74 vs. 5.05±4.72 years) and sUA (6.30±2.50 vs. 6.67±2.14 mg/dL) were similar between febuxostat group and allopurinol group (P>0.05). (3) Dose of febuxostat or allopurinol were 47.28mg/day and 178.24mg/day. (4) Sixteen patients were febuxostat-resistance, while 6 patients were allopurinol-resistance. Prevalence rates of treatment resistance were comparable between groups (3.10% vs. 3.59%,P>0.05). (5) Some parameters were different between resistance patients and non-resistance patients in both groups (Table 1,P<0.05). However, characteristics of febuxostat-resistance and allopurinol-resistance patients were similar (P>0.05).

Table 1

Characteristics of gout patients in febuxostat group and allopurinol group

ParametersFebuxostat GroupAllopurinol GroupNon-resistance(n=500)Resistance(n=16)Non-resistance(n=161)Resistance(n=6)Age (year)41.93±11.6541.67±9.5842.22±13.3344.50±16.98Male Gender (%)97.40100.0096.89100.00BMI (kg/m2)25.44±3.4626.22±3.4725.86±3.9725.60±6.42Duration of gout (years)5.75±4.767.00±3.97*4.96±4.737.75±2.62*Flares in previous 18 months (times)1.31±0.443.67±0.70*1.13±0.243.25±0.50*Presence of Tophi (%)23.80100.00*14.90100.00*Presence of Complication (%)35.8100.00*31.06100.00*sUA (mg/dL)6.21±2.479.13±1.24*6.42±2.3210.15±3.55*SCr (μmol/L)100.67±15.03163.96±29.41*96.93±22.91133.75±31.60*ESR (mm/L)24.59±19.2842.83±21.13*27.49±24.1056.50±28.12*CRP (mg/L)18.92±18.5928.81±23.85*23.12±22.6332.28±23.64*

*P<0.05 compared with non-resistance patients in the same group.

BMIbody mass index,sUAserum uric acid,SCrserum creatinine,ESRerythrocyte sedimentation rate,CRPC-reactive protein

Conclusion:

Febuxostat-resistance is a potential criterion for refractory gout, because febuxostat-resistance patients shares similar characteristics of patients with refractory gout.

References:

[1]Neogi T, Jansen TL, Dalbeth N, et al. 2015 Gout classification criteria: an American College of Rheumatology/European League Against Rheumatism collaborative initiative. Ann Rheum Dis 2015;74(10):1789-1798.

[2]Lawrence Edwards N, Singh JA, Troum O, et al. Characterization of patients with chronic refractory gout who do and do not have clinically apparent tophi and their response to pegloticase. Rheumatology (Oxford) 2019; pii: kez017.

Acknowledgments:

None.

Disclosure of Interests: :

None declared

Self-Propelled PLGA Micromotor with Chemotactic Response to Inflammation

Local drug delivery systems have recently been developed for multiple diseases that have the requirements of site-specific actions, prolonged delivery periods, and decreased drug dosage to reduce undesirable side effects. The challenge for such systems is to achieve directional and precise delivery in inaccessible narrow lesions, such as periodontal pockets or root canals in deeper portions of the dentinal tubules. The primary strategy to tackle this challenge is fabricating a smart tracking delivery system. Here, drug-loaded biodegradable micromotors showing self-propelled directional movement along a hydrogen peroxide concentration gradient produced by phorbol esters-stimulated macrophages are reported. The drug-loaded poly(lactic-co-glycolic acid) micromotors with asymmetric coverage of enzyme (patch-like enzyme distribution) are prepared by electrospraying and postfunctionalized with catalase via 1-ethyl-3-(3-dimethylaminopropyl) carbodiimide coupling. Doxycycline, a common drug for the treatment of periodontal disease, is selected as a model drug, and the release study by high-performance liquid chromatography is shown that both the postfunctionalization step and the presence of hydrogen peroxide have no negative influence on drug release profiles. The movement behavior in the presence of hydrogen peroxide is confirmed by nanoparticle tracking analysis. An in vitro model is designed and confirmed the response efficiency and directional control of the micromotors toward phorbol esters-stimulated macrophages.

Spatial Goos-Hänchen and Imbert-Fedorov shifts of rotational 2-D finite energy Airy beams

Expressions of Goos-Hänchen and Imbert-Fedorov shifts of rotational 2-D finite energy Airy beams are introduced in this paper. The influences of the second-order terms of the reflection coefficient on the spatial Goos-Hänchen shift (GHS) and spatial Imbert-Fedorov shift (IFS) of rotational 2-D finite energy Airy beams are theoretically and numerically investigated at the surface between air and weakly absorbing medium for the first time. It is found that the axial symmetry of the initial field of beams has huge influences on GHS and IFS and both of the GHS and IFS can be controlled by adjusting the rotation angle of the initial field distribution.

Propagation properties of the radially polarized Airy vortex beams in a chiral medium

We study the propagation of the radially polarized Airy vortex beams (RPAiVBs) in a chiral medium analytically. The RPAiVBs split into the left circular polarization of the RPAiVBs (LCPRPAiVBs) and the right circular polarization of the RPAiVBs (RCPRPAiVBs). We mainly discuss the effects of the vortex and the chiral parameter on the propagation properties of the RPAiVBs, involving the intensity distributions and the radiation forces. It is shown that with the chiral parameter increasing, the intensity focusing position of the RCPRPAiVBs is further from ${ z} = 0\text{Zr}$z=0Zr, while that of the LCPRPAiVBs is opposite. Besides, the maximum radiation forces of the RCPRPAiVBs are stronger than those of the LCPRPAiVBs. It is significant that we can control the acceleration, the intensity focusing position, and the radiation forces of the RPAiVBs by varying the vortex order and the chiral parameter.

Radially polarized symmetric Airy beam

In this Letter, we introduce a new kind of radially polarized beam called the radially polarized symmetric Airy beam (RPSAB). Compared to the linearly polarized symmetric Airy beam (SAB), the hollow focus spot of RPSAB enables it to trap a microparticle whose refractive index is lower than that of the surrounding medium, and the focus intensity of RPSAB is nearly three times higher than that of SAB under the same conditions. Also, we present the on-axis and off-axis radially polarized symmetric Airy vortex beam (RPSAVB). In the on-axis case, we find the maximum intensity of RPSAVB is about two times higher than that of RPSAB. For the off-axis case, we prove that slight misalignment of the vortex and RPSAB enables guiding the vortex into one of the self-accelerating channels, the same as the symmetric Airy vortex beam. Our results may expand the applications of RPSAB in laser cutting, metal processing, nanofocusing, and three-dimensional trapping of metallic Rayleigh particles.

Electrodeposited Assembly of Additive-Free Silk Fibroin Coating from Pre-Assembled Nanospheres for Drug Delivery

Electrophoretically deposited (EPD) polymer-based coatings have been extensively reported as reservoirs in medical devices for delivery of therapeutic agents, but control over drug release remains a challenge. Here, a simple but uncommon assembly strategy for EPD polymer coatings was proposed to improve drug release without introducing any additives except the EPD matrix polymer precursor. The added value of the proposed strategy was demonstrated by developing a novel EPD silk fibroin (SF) coating assembled from pre-assembled SF nanospheres for an application model, that is, preventing infections around percutaneous orthopedic implants via local delivery of antibiotics. The EPD mechanism of this nanosphere coating involved oxidation of water near the substrate to neutralize SF nanospheres, resulting in irreversible deposition. The deposition process and mass could be easily controlled using the applied EPD parameters. In comparison with the EPD SF coating assembled in a conventional way (directly obtained from SF molecule solutions), this novel coating had a similar adhesion strength but exhibited a more hydrophobic nanotopography to induce better fibroblastic response. Moreover, the use of nanospheres as building blocks enabled 1.38 and 21 times enhancement on the antibiotic release amount and time (of 95% maximum dug release), respectively, while retaining drug effectiveness and showing undetectable cytotoxicity. This unexpected release kinetics was found attributable to the electrostatic and hydrophobic interactions between the drug and nanospheres and a negligible initial dissolution effect on the nanosphere coating. These results illustrate the promising potential of the pre-assembled strategy on EPD polymer coatings for superior control over drug delivery.

Facile Synthesis of ZnMn2O4@rGO Microspheres for Ultrasensitive Electrochemical Detection of Hydrogen Peroxide from Human Breast Cancer Cells

Mixed transition-metal oxides have witnessed increasing attention in catalysts and electrocatalysts. Herein, reduced graphene oxide-wrapped ZnMn₂O₄ microspheres (ZnMn₂O₄@rGO) were facilely synthesized through the solvothermal technique. The microstructure and morphology of ZnMn₂O₄@rGO microspheres were analyzed under Raman, X-ray photoelectron, X-ray diffraction, and energy-dispersive spectroscopies and scanning electron microscopy. The synthesized ZnMn₂O₄@rGO was employed as an excellent electrocatalyst for the reduction of hydrogen peroxide (H₂O₂). The ZnMn₂O₄@rGO-modified glassy carbon electrode (ZnMn₂O₄@rGO/GCE) exhibited a linear detection to H₂O₂ in a wide concentration range of 0.03-6000 μM with a detection limit of 0.012 μM. The biosensor was evaluated to determine H₂O₂ secreted by human breast cancer cells (MCF-7), indicating its promising applications in physiology and diagnosis.

Three-dimensional chirped Airy Complex-variable-function Gaussian vortex wave packets in a strongly nonlocal nonlinear medium

Three-dimensional chirped Airy Complex-variable-function Gaussian vortex (CACGV) wave packets in a strongly nonlocal nonlinear medium (SNNM) are studied. By varying the distribution parameter, CACGV wave packets can rotate stably in a SNNM in different forms, including dipoles, elliptic vortices, and doughnuts. Numerical simulation results for the CACGV wave packets agree well with theoretical analysis results under zero perturbation. The Poynting vector related to the physics of the rotation phenomenon and the angular momentum as a torque corresponding to the force are also presented. Finally, the radiation forces of CACGV wave packets acting on a nanoparticle in a SNNM are discussed.

Abruptly autofocusing chirped ring Pearcey Gaussian vortex beams with caustics state in the nonlinear medium

We simulate the propagation of the abruptly autofocusing chirped ring Pearcey Gaussian vortex (CRPGV) beams with caustics by modulating the phase of a circularly symmetric optical wavefront appropriately. The propagation characteristics of the CRPGV beams are explored in the Kerr medium. Different caustic surfaces of revolution which can be used as optical bottles are formed during the propagation. We also introduce the influence of the initial input power, the chirp factor and the stochastic type perturbations for the CRPGV beams during the propagation. Furthermore, the dynamics of the optical bottle and the breathers-like structures are explored in detail.

Propagation dynamics of autofocusing circle Pearcey Gaussian vortex beams in a harmonic potential

We introduce the circle Pearcey Gaussian vortex (CPGV) beams in a harmonic potential for the first time and investigate their abruptly autofocusing properties by theoretical analysis and numerical simulations in this paper. By varying the spatial distribution factors, one can effectively control the propagating dynamics of the beams, including the position of the focus, the radius of the focal light spot and the intensity contrast. Meanwhile, the magnitude of topological charges and the position of the vortex can alter the focal pattern and the intensity contrast. Furthermore, the position of the focus can be flexibly controlled in a tiny range by adjusting the scaled parameter of the incident beam properly.

Diversity of SpaP in genetic and salivary agglutinin mediated adherence among Streptococcus mutans strains

Streptococcus mutans SpaP mediates the binding of this cariogenic bacteria to tooth surfaces. It was reported that the SpaP of S. mutans clinical isolates could be classified to 2 genotypes, type A and B. Our aims are to examine spaP genotypes in often-used S. mutans laboratory strains as well as clinical isolates and to explore the relationship between the genotypes of S. mutans strains and their adherence to salivary-agglutinin (SAG). The sequences of SpaP of 11 S. mutans strains were analyzed with alignment tools. Out of these strains, 9 strains were examined for their adherence to SAG-coated surfaces. The SpaP expression on the cell surfaces and in the spent media of 9 strains were examined by a dot-blot assay. Based on the alignment of the variable V region of SpaP, 9 strains were classified as previously-defined type-A and 3 strains type-B. Among type-B strains, the SpaPs of GS5 and HG723 contain a premature stop codon which resulted in loss of adherence and absence of SpaP expression on the cell surfaces. However, clear SpaP expression was observed in the spent media of both strains. The type-B strain UA159 demonstrated low SpaP expression on the cell surface, but it showed similar adherence ability as the type-A strains. In conclusion, the presence of SpaP on the cell surface determines the adherence of S. mutans to SAG. No difference in SAG-mediated adherence could be seen between type A and B strains, probably due to the limited number of type B strain tested.

Effects of human umbilical cord mesenchymal stem cells on inflammatory factors and miR-181a in T lymphocytes from patients with systemic lupus erythematosus

OBJECTIVES

The present study aimed to explore the effect of umbilical cord mesenchymal stem cells (UC-MSCs) on the modulation of T lymphocytes from system lupus erythematosus (SLE) patients and the possible mechanism.

METHODS

A total of 24 hospitalized SLE patients and 28 healthy individuals were enrolled. T lymphocytes were sorted using Miltenyi magnetic beads. After the addition of recombinant human interleukin (IL)-2 and CD3CD28 T-cell activator, cells were loaded onto six-well plates pre-inoculated or not with UC-MSCs for 1 week of culture. The supernatants were collected for testing inflammatory factors by enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay. Meanwhile, T lymphocytes were collected to assess the expression levels of genes, proteins in relation to SLE and miR-181a by polymerase chain reaction and Western blot.

RESULTS

Compared with T lymphocytes cultured alone, interferon-γ, IL-4, IL-6 and IL-10 levels were significantly decreased in T lymphocytes from SLE patients co-cultured with UC-MSCs. In addition, the gene and protein expression levels of TNF alpha, osteopontin and nuclear factor-kappa B in T lymphocytes were significantly decreased, while miR-181a expression was markedly elevated (p < 0.05 or 0.008).

CONCLUSION

UC-MSCs have showed certain immunomodulatory and inhibitory effects in vitro on T lymphocytes from SLE patients, which could potentially be a beneficial treatment of the disease. UC-MSCs may up-regulate miR-181a and down-regulate inflammation-related gene expression.

Propagation properties of radially and azimuthally polarized chirped Airy-Gaussian vortex beams through slabs of right-handed materials and left-handed materials

By using Huygens-Fresnel diffraction integral formula and the transfer matrix method, the analytical expression of radially and azimuthally polarized chirped Airy-Gaussian vortex beams through left-handed materials and right-handed materials can be obtained. We study the effects of the chirp factor and the distribution factor on the radially and azimuthally polarized chirped Airy-Gaussian vortex beams in the propagation process, including the light intensity, the phase distribution, the propagation path, the peak intensity, and the radiation force. The focal position of the beams can be adjusted by the chirp parameter.

Regrowth of Microcosm Biofilms on Titanium Surfaces After Various Antimicrobial Treatments

Objectives: Our aim of this work was to investigate the regrowth of implant-related biofilms after various antimicrobial treatments in vitro. Methods: Saliva-derived microcosm biofilms were grown on titanium discs in an active attachment model. Treatments including hydrogen peroxide (HP), citric acid (CA), chlorhexidine (CHX), and distilled water (control), at different concentrations, were applied to 2-day biofilms for 1 or 5 min. The viability, lactic acid production, and composition of the biofilms were followed for 3 days. The biofilm composition was analyzed by 16S rDNA amplicon sequencing. Results: The short treatments of CA, CHX, and HP resulted in a 2-3 log reduction in biofilm viability and lactic acid production immediately. However, both parameters returned to the pre-treatment level within 2 days due to biofilm regrowth. The alpha diversity of the regrown biofilms in antimicrobial-treated groups tended to decrease, whereas the diversity of those in water-treated group increased. The composition of the regrown biofilms altered compared to those before treatments. Streptococcus and Enterobacteriaceae were enriched in the regrown biofilms. Conclusions: Although the antimicrobial treatments were efficient, the multi-species biofilms were indeed able to regrow within 2 days. The regrown biofilms display an altered microbial diversity and composition, which in the oral cavity may lead to an aggressive infection.

Effect of turbulent atmosphere on the propagation of a radial phased-locked rotating elliptical Gaussian beam array

Based on the extended Huygens-Fresnel integral, we have analytically and numerically investigated the propagation properties of a radial phased-locked rotating elliptical Gaussian (RPLREG) beam array in turbulent atmosphere. The average intensity and effective beam sizes in x and y directions of a RPLREG beam array are derived, and their evolution behaviors are analyzed in this paper. Our numerical results indicate that the propagation of a RPLREG beam array in turbulent atmosphere depends on the beam parameters including w, r, N and the structure constant Cn2 of atmospheric turbulence. The results show that the beam arrays of intensity distribution with smaller radius r or larger initial beam size w are very alike, and stronger atmospheric turbulence makes the RPLREG beam evolve into a Gaussian-like beam more rapidly as the propagation distance increases. This research may be useful for optical communications and remote sensing in turbulent atmosphere.

Effects of the modulated vortex and second-order chirp on the propagation dynamics of ring Pearcey Gaussian beams

The evolution of the chirped ring Pearcey Gaussian vortex (CRPGV) beams in free space is numerically investigated. The optical bottle beam and two-consecutive optical bottle beam can be directly generated from a ring Pearcey Gaussian beam with central vortices and the second-order chirp in free space. In particular, the focusing intensity will decrease when the vortices' locations are far away from the center of the beam or the topological charges are smaller. Our results show that the beam shapes, the normalized focusing intensity, and the focal length of the CRPGV beams can be controlled by choosing different beam parameters.

Statistical properties of a controllable partially coherent radially and azimuthally polarized rotating elliptical Gaussian optical coherence lattice in anisotropic ocean turbulence

The optical coherent lattice (OCL) with periodic reciprocity has been previously proposed for free-space information transfer and optical communications. Here, a new class of partially coherent radially and azimuthally polarized rotating elliptical Gaussian optical coherent lattice (PCRPREGOCL and PCAPREGOCL) is introduced. Based on the extended Huygens-Fresnel principle and the spatial power spectrum of the anisotropic ocean turbulence, the analytical expressions of the average intensity of the PCRPREGOCL and the PCAPREGOCL through the anisotropic ocean turbulence are obtained. The effects of elliptical coefficients, lattice constants, the number of lattice lobes, wavelengths and anisotropic ocean turbulence parameters on the statistical properties of the PCRPREGOCL and the PCAPREGOCL are studied in detail. It is found that each sub-pattern in the PCRPREGOCL maintains a controllable rotation within a certain distance, which plays an important role in resisting the influence of turbulence. When the propagation distance increases, the PCRPREGOCL and the PCAPREGOCL gradually change from two elliptical Gaussian patterns into a coherent array with periodic reciprocity and eventually evolves into a Gaussian-like pattern. Our work provides new thoughts in applying OCL to overcome turbulence influence in underwater optical communication and underwater laser radar.

[A case of craniopharyngioma presenting as cavernous sinus space occupying]

SummaryA 37-year-old female patient has the symptoms of recurrent headache for 2 years and worse for 1 month. The skull CT and MRI show a space-occupying lesion in the right of the cavernous sinus region. The patient underwent the resection of the tumor by the nasal endoscopy. The pathological biopsy showed the craniopharyngioma. This paper reports a case of craniopharyngioma in the cavernous sinus region and reviews the literature in order to increase the understanding of the disease and reduce misdiagnosis and missed diagnosis.

Commensal and Pathogenic Biofilms Alter Toll-Like Receptor Signaling in Reconstructed Human Gingiva

The balance between the host and microbe is pivotal for oral health. A dysbiotic oral microbiome and the subsequent host inflammatory response are causes for the most common dental problems, such as periodontitis and caries. Classically, toll-like receptors (TLRs) are known to play important roles in host-microbe interactions by recognizing pathogens and activating innate immunity. However, emerging evidence suggests that commensals may also exploit TLRs to induce tolerance to the benefit of the host, especially in oral mucosa which is heavily colonized by abundant microbes. How TLRs and downstream signaling events are affected by different oral microbial communities to regulate host responses is still unknown. To compare such human host-microbe interactions in vitro, we exposed a reconstructed human gingiva (RHG) to commensal or pathogenic (gingivitis, cariogenic) multi-species oral biofilms cultured from human saliva. These biofilms contain in vivo like phylogenic numbers and typical bacterial genera. After 24 h biofilm exposure, TLR protein and gene expression of 84 TLR pathway related genes were investigated. Commensal and pathogenic biofilms differentially regulated TLR protein expression. Commensal biofilm up-regulated the transcription of a large group of key genes, which are involved in TLR signaling, including TLR7, the MyD88-dependent pathway (CD14, MyD88, TIRAP, TRAF6, IRAKs), MyD88-independent pathway (TAB1, TBK1, IRF3), and their downstream signaling pathways (NF-κB and MAPK pathways). In comparison, gingivitis biofilm activated fewer genes (e.g., TLR4) and cariogenic biofilm suppressed CD14, IRAK4, and IRF3 transcription. Fluorescence in situ hybridization staining showed the rRNA of the topically applied and invaded bacteria, and histology showed that the biofilms had no obvious detrimental effect on RHG morphology. These results show an important role of TLR signaling pathways in regulating host-microbe interactions: when a sterile gingival tissue is exposed to commensals, a strong immune activation occurs which may prime the host against potential challenges in order to maintain oral host-microbe homeostasis. In contrast, pathogenic biofilms stimulate a weaker immune response which might facilitate immune evasion thus enabling pathogens to penetrate undetected into the tissues.

Three-dimensional localized Airy-Gaussian wave packets in a gradient-index medium

By solving the Schrödinger equation in spatial and temporal coordinates, the exact solution of the chirped Airy-Gaussian (CAiG) wave packets in a gradient-index medium is obtained. Based on that, we conduct a theoretical analysis about the properties of CAiG wave packets and discover that the chirp factor, the distribution factor, the initial velocity, as well as the propagation distance have an effect on the wave packets in both the propagation process and the spatiotemporal profiles. Among these, the Gaussian distribution factor, which is first added to the initial pulses, also alters the peculiarities of the Airy-Gaussian beams in the temporal domain and spatial domain. In addition, the investigation about the radiation force illuminates certain evolution properties of the CAiG wave packets well.