[Immune reconstitution and influencing factors in HIV infected men who have sex with men with access to antiviral therapy in Guangxi Zhuang Autonomous Region from 2005 to 2021]

Objective: To analyze immune reconstitution and influencing factors in HIV infected men who have sex with men (MSM) with access to antiviral therapy (ART) in Guangxi Zhuang Autonomous Region (Guangxi) during 2005-2021. Methods: The data were collected from Chinese Disease Prevention and Control Information System. The study subjects were HIV infected MSM with access to the initial ART for ≥24 weeks in Guangxi from 2005 to 2021 and HIV RNA lower than the detection limit within 24 months. The proportion of infected MSM who had immune reconstitution after ART was calculated. Cox proportional hazard regression model was used to analyze the influencing factors of immune reconstitution. Software SPSS 24.0 was used for statistical analysis. Results: A total of 3 200 HIV infected MSM were enrolled, in whom 15.56 % (498/3 200) had no immune reconstitution, 14.78% (473/3 200) had moderate immune reconstitution, and the rate of complete immune reconstitution was 69.66% (2 229/3 200). The M (Q1, Q3) of ART time for immune reconstitution was 12 (5, 27) months. Multivariate Cox proportional risk regression model analysis results showed that compared with those with initial ART at age ≥30 years, WHO clinical stage Ⅲ/Ⅳ illness, baseline BMI <18.50 kg/m2 and baseline CD4+T lymphocyte (CD4) counts <200 cells/µl, HIV infected MSM with initial ART at age <30 years, WHO clinical stageⅠ/Ⅱ illness, baseline BMI≥24.00 kg/m2 and baseline CD4 counts ≥200 cells/µl were more likely to have complete immune reconstitution. Conclusions: In the HIV infected MSM in Guangxi, failures to achieve moderate and complete immune reconstitution were observed. Surveillance and ART regimen should be improved for key populations, such as those with older age and low baseline CD4 counts.

Haplotype-resolved assembly of diploid and polyploid genomes using quantum computing

Precision medicine's emphasis on individual genetic variants highlights the importance of haplotype-resolved assembly, a computational challenge in bioinformatics given its combinatorial nature. While classical algorithms have made strides in addressing this issue, the potential of quantum computing remains largely untapped. Here, we present the vehicle routing problem (VRP) assembler: an approach that transforms this task into a vehicle routing problem, an optimization formulation solvable on a quantum computer. We demonstrate its potential and feasibility through a proof of concept on short synthetic diploid and triploid genomes using a D-Wave quantum annealer. To tackle larger-scale assembly problems, we integrate the VRP assembler with Google's OR-Tools, achieving a haplotype-resolved local assembly across the human major histocompatibility complex (MHC) region. Our results show encouraging performance compared to Hifiasm with phasing accuracy approaching the theoretical limit, underscoring the promising future of quantum computing in bioinformatics.

[Fabrication and evaluation of composite hydroxyapatite coating on ordered micro-/nanotextured titanium surface]

Objective: To develope a titanium specimen with good osteogenic activity through fabrication of a composite hydroxyapatite coating on ordered micro-/nanotextured titanium surface. Methods: An ordered micro-/nanotextured structure was prepared on the surface of titanium (the control), and then hydroxyapatite was deposited on the as-prepared ordered micro-/nanotextured structure by alternative loop immersion method. The ordered micro-/nanotextured structures before and after hydroxyapatite deposition were denoted as HA and MN, respectively. Surface morphology was observed using a scanning electron microscope. Bone marrow mesenchymal stem cells (BMMSC) were seeded on the surface of three different materials. Cell morphology was observed with a scanning electron microscope. Cell adhesion and cell proliferation were evaluated using 4', 6-diamidino-2-phenylindole staining and cell counting kit-8 assay, respectively. Extracellular matrix mineralization and the expression levels of osteogenesis-related genes were evaluated by alizarin red staining and real-time quantitative PCR, respectively. Each group has three samples in every experiment. Results: After alternative loop immersing, the MN's original microholes (20 μm in diameter) were retained, and the uniform petal-like hydroxyapatite was deposited on the MN's original titania nanotubes (70 nm in diameter). Compared with the control, BMMSC on MN and HA elongated further and intersected along the micron structure with noticeable pseudopodia and pseudoplates, and the trend was more pronounced especially on HA. The number of early adherent cells on HA was remarkably larger than that on the control and MN at each time point (P<0.05). On day 1, the A value of cell proliferation on HA was significantly higher than that on the control and MN (P<0.05). The A value of cell proliferation on HA was significantly lower than that on the control and MN on day 3 (P<0.05). On day 7, the A value of cell proliferation on HA was significantly lower than that on MN (P<0.05), but there was no statistically significant difference in the A value of cell proliferation between HA and the control on day 7 (P>0.05). The Avalue of extracellular matrix mineralization on HA (0.607±0.011) was significantly higher than that on the control and MN (0.268±0.025 and 0.522±0.022, respectively) (t=-0.25, P<0.001; t=-0.34, P<0.001). The expression levels of bone related genes on HA were significantly higher than those on the control and MN (P<0.05). Conclusions: HA could promote the BMMSC adhesion and osteogenic differentiation, support BMMSC proliferation, and demonstrate good osteogenic activity.

[A multicenter study to test the reliability and validity of the frailty assessment scale for elderly patients with inguinal hernia and to evaluate the value of clinical application]

Objectives: To verify the reliability and validity of the frailty assessment scale for elderly patients with inguinal hernia and to evaluate the value of its clinical application. Methods: A convenience sampling method was used to collect 129 geriatric patients who underwent inguinal hernia surgery from January 2018 to January 2023 in nine hospitals in Liaoning Province. There were 120 males and 9 females, of whom 89 patients were 60 to <75 years old, 33 patients were 75 to <85 years old and 7 patients were ≥85 years old. The 129 patients included 11 elderly patients with inguinal hernia who had recovered from preoperative infection with COVID-19. Statistical methods such as Cronbach's coefficient, Kaiser-Meyer-Olkin test, Bartlett's test, Pearson's correlation analysis, etc. were calculated to verify the reliability indexes such as feasibility, content validity, structural validity, criterion-related validity, internal consistency reliability, and re-test reliability. Taking the 5-item modified frailty index (5-mFI) as the gold standard, the area under the curve was used to analyze the ability of the two scales to predict the occurrence of postoperative acute urinary retention, postoperative delirium, poor incision healing, operative hematoma seroma, and postoperative complications. Results: The frailty assessment scale for elderly patients with inguinal hernia showed good reliability and validity (valid completion rate of 99.2%; item content validity index of 1.000, and the scale content validity index of 1.000; exploratory factor analysis extracted a total of 1 principal component, and factor loadings of each item of 0.565 to 0.873; the AUC for frailty diagnosis using 5-mFI as the gold standard of 0.795 (P<0.01) Cronbach's coefficient of 0.916, retest reliability coefficient of 0.926), it could effectively predict postoperative acute urinary retention, delirium, hematoma seroma in the operative area and total complications (AUC of 0.746, 0.870, 0.806, and 0.738, respectively; all P<0.05), and prediction efficiency was higher than that of 5-mFI (AUC of 0.694, 0.838, 0.626 and 0.641, P<0.05 for delirium only), but both scales were inaccurate in predicting poor incision healing (AUC of 0.519, P=0.913 for the frailty assessment scale and 0.455, P=0.791 for the 5-mFI). Conclusions: The frailty assessment scale for elderly patients with inguinal hernia is reliable and significantly predicts the occurrence of postoperative adverse events in elderly inguinal hernia patients. The scale can also be used for preoperative frailty assessment in elderly patients with inguinal hernia after rehabilitation from COVID-19 infection.

[Analysis of late-diagnosis and associated factors in newly reported HIV infections among men who have sex with men in Guangxi Zhuang Autonomous Region, 2005-2021]

Objective: To analyze the trend of late-diagnosis of HIV-infected men who have sex with men (MSM) before and after the AIDS Conquering Project in Guangxi Zhuang Autonomous Region (Guangxi) and its influencing factors, in order to find out the population groups that need priority intervention at the present stage. Methods: The HIV-infected MSM in Guangxi from 2005-2021 were selected from the National Integrated HIV/AIDS Control and Prevention Data System. The Joinpoint 4.9.1.0 software was used to test the time trend of late-diagnosis and non-late-diagnosis cases, and logistic regression was applied to analyze the factors influencing the proportion of late-diagnosis at each stage. Results: From 2005 to 2021, 5 764 HIV-infected MSM were reported in Guangxi from 2005 to 2021, with an overall late-diagnosis of 28.45% (1 640 cases). Under the 2015 baseline data as the boundary, the proportion of late-diagnosis cases showed a trend of sharp decline followed by stabilization from 2005 to 2015, average annual percent change= -6.90% (P<0.001). The effect of factors such as resident population, occupation as a farmer or worker, and sample originating from medical consultation on late-diagnosis changed considerably before and after the implementation of the project, and the factors influencing late-diagnosis at this stage were age, resident population, occupation as a farmer, worker or student. The factors influencing late-diagnosis at this stage are age, resident population, and occupation as a farmer, worker and a student. Conclusions: The proportion of late diagnosis cases of HIV-infected MSM in Guangxi decreased significantly before and after the project. However, late-diagnosis should not be neglected and precise prevention and control should be carried out for the resident population, farmers, workers or students.

Improved Measurement of the Evolution of the Reactor Antineutrino Flux and Spectrum at Daya Bay

Reactor neutrino experiments play a crucial role in advancing our knowledge of neutrinos. In this Letter, the evolution of the flux and spectrum as a function of the reactor isotopic content is reported in terms of the inverse-beta-decay yield at Daya Bay with 1958 days of data and improved systematic uncertainties. These measurements are compared with two signature model predictions: the Huber-Mueller model based on the conversion method and the SM2018 model based on the summation method. The measured average flux and spectrum, as well as the flux evolution with the ^{239}Pu isotopic fraction, are inconsistent with the predictions of the Huber-Mueller model. In contrast, the SM2018 model is shown to agree with the average flux and its evolution but fails to describe the energy spectrum. Altering the predicted inverse-beta-decay spectrum from ^{239}Pu fission does not improve the agreement with the measurement for either model. The models can be brought into better agreement with the measurements if either the predicted spectrum due to ^{235}U fission is changed or the predicted ^{235}U, ^{238}U, ^{239}Pu, and ^{241}Pu spectra are changed in equal measure.

Precision Measurement of Reactor Antineutrino Oscillation at Kilometer-Scale Baselines by Daya Bay

We present a new determination of the smallest neutrino mixing angle θ_{13} and the mass-squared difference Δm_{32}^{2} using a final sample of 5.55×10^{6} inverse beta-decay (IBD) candidates with the final-state neutron captured on gadolinium. This sample is selected from the complete dataset obtained by the Daya Bay reactor neutrino experiment in 3158 days of operation. Compared to the previous Daya Bay results, selection of IBD candidates has been optimized, energy calibration refined, and treatment of backgrounds further improved. The resulting oscillation parameters are sin^{2}2θ_{13}=0.0851±0.0024, Δm_{32}^{2}=(2.466±0.060)×10^{-3}  eV^{2} for the normal mass ordering or Δm_{32}^{2}=-(2.571±0.060)×10^{-3}  eV^{2} for the inverted mass ordering.

Scalable Interlayer Nanostructure Design for High-Rate (10C) Submicron Silicon-Film Electrode by Incorporating Silver Nanoparticles

High C-rate capability at 10C is a key performance indicator for the commercialization of the next-generation high-charging lithium microbattery. However, silicon (Si) anode satisfying the prerequisite high specific capacity suffers from poor electron/ionic conductivity, seriously limiting the 10C rate capability. Accordingly, we propose the strategy of inserting highly conductive silver nanoparticles (AgNPs) as an interlayer between two RF-sputtered amorphous Si thin films to form an Si/Ag/Si multilayered anode, with the density and spatial distribution of the AgNPs well-controlled by thermal evaporation. This strategy is exclusively beneficial to scale up film thickness for higher capacity. Without AgNPs, the 10C rate performance of the double-layer Si (D_Si) is worse than the single layer (S_Si) in the same total thickness, suggesting the adverse effect of the interface. However, this situation is progressively improved with the AgNPs density incorporated at the interface, where the densest AgNPs anode (D_SiAg3) demonstrated a noticeable improvement reaching 1250 mAh/g at 10 C with a 46% capacity retention rate. By scaling up to triple layers, T_SiAg3 performed the superior 10C rate capability to T_Si, testifying to the scalable potential of the unique design for boosting high-power batteries. Finally, with electrochemical impedance spectroscopy results, a possible mechanism to explain the enhancement in rate capability is subject to where Li-ion diffusion is accelerated by the charge-induced electric field condensing around the AgNPs. This design for a multilayered nanocomposite can contribute to the design and fabrication of high-charging batteries and battery-on-chip.

Pediatric Cardiology Fellowship Standards for Training in Exercise Medicine and Curriculum Outline

Over the past 2 decades, fundamentals of exercise medicine, including clinical exercise testing, assessment and promotion of physical activity, exercise prescription, and supervised exercise training/rehabilitation programming have demonstrated considerable clinical value in the management of children and adolescents with congenital and acquired heart disease. Although the principles of exercise medicine have become an integral component in pediatric cardiology, there are no standardized training recommendations for exercise physiology during pediatric cardiology fellowship at this time. Thus, the Pediatric Cardiology Exercise Medicine Curriculum Committee (PCEMCC) was formed to establish core and advanced exercise physiology training recommendations for pediatric cardiology trainees. The PCEMCC includes a diverse group of pediatric cardiologists, exercise physiologists, and fellowship program directors. The expert consensus training recommendations are by no means a mandate and are summarized herein, including suggestions for achieving the minimum knowledge and training needed for general pediatric cardiology practice.

[Factors associated with death and attrition in HIV-infected children under initial antiretroviral therapy in Guangxi Zhuang Autonomous Region, 2004 - 2019]

Objective: To investigate death and attrition in HIV-infected children under initial antiretroviral therapy (ART) and associated factors in Guangxi Zhuang autonomous region. Methods: This retrospective cohort study was conducted in HIV-infected children under initial ART in Guangxi from 2004 to 2019, data from ART information system of National comprehensive AIDS prevention and treatment information system. Cox proportional hazards models were used to assess factors associated with the death and attrition. Results: In 943 HIV-infected children, the overall mortality and attrition rates were 1.00/100 person-years and 0.77/100 person-years, respectively. The mortality and attrition rates within the first year of ART were 3.90/100 person-years and 1.67/100 person-years, respectively. The cumulative survival rate during the first, second, fifth and tenth year after ART was 96.14%, 95.80%, 93.68% and 91.54%, respectively. Multivariate Cox proportional hazards models results showed that being female (aHR=2.00, 95%CI: 1.17-3.40), CD4⁺T lymphocytes (CD4) counts before ART <200 cells/μl (aHR=2.79, 95%CI: 1.54-5.06), weight-for-age Z score before ART <-2 (aHR=2.38, 95%CI: 1.32-4.26), hemoglobin before ART <80 g/L (aHR=2.47, 95%CI: 1.24-4.92), initial ART with LPV/r (aHR=5.05, 95%CI: 1.15-22.12) were significantly associated with death; being female (aHR=2.23, 95%CI: 1.22-4.07) and initial ART with LPV/r (aHR=2.02, 95%CI: 1.07-3.79) were significantly associated with attrition. Conclusions: The effect of ART in HIV-infected children in Guangxi was better, but the mortality and attrition rates were high within the first year of treatment. It is necessary to strengthen the training in medical staff and health education in HIV-infected children and their parents in order to improve the treatment effect.

[Analysis of HIV transmission hotspots and characteristics of cross-regional transmission in Guangxi Zhuang Autonomous Region based on molecular network]

Objective: To analyze HIV transmission hotspots and characteristics of cross-regional transmission in Guangxi Zhuang autonomous region (Guangxi) based on the molecular network analysis, and provide evidence for optimization of precise AIDS prevention and control strategies. Methods: A total of 5 996 HIV pol sequences sampled from Guangxi between 1997 and 2020 were analyzed together with 165 534 published HIV pol sequences sampled from other regions. HIV-TRACE was used to construct molecular network in a pairwise genetic distance threshold of 0.5%. Results: The proportion of HIV sequences entering the molecular network of HIV transmission hotspots in Guangxi was 31.5% (1 886/5 996). In the molecular network of HIV cross-regional transmission, the links within Guangxi accounted for 51.6% (2 613/5 062), the links between Guangxi and other provinces in China accounted for 48.0% (2 430/5 062), and the links between Guangxi and other countries accounted for 0.4% (19/5 062). The main regions which had cross-regional linked with Guangxi were Guangdong (49.5%, 1 212/2 449), Beijing (17.5%, 430/2 449), Shanghai (6.9%, 168/2 449), Sichuan (5.7%, 140/2 449), Yunnan (4.2%, 102/2 449), Shaanxi (3.8%, 93/2 449), Zhejiang (2.8%, 69/2 449), Hainan (2.0%, 49/2 449), Anhui (1.5%, 37/2 449), Jiangsu (1.3%, 33/2 449), and other regions (each one <1.0%), respectively. The risk factors of entering the molecular network of HIV transmission hotspots in Guangxi included being aged ≥50 years (compared with being aged 25-49 years, aOR=1.68,95%CI:1.46-1.95), males (compared with females, aOR=1.21,95%CI:1.05-1.40), being single (compared with being married, aOR=1.18,95%CI:1.00-1.39), having education level of high school or above (compared with having education level of junior high school or below, aOR=1.21,95%CI:1.04-1.42), acquired HIV through homosexual intercourse (compared with acquired with HIV through heterosexual intercourse, aOR=1.77, 95%CI:1.48-2.12). The risk factors of cross-regional transmission included males (compared with females, aOR=1.74,95%CI:1.13-2.75), having education level of high school or above (compared with having education level of junior high school or below, aOR=1.96,95%CI:1.43-2.69), being freelancer/unemployed/retired (compared with being farmers, aOR=1.50,95%CI:1.07-2.11), acquired HIV through homosexual intercourse (compared with acquired with HIV through heterosexual intercourse, aOR=3.28,95%CI:2.30-4.72). Conclusion: There are HIV transmission hotspots in Guangxi. Guangxi and other provinces in China form a complex cross-regional transmission network. Future studies should carry out social network surveys in high-risk populations inferred from the molecular network analysis for the timely identification of hidden transmission chains and reduction of the second-generation transmission of HIV.

First Measurement of High-Energy Reactor Antineutrinos at Daya Bay

This Letter reports the first measurement of high-energy reactor antineutrinos at Daya Bay, with nearly 9000 inverse beta decay candidates in the prompt energy region of 8-12 MeV observed over 1958 days of data collection. A multivariate analysis is used to separate 2500 signal events from background statistically. The hypothesis of no reactor antineutrinos with neutrino energy above 10 MeV is rejected with a significance of 6.2 standard deviations. A 29% antineutrino flux deficit in the prompt energy region of 8-11 MeV is observed compared to a recent model prediction. We provide the unfolded antineutrino spectrum above 7 MeV as a data-based reference for other experiments. This result provides the first direct observation of the production of antineutrinos from several high-Q_{β} isotopes in commercial reactors.

Joint Determination of Reactor Antineutrino Spectra from ^{235}U and ^{239}Pu Fission by Daya Bay and PROSPECT

A joint determination of the reactor antineutrino spectra resulting from the fission of ^{235}U and ^{239}Pu has been carried out by the Daya Bay and PROSPECT Collaborations. This Letter reports the level of consistency of ^{235}U spectrum measurements from the two experiments and presents new results from a joint analysis of both data sets. The measurements are found to be consistent. The combined analysis reduces the degeneracy between the dominant ^{235}U and ^{239}Pu isotopes and improves the uncertainty of the ^{235}U spectral shape to about 3%. The ^{235}U and ^{239}Pu antineutrino energy spectra are unfolded from the jointly deconvolved reactor spectra using the Wiener-SVD unfolding method, providing a data-based reference for other reactor antineutrino experiments and other applications. This is the first measurement of the ^{235}U and ^{239}Pu spectra based on the combination of experiments at low- and highly enriched uranium reactors.

Ultrasound Localization of Nitinol Wire of Sub-Wavelength Dimension

Goal: To enhance endovascular navigation using surgical guidewires and the use of ionizing radiation, we demonstrate a method for ultrasonic localization of wires with diameters less than the wavelength of ultrasound in the medium. Methods: Nitinol wires with diameters ranging from 50 μm to 250 μm were imaged ultrasonically in a 0.25-in-diameter water-filled tube in a gelatin medium. Imaging frequencies were 5 MHz, 7.5 MHZ, and 10 MHz. Results: For the full range of diameters traversing the phantom, the wires were localized successfully via visual inspection of both regular and difference ultrasound images. Similarly, two convolutional neural networks were trained, and both achieved an accuracy of over 95%. Conclusions: Wires with diameters as small as 50 μm were localized successfully in a water-based gelatin phantom, indicating the potential use of ultrasound to enhance endovascular navigation and surgical treatment.

[Choices of emergency treatment and surgical method for ruptured abdominal aortic aneurysms]

Objective: To investigate the emergency management process of ruptured abdominal aortic aneurysm (RAAA), and analyze the perioperative mortality factors of different surgical methods. Methods: The emergency data and hospitalization data of 91 patients with ruptured abdominal aortic aneurysm in Xiangya Hospital of Central South University from June 2010 to June 2019 were retrospectively analyzed.Twelve of the patients died preoperatively due to excessive blood loss, and the remaining 79 patients were hospitalized for open surgery (OSR) or endovascular repair (EVAR).The differences in age, time to hospital arrival, emergency preparation time, first creatinine value, emergency infusion volume, preoperative drop in blood pressure, preoperative use of vasoactive drugs and iliac artery involvement were compared between preoperative death group (n=12) and preoperative survival group (n=79), OSR group (n=50) and EVAR group (n=29), postoperative death group (n=23) and postoperative survival group (n=56). Results: Seventy-nine patients received open surgery or endovascular repair, and 23 died after operation. Age, time to hospital arrival, first creatinine value and emergency infusion volume were (77±11) years, (18±5)h, (469±150) μmol/L, (4 140±1 743) ml in the preoperative death group and (70±10) years, (12±8) h, (228±174) μmol/L, (1 358±1 211) ml in the preoperative survival group, respectively, and the differences were statistically significant (all P<0.05). There were no significant differences in preoperative data, intraoperative treatment and postoperative perioperative mortality between the open surgery group and the endovascular repair group (all P>0.05). The intraoperative blood loss, operation time and aortic occlusion rate in the endovascular repair group were 100 (50, 175) ml, (3.2±0.9) h, 13.8%, respectively, which were better than that in the open surgery group 1700 (600, 3425) ml, (5.2±1.1) h, 100%. The differences were statistically significant (all P<0.05). Age, emergency preparation time, first creatinine value, emergency infusion volume, blood pressure decline rate and vasoactive drug utilization rate in the death group were (77±8) years, (4.1±1.7) h, (456±172) μmol/L, (2 024±1 687) ml, 100%, 100%, respectively, and (68±10) years, (2.7±2.2) h, (135±26) μmol/L, (1 085±825) ml, 21.4%, 12.5% in the survival group, respectively. The differences were statistically significant (all P<0.05). Conclusions: Age, emergency preparation time, first creatinine value, emergency infusion volume, decreased blood pressure and use of vasoactive drugs are all associated with perioperative death in patients with ruptured abdominal aortic aneurysm. EVAR surgery is a better choice if conditions exist.

[Comparison of the accuracy of intraocular lens power calculation formulas based on the new swept-source optical coherence tomography biometry]

Objective: To compare the accuracy of 6 intraocular lens power calculation formulas based on the new swept-source optical coherence tomography biometry and to analyze the prediction error. Methods: Retrospective case series study. Clinical data were collected from 599 patients (599 eyes) who had underwent uncomplicated phacoemulsification and the IOLMaster 700 examination at the Eye Hospital of Wenzhou Medical University between November 2018 and November 2019. Among the patients, there were 208 males and 391 females with an age of (69±10) years. According to the axial length (AL), eyes were divided into the short AL group (≤22.5 mm, n=100), the normal AL group (>22.5 mm and<25.5 mm, n=375); and the long AL group (≥25.5 mm, n=124). Eyes were also grouped based on the mean keratometry (Km) as flat (≤42.00 D, n=47), normal (>42.00 D to<46.00 D, n=461), and steep (≥46.00 D, n=91), and by anterior chamber depth (ACD) as shallow (≤2.5 mm, n=71), normal (>2.5 mm to<3.5 mm, n=436), and deep (≥3.5 mm, n=92). The median absolute errors (MedAEs) of the Barrett Universal Ⅱ, Haigis, Hoffer Q, Holladay Ⅰ, Holladay Ⅱ, and SRK/T formulas in different AL, Km, and ACD groups were compared using the Friedman test. Results: The differences in MedAE among the 6 formulas of 599 patients (599 eyes) were statistically significant (χ²=120.549, P<0.001). The MedAE of the Barrett Universal Ⅱ formula was smallest (0.35 D), followed by the SRK/T formula (0.36 D). There was no significant difference between the MedAEs of the Barrett universal Ⅱ and Haigis, SRK/T formula (all P=1.000), but there were statistically significant differences among the other formulas (all P<0.01). In different AL groups, the MedAE of each formula was statistically different (χ²=38.307, 38.779, 112.997; all P<0.01).The Barrett Universal Ⅱ formula resulted in the lowest MedAE in the short AL group (0.40 D) and the long AL group (0.31 D). The MedAE of the SRK/T in the normal AL group was lowest (0.35 D). The 6 formulas showed significant differences in MedAE values in different Km groups (χ²=12.284, 90.924, 39.387; all P<0.05).The Haigis formula achieved the lowest MedAE in the flat Km group (0.26 D) and the steep Km group (0.34 D). The Barrett UniversalⅡ formula achieved the lowest MedAE in the normal Km group (0.33 D). The differences in MedAE values of the 6 formulas in different ACD groups were statistically significant (χ²=37.389, 57.643, 52.845; all P<0.01), and the MedAE values of the Barrett Universal Ⅱ in different ACD groups were smallest (0.46, 0.33, 0.31 D). Conclusions: The Barrett Universal Ⅱ formula perform the best over the entire AL range, followed by the Haigis and SRK/T formulas. The Barrett Universal Ⅱ formula result in the lowest prediction error in the short AL group, the long AL group, and all ACD groups. The Haigis formula may be more accurate when the Km was ≤42.00 D or ≥46.00 D. (Chin J Ophthalmol, 2021, 57: 502-511).

[Expression and significance of chemokine CXCL12 and receptor CXCR4 in adenomyosis]

Objective: To observe the expression, correlation and significance of chemokine (C-X-C motif) ligand 12 (CXCL12) and chemokine (C-X-C motif) receptor 4 (CXCR4) in endometrium and myometrium of adenomyosis. Methods: Totally 38 patients were selected in this study, who underwent hysterectomy for adenomyosis at Beijing Obstetrics and Gynecology Hospital from October 2017 to December 2018 as the adenomyosis group, and, in the same period, selected 31 patients with cervical intraepithelial neoplasia Ⅲ or cervical cancer undergoing hysterectomy served as control group. The expression levels of mRNA and protein for CXCL12, CXCR4 in the endometrium and myometrium of the two groups were detected by immunohistochemistry and real-time PCR. Results: (1) The protein levels of CXCL12 and CXCR4 in endometrium in uterus with adenomyosis (0.229±0.025 and 0.226±0.016) were significantly higher than those in endometrium in uterus without adenomyosis (0.153±0.018 and 0.178±0.026); compared with each other, the differences were statistically significant (all P<0.05). And the expressions of CXCL12 and CXCR4 proteins in uterine myometrium of adenomyosis were 0.222±0.045 and 0.126±0.058, respectively, which were higher than those in the control group (0.091±0.029 and 0.099±0.020); compared with each other, the differences were statistically significant (all P<0.05). (2) The expression levels of CXCL12 and CXCR4 mRNA in endometrium of patients with adenomyosis were 6.31±0.12 and 8.49±0.21, respectively, which were higher than those in the control group (1.23±0.10 and 1.36±0.13); compared with each other, the differences were statistically significant (all P<0.05). Moreover, the expression levels of CXCL12 and CXCR4 mRNA in myometrium of patients with adenomyosis were 9.11±0.12 and 8.45±0.16, respectively, which were higher than those in the control group (1.18±0.08 and 1.46±0.13); compared with each other, the differences were statistically significant (all P<0.05). (3) In endometrium and myometrium of uterus with adenomyosis, CXCL12 and CXCR4 mRNA expression levels were positively associated (r=0.478, 0.542, all P<0.05). Conclusions: The levels of CXCL12 and CXCR4 in the endometrium and myometrium of adenomyosis are increased and positively correlated. The two chemokine may be involved in the development of adenomyosis.

Biological Characteristics and Genetic Diversity of Phomopsis asparagi, Causal Agent of Asparagus Stem Blight

Asparagus stem blight is a regional disease. In the present study, we compared strains of Phomopsis asparagi from six different provinces to determine their biological characteristics and genetic diversity, differences in the pycnidium and conidium production, pathogenicity, and growth rate. Considerable differences were established in the pycnidium and conidium production among the P. asparagi strains from the six studied provinces. The largest pycnidium and conidium production had the strains from Fujian, followed by those from Hainan. The virulence of P. asparagi strains was significantly different but without a correlation with the geographical source of the strain. FJ2 had the highest virulence, followed by HN2, SD4, and SD5, whereas SD5 had the lowest virulence. The colony diameter and dry weight of the strains of asparagus stem blight fungus from the six provinces were substantially different. The colonies of HN1-5 had the largest diameters, whereas those of XT1-5, LT1-3, FJ1-5, and SX6 had smaller diameters. Four primers with good repeatability and strong specificity were selected from 100 intersimple sequence repeat (ISSR) primers. ISSR-PCR amplification was performed on 36 strains of asparagus stem blight fungus, and a large number of repeatable DNA fingerprints were obtained. Most of the amplified fragments were within 300 to 500 bp. In all, 69 total points, 64 multiple points, and 92.75% polymorphism points were established. The number of ISSR gene sites detected by four primers ranged from 14 to 20, with an average of 16 multiple sites. The copolymerization was divided into three groups: XT1-5, LT1-3, and FJ1-5, which were clustered into the first group; SD1-6, SX1-6, and HB1-6, clustered into the second group; and HN1-5 in the third group. The results of the cluster analysis revealed that the strains of the neighboring provinces had a nearer phylogenetic relationship than that between distant ones. Therefore, the system evolution of P. asparagi is related to the geographical distribution of its strains.

[Pepsin and bile acids detection in saliva for the diagnosis of gastroesophageal reflux disease]

Objective: To identify the value of the detection of pepsin and bile acids in saliva for the diagnosis of gastroesophageal reflux disease(GERD). Methods: From January 2018 to June 2019, 104 GERD patients and 43 healthy people in Guangdong Provincial People's Hospital were recruited. The 104 patients of GERD group were divided into four sub-groups, including esophageal symptoms GERD group, extraesophageal symptoms GERD group, anxiety or depression group, non-anxiety and non-depression group. Saliva was collected on waking in morning and 2 h after finishing lunch. The concentration of the total pepsin(TPP) and total bile acids(TBA) from saliva was detected by ELISA method. Receiver operating characteristics analysis was used to identify the sensitivity and specificity of the saliva pepsin and bile acids detection. Results: The concentration of TPP in morning waking samples and postprandial samples in the GERD group was 27.1(9.7,50.3) μg/L and 32.4(14.0,58.7) μg/L, the concentration of TBA in postprandial samples was (18.4±2.3)μmol/L, and these levels were significantly higher than that of the control group [7.0(5.1, 9.1) μg/L, 7.4(5.2, 9.4) μg/L, (12.6±5.0)μmol/L](P<0.01). The concentration of TBA in morning waking samples had no significant difference between these two groups(P>0.05). The concentration of TPP and TBA had no significant difference among the four GERD sub-groups(P>0.05).Pepsin in postprandial saliva samples had moderate diagnostic value for GERD, when the saliva pepsin concentration in postprandial samples was higher than 41.33 μg/L, it had a sensitivity of 82.8% and a specificity of 73.3%. The bile acids in saliva had no significant diagnostic value for GERD. Conclusions: Pepsin detection in saliva has a high level of sensitivity and specificity for diagnosing GERD. However, bile acids in saliva has no significant diagnostic value for GERD.

[Characteristics of newly reported HIV/AIDS cases with non-marital or non-commercial heterosexual transmission in Guangxi Zhuang Autonomous Region, 2015-2018]

Objective: To understand the characteristics and associated factors of newly reported HIV/AIDS cases with non-marital or non-commercial heterosexual transmission, in Guangxi Zhuang Autonomous Region (Guangxi), 2015-2018. Methods: Information of newly reported HIV/AIDS cases aged ≥18 years in Guangxi between 2015 and 2018 was collected from the National Comprehensive HIV/AIDS Information System. Unconditional logistic regression model was used to access those factors that were associated with HIV infections through non-marital or non-commercial heterosexual contact. Results: Between 2015 and 2018, a total number of 35 497 HIV/AIDS cases, aged ≥18 years were newly reported in Guangxi. Among them, 32 648 (92.0%) were infected heterosexually while 10 500 were infected through non-marital or non-commercial heterosexual behavior. Non-marital or non-commercial heterosexual transmission accounted for 29.6% (10 500/35 497) of the newly reported HIV/AIDS cases, and 32.2% (10 500/32 648) of those with heterosexual transmission. Males counted for 53.5% (5 617/10 500) of non-marital or non-commercial heterosexual transmission and males to females ratio was 1.2∶1 (5 617∶4 883). Those married or had regular sexual partners counted for 55.9% (5 873/10 500). Commercial heterosexual transmission appeared the main mode of HIV transmission for males (64.4%,16 516/25 633) while main mode for females was non-marital or non-commercial heterosexual transmission and counted for 49.5% (4 883/9 864). Results from the multivariate logistic regression analysis showed that adjusted OR of female HIV/AIDS infected HIV via non-marital or non-commercial heterosexual transmission, was 3.98 times (95%CI: 3.78-4.20) hight than that of males. Among the group aged<50 years and the aged 50-59 years, the adjusted ORs were 1.35 times (95%CI: 1.27-1.44) and 1.13 times (95%CI: 1.05-1.21) hight than that of aged ≥60 years. Those who were single/divorced/widowed, the adjusted OR was 1.53 times (95%CI: 1.45-1.61) hight than that of those married/regular partners. Those with junior high school education, high school education and above the adjusted ORs were 1.22 times (95%CI: 1.16-1.29) and 1.18 times (95%CI: 1.10-1.27), compared to those only with education levels of primary school or below. Conclusions: The number of HIV/AIDS cases via non-marital or non-commercial heterosexual transmission accounted for nearly 30.0% of all the routes of HIV transmission in Guangxi, 2015-2018. Female, aged<60 years old, single/divorced/widowed and having had junior and above high school education etc., appeared as risk factors on non-marital or non-commercial heterosexual transmission, among newly reported HIV/AIDS in Guangxi.

The short-term effect and safety of duloxetine in osteoarthritis: A systematic review and meta-analysis

BACKGROUND

Previous clinical trials indicated that duloxetine may be effective in the treatment of osteoarthritis (OA) pain. This meta-analysis is conducted to evaluate short term analgesic effect and safety of duloxetine in the treatment of OA.

METHODS

Electronic databases were searched in February 2019, including PUBMED, EMBASE, Cochrane Database of Systematic Reviews, Cochrane Central Register of Controlled Trials, Web of Science. All eligible studies should be randomized controlled trials (RCTs) comparing duloxetine treatment group to placebo about OA pain relief and safety outcomes.

RESULTS

Five RCTs with 2059 patients were involved in this systematic review and meta-analysis. Compared to placebo, duloxetine treatment showed significant better result, with higher reduction pain intensity (mean difference [MD] = -0.77, P < .00001), higher rates of both 30% and 50% reduction in pain severity (risk ratio [RR] = 1.42, P < .00001; RR = 1.62, P < .00001), lower mean Patient Global Improvement-Inventory (PGI-I) score (MD = -0.48, P < .00001). The results of the Western Ontario and McMaster Universities (WOMAC) score change from baseline to endpoint also favored duloxetine treatment group in all four categories, including total (MD = -5.43, P < .00001), pain (MD = -1.63, P = .001), physical function (MD = -4.22, P < .00001), and stiffness score (MD = -0.58, P < .00001). There were higher rates of treatment-emergent adverse events (TEAEs) (RR = 1.32, P < .00001) and discontinuation (RR = 1.88, P < .00001) in duloxetine group. However, there was no significant difference in the incidence of severe adverse events (SAEs) between these 2 groups (RR = 0.84, P = .68).

CONCLUSION

Duloxetine was an effective and safe choice to improve pain and functional outcome in OA patients. However, further studies are still needed to find out the optimal dosage for OA and examine its long-term efficacy and safety.

TRIAL REGISTRATION NUMBER

CRD42019128862.

[Post-marketing multi-center safety surveillance of inactivated enterovirus A71 vaccine (Vero cell)]

Objective: To evaluate the post-marketing safety profiles of the inactivated enterovirus type 71 (EV-A71) vaccine (Vero cell) after routine inoculation. Methods: Eleven cities of Zhejiang Province, Fengtai district of Beijing, Qinnan district, two counties as Pingle and Pingguo of Guangxi Zhuang Autonomous Region, and Dongtai city of Jiangsu Province were selected as the field sites. A total of 45 239 subjects were enrolled in this study from children who seeked the vaccination of EV-A71 vaccine during the period from July, 2016 to June, 2018. Different sampling method were adopted in different sites. All vaccinated children were invited to participate in the study in Fengtai and Dongtai, however, systematic sampling method were adopted in other sites. Active surveillance was conducted and information about adverse reactions (ARs) occurred in 30 min, 3 d and 30 d following each dose of EV-A71 immunization was collected by field observation, phone-call or face-to-face interview. The incidence of ARs in different types, symptoms and grades were described. Results: In total, there were 45 239 children who received 71 243 doses EV-A71 vaccine. The overall incidence of ARs was 1.079% (769 doses), with the highest incidence of 1.182% (177/14 973) in 5-11 month group and the lowest incidence of 0.849% (18/2 119) in ≥ 36 month group among different age groups. There was a higher incidence in solicited ARs, which was 1.047% (746 doses). The incidences of grade 1 and grade 2 ARs were also higher, which were 0.404% (288 doses) and 0.554% (395 doses), respectively. No grade 4 ARs occurred. The doses of the first and the second vaccination was 40 736 and 30 507, respectively, and the incidences of ARs were 1.281% (522 doses) and 0.810% (247 doses). Also, the incidences of ARs were 0.091% (37 doses) and 0.043% (13 doses) in local, and 1.168% (476 doses) and 0.760% (232 doses) in system. The symptoms of ARs after the two doses of vaccination were basically the same. Redness at the injection site was the most common local ARs after each dose vaccination, with doses of 24 and 11, while fever was the most common systemic ARs, with doses of 362 and 190. Moreover, ARs mainly occurred in 30 min to 3 d after each dose vaccination, with incidence of 1.016% (414 doses) and 0.698% (213 doses) in the first and second dose, respectively. Conclusion: The ARs had a low incidence after vaccination in children and most were mild or moderate. EV-A71 vaccine with good safety is suitable for inoculation in a large scale.

[Dynamic variations of BMI and influencing factors among HIV/AIDS patients receiving highly active antiretroviral therapy in Liuzhou, Guangxi Zhuang Autonomous Region, 2013-2014]

Objective: To understand the dynamic variation of BMI and influencing factors among HIV/AIDS patients receiving highly active anti-retroviral therapy (HAART) in Liuzhou, Guangxi Zhuang Autonomous Region (Guangxi). Methods: HIV/AIDS patients receiving HAART for the first time since 1 January 2013 were selected. Data on BMI was analyzed among patients receiving HAART at baseline,6 months and 12 months after treatment. By using the general linear model repeated measures of analysis of variance, BMI dynamic variations and influencing factors were described and analyzed. Results: The average BMI of 2 871 patients at baseline, 6th months and 12th months appeared as (20.65±3.32), (20.87±3.22) and (21.18±3.20), respectively, with differences all statistically significant (F=18.86, P<0.001). BMI were increasing over time with treatments (F=37.25, P<0.001). Main influencing factors were noticed as: age, sex, marital status, baseline data of CD(4)(+)T cells and the WHO classification on clinical stages. Conclusions: Higher proportion of BMI malnutrition counts was seen among patients before receiving HAART in Liuzhou. BMI of the patients that were on HAART seemed being influenced by many factors. It is necessary to select appropriate treatment protocols on different patients so as to improve the nutritional status of the patients.

Application of 3D printing technology on the treatment of complex proximal humeral fractures (Neer3-part and 4-part) in old people

PURPOSE

This study was conducted to investigate the feasibility and clinical potential of using the 3D printing technology (3DPT) versus typical strategy (thin-layer CT scan) for the treatment of complicated proximal humeral fractures (PHFs) in old people.

METHODS

Sixty-six old patients age ranging from 61 to 76 years with persistent complicated PHFs were randomly assigned to two groups as per the controlled randomization table (34 cases in the test group and 32 cases in the control group). In the test group, 3DPT was applied to build the 3D facture model of a patient, according to the data acquired from the thin-layer CT scan and subsequently processed with Mimics software. This helped to confirm the diagnosis, design the individual operation plan, simulate the surgical procedures and perform the surgery as plan. In the control group, only thin-layer CT scan was applied for the design of the operation plan prior to the surgery. Here, parameters including surgery duration, blood loss volume during surgery, the number of fluoroscopy, time to union were statistically analyzed for two groups after the operation. The screw lengths designed before the surgery and measured during the surgery were compared.

RESULTS

The 3D PHF model generated using 3DPT was able to provide the visual display and omni-directional observation of the direction and severity of the fracture dislocation, which facilitated preoperative diagnosis, operation planning and design, data measurement, preselection of internal fixator and surgical outcome simulation. According to the follow-up ranging from 12∼28 months for the 66 patients, the results showed no significant difference in time to union between the two groups (P>0.05). Apart from that, less surgery duration, less blood loss during surgery, less number of fluoroscopy can be observed compared with the control group (P<0.05).

CONCLUSIONS

In this study, 3DPT showed great clinical feasibility of the treatment of complicated PHFs. The 3D-print PHF model had the ability to clearly display the fracture and thus was useful to determine the fracture classification and the magnitude of fracture injury. It benefited surgeons to gain a better understanding of complicated PHFs, design a most suitable operation plan prior to surgery and facilitate the doctor-patient communication. This therefore enabled the reduction of intraoperative injury and the optimization of surgical outcomes.

[Clinical application of multi-electrode synchronous radiofrequency ablation via switching controller for treating large hepatocellular carcinoma]

Objective: To explore the preliminary clinical efficacy and safety of multi-electrode synchronous radiofrequency ablation via switching controller for treating large hepatocellular carcinoma. Methods: A total of 20 patients with large hepatocellular carcinoma from minimally invasive Interventional department of Sun Yat-sen University Cancer Center were enrolled in this retrospective study from December 2013 to December 2014.The procedures were conducted with multi-electrode synchronous radiofrequency ablation via switching controller under CT guidance.The necrosis rate of tumor was assessed by the following imaging examination.The single factor analysis of variance (ANOVA) was employed to compare the total bilirubin, albumin, renal function, blood coagulation function before and after ablation, to evaluate the safety of treatment. Result: Twenty patients with a total of 31 lesions accepted 23 times ablation procedures using multi-electrode synchronous radiofrequency ablation via switching controller.The recent evaluation after treatment was as followed: complete necrosis rate 51.6% (16/31), nearly complete necrosis rate 22.6% (7/31), partial necrosis rate 9.7% (3/31), treatment effectiveness rate (necrosis rate > 50%) 83.9%.The necrosis rate which was less than half volume of the tumor was only seen in 5 cases with huge hepatocellular carcinoma (16.1%). No dead cases appeared after ablation procedures.The patients' total bilirubin elevated moderately after ablation procedures and reversed to normal level after liver function protection treatment.There were no statistical differences of renal function and blood coagulation function before and after ablation.After ablation procedures, 5 cases (21.7%, 5/23) appeared fever, 6 cases (26.1%) with vomiting, only 3 cases (13.0%, 3/23) with moderately severe pain in 3 days after ablation and remitted after taking oral analgesics in one week. Conclusion: The clinical efficacy of multi-electrode synchronous radiofrequency ablation via switching controller for large hepatocellular carcinoma is satisfactory with guaranteed security, which can be a choice for treating large hepatocellular carcinoma.

[Finite element analysis of astigmatic keratotomy based on corneal biomechanical properties]

OBJECTIVE

To establish a finite-element biomechanical model of astigmatic keratotomy, and to investigate the impact of surgical parameters on corneal deformation, stress distribution and astigmatism correction.

METHODS

With Rhinoceros modeling and Abaqus finite element analysis software, a three-dimensional finite-element model of astigmatic cornea was developed, and surgical parameters such as incision optical zone, incision depth and length were varied. Postoperative corneal stress, apical deformation and astigmatism correction were assessed.

RESULTS

A significant increase of stress was noticed near corneal incisions, and maximum corneal stress decreased with the increase of incision depth. Both anterior and posterior corneal surface moved slightly forward postoperatively. Maximum corneal stress was 340 392, 361 022 and 214 187 Pa, and anterior and posterior apical deformation was 49.80, 51.64, 55.53 μm and 54.15, 55.91, 59.67 μm, with 45°, 60° and 90° in arc length of the incision, respectively. The refractive power decreased in steep meridian and increased in flat meridian, resulting in a total decrease of corneal astigmatism. The magnitude of astigmatism correction was 0.85, 1.59, 2.23 and 3.06 D with 30°, 45°, 60° and 90° in arc length of the incision, respectively.

CONCLUSIONS

The finite-element biomechanical model of astigmatic keratotomy could be used to predict the optical outcomes after surgery. The magnitude of astigmatism correction is positively correlated with the surgical incision arc length. (Chin J Ophthalmol, 2016, 52: 674-680).

[Phenotypic characteristics of LAP(+) CD4(+) T lymphocytes in colorectal cancer tissues]

OBJECTIVE

To analyze the phenotypic characteristics of LAP(+) CD4(+) T lymphocytes and investigate their molecular mechanisms in colorectal cancer (CRC) microenvironment.

METHODS

Fifty colorectal cancer patients treated in our two hospitals from January 2014 to May 2014 were included in this study. Their tumor tissues and adjacent normal tissues, peripheral blood samples, and peripheral blood samples of 25 healthy donors (HD) were collected to isolate the lymphocytes. The different expressions of CCR7, CD45RA, Foxp3, CTLA-4, CCR4 and CCR5 in LAP(+) CD4(+) T and LAP(-)CD4(+) T lymphocytes were analyzed by flow cytometry (FCM).

RESULTS

The FCM assay detected that the percentage of LAP(+) CD4(+) T cells in peripheral blood of the CRC patients were significantly higher than that of HD [(9.44±3.18)% versus (1.49±1.00)%, P<0.001]. In addition, significantly more LAP(+) CD4(+) T cells were also recruited into tumor tissue than those in the tumor-adjacent normal tissue [(11.76±3.74)% versus (3.87±1.64)%, P<0.001]. LAP(+) CD4(+) T cells in the tumor-adjacent normal tissue and peripheral blood of both HDs and CRC patients mainly displayed a central memory phenotype. However, effector memory lymphocytes were predominant in the tumor tissue.In the tumor tissue, the expression of Foxp3 in the LAP(+) CD4(+) T cells was (3.87±1.12)%, significantly lower than that in the LAP(-)CD4(+) T cells (16.70±2.61)%, (P<0.001); the expression of CTLA-4 in the LAP(+) CD4(+) T cells was (36.36±19.14)%, significantly higher than the (19.60±8.91)% in the LAP(-)CD4(+) T cells (P<0.001); the expression of CCR4 in the LAP(+) CD4(+) T cells was (37.72±11.14)%, significantly higher than the (30.06±9.14)% in the LAP(-)CD4(+) T cells (P<0.001); and the expression of CCR5 in the LAP(+) CD4(+) T cells was (18.86±7.10)%, significantly higher than the (13.92±3.31)% in the LAP(-)CD4(+) T cells (P<0.001).

CONCLUSIONS

LAP(+) CD4(+) T cells with low expression of Foxp3 and high expressions of CTLA-4, CCR4 and CCR5 are tend to be enriched and accumulated in the tumor tissue. The unique phenotypic characteristics make these cells a distinct subset of lymphocytes, apparently different from the traditional CD4(+) CD25(+) Treg cells.

Pyrroloquinoline quinone enhances the resistance to oxidative stress and extends lifespan upon DAF-16 and SKN-1 activities in C. elegans

Pyrroloquinoline quinone (PQQ) is linked to fundamental biological processes such as mitochondrial biogenesis and lipid metabolism. PQQ may also function as an essential micronutrient during animal development. Recent studies have shown the therapeutic potential of PQQ for several age-related diseases due to its antioxidant capacity. However, whether PQQ can promote longevity is unknown. Here, we investigate the effects of PQQ on oxidative stress resistance as well as lifespan modulation in Caenorhabditis elegans. We find that PQQ enhances resistance to oxidative stress and extends the lifespan of C. elegans at optimal doses. The underlying molecular mechanism involves the increased activities of the primary lifespan extension transcriptional factors DAF-16/FOXO, the conserved oxidative stress-responsive transcription factor SKN-1/Nrf2, and upregulation of daf-16, skn-1 downstream targets including sod-3, hsp16.2, gst-1 and gst-10. Our findings uncover a novel role of PQQ in longevity, supporting PQQ as a possible dietary supplement for overall health improvement.

Note: Enhancing the sensitivity of roll-angle measurement with a novel interferometric configuration based on waveplates and folding mirror

A novel method for very high resolution measurement of roll angle on a transparent plate is developed theoretically and tested experimentally. The new optical configuration is based on the interferometric readout of phase shift accumulated on the double passage through half wave plate, together with a careful control of polarization state by means of quarter wave plate, and optimizing the tilt of the folding mirror. Sensitivity to roll angle is greatly enhanced and a gain coefficient exceeding 700 is found theoretically, based on Jones' matrix analysis, with a 6-fold increase respect to previous results. In the experimental setup, at the optimum 36° incidence to retroreflector, we measured a gain coefficient of 340. Correspondingly, with an interferometer phase meter resolving 0.01°, a roll-angle resolution 0.1-arc sec is attained.

Derivation of the surface free energy of ZnO and GaN using in situ electron beam hole drilling

Surface free energy, as an intrinsic property, is essential in determining the morphology of materials, but it is extremely difficult to determine experimentally. We report on the derivation of the SE of different facets of ZnO and GaN experimentally from the holes developed using electron beam drilling with transmission electron microscopy. Inverse Wullf's construction is employed to obtain polar maps of the SE of different facets to study different nanomaterials (ZnO and GaN) in different morphologies (nanorod, nanobelt and thin film) to prove its versatility and capability. The results show that the SE of ZnO{10-13} is derived to be 0.99 J m(-2), and the SE of ZnO{10-10} is found to be less than {0002} and {11-20}. A GaN thin film also exhibits a similar trend in the SE of different facets as ZnO and the SE of GaN{10-13} is determined to be 1.36 J m(-2).

Efficient diode-pumped acousto-optic Q-switched Er:Yb:GdAl(3)(BO(3))(4) pulse laser at 1522 nm

End-pumped by a continuous-wave 976 nm diode laser, efficient 1522 nm laser operation was demonstrated in an Er:Yb:GdAl(3)(BO(3))(4) crystal when a sapphire crystal was used as a heat diffuser. A continuous-wave 1522 nm laser with a maximum output power of 750 mW and slope efficiency of 36% was realized at an absorbed pump power of 4.1 W. The pulse performances of an acousto-optic Q-switched laser with various repetition frequencies were investigated in detail. In a repetition frequency range of 1-10 kHz, 1522 nm pulse lasers with a slope efficiency of about 10%, peak output power at the kilowatt level, and width of about 50 ns were first obtained in an Er:Yb:GdAl(3)(BO(3))(4) crystal pumped by a continuous-wave diode laser. The results indicate that the crystal is a promising gain medium for an actively Q-switched 1.5 μm laser.

Crystal Orientation Dynamics of Collective Zn dots before Preferential Nucleation

The island nucleation in the context of heterogeneous thin film growth is often complicated by the growth kinetics involved in the subsequent thermodynamics. We show how the evolution of sputtered Zn island nucleation on Si(111) by magnetron sputtering in a large area can be completely understood as a model system by combining reflective second harmonic generation (RSHG), a 2D pole figure with synchrotron X-ray diffraction. Zn dots are then oxidized on the surfaces when exposed to the atmosphere as Zn/ZnO dots. Derived from the RSHG patterns of Zn dots at different growth times, the Zn dots grow following a unique transition from kinetic to thermodynamic control. Under kinetic-favoring growth, tiny Zn dots prefer arranging themselves with a tilted c-axis to the Si(111) substrate toward any of the sixfold in-plane Si<110> directions. Upon growth, the Zn dots subsequently evolve themselves to a metastable state with a smaller tilting angle toward selective <110> directions. As the Zn dots grow over a critical size, they become most thermodynamically stable with the c-axis vertical to the Si(111) substrate. For a system with large lattice mismatch, small volume dots take kinetic pathways with insignificant deviations in energy barriers.

DNA hypermethylation of the forkhead box protein 3 (FOXP3) promoter in CD4+ T cells of patients with systemic sclerosis

BACKGROUND

Systemic sclerosis (SSc) is a complex autoimmune disease that involves dysregulation of immune homeostasis. The failure of impaired regulatory T cells (Tregs) to maintain immune homeostasis plays a major role in the development of SSc. Transcriptional silencing of the forkhead box protein 3 gene (FOXP3) via hypermethylation of regulatory regions has been identified as a hallmark of committed Tregs and several autoimmune disorders.

OBJECTIVES

To investigate whether aberrant expression and methylation of FOXP3 occurs in CD4+ T cells of patients with SSc and their roles in the pathogenesis of SSc.

METHODS

FOXP3 expression in CD4+ T cells was measured by real-time quantitative reverse-itranscriptase polymerase chain reaction and western blot. Bisulfite sequencing was performed to determine the methylation status of the FOXP3 proximal promoter sequence. The percentage of Treg cells was estimated by flow cytometry.

RESULTS

Decreased FOXP3 expression was observed in CD4+ T cells from patients with SSc. The methylation levels of the FOXP3 regulatory sequences were elevated and inversely correlated with FOXP3 mRNA expression in patients with SSc. The number of Tregs was significantly reduced in patients with SSc. Treatment of SSc CD4+ T cells with a DNA methylation inhibitor, 5-azacytidine, reduced the mean methylation levels, and enhanced FOXP3 expression and Treg generation. The promoter methylation status and expression level of FOXP3 are significantly associated with disease activity.

CONCLUSIONS

The contribution of the hypermethylation of the FOXP3 promoter to decreased FOXP3 expression and the subsequent quantitative defects of Tregs may mediate the immune dysfunction in SSc.

Thulium laser resection for bladder neck obstruction in women

AIM

The aim of this paper was to investigate the efficacy of thulium laser resection of bladder neck in women with bladder neck obstruction (BNO).

METHODS

Clinical information of 86 women with BNO who were treated in our hospital from Jan 2011 to Dec 2012 was retrospectively reviewed; 46 patients received thulium laser resection (group 1), and the remaining patients were treated with standard electric resection (group 2). Maximum urinary flow rate (MFR), residual urine volume (RV), overactive bladder symptom score (OABSS) and quality of life (QOL) were determined before and after surgery. These patients were followed up at 1 week, 3 months, and 12 months after surgery.

RESULTS

The RV levels after surgery in groups 1 were significantly lower than those before operation. MFR significantly increased after surgery when compared with preoperation, OABSS and QOL score markedly decreased at 3 months after surgery (P<0.05). Thulium laser resection had advantages in postoperative catheter retaining time (2.18±0.73 d vs. 4.24±1.01 d), postoperative hospitalization time (3.25±0.61 d vs. 4.73±1.41 d), Intraoperative blood loss (11.5±1.53 mL vs. 32.32±8.53 mL) and total cost ($1415±71 vs. $1148±59) over standard electric resection (P<0.05), but the operative time was comparable between two groups (18.36±5.45 min vs. 19.25±7.08 min) (P >0.05). In group 2, urethral stricture was seen in 1 patient, and two patients suffered from temporary incontinence, being back to normal in one month. However, urethral stricture and incontinence were not observed in group 1.

CONCLUSION

Thulium laser resection is a simple, safe and effective strategy for the treatment of bladder neck obstruction in women.

Right mini-parasternotomy may be a good minimally invasive alternative to full sternotomy for cardiac valve operations-a propensity-adjusted analysis

AIM

Limited realworld data existed for miniparasternotomy approach with good sample size in Asian cohorts and most previous studies were eclipsed by case heterogeneity. The goal of this study was to compare safety and quality outcomes of cardiac noncoronary valve operations by miniparasternotomy and full sternotomy approaches on riskadjusted basis.

METHODS

From our hospital database, we retrieved the cases of non-coronary valve operations from 1 January 2005 to 31 December 2012, including re-do, emergent, and combined procedures. Estimated EuroScore-II and propensity score for choosing mini-parasternotomy were adjusted for in the regression models on hospital mortality, complications (pneumonia, stroke, sepsis, etc.), and quality parameters (length of stay, ICU time, ventilator time, etc.). Non-complicated cases, defined as survival to discharge, ventilator use not over one week, and intensive care unit stay not over two weeks, were used for quality parameters.

RESULTS

There were 283 miniparasternotomy and 177 full sternotomy cases. EuroScore-II differed significantly (medians 2.1 vs. 4.7, p<0.001). Propensity scores for choosing miniparasternotomy were higher with lower EuroScore-II (OR=0.91 per 1%, p<0.001), aortic regurgitation (OR=2.3, p=0.005), and aortic non-mitral valve disease (OR=3.9, p<0.001). Adjusted for propensity score and EuroScore-II, mini-parasternotomy group had less pneumonia (OR=0.32, p=0.043), less sepsis (OR=0.31, p=0.045), and shorter non-complicated length of stay (coefficient=7.2 (day), p<0.001) than full sternotomy group, whereas Kaplan-Meier survival, non-complicated ICU time, non-complicated ventilator time, and 30-day mortality did not differ significantly.

CONCLUSION

The propensity-adjusted analysis demonstrated encouraging safety and quality outcomes for mini-parasternotomy valve operation in carefully selected patients.

First Report of Downy Mildew Caused by Plasmopara obducens on Impatiens in Taiwan

In February 2013, single and double flowered impatiens (Impatiens walleriana Hook. f.) affected by downy mildew were observed in nurseries (cv. Accent) and in the wild in central Taiwan. More than 90% of the plants were infected in areas where the disease broke out. Symptomatic leaves showed yellowing, with white, fungal-like structure covering the lower leaf surfaces, causing the plants to become wilted and defoliated. Under microscopic observation, hyaline, thin-walled sporangiophores branched monopodially and had slightly swollen bases. Three apical branchlets were at right angles to the main axis, measuring 4.3-15.0 μm (average 8.5 μm). Sporangia were hyaline, ovoid, with an average length and width of 14.2 (10.0 to 18.0) × 12.1 (9.3 to 15.0) μm. For molecular categorization, PCR amplification of the 5' end of the large ribosomal subunit gene was performed with primers NL1 and NL4 (2). The amplicons were cloned, sequenced, and deposited in GenBank (Accession Nos. KC905620 and KC905621). The sequence similarities were 99% compared with that of Plasmopara obducens (J. Schröt.) J. Schröt from Florida (JX217746) (3). Based on morphological and molecular characters, the pathogen was identified as P. obducens. Three voucher specimens (TNM Nos. F0026644, F0026645, and F0026646) were deposited in the herbarium of the National Museum of Natural Science, Taichung, Taiwan. Pathogenicity was confirmed by inoculation of five young, potted impatiens plants with a suspension containing 1 × 10⁵ sporangia/ml in 0.05% Tween 20 (approximately 8 ml/plant). An additional five plants sprayed with 0.05% Tween 20 served as negative controls. The plants were maintained in an outdoor ambient environment. After 2 weeks incubation at an average temperature of 20°C and approximately 80% relative humidity, the inoculated plants exhibited typical downy mildew symptoms, while the control plants remained healthy. The pathogenicity test was repeated in a dew chamber under 20°C with similar results. In the Asia-Pacific region, impatiens downy mildew was recently confirmed in Korea and Japan (1,4). To our knowledge, this is the first report of downy mildew on impatiens in Taiwan. Our further surveys indicated the disease has spread to other parts of the island and will become a potential problem requiring prevention. References: (1) Y. J. Choi et. al. Plant Pathol. J. 25:433, 2009. (2) K. O'Donnell. Curr. Genet. 22:213, 1992. (3) A. J. Palmateer et. al. Plant Dis. 97:687, 2013. (4) M. Satou et. al. J. Gen. Plant Pathol. 79:205, 2013.

Nonlocal optical effects on the Goos-Hänchen shift at an interface of a composite material of metallic nanoparticles

We present a theoretical study on the nonlocal optical effects on the Goos-Hänchen (GH) shift of reflected light from a composite material of metallic nanoparticles (MNPs). Using different nonlocal effective medium models, it is observed that such effects can be significant for small MNP of sizes down to a few nanometers. For small metallic volume fractions, the composite behaves like dielectric and the nonlocal effects lead to significant different Brewster angles, at which large negative GH shifts take place. For larger volume fractions or shorter wavelengths, the composite behaves more like metals and the nonlocal effects also lead to different Brewster angles but at values close to grazing incidence. These results will have significant implications in the application of different effective medium models for the characterization of these nanometallic composites when the MNPs are down to a few nanometers in size.

First Report of Leaf Spot on Tibouchina semidecandra Caused by Beltrania rhombica in China

Tibouchina semidecandra Cogn. is a popular ornamental plant in tropical and subtropical areas (1). In August 2011, a leaf spot was observed on approximately 70% of 5,000 potted plants of T. semidecandra in a nursery in Zhongshan, Guangdong Province, China. Each leaf spot was round with a brown center surrounded by a reddish brown border, and ranged from 8 to 10 mm in diameter. A fungus was isolated consistently from the lesions by surface-sterilizing symptomatic leaf sections (each 3 cm²) with 75% alcohol for 8 s, washing the sections with sterile water, soaking the sections in 3% NaOCl for 15 s, rinsing the sections with sterile water three times, and then placing the sections on potato dextrose agar (PDA) at 28°C. Each of three single-spore isolates on PDA produced gray, floccose colonies that reached 70 mm in diameter after 5 days at 28°C. Setae were dark brown, straight, erect, distantly and inconspicuously septate, and 125 to 193 × 3.0 to 4.5 μm. Conidiophores were light brown, cylindrical, simple or sometimes branched at the base, and 105 to 202 × 3 to 5 μm. Separating cells were hyaline, oval, and 12 to 13 × 4 to 5 μm. Conidia were unequally biconic, unicellular, dark brown with a pale brown or subhyaline band just above the widest part, and 26 to 31 × 8.5 to 12 μm (mean 27.3 × 10.6 μm) with a conspicuous appendage at the apex that was 6 to 14 × 1 to 1.8 μm. These characteristics were consistent with the description of Beltrania rhombica Penz. (3). The internal transcribed spacer (ITS) region of the ribosomal DNA (rDNA) of one isolate (GenBank Accession No. JN853777) was amplified using primers ITS4 and ITS5 (4) and sequenced. A BLAST search in GenBank revealed 97% similarity to the ITS sequence of an isolate of B. rhombica (GU797390.1). To confirm pathogenicity of the isolate, ten detached leaves from 3-month-old plants of T. semidecandra 'Purple Glorybush' were inoculated in vitro with 5-mm diameter, colonized mycelial plugs from the periphery of 5-day-old cultures of the isolated fungus. The agar plugs were put on the leaf surface and secured with sterile, moist cotton. Sterile PDA plugs were similarly used as the control treatment on ten detached leaves. Leaves were placed in petri dishes and incubated in a growth chamber with 12 h of light/day at 28°C. Necrotic lesions appeared on leaves after 2 to 3 days of incubation, whereas control leaves inoculated with sterile PDA plugs remained asymptomatic. B. rhombica was consistently reisolated from the lesions using the same method described above, but was not reisolated from the control leaves. Although there are approximately 77 reported hosts of B. rhombica (2), to our knowledge, this is the first report of B. rhombica causing a leaf spot on T. semidecandra. Because the disease caused foliar damage and reduced the ornamental value of the nursery plants, control measures may need to be implemented for this species in nurseries. References: (1) M. Faravani and B. H. Bakar. J. Food Agric. Env. Pap. 5:234, 2007. (4) D. F. Farr and A. Y. Rossman. Fungal Databases. Systematic Microbiology Laboratory, ARS, USDA. Retrieved from http://nt.ars-grin.gov/fungaldatabases/ , 30 Mar. 2012. (2) K. A. Pirozyski and S. D. Patil. Can. J. Bot. Pap. 48:567, 1970. (3) T. J. White et al. Page 315 in: PCR Protocols: A Guide to Methods and Applications. M. A. Innis et al., eds. Academic Press, San Diego, CA, 1990.

Computer aided diagnosis system for breast cancer based on color Doppler flow imaging

Color Doppler flow imaging takes a great value in diagnosing and classifying benign and malignant breast lesions. However, scanning of color Doppler sonography is operator-dependent and ineffective. In this paper, a novel breast classification system based on B-Mode ultrasound and color Doppler flow imaging is proposed. First, different feature extraction methods were used to obtain the texture and geometric features from B-Mode ultrasound images. In color Doppler feature extraction stage, several spectrum features are extracted by applying blood flow velocity analysis to Doppler signals. Moreover, a velocity coherent vector method is proposed based on color coherence vector, which is helpful for designing to the optimize detection of flow indices from different blood flow velocity fields automatically. Finally, a support vector machine classifier with selected feature vectors is used to classify breast tumors into benign and malignant. The experimental results demonstrate that the proposed computer-aided diagnosis system is useful for reducing the unnecessary biopsy and death rate.

First Report of Leaf Spot on Gerbera jamesonii Caused by Corynespora cassiicola in China

Gerbera (Gerbera jamesonii Bolus ex. Hook f.) is a popular cut flower and flowering potted plant. In August 2011, a new leaf spot disease was observed on double-type Gerbera growing in outdoor ground beds in Guangzhou, Guangdong Province, China. Approximately 30% of about 20,000 Gerbera plants in the Guangzhou ground beds were affected. Leaf spots were round or irregular with grayish centers surrounded by dark brown borders and ranged from 5 to 15 mm in diameter. Leaves with multiple lesions became blighted. A fungus was isolated from the lesions and single-spore isolates plated on potato dextrose agar (PDA) produced gray, floccose colonies, which reached 65 mm on PDA after 7 days at 28°C. Conidiophores were brown or olivaceous, cylindrical, straight and unbranched, two to seven septations, and 25 to 83 × 4 to 7 μm. Conidiogenous cells were olivaceous or brown, cylindrical, and 11 to 21 × 4 to 6 μm. Conidia were borne singly or in chains of two to five, brown, cylindrical, straight to slightly curved, two to eight pseudosepta, and 30 to 90 × 5.5 to 11.5 μm (mean 70.4 × 7.3 μm), with a conspicuous hilum. These characteristics were consistent with the description of Corynespora cassiicola (Berk. & M.A. Curtis.) C.T. Wei (1). The internal transcribed spacer region (ITS) of one isolate (GenBank Accession No. JN853778) was amplified using primers ITS4 and ITS5 (3) and sequenced. A BLAST search in GenBank revealed highest similarity (99%) to sequences of C. cassiicola (AY238606.1 and FJ852715.1). Pathogenicity tests were conducted on 10 potted double-type Gerbera plants. Five wounded and five unwounded leaves on each plant were inoculated with 5-mm mycelial plugs from the periphery of 5-day-old cultures of the isolated fungus. The plugs were put on the leaf surface and secured with sterile wet cotton. Sterile PDA plugs were used as the control treatment on different leaves of the same plants that were inoculated. Plants were covered with plastic bags and incubated in a growth chamber with 12 h of light at 28°C. Necrotic lesions appeared on wounded leaves after 2 to 3 days of incubation and on unwounded leaves 5 to 7 days after incubation. Symptoms on wounded and unwounded leaves were similar to those observed in the field, whereas control leaves inoculated with sterile PDA plugs remained symptomless. C. cassiicola was consistently reisolated from these lesions. Although there are approximately 644 reported hosts of C. cassiicola (2), to our knowledge, this is the first report of C. cassiicola leaf spot on G. jamesonii. Because the disease caused damage to the foliage and affected the flowering of the plants, control measures may need to be implemented for the production of Gerbera in cut flower nurseries. References: (1) M. B. Ellis. CMI Mycol. Pap. 65:15, 1957. (2) D. F. Farr and A. Y. Rossman. Fungal Databases, Systematic Mycology and Microbiology Laboratory, ARS, USDA. Retrieved from http://nt.ars-grin.gov/fungaldatabases/ , 21 November 2011. (3) T. J. White et al. Page 315 in: PCR Protocols: A Guide to Methods and Applications. M. A. Innis et al., eds. Academic Press, San Diego, 1990.

First Report of Anthracnose Caused by Colletotrichum gloeosporioides on Cymbidium sinense in China

Cymbidium sinense are among the most important commercial orchids cultivated in China for flower production. In April of 2010, a leaf spot was sporadically observed on C. sinense in fields located in Guangzhou, China. Symptoms first appeared as yellow to brown, irregular-shaped lesions on the leaf margin or tip. As the infection continued on the tissues, the spot expanded and became dark brown along the margins and developed gray brown centers. At later stages, numerous epidermal acervuli developed on the lesions and mucilaginous conidial masses appeared on the lesions under moist conditions. Ten samples from tissue along the margins of lesions were collected and surface sterilized by washing in 70% ethanol for 30 s, followed by washing in 1% sodium hypochlorite for 30 s, and rinsing in sterile distilled water. These samples were plated onto potato dextrose agar (PDA) and incubated at 25°C with a 12-h alternating light and dark cycle. After 5 days, fungal colonies that grew from the tissue were subcultured onto PDA and pure cultures were obtained using the single-spore method. The fungus was identified as Colletotrichum gloeosporioides based on typical cultural characteristics and conidial morphology (1). PDA cultures were white at first and subsequently became grayish white to gray and pink to reddish brown. Conidia were straight, one-celled, hyaline, oblong, or cylindrical, slightly curved with truncate base and rounded apex and measured 14.0 to 19.5 × 4.0 to 6.0 μm. Chlamydospores, sclerotia, and a teleomorph were not found. Genomic DNA was extracted from one isolate and the internal transcribed spacer (ITS) region of the ribosomal DNA (ITS1-5.8S-ITS2) was amplified using ITS1 (5'-TCCGTAGGTGAACCTGCGG-3') and ITS4 (5'-CCTCCGCTTATTGATATGC-3') primers. The ITS region was further cloned and sequenced and showed 100% homology with many GenBank sequences (e.g., HQ333546.1) of C. gloeosporioides as the closest match. Pathogenicity tests were done by transferring one 4-mm-diameter disk of PDA that was colonized by the test isolates to wounds (4 × 4 mm) made with a needle in the leaves of 1-year-old C. sinense plants. Control plants received a sterile agar plug in wound. Ten inoculated plants were covered with plastic bags to maintain a high relative humidity and maintained in a greenhouse at 25 ± 2°C for 72 h. Five days after inoculation, no symptoms developed on the control plants. Foliar lesions closely resembled those observed in the field. C. gloeosporioides was reisolated consistently from symptomatic tissue collected from greenhouse experiments. To our knowledge, this is the first report of C. gloeosporioides causing anthracnose on C. sinense in China. Reference: (1) B. C. Sutton. Colletotrichum Biology, Pathology and Control. CAB International, Wallingford, UK, 1992.

Chromate reduction on humic acid derived from a peat soil--exploration of the activated sites on HAs for chromate removal

Humic substances are a major component of soil organic matter that influence the behavior and fate of heavy metals such as Cr(VI), a toxic and carcinogenic element. In the study, a repetitive extraction technique was used to fractionate humic acids (HAs) from a peat soil into three fractions (denoted as F1, F2, and F3), and the relative importance of O-containing aromatic and aliphatic domains in humic substances for scavenging Cr(VI) was addressed at pH 1. Spectroscopic analyses indicated that the concentrations of aromatic C and O-containing functional groups decreased with a progressive extraction as follows: F1>F2>F3. Cr(VI) removal by HA proceeded slowly, but it was enhanced when light was applied due to the production of efficient reductants, such as superoxide radical and H(2)O(2), for Cr(VI). Higher aromatic- and O-containing F1 fraction exhibited a greater efficiency for Cr(VI) reduction (with a removal rate of ca. 2.89 mmol g(-1) HA under illumination for 3 h). (13)C NMR and FTIR spectra further demonstrated that the carboxyl groups were primarily responsible for Cr(VI) reduction. This study implied the mobility and fate of Cr(VI) would be greatly inhibited in the environments containing such organic groups.

Dry deposition of Mn, Zn, Cr, Cu and Pb in particles of sizes of 3 μm, 5.6 μm and 10 μm in central Taiwan

This investigates the concentrations of Mn, Zn, Cr, Cu, and Pb ambient air in total suspended particulates (TSPs) and dry deposition. The ratios of the calculated to measured dry deposition fluxes of ambient-air Mn, Zn, Cr, Cu and Pb at five characteristic sampling sites from 2009 to 2010 were determined using two dry deposition models. Experimental results demonstrate that the mean concentrations of metallic elements in TSPs and dry deposition were highest at the Quan-xing (industrial) sampling site, which is surrounded by various industrial factories and is in a severely polluted area. The mean seasonal concentrations of metallic elements in TSPs were highest in the winter and fall at all five sites. The analytical concentrations of metallic elements in fall and winter at these five sites were elevated in low winds. The Baklanov model yielded more accurate predictions concerning the dry deposition of metallic elements in ambient air when the sizes of the deposited particles were <5.6 μm, and the Noll and Fang model yielded better predictions when the sizes of the particles were >5.6 μm.